Tennis Anyone?

Carlos is a huge tennis fan. One of his default TV channels is the Tennis Channel. He is planning a trip for us to Austin to the Davis Cup the weekend of July 9th. (We're going on the cheap: Staying with my cousin, driving instead of flying, and so on).

He's such a fan of tennis that he even bought a $50 Wimbledon towel a couple of years ago.

Our friend Julie sent him this link to someone "who recreated the 2008 Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer in paper form. The video flips back and forth between two hands holding notebook pages that show where the ball was hit and what the score was. Combined with actual player/game noises and crowd cheering, it’s such a clever final product."

WIM•BLE•DON from BRYANKU on Vimeo.

It's fascinating. I've watched it a few times and can't figure out how the people know which pages to turn to in such a short amount of time.

Theme Dinners - Season 1, Week 3

This past Wednesday we had our Wednesday Night Dinners III.

What started in Week I as a "let's get together...and bring Cold Food (our theme) because it's so damn hot outside" has turned into -

Week III Theme: Food That Rhymes With The Name of a Saints Player

Of my favorites this week...

- "Doll Clothes" Jason valiantly cooked Drew Brees Macaroni and Cheese. He doesn't cook. I'm thrilled to see him branch outside of his comfort zone.
- Jason "Spaces" brought Lance S'Moores Cupcakes - which was a hit at Dinner - and when I brought the remainders to my office Thursday.
- Angela and Russ (AKA my parents) brought Scott Fujita's fajitas.

Carlos and I presented dishes that rhymed with long-forgotten Saints players: Fred Whittingham's Ham and Navy Bean Soup, and Willie Roaf (pictured)'s Meat Loaf respectively.


Karlie won with her Deuce's Soups. She brought very tasty tomato and cucumber soups. She won a Huddler (pictured below) - a sports version of the "classic" Snuggie.


Based on everyone's votes, our next theme is Idioms. I am leaning toward "Pardon my French", but I'm not sure yet.

A few guests thought we should create a Wednesday Night Dinners Cook Book. Angela thought that "we could even use it as a fundraiser for some good cause....maybe the Food Bank, because it connects to food." That's a great idea. Around the end of year holidays, we're going to take a break from our Dinners. I'll compile all the recipes then. More details to follow.

I hope if you follow my blog here, you'll be interested in purchasing our cookbook!

Stay tuned and...Bon Appétit!

Johnny Weir

I'm liking Johnny Weir more and more.


[All of the below information was cut and pasted from other sources, but does reflect my opinion.]

Johnny Weir held a press conference Wednesday in Vancouver to address remarks made by two veteran sports commentators during the Olympics suggesting that his fabulousness is a bad example of, and for, male figure skaters and joking that he should undergo a gender test.

Weir began by joking that he grew stubble for the press conference to show that he’s a man, but his tone quickly got serious. As you’ll hear him say in the [embedded clip below], he’s not asking for an apology. He says he believes in free speech and wouldn’t want these men fired for expressing their opinion. (“I’ve heard worse in bathrooms and whatnot about me,” he quipped.) He just wants them to think before they speak — and to imagine the damage they could do to people like him and to generations of children whose parents may not give them the same freedom and support his did if they think their child will only be ridiculed for being who he or she is. “I would challenge anyone to question my upbringing and question my parents’ ideals and feelings about bringing up me and my brother, who’s completely different from me but taught very much the same way that I was,” Weir said. (The conviction in his voice during that statement had to have made his parents as proud as any medal he could’ve won.)

There’s a reason he’s calling attention to the situation: “Even my gender has been questioned. I want that to be public because I don’t want 50 years from now more young boys and girls to have to go through this sort of thing and to have their whole life basically questioned for no reason other than to make a joke and to make people watch their television program,” he said. He summed up his message — ”I hope more kids can grow up the same way that I did and more kids can feel the freedom that I feel to be themselves and to express themselves” — and his belief that the concepts of masculinity and femininity are old-fashioned. “There’s a whole generation of people that aren’t defined by their sex or their race or by who they like to sleep with. I think as a person you know what your values are and what you believe in, and I think that’s the most important thing.”



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Go, Johnny, Go!

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An NPR article about the same subject.

Saints + Mardi Gras 2010

Another season, another mixed tape. I gave away four copies of this (sister, sister, parents, Carlos). After they played the CD for friends, I have requests for more.

(When I get some time, after Mardi Gras Day, I'll post everything that has been going on.)

Saints:
Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk) – Ying Yang Twins
A Who Dat Christmas – Who Dat Children’s Choir
When The Saints Come Marching In - Louis Armstrong
I Believe (Saints Go All The Way) - Harrison Avenue (See video below.)
Super Bowl Mambo - One
Black & Gold (Who Dat) – K. Gates
When the Saints Go Marching In - Rebirth Brass Band
The Saints Are Coming - U2 and Green Day
Who Dat? - Aaron Neville & The Singing Saints

Mardi Gras:
Second Line - Stop Inc.
Do Whatcha Wanna - Rebirth Brass Band
Mardi Gras Mambo – The Hawketts (See video below.)
Mardi Gras in New Orleans – Professor Longhair
Go To The Mardi Gras – Professor Longhair
Hey Pocky Way – The Neville Brothers
Carnival Time – Al Johnson
Big Chief (Part 1) – Professor Longhair (See video below.)
Jambalaya (On The Bayou) – Fats Domino
Jambalaya – Professor Longhair
Take Me Back to New Orleans – Gary “U.S.” Bonds
Tipitina – Professor Longhair

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Super Bowl XLIV broadcast tops 1983 'M*A*S*H' finale for all-time TV ratings crown

By Dave Walker, The Times-Picayune
February 08, 2010, 3:05PM

More households were tuned to CBS’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV than any scheduled program in U.S. TV history.

Sunday’s New Orleans Saints defeat of the Indianapolis Colts was viewed in 51.7 million households, topping the previous record holder, the 1983 finale of the CBS sitcom “M*A*S*H,” which drew 50.2 million homes, the Nielsen Co. announced Monday.

Sunday’s total average audience of 106.5 million viewers easily eclipsed last year’s record Super Bowl audience -- the 98.7 million viewers who tuned to NBC’s broadcast of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defeat of the Arizona Cardinals.

Nielsen didn’t compile total-viewer data in 1983, said Aaron Lewis, communications director for the ratings-gathering service, and so isn’t releasing comparative figures in that measurement for this Super Bowl.

Reference sources list various audience totals for the “M*A*S*H” finale. One of them is 106 million viewers, which Lewis said “may be accurate” and which would put the Saints-Colts Super Bowl atop that column as well.

Ratings analysts had predicted a record audience total for the game based on the established popularity of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, the growing popularity of the Saints, the down national economy (encouraging thrifty stay-home viewing instead of watching the game in public places like bars and restaurants, which is not measured by Nielsen) and heavy weekend snowfall in some Eastern cities (also discouraging public viewing).

Public viewing and Super Bowl parties might’ve cost CBS affiliate WWL-Channel 4 a local-ratings record for the Saints’ Super Bowl triumph.

In New Orleans, the overnight ratings for WWL-TV’s Super Bowl broadcast fell short of the all-time mark set by WVUE-Channel 8 with the NFC Championship Game, which had a 63.2 local rating/82 share – the largest local rating in NFL post-season history, according to Fox.

Sunday’s game had a still-huge 56.3 rating, 82 share here. Each rating point represents 1 percent of total TV households, or about 6,340 homes. Share is the percentage of viewership in homes with a set in use.

“Does this mean less people actually watched the Super Bowl than the NFC Championship Game?” said Joann Habisreitinger, media director for Zehnder Communications in New Orleans. “I’d bet my life that’s not the case.

“The reason for the ratings difference is due to two key factors. One, a bunch of Who Dats in Miami not contributing to local viewership, and two, Super Bowl parties where large groups of people gathered in other people’s homes or outside of their home (such as in bars) where their viewership was not measured and therefore did not contribute to the Nielsen rating.

“Based on the share being dead even, I think it’s safe to assume the same number of people (if not more) viewed the Super Bowl.”


New Orleans led all local markets in overnight ratings for the Super Bowl, followed by snowbound Washington, D.C. (56.0 rating/73 share), Nashville (54.4/73), Indianapolis (54.2/80) and Columbus, Ohio (54.0/74).

Geaux Saints!!!!

One final Super Bowl post before the game.

U2 (featuring Green Day) – The Saints Are Coming

A letter to Miami from the "Who Dat Nation"

Yes, even I am caught up in all the hoopla.

A friend of mine sent me this today. It was written by Mark Lorando in the February 1, 2010 Times-Picayune.

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A letter to Miami from the "Who Dat Nation"

Dear Miami,

The Saints are coming. And so are we, their loyal, long-suffering and slightly discombobulated Super Bowl-bound fans.

While there's still time to prepare -- although a few hard-core Who Dats will begin trickling in Monday, most of us won't arrive until Thursday or Friday -- we thought we'd give you a heads-up about what you should expect.

First things first: You need more beer.

Yeah, we know. You ordered extra. You think you have more than any group of humans could possibly consume in one week. Trust us. You don't.

New Orleans was a drinking town long before the Saints drove us to drink. But it turns out beer tastes better when you're winning. (Who knew?) So let's just say we're thirsty for more than a championship; adjust your stockpiles accordingly.

And look. When we ask you for a go-cup, be nice to us. We don't even know what "open container law" means. Is that anything like "last call"?

It's Carnival season in New Orleans (that's Mardi Gras to you), and we'll be taking the celebration on the road. So don't be startled if you walk past us and we throw stuff at you; that's just our way of saying hello.

Oh, and sorry in advance about those beads we leave dangling from your palm trees. We just can't help ourselves.

February is also crawfish season, and you can be sure that more than one enterprising tailgater will figure out a way to transport a couple sacks of live mudbugs and a boiling pot to Miami.

When the dude in the “Who Dat” T-shirt asks if you want to suck da head and pinch da tail, resist the urge to punch him. He's not propositioning you. He's inviting you to dinner.

And if you see a big Cajun guy who looks exactly like an old Saints quarterback walking around town in a dress ... don't ask. It's a long story.

We know that crowd control is a major concern for any Super Bowl host city. Our advice? Put away the riot gear.

Reason No. 1: Indianapolis is going to lose, and their fans are way too dull to start a riot.

Reason No. 2: New Orleans showed the world on Sunday that we know how to throw a victory party. We don't burn cars. We dance on them.

Reason No. 3: Even if we did lose, which we won't, leaving the stadium would be like leaving a funeral, and our typical response to that is to have a parade.

Speaking of which: If you happen to see a brass band roll by, followed by a line of folks waving their handkerchiefs, you're not supposed to just stand there and watch. As our own Irma Thomas would say, get your backfield in motion.

And hey, Mister DJ! Yes, we know you've already played that stupid Ying Yang Twins song 10 times tonight, but indulge us just one more time.

To us, "Halftime (Stand Up and Get Crunk)" isn't just a song; it's 576 points of good memories. It's the sound of a Drew Brees touchdown pass to Devery Henderson, a Pierre Thomas dive for first down on 4th-and-1, a Garrett Hartley field goal sailing through the uprights in overtime.

It's what a championship sounds like. You may get sick of hearing it. We won't. Encore, dammit.

Inside Sun Life Stadium, you may find your ears ringing more than usual. We're louder than other fans. Seven thousand of ours sound like 70,000 of theirs.

Don't believe us? Ask the 12th man in the Vikings huddle.

Some people think it's just the Dome that heightens our volume. But you're about to discover a little secret: We can scream loud enough to make your head explode, indoors or out.

It's not the roof. It's the heart.

Well, OK, and the beer.

Don't be surprised if there are more Saints fans outside the stadium than inside. A lot of us are coming just to say we were part of history, even if we can't witness it up close. The Saints are family to us, and you know how it is with family: We want to be there for them, whether they really need us or not. Because we know our presence will mean something to them, whether they can see us or not.

Come to think of it, seeing as how you're taking us in for the week, we pretty much regard you as family, too. So we're warning you now: If you're within hugging distance, you're fair game.

Hugging strangers is a proud Who Dat tradition, right up there with crying when we win.

Most sports fans cry when their teams lose. Not us. We've been losing gracefully and with good humor for 43 years. Tragedy and disappointment don't faze us. It’s success that makes us go to pieces.

Hurricane Katrina? We got that under control. The Saints in the Super Bowl? SOMEBODY CALL A PARAMEDIC!!!

So anyway, don't let the tears of joy freak you out. We're just ... disoriented.

OK. Let's review:

Order more beer. Throw me something, mister. Suck da heads. Wear da dress. Stand up. Get crunk. Hug it out. Protect your eardrums. Pass the Kleenex. Hoist the trophy.

See you at the victory party.

Faithfully yours,

The Who Dat Nation

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It was written by Mark Lorando in the February 1, 2010 Times-Picayune.

Saints Heading To First-Ever Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints are headed to the Super Bowl for the first time ever, after beating the Minnesota Vikings in overtime to win the NFC Championship before a wild crowd in the Superdome.

A field goal by Garrett Hartley in overtime put the Saints on top, 31-28.

That's some crazy shit!

Quotes from the Family

Here are the latest quotes from my niece and nephew:

My 3-year-old niece Eden (who has an older and a younger brother, but no sisters): "I don't want God to make me a girl. I want to be a boy like Bennett and Nolan."


Bennett, the 4-year-old older brother: "When I get big, I am going to be an altar boy and a Monster Truck driver."


Bennett: Dad, who's playing?
Jeff, the Dad: The Bengals and the Steelers.
Bennett: Why are they the Steelers? Do they steal the ball a lot? Are they bad people?

Magic Beans

Carlos gently "admonishes" me every time I buy more magic beans - one of the latest being a framed movie poster from the movie Donnie Darko.

I think I'm in the clear for awhile. He told me a few days ago that he spent $53.00 on a Wimbledon beach towel, including the extra $5.00 to have it monogrammed.