Sneaker Pimp

For the lack of anything worthwhile to post, here's a list of the shoes in my closet:

Everyday shoe: Simple O.S. (stone gray)
Getting the Mail: Timberland clogs (brown)
Walk This Way: Adidas Superstar (white/blue - laces haven't been untied since summer '98)
Old Workout Shoes: Adidas Superstar 2g (white/blue - don't wear anymore)
Current Workout Shoes: New Balance 805 (grey/red - go Bucks!)
The Most I'll Dress Up in Summer: Rockport sandals (brown)
Summer Standard I: Reef Smoothy (black - bought in time of need at St. Maarten)
Summer Standard II: Adidas slide (blue/yellow)
Old Summer Standard: Adidas Santiossage slide (blue/white)
Shoutout to My Old Area Code: New Balance 804 (grey/blue/yellow)
My Only Pair of Brown Shoes: Sketchers Critics (brown - duh)
My Hip Work Shoes (When I Worked): Dr. Martens 8053 Series (black)
Not Sure Why I Still Have Them: Timberland boots (brown - ca. high school)
Puttin' on the Ritz (old): Stanley Blacker captoes (black)
Puttin' on the Ritz (new): Bostonian Madison wingtips (black)

Future purchases:
-some type of brown leather dress shoe
-Simple O.S. (jungle green/white)
-a new pair of Adidas Superstars

There you have it. More shoes than a heterosexual man should be allowed to have.

"I'm 'tarded now!"

Ready to laugh? One of my favorite stand-ups (now a producer for "The Simpsons"), Dana Gould, has a bunch of live shows available for download on his official site. He also has his album Funhouse available - for free (to think that I paid $15 for it a few years ago), as well as a video for a full-length show. This is some great stuff. Listen to "This Cut Is Too Evil To Name" and feel terrible for laughing.

Crush of the Week: Mary Prankster

This week's crush: Mary Prankster. This Baltimore native's music's excellent and she's definitely got 'tude to spare. I tried to go to one of her shows over Christmas, but arrived too late. I did get a chance to meet her, though. Looking back, I totally gushed like the fanboy that I am. Check out her stuff and definitely go see her play if she comes to your town.



I’ve seen the future and it looks like lemonade/Mix an ocean of a potion/Make you wish you’d never stayed

"Moving forward, using all my breath..."

The bar review course started this morning. It's just as fun as I remembered when I took it this summer. I didn't realize that there's a 7 in the morning now, too. I guess it'll be good for me to get on a saner sleep schedule.

I've been in a pretty shitty mood for the past couple of days. Mainly because of an idiot boneheaded mistake that I made while paying my bills earlier in the month. I won't elaborate, but it's all getting sorted out. I can't stop dwelling on it, though.

At least the backlog of mail was delivered today and I received a CD that I bought off of ebay - Modern English's Pillow Lips (yeah, the one where they re-recorded "I Melt With You"). It even came in the original cardboard longbox! The CD's been out of print for years and I never replaced my cassette. I popped it in the car while I went to pick up my Chinese food and remembered every lyric. Man, it was like I was in high school in 1990 all over again: no job, not dating, studying for exams. Funny how some things don't change.



Also cheering me up is the unrated version of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy DVD that I picked up today. Some of the dialogue has been changed from the theatrical cut, though. I liked the theatrical version of Brick and Champ recalling the morning after the party better. Still, it's a funny movie. And the DVD of my favorite movie of 2004 came out - Garden State!

You stay classy, San Diego.

"Merry Christmas, moviehouse!"

Well, I arrived safely back in C-Bus last night. The drive was uneventful, but at least it was clear and dry. And now, a few snapshots from my whirlwind trip to Richmond:

My brother's cat Snoopy. He's a cute (and gigantic) cat. Too bad I have to get all doped up on Benadryl whenever I go over to his house to visit or else I'll feel miserable.


The Best Dog in the World: Sadie. Here she's just chillin'.


My nephew Parker taking a break from the family.


Besides the bow tie (I WILL learn how to tie it in '05), bottle of Grey Goose and cash (to help keep my butt unemployed while I study for the bar), one of my favorite presents was this The Empire Strikes Back quilt that my mom made for me. 2004 was the year that she finished her many projects - this quilt was started in 1985.


We continued our Christmas night tradition of going to see It's a Wonderful Life at the historic Byrd Theater. When I become a millionaire and go through my philanthropic phase, the first thing that I'm going to do is get new seats for the Byrd. Seeing a long movie there is a test of ass endurance.


Ren and Stimpy look on the Great Talking Doll Debate of 2004 (moderated by Rachel Ray's visage). Reagan proclaimed "Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem" to which Charlie Brown retorted with "Me? You want me to be the director of the Christmas play?" Considering my age, I got a lot of toys this year.


Lastly, I was greeted with about a foot of snow already on the ground when I returned to Cowtown last night. Here's the view outside of my front door.

Johnny Oates 1946-2004

Johnny Oates was a great man, ballplayer, and friend. I still remember when he took me to the clubhouse at Memorial Stadium when he managed the Orioles. That was such a thrill. He then gave me a ball signed by Cal Ripken, Jr. (who I share a birthday with) and a bat signed by Billy Ripken. Talk about a great day! He was a very unselfish man, always there for my family - I remember one night in particular in which he provided my brother, sister, and I with some much needed comfort. Mr. Oates will definitely be missed, but at least he's free from his pain and in a better place now.

Festivus is not over until you pin me

Well, it's the 23rd...Happy Festivus!



I'm in Richmond now, chillin' with the fam. Spydrz and I just got back from bar hopping. We were going to see Mary Prankster at Poe's Pub, but were too late (c'mon, I've seen a million concerts and NONE of them started promptly at 9). We did get there in time to talk to her, though. Being the fanboy that I am, I got a picture with her. Maybe she'll be my crush next week. You never know...

So I leave C-Bus yesterday and today they get dumped with at least half a foot of snow. Today in Richmond it was sunny and 61 - so glad that I brought my pea coat. My streak of green Christmases continues.

Well, all this talking has made me light-headed. I think I better lie down.* Merry Christmas!



*five points if you can get that reference.

I'm Micah and I'm outta heeeeeeeeere

Okay, dedicated readers (I'm looking at you Spydrz and Kate), I'm heading home to Virginia for Christmas. Hope your RamaHanuKwanzMas is merry and bright.

To warm your cockles, I give you this: It's a Wonderful Life in 30 seconds and re-enacted by bunnies

And in the spirit of Festivus, I've got a lot of problems with you people. And now, the Feats of Strength...

Top albums (and such) of 2004

Here's my list of the top albums and whatnot of 2004. Keep in mind, there's no way that I (or anyone, really) could listen to everything released this year, so this list is solely based on what tunes entered my lil' world (57 albums - mostly legal, some not - to be exact).

Album of the Year: Brian Wilson, SMiLE (a teenage symphony to God, indeed)

The Best of the Rest (in alphabetical order):
Ayslum Street Spankers, Mercurial
Elvis Costello & the Imposters, The Delivery Man
De La Soul, The Grind Date
DJ Danger Mouse, The Grey Album
Green Day, American Idiot
John Wesley Harding, Adam's Apple
Jem, Finally Woken
The Killers, Hot Fuss
Nellie McKay, Get Away From Me
Murs, Murs 3:16 - The 9th Edition
Sam Phillips, A Boot and a Shoe
The Roots, The Tipping Point
Snow Patrol, Final Straw
Kanye West, The College Dropout

Best Reissue: The Clash, London Calling: 25th Anniversary Legacy Edition
Best Compilation (tie): Garden State and Shaun of the Dead soundtracks
Best Singles: Modest Mouse - "Float On," William Shatner - "Common People," Kanye West - "Jesus Walks,"
Returns to Form: Prince, Morrissey, The Cure
Biggest Disappointment: Eminem, Encore
Still the Biggest Sellouts: The Blackeyed Peas
Best Dis of Shaq: Skillz - "Those movies were ill/I'd make a porno with Magic before I'd make Kazaam or Steel"
Best Live Show: Asylum Street Spankers
Best Non-2004 Album That I Heard For The First Time This Year: The Postal Service, Give Up

Crush of the Week: Jennifer Eccleston

A bit early on this one, but I'm heading to see the folks in the morning, so without further ado... This week's crush is TV reporter Jennifer Eccleston (now with NBC, formerly of Fox News). She reports. I decide.



This just in: she's hot.

More pics can be found here: www.Jennifer-Eccleston.com

Gettin' my culture on

This past Friday I took a trip to the Columbus Museum of Art to see the "Monet to Matisse" exhibit, among other stuff. Who says Cowtown has no culture? Well, I do, but they're trying.

"And in his spare time he painted." Monet's Seascape at Pourville:


That kooky Degas and his fascination with ballerinas:


I wasn't supposed to take these pictures, so shhhhhhhhhhhh! The art police are bastards, I hear.

How did they survive in the early '90s?

For the better part of this weekend my cable internet was down. And then the premium channels went "kaput" (not that I really want to watch Anaconda). Then all I could get were the broadcast channels. I scheduled an appointment for repair ("he'll be there between 8 and 10 AM" - got here at 9:45 AM). So, the cable guy's here right now and 2/3 of the problems are gone. Kangaroo Jack is coming in all pixelated. He said the problem with HBO is definitely on the pole - and I tried to stifle an immature snicker. But at least I can blog. And look at porn.

With few digital entertainment options open to me yesterday, I decided to finish my Christmas shopping. Man, the mall was a nightmare. But my gift buying is all done with.

Now I just need to straighten up the house the little, wrap presents, pack, and I'll be off to Virginia in the morning...if the fates allow.

A Christmas poem by Kathy Griffin

Although I used to find her extremely annoying, I'm really starting to dig Kathy Griffin. It's probably because of my fascination with pop culture. I just like the way she rips on celebrities. Her Bravo comedy special, which contained nothing but her trashing the Hollywood not-so-elite, was hilarious. In the spirit of the season, here's the Christmas poem that she said on Comedy Central the other night:

Twas the night before Christmas in Vegas, no qualms
Paris Hilton was banging some guy at the Palms
Then Courtney Love flew in her private chartered sleigh
A landing so perfect, her arm tracks led the way
There’s Anna Nicole - in great shape, she’s hikin’ in
With bottles of Trim Spa and buckets of vicodin
Is that the Sum 41 guy with Avril Lavigne?
No way - she’s the hardest core hardcore punk rocker I’ve ever seen
I went to a strip club after a couple of beers
I saw a pretty pole dancer - hey, it’s Britney Spears
With cut off daisy dukes, hair blonde as honey
Why is she stripping for dollars? Her husband Kevin took all her money
Now Lindsay, now Misha, Nicole Richie take care
Someone’s hurling into the toilet; it’s Tara Reid - hold her hair
I know she hates Lohan, but Lindsay here’s some drama
Hilary Duff is in the corner blowing Wilmer Valderrama
Who’s that up in the Ghost Bar, wide-eyed and out too late
Asking if her ass looks fat? It’s Ashley with Mary-Kate
So “It” girls of Hollywood, don’t go too far
Because what happens in Vegas stays in the Star

There's a tear in my low-carb malt beverage

My friend studying abroad (or two) in Japan requested that I make a mix CD for one of his friends over there who works at the Australian embassy. He needed the CD for a Tex-Mex party. Feeling the need to force my superior musical tastes on people and expose them to artists that they may not know about otherwise (as is the nature of a music geek), I complied. So, I went through my music library and got the CDs that I needed (admittedly, there's more Tex than Mex in my collection) and listened to a lot of country music last night. Hip-hop music gets a bad rap (pun intended) nowadays, but old school country is straight-up gangsta: murder, drugs, booze, prostitutes, heartbreak, robbery, betrayal, one-night stands, prison, infidelity, suicide, depression, regret. Makes me want to do a drive-by.

It was nice to listen to some stuff that I hadn't heard in a long time. There's some great music out there. I particularly love these lines from Tim Easton's "Hey Rosine":

Hey, Rosine, you got your momma's worries and your daddy's trigger finger/So, don't question if I'll always be true

Get an extra dose of Micah

The Shameless Plug Alert Level is at "Mauve." I also periodically post at spydrzweb, a blog with 11 contributers. We're like the Wu Tang Clan, only with more advanced degrees. Politics, pop culture, and everything in between - what more could you want? My latest offering over there deals with Ray Charles's Grammy nominations. Spydrzweb is for the children!

Crush of the Week: Kasey Chambers

This week I'm in love with Aussie country singer Kasey Chambers. She's got two great albums (I haven't heard the new one) that showcase one helluva voice. You may have heard her and not know it - her song "The Captain" was in the closing credits of an episode of The Sopranos. Go out and buy her stuff right now. DO IT!



Her song "Am I Not Pretty Enough" begs the answer, "you're more than fine."

Go ahead, life. Do your worst. Well, not really.

As of today I am insured! My folks had a pow-wow and had the notion that cheating death by not being insured for the past four years was probably not the best idea. Thanks, mom and dad! I still have to send in the paperwork for the separate vision and dental care. Man, I can't wait to get my eyes checked out and then go to the dentist - seriously. So, now I can finally return to my one true passion: bar fights.

Jack Frost spotted in C-Bus

Here's a picture that I took this morning. If this isn't hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps weather, I don't know what is.

Yeah, I'm a geek

There's no point in hiding my geekiness. Last night after I got back from Ocean's 12 I watched two hour-long documentaries about the Matrix trilogy - one about the philosophy of it, the other about the science. Today I just picked up the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King extended edition DVD (4 hours and ten minutes!). I'm in geek heaven.

But at least I'm not a hobbit rapper. I tell ya, whenever I feel down about myself I think of those guys and then I feel much better. It's almost as good as the "lightning bolt! lightning bolt!" video that made the rounds a few years ago.

Snow, hosehead

It's a snowy day in Columbus. I love the white stuff*!





*snow, not cocaine.

I think that I'm getting the hang of this drinking thing

Great cocktail party last night. It went until about 3 am. Lots of friends showed up. One friend gave me a silver penguin ornament to match my new cocktail shaker. Another one got me a bottle of Speyburn single malt scotch whisky. Yummy!

Normally, my M.O. at parties is to drink too heavily, get sick, crash (with the room spinning around me). It wouldn't be unusual for me to be the first one down - even at my own party. Last night I had a breakthrough, though. Yes, I was imbibing on a constant basis, but I never got sick. Even better, the world was still as I was drifting off to sleep. No hangover today. I have to think about what I did differently last night.

Top Ten Movies of 2004

Here's how I rank the Top Ten movies of 2004. Keep in mind that this list is not complete as there were some movies that I haven't got around to seeing yet (Hellboy, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Ocean's 12), some that I didn't want to see in the first place (You Got Served, that Michael Moore movie), and some that haven't been released yet (Beyond the Sea, The Life Aquatic).

10. The Passion of the Christ
9. Dawn of the Dead
8. The Ladykillers
7. Hero
6. Collateral
5. Spider-man 2
4. Ray
3. Shaun of the Dead
2. The Incredibles
1. Garden State

Honorable mentions: The Terminal, Mean Girls, Shrek 2, Miracle, Open Water, Anchorman

Could've Been Great, Except for the Damn Shaky Camera: The Bourne Supremacy

Best Non-2004 Movie That I Saw for the First Time This Year: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (I know - I'm a bit late to the party on this one)

Belive the Hype: Jamie Foxx in Ray (maybe now he can strike Booty Call from his resume)

"Thanks for Spaceballs..."

Just finished watching the "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein" episode of Family Guy. Of course, Fox hacked it up, but it was still funny. The song "I Need a Jew" is super catchy and hilarious. I found an mp3 of it (and other FG clips) here. If anyone knows where I can find a better quality download of it, please share.

"That's more than I spent on all that Handsome Cream."

Deck the halls and all that jazz

Well, I spent the evening getting the house all Christmas-y for the cocktail party on Saturday. Tree's up. Candle's are out. Wreath's on the door. It was fun to go through all of my old ornaments: Joe Namath ("We beat the Colts"), a grill, crap I made in elementary school, etc.

Odd music choice: I must've listened to Apathy's So Where's Your Album? at least three times while trimming the tree. To stretch for a connection...he's an MC out of Connecticut. There was an old movie called Christmas in Connecticut. There you go. Not satisfied? Okay, in one song he rhymes over an instrumental of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." The White Stripes, of course, always dress in red and white. Candy canes have red and white stripes on them. I am the king!

Now all I have to do it is clean the house and go to the grocery and liquor stores.

There's been good days and bad days and going half-mad days

I just realized that I can use this blog to chronicle my impending mental breakdown*, a la Mariah Carey or Fred Durst. Sweet!

It'll be a while, but stay tuned, folks.



*scheduled to occur sometime in February before the bar exam.

Cowtown pride

Joe Blundo posted on his Columbus Dispatch blog a handy guide to determine the self-esteem of Columbusites (and Buckeye-lovin' transplants like myself, too):

As anyone who spends more than five minutes in Columbus quickly realizes, the city is intensely devoted to the Ohio State football team. Weddings and funerals are scheduled around Buckeye home games. And don’t try to sneak something in: People in Columbus memorize the football schedule for three years in advance.

The self-esteem of Columbus is directly tied to the won loss record of the Ohio State football team. Use this handy guide to determine the civic self-esteem during any given season:

11-0: Colossus of the Midwest
10-1: Titan of Ohio
9-2: Gem of the Scioto
8-3: Hub of the Seven-County Metropolitan Area
7-4: Regional Warehousing Center
6-5: The Next Indianapolis
5-6: Gateway to Dayton
4-7: Good Place to Stop for Gas
3-8: Worth a Side Trip
2-9: Obscure Crossroads Southwest of Cleveland
1-10: Dusty Third World Village
0-11: Superfund Site

For those not keeping up with the Buckeyes, currently we're a so-so Regional Warehousing Center. But we're also a Red State, so it all evens out.

Even Lance Armstrong wanted to strangle me

Just got back from the post office, where I had to mail 25 bubble mailers. It took a while and the line behind me grew quite long. I could feel the eyes of the people in queue shooting daggers at me. I can't blame them because I'd feel the same if I were in their shoes. At least the guy behind the counter was cool with printing out 25 different postage slips.

Speaking of the post office, I sent my brother a bubble mailer first class on August 23rd of this year. He did not receive it until 3 months later. There really is no excuse for that kind of delay. It makes me want to go postal.

Late night haggis

Craig Ferguson has been tapped to host CBS's "Late Late Show." I only saw one of his "try out" episodes, but I thought he seemed pretty comfortable in the interviewer seat. He was great in Born Romantic, a flawed yet overlooked film and he owned the Mr. Wick role on "The Drew Carey Show."

Plus, there's just something about his Scottish brogue that I find appealing.

"Lights, please..."

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is on TV (with never-before-aired content tacked on at the end), there's hot chocolate in my mug, and I'm finally tackling this huge stack of Christmas cards and CDs that I need to get out. For tonight only, life is good.

Merry Christmas to me

This year I've been good (more or less), so I thought that I deserved a little something. For years now I've had my eye on this penguin-shaped cocktail shaker at Restoration Hardware. Well, it's currently on sale AND I'm having a cocktail party this Saturday, so I figured now was as good a time as any to buy it. I probably shouldn't have, but I NEEDED it (well, not really).

Penguin shaker

(I got the grande one - perfect for martinis all around)

Crush of the Week: Rachel Ray

Woman that I'm in love with this week: Rachel Ray from the Food Network.



She's super cute and has spunk. And she can cook. 30 minute meals? I only need 10.

(The rest of this series of pictures can be found here.)

"Let 'em riot. We're Sonic-fuckin'-Death Monkey."

One of my current favorite e-zines is Stylus Magazine. It's writers have a High Fidelity-esque obsession with music, which makes it a fun read for music geeks like myself. One of their features is called "Playing God" where the writer takes a classic album and re-sequences, omits, and adds songs to make it a better listen. "On Second Thought" is where they re-evaluate an album that's been out for at least two years: unjustified classic or undeservedly-shat on failure? Then there's "Perfect Moments in Pop" in which the writer examines a specific song. Their top ten lists are interesting, too (the most recent being "Top Ten Hip-Hop Gimmicks of All-Time"). Plus, there's tons of movie and music reviews. Yeah, it leans pretty heavily on the indie side, but great stuff nonetheless.

"Baby, you've got a stew going."

Arrested Development is on tonight at 8:30 EST (maybe a little later due to football). You know, I never thought there'd be a funnier show to air along with The Simpsons, but given that show's slide in quality, AD easily tops it. This year's Emmy for Best Comedy was well derserved.

Also tonight Patton Oswalt has a stand-up special on Comedy Central. He's a really funny guy and I'm looking forward to his show. The man's got bits about Paas and how his girlfriend is obsessed with grisly true crime shows but can't stomach deaths in spaghetti westerns.

Oh, and for the uninitiated, the title to this topic is a recurring line from AD guest star Carl Weathers. Yes, that Carl Weathers.

Completely free (and legal) holiday cheer

A few fun free and legal downloadable Christmas songs for your enjoyment.

First up is an original by New York City's Mosquitos, titled "Missile Tow." Very precious. Let's put aside our differences and celebrate Christmas/Chanukah together.

Mosquitos: Missile Tow

The second is from Fleming & John. It's their take on "Winter Wonderland," only with a Zep twist. I'm especially digging the nod to "Black Dog" at the end ("Hey hey, Rudolph..."). This was first put up on their site in 2000, before mash-ups were cool. They also have a version of "Carol of the Bells" available for download, as well.

Fleming & John: Winter Wonderland and Carol of the Bells

Your redneck past

I just saw an ad on TV for a new Blue Collar Comedy Tour DVD. Uh...no thanks. I watched the first one and didn't find it funny at all. Maybe it's just me trying to distance myself from the rednecks (or "sons of the soil") that I grew up with, but I just don't see the appeal. C'mon - we finally had Jeff Foxworthy where we wanted him. What happened?

Now, that Carrot Top - he's funny.

This Christmas I want the clap

Stumped on what to give your co-workers, acquaintences, and other non-loved ones for Christmas? How about ebola?

You can find plush toy versions of that malady, as well as HIV, bad breath, the flu, the plague, and more at http://http://www.giantmicrobes.com/.

This lovable lil' guy is mono - the kissin' disease. Ain't it cute?

The night Auhnold saved Christmas

Gov. Schwarzenegger lit the California Christmas tree last night.

It was the 73rd annual lighting of the tree. Four years ago, during the state's power crisis, Gov. Gray Davis lit the tree and then turned it off to save energy.

Davis also changed the name to the holiday tree, a practice Schwarzenegger followed last year, soon after taking office.The governor's office wouldn't comment on the name change this year, but Schwarzenegger said during (late Senator) Knight's funeral in May that the yuletide tree would be called the Christmas tree as long as he was in office.

http://www.marinij.com/Stories/0,1413,234~26642~2574030,00.html

In a related story, Denver's mayor allows the phrase "Merry Christmas" to appear lit up in a holiday display.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB5WH5LA2E.html

Religious indoctrination! Booga booga booga!

It's a sad commentary on our society when I feel that I have to praise the courage of our elected officials to use the words "Christmas" and "Bing Crosby."

"...and the lady will have the Cocoa Puffs."

Philadelphia has a new cafe that exclusively serves cereal. Finally!

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041201/ap_on_he_me/fit_cereality

Jerry Seinfeld would approve.

Fine print

Thanks to the good ol' internet, I've got subscriptions to magazines up the wazoo - only a handful of which that I actually pay money for.

Currently, I get the following: Reason, Men's Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Spin, Giant, Razor, Blender, Maxim, Stuff, FHM, Wine Enthusiast, Playboy, Budget Living, PC Magazine, Style Ideas, Corporate Legal Times, Bicycling, GamePro, The Sporting News, Ohio Lawyer, Interview, Backpacker, Pyschology Today, Best Life, The Week, Esquire, Hollywood Life

I'm sure that I missed a few. With a new one showing up in the mail each day, I don't have time to read them all, so they just pile up. One day I'll get to them so I can catch up on what exploits Colin Farrell was up to six months ago or read an article about that new hit show Alias.

Popping my blog cherry

So, I don't know what I'm gonna do on this blog thing. Maybe I'll go the LiveJournal emo pity party route. Or not.