yellow jackets are baaaaaaaack It's so freakin' cold in Minnesota, even the bees wear jackets!  ¶ monger187 wrote this on 8/25/2006 0 comments

  snakes on a who cares Every time I hear about this move Snakes On A Plane, they talk about how it's all the buzz on the Internet. And then everywhere I look on the Internet, people really are talking about it like it's the greatest thing since sliced peanut butter. Well, as the unofficial leader of the Internet, I refuse to take part in this. I think if you need to see a good snake movie, Anaconda is probably better. I haven't seen it, but it sure looks stupid. The same could be said for Snakes On A Plane. Thank you for listening.

If you happen to be Samuel L. Jackson, or someone else who is involved in making this movie, please pay me money and I will be glad to hype your movie to no end.  ¶ monger187 wrote this on 8/18/2006 0 comments

  best baseball names I did a search on the Internet and was absolutely shocked to see that nobody had done a definitive list of the best baseball names. Baseball players have better names than the rest of us, so here is a list I've compiled of the best baseball names of all time. Please let me know if I've forgotten anybody.

Baseball-theme names:
Trot Nixon
Prince Fielder
Early Wynn
Colter Bean
Craig Dingman
Braden Looper
Brandon League

Hard to pronounce:
Doug Mientkiewicz
Mark Teixeira
Byung-Hyun Kim
Magglio Ordonez
Nomar Garciaparra
Scott Podsednik

Could be dirty?
Richie Sexson
R.A. Dickey
Dave Concepcion
Dick Pole
Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown
Gaylord Perry
Mike Blowers
Tug McGraw
Rick Short

Dangerous names:
Enos Slaughter
Kevin Youkilis
Termel Sledge
Chris Bootcheck
Lyle Overbay
J.J. Furmaniak
A.J. Burnett

Just plain funny:
Jimmy Gobble
Coco Crisp
Wily Mo Pena
Woody Woodward
Dan Uggla
Catfish Hunter
Bill Wambsganss
J.J. Putz
Jordan Tata
Josh Fogg
Ruddy Lugo
Boof Bonser
Quenton McCracken
Lastings Milledge
Chipper Jones
So Taguchi
Jack Hannahan
Omar Infante
Pokey Reese
Milton Bradley
Nap Lajoie
Bucky Dent
Will Pennyfeather
Cap Anson
Rabbit Maranville
Bid McPhee
Old Hoss Radbourn
Rollie Fingers
Kirby Puckett
Goose Gossage
Mookie Wilson
Rogers Hornsby
Eppa Rixey  ¶ monger187 wrote this on 8/10/2006 2 comments

  boxy but good In hopes of appeasing those looking for car updates, here is my Yahoo! Autos review of the Scion xB. Enjoy...

I have been driving a white toaster for 2 months now and I absolutely love it. My Scion xB has "style," but only in a sense that it has no style. I get more than my fair share of odd looks from people, even though the color and shape of the car were stolen from a 1953 Black & Decker. It's a strange phenomenon in the car business: car companies have tried so hard to create things of beauty that beauty has become common, and only by eliminating beauty has Toyota been able to create a unique shape. Beautiful car shapes have become so commonplace that even Hyundais can set the heart fluttering. It is the utter lack of style makes this car stand out. That means if you do buy this car, be warned: strangers will look at you everywhere you go. This means no more nose-picking while you drive. It's the price you pay.

The car has more than enough power for anything but drag racing, which is to say that it will get you where you need to go without anyone having to get out and push. I installed an Injen ram air intake all by myself (I'm quite proud of this), and it gives the car a little bit more "go" and a more aggressive sound, but the xB is still no Corvette. Don't believe anybody who tells you a filter will add more than 7 or 8 horsepower, it ain't gonna happen. Other people have criticized the ride, but the ride is surprisingly sporty if you ask me. Not what you'd expect from a box. It's a bit harsh, but in a good way. Turns are sharp, body roll is limited, and there is no floating or swaying. You might expect it to be top-heavy, but it's not. It drives almost like the Acura Integra I used to own, only with about half the power. The seating room in this car is amazing. The xB has supplanted our Honda Odyssey as the daily family driver, and my wife and 2 kids have more than enough room for heads, legs, etc. I'm 6' 3" and I have a good 4 inches of room above my head. Shaquille O'Neal could probably drive this car. Heck, he could probably sit in the back seat!

With that said, don't expect too much out of this car. It's still an econobox at heart. Its engine note won't compare favorably with a Ferrari F430. The pedals, including dead pedal, were not designed for my size 13s, and given the low gearing and low power, you end up shifting a lot. The width of the pedals is fine, but I prefer to press the pedals with the ball of my foot, not my toes, and there is just not enough room down there to do that. The car doesn't really have enough storage either: the owner's manual takes up most of the glove box, and there is only one other enclosed compartment, which is big enough for 3 or 4 CDs. It only has 2 cupholders unless you opt for the armrest, which adds one for the backseat. The car's light weight and slab sides make the car fidgety in wind. It's also lacking on the typical list of "amenities." Useful things like power windows and locks, are standard, but leather, sunroof, etc. are not even an option. But then, who ever decided that we need to sit on cowhide while we drive? I actually prefer fabric, it helps keep my butt in place. Besides, fabric works for my couch at home, why do I need leather in my car? And why in the world do I need to have a hole in my roof? Really, that's what this car is all about: questioning everything. When it comes down to it, if you consider the really important things - safety, efficiency, interior volume, depreciation, value, reliability - this car has it all, and who cares what it looks like? If you're interested in what strangers might think of you or what will impress your neighbors, well, you might just need to shell out the extra $40,000 for that BMW.  ¶ monger187 wrote this on 8/08/2006 0 comments