Well, yesterday afternoon was a lot of fun. If you don't already know why it was fun, I'm sorry to keep you in the dark, but I've been sworn to secrecy. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

Today was pretty busy at work. I printed and folded about 1700 newsletters. It sounds boring, but all that back and forth between my desk and the copy room made the day go by really fast. Plus, I feel like I already got my workout for the day!

Stef's heading home tonight for the weekend. Originally she was going to come back to Lansing after getting her hair chopped off tomorrow, but it sounds like she's going to stick around to celebrate her cousin Olivia's birthday instead.

So, that basically means I'll be bach'in it for a few days. I'm hoping to get my apartment cleaned up for the first time since Christmas (I know!) and maybe go get an iPod thing-a-ma-bob put in my new car. We'll see how it goes though.

Anyway, that's it for now. I hope everyone is having a good week!

The first two episodes of American Idol were pretty entertaining. I know a lot of people find these early shows to be rather obnoxious, but I actually like watching all those trolls get up there and howl at the judges.

It's pretty obvious that a lot of these people have some serious mental issues, but I don't really feel that bad about laughing at them. I mean, they knew what they were getting into when they went to audition.

I found this dude, Nick Zitzmann (worst name ever) to be the most amusing, but the monkey boy was a close second.



Who were your favorite crazies from American Idol?

Dropping fifteen grand on a kick-ass home theater doesn't sound too unreasonable, does it? No, not if the end result looks like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise!

Personally, I'd prefer the Next Generation model, but beggars can't be choosers.

The best quote of the Golden Globes goes to Sacha Baron Cohen, of course:

"I saw some dark parts of America, an ugly side of America, a side of America that rarely sees the light of day. I refer, of course, to the anus and testicles of my costar, Ken Davitian ... And then when my 300-pound costar decided to sit on my face and squeeze the oxygen from my lungs, I was faced with a choice: death, or to breathe in the air that had been trapped in a small pocket between his buttocks for 30 years. Kenneth, if it was not for that rancid bubble, I would not be here today."

I know Illinois isn't as good as usual this year (like us), but that was a hell of a game yesterday. The first half was a complete mess, offensively. It was UGLY. I was particularly disgusted with Walton's performance, since he was basically a turnover machine.

Well, something clearly clicked at half-time -- I think Dantonio telling the Izzone to get involved certainly helped -- because Walton was a bulldog in the first few minutes of the second half.

Normally I can't stand Billy Packer, but he made a great point that most teams create momentum in a game with a big offensive streak, but MSU was able to do it with tight defense in the second half. That's really encouraging to me, since Izzo's been fighting to get back that defensive grittiness all year.

Walton deserves a lot of credit for the mid-game turnaround, since he was able to break up Illinois' offensive rhythm and create some offensive opportunities of his own for MSU. As soon as we started clicking on defense, the basket got a lot bigger, and our guys started shooting better again.

Don't get me wrong, the second half wasn't perfect (we almost gave it away in the closing minutes), but this was a big win for us. The next two games (at PSU and then home against Minnesota) should be easier, and could help create even more momentum heading into Columbus later in the month.

There's still a long way to go in this season, but I definitely like the way things seem to be clicking at the moment, and I'm even more optimistic now about our chances of making the tournament again. Stay tuned, Spartan fans...

Photo from MSUSpartans.com

For the record, I refuse to root for this jackass.

I won't give away any spoilers here, but last night's premiere was pretty damn good. Of course, my dad and I already have a bone to pick: this business of Jack not being able to "do this anymore" could get old real fast. I mean, this is Jack Bauer we're talking about -- if the guy could kick heroin in just a few hours, he needs to get over whatever the Chinese did to him and get back to work killing bad guys.

It's cool that Wayne Palmer is the president now, but seeing him in the Oval Office (which, to the best of my knowledge, is the first time we've seen any president in Washington on the show) is a little weird. It's just a reminder to me that he isn't his brother.

Wayne was tough as nails as David's Chief of Staff, but so far he kinda seems like a dumbass. I mean, not trusting Jack Bauer? Hello? Think, McFly, THINK! Whatever Palmer gave the Chinese to bust Jack out of prison must've cost a lot, and now that he escaped, they might as well put him to use. When in doubt, trust Jack. He's never wrong.

Hopefully Wayne comes around sooner or later, and doesn't waste a lot of time listening to that turdy advisor (the guy from Bean and Ghostbusters 2). That dude seems like this year's inside man/mole.

Anyway, I'm really psyched for part two of the premiere, but I probably won't watch it until later in the week, since the People's Golden Global Choice Awards are tonight, and American Idol starts tomorrow. So, if you see/talk to me this week, don't tell me anything about tonight's episodes... or I will shoot you! Okay, no I won't, but I'll give you a dirty look and huff and puff for a few seconds.

Well, we had a great weekend in Columbus. Here's the rundown:

• Made it to mom's by about 4:00 on Friday
• Had a nice dinner at home, then went to see Children of Men
• Pretty good movie overall, but the future looks pretty bleak
• All of us came home and played sequence; it was a 2-game tie
• Slept in on Saturday morning; spent most of the day at home
• Watched a movie I bought mom for X-Mas, That Touch of Mink
• Went out to this local Mexican joint for dinner; some good eats
• Killed a half hour at the mall before heading to a play
• It was at this local theater and was called "A Perfect Wedding"
• Pretty hysterical premise, and we all had lots of fun
• Got up early on Sunday for a nice pancake breakfast
• Stef and I had to leave pretty soon afterwards to get home by 2
• She had another rehearsal for her play, and we made it in time
• I just stayed at my place and relaxed; watched the MSU game
• Stef was back by 6, and watched the 24 premiere with me at 8
• Today has been pretty lazy: grocery shopping + tv

So yeah, it was a fun weekend. Just the right balance of getting out of the house for fun stuff and being lazy at home. That's the beauty of a three-day weekend, I suppose.

Anyway, that's it for now. I hope everyone had a good MLK Day!