Goodbye Week, I Hardly Knew Thee

I have a confession to make: I have killed a man . . . and a woman . . . probably a baby or two . . . a lady of the night (I had to get my money back) . . . oh yeah, and a couple police officers, all within in the past week. Phew, it feels good to get that off my chest.

You may or may not have heard, but Grand Theft Auto IV sold six million copies and made $500 million in its first week of sales. As one commentator put it, "That's a whole lot of dead hookers." I am proud to say that I purchased GTA during its first week; yes, I am twenty-seven years old and I still play video games. And while I really enjoy playing GTA, I agree with the parent advocacy groups out there that strive to make this game unavailable to the younger gamers. While I have no problems disconnecting the game from reality, the violence and images portrayed in this game are very graphic. Take, for example, the advertisements for the game. Every morning on my way to work, I drive past the Hotel Figueroa (or "Hotel Fig" for us locals) in Downtown Los Angeles. Hotel Fig has three twenty-or-so story surfaces that they sell for advertising. Well, sure enough, the marketing team for GTA purchased the space and painted three twenty story pictures of characters from the game . . . and here is what it looks like (seriously, you can find anything using Google). While I thought it was funny at first, I have grown tired of it and actually believe the portrait on the left takes it a little too far. But I will always contend that it is time for society to grow up. Instead of blaming the video game producers and the retailers, it is time we put the onus back on the parents to take responsibility of their children and start teaching them wrong from right. Anyone who blames video games, music, and television for out societal problems needs a reality check.

But enough with the heavy stuff, it is Friday! I hope you all have a great weekend planned (don't forget to call your Mom on Sunday and thank her for teaching you wrong from right so you can play video games), I sure do. But if you are like me, I am sure you could use some entertainment to help get you through those last few hours of the day. So here are some things you might have missed:

• This is, without a doubt, one of the best stories I have read about in a long time.
• All good things must come to an end, including the greatest streak of all time.
• It is good to see that the Lingerie Football League (really?) cares about athleticism.
• People are starting to take this Yankee-Red Sox rivalry to a whole new level.
• I am 27 and my best round was a 192 . . . and I have two good eyes.
• I have never had a hole-in-one and this four-year-old scores one using a Snoopy driver. His reaction? Upset that he did not get to putt.
• Probably the most exciting article Tony Biasotti will pen for the Ventura County Star (that's my hometown's local paper).
• I never thought I would ever type this: Derek Jeter, my hero. (Side note: when the list is finally released, watch out for a point/counter-point from my Better Half and me).
• If the Eagles' cheerleaders really wanted to be "eco-friendly", they should have just gone sans-bikini. Who's with me?
• You know you are having a bad year when even the Canadians are after you.
  

As for your viewing pleasure, it was a pretty slow week in the comedy department. I have a couple short clips for you though that I think you might enjoy:

• A little rough on the landing, he might have to settle for the bronze . . .
• . . . only because this guy is gonna take the silver (degree of difficult is key).
• While a man should NEVER strike a woman, there is nothing out there that says he should let a collegiate gymnast lay him out.
  

Just in case that was not enough, and because I am in such a good mood, here are two of my recent favorites that we have enjoyed together in the past:

• Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel: Point; Counter-Point.

Have a great weekend everybody (and a Happy Mothers' Day to all you mothers out there)!