Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Gotta Get Right Back
Wednesday
June 18, 2003
You know what's stuck with me most from my schooling in junior high? Besides the time Matthew Cheek bashed in the corner of a support wall with a paper mache doll from art class in Mrs. Hancock's homeroom, that is. It's the use of the verb "got", and how it's preferable to avoid that word due to its ubiquitous yet non-specific uses. I remember Mrs. Baker telling me that it was a "lazy" word. It's funny, the little things you remember.
As a change of pace, I hit the Green Iguana in Ybor tonight. In a funny moment, a bum spotted me and started to walk over towards me. I'd intentionally picked 8th Avenue to avoid the hassles of 7th, but that only left me more isolated. I could feel myself starting to hulk up... and the bum I guess picked up on that and actually stopped and walked away.
Scott Massey and I talked at length this past weekend about the phenomenon of me being able to intimidate in situations like that, which struck Scott as wild given that he knows me and realizes that I'm a very non-violent person. But like I explained to him, guys see a 6'2" dude with a shaved head and goatee and they watch themselves. I've had a number of occasions where I've seen someone walking the other way and wondered "who is this shady character, is he going to jump me?"... only to have the individual cross the street to avoid passing by me. As if I'm going to kick his ass. Funny stuff.
Is there any worse time for sports than the span from the end of the NBA & NHL finals to the beginning of the NFL pre-season? It's brutal. It did allow me to watch South Park (for the first time in ages) and see the Dave Chappelle show on Comedy Central tonight, though.
I love the show Pardon The Interruption on ESPN, but today both Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon were way off base. Their depiction of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) as "barbaric" stunned me, as did their attempt to connect it with the Toughman Fighting death in Sarasota from this past Saturday night. They did it in the same segment that they talked about the severe brain injuries suffered by some high profile boxers (without vilifying that sport, of course). I expect that sort of mindless rambling from the likes of Senator John McCain, but from PTI? C'mon fellas, you're better than that...
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