Randomness

-Way #312 to Amuse Yourself At Work: When waving your hand in front of a sensor-automated paper towel dispenser, pretend you are performing the Jedi Mind Trick and say "you will give me a paper towel." For added fun, refer to the machine as a "weak-minded fool" while drying your hands. (Note: This trick can be used with any other sensor-automated device.)

-God Of War is one heck of a game, if a bit easy. What I like about it, and what more seasoned gamers--especially those with extensive time playing fighting games--might actually consider a negative, is the ease of combat. There are no complicated button combinations, making gameplay very smooth. From a graphics standpoint, the game art is some of the best you'll find on the PS2, with incredible character detail, particularly during the (ultra-violent) cut scenes. The scene where see Kronos crossing the Desert of Lost Souls is one of my favorites, particularly the close-up on the titan's face as Kratos climbs to Pandora's Temple. The music in the game is also first-rate, providing a perfectly cinematic score that enhances, but never overwhelms, the game.

-The ECW One Night Stand PPV was one of the best PPVs I've seen in some time, and a prime example of what fan-friendliness, in any entertainment setting, can do for your product. It wasn't that great from an in-ring standpoint, the highlights being the insane Awesome-Tanaka match (how anybody takes unprotected chair-shots these days is beyond me, and the ones Tanaka took were even scarier looking) and, of course, the bloody clusterfuck that was the main event. What it lacked in mat skills, the night made up for with rabid enthusiasm by all involved, fueled both by passion and nostalgia. Visual of the night: a crimson-masked Tommy Dreamer giving real-life wife Beulah a hug in the ring. He had the biggest grin on his face, knowing this was the end of the road for something that meant so much to so many. Priceless.

-A's took two of three from the Braves. Huzzah! Only a game and a half to get out of the cellar.

-I have missed both games of the NBA Finals, and it seems I've missed nothing at all. I don't care what Wilbon says, Phoenix-Miami would have been just as good at showcasing what is right with the NBA as this series, and they would have been a lot more entertaining while doing so. This series is dullsville, daddio.