Harvey Korman has died!

I was very saddened last night to learn of Harvey Korman's passing. In honor of his memory, here are a few of his best clips (all from Blazing Saddles).

Not yet a hypocrite

Well, I've managed to stave off my hypocrisy for at least one more week. Why do I say that? Because for the longest time, I've been loudly proclaiming that I wouldn't pay $4 a gallon for a tank of gas . . . but with gas prices skyrocketing and price records broken every single day, I'm nearing the point where I either have to stick to my guns and switch to Metro for my daily commute (not exactly an option I relish), or I embrace my hypocrisy head-on and gas up at $4 or more a gallon.

And like I said, tonight I managed to stave off that hypocrisy for at least one more week, because I gassed up for $3.97 a gallon on the corner of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike in Arlington. It's one of only two stations I know of in Arlington County that's selling at less than $4 a gallon (the other being further up Columbia Pike, right next to the Bob & Edith's), and in the interests of conserving money, I've already reduced my vehicular travel as much as possible. I almost never travel up to PA anymore, and whenever I have to drive anywhere, I combine trips (e.g., shopping trips). And if something is within 2 miles of my apartment (like Giant), I'll walk there and back—and get great exercise in the process.

It's the commute into work that gets me, though, because taking the Metro from Pentagon City up to Bethesda is a real bear.

I don't think I need to explain to anyone who lives in the DC region how insane the Red Line is during rush hour, and how crammed those rail cars can get with harried, impatient commuters. Door to door, it takes me an hour if I ride Metro, maybe a little more. If I drive, it's actually a much smoother ride, because all I need to do is ride up GW Parkway to the Beltway, and catch a few back roads into Bethesda, with little to no traffic holdups at all (except for around the Pentagon and Key Bridge). Door to door, 35-40 minutes of smooth sailing on a clear day. Really, it's probably the easiest driving commute I'll ever have living in this region—short of ever getting a job that's within walking distance of my home.

So there are my options: take the nerve-wracking Metro commute and save greatly on gas money (as I'll have essentially eliminated all driving from my routine, thus giving a proud "fuck you" to the oil companies), or continue to drive the easygoing commute and use up overpriced gas.

All things considered, this is not an easy choice to make.

Sydney Pollack has died!

I was surprised last night to learn that director Sydney Pollack died at the age of 73, from cancer. I have to admit, I'm surprised at his death, because it seems to me that he died too soon.

I think he was known more as a director than an actor, having won an Oscar for directing Out of Africa—though he's probably more remembered for directing Tootsie, the comedic cross-dressing film starring Dustin Hoffman. I have to say that he performed well as an actor, too, most recently with a substantial role in George Clooney's film Michael Clayton.

Happy birthday, Colby!

In honor of Colby's birthday, I thought this classic clip would be in order.

JoePa doesn't make the cut

Today Yahoo published a list of 10 best college football coaches, and JoePa didn't make the cut. At the same time, I'm surprised yet not surprised.

I'm surprised because JoePa is a living legend among football coaches, whose name is synonymous with class and dignity in the NCAA. I'm not surprised because, at the tender age of 81, I think he's finally outlived his usefulness to the Penn State football program, and is in danger of damaging his reputation by staying in the program rather than bowing out gracefully.

Though how gets snubbed in favor of Jim Tressel of Ohio State is beyond me! At least Lloyd Carr wasn't on the list.

JoePa hospitalized for dehydration

I almost missed this news clip when I opened Yahoo earlier, but Joe Paterno has apparently been hospitalized for dehydration, though it also sounds like exhaustion could be to blame.

Paterno had been on a busy schedule of late, traveling to Philadelphia last weekend. He also recently returned from a meeting with Big Ten Conference coaches.

I can't help but wonder what an 81-year-old is doing by travelling so much. All the same, I'm crossing my fingers for JoePa!

The best in sports meltdowns

It occurred to me recently that some of the greatest moments in sports history came in the form of coaching meltdowns. At the time, such a moment of high anxiety and supreme frustration might seem unsettling, but in retrospect, they provide some of the funniest moments you can ever see.

Take Jim Mora's two famous flakeouts.





This is my personal favorite, simply because it makes no sense at all.



I think Hal McRae at least gets points for being the most destructive. (Be warned, from here on out, it gets significantly less work-friendly.)



Though I think Lee Elia's famous rant against the Cubs' fans has to take the cake.



Now I just have to wonder, out of all these (and so many others out there), which is the funniest?

Happy birthday, Anne!

She's survived cancer and the Auburn-Alabama rivalry. So on this, her birthday, let's toast a tall frosty Guinness to another great year of her survivorship!

How does an asbestos factory burn down?

I'm suddenly thinking of something Tom Harrison once quoted: "How does an asbestos factory burn down???" This quote comes to mind because of the inherent irony of the question, which is very akin to another moment of irony that I overheard this morning.

I live in a high-rise apartment building, and around 6:45 this morning, while I was going through my morning routine before work, I heard someone's door down the hall being knocked on (well, pounded on is more like it). Immediately thereafter, a loud shouting match ensued between two irate residents—over noise disruption.

Which leads to the obvious question: why are you shouting in the middle of a hallway at 6:45 am about noise disruption???