Highlight Central

You’d have thought they won from the picture.

I survived opening weekend at H-Mart Burlington…..

Where to begin. Let’s start by saying a big thanks to the H-Mart owners for finally bringing a very large slice of Korea/smaller portions of Asia to the suburbs because it was way overdue considering the large Asian population we have in Massachusetts. Their success can only mean further Asian business growth into the area and more salmon sashimi for me muahaha.

So we have to begin with the supermarket portion of H-Mart because that is what H-Mart is and should be the focus. Thankfully, H-Mart has done a valiant job fusing the generally organized nature of American chain supermarkets with the diversity of Asian foods. The selection of food products at H-Mart is in a word, overwhelming.Vietnamese rice wrap, check. Thai Ma ploy chicken sauce, check. Green Tea Soy milk. check. Green team ice cream carton size, check. Sliced slabs of salmon sashimi ready to go, check. Enoki mushroom (yeaaahhhh!), check. These are just foods I know and could probably take months attempting to try everything that I didn’t recognize (see frozen section) and I’d like to think I have a diverse and cultured background in food.

Highlights include the produce, meats, and seafood section. You have your vast assortment of asian veggies, premarinated korean bbq ready to take home and grill, and typical whole fish you’d find in chinatown. I think the prices are competitive and at the very least you are saving gas money (for Lexington/surrounding area). The frozen foods section is a college/lazy cooks dream. Billion types of dumpling/gyoza and instant/fresh noodles.

I can’t really comment on the Korean food selection (I’m not Korean) but from Korean food I do know, there was a whole section of kimchi, lots of korean cuts of meat, assortment of pickled veggies and more. One thing I want to learn how to make (and by make I mean throw together into a bowl) is Bi Bim Bap because I figured if I can buy all the veggies premade then the dish would be a cinch. I didn’t really see those side dishes in boxes. I’m not sure if they exist in such form.

They even managed to fit in your American staples (dairy, bread, pbj) in an attempt to become your one stop shop for all things gastro. Those areas unsurprisingly were untouched. I think over the coming months they will eventually get phased out. I don’t think they’ll be able to keep prices close to the already dirt cheap Market basket so if I’m already going to MB to grab cereal and turkey (things that H-Mart lack) might as well grab the cheaper milk, yogurt, and bread at MB as well.

And frankly, I think this is how it should be. H-Mart should concentrate on its niche items like meats and seafood, and Asian products. Fruits and some veggies will still be cheaper at market basket or Costco (bulk baby). Not to mention, H-Mart needs more space. I know, you’d think that the combination of the LazyZboy and MVP would net a huge amount space but to fit all that variety and a food court (a small one at that) and these specialty shops plus storage space, the end result is a place that’s rather packed. It didn’t help that there were samplers at every aisle and corner of the store (not complaining about that by the way) and that half the people were just waiting for them. Think Costco, shrunk down by half or more. That was the experience this weekend.

Outside the super market realm, is a Tous les jours (french-asian fusion bakery), which is a great idea although the stuff there is a bit pricey. Lots of asian buns (har har) that were reasonably priced but don’t go expecting to get french pastry on the cheap.

And yes, the food court. I can’ t comment on the quality because I didn’t try any of the food. The price was about 8 dollars for main dishes with your choices being a japanese place, a chinese/korean mix menu place, two pure korean places, and an indian food joint (which by the way had no one in front of it and needs some major decoration or something to attract customers). The place is jammed against the wall. Table space is a premium. It just doesn’t look like a relaxing place to eat. This is why H-Mart needs more space cause the food court just kind of feels like an afterthought. They did right by giving as much space to the super market as necessary but then they probably should have waited til later to make a food court because it is nothing like the food court at 88. That being said, the super market part of H-Mart makes 88 look like a convenient mart.

Also questionable are the store fronts for rent. Like the food court, they look uninviting (sports t-shirt store??) and crammed together, not to mention a couple aren’t rented out yet. Plus its somewhat walled off making the supermarket space feel smaller and enclosed.

All in all. The main focus, the supermarket, is awesome and I’m sure H-Mart will succeed because of that. I’m sure the food in the food court is at least decent (soon doo boo looked good and was reasonably priced) but its just how willing are you to brave the parking situation (had to park behind Market Basket), the table famine, and the lines.

And that’s why I’m going during the week…haha

A fond farewell and a lesson on male dietary habits…

It’s been a while since I posted here. But I thought this would be an important post (sarcasm).

So this summer has been known as Bang’s firesale. I’ve sold my:

Macbook Pro, Xbox 360, Nintendo Ds, PSP, TI-84 Calculator, LG Chocolate, and an old toshiba laptop (yea someone wanted to buy it…all 9 lbs of it)

Yea its kinda sad I had all these things but that’s a story for another day. Yes, I do have a life or at least am trying to convince myself of that haha.

The last few items to go include my Wii and Wii fit.

So a little history about video game peripherals, generally they are fun for the first few days and then you’re like….I just wasted my money

DDR pads, guitar hero controllers, Gametrak golf (utter waste of plastic), Guncon 1 and 2 (for time crisis), Rock Band drum kit, etc…..

Generally the issue stems from the fact that the game the special controller is designed for, may or may not hold your attention for that long and usually not long enough to justify the cash you ponied up. For some, the controller can be worth it (guitar hero heroes). I guess I must have ADD and none of these games can hold my attention long enough.

Another cash cow for Mario

Enter Wii Fit. So my reasoning for this purchase was that it would allow me to excerise in the comforts of my apartment during the balmy montreal winter or at any time (spring, fall, summer) for that matter haha. Initially, the wii fit didn’t look like it’d be any different from the aforementioned wastes of money.

First day. 60 minutes. Oooh yoga. Oooh it weighs accurately. Oooh I can fake head butt soccer balls. Damn….I’m heavy.

Second day. 30 minutes. A lil yoga. A lil jogging in place (yes jogging in place….something we can all do for free). No weight loss.

Third Day. Just weighing myself. Probably gained.

End of the week. In the closet for the rest of the summer til I got to Montreal.

Me on the Wii Fit

Generally I do lose some weight over the summer cause I’m home, eating better and exercising more (as opposed to not at all). At the end of the summer though, I was already heavier than the end of last summer cause I entered the summer at an all time high (not woot). So once I got back to school, and with going to the gym not being an option, I whipped out the Wii fit ready to exercise again. This time around though, it dawned on me that if I kept track of my weight on a daily or semi daily basis, I’d be motivated to keep the downtrend going.

So since then, I did do that and did lose 20 lbs over the course of the past year. My original intentions for the wii fit failed miserably. Unless you’re a yoga fiend or have a fetish for fake heading soccer balls or jogging in place, the “games” will become boring and aren’t even close to a substitute for cardio or any reasonable act of exercise.

Basically the wii fit became a digital scale coupled with an automated excel spreadsheet + graph plus a cute little wii fit animation guy that says hi to you and good morning and says happy birthday on your birthday and generally annoys you to no end. It worked for me at least cause I’m a competitive person and I wanted to lose weight so seeing progress on a daily or at least weekly basis became a real motivator.

Essentially for me it boiled down to eating less and slower. For some of you, it might be about eating junk food but for me it was about the quantity of good food (even if generally healthy). I enjoyed eating good food and lots of it and it also didn’t help that as young males (high school or early college), eating less is not much of an option. My metabolism is about as high as Charles Barkley’s golf swing is good (probably mostly my own doing) and I’m short to boot. If you aren’t eating as much as the friend next to you (who’s 5 inches taller), expect your manhood to be questioned. Eating a salad? Only if his name is Jenny Craig. Girls even question your manhood (yes its happened to me). Why are you eating so slow….we got a movie to catch? It doesn’t help that You develop bad habits that generally, you won’t correct til its too late.

Luckily, I bought a Wii fit. Immediately I ate less so I could see results but quickly realized, that I wasn’t dying of hunger and my stomach began to shrink. Thus, my appetite kept getting smaller. Eating became slower because meals ceased to be solely about piling food into the mouth and grabbing more food. The truth is, I barely did any exercise. Tennis once or twice. Swimming once or twice. For the entire year. It’s a bit scary to think about how much extra I had to eat to maintain my previous body weight and for how long I was able to do that without realizing.

So what have we learned. Buy a wii fit? Yes, if you’re ultra lazy and can’t use a scale and excel or paper. Otherwise, a scale and keeping track of your weight consistently can do the trick. I suggest at least getting a digital scale cause we all know analog scales are a psychological mind game. They’re inaccurate, so when you gain weight you’re instantly thinking its off and when you lose, the thing is ultra accurate.

First, you gotta have motivation but I would say most of us have that. After that, the wii fit was the catalyst for me. It forced me to eat less, healthier and slower and keep those changes permanent. Don’t be like me and not exercise. I had a lot of excess fat that came off easily but I hit a wall and now, I’m trying to get into the habit of exercising daily. Start that up from the beginning and when you hit the wall, you’ll just breeze by it.

So as I send my Wii fit to its next owner, thanks for forcing me to change the way I eat and I apologize if your next owner is a step aerobic fiend.

Lit Up

Domination

What I’m Enjoying Right Now

Double update action!

Bourne Ultimatum:

Freakin A-mazing. That’s all I really need to say, but I’ll continue to rant. This was by far the best action film of the summer. I debated with my friends over whether Transformers was better than Die Hard. Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.

Bourne uses Optimus Prime like a bean bag, smacking Die Hard’s crap CGI into oblivion, while using his other hand to smack John McClane’s gun to the ground, and subsequently throwing both of them down a stairwell.

The joy of Bourne Ultimatum is that the action is realistic yet amazing. You’ll be saying to yourself, “frick, how’d they do that.” Today, this is a rarity in hollywood.

More than once, I found myself giddy to the point of laughter, and I wasn’t the only one in the theatre laughing. I dare you not to chuckle as Bourne practically puts a beat down on four guys with his hands. Beast Mode!

This is how an action movie is made. It’s either Bourne or Knocked Up for best movie of the summer. If you don’t enjoy Bourne Ultimatum, you don’t know how to enjoy life. Period.

Mario – How Do I Breathe and Kryptonite

Mario just knows how to make hits. How Do I Breathe is in the same vein as his hit single Let Me Love You. There’s nothing new here but no ones saying this is a bad thing. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke. Check it out.

Kryptonite is a bit different from those two smooth love songs. It’s got a really catchy chorus line, but I’m a bit confused as to what it says.

Search for the lyrics and you get:

Cause these girls they’re like kryptonite,
These girls my kryptonite,
These girls got kryptonite,
These girls my kryptonite

Listen for yourself. Sounds like:

Cause these girls they’re like kryptonite,
These girls wanna hump tonite,
These girls gon hump tonite,
These girls wanna hump tonite

Either one works, but I think the second one is a bit funnier. Just a bit.

Age Of Love

Closing Remarks – (Updated 8/8/07)

So I haven’t even watched the final two episodes but I don’t really have to. Amanda’s name was engraved in a stone after Jayanna was booted. Bank on it. Sure bet. Not to mention, I’ve already learned that she won through SI.com and Access Hollywood.

Truth to be told, it was getting harder to summon the desire to write about Age of Love when I knew how it was going to end. Unfortunately, I stumbled across that ESPN article and the rest is history.

The show was very entertaining in the beginning because there was all out chaos and personalities were still developing. But unless men become invested in a certain girl by the end of the show, the outcome is of little importance to them. This was certainly the case for me. First it was Lynn. Then it was Adelaide. Even Tessa gave it a go. All were eliminated. After Jayanna was booted (I wanted this to happen), there wasn’t much more to care about.

Was it all scripted? I don’t know. Probably was. Having Jen make it all the way to the final round seems a bit contrived. There was no way Mark was ever going to pick her because of her age. At 48, there’s pretty much zero chance she can have kids and I’m pretty sure Mark wasn’t even thinking about that.

I’d like to believe that Amanda and Mark will make it. Amanda seems like a nice gal. She was one of the least nasty 20 year olds. Odds are they won’t make it but I’m rooting for them.

Well it’s been fun AOL. Lots of laughter. Lots of hits. And lots of tears…Mary’s tears.

Near Finale Spoilers – (Updated 7/31/07)

You AOL fans are tenacious. Every week you’ve come back to this post looking for spoilers so I thought as a token of my appreciation I’d give an update.

Being that I am male and have access to such excellent sources of entertainment news (*cough) that most women wouldn’t scour or read, I read way back when AOL was just beginning this behind the scenes article on ESPN.com. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of this post, you can find where I mentioned it in my recap of the first episode.

Seven weeks later, we’re down to the final three. I haven’t actually watched yesterdays episode but I’m fairly certain it’s Jen, Maria, and Amanda. The spoilers on ESPN stated two cougars and one kitten would make it to the final three. Based on episode 6 and Megan’s drunk blunders, it seemed she would be the one most likely to be booted. And between her and Amanda, there wasn’t a contest.

With this in mind, ESPN also mentioned one of the cougars wanting out because she felt Mark was not “opening up to her”. Sounds like anyone familiar….Maria perhaps. I think Maria goes through with her action this time leaving Jen and Amanda in the finale.

I’m going with Amanda to win it all.

EDIT: Wow. Sounds like Megan got eliminated and Maria left in the same episode. Gotta get home and watch….running. Yea Imani, it seems a bit contrived that Jen and Amanda would meet in the final but it was entertaining TV.

Episode 5 (Updated 7/23/07)

Quick hitter just in time for tonight’s episode.

Out:

Mary – I think it was time. Although her emotional instability was great entertainment, it was getting a little tiring. Competition wise, she should have been gone a long time ago. That being said, she will be missed….as a constant source of hilarity.

Mark and Mary in better times

In:

Jen – Jen brought her A-game to her individual date with Mark. It’s really tough between her and Megan. Based on what I know from the behind the scenes ESPN article, I’m going with Maria, Jayanna, and Amanda as the final three. That leaves Megan and Jen. Both excelled in their one on one times in this episode. Unfortunately, Jen has the big four-eight looming over her and I don’t think she’ll be able to hold off “I like the beach” Megan. This bout goes the distance.

Megan – She stepped up her game with overly aggressive Jayanna and “melts in your mouth, not in your hand” Amanda riding the bench. Or was it that she was paired with “stop ignoring me” Mary and “I’m too old to be chasing” Maria. Either way, Megan’s had a good run, but soon she’ll have plenty of beach time sans Mr. Tennis.

Maria – It was pretty brutal that she again told everybody she was leaving, only to back out at the last second. When Mark saw it was either Maria or Mary, he dug deep to serve a clutch ace to keep Maria in the game. Third time’s a charm?

Jayanna – Out of the two, I’d rather see Amanda win. Go back to your $250,000 dollar a year lifestyle. Just hope you don’t see Mary with her dialysis equipment.

Amanda – Her game to lose. She’s just got to keep doing her thang.

The pick – Jen

Episode 4 (Updated 7/17/07)

Working 8 to 5 is not conducive to blog writing. For a second week in a row, I’m writing about last week’s episode after this week’s episode has already aired. As you can tell from my predictions from last week, I wait to watch the new episode until I’ve written up my thoughts. So let BANG THIS THING OUT as Kurt, my boss, would say.

40s

Out:

Kelli – The double dip of Raiderette proved too much. Frankly, I was getting tired of seeing her on my screen all the time. She didn’t step it up enough to break through the trio of Jen, Maria, and Jayanna. Mark look thoroughly bored while listening to her babble on and on about her life. Luckily, Mark wasn’t fazed by those “legs that don’t quit.”

In:

Jayanna – Jaws 6: The Attack on Mary’s Tear Ducts! (yes there was a Jaws 5, cable only). She’s a businesswomen. She knows how to play the game….by eating oreos and picking on poor Mary. COMING UP NEXT on select LOCAL ACCESS CHANNELS!

Maria – Maria didn’t rise but she didn’t fall either. She and Jayanna are safe.

Jennifer - Oh Jen. Sadly the age becomes a factor but it’s not the only one. I think Mark really gravitates to the personalities of Maria and Jayanna. With Jen, he just seems to be so fascinated by the fact she’s 48 and still looks the way she does.

Mark scrambles for a time machine (Jen in her twenties)

20s

Out:

Tessa – What an evil show. Just as one of the girls starts growing on you, they’re BANGED OUT (ok, the term isn’t really all-purpose). I’ve been as tough on Tessa as anybody but seeing her hurt herself and then gutting it out to play tennis, that really impressed me. Guys like girls who are tough. Sure, we don’t want a girl tougher than us but a girl who can gut it out when they’re injured like Tessa did, muy sexy.

Mark not showing a good example of looking at the ball when you hit it…..that didn’t come out right.

So why the FRICK did the Aussie get rid of her? Oh, maybe because she had a legitimate concern that Mark might really like Amanda? I think Mark was looking for an excuse to boot someone out and unfortunately, Tessa took a gamble and it backfired. What reason has Mary given him to keep her around or for that matter Megan? Tessa joins Adelaide and Lynn in the “Should be Here Instead of Mary” Club. Three and counting. Count me as one who will miss Tessa and her bountiful……heart (*cough).

In:

Mary – This week. Or the world shall pay for this injustice.

Megan – Really hasn’t done a thing. This 20s vs 40s is turning into the AFC and the NFC. All the heavyweights in the 40s and the winner of the 20s is just waiting to be crushed in the Super Bowl…except Amanda might win it all. That’s the only difference in my analogy. Minor details.

Amanda – It’s official. She is melting in his hand. Amanda is melting in his hand and Mary is crying that Amanda goo is getting on her pants. Megan is grinning like a fool telling us how innocent she is. Jayanna is about to go postal on Mary. Maria is reiterating how crazy she is and Jen is like what the heck did I get myself into. Now that’s reality TV.

If it wasn’t apparent to the viewers, others on the show have confirmed our beliefs. Everyone knows Amanda has fallen head over heals for the Mr. Tennis. Tessa had to even bring it up on her date (why OH why). No questions here. She’ll be there at the end. Whether she wins or gets eaten by Jayanna the shark is a question for another day.

Closing time…..

40s – With tears….Jen

20s – With tears….Mary

Single Elimination – With more tears….Mary

Episode 3 (Updated 7/10/07):

So it seems after every episode people come scrambling on to the WWW trying to find spoilers. It just so happens that I wrote about a tidbit on the finale or near-finale that was in an ESPN article when I wrote about the first episode (see end of post for the spoiler). People and spoilers….I’d rather watch and be surprised but I too fall prey to the allure of the sneak peak. Consequently, I’m gonna start updating this post instead of creating new posts that don’t get read lol.

Anyways, a bit late with my Episode 3 take since I was up in Montreal last week.

40s

Out:

Lynn – Unfortunately not much of a surprise. She wasn’t aggressive enough to play this game. I think if she had gotten alone time with Mark she might have been able to stave off elimination for a bit longer. Or maybe Mark just wants the sexuality of Kelli. Maybe it’s just my heart talking. WHY LYNN WHY? HOW WILL I LIVE WITHOUT YOU! ….. Baby come back! (sorry I just saw Transformers)

tear

In:

Jayanna – The less and less I see of her each week the more I dislike her. Her voice just reeks of insincerity, not to mention it kinda creeps me out. I hope Mary goes Jack Bauer on her arse.

Kelli – The sexual one as proclaimed by Mark P. Nothing much else to say. I say she’s gone if the one 40 and one 20 format is kept.

Jennifer - I like Jen. She’s hot in general terms, not just because she’s 48. She’s real nice and knows how to break it down. Only problem is I really do get the mom or even grandma feel from her when she talks. She speaks in such a even keeled manner. That being said, she seems like the type that might surprise you when she opens up. Continues to be a dark horse.

Maria – Oh how wise you are Maria. She put it all on the line and put Mark on the spot. Win Win for her. Either she finds out that Mark really wants her to stay around or she walks and stops “wasting her time.”

What now baller….tennis baller?

Maria’s got a really fun personality which is quite endearing. I think she’s gonna be there at the end. I guess now Maria or Amanda becomes my favorite by default because……

20s

Out:

Adelaide – At first I was like W T F. It didn’t seem logical. From everything we’ve seen, she seemed to be his favorite and even up to the moment she went up to him, I had no clue he was going to eliminate her. Good job producers. At first, I had some conspiracy theories running through my head and wondered whether the fix was in from the big shots to create more drama. How could he eliminate her on a single kiss?

This is the way I see it. Adelaide was one of the girls that didn’t go gaga over Mark. I mean she was very much interested but some of these girls were just like melting in his arms (aka Amanda). Mark wanted these girls to be infatuated with him, like most stereotypical athletes. Don’t let the chivalrous accent fool you.

I think he totally misread Adelaide. She really did want to like him. She may have played it too aggressive at first and then realized things were moving too fast for her. Thus resulting in the so-so kiss and Mark’s feelings that she wasn’t into him and was just trying to compete against the other girls. I mean how could he eliminate her over Mary. At least give her a chance to explain why the kiss wasn’t “up to par.”

What if?

In:

Mary – This week.

Tessa – Next week.

Megan – Dark horse because of her youth. Mark has history with high scho….I mean college students.

Amanda – Yea….didn’t see that coming. Her body is a little disproportionate but I think it might be the camera. No seriously she looks really good in this still picture.

Another week. Another girl to beat. Amanda’s sure sweet. Who’s next to be dead meat?

40s – Kelli, 20s – Mary, Single Elimination – Mary

Episode 2 (Updated 6/27/07):

Ahh just another day in the life of Mark Philippoussis…

So this week, we got to meet the “beautiful women in their 20s” (repeat multiple times for effect). It was a highly entertaining episode. As much as some of the young girls can be annoying, they are highly entertaining and especially Mary, the Hemodialysis Technician. Seeing that written underneath her name nearly killed me. You’d think she’d lie and say she was a medical technician or something.

Mark had his dream scenario with the 20s in bikinis, while working the grill. Loved the phat-beats-intro music to each girl combined with the slow-mo. Totally did….nothing. The scene where he got into the hot tub and then there was silence was golden although I have my doubts that it wasn’t scripted. I mean what are the odds that six chatty young girls don’t say a word for whatever amount of time it was. Provided an easy segway to the whole “I miss the 40 year olds.” Too easy. Staples easy.

I have to say the editing in the show is pretty good. Some funny sound effects. Some funny visual effects. Not too overboard (except the phat-beats-slow-mo effect). Pretty good, although I have nothing to compare to.

Anyways, here’s a rundown of the 20s:

Out:

Lauren – “I love to eat. I love food. I love to travel.” Mark nods. “Cool” and goodbye.

In:

Amanda – She’s probably not the next to go. I think Mary is but Amanda isn’t destined to be around much longer. She doesn’t stand out. She feels a little insecure in the group situations. Confidence seems to be a requirement in these battle royales.
Tessa – “I’m very funny. I have great morals. I have great thoughts. And I need an intellectual challenge.” Did I mention she has huge boobs? Blonde? Mark had to battle his eyes from staring at her assets but won in five sets.

“Her personality is just like mine.” That is her dog’s personality. Her words, not mine.

Man I hope she stays around. A++ humor.

Mary – Where to start. Emotionally unstable. Hemodialysis Technician. Stutters when nervous (I feel for her on that one. I do that sometimes.) Trash talks about the oldies. Every little thing she does is drop dead funny. I’ll protest if she gets kicked off. TO THE GRAVE!

Megan – The baby of the group as she so eloquently put it. She seems very innocent and childish but in a cute way. She’s cute. She’s like a younger version of Adelaide. I think Mark sees it as refreshing. You’ve got the really mature 40s. The uncertain 20s. Then you have Megan. Mark was once engaged to an 18 year old. You know he likes to rob that cradle.

Adelaide – She seems to be the clear front runner of the 20s and possibly the overall leader. Mark, I approve. She’s definitely smart. BA Literature from U of Iowa and is an editor for Esquire. Talented. She sings and tap dances.

The vibe I get from her is she’s the popular girl in high school who’s confident and hot but surprises you with her congeniality, smarts, and determination. She asked Mark questions instead of the other way around and could actually make engaging conversation. These things set her apart from the pack. Like Jayanna, she’s fearless in hunting down Mark. She gets what she wants.

The 40s: As predicted, Angela was ousted. She just wasn’t very good looking. Kelli, Jayanna, and Maria seem to be treading water. Maria and Kelli aren’t in as good a position as Jayanna. Nevertheless, I like both of them more than Jayanna. They seem to be genuinely nice whereas Jayanna is a shark. Jen seemed to impress Mark in their one-on-one time, defying the age gap that exists between them. Lynn did nothing and possibly lost some ground. She needs to be more aggressive and as Mark likes to say, “show me the real you.”

The picks: If the same format holds for next week and two girls from each group gets eliminated, I’m going with Mary and Lynn, two of my favorites. Mary is just way too unstable and soon enough Mark will see it. Lynn just seems too shy and not outgoing enough to play this game. If it’s just one girl, I’d say Mary.

Episode 1:

I’m not a big fan of dating shows. In fact, the most I’ve ever seen of a dating show was a couple Beauty and the Geeks which I wasn’t really impressed with because honestly, some of those women were not good looking.

But I do appreciate entertaining TV and that’s where Age of Love caught my eye. When a women is in her 40s and can still look that good…major props. From Mrs. Robinson to Stifler’s mom, men have a fascination with hot moms. Plain and simple.

She’s what?……48!

So here’s my take on what transpired in the premiere. SPOILER ALERT!

The reaction on Mark Philippoussis’ face when he found out that the first girl was 40 was priceless. I felt bad for the woman because it was pretty blatant. And this pattern repeated itself until he realized by the fourth girl that yes, all these women were older than him. Much older. Tomorrow’s headline, “Mark Fires Publicist.”

For the ladies…the worst and only NBC picture I could find

Even as a guy, I can appreciate the appeal of the Aussie factor. It makes him seem so chivalrous even if in real life he may not be. It’s just refreshing to see rather than some stuck up jock. You want to think the guy is gonna do the right thing and choose a girl that has personality and not just large melons. When I say that, it’s important to realize he isn’t giving much up in the looks department. Some of these 40s are bringing it. My take on the fab seven which is now the fab six.

Out:

Jodie – She didn’t stand out. She was pretty good looking for a 46 year old but that definitely seems to be the reason she was ousted first. There wasn’t much to go on after the first date and the fact she was four years away from the big Five-O was reason enough for Mark to give her the slip.

In:

Angela - I think she was saved by the fact that Jodie was just too old because Jodie was better looking. I’ll be surprised if she’s still around next week. One of the young’uns will really have to turn off Marky Mark.

Maria – Again another average looker. Personality was ok. Nothing spectacular.

Kelli – Pretty good looking. Seems to be one of the more aggressive contestants. Very outgoing with a big personality. However, doesn’t fit the mold that Mark seems to be going after early on. She seems like she’d fit in with the partying ways of the younger crowd. She’d hit up the clubs for sure. Seems like Mark likes the brunettes and cute personalities, which she is neither.

Jennifer - Definitely the intrigue factor here. She’s stunning for a 48 year old but will Mark really be able to let that age pass. I say he won’t but she’s definitely a dark house. She’s the Executive Assistant to Jerry Buss, LA Laker owner. Sports is always a bonus. She’ll last a while in the battle but eventually the age will factor in. Not to mention Mark probably wants to have children…shouldn’t that be a deciding factor right there. Maybe she’s gone next week? What the Vegas Odds? Over/Under?

Jayanna – Seems to be the front runner. Mark was “impressed” by her ability to conquer her fear of heights during the first adventurous date. She might have faked the fear though. Maria at least thinks she did or overplayed the fear. Smart move but definitely too cunning and manipulative for my tastes. She’s one of the best looking Cougar’s and the youngest at 39. It seems the producers have handpicked this one. We’ll see if Mark plays along.

Lynn – My favorite of the bunch. My faith in Mark is higher because he seems to agree as well. Lynn has to be in his top two with Jayanna. He called her and Jayanna as well as Angela and Jodie to the elimination stage thingy. They were never in danger and it seemed like he just wanted a chance to tell them he really REALLY enjoyed his time with them. Jodie was ousted and I think Angela was given notice to step it up or else.

Why is she my favorite? She’s seems very down to earth. Has a sense of humor. Very much the girl next door even down to the looks. If Mark really wants to settle down, you’d think she’d be the one. I think she’ll be there with Jayanna at the end. In fact:

NEAR FINALE SPOILER ELERT!

There was an article from ESPN of all places with a behind the scene look at the show. It was when they were filming the show with the final three girls. And in fact the last three girls featured two 40s and one 20s. After watching the first show, it seems very logical that Jayanna and Lynn would be the two 40s finalist but who knows. In fact, one of the three girls actually leaves the show before the elimination vote because she can’t stand how he’s so self-centered. Much intrigue indeed.

END of NEAR FINALE SPOILER ELERT!

Quick take of the young gunners. Mary, I don’t like at all. She trash talked over the whole 40s vs 20s thing. She’s not even that good looking. Full of herself. Tessa has….well huge breast. She’s the token blonde. That’s all I got on her. Megan seems like the typical party girl. She talked about how she dated older guys. Wow, so enthralling! Amanda and Adelaide didn’t stand out. Lauren, the token black girl, seems the nicest of the youngest. Not sure how nice that is laughing out loud.

Enjoyed the requisite young party girls in bikini’s with mad boobage while hula hooping contrasted with the knitting/reading books of the elderly women. Yes NBC, we get the point. Young vs Old. Thank you.

So yes I will be tuning in next week. I really hope that some of the young girls on the show will have some personality but the producers seem bent on making this the kittens you hate vs the cougars you root for. Don’t let me down Mark Phillipousissisoupsous.

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6 PM Press Conference – ALL THREE WILL BE THERE!

Paul Potts

The theme of 15minuteslate was suppose to be about rediscovery. I’ll admit I’ve strayed a bit from that direction. So today, I present to you a journey: The Discovery of Paul Potts. I was in the Apple store today. Yes, purchasing a Macbook Pro. Yes, finally. While waiting for the Apple dude, I was fiddling with the Iphone (no I didn’t get one) and it’s youtube playback, I mindlessly clicked top rated and then on to some random video. I didn’t really care what it was but ended up watching Paul Potts’ initial audition on Britain’s Got Talent:

I came home. Rewatched it. Did that again. Repeated. I can’t stop watching it. It’s great. It’s fantastic.

Why is it rediscovery? Well, this has been out since June. He’s already won the competition. He’s been on the Today show. And when I sent my lovely girlfriend this link, she quickly noted she had tried to bring this video to my attention months ago. Hey…I usually listen.

Why is it so freakin good? He’s the classic case of an underdog. I mean you look at him and he comes off as shy and lacking in confidence. And I think anyone who’s been or felt overlooked can relate to Paul. This guy seemed like he had been overlooked his whole life. Even when asked what he was going to do and told the judges, “to sing opera”, you could sense the disbelief and cynicism in their reactions. In their eyes, this was another special awards candidate: Contestant With A Name Similar to a Famous Dictator’s.

Then he open that beautiful mouth of his and just blew people away. As one person put it, “the girl judge is like creaming herself.” Indeed, she was. So was Simon and the old ladies. And so was I.

Opera has that power to move people. Combined with this amazing story of a cellphone salesmen from humble backgrounds gifted with an amazing voice, it created something surreal. Something normal people like you and I dream of. This was something out of a movie rather than reality TV. Is Kevin James lined up for the role of Paul Potts? In spite of it’s position as TV whipping boy, we cannot deny that if it weren’t for reality TV, the world would have never come to know the voice of Paul Potts.

Thank you reality TV.

Maybe The Negativity In This Town Does Really Suck

I’ll admit. I’m a bit of an optimist when it comes to trades.

I had actually seen the Ray Allen trade proposal earlier in the day when Ian Thompson called it on SI.com. I kinda liked it because instead of dropping Theo’s contract, we got rid of wally and added in West. I’m West fan but like a few people have mentioned, he couldn’t guard the 1 and was constantly injured. In the right team, he might blossom but here, with my boy Rondo, he was nothing more than a backup.

So in the end, what did we really give up….the 5th pick. After the lottery debacle, I think people in this town including myself allowed ourselves grandiose visions of Yi Jianlian being the next Nowitzki or Corey Brewer the next Scottie Pippen. But in reality, we would be looking at least two years of development time for any of these players and no guarantees that they become all-stars let alone NBA starters.

Essentially we traded Ray Allen for the 5th pick….and people are jumping off the ledge and calling for Danny’s head. Things I’ve read in the past three hours:

1. Worst than last year’s Telfair trade: Are you serious? Telfair was terrible. Brandon became ROY. But in the end, Ratliff may bring us a solid veteran or even a AK-47 without the loss of Al J. Or maybe even Garnett. This is worse than Ray Allen for the 5th pick?

2. Worst Celtics trade ever: see above

3. Allen is no better than Szczerbiak: Only the crazy few have said this but I think the general idea is that Celtics fans don’t really know much about Allen. I’m not going to pretend I know how good his defense is so I will withhold my judgment. We don’t know how bad his injury situation is but can it be any worse than Wally or West? We do know he’s a seven time All-star. He’s considered one of the best shooters in the league. Are you telling me a trio of Allen, Pierce, and Al J doesn’t make you the least bit excited? Does Lebron have a better team?

And I’m pretty sure Danny isn’t done yet. He has Ratliff, Green, and future 1sts. Hopefully some GM out there is like the majority of Celtics fans tonight, thinking 2008 lottery. Add any type of solid big man to the front and we’re golden. I’m enjoying the pick of Big Baby Davis. That’s your young future potential pick for this year right there. Something to watch in the summer league, along with the hopeful domination by Rondo.

Allen could bust. He could get injured. But so too could Wally or West. Does a Brewer or Yi plus Pierce and Al J do any better than Pierce and Al J alone for the next two years? The time is now to win. Ainge has brought in the all-star. Let’s do this.

Your 2007-2008 Celtics

….for now

All these trade rumors seem to have brainwashed Celtics fans into thinking KG or bust. I’m not saying this trade is the greatest ever but it’s definitely not even in the same realm as some of Danny’s trades. All the early reactions and email were from fans looking to rip this trade to shreds. It’s like they took zero seconds to even think about the merits of the trade. They were looking for an excuse to bitch and moan. They only saw old/injured for young future potential. That was it. KABOOM!

Maybe this is what many Boston fans have become. You hear it every day on the radio. The Red Sox have been 9+ games up and one of the best teams in the league and all most fans can think about is how horrible Lugo is. It’s tiring. Only the Patriots are immune because they are on an awesome run. Maybe Ricky P was right.

The negativity in this town does suck.