"You know it, you tell the story, you tell the whole damn world this is Bear Territory!!!"

Anyways, this semester hasn't started the way I envisioned it.  I had such high hopes of actually doing my work, reading, and being caught up and whatever.  But in actuality, I still don't have most of my books, have done absolutely nothing but watch tv, have taken little notes in class, and have lost the little amount of notes I have taken.  Some things never chance.  On the bright side, I have gone to every class.  Good thing Friday's class got cancelled or else I would have missed those ones already because...

So I randomly and spontaneously roadtripped down to LA on Thursday with Dev and Andy Wunder to support our Golden Bears against UCLA in a bball game.  Good times were had by all.  Andy's buddy Ted filled up his keg-o-rator for us so we had plenty of beer at our disposal.  I don't know how many beers and shots we had on Friday, but I just remember not knowing where I was for most of the night as we bounced to some parties.  But I do remember ending the night at In-N-Out and being happy. 

Saturday was even better as Dev, Wunder, and I were about the only students to make the trip.  However, it was all worth it as we easily won and were able to chant the "Bear Territory" chant on UCLA's home floor.  Good shit.  Then met up with Peter, Kimmie, Tamber, and Thomas to eat at this Damon and Pythagoras or whatever that had some pretty bomb food.  OOO and stopped at Diddy Riese, the home of the one dollar ice cream sandwich.  Mmm mmm.  Then we headed back to Ted's where we polished off a ridiculous amount of beer.

Once again, I had planned to do work this weekend but as always that didn't work out too well.  Had a good time in LA instead.  Story of my two and a half years here in Berktown.  Oh wells, I'm still in school so far.  I hope I didn't jinx it.

Ben's Return to Xanga:

Studying: Berkeley Style (and rants on the BCS)

I am so pissed right now that Cal got screwed out of the Rose Bowl in the BCS's Annual Fucking over the PAC-10.  I've been trying to study for my finance class all day, but couldn't get myself to do it because I am just so fucking sad.  This is the lowest of lows.  I didn't even feel this sad after our tragic loss to USC and that was fucking sad.  So, I'm going to study Berkeley style by PROTESTING my fucking quiz tomorrow.  Screw studying, I'm gonna protest the fuck out of the BCS by failing this damn quiz in a class where a point might be the difference between an A and a B.  The BCS says that a playoff is detrimental to a school's academic goals by adding more games.  Fuck that, this student is gonna fail a quiz because of the BCS's stupidness.  Take that BCS!  I don't know why I'm writing this.  I just feel so pissed/sad/disappointed/etc.

I'm not some conspiracy theorist, but I'm gonna go ahead and promulgate this theory.  Mack Brown and his brother voted us super low in the Coaches Poll.  Mack Brown has already characterized himself as a whore for votes.  What's to stop him from voting Cal 24th or maybe even unranked?  What's to stop his brother from doing the same?  Coaches that vote in the coaches poll vote with anonymity, so we'll never know.  But get this.  Texas gained like 80 or so points in the coaches poll.  That would mean a number of coaches had to change their votes and I simply don't see this.  The only way in which votes would swing by that margin would be for someone "anonymous" individual to vote Cal way down in the polls.  Bullshit.  It may not have mattered because we seemed to have lost some support in the AP Poll, but still.

You know who else is a piece of shit?  PAC-10 commissioner Tom Hansen.  This guy is trash.  Bar none the worst commissioner in all of sports.  We have the worst bowl matchups.  We annually get screwed.  We don't travel our refs for road games while other conferences do.  We have the worst TV contract.  We have no media exposure.  In a world where media is king, that kind of hurts.  How else can you explain why JJ Arrington leads the nation in rushing and averaged an UNREAL 7+ yards per carry for the season.  For the season!  How else can Ryan Riddle, second in the nation in sacks, not get more publicity?  Fire Tom Hansen, he is a piece of shit.  I'm not just saying this because of the recent ongoings, but I've been saying this the last two years.

Don't even get me started on a playoff system.  It's feasible.  If EVERY other NCAA sport can pull it off including 1-AA and Div II football, division one football should be able to.  I don't buy any of their arguments.  Just tell me it's because of the money and I'll be satisfied.  Still pissed, but don't give me bullshit arguments please.

Anyways, I'm proud of the way our team played, acted, and conducted themselves.  Coach Tedford's a classy guy that still kneed the ball in respect of his opponent despite the potential to score again to increase the margin of victory.  His class has also trickled down to the players too who have conducted themselves in the same manner.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  The team epitomized class.  Geoff McArthur played through every injury imaginable all because he was the only receiver left in our decimated WR corps.  You could tell the man was hurting and he still played until a broken fibula finally ended his season.  G-Mac, you're a class guy.  Congratulations Cal Bears on a season well done and best wishes in the Holiday Bowl.  Rooooooll on youuuuu Beeeearrrrrsss!!!!  See you in San Diego.

So hmm, what have I been up to lately?  Hmm, I am officially obsessed with the Godfather Trilogy.  I can't stop thinking about it.  It is seriously an amazing story, the movies and the book.  That's some serious gangsta shit.  Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, and I know I'm leaving people out.  Amazing actors.  I even get happy when Andy calls me because his ring tone is the Godfather Theme, a fitting ring tone for a guy that was supposed to be named Vito when born.  I am currently been crazy interested in gangster shit.  Godfathers, Scarface, Untouchables, Sopranos, Donnie Brasco, and all that jazz. 

I got so excited when I drove around Racine Street in Chicago because that's where all that gangsta shit when down in the 1920s with Capone, Dillinger, and the Birdman and others.  Now those were some original gangstas.

I was totally in love with the movie Blow about the drug trade going on the U.S. in the 70s, 80s.  That led me to pick up the book Killing Pablo, which is about the long, expensive ass manhunt of Pablo Escobar who was worth billions and billions controlling Colombia's cocaine industry.  Amazing book.  Escobar was a genius at using sheer fear and violence in holding a country of 30 million hostage.

Next on the agenda:  Looking into the start of Las Vegas and Bugsy Segal and all those crazy kids.  Definitely some more G'd up shit.

It's interesting how the media tends to glorify such violent and often immoral individuals but their stories are just so damn fascinating.  They all act with a certain cunning and guile that just impresses me.  Imagine if they put their organizational skills and know-how to something legal and beneficial to all.

On another note, I watched The Girl Next Door the other day.  Damn, that chick is hot.  Dev and I always talked about how dank styles she was and didnt believe the hype, but that movie changed my opinion.  I think I'll update this more, hmm, actually probably not.

WTF are the Dodgers doing?!?  I am fucking sad at what they have done to break up this team.  Broke up the team to seemingly get Randy Johnson and we end up with a bunch of crap at the expense of messing with success.

I hope I am wrong, I really wish that I am wrong but this sucks.  I think Paul DePodesta should stop trying to be like his mentor, Billy Beane, by whipping up some trade deadline magic.  You don't have to make a move for the sake of making a move.

So this is what it breaks down to.

We lose:

Paul Lo Duca - Basically the heart and soul of the Dodgers.  Numbers don't show this but common fucking sense does.  I know the Moneyball philosophy of DePodesta doesn't believe in clutch hitting but Lo Duca's numbers with runners on base are staggering.  This pisses me off the most.

Guillermo Mota - Perceived as the most untouchable Dodger the last two seasons and nixing many many trades for him including one for Carlos Beltran, we go around and trade him for crap.

Dave Roberts - Wow, we traded the speedster.  The man that made so much happen on the basepaths.  Seriously, look at our record with him playing.  He is a difference maker and people in the clubhouse like him.  He was a little nicked up and Werth taking up most of his time but he is awesome.  He single-handedly created so many rallies throughout the season.

Koyle Hill (or whatever his name is) - We not only traded our all-star catcher, we also traded our top minor league catcher that is tearing shit up in triple-A.  I don't get it.  I really don't.

Brett Mayne - Hooray for a Bretty Mayne, the Dodgers' savior.  Instead of having an all-star and stability behind the plate, we get a platoon of Brett Mayne and David Ross.  I like Ross though and hopefully we play him full time, but we probably won't.

We get:

Brad Penny - While having the possibility of being a really good pitcher, especially at Dodger stadium, he is often injured and not sure if it's worth losing Mota for.

Hee Sop Choi - Strikes out a shitload.  A shitload and did most of his damage at the beginning of the season.  Now that pitchers seem to have figured him out, he has sucked ass.

Steve Finley - A 39 year old hitter that is way streaky and did most of his damage early on as well.  Overrated in my opinion and never really liked him.  Has hit for shit in July.

Prospect from Red Sox - Don't know much about him. 

All this messing with success and we still don't land Randy Johnson.  My thing with making a deal at the break when things are going good is that it should significantly improve the team. 

Has this improved the team all that much?  Nope. 

Has this possibly made the team worse?  Maybe. 

So why make the trade?  Because Owner McCourt wants to make some noise after Angel Owner stole his thunder in the offseason.  Because Paul DePodesta wants to make some trademark Billy Beane moves at the break.  Because they enjoy worrying Dodger fans. 

Why give me the '98 Dodgers when I already had the '88 Dodgers?  I loved the way the team played and the way it carried about its business and now it seems like it's gone.  Like I said earlier, I realy hope I am wrong and that we can bring a World Series trophy home to LA.