December 13, 2005     Well, I screwed up.  I had a pretty good column lined up last week, but I made a miscalculation.  I got really excited about the playoffs coming up in the NFL, so I made some playoff picks.  Unfortunately, I made those based on only three games remaining, when in fact, there were four.  So that may happen in a few days.  Whooooops. So, since this is a makeshift column, this may be the most random column to date. And that really says a lot, because all of my columns reek of total randomness.   Still in my NFL mindset, here are a few thoughts that have come across my mind this season: Matt Millen is the luckiest man alive.  How does he get It doesn't matter what talent the Arizona Cardinals put on the team.  They are destined to suck no matter what.  They've got some great athletes on the team now, but I would almost always put my money on the other team (the exception would be if they were playing the Houston Texans). Speaking of the Texans, David Carr's lifespan decreases by a year after every passing play the offensive coordinator calls.  Screw the "Reggie Bush Sweepstakes".  Dominick Davis is a great running back.  The Texans should spend every draft pick on offensive linemen.  And after Kris Browns field goal attempt that missed by about 20 yards this past weekend, I'd start looking for a kicker, too.  At least Jay Feely's missed attempts were in the same area code. I was complaining about music earlier this year.  I have to give props to a group called the Killers.  I have heard several songs on the radio that are quite good.  It's not the same whiny crap that's come out over the past few years.  Bands like Staind, Godsmack, Korn, and others from that era are still putting out some good stuff, too. The world is a better place with Waffle House in it. Whatever happened to the Bartles and Jaymes guys? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is probably the best movie of the series so far.  I'll add more when I do the next movie review.  But I want to mention this.  Up until this one, I felt the original Harry Potter was the best one and the others were somewhat disappointing.  Goblet of Fire didn't disappoint at all and it stayed as true to the book as they could while staying timely. Kathy Griffin is annoying.  I've never found her funny and if I never see her in another movie, I'd be ok with that. It is rare that I see a preview, think the movie will be a dud, That's all I got.  I'll do better next time.   T-BONE!

"...and Thank You for Your Support."

The Bone Pile

away with firing Steve Mariuchi, a guy with proven
success?  Millen has done all of the drafting for the
Detroit Lions for the past four seasons at least.  The
team sucks and he hasn't done anything to make it
better, which is the GM's job.  They don't have the
talent and they don't have any direction.  When you
have a quarterback controversy involving Joey
Harrington and Jeff Garcia, your football team is NOT
in a good place.  Fire him immediately.

Still on the music front, Scott Stapp, former Creed lead
singer, is a tool.  There's just something about him
that's just uuugggghhh.  And could he sing any slower.  
It's like he takes the lyrics and just drags them out.

see who the director is, and change my mind.  That
happened the other day when I saw the preview to Lady
in the Water.  The trailer made it look like it will suck, but
then I saw that M. Night Shyamalan is the director and it
gave me hope. I don't think all of his movies are great.  I
actually did not like The Village and I thought Signs was
weak.  But he does add a bit of intrigue to each story and
that makes it worth seeing.  I'll check it out.

Bartles and Jaymes - These two
country gentlemen were the
commercial spokesmen for Bartles &
Jaymes Wine Coolers from 1985-91.
Exuding down home honesty and
backwoods charm Frank Bartles
(David Joseph Rufkahr) and Ed
Jaymes (Dick Maugg) sat on the front
porch of their country home and
related messages about the delicious,
refreshing alcoholic beverage which
bore their name "Bartles & Jaymes
Premium Wine Cooler." Frank Bartles
(in the fedora) did all of the talking
while Ed Jaymes (in the baseball
cap) listened quietly to his partner
and the reasons why people should
drink their wine coolers. At the
conclusion of each commercial,
Frank politely said, "And thank you for
your support." The Frank & Ed spots
were created for Gallo Wines by Hal
Riney & Partners (formerly Ogilvy &
Mathers/SF). Hal Riney wrote 143 of
the 230 TV spots. Directed by Joe
Pytka, the commercials won an ANDY
in 1986 for the best print and
broadcast advertisement. After the ad
campaign finished Dave (the talker)
and Dick (the quiet one) did some
regional spots and became, for a
time, spokespersons for Golf Digest.
Richard A. "Dick"  Maugg, a former
general contractor and Alpha Rho '53
alumni from the University of
Washington, returned to his
contracting business, Maugg
Construction. David Rufkahr died of a
heart attack in April 1996 at the age
of 61. When President Bush's
19-year-old twin daughters Jenna and
Barbara were cited for underage
alcohol offenses at a Texas restaurant
in 2001, Jay Leno, the host of NBC's
THE TONIGHT SHOW, dubbed them
Bartles & Jaymes, with an "Anheuser"
Bush chaser.

The Killers are a 21st Century synth
rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada,
who formed in 2002. Lead singer and
keyboardist Brandon Flowers was
inspired to start the band in part after
seeing Oasis perform at The Joint at
the Hard Rock Hotel in April 2002.
They released their hit record Hot
Fuss in 2004.

The band took their name from a New
Order video titled "Crystal". It was
featured on the bass drum of a
fictional band in the video. Brandon
Flowers went on to take to the stage at
the 2005 T in the Park festival and
perform "Crystal" with New Order.