Two yellow cards, one awesome goal, and an unlikely leader. I think I'm impressed. Ecuador is leading Poland (though I insist on writing out Polonia) by 1. At the same time the Univisi�n announcer can't decide whether he wants to use English or Spanish.
Quick lesson: offsides = fuera de lugar
I'm following along at the New York Times blog where they seem to be having fits watching the ESPN telecast. Apparently, it's not recommended.
update: It's about 15 minutes into the second half and Poland is desperate. This equals dangerous, and in some cases can mean stupid. So far there's been one ugly foul, and a few close calls.
final: Ecuador 2 Poland 0
I'm thinking that Germany and maybe Costa Rica will advance from this group because even though Ecuador won, it wasn't that impressive.

OMG!!! Eleven minutes in and this game is already a nail-biter. Both teams are tied 1-1. Damn! Costa Rica isn't going to go down without a fight. By the way I am going for Deutschland in this match, but this is fun.
update: 2-1 Germany at minute 17.
update 2: 3-1 Germany. The Univisi�n announcer has a fetish. He's obsessed with the name Schweinsteiger, and now I'll never forget that name. I dare him to say it three times fast.
OH!!!!!! Costa Rica just scored! Dang. 3-2! Now this is what I call a match. Squee!
Final: Germany 4 Costa Rica 2
What a great game though it does seem that the Germans did have a bit of trouble during the match. They're fast and strong. I'm not sure if it's enough to be #1. After speaking to the parental unit who happened to be carrying a mini tv while doing the shopping (hysterical, but what can I say we're a soccer family), she informed me that the Czechs are favored to win. It's fine by me. As long as it's not Brazil. One of these days I'll explain why.
Next up, Poland v. Ecuador. I haven't picked a side. Hmm...Poland is favored.
I'm actually looking foward to tomorrow. Argentina has its match tomorrow. Oh, and then there's England.

The World Cup is here. I'm watching on Univision, and oh my I can't believe the announcer didn't recognize Pel�. I even know who Pel� is. Anyway, Pel� and Claudia Schiffer present the world cup statuette to the stadium.
This is very poignant. All the teams are being introduced, and they've invited members from winning teams. So as each team is introduced the stadium just goes wild and starts singing their national anthem. Italy was very sweet, but since Germany is playing in a matter of minutes there was pure song. I have a feeling that this month is going to be memorable.

MSNBC has a fun little article from Forbes on four different ways to crash the World Cup if your ticketless. They're rather cute, but my favorite one has to be the parachuting into the stadium. I can totally picture a fan doing that especially to one of Wagner's pieces.
And to anyone following the World Cup, the NYT seems to have a decent blog covering the events leading to and the games. I've added it to my feed. If anyone else has suggestions please send them my way. The first match is tomorrow.

The second big bad is dead. I think I'm more disturbed that the networks are showing Zarqawi's post-mordem pictures. It's as if the government has begged the media to help them prove that this war on terror hasn't been in vain, and here are the results. Look, a corpse. Isn't it dead-looking? Beat that CSI.

The government and some groups think the networks need to be reigned in, and now they've moved a step closer by passing a tougher law that would allow the FCC to impose a higher fine. Ten times higher. There are some who question that the fines may be used as a form of censorship.

"I believe that government has a responsibility to help strengthen families," Bush said in a statement. "This legislation will make television and radio more family friendly by allowing the FCC to impose stiffer fines on broadcasters who air obscene or indecent programming."
...On the other side, radio and television broadcasters, artists and First Amendment specialists have opposed the increase in fines, saying they will exacerbate what they call the "chilling effect" already underway in the creative community, as the government cracks down on content. For instance, the networks have added delays to live broadcasts that allow them to catch offensive material before it airs. A number of broadcasters have instituted zero-tolerance rules for their on-air personalities, meaning objectionable broadcasts can bring immediate firing.

This makes the V-Chip rather obsolete since it was put in place to help parents lock out their children from watching indecent material on tv. Then again with the advent of better programming on cable that isn't under FCC jurisdiction, parents will still have that responsibility. After all parents do have a responsibility to take care of their children, or will the government be Daddy from now on?

Welcome to MATT.org or Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together. It's a website that attempts to layout the facts and perceptions, and try to come to a comprise to the illegal immigration issue. At least that's what it's trying to do.
I became intrigued by MATT thanks to the commercials. In one they used a fair-skinned Hispanic male speaking in a perfect Spanish accent, and I felt a connection. Finally, there was someone like me, which may seem ridiculous to say, but it's rare. Except in my family of course.
After a few more commercials I visited the website yesterday, but I'm not sure if the website will succeed in the kind of discussion it wants to foster. The website was created by a Mexican American businessman with ties to the Republican party. However, the illegal immigration agenda is more of a bipartisan issue, and the website seems to at least try to include articles that take neither side. The minute men are not disparaged, and there is an honest effort to find a way to include the illegals without having to kick out all 12 million. The problem lies with the discussion forums.
As the site becomes more popular members of both sides of the immigration debate will go to the MATT forums, and there is no guarantee that any kind of discussion will occur. The forums are already becoming infested with members who are soley interested in causing conflict on both sides of the issue. If this is what MATT wanted, then it's not very constructive. As an interested member I'm looking for intelligent discussion, not someone who is going to sit there and insult my heritage and make presumptions (as an example).
I guess only time will tell.

This will be my crack this month. Every four years I look foward to this event, and it's the only reason why I'm kinda glad I have ESPN though frankly I may be watching Univision instead. It's a fact the Hispanic announcers are so much more entertaining, and when they say, "GOL!" I feel it. I grew up with it. It's just not the same in English.
I'm so biased.
Ah, but World Cup soccer is here. Go Mexico, USA, Argentina! Down Brazil.

There's a Ghost Hunters marathon on right now, and I just can't peel myself away even though it is freaking me out!
Oh yeah, I'm alive. Yay for a May entry. Stay tuned for more.

Firefox spoils me. I make up a password. It remembers it. I forget it, and if I'm fortunate enough I never have to remember it again. Except for the brief moment when I couldn't log on to MT. Joy.
Have I mentioned I'm ill.
Oh yeah, I start the job tomorrow, and I sing at my friend's wedding in less than a week. I need my voice for this but right now I sound like a hussy. Curtis, I am your dreamgirl.