A Monopoly on stupidity

Here's a quick way to tell if someone is an annoying and foolish lemming: Ask them if they like the game Monopoly. If they say no, ask them why not? They will almost certainly claim that the game simply takes too long. Then ask them if they play with the "free parking scoops the pot of accumulated taxes and fees rule". They'll say yes and claim that it is how everyone plays. Then you say that it's not actually in the official rules and that people just made that rule up over the years. They'll retort that it makes the game much more fun. Wow.

Really? A game who's duration is solely limited by the amount of money in circulation but is claimed to be too long by all is made more fun by putting more money back in circulation? Amazing.

Monopoly is an expertly crafted game and should be played by its intended rules for optimal fun and duration of play. Do yourself a favor and read the rule book, or if you're one of the aforementioned annoying lemmings, then I'll quickly review the most 3 most ignored ignored Monopoly rules.

1. Free Parking is just that. A free space to park your token for one turn. Nothing happens if you land there. Accept this fact and the world will be a better place.

2. There are 12 Hotels and 32 houses. That's it. If you run out then you can't build anymore. This is one of the most powerful strategies for any but the most basic Monopoly player, but rarely does the common player take advantage of it. Create a housing shortage and dominate.

3. If a property is landed on and the player decided not to purchase it outright, the property then goes up in an open auction for all the players (including the one who initially declined to purchase). This rule ensures that all the properties get purchased in a timely manner and speeds the game up significantly. Brilliant, right? Wrong! It's in the damn rulebook but I've never seen a casual Monopoly game use this rule.

In conclusion, please allow the Parker Brothers to rest in peace by playing their game with the proper rules. You'll have alot more fun and you'll be far less annoying to me. Thank you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

The Suite Spot wishes you and yours a safe and happy Turkey Day!

The Suite Spot Weekly TV Round-Up: 11/16 to 11/22

I'm about to go on a giant FX rant, so bear with me because right now, it's pretty much the only network on TV where everything is worth watching. In the last Round-Up, I mentioned that both Nip/Tuck and Damages will return in January and dates for premieres have since been announced. Nip/Tuck's WGA Strike-shortened fifth season will resume on Tuesday 1/6 with eight new episodes to go in the season and Damages will follow on the next evening, Wednesday the 7th with its season two premiere. I honestly can't say enough good things about both of these shows and they each deserve your viewership. FX is doing some amazing things for an ad-supported cable network. Check out the latest promo for Nip/Tuck, set to Kanye's "Flashing Lights:"

And speaking of January premieres, ABC has announced that Lost will return a month earlier than expected on Wednesday, January 21st with two new episodes back-to-back. However, the real buzz about the show right now is focusing on the official season five poster released by ABC yesterday. See any clues?

In other ABC news, the alphabet network did some slashing this week and shit-canned three popular, but ratings challenged, series: Dirty Sexy Money, Pushing Daisies, and Eli Stone. All three series were cut short during last year's writer's strike and despite their season two renewals, they just couldn't find an audience. However, one new show is making the grade and ABC has extended freshman drama Life on Mars to a 17 episode order. It's one of the better new shows this season. So check it out and hopefully ABC will give it the back 5 for a full 22.

That's all I got for this week. If you're looking for something good to watch this weekend, then Sunday evening is your night with Entourage (the season five finale) and 24: Redemption (the two hour season seven prequel).

Question of The Day

11 Weeks through the NFL season, The Suite Spot wants to know who you think will play in and win this year's SuperBowl? Let us know!

NFL Brief- Week 11

This week I was fortunate enough to have the Patriots play on Thursday, helping me take a weekend off from the sauce, and to focus only one game at a time. Not the usual Sunday, where I head to my normal drinking establishment, order 16 wings, add an order of onion rings and endless pitchers. I take in 5% of every game, play Buck Hunter Safari buzzed at halftime and sleep like a baby after a full day of pigskin. If that last sentence sounded too manly, there are girls at the bar as well. They may gossip about Saturday night, a few of them bring the Sunday New York Times crossword and focus on that, while a few are die hard fans and get involved in the ruckus and some even play Buck Hunter.

Sounds like a great Sunday right, well maybe the Patriots should play on Sunday day more often not on national TV or in prime time. Save that for when Tom Brady comes back. The Patriots are 6-1 in non-prime time non nationally televised games this year, and 0-3 when they are!
The Patriots lost to the Jets on Thursday night, 34-31 in OT on what was supposed to be Matt Cassel's coming out party. ruined by a flawless effort by Brett Fav-re and a 100yd performance by RB Thomas Jones. The Patriots down 24-6 at one point, came back to tie the game with one second left on what could be the catch of the season. Randy Moss caught a pass sealed with perfection in the northeast corner of the endzone to tie the game with only one tick on the clock, only to lose in OT because of poor zone defense, leaving the middle of the field open for the Jets, ultimately leading to a 30 odd yard FG to propel the Jets into sole possession of 1st place in the AFC East for the first time since 2001.

Elsewhere, the Giants were dominate, running for over 200 yards and crushed the ravens, 30-10.

The Eagles and Bengals tied, yes you can have a tie in the NFL. Is it time for Andy Reid to go, I think so, with 4th and 1 with ~~ 1:30 left in overtime, on their own 40 odd yard line, he punted the football and played for the tie/loss. Now they are 5-4-1, when a win is what they truly need in a tough clustered NFC east division. Andy Reid needs a diet, and a new profession as bad as Toyota needs a new ad campaign. (Can we be saved by something besides zero?)

Power of five:

1. Titans- Gutsy comeback win over the Jags, oh and they are 10-0
2. Giants- I'm pretty sure this team is better than last years super bowl champion team, actually I'm positive
3. Panthers- Two RB's over 100 yards this week, a ground attack comparable to UPS
4. Jets- Gusty win over the Pats, big test this week vs. the Titans
5. Cardinals- Kurt Warner will have two WR's with over 1,000 yds and one of them missed 2.5 games with a broken face.

delicious 4 layer nacho dip -- it's easy

If you're like me then I'm sure you often say, "Man, I could sure go for a delicious and easy to make nacho dip" I think we can all agree that this is a common dilemma. Well fret no longer friends, because we're proud to present the official nacho dip of the Suite Spot. Here's the recipe:

-1 regular size package cream cheese (reduced fat is also ok, but fat free won't work well)

-1 small can of diced green chilies (mild creates the best flavor balance, but go for hot if you're feeling frisky)

-1 two cup bag of grated/shredded cheese (Kraft Mexican blend works well, but any cheddar or jack combo would work nicely)

-1 can chili (vegetarian with beans is the least greasy, but meat can add some good flavor too)

You'll also need a medium-sized and microwave safe casserole dish (one of the regular square ones is good) and something to dip (I prefer Tostitos brand "Scoops" as this is a hearty dish).

Simply spread the cream cheese over the bottom of the casserole dish. Then pour the chili over that, spreading evenly. Next, spread the green chilies evenly. Finally, put the whole bag of cheese on top, covering the surface completely. Pop this into your microwave for 10 minutes at full power and you're in flavor country.  Careful, it's hot!

Sink or Swim

In life’s challenges, we will either sink or swim. Work, sport, game, and politics – they all must end with either success or failure. It’s a harsh but exhilarating fact of life that fuels our competitive nature and keeps us coming back for more.

Outwit, Outlast, Outplay, right Mark Burnett? Survivor's producer couldn't have adopted a better tagline for his hit TV show. But this concept transcends Survivor. We watch bar fights, sporting events, and political campaigns understanding that the competitors will do whatever it takes to win - and there will always be winners and losers. We strive to get accepted into the most prestigious universities and start our careers in Fortune 500 companies to position ourselves for success. This is competition. This is capitalism.

When we lose, we admit defeat. It's back to the drawing board. Sport teams sign free agents, recruit new talent and make trades to get ready for next season. Reality TV rejects return to their normal lives and are sometimes lucky enough to use their recently found fame to pursue new careers. And what about us? What happens when the circumstances cause us to lose our jobs or force us to shut the doors of our businesses? Some seek additional education, some hone their trade skills and polish up their resume, and others explore new ventures.

We we win, we prepare for the challenges ahead - the next season, the next immunity challenge, the next project.

In today's wild financial climate we see unprecedented foreclosures, layoffs, and plummeting 401Ks. Why? In short, banks lent to unqualified borrowers, unions bled corporations, CEOs took exorbitant bonuses, and investors went running scared. Companies like Lehman Brothers, AIG and General Motors failed. For all intensive purposes they should be out of the game. "The Tribe has spoken."

Whether it's AIG, GM, or Fajita Grill, a bailout is unjustifiable. Where's the capitalism? Where's the competition?

Music

Periodically, I’d like to share a few noteworthy musical selections. Along with citing the artist, title, and music video link (if located), I’ll give a reason why I think you need to check it out. Enjoy!




Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show
Because it should have been one of Deadwood’s ending credit themes





Chinese Democracy by GNR
Just because

JCVD is a Knockout!

Jean Claude Van Damme delivers a devestating performance as himself in this semi-autobiographical tour de force. The film has garnered rave reviews across the board and around the world and the Suite Spot would like to join in endorsing it as one of the best films of the year. Kudos to Van Damme for the soul-baring performance and for such a daring career move... not that he had much to lose at this point. Bloodsport it is not, but JCVD is not to be missed!

UFC 91 Preview/Prediction

Huge fight Saturday night at UFC 91 as Heavyweight Champion Randy "The Natural" Couture takes on Brock Lesner. This is a pick'em fight according to odds makers, but the Suite Spot will take a stab at predicting the winner.

Who is Randy Couture?
He's the most beloved and decorated champion in the history of the sport. He retired briefly after being finished by Chuck Liddell 2 years ago but then returned to the Heavyweight ranks to snag the title from a heavily favored Tim Sylvia. He then beat down another heavily favored opponent in Gabriel Gonzaga in his first title defense. Legal issues with the UFC kept Randy out of action for over a year but that's all in the past now. At a remarkable 45 years of age, "The Natural" looks to be in great shape and is ready for a new challenger to his throne.

Who is Brock Lesner?
He's the former WWF Champion whose pedigree includes the 2000 NCAA wrestling title. He left the pro-wrestling biz a few years back to try to tackle the NFL. Though he wowed scouts at the combine, he was eventually cut by the Minnesota Vikings. Since then, Brock has turned his attention to mixed martial arts. His UFC debut was an impressive though ultimately unsuccessful bout with former champion Frank Mir. This was followed closely by an utter domination of PRIDE FC veteran Heath Herring. This win silenced many critics who touted Brock's lack of skill and reliance on brute strength. Still Brock has something to prove and will have to take on all comers, starting with Couture.

How can Randy win?
Randy has more experience in big fights than anyone in the game and his gas tank has yet to be emptied. If he's in any kind of shape resembline his last outing, he'll be able to set a blistering pace that would exhaust Brock after a couple of rounds. Randy is no stranger to 5 round title fights, so one would think that the longer the fight goes the more conditioning will come into play. Randy is also renowned for his ability to formulate and stick to an effective gameplan over the course of his fights. One of his trademarks is imposing his will on his opponents with a combination of clinching up against the fence and brutal wrestling takedowns. That could be easier said then done against the massive Lesner, so look for Randy the change up his game a bit with a stick and move boxing style and judicious use of submissions when the fight inevitably goes to the ground.

How can Brock win?
Lenser is a giant! He will enter the Octagon at well over the 265 weight limit while Couture is a relatively small 220 pounds. In addition to this superior size and strength, Brock is also much faster and more athletic than the elder champion. Brock was able to land a devastating right hand in the opening moments of the Herring bout from which Heath was never able to recover. If he can pull a similar moe against Randy, than it could be much the same story on Saturday night. Look for Lesner to try to smother Couture with mat wrestling as he did against Herring. He'll try to lay on top of Couture in an effort to prematurely exhaust him. If Randy has lost any kind of edge in the past year, this strategy may prove successful.

The Suite Spot believes that Randy Couture will retain his title with a submission in the 4th round. Randy's skill and superior conditioning will prove to be too much for Lesner, but Brock will lay quite the beating on Couture in the meantime. So much so, that Randy may never be quite the same after the fight. Meanwhile, Brock will learn from his war with Couture the things he needs to dominate the UFC's Heaveyweight division for years to come. Enjoy the fight!

Bobbin' for life

If we're not in a merge I think I'm history... even though I teach science. That's a little joke.
-Bob, Survivor Gabon

Bob Crowley is a remarkable man. He's wears every one of his 58 years on his face and yet he competes physically with those at their physical peak. He is clearly devoted to his chosen profession of teaching, yet he is also an accomplished outdoorsman. He has a large and loving family as evidenced by the letters he received from home and he's a friggin' log roll champion!

Then there's Randy Bailey. As self-described in his official bio he's "angry, blunt, mean and sarcastic", and "admits he's a train wreck with no living relatives besides an older brother, from whom he hasn't heard from in years." Wow. Seems like a real winner. However, though he has aged rather poorly in the looks department, he is actually quite the physical specimen given his middle age, regularly equaling or besting the younger cast members in challenges. In addition, he's deftly kept himself safe from tribal council sendoffs with a combination of clever alliances and ingenuity in camp.

Both have seen their best years pass them by yet both succeed in the game. How do they do it? Bob is a machine. Be it in camp or in the challenges, he never stops. You can see this is not just come ruse for the game either, his sinewy body has clearly been put through its paces with years of action and repetition. His natural ability and breadth of skills never fail to amaze. One gets the feeling that Bob would like to win the game as something of a personal test. The money or fame at stake is secondary to the challenge at hand and a loss would be chalked up as an educational experience rather than a disaster.

Randy, on the other hand, plays with a measured style should not be mistaken for lethargy as he has shown to be as strong and agile as any. He is clever and resourceful, as shown with his fashioning of fishing gear from fragments of his glasses. To me, he is reminiscent of a crocodile in that he'll lull you into ease with a lack of activity, then strike in a sudden flurry. His personality around camp certainly turns other off but he makes no apologies for his persona. His competitive spirit has no equal and is that of someone with nothing to lose and something to prove. I believe that he feels that his life would be validated with a win and therefore losing is not an option.

So what can we learn from this? I believe that there are two ways to deal with most situations. The Bob way is to play hard, try your best, and know that even if you fail you can take pride in the fact that you did things the right way. The Randy way is to take an opportunity and grab it by the throat, trying to exploit whatever advantage you can. This could provide an easy path to success, but in the event of failure, you must ask yourself if your course of action was worth it.

These two men are clearly polar opposites in life while producing startlingly similar results in the game of Survivor. The path Randy has chosen is easy to fall into, but results in lots of loneliness, pain, and a resentful attitude towards the world. The path Bob has chosen has left him happy, healthy, and surrounded by loved ones. I respect Bob and envy the honerable way he has lived his live and he is reaping the rewards accordingly. I pity Bob and the fruits of his actions are self-evident.

Think about this when presented with an obstacle in life. While sometimes it may be tempting to choose a Randy-like solution, I think the world would be a better place if more people could channel their inner Bob.

Question of the Day

What is the best rivalry in college sports? Let The Suite Spot know! Name the sport and the teams involved

NFL Brief - Week 10

We all knew a girl from high school that was the queen of the class, a member of the "snob" squad, wore the best clothes, was the head cheerleader, and was dating the captain of the basketball team. Girls wanted to be her, and guys wanted to be with her. Flash forward 5-7 years and she couldn't go to/ finish college because she got pregnant on accident, now has two kids, is married only because of those kids, and that head of the cheerleading team frame looks worn and battered. (Yes I knew someone who did and does fit this description) On the other end of the spectrum, you have the academic, not well taken care of and developed girl who had brains, but lacked social skills, reputation, and looks. Someone who wanted to be involved with the social scene, but was not, and was at times an outcast. But with a little fixer-upper, maybe contacts instead of glasses, a good hair cut, and some confidence, and you have a modern day successful beauty who is laughing at said head cheerleader all the way to the bank. Not to mention she is now being chirped at by all the boys from the basketball team. She's the Laney Boggs of the real world. (If you don't know Laney Boggs, do yourself a favor and watch one of the only decent chick flicks with Rachel Leigh Cook starring in She's all That)

10 weeks into the season, San Diego is the team that peaked in high school. They are 4-5, some had them picked to go to/win the super bowl before the season started. They beat the Chiefs this week by 1 pt, mostly because the Chiefs are as miserable at football as my friend Leo at Buck Hunter. Is Ladanian Tomlinson the next Shaun Alexander, dominate the NFL for 2-3 years and two years later be a free agent looking for a one year deal? Please tell me it isn't so LT! Maybe its time for a new coach in San Diego to motivate these stud players. Oh and they are in the second worst division in football.

Conversely, the Arizona Cardinals is this year's Laney Boggs, a goal line stand to stop them from losing to the 49ers, Kurt Warner in the running for MVP halfway through the season, a WR corps second to none in the NFL, and a flashy new RB in Tim Hightower who has "Edged" out Edgerrin James in only 9 games in the league. Yes they play in a weak division, but when is the last time Arizona hosted a playoff game, I'm not even going to bother wikipedia for the answer! It will happen this year!

This week's Power of 5

1. Titans- Still undefeated still #1
2. Giants- Dominating the most competitive division, is Eli ready to repeat?
3. Panthers- Great defense, and a running game only getting stronger
4. Patriots- learning how to win w/out brady = eating clock like it's Tiramisu
5. Redskins- if Clinton Portis is healthy, they will be dangerous

As always, please post your comments let The Suite Spot know what you're thinking!

What a Time We Live In

In these tough financial times, the plebeian masses can always turn to one singular form of salvation: the Dollar Value Menu. Where else but this latter-day horn of plenty can one gorge oneself for so little money. As recently as the mid 90's, a double cheeseburger from McDonald's would cost you upwards of $3. Now it is only a buck. Factoring in inflation, the savings are obscene. So while the price of everything seems to be going up while wages stagnate and the market crashes, find solace in an American classic... for just a dollar.

The Suite Spot Weekly TV Round-Up: 11/2 - 11/8

Welcome to the newest weekly column here at The Suite Spot, where I'll be bringing to you the week in TV. A sort of "in case you missed it" crash course covering anything boob-tube related. If it's on TV, then I probably watch it.

If you have any sense of television history, then you've probably heard of a little cartoon called The Simpsons. This past Sunday marked the show's 19th "Treehouse of Horror" special, and while I personally think they usually suck, this one had an extremely relevant highlight - a spoof on the Emmy winning/critically-acclaimed AMC drama Mad Men. If you aren't watching this show, you should be. Now. Anyway, The Simpsons beautifully re-created the entire opening sequence (frame for frame) from Mad Men. Take a look:



Moving on to Monday night Prison Break made an effort to shake things up a bit by killing off original cast member Brad Bellick (played by Wade Williams, pictured above). This entire season has been much better as the show has been re-created into a heist drama, but Bellick's presence has been a non-factor. The idiotic redneck we grew to love over the first three seasons has played no role in this season's machinations and frankly, it seems to me that his death was inevitable from the get-go. I don't see it impacting the remainder of the season at all.

On to Tuesday night, nothing new was on save for the Presidential Election, which brings me right into Wednesday night. Anyone still watching South Park? For the most part, I try to catch it, but it's hard to figure out when episodes are new since seasons always tend to take off months at a time. However, I caught this one and I'm glad I did. Kudos to Matt Stone and Trey Parker because they must have worked their asses off following the announcement of Obama winning late Tuesday night. The duo re-cut the entire episode all day Wednesday, even going so far as to included exact phrasing from Obama's acceptance speech into the episode. While it's clear that much of the episode is ambiguous and would have worked had McCain pulled off a victory, it's still impressive to think that whole chunks of the episode were prepped mere hours before it aired. You can see the whole episode at South Park Studios.

Also on Wednesday night, FX freshman drama Sons of Anarchy continued with its trend of getting better and better each week. Embroiled in a cat and mouse game with the ATF, I'm really looking forward to see how Clay and Jax can get SAMCRO out of this mess. I'm especially impressed with Agent Stahl (Ally Walker, pictured). She's been relentless in her pursuit of the club, but after her run-in with Otto at prison, I don't see it ending the way she wants. In other FX news, the network announced this week that both Nip/Tuck and Damages will return in January. Here's the latest promo for Damages:

Moving on to Thursday night and Grey's Anatomy, ABC suits dropped a bombshell this week when they announced that last night's episode, "Rise Up," would be Brooke Smith's last. Apparently execs at the Alphabet network weren't too happy about Erica's (Smith) lesbian storyline with fellow doc Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez). Personally, I didn't care for the plot too much either but it is November sweeps. However, was it really necessary to fire Smith? Anyone else see it? To be honest, her exit wasn't too bad. Considering everything that happened (her lesbian epiphany coupled with Callie's reluctance and the whole Denny Duquette mess), I thought it made sense.

One parting shot - FOX released its mid-season schedule this week, and after a year of delays, 24 is finally scheduled to return with its seventh season with the traditional two night, four hour premiere on Sun. 1/11 and Mon. 1/12. In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the latest promo:

So what does everyone think? Good column? Let The Suite Spot know in the comments! Especially if there's something big you think I missed!

Question of the Day

This year it is probable that one of the two best college football teams does not play for the championship. How do we solve the BCS conundrum?? Let The Suite Spot!!

NFL Brief- Week 9

Gonna make this one quick today as everyone should be out voting, and watching the precincts report, percent by percent.

Small sidebar, but why is 47% reporting so much more exciting than 46% reporting. I find it extremely exciting but I don't even know why. I will rush back and forth from the TV tonight making dinner just to make sure I don't miss that extra percent, call it kiddish, or maybe I have ADD, but I watch for the extra percent.
Anyways...

Quote from a basketball teammate of mine last night during a timeout, " Okay guys, lets treat this like McCain and the election, according to the polls we're down 15 and our time is running out, lets comeback and win this thing."

Maybe that's what Marvin Lewis said before the Bengals picked up their first win of the season, my guess it sounded a little more like, "Guys if you do like me at all, try harder so I can have a job a little bit longer." Whatever variation was said, the Bengals upset the under-performing Jaguars to pick up their first win of the season. It was good to see the lowly Bengals get a win, only to have the coach start talking about making a playoff run. Lewis said in the post game, if we win out guys, we have a shot at the wild card. Are you kidding me? I also have a shot at having child with Britney, but the chances are as slim as the Olsen twins. But you can't fault optimism, you can only appreciate it... to a point!

Elsewhere a distinction between the league's elite and the wannabes is becoming clearer after week9. Leads us to this week's Power of 5.

1. Titans- Learning how to win close games helps win Superbowls 19-16 OT win vs. Packers. Being undefeated halfway through the season lands you #1
2. Giants- Dismantling of the Cowboys last week, big test next week on the road vs. the red hot E-A-G-L-E-S
3. Panthers- Idle last week, here's hoping no- one got in a late night incident after leaving any form of a club
4. Steelers- Big Ben hurt, Parker hurt, Miller hurt, Defense, healthy as a mule!
5. Cardinals- Yes that's right, Cardinals. Don't look now, but Kurt Warner is a valid MVP candidate

As always, you can read more at The Suite Spot, http://the-suite-spot.blogspot.com/ comment, become a follower, make it a website you visit daily!

Question of the Day

Sticking with the food theme, Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch Doritios? Let the Suite Spot know!