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!