Christmastime is here.

Undeterred by Obama's unthinkable preemption* of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" last night (good grief!), I brought Charlie Brown and his "not such a bad little tree" out of storage and put them in my cube today. Fluorescent lights, please...

*You know, maybe he is unamerican after all.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Championship Round One

It's championship time again in Division 1-AA, er, the Football Championship Subdivision. And Richmond is looking to defend their national title, but the Fightin' Christians Phoenix stands in their way. This is how the Great Xbox 360 Swami sees it going down, via a CPU vs. CPU game:



Richmond 24, Elon 31

Fret not, because I have it on good authority that the Obama administration has calculated that Richmond will in fact save or create an additional 54 points this afternoon, taking them to a 78-31 victory. You cannot dispute their math.

Is this the dirtiest commercial currently on TV?

Or is my mind just really in the gutter?

Regardless, the devilish little smile that she gives at the end makes me go all weak-kneed.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Twelve

Well, the regular season is coming to a close (for these two teams, at least), but the Great Xbox 360 Swami is not daunted by the significance of The Game and the Oldest Rivalry in the South Capital Cup as it determines the outcomes through a set of CPU vs. CPU matches.



Ohio State 47, Michigan 24



Richmond 48, William & Mary 30

Word is bond. Unless there are any commenter requests for the outcomes of any other game, the Great Xbox 360 Swami shall take a much-needed rest until bowl/playoff time.

Requiem for the Equalizer

R.I.P. Edward Woodward, 1930-2009.



Okay, so I remember "The Equalizer", but I don't think I ever watched it. He was the bomb in The Wicker Man and Hot Fuzz, though.

Song to close out the weekend: "You Belong With Me" by Butch Walker

Though I don't dislike her, I'm not a huge Taylor Swift fan. But a Butch Walker cover of one of her songs? That may put me firmly in with Team Taylor.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Eleven

The season's winding down, but the Great Xbox 360 Swami feels no emotions that could cloud its impartial predictions. As such, the results of today's CPU vs. CPU matches:



Ohio State 38, Iowa 17



Richmond 20, Georgetown 34

I, on the otherhand, am fretting that Richmond result (though I believe UR will win handily against the Hoyas' JV squad).

Micah World Top 25

Here they are, the top 25 songs burning up my iPod (as of 11.11.09):

1. "Tell It To The Volcano" - Miniature Tigers
2. "Stadium Love" - Metric
3. "Hot Venom" - Miniature Tigers
4. "Summertime Clothes" - Animal Collective
5. "Chinese" - Lily Allen
6. "I'm Walking This Road Because You Stole My Car (Don't Go)" - Fascinoma
7. "Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night" - The Fratellis
8. "Passing Afternoon" - Iron & Wine
9. "Going Back/Going Home" - Butch Walker
10. "The World Will Deem Us Dangerous" - Her Space Holiday
11. "Remedy" - Little Boots
12. "Librarian" - My Morning Jacket
13. "Yardwork In November" - Actual Tigers
14. "Dammit" - Blink-182
15. "Sulphur To Sugarcane" - Elvis Costello
16. "If You're Into It" - Flight of the Conchords
17. "Me, You and Steve" - Garfunkel and Oates
18. "God Help the Girl" - God Help the Girl
19. "Top of the Bottom" - John Wesley Harding
20. "Twilight Galaxy" - Metric
21. "Where Is My Mind?" - Pixies
22. "New Slang" - The Shins
23. "Another Likely Story" - Au Revoir Simone
24. "Song Without a Chorus" - Butch Walker
25. "My America" - A Camp

Not too much of a change from the last chart; just a bunch of shuffling around.

Death by pumpkin spice

As soon as I heard that Dunkin Donuts is offering a pumpkin spice latte, doughnut, and muffin (thanks for the tip, Mindy!), I knew I had to try them. So last weekend I braved a rainstorm and made the trek out to DD to order their Autumn Triple Threat.

First, the pumpkin spice latte. It wasn't bad, but I prefer Starbucks' version of this treat. There was something a little off to the taste, but I can't quite nail it. Maybe it's because the ever-present overpriced coffee slinger actually hand blends the ingredients while the latte that I was served at Dunkin Donuts came apparently pre-mixed and shot out through an automatic dispenser. Still, you can't beat their price: $1 for a small. It's not bad if you need a quick fix, but in this case, as with shoes, you get what you pay for.

Next, the pumpkin spice donut Their name suggests Dunkin Donuts is primarily concerned with the doughy treat and it shows here. Cake-like, but not too dry, with a hint of a glaze on the outside, it was tasty and on par with every other pumpkin spice doughnut that I've eaten.

Lastly, the pumpkin spice muffin. This offering turned out to be the unlikely winner of the autumnal triple crown. Topped with a creamy icing, it was so moist that you practically needed a spoon to eat it. Absolutely delicious. Who knew that a doughnut joint would excel at producing muffins?

These three indulgences also served as a going away present of sorts, since on Monday I temporarily ditched carbohydrates for the next month or two. But I vow that someday we will meet again. Oh, yes, we will.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Ten

And now we're in November, when the games really matter. But such a bias does not phase the Mysterious Xbox 360 Swami and its CPU vs. CPU predictions. How two games will fare this afternoon:



Ohio State 55, Penn State 20



Richmond 45, Villanova 31

Mysterious Xbox 360 Swami out.

Song to close out the weekend: "My Body's a Zombie for You" by Dead Man's Bones

Ryan Gosling + a children's chorus + spooky songs = awesomeness

Samhain wrap-up

Candy, Ghost Busters, zombies, a cheetah, Thomas the Tank Engine, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", pizza, pumpkin beer, a kitty, the World Series, Night of the Living Dead, brownies, Paranormal Activity, and some comfort episodes of "30 Rock".

Never...more.

How do you make Poe creepier? Just add Walken.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Nine

This morning I conjured the spirits that dwell deep within my Xbox 360 and asked them to send a signal to the material world about a couple of today's college football match-ups. Through the medium of CPU vs. CPU games, here are the images that appeared on my screen...IN BLOOD!



Ohio State 76, New Mexico State 0



Richmond 20, Towson 26

I guess not all omens are bad. But some are frightening. Bwuh-ha-ha!

Happy Halloween!

Crush of the Week: Dahlia Dark

This Halloween week's Crush is spooktacular pin-up model Dahlia Dark (or check her our here). Earlier this month I went through seemingly every pin-up picture posted on the web in order to find one to use for the cover of my Autumn Mix*, when I discovered Dahlia and was immediately smitten.



It's strange to find a woman who is not really my type (the tattoos and general gothiness) and yet so my type (well, everything else) at the same time. Kudos to her!

Hey, why not post a bonus video?



Haunting.

*My job is rough, I tells ya!

My Autumn Mix 2009

The golden leaves are falling from the trees, so it must mean that it's time for another mix.

Unfortunately, not all of the songs on my CD are available to stream, so here are the missing songs (YouTube links where available):

The Jayhawks - "Stick in the Mud"
Jack Ingram - "What Makes You Say"
Gerald Collier - "Dark Days"
Christina Courtin - "Bundah"
Clem Snide - "Close the Door"
Robbie Fulks - "I Like Being Left Alone (Live)"
Tim Easton - "All the Pretty Girls Leave Town"
Glen Hansard - "Hairshirt (Live)"
Garfunkel and Oates - "Me, You and Steve"
Fun. - "The Gambler"
Sean Connery - "In My Life"

Grab my other seasonal mixes here, here, here, here, and here.

Why I love Halloween Part V

"I'm a witch."
"If she was a hooker."
-Jim Gaffigan

It's the return of a Micah World tradition!

Bonus: The 10 Worst Sexy Halloween Costumes

Credit due: Dena for the list link

What Jack-O-Lanterns eat for breakfast*

This weekend I made a large batch of pumpkin pancakes (thanks, Trader Joe!) and I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to the regular kind. I'd better stock up likes it's Y2K all over again.

*The cannibalistic ones, at least.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Eight

Four teams enter these CPU vs. CPU Xbox 360 matches. Two leave victorious, as precursors to their real life counterparts' performances.



Ohio State 58, Minnesota 14



Richmond 13, Massachusetts 17

Are you not entertained?

Crush of the Week: Katie Featherston

This week's Crush is actress Katie Featherston of the sublime creepfest Paranormal Activity. She did a good job portraying a women tormented by an unseen force and when the movie got too tense I just focused on her and that took me to my Happy Place.



After watching the movie, though, I don't think I'd like to share a house with her. She brings too much baggage.

Tastes great on a cracker!

Well, Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter is now available. And it's awesome.

Quick movie review

Paranormal Activity: Creeped me the eff out! Certain scenes of this movie actually stuck with me for days, but I'm a big wuss when it comes to a certain type of scary flick. In fact, this was kind of a bait and switch, since I went in expecting a certain type of movie and it turned out to be something a bit different (my thought when I realized that: "oh, shit"). It's refreshing to find a horror flick these days that relies not on cheap gore or flashy editing, but atmosphere and a sense of dread to give the audience chills. Not that it's without its flaws - which I'll go into in the comments section, if anyone wishes. I won't detail the plot because it's best if you go into this film fresh. DO NOT watch the trailer, as it gives away one of the best moments.

I would like to also add that what scares me the most about Paranormal Activity is, should this become a mainstream hit, most people will pronounce my name as "MEE-kuh". It's "MY-kuh", dammit!

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Seven

Week seven. Xbox 360. CPU vs. CPU games. Yada yada.



Ohio State 62, Purdue 20



Richmond 41, Maine 20

Yada.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Six

It's hard to believe that we're halfway through the regular college football season. My Xbox 360, on the other hand, is self-aware and doesn't wax nostalgic about the faded glories of past college pigskin seasons. It merely picks the week's winners via a series of CPU vs. CPU match ups. This week:



Ohio State 33, Wisconsin 31



Richmond 48, JMU 31

Shortly after predicting the above, my Xbox started making out with the toaster.

I'm a member of the 111,111 Club!

Things are going to start happening to me now. Earlier this week my car hit 111,111 miles. Yes, it's a very exclusive club to belong to. Okay, so it's not as prestigious as, say, the Five-Timers Club (oh, the smoking jackets!), but it's at least a step up from the Subway Sub Club.

Quick movie reviews: zombies, Nazis, vampires and aliens! Oh, my!

Zombieland: I had a blast with this one. It's funny and Woody Harrelson is a trip. It's refreshing to get a zombie flick that goes balls-out with the laughs and kills and isn't weighted down with heavy-handed social commentary (I'm looking at you, late period Romero). Plus, it has one of the best opening credit sequences in recent memory, next to Watchmen*. And I won't spill the beans about the Big Cameo like Letterman did (Arrrrrgh! RAGE!), but that alone is worth the price of admission.

Inglorious Basterds: Loved it! Sure, it could use some trimming, but what Tarantino film can't (don't get me started on Death Proof)? I've got to give him credit: the dude even managed to somehow work his creepy foot fetish into a WWII flick. Honestly, from the marketing I expected this to focus on each individual Basterd and their contributions to the plan, but it didn't. And that's okay. There are two tremendously tense (and long) scenes that are just purely great filmmaking. If there's any justice, Christoph Waltz, portrayal of a charming yet menacing Nazi should win him an Oscar.

Let the Right One In: This Swedish vampire movie isn't particularly scary, but it is beautifully shot and acted. I'd classify the film as more of a coming of age tale with some unnerving scenes thrown in. This is a great one to watch while the temperatures outside drop.

Plan 9 From Outer Space (Rifftrax version): Somehow I managed to live my entire life without seeing The Best Bad Movie Ever until this past August. Boy, it really is a terrible movie - and perfect fodder for the former MSTies at Rifftrax to mine for snarky comedy. I saw this when they riffed on the movie in front of a live audience back in August and there'll be an encore presentation beamed into theaters tomorrow. Check it out. It's hilarious.

*Though not as brilliant as the opening of the Dawn of the Dead remake. What is it with zombie flicks are great credit sequences?

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Five

Richmond has a bye week, so my mystical Xbox 360 is using its full resources on only one CPU vs. CPU match.



Ohio State 24, Indiana 21

That is all.

My Autumn of Britcoms: I'm such an easily-distracted bell end

Hey, remember that grandiose plan I concocted earlier to watch a whole slew of Britcoms over the summer? Yeah, it didn't really happen. I mean, I did watch the entire runs of a couple of shows ("Spaced", "The Old Guys", "The Inbetweeners"), but never wrote anything up about them here.

But my marathon viewing of the hilarious aforementioned "The Inbetweeners" over Labor Day renewed my interest in the project (thanks, SBN1!).

So I now proclaim this to be My Autumn of Briticoms*. Now, this may be too lofty a goal, since we're in the midst of college football and the fall TV season, but I'll do my best. If I fall short, you can blame the Buckeyes and the overabundance of quality American programming on Thursday and Sunday nights.

*Which will inevitably phase into My Winter of Britcoms.

It's like Dig Dug for the aughts!

So this weekend I found my latest $2.50 gaming obsession: Miner Dig Deep.

Look, I love mowing down zombies and rocking out on a fake plastic guitar as much as the next guy, but sometimes you just want to chill out and mine for precious stones while an acoustic guitar pleasantly strums in the background.

So far I'm two for two regarding my Xbox Live Indie Games purchases. What are some other good ones out there?

Whither Seltzer's Sweet Lebanon Beef Bologna?

I was in a rut. For months every lunch I made included a sandwich made with Butterball deep fried turkey breast and I was getting burned out. Then, on a lark, I decided to try Seltzer's Sweet Lebanon Beef Bologna and, as my brother would save, it changed my life. If cold cuts are served on Mt. Olympus, surely Seltzer's Sweet Lebanon Beef Bologna can be found in Zeus's fridge. That's how good this lunch meat is. This ain't the stuff you put in some kid's brown bag sammich. It is a meat to be appreciated; to be loved.

But now it's gone. I've checked several grocery stores and can't find it anywhere. It's driving me crazy. I've tried switching over to the beef bologna made by Hebrew National and, while good, it's not Seltnzer's. It's true what the say: a taste of kick-ass beef bologna is worse than none at all.

Further, now I can't find the aforementioned deep fried turkey anymore, either. The lunch meat part of my life has gone all topsy-turvy. Sammiches are boring. *Sigh*

Note: If you're curious as to why I took a picture of this beef bologna long before it disappeared from the shelves, way back when I had planned on making an entirely different post singing its praises, but never got around to it.

It's officially autumn.

I had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season this afternoon. Ah, heaven.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Four

Welcome to week four of my Xbox 360's college football picks via a couple of CPU vs. CPU matches. Wondering how to place your bets for this afternoon's games? Look no further. Well, maybe a little further. Scroll down.



OSU 48, Illinois 20



Richmond 46, VMI 44

And that's all she wrote.

The geekiness is strong with this one.

So, I'm slowly turning my nearly three year old nephew into a full-fledged geek. It all started when he sat transfixed, watching me play The Incredible Hulk video game. YouTube clips of various Marvel cartoons followed, further grabbing ahold of his young and impressionable brain. He was hooked.



I got him this (kinda) matching shirt a few weeks ago. Now I just need to teach him how to count cards and then we're off to Vegas.



Last week he started pre-school and, like any boy reaching this milestone, he was entitled to a new backpack. My sister took him to the store and explained that he could pick out any one he wanted. She said he took a very long time trying to decide between a Cars one (he's a HUGE Cars nut) and a Marvel one. And he made his Marvel.

I'm so proud of the little guy.

Micah World Fall Movie Non-Preview Preview

Well, I'm a bit late in getting this out. Some of my anticipated fall movies have already come (The Informant!, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, 9) and, unfortunately, almost gone (Extract). But there are plenty of other movies coming out over the next couple of months that I'd like to see*. Here's what I'm looking forward to the most (in order of release date):

The Invention of Lying (Sept. 25): I'm not a huge Ricky Gervais fan - mostly due to ignorance of his work - but this comedy's got a great cast (Tina Fey! Louis C.K.! Jason Bateman! Jonah Hill!) and an interesting premise (a man becomes the only person in the world capable of lying and uses that to his advantage). It's got to be at least as good as Liar Liar, right?

Surrogates (Sept. 25): Like all Bruce Willis sci-fi films, this could be really cool or very bad. I'm hoping for the former.

Zombieland (Oct. 9): This one looks like a hoot. I'm always up for a zombie flick, especially a zom-com. It'll likely be one of the few on this list that I'll go see at the theater.

Couples Retreat (Oct. 9): Vince Vaughn! Jon Favreau! Kristen Bell! Jason Bateman! (That dude is everywhere nowadays.) Directed by Ralphie from A Christmas Story!

An Education (Oct. 9): The screenplay for this film about a 1960s London schoolgirl falling for an older man (Peter Sarsgaard) was written by author Nick Hornby and that's enough for me.

Where the Wild Things Are (Oct. 16): I'm not sure how you turn a beloved children's book consisting of only 10 sentences into a full-length film, but Spike Jonze is a master at producing great visuals, so I'm there.

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Oct. 23): The main reason why I'm curious about this one is because the sight of John C. Reilly as a vampire cracks me up.

Gentlemen Broncos (Oct. 30): I hated director Jared Hess' Napoleon Dynamite, but I love Jemaine Clement. The presence of the great Sam Rockwell splits the difference in this movie's favor.

Saint John of Las Vegas (Nov. 6): I'm a sucker for Vegas flicks. Here the always-reliable Steve Buscemi plays a compulsive gambler.

The Box (Nov. 6): The director of Donnie Darko - which I still haven't seen (I know, I know) - brings this tale about a married couple given an interesting proposition: a mysterious man presents them with a small wooden box that has a button on it. If they press it, they'll get $1 million…and a stranger will die. Intriguing.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Nov. 13): I'm a Wes Anderson buff and this features new music by Jarvis Cocker in it. Can I pre-order my ticket yet?

Red Cliff (Nov. 13): I'm also a John Woo fan/apologist. I even own the three disc Windtalkers special edition DVD set. Sigh. But this war movie is reportedly the most expensive Asian film ever, so it's got that going for it.

And though it's slowly been making the rounds across the country since August and still isn't slated for Richmond, I'm hoping that Big Fan eventually makes its way here. And is Romero's Survival of the Dead even going to get a theatrical release?

*As with my Summer Move Preview, I doubt I'll get to them all right away, though I have seen seven of the summer movies I was looking forward to.

Song to close out the weekend: "Tonight Is The Night I Fell Asleep At The Wheel" by Barenaked Ladies

At the risk of ruining my indie street cred, I've got an admission to make: Barenaked Ladies' "Tonight Is The Night I Fell Asleep At The Wheel" has been a shower singing staple of mine for years now. In my imaginary concerts this is the closer that brings down the house.

I've been a huge BNL fan for years and I can't imagine the group without Steven Page. His voice and songwriting were integral parts of the group (and their kick ass live show). We'll just have to wait and see how the new album turns out without him.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Three

Another week, another couple of college football picks produced using the processing power of my Xbox 360 via a series of CPU vs. CPU games. These are this afternoon's outcomes:



Ohio State 48, Toledo 14



Richmond 32, Hofstra 55

So the Xbox 360 has said, so it will be. Good day.

I PAED 4 A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1

After reading this review, I decided to spend a buck on a new game: I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1, which plays a whole lot like Smash TV. The most appealing thing about this game, though, is the theme song that plays throughout the game. It absolutely cracks me up (check out when the chorus kicks in at about :40 seconds into the above video).

The way I look at it, I paid the dollar for that song and getting the game is just gravy. Or, alternately, I would've spent four quarters on this back in the day.

The concept supposedly takes the piss at the typical offerings in the Xbox Live Indie Games marketplace, but I've never played anything from there, so I'll have to take their word for it.

Sunny day

Tonight's season premiere of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia": "The Gang Exploits the Mortgage Crisis"

While Frank, Mac, and Dennis try their hand at real estate, Dee arranges to be a surrogate mother to a wealthy couple with a sweet house. All the while, Charlie faces off with a lawyer on the intricacies of the judicial system.

Discuss.

And now I have "it".

For the past 5 or 6 years my daily go-to scent has been Polo Blue (and before that, starting in the mid 90s it was Polo Sport). Like with any product that you use on a daily basis, things can get a bit boring. So I decided to mix things up.

Continuing with my Old Spice brand loyalty, I figured why not kick it old school with something that's been around for generations*? If Bruce Campbell can get paid to endorse the aftershave, then it's good enough for me. So I went to the store and picked up a buoy-shaped bottle of their Classic scent.

It's actually a lot less spicy and more powdery smelling than I anticipated it would be. But I dig it and will keep it in my rotation so as to shake things up a bit. I just wish it was made with bits of real panther.

*Though I've read that the formula was tweaked once it was sold to Proctor & Gamble.

You give love a bad name. Whatever. Nevermind.

Courtney Hole is none too pleased* that a dead-eyed Kurt Cobain is a playable character in the recently released Guitar Hero 5 and let loose a series of rambling tweets stating her disapproval, claiming breach of contract. Meanwhile, GH5 publisher Activision countered her accusation, claiming that Hole's signed contract allows Cobain's likeness to be used in such a manner.

If I was Activision's counsel, I'd also add "cocaine is a helluva drug."

You know, maybe I have some pent-up anger from seeing one too many Spin/Rolling Stone covers proclaiming this suicidal junkie to be the Spokesman Of My Generation (ugh!), but I kinda want to make Cobain sing some Bon Jovi now.

While on the topic of music games, I'm calling it: The Beatles: Rock Band is the Game of the Year. Playing it this weekend was a transcendent experience.

*Neither are Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, but they don't have any control over Cobain's estate.

Song to close out the weekend: "Encore (Grey Album Version)" by Jay-Z

With all of the Beatles hoopla this week, I thought I'd post one of my favorite Fab Four-related works. This video is cool and Danger Mouse's Grey Album - which remixes Jay-Z's Black Album using only sounds found on the Beatles' White Album - is a phenomenal work.

Bonus song!



John Wesley Harding's "When the Beatles Hit America", in which he speculates about what would happen if the Beatles reformed today (er, or in 1990 when this song came out). It's strangely prophetic.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Two

Another week, another couple of college football picks produced using the processing power of my Xbox 360 via a series of CPU vs. CPU games. Here is what will go down today:



Ohio State 63, USC 28



Richmond 42, Delaware 27

The Xbox 360 has spoken.

Note: To correct for last week's ridiculous scores, I lowered the time for each quarter from 15 minutes to 8 minutes, but the difficulty was kept the same. That seemed to help somewhat, at least for the Richmond game.

Never forget.

I'm ready for some football

Though I much more prefer college football, I welcome tonight's XFL NFL season opener (and am curious about the UFL). I'll be babysitting my niece and nephew tonight, so Thomas the Tank Engine and Dora the Explorer* will dominate the TV screen, but there are plenty of games ahead.

*Why does it seem that all kiddie show characters need to list their credentials nowadays?

Happy Labor Day!

Don't forget to pack away your seersucker tonight.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week One

Ah, glorious college football season is here! Every Saturday for the next few months, you'll most likely find me planted on the couch, unshowered, catching the day's games and constantly checking on the status of my Pick 'Em pool.

I've kinda sorta neglected this blog lately, so to get some more activity 'round these parts I'm starting a new feature: Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications*. Using the computing power of the Xbox 360 and my copy of NCAA Football 10, I'll run CPU vs. CPU games for Ohio State and defending Div. 1-AA Football Championship Subdivision national champions Richmond against their respective opponents for that week to predict their real life outcomes.

And if there's a big non-OSU/UR game that you'd like to know the outcome of beforehand, ask nicely and I just may pull the results out of the digital ether.

So, here is what I'm predicting for today:



Ohio State 84, Navy 10



Richmond 72, Duke 40

Okay, those aren't very realistic scores. I'll probably have to tinker with the difficulty setting, quarter length, and whatnot. Or maybe you should just divide each team's points by two and then round them to the nearest possible score. Or something. Until then, though, these are my predictions and I'm sticking with them.

*Hopefully, I can keep this up without getting bored or running out of time (each game takes about 2 hours to play; I just do something else while it's doing it's thing).

Pouf! It's gone.

I don't like using bar soap. It leaves my skin feeling gritty and dry. So years ago I switched over to body wash, long before it became hip for men to use it. Back then it was just me and Craig "Ironhead" Heyward doing so. ("But, Ironhead, what's with this thingy?" R.I.P.) I've been through my share of, for lack of a better, more masculine term, poufs. It just so happens that recently I was in the market for a new one.

At first, I briefly considered the Axe Detailer Shower Tool because of its two levels of scrubbing resistance. But then I realized that it is an Axe product and I refuse to use their stuff because I am neither 14 years old nor a douchebag. Next.

So in a striking display of brand loyalty*, I settled on the Old Spice Deck Scrubber. It looks as manly as a pouf can look, in that it resembles a bar of soap (kinda). But I think the main reason why I picked this up rather than a garden variety $.99 one from Target is that college football season is upon us and the Deck Scrubber has a scarlet and gray motif. That's right. Even in the shower I'm a Buckeyes fan.

*See, Old Spice Classic scent body wash is my "thing".

Micah World Top 25

Here they are, the top 25 songs burning up my iPod (as of 9.2.09):

1. "Tell It To The Volcano" - Miniature Tigers
2. "Stadium Love" - Metric
3. "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" - fun.
4. "Summertime Clothes" - Animal Collective
5. "I'm Walking This Road Because You Stole My Car (Don't Go)" - Fascinoma
6. "Passing Afternoon" - Iron & Wine
7. "Chinese" - Lily Allen
8. "Hot Venom" - Miniature Tigers
9. "Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night" - The Fratellis
10. "The World Will Deem Us Dangerous" - Her Space Holiday
11. "Going Back/Going Home" - Butch Walker
12. "Sulphur To Sugarcane" - Elvis Costello
13. "God Help the Girl" - God Help the Girl
14. "Top of the Bottom" - John Wesley Harding
15. "Remedy" - Little Boots
16. "Twilight Galaxy" - Metric
17. "Librarian" - My Morning Jacket
18. "New Slang" - The Shins
19. "Yardwork in November" - Actual Tigers
20. "Dammit" - Blink-182
21. "My America" - A Camp
22. "Close the Door" - Clem Snide
23. "Survival Car" - Fountains of Wayne
24. "The Temptation of Adam" - Josh Ritter
25. "Cuba" - Jude

Lots of changes since the last chart, due mainly to me giving my Summer Mix a lot of virtual spins.