Pink Hats, GTA, High Def surround sound, and Bugs in my Salad

Got another hodge podge of a post for you this morning. On the menu today is a further discussion about Pink Hats and my 15 mins of fame; a plug for a future post regarding GTA and one long-time gamers opinion; my new love for TV via high def and surround sound; and finally, bugs in my salad.

Not sure you remember my rant about pink hats and how a Boston Globe reporter wanted to interview me for my unique position on them (and similar non-traditional professional team merchandise). Well, the story has yet to run and apparently, the reporter wants to add some art work to the piece. That's where me and my girls come in.

Before I get to that though, I just want to clarify my stance. I hate pink hats. I'm not saying that those who wear them aren't fans, but they just have no place at Fenway. I am a traditionalist. I don't like anything out of the norm (not including retro stuff), especially pink Red Sox hats.

So, being a father of two girls, I basically have banned them from wearing pink hats or similar gear. They are going to be raised as traditional fans. They wear enough pink so at the very least they can represent out home town teams in the right way.

So, back to my 15 mins. The Globe will be here today doing a photo shoot of me and the girls in our Red Sox gear. The article should appear this week sometime. I'm really excited about it and think it's very cool. I know there will be a lot of people out here who think that my stance on pink hats is crazy (including my statement that all those that wear them at the game should be banned for life). That's ok though. It's my opinion and one that I'm sure is not a lone opinion. Those who agree with me, please comment.

I'll keep you all posted as to how the shoot goes. Being a photographer myself, I'm leery about telling what the photographer should shoot. I'm just interested in what sort of gear he/she has! Needless to say, this is my 15 mins of fame and subsequently, the second time my PR skills have gotten my kids into the Globe.

Speaking of media coverage, there has been a ton about the new Grand Theft Auto game. Now, I used to be a hard core gamer. With kids, that's kinda tough. However, I'm really interested in getting back into it (you'll read why in a second). I have some pretty poignant thoughts on GTA and all the naysayers out there who hate the game, the violence, what it's doing to kids, etc. However, a friend of mine and a true hardcore gamer, has some VERY interesting thoughts on the GTA craze. This is a plug for a future Q&A type post that you all will find interesting. Stay tuned.

Speaking of "tuned," I am totally tuned into high def and surround sound thanks to George W. This week Mrs. Big Guy and I basically did a living makeover. Thanks to the fact we have two little tax breaks running around, we got a bit more $$ in our stimulus package that those without kids. With the money, we decided to "fuel" the economy via 42" inch plasma, surround sound system and new decor for the living room. It has energized us to do more around the house. And we did it pretty much on the cheap - with the exception of the equipment we purchased. So thank you George W.

Speaking of high def, the best thing to watch IMHO is sports. The colors are fantastic. The sound is great. It's a fantastic experience. I now know what I was missing. I will be diving into the HD experience with game three tonight of the Celtics and Cavs. While the C's are up 2-0, I have a feeling that we might go down in flames tonight. There's no way you can keep Lebron quiet for three games straight. He's gonna have a monster game...maybe 30-40 points. The key though, is if we can keep Z and others quiet. Lebron can't score ALL the points. What I really hope will happen is that we sweep the Cavs and get the guys some rest. Then again, let's just keep rolling and winning. That's all that really matters. Momentum is all about consistency so maybe another tough series is what we need and NOT a sweep. The deeper we go into he playoffs the tougher it's going to get. However, it's a long road and it's nice to be able to watch it in high def.

One of the cooler high def channels is Nat Geo. Watching stuff about animals and bugs never really interested me, but with high def, I'm glued. And speaking of bugs, my wife and I decided to make chicken caesar salads last night. I went out and got all the stuff and was excited for it. It's a nice healthy meal (as long as you use the right ingredients). One ingredient that we weren't expecting was a bug that flew out of the salad bag. Luckily enough, we had other roughage in the refrigerator. It amazes me though that a bug can live in that bag for who knows how long and still be alive after it's packaged, shipped, shipped again, shipped again and put on a shelf where I so happen to pick it up. Then again, maybe it ate it's way INTO the bag versus already being in the bag. Either way, it was kind of nasty and made me rethink our dinner plans - for about a second. After all, if those crazy outdoor types can eat bugs, bark and all types of nasty stuff, I don't mind a little creepy crawler along with my caesar salad.