I’m burnt out and plenty distracted. As such, I’m going to take some time away from blogging. Not sure when I’ll return, but I’ll try.

When I first considered the purchase, I had to question Rush Limbaugh’s intelligence. Why would you want to buy a team that’s going to take years to rebuild on all ends? Not only that, but they have one of the longest losing streaks in NFL history (14) and a dismal record since 2007 (5-31). The days of Kurt Warner’s Rams are over, yet Rush wants to invest in them?

It’s actually kind of smart if you consider the fact the Rams are allowed to move away from St. Louis in 2014 if the dome doesn’t rank in the top 25% for attendance. It’s already happened with St. Louis once in 1987 (i.e. the Cardinals).

So WTF Rush? What are you up to? As a native of St. Louis, are you going to rebuild the team? Or are you going to break their hearts?

“Holy sh*t!”

The articles indicate that the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) seen in the video above is a proposed “traceless” sniper weapon that can be attached to aircraft. One second you’re walking down the street enjoying a cup of coffee, the next you’re repeating a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Here’s a clip for those heathens of you who don’t get the reference.

However, the laser’s power supply was evidently built by Hummer as the chemical fuels that power the machine get about as much mileage as one of their Suburban Assault Vehicles. As such, and I think The Register put it best, “in most situations a conventional AC-130 gunship… would be more useful. And a lot cheaper.”

Director: Christine Jeffs

Synopsis: Rose (Adams) used to be the captain of the high school cheerleading squad and dated the quarterback, Mac (Zahn). Now, twenty years later, Rose is a single mother who cleans houses for a living, carries on a not-so-secret affair with her old flame and yearns for a better life for her and her son. Rose’s sister, Norah (Blunt), is a bon vivant who can’t hold down a job and lives with their father (Arkin) – a failed entrepreneur. Looking to make more money, Mac suggests Rose begin cleaning up crime scenes – a career Rose throws herself into with the help of a local cleaning supplier, Winston (Collins). Working together, Rose and Norah start Sunshine Cleaning and quickly make a name for themselves.

Opinion: Vanity Fair said this movie was “funny and gently heartbreaking”. I don’t know about the “gently”, but I agree. Rose’s life is one of these over-done, cliched comedic tragedies where she has absolutely nothing to show for her work but a loving family. You can’t help but feel sorry for the young woman and wonder why she isn’t locked up in some insane asylum already. Of course, as with any similar “comedy”, the sisters have different views on life at the beginning which ultimately comes to drive a temporary wedge between them before they realize what’s important and “discover a true respect for one another”. (Yeah… The box says it all.)

If you saw Little Miss Sunshine and enjoyed it, you’ll probably like Sunshine Cleaning even more. There’s the same sort of dysfunctional coexistence with the family members, but I think the story is a little more entertaining. However, I think there’s a lot more dark sentimentality in Sunshine Cleaning as it deals consistently with the idea of death and the lives people leave behind.

As always, Alan Arkin plays a magnificent patriarch – even if a little misguided.

Score (out of 10):

Appearance: The beer itself poured a little light for my taste – looking almost like a Michelob Golden Draft Light or some other American beer. Not what I was expecting from a German beer. However, I do have to say this is one of my favorite beer can designs. +1 for old school looks.

Appearance Score (out of 5):

Aroma: Very mild citrus smell. More hops than malt.

Aroma Score (out of 10):

Taste: Crisp and slightly bitter beer that’s very drinkable. Again, not what you would expect from a German beer.

Taste Score (out of 10):

Overall: A pint can was $1.49 at my local liquor store – not a bad price. I wouldn’t mind serving this to guests at a cookout because it’s not a bold German beer. In my opinion, it’s a very American Pilsner.

Overall Score (out of 10):

I have to agree with most of the pundits that this is one of the worst examples of backward thinking since the $500 hammer. The at-home computers have no other function than converting text-to-speech. You can’t use a word processor. You can’t surf the web. If you suffer from cerebral palsy, autism or Down Syndrome, you’re forced to stay at home and use the computer to communicate with the outside world. But with the iPhone and Proloquo2Go, you could mobile, agile… hostile?

Medicare/Medicaid’s reason for not subsidizing the purchase of an iPhone and Proloquo2Go? Because the iPhone and other similar products would be “useful in the absence of an illness or injury.” That’s right. G*d forbid a piece of technology be multifunctional. The government does not want to pay for you to be able to effectively communicate and play solitaire.

So WTF Obamacare? Can’t we save a little money and make people more productive?

Rocketfish is Best Buy’s in-store brand, which caused me a little apprehension considering some of their other in-store brands (e.g. Insignia TVs) are not exactly quality products. Overall, I’m impressed with what $60 got me: a lightweight, wireless headset I can run with and answer calls on the fly.

Pros: Comfortable behind-the-neck fit (though some people complain about the plastic neckband); Easy to sync with my iPhone 3Gs; Battery life of 10-15 hours; Amazing range (I walked across half the gym before realizing I left my iPhone with my towel); Excellent sound quality on both calls and music (but some callers said I sounded like I was in a tunnel).

Cons: Fastforward and rewind buttons don’t work with iPhone because Apple has yet to include AVCRP framework in the iPhone operating system; Can’t crank my music up to 11.

1. “Scars” featuring Kelis, Meleka & Chipmunk (4:15)
2. “Raindrops” (4:10)
3. “She’s No Good” featuring Eli “Paperboy” Reed (3:26)
4. “Saga” featuring Santigold (2:42)
5. “Feelings Gone” featuring Sam Sparro (3:42)
6. “My Turn” featuring Lightspeed Champion (4:52)
7. “A Possibility” featuring Amp Fiddler (2:45)
8. “Twerk” featuring Yo! Majesty (3:30)
9. “Day of the Sunflowers (We March On) featuring Yoko Ono (5:59)
10. “What’s a Girl Got to Do?” featuring Paloma Faith (4:04)
11. “Stay Close” featuring Lisa Kekaula (3:01)
12. “Distractionz” featuring Jose Hendrix (5:03)
13. “Gimme Somethin’ True” featuring Jose James (5:29)

Opinion: I expected a lot more out of Scars than I received. When I started the album, I was hoping to hear songs a lot like “Red Alert”, “Where’s Your Head At?” and “Get Me Off”. Instead, I was… umm… treated to what sounded like a departure album. You know… those albums where artists try and expand their horizons and almost always fail miserably. This is one of those cases. I heard a few songs I enjoyed – songs that stuck to the traditional upbeat tempo that made them popular in the earlier part of the decade. However, a good majority of the songs were ethereal, melancholy and drab.

Tracks to Gets: “Scars”, “My Turn” and “Twerk”.

Tracks to Skip: “A Possibility”, “Stay Close” and “Distractionz”.

“Notable” Lyrics:

Duh. There really aren’t any – Basement Jaxx is all about the beats.

Score (out of 10):

Appearance: Golden amber color with minimal head. Leaves behind a nice lacing on the glass.

Appearance Score (out of 5):

Aroma: A sweet lager aroma that balances malt and hops.

Aroma Score (out of 10):

Taste: A delicious bitter, malty taste that I wasn’t expecting – especially considering the sweet smell. You’re then left with a dry, crisp aftertaste that some may not enjoy.

Taste Score (out of 10):

Overall: At $1.69 for a 12 ounce bottle, Estrella Damm is a “damn” fine beer. I thought it was very drinkable and could see this as a local favorite above other light beers.

Overall Score (out of 10):