We've been working on gearing up a couple of our tanks recently so we won't have to PUG tanks for Kara again--this week our pugged main tank didn't have Omen, so things were a bit trickier than usual.

I've been getting a lot of gear upgrades recently, really happy about it. As far as I know, I'm gonna be running ZA tonight too. Very exciting!

I've also been down in SMV recently starting the Champion of the Naaru quest chain. Hoping to finish the heroics in the next week and then try to get into a Mag run. =)

Part 1 of 7.

By: Graham T. Towers

When Jared realized he was a vampire, not only did he crave blood, but he also wanted to listen to George Michael and watch “General Hospital”. He was sitting in a bar, next to Brian, the vampire who had turned him. 

“Yeah, you might have turned gay, too. It happens” Brain said. 

“I don’t think I’m gay, I think I just have bad taste. I even like Elton John’s later work now, and love paisley patterns on everything.”

“Well, how do you feel about Prince?”

“I love him, but I did before you bit me, too.”

“Justin Timberlake?”

“Ditto.”

“Sounds like you were halfway there already.” Brian sipped his appletini smugly.

“Thanks," Jared Said. "Well, are you gay?”

“Not me. I’m straighter than John F. Kennedy’s penis.”

“Why did you bite me then?”

“I was bored and thirsty.”

“Shit, so we can’t even have sex with each other?”

“Not unless you put a roofie in your blood before I drank it.”

“Thanks, you’ve been very helpful.”

Jared paid for his drink and walked home. He had just settled back on his bed when there came a fucking KNOCK AT THE DOOR!. . . 

This is when you, the reader, takes over. Email dres@themiddlestchild.com with your continuation of the story. The only constraint = make it around 500 words, and make sure it blows minds. We will look at all of the submissions and choose one with which to continue with.  A new segment will be posted every thursday night. 

Ready, set, write!

 www.drfunkenberry.com

As we reported earlier this month, Prince is expected to have a big bash before he leaves L.A.  and it is  to be quite the party to say the least.  But while in L.A., he is having some fun.

Prince showed up at the Green Door last Saturday night and sat in with the band "Stereofox" for one song.

Now, the Dr. could not leave it at that and put out a request to Stereofox band members Josh & Steve to share their Prince experience exclusively with www.drfunkenberry.com  and they agreed:

Josh Smith had this to say:  So I get this tap on my shoulder and turn to see this very pretty young lady.  I chin up and attempt a sly grin like I do - she asks "Would your band mind letting Prince sit in for a tune?"  Jaw on the floor, I am like "I'm sorry?"   Turns out he had been there and seen some of our set and wanted to jam on a cover with us.  It was like when you get a gold star in kindergarten - you know you did something right but your not sure what, and you feel that sensation of not-the-short-bus kind of "I'm special."

Steve Riolo added this:  We were about 2 minutes into the song when Josh walked over to me and told me that Prince wanted to play my guitar.  Shortly after that, I saw him off to my left, throwing on some dark sunglasses and walking toward me.  I felt a sudden jolt of...something...maybe it was shock...what had started out as a rumor 20 minutes prior was now a stark reality.  Prince was standing next to me and about to play with my band!   I took off my guitar and handed it over to him...he asked what key we were in...I told him and then stepped out of the way, watching in a sort of mesmerized awe as he sat down on my amp and started jamming with the boys.  All I could do was smile.  It was an unforgettable surreal experience.

I want to thank Josh & Steve very much for sharing that with us.   

Check them out at www.stereofoxband.com

Stereofox is a name you should be hearing a lot from very soon on this site and everywhere.-DR.FB

Tim Fox can be disappointed after his 2/9 two weeks ago against Candistripers could be counted in favor over Greg Ransom who has just returned to the 1st XI, but it was felt that Ransom's experience was needed in the lower-middle order and also for bowling at the death.  In addition, Fox's spell last week of 0/91 in 10 overs did not help his cause.

Fox spoke of his dropping, "While I am obviously disappointed at being left out at the last minute after being selected, I understand the need to keep a winning combination together.  It just means I need to keep working on my consistency, I do tend to be wayward at times."

Prince on the change, "Even after we announced our team for the match, we still felt that Ayres needed to fit into our plans.  It just doesn't make sense to have your best combination broken up after successfully destroying the opposition the day before.  We need to begin to rely on our combinations and give them experience, if anything to build for next season."

The only other possibility of Fox maintaining his spot would have been to bring Ayres in for Ciaran Winder, the 2nd spinner.  Prince remarked that "Jamie has produced an excellent spinner's wicket, so it would be silly to play only one spinner, especially when we have the options for both orthodox and unorthodox turn."

The revised team for the match later today: Prince(c), Kenny, Jeremy, Stearman, Gossland(wk), Giles, Ransom, Blott, Kotzo, Winder, Ayres; 12th, Fox.

The match starts at 10:30 SAST.

It was always going to be a one-sided affair at the T&N Smeda Stadium in the match between Smeda XI and MUM. Home captain Michael Prince won the toss and had no hesitation in batting, hoping to build a large total and use the spinner Chris Kotzo on the final day to great effect.

Smeda XI put on a solid 1st innings total of 563 all out with a marvelous century coming from Marc Weeks, his second of the season. His 121 came off just 147 balls and included 12 boundaries. Weeks was well supported by Graeme Jeremy(86), Ron Stearman(66) and Chris Gossland, who has finally shown some form with a patient 73. Best of the bowlers for MUM was Ngxongo with 4/68.

The 1st innings of MUM was immediately disrupted by the pace and accuracy of Eddie Ayres as he picked up the first 4 wickets for just 5 runs. Allan Blott joined the party with his 2 wickets and left MUM reeling on 18/6. A defiant stand of 48 by Dalen was not enough to see the visitors being dismissed for 97. Ayres finished with 5/10.

Prince pushed for the follow-on in the final session of day 2 and Blott quickly reduced the visitors to 7/2. Day 3 provided for a better performance by MUM as the wicket began to take a great deal of turn and they managed 161. Lattey(47) and Neveling(50*) were the only contributors. Kotzo cleaned up the batting order with 6/53, as he relished every over on the wicket that he turned into quite the biter. Man of the match was Marc Weeks for his century, although both Ayres and Kotzo could not have been too far behind him.

Michael Prince said about the victory, "We needed to get a big victory here this week to remain at the top of the table and push for automatic promotion. Any mistake now on our part will drop us to second."

Man of the match, Weeks, "I'm thrilled about my hundred in the first innings and was just grateful that I had the support of the other guys around me to allow me to get to that landmark."

After 11 rounds, Smeda XI are now 14 points clear of Otus at the top of the log. If Smeda XI continue with their consistent form in the FC league, they should have no problem with automatic promotion, leaving Otus the team to playoff.

You think you know a story,

But you know nothing except the lies.

The real story,

It begins,

With this cursed maiden locked up in a tower.

But...she was not locked, she locked herself up.

She thought, ‘My heart is breaking

I might as well leave,

There’s nothing left for me in the outside world,

There is nothing here for me.’

And that is the beginning, of the girl in the tower,

Locked by her own will,

Wilting like a flower.

The middle is just as bad,

No pretty tale this is...

Her prince set out to rescue her,

But never made it to her door;

She watched with hopeful dreams through a looking-glass just for her.

The mirror was created by kin,

The object of her downfall.

She watched her beautiful prince struggle for her sake,

And instead he was pulled in by the maker of the mirror,

And fell from her grace.

The ending is bitter,

But what would you expect of a girl who lived only through a mirror?

Her prince married the mirror-maker,

His bride clad in virgin-white

(Though the pretty white dress was spun with lies and spite)

The maid he was supposed to rescue,

Was veiled in a cloth of dark light.

His other lovers were the shining stars,

But she was the quiet and graceful, ever-watchful night.

She died alone.

© Sadiya 08-27-08

September's event will be September 17th.

j7

In honor of me rolling up the sun for the King of all Cosmos last night, I decided to dedicate this Wikipedia Wednesday to the one game that everybody loves:  Katamari Damacy!  <3 <3 <3

How can anything be so utterly fantastic and magnificent?  See for yourself:

Even more goodies await you at the following links, should you dare:

• Katamari Wallpapers + Paper Craft!
• Katamari Damacy Flash Game
• Katamari MUSIC

His latest album, The Official Bootleg of Chris Rob Vol. 1  is available on iTunes and CDbaby.

P-House contacted me last week with a proposition:

“So, I’ve got this iPod touch,” he started out coyly.

Yes, I am aware. The iPod touch you got for free when you bought your laptop and which you’ve never used or even really gotten excited about, because for a teenager you’re not very “with” it. Go on.

“And I was thinking,” he continued. “You’ve got all these bobbleheads...”

Yes, I do have all these bobbleheads. Not because I’m some freakish collector, but I go to my fair share of games. At least that’s what I tell myself. Since the Polish bobblehead day, they’ve been arranged on an end table in my living room in a tableau vivant by my bro Nic, “The Dude.”

But lately, their presence has struck me every time I enter the apartment. Despite my protests that I am not, in fact, a complete man-child preoccupied with the trivial pursuits, I’ve got all these figurines that aren’t that important to me (really, they’re not!) cluttering my living room. This isn’t doing much to cure my Peter Pan complex.

“They’re creepy!” Posh says. “They’ve got these creepy little faces but they don’t even look human!”

Goddamn it, I’ve got to get rid of these bobbleheads.

So I jumped at the chance to make the trade for the iTouch. Maybe I could even use it to like, liveblog from the games. I tried this on Sunday, but I didn’t have the password for the Front Row Friday’s network. Last night, I packed up all the bobbles in a paper bag and Suds and I headed to Maxie’s. The Brewers were winning in St. Louis, 1-0. P-House was on the phone for the first 20 minutes we were there. Whatever, Hollywood.

“Do you want to sit outside?” Suds asked.

Ack—what? No, I don’t want to sit outside. I want to sit at the bar and watch the game! But look, you’re a growns-up, remember? This is one of your best friends who lives across the country and who you rarely see anymore.

“Sure. Yeah, it’s nice out there. Nice night.”

P-House finally finished his phone call, and I wiped my hand off from my barbecued beef ribs to hand him the bobblehead bag.

“Oh wow. Wait, this box is for Chorizo. I already have a Chorizo.”

“I know, I kept my Chorizo. The Polish is in that box,” I said, wincing. Despite my initial reaction — “Polish people are stupid!” — that sausage is really growing on me. “Along with... the Robin Yount 2006 Third Base Coach.”

“What’s this? This is Ryan Braun — I thought you said you wanted to keep this.”

“Meh,” I said, trying to act casual. It is Ryan Braun — standing on a wheel of cheese! “Whatever.”

In the interest of full disclosure, I did keep the 2007 Princy bobble, Rickie Weeks sliding into home, and the Rickie and Bob Uecker nesting dolls on my desk at work. Also on my desk: a Nerf mini-football, a light bulb stress ball, a paper cup full of pennies, two cards from Posh and for no real reason, two candles from the Mexican grocery store — Pope John Paul II and El Santo Niño de Atocha.

With the bobbles now out of my care, but still in the family, I turned to seek solace in my ribs, white cheddar mac ’n cheese, fennel slaw and PBR tall boy. Maxie’s is nominated for “Best Ribs” this year, along with some other “Best of”s — happy hour, seafood, vegetarian, soul food, cajun/creole, and believe it or not, service. (You can vote!) There is no mac ’n cheese category, presumably out of fairness to any other restaurant which might try to make the dish. The Other J.J. texted me:

Ryan braun — cardinal killer extraordinaire

Tom, a regular at Maxie’s, slapped a piece of paper up on the window.

Brewers, 5 Cardinals, 0

I went inside to check the score, and the Cardinals still hadn’t brought in a run. Brauny beat out an infield single to start the top of the 9th. Later, with our table cleared and the patio closing, we went inside to finish our drinks at the bar. It was still the 9th inning, with no outs, now one out, and Braun back up to bat. The runs rolled in like we were watching a slot machine: 6-0, 7-0, 9-0, 10-0, 12-0.

In the post-game interview, Prince talked about how it was like Little League. It’s good to grow up, but don’t forget you, too, were a kid once.

This is Charlie Murphy, Eddie Murphy's brother on a Chappelle's Show sketch.

Smeda XI were never in the running as they were quickly down to 26/2 with both Prince and Jeremy being dismissed in consecutive deliveries from Burch (2/16).  The visitors were eventually all out for 79, just continuing their poor form in the one-day league.

Michael Prince is the captain of the T&N Crusaders and opens the batting.  He is also an occasional spin bowler.  He excels in all forms of the game.

der musikexpress hat mal geschrieben - in einem 100seitigen prince-special sogar - dass "purple rain" elendig lang und bloß rumgejammere sei. deswegen mag ich den musikexpress auch nicht. wenn es nach mir ginge sind 8min40 noch zu kurz und "purple rain" ist sein absolutes meisterwerk. der film ist auch ok ...wegen der musik.

er wird mich zwar verklagen, aber ich möchte es trotzdem gerne teilen
purple rain

Alors en attendant je range les affaires les plus « sensibles », on a tous des petits secrets… et soudain… je tombe sur un paquet de Prince non entamé… je résiste trois secondes, la quatrième m’est fatale : je craque.

Je déchire l’ouverture sans prendre soin de suivre la ligne de « facilité », je saisis le premier biscuit et tente de l’ouvrir… il a l’idée d’exploser dans mes mains, j’en prends un second délaissant le premier à mes pieds. Je l’ouvre…

Hum humm hummm, oh que c’est bon cette couche de chocolat !

Je dénude quelques presque tous les biscuits de cette couche superflue de graisse chocolatée qu’ils ont eu la bonne idée de s’enduire… hummm.... et ma super woman d'amie ainsi que mon aide déménageur musclé qui arrivent d’une minute à l’autre… quelle journée !!

Check out this cool video of sexy drummer Sheila E, former drummer for legendary artists like Prince and Ringo Starr!

And this one's ever sexier :)