Homage to Ronaldo.

I am the miracle man.

I am the keeper's nightmare. I am the phenomenon.

I am the number 9.

I am the king.

I am Ronaldo.

Maggots and Roaches and Worms, Oh My!

We hope you tuned in last week for an exciting episode of Fear Factor: Reality Stars Special. If you missed it, click here for a recap. With Jonny Fairplay and Twila not surviving last week, who will walk away $150,000 richer? Let's take a quick look at the contenders.

Tana & Craig
Donald Trump is nothing compared to a tank full of roaches and maggots. Up until now, Tana has been carrying the team. Craig will need to step it up to have any chance of making through the next elimination.

Trishelle & Mike aka "The Miz"
Welcome to the real world, biatches! Trishelle and The Miz are without a doubt the most experienced of the pairs. They have performed in countless challenges and it shows. They have dominated most of the challenges. It doesn't hurt that Mike is a professional wrestler.

Carmen & Anthony
Their talents will be of absolutely no use here, but Carmen and Anthony have what it takes to go all the way. They set the tone by winning the first challenge and have been fierce competitors ever since. One piece of advice for Anthony - stay away from TRASHelle.

Although we'd like the idols to be crowned the victors, we're fairly confident the supercouple will come out on top leaving the apprentices in the dust.

Tune in tonight, 8pm on NBC to see how it all ends!

Bend It Like Beckham

England has secured a spot in the quarterfinals on July 1st, 2006. But up to this point, the entire English squad has been stumbling on the pitch playing with little to no imagination, and if it was not for the brilliance of one man, it would be the South American team known as Ecuador that would have the date with Portugal in the match next weekend.

It was David Beckham who rescued England, and is now the only Englishman to have scored in three World Cup finals. Beckham's first goal for his country came at France 1998 where a curving set-piece put the ball out of the reach of Colombia's goalkeeper. At Korea/Japan 2002 it was his penalty that brought England sweet revenge over Argentina and enabled them to advance to the quarter-final stage.

Up to this point in the tournament, England's rock-star captain has been jeered and harshly criticized. His wife, Posh, and family have been mocked and insulted, and at times on the field, the best known athelete in the World has disappeared. Even the commentators have been poking fun at David during the games, exchanging thoughts on how Beckham is overrated and shouldn't even be on the field, let alone captain of the English team.

But on a sweltering Sunday afternoon, Beckham shut up his critics by landing the punch for his team. His stunning free kick in the 60th minute, bending over the wall of players and into the corner of the goal and past Ecuador's diving keeper, was the only goal in the game, and I have to admit that I have never seen anything so beautiful.

It is amazing to me how Beckham can consistently deliver the ball into the back of the net from 30 yards out with 11 people in front of him. No one else is the World can put as much power and spin onto the ball that is kicked perfectly over the defending wall, and then is dropped with incredible pace away from the keeper into the goal. His free kick prowess is truly a weapon of distress for any opponent, and even though the game is played over 90 minutes, all will be watching the miracle free kick as Beckham bends England's destiny in this World Cup.

Apparently Fear Is Not A Factor For You

What do maggots, choppers, hot bods, and $50,000 have in common? You'll find all of these and more in one of tv's most entertaining reality series: Fear Factor.

Tune in tonight at 8pm on NBC to watch Part 2 of the Reality Stars Special. Click here to read a recap of Part 1.

Detailed analysis coming soon.

In the meantime, we'll leave you with this:

"Hi, I'm Joe Rogan, and welcome to Fear Factor. The stunts that you're about to see have been designed and supervised by trained professionals. They are extremely dangerous, and should not be attempted by anyone, anywhere, anytime."

US still alive in the 'Group of Death'!

On Thursday all four teams in Group E will play their last match of the first round. The United States faces Ghana, while at the same time, Italy plays the Czechs. Only the top two teams in the group will advance to the knockout round of the World Cup. As it stands, Italy leads the group with 4 points, while the Czech Republic and Ghana each have three. The United States is in last place with one point.

For the Americans to advance, they must defeat Ghana in their last game. In addition to beating Ghana, the U.S. team needs one of these scenarios to take place:

1. Italy defeats the Czech Republic.
2. If the Czech Republic beat Italy, the US must score enough goals in their win against Ghana so that their goal differential (goals scored - goals let in) is better than Italy's.
3. If Italy and the Czech Republic tie, the US must score enough goals to have a better goal differential than the Czech Republic to advance.

But again, none of this matters if the US cannot pull out a victory against Ghana. All 4 teams will be playing at the same time on Thursday.

Hatch Mix 2

Theme: The O.C.

Mixer's Note: If you are true fan of The O.C., well then you probably already have all 5 mixes. But for those of you who find 60+ songs a bit overwhelming, this is a good place to start. And if you aren't a fan, here's some good music.

Disclaimer: Not all these tracks can be found on The O.C. Mixes.

Track List:

1. California (Phantom Planet)
2. Paint The Silence (South)
3. Something Pretty (Patrick Park)
4. Goodnight and Go (Imogen Heap)
5. If You Leave (Nada Surf)
6. More Bounce In California (Soul Kid #1)
7. Your Ex-Lover Is Dead (Stars)
8. I'm Shakin' (Rooney)
9. Hide And Seek (Imogen Heap)
10. How Good It Can Be (The 88)
11. Forever Young (Youth Group)
12. Big Sur (The Thrills)
13. Play (Flunk)
14. So Sweet (Johnathan Rice)
15. Champagne Supernova (Matt Pond PA)
16. Just A Ride (Jem)
17. We Used To Be Friends (The Dandy Warhols)
18. Maybe I'm Amazed (Jem)
19. Requiem For O.M.M. (Of Montreal)
20. Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley)

Total Time: 84 minutes

duty calls

recently, i had the pleasure of experiencing our justice system at its finest. i was called upon to perform my "civic obligation" - jury duty. here is a breakdown of the day.

7:30 - arrived at courthouse, passed through metal detectors (should i be worried or feel safe?)
7:40 - check in (no line...where is everyone?)
7:45 - eat my muffin in the break room
8:00 - sat in jury impanelling room (well it's a good thing i got here early...let's just say about 180 seats for 200 people)
8:35 - watched 17-min introduction to the justice system video (yes, it really was 17 mins. i timed it)
9:00 - description of duty by an official (um, didn't we learn all this in the video?)
9:15 - description of duty by a judge
9:20 - filled out short race/ethnicity survey
9:35 - break (ok, i didn't really get this. why do we need a break from just sitting there? i was not about to give up my seat, so i stayed in the room. but i must say it was quite amusing watching people think about stealing someone else's seat and some people returning to find their seats taken.)
10:05 - sat in jury impanelling room
11:00 - break (seriously?)
11:30 - sat in jury impanelling room
12:00 - heard the following announcement:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this has been a very unusual day. All the cases have been filled. You will be excused in a minute. Thank you for serving. We will see you in 3 years!"

well i'd say i got off pretty easy from what i've heard! can't really complain. i was more amused by the situation than anything else. and hey, i got out of work and read an entire book. not to mention - i did my country proud.

World Cup Player Profile: Ronaldinho Gaucho

What do superstar atheletes Ronaldinho, Roger Federer, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods have in common?

Nothing. Believe it or not, Ronaldinho is in his own class above the rest.

All eyes will be on Ronaldinho as the 2006 World Cup moves forward with the group stage matches. No other player will attract as much attention as the Brasilian midfielder during the month long tournament in Germany - thanks to his nasty skills and buck moves courtesy of Bombom, his childhood dog that Ronaldinho says he learned all his moves from. Today he is the best soccer player in the world, praised by Pele and Diego Maradona. Bombom and a soccer ball were by Ronaldinho's side at all times as he grew up in a poor family in the hoods of Brasil, at a time when playing in the World Cup wasn't even a dream.

"He loved to play with me," Ronaldinho said. "When all my friends got bored, I would go play with him. We would stay battling for the ball all day. I had to work hard on my moves to keep him from getting the ball."

Now 26 and in his prime, Ronaldinho will enter the World Cup as the tournament's biggest star. He has won the last two FIFA player of the year awards, and has led FC Barcelona to two consecutive Spanish league titles and to the Champions League title.

Ronaldinho enchants everyone with his tricks from the no-look pass to the "elastic" dribble, in which he fakes moving the ball in one direction and suddenly pulls it back the other way.

Ronaldinho will be integral as the Brasilians go for a second consecutive world title. He was a member of the squad that won the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, playing five matches and scoring two goals, including a spectacular free kick against England in the quarterfinals. It was Ronaldinho's first World Cup, before he moved to Barcelona and into the elite of world soccer. He knows everyone will be expecting more from him this time around.

"It's normal, everyone's responsibility has increased because Brasil is the defending champion," Ronaldinho said. "But we are prepared, we'll do whatever is needed to win the Cup again."

Hatch Mix 1

Theme: Best of Weezer

Mixer's Note: If someone asked me for Weezer's Greatest Hits, I would undoubtedly hand them the Blue Album. But I decided to mix things up a bit and create a track list that true fans can appreciate as well as those that want to get a taste for one of the greatest bands of our generation.

Disclaimer: Sadly I have not yet listened to the new album, Make Believe, enough to include any tracks in this list.

Track List:

1. American Gigolo (Maladroit)
2. No One Else (Blue Album)
3. Why Bother (Pinkerton)
4. Glorious Day (Green Album)
5. Surf Wax America (Blue Album)
6. Falling For You (Pinkerton)
7. Say It Ain't So (Blue Album)
8. Island in the Sun (Green Album)
9. El Scorcho (Pinkerton)
10. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here (Blue Album)
11. Dope Nose (Maladroit)
12. No Other One (Pinkerton)
13. Buddy Holly (Blue Album)
14. Photograph (Green Album)
15. Keep Fishin' (Maladroit)
16. The Good Life (Pinkerton)

Total Time: 51 minutes

Hatch Tunes

Below are compilations of our favorite songs. You can create these hatch mixes at iTunes - the perfect gift! Over time, we will add to the 'hatch tunes' collection!

• Hatch Mix 1 - Best of Weezer
• Hatch Mix 2 - The O.C.

Brasil's 6th World Cup?

The 2006 World Cup kicks off in Germany in 5 days, and this soccer event that happens once every 4 years, is what makes my life worth living. Futbol is my true passion, and I will be able to share this experience with over a billion people from around the World during this 1 month tournament (June 9 - July 9).

My favorite team is Brasil. Winners of the 2002 World Cup, many of my heros will return to defend their title, while bringing along some new talent to make sure that they can secure the Cup for another 4 years. Brasil is the only team to have won 5 World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), with Germany and Italy tied at 2nd with 3 vicitories. Brasil is a heavy favorite to win once again as they are ranked #1 going into the tournament, but they will face fierce competition from worthy adversaries such as Argentina, England, France, Germany, and Italy who all look strong and determined to win. Only time will tell which nations will succeed from the group stages, and which will have to go home disappointed.

The reason why Brasil is my favorite team is because they play as a team, and they have fun doing it. Even though the squad is stacked with arguably 4 of the best soccer players in the World (known as the magic quartet), each one of them leaves their arrogance off the pitch, and comes ready to be part of a well-oiled machine. Like a grueling chess match, Brasil has the ability to play it's opponent 2 or 3 moves ahead, which the entire team is aware of at any given moment, and each player has the ability to react accordingly. This is what makes Brasil so dangerous, and their opponents will need to focus and concentrate for the full 90 minutes of the match if they are to have any chance at beating mighty Brasil.

No matter if you are expert soccer player or novice, watching Brasil play is truly an amazing experience. They are known to have made the game fun, with their dazzling moves and magical plays that no other team has ever been able to replicate. Look for superstar Ronaldinho, who will be sure to put on a show, as he controls the midfield along with phenom Kaka. Strikers Ronaldo, who at anytime can beat anyone on the pitch, and Adriano, who is a train that cannot be stopped, will be looking for many goals and sending their opponents packing. Other notables include Cafu and Roberto Carlos, seasoned veterans for the defence, and Robinho, the promising 21 year old striker playing in his very first World Cup.

Brasil's first match is Tuesday, June 13th, against Croatia. Download the full 2006 World Cup schedule, and join the other billion fans to witness the one event that brings the World together.