Watch movies and sports online for free

Lately I've been watching Veetle.com for the latest movies. It's a great place to find still-in-theater first run movies (Expendables, Salt, Machete), as well as older classic high school and horror flicks. The newest movies will tend to be handicammed "theater quality" but as the weeks go by, it will be replaced by a newer, cleaner HD version.

The movies are constantly running and chances are you'll miss the beginning. But after a few tries, you can catch all the parts and reassemble the movie in your head like a Tarantino film. Yeah, it's not the ideal viewing situation, but it's kind of fun when you stumble across a great film you haven't seen in ages. A few weeks ago they were showing the three Sinbad movies back-to-back-to-back. And last night I was switching back and forth between Lord of the Rings and the latest Freddie Kruger movie.

And for those of us in the Bay Area that will never be able to (or want to) see another Raider home game again, you can find it on veetle too (although I prefer atdhe.net for sports). You can also catch the latest pay-per-view fights and overseas soccer games. So be sure to catch the Raiders in the closing seconds snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the comforts of your own home where you can cry in private.

Yesterday, San Diego ran an article about the blacked out NFL games on atdhe.net as well as a few other sites I haven't tried (channelsurfing.net, justin.tv, my2p2.eu):
Web users finding ways to evade NFL blackouts
I guess the Chargers are reaching the same woeful status as the Raiders.

Navigating around on Veetle will take some patience. The channels don't necessarily tell you what's on, so you'll need to click around. Also, you'll need to install a plugin for HD quality streams. And if you have lowband DSL like me, make sure no one else is surfing on your network or else your movie will be choppy. Veetle is also viewable on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, but not all the channels are optimized for it. Still fun though. Enjoy.

You win some, you Lews some...

If you blink, you may miss my sudden burst of super-human speed! Sorry, Lew Family, but you're no match for the Fongs :) We'll look forward to a rematch next time. But even if you do win, don't expect me to mention it on this blog.

There was one more challenge of the moms, but I'm respecting Diana's explicit instructions to not post her video, or photo, or even mention her name on my blog.

In case you're wondering, we were at Joshie's 3rd birthday party.

I was told that this is the front-runner to be my future son-in-law.

Hmm, not scoring many points here...

Commitment to Excrement

It's been 36 hours and I can still feel the pain. I couldn't bear watching the entire game. My only regret now is wasting 2 hours of my life Monday night. I feel especially sorry for those who actually paid money to attend the game. That must have been a looong ride home!

Is there a scheduling conspiracy? Twice in the last three years the underdog Raiders opened on a Monday night at home to a hated division rival. In 2006 they lost to the Chargers 27-0, and this year was even worst because it was to #1 arch nemesis Shanahan! The NFL must hate the Raiders – again setting them up for embarrassment on week 1 on national TV. I guess seeing grown men in face paint crying is great for reality television.

Prior to the game I actually thought the Raiders had a chance. I mean last year the Raiders would've swept the season series if it wasn't for Shanahan calling time out on Janikowski's first kick (only to have him clank the second one!). And this year the Raiders are supposed to have a better team with a beefed up secondary... Boy was I wrong!

And have you seen Al lately? Man, and people talk about how old McCain is... Al could be his father! It's safe to say that his mental sharpness has dulled since he hired Gruden 10 years ago. Year after year, his judgement in talent in free agent signings have not produced well. All during the broadcast, the cameras kept showing Al, motionless, watching the game in the booth. Sadly, it reminded me of the times I used to visit my dad at the convalescent home.

So with the A's imploding and the Monta Ellis saga, looks like it's going to be a grim year for bay area sports fans. To my family's delight though, that means I'll be able to spend a little more time with them on Sunday afternoons. Maybe the grass will get mowed and the cars will get washed or maybe I can go play tennis. Wow, life without televised sports – how horrible would that be?

Hey batter batter batter....

Last Sunday we had a friendly and contentious day at the park in San Ramon. We fearless parents were challenged by our snotty kids to a game of baseball. They think they're all cool and can beat anyone tripling their weight. We say, "Bring it on, suckas!!"

The moms meant business. They were unafraid to show any restraint as they powered the wiffle ball into the outfield. The dads were forced to bat left-handed, but still packed a punch as we launched ball after ball into the gap and over their heads. I remember running past Ashley and she's yelling, "It's not fair!!" For a split second I felt her pain, but all I could say was, "Buh-bye...." as I rounded the base.

One parent was really wimpy weak a pushover kind and refused to tag any kid out. I won't mention any names but his initials are ML. Thanks to him, we spotted them 11 runs in the first inning.

Me on the other hand, showed no mercy as I tackled two boys at home plate just to keep the game close! See-Ya!! Yeah, who's your daddy?? But in the end, those 11 runs were insurmountable as we lost 14-16 (is that right?).

Afterwards we were treated to a delicious BBQ dinner. A heartfelt thanks to the Wong family for a really wonderful gathering (and for hosting our rowdy bunch). I haven't had this much fun in a long time!

What can I say? I'm a BEAST!

Much love to Dean for providing me the pics and video from yesterday's action. Unknown to me, he captured my one and only great spike of the afternoon. It was like watching Sportscenter. It felt great! Superstar!!

There are many factors that lead up to the great kill such as physical prowess, mental toughness, and perfect timing. For me it goes like this:

1. Wimpy serve
2. Great setter
3. 55-year old non-threatening blocker
4. Defenseman not realizing it's sailing out
   

Yep, the recipe for greatness! I'll take it any day!

Truth be told, for every ONE of those great hits, I've probably shanked 5 into outer-space! I've already informed my teammates of the 5-step rule, meaning that if my pass is beyond 5 steps away, forget it. Fortunately for me, we play with a great group of friends with varying skill levels. Everyone is encouraging and helpful. The weak try not to get hurt, and the strong try not to hurt the weak. (Let it be known that I associate with the weak. The only thing strong is my scent!)

We had a great turnout: Anna/Stephen, Jon/Karen, Oli/Winnie, Chris/Libby, Al/Christine, 2 coworkers, Mr. Chan and the Seiji Smash Brothers. Some played and some just played with the kids. All in all around 26 people. Afterwards we had a pizza dinner where we were joined by Gleason/Lolita and Patty/Glenn. Fun, fun, fun, except I'm a bit sore today.

Dusting off the old bones

On Saturday we dug out the old volleyball net and unearthed the few remaining volleyball players still alive in our area for a nice reunion. It's been over 2 years since we last played.

Back in the Spring of 2005 we played in the Hayward league with the Cheungs, Lims, Winford, Dave and Mr. Chan. And that was our first time playing since 2001 when we were still in San Leandro. We started out the season 1-8, but finally found our groove and won the next 15 games to be 16-8. We went into the playoffs and the finals, coming out in 2nd place overall. Not bad.

But to go back EVEN FURTHER, I would like to tell you about the significance of volleyball in our lives. If you look at most of the people in the photo: Chad, Dean, Libby, Oliver and myself. We ALL met our spouses while playing volleyball. Yes, collectively we all give new meaning to the name, "Pick-up sport." Volleyball is like the bar scene for Christians. My favorite pick-up line was, "Hello, will you bump with me?"

So back to Saturday, we were able to get some doubles, 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 action with our ragtag bunch. Too bad Winford had to work (he's a paremedic). If not, he could've driven his ambulance over and then we could've invited Dave (Robo-leg) Fong too! Anywho, I think we played surprisingly well considering the time off and rusty joints. We had some really good rallies going, even up against the pros (my inlaws), as we dug, dove and crashed the net. Hmmm, we might need to play more often.

Afterwards, we all had a nice BBQ dinner (even for the non-players) and of course, Mario Party on the Wii continues to be a big hit at our house.



After we kicked the kids off, us adults had some serious tennis and bowling competitions going too. You could really tell who the avid bowlers were, as Oli and I bowled while laying on the couch. Great fun! Everyone needs to own a Wii. Although Sunday I was REALLY sore.