Albert Banks

Less than a week after the release of version 2.2, I have completed a major upgrade to the Netflix plugin for Wordpress.

Based on requests from users for greater flexibility, I implemented a movie class. This new class along with the new netflix_movies() function, movies can be displayed in nearly any format in a page or in the sidebar. You can display covers horizontally or list them out with their description (also new to this version). The possibilities are only limited by your willingness to engage.

Live Examples: http://www.albertbanks.com/movies/

Recently, the Myjive crew headed out West on business - specifically Los Angeles. It was a great time as we met with a ton of clients and friends. While there we stayed in Hollywood, but traveled all over the city. After business hours we did some sightseeing including the Walk of Fame, Mann’s Chinese Theater, etc. When we returned to the East Coast, I kept getting the half-sarcastic question, “Did you see any celebrities?” Well, actually…

One night we went to dinner at Genghis Cohen a fantastic hybrid-Chinese restaurant. After we were seated, I looked to the table next to me into the face of Steven Weber (Studio 60, Wings). It was a pretty surreal moment as I had never really seen a non-athlete celebrity. Throughout the meal I begin to recognize his dinning companions were Richard Kind and Michael Boatman from Spin City. Later, they were chatting with a table across from them where Jeffrey Ross (stand-up comedian) was sitting.

Let me answer all your questions. No, I didn’t get autographs. No, I didn’t say hello. No, I didn’t take a picture. A long time ago I told myself if I ever saw a celeb, I’d let them be. I mean, who wants their dinner interrupted by some stranger. Anyway, it was an excellent dinner with good company and yes, we saw some celebrities.

This morning I awoke early to an annoying noise. It wasn’t my incessant buzzing alarm - I still had 20 minutes to sleep. This was a car horn. I ignored it, but it happened again and again and again, for 10 minutes damn minutes! Finally, I got up to see what the hell was going on.

Low and behold, here is a lady sitting in her car on the cell phone, honking at the building next door. Apparently, she was picking someone up who was not ready yet. So did she call the person? No. Did she walk 10 fucking steps up to their apartment and knock. No, she honked every minute for 10 minutes. Great idea… Did she ever consider at an APARTMENT COMPLEX there might be other people living there ASLEEP? No, because she has no respect.

I mean, who honks like that for 10 minutes? She must have been friends with whoever she was picking up. What a dick! The person she was waiting for should have popped her in the face when they finally got out there. But, oh no, that would be disrespectful…

You know that commercial where the guy picks up the kid’s toy on the street and some other guy notices and the kindness cascades through people until someone is nice to the original helper. I hope that shit goes the other way. I hope by this lady being rude, somehow karma tags her good!

Whew, I’m glad you’re actually reading this… I know if I saw another one of these I was going to scream. So, I decided to break it down for everyone who is not a big nerd.

Last Saturday night, leading 31-14 at halftime, Michigan State allowed 19 Notre Dame points in the last 8:18 of the fourth quarter in which quarterback Drew Stanton turned the ball over 3 straight times including a go-ahead pick-six. After the remarkable “choke job”, a MSU Radio Host, Mike Valenti, of The Sports Inferno goes off for nearly 16 minutes. Take a listen, It’s priceless.

Did you feel that cool breeze this afternoon? Did a leaf fall from above? Did you wake up this morning feeling more alive? The answers must be yes, because today is the start of a new College Football Season! Tonight the season officially gets started with an SEC clash between Spurrier’s South Carolina Cocks and Croom’s MSU Dogs. Not exactly a thriller, to be sure, but it’s not baseball. This weekend is the launching point of my favorite time of year. One final look at the checklist:

Beer - of course
Couch - broken in
2nd TV in living room - setup saturday
Gator shirts - cleaned (thanks Katie!)
ESPN GamePlan - ordered
Message Boards - perused and participated
Preseason Polls - read and ignored
BCS - already pissed
Kram Yam (Mark May) - still hate him