Matt's Daily Blog

To quote the immortal words of Peter Gibbons from Office Space, "I did nothing, and it was everything I thought it could be." That line pretty much sums up my Memorial Day weekend. For the first time in I-can't-remember-how-long, Ed and I took the day off Monday, and it was fantastic. To say I did nothing is a bit of fiction, but I definitely took it easy. I played an exhausting round of golf with my dad Saturday. I was terrible. I think golf as a hobby becomes more popular with people as they age. If that's the case then I am young -- very young. I just don't enjoy chasing a ball around in the heat for four hours. Maybe it is the simple fact tat I can't cope with being so bad at something athletic. Despite being dog tired after my round of golf (did I mention I ran six miles and spent an hour in the weight room before that?) I still went out Saturday night. I went to dinner with some friends at Tsunami, a first-class sushi bar in downtown Baton Rouge. If you have not been, do yourself a favor and go. It is located on the 6th flood of the brand new Shaw Center on North Blvd. and 3rd Street. It provides an excellent view of the Mississippi River, downtown and LSU, delivering an ambiance unmatched in the city. I spent most of the day Sunday cleaning my house, but I did manage to catch a movie. X-Men 3 was great! It mixed a perfect amount of comedy, action and drama to keep me interested for two hours. It really is no wonder that it took in more than $120 million in its first weekend in theaters. I won't tell you what happens, but I will make a suggestion: stay until the end -- the very end. After all of that, Monday was a much-needed day off. I had planned to get in the editing studio and catch up on a lot of the work I had to do for the show, but I just watched baseball on my new TV and took a three hour nap. It was glorious! I woke up in time to bowl three games and have a few drinks with my best friend who is moving to D.C. Wednesday. Good luck Ben! It is days like Monday that make me want to work exceptionally hard while I am young so I can retire early. Nothing truly is everything I thought it could be! Peace!

Mmmmmm Mmmmmmm!!!! What a treat I had today for lunch. I drove Ed to his mom's house to pick up her car since his in in the shop and on the way back to the studio, we stopped at a Baton Rouge tradition -- Delpit's Chicken Shack. If you have never been, do yourself a favor and go ... now! I enjoyed the fried chicken lunch plate special with macaroni and cheese, candied yams and a roll. Ed had the same, except he chose the baked chicken. Needless to say, I am ready for a nap. Just get me through these next four hours and then a three-day weekend awaits!

Speaking of the weekend, it's going to be a good one. I have a golf lesson tonight at 7:30. I am in NO WAY a golfer. I sort of picked it up during the fall when my grandfather was staying with my parents after being flooded by Katrina. It was a great way for us to spend time together. Since his home has been renovated and he headed back to New Orleans, I really haven't played. But, tonight I guess I will start. I have the lesson and then tomorrow my dad and I are going to play around 3 p.m.

Before I go sweat and swing for 18 holes of golf, I am heading to the Baton Rouge Beach at the LSU lakes to get a 6 mile run in. My former co-worker and fellow Citadel snubee Richard Condon and I still run regularly together after we trained for and completed the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. last October. We have both entered the lottery for the New York City Marathon next November, so we are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping we get in. If you ar ein town and want to take part in the funniest hour of running ever, come to the Lakes at 8 a.m. and meet Richard and me.

As for the rest of the Memorial Day weekend, who knows? I will probably just relax. I might catch a movie or look for a house. Maybe I'll just sleep. SLEEP IS GOOD!!!

Happy Memorial Day!

Peace!

It was only fitting that the first sound out of Taylor Hicks' mouth after Ryan Seacrest announced him the new American Idol was his trademarked, "Woooo". Fox dominated the ratings during a star-studded event that included Prince, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and all of the top Idols from this season. Despite a two-hour program leading up to the three minutes of results and confetti following, the time flew by. I commend Fox for not making the show appear to be nothing more than two hours of filler content.

I watched at home on my new TV with my friends Rachael and Ski. Ski had never watched Idol before, and I am not sure what he thought. I think he was just in it for the free beer and pizza. We had Rotolo's, by the way (excellent!).

And the icing on th cake was the LSU beat 'Bama in their first game of the SEC tournament and the Yankees beat the Sox to take 2 of 3 in their series. I am a big MLB fan, and I love the Yankees (thank dad for that). So, as the season progresses, you can bet I'll be talking a good deal about that. As for LSU baseball, if they manage to win a few more games in this tourney maybe their 20-year streak of hosting regionals will continue. Otherwise, we can kiss that piece of history goodbye.

The all new edbuggs.com is looking great! And, there are BIG changes coming in the near future. Ed and I were in a meeting this morning with Chris and Bo from Click Here Publishing to talk about it. Now, I can't give it all away yet, but we are working hard for you to be able to enjoy edbuggs.com more and more every time you visit.

That was cool ... we are in the 3 p.m. hour of the show talking about Enron right now, and as we came out of the break I just plugged my blog ... yes, THIS blog that you are reading right now. How's that for instant gratification?

Peace!

A proper dose of Stevie Wonder, a dab of Elton John and some old school soul mixed with a Top 40 ballad looks like just the thing that will cure the McPheever that has ravaged some American Idol fans. Taylor Hicks was awesome last night. Did you watch? The only flash of brilliance Katharine McPhee showed was when she sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", but Idol judge and Baton Rouge native Randy Jackson said it best when he said it was "anti-climatic." She sang the song last week. It's all over except for the shouting and a drag-on finale tonight to allow Fox to dominate a two-hour ratings block tonight. Go Taylor! A gray-haired American Idol ... who woulda thunk it?! Showtime at 7 p.m. CDT, results at 8:58 CDT. Thankfully, I will be enjoying the finale this evening on my 46'' Samsung DLP. You have heard me talk about it, and now it is in woking order. I finally got the space cleared out in the living room and hooked it up! Man, it is fine! Anyone who is still watching ordinary television, you have NO IDEA what kind of a viewing experience you are missing. Join the revolution ... or just come over to my house for the Idol party tonight. It's BYOB! If you have been listening to the show, you probably know by now that Ed's "Pink Shorts" pictures are posted at edbuggs.com. If you have not seen them yet, DO IT NOW! Go to the "Gallery", click on "Ed and Matt's Bet" and witness the humiliation Ed had to undergo for banking on Donovan McNabb. Someday he'll learn: NEVER bet against me. The website it looking great thanks to Bo and Chris at Click Here Publishing. True professionals! See you on the radio at 2 p.m. CDT. If you can't be near a radio, listen LIVE online at edbugs.com Go Taylor! SOUL PATROL! SOUL PATROL! Peace!

Wipe the saliva from your mouth, Bush haters; I'm talking about fictitional President Charles Logan from the Fox TV series "24." I have long maintained it is the single greatest show on television today. It has everything: drama, action, politics, comedy -- everything! And the greatest part is the producers are not afraid to send the show down a plot twist the audience would never expect.

Monday night's season finale was certainly no exception. The season began with one President being assassinated and ended with another going to prison for conspiring in his murder. Sound far fetched? Maybe. But it sure is one helluva entertaining ride. Oh, and did I mention the hero that saves the country from terrorists and brings down a sitting president -- CTU agent Jack Bauer -- is captured by the Chinese government and sailed away on a cargo ship only moments after the season (we thought) had come to a happy resolution. All I can say is January 2007 can't come soon enough!

And as the Fox Network continues their ratings domination, the final performance of season 5 of American Idol is tonight. The head of the Soul Patrol, Taylor Hicks, squares off with sultry songstress Katharine McPhee. I think Katharine most resembles an American Idol, but Taylor's support has been consistent all season. If he has a good night, Joe Cocker will be smiling down tomorrow as Talyor Hicks is crowned this year's American Idol on stage at the historic Kodak Theater in Hollywood. I'll admit it, as an Elton John fan, Hicks had my vote in week 1 when he sang "Levon" and nailed it! I am still a closet member of the "Soul Patrol" but I guess I can go ahead and admit it now.

While I will be watching tonight, it is unlikely I will be watching on my new TV. I have yet to buy a stand for it, so my 46'' Samsung DLP is still sitting in its box at my house. I tried to shop around and price a few stands, but couldn't really find anything at a lower price than the stand that is made for the TV -- $219.00!! How absurd! Oh well, at least it looks good. Hopefully, I will be watching the finale Wednesday in spectacular HD! Look for pictures to be posted at edbuggs.com

Peace!

Wow! If you have been keeping up with the show or my blog, you know that I was in Cleveland this past weekend for the RiteAid Cleveland Half-Marathon. As it turns out, I was in Cleveland for so much more. My cousin Kristie and I flew out of New Orleans Saturday morning to Detroit and then on to Cleveland. The second leg was only 24 minutes, but it was, without question, the worst flight I have ever been on. The stewardess err... flight attendant was so rude that was all the passengers talked about once off the plane and in the terminal. It was a tiny prop plane that only say about 40 poeple. I don't know if it was the piloting or the turbulence, but for the first time in my life I reached for the barf bag -- thank God I didn't have to use it!

Once we landed, the real fun began! Kristie and I went to dinner at the Winking Lizard which was only a few blocks from the hotel. When we got there, a common theme was unmistakable -- Pearl Jam. Yes, the band (one of my all-time favorites) was everywhere. People were donning T-shirts, their music was playing throughout the restaurant; it was evident something was going on. I asked the waitress and she told me they were playing a concert across the street at "The Q" (Cleveland's basketball arena). I flipped out! I begged Kristie to come with me to the show, but she wanted to go back to the hotel and get some rest. After all, we were going to be running 13.1 miles in less than 10 hours. I didn't care. We left the restaurant and were immediately approached by a scalper. I talked him down from a $53 face-value ticket to $15! Fifteen dollars to see Pearl Jam! I had a few beers, loved the show, and got in bed around 12:15 a.m.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! The alarm went off at 5 a.m. and it was time to get ready for the run. I was still all adrenaline from the show and the prospect of competing in a race again. There was only one problem: it was 47 degrees, raining and windy! Not exactly ideal running conditions. We got our running gear on, stretched and headed to the start anyway. It was at that moment that I knew: Runners are a special breed of people. First of all, you have to be crazy to want to run 13.1 or 26.2 miles. You have to be completely insane to want to do it in conditions like these. Seriously, one of the pop-up tents at a water station got tossed 25 feet in the air by the wind. Oh yes, it was that windy.

We took off at 7 a.m. anyway. I was sporting a long-sleeved LSU shirt -- got to represent the alma mater! About a mile into the run, the wind stopped, the rain subsided and it was merely cool and overcast -- perfect running conditions! At that point, I was off to the races! I kept my pace perfectly, ran my race and when I crossed the finish line I had a new PR, beating my previous best half-maraton time by more than 20 minutes! My official time was 2:11:36. Kristie did great to, finishing in 1:58:14! Way to go Kristie!

But we weren't done at that. We went back to the hotel, got cleaned up and then went to Jacob's Field to catch the Cleveland Indians and the Pittsburg Pirates. We left in the 8th inning because we had to catch a flight, but it turned out to be a beautiful, clear blue day.

I am calling it the most production 18 hours of my life: Pearl Jam concert, Half Marathon and an Indians baseball game.

What a weekend! Thanks for all of your prayers and support!

Peace!

There have been few moments in recent memory where I was as excited as I was at 10:26 this morning. The sales associate at the electronics store where I bought my television called to tell me my 46'' Samsung DLP has arrived! I can hardly wait until 6 p.m. when the show ends so I can go get it! Now I am actually a little disappointed that I am leaving for Cleveland tomorrow because I will have to wait until I get home to watch it. Speaking of Cleveland, yes, my flight leaves at 9:09 a.m. from New Orleans tomorrow, and I am ready. A lot of times when you take part in big event like this half-marathon, the suspense leading up to it is worse than the actual event itself. We'll see if I am still singing that same tune after 13.1 miles. I am ready, though. I will have my results posted on this blog as soon as I get home Sunday night. I am running with my cousin and we are planning to catch a Cleveland Indians game Sunday afternoon after the race. The beer will help numb the pain! Also of note, Vice President Cheney is speaking today at the LSU commencement. I would have absolutely loved to have gone to hear him speak, but I kind of have this radio obligation thing. Anyway, I am sure I will watch it taped this evening. Congrats to all of my new fellow alums in the LSU Class of 2006! GEAUX TIGERS! Peace!

What a long day! And it's not even 1 o'clock. This is my third week anchoring morning radio newscasts on a Baton Rouge station, so my days start early. I roll out of bed around 4:30 a.m., throw on some clean clothes and ride into the station envying normal people who are still asleep at that hour. Who am I kidding? I love my job(s). Usually, I am able to catch a quick nap after I finish anchoring around 9 a.m. before I head in to Ed's show, but not today. I recently moved, but left some of my belongings with my roomate instead of putting them in storage. Well, he called me this morning and said they had to be out -- now! It is absolutely stunning how much junk we accumulate and never throw away. Three carloads of whatever, half a tank of gas and two caramel lattes later, I am running on fumes. But -- if you will excuse my grammar -- there ain't no stoppin' me! The most exciting four hours of my day are when Ed and I are on air. We have a duty to bring our listeners the most exciting, hard-hitting, entertaining talk radio each and every day, and not even a little sleep deprivation will keep me from doing just that. In other news, I am SHOCKED Elliot Yamin was booted off of American Idol. I guess a great voice will only compensate for so much (If you are unaware, much has been made of his pointy ears, bad teeth and overall lack of personality). So, it's Taylor and Katharine in the finals next week. I leave for Cleveland in two days and am really pumped! I have not run at all this week, but I am still confident. I will get a light jog in this evening and that's it before the half marathon Sunday. My stamina is there, I just need to save my legs and kee hydrating now. If you think about it, say a little prayer for me Sunday around 7 a.m. I may need it! Peace!

So, if you haven't hear yet, I really splurged on myself this weekend. I bought a Samsung 46'' DLP flat screen television, and I could not be more excited! Football season will never have looked so good. But, that is still four months away, so until then watching American Idol on it will have to suffice -- yes, I readily admit I am one of the 30 million suckers tuning in ever Tuesday and Wednesday waiting with baited breath to see who will get booted next. The show starts in 5 minutes, so this post might be a little short.

The show was great today -- and before you even ask, yes, there are days when I think otherwise. It was just a strong news day with great topics. Of course, President Bush's address to the nation last night regarding immigration policies was our 5 p.m. story. Ed and I disagree on this one. While we both favor shutting down the border and mass deportation of ilegals, I don't think Bush is to blame for all of our problems. Remember, no past administration had done anything either. It's kind of like past presidents saw an oncomiong train and didn't do anything about it because they knew they would be out of its path by the time it arrived -- it turns out Bush just happened to be in office when the issue exploded! I wish he would support legislation to begin rounding them up, but he isn't and no president is likely to do so.

Cleveland is 5 days and counting. I rested today to let my legs heal, but I will be back running tomorrow. I will give you a full report tomorrow.

I hear the Idol theme music. Gotta run!

Peace!

I must be out of my mind! After completing the Marine Corps Marathon last October in Washington, D.C., I told myself I was finished with distance running. If you have met me, you know I am no Kenyan -- I played offensive line on my high school football team. Some people glide, but I plod. The human body is not meant to go through that kind of intense physical activity, and my body reminds me of it every time I run. But, Sunday at 7 a.m. I will be running in the RiteAid Cleveland Half-Marathon. The half is only 13.1 miles. I should finish in around 2:10 ... that's two hours and ten minutes. I am a little nervous because I have only trained for 6 weeks, whereas for the marathon I trained for 6 months! I am feeling fairly confident after a 12 mile run Saturday down River Road and through Audubon Park in New Orleans. It really was a gorgeous day to be outside. Unfortunatly, I can't say the same for the forecast in Cleveland Sunday. It's supposed to be rainy with temps in the mid-50s. Like I said: I must be out of my mind! It does feel great to be participating in competitive sports again. Having a goal and working hard to achieve it is truly one of the greatest feelings in the world. Keep checking back for updates as we move closer to race day!

The show today should be a good one. We will certainly be talking about the President's speech tonight as well as the third Duke Lacrosse player being indicted. And, the BIG NEWS we have been waiting for, today is the launch of the NEW edbuggs.com! It's gonna be a great show. Don't forget to join us at 2 p.m. CST.

Peace!