I forget where it came from, but I distinctly remember someone telling me that former Raiders lineman Barrett Robbins would be a good pick for my dead pool roster, but I figured that just because a guy has a few extra friends inside his head doesn’t necessarily make him a candidate for a pine box.

I guess now I’m one pulled plug away from being wrong. Considering there’s a nice bonus for being the only person to pick someone who dies (which would have been the case), and you subtract their age from 125 (he’s 31), I’m one pick and a little better aim by Miami Beach police away from a goldmine. Alas, I’ve still got a full roster. Fortunately, the Pope’s still the Pope, and Darryl Strawberry hasn’t been in the news lately, he must be saving up for something good.

So I wasn’t going to give to the tsunami relief fund, but once I saw that Leonardo DiCaprio might take my phone pledge the other night, I HAD to make that call.

All right, so I actually already gave to the fund, yet somewhat indirectly. If my “thank you money” goes into the hands of someone in a charitable mood, does that mean I gave? And three weeks after it happened, if you haven’t given (or found a place to give) yet, are you really likely to give at all? Apparently some people are, considering the figures the “Let Hollywood Feel Good About Themselves-A-Thon” reportedly netted the other night, but my question is how long will it go on? They’ve already said that rebuilding will take years, if not decades, does that mean in 8-10 years I’ll still have to dodge “Give to the Red Cross” pop-up ads to save kids who were probably about to die of malaria or something anyway?

Pete makes a good point about how people are opening their bank accounts to save Indonesians, but run like a bitch if a homeless person asks for a nickel. It makes alot of sense, but at the same time, what role does your nationality play if you had your life taken away by a big ass wave, as opposed to having your life taken away by your love for hooch?

And speaking of the homeless, the “I can’t lie to you, I just want to buy beer” novelty has long since worn off. It was funny the first time, now its just sad. You get my spare change for being witty and creative, you don’t get my spare change if you copy off the bum across the street.

Speaking of giving away money, can I tell you how much I hate cover charges at bars? I understand its a necessary evil to a night on the town (sometimes), but unless there’s a band playing, you can stick your “5 bucks, please” up your rubber hand stamp. Or at least give me a deal when I get inside.

Cover charges are supposed to make it so everyone at least pays something, and designated drivers don’t screw the bar out of some money, right? So why then, if I go in and drink like a fish, do I pay the same as the poor schmuck that drew the short straw at the end of the night?