10 THINGS ABOUT TODAY

1. Miami is known for its sun, and life is known for its jokes. Miami is hosting tonight's Super Bowl and it hasn't stopped raining since early this morning.

2. To fully appreciate the magnitude of Super Bowl's hype, consider this number: the Summer Olympics is equivalent to 5 Super Bowls.

3. Consumer Alert: Beer, pizza, and wide screen tv are the three products making biggest sales on a Super Bowl Sunday that on any day of the year. On the other hand, the Monday after Super Bowl is when there is a surge in the sales of antacid.

4. Celebrity sightings in South Florida had been a-plenty this past week, and parties in South Beach had been non-stop. What's it with Super Bowl parties, man? Nobody seems to be really interested about the game!

5. As a matter of fact, half of those who will troop to the stadium probably do not have a full grasp of football and its rules, and will show up simply for the hoopla, knee-deep hoopla. And of those watching at homes, half are probably more interested in watching the commercials.

6. A 60-second spot for a commercial is worth millions, and most - if not all - of them will be shown nationally for the first time. One of this has Kevin Federline's who, to the surprise of many, actually had a job for a time.

7. At about 5:00 this fternoon, the streets will already be deserted. Everyone will be at their homes, and most men will be settled on their couches, drinking their beers, and analyzing the game which has not even started.

8. I like Peyton Manning of the Colts because he is a good and humble kid with impeccable lineage, but Devin Hester, my favorite player last year at the University of Miami, plays for the Bears. Canceling each other out, I don't care who wins.

9. I have my 12-pak ready (El Presidente from Dominican Republic), my home-made killer salsa is already processed, the buffalo wings are on their way (flying, haha!), and the special pillow for my back is already flirting with my couch.

10. After I type this I will be on my couch waiting for the big game by continuing to read my read of the moment - The Complete Works of Isaac Babel. Come 6:00 pm I will have to drop everything, Babel included, to follow the game and the hoopla. As I said in #1, life is known for its jokes.