Brett Favre

I stopped watching some of last night's game and then I come back to see Aaron Rodgers running the Packers offense. I immediately decided that was enough of this game. Of course Rodgers did a pretty good job but 38 years old or not, you watch the Packers to see Brett Favre. The real bad thing is now the Cowboys fans will be insufferable.

Shatner, The Shaman

Not near as cool as Mr. T but still cool.

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone

With the fifth Harry Potter movie coming to DVD and me finally finishing the seventh novel I was in a Harry Potter mood. I of course decided to start with the first one. I haven't watched the two Chris Columbus ones in a few years. I think he set the right tone for the franchise but I really think they aren't as good as the next three movies.

Get Some Nuts

A little more Mr. T for everyone out there. Man he is funny.

Mr. T, Computer Hacker

GI Jane

Yes, I like the movie, kill me. I think Viggo is really cool and I like military movies. Consider it one of my guilty pleasures.

3-0

In tonight's game the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Florida Marlins 3-0. That was a fucked up game. A win is a win but good lord.

0-0

WTF kinda first half is that. At least they aren't losing.

0-10

The Steelers should totally crush an 0-10 team. It is the NFL and anything can happen but if the Dolphins win then the Steelers season is over. With two division games, the Patriots and Jags still on the schedule I doubt they make the playoffs if they lose to the 'Fins. Come on boys, play fired up.

Sean Taylor

I hope that Sean Taylor recovers from his gunshot wound, I really do. However if you would have asked me yesterday to name five players in the NFL that were most likely to be shot Sean Taylor would be on that list. I do hope he recovers, maybe this will cause him to change his circle of friends.

A week later

It has been a whole week and I'm still pissed over the Steelers losing to the Jets. Hopefully the Steelers are even more pissed.

Game of the Week

The Steelers vs. Bengals game is the Sunday Night game next week. I'm pretty sure the Steelers have never won on Sunday night since NBC took over the broadcast. In addition the Steelers usually split the series with the Bengals, I'm not happy.

Xbox 360

Yes my Xbox had the 'red ring of death'. No it hasn't made me feel bad about buying a 360 over a PS3. I had a first generation 360 which has a failure rate of about 40%. The newer generation ones have a much lower rate, still appalling at about 15%. Microsoft should be ashamed that their product has a failure rate so high, it is pathetic. However they offer a 3 year warranty so mine will be fixed and I'll be good to go. Still pathetic but at least I won't be out any money.

I worked at Toys R Us when the Saturn and the first Playstation came out. A huge amount of both systems were just duds, they didn't fail they just never worked. Ever after that the PS too many parts made out of plastic and not enough cooling so the failure rate was very high. Sony did change things so latter generation systems didn't fail so bad. However they did nothing to help their current customers after the 90 warranty was used up.

I'm not defending or slamming MS or Sony. We'll probably get a PS3 as soon as there is a game or two I have to own. I'm just used to video game systems failing. You use them so much more than a DVD player and companies use cheap parts in them to cut costs. A mid-level DVD player is made much better than a video game system. They are just bound to fail. MS does need to figure out why the 360 is so much higher than it should be though.

And they need to hurry up, I really want to pick up Mass Effect.

Battlestar Galactica: Razor

I'm not typically a huge fan of back story and this double episode was all back story. They handled the gaps in the story really well. It was cool to see the old school Cylons as well. I'm always impressed when a storyteller is able to make you sympathetic for a character you're supposed to morally despise. Too bad we have to wait until March (or longer) for more episodes.

One other thing, it is great that DirecTV added a bunch of HD channels starting this summer. We have SciFi in HD and man did BSG look good.

Love, Actually

Love actually is all around. Pretty Bird and I love this movie. It is our holiday movie of choice and we watch at least once every holiday season.

Madden 2008

With the 360 on the 60-Day DL (MS says it will be four to six weeks, stupid MS) I decided to trade Madden for the 360 in for Madden on the PS2. When I first upgraded to the 360 I didn't realize how much better the graphics are compared. You throw in the upgrade to HD and it is night and day. With two years of Madden on the 360 I have forgotten the lack of presentation features compared to the PS2 version. It is just painful how many corners they've cut on the current generation of systems on Madden. I'll suffer through the bad graphics with better presentation so I can get the Football Gods back in my favor.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. Hope you don't eat too much turkey.

I can't drive...85

When cruising down the interstate I really have to be careful with the Mustang. It does 80mph at about 2100 rpms. I really must set the cruise control or I end up doing 90+ without thinking about it and that is a little fast to fly down the road in a bright red car.

Still Pissed

It is two days later and I'm still pissed they lost to the Jets. Man I hope they play fired up against the Dolphins. They might have to play fired up since they will be without Polamalu and Santonio. Stupid NFL.

Still Can't

I still can't believe they lost to the one-win Jets. Damn it!

Well Damn

I'd like to blame the loss on any of my dozen or so superstitious things but the Steelers just played like crap. With their pass protection and special teams issues I've been telling everyone that talks to me about the Steelers that they aren't 'elite'. Well 7 sacks and a key punt return by the Jets later and it looks like I'm right. Having an almost elite team is tough, you think you're supposed to win every week. But you're not good enough to win every week so you don't, tough to watch every week.

Stupid NFL

About ten of my normal weekly, Steelers win routines are all messed up this week. A celebrity who picks them didn't pick them to cover, my Xbox is on the DL so I can't play the preview game, and Pretty Bird is not working today (they are 7-0 when she works that day, 0-2 when she doesn't). They haven't won two in a row on the road, they haven't won more than three in a row total, both of which would change today.

Hopefully none of that matters since they are playing the Jets. They need to not play down to their competition and play like the good NFL team they are. It will be hard to stay focused over the next few weeks but hopefully the Steelers can do it.

Older and Oldest

It is odd that Old Man Favre is not the oldest starting QB in the league. What is even weirder is that Old Man Favre is not even the oldest starting QB in his own stadium today. Timeless, Color-blind Testaverde is starting for the Panthers. Gotta love the NFL.

Beginning to look a lot like Chirtsmas

Around here it is. We put up the tree, stated putting on the ornaments, got the lights ready to go, all of the usual things. Even the tacky snowmen my mom likes to buy the Little One are out. One thing I really enjoy putting up the Christmas stuff is how it is a time capsule. To see an ornament with a picture from our first Christmas together or The Little One's ornament. Both of us have ornaments from when we were younger and living at home. There are ones we bought together or ones we bought for each other. It is just a good time remembering our lives through ornaments. One of the best parts of every year.

Lethal Weapon 2

A few months ago I watched the first Lethal Weapon. I always remember thinking that I liked the second one better than the first so this week I decided to watch the second one. After all this time I still think I like the second one better than the first. I actually enjoy all four of them, pure'80s-style action movie, I love it.

Christmas Decorations

Christmas is our favorite time of year, all three of us have a great time with it. We're going away for Christmas for the first time ever so we're going to put up our Christmas decorations up a little early this year. We normally start them, like most people, the weekend after Thanksgiving. This gives the Little One good month+ of enjoying the lights, tree, singing snowman, whatever. Now she'll have the same basic amount of time. Of course then she'll get a week of seeing the over the top Disney decorations.

Poor Bonds

If you follow sports at all you've heard the Bonds is indicted for perjury. I know because I'm trying to watch PTI and can't because it is all Bonds, all the time. Other than missing Tony and Wilbon I have a pretty big issue with the coverage. They keep brining up over and over that he isn't guilty of anything. Hold on, hold on. As it relates to criminal charges, correct he isn't guilty of anything. However in the terms of the sports world he's been guilty for a long time.

The indictment is for perjury and obstruction of justice from testimony from four years ago. In that testimony Bonds says that he didn't knowingly take steroids, that is the lying part. He didn't knowingly take the cream or the clear or whatever random other name they had for designer drugs that gave Barry a size 11 hat. He didn't knowingly...

In that same testimony he admits that he took steroids. Knowledge of what it was or not, he admits to taking steroids. That is my issue with the Bonds defenders. The leaked testimony has been out there for a few years. In that testimony he says he used steroids, he just didn't know what it was. How do only a few people get that?

You can debate all of the implications of steroids, if it is really that helpful or really that big a deal. You can say that 75% of people used steroids so it wasn't a big deal. Whatever you want, it isn't a big deal but that is a different discussion. The Bonds supporters say he didn't do anything yet for two years now we know he did use them. But that keeps getting overlooked and I really don't understand why.

The Bourne Supremacy

After watching the Bourne Identity I had to follow it up with the Bourne Supremacy. Like I wrote before I really enjoyed all three of the movies. I do think is the weakest of the three however. I understand the need to kill major characters when telling a story I just think killing the love interest in this story don't really do anything to the main character. It isn't need to advance the story. I still think Matt Damon is great in all three and if you haven't seen them and like I action movies I highly recommend them.

Get Back to Work

I work for a game company. A lot of my friends work for a game company. While there are days that are pretty stressful and plenty of days could be better, we don't have a real job. We're not curing cancer or pulling people out of a fire or teaching the next generation of gamers. There are plenty of great things games offer to people but as I tell myself when I'm having a bad day "at least I don't dig holes for a living". My dad worked construction for most of his life and many a day actually did dig holes for a living.

My company has a bonus structure. I get something like 10% if the company makes X million in profit. There are only two owners and some 25 employees total in the company. The owners own plenty of other things and typically leave us alone. The X million is more than 1 million and less than 10 million. Let's say all 25 employees make 50k a year (some make much less, others much more) and we make our X million. That is 10% of 25 people x 50k a year or .10(25x50,000), so $125,000. So two owners make multiple seven figures and the 25 make $5,000. When you explain it like that it seems like we're getting shafted but I agreed on my salary without a bonus. An extra 10% would be nice. Plus again I get to do what I like to do for a living. Sure the accounting people or production people or whoever aren't doing their hobby for a job but you get to go to free NFL games and cool NASCAR stuff. I bet working in our customer service department sure beats digging holes for a living.

I agree the Hollywood writers are getting shafted, they are more in the right the billion dollar corporations. But the writers get to do what they love to do. They get to write. I write an article each week and write a few hundred cards every few months, I know writing is work. People who read this blog realize there are days my writing is on par with a 5 year old so I realize it involves skill. But it isn't digging holes or pulling people out of a fire or asking people if they want fries with that.

You agreed to your salary, you thought it was fair. You get to write for David Letterman or The Daily Show or Heroes or whatever. You get paid well for it. Now you're keeping the hundreds of other people on your show from working and getting paid. I know, I know, the big evil corporations get all of your profits. So you get paid to write Friday Night Lights and FNL loses NBC money. NBC might fire you eventually but they don't ask for the money back they paid you. Hell the West Wing lost NBC money and it went on for seven years and won 1435451 Emmys. They fired people but they didn't take money back from Aaron Sorkin or Rob Lowe. The big evil corporation is the one shouldering the risk, they are the ones that get the rewards, that is how it works. Don't like it then be like George Lucas and fund your own projects.

Get your ass back to work.

Oh the health insurance issue you say. Almost half of the WGA don't earn enough money to qualify for health insurance through the WGA. The WGA has close to 13,000 members and over 6,000 of them are below the minimum. The minimum for health insurance provided by the WGA is I think $32,000 a year. If you are educated and you aren't making $32,000 a year then you probably need to do something else. I know laborers for the DOT make $16 an hour with a good bit of OT/double time, turns out you can make $32,000+ a year digging holes. You don't want to dig holes, you want to write. You want to keep with it and maybe make it big as a writer. You're willing to deal with those early sacrifices to make it big. Well those sacrifices include no money and lack of health insurance but you knew that going into it.

I like what I do but I like feeding my family more. If I was single I'd do what I like at risk of things like money and insurance if it was what I like. I'm not single and I'm fortunate to make a good wage, have health insurance, and get to work in a field I really enjoy. If I couldn't work in this field I'd have no problem getting a job to pay the bills. Either way I wouldn't want or ask for your sympathy. I sure as hell wouldn't ask for your sympathy when I'm keeping thousands of other people from working.

Get back to work.

Veteran's Day

On the anniversary of the end of the War to End All Wars we remember our veterans. (Veteran's Day is actually the 11th but we Americans need our holidays to be on a Friday or Monday.) I am the proud son of a veteran. To every veteran out there thanks, To the ones who didn't come home you are remembered.

End reflection, enter political rant.

Now if we can pull the 150,000+ men and women (I should say boys and girls since most of them are younger than I am) out of Iraq and let them come home. I am not 'opposed' to war, well I'm opposed in the sense that I think it is stupid. I however live in the real world and realize there are times it is necessary. This insurgency into Iraq, even if it had the beginnings of validity years ago, is not necessary. No clear mission, no goals, out proper outcome and men and women are just dying. Completely unacceptable. Let's bring them home and have more of them in parades celebrating Veteran's Day 2007 and less in coffins remembering their sacrifice.

Another Year

Yes this is another year where the Steelers will have a winning record vs. teams from Ohio. With the victory over the Browns yesterday they are now 3-0 this year vs. the Bengals and Browns. Since 2000 the Steelers have only not had a winning season against Ohio once in 2003 when they went 2-2. They've twice swept the season series in that same span and have a chance to do so this year.

Hey at least Ohio State is #1...oh wait.

Ben for President

Man was Ben awesome in the second half. He is having some kinda year. It says a lot when you're having your best season and your career already includes a 15-0 regular season start and a Super Bowl win. Now I just hope they can keep focused in the next two weeks vs. two awful teams. Good teams beat the teams they're supposed to and the Steelers are supposed to be the Jets and Dolphins.

More effort

It is going to take a lot more effort to beat the Browns than the Steelers have put forth so far. Granted 14 of the points are off huge Steelers mistakes so if they eliminate mistakes then they should do better. They really need to come out in the second half and stop the mistakes.

Undefeated

That's right, since Ben came into the league the Pittsburgh Steelers haven't lost to the Browns. That means they eventually must lose to them but it also means he has their number. Even if the Browns do beat the Steelers the Steelers will own the tie vs. the Browns and be the division leaders. I would prefer if they just beat them and had a two game lead plus the head to head tie-breaker. The Browns have two things the Steelers historically have trouble against, a big physical wide receiver and a TE that can catch the ball. I think the Browns will put up a much bigger fight than the 9 point line suggests but I think the Steelers are a better team. Plus losing to Cleveland is just wrong.

The Bourne Identity

After I watched the Bourne Ultimatum I had an itch to watch the first one. I really like the first one, I Identity is easily the best. I still like all three of the movies but the first is the best. I remember watching it the first time when the girls went and saw some cartoon or another. I do like that the Bourne movies, which were influenced by Bond obviously, heavily influenced the Bond relaunch with Casino Royale.

Stupid Browns

It is much more fun when they just stink. Now I actually have to be worried that the Steelers will lose to the Browns. Hopefully the 'good defense beats good offense' saying holds out this Sunday.

Really weird

It is really weird to be at game 9 of the season with Browns coming in town for a shot at first place. Is this bizarro NFL? I really don't know what to say other than maybe Baltimore and Cincinnati stink, who knows. Their offense is playing incredibly well but their defense is awful. Hopefully the NFL proverb "Good defense beats good offense" holds true this week. Go Steelers!

TMac's Mid-Season All Pros

TMac’s Mid-Season All Pros

All the cool kids are doing it, well all of the sports sites at least. I want to be a cool kid so I figure I should do it as well. Plus I like to waste a little time at work and write about football. My All Pro team will run a two TE (no FB) offense and a 3-4 defense, pretty much like the Steelers. The Steelers have a FB but they run the two TE set much more often. Where you need backups I will list them.

QB – Tom Brady (s, real easy choice)
QB – Ben Roethlisberger
RB – Adrian Peterson (s)
RB – Brian Westbrook
WR – Randy Moss (s)
WR – Braylon Edwards (s, oh the pain)
WR – Reggie Wayne
WR – Greg Jennings
TE – Jason Witten (s)
TE – Heath Miller (s)
TE – Antonio Gates
OL – I have no idea how to rate offensive linemen so I’ll just take the Patriots line. The reason Brady and the Patriots are silly this year is because Brady doesn’t get touched. Watch a Patriots game and pay attention to how little a defensive player even gets to Brady. The press should be all over the O-Line and not Moss, Welker, and Stallworth.

DE – Ose Umenyiora (s)
DE – Aaron Kampman (s)
DE – Elvis Dumervil
DT – Kevin Williams (s)
DT – Casey Hampton
OLB – James Harrison (s)
OLB – Mike Vrabel (s)
OLB – DeMarcus Ware
ILB – DeMarco Ryans (s)
ILB – James Farrior (s)
ILB – EJ Henderson
CB – Asante Samual (s)
CB – Charles Woodson (s)
CB – Antonio Cromartie
CB – Ike Taylor
FS – Sean Taylor (s)
FS – Ed Reed
SS – Bob Sanders (s)
SS – Troy Polamalu

KR – Devin Hester
PK – Nick Folk
P – Daniel Sepulveda

A day late

I realized earlier that I forgot to write about the last few Heroes. When I have more time I will definitely write about the last few episodes. I was a day late watching last night's episode because of the Steelers ass kicking of Old Cleveland. The episode last night was pretty damn good, I liked it a lot. Now I just hope the writers get back to work so I can get my 22 episodes or so this year.

35-7

Well that is about as good as it gets for a half. Man what a game Ben and James Harrison are having. Go Steelers!

Old Cleveland

If there is a team I hate it is Old Cleveland, man do I hate them. I hate Steve McNair and his 14-4 or whatever record against the Steelers. I hate Ray Lewis and his big mouth. I hate their four game winning streak against the Steelers. I hate that they are actually only a game behind the Steelers. Man a lot to hate. Before the season started I wrote this game down as a home loss but now I'm not sure. The Steelers are better, it is the 75th anniversary thing, all sorts of things. The Ravens do bring out the worst in the Steelers though or so it seems. Hopefully the Steelers being better actually matters this game. F U Old Cleveland.

Friendly Poker

We finally got enough people for a try at a regular poker game this past week. We were supposed to have eight players but we ended up with only six, still enough for a decent game or two. With most people either on the "too many bills" or "not good enough at poker" our format is a sit-n-go tournament style with a $10 buy in. Second place gets their money back and winner gets the rest. We usually have enough time to finish two or even three games, this week we were able to play three. A bad night and you only end up down $30, not bad. Of course it means people can tend to play like idiots.

Our first regular game in almost a year and I am down $30. I'd like to say it was due to bad luck and partially it was but it was also due to me thinking I'm better than the others at the table. Well I still think I'm better than the others at the table but I shouldn't have got cocky. I should have played the game like I was at a crazy tourist filled game in Vegas and only played the cards.

Session One. I finished third. I was able to knock out two of the five other players. Once with top two pair, he was very short stacked. The other one I had the K high nut straight and he had the bottom end. I lost most of my chips to the other Steelers fan in the office. Great guy, not a great poker player. He is the play one face card or any two matching suit players. Normally I should beat that player but Friday he was lucky heads up against me. There are only three players left and I have 33, the flop is K37, one heart. I bet, he raises me 3x the pot and I put him all-in. I figure he has a K or maybe even two pair. He calls with A9 of hearts and everyone knows the story is two more hearts. I end up going out with KQs vs. AT. Flop is two spades but I didn't get the third.

Session Two. I remember being in pretty good position. I also figure I've figured all the players out save one, I still am not sure about Chaz. I have KQc. Flop is two clubs, giving me three clubs and also three to the straight. The flop is checked around, there was decent betting preflop. The turn gives me four to the flush and four to the straight. I'm one off the button, all of them check and so do I, button bets about 1/2 the pot. All fold to me and I go all-in. It was a horrible idea however I was trying to play the player. He was very afraid of flushes and talked about it a few times. He also said he doesn't bet the best hand it usually costs him money. I figure he doesn't have anything and is just trying to steal the pot. I constantly complain about people who risk too much and overbet which is what I did on my check-raise. Well I read him correctly, he had A7 for a pair of 7s which end up holding up. No idea why he made the call with that but I shouldn't have bet all-in either.

Session Three. Third hand I get AA and I'm the BB. I'm trying to decide how much I can raise and still get a caller. The small blind doubles the blind and I double that. The only caller, Steelers fan who plays any two goes all-in. I call even before button can act, sorry about that JDub, I'm usually not bad. My AA vs. 88 and he hits an 8. I actually hold on okay but go out on AT suited.

Other than thinking I'm better than them I had a weird night of cards. I had AA, KK, and 4x 33 for my only pairs. KK I didn't win much because it was two to the flush on the flop and I wanted to end it there. I was 50% with 33. But I got plenty of playable hands, only 1 AK but plenty of AQ, AJ, AT, KQ but they rarely if at all hit. With friendly poker they usually call everything and this was no different. I couldn't steal any blinds with my two over cards and they just didn't hit. Still if I play just a little better I think win session 2.

Well shit

I really thought Peyton and his boys were going to pull it out, they almost did. Stupid Patriots.

Big game?

I've been watching ESPN all week and I can't figure out what the big game of the week is going to be. All of the coverage has been over the Browns vs. Seahawks and Texans vs. Raiders. Sports media has really dropped the ball this week, I don't know what the big game is going to be.

What is Troz?

Zort backwards of course.

Two Years Later

It has been two years and I still don't really have anything useful to say. Blogging is a nice release for ranting and rambling though.