Just Testing

I just wanted to see if I could post to my blog from my new phone. It appears that I can. Pretty Bird and I decided we wanted new phones with most of the new features. We didn't want to leave Sprint so no iPhones for us. I got the Instinct and she got the Rant. There are some pretty cool features on the Instinct. I hope everyone has a great New Year.

Rough Day

Man some days are just really rough at work. I shouldn't bitch because I do mostly like my job but today was pretty rough.

Oh Romeo, Romeo, can we please just keep Romeo!

I say one last time until 2009, SUCK IT BROWNS!

I'm going to petition the Browns ownership to keep Romeo Crennel as their head coach. In his four seasons as head coach for those dogs by the lake he's won a total of 24 of 64 games.

2005 - 6-10
2006 - 4-12
2007 - 10-6
2008 - 4-12

Man those are some great numbers if you're a fan of the Steelers (or Ravens or Bengals). If you can't win you should at least beat your chief rival, at least that is the rule in college football. Romeo is 0-8 vs. the Steelers.

2005 G1 - Browns 21, Steelers 34
2005 G2 - Browns 0, Steelers 41
2006 G1 - Browns 20, Steelers 24
2006 G2 - Browns 7, Steelers 27
2007 G1 - Browns 7, Steelers 34
2007 G2 - Browns 28, Steelers 31
2008 G1 - Browns 6, Steelers 10
2008 G2 - Browns 0, Steelers 31

Man those are some good numbers for the Steelers. Please Browns, please keep Romeo.

Ben Update

It seems that Ben just has a concussion. While I've had a concussion and it sure sucked ass I'm sure a professional athlete can recover within in two weeks and play a football game. It is great that he isn't hurt too badly.

To add to my opinion on Ben's injury issues. I have the opinion that certain players are what I call injury drama queens. These players want everyone to know every little injury they have, how they can't practice, and how it is for them to play. These players are like Brian Jordan, Steve McNair and now Ben Roethlisberger. Ben is just like those players. He wants everyone to know how hurt he gets and how much he puts into the team.

It is better then having a player like JD Drew who just doesn't play but it is still annoying. I still love having Roethlisberger as the Steelers QB but he does have quite a few annoying qualities, this being one of them.

Not Good

About the worst thing that could happen in the Steelers game, even more then a loss, is what happened today. Ben being carted off is just awful. I'm hoping it isn't serious but you never know. I will ramble about Ben's injury history later depending on how bad this injury actually is. Not good at all.

I say again, SUCK IT BROWNS

Part of me wishes the Browns would make this a real rivalry. Then the majority of me takes over and I realize that beating the Browns is more fun then what the Steelers go through every year with the Ravens. We'll see how many Steelers actually play today when they close their regular season. I do hope they get a win though.

Suck It Browns

Tomorrow the Steelers finish their regular season. They hit the magical 10 wins plus some. They sure beat my expectations for the season. Last week really stunk but I didn't care that much. Once the Steelers beat the Ravens and got a first round bye I stopped caring about the regular season. Of course I want the Steelers to win and sweeping the division would be really nice. I just hope the Steelers have a decent last game and squeeze out a 12-4 season.

Mario Kart Wii

Man that game is lots and lots of fun. Santa brought a great game for everyone. Some of the other Wii games, not so good. This one is great fun though.

Merry Christmas

Hope you got everything under the tree you were looking for.

On Vacation

I'm on vacation, no blog post today :)

Two Day Work Weeks

I've been saying it for years, that they have it reversed. It should be five days off and two days of work each week. This week is set up for me just like that. Doesn't get much better then only working two days.

Come to the coast, we'll get togther and have Christmas, Actually

Tonight is night 1 (of 2) of our annual Christmas movie viewings. Tonight is Love, Actually and tomorrow night will be Die Hard. Two great Christmas movies.

What a Difference a Week Makes

Maybe Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants are the best two teams in the league.

Don't Care

I've been saying all week I don't care if the Steelers won or lost today vs. the Titans. Well I lied, kinda. I really don't care past a first round bye, homefield advantage isn't that big a deal. The problem is I really don't like when the Steelers lose.

Plus there is that whole offensive line sucking ass thing. Man they are really, really bad. I wonder if our backups can beat the Browns starters?

Perfect Gift

Sometimes its great when you find that special someone of 13 years a perfect gift. I mean I always get her something I like but this year she's going to love it. Giving is a lot more fun then getting, although a Troy Polamalu jersey is really nice.

Championship!

I'm in three fantasy football leagues and I'm in the championship game in all three of them. Not bad if I do say so myself. We'll see how it turns out.

WTF?

If that isn't one of the signs of the apocalypse I'm not sure what is. I was in Vegas this year when it got to 111 degrees. Seeing the Luxor covered in snow is more than a little weird.

No Movies

Man this holiday movie season is really devoid of anything I want to watch. Normally there is at least two or three movies I want to see but outside of James Bond I haven't wanted to see anything. Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait for Watchmen in March.

Football Is Not Baseball

Stats can measure just about everything in baseball. There just aren't enough stats yet to track everything in football. Aaron Smith and Ike Taylor don't have enough stats but man do they deserve to be in the Pro Bowl.

A Little More Offense

I really wish the Steelers would get just a little more offense but I'm starting to believe this schedule might have something to do with it. Maybe just a little.

The Steelers have the #1 defense. They've also played against the #2 defense (twice), the #3, and are about to play the #4 defense. Oh yeah they've played the #5, #6, #7, #11, #15, and #16 defense. The Steelers have played 14 games and 9 of those games are against a top half defense, 4 about to 5 against a top 5 defense. That's gotta play into it just a little.

All of this with their top RB playing hurt, their #2 RB out, and two OL starters out most of the year. You gotta play the schedule in front of you and you gotta play through injuries but it also means the Steelers aren't quite as bad on offense as I make them out to be.

They might not be a good offense but they're probably closer to average then closer to bad. Maybe, at least that's what I keep telling myself as the playoffs get closer.

A great D is good but you gotta score points to win. The Steelers can't expect to win every game by scoring less then 20 points a game.

Well when you tie a record and allow less then 300 yards in a game for 14 straight games maybe you can.

Better Then Last Year

I guess helping with this year's physical inventory is much better then last year's. My brain still hurts, I'm still covered in dust, cold and tired from going up and down a ladder and standing on concrete. But the product is in Charlotte and not Hartford, CT. I get to sleep in my own bed. Much better.

2008 AFC North Division Champion Pittsburgh Steelers

Man that looks good. First time they beat the Ravens in Baltimore since 2002. Man this Steelers team will take years off your life. That defense is so good and that offense is so bad. Today's game had some questionable calls go in the favor of the Steelers but at this point I'm not bitching. Hopefully someone can beat Baltimore in the playoffs so the Steelers don't have to play them. I'm tired of playing them this year. What a game!

3-6

I guess I can't really complain about the first half of the game. The Steelers made a few mistakes with some dumb penalties. Of course its a big game and their special teams decides not to show up with a few horrible punts and allowing them to return a punt and kick off pretty well. I swear it seems there are times I think the Steelers don't realize that special teams is part of the game.

Still the Steelers are in a decent position being down only a field goal. Man their defense is really good. I just wish the offense was a little better, not a lot better just a little better. We'll see what happens in the final 30 minutes.

No Turnovers

If Ben and the Steelers offense can limit the amount of turnovers and drops today they could beat the Ravens. We'll see how it goes but I'm still really worried. Man I hate playing the Ravens.

Two in a Row

After a sophomore never winning the Heisman we've had one win in two years in a row. I think Oklahoma has had a great year but man every QB in the Big 12 had a great year. The QBs in the crazy conferences where Boise State or Hawaii or BYU or whatever play don't get the Heisman because the whole conference puts up stupid big numbers. Well look at the Big 12 numbers and you'll see the same thing. I think Tebow should have won again and I can't stand the Gators.

Really, really worried

I really don't see the Steelers winning tomorrow. I think there is just too many factors against the Steelers. They almost never win in Baltimore and almost always split the season series against them. The Steelers beat the Ravens earlier and this game is in Baltimore. Plus this Ravens teams is actually pretty good and the Steelers have been atrocious on offense. It would be great for the Steelers to win but we'll see.

Good for me

The Yankees signed the oft-injured yet incredibly talented AJ Burnett. The Braves were trying to sign him to some huge deal as well but the Yankees came in with even a bigger deal. I want the Braves to be good again but I'd rather them be smart about it. I'd prefer if they took a year or two and built a really solid team and AJ Burnett is not part of that plan. We'll see what happens throughout the winter.

Dark Knight (Again)

Man this movie looks really, really good in blu ray. What a great movie.

I have lots of confidence

We have a weekly confidence points pick 'um in our office. We have a weekly payout and an overall payout. I've won five weeks and have the overall lead. Not too bad, it is nice to get a free lunch plus some every other week or so.

People just don't get the #1 rule in a confidence league, you must have a team in your top 3 or 4 picks that others don't. That and always pick against Detroit and Brett Favre in California.

Fantasy Update

The regular season ended for all three of my fantasy teams this week. Going into the weekend I was in first in all three leagues but I went 0-3 and dropped to 2nd in one, 4th in another, and remained 1st in the league I care about the most. I made the playoffs in all three leagues but hopefully I have a better showing this weekend.

355

Thanks for the memories Greg Maddux. There was a four year stretch were this guy was literally the best pitcher I've ever seen. I can remember a few innings where Braves pitchers have given up 4 home runs in that inning. I can also remember when Greg Maddux went an entire year, in 202 innings!

I'm not a huge fan of wins as a measure of a good pitcher but 355 is sure a hell of a lot of wins. Maddux also had a year when he won 19 games in 33 starts with 232 innings with whopping 20 walks. Yeah 19 wins with 20 walks is silly. How about a year with a 1.56 ERA followed up with a 1.63 ERA.

I could on for days about Maddux and his numbers. He was also a pretty good fielder I heard. For a pitcher he was pretty good with the bat because remember chicks did the long ball. He even stole 11 bases.

Greg Maddux is the very definition of a Hall of Famer. Thanks for the memories and the many short games when I had to work in the morning. How great it is that every fifth day I got to watch a Hall of Famer. Oh wait, three out of five days I got to watch one (well when Smoltz wasn't on the DL) but that's a story for a different blog.

Awesome

The end of that game was just awesome. It was needed since I can't see a way for the Steelers to beat the Ravens next week. The Steelers never sweep the Ravens and the way the Steelers are playing on offense that probably won't change next week. Still I'll take this win for now.

That's just messed up

I can't believe the Steelers won that game. That defense is really great but that offense needs some work. I'll babble about this later on. Right now I'm too jazzed with them actually winning a game they had no business even being in. The Cowboys owned the Steelers in going into the fourth quarter but somehow the Steelers won. It is just crazy!

Here we go Steelers, here we go!

Bring Back the 70s

Today is a throwback to the 70s rivalry between the Cowboys and the Steelers. Going into the season I put this game down as a loss for the Steelers because I thought the Cowboys were the best team in the NFL. That I guess is why they play the games instead of just go by the team on paper.

I'm still worried about the Cowboys but the Steelers really need to win this game. I think they're a better team then the Cowboys and I think its possible the Steelers are one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the NFL. With the Ravens seemingly unable to lose a game the Steelers need to keep winning. The next week or three will decide if the Steelers get the #2 seed or the #6 seed. They've proven before the #6 seed can win the Super Bowl but its usually easier with a home game and a week off.

Impressive

It is really impressive the Oklahoma put up 60 points in a game for five (or maybe six) games in a row. I watched some of the game tonight and I'll tell you they could let up much earlier. I'll stop short of saying it is unsportsmanlike but I will say what goes around comes around. Good luck against Florida

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. McGregor

My brother got married today. I wish him and his wife the best. To say there are some odd circumstances would be an understatement. Pretty Bird and I still wish them the best. Too bad we couldn't make the ceremony.

Quantum Of Solace

The ladies had something to do early this evening so I finally caught the latest Bond flick. I really enjoy the relaunch and think Daniel Craig is a pretty damn good Bond. This one wasn't as good as the previous one, Casino Royale but I still enjoyed it.

Silly Braves

The Braves are being really silly thinking they can win next year. They really should be planning for 2010 or 2011 and not next year. I guess this is why I don't run a baseball team.

On Demand

The DirecTV On Demand set up is really cool. My parents have On Demand through cable but it is mainly just a pay per view set up you can get any time. They have a little TV but almost everything you have to pay extra for. This set up is very different. We have thousands upon thousands of shows from almost every channel on DirecTV and they're all for free. We can get pay per view as well but that isn't near as cool as being able to catch on the episode of Mad Men we missed.

Surreal

Today just seemed so surreal it was freaky. I had three different phone conversations that all seemed so out there it was weird. It wasn't bad or good per se, it just out there.

Stupid People

I have enough things that are stressful in my life. I don't need family members who should be rational doing stupid dumbass things. Too bad that isn't how my family works. Idiots.

Best Third Quarter Ever

The Steelers looked really awful in the first half but they held it close. Then in the third quarter the Steelers just manhandled the Patriots. It was just an ass kicking on both sides of the ball. The Steelers still have plenty of questions on offense but man is that defense really fricking good. Next up is the Cowboys. The 'Boys have a good bit of offense but are inconsistent. Have no doubt it will be this week's "Game of the Century" according to the talking heads despite the fact the Cowboys are currently not going to the playoffs. I expect that to change but we'll see.

More then a little worried

Man the Patriots have owned the Steelers over the past few years. They Steelers are 8-3 and really only need to go 2-3 to make the playoffs so this isn't a 'must win' like many people want to call it for them. The Steelers schedule is tough but they are a pretty good team. They are as good as anyone left on their schedule so a nice 3-2 or even 4-1 finish would be great.

The Steelers are better then the Patriots this year. They've been better then the Patriots before and it hasn't mattered. We'll see how it turns out. I'm worried but it should be a good game. As long as the Steelers have figured out what to do on offense life will be much better. Their defense is really, really good.

Back Online!

It turns out it was a combination of a bad router and then a neighborhood phone/DSL outage. Well both are now fixed and completely back online. We've had sporadic bits of being online over the past five weeks but its been really bad not being completely online. Now we're good to go! Just in time to download some virtual console games for The Little One's new Wii. Good times.

Vote Early, Vote Often (Maybe Not Often)

The fans vote for the Pro Bowl doesn't count that much. Plus I don't think anyone watches the Pro Bowl. Usually however the best players at their positions make the Pro Bowl so it is nice for your fans. So go vote. Unlike the MLB All-Star game I don't think I'm going to vote more then once.

I know I'm voting for Hines Ward and then quite a few Steelers on defense. Not so many on offense though.

Tough Game

It actually wasn't that tough of a game. The Steelers really controlled the game in almost every catergory save the score. Obviously that is the only stat that counts and the Steelers made plenty of mistakes to allow the Chargers to lead most of the game. It still worked out okay but I'd love it if they figured out how to turn some of the yards into points. It is nice to have a game lead in the division again.

I'd still prefer if Troy got a TD as would a few in Vegas I'm sure.

Drivers Seat

The Steelers are still in their own drivers seat. They hold their own destiny but they are reeling more then a little. I'm really worried about today's game. The injuries for the Steelers are really starting to mount up and I'm not sure how it will matter. Healthy I think the Steelers are a top 5 team, now who knows.

Clone Wars

The Little One and I watch the Clone Wars every week. I enjoy it but I think I might have to miss next week since it is a Jar Jar based episode. LucasFilm is doing what they want to do, according to the Little One almost everyone in her class watches Clone Wars and based on its ratings it seems to not be just her class. Still I'll skip Jar Jar.

Back From Vegas

A nice little two and a half day trip to Vegas is over. I need to find an excuse for my job to send me there every month or so. I wasn't out there long enough to get my sleep schedule all messed up but I still really don't want to be at work today.

Winner!

Three tournaments at the Treasure Island this year (two in July, one today) and three times I've cashed in them. I got 5th and 2nd in July and tonight I got 1st! In July Vegas was much busier so the tournaments had 60 to 80 players tonight they only had 49 plus 3 rebuys. Still it is nice to get $890 to pay for Christmas. I didn't really have any major memorable hands. I just stayed in the middle of the pack most of the way until the last 8 and then I doubled up with AJ vs. KQ and neither of us hit. That put me in third with 8 to go.

When I got heads up I was down probably 2 to 1, maybe a little closer. The poker boss gave us the chop amount and I of course offered to chop. The other player looked at his chips and then at mine and said no. Heads up 2 to 1 isn't that big a lead but I'm not sure I would have taken the chop either. Of course if I wasn't going to take the chop I would have been a better heads up player. This guy just wasn't good at all. He let me push him around a little stealing a few blinds. Then he tries to push me around with all in my big blind when I had KK. Then it was just a matter of time until my A7 took out his K7 suited.

Not a bad way to end my trip to Vegas.

Alyssa Milano

I had no idea she owned a company that made MLB licensed clothes. I have no idea if the clothes look good or sell well. I do know she knows how to hire sales & marketing people in a male dominated industry. They aren't as attractive as Alyssa but there were some attractive women working her booth. Too bad Alyssa didn't make this show, apparently she was there last year. Timing is everything I guess.

Off to Vegas!

I'm off to Vegas for the MLB hardline show. I'm only there for about 50 hours but I still should get some poker and blackjack in. Plus I get to eat at Samba and am already upgraded for both flights. Sometimes my job isn't that bad.

Ending Was Good

The ending was good but I really didn't enjoy tonight's Heroes. I have enjoyed most of the season even though I really don't like the plot. It's a comic book on TV and it helps to remember that it isn't going to be the West Wing every week. We'll see how it changes after the new year with Jeph Loeb gone.

Stil Pissed

Man the Steelers should have won that game yesterday. Losing to Peyton Manning and the Colts is never really that embarrassing but the Steelers are better this year. They had that game in control and then Ben and his injured shoulder messed it up. Well the Steelers were a better team when they were healthy, who knows now. At least I get a nice trip to Vegas to get my mind off blowing that game.

Stupid Colts

There isn't much I could say other then the Steelers didn't deserve to win. Ben reminds too much of Ben from two years ago and not enough of Ben from last year. Oh well. Still in first place and some games they can win coming up. One things for sure, this isn't the third or fourth best team in the league. Not how they're playing now.

Yes We Can

I hadn't seen this until today. I guess Will.I.Am is more then just a hologram on CNN. That is a really good commercial.

Life Imitates Art

Well maybe its not art. If any TV has been art it was the West Wing.

I knew the season six writers based Matt Santos somewhat off Barack Obama because of his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

What I didn't know is that Aaron Sorkin based Josh Lyman off Rahm Emanuel during Emanuel's years on President Clinton's staff.

So much of season six and seven has had paralled this election why not have it end the same was as the show. It is more than a little surreal that a show that ended two years ago before Obama officially declared his intention to run for president has this many things predicted.

Life is Short

When my mom was 9 the Governor of Alabama prevented black students from attending the University of Alabama. When my daughter was 9 I (along with about 52% of the country) voted for a black man to become the next President of the United States. We sure have some a long way in a pretty short period of time.

Congratulations

I guess America really is about change. Three or four years ago I literally would have bet a lifetimes worth of money that a black man would not be elected president in my lifetime. I'm very proud to be wrong.

Congratulations President-Elect Barack Obama!

Stop Reading and Go Vote!

Go Vote!

Ugly Win?

I personally believe a win is a win, it doesn't matter how. Still it was pretty ugly. That was a brutal game but I'll take it. One thing is for sure the Steelers have one hell of a defense. Hopefully Ben is okay because Peyton is next.

Stupid NFL Game 8

This should be a good matchup for the Steelers. The Redskins have injuries and the Steelers are getting a little healthy. Plus what the Redskins are good at doesn't really bother the Steelers. The problem is that I don't know what the Steelers are trying to do on offense. Maybe having Willie Parker back will help. I'm worried but this should be a good matchup for the Steelers. Still 5-3 isn't the end of the world, double that and it is 10-6. Still it would help if Old Cleveland would lose some. Just maybe it could be a good night.

McCain

McCain was really funny on SNL last night. It reminds me of the old pre-2004 John McCain and this "neocon I want to be president" John McCain. I would have maybe voted for pre-2004 McCain, this one not so much.

Just Crazy

Normally I'm against political commercials completely. But you should go YouTube this shitty commercial that Elizabeth Dole is running against Kay Hagan. It basically calls Hagan an atheist. Church shouldn't matter in politics but it does. I can't believe she's running a commercial calling someone else "godless". If I was going to vote for you Dole I sure as hell won't know. WTF!

Still Not Fixed

We still haven't fixed our router issue. I'll continue to blog when I feel like it and can.

Vote!

Sure a week from today some important voting day happens. Politics are somewhat important but those decisions only matter for a few years. The Hall of Fame vote is timeless. I started really being a football fan in about 1988/87. Rod Woodson and Merrill Hoge were my first two favorite football players. Rod Woodson was something else. He could hit and cover plus he was a pretty good return guy.

To all you sportswriters out there, I'm sure they all read this blog, just remember to vote for Rod Woodson. He doesn't want to raise anyone's taxes.

Not That Hard

Long snapping can't really be that fucking hard can it? To lose the game essentially on one play is just crazy. Tis life I guess.

Four Interceptions

Four interceptions is really all you need to know about the Steelers afternoon. Going into the season and definitely after the Eagles game I know the Giants would be a horrible match up. Turns out I was correct. Tis life I guess. They've got some tough games coming up and need to figure a few things on offense. Still a 1.5 game lead in the division is good times.

Crap

The offense and special teams have played like crap. Two interceptions is awful. The Giants should be up by 14 or so but the defense has held pretty good. The offense better get some things going if they expect to even stay in this game. They've protected Ben well all things considered. Still two INTs is really.

All of the horrible play and to only be down by 2 isn't that bad. Hopefully the D can continue to play well and the offense can do just a little bit better.

Really Worried

I am really worried about today's game. The Giants are a horrible match up for the Steelers when their healthy. They're an even worse match up with the Steelers missing some key players, some for injury and some for being stupid. We'll see but I'm really worried. Either way I still think Ben's had a better career then Eli.

Waste of a Weekend

I was going to do a few things with the Little One today but then my chest decided to interfere. When that happens I really don't have the energy to do much. At least tomorrow she's going to go see High School Musical 3 with some of her friends. She's been looking forward to that for a bit now.

Two Weeks

I only have two weeks to figure out what to get Pretty Bird before she turns 30. Her and my mom and aunt gave me a great gift when I turned 30, a trip to Vegas to see Aerosmith. With it being the school year and us slightly shorter on funds I doubt I'll be able to do something that cool. I do have a few ideas though.

Listen to Opie!

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

I normally could give a shit about who a celebrity says I should vote for. I actually don't care about Ron Howard's endorsement. I think this is a great commercial.

I do think you should vote. I do also think you should vote the party I'm registered with out of the White House. Whatever they're doing now the republicans in Washington aren't the republicans I side with. This has been a disaster and the GOP needs real reform. More importantly the country needs real reform.

Go do some research then a few days from now GO VOTE!

Free Tacos For All

Thanks to the Tampa Rays for free tacos for all!

It's Not Tampa Bay!

The Giants and Jets should be the New Jersey Jets or Giants. There is no place as New England or Carolina. There is no sports team that plays in Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay is a body of water not an actual location. I mean I guess there could be a swim or sailing team or something that plays in the bay but the Rays or Bucs don't.

Go Tampa Rays! Small market for the win!

May The Force Be With You

This looks interesting. I'm not a fan of MMOs but Bioware can sure make a great video game.

Getting Pretty Good

At first I wasn't enjoying this season of Heroes. The past few episodes have been much better and I can't see exactly where they're going which is great. Still not quite season one quality but pretty damn good.

Yet another plea for moving some shows. Not counting MNF there are still 4 shows and 3 hours of stuff to watch on Monday. This is before Dollhouse and 24 in January. Wtf!

First Place Is Good

It is so good to have a 2.5 game lead in the division. Still the Steelers have a really bad match up this coming weekend. If you want to be the best you gotta beat the champs so let's bring on the Giants.

38-10

I guess the Steelers didn't take the second half off. If they put together everything then I think they could be a pretty damn good team. Taking quarters or halves off will make you lose games against good teams.

It sure is fun to beat teams from Ohio.

Ut Oh

The Steelers looked great in the first quarter and most of the second quarter. They however didn't try to score enough points. Then the Bengals decided to drive down and score a TD before the half. If the Steelers keep leaving points on the field and not getting off the field on 3rd down like they did to end the half it could lead to a bad result. Still a 10-7 lead is still a lead.

Worried?

It's the NFL and any team can beat any other team. The clearly better Steelers lost to the Jets on the road last year and to a number of team including the Bengals and Raiders on the road in 2006. In the NFL anything can happen on any given Sunday.

That however is the only reason I'm worried. The #2 or #3 team in the AFC should beat the bottom feeder, home or away. The only reason the Steelers might lose this game is if they are flat and turn the ball over. Otherwise the Steelers are better in nearly every area you can measure a team. They've got some really tough games coming up, they'd better beat the junky teams. Plus it's always great to beat the Bengals or any team from Ohio.

Still I'm a little worried, it is any given Sunday.

Sunday, 1pm

These are my favorite types of games. I get to sit around on a Sunday and actually watch the Steelers. I have to be at work at 7:30 so staying up after midnight is tough. I used to love when the Steelers had a primetime game because it meant I knew they were going to be on TV. Now with Sunday Ticket I get every game, I want to watch the Steelers at 1pm on a Sunday.

The Little One & Star Wars

The nice thing about the Clone Wars show is that the Little One really likes it. We watch it together and she really gets into it. It also prompted her to want to watch the actual Star Wars movies. She's seen them all but now she wants to watch them in order. Today we watch Episode 1 and Episode 2. I gotta say EP2 is really bad, not really any redeeming qualities. I mean really what's up with the video style conveyor belt, is that necessary?

Episode 1 wasn't that bad and she really enjoyed it. After the Steelers game tomorrow we'll probably watch Episode 3.

Broken Interwebs

It seems we're having issues with our wireless router. It is almost 5 years old so it's probably time to get a new one but I'm stubborn and I think I can fix it.

Last week I was just lazy and didn't blog.

Gotta Love Ohiuo

This ones for Mkae and Shocho. Mkae being from Ohio (and a Browns fan) and Shocho just loving typos. Ohio gave us four more years in 2004 and not one but two versions of the Browns. At least they gave the Steelers Ben Roethlisberger, that makes up for something right.

Too Optimistic

I've been telling people for long time this financial issue is based on real issues. Those issues are going to cause longer term problems and won't be fixed by the typical government band aid. On Monday two weeks ago when the Dow lost 750+ points and people freak out I said don't freak out too much, it's going to go much lower. I thought the Dow would go to about 8,500 and stayed around there for while. Then it would start to slowly recover.

Now I'm beginning to think 8,500 might have been too optimistic. I think long term things will be fine. A lot of pretend paper wealth is now gone. Unfortunately there are a few people who bought houses doing the crazy boom that have probably 10 years or more to recover their paper losses.

Short term though things will be tough. Some people can't afford paper losses now. They are near retirement, paying for college, or need to sell their house because their moving. That's tough.

I do wish the government would stop trying band aids for corporations. I really wish they'd stop borrowing from the future. The two big spending presidents in history, FDR and Ronald Reagan spent big for big reasons. Recovering from the Great Depression and winning World War 2 was a pretty big deal. Reagan had to recover from whatever the fuck we did to the economy in the 70s. He also won that Cold War thing, which despite what the liberals want you to believe was actually a real threat. Borrowing from the future so you can give everyone $600 isn't always a good idea.

Damn Good Public Speaker

I'm still amazed it's been since 1996 since we've had a candidate who could speak in public well. Personally I think that should be part of the job description to be in public office but I guess that's just me. I mean you're elected as councilman, mayor, senator, or president because the public trusts your judgment. This is a republic not a democracy, the public doesn't vote directly on the issues, we elect people to do make those decisions for us. If you can't speak well in public how the hell are you supposed to convince the people that you've made the correct decision. How are you supposed to convince them that sending their children into harms way or raising their taxes to help poor children get insurance is a good idea when you can't properly form a sentence. Bob Dole, Al Gore, John Kerry, and of course George Bush are all god awful public speakers. At least McCain isn't half bad. This Obama guy though is pretty damn good.

This is also my favorite type of ad, it doesn't focus on how bad the other guy is but who your guy is for. Sure it only mentions the actual issues for one line in the ad but it doesn't mention how awful McCain is ever. A big rule in advertising is to not focus on your competitors too much, you'd think the same went for national politics. I guess I'm wrong.

Drinking Game Follow Up

I only caught Madden twice using Hines Ward's name when it wasn't really necessary. Maybe someone had a mute button for his mic. Two drinks is not enough to get drunk that's for sure. Silly Madden.

4-1 Baby!

The Steelers are 40% through the 'Race For Ten' that I talked about in week one. They also have a 2.5 game lead in their division which is even better then being 4-1. They've got some tough games coming up after the bye but right now it was a great quarter (+1 game) of the season.

Tonights game was the offense I envisioned for the Steelers. Ben is a really good QB, use him more. I understand with a solid rushing attack and a great defense that you take the air out of the ball with a good lead. You gotta get that lead first. The Steelers need to pass more to get a lead. They also really need to use more of the quick passes like they did in the first half tonight. The Steelers coaches sometimes really make you scratch your head. Still a solid win is nice.

Dumb Coaches

Man the Steelers coaches can be dumb. They moved the ball at will vs. the Jaguars in the first half. They come out in the third quarter and just lay an egg. Hopefully they get it together in the fourth quarter because if they don't the Steelers won't win this game.

Good (and Bad) First Half

The Steelers had a pretty good first half. Like I wrote earlier the Steelers are better then the Jaguars. If they cut down on the mistakes they will win this game easily. That said there have been quite a few mistakes in the first half, the INT for a TD and the PI in the end zone. We'll see if the coaches go straight to the run despite the fact the pass has been working.

Madden (Steelers) Drinking Game

Madden's replacement for Favre is either Eli Manning or Tony Romo. However he's got a huge hard on for Hines Ward. For the entire second half of the Jags-Steelers playoff game last year Madden wouldn't shut up about Hines Ward. He was constantly rambling about how the Steelers needed to get Ward involved in the game. Nevermind that Ward caught 11 passes in that game.

I think Madden most of the time is pretty good. I obviously really like Hines Ward. Still take a shot every time Madden mentions Hines Ward when he isn't directly involved in the play and you'll have one helluva hangover tomorrow.

More Than A Little Worried

I'm more than a little worried about the Steelers vs. the Jags tonight. The Steelers lost both games vs. the Jags last year. In those games the Steelers proved they could move the ball almost at will vs. the Jags. Of course it took them until the second half to try and go pass happy and it was too late in both cases.

The Steelers are without three running backs and the Jags are without 50% of their starting secondary. The Jags are also not a good pass rushing team. The Steelers should pass a lot tonight but they'll probably run way too often. They also should blitz the heck out of the overrated Garrard but they probably won't.

The Steelers have a good chance to win but we'll see if they get into their own way or not.

Don't Hate It

I really don't hate the Star Wars: Clone Wars tv show. The best part is that The Little One really likes it. It's really fun to have her like something I enjoy as well.

Sonny Purdue

The democrats have this impression that every republican is this rambling idiot trying to pander to the 'common man'. The current president really helps enforce that stereotype. Not all republicans are like that just like not all democrats want to tax 90% from the rich and give it all to the poor.

Man does Sonny Purdue enforce that George Bush stereotype though. The Governor of Georgia is a complete fucking idiot. This is a man who essentially got elected on the platform of changing the state flag. The flag was changed from the 'stars and bars' flag to an all blue field with the state seal. Now I understand that the stars and bars is part of the culture in the south. If the state flag was the stars and bars since Georgia was readmitted to the union I'd have no problem with it currently being the state flag. That isn't the case though. The flag was changed during the civil rights movement as an attempt to say fuck you to the black community. The Civil War wasn't fought entirely over slaves rights. Remembering the heritage of a state that includes a Civil War is fine. Having a state flag that was installed as a sign of racism however is a load of shit.

Perdue ran on the platform of changing it back or at least to something that included the stars and bars. He probably had other things in his election platform but based on his commercials all I know that he wanted to do was change the flag. Again I'm okay with the stars and bars on the flag for the right reason. I'm not so okay with government being focused on changing the flag. I'm sure there are other things that elected officials should focus on. That is pandering at its highest form.

Pandering works so Perdue is in office which is just great for the citizens of Georgia. Since he's been governor he's done some great things.

During the Katrina fuel crisis, which only was high prices and two to three days of a shortage, he closed schools for two days. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative is awful but it is brilliant compared to Purdue's "Every Child Left Behind." Education is about the most important this a government does. I think maybe if we needed to save gas we could you know, stop working on roads for two days or close certain goverment offices.

The Southeast has been in a huge drought for almost five years. This year isn't so bad, in fact NC is almost up for the year. The drought was really bad in 06 and near devestating in 07. Most of the states that are affected, NC, SC, AL, parts of TN, and parts of FL started installing certain conservation measures back in 05. They really stepped up in 06. The governor of Alabama and Florida, plus the Army Corps of Engineers and the US government urged Georgia to implement conservation measures in 2005 and 2006. The Chatahoochie river basin supplies a lot of water for Alabama and Florida. Purdue didn't start putting conservation measures into place until late 2006.

In 2007 he of coursed pandered and tried to appear dramatic. He threated to use the GA National Guard to sieze Lake Lanier's damn (the damn the controls the water for the Chatahoochie) because the Army Corps of Engineers was to him releasing too much water. The river supplies water to Alabama, north Florida, and PLACES IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA. Purdue wanted the water for Atlanta and the surrounding areas. Obviously the governor of Alabama and Florida weren't too happy. Purdue's response was essentially the water is in Georgia so it was for the Georgians.

That isn't his most well known drought solution though. Purdue's best was his statewide prayer day. He actually set up a prayer day in Georgia to pray for water. He is sensationalism and pandering at its best. Don't actually have a real, proactive plan, just blame others and use theatrics to deflect the blame.

Purdue's most recent exploits are just as stupid. Currently TN, AL, SC, NC, and GA are having a huge gas shortage. I'm surprised it isn't being covered hardly at all in the national news. Hell the local news is somewhat avoiding it. In NC it is annoying more than anything else. Gas is here, it's just expensive and you have to look for it sometimes. Most stations don't run out for more than two days in a row. Most of the troubled states are simliar to NC.

Not Georgia though, they have it much worse. The shortage is caused by Ike forcing the refinery that feeds this area being turned off. Then the pipeline that supplies here was also turned off. Apparently turning it off caused it to break or something and it is causing delays. One of the ways a state can avoid huge issues is to petition the EPA to suspend some of its restrictions for a short time. This can make it easier to get gas. Every state but Georgia did that almost immediately. Sure residents of Charlotte probably don't notice but I know residents in Atlanta that have it much worse.

With the largest population center in the troubled area Purdue should lead the charge, not react 10 days later. Of course now he's threating to sue the EPA. He's also petitioning the President to release oil for the SPR. Oil isn't the problem you dolt. The shortage has a light at the end of the tunnel, it should be fixed within the next 7 to 10 days. To release oil from the SPR wouldn't have any effect on supply for four to six weeks. React late and use theatrics to deflect blame to others. President Bush is an idiot and has a horrible approval rating. Now the citizens of Georgia will blame paying $0.75 more than Florida for gas or not finding any at all on the President.

What an idiot. Every time I see a story with Sonny Purdue's name in it I'm so glad I don't live in Georgia anymore.

First Place!

That's First Place! There is no way the Steelers should have won that game. Still I'll take 3-1 when you've played poorly in three of the four games anytime. Of course I think Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis might have to suit up for RB against the Jags.

No JDub you can't have Moore back, he's pretty good. Hopefully Tomlin figures that out on passing plays.

OT

Free football. For the record I really dislike the NFL OT rules. This is before the coin toss or anything. If the Steelers get the toss and the Ravens don't get the ball I will still dislike the rule.

Third Quarter

Okay so the third quarter was slightly better. From down 13 to 3 to up 17 to 13 on just a few plays. Hopefully they can keep the momentum up and stick it to Old Cleveland. Still a good bit of football to play.

Awful

God damn do they look just awful. I mean really awful. At least the Ravens aren't very good on offense so the Steelers are only down 10 points. Still four drives with -3 yards is really, really bad. I guess the Steelers have never heard of a screen or draw play.

Stupid Old Cleveland

If the Steelers had even a little pass protection I wouldn't be worried about tonight's game at all. Since they don't have any I'm really worried. Still it is a rookie QB, come on Steelers!

Too Many Shows

We finally got our free HD DVR from DirecTV. I refused to pay money for something. Actually that's not true I would have paid about $100 but $300 was too much. Well I convinced DirecTV to give me one for free. I also got the $100 SuperFan for free but that's a different conversation. Now we have two DVR/TiVo things. The HD one can record two shows at once, the three year old TiVo is only hooked up for one line. This house is not satellite wired. Even with three lines there are too many things to watch tonight. I mean really, is this necessary.

Heroes
Terminator
How I Met Your Mother
Big Bang Theory
Life
Chuck
and of course MNF with the Steelers

It looks like Chuck is the odd man out. Life isn't normally on Mondays and it doesn't have good ratings so it probably won't be on anything for long. Still when MNF is over then Dollhouse and 24 start. Does everything have to be on Monday?

No Sleep

I haven't had any real insomnia problems in a good bit but last night I just couldn't sleep at all. I might have fallen asleep by 3am, that last I looked at the clock it was about 2:40. Today should be fun.

No Steelers

Sitting around watching football all day isn't fun without the Steelers. I'm a little worried about their game tomorrow but still I wish they were playing today.

RIP Butch

I usually don't let celebrities dying mean much to me. I mean everyone dies. I can't worry about people I don't know dying, that be too much.

Paul Newman was something else. A great actor, a great humanitarian, a race car driver, and made a pretty good salad dressing. I loved him on the screen and really respected his charity work. May rain drops keep falling on your head.

Just a Joke

I used to like John McCain a lot. If he actually got the nomination in 2000 I would have been happy to have voted for him. McCain actually used to be a maverick but the past four to six years he realized that if he's going to be president he needs to carry the base on the republican party. Now he's just another puppet in this thing that used to be the republican party. Nominating Palin is that absolute last straw. Those that know me and have read my blog know that I'm voting for Obama. But I've also told people that I would be okay with McCain as president as well. Picking a complete novice based completely on gender to be next in line for a 72 year old person with a history of cancer, yeah no thanks.

This Mkae is why people like John Stewart can't stand Sarah Palin.

It Really Is A Small World

On Monday I was shopping for The Little One (well with her) at Downtown Disney. Today I was shopping for The Little One (and her mom) at Downdown Disney. Of course the two different World of Disney stores were separated by some 2000+ miles. I love playing Santa.

On the Road...Again

Right after the greatest of all birthdays at Disney World I'm on the road in California for a few work related stops. I will update the great trip to Disney World this weekend when I get home.

But I'm Not Sick

When you get news of a family member or other loved who's really sick you want to be depressed. Hell I've wanted to feel sorry for myself all day. I'm aware enough of life that I understand I need to allow myself to be depressed and to start to deal with the inevitable grief that will come. There are two things that prevent me from allowing that to dominate my life. First is as tough as it is now and is going to be in the future for me it is going to be much tougher on The Little One. I'm 32 and much more aware of how things work then The Little One. Objectively I understand everything dies. How or when you die isn't that important. What is important is how you've lived. It is very cliche but very true. The Little One won't understand that, she can't possibly grasp it. I know, as much as anyone can know anything, that this person has really lived a great life. Sure she might have a few regrets if you asked her but if everyone did the things she's done then the world would be a much better place. I only hope years from now if I face a terminal illness I can look back on my life and see the accomplishments and things I'm leaving for the world and see what she sees. I understand it, The Little One doesn't. I must be strong for her. I must.

The other reason I can't wallow in my self pity is ultimately I'm not sick. I'm not the one who has to go to the doctor's office every week. I'm not the one who has to make a choice between another round of incredibly tough treatment or shorting my lifespan. I'm not the one who two years ago had a doctor tell them that they have terminal cancer. Her life will almost assuredly end because of this disease. Nothing we know as a collective race of humans will keep this disease from ending her life. But I'm not sick, she is. If she is strong for her loved ones and is dying from something that nobody can control, how can I sit around and feel sorry for myself. I just can't do it. I can allow myself times to feel sorry for myself but when it's all said and done I'm not sick. I have a loving wife and a great daughter, what more can someone ask for.

So I must be strong because that's what is required of me. I will also allow myself to be depressed from time to time. Tonight I'm depressed. Tonight is tough. Tonight I'm going to have a few drinks and get some sleep. Writing this was really good for me. I've had a few drinks so I hope nobody minds the typos or wrong words. Well hopefully there aren't anymore than normal. :)

I'm a Sports God!

Okay maybe not so much. But I won our picks league, won my week in fantasy baseball to make it into the finals, and won all three fantasy football games. That is pretty good. Plus winning the weekly picks league means I get enough money for a free lunch or two. Good times.

Two Things

Two good things can happen on a weekly basis in the NFL. First and more important is the Steelers winning. Second is the Browns losing. Steelers beating the Browns makes for a great Monday morning.

Ten In A Row

Ten in a row versus the puppies! It's late so I'm not going to write too much. Man it was a good day for football games, lots of close games and late comebacks. It sticks for JDub but other than that it was a pretty damn good day. Sorry JDub but I do like Peyton so it wasn't that bad, even though I think your team is still pretty good. What a game with SD vs. Denver, I mean that was just crazy.

An ugly win for the Steelers is still a win. I'll take that any day.

Half Time

Man a stressful game. I had bad weather games. I do like that Troy is back and as good as ever.

Stupid Browns

I'm a little worried about the Steelers game. Bad weather and a recently hurt Ben makes me a little worried. Plus the Browns are due to actually beat the Steelers, eventually. Actually I'm more than a little worried. Man I love and hate football at the same time.

Preseason Predictions (A week late)

I wrote this last week but for someone reason it saved instead of posts. I'm such a bad player I didn't realize it until Thursday or so. I'm such a bad blogger. Either way I did write these last week.

Pre-Season Predictions
Some years I do preseason predictions, some years I don't. This year I decided it would be fun. Remember about half the teams from one year don't make the playoffs the next. That isn't a bad outlook for the Steelers since they play 8 playoff teams in 16 games plus the 10-6 Browns. Playoff teams in italics.

AFC
East - I think the whole division outside of the Patriots will be improved this year. I don't think the Patriots will be bad I just don't think you can improve on 16-0. The Jets are overrated by the media and the Fish will probably win 6 games. The Bills I expect to go 9-7 though and be the 6th wild card team.

Patriots
Bills
Jets
Dolphins

North - I really don't like to pick Pittsburgh to win, I don't like to jinx them. This is part of my rehabilitation to realize what I do doesn't usually have much impact. That is as long as I don't smite the Football Gods. The Browns will probably beat the Steelers at least once this year. The Browns are still very overrated. The Bengals and the Ravens just stink. The Steelers have depth issues on both lines which is really bad who knows maybe they don't really get any major injuries, doubtful.

Steelers
Browns
Bengals
Ravens

South -I want to not pick the Colts, I think this year age and bad luck finally catch up to them. They do have the best player in football in Peyton Manning so that counts for a lot. I think the Jags will stutter and not make the playoffs. I think Garrard isn't actually very good. The Texans might finish second and edge out the Bills for the 6th spot but I'm not sure. The Titans aren't good on offense and eventually the smoke and mirrors offense won't work. The Titans do have a really good D though.

Colts
Jaguars
Texans
Titans

West - The Broncos have a really good offense. Cutler and Marshall are going to emerge as huge stars this year. The Chargers have a ton of injuries on key players. Rivers, LdT, Gates, and Merriman are all battling pretty big injuries, either recent or from last year. The Chargers are still a 10-6 team or so even with all the injuries. The Raiders are dysfunctional but not actually that bad. The Chiefs just stink. This is a weird division for coaches. Edwards, Kiffen, and Turner are all awful. Shanahan should clean up in this division.

Broncos
Chargers
Raiders
Chiefs

NFC
East - Dallas is the best team in the NFC. They are probably the second best team behind the Patriots. They have some question marks, like is TO going to blow up. Either way they're really good. The Eagles now have some youth on defense and the explosive Westbrook. If McNabb can find other people to throw the ball to they'll be the second or third best team in the NFC. The Giants will be 8-8 or so. They lost too much and they have to play the Cowboys and Eagles twice. The Redskins are really bad. They won last year with smoke and mirrors and that won't work this year.

Cowboys
Eagles
Giants
Redskins

North - I think Minnesota is the second best in the NFC. Like the 90s Steelers teams they'll do pretty well in the regular season. Like those Steelers teams they'll be exposed in the playoffs with bad QB play. If the Vikings had any top half QB, just like those Steelers, they'd be a top 3 or 4 team. I think Green Bay played out of their minds last year and come back to earth some. The loss of Favre isn't that big a deal but I don't expect them to make the playoffs. The less said about the Lions and Bears the better.

Vikings
Packers
Bears
Lions

South - New Orleans should blow through this division. They have incredible talent on the offense and finally some talent on the D. Carolina should be good provided Delhomme and Peppers actually remember they're pretty good. Well Jake isn't bad but Peppers is awesome. Tampa Bay wasn't good last year and this year the record will reflect that. The Falcons are still a year or two away.

Saints
Panthers
Bucs
Falcons

West - Yes I'm picking Arizona to win the division. Yes in the past I've done this and they've shit all over my pick. This year it's gotta work right! The Seahawks won't have enough on offense but they've got a decent defense. The 49ers could surprise people but I doubt it. The Rams aren't good at all.

Cardinals
Seahawks
49ers
Rams

Make it so #1

Sometimes Fark users come up with some great pictures to reply to stories. This one sure is a keeper.

Remember and Learn

Yes I understand that seven years ago some crazy fucking idiots flew airplanes into buildings. I remember watching all day on TV (because I was working nights), I just couldn't believe it and couldn't stop watching. I still can't get over how tragic and awful that it was. I can't fathom running up into a burning building no matter the reason. I don't think I could do that save my wife or daughter being in the building. Yet there I watched it on TV, firemen, policemen, friends, neighbors, many people trying to save whoever they could. I don't want to forget how tragic 9/11 was and I want us to learn from our mistakes going forward.

I do wish politicians wouldn't use 9/11 to try and make political gains. Nothing that stems from 9/11 can be viewed as a victory. It was a failed foreign policy and failed law enforcement/intelligence that lead to 9/11. Since 2001 all that 9/11 has done is lead to even more failed foreign policy and law enforcement tactics. Just leave well enough alone. It's a tragedy, remember it and learn from it. Don't try and make political gains from it.

No Flying Today

Three out of the last four years (not counting today) I've flown on September 11. I gotta admit the first time I had a little weird feeling. Yet another one of the changes with new job duties from years past.

New Hotness

Today I got a great thing at work, a brand new computer. For the first time I have a computer at any job that's better than my computer at home. Our computers at work are (were for me) circa 2001 machines. Way past time to replace them. This one is nice, so much faster. Of course payment for getting one of the first new machines is I have to help set up the future machines. Also I'll have to spend countless hours answers Vista questions. Still it was nice to spend a lot less time waiting for Photoshop to open.

Why?

Why when I actually get 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep do I spend all day more tired then when I get the usual 5.5 to 6 hours. Stupid conditioning.

Don't Buy It

I don't buy John Conner's actions last night on Terminator. No way he does that. I don't think he'd be allowed to either. Still a fun episode to watch but I still don't buy it.

Bring On The Puppies

Bring on those overrated winbag Cleveland Browns. Eventually the Steelers must lose to them but it doesn't have to be this week. I love and hate playing the Browns at the same time. Beating them is pretty damn sweet though.

One Down, Nine To Go

I've a few times that some NFL coaches refer to the regular season as the "Race To Ten." Almost every team that gets 10 wins make the playoffs. The Steelers took the first of ten (or more hopefully) steps towards the playoffs. They kicked the shit out of the Texans. It was such an ass kicking that I didn't even watch much of the second half. A good start to the NFL season, unless of course you're a Patriots fan.

Are you ready for some football?

I know I am. This play helps me get ready for the season. Go Steelers!

Two weeks from today

Will be the biggest surprise possible for the Little One's birthday. I really do think her head will explode.

Stay on target

Almost there...College football starts today and the NFL starts on Thursday. Man I'm ready for the 1pm kickoff with the Steelers hosting the Texans. Just a week to go!

Yes it was that impressive

That even McCain is giving congratulations. Not exactly your typical political commerical.

Something Else

Now that speech was something else. Who cares about content, watching someone give a speech before 75,000 to 100,00 is quite impressive. Obama's popularity allowing the democrats to pull something like this off will be stark contrast to the republicans next week.

Congratulations

It's official, the Democratic Nominee for President of the United States. The vote was today and he's now officially the candidate. Hopefully this is just another step in a journey to the White House.

Good times, bad times

You know I've had my share.

Good Times - the 5:50 (and beyond) mark in Stairway to Heaven
Bad Times - the 7:04 mark when my burnt CD started to skip

Guess I'll have to make another copy.

So wrong yet so funny

Oops

I like reading old articles to see how wrong the predictions people make be after a few years. This guy wrote an article about how DVD wasn't going to succeed. Obviously he was wrong.

Tropic Thunder

Man I dislike me some Ben Stiller but he was okay in this movie. Robert Downey, Jr. and Tom Cruise, yes Tom Cruise, are incredible in this though. Typical movie like this, you'll be dumber after watching it but man is it funny.

Football Team #1

I'm not even going to post my first fantasy football team. My draft was just awful.

Five Super Bowls

It's been a week and I'm deep into playing Madden 09. My Steelers have had a few run ins but I'm still undefeated. I'm gradually pushing the difficulty level up and it's tougher each week. In addition I just hit the part of the schedule where in five weeks the Steelers play Indianapolis, San Diego, New England, and Dallas. Who the fuck thought that was a good idea. Anyway while the game is loading it gives you facts about the home team. One of the facts for the Steelers are that they've won five Super Bowls. It even goes on to list them.

IX
X
XIII
XIV
XXX
XL

Good job EA!

Too Much Rain

We came back from Myrtle Beach today and man was there a bunch of rain on the way back. It took us an extra 90 minutes to get home. I'm from south Florida so I know how to drive in the rain but it still much more time consuming and stressful. Still we're back and had a great time at the beach. The Little One had a lot of fun learning to boogie board.

Opening Night

The opening night for a Star Wars movie and I'm not going to go, it is very odd. I know I've rambled about this to friends and maybe even on this blog but it just seems odd. It isn't that Star Wars has changed for me as much as this doesn't look very good. That and we're going on vacation for the weekend. I'll probably catch it next week.

Pretend Game #2

If the Steelers game was on live tonight I might actually watch it. I must really love the NFL if I'm willing to watch pretend games. Man I'm ready for the regular season.

Trifecta

It was a great trifecta today on PTI. It was Tony and Wilbon (which during the summer is incredibly rare) and no Brett Favre headlines. Great show.

Olympic Viewing

The Little One has been watching some of the Olympics. She's a fan of the girls gymnastics and some of the shorter swimming events. It is fun to watch her get excited when someone from Team USA does well.

Maddenoliday

Tomorrow is the release of Madden. I don't buy a football game every year or at least I didn't used now. For the last five or six years I have which is doesn't quite make sense. I think some of the reason I buy them is that I trade the previous one in right around the Super Bowl while it still has trade in value. If I kept the older one then I probably wouldn't need to buy a new one. One thing is for sure though, I can't fathom a football season where I'm not playing a football video game.

Online Poker Returns

Poker Stars emailed me and said they gave me $5.00 of real money for free. Now I'm hooked again on online poker. I've turned the $5.00 into almost $25.00 in about two weeks playing mainly $1.00 sit and goes. I have no idea how I will get the money out but it is fun to play again.

Holy Shit!

There were blanks in the that gun. Man we love Hulu.

Olympics

I think I might have to watch some of the Olympics tonight. Even with the Steelers opening the pre-season tonight I might take the time to watch some of them. The Steelers starters will only play for a drive or two so after that I'll probably turn back to watch the games from China. I'm usually a big Olympics fan and I was even before I went to the Olympics in 1996.

Half Day!

Finally a half day followed by a weekend. Working at a convention during the weekend sure makes the weeks much longer with no off days.

The Drought is Over (almost)

Sure the pre-season games aren't the best. They're really bad for ticket holders because they must buy the two pre-season games at full regular price. Still tomorrow night I'm going to watch when the Steelers play the Eagles. Seeing the Black & Gold on the field will be great. Here we go Steelers...HERE WE GO!

Chopper To Chipper

RIP Skip Caray. Skip Caray long-time voice of the Braves died this past Sunday. As much or even more that Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine gave me great memories over the past 15 years so did Skip Caray. You will be missed Skip, enjoy a nice cold one with your dad.

iPhone

We both want an iPhone so bad. We both really don't want to switch to AT&T almost as bad. I think the desire to get an iPhone is eventually going to win but right now it is a stalemate. It isn't that we like Sprint any better, it's more the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

Almost Two Months

It's been about six weeks since I've watched a complete Braves game. Since our trip to Vegas I just really haven't had the desire to find them on the TV. Of course having your best hitter, your entire starting rotation, 2/3 of your starting OF, your three best relievers all on the DL at one time or the other makes your team not so good. Hopefully next year will be better.

Work :(

Man I didn't want to go into work today. I always hate working through the weekend.

Less Windy

I'm finally home from the Windy City. It was a boring as hell show and took an extra 5 hours to get home. I'm glad to be back.

Some Good Videos

Blogger keeps giving me an error when I try to edit HTML so I'll just post the links.

The dumbest Wheel of Fortune player ever.

The greatest music video ever.

And last but not least, more of the Spike TV Star Wars commercials. Man they are quite funny.

Off to Chicago

I'm off to Chicago for the weekend. This will be my first sports convention after about 30 gaming/comics/pop culture conventions. I'm sure they fans will be just as obsessive only over something completely different. It should be interesting.

Help Wanted

The Steelers are in need of a punter. Their starting punter when down with a season ending knee injury. Sure it sucks but I suppose if you're going to lose a starter on your football team the punter isn't the worst choice.

Bye Bye Tex

We barely got to know you. It is odd to have the Braves be sellers instead of buyers, first time I can remember. Granted they should have been sellers the past two years and then they would have been ready to compete this year or next but tis life I guess. At this point I think they'll be ready in 2010.

The Little Things

I firmly believe that most of the good or bad that you experience in life are what you could consider 'little things.' Today was one of those little things. The Little One is reading Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone. It isn't just that she's reading it. It is that she was reluctant at first, thinking it was 'too hard' for her. After five or six pages though she didn't want to put it down. She remembered parts she'd seen from the movie. Now she's very excited about reading it. Pretty Bird and I love books and it makes very proud that the Little One appears to have the same love.

OMG

I'll be in my bunk.

One Step Closer

Steelers' Training Camp opens today! That means it's one step closer to football season being here. Man I can't wait.

Alan Moore

What a brilliant writer, I mean just brilliant. I think he's great other than his affinity for women being raped or almost raped. It's possible to write a great story without it but to read his work you wouldn't know. The term brilliant gets thrown around too often but it does apply with Moore.

The dude is one pretentious fuck and batshit insane. We get it, you hate Hollywood. DC screwed you out of profits, blah, blah, whine some more. I get the artists problem with the parent company screwing them out of profits, I do. Whine about that all you want, it's shitty.

Please stop bitching about someone else adapting your story. I know you have high morals and you can't stand someone taking your characters and story and messing with them. I mean you've created such great characters like Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo, Alan Quatermain, Alice, Dorothy, and Wendy Darling. Those are some all-time classic characters and really shouldn't be messed with by another author. Oh wait a minute, you didn't create those characters did you?

It goes both ways you pretentious ass. That being said keep the good stuff coming, you're a damn good writer. Just don't let anyone interview you anymore.

July Is...

Official Ninja Month. At least according to Xbox and who am I to argue with Microsoft or a ninja. So happy Ninja Month.

San Diego Comic-Con

How I miss you so! My streak of six SDCCs in a row is broken, so sad. I love that show so much.

My favorite wall decoration

Too bad they couldn't have frozen him before he wrote and directed the three prequels. He's great at overall vision, not so good on the details of you know actually making a movie.

While he wouldn't make a bad wall decoration I still think the Han Solo in carbonite from Sharper Image would have made a great door or even coffee table.

I guess it was too much to ask

I guess two in a row was too much to ask. Instead the Braves get shutout by a pitcher who'd been rocked in all of his other starts. Good job guys.

Zach Snyder

Well the Watchmen preview made me very excited about the movie in March. The EW write up just made me think that Zach Snyder is an idiot. All the article made me believe is that he some pretentious ass. He's a movie director that now gets huge budgets so I'm sure he's a pretentious ass but you need better marketing people so that it doesn't end up in print.

Hot Rod

Pretty Bird rented it last night. I normally don't talk about rented movies but I need to here. Hot Rod is quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen.

Substance > Hype

Going into 2007 the buzz was about how great a movie season it was going to be. For Hollywood it probably was pretty damn good since they set box office records. Going into 2008 Hollywood seemed depressed about its outlook since there were a lot fewer 'sure things.' I think 2008 is kicking the shit out of 2007.

By this time in 2007 I'd seen the following movies:
300
Spider-Man 3
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Knocked Up
Ratatouille
Transformers
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Live Free or Die Hard
Oceans 13
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
TMNT
Hot Fuzz

The year did save help itself out some with The Bourne Ultimatum and Stardust which we released in August. The above movies we only own 300, Ratatouille, Transformers, and of course Harry Potter. Granted we've cut down our DVD purchases but with how big a Pirates fan Pretty Bird is and how huge a fan of Spider-Man I am and we don't own them speaks volumes about their quality. More appropriately lack of quality.

This year seems to be a little bit better.
Cloverfield
Rambo
Iron Man
Kung Fu Panda
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Get Smart
Wall - E
The Incredible Hulk
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
The Dark Knight

On that list only Rambo, Cloverfield, Get Smart, and The Incredible Hulk do we plan on not buying. We're going to buy everything else. I even enjoyed Rambo and Cloverfield I just don't think they're worth me buying. So far it's been a good year for movies.

The Dark Knight

I don't usually rate movies and when I do I have a pretty simplistic system. Hated it, tolerated it, liked it, must own it, and all-time great. The Dark Knight is an incredible movie. I'm obviously going to own it but it's probably going to go down as an all-time great. This is a great violent crime drama to similar to Heat, Collateral, The Departed, or even Reservoir Dogs. Sure it doesn't have as much gore as Reservoir Dogs but the movie did feel at times like a Michael Mann movie. This crime drama just happened to have a superhero in it.

The movie also felt like one of the all-time great Batman stories like The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke. Christopher Nolan obviously gets Batman or at least the post 1970's Denny O'Neil and post 1980's Frank Miller Batman.

Dark Knight just hits so many of the great Batman story highlights. While most people think Batman's key partner is Robin. I think Batman's key part is actually Jim Gordon. Gordon is Batman's partner in crime fighting more than any other costumed character. As much as it's a cocktail joke to make fun of Gordon and his reliance on Batman; Batman has the same reliance on Gordon. They both have the exact same goal; one of them is a cop and the other runs around dressed as a flying rodent.

The other aspect they got so right was obviously the Joker. To say Heath Ledger was incredible would be an understatement. For a three dimensional version of the Joker there was nothing I could imagine better than what they put on screen for the Dark Knight. He was disturbing and brilliant at the same time.

There are two only two negatives with the movie. First off the sheer amount of explosives show and used was just too much. I understand the Joker's great and the Gotham City PD isn't but come on. The explosives in the hospital, the amount show in the Dawes/Dent scene or the amount show in the ferry scene. That was just too much for me. Sure, I know, in a movie with a superhero that hacks into everyone's cell phone I shouldn't be that picky.

The other thing I didn't like was the rating. I'm not one for censorship but if you have a rating system you should damn well use it correctly. The Little One is not squeamish at all, at least for an 8 year old. She took The Dark Knight okay but I'm sure there will be plenty of other kids even older than her who don't do so well. I loved the movie and I can't think of a better movie for Batman. Still a movie staring Batman released on 4400+ screens in the summer should at least be viewable by children. If it's not good for children to see then it should be rated correctly to give parents a fair warning.

That stuff aside this movie is great. If you aren't a child then GO SEE IT! Now I'll have to revise my Top 100 Movie List.

Villians!

If it wasn't geeky enough to have Watchmen, Terminator 4, and Harry Potter trailers we've got this. Man I do miss me some Heroes.

Stop what you're doing RIGHT NOW

And go see Dark Knight.

Who Watches This?

Who watches the Watchmen? I sure as hell know I will. Man that is a great trailer.

Fun work conversations

A question in the office was raise as to what number Derrick Rose would wear in the NBA. I guess it is nice when your job actually involves sports conversations. Here's how the conversation went.

Guy #1 - "What number is Rose going to wear in the pros?"
Guy #2 - "Why not 23, that was his number in college"
Tmac - "Um, not so much."
Guy #2 - "Why not, he was the #1 pick he'll get to pick his number"
Tmac - "Yeah, the #1 pick by the Chicago Bulls"
Guy #1 and #2 - "So"

Now I'm sure by now, 20 minutes later they've figured it out. I'm also sure given enough thought they probably could have figured it out on the spot. Maybe you have to be somewhat of a sports fan to know why that isn't going to be his number in the NBA. On the other hand my wife doesn't like the NBA at all I still bet she could tell you why a 19 year old in 2008 is not going to wear #23 for the Chicago Bulls. For that matter why anyone, ever is not going to wear #23 for the Bulls.

A more elegant phone

A more elegant phone for a more civilized time. If there weren't already enough reasons for me to buy an iPhone.

The All Star Game

I wonder if the NL can actually win one of these. I doubt it but since I'm planning on watching this one I hope they do.

Two In A Row!

I can't believe the Braves actually won two in a row. It sure has been a long season so far.

Off to the beach

Well not today or this weekend. I've got hotel points that will eventually expire so why not use them. We made reservations to go to the beach for a weekend in a few weeks. It should be a nice laid back trip for all three of us. The Little One has never really been to a beach so this should be interesting. Pretty Bird and I are always ready for another vacation. I just need to find that job that pays me to be on vacation and I'd be all set.

Burn Notice

I was bored the other day watching TV and there were explosions and a gun fight on a channel I stopped on. I ended up watching about 75% of an episode of Burn Notice. Thanks to this brilliant thing called the internet I caught a few episodes. The show isn't incredible or anything but it is a lot of fun. It's filmed in Miami so there are a lot of bikinis, its about a spy so explosions. Plus it has Bruce Campbell. A nice way to spend an hour when with most shows aren't on yet.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

We really enjoyed it. I love Del Toro's vision and how he handles special effects. I'm not against CGI stuff but the prop/puppet/makeup stuff in this was great as well. I highly recommend it if you enjoyed the first one.

Bored

There are times when I'm just too bored to blog. This has been one of those weeks. Work has been a little busy for the first time in a few weeks. It keeps me busy usually but this past week was much more, which is good. Anyway I might be back on track blogging but who knows.

Football season yet?

I miss football so much that I watched a replay of a Steelers game last night. It's not uncommon for me to watch a replay of a Steelers game when they're on the NFL Network. What is uncommon is me watching a Steelers loss. I watch the wildcard Jaguars vs. Steelers game from this past January. I turned it off before the Steelers lost but it was still almost surreal to watch a game I know the Steelers already lost, I've never done that before. Yes I'm really ready for some football!

Words to live by

Pretty Bird and I are re-watching a tragically short but brilliant TV series and I just came across this great advice.

"When someone tries to kill you try to kill 'um back."

Truer words were never spoken.

Hellboy

When I posted this I didn't realize there were other Hellboy parodies. I think I like the Chuck one that a former coworker found. Check them all out and decide for yourself.

Fireworks

It's raining here in Charlotte so we're not going out to find any firework displays. Here's some Disney World fireworks for everyone to enjoy.

Happy Birthday America

Not bad for 232 years old. You don't look a day past 229.

Boo Yeah!

Totally Awesome

Man he'd be great at roulette as well.

Its the Highway to the Dangerzone

Oh hell yeah. Okay maybe not the highway to the dangerzone but still pretty damn cool. That is provided you like cheesy 80s movies and their totally rad soundtracks.

Vegas Gambling (Part Three - Poker!)

I've been to Vegas about 15 or 16 times and all but one of them I've played poker. Every time but one I've left Vegas up in playing poker. I'm not saying I'm a great player or anything. I just know how to beat down the bad tourists that play at the level I play at which is usually 2-4 or 3-6 limit. I've played some NL and then a few tournaments. Online poker I almost exclusively play NL tournaments. This trip to Vegas I didn't want to play too much poker because Pretty Bird doesn't play poker and we were on vacation together. I did get about four hours on 2-4 play (about two hours at the MGM Grand, an hour at TI, and an hour at Excalibur). I also played in two NL tournaments at the Treasure Island. Each of the tournaments lasted about three hours so I got about 10 hours of poker in the seven days we were there. I've had days before in Vegas when I played over 10 hours so this was much smaller. In other news there is actually a lot to do in Vegas outside of the poker tables, who know.

The limit play was pretty uneventful. The MGM isn't near as loose as it used to be. The Treasure Island is as loose as the MGM used to be. The Excalibur still has the same mix of cheap tourists and weird locals so a pretty steady game. I was probably up about $80 or so total in my four sessions of limit. There wasn't any memorable hands. I did lose the nut flush to a full house on the river which cost me about a $60 pot.

The first tournament was the 2pm on Saturday at the TI. They have room for 50 players and take alternates. We got there 30 minutes early and were the 16th alternate, oops. My buddy said they almost never fill up until after it starts. I ended up getting in only a few hands before the first break. I had a regular full stack of 3500 chips but there were plenty of players with more.

I played a little timid for the first 40 minutes or so and was down to about 2200 chips. I then got moved to another table and was dealt my first decent hand of the day, TT. I was in good position on a new player so I just limped in, wanting to see how the good/bad the players were. The flop gave an Ace and a Ten, mixed. Perfect. Sure enough two people had an Ace and I almost tripled up, knocking one player out. I played a little more aggressive, especially after the flop, from then on but still nothing memorable. Not too many good hands but I was able to cripple the big stack with AJ vs. her A4. Why people think A4 is good from bad position I'll never know. Actually A4 is never good in any position but it can be played from good position.

The blinds were getting expensive and I was still on the bottom 1/3 of chips with about 16 or 17 players to go, time to make a move. One from the button I get dealt AK (which I normally have horrible luck) with a caller ahead of me. I double the bet and then the button pushes all-in, he's got me covered. There is another caller and of course I call. I'm vs. 88 and AQ (I think) and a King shows up. That ends up being enough chips to last until the final table. With nine players to go I'm 6th in chips on the BB. I get KK and the button pushes me all-in and I double up. I end up going out 6th on my 8-9suited vs. K4 on the big stack. The final table was very tight, I caught no cards, and I needed to make a move. After the BB I wouldn't be left with enough for another BB so I didn't to try it. Still money went to 6th so I made a nice $110 profit, the first time I hit the money in Vegas in a tournament.

On Monday after urging from Pretty Bird I decided to try my hand at the same tournament, this time the 7pm version. This one only had 38 players register but you could rebuy for the first hour. We ended up having over 60 players worth of chips in the pool after all the rebuys. This one started off great and other than a little hiccup in the middle went great most of the way. I didn't catch anything for the first 20 minutes or so then I got 88 two away from the blind which I doubled the blind. Most people were still timid and I hadn't played a hand yet. A nice 8 on the flop gives me about a 700 chip pot. My very next hand was AA under the gun. This time I bet 4x the BB fairly certain most people will think I'm full of shit. Sure enough two people did. The rockets hold and I'm liking my chip stack.

The next hand, as the BB, I get JT suited. The flop is AJx and I'm a little worried about the random A players. The turn gives me a T and now I'm much happier. The river gives me tens full of jacks and I rack up my first player with A rag. I get AQ a few times in before the first break and I'm first in chips overall. The session between break one and break two is not kind. I catch a bad beat with AQ (I got it 6 times in this tournament, it was bound to lose once) and then blinds eat a lot of my chips.

After the second break I only have 5000 chips and the blinds are 1000/2000 which isn't good. I'm three away from the BB when I push all-in with A-9 suited. I get a caller and steal the blinds vs. K something. I'm able to triple up with 88 putting me in pretty good position to make the final table. Two players go out at once bringing the final table a little early and I make it near the bottom in chips.

I use AQ and a pair of Jacks to get to about 14,000 in chips then comes my favorite hand of the weekend. This tournament only paid to four players and there are six left. There are two with almost no chips so it looks pretty good. I have about 14,000, another player has about 13,500, second place has probably 22,000 and first has at least double if not 3x second place. I'm the BB when the button (with 500 chips less than me) limps in, the SB folds.

I have Jack Bauer, 2/4. The flop is 2T2 which is pretty damn good. I check, the button checks. The turn puts a J out, I bet the minimum and the BB pushes all-in and I call. He's got JT thinking I had Jx. Rack 'um. Now I have almost 30,000 chips and I rack one of the small players. The super big stack takes the 22,000 chips with quads. He then beats me with two pair vs. my top pair. All in all over a $600 payday isn't too bad.

It will be much harder for me to go back to limit. Limit was already really starting to bore me but I get intimidated because I don't have unlimited funds. Not that most 1/2 NL players have unlimited funds either but they act like they do. Next time I think I'll try NL a little though.