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.