Okay, the Wildcats definitely did not handle that running back very well.
Also, though there are still a couple of undecided contests, my SEC picks didn't do very well.
However, I did keep my perfect Wildcats point spread record intact.
_______
Sunday morning update. I ended up with 3 wins, 3 losses, 1 push.
Boo. And not a Halloweeny, ghosty 'Boo,' either, but more of a 'That stinks' kind of 'Boo.'
Saturday, October 31, 2009
I'm Prepared
I had no trick-or-treaters last year and expect none this year. I assume nobody bothers knocking on the door of my cheap little apartment because all the much nicer houses nearby look like they'd have a lot better candy.
I like to be prepared, though. Therefore, I just took an inventory of my available treats. If any lucky children come to my door, here is what I can give:
-Claritin
-Halls cough drops
-fruit-flavored antacids
If I run out of over-the-counter medicinal items I suppose I can also hand out my "Mr. Boston Bartenders's Guide." After all, I haven't mixed a drink in several years.
I can also part with my used copy of "Ethics Without God." It's a pretty good read and may set some kid straight. I also have TWO copies of "Moby Dick," both of which would make good treats.
And if all that is not enough, there are a few old text books that I have intended to take to "Half-Price Books" for a while now. So some lucky little Harry Potter, SpongeBob, or Hannah Montana could walk away with either "A History of Civilizations" or "Classical Mythology" in their goody bag. I might even throw in "The Charterhouse of Parma."
I like to be prepared, though. Therefore, I just took an inventory of my available treats. If any lucky children come to my door, here is what I can give:
-Claritin
-Halls cough drops
-fruit-flavored antacids
If I run out of over-the-counter medicinal items I suppose I can also hand out my "Mr. Boston Bartenders's Guide." After all, I haven't mixed a drink in several years.
I can also part with my used copy of "Ethics Without God." It's a pretty good read and may set some kid straight. I also have TWO copies of "Moby Dick," both of which would make good treats.
And if all that is not enough, there are a few old text books that I have intended to take to "Half-Price Books" for a while now. So some lucky little Harry Potter, SpongeBob, or Hannah Montana could walk away with either "A History of Civilizations" or "Classical Mythology" in their goody bag. I might even throw in "The Charterhouse of Parma."
Friday, October 30, 2009
Bah Great Pumpkin?
What a rotten, rotten week. It's been a long time since I was this glad it's Friday.
And hey, there's an extra hour this weekend. Yay!
I can do without Halloween, though. Well, that's not true, exactly. I think it's a really neat holiday for kids, but I have never quite understood why anyone would like it other than for kids.
Interestingly, I find the effect of looking at Halloween photographs to be exactly opposite that of looking at Christmas photographs. Halloween party-goers are hot and itchy in their costumes, the parties are fairly lame and unfun, and it's just generally never too great. But the pictures are really neat and make everything appear much more enjoyable than it actually was.
Christmas pictures, on the other hand, are actually incredibly dull. They show mostly overfed, smiling people surrounded by shredded wrapping paper. They really don't reflect how pleasant the holiday is.
I wore my old man mask to work today (the same mask I've worn periodically since approximately the turn of the millennium) and some people wore cool costumes, but mostly it was just crappy costumes, crappier decorations, candy, and the 5th lousy day out of 5 for the work week.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Here are my SEC picks for the weekend. My picks are in bold lettering.
1) Ole Miss 3 1/2 Auburn
2) Florida 15 1/2 Georgia
3) Georgia Tech 11 1/2 Vanderbilt
4) LSU 35 1/2 Tulane
5) Tennessee 5 1/2 South Carolina
6) Arkansas 38 Eastern Michigan
7) Kentucky 3 1/2 Mississippi St.
I teetered back and forth on the UK game for a long time. I think there's a strong chance Kentucky will win but not cover the 3 1/2 point spread. I'm not overy worried about MSU's star running back- I think Kentucky can handle him reasonably well even if Micah Johnson is unavailable. But that running QB will probably cause headaches.
I also took LSU, but it makes me nervous giving Tulane more points than LSU has scored in a game all year.
And hey, there's an extra hour this weekend. Yay!
I can do without Halloween, though. Well, that's not true, exactly. I think it's a really neat holiday for kids, but I have never quite understood why anyone would like it other than for kids.
Interestingly, I find the effect of looking at Halloween photographs to be exactly opposite that of looking at Christmas photographs. Halloween party-goers are hot and itchy in their costumes, the parties are fairly lame and unfun, and it's just generally never too great. But the pictures are really neat and make everything appear much more enjoyable than it actually was.
Christmas pictures, on the other hand, are actually incredibly dull. They show mostly overfed, smiling people surrounded by shredded wrapping paper. They really don't reflect how pleasant the holiday is.
I wore my old man mask to work today (the same mask I've worn periodically since approximately the turn of the millennium) and some people wore cool costumes, but mostly it was just crappy costumes, crappier decorations, candy, and the 5th lousy day out of 5 for the work week.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Here are my SEC picks for the weekend. My picks are in bold lettering.
1) Ole Miss 3 1/2 Auburn
2) Florida 15 1/2 Georgia
3) Georgia Tech 11 1/2 Vanderbilt
4) LSU 35 1/2 Tulane
5) Tennessee 5 1/2 South Carolina
6) Arkansas 38 Eastern Michigan
7) Kentucky 3 1/2 Mississippi St.
I teetered back and forth on the UK game for a long time. I think there's a strong chance Kentucky will win but not cover the 3 1/2 point spread. I'm not overy worried about MSU's star running back- I think Kentucky can handle him reasonably well even if Micah Johnson is unavailable. But that running QB will probably cause headaches.
I also took LSU, but it makes me nervous giving Tulane more points than LSU has scored in a game all year.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Quick FB Handicapping Recap and More TV
2 and 2 on my picks. 3 and 2 if I count the over/under on UK. Mediocre handicapping performance.
My worst pick was BYU/TCU. I had a bad feeling about that pick all day, too. Temporary stupidity last night caused it. My worst/best omission was Bama/Tennessee. I must have told a dozen people this week that it would be a close game. I should have included it.
______________________________________________________
I've been watching 'FlashForward' on Thursday nights. I'm hooked and will probably watch the whole season, but I'm not sure why.
The show is really not that good. It's a teriffic idea and could be a tremendous show, but it's only mediocre. It is one of those shows that- now that I am watching- I have to know what happens next, even though I suspect it will be fairly predictable and not at all satisfying.
My worst pick was BYU/TCU. I had a bad feeling about that pick all day, too. Temporary stupidity last night caused it. My worst/best omission was Bama/Tennessee. I must have told a dozen people this week that it would be a close game. I should have included it.
______________________________________________________
I've been watching 'FlashForward' on Thursday nights. I'm hooked and will probably watch the whole season, but I'm not sure why.
The show is really not that good. It's a teriffic idea and could be a tremendous show, but it's only mediocre. It is one of those shows that- now that I am watching- I have to know what happens next, even though I suspect it will be fairly predictable and not at all satisfying.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Non-UK Picks
I'm branching out
No prediction for the the Kentucky game tomorrow. It scares the heck out of me and I can easily see anything from a loss to a 30-point win. The only posted over/under I found was 47 points. I'll take 'over'.
Since I'm not publishing my UK prediction, I'll instead branch out and select four other college games. These picks come with my usual money-back guarantee*. The odds are according to Lasvegasinsider.com.
I'll take Ohio State over Minnesota and give the 17 points. The Buckeyes are overdue for a huge effort.
I'll take Ball State and give Eastern Michigan 5 1/2. I don't know anything about Eastern Michigan, but they must be really, really bad if Ball State is favored.
I'll take Ole Miss and give Arkansas 7. The Rebels are not as good as preseason predictions but not as bad as their current reputation, and the Hogs have to be getting worn out from their recent big-game gauntlet.
I'll go with BYU over TCU - that's a pick 'em.
*Guarantee not valid in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, The United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia or any of the former Soviet states, Japan, any nation that is, has been, or ever will be at war with Japan, any nation currently hosting U.S. troops, or any nation that has at least one computer with an internet connection.
No prediction for the the Kentucky game tomorrow. It scares the heck out of me and I can easily see anything from a loss to a 30-point win. The only posted over/under I found was 47 points. I'll take 'over'.
Since I'm not publishing my UK prediction, I'll instead branch out and select four other college games. These picks come with my usual money-back guarantee*. The odds are according to Lasvegasinsider.com.
I'll take Ohio State over Minnesota and give the 17 points. The Buckeyes are overdue for a huge effort.
I'll take Ball State and give Eastern Michigan 5 1/2. I don't know anything about Eastern Michigan, but they must be really, really bad if Ball State is favored.
I'll take Ole Miss and give Arkansas 7. The Rebels are not as good as preseason predictions but not as bad as their current reputation, and the Hogs have to be getting worn out from their recent big-game gauntlet.
I'll go with BYU over TCU - that's a pick 'em.
*Guarantee not valid in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, The United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia or any of the former Soviet states, Japan, any nation that is, has been, or ever will be at war with Japan, any nation currently hosting U.S. troops, or any nation that has at least one computer with an internet connection.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sports, Television, Books
*I read that the SEC suspended an officiating crew because of poor performance. It's the crew that stunk up both the LSU/Georgia game and the Florida/Arkansas game. The refs will not get another assignment until November 14. Does anyone doubt they'll draw the UK/Vandy game?
*I believe the last three episodes of "The Office" are just about the funniest shows I have ever seen.
*My last trip to Half-Price Books I bought two novels by authors I'd never read. Both were selected via perusal of back-cover blurbs- which is not a method I usually use.
It worked out okay. "The Hot Kid" by Elmore Leonard was pretty good. Not fantastic, but I enjoyed it.
The other was Richard K. Morgan's "Altered Carbon." Eh, it was okay, I guess, but not my cup of tea.
*"The Bourne Identity" was a very enjoyable read. I was pleasantly surprised. The plot varied quite a lot from the movie. I was not previously aware that the novel was 35 years old. That alone was enough to make the plot very different; pay phones, hand-writing recognition as a security method, and references to green text on computer screens all made for a very different spy world than the one inhabited by 21st century Bourne.
*I finally bought "The Wordy Shipmates."
Yes, Mom, you'll get it as soon as I finish it.
*I believe the last three episodes of "The Office" are just about the funniest shows I have ever seen.
*My last trip to Half-Price Books I bought two novels by authors I'd never read. Both were selected via perusal of back-cover blurbs- which is not a method I usually use.
It worked out okay. "The Hot Kid" by Elmore Leonard was pretty good. Not fantastic, but I enjoyed it.
The other was Richard K. Morgan's "Altered Carbon." Eh, it was okay, I guess, but not my cup of tea.
*"The Bourne Identity" was a very enjoyable read. I was pleasantly surprised. The plot varied quite a lot from the movie. I was not previously aware that the novel was 35 years old. That alone was enough to make the plot very different; pay phones, hand-writing recognition as a security method, and references to green text on computer screens all made for a very different spy world than the one inhabited by 21st century Bourne.
*I finally bought "The Wordy Shipmates."
Yes, Mom, you'll get it as soon as I finish it.
What the...?
For the last two years I have used a minuscule vacuum cleaner. It was not very good but just barely effective enough for my haphazard housekeeping. Thus I have had the intention of buying a full-sized vacuum cleaner for 6 months but did not get around to it until this week. Most of the assembly was easy- except for the very first step. The instructions said to screw the handle into the main body of the cleaner, and it went on to say that the screws were taped to the back of the handle.
The screws were not there. They also were not taped to any of the other parts. I was getting seriously p.'d o. (how come people say p.o.'d? It's not 'offed.') when, while checking the handle for the 27th time, I heard a rattle.
I looked in the hollow handle and discovered that the screws were taped inside it, way up in the bend and decidedly out of reach of my fingers.
I marked the picture in red so you could see how far up the screws were stuck. And as a bonus, the fuzz on the floor also shows how badly I needed the vacuum cleaner.
I worked at it with a long screw driver for about 15 minutes before getting the screws out. Every two minutes or so I came close to throwing it all back in the box and returning it. I could have used my own screws, of course, but I was angry.. Still, I kept thinking 'one more try.' Finally, I pried up the tape enough to shake the screws out.
And now it is all assembled and works fine. I even vacuumed out my car. Once every five years is enough, right?
This particular Bissell vacuum cleaner either has the worst-ever parts packaging idea, or someone on the assembly line was having some fun.
Monday, October 19, 2009
I Never Have A Camera When I Need One
I just saw Dad's bird feeder picture and it reminded me of what I saw the other day. Friday afternoon I was stopped at a red light, sitting right next to the Bowman Field/Le Relais parking lot. I was staring straight ahead, mostly zoned-out as I waited for traffic to start moving, when out of the corner of my eye I saw something fall very, very fast right outside my passenger window. Startled, I jerked my head around (quickly enough that it hurt a little) to see what it was.
After a few moments I spotted a large hawk a dozen or so yards away. He was grappling with (okay, mauling) a chipmunk. I assume he speared the little critter right next to my car and ended up where he was after veering out of his nose-dive.
After a few moments I spotted a large hawk a dozen or so yards away. He was grappling with (okay, mauling) a chipmunk. I assume he speared the little critter right next to my car and ended up where he was after veering out of his nose-dive.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Wooooooo Hooooooooooooo!!!!!!!
I'm very happy about Kentucky's win. It was huge. Huge. Huge. It means a lot for the program. More than even the players realize, probably.
Kentucky had every reason to fail and found a way to win. That was great.
On my way home I heard a statistic that astounded me. Kentucky's 3 starting linebackers had 38 tackles. That's phenomenal. Wow.
And:
Why does Steve Ortmeyer still have a job? How many blocked kicks does it take to lose the special teams coaching job? At least his return team players haven't run into the punter every other time like the last 2 years, but UK's special teams blockers still suck.
Kentucky puts the 'special' in special teams. That unit rides the short bus to school and licks the windows.
I have high expectations. The QB situation is still very up in the air, but tonight Cobb and Locke proved conclusively that the Wildcats have 2 absolute SEC offensive stars, which is 1 more than Kentucky's ever had in my lifetime. Don't ask me to explain the math, but 2 stars make the offense about 5 times more effective than 1.
The Cats' 3-3 record looks awfully good with the schedule they have remaining. I now expect 7 wins, with a strong possibility of 8.
Plus I'm 4-0 vs the spread (I think my 4 picks are a total of 15 points off) this year and 4-0 picking straight winners. Not bad. And my overall game scenarios have been pretty spot-on as well.
Kentucky had every reason to fail and found a way to win. That was great.
On my way home I heard a statistic that astounded me. Kentucky's 3 starting linebackers had 38 tackles. That's phenomenal. Wow.
And:
Why does Steve Ortmeyer still have a job? How many blocked kicks does it take to lose the special teams coaching job? At least his return team players haven't run into the punter every other time like the last 2 years, but UK's special teams blockers still suck.
Kentucky puts the 'special' in special teams. That unit rides the short bus to school and licks the windows.
I have high expectations. The QB situation is still very up in the air, but tonight Cobb and Locke proved conclusively that the Wildcats have 2 absolute SEC offensive stars, which is 1 more than Kentucky's ever had in my lifetime. Don't ask me to explain the math, but 2 stars make the offense about 5 times more effective than 1.
The Cats' 3-3 record looks awfully good with the schedule they have remaining. I now expect 7 wins, with a strong possibility of 8.
Plus I'm 4-0 vs the spread (I think my 4 picks are a total of 15 points off) this year and 4-0 picking straight winners. Not bad. And my overall game scenarios have been pretty spot-on as well.
Friday, October 16, 2009
I watched Big Blue Madness. Lots of hype and sloppy basketball. Yaaaay Kentucky!
Then I watched some baseball. Booooo Yankees!
Then I visited Mark's art store. Yaaaay Mark!
I would have bought something but I don't have any money. Boooo poverty!
So I guess I'll just post my football prediction and call it a night:
UK 27
Auburn 26
That's going way out on a limb, I know. I just have a feeling.
I think last week's loss to Arkansas was the beginning of a big let-down for Auburn that will see them stumble this week. They'll struggle some and make some dumb mistakes, and for once UK will capitalize on them.
I think UK will use all 3 QBs, but settle on either Fidler (probably) or Newton almost exclusively in the 2nd half. None of the three will look too great, but I have a feeling Kentucky will somehow come up with 2 or 3 really big plays that will make the difference.
Then I watched some baseball. Booooo Yankees!
Then I visited Mark's art store. Yaaaay Mark!
I would have bought something but I don't have any money. Boooo poverty!
So I guess I'll just post my football prediction and call it a night:
UK 27
Auburn 26
That's going way out on a limb, I know. I just have a feeling.
I think last week's loss to Arkansas was the beginning of a big let-down for Auburn that will see them stumble this week. They'll struggle some and make some dumb mistakes, and for once UK will capitalize on them.
I think UK will use all 3 QBs, but settle on either Fidler (probably) or Newton almost exclusively in the 2nd half. None of the three will look too great, but I have a feeling Kentucky will somehow come up with 2 or 3 really big plays that will make the difference.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
A Work Complaint- with very few specifics so as to protect the innocent (me):
The last year has seen some personnel changes in the powers-that-be. The powers-that-be have initiated further changes. Things have gotten steadily worse, performance has gotten steadily worse, morale has gotten steadily worse.
The powers-that-be are sure it's the fault of us peons- even though things were going okay before and the only thing that has changed is them. Since it's not their fault, apparently there will have to be more changes. And I'm sure that will make things steadily worse. Or perhaps drastically worse.
The only comfort is knowing that- eventually- changes will be made that will bring procedures and routines and rules back in line with where they were a year or so ago. And at that point the powers-that-be will take credit for the improvement.
I used to wonder why so many people in positions of power are idiots. But as I got older and wiser I realized that despite appearances, the percentage of powerless idiots is actually much greater. The idiots with authority just stand out a lot more because they are in position to do so much damage.
The last year has seen some personnel changes in the powers-that-be. The powers-that-be have initiated further changes. Things have gotten steadily worse, performance has gotten steadily worse, morale has gotten steadily worse.
The powers-that-be are sure it's the fault of us peons- even though things were going okay before and the only thing that has changed is them. Since it's not their fault, apparently there will have to be more changes. And I'm sure that will make things steadily worse. Or perhaps drastically worse.
The only comfort is knowing that- eventually- changes will be made that will bring procedures and routines and rules back in line with where they were a year or so ago. And at that point the powers-that-be will take credit for the improvement.
I used to wonder why so many people in positions of power are idiots. But as I got older and wiser I realized that despite appearances, the percentage of powerless idiots is actually much greater. The idiots with authority just stand out a lot more because they are in position to do so much damage.
Friday, October 9, 2009
According to Vegasinsider.com, Kentucky is a 13-point underdog against South Carolina tomorrow.
I can't quite bring myself to predict a victory, but I really like the idea of taking the points.
I expect a tight game with both teams scoring in the 20's, and Kentucky could very well win. However, after running my complex score-picking logarithm through the supercomputer, I say:
Gamecocks: 26
Wildcats: 24.
I can't quite bring myself to predict a victory, but I really like the idea of taking the points.
I expect a tight game with both teams scoring in the 20's, and Kentucky could very well win. However, after running my complex score-picking logarithm through the supercomputer, I say:
Gamecocks: 26
Wildcats: 24.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
One of Those Days
Today I...
*started my day with a gulp of spoiled milk,
*misplaced my work badge, which I need to swipe to get in the building,
*had a generally bad day at work with numerous problems cropping up,
*broke a glass in the kitchen sink.
*ruined my gourmet dinner (actually, burned my grilled cheese sandwich because I was busy picking glass shards out of the sink), and
*tried three times to comment on Mom's blog, but for some reason I can not. Perhaps I'll try again later.
Plus the rain is no fun. And of course my bathroom light burned out.
Finally, after I ate my dinner of burned grilled cheese, I was ready to sit and read and move as little as possible- because I was operating on the theory that if I don't move the rest of the day nothing else will go wrong.
But I sat about 3 minutes before remembering I'd left my rent check in the car and I really needed to mail it today. So I had to go do that.
Now I'm back and resuming the 'do nothing' plan. I'll finish reading "The Bourne Identity" tonight and make a start on something else. I think I'll try "Altered Carbon" by Richard K. Morgan. I picked it up at Half-Price Books last week. It looks interesting.
I could get on the stationary bike, but I'm afraid I'll wreck.
*started my day with a gulp of spoiled milk,
*misplaced my work badge, which I need to swipe to get in the building,
*had a generally bad day at work with numerous problems cropping up,
*broke a glass in the kitchen sink.
*ruined my gourmet dinner (actually, burned my grilled cheese sandwich because I was busy picking glass shards out of the sink), and
*tried three times to comment on Mom's blog, but for some reason I can not. Perhaps I'll try again later.
Plus the rain is no fun. And of course my bathroom light burned out.
Finally, after I ate my dinner of burned grilled cheese, I was ready to sit and read and move as little as possible- because I was operating on the theory that if I don't move the rest of the day nothing else will go wrong.
But I sat about 3 minutes before remembering I'd left my rent check in the car and I really needed to mail it today. So I had to go do that.
The postman delivered-Willie Nelson, "The Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning"
A "past due" bill notice
The alarm clock rang two hours late
The garbage man left all the trash
On the sidewalk
And the hinges fell off of the gate
And this morning at breakfast
I spilled all the coffee
And I opened the door on my knee
But the last thing I needed
The first thing this morning
Was to have you walk out on me
Now I'm back and resuming the 'do nothing' plan. I'll finish reading "The Bourne Identity" tonight and make a start on something else. I think I'll try "Altered Carbon" by Richard K. Morgan. I picked it up at Half-Price Books last week. It looks interesting.
I could get on the stationary bike, but I'm afraid I'll wreck.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
MLB Records
Baseball fans love discussing statistics and records. I've heard lots of discussions about which records are least likely to be broken.
Most commonly mentioned are Cy Young's 511 wins, Dimaggio's hitting streak, Aaron's home run record (now almost certain to fall fairly soon), and a .400 batting average (which isn't even a record, so I'm not sure why it comes up).
Here's one that never gets mentioned: Connie Mack's 7755 games managed. Tony LaRussa moved into second place on the all-time list today. Now if he just keeps going and doesn't miss a game (and if my math is right) he'll pass Mack- in May, 2028.
What a historic day that will be as LaRussa's Seoul Black Tigers (까만 호랑이 to the locals) take on the Caracas Turpials in an early season contest that could well determine the World Series favorite. I like LaRussa, but I'll be rooting for the Caracas squad to whom I remain faithful after they leave St. Louis in 2021.
Most commonly mentioned are Cy Young's 511 wins, Dimaggio's hitting streak, Aaron's home run record (now almost certain to fall fairly soon), and a .400 batting average (which isn't even a record, so I'm not sure why it comes up).
Here's one that never gets mentioned: Connie Mack's 7755 games managed. Tony LaRussa moved into second place on the all-time list today. Now if he just keeps going and doesn't miss a game (and if my math is right) he'll pass Mack- in May, 2028.
What a historic day that will be as LaRussa's Seoul Black Tigers (까만 호랑이 to the locals) take on the Caracas Turpials in an early season contest that could well determine the World Series favorite. I like LaRussa, but I'll be rooting for the Caracas squad to whom I remain faithful after they leave St. Louis in 2021.
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