Thursday, November 28, 2013

Football

4-4 last week ...

The winners (Happy Thanksgiving, but no time to spend on this heh)

Mississippi
LSU
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Alabama
Georgia
South Carolina
Texas A&M

Friday, November 22, 2013

Football Picks

5-0 last week (yay, I think everyone got these right) 74-21 (77.9% bleh)

Tennessee over Vandy at home

LSU squeaks by Texas A&M but Manziel solidifies the Heisman

Alabama, Florida, South Carolina in the cupcakes.

Georgia destroys Kentucky...

[edit forgot the Ark-Miss St game] Arkansas gets its first SEC win over Mississippi State at home [end edit]

Mississippi upsets Mizzou (sending the 'ol ball Coach back to the SEC title game)

Friday, November 15, 2013

4-3 last week; 69-21 (76.7%) decent year...  In a hurry today so..

Vandy over Kentucky; Ole Miss big, Auburn barely over Georgia, South Carolina over Florida (close), Alabama rolls Miss State

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Football Picks

5-1 last week (all the things I thought could go wrong for UT, did in fact go wrong) 65-18(78.3%) overall. Another tough week coming (big games)

Auburn at UT: #1 rushing offense (AU) vs last rushing defense; shouldn't be pretty, but I think UT makes it close(r): AU 28-20

Vandy at Florida; UF has lost 3 in a row and has a real shot at missing a bowl game if they don't beat Vandy; Vandy has looked better lately but I don't see them getting it done in the Swamp: UF 19-14

Missouri at Kentucky; might be some early let-down for Mizzou (or some look-ahead) but this game will be over at half-time: Mizz 49-10

Arkansas at Ole Miss: the Rebels become bowl eligible with a win at home; Ark has looked awful, but I think they pull it back today and simply run too much:  Ark 21-20 in the upset

Georgia wins the cupcake...

Texas A&M hosts Mississippi State: Johnny Football scores more that the bulldogs: TAM 51-30

The big game of the week:  LSU at Alabama

If Alabama wins they march on toward another Championship; if LSU wins they still need tons of help to make it to Atlanta, LSU isn't afraid of the Tide and matches up very well. A hard fought game that will come down to the last drive; Mettenberger and the Tigers have that final drive and upset #1 Alabama (and end the SEC's NC streak unless a lot happens) 23-20

Celeb o'the Day - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Football Picks

Busy week at work so nothing til now... 7-0 last week (yay) and 60-17 (77.9%) on the year.

Tennessee at Missouri: We got bombed by Ala last week and Mizzou was upset by South Carolina (told ya). Dobbs is starting for UT and it's on the road; should be a recipe for disaster, but I think Butch has them turned. Upset #2 of the season; UT28 - 24

Mississippi St @ South Carolina: State held on against Kentucky (told ya) and that's not good; Connor Shaw showed why Spurrier keeps putting him in with the comeback (17 down in the 4th) and he and that D will make the difference. SC 30-18

Georgia vs Florida (World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party[tm]) The winner is still (slightly) in the running for the East; Georgia is like a MASH hospital lately and Florida can't do anything right. A very sloppy game where Andy Murray outplays Florida's defense (slightly) 17-15 (UGA)

Auburn is at Arkansas: they've been feuding since SEC Media days and it won't stop; Auburn should beat the hell out of the hogs; but they do run the ball well and should be able to keep it close at home. If it stays close in the 4th Ark will pull it out. But it won't ... AU 34 - 21

Kentucky and Texas A&M win the cupcakes this week.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Football Picks

1-5 .. yes 1 and 5 :(  (although I don't mind missing the UT game); seems Saturday was an upset special. Alabama rolled but that's it. 53-17 (75.7%) on the season: going the wrong way.

Kentucky at Mississippi State: MSU should win easily but they probably won't. I'm still take the bulldogs, 21-17

Tennessee at [1] Alabama: UT is up and playing well, Bama is the same as always and the best overall team in the country so far; I think UT plays with them but can't keep up at the end. UA 31-21

Vanderbilt at [16] Texas A&M: Vandy pulled of the major upset of Georgia last week while Johnny Football and the Aggies lost a close one to Auburn. Manziel is hurt (kind of) and Vandy has confidence; but this is a road game and Vandy sucks on the road: A&M 40-20

LSU/Auburn/Ole Miss roll over cupcakes

[21] South Carolina at [5] Missouri: Mizzou has confidence and a 2 game lead in the division; SC got upset by UT last week and has a hurt QB; Spurrier is the coach, however, and he has a few tricks and a defense that can stop the Tigers attack.  SC in the major upset (leaving Alabama as the only SEC hope for a 8th straight NC) 24-20

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Football Picks

6-1 (again Mizzou!!?!) for a 52-12 (81.3%) on the season. Only 6 games this week and they aren't going to be easy.

South Carolina at Tennessee >< UT was so close to beating Georgia and have had 2 weeks to get over it/prepare for USC and Clowney. Last time they held Clowney in check most of the game but lost 38-35; this year TN has new life and a 'won't quit' attitude but SC is rolling.  I think it'll be close again, but I don't see the Vols getting over the hump :(   SC 24-23

Georgia is at Vanderbilt; half of UGA's offense is hurt, Vandy is reverting to form; UGA 30-18

Florida is at Missouri (undefeated Mizzou!) but James Franklin is out for Mizzou; Florida's defense is way too good for a new starter, even on the road. UF 19-16

Auburn (ranked!) at Texas A&M; statement game for the Tigers; too much Maisel though and A&M runs away with it; 48-30

LSU at Ole Miss; the Rebels are on a down spiral and this week won't help; Tigers 38-10

Arkansas at Alabama; Will it be over at half-time? Probably not, but soon after; UA 34-17

Sunday, October 13, 2013

The NFL first report card

We are now going into week 6 of the NFL season, and most of our kids get progress report/report cards at that time, so lets take stock of where the NFL is shall we?

To the person who went to Las Vegas and placed a bet for the NFC South to be a total dumpster fire, step up and collect your money..

The New Orleans Saints were expected to come out with a chip on their shoulder..and they have done so with a 5-0 record going into their week 6 contest with the Patriots, but the rest of the divison have 2 total wins? I didn't see that coming.

Nor did I see the New York Jets having a better record than the New York Giants. Geno Smith has outplayed Eli Manning, a feat I would have said was impossible. One could argue that Rex Ryan has outcoached Tom Coughlin, and thats in and of itself saying something.

The Kansas City Chiefs are 5-0, yep, Eagle fan was right....That Andy Reid guy was a bum and couldn't coach football.

The Denver Broncos are undefeated as well, but its the way they have done it that has surprised me, the defense is not nearly as solid as I would have thought on paper, so Peyton Manning is just outscoring the NFL....is this the season where we have a serious discussion that Manning is the best to ever play the position? He has as many rings as Favre and will have more yards and touchdowns as Marino. Side note: The Denver Broncos average scoring 46 points a game, A GAME!!!!! The Tampa Bay Bucs have scored 44, ALL SEASON!!!!!! (through their 4 games)

There is not one team in the NFC East with a winning record....can we please stop with the love fest that is "look how tough the NFC East is?" just go win games, then we can talk.

Don't look now, but the NFC North could be the toughest and most fun division of the NFL to watch the rest of the way. The NFL is a Quarterback league, and this division has 3 really good ones, and a 4th could emerge with Josh Freeman now with the Vikings

Those are my thoughts on the NFL Season that is going into its 6th Sunday of action. I hope your team hasn't totally imploded yet, because my Tampa Bay Bucs certainly have. Good luck to you and "your team" 




Thursday, October 10, 2013

Football Picks

6-1 last week (Mizzou, really?) for a 46-11 (80.7%) season record. I wish I had ended the week at 5-2 and UT could have pulled off the upset, but they played hard and fought til the end. They'll take one next week.

UT is off this week.

#25 Missouri at #7 Georgia; easy pick, until half of UGA's offense got hurt, now not so much. I think Andy Murray is still too good to lose at home though. UGA 41-38

#14 South Carolina at Arkansas; Ark couldn't handle 'new' qb Murphy and Florida last week; this week they face a better offense but not the same defense. This game will be a nail-biter with the final horn sounding on a USC 21-20 win

Western Carolina at Auburn; time to showcase the offense (and get the QB well) and play some 4th stringers; AU 42-10

#17 Florida at #10 LSU; if this were in the swamp, I'd say the gators could hold on. In Death Valley, I don't see that happening. Even though UF's defense is #2 and playing with a lot of confidence, I don't think they can stop Mettenburger and the LSU offense at home. LSU 28-24

#1 Alabama at Kentucky; UK played well in the 4th last week and showed fight and a willingness to play to the end. Maybe they'll be able to say that this week; UA 45-13

Bowling Green at Mississippi State; State needs a win bad and usually playing a MAC team is a guaranteed W; I'm not so sure this week. BG is playing very well and State has issues. BG with the major upset and the win; 29-20

#9 Texas A&M at Ole Miss: Mississippi needs a win almost as bad as their State brethren; they've dropped 2 in a row after an 3-0 start and at least last week they looked competitive; this week they play Manziel and the pinball offense though and that means doom.  Even at home, UM can't hold and drops this one to the Aggies - 49-20

Thursday Random

Only funny cause it's true... head over to Hookers and Booze

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Football Picks

7-1 last week (LSU couldn't hold on at the end) and 40-10 for the season (80.0%) so not too bad, but way behind the experts at ESPN :(

New batch this week and some difficult games for some teams.

Georgia State at Alabama; only question in this one is does GSU score.. I think they get a field goal out of it; Ala 48-3

Kentucky at South Carolina; UK has to turn it around now if they are going to (#1 Ala next week for them) but they won't; SC 42-18

Arkansas at Florida; Ark has enough to win it, but the UF defense/special teams will do the trick; UF 21-17

LSU at Mississippi State; trap game for the Tigers after the hard loss to Georgia last week; think they'll start slow, but wear MSU out in the end; LSU 44-30

Ole Miss at Auburn; both teams got handled last week; does UM bounce back or Auburn? It's at Auburn and Ole Miss has problems they'll have to fix; upset AU 20-16

Missouri at Vandy; Mizzou is undefeated and Vandy is coming off an easy win; UM has played no one and they haven't been tested; they are this week and Vandy's defense wins it; Vandy 28-27

Georgia at Tennessee; UT wears their 'smokey grey' unis' this week; won't matter, UGA's defense is atrocious but UT's offense isn't good (yet); UGA 31-24 over the Vols :(

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Football Picks

6-3 last week, bad pick (Troy), bad luck (Arkansas) and bad coaching (Tennessee) ack; season now 33-9 (78.6% wrong direction) with more punch this week and a much harder schedule for most.

Tennessee beats up South Alabama; gets the offense in gear for at least one game and looks like they may turn the corner (how that holds up next week...) 38-12

[12] South Carolina at undefeated UCF; trap game for the 'cocks and Spurrier is usually good in those. The defense gets it done 17-3

[6] LSU at [9] Georgia; this is the game that will determine if LSU is capable of beating Bama (ikr); a tough place to play and UGA is looking good. With the new-found prowess of their qb, LSU gets it done behind the flashy offense. 41-34

[21] Ole Miss at [1] Alabama; years past this game would be a cakewalk; Bama's D isn't that good and Miss' O is decent; not enough for the upset though; UA 21-17 over the Rebels

[10] Texas A&M at Arkansas; should have been undefeated Arkansas, alas #karma heh; Johnny Football will spring back to the top of the heisman polls after this game; it'll stay close through 3, A&M 42-20

[20] Florida at Kentucky; Florida 39-12, if it's that close

Arkansas State at Missouri; Mizzou gets to 50 and cruises - 52-24

UAB at Vanderbilt; trap game for Vandy, UAB has some offense, not enough this time though; Vandy 28-21

Friday, September 20, 2013

Tom Cruise helps the Cause

Seems the Iranians wanted to get a closer look at a drone...  The US Air Force didn't think that would be a good idea.
“He [the Raptor pilot] flew under their aircraft [the F-4s] to check out their weapons load without them knowing that he was there, and then pulled up on their left wing and then called them and said ‘you really ought to go home,’” Gen. Welsh said.
A 'Top-Gun' move for sure, only thing better would have been an inverted fly-over with a salute :)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Football Picks

7-1 last week (really thought A&M would take it and they made a good show) so I'm 27-6 (81.8%) on the season.  Hard week this week though (if you don't go by the 'experts')

Vandy takes it to UMass  42-15
Georgia destroys North Texas 56-10
Tennessee upsets Florida late 27-24
Arkansas stays unbeaten... on a late field goal 21-20
Texas A&M tries to get to 100 ... beats SMU 71-33
Alabama takes it easy on Colorado St (and McElwain) 29-10
Mississippi State should beat Troy handily... they don't: Troy 34-33
LSU puts Auburn in its place. 31-18
Missouri stays unbeaten over Indiana; 52-40

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

From the Email


    Renault and Ford have joined forces to create the perfect small car for women.
     Mixing the Renault 'Clio' and the Ford 'Taurus' they have designed the 'Clitaurus.'    It comes in pink, and the average male car thief won't be able to find it - let alone turn it on - even if someone tells him where it is and how to do it.

     Rumor has it though, that it leaks transmission fluid once a month, and can be a real bitch to start in the morning!    Some have reported that on cold winter mornings, when you really need it, you can't get it to turn over.

     New models are initially fun to own, but very costly to maintain, and horribly expensive to get rid of.    Used models may initially appear to have curb appeal and a low price, but eventually have an increased appetite for fuel, and the curb weight typically increases with age.    Manufacturers are baffled as to how the size of the trunk increases, but say that the paint may just make it  LOOK bigger.

     This model is not expected to reach collector status.   Most owners will find it is best to just lease one, and replace it in a few years.
 
James Shott                
Observations

Saturday, September 14, 2013

From the email

Today's Joke

 
A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said to him, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study the bible a little, and get your hair cut; then we’ll talk about it.”

A month later the boy came back and again asked his father if he could use the car. His father said, “Son, I’m really proud of you. You brought your grades up, studied the bible well, but you didn’t get your hair cut!”

The young man waited a moment and then replied, “You know dad, I’ve been thinking about that. Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair.”

His father replied, “Yes son, and they walked everywhere they went.”
 
 
more jokes at dailyjokes.co
 

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Football Picks

Florida out-played Miami in every stat ... except the points and turnovers. They held the ball twice as long, gained almost twice as many yards and yet, they had 5 turnovers (4 in the red zone) and lost... my only blemish.

11-1 last week for a 20-5 (80.0%) on the season. Harder picks this week though.

Tennessee is at (2) Oregon - Tennessee has the talent to hang, but not the depth; Oregon takes it

(1) Alabama at (6) Texas A&M - Johnny Football does it again and drops UA from the unbeaten ranks.

(7) Louisville steamrolls Kentucky. Even after that offensive outburst last week, the 'cats have zero chance.

Auburn stays undefeated and scrapes by Mississippi State.

(8) LSU plays catch with Kent State, this one will be close up until kickoff.

(25) Ole Miss gives Texas another reason to fire Mack Brown.

Vanderbilt should be able to beat (13) South Carolina, this year of all years; but they won't

Arkansas runs all over Southern Miss

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Football Picks

Mixed bag last week; 9-4 (69.2%) but close to getting them right.

This week is cupcake city except for Georgia and South Carolina [edit: and the Florida vs Miami game duh]. So all the SEC teams to win.

In the UGA/SC game, SC is favored and UGA's defense was shredded by Clemson. I'm picking the upset here and taking UGA for redemption.
In the Florida vs Miami game (last regular season match-up scheduled). Both run the ball well, but UF's defense is lights out better than the U's.  Florida takes it.  (edited before kickoff, so heh)

Thursday Random

Hookers and Booze

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Football Picks

That time of year again :)  Football season... last year was decent (73-29 71.6%) but this year trying for something better.

All SEC again.

South Carolina over North Carolina by 9
Vanderbilt starts strong, hangs on to beat Ole Miss by 3
Kentucky looks sharp under a new coach; beats Western Kentucky by 20
Arkansas beats Louisiana Lafayette by 31
Tennessee by 41 over Austin Peay
Missouri by 30 over Murray State
Auburn by 6 over Washington State (close game)
Florida (passing natch) over Toledo; by 17 but close til the end
Texas A&M by 25 over Rice (even with Johnny Football on the sidelines for a half)
Mississippi State upsets Oklahoma State by 2 - book it
LSU survives TCU on a late field goal (by 3)
Alabama plays the 4th string..in the 1st half! beats Virginia Tech by 25
Georgia and Clemson battle it out, 2 top 10 teams; Clemson folds like always, UGA by 10

Monday, August 5, 2013

Celeb o'the Day - Isla Fisher

Isla Fisher
Isla Fisher

Road tripping fun

So a few weeks ago, I set out on a journey that most every parent dreads. My daughter,  my youngest son, and myself, set out on an amazing road trip of a lifetime. We headed to Twenty-Nine Palms, California from Florence, Alabama to take my daughter and her two furrbabies to be with her Marine hubby. Even though this was a trip of a lifetime and one item on my bucket list. As pulled out of our driveway, there wasn't a dry eye in the car. It felt as if I were taking my 1st born away and life would never be the same.

As we finished a few errands in town, and finally set out on our journey we all began to make the best of things; singing, talking, even laughing and having fun. We stopped at the Mississippi state line and snapped a picture of Lindz under the state sign, something we've always wanted to do on trips but just never did. So we agreed to do the same for each state we crossed. 

Not more than 2 hours into our trip we stopped to gas up, walk the doggies, and get drinks and junk food. Something we would do every 1-2 hours the rest of our trip. As I came from paying for our junk, Lindz asked me to unlock the car. Well, I didn't have the keys, neither did anyone else... they were in the car with the pups? Yes, one of the dogs, Lucy, somehow hit the lock button....  trying not to panic that not only were the dogs locked in the car with the windows up, but so was the only set of keys! So I quickly called the police and of course they were not able to help. Next I tried Kia Roadside assistance but the lady explained she had never heard of a situation like this and wasn't sure it would be covered but also the wait time would be at best 90 minutes. So I hung with her and called our insurance company State farm.  

They were wonderful. The guy assured me a locksmith would arrive within 20 minutes. As we waited, we tried everything to get Lucy to hit the unlock button but with no luck. We were so worried because it was over 90 degrees and the windows were rolled completely up. Surprisingly within maybe 5 minutes, this sweet couple pulled up and the man jumped out and said he had received a call about a lockout with 2 dogs in a hot car,  so they left their shopping and hurried over. Within 5-10 minutes he had the doors open. The wife was sure to keep conversation going to help lower our tension. I was so impressed at how fast, courteous, and sweet they were. I mean it was Sunday afternoon,  most families are enjoying their downtime and he was on call. We thanked them repeatedly,  I tipped the guy, and we were finally on our way again.

Part 1, hopefully to be continued (LN)

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Thursday Random

A holy shit random if I've seen one; especially the umm hookers :) See it all at Hookers and Booze

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Colin Kaepernick Causes an Uproar...and Your Point is?

Colin Kaepernick, quarterback of the San Fransisco 49ers,  put a picture of himself holding a Miami Dolphins cap on the social media service Instagram.

In the off season of the NFL, when news is at best slow, the Internet fan and NFL crowd does what they do. Create an outrage about something that doesn't matter. I can understand where fans are coming from, how do you, the face of a franchise in the most profitable sports league on the planet, hold up gear from a competing franchise? I guess what I don't understand is how you can get this outraged over a hat? Why are you screaming about "loyalty"? Are franchises loyal to the players that come in, give all they have, and get cut over health issues? I don't remember seeing anyone crying over "loyalty" in regards to Austin Collie being cut by the Indianapolis Colts over concussions?
The Colts also will not re-sign oft-injured receiver Austin Collie, who played in just one game last season after rupturing a patellar tendon in his right knee.
Collie, diagnosed with three concussions over the past 22½ months and who left another game during that span with what team officials described as "concussion-like symptoms," spent four seasons with the team. He had 257 catches over his first three years.(link, last 2 paras)
My thoughts on that thought process: If Kaepernick destroys both knees this season, and the 49ers cut him in the off season, can he cry foul about "loyalty" without you the fan rolling your eyes? You, the fans, are using a passive-aggressive behavior to create something to get mad about out of nothing. I couldn't care less if a NFL player has gear from another franchise on his body during the off season. What does this have anything to do with his play on the field or in practice, or in the film room?

Don't worry, I'll wait.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Dwight Howard chooses Houston, Titles to come?

We have a decision. It's not The Decision, but Dwight Howard, the most coveted free agent in the National Basketball Association has decided that the Los Angeles Lakers is not the franchise for him. He has decided to play ball for the Houston Rockets to the tune of 4 years and a total payout of $88 million.

As a fan, you need to understand some things with regard to context to make an informed decision as to whether you believe that Howard has made a wise choice. Dwight Howard considers himself the premier center in the NBA. He just told the most prestious franchise in his sport, who could offer him $30 million more than anyone else, to go stick it. He'd be happier elsewhere. Howard's diva behavior and attitude are such that I believe he can not win multiple titles in the NBA. He is more Carmelo Anthony than Kobe Bryant or Lebron James. He doesn't have the "killer instinct" to be a top 5 player in the NBA.

The Houston Rockets are not devoid of talent. They are an up and coming roster with young core players.  Howard was in a place with some of the all time great players, who won championships and created mystique over the decades, and he beat a path out of town. The best in any industry want to work at the top firm. The ego welcomes the challenge of working your way to the top of the ladder. Will the Lakers have to rebuild during the length of Howard's contract? Most likely so, but Howard is 27 years old, the next 4 years of his life are the prime years of his career, and he wanted to go to a lesser franchise. It shows me too much about his character to make me believe that he can lead a franchise to multiple championships.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Happy 4th

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July today!  Remember, just like today's' armed forces, the people that fought for our independence (for the most part) were volunteers for the cause.

Hug a service-person, pay for a meal; salute, anything to show your appreciation. Be careful with your fireworks and alcohol today, and remember that freedom isn't guaranteed, it has to be constantly fought for and vigilance is a necessity in any age.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Emotion Should Not Rule

Over at Protein Wisdom, Jeff has posted about a letter (email) he received about wanting to 'stop' killers six months after Sandy Hook and his reply.

Dear Erica,
Had the killer known people in your mom's school may have been armed, chances are he'd have picked another target.
Your pain does not permit you to infringe on my rights, or my choice for how best to protect my family. I'm sorry if this sounds indelicate, but we're months removed now from the mass murder -- already against the law, and your loss from which I truly am sorry for -- so I'm just going to say this to you as plainly as possible: the very fact that so many people were killed under circumstances you wish to see exacerbated means that, frankly, you are one of the last people those of us who wish to keep our families safe ought to be listening to.

Is part of his reply, go read the whole exchange and see just what people should be saying to anyone that tells you that the 2nd amendment isn't needed.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Warzone

 Recently played a few games on Caldera (warzone) and then... Lots of luck in this one, but satisfying