OK - here we are. Is there anyone out there? Will anyone care? Who knows... off we go with the grand experiment.
8:35 ET: Got the kids a bath and in PJs; I have 25 minutes for snack, stories and bed. It will be close.
8:39: Side question: Are Cheez-its a healthy snack or junk food?
9:07: Got back down here in time to see someone who looks like Michael Irvin sitting next to Laura Bush, and just in time to see/hear the President being announced.
9:09: What are in those manila folders that Bush gives to the VP and Speaker? "Here's a copy - try to follow along"?
9:10: So the sergeant at arms announces the President - 3 minutes of applause; just when it dies down, Hastert announces the President - 1 more minute of applauding. Just in case you missed it the first time.
9:11: Starting out the speech with a memorial on Coretta Scott King. Touching.
9:12: "rostrum"? What is that?
9:14: "state of the union is strong", as always. This after a pledge for civility.
9:16: "problems in a country 7000 miles away are a cause" for the 9/11 attacks. Hoo boy, that oughta cause some controversy.
"advance of freedom" is a cause for the last 60 years. He's alluding that the war on terror is a natural extension of freedom's march that started withthe end of WW II. I think it's a good principle - why haven't you been constantly selling this for the last 3 years?
9:18: " no peace and no honor in retreat". Was he looking right at Cindy Sheehan (who is in the audience) when he said that?
9:20: Quick shot of Barbara Mikulski behind John Kerry. I'm sorry, she looks like a quiet grandmother, dressed in a long-sleeve velour dress. (What am I, Blackwell?)
9:22: Allies are "relentelessly shutting off terrorist infiltration" in Iraq. Hmmm. tough sell.
"we are winning". Wish you would say that more often, Chief.
9:23: How in the hell did they get a camera shot of Alito, two military heads, and Harry Reid all in one shot? Do the Republicans set seat assignments with camera angles in mind? (don't answer that....I'm sure that's some intern's job).
"the military will decide on troop withdrawal". A good point, one worth repeating.
9:27: The tributes start with a letter from a soldier who died in Iraq last month; his wife and parents are introduced.
9:29: "USA supports democratic reform and elections" in the Middle East. Will he say something about Hamas, then?
9:30: He must have heard me! "Hamas must recongize Israel and disarm....... " Or???
"Democracies in the Middle East will not look like ours".
9:32: Uh oh, Iran... here we go. "The regime sponsors terrorism, and that must come to an end".
"Iranian government is defying the world". Boy, this sounds familiar....
9:33: "Let me speak to the citizens of Iran...".....we repsect you.....we wish one day we can be the closest of friends with a democratic Iran.
9:35: An awkward shift to the US showing compassion around the world with AIDS funding, malaria relief, etc..... they cut to Rumsfeld who looked like he was thinking "Where is he going with this?"
9:36: Then back to homeland security? What was that about? 60 seconds about showing compassion abroad. Awkward and seemingly out of place.
9:38: Here we go with the good stuff.... asking for Patriot act extension.... and he is explaining his authority for the surveillance. "Other presidents have used it. We should have connected the dots in 9/11, as 2 hijackers made phone calls with Al-Qaida."
"If there are people inside America whoa re talkin' with Al-Qaida, we will find them."
Exactly 50% of the audience is standing. Hillary is giving a weird big smile, like "I can't believe this".
9:40: Two more shots of Mikulski. Why?
9:41: Now onto the economy. America has created more jobs than Japan and the EU , combined, over the last 2 years.
9:42: "Some say immigrants are bad for the economy,even though our country can not function without them". Hmmmm... But he didn't say illegal immigants, now did he?
9:43: "Make the tax cuts permanent". Even more of a dramatic 50% applause/silence in the crowd.
9:44: "plans to cut the spending by $14 billion this year" - um, that doesn't seem like much. Maybe I am wrong.
9:45: Earmark reform - one of McCain's big issues - was brought up. McCain looks like he is Boss Hogg after he ate a plate full of wings with Roscoe. Seriously, I think that kind of look may make him a little more unelectable.
9:47: "Baby boomers are turning old, including 2 of my dad's favorite people - me and President Clinton". A little laughter, and Hillary is certainly not amused. This look, likewise, also makes her unelectable.
9:48: "Congress did not act last year on my proposal to save Social Security". Very audible cheers in the crowd, and Hillary is up and cheering. Now almost all of the Democrats are up.
"Let's create a commission to come up with solutions for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security - a bipartisan commission". Loud cheer from both sides.
This is startling to me. Is he abandoning Soc Security reform? I think so. He's asking for a truce. Not a bad move politically, but disappointing to me.
9:51: Illegal immigration... toughen the borders, reduce smuggling, help those who are legally looking for jobs... that's it. No more. On to health care.
9:53: "Dangerous medical errors" are a cause for rising health care costs? So Sally the secretary at the doctor's office is the root of all evil? I don't get it.
9:54: "America is addicted to oil". Best way to break it - "technology". "On the threshold of incredible advances". 22% increase in dept of energy spedning, for research in solar, wind, and nuclear energy. Need to change how we heat/cool buildings.
"Must also change how we power automobiles". Ethanol from wood chips and switch grass? Goal set of being competitive (ethanol) in 6 years.
Big goal set: Reduce 75% of oil imports from Middle East by 2020. Seems much more dauting than Kennedy's declaration in 1961 to put a man on the mood by the end of the decade.
9:58: More money for math and science. Too bad, humanties majors. Learn to say "Do you want fries with that?" and "I'm Trevor, our special today at Applebee's is the 3-course special for $12.99!"
10:00: 70,000 more AP Math teachers. 30,000 more "math and science professionals" (me?) to go into schools.
10:01: "A generation is finding that a life of personal responsibility is a life of fulfillment". Welfare reform, abstience, drug education have made a difference in the character of the country. Zing to the social left! Take that, Hollywood!
10:03: Ethics time - parents concerned on ethics, from shady politicans to activist judges (?). Savvy link, but one that doesn't fly here. Activist judges are not ethically wrong, just a wrong point of view.
10:05. Hoo boy, talking about Alito - and a justice next to him is beaming. I can't name him. Kennedy? Souter? Nope. No idea.
10:06: "Embryos and stem cells". Boy, am I not excited about this. I just can't get into this topics at all.
10:08: I'm losing interest.... One minute on New Orleans..... revise and reform the Ryan White act......Va Tech wins over Ga Tech, 63-62
(sorry, that last one was not in the speech).
10:10: closing now...Courage needed, like Lincoln, King, America post-WWII, etc. Can't lose sight and vision at this crucial time.
And it's over! 51 minute speech , which seems short.
A good speech, with clear ups and downs. I like his defense of the wiretapping - which, let's face it, is playing to popular support - and his vision of the energy policy. Only cursory mentions of Katrina, immigration, and ethics, which I would have like to hear more of.
He had a tough job of talking about Iran and Hamas- what is he going to say? He - and all of the US in particular - can't come out and say "we're going to war", but we have to put up a tough fight. It is apparent that Iran is going to defy the UN - so now what? No word. A little disappointing- no ultimatum- but it's too early yet to be bold.
I don't know why, but I like the energy piece. Energy is not just a Ralph Nader issue anymore (which is was in the 80s and 90s), but it is a national security issue! The less we are dependent on oil, the more we become less tied politically to that area in the world.
10:25: Tim Kaine on now for the Demo response. This is the first time I have seen him; first impression is that he is a little too formal of a speaker.....
"there is a better way"...."Americans have expectations for competancy".
First big topic he talks about is the tax cuts...... Hmmm, I don't think that's smart, but he is talking about his bipartisan examples from Virginia.
Education - he's critiquing teh No Child Left Behind. I have heard that the program is getting results.
The talk is very formulaic:
Take a topic:
1) criticise Bush / R's policy
2) Be sure to say "there's a better way"
3) Share an example, however small, of what democrats or bipartisan efforts have done. (not really showing better results from those examples, however).
However, his style is getting in the way. I know, I know, Bush is not a good speaker - but Kaine is just.... boring.
"If we want to get rid of the division, we need to get rid of the leadership". And put the party of John Kerry and Ted Kennedy in? That's why it rings a little hollow.
"Pray for the day that service returns to Washington". A clear bone to independents that are religious. This statement made sense, even though it may not on this blog.
"America can do better". My God, it's John Kerry's tag line. Is this good poliitcs?
Jan 31, 2006
What the hell is this?
I swear, I go to Yahoo sports, and here is a link crying for me to click on it....
Preakness to be held despite herpes?
This further cements Baltimore as the STD capital of the world.
Preakness to be held despite herpes?
This further cements Baltimore as the STD capital of the world.
First live blog?
OK - we will try an experiment tonight.... if I can get the kids in bed before 9, I will attempt to live-blog the state of the union address. Gotta try out the new laptop!
I hope that it will remain light yet substantive - so we will talk about the speech as well as any ugly wardrobes or bad toupees. We'll see if we can make this work!
I hope that it will remain light yet substantive - so we will talk about the speech as well as any ugly wardrobes or bad toupees. We'll see if we can make this work!
College Credit
When we state that we require a college degree, does University of Phoenix count? Honestly, I thought I saw something on 60 minutes of the Drudge Report on how other colleges are not recognizing the undergrad degree when students are applying for Grad School.
Jan 29, 2006
World Baseball Classic
Am I the only person excited about this? Austin and I picked up tickets for the games in early March at Anehiem, so I'm starting to pay a little more attention to the rosters and other crap like that, I'm really getting excited about it. Could this eventually turn into something like the World Cup or the European Championship? Which would you prefer?
1. Every 2 to 4 years each country puts together an all-star team and plays for the championship in March (World Cup style)
2. Each league's champion from around the world plays in late October or November for a true World Series (European Championship style).
Eric thinks that option one is too much like the Olympics and the Dream Team stuff and how serious are the players going to take this. I tend to agree with him. All its going to take is the US to lose and the baseball writers are going to be all over everyone and then certain players won't play and then it will be a waste of time. But if we go with option 2, I think it will bring a little more interest. Who are you going to support, the Yanks or the Australian League Champs? Rob Dibble on Friday said that teams that play in the World Series could easily play another 20-25 games since they are on such a high on winning the WS.
Thoughts?
1. Every 2 to 4 years each country puts together an all-star team and plays for the championship in March (World Cup style)
2. Each league's champion from around the world plays in late October or November for a true World Series (European Championship style).
Eric thinks that option one is too much like the Olympics and the Dream Team stuff and how serious are the players going to take this. I tend to agree with him. All its going to take is the US to lose and the baseball writers are going to be all over everyone and then certain players won't play and then it will be a waste of time. But if we go with option 2, I think it will bring a little more interest. Who are you going to support, the Yanks or the Australian League Champs? Rob Dibble on Friday said that teams that play in the World Series could easily play another 20-25 games since they are on such a high on winning the WS.
Thoughts?
Jan 27, 2006
Vegas update
All set for Vegas! Don and I have booked our flights:
arriving Wed ~ 9pm or so
leaving on the red eye Sun night.
Now it's time to concetrate on basketball and separate the teams into the overrated/underrated category.
I hate to say this on this website, but one team that I think is overrated is Maryland. Look at their results - what are their road/neutral wins? Arkansas in Hawaii or Ga Tech on the road. That's it. This team can not play away from Comcast - and now with McCray done, it's going to be tough for them the rest of the way in the ACC.
Florida is another team. I looked at their schedule today - their only road win of note is @ Mia-FL. A good team, but a team that is inthe top 5 should have better numbers that than. Looking back, it's not a shock they lost their first two true road tests of the year.
I will try to post mock bracket projections each week in February. After looking at the stadnings for a short time, it's going to be awfullyhard to fill the last spots on the bubble becuase it seems there is a dearth of great at large candidates. Some midmajors have truly stood out (most of the MVC, Bucknell) that they are now considered locks. Other midmajors have slipped horribly (Nevada, Old Dominion) and have gone off the radar screen. But the big conferences (outside of the Big 10 and Big East) have failed to put forth quality teams in the middle of the pack.
Look at the SEC, or Big 12. No way that eitehr conference gets 6 this year.
The Pac 10 looks like it will return to its 3-bid ways.
The math will be very interesting this year.
arriving Wed ~ 9pm or so
leaving on the red eye Sun night.
Now it's time to concetrate on basketball and separate the teams into the overrated/underrated category.
I hate to say this on this website, but one team that I think is overrated is Maryland. Look at their results - what are their road/neutral wins? Arkansas in Hawaii or Ga Tech on the road. That's it. This team can not play away from Comcast - and now with McCray done, it's going to be tough for them the rest of the way in the ACC.
Florida is another team. I looked at their schedule today - their only road win of note is @ Mia-FL. A good team, but a team that is inthe top 5 should have better numbers that than. Looking back, it's not a shock they lost their first two true road tests of the year.
I will try to post mock bracket projections each week in February. After looking at the stadnings for a short time, it's going to be awfullyhard to fill the last spots on the bubble becuase it seems there is a dearth of great at large candidates. Some midmajors have truly stood out (most of the MVC, Bucknell) that they are now considered locks. Other midmajors have slipped horribly (Nevada, Old Dominion) and have gone off the radar screen. But the big conferences (outside of the Big 10 and Big East) have failed to put forth quality teams in the middle of the pack.
Look at the SEC, or Big 12. No way that eitehr conference gets 6 this year.
The Pac 10 looks like it will return to its 3-bid ways.
The math will be very interesting this year.
All settled in....kind of
Last day of freedom for me as our "grace" period ends today from our move. The boys are in their new day care for a couple of hours this morning - Freddie is in a pre-K class of 14 boys and 0 girls. Something must have been in the water in 2001.
Some random notes from the last two weeks:
- Two words you don't ever want to hear from a hotel maintenance employee working on the pool: "Emergency Sanitization". Apparently, on Saturday night, at 8 pm (when about 45 10-to-13-year old boys are running around the hotel lobby and pool area), a boy threw up in the pool - big time. The pool was closed for 2 hours as it was cleaned up. Janice went to the hot tub later that night and saw small "chunks" still in the pool when it was reopened.
- Why is it that Sears appliance salesmen (they are all men, if you haven't noticed) are 1) all over 55, 2) can't work a computer? Derek and I kid our Dad on his non-technical skills, and it's charming to watch, but when you have 2 kids that are tired and hungry and the salesman can't figure out how to put your address in for the 4th time - well, it gets old and frustrating. And (maybe Jay can answer this) why are all of Sears' computers made in the 1970s? They haven't had a computer upgrade in 25 years, I bet.
- Have to say we had a pleasant TV buying experience from Best Buy. And the HDTV picutre looks great! However, the local channels are not broadcasting in HDTV on DirectTV - so no HD Super Bowl for me.(I think this is a Cincinnati contractual issue - some spat between the stations and DirectTV that will hopefully get resolved soon).
- The installer didn't hook up the bedroom right, saying we 'had a bad cable" going from the main to the bedroom (B.S), so yours truly spent Tuesday afternoon in our attic tracing the cable line from our bedroom. It was 30 minutes of playing "Is this a beam?" as I step through the insulation, hoping to find a cross beam and not plunge down through the floor. Ah, home ownership.
- Got the foosball table and the craps table set up last night (permanently!). However, we still haven't found the actual foosball yet. Talk about a needle-in-a-haystack search; we have to find a 2" diameter red ball that we haven't seen in 2 years among the 30 or so boxes in our basement. Oh yeah, that will be fun.
- Congrats ( grudgingly ) to the Steelers. Now go lose to the Hawks. I'm already sick of Bettis - but I was sick of him 3 years ago. Now the nation can be sick of him just as Super Bowl XL kicks off.....
Some random notes from the last two weeks:
- Two words you don't ever want to hear from a hotel maintenance employee working on the pool: "Emergency Sanitization". Apparently, on Saturday night, at 8 pm (when about 45 10-to-13-year old boys are running around the hotel lobby and pool area), a boy threw up in the pool - big time. The pool was closed for 2 hours as it was cleaned up. Janice went to the hot tub later that night and saw small "chunks" still in the pool when it was reopened.
- Why is it that Sears appliance salesmen (they are all men, if you haven't noticed) are 1) all over 55, 2) can't work a computer? Derek and I kid our Dad on his non-technical skills, and it's charming to watch, but when you have 2 kids that are tired and hungry and the salesman can't figure out how to put your address in for the 4th time - well, it gets old and frustrating. And (maybe Jay can answer this) why are all of Sears' computers made in the 1970s? They haven't had a computer upgrade in 25 years, I bet.
- Have to say we had a pleasant TV buying experience from Best Buy. And the HDTV picutre looks great! However, the local channels are not broadcasting in HDTV on DirectTV - so no HD Super Bowl for me.(I think this is a Cincinnati contractual issue - some spat between the stations and DirectTV that will hopefully get resolved soon).
- The installer didn't hook up the bedroom right, saying we 'had a bad cable" going from the main to the bedroom (B.S), so yours truly spent Tuesday afternoon in our attic tracing the cable line from our bedroom. It was 30 minutes of playing "Is this a beam?" as I step through the insulation, hoping to find a cross beam and not plunge down through the floor. Ah, home ownership.
- Got the foosball table and the craps table set up last night (permanently!). However, we still haven't found the actual foosball yet. Talk about a needle-in-a-haystack search; we have to find a 2" diameter red ball that we haven't seen in 2 years among the 30 or so boxes in our basement. Oh yeah, that will be fun.
- Congrats ( grudgingly ) to the Steelers. Now go lose to the Hawks. I'm already sick of Bettis - but I was sick of him 3 years ago. Now the nation can be sick of him just as Super Bowl XL kicks off.....
Jan 24, 2006
Bosnia
My office is in a tailspin. A couple more terminations and a resignation and now this place is a war zone. I'm honkered down in my office right now with a pocket knife and a jar of Purell trying to make sure I don't lose complete control. I can't even concentrate on my results right now, since all I'm doing is interviewing people. I was getting so frustrated the other day that I ended an interview in 5 minutes when the guy couldn't tell me about what strengths he had and what assests he would bring to my operation. It only lasted that long because I wanted to see how long the silence would go for before he would start talking. Then one of my employees received 22 death threats over the weekend from some angry customer and come to find out that it is against fire code to lock the doors during business hours, sSo I had to hire a security guard to man the front and side doors. Well the guy shows up this morning and I really can't tell him apart from the homeless guy who I catch pissing on my building every morning. They guard doesn't even have a nightstick.
Then I got a call this morning from my ex-girlfriend's sister telling me that my ex (Amy) had a baby....oh and she is looking for a job. What???? Seriously, what the fuck???? Why does this women and her family continue to haunt me? I have a million stories over the past couple of years. Like on one Saturday when I'm talking to Jon on the phone and I see Amy's home phone come in on the caller ID (probably one of the funniest exchanges between Jon and I) and it was her calling me to warn me that her fiance at the time wanted to talk to me about sleeping with her on some random night back when I stopped into Baltimore for a wedding. Ugh...
The only positive thing right now is that they have Direct TV in the lunch room and this show will be out in early Feb. Oh, I've missed you so much Kristen.
http://www.upn.com/shows/party/
Then I got a call this morning from my ex-girlfriend's sister telling me that my ex (Amy) had a baby....oh and she is looking for a job. What???? Seriously, what the fuck???? Why does this women and her family continue to haunt me? I have a million stories over the past couple of years. Like on one Saturday when I'm talking to Jon on the phone and I see Amy's home phone come in on the caller ID (probably one of the funniest exchanges between Jon and I) and it was her calling me to warn me that her fiance at the time wanted to talk to me about sleeping with her on some random night back when I stopped into Baltimore for a wedding. Ugh...
The only positive thing right now is that they have Direct TV in the lunch room and this show will be out in early Feb. Oh, I've missed you so much Kristen.
http://www.upn.com/shows/party/
Jan 20, 2006
Stuck without a computer
I'm writing to you live in the lobby of the Embassy Suites in Blue Ash, OH. It's pretty sad how addicted I am to the internet. I feel lost in a cave over the last 5-6 days - reading and re-reading the USA Toady just doesn't feed my fix for Glenn Reynolds, Bill Simmons and (of course) Vegas Insider).
I'm in a hotel here as we wait for the moving van to arrive on Saturday; of course, it's going to rain tomorrow during the unload. Phone and internet service arrive at the house on Monday, and the Direct TV guy comes on Tuesday.
Some comments before the picks:
- Bought a 50" Sony today for the new house. I will post my thoughts on the picture quality once it is installed.
- The previous owners of the house we bought were LSU fans; so much so that our finished basement is painted in purple (I guess it's really burgundy) and a dark gold - the two colors of LSU. Boy, is it ugly. I'm going to turn around and paint it orange and brown right away.
- Two big elections coming up; Canada votes for a new government on Monday, and it looks like the conservatives are winning - boy, will that drive the liberals mad. Also, the US House Republicans will vote for a new Majority leader. Even though I now live in the district of one of the candidates (John Boehner), I support John Shadegg (from AZ), who represents a clean break from the DeLay leadership team that has been (fairly and unfairly) tainted.
- The message that Bin Laden wants a truce means, to me, that we are unmistakably winning the war on Terror and against Al Qaida.
Picks for this weekend:
Denver 31, Pittsburgh 17 - I just feel that Pittsburgh will be out of gas.
Seattle 27, Carolina 24 - A close game to the end; Josh Brown kicks a.... let's see... 39 yarder to win in with :02 left.
Best bets: 4-2 last week! 150-136-13 overall.
Den -3
Den/Pit over 41
Car/Sea over 44
I'm in a hotel here as we wait for the moving van to arrive on Saturday; of course, it's going to rain tomorrow during the unload. Phone and internet service arrive at the house on Monday, and the Direct TV guy comes on Tuesday.
Some comments before the picks:
- Bought a 50" Sony today for the new house. I will post my thoughts on the picture quality once it is installed.
- The previous owners of the house we bought were LSU fans; so much so that our finished basement is painted in purple (I guess it's really burgundy) and a dark gold - the two colors of LSU. Boy, is it ugly. I'm going to turn around and paint it orange and brown right away.
- Two big elections coming up; Canada votes for a new government on Monday, and it looks like the conservatives are winning - boy, will that drive the liberals mad. Also, the US House Republicans will vote for a new Majority leader. Even though I now live in the district of one of the candidates (John Boehner), I support John Shadegg (from AZ), who represents a clean break from the DeLay leadership team that has been (fairly and unfairly) tainted.
- The message that Bin Laden wants a truce means, to me, that we are unmistakably winning the war on Terror and against Al Qaida.
Picks for this weekend:
Denver 31, Pittsburgh 17 - I just feel that Pittsburgh will be out of gas.
Seattle 27, Carolina 24 - A close game to the end; Josh Brown kicks a.... let's see... 39 yarder to win in with :02 left.
Best bets: 4-2 last week! 150-136-13 overall.
Den -3
Den/Pit over 41
Car/Sea over 44
Jan 16, 2006
Arbys
Is Arbys making a comeback? I'm seeing more and more of the chains pop up out here, and man that makes me sooooo happy. The Big Montana might be the most underrated sandwich around (put that on your list RRD), and that freakin' horsy sauce is out of sight. Hmmmmmm.....
With two great lunches at Arbys, they now move into my top 5 fast food chains:
1. In and Out
2. Taco Bell
3. Pick Up Stix
4. Popeyes
5. Arbys
With two great lunches at Arbys, they now move into my top 5 fast food chains:
1. In and Out
2. Taco Bell
3. Pick Up Stix
4. Popeyes
5. Arbys
Interesting.....
So the top two NFL officiating crews were not doing games this weekend? Hmmmm...Why not? Eric's take is that the NFL is just stupid, while my take is that the NFL couldn't pay off the top officials, so they used shitty ones, paid for their spring vacations and tried to ensure that Indy would win. Eric says that there was only one blatant bad call in the Indy game, while I say there were three:
- Interception called an incomplete
- The no safety call on Manning
- The do over play when encroachment was not called on Indy
All three plays would of sealed the game for Pitt, but they were called in favor of Indy. I know Eric will slam me on the interception call, but I still don't understand the rule. The tuck rule I understood, just thought it was stupid, but this rule doesn't make any sense, not do I think it exist. So explain away.
On a side note, spent Saturday and part of Sunday in Vegas. The New York New York installed TVs above all of their gaming tables. Excellent move. Fabulous move. I can't rave enough about this decision. Its a win win situation for everybody. I have never seen rows of blackjack tables all yell and get excited at the same time, not because all of them were winning money, but because everyone is watching the games. I can't even imagine how it is going to be during March Madness. Instead of just hearing the roar coming from the Sportsbook, you will now have it coming from every table game. I'm just waiting for a "Sportsbook Runner" to take bets from the tables, so people don't even need to get up from the tables. Looks like we will be moving away from the Monte and into the New York, now that I have a Casino Host interested in our wagering. Let's see, 14 hours of play, all on roulette (I know, I know) at about $20 per spin somehow gets the Host excited, especially when I tell them I plan on coming out every other weekend. Somehow I walked out of there only down $400, while Ben took a major hit but with a great Sunday morning run, was only down $900.
Jan 14, 2006
Sunday's NFL
Well, I was 2-for-2 vs. the spread today; let's keep it going:
Indianapolis 31, Pittsburgh 10 - Indy will be ready to play and will stop Big Ben and the Steelers. They are able to pressure Ben withoutu blitzing, forcing Ben to make quick decisions - and mistakes.
Carolina 16, Chicago 13 (OT) - this will be a classic hard hitting, overtime game. Wouldn't surprise me to see it go to double overtime.
Best bets for the day:
Ind -9.5
Ind/Pit Under 47 1/2
Car +2.5
Indianapolis 31, Pittsburgh 10 - Indy will be ready to play and will stop Big Ben and the Steelers. They are able to pressure Ben withoutu blitzing, forcing Ben to make quick decisions - and mistakes.
Carolina 16, Chicago 13 (OT) - this will be a classic hard hitting, overtime game. Wouldn't surprise me to see it go to double overtime.
Best bets for the day:
Ind -9.5
Ind/Pit Under 47 1/2
Car +2.5
Picks for today:
OK, we were 2-1 last week (Saturday's picks were not submitted because, well, we may still have been drunk when the games kicked off last week.
This week's picks:
Seattle 31, Washington 10: Seattle will be ready to go. This shouldn't even be close.
Denver 30, New England 20: Why is everyone picking New England in this one? Yes, they have a great coach, and BRady is Brady, but this year the talent isn't there. NE's running game is suspect, and their defense is not as good as before. Denver will score at will.
Best bets:
Seattle -9.5
Den -3
Den/NE Over 44
This week's picks:
Seattle 31, Washington 10: Seattle will be ready to go. This shouldn't even be close.
Denver 30, New England 20: Why is everyone picking New England in this one? Yes, they have a great coach, and BRady is Brady, but this year the talent isn't there. NE's running game is suspect, and their defense is not as good as before. Denver will score at will.
Best bets:
Seattle -9.5
Den -3
Den/NE Over 44
Life at a Manufacturing plant
Well, Friday was our last day at the plant. We pack up and move on Monday and Tuesday to start our new jobs back in Cincinnati in the home offices.
Speaking from a job perspective, it was a 2 years I will never forget. The work at a plant is very immediate, urgent, and crosses all functions and roles - you need to be effective with people above you (plant manager) and below you (techs who just started 2 months ago unloading bottles).
The plant culture is dominated by a "us. vs the world" attitude- and "the world" can mean other P&G plants and even Cincinnati itself. Because of this environment - and the fact that the plant is in Iowa - means that most people at the plant not only are close at work, but close socially as well. A group goes out for "drinks" each Friday (and sometimes Saturday), which makes the work easier (because connections are made those nights that won't happen during the working houre). You rarely see this in Cincinnati - you usually never have a group from the same function go out and hang out outside of work - people have their own friends and go their own ways at 5:00 on Friday. That's one thing I will miss about the plant.
The work can be extremely fulfilling and frustrating at the same time. I feel there are times when I've aged 10 ears due to the work, and times when I feel 10 years younger (when talking/partying with people who were born after "Bette Davis Eyes" came out in 1981.) It's a different kind of work. I will miss it immensely when I go back.
(I won't miss the god-awful recycling rules in Iowa. Jees).
Speaking from a job perspective, it was a 2 years I will never forget. The work at a plant is very immediate, urgent, and crosses all functions and roles - you need to be effective with people above you (plant manager) and below you (techs who just started 2 months ago unloading bottles).
The plant culture is dominated by a "us. vs the world" attitude- and "the world" can mean other P&G plants and even Cincinnati itself. Because of this environment - and the fact that the plant is in Iowa - means that most people at the plant not only are close at work, but close socially as well. A group goes out for "drinks" each Friday (and sometimes Saturday), which makes the work easier (because connections are made those nights that won't happen during the working houre). You rarely see this in Cincinnati - you usually never have a group from the same function go out and hang out outside of work - people have their own friends and go their own ways at 5:00 on Friday. That's one thing I will miss about the plant.
The work can be extremely fulfilling and frustrating at the same time. I feel there are times when I've aged 10 ears due to the work, and times when I feel 10 years younger (when talking/partying with people who were born after "Bette Davis Eyes" came out in 1981.) It's a different kind of work. I will miss it immensely when I go back.
(I won't miss the god-awful recycling rules in Iowa. Jees).
Jan 13, 2006
Sneak Preview
I know I am jinxing this, but I have never felt so sure of my picks this far in advance of playoff games. The four games this weekend just seem to perfectly fall into place in my head.
Actual picks to be unveiled later; it will be three home teams and one road team.
(Remember one of my key rules? Find a popular pick, and then go the other way? Many of those this week...)
Actual picks to be unveiled later; it will be three home teams and one road team.
(Remember one of my key rules? Find a popular pick, and then go the other way? Many of those this week...)
Jan 12, 2006
Office Pros/Cons
New office Pros:
Direct TV in the lunch room
Slightly above average secretary with a decent rack
Nice big office
Great location and close to the beach
Decent group of people
Cons:
Raised toilet seat
Had to fire 4 people and counting during my first week
One small ass window that lets in a sliver of light in my office
Homeless man that now lives in my office dumpster was taking a piss in my parking lot this morning
Direct TV in the lunch room
Slightly above average secretary with a decent rack
Nice big office
Great location and close to the beach
Decent group of people
Cons:
Raised toilet seat
Had to fire 4 people and counting during my first week
One small ass window that lets in a sliver of light in my office
Homeless man that now lives in my office dumpster was taking a piss in my parking lot this morning
Jan 11, 2006
Football notes...
1) Derek won the Eric vs Derek challenge by a slim margin:
Derek: 95-90-8
Eric: 92-90-11
I lost because I had three more pushes than him.
2) Best bets record is now 146-134-13; that's a 52.0% clip - just about break even.
3) A public service note: I'd like for each one of our readers to click on this link, which will take you to a website trying to get funds for a worthy cause. This is especially applicable to our readers in California.
Public Service Website
OK, enough for today.
Derek: 95-90-8
Eric: 92-90-11
I lost because I had three more pushes than him.
2) Best bets record is now 146-134-13; that's a 52.0% clip - just about break even.
3) A public service note: I'd like for each one of our readers to click on this link, which will take you to a website trying to get funds for a worthy cause. This is especially applicable to our readers in California.
Public Service Website
OK, enough for today.
Guilt Trip
So late last year, I got a survey from the Republican Senate Campaign Committee asking me for my thoughts on various issues of the day. I filled it out, answered honestly, and wrote some terse comments in the comment section about how the Republicans need to get back to basics and focus more on immigration and deficit control (with Mr. "Bridge-to-nowhere" needing to be removed as Appropriations Chairman.) I included a $25 donation - the minimum - to hopefully get my voice heard.
Well, that was a mistake. I know get these "official" letters from Libby Dole every week (in official-looking stationary - DO NOT FORWARD, OPEN IMMEDIATELY, etc.etc.), and those letters are asking for - can you believe it? - more money! (that was sarcasm)
I know, I know, I think I just got put on the sucker list. I just was desperate enough to try to get my voice heard. And now I'm on a mailing list for the rest of my life.
The latest letter has a $1 bill inside- "I'm trusting you", says Libby, turn turn that $1 from me into a donation to the Republicans. So now what? Do I return the $1? Keep it and spend it on a soft taco from Taco Bell?
(I sent a nasty note as well to the Browns on Dec 30 when they were on the verge of firing Savage - got a response back today thanking me for my interest and assuring me that with Romeo and Phil, the Browns are moving forward.... and they thank me for my support from Iowa! Why can't I get that response from Libby? What's Bob doing these days?)
(On second thought, I did get a Christmas card from the Dole's. Very classy. And for whatever reason, I also got a Happy Chaunnakah card from Rick Santorum. That was weird.)
Well, that was a mistake. I know get these "official" letters from Libby Dole every week (in official-looking stationary - DO NOT FORWARD, OPEN IMMEDIATELY, etc.etc.), and those letters are asking for - can you believe it? - more money! (that was sarcasm)
I know, I know, I think I just got put on the sucker list. I just was desperate enough to try to get my voice heard. And now I'm on a mailing list for the rest of my life.
The latest letter has a $1 bill inside- "I'm trusting you", says Libby, turn turn that $1 from me into a donation to the Republicans. So now what? Do I return the $1? Keep it and spend it on a soft taco from Taco Bell?
(I sent a nasty note as well to the Browns on Dec 30 when they were on the verge of firing Savage - got a response back today thanking me for my interest and assuring me that with Romeo and Phil, the Browns are moving forward.... and they thank me for my support from Iowa! Why can't I get that response from Libby? What's Bob doing these days?)
(On second thought, I did get a Christmas card from the Dole's. Very classy. And for whatever reason, I also got a Happy Chaunnakah card from Rick Santorum. That was weird.)
NBA Coaches
I was looking at ESPN's NBA coach ratings tonight. After about 3 minutes, I just had one thought in mind -
who are these guys????
I'll list 10 teams and 10 coaches. Without looking, can you match the coach up to the team? I bet even the most diehard fan couldn't get 6 right.
Teams:
a. Memphis
b. Orlando
c. Atlanta
d. Seattle
e. Toronto
f. Milwaukee
g. New Orleans/Okla City (by the way, what the hell is this? This is like the 1942-43 Card-Pitt teams of the NFL)
h. Philadelphia
i. Minnesota
j. Portland
Coaches:
1. Sam Mitchell
2. Byron Scott
3. Mike Woodson
4. Bob Hill
5. Nate McMillan
6. Brian Hill
7. Dwane Casey
8. Mike Fratello
9. Maurice Cheeks
10. Terry Stotts
who are these guys????
I'll list 10 teams and 10 coaches. Without looking, can you match the coach up to the team? I bet even the most diehard fan couldn't get 6 right.
Teams:
a. Memphis
b. Orlando
c. Atlanta
d. Seattle
e. Toronto
f. Milwaukee
g. New Orleans/Okla City (by the way, what the hell is this? This is like the 1942-43 Card-Pitt teams of the NFL)
h. Philadelphia
i. Minnesota
j. Portland
Coaches:
1. Sam Mitchell
2. Byron Scott
3. Mike Woodson
4. Bob Hill
5. Nate McMillan
6. Brian Hill
7. Dwane Casey
8. Mike Fratello
9. Maurice Cheeks
10. Terry Stotts
Questions of the Day?
Two questions:
1. Pleats or flat front? My take is that if you are thin then go with the flat front, but if you are fat go with the pleats. I look fucking retarded in flat front pants.
2. Thoughts on the handicap stall that has a raised seat instead of a raised toilet? What the hell is this all about? Just pissed all over myself since the toilet seat is raised like 2 feet above the stall. Thought I was pissing into the toilet, but instead I was pissing on the back of my pants. I almost knocked over the stall when I saw what the hell was happening. And that is why I always carry an extra set of clothes in my trunk. Well, not exactly the main reason because this is the first time I've pissed on myself in well, but I usually spill coffee or food on the way in or at lunch. Good times right now.
1. Pleats or flat front? My take is that if you are thin then go with the flat front, but if you are fat go with the pleats. I look fucking retarded in flat front pants.
2. Thoughts on the handicap stall that has a raised seat instead of a raised toilet? What the hell is this all about? Just pissed all over myself since the toilet seat is raised like 2 feet above the stall. Thought I was pissing into the toilet, but instead I was pissing on the back of my pants. I almost knocked over the stall when I saw what the hell was happening. And that is why I always carry an extra set of clothes in my trunk. Well, not exactly the main reason because this is the first time I've pissed on myself in well, but I usually spill coffee or food on the way in or at lunch. Good times right now.
Adam Corolla
So Adam Corolla takes over the Stern time slot on free FM out here and is doing a hell of a job. I've always liked Corolla but found it so strange that I will listen to him on radio, but find his TV stints sub-par. I've listened to his show over the last 3 days during my 30 minute commute and I can honestly say that the show is better than the Stern show has been over the last couple of years.
Secret Santa
Time for a semi-annual talk on statistics. First there was the "Next" Markov chain problem, now we have the Secret Santa problem.
The question is : in a "secret santa" in an office, what are the chances that two people draw each other? In a pool of our readers, what are the chances that Derek draws Leland and Leland draws Derek?
So - let's say N is the number of people in the pool
Chances that Derek picks Leland: 1/(N-1)
Chances that Leland picks Derek: 1/(N-1)
So chances of a specific 2-pair is: 1/(N-1)^2
But how many possible pairs are there? Isn't this (N)*(N-1)/2? (Or, in statistics, N-pick-2)
So we mulitply the chance of a specific 2-pair by all the possible pairs?
(N)*(N-1)/2*(1/(N-1)^2)) = N/(2*(N-1))
Which works if N =2; it equals 1, which it should.
N=3; probability is 3/4. Hmmmmm....seems high.
So if N = 10, the chance of a pair is 10/18? That seems high, too. Over 50%?
Any help out there? Don - can you set up another spreadsheet to look at this?
Class is over. This reminds me of my sophomore year - when I actually was thinking about become a math major - and I took a "Discrete Math" course. The professor tried to do a proof, and after 45 minutes of work on the board, he came to this conclusion:
1 = 0 .
He quickly said: "Class dismissed". Right then I decided against being a math major.
The question is : in a "secret santa" in an office, what are the chances that two people draw each other? In a pool of our readers, what are the chances that Derek draws Leland and Leland draws Derek?
So - let's say N is the number of people in the pool
Chances that Derek picks Leland: 1/(N-1)
Chances that Leland picks Derek: 1/(N-1)
So chances of a specific 2-pair is: 1/(N-1)^2
But how many possible pairs are there? Isn't this (N)*(N-1)/2? (Or, in statistics, N-pick-2)
So we mulitply the chance of a specific 2-pair by all the possible pairs?
(N)*(N-1)/2*(1/(N-1)^2)) = N/(2*(N-1))
Which works if N =2; it equals 1, which it should.
N=3; probability is 3/4. Hmmmmm....seems high.
So if N = 10, the chance of a pair is 10/18? That seems high, too. Over 50%?
Any help out there? Don - can you set up another spreadsheet to look at this?
Class is over. This reminds me of my sophomore year - when I actually was thinking about become a math major - and I took a "Discrete Math" course. The professor tried to do a proof, and after 45 minutes of work on the board, he came to this conclusion:
1 = 0 .
He quickly said: "Class dismissed". Right then I decided against being a math major.
Jan 10, 2006
New Number
New Office number: 562 986 6201. Call and hear my new relatively cute secretary. Probably about a 7.5 on the scale.
Happy B-Day
Happy Birthday to Eric!!!!! Despite arguing half the time on stupid shit like "Will Charlie Frye be the Browns starting QB next year" or "What are the odds of 2 people getting each other in Secret Santa", I truly appreciate how we have remained so close over the last 5 years. Oh and the Christmas present and B-Day presents are running a little late. Left the Colin M. signed golf balls up in Westlake.
Also, congrats to Jon and Suz on their engagement over the holiday season.
Also, congrats to Jon and Suz on their engagement over the holiday season.
Jan 8, 2006
NFL Sunday
Boy, am I behind here on the blog. I've got to tally the final results for the Eric-Derek showdown (which I guess Derek won by 1 or 2 games; final results to be posted later).
But before we begin, a quote from Sen. Ted Kennedy on Samuel Alito (from the Washington Post):
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), hosting a morning roundtable with reporters, had nothing nice to say about Alito. "We here in the United States are not going to stand for monarchial tyranny," he said, protesting Alito's support for "unfettered, unlimited power of the executive." He faulted Alito for belonging to a group that was "anti-black and also anti-women." Kennedy wondered if "the average person is going to be able to get a fair shake" under Alito. "This nominee was influenced by the Goldwater presidency," he said. "The Goldwater battles of those times were the battles against the civil rights laws."
1) Can someone please tell me when the Goldwater presidency was?
2) Alito was 14 when Goldwater was at his political height. So I guess it is possible that a 14-year old was influenced by the political topics of the day.....but highly implausible.
Stay off the Martinis before press time, Senator.
My picks for today remain the same as they were 2 days ago:
Car 24, NYG 20
Cin 31, Pit 27
Best bets:
Car +3
Cin +3
Cin/Pit over 47
But before we begin, a quote from Sen. Ted Kennedy on Samuel Alito (from the Washington Post):
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), hosting a morning roundtable with reporters, had nothing nice to say about Alito. "We here in the United States are not going to stand for monarchial tyranny," he said, protesting Alito's support for "unfettered, unlimited power of the executive." He faulted Alito for belonging to a group that was "anti-black and also anti-women." Kennedy wondered if "the average person is going to be able to get a fair shake" under Alito. "This nominee was influenced by the Goldwater presidency," he said. "The Goldwater battles of those times were the battles against the civil rights laws."
1) Can someone please tell me when the Goldwater presidency was?
2) Alito was 14 when Goldwater was at his political height. So I guess it is possible that a 14-year old was influenced by the political topics of the day.....but highly implausible.
Stay off the Martinis before press time, Senator.
My picks for today remain the same as they were 2 days ago:
Car 24, NYG 20
Cin 31, Pit 27
Best bets:
Car +3
Cin +3
Cin/Pit over 47
Jan 6, 2006
Larry King 1-liners
I have so many topics to talk about , but not a lot of time. So here we go with some Larry King-like ramblings:
1) For the Baltimore natives, did you see that Michael Olesker was fired for plagiarism and faking content? Hee Hee....I never like him.
2) The turning point in the national championship game (see comments) was when USC went for it...in the 1st quarter. They could have been up 10-0; instead, they gave Texas the momentum.
3) The fans win one this week when Phil Savage was retained as GM and the President of the Browns, John Collins, "resigned". Some of the stories that have surfaced state that Savage was fired on Friday afternoon, but the backlack from the media and the fans - and the fact that Romeo advised Lerner not to do it - caused Lerner to reconsider. Yes, I sent an angry e-mail to them on Friday night.
4) Wednesday was the 25th anniversary of the first time I ever cried while watching sports - Red Right 88: Oakland 14, Cleveland 12. Still painful to talk about it.
5) I'm convinced that Paterno and Bowden have a graduate student stand next to them on the sidelines narrating what took place to the old coach. Bowden was ready to go shake hands in the 1st OT until he learned that Penn St's FG was wide! Is being a college coach that much of a figurehead position?
6) Sports Guy's diary on Wednesday night was hilarious, excluding the completely unnecssary rips at Charlie Frye. The quote he had from Keith Jackson trying to promo "Emily's Reasons Why Not" was NOT made up - I heard the same thing SG did. Hilarious.
7) What is the infatuation with Herm Edwards? He is a mediocre coach who can't manage the clock at the end of a game. KC wants to give up draft picks for him? Please - be my guest! We have KC at home next season - I'd love to go against a Herm Edwards-coached team.
8) I was going to compliment the Cavs - recent wins include a big home win vs. the Pistons on New year's and a big road win vs. Milwaukee - and then they lose last night at home to Houston. I see a solid #4 seed, winning in 6 in the first round, then losing in 5 to the Pistons.
9) I am pretty sure I know what's going to happen Sunday, but clueless on what will happen on Saturday. I get REAL scared when everyone says New England will win by 14 or more. That's a red flag. But on Sunday: Carolina 24, NY Giants 20; Cincinnati 31, Pittsburgh 27.
10) Just one wish about the Cincinnati/Pittsburgh game: I hope it ends with a massive heartbreak for one side. Either a inerception in the last minute by Palmer/Fraudlisberger, or a fumble by Parker/Rudi/Houshmandzadeh/Randel El (or even better, by Quincy) to end a game-winning (or tying) drive. I hate both teams - I hope one team (and their fan base) suffers a whole lot for the next 6 months.....
1) For the Baltimore natives, did you see that Michael Olesker was fired for plagiarism and faking content? Hee Hee....I never like him.
2) The turning point in the national championship game (see comments) was when USC went for it...in the 1st quarter. They could have been up 10-0; instead, they gave Texas the momentum.
3) The fans win one this week when Phil Savage was retained as GM and the President of the Browns, John Collins, "resigned". Some of the stories that have surfaced state that Savage was fired on Friday afternoon, but the backlack from the media and the fans - and the fact that Romeo advised Lerner not to do it - caused Lerner to reconsider. Yes, I sent an angry e-mail to them on Friday night.
4) Wednesday was the 25th anniversary of the first time I ever cried while watching sports - Red Right 88: Oakland 14, Cleveland 12. Still painful to talk about it.
5) I'm convinced that Paterno and Bowden have a graduate student stand next to them on the sidelines narrating what took place to the old coach. Bowden was ready to go shake hands in the 1st OT until he learned that Penn St's FG was wide! Is being a college coach that much of a figurehead position?
6) Sports Guy's diary on Wednesday night was hilarious, excluding the completely unnecssary rips at Charlie Frye. The quote he had from Keith Jackson trying to promo "Emily's Reasons Why Not" was NOT made up - I heard the same thing SG did. Hilarious.
7) What is the infatuation with Herm Edwards? He is a mediocre coach who can't manage the clock at the end of a game. KC wants to give up draft picks for him? Please - be my guest! We have KC at home next season - I'd love to go against a Herm Edwards-coached team.
8) I was going to compliment the Cavs - recent wins include a big home win vs. the Pistons on New year's and a big road win vs. Milwaukee - and then they lose last night at home to Houston. I see a solid #4 seed, winning in 6 in the first round, then losing in 5 to the Pistons.
9) I am pretty sure I know what's going to happen Sunday, but clueless on what will happen on Saturday. I get REAL scared when everyone says New England will win by 14 or more. That's a red flag. But on Sunday: Carolina 24, NY Giants 20; Cincinnati 31, Pittsburgh 27.
10) Just one wish about the Cincinnati/Pittsburgh game: I hope it ends with a massive heartbreak for one side. Either a inerception in the last minute by Palmer/Fraudlisberger, or a fumble by Parker/Rudi/Houshmandzadeh/Randel El (or even better, by Quincy) to end a game-winning (or tying) drive. I hate both teams - I hope one team (and their fan base) suffers a whole lot for the next 6 months.....
Jan 5, 2006
Baby Shit....
So tell me if I'm justified in being pissed off or being more like Larry David....
A close friend of mine, who will remain nameless, had a baby girl recently and since I'm a lazy fuck I didn't send him a gift right away since I knew I was going to see him during Christmas. So I see him down in Columbia and I gave him a gift card to Nordstrom since I'm not picking out an outfit or diapers and I'm sure they have toys since it was right before Christmas. About 7 days later I go to his house in Arlington to see his wife and kid and as we go out to pick up some pizza I asked him what did he buy his kid with the gift certificate. His response was "Oh yeah, about that. I spent it. I picked up a couple of shirts. Don't tell Katie." I'm like "What the fuck dude? That's for your kid? Now your wife thinks that I didn't give your kid anything???" After we were both done laughing and I assured him that I wouldn't tell his wife, but I would sell him out on the blog. So what do I do? Do I tell his wife? Do I pick up another gift and ship it to his house? Or do I just sit back and hold it over his head and cash in during our Vegas trip?
A close friend of mine, who will remain nameless, had a baby girl recently and since I'm a lazy fuck I didn't send him a gift right away since I knew I was going to see him during Christmas. So I see him down in Columbia and I gave him a gift card to Nordstrom since I'm not picking out an outfit or diapers and I'm sure they have toys since it was right before Christmas. About 7 days later I go to his house in Arlington to see his wife and kid and as we go out to pick up some pizza I asked him what did he buy his kid with the gift certificate. His response was "Oh yeah, about that. I spent it. I picked up a couple of shirts. Don't tell Katie." I'm like "What the fuck dude? That's for your kid? Now your wife thinks that I didn't give your kid anything???" After we were both done laughing and I assured him that I wouldn't tell his wife, but I would sell him out on the blog. So what do I do? Do I tell his wife? Do I pick up another gift and ship it to his house? Or do I just sit back and hold it over his head and cash in during our Vegas trip?
2006 Performance Year
As I watched USC butcher the National Championship Game, I decided to write down my personal 2006 expectations. This is more detailed than the "What are my new years resolutions", which never result in anything. If I take a corporate look at my personal life and come up with a 2006 Strategy and put some measurements to them, they might actually result in something positive. Like any Performance Review or PPR that is given to you by your boss at the beginning of the year, I will have several categories with certain weights associated to each, along with a due dates. I'll have the members of the blog rate my performance every quarter so I know how I'm doing. And yes, I know I'm opening myself up to Lee's usual gay comment, or Eric's question on why I didn't include any gambling lessons to improve my picks, so I'm ready for it. So here it goes:
Category Breakdown: For way too long I have put too much weight on Career Development and Travel. To be honest with you it probably has made up of 90% of the shit that I did for over 3 years now. So this year, with the job change, I will be able to spread out my time to concentrate on everything else. I have removed my career development from my PPR, which will be a major shift in my priorities.
Category 1: PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT 50%
Category 2: FINANCE 30%
Category 3: ENTERTAINMENT 10%
Category 4: TRAVEL 5%
Category 5: RELATIONSHIPS 5%
Category 1: Personal Improvement
Start school: (40% weight) Due Date Sep 1st
1. Finish Application process: Apr 15th
2. Take GMAT: Mar 1st
Buy a House: (25% weight) Due Date July 1st
Get back into shape: (35% weight) Will be measured Quarterly. Expectation is 5 pounds per quarter. Starting weight is 221. Yup 221. What the hell has happened to me. I now only have about 5 pairs or pants or shorts that fit.
Category 2: Finances
Reduce debt by 75% (25% weight) Due Date Dec 31st
Start College fund for nephews: (50% weight) Due Date Feb 1st
Obtain a Financial Advisor (25% weight) Due Date March 1st
Category 3: Entertainment
Finish Reading 25 books that are in my collection that I haven't completed. Roughly 7 per quarter. (20% weight)
Go to Petpco Park to see the Padres
Learn to surf
Run half marathon on Feb 2nd in Huntington Beach with Mickey
Run half marathon on May 23rd in Zuma
Complete 2 Triathlons
Category 4: Travel
Go visit my brother and kids in May and September 60%
Monthly trips to Vegas 20%
Mid week trips with Ben
2006 NCAA Tournament with Eric and Lee
Blondie’s bachelor party
Fishing Trip with Maier and Stanchak 5%
Golf Trip with Maier and Stanchak 5%
Skiing in Colorado 5%
Two weekend trips to Oakland for the A’s 5%
Category 5: Relatives
Be nice to my friends and relatives on the phone.
Positive Karma!!!
Category Breakdown: For way too long I have put too much weight on Career Development and Travel. To be honest with you it probably has made up of 90% of the shit that I did for over 3 years now. So this year, with the job change, I will be able to spread out my time to concentrate on everything else. I have removed my career development from my PPR, which will be a major shift in my priorities.
Category 1: PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT 50%
Category 2: FINANCE 30%
Category 3: ENTERTAINMENT 10%
Category 4: TRAVEL 5%
Category 5: RELATIONSHIPS 5%
Category 1: Personal Improvement
Start school: (40% weight) Due Date Sep 1st
1. Finish Application process: Apr 15th
2. Take GMAT: Mar 1st
Buy a House: (25% weight) Due Date July 1st
Get back into shape: (35% weight) Will be measured Quarterly. Expectation is 5 pounds per quarter. Starting weight is 221. Yup 221. What the hell has happened to me. I now only have about 5 pairs or pants or shorts that fit.
Category 2: Finances
Reduce debt by 75% (25% weight) Due Date Dec 31st
Start College fund for nephews: (50% weight) Due Date Feb 1st
Obtain a Financial Advisor (25% weight) Due Date March 1st
Category 3: Entertainment
Finish Reading 25 books that are in my collection that I haven't completed. Roughly 7 per quarter. (20% weight)
Go to Petpco Park to see the Padres
Learn to surf
Run half marathon on Feb 2nd in Huntington Beach with Mickey
Run half marathon on May 23rd in Zuma
Complete 2 Triathlons
Category 4: Travel
Go visit my brother and kids in May and September 60%
Monthly trips to Vegas 20%
Mid week trips with Ben
2006 NCAA Tournament with Eric and Lee
Blondie’s bachelor party
Fishing Trip with Maier and Stanchak 5%
Golf Trip with Maier and Stanchak 5%
Skiing in Colorado 5%
Two weekend trips to Oakland for the A’s 5%
Category 5: Relatives
Be nice to my friends and relatives on the phone.
Positive Karma!!!
Ahhh Memories
As a NE fan, it was great to see the Pete Carroll Face resurface after all these years!! That look as his "defense" was getting chewed up time and time again. You had a feeling that USC was going to lose, since their offense was bailing them out several times this year (Fresno, ND). Somewhere their D had to make a play, and they couldn't. Vince Young was a total beast. His college performance reminded me of Larry Johnson's (UNLV) performance when they throttled Duke in the championship game (103 to 70 or something??), LJ was a total man among boys that night, and VY was the same. The way they were bouncing off of him, he looked like he was playing against High Schoolers.
And, yes I feel good that all of LA is feeling lousy today! You can't have nice weather in January and win National Championships too, that isn't fair to the rest of us.
And, yes I feel good that all of LA is feeling lousy today! You can't have nice weather in January and win National Championships too, that isn't fair to the rest of us.
Jan 4, 2006
What was I thinking
I'm so fucking fucked. Met my management staff yesterday for my new office and all but two completely blow. I remember some of them from a class that I taught last year and it wasn't because they were stand outs, but rather complete fuck ups. And to top it off, my top candidate for my liability manager job backed out. Crap.
Jan 2, 2006
Tivo Question
One quick Tivo question:
What are the rules involving 2 people and Tivo, when one person leaves for two weeks? Is it expected that all of the shows are saved and ready to go for the one person coming back, or is it OK for the other person to just let the old shows fall off and be erased?
What are the rules involving 2 people and Tivo, when one person leaves for two weeks? Is it expected that all of the shows are saved and ready to go for the one person coming back, or is it OK for the other person to just let the old shows fall off and be erased?
Bowl Game Diary
Well Happy New Year to everyone. Got good news yesterday from Boston...I guess. His coalition was disbanded so there will be no large wagers coming in today. Good for the business, but sucks for the excitement for today. I guess its good since the electricity has been out since 3:00am today and I can't watch any of the games. Ugh. So no Bowl Game Diary today then.
Jan 1, 2006
Why are we so much better than everyone else
Man, I'm in a ranting mood after being gone for about 2 weeks. Anyway, while I was over in Bermuda I was in this Bookstore that was declaring itself as the second largest collection of books on a ship. It caught Suz's brother (Greg) and my attention that we had to go check it out. Anyway, we go onboard and find that it had to be a drug smuggling operation that uses the store as a cover up so it can dock in certain ports since the book selection makes Target's book department look like Barnes and Noble. Anyway, Greg and I had this little exchange in the middle of the ship in front of about 10-15 Irish and British couples;
Greg: Dude, this place sucks! (almost yelling it)
Derek: Um...your the reason why people hate Americans
Greg: No, places like this is why Americans feel that they are so much better than everyone else.
And on that note we left the ship. But that little exchange started to make me think, why is our country so much better than everyone else? Our economy is flourishing, our infrastructure is second to none, the political atmosphere allows for major disagreements without violence or corruption, and the products we have and the
conveniences that are supplied to us is the envy of just about every country. And most importantly our government is strong without heavy taxation and too many restrictions on many of our personal freedoms. You don't really appreciate it until you actually travel abroad. How are we able to maintain this type of economy and lifestyle all at once, when other countries can't even achieve one of these benefits?
Well, the answer came from my current bathroom reading book "Peace Kills" by PJ O'Rourke. He is examining the Middle East situation post 9/11 and takes a closer look at Egypt and how does a country go from having a powerhouse
economy, with substantial innovation, law and order, and learning when there was none. But something went wrong. How did the Arabs fall behind Europe, America, and now the Far East. Many blame it on the Islamic religion, but O'Rourke states that the Koran preaches the fulfillment of contracts, the payment of all debts, and actually states that "God hath permitted trade". He goes on to say that:
It was probably nothing so air-filled as "The experimental model and European rational thought" or "the Protestant work ethic" or "Confucian values" Civilizations, like people, trip over smaller things. The answer may be as boring as a real estate title search. It also has to do with the dearth of private land in the Islamic world is of a piece with the excessive government centralization that has always plagued the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent. Governments seemed to have reasoned that if they could earn so much a year by taxing Farmers or the pepper trade, they could earn even more by taking it over entirely. This works so well in Cuba.
He goes on to say that from 1952-1970, Gamal Nasser, the ruler of Egypt, we ahead and nationalized banks, insurance companies, and other major enterprises while limiting land ownership and cutting off imports so to give his nationalized companies the bulk of the markets. On a different but similar note, many European countries have extremely high tax rates to pay for nationalized healthcare and other services, forcing the removal of the middle class. And this isn't in third world countries either, but rather countries like France and Spain. And these high tax rates are why these countries economies are declining year after year.
The point of this post isn't to say that a low tax rate and deregulation is the key to a strong economy, but rather how amazing it is that America can have the best of both worlds; a strong economy along with a strong government that provides stability without over-reaching and removing many of our freedoms. And you don't really get to appreciate it until you go and spend some time out of the country in non resort areas. Here you will see how fucked up many of these other countries are and how nobody is doing anything to change it. And if you think I'm being arrogant, go ahead and try to spend a couple of weeks in a foreign country and just try to get around, buy decent groceries, find cheap gas, or even find a decent hospital. Sort of puts my airline post below in perspective.
Greg: Dude, this place sucks! (almost yelling it)
Derek: Um...your the reason why people hate Americans
Greg: No, places like this is why Americans feel that they are so much better than everyone else.
And on that note we left the ship. But that little exchange started to make me think, why is our country so much better than everyone else? Our economy is flourishing, our infrastructure is second to none, the political atmosphere allows for major disagreements without violence or corruption, and the products we have and the
conveniences that are supplied to us is the envy of just about every country. And most importantly our government is strong without heavy taxation and too many restrictions on many of our personal freedoms. You don't really appreciate it until you actually travel abroad. How are we able to maintain this type of economy and lifestyle all at once, when other countries can't even achieve one of these benefits?
Well, the answer came from my current bathroom reading book "Peace Kills" by PJ O'Rourke. He is examining the Middle East situation post 9/11 and takes a closer look at Egypt and how does a country go from having a powerhouse
economy, with substantial innovation, law and order, and learning when there was none. But something went wrong. How did the Arabs fall behind Europe, America, and now the Far East. Many blame it on the Islamic religion, but O'Rourke states that the Koran preaches the fulfillment of contracts, the payment of all debts, and actually states that "God hath permitted trade". He goes on to say that:
It was probably nothing so air-filled as "The experimental model and European rational thought" or "the Protestant work ethic" or "Confucian values" Civilizations, like people, trip over smaller things. The answer may be as boring as a real estate title search. It also has to do with the dearth of private land in the Islamic world is of a piece with the excessive government centralization that has always plagued the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent. Governments seemed to have reasoned that if they could earn so much a year by taxing Farmers or the pepper trade, they could earn even more by taking it over entirely. This works so well in Cuba.
He goes on to say that from 1952-1970, Gamal Nasser, the ruler of Egypt, we ahead and nationalized banks, insurance companies, and other major enterprises while limiting land ownership and cutting off imports so to give his nationalized companies the bulk of the markets. On a different but similar note, many European countries have extremely high tax rates to pay for nationalized healthcare and other services, forcing the removal of the middle class. And this isn't in third world countries either, but rather countries like France and Spain. And these high tax rates are why these countries economies are declining year after year.
The point of this post isn't to say that a low tax rate and deregulation is the key to a strong economy, but rather how amazing it is that America can have the best of both worlds; a strong economy along with a strong government that provides stability without over-reaching and removing many of our freedoms. And you don't really get to appreciate it until you go and spend some time out of the country in non resort areas. Here you will see how fucked up many of these other countries are and how nobody is doing anything to change it. And if you think I'm being arrogant, go ahead and try to spend a couple of weeks in a foreign country and just try to get around, buy decent groceries, find cheap gas, or even find a decent hospital. Sort of puts my airline post below in perspective.
Fuck United
What the fuck has happened to the airlines and their customer service over the last 4 years. I'm done paying a premium to fly airlines like American and United, to only get treated like shit and getting service that is substandard compared to the discount airlines like Southwest and JetBlue. And this is coming from a guy who is a Premier member for United. What really is the difference between Southwest and United/American nowadays. Is it worth paying a little more for a movie and a couple extra inches of leg room on United and then getting delayed constantly, or would you rather be on time and just go with Southwest. And with all of the concessions that the labor unions have made on pensions and salary for United, Delta, and American, their employees are so unhappy with their jobs and it translates into crappy customer service. I must of encountered 20-25 United and Delta employees yesterday from Flight Attendants to CSAs to the Premier Customer Service Reservation Line, with only 2 people having a decent attitude. And these two people that I'm excluding from this group were not outstanding, but werejust doing their jobs. And its not like it gets better on Continental or American, they all suck...well except for a few discount airlines. How the fuck is this possible? How can the low cost provider be the best in customer service? The CSA and Flight Attendants at Southwest are outstanding and are so accommodating. As BSG always says, they actually brings things to the table. They are so efficient and checking people in, they are always on time, and when they fuck up they don't try to pass the buck and blame you, but they just resolve the issue with a smile. The way that Southwest drives this attitude to their employees is through one major program...Profit Sharing. If the company does well, then the employees share in the profits. Farmers Insurance Company does this and it basically equates to a 15-17% bonus each year, which has seen for over 75 years. This blows away 401K or any other type of matching program that everyone has. The company gives you 15-17% of your salary each year in either a deferred account or cash without you having to contribute any of your own money. This is a way that Southwest and Farmers drives ownership to someone who gets paid $35,000 to serve you drinks or to transport your luggage.
While we sit by and watch United, American, and Continental file of Chapter 8 and continue to run a business model that does not work, companies like JetBlue and Southwest continue to operate in the Black and expand. And in todays travel world where United and others continue to cut back on the items that made them different from Southwest like food, movies, and a supposedly better overall experience, I just don't see why I continue to reward companies that provides such shitty products and service.
Oh and just to recap my day yesterday, I woke up at 3:30am EST and didn't get home until 7:00pm PST. Thanks United for fucking up my New Years Eve plans!!!! The shit that went down yesterday was absolutely outrageous. And if United would of treated me with any type of decency yesterday instead of making me feel like it was my fault that the flight crew didn't show up or that they had to change planes or that the Premier Reservation desk fucked up, then I wouldn't be like this right now.
While we sit by and watch United, American, and Continental file of Chapter 8 and continue to run a business model that does not work, companies like JetBlue and Southwest continue to operate in the Black and expand. And in todays travel world where United and others continue to cut back on the items that made them different from Southwest like food, movies, and a supposedly better overall experience, I just don't see why I continue to reward companies that provides such shitty products and service.
Oh and just to recap my day yesterday, I woke up at 3:30am EST and didn't get home until 7:00pm PST. Thanks United for fucking up my New Years Eve plans!!!! The shit that went down yesterday was absolutely outrageous. And if United would of treated me with any type of decency yesterday instead of making me feel like it was my fault that the flight crew didn't show up or that they had to change planes or that the Premier Reservation desk fucked up, then I wouldn't be like this right now.
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