Find the Beast

First Impressions of "No Line on the Horizon" U2 Album

2009-03-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

Here are my initial impressions of the "No Line on the Horizon" album released today by U2. Before reading the impressions, it is important to note that I typically prefer music that is mellow/dark/eerie, features impressive instrumentals (not just left to the background), and has vocals that are not "over the top."

Examples of my favorite U2 songs from past albums are: New Year's Day, One, With or Without You, and Kite. I should also note that it typically takes me four or five listens to a new U2 album before my opinions are finalized and my favorite songs are clear to me.

1. No Line on the Horizon (7 out of 10) - Has a great backbeat and has the potential to be an addictive listen.
2. Magnificent (8 out of 10) - A darker tune. Enjoyed the soft to loud build-up. Could develop into long-term favorite.
3. Moment of Surrender (9 out of 10) - A dark and mellow song with intriguing vocals. Great harmony in the chorus. Impressive guitar-play late in the song. An early favorite off of the album.
4. Unknown Caller (6 out of 10) - Irritating vocals. Difficult to pinpoint exact source of dislike.
5. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (6 out of 10) - Vocals unappealing. Guitar-play strong, but overshadowed by vocals.
6. Get On Your Boots (6 out of 10) - Did not care for this song the first few times I heard it. Still feel that way. Fast and upbeat tune with a different sound and feel that I do not identify with U2.
7. Stand Up Comedy (7 out of 10) - Similar in tempo and mood to "Get On Your Boots" with a less campy feel.
8. Fez - Being Born (9 out of 10) - Eerie and haunting. Features an excellent backbeat. Strong chance that this song will be a long-term favorite.
9. White As Snow (8 out of 10) - Quiet. Reminds me of Bruce Springsteen ballads such as "Sinaloa Cowboys." Intriguing rise new end.
10. Breathe (7 out of 10) - Fits into a strange place between mellow and upbeat. Nice use of harmony.
11. Cedars of Lebanon (7 out of 10) - Disappointing finish to the album. Quiet, but not particularly memorable.

Overall average: 7.3 out of 10

"No Line on the Horizon" is a very "listenable" album. The quality of songs increases from songs 1 to 3 before dipping through songs 4 through 6. The album rebounds strongly with "Fez - Being Born" and "White As Snow" before a disappointing finish with "Breathe" and "Cedars of Lebanon."

I welcome your comments.

Kindle 2 Unboxing Photos

2009-02-26T00:58:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos on Flickr from the unboxing of my new Amazon Kindle 2. After I've used the device for a few days I'll have some initial impressions to report.

http://bit.ly/IfooO

Not So Patiently Waiting

2009-02-24T10:01:00.001-08:00

For the Amazon Kindle 2 (link). First impressions later...

College Football Playoffs (Championship)

2009-01-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

As in reality, the #1 Oklahoma Sooners met the #2 Florida Gators for the national championship on neutral ground in Dolphins Stadium in Miami, FL. However, in our simulation, this match-up was the product of a 16-team college football playoff. Oklahoma received the opening kickoff and immediately drove into Florida territory. However, the Sooners were unable to capitalize from 1st and Goal from the 7-yard line and were forced to kick a 21-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead. Both teams then swapped punts after three-and-outs. After beginning their possession at midfield, the Gators were finally able to drive down to the Sooners 16 before connecting on a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3. This score held through the end of the 1st Quarter with both teams again trading punts. Oklahoma then strung together a 47-yard drive that resulted in a 34-yard field goal and a 6-3 lead. Both defenses then held and forced punts. Florida then relied on special teams, with a punt return to the Oklahoma 23 given the Gators excellent field position. Four plays later, Percy Harvin ran in from 6-yards to give Florida its first lead at 10-6. Oklahoma responded with a 46-yard drive that resulted in a 49-yard field goal to close the gap to 10-9 at the half. In the 3rd Quarter, Oklahoma held the Gators on their first possession and then drove to the Florida 13 before booting a 30-yard field goal to regain the lead at 12-10. The Gators took little time responding with a three play drive capped off by a 57-yard touchdown run by Jeffery Demps to go ahead 17-12. The next three possessions featured stiff defense and resulted in punts as the 3rd Quarter came to a close. The Gators opened the scoring in the final period with 10:57 to play as Demps ran in from 10-yards to give Florida a 24-12 lead. With desperation setting in for the Sooners, Oklahoma responded with their first touchdown drive of the game. Ryan Broyles scored from 38-yards on a reception from Sam Bradford to close to within five at 24-19. With a chance to potentially seal the victory, the Gators again scored quickly. Demps took a draw from Tebow and galloped 50-yards to score to give the Gators a 31-19 lead with 5:30 to play. With little choice but to score quickly, the Sooners began their drive at their own 35. The Oklahoma drive came a screeching halt at the Gators 18 yard line as the Florida faithful could sense a championship at hand. In a final blow, Percy Harvin evaded the Oklahoma defense and sprinted 68-yards for a Gators touchdown to extend the lead to 38-19. The Sooners final drive ended with a turnover on downs in Florida territory. Tim Tebow took a knee to seal the Gators second national title in three years and to extend the SEC's championship streak to three years.

College Football Playoffs (SemifinalRound)

2009-01-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

#1 Oklahoma vs. #4 Alabama

Traditional football power met in Norman, OK in the first semifinal match-up. Alabama stunned the Sooners crowd by breaking free for a 42-yard touchdown run just two minutes into the game. Alabama kicker Leigh Tiffin missed the extra point for a 6-0 Alabama lead. After Oklahoma's first drive stalled, Tiffin would redeem himself with a 23-yard field goal with 6:25 left in the quarter to give Alabama a 9-0 lead. After trading punts, Oklahoma's Jimmy Stevens blasted a 50-yard field goal through the uprights narrowing the lead to 9-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Tide missed several chances to add to their lead early in the second quarter including a Tiffin miss from 45-yards. Alabama finally scored again late in the quarter on 32-yard pass from John Parker Wilson to Mike McCoy to give the Crimson Tide a 16-3 lead and send a wave of concern through the Oklahoma crowd. The Sooners methodically drove the ball down the field after the Alabama TD and booted a 34-yard field goal through with 37 seconds left in the 1st Half. Wilson and Julio Jones were not content to take the 16-6 lead into the half and connected on two passes totaling 45-yards to put Leigh Tiffin in range to make a 43-yard field goal as time expired in the half to send Alabama to locker room leading 19-6. The second half would prove to be a stark contrast to the first two quarters. Oklahoma opened the 3rd Quarter with a 69-yard touchdown drive, capped by an 8-yard run by Chris Brown to make the score 19-13. Late in the quarter, Brown with break away on a 55-yard run that eventually set-up a Stevens 36-yard field goal to narrow the Alabama lead to 19-16. Both teams stalled on offense on their next possessions as the game rolled into the 4th Quarter. The Sooners forced an Alabama punt and then drove just over 80-yards in four minutes to take their first lead of the game on a DeMarco Murray 16-yard touchdown reception. Alabama began their next drive down 23-19 with just over six minutes remaining. The Crimson Tide was unable to mount a successful drive and punted the ball back to Oklahoma with just under four minutes remaining. The Sooners methodically drove the ball into Alabama territory, forcing the Crimson Tide to expend all three of its timeouts, before booting a 33-yard field goal to take a 26-19 lead with 54 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Wilson was sacked for a five yard loss and forced to spike the ball on second down to stop the clock. On third down, Wilson was chased from the pocket and ran out of bounds for no gain. A last gasp effort on 4th and 15 fell short as Wilson's deep ball was broken up by the Sooners defense. Sam Bradford took a knee for Oklahoma sending them to the national championship game with 26-19 win over the Crimson Tide.

#2 Florida vs. #3 Texas

Gainesville, Florida provided the setting for the second semifinal match-up. The two high-powered offenses failed to dazzle in the first quarter, with the only real scoring opportunity coming from a 45-yard field goal attempt that was missed by Florida's Jonathan Phillips. The Longhorns finally broke the scoring drought early in the 2nd Quarter after their drive stalled and Hunter Lawrence drilled a 42-yard field goal. Florida then took over seven minutes to finally score as Phillips narrowly made a 34-yard field goal. The score remaining knotted at 3-3 as the teams went into the half. The 3rd Quarter would provide more scoring for both teams. After the opening kickoff return of the 2nd Half gave Texas the ball at their own 43, the Longhorns quickly drove into Florida territory and scored on an 18-yard Foswhitt Whittaker touchdown run to take a 10-3 lead. The Gators responded with a 47-yard drive capped off by a 36-yard Phillips field goal to close to 10-6. Brandon Spikes then intercepted Colt McCoy. Florida immediately took a deep shot down the field that paid off with a 56-yard touchdown grab by Riley Cooper to take a 13-10 lead. Both teams traded punts and time in the third quarter expired. Early in the fourth, Texas' Hunter Lawrence missed a chance to tie with a field goal attempt from 42-yards. Florida responded to the miss with another quick score, again by Cooper with a 66-yard touchdown reception to stretch the lead to 20-10. Lawrence would miss again for Texas from 47-yards with just over nine minutes remaining. After a Florida punt, Lawrence would finally redeem himself by connecting from 39-yards to bring Texas within to within seven at 20-13. The Longhorns then forced the Gators to go three and out, giving the ball back to Texas on their own 36 with just over three minutes to play. The Longhorns were able to pick their way to the Florida 41-yard line before a holding call pushed them back to their own 49 and set-up a 2nd and 21. An incomplete pass and a sack forced Texas to go for it on 4th and 26 at their own 44. McCoy was flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble, only to be tackled for no gain, giving the ball back to the Gators with 59 seconds remaining. Florida's Emmanuel Moody broke free for 17 yards on the first play of the new drive, sealing the game for the Gators as Tebow took a knee twice. Florida, with the 20-13 win advance to face Oklahoma for the national title.

College Football Playoffs (Quaterfinal Round)

2009-01-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

#1 Oklahoma vs. #9 Boise State

After upsetting Penn State on the road, Boise State traveled to Norman, OK and fell in a shootout to the #1 Sooners. Oklahoma jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first six minutes with two Chris Brown touchdown runs (including a 74-yarder). The Broncos fought back and trailed 21-14 at the end of the 1st Quarter. The 2nd Quarter featured more back and forth with Boise pulling to within three at 31-28 with five minutes to go before half. The Sooners responded with a 51-yard touchdown run and after a Boise turnover a field goal to go into the half up 41-28. A Sooner touchdown and Broncos field goal left the score at 48-31 after three periods. Oklahoma added a field goal and Boise scored on the final play of the game for the final score of 51-38. Oklahoma running back Chris Brown was named game MVP after a 287 yard rushing performance including four touchdowns.

#4 Alabama vs. #5 USC

A defensive struggle emerged in Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide hosted the Trojans. The teams remained knotted at 0-0 after the first half. Seven minutes into the 3rd Quarter, Alabama's Leigh Tiffin connected from 44 yards to give the Tide a 3-0 lead. The Trojans responded with two quick field goals (33 and 47 yards) to take a 6-3 lead at the end of the 3rd Quarter. Early in the 4th, a Glen Coffee 2-yard plunge gave Alabama a 10-6 lead. Tiffin added a second field goal from 45-yards to close the scoring at 13-6 and send Alabama to the Semifinals at #1 Oklahoma. Coffee's 107 yards rushing and one touchdown gave him the game's MVP award.

#3 Texas vs. #11 Cincinnati

After upsetting #6 Utah in the opening round, the Cincinnati Bearcats traveled to Austin to face the #3 Longhorns. Cincinnati stunned the Texas crowd with an opening touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. The Longhorns took nearly seven minutes to tie the score before the Bearcats connected on a 49-yard field goal to lead 10-7 at the end of the 1st Quarter. Texas responded quickly in the 2nd Quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points before Cincinnati added a field goal just before half to make the score 27-13. Two Texas touchdowns early in the 3rd Quarter turned the game into a rout at 41-13. Cincinnati closed the gap to 48-26 by the end of the 3rd, but the defense wilted early in the fourth as the Longhorns added two more scores to lead 62-26. The Bearcats closed the scoring with two minutes remaining on a 13-yard touchdown pass. Final score: 62-33. Colt McCoy's 19 of 22 passing day for 347 yards and three touchdowns earned him the game's MVP award.

#2 Florida vs. #10 Ohio State

This rematch of the 2006 National Championship Game looked eerily similar to the game two years earlier. The Buckeyes were dominated by Florida's speed on both sides of the ball and trailed 27-0 near the end of the 1st Half. A Terrelle Pryor hail mary to Brian Hartline at the end of the half gave Ohio State its only points of the half and the Buckeyes trailed 27-7. The Gators did not let off in the 3rd Quarter, adding two quick touchdowns for a 41-7 lead. Ohio State scored a touchdown late in the 3rd to trail 41-14. The Buckeyes were still no match for Florida's second stringers as the Gators poured on 17 unanswered points to close the game and win 58-14. Florida moves on to host #3 Texas in the Semifinal Round.

College Football Playoffs (First Round, Part 2)

2009-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

#6 Utah vs. #11 Cincinnati

A back-and-forth game left the Utah Utes fans shocked as the Big East Conference champion Cincinnati Bearcats escaped with a 27-23 upset victory. The teams traded field goals in the first quarter before the Utes scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brian Johnson to Bradon Godfrey. The Bearcats responded with a touchdown drive, but a missed extra point left the score at 10-9. Cincinnati added a 21-yard field goal to take a 12-10 lead into the half. By the end of the third quarter, the score stood at Utah 20-18 after a Utes touchdown and field goal and two Bearcats field goals. After a 28-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter stretched the Utah lead to 23-18, the Bearcats took the lead for good with 1:43 left in the game on a touchdown and missed 2-point conversion (24-23). After a Utes turnover, the Bearcats added a field goal for the final margin of 27-23.

#3 Texas vs. #14 East Carolina

The East Carolina Pirates stunned the Longhorns for one quarter, taking a 10-7 lead into the second period. Texas then reeled off 38 unanswered points to take a 45-10 lead. East Carolina scored a final touchdown late in the fourth quarter for the final 45-17 margin. Texas advances to host Cincinnati in the Quarterfinal Round.

#7 Texas Tech vs. #10 Ohio State

Leading 13-7 after the third quarter, little could have prepared the Texas Tech Red Raiders for what happened next. A 14-yard run by Daniel Herron gave Ohio State a 14-13 lead. After a Texas Tech fumble, a 31- yard Beanie Wells extended the lead to 21-13. The Red Raiders then went three-and-out and another Wells touchdown gave the Buckeyes their third answered touchdown and a 28-13 lead. Ohio State added a late field goal for the 31-13 final score.

#2 Florida vs. #15 Buffalo

The #2 Gators steamrolled to a 30-0 halftime lead over the Mid-American Conference champion. The Bulls scored 13 points in the 3rd Quarter to close the gap to 30-13. The Gators then responded with a 21 point 4th Quarter to claim a 51-16 win. Florida advances to host Ohio State.

College Football Playoffs (First Round, Part 1)

2009-01-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

#1 Oklahoma vs. #16 Troy

Troy stunned the Sooners by rolling to 10-0 lead in the 2nd Quarter before Oklahoma bounced back to take a 21-16 lead into the locker room at halftime. OU stretched the lead to 31-16 by the end of the 3rd Quarter and pulled away for a 41-19 win over the Sun Belt Conference champions. Sooner running back DeMarco Murray was named MVP after turning in a 201 yard rushing performance.

#8 Penn State vs. #9 Boise State

Boise State trailed virtually all evening until a field goal as time expired gave the Broncos a stunning 15-14 upset win over Penn State. Both teams struggled on offense with Penn State taking a 7-6 half time lead and a 14-12 lead after three periods. With the upset win, Boise State advances to face #1 Oklahoma in Norman in the Quarterfinal Round.

#5 USC vs. #12 TCU

The USC Trojans shut down TCU, holding the Horned Frogs to 124 yards of total offense. Game MVP Mark Sanchez threw for 209 yards a one touchdown in the win. Kicker David Buehler connected on five field goals for the Trojans, with a long of 49 yards in the 4th Quarter.

#4 Alabama vs. #13 Virginia Tech

The Crimson Tide broke open a 6-6 game in the 2nd Quarter, scoring two touchdowns in 97 seconds to lead 20-6 at the half. Leigh Tiffin added two field goals in the 3rd Quarter to stretch the Alabama lead to 26-6. A Mark Ingram touchdown run after a Hokies field goal closed the scoring and gave Alabama a 33-9 win. Alabama hosts the USC Trojans in the Quarterfinal Round.

College Football Playoff Simulation

2009-01-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

Over the past two weeks, college football fans have been witness to a bevy of meaningless bowl games. In December, I outlined a proposal for a 16 team FBS College Football Playoff. To review the proposal, visit this link.

Rather than simply hope that the higher powers of college football will see the light and institute a playoff, let's add a bit of intrigue and simulate the playoffs for the 2008 season. WhatIfSports provides a college football simulation engine at this link. Between tonight and Thursday's BCS National Championship Game, I will simulate each of the 15 games of the hypothetical playoff and report the results on the blog.

To recap the First Round match-ups (games played at higher-seeded team):

1. Oklahoma vs. 16. Troy
8. Penn State vs. 9. Boise State

5. USC vs. 12. TCU
4. Alabama vs. 13. Virginia Tech

6. Utah vs. 11. Cincinnati
3. Texas vs. 14. East Carolina

7. Texas Tech vs. 10. Ohio State
2. Florida vs. 15. Buffalo

The First Round results will follow in a new post.

Week 15 Prediction Results

2008-12-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

Straight-up: 3-5 (0.375)
Against-the-spread: 3-5 (0 games had "No Line") (0.375)

On the year:

Straight-up: 121-39 (0.756)
Against-the-spread: 73-69 (19 games had "No Line") (0.514)

FBS (1A) College Football Playoffs Predictions (UPDATED)

2008-12-08T10:44:00.001-08:00

Here is the update to my previous post outlining a 16-team FBS (1-A) Playoff. As a reminder, assume that each conference champion receives an automatic bid (11 teams) and 5 teams receive at-large bids. Teams are seeded by their position in the BCS Standings. Higher seeded teams play at home. Teams from the same conference cannot meet in the first round.

Automatic Bids
ACC - Virginia Tech
Big East - Cincinnati
Big Ten - Penn State
Big 12 - Oklahoma
Conference USA - East Carolina
MAC - Buffalo
Mountain West - Utah
Pac 10 - USC
SEC - Florida
Sun Belt - Troy
WAC - Boise State

At-Large
1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Texas Tech
4. Ohio State
5. TCU

1. Oklahoma vs. 16. Troy
8. Penn State vs. 9. Boise State

5. USC vs. 12. TCU
4. Alabama vs. 13. Virginia Tech

6. Utah vs. 11. Cincinnati
3. Texas vs. 14. East Carolina

7. Texas Tech vs. 10. Ohio State
2. Florida vs. 15. Buffalo

Football Predictions (Week 15)

2008-12-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Conference Championship Games

Buffalo vs. #13 Ball State (-14.5) (MAC Championship Game)
Ball State 41 Buffalo 14 (Ball State covers)

#20 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (+1) (ACC Championship Game)
Boston College 24 Virginia Tech 17 (Boston College covers)

#17 Missouri vs. #2 Oklahoma (-16.5) (Big 12 Championship Game)
Oklahoma 42 Missouri 21 (Oklahoma covers)

#1 Alabama vs. #4 Florida (-10) (SEC Championship Game)
Alabama 27 Florida 24 (Alabama covers)

FCS Playoff Quarterfinals

Villanova at #1 James Madison (-6)
James Madison 31 Villanova 17 (James Madison covers)

Weber State at #4 Montana (-5)
Weber State 35 Montana 31 (Montana covers)

New Hampshire at #3 Northern Iowa (+2)
Northern Iowa 30 New Hampshire 27 (Northern Iowa covers)

Richmond at #2 Appalachian State (Pick 'em)
Applachian State 38 Richmond 20 (Appalachian State covers)

Week 14 Prediction Results

2008-12-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Straight-up: 12-7 (0.632)
Against-the-spread: 9-10 (0 games had "No Line") (0.474)

On the year:

Straight-up: 118-34 (0.766)
Against-the-spread: 70-64 (19 games had "No Line") (0.522)

FBS (1A) College Football Playoffs Predictions

2008-11-30T15:04:00.000-08:00

Having just witnessed Texas getting "screwed" and left out of the Big 12 title game by being jumped in the BCS Standings by an Oklahoma team that they beat head-to-head brought an interesting "what-if." What if the FBS (former Division 1A) employed the same type of 16 team playoff enjoyed at the FCS (former Division 1AA) level?

Let's use the same rules as the FCS uses to set-up a 16 team playoff on the FBS level. Each conference champion (there are 11 FBS conferences) receives an automatic bid to the playoff. This allows even the lowly Sun Belt their day on the big stage (much like in the NCAA Basektball tourney). The other 5 teams in the playoff at the 5 best non-champions as rated by the BCS Standings. In determining first round match-ups, schools from the same conference cannot be matched. All games except the title game are played at the homefield of the higher ranked school.

At this point, not all conference champions are determined, but here's a list of the potential playoff participants:

Automatic Bids
ACC - Boston College or Virginia Tech
Big East - Cincinnati
Big Ten - Penn State
Big 12 - Oklahoma or Missouri
Conference USA - East Carolina or Tulsa
MAC - Ball State or Buffalo
Mountain West - Utah
Pac 10 - USC or Oregon State
SEC - Alabama or Florida
Sun Belt - Troy, Arkansas State, or UL-Lafayette
WAC - Boise State

At-Large
1. Alabama/Florida loser
2. Texas
3. Texas Tech
4. Ohio State
5. TCU

Note that if USC loses to UCLA, then USC would take an at-large spot and if Oklahoma loses to Missouri, then Oklahoma would take an at-large berth.

Assuming that Alabama beats Florida, Boston College beats Virginia Tech, Tulsa beats East Carolina, Oklahoma beats Missouri, Ball State beats Buffalo, USC beats UCLA, and Troy wins the Sun Belt, here are the first round match-ups:

1. Alabama vs. 16. Troy
8. Penn State vs. 9. Boise State

5. Florida vs. 12. TCU
4. USC vs. 13. Cincinnati

6. Utah vs. 11. Ball State
3. Texas vs. 14. Boston College

7. Texas Tech vs. 10. Ohio State
2. Oklahoma vs. 15. Tulsa

Some very intriguing match-ups in the first round. Both Alabama and Oklahoma draw in-state opponents. Two "BCS busters meet" in Salt Lake City. Texas Tech's high-flying offense takes on Ohio State. Penn State hosts a dangerous Boise State.

Can you imagine the fun and intrigue that would come from such a system? Not to mention the vast amounts of money from the TV deal. Unfortunately, all we can do is imagine, as the college presidents and the NCAA seem years or decades away from seeing the light and implementing such a system.

Football Predictions (Week 14)

2008-11-26T09:59:00.000-08:00

Top 25

#18 Oregon at #17 Oregon State (-3)
Oregon State 27 Oregon 21 (Oregon State covers)

#2 Oklahoma at #12 Oklahoma State (+7.5)
Oklahoma 38 Oklahoma State 21 (Oklahoma covers)

#3 Florida at #24 Florida State (+15)
Florida 37 Florida State 20 (Florida covers)

SEC Games

Kentucky at Tennessee (-5)
Kentucky 21 Tennessee 14 (Kentucky covers)

Vanderbilt at Wake Forest (-3.5)
Wake Forest 27 Vanderbilt 17 (Wake Forest covers)

South Carolina at Clemson (-1)
South Carolina 24 Clemson 14 (South Carolina covers)

LSU at Arkansas (+4.5)
LSU 30 Arkansas 21 (LSU covers)

Mississippi State at Mississippi (-13)
Mississippi 30 Mississippi State 10 (Mississippi covers)

#23 Georgia Tech at #13 Georgia (-9)
Georgia 23 Georgia Tech 16 (Georgia Tech covers)

Auburn at #1 Alabama (-14.5)
Alabama 31 Auburn 10 (Alabama covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

New Mexico State at Utah State (-5)
New Mexico State 35 Utah State 31 (New Mexico State)

Utah and BYU have completed their regular seasons.
Weber State is participating in the FCS Playoffs (see below).

FCS Playoffs
(Lines from Sagarin Predictor Rating System rounded to nearest integer)

Wofford at #1 James Madison (-8)
James Madison 38 Wofford 20 (James Madison covers)

Colgate at Villanova (-16)
Villanova 30 Colgate 13 (Villanova covers)

Texas State at #4 Montana (-18)
Montana 41 Texas State 17 (Montana covers)

Weber State at Cal Poly (-4)
Cal Poly 35 Weber State 34 (Weber State covers)

South Carolina State at #2 Appalachian State (-18)
Appalachian State 45 South Carolina State 10 (Appalachian State covers)

Eastern Kentucky at Richmond (-24)
Richmond 31 Eastern Kentucky 10 (Eastern Kentucky covers)

Maine at #3 Northern Iowa (-2)
Northern Iowa 38 Maine 20 (Northern Iowa covers)

New Hampshire at Southern Illinois (+7)
New Hampshire 27 Southern Illinois 21 (Southern Illinois covers)

Week 12 Prediction Results

2008-11-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

Due to professional obligations (i.e., travel for work) I was unable to post predictions for Week 13. Here are the results of my predictions from Week 12.

Straight-up: 8-1 (0.889)
Against-the-spread: 3-6 (0 games had "No Line") (0.333)

On the year:

Straight-up: 106-27 (0.797)
Against-the-spread: 61-54 (19 games had "No Line") (0.530)

FCS Playoff Projections (After Nov. 15th)

2008-11-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

Auto-bids
Big Sky - Weber State*
Colonial - James Madison*
MEAC - South Carolina State*
Missouri Valley - Southern Illinois
Ohio Valley - Tennessee-Martin
Patriot - Colgate
Southern - Appalachian State*
Southland - Texas State

* Indicates Auto-Bid Clinched

At-large
Montana (Big Sky)
Villanova (Colonial)
Northern Iowa (Misouri Valley)
Cal Poly (Great West)
New Hampshire (Colonial)
Wofford (Southern)
Elon (Southern)
Richmond (Colonial)

Match-ups
South Carolina State at #1 James Madison

Wofford at Southern Illinois

Richmond at #4 Montana

Elon at Cal Poly

Texas State at #3 Weber State

New Hampshire at Northern Iowa

Tennessee-Martin at #2 Appalachian State

Colgate at Villanova

Commentary

Many of the online projections I have seen for this year's FCS playoffs have placed Cal Poly at either Weber State or Montana with the rationale being that Cal Poly is "close" to both of these schools. The NCAA does use a 400 mile rule when trying to pit teams together in the bracket, however, Cal Poly is 879 miles from Ogden, UT and 1,367 miles from Missoula, MT. Given these distances and Cal Poly's high ranking, I suspect that Cal Poly will instead get a home game against a team from east of the Mississippi. Weber then matches up with the Southland champion and Montana gets another East Coast team.

Movie Review - "Quantum of Solace"

2008-11-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

Quantum of Solace

As described during Episode #5 of "Big C and the Beast", I grew up (along with Big C) as a fan of the James Bond movies. I have seen each of the 21 movies preceding "Quantum of Solace" multiple times and recently watched "Casino Royale" again to prepare for the release of the 22nd installment in the James Bond series. This blog post provides a brief review of the film. I will be careful to not reveal any plot spoilers for those of you who have not seen the film yet.

My wife and I viewed the film on opening night at the Megaplex Theater in Ogden, UT. The theater was full, making me increasingly grateful for having purchased tickets on Tuesday night and reserving our seats. The opening sequence was exciting, but not as edgy or revealing as the "Casino Royale" open. I was also very disappointed by the movie's theme song. It just did not "feel" right, where the "Casino Royale" theme was incredible.

"Casino Royale" took a much darker turn from the "camp" of many of the early Bond films. For me, this turn and the great insight into the Bond character was welcome and helped to revitalize a movie franchise that could have easily gone away forever. I expected to learn more about Bond as a character in "Quantum" and was disappointed. Instead, much more is revealed about M. This is not necessarily bad, but with the reboot of the Bond franchise I feel that the audience wants to know more about the new, edgy Bond.

Some critics have mentioned that the movie is more Bourne-like than Bond-like. Such comparisons are easily made in the frenetic fight scenes that are filmed in a "Bourne Ultimatum" style. The out-of-control camera movement and quick cuts does add a sense of tension to the fight scenes, but becomes almost annoying as it is overused. Is the Bourne comparison fair? To a new generation of Bond fans the answer is "Probably." Bond risks coming across as a less "hip" and more sinister version of Bourne. Some of this perception would likely be eliminated with the return of the classic Bond phrases "Bond, James Bond" and "Shaken not stirred" that are absent in "Quantum." I am, however, not at all advocating a return to the cheesiness that crept into the later Brosnan Bond films.

As a standalone Bond film, "Quantum of Solace" disappoints, but as a bridge between "Casino Royale" and future installments in the Bond series, the movie is adequate.

Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 4)

Football Predictions (Week 12)

2008-11-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

Top 25

#23 South Carolina at #3 Florida (-23)
Florida 41 South Carolina 14 (Florida covers)

SEC Games

La-Monroe at Ole Miss (-21.5)
Ole Miss 31 La-Monroe 14 (La-Monroe covers)

Vanderbilt at Kentucky (-5)
Kentucky 21 Vanderbilt 14 (Kentucky covers)

Troy at #20 LSU (-19)
LSU 42 Troy 14 (LSU covers)

#12 Georgia at Auburn (+8)
Georgia 31 Auburn 14 (Georgia covers)

Mississippi State at #1 Alabama (-20.5)
Alabama 28 Mississippi State 10 (Mississippi State covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

Utah State at Louisiana Tech (-12.5)
Louisiana Tech 28 Utah State 10 (Louisiana Tech covers)

#14 BYU at Air Force (+4)
BYU 31 Air Force 24 (BYU covers)

#7 Utah at San Diego State (+28)
Utah 45 San Diego State 10 (Utah covers)

Week 11 Prediction Results

2008-11-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Straight-up: 11-3 (0.786)
Against-the-spread: 7-5 (2 games had "No Line") (0.583)

On the year:

Straight-up: 98-26 (0.790)
Against-the-spread: 58-48 (19 games had "No Line") (0.547)

Week 10 Prediction Results

2008-11-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

Straight-up: 8-3 (0.727)
Against-the-spread: 5-6 (1 game had "No Line") (0.454)

On the year:

Straight-up: 87-23 (0.798)
Against-the-spread: 51-43 (17 games had "No Line") (0.543)

Football Predictions (Week 11)

2008-11-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

Top 25

#12 Ohio State at #25 Northwestern (+11)
Ohio State 20 Northwestern 7 (Ohio State covers)

#20 North Carolina at #19 Georgia Tech (-4)
Georgia Tech 24 North Carolina 17 (Georgia Tech covers)

#22 California at #6 USC (-17)
USC 28 California 20 (California covers)

#11 TCU at #9 Utah (+1)
TCU 27 Utah 21 (TCU covers)

#8 Oklahoma State at #3 Texas Tech (-3.5)
Texas Tech 41 Oklahoma State 35 (Texas Tech covers)

#1 Alabama at #15 LSU (+3)
Alabama 27 LSU 17 (Alabama covers)

SEC Games

Arkansas at South Carolina (-10)
South Carolina 24 Arkansas 20 (Arkansas covers)

Wyoming at Tennessee (-25)
Tennessee 34 Wyoming 14 (Wyoming covers)

UT-Martin at Auburn (No line)
Auburn 31 UT-Martin 7

#14 Georgia at Kentucky (+11.5)
Georgia 31 Kentucky 17 (Georgia covers)

#5 Florida at Vanderbilt (+25)
Florida 31 Vanderbilt 10 (Vandy covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

Utah State at #10 Boise State (-31.5)
Boise State 42 Utah State 7 (Boise State covers)

San Diego State at #16 BYU (-36.5)
BYU 38 San Diego State 3 (San Diego State covers)

Weber State at Idaho State (No line)
Weber State 42 Idaho State 17

Election Projections (Senate)

2008-11-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Seats Currently Held by Democrats

Arkansas - DEM Hold (Pryor)
Delaware - DEM Hold (Biden)
Illinois - DEM Hold (Durbin)
Iowa - DEM Hold (Harkin)
Louisiana - DEM Hold (Landrieu)
Massachusetts - DEM Hold (KerrY)
Michigan - DEM Hold (Levin)
Montana - DEM Hold (Baucus)
New Jersey - DEM Hold (Lautenberg)
Rhode Island - DEM Hold (Reed)
South Dakota - DEM Hold (Johnson)
West Virginia - DEM Hold (Rockefeller)

Gains DEM 0, GOP 0

Seats Currently Held by Republicans

Alabama - GOP Hold (Sessions)
Alaska - DEM Pickup (Begich)
Colorado - DEM Pickup (Udall)
Georgia - GOP Hold (Chambliss)
Idaho - GOP Hold (Risch for Craig)
Kansas - GOP Hold (Roberts)
Kentucky - GOP Hold (McConnell)
Maine - GOP Hold (Collins)
Minnesota - GOP Hold (Coleman)
Mississippi A - GOP Hold (Wicker)
Mississippi B - GOP Hold (Cochran)
Nebraska - GOP Hold (Johanns for Hagel)
New Hampshire - DEM Pickup (Shaheen)
New Mexico - DEM Pickup (Udall)
North Carolina - DEM Pickup (Hagan)
Oklahoma - GOP Hold (Inhofe)
Oregon - DEM Pickup (Merkley)
South Carolina - GOP Hold (Graham)
Tennessee - GOP Hold (Alexander)
Texas - GOP Hold (Cornyn)
Virginia - DEM Pickup (Warner)
Wyoming A - GOP Hold (Enzi)
Wyoming B - GOP Hold (Barrasso)

Gains DEM 7, GOP 0

Balance of Power After Election DEM 59, GOP 41
(DEM Count includes Independents Sanders (VT) and Lieberman (CT))

Election Projection (Optimistic)

2008-11-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here's my optimistic election projection for McCain to win. This scenario requires that McCain's recent campaigning in PA pay off. There are certainly other possibilities by which McCain could win (lose PA, win VA, and pick-off either CO or NM).

Election Projection (Realistic)

2008-11-03T10:00:00.001-08:00

Here's my projection for the results of tomorrow's Presidential election. I believe that McCain will do better than anticipated, but still fall short. In particular, I believe that the GOP hold on the South will continue with the exception of Virginia. Obama will make gains for the Democrats in the West with NV, NM, and CO.

It is difficult to come up with many plausible combinations of states that allow McCain to win. If conservative turnout is higher than anticipated, the race could still end in McCain's favor. I'll have a separate post to address the configuration of states that I believe McCain COULD win to carry the election. The electoral map used in this projection is from the LA Times.

Football Projections (Week 10)

2008-10-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

Top 25

#7 Florida vs. #8 Georgia (+5.5)
Florida 38 Georgia 31 (Florida covers)

#1 Texas at #5 Texas Tech (+6)
Texas 42 Texas Tech 34 (Texas covers)

SEC Games

Kentucky at Mississippi State (-3)
Kentucky 20 Mississippi State 13 (Kentucky covers)

Tennessee at South Carolina (-6.5)
South Carolina 21 Tennessee 10 (South Carolina covers)

Auburn at Ole Miss (-5.5)
Ole Miss 20 Auburn 14 (Ole Miss covers)

#18 Tulsa at Arkansas (+6.5)
Tulsa 34 Arkansas 21 (Tulsa covers)

Tulane at #15 LSU (-25.5)
LSU 31 Tulane 10 (Tulane covers)

Arkansas State at #2 Alabama (-23.5)
Alabama 41 Arkansas State 13 (Alabama covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

Hawaii at Utah State (+7.5)
Hawaii 31 Utah State 21 (Hawaii covers)

#9 Utah at New Mexico (+7.5)
Utah 28 New Mexico 20 (Utah covers)

#17 Brigham Young at Colorado State (+14)
BYU 38 Colorado State 10 (BYU covers)

Portland State at Weber State (No line)
Weber State 35 Portland State 20

FCS Playoff Projections (After Oct. 25th)

2008-10-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

My apologies for missing my usual weekly college football predictions. Work has been pretty time consuming lately. Here are my predictions for the FCS Playoffs. Again, note that these projections are based upon how I think the conference races will end-up, rather than how they stand as of now.

Auto-bids
Big Sky - Weber State
Colonial - James Madison
MEAC - South Carolina State
Missouri Valley - Northern Iowa
Ohio Valley - Tennessee-Martin
Patriot - Lafayette
Southern - Appalachian State
Southland - Texas State

At-large
Wofford (Southern)
Montana (Big Sky)
Cal Poly (Great West)
Villanova (Colonial)
New Hampshire (Colonial)
Richmond (Colonial)
Elon (Southern)
Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley)

Match-ups
South Carolina State at #1 James Madison

Elon at Northern Iowa

Texas State at #4 Weber State

Southern Illinois at New Hampshire

Richmond at #3 Wofford

Cal Poly at Montana

Tennessee-Martin at #2 Appalachian State

Lafayette at Villanova

FCS Playoff Projections (After Oct. 18th)

2008-10-20T11:46:00.001-07:00

Here's my first stab at projecting the FCS Playoffs for the 2008 season. Note that these projections are based upon how I think the conference races will end-up, rather than how they stand as of now.

Auto-bids
Big Sky - Weber State
Colonial - James Madison
MEAC - Hampton
Missouri Valley - Northern Iowa
Ohio Valley - Tennessee State
Patriot - Lafayette
Southern - Appalachian State
Southland - McNeese State

At-large
Montana (Big Sky)
Villanova (Colonial)
Cal Poly (Great West)
Elon (Southern)
Northern Arizona (Big Sky)
Richmond (Colonial)
Wofford (Southern)
New Hampshire (Colonial)

Match-ups
Hampton at #1 James Madison

Northern Arizona at Northern Iowa

Cal Poly at #4 Montana

Elon at Richmond

Lafayette at #3 Villanova

Wofford at Weber State

Tennessee State at #2 Appalachian State

New Hampshire at McNeese State

Week 8 Prediction Results

2008-10-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Straight-up: 10-2 (0.833)
Against-the-spread: 8-3 (1 game had "No Line") (0.727)

On the year:

Straight-up: 79-20 (0.798)
Against-the-spread: 46-37 (16 games had "No Line") (0.554)

Football Predictions (Week 8)

2008-10-17T08:42:00.001-07:00

Again, no commentary. Sorry for that :( Also, I completely forgot that BYU played (and then lost) on Thursday night against TCU. I would've picked them to win and probably to cover, so I'll just chalk that one up as a loss straight-up and against the spread.

Top 25

#11 Ohio State at #17 Michigan State (+3)
Ohio State 21 Michigan State 17 (Ohio State covers)

#15 Kansas at #6 Oklahoma (-17.5)
Oklahoma 42 Kansas 28 (Kansas covers)

#12 Missouri at #1 Texas (-7)
Texas 38 Missouri 30 (Texas covers)

#23 Vanderbilt at #9 Georgia (-15)
Georgia 28 Vanderbilt 17 (Vandy covers)

#24 TCU at #8 BYU
Forgot this one, count it as a loss for me :)

SEC Games

Arkansas at Kentucky (-11.5)
Kentucky 28 Arkansas 21 (Arkansas covers)

Mississippi State at Tennessee (-8.5)
Mississippi State 17 Tennessee 14 (Mississippi State covers)

#14 LSU at South Carolina (+3.5)
LSU 38 South Carolina 10 (LSU covers)

Ole Miss at #2 Alabama (-13.5)
Alabama 31 Ole Miss 13 (Alabama covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

Colorado State at #13 Utah (-23)
Utah 35 Colorado State 10 (Utah covers)

Utah State at Nevada (-19)
Nevada 38 Utah State 17 (Nevada covers)

Northern Colorado at Weber State (No line)
Weber State 40 Northern Colorado 14

Week 7 Prediction Results

2008-10-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Straight-up: 7-6 (0.538)
Against-the-spread: 4-8 (1 game had "No Line") (0.333)

On the year:

Straight-up: 69-18 (0.793)
Against-the-spread: 38-34 (15 games had "No Line") (0.528)

Football Predictions (Week 7)

2008-10-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

Due to time constraints (thanks to my job), no commentary this week. Here are my predictions:

Top 25

#19 Michigan State at #22 Northwestern (+3)
Michigan State 35 Northwestern 20 (Michigan State covers)

#5 Texas vs. #1 Oklahoma (-6.5)
Oklahoma 31 Texas 20 (Oklahoma covers)

#17 Oklahoma State at #2 Missouri (-13.5)
Missouri 42 Oklahoma State 20 (Missouri covers)

#6 Penn State at #24 Wisconsin (+4.5)
Penn State 24 Wisconsin 17 (Penn State covers)

#3 LSU at #12 Florida (-4)
LSU 28 Florida 24 (LSU covers)

SEC Games

South Carolina at Kentucky (-1)
Kentucky 20 South Carolina 17 (Kentucky covers)

#14 Vanderbilt at Mississippi State (+1)
Vanderbilt 20 Mississippi State 14 (Vandy covers)

Tennessee at #10 Georgia (-13)
Georgia 31 Tennessee 10 (Georgia covers)

Arkansas at #23 Auburn (-19)
Auburn 17 Arkansas 6 (Arkansas covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

#13 Utah at Wyoming (+23)
Utah 31 Wyoming 14 (Wyoming covers)

New Mexico at #8 BYU (-23)
BYU 42 New Mexico 10 (BYU covers)

Utah State at San Jose State (-15.5)
San Jose State 31 Utah State 14 (San Jose State covers)

Weber State at Montana State (No line)
Weber State 28 Montana State 24

Week 6 Prediction Results

2008-10-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

Straight-up: 8-2 (0.800)
Against-the-spread: 4-5 (1 game had "No Line") (0.444)

On the year:

Straight-up: 62-12 (0.838)
Against-the-spread: 34-26 (14 games had "No Line") (0.567)

Football Predictions (Week 6)

2008-10-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

I accidently forgot to post this yesterday afternoon.

Top 25

#20 Oregon at #9 USC (-16.5)

USC looks to rebound from its loss to Oregon State and Oregon looks to redeem its season after losing to Boise State two weeks ago. This could be the de facto Pac-10 championship game...

USC 34 Oregon 13 (USC covers)

#12 Ohio State at #17 Wisconsin (+2.5)

If either of these teams harbors national title hopes, this game serves basically as an elimination game. If Ohio State loses, they will still be in the Big Ten race, but if Wisconsin falls, they may find it difficult to rebound from two conference losses.

Ohio State 24 Wisconsin 20 (Ohio State covers)

#14 Auburn at #19 Vanderbilt (+3.5)

A few weeks ago it would have been difficult to imagine that this game would be between two ranking foes and that Vandy would come into the match-up undefeated. Vandy needs to find two more wins for bowl eligibility, while Auburn needs to find some sort of offensive consistency. A tough pick, but...

Auburn 17 Vanderbilt 10 (Auburn covers)

SEC Games

#13 Florida at Arkansas (+22)

Arkansas' nightmare season continues. Now a "bask" (Yes, I looked up the name for a group of Gators) of angry Gators come to Fayetteville after their shocking loss to Ole Miss. Don't look for a Hogs upset...

Florida 49 Arkansas 14 (Florida covers)

Kentucky at #4 Alabama (-16.5)

Bama slammed Georgia on the road last week to continue their climb up the polls and into the national spotlight. Kentucky has quietly gone undefeated against a weak schedule and came within 1-yard of falling to Middle Tennessee State. The step up in competition should come as a shock to the Wildcats...

Alabama 34 Kentucky 13 (Alabama covers)

South Carolina at Ole Miss (-2)

Ole Miss pulled off a shocker last week by knocking off the Gators on the road. South Carolina has been dismal this season, particularly on offense...

Ole Miss 20 South Carolina 10 (Ole Miss covers)

Northern Illinois at Tennessee (-16)

Tennessee has struggled mightily while limping to a 2-2 record. Northern Illinois is probably better than expected, but faces a tough task in Knoxville. The Huskies have won in the SEC before (see NIU versus Alabama in 2003), so an upset wouldn't be unprecedented.

Tennessee 31 Northern Illinois 10 (Tennessee c0vers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

#7 BYU at Utah State (+28.5)

BYU keeps on winning and has positioned itself to play a role in the BCS saga as the season unfolds. Utah State shocked me by actually winning a game two weeks ago against Idaho. This one probably won't be pretty...

BYU 52 Utah State 10 (BYU covers)

Oregon State at #15 Utah (-10.5)

Oregon State shocked the college football world by knocking off then-#1 USC in front of a national ESPN audience. An undefeated Utah continues to lurk on the outside of the BCS picture, but appears to be weaker than Mountain West rival BYU. Can the Beavers continue their momentum from last week and repeat last year's win over the Utes?

Utah 27 Oregon State 20 (Oregon State covers)

Montana at Weber State (No line)

Weber, after a respectable loss at Utah, comes home to face a challenge from FCS #3 Montana. Weber has played the Grizzlies close the last two seasons, but has been unable to come away with a win. Montana, while highly ranked, seems vulnerable after several close contests this season. Let's the roll the dice and...

Weber State 31 Montana 30

Week 5 Prediction Results

2008-09-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

A bit of a drop-off from my performance last week due to a series of upsets:

Straight-up: 7-2 (0.778)
Against-the-spread: 4-4 (1 game had "No Line") (0.500)

On the year:

Straight-up: 54-10 (0.844)
Against-the-spread: 30-21 (13 games had "No Line") (0.588)

Football Predictions (Week 5)

2008-09-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

I'm a little pressed for time this week, so no discussion of predictions. So here you go, just the cold, hard predictions:

Top 25

#21 Illinois at #12 Penn State (-13.5)

Penn State 31 Illinois 14 (Penn State covers)

#10 Alabama at #3 Georgia (-6.5)

Georgia 27 Alabama 24 (Alabama covers)

SEC Games

Ole Miss at #4 Florida (-23)

Florida 41 Ole Miss 17 (Florida covers)

Tennessee at #16 Auburn (-6.5)

Auburn 17 Tennessee 3 (Auburn covers)

Arkansas at #7 Texas (-27.5)

Texas 49 Arkansas 10 (Texas covers)

Miss State at #6 LSU (-24)

LSU 45 Miss State 9 (LSU covers)

Western Kentucky at Kentucky (-22)

Kentucky 37 Western Kentucy 27 (Western Kentucky covers)

UAB at South Carolina (-24.5)

South Carolina 24 UAB 10 (UAB covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

Weber State at #17 Utah (No line)

Utah 42 Weber State 10

Week 4 Prediction Results

2008-09-23T22:05:00.001-07:00

A strong performance in my predictions for Week 4 of the college football season predictions:

Straight-up: 11-1 (0.917)
Against-the-spread: 8-1 (2 games had "No Line") (0.889)

On the year:

Straight-up: 47-8 (0.855)
Against-the-spread: 26-17 (11 games had "No Line") (0.605)

Football Predictions (Week 4)

2008-09-18T09:55:00.001-07:00

Week 4 of the college football season is upon us. Predictions are made for games between teams in the Top 25, SEC teams, and Utah teams (Utah, BYU, Utah State, and Weber State). The opening line is used for the spread and can be found here.

Top 25

#18 Wake Forest at #25 Florida State (-4.5)

Wake Forest has had FSU's number as of late and FSU is still a mystery team after its pasting of two FCS weaklings. The Demon Deacons' experience against "real" competition will be enough of a difference-maker...

Wake Forest 28 Florida State 20 (Wake Covers)

#6 LSU at #9 Auburn (+2)

This epic showdown will go a long way in determining which team is left standing in the SEC West battle. LSU has dominated its weak opponents and Auburn has looked iffy (at best) in its new offense scheme. Every bone in my body thinks LSU will crush Auburn, but the history of this series is littered with close match-ups...

LSU 13 Auburn 10 (LSU covers)

#3 Georgia at #24 Arizona State (+6.5)

Georgia survived against South Carolina and Arizona State tripped up against a pitiful UNLV squad. All signs point toward Georgia attempting to impress the national TV audience and the pollsters...

Georgia 38 Arizona State 17 (Georgia covers)

SEC Games

Wofford at South Carolina (No line)

South Carolina comes into this game limping from a loss to Vanderbilt and a close-fought contest against Georgia. The Gamecocks defense is decent, but the offense is pretty woeful. Such things probably won't matter against Wofford. Wofford did beat App State last year and is ranked #12 in the latest FCS poll. This one might be close for awhile.

South Carolina 24 Wofford 6

Vanderbilt at Ole Miss (-5.5)

Can Vandy continue their unbeaten run? Normally I would be a doubter and figure that the Commodores would blow this one. However, their games against Ole Miss have typically been close and Vandy has won this game in Oxford before. So with a roll of the dice...

Vandy 21 Ole Miss 20 (Vandy covers)

Mississippi State at Georgia Tech (-8)

The Bulldogs come into this game with a disappointing 1-2 record with a 3-2 (Ha! - Directed towards Auburn's "high-powered" spread offense) loss to Auburn and a shocking loss at Louisiana Tech. This kind of game could make or break MSU's season. Georgia Tech is a decent team in a fairly bad conference, but should be able to score. If 3 points was enough for Auburn...

Georgia Tech 17 Miss State 2

#4 Florida at Tennessee (+7.5)

Florida comes into this game with its sights set on dominating an underwhelming Vols squad. Tebow and crew should have no problem squashing Rocky Top...

Florida 31 Tennessee 14 (Florida covers)

#13 Alabama at Arkansas (+9)

Alabama seems to have righted the ship by pounding Western Kentucky after a less than stellar performance against Tulane. Of course, Tulane appears to better than most would have predicted. Arkansas is arguably the worst 2-0 team in the land with come-from-behind wins over Western Illinois and La-Monroe under its belt. I've been saying all along that Petrino was a bad hire for the Hogs and that the Razorbacks are in for a long season. That long season starts Saturday...

Alabama 31 Arkansas 10 (Alabama covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

Idaho at Utah State (-4.5)

Possibly two of the worst teams in all of FBS football meet in Logan. This is probably the last time this season that Utah State will be favored and is likely the last chance for the Aggies to actually win a game. Both teams are so bad, it's actually difficult to pick a winner. At least Idaho has shown that it can win a game this season, so...

Idaho 24 Utah State 20 (Idaho covers)

#20 Utah at Air Force (+7)

Utah travels to Colorado to take on the Falcons in a Mountain West Conference match-up. Last year, Utah fell to Air Force in Salt Lake City. This is certainly a step-up in competition for the Utes and Air Force may actually be the best team they have played this season (sorry Michigan). Air Force will grind it out on the ground (as usual) but Utah should prevail...

Utah 27 Air Force 17 (Utah covers)

Wyoming at #11 BYU (-27)

BYU comes off a mauling off UCLA while Wyoming escaped North Dakota State. Will there be a let down after BYU's dominating performance? Doubtful...

BYU 45 Wyoming 10 (BYU covers)

Weber State at Sacramento State (No Line)

Weber opens play in the Big Sky conference with a trip to Sacramento. Both teams come into the game with 2-1 records, each with a loss to an FBS opponent. Sac State finished 3-8 in 2007 with a 3-5 record in the Big Sky. Last year, Weber defeated Sac State 26-7 in a snowy affair. Both teams seem improved, but how much is still uncertain at this point.

Weber State 27 Sacramento State 20

Week 3 Prediction Results

2008-09-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

For my Week 3 of the college football season predictions:

Straight-up: 13-1 (0.929)
Against-the-spread: 6-6 (2 games had "No Line") (0.500)

On the year:

Straight-up: 36-7 (0.837)
Against-the-spread: 18-16 (9 games had "No Line") (0.529)

Arkansas at Texas

2008-09-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

Arkansas' bludgeoning at the hands of Texas has been postponed until September 27th due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ike. Therefore, this game will not be included in the prediction results for this week.

Football Predictions (Week 3)

2008-09-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

We're back for Week 3 of the college football season. Predictions are made for games between teams in the Top 25, SEC teams, and Utah teams (Utah, BYU, Utah State, and Weber State). The opening line is used for the spread and can be found here.

Top 25

#12 Kansas at #18 South Florida (-3.5)

After watching South Florida struggle to beat Central Florida in Overtime last week, this game looks ripe for an "against-the-spread" upset. Kansas has not been tested this year, but should be able to pull off the win.

Kansas 28 Central Florida 20 (Kansas covers)

#11 Wisconsin at #21 Fresno State (+1.5)

This game has the makings of a "trap" game for the Badgers and is vital for Fresno State's hopes of breaking into the BCS party. However, Wisconsin's early scare against Marshall should prove to be enough inspiration to leave California with a W.

Wisconsin 31 Fresno State 21 (Wisconsin covers)

#3 Ohio State at #1 USC (-10.5)

THE match-up of the day. Ohio State struggled against lowly Ohio last week, while USC took the week off. I can't help but think that USC is primed to throttle the Buckeyes...

USC 38 Ohio State 14 (USC covers)

#2 Georgia at #24 South Carolina (+7.5)

The Gamecocks shocked Georgia last year in a game that may have ultimately cost the Bulldogs a shot at a national title. Revenge will certainly be on the mind. South Carolina attempts to rebound from a shocking loss to Vanderbilt.

Georgia 31 South Carolina 20 (Georgia covers)

SEC Games

Middle Tennessee State at Kentucky (-16)

So, is MTSU decent, or is Maryland just that bad? I guess we'll know after this one. I got burned by picking against Kentucky in Week 1... I've learned my lesson.

Kentucky 28 MTSU 10 (Kentucky covers)

UAB at Tennessee (-29.5)

After a 2-10 season last year, the Neil Calloway-era in Birmingham keeps sliding downhill as UAB has stumbled to an 0-2 start. Tennessee will be looking to make a statement after the stunning loss to UCLA...

Tennesseee 38 UAB 6 (Tennessee covers)

Rice at Vanderbilt (-7)

Few would've guessed that this game would feature undefeated teams. Can Rice continue their winning ways after their wild win against Memphis? Or will Vanderbilt move to 3-0 and start entertaining thoughts of bowl berths?

Vanderbilt 21 Rice 20 (Rice covers)

Samford at Ole Miss (No line)

The FCS Bulldogs travel to Oxford after a 62-0 thrashing of Faulkner. Ole Miss covers into the game after a heartbreaking loss to Wake Forest. It's hard to imagine this game being close.

Ole Miss 45 Samford 3

Arkansas at #9 Texas (-23.5)

After two weeks of last-minute comebacks against "lesser" (being polite) teams, Petrino's crew heads to Austin. This one will get ugly, quickly...

Texas 49 Arkansas 10 (Texas covers)

North Texas at #6 LSU (-41.5)

One of the worst teams in all the land travels to Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers. Seeing how Appalachian State would probably handle North Texas and seeing LSU dominate App State, this has all the marks of a blow-out of epic proportions...

LSU 52 North Texas 3 (LSU covers)

#10 Auburn at Mississippi State (+10.5)

Miss State is a tough one to figure out. Was the loss to Louisiana Tech a fluke or a sign of dangerous times to come? Auburn seems to have found a QB and shows strength on defense. Suggests a Tigers win...

Auburn 27 Mississippi State 14 (Auburn covers)

Western Kentucky at #17 Alabama (-27.5)

Alabama comes into this game off of a less-than-impressive win over Tulane. Alabama should win, but the question is "Will Bama cover?" A flat performance, reminiscent of last week, will give the Tide a 20-ish point win, while a Clemson-like appearance will see Bama light-up the scoreboard. Let's hope for the latter...

Alabama 45 Western Kentucky 9 (Alabama covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

UCLA at #15 BYU (-9)

UCLA comes to Provo after a shocking win over Tennessee to open the season. This game will truly be a test of whether UCLA is "back" or just caught the Vols napping. BYU escaped in miraculous fashion at Washington. I'm going with the Cougars since I'm not convinced they have returned to prominence just yet...

BYU 27 UCLA 10 (BYU covers)

#23 Utah at Utah State (+23.5)

Utah State's trek through the 2008 season gets no easier as the Utes come to Logan. The Aggies try to rebound from a 66-24 loss at Oregon. I don't see that happening...

Utah 35 Utah State 10 (Utah covers)

Dixie State at Weber State (No line)

Weber comes off a hard-fought loss at Hawaii after leading 17-7 at the half. Dixie State, an NCAA Division II opponent, comes in with a 1-1 record. Weber should dominate this overmatched foe.

Weber State 41 Dixie State 10

Week 2 Prediction Results

2008-09-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

For my Week 2 of the college football season predictions:

Straight-up: 10-2 (0.833)
Against-the-spread: 5-5 (2 games had "No Line") (0.500)

On the year:

Straight-up: 23-6 (0.793)
Against-the-spread: 12-10 (7 games had "No Line") (0.545)

Football Predictions (Week 2)

2008-09-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

Once again, I present my predictions for this week's college football games. Predictions are made for games between teams in the Top 25, SEC teams, and Utah teams (Utah, BYU, Utah State, and Weber State). The opening line is used for the spread and can be found here.

Top 25
There are no games between teams in the USA Today Top 25 this week.

SEC Games

Troy at #6 LSU

Postponed in the wake of Hurricane Gustav.

#24 South Carolina at Vanderbilt (+9)

Both South Carolina and Vanderbilt come off of solid wins in Week 1 and look to take a win here to start their in-conference slate with a bang. South Carolina continues its tradition of changing quarterbacks. Vandy will put up a better fight than NC State and should at least cover.

South Carolina 20 Vanderbilt 14 (Vandy covers)

Southern Miss at #10 Auburn (-17)

Auburn comes into this game with uncertainty at QB after a less than stellar offensive performance in the win over Louisiana-Monroe. Southern Miss laid over 50 points on Louisiana-Lafayette in their season opening win. Can USM pull off the upset? Not against the Auburn defense...

Auburn 21 Southern Miss 3 (Auburn covers)

Central Michigan at #2 Georgia (-23.5)

Georgia inexplicably fell from the #1 stop in the polls after a solid thrashing of Georgia Southern. Did this irritate the Bulldogs and will they relieve their irritation with a spanking of the Chippewas? Central Michigan struggled in their season opener against Eastern Illinois. So...

Georgia 40 Central Michigan 7 (Georgia covers)

Ole Miss at #20 Wake Forest (-8.5)

Both teams come into this game with big wins over inferior opposition. Ole Miss handled Memphis in what has typically been a close affair and Wake Forest laid it on Baylor. As I mentioned last week, I believe Ole Miss is a sleeper in the SEC with Houston Nutt at the helm.

Ole Miss 31 Wake Forest 28 (Ole Miss covers)

Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas (-14.5)

The Hogs escaped Western Illinois in Bobby Petrino's opener at Arkansas while UL-M fell to Auburn. While Arkansas will struggle mightily this season, I suspect they have enough in them to knock off the Warhawks.

Arkansas 34 Louisiana-Monroe 12 (Arkansas covers)

Miami at #5 Florida (-21)

The glory days of Hurricanes football seem like a distance memory. In what (ten years ago) might have been an epic showdown, Miami goes to Gainesville and receives a pounding.

Florida 49 Miami 14 (Florida covers)

Southeastern Louisiana at Mississippi State (No line)

Miss State being shocked by Louisiana Tech does not bode well for Sly Croom's hopes for another winning season in Starkville. SLU shows up at just the right time for the Bulldogs to try to get things back on track...

Mississippi State 28 Southeastern Louisiana 3

Tulane at #17 Alabama (-28)

After Alabama's dominating performance against Clemson last week, it might be tempting to don the Crimson-colored glasses. However, I've been burned far to many times by the Tide to go off and drink the Crimson Kool-Aid just yet. Will there be a letdown for Bama? Are the days of playing down to the competition over? We shall see...

Alabama 41 Tulane 9 (Alabama covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

#15 BYU at Washington (+10)

The Huskies were hammered on the road at Oregon to open the season. Such happenings will probably guarantee the end of the Ty Willingham era at Washington. Expect another nail in his coffin...

BYU 35 Washington 14 (BYU covers)

Utah State at #16 Oregon (-34.5)

Lowly Utah State visits the aforementioned Oregon Ducks. This on the heels of a loss at also lowly UNLV. Not good for the Aggies...

Oregon 49 Utah State 3 (Oregon covers)

UNLV at #23 Utah (-22.5)

UNLV continues their tour of Utah schools with a trip to Salt Lake City. Utah returns home after a their huge win at Michigan. Don't look for a letdown here...

Utah 35 UNLV 10 (Utah covers)

Weber State at Hawaii (No line)

Weber State hasn't beaten an FBS (Division 1-A) opponent since 1993. Hawaii is certainly down on their luck after getting blasted by Florida (and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl). Can Weber shock the Rainbows? Maybe for a half...

Hawaii 38 Weber State 6

Week 1 Prediction Results

2008-09-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

For my Week 1 of the college football season predictions:

Straight-up: 13-4 (0.765)
Against-the-spread: 7-5 (5 games had "No Line") (0.583)

Football Predictions (Week 1)

2008-08-27T11:00:00.001-07:00

In what I hope will be a weekly feature on "Find the Beast", I present my picks for a few selected college football games for the current week. I present predictions for all SEC games, games between Top 25 teams, and games involving Utah, BYU, Utah State, and Weber State. The spread for the games is the Opening Line from USA Today and may viewed here. So let's begin. We'll save the picks for the Alabama and Weber State games for last.

Top 25
#19 Illinois vs. #7 Missouri (-9)

Both teams come off of surprisingly strong 2007 seasons. Will the teams continue their winning ways or return back to their previous existence in relative mediocrity? My money would be on Missouri to win given the skill and experience of QB Chase Daniel. Ron Zook has done a fine job at Illinois and probably doesn't miss the glaring spotlight he operated under at Florida.

Missouri 37 Illinois 21 (Missouri covers)

SEC Games
Vanderbilt at Miami (OH) (-3)

Will this be the break-out year for Vandy? A breakout year for Vandy being defined as a winning record and a bowl appearance. I suspect not.

Miami 24 Vanderbilt 17 (Miami covers)

NC State at South Carolina (-11.5)

While Steve Spurrier has turned the Gamecocks into a formidable opponent for his SEC East companions, he hasn't been able to break-through on the national front. 2007 started well, but ended with a visor-tossing string of five consecutive defeats. NC State, meanwhile, toiled to a 5-7 record. Will USC get off on the right-foot with a big win to set-up a year to challenge in the SEC East? Yes on the big win, probably not on the challenging in the SEC East.

South Carolina 31 NC State 13 (South Carolina covers)

Hawaii at #5 Florida (-33.5)

The last time we saw Hawaii, they were being mauled by Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Losing their star QB will probably not help make things much better in Gainesville. Look for Tebow & Co. to be resting the starters soon after halftime.

Florida 49 Hawaii 10 (Florida covers)

Georgia Southern at #1 Georgia (No line)

If you're watching this game and expected a Michigan-App State type affair, I suspect your hopes will be dashed early on. Georgia Southern lost their entire Offensive Line to graduation. If you saw the Georgia-Hawaii game, this does not bode well.

Georgia 63 Georgia Southern 3

Appalachian State at LSU (No line)

A battle of defending national champions in Baton Rouge. I'll be cheering on the Mountaineers and hoping they pull off another enormous upset over the hated Tigers. I suspect this one will be close for awhile, perhaps even at halftime. However, LSU is simply too strong and too talented.

LSU 31 Appalachian State 10

UL-Monroe at #11 Auburn (-26.5)

The Bama fan in me would love nothing more than to see the Warhawks give Auburn a game. Even with a new offensive system and uncertainty at QB, I can't see Auburn dropping this one or letting it even be close. That said, I'd gladly take being wrong on this pick...

Auburn 38 UL-Monroe 10 (Auburn covers)

Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech (+9)

Coach Croom has built a respectable program in Starkville which is pretty amazing if you've ever been to Starkville and realized that there is absolutely nothing appealing about the place. Look for an improved Bulldog (MSU Bulldogs that is) squad to make short work of the Bulldogs from Ruston.

Miss State 27 Louisiana Tech 10 (Miss State covers)

Western Illinois at Arkansas (No line)

Bobby Petrino eases into things as the Razorbacks coach with a game against the mighty Western Illinois Leathernecks. While I can't imagine the Petrino regime faring too well in its first season, I'd like to think that this game is probably in the back for the Hogs.

Arkansas 31 Western Illinois 7

Memphis at Ole Miss (-8)

The aforementioned Razorbacks made a lousy decision in the running-off of Houston Nutt. He appears to be a solid coach and should do well with Ed Orgeron's recruits. Ole Miss will surprise this year.

Ole Miss 21 Memphis 10 (Ole Miss covers)

Kentucky at Louisville (-4.5)

This could be a rough year in Lexington. The loss of Andre Woodson does not suggest that Kentucky will be improving upon their 8-5 record from 2007. Louisville looks to return to prominence after a disappointing 6-6 record.

Louisville 24 Kentucky 13 (Louisville covers)

#18 Tennessee at UCLA (+7)

I have some not so fond memories of a season-opening game at UCLA in 2000. The Vols will probably be leaving Southern California with a smile on their faces. UCLA features a new coach and a brutal schedule that could make for a long year.

Tennessee 27 UCLA 17 (Tennessee covers)

Alabama vs #9 Clemson (-5)

Alabama begins Year 2 of the "Process" under Coach Saban. Year 1 featured ups (a thrashing of Tennessee and a close loss to Georgia) and downs (La-Monroe and Tommy Tuberville's 6th finger). 2008 should see Alabama with a better, more disciplined team, but a brutal road schedule and serious depth issues suggests a fair to good season at best. Clemson is once again projected to do well. The question remains: Will the Tigers choke or is the breakthrough year? My brain says Clemson wins a close one. My heart tells me...

Alabama 28 Clemson 27 (Alabama covers)

Games Involving Utah Schools

Utah State at UNLV (-12.5)

Utah State will fight hard to overcome their reputation as one of the worst programs in major college football. Unfortunately for the Aggies, this work won't pay off in Vegas.

UNLV 35 Utah State 17 (UNLV covers)

Northern Iowa at #17 BYU (No line)

Another intriguing FBS-FCS showdown. Northern Iowa is not a team to be taken lightly as they have performed well on the FCS stage and has beaten the Big 12's Iowa State on the road. However, BYU is no Iowa State.

BYU 38 Northern Iowa 13

Utah at #24 Michigan (-3.5)

The Utes open the season at "The Big House". The last time the season kicked-off at Michigan, the Wolverines fell to Appalachian State. Will Michigan's new coach Rich Rodriguez avoid starting his tenure with an L? I'm going out on a limb and taking the Utes.

Utah 24 Michigan 20 (Utah covers)

Montana-Western at Weber State (No line)

The Wildcats open the 2008 season with a Thursday night match-up against the NAIA Bulldogs. With a trip to Hawaii looming, Weber should cruise.

Weber State 41 Montana-Western 10

Cuil =! Cool

2008-07-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

Just tried out the new, hyped-up Cuil search engine. Searched for "Alabama"... No results found... Wow, back to Google we go.

My Absence from the Blogosphere

2008-07-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Many apologies for a long delay between postings. I will have a new post shortly describing the "adventure" of moving to Utah and getting settled in.

A Few Links

2008-06-10T08:41:00.001-07:00

Since I've added the badge from electoral-vote.com, I thought perhaps it's time to share a glimpse of a few of my favorite links for political news and insight:

Politics1 - A great site with frequent updates on candidates and polling. Run by a VERY liberal Obama supporter, unfortunately

RealClearPolitics - A classic news and polling site. Provides views from both sides of the aisle.

Politico - Another news and political blog site.

Electoral-Vote - As mentioned previously. A constantly updated very of the electoral college predictions for the November election.

Poking my head out of the shadows...

2008-06-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

I'm still here...

Life has been extremely hectic lately as I try to finish up dissertation work and prepare to move to Utah at the end of June.

In the meantime, I have added a widget to the right-hand column of this blog that gives the electoral vote projection for the 2008 Presidential election. The widget is from the great site www.electoral-vote.com. The site has a liberal slant, but is a great resource for polls and analysis on the Presidential race and Congressional contests.

I'm heading back to the depths of dissertation work. In the meantime, check-out and comment on my photos at Flickr.

My First HDR Image

2008-03-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here's my first attempt at an HDR image. This is the railway bridge connecting Northport and Tuscaloosa. I used the trial version of the Photomatix software.

I'm Not Even Sure What to Say...

2008-03-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

No, this is not a parody...

Out with the Sticky Wall: A Change in Blogging Philosophy

2008-03-13T13:27:00.001-07:00

Being an aspiring blogger, it is tempting to simply throw some content on the blog on a daily basis just to see what sticks. However, I've resolved to only post when I truly have something interesting or notable to actually write about. Therefore, you won't see as many posts here as you would have on my previous blogging efforts, but hopefully the quality of the content will be vastly improved. If you are running a blog, how do you feel about the balance between quality and quantity?

Brother Micah

2008-03-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

"Brother" Micah Armstrong made his appearance on the University of Alabama campus again yesterday, occupying the "free speech" zone near the Ferguson Center for a considerable length of time. That's him in the center of the ring of students in the photo below.

For a quick taste of Armstrong and his tactics, check out this YouTube video.

Missing!

2008-03-02T19:29:00.001-08:00

Our city-issued trashcan. It used to sit here:

What kind of person steals a trashcan? Last seen Friday night. Guess I'll be calling the City tomorrow to see if they can bring me another one. I hope they don't charge me :(

UPDATE: They want me to pay $55 for a new can!! Apparently, the City isn't liable for stolen cans! What a crock...

UPDATE 2: I coughed up the $55 this morning. The City will deliver my new can tomorrow. They said the new can is mine and I can do whatever I want to with it. Perhaps I will take it with me when we move.

Utah

2008-02-29T18:48:00.000-08:00

I'm back at the Atlanta airport after having been in Utah for a few days interviewing for faculty position at Weber State University in Odgen. I didn't have a ton of time to do "tourist"-type things and I didn't even bring my Digital Rebel. I did, however, take a few pics with my Blackberry Curve. I'll post all of them to Flickr tomorrow or Sunday, but here are a few of my favorites.

Mountain Road near Ogden

Mountains Overlooking the Weber State Campus

Interior of the Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City

Christus Statue at Visitor's Center, Temple Square, Salt Lake City

Alfred E. Neuman, Jackass, and Teenagers Today

2008-02-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

While sitting in the 45th (i.e. last) row on a flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City today, I had the distinct "pleasure" of sitting by a 12ish-year old kid and his dad. I took the window seat, the kid sat next to me, and dad manned the aisle. Except for the kid's striking resemblance to Alfred E. Neuman of MAD Magazine fame (see below), there really wasn't anything all that remarkable or interesting about the kid. I figured I was in for a routine flight. I was wrong....

Upon reaching the altitude at which the powers-that-be have deemed sufficient for us to use our "portable electronic devices", the kid (let's just go ahead and call him Alfred from now on) whips out a portable DVD player from his bag. He dons a pair of headphones and dad does the same. Alfred fires up the DVD player and they both plug in their headphones for what will surely be a touching father and son moment of sharing a film together.

So, the movie starts up. It's Jackass 2: The Unrated Edition. Are you kidding me? Is Alfred stupid enough to think that dad will enjoy such a film? What is dad going to do about this? Apparently not much. They both eagerly watch the first 45 minutes of the film. During this time I discover that Alfred laughs like a girl.

Not like your normal, sane, average, run-of-the-mill girl... No Alfred has the kind of laugh that must be something like the sound a squirrel makes if you were to step on it with a pair of combat boots. The music blaring through my headphones from my iPod can only drown out a portion of this hideous sound.

My dad (and most dads that I know) wouldn't put up with this viewing of Jackass 2 and the accompanying high-pitched laugh-from-hell, but this particular dad seemed fine with it all. Dad at least had the decency to nudge Alfred and insist that they fast-forward through the most raunchy parts of the film. I do my best to slink away into my own little world and try to get some work done on the laptop. Unfortunately, about 15 minutes later things take a turn for the worse.

While happily working away and minding my own business, I decide to glance at Alfred, dad, and Jackass. Big mistake. I had to choose a particular scene of the movie that greets me with full-frontal male nudity! I can only imagine the look or horror and disgust on my face upon seeing this sight. I think dad must have seen my reaction because he slammed the DVD player closed. Thanks dad! Thanks for being a parent! Only took you 60 minutes and the image of a penis seared into my mind forever! And we wonder why kids today turn out so freakin' screwed-up.

An Eccentricity

2008-02-27T11:07:00.000-08:00

Before I start, "eccentricity" is a word, I Googled it :)

I've been traveling a lot lately as I've been searching for a job. I'm currently in the Atlanta airport awaiting a flight to Utah on what will be the fourth trip I've taken in 2008. I've noticed something odd... There must be something about air travel, because I find myself compelled to purchase Mentos. I bought a roll of fruit Mentos this morning in the Birmingham airport for the bargain price () of $2.00. By the time I got to Atlanta, the roll looked like this:

After lunch, the sweet tooth got a hold of me and now the roll of Mentos looks like this:

Hmmm... Do I have a problem?

A Fresh Start...

2008-02-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

This will be my third attempt to start and maintain a blog. While my schedule is exceedingly busy as I wrap up my doctoral work, I continue to find a need to vent or just simply get away from technical writing and be a bit creative. Wish me luck!

Stephen