New York Jets Strength Coach

So, he was caught in the act of purposely tripping a player from the Dolphins, during a play. He made a major mistake.

However, what was lost in all of the hub-bub was that he apologized. He apologized to the player directly. The coach of the other team. His head coach. His owner. He also did it publicly. Finally, he stated that he would accept, without reservation, whatever punishment he would be dealt.

We are all entitled to make mistakes, however it is how you deal with them, that is the true measure. He has done and said everything right.

In the end, he has been suspended for the remainder of the year, without pay, and fined $25K. Good for this guy for being a stand-up individual.

UPDATE: Clearly this post was made long before they found out he planned this, and that he lied...I completely retract my post. Good for the NFL for fining the team another $100K for this rediculous act.

I Flew...

yesterday, and no one at TSA touched me, grabbed me, or did anything inappropriate.

My bag was checked, but that was because my shaving cream set off an alarm...

Very easy to deal with...

ING Accounts

Right now I am earning about 1.1% interest on my ING Account...

When I signed up a few years back, I was earning over 5%.

That was REAL money then...

Today, it is the cost of doing business!

Smartest Move of The Year...

Goes to Washington Redskins Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree.

He decided in advance to get off the sinking ship that is the Washington Redskins, and accepted the Head Coaching job at the University of Colorado...

Congrats to Jon...you are a SMART MAN!

I Won...

This morning, as it is almost every morning, I was listening to the Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan. Today is Game Show Wednesday, and they were playing Junkies Shootout, where they ask you random trivia questions, and if you answer 3 right, you win a prize.

My 3 questions were as follows:

1. What is the #1 disease that is tied to dementia?
2. Within 1 point, how many points is John Wall averaging?
3. What college basketball team does Ashley Judd follow as a die-hard fan?

In case you were wondering, my answers were as follows:

1. Alzeheimers
2. I had no idea, as I hate the NBA, and guessed 18, and nailed it.
3. Easy...Univerity of Kentucky

I won a $50 Gift Card to Famous Dave's BBQ.

Here is Ashley at a UK Game looking good

Things I Hate...

in no particular order:

• Monday Night Football
• Beltway Traffic headed to Monday Night Football...is there a worse place to hold MNF then DC?
• Taking 90 minutes to get to my tailgate
• Getting to my tailgate, and realizing I dropped my socks at home on the way to the car
• Being excited all day for my favorite sandwich (Italian Store Muffaletta), only to open the bag at the tailgate and realized they screwed up the order, and I got a completely different sandwich
• Getting to my seats, and seeing the Redskin punt, and think we went 3 and out on the opening possession, when in all reality, we were actually already down 7-0
• Being completely surrounded by Eagles fans...I mean completely!
• Getting rained on!
• Getting our asses handed to us on national television to the tune of record setting points
• Realizing my feet are cold and wet, because I dont have socks on
• Betting with my friend before the game, and taking the under at 44...when Philly took care of that by themselves before halftime.
• Driving home after the game, and being excited about stopping at McDonalds, only to pull into the drive-thru and it be "Closed for Cleaning." How often does this happen? Annually?
• Going to Wendys and having awful "spicy nuggets"
• Did I mention we lost? Awesome!

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day to all of our Soldiers, Saliors, Airmen, and Marines.

Many thanks for all that you have done, and all that you do.

We appreciate you in more ways than words can describe!

P.S. I am very patriotic person, and I love the flag...but US Flag Ties are super cheesey

Hummer Vehicles

I saw a guy in the airport wearing a T-Shirt that said Hummer, and in little letters "Like Nothing Else"

Given where Hummer is today in the auto business, I thought the tag line was very poignant.

So much so that they are out of business all together.

Election Day

Well it is now Wednesday after Election Day, and there are a few attitudes I can take regarding the outcome:

• I can be pissed that we did not do better in the Senate...
• I can be elated about the landslide in the House...
• Overall, I can be happy with the outcome....

I take option 3.

Here are a few other notes:

• I love that the 1 Congressman who got "in-person" support from the President, lost (the Charlottesville, VA representitive)
• Overall VA looks to be going back to its roots, after a few years on the Dark Side
• Interesting battle still looms in the VA 11th, as Fimian and Connolly are headed for a recount
• There is something I like about the WV Democrat who won the Senate seat. He seems down to Earth, and might vote with the Republicans, when appropriate. He is only there for 2 years, and must understand that if he wants to go back to Washington, he needs to stay middle of the road
• I would have liked to see Barbara Boxer lose, but Carly Fiorina, and all her cash, was just not meant to be.
• I am not sure what the lesser of 2 evils is...Harry Reid being elected, or him losing and Chuck Schumer taking the Majority Leadership position. I think I would rather have Harry Reid to be honest...
• I think John Boehner is going to run the House with a vice like grip. Eric Cantor will be there to ensure that as well.
• Sayonara Russ Feingold

I am not sure what this will mean for 2 years from now, (as I do not have a Crystal Ball), but it sure looks like Obama might be in trouble. Keep an eye out for Marco Rubio to make a run for President (it is not unheard of for a 2 year Senator to make a run)....

P.S. Regarding Krystal Ball (VA-D 1st)....she lost bad...oh well, I can only imagine the fun Bill O'Reilly would have had with that one!

It Is Now Officially a Redskins Season...

Courtesy of my Brother...

"Nothing stamps a Redskins season "Official" until you have a humiliating loss to the Lions or Rams (or both) and management undermines the Starting QB. -- Well now its Official."

I think it is fair to bring this image back to the forefront:

Election Season

As Election Day nears...the TV commercials are ramping up. This is happening all over the country, and a few things seem to stick out to me:

• There is a young woman running for Congress in Virginia with the name Crystal Ball. I dont what she stands for, but if I live in her district, she has my vote
• The TV commercials this year, more so than most, seem to be ripping the other candidate, and not even mentioning what they believe in. A whole lot of mud-slinging.
• I am unsure as to why candidates for Congress and Senate go on National Talk Shows. The only votes that count are those in that district or state...you ought to focus your time and money on that...not speaking to super-liberal Matt Lauer.
• I am not convinced the GOP is going to have as super a day as everyone thinks they are (I hope I am wrong).

Tuesday nears...

C-A-P-S!!!

Headed into their 4th game tonight, I still havent seen a game...

I suck!

Great Win...

Wow...I sure am happy we are 3-2...I am not convinced we are a 3-2 team, but I will take it.



DM sure keeps his calm for 60 minutes (and sometimes more). Anthony Armstrong is emerging...



Let's just keep the O-Line healthy, and things might just work out nicely.

GLEE

I am a fan...there, I admitted it.

However this season has not been very good...it has gotten to the point where it is just a theme show ever week.

I am watching now, and it makes no sense whatsoever.

COSTCO...

It never ceases to amaze me what you see there...I love this place for so many reasons, such as:

• A family, from another country, walking around the store with there approx. 3 year old without shoes (by choice). Who walks around a warehouse without shoes?
• A young couple...standing and looking at a giant box of variety pack condoms, and the guy asking the girl...should we get 2 boxes?
• free samples...

Costco is great!

The Huntsville Airport

is the most pleasurable experience I have had traveling in quite some time.

• The gates are empty
• The rental car agencies have no lines
• There is parking immediately outside the airport (No cops shooing you off at the first sign of you slowing down)
• There is no traffic getting in and out.

Just an overall great experience.

My Fandom

Most people I know, understand that I am a massive Redskins fan...

So why do they have to ask me, after every game...

"Did you see the game...wow that was a brutal loss"

Yeah...Thanks!

I'm Guilty

I recognize that...

But why do people have to have the following things at the bottom of their email:

• Sent from my blackberry
• Sent from my iPad
• Sent from my Android Mobile Device
• etc...
• etc...
• etc...

Does anyone really care, given the mobile world in which we live?

I think we should get rid of these "post-scripts"

Oooops!

We let that one slip away yesterday...

Just bad!

I got nothin else

1-0

I am happy with the way things worked out (obviously). While it is always hard to really understand the full scope of the game, as it is being played, when you are at the Stadium, I felt positive across the 3 aspects of the game.

To that end, I would certainly not grade us out at an A+ or a 10. From my perspective, we played well, (well enough to win) but had plenty of areas for improvement. This excites me, because if we can beat Dallas, and not be perfect, that bodes well for the weeks ahead.

Bring on Houston.

Bon Voyage Summer

Hard to believe that summer has come and gone...

While that sucks, I am happy to say that Football is back. Congrats to Boise State for their win last night, and while college football is fun, pro football is more fun.

I am excited, and as I am every year, cautiously optomistic about the Redskins. I believe that a lot will ride on how they play against what should be a pretty good Cowboys team.

For the Skins to succeed, they will need a lot of parts to fall into place, and like every team, stay healthy.

I am not convinced it will happen, but at the risk of sounding like an athlete, we will take it 1 week at a time.

Mike Wise Is An Idiot

I listen to his show occasionally when I am in my car, only because the show before them is who I listen to in the AM.

Well, to prove a point, he tweeted that Big Ben has been suspended for 5 games, just to see how it would flow in media outlets across the country. He fabricated the story, and as such, has been suspended by The Washington Post for 1 month.

Everytime I listed to him, he is arguing with someone, just for the sake of arguing. Just the other day, he was interviewing Jason Reid, the Washington Post Redskins Insider, and I actually got the sense over the radio that JReid really does not like him.

He is annoying and should not only be suspended for this stupid stunt, but should be fired altogether...just to prove a point!

Things Not To Say...

I just finished an interview with a candidate...

As we finished up, I asked him if he had any questions of me...

His Response...

"So....um....How did I do?"

My New Shawshank

You know how when you are flipping channels, and you stumble upon The Shawshank Redemption, and you stop, and then no matter how far into the movie, or even if it is on TBS with commercials, you have to stop and watch...

Well I still do that...

Now I have another movie to add to it. I realize this movie was not well received, but I really like it.

The Last Samurai.

Tom Cruise has not done a good movie since Top Gun. I really liked this one though.

Also,

I almost dropped my blackberry in the urinal just now.

Guess Who Is Going On PTO...

You guessed correctly...

HRH Obama is headed to Marthas Vinyard for a WEEK

UNBELIEVABLE...A FREAKING WEEK!!!

I Highly Recommend...

any of the Comedy Central Roasts. The other night was David Hasselhoff. I was busting out laughing for a solid 90 minutes. In years past, they have done them for Pam Anderson, Larry the Cable Guy, and others.

All of them are so entertaining, and so politically incorrect.

Enjoy!

We Are Hiring...

at my company...we have a goal to hire 5,000 people this year.

Yes that is right...5,000.

Who says the economy is lagging?

PGA Wrap Up

As I am sure in due time, my good friend RRD96 will provide a better wrap up on the conclusion to the PGA, but allow me my $0.02...

I have been a Golf Fan for maybe 10 years, and am certainly not a historian in any way. However, I can say without any hesitation, that this was the most entertaining / confusing / goofy / horrific finish to a golf tourney I can remember.

I was rooting for Rory McIlroy to win, purely because I had money on it, however, once he was eliminated, I wanted to see a 3-way playoff, but because of a goofy local rule, poor Dustin Johnson, who seems like a consumate gentlemen, was relegated to a T5.

The 2-way playoff was miraculous in its own right. The birdies to start on 10 and 17, followed by the "gamesmanship" on 18 was remarkable. I was rooting for Bubba (again for the money and the USA ties), however to watch him nearly hole out of the bunker, and pressure Martin Kaymer would have been unbelievable. Nonetheless, the best golfer this past weekend probably won.

Not spoken about, as often is the case, was Nick Watney. This guy has a nice career ahead of him and the pressure of playing in the final group on Sunday clearly got to him. Like Dustin Johnson at the US Open, he will be back...

By the way, not to change subject, but HRH Obama was on vacation again this weekend, and where did he go...surprise surprise....Gulf Region!

Check Out...

http://www.tbd.com/

Great new local site, built in the model of the drudge report...

Can You Tell Me How To Get....

How to get to Sesame Street...

Think about that jingle for the rest of the day....

How times have changed...in watching an episode this morning with my boy, Bert and Ernie were doing their usual schtick, and in the scene Bert is getting all freaked out about this Old Wise Duck that they are going to see in a Dark Cave, to ask him a question.

Bert, all scared, says to Ernie "Can't we just email him?"

The show is exactly as I remember it, even the graphics are the same...but funny how technology has changed the way they talk to one another.

The Whirlwind of Travel

Having been on the road for 3 weeks, you tend to fall behind on a lot of things...

Namely:

• Sleep
• Emails/Calls to Friends
• Work

Not necessarily in that order...

I need routine back in my life after the month of July

HRH Obama

His Royal Highness has made a number of poor decisions as of late, and I wanted to reflect on those for a minute...

1. He was on vacation again, and this time he went to Maine, after urging Americans to continue with their plans to visit the Gulf Region after the BP Oil Spill. I am a firm believer in "practice what you preach" and as the President, he should be held to the highest standard. Show Americans that it is safe to be there...don't go as far away from there as possible.
2. Being around DC, I have dozens of Boy Scout Troops as of late, as they are having what I think is the annual "Jamboree" where something like 45,000 Troops are in the area. HRH Obama is the honorary President of the Boy Scouts and was invited to speak (over 2 months ago) at the Jamboree. He has politely declined, and in his stead, has sent a video message. What is he going to be doing as opposed to meeting with America's youth...he is going to NY to do a stint on "The View," followed by some fund raising events, ahead of election season. Parties aside, does this not seem to be in poor taste?

I would love to see this guy not get re-elected....

Quote of the Night...

Goes to Miguel Batista, the Nationals pitcher who was given the start last night, at the last second, after the Nats pulled Stephen Strasburg, due to some inflamation...

"Imagine if you go there to see Miss Universe and you end up having Miss Iowa, you might get those kind of boos. But it's OK,"

Great line...

Thanks AMTRAK...

I appreciate sitting on a train at Baltimore Penn Station last night for 2 hours, only for you to tell me you expect another 3-6 hour delay.

That $100 cab ride to DC was fun (at least I saw someone I knew, and we split it).

The Major Earthquake...

ok...maybe not major, but my wife and I were both up at 5:04AM this morning and we looked at each other, and thought..."what the hell is that?"

It sounded like a tank was rolling down our street.

Well it was just a minor 3.6 on the scale, but enough to make us not go back to bed...

A kind of cool experience actually.

It Seems To Be Missing...

In this day and age, where things like comics and other things we remember from the past are suddenly popping up again and becoming normal in places like movies, something struck me as missing...

Every morning, my child, like many others, has a bottle of milk to start the day. It kick starts him into overdrive as soon as he goes 90 degrees on that thing...

To that end, I think of him as Popeye. We all remember him cracking open that can of spinach, only to have super human strength and energy.

Why has there not been a modern day Popeye movie made? Maybe more importantly, who would play the awkwardly thin and flat chested, and not all that attractive Olive? Maybe a skinny and just out of jail Lindsay Lohan? Maybe her girlfriend/boyfriend Samantha Ronson? I could think of these options for hours on end...

A Delicate Balance...

It really sucks when you have to make the decision between a "big" night out and the realization that the punishment is a baby who wakes up at 630 needing your attention.

I hate that!

Disney...

With a 20 month old, I watch a lot of Disney, specifically, Special Agent Oso, Handy Manny, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

With regard to MMC, my mind tends to wander, and I cannot figure out why the creators have 2 Mice that can talk (Mickey and Minnie), 2 ducks that can talk (Donald & Daisy), 1 dog that can talk (Goofy), and another dog that is simply a pet (Pluto)

I am very confused!

USA

Heck of an effort by the US in the World Cup, though slightly short of expectations.

While I always felt good about our positioning, even in Injury Time against Algeria, I had an ugly feeling throughout the game with Ghana.

My gut was right in this case. Our Midfield brokedown, our D was out of position, and overall made Tim Howard look silly.

The next World Cup is a long ways away.

See you in 4 years (hopefully).

I Am Back...

and very busy...I wish I had time to post things about Puerto Rico.

Pretty Darn Good...

Not sure there are words to describe the debut of Strasburg last night...that was impressive! As I guy who rarely watches baseball, and when I do, its usually only to watch my team bat...that was fun!

He made those guys look like children last night.

It makes me excited to see him this year...to use a cliche, "The upside on this guy is exponential"

I Am Pretty Excited

about Stephen Strasburg's debut this evening.

With the drafting of Bryce Harper, the Nats have set the foundation for a great future...some of it is luck, some of it is timing...

Either way, I am excited!

The Blown Call...

I feel for Jim Joyce...I really do! I also feel bad for Armando Galarraga who lost a chance to be part of history.

To that end, and as hard as it is for me to say this, I agree with Bud Selig NOT overturning the decision/blown call. This sets a terrible precedent for the future, as the blown call did not alter the outcome of the game, merely the record book.

While it does not fix the mistake, Galarraga can sleep at night, knowing he threw a perfect game.

Jim, we officials are only human...way to man up, and admit your error!

APPLE...

I do not live, breath, and die by Apple Products, by any means (we own an Apple Computer, and a few iPods)...but I think this interview is pretty cool of Steve Jobs

Less than one week before formally debuting Apple's new iPhone at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs opened up about apps, the future of media and what to expect from the iPad, iPhone and other Apple devices during the 8th Annual All Things Digital Conference.

"I'll tell you a secret," said Jobs during a Q&A session with D8 hosts Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg. "It began with the tablet."

So the iPhone, arguably the most significant technological device of the 21st Century, was actually an afterthought that came into being while Apple was drawing up plans for the iPad.

"My God, I said, this would make a great phone," Jobs recalled. "So we shelved the tablet and built the iPhone."

Nice move.

While D8 marks the first of two occasions when Steve Jobs will speak publicly this week, it is not every day when the founder and CEO of the world's most valuable technology company shares his thoughts with a worldwide audience.

What else did Steve have to say?

Why he defends Apple and its pursuit of the "lost iPhone"

"When this whole thing with Gizmodo happened, I got a lot of advice from people who said you've got to just let it slide. You shouldn't go after a journalist because they bought stolen property and tried to extort you. I thought about that, and I decided that Apple can't afford to change its core values and simply let it slide. We have the same core values as when we started, and we come into work wanting to do the same thing today that we wanted to do five years ago."
On the reality of a world with 200,000 apps

"People are using apps way more than they are using search. So if you want to make developers more money, you've got to get the ads into apps. But the mobile ads we've got today rip you out of the app ... . That sucks."

How the iPad represents the "post-PC-era"

"The transformation of PC to new form factors like the tablet is going to make some people uneasy because the PC has taken us a long ways. The PC is brilliant, and we like to talk about the post-PC era, but it's uncomfortable."

Defending AT&T

"They're doing pretty good in some ways and in others they could do better. We meet with them once a quarter. Remember, they deal with way more data traffic than anyone else. And they're having trouble. But they have the fastest 3G network, and they're improving. I wish they were improving faster. I'm convinced that any other network, had you put the iPhone on it, would have had the same problems."

Apple's rivalry with Google and Microsoft

"Google decided to compete with us and got more and more serious. Right now, we have the better product."

"We never saw ourselves in a platform war with Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News). Maybe that's why we lost. But we never thought of ourselves in a platform war, we just wanted to make good products."

A soft spot for traditional media?

"I don't want to see us descend into a nation of bloggers. I think we need editorial oversight now more than ever. Anything we can do to help newspapers find new ways of expression that will help them get paid, I am all for."

The future of television

The television industry fundamentally has a subsidized business model that gives everyone a set-top box, and that pretty much undermines innovation in the sector. The only way this is going to change is if you start from scratch, tear up the box, redesign and get it to the consumer in a way that they want to buy it. But right now, there's no way to do that.

Why he still loves Apple's culture

"I have one of the best jobs in the world. I get to hang out with some of the most talented, committed people around, and together we get to play in this sandbox and build these cool products. Apple is an incredibly collaborative company. You know how many committees we have at Apple? Zero. We're structured like a start-up. We're the biggest start-up on the planet. And we all meet once a week to discuss our business."

Credit Where Credit Is Due...

I was listening to the Sports Junkies this morning, and Lurch had the idea of the year...

They were discussing the BP Oil Spill, and how to stop the oil from plunging into the ocean...

In an effort to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, his solution was to shove Albert Hanesworth in the hole...

Works for me!!!

OTAs

I got an opportunity to go to the Washington Redskins' OTAs yesterday, and here were a few of my insights:

• First and foremost, Rex Grossman either sucks, has no command of the offense, or both. I believe he just sucks, as you would think he knows the offense from being with the Shannahans. He threw 2 interceptions, and multiple balls into the ground.
• Across the board, the D far outplayed the O.
• Missing from practice, other than Fat Albert, was Santana Moss, Ethan Albright, and Josh Bidwell...of those, I would like to know where Ethan was...is he still on the team?
• McNabb snuck out and did not sign autographs...I was surprised by that.
• Cooley, as expected was thoughtful, and funny, and stayed until everyone got signed.
• Words cannot describe the size of Phillip Daniels...he even stood out against everyone else.

Pretty cool experience all around!

SandGate?

There are accusations between the Flyers and Canadiens hockey series, that Montreal put something down in the hallway back to the locker room (like sand), that was causing issues with the Flyers skates. A Montreal defensemen, Jaroslav Spacek, when asked about it stated,

"I thought they had diarrhea, going back and forth from the locker room. The guys were talking on the plane. If (the Flyers) have trouble, maybe they can wear those skate protectors like figure skaters,"

Great Answer!

Laying Sod...

I put down 2 roles of Sod this past weekend, simply with the idea that if it works, great, and if not, I just wasted about $11. I want to know now if it is going to work, and if it does not, I want to know what I did wrong...

On the positive side, it is instant gratification that you have grass, where you previously did not...on the negative side, you have no indication if you are going to be successful, or how long it is going to take to integrate into your lawn...also, in doing some reading, and chatting with a few folks, you need to water the hell out of it.

Oh the torment!

Poor Choices...

I appreciate someone who likes to show their love for their team, and favorite player...however, as I was driving the beltway yesterday, I saw a license plate, that might have stepped over the bounds, given recent events...

It is not worth mentioning the state of origination, however, the license plate was as follows:

YGMEN56

WOW!!!

Always Good To Catch Up

with friends from high school, especially when you can take time and think about making fun of other people from high school.

It makes it even more special, when you get to share in collectively making fun of one of those emails that spreads like wildfire around the internet, only to realize that the originator was someone you knew!

Good times this past weekend!

CopyCat Post

A friend made a post on his blog, and it got me thinking about the questions he posed:

Fruits of the day (in order of preference): Raspberries / Peaches / Blueberries...I will ALWAYS pass on a pear

Cities I've never visited: LA, Anyplace in TX

Cities I want to visit: San Antonio / Nashville (though not anytime soon)

My guess at the Washington Nationals 2010 record - 74-88

And Some Other Things...

I Am Excited About: The Zac Brown Band / Dave Matthews Concert in June

Living in the Suburbs: is really fun actually...we do miss the "Big Box" stores though!

My Next Golf Club: The Adams Idea a7OS Hybrid http://www.adamsgolf.com/products/hybrids/a7os.php

Hoppin On...

I am not a baseball fan, but I am jumping on the Nats Bandwagon!

I have that feeling in my gut, that I did a few years ago about the Caps, that things are starting to turn around for the Nats.

They have been built the right way, and with a little bit of luck, they got a star in Strasburg, and a cornerstone in Zimmerman...this does not sound all to different from the Caps with Ovechkin and Green/Semin.

I even found myself watching a game last night.

Good time to come this summer and into the future.

GO NATS!

Just When We Got Past...

the whole Duke thing, this UVA story has to rear its ugly head, and this is FAR FAR FAR worse.

This upsets me beyond all proportions!

I honestly have nothing else to say about this situation.

The Caps...

I had the opportunity to go to Game 7 last week, and have held my tongue, as I was so pissed off by the outcome...I thought long and hard as to the reasons we lost, and here are a few of my official thoughts...Let me note first, however, I do not want to point the blame at one specific player, or even the coach for that matter, as I think that the Caps were fundamentally missing 2 key ingrediants, that simply rear their ugly head during the playoffs. In no other sport, does the difference between the regular season and the playoffs so distinct. It is so true in hockey that offense wins games, defense wins championships. to that end. A hockey team can ride a hot goalie to the Stanley Cup:

• Mike Green and the rest of the defense did not lose the series for us. What lost the series was the lack of a "Stay at Home Defensemen" Did you really expect Mike and the gang to change their ways in the playoffs....the answer is simply NO.
• Mike Knuble is the only player on the team who is willing to crash the net (Brooks Laich is a close 2nd, but was not the same after taking a puck in the face after a practice a few weeks back). In other words our top 2-3 lines are made up of Easter Europeans and Russians, who play a finesse game, and prefer to shoot from the outside. The playoffs are won and lost in front of the net.
• I have no issue with our goaltending. I hope that the 3 guys come back next year, and if Theo is the odd-man out, best of luck to him. He is a class-act, and should be treated as such.
• The coaching was fine, and no changes should be made.
• As for transactions, let go of Fleishmann and Fehr, and get a hard nose, in your face winger who wants to get after it. The same goes for Brendan Morrison. On D, bring up Alzner and keep Carlson with the big boys, and send Shawn Morrison and Milan Jurcina on their way. Go get a Chris Pronger like player.

We will keep going at this, until Uncle Ted shuts it down. Maybe we need to get rid of George McPhee...

My 2 cents

BLACKBERRY!!!

I am excited...the phone I have been waiting about 5 months for was officially announced today (Blackberry Bold 9650)...I suspect that Verizon will release it in May.

Cannot come soon enough!

Solid...Not Spectacular

In my best Obama voice..."Let me be perfectly clear..."

I am very happy about the selection of Trent Williams as our new Left Tackle.

In an ideal world, we would have traded down, and still selected a solid Left Tackle, however, the sense is that there was not a lot of appetite for the 4th slot, so we got what we got!

Let's hope there is some wheeling and dealing and we can pick up some more picks.

I guess the Rams are back on the clock!

BREASTS!!!

of chicken really surprise me. Whether you buy them at COSTCO in those 6x2 packs, or from the grocery store, they come in all different sizes, and you never know what you are going to get.

Furthermore, why do grocery stores more often than not, sell them 3 to a package? It makes no sense whatsoever!

Did you think I was going to discuss something else on this post?

Allergies

are kicking my rear end this year...I have never had a problem until this year and it sucks!

Officially...

I worked a college game yesterday with a coach who was unrelenting...He wanted everything, he complained about everything, and his attitude showed through the complaining that all of his players did as well.

I cannot tell you who they were, obviously, but let me just say they are a top ranked D-3 team. This coach makes it un-fun to be out there!

They won, but lets put it this way, the final horn rang, the teams crossed, and we got out of there as soon as possible!

Way To Go Phil...

I could not be happier for Phil. A class act, and a good story to boot!

Even more so, I am happy that all the reporting today has been about him, and not about Tiger. To that end, every blow-up, club drop, eye-roll that Tiger made this week, made me smile, as it just re-enforced what a D-Bag he really is.

Best of luck to Lee Westwood. His game is strong, and I get the sense that a Major title is within his grasp. I feel the same way about KJ Choi, who got stuck playing with Tiger for 4 days. What a punishment, and it did not appear to phase him in any way!

The rest of the summer, through the FedEx Cup should be a pretty exciting year! I am certainly looking forward to it!

Good Luck JC

I think the trade for Donovan McNabb spells the end of Jason Campbell's career in Washington. I am actually saddened by this, as this poor guy has gotten a pretty bum rap, despite playing for some pathetic teams over the last 4 years.

He took a beating week-in and week-out, all while changing Head Coaches / O-Coordinators / Offenses almost annually. He did this every year, and never changed his positive attitude, when he could have been pissed off at the world, the front office, the media, etc.

Best of luck Jason...I hope you end up in the AFC, maybe on West Coast, where you will not come back and haunt us!

Irony?

I was pulling into McDonalds the other day at the drive thru and the car in front of me was a Papa John's delivery guy...

Hmmmm!

Refreshing...

I enjoy the 4 S's on vacation....

• Starbucks
• $hit
• Shower
• Shave

On Vacation...

and all is quiet here in FLA!

Corporate Pride?

I am not afraid to say that I am proud of the company that I work for...I have a few T-Shirts, some pens, and a coffee mug that has our name on it. I am not afraid t use those items in public.

I thought that was pretty standard across most large businesses (and small for that matter).

Then I was in our parking lot this morning and my jaw dropped!

Some loser had a license plate cover with our corporate name on it...Get a life!

Though I Am Not Surprised...

that Lehigh recieved a 16 seed, that is somewhat of a slap in the face to the Patriot League, when the Ivy League pulls a 12. Cornell is solid, and can upset just about anyone, but a 12?

I have more thoughts on the bracket, including the outrage that Duke is a 1 and VA Tech is aiming high for a NIT finale in NYC.

More to come!

At The Risk...

of counting my chickens before they are hatched...if Lehigh makes the dance on Friday, do I:

• Want them to play in the play-in game, which is nationally televised, but is disrespectful to the Patriot League, which has had some great teams the last 8 or so years
• Play as a 16 seed and end up against someone like Kansas / Duke / Cuse / etc.
• or not worry about it, as my post will end up causing them to lose to Lafayette, and have the women win, which means I really am just pissing in the wind!

Way to go!

Ready For The Weekend

Bring it on...little St. Patty's Day Parade, and my buddy GSN's engagement party!

It has been one of those weeks!

Final Olympic Reflections...

Here are my thoughts:

HIGHLIGHTS (in no particular order):

• For the most part Americans living up to the expectations in their individual sports
• USA 4 Man Bobsled coming out of no where to take Gold
• Apollo Ohno just dominating, and seems like an all-around nice guy
• Watching the Canadian Figure Skater come through despite the unexpected loss of her mother
• Shaun White simply going bigger and higher than everyone else
• Ryan Miller standing on his head for 6 games, with a minor mental lapse in OT of the Gold Medal Game...the MVP of the tournament was well deserved.

LOWLIGHTS (in no particular order):

• The sad story of the Georgian Luger
• The American Ski Team spats between Vonn and ManCuso
• The Russian Male Figure Skater being sour over 2nd place...get over yourself you fairy
• Overall NBC coverage, headed by having to listen to Bob Costas, night in and night out.
• Watching human interest pieces by Mary Carillo, as she tries out for the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, or mushing with a blind snow-dog
• Mike Milbury...Mike Milbury...Mike Milbury

NEUTRAL (in no particular order):

• Why does the world get so entralled with Curling? Everyone is waiting for a big moment to happen, and it never really does (for what it is worth, I am guilty of it as well)
• Nice to not hear any stories about Performance Enhancing Drugs this go around
• I still have not figured out the whole Ice Dancing thing yet...but that is ok...I did not really watch any of it anyway.
• I would like to try a bi-athlon...chances are I would fall, and shoot myself in the back of the head though.
• Interesting how the Beijing and Vancouver games were affected by weather so much
• Kind of excited for London 2012...less so for Sochi 2014

USA! USA! USA!

I am not sure if the Hockey team is going to earn a medal, and I am not sure I really care, as it was just so enjoyable watching them kick the snot out of Canada.

Let me be clear...I, in no way dislike Canada. I, however, cannot stand Sidney Crosby. From my perspective, there is no bigger cry-baby in sports, other than maybe Lebron James.

In the age old debate of Crosby vs. Ovechkin...not even close!

However, back to the US...Ryan Miller stood on his head last night, and I sure hope he carries it through to the medal round. Defensively, I would not mind a little more discipline, but all in all, keep em comin!

GO USA!

American Idol

I am ready for the talent to begin! However, as I watched the episodes this week, cutting them down to the top 24, for the first time in the 9 seasons, I got the sense that the producers had a heavy hand in picking them.

I am not saying that they picked the wrong 24, I just got the sense that they felt like they had to hit the diversity marks, to ensure a wide coverage of audiences.

I guess after a few weeks we will see just how good they are, but I am not convinced they got the best!

No Surprise Here...

I think we all expected an article like this sooner or later!

WRAL.com (Raleigh, NC) reports this morning that Crystal Gale Mangum, the accuser in the infamous Duke lacrosse case, was arrested by the police in Durham and "charged her with attempted first-degree murder, five counts of arson, assault and battery, communicating threats, three counts of misdemeanor child abuse, injury to personal property, identity theft and resisting, delaying and obstructing an officer."

Mangum allegedly threatened to stab her boyfriend, Milton Walker, and set fire to clothes in a bathtub while three children were in the house, one of whom apparently called 911

Unbelievable!

Figure Skating

When I watch male figure skaters, the thing I always think about is...I bet these guys simply were not good enough to play ice hockey, and were probably told they would get their ass kicked!

2 More Things Re: Snow

As it relates to these massive snow storms, I have 2 more thoughts:

• Does anyone understand the difference between a "Winter Storm Watch" and a "Winter Storm Warning" or a "Blizzard Warning" etc...the weathermen and weather.com always say, be careful, the following XXXX has been issued...just tell us how much its going to snow and when its going to start and end!
• I do appreciate how nice and patient people are during snowstorms...if you get stuck, people push you. People are nice at the grocery store, and understand that things are going to be out of stock...if it were a normal day, someone would be yelling at someone!

On that note, I am ready for this to be over!

Snow Plow...

It pisses me off during these big snow storms to see plows driving with the plows UP...

I understand that they are under contract to do certain areas, by certain times...but come on!!!

My First Guest Blogger...

goes to my brother...who submitted this (i.e. a forwarded email, but still funny nonetheless)

While suturing up a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher, whose hand had been caught in the gate while working his cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama, and his being our president.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Obama is just a Post Turtle."

Now not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked,

What's a "Post Turtle?"

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle."

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, he sure as heck ain't goin' anywhere, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put him up there in the first place."

Grammy's = BLAH

I don't get excited for Award Shows in any way! For some reason, I found myself watching the Grammy's last night...Here are my thoughts (in no particular order):

• Lady Gaga (and Elton John)...boring
• Stephen Colbert...not funny
• Beyonce...freaking terrible
• Black Eyed Peas...I really like that song, so I thought that was enjoyable
• Jamie Fox and some rappers I dont know...I cant understand anything they said
• Zac Brown Band...big fan of this group, but who was the guy with them that looked dead?
• Taylor Swift...bordering on annoying
• Michael Jackson Tribute...utterly awful!

A few other points...

• Why do the big stars feel like they have to do something completely different from the routine that got them there in the 1st place?
• Why are they wearing "Haiti Relief" pins and then going up in front of millions of people with these massive sets and elaborate costumes that cost just unreal amounts of money for 3 minutes of "entertainment"
• Its always funny to try to figure out who the drunkest is

Highlight of the Night:

• My wife commenting on Rianna getting out of the car at the Red Carpet..."Good to see she didn't get her ass kicked this year, and actually showed up"

College Sports Fans...

The South Eastern Conference (SEC) should be ashamed of themselves for fining the University of South Carolina $25K for their fans rushing the court the other night after beating #1 Kentucky.

In the situation, no one got hurt, and the "College kids were just being college kids"

This is beyond reasonable.

State of The Union

Everything else aside (like the fact that President B.O.) really likes to shed the blame to the Bush administration...how funny is it watching Joe Biden and the plastic doll Nancy Pelosi sit for an hour plus, and try to figure out when/if to stand and applaud.

Biden's nodding of approval, and scratching of his hair plugs is comical, while Nancy cannot sit still, without whispering something to Joe, taking a note from an aide, or playing with her jewlry.

Our leadership is a joke...that Mr. Obama is why Americans are losing faith in our leadership!

Officiating...

My friend, and fellow official, noted that I do not often speak about officiating on this blog...so here you go buddy...

Try this, and it is very very difficult!

The next time you are watching sports on TV (not football) watch the officials. Try to understand there inidividual responsibilities, and how they move and rotate with the other officials. The reason football is not a good gauge is that they dont really move, other than getting out of the way.

See if you can put yourself in their shoes before you yell at them "you dumb motherf#$%...How did you miss that???"

Ever Wonder About The Difference Between...

Scotch and Bourbon...well, you came to the right place!

Scotch and bourbon are both whiskeys distilled from grains and aged in oak barrels. But there are very important differences.

Bourbon starts with mash, a ground mix of corn and other grains, usually rye and barley. Bourbon mash must be at least 51 percent corn (if it’s a mix of new corn mash and stuff that’s been used once before, it’s called sour mash). This high content of corn and its sugars is why bourbon is so much sweeter than scotch. The mash is malted (soaked in water to release the sugars, then heated to stop germination), fermented with yeast, then distilled. The spirit is then aged in oak barrels, the insides of which have been charred. Once the whiskey is removed, that barrel can never be used for bourbon again. The years spent in the barrel give bourbon its caramel color (it actually goes in clear). In order to be called bourbon, a whiskey must be made in Kentucky (hence, Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, not Jack Daniels Bourbon).

Scotch whisky, on the other hand (from the Gaelic uisge beatha, “the water of life”), is made from malted barley. To stop the germination, the malt is traditionally heated over peat fires, which gives scotch its trademark smokiness. (Peat is basically flammable dirt, cut from huge bogs found all over Scotland.) After distillation, the scotch is aged in barrels called casks, most of which have already been used for bourbons and wines. Connoisseurs look for scotches based on the qualities added by the previous inhabitants of the casks: Sherry casks add a caramel sweetness, Madeira casks add floral notes, etc. The liquor must age at least three years before it can be called scotch. And although similar whiskeys are made in Canada (Crown Royal), Japan (Suntory), and Ireland (Bushmill’s, Jameson’s), only those from Scotland can bear the prized scotch moniker.

Mel Kiper

in his 1st mock draft, has stated the Skins will take Sam Bradford...

PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS BE TRUE...

I am sure he will be a good player, but one awkward hit from someone like DeMarcus Ware, and his arm might fall off!

DRAFT A TACKLE!!!

Good Rap Lyrics...

I was driving down to Richmond the other day, and was listening to Sirius Satellite Radio, and the following song came on...It always puts a smile on my face...so here it is:

I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung, wanna pull out your tough
'Cause you notice that butt was stuffed
Deep in the jeans she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh baby, I wanna get with you
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that butt you got makes me so horny
Ooh, Rump-o'-smooth-skin
You say you wanna get in my Benz?
Well, use me, use me
'Cause you ain't that average groupie
I've seen them dancin'
To hell with romancin'
She's sweat, wet,
Got it goin' like a turbo 'Vette
I'm tired of magazines
Sayin' flat butts are the thing
Take the average black man and ask him that
She gotta pack much back
So, fellas! (Yeah!) Fellas! (Yeah!)
Has your girlfriend got the butt? (Hell yeah!)
Tell 'em to shake it! (Shake it!) Shake it! (Shake it!)
Shake that healthy butt!
Baby got back!
Baby got back!

I like 'em round, and big
And when I'm throwin' a gig
I just can't help myself, I'm actin' like an animal
Now here's my scandal
I wanna get you home
And ugh, double-up, ugh, ugh
I ain't talkin' bout Playboy
'Cause silicone parts are made for toys
I want 'em real thick and juicy
So find that juicy double
Mix-a-Lot's in trouble
Beggin' for a piece of that bubble
So I'm lookin' at rock videos
Knock-kneeded bimbos walkin' like hoes
You can have them bimbos
I'll keep my women like Flo Jo
A word to the thick soul sisters, I wanna get with ya
I won't cuss or hit ya
But I gotta be straight when I say I wanna *fuck*
Till the break of dawn
Baby got it goin' on
A lot of simps won't like this song
'Cause them punks like to hit it and quit it
And I'd rather stay and play
'Cause I'm long, and I'm strong
And I'm down to get the friction on
So, ladies! {Yeah!} Ladies! {Yeah}
If you wanna roll in my Mercedes {Yeah!}
Then turn around! Stick it out!
Even white boys got to shout
Baby got back!

Baby got back!
Yeah, baby ... when it comes to females, Cosmo ain't got nothin'
to do with my selection. 36-24-36? Ha ha, only if she's 5'3".

So your girlfriend rolls a Honda, playin' workout tapes by Fonda
But Fonda ain't got a motor in the back of her Honda
My anaconda don't want none
Unless you've got buns, hun
You can do side bends or sit-ups,
But please don't lose that butt
Some brothers wanna play that "hard" role
And tell you that the butt ain't gold
So they toss it and leave it
And I pull up quick to retrieve it
So Cosmo says you're fat
Well I ain't down with that!
'Cause your waist is small and your curves are kickin'
And I'm thinkin' bout stickin'
To the beanpole dames in the magazines:
You ain't it, Miss Thing!
Give me a sister, I can't resist her
Red beans and rice didn't miss her
Some knucklehead tried to dis
'Cause his girls are on my list
He had game but he chose to hit 'em
And I pull up quick to get wit 'em
So ladies, if the butt is round,
And you want a triple X throw down,
Dial 1-900-MIXALOT
And kick them nasty thoughts
Baby got back!

Food Trends

I just heard on the radio that the 4 Biggest Food Trends of the 2000's were:

1. Sushi
2. Bacon
3. Cupcakes
4. Sliders

That's a diet I could live off of!

Lane Kiffin

is a bum...and I cannot believe his father is allowing this type of behavior. Who would want to work for this guy?

I hope Rocky Top and SC play each other in the near future, and SC gets waxed!

Why...

Does my car tell me that its cold out...does it think I don't know that?

In Case You Were Wondering..

what caused your piss to smell bad after eating asparagus...

Certain compounds in asparagus are metabolized giving urine a distinctive smell due to various sulfur-containing degradation products, including various thiols, thioesters, and ammonia.

The volatile organic compounds responsible for the smell are identified as:

• methanethiol,
• dimethyl sulfide,
• dimethyl disulfide,
• bis(methylthio)methane,
• dimethyl sulfoxide,
• dimethyl sulfone.

Subjectively, the first two are the most pungent, while the last two (sulfur-oxidized) give a sweet aroma. A mixture of these compounds form a "reconstituted asparagus urine" odor. This was first investigated in 1891 by Marceli Nencki, who attributed the smell to methanethiol. These compounds originate in the asparagus as asparagusic acid and its derivatives, as these are the only sulfur-containing compounds unique to asparagus. As these are more present in young asparagus, this accords with the observation that the smell is more pronounced after eating young asparagus. The biological mechanism for the production of these compounds is less clear.

The onset of the asparagus urine smell is remarkably rapid: it been estimated to start within 15–30 minutes of ingestion

Do not believe for one second, I understand what any of this means...but for those of you who do...get a life!

Sayonara Hibachi...

I have always liked "Agent Zero" Gilbert Arenas...however, I have never cared for the NBA, and as such, the news about him and his guns means absolutely zero to me.

This was an idiotic move beyond all comprehension...Whatever punishment you recieve beyond your indefinite suspension is well deserved.

Abe Pollin is rolling over in his grave as we speak...

You have reverted the Wizards back to their original name the "Bullets"

Whenever you do get back in the league, hearing the announcer say "Gilbert shoots it" will have an all new meaning!

You MORON!

Hard To Believe...

but the PGA season has begun. Last year was kind of a ho-hum year from my perspective. Nothing to memorable, other than Elin taking a 3-iron to Tiger's car!

I look forward to this year, and hopefully we will not have to hear week-in and week-out, about the lack of Tiger, and can more squarely focus on some of the names who also have personalities on the tour, which include, but are not limited to:

• Lefty
• Anthony Kim (from here on out referred to as Tony)
• Geoff Ogilive (maybe my favorite player on tour)
• Ian Poulter (of crazy pants)
• Lucas Glover
• Stewart Cink (of fame probably for being the best player on tour with the ugliest wife)
• etc.

Here's to a Tiger-less year...

editor's note: Thanks to RRD96 for pointing out...I made the mistake of placing the comment about Ugliest Wife next to LG...Sorry Stewart, you actually have that honor!

Today...

is my birthday...I dont feel any older than I did yesterday!

Made Up Words

When you watch Sportscenter, or a major sports game, and there is a wrinkle on a standard play, often times referred to as a "gadget play" do the announcers feel like they have to use the word "trickeration"

That is so stupid!

Taco Bell

I love me some Taco Bell...but amongst all of these College Football Bowls (all 34 of them), has anyone seen the recent commercials? Two things stick out to me...

1. When was the last time you went to a TB and had people who had English as a 1st language?
2. More importantly, when was the last time you went to a TB and the people who were taking your order were really hot?

Taco Bell might want to take a look at some of the stores in Northern Virginia, just to get a sense of the makeup of their employees...

Just a thought...