Today's thoughts

OWNit365 NT+
My wife and I started this bible reading program last night, which we'll attempt to follow so as to bring some regularity to our bible reading.  It's got a neat app for both iPhone and Android.

NFL Playoff weekend
Let's take a look at the matchups coming up this weekend.

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers.  What impressed me a lot with the Saints last week was their ability to run the ball.  Pierre Thomas ran through tackles and Darren Sproles ran like he was 24.  It was impressive, but I've been to a Lions game before where I saw Michael Turner earn his nickname as the Burner.  They just aren't very good at stopping the run.  And the 49ers are, so that will change things for the Saints.  I don't know a lot about the 49ers passing defense but I know for a fact that they have stopped the run for the most part all season long; which is why I've always felt like their defense would have been better suited in the AFC.  All the powerhouse offenses in the NFC are aerial attacks: Detroit, Green Bay, New Orleans.  While New England is the exception, Pittsburgh, Denver, Houston and Baltimore are all grind-it-out offenses that rely on the run.  So anyway, what I am saying?  I think the Saints take this one.

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots.  The Broncos surprised everyone, including me last week.  While I thought there was a potential for an upset, and though I actually predicted it, deep down I didn't really think it could happen.  John Fox outcoached Mike Tomlin, but I think it seemed more like an underestimation on his part.. like Tomlin was looking ahead, to the Patriots instead of looking at the hear and now.  Bill Belicheat won't do that.  He won't underestimate Tim Tebow, and he'll study hard and he won't get outsmarted by John Fox.  Plus he just hired the guy who drafted Tim Tebow.  I'm not going to say much about that the hiring of Josh McDaniels, except that it feels like something Phil Jackson would do.  Even if McDaniels provides no additional information they already have, already he's getting into the mind of John Fox.  And that's all he really needs.  My pick is the Patriots, in a blowout.

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens.  Throughout his career, I've always felt like Joe Flacco has gotten by behind his superstar running back Ray Rice, and Baltimore's traditionally staunch defense.  I think in this matchup, for the first time in many years, Joe Flacco will be called upon to win this game.  If he performs, Baltimore moves on.  If not, Houston moves on.  Defensively both teams are strong in the same areas; stopping the run, getting to opposing QBs, capitalizing on turnovers, etc.  Offensively, they're both great at protecting their QB, and running the ball.  I think for the Texans to win, they need Arian Foster to hang onto the ball, and they need TJ Yates to outplay Joe Flacco.  I think it'll be close but the Texans have a pretty good chance so I'm picking them to take this one.

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers.  To me this is the marquee matchup of the weekend.  We all know about the Packers.  Their offense is nothing short of spectacular.  Aaron Rodgers is fearless.  They have almost no running game but they do have talented runners in Starks and Grant.  Their pass rush is passable but has not played to the same standards as last year.  The Giants have a good pass rush, good pass protection, their offense is hitting their stride and peaking at the right moment.  The talent has always been there, but their runningbacks are both healthy.  Defensively they are okay, not great.

This should be a great matchup.  The Packers barely beat the Giants over a month ago, but it was a very close game and this is a very different Giants team who had lost 3 straight going into that game.  Since then they've won 4 of 5.  The Giants will be able to keep Rodgers off the field.. in that last matchup the Packers had the ball for 8 minutes more than the Giants, so it's going to be a lot closer this time around.  I think the Packers take this one, but it'll be close and I would not be surprised to see the Giants keeping this one very close. 

Cool Firefox trick for images
I discovered this by accident today.  If you right-click and hold on an image in firefoxt, and then move the mouse wheel, you can resize any image.  Pretty useful.

Today's thoughts

Wildcard weekend
I got 3 out of 4 in my predictions and strangely enough it had nothing to do with Tebow.  I picked the Broncos to win and win they did.  What a finish!  Congratulations to the the Bronco's for the playoffs first upset win. 

The impression I had in the Broncos-Steelers game was that the Steelers' defense didn't prepare for any kind of passing offense for the Broncos.  They pretty much went with the "I dare you to throw" defense and they got burned for it time and time again.  As a co-worker pointed out, the safeties cheated throughout the game trying to cover the run so the Broncos dealt with one-on-one matchups, which were easily picked apart. 

A lot of focus will go on Tebow's performance but the reality is this game was won by great coaching.  Dare I say it -- Mike Tomlin was flat out out-coached by John Fox.. which is actually kind of sad.

The Saints are playing better than I could have imagined.  They went for it on 4th down over and over and converted them.  Their running game was dominant -- Detroit could not tackle their runners, I was particularly impressed with Pierre Thomas.  Their matchup with the Lions ended up being more of a blowout than a shootout.  The Lions played great in the beginning but the mistakes started to pile up and the Saints played perfect.  I suspect the Lions would be entirely different if they had a decent running game -- i.e: a healthy Jahvid Best.  It's remarkable that Matthew Stafford is only 23 -- Detroit has a bright future ahead of them.

The Falcons' coach Mike Smith watched the Saints game and mistakenly thought his team was just as good.  Twice they tried to convert 4th downs and were stopped cold.  There wasn't even any creativity in their 4th down tries.. one of them had Matt Ryan trying to back his way through the pile.  That's not going to work!  Look at the way Brees jumped the pile with his arms stretched forward -- that's how you do it!  Meanwhile, as I mentioned in my previous post, the Giants' rushing offense is far better than what everyone thought.  Bradshaw and Jacobs carved up the Falcons D and led the way, and Eli played solid mistake-less football.

The Bungles were the only team to disappoint me.  I really thought they could take down the injured Texans, but they didn't.  It was pretty boring game, I didn't really pay much attention to it.

My Review of Freestyle Netbook Messenger

Originally submitted at Timbuk2

Classic Messenger Bag with netbook, Kindle and iPad with Smart Cover protection.

Freestyle Netbook Messenger

Useful and practical bag

By ebrian from Toronto, ON on 1/6/2012

 

4out of 5

Pros: Comfortable Strap, Stylish, Rugged, Good Protection, Lots Of Pockets And Features

Cons: Not Weatherproof, Uncomfortable Strap, Velcro is noisy, No Handle

Best Uses: Commuting, Light Protection, Heavy Duty Protection

Describe Yourself: Stylish, Bargain Hunter, High-End Shopper, Practical

Primary use: Personal

I'm big on slingpack types of bags, but when you walk into a board room you look like a kid. So this bag suits me well for work purposes. It'd be good to have a handle at the top so I can carry it like a mini-briefcase.

In terms of size, it was smaller than I thought it would be, but there's enough volume to fit my lunch, a small drink box, and some fruit, as well as my Kindle and a notebook. There's a ton of pockets as well for your various knick knacks, although I'm sad there's no narrow pocket for a pen.

I wish the connector for the strap-to-bag wasn't so bulky. There's this tightening mechanism and a click connector which seems kind of redundant and take a fair bit of space. The main bag flap is a bit narrow compared to the width of the actual bag (there's maybe 1/2 inch open on each side, which means if it's pouring rain your stuff is going to get wet). But I'm just getting nitpicky at this point.. it's a good bag.

(legalese)

Today's thoughts

Revisiting my NFL Predictions
Pretty much the only scenario that can still happen is an NFC championship game between the Saints and Packers, as well as the AFC championship between the Patriots and Steelers.  Several months ago I thought the Saints could win it all, and I still think this is quite possible.

Predictions to actual matchups
Steelers at Broncos.  I'm going with the underdogs here, despite my early season projections.  I've underestimated Ben Roethlisberger in my fantasy leagues on several occasions this season, but considering that he is actually limping, and the fact that Rashard Mendenhall is out, leads me to believe there is a small chance here for an upset.  How great would it be if Tim Tebow can gut this one out in his first playoff game?

Bungles at Texans.  I can't think of any reason why the Bengals don't win this one.  They have a solid defense, and their offense is all healthy.  Houston is just getting Andre Johnson back but they've got TJ Yates as their QB and (I think) Arian Foster is hobbled, even if he does still play.  This one will come down to Houston's pass rush and pass protection.  I think the Bungles win.

Falcons at Giants.  I like the Giants in this matchup.  I think all the talk about the Giants being unable to run this year will be erased by the end of this game.  They still have healthy guys and a decent line to break holes, and Eli Manning has been playing well.  I think the Falcons are fully capable of the upset though, it'll be a close game.

Lions at Saints.  Since I have the Saints going to the Superbowl, they're obviously going to have to win this one.  I think they're just too good, and the fact that the Lions couldn't stop Matt Flynn last week says to me that despite the crazy amount of adjustments they'll make to react from last week's blowout, they won't be able to stop Brees, at all.  Although he's not as elusive as Rodgers, he's equally fearless and will get the job done.  Btw, I'm happy for the Lions finally making the playoffs.

Today thoughts

Skyrim - Quests
I've never played a game with so many quests.  The minute you turn in a quest, 1-5 more pop up.  It's crazy.  Maybe I'm just being anal but I prefer maybe 8-10 open quests at any given time.  Right now I've got about 25!

Tebow vs Brady
I watched some parts of this game before it got out of hand.  Tebow's mechanics are not as bad as people say.  Yes, he's not so great at throwing a perfect spiral.  Another issue is when he throws on the run, he's often doing it off his back leg instead of stepping into the throw, which likely accounts for most of his too-short passes.  He should work on that. 

Championship game!
I've made it to the Championship game in my Flag Football fantasy league.  That's the one run by some people at my old church.  My season ended early in my other league, the one I actually care about, as usual.  I finished the year 4-9 and it was pretty much a disaster from the get-go, so many injuries.

Today's thoughts

Toronto Raptors 2011-2012
I think the Raptors will win between 13-15 games this year, which should be good enough for dead last in the NBA.  Nothing has changed from the last game of the season to now, except a coaching change, while other teams equally as bad as we were last year have made some strides.  The only team that could conceivably be worst than us are probably the Charlotte Bobcats, who traded away their two best players in Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson.  They have the potential to be worse than us.

Churching the unchurched
What does it mean when someone says they want to church the unchurched?  Well, essentially it means they want to do what we as Christians have been called mandated to do. It's not a choice; it's a lifestyle.

Recently a friend of mine quit his pastoral job at a big church to follow this mandate.. all I can say is: Right on, brother! 

Best Buy
I do not appreciate the way they do business.  I ordered something online and at the time, it said there were 2 left in stock.  After I completed my order, I went back to the site and it said the product had 1 in stock.  That was 3 weeks ago.  I still haven't heard anything, and when I called in to ask, they said the manufacturer would get back to me on an ETA.  Why would they need to call the manufacturer unless they lied about how many products they had in stock?

...and don't make the excuse that maybe someone else ordered at the same time as I did.  It's not hard to update your database when someone has purchased something and show real-time values. 

Terra Nova
One thing that I don't get about this show is why the kid Josh doesn't make a move on his female friend Skye.  Apparently in the future, teenage boys don't care about teenage girls. 

Granted he's got a girlfriend 'in the future', but she's far far away.  Move on dude.  Move on.  

Today's thoughts

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
I've been playing Elder Scrolls: Skyrim for the past few days and I'd like to dedicate this post to my newest nemesis, the Hagraven.  But before we get into that, I have a hard time whenever I play the types of games where you design your character right down to the little details like length of bridge of nose, and how angled I want his jaw to be. 

I'm all for the customization, but I could literally spend a week designing my guy if I really cared that much about it.  I selected a Wood Elf, because it just makes more sense in terms of what I usually like to do in most games, which is control animals, and frolic through the forest with a long range weapon.  But the Wood Elf male is extremely ugly, so I spent a better part of Sunday afternoon and evening trying to make him look human -- no easy task.

Being sneaky
In all games such as these, I always feel like aside from trying to win the main objective, my secondary goal is to try to attain ALL of the money in the entire game.  In order to do this, you have to level up your character to the point where I'm able to sneak around so well that I can steal anything I want, and then be able to barter well enough that I can sell items for more than I paid for them.  The idea, is to be able to pay people for services and then, wait til it's dark, and steal all the money I paid them back, and then do it again until I've exhausted their use.  Further, I need to be able to steal every item in a store, and sell it back to the store owner, then buy his good stuff that I can't steal, and then pickpocket him so I can get all my money back. 

If for whatever reason I'm unable to beat the game, I'd at least be satisfied that I stole and plundered to my heart's content. 

The Hagraven
Like pretty much any game I've ever played, my biggest weakness has always been forgetting to Save my game.  Yesterday, I traveled pretty much across half the "world" to get to this Hagraven, from which I needed some ingredient that I could use to save a really big tree in White Run, one of the towns.  Don't worry, this story gets better.  So I'm riding up to this big hill and I notice this weird looking old lady at the top.  Easy pickings for my "Jon", who is an expert archer. 

So I got off my horse, and me and Lydia (my bodyguard aka mule) go to work.  As I approach, I just see her head bobbing up and down so I just take a few shots with my trust bow and arrow, and then BLAMO!  A huge fireball hits me and takes me down to a sliver of health.  So I started running towards the hill, thinking I can cut off the angles so she can't hit me.  Wrong.  BLAMO!  If it weren't for me scarfing down a bunch of tomatoes and apples, I'd have been dead.  I quickly (without really thinking about it) I press F5 to save the game.  Big mistake.  BLAMO!  I'm dead.  So I press F9 to load, and when the game comes back up, BLAMO! F9, while pressing the run key.. BLAMO!  F9, while pressing the strafe key.... BLAMO!

Then I look up to see if I can load an earlier game.  The next most recent save game was from 5 hours ago.  Damn it.

Today's thoughts

The Toronto Star

These guys called my house and asked me if I'd be interested in a trial of free newspapers for about a month.  I said no.  A few days later, someone started delivering the Toronto Star to my house.  It was annoying, because we don't get mail delivered to our door, so now suddenly I needed to go up to the front of my house (we park our car in the garage so I rarely go in through the front door) to pick it up.  

Newspaper delivery doesn't make sense to me.  For one thing, there's the internet and as far as I know, all or most Canadian publications offer their content free online.  I know it's all recycled materials, but still seems like a waste to me.  Second, I don't read the Toronto Star. 

TV in Canada

We were in Chicago this past weekend, and during one night when I'd had some caffeine later than I should have, I sat in front of the TV in our hotel and flipped around.  What I realized was that in Canada, we really get the raw end of the deal.  There is not a single show exclusive to Canadian television networks that I desperately need to watch, which means that really we don't need CTV, CityTV, Global, etc.  They're completely pointless other than to deliver Canadian advertising.  Seriously, when basic cable offers NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX, what possible reason do viewers have to tune into Canadian networks, other than to watch the occasional Leafs game and a Leons commercial?

What's worse, here we have to pay extra for the good stuff, for networks like HBO, Showtime, FX, USA, AMC.  That is just not fair at all.  CRTC: You suck.

Chicago

I've already said this to a few people, but Chicago is basically Toronto in 75 years, if we get some decent city planners in charge.  Someone with vision.  David Miller kind of got us started before Transit City was abruptly ended by an overly conservative anti-visionist.  Chicago has basically the same climate as we do, but their downtown core is massive and there's transit going everywhere.  They cherish their arts and culture just as we do, only they put them on a pedestal whereas we kind of just appreciate it.  We don't have a river to worry about building around.  They have a hockey, basketball and baseball team just as we do.  And football, if you consider the Argos a world class football team. 

So yea, pretty much the only thing keeping us from becoming a great city is leadership.

Today's thoughts

The halfway mark of the NFL season

Here's a few of my notes:

- The Bengals have already won 2 more games this year than I had predicted they'd win all year.  This is due part to the emergence of rookie QB Andy Dalton, who has put together a solid first half.  He's developed a pretty good on-field relationship with fellow rookie A.J. Green, who is leading all rookie receivers with 33 receptions, 516 yards and 5 touchdowns.  That actually puts him amongst the top 15 receivers in the league.

- Barring a major setback, the Bills are going to far outweigh my expectations as well, though I can't see them doing much in the playoffs.  They have a very opportunistic defense that capitalizes on mistakes, but good teams don't make a lot of mistakes in the playoffs.

- The Colts haven't had great D for as long as I can remember, but now with Peyton Manning not playing all year, they've been exposed for being even worse than most fans have feared all along.  They're surrendering up a mind-blowing 31.5 points per game.

- The wildcard race in the AFC should be interesting.  I assume they will both come out of either the East or North, and it'll be between the Jets, Bills, Ravens and Bengals.  

- The biggest surprise in the NFC has been, for me, the 49ers.  I had them pegged for a horrible season but they're defense has been shutting everyone down, particularly their run defense.  They also have, as a result of several mediocre season recently, an incredibly easy schedule which could easily have them finishing the year 11-5.  The West is terrible though, the 49ers are 6-1 and the next closest is Seattle at 2-5.  The 49ers do not face the Packers in the regular season, but I could see this being an interesting matchup in the playoffs, because the Packers simply don't bother to run the football.  

- I thought the Saints would be better than they have been.  They're 5-3, but something seems off.  They're not as good as I thought they'd be.  Could be due to Mark Ingram not being nearly as good as I'd hoped.

- The Lions are a strong team, but it feels constantly like local fans are waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Detroit, as a city and community, needs the Lions to succeed after falling into some pretty hard times.  One thing that is encouraging though, is that they have a strong young nucleus of guys that could see them being competitive for the next 3-4 years.  

- The biggest surprise from a player perspective has been Cam Newton.  I thought he'd be a bum.  He's actually quite good.  Things will likely change for him next year as teams will have more tape on him, but he's shown to have a big arm and has great mobility.  Younger QBs tend to excel with the help of huge receivers but Steve Smith is tiny and Cam hasn't missed a beat

Today's thoughts

A note to Google:

It's one thing to change some stupid social network site that you might log into once or twice a day to check on some goofy pictures of your friends' drunken orgy.  The makers of Facebook routinely change the interface of their website without a care in the world causing minor complaints and annoyances across the globe.  But you get use to them, because at the end of the day, it's just some social fun site that doesn't matter. 

Gmail on the other hand, is the center of the universe for me.  For one thing, I have it open at home and at work ALL THE TIME.  While I might check Facebook for about an hour every day, I have Gmail on 24/7.  I also have GReader on 24/7.  

Google+ -- not so much because as a social networking tool, it's unavailable to me throughout my work day.  By the way, guess what happens when you're using GReader and Google+ is blocked?  It becomes a generic reader like every other reader available online.  And unfortunately, with all the GUI changes, this one looks like SHIT. 

So the next time you decide to make significant, sweeping changes to the interface that we've all come to know and love, and stare at 24 hours per day (Yes, I dream in Gmail), think again.  Think AGAIN.

Today's thoughts

Ashton Kutcher is not winning

I don't know my motivation, but I am trying really hard to like the new Two and a Half Men, sans Charlie Sheen.  This show just doesn't work without him.  And it seems like either Ashton Kutcher or the writers, or both, are confused about who his character is.  In the beginning he seemed like a very dark and sad character, but highly intelligent and successful.  Later it became more apparent that he's quite immature and almost child-like.  Now, it seems like he's a college frat boy. 

I get that they're trying to feel things out but it's kind of getting out of hand.  Top that off with Berta who they've kind of forced a larger role upon, but she's always only been good at snide remarks and one-liners.  Thrusting her into a more prominent role seems really forced.. there's no reason for her to be any more involved than before.  They should have started "Walden" as a dumb frat boy who inherited billions, rather than a self-made man.  

Minka Kelly should return to Parenthood

Clearly, the relationship between Crosby and Jasmine is never going to be fully reconciled.  Why not just bring back Gaby and give the guy a romantic interest?  Minka Kelly is way too good looking to not be on television.  Since Charlie's Angels directors/writers refused to take my advice, the show's been canceled and Minka needs a new job.  Do the right thing.

Today's thoughts

Don't just 'occupy' something

I think that the people who are occupying Wall Street have good reason to be doing it.  However, the ones doing it in Toronto.. doesn't hold a lot of water with me.  First of all, we have health care.  Our financial institutions didn't receive a bailout.  We have very good welfare services, community housing, etc.  Unlike the Americans, the marginalized are pretty well taken care of here in Canada.  So don't occupy Bay Street just because you want to be part of something cool and meaningful.  Understand the issues and then act accordingly. 

Razing the roof

Our roof started leaking last week.  It's no fun, and on top of that, fairly stressful.  In all honesty it's not like my 'things' are in danger of getting wet, it's just the idea that water is coming through the roof into my house that bothers me.  And perhaps the potential danger of mold.  Another thing that concerns me is despite what I've read on Wikipedia and other DIY sites, I really don't know a whole lot about roofing.  Chances are, when I hire whomever to fix it, I'm going to get ripped off.  

I don't like getting ripped off.

Today's thoughts

Almond Butter

I've always wanted to try almond butter ever since I heard about it.  Almonds are good for you and they taste great.  Peanuts are good for you and they taste great.  So it makes sense that almond butter is good right?  Wrong.  Almond butter sucks.  We tried some at Costco the other day, and it was not good at all.  It's like eating peanut butter without any taste.

Provincial Politics

Last night, Ontarians voted to get Dalton McGuinty back again as the provincial leader of Ontario.  To put this into perspective, this is the guy who came up with the 13% Harmonized Services Tax.  Thirteen frigging percent.  Kind of gives you an understanding of how bad you have to be to lose to this guy.  I don't know anyone who enjoys paying taxes, let alone 13% taxes.  Why did he win?  Because of Stephen Harper and Rob Ford.  No one wants to see a three-level Conservative government.

I don't like Dalton McGuinty at all, but thank you Jesus.

Today's thoughts

Steve Jobs

I've always hated Apple and I hated them a little less after Steve Jobs stepped down, but his death is still a significant loss to the world of technology and innovation.  Steve Jobs was a visionary and a master at marketing, and along the way provided a lot of great ideas -- which I appreciate.  BUT, I still think their products are overpriced, and anyone who believes in sharing, freedom and the good things of the world should be strongly against what Apple actually stands for. 

Sarah Polley

My wife and I both went to high school with Polley.  I distinctly remember sitting behind her in Mr. Axom's grade 10 English class.  We thought it was neat when we read that she'd married Dave Sandomierski.  He was my year's valedictorian, and an all-round nerd.  (Well rounded actually, if I recall he was a great cross country runner).  It's just funny to think of hat because I remember during a fire drill this guy was wearing one of those silly hats with helicopter blades spinning above his head.  What a goofy kid. He's at UofT now getting his PhD in Law.  Good for him!

Basketball-related income

Basketball-related income (BRI) is one of the major issues that players and owners are in disagreement about for the NBA.  From there stems the salary cap, guaranteed/non-guaranteed contracts, etc etc.  But it all starts at BRI.  

I see the NBA as a very player-driven sport. I'm not a basketball purist where I can honestly say I was entertained after watching a very technically sound basketball game.  Don't get me wrong, it's not like I enjoy watching bad basketball as long as there's a star playing, but the game itself is just not enough for me to watch.

Conversely, I can watch a football game between two teams that I have never cheered for in my life and still enjoy watching the game.  Ever since Peyton Manning got injured I've pretty much been watching teams that I don't really like, play the game of football, and I've already watched 3-4 full games this year.  So it goes to show that I'm as much a fan of the sport as I am with certain teams and players.  I cannot say the same about the NBA.  I have a very difficult time staying focused on an NBA game that has nothing to do with a team or player I care about.

So for that reason, I believe NBA players deserve a majority when it comes to the breakdown between player and owner of BRI.  They deserve it.  

Today's thoughts

Whitney

I've been following Whitney at about a week behind's pace and I like it a lot.  This is a funny show, about a fairly average girl who has tons of insecurities and a fairly hilarious boyfriend who tolerates her.  It reminds me a bit of Friends but more relationship-focused than just 6 random single friends and their silly shenanigans. 

Pan Am

The first 20 minutes of the pilot was boring.  Could be because I wasn't paying attention, but then they started getting into the spy stuff which I thought was pretty cool.  Adding intrigue instantly made it something I'd be interested in watching, though I'm still not sure if it's enough to keep going with it.  We'll give it a few more episodes.  Between this and Playboy Club it's no contest though, Pan Am wins.

(Plus, NBC just cancelled Playboy Club.)

Allison Miller looks like Jan from The Office

Allison plays "Skye" from Terra Nova.  She reminds me of a younger and prettier version of Melora Hardin, who played "Jan" on The Office.  

Andrew Luck

Stanford's quarterback Andrew Luck is so good that fan of mediocre NFL teams have started a phrase "Suck for Luck", in the effort to will their teams into losing so they have a shot at Andrew Luck.  Count me in on this.  I'd love to see the Colts lose (not that they need much help doing this) and then have the current best QB in pro football mentor the future one.  

I've been pretty impressed with the Luck thus far.. he draws a lot of comparisons to Peyton Manning in his ability to call his own plays, and adjust to defenses on the fly.  Physically I think he's actually far more imposing than Manning.. he can run and hits pretty hard, and recently even caught a pass. 

Weekend thoughts

Dallas Cowboys

Why do the Dallas Cowboys throw the ball so much?  First of all let me just congratulate the Detroit Lions on being 4-0.  That's awesome stuff.  But in this game, Dallas had the lead 50 out of 60 minutes, and somehow Romo threw the ball 47 times.  That does not make sense to me at all.  Even if their offensive line is terrible, they have got to find better ways to control the clock. 

Wedding weekend

I can't remember if it's our 3rd or 4th wedding of the year, but it was a good one.  Ina was a bridesmaid and it was the last of her remaining "closest" friends to get married.  The couple ran into a bit of a snafu which I thought (if it had been me) could have put a serious downer on the whole occasion.  The restaurant they had selected for their banquet had a fire, and they found out about this on Friday, the day before the banquet.  But they were able to pull some strings and figure things out.

Congrats to Janey and Norm!

Superbowl half time show

I can't help but think that there are better options than Madonna as the halftime entertainer for next year's Superbowl.  Don't get me wrong, I think she's super talented and one of the top female artists of our time.. but for Superbowl?  Does she still have the stage presence to entertain the millions watching?  I have always found Madonna the most entertaining when she was doing some controversial.  But given the NFL's goal to stay away from that, what can Madonna really bring to the stage?  She hasn't put out an album since 2008.  Is she still relevant?

I personally hated the Black Eyed Peas last year as the halftime show.  They were easily tops in popularity at the time, but I thought their style of music did not work for the audience.  They're a dance group that requires synthesizers and computerized vocals and sound.. the LIVE aspect of their performance sucked.   

Some relevant (not to mention popular) bands that I think would make a more entertaining performance, in no particular order:

• Green Day
• Bon Jovi
• AC/DC

Not coincidentally these are all rock/alternative bands, in my humble opinion the most ideal type of music in a live setting.

Initial Reactions, Part II

Terra Nova

As far as initial reactions go, 5 minutes into this show I realized it would most likely be a big hit, and it's honestly the first time I've felt this way about a new show since LOST.  I've yet to watch more than 20 minutes of it though but it's #1 on the PVR list for tonight.

Ringer

Sarah Michelle Gellar is back on TV and like the first time around, I'm just not that interested.  Yes, I realize this takes away a lot of my credibility, but I did not watch Buffy. 

Two and a Half Men

This show is no good anymore.  The formula was a combination of the awesomeness of an immature adult (Charlie (Harper) Sheen's character), and a mature adult who's life totally sucks (Jon (Alan Harper) Cryer's character).  And mixed in there with lots of sexual innuendo and a really stupid teenager.  

What they've done in the attempt to replace Charlie Harper is added Ashton Kutcher, who plays this immature adult who is not awesome at all but very angsty.  Basically he's a mixture of Charlie and Alan Harper, but all the non-fun parts combined.  The stupid teenager Jake, meanwhile, has all but disappeared, largely in due part to the writers desperately trying to introduce a new character to an audience not new to the show. 

Initial reactions

The Buffalo Bills 

The need to win just 2 more games over the next 13 to reach my pre-season prediction of 5 wins. I'm shocked by this. I have never, in my life, cheered for the Buffalo Bills, but I found myself doing so over the past two weeks. This season's Bills have a roster perfect for Buffalo, full of hardworking guys who were for the most part forgotten, a truly blue-collar team. 

Unforgettable

The pilot for this new show did not live up to its name.  There is something about the lead actress that bothers me, but regardless of that it doesn't seem like a show that will make it.  I can imagine each episode she'll examine the crime scene, and then they'll have a difficult time solving the case, and then someone will say "Hey, maybe you should use your super memory and try to recall any important details we missed!" and she will, and then they will solve the case.  It's a great formula for cartoons (Voltron, Thundercats, etc) but not so great for primetime drama.

Person Of Interest

This show has some potential because James Caviezel's character is a bit Jack Bauer-ish in his ability to totally kick ass.. the only difference is you don't see it coming.  I've never really followed James Caviezel's career and he didn't really say much in "Passion of the Christ", so I have to ask: Does he really have a scratchy voice like the Dark Knight, or was this Jonathan Nolan's idea?  

Playboy Club

Amber Heard is hot, but this show really sucks. It took me 3 tries to get through the pilot episode.  Many critics have said they try too hard to be Mad Men.  My thinking is they're not trying hard enough.  It's more like a mockery of Mad Men.  

Charlie's Angels

There are two things wrong with this show, that they can easily fix.  The first thing is that during the action/fight scenes, it looks as if the girls fought in slow motion and then they showed the scenes in double time.  There is just something wrong with the speed, no human being could move that fast, not even Jackie Chan.  Perhaps none of the girls took any martial art training and they had no choice?  

I'm sorry to say this but the only reason people will watch this show is for the action and skin.  They need to use the same formula as last year's reboot hit Hawaii Five-O.  They drew in viewers by showing a shirtless Alex O'Loughlin and Grace Park in a bikini while they developed an interesting overarching plot, and by the time you realized that neither one could act, it didn't matter because you were sucked in.  As far as 'believability' goes, the only decent actor on the show is Annie Ilonzeh, but as the token minority she won't be able to carry the show.  They need to take these 3 beautiful women and flaunt them for all they're worth.  Again I'm sorry but there is no other reason to watch this show.  Let's see some bikini's and gratuitous cleavage and butt shots.  Sorry.

Revision on my early NFL predictions

In the event that Peyton Manning misses half the season: 

South 

y-Houston Texans (10-6)

Indianapolis Colts (8-8)
Tennessee Titans (7-9)
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

In the event that Peyton Manning misses the entire season:

South 

y-Houston Texans (10-6)

Tennessee Titans (8-8)
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)

Indianapolis Colts (5-11)

I think the Colts minus Peyton Manning are a below average team, and as they've been built around one player, switching him out without planning for it will be detrimental for the season.  I think a best case is maybe they win 7 games, but with injuries and all that, I think 5 is a safe and conservative number.  

This changes the potential playoff matchups, but I don't think it'll make a difference in the overall picture.  The Houston Texans have made some improvements this year but they have no chance against the AFC elite.

My Extremely Early NFL Predictions

Here's my very early NFL Predictions:

AFC
East
z-New England Patriots (14-2)
x-New York Jets (12-4)
Buffalo Bills (5-11)
Miami Dolphins (5-11)

North
y-Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
x-Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Cleveland Browns (6-10)
Cincinnati Bengals (4-12)

South
y-Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
Houston Texans (9-7)
Tennessee Titans (7-9)
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

West
y-San Diego Chargers (12-4)
Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)
Oakland Raiders (7-9)
Denver Broncos (4-12)

NFC
East
z-Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
New York Giants (10-6)
Washington Redskins (2-14)

North
y-Green Bay Packers (12-4)
Chicago Bears (9-7)
Minnesota Vikings (9-7)
Detroit Lions (7-9)


South
y-New Orleans Saints (13-3)
x-Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
x-Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
Carolina Panthers (1-15)

West
y-St. Louis Rams (9-7)
Arizona Cardinals (3-13)
San Francisco 49ers (3-13)
Seattle Seahawks (1-15)

Playoffs:
First round
New England Patriots - bye
Pittsburgh Steelers - bye
San Diego Chargers over Baltimore Ravens
New York Jets over Indianapolis Colts

Philadelphia Eagles - bye
New Orleans Saints - bye
Green Bay Packers over St. Louis Rams
Atlanta Falcons over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarterfinals:
New England Patriots over New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers over San Diego Chargers
Philadelphia Eagles over Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints over Green Bay Packers

Semifinals:
Pittsburgh Steelers over New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints over Philadelphia Eagles

Superbowl:
New Orleans Saints over Pittsburgh Steelers