11 & 5 - A Great Season

(first though) here is the video version of a few of the plays from the Christmas football game. Because I known you are literally dieing to known, the reason why I am in so many of the highlights are

1. because it's 2 on 2, do da math
2. and more importantly - I told Harold what I was doing before the play

Regarding the New England Patriots and them not making the playoffs... the very fact that this Patriots team, with all the injuries (Tom Brady, Adalius Thomas, Laurence Maroney, etc, etc, etc) was able to go 11 & 5 is amazing in itself. In my view, the Patriots last year were the best team to not win the Super Bowl. This season however, the Patriots were the best team ever to not make the playoffs. You only have control over what you have control over and the Patriots unfortunately couldn't make Brett Favre play like a Pro Bowl quarterback or Matt Cassel. Anyways, great season. It would have been nice to finish it with a Super Bowl victory but that's not going to happen. Next year.

Christmas Football Photos

Preparing for the annual Christmas football game

going deep

blitz

two on two

Peter at quarterback

Aidan at quarterback

a rollout play

myself doing my best Lynn Swan imitation
(the big difference is that I didn't make the catch...)

Peter gets a step ahead of me to make a touchdown grab going one way...

...and in return of the favor I score a touchdown going the other way

December 22

Patriots Win Big, Prince Caspian Is A Toss Up

The Patriots beat the Arizona Cardinals 47 to 7, moving to a 10 & 5 record. Despite the win, due to the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens winning this week, the Pats postseason chances depend on what happens in the Seattle vs. New York Jets game (update: the Jets lost 13 to 3 so the Patriots can still win the division if the Jets beat the Dolphins next week).

In other non-sport related news, I finally watched the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian DVD. Altogether I thought that it had pro and con aspects to it. It's really easy to see why it lost money. First because it was so expensive to produce. The film itself has great special effects, battle scenes, etc and everything aesthetically is very well done. Where it fails, and probably the reason why it lost money, is because the film really seems to have no goal or purpose. With most good/great films after you watch them there is some basic concept behind the storyline that makes whatever that is going on in the film a great story. In the case of Prince Caspian, there really doesn't seem to be any reason why everything is occurring - it's just a big CG extravaganza.

So is it enjoyable to watch for the most part - yes. But is it a movie that you would want to watch more than once or twice - probably not.

Rhode Island's State University is a great deal!

They're finally realizing what we've known all along: state universities can be a great deal, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal's SmartMoney magazine:

"KINGSTON, R.I. – December 16, 2008 – The January 2009 issue of SmartMoney magazine ranks the University of Rhode Island 15th in a nationwide study of public and private colleges, examining the relationship between tuition costs and graduates’ earning power. In what it called a "twist on traditional college rankings,” the magazine assessed schools on their ability to deliver the best return on investment and sought to quantify the long-term value of a college education."

Working with consultant PayScale.com, the survey looked at what graduates from 50 of the most expensive four-year colleges earn in their early and midcareers. Then they factored in their up-front tuition and fees. The University of Georgia was No. 1 and would deliver a payback nearly three times that of Harvard, noted the article, while the "state universities of Delaware and Rhode Island would beat out every Ivy in the ranking.”

Click here to view the full press release.

Patriots Win; But Still Need Losses

The good news is that the Patriots sunk the Raiders 49 to 26. The bad news is that the Patriots chances of getting into the postseason depend on other teams losing. It was possible that coming out of this week, the Patriots could have been eliminated from the playoffs next week even if they beat the Arizona Cardinals. Because the Ravens lost to the Steelers (13 to 9) that can't happen anymore so unless the Patriots happen to lose next week, so their week 16 game will at least give them a chance to make the playoffs.

One major factor that could put the Patriots back into the drivers seat in regards to their playoff hopes is the Cowboys vs. Ravens game next Saturday night. If the Cowboys happen to beat the Ravens, and the Patriots beat the Cardinals, then all the Patriots need to do in order to at least win the wildcard is to beat the Buffalo Bills in their final game. That's probably their best shot at the playoffs. So yeah, cheering for the Cowboys and TO is tough, but it's something New England fans are going to have to do.

The Patriots can be eliminated from the playoffs if

• (eliminated from winning the wildcard) the Baltimore Ravens win their next two games vs the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars and if the Indianapolis Colts win any of their remaining games (Jacksonville and Tennessee Titans)
• (eliminated from winning the division) and if both the New York Jets (next week, Seattle Seahawks) or Miami Dolphins (next week, Kansas City Chiefs) win next week.

I don't think I've ever been more of a Cowboys, Chiefs and Seahawks fan...

Operation Frostbite

This last Saturday, some friends of ours invited my brothers and myself to play in a airsoft game at their house. We had a blast (both literally, getting blasted with airsoft BB's, and figuratively) and I've posted some of the photos of the game below. Because so many of you hate captionless photos I've also added those as well. I know they are lame, but don't complain (that rhymes btw). Captions really aren't my thing. If I could outsource that job I would, but all the illegal immigrants have left the country because the economy stinks so that's really not an option right now.

it's a beautiful (20 degrees Fahrenheit) day to play airsoft

the defenders deathtrap - contrary to what you might think looking at the hill right away, no team that tried to defend was successful the entire day.

on the hill, the defenders await the assault

attempting to remain concealed

another sniper in the brush

taking aim

one of the attackers

coming down from the hill

re-picking teams

the shadows pick their next team member

walking out to the battlefield - armed and ready

proof that I was at the game (thanks Harold)nothing to worry about, the gun is out of battery...

the stonewall squad

wrapping things up

When investing in your mattress beats investing in stocks

Starbucks Seeing Stars For Charging Bucks

Wonderful, not only can we have negative political ads but also now corporate ones! I guess this is one way to respond to the recession. Really though, a four dollar espresso is way overpriced. Think about it. When I was like eight years old you could buy a senate seat in Illinois for four bucks. Oh well, I guess that's what inflation does.

Santa Is Coming - Or Is He?

Only 15 days until Christmas... okay, I was fibbing, it's actually 15 days, 4 hours and 45 minutes until Christmas and it's 53 degrees outside and the massive total of approximately one total inch of snow has fallen so far. Global warming? Maybe; but that really doesn't concern me because if global warming were to occur our farm would instantly become waterfront property and we would have our own beach. So yeah, I could care less about the polar bears, since when did they actually care about us anyways?

This hasn't made Drudge yet but I feel confident enough in my sources to break it right now. According to numerous sources inside the Justice Department, Santa is going to be officially indicted tomorrow for tax evasion. Thought you just might want to know because if he is tied up in court proceedings he won't have time to, you know, stuff himself down a few flues to drop off some coal.

In other less serious news, I had my last day of classes yesterday so all I have is one more test next week and I am completely done with the first semester. Also noteworthy is that I finally got the Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian DVD so I should have a review of that sometime soon after I watch it. Ho, Ho, Ho.

HuckALead

CNN News released an interesting survey today regarding who Republican leaning voters would like to see running as the party's nominee in 2012. According to the poll, among Republicans and independent voters, Mike Huckabee would have a lead if the primaries were held starting today (thankfully they are not!)

• Mike Huckabee - 34%
• Sarah Palin - 32%
• Mitt Romney - 28%

Interestingly enough, also according to the poll, Huckabee leads Sarah Sixpack among female voters (aka, the people that are supposed to be going crazy over her). On the negative side, first, my name didn't appear in the poll so the online ads and commercials I've been running seem to be failing, and secondly, Huck is still losing among older voters (to Palin at least).

Anyway, the election isn't until about four years from now so a few things could change between then and now. People change, party's change, positions change [reference Mitt Romney for proof of that...], voters change, babies get changed. Change.

Just another thought... Maybe we should just give Obama a few months (or days, hours... no really how about a few months) in office and see how he does before everyone starts picking who should run in 2012? I mean, isn't there at least the possibility that he might actually be a decent president? Just a thought.

To Narnia, Or To Not Narnia?

In honor of the Chronicles of Narnia "Prince Caspian" DVD being released today [at the low, low, incredibly amazingly low price of only $35.99 plus tax] I thought it might be appropriate to post something about the movie. However, on the other hand, the downside to me posting anything about Narnia is that whenever I have done it in the past, readers get upset, mad, angry, outraged, go into clinical depression and then move to Honduras. So, after considering all of those factors, I came to the conclusion that I probably should say something about it.

...it might be a good idea for me to actually watch the movie first though before I tear it apart so... sorry, you will just have to wait until someone sends me the DVD as an early Kwanzaa present.

Don't trust anyone under 30

American teens lie, steal, cheat at 'alarming' rates: study

"American teenagers lie, steal and cheat more at "alarming rates," a study of nearly 30,000 high school students concluded Monday."

But the "good" news is: "Some 93 percent of students indicated satisfaction with their own character and ethics, with 77 percent saying that "when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."

Free wi-fi for all!

"Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is pushing for action in December on a plan to offer free, pornography-free wireless Internet service to all Americans, despite objections from the wireless industry and some consumer groups."