From this day forward I shall redouble my efforts to blog more often

How to Widen Columns on Blogger Template

2010-05-16T22:17:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to make the main column in blogger bigger for some time without much success. With the changes Youtube has made it has become even more important to widen the main column since the smallest size Youtube lets you embed is too wide for the standard blogger template. A 3 column layout is pretty much out of the question.

Here's what I did to widen my main column and header. Follow these instructions exactly. The numbers to change are highlighted in green text. Go to Customize, Layout, Edit HTML. Scroll down until you see this set of html text. The current number is probably 660.

#header-wrapper {
width:950px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:1px solid $bordercolor;
background-color:#3d310b;
filter:alpha(opacity=80); -moz-opacity:0.80; opacity:0.80; -khtml-opacity:0.80;

Change the header width number to 950.

Now scroll down further until you see this:

#outer-wrapper {
width: 950px;
margin:0 auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:left;
font: $bodyfont;

The current number is probably 660. Change this to 950 too.

That takes care of the actual blog spacing. Now we need to change your main post column. Scroll down to this:

#main-wrapper {
width: 650px;
float: left;
padding: 5px;
border:1px solid $bordercolor;
background-color:#3d310b;
filter:alpha(opacity=80); -moz-opacity:0.80; opacity:0.80; -khtml-opacity:0.80;

Tthe original number is probably 410. It should be changed to 650.

Now, click Preview and see if your space has widened. If you love it, Save Template. If you hate it or something didn't work, exit without saving.
I guess I'm going to turn this into a educational blog whenever I rarely post here. Next topic possibility: car insurance reviews.

Starting a Business

2010-05-03T02:02:00.005-04:00

I have been toying around with the idea of starting my own business off and on for over two years, but now that there have been certain catalysts in my life I am now taking the idea very seriously. I even had a meeting with a potential client last week. I am playing to my strengths, what I know I am an expert at since I know I have something to offer in this area. My business will center around websites/ web presence for businesses. A lot of people can throw up a website and say, "Here you go. That's a website." Many times that is all a business wants as well. They just want to be able to say, "I have a website. I'm online." The problem with that is those websites are often of poor quality and are rarely updated. I have been frustrated many times when I try to find information about a business and find a website somebody hasn't updated for three years. That doesn't help anyone, and it makes a business look dumb and out of touch. I plan to fix that for people that actually care about their online presence. It's either commit to this business or go to medical assisting school. I choose the former.

Titans Gear

2010-05-03T01:31:00.004-04:00

I don't know how many people caught it, but in the days leading up to the draft the Tennessee Titans proshop had a great sale on their website. A lot of retailers advertise "sales," but it is rare to see quality items actually have a real discount on them. The prices were really slashed. I got Rachel a shirt and a visor. Since I think it's kind of weird for an adult to wear a sports jersey of any kind I have kind of taken a liking to jersey shirts such as the one above. I got a Nate Washington jersey for myself as you can see- not quite as big of a deal as photo birth announcements obviously. Washington was one of the most promising free agent pickups of last season, and even though his contribution last year was way below what I thought it would be it doesn't diminish my hopes for what he can bring to the team this year. Sure, I could get a Chris Johnson shirt like this, but I already have one. The quality of the shirt is great and hopefully Nate will have a great year this year.

New Laptop Time

2010-05-02T20:43:00.000-04:00

I have been putting off getting a new laptop for a while, but the time has come when I am almost forced to upgrade. Not many people can keep a laptop functional for five years (just to gloat a little bit.) I did have to upgrade the RAM at one point from 512MB to 1.5 GB which was fairly easy considering my level of expertise (still gloating.) Now that I need to be able to do more video editing and Adobe flash to build other web pages I can't keep the old girl as my main computer. I will demote it to a surfing computer only after my new one comes in and I clear the old one out. Some people want after the top rated diet pill. Me, I want to laptop with the most processing power.

Telescopes Are Getting Better- Photo and Video Evidence

2010-04-26T00:12:00.006-04:00

The sun: It's hot, hurts your eyes, and when you sit in front of it for a while it makes you look more attractive. Is there anything the sun can't do? Well, besides be studied better? I'm glad you asked, internet, because science has been working on that. Check this link for some video captured by a newfangled telescope. NASA has apparently been in an endeavor to learn more about the sun and has succeeded. Hey, good for you, NASA. You guys needed a win.

Titans Draft Recap

2010-04-25T14:36:00.004-04:00

The draft the past few days was a whirlwind. There was more trade activity than I can ever remember. The people that cover the draft probably need some of that eye cream for dark circles after a sleepless Thursday and Friday night with constant news seeping from the league. A lot of people were having trouble fathoming why teams were trading veterans (especially those who had recently signed RFA tenders) for future picks. Well, that's simple. Next year being an uncapped year teams had to clear cap room so they could compete by paying people they want to contribute next year (i.e. Donovan McNabb) and cutting people they can do without (i.e. Lendale White.) Having warmed up to the guy last year I am sad to see Lendale go, and I wish him the best in Seattle. I called that move as soon as Pete Carroll became coach of the Seahawks by the way. The Titans had a decent draft although I was surprised at the team waiting until their third pick to address linebacker depth. Bulluck may still come back to the tea, but it is not a front-burner issue for the team. The uncapped year may also be the only hope for Titans fans who want Bulluck back since teams will not be rushing to break the bank for an older LB who is coming of ACL surgery. David Thornton was the team's other OLB last year and I haven't found anyone who is clear on his health status and how the Titans currently view his role for next season. The number 1 need was defensive end help with Vanden Bosch and Kearse gone (Kearse will announce his retirement soon, I think.) I was high on Pierre-Paul, but since he was gone the pick before I trust the Titans know what they are doing by picking Derrick Morgan. I really do. He was a productive player in college and is viewed as less of a project then Pierre-Paul. The team's second pick, Damian Williams, must have been so highly rated at the point at the draft that the team saw no other option but to take him. He looks good, and the Titans are by no means set at the WR position, but he looks to be a return man right away with possibly more later. The only thing is that can be addressed via free agency with veterans. That was a mistake from last year. I count at least two of the Titans' early losses to return game screwups. I hope Williams is un-freaking-believable at returning the ball. I've got some more takes on later round picks and the team's undrafted free agent picks, but I'll save those since this is already too long and no one is reading it.

NFL Schedule Released

2010-04-20T23:40:00.004-04:00

The 2010-2011 NFL schedule was released a few hours ago with much fanfare. I immediately looked to see how many prime time games the Titans will have. They have two prime time games. One Monday night game at Jacksonville (better get your acne cleanser ready) and one Thursday night with the Colts visiting Nashville. That's about right, I guess. The team had a crap season last year so they should probably be happy they have two nationally televised games. I can't believe how excited I got for just the schedule being released for the upcoming season. It's pathetic.

Top 10 Greatest Firearms in History

2010-04-15T13:46:00.001-04:00

I found this list of the top 10 firearms in history on ListVerse. The whole site is just lists. I love it. Great concept and great follow through. It's simple and any top 10 list will create controversy so you're guaranteed comments which is internet gold as far as ad revenue is concerned. I'm so jealous of this site. I wish I had done it first. Oh well. Here's a skeleton version of the list.

10. MG-42 machine gun 9. Glock handgun 8. .303 Lee-Enfield 7. .50 "Ma Deuce" BMG 6. S & W Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver 5. Mauser Model 1893 Bolt Action Rifle 4. Colt Single Action Army Revolver 3. Henry Repeating Rifle 2. Ak-47 1. Colt 1911 .45 ACP

As you can see it is not a flawless list, but it is really good. This topic could be debated endlessly. There are just a few shown here that are non-negotiables and must be included on the list. The absolutes are the .303 Lee-Enfield, Mauser Model 1893 Bolt Action Rifle, Colt Single Action Army Revolver, Henry Repeating Rifle, and the AK-47 (got mine on sale last year.) The 1911 is a great gun, but as time passes the fanboy love of this gun will die down and you will see it drop in importance and it may drop from lists like this all together.

Infographic on Spotting a Hidden Handgun

2010-04-07T16:25:00.004-04:00

This is useful.

Gotta love a good infographic.

Is Chrome an Unhackable Browser?

2010-03-29T02:12:00.005-04:00

Google Chrome is starting to be recognized as the best internet browser, even preferred over Firefox. It has been the one browser that no one has been able to crack for 2 years running at the Pwn2Own competition. I like Chrome and use it frequently, but I am wary of putting all of my eggs in one basket. If Google continues to have all of the best products eventually they will be the only ones left providing web applications, search functions, advertising and anything else web related you can think of. That's not a danger I fear greatly, but they have shown themselves to be enough of a behemoth that they could eventually become the Walmart of the internet. The company could branch out from web applications and insurance marketing to infinite variations on what the internet is and does.

Keep One Eye on China

2010-03-26T10:51:00.004-04:00

Google and Youtube had a brief outage yesterday morning about which Google took a little too long to make a comment to media outlets. That hesitation led to speculation that the outage may have been a result of a cracking attempt (a hack for you noobs.) Who would have a reason to mess with Google's servers, you ask? China, that's who. You may have heard the news this week that Google announced that it would no longer censor search results in China. A move that is likely chapping China's hide raw. "How dare anyone stand up to us? Don't you know we have a billion people to control over here? The nerve. Why can't people just leave us to pirating a new phentermine diet pill, designer handbags, and Hollywood DVD's. Sheesh, no respect." That's what China is saying to themselves right now. Google predictably denied any tampering speculation because what good would it do for them to let the public know their beloved Google could be compromised? There is obviously no way I could say for sure that China was behind this Google outage or any other attack, but you have to admit the timing is a little fishy.

Alabama State Song Up for Grabs

2010-03-24T20:33:00.004-04:00

There are stirrings that the Alabama state song may be changed. At least that is the word from the State House in Montgomery. The current song is something called "Alabama" by Julia Tutwiler. Hmmm... Never heard of it.

At least one legislator is planning on letting the residents of the state vote on what the state song should be for at least a year before they pass it into law. I am a newer Alabama resident and I don't think I am off base in suggesting that "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd be the state song. Am I right? That just makes sense. But these people could probably screw up going to www.allireviews.com. I'm just bitter I haven't got my state income tax refund yet.

The HTML Code to Have Links Open in New Windows

2010-03-22T20:05:00.005-04:00

Here is the HTML to open a link in a new window, your HTML lesson of the day. HTML stands for hyper text markup language. It is a computer language that many web pages are written in. I used to be pretty good with html, but nowadays my expertise is limited to knowing how to write the html to open web pages (links) in a new window. Here is how you do it for all of you aspiring coders.

Inserting
target="_self" Opens the linked page in the same window. This is the default for ordinary pages and doesn't need to be specified. It has a use when working with frames.

Inserting
target="_blank" Opens the linked page in a new window.

For example, if you wanted a link to open in the existing page it would look like this:

Rabbledom

And if you wanted to have a link open in a new window it would look like this:

Rabbledom

I hope that helps anyone who may want to contribute to free web directories or some other kind of website. I post this mainly as a reference for myself since I usually forget this about 3 times a month.

My Contribution to the Music City Miracles' Mock Draft.

2010-03-19T11:01:00.001-04:00

The Tennessee Titans fan site, Music City Miracles, does a mock draft where they let readers contribute by representing an NFL franchise. I participated last year by representing the Seattle Seahawks and correctly predicting that they would choose the linebacker Aaron Curry with the 4th overall pick. This year I am representing the New York Giants, but the site is planning to do picks for the first 2 rounds which is about as easy as a roided-up major leaguer finding a body acne treatment that works. Here's my first pick as reprinted on the site.

From phildar:

The most glaring hole the Giants have this offseason is the linebacker position. My initial pick would have been Rolando McClain, but with him already gone to the Broncos (which I have seen happen in a few mock drafts) the next best choice would be Witherspoon. And he's not a consolation pick. He has the potential to be a starter as a rookie. The team would also be relieved of any decision-making on McClain's health status with Crohn's disease. Weatherspoon had a good combine with 4.68 40 time, 34 reps on the bench press (2nd most at the position,) 40-inch vertical leap, and 11.59 sec 60-yd shuttle. He had a good showing at the Senior Bowl, and he appears to have versatility as far as speed, strength, and being able to play all three linebacker positions. Some of the knocks on him have been size (6"1, 239 lbs, 31 and 1/4 inch arms) and inconsistent reaction times. Weatherspoon is a solid pick with intelligence, durability, and leadership potential which the Giants will need since they no longer have the leader of their defense, Antonio Pierce. Pierce is listed at 6"1, 238 lbs. A coincidence? I think not.

Now on the clock: Thunder64 and your Tennessee Titans

St Louis Rams - Sam Bradford, QB
Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT
Tampa Bay Bucs - Gerald McCoy, DT
Washington Redskins - Russell Okung, OT
Kansas City Chiefs - Eric Berry, AAB
Seattle Seahawks - Anthony Davis, OT
Cleveland Browns - Joe Haden, CB
Oakland Raiders - Bruce Campbell, OT
Buffalo Bills - Bryan Bulaga, OT
Jacksonville Jaguars - Earl Thomas, DB
Denver Broncos - Rolando McClain, LB
Miami Dolphins - Dez Bryant, WR
San Francisco 49ers - Trent Williams, OT
Seattle Seahawks - C.J. Spiller, RB
New York Giants - Sean Weatherspoon, LB
Tennessee Titans -

Titan's Offseason Going Swimmingly

2010-03-11T16:01:00.007-05:00

The splashing around the NFL free agency pool has been erratic so far with not much action coming from the Tennessee Titan's side of the pool. Will Witherspoon, the linebacker who played with the Eagles last year, has been the only new player the team has signed. The team re-signed Tony Brown which I think is a good move. As far as big-name free agent Keith Bulluck I do not expect any news for a while. To sign a player they have to pass a physical and since Bulluck is still rehabbing his knee no one is going to be able to snatch him away. The Witherspoon signing is not a positive sign that Bulluck will be back, even though Witherspoon has said he has not been told by the team which linebacker spot they want him to play. I still think the team moves Lendale White before training camp, possibly to Seattle or New Orleans. My gut feeling is this year's free agency period for the Titans will not not be much addition or subtraction, like a humidifier and a dehumidifier fighting it out (Steven Wright joke.)
Pictured above: My favorite photoshop of all time done by Jon Joyner. It Coach Fisher on the left holding a hawk with the face of Lavelle Hawkins, whose loving nickname is the "The Hawk."

Ankle Update

2010-02-26T08:18:00.000-05:00

It's been 6 weeks since my ankle surgery. I saw the doctor on Monday, and he was pleased enough with my progress to send me to physical therapy which I began yesterday. One thing I have noticed since my injury is the staring problem people have. I have been on crutches since January 14th and probably will be through April. There was an instance today that particularly annoyed me. Yes, I'm on crutches. I am at a medical office complex that houses an orthopedic doctor and a physical therapist. Hey lady, Don't be shocked to see someone on crutches to the point that you feel you must stare me down from the time I hit the door until the time I am out of your field of view. If you're going to attempt to stare at every cripple here you better have your head on a swivel and some IcyHot for afterward because there are a lot of us here. She's the kins of person that would go to www.accutane.net and not expect to see pictures of pimple covered faces. Anyway, physical therapy was good. I had a lot more range of motion than I expected when the guy actually pushed me a little. I spent some time in the whirlpool and got a massage among other things. In three weeks the doctor said he'll let me "do a lot more" so I am hopeful for that.

Google Makes Money Off of Internet Typos

2010-02-21T18:59:00.005-05:00

You know how sometimes you type in a webpage, hit enter, and wait for the page to load... wait that's not the site. Crap, I typed it wrong. Well, there are some ads that look vaguely resembling what I was trying to get. Let me click on one and see. Nothing there worth looking at. You have just gotten Google or one of the many other "typosquatters" paid. In fact, Google makes an estimated $497 million off of people clicking on ads on misspelled pages. $497 million dollars. Let that sink in. So if you're looking for blackheads treatment and type in anecures.com instead of acnecures.com don't click on the ads because Google has enough money already.

What the Internet is Truly All About

2010-02-19T17:16:00.000-05:00

"GREG RUTTER'S (ed. note: wonderfully titled) DEFINITIVE LIST OF THE 99 THINGS YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED ON THE INTERNET UNLESS YOU'RE A LOSER OR OLD OR SOMETHING" is a nice collection of memes. What are memes, you ask? If you asked that question then this is just the link for you. http://www.youshouldhaveseenthis.com/
Quit spending your time looking up an eczema treatment on WebMD and start getting the enjoyment that hours of unproductive effort that have produced the humor of memes.

Crazy Fight Video

2010-02-17T09:43:00.005-05:00

I saw this video yesterday, and it is now burning up the interwebs. Warning: It is violent and has profanity. See below:

What shocks me more than the racial aspect is that people are getting in fights like this to begin with. I have not actually wanted to get in a fight since I was a teenager. I can't really tell how old the kid in the video is and the old guy is late on taking his multivitamin supplement, but both of them are too old to be fighting. And it was all over some mumbled, misunderstood comment. The kid does get lit up. Overall this video is troubling.

That's a Bush Move, Sir!

2010-02-15T09:23:00.003-05:00

I'm a vindictive person by nature. I enjoy rubbing people's faces in things when they're wrong, especially on important things like... I don't know... President Obama not being any different than any other politician. People who saw that truth were drowned out by people caught up in "hope" and "change" fever last year. That is not to say I would have preferred McCain. He represents the status quo as well. What I tried to point out last year is there is no difference in McCain, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Clinton, or any other politician that comes along. Case in point, White House lawyers under the sponsorship of President Obama are currently arguing that law enforcement should be able to track American citizens using the GPS on our cell phones without a warrant. The reason that is a problem is a little thing called the 4th Amendment to the Constitution. Look it up. Click the link.
But wait, I though George W. Bush is the one who "shredded the Constitution." Well, he did too (see Patriot Act,) but the point is all politicians are the same. I don't see Michael Moore with a bullhorn in front of the White House now, though. And don't give me the argument that if you're innocent you have nothing to worry about. The issue is privacy which was addressed in Katz vs. The United States when the Supreme Court ruled that the amendment covered a person's "reasonable expectation of privacy," rather than solely on whether that person's property had been intruded upon. It's about not wanting a totalitarian government to have total control of and access to my life up to and including if I take weight loss supplements or not.

Olympics

2010-02-13T15:54:00.004-05:00

Snore. I did not even turn my television to NBC for the opening ceremonies. The only sport in which I would be remotely interested is the biathalon, and NBC Universal probably does not even televise that event on one of its many broadcast outlets. Olympic hype does not affect me. 'm not going to tune in for the ice skating, skiing, or luge. I would rather watch John Goodman take diet supplements. But even at its worst, the Olympics is still more entertaining than the NBA slam dunk competition. Boom, roasted.

DVR Log Jam

2010-02-11T17:36:00.002-05:00

My Thursday night DVR situation is past ridiculous. I have had to juggle this before, but since The Sarah Silverman program and Important Things with Demetri Martin have started back up it is taking a little bit too much effort. Prioritize this show over that show, record later showing of this show, watch cla supplement commercials. TV, we're supposed to have an understanding that you spread out my favorite shows over different nights so I can view them all. Here's a list of what I'm working with.
Community, Parks and Recreation, Bones (mostly for Rachel,) Fight Science, The Office (solely for Rachel,) 30 Rock, Archer, Burn Notice, Important Things with Demetri Martin, The Sarah Silverman Program, Project Runway (for Rachel only-I just delete it,), and Kitchen Nightmares on BBCA which obviously gets cut. I know. I watch a lot of TV, but only on Thursdays. The rest of the week my viewing is normal. Now that this important topic has been covered...

Once Upon the Time in America

2010-02-10T21:12:00.004-05:00

I just saw this movie for the first time. This movie is long, I mean 'eat your heart out Lord of the Rings' long. Robert De Niro and James Woods star in this epic (in length) picture about young hoodlums who grow up to be mobsters during Prohibition and as adults become something all together different, senior citizens I would rather see pay their Medicare supplement insurance bills than in one more scene of what my dvr told me was a 3 hour and 55 minute run-time. Run-on sentence that! I give anything with De Niro a chance, but that rule got me burned this time. Do not waste your time.

Angry Owls Are Coming to Get You

2010-02-10T09:44:00.005-05:00

Prepare to be freaked out. These owls are not to be trifled with.

I had no idea owls were so ferocious. Why has there been no owl horror movies in the vein of Night of the Lepus been made. Or maybe one has been made of which I am not aware. It would freak me out and I know my wife would like it. Personally I would rather watch a documentary about an age spot remover than a horror movie any day.

Saints Win, But More Importantly, Colts LOSE!

2010-02-08T16:17:00.005-05:00

As a Titans fan, the Colts are my natural enemy. So obviously, seeing Peyton Manning and the Colts bite it last night was pleasurable, even as I was having to endure shushing as the lauded Super Bowl commercials came on. I just shook my head and in my mind yelled, "We are gathered here to watch the game, people." I knew my comments would not make the other people in attendance step back and see that they had been brainwashed into thinking commercials can actually be good. Anyway, the Saints win was pretty cool and if my ankle was normal I would have entertained ideas of driving to New Orleans to party since Google Maps told me I am only 6.5 hours away. The Colts was just as gratifying as if I would have been whooping them with the Titans on Madden on a Nintendo Wii. Still, it is perplexing me that people somehow think that just because the Saints won New Orleans is all better now. That's going to take a decade or two, people, and the city is still below sea level.

Super Bowl Pick

2010-02-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

The Super Bowl betting line is hard to set. The line is boring to bet in the Super Bowl anyway what with the plethora of proposition bets. Those are the bets like the over/under on how long the national anthem will be. They set it at a standard time and you can bet if the singer will take shorter or longer to complete the song. You can bet on who will score the first touchdown. You can bet on who will be the MVP. There are many creative ways to lose money to bookies on the Super Bowl. The line has been around -6, favoring the Colts. To me that line seems like a classic underdog trap. I think Vegas is trying to set people up who both like the Saints a little bit and think they have a good chance at beating that spread and may give New Orleans what I will term as "emotional points." I honestly can not envision a scenario in which the Colts will lose. I think they win by more than 6 points and Peyton Manning will go on to more endorsement deals for the best term life insurance and Godiva chocolate. If I had money to bet it would be on the Colts even as much as I dislike Herman Munster (pictured above.)

Jeff Fisher Gold

2010-02-03T17:23:00.003-05:00

I was watching the NFL Network to catch some of the buzz leading up to the Super Bowl on Sunday, and lo and behold there's Chris Johnson of the Titans being interviewed by Rich Eisen and the guys. Johnson won the FEDEX Ground Player of the Year earlier today so he was on the program to talk about that and the records he broke this year with one of the guys whose record he broke, Marshall Faulk. The interview was going fine until CJ tried to drop a bombshell. He revealed that when the players came in for the gameplan meeting the week of final regular season game the only gameplan was to get Johnson all the records they could, that winning the game was secondary, if not tertiary to helping Chris gets records. As a fan (I realize that means about as much sending photo graduation announcements as opposed to regular ones) I was hoping for the records more than the win too. It's not like they were getting in the playoffs or anything. No sooner than Chris had finished answering that question the camera cuts to an approaching Coach Fisher. Fisher comes on the set and said it wasn't true about him not caring about the win. Then they ask Fisher about the nickname "Every Coach's Dream." They asked if Chris deserved it, and Fisher said not yet. He said, "I want to see how he responds with me splitting carries between Lendale, Javon Ringer, and CJ next year, and then I'll know if he's every coach's dream next year" obviously as a joke. Then they look to Johnson for an answer and he smiles and says no comment. But Fisher's not done there. He turns to Johnson and says, "I heard you want more money next year too (Johnson has let it be known he wants to renegotiate his contract before next year.) I went right by the bank on the way over here maybe we need to talk outside." Then they're all laughing and CJ goes "Yeh, we need to go talk about that." Fisher was busting chops for real. He just took over the set. Awesome.
Here's the link to the video (I would have embedded it, but there was no html on the NFL site I could find.)

Tim Tebow=Vince Young???

2010-01-29T11:37:00.001-05:00

I was watching part of the Senior Bowl practice leading up to the game on Saturday where pro football hopefuls coming out of college get a chance to display some of their skills for coaches and scouts. Tim Tebow has been the major story of the week. What strikes me is Tebow's parallels to Vince Young leading up to the draft are uncanny. Both of their throwing mechanics are in question coming out of college. Both of them were certified winners at the collegiate level but still have questions to be answered concerning their pro game.
A lot has also been made of the intangibles as far as leadership and the ability to win have been central to any discussion about the quarterbacks.
Seeing all of these similarities in the time leading up to their draft and how playing in the NFL has worked out for Vince Young, I can't help but wonder if Tim Tebow's time in the NFL will go down a similar path. He'll make enough money to buy some nice truck accessories and go be a missionary anywhere he wants. Who knows, though? He may end up scoring a 6 on the Wonderlic test too.

Generation Kill

2010-01-26T15:57:00.003-05:00

Stop me if you've seen it, but I just discovered the HBO miniseries Generation Kill. It only has 7 episodes so I will probably be done with it soon since I am just sitting here doing nothing after my ankle surgery. I love a story that provides me with a different perspective, and while someone back home in America is concerned with the side effects of diet pills people in the military are risking their lives. This is a must see. Check out this clip.

Flight of the Conchords: Season 2

2010-01-25T18:03:00.006-05:00

I just got done with season 2 of Flight of the Conchords, and it was all I had hoped for and more. Season 1 and 2 are about equally as funny to me in songs and dialogue. I like that a lot of the humor is subtle. Some comedy has to hit you over the head with a hammer. FOTC kind of taps and pokes you with a foam bat just to make sure you are awake, and they can make adult acne treatment hilarious with a song and some awkward dialogue. I can not wait for the new season of this show to start. O wait, I just found out it was canceled (fifth story down.)

This Was Funny To Me

2010-01-21T17:24:00.005-05:00

I have heard of being rick roll'd, but there is a new form of giving natural colon cleansers to people's pride. It is called being Fresh Princed. Here is a hilarious example.

That is killer. Completely OWNT. It is even funnier that it happened on some sort of religious call in show. I knew a guy that did something similar over the Walmart intercom system one time with similarly hilarious results.

Modern-Day Crisis of Faith

2010-01-20T09:42:00.005-05:00

Nigeria is mostly known for sending us spam about princes with money locked by some means, but riots is the Nigerian city of Jos have left roughly 200 people dead. There have been reports that the riots have now spread to another city, Pankshin. The cause of the riots is where I got the crisis of faith notion. Though reports have not been 100% confirmed, most are saying the riots are between Christians and Muslims, possibly over rebuilding from the last riots between the two groups back in 2008. It left me wondering what Christians may be feeling in that country if they are forced to fight to protect themselves and their families because of their faith. American Christians can't fathom that severe a testing of their faith. They are more concerned with picking up under eye cream for dark circles at the pharmacy on the way home from work than anything happening that far away. It's admirable that people are giving all of this money to Haiti and people go on mission trips for two weeks, but nothing is real to us still.

A Poem That Struck My Fancy

2010-01-18T18:06:00.002-05:00

This poem by John Keats gave me a good emotional colon cleanse today when I read it. Keats was such a good poet.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its lovliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkn'd ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
'Gainst the hot season; the mid-forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.

NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round

2010-01-15T09:26:00.001-05:00

Rex Ryan: my 2nd favorite coach after Jeff Fisher

I didn't post lines for the first round of the playoffs. I picked winners on the beattheinsiders.com website and went 1-3, not too good. I don't think my lines would have been much better. The things that are supposed to matter the most in the playoffs are quarterback and head coaching experience. That didn't bear out in the Patriots-Ravens game, the Jets-Bengals game, or the Eagles-Cowboys game. Those are the three games I got wrong, so maybe I need to reevaluate what I think matters since I did as good picking the winners as the best personal budget software money can buy. Let's see if I can do any better this week.
Saturday, 4:30 EST- FOX
Cardinals @ Saints Saints -6
Saturday, 8:15 EST- CBS
Ravens @ Colts Colts -4
Sunday, 1:00 EST- FOX
Dallas @ Minnesota Minnesota -8
Sunday, 4:40 EST- CBS
Jets @ Chargers Chargers -4

Hmmm.... All home teams. Something tells me I could be wrong on some of these.

NBC Crushes Dreams

2010-01-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

As far as vacations go I have never been much of a theme park person. I'd prefer a quiet mountain cabin or beach motel or to see friends or family. There is one dream vacation I always had. Back when Conan O'Brien was still on the Late Night program taped in New York I always wanted to pick one of the new york budget hotels and see a taping of his show. More recently I have been wanting to do the same in Los Angeles and see him on the Tonight Show. NBC is a dream killer and they don't even realize it. It really is an old school/new school paradigm difference. Leno appeals to old people, not the young demographic. That is why it is so hard for me to understand why they want Leno back in that time slot or want him at all. He's not even funny. So lumber on in ignorance, NBC, as my dreams lay dying.

Conan Is Not Going Quietly

2010-01-12T11:17:00.002-05:00

This Conan O'Brien situation is out of hand, and I am taking it personally as a long-time fan of Conan. One thing you can count on Conan to do is to bring the funny. He has addressed the rumors amply in his last 2 shows with hilarious results. Check out this video below of last night's show and then use your netbooks for something useful. Contact NBC and tell them how they're screwing up here.

Week 17 NFL Lines

2009-12-29T23:26:00.000-05:00

The first week and the last two weeks of the NFL season are the hardest to handicap in my opinion. I have missed the last two weeks, but I am going to give week 17 a shot because I am a glutton for punishment. The last quarter of the season is when the men get separated from the boys. It's when you find out who uses fitness equipment the most in the off season and takes care of their bodies during the season.
Colts at Bills Colts -3
Saints at Panthers Saints -4
Jaguars at Browns Jaguars -2
Eagles at Cowboys Eagles -4
Bears at Lions Bears -4
Patriots at Texans Patriots -5
Steelers at Dolphins Steelers -4
Giants at Vikings Vikings -5
Bengals at Jets Bengals -1
49ers at Rams 49ers -7
Falcons at Buccaneers Falcons -5.5
Packers at Cardinals Cardinals -5
Chiefs at Broncos Broncos -6
Ravens at Raiders Ravens -3
Redskins at Chargers Chargers -8
Titans at Seahawks Titans -5

Fan Playing Tougher Than the Titans on Christmas Night

2009-12-26T21:50:00.001-05:00

Conan is the King of Late Night

2009-12-12T12:29:00.005-05:00

I have been a fan of Conan O'Brien since about his fourth or fifth year hosting his old show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien. I was still in high school when I discovered Conan and have been a fan ever since. I haven't seen every single show over the years, but now and for the past few years through the magic of DVR I catch roughly 98% of his shows. Since he has been on The Tonight Show taking the place of middle-America's favorite bland comedian, Jay Leno, things haven't been going very smooth from a television standpoint. I'm not going to take the time to look this up to be exact, but he has only beaten his CBS counterpart, David Letterman, a few weeks out of the time they have been going head to head for ratings. Most recently Conan won a week in which Letterman was in reruns. But there are so few good things to watch on TV and even fewer good comedy shows I feel it is my duty to be loyal to Conan and sing his praises. Yes, I know my wife and friends sometimes get tired of me talking about bits I have seen on his show from the above video (which is a great late night TV moment- instant classic) to any one of the hilarious to mildly amusing sketches he does on a week-nightly basis, but I do not care. Conan O'Brien is a national treasure, and I would watch him talk about the best weight loss products as opposed to watching Letterman, Kimmel, Fallon, Ferguson, or especially Leno. I think their combined comedic abilities equal about half of Conan's humor. I hope he finds more ratings success and continues with The Tonight Show for decades to come.

Week 14 NFL Lines

2009-12-10T09:50:00.002-05:00

Taking my lines as credible may make for the best fat burner because trying to follow my lines to compare against what Las Vegas or your local bookie has will probably keep you running away from them for fear of having a limb broken.

Steelers at Browns Steelers -7.5
Saints at Falcons Saints -10
Lions at Ravens Ravens -9
Packers at Bears Packers -4
Seahawks at Texans Seahawks -3
Broncos at Colts Colts -6.5
Dolphins at Jaguars Dolphins -4
Bills at Chiefs Chiefs -3
Bengals at Vikings Vikings -7
Panthers at Patriots Patriots -8
Jets at Buccaneers Jets -6
Rams at Titans Titans -5.5
Redskins at Raiders Raiders -2
Chargers at Cowboys Chargers -3
Eagles at Giants Giants -3
Cardinals at 49ers Cardinals -3

Week 13 NFL Lines

2009-12-02T15:32:00.003-05:00

The NFL elite is fairly clear at the top. The Saints dismantling of the Patriots makes things a little more clear as well as the Colt's recent struggles to win. The AFC Championship game will most likely be Patriots-Colts with the Colts winning a close game. The NFC Championship will almost certainly be Vikings versus Saints with Viking's fans looking for the exit signs by the end of the third quarter as the Saints run up the score for a berth to the Super Bowl. In a Saints-Colts Super Bowl I see the Saints winning a fairly close game. With all of that said there is a lot of football left to play.
Jets at Bills (Toronto) Jets -3
Eagles at Falcons Eagles -5
Buccaneers at Panthers Panthers -7
Rams at Bears Bears -8
Lions at Bengals Bengals -11
Titans at Colts Colts -7.5
Texans at Jaguars Texans -2
Broncos at Chiefs Broncos -6.5
Raiders at Steelers Steelers -8
Saints at Redskins Saints -13
Chargers at Browns Chargers -10
Vikings at Cardinals Vikings -9
Cowboys at Giants Giants -4
49ers at Seahawks Seahawks -2
Patriots at Dolphins Patriots -7
Ravens at Packers Packers -3

Week 12 NFL Lines

2009-11-23T17:21:00.002-05:00

The NFL is a little upside down this season. There weren't many upsets earlier in the season, but the Steelers and Bengals were upset on Sunday. I certainly did not see those losses coming. It's a tough league. A player can be a starter one week and be selling cell phones or car accessories the next. The talent is so competitive. Here's my lines this week.
Packers at Lions Packers -11
Raiders at Cowboys Cowboys -9
Giants at Broncos Giants -4
Buccaneers at Falcons Falcons -5.5
Dolphins at Bills Dolphins -4
Browns at Bengals Bengals -10
Colts at Texans Colts -11
Bears at Vikings Vikings -9
Panthers at Jets Jets -6.5
Redskins at Eagles Eagles -7
Seahawks at Rams Seahawks -6
Cardinals at Titans Titans -2
Chiefs at Chargers Chargers -8
Jaguars at 49ers 49ers -6
Steelers at Ravens Ravens -6
Patriots at Saints Saints -5

Product for Bruxism

2009-11-17T15:37:00.004-05:00

Like many people, I grind my teeth in the night, also known as bruxism. A noticeable pattern of wear has developed on my teeth, and I was beginning to get frustrated by it. For that reason, I decided to try out Dentek's dental mouth guard. It works at preventing me from grinding my teeth at night. It takes some getting used to for someone like me who has never worn a retainer or similar product, but it is worth the effort to stop me from grinding my teeth at night. Here's a video I did about it.

This review is a result of a feedback campaign by DenTek Oral Care, Inc. The recipients were asked to give their honest opinion about the product they received. Good reviews were not incentivized and poor reviews will not be censored for their opinion of the product.

Week 11 NFL Lines

2009-11-16T22:03:00.002-05:00

My Titans are making a statement over the past three weeks. They are finally beating teams they are supposed to beat. No one on the team is earning cancun deals or days off period, but they have been playing better. Last week had a lot of upsets which have been severely lacking this year. That means Vegas had a good week. Here's where I would put the lines for this week.
Dolphins at Panthers Dolphins -4
Colts at Ravens Colts -7.5
Redskins at Cowboys Cowboys -8
Browns at Lions Lions -2
49ers at Packers Packers -4
Bills at Jaguars Jaguars -5
Steelers at Chiefs Steelers -11
Seahawks at Vikings Vikings -7
Falcons at Giants Giants -4
Saints at Buccaneers Saints -11
Cardinals at Rams Cardinals -8
Chargers at Broncos Chargers -9
Jets at Patriots Patriots -6
Bengals at Raiders Bengals -13
Eagles at Bears Bears -2
Titans at Texans Titans -3

New House

2009-11-12T11:16:00.004-05:00

We've finally got everything in the new house. Rural living is taking some adjustment, but we both like it so far. Every room was painted. All our stuff is in the house now, and while there's no room for ping pong tables, we really love the house. All that's left is unpacking and arranging our stuff. That's that hardest part, honestly.

Week 10 NFL Lines

2009-11-11T15:08:00.002-05:00

Football betting lines are designed to most of the time to induce equal action on both sides of the bet (at least that is what I am told.) I don't always do that with my lines that I set for fun. Sometimes I set the line hoping most people would bet one side that the average fan will see as a discrepancy. That is why my picks are never printed and if they were ever accidentally printed you would want to immediately apply Anilox roll cleaning to the press so my bad picks would be sure not jinx later pick printings. Enough self-deprecation.

Bears at 49ers Bears -2
Falcons at Panthers Falcons -6
Buccaneers at Dolphins Dolphins -6.5
Lions at Vikings Vikings -10
Jaguars at Jets Jets -7.5
Bengals at Steelers Steelers -3
Saints at Rams Saints -16
Bills at Titans Titans -5
Broncos at Redskins Broncos -7
Chiefs at Raiders Raiders -2
Seahawks at Cardinals Cardinals -4
Cowboys at Packers Packers -3
Eagles at Chargers Chargers -4
Patriots at Colts Colts -4
Ravens at Browns Ravens -8

Closing

2009-10-27T20:30:00.002-04:00

We are closing on our first house tomorrow. The process has been relatively easy... a little too easy. Duh Duh Duh... Then up pops a problem. I can't get cable or dsl internet where we are at. Our new location definitely qualifies as rural. We looked at one location with a small lake where I envisioned us farm-raising catfish with pond pumps for aeration and everything. O well, I think there will be some good hunting around where we are. And most importantly, it will be our house. Awesome

Week 8 NFL Lines

2009-10-26T17:43:00.002-04:00

I'm no more a business plan writer than I am a football handicapper. I do these picks for fun only. I'm not doing great this year, but I am still having fun setting these odds.
Broncos at Ravens Ravens -3
Texans at Bills Texans -4
Browns at Bears Bears -10
Seahawks at Cowboys Cowboys -3
Rams at Lions Lions -3
Vikings at Packers Vikings -6.5
49ers at Colts Colts -12
Dolphins at Jets Jets -5
Jaguars at Titans Titans -4
Raiders at Chargers Chargers -14
Panthers at Cardinals Cardinals -9.5
Giants at Eagles Giants -6.5
Falcons at Saints Saints -8

Week 7 NFL Lines

2009-10-19T22:55:00.004-04:00

I would probably do better at shipping boxes than NFL handicapping. After last week, I must reiterate I do this only for fun. Hopefully this week will be more fun.

Green Bay at Cleveland Green Bay -6
San Diego at Kansas City San Diego -8
Indianapolis at St. Louis Indianapolis -12
Minnesota at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh -4
New England at Tampa Bay New England -13
San Francisco at Houston San Fransisco -1
Buffalo @ Carolina Carolina -4
NY Jets at Oakland NY Jets -5
Atlanta at Dallas Atlanta -3
Chicago at Cincinnati Cincinnati -2
New Orleans at Miami New Orleans -7.5
Arizona at NY Giants NY Giants -8
Philadelphia at Washington Philadelphia -9

Week 6 NFL Lines

2009-10-12T21:24:00.003-04:00

Most weeks of NFL football I would need appetite suppressants to avoid downing wings, french fries, and pizza rolls. This week, however, I will most likely need anti-nausea medicine. Not only are my Titans trying to reverse the record they had last year (going from 13-3 to 3-13), but there are also some real crappy games between bad teams this week.

St. Louis @ Jacksonville Jacksonville -3

Baltimore @ Minnesota Baltimore -3

Detroit @ Green Bay Green Bay -6

Houston @ Cincinnati Cincinnati -5

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh Pittsburgh -9

Kansas City @ Washington Washington -4

Carolina @ Tampa Bay Carolina -3

New York Giants @ New Orleans New Orleans -4

Arizona @ Seattle Seattle -4

Philadelphia @ Oakland Philadelphia -10

Buffalo @ New York Jets New York Jets -7.5

Tennessee @ New England New England -9.5

Chicago @ Atlanta Atlanta -5

Denver @ San Diego San Diego -4

Week 5 NFL Lines

2009-10-09T11:40:00.003-04:00

Week 5 NFL Lines
It's hard picking against my Titans, but the way this season is going I don't see a way they can beat Indy.
Cleveland at Buffalo Buffalo -3
Dallas at Kansas City Dallas -8
Minnesota at St. Louis Minnesota -8
Oakland at NY Giants NY Giants -9
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia Philadelphoa -7.5
Pittsburgh at Detroit Pittsburgh -9
Washington at Carolina Carolina -4
Cincinnati at Baltimore Baltimore -5
Atlanta at San Francisco San Fransisco -2
Jacksonville at Seattle Seattle -3
Houston at Arizona Arizona -4
New England at Denver New England -5
Indianapolis at Tennessee Indianapolis -7
NY Jets at Miami NY Jets -4

Rally Mode?

2009-10-08T12:50:00.002-04:00

The market has been on an uptick recently. I have been predicting slow, even meandering growth for the next year or two because frankly there was nowhere to go but up. The Dow is around 10,000 again and the S&P is just under 1100. Both levels are hugely significant psychologically, but the charts of my individual holdings are what have been jumping off the screen of my Sony Vaio. So the overall market seems to be in a good place mentally and emotionally, and my individual stocks are killing it right now. It's all a little too good to be true.

McDonald's Lights up America

2009-10-05T17:15:00.001-04:00

Each light on this map represents a McDonald's. Look at that. On some points you can hardly see any black poking through. That's a lot of coverage for one company. In recent years MCD has begun to expand more fervently in China and other countries because the growth here is nearly tapped out. Not so however, for the local pharmacies that sell the best acne treatments. The grease and sugar McDonald's provides to its consumers will ensure sustainability for those companies for many years to come.

Week 4 NFL Lines

2009-10-02T15:18:00.002-04:00

I love the NFL. I enjoy it so much I take the time to set my own betting lines on the game. I also enjoy the stuffing of my face with food each Sunday. I should also probably enjoy a whole bottle of diet pills on Monday, but I digress. On to my lines.
Detroit @ Chicago Chicago -8
Cincinnati @ Cleveland Cincinnati -5
Oakland @ Houston Houston -7
Seattle @ Indianapolis Indianapolis -8.5
Tennessee @ Jacksonville Tennessee -4
New York Giants @ Kansas City Giants -9
Baltimore @ New England Baltimore -2
Tampa Bay @ Washington Tampa Bay -4
Buffalo @ Miami Buffalo -3
New York Jets @ New Orleans New Orleans -9.5
Dallas @ Denver Denver -2
St. Louis @ San Fransisco San Fransisco -8
San Diego @ Pittsburgh Pittsburgh -9
Green Bay @ Minnesota Minnesota -10

Week 3 NFL Lines

2009-09-23T16:27:00.001-04:00

Kansas City Chiefs @ Philadelphia Eagles Eagles -4
Green Bay Packers @ St. Louis Rams Packers -7
San Fransisco 49ers @ Minnesota Vikings Vikings -8
Tennessee Titans @ New York Jets Jets -2
Atlanta Falcons @ New England Patriots Patriots -6.5
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans Texans -6.5
New York Giants @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers Giants -4
Washington Redskins @ Detroit Lions Redskins -3
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens Ravens -6
Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks Seahawks -4
New Orleans Saints @ Buffalo Bills Saints -10
Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers Chargers -5.5
Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders Broncos -6
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinatti Bengals Steelers -6.5
Indianapolis Colts @ Arizona Cardinals Colts -4
Carolina Panthers @ Dallas Cowboys Cowboys -8

Emmy's Get It Better Than Most Award Shows I Think

2009-09-21T12:22:00.002-04:00

The Emmy's were last night. The shows I love are rarely given credit or awards, but the Emmy awards generally do a better job than the Oscars. If the Oscars had an award for the best acne treatment they would give to Equate (Walmart generic) brand. I like some of the shows that got recognized at the Emmy's. For instance: 30 Rock got the Emmy for best comedy series and best writing in a comedy series. Cherry Jones got a best supporting actress in a drama series for her role as president in 24. I guess Kiefer Sutherland has gotten too many Emmy's for Jack Bauer so he's not allowed to have any more. Alec Baldwin got the award for best supporting actor in a comedy series. Toni Collette won best actress in a comedy series for her role in The United States of Tara which I have not seen every episode of so far, but the ones I did were excellent.
Flight of the Conchords was snubbed, but even though that show is awesome I understand it's hard to give them an Emmy. The same goes for Sarah Silverman- awesome, but hard to give her an Emmy. Hugh Laurie has the same problem as Kiefer in winning too many awards in prior years. Generation Kill got snubbed. And the Daily Show is so mean-spirited I don't think they deserved the Emmy. Of the nominees, Saturday Night Live should have won, but Conan should have been nominated and won for his last season on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Oh well.

Week 2 NFL Lines

2009-09-17T01:46:00.005-04:00

I like to set NFL betting lines for my own fun and entertainment only. I missed week one, but that just helps me have a better perspective for week two. It's better than picking out the top diet pills.

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans Tennessee -7.5
New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles New Orleans -8
Arizona Cardinals @ Jacksonville Jaguars Arizona -3
Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City -5
Cincinnati Bengals @ Green Bay Packers Green Bay -5.5
Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions Minnesota -9
St. Louis Rams @ Washington Redskins Washington -2.5
New England Patriots @ New York Jets New York -1
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons Atlanta -6.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills Tampa Bay -3
Seattle Seahawks @ San Fransisco 49ers Seattle -4
Baltimore Ravens @ San Diego Chargers San Diego -3
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears Pittsburgh -6
Cleveland Browns @ Denver Broncos Denver -6.5
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys Dallas -3
Indianapolis Colts @ Miami Dolphins Indianapolis -7

What Will the Government Not Try to Railroad Through?

2009-09-03T14:16:00.002-04:00

There has been a lot of things being pushed on us as Americans lately. Add this to the list. A bill proposed in the Senate would give the president emergency control of the internet. What does that even mean? What if in case America becomes too fat the president has the power to inject us with best weight loss supplement? This is a very well written article by Vidette Online. Read it and be very afraid.

Where's Oil Headed Now?

2009-08-27T12:23:00.001-04:00

I made the call a few months ago that we would see crude oil futures trade up to $75 in mid-to-late July and then retrace back to around $65 a barrel before beginning another slow and not-so-steady climb. That prediction has pretty much borne out the way I thought it would. So I'm feeling froggy and ready to make another prediction. As with with any prediction or weight loss diet pills results may vary and are not typical. I'm going to go out on a short limb and say oil will be $77-$80 by the end of September. That is still in line with my slow climb theory. And I am still long the USO.

Laptop Problems Stink

2009-08-17T10:07:00.004-04:00

Laptop problems are always twice as hard to deal with as opposed to a desktop computer where everything is spaced out and easily accessible. I've had to replace the ddr RAM on my laptop before, and while it wasn't extremely difficult, it wasn't as easy as putting more RAM in a desktop. This time my keyboard isn't working correctly. So I've bought a new laptop keyboard on ebay for $19, and I have to wait for that to ship to do some painful computer surgery.

Status: Economy

2009-08-13T10:09:00.003-04:00

Two stories I read in the news this morning show the current state of the economy. Walmart Earnings Better than Expected and U.S. retail sales unexpectedly fall 0.1 percent in July. So, Walmart is doing better than the average economy. Let us extrapolate from their that the economy is still sluggish, and people are in trade down mode. Walmart is definitely not making profits on candle sconces, more likely they are staying afloat on food and health and beauty products would be my guess. Whatever Walmart's means, I expect their stock price to buoy/go higher over the next 6 months.

Giving Him the Business

2009-08-09T00:30:00.001-04:00

Funny video

Crazy Video

2009-08-05T14:43:00.003-04:00

I saw this video on Youtube of a fullback out of Hawaii who does a pretty cool trick in a weight room. Not a huge dead lift or military press, but running through a wall. I've never fit that into any workout I've done before. It's a good thing his friends had one of those digital camcorders handy to capture him running through the wall. His name is Reagan Maui'a and he was just signed by the Arizona Cardinals. He does use some NSFW language in the video, but who wouldn't after being so pumped up from doing what he just did.

Training Camp Time

2009-08-02T22:50:00.001-04:00

Training Camp time.
Chris Johnson and Lendale White

100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time? Child, Please.

2009-07-27T10:16:00.000-04:00

This list from TV guide is not meant to be the 100 greatest TV shows of all time, but with such a huge undertaking there's bound to be disagreements. And, of course, with my being so young and this list spanning decades I'm bound to have not seen some of the shows at all, much less the specific episodes. My favorites make the list, though- X-Files, The Shield, 24, The Simpsons, I've always loved All in the Family and have many shows since it's still in syndication, 30 Rock, The Wire, OF COURSE Scrubs and they picked a great episode, Family Guy, and I am impressed they included and episode of My So-Called Life. I could spend a few weeks and come up with my list, but let's just suffice it to say that whoever came up with this list and anyone else for that matter is wearing a tuxedo shirt compared to Armani suit of TV criticism/appreciation. Here's a link to another blog that posted about it.
http://lam oltihalstein.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/tv-guides-100-best-episodes-of-all-time/

Career Development

2009-07-26T10:07:00.002-04:00

I hear about a lot of people going back to school recently for project management or a Masters in organizational development. I see the value in these two fields of study, especially organizational development. It seems that a company that was looking to develop internal candidates at a higher tier. You can get those potential leaders more education and a chance to carry the company in the future. Gonzaga seems to have a nice program, and to me it would more attractive since they are on the west coast and I have always lived on the east coast. I have always heard that going to school in different regions enhances the educational process. I wonder how much of their program you can do online.

My Favorite GM

2009-07-23T10:33:00.000-04:00

This story is another layer in my unfolding love affair with Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt. I'm so happy the Titans let Floyd Reese go. I had been calling for that move for years, but I digress. Our drafts have been better and the contracts have been arranged better because we have a good general manager making decisions. I'm convinced that if Mike Reinfeldt ran an rv towing business it would be the most efficient, well-oiled machine of a business the world has ever seen. I hope the Titans keep him around a long time.

Footwork Video

2009-07-21T09:15:00.003-04:00

Click on this video. It wouldn't let me embed this video because they had that feature disabled on youtube.
Let me see...
1. Reasons I need to quit trying to dance.
2. Jello legs much?
3. Verily, Verily, tis real in these streets.
4. Every time that kid comes over the track and says "This track is bangin'" I want to throw a Kettlebell through a wall. That is so hot that will be the first phrase I am going to teach my kid.
5. I did like the tone it took at the end where it was more battle dancing.

My Most Favoritest Time of the Year

2009-07-16T11:06:00.003-04:00

Fantasy football season is starting to heat up. I killed two mock drafts yesterday. I'm doing my first real draft in an ESPN league right now. To most wives, they would rather have mesothelioma than a husband who plays fantasy football, but we don't all get to decide our fate. The best part of fantasy football is all pf the rubes that draft like the Jaguars. That is why I like to do live drafts because all of the newbs are so prone to making mistakes or following the computer rankings. I plan to own again this year in all of my leagues. It's too easy.

Last Full Day in Florida

2009-07-10T09:28:00.003-04:00

I moving to rural Alabama. I will always miss the hot summers and the mild winters Florida has provided me for the past 9 years. Alabama holds for me woods, hills, and a lake. It's not like I'm some sort of beach bum, but I like having the option to go to the beach. O well, Alabama will be great. I will be giving a less testoripped review of things since everything is just a little bit more relaxed.

Steve McNair Dead

2009-07-04T17:10:00.003-04:00

One of the greatest players in Titans' history has reportedly been killed. RIP

Burn 'Em

2009-06-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

This guy's tough on crime.

http://mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/FullArticle/CODD/noddlyEnoughNews_uUSTRE5515SW20090602?src=RSS-ODD

Burn 'em.

Gun Propoganda Posters

2009-06-23T10:38:00.001-04:00

Great sentiments.

Iranian Turmoil

2009-06-21T12:57:00.003-04:00

Out of turmoil always comes great art. This video of a tearful poem read by a woman in Iran is one of the truest pieces you will hear for a long time. All of the strife in the streets of Iran come through this woman's voice, and it's sadly beautiful. This isn't one of those holiday invitations greeting cards that pass for writing in this day and age. The situation in her country right now is sad, but out of it has come some truly meaningful art.

The New Tonight Show

2009-06-04T16:13:00.000-04:00

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien debuted this week, and I cannot be any happier. It has honestly been hard without being able to see Conan on the air these past few months. Conan hosting the tonight show just feels right, and he's still himself on the air. It may be just my perception, but it looks as if Conan may be taking some sort of diet supplement or what, but he is looking skinny too. It may be the pressure from this big transition, but Conan, you need to eat something. Stay healthy so you can continue influencing my comedic sensibilities for many years to come.

Hitting Switches

2009-05-30T20:04:00.003-04:00

I'm entertaining the idea of adding one to two switches to my technology arsenal. I'm thinking of adding either a lag switch or a KVM switch. The lag switch is a little bit of a project. Here's a video from Household Hacker that breaks it down very well.

I could use a lag switch for gaming or I could buy a kvm switch for multimedia purposes. It's a weird place to have a TV with a PC/hdmi hookup, know it's there all the time and never get around to taking full advantage of it by utilizing network storage and my computer to watch videos and movies on the TV instead of the computer. I don't know which one to deicde on. Who knows what I'll do...

12%???

2009-05-29T16:45:00.002-04:00

I caught this on CNBC yesterday. The bottom line I took away from this report was that 12% of home loans are behind. I am not familiar enough with this data to be shocked by it. 12% sounds like a lot, but it doesn't sound like "jump out of the window a lot." If I had to guess I would say the normal number would be at 6% for all loans. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if people aren't out buying new copper sinks, but I also don't think everything is as dire as it is made out to be by the media.

Ridin' On Chrome

2009-05-22T20:25:00.003-04:00

I finally broke down and downloaded Google Chrome on my work computer when I was trying to give technical support to someone the other day. I only downloaded Google's new internet browser to help them, but I decided to keep it on that computer to try it out for a while. I wanted to give it a test since I've had experience with every other main browser out there with the exception of Opera, but who uses that, really? I want to be careful to not praise it too much since I've only been using it for 3 days and part of what makes it seem so nice is because it's new, but so far I'm impressed. I can tell a difference in the various internet browsers, just like people who do pressure washing can probably tell the difference between the various models of pressure washers. The ultimate test to me was my email. I use hotmail primarily for my personal email and have for around 7 years, and the recent upgrades hotmail has done to their email have left internet explorer in the lurch because hotmail has crashed/frozen on me more times than I can recall. Firefox doesn't crash when I use hotmail, but it will freeze briefly sometimes. So far Chrome is handling hotmail like a champ. I'm impressed, but I'm also embarrassed for Microsoft that a rival company made a browser that handles one of their major products better than them. It's sad really.

Obama Youth

2009-05-16T11:57:00.003-04:00

With President Obama's call for a national civil service where citizens would be required to serve the government for a period of time I can't help but have images of 1984, Brave New World, and Hitler youth. I didn't see the third one until recently when I read this story where youths are training to be future government thugs. If these kids want to learn things, let's teach them science and music, and how to stay in shape- they could learn guitar or learn how a drug works by doing a nuphedra review. They don't need to learn how to take down a perp. The tone of the article seems to reek with a stirring of extreme nationalism. I love my country, but there is a balance to be maintained- America is not a god.

Congressional Pimp Slap

2009-05-07T19:42:00.004-04:00

Most of the time I am underwhelmed by our Congressional leaders. This video is an example of a representative who came to play, knew what he was talking about, and did not allow the person he was interviewing to use double talk to get off the hook and avoid answering his questions.

I get the sense that some of our Congressional leaders are starting to get that we the people are tired of being people who are easily lied to, that we are not interested in being as gullible as people who would buy from a used rv salesman. There is a groundswell that our representatives are having a hard time ignoring as evidenced by the number of co-sponsors that have put their names as co-sponsors on this bill, HR 1207. We are demanding accountability, and the Congressmen gets it.

Theft

2009-05-07T19:00:00.000-04:00

Yeh, I need free money too.

Swine Flu Fears

2009-04-30T19:38:00.003-04:00

Are we easily distracted or what? Just a week or so ago people were having tea parties, questioning our governments handling of the various crises we have on our plates as a people. All that was needed was a little swine flu to get us off track. Not to diminish the threat of swine flu, but will we ever know it's origin? It may be harder than tracing Mesothelioma lawyers career paths. I did see this website which was good for a quick laugh. It's important to hear all sides of an issue, so I recommend watching this video also.

Department of Homeland Alarmism

2009-04-24T16:51:00.002-04:00

This report published by the Department of Homeland Security about possible right-wing extremism by soldiers returning from war or people unhappy at how things are going at home is more than troubling. I would categorize it as alarming. According to the report not only are people who are concerned over losing their 2nd amendment rights and who don't approve of illegal immigration flagged as potential terrorists, people who support third-party political candidates like Ron Paul or Bob Barr and have bumper stickers supporting them could also be possible domestic terrorists. So if someone buys Merrell shoes, has a few guns, and lives in the hills they are one step away from being a terrorist? Not likely. Hey, Homeland Security- nice report. You may as well put me on a list because I like that the Bill of Rights includes the right to keep and bear arms. I believe this country should have eased restrictions and an easier process for legal immigration, and I would like to express that I don't think the government does everything right. Really DHS? Really?

More Proof Reinfeldt was a Good Choice for GM of the Titans

2009-04-21T10:30:00.004-04:00

Reinfeldt on the right

I saw this article the other day about GM Mike Reinfeldt and his approach to the draft. It really makes me wish the Titans had gotten rid of Floyd Reese sooner. Reese couldn't manage a pool toys store, much less an NFL franchise. That's not to say Floyd never made good picks. He did have some good ones. The new GM seems to have set a new tone for the team, though. And his first two drafts have been great. I hope for more success in this year's draft.

Titans 2009-2010 Schedule Released

2009-04-14T21:06:00.003-04:00

The NFL released the team schedules for the 2009-2010 season, and surprise, surprise, the Titans have FOUR nationally televised games this year. So the league gave the team their props for last year. I'm getting in football mood already.

Titans' Draft MO

2009-04-11T09:35:00.004-04:00

Pictured above: The worst draft bust in Titans' history

I think one reason I like the Titans so much is they are so utilitarian and rational in their approach to operating a team. A great example of their modus operandi is the draft. It has already been documented how the Titans have a pattern of using their first round pick for offense one year and defense the next. We rarely make a big splash unless we're forced to (Vince), and we all see how that one worked out. We usually draft at least one receiver in rounds 3-5. They think defensive tackle or end in either round 3, 5 or 6.
The overall approach is to take the best available player on the team's draft board when they are up to pick, but it seems like the team usually drafts a cornerback in rounds 5-7. In round 2 I can't say that I see a consistent trend so I think the draft decision makers tend to take the best available player. I think overall the past few drafts for the Titans have been graded poorly by the "expert analysts" in the media, but have worked out well for the team in the long run.

Congratulations to Me

2009-04-09T15:31:00.001-04:00

My wife and I just accomplished something harder than a heroin addict only having to go to drug rehab once to keep off heroin. We paid off a major debt. Debt is a major problem for people everywhere these days, and it feels good to get out from under the shadow of a debt we have paying on since we got married. What a great feeling. I was looking around, and I found this page on the Federal Trade Commission about debt that had some good basic information. Now I'm inspired to pay down some more debt.

Grim Prediction for America's Future

2009-03-31T11:45:00.000-04:00

I've been sitting on this link for a while so it is old news, but still scary. Gerald Celente, the CEO of Trends Research Institute, has made some huge predictions before that have come true so this prediction does have some credence. Generally, I think people in America are too positive about the economy recovering in a short period. People are honestly walking around right now thinking the housing market is going to bounce right back to where it was a few years ago and shoot past it. How ridiculous is that false hope? I'm going to go into debt in order to line my closet with new tuxedos and my garage with new cars because everything will be fine.
Mr Celente is predicting food riots, tax rebellions, and the general breakdown of Western Civilization, at least in America to happen around 2012. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the collapse of our society is coming. I don't expect it that soon, though. That doesn't mean that I am not already preparing for the possibility of civil unrest and advising everyone I know to do the same.

Hoovervilles Are Upon Us!

2009-03-28T13:08:00.000-04:00

It has finally happened. And it happened just as I began to get more positive on the market. I'm not necessarily positive on housing or the economy in general, but the market is a leading indicator as shown by most of the recessions in our history. The market has begun to turn ever so slowly, but I have to consider all information available. This new information is scary. The fact that are shanty-towns/ Hoovervilles (named after Herbert Hoover) beginning to pop up makes me think the housing market specifically is going to take longer to turn than I and many others thought. Part of the problem is the notion perpetrated by people in real estate that has trickled down to the average American with the help of the media that house prices are going to jump back up to pre-recession levels. That is just too positive. I cannot understand how people can be that positive with all of the carnage left in the wake of the subprime crisis. This tent-city story is proof. As long as our political leaders continue to rubber stamp bad spending/bailout bills the downturn will likely continue.

Gun Posters

2009-03-24T21:47:00.001-04:00

A friend sent me these gun propaganda posters, and I thought they were pretty cool.

Good Quote

2009-03-22T15:03:00.002-04:00

I like quotes. Here's one I came across recently.

"When peoples care for you and cry for you, they can straighten out your soul."

-Langston Hughes, from his short story "Last Whipping"

Stewart Vs. Cramer- The Climax

2009-03-13T16:04:00.005-04:00

Yes, as a Cramer fan, it was painful. Stewart got Cramer on his home turf and debated videos of Cramer and tarred and feathered him based on a small sampling of what Cramer is and does. Stewart is too stupid (or his writers and producers are) to realize they should be applauding Cramer for what he's tried to do since he's been on the air. Cramer's not perfect, and he has made a lot of mistakes, but to make him the ire of Jon Stewart's infantile rage that comes out of a feeble understanding of the facts is not right either. I could go on about this for a while. Cramer's the only one who would come on and talk about this with Stewart. Could you imagine Dick Fuld or Henry Paulson doing the same thing? No, because they're the guilty ones, and Cramer's not. Everyone is just looking for someone to assign blame. Cramer is not that person. People that listen to Cramer and follow him blindly and buy whatever he recommends without discretion have what I like to call a "them problem." The market is not an easy thing, but Cramer does more to teach the average person than anyone else. I and many other people would know nothing about the market, and I can honestly say not having the knowledge I have about the market, I would be much more fearful about the fallout from the current market conditions.
Here's the video from the exchange:

In the past I have only felt a general dislike toward Jon Stewart's style of comedy or as he calls it, snake oil. Really, I'd rather purchase annual travel insurance than watch The Daily Show normally, but now I feel motivated to watch just so I can point out where Jon Stewart is wrong. He's on my list.

Some People in Government Have a Socialist Agenda

2009-03-12T17:18:00.003-04:00

It is a fact that some people in the U.S. government have socialist agendas. Here is proof:

The maker of this video blames it on Democrats only, but I do not believe that is the truth. I think socialization/more control is the agenda of all the global elite regardless of political party affiliation. We will soon be trained to no longer aspire to nice things like Vegas vacations, but to seek only to please the State and call each other comrade. Well, America had a good run, albeit a short one.

Green Bullets? Not Bloody Likely

2009-03-08T16:35:00.003-04:00

I read this story about hunters starting to use "green bullets" while hunting. While I don't see a problem with people choosing to use copper or other materials in bullets (whatever puts holes in what you want holes in, right?) I can foresee this eventually being leveraged into not allowing anyone to use lead bullets anymore. It's sad that the issue of gun control has gotten to the point where the NRA and other gun rights advocacy groups cannot afford to pick their battles anymore but instead has to push back on each and every issue so gun control lobbyists and other anti-gun groups don't gain an easy inch anywhere at any time. If there was an increase in gun crime in luxury hotel rooms, an anti-gun group will turn that into a bill they will get someone in state or federal Congress to sponsor that will outlaw anyone from having a gun in a hotel room anymore. That measure would not help the enforcement and punishment of the law necessarily, but there will be another law on the books that people who want to obey the law will take into consideration but people who have no regard for the law will ignore. Mission Accomplished!?!?!?!?!

Is Google a Friend to Net Neutrality?

2009-03-06T15:47:00.002-05:00

News broke a few weeks ago that was largely overlooked informing us that Google was going to dedicate servers and other resources toward determining whether ISP's are blocking or limiting certain internet traffic. The ideal of net neutrality is an ideal that's as important to me as Flowering trees are to a horticulturist. That Google is on the side of keeping the internet open is good, even though I do not trust them to make this a long-term commitment. It is nice that Google is on my side for now, but in the future they will become bigger proponents of tiered internet surfing as it becomes better for their bottom line.

Titans Making Moves

2009-03-05T13:18:00.004-05:00

The Titans recently announced they signed Nate Washington (WR) and Jovan Haye (DT). Both acquisitions are positives, but the Nate Washington signing is an especially big deal. He's going to be making enough money where he won't have to buy discount bath fixtures at his residence in Tennessee. On this signing, I'm not having flashes back to Carl Pickens. Tennessee has made several attempts over the years to bring in veteran receivers who ended up being past their prime or ineffective, but the difference with Nate Washington is he still has some youth. He's only 27. I look for some nice production from him next year.

Another Scary Prediction?

2009-03-04T13:22:00.002-05:00

The dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry's diplomatic academy, Igor Panarin, has been quoted as saying he thinks the United States will fail as soon as 2010. Yeh, and Kruschev said he would crush us too. We've heard this sort of rhetoric before, but is this the run of the mill anti-West propaganda or is it academically informed? The truth is most likely somewhere in the middle. Western civilization is crumbling, but 2010 is a little soon in my opinion. We might make it until 2025. That doesn't mean I'm not buying ammo now, though. The focus for people in America definitely needs to turn from Leptorexin to peanut butter and surplus toilet paper.

Dow 6000 a Very Real Possibility

2009-03-02T21:23:00.001-05:00

I did not think the market would fall through the November lows, but sure enough we did. The last five trading sessions have had an overall feeling of apocalyptic. No one knows where all the bailout money is going and traders know it. AIG has shows they are too incompetent to even put up a PVC fence, much less insure anyone or anything. The times are beginning to call for storing up food and ammo supplies instead of dollar cost averaging.

Insane Video

2009-02-21T10:27:00.003-05:00

Wow. This is a brawl that broke out at an Alabama high school basketball game. They love their basketball in Alabama- passionately.

Conan Go Bye-Bye, for Now

2009-02-19T09:59:00.003-05:00

This week is the last week of shows with Conan O'Brien hosting in the current Late Night slot. I know Jimmy Fallon will be taking over for him in that slot, and while I plan to give Fallon a fair chance no matter what I think of him from his SNL days, no one can replace Conan. I know I'm not completely losing Conan, but I just found out he's not going to come back on the air until June. June! What am I supposed to do until then, harvest Blackberry plants? The whole situation worries me because the past few weeks I feel like Conan is softening us up for a lot of changes when he gets to L.A. The next three months will be sad for sure.