Over the past few days, I have done some research and some soul seaching and have been able to answer some very important questions. In order to save you the time and effort of coming to these answers yourself, I thought I'd share:
1. PETSMART - Is it pronounced Pets Mart, or Pet Smart? The same question was posed by Larry the Cable Guy in his stand up routine when he asked if the school his friend's kid went to was Hank Williams Junior High School or Hank Williams Jr. High School. Jessica and I have posed the question to ourselves a few times in jest. Well, we went to PETSMART Friday before going to see the Harry Potter movie. We got our dog some treats and a new collar. While checking out, I was overwhelmed with the urge o pose the question to the cashier, "So, is it Pets Mart, or Pet Smart?" I was totally being silly and joking around by posing this question. Little did I know that I was going to get an answer. The girl said, "I'm pretty sure that it's Pet Smart." She turned to her manager and asked, "Didn't it just change or something?" and the Manager replied, "Yes. It was Pets Mart, but it is now Pet Smart. They change the 's' from lower to upper case." So, there you go. The answer to that age old question.
2. Farts are not to be used as fore play (This could also be called "Why Eric should not drink wine while gassy) - During my extremely gay TV night of watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy (I justify the last two shows because of the hot women in the cast, but I have no excuse for Home Edition) I was drinking some wine. I had a frustrating day with the kids and the wine was helping me relax a bit. The thought of having sexual relations crossed my mind, which happens alot when I drink. Well, I was taking Gabriel up to bed and Jessica came in the room. I felt some pressure in the back side area, so I (drunkenly, remember) pointed and fired. The result, one of those multi tonal, HI-larious farts that make everyone in the room laugh like crazy. I laughed like crazy, Gabriel laughed like crazy, Jessica, alas, did NOT laugh like crazy. The exact quote was, "Well, YOU aren't getting any tonight." DAMN! Well, I was mad because 1. no sex and 2. it was so fucking funny that I did not understand the problem. Anyway, this answers the question I posed long ago about whether or not farts are OK during sex. Apparently, they are not even OK hours before sex.
3. Buckeye Bowling - Looks like they will probably go to the Orange Bowl or Fiesta Bowl. Their Likely opponent, Notre Dame. Looks like I may get my wish. We'll find out for sure this weekend.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Harry Disappointment
So, last night my parents were in town, so they said that they'd watch the kids and let Jessica and I go out for an evening. Of course, we took them up on the offer. She ad I went to El Vacaro, a Mexican place, for dinner and we then went to the local movie theater to watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I have been looking forward to this movie for some time. I was a bit worried because I had heard that a lot of stuff from the book, that I deemed important to the story, was going to be cut from the movie. Well, my worries were well founded. I should have known it was going to go wrong when we entered the theater and noticed how dirty it was. There was pop corn everywhere, the floors were sticky, and the bathrooms were foul. We're never going there again. All in all, the movie was entertaining. The effects were good and the action sequences were exciting. However, I did not like this movie as well as I have liked the previous films. If you check out the comments in my last post, Rinnert nailed it by saying that the editing was bad and the story was really choppy. Especially at the beginning. You go from walking to the portkey, to the Quidditch World Cup camp ground, to the World Cup match (which they didn't show at all), to inside the tent after the match, to the Death Eaters appearance, and then to Hogwarts all in about ten minutes. Well, it seemed like ten minutes, but it was probably longer. If you have never read the books, you didn't miss much, because the meat and potatoes of the story was all there. However, a lot of the sub plots and small details, that make this one of the best books in the series, are missing. All in all, it was an OK movie. I'm sure we'll get the DVD and watch it several times, just like the last three movies. The problem is that the books are getting longer and more detailed, so it is impossible to fit all of the story in a 2 1/2 hour movie. What they should have dont is make it a double feature and throw an intermission in the middle. I would sit through four hours of a movie if it means getting the story done properly.
Here's what was missing (Don't read farther if you don't want any spoilers):
1. No Mrs. Weasley. She plays a pretty big roll in the book. Not so much in the plot, but mostly as a mother figure for Harry and a lot of humor.
2. No Dursleys. The book starts out with Harry in the Dursley home and a hilarious sceen of the entire Weasley clan busting in on them. Ton Tongue Toffee..Nuff said.
3. The Quidditch World cup was shortened greatly. In the book Krum was made out as one of the heros of the match, adding to his reputation and character. Also, there is a lot of changes in what exactly happens at the match and you miss out on some background of some important Ministry of Magic caracters. Yes, the Death Eaters show up, but are scared away when a house elf, under the Imperious Curse, sets off the Dark Mark using Harry's wand (she had stolen it).
4. The book has a lot more with Rita Skeeter and the stories she gets from Hogwarts, even though she is not allowed on school grounds. Hermione is the target of several of the stories and gets her revenve at the end (another missing detail in the movie).
5. No house elves what-so-ever. Dobby is the one that gives Harry the gillyweed, not Neville. Also, Winky is the house elf that sets off the Dark Mark at the Quidditch Cup Match and gives a lot of information about Barty Crouch Jr. and Sr. Also, there is a big story involving SPEW, a house elf liberation movement that Hermoine started.
6. No class learning. Yes, there was a Dark Arts sceen, but in the book, Moody teaches Harry how to resist the Imperious Curse, which helps him later in the grave yard.
7. Some things that really bothered me about the movie are: 1. the way they made Mr. Filtch look like a bumbling idiot instead of the mean caretaker that is always trying to catch the students breaking the rules. 2. Snape was too nice in the movie 3. The scene with Sirious Black in the fire place was done poorly. It looked like he was made of the burning coals instead of showing up as a green disembodied head. Clearly this was so that they couls avoid paying the actor for five minutes of work.
8. Fred and George were greatly down played in the movie. They have big parts in one of the sub plots of the book.
I'm sure that there is more that was missing, but the things listed are the items that really bothered me. Especially since some missing details (like the lack of the house elves and Mrs. Weasley) put in to question how much is going to be cut from the next movie, The Order of the Phoenix (the best book of the serries so far, and the longest).
Here's what was missing (Don't read farther if you don't want any spoilers):
1. No Mrs. Weasley. She plays a pretty big roll in the book. Not so much in the plot, but mostly as a mother figure for Harry and a lot of humor.
2. No Dursleys. The book starts out with Harry in the Dursley home and a hilarious sceen of the entire Weasley clan busting in on them. Ton Tongue Toffee..Nuff said.
3. The Quidditch World cup was shortened greatly. In the book Krum was made out as one of the heros of the match, adding to his reputation and character. Also, there is a lot of changes in what exactly happens at the match and you miss out on some background of some important Ministry of Magic caracters. Yes, the Death Eaters show up, but are scared away when a house elf, under the Imperious Curse, sets off the Dark Mark using Harry's wand (she had stolen it).
4. The book has a lot more with Rita Skeeter and the stories she gets from Hogwarts, even though she is not allowed on school grounds. Hermione is the target of several of the stories and gets her revenve at the end (another missing detail in the movie).
5. No house elves what-so-ever. Dobby is the one that gives Harry the gillyweed, not Neville. Also, Winky is the house elf that sets off the Dark Mark at the Quidditch Cup Match and gives a lot of information about Barty Crouch Jr. and Sr. Also, there is a big story involving SPEW, a house elf liberation movement that Hermoine started.
6. No class learning. Yes, there was a Dark Arts sceen, but in the book, Moody teaches Harry how to resist the Imperious Curse, which helps him later in the grave yard.
7. Some things that really bothered me about the movie are: 1. the way they made Mr. Filtch look like a bumbling idiot instead of the mean caretaker that is always trying to catch the students breaking the rules. 2. Snape was too nice in the movie 3. The scene with Sirious Black in the fire place was done poorly. It looked like he was made of the burning coals instead of showing up as a green disembodied head. Clearly this was so that they couls avoid paying the actor for five minutes of work.
8. Fred and George were greatly down played in the movie. They have big parts in one of the sub plots of the book.
I'm sure that there is more that was missing, but the things listed are the items that really bothered me. Especially since some missing details (like the lack of the house elves and Mrs. Weasley) put in to question how much is going to be cut from the next movie, The Order of the Phoenix (the best book of the serries so far, and the longest).
Monday, November 21, 2005
Rough Ten Days
Starting today, I have a hard ten days ahead of me. It starts out with working today, then having three days off thanks to Turkey Day, then I work one more day (getting paid OT), have two off, work one day, and have two off. That is awesome! Granted, I will have to watch the kids for most of those days off, but that's OK. Also, we are having Thanksgiving dinner at our house, so I will be busy cleaning and cooking too. Here's our menu:
Turkey (of course), stuffing, mashed taters, sweet taters, green bean caserole, cranberry sauce, ham, pies, and other various goodies. We are making everything except for the pies and ham. Jessica's dad (a former chef) is going to help us with the turkey. My only concern is the oven space issue. We have a big oven and we bought a thing that you can put three things in at once, but we have five items that need baked. It could get a bit harry getting everything warm at the same time. It's all going to be yummy though.
We are going to go see the new Harry Potter movie tonight. I am looking forward to it, but am a bit worried about all of the things that will be missing from the book version. It is expected that they will have to cut some things since the book is so long, but how do they choose what to cut and what to keep? I had heard that one of the things they were going to cut is everything envolving Mrs. Weasley. That would suck because she is a great character and has some important areas in the story. Wel, I'm sure that they will keep the vital information in the movie. I worry even more about the next movie. The Order of the Phoenix is an even longer book than the Goblet of Fire. TONS of action.
Turkey (of course), stuffing, mashed taters, sweet taters, green bean caserole, cranberry sauce, ham, pies, and other various goodies. We are making everything except for the pies and ham. Jessica's dad (a former chef) is going to help us with the turkey. My only concern is the oven space issue. We have a big oven and we bought a thing that you can put three things in at once, but we have five items that need baked. It could get a bit harry getting everything warm at the same time. It's all going to be yummy though.
We are going to go see the new Harry Potter movie tonight. I am looking forward to it, but am a bit worried about all of the things that will be missing from the book version. It is expected that they will have to cut some things since the book is so long, but how do they choose what to cut and what to keep? I had heard that one of the things they were going to cut is everything envolving Mrs. Weasley. That would suck because she is a great character and has some important areas in the story. Wel, I'm sure that they will keep the vital information in the movie. I worry even more about the next movie. The Order of the Phoenix is an even longer book than the Goblet of Fire. TONS of action.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
We Are The Champions, My Friends....
Well, co-champions at least. That's right! The Buckeyes were able to storm back from nine points down with less than eight minutes left in the game to beat the Blue. It was by far the most spectacular ending that I have ever seen in an OSU vs UM game. It's probably the third best ending I have ever seen of an OSU game following number one, the win over Miami for the National Title in the Fiesta Bowl, and number 2, the last minute win over Arizona State in the Rose Bowl. I have been critical or Troy Smith in the past, but he played like a pro during the last two scoring drives for the Buckeyes. The best play of the game came during the last drive with about a minute left when Smith started to scramble, but then rolled out and hit Anthony Gonzalez at the UM 5 yard line. It was a spectacular catch with Gonzalez getting up ended, yet still holding the ball. The Buckeyes were their own worst enemy in this game, turning the ball over twice on two fumbles. Both turn overs resulted in two scores for the U of M. OSU also missed an extra point and a field goal. If those kicks had been made, the last touchdown would not have been needed. Well, it was still a victory. A sad aspect of the game was that Bobby Carpenter was injured during the first defensive play and was out for the game (and maybe longer). He was clearly upset about missing his last chance to play the Blue. The OSU defense rose up to the challenge of losing him and held the UM offense to 32 yards rushing. What a great game to watch.
Other good things happening in the college football world:
#3 Miami lost to Georga Tech
#8 Alabama lost to #11 Auburn
It would have been nice if Michgan State could have beaten Penn State, but we can't have everything that we want. USC almost lost to Fresno State, but not quite. It would have been nice to see Penn State and Texas play for the title since they both beat Ohio State. It would be interesting to see tose games played over with the new OSU offense that is playing so well. Now we just have to wait to see who the Bucks will play in the Bowl games. It will likely be Miami in the Orange Bowl. That would be good.
Other good things happening in the college football world:
#3 Miami lost to Georga Tech
#8 Alabama lost to #11 Auburn
It would have been nice if Michgan State could have beaten Penn State, but we can't have everything that we want. USC almost lost to Fresno State, but not quite. It would have been nice to see Penn State and Texas play for the title since they both beat Ohio State. It would be interesting to see tose games played over with the new OSU offense that is playing so well. Now we just have to wait to see who the Bucks will play in the Bowl games. It will likely be Miami in the Orange Bowl. That would be good.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Revenge
I finally got my scanner to work! Well, my brother-in-law did. He is a computer tech support guy. It took a while to figure out what was wrong. Apparently, since I have both HP Image Zone and HP Imaging on my computer, there is a patch that is needed to allow them both to work on the same system. I wish that I could figure out computer problems like that. Oh well. Everyone, I hope that you enjoy the lovely picture of our good friend Mona. I am posting it due to the picture of me that she posted a while back. Yes, that's a mullet that you see. Sexy. It only seems appropriate that I post this picture of Mona showing off her sexy 80's hair too. In her defense, I did think that she was one of the most attractive women in our high school, so she must have known what she was doing. Anyway, enjoy.
GO BUCKS! BEAT THE BLUE! Also, Go Spartans! Beat the Lions! Big week in NCAA Football.
Monday, November 14, 2005
It's M*ch*g*n Week Baby!
In case you are wondering why I put *s where vowels should be in the word M*ch*g*n, it's because I've learned that when you type fowl, dirty words, it is polite to cover parts of the word with some sort of symbol in order to protect the more sensative readers. Other examples: F*ck, Sh*t, C*ck S*ck*r, you get the idea. It's just my way to keep my blog clean and unoffensive.
The Buckeyes ROLLED over Northwestern this past Saturday. I was worried after the Wildcats drove down the field to score the first touchdown of the game, but Ohio State made a few adjustments on defense and made it the only touchdown that the Wildcats scored. On to of that, the Buckeye Offense seemed possesed as it racked up 48 points. I guess that special teams helped out a lot when a Northwestern punt was blocked and AJ Hawk took the ball for a touchdown. I enjoyed watching this game 100%. The defense was hitting hard and causing turn overs, special teams was blocking kicks and having bug punt and kickoff returns, and the ofensive line was sticking blocks and Pittman was running through them. Even Troy Smith played well. The only gripe I have about Troy was when he tried to force a pass to Santonio Holmes down the field when both Ginn and Gonzalez were WIDE FREAKIN' OPEN for short passes that would have resulted in at least 15-20 yards. Oh well. All in all it was a great performance. I was very happy that AJ Hawk went out on a big game at home. He's probably my favorite player this season. This past Saturday, he had 8 tackles, caused a fumble, and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. He's a finalist for the Butkus award, which goes to the best linebacker in the nation. Not only does he hit like a truck, he's smart and well spoken. All three of the OSU linbackers kick ass.
I am a bit offended by the polls this week. Ohio State has moved up to number 9 in both the AP and USA Today polls, which is good since there are two one loss teams behind the Bucks, but Norte Dame, another two loss team, is ahead of the Buckeyes in both polls. Now, Notre Dame definately deserves to be a top ten team, but Ohio State lost to the number two and number five teams in the country and the Irish lost to the number one USC and UNRANKED Michigan State (who Ohio State beat soundly). Why does the team that barely lost to USC get more props than the team that barely lost to Texas? This is why I want the Irish in a bowl game. If I were to dislike a team more than I dislike M*ch*g*n, that team would be Notre Dame. It would be a great ending to a season to go up north and beat the Blue and then follow it up with a victory over the Irish.
It's Beat the Blue Week! Ohio State travels to that whore of a city, Ann Arbor, to take on the Wolver-meenies of M*ch*g*n. Now, in case you can't pick up on my subtle hints, I'm not a hugh fam of the boys in blue. Back in my college days, it seemed like every year the Buckeyes were on the verge of a Big Ten or National title, only to be thwarted by the team up north. Let me tell you, as a former band member, it is a LOOOOONNNNG ride home after losing up in that hole of a stadium. Luckily, Tressel seems to have figured out how to beat the Blue. He is 3-1 as a coach againse that team. I heard on the radio that the Buckeyes are a 2 1/2 point favorite to win the game. I don't know if that makes be feel confident or worried. Really, it doesn't matter what the point spread is or what team records are when it comes down to this game. When OSU and scUM get together, either team can win. If Ohio State's offense and special teams keep going as well as they are, they have a good chance to come away with a win. I'll be glued to my TV, I tell you what.
GO BUCKS!!
The Buckeyes ROLLED over Northwestern this past Saturday. I was worried after the Wildcats drove down the field to score the first touchdown of the game, but Ohio State made a few adjustments on defense and made it the only touchdown that the Wildcats scored. On to of that, the Buckeye Offense seemed possesed as it racked up 48 points. I guess that special teams helped out a lot when a Northwestern punt was blocked and AJ Hawk took the ball for a touchdown. I enjoyed watching this game 100%. The defense was hitting hard and causing turn overs, special teams was blocking kicks and having bug punt and kickoff returns, and the ofensive line was sticking blocks and Pittman was running through them. Even Troy Smith played well. The only gripe I have about Troy was when he tried to force a pass to Santonio Holmes down the field when both Ginn and Gonzalez were WIDE FREAKIN' OPEN for short passes that would have resulted in at least 15-20 yards. Oh well. All in all it was a great performance. I was very happy that AJ Hawk went out on a big game at home. He's probably my favorite player this season. This past Saturday, he had 8 tackles, caused a fumble, and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. He's a finalist for the Butkus award, which goes to the best linebacker in the nation. Not only does he hit like a truck, he's smart and well spoken. All three of the OSU linbackers kick ass.
I am a bit offended by the polls this week. Ohio State has moved up to number 9 in both the AP and USA Today polls, which is good since there are two one loss teams behind the Bucks, but Norte Dame, another two loss team, is ahead of the Buckeyes in both polls. Now, Notre Dame definately deserves to be a top ten team, but Ohio State lost to the number two and number five teams in the country and the Irish lost to the number one USC and UNRANKED Michigan State (who Ohio State beat soundly). Why does the team that barely lost to USC get more props than the team that barely lost to Texas? This is why I want the Irish in a bowl game. If I were to dislike a team more than I dislike M*ch*g*n, that team would be Notre Dame. It would be a great ending to a season to go up north and beat the Blue and then follow it up with a victory over the Irish.
It's Beat the Blue Week! Ohio State travels to that whore of a city, Ann Arbor, to take on the Wolver-meenies of M*ch*g*n. Now, in case you can't pick up on my subtle hints, I'm not a hugh fam of the boys in blue. Back in my college days, it seemed like every year the Buckeyes were on the verge of a Big Ten or National title, only to be thwarted by the team up north. Let me tell you, as a former band member, it is a LOOOOONNNNG ride home after losing up in that hole of a stadium. Luckily, Tressel seems to have figured out how to beat the Blue. He is 3-1 as a coach againse that team. I heard on the radio that the Buckeyes are a 2 1/2 point favorite to win the game. I don't know if that makes be feel confident or worried. Really, it doesn't matter what the point spread is or what team records are when it comes down to this game. When OSU and scUM get together, either team can win. If Ohio State's offense and special teams keep going as well as they are, they have a good chance to come away with a win. I'll be glued to my TV, I tell you what.
GO BUCKS!!
Friday, November 11, 2005
I love Thursdays
True, I have to work, but Thursday night is my night out to blow off steam. As you may know from previous posts, I have a bowling league on Thursdays. It's a mens league, which is cool because we can all get together and have a good time without worrying about any female judgement. It's not that we are out of control or anything like that. I would say that our inner boys come out for a good time. No, not those inner boys. Pervs. Yes, I like bowling. It is my thing. However there is a dark side to my one night of fun. My team has been getting it's ass handed to us all year. Each week is worth seven points. Two for each game and one the entire series (the three games added up). We have only been able to take three points in one week all year. Needless to say, this has cemented our place at the bottom of the league. We were excited about last night because we took the first game (first time this year). The thought of winning all seven points, or even five, crossed our minds. The team we bowled against were then possessed by PBA bowlers and all threw 200+ games. Needless to say, our asses were handed to us once again. We were able to win the third game, but the beating we took in game two was sufficient enough that we only took four points instead of five (they took the total series point). Well, at least the league is split into two halves. We can finish in last the fist half of the league and still come back and win the second half to get into the championship game. A bright side about last night is that I had a pretty good week of bowling. I started out with a 200 and then a 165 (not too great). At the beginning of the third game, I stated that I was going to roll a 235. Alas, I was unable to do so. I was off the mark by 2. Sure, 233 is still good, but I was still off. I'm trying to get myself up to a 190 average. Right now I'm at 184, but after my 598 series, I may go up a pin. After bowling, we sometimes go into the bar for a while or we head off to Roosters for some grub. Last night was a bar night. I can't believe how much beer we put down. Probably about six or seven pitchers. Not all by ourselves, of course. OK mostly by ourselves, but we had some help with the last few pitchers. I'm not sure what the final pitcher count was because, as I was leaving, my buddies were ordering another one. I don't think I'd have made it home if I had more beer. The bad thing is trying to wake up for work on Friday. Ugh! At least beer doesn't give me bad hangovers like whiskey does.
On a side note, Ohio State has a home game against Northwestern tomorrow. I can't believe that this is the last home game of the season. It always goes so fast. The best time in the sports year is college football season. They really need to extend the season another week or two. I would love a BCS playoff system using the top eight teams in the Nation. The losers of the first round could go to lesser Bowl games, the losers of the second round could go to a better bowl game, and the finalists would play for the title. It will probably never happen for some reason or other, but it would be nice to have the top teams all playing each other so that the cream would be able to rise to the top. Well, as long the Buckeyes win out and get a good bowl game, I will be happy. As for this weekend, I think that the Bucks' defense should shut down the Northwestern offense well enough so that the Buckeye offense will be able to get to work and win the home finale.
On a side note, Ohio State has a home game against Northwestern tomorrow. I can't believe that this is the last home game of the season. It always goes so fast. The best time in the sports year is college football season. They really need to extend the season another week or two. I would love a BCS playoff system using the top eight teams in the Nation. The losers of the first round could go to lesser Bowl games, the losers of the second round could go to a better bowl game, and the finalists would play for the title. It will probably never happen for some reason or other, but it would be nice to have the top teams all playing each other so that the cream would be able to rise to the top. Well, as long the Buckeyes win out and get a good bowl game, I will be happy. As for this weekend, I think that the Bucks' defense should shut down the Northwestern offense well enough so that the Buckeye offense will be able to get to work and win the home finale.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Best Zombie Movie Ever.
Well, maybe not the best, but Shaun of the Dead is definately the funniest zombie movie ever. Target had it on sale for pretty cheap, so I grabbed a copy. I'd seen bits and pieces of it before, but this was the first time I'd watched it from start to finish. It was HI larious. If you've never seen it, I recommend it. It's a spoof on George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. It's a British comedy, so some of the gutteral English is hard to follow, but once you get used to it, it comedy just keeps coming. I also bought Office Space on DVD. Also a very funny movie. Escpcially if you'd ever worked in an office.
Monday, November 07, 2005
I want the Irish
Since it is apparent the Ohio State will not be playing for the National Title this year, I have been hashing it over in my head whom I would like to see the Buckeyes play in a Bowl Game. It comes down to three teams:
1. Notre Dame - I always love it when the Buckeyes get a chance to play the Irish. Back in the mid 90's, during my college hay day, OSU trounced Notre Dame in back to back years. I know that doesn't mean that the Bucks would beat them if they were to play this year, but I'd love the chance. True, Notre Dame almost beat #1 USC, but the Bucks almost beat #2 Texas. The programs are both huge and the meeting would be monumental.
2. Texas - Yes, I want a rematch. The Buckeye offense has been amped up and is moving the ball much better than when the Longhorns were in Columbus. I still think it was a travesty that the QBs were switched every other possession. The only thing I could see as a problem is that now the Texas offense seems to be rolling alot better now too.
3. Penn State - Another rematch issue. I'm prety sure that if the game was played at OSU, or even a neutral site, the Bucks would have won that game. The Penn State crown won that game for the Lions.
I honestly would be happy with any Bowl Game against a top ten team. I think that, with the Buckeye defense, which is awesome, and the much improved offense, the Bucks could roll with any team in the top ten. What I don't want is for the Buckeyes to matched up with an inferior opponent. I always like watching the Buckeyes, no matter who they play, but I would prefir a game with some meaning. Alas I am looking ahead. We still have two big games coming up this season.
This coming Saturday, Northwestern is rolling into town. The boys in purple and black are always a bit of an enigma this season. They are on more ups and downs than someone with a day pass to Cedar Point. They have a good offense that can roll up alot of points, but their defense is a bit lacking.
Next Saturday is the Big Game up in Ann Arbor. It never matters what the records are for the Buckeyes and Wolverines, it is always the game of the year. Both teams are always up for this game and the Wolverines love to spoil the season of the Scarlet and Gray. The rodents are on a bit of a low season this year, but I'm sure that they will put forth their best effort against the Silver Bullets. After all, the one loss that Penn State has came to them in Ann Arbor.
1. Notre Dame - I always love it when the Buckeyes get a chance to play the Irish. Back in the mid 90's, during my college hay day, OSU trounced Notre Dame in back to back years. I know that doesn't mean that the Bucks would beat them if they were to play this year, but I'd love the chance. True, Notre Dame almost beat #1 USC, but the Bucks almost beat #2 Texas. The programs are both huge and the meeting would be monumental.
2. Texas - Yes, I want a rematch. The Buckeye offense has been amped up and is moving the ball much better than when the Longhorns were in Columbus. I still think it was a travesty that the QBs were switched every other possession. The only thing I could see as a problem is that now the Texas offense seems to be rolling alot better now too.
3. Penn State - Another rematch issue. I'm prety sure that if the game was played at OSU, or even a neutral site, the Bucks would have won that game. The Penn State crown won that game for the Lions.
I honestly would be happy with any Bowl Game against a top ten team. I think that, with the Buckeye defense, which is awesome, and the much improved offense, the Bucks could roll with any team in the top ten. What I don't want is for the Buckeyes to matched up with an inferior opponent. I always like watching the Buckeyes, no matter who they play, but I would prefir a game with some meaning. Alas I am looking ahead. We still have two big games coming up this season.
This coming Saturday, Northwestern is rolling into town. The boys in purple and black are always a bit of an enigma this season. They are on more ups and downs than someone with a day pass to Cedar Point. They have a good offense that can roll up alot of points, but their defense is a bit lacking.
Next Saturday is the Big Game up in Ann Arbor. It never matters what the records are for the Buckeyes and Wolverines, it is always the game of the year. Both teams are always up for this game and the Wolverines love to spoil the season of the Scarlet and Gray. The rodents are on a bit of a low season this year, but I'm sure that they will put forth their best effort against the Silver Bullets. After all, the one loss that Penn State has came to them in Ann Arbor.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Buying the pot and Buckeye news
No, not the illegal kind that you go to the seedy parts of town to buy. 'Buying the pot' is a poker term for when you have a shitty hand, but bet big hoping that everyone else folds. I worked that ploy masterfully at least three times last night while playing Texas Hold'em. I had five people over, so it was a small game, but still fun. I played very well. Actually, I won, so I am pretty happy. That will make three times in a row that I have won poker games. They haven't been huge games, but still, a good thing for my playing confidence. About mid way through the game, I had a pretty good chip lead (I had more chips than the other people in the game) so I was a bit of a bully with my bets. I'd bet enough that people would have to go all in or bet most of their chips to call me. I won't bore you all with the details.
The Buckeyes did well yesterday. They played Illinois, which is a team that the entire Big Ten has been beating up on. The offense did well in the second half, but sputtered a bit in the first half with two field goals after getting first and goal inside the Illinois 10 yard line. Special teams had a bit of a brain fart on a piont after TD attempt when the ball was snapped badly and Illinois ran it back for a safety. Other than that, the defense stiffled the Illini offense. Now, Ohio State is tied for #1 in the Big Ten. Unfortunatey, Penn State has the tie breaker since they beat OSU this year. So, the Buckeyes need to beat Northwestern and M*ch*g*n and Penn State needs to lose to Michigan State for the Buckeyes to win the all out Big Ten title. The good news is that Penn State plays at Michigan State. The bad news is that Michigan State is not playing too well this year. I guess more bad news is that Ohio State has to go up north for the big game this year. I feel confident that the Bucks can win out if the offense keeps on the roll it has started over the past few games.
It's getting to be time to start thinking about the Bowl Game situations this year. It is hopeful that, if they win out, OSU will get an at large bit to a BCS bowl game. If they win the Big Ten outright, they will automatically go to a BCS game. It's looking pretty good for the Buckeyes since three teams ranked higher that OSU lost yesterday. Virginia Tech, UCLA, and Florida State all lost. That should mean that OSU will go up a few places in the polls. I will be more than happy with a top ten finish this season. A chance to play for the National Title would have been nice, but I don't think anyone will be able to beat USC this year. I guess Texas might be able to with that QC they have. I always hate when teams always win titles. The commentators start throwing around words like 'dynasty' and hype up things more than they really need to be hyped. Oh well.
The Buckeyes did well yesterday. They played Illinois, which is a team that the entire Big Ten has been beating up on. The offense did well in the second half, but sputtered a bit in the first half with two field goals after getting first and goal inside the Illinois 10 yard line. Special teams had a bit of a brain fart on a piont after TD attempt when the ball was snapped badly and Illinois ran it back for a safety. Other than that, the defense stiffled the Illini offense. Now, Ohio State is tied for #1 in the Big Ten. Unfortunatey, Penn State has the tie breaker since they beat OSU this year. So, the Buckeyes need to beat Northwestern and M*ch*g*n and Penn State needs to lose to Michigan State for the Buckeyes to win the all out Big Ten title. The good news is that Penn State plays at Michigan State. The bad news is that Michigan State is not playing too well this year. I guess more bad news is that Ohio State has to go up north for the big game this year. I feel confident that the Bucks can win out if the offense keeps on the roll it has started over the past few games.
It's getting to be time to start thinking about the Bowl Game situations this year. It is hopeful that, if they win out, OSU will get an at large bit to a BCS bowl game. If they win the Big Ten outright, they will automatically go to a BCS game. It's looking pretty good for the Buckeyes since three teams ranked higher that OSU lost yesterday. Virginia Tech, UCLA, and Florida State all lost. That should mean that OSU will go up a few places in the polls. I will be more than happy with a top ten finish this season. A chance to play for the National Title would have been nice, but I don't think anyone will be able to beat USC this year. I guess Texas might be able to with that QC they have. I always hate when teams always win titles. The commentators start throwing around words like 'dynasty' and hype up things more than they really need to be hyped. Oh well.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Texas Hold'em Tutorial
I'm having another poker game at our house (first one at the new place) and since I tend to post about playing poker every once in a while, I thought I'd give a few tips so that you all know what I'm talking about. If you have played any type of poker, you know the hand rankings:
1. Royal Flush - A, K, Q, J, 10 of all one suit
2. Straight Flush - any 5 consecutive cards of all one suit (ex. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 all hearts)
3. Four of a kind - four of any one card value (ex. 5 of spades, five of hearts, five of diamonds, and 5 of clubs)
4. Full House - two of one card, three of another card (ex king, king, king, two, two)
5. Flush - five cards of all one suit (all clubs, hearts, spades, or diamonds)
6. Straight - any 5 consecutive cards of any suit
7. Three of a Kind - 3 of one card
8. Two Pairs - two sets of two different cards (two 2s and two 3s)
9. Pair - two of the same card (two aces)
10. High Card - the higest card is the Ace
With Texas Hold'em, you can have many players at one table (I wouldn't recommend more than 10 at one table). The dealer deals two cards to each player, one card at a time, starting to the left, and going clockwise. There is a round of betting based on the two starting cards. (I will go over betting later) After the betting is completed, the dealer puts the top card of the deck aside (do not show this card). This is called a 'burn' card and ensures that the dealer is not cheating. The dealer then turns three cards face up, called 'the flop'. Each player uses these three cards in their hands. There is another round of betting. Then, another card is burned, and another card turned up (called the turn card). There is another round of betting. A final card is burned, and the last card, called the river card, is turned face up. There is one last round of betting, and then after betting is completed, the players remaining in the game show their cards and the best hand wins the pot. It is possible for ties, in which case, the winning players split the pot equally.
In itself, the game is easy. The skill and strategy lies in the betting. Since each player shares five cards that are turned up, the key is to try to guess what your opponent may have and guess if you can beat them.
Blinds - Blinds are forced bets that insure that there is money in the pot. There is a big blind and a small blind. The person to the left of the dealer pays the small blind and the next person to the left pays the big blind. The big blind is usually double the small blind (ex. $5 and $10). Blinds are increased regularly (usually based on time or on the number of hands played) and are usually doubled each time they go up. If you are playing a cash game (instead of using chips) you can set an ante instead. Ante is an amount of money that each player has to put into the pot at the beginning of each hand.
The way betting works, after the blinds are paid, the person to the left of the big blind has the chance to call (meet the big blind amount), raise (the minimum raise is equal to the big blind and there is no maximum), or fold (get out of the hand). If any player raises, each player must meet the bet amount to stay in the hand. If no one raises, the maximum bet amount is the big blind. Each player must at least meet the big blind to stay in the hand. It seems confusing, but it's not. If any one raises the bet, you must meet the bet or fold. This is where strategy comes in. If you want to try to bluff, bet big and hope no one calls you. If you have a strong hand, you want to bet, but try not to scare anyone off. A good strategy is 'limping in' or betting small so that people won't guess that you have a strong hand. Another strategy is the 'check/raise'. You ckeck, or don't bet anything, hoping that someone else will bet. You then raise the bet higher. That way, your opponent has already put in some money and is more likely to call the bet. You really need to be a good judge of character and a bit of an actor to be an effective better. Look for patterns in your opponents bets.
Side Pots - Side pots occur when one play goes all in and two other players call him (meet the bet) and then continue betting. The player remaining in the hand that has the fewest chips can only win the money based on his bet. In other words, if the person with the fewest chips has $500 and bets it all, he/she can only win $500 of their opponents money. If there are multiple people in the hand and betting goes above $500, the additional money goes into a side pot. If the person with only $500 wins the hand, they get the main pot based off of the $500 then bet. The rest of the money, or the side pot, goes to the next best hand. It is a bit confusing and is best to have an experienced player keep track of side pots.
I've probably made this game souind a lot more confusing than it really is. Really, it's not. Watch some World Poker Tour or the World Series of Poker. They are often on ESPN 2 or the Travel Channel. It's a really fun game and addicting. There is a plug and play version of the game that you can buy for about $20. It's a good way to learn.
1. Royal Flush - A, K, Q, J, 10 of all one suit
2. Straight Flush - any 5 consecutive cards of all one suit (ex. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 all hearts)
3. Four of a kind - four of any one card value (ex. 5 of spades, five of hearts, five of diamonds, and 5 of clubs)
4. Full House - two of one card, three of another card (ex king, king, king, two, two)
5. Flush - five cards of all one suit (all clubs, hearts, spades, or diamonds)
6. Straight - any 5 consecutive cards of any suit
7. Three of a Kind - 3 of one card
8. Two Pairs - two sets of two different cards (two 2s and two 3s)
9. Pair - two of the same card (two aces)
10. High Card - the higest card is the Ace
With Texas Hold'em, you can have many players at one table (I wouldn't recommend more than 10 at one table). The dealer deals two cards to each player, one card at a time, starting to the left, and going clockwise. There is a round of betting based on the two starting cards. (I will go over betting later) After the betting is completed, the dealer puts the top card of the deck aside (do not show this card). This is called a 'burn' card and ensures that the dealer is not cheating. The dealer then turns three cards face up, called 'the flop'. Each player uses these three cards in their hands. There is another round of betting. Then, another card is burned, and another card turned up (called the turn card). There is another round of betting. A final card is burned, and the last card, called the river card, is turned face up. There is one last round of betting, and then after betting is completed, the players remaining in the game show their cards and the best hand wins the pot. It is possible for ties, in which case, the winning players split the pot equally.
In itself, the game is easy. The skill and strategy lies in the betting. Since each player shares five cards that are turned up, the key is to try to guess what your opponent may have and guess if you can beat them.
Blinds - Blinds are forced bets that insure that there is money in the pot. There is a big blind and a small blind. The person to the left of the dealer pays the small blind and the next person to the left pays the big blind. The big blind is usually double the small blind (ex. $5 and $10). Blinds are increased regularly (usually based on time or on the number of hands played) and are usually doubled each time they go up. If you are playing a cash game (instead of using chips) you can set an ante instead. Ante is an amount of money that each player has to put into the pot at the beginning of each hand.
The way betting works, after the blinds are paid, the person to the left of the big blind has the chance to call (meet the big blind amount), raise (the minimum raise is equal to the big blind and there is no maximum), or fold (get out of the hand). If any player raises, each player must meet the bet amount to stay in the hand. If no one raises, the maximum bet amount is the big blind. Each player must at least meet the big blind to stay in the hand. It seems confusing, but it's not. If any one raises the bet, you must meet the bet or fold. This is where strategy comes in. If you want to try to bluff, bet big and hope no one calls you. If you have a strong hand, you want to bet, but try not to scare anyone off. A good strategy is 'limping in' or betting small so that people won't guess that you have a strong hand. Another strategy is the 'check/raise'. You ckeck, or don't bet anything, hoping that someone else will bet. You then raise the bet higher. That way, your opponent has already put in some money and is more likely to call the bet. You really need to be a good judge of character and a bit of an actor to be an effective better. Look for patterns in your opponents bets.
Side Pots - Side pots occur when one play goes all in and two other players call him (meet the bet) and then continue betting. The player remaining in the hand that has the fewest chips can only win the money based on his bet. In other words, if the person with the fewest chips has $500 and bets it all, he/she can only win $500 of their opponents money. If there are multiple people in the hand and betting goes above $500, the additional money goes into a side pot. If the person with only $500 wins the hand, they get the main pot based off of the $500 then bet. The rest of the money, or the side pot, goes to the next best hand. It is a bit confusing and is best to have an experienced player keep track of side pots.
I've probably made this game souind a lot more confusing than it really is. Really, it's not. Watch some World Poker Tour or the World Series of Poker. They are often on ESPN 2 or the Travel Channel. It's a really fun game and addicting. There is a plug and play version of the game that you can buy for about $20. It's a good way to learn.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
My Pet Peeves
No, I don't have a pet named Peeves. I'm talking about things that just urk me. It takes a lot to get me riled up, but if you want to do it, here's how.
Driving:
1. I try to be a safe driver. I'm not a Sunday Driver that goes 10 miles per hour below the speed limit, but I go the pace of the traffic around me and make sure that I keep safe distance from the car in front of me. My number one pet peeve is when other drivers take advantage of the safe distance and cut in front of me on the highway, thus eliminating my safe distance.
2. Drivers that pass in the left lane, then cut in front of you to get into the right lane in order to make an exit 20 feet away when there is miles of space behind you. Just slow down a tad and get over behind me. That extra milisecond of time that you save by cutting me off isn't worth it.
3. Drivers that refuse to move over one lane to let traffic enter a highway when there is room for them to get the hell over.
4. BIGGEST ONE OF ALL!!! On Feder Rd. the road I need to take to turn left on to Hilliard Rome Rd. is set up wierd. At the corner of Feder and Hillard Rome, there is three lanes, One turn left, one go straight, and one to turn right. There is an access road on the left side that leads to a Bob Evans and oil change placeThere are often cars on the access road wanting to turn left on to Feder Rd. When waiting to turn left, I think that it's nice to stop and allow the people from the access road some space to turn on to Feder. Well, what the FUCKERS I HATE do is zoom up the center lane and then cut into the left hand turn lane in the space I left for the access road people. It has happened at least three times since I have moved out here. People are just ASSHOLES. Who the hell are they to think that they are more important and feel then are allowed to cut in front of people. If I had my gun in the car, I may have to pop a few caps in them.
Cell Phones and Email
No, I do not dislike cell phones. They are a great tool to keep in touch with people and are great in case of emergency. No, I don't hate email. I email as my primary way to keep in touch with people. The pet peeves are when you try to call someone on their cell phone and they, not only don't answer, but they also do not reply to any of the messages that you leave for them. I am getting older and time seems to be going faster, and quite frankly, I no longer have time to mess with people that do not have the common courtesy to call me back when I leave a message on their cell phone. If you're busy, fine. Call me when you get a sec. But do not just blow me off. If I take the time out of my day to call and say hey, at least have the courtesy to call back and say "Hey, I'm pretty busy, can I call you later?" It's what friends are supposed to do. Also, what is the point of having a cell phone if you don't answer it when it rings? The same goes for emails. If someone takes the time out of their day to send an email to you, it should be your obligation to respond to the message. It only takes a minute. As it is, there are a few people out there that I am no longer trying to contact anymore. Not that if I see them I will ignore them or denounce their friendship. I just won't actively try to make contact with them anymore. If I don't rate high enough to give me a call back, they will no longer rate high enough for me to initiate a call. I have plenty of other friends. Now, I don't expect people to read this and think that they need to call me or email me to confirm their friendship. I understand that old friends sometimes move away and get new friends and new priorities. There are plenty of people that I consider friends that I only see or talk to once or twice a year. The pet peeve is when I call or email and then am blown off. I'm not going to sweat it, I just won't call or email them anymore. No biggie.
Driving:
1. I try to be a safe driver. I'm not a Sunday Driver that goes 10 miles per hour below the speed limit, but I go the pace of the traffic around me and make sure that I keep safe distance from the car in front of me. My number one pet peeve is when other drivers take advantage of the safe distance and cut in front of me on the highway, thus eliminating my safe distance.
2. Drivers that pass in the left lane, then cut in front of you to get into the right lane in order to make an exit 20 feet away when there is miles of space behind you. Just slow down a tad and get over behind me. That extra milisecond of time that you save by cutting me off isn't worth it.
3. Drivers that refuse to move over one lane to let traffic enter a highway when there is room for them to get the hell over.
4. BIGGEST ONE OF ALL!!! On Feder Rd. the road I need to take to turn left on to Hilliard Rome Rd. is set up wierd. At the corner of Feder and Hillard Rome, there is three lanes, One turn left, one go straight, and one to turn right. There is an access road on the left side that leads to a Bob Evans and oil change placeThere are often cars on the access road wanting to turn left on to Feder Rd. When waiting to turn left, I think that it's nice to stop and allow the people from the access road some space to turn on to Feder. Well, what the FUCKERS I HATE do is zoom up the center lane and then cut into the left hand turn lane in the space I left for the access road people. It has happened at least three times since I have moved out here. People are just ASSHOLES. Who the hell are they to think that they are more important and feel then are allowed to cut in front of people. If I had my gun in the car, I may have to pop a few caps in them.
Cell Phones and Email
No, I do not dislike cell phones. They are a great tool to keep in touch with people and are great in case of emergency. No, I don't hate email. I email as my primary way to keep in touch with people. The pet peeves are when you try to call someone on their cell phone and they, not only don't answer, but they also do not reply to any of the messages that you leave for them. I am getting older and time seems to be going faster, and quite frankly, I no longer have time to mess with people that do not have the common courtesy to call me back when I leave a message on their cell phone. If you're busy, fine. Call me when you get a sec. But do not just blow me off. If I take the time out of my day to call and say hey, at least have the courtesy to call back and say "Hey, I'm pretty busy, can I call you later?" It's what friends are supposed to do. Also, what is the point of having a cell phone if you don't answer it when it rings? The same goes for emails. If someone takes the time out of their day to send an email to you, it should be your obligation to respond to the message. It only takes a minute. As it is, there are a few people out there that I am no longer trying to contact anymore. Not that if I see them I will ignore them or denounce their friendship. I just won't actively try to make contact with them anymore. If I don't rate high enough to give me a call back, they will no longer rate high enough for me to initiate a call. I have plenty of other friends. Now, I don't expect people to read this and think that they need to call me or email me to confirm their friendship. I understand that old friends sometimes move away and get new friends and new priorities. There are plenty of people that I consider friends that I only see or talk to once or twice a year. The pet peeve is when I call or email and then am blown off. I'm not going to sweat it, I just won't call or email them anymore. No biggie.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
I got a rock.....
That it a Charlie Brown reference, in case you are one of the few people in this world that have not seen "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!" Anyway, tonight was Halloween and we went Trick-or-Treating. I think that Columbus changed it back from 'Beggar's Night' because it was derrogatory implying that kids are beggars. People are just nuts. Alydia went as a Flower, Gabriel was Darth Vader, and Noah was the Grim Reaper. We only went for a short while because Gabriel was being grumpy and Noah was bored. I think he's probably getting too old to enjoy trick-or-treating with his parents. Since we all went, we left a big thing of candy on our door step and it was cleaned out by the time we were back. It kinda irritates me bacause it was probably bigger kids without parents with them that just cleaned out everything instead of leaving some for everyone else. Oh well. There isn't too much you can do about it.
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