Okay, so when I left work at noon, the only real problem was the wind. Snow seemed only to gather on the grass, not on the sidewalks or roads. That means that besides the face full of snow I was getting on the walk, I had no issues.
A lot has changed since then. The snow is definitely coming down harder. The sidewalks and roads are covered with snow but it's not deep. Part of that may be due to the wind. It's pushing the snow around and not letting it really accumulate in one area. Looking at my parking lot, one car is covered with snow while the other looks barely touched and they've both been there the same amount of time.
Also, the governor ordered that all cars must be off the road by 4 PM. Believe me, I wasn't planning on going anywhere. I'm indoors, I'm warm, and I have plenty of beer. I have no reason to leave.
I may check in later, assuming I still have power.
Friday, February 8, 2013
The Blizzard of 2013 - Post #3
It’s a little after 11 AM and the snow is coming down, but it’s kinda hard to tell how much. The thing with this storm was the fact that we were also going to get high winds. Well, the high winds are here, so its blowing the snow, making it look like the snow is really coming down, but it could just look that way. I mean, if you put flurries into 40 mph winds, it looks like a blizzard.
But, with a little over an hour of snow and nothing is accumulating on the ground, so my guess would be flurries plus high wind equals no real snow fall. The good part is it looks bad so getting out of work early seems like it’ll happen. The bad part is the fact that even flurries in high wind isn’t fun to walk in and I have to get to the Green Line.
Anyway I’ll check in later and maybe we’ll have some snow on the ground!
But, with a little over an hour of snow and nothing is accumulating on the ground, so my guess would be flurries plus high wind equals no real snow fall. The good part is it looks bad so getting out of work early seems like it’ll happen. The bad part is the fact that even flurries in high wind isn’t fun to walk in and I have to get to the Green Line.
Anyway I’ll check in later and maybe we’ll have some snow on the ground!
The Blizzard of 2013 - Post #2
Nearly 10 AM and all is clear in Boston. I just checked the local news again to make sure this thing is actually going to happen. They’re still telling me to expect more than 2 feet of snow. This is shaping up to be more disappointing than when you get socks for Christmas.
Oh wait, I think I’m seeing flurries. We might get a dusting of snow before this is all over. Of course, everyone in Massachusetts knows that the minute snow hits the ground, people start driving like idiots. I’m telling you right now, I don’t care how much snow falls, I was promised that the work day ended at noon and I’m out of here at noon no matter what.
I’ll check in later. The way this storm is going, it’ll probably be sunny out.
Oh wait, I think I’m seeing flurries. We might get a dusting of snow before this is all over. Of course, everyone in Massachusetts knows that the minute snow hits the ground, people start driving like idiots. I’m telling you right now, I don’t care how much snow falls, I was promised that the work day ended at noon and I’m out of here at noon no matter what.
I’ll check in later. The way this storm is going, it’ll probably be sunny out.
The Blizzard of 2013 - Post #1
So, if you haven’t heard, Boston is supposed to be creamed by The Storm of the Century: 2013 Edition. I figured I would start posting entries covering the Blizzard at random points today and tomorrow. I’m doing this for posterity, because according to the news casts and warnings I’ve been reading, I may get trapped in my apartment for weeks and emerge into a post apocalyptic world that will strongly resemble the ice planet Hoth.
Last night, after battling the crowds to get my hands on some last minute provisions, I stayed glued to the local news go I can get the overinflated snow totals (33 inches!). I was told that there would be at least half an inch of snow on the ground when I woke up. After hitting the snooze button on my alarm about five times this morning, I climbed out of my warm bed and looked out the window. Nothing. This doesn’t bode well.
Unlike for Hurricane Sandy, my commute sucked because my bus was full of people and I had some fat woman next to me who kept squishing me against the window on the bus because she kept sliding into me on every turn. I think I have bruised ribs now.
Anyway, got to work without seeing a single snow flake. Lamest Blizzard Ever. I’ll check in later with more news.
Last night, after battling the crowds to get my hands on some last minute provisions, I stayed glued to the local news go I can get the overinflated snow totals (33 inches!). I was told that there would be at least half an inch of snow on the ground when I woke up. After hitting the snooze button on my alarm about five times this morning, I climbed out of my warm bed and looked out the window. Nothing. This doesn’t bode well.
Unlike for Hurricane Sandy, my commute sucked because my bus was full of people and I had some fat woman next to me who kept squishing me against the window on the bus because she kept sliding into me on every turn. I think I have bruised ribs now.
Anyway, got to work without seeing a single snow flake. Lamest Blizzard Ever. I’ll check in later with more news.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 4 College Football Games to Watch
Wow, take a few weeks off from writing about college football and the whole season just blows up. Ranked teams are dropping like flies out there, making it legitimately scary for fans of supposedly good teams. We double down on that fear if it’s a Big Ten team, but we’ll talk about that later. Now, on to the Touchdown:
The offensive weapons for Clemson are off the chart. Tajh Boyd hasn’t fallen off at all from his phenomenal year last season. DeAndre Hopkins has actually morphed into a solid number 1 receiver, which can clear the way for Sammy Watkins to be an explosive everyman. The most important key will be Andre Ellington. If Ellington can establish the run, FSU will be in for a long day.
The problem with Clemson is the defense. While they haven’t been stellar, this isn’t the same defense that gave up 70 to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl. If they play it smart, look for run first, and make E.J. Manuel try and win it, Clemson will win this.
Everyone is talking about the FSU defense and how they will stop Clemson. Sure, they have great numbers, but Murray State, Savannah State and Wake Forest aren’t exactly lighting up scoreboards across the country. The FSU defense needs to consistently stop Clemson. Not so easy.
E.J. Manuel needs the game of his life to win this one. He can not longer be a running version of Chris Rix, he needs to be able to live up to his potential and lead a very talented team. If he leads the offense to three and outs or gives up bad turnovers, the defense will give up points to Clemson.
I put the over/under on the amount of times Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musburger mention Clemson defense coordinator Brent Venables at 14.5. Those two seriously love Brent. It is kind of creepy how they always mention him.
Clemson 35, Florida State 31
We get to see who gets a leg up in the underwhelming Big 12. We might also be watching to see Erin Andrews.
Forget the fact they are playing at home. Oklahoma now reminds me of Ohio State in the 2000’s. They by far outclass every team in their conference, but occasionally lose the games they should win and always underperform against teams in other conferences. I’ll carry some water here and say that Landry Jones is one of the better quarterbacks in the country, but I’ve seen him blow too many games to have any confidence in him.
The key for Oklahoma will be defense. They will stop the K State run game. If they get turnovers, I have no doubt that Jones will torch the Wildcats this year like he did last year.
Kansas State cannot get down early. They need to come out solid and move the ball. The Wildcats need to be prepared to use the intermediate passing game if the Sooners actually stop the run. Since the Sooner defense will be playing the run first, it should open up some passing lanes for Klein to take advantage of.
For the Wildcats to truly be successful, they need to exploit the one weakness of Oklahoma, which is pass blocking. They need to put pressure on Landry Jones and force him to do dumb things. If Kansas State can disrupt the Sooner offense, they will pull it out.
The last time Kansas State beat Oklahoma was the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game. As someone who dislikes Oklahoma, that is one of my top 5 college football memories.
Oklahoma 55, Kansas State 28
We love the resurgence of Notre Dame and the exposure of Michigan as an overrated team. Plus, Michigan/Notre Dame games over the last few years have been what college football is all about.
I have to admit that I was the last person who was buying Notre Dame. After the last two seasons of jumping on the bandwagon early, I was a little gun shy. Plus, my boy Dayne Crist is living it up in Kansas. But you have to love this Notre Dame team.
They remind me of what Big Ten football is all about, if they were in the Big Ten. Notre Dame finally has a defense that can punch you in the mouth and an offense that doesn’t make stupid mistakes. The Fighting Irish will do what they did against Michigan State, run, pass, do the little things, and make you wonder how the heck they ended up scoring. Then the defense needs to contain Denard Robinson’s running ability and let his horrible passing ability seal the deal.
If you read what I wrote about E.J. Manuel earlier, the same can apply to Denard Robinson. He needs to run, he needs to pass, and he needs to carry this Michigan offense on his back. If he is on, Michigan wins, no question about it. However, he is shaky at best and you never really know what you’re going to get. Robinson needs to find that next level. The problem is, I don’t know if he has it.
Michigan needs to find a way to disrupt the Fighting Irish offense. This is only Everett Golson’s fourth start. If the Wolverines find a way to rattle him, he could show his inexperience at the worst possible time.
Thanks to Michigan’s embarrassment against Alabama and near loss to Air Force, I get saved from daily stories about how good Denard Robinson is and that Michigan is back. The Wolverines were overrated to begin the season, so it’s nice they are back where they should be.
Notre Dame 28, Michigan 6
An underrated, overlooked Missouri team looking to their first SEC win against a South Carolina team trotting out a quarterback with an injured throwing arm? We smell upset.
Even with Connor Shaw and his fractured shoulder (his words, not mine), South Carolina still has Marcus Lattimore. If I had a team with an injured quarterback and was relying solely on my running game, I would want Lattimore as my running back. The guy is a work horse who will run over anyone who gets in his way.
While Shaw may be starting, look for Dylan Thompson to come into the game the first time Shaw bounces a pass or takes a bad hit because he’s used to running the ball. While he limits the running attack from the quarterback position, he is a much better thrower and could open up the passing game.
Missouri has their own quarterback issues now since James Franklin sat out last week’s game against Arizona State. If Franklin is healthy, he can lead the Missouri offense up and down the field. He needs to be 100 percent to beat South Carolina.
The problem with Missouri is that they cannot keep up with depth of talent. They showed that clearly in the Georgia game, which was close until the 4th quarter when the Bulldogs put the beat down on Missouri. The Tigers need to recognize this and play within themselves and not get too crazy or this will get out of hand fast.
The big question is will it be injury or bad performance that makes Connor Shaw leave the game? By injury, I mean the only reason his arm is still attached to his body is because of the skin.
South Carolina 28 Missouri 21
We want to see if USC can bounce back from the loss to Stanford or completely implode. Some of us are rooting for implosion.
If there can be a must win game this early in the season, this is it for USC. The main obstacle USC needs to overcome in this game is what is going on inside their head. They need to move past the loss to Stanford and concentrate on a good Cal team.
The defense is fine; it’s the offense that needs to get on track. Watching the last drive of last week game against Stanford, I knew USC would lose because Matt Barkley looked like Peyton Manning against Florida back in the day. The offense needs to click again, which means running the ball down to near the goal line and letting Barkley throw a touchdown pass. This is what USC does, and this is what they need to get back to doing.
Cal needs to play the way they did against Ohio State but actually close out the game. Cal is going to have issues with the USC defense, so they need to concentrate on smacking around a demoralized USC offense. They need to get inside Barkley’s head and hopefully get him to start throwing bad passes. If they get turnovers and good field position, they might win this one.
With finishing up my summer semester in grad school and going to Ireland for a week, I wasn’t up to date on college football. When I heard USC was the top ranked team in the nation to start the season, I nearly drove my car off the road. I mean, this is a team led by Matt Barkley after all.
USC 45, California 14
Because the cable went out and the only thing we can watch is this game on our laptops and smart phones.
LSU is LSU and Les Miles is Les Miles. When you put the two together you get a team that beats teams it should and even beats teams it shouldn’t. You never really know how it happens, but it does. ESPN can’t even explain it, but it usually involves Rece Davis throwing out the term “Mad Hatter”.
LSU will do what they do, which is run the ball and mix in the pass when it suits them. They will rely on the defense for turnovers and field position that a lackluster offense can turn into points.
Well, Auburn is at home. Maybe the fans will stop LSU from entering the stadium.
Two seasons ago I described the decision between LSU quarterback’s Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson as having to decide between rotted meat and spoiled milk. With those two gone, I have to deal with Zach Mettenberger. How can I have fun with one horrible quarterback instead of two?
LSU 45, Auburn 7
When I was watching the end of the Notre Dame/Michigan State game last week, ABC flashed a graphic about the Big Ten versus AQ teams this season. I thought that 4-8 was a suspect number, so I put together the information myself. Low and behold, it was correct. I think the worst part of this is the fact that Northwestern has three of those victories!
This is pretty sad. I understand some of these losses, like Michigan to Alabama and Michigan State and Purdue to Notre Dame and Penn State against anybody. However, I don’t understand Wisconsin losing to Oregon State or Nebraska losing to UCLA. Not taking anything away from those Pac-12 also-rans, but Nebraska and Wisconsin are suppose to be some of the better teams the Big Ten has to offer. Plus, we are not even mentioning how Ohio State almost lost to California, in Columbus!
Normally, I save my disdain for the Big East conference, but I have to point to the Big Ten as the weak link conference this year. I’m not saying the Big East is any good, I’m just saying that the Big Ten is way below expectations. When Northwestern is carrying the conference’s water in non-conference play, something isn’t right. The way it’s shaping up, the Rose Bowl won’t be fun to watch this year.
1) No. 10 Clemson at No. 4 Florida State – 8:00 PM on ABC
Why we’re watching:
Because it’s a matchup of two top 10 teams which will pretty much decide who gets to beat up on Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game.Why Clemson will win:
The offensive weapons for Clemson are off the chart. Tajh Boyd hasn’t fallen off at all from his phenomenal year last season. DeAndre Hopkins has actually morphed into a solid number 1 receiver, which can clear the way for Sammy Watkins to be an explosive everyman. The most important key will be Andre Ellington. If Ellington can establish the run, FSU will be in for a long day.
The problem with Clemson is the defense. While they haven’t been stellar, this isn’t the same defense that gave up 70 to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl. If they play it smart, look for run first, and make E.J. Manuel try and win it, Clemson will win this.
How Florida State can pull it out:
Everyone is talking about the FSU defense and how they will stop Clemson. Sure, they have great numbers, but Murray State, Savannah State and Wake Forest aren’t exactly lighting up scoreboards across the country. The FSU defense needs to consistently stop Clemson. Not so easy.
E.J. Manuel needs the game of his life to win this one. He can not longer be a running version of Chris Rix, he needs to be able to live up to his potential and lead a very talented team. If he leads the offense to three and outs or gives up bad turnovers, the defense will give up points to Clemson.
Interesting Subplot:
I put the over/under on the amount of times Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musburger mention Clemson defense coordinator Brent Venables at 14.5. Those two seriously love Brent. It is kind of creepy how they always mention him.
Final Score:
Clemson 35, Florida State 31
2) No. 15 Kansas State at No. 6 Oklahoma – 7:50 PM on FOX
Why we’re watching:
We get to see who gets a leg up in the underwhelming Big 12. We might also be watching to see Erin Andrews.
Why Oklahoma will win:
Forget the fact they are playing at home. Oklahoma now reminds me of Ohio State in the 2000’s. They by far outclass every team in their conference, but occasionally lose the games they should win and always underperform against teams in other conferences. I’ll carry some water here and say that Landry Jones is one of the better quarterbacks in the country, but I’ve seen him blow too many games to have any confidence in him.
The key for Oklahoma will be defense. They will stop the K State run game. If they get turnovers, I have no doubt that Jones will torch the Wildcats this year like he did last year.
How Kansas State can pull it out:
Kansas State cannot get down early. They need to come out solid and move the ball. The Wildcats need to be prepared to use the intermediate passing game if the Sooners actually stop the run. Since the Sooner defense will be playing the run first, it should open up some passing lanes for Klein to take advantage of.
For the Wildcats to truly be successful, they need to exploit the one weakness of Oklahoma, which is pass blocking. They need to put pressure on Landry Jones and force him to do dumb things. If Kansas State can disrupt the Sooner offense, they will pull it out.
Interesting Subplot:
The last time Kansas State beat Oklahoma was the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game. As someone who dislikes Oklahoma, that is one of my top 5 college football memories.
Final Score:
Oklahoma 55, Kansas State 28
3) No. 18 Michigan at No. 11 Notre Dame – 7:30 PM on NBC
Why we’re watching:
We love the resurgence of Notre Dame and the exposure of Michigan as an overrated team. Plus, Michigan/Notre Dame games over the last few years have been what college football is all about.
Why Notre Dame will win:
I have to admit that I was the last person who was buying Notre Dame. After the last two seasons of jumping on the bandwagon early, I was a little gun shy. Plus, my boy Dayne Crist is living it up in Kansas. But you have to love this Notre Dame team.
They remind me of what Big Ten football is all about, if they were in the Big Ten. Notre Dame finally has a defense that can punch you in the mouth and an offense that doesn’t make stupid mistakes. The Fighting Irish will do what they did against Michigan State, run, pass, do the little things, and make you wonder how the heck they ended up scoring. Then the defense needs to contain Denard Robinson’s running ability and let his horrible passing ability seal the deal.
How Michigan can pull it out:
If you read what I wrote about E.J. Manuel earlier, the same can apply to Denard Robinson. He needs to run, he needs to pass, and he needs to carry this Michigan offense on his back. If he is on, Michigan wins, no question about it. However, he is shaky at best and you never really know what you’re going to get. Robinson needs to find that next level. The problem is, I don’t know if he has it.
Michigan needs to find a way to disrupt the Fighting Irish offense. This is only Everett Golson’s fourth start. If the Wolverines find a way to rattle him, he could show his inexperience at the worst possible time.
Interesting Subplot:
Thanks to Michigan’s embarrassment against Alabama and near loss to Air Force, I get saved from daily stories about how good Denard Robinson is and that Michigan is back. The Wolverines were overrated to begin the season, so it’s nice they are back where they should be.
Final Score:
Notre Dame 28, Michigan 6
4) Missouri at No. 7 South Carolina – 3:30 PM on CBS
Why we’re watching:
An underrated, overlooked Missouri team looking to their first SEC win against a South Carolina team trotting out a quarterback with an injured throwing arm? We smell upset.
Why South Carolina will win:
Even with Connor Shaw and his fractured shoulder (his words, not mine), South Carolina still has Marcus Lattimore. If I had a team with an injured quarterback and was relying solely on my running game, I would want Lattimore as my running back. The guy is a work horse who will run over anyone who gets in his way.
While Shaw may be starting, look for Dylan Thompson to come into the game the first time Shaw bounces a pass or takes a bad hit because he’s used to running the ball. While he limits the running attack from the quarterback position, he is a much better thrower and could open up the passing game.
How Missouri can pull this out:
Missouri has their own quarterback issues now since James Franklin sat out last week’s game against Arizona State. If Franklin is healthy, he can lead the Missouri offense up and down the field. He needs to be 100 percent to beat South Carolina.
The problem with Missouri is that they cannot keep up with depth of talent. They showed that clearly in the Georgia game, which was close until the 4th quarter when the Bulldogs put the beat down on Missouri. The Tigers need to recognize this and play within themselves and not get too crazy or this will get out of hand fast.
Interesting Subplot:
The big question is will it be injury or bad performance that makes Connor Shaw leave the game? By injury, I mean the only reason his arm is still attached to his body is because of the skin.
Final Score:
South Carolina 28 Missouri 21
5) California at No. 13 USC – 6:00 PM on the Pac-12 Network
Why we’re watching:
We want to see if USC can bounce back from the loss to Stanford or completely implode. Some of us are rooting for implosion.
Why USC will win:
If there can be a must win game this early in the season, this is it for USC. The main obstacle USC needs to overcome in this game is what is going on inside their head. They need to move past the loss to Stanford and concentrate on a good Cal team.
The defense is fine; it’s the offense that needs to get on track. Watching the last drive of last week game against Stanford, I knew USC would lose because Matt Barkley looked like Peyton Manning against Florida back in the day. The offense needs to click again, which means running the ball down to near the goal line and letting Barkley throw a touchdown pass. This is what USC does, and this is what they need to get back to doing.
How California can pull it out:
Cal needs to play the way they did against Ohio State but actually close out the game. Cal is going to have issues with the USC defense, so they need to concentrate on smacking around a demoralized USC offense. They need to get inside Barkley’s head and hopefully get him to start throwing bad passes. If they get turnovers and good field position, they might win this one.
Interesting Subplot:
With finishing up my summer semester in grad school and going to Ireland for a week, I wasn’t up to date on college football. When I heard USC was the top ranked team in the nation to start the season, I nearly drove my car off the road. I mean, this is a team led by Matt Barkley after all.
Final Score:
USC 45, California 14
6) No. 2 LSU at Auburn – 7:00 PM on ESPN
Why we’re watching:
Because the cable went out and the only thing we can watch is this game on our laptops and smart phones.
Why LSU will win:
LSU is LSU and Les Miles is Les Miles. When you put the two together you get a team that beats teams it should and even beats teams it shouldn’t. You never really know how it happens, but it does. ESPN can’t even explain it, but it usually involves Rece Davis throwing out the term “Mad Hatter”.
LSU will do what they do, which is run the ball and mix in the pass when it suits them. They will rely on the defense for turnovers and field position that a lackluster offense can turn into points.
How Auburn can pull this one out:
Well, Auburn is at home. Maybe the fans will stop LSU from entering the stadium.
Interesting Subplot:
Two seasons ago I described the decision between LSU quarterback’s Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson as having to decide between rotted meat and spoiled milk. With those two gone, I have to deal with Zach Mettenberger. How can I have fun with one horrible quarterback instead of two?
Final Score:
LSU 45, Auburn 7
Extra Point:
When I was watching the end of the Notre Dame/Michigan State game last week, ABC flashed a graphic about the Big Ten versus AQ teams this season. I thought that 4-8 was a suspect number, so I put together the information myself. Low and behold, it was correct. I think the worst part of this is the fact that Northwestern has three of those victories!
This is pretty sad. I understand some of these losses, like Michigan to Alabama and Michigan State and Purdue to Notre Dame and Penn State against anybody. However, I don’t understand Wisconsin losing to Oregon State or Nebraska losing to UCLA. Not taking anything away from those Pac-12 also-rans, but Nebraska and Wisconsin are suppose to be some of the better teams the Big Ten has to offer. Plus, we are not even mentioning how Ohio State almost lost to California, in Columbus!
Normally, I save my disdain for the Big East conference, but I have to point to the Big Ten as the weak link conference this year. I’m not saying the Big East is any good, I’m just saying that the Big Ten is way below expectations. When Northwestern is carrying the conference’s water in non-conference play, something isn’t right. The way it’s shaping up, the Rose Bowl won’t be fun to watch this year.
Friday, February 10, 2012
My Presential Platform, Yakov Smirnoff, and Other Thoughts
Seeing all these ads and reading all these articles about running for President got me thinking about my Presidential Platform. Minus my “Liquidation of Idiots” Program and my invasion plans of Aruba, I needed something that would grab the people and rally them to my side. So, I came up with a new governmental department.
I would create a Department of Television, in which the government would subsidize certain shows if they were cancelled. As my Secretary of TV, Seamus would evaluate the current crop of cancelled shows and pick which ones would be saved. If chosen, the government would buy the ad time of the show from the network at an average cost of ad time for the highest rated shows at the time slot and genre, than sell that ad time to companies at a reduced cost (no political ads would be allowed). If the show becomes successful again, the government would reap the reward of higher ad revenue. Also, built in to all shows agreements with DVD, if the show was taken over by the government, the government would receive a portion of DVD and other medium revenues from the purchase.
Now, if this isn’t a winning idea, I don’t know what is. It also has the added benefit of possibly making the government money, instead of pissing it all away like they normally do. Of course, knowing politicians, they would probably find some way to screw it up. I mean, PBS is government subsidized and it’s pretty screwed up.
Speaking of PBS, you may remember a couple of years ago when I posted an open letter to BBC America lightly admonishing them for cancelling Ashes to Ashes after its first season even though the episodes from the second season were already produced and ready to go. Well, a while after that, BBC America threw up the second season, however refused to show the third and final season.
I had just about resigned myself to buying the complete series on DVD in region 2 when I noticed my local PBS station was running Ashes to Ashes. This is the same PBS station that is running seasons of MI-5 and Hustle never before shown in America. So, after re-watching the first two seasons, you could imagine my surprise when my onscreen TV guide started out “In the season 3 premiere…” Yeah, I went absolutely giddy. Seamus told me he hated me since he doesn’t have access to my PBS and my wife simply rolled her eyes and said “that’s nice dear”.
So, I watched the first episode last week and it’s just as good as I had hoped. Not only that, I guess 1983 was the year good music popped up because, while the first two season in 81 and 82 sucked music wise, 1983 rocked. We were given music by The Police and New Order (I still love “Blue Monday”). So, it seems like my local PBS has given the giant middle finger to BBC America. Considering PBS is showing multiple long running British show plus has the amazing Sherlock, it makes you wonder if BBC America has a purpose besides running Doctor Who, Top Gear, and anything with Gordon Ramsay.
Speaking of idiocy, I was recently in a graduate class and the professor asked the class if any of the companies we worked for had recently done anything to better help society or make a difference or some other hippie, tree hugging bullshit. So this girl raises her hand and regales us all with the tale about how her company did away with trash cans. No, she was being serious.
I guess in order to promote recycling; employees only have recycling bins at their desks in order to compel them to recycle stuff that can be recycled. If there is some actual trash that can’t be recycled, they need to walk to the kitchen and throw out the offending item. I cannot express how upset I would be if they tried to pull this bullshit at my work. I would use the recycling bin as my actual trash can. If that got people pissed, I would do the same exact thing, yet at the end of the day take it to the kitchen and dump the entire contents into the regular trash. This is absolutely ludicrous. I’m sorry if I’m to busying doing my job to make you feel better about yourself.
People who are all about being green piss me off. Listen, you think you’re saving the planet or whatever, fine, but don’t shove it down my throat. Even worse are the vegans. I mean, I get you love animals but man climbed to the top of the food chain for a reason. I don’t expect a shark or lion to give me the common courtesy of walking away if they’re hungry.
The worst part about vegans is the fact that they don’t eat dairy. Do those jackholes realize that if you don’t milk a cow it will suffer a great amount of pain before it dies? Think about the consequences of your actions.
Speaking of consequences of your actions, I finally went to see a doctor for a routine checkup and since it had been forever since I last saw a doctor, she decided to run tests which meant drawing blood. I hate needles. Anyway, I make my way over to the lab and wait my turn. I get called in and the nurse has me sit down. She starts talking to me in this thick Russian accent and she looks old enough to remember the Soviet era pretty well.
She asks me how my day is and I start complaining about having to get up early due to fire alarm testing in my building that morning. She starts going off on how that isn’t early and she has to get up earlier every morning. The worst part about it was I tuned her out but all I kept thinking was how she sounded like Yakov Smirnoff. I kept expecting her to say “In Soviet Russia, television watches you!”
The worst part was that I started to smile, but had to try and cover it up. The last thing you want is a woman with a needle thinking you’re not taking her seriously. Things don’t go well in those situations.
I would create a Department of Television, in which the government would subsidize certain shows if they were cancelled. As my Secretary of TV, Seamus would evaluate the current crop of cancelled shows and pick which ones would be saved. If chosen, the government would buy the ad time of the show from the network at an average cost of ad time for the highest rated shows at the time slot and genre, than sell that ad time to companies at a reduced cost (no political ads would be allowed). If the show becomes successful again, the government would reap the reward of higher ad revenue. Also, built in to all shows agreements with DVD, if the show was taken over by the government, the government would receive a portion of DVD and other medium revenues from the purchase.
Now, if this isn’t a winning idea, I don’t know what is. It also has the added benefit of possibly making the government money, instead of pissing it all away like they normally do. Of course, knowing politicians, they would probably find some way to screw it up. I mean, PBS is government subsidized and it’s pretty screwed up.
Speaking of PBS, you may remember a couple of years ago when I posted an open letter to BBC America lightly admonishing them for cancelling Ashes to Ashes after its first season even though the episodes from the second season were already produced and ready to go. Well, a while after that, BBC America threw up the second season, however refused to show the third and final season.
I had just about resigned myself to buying the complete series on DVD in region 2 when I noticed my local PBS station was running Ashes to Ashes. This is the same PBS station that is running seasons of MI-5 and Hustle never before shown in America. So, after re-watching the first two seasons, you could imagine my surprise when my onscreen TV guide started out “In the season 3 premiere…” Yeah, I went absolutely giddy. Seamus told me he hated me since he doesn’t have access to my PBS and my wife simply rolled her eyes and said “that’s nice dear”.
So, I watched the first episode last week and it’s just as good as I had hoped. Not only that, I guess 1983 was the year good music popped up because, while the first two season in 81 and 82 sucked music wise, 1983 rocked. We were given music by The Police and New Order (I still love “Blue Monday”). So, it seems like my local PBS has given the giant middle finger to BBC America. Considering PBS is showing multiple long running British show plus has the amazing Sherlock, it makes you wonder if BBC America has a purpose besides running Doctor Who, Top Gear, and anything with Gordon Ramsay.
Speaking of idiocy, I was recently in a graduate class and the professor asked the class if any of the companies we worked for had recently done anything to better help society or make a difference or some other hippie, tree hugging bullshit. So this girl raises her hand and regales us all with the tale about how her company did away with trash cans. No, she was being serious.
I guess in order to promote recycling; employees only have recycling bins at their desks in order to compel them to recycle stuff that can be recycled. If there is some actual trash that can’t be recycled, they need to walk to the kitchen and throw out the offending item. I cannot express how upset I would be if they tried to pull this bullshit at my work. I would use the recycling bin as my actual trash can. If that got people pissed, I would do the same exact thing, yet at the end of the day take it to the kitchen and dump the entire contents into the regular trash. This is absolutely ludicrous. I’m sorry if I’m to busying doing my job to make you feel better about yourself.
People who are all about being green piss me off. Listen, you think you’re saving the planet or whatever, fine, but don’t shove it down my throat. Even worse are the vegans. I mean, I get you love animals but man climbed to the top of the food chain for a reason. I don’t expect a shark or lion to give me the common courtesy of walking away if they’re hungry.
The worst part about vegans is the fact that they don’t eat dairy. Do those jackholes realize that if you don’t milk a cow it will suffer a great amount of pain before it dies? Think about the consequences of your actions.
Speaking of consequences of your actions, I finally went to see a doctor for a routine checkup and since it had been forever since I last saw a doctor, she decided to run tests which meant drawing blood. I hate needles. Anyway, I make my way over to the lab and wait my turn. I get called in and the nurse has me sit down. She starts talking to me in this thick Russian accent and she looks old enough to remember the Soviet era pretty well.
She asks me how my day is and I start complaining about having to get up early due to fire alarm testing in my building that morning. She starts going off on how that isn’t early and she has to get up earlier every morning. The worst part about it was I tuned her out but all I kept thinking was how she sounded like Yakov Smirnoff. I kept expecting her to say “In Soviet Russia, television watches you!”
The worst part was that I started to smile, but had to try and cover it up. The last thing you want is a woman with a needle thinking you’re not taking her seriously. Things don’t go well in those situations.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 10 College Football Games to Watch
Week 10 is here and yet again I'm swamped with work and school. Therefore, you get what you got last week, a list and some pithy comments.
We all know the college football "Super Bowl" is this weekend, but I would keep an eye on the Texas A&M/Oklahoma game. A few weeks ago, it would have been a gimme to Oklahoma, but they have proven they can lose at home against a team with a good offense.
Kansas State could have a nasty surprise for Oklahoma State, thereby taking us one step closer to Boise State in the National Championship Game. Excuse me while I throw up at that thought.
I also think we finally see the wheels come flying off South Carolina. No Marcus Lattimore means they are relying completely on their defense. That won't work against Arkansas. Anyway, see you all next week, here's the Touchdown:
1) No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama – 8:00 PM on CBS
2) No. 14 Kansas State at No. 3 Oklahoma State – 8:00 PM on ABC
3) No. 9 South Carolina at No. 7 Arkansas – 7:15 PM on ESPN
4) Texas A&M at No. 6 Oklahoma – 3:30 PM on ABC
5) Texas Tech at No. 21 Texas – 12:00 PM on FX
6) Purdue at No. 20 Wisconsin – 3:30 PM on ABC
Extra Point:
Blocked by a surprising aggressive special teams play.
We all know the college football "Super Bowl" is this weekend, but I would keep an eye on the Texas A&M/Oklahoma game. A few weeks ago, it would have been a gimme to Oklahoma, but they have proven they can lose at home against a team with a good offense.
Kansas State could have a nasty surprise for Oklahoma State, thereby taking us one step closer to Boise State in the National Championship Game. Excuse me while I throw up at that thought.
I also think we finally see the wheels come flying off South Carolina. No Marcus Lattimore means they are relying completely on their defense. That won't work against Arkansas. Anyway, see you all next week, here's the Touchdown:
1) No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama – 8:00 PM on CBS
2) No. 14 Kansas State at No. 3 Oklahoma State – 8:00 PM on ABC
3) No. 9 South Carolina at No. 7 Arkansas – 7:15 PM on ESPN
4) Texas A&M at No. 6 Oklahoma – 3:30 PM on ABC
5) Texas Tech at No. 21 Texas – 12:00 PM on FX
6) Purdue at No. 20 Wisconsin – 3:30 PM on ABC
Extra Point:
Blocked by a surprising aggressive special teams play.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
