I'd like to see the Arizona Cardinals win, but I don't think they will. Waaaaaaaaay too many people are on the Cardinals bandwagon. They were 9-7 during the regular season, folks. Remember that?
They are a little bit like the Colorado Rockies of 2007. They went on a huge hot streak to make the World Series, but then they had something like 10 days off, and they really cooled off and wound up getting pounded in Game 1 and then went on to get swept.
So the Cardinals have looked pretty good for three weeks straight, but now they've had a couple of weeks to soak in all the love. Will they be able to keep it together for one more game?
I'm kind of doubting it. My pick is Steelers 27, Cardinals 18.
But you never know. . .
Saturday, January 31, 2009
You've GOT to be kidding me
Shannon Sharpe was not selected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligiblity. I don't even know if it is worthwhile to rant and rave about it.
In one way, I can kind of understand where the voters are coming from. I mean, how can you have a Hall of Fame without Ralph Wilson Jr., the owner of the Buffalo Bills? He's contributed so much owning a franchise that has sucked for the past 40 years except for the four-year stretch when the Bills lost four Super Bowls in a row. Actually, he's probably contributed more than that I just have no clue what.
Until yesterday, I had never really contemplated the idea that Shannon Sharpe would not be voted in this year. I mean, eight Pro Bowls, four times first-team All-Pro, three Super Bowl rings, and he retired as the all-time leader in receptions and yardage for a tight end. Pretty good career.
But last night I was reading the Denver Post and began to feel a little doubt. Bruce Smith and Rod Woodson were sure to be voted in. Randall McDaniel and Cris Carter also seemed likely selections, which supposedly left the fifth and final spot up for grabs between Derrick Thomas and Sharpe. Whaaaat?
So, sure enough, Thomas beat out Sharpe. Cris Carter, the no. 2 all-time in receptions, was also snubbed, I guess in favor of Ralph Wilson Jr.
I've given up trying to understand the process. The voters are obviously all biased idiots. The supposed reason none of the stars from the Broncos' Orange Crush defense of the 1970's were not selected to the Hall of Fame was because they won no Super Bowls. The Steelers of the seventies, on the other hand, won four Super Bowls, so basically their whole team gets in.
And so now you have Shannon Sharpe and his three Super Bowl rings, and he can't get in.
Bruce Smith - played in four Super Bowls, won zero.
Ralph Wilson Jr. - his team played in four Super Bowls, won zero.
Rod Woodson - played in two Super Bowls, won one.
Randall McDaniel - played in zero Super Bowls
Derrick Thomas - played in zero Super Bowls.
Bob Hayes - played in two Super Bowls, won one.
So Shannon Sharpe has more championships than all of the guys that were selected, and yet that's still not good enough. I guess it's not about winning Super Bowls after all.
I'm sure he'll get in next year. . . maybe.
In one way, I can kind of understand where the voters are coming from. I mean, how can you have a Hall of Fame without Ralph Wilson Jr., the owner of the Buffalo Bills? He's contributed so much owning a franchise that has sucked for the past 40 years except for the four-year stretch when the Bills lost four Super Bowls in a row. Actually, he's probably contributed more than that I just have no clue what.
Until yesterday, I had never really contemplated the idea that Shannon Sharpe would not be voted in this year. I mean, eight Pro Bowls, four times first-team All-Pro, three Super Bowl rings, and he retired as the all-time leader in receptions and yardage for a tight end. Pretty good career.
But last night I was reading the Denver Post and began to feel a little doubt. Bruce Smith and Rod Woodson were sure to be voted in. Randall McDaniel and Cris Carter also seemed likely selections, which supposedly left the fifth and final spot up for grabs between Derrick Thomas and Sharpe. Whaaaat?
So, sure enough, Thomas beat out Sharpe. Cris Carter, the no. 2 all-time in receptions, was also snubbed, I guess in favor of Ralph Wilson Jr.
I've given up trying to understand the process. The voters are obviously all biased idiots. The supposed reason none of the stars from the Broncos' Orange Crush defense of the 1970's were not selected to the Hall of Fame was because they won no Super Bowls. The Steelers of the seventies, on the other hand, won four Super Bowls, so basically their whole team gets in.
And so now you have Shannon Sharpe and his three Super Bowl rings, and he can't get in.
Bruce Smith - played in four Super Bowls, won zero.
Ralph Wilson Jr. - his team played in four Super Bowls, won zero.
Rod Woodson - played in two Super Bowls, won one.
Randall McDaniel - played in zero Super Bowls
Derrick Thomas - played in zero Super Bowls.
Bob Hayes - played in two Super Bowls, won one.
So Shannon Sharpe has more championships than all of the guys that were selected, and yet that's still not good enough. I guess it's not about winning Super Bowls after all.
I'm sure he'll get in next year. . . maybe.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Things That Annoy
I heard that the Senate voted to extend the digital TV conversion until June and that the House is expected to also approve it.
I think that doing so is totally stupid. They've only been talking about this, for what, a year? Anyone who seriously cares about watching TV after February 17 has already taken care of the problem. But I guess we need to give everyone else more time NOT to do something about it. It's sort of like tax day, April 15. Everyone gets automatic six-month extensions, and so most people don't worry about filing until at least five months later. Or in some cases, until five months and 27 days later.
I say stick with the drop-dead February date. When their TV goes black, then they'll go out and buy the converter box for sure. I bought mine, although I haven't hooked it up yet. Who are all these people anyway? I thought we were one of only 772 remaining U.S. households without cable or satellite.
Also, perhaps you have heard the recent story of a high school girls team in Dallas that ran up the score on their opponent, winning 100-0. They were shooting threes and applying full-court pressure well into the second half of the game. So then the principal of the winning team wanted to forfeit afterwards because it wasn't winning honorably or something, and I think they fired the coach.
I saw it in the newspaper and then heard about it on all three talk radio stations that I listen to. I'm not surprised that it caught on, because it appeals to exactly what Americans love to do: point out when someone has done something bad, because they live such a perfect life.
I was sick of hearing about it within the first hour, and they are still talking about it two weeks later. My whole thing is this: Who cares? It's a small private high school in another state. I doubt that the running up of the score really affects anyone other than the players and the coaches who were actually in the game. So shutup about it already! No one cares what you think about proper sportsmanship! At least I don't.
I would have prefered that they not forfeit the game and keep their 100-point victory. Those things have a way of working out in the end. For instance, last year the New England Patriots felt it was necessary to run up the score on everybody and then failed to win the Super Bowl despite their 18-0 record.
I think that doing so is totally stupid. They've only been talking about this, for what, a year? Anyone who seriously cares about watching TV after February 17 has already taken care of the problem. But I guess we need to give everyone else more time NOT to do something about it. It's sort of like tax day, April 15. Everyone gets automatic six-month extensions, and so most people don't worry about filing until at least five months later. Or in some cases, until five months and 27 days later.
I say stick with the drop-dead February date. When their TV goes black, then they'll go out and buy the converter box for sure. I bought mine, although I haven't hooked it up yet. Who are all these people anyway? I thought we were one of only 772 remaining U.S. households without cable or satellite.
Also, perhaps you have heard the recent story of a high school girls team in Dallas that ran up the score on their opponent, winning 100-0. They were shooting threes and applying full-court pressure well into the second half of the game. So then the principal of the winning team wanted to forfeit afterwards because it wasn't winning honorably or something, and I think they fired the coach.
I saw it in the newspaper and then heard about it on all three talk radio stations that I listen to. I'm not surprised that it caught on, because it appeals to exactly what Americans love to do: point out when someone has done something bad, because they live such a perfect life.
I was sick of hearing about it within the first hour, and they are still talking about it two weeks later. My whole thing is this: Who cares? It's a small private high school in another state. I doubt that the running up of the score really affects anyone other than the players and the coaches who were actually in the game. So shutup about it already! No one cares what you think about proper sportsmanship! At least I don't.
I would have prefered that they not forfeit the game and keep their 100-point victory. Those things have a way of working out in the end. For instance, last year the New England Patriots felt it was necessary to run up the score on everybody and then failed to win the Super Bowl despite their 18-0 record.
Monday, January 26, 2009
A Man, His Wife, and the Vacuum Salesman
Elizabeth dropped a bomb on me the other day when I came home: she had interacted with someone who wanted to send someone over to sell us a vacuum cleaner.
She said it was just for a demo and a short survey. But she knew, and I knew, that it was going to be a sales pitch. I'm really not in the mood for sales pitches. In the past year, I've had to beat off two timeshare vacation resort pitches, two window pitches, and a siding pitch. Only one of those was actually solicited by us, as in please come by and tell us about your product. The others were just people asking us to sit through their presentation - no pressure! You don't have to buy anything! Serious! We just want to tell you about our product!
So first of all, there wasn't a set time. We had pretty much forgotten about the possibility of a fun visitor and settled in to watch TV. And then the doorbell rings at 8:45, and it's Mr. Clean. I thought that was a bit late to be making sales calls without a set appointment. Back when I was a missionary and in the business of calling on people, we would generally not drop in on people after about 8:45 or so.
Then the guy butchers my last name, although that may have been as much the fault of whoever it was canvassing the neighborhood earlier. So we put our evening on hold for this guy and his short survey (not really, though - all parties to this knew exactly what was coming). So he hauls in a couple of large boxes and begins to tell us all about Silver King and their super-duper cleaner, the Blue Max.
I think our sales guy was a competitive speed talker before he got into vacuum sales. He literally flew through his little binder without taking more than a half-dozen breaths. I think he was just really excited to get onto the demonstration portion. He showed us all the bells and whistles and then asked to see our vacuum cleaner so that he could show us what a piece of crap it was compared to the Blue Max. And the point was well made - our well-used Hoover, of which we are the second owners, doesn't pick up nearly as much dirt and grime as the Blue Max. Big surprise.
I was impressed with the capabilities of the Blue Max, but I never had any intention of purchasing one. Not before, not during, not after. Would I like to have one? Absolutely! It really does a good job. But there is a long list of other things I would like to have for my home as well, and the Blue Max will just have to go on the list with everything else.
Apparently they are available from the factory at anytime for $3,200. The sales guy tried to get us to buy one on a payment plan which I calculated in my head to be about the same as from the factory. After I said no, he dropped the price. I said no again, and he dropped it again. In a matter of about 10 minutes, he reduced his offer by roughly $1,000. It pays to say no a couple of times, if you are planning to buy something like that. Sales guys are so weaselly like that.
I didn't really like our sales guy. One thing that bugs me is that they spout off a lot of stuff that may be true, but probably isn't. He claimed that Kirbys only have a 2-year warranty and that it is illegal to use a traditional upright vacuum in restaurants and hospitals. Sure it is, bud.
Anyways, we'll stick with our regular vacuum cleaner for now, which is suitable for 90% of all American households. (See, I did it - I just made that up! I could totally be in sales, if someday I am desperate enough to do that for a living.)
I did finally get to fill out the short survey, at the very end, after we had rejected him, and he stood there sulking and tapping his foot. It must be a tough existence to have to try and talk people into spending a wad of money that they don't even have.
She said it was just for a demo and a short survey. But she knew, and I knew, that it was going to be a sales pitch. I'm really not in the mood for sales pitches. In the past year, I've had to beat off two timeshare vacation resort pitches, two window pitches, and a siding pitch. Only one of those was actually solicited by us, as in please come by and tell us about your product. The others were just people asking us to sit through their presentation - no pressure! You don't have to buy anything! Serious! We just want to tell you about our product!
So first of all, there wasn't a set time. We had pretty much forgotten about the possibility of a fun visitor and settled in to watch TV. And then the doorbell rings at 8:45, and it's Mr. Clean. I thought that was a bit late to be making sales calls without a set appointment. Back when I was a missionary and in the business of calling on people, we would generally not drop in on people after about 8:45 or so.
Then the guy butchers my last name, although that may have been as much the fault of whoever it was canvassing the neighborhood earlier. So we put our evening on hold for this guy and his short survey (not really, though - all parties to this knew exactly what was coming). So he hauls in a couple of large boxes and begins to tell us all about Silver King and their super-duper cleaner, the Blue Max.
I think our sales guy was a competitive speed talker before he got into vacuum sales. He literally flew through his little binder without taking more than a half-dozen breaths. I think he was just really excited to get onto the demonstration portion. He showed us all the bells and whistles and then asked to see our vacuum cleaner so that he could show us what a piece of crap it was compared to the Blue Max. And the point was well made - our well-used Hoover, of which we are the second owners, doesn't pick up nearly as much dirt and grime as the Blue Max. Big surprise.
I was impressed with the capabilities of the Blue Max, but I never had any intention of purchasing one. Not before, not during, not after. Would I like to have one? Absolutely! It really does a good job. But there is a long list of other things I would like to have for my home as well, and the Blue Max will just have to go on the list with everything else.
Apparently they are available from the factory at anytime for $3,200. The sales guy tried to get us to buy one on a payment plan which I calculated in my head to be about the same as from the factory. After I said no, he dropped the price. I said no again, and he dropped it again. In a matter of about 10 minutes, he reduced his offer by roughly $1,000. It pays to say no a couple of times, if you are planning to buy something like that. Sales guys are so weaselly like that.
I didn't really like our sales guy. One thing that bugs me is that they spout off a lot of stuff that may be true, but probably isn't. He claimed that Kirbys only have a 2-year warranty and that it is illegal to use a traditional upright vacuum in restaurants and hospitals. Sure it is, bud.
Anyways, we'll stick with our regular vacuum cleaner for now, which is suitable for 90% of all American households. (See, I did it - I just made that up! I could totally be in sales, if someday I am desperate enough to do that for a living.)
I did finally get to fill out the short survey, at the very end, after we had rejected him, and he stood there sulking and tapping his foot. It must be a tough existence to have to try and talk people into spending a wad of money that they don't even have.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day
I was always under the impression that no man knoweth the time of the Second Coming. And yet, here it is, today, the twentieth of January, two thousand and nine.
Kidding. But some of the comments that people are making might lead you to believe it.
I have a confession. I didn't vote for B. Obama. Nope, I sure didn't.
However, I would like to give him my best wishes for the next four years. Maybe he really does have some answers for what ails this great country of ours.
But, much like Josh McDaniels being the new coach of the Broncos, we won't know how things are going to turn out right away. We'll just have to wait and see how he does. Maybe he'll be great and maybe he'll be a disaster. We just don't know.
Kidding. But some of the comments that people are making might lead you to believe it.
I have a confession. I didn't vote for B. Obama. Nope, I sure didn't.
However, I would like to give him my best wishes for the next four years. Maybe he really does have some answers for what ails this great country of ours.
But, much like Josh McDaniels being the new coach of the Broncos, we won't know how things are going to turn out right away. We'll just have to wait and see how he does. Maybe he'll be great and maybe he'll be a disaster. We just don't know.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Pinewood Derby Prep
I'm pretty indifferent about the Pinewood Derby. I didn't care that much when I was a Cub Scout, and I don't care much more now that my son is in Cub Scouts. I mean, I don't hate it, but I'm not one of those dads out in the garage plotting how to build the best car. Or one of the dads writing a book or creating a website on how to best win the Pinewood Derby. My boy probably deserves better, but that's just me - I can't help it. I'm an accountant, not an engineer. Someday when he needs help balancing his checkbook, though. . .
Anyways, he got his car at the last pack meeting in November and has asked a couple of times since then, "When are we going to build the Pinewood Derby car, dad?"
"Uhhh. . ."
So I told him probably Christmas break. And so, today, very nearly the end of Christmas break, we finally pulled it out and started the process. I don't really have any woodworking equipment to speak of, so that makes it a little tougher. Not that I'm a woodworker by any means. We made the cuts using a jigsaw and I demonstrated some unsafe woodworking procedures to my son. The car came out a little chawed up, but that's what sandpaper is for, right? Actually, some of the chaws might be a little much for sandpaper to correct.
I will say this - so far, the car looks as if he did all of the work himself.
Anyways, he got his car at the last pack meeting in November and has asked a couple of times since then, "When are we going to build the Pinewood Derby car, dad?"
"Uhhh. . ."
So I told him probably Christmas break. And so, today, very nearly the end of Christmas break, we finally pulled it out and started the process. I don't really have any woodworking equipment to speak of, so that makes it a little tougher. Not that I'm a woodworker by any means. We made the cuts using a jigsaw and I demonstrated some unsafe woodworking procedures to my son. The car came out a little chawed up, but that's what sandpaper is for, right? Actually, some of the chaws might be a little much for sandpaper to correct.
I will say this - so far, the car looks as if he did all of the work himself.
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