Mount Athos

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2010-03-13T10:28:00.001-06:00

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2010-01-04T20:42:00.004-06:00

I've never been, but I'll take their word for it: Carpfest = Fun

http://droppingofthecarp.blogspot.com/

Plus, a heads up: I may soon start using this site as a bit of a travel log, as I'll soon be off to Austraila and New Zealand to see the sights and inquire what the current state of dingo-infant relations is.

2009-09-26T16:08:00.004-05:00

Every year around this time, as Emmy season comes and goes, I'm asked the same question: would I do a hat-driven award for headwear on TV? Well, the answer has been, and will continue to be, "No". And also, "why are you looking at me that way?".

However, this year I thought I'd throw a proverbial bone to you, the reader, and share what I consider to be the most hat-centric hour of tv I've ever witnessed. It's a standard Batman two-part episode arc, as the caped crusader fights a lesser known, hat-themed villain. To pique your interest, here's a picture of Batman using his Anti-mesmerizing Bat-reflector to deflect a beam from the Super Instant Mesmerizer, with disastrous consequences for Robin.

For now, full episodes are available on YouTube:

The Thirteenth Hat (Part 1 2 3)
Batman Stands Pat (Part 1 2 3)

If you know of anything more hat-centric, you know where to find me.

2009-07-23T21:02:00.004-05:00

Move over Jitterbug, I have a new favorite senior-targeted commercial

unfortunately I couldn't find the version I actually saw, where the old lady starts off very sad because she missed her bingo opportunity (bingoppurtunity?) I'm sure you can imagine her devastation, though.

2009-06-04T20:08:00.003-05:00

As hard as it may be to believe, I don't have a particular axe to grind with Microsoft, but once again I've found one of their ads to be stupid enough to drive me into a rare posting:

That's right, Google caused our economy to fail. Youtube is the reason your father lost his job. Picasa is why your kids are fat. But a rebranded MSN search will make it all better.

2009-03-28T13:39:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the 2008 Hatty Awards!

The general consensus (among myself) was that this year was particularly poor for hats in film, and the Hattys almost didn't happen. Luckily, I changed my mind, and after a bit of research, a clear winner emerged out of nowhere. But first, let's talk about this year's remarkably poor field. A sampler of the best picture nominees yields the following:

Frost/Nixon: very few hats. In fact, I was wondering if Nixon ever wore a hat in his life - which quickly led to this definitive answer, thanks to google image search:

Note the "Don't think I'm not going to remember this humiliation" look in his eye

Milk: very few hats.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Being a period piece, probably has its fair share of hats, but gets seriously downgraded because I hate F. Scott Fitzgerald. Listen, Scott, if that IS your real name (which it isn't), I don't care what what the rich losers in West Egg or East Egg or Pigeon Egg or Pigeon Forge are wasting their lives doing. American kids hate American Literature because they're taught you're the best we have to offer. Faulkner is spinning in his grave. And where do you think you're going, Mr. Dickens? You're responsible for this too. Do you know how many times in my life I've wanted to read a book about street urchins? Zero. Jane Austen could write circles around you with one hand tied behind her back. And she just got even better. But I digress. In any case, Benjamin Button is not going to win.

The Reader: Very few hats.

Slumdog Millionaire: Very few hats

You see what I'm up against. In the end, I only found a couple "conventional" movies that were even worth of consideration: The Changeling, because Angelina Jolie seems to be wearing jockey hat through the entire thing, and Doubt, because nuns are pure gold when it comes to headware. But still, I wasn't very happy with the field, so I did a bit of out-of-the-hatbox thinking, and found the gem known as Presto in the overlooked short-film genre. Shockingly enough, I had actually seen it (unlike everything else I review) because it was attached to Wall-E in theaters. And let me say, the film represents just about everything the Hattys stand for. If anything, it might be a bit too perfect; Pixar clearly put this out just to win the award - but I'm a big enough man to allow shameless pandering in my direction. In any case, a hat (or two hats, precisely) is absolutely central to the film's very existence. No hat, no film - it's that simple. So congratulations, Presto, the most hat-centric movie of 2008.

Soon-to-be-DMCA-takedown-noticed video follows:

2009-03-07T20:30:00.007-06:00

Why do I always think of Phony McRingRing whenever I see any of the new Vista ads?

Phoney: Hi, I'm Phoney McRingRing, mascot and president of the
telephone company, and I'm here to explain why the
convenience of one area code in [splice] your town [end
splice] has been replaced by the convenience of two area
codes.
[cut to the audience]
Homer: Uh, I have a question, Phoney.
Lisa: It's a movie, Dad.
Homer: Quiet, honey, Daddy's asking the man a question.
[back to the film]
Phoney: You're probably thinking, "Sure, more area codes are
great, and I don't mind paying the extra hidden fees, but
how will I remember all those numbers?"
[opens a closet door, and a huge wall of numbers comes
tumbling out, burying Phoney] Whoa!
Well, scientists have discovered that even monkeys can
memorize ten numbers. Are you stupider than a monkey?
[cut to the audience]
Wiggum: How big of a monkey?
[back to the film]
Phoney: [laughs] Of course you're not.

Are you stupider than a 4 year old? Because that's the only reason you could possibly dislike the Vista user expereince.

disclaimer: I recently tried Vista SP1 and it's really not that bad if you have a high end machine and customize the heck out of it - I just dont like ads that insult my intelligence

2009-02-07T13:04:00.013-06:00

Hey, I'm not dead, how about that!

IMG_3847
Originally uploaded by lmf71080

IMG_3844
Originally uploaded by lmf71080

I'm here today because I recently returned from a trip to California* and had to issue a warning to all those thinking about traveling on Northwest in the future. I could talk about how they lost my only checked bag in Minneapolis, but that's a story we've all experienced already. Instead, I have a story from my return layover in Minneapolis (all Northwest flights, like the rest of the world's evils, go through Minneapolis). While waiting at our gate, I was keeping an eye on the video screens arcross the hall because I had noticed one monitor displaying an all-to-familiar BIOS-level message asking for a floppy boot disk. Amused, I kept watching, and a few minutes later all the screens recycled. I imagined a panicked staffer running through the airport corridors with a 3 1/2 floppy. In any case, the reboot must not have fixed the problem, because the prompt was still there afterward, and much to my amusement I saw a another familiar sight, a windows error pop-up bridging two other screens. This one was an error I've seen too often at work (before we moved to Linux), warning that the windows system event log was full. With this peek into the inner working of the Northwest/Minneapolis airport infrastructure fresh in my mind, my earlier lost luggage debacle became more understandable.

I took some pictures for posterity, but I have to apologize for the blurriness, I had to be covert for fear of being dragged off by security. Of course Lisa thought I was crazy for finding humor in this, but I'm used to that by now.

* We rented a Kia Rio to drive around the coast. One of the buttons on the radio was labeled "CAT FOLDER". I am assuming this is for on-the-go commuters who need to fit felines into small spaces, but I could be wrong. In any case, we didn't have a cat with us, so I didn't get to try it out.

2008-11-23T10:54:00.002-06:00

Sorry about the midseason break, I meant to do picks last week but was preoccupied by attending the Bears beatdown last week. Considering the last time I went to Lambeau I saw the Vikings get taken to the woodshed, I think I see a trend here: Lucas Attendance = Packers landslide. Pay attention, Mark Murphy.

CIN at PIT: Nobody cares if I cheat, right? PIT.

PHI at BAL: I could make a "Donovan McNabb overtime" joke here, but instead I'll make fun of Joe Flacco's appearance. You are one gangly guy, Joe. Haw haw. PHI.

BUF at KC: Ok, I want to know who told Trent Edwards he was playing way over his head, because they broke his brain, apparently. BUF.

CHI at STL: As much as I can wish for a Rams win, it ain't gonna happen. CHI.

NYJ at TEN: Seems like a logical spot for the Titans to get their first loss, but I don't see it. TEN.

NE at MIA: Come on Miami, it's time: Ronne Brown = Full Time QB, Chad Pennington = Full Time Receiver. MIA.

MIN at JAC: Lisa and I can actually root together on this one. JAC.

SF at DAL: Dallas didn't win last week, Washington lost. Lets not get ahead of ourselves, Cowboys fans. DAL.

OAK at DEN: Was this a rivalry at some point? Several centuries ago? DEN.

CAR at ATL: No doubt, one of these two teams will win the AFC South (sorry Bucs) CAR.

NYG at ARI: Measuring stick time for the Cards. Let's go with the upset special. ARI.

WAS at SEA: GIDCAOTW. No pick.

IND at SD: The Chargers are on the edge, and Indy actually isn't as good as its record. SD.

GB at NO: A worrisome game, but one that must be won. GB.

2008-11-02T10:52:00.004-06:00

Sorry these are a bit later than usual, I sort of lost track of time last night playing Fable 2...

NYJ at BUF: Thanks a lot Buffalo, you've completely gone in the tank since I called you an AFC favorite. However, I think a certain #4 will help you guys out this week. BUF.

DET at CHI: I almost thought upset special here, but that would go against my #1 all time rule, "Never Pick Detroit in an Upset Special." CHI.

JAC at CIN: We're going to have to do away with the Bengals Implosion Threat Meter, because the implosion has already happened. JAC.

BAL at CLE: I'm just going to stop picking games involving the Browns at this point, it's impossible to get a read on them.

TB at KC: Kansas City, you blew your chance to pick up Fumbles McCulpepper! TB.

HOU at MIN: Ok, here's an upset special I can feel good about. HOU.

ARI at STL: St. Louis certainly has the smoke & mirrors thing going on right now. That isn't necessarily a compliment. STL.

GB at TEN: The titans aren't going to go 16-0, it might as well stop now. GB.

MIA at DEN: The Broncos continue on their merry way to being first round playoff cannon fodder. DEN.

DAL at NYG: Blah blah blah blah Cowboys Cowboys blah Cowboys. Ok, ESPN, I've just shown I meet your criteria for an NFL analyst, give me a job already. NYG.

ATL at OAK: Oh jeez, GIDCAOTW. ATL.

PHI at SEA: Sorry Seahawks fans, last week was just an aberration. Also, Seahawks fans, do you exist? PHI.

NE at IND: Not exactly what you were hoping for when you grabbed this one, huh, NBC? NE.

PIT at WAS: Do the Steelers ever play during the day? PIT.

2008-10-25T20:32:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time since I've done 4-word picks, so let's give it a go...

OAK at BAL: Al Davis is Death. BAL.

ARI at CAR: Sorry, you're both pretenders. CAR.

TB at DAL: In your face, Cowboys. TB.

WAS at DET: No Millen, still bad. WAS.

BUF at MIA: Your new AFC favorite. BUF.

STL at NE: It's been fun, Rams. NE.

SD at NO: New Orleans isn't good. SD.

KC at NYJ: Screw you, Mr. Favre. NYJ.

ATL at PHI: Atlanta returns to earth. PHI.

CLE at JAC: What the hell, Cleveland? JAC.

CIN at HOU: Hey, it's the GIDCAOTW! HOU.

NYG at PIT: Won't meet the hype. NYG.

SEA at SF: Seattle is really terrible. SF.

IND at TEN: Titans clinch AFC south. TEN.

2008-10-18T20:37:00.003-05:00

The Packers are winning again, so I'm picking again...

SD at BUF: Am I crazy for considering Buffalo the AFC championship favorite if they win this game? Yes, probably. SD.

NO at CAR: Someone undeserving is going to win the NFC south again this year, but hey, at least it's not the NFC west. CAR.

MIN at CHI: The Falcons' 11-second drive against Chicago was the greatest Nelsonesque "Haw-haw" moment of the year so far. CHI.

PIT at CIN: Bengals Implosion Threat Level: Neon Pink (near critical mass). PIT.

TEN at KC: At this point, you're looking at Kansas City and wondering to yourself, "how on earth did they get a win this year?" TEN.

BAL at MIA: I think Baltimore has been doing it with smoke and mirrors so far this year, and last week's beatdown by the Colts was just the beginning. MIA.

SF at NYG: I hate to keep harping on J.T. O'Sullivan, but it's just too easy to pass up. I don't like his chances against the Giants' blitz packages. NYG.

DAL at STL: Just sit down and take your medicine like a man, Jerry Jones. DAL.

DET at HOU: Do you remember the draft a few years ago where everyone in the media absolutely loved Matt Millen's picks of Roy Williams and Kevin Jones, 1-2? A+ "grades" across the board. I don't think I have to say anything more. HOU.

IND at GB: Bad Peyton, I really need you to show up for this one. GB.

NYJ at OAK: Speaking of the media, how much of a froth do you think they'll work up this week after Favre destroys the hopeless Raiders and leads the big-market Jets to a *gasp* winning record? NYJ.

CLE at WAS: This game wins the award for "best matchup of hard-to-assess teams with non-distinctive color palettes" CLE. Upset special.

SEA at TB: Having fun in your lame-duck season, Mr. Holmgren? TB.

DEN at NE: The matchup of the two coaches I hate the most. Denver's not good, but the Patriots seem to be worse than anyone thought possible. DEN.

2008-10-11T20:36:00.002-05:00

Sorry folks, no picks this week. Once again, forces have conspired to down the Badgers, Brewers, Packers, and (soon) Bucks, causing me to avert my eyes from the train wreck that is Wisconsin sports right now. Plus I've just finished about ten consecutive hours of painting our basement, and I want to lie down for a few weeks now.

However, because I don't want any reader to walk away empty handed I offer this quick suggestion: if you're paying any attention to the upcoming election, this statistics-heavy wonder-site by the Baseball Prospectus Guy should be on your daily rounds.

2008-10-04T18:30:00.002-05:00

Because the Brewers made the playoffs and gave me one positive sporting-related event to dwell on during the past week, I need to hold up my end of the bargain by getting back to the football-pickin' business.

TEN at BAL: It's pretty hard to imagine this Titans team being better than the early 00's McNair-led squads. McNair was undoubtedly superior to the early 00's Kerry Collins, who was undoubtedly superior to the late 00's Kerry Collins. Upset special. BAL.

KC at CAR: Well, Kansas City, at least you have the Royals... oh wait, never mind. CAR.

CHI at DET: If you're a solid GM candidate, is there any way you're stepping into the mess in Detroit if they ask you to stop by for an interview? I'm guessing not. Another former broadcaster, perhaps? What's Pat Summerall doing these days? CHI.

ATL at GB: Please, please, please - I don't want to see Matt Flynn. GB.

IND at HOU: It's games like these that will keep Indy in the playoff race, somehow. IND.

SD at MIA: Is anyone going to pay any attention to the dolphins now that they've fulfilled their destiny and played their one competent game against the Pats? SD.

SEA at NYG: Don't stop believing, little Matt Hasselbeck, you'll grow up to be a successful woman some day. NYG.

WAS at PHI: Ok, I have to admit I no longer have any idea what's up with the NFC east. I guess I'll pick the Eagles because I like birds more than ethnic stereotypes. PHI.

TB at DEN: Tampa gets its comeuppance this week, while Denver will have to wait another game or two. DEN.

BUF at ARI: Really, Arizona, what the hell just happened last week?!?!? BUF.

CIN at DAL: This is gonna get ugly, part II. DAL.

NE at SF: The equation is pretty simple in this match up: the winner is probably a borderline playoff contender, the loser probably isn't. NE.

PIT at JAC: Does Jacksonville have enough to keep their season afloat? For right now they do, against an equally beat-up Steelers squad. JAC.

MIN at NO: I just like picking against the Vikings. NO.

2008-09-27T18:09:00.003-05:00

I saw this quote recently and had to share:

Prediction is very difficult, especially of the future. - Niels Bohr

Doing picks, especially at a point when every team you care about has lost their last game, is a tough task. And because I'm running unopposed, there aren't any obligations to fill. So I'm going to take a pass this week. If anything in the sporting world goes right by this time next week, I'll be back in business, so I'll see you soon, hopefully.

2008-09-21T09:31:00.002-05:00

It appears my competition has silently bowed out this year, without so much as a goodbye, perhaps in tacit admission my of my insurmountable and permanent superiority in picking football games. Unfortunately, the football gods, no doubt angered at this turn of events, struck down the quarterback of his favorite team, in a fully-justified retaliatory action.

I'll continue making picks this year but it's possible I might miss a week here or there with no one else running in the race. My enthusiasm for doing these is directly related to how the Packers are doing, and they're doing well right now, so let's get down to business.

KC at ATL: GIDCAOTW right off the bat. ATL.

OAK at BUF: Even before last week, it should have been clear that Buffalo, not the Jets, are the Patriots' real competition in the AFC East. BUF.

TB at CHI: I cannot believe that the Bears are an over-.500 team, and this is the kind of game under-.500 teams should lose. TB.

CAR at MIN: Yes, the Vikings need this game much much more than Carolina, but what have they done in the first two to make anyone, let alone someone with extreme anti-Vikings prejudice, pick them? CAR.

MIA at NE: And the Patriots' cruise through their minor-league-grade schedule continues. NE.

CIN at NYG: BITL: Raw Sienna (approaching critical) NYG.

HOU at TEN: I can't believe I'm doing this, considering what happened the last time the Texans tried to play football a few weeks back, but I have nothing to lose this year. Upset Special. HOU.

ARI at WAS: Washington is the worst team in the NFC east. Arizona may actually be the best team in the NFC west. That means Arizona will win, right? ....Right? ARI.

NO at DEN: Oooh, lets all fawn over Mike Shanahan a little bit more - we have no dignity left anyway. Right, ESPN? DEN.

DET at SF: Has J.T. O'Sullivan suddenly become competent? Doubtful. But he'll put up competent numbers against the hopeless Lions. SF.

STL at SEA: Late breaking news: The Seahawks have re-signed Brian Blades and Mike Pritchard. SEA.

CLE at BAL: This game will be worse than boring, it'll be boring-and-a-half. BAL.

JAC at IND: Who would have looked at this matchup a few weeks ago and said, "this is the only way one of these teams get a win this week"? JAC.

PIT at PHI: Possible super-bowl matchup? Pit-possibly. Phi-impossibly. PIT.

DAL at GB: I have the same feeling about this game as the week 1 vikings game, so we'll see how it goes... GB.

NYJ at SD: This is gonna get ugly. SD.

2008-09-14T10:14:00.002-05:00

CHI at CAR: If Matt Forte has another good game, he's well on the path to being this year's Adrian Peterson - and of course, I'm not speaking in terms of talent, just hype. CHI.

TEN at CIN: The obvious joke here is that Vince Young is reaching a craziness level that would make him a perfect fit on the Bengals - so I'll use it. BITL: Lemon Yellow (medium but rising) TEN.

GB at DET: The Packers are really dinged up right now, but c'mon... GB.

BUF at JAC: I mentioned last week I had a bad feeling about the Jags this year, and it was confirmed big-time. Suddenly this looks like a 6-win team. Upset Special. BUF.

OAK at KC: I wish you could have seen my facial reaction when I saw this matchup. Imagine biting into a pickled lemon. KC.

IND at MIN: Minnesota will probably win here, because Indy's defense has reverted to their pre-2006 playoffs form, but it's going to take more than a likely victory for me to actually predict the Vikings will win. IND.

NYG at STL: Ok, so the Giants may not be toast this year. But imagining more than 10 wins is pretty hard too. About as hard as imagining more than 3 wins for the Rams. Tim Tebow lottery, here we come! NYG.

NO at WAS: For all the positive vibes coming out of New Orleans last week, the one that made me happiest was the strong fantasy performance of Reggie Bush, who I had instantly regretted drafting the prior week. NO.

SF at SEA: I hate you, NFC west, for wasting my time 17 weeks a year. SEA.

ATL at TB: No, Atlanta, you won't be winning much this year, but I hope you enjoyed last week. TB.

MIA at ARI: GIDCAOTW. ARI.

SD at DEN: Let's see what Denver does against a real team before making any judgments, ok? SD.

NE at NYJ: With the Patriots' surrounding cast, even say, Jeff George, should be able to put up 15-20 TDs (albeit with 30-35 interceptions). NE.

PIT at CLE: Speaking of the Patriots, the Steelers better be paying attention, because they just got the opportunity of a lifetime. PIT.

PHI at DAL: Good Samaritan Tony Romo will save some lady's baby off a nearby set of railroad tracks during halftime. DAL.

2008-09-03T21:17:00.003-05:00

Well, it's time to fire up the ol' football-pickin' machine again, and it's nice to see that this season already has plenty to talk about. I'm speaking, of course, about this year's version of spygate, duffelgate. Please see this google screenshot as proof I coined the term. Last year we had to wait until after week one to start talking about the season's big issue, this year we got a one-week head start. Hooray!

WAS at NYG: I can't stay mad at the Giants for beating the Pack at Lambeau last year, because I'm convinced the Pats would have mopped the floor with GB in the super bowl, and I would take a Pats championship game loss over a Packers champion ship game loss (to the Pats) any day.

DET at ATL: Almost went upset special but I couldn't pick a team where I actually have no idea who the coach is. DET.

CIN at BAL: This year I'll provide a homeland-security-style Bengals Implosion Threat Level (BITL) for each of their games. We start out at BITL: Salmon (moderately low). BAL.

SEA at BUF: Wild, crazy, prediction: Seattle will finish about 10-6 and exit in the second round of the playoffs. Also, Matt Hasselbeck will continue to act like he's not a balding, annoying, pipsqueak. SEA.

NYJ at MIA: Aw, noodle-armed Chad Pennington doesn't have a starting job at the moment. What Jet shall I then make fun of? I'll make my decision after this week. NYJ.

KC at NE: The Pats will be worse than last year, and so will the Chiefs. NE.

TB at NO: Somebody has to win the NFC south, and it might as well be the Saints again. NO.

STL at PHI: Does anyone outside of Philly still consider the Eagles a super bowl contender? Because everyone inside Philly does, for some reason. PHI.

HOU at PIT: Seems like a decent candidate for GIDCAOTW. PIT.

JAC at TEN: The Jags look like a team on the upswing, but I'm starting to get a 2006 Bengals vibe from them. TEN.

DAL at CLE: One thing I don't understand is why everyone thinks the cowboys will be even better than they were last year. But then again, I'm not a blowhard ex-jock with an extensive concussion history and freedom to speak whatever wanders across my wasteland of a mind on national TV. Upset Special. CLE.

CAR at SD: Phil Rivers is quickly becoming the quarterback who most annoys me, but I have to admit, if the Chargers didn't lose their QB and RB at the most inopportune time possible last year, they probably are super bowl champions right now. SD.

ARI at SF: J.T. O'Sullivan. ARI.

CHI at IND: Wow, two teams that have similar personnel to what they had a couple years ago in the superbowl, ...and yet, the Colts are expecting to be a top team in the AFC once again, while the Bears have to be realistically aiming for about 6 wins. IND.

MIN at GB: I have no idea what will happen to the Packers this year, and I have a bad feeling about this one (despite the horrific over-ration of the Vikings, this year's stupid national media darling). GB.

DEN at OAK: Do not let people who were born before the Spanish-American war run a team in 2008 - is that clear by now??? DEN.

2008-07-12T16:36:00.001-05:00

Shockingly, the Jeromy Burnitz impression is not really overdone

and if you're wondering: yes, the guy is doing every team

2008-06-08T14:00:00.003-05:00

No explanation...

2008-05-28T21:46:00.001-05:00

Two posts in two days, I must have something important to say ... and I do, tooting my horn thusly:

The Simpsons Softball Quiz

Score: 100% (9 out of 9)

2008-05-27T20:10:00.003-05:00

I've been roused from my lengthy slumber to send this important message: If the words "Oregon Trail" immediately conjure up childhood memories of boldly fording rivers, buying 999 boxes of bullets at Matt's General Store, and watching your family members succumb to snakebite one by one, you need to go to virutualapple.org and re-live the experience right now. And if you die prematurely (you will), there are 1200+ other Apple II games on the site ready to kill your valuable time. Just go already, Woz wants you to.

2008-03-19T17:10:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I'll admit that I dropped the ball on "The Hattys" this year, but this is mainly due to me also forgetting about the oh-so-forgettable Oscars. That, and me not really watching any new movies this past year. However, I can recall going to the theater just once, to see Ratatouille, and it was enough for me to crown the champion right then and there, as a chef's toque serves as a critical element in the main plot point of the film. So, congratulations to Ratatouille, the first animated film to garner the prestigious honor of Most Hat-Centric Movie of the Year.

Now, you may notice that this years rundown is a bit shorter than normal, and that's due to me devoting my time to creating something that will benefit all of humanity. We're talking, of course, about the internet's only Hat Identification Chart. You may recall me complaining about the non-existence of this item last year, and a few weeks ago I finally decided to do something about it. I also put a handy-dandy link to it on the sidebar, just for easy access.

Enjoy.

2008-02-03T13:46:00.000-06:00

After some thought, I've decided to pass on watching the super bowl this year. And believe it or not, it has almost nothing to do with the Packers' recent elimination - now I'll admit if the Pack was in it I'd be watching, but if they had finished their expected 6-10 this year I'm pretty sure I'd be passing in that case, too. I arrived at my choice after making the following considerations:

Fox is mixing political coverage into this year's pregame. I'm confident it will be fair and balanced.
Fox will also have a red carpet this year, which is nice because I always feel like football broadcasts don't spend enough time focusing on which celebrities are in attendance, and what, or should is say, "who", they are wearing.
Every moment listening to Joe Buck is a moment of agony.
Ditto for Terry Bradshaw.
5 hours of Patriot (and Giant) butt kissing.
6 hours of promos for horrific new shows that will be gone by April.
There are several decent male-focused viewing alternatives this year, like the Mythbusters marathon.
The Puppy Bowl is always gold, too.
It's unlikely that more than five commercials will actually be funny.
In the age of the internet, I can always view any good commercials the following day, in 1/20th of the time.
My disdain for the league itself has grown a great deal over the past few years, most notably for the NFL Network's cash-grabbing tactics at the expense of their fans, but also for their idiotic handling of tape-gate - why on earth would you destroy the tapes?
I just plain don't like the Patriots.

So, anyway, I guess I'll pick the Giants just for the hell of it. Have fun if you're going to watch, I won't begrudge you. That's the last you'll hear from me on the matter, thank you for your time.

2008-01-26T10:24:00.000-06:00

Can somebody explain to me why The Weather Channel is publishing a video report from a meterologist entitled Proof that there is life on Mars?

(Apologies for the horrifically poor video player and embedding tool weather.com uses. I had no choice, I swear!)

I think right now is a wonderful time to think about where you get your weather information from. You may want to consider sites that tend to focus on actually providing weather information.