Bolder Debate

NFL Draft Day Games!

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:18:00 +0000

Well, the draft is right around the corner. How do we know? ESPN has run out of normal things to say and has somehow found something even stupider than Who's Now in its ridiculous "Mock Draft for the Ages."

Now there are some efforts out there in the blogosphere to concoct games for your NFL Draft Party, but to tolerate Mel and Todd for hours and hours on end, you need some serious games (and brews). So, some suggestions for your big party this Saturday:

* A pool for the top 15 picks. Honestly you'll probably do better than the "pros."

* Have your guests run a 40 yard dash and take a sample Wonderlic test. You can only hope to run like Andre Smith and test like Vince Young!

* Fun for the lady folks: have people pay for envelopes containing names of the draftees who are in New York. Have the fashionable women present judge who has the most ridiculous suit. The person with that name in their envelope wins the pool.

* Make up a pink "Mr. Irrelevant" T-shirt on cafepress.com. Last male guest to arrive has to wear the shirt for the duration of the party (or until another, even later male guest arrives).

* And the ultimate NFL Draft game: NFL Draft Buzzword Bingo! Download the 14 unique game cards! Fight over the card picturing America's Sideline Princess! Pay close attention to the TV as Mel, Todd, and the gang discuss reach picks, blue collar players, risk-reward prospects, and tweeners!

Download the game cards here.

Downloading the cards? Throw us some love in the comments!

H/T to Jeff and David for their contributions to the bingo board.

NFL Candy

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:29:00 +0000

So today I got in my inbox the following offer:

Gosh, it got me all excited. What says "Divisional Round Party" like a bowl full of Late-Season-Collapse-coated chocolate candies? No word on whether Brett Favre had ordered some to munch on during his retirement musings.

But it also got me thinking: if M&Ms are the official candy of the New York Jets, what other franchises have an official candy?

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike & Ike

Cleveland Browns: Butterfinger

Detroit Lions: Snickers

And, of course New England Patriots: Hershey's Kisses

Or at least Hershey's Hugs.

I'm sure you can think of some others.

Honestly The Best Story of 2008 to Date

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:59:00 +0000

UDDER MADNESS: 'JERSEY' GIRL HIT WITH 'MOO'VING VIOLATION IN OHIO (New York Post)

This Thing is Hideous

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:28:00 +0000

Holy cow--Google and TMobile have been working on their Android phone for about a year and this is the best they can come up with? This looks like something a 14 year old would use to text his friends about the big rave on Friday night or where to score some meth this week. I wouldn't be caught dead with this thing. And the fact this will be on TMobile's pathetic 3G network is not inspiring either. Your thoughts, Kaly?

Mesmerizing

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:56:00 +0000

This commercial was on a couple times during MNF last night. I cannot get it out of my head.

A Philosophy Store?

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:29:00 +0000

Mike Patrick delivers a gem during last night's Tenn-UCLA game.

Paris Hilton's Response to McCain

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Kalamaya) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:21:00 +0000

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

(Props to Adrianne for sending me this video.)

Old iPhones: Worth More $$ than 3G iPhones?

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Kalamaya) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:33:00 +0000

Super interesting article about how those old, antiquated Original iPhones of yesteryear are worth more than most think. Since they can be unlocked, there's a HUGE demand for them overseas. T, take note before plopping for a 3G model.

Risky Riding

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Kalamaya) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:28:00 +0000

Great article in today's Vail Daily on the dangers for cyclists on Hwy 6. See here. Hwy 6 runs parallel to Interstate 70 through the main Vail and Eagle valley corridor. It is essentially a highly used frontage road. I posted a map at the bottom.

It's about 18 miles from my house in Edwards to the courthouse in Eagle. I usually ride to work in the morning at least once during the week. I shower at the Sheriff's Office, and always get weird looks from the girls working the front desk since they normally see me strolling around in a suit. I'll leave my bike in my office, catch a ride back to E-Town with Braden or another co-worker, drive in the next morning and ride my bike back in the afternoon. It's great exercise and reduces the number of times I drive to work. The ride, however, is dodgy. The drivers have, uhm, a bit of a different perspective on cyclists versus those in Boulder. Money quote below:

“There are a lot of big trucks on it, and the general attitude is that we shouldn’t be on the road."

From the article it looks like there won't be a total solution anytime soon, but smaller improvements should make it tolerable and a bit safer. Phew!

View Larger Map

BRAINS BRAINS BRAINS!

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:06:00 +0000

This is an interesting article from the New Yorker a few weeks back, about the science of itching. It will blow your mind, especially this money line:

Only in the Emergency Department at Massachusetts General Hospital, after the doctors started swarming, and one told her she needed surgery now, did M. learn what had happened. She had scratched through her skull during the night—and all the way into her brain.

THE ITCH: Its mysterious power may be a clue to a new theory about brains and bodies. (New Yorker, June 30, 2008)

Random Itch to Climb

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Kalamaya) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:57:00 +0000

Holy Cross
Originally uploaded by Ryan Kalamaya

So, I was all slated to head down to Denver yesterday for the Mile High Music Festival. My bags were packed, and I was dialing various people who had tickets listed on Craigslist for Sunday's set of shows. Then, I decided I wanted to go do something random. T, can attest to my tendency to just do stuff for the sake of "experience." Call it my life-long obsession with Jack Kerouac's, On the Road.

Anyhoo, instead of going to Denver, I ventured out the door, headed for Vail, rode my bike to the top of Vail Pass (recommend it!), and then drove up past Minturn to the trailhead for Mt. of the Holy Cross. It was getting dark and I was starting to second-guess myself since 1) I planned on hiking in 3-4 miles and set up camp, 2) I'd never been in the area before, and 3) I was rolling solo. Throwing caution to the wind, I trekked on and found a nice little spot for my sleeping bag as the sun was going down. In my haste to get on the trail, I had unfortunately forgotten bug spray. The mossies were beastmasters, and I had to wrap my head in a T-Shirt as I lay under the open sky and listened to Bob Dylan on my iPod.

This morning, I rose to a beautiful day and broken camera. I uploaded the pics from the twilight tramp the night before on Flickr (see wallpaper in the right sidebar of the blog). My camera didn't work for the main climb up this morning. The climb was quite a slog, but I made it to the top for my treat of Vitamin Water and Cliff Bar. As much as I wanted to snap a few pics, it never really does the view justice when you're standing 14,000 feet on top of a mountain and can see for miles. I guess that's kind of like life, in a way.

Music to my Ears

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Kalamaya) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:23:00 +0000

I'm heading down to Denver this weekend for the Mile High Music Festival. Lineup for both days is here. It should be an absolute blast. While I wish I could afford both days, I'm going to scalp a ticket for Sunday only. I'm looking forward to seeing Brett Dennen, John Mayer, The Roots, DMB, The Whigs, Rosehill Drive, Black Crowes, and Colbie Caillat.

Speaking of music, I've been using the "What I'm Listening To" application on Facebook a fair amount recently (pic on left). Its one of the only applications I actively use via FB. It shows me what my friends are listening to these days. The application is linked to last.fm , which just overhauled their web site (see pic on right). For awhile last.fm was allowing me to listen to nearly any artist's song at full-length. Now, it appears they've reinstituted their little 30-second sample limit for most songs. Boo!

Couple recommendations from yours truly. First, for Coldplay lovers, the new album, Viva La Vida, is fantastic. I've been listening to it a ton over the past week. Second, if you dig hip-hop or electronica, check out 3OH!3's new LP, Want. These guys rip, and their live performances are legendary. They really ham up the awkward white dude hip-hop schtick. See the video below. Boulderites might be familiar with 3OH!3 since the two guys, Sean and Nathaniel, went to CU. Obviously, 3OH!3 is a play on Boulder/Denver's primary area code, 303. MySpace page here.

Gore's Speech on Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:29:00 +0000

“We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that has to change.”

So today I had an "only in DC" experience. A few weeks ago I joined the We Campaign, which is a bipartisan group dedicated to combating the effects of climate change (incidentally, I would encourage you to join). Last week, I was invited by the We Campaign to a speech by Al Gore, held in Constitution Hall just a few blocks from my office. It was a clown show getting in--tons and tons of people waiting in line, people handing out brochures on all sorts of environmental causes, various anti-Gore protesters. It was a packed house--not an empty seat available.

Gore's thesis was pretty straightforward: America's economic, environmental, and national security ills can all be combated by decreasing -- or even eliminating -- America's reliance on carbon fuels. He challenged our next president to convert to 100% non-carbon sources for our electrical grid, using instead wind, solar, and thermal energy. I thought some of his logic was a little suspect (I'm not sure "strange" weather necessarily indicates global warming), but there is absolutely no question in my mind that his solution makes sense.

I attended a similar talk at work a few months ago by James Woolsey, the former director of Central Intelligence. He made the great point that reducing our dependence on oil makes sense for two reasons:

1. To held reduce and eventually reverse global warming
2. To reduce the transfer of wealth to Saudi Arabia (and other unfriendly countries, like Venezuela), which use that wealth to sponsor anti-American activities (like the Saudi-funded madrasas that produced the 9/11 hijackers).

In other words, whether you're a global warming believer or doubter, it is clearly in America's best interest to reduce our dependence on oil -- and carbon-based fuels more generally. This issue is far too important to avoid action on, like the Bush Administration has. We are lucky to have two presidential candidates who are leaders on this issue. I know I will be following their positions carefully as I make my November decision.

Gore Urges Change to Dodge an Energy Crisis (NYT)
Text of Gore's Speech (Huffington Post)

Gore after his speech.

Not a great shot, but this was my view at Constitution Hall.

Some highlights from the speech.

Follow Up on the Nats

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:42:00 +0000

As discussed here a few days back, the Nats' TV ratings are dismal. So dismal, in fact, that Bud Selig is demanding a recount!

Well, not really, but:

"The ratings were so . . . abysmal, we're having our people look into it, and it's ongoing," Selig said during his annual lunch meeting with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Are Nats' TV Figures Too Bad to Be True? (Washington Post)
Nats Pathetic on the Field, On the Tube (Bolder Debate)

The Tour and Team Slipstream

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Kalamaya) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:27:00 +0000

I've been trying to keep track of the Tour de France the past few weeks. Like the NHL, all the new teams and riders are making it difficult for me to really get a grasp on who I'm rooting for. One thing, however, is clear: I'm pulling for Team Slipstream and Will Frischkorn. While I've never met Will, even though he lives in Boulder, I'm friends with his sister, Virginia, who lives in Aspen and went to UVa. There's a great article on the team and him on espn.com. See here.

In other news, my knee is finally healthy. I've been biking up a storm the last few weeks. Eagle has some amazing mountain bike trails, so I've been going on rides after work and even during lunch. My co-workers and sheriff deputies give me weird looks whenever I roll into the court parking lot with my bright-colored lycra outfits. Needless to say, no one would bat an eye in Boulder!

Big News from Kaly!

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:24:00 +0000

Kaly, I had no idea about this until I saw this report!

Tecmo Bowler, Reporter, Celebrity Boxer?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:09:00 +0000

I used to love Vai Sikahema on Tecmo Super Bowl. He was a sweet return man for the Cardinals (although he made his name as an Eagle). He's now a sportscaster for the NBC affiliate in Philly. But who knew he was an accomplished amateur boxer as well? well, I guess Jose Canseco now knows, after Vai knocked him out in the first round! Always good to see Tecmo Super Bowlers doing well.

Because some aren't.

Nats Pathetic on the Field, On the Tube

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:52:00 +0000

The new Nationals Park is a great place for a baseball game, even if it's a bit sterile and could be, as my friend Jeff pointed out, in Reston, Frederick, or Harrisburg without anyone noticing the difference. Still, the sightlines are good and the seats cheap (especially when provided by a law firm).

However, as Thomas Boswell discusses in his latest column, the on-field product is pretty pathetic thus far, but the television product is even worse: an average of 9000 households watch the average Nats game! I mean, that is truly disturbing, and as Boswell points out, has some scary implications for the Nats once the new stadium bounce wears off. The Nats need to get better fast, or fans will start deserting in droves once the bathrooms at Nationals Park get dirty and gum gets stuck underneath the seats,

Not Looking Good, Davey

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:33:00 +0000

Disgraced NBA Referee's Phone Calls to Second Ref Raise Questions

So, Davey, is Tim Donaghy still a "rogue, isolated criminal"? Inquiring minds want to know!

Sweet Ad

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:09:00 +0000

Take a look at this sweet Nike Soccer ad, put together by Madonna's soon-to-be-ex Guy Ritchie.

Dream Weaver

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:48:00 +0000

So this weekend I had a vivid dream. For some reason, I was being sent to the moon as part of the space program. For the trip, I was being given steroids. We made it there and back safely. We landed and I was was walking back on Earth, I felt someone spitting on me from above. I looked up and who could it be but ex-Bengal WR Chris Henry? I then went up and broke each of his fingers individually.

I feel like there is some deep sports-related meaning to this dream. Will Chris Henry come off his suspension and have a great fantasy year? Will Jose Canseco be sent into space? I just don't know.

The Long-Distance Commute Coming to An End?

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:17:00 +0000

The Post, Times, and Wall Street Journal often seem to be on the same news cycle; they definitely were the last two weeks with these two fascinating articles:

Fuel Prices Shift Math for Life in Far Suburbs (NYT, June 25)

Suburbs a Mile Too Far for Some (WSJ, June 17, 2008)

However, these articles really hit on a trend that I find very interesting: the coming (and continuing) revitalization of city cores. Of course, these type of projects have been going on for years (Denver, San Antonio, even Dupont Circle in DC starting as early as the 1980s). Formerly, though, these projects/movements were more about wanting to live a certain type of lifestyle: walkable, with access to urban amenities. Now, people will be moving back to city cores (and along transit lines) out of economic necessity. The main thing we love about living on Capitol Hill is the fact that we can walk/Metro almost anywhere. We drive 1-2 times per week maximum, and we sometimes can go over a month without filling up the gas tank. It will be interesting to see how much the new urbanization trend accelerates with $4/gallon gasoline.

Look Out for Ninjas

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:14:00 +0000

Thank goodness the Supreme Court upheld our right to have handguns in self-defense; we will need them to protect ourselves from the ninjas!

Barnegat High School locked down after ninja sighting

Random Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Kalamaya) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:36:00 +0000

Amy Winehouse is self-destructing before the world's eyes. She now has emphysema from smoking crack and cigarettes. Sad. Winehouse is taking over the mantle of crazy-diva from Britney. Speaking of which, Britney's back in the studio.
The new My Morning Jacket album, Evil Urges, is fantastic. I wish I could've seen them at Bonaroo. Review from Spin.com here. Similarly, the new Drive-by Truckers album, Brighter than Creation's Dark, is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums this year. If you dig Country or Southern Rock, do yourself a favor and purchase the album. RS review here.
Interesting article in the LA Times on sports blogs, including Deadspin, which Thomas and I read religiously.
Download the new Firefox browser. New & improved.
The political ads are revving up here in Colorful Colorado. Purple state = attention. Here's a great article on Obama taking the White House by winning Colorado from Politico.
My knee is still ailing. I'm starting to get really annoyed. I wouldn't wish ITBS on my worst enemy living in the mountains during the summer.
Tech firms like Google, MSFT, and IBM are examining ways to limit the amount of info we are bombarded with on a daily basis. People are becoming overwhelmed. See here. I've written about this before. Its a constant battle for me to stay on task when I'm in the office in front of my computer. I suppose its one reason I don't yet have an iPhone. I think the urge to constantly surf the web and respond to emails would be too distracting for me.
Much love to Tom Olcott for putting me on to PicLens, a free add-on for Firefox. It blows up the size of pictures for various sites, including Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and Flickr. Very cool.

No Rickshaws!

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas Hall) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:02:00 +0000

Actually, yes, rickshaws! Who could have predicted that bike taxis would be a hot business idea early in the 21st century. We rode a bike taxi last night from Nationals Stadium (a big Nationals win in the bottom of the 14th, by the way) back home, and it was great. A little slower than a regular taxi, sure, but it was a beautiful night and zero carbon footprint.

Check out these UVA alums who are trying a similar idea in Charlottesville, which is a great market for bike taxis. I don't envy them riding on those hills though.