Blog of the Moderate Left
Remember State Rep. Arlon Lindner, R-Corcoran? Sure you do! He?s the insane former state representative whose political career imploded when he said, well, this:
Charming fellow. To be fair, this wasn?t the only bit of insanity Lindner espoused. He skipped a joint session of the legislature because the Dalai Lama was addressing it, saying, ?As a Christian, I am offended that we would have the Dalai Lama come and speak to a joint meeting of our Minnesota Legislature. He claims to be a god-king, a leader of the Buddha religion, which historically has been considered a cult because of its anti-Biblical teachings concerning the one true Holy God, Creator of Heaven and earth and His Son, Jesus Christ.? When DFL State Rep. Michael Paymar, a practicing Jew, objected to the fact that invocations in the House had become sectarian under the GOP leadership, Lindner had said, ?You know, we?re told there?s one God and one mediator between God and man. That man is Jesus Christ. And most of us here are Christians. And we shouldn?t be left not able to pray in the name of our God?.And if you don?t like it, you may have to like it-Or just don?t come. I don?t come sometimes for some prayers here?.We have that privilege, and you need to exercise it. But don?t impose your irreligious left views on me.? Because asking that invocations in a state body be nonsectarian was, evidently, too much to ask.
And of course, there was the letter Lindner?s lawyer sent to Rep. Neva Walker-Black. The problem with that was that there was no Neva Walker-Black in the legislature. There was and is a Rep. Neva Walker, DFL-Minneapolis, the first African-American woman ever elected to the Minnesota State Legislature. She had never been named Black, and had never been married to anyone named Black ? indeed, no real explanation was ever offered as to why the letter was addressed to Walker-Black, though it doesn?t take a rocket scientist to connect the dots.
Q: How’s married life treating you?
A: Great actually. I think it’s even better than I thought it would be. I’ve always thought if married life isn’t great the first year, then you’re going to run into trouble.
For my honeymoon I went down to San Diego. We thought about coming down to Yosemite, but I checked my phone and had all these messages to call Dana. At that point, honeymoon’s over.
Q: Have you always been a big outdoors fan?
A: Not at all. I like the seclusion and hiking, but I’m a guy who likes his hot water and warm bed. Actually, there were a couple days where I couldn’t figure out how to turn the heat on, so we were freezing for the first 2 or 3 nights.
Q: So you’re excited to get back in the ring against Tito?
A: Really looking forward to it. I’m excited about the fight.
Q: How’s the training going?
A: It’s going good. I’m changing some things up. I think in the past, sometimes I’ve let fear be a source of motivation, you know, fear of failure. I think I’m going to try to just enjoy myself more; you know, it’s fun to punch people in the face.
Q: Were you big into working out growing up?
A: Sure. I always played basketball and lifted weights. I like to keep busy.
Q: What’s going on with the new book?
A: Well, the way it came about, I thought I was finishing the first book. I wrote an end to the book, but I found out when they give you a deadline, apparently they mean it. I didn’t realize. So I called them up two weeks after the deadline and said, “I finished the book,” and they said they didn’t want it. So I had half a book and didn’t know what to do with it. So now it’s its own thing.
This time around, I really want to control the title. I’m thinking, “When S**t Goes Down You Better Be Ready: A Guide to the Apocalypse by Forrest Griffin.” I’ve always been a big fan of the apocalypse.
Actually, I was sort of inspired by a book I read recently. It’s called “The Road,” by Cormac McCarthy. He’s the guy who wrote the book “No Country for Old Men.” It’s pretty cool, you should check it out.
Oprah Winfrey will announce tomorrow that her popular daytime talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” will end its run in 2011, Tim Bennett, the President of Harpo, announced in a letter released to ABC affiliates on Thursday.
“Tomorrow, Oprah will announce live on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history,” he wrote in the letter, obtained by Access Hollywood. ” The sun will set on the ‘Oprah’ show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011.”
Thank Heaven For Little Girls!
We are so excited to offer this Little Girly-Girl Giveaway – a Total Retail Value of $162!
It’s an End of Summer giveaway (credit for the idea goes to Trista from The Pumpkin Patch)!
Included in the giveaway are these fabulously Girly-Girl gifts:
1) A Cabana Life White Tunic Dress (Size 6/7) from Skimbaco. A beautiful soft, white, cotton tunic dress that offers SPF 50 sun protection. Floral embroidery and elastic waist and sleeves add sweet detail. Retails at $48.00
2) A Dragonfly Baby Hair Clip from Lil’ Sugarplum. This gorgeous Dragonfly Hair Clip measures 1″ long and has a wing span of 1 1/2″ wide. Velcro inside for more secure hold for all hair types. They are made for babies with superfine hair. These no slip baby hair clips will work on a few strands of hair. Each ribbon end is heat sealed to prevent fraying. Retails at $7.00
3) A Pink Child?s Apron from Pixie Dust Decor. Perfect to wear while cooking, baking or crafting. Ties in back, pocket on front. In the Pixie Dust Pagoda?s beautiful lime and melon fabric. Retails at $24.00
4) A Paris Lily Romper (Size 24 months) from Stella Jane. This Romper features a lined bodice with black piping, covered buttons, black bows that button on and off, and a sassy leg ruffle. This is just perfection! Retails at $45.00
5) A Girls Orange Tee (Size 4T) from Baby Phat. Embroidered on the front is ?baby phat? in pink, with a white embroidered Baby Phat cat logo. Retails at $16.00
6) A bottle of ?My Way? nail polish from Essie. Retails at $7.99
7) A Gwen doll from Groovy Girls Minis. Poseable, Portable, Totally Collectable. Retails at $4.99
8 ) An adorable Pink “Pawsitive” Umbrella from Build-A-Bear Workshop. Retails at $8.99
*Congratulations to the winner of the Little Girly-Girl Giveaway, Elizabeth from Table for Five*
Reader mailbag is an opportunity for you, the readers, to help lovelorn men (and women) achieve happiness in their lives. You may save a virgin tonight. Or a faltering marriage. Or a high living bachelor from the hooks and chains of marriage.
Email #1: Once more into the breach
Hello Roissy! Would be nice to get some opinions on the salvage ability or odds of getting back together/course of action to get back together of a little talked about situation an ultra short term ?relationship?. ? about 2-3 weeks.
This woman is a PhD, published and a well paid practicing psychologist/statistician…..are there certain guidelines when dealing with women like this..maybe she gets offended easily…or maybe she does not have a good sense of humor?
First date no previous contact ..date was excellent, great chemistry, passionate kissing call and email by her ?had great time can?t wait to talk to you again?.
Second meeting about 10 days later..she invites me over late at night/early morning, massage, cuddling, close intimate time (hours) though no sex. Email by her next day ?great seeing you last night just giving you the heads up might need to contact you for consulting again”.
However, after I received that email but before I checked my email to see it I sent her a text(SMS) with what I thought was a friendly ironic/sarcastic joking message about how she was so seductive..joking that she was the femme fatale that took advantage of the innocent guy that evening (an ironic joke). I felt we had a close enough rapport to handle this plus we had developed several inside jokes and plus she is a witty person and she is very physically attractive.
The following day she drops the bomb?after reading the text(SMS) message she regretted having me over and that comment turned things sour for her/felt uncomfortable and she shut everything down ?you are a nice person, good luck?. LOL (I say).
Okay then, knowing specifically ruined things should make this straightforward, right? What is the plan of action (timeline, actions, etc.) to re-establish communication and get things back on track? This has to be approached differently than a longer term relationship because there are very few attachments/feelings. My intuition says NC [No Contact] is not appropriate, right?
Recent happenings:
Its been exactly 8 days since her cutting it off ?break up? email to me. I sent her a voice mail and email apologizing for any hurt I caused her by the joke and emphasized it was a joke and lets just move on. I reassured I meant no disrespect or unkindness. These two were sent the day after I received her email.
I went NC for about 5 days and then shot her another upbeat voice mail telling her about a exciting thing that happened to me, wished her a good day and then mentioned that I agree it is good that we are calling it quits. I may have also sent a SMS or two earlier in the 5 day period. I don’t have a problem being naturally upbeat in communications with her.
All communications I send emphasize compassionately (not pleadingly) that I apologize for hurting her feelings?but I have never, ever, asked or suggested she take me back or anything of that nature. Seriously, I just want her to know that I did not mean anything bad by the joke and that I really did have a nice time with her. I?m not apologizing to her in a manipulative way so she will take me back..I just want to make it clear I was not trying to be an asshole.
I did, however, suggest we meet in person to talk this over. Anyway, She absolutely has not responded to any of them?.everyone here seems to be able to get their girl to respond to them! This girl will not!
What do you do if a woman she goes completely silent? What snaps them out of it?\xA0 Since we don’t know each other well should I be assertive and go ring her doorbell??? (I don’t think so but this is a different kind of situation).\xA0 And what influence does the very short timespan of our knowing each other have on the NC strategy? I have a feeling there should be some modifications because how will a girl miss you if she has not formed strong attachment? She was very affectionate, wanted more contact with me and I feel we made a connection. Tomorrow will be the 9th day post “breakup” email. comments??
thnks, D.
First, get an editor. This email is too long. Anyone else interested in receiving my wisdom has a better chance of being picked for reader mailbag if the email is two paragraphs or less.
There are no different guidelines when dealing with a credentialed woman than there are dealing with any other kind of woman. Nearly all women respond the same to game. An analogy: A male MIT grad will be just as turned on by a nice rack and ass as a male high school dropout.
Here is where I believe you went off the rails: You forced her anti-slut defense hand with your text message. It’s not a good idea to insinuate that a woman is a manipulative sexpot before you’ve had sex with her. It’s especially not a good idea after the second date when you\xA0had\xA0almost crossed the goal line with hours (!) of foreplay only to leave her unsatisfied AT HER PLACE. And it’s really not a good idea to send a follow-up\xA0”ironic”\xA0text message that can so easily be misinterpreted without facial cues.
I bet this is what she was thinking: “Is this guy toying with me?”
I bet this is what her gina was thinking: “What kind of beta kisses me for hours without closing the deal?”
I’m not surprised she dropped the cunty “good luck” text/call on you the next day. However, your second big mistake was in assuming her cunty reply was the end of the road. It was not. It was, instead, a killer shit test, which you failed. “LOL”? That’s how you responded? Do you know what “LOL” says to a girl who just called your shit out and put your balls in a vice?
“Ha, I got under his skin. I *knew* he was weak. Folded like a cheap lawn chair.”
Moving on, your post-mortem attempts to salvage the momentum you had on the second date are just cringeworthy. You “apologized for any hurt” you caused her? Dude, did you read the 16 Commandments of Poon? YOU NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR ACTIONS. And you certainly never apologize when you’ve done nothing wrong. This is “How To Handle Female Psychology 101″. Massive, space-time ripping, Jumbotron fail.
Then of course you dug your hole straight to China with multiple follow-up texts and apologies. Are you a parody of a beta? I have a hard time believing someone who knows about my site would commit such elementary errors. You insist you’re not apologizing to her in a manipulative way, but that’s exactly what you’re doing. What else do you call apologizing for no reason, doing so over and over again in the face of the silent treatment, and generally acting like a desperate pud who hasn’t been touched by a woman since he puckered up to his mom’s teat for a meal?
No Contact strategy is for\xA0men on the road to alphahood.\xA0Who ever said you could work with alphas? No Contact strategy for winning back an EX-GIRLFRIEND won’t work on girls you’ve actively repulsed,\xA0and\xA0haven’t even banged.
Allot yourself a few hours and re-read everything on this site. Absorb it. And then not until you come to an epiphany about your counterproductive behavior should you consider meeting a new woman.
The emailer sent me a post script:
Roissy,
What about this kind of attitude:
Just sending a message like this which is treating her like a bad little girl (calling her bluff)
?Stop with your tests..I can see right through them!?
or
?you had me going there for a while, but now I see you are just playing games? so stop it because I am not amused and they are not working anyway?.you are wasting your time.”
Comments? on this kind of attitude when she does not reply?furthermore, I have heard that women will test you by even breaking up for no reason..just to see how you handle it?.have you heard of that?
Dude, this chick is unsalvageable. Too many mistakes of a deal-killing nature ruined your shot at turning it around with her. The most alpha-iest, wittiest, asshole-iest text or email in the world isn’t going to save you now. All it’s going to do is further destroy your dignity. I wish I could tell you something more positive, but the fact is, at this point the most alpha response would be:
No response.
In the future, stick to these rules:
- Hours of foreplay is beta. Always be closing.
- Never apologize, even if you accidentally kill her cat.
- Don’t text. If you must text, keep it short and sweet. Force yourself to write no more than five word replies without the crutch of emoticons.
Email #2: Don’t embrace me, bro!
I am dating a woman who periodically characterizes our relationship as one of casual dating. From there she proceeds to talking about other guys. Sometimes I counter with discussions of my other (presently fictional) girls. Other times I tell her she’s not allowed to date other guys. I’m always annoyed by the conversation.
Understanding that text book responses include agree and amplify, don’t let it phase me, and get other girls, any other alternatives you might suggest?
L.
A common shit test women employ is the “Anti-commitment” ruse. The way you responded (by mentioning other girls) is not good. Most women will see through that counterinsurgency tactic as the flailings of a man who got his ego pricked.
I suggest responding in one of two ways:
- Ignore\xA0her provocations. A simple “Cool” will suffice when she pulls this rabbit out of her hat.
- Call her bluff, obliquely. “Phew, I was hoping you’d say that.” Then say nothing more. If she presses, (and 99% of\xA0women will press), all you have to know is that you are in the driver’s seat. A woman pressing for info is a woman who has lost hand. Go on to inform her “We’re playing it by ear. I like your maturity about this.”
Reframe, baby. Turn that bitch right round.
Email #3: The silverback doesn’t say sorry
Hey Roissy – wondering if you could clear up a crucial point your philosophy of game that’s been troubling me for some time now. You say explicitly that men shouldn’t simply “be themselves” and should impersonate confidence and dominance in order to win women. Clearly you say this in an effort to increase a mans confidence, a laudable goal I couldn’t agree with more. Yet when I’ve tried “not being myself” and faking confidence and strength, paradoxically, I actually felt much LESS confident and secure than those times when I’ve simply been myself! And I’m sure this came off in my emotional demeanor, because when I’ve tried faking confidence I’ve actually done worse with women, and things would only get better when I got sick of faking it and scorned to be anything other than be myself. Women would then immediately pick up on my confidence and respond positively.
Further, it seems to be that most betas problems is that they are afraid to actually be themsleves – to admit their desires, to go after what they want, to take the mask off, and their “niceness” is not necessarily who they are but who they think they should be. The “don’t be yourself” theme is one of the cornertsones of your approach, and you repeat it many times, but it seems to actually generate more insecurity and anxiety than being yourself, which might take courage and strength. The great paradox seems to be that faking confidence seems to doom you to not getting confidence, wheras refusing to fake who you are seems to the first step towards generating genuine confidence. Can you clarify your thinking for me? Thanks so much!
G.
More precisely, I say men shouldn’t “be themselves” if being themselves is not getting them laid. Alphas who are getting pussy can be their bad selves all they want.
If you’re feeling confident being yourself then that will redound in positive female attention. Then there is no reason for you to change your personality wholesale. Otherwise, I really don’t see the point of your email, except as a feeble attempt to undermine a core tenet of game. Are you a woman impersonating a man? Feel free to be honest.
Confidence is the result of years of successful interaction with women. A man getting the love of women is a confident man. A man getting scorned is a doubtful man. Confidence is not some abstract, nebulous ephemera that alights like cosmic dust on a man who wills it into existence. Confidence is a manifest set of behaviors and attitudes that reflect a man’s inner emotional harmony. This emotional harmony is better known as “becoming alpha”. A man not getting what he wants in life can observe, learn, and mimic the behaviors of confident men until he starts experiencing the success he wants and his emotional state\xA0follows in accordance. There is no definition of confidence that doesn’t include these behaviors and attitudes.
Email #4: DHV
I have been looking for this site for 3 years.\xA0 Thank you, thank you, thank you.
S.
Me balls, they are licked. You’re welcome.
Email #5: Lie to me I promise I’ll believe
Hey, I just discovered your blog.\xA0 It’s great, keep it up.
How do you react to the “is she hotter than me” shit test?\xA0 I can laugh most shit tests off pretty effectively, but this one utterly baffles me.\xA0 You can’t just pretend like she didn’t say it.\xA0 “she” is of course always a 10, probably a celebrity.\xA0 Can you just say “yes”?\xA0 Deflect it with a joke?\xA0 What do you think?
L.
Reframe. “I like confident women. Are you self-confident?”
Alternatively: “She’s different hot.”
Email #6: Bloupie bonanza
Hi Roissy,
First off, I like your blog. You are a great writer! I don’t apply your techniques in my life, but it’s still a really fun read.
I read your article – “What a Girl’s Job Tells You” – and read your comments about girls that are bloggers:
If she writes a confessional\xA0online diary, expect her to be passive-aggressive, petty, moody, cruel, untrustworthy, vengeful, and highly libidinous.\xA0 Make a sex tape as soon as it is feasible\xA0so you can use it as blackmail in the event of\xA0post-breakup threats to out your dirty laundry on her blog.\xA0
Sexual Satisfaction Rating:\xA0 N/A
Long Term Potential Rating:\xA0 N/AI was wondering how universal you think this assessment is? What evidence, if any, do you have to back it up?
As it turns out, I am dating a chick that has one of these blogs. If you have first-hand experience, I’d like to hear a bit more.
Thanks,
T.
Yes,\xA0my assessment is\xA0accurate. My evidence is double digit bloupie (blogger groupie) hookups with girls who also write blogs. Sure, there are notable exceptions, (one sweetiepie comes to mind right now), but most chicks who write exhibitionist blogs are going to share some damning personality traits, and not the kind of traits that make for a good long term prospect or marriage material, if that’s what you’re looking for. But if you want a wife or girlfriend who is an emotional basketcase, a born again slut, and an insecure\xA0saboteur all in one delightful package, then you can’t go wrong with a blogger chick. Double up on the condoms.
For these reasons, I stopped hooking up with blogger chicks.\xA0Dating them\xA0was beginning to feel like a broken record. Same old same old. They are great lays and can be a lot of fun at times, but their neuroses and awkwardly self-debasing gameplaying can quickly grow tiresome.
I now actively screen for girls who *don’t* write blogs, much like I screen out girls with multiple cats. If I find out she writes a blog, particularly a sex or relationship oriented blog, I get my bang in and immediately demote her to third tier. It’s been a big improvement to date only girls who don’t feel a need to splash their dirty laundry and hangups all over the internet.
by Dylan Tucker
Yes indeedy, it?s that time of the year again! Receivers move to\xA0corner back, lineman switch sides, linebackers move to running back and then back to linebacker, coaches trade wives, etc. Mark Mangino and the Kansas coaching staff are at it again as they continue the search for a respectable defense.
As Colorado took the field for the first time last Saturday, some huge changes had been made: Lubbock Smith had replaced Justin Thornton at free safety, John Williams was starting on the defensive line, and Daymond Patterson was quickly replaced by DJ Beshears at cornerback. Mangino, otherwise known as the Mad Tinkerer, is at it again! The biggest change in my opinion is at corner, where Beshears marks the third true freshman DB to start a game in the last three years (Harris in 2007, Patterson in 2008). We also can?t forget to mention that Angus Quigley, Quintin Woods, and Brad McDougald all took significant snaps on D.
Performance-wise, Williams wasn?t a noticeable upgrade, but I thought Beshears and Smith had decent games. They both appear to be solid tacklers, which is something that has been missing in the first half of the season.
When Clint Bowen was asked if the defensive changes this year are similar to last year, he responded by saying that these changes are more positive, and not due to a lack of depth. These guys have earned the spot on the depth chart as opposed to players losing their jobs.
In my opinion, Beshears should be starting opposite of Patterson, which would allow Chris Harris to shift to the Nickel, his natural position. I realize that this leaves you with two very small corners, but it also increases the team speed on defense by quite a bit. Harris would then add a little bit of size and strength to the middle of the field, where Ryan Murphy is currently positioned. Murphy could still be used as a pass rusher, where he is showing a penchant for getting to the quarterback, but his lack of size presents matchup problems against running backs and tight ends in the passing game. Harris could act as that safety/linebacker hybrid that is so important when stopping the spread. On to Saturday?s must-win game?
Oklahoma is seriously shorthanded at the running back at tight end position going into Saturday?s game. There?s a chance that the Sooners could be without DeMarco Murray, who would look to have a field day against KU?s slow linebackers. Chris Brown and Mossis Madu are more than capable backups, but are definitely a downgrade from Murray. We all know that Gresham is out for the year, but the same is now true for Sam Bradford after he reinjured his shoulder in Red River Shootout (not much of a shootout).
This is a golden opportunity for KU?s defense to take a step in the right direction. While there? s not a chance in hell that the Hawks will hold the Sooner O under twenty points, they could be able to slow it down, and give Todd Reesing and Company enough stops to get the Jaybabes some early momentum. KU could definitely use an early turnover or two to get the energy of the team (and the crowd) at a peak. If KU leads after a quarter, good things could be in store for the crimson and blue, and they could find themselves once again in the driver?s seat in the Big XII North.
Some time back I prepared some interview questions that I didn’t use. They were to be a sort of Vanity Fair back page kind of tongue-in-cheek piece. As I’d never ask someone a question that I wouldn’t answer, I’ll take this opportunity to interview myself.
Blog: Favorite music
Me: My tastes are about as eclectic as one could imagine. I listen to most of my music while in the shop. It can be Vivaldi, Steely Dan, Osamu Kitajima, Rammstein, Kyori, Bond themes, ELP, Enio Moriconne, Vollenweider, Vangelis, Marshal Tucker, Jean-Luc Ponty, Alan Parsons, Yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber “Variations”.
Blog: Favorite food
Me: Pizza from Geraci’s back in Cleveland. White Castle. Cucumber salad. Thanksgiving dinner.
Blog: Favorite beverage
Me: Twinning’s Earl Grey.
Blog: Favorite activities
Me: My craft. Night swims. Pipe and cigar smoking. Listening to my daughter sing. People watching. Weekend day road trips with my wife and daughter. Shooting.
Blog: Favorite places
Me: Caneel Bay and Georgia.
Blog: Tell us a little about your part of the world.
Me: Far north Fulton County 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta is where I live. The earth is red, the land is hilly, the Georgia pines tall, and the mountains are on the horizon. My house is on a hillside, as are most things, as this is the foothills of the Blue Ridge chain of the Appalachian Mountains. The sunsets here are incredible. The ones depicted in Gone With The Wind are no exaggeration. The people here are polite and friendly. And, see photo above for where I hang my hat. Okay, it’s one of those and I’m not saying which one.
Blog: Hobbies
Me: Shooting, bonsai, growing palms, modeling, radio control, writing, birding, astronomy, model railroading, tornado chasing.
Blog: Preferred reading
Me: Ian Flemming, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Shelby Foote.
Blog: Describe a perfect day.
Me: Up early before sunrise watching the sun rise over the Atlantic. A day in the surf fighting the waves. Cocktails at five. Surf and turf at seven. Cigars or a pipe at nine. Loving at eleven. The night sky until sunrise.
Blog: Wheels.
Me: 2006 Hummer H3.
Blog: Personal heroes.
Me: Akira Kurasowa, Luigi Colani, John McCain (not offered as a politcal statement), Mr. Smith (the fictional one who went to Washington), Gen. George S. Patton, Ghandi.
Blog: Favorite movie.
Me: Impossible to answer. I have a list of the top 20 top five!
Blog: Favorite tobaccos.
Me: Brindle Flake, Haddo’s Delight, Stratford, Semois.
Blog: Most unusual thing that you have seen.
Me: A number of tornadoes, ball lightning, and a micro meteorite that landed about fifteen feet from where I sat smoking my pipe. I suppose I would have to add the royal straight flush (in spades) that I was dealt. No one set the deck, I’d know, I was dealing. Also, the bolt of lightning that hit me in 1981.
Blog: Pets.
Me: Lhasa Apso named Max. A kitten named Iggy.
Blog: Do you play any musical instruments?
Me: Nope. I occasionally have the urge to learn to play the pan flute.
Blog: Favorite joke.
Me: (warning, off-colored) Two mountain men are walking down the road when they come upon a dog lying in the middle of the road busily licking its testicles. The one mountain man says to the other “I sure wish I could do that.” The other replies “You can, but I’d pet him some first.”
Blog: Finish this sentence: “mean people…”
Me: …usually have issues of their own that make the grief that they are causing me pale in comparison.
Blog: Finish this sentence: “If I could do it all over again I would…”
Me: …have started Ming-Kahuna twenty years earlier, and, would have moved South then as well. Of course, life is a process, and things happened when and how they needed to happen to be where I am today.
Blog: Finish this sentence: “I am happiest when…”
Me: …I’m creating.
Blog: Finish this sentence: “I just wish…”
Me: That it would rain.
Blog: Preferred weather:
Me: Sunny and 95. I also like a nice rainy from time to time, but living in north Georgia I’ve sort of forgetten what that’s like. Of course, i love a good thunderstorm. I really enjoy watching the clouds building up during the day and then the rumble of far off thunder. I love the moments right before the storm hits, the air sizzling with electricity, and then the silence and then the gust of wind with the first large drops of rain. Each storm has it’s own cadence, a personality of sorts, making some more memorable than others. I like to see how long I can stand outside beofre I chicken out and head in when the first close strikes of lightning hit. I do not miss snow.
We took a few weeks off and now we are back. This is a stat-heavy and stat first collection of previews/game picks. Let the insanity begin–
Georgia Tech at Virginia-(Tech is a 6 point favorite) The last time that Georgia Tech defeated Virginia in Charlottesville was in the fall of 1990 when placekicker Scott Sisson kicked a field goal to give the Jackets the win 41-38. What has happened to Georgia Tech from the 92 game on is kind of a mystery. It’s not like UVA has been some kind of powerhouse football team the past 20 years. I am sure Tech fans can offer many various excuses on why this has happened but one thing you can say about Georgia Tech football from 1991-2007- very inconsistent. They would beat a team they were not supposed to and then lose to someone they were supposed to beat the following week. In the past season and a half, things have changed on the flats since Paul Johnson has taken over.
Georgia Tech fans or anybody at all who is watching them can always count on one thing in victory or defeat- They are going to run the ball. They are going to run the ball a lot and they are going to be successful at doing so regardless of who the opponent is. The only opponents that have really been able to stop Tech’s rushing attack or at least contain it was Miami this year and LSU and North Carolina last year- even in the Carolina game in the fourth quarter Jonathan Dwyer was still able to break off a 80 yard run to put his total north of 150.One stat of interest- Virginia is currently being outrushed by their opponents 789(3.76 a carry)-666(2.70 a carry). They are also being outpossessed per game- 30:32.5- 29:27.5
Another stat of interest- head coach Paul Johnson is currently 15-5 so far in his tenure at Tech. All 5 of those losses came against teams that had at least one extra week to prepare- Miami 2009, VT 2008, UNC 2008, LSU 2008, Virginia 2008, and LSU 2008. Virginia will be playing their fourth consecutive game without a week off. This is enough to sell me on the Jackets chances in Charlottesville this weekend. The streak ends this weekend. Take tech to win and cover.
Baylor v. OSU(Oklahoma State is currently a 10 point favorite)- Baylor no longer has superstar quarterback Robert Griffin and without him they are not much to look at. Griffin has not played in a game since a September 26 victory over Northwestern State. Since then in his absence, Baylor is 1-2 with losses to Oklahoma(this was going to happen anyway) and Iowa State(this, however, is not good).
Oklahoma State can get it done with or without Dez Bryant who was recently ruled ineligible- thank you, Deion Sanders. Despite all the injury problems Oklahoma State has had with stars Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant; and, Bryant’s current eligibility problem on offense, on the other side of the ball the Oklahoma State rush defense has actually been putting up a pretty good fight. They are currently ranked 28th in the nation in rush defense allowing 108 yards a game- a pretty good defensive stat for a Big 12 team a conference where last year it appeared offensive output flowed like water.
In Baylor’s last two games(both losses) against Oklahoma(6 yards rushing) and Iowa State(89 yards rushing), the rushing attack has not been there. If Baylor can’t run the ball against the Cowboys, what exactly can they do against them? Oklahoma State to win and cover.
Clemson @ Miami(is currently a 5.5 point favorite)- Miami to win and cover 5.5 points. This is a tough game to call. Clemson is currently ranked 7th in the nation in pass defense while Miami’s offense, particularly through the air, has never looked better.
Miami has played a stronger schedule and defeated more strong opponents. Clemson by comparison has not really played anybody and against the “Somebodies”-TCU, Georgia Tech that they did play, they came up short.
The U’s resurgence has been one of the bigger stories of the 2009 College Football season. While they have been performing well on defense, I think the most amazing aspect of the Canes’ resurgence has been on offense led by new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple and their all ready talented and now statistically accomplished QB, Jacory Harris. Watching Harris’ evolution this season has been nothing short of amazing. Harris’ performance against Georgia Tech was damn near perfect- even the incompletions looked good! After getting the crapped kicked out of them in the rain in Blacksburg, the Canes picked themselves up and beat a top ranked Oklahoma team.
Stat or talent wise this is not that uneven of a game. Clemson despite losing three games has put up good numbers on the defensive side of the ball and while QB Kyle Parker’s completion percentage on offense seems to waver between 45% to 50%(awful) the yardage isn’t that bad, their rushing numbers are not terrible(not exactly good either). Thanks to former coach Tommy Bowden’s great ability to recruit, Clemson has some top talent on both sides of the ball- QB, DL, RB, Secondary. MIAMI HAS TALENT EVERYWHERE. Miami, for years, had loads of uncoached big time talent–THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE. Now, they have loads of top talent that is also well coached- Mark Whipple on offense and John Lovett on defense .
If you listen to Miami starting quarterback Jacory Harris address the media about the upcoming game with Clemson he does not come off like a guy who is looking past anybody. Harris sounds like a very focused individual. Clemson vs Miami should be a good game but unless Miami looks past Clemson I don’t see Miami losing this game. Miami to win at home.
Tennessee at Alabama(Bama is a 15 point favorite)- Against some would say less than above average defenses- Auburn, Georgia, Ohio, Western Kentucky- they have faired alright. Against defenses that actually are worth a shit- Florida and UCLA-(this seems to be a stretch but numbers don’t lie)- the Vols have come down to earth(sometimes crashing).
Unlike Florida, who at the time and still currently lacks a downfield threat, Alabama does not suffer from this problem. Although he has somewhat disappeared (13 catches, 1 TD) Julio Jones is still playing Wide Receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has got to break out eventually. With a rushing attack like the Tide’s to set up the deep ball, why not this week?
The Tennessee offensive attack’s bread and butter is their running game- Crompton is not a QB who can do it all himself in the passing game and in addition to that the Vols do not have much talent at wide receiver outside of wideout Gerald Jones.In some many words, the Vols need to able to run the ball to do anything, much less win the game. Vols rushing attack has performed well against Western Kentucky, Ohio, and Georgia. Against teams like UCLA, Florida, and at times against Auburn it seemed much more mortal.
The Alabama defense is currently not playing like they are mere mortals. In fact, they are 3rd in rush defense and 12th in pass defense and they are LITTERED WITH DISGUSTINGLY AWESOME TALENT ON DEFENSE. The Tide, like the Vols, ironically, leans on their running game to get things done. The Vols have a rush defense to match that(10th in the nation in rush defense). Under Nick Saban, Bama has had a fairly efficient to even more than above-average passing game but lately Bama QB Greg McElroy has been having problems- see South Carolina game.
Still, I don’t think McElroy’s problems are to the point where they are going to stop the Tide from beating a team like Tennessee especially with Mark Ingram running the ball the way he currently is running it. I look for the Tide to take care of business and I also expect for Lane Kiffin to offer some bullshit excuse about how they really didn’t get beat that bad. I think Bama wins but I think Tennessee finds a way to cover the 15 points.
Oregon State at SoCal(is currently a 21 point favorite)- Trojans have had problems when visiting Corvalis but when hosting the Beavers they have not had the same problems. Oregon State lost to a top ranked Cincinnati team and a tough Arizona team, other than that they have not really played anybody. However, against pretty much all of their opponents the Beavers rush defense has held their opponent in check. In Oregon State’s 3 out of the 4 toughest games so far- Cincy, Arizona, Arizona State- their rushing attack was held in check –it should be noted that they did run the ball well vs Stanford during a 38-28 Oregon State victory..No problems against the other teams on the schedule. SC on the other hand, has not had any problems putting up points or yards. The SC defense currently ranked 4th against the run is currently allowing their opponents barely 2 yards a rush. Other than a upset loss to Washington on the road, everything is fine for SoCal. SC has had problems with Oregon State in the past but all of those losses were at Oregon State. This game will be played in LA. SC to win.
Penn State vs Michigan(Penn State is currently a 4.5 favorite)- Michigan is currently ranked 8th in the country in rushing offense. Against weak defenses like Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Indiana, and last week against Delaware State they were able to have their way with them. In their two loses- Michigan State(only 28 yards on 28 carries), and Iowa(195 yards on 45 carries 3 tds in 30-28 loss). Common Games between the two teams- Iowa. In the loss to Iowa, the Michigan defense only allowed 84 yards rushing while Penn State allowed Iowa 160 yards rushing. I am going to go out on a limb and pick the Wolverines in an upset victory at Penn State. Michigan to cover the 4.5 points.
Oklahoma vs Kansas-(the Sooners are currently an 8 point favorite) Kansas is sporting a one loss record but when you find out that all their victories were against a bunch of nobodies and their only loss was to Colorado (34-30), a team that the Toledo Rockets made their bitch in a 54-38 win (a game in which the Rockets were able to throw and rush for over 300 yards on CU). That being said against all these nobodies, Kansas thrown the shit out of the ball including 431 yards in the loss to Colorado(only -8 rushing yards though).
2009 has already been a rough year for the Oklahoma Sooners. They lost All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham before the season even started. The Sooners started the season off by being upset by BYU. A few weeks later they lost a tough game to the Miami Hurricanes 21-20. Then, last weekend, they lost the Red River Shootout to Texas a game where the Sooners had -16 yards rushing but that was the worst part. The worst part was Sam Bradford was lost for the year when he was sacked by Texas Longhorn Aaron Williams. Williams appeared to land on Bradford’s shoulder. Anyway, Bradford is gone for the year.
However, freshman QB Landry Jones has performed well in his place. Sooners still have a lot of top NFL talent on defense and the offense while banged up is talented enough to more than hold their own against a team like Kansas who is currently ranked 94th in pass defense allowing 245 yards a game. Sooners to win and cover.
TCU at BYU-(TCU is currently a 2.5 point favorite) This is kind of an interesting game. ESPN’s College Gameday touches down in Provo, Utah this weekend for the #8 TCU vs #16 BYU game. Both teams need this game to validate their season. TCU while undefeated hasn’t really played anybody and while BYU upset Oklahoma in week 1, their credibility was shattered when a barely average FSU team ran all over them in an embarrassing 54-28 loss at home. I would lean towards TCU to win this game. Mountain West Connection offers their preview of this game. TCU to win and cover.
Auburn at LSU(LSU is currently a 7.5 point favorite)- According to Phil Steele “The Visitor is currently 1-8 after LSU’s 2008 road win.” Auburn’s offense puts up points and gains yards/Auburn’s defense allows points and gives up lots of yards. As bad as Auburn’s defense is (they have already given up 2500 yards of total offense), LSU is currently playing about as inconsistent as anybody right now. Anything can happen this weekend. Still, I think LSU takes care of business this weekend. It is after all being played at night. A night game in Baton Rouge usually = LSU Victory. Normally, these games are close but this has got to be the worst Auburn defense in God knows when- stats and talentwise. LSU to win and cover.
websites used in research-http://www.cfbstats.com/
All Lines for the games came from this site- http://www.docsports.com/football-odds.html
ESPN.com.
Last week I was 7-1 picking winners and 1-3 against the spread. My totals for the year are 66-10 straight up and 38-27 ats.
Troy (7-2) @ Arkansas (5-4)
The Line: Arkansas by 13.5
Arkansas should not have too much trouble this week. While Troy is hands down the best team in the Sunbelt conference, the Trojans will not be able to keep up with speed and strength of the Razorbacks. I’ll take a middle of the road SEC team over the elite of practically any non-BCS conference almost every time.
Guy’s Guess: Troy 20 – Arkansas 35
La. Tech (3-6) @ #9 LSU (7-2)
The Line: LSU by 24
LSU will look to rebound this week after playing a hard game last week in a loss to Alabama. The Tigers lost rb Charles Scott for the season and will have to depend on rb Kieland Williams and Stevan Ridley to carry the ball the remainder of the year. Considering Scott’s production, or lack thereof, I don’t forsee much of a drop-off. Also this week, backup qb Jarrett Lee will make the start for the Tigers and allow Jordan Jefferson to rest an injured ankle. Losing starters this week won’t hurt the Tigers this week.
Guy’s Guess: La. Tech 14 – LSU 42
Kentucky (5-4) @ Vanderbilt (2-8)
The Line: Kentucky by 3
Kentucky needs this win to become bowl eligible for the fourth year in a row. The Wildcats have looked good at times and terrible at others. For whatever reason, the trend has been for the Wildcats to play to the level of its opponents but they should be able to pull off a win against a tired Vanderbilt team who has yet to have a bye week.
Guy’s Guess: Kentucky 23 – Vandy 17
Tennessee (5-4) @ Ole Miss (6-3)
The Line: Ole Miss by 5
Tennessee is having a bad week. Three players were arrested for armed robbery this week including starting safety Janzen Jackson. UT has been getting better on offense as of late but you have to wonder how the arrests will affect the team.
Ole Miss is hit or miss. The offense has sputtered at times and de Greg Hardy is out for the season with an injury. The Rebels will rely heavily on utility man Dexter McCluster to spark the offense and count on solid defensive play even without Hardy. I think Houston Nutt is a good enough coach to figure out how to take advantage of the UT defense without their regular starter at safety.
Guy’s Guess : UT 20 – Ole Miss 22
Auburn (7-3) @ Georgia (5-4)
The Line: Georgia by 4.5
In one of the oldest rivalries in football Auburn will take on Georgia between the hedges. The Tigers have caught a second wind and are once again playing good football after dropping three straight. Auburn had a unoffical bye week and beat Furman easily.
Georgia needs this win unless they are happy playing in the Music City Bowl. The Bulldogs are finally getting some production from their running game and that will take some pressure off of qb Joe Cox. The UGA defense is still very bad and needs to have a good week.
Georgia needs this game more than Auburn and the players for UGA are going to rally around head coach Mark Richt and put together the best game they have played thus far. As long as they don’t do anything stupid with the uniforms that is.
Guy’s Guess: Auburn 27 – Georgia 33
#3 Alabama (9-0) @ Mississippi State (4-5)
The Line: Alabama by 12.5
Alabama is coming off a huge win last week against LSU. It was one of the hardest fought games I have seen this year. Alabama was able to wear LSU down late in the game and rolled up over 400 yds against the highly touted Tiger defense. Qb Greg McElroy played well for the first time in a few weeks and rb Mark Ingram solidified his legitimacy as a Heisman candidate.
Mississippi State is the most improved team in the SEC this season. Coach Dan Mullen has the Bulldogs playing better than they have in a while. Rb Anthony Dixon is as good a running back as there is in the conference but MSU is still not getting much production from the quarterback. Statistically, MSU’s defense has gotten better against the pass but considering that the last time the Dawgs faced a legitimate passing team, Houston threw for over 400 yds.
Bama should be fine and qb Greg McElroy will have another good game.
Guy’s Guess: Alabama 36 – MSU 13
#1 Florida (9-0) @ South Carolina (6-4)
The Line: Florida by 17
Florida is coming off of a lack-luster performance against Vanderbilt. Questions are still being asked about how good or bad UF’s offense really is. I say that they are not nearly the team they were last year. Opponents have finally figured out to go ahead and expect Tim Tebow run the ball and if he beats you passing then so be it. The Gators don’t have a big play threat and only one decent receiver but they do still play great defense.
South Carolina has been up and down all year. The funny thing about them is that when you see them play, all to often they cost themselves wins by committing turnovers. If the Gamecocks can avoid turnovers they can beat just about anyone.
It’s time for the lack of the Gators offense to finally cost them one. Theres too much bad ju-ju considering that the game is in Columbia and Darth Visor would love nothing more than to put Urban Meyer in his place and remind Florida fans who made the Gators what they are.
Guy’s Guess: Florida 20 – So. Carolina 23
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