Is This for Real?

Has anyone else heard about the woman from Pennsylvania who is accused of murdering five infants she had out of wedlock and hiding them in the closet of her own home? I know I say this a lot but WTF? And get this, apparently neither her husband, lover, or 19 year old daughter realized she was pregnant and then not pregnant five times! Oh, and she was a nurse which makes you think she might have realized birth control would be a much simpler solution than infanticide. Incidentally nobody where she worked seemed to notice she was pregnant either. How could she possibly have sex with her lover (or her husband for that matter) and they not notice she is freaking pregnant!?! Is that even possible? What did she say? "Oh, I accidentally ate a bowling ball..." I can't decide who is more stupid that women, or the men in her life. Honestly.
It makes me sick those babies were killed, especially when there are so many people who want babies and can't have them. But maybe they were better off not being alive to suffer through what I am sure would have been a long and hard childhood with that sorry excuse of a woman.
I can hardly believe that things like this happen and people like this exist. Why couldn't she just give them away of she didn't want them? I've seen horror movies less scary than what this woman has done. 

Consile This

I just started reading Consilience by Edward O. Wilson, And when I say "just started" I mean I am 10 pages in. The basic idea, from what I've gathered in the pages I have read so far, is that the author believes eventually science will merge with social science and everything will be explained and made clear through a singular set of laws. Philosophy will cease to exist, because every aspect of human endeavor will play by the universal rules, and so become understandable, testable, and predictable. At the moment I haven't the slightest idea of how this might happen, but it appears by the length of his book that Wilson has come up with a solution. I was going to read more, but I suddenly felt more like writing and thinking. (Not that reading doesn't require thinking, but I mean pondering/thinking not analysing/thinking.)

I have been toying around with a similar idea (or maybe the same one?), although I never gave it a name, whereby every human action and decision no matter how ridiculous or surprising might be understood in a fundamental way if viewed through the active mechanism of evolutionary progress. It is the idea that no matter what we do, no matter how badly we want to be in control of who we are, at the heart of every action that we are capable of performing we will always find that we are doing what 3.5 million years of evolution is telling us to do. From that point of view, psychology would not be the study of why humans act and feel the way we do. We would already know that. The study would focus rather on figuring out how our actions and feelings are satisfying our (to borrow a phrase from Star Trek) prime directive of evolving.
Even the actions of the insane and mentally ill could be "understood" because if there is some physical ailment that interferes with their ability to function then it stands to reason that their judgement and decisions would be faulty because of it (and not a their own fault). But what would that do to our legal/justice system?

The question becomes if everyone always does what nature intended, then is everything hopeless? If everyone since the dawn of consciousness (and before it for that matter) is doing what evolution wants them to do, then you could argue that the reason we have not achieved things like world peace is because we were never meant to. That's as good an example as any. At first glance killing each other appears counter-evolutionary, but maybe there is a reason we have been fighting each other for centuries. One might argue that it has been our primary means of population control. Our instinct to take over what others have instead of live peacefully side by side could be interpreted to be a result of the fact that evolution has shown that in the long run it is more beneficial to have your neighbor dead than living next door with his 50 offspring and a dwindling supply of land and food.
A dog can learn to open a car door, but it can't speak English. A dog is limited by what it is. Maybe we are limited in the same way? We might learn some cool tricks and have some nifty ideas, but maybe we lack the ability to change the world we live in literally because we are human. I don't know, does that sound depressing? Who cares if it's depressing, what if it's true? Science and philosophy, thought and instinct all rolled into one smooth reality.

Like I said, I haven't read the book yet, so hopefully whatever Wilson has to say on the subject is encouraging and not defeatist. I am already confused! Any thoughts?

Night Train Lane

Head to head collision

Today is my day for sequels I guess. I just thought that since it's been in the news recently I'd do a quick follow-up on my post about CTE (chronic traumatic encepalopathy). A couple weeks ago there were some really brutal helmet to helmet hits around the NFL. One was in the Atlanta vs. Eagles game and I can't remember the other two but I think one involved the Titans...or the Steelers. Anyway, the commissioner of the NFL, Rodger Goodell, immediately decided that something had to be done. So they (NFL) has sent each team a video breaking down legal and non-legal hits, and has also instituted more sever fine for hits on defenseless receivers. Here is a video from NFL.com that shows the hits, and describes the issue pretty well. (it starts around the 45 second mark). Injuries and impacts on players is a high priority for the NFL decision makers because of the possible severity of the consequences, such as CTE which can result in dementia, depression and suicidal tendencies. But the Comissioner is not the only one who has influenced the NFL in protecting it's players. It might seem odd to thank one of the meanest, roughest SOBs in football history for saving many a young man from the wide range of head injuries that can be sustained on a football field, but it happens to be the truth.

Night Train Lane

I was watching a show about the top 100 NFL players of all time the other night, and one in particular caught my attention. Ranked number 30, "Night Train" Lane was a cornerback for the Lions during the 1950's. From the video (this is actually a different segment, but it shows pretty much the same thing)I saw every hit he made on another player was as brutal as the above mentioned. He didn't just knock you down, he took you out. Back then there weren't as many rules in football, but two were created as a result of Night Train on the football field. The first was no grabbing the face mask of an opposing player (which could whip a guys head around and throw his feet out from under him). The second was no more "Night Train Neckties" or as we would call it nowadays clotheslining of players. In face, the rule became no hitting above the shoulders. So what's my point? 

Combination face mask grab and "Necktie"

You might wonder why I think he was so pivotal. The reason is after thinking about it for a while I realized that the NFL wouldn't have taken hits like the "Necktie" too seriously if they only happened once in a blue moon. Think about it. Guys were getting hit since football began being played. Players were grabbing face masks when they could and clothslining guys whenever the oppertunity arose. So why weren't rules made to protect players before Night Train? I think it has to do with the fact that he was so rough, all the time and on every play, that really he was able to get peoples attention focused on the problem in a way that no one else had been able to do. Suddenly players and coaches were thinking to themselves "Wait a minute, I won't make it to my 30th birthday if I keep getting hit like that" and then they realized that a change needed to be made. He took something that was always dangerous but sort of invisible in the NFL  and condensed it into a weekly ass-whoopin that brought it's severity into the light and made people sit up and take notice.  If not for Night Train, who knows how long it would have been before the NFL would have realized how dangerous above shoulder hits were, and changed the rules? And how many more players would have been injured in the process?That's what I think anyway. It's funny how things work out like that sometimes. Who would have thought the rough and tough guy could end up being a hero?

A Cowboy America

I know I just wrote about the rodeo, but there was one other point I wanted to make about my experience but I didn't want it to interfere or compete with what I was trying to say in my previous post. And a comment left by my cousin actually hit upon it. She mentioned that the pro-rodeo people say the rodeo promotes "American" values and I encountered similar claims on the websites I visited, and at the rodeo itself.

However, besides the calf roping the thing that actually offended me the most was the (pardon my language) douchbag (is that one word or 2?) rodeo announcer. If he is what is meant by "American" values then I am moving to Canada. He was the most ignorant, sexist, nonsensical man and I could barely believe he was allowed to speak, much less into a microphone over a loud speaker. And boy could that man talk. It's like they say "he who has the least to say always ends up talking the longest". I can't even list all of the stupid things that man said because there are too many.

But he covered all the basic points: religion, politics, sex and culture. He made a point of proclaiming that "his" Savior was Jesus Christ and told us if we don't get saved we are going to hell which brought him to his next point, his support of the war and our troops over seas (he then led a prayer for our brothers among the those that God abandoned). A while later he informed us of a woman's "proper" place (Oh yes, and I am being totally serious!). Somewhere in there he spoke of getting back to our "roots", and a simpler, American way of life, and how technology, development and industry is "ruining our great country". He made ridiculous claims like cattle ranching  is crucial to preserving the natural California environment, but criticized environmental groups that were apparently doing studies on waterborne illness from ranches and the effects on indigenous life. He spoke about family values and giving our children opportunity for a good life and in the next breath made racist comments about the Mexicans who come here and work for almost nothing to support their families. He had very strong words to say about dishonest "people" (which I can only assume includes all foreigners) trying to come into our country and take away "honest" American jobs.
I was like WTF? Is this guy for real? And no one else seemed to notice (except my boyfriend because he knows how pissed off I get about all that kind of stuff). They were all cheering and whistling and hollering. (Most of you probably have not seen the movie Borat, but there is a scene in it where he goes to the rodeo, and at the time I thought it was kind of staged, but I don't think that any more.)
It's outrageous to me that people really think a homogeneous culture, religious intolerance and going back to the days of outhouses and wiping our asses with leaves is what constitutes American values! Are we even talking about the same country? Because that's not the American I know and love. Seriously! I felt like I has stepped back in time.It was absolutely shocking.
I get why some people love the idea of a "cowboy" lifestyle; simple, hard working, lots of dirt and horse apples, and sleeping out under the stars. Except for the poop, that idea appeals to me too sometimes. But that doesn't mean that I believe my place is in the kitchen, or at the mall or "at a husbands side". Or that I am OK to give up the internet, or check the weather on my phone, or get medical attention at a state-of-the-art hospital when I need it.  And it certainly does not mean I think anyone who believes different than me or speaks another language should be banished from the country. In fact I consider that last idea specifically anti-American.
I don't want to lump all cow-people together and say that they all think like that announcer did because that would be stereotyping, and very unscientific of me. But if I was asked to form a hypothesis I will say that based on the fact that no one else at the rodeo seemed outraged by the man's idiotic comments there is a good chance that the majority of rodeo-folk agree with his...arcane philosophy. And that, to me, is an incredible thing to consider.

Quote of the Day

"Sometimes the only reason to move forward is because you can't go back."
-Unknown

Eat Me

Several years ago (neigh onto a decade now I guess) I read the book Alive written by Piers Paul Read about the plane full of rugby players from Uruguay that crashed in the Andes mountains of South America, and survived by eating the bodies of their fallen comrades. It is an excellent book, and I would rank it as probably the most unbelievable but true story of survival I have ever read. It is more amazing than any of my polar explorer stories because unlike Shakleton or Perry these guys were not trained, nor were they even remotely equipped (emotionally or physically) for their ordeal.
Anyway, just last week I saw a show about the incident, and it once again was revived in my mind. (I believe the show was on the History Channel but I don't remember for sure.) I don't want to re-tell the story, but I did want to discuss one part of it. The most controversial part, the part that shocked the world when they found out; the fact that the survivors ate the flesh of their dead friends to stay alive.
The survivors have been called cannibals by the press, but that isn't really accurate because they did not kill their friends in order to eat them, they just scavenged the bodies of those that had died by injury, cold, or illness. Some of them seemed to have no problem with it, some have lived with emotional issues ever since, and some couldn't stomach the idea at all and chose to slowly starve to death rather than pick the meat off of bones of their dead friends.

Nando Parrado survivor of Flight 571

I have no judgement about what they did, or didn't do, or their reasons. It's called survival for a reason, and under extreme circumstances extreme choices must be made. I honestly don't know what I would choose. But I would like to say this. While I am uncertain whether or not I could actually eat someone else (and raw too) I am absolutely positive I would not mind in the slightest if someone consumed my body after I was dead. I wouldn't want them to feel bad about it, and I wouldn't want someone to starve when they didn't have to on my account. The same goes for donating my organs or eyeballs (you saw how great they are) if for some reason I was to get into an accident and die. After my consciousness leaves my body I don't consider it to be something sacred, or special. I wouldn't want it to be preserved out of respect for me. In fact I rather prefer the idea of my body being something that could be utilized rather than just discarded. So if we should ever find ourselves in a situation where I am dead and you are hungry and there is nothing else around, I wholeheartedly say to you "Eat me."

A Question of Ethics II : Rodeos

A couple weeks ago I heard the rodeo was coming to town. For those of you who know me, bull riding (and I can say this from personal experience) is not really my thing. But my Significant Other grew up with livestock and roping and whatnot so I thought it would be a fun "date". Friday night we headed up to the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

When we got to the entrance of the arena there were tons of people wearing sandwich boards plastered with horrible and graphic pictures of cows and horses being strangled and contorted into positions nature never intended, all at the hands of competing cowboys. They were animal activists obviously, and that got me thinking as we walked in, bought our tickets and found our seats.

Are rodeos really a form of animal abuse?

At first it seems like maybe the activists are right. The "bucking" horses and cows...I mean bulls have a belt strapped around their..hips. And that's what makes them jump. And the calf roping has got to be my least favorite thing I saw with the cowboys lasso-ing and dragging the poor little guys to the ground and tying their feet up. I was like WTF? Why would anyone want to watch cowboys half strangle and tie up an innocent baby cow?
So I went to a bunch of people-against-the-rodeo sites (yes! right when I was there because I have an iPhone and I can do things like that) where they talked about the bucking belts pinching the genitals of the animals causing excruciating pain, and calves having their necks snapped during the roping competitions. I read about horses being stabbed by knife sharp spurs, and lots of other horrible things.

 Since I was still at the arena I tried to pay closer attention to what was going on. The first thing I noticed was the the referee-cowboys immediately unhooked the bucking belts from the horses and bulls after the rider fell off. They didn't leave them on the animals longer than was absolutely necessary for the competition. I had the chance to observe the belts close up (well, about 10 feet away) and noted that they didn't have any sharp parts on them (some sites claimed they were like the spiky choke collars for dogs) and that they were lined with what looked like wool, and that at least on the animals I saw, when in place came nowhere near their private parts. That was inconsistent with what I had just read online. Also I witnessed the cowboys kicking (or whatever you call it when they push the back of their boots into either side of the animal) and the spurs just bounced off the sides of the animals, never once cutting into their skin. That was also inconsistent with what the rodeo-as-animal-abuse people had said.
We had a chance to walk around and see a lot of the animals in their stalls during half-time (or intermission or whatever it's called). They looked pretty content to be honest. Most of the horses had on jackets and were brushed and had lots of food and water. The cows we saw looked healthy, no lacerations or raw spots of skin. They were sometimes kept in narrower stalls, but that was because in the close quarters of the arena apparently they get into fights with each other, and it was safer for them to be separated. The owners of the animals were mostly on hand and were very friendly. They let us pet them, but were also very concerned for their horse/cows comfort and asked people not speak to loudly, feed them random things or otherwise frighten them. I thought it was kind of odd to think that they would hurt their animal to get it to jump in the arena, but then ask that I not use a flash on my camera because it might scare them. From what I saw they all looked like responsible "pet" owners who cared for their animals.
We went back in to the arena and I looked up some pro-rodeo websites to see what they had to say. They claimed that the animals don't really mind the roping/riding. They said that rodeo animals actually live longer than most livestock (especially the cows who usually end up as hamburger in about 2-3 years). They said that the skin of horses and cows is much thicker than ours (duh) and that they don't feel the pain of spurs or belts the way we imagine they would. They said the animals are treated humanely and that the animal abuse people don't know what they are talking about. I thought about that, and I have to say I was kind of leaning that way...and then the (I have no idea what it's really called) little bull wrestling and calf roping started. And it was awful. I don't know why but ever fiber in my body was shouting what they were doing was wrong. The wrestling was accomplished by a little bull running out between two cowboys on horseback, one of which jumps off his horse, grabs the bull by the horns and then whips him around and tries to pin him on the ground. I thought for sure the cowboys would snap the bulls neck with how fast and hard they were twisting. It was gross. And let me tell you the little bulls did not want to lay down. I could be anthropomorphising (um I might have spelled that wrong) but they looked pretty terrified sandwiched in between to giant horses and ran like hell out of the chute.
Calf roping is similar in that the cowboy (on horseback) and calf run out together. Then the cowboy lassos the calf around the neck, shoves him/her to the ground and then ties up their feet. The calf's didn't like it one bit, and they made the saddest little noise, not a moo, but more like the baaa of a sheep as they were pinned down and tied up. Just thinking about it upsets me.
So who is right the activists or the cowboys/girls? I'll tell you I saw a little bit of both sides and I can't decide what I think. Some of the animals didn't seem too put out by the whole thing, and in fact they looked pretty pampered. But then some were obviously not pleased with being pummelled and tied. What do you think?

Time For a Siesta

This just in:

Do holidays make you tired? Well then Spain's"National Siesta Day" is right for you! NSD was founded to raise awareness about the countries dwindling partakers of the after lunch snooze. There was even a competition, complete with a 1000 euro prize for the best power napper, held in Madrid over the weekend. Each contestant had 20 minutes sleep and loud snorers earned extra points, although it is unclear why that was part of the judging critera.
The winner of the 2010 competition was 60-something, unemployed security guard from Ecuador who credited his victory to the enormous lunch he had eaten beforehand which gave him the energy...or lack thereof, to nap his way to the top. For more see the article yourself.

I Elect to Vote

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have voted! (I do the mail in one so I don't have to go to a polling booth. But I still get a sticker:)
November 4th is election day, and it is our responsibility, as well as our right, to cast a ballot. We have the very special oppertunity to be able to make our voice heard, and we shouldn't waste it because we are lazy. There are millions of people who would love the chance to elect those that lead them. So get going, get informed, and VOTE!

The Favre Debate

It's been all over the news (at least in sports) that Brett Favre has been accused of sending "inappropriate" texts to a busty blonde that used to be on the New York Jets staff back in 08 when he played for the team. There is a lot of speculation flying around, but no clear details at all about the case since Favre is being tight lipped about the whole thing.
Not that anyone is asking but here is my opinion (without having any facts). OK, I am not the hugest Favre fan at the moment, but at the same time I kinda like him. I mean, watch any of his games over the past 20 years and he is the only one who looks like he is having actual, real life fun out there 90% of the time. You'll also note that he is a complete cheese-ball and is always joking around and making comments to players.
Now I don't know what exactly was sent, or why, but after 20 years of consistently being a faithful husband, football maniac, and all around goofy guy I just don't see Favre sending lewd pictures of himself (not that anyone is accusing him of that) or soliciting some woman for god only knows what, all of the sudden. (Those are the two worst case scenarios.)
I don't doubt that he sent that girl something, but my gut is telling me that whatever it was it was meant to be funny or a joke, and was totally taken the wrong way. Or maybe this woman is out for money and extortion is the true name of the game.
I also think Favre is doing the right thing by not talking about it. Why should he? If the text said something stupid like "look at my ass" with a picture of himself riding a donkey below it, would he really want to explain why he'd sent it? Nope. And I wouldn't either.
Anyway, I'll be really surprised if this amounts to anything substantial or shocking. I can't say for sure of course, but if someone asked me if I thought it was more likely that a.) Favre left her a voicmail of him farting or b.) he made some comment about her breasts I'd vote for the fart joke.
If you aren't a football fan, but are curious as to what I mean about the kind of guy I think Favre is check out this short video on YouTube. I think it sums him up pretty well.

Rainy Days and Sundays

Sunday was the first real fall day we had in Los Gatos this year! It was perfect! Rainy, windy, sunny, cool. There were leaves blowing around, and ahhh...it was awesome! I had a chance to snap a few photos around my house in between showers, and the leaves were so beautiful! I used to be more of a green/blue kind of girl, but my color preference has definitely come around to reds and oranges and yellows, and all the shades between.
Anyway after I had my coffee in bed (I was treated by my darling) I went to the market but there weren't many stands set up because of the rain. I walked around for a few minutes, but ended up leaving pretty quick. Not quick enough to sneak by the "Hummus Guy" as I like to call him tho. I went to the grocery store because I found a bunch of fall recipes I wanted to try, then went home. I put NFL Red Zone on the TV (which by the way is totally awesome) and cleaned house and cooked all morning. I opened all the windows and let the sound of the swirling leaves and cool wind blow in. I love the smell of autumn. I did a bit of laundry, I lit all my pumpkin spice candles and I made some chicken and lentil soup and baked cookies! The combination was an olfactory utopia!
The sun peeked out from behind the clouds a few times throughout the day so it wasn't  dreary even though everything was wet. And in the early games most of the football teams that I wanted to win did except for Miami and Buffalo. (I feel bad for the Bills...theya re the only team that hasn't won a game yet).
Let me tell you, if I believed in heaven mine would be filled with clean houses, pretty leaves, football games...and crisp breezy days. Here are a couple photos from my oh-so-perfect day! Once again, Happy FALL!!!

Packers 28, Vikes 24

Well, once again it was a close one. At least this week we won. I might have murdered a few brain cells though because I think I was holding my breath for most of the second half. We got lucky last night, and while I am totally stoked we won, like McCarthy said, this is not the time to get too excited and over confident. (And by lucky I am referring to the Quarless TD that should have been called back, the weird call on the Shaincoe TD that didn't count, and the fact that Harvin had one foot out of bounds on the Vikes last drive.) But at the same time we did beat the Vikings (even with their recent addition of Randy Moss) and so as a fan, I believe it is my right to celebrate a little:)

Once again the defense was fantastic! It seemed like everyone was getting their chance at pulling off an interception. A.J. Hawk (who has had a great couple weeks now) got a nice pick, Nick Collins with his ridiculously rad interception that I am dying to get a photo of, and Bishop with his huffin-puffin 36 yard run down the field for a TD all did a great job! It's pretty amazing when you realize all the starters that are injured or out for the season. Al Harris may have to battle it out with Tramon Williams for a starting spot because he (Williams) has been making some great plays. Mathews didn't get a sack (some other new guy did though) but he was as relentless as ever. There was one play at the end of the game that he actually pulled his helmet off before running downfield to tackle a guy! I was like holy sh*t that's hard core! (I'm not sure why he did that though. Maybe there was a bee in it?)
And unlike last week I have a hearty round of applause for the offensive line, particularly Clifton and Bulaga. Wow! Don't I feel sheepish after all my complaining last week! Maybe they read my blog and decided to step it up a notch? Rodgers didn't get sacked once! That's amazing compared to the 14 times he was thrown to the ground last year against the Vikes. It was momentous! My hat is off to you two gentlemen!
Lemme see. What else? I loved that Jackson got a TD. Yeah, he fumbled on the first play of the game, but he recovered it, and ended on a high note. Like I have been saying all along, I think he's going to do fine.He just needs time. I don't want to jinx the guy, but I have to say I've been impressed with how well he is holding onto the ball and keeping it secure. That's something that great backs like AP and even our own Ryan Grant have a hard time doing. So keep up the good work Jackson!
Kuhn's effort for that first down was not lost on me. He didn't get much action last night, but I'll tell you what, he got the job done when the Pack needed him most, and that's why he's awesome. Lee, Jones and Jennings had some really great catches as well.
Even McCarthy had a great game with winning his challenges, and that cool play by Flynn to Quarless (who I still don't like) even though it didn't quite work.
The only person that I thought could have played better was Rodgers. He missed some plays, and I'll leave it at that. And I feel bad that Driver's consecutive games with a reception ended last night at 133. It's quite an accomplishment, but I am sure it's still disappointing to him. Either way I'm glad he's a Packer!
Well, that's it for week 7! Until next time!

My Eyeballs

I had an eye doctor appointment this morning. It took longer than I thought because they had an extensive new medical question form to fill out. I don't know why they needed to know the last time I had diarrhea, or what that has to do with my vision, but that question was not alone in the seemingly irrelevant inquiries.
The exam was typical, but there was one cool part. I guess they have a machine that can take a picture of the back of your eye to make sure everything back there is hooked up properly and not detaching or getting tangled up. It cost an extra $38 (which my insurance wouldn't cover) but I decided to do it anyway in hopes that I could snag a copy of the photos (or at least a jpg).
Success was mine! I did have to ask for a copy, but they didn't seem too put out to print them for me. I agree that 40 bucks is a little steep, but besides the fact that owning pictures of my very own eyeballs is AWESOME, they are for medicinal reasons and on nice photo paper to boot. So I could potentially have them framed and hang them in my entryway at home. Like a "Hi! Welcome! I'm watching you." Kind of thing...Hmmm...maybe not. Halloween is next week, maybe I'll just hang them on the front door to scare all the little kids away. Or I could make them into coasters...or holiday cards! There really are so many uses, I am not sure what I'll do. Who knows, if your lucky I might send you a framed limited edition print for Christmas! You'll have to wait and see:)
From a philosophical standpoint, you know how people say you can see a person's soul by looking deeply into their eyes? Well all I can say is hopefully that's a metaphor. Otherwise my soul looks like spaghetti, and that would be embarrassing.
On that note, here are some pretty cool, and pretty high tech photos of the back of my eyeballs (the dark spots are my pupils on the other side of my eye!) Enjoy!

Quote of the Day

"It is the tension between creativity and skepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected findings of science.

-Carl Sagan

Packers Update: Week 6

I'm getting tired of writing about the Packers (I bet you never thought you'd see me write that!) because each week I just end up repeating myself. Unfortunately all the problems that we had last week followed us into week six, which led to our second overtime defeat of the season. This weeks addition to our woes was our defenses complete lack of a pass rush since Mathews was out with a hamstring injury. I could have made plays with the amount of time Henne (Miami QB) had in the pocket!
It's frightening how critical Mathews is to the success of our defense.
And I hate to say it, but I think we need a new offensive coordinator, because the one we have now obviously can't figure out how to remedy the lack of cohesion the entire offense seems plagued by. Or maybe we need to look for a completely new offensive line. This is the second season that the defense has had to carry the team, and that's just too much to ask, especially with all the early season injuries. A team needs to be good on both sides of the ball to win in this league, and that is just not the case in Green Bay at the moment. Between the weak front line (rookie Beluga is not impressing me at all so far), false starts, dropped balls, and interceptions (Rodgers has already had as many interceptions as he had ALL of last season) it's hard to find a positive point to rally around. How long do we keep guys like Clifton and College around when they cause costly penalties almost every game, and can't keep the defense away from Rodgers long enough for him to make a play?
It's just so darn frustrating! Well, I guess there is nothing to do but keep on cheering and hope for the best.

It's Alive!!!

About three months ago I ate an avocado (wow, that's amazing right?). The interesting part is instead of throwing the pit away I stuck toothpicks in it and set it in a cup of water until it cracked and I could see the little seedling inside. Then I planted it in a little pot of dirt and put it outside. It took forever to sprout, but once it did it grew about a foot in 3 days! It's so cute! My own little avocado tree! Wha ha ha.....it's alive! It's ALIVE!

A Confusing Proposition

November is election month, and in an attempt to be a good citizen, I am (slowly) making my way through all the propositions, and candidates so I can make informed voting decisions...only it's not working. (Part of the issue is I don't even understand what some of the propositions are about.) The problem with looking at issues and candidates for both sides is that when you actually figure out what they are arguing about they tell you exact opposite things about it! One side says it it will create jobs, the other side says it will destroy them. Both of those statements cant be true. And I realize one of them must be a lie, or at the very least less true but I'll be damned if I can figure out which side it is. For example:

Proposition 21: Established a $18 vehicle license fee that is supposed to go to State Parks and wildlife programs.

Prop 21 is designated for maintenance and upgrades of park facilities, upkeep of park lands and conservation efforts of state parks and sancutaries. It says that the money is specifically dedicated to parks and isn't supposed to be used for anything else. That sounds awesome doesn't it? And as a bonus, all the cars that pay the tax will get free entry into any state parks, for an unlimited number of visits! Even better right? So I was about to vote YES! but then I read the opposing argument.
The "Vote No" folks claim that the money won't really go to the parks, but be shifted into other areas to pay for Sacramento's busted budget. They claim the State Parks/ conservation allocation is just and attractive "shell" used by the politicians to get people to vote yes on it, and once the money starts coming in, they will immediately begin siphoning it off to other areas. They further claim that the parks will be in worse shape than they are now because if Prop 21 passes but the money gets routed elsewhere and visitors not longer have to pay an entrance fee the parks will be at a double loss.
So now what am I supposed to do? How do I even know who is telling the truth? Can the money be used on other things or not? Can voting No on a tax for state parks actually help them out more than voting Yes? Does that even make any sense? It's so frustrating! And I haven't even made it to the politicians yet! Ugggg. Does anyone else feel this exasperated around election time?

My New BFFF!

I was watching TV the other day and for once in my  life I paid attention during the commercials. I saw one for Scrubbing Bubbles  and got some to see if it worked as well in real life as it did on TV. After experimenting with it personally, I can say that it does! (Well almost anyway. Some of the toughest water residue deposits still took some scrubbing.) I was really pleased with how well, and quickly it cleaned my bathtub and shower! I don't know why I never tried it before! I love it. It's my new favorite thing! I can't wait to get home this afternoon and find something else to try it out on. Woohoo! If you haven't already, go out and get yourself some and start cleaning today!

Sweet Potato or Imposter?

I have trying to get back into my root experiment, and just yesterday I decided to tackle the sweet potato...only I am not sure that I didn't end up buying yams instead. The label at the grocery store said "sweet potato" but there were yams close by, and when I got home and cut them open they were more yellow and less orange than I had anticipated. I still don't know what they were. Anyway, I guess we will just assume they were sweet potatoes unless I figure out differently.
I found a (simple) recipe on line for making sweet potato fries. I thought that was a good a way as any to give a food I hated as a kid another try. So I washed and cut the potato, then tossed it into a ziplock bag with olive oil, salt, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder and a pinch of cayanne, and baked them at  425 for about a half hour.
I followed the recipe, but if I had to do it over I would change several things. First of all, I would only brush the fries with oil, and then sprinkle the spice mixture over top. They were super greasy, and the oil smoked in the oven and I had to pat all the fries dry after I cooked them. I left them in a little too long in hopes that they would get crispy (they were really limp) but they burned before that ever happened. I guess the only way to really get crispy fries is to deep fry them..sigh...
Anyway, whatever root they were they made OK fries. The taste was good (but a little oily), and if they hadn't been in the shape of a french fry that looked like it should be eaten with fingers, their lack of crunchiness wouldn't have been a factor at all (Like maybe if I had cut them into rounds, like potatoes au gratin. In fact if I ever cook them again, that is what I'll do.). Prep time was almost nothing, and I thought it paired really well with the sole sandwich and cilantro lime mayo I had for dinner.
Over all I give the sweet potato...or yam...2.5 out of 5 stars. It was easy to cook. It didn't taste as bad as I remember, but I don't think it will be a flavor I crave. The mixture of brown sugar and cumin was interesting and worked really well with the sweetness of the root, but at the end of the day I'd much rather have a baked potato.

Booooooo Shame on You 49ers Fan

I watched the 49ers game last night (after skipping the afternoon games because I was so discouraged by the Packers loss) and it was a good one. I couldn't decide if I wanted the Eagles to win because I like Kolb better than Michael Vick, and wanted him to have a victory, or the 49ers because they were 0-4.
I cheered for whoever was the underdog the whole game until the 4th quarter when Alex Smith, the quarterback for San Francisco fumbled the ball which led to an Eagles defensive touchdown, and the fans at Candlestick Park (his home crowd) started booing him. The next time he went out on the field the audience was chanting "We want Carr" who is the backup QB. I was disgusted. It was awful, and I felt really bad for Smith. I mean how humiliating must it be to be booed by your own fans on national television and on Sunday night football to boot? I pretty much lost all respect for 49ers fans, if they even reserve the right to call themselves such now.

San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Alex

I get being annoyed with your team not playing well (I was there yesterday morning) but I would never boo my quarterback at a home game because he messed up. It's disrespectful, and frankly unforgivably rude. I doubt anyone of those loudmouth fans would think it was acceptable to have their peers criticize them in a public setting when they made a mistake, yet they had no problem doing just that for a man that was representing their team to the best of his ability. He obviously wasn't trying to screw up after all.
Maybe he shouldn't be the 49ers quarterback. Maybe he makes too many mistakes. But that is no reason to publicly berate him. Makes you wonder doesn't it? If the Niners fans can turn their backs that quickly on their own team, I wonder how they treat their friends?
I give Alex Smith a lot of credit for hanging in there staging a great comeback and scoring a touchdown (to which his fickle fans cheered) right after that awful episode. I give him credit for even wanting to go back out an play. For what he lacks in skill he certainly makes up for in character. I am not sure that point wasn't lost on everyone at Candlestick Park. It's their loss. I probably would have ran, crying to the locker room, and moved overseas the next day if I'd have found myself in that position. So I have a lot of respect for what he did. Who he is as person is much more important than whether or not he is a football player. And viewed that way, yesterday was a victory for Alex Smith.

Packers Not Quite Right

The only thing more painful than watching the Packers loose to Washington yesterday, was probably the injuries sustained by half the starting team. Besides last weeks  loss of Nick Barnett, Morgan Burnett, Chillar, Shields and Tauscher, literally every other play maker on the team was injured yesterday; Jermichael Finley, Donald Lee, Clay Mathews, Ryan Pickett, and in the final moments of the game Aaron Rodgers suffered a blow to the head and sustained a concussion. Great. Freaking great. I can't figure it out. How can we have (or did we have) so many great players, and be playing this terrible this far into the season?!? I mean, who is to blame? I don't think it's the defense. The injuries are a problem, but I don't think they are the main cause either. I really think there is something wrong with the offense. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel it in my bones. They are not....working like a team, or there is some dynamic  (maybe it's Rodgers elusive "rhythm") that is absent from the way they play. It's like once in every five plays you see a glimmer of something great, but for the other four attempts the movements and communication between the offense seems disjointed and...jerky. When you watch them, you get the sense that they have never played together as a group. Why is that? Is it because Rodgers isn't leading the offense the way he should? Is it because they are honestly that bad? Is it because the offensive line is still weak despite our first round Draft pick Brian Beluga? And more importantly, how do you fix it? And if so, how long will it take? Can it be fixed by next Sunday, or next month? I mean we are second behind the Bears in our division right now! That shouldn't be the case. The sense of urgency is increasing the further into the season we get. We have had an easy schedule so far, which explains our 3-2 record. But that kind of luck is not going to last. Rodgers might not even play next week, which means Matt Flynn will be at the helm, down a running back, and two starting tight ends. Even though Miami isn't that good, how bad do they have to be to loose to a team that takes a field with no starters? I know there aren't many Packers Fans who read my blog, but if you do, do you get what I mean about there being something "off" with the offensive line?

Out With a Smile

These days everyone is trying to make everything upbeat and positive. Even dying it turns out. I am not all about being put in a box and buried in the ground when I finally kick the bucket, but if I was I'd probably go with one of the choices offered by Happy Coffins. Here is a picture of my favorite one. (Some are not funny, but inspirational or "cute")  I don't know why, but there is just something comforting about being buried in a box that has a beer on it. I mean if there is beer involved it can't be that bad right? What do you think? Would you prefer to inter your mortal remains the boring traditional  coffin that looks like it used to be a church pew, or a box that looks like it just got home from a party?

And Coffee Saved The Day!!!

I was watching the History Channel the other day, and they had a documentary on about coffee. Among the many things I learned about the history of my favorite beverage, one stood out to me. I don't really know how true it is, but at least it made sense. The show said that coffee was brought into Europe in the late 1600's, and that previous to it's introduction beer and wine were the only two beverages available for consumption. Water, contained too many diseases, and milk was probably not far behind. The show claimed that Europeans were constantly in a drunken stupor from morning until night. The show claimed that the introduction of coffee relieved this symptom, and "lifted the fog" over people's minds, allowing them to think more clearly than they had for at least a few hundred years. The caffeine stimulated their minds, opened the door to new thought, and paved the way for the Renaissance!
I don't know how true that claim is, or what information the argument is based on, but like I said, it makes sense doesn't it? Imagine trying to go to school and learn after having a couple glasses of wine for breakfast...that is, if you could even stay awake. It sounds horrible! And can you imagine having to go to work, or do anything besides dance to 80's music in the livingroom after drinking beer all day? Ugggg....I don't think so.
Just when I thought it couldn't be any more awesome, I find out that my morning cup of Joe may have been the fuel behind the Renaissance! Groovy....

Week 4

Just a few thoughts on this weekends football games:

My BCA/Packers T-Shirt

First of all it's Breast Cancer Awareness week (or month?) in the NFL. I think this is awesome! I sported my BCA Packers shirt yesterday as the players donned pick shoes, gloves, towels and wristbands. They will be auctioning off the pink items on nfl.com/auction and all the proceeds will go to fighting breast cancer. If you are a football fan this is a great time to get that autographed item you've always wanted!

The Pack played OK. But there were a few moments there when I wondered if we were going to be the first to loose to the Lions in a year and a half. I thought the defense was pretty solid. Woodson had that really nice touchdown play. But what was with the offense? There were two or three 3-and-outs, and it seemed like they were just....slow or something. Rodgers is always talking about getting in a rhythm I just wonder if they haven't found it in three games, are they sure they really even have a rhythm as an offense? I am not saying they played terrible. There were some really beautiful plays with Driver, Jennings, and Finley, and a couple nice runs by Jackson and Kuhn, but they were sluggish. You know how they say "march down the field?" Well, it seemed like Pack was dragging their feet more than marching yesterday. But like Rodgers said, it's a win.

Everyone was talking about the Donovan McNabb return to Philly and how the fans were going to respond. Well, they responded with respect, and it was really cool. The stadium erupted in cheers for McNabb when he first came out onto the field, but after that they did as they have always done, and supported their Eagles team. I was impressed. All I have to say is stay classy Philadelphia!

The 49ers/Falcons game was a close one, and for a while I thought San Francisco was going to get their first win. But after maintaining the lead the entire game, they lost when the Atlanta kicked a field goal with two seconds left on the clock. Bummer. Everyone, including myself thought SF would be playing better this year, and I think their defense looks OK...but...Do they have an excuse?

The best game yesterday by far was the Indie/Jacksonville game. The score went back and forth, and each team answered the scoring drives of the other. Payton Manning passed John Elway for the number three spot in the NFL for most passing yards in a career with somewhere around 51,000! The was suspenseful all the way to the end, and what an ending! Scobee, the kicker for the Jaguars made a 59 yard field goal (the longest of his career) with 4 seconds left on the clock to bring the final score to 31 to 28. Wheew...was it exciting!

The last game I will comment on is the Bears Giants game. After the Bears beat us last week everyone was asking themselves "Is Chicago a 3-0 team?" Well, folks, now we have our answer. Nope. They are not. They were beat so badly that by the middle of the third quarter I actually started feeling bad for them! Nine sacks, a bunch of botched plays, penalties and interceptions...It was ugly.

Well, that's it for week four...stay tuned for next weeks summary!