Click images for desktop size: "Subversive Beauty-Ritual" by Luis Royo I still seem to have the internet.
I guess I'm happy about that. The internet is important to me. I realize how many apps I use day to day that rely on being connected to the internet. My movie database, the weather report, the AppleTV all work best with an internet connection.
On the Mac its rare to find an app that doesn't connect to the internet if only to check for updates.
I'm glad it has yet to go down.
But I am perplexed by the phone company. The swore, in writing, that it would be shut down on the 16th. Now they've screwed up all the correct things they were going to do. Gave me plenty of wrong and contradictory advice along with some great official confirmation
Click image: "Rex Allen Theater, Aberdeen WA" records.
The phone company screwing up is something you just expect. Nothing much to worry there. An exasperated sigh and you get down to sorting the invariable mess out.
But when it comes to being jerks you expect the phone company to be right there! Exact to the nano second. Sure, they can't do much well for the customer - that is always going to be screwed up. But when it comes to looking after their own self interest you expect them to be absolute unreasonable jerks.
It makes me feel unsettled somehow. Like a force has shifted, like a planet is out of its orbit and a sense of doom hangs as heavy in the air as dense as a hedge fund.
But then USC wins on the road and you know that the real world is still out there.

I made gluten free, sugar free, low fat cookies tonight. Yup. I made cookies from scratch.
I'm such a guy.
They were coconut cinnamon sugar cookies, only with Splenda instead of sugar.
I don't think they were very good. I'm probably wrong because the giant dog thought they were
Click images for desktop size: "Untitled" by Unknown tasty enough to steal 3 off the plate. He did his time in doggie prison with no complaint.

I also seem to have gotten my puppy's new postcard function to work okay. Today I am like a young god, of that there is no doubt. I have to do all the writing yet to introduce it and give the reason for it. I like it fine. I don't know how to tell the story that my puppy says needs to be told. She's always scant on those sort of details. I'm just supposed to do it well. I always fail.

I still follow all the teams where I coached or the schools where any of my kids went on to play for. I like when my kids do well of course. I like it best when one of my old teams do well. I hope it means that some of the things I believed in stayed with the team after I left and that those things are in some tiny way part of them doing well. I have such an ego.

Last week was a dismal week in this household for our NFL picks.
I got quite a chuckle that my friend using her "Lucy Ricardo" method of picking games was a diminutive 6-8. It is not polite to laugh, so I managed to control myself.
All you can do is pat her on the head and remind her that these are manly things and maybe not the right thing for a woman to try and comprehend.
On the other hand the great experience I've had in this game, all the years of playing, coaching, studying, analyzing really paid off. There were an amazing amount of fluke plays and inexplicable upsets. That's what makes the game a beautiful thing I love. Still, bearing up under all of that I was still an hard fought and scintillating 6-8 in my picks . . .
As usual my picks are in bold.

Dallas at St Louis - The Rams won their first game of the year last week. Of course they did it against the Washington Redskins who appeared to be on the start of a real tear. Washington was my Survivor pick . . . so I'm out of that part of the contest. Now, since Washington has already beaten the Dallas Cowboys and since St Louis beat Washington you would think that I'd be picking the Rams (who do really have great looking uniforms and great helmets). The Cowboy are banged up, their starting QB broke the pinky finger on his throwing hand. So, of course I figure the Cowboys will win. I'm a glutton for punishment.


Click images for desktop size: "Princess Anime" by Unknown Tennessee at Kansas City - The Chiefs only potent weapon, Larry Johnson, has been suspended for the game. The Titans are the only undefeated team in the NFL while the Chiefs are 1-4. Now, you would think that would mean that I would automatically pick the Chiefs. I also know and like Kerry Collins, the Titans QB. The Titans have a devastating running attack. One thing that sets an offensive line and lets them play outside of themselves is a running game. It makes their pass blocking trebly effective. Instead of having to bear up under constant bull rushing and LB hits and chips they get to attack and grind down the front seven. Vince Evans was more running back than QB. Kerry takes what his O-Line creates for him and has been, not spectacular, but steady and excellent. In the face of logic and despite the creepy Titan kit I have to go with them. This could be a blow out shut out.

San Francisco at New York Giants - I have no emotional investment in the NFL. None at all. Its the reason I can enjoy this harmless pick 'em game. I loved the way the Cleveland Browns destroyed the Giants on Monday Night, even though I picked the Giants to win. It was a beautiful thing to see. Manning is banged up. If I looked as bone headed as he did I'd claim to be banged up too. an Francisco has aspirations. The Giants have to prove this was a fluke. They have to win. I can't see any way for the 49ers to do much more than show up and get a few good runs out of Frank Gore.

Baltimore at Miami - The Ravens were humiliated by the Colts last week. Really smashed. The Dolphins gave the hapless Houston Texans their first win of the season. They looked inept. Sadly,
Click images for desktop size: "London After Midnight" by Unknown every single game that the underdog won last week appeared to be outrageously influenced by inept referee's. The NFL proves this by fining guys $5,000 for criminal hits that injure star players while saying that an official's call stunk the joint out and unfairly decided the outcome of the game will get you a $50,000 dollar fine . . . The fines go to the United Way, which is good and shows how gooney the priorities of the NFL have gotten under the leadership of Roger Goodell. No, I think the Ravens are closer to being a winning team than are the Dolphins. The Dolphins are scrappy after the loss which is a big team improvement. Scrapping about a defeat is better than accepting them as a part of life. The Ravens are angry. They're also more talented. Anger is stronger than scrappy.

San Diego at Buffalo - The Chargers humiliated the New England Patriots last Sunday. Sadly they did not look great while they were doing it. Tomlinson needs to heal up. Buffalo lost their first game but had the bye week to heal up. This is my game of the week. The young upstart Bills show they'll play with all they've got. They seem to play to the talent of their opponent. They should be healed up and can take it to the Chargers. The Chargers will come and play hard too. But they look like a good team that could have been great. To me they seem to be playing for the paychecks. There's no heart there. No big play when they need it the most. They can roll when its easy but no heart when they have to struggle. I'll go with the heart. (And if I'd know San Diego was going to wear their baby blue kit last week I'd have picked them!)

New Orleans at Carolina - The Panthers QB used to be a Saint, way back when the HC their was in love with a guy who only had a two year career. That's How Delahomme ended up in Carolina. Delahomme gets up for the Saints. New Orleans is still banged up pretty badly and weeks away from getting healthy. But Dru Brees is, right now, the bet QB in the NFC. He's staggering. Take away any of his weapons and he still performs. Reggie Bush is becoming a stud. The Panther defense can't stop the Saints, only the ref's seem to be able to do that. The Saints can stop the Panthers often enough to pull off the win.

Minnesota at Chicago - If it weren't for Houston and Detroit playing this week, this would be my cruddy game. Two incredibly inconsistent teams here. The shock of last weeks stunning loss to the Falcons might have the Bears either exasperated or seeing blood. No one knows for sure and I'd guess that half the team feels one way and the rest the the other. The Vikings are great under achievers. I'm going with the Bears because of home field advantage. Bleh . . .

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati - Poor poor Bengals. One of two teams without a win. Carson Palmer still
Click images for desktop size: "Summer '06" by Gailan out and probably needing surgery. The Steelers are not fun to watch. I find Rothlisberger irritating and Troy Polomanu exhilarating. Taking the Steelers because I can't pick a team I feel sorry for.

Detroit at Houston - This is the CLASSIC cruddy game of the week. Detroit just traded their best WR to the Cowboys, so they've clearly given up on the season. They still have the record for worst road record in the last 10 years. They have no starting, healthy QB. They are a mess. The Texans just stink.

Cleveland at Washington - So what was the Brown's Kellen Winslow's mysterious illness that hospitalized him? And how was he cured? Did it have something to do with the Browns looking devastating against the Giants while they'd only looked inept before? I'm taking the Browns because I like the team and I just can't bear to pick the Redskins (still the most offensive nickname in sports) after costing me the survivor series contest! And how can you pick anyone who loses to the RAMS for pete's sake!

New York Jets at Oakland - After a week to rest up do you think Brett Favre is pleased to have to face the soft secondary and weak pass rush of the Raiders? Do you think he's dreaming of 6 more TD's, maybe even 7 in this game. I do.

Indianapolis at Green Bay - Last week the Colts said, "We are back!" I thought Manning looked panicky at times, even when the game was in coast mode. Last week the Packers looked tight losing a game that was theirs. Aaron Rogers made some highly entertaining throws. I really liked the ones that bounced five or ten yards in front of the receiver. I hadn't seen that since high school ball. The Packers are still without the great db Al Harris. He could take out any of the Colt WR. I just feel that the Packer D is still real and I think the COlts is old and not putting together good games let alone good series. They play well from the front but not well at all from behind. This will be a tight game with a Packer win or a blow out (for the Colts). I have faith. And Rogers should be a bit more healed.

Denver at New England - The Patriots stinking the joint out saddens me. Matt was a USC QB. I liked that they say, "He never started a game for the Trojans but he's still good enough to start in the NFL!" No he isn't. Billinger isn't a genius. Maybe I could be a genius if I had Tom Brady playing for me. I'm still picking them because I still think the world of Jay Cutler and that the rest of the Bronco's stink. They look bad at Mile High and flat out terrible on the road.

Seattle 3 at Tampa Bay 28 - Prime time game that should be a real snorer. The good news is we all need a little bit of extra rest after the exciting football on Saturday!

But maybe Boston will force the game 7 and we can really be entertained. With the Dodgers out of it its hard for me to get stoked about the ACLS.
As usual my picks are for the general laughter of the unseen crowd and it is a sign of a serious disorder to take them seriously. You might be near as ill as me!