I've decided on Thursday's I will be posting my picks for the NFL football games that week. So far this season I am 68-34...exactly 66%. Seventy percent for the year is the goal. Feel free to let me know why I am completely crazy on some of these. All of my picks are straight up...I include point spreads in my comments as reference only.

St Louis Rams @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh is actually favored by 1 1/2 in this game. I just can't figure that out. They have no running game and a limited passing attack. The rams are playing well & Bulger is clicking with Holt and Bruce & the Steelers - while great against the run - can;t stop the pass to save their lives! Maddox hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in his last three games while being intercepted four times. It seem sthe "magic" of last season is long gone. Rams will win this one in a route...even if it is in Pittsburgh.
My Pick: Rams 31, Steelers 13

Cleveland Browns @ New England Patriots
New England is favored by 5 1/2 at home. Allthough the Pats have been banged up all season, they've managed to stay in the hunt playing with 7 or 8 backups. They are starting to get some of those guys back and Cleveland just doesn't have a competent QB.
MY Pick: Pats 24, Cleveland 10

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears
Chicago is favored by 3 in this one. This is the DOG game of the week. If anyone actually watches this game, they must either not have cable and this is the only channel they get or they are in prison and "Big Bubba" is a Lions fan. Who am I to disagree with the spread on this one!
My pick: Bears 17, Lions 13

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee favored by 3 1/2 in this one. McNair has got this team playing well. Jacksonville has got a rookie at QB. I can't see the Jags hanging with the Titans for very long in this one. Tennessee wil by pressuring that young QB all day and force him into multiple mistakes.
My Pick: Titans 27, Jags 17

Buffalo Bills @ KC Chiefs
KC is a 6 1/2 point favorite in this one. They did not look good on Monday night & at 7-0 you have to think a loss is coming soon. It won't be this week at home. After a 2-0 start, the Bills are just 2-3 in their last five games. I think the Chiefs offense is too much for the bills to handle. The only hope for the Bills is if the Chiefs defense in weeks 1-6 shows up to play this game caus ethey looked solid last week against the Raiders.
My Pick: Chiefs 27, Bills 21

NY Jets @ Philadelphia Eagles
The 3-3 Eagles are favored by 3 over the 2-4 Jets. I think the return of Chad Pennington will give the Jets just enough of a lift to overcome the Eagles. The natives will be restless in Philly when McNabb has another bad game. He has a bad thumb and can't grip the ball very well & it shows in his passes. I know he wants to be a man and play, but he should step aside and sit out his injury for the good of the team. This one will be a real bore of a game.
My Pick: Jets 17, Eagles 13

SF 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals
The 49ers are favored by 6 1/2 in this one. The Cardinals will be competing with the Bears for that #1 draft pick this season. That means they are bad. In the past, they had an atrocious offense, but their defense at least kept them close. This year though, both sides of the ball are bad. They average just 13.7 points per game and give up 30...so that's what I think will happen in this one.
My Pick: 49ers 30, Cardinals 13

Houston Texans @ Indy Colts
Indy favored by 13. The Colts are averaging almost 30 per game (3rd in the NFL), while the Texans give up 28.3 (3rd worst in the NFL). That seems to be a pretty deadly combination. The Colts may overlook this game slightly, but the Texans just don;t have enough firepower here.
My Pick: Colts 34, Texans 13

Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore favored by 1 1/2. The Ravens are only favored in this game because the Broncos are onto their 3rd QB of the year. Danny Kannel gets the reigns this week. Did anyone actually pay attention to what he did versus a pretty decent (undefeated) Vikings team last week? He went 12/18 for 104 yards and a TD. He also had them moving the ball for a possible game tying drive until Denver shot itself in the foot with some penalties. Danny Kannel won't throw for 300 yards, but he won't HURT the Broncos either. He's got some years under his belt and will play good enough to get the Broncs enough points to win this one.
My Pick: Broncos 24, Ravens 14

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints
N.O. favored by 2. I just can't figured out the Saints. McAllister, Horn, Brooks...they seemingly have the weapons to post big numbers every week. Yet, they don't. It's tough figuring out which Saints team will show up. The Panthers have only got 3 sacks in the last three games. With the mobile Aaron Brooks at the helm for the Saints, that just won't be enough. With no pressure on the QB, the potent offense shows up for the Saints in this one. Once they get ahead, Jake Delhomme and the Panther offense just doesn;t have enough to catch up.
My Pick: Saints 27, Panthers 10

Seattle Seahawks @ Cincinnati Bengals
Seattle favored by 1 1/2. wondering why a 5-1 division leader is only favored by 1 1/2 over a 2-3 bottom dweller? Simple: this is a "lookout" game for the Hawks. In other words, they need to LOOKOUT!. Kitna wants to prove the Seahawks made a mistake releasing him. Corey Dillon played for the University of Washington and lives in Seattle in the offseason. Everything about this game says Uh oh! That being said, The Hawks defense has played great the past few weeks. Kitna makes too many mental mistakes...especially when he is amped up. Corey Dillon has been hurt all year, and didn;t look any better last week. You can want to prove something all you want, but when you don;t got the tools, you can't fix the problem.
My Pick: Seahawks 34, Bengals 24

NY Giants @ Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Fovred by 5 1/2. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. I wrote it three times and that's probably about how many the Giants will have this week. Seriously...they've been turning the ball over at an alarming rate! Fifteen of them is six games to be exact. On the other hand, the defense hasn't allowed a TD pass in three games. Then again, they haven't been playing against Randy Moss (the best WR in football) & Daunte Culpepper. The Vikings defense has 16 interceptions this year. Combine that with the Giants turnover problems and their horrid special teams & it all smells like roses for the Vikes in this one.
My Pick: Vikings 27, Giants 13

Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay Bucs
Bucs favored by 6 1/2. Who would have thought THIS would be the game of the week? Defending Super Bowl champs versus the upstart Dallas Cowboys. The Bucs are banged up. They will be without their strating cornerback this week. He went down prior to the Colts stunning comeback on MNF. Without him last week, the secondary looked mighty vulnerable last week against the Niners. The Cowboys have been able to handle the rush all year & if you give Quincy Carter some time, he can get it done. The Bucs defense just ain't what it used to be. The Cowboys, all though off to a great start, haven't got the respect because of the level of opponents they have played. That all starts to change this week! I wonder how long it has been since both the two teams in the Super Bowl the previous season failed to make the playoffs the following year?
My Pick: Dallas 24, Bucs 17

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers
Miami favored by 3 on Monday Night Football. The Chargers don't have good linebackers. Ricky Williams has been held to under a 100 yards in three consecutive weeks & is playing in front of his friends and family in San Diego this week. all that spells doom for the Chargers. Jay Fiedler doesn't nee dto take the gun out of the holster this week. Just don;t lose it for the Dolphins and Williams will carry the team on his shoulders. The Chargers have allowed 120 or more yards rushing in 11 of their last 15 contests dating back to last season. Ouch!
My Pick: Dolphins 27, Chargers 13

OK so my friend Val gave me this number: 206-376-9798. It is the FUNNIEST thing I've heard in a long time. It is for the "Rejection Hotline". Basically, you give this number out to someone whom you don't want to give your real number to. There is also a Telemarketer number at the end (206-888-5400 - Telemarketer's Nightmare website). If you visit the website there is a list of numbers for other cities than Seattle. It is way too funny. You gotta try it & give it out!

Six of the ten most expensive home markets are in California. Of those six, two ar ein NoCal, four are in SoCal. I guess this is no surprise. What was actually more shocking to me was how cheaply you could get a home in other parts of the country. I recently went to Minot, ND and it's really not a bad place to live. For 129K you can get a 4 bedroom, 2200 sq ft house.

Starting a new job always brings some trepidation. I quit my current job at Allied Telesyn, Inc on Monday. I put in two weeks notice, but I allready had the second week off for a pre-planned vacation. My new job at Verizonstarts on my 33rd birthday...October 27th. I've allready made a sacrifice for my new job...I passed up my vacation.

The reasons for leaving ATI were pretty simple: I didn't know where my job was in 2004. I didn't want January to get here & find out I needed to look for a new job. Especially with a new baby boy coming in December. I had asked for clarification of my position over the past couple weeks, but it seemed no one really knew.

I spoke with the Big Boss, CEO Howard Kamerer, today. He said, "I wish you would have called me...If things don't work out for you give me a call...there will always be a spot for you here as long as I have one." I took this to mean that if I assume the company is still hiring, he would be interested in having me back. Boy is that a great feeling or what? I have always liked Howard. He has that little extra spirit I always wished I had. I may not agree with everything he says, but then again no one who earns any respect in life is agreed with 100% of the time. I think the key is to surround yourself with people who will give you honest opinions with no BS. If you do that, you will have some great perspectives with which to make your decisions. I think Howard has a way to go before he has completed the "makeup" of that team he needs to surround himself with. You can only do so much by yourself. At some point you have to let the other players on the team play & hope they are ready for it. In some areas it seems that team is falling into place...in others, well....It seems like maybe they are treading water.

Allied Telesyn is a GREAT company with some GREAT ideas. The products are acceptable (in theory) and the sales team is great. I can't wait to see the team put it all together and shoot for the sky. If it happens the way it should, people in the industry are going to wonder what hit them. If it doesn't, it could be an ugly fallout.

Regardless of what happens, people should be proud of the effort. The people at ATI work hard. The company will always only be as strong as it's people. I really hope Howard gets that great team around him. It would be absolutely fantastic to see ATI rise up and strike the giant!

Just perusing some blog's I've never heard of before, I came across this post from "kristen" at Madpony.com. It is a very interesting take on a young female's perspective of baseball. Kristen is a 20-year old from Norman, OK.

8 things i have learned about baseball during the playoffs.

1. some teams in baseball are cursed. one team is cursed because they traded babe ruth and another team is cursed because they wouldn't let a goat into their game. furthermore, if these two teams play in the world series some say it could mean the coming of the apocalypse. after my lesson on the game's supernatural elements, i have officially decided that there is more drama in baseball than in daytime tv.

2. the team in the pretty colored uniforms is the home team. the team in the less pretty, solid uniforms is the away team. and sometimes this rule is broken. and if i ask about this again, i have to leave.

3. sometimes there are fights. big scary men throw big scary old bowling-ball-shaped men on the ground. that's awesome.

4. an error is when someone does something wrong, causing the other team to get a run. but sometimes a player does something wrong and it's not an error. *i will never understand this.*

5. mark prior is hot, hot, hot. hot. HOT.

6. tim, a diehard white sox fan from chicago, says we want the cubs to fail. unless they get into the world series, at which point we want the cubs to win. i can't deal with all of this changing loyalties, so i'm just going to root for the cubs.

7. sometimes cubs fans throw beer on the other team's players. cubs fans are crazy. i love them.

8. it is actually possible for a baseball game to never end, stretching on into eternity. and no, no one else thinks that's interesting, and if i mention it again, i have to leave.

anything else i should know?

go cubs. :D

Some of the funnier stories from Newsoftheweird.com:
Former Ball State University student Andrew Bourne, 23, and his parents filed a lawsuit in September against the school and the manufacturer of its aluminum football goal posts. Bourne suffered a broken leg and vertebrae when, during a raucous end-zone celebration after a 2001 victory over the University of Toledo, students pulled down the goal posts, hitting Bourne. [USA Today, 9-30-03]

John Clayton III was awarded $1.5 million by a jury in Greensboro, N.C., in September based on injuries he suffered as a passenger in a car whose driver had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. The car Clayton was a passenger in was a police car; he was being brought to the station on an outstanding arrest warrant when the officer-driver hit the brakes. Clayton claimed the sudden stop caused him "back problems." [Charlotte Observer-AP, 9-28-03]

Kevin Presland was awarded about the equivalent of US$150,000 by a judge in Sydney, Australia, in August because the Hunter Area Health Service psychiatric hospital released him too soon in 1995, after which he killed his brother's fiancee. This was not a lawsuit by the victim's family against the hospital; this was a direct payout to Presland, whose injury was that he was made to suffer temporary prison conditions after his arrest (he was acquitted because of his psychosis), whereas if he had never been released, he would have experienced only psychiatric-hospital conditions. [The Australian, 8-20-03]

A 17-year-old boy, after receiving a free Krispy Kreme doughnut at an Erie, Pa., store promotion, stepped back in line for another but was refused. According to the Erie Times-News, he returned a few minutes later with a McDonald's sack over his head and asked for a doughnut but was again refused. Then he fell to the floor and flailed his arms and legs, demanding another free doughnut, and was cited by police for disorderly conduct. [Erie Times-News, 8-25-03]

Well...it took a court injunction, but the Marysville, WA schools will finally be opening tomorrow. Of course this means the kids have to be in school until July 27th! The teachers say it is "not about the money" yet the 38 th largest school district in the state size wise has the 2nd highest paid teachers in the state. Their "new" deal being offered gives raises to 80% of the teachers, yet they still turned it down...hmm...not about the money...yeah right! It's ALWAYS about the money.

Well the "new" Office 2003 is out. Any initial takes on the product? I plan to get a copy pretty soon, but I hate being the first one to own any new software. There are usually multiple patches that need to be put out fairly soon after the release date. So if I wait, I can buy the "updated" version a few months after release. I'm sure my buddy Robert Scoble (the Microsoft Longhorn evangelist) will have plenty to say about it on his site.

According to this story, tall people make more money than short people. Well, duh! We are smarter than short people. It's obvious isn't it? If they were that smart they would grow a couple more inches. Really though, I wonder why this is? It seems pretty weird to me. You always hear about people being paid more because of the color of their skin, or their gender. Now it seems because of their height can be added to that list. I jsut don;t understand this? As a boss who is hiring wouldn't you just hire the best perosn for the job and pay them accordingly so you can keep them?

My buddy, Keith Hanna, has started a new weblog. It is http://prepare2win.blogspot.com/. He is a very positive/motivational guy...except when he's not :). You should go check it out...he's a great salesman I have come to respect over the past few months.

Along those lines, I'm changing jobs! Gonna go sell for Verizon now. It was time to move on. Benefits are a little better, pay about the same, but I will be half the distance to work than I am now. I also get a company car, laptop & call phone...which is cool. I can't wait to get started on Monday!

The Movie is allready coming to a theatre near you:

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A Chicago Cubs fan reaching for a foul ball, an action blamed by some for keeping the team out of the World Series, has already inspired plans for a movie, according to a published report.

Trade publication Daily Variety reports that Revolution Studios has accepted a pitch for a movie tentatively titled "Fan Interference." The movie is expected to star TV sitcom star Kevin James of the CBS show "King of Queens." Variety said it would tell the story of a fan who screws up an easy out, and then has to deal with the ramifications.

If you are having serious medical issues (or know someone who does) here is a cool link to help you determine the best hospitals in your area for things such as Heart, stroke, Bone & Joint, Lung or Vascular surgery procedures.

MY mom and brother (who is 20 years youger than I) are in Paris on a trip with his class. I just thought I'd post an e-mail he sent. It is always fun to read things from kids (Joe will be 13 in December). It just gives you a different perspective on things (BTW, he is writing to my Step-Father):

Hi Dad! I am e-mailing you from an internet kiosk! Sorry about last night
That the phone just dropped dead we ran out of minutes, but we charged our card up and now we can call you.

Last night was fun. This hotel is alot better than the other one so it was more fun. It is also right by a train track, so this morning I went out and looked at the trains. We went to the Louvre today (a museum) we got a picture of the Mona Lisa. The real one. We also stopped by the Eiffel tower and got a group photo taken. We are going to go back to the tower this evening, we are also going discoing. I am getting presents for the girls (Tesla, Rachel, and Laurel).

We are going discoing tonight! Kareoke Baby ;) We are at a mall. Oh I forgot to tell you, we went to Notre Dame and mom paid two Euro's to let me light a candle and say (a very long) prayer to grandma. We are having a blast here in Paris. It is so fun, exept for the sculptures of naked men :( Mom says that she loves you but enough about her (she's standing right behind me heh,heh). I have to wrap this up here, because the group is calling me, call you tonight,

orevwah!

Your loving son,
Joseph

P.S. I got a new beret, sweatshirt, I love you bye!

Wow! The testimony at the Kobe prelim trial was much more graphic than I had anticipated. I had been firmly on the side of Kobe on this issue, but the police detective testimony certainly sounds damaging. Maybe Katelyn Faber (pics), the Kobe accuser, does have a case! I still don't agree that she shouldn't have to testify or put up with the same public scrutiny that Kobe does.

And speaking of Rush Limbaugh, today he announce his addiction to painkillers.

"You know I have always tried to be honest with you and open about my life. So I need to tell you today that part of what you have heard and read is correct. I am addicted to prescription pain medication.
I first started taking prescription painkillers some years ago when my doctor prescribed them to treat post surgical pain following spinal surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery was unsuccessful and I continued to have severe pain in my lower back and also in my neck due to herniated discs. I am still experiencing that pain. Rather than opt for additional surgery for these conditions, I chose to treat the pain with prescribed medication. This medication turned out to be highly addictive.

Over the past several years I have tried to break my dependence on pain pills and, in fact, twice checked myself into medical facilities in an attempt to do so. I have recently agreed with my physician about the next steps.

Immediately following this broadcast, I am checking myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days to once and for all break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me. The show will continue during this time, of course, with an array of guest hosts you have come to know and respect.

I am not making any excuses. You know, over the years athletes and celebrities have emerged from treatment centers to great fanfare and praise for conquering great demons.

They are said to be great role models and examples for others. Well, I am no role model. I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes.

They are the role models. I am no victim and do not portray myself as such. I take full responsibility for my problem."

While I can't understand what goes through the psyche of someone with that type of addiction, I have to admire the fact he is not looking for recognition based on his addiction

Interesting story about how to attract viewers to women's golf. According to Jan Stephenson...a predominant female golfer...this is how it should be done:

"We have to promote sex appeal. It's a fact of life. The people who watch are predominantly male, and they won't keep watching if the girls aren't beautiful. That's not just the LPGA Tour, either. In Australia the highest-rated television event is the women's surf championship. Why is that?"

Later, she said: "Everyone wants to skirt it, but it's true. You have Tiger [Woods] and Phil and Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley. They are gorgeous. Their clothes are beautiful; everything about them is exciting. So we have to catch up. The women are not the best players -- the men are. The women are not the best athletes -- the men are. Whether we like it or not, we have to promote sex, because sex sells. I think you have to shock."

I'm sure this story will cause a stir around the circles of the women's tour, but could you imagine if Rush Limbaugh said this?

A conversation I had on IM with my sister today:

jp010599: why haven't you blogged about rush limbaugh? I totally think they are blowing it wayyyyy out of proportion. I think it was terry bradshaw that said it best...He did exactly what the people who hired him what him to do....Create controversy

npthree2002: I am a Rush Limbaugh fan, but what he said was flat out wrong. They did NOT hire him to create controversy. His role on the show was to be the "educated fans" voice. He was supposed to speak for the majority of fans who listen to these guys every week and say, "what the heck are you talking about." It was actually in his contract that his political views were to remain silent.

npthree2002: Not to mention the fact that what he said was totally inaccurate.

jp010599: Well I don't know rush form one commentator to another but all I hear him say (and I heard the whole conversation) was the the guy was over rated.....I didn't pick up on anything that was racial....and in my opinion neither did any of his co workers on screen otherwise like the channel 2 guys said they should have said right then that color didn't matter. I didn't know that his political opinions were contracted to remain silent...There yes I agree with you that he is wrong. I still though you would have had this on you rblog page though....

npthree2002: Well, he said McNabb was overrated because he is black. He said the media has overrated him because they want to see a black quarterback succeed. That is a pretty offensive thing to say. If you watched NFL live on sunday this week, Tom Jackson was basically in tears because he was so mad at Rush during his speach and all 4 guys blasted Rush for what he said and basically said they are glad they never have to work with him again.

jp010599: yes I did see that..that on espn at 8 am right? I just think that regardless of right or wrong the media is making wayyyy to much of it. Those 4 guys spent over 15 minutes each having there say...to the point where i changed th chanel

jp010599: when it comes to the media I cahnge the chanel for a lot less reasons...I will stop watching programs for some pretty simple reasons. This whole fiasco may make me not watch those 4 guys again... I'll stick with the fox team.

npthree2002: I think there is a time and place for everything. If Rush wants to talk politics or make social commentary, he has his radio show for that. On a Sports show on which he was hired to give his FOOTBALL opinions, I don't think it was necessarry & he got what he deserved.

If you live in Russia and you have pets, you'd better pay your electric bill...or risk losing your pet! According to this story on cnn.com, if you don;t pay your bill in a timely fashion, the electric company might come nab "fluffy."

Some interesting tidbits I picked up from Newsoftheweird.com:

The New York Post reported in August that some corporate meeting planners in New York and Los Angeles are scheduling upscale gourmet buffets in which the food (sushi is the favorite) is served on the body of a young nude or semi-nude woman who lies on the buffet table for up to three hours. Raw Catering (New York) and Global Cuisine (both cities) charge up to $700 per guest. [New York Post, 8-20-03]

In July, retired developer Bill Martin, 65, announced that he has agreed to buy a dilapidated park near Hudson, Fla., and convert it from its former use as a racially segregated nudist camp into a nonsegregated, Christian-themed nudist resort. Said Martin, "Body shame is an indicator of our alienation from God, self and others. It is a bondage from hell and, according to the Bible, a direct result of Satan's deception." [St. Petersburg Times, 8-1-03]

Easy Collars: Pamela J. Reardon was arrested in Monroe, Ohio, in August and charged with buying groceries using a stolen check; she was easy to track down because she had tried to save even more on her purchase by using her own Marsh Supermarket discount card.