Lex Icon Lexargy: September 2008

Here's another marina photo taken in Monterey. I took this as I walked to my lawyer's convention on Saturday. Kayaking is a very popular activity in Monterey Bay. I like to take the kayaks out along the water from about here, at Fisherman's Wharf, west to just beyond the Monterey Aquarium. For much of the year, kayakers can see pelicans, seals and sea otters (up close, if the animals do the approaching), and if you are there at the right time, you can see dolphins jumping out of the water right near your kayak.

We didn't see any dolphins, but we did see a lot of clean blue water, sea otters, seals, and fog banks rolling in and out.

September 30, 2008 in Photographs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

fUCLA from the Opposing Fan's View

Another unbiased observer says USC fans are nicer folks than UCLA fans.

September 30, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 29, 2008

So Now We've Got 18

We started the weekend with 27 undefeated teams in the NCAA. We're down to 18.

Big 12: (5) Missouri, ~~Nebraska~~, ~~Colorado~~, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech
SEC: (4) ~~Georgia~~, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, ~~Florida~~, Alabama, LSU
Big Ten: (2) Northwestern, ~~Minnesota~~, Penn State, ~~Wisconsin~~
MWC: (2) Utah, ~~TCU~~, BYU
Big East: (2) Connecticut, South Florida
Pac 10: (0) ~~USC~~
ACC: (0) ~~Wake Forest~~
C-USA: (1) Tulsa
Mid American: (1) Ball State
WAC: (1) Boise State

There were no unbeaten teams among the Sun Belt Conference or Independents coming into the weekend. USC's loss should make it a lot easier for me to score good tickets to the Oregon game.

September 29, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

College Football Results, 2008 Week 5

Since I didn't actually watch any of the games this week, I'm not sure what the hell happened, except that my picks were getting killed all day. This week was almost as bad as last week. I went 2-5 in the games I liked. Only Alabama and Oklahoma got me paid. Ohio State, Fresno State, Auburn and LSU failed to cover, and East Carolina lost straight up. The letdown game seemed to be the theme of the week. USC, Georgia, Florida and Wisconsin, all coming off nice wins, all in the top ten, all lost. Overall, I was 5-12 in my picks for the week, including Pac-10 play involving unranked teams. I liked most of the favorites and half of them lost straight up.

September 29, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Misleading Debate Poll Results

According to CNN, "a national poll of people who watched the first presidential debate suggests that Barack Obama came out on top, but there was overwhelming agreement that both Obama and John McCain would be able to handle the job of president if elected." That means Obama pretty much won the debate, right? Not so fast, my friend. There are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics. But look at the statistics and you'll see that the debate was watched more eagerly by Democrats, so the poll's sampling had 51% more Democrats than Republicans.

Quote:

Fifty-one percent of those polled thought Obama did the better job in Friday night's debate, while 38 percent said John McCain did better. The results may be favoring Obama simply because more Democrats than Republicans tuned in to the debate.

Quote:

Of the debate-watchers questioned in this poll, 41 percent of the respondents identified themselves as Democrats, 27 percent as Republicans and 30 percent as independents.

In other words, if you assume that each candidate was supported by viewers from his own party, it means that:

10 out of 30 independents thought Obama did better, and
11 out of 30 independents thought McCain did better.

That looks to me more like a push, with a slight edge to McCain.

September 29, 2008 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Bring Back Titan Football Shirts

Because of two byes and a Thursday night game at Oregon State, for the third time in the month of September, I had a Saturday with no USC game. A Fullerton Titan game could be filling that gap, but they still refuse to bring back Fullerton football. This cause is not futile, however; it can be done. Initially, the program could follow Cal Poly SLO's example. Before you know it, they could be competing in a conference like the WAC or the Mountain West. Maybe even someday in the Pac-12, with San Diego State or Fresno State. For now, I'm doing my part by buying and wearing one of these Bring Back Titan Football t-shirts.

September 29, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

September 28, 2008

My Sunday Afternoon Moment of Zen

Walking through the peaceful gardens of Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo, alongside the old mission facade, past graves decorated with abalone shells, then around the corner and into the courtyard for the 44th Annual Carmel Mission Fiesta, with food, drink, art, music and games.

Peace. Out.

September 28, 2008 in MobileBlogging | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

My Sunday Morning Moment of Zen

Kayaking just offshore from Monterey's Cannery Row. That was our hotel in the middle. The Monterey Aquarium is on the far right. We had lunch yesterday at the building on the left.

September 28, 2008 in MobileBlogging | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Overheard at the Park

Teenager girl #1: When we are old, we'll, like, none of us will be able to write, like, autobiographies and stuff.
Teenager girl #2: Because we live in such a boring place?
Teenager girl #1: Because we don't do anything but get drunk all the time. We won't remember anything to tell our kids.
Teenager girl #2: I don't even want to have kids. I, like, don't want to get all saggy and shit. You know, like, like Cameron Diaz.
Teenager girl #1: She has kids?
Teenager girl #2: I don't know. I don't think so.
Teenager girl #1: Jessica Alba has a kid.
Teenager girl #2: Yeah, I guess.

September 28, 2008 in Hearsay | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 27, 2008

More on the Mortgage Mess - With Video

Someone else did a better job of pointing out the root cause of this mortgage mess than I did on Friday.

Memo to Sarah Palin, next time Katie Couric lobs you a softball like asking when, oh when, did John McCain propose more regulation, tell her "How about 'The Housing Enterprise Regulatory Act of 2005' Senate Bill S-190, Katie. That might have even prevented dis whole mess."

September 27, 2008 in Idiots, Politics, YouTube | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Some Seriously Stupid Swag

This might be the single most idiotic convention giveaway I've ever seen. Inside these prescription bottles from the Buena Vista Pharmacy you will find M&Ms. Yum yum. Once your M&Ms are gone, kids, maybe you can find some other delicious candy in another similar-looking bottle. It's worth a try, right?

September 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

This Sea Otter

I think that this sea otter may have been betrayed by Lando Calrissian.

September 27, 2008 in Whatever | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 26, 2008

Blame Bush? Where was Barney Frank?

If you guessed that the Bush administration was the one pushing for less oversight when it came to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, you guessed wrong. When the GOP pushed for more regulatory oversight five years ago, blowhard Barney Frank and the Democrats painted it as an attempt to prevent working class Americans out of the affordable housing market.

From the September 11, 2003 New York Times:

Quote:

The Bush administration today recommended the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago.
Under the plan, disclosed at a Congressional hearing today, a new agency would be created within the Treasury Department to assume supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that are the two largest players in the mortgage lending industry.

New Agency Proposed to Oversee Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae - New York Times

Quote:

''These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis,'' said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. ''The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.''
Representative Melvin L. Watt, Democrat of North Carolina, agreed.
''I don't see much other than a shell game going on here, moving something from one agency to another and in the process weakening the bargaining power of poorer families and their ability to get affordable housing,'' Mr. Watt said.

I'll be watching the debate from Bubba Gump's and probably won't hear a damn thing, so this is all I have on the current, most relevant topic.

September 26, 2008 in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

My Lunchtime Vista

If anyone who reads my blog was feeling sorry for me because USC lost last night, thanks, but there's no need. I'm having lunch at an incredible seafood restaurant on the wharf. The view is spectacular and the sounds of the seals and seagulls are very relaxing. Oh, and the judge approved a great big cash settlement this morning in my biggest case ever. My family is enjoying a weekend away, for the first time ever with our son. Life is still all good.

September 26, 2008 in Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Can You Believe It?

USC lost at Oregon State? Did it really happen? Is it true? Is it possible they screwed up? Are we absolutely, positively -- positive -- that the final score is right? I missed the game. Didn't even see it on TV. Maybe my information is incorrect. I haven't even seen the highlights. From what I heard, though, the rumors that USC's defensive speed would neutralize the speed of those Oregon State receivers and backs turned out to be unfounded.

Oh well. At least that will make the rest of the games more interesting. And easier to get tickets, too. Plus, I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to be able to easily get the kids out of school for a trip to Miami the second week of January. Of course, USC has lost in Corvallis before and still (1967) won the national title, and they lost there in 2006 and would have played for the title if they had beaten UCLA. So there is hope.

That's about the extent of the silver lining I see. Because no matter how well they played against the Trojans, I still don't think that the Beavers are very good. USC just lost to a team that isn't very good. That means one of two things: it was another fluke, or this USC isn't as good as we thought they were. Either way, the Pac-10 vs. SEC debate for this season must be conceded to the SEC fans.

September 26, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 25, 2008

Random Can You Believe It Thoughts

I am totally out of touch with American TV audiences. I mostly just watch cable channels like the History Channel and the Travel Channel. Other than the CBS comedies on Monday nights, Survivor and/or the Office on Thursday nights, and college football on Saturdays, I don't watch much TV.

Not surprisingly, I don't know most of the shows that won Emmys. Emmy-winning shows I have never seen: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Damages, In Treatment, Samantha Who?, John Adams, Recount, Cranford, House, Pushing Daisies, Mr. Warmth. Shows I have seen very few times: 30 Rock, The Amazing Race.

I enjoyed seeing Survivor, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and the Academy Awards. That's it for the list of winners I've watched more than once or twice.

How unfair is it that the Oscars can win an Emmy, but the Emmys cannot win an Oscar? Could the Emmys give themselves an Emmy? That would be cheating, wouldn't it?

I watched Sunday night's last-ever Yankee game at Yankee Stadium. I am slightly bummed that I never got to see a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. It was fun watching players scooping up infield dirt after the game. It would have been even more fun watching 18 idiots getting arrested for trying to steal part of the stadium.

I did not watch the Raiders or the Patriots lose on Sunday, but I would have liked to. The Dolphins had lost 20 of 21. The Patriots had won 21 straight regular season games. Can you believe it? The score of 38-13 was no shock. That the Dolphins weren't on the short end was a shock. I had no idea how much the Patriots' defense depended on Tom Brady. I like the fact that a Trojan plays for the Patriots, but Matt Cassel never did start at game for USC. Until two weeks ago, his last start had been 7 or 8 years ago for Chatsworth High School.

Jay Schroeder started one game at UCLA but went 61-38 and made a Pro Bowl for the Redskins. Matt Cassel looks like he's no Jay Schroeder. One of my buddies joked last week that Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart would trade places with Matt Cassel now. That joke isn't funny anymore. Trade off.

Can you believe that after just three weeks, the number of undefeated NFL teams is down to Dallas, the New York Giants, Denver, Tennessee, Baltimore and Buffalo. The geezers from the unbeaten 1972 Miami team might be popping corks before Halloween.

Winless teams include just the Rams, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Bengals, Browns. I hope the Rams stay perfect. Can you believe that Christmas Eve 1994 was the last time the Rams and Raiders played in Los Angeles?

~~Can you believe~~ (getting old, that line is) Did anyone else notice that Virginia has played two of its three games this season against teams currently ranked #1? They lost to USC, but beat the #1 FCS team, Richmond, 16-0.

In their last two games, USC has surrendered just 10 points, which is best in the nation and happens to match the offense put up by Norm Chow's UCLA offense. People talk now about BYU's winning streak, but Norm Chow's winning streak was 23 games going into that 59-0 loss.

To try to sell more tickets, UCLA put an ad in the Fresno sports page this week. It urged people to buy tickets so they could say they were there. Essentially, what they are saying is "Fresno State fans, your team is going to have an epic ass-kicking of UCLA on Saturday. You don't want to miss this."

That might be the dumbest college football ad I've ever seen. Close seconds and thirds: UCLA's preseason "The Football Monopoly in Los Angeles is Officially Over", and, after the fluke win over Tennessee "There is still room on the bandwagon."

Not that USC going unbeaten is any sort of sure bet. In the past three decades, only two Pac 10 teams have finished unbeaten and untied. USC 2004 and Washington 1991. The odds are that USC is going to get tripped up somewhere. I hope I'm wrong though.

Have you ever noticed that the question "Why do you always think you're right?" is always being uttered by someone who is trying to convince someone else that they are wrong?

September 25, 2008 in Random Thoughts | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

USC - Oregon State Pregame Notes 2008

As you watch the USC game at Oregon State tonight on ESPN, you might see some of these interesting talking points and factoids:

USC is 2-0, 0-0 in conference play.
Oregon State is 1-2, 0-1 in conference play.
ESPN GameDay is in the house, Chris Fowler, Craig James, Jesse Palmer announcing.
Kickoff: 6:01 p.m.
Location: Reser Stadium (45,674), Corvallis, Oregon.
As of yesterday, 4,000 tickets remained available.
For seats, call 1-800-Go-BEAVS.
Oregon State has encouraged fans to wear orange for game and "Orange Out" Reser Stadium.
Weather forecast for today: 30% chance of rain.
Weather forecast for tonight: A few clouds. Low near 45°F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
USC has a 21-21-2 record in games with significant rainfall.
Last rainy game for USC: 2007 @ Cal.
USC won 24-17.
USC has won 15 straight September games.
They only play two September games in 2008.
In conference openers, USC is 65-16-5 (.785).
In conference openers on the road, the Trojans are 17-9-2 (.737).
USC has won 70.6% (397-157-29) of its games against Pac-10 opponents.
USC's all-time record in night games: 129-33-4 (.789).
USC is 25-12-1 in its last 38 games on artificial turf.
Overall streaks: USC, 7 wins. Oregon State, 1 win.
All-time head-to-head record: USC leads, 58-9-4.
Current streak in head-to-head play: one (USC).
USC has won 31 of the last 33 meetings.
Oregon State has won two of the last three at Oregon State (2000, 2006).
Last game: USC 24 Oregon St. 3.
Last game @ Corvallis: Oregon State 33 USC 31.
USC is ranked #1 in both major polls.
Oregon State is unranked.
USC has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for its past 80 games.
USC is 67-5-2 in games when they are ranked No. 1.
Last time USC was ranked #1 and lost: Stanford, 2007.
Last time Oregon State played a #1 team: USC in 2004.
USC won 28-20.
Against top-ranked teams all-time, Oregon State is 1-6.
Against #1 USC teams, the Beavers are 1-5.
The win was in 1967.
USC still won the national championship that season.
This is the 84th week USC has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll.
That total excludes USC's six preseason #1 rankings.
USC's 84 weeks as #1 is fourth on the all-time list.
Only Notre Dame (89), Oklahoma and Ohio State (86 each) have more.
Ohio State's all-time record against No. 1: 4-8
Against #1 USC: 0-1.
USC has a 19-9-3 (.661) record on Thursdays.
USC all-time on Thursday nights: 4-0.
The teams' first matchup ever was a Thursday (Thanksgiving) game in 1914.
It was played in Washington.
Oregon State has won four of its last six games against ranked opponents.
USC after byes: 13-3 under Pete Carroll. 11 of last 12.
All three losses were on the road and in conference.
USC leads the nation in scoring defense with 5.0 ppg.
Only 9 opposing runners have rushed for 100 yards against USC in the past 75 games.
Oregon State has outscored its opponents 139-41 in the first quarter at home since 2006.
Under Mike Riley,Oregon State is 42-6 when leading in the 4th quarter.
USC injury status: Probable: LB Chris Galippo (back), LB Luthur Brown (back): doubtful: Brian Cushing (hamstring); out: OG-OT Martin Coleman (ankle), OT-C Michael Reardon (hip), OG Matt Meyer (foot), DE-DT Trey Henderson (knee)
USC has no players from Oregon.
Oregon State has 39 from California.
The game ball will be presented by Jeff Van Orsow, who batted down a John David Booty two-point conversion attempt at the end of the 2006 game.

Game on.

USC's weekly football release.

Oregon State's weekly game notes.

September 25, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Games I'm Looking Forward To, Week 5, 2008

Week five begins with a rare USC Thursday night game @ Oregon State. I don't know how much time I'll get in front of the set this weekend, but if I get some, these are the games I want to see:

#1 USC @ Oregon State - Strange things have happened in USC's last two games in Corvallis, including a devastating loss in 2006. This might actually be USC's toughest road opponent (which isn't saying a lot given the way the schedule is unfolding), and it is a classic "trap" game. On the other hand, Oregon State looks weak. Their only weapons are the Rogers brothers, Jacquizz and James, whose speed advantage against other defenses won't be present against USC, and receivers Sammie Stroughter and Shane Morales, who won't be able to outrun USC's corners or safeties. I just hope that USC doesn't come out flat and overconfident.

#8 Alabama @ #3 Georgia - looked somewhat interesting a month ago, and looks really interesting now. The Bulldogs physically dominated Arizona State, but Alabama's defensive front is more impressive. The Crimson Tide's wins over Arkansas and Clemson were impressive, but it's still hard to tell how good or bad those opponents were. Last year, Alabama and Georgia went to the wire in a great game in Tuscaloosa. This will be awesome, if only because it all but assures that the SEC will be back down to three teams in the top ten. Heh.

#22 Illinois @ #12 Penn State - looked good a month ago and still looks good now. Illinois and Ohio State have lost some shine, and Wisconsin looked vulnerable at Fresno State. Penn State might need to carry the banner for the Big Ten this season. People talk about USC, Oklahoma, Florida or Georgia running the table. Penn State has a chance, too. This is their first important test of the season.

Tennessee @ #15 Auburn - this looked like a good game four weeks ago, but now, not so much. After what UCLA did against Tennessee and afterward, and how tough Auburn played LSU, the Tigers should kick Tennessee's ass up and down the field. Nobody outside of Tennessee gives the Vols much of a chance, except that the oddsmakers see this game, at Auburn, as less than a touchdown spread. An upset in the making? Do the mobsters know something we don't know?

#24 TCU @ #2 Oklahoma - this is the only game I'll be watching this weekend that wasn't on my radar in August. The Sooners have the top offense in the nation, and have outscored opponents 164-42. TCU doesn't have much defense, but they can score, too, having outscored their opponents even more impressively 172-31. If you hate 3-2 final scores, you might love this game.

September 25, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

College Football Picks, 2008 Week 5

Here are the matchups among the BCS top 25 teams this week. I seem to think I like seven of **these spreads. My picks are in bold and italic.

Thursday, Sep 25
#1 USC @ Oregon State +23½ (made with the heart, not the head. USC rarely covers in Corvallis)

Saturday, Sep 27
** Minnesota @ #14 Ohio State -17½ (Beanie boy is back)
Maryland @ #20 Clemson -11½
Mississippi @ #4 Florida -23½
Arkansas @ #7 Texas -28
** #25 Fresno St. @ UCLA +6½ (after BYU and Arizona, the Bruins look done)
#9 Wisconsin @ Michigan +7
Houston @ #23 East Carolina -10½ (Bounceback, at home)
** Tennessee @ #15 Auburn -6 (what do the oddsmakers know that none of us know?)
** Navy @ #16 Wake Forest -16
** #24 TCU @ #2 Oklahoma -17½
#13 South Florida @ N.C. State +8½
** Mississippi St. @ #5 LSU -24½
** #8 Alabama @ #3 Georgia -6
#22 Illinois @ #12 Penn State -14

Only one game is interdivisional and off the board: Weber St. @ #17 Utah.

Other Pac-10 games include Cal -25 v. Colorado State, Oregon -19½ @ Washington State, and Washington -4 @ Stanford. I like Colorado State, Oregon and Stanford in those. Arizona and Arizona State are idle.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/odds

September 25, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 24, 2008

Math Ignorance Can Make Us All Rich, Right?

Someone out there started an email that is spreading like wildfire. It begins like this:

I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.

Instead, I ’ m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.

To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.

D'oh! Nobody told the author of this plan that there would be math expectations among his readers. He made the math simple, but not simple enough for him. You see, $85 billion divided among 200 million people actually works out to $425, not $425,000. That's a pretty big difference, even if you round up. I'm too busy right now to try to figure out where this thing started, but I have a pretty good idea which one of my aunts is busy forwarding that email to everyone she knows.

The email I got that did make some sense to me is this one:

Dear Friend,

Congress is on the brink of making a one-sided deal to give George W. Bush a blank check to bail out his pals - offering nearly (or perhaps more than) a trillion taxpayer dollars to Wall Street to cover its bad debts. That works out to somewhere between $2000 and $5000 from every American family. So what do the taxpayers get in return?

Nothing. No new regulation or oversight to help avoid this kind of crisis in the future. No public interest givebacks to help people whose homes are in the hands of the banks. Perhaps most shockingly of all, the taxpayers get absolutely no share in the profits if and when these finance giants bounce back, even though we are now assuming a great deal of the risk.

This is worse than a bad deal - this isn't a deal at all. This is a blank check to some of the richest companies in the world.

I just signed a petition calling on key members of Congress to impose a few sensible conditions to this bailout in order to protect the American people -- I hope you will too.

Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/no_blank_check/?r_by=-1076525-vy0QYTx&rc=paste

Thanks!

I'd almost consider not deleting that one.

September 24, 2008 in Idiots | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Lex TV 183

Here are another dozen interesting videos:

Time-lapse of a stream becoming a flash flooded river.

A sleeping drunken Mets fan and his 15 9 minutes of fame.

The grapes and their war against news reporters continues.

This guy is a real Transformer. It's called Buggy rolling.

Obama: "my Muslim faith." In context.

Mmmm. Slurp. [If you have a dirty mind, don't click.]

The Diddy Retort. A brother calling it like he sees it.

Ricky Gervais at the Emmy Awards.

That's what she said.

Obama promises to end the outsourcing of shitty jobs.

The world's creepiest weatherman perhaps. The most boorish, at least.

Here's to you, Mr. Silent Killer Gas Passer.

September 24, 2008 in Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 23, 2008

Tuesday Travel Photo (No. 197)

I have no idea who this fellow is, but I enjoy going down to the marina and seeing men sailing around in vessels that I know I can afford. I took this photograph in the marina up in Monterey, where I was visiting for some lawyer's convention a few years ago. There's another lawyer's convention there this week.

I'll keep my eye out for popeye, here.

September 23, 2008 in Photographs | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

September 22, 2008

Prickly Hidden Mickey

Seen on our walk to Vons.

September 22, 2008 in MobileBlogging | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

More Random Thoughts as the Summer Finally Leaves Me

I hate ordering sammiches from Subway. Every time I order a footlong sammich there, I have to be told by the Subway guy that my order is not one of the $5 footlongs. I know, dude. I can read.

This is the same Subway guy who gave us the wrong sandwich (it should have been turkey and avocado with no mayo or onions), and when we came back a few minutes later, got annoyed because the other guy, who got my sandwich, didn't bring his back. "He got 50 cents of free avocado," the guy said. Seriously.

A kid asked me the other day why people throw shoes over power lines? Because hats don't stay up there.

I still hate the new no-cell-phone while driving law. Before long, we are going to be a society of bluetooth-headsetted idiots walking around talking to no apparent partner-in-conversations everywhere. You can no longer tell the difference between a normal person having an argument on a cell phone and a dangerous crazy person who is talking to a tree and might kill you if you get too close. That's bad public policy.

I haven't memorized my voicemail password, so I check it rarely. But who does? How many times have you called someone back and said “I saw that you called but didn’t listen to the voicemail yet, Is it anything urgent?” I do that a lot.

I was late getting a prescription filled, and while waiting, I read Life Magazine's Dream Destinations book called "100 of the World's Best Vacations" I was amazed to have seen fully 15% of the places listed there: London; the Riviera Maya; Orlando; the Ahwahnee hotel; NYC; the Bahamas; Memphis; the Inside Passage; the Burren; Snowdonia; Cooperstown; Daytona Beach; the Snake River; Key West; and Napa Valley.

Why is Mexico not a world power? The U.K. has scant natural resources, and yet the U.K. remains a dominant world power even though most of its former colonies all over the world have achieved complete independence. Mexico is very large. It has vast oil reserves. It has thousands of miles of beautiful beaches, developed and undeveloped. It has gold, silver and other rich mining resources. It has a huge pool of labor. Yet, year after year, it remains poor, and its cities remain dangerous, dirty places.

A muffin and a flavored coffee at the Four Seasons hotel in Alexandria, Egypt costs the equivalent of two days worth of a local laborer's wages. I could move there and live like a pharaoh.

I need to consolidate my frequent flier activities. I currently have three free flights coming on Southwest, two coming on Alaska and one coming on Northwest. I could take my whole family somewhere great for free, but we'd have to split up for three different flights.

The Mole Station Native Nursery, in New South Wales, used to own the website at www.molestationnursery.com until people pointed out that it was a very bad web address for anyone who wasn't running a child care service for parents who want their children raped while they worked. You can now find the nursery at www.molerivernursery.com.

Therapist Finder is still at www.therapistfinder.com, however.

September 22, 2008 in Random Thoughts | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 21, 2008

College Football Results, 2008 Week 4

How did I do in week four? I went 3-13. The statistical probability of losing on the spread of the first ten games was astounding, but I did it. In the games I liked, I went 1-4. Ouch. I'll have put off launching my 900 number and infomercial for a few weeks. My only winner was LSU, and I was hoping to lose that one. I was right about Texas and BYU, too, but wrong on literally every other game. Oh well, it was a busy and stressful week, and I didn't have time to do a good analysis, and my dog ate my notes, and I'm sure I'll find another excuse in my bag somewhere, but its very cluttered at the moment. I hope you didn't take any of my advice this week. I can't even bring myself to post the ugly details.

September 21, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

So Now We've Got 27

We started the weekend with 38 undefeated teams in the NCAA. We're down to 27.

Big 12: (7) Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, ~~Kansas State~~, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech
SEC: (6) Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Florida, ~~Auburn~~, Alabama, ~~Arkansas~~, LSU
Big Ten: (4) Northwestern, Minnesota, Penn State, Wisconsin, ~~Iowa~~
MWC: (3) Utah, ~~Air Force~~, TCU, BYU
Big East: (2) Connecticut, South Florida
Pac 10: (1) ~~Oregon~~, USC
ACC: (1) ~~Florida State~~, Wake Forest, ~~North Carolina~~
C-USA: (1) ~~East Carolina~~, Tulsa
Mid American: (1) Ball State
WAC: (1) Boise State
Sun Belt: (0) ~~Troy~~
Independents: (0) ~~Notre Dame~~

September 21, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 20, 2008

UCLA's worst defeats in football

UCLA's worst defeats in football:

1921 Whittier 103, UCLA 0
1925 Stanford 82, UCLA 0
1929 USC 76, UCLA 0
1919 Manual Arts HS 74, UCLA 0
1921 Whittier 62, UCLA 0
2008 BYU 59, UCLA 0
1930 USC 52 UCLA 0
2008 USC ? UCLA ?

Last week, Brigham Young quarterback Max Hall threw seven TD passes against UCLA. That's as many as Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen threw all season in 2007. I'm not sure which stat is more fun, but I enjoyed them both.

~~I don't think today is going to be an ugly defeat for UCLA~~. Heh. Oops.

September 20, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Games I'm Looking Forward To, 2008 Week 4

USC gets another bye, but the SEC offers three big games, all with the dog at home.

Troy @ #13 Ohio State - If the Buckeyes can't whup these Trojans, they aren't any good. Who will play QB? Will Beanie play? Will one of those other 4-5 star backup tailbacks step up?

#9 Alabama @ Arkansas - Arkansas has looked like absolute crap in its first two games. Now it gets a real opponent (I think) and one of these teams is going to have its true character revealed. If Arkansas doesn't beat the spread at home, they might be as bad as Mississippi State.

Arizona @ UCLA - Like I said on Thursday, I really like the Bruins plus the points in this game. Arizona isn't any good, and the Bruins have to be as motivated as they have ever been to have a bounceback game. Plus, they are at the Rose Bowl. They are usually a good team in the Rose Bowl during months that end in "r". Not so much in months that end with a "y".

#4 Florida @ Tennessee - this will be the Vols biggest game of the season. Urban Meyer has yet to lose to Phil Fulmer, who will want to avenge last year's 59-20 loss at The Swamp. But then again, this is a Tennessee team that lost to UCLA. If Florida doesn't destroy them, the Gators don't belong in the top ten.

Notre Dame @ Michigan State - If the Irish can win this game, they might end up having a good enough season to get exposed in a major bowl on New Year's Day. Also, if they win, we might find Notre Dame still out of the Top 25 rankings, even though they would have a 3-0 record. When was the last time Notre Dame was 3-0 and unranked? Michigan State is at home, and favored by more than a touchdown, but they did lose to Cal.

#18 Wake Forest @ #24 Florida State - one of just three matchups of ranked teams. The loser of this game will have a very difficult time winning the ACC Atlantic. Florida State has more talent - just like the last two times when Wake Forest won.

#6 LSU @ #10 Auburn - both teams come in highly regarded and undefeated, but in reality, this is the first game for both squads. Auburn is only a two point underdog, but they warned their fans ahead of time that it is unsportsmanlike to boo the home team. Do they know something we don't know?

Georgia @ Arizona State - a month ago, I thought this was going to be one of the best non-conference games of the season. Now we know that the Bulldogs, who haven't traveled outside the Southeast in decades for a non-conference game (last time: @ USC in 1960), aren't as quite as dominant as we thought, and Arizona State is soft enough to lose a home game to UNLV. Were the Sun Devils just caught looking ahead? Will they shock Georgia? I think Pac-10 fans are hoping for a little more than they can expect in Tempe tonight.

September 20, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

September 19, 2008

Happy Birthday Next Year

Free Disneyland on your birthday in 2009!

September 19, 2008 in Disney | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

A Loss of Independents

Twenty years ago, independents were all the rage in college football. Check out the final standings for the independents in 1987.

Miami-FL 12-0
Syracuse 11-0-1
Florida St 11-1
Notre Dame 8-4
Penn St 8-4
Pittsburgh 8-4
South Carolina 8-4
LA-Lafayette 6-5
Rutgers 6-5
Southern Miss 6-5
Tulane 6-6
West Virginia 6-6
Memphis 5-5-1
Northern Illinois 5-5-1
Army 5-6
Boston College 5-6
East Carolina 5-6
Akron 4-7
Cincinnati 4-7
Louisville 3-7-1
Temple 3-8
Tulsa 3-8
Navy 2-9
Virginia Tech 2-9

That's a couple of good conferences worth, right there.

September 19, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 18, 2008

College Football Picks, 2008 Week 4

Here are the matchups among the BCS top 25 teams this week. I seem to think I like five of **these spreads. My picks are in bold and italic.

Thursday, Sep 18
L #21 West Virginia @ Colorado +3 (WV off big loss, Colorado has FSU next week)

Saturday, Sep 20
Temple @ #16 Penn St. -28 (PSU off big, big wins;Temple hearts broken last week)
** Troy @ #13 Ohio St. -21 (I hope Troy goes down hard)
#15 East Carolina @ N.C. State -7½
#9 Alabama @ Arkansas +8½ (Arkansas stinks, but Alabama thinks they are better than they really are)
** Buffalo @ #5 Missouri -33½ (easy points?)
Wyoming @ #14 BYU -26½ (possible letdown?)
Boise St. @ #17 Oregon -12½ (they were looking ahead to this last week)
** #4 Florida @ Tennessee +7½ (just because of how awesome it would be.)
#20 Utah @ Air Force +7½
#12 South Florida @ Florida Intl. +28
#18 Wake Forest @ #24 Florida St. -4½ (is Wake Forest overrated?)
Rice @ #7 Texas -30
** #6 LSU @ #10 Auburn +2 (Expect LSU to score more than a safety)
#3 Georgia @ Arizona St. +6½ (I want this one)
** #25 Fresno St. @ Toledo +6½ (bounceback)

Off the board are S. Carolina St. @ #23 Clemson, Massachusetts @ #11 Texas Tech and Sam Houston St. @ #19 Kansas. My favorite story in the betting line: UCLA, after losing 59-0 at BYU is just a 1½ point dog at home against Arizona. I think that's money. Bet on the Bruins. Notre Dame +8½ looks like a lousy deal.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/odds

September 18, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

September 17, 2008

Lex TV 182

Here are another dozen interesting videos:

Tina Fey on SNL as Sarah Palin. Dead on.

Amazing true facts about the human body.

The opposite of helium voice.

Kanye West gets street cred by committing felony vandalism upon arrival at LAX, allegedly.

Treehugging is a religion. in the streets below.

Want to make Shawn Johnson's taco pop? It's easier than you might think.

A couple of girls being silly, and a dog wondering, "WTF?"

Ali G talks about animal rights.

A cat does battle against the evil laser printer.

Young John McCain being released by the VietCong.

Boomerangs return even in outer space.

Steve Ballmer is no Dave from Wendy's.

September 17, 2008 in Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Favorite and Least Favorite Fans

My favorite college football fans, from personal experience at their home field:

Nebraska
Notre Dame
Virginia
Michigan
Arizona

Texas fans at the Rose Bowl were pretty cool. They might deserve to make the list. Kansas State fans were good, too.

My least favorite fans, based upon fans at their home field or at the Coliseum:

Cal
UCLA
Ohio State
Arizona State
Oklahoma

Florida State was knocked off my list by the fighting Buckeyes last week.

September 17, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 16, 2008

The Latest Sagarin Ranking

I was checking out the new Sagarin computer rankings. As a Trojan fan, I got a kick out of USC being ranked ahead of everyone else, and by a wide margin over even the #2 Oklahoma Sooners. The thing that made me laugh, however, was the LSU rating for strength of schedule. LSU came in at 145th. That means more than 25 lower division schools have played a tougher schedule so far than the Tigers.

Hey, SEC fans, did you see the latest AP poll? The SEC became the first conference ever to put five teams in the AP poll in the same week, and they did it without cracking the top two.

Finally, Scott Wolf tried to explain his pathetic voting decisions in a column this week. When reading this, try to remember that Scott used to vote for West Virginia for the sole reason that he thought they were the most likely team to go undefeated due to a weak schedule. Oh, and he thinks [Big East leading] South Florida is the non-BCS conference team with the best chance to go to a BCS bowl game this season.

September 16, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tuesday Travel Photo (No. 196)

This is the White House. The north entrance. Most people think of the South Entrance when they picture the White House, but it's really the back door. This is the front entrance. But not for me. I was denied entrance. I wanted to arrange a tour, but we decided to go at the last minute, and tours were not to be had. You can't even grease your Congressman's palm to get a tour time.

So no tours. You can just stand at the bars and watch. Entertainment provided by protesting loons.

September 16, 2008 in Photographs | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

September 15, 2008

Ranking ten movies I recently watched on DVD (No. 8)

Here are another ten recent pulls (mostly) from the Netflix queue. As always, I'll rate them with pluses, one to five. The number scores are from IMDB, with 10.0 being perfect. My rankings, obviously, do not match perfectly with IMDB's:

The Bucket List (7.6) ++++ One of the best movies of 2008.
I Am Legend (7.1) ++++ Loved it.Good character. Good plot. Great performance.
The Golden Compass (6.4) ++++ Fantastic action fantasy story. Too bad it seemed over so soon.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (6.6) +++ Entertaining, but close to nuking the fridge a few times.
Dan in Real Life (7.1) +++ I was entertained. Not brilliant, but good.
Waitress (7.4) +++ This was more of a downer than I thought, but entertaining.
RV (5.5) ++ Some over the top plot moves spoiled an amusing ride.
License to Wed (5.1) ++ A sad waste of a great cast.
Bee Movie (6.4) ++ This was so stupid, little kids walked out, saying "this is stupid."
Sweeney Todd (7.9) + Gory. And it is a musical. Hated it.

September 15, 2008 in Film | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 14, 2008

Someone Should Take This Guy's Vote Away

The new AP poll is out and 61 out of 64 voters* now have USC at No. 1. One of the three holdouts is USC beat writer and Trojan alumnus Scott Wolf, who seems to be tailoring his vote solely toward controversy, in an effort to bring people to his blog. Wolf voted the Trojans No. 3. You can go to pollstalker and let the world know whether he's a genius or an idiot. I voted idiot.

Craig James, by the way, appears to have mistakenly voted for Arizona instead of Arizona State. Seriously, who thinks that Arizona is the 24th best team in the nation?

* There are 65 voters, but Tom Keegan's vote didn't get in this week.

September 14, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

College Football Results, 2008 Week 3

How did I do in week three? Nine wins. Nine losses. One postponement. In the games** I liked, I went 3-3 with a postponement. I broke even all around. But that's better than going broke. Here are the ugly details.

W #13 Kansas @ #19 South Florida -3½
L LA Lafayette @ #24 Illinois -24½ (one of the big WTF games of the day)
L ** #23 California @ Maryland +14 (the Pac-10's third most embarrassing loss of the day)
W ** Nevada @ #6 Missouri -26½
W ** #14 East Carolina @ Tulane +13 (this one went just like I thought it would)
W UCLA @ 18 BYU -9 (I saw this coming, but expected something like 35-10, not 59-0)
W #17 Penn St. @ Syracuse +26½ (Penn State is ranked too low)
L ** #16 Oregon @ Purdue +7 (too close for my liking, even on the road)
W #2 Georgia @ South Carolina +8 (Georgia looks beatable)
P ** Arkansas @ #8 Texas -23½ (game off)
L SMU @ #12 Texas Tech -36½ (missed it by that [½] much)
L #9 Auburn @ Miss St +10½ (3-2? Are you freaking kidding me?)
W Western Kentucky @ #11 Alabama -27½
L #3 Oklahoma @ Washington +20
L #22 Utah @ Utah St +23½
W ** #5 Ohio St. @ #1 USC -10½ (USC thoroughly debeated the *uckeyes)
L North Texas @ #7 LSU -41
L ** UNLV @ #15 Arizona State -22 (Pac-10's most embarrassing loss of the day)
W 10 Wisconsin 21 Fresno State +1½

I broke some of my own rules this week and it bit me. My Rules-of-Three say that there are three factors to take into consideration more than any other:

If a team had a huge disappointment last game, give them a point.
If a team has a big game next week, take away a point.
If a team had an emotional or dominating win last game, take away a point.

After awarding these points, if the difference between the two teams is more than one point, bet the team with the higher score.

The rules said Cal (-2, coming off dominating win with opponent coming off disappointing showings), UCLA (-2 coming off big win against team that looked bad last week) and Arizona State (-2 looking ahead to Georgia with opponent who lost bad last week) were all bad bets, yet I went with two of those three and lost both. That's poor gaming discipline. The rules also said to bet Ohio State, but the Beanie Wells factor and my belief that USC is chock full of awesome this season overrode the points.

September 14, 2008 in Sports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Top Ten Excuses Why Ohio State Lost Big

Here are the top ten reasons Ohio State lost so big to USC yesterday:

"We were less than a 41 point underdog."
"Dude, Beanie Wells only has nine good toes."
"It hurts the fans less if we are exposed as a fraud earlier in the season."
"We needed to lull Big 10 opponents into complacency."
"Those Pac-10 officials cost us at least 32 points."
"We were trying to show undecided recruits that they could totally start as freshman."
"We were distracted by the sight of attractive cheerleaders near the field."
"Coach's sweater vest was too itchy in the Los Angeles heat."
"The media bias favoring USC was worth at least two TDs."
"We mistakenly thought the game was for the BCS championship."

September 14, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

September 13, 2008

USC 35 Ohio State 3

The Buckeyes got a less enthusiastic welcome at the start of the second half. Everyone in the stadium could sense that the game was already over. The nation wanted to see the Trojans beat the tar out of Ohio State and USC is disappointing no one. The Buckeyes couldn't even cross the 50 in the second half. In the house tonight: Arnold Schwarzennegar, Marcus Allen, Denzel Washington and Henry Winkler, among others. The Buckeye fans started filing out in the 3rd quarter. One of them punched a USC fan in the face on the way out. I can only imagine how obnoxious these guys are when they win. Walking out, hopefully we won't hear a lot of f-bombs.

P.S. Ridiculous stats of the night: Time-of-possession. Ohio State held the ball for 32:03, USC for 27:57. It's not how long you hold the ball; it's what you do with it while you've got it.

September 13, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Halftime @ The Coliseum

"After review, the call on the field stands." Touchdown, Rey Maualuga! USC 21 Ohio State 3. That's a good halftime score. Even with a pickoff in the end zone right before the clock ran out, we'll take it.

September 13, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Beanie's Not Suited Up

The Buckeyes just came out of the tunnel at the Coliseum, and number 28 is in street clothes (not a great photo, but that's #28 in sweats and a jersey near the ten-yard line).

September 13, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

USC - Ohio State on Youtube

Some of the more entertaining USC - Ohio State preview fan videos:

We're less than an hour from kickoff. Fight on!

September 13, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

It's 'bout to get hectic

Ray Small, a junior wide receiver for Ohio State, who leads the team in receptions, and has scored a touchdown on a punt return, has provided the best bulletin board material for this afternoon's game. In an interview with ESPN last weekend, Small said USC lacked class, discipline and integrity.

"I took my visit to USC, I'm like, 'How are they successful? They're not even serious about the game. Before the game, they're all going crazy. Me and [defensive end] Rob Rose was on the visit and I'm looking like, 'Wow.' "And then the coach said, 'You better get out of here. It's 'bout to get hectic.'"

"And then I come on the [Columbus] visit and before the game, it's all quiet, everybody getting taped, coaches talking, it's the total opposite. It's a class thing. Here at Ohio State, they teach you to be a better man. There, it's just all about football."

Resisting the temptation to run from Maurice Clarett smack, let me share some of Ray Small's own words from the recruiting process. October 19, 2005:

"Ohio State and Southern Cal are my favorites right now," said wide receiver/cornerback Ray Small, of Glenville High School in Cleveland. "They are definitely at the top of my list and they are about even with each other..." Ohio wide receiver/cornerback Ray Small (5-11, 170, 4.4), claims Ohio State and USC edge out LSU, Florida and North Carolina (all offered).

"Ohio State and Southern Cal are my favorites right now," said Small, of Glenville High School in Cleveland. "They are definitely at the top of my list and they are about even with each other.
"Ohio State is my in-state team and not far from home and they have a good program. They're always strong and their coaches have really treated me well. They really want me. "Southern Cal has a relaxed football program -- you can go down there and be yourself. The coaches are cool. "I went down there in September with my teammate, Robert Rose, and had a real good time. It was a great experience. We got to go to Hollywood and hang out. I think I could fit in out there. "They are the only team that isn't looking at me as a receiver. They are looking at me to play corner," he said. "Receiver is my preferred position, but I will play corner if they want me to. They have indicated that I could play as a true freshman. "Basically, I want to go to a place where they have great coaches and I can play as a true freshman."

Oh. So then, it was about playing as a freshman at Ohio State and sitting as a freshman at USC. Now, USC's coolness is "not class." Got it. Thanks, kid.

September 13, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Five Questions and Answers About the Buckeyes

Some facts to know about those Buckeyes you might happen upon this weekend.

Q: What's with all the spelling?
A: You'll hear them spell out O. H. I. O. over and over, without S.T.A.T.E., but if you call their team Ohio, they'll freak. They are not Ohio. They are Ohio State, at a minimum. They would prefer it if you call them "The Ohio State University."

Q: What is a "Buckeye"?
A: A Buckeye is the heart of a smelly nut. You may think I am kidding, but I am not. Inside the shell is a small hard nut with a light center. It looks like a deer's eye. Hence the name. The plant it comes from is poisonous.

Q: What is that nuthead walking around on their sideline?
A: Their mascot's head is a Buckeye nut. The mascot's name is Brutus. Brutus is a name whose original Latin meaning is "heavy, slow, or foolish." You may think I am kidding, but I am not.

Q: What are those stickers on their players' helmets?
A: The leaf of the nut. It's sort of like a gold star from your teacher. If you have one, you got an attaboy for some play on the field.

Q: What are Bucks?
A: The plural of Buckeye.

Fight On!

September 13, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

USC - Ohio State Pregame Notes 2008

So here we go again, another big game. Since 1988, when I started attending USC football games, there have been few bigger games than this, particularly non-conference games. The 2006 Notre Dame game was close, as USC was #3 and Notre Dame was #6, but the last game I can recall being this important this early was the 1988 USC - Oklahoma game, which USC won in what was my first game as a USC student. As you watch today, you might see some of these interesting talking points and factoids.

USC is ranked #1 in both major polls.
Ohio State is ranked #5 in both major polls.
USC is 1-0, 0-0 in conference play.
Ohio State is 2-0, 0-0 in conference play.
ESPN GameDay is in the house, east of the peristyle.
Start time: 5:00 p.m. PDT.
Actual kickoff time: 5:20 p.m. PDT.
TV: live on ABC-TV 5:00 p.m. (Brent Musberger, Kirk Herbstreit, Erin Andrews, Lisa Salters)
Radio: live national radio: ESPN. 5:00 p.m.
Local radio: AM 710 KSPN 9:00 a.m. (Pete Arbogast, Paul McDonald, John Jackson)
Weather forecast for today: partly cloudy, high 79°F, winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Weather forecast for tonight: clear skies, low of 62°F, winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
The Coliseum debuts its new state-of-the-art scoreboards and sound system tonight.
Coliseum seating capacity has increased from 92,000 to 93,607. All sold today.
Preseason odds: USC -5½. Monday odds: USC -10½. Current odds, USC -14
Last time Ohio State was a double-digit underdog: 2002 BCS title game against Miami.
They won.
Last time USC was ranked #1 and lost: Stanford, 2007.
Last time USC was ranked #1 and lost to another ranked team: Texas, 2006 Rose Bowl.
Last time it happened in the regular season: Alabama 1977.
Don't call it red. USC wears cardinal and gold. Ohio State wears scarlet and grey.
USC has won 7 straight against the Big Ten.
Average margin of victory: 28 points.
USC is 65-27-2 against the Big Ten (17-9 in bowls) all-time.
The last four BCS championship games, and 5 of the last 6, included either the Trojans or the Buckeyes.
The one year that didn't: 2003, when USC played in the Rose Bowl and won the AP championship.
USC has won 11 national championships. Ohio State has 7.
Both teams have seven Heisman Trophy winners.
The Buckeyes have had 181 All-American first teamers. USC claims 151.
USC has 37 league titles. Ohio State has 32.
USC has 46 bowl appearances (30-16), Ohio State has 39 bowl appearances (18-21).
USC has won 14 straight September games.
USC has won 11 straight non-conference home games.
USC has won its last 10 home openers.
USC’s record for home openers is 88-18-7.
Ohio State is 63-48-7 all-time in road openers.
This is the teams' 22nd meeting. Last time was in 1990.
USC v. Ohio State, all-time: 11-8-1.
Current streak: USC has won the last five.
Total point difference: USC 335-332 points.
Average margin of victory for both teams: 16 points.
One third of the games have been shutouts.
Ohio State has five of the seven shutouts.
Last game: USC 35 Ohio St. 26, at Ohio State.
That game was called with 2:36 to play due to lightning.
Ohio State agreed to suspend the game when USC recovered an onside kick.
Last time in the Coliseum: 1989, No. 12 USC 42-3. (I was there.)
Last Ohio State win over USC: 42-21 in the 1974 Rose Bowl.
Six of their meetings were in the Rose Bowl.
USC is 4-2 against the Buckeyes in Rose Bowls.
USC is 4-0-1 when it is ranked higher in the AP poll than Ohio State.
The tie came in 1949. The wins were in 1947, 1959, 1989 and the 1973 Rose Bowl.
This is the 82nd time USC has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll.
USC is 66-5-2 in games when they are ranked No. 1.
USC's 82 weeks as #1 is fourth on the all-time list.
Only Notre Dame (89), Oklahoma and Ohio State (86 each) have more.
Ohio State's all-time record against No. 1: 4-8
Against #1 USC: 0-1.
USC is 7-6 all-time against AP No. 5-ranked teams
Last time USC faced the #5 team: lost, 2007 at Oregon.
Ohio State is 124-100-12 all-time against ranked teams.
On the road against ranked teams: 36-39-7.
Under Jim Tressler: 30-9 overall and 9-4
Pete Carroll's winning record: 77-14, 84.6% (1st)
Jim Tressel's winning record: 75-16, 74.0% (8th)
Both teams are 35-5 in their last 40 games.
USC after byes: 12-3 under Pete Carroll. 10 of last 11.
All three losses were on the road and in conference.
USC at home under Pete Carroll: 39-3.
USC is 397-123-27 (.750) all-time at the Colisem.
Last week, Ohio State won its 800th game. It's fifth overall, all-time.
OSU's all-time record: 800-304-53.
USC's win total of 754 is 10th in the nation.
Since 2003, USC's 60 wins are the nation's best.
Ohio State's 55 are 6th.
Since 2005, USC's 34-5 record is the nation's best.
Ohio State's 33-5 record is tied with West Virginia for 2nd best.
The Buckeyes are 414-126-14 as a Top 25 team.
Ohio State's Beanie Wells is listed as doubtful.
For USC: WR Vidal Hazelton (ankle), LB Luthur Brown (back) are probable. LB Michael Morgan (shoulder), LB Chris Galippo (back), OT Matt Kalil (knee) are doubtful. OT-C Michael Reardon (hip), OG Matt Meyer (foot) and DE-DT Trey Henderson (knee) are out.
Only 9 opposing runners have rushed for 100 yards against USC in the past 75 games.
Barring a BCS title matchups, the teams next meet again in Columbus on September 12, 2009.
Next week, Ohio State plays Troy.
Ohio State beat Youngstown State 43-0 in week one.
South Dakota State beat Youngstown 40-7 in week two.
USC has 1 player from Ohio (P Billy O’Malley)
Ohio State has 3 Californians (DL Mark Johnson, TE J.D. Larson and WR Grant Schwartz)
Ohio State features: "The Best Damn Band in the Land."
USC's Spirit of Troy is "The Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe."

The complete series:

1937 at USC 13, Ohio State 12
1938 USC 14, at Ohio State 7
1941 Ohio State 33, at USC 0
1942 at Ohio State 28, USC 12
1946 Ohio State 21, at USC 0
1947 USC 32, at Ohio State 0
1948 at Ohio State 20, USC 0
1949 Ohio State 13, at USC 13
1954 Ohio State 20, USC 7*
1959 at USC 17, Ohio State 0
1960 at Ohio State 20, USC 0
1963 at USC 32, Ohio State 3
1964 at Ohio State 17, USC 0
1968 Ohio State 27, USC 16*
1972 USC 42, Ohio State 17*
1973 Ohio State 42, USC 21*
1974 USC 18, Ohio State 17*
1979 USC 17, Ohio State 16*
1984 USC 20, Ohio State 17*
1989 at USC 42, Ohio State 3
1990 USC 35, at Ohio State 26
*Rose Bowl

September 13, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Random Observatements on the News

Former DNC national chairman Don Fowler got caught speaking his mind to South Carolina Congressman John Spratt during a flight: "The hurricane’s going to hit New Orleans about the time they start. [laughter] The timing is ... at least it appears now that it’ll be there Monday. That just demonstrates that God’s on our side. [laughter] Everything’s cool." Oops! Did he say that out loud? In front of someone's cellphone camcorder? Yes, he did. He apologized later, but the nature of the man's character has been revealed. He's a douchebag.

And this is hardly news, but Michael Moore engaged in a similar bit of douchebaggery on the eve of Hurricane Gustav, too. He told MSNBC that the arrival of Gustav near New Orleans on day one of the Republican convention was "proof that there is a god." Stay classy, dude.

John McClain says you need $5 million to be rich. Taken out of context, as the quote has been, I have to agree. You can make $5 million one time and still not be rich. By the time you are done with taxes, you do not have enough money to retire comfortably, and if you cannot retire comfortably, you aren't rich. Not yet, at least.

Only in America can a man fail to report $75,000 in income because he doesn't understand the tax consequences of his rental property transactions, and yet still chair the congressional committee that writes America's tax laws.

New York's governor says that the reason the GOP made fun of Barack Obama's experience as a community organizer has nothing to do with refuting the Democrat's mockery of Sarah Palin's experience as a small town mayor, it's their way of using "code" to call Obama black. Because we all know that there are a small number of racists in this country who hate blacks, and don't know Barack Obama is half-black, but they'll figure it out if we just keep repeating the message that he was a community organizer.

Perhaps Sarah Palin doesn't know everything there is to know about Freddie Mac and Fannie May, but perhaps that's because they aren't funding her career the way they are for Barack Obama.

Here's the brilliant new take on Sarah Palin, brought to us by the South Carolina Democratic party chair: "Her primary qualification is that she didn't have an abortion." That's the kind of insightful analysis that wins elections, right?

Keith Olberman's douchebaggery has finally cost him a job. I think of Olberman as a goofus sportscaster along the lines of Hacksaw Hamilton. Perhaps he'll soon be relegated to that position again.

Last month, when a judge denied Reggie Bush's motion to compel arbitration in the [felon] Lloyd Lake lawsuit, a bunch of trolls started celebrating and guaranteeing that Reggie Bush would have to testify at deposition by September 9. None of them have ever litigated a case with an arbitration claim to it. If they had, they would have known that an order denying arbitration is immediately appealable. And that Reggie Bush losing that motion to compel arbitration meant a certain appeal and a stay of the civil case. The defendants had 60 days to file that appeal, but they didn't wait nearly that long.

I loved this headline: "Washington president asks fans to lay off Willingham." Washington fans respond: Dude, Willingham should have been laid off two seasons ago."

This is the coolest sports website I've found in a long time. Pollstalker. It sounds a bit gay, but it's awesome. Among other things, it keeps track of which AP voters have their heads up their asses. Jon Wilner and Scott Wolf are among the worst.

Finally, Vince Young has problems. He won a national title at Texas in arguably the best college football game ever played. He was selected near the top of the NFL draft and was a starting quarterback as a rookie. He won the offensive rookie of the year award. He has earned millions of dollars playing a grownup version of a little boy's game. But ... people booed him last week. So he's hurting, inside and out, says his mama. We should all be thankful we don't have problems like that, huh? Shame on all you people who booed Vince Young last week. Instead of "boo", what you should have said is "boo f*cking hoo."

September 13, 2008 in Random Thoughts | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 12, 2008

Ike. Yikes.

The storm surge at Galveston's Pier 21 has already reached 8.5 feet this evening, and we're still probably five hours from landfall, and six hours from high tide. Yikes. Earlier today, waves crashing over the seawall were already high and strong enough to knock Geraldo Rivera on his ass.

September 12, 2008 in Weather | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

USC Ohio State Tickets - Scalper-bait's Guide to the Coliseum

Do you not have your tickets to the game yet? That's a drag, but there is some good news. Tickets can always be had outside the Coliseum on game day. Here's how to get your hands on some good ones. The guidelines are simple:

If you are wearing cardinal and gold, rather than scarlet and grey, start near the peristyle (east) end of the Coliseum. Look for older alumni. Walk around with fingers up signifying how many you need. If that fails, walk along the north side of the Coliseum toward Menlo and 39th Street. Try walking through the RV area on the northwest part of the grounds. If that fails, head over to campus and, keeping the fingers up, walk against the grain of the crowd of fans who will be heading around or through the Rose Garden on their way from campus to the Coliseum. Once you get back on campus, make your way over toward Tommy Trojan. Once you get to Tommy Trojan, if you are still ticketless, track back the same way you came. Eventually, you'll probably find some alum with a spare or two. Good luck trying to put together 4 seats. Unless you are looking for singles or pairs, it will be a tough search. Sets of three will be even tougher.

You can always try this technique while wearing the opposing team's colors, but many would-be sellers will ignore you, or quote you a higher price, because they don't want a Buckeye sitting near them. So if you are wearing the ugly colors, either go to the corner of 39th and Figueroa, or head straight to the front (north side) of the Rose Garden, at the signal on Exposition, right across from campus. Talk to the sleazy scalpers there. Unlike the alums, they won't care if you are Buckeye or Trojan, and they'll sell for the market price, which is absurdly high this week.

September 12, 2008 in USC Football | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)