Shouzer

So, without going into details, my car battery was dead after I got back from running PuzzleCrack this year.  I took it out, got it charged, and put it back in.  Everything worked fine (some of my car’s settings were reset, but that’s to be expected), except for my power windows.

For some reason, I could control the driver window and both back windows from the driver’s side, but not the front passenger side window.  Similarly, the controls for my front windows both have two steps when you push them.  Pushing them to the second step causes teh windows to keep going until they’re all the way open/closed.  That wasn’t working either.

It’s obviously not a huge deal or anything, I’ve got a full warranty on my car for 100,000 miles, so I decided I’d just take it in and get it fixed.  I got to the dealership, explained the issue, and the guy told me to follow him out to my car.  He turns it on, rolls the driver window down all the way and holds the button for a few seconds, then rolls it back up and holds it again.  He then did the same with the passenger side.  Somehow that fixed it.

I’m not really complaining, but wtf is that?  I guess it’s a good thing to know for the future, but really…should you even have to do that?

I took great satisfaction in watching the bottom-feeding Rams destroy the vaunted Cowboys. It was like poetic justice to watch that team fall apart. Jerry Jones has collect a team full of “big personalities”, but personalities don’t win championships. That’s what I always say.

I actually didn’t start watching the game until the second quarter, which is a shame considering all the best stuff happened in the first. I was streaming in on my computer as I watched the Bills vs. Chargers on the TV. I meant to add super-fast internet as another modern convenience that was rocking my apartment in my last post, but it slipped my mind.

Anyway, I think the big key to the game was the 42 yd TD catch by Donnie Avery as well as his near miss on the much longer pass play later in the game. That deep threat kept the Cowboys defense from focusing on the run throughout the game, freeing Jackson to run over them for 160yds.

The success of the offense kept the defense off the field and fresh, as well as motivated. This allowed them to get consistent pressure on the QB and force some big turnovers.

It is hard to judge if the Rams are better or if the Cowboys have just imploded that much, but I would say it’s a combination of the two. The victory was impressive in my mind, but I’m not expecting a playoff run at this point. I’m not even hoping for a hiring of Haslett full time yet, as many writers are. I do have renewed hope in their abilities though, and I am starting to really enjoy the NFL again. I was starting to prefer *gasp* NCAA football, but loyalty is no longer wavering.

I think the Rams will be hard-pressed to beat the Patriots next week. The keys to that game are stopping the run and establishing some passing threat. Once again, if they can stop the run, they can force Cassle to make mistakes under pressure, and a credible passing threat will open things up for Jackson against a pretty good defense.

Realistically, the Patriots are just too good at this point, especially at home, but the game in 2 weeks versus the Cardinals is an obvious must-win for the Rams to have a snow ball’s chance at the playoffs.

it gives me great pleasure to announce that i am adopting the tampa bay rays as “my” major league baseball team, and i am endorsing them for the world series.

this selection comes naturally as the rays are a florida based expansion team, just like my nba team, the orlando magic, and my nfl team, the jacksonville jaguars.

from this point forward, when asked the question, “what’s your team?” in reference to the mlb, i will amend my answer of “anybody who beats the yankees” to “the tampa bay rays, and anybody who beats the yankees.”

There are certain things I have around my apartment that just make my life way better. I think I would have to start with the dishwasher. If this isn’t a dream appliance, I don’t know what is. Washing plates by hand is for suckers.

Next is my electric blanket. This guy is a must have for any cooler climate. I haven’t turned my heat on yet despite the fact that the temperature outside is dropping below freezing already, and the electric blanket is a big part of that. Watching TV is just so much better when I’m wrapped up in this thing. I have been sick this week, and I put one on my bed when I was feverish and freezing. It warmed my buns right up, and at 180W, I could run it all night for pennies. I couldn’t do that though because it just does too good of a job of heating me. I would roast in the bed if I left it on all night.

The electric space heater comes in right behind the electric blanket. The big problem with my heat being off is in the morning trying to get ready for work. Going from warm bed to 50 degree bathroom is not a pleasant trip at 6:45. Having that thing blowing hot air on me while I brush my teeth helps a lot. This morning was the first time I used it in there, and it got so hot during my shower, I started feeling woozy and tired. I had to crack the door and let some cool air in from the rest of the apartment while I got dressed so I wouldn’t pass out in the sauna I created. It does run a bit steep on the electricity at 1500W, but I only use it for 20 minutes a day. Plus, you can’t put a price tag on that kind of luxury.

Yeah, I was excited. I was following the game on ESPN play-by-play, and I have a P2P video going as well. The video was laggy and delayed, but it was better than nothing.

The thing that made me very happy about this win was that they did it with the defense. For years the defense has been a stone around the neck of the organization. Now, they are winning the game despite poor play from the offense.

They’ve got a long way to go, but if the defense can keep playing staunchly, the offense should come around as Bulger gets his confidence back. It’s nice to have some hope again. It would be nice if they could manage not to crush it.

Update: I was very happy to see 3 NFC East teams go down this week. One of the best things about the NFL is the parity, and it was discouraging to think that a division could so thoroughly dominate everyone else. Considering those 3 teams went down the Cardinals, the Rams, and the Browns, it shows any team can win any week.

I boycotted the NFL Sunday afternoon games. They gave me Detroit vs. Chicago and Dallas vs. Cincinnati. The first game was ridiculously boring, and the I’m tired of watching the Cowboys.

I watched season 1 of Chuck instead. That is a great show. It’s funny and action-packed. The main character, Chuck, has a goofy yet lovable charm. Adam Baldwin plays a NSA agent that is practically a carbon copy of his character on Firefly, and I loved that character. Of course, there is the ultra-hot CIA agent protecting Chuck as well. She’s more than just a pretty face too. I’m pretty impressed with her acting skills as well. She manages to convey her burning desire for Chuck with pure emotion. They have great chemistry.

Al came over to watch the Michigan vs. Illinois game at the Big House. It was cool going to a college game as it’s been a while since I’ve done that. There were 109k+ people there, which made it even more cool. Illinois destroyed Michigan. They just dominated them in every aspect of the game. The Michigan fans did not take it well. I was pretty disappointed with them. They were yelling at the refs over extremely obvious calls. It was just rude. I would expect someone who was completely decked out in football apparel to have some concept of the rules regarding pass interference. It would appear that I was wrong.

There was one really good moment in the Detroit vs. Chicago game, and I was fortunate enough to catch it live. What I love most about this is that Lovey Smith challenged this play despite getting the pass interference call. He was so confident in his team’s ability to beat the Lions that he could essentially throw away a challenge. The catch was sick, and it deserved to be recognized.

I am not your friend, nor do I want to be.  Quit calling the American people “your friends” everytime you address them.  Frankly, it’s presumptuous and insulting.