As everyone in Canada remembers, the Three Stooges (Dion, Duceppe and Layton) signed a coalition agreement back on December 1. Here's a link to the story when it originally broke on CBC.ca.
Quotes to take note of from that story:
-The NDP leader also called on the prime minister to "accept this gracefully" and not bring further instability by fighting the verdict of his colleagues in the House.
-The accord between the NDP and Liberals will expire on June 30, 2011, unless it is renewed. The Bloc is only committed to 18 months.
This past week, Ignatieff and the Liberals agreed to support the Conservative's budget.
Shortly thereafter, the reactions of both Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe (Jack and Gilles went up the hill.........) came out in the media.
This one paragraph from that article says it all.
Mr. Layton immediately slammed Mr. Ignatieff, saying the Liberals no longer had the right to claim to be the government-in-waiting.
"We have a new coalition now on Parliament Hill. It's a coalition between Mr. Harper and Mr. Ignatieff," Mr. Layton told reporters.
Mr. Duceppe said when the Liberals shared their budget-amendment proposal with him, he declared, "The coalition is dead, it's finished, it's over."
So let's review........about 2 months ago, the Three Stooges were actually trying to convince the Governor General that they were a stable alternative to the Conservative's, and that they could actually all get along for about 30 months. All to avoid another election as the Conservative's had just won one a couple of months earlier, with a strengthened minority.
Now, 2 months since that Coalition agreement was formed, both Jack and Gilles are fuming that Ignatieff and Harper actually worked together to push through a budget that was desperately needed. They have both declared the coalition dead.
FIRST of all, the sole reason for the forming of the coalition was SUPPOSED to be because it would be in the best interests of the people, and they would provide more stimulus for the economy than the Conservatives. Now that Jack didn't get his way (which is having a piece of power, which is what he really wanted all along), he's taking his ball and going home. He obviously didn't care about Canada or Canadians the entire time.
SECOND of all, if half-baked ideas like this coalition are formed again in the future, can the Governor General even take them seriously? I mean look at this one........the Three Stooges promised that the agreement would last 30 months......yet it didn't even last 2 months. Is that REALLY the kind of stability that anyone would be looking for? Especially in an unelected group of people taking over the Government?
Hey Jack, I suggest you take your own advice and "accept this gracefully". That or get the hell out of Canada, because that would make me happier.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Obama
Has ANYONE woken up and realized what Obama is really about yet?
Here's his list of "accomplishments" so far (click on each item for articles):
-He's closing Guantanamo Bay, including outright releasing some prisoners who are held there now.
-He's re-starting funding for international groups which promote or perform abortions.
-He's flip-flopped from denying he had any Muslim roots during the election, to declaring his "deep muslim ties" now.
-He's at the head of a trade war in the making with our very own country, Canada.
Number 4 is particularly alarming, because it is just the beginning. With Hillary and her R-CALF ideas on Obama's side, selling our beef to the USA could be a thing of the past soon too.....bad news for farmers here at home.
Here's his list of "accomplishments" so far (click on each item for articles):
-He's closing Guantanamo Bay, including outright releasing some prisoners who are held there now.
-He's re-starting funding for international groups which promote or perform abortions.
-He's flip-flopped from denying he had any Muslim roots during the election, to declaring his "deep muslim ties" now.
-He's at the head of a trade war in the making with our very own country, Canada.
Number 4 is particularly alarming, because it is just the beginning. With Hillary and her R-CALF ideas on Obama's side, selling our beef to the USA could be a thing of the past soon too.....bad news for farmers here at home.
Billy Mays
If you watch any TV at all, you must recognize this guy.
Billy Mays....the VERY LOUD SPEAKING dude with a greasy beard who always wears a blue shirt.......and peddles such wares as OxiClean, Orange Clean and Orange Glo.
Well I actually don't have any news on Billy......I just always wondered who the guy was, as he just seemed like some greasy dude that companies pulled off the street to try to sell their crappy products. Turns out that Mays lives in a US$1.8 million home in Florida! So he's an expensive greasy dude.
Hey, at least he hasn't been hired to try to sell the awful looking Snuggie yet.
Deep Thoughts
So here's something for you to think about......or perhaps try when you have a lot of extra time on your hands.
Obviously, we all spend a lot of time looking at our alarm clocks. It's right next to our bed. It's usually the last thing we see before we go to sleep, and the first thing we see when we wake up. So over the course of your lifetime, how many actual times do you think you see on your alarm clock? Do you think anyone out there has actually seen every single time there is (12:00, 12:01, 12:02 and so on.....) - including both AM and PM? Or do we happen to look at the clock at close to the same time every day, so you really only see the times that are around when you go to bed, and the times that are around when you wake up?
Obviously, we all spend a lot of time looking at our alarm clocks. It's right next to our bed. It's usually the last thing we see before we go to sleep, and the first thing we see when we wake up. So over the course of your lifetime, how many actual times do you think you see on your alarm clock? Do you think anyone out there has actually seen every single time there is (12:00, 12:01, 12:02 and so on.....) - including both AM and PM? Or do we happen to look at the clock at close to the same time every day, so you really only see the times that are around when you go to bed, and the times that are around when you wake up?
Friday, January 30, 2009
John Fraser's Question of the Day
If Jesus and Larry Fitzgerald go up for the same ball, who comes down with it?
Chris McQuid
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Chris McQuid
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Thursday, January 29, 2009
1957 v.s. 2007
School comparison - 1957 v.s. 2007
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007 - BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007 - BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
Human Statue of Liberty
I just wanted to share this awesome picture from an e-mail I got last night. The picture was taken in 1918 at Camp Dodge in Iowa (click on the picture to enlarge it).
FACTS:
Base to Shoulder: 150 feet
Right Arm: 340 feet
Widest part of arm holding torch: 12 1/2 feet
Right thumb: 35 feet
Thickest part of body: 29 feet
Left hand length: 30 feet
Face: 60 feet
Nose: 21 feet
Longest spike of head piece: 70 feet
Torch and flame combined: 980 feet
Number of men in flame of torch: 12,000
Number of men in torch: 2,800
Number of men in right arm: 1,200
Number of men in body, head and balance of figure only: 2,000
Total men: 18,000
FACTS:
Base to Shoulder: 150 feet
Right Arm: 340 feet
Widest part of arm holding torch: 12 1/2 feet
Right thumb: 35 feet
Thickest part of body: 29 feet
Left hand length: 30 feet
Face: 60 feet
Nose: 21 feet
Longest spike of head piece: 70 feet
Torch and flame combined: 980 feet
Number of men in flame of torch: 12,000
Number of men in torch: 2,800
Number of men in right arm: 1,200
Number of men in body, head and balance of figure only: 2,000
Total men: 18,000
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Luckiest Fan in America
I read a great article by Rick Reilly on ESPN today about a Phillies fan who not only snuck into Game 5 (the deciding game) of the World Series.......he ended up working his way to a seat right behind home plate......and later into the clubhouse, where he proceeded to party with the Phillies - and even dumped a bottle of champagne on Ryan Howard's head. A great read - true story! My only question is if the guy is going to be prosecuted now that this article is out.
Rick Reilly: Meet the luckiest fan in America - ESPN The Magazine
Rick Reilly: Meet the luckiest fan in America - ESPN The Magazine
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
King Bond's Verdict (Volume 1, Episode 2)
Q. Who is going to win Super Bowl XLIII?
A. It is quite simple my superficial old facist. First of all we will review key Stats (click on the box to enlarge:
The Game As viewed Through me, King Bond:
Both teams will try to establish the run early, contrary to popular belief. Only Arizona will though, with James leading the charge. For most of the first half the Cardinals will be attempting to get the ball to Fitzgerald, with little success. This leads to Boldin having a huge first half. The Steelers, on the other hand, have an unexpected dismal first half. Roethlisberger, typically holding on to the ball as long as possible allowing routes to develop, absolutely gets nailed with those helmet-under-the-chin hits twice. Ward meanwhile is still hampered by his recent knee injury and basically just sucks balls.
The second half holds well for the Steelers. Their defence clamps down and Santonio Holmes makes some big plays. Warner is pressured more in the pocket and throws a few interceptions which greatly affects the game. The Steelers get a few field goals.
Then a freak set of circumstances occur. Fireman Ed (Budweiser commercial), gains sideline access passes by the hotshots at Budweiser. During the last couple minutes of the 4th quarter this crazed fan rips off his Budweiser jersey to reveal his Bruce Harper Jets Jersey and tries to do his J-E-T-S chant. The weird thing about this is that Troy Polamalu had a bet with Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka that if Fireman Ed did the J-E-T-S chant at the superbowl he would shave his head. So, being the devoted Samoan christian he is Fast Willie Parker starts shaving his head.
So Back on the field, 1 minute left, I see Kurt Warner desperately going long to Fitzgerald. Polamalu easily slides over and covers this pass.
KING BONDS VERDICT
No problem old fool. 24 - 20 Arizona Cardinals win the Bowl.
This conclusion is based on detailed scientific research. Dogs have amazing hearing and detect sounds as low as 16 - 20 Hz frequency range compared to 20 - 70 Hz in humans, and Polamalus' mom had sex with a Samoan Great Dane dog. Since Polamalus head was shaved he was unable to cope with his newly found amazing Terrier breed like hearing. Distracted by his mamma in the 5th row chanting "if you dont stop Fitzgerald, you wont get yo' coconuts boy" Polamalu trips and blows the coverage resulting in a game winning TD toss. Needless to say. He wont get his coconuts.
This is the Verdict cause King Bond said so.
GIVE ME THE INGREDIENTS AND I'LL MAKE THE CAKE
Budget 2009
I have had it with this country.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Opposition Parties (aka The Three Stooges) agree to form a Coalition because the Conservative's indicated they would be getting rid of public funding for political parties (through a pay-per-vote system) - this would affect all parties INCLUDING the Conservative's......The Three Stooges state that the reason for the Coalition is because the Government "wasn't doing enough to help the economy"
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Conservative's introduce their new budget after consulting with Canadians and the Opposition Parties. Within 26 minutes, Jack Layton indicated he would not support it. The Bloc followed shortly thereafter. The Libranos are still debating but say that it won't be "a slam dunk". The Opposition is upset that the Conservative's are putting the country into a deficit.......yet also mad because they aren't spending enough money.
In all of the billions of dollars being thrown around today, very little is for Alberta.
I really do not see one reason why we, as Albertans, should still be a part of this country - do you?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Opposition Parties (aka The Three Stooges) agree to form a Coalition because the Conservative's indicated they would be getting rid of public funding for political parties (through a pay-per-vote system) - this would affect all parties INCLUDING the Conservative's......The Three Stooges state that the reason for the Coalition is because the Government "wasn't doing enough to help the economy"
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Conservative's introduce their new budget after consulting with Canadians and the Opposition Parties. Within 26 minutes, Jack Layton indicated he would not support it. The Bloc followed shortly thereafter. The Libranos are still debating but say that it won't be "a slam dunk". The Opposition is upset that the Conservative's are putting the country into a deficit.......yet also mad because they aren't spending enough money.
In all of the billions of dollars being thrown around today, very little is for Alberta.
I really do not see one reason why we, as Albertans, should still be a part of this country - do you?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Browns GM Search Over
One day after news broke that the Cleveland Browns had found their new General Manager, George Kokinis was formerly introduced in a press conference today. George was most recently the Director of Pro Personnel for the Baltimore Ravens, and was at one time an intern in the Browns club operations department - his first NFL job.
Kokinis and new Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini actually shared an apartment when they both worked for the Browns back in 1991.
Where Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage often couldn't stay in the same book, let alone on the same page, Kokinis and Mangini are friends and should do a great job of working together to make the Browns a better team.
The only part that still bothers me out of the whole thing? The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported in their Live Blog (during the Kokinis Press Conference) today that owner Randy Lerner was "in the back of the room -- behind the TV cameras." (third paragraph in the Live Blog).
If Lerner wants us to believe that he is as serious about bringing this city and this fan base a championship caliber team, he is going to have to get in FRONT of the camera and in FRONT of the fans - the people who pay his player's and coach's wages. In either event, I'm glad the Browns finally have their Front Office together so we can move onto other things..........like trading Derek Anderson before his $5 million roster bonus comes due in March.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Logos
Most of you who know me will know that I am a huge sports fan - I am also very active in fantasy and virtual sports, in particular for the MLB and the NFL. While I have done fantasy sports for several years now, I hadn't been involved in virtual sports (it is similar, except run off a sim engine instead of real-life results) until late last year. The two leagues I am involved in are VBL4 and the VFL. My teams are the Honolulu Rays and the Cleveland Fightin' Ukrainians, respectively. One of the great things about these virtual leagues is that you can create your own team - you choose your city, your team name, your logo, etc. - while I'm not terribly artistic, I do like to draw and to do some graphic work on the computer. For both of my teams, I decided to create my own logos. I have provided a sample of the logos I designed for both my teams below. I was also asked by another VFL team if I could create a logo for him, that team being the San Francisco Nortonsmen. The source of the 'Nortonmen's' team name is an article in itself. Did you know that the USA actually had an Emperor at one time? Emperor Norton I, whose Wikipedia page is extremely interesting.
If you take a look at this picture to the left, which is of Emperor Norton, you will see the inspiration for San Francisco's logo. I was asked to make a 'stylized version' of Norton's top hat (with feather) and epaulettes. After a few different drafts, we agreed on the logo you will see below. The idea was to keep the logo very simple, yet easily distinguishable - along the lines of the Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals (whose logos you can also see below).
Have a look at my logos and let me know what you think (please note that the 'mcquidproquo.com' text on each logo is just an overlay to protect my images here, but that text does not show up on the actual logos). As I mentioned, I am no professional, but it is something I like doing on the side. If you have a fantasy sports or virtual sports team and have an idea for a logo, I would be happy to hear it so I could try to help you out. Please send me an e-mail.
Honolulu Rays
Cleveland Fightin' Ukrainians
San Francisco Nortonsmen
ATL Falcons-ARI Cardinals-SEA Seahawks
Plumbing
This post will kind of come out of nowhere, but it's one i've been meaning to get to for awhile - after all, part of my blog's subtitle is "Helpful Hints". This is for you do-it-yourself plumbers.
Have you ever had a toilet that wouldn't stop running? Besides the obvious solution (ensure that the flap hasn't got stuck up inside the tank so it isn't sealing), there are several reasons why this might be happening. I am going to give a brief rundown of how the flushing process actually works for you newbies - I will then give you one obvious solution, and one not so obvious one that took me a long time to figure out.
When you push the handle (9) down, the trip lever lifts up. The lever is connected to a chain (4), which is connected at the other end to the flapper valve (2). The flapper valve opens as the chain lifts it up, allowing water to flow down into the bowl to flush. When you let go of the handle, the tension is taken off the chain, and the flapper drops and reseals to the valve seat (3). The bowl then refills with water (it will stop refilling when the float ball (7) reaches a certain level).
So if your toilet keeps running (you will generally hear it, and you will see water constantly draining into the bowl), you obviously have a problem that needs to be fixed. The first thing to check, especially on an older toilet, is the flapper valve itself. These flappers will weaken and warp over time, allowing water to escape into the toilet outlet (and hence into the bowl). You can get a flapper cheap just about anywhere (Crappy Tire, etc.), and they are usually universal. They are very quick to change - it is usually connected to the base of the overflow tube (5) with rubber loops hooking over some plastic. Pull the rubber hoops over the plastic, and remove the chain from the flapper. You can then put the new flapper on.
If this doesn't fix it, there is a chance you may need to also replace the valve seat itself.
However, if you run into a problem where the flapper, the valve seat and everything seem to be good, but you are still getting water trickling into the bowl - you may have the same problem I had.
The fix is one you would never guess. I actually searched through pluming forums for several days with no luck. Finally, I had to register on a forum and ask my question - it was answered the next day, and my toilet has been good ever since.
What was I told? Check the small hose that runs from the ballcock assembly (10) to the overflow tube (5). There should be a spot on the overflow tube where this small hose is supposed to fit into. What I had done is simply route the hose so that it simply fed right into the 'fat' part of the overflow tube, neglecting the smaller opening which is made specifically for said hose. I moved the hose to it's proper location, and wouldn't you know it - the toilet stopped running.
I'm sure there is a scientific reason for why this is - but I myself couldn't even tell you. It's running into the same large overflow tube, only it is running through a smaller tube with almost a bit of a strainer at the bottom first. All I know is that it worked - and if you have run into this problem, it may work for you too.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Media
I am really getting sick of how the media spins stories to make the Conservative Government look bad. Take the latest example from THE CANADIAN PRESS (which is what myTELUS.com uses for their left-leaning news stories).
The headline today on myTELUS says "Federal stimulus helpful but too small to turn economy around: economists". Now of course, this would seem to indicate that the Conservative's upcoming budget does have some good measures in it, but - as it says right in the headline - is too small. So the average person thinks the Conservative's aren't doing enough to try to shield the country from recession, just by reading the headline.
You can view the article in its entirety right here.
Now what is that little blurb I see in there? 5 paragraphs down, on a single line?
"But economists said the package's size is appropriate."
WOW. So really, economists (who are pretty smart people when it comes to the economy, last time I checked) think that the Conservative's are doing enough......the package is "appropriate". Yet the headline says it is "too small".
This is one example - if you are to read anything by the Canadian Press, the Associated Press or the Grasp & Flail (Globe & Mail), they all use the same techniques. The only unbiased National publication I have found so far to report Canadian political news - The National Post.
It is an absolute shame that those other medias I referred to have to resort to controversial (and usually flat-out untrue) headlines to try to attract readers.
The headline today on myTELUS says "Federal stimulus helpful but too small to turn economy around: economists". Now of course, this would seem to indicate that the Conservative's upcoming budget does have some good measures in it, but - as it says right in the headline - is too small. So the average person thinks the Conservative's aren't doing enough to try to shield the country from recession, just by reading the headline.
You can view the article in its entirety right here.
Now what is that little blurb I see in there? 5 paragraphs down, on a single line?
"But economists said the package's size is appropriate."
WOW. So really, economists (who are pretty smart people when it comes to the economy, last time I checked) think that the Conservative's are doing enough......the package is "appropriate". Yet the headline says it is "too small".
This is one example - if you are to read anything by the Canadian Press, the Associated Press or the Grasp & Flail (Globe & Mail), they all use the same techniques. The only unbiased National publication I have found so far to report Canadian political news - The National Post.
It is an absolute shame that those other medias I referred to have to resort to controversial (and usually flat-out untrue) headlines to try to attract readers.
Friday, January 23, 2009
"Do Not" Call List
So you may have heard of the National Do Not Call List, which came into effect in Canada on September 30, 2008. Basically, you add your home and/or cell phone number(s) to this list (which is run by the CRTC - which is run by the Canadian Government), and most telemarketers are blocked from calling you (I believe only registered charities are exempt and call still call you).
Well, turns out there's a big problem with the Do Not Call List. There is a report on CBC.ca today which reveals that the CRTC has been whoring itself out - selling all of the numbers on the DNC List. In fact, you can buy 600,000 phone numbers online for only $50 - what a steal!
I myself have been a victim of this - I registered my cell phone, my wife's cell phone, and our home phone on the list. While our home and my cell phone are getting about the same number of "junk calls", my wife's cell phone is getting a minimum of two calls per night now. Absolutely ridiculous. I'm not sure what the procedure is on this, but I hope that the incompetent CRTC is severely punished.
Well, turns out there's a big problem with the Do Not Call List. There is a report on CBC.ca today which reveals that the CRTC has been whoring itself out - selling all of the numbers on the DNC List. In fact, you can buy 600,000 phone numbers online for only $50 - what a steal!
I myself have been a victim of this - I registered my cell phone, my wife's cell phone, and our home phone on the list. While our home and my cell phone are getting about the same number of "junk calls", my wife's cell phone is getting a minimum of two calls per night now. Absolutely ridiculous. I'm not sure what the procedure is on this, but I hope that the incompetent CRTC is severely punished.
Outspoken GM's
Just a short couple of months since now-former Cleveland Browns GM Phil Savage used profanity when addressing a fan via e-mail, another pro-sports GM may be in hot water.
The GM of the St. Louis Cardinals, John Mozeliak, had a chat session with his fans. You can read some of the questions here. Among one of the exchanges between Mozeliak and a fan:
I Hate Bill Dewitt!!:
Mo, Please describe what it's like living in your little land of make believe where you honestly believe that Cardinal fans should be excited about this team. If you wouldn't mind, go into details, about how in MO's world people are celebrating are three horrible new lefty relievers, and the signing of our awesome new .213 hitting shortstop.
John Mozeliak:
First I rather live in my world then yours...it is sunny out today??? No you're right it is 30 something degrees, my girl friend dumped me, and my car won't start.
First, it is not we stink (unless you ask yourself these questions in the mirror) and we make decisions based on scouts, stats, and other information. If we thought Greene was going to hit .213 we would not, I repeat, not make the deal.
Go back to your world and I hope by mid summer you're ready to come out for air.
Now come on - if you didn't find Mo's response funny, you need to get your sense of humor checked out.
The GM of the St. Louis Cardinals, John Mozeliak, had a chat session with his fans. You can read some of the questions here. Among one of the exchanges between Mozeliak and a fan:
I Hate Bill Dewitt!!:
Mo, Please describe what it's like living in your little land of make believe where you honestly believe that Cardinal fans should be excited about this team. If you wouldn't mind, go into details, about how in MO's world people are celebrating are three horrible new lefty relievers, and the signing of our awesome new .213 hitting shortstop.
John Mozeliak:
First I rather live in my world then yours...it is sunny out today??? No you're right it is 30 something degrees, my girl friend dumped me, and my car won't start.
First, it is not we stink (unless you ask yourself these questions in the mirror) and we make decisions based on scouts, stats, and other information. If we thought Greene was going to hit .213 we would not, I repeat, not make the deal.
Go back to your world and I hope by mid summer you're ready to come out for air.
Now come on - if you didn't find Mo's response funny, you need to get your sense of humor checked out.
King Bond's Verdict (Volume 1, Episode 1)
Q. Who would win in a fist fight, Barack Obama or Stephen Harper?
A. Well, my underprivileged young peasant. Lets review the profiles:
Obama is clearly the more agile contender and he would be smiling to intimidate his opponent, while Harper boasts a big appetite and overhand right. In this battle of the titans, I see Obama hula dancing around Harper like a butterfly landing jabs, elbows, and a flurry of untamed roundhouses. Since Harper has the weight advantage, he can take most of these punches and kicks. I depict Harper landing one vicious blow to the gut of Obama to stun him and then a massive right. Obama would be on the ground getting curb stomped as if he were one of Stephane Dion'ss baskets of compost, still grinning ear to ear. In a shocker, the CIA doesnt allow Obama to leave the White House without being fully wrapped in Kevlar. So Obama, with his limbo expertise, stands up on his feet and graciously continues to fight.
KING BONDS VERDICT
Easy. Winner by KO 4:53 seconds into the fight, Mr. Barack Obama. This conclusion is based upon simple facts. Obama is a lefty and Harper is originally from Toronto - and is a Maple Leafs fan. Enough said.
This is the verdict cause King Bond said so.
GIVE ME THE INGREDIENTS AND I'LL MAKE THE CAKE.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
King Bond's Verdict
I have a few pieces of exciting news for McQuid Pro Quo today.
First, we have a new e-mail address that you can use to contact me at - mcquidproquo@gmail.com
Please send your suggestions, comments, questions, etc. to me - I look forward to hearing from you.
Also, I have added a small button to the bottom of each post (right beside the Comments) that looks like a letter - by clicking on this button, you can e-mail the post to your friends, quickly and easily.
And last, but CERTAINLY not least, I am very pleased to announce another new feature right here on McQuid Pro Quo. My good friend James Bodurka will be hosting King Bond's Verdict. This is your chance to ask any questions you may have, about basically anything (as James himself said - women, astrophysics, drinking, politics and sports are all fair game), and you could have it answered right here. You give him the ingredients, he'll make the cake.
Please e-mail your questions for King Bond to mcquidproquo@gmail.com
Watch for the very first edition of King Bond's Verdict, coming soon!
First, we have a new e-mail address that you can use to contact me at - mcquidproquo@gmail.com
Please send your suggestions, comments, questions, etc. to me - I look forward to hearing from you.
Also, I have added a small button to the bottom of each post (right beside the Comments) that looks like a letter - by clicking on this button, you can e-mail the post to your friends, quickly and easily.
And last, but CERTAINLY not least, I am very pleased to announce another new feature right here on McQuid Pro Quo. My good friend James Bodurka will be hosting King Bond's Verdict. This is your chance to ask any questions you may have, about basically anything (as James himself said - women, astrophysics, drinking, politics and sports are all fair game), and you could have it answered right here. You give him the ingredients, he'll make the cake.
Please e-mail your questions for King Bond to mcquidproquo@gmail.com
Watch for the very first edition of King Bond's Verdict, coming soon!
Obama
I could rant about Obama all day......but this is a great place to start.
Obama will be appointing Timothy F. Geithner as the next United States Secretary of the Treasury. Basically, Geithner would be the head of the IRS.
So isn't it interesting that Geithner himself had refused to pay taxes since 2001? Here is a very informative read from his Wikipedia page:
Tax problems
At the Senate confirmation hearings, it was revealed through documentary evidence that Geithner had not paid $35,000 self-employment taxes for several years,[20] even though he had acknowledged his obligation to do so, and had filed a request for, and received, a payment for half the taxes owed. The failure to pay self-employment taxes was noted during a 2006 audit by the Internal Revenue Service, in which Geithner was assessed additional taxes of $14,847 for the 2003 and 2004 tax years. Geithner failed to pay, or to admit his failure to pay, the self-employment taxes for the 2001 and 2002 tax years until after President-elect Obama expressed his intent to nominate Geithner to be Secretary of Treasury.[21] He also deducted the cost of his children's sleep-away camp as a dependent care expense, when only day camp is eligible for the deduction.[22] Geithner subsequently paid the IRS the additional taxes owed,[23] but was not charged a penalty for late-payment.[citation needed] In addition, his housekeeper's work authorization lapsed during the last three months she worked for him.[24]
Geithner's employer at the time, the International Monetary Fund, gives its American employees the employer's half of the payroll taxes, expecting that the employees will deposit the money with the Internal Revenue Service.[25] A report from the Senate Finance Committee documented Geithner's errors.[26] While working for IMF, Geithner signed a tax worksheet stating his "obligation of the U.S. Social Security tax, which I will pay on my fund income"[26] and another annual worksheet stating "I wish to apply for tax allowance of U.S. federal and state income taxes and the difference between the 'self-employed' and 'employed' obligation of the U.S. Social Security tax which I will pay on my Fund income."[27]
In a statement to the Senate panel considering his nomination, Geithner called the tax issues "careless", "avoidable", and "unintentional" errors, and he said he wanted to "apologize to the committee for putting you in the position of having to spend so much time on these issues."[23] Geithner testified that he used TurboTax to prepare his own return and that the tax errors are his own responsibility.[28] The Washington Post quoted a tax expert who said that TurboTax has not been programmed to handle self-employment taxes when the user identifies himself as being employed.[29] Geithner said at the hearing that he was always under the impression that he was an employee, not a self-employed contractor,[29] while he served as director of the Policy Development and Review Department of IMF.[6]
A bit like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank, wouldn't you say? Actually, many of Obama's cabinet choices so far have scandal or near-scandal attached to them. Geithner is just the tip of the iceberg.
Here is another good article about Geithner by Glenn Beck.
Obama will be appointing Timothy F. Geithner as the next United States Secretary of the Treasury. Basically, Geithner would be the head of the IRS.
So isn't it interesting that Geithner himself had refused to pay taxes since 2001? Here is a very informative read from his Wikipedia page:
Tax problems
At the Senate confirmation hearings, it was revealed through documentary evidence that Geithner had not paid $35,000 self-employment taxes for several years,[20] even though he had acknowledged his obligation to do so, and had filed a request for, and received, a payment for half the taxes owed. The failure to pay self-employment taxes was noted during a 2006 audit by the Internal Revenue Service, in which Geithner was assessed additional taxes of $14,847 for the 2003 and 2004 tax years. Geithner failed to pay, or to admit his failure to pay, the self-employment taxes for the 2001 and 2002 tax years until after President-elect Obama expressed his intent to nominate Geithner to be Secretary of Treasury.[21] He also deducted the cost of his children's sleep-away camp as a dependent care expense, when only day camp is eligible for the deduction.[22] Geithner subsequently paid the IRS the additional taxes owed,[23] but was not charged a penalty for late-payment.[citation needed] In addition, his housekeeper's work authorization lapsed during the last three months she worked for him.[24]
Geithner's employer at the time, the International Monetary Fund, gives its American employees the employer's half of the payroll taxes, expecting that the employees will deposit the money with the Internal Revenue Service.[25] A report from the Senate Finance Committee documented Geithner's errors.[26] While working for IMF, Geithner signed a tax worksheet stating his "obligation of the U.S. Social Security tax, which I will pay on my fund income"[26] and another annual worksheet stating "I wish to apply for tax allowance of U.S. federal and state income taxes and the difference between the 'self-employed' and 'employed' obligation of the U.S. Social Security tax which I will pay on my Fund income."[27]
In a statement to the Senate panel considering his nomination, Geithner called the tax issues "careless", "avoidable", and "unintentional" errors, and he said he wanted to "apologize to the committee for putting you in the position of having to spend so much time on these issues."[23] Geithner testified that he used TurboTax to prepare his own return and that the tax errors are his own responsibility.[28] The Washington Post quoted a tax expert who said that TurboTax has not been programmed to handle self-employment taxes when the user identifies himself as being employed.[29] Geithner said at the hearing that he was always under the impression that he was an employee, not a self-employed contractor,[29] while he served as director of the Policy Development and Review Department of IMF.[6]
A bit like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank, wouldn't you say? Actually, many of Obama's cabinet choices so far have scandal or near-scandal attached to them. Geithner is just the tip of the iceberg.
Here is another good article about Geithner by Glenn Beck.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tracking Umpires
I received a link to a VERY interesting website today. Check out this article, which actually takes MLB Umpire Angel Hernandez's ball and strike calls, and compares them with the PITCHf/x system to see how accurate he really is.
Quick background on PITCHf/x (from the same website linked to above):
"In 2008, a PITCHf/x camera system was installed in every major league park and gathered data on almost every pitch thrown (around 700,000 pitches). These data are what Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) uses for its gameday feature and is accurate to about a half an inch near home plate. The findings are put online for anyone who wants to study them."
There are some links within that article to some other very good reads as well, including a study that was done to examine the effect of race of the pitcher and umpire on the percentage of strikes called (and found that the umpires were indeed slightly racially biased).
Very interesting stuff! When I have more time to read through it all, I will try to make some comments here on my blog.
Quick background on PITCHf/x (from the same website linked to above):
"In 2008, a PITCHf/x camera system was installed in every major league park and gathered data on almost every pitch thrown (around 700,000 pitches). These data are what Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) uses for its gameday feature and is accurate to about a half an inch near home plate. The findings are put online for anyone who wants to study them."
There are some links within that article to some other very good reads as well, including a study that was done to examine the effect of race of the pitcher and umpire on the percentage of strikes called (and found that the umpires were indeed slightly racially biased).
Very interesting stuff! When I have more time to read through it all, I will try to make some comments here on my blog.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Championship Week Wrap-Up
I certainly made up for last weeks terrible picks, with a nice 2 for 2 performance this week.
In the NFC Championship, the Cardinals were able to beat the Eagles 32-25 thanks to some absolute magic by Larry Fitzgerald (9 catches for 152 yards and 3 TD's), and despite a botched call with only a couple of minutes left in the first half that SHOULD HAVE give the Cardinals the ball back deep in Philadelphia territory. The Cardinals advance to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
Funny that Donovan McNabb wasn't picking up phones on the Arizona sidelines. He did try to show up the Arizona D early in the game after he stumbled/bumbled for a 22 yard run, nodding his head in their faces. I hope he can find his golf clubs now.
The AFC championship was an exciting game to watch - very hard hitting, as was expected between two teams with a lot of bad blood between them. Willis McGahee left on a stretcher in the 4th quarter after a huge helmet to helmet hit, but hopefully he will be ok. According to early reports, he had movement in his arms and legs, but had severe neck pain. Pittsburgh went on to win the game 23-14, covering the 5.5 pt. spread as I had predicted.
As I mentioned in my last post, I believe that the winner of the Pittsburgh/Baltimore game will go on to win the Super Bowl - so Pittsburgh is my early favorite. I will do a complete breakdown of the game and my prediction ahead of the Super Bowl on February 1. Pittsburgh is an early 6.5 point Super Bowl favorite, with the Over/Under set at 47 points (from Doc's Sports Service).
Have a great week, everyone. Don't forget that 24 is back on Fox tonight at 7 pm MST with the "12 PM - 1 PM" episode.
In the NFC Championship, the Cardinals were able to beat the Eagles 32-25 thanks to some absolute magic by Larry Fitzgerald (9 catches for 152 yards and 3 TD's), and despite a botched call with only a couple of minutes left in the first half that SHOULD HAVE give the Cardinals the ball back deep in Philadelphia territory. The Cardinals advance to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
Funny that Donovan McNabb wasn't picking up phones on the Arizona sidelines. He did try to show up the Arizona D early in the game after he stumbled/bumbled for a 22 yard run, nodding his head in their faces. I hope he can find his golf clubs now.
The AFC championship was an exciting game to watch - very hard hitting, as was expected between two teams with a lot of bad blood between them. Willis McGahee left on a stretcher in the 4th quarter after a huge helmet to helmet hit, but hopefully he will be ok. According to early reports, he had movement in his arms and legs, but had severe neck pain. Pittsburgh went on to win the game 23-14, covering the 5.5 pt. spread as I had predicted.
As I mentioned in my last post, I believe that the winner of the Pittsburgh/Baltimore game will go on to win the Super Bowl - so Pittsburgh is my early favorite. I will do a complete breakdown of the game and my prediction ahead of the Super Bowl on February 1. Pittsburgh is an early 6.5 point Super Bowl favorite, with the Over/Under set at 47 points (from Doc's Sports Service).
Have a great week, everyone. Don't forget that 24 is back on Fox tonight at 7 pm MST with the "12 PM - 1 PM" episode.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
AFC / NFC Championships
This is a big week for the NFL - the AFC and NFC Championship games. We will finally know who is going to be playing off for the Lombardi trophy in a couple of weeks. I didn't do so well with my picks last week, only getting the Steelers over the Chargers right. Last year in the playoffs, I picked all but 2 or 3 games right I think, so at least that means this year is more unpredictable. The 'Any Given Sunday' thing really seems to mean something this year.
With that said, we have a couple of very good games lined up for this weekend. I will try to give a bit of a breakdown on each game and give my take. Hopefully I can go 2 for 2 this week to make up for last week.
NFC Championship - Sunday at 1:00 pm MST
AT 
Philadelphia is a 3 point favorite on the road at Arizona.
These two teams met up once this year, with the following result:
November 27, 2008
Arizona - 20 @ Philadelphia - 48
During the regular season, Philadelphia had a 3-4-1 record on the road (click on the 1 to discover just how smart Donovan McNabb really is). Arizona had a 6-2 record at home.
Offensive and Defensive rankings for both teams during the regular season:
Philadelphia
-9th total offense, 3rd total defense
Arizona
-4th total offense, 19th total defense
This is another tough game to predict, because Arizona has been so streaky this year. As the stats show, Arizona is a much better team at home. I truly hate the Eagles, mostly because of Donovan McNabb. However, logic might say that there is an experience factor here too. McNabb has reached the NFC Championship game 5 times in his 10 years with the Eagles. The Cardinals, however, have never been to the NFC Championship before. Both teams are on a roll, and both teams are going to have to rely heavily on their passing games. If the Cardinals do win, I think it will be close - but if they lose, I think it will be a blowout. It's a tough decision to make, but give me the Cardinals at home.
AFC Championship - Sunday at 4:30 pm MST
AT 
Pittsburgh is a 5.5 point favorite at home to Baltimore.
These two teams met up twice this year, with the following results:
September 29, 2008
Baltimore - 20 @ Pittsburgh - 23
December 14, 2008
Pittsburgh - 13 @ Baltimore - 9
During the regular season, Baltimore had a 5-3 record on the road. Pittsburgh had a 6-2 record at home.
Offensive and Defensive rankings for both teams during the regular season:
Baltimore
-18th total offense, 2nd total defense
Pittsburgh
-22nd total offense, 1st total defense
I don't think you can take two teams in the NFL right now and put together a better (or closer) game than this one. The Number 1 v.s. The Number 2 ranked defenses. No wonder the Over/Under is only set at 34 points as of right now. Before Baltimore and Joe Flacco beat the Titans last weekend, no rookie QB had ever won his first two NFL playoff games. However, Flacco has done it without much flash. In his two playoff games, his combined stats aren't that pretty:
20-45 (44.4% completion percentage)
196 Yds
1 TD
However, Flacco has been good where it counts - he hasn't turned over the ball. The Baltimore defense led by co-ordinator Rex Ryan scares me. They are so complete, motivated and efficient. Pittsburgh always seems to find a way to win, especially at home. With Willie Parker now as healthy as he has been in a long time, the running game has looked a pile better, which only helps open things up for Big Ben and the passing game. To me, Baltimore doesn't have the weapons on offense to compete with the Steelers. Although they were outranked by Baltimore in total yards over the course of the regular season, that was generally without Willie Parker. I like the Steelers to win, and I think they will cover. As a sneak preview for you....I think whoever wins this game will win the Super Bowl.
Do you have some different ideas on who will win? Feel free to post a comment below!
With that said, we have a couple of very good games lined up for this weekend. I will try to give a bit of a breakdown on each game and give my take. Hopefully I can go 2 for 2 this week to make up for last week.
NFC Championship - Sunday at 1:00 pm MST
AT 
Philadelphia is a 3 point favorite on the road at Arizona.
These two teams met up once this year, with the following result:
November 27, 2008
Arizona - 20 @ Philadelphia - 48
During the regular season, Philadelphia had a 3-4-1 record on the road (click on the 1 to discover just how smart Donovan McNabb really is). Arizona had a 6-2 record at home.
Offensive and Defensive rankings for both teams during the regular season:
Philadelphia
-9th total offense, 3rd total defense
Arizona
-4th total offense, 19th total defense
This is another tough game to predict, because Arizona has been so streaky this year. As the stats show, Arizona is a much better team at home. I truly hate the Eagles, mostly because of Donovan McNabb. However, logic might say that there is an experience factor here too. McNabb has reached the NFC Championship game 5 times in his 10 years with the Eagles. The Cardinals, however, have never been to the NFC Championship before. Both teams are on a roll, and both teams are going to have to rely heavily on their passing games. If the Cardinals do win, I think it will be close - but if they lose, I think it will be a blowout. It's a tough decision to make, but give me the Cardinals at home.
AFC Championship - Sunday at 4:30 pm MST
AT 
Pittsburgh is a 5.5 point favorite at home to Baltimore.
These two teams met up twice this year, with the following results:
September 29, 2008
Baltimore - 20 @ Pittsburgh - 23
December 14, 2008
Pittsburgh - 13 @ Baltimore - 9
During the regular season, Baltimore had a 5-3 record on the road. Pittsburgh had a 6-2 record at home.
Offensive and Defensive rankings for both teams during the regular season:
Baltimore
-18th total offense, 2nd total defense
Pittsburgh
-22nd total offense, 1st total defense
I don't think you can take two teams in the NFL right now and put together a better (or closer) game than this one. The Number 1 v.s. The Number 2 ranked defenses. No wonder the Over/Under is only set at 34 points as of right now. Before Baltimore and Joe Flacco beat the Titans last weekend, no rookie QB had ever won his first two NFL playoff games. However, Flacco has done it without much flash. In his two playoff games, his combined stats aren't that pretty:
20-45 (44.4% completion percentage)
196 Yds
1 TD
However, Flacco has been good where it counts - he hasn't turned over the ball. The Baltimore defense led by co-ordinator Rex Ryan scares me. They are so complete, motivated and efficient. Pittsburgh always seems to find a way to win, especially at home. With Willie Parker now as healthy as he has been in a long time, the running game has looked a pile better, which only helps open things up for Big Ben and the passing game. To me, Baltimore doesn't have the weapons on offense to compete with the Steelers. Although they were outranked by Baltimore in total yards over the course of the regular season, that was generally without Willie Parker. I like the Steelers to win, and I think they will cover. As a sneak preview for you....I think whoever wins this game will win the Super Bowl.
Do you have some different ideas on who will win? Feel free to post a comment below!
Ryan's Rant (Volume 1, Episode 1)
(*Ryan's Rant may contain obscene language or topics)
Holy crap, if I have to watch those goddamn stupid Cialis commercials on TV anymore, I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a brain transplant ‘cause I’m going to blow mine out.
Now, don’t get me wrong, if my junk didn’t work, I’m sure I would do just about anything to change that. I feel those unlucky S.O.B.’s, thank whoever that it’s them and not me. That notwithstanding, I personally would like to wish a healthy bout of ED on the Cialis advertising executives who OK’d those TV ads.
Do you know how long you’d have to be screwing to have your lawn flood like that? This should be an ad for Astroglide, not Cialis. How raw would your yang be? Do you think she’d still be into it after, let’s say, 24 HOURS or so? Pretty sure she’d be wishing for you to already stop relentlessly banging her cervix. Don’t believe me? Try it out at home, get a small, garden variety rainbow-style lawn sprinkler and just let it run, and tell me how long it takes to flood your lawn. I’m betting 24 hours is a goddamn conservative estimate. Plus, I hope she’s a tiger in bed ‘cause she apparently can’t cook to save her life, and I’m pretty sure she’s got some mental thing to also let the goddamn tub run at the same time she’s cooking a turkey and sliding down your pole. Let’s see, she put the turkey in the oven and then started running a tub. How much water would be in your fucking basement by the time that poor dumb ass bird turned a nice charred black? Wow, way to keep it semi believable.
I would probably be less critical of these douchebags if I didn’t have to watch their god awful commercials 60 goddamn times a day! C’mon, really? 8 times during a hockey game? You guys are really pissing me off!
The next super believable commercial shows us a couple who apparently have gone missing for 4 days, but instead have been shacked up in their own home screwing each others brains out with the husbands Cialis-powered mega-weinie. 4 days, huh? Way to go police! I hope that the wait time for the police to break down my door in an emergency will be waaaay shorter than that. The thing that really gets me about this douchey ad is that the Trisha Takanawa-esque reporter comes on the TV and says, “Late breaking news. For the fourth day in a row our top story continues to be..”. That is the goddamn stupidest sentence I’ve have ever fucking heard. Think about it, just for a second. Done? OK, what’s wrong with it? Wrong-o fuck-o, the problem is how could it possibly be a late breaking story, for the FOURTH DAY IN A ROW? Where did this bitch come from, CKSA? Thanks for the inappropriate cliché you useless hosebeast.
So you’re telling me I can’t own an American satellite system in Canada, but I get to watch these gems of American advertising? Over, and over, and over… Way to go CRTC, I’m glad you are fighting for us! No wait, I mean ED on you too!
R.
(*Editor's Note: The first commercial that Ryan talks about can be viewed HERE).
Holy crap, if I have to watch those goddamn stupid Cialis commercials on TV anymore, I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a brain transplant ‘cause I’m going to blow mine out.
Now, don’t get me wrong, if my junk didn’t work, I’m sure I would do just about anything to change that. I feel those unlucky S.O.B.’s, thank whoever that it’s them and not me. That notwithstanding, I personally would like to wish a healthy bout of ED on the Cialis advertising executives who OK’d those TV ads.
Do you know how long you’d have to be screwing to have your lawn flood like that? This should be an ad for Astroglide, not Cialis. How raw would your yang be? Do you think she’d still be into it after, let’s say, 24 HOURS or so? Pretty sure she’d be wishing for you to already stop relentlessly banging her cervix. Don’t believe me? Try it out at home, get a small, garden variety rainbow-style lawn sprinkler and just let it run, and tell me how long it takes to flood your lawn. I’m betting 24 hours is a goddamn conservative estimate. Plus, I hope she’s a tiger in bed ‘cause she apparently can’t cook to save her life, and I’m pretty sure she’s got some mental thing to also let the goddamn tub run at the same time she’s cooking a turkey and sliding down your pole. Let’s see, she put the turkey in the oven and then started running a tub. How much water would be in your fucking basement by the time that poor dumb ass bird turned a nice charred black? Wow, way to keep it semi believable.
I would probably be less critical of these douchebags if I didn’t have to watch their god awful commercials 60 goddamn times a day! C’mon, really? 8 times during a hockey game? You guys are really pissing me off!
The next super believable commercial shows us a couple who apparently have gone missing for 4 days, but instead have been shacked up in their own home screwing each others brains out with the husbands Cialis-powered mega-weinie. 4 days, huh? Way to go police! I hope that the wait time for the police to break down my door in an emergency will be waaaay shorter than that. The thing that really gets me about this douchey ad is that the Trisha Takanawa-esque reporter comes on the TV and says, “Late breaking news. For the fourth day in a row our top story continues to be..”. That is the goddamn stupidest sentence I’ve have ever fucking heard. Think about it, just for a second. Done? OK, what’s wrong with it? Wrong-o fuck-o, the problem is how could it possibly be a late breaking story, for the FOURTH DAY IN A ROW? Where did this bitch come from, CKSA? Thanks for the inappropriate cliché you useless hosebeast.
So you’re telling me I can’t own an American satellite system in Canada, but I get to watch these gems of American advertising? Over, and over, and over… Way to go CRTC, I’m glad you are fighting for us! No wait, I mean ED on you too!
R.
(*Editor's Note: The first commercial that Ryan talks about can be viewed HERE).
Monday, January 12, 2009
Dumbass
Did I REALLY need another reason to hate Donovan McNabb?
I have always said, and will point it out again, that Donovan McNabb always whines and starts playing the blame game whenever things aren't going well for him and the Eagles...and when things are going well, he isn't content to just take it all in. He always has to show the other team up.
Here is his latest example of....well, being an absolute idiot.
Tim Tebow
Just to update a previous item, it looks like I jumped the gun on Tim Tebow. He has not declared for next years NFL draft, and announced today that he will in fact remain with the University of Florida for his senior year.
An interesting item I read about Tebow - some people actually think that, once he is drafted by an NFL team, he may be converted to a Tight End or even a Half Back. The kid is a true athlete.
Chris McQuid
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Coming Soon
While the final details are still being ironed out, it is safe to announce that McQuid Pro Quo will be hosting a new column.
Keep watching for Ryan's Rant, by guest writer Ryan Mannen.....coming soon.
Keep watching for Ryan's Rant, by guest writer Ryan Mannen.....coming soon.
Copying DVD's on Mac
My latest project has been trying to copy a complete movie DVD (with the menus, special features, etc all intact) on our MacBook Pro.
(*DISCLAIMER - THIS INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE A COPY OF A DVD THEY ALREADY OWN*)
So the system I am working on is a MacBook Pro (the mid-2008 style) with the 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. It also has a built in Dual-Layer DVD drive (Dual-Layer DVD's are what all movies are made on now, as they can hold up to 8.5 GB instead of the 4.7 GB that a regular Single-Layer DVD can hold). I am running Mac OSX 10.5.5
I did some searching all over the internet on how to go about copying this DVD, but most of the information I found involved purchasing the program called Toast from Roxio. Having already owned a similar program from Roxio called Popcorn, I wasn't interested in spending any more money - so I worked for a couple days and finally found this free alternative.
If you do have a Single-Layer drive, there are many ways out there that you can still burn your retail movie DVD and fit it on a single disc. You can remove features, compress the movie with programs such as Popcorn, etc. There is a lot of information about this kind of thing that can be found with a quick Google Search. My focus, however, will be on simply copying an entire DVD with a Dual-Layer DVD drive. I am focusing on this because most new computers are coming with Dual-Layer DVD drives now anyway. The easy way to tell if your computer's DVD burner is Dual-Layer? Get into your system settings, whether you are running Windows or Mac OSX, and look for the initials 'DL' somewhere in the description for the DVD burner.
There are three programs you are going to need to copy a retail movie DVD. All three are free.
1. MacTheRipper
-This program allows you to rip the movie from the DVD to your computer, and it removes all of the copy protection. The program is free and is easy to use. Apparently there is an 'Enhanced Version', or something of the like, that you can get a download link to if you make a small donation to the people at MacTheRipper. I myself just downloaded the free version, and it works perfect for this application.
2. DVD Imager
-This program will allow you to take the data you ripped from the DVD and convert it to a .img file in UDF format. What this does is put that data into a form that, when burnt to a DVD, will load properly in DVD players as a DVD movie disc, as opposed to a data disc.
3. Disk Utility
-No link for this program, because it comes free with Mac OSX. To access it, go to Finder-->Macintosh HD-->Applications-->Utilities. It should be there as 'Disk Utility'. When you put in a blank DVD to be burnt, it will also pop up a menu asking what you want to do with the DVD. 'Open with Disk Utility' is one of the available options in the drop down menu.
The actual ripping process is fairly straightforward.
-Load MacTheRipper and insert the DVD you wish to copy. There are some options that you may have to tweak (the RCE Region for one). You can also choose here if you want to rip the entire DVD or just a certain section (for example, you can rip only the feature, or the actual movie, if you wish). There is a very good manual that comes with the program. Read through it from the start and you will have no problems. As long as the size of the rip shown is under 8.5 GB, you should be good to go with a Dual-Layer burner (and appropriate DVD's). When you have everything set, hit the GO! button at the bottom.
DVD's will take awhile to rip. Depending on how big the disc is, it can take anywhere from about half an hour to an hour. So you will want to find something else to keep you busy while the disk is ripping. Please note that when the file is done ripping, you may get a message pop-up that says something about 'BAD SECTORS'. I did have this message on the one movie I tried. In the end, I ignored it, and it still worked.
-Once the data has been ripped, it will be placed on your hard drive somewhere that you specified (often in your Movies folder). You will notice, if you ripped the full DVD, that there will be a bunch of files and folders inside the folder that is named after the movie. There will for sure be a VIDEO_TS folder, which is the most important. There likely will be a folder called AUDIO_TS and files such as AUTORUN.INF showing too.
-Now you will want to open your DVD Imager program. DVD Imager comes with a version for Mac OS 10.2-10.4 and a separate program for MAC OS 10.5 - pick whichever is applicable and open it. The application will load, and you will see a couple of options at the bottom with the small buttons to choose which you want. The options are VIDEO_TS Folder mode and Disk Copy Mode. For our purposes, ensure that Disk Copy Mode is selected (I believe it is selected by default anyway).
-What you will want to do now is go find the folder that was created when you ripped the DVD (the one with the VIDEO_TS and other folders in it). Take the VIDEO_TS folder only, and drag it to DVD Imager. Drop it on the stack of DVD's shown in the picture (when you mouse over it while dragging the VIDEO_TS folder, you will see a green box with a + sign show up in it). Drop the folder, and it will be added to the program. You should then be able to choose 'Create Image' at the bottom. The program will take it's time and make an image file for you. The image file will be large. If you copied the entire DVD, it could be close to 8 GB.
-Once DVD Imager is done and you have a .IMG file of your movie, you are ready to burn. Insert your blank DVD. The ones that I am using, that I hear are the best for Dual-Layer movie DVD burning, are:
Verbatim DVD+R DL
8.5 GB
8x speed
240 min
These Dual-Layer discs are NOT cheap. It is almost $50 for a stack of only 15 of them, working out to over $3.00 per disk. In trying to find a way to properly burn these DVD's, I wasted 7 of them. Use my instructions so you don't have to waste a bunch of them too.
When the DVD has been put in the Super Drive, a pop-up menu will eventually show up. You are going to want to choose the option that allows you to open the 'Disk Utility'. Now this part is actually pretty straightforward.
Take the .IMG file that you made in the last step, and drag it to the left hand side of the Disk Utility program. It will show up in the list on the left. Click on that file, and go to 'Burn' at the top. As long as you have a Disc in, it will recognize it and allow you to burn (or you can enter one at this step). The program will then go through the process of readying the data, burning it to the DVD, and verifying it. This is another time-consuming procedure. I didn't track exactly how long it took last night, but my best guess would be around an hour or a little more.
-YOU ARE DONE! You should now have a perfect copy of whatever movie you set out to copy. Try the DVD in your Mac's SuperDrive (use the DVD Player application that came with OSX), and then try the movie in your regular DVD player that is hooked up to your TV. You should be set. While testing my DVD last night (again, off the original rip, it did mention bad sectors), I noticed the video went slightly fuzzy for about 2 seconds on one of the opening warning screens - but after that, it was perfect. I had ripped the entire movie including Theatrical and Extended Versions, Menus, Special Features, etc. - like a complete retail DVD.
It literally took me countless hours over several days, plus money wasted on DVD+R's, to finally get this to work. There is VERY LITTLE information on the internet about copying a DVD this way. Most of the information focuses on using the programs Toast or Popcorn by Roxio. These are expensive programs that are prone to crashing. I have Popcorn myself - when trying to drag a VIDEO_TS folder to it, as it mentions on the feature list IS supported, it will crash the program every time.
The way that I showed you will allow you to copy your DVD's for FREE, other than the money you spend on your DVD+R's. Hopefully you can find this useful.
(*DISCLAIMER - THIS INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE A COPY OF A DVD THEY ALREADY OWN*)
So the system I am working on is a MacBook Pro (the mid-2008 style) with the 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. It also has a built in Dual-Layer DVD drive (Dual-Layer DVD's are what all movies are made on now, as they can hold up to 8.5 GB instead of the 4.7 GB that a regular Single-Layer DVD can hold). I am running Mac OSX 10.5.5
I did some searching all over the internet on how to go about copying this DVD, but most of the information I found involved purchasing the program called Toast from Roxio. Having already owned a similar program from Roxio called Popcorn, I wasn't interested in spending any more money - so I worked for a couple days and finally found this free alternative.
If you do have a Single-Layer drive, there are many ways out there that you can still burn your retail movie DVD and fit it on a single disc. You can remove features, compress the movie with programs such as Popcorn, etc. There is a lot of information about this kind of thing that can be found with a quick Google Search. My focus, however, will be on simply copying an entire DVD with a Dual-Layer DVD drive. I am focusing on this because most new computers are coming with Dual-Layer DVD drives now anyway. The easy way to tell if your computer's DVD burner is Dual-Layer? Get into your system settings, whether you are running Windows or Mac OSX, and look for the initials 'DL' somewhere in the description for the DVD burner.
There are three programs you are going to need to copy a retail movie DVD. All three are free.
1. MacTheRipper
-This program allows you to rip the movie from the DVD to your computer, and it removes all of the copy protection. The program is free and is easy to use. Apparently there is an 'Enhanced Version', or something of the like, that you can get a download link to if you make a small donation to the people at MacTheRipper. I myself just downloaded the free version, and it works perfect for this application.
2. DVD Imager
-This program will allow you to take the data you ripped from the DVD and convert it to a .img file in UDF format. What this does is put that data into a form that, when burnt to a DVD, will load properly in DVD players as a DVD movie disc, as opposed to a data disc.
3. Disk Utility
-No link for this program, because it comes free with Mac OSX. To access it, go to Finder-->Macintosh HD-->Applications-->Utilities. It should be there as 'Disk Utility'. When you put in a blank DVD to be burnt, it will also pop up a menu asking what you want to do with the DVD. 'Open with Disk Utility' is one of the available options in the drop down menu.
The actual ripping process is fairly straightforward.
-Load MacTheRipper and insert the DVD you wish to copy. There are some options that you may have to tweak (the RCE Region for one). You can also choose here if you want to rip the entire DVD or just a certain section (for example, you can rip only the feature, or the actual movie, if you wish). There is a very good manual that comes with the program. Read through it from the start and you will have no problems. As long as the size of the rip shown is under 8.5 GB, you should be good to go with a Dual-Layer burner (and appropriate DVD's). When you have everything set, hit the GO! button at the bottom.
DVD's will take awhile to rip. Depending on how big the disc is, it can take anywhere from about half an hour to an hour. So you will want to find something else to keep you busy while the disk is ripping. Please note that when the file is done ripping, you may get a message pop-up that says something about 'BAD SECTORS'. I did have this message on the one movie I tried. In the end, I ignored it, and it still worked.
-Once the data has been ripped, it will be placed on your hard drive somewhere that you specified (often in your Movies folder). You will notice, if you ripped the full DVD, that there will be a bunch of files and folders inside the folder that is named after the movie. There will for sure be a VIDEO_TS folder, which is the most important. There likely will be a folder called AUDIO_TS and files such as AUTORUN.INF showing too.
-Now you will want to open your DVD Imager program. DVD Imager comes with a version for Mac OS 10.2-10.4 and a separate program for MAC OS 10.5 - pick whichever is applicable and open it. The application will load, and you will see a couple of options at the bottom with the small buttons to choose which you want. The options are VIDEO_TS Folder mode and Disk Copy Mode. For our purposes, ensure that Disk Copy Mode is selected (I believe it is selected by default anyway).
-What you will want to do now is go find the folder that was created when you ripped the DVD (the one with the VIDEO_TS and other folders in it). Take the VIDEO_TS folder only, and drag it to DVD Imager. Drop it on the stack of DVD's shown in the picture (when you mouse over it while dragging the VIDEO_TS folder, you will see a green box with a + sign show up in it). Drop the folder, and it will be added to the program. You should then be able to choose 'Create Image' at the bottom. The program will take it's time and make an image file for you. The image file will be large. If you copied the entire DVD, it could be close to 8 GB.
-Once DVD Imager is done and you have a .IMG file of your movie, you are ready to burn. Insert your blank DVD. The ones that I am using, that I hear are the best for Dual-Layer movie DVD burning, are:
Verbatim DVD+R DL
8.5 GB
8x speed
240 min
These Dual-Layer discs are NOT cheap. It is almost $50 for a stack of only 15 of them, working out to over $3.00 per disk. In trying to find a way to properly burn these DVD's, I wasted 7 of them. Use my instructions so you don't have to waste a bunch of them too.
When the DVD has been put in the Super Drive, a pop-up menu will eventually show up. You are going to want to choose the option that allows you to open the 'Disk Utility'. Now this part is actually pretty straightforward.
Take the .IMG file that you made in the last step, and drag it to the left hand side of the Disk Utility program. It will show up in the list on the left. Click on that file, and go to 'Burn' at the top. As long as you have a Disc in, it will recognize it and allow you to burn (or you can enter one at this step). The program will then go through the process of readying the data, burning it to the DVD, and verifying it. This is another time-consuming procedure. I didn't track exactly how long it took last night, but my best guess would be around an hour or a little more.
-YOU ARE DONE! You should now have a perfect copy of whatever movie you set out to copy. Try the DVD in your Mac's SuperDrive (use the DVD Player application that came with OSX), and then try the movie in your regular DVD player that is hooked up to your TV. You should be set. While testing my DVD last night (again, off the original rip, it did mention bad sectors), I noticed the video went slightly fuzzy for about 2 seconds on one of the opening warning screens - but after that, it was perfect. I had ripped the entire movie including Theatrical and Extended Versions, Menus, Special Features, etc. - like a complete retail DVD.
It literally took me countless hours over several days, plus money wasted on DVD+R's, to finally get this to work. There is VERY LITTLE information on the internet about copying a DVD this way. Most of the information focuses on using the programs Toast or Popcorn by Roxio. These are expensive programs that are prone to crashing. I have Popcorn myself - when trying to drag a VIDEO_TS folder to it, as it mentions on the feature list IS supported, it will crash the program every time.
The way that I showed you will allow you to copy your DVD's for FREE, other than the money you spend on your DVD+R's. Hopefully you can find this useful.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Domain Name
This is a two part post.....one part of trying to update my blog from my Blackberry, and another part of introducing my Blog's new address.
That's right, McQuid Pro Quo has gone high-tech and can now be accessed via http://www.mcquidproquo.com
Special thanks to my friend Kent for helping me get set up.
Chris McQuid
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
Paperboy
Anyone remember playing Paperboy for the NES?
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I actually always enjoyed the game, but I see it just won the #1 spot on a list of the Top 10 Worst NES Games. While I would actually argue that it should be included among the BEST NES games of all time, the review is actually hilarious. I have posted the entire thing below for your reading enjoyment:
Old-Wizard.com: When you first see this game, you see the cover with a happy-go-lucky paperboy delivering papers. You think to yourself, well, a game about being a paper boy can’t be that much fun…but maybe it’s some sort of super-hero paperboy and that’s the reason why he’s so happy on the front cover! The game is opposite of the cover. After you play this game for 10 minutes, you realize the front cover should be a paperboy irritable beyond all bounds and maybe even sticking his middle finger up at the street dancers who have nowhere to dance except right in the middle of the fucking street you have to deliver on.
It’s 8 o’ clock on a Monday morning and what does the entire neighborhood you deliver to do? They get up 2 hours early to conspire against you and make it impossible to get through half the street before you’re either run over, beat with a spatula, or have a myriad of dogs chasing you. If this game is going to be as difficult as it is, at least have an option of changing routes. At least be able to tell off your boss for giving you such a shitty route where you cant get half way down the street without your life being threatened with people who have nothing better to do than to try to dominate the paper boy. If they really don’t want their paper, then fuck them. Even if you’re able to evade the infinite obstacles towards delivering to 1 house, finding the accuracy to throw a paper into a mailbox is just as tendentious. Most of the time you lose points because your papers gravitate towards breaking the glass of the houses with people who spend their waking lives trying to destroy the paperboy.
This game is tedious, grossly difficult, and absolutely no fun. To rent a game and not be able to get half way through the first level no matter what you do is ridiculous to say the least. This may be the worst game ever released for a platform system.
The best part of that review? The sentence "the street dancers who have nowhere to dance except right in the middle of the fucking street you have to deliver on."
Tell me that doesn't sum up Paperboy!
I actually always enjoyed the game, but I see it just won the #1 spot on a list of the Top 10 Worst NES Games. While I would actually argue that it should be included among the BEST NES games of all time, the review is actually hilarious. I have posted the entire thing below for your reading enjoyment:
Old-Wizard.com: When you first see this game, you see the cover with a happy-go-lucky paperboy delivering papers. You think to yourself, well, a game about being a paper boy can’t be that much fun…but maybe it’s some sort of super-hero paperboy and that’s the reason why he’s so happy on the front cover! The game is opposite of the cover. After you play this game for 10 minutes, you realize the front cover should be a paperboy irritable beyond all bounds and maybe even sticking his middle finger up at the street dancers who have nowhere to dance except right in the middle of the fucking street you have to deliver on.
It’s 8 o’ clock on a Monday morning and what does the entire neighborhood you deliver to do? They get up 2 hours early to conspire against you and make it impossible to get through half the street before you’re either run over, beat with a spatula, or have a myriad of dogs chasing you. If this game is going to be as difficult as it is, at least have an option of changing routes. At least be able to tell off your boss for giving you such a shitty route where you cant get half way down the street without your life being threatened with people who have nothing better to do than to try to dominate the paper boy. If they really don’t want their paper, then fuck them. Even if you’re able to evade the infinite obstacles towards delivering to 1 house, finding the accuracy to throw a paper into a mailbox is just as tendentious. Most of the time you lose points because your papers gravitate towards breaking the glass of the houses with people who spend their waking lives trying to destroy the paperboy.
This game is tedious, grossly difficult, and absolutely no fun. To rent a game and not be able to get half way through the first level no matter what you do is ridiculous to say the least. This may be the worst game ever released for a platform system.
The best part of that review? The sentence "the street dancers who have nowhere to dance except right in the middle of the fucking street you have to deliver on."
Tell me that doesn't sum up Paperboy!
Gators Win
Well, the Gators won the big game - making that National Championships for the Gators in 2 of the past 3 years. Florida QB Tim Tebow played a pretty good game, despite throwing for 2 interceptions (a career high).
Tebow's Passing Stats:
18/30
231 YDS
2 TD
2 INT
Tebow's Running Stats:
22 ATT
109 YDS
4.95 YDS/CARRY
Does this guy remind you of Tyler Thigpen or what? Not only can he throw and manage a pretty good game, but he can get it done on the ground as well.
Speaking of Thigpen, I think he earned the right to continue to start in Kansas City next year.
As for Tebow, he has declared for the 2009 NFL Draft. Here is the order (the top 5 anyway) for the 2009 NFL draft (with their 2008 record in parentheses):
1. Detroit Lions (0-16)
2. St. Louis Rams (2-14)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14)
4. Seattle Seahawks (4-12)
5. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
Now I haven't done a lot of research on the draft for 2009 as of yet, but KC, Seattle and Cleveland are all pretty well set for QB. The Lions and the Rams, meanwhile, are in unique situations. The Lions have a couple of young QB's that haven't really panned out, plus the "ageless" Daunte Culpepper. The Rams have Marc Bulger and his 60 million dollar contract, but he really didn't look good at all last year. So in my opinion, Tebow could be first off the board heading to Detroit. It depends on the confidence the team has in Kitna and Orlovsky of course, but I can't see them passing up a prospect like Tebow. 2009 will be one of the weakest offensive drafts in NFL history, so there won't be a lot of excitement coming off the board.
Did I have any spelling mistakes in my blog tonight? Maybe....but I just finished drinking some spiced rum and playing NFL 2K5 with my buddy John Fraser.....so at least I have a good excuse.
Tebow's Passing Stats:
18/30
231 YDS
2 TD
2 INT
Tebow's Running Stats:
22 ATT
109 YDS
4.95 YDS/CARRY
Does this guy remind you of Tyler Thigpen or what? Not only can he throw and manage a pretty good game, but he can get it done on the ground as well.
Speaking of Thigpen, I think he earned the right to continue to start in Kansas City next year.
As for Tebow, he has declared for the 2009 NFL Draft. Here is the order (the top 5 anyway) for the 2009 NFL draft (with their 2008 record in parentheses):
1. Detroit Lions (0-16)
2. St. Louis Rams (2-14)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14)
4. Seattle Seahawks (4-12)
5. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
Now I haven't done a lot of research on the draft for 2009 as of yet, but KC, Seattle and Cleveland are all pretty well set for QB. The Lions and the Rams, meanwhile, are in unique situations. The Lions have a couple of young QB's that haven't really panned out, plus the "ageless" Daunte Culpepper. The Rams have Marc Bulger and his 60 million dollar contract, but he really didn't look good at all last year. So in my opinion, Tebow could be first off the board heading to Detroit. It depends on the confidence the team has in Kitna and Orlovsky of course, but I can't see them passing up a prospect like Tebow. 2009 will be one of the weakest offensive drafts in NFL history, so there won't be a lot of excitement coming off the board.
Did I have any spelling mistakes in my blog tonight? Maybe....but I just finished drinking some spiced rum and playing NFL 2K5 with my buddy John Fraser.....so at least I have a good excuse.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
More Bets
v.s. 
Since I have had such good luck with my football betting lately.....I have gone ahead and made another wager. My brother-in-law Owen gave me a shout tonight to let me know that he was cheering for #1 Oklahoma in tonight's BCS National Championship Game. I, however, have full confidence in #2 Florida, led by College dynamo QB Tim Tebow.
As a result, we have agreed on a friendly wager very similar to the one I made with John Fraser last weekend - except this time, we are using Facebook as a medium. Whoever's team loses the game will have to post "(Owen/Chris) BOWS TO THE GREATNESS OF (Owen/Chris)" as their Facebook status for a full 24 hours.
As of this writing, the game is scoreless after one quarter. However, Florida does have the ball and is down to the Oklahoma 26 yard line, so hopefully they can punch in a TD to take the lead. Just as a side note, Florida (although they are #2 ranked) are actually 5 point favorites heading into this game.
Good luck, Owen.
TO BILL BRASKY.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Mangenious
The Cleveland Browns have made it official today....they have hired a new Head Coach. Leading the Browns next season will be Eric Mangini....yes the same Eric Mangini who was just let go by the Jets.
Now while the Jets didn't think Mangini was good enough, I actually don't think he will be a bad fit for the Browns. Mangini actually started his football career working for the Cleveland Browns as a ball boy (obviously several years ago). He impressed the people above him, including Bill Belichick, and eventually worked his way up to becomer an assistant to Belichick for the Browns back in 1995.
Mangini coached the New York Jets for three years (2006-2008), with the following records:
2006: 10-6
2007: 4-12
2008: 9-7
After such a successful rookie season as head coach, the NY media labelled him "Mangenious"....however the magic didn't carry over to 2007, as you can tell. This off-season, the Jets signed Brett Favre (as a note, Mangini was the only person in the front office who did not approve of this deal). The season started off very good, as the Jets boasted an 8-3 record after 11 games, including a win over the 'then-unbeaten' Tennessee Titans. However, a 1-4 finish (dropping them to 3rd in their division and missing the playoffs again) sealed Mangini's fate, although many (including myself) would argue that such a result was Favre's fault, and not Mangini's.
There is a really great blog I found while doing research today that talks about how Favre was the problem in New York, not Mangini. There are several similar articles all throughout the web if you take the time to do a Google search.
If there is one thing the 2008 edition of the Browns could have used, it was discipline. The Browns were sloppy on and off the field, committing stupid penalties, dropping passes and even injuring each other in the pre-season.
Mangini is rumored to have already hired his new coordinators:
Offensive Coordinator: Brian Daboll
(QB coach for the NY Jets)
Defensive Coordinator: Rob Ryan
(DC for the Oakland Raiders)
While I don't know a lot of history on these guys, all I will say is.......at least they aren't Romeo Crennel.
Next up is the continuing saga of the Browns search for a General Manager. It now looks like the leading candidate will be George Kokinis, current Pro Personnel Director for the Baltimore Ravens, and a close personal friend of Eric Mangini. Randy Lerner (Browns owner) will be interviewing Kokinis sometime after the Ravens divisional game against the Tennessee Titans this weekend.
While I wasn't too hot on Kokinis with the limited amount of reading I had done on him in the past couple of weeks, I have started to warm up to the idea of having him as our GM. If he's a friend of Mangini and they can work together, that's already more than we can say for the previous Savage/Crennel era.
A New Beginning
Wow...that didn't take long. I just received a suggestion for my blog name that was SO GOOD, I cannot possibly justify waiting for any further ideas. As you can see above already, my blog name is now McQuid Pro Quo. Special thanks to my friend Mr. Michael Branda (aka the Coronado Brown Boobies and the Calgary Evolution) for the excellent suggestion.
From Wikipedia, Quid pro quo is "From the Latin meaning 'something for something'. Indicates a more-or-less equal exchange or substitution of goods or services."
I think that pretty much sums up my blog. I give you priceless information...you give me a good name for my blog and feedback. I guess it's fair.
From Wikipedia, Quid pro quo is "From the Latin meaning 'something for something'. Indicates a more-or-less equal exchange or substitution of goods or services."
I think that pretty much sums up my blog. I give you priceless information...you give me a good name for my blog and feedback. I guess it's fair.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Blog Name
It is no secret that the name of my blog is terrible. It is unoriginal, uninspired and dated. It needs to be changed. However, with that said, my normally creative brain is not running at full capacity due to a mixed hangover of turkey, chocolate and spiced rum.
So I need your help. Post a comment with YOUR suggestion for my blog. If one of them is good, I will probablypoach it use it as the title of my blog.
P.S. Also, be sure to check out this entry on John Fraser's blog.
So I need your help. Post a comment with YOUR suggestion for my blog. If one of them is good, I will probably
P.S. Also, be sure to check out this entry on John Fraser's blog.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Are you ready for some football?
Credit card debt isn't the only thing to look forward to in January...it's NFL playoff time! My buddy John Fraser (click on his name to go to his blog) and I were texting back and forth on Saturday about who we thought would win each of the NFL games on this Wild Card Weekend. While our opinions were fairly close, there was one game we could not agree on - Philadelphia at Minnesota.
I am not a Philadelphia Eagles fan. In fact, I hate the Eagles - and it all stems from Donovan McNabb and his constant whining. When things are going good, McNabb is joking around and showing up the other teams. When things are going bad, McNabb starts looking for people or circumstances to blame. The guy is a loser.
However, look at what Philadelphia had done heading into the playoffs - they had won 4 of 5, including a 44-6 thrashing of the Cowboys. Sure, Minnesota was the home team, although they couldn't even sell out their own building for a playoff game. And sure they have 'Purple Jesus', arguably the best player in the game.......but he's never been in a playoff game before. Plus, he isn't the Quarterback....and Tarvaris Jackson is terrible. So I was quite confident that Philadelphia would win. John, however, was convinced that Minnesota would win. So we came up with a friendly wager.
Whoever picked the losing team would have to put "I BOW TO THE GREATNESS OF (John/Chris)" on their blog. Well, let me just say that it was hard to root for Philly....but i'm sure glad they pulled off that 26-14 win in the end. Listen to The Goat on Wednesday evening (after 6 I believe) to hear what John Fraser has to say about our wager....and keep watching John Fraser's blog shortly after that for an important 'public service announcement'.
As for my picks for next weekend........here goes nothing:
Arizona Cardinals @ 
Carolina Panthers
-This is a tough game to get a read on. Which Arizona Cardinals team will show up? Obviously, they are a pass-first team, but they may have to be more balanced to prevent Carolina from simply dropping more guys back into coverage. The Panthers were a bit of a surprise to me. I think they may be playing a little over their head. However they are a very balanced team - with Jake Delhomme back, everyone improves. Steve Smith sees the ball more. The running game sees more room to work. I expect a big game from all of the Carolina playmakers (DeAngelo Williams, Steve Smith and Jonathan Stewart). I'm picking the Panthers.
Baltimore Ravens @ 
Tennessee Titans
-I expect a low scoring game as these are two very good and stingy defenses. If Baltimore can stop Tennessee's running game and force Kerry Collins to beat them through the air, they will have a chance. But the Ravens have a rookie QB and a rookie head coach...I like the Titans to win.
Philadelphia Eagles @ 
New York Giants
-This could be a very close game, or it could be a blowout one way or the other. Really, I think it is going to come down to which QB plays better. McNabb and Eli Manning are both about as streaky as they come. If they are hot, it could be a shootout. But if either or both of them struggle, it will be a long afternoon. The teams have split their games this year - although the Giants blew out the Eagles, while the Eagles barely squeaked by the Giants late in the season. Give me the Giants to win.
San Diego Chargers @ 
Pittsburgh Steelers
-The Chargers are the unlikely playoff team, becoming the first NFL team ever to start a season 4-8, and still make the playoffs. They really have nothing to lose, and are on a roll. Any time you can beat Indianapolis in the playoffs, you know you are playing well. Norv Turner is a good coach, despite what was said early in the season, and he will make sure his guys are ready to play. The Steelers, however, have the best defence in the game. This game is in Pittsburgh, so the Chargers will have to deal with both the cold weather, and some of the loudest, terrible-towel waving fans in the game. Give me Pittsburgh to win, and I don't think it will be close.
I am not a Philadelphia Eagles fan. In fact, I hate the Eagles - and it all stems from Donovan McNabb and his constant whining. When things are going good, McNabb is joking around and showing up the other teams. When things are going bad, McNabb starts looking for people or circumstances to blame. The guy is a loser.
However, look at what Philadelphia had done heading into the playoffs - they had won 4 of 5, including a 44-6 thrashing of the Cowboys. Sure, Minnesota was the home team, although they couldn't even sell out their own building for a playoff game. And sure they have 'Purple Jesus', arguably the best player in the game.......but he's never been in a playoff game before. Plus, he isn't the Quarterback....and Tarvaris Jackson is terrible. So I was quite confident that Philadelphia would win. John, however, was convinced that Minnesota would win. So we came up with a friendly wager.
Whoever picked the losing team would have to put "I BOW TO THE GREATNESS OF (John/Chris)" on their blog. Well, let me just say that it was hard to root for Philly....but i'm sure glad they pulled off that 26-14 win in the end. Listen to The Goat on Wednesday evening (after 6 I believe) to hear what John Fraser has to say about our wager....and keep watching John Fraser's blog shortly after that for an important 'public service announcement'.
(UPDATE: John's blog is updated as of January 6).
By the way, as per the criteria we had agreed on, it must be posted in Times New Roman with a minimum of size 24 font. Do you know what size 24 Times New Roman font looks like?It looks something like this.
As for my picks for next weekend........here goes nothing:
Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers-This is a tough game to get a read on. Which Arizona Cardinals team will show up? Obviously, they are a pass-first team, but they may have to be more balanced to prevent Carolina from simply dropping more guys back into coverage. The Panthers were a bit of a surprise to me. I think they may be playing a little over their head. However they are a very balanced team - with Jake Delhomme back, everyone improves. Steve Smith sees the ball more. The running game sees more room to work. I expect a big game from all of the Carolina playmakers (DeAngelo Williams, Steve Smith and Jonathan Stewart). I'm picking the Panthers.
Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans-I expect a low scoring game as these are two very good and stingy defenses. If Baltimore can stop Tennessee's running game and force Kerry Collins to beat them through the air, they will have a chance. But the Ravens have a rookie QB and a rookie head coach...I like the Titans to win.
Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants-This could be a very close game, or it could be a blowout one way or the other. Really, I think it is going to come down to which QB plays better. McNabb and Eli Manning are both about as streaky as they come. If they are hot, it could be a shootout. But if either or both of them struggle, it will be a long afternoon. The teams have split their games this year - although the Giants blew out the Eagles, while the Eagles barely squeaked by the Giants late in the season. Give me the Giants to win.
San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers-The Chargers are the unlikely playoff team, becoming the first NFL team ever to start a season 4-8, and still make the playoffs. They really have nothing to lose, and are on a roll. Any time you can beat Indianapolis in the playoffs, you know you are playing well. Norv Turner is a good coach, despite what was said early in the season, and he will make sure his guys are ready to play. The Steelers, however, have the best defence in the game. This game is in Pittsburgh, so the Chargers will have to deal with both the cold weather, and some of the loudest, terrible-towel waving fans in the game. Give me Pittsburgh to win, and I don't think it will be close.
Friday, January 2, 2009
iPod Touch Alarm Clock
Now that I have my fancy schmancy new iPod touch, i've been looking into a new alarm clock that integrates with the iPod, since that is kind of the big new thing. My alarm clock is pretty old, and i'm always a nerd when it comes to new gadgets.
So I was poking around Wal-Mart and found this one made by Scosche for (I think) $79.95, or right around there - the Scosche iALM3.
I had never heard of this brand before, but it was very professionally packaged (unlike most stuff you see at Wal-Mart). It also seemed like a great value as it has a pile of features:
* wake up to iPod or buzzer
* snooze control
* safely charges your iPod while the included AC adapter is plugged in
* 3.5mm audio input allows you to connect your iPod shuffle or other MP3 player
* completely portable with 6 AA batteries
* multifunction backlit display
* FM tuner with 20 preset stations
I got it home and got it hooked up (with the iPod attached), and it worked great. Very simple to use and a great sound to it. HOWEVER.......the display is absolutely terrible. It is a little LCD display (like on a digital wrist watch), and you can only read it from the perfect angle. On top of that, the backlight (which can only be manually turned on or off, not dimmed or anything) is a very bright blue which is so bright it actually hurts the eyes to look at. I tried to convince myself that I liked it and could deal with it, but it didn't even make it one night. I packed it back up and returned it to Wal-Mart the next day.
So my search continued for a good iPod Alarm Clock.....and I finally checked out Apple's official site at Apple.ca (which I probably should have done from the start). There, I found this nice little piece of equipment.
The features for this one include:
* Dual alarms to wake at separate times to separate sources: iPhone/iPod, playlist, or AM/FM radio
* Reson8 speaker chambers for astounding clarity, depth and power
* Universal dock that charges your iPhone or iPod while it plays
* Distinctive design to complement any decor
* Infrared remote to control volume, EQ, alarm functions, radio, and navigate basic iPod and iPhone music functions
* 3D circuitry expands the sound field to enhance MP3 audio
* Touch-wheel tuning, setting and volume controls
* DST switch for quick daylight saving time adjustment
* 12 radio presets (6 AM/ 6 FM)
* Line in jack for connecting other audio sources, such as a computer or CD player
Now this one is a little pricier at $99.95 (although it does have free shipping), but some of these features sound excellent. For one, I was able to choose my color - so after some intense debating (well, actually I bought it online at about 2 AM on New Year's Day after being out partying all night, so my decision making maybe wasn't the best at that time anyway), I went ahead and chose the black one. The one thing that really clinched it for me was the sentence on the website that said "extra large blacklit display with dimmer for easy control and readability.". The fact that it comes with a remote, has dual alarms, automatic Daylight Savings adjustments, Atomic clock (sets on its own), and some of those other goodies really didn't hurt either.
So this unit is on the way...and if I get around to I plan to give my take on it once I use it for a few days.
Knowledge Is Power
CM
So I was poking around Wal-Mart and found this one made by Scosche for (I think) $79.95, or right around there - the Scosche iALM3.
I had never heard of this brand before, but it was very professionally packaged (unlike most stuff you see at Wal-Mart). It also seemed like a great value as it has a pile of features:* wake up to iPod or buzzer
* snooze control
* safely charges your iPod while the included AC adapter is plugged in
* 3.5mm audio input allows you to connect your iPod shuffle or other MP3 player
* completely portable with 6 AA batteries
* multifunction backlit display
* FM tuner with 20 preset stations
I got it home and got it hooked up (with the iPod attached), and it worked great. Very simple to use and a great sound to it. HOWEVER.......the display is absolutely terrible. It is a little LCD display (like on a digital wrist watch), and you can only read it from the perfect angle. On top of that, the backlight (which can only be manually turned on or off, not dimmed or anything) is a very bright blue which is so bright it actually hurts the eyes to look at. I tried to convince myself that I liked it and could deal with it, but it didn't even make it one night. I packed it back up and returned it to Wal-Mart the next day.
So my search continued for a good iPod Alarm Clock.....and I finally checked out Apple's official site at Apple.ca (which I probably should have done from the start). There, I found this nice little piece of equipment.
The features for this one include:* Dual alarms to wake at separate times to separate sources: iPhone/iPod, playlist, or AM/FM radio
* Reson8 speaker chambers for astounding clarity, depth and power
* Universal dock that charges your iPhone or iPod while it plays
* Distinctive design to complement any decor
* Infrared remote to control volume, EQ, alarm functions, radio, and navigate basic iPod and iPhone music functions
* 3D circuitry expands the sound field to enhance MP3 audio
* Touch-wheel tuning, setting and volume controls
* DST switch for quick daylight saving time adjustment
* 12 radio presets (6 AM/ 6 FM)
* Line in jack for connecting other audio sources, such as a computer or CD player
Now this one is a little pricier at $99.95 (although it does have free shipping), but some of these features sound excellent. For one, I was able to choose my color - so after some intense debating (well, actually I bought it online at about 2 AM on New Year's Day after being out partying all night, so my decision making maybe wasn't the best at that time anyway), I went ahead and chose the black one. The one thing that really clinched it for me was the sentence on the website that said "extra large blacklit display with dimmer for easy control and readability.". The fact that it comes with a remote, has dual alarms, automatic Daylight Savings adjustments, Atomic clock (sets on its own), and some of those other goodies really didn't hurt either.
So this unit is on the way...and if I get around to I plan to give my take on it once I use it for a few days.
Knowledge Is Power
CM
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