Big Ten Recruiting Strategies

Well, as much as I love the man, I think I can see why some kids shy away form Penn State...



Love Ya Joe!

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Are you ready for some [college] football?

These videos should get you amped for the 2008 football season, which kicks off tonight!

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Best. Eagles. Recapper. EVER!

Stay beautiful.

What is this world coming too. The self proclaimed "best Eagles recapper ever" takes a web cam, shows us a video that is already on YouTube, and can't even keep it straight! Somebody needs to put an end to this!

Oh well, here is another...

I mean really. I love the shout outs at the end too. Nice touch.

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This game is the reason I can't sleep

Final in thirteen innings.

Stinkin' Mets - 7
Phirst Place Phills - 8

[Phillies rally to beat Mets and reclaim first place] - Yahoo Sports

Photo from Phillies.com

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Uh-Oh

From the Baltimore Ravens;

Editor's note: In determining the winning song for the touchdown poll, we discovered some voters compromised the integrity of this contest by way of automated voting. Through careful research, we will be able to eliminate automated votes from the polling totals. Upon our completion of this process, we will announce the winning touchdown song.

I wonder what song will end up winning? Hopefully the Ravens Fight Song still wins. And I hope I didn't do anything to hurt!

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Top Ten Most Difficult Games

I have to agree with number one. I don't think I ever made it past the third board!



Here is my personal top ten most difficult games that I have actually played.

1. Battletoads
2. Ninja Gaiden
   
3. Super Mario Brothers : Lost Levels
4. Contra
5. Super R-Type
6. Gradius
7. 1942
8. Double Dragon
9. Legend of Zelda II
10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Maybe the games would have been easier if I used the Power Glove? Maybe not.

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Help the Baltimore Ravens Band!

The Baltimore Ravens, one of the few NFL franchises with a marching band, are conducting polls leading up to the start of the 2008 season to determine what songs will be played in the stadium. The current poll is to decide what song the Ravens will play after a touchdown is scored by their home team.

The options?

Fuel, by Metalica.
I Love Rock 'n Roll, by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Kickstart My Heart, by Motley Crue
Start Wearning Purple, by Gogol Bordello
What I Like About You, by The Romantics
Song 2 (Whoo Hoo), by Blur

And last but certainly not least, Ravens Fight Song, performed by the Marching Ravens.

Forget for a moment the fact that Song 2 was overdone years ago (I remember the Flyers doing it before using Bro Hymn by Pennywise), and a couple of those songs just don't deserve the honor of "touchdown song". Maybe it's just me, but if you have an actual marching band, which is the official band of the team, then why is there even an option? What is thew point of even having a band if they don't even get to play your team's fight song after a touchdown?

Shame on the Ravens for even contemplating this decision. I urge everyone to support your Baltimore area musicians and vote for the Ravens Fight Song on the poll, which closes at 5pm on Friday. You can vote each day. So do it!

After I submitted my vote the Ravens Fight Song had received 53% of the vote, followed by Song 2 with 39%.

Click here for the link to vote.

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Yippee. I'm Kayaking?

You Are Kayaking

You have a competitive spirit, but you don't like to compete alone. You do well in a partnership, where you can feed off the other person's energy. If you have the right partner, nothing can stop you. Your energy is infinite!

What Olympic Sport Are You?

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Kige Ramsey's Tips

Just in case you did not know, students have more room to write on a 5x7 index card than a 4x6 index card.

Also, you may want to check your community for some "convention things"...



Thanks Kige Ramsey!

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Olympics Thoughts

• I didn't think I would get this wrapped up in the Olympics, but I am tuning the TV on to whatever channel at any time of day to watch more.
• Michael Phelps is something special.
• I heard that lots of world records were going to fall in swimming because of the technology with the new suits, but I had no idea I'd be seeing a record broken in every race. Some of the luster has been lost in that respect.
• I admit it, I stayed up late to watch the USA women choke away a gold medal in gymnastics last night, but the Chinese team was on their game last night.
• I learned something new about volleyball. I always thought you had to serve to receive a point. I guess that is not so as a point is scored on every exchange. Same with beach volleyball.
• I also learned that the volleyball player wearing a different colored jersey is the passing specialist. Not sure why they need a different color though.
• USA baseball lost 8-7, but you can't blame any of the Phillies prospects as they didn't factor in the game.
• USA Basketball seems to be on the right track, but the schedule gets tougher Thursday. 8am EST!
• I don't care about the news that the opening ceremonies weren't as true as I was lead to believe. I enjoyed it. It's just a show anyway. Why spoil it?
• Seventeen days until Penn State football.
• I usually get turned off by the personal stories that NBC usually does, but I feel as though they have cut back on that stuff a little bit this year.
• I can't believe track hasn't even started up yet!
• I feel an urge to get reacquainted with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.
• USA Softball just dominates. No wonder softball (and baseball) are being eliminated after this year from competition.

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Somebody buy this for me!

Look, I'm not going to go out and buy the game, but if you feel so inclined to buy it for me, I will play it. What's more, I will put up a fantastic review for you to read!


Well, I'm sure nobody will buy it for me, but if you buy it for yourself, let me know what you think. I'm most interested in the Wii version, seeing as I do not have an XBox 360 or Playstation 3.

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Thank You

To the NBC and affiliated networks broadcasting the Olympic games. Why? Because when you show basketball, at least the men's basketball, you use the greatest sports theme of all time.

Game update: Team USA Basketball is dominating Angola at the half.

If you remember back to the REAL Dream Team of 1992, Angola is the team that had a team member get an elbow in the chest from Charles Barkley. The ensuing foul shots for Angola ended a 40-2 run by the Americans in that game.

Best. Team. Ever.



EVER!

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Phillies vs. Pirates: Rain Soaked Day

Good friend Kevin Deissler put together a group outing at the Philadelphia Phillies game yesterday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Stef and I drove down with Susie and Matt and also got to see some people we don't usually see.

The day was a pretty wet one that washed out the Phillies alumni batting challange, but Chase Utley made the game worth the one hour and forty-something minute wait. Utley hit a two out, two run homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning to put the Fightins up.


But the play of the day, without a doubt, was when Jamie Moyer stretched a sacrifice bunt into a triple. Granted it doesn't go in the books as a triple, but anytime an over the hill pitcher reaches third on a sacrifice bunt (with not one but TWO throwing errors by the Pirates), it must be the play of the day.

Thus the beauty of baseball. You are likely to see something you've never seen before any given night.

And to try something new, here is a slideshow of the few photos I took.

View Album

Get your own

Chase Utley photo from ESPN.com

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Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People

Oh. My. Gawd, really? Strong Bad is actually going to have his own game?

And it's on the Wii's WiiWare? Save your pennies for this one. I'll need to see if I can borrow a fondue pot and get a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew as well.

Speaking of Strong Bad and games, here is a classic. Trogdor!

And now a Strong Bad classic for your enjoyment.

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The Dark Black Night

What happens when King Arthur, King of the Britons, tries to recruit The Dark Knight?

Check out The Margins of Error, the blog run by Hugh Atkin, who created this video, as well as the McBain for president commercial.

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I pity the fool who don't want a Snickers after watching this!

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Happy Birthday Caitlin!

Today is my friend Caitlin's birthday. Happy birthday Caitlin! These videos are for you;

To those who don't know, a good number of people used to make a joke out of Caitlin by singing happy birthday to her wherever we went. In a Wendy's, in the CUB, other random spots on Shippensburg's campus and on any road trip. I don't know why exactly. Perhaps because she got so red?

In any event, happy birthday to one of my fellow Irish Mafia gangsters!

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Pac-Man visits his psychiatrist

HT GoNintendo

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John McCain's Latest Commercial

Just a follow up to my previous post about John McCain. Good for a laugh. I think I just found MY candidate of choice!

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MAKE IT STOP!

Fox Still Thinks It Can Dance

I hate most reality TV, especially the clones of existing reality TV shows. I realize I may be somewhat hypocritical as I am a big fan of Hell's Kitchen, but it's my blog and I can say what I want to say!

While I am at it, what the heck did Juan Samuel do to deserve the honor of being added to the Phillies Wall of Fame? When you think of the all time Phillies greats does Samuel rank in your top ten? Top 25??? Top 50????? He may be a nice guy, but he is no Michael Jack Scmidt, Steve Carlton, Richie Ashburn, or even Gary Mathews...is he?

Juan Samuel Statistics - Baseball Reference.com

Oh, 100 RBI in 1987. Seventy-two stolen bases in 1984 (down hill from there). Surely there are names that deserve the honor ahead of Samuel. If Samuel is going in I would have to assume that Darren Daulton is on deck for the Phillies Wall of Fame, no? Heck, this guy won more Gold Gloves (1), as many Silver Sluggers (1), and won a homerun derby and he's not on the Wall yet*!


Is it too early to start the Ricky Ledée for Phillies Wall of Fame club yet?



*Never mind the fact that Bobby Abreu is an active player in baseball...for the Yankees. But if Samuel makes the Wall, Bobby A should be a lock to be added in the future.

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Analyzing a John McCain Ad

I don't usually blog about my political views and I always try to preface anything like this by saying that I do not care who you vote for, but that I urge people to get informed and to vote for what best represents their views and beliefs.

Having said that, let's take a look at one of the latest John McCain ad to cause a stir among Barack Obama supporters.

Below is my random stream of conscious...

• Isn't the president supposed to be symbolic representative of our country?
• Call me silly, but I think I want my president to have no fear and be confident in himself (or herself)
• Yes, I agree that sometimes Obama can get a little weird with the things he says, and I will say I am not a fan of his whole "a light will shine down... and you will say to yourself 'I have to vote for Barack'".
• Did McCain really just compare Obama to Moses? I'm no religious zealot, but is that a bad thing?
• I think Obama is an easy target for criticism because of his age, but age should have nothing to do with anything. I mean, didn't anybody see what Theo Epstein did with the Boston Red Sox, or what Shawn Fanning did to the online music scene, or what John F. Kennedy did for America? Note: Obama is three years younger than Kennedy was when took office.

Here is another...



Stream of conscious...

• Bigger than Oprah?
• I don't know much about gasoline but haven't we always been pretty big importers of oil? Maybe we're using more these days, but that doesn't explain why gas is twice as expensive than it was ten years ago. To single Obama out on that is a moot point because nobody else did anything about it either.
• Are we really comparing Barack Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? Surely the McCain campaign doesn't think anyone takes this comparison seriously, right?
• Right?

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The Story Behind Batman's Voice

Odds are pretty good that you have seen the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight. If you haven't, then YOU'RE THE ONE!

I'll be honest when I say that I did not notice much of a difference in the actual voice of Batman when compared to the previous movie, Batman Begins. Much has been made about how the voice is dark, creepy, and rough. So much has been made of it that some feel that it is too much and kind of stupid. Not me however. I feel that Batman is supposed to scare you and he is supposed to instill fear in his nemesis. That voice is perfect for the Batman that I believe this new series of movies is attempting to portray. As long as he is not trying to use his Batman credit card a la Batman and Robin.

After reading this article from CNN I learned that the voice was indeed modified electronically. To Christian Bale's credit though, most of the voice is his own.

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Pre Season College Football Poll; History Lesson

Burnt Orange Nation has a post about the history of the college football preseason polls and the eventual national champion for that same season. The rankings in question are the AP rankings. I believe that too much emphasis is given to these preseason polls, but at the same time I always look forward to reading them.

Only four times since 1980 has the preseason pick for national champion pulled through in the end. Oklahoma did it in 1985, Florida State in 1993 and again in 1999, and USC in 2004.

Penn State defied the odds, so to speak, in 1982 when they were picked to finish #8, and again in 1986 when they were predicted to finish at #6.

Only three teams have entered the season unranked and won the national championship. Clemson did that in 1981, Miami did it in 1983 and BYU followed the next year in 1984.

No team has ever started at #22 and finished as national champion. Penn State will be the first to ever do that in 2008.

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Mario Gets His Come-Uppins

Darn The Mario. I guess he had it coming.

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Death to the Monte Cristo? Say it Ain't So!

Today I received my almost weekly e-mail from one of my favorite restaurants, Bennigan's. Here is what it said;

"Bennigan's Montgomeryville (note: my closest location) is open for business as usual. The recent news does not affect us as we are independently owned and operated."

Recent news? What recent news did I miss? Could it be that Bennigan's, home of the great Monte Cristo and Turkey O'Toole (favorites of mine and Stef's respectively) could be out of business? A quick Google search confirmed my fear. From the Chicago Sun-Times;

Bennigan's Grill & Tavern restaurants across the U.S. were closed Tuesday, surprising both customers and employees of corporate-owned stores.

The Irish-themed chain and its sister company Steak & Ale on Tuesday filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in the Eastern District of Texas.

No! No! No! No!

Wow. Luckily for me, at least for the time being, my local Bennigan's will remain open. So I can still order my favorite meal, one which I rarely finish in one sitting these days. Nothing beats fried turkey, ham and cheese dipped in raspberry sauce with a side of fries and complimented with a Coca-Cola in a green cup.

To Bennigan's!

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Congrats Susie and Matt

I want to use my blog to express congratulations or condolences and such to friends and family and such more. So today I start that idea with congratulating a couple that is one gosh darn cute couple.

It seems that Matt Olinik and Susie Shimer are engaged. Congrats to you both. I remember both of you when you were little freshmen at Shippensburg. You've grown up so much since those old low brass days! Good luck with everything!


I stole this picture from someone's Facebook album. I think it was you Susie.

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