Predictions for the New Year

Added 1/2/2007
Added 1/8/2007
Added 1/22/2007

1.) The Broncos will get into the Playoffs and make a serious run. They will come up short against Baltimore in the AFC Championship. Baltimore will beat the Eagles like a drum. WTH? The Broncos didn't show up. Shanahan was out-coached in a game that was meaningless to the 49ers. There is always next year, right? Denver needs a dominant pass-rusher from the defensive tackle position. Denver should get a decent pick in the draft and they should have a more favorable schedule. Colts and Bears? I didn't think the Colts would get it done. Especially after that miserable performance against the Chefs. It was nice to see the Patriots tank in the 2nd half.

2.) AI and Carmelo will get along splendidly. The Nuggets in 5 against somebody...

3.) The Democrats will be mired in scandal. Someone is going to put 2 + 2 together and begin investigating "who knew what and when" in regards to Foley and the Interns. Throw in Obama and his developing Intern mess. The Democrats are already excluding the Republicans from the first 100 hours. Didn't they say that they were going to be less partisan? Watch your pocketbooks. The Dems are back in power. The Democrats promised, during the campaign, that they were going to have a 5-day work week. Um...They changed their minds. They are sticking to a 4-day work week. The extra day off gives them more time for thinking of ways to raise our taxes. I worked about 50 hours last week. If I were using the Democrat method of counting hours, I would have only put in about 16 hours. The Dems promised 6(?) bills in the first 100 hours. They are claiming that they passed the bills in the first 46 hours. The problem is that they had actually been in session for over 100 hours (not counting the day they took off to watch the college football games). Their reasoning is both funny and sad. They said that they were only counting the time that they were passing the legislation in question. Say what you say and mean what you say. We shouldn't have to parse everything you say and understand every little nuance.

4.) Iraq turns a huge corner. The doom and gloom MSM wants to focus on our losses. If estimates are correct, the bad guys have lost 20 - 30 times the numbers we have. At some point, the tide turns in a big way. It will be undeniable. I'll even say that in the 2008 elections, Iraq will not be an issue. Everyone is talking about a "surge." We send more troops and make one big, final surge and push the bad guys out. They should have been thinking about this a few years ago. Anyway, the Dems are talking about not giving the President more money for Iraq. Notice that they are not saying that they will cut spending in Iraq...Just not more money. Either way, I hope the "surge" works. Iraq will turn a corner this year.

5.) Vista will bomb. There are those who will buy because it is new. There are those who will get it because they bought a new computer. Gone are the days when people lined up outside of Best Buy to get the first copy. We won't know until January 30th. Companies that have enterprise licensing were given an advance copy. We have it. Have not done much with it. The tech staff treats it as a novelty. Get used to saying, "Ubuntu." I have it installed on two of my computers. I showed it to friends and now 2 of them have it. One even got rid of Windows completely. There is nothing in Vista that isn't already in another OS.

6.) The NFL will stream their games to the Americas. I'm not going to pay $300 dollars for it though. I just want A-la-cart. The other option for the NFL Network will be to lower their price so it gets carried on every cable provider on the planet. Streaming is still better because I hate cable.

7.) Jay Cutler and Vince Young duel it out in the AFC Championship next season.

8.) Download any TV program you want. For FREE. All of the networks wake up to torrent.

9.) CBS News dumps Katie for some big-name conservative. The ratings go through the roof. Katie rescues their terrible morning show.

10.) WiFi. Somebody is going to do it for cheap. Maybe Google does it for free. Wouldn't be great to be able to stream video in the car? Google should get into the gig. How cool would it be to have Google maps give you directions, plot traffic jams, get you to Starbucks, and let you talk on the VOIP? Let me add...I just got a new phone with the Broadband network and the TV capabilities. Wireless companies would be better served to give away those features or to make them a lot cheaper. WiFi is still better. Google is building a big server farm in North Carolina. I wonder what they are going to use it for? Maybe WiFi? There is also that powerline Internet stuff they purachased a while back.

CU Should Play Hand Grenades

There are no moral victories in college football. Too bad, CU had a chance. They just couldn't put the finishing touches on a great game. It goes to show something that I have always complained about: there is an East Coast bias in the football rankings. Georgia isn't a #9 team. CU proved that. It would be interesting if collge football went to an NFL type schedule. Conferences would rotate playing each other. If Georgia had to play OU, CU and TX for their non-conference...FSU played Rice on Saturday. Enough said.

Denver Broncos - 2 Bad Games...14 Remaining

There are a couple of things that are really bugging me so far this season. The first is that the Broncos stink right now. The offense is pathetic and the defense is bending just a bit too much. We can talk all day about the defense not allowing a touchdown in two games, but a couple of those field goals could have easily been turned into touchdowns and Denver would be 0-2.

The second thing bugging me are the comparisons between last year and this year. Denver was in dire straights last year in the San Diego game. Champ Bailey picked off a pass and ran it back for a touchdown. Denver went on to win 8 or 9 straight after that. That was a very emotional moment that lifted the entire team. Nothing like that happened this past Sunday. The game winning field goal didn't come as a result of a turnover or some other momentum changing play. Nobody on the team elevated his play and changed the game.

I know that it is still early in the season and that benching Plummer won't make this team any better. Cutler is a good QB and hopefully someday will be a great QB. I do believe that Cutler couldn't make them any worse. Something changed in the AFC championship last year and Plummer has not been the same since then. He is holding on to the ball too long and forcing passes. Had Plummer played like he did for most of the season, I still think that Denver would have been holding up the Lombardi trophy instead of Pittsburgh.

I still stand by my comments last week that Denver will struggle over the next few games because of Plummer. At 1-4 and with the season on the line, I don't think that Mike Shanahan will have a choice.

Rock and Roll Part 2 - Part 2

A couple of weeks ago I asked for some help to pick a new Broncos celebration song. Well, it turns out that a new song isn't necessary. You see, when you don't score any touchdowns, you don't need a song to celebrate.

By the way, I read in Sunday's Denver Post that the cheerleaders picked Denver's new touchdown song. Why are the cheerleaders picking the song(s)? Nobody watches or pays attention to them. They don't have any say in this. It should have been left up to the fans to choose a new song.

By the way part 2. The Broncos actually paid the VooDoo Daddys (whatever) to change the lyrics to "Go Go Broncos." Lame.

The perfect song was and will always be, "Rock & Roll Part 2." Since the NFL (No Fun League) has outlawed the use of that song, we still need to find a suitable replacement.

The Denver Broncos...Blech!

The only bright spot from Sunday's loss was Jake Plummer. I'm being totally serious. I have been worried over the past couple years because the real Plummer has been missing. He's finally back. Well, I think he was back in time for last year's AFC Championship. If memory serves me correctly, I believe he had a few picks and fumbles in that game too. Plummer really stunk it up on Sunday. The sad fact is that even with all of Plummer's mistakes, Denver still had a chance to come back in the game.

Here's what I think is going to happen: Denver is going to have a big week against the Chefs [intentional misspelling]. Denver's opening day loss will soon be forgotten and folks will quickly jump on the, "They started the same way last year" bandwagon. They'll go into New England and get clobbered. Jake will have another 3+ turnover game. Then, they'll come home and get beat-up by the Ravens. They'll hardly manage any offense and Plummer will throw a few more picks. Cutler will relieve Plummer late in the Ravens game and will be named the starter against the Raiders. Cutler will struggle against the Raiders, but Denver will find a way to win.

Denver will play out the season and finish 9-7. No playoffs...

I Remember 5 Years Ago Today

I had just finished reading the sports page when the phone rang. It was my mother. She told me to turn on the TV because a small plane had crashed into the WTC. I turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit the second tower.

CNN Pipleline is replaying their coverage from 9/11. I'm watching as intently today as I was 5 years ago. Enough said.

I'm Done With Digg

I mean it this time. I know what you are saying, "You said this before." I sort of said this before. I complained that the new Digg was too liberal. A month after my complaint, liberal stories still move to the front page within minutes of being submitted. Conservative stories are quickly buried for being inaccurate. If you express a viewpoint that is contrary to the reigning liberal view, you are called names, profaned, and mod'ed down.

Digg used to be fun. It was a good place to find new and interesting technology stories. Now it is nothing more than a playpen for the anti-Bush crowd.

Once again, no Digg.

Steve Irwin's Death Was Filmed

I found this on Drudge this afternoon. I think everyone has said at one time or another that they would like to die doing what they love. For me that would be watching the Denver Broncos and eating Colorado Mudd (chocolate cake mixed with vanilla ice cream <- My own invention by the way...). I seriously doubt that Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, anticipated that he would be killed by one of the animals that he was studying and that his death would be captured on film.

I have found the written acounts of his death to be very disturbing. I would never want to see what happened. I'm hoping that Steve Irwin's family feels the same way and destroys this footage.

Steve Irwin...R.I.P.

CU Football 2006 - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good: Online streaming. Even though the web site said that streaming was available to Colorado residents, I was able to watch the game over the Internet. It wasn't too bad to be honest. The quality was decent and the audio was the radio play-by-play. It was the stadium scoreboard camera, so the angles were tough on a few plays. I hope they do it again.

The Bad: CU's offense outside of the very first play of the game. I'm guessing that the coaching staff would have run that play no matter what the defense had presented. It was a way for them to say that this season was going to be a little different. From that point forward, everything that had changed (coaches, personnel, attitude, etc.) pretty much looked the same as it did in the last 4 games of the 2005 season. Some folks are already saying that this will be a transitional year. Basically, that is giving Coach Hawkins a free pass. CU has talent. They had enough talent to beat Montana State. This is a team that looks like it was preparing for the CSU Rams and not the Bobcats. Talent alone will not win any games, but it should have won this one.

The Ugly: I'm afraid that this is a picture of the rest of the season. I didn't think that Hawkins was going to walk in and bring CU back to National prominence this year. I did think that he would put together a team that played with a little compassion and would always be competitive. The CU team that played on Saturday was neither.

CU Football - What Happened?

I thought that this was the beginning of a new era. Coach Hawkins seems to be continuing the traditions of Gary Barnett. Pick a hungry team from a small conference and forget to prepare the Buffs to play them. Let's see, does Fresno State ring a bell? It isn't as if Barnett left the cupboard bare. CU has some decent talent on both sides of the ball. Especially on defense where they returned most of their starters. This is so disappointing. CU has a lot of work to do this week. CSU will clobber them if they play like they did today.

Psst. Coach Hawkins. Get rid of the running back by committee and buy some stick-em for your receivers. Oh yeah...It would be a good idea to make some adjustments on defense too. Once Montana State figured out your secondary, you couldn't stop them. CSU has a little more talent on the field. They are going to pummel the Buffs if you don't get that straightened out.

Rock and Roll Part 1

I just found out that the NFL has banned teams from using Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2." I guess that Gary Glitter is a convicted pervert. Several teams, including my beloved Broncos, had to change their touchdown/celebration song. Denver's choice: "Go go Daddy-o" by Big Bad Voodoo somebody or other. I went to iTunes to get a listen of the new touchdown song...crap! No offense Mr. Voodoo Daddy, but your song ain't a touchdown song.

I am officially searching for a new Denver Broncos touchdown song. A couple of songs that might be in the running are Van Halen's, "Top of the World" and Boston's "Smokin." I need to start a petition or something with the Broncos...

Let me hear your suggestions or ideas.

Phatt-Matt out!

Protecting Our Interests

NFL Boneheads

I'm so tired of hearing big media/entertainment companies complain about having to protect their interests. For the average consumer, the restriction on local media coverage of games isn't really a big deal. However, in the long run, this is one of the first steps in sticking it to the consumer. Later this fall, the NFL plans to show NFL Network only games. It is a great idea as long as you have Digital Cable/Satellite with the more expensive sports package that carries the NFL Network.

I no longer live in the coverage area of the Denver Broncos. My only options for watching the games are an over-priced Satellite package and...actually, that is my only option. I can listen to the games over the internet via the local "Home of the Broncos." I'm wondering how long that will last.

The NFL needs to get with the times. Folks want to be able to download, timeshift, and stream their favorite TV content. I want to watch the Broncos. Give me the option to pay-per-view stream it over the Internet. I want to watch the game of the week. Bittorrent the condensed, HD version and let me download it for a nominal charge. Let CBS, NBC, and ESPN stream it.

Somebody is going to get this right. When they do, they'll wipeout traditional entertainment media.

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I don't like the Song that Delta sings!

A couple of months ago, I responded to a Delta/Song Airlines offer for a free gift card. The catch? I had to sign up for their frequent flyer program. No big deal. I give them a little information and they give me the gift card. Wrong! Instead of getting the gift card I received a "Thank You" email.

The way I see it, Delta Airlines still owes me $25. I am still willing to accept it in gift card form. I will also accept the equivalent in little bags of peanuts. I feel that I am being more than fair. Delta? I'm waiting...

Separated at Birth?

Darth Sidious...Helen Thomas

More Ubuntu

Minstream Ubuntu

The 5 Best Shows On TV

...that you might not be watching.

5.) Rescue Me - FX

4.) Treasure Hunters - NBC

3.) America's Got Talent - NBC

2.) IT Crowd - BBC

1.) The Shield - FX

Maybe these are not the 5 best shows, but these are my favorites...

Smoking is Cool

My wife found a group on the Internet willing to give us a couple of free movie tickets in exchange for talking to our kids about smoking. The point they are trying to make is for us to tell them not to smoke and then we can treat them to a movie for listening. We signed up and we were waiting for our tickets. Instead of getting said tickets, we instead received an email from them telling us that the response was so great that they are not going to give us the tickets....and that smoking is still bad and we should tell our kids that.

I was really looking forward to a free movie. Granted, I don't smoke and I really do not have to tell my kids not to smoke because they already know better. Did I tell you I was looking forward to that free movie?

So what am I supposed to do now? My kids were expecting the free movie too. I'm going to tell my kids to start smoking. We'll stick it to those do-gooders who stiffed me of my free tickets. That'll show them!

NYT - Sick...just sick!

Michelle Malkin is spot on in asking which side the NYT is on.

Our church just laid to rest a young man who was killed a few weeks ago in Iraq by a sniper. Was this the killer that the NYT decided to photograph? Shouldn't our press be on our side? It is a ridiculous assertion for the MSM to make in saying that they are neutral and are giving both sides so the American people can make up their minds. My mind is already made up. These thugs attacked us. These thugs are killing innocents in Iraq. These thugs need to be eliminated.

Ubuntu = Cool

I first used Linux back in 94' when I installed RedHat on my AT&T 486. Later, I installed RedHat 6-8 on my HP P3 700Mhz and ran with it for about 3 years. I went to work for a Microsoft only shop and have been using XP for the last couple of years. Psst. Don't tell my boss, but I've got a Knoppix live CD that I use from time to time to fix these awful XP boxes. Anyway, I installed Ubuntu on my Dell D600 over the weekend and am loving every bit of it.

Ubuntu is very nice. Installation was simple enough. The only real problem I had was with the Broadcom wireless adapter. I tried ndiswrapper and it didn't work. To get around it I slapped in my old trustworthy Linksys card. Earth to Broadcom...open up your firmware to Linux.

I'm not going to say anything stupid like, "The Linux desktop has finally arrived." I think that Bluecurve on the RedHat 8/9 was very good. I will say that all of the nonsense surrounding the desktop needs to stop. Ubuntu is better than XP...about the same as Mac. It is easy to install and use. It makes better use of the hardware. Daddy likes!

The New Digg...Not Cool

The new Digg stinks. Plain and simple. The reason? The new news/science/entertainment sections. They are full of nothing but liberal, lunatic garbage. Now the moonbats have free-reign to post tin-foil hat stories about the White House, Karl Rove, and the Republican party. There was a story this morning that referred to the Republicans as the party of the "white sheets." Losers! Don't you crack heads have anything better to do? For me, Digg gets a "No Digg."

Freedom is Cool

Watch this short two minute cartoon on bad legislation.

Free Stuff Cool

Are you interested in a free $25 gift card for Target or Starbucks?

1. Sign up for a free Song mileage account.
2. Register that Song account with Delta.
3. Shazaam! You get your $25 gift card in 6-8 weeks.

Free is cool.

Web Development Cool - I'm Not Ugly...I Just Work

I was attending one the free MSDN events yesterday when the presenter asked the question, "What is the most important part of your application?" Before the presenter could answer his own question someone shouted, "That it works!" There is a debate raging in the web development community over Ugly Websites. I guess that Craig's List, Google, 37 Signals, etc. all fall under the category of Ugly. If the term "Ugly" refers to informative and simple, then I guess I'll jump on the Ugly bandwagon.

Web designers want to sell sites that are going to win Webbys and show up on Web Creme. Clients want to buy sites with lots of blinking lights in order to justify the high price tag. Consumers want to be able to go to a site and get the information that they are looking for.

Informative and simple isn't ugly...It's cool.

Welcome!

This is so exciting...a site dedicated to cool.