What is That Sound?

It sounds to me like the State of Florida spanking Newt's backside.  47% Romney, 31% Gingrich, 13% Santorum, 7% Paul.

Well done.

32 Yards and a Heartbreak

I just watched the Ravens kicker miss a 32 yard field goal with seconds left. I can't begin to imagine the pain a professional football player feels, when a kicker missed a 32 yarder. All those hits, the wear on your body....What a ripe-your-heart-out scene. Fondow would know how to handle this kind of loss. •••••••••••••••••••• The 49ers are next versus the Giants of New York. I was mainly a Packer fan, so I would love for the 49er's to take out the Giants. Anybody to beat New York.

Painful "Goodbye" to a Champ - Maxie

Dear Maxie, Thank for a wonderful eighteen years. You did a wonderful job helping raise two great children, and you stayed around through think and thin and watched us all grow up here. I remember in your first years here you loved to go out at night and walk across the street to use the Odefy's sandbox as a litter box. You ignored my attempts to distract you and keep you more local. You also used to love to go hunting with Selina Kyle. The local vol, mice, and bunny population were all very happy when you decide to hang up your hunting shoes a few years ago. This last few weeks it was been hard to watch you with a swollen, tender jaw. I bit that hurt a lot and you were dear to just snuggle with us at night as if nothing was wrong. I appreciate all the winter nights when you heated up my side of the bed before I nodded off to sleep. I hope you know how very much all of us loved you. It was very hard to say goodbye. Rest in peace, Max - We love you mightily...

We spent all day at hockey games Karyl needed to shoot.  Here I am across the arena from Karyl...remembering Maxie...

Nuts...15-2

Too many mistakes get us all in the end.  This is not the way any of us wanted the story to end, but you can't give the other guy extra opportunities in games like this.

I want to thank Charles Woodson, Aaron Rodger, Gordy Nelson, Kunz, Bishop, Donald Driver, and Greg Jennings for a fantastic year.  The ride just stopped a bit before we were ready.

Sigh....

Divergent

Thanks to Isabella Jennings for recommending this title to me.  Divergent has been a fun ride.  The main character, Tris, spends her time trying to make sense out of her new environment as a member of the Dauntless group.  She shows an amazing aptitude for navigating the troubled waters of a futuristic society gone wrong.

This book is similar to Hunger Games in that we have a female lead who has to battle her way to a satisfactory conclusion.  I suppose the more you read, the more it is hard to find plot lines that don't resemble some other work.

The more I read, the more I realize that the most difficult part is being able to and a story well.  Veronica Roth deserves credit for making a good run at a great ending.  I will give this one three paws up.  For a lot of the story I was pulled in as Tris navigates from one test to the next.  Then at the end everything seems to happen at once.

Hat Tip...

Tip of the Hat to Vernon Davis for having a huge game versus the Saints to send the 49ers to the Championship game next week.

Mr. Davis made a monster catch in the end zone with nine seconds left in the game.

Nice work men.

Football Picks and the Damn Yankees

First the bad news...The damn Yankees did it again.  They traded a backup catcher, Jesus Montero, to Seattle for a great starting pitcher, Michael Pineda.  Both players are young, 22, and only have one year experience, but trading a good starting pitcher for a catcher with poor defense who can hit.  If I am a Mariners fan, I may need to be talked off the ledge this morning.  Pineda will be a number three starter in New York behind CC Sabathia and Freddy Garcia -- am I really to believe that Seattle has such a wealth of starting pitching that it can afford to give an arm like that.  I am just a Twins fan who is pissed that the rich are getting richer and the Mariners are going to suck yet again.  Damn it.

*******

Football playoffs.  

Saints at 49ers - Saints are picked by 3 and a half points.  The 49ers are supposed to bottle up the Saints running game, but that still leaves Drew Brees to throw all over the place.  The Saints defense isn't special, but neither is the 49er offense, so that could be where the game is won or lost.  Robin Fondow is right, in most cases you can't figure this shit out, it is just who shows up to play the game.  I grew up in the Bay Area - I am rooting for the 49ers.  Faith.

Giants at Packers - The Giants are the pick by many as the hot team who is putting it all together.  The Packers had a death in the family this week.  Joe Philbin's son was pulled out of the Fox River on Monday.  The worst thing a parent could ever go through.  This game will be painful to watch because when you have a dog in the hunt, it is rarely a relaxing game.

Denver at New England - Tebow and Denver get their skies waxed.  End of story.

Houston at Baltimore - Who cares.  Houston has a rookie backup quarterback and Baltimore is old, and plays old school football.  I guess I will pull for Houston just to have new blood in the mix.