March 31, 2004
The Rattler Pick 'Em Update
We're 2/3 of the way through the tourney, and we've got a neck-and-neck race in the first annual Rattler Pick 'Em contest. Right now, the top three are cvj, okstateblows, and Geekess79, but most of the remaining four contestants are right behind.
Here's how the scenarios break down:
1) If Duke wins the tourney, then yours truly wins the bracket. It doesn't matter whether Duke beats Ok. State or Ga. Tech. Geekess79 would finish second and cvj would finish third.
2) If Ga. Tech beats Duke for the title, it goes Geekess79, me, cvj. If OSU wins the title, then second and third place flip-flop.
3) If Ga. Tech beats UConn for the title, then we've got cvj, okstateblows, Joe's picks. If UConn wins this matchup, the outcome is no different.
4) If Uconn beats OSU for the title, the results are the same as the previous matchup. If OSU beats Uconn, then we'll see Geekess79, cvj, and okstateblows.
Now ya'll know who you've gotta cheer on. Go Devils!
Jack's Giant Ape
Fox is reporting that Jack Black has signed on to play the male adventurer lead in Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong. Now, I'm as big a fan of Jack Black as anyone, but this should be, errr, interesting...especially since his female counterpart is going to be Naomi Watts. Finally, the pairing we've all been waiting for: the star of School of Rock with the star of 21 Grams.
March 29, 2004
Show Me The Money (Trail)
Having suspicions that your neighbor was a closet Howard Dean supporter? Find out for sure using this Internet Presidential contribution database (found via Claybourn).
You can find similar information for contributions to Kansas political races here. (Select "List of Contributors" and the desired level of race to search the appropriate database.)
March 25, 2004
Gay Marriage Debate In Kansas
The Kansas Senate is currently debating a resolution that would place a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage on the November ballot. The debate has lasted all morning and likely will last a while longer. If you're interested, you can listen in here. (Need Winamp or Real Player to listen in.)
Currently, Abraham Lincoln and racial desegregation are being invoked on the side of allowing homosexual marriage to be legal.
March 24, 2004
Don't Say It
If you saw The Daily Show tonight, then you probably saw Lewis Black's bit on the bill that's been introduced in Congress to define specific words as profane under FCC regulations. For any of you wondering what exactly that sort of legislation might look like, you can view HR 3687 here. (Warning: given the subject matter, you should have already figured out that there are dirty words in the legislation. There are eight such words and phrases, as a matter of fact. So if you're offended by the mere sight of such words, don't follow the link.)
March 21, 2004
Spring Break
I'm in Memphis for the weekend, taking advantage of the beginning of spring break to visit some friends. Yesterday, we went down to Beale Street to have lunch and walk around. There were live musicians everywhere, and a variety of potable concoctions with intriguing appellations...including the aptly-named "Call-A-Cab" daiquiri at Wet Willie's.
Last night we walked down to the Pyramind to watch the Grizzlies take on the Indiana Pacers. It was my first NBA game, and was a pretty enjoyable experience. The Grizzlies won and helped solidify their chances of a playoff spot.
This morning we went to services at Bellevue Baptist Church, which is where Dr. Adrian Rogers (of Love Worth Finding) is the pastor. Dr. Rogers, unfortunately, had heart bypass surgery earlier this week and so wasn't in the pulpit. The church is huge...they have a full orchestra and a 250-person choir. They have their own basketball and softball leagues, and play on their own softball field complex. It's much like a good-sized state university.
This afternoon we're watching NCAA games...I helped my friends set up a wireless network in their apartment, so I'm now testing it out. It's sunny outside but a bit windy and on the chilly side. All in all, though, not a bad way to start spring break...and spring itself.
March 18, 2004
11:20 CST
Let the games begin!
Here are my picks. Somehow, Duke winds up winning it all. Don't ask how or why...that's just what happened.
March 17, 2004
Draft Day
My fantasy baseball league draft occured this morning. It was a pre-ranked, autopick draft, but I made quite a few adjustments in the pre-rankings to emphasize pitching. It seemed to work: here are my starting five:
1. Randy Johnson
2. Esteban Loaiza
3. Andy Pettite
4. Jeremy Affeldt
5. Dontrelle Willis
My bullpen is also strong:
1. John Smoltz
2. Joe Borowski
3. Jorge Julio
That's not to say that my positions players are weak, though. I got the one guy I really wanted, Carlos Beltran, and will also be starting Derek Jeter, Derek Lee, and Torii Hunter. I don't have any 40-HR guys, but I do have a speedy team with solid AVG and OBP up and down the roster.
The Law School Secret
A quote passed on by Rattler reader Zack:
law school even more, really. law school, law careers, whatever, really are, as it has been said, a pie eating contest in which the prize is more pie. you work and work and work to do... more work. well, more work and money, maybe, but still more work. if you're really good, they'll want you! they'll really want you! they'll want you to DO MORE WORK.
That's a pretty accurate summation of what law school's about.
Claybourn Turns Two
Josh Claybourn marks two years of weblogging today. He's been one of my closest "blog-buddies" over that time. Congratulations, Josh...keep up the good work.
March 16, 2004
Wayne's New World
Most college basketball fans know Wayne Simien as the All Big XII junior forward for the Kansas Jayhawks. What you may not know is that Wayne became a Christian last summer. The Kansas City Star has an excellent article today about Wayne's conversion and how his newfound faith is affecting his life. (Registration required.)
March 15, 2004
What We're Watching
Jonah Goldberg has discovered Chappelle's Show...definitely one of the funniest shows on TV today. Everything Jonah says about the show is true. Our apartment never misses a new broadcast on Wednesday night at 9:30 Central. It's amazing how quickly the show and its catchphrases have caught on, at least around this college town. For the past two weekends, a trip out to the local establishments hasn't failed to result in this correspondant hearing, at some point, someone shout "YE-AH!" "WHAT!" "O-KAY!" "I'M RICK JAMES, B****!" "SHOOT THE J! SHOOT IT!" or another catchphrase from the show.
On Thursday nights, we can't miss The Apprentice. We started watching the show around its third week and have been captivated ever since. The most appealing part of the show is that, while contestant elimination does involve some politics, ultimately The Donald fires someone who pretty much deserves to get fired. It's sweet, sweet justice that can be rare to find on most reality TV. Seeing Omarosa get canned a couple of weeks ago was one of the most satisfying TV moments ever.
Sunday nights, my roommates have to watch The Sopranos, but my favorite time slot is Adult Swim, a series of 15 and 30 minute toons that are oriented to a more adult audience. Not that they're particularly raunchy, but many of them play off of themes and retro characters whose humor would be lost on a younger audience. The favorites here are "Home Movies" (Jason and Coach McGuirk steal the show), "Sealab 2021" (Erik Estrada!), "Harvey Birdman, Attoney At Law" (He's got the power of attorney!), and "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" (Master Shake is the most inept leader ever).
That's about all the TV we have time to watch...besides college basketball, of course.
Pick 'Em If You Got 'Em
Announcing The Rattler's NCAA tourney bracket contest...join up, make your picks, and show us what you got. Maybe the winner will get a prize...and maybe the winner will just get the glory of recognition on this site.
Just go to http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/men and sign up for the following private group:
Group ID#: 50183
Password: stanfordsucks
March 14, 2004
Aggregate This!
I've never used a weblog aggregator before, but after I found BlogLines through my referrer logs, I decided to give it a try. Thus far, it seems to be a potentially valuable tool. I've got most of the weblogs from the left entered into my list, so perhaps this will allow me to keep better tabs on all of the sites at once.
If you're wondering, an aggregator takes the RDF or XML feeds from selected weblogs (most weblogs have such a feed, even if the owner doesn't realize it) and publishes excerpts from them all on one website. By selecting the weblogs, you can view excerpts from all the recent posts from all the weblogs you like on one page, without having to visit each one individually. If you see a post that piques your interest, you can click through to the website or the post itself.
March 10, 2004
Digital Camera For Sale
Last summer, I bought a Fuji FinePix 3800 from Best Buy. At that point, the camera had the most features for any camera within my price range.
Now, however, it doesn't. So I'm looking to divest myself of the 3800 and apply the proceeds to an upgrade. I want to get a camera that offers adjustable ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds, and a better burst mode. The 3800 only allows aperture adjustment and has a two-frame burst mode. However, the 3800 still has many features that would make it an excellent choice at a used price.
The 3800 is a 3.2 megapixel camera. It offers excellent zooming and resolution options. It also takes digital video with sound. Full specifications are here. I have all original packaging, software, and accessories that came with the camera. The camera is in excellent shape overall (it operates perfectly), with a couple of cosmetic scratches.
Price is negotiable. Just drop me an e-mail if interested.
Update: I'm looking to upgrade to another Fuji model right now, but someday, somehow, I will own one of these. Mmmmmmm...digital rebel...
