The New York Jets are a Disaster

Even though it was unannounced (and unplanned), let's pretend that the large amount of time it's been since I last wrote to you guys was a sort of "holiday hiatus".  All of us need breaks, right?  Now in reality, sometimes the motivation to write just isn't there.  I haven't been particularly enamored with any story I've read recently, so I haven't had much to share with you.  Today's story is somewhat minor, but it did get my mind going.  I'll share some thoughts on the recent developments with New York's other team (you know, the one that hasn't won a Super Bowl in forever), and then I'll touch on some odds and ends here and there.  Sound good?  Here we go.

Rex Ryan, coach of the New York Jets, recently announced that he will finally bench embattled quarterback Mark Sanchez in favor of a backup.  Everyone's been waiting for the Jets to make this move, feeling that Tim Tebow, with his success from last season, deserved a shot.  However, Tebow is not the new starter.  Greg McElroy, former quarterback for Alabama and a 7th round pick from two years ago, will take over as the starting quarterback for the New York Jets.  Subsequently, rumors are already floating that the Jets will look to trade away Sanchez and Tebow when the season ends.  We won't know until it plays out, but what in the world is going on in New York?

Let's address Tebow first.  Clearly, the team has no confidence in Tebow's ability as a quarterback.  Tebow himself has finally shown his frustration in interviews, though it has still remained within his mild-mannered and classy persona.  Remember that last off-season, the Jets gave up a 4th round pick (a pretty valuable pick) to acquire Tebow, and the Jets claimed he would make an impact as a part of the organization.  Well, they weren't lying.  Mark Sanchez certainly felt more and more pressure as he struggled and fans were chanting Tebow's name in hopes that he'd get a chance.  Tebow still sees the field here and there, but he hasn't been "unleashed" like he was in Denver last season.  Now, he's been kept on the bench in favor of a 7th-round pick who has looked mildly serviceable in the two NFL games he's played in.  Just as Tebow suggested in an interview, it's becoming harder to see why the Jets even picked him up in the first place.  My vote goes to the "we wanted attention" idea.  Why else would the Jets give up a fourth-round pick and barely use him?

This is the first time in Sanchez's entire football career that he's been benched.  Admittedly, it was time: Sanchez has looked really bad this season.  I would love to see him traded so that he could get a fresh start, as sometimes, that's all a quarterback really needs for success.  However, Sanchez was signed to a pretty big contract last offseason, and teams will not be keen to take on that sort of money when Sanchez will probably be the backup wherever he goes.  There are just very few teams interested in taking on a medium-salary, struggling quarterback like Sanchez right now.  Either way, Sanchez's time in New York appears to be done, unless he can make some big strides in the offseason to improve.

Finally, it's nice to see a guy picked so low in the draft get a shot now.  Since the Patriots' steal of Tom Brady in the 6th round of a draft, and the success stories of some undrafted players, NFL teams have become more aware that the greatest gems could come from anywhere at any time.  Greg McElroy has never been particularly impressive, but this opportunity will be great for him, giving him a chance to be named the starter for week 1 of next season.

And note, with the offseason coming, there are some names out there (namely, Michael Vick) that the Jets may be interested in pursuing.  Keep your eye on them.

Now for a serious turn.  I wanted to quickly touch on my feelings about the incident in Newtown.  This tragedy is just so hard to comprehend.  Even the innocent children of our nation aren't completely safe from these mass murderers.  Though it may be hard to see now, I believe that positive things can spring forth from this situation, and that the attention given to the circumstances of the incident will help to make America a better, safer place.  Now, it is a bit alarming to hear that Wal-Mart's gun sales (especially in assault weapons) have increased dramatically since the event, whereas places like Dick's Sporting Goods have temporarily stopped selling those weapons altogether, but I suppose that's capitalism for ya.  Whatever the circumstances truly were, I pray that this awful event will stick with all of us and help us to continue to practice the golden rule, as even something as basic as that may make all of the difference.

Nice to be back, and talk to you all again soon!

The Text Message Turned 20

Hi all.  It's been awhile, hasn't it?  Looks like November 18th was the last time I checked in with you.  Naturally, the end of the semester is getting in the way, but I'm happy to have a moment now to share about an article I stumbled upon earlier today.  We all need to take breaks, right?

Apparently, it has been exactly 20 years and two days (I'm late on the uptake, apparently) since the first ever text message was sent: On December 3rd, 1992, an engineer sent the message "Merry Christmas." to an executive.  Isn't it crazy that a lot of you probably have at least one good friend who's younger than the text message?  According to CNN.com, 6 billion small message service messages (like texts) are sent in the United States everyday.  Among teenagers, texting is the most common form of communication, as 75% of teenagers text, sending an average of 60 texts per day.  And, as a fun aside, "women are twice as likely to use emoticons in a text message than men, but men use a wider variety of emoticons, according to a recent study by Rice University." (CNN.com)

I can barely remember when texts were irrelevant, and people were still using phone calls to communicate.  I actually remember an instance when I was in middle school (right around '99-'00) when I was attempting to flirt with a girl, perhaps "ask her out", and I was forced to call her at her house to talk to her, because she had yet to get on this new thing called "instant messaging" that all of us kids were adapting.  I was quite the nervous wreck and was a fail during that phone call.  The conversation didn't last long.

Beyond flirting, texting and messaging has made life a little easier.  Autocorrect fails aside, using text to communicate rather than voice allows us more time to consider our responses to our friends.  If you're unsure about whether your friend can pick up the phone right now or not, you send them a text, assuming that they're more likely to see it than to check their voicemail.  Simple, convenient, and quick; this is why we're glad that texting exists.

So yes, it's been two days since its 20th birthday, but let's celebrate the text and all that it has brought into our lives.

My finals are coming, but hopefully I'll be back soon.  Til then, enjoy life!

Black Friday Strategy

You know, despite the fact that I'm still a poor college student, I look forward to Black Friday every single year.  I've become a little more obsessive about my spending habits each year and it's been especially noticeable this year, where I held off on buying certain items I wanted in anticipation for Black Friday.  No, I'm not just talking about things I saw this past week; I've been holding off on purchasing certain items for about two months in anticipation of this day.

What makes Black Friday so special?  Sure, it's that one massive consumer holiday of the year where everything in every store seems to be on sale.  Stores draw us in with their big ads and their fancy commercials to try and keep their employees as busy as possible on that day (oh, there's that whole "making money" thing too).  We consumers walk into stores and make a beeline for that one thing we've been waiting for, sometimes to find it sold out.  Whether we get that particular item or not, we then become susceptible to our impulses, and impulse shopping reigns.  Everyone else is buying stuff, so you might as well get it while you're out, right?

Eh.. hold on a sec.  Today I'm going to present to you my ideas for encountering Black Friday as a smart and considerate shopper.  Hopefully, these ideas will help you to save a little money and to find a little more enjoyment out of the hectic environment that is Black Friday.

1) First and foremost, don't forget about Thanksgiving.  Particularly with all of these stores that are opening on Thanksgiving night, if you have a particular item you're looking to get on Black Friday, your entire Thursday evening might be spent dreaming of that moment when you carry that item out of the store.  Be sure to enjoy the true holiday first, giving thanks for all of the blessings in your life (and trust me, anyone reading this has a lot to be thankful for) and letting all of your worries (like Black Friday) go as you hopefully get to celebrate with loved ones.

2) Use the internet to pre-shop.  One of the great blessings of the information age is that we can use our computers and phones to access information in a few blinks of the eye.  Check out websites like http://blackfriday.com/ to pre-shop a little bit, looking through the ads of your favorite stores to see if there are any particular deals that you're looking for.  This effort is actually pretty critical to avoiding impulse shopping, as having a clear focus while going into a manic shopping day can help to control your impulses and to decrease any "maniacal" purchases.  However, this alone won't cut it, you'll need to do a bit more...

3) Have a backup plan.  Let's say that you're interested in buying a new TV on Black Friday.  You know that if you go to your local Wal-Mart at 10pm on Thanksgiving, you have a shot of getting a great deal on that TV you want.  However, you get there, and the line has already extended around the building, and the likelihood that you get what you're looking for?  Slim.  You've been standing in line for awhile now though, and you might as well look and see what else is there, right?  I think it'd be more efficient if you used some of your pre-shopping time to look up 2-4 options for a particular item you want, whether it be a TV or something else.  Do a little more research into each brand, looking up reviews on Amazon or another site to see what people say.  Make sure that your options all carry the features you want.  If all of your options are gone when you get to the store, evaluate what else might be there in your price range but be VERY careful about purchasing any of those items.  There's a reason they're the ones that are still there.

4) Use the internet to post-shop.  Cyber Monday is starting to become a pretty big day in itself, particularly for sites like Amazon who do a significant chunk of their business online (or in Amazon's case, almost all of it).  If you miss something on Black Friday, be patient, as it could pop up on the store's website on Cyber Monday.  Bear in mind, as well, that online stores like Amazon will have deals on Black Friday, so it's worth taking some time to check out what's available.

5) Have fun!  Black Friday shouldn't be stressful, as if you miss on your item that day, it's certainly not the end of the world.  Find joy in the day that gets people off their butts, working off some of those Thanksgiving calories and looking for great deals, just like you are.  Black Friday has its evils, but part of what it represents is the blessings we get to have in this great nation.  Getting the chance to shop on Black Friday is an opportunity that so few people in the world get to have, and we shouldn't waste this opportunity by letting ourselves get frustrated or stressed.

Enjoy this week, give thanks for all of the blessings in your life, and happy shopping!

Dissecting the Appeal of "Gangnam Style"

How did this happen?  Seriously.  I can't believe that I can sit here at the beginning of November and tell people that a Korean pop song finally made it big in the United States.  I'm so excited for... wait.  Not that song.  It can't be that song.  You've gotta be kidding me.

Dress classy, dance cheesy.

It's November 2nd and nearly 625 million hits later, "Gangnam Style" has integrated itself into American culture.  Spoofs of it pop up everywhere.  It gets mentioned on some talk show almost everyday.  Flash mobs all over the world are recording their exploits with "Gangnam Style", and this country still hasn't had enough.  It doesn't make sense... or does it?

I firmly believe that if someone had shown me this video prior to its explosion in popularity, I could've predicted that it would become viral.  I mean, let's be clear: nobody thought this video would reach this level of virality.  Viralness.  Whatever.  However, American audiences have become fairly predictable, and there are several elements of "Gangnam Style" that fit the bill of exactly what becomes viral here in the States.  Don't get me wrong: "Gangnam Style"s popularity isn't limited to America, but this is where I live and thus, where I can pretend I know what I'm talking about.

So let's get to it: here is my short list of reasons (in order) why "Gangnam Style" appeals to the masses.

1) The dance - This is easily the top reason why this video went viral.  If you have passable music, all that you need is a set of simple-looking dance moves that the audience can replicate.  I'm willing to call PSY "brilliant" for the moves he brought to this video, because he takes something that is relatively simple and makes it look good (and we all think we can do it, but only a few of us can make it look that good).  We don't want something that's just simple; that's what things like the Chicken Dance are for.  "Gangnam Style" is this decade's "Macarena"; simple moves that can still somehow be butchered, but good dancers (like Psy) can make the moves effective.

2) The odd moments in the video - For those of you who either understand the lyrics or have looked up a translation, you know that "Gangnam Style" is actually, in itself, a parody of Korean culture.  Gangnam is the major affluent region of Seoul, and in this song/video, PSY attacks it with humor, not unlike many American songs that take shots at the Hollywood life.  The quirky scenes found in the video actually serve a purpose when you understand the song.  However, for the majority of us who watched this video and had no idea what he was singing about, we couldn't help but giggle at the random things we saw in this video.  We're not wrong or anything; remember, this song is meant to be a parody.  Just don't pretend like you thought those scenes were "legit", which leads to my next point...

3) The basics of the song - It's become very clear in today's U.S. that, for the most part, Americans don't really care what the words are as long as there's a good beat.  That's obviously not true for every song, but "Gangnam Style" certainly falls into that genre.  It has a great dance beat, enhanced by the rhythm of PSY's rapping (which, by the way, half of the appeal of today's rapping seems to be rhythm, given how hard it is to understand what some guys are saying).  It also has 1-3 catchy, memorable lines in it, even for the American audience, that every popular and catchy song requires, e.g. "Hey Macarena!", "Superman!" (Soulja Boy), and "Teach Me How To Dougie" (all three of these are great relative examples for point 1, as well).

4) PSY - PSY has actually been around for some time (according to Wikipedia, he has 6 albums already) and it shows in the way this song and video are constructed.  His overarching philosophy of "dress classy, dance cheesy" comes into play in this video and in his stature itself.  Those elements are actually what make PSY such an appealing character in the music world; he's not the best looking dude or the best singer around, but he knows it and he runs with it.  He deserves a lot of credit for pulling this entire trend off.

That last point brought up an interesting point that I'm not going to dive into too deeply.  Race plays a part in this, whether we admit it or not.  If we supplanted PSY and put in a white dude in his place, keeping all else the same, everyone would be berating said white guy for his racism.  Yes, that's obvious, but think about what that implies about you and your enjoyment of this video (because the song itself wouldn't have been popular; the video enhances it, big time).  What initially bothered me about this video was that of all of the music that has ever come out of Korea, this particular song/video was the initiator of the genre's popularity.  Now, K-Pop was growing in America, but PSY took it to new heights and for that, I appreciate him.  However, many Korean artists have tried to find success in America and failed and many of them, in my opinion, released better songs than "Gangnam Style".  So it took a bunch of Korean people acting goofy and filming strange scenes to a dance beat for Americans to catch on?  If you think I'm implying too much about race here, that's fine; I merely just want you to consider it and how much of a stereotype in your mind may have been built or reinforced by this video.

In the end, I'm fine with this song.  As I said, it's got a catchy beat and a memorable hook, and that's exactly how you sell a song in today's culture.  I commend PSY for the song, the video, the publicity, and everything he did to help the popularity of this song and video explode.  I'm just a little concerned about the reasons why this video is the biggest thing in the United States to come out of Korea.  Food for thought, I hope.

Anyway, that does it for today.  I hope you enjoyed this look into one of today's biggest trends.  And seriously, go try the dance in front of the mirror.  It really is hard to make it look good.

Disney Buys Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion, Star Wars: Episode 7?

I had a different idea for today's post, but I'll now save it for next week or perhaps later this week, as today's news is big and I wanted to get to it quickly.

The Disney corporation announced this afternoon that they will be buying Lucasfilm, the composite company owned by Star Wars creator George Lucas, for $4.05 billion.  The terms of the deal apparently state that Lucas will receive roughly half in cash and half in Disney stock.  This essentially seems to be Lucas' retirement letter as an owner, perhaps devoting his attention to rest and directing a few more films.  Bear in mind that Lucasfilm, as previously stated, includes not only the movie studio, but LucasArts, Industrial Light and Magic, and Skywalker Sound, all of whom have a pretty significant stamp in the entertainment industry.  Luckily, Disney claims that all current Lucasfilm employees will remain in their positions.

Coupled with this announcement was the further promotion of the idea of Star Wars: Episode 7, announced to be released in 2015.  George Lucas seems to be detaching himself from the franchise, stating that he "always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me" and it is "now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers."

I've been a Star Wars fan for a long time.  In terms of fantasy and science fiction, Star Wars may be the lore that I've invested the most time and effort in, as the characters and the underlying culture of the movies has always fascinated me.  Though I felt that episodes 1-3 of Star Wars were half-hearted and low quality, I am actually quite excited and hopeful for episode 7.  2015 is soon enough that the current trends should maintain, and I believe that the trends are positive for the reboot of an older franchise.  Credit for this hope goes to one franchise: Batman. 

We miss you, Luke Skywalker.

The most current Batman movies have been spectacular, bringing us away from the campy and cheesy generation of super hero movies (cough, Fantastic Four) and helping to usher in a generation of deeper quality (like the new Spiderman film compared to the older ones).  I believe that because of this newer generation, as well as the harsh criticisms given to episodes 1-3, episode 7 has the potential to be a good movie that helps to bring another generation of people to the expansive Star Wars universe.

Will Disney's presence affect Star Wars: Episode 7?  Possibly, but I can only see that being a positive.  If you think about it, Disney has done a great job as of late catering to a wide range of audiences with their films.  They generated emotional moments while understanding how to capture the light-heartedness that makes Disney movies, well, Disney movies.  And come on: Disney owns ABC, ESPN, and others; they know what adults like too.

For my next entry, I will attempt to dissect the biggest trend of the Fall, "Gangnam Style", and why it appeals to the American masses.  Til then!

Stop Looking Up to the Superstar Athlete

You may have heard that earlier today, Lance Armstrong was stripped of all seven of his Tour de France titles for his role in a massive doping scheme during his run as cycling's biggest star.  He also recently stepped down as chairman of Livestrong and his endorsers have been letting him go one by one, with Oakley being the latest company to let him go.  Look at this quote I pulled from ESPN:

"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling, and he deserves to be forgotten in cycling," said Pat McQuaid, president of the International Cycling Union.  It's almost unbelievable.  I lived through the Lance Armstrong years, when his recovery from cancer was an inspiration for many.  Until we learned of his cheating, many considered his seven straight Tour de France titles as one of the greatest achievements in sports.  Look where we stand now.

This is only the latest case of the bungled decision-making of the superstar athlete.  More and more, it's becoming clear that Charles Barkley's famous words from a 1990's commercial, "I'm not a role model", actually should hold true for the majority of the athletes we follow.  Luckily, there are those stars who hold their image and their stature, held up by their strong morals, but we're coming upon too many big names making too many big mistakes.  Lance Armstrong.  Tiger Woods.  Roger Clemens.  Michael Vick.  These guys have been showing some dark colors along the way, and though some, like Vick, appear to have gotten past their errors, we'll never forget what they've put us through as fans.

My favorite athlete growing up was Michael Jordan.  His pure skill, his competitiveness, and his superstar stature made him the object of heroism for many around the world.  He may have been the greatest basketball player ever but beyond that, he may have had the strongest influence on culture of any athlete in the history of sports.  Michael Jordan the basketball player was spectacular, and I'll always carry those wonderful memories of his ventures.

He believes he can fly.

Michael Jordan the human being, however, has proven to be anything but a hero.  He's well known now for his gambling addiction, and his Hall of Fame speech had "cocky jerk" written all over it.  It's difficult for me to keep the two separate in my mind now; how can I think about Michael Jordan and his exploits without including both the good and the bad?

As I said, not all athletes stumble in this way, and you can't blame these stars too much for having faults.  They're human and beyond that, they're put under a tremendous amount of pressure.  The biggest mistakes seem to occur when these guys know how big of a star they are.  They think that they are gods and can do anything and everything they want to.  If I had that much power, I'd like to think that I'd hold to my morals, but who knows: maybe these guys thought the same thing before they got to the top.

Anyway, Lance Armstrong's downfall merely reminds me that kids today need better role models.  Other upstanding athletes or entertainers could step up but in reality, it's each of us that needs to act as those role models.  If I had simply followed Michael Jordan's footsteps while growing up, where would I be now?  Probably not writing this post in the comfort of my home.  Winning is desirable, but winning doesn't count when you cheat, and Lance Armstrong has finally faced the consequences.  Thanks be to God for that.

Game Companies Prep for Holiday Season

Time to go back to my bread and butter for this week's post.  We all know that Halloween is just a few weeks away, meaning that Thanksgiving is a few more weeks away.  Most importantly, this means that Black Friday is a few more weeks plus a day away, and this day usually marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season.  This time of year is when all things of all types start to fly off the shelves, but my focus today will be on what I know.  Believe it or not, video games have probably become one of the primary purchasing categories of the holiday seasons, for all ages, due to their relatively cheap price point and entertainment value.  Let's look at what companies are doing to prepare for the holiday season.

Many of you know (or many of you may not know) that Nintendo is planning to release its next system, called the Wii-U, this holiday season.  Here's what it looks like:

So what's the story with this guy?  Well, on the left is the big sell of this new system: the tablet controller.  Nintendo has already shown us examples of how this device will be implemented: for example, in the flagship Mario game for the new system, 4 players will use normal Wii remotes to play, while a fifth player can assist by using the tablet to draw helpful items; this will be translated onto the TV screen so that the other four players can see and use it.  The Wii-U tablet will also allow users to play games on the tablet, in case someone else wants to use the TV.

The Wii-U will finally bring Nintendo's system technology into this generation (that's right, THIS generation, not next), with hardware comparable to a slightly improved Xbox 360.  With this product, Nintendo sticks to their mantra of making games that sell by being engaging, not by being pretty or "hardcore".  The Wii-U will release with models selling at $299 and $349.

However, with the release of this new system, other companies (and Nintendo themselves, more on that in a second) are implementing price cuts to try and maintain the pace.  The Xbox 360's selling price will be cut by $50, allowing folks to also buy packages that include the system and a game or two.  The Xbox 360 has always been the cheaper of the "power" systems, and this price cut ought to really give it a nice push in this year's holiday competition.  If only it weren't for...

Nintendo.  The Wii (without the U) will still be on the market, even though game development for it will soon come to a halt.  The Wii's price will drop to $130 (I add an underline because of how epic this is), which includes a controller and two very popular games, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort.  If I didn't already have a Wii, this package would be highly enticing, and I'm sure that families all over the world will be tempted by this price cut.  I mean, if you can wait a bit on the Wii-U, why not just buy the Wii now and play it for a while, and you can take most of the equipment you purchase for the Wii and transfer it to the new version, whenever you get it?  Sounds like a pretty simple plan to me.  The Wii still has a pretty strong lineup of games to play for all ages, so I won't be surprised if the elder Wii at the cheaper price point has itself another strong selling season.

So beyond the surplus of good games that come out during the holiday season, the price cuts we'll see for the older systems, and the brand new Wii-U, a lot is happening this holiday season to entice gamers and non-gamers alike to spend their money on this brand of entertainment.

Oh, and what got me started on this article?  Dance Central 3 is out soon and is receiving solid reviews as usual.  The Kinect has surprised me in how well it's done and how solid the product is.  I will certainly be tempted to buy one, with Dance Central 3, this holiday season.  What games/systems are you looking forward to?

Have a great day and I'll see you next time!

The Value of Your Purchase

Sorry for not writing last week, but this entry has been frustrating to write.  I've mostly done it to myself: I had an idea to present, but realized that it had no purpose or value.  So I molded the idea a bit to attempt to present something worthwhile, but it still wasn't coming to me.  Finally, I've arrived at a conclusion for this post and it's much simpler than my original idea.

Suppose, for example's sake, that you are sitting in your room on Friday night at 5pm and have no idea what you want to do that night.  Your tendency will be to go to your fall-back activity, like reading, watching TV, or playing video games.  Sometimes that's sufficient, but sometimes you wanna do something else.  However, in our cash-strapped economy, it can be hard for us to feel OK spending a little more money to do something else.  Whether it's your fall-back activity or something new, there's usually a monetary value tied to it.  Different realms of activity present different costs, so how do we compare one from the other?  It's simple: cost per hour.

Take the cost of whatever your activity of choice is and simply divide it by the number of hours you think you will spend (or the number of hours you have spent, if you're looking at something you've already done) to find the cost per hour.  Using this value, you can get a gauge of the monetary value you're extracting from the activity.  For instance, the average movie in the theater is roughly 2 hours long.  The average price of a ticket these days is probably around $10; thus, a movie costs $5/hr.  Again, nice and simple.

So what does this number mean?  Really, it means what you want it to mean.  It always depends on how much value you put on the activity; for instance, how much fun you think you'll have (or have already had) with the purchase.  If you're sitting in your room on Friday night and trying to decide between a few activities, the cost per hour is a great place to start, to give yourself a base numeric value for each activity.  You can use this base value in combination with your perception of the "value" of the activity to figure out which activity you think will be most "worth it".

I feel blessed when I can look back on some of my purchases and find that I got incredible value out of them.  For instance, the Popcap game Plants v. Zombies is a popular tower defense game available on almost every system imaginable, including phones.  I paid $2.50 on Steam (a game organization service, for those who are unaware) for the game and ended up spending roughly 45 hours on it (with perhaps more to come).  I enjoyed those hours I spent too, as I have always enjoyed the mild strategy of tower defense games.  It makes me feel better to think about Plants v. Zombies from the cost per hour perspective: $2.50 at 45 hours is roughly $0.05/hr.  Let's be real here: there aren't a lot of things that'll keep you entertained at $0.05/hr, for 45 hours.

There's a zombie on your lawn.

You can also use these values to make yourself a more conscious spender.  I purchased Assassin's Creed: Revelations for roughly $30 last year on Black Friday.  I enjoyed the previous Assassin's games and felt that Revelations was a sure bet.  I was wrong: the game was too thick, attempting to incorporate too many activities and becoming a slow, monotonous experience.  I played that game for maybe a total of 5 hours before I traded it in.  That means that AC: Revelations was about $6/hr.  Still not a terrible number, but nowhere near as valuable as the $0.05/hr presented by Plants v. Zombies.  Now, Assassin's Creed 3 is releasing very soon and though it looks like an even surer bet than Revelations, I will do my research online before I purchase it, remembering my previous failed purchase.

Fail, Ezio.  Fail.

Let me remind you once again that this number, the cost per hour, is up to your own interpretation.  If you really enjoyed a certain movie, then $5/hr was well worth it.  If you purchased a book for $2.50 but couldn't read it for more than 30 minutes, then the roughly $5/hr you spent there seems like a failed purchase.

In conclusion, a number like cost per hour could be useless but within your interpretation could be very useful as well.  Calculating numbers like the cost per hour will, at the very least, slow you down and make you think through your purchases a little more carefully.  That's why, among other reasons, people keep budgets.

I hope this was helpful to you and I will try to write again this week to make up for missing last week.  Enjoy your day!

A Brief Statement on the NFL's Referee Situation

As the title says, this'll be brief.  I won't pretend to know all of the details.

If you saw the highlight from the final play of the Seahawks-Packers game last night, you'd think that the situation has hit rock bottom.  Seattle WR Golden Tate may have committed an offensive pass interference penalty even before the moment in question, but the way the rules are stated, it is clear that because Golden Tate gained possible possession of the football after the Packers defender, it should have been ruled an interception, rather than a touchdown.

We need Ed Hochuli and his guns back ASAP.

I, like you, would like to hope that the positive in this situation is that the NFL will work harder with the referees to get them back into the game.  Beyond ruining the integrity of the game, the lack of experience (some would say ability, as well) for the replacement refs is going to make the game more and more dangerous as the weeks carry on.  Sadly, it was believed that the NFL was assigning the best replacement refs to the bigger games, including Sunday and Monday night football games.

Remember that when the players were on lockout last year, the consensus is that the finalized deal favored the owners more so than the players.  I expect that the owners will use that as motivation to continue to avoid bending when dealing with the normal referees union, and that the finalized deal, whether it occurs soon or not, will end up favoring the owners once again.

Unfortunately, this play doesn't strike me as hitting rock bottom, because it won't affect a team's bottom line.  They're still gonna sell tickets, people are still gonna tune in to watch, and advertisers are still gonna pay to show their commercials during the game.  The NFL is a powerful product that is nearly unbreakable here in America.

Perhaps I'm wrong, and perhaps we'll hear about some positive progress in the coming days, in hopes that the refs return soon.  However, I remain skeptical because when it comes down to it, the NFL is a business to these owners, and business is running as usual for the time being.

What the heck, man? The Ostrich Pillow

Today's WTHM makes me giggle, but I don't think I'm particularly against it yet.  I just hope it brings you joy like it did for me.

Article: This time, our source material can be summed up in this video.


Summary: I mean, the video's only about two minutes long, so you should take a second to watch and get the gist.

Notables: At first sight, I wasn't sure how the breathing/circulation would work, but then I saw that they made a face hole, so that helps.  The arm holes are probably there to give you some more support as you put your head down on the desk.  Seemingly, this is meant to be a full coverage pillow so that you can fall asleep with your head against any surface.

Opinion: No matter how you feel about the merit of this product, there's no denying that it has a goofy look.  I got a particular laugh watching the person sitting the train, appearing to fall asleep with the ostrich pillow on their head.  The video sells the idea that a power nap will increase your productivity by 34% per day, but that really depends on how they measure productivity.  However, regardless of what the actual statistic is, I think that sleep (or at the very least, mental rest) definitely increases productivity.

I'm not willing to just shrug this one off as a goofy product because I actually like the idea behind it.  I am always a proponent of getting more sleep, though I do understand that some people are the type that just need more time to accomplish what they're trying to do.  I wonder what the odds are that the pillow can come with a built-in alarm, as I know most people struggle when it comes to exiting the power nap.

Nonetheless, it's a novel idea and if the price isn't too high, I think I'd like to try one myself, even though I rarely sleep with my head down on the desk.  Maybe the ostrich pillow will help me start doing that and consequently, taking shorter naps.  I think the last nap I took was 3 and 1/2 hours.

I hope you enjoyed this entry and upon seeing the product, laughed and expressed the same sentiment I did: What the heck, man?

Men's Tennis is Amazing

Hey folks.  It's been awhile since I've posted an entry, simply because the restart of school has kept me pretty busy.  And of course, by busy, I mean trudging through the wealth of content in my advanced accounting classes, then letting my brain rest by playing video games.  It's a hard life, I know.

The US Open ended recently, with Serena Williams finishing her awesome summer with yet another big victory, and Andy Murray claiming his first major championship by defeating the best hard court player in the world right now, Novak Djokovic.  Watching parts of the Murray-Djokovic showdown reminded me of my love for tennis, and the excitement that these players can produce.  I, like many, prefer watching men's tennis, as the game is faster and more powerful.  Today I wanted to share some thoughts as to why I think we are in a can't-miss era of men's tennis, and why we need to continue to watch the scene closely.

Andy Murray won his first major championship match after falling short four times, most recently at Wimbledon when Roger Federer took his throne back, going through Murray.  Many have felt for awhile that Murray's time to reign would be soon, but you can't blame the guy for continually getting to semi-finals and finals and falling just short.  It's time to once again share my favorite sports statistic: since 2006 and prior to Murray's win, only one man not named Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic (Juan Martin Del Potro) had won a major.  2006, people.  Do you remember 2006?  It was my first year of college.  The Super Bowl that year featured the Steelers and Seahawks.  It's been a long time.  Think about it: four majors every year, and three men have been winning all of the tournaments for the last six years.

So why is that appealing?  It's all of the little moments that have come with this tireless reign that have defined this exciting time in men's tennis.  Djokovic didn't fully blossom until a couple years ago, and he had an impressive and dominant year last year.  Before him, Federer and Nadal dominated the scene, seemingly appearing in every single major final.  The rivalry was emotional and strong, and seeing these two battle on the grandest stages of tennis was spectacular.  Other guys like Murray, Del Potro, and Robin Soderling have hinted at dethroning the triumvirate over the years, pulling the occasional upset over one member of the big three, only to fall short against another one of them (with the exception of Del Potro and now Murray).

Now that Murray has taken his place as a true contender, winning the gold medal in London and now the US Open, I can't wait for what next year will hold.  Murray and the big three have been mainstays in major tournament semifinals over the years, and it wouldn't be farfetched to see these four guys in the finals of the next major, the Australian Open, again.  Once they get there, it becomes unpredictable.  You never know which of these four guys will have the best game on any given day.  With Federer aging and Nadal dealing with injuries, many believe it is now time for the Djokovic/Murray rivalry to hold center stage in 2013.  Others believe that Federer and Nadal are certainly not done yet, and will come back rested and ready at the start of next year.

No matter how it may turn out, I can't wait for the next tennis season to roll around.  We are in a time where four men are in a class above all of the rest.  Will they hold court?  Will new talent emerge and break through?  Are Federer and Nadal going to pass the torch and ride off into the sunset, or are they going to take over again in 2013?  Murray's win at the US Open has left all of us tennis fans salivating for the next season, and you would be foolish not to turn in and catch the excitement.

The Ultimate Battle: Ham vs Canadian Bacon

Recently, the heart attack juggernaut that is Hardees (or Carl's Jr. for you Westerners) has been advertising its new Bacon Bacon Biscuit.  Canadian bacon, egg, cheese, and two strips of bacon are the components for this new breakfast creation that admittedly, doesn't sound all that bad.  But it got me to thinking: haven't we seen sandwiches in the past that feature both ham and bacon?  Aren't Canadian bacon and ham essentially the same thing?  What's the big deal?

Mmm, bacon.  Twice.

Well, let's clear up the differences first.  Canadian bacon is actually often referred to as "back bacon" outside of the U.S., which helps to reinforce the idea that Canadian bacon actually comes from the back of the pig, whereas ham comes from the hind quarter of the pig (the area referred to as the "ham", actually).  In the U.S., Canadian bacon and ham are generally cut and cured in a similar fashion, which is why we associate the two so closely.  As an aside, "country ham" is usually cured with just salt and has a different flavor.  Oh, the things you learn while researching online.

Is one superior to the other?  I guess it would all depend on your preference and the situation.  Let's suppose that, like me, you're a big fan of Hawaiian pizza.  Which would go better with the pineapple, ham or Canadian bacon?  I actually prefer ham on my Hawaiian pizza, as Canadian bacon will more often come with tougher edges, and I don't like it when I need to chew a lot.  However, on a breakfast sandwich, such as the Bacon Bacon Biscuit, I feel like I'd actually prefer the toughness of Canadian bacon.

You can put your hand down; this is just a picture.

So is this really a battle?  Will one win out over the other?  Yes; otherwise, I should probably just stop writing this.  I believe that Canadian bacon is, as a whole, superior to ham in American culture.  We've seen that it's not necessarily better in taste or texture, so where does it win?  Marketing.  Think about if the Bacon Bacon Biscuit was, instead, the Ham Bacon Biscuit.  If it had appeal before, it probably just lost it when converting it to ham, right?  Bacon (that is, regular U.S. bacon) has an almost heralded status in the U.S. as a luxury food.  I've said it before: bacon is to men as chocolate is to women and because of that, the use of the word "bacon" with any food often amplifies the appeal of it.

Thus, I think Canadian bacon retains a large marketing advantage over ham.  Ham is just another deli meat to most of us: we buy those little packs of it in the back of grocery stores and we put it in our very simple sandwiches that we pack for lunch the next day.  Ham is ordinary to us.  Canadian bacon, on the other hand, is more rare.  Most people only really associate it with Hawaiian pizza, or the occasional breakfast sandwich.  This rareness alone gives it greater marketing power, but add to it that the word "bacon" is in the title of the food, and it certainly carries a greater appeal than ham.

Those are my thoughts.  I'd love to hear yours.  And let me know if you ever go try that Bacon Bacon Biscuit.  It's probably a delight.

What the heck, man?: A Burned Bum

WTHM finally returns with a story that made me chuckle.

Article: http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/8276263/dallas-cowboys-hot-water-burned-fan-files-lawsuit-team

Summary: While in attendance for a Dallas Cowboys team scrimmage in August 2010, one female fan suffered third-degree burns on her butt from sitting on a bench outside the stadium.  It was over 100 degrees that day and the particular bench she sat on was black marble.  Her lawyer claims that this incident has caused "mental anguish, physical pain and disfigurement as a result of her wounds."  The Dallas Cowboys organization declined to comment.

Jason Witten's like.. really?

Notables: Cowboy Stadium is one of the most expensive stadiums in the entire world, so you figure that the perimeter of the stadium is kept just as nicely as the inside.  The woman claims that she did not realize the extent of the injuries until receiving medical attention.  There were no warning signs posted that suggest that the benches could get very hot.  She did not stay for the game.

Opinion: As odd as this story is, the WTHM award for this one goes to the Cowboys; at least, whoever decided to put black marble benches outside of the stadium in the Dallas sun and not provide a warning.  We live in a culture where people can win lawsuits if you don't properly put things like "peel before eating" on your food.  You gotta have enough foresight to put warning signs for your benches because regardless of what color they are, they could get hot.  The fact that this lady suffered burns and couldn't tell until she received medical attention is a bit of a stretch for me, but stranger things have happened.

Lemme clear my throat because it's been awhile but for this story, I say... What the heck, man?

Fantasy Football 2012 Primer, pt. 5: Drafting Guidelines

Let's cap this off with a look at a few of my guidelines for drafting in fantasy.  In reality, fantasy football is heavily based on luck, but as with any game of luck, there are ways to play the odds and put luck on your side.  My guidelines don't really change much from year to year, as they aren't based as much on the crop of players and are based more so on the drafter (you!).  Here we go.

The League: very funny show, heavily based on fantasy football.

1) Draft who you want, whenever you want: It might seem simple, but don't let the ESPN or Yahoo! or whoever rankings influence you too much.  If you're sitting there in the second round and you don't like the "recommended" pick, and there happens to be a guy who might be there in the third round when it's your pick again, but might not, go grab him now.  It's that simple.  You're naturally going to be much happier with a team of players that you wanted from the start, rather than a group of guys you picked because "it made sense with the rankings".

2) Don't draft a kicker until the last round: Even though I just gave you rule #1, this is the one policy I have from year to year.  Statistics show that the difference between the guy who finishes first among kickers and the guy who finishes fifteenth among kickers is generally insignificant.  They are the most unpredictable part of fantasy and there is greater value in drafting sleepers or solid backups before picking up your kicker.  As the season progresses, the waiver wire will fill with guys who average 2-3 more points per game in the kicker spot so if the kicker you draft is that bad, you can replace him.  For example, Stephen Gostkowski of the Patriots is the #1 ranked kicker this year.  If Brady and the gang are scoring touchdowns, Gostkowski's production is gonna fall and naturally, he will not have been worth picking up before the last round.

3) Keep an eye on the trends during your draft: Following along with rule #1 again, keep an eye on possible trends before your pick comes up again.  If there's a run on RB's or WR's, the guy you wanted two rounds from now might not be there if you wait, so you should go ahead and grab him now.  I do want to note that it would be nice to not have to fall victim to drafting trends, but rule #1 is first for a reason, and trends will sometimes dictate that you reach with your pick a little bit.

4) If you need to, take your entire draft time to make your pick: Whether your pick lengths are 60, 90, or 120 seconds, feel free to take all of the time you need to pick.  I know, others in your league might get annoyed if you're doing this constantly, but ideally, you're using the full frame of time to plan ahead a little bit as well.  Be courteous, but don't cave in to complaints either.  They're allowed to take the full amount of time too.

So that'll do it for this series.  If I do this again, I'm gonna get it started a bit earlier in the summer, as I felt a bit rushed in research.  I felt the quality of my presentation may have suffered a bit because of that as well.  Let me know if this was helpful for you or not; I'd love to continue it from year to year (probably in a smaller amount of entries).  Good luck on your drafts and your league this year!

Fantasy Football 2012 Primer, pt. 4: Sleepers

In our second-to-last part of the primer, we're going to take a look at some sleeper picks that I have for this season.  Truth be told, just about anyone past the first few rounds could be considered a sleeper.  Fantasy football is about educated guesses and luck; you never know where the next big sleeper performer will come from.  That said, here's a list of picks that I project to produce this year.  Remember, since we're talking sleepers, I'm gonna avoid talking about guys that will probably be picked in the first 3-4 rounds.

Quarterbacks:

Jay Cutler, CHI - I've never been a big fan of Cutler, but adding a coach and his favorite wide receiver from his golden years in Denver, as well as playing in a division with weak pass defenses, bodes well for him this year.

Josh Freeman, TB - Let's not forget how productive he was two seasons ago.  One bad season won't a bust make.

Mark Sanchez, NYJ - I'm choosing to believe in Sanchez this year.  So far, all I've seen from him is the right attitude about the Tebow situation.  Mental strength is gonna be big for him.

Running backs:

Isaac Redman, PIT - Though the last couple years have looked different, the Steelers are still a team that want to run the ball.  Rashard Mendenhall, the presumed starter, has a poor injury history.  Give me the consistently healthy bruiser.

Peyton Hillis, KC - What we're finding around the league is that many backs actually perform better when splitting carries.  Hillis carried the load for Cleveland last year and got worn down.  He and Jamaal Charles should both be productive this year.

Mike Goodson, OAK - Same idea as the other two.  Darren McFadden is an explosive talent, but has never been consistently healthy.  Goodson performed well in Carolina behind the tandem, and has a chance to contribute for a sleeper Oakland team.

Wide Receivers:

Go Titus!

Torrey Smith, BAL - It's no secret that Joe Flacco likes to throw deep, and this is his primary deep threat.  I'm hoping Flacco has improved his deep accuracy and that Smith will get more chances.

Titus Young, DET - It figures that I'd give my Lions some love, but with all of the extra attention on Calvin Johnson this year (not to mention his presence on the Madden cover... I believe in it!), Young will get more opportunities.  He's one year better; let's hope he shows it.

Stephen Hill, NYJ - This is really reaching deep, but Stephen Hill is another one of those Georgia Tech receivers (Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas) and the Jets have a thin receiving core.  Rookie receivers are always dangerous in fantasy football, but Hill has an opportunity to step in and contribute.

Tight Ends:

Jacob Tamme, DEN - It doesn't matter that Peyton Manning and Tamme have played together in the past.  Whoever Peyton's tight end is has a great chance to be productive.

Kyle Rudolph, MIN - Christian Ponder is entering his second season, after a rookie campaign where he showed some good signs as the quarterback.  Rudolph will be one of his primary targets this year.

Defenses/Kickers:

Nothing to say here.  Both defenses and kickers are often a crapshoot (except for the top few defenses).  Don't pick them til late.

Next week, we close the series with my guidelines for drafting.  Enjoy your weekend!

Fantasy Football 2012 Primer, pt. 3: Quarterbacks

Just as the NFL has become a more pass-happy, quarterback-centric league, quarterbacks in fantasy football have become more of a commodity.  The QB is the one player on your roster who is the likeliest to carry your team to victory in a week, as it isn't rare for the most elite fantasy QBs to give you an average of 25-30 points a week.  This being the case, you'd think that the QB is the most valuable player on your team, and the first position you should fill, right?  Not necessarily.  Let's explore.

*Note: As with all of these entries, my strategies are based on ESPN standard roster formats (1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 RB/WR, 1 TE, 1 D/ST, 1 K).  These strategies don't necessarily hold for other formats, but might.  And the link to the cheat sheet again: http://games-ak.espn.go.com/s/ffldraftkit/12/NFLDK2K12_StandCS.pdf?addata=2012=ffldft_chtsht_standpos_xxx

Because of their powerful point production capabilities (and my awesome alliteration), top-level QBs have become highly valuable commodities.  More and more offenses are employing pass-heavy gameplans, and the more you put the ball in the quarterback's hands, the more points he is likely to put up.

I've always been against the idea of drafting a QB early, but this year is different.  I think that there are five guys worth consideration in the first two rounds this year (the top 5 guys on the ESPN cheat sheet): Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Stafford, and Newton.  It helps that the RB and WR positions don't feel quite as deep as they've been in the past, but these five guys put up monster numbers last year, and there's nothing that suggests they won't do the same again.

Let's look at Newton, because he's an interesting case.  In most standard format drafts, Newton went undrafted last year.  Expectations were low for the #1 overall pick in the draft, as many felt his talents were raw and undeveloped.  Newton broke out in a big way and has already become one of the most feared offensive players in the league.  And then what about my boy Stafford?  The Lions team broke out last year, with Stafford and Megatron carrying the offense, overcoming what little running game they had.  Stafford was a mid-round pick last year, as a backup QB for most teams.

Back to the point.  The reason I've avoided drafting a QB early in past years was simply to increase my depth at RB and WR first.  Those positions are even more flaky than the QB, and making the right early and mid-round picks for them can be the key to getting your fantasy team through the season.  On a standard roster, there are 5 RBs and WRs in play, whereas there is just one QB.  I tend to like my chances of winning through the stable of 5, rather than relying too much on just one man.

So what should you do?  Well, the answer should always be "whatever you want to", but here's my advice: if you want one of the top three or top five guys, go get him; he's not gonna last very long.  If you think another guy has that kinda value, like maybe Michael Vick, feel free to reach a bit for him too.  Whatever the case, know who you want before you go into your draft, and if they're not there when it's your turn to pick, wait for the next guy you want.  Sounds simple but in the heat of the draft, we can occasionally fall victim to drafting trends (e.g. when five people before you take running backs, you end up wanting to do the same).

Next time, we start the good stuff: sleepers!  I'll share some small opinions on a few guys I really like but for the most part, it'll just be a list up for your own interpretation.  See ya then!

Fantasy Football 2012 Primer, pt. 2: The Tim Tebow Question

As promised, today's post will feature the enigma himself, Tim Tebow.  Maybe the most popular backup quarterback ever, Tebow has hit New York and certainly, expectations for his impact there are high.  His lasting impact may end up having nothing to do with football but for the purposes of our discussion today, let's talk football and specifically, fantasy football.

There are a lot of questions in the air in New York regarding Tebow, with the primary focus on Tebow's chances of taking over the starting job as quarterback of the Jets.  Every indication from Jets camp is that the chances are low, but that's exactly what they're supposed to tell you.  Bear in mind that the Jets just invested a medium-length, medium-money contract on Mark Sanchez, so they aren't going to give up on him that easily.

Tim Tebow is the only quarterback in history to have two consecutive seasons of 6 rushing TD's or more.  Is two years enough to mark Tebow as a model of consistency?  Perhaps, especially when you bear in mind that he started neither season as the starting quarterback of his team.  Tebow just has a way of defying the odds, doing the things that you never would've bet on.

This year, he should be viewed no differently.  It's no secret that Mark Sanchez has struggled at times as the starting quarterback for the Jets.  Conceivably, if games start going awry for the Jets, we could even see a timeshare between the two quarterbacks, playing a roughly even number of snaps per game.  And of course, we could even see Tebow take over Sanchez's job, as previously mentioned.  Whatever the case may be, Tebow will see the field in every game this season, as long as he's healthy.  How often, and in what roles?  That's the question, but think of it this way: as the season progresses and becomes more of a grind, every team needs to make adjustments, whether relative to injuries or poor play.  Tebow is an adjustment that can make life hard for opposing defenses, so I don't think it's a stretch to think that there will be games where he plays bigger roles on offense, especially later in the season.

What does this mean in terms of fantasy football?  I'll say this much: as long as he's healthy, I would bet on Tebow rushing for at least 6 TD's again this season.  His point output from week to week could be frustratingly inconsistent; 14 points one week, and 2 the next.  He becomes far more valuable if whatever service you use gives him RB eligibility, as even with that inconsistency, there will be weeks where you could use 2 or 3 points from your flex slot.  Again, he's a situation to watch as the season progresses.  It comes back to adjustments; even if the Jets are having a good season, they're going to want to stay creative to keep their edge.  Tebow is the trump card that every coach wants in their pocket.

Given his near sure-fire value as the season progresses, he's certainly worth a spot on your bench as your backup or 2nd backup quarterback.  Don't pay too much attention to rankings when you're considering where to draft him; his popularity and upside shatters the regular mold, and people will be brave enough to draft him really early.  If you reach a juncture where your possible picks are unappealing, or if you simply have decided to draft your backup quarterback in a certain round and you want Tebow, don't hesitate.

Lastly, due to Tebow's presence, Mark Sanchez is a major boom/bust pick.  What that means is that Sanchez could really flourish this year, given the extra pressure to work hard, or he could be an awful pick.  I would expect to see Tebow taken in most drafts before Sanchez, so feel free to wait on grabbing him and if you have a chance to get him very late in your draft, I don't think it would hurt to give him a try.

Next time, we talk quarterbacks and my unique draft strategy with them.  A WTHM post might make an appearance in between.  Have a good one!

Fantasy Football 2012 Primer, pt. 1: Initial Impressions

With August now upon us and no lockout threatening the season this year, we get to comfortably sit back and anticipate the coming of the football season.  Normally, it seems like football finally arrives after a slow sports summer, but this summer wasn't too bad.  In a summer where we got to see Spain win the Euros (again), all sorts of surprise teams in baseball (I'm looking at you, Pirates and Nationals), Roger Federer reclaiming his throne, Tiger Woods gradually returning to form, and the Olympics, sports haven't been all that bad.

But now it's time to move on to football and America's favorite game, fantasy football.  For the next month, I will be posting entries here and there trying to help get everyone ready for the fantasy football season.  I am certainly no professional at this, but I get enough content thrown into my brain to make some decent estimations.  Throughout this primer, I will be right and I will be wrong and that, my friends, is the beauty of fantasy football.

Now, I will warn you from the start: a lot of my analysis will be based off of ESPN's rankings and points system.  It's the system I've played in for years, and the one I know best.  The resources are pretty easy to access and the site provides enough free analysis for someone like me to feel smarter.  That all said, let's get started.

Link to ESPN's positional cheat sheet:
http://games-ak.espn.go.com/s/ffldraftkit/12/NFLDK2K12_StandCS.pdf?addata=2012=ffldft_chtsht_standpos_xxx

Part 1: Initial Impressions

This first entry is going to be simple.  I am going to look at ESPN's cheat sheets, including their top 300 players and top players by position, and I'm just going to list some of the things that immediately come to mind.  Onward!

1. This year's class of top running backs is really shallow.  I agree that Foster, Rice, and McCoy should be the top three (in that order), but beyond those three guys, who can I feel comfortable with?  Jones-Drew has been a workhorse the past few years and plays in a bad offense, Chris Johnson is coming off a bad year where he slumped, and next up is the oft-injured Ryan Mathews?  If I can't get any of the top three backs, I may seriously have to consider getting a quarterback in the first round.  So much for the years when I'd take my first quarterback in the 10th round.

2. That said, I still wouldn't mind waiting on a quarterback.  Getting a top 10 QB would be nice but if not, I wouldn't mind waiting til the 20th guy (Carson Palmer) or even the 21st (Sam Bradford).

3. Megatron is the #1 receiver!  You bet he is.

4. Gronkowski and Graham are rated really high.  Higher than I remember seeing any tight ends in my time in fantasy.  I got Graham repeatedly in late rounds in my drafts last year.  It's not to say I'll find another Jimmy Graham in the late rounds this year, but tight ends and quarterbacks have always seemed too unpredictable for me to spend early picks on them.  I suppose I should just stick with my usual strategy: if an elite QB or TE doesn't fall in my lap early, build my RB/WR stable and get the other positions later.

Next time, I address the all-important Tim Tebow question, as it relates to the Jets and to fantasy football.  See you then!

What Came First: The Shower or the Food?

Let me lay out a simple scenario and how I feel about the topic, and you can chime in with your feelings in the comments!

I went golfing this morning with my dad.  We were gone from roughly 9:15am until 3pm.  On our way back home, we talked to my mom, who asked if we wanted any food fixed for us.  We did.  On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the hungriest, we were both probably around a 6.  When we got home, I was in a bit of a dilemma: do I wait for the food to finish and eat it first, or do I go take a shower and then eat?

So let's generalize it: you go play a sport or exercise in some fashion and you come home, a little bit past your normal eating time, with a medium level of hunger.  Do you sit down and have something to eat first, or do you take a shower first?

For me, the answer is almost always the shower first.  I don't feel as comfortable eating when my whole body has been sweating for awhile.  It does delay the intake of food, but it just makes me more comfortable to be clean before I eat.

Is it just me, or are some of you like that too?

A Stereotype That Hits Home (and doing away with it!)

On location at the Panera bread here in Charlottesville, VA.  Random place for me to be sitting by myself and blogging, but everyone knows that sitting in a Panera makes you a better writer, so I hope you all find this entry eloquentish.  First of all, I realized I had to turn off my YouTube playlist in order to write this, because I am just awful at doing anything thoughtful while music is playing.

Anyway, to the point.  A few sites online define "stereotype" in a similar fashion, so I'll just borrow from Google: "A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing."  The key here, in my mind, is "widely held"; as much as we avoid it, we all experience instances where we generalize a concept or idea, but the difference is that when we generalize, it is inherently our own personal opinion.  The "popularity", for lack of a better term, of a stereotype is often what makes them so feared and antagonized.  Notice, as well, that stereotypes are not defined as necessarily "negative", though "oversimplified" does imply that idea a little bit.

That last point is why most stereotypes don't bother me.  I don't care if people think I'm smarter than white people.  I don't care if people think I play a lot of video games (because I do).  I care a little when people assume I have an accent or that my name is pronounced in an odd fashion, even when my name is spelled "Jon", but for the most part, racial stereotypes don't bother me.  Today, a stereotype that hits closer to home was embodied very clearly in a recent commercial for KFC:



Seems mostly harmless, right?  I think that's part of the problem I have here, and I also have a problem that somebody reading this might think "Oh, Jon just needs to grow up."

I am bothered by the stereotype that video games embody immaturity.

I know: there's more to this commercial than just that message.  The younger man clearly lives in his parents' basement, which has held a long negative stigma over time.  His living space seems a bit unclean and unruly, and rather than sitting in a real chair, he's just using the stool to his drum set.  Yes, the commercial seems to want to point out that it's the food that's "immature" here, and that the new KFC bites are a mature kind of chicken nugget, but the commercial is carefully crafted around that idea to push that this younger man is clearly an immature character here, and the video games are clearly an embodiment of that idea.

I've recently become a huge fan of an internet series called Extra Credits, where a group of workers in the game industry get together each week to present very intelligent and thoughtful lectures on video games.  They explore topics that both analyze the content of the games themselves, as well as presenting very mature connections that video games have to our culture.  The presentations are well-written and presented in an engrossing and entertaining manner.  Here are a few links to some of my favorite presentations.  I highly suggest watching at least one of them, particularly if you're gonna continue with me through the rest of this entry.

On the way that games can help us consider a new way of thought:
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/enriching-lives

On the ways that games can help us learn more:
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/tangential-learning

On propaganda in games:
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/propaganda-games

I'll make my point short here, as Extra Credits does a much better job of reinforcing these points through video than I ever could in writing, and I'd rather you spent your time watching them anyway.  As we grow, the things that are considered "grown up" in culture tend to evolve.  Some things remain the same: table manners and classical music, just as a few examples.  Games have evolved, massively, since they first became a mainstream product roughly twenty years ago.  We have video games that tell grand stories, games that put you into extremely realistic worlds, and games that can challenge your mind and your ability to reason.  Just as these games have evolved, we have to evolve our perception of them.  Long ago, they may have been made and marketed for children, but with the flux of top-level "Mature" rated games, that has certainly changed.  On the other side, games aren't just about sitting and shutting your mind off, shooting every terrorist you see.  If you don't believe me, go play Portal 2.  Braid.  Heck, even Bejeweled.

Video games should not embody immaturity anymore.  We should not give up on games and shrug them off, supposing that they are somehow beneath us.  The industry has come too far for us to take so much credit away from what they've done.  I'm aware that as someone who plays a lot of video games, I could very easily be biased here, and in no way am I implying that video games can't have a negative effect on our lives, but movies, music, and books all carry that same power, that same level of art and blood and sweat and tears, but we don't shrug them off as inherently "immature".

My hope is that if you carry these stereotypes about video games that you would start to work on breaking them down and giving them their fair due, just as I hope you'd do the same for anything else.