I wanted to put some of these to the keyboard during the game, but couldn't pry my ass off the couch to get the computer. Here we go:
1. Don't let this win define your season. My friends in downtown Milwaukee raised a banner announcing they beat Duke a couple years ago. My girls won a relay meet mid-season this past year and I told them the same thing...don't let this be the high point. I'm not old enough to call this the biggest win in school history, but it has to rank up there.
2. Senior guards carry a team. You hear the talk every March about the team with the senior guards, and this year the Badgers have those senior guards. Hughes was a monster tonight and if Bohannon finds his outside shot this team is a tough match-up.
3. Jordan Taylor looks lost without Hughes on the floor with him. There was a spurt at about the 3-5 minute mark of the second half where Hughes was out of the game and Taylor looked lost. Taylor was playing the PG position with Hughes in the game, but he just looked lost when Hughes was on the bench. Hopefully he builds some confidence.
4. Ryan Evans reminds me of Maurice Linton. Not just because they wear the same number, but because I want to scream "PASS!" every time he gets the ball. As a student in the late '90's I got into this habit every time Linton touched the ball. Evans is athletic, but he is raw. He doesn't seem to have a good handle on the ball and he forces shots. Strange to see such a lack of fundamentals on a Bo Ryan team. Even stranger to see him on the court at the end of the game. Good thing Bo has 3+ years with him. Did I mention he is athletic.
5. I saw offense-defense substitutions for the first time I can ever remember at the end of the game. Next thing you know the Badgers are going to come out in a zone. Hopefully Bill Raftery is not calling that game...he won't know what to do.
6. It is only December 2nd, but the Badgers have played their way into the tournament if they are on the bubble. Neutral court wins against Arizona and Maryland and a win against Duke look pretty darn good on a resume come March.
7. It was really hard to stay quiet during this one. Two sleeping kids and a sleeping wife upstairs, along with a sleeping dog next to me on the couch forced my silence tonight.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Break-In Update
Over the past couple days I thought we had a lead in the case. My laptop has a remote access program called Log Me In installed on it. It basically lets me see and control my computers from any internet connection. Also, this program shows me the IP address where the computer is gaining internet access.
Maybe it is my naivete or lack of knowledge of how the criminal justice system works, but here is how I would see things going down...according to my warped TV crime show view of life. Following that is what has actually happened.
IN MY PERFECT WORLD
I provide police with IP address.
Police obtain subpoena for internet provider to hand over street address associated with said IP address.
Police obtain warrant based on suspicion that stolen property is at said address.
Police execute warrant and find at least laptop on property.
I get my laptop back and am able to recover missing swim team information, thus saving me hours of manual labor of re-typing meet results back into Team Manager.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
Early Monday evening I noticed that the stolen laptop was accessing the internet from the same IP address. This tells me that the laptop is in the same location, or at least in possession of the same person.
I call MPD district #6 to give them the information, thinking that it would be valuable for any investigation that may be happening. I am put into the voice mail of Detective Lips. I leave a message stating I have what I think is valuable information in my case and would appreciate a call back.
As of 8am Tuesday, I still had not heard back from the Detective. I call District 6 again and they tell me that my information will be passed on to an officer at the district since Officer Muszynski, who originally responded to the first police call, was off. Side note: Officer Muszynski was very polite and helpful throughout the entire process.
As of 11am Tuesday, I still had not received a call back from anyone at District 6. I then decide to call the general non-emergency number for MPD to see if I can get in touch with a person. I finally get in touch with an un-named office. They tell me that my information was passed along to Detective Laura, who was in a meeting, but he would contact me shortly.
At 11:30am Tuesday, I stop in the District 6 office (I was in the neighborhood) to see if I can talk with someone directly about the information I have. A police aide (a former THP I taught a few years back) was extremely helpful and gave me some contact information for the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).
At 1:30 Tuesday, I contact CIB looking for Detective Laura. He calls back and I explain the situation. He asks me to fax him a screen grab of the website that shows the IP address of the stolen computer. I fax him a copy of this (actually Melissa did...thanks again!) at 2:15pm.
At 4:00pm Tuesday, I contact Detective Laura to make sure the fax was received. He indicated he received the fax.
I hear nothing back all day Wednesday. At the end of the day Wednesday, I leave a message for Detective Laura to see if he can update me on anything that may have happened over the past 24 hours. I leave a message on his voice mail.
I also contact Officer Muszynski to see if he has any updates for me. Again, Officer Muszynski was very polite and helpful. The prints that were obtained did not match anyone in the system. I inform him of the contact with Detective Laura and he tells me that he will check into anything that may happen with the IP address and such.
On Wednesday afternoon, I also send an e-mail to Alderman Zielinski and inform him of the story and the feeling I am starting to get that MPD is not overly interested in pursuing what I think is a slam-dunk case against a criminal.
I hear nothing back from anyone all day Thursday.
It is currently 11:45am Friday and I still have heard nothing back from any party. It has also been nearly 48 hours since the computer has accessed the internet.
At this point I think we are at a dead-end. At least I got the insurance check in the mail Wednesday. It looks like we are shopping for a new laptop this weekend.
Side note: We received $249 for the purchase of a new Wii system as part of the insurance payment. Word on the street is that Nintendo is dropping the price of the Wii to $199 this weekend...score!
Maybe it is my naivete or lack of knowledge of how the criminal justice system works, but here is how I would see things going down...according to my warped TV crime show view of life. Following that is what has actually happened.
IN MY PERFECT WORLD
I provide police with IP address.
Police obtain subpoena for internet provider to hand over street address associated with said IP address.
Police obtain warrant based on suspicion that stolen property is at said address.
Police execute warrant and find at least laptop on property.
I get my laptop back and am able to recover missing swim team information, thus saving me hours of manual labor of re-typing meet results back into Team Manager.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
Early Monday evening I noticed that the stolen laptop was accessing the internet from the same IP address. This tells me that the laptop is in the same location, or at least in possession of the same person.
I call MPD district #6 to give them the information, thinking that it would be valuable for any investigation that may be happening. I am put into the voice mail of Detective Lips. I leave a message stating I have what I think is valuable information in my case and would appreciate a call back.
As of 8am Tuesday, I still had not heard back from the Detective. I call District 6 again and they tell me that my information will be passed on to an officer at the district since Officer Muszynski, who originally responded to the first police call, was off. Side note: Officer Muszynski was very polite and helpful throughout the entire process.
As of 11am Tuesday, I still had not received a call back from anyone at District 6. I then decide to call the general non-emergency number for MPD to see if I can get in touch with a person. I finally get in touch with an un-named office. They tell me that my information was passed along to Detective Laura, who was in a meeting, but he would contact me shortly.
At 11:30am Tuesday, I stop in the District 6 office (I was in the neighborhood) to see if I can talk with someone directly about the information I have. A police aide (a former THP I taught a few years back) was extremely helpful and gave me some contact information for the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).
At 1:30 Tuesday, I contact CIB looking for Detective Laura. He calls back and I explain the situation. He asks me to fax him a screen grab of the website that shows the IP address of the stolen computer. I fax him a copy of this (actually Melissa did...thanks again!) at 2:15pm.
At 4:00pm Tuesday, I contact Detective Laura to make sure the fax was received. He indicated he received the fax.
I hear nothing back all day Wednesday. At the end of the day Wednesday, I leave a message for Detective Laura to see if he can update me on anything that may have happened over the past 24 hours. I leave a message on his voice mail.
I also contact Officer Muszynski to see if he has any updates for me. Again, Officer Muszynski was very polite and helpful. The prints that were obtained did not match anyone in the system. I inform him of the contact with Detective Laura and he tells me that he will check into anything that may happen with the IP address and such.
On Wednesday afternoon, I also send an e-mail to Alderman Zielinski and inform him of the story and the feeling I am starting to get that MPD is not overly interested in pursuing what I think is a slam-dunk case against a criminal.
I hear nothing back from anyone all day Thursday.
It is currently 11:45am Friday and I still have heard nothing back from any party. It has also been nearly 48 hours since the computer has accessed the internet.
At this point I think we are at a dead-end. At least I got the insurance check in the mail Wednesday. It looks like we are shopping for a new laptop this weekend.
Side note: We received $249 for the purchase of a new Wii system as part of the insurance payment. Word on the street is that Nintendo is dropping the price of the Wii to $199 this weekend...score!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
House Break-In
Sometime between 3:30pm Friday and Noon Sunday our house was broken into. Entry gained through bathroom door, which took a little effort. Nothing else damaged. Thieves apparently never went into the basement since everything of value is still there
Here is a list of things that were stolen compared to things that were not stolen. Note that nearly everything in the "not stolen" list was in plain sight of things that were stolen.
Stolen:
Wii, a couple Wii-motes, a coule Wii games.
Swim Laptop (missing 3-4 keys with a battery that holds a charge for about 15 minutes)
Melissa's iPod (lots of country music on it)
Change from change bucket (about $7.00)
Amry Wives and House DVD's. Maybe a couple of Anna's movies that are so scratched they don't work anyways.
Not stolen:
Wii Balance Board (next to Wii)
Camcorder (one shelf away from change bucket)
2 LCD TV's (probably hard to walk down busy street with one of those I suppose)
Cash in cookie jar (I know it shoudn't be there)
Credit Cards (in plain sight on shelf)
Wedding China and other important/expensive stuff
Melissa's Jewelry (maybe a pair of earrings missing, but all the good stuff is still there)
Waiting to hear back from police and insurance adjustor. Not sure if we will file a homeowners claim since so little of value is gone...that we have noticed. Everything else is fine. Could have been much, much worse.
Here is a list of things that were stolen compared to things that were not stolen. Note that nearly everything in the "not stolen" list was in plain sight of things that were stolen.
Stolen:
Wii, a couple Wii-motes, a coule Wii games.
Swim Laptop (missing 3-4 keys with a battery that holds a charge for about 15 minutes)
Melissa's iPod (lots of country music on it)
Change from change bucket (about $7.00)
Amry Wives and House DVD's. Maybe a couple of Anna's movies that are so scratched they don't work anyways.
Not stolen:
Wii Balance Board (next to Wii)
Camcorder (one shelf away from change bucket)
2 LCD TV's (probably hard to walk down busy street with one of those I suppose)
Cash in cookie jar (I know it shoudn't be there)
Credit Cards (in plain sight on shelf)
Wedding China and other important/expensive stuff
Melissa's Jewelry (maybe a pair of earrings missing, but all the good stuff is still there)
Waiting to hear back from police and insurance adjustor. Not sure if we will file a homeowners claim since so little of value is gone...that we have noticed. Everything else is fine. Could have been much, much worse.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Home With the Kids - Take 2
I am taking the day off today and figured I might as well keep the kids. Off we go...
7:00am: The internal alarm on the children goes off like it does every day at 7:00 +/- 5 minutes. Anna is mad that mom went to work without giving a hug and kiss. I tried to tell her that she will enjoy the idea of sleeping in someday. She protests by staying upstairs in her room.
7:15am: Pancakes and fruit for Matthew. Anna talking to herself in her room. Something about not being able to crawl around in her room with Matthew.
7:20am: Matthew hasn't liked peaches lately. Every time I feed him peaches, I seem to have to sing this song for about 5 minutes. http://bit.ly/13wSCz
8:30am: The boy won't stop whining about everything, so its time to get out of the house. I love you Zoo Pass.
11:15am: Home from the zoo. Everyone had a good time. We spend a grand total of $2.00 for a ride on the carousel. Time for lunch
12:30pm: The boy had been in his high chair since 11:45...eating. He had some leftover mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, and is on his 3rd large spoonful of Anna's "grilled cheese" (shells and cheese). He is going to eat more than her!
12:45pm: The boy finally stopped eating...mainly because I took him out of the high chair. He went down for a nap with very minor complaining. Anna is watching her Wubbzy DVD. That is as close as she gets to a nap these days. Time to pack for Madison. I also need to shower in a bad way.
1:20pm: Matthew almost took a ridiculously short nap, but he put himself back to bed. Still need a shower.
1:40pm: Anna wanted to play with the dart board (plastic tips, folks) so I turned it on for her. I showed her how to throw the darts, and damned if I didn't hit two bulls-eyes in my first three throws. I need to play darts more. I used to be real good in college.
2:15pm: In the last 20 minutes, I have got phone calls about a swimmer who threw a solid ED tantrum in school yesterday as well as another who copied an English assignment off the internet. Just when I thought we were at a new low. HS girls never cease to amaze me. Good thing Anna is still about 10 years away still!!
2:25pm: Anna came out of the laundry room with my old teaching lanyard on. Anna is supporting the MTEA by wearing her "Attract and Retain" button!
7:00am: The internal alarm on the children goes off like it does every day at 7:00 +/- 5 minutes. Anna is mad that mom went to work without giving a hug and kiss. I tried to tell her that she will enjoy the idea of sleeping in someday. She protests by staying upstairs in her room.
7:15am: Pancakes and fruit for Matthew. Anna talking to herself in her room. Something about not being able to crawl around in her room with Matthew.
7:20am: Matthew hasn't liked peaches lately. Every time I feed him peaches, I seem to have to sing this song for about 5 minutes. http://bit.ly/13wSCz
8:30am: The boy won't stop whining about everything, so its time to get out of the house. I love you Zoo Pass.
11:15am: Home from the zoo. Everyone had a good time. We spend a grand total of $2.00 for a ride on the carousel. Time for lunch
12:30pm: The boy had been in his high chair since 11:45...eating. He had some leftover mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, and is on his 3rd large spoonful of Anna's "grilled cheese" (shells and cheese). He is going to eat more than her!
12:45pm: The boy finally stopped eating...mainly because I took him out of the high chair. He went down for a nap with very minor complaining. Anna is watching her Wubbzy DVD. That is as close as she gets to a nap these days. Time to pack for Madison. I also need to shower in a bad way.
1:20pm: Matthew almost took a ridiculously short nap, but he put himself back to bed. Still need a shower.
1:40pm: Anna wanted to play with the dart board (plastic tips, folks) so I turned it on for her. I showed her how to throw the darts, and damned if I didn't hit two bulls-eyes in my first three throws. I need to play darts more. I used to be real good in college.
2:15pm: In the last 20 minutes, I have got phone calls about a swimmer who threw a solid ED tantrum in school yesterday as well as another who copied an English assignment off the internet. Just when I thought we were at a new low. HS girls never cease to amaze me. Good thing Anna is still about 10 years away still!!
2:25pm: Anna came out of the laundry room with my old teaching lanyard on. Anna is supporting the MTEA by wearing her "Attract and Retain" button!
Monday, August 31, 2009
August 31 - Home With the Kids
So I am home with the kids while Melissa is at school today. I did it for nearly a year with Anna, but really haven't been home on a weekday with both of them. Here is the play-by-play:
6:30ish - Melissa leaves. We are all still in bed.
7:30 - The kids wake up. Anna throws all her toys in Matthew's crib for him to "play with".
7:45 - Breakfast. Anna eats her eggs. Matthew plays with them. Add another food to the list of things Matthew doesn't eat.
8:00 - The Fresh Beat Band (aka The Heterosexual Wiggles) is one of the worst children's shows ever...and of course Anna loves it.
8:15 - Poop.
8:45 - Anna insists on putting her bike helmet on Matthew because "he will look so cute in it".
9:15 - To the basement. Anna wanted to watch a movie, but I am currently the only one watching Toy Story 2. Anna is currently trying to get Matthew to play soccer with him. The soccer ball will likely be taken away from Anna within 5 minutes. Dad working on some laundry.
10:30 - The Toy Story 2 DVD is real old, so it stops working at about the best part of the movie. Anna really doesn't care though because she knows it is going to happen. Instead it is snack time. Pretzels for Anna and yogurt for Matthew. Matthew is still hanging on my leg looking for more.
10:50 - Anna wishes Grandma and Grandpa were here. I think Matthew is ready for a nap.
11:00 - After his usual screaming, Matthew has given up. I don't hear him anymore, so I will assume this means he is napping. Anna will be eating lunch and napping a little early today so we can run some afternoon errands before practice starts.
12:00 - I convince Anna to take a nap in her bed, and she actually falls asleep. I decide a little nap wouldn't hurt either.
12:45 - Matthew decides to make sure the nap stays little. Anna stays asleep.
1:45 - I forgot to turn my alarm off, so Anna was woke up be the escalation (in volume and annoyance) of our alarm. I went into her room and she said the alarm scared her. She was happy to get dressed and wants to leave to go get shots with daddy. She is a little too excited that daddy is going to get shots.
2:00oish - In the car to go get shots at the doctor's office. They are allergy shots and I get them weekly...no big deal. After that we are off to practice until Mom picks them up. We will see how that goes. Update later tonight.
Final update - We got out of the house at 2:15. Anna had to come watch me get my shots. She was very brave as she watched me. Matthew walked around all over the doctor's office...little show off. We went to practice...Anna loved it. She stuck her hand in the pool and ran all over the gym during dryland. Matthew walked all over the place again. I got sick of chasing him around after awhile.
All in all, we survived. Not sure if I could do it every day, but it was nice knowing that I start some real late nights with school and practice. Maybe I should stay at home again???
6:30ish - Melissa leaves. We are all still in bed.
7:30 - The kids wake up. Anna throws all her toys in Matthew's crib for him to "play with".
7:45 - Breakfast. Anna eats her eggs. Matthew plays with them. Add another food to the list of things Matthew doesn't eat.
8:00 - The Fresh Beat Band (aka The Heterosexual Wiggles) is one of the worst children's shows ever...and of course Anna loves it.
8:15 - Poop.
8:45 - Anna insists on putting her bike helmet on Matthew because "he will look so cute in it".
9:15 - To the basement. Anna wanted to watch a movie, but I am currently the only one watching Toy Story 2. Anna is currently trying to get Matthew to play soccer with him. The soccer ball will likely be taken away from Anna within 5 minutes. Dad working on some laundry.
10:30 - The Toy Story 2 DVD is real old, so it stops working at about the best part of the movie. Anna really doesn't care though because she knows it is going to happen. Instead it is snack time. Pretzels for Anna and yogurt for Matthew. Matthew is still hanging on my leg looking for more.
10:50 - Anna wishes Grandma and Grandpa were here. I think Matthew is ready for a nap.
11:00 - After his usual screaming, Matthew has given up. I don't hear him anymore, so I will assume this means he is napping. Anna will be eating lunch and napping a little early today so we can run some afternoon errands before practice starts.
12:00 - I convince Anna to take a nap in her bed, and she actually falls asleep. I decide a little nap wouldn't hurt either.
12:45 - Matthew decides to make sure the nap stays little. Anna stays asleep.
1:45 - I forgot to turn my alarm off, so Anna was woke up be the escalation (in volume and annoyance) of our alarm. I went into her room and she said the alarm scared her. She was happy to get dressed and wants to leave to go get shots with daddy. She is a little too excited that daddy is going to get shots.
2:00oish - In the car to go get shots at the doctor's office. They are allergy shots and I get them weekly...no big deal. After that we are off to practice until Mom picks them up. We will see how that goes. Update later tonight.
Final update - We got out of the house at 2:15. Anna had to come watch me get my shots. She was very brave as she watched me. Matthew walked around all over the doctor's office...little show off. We went to practice...Anna loved it. She stuck her hand in the pool and ran all over the gym during dryland. Matthew walked all over the place again. I got sick of chasing him around after awhile.
All in all, we survived. Not sure if I could do it every day, but it was nice knowing that I start some real late nights with school and practice. Maybe I should stay at home again???
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Things a 3 Year Old Says
From time to time I put her random comments on Facebook, but this one is a little too involved to fit there.
We are driving home from the Zoo (don't worry...I'm driving) and she is playing with her Wonder Pets. She is role playing with them, which means she talks for them. The Wonder Pets are apparently playing "Superheroes". I keep hearing her tell Ming Ming that she cannot play because only two can play Superheroes. "You will have to wait until later." she says.
Finally, I ask her why Ming Ming cannot play Superheroes. She replies, "Because I only have two hands, daddy."
We are driving home from the Zoo (don't worry...I'm driving) and she is playing with her Wonder Pets. She is role playing with them, which means she talks for them. The Wonder Pets are apparently playing "Superheroes". I keep hearing her tell Ming Ming that she cannot play because only two can play Superheroes. "You will have to wait until later." she says.
Finally, I ask her why Ming Ming cannot play Superheroes. She replies, "Because I only have two hands, daddy."
Friday, March 13, 2009
It's Deja Vu, Yogi
Wow, we have definitely seen that one before.
Wisconsin takes a somewhat comfortable lead in the second half of a game.
Wisconsin stops making baskets.
Wisconsin's opponent starts hitting shots.
Wisconsin loses.
I want to think that they are in, but I would not be surprised at whatever happens.
Wisconsin takes a somewhat comfortable lead in the second half of a game.
Wisconsin stops making baskets.
Wisconsin's opponent starts hitting shots.
Wisconsin loses.
I want to think that they are in, but I would not be surprised at whatever happens.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
2 For 3 and MU Goes Down
Not too bad first day. I would have been a big puss if I had taken all 3 top seeds. I guess I should have been a big puss.
In other news, I was mildly interested in the MU game today (mainly because I picked Villanova in the Streak For The Cash) so I listened to the end of the game in the car. Homer is an absolutely brutal announcer. Painful to listen to him and Jim McIlvaine rail on Tim Higgins.
Surprised to hear him concede the last block at the end of the game. I still haven't seen the end, and I guess many in the area did not either due to a emergency broadcast system test.
In other news, I was mildly interested in the MU game today (mainly because I picked Villanova in the Streak For The Cash) so I listened to the end of the game in the car. Homer is an absolutely brutal announcer. Painful to listen to him and Jim McIlvaine rail on Tim Higgins.
Surprised to hear him concede the last block at the end of the game. I still haven't seen the end, and I guess many in the area did not either due to a emergency broadcast system test.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
My Hopeless Big Ten Tournament Picks
I am sure this will entertain someone...probably myself when I look back at it on Sunday!
First Round (Thursday)
Minnesota v. Northwestern: I take Northwestern. They are dangerous and can beat anyone on any day.
Michigan v. Iowa: Have to go with Michigan. Both teams are really streaky, but Iowa needs to make sure their shooters are on if they have a chance. I don't see it happening.
Penn State v. Indiana: If Dumes plays, IU has a chance. If not, I go with PSU.
Quarterfinals (Friday)
Michigan State v. Northwestern: Unfortunately, MSU.
Wisconsin v. Ohio State: As much as I would like to see the Badgers lose and fall to a 10 seed, I have them winning this one.
Illinois v. Michigan: Here is my upset of the tournament. Michigan wins this one.
Purdue v. Penn State: Purdue has a little more talent than Penn State.
Semi-Finals (Saturday)
Michigan State v. Wisconsin: I really want the Badgers to take this one, but they are too inconsistent to take the Spartans.
Michigan v. Purdue: Michigan goes on a Preseason NIT-like run and wins this one.
Finals (Sunday)
Michigan State v. Michigan: Michigan can only go so far, and I will lost my lunch when Tom Izzo wins the BTT.
First Round (Thursday)
Minnesota v. Northwestern: I take Northwestern. They are dangerous and can beat anyone on any day.
Michigan v. Iowa: Have to go with Michigan. Both teams are really streaky, but Iowa needs to make sure their shooters are on if they have a chance. I don't see it happening.
Penn State v. Indiana: If Dumes plays, IU has a chance. If not, I go with PSU.
Quarterfinals (Friday)
Michigan State v. Northwestern: Unfortunately, MSU.
Wisconsin v. Ohio State: As much as I would like to see the Badgers lose and fall to a 10 seed, I have them winning this one.
Illinois v. Michigan: Here is my upset of the tournament. Michigan wins this one.
Purdue v. Penn State: Purdue has a little more talent than Penn State.
Semi-Finals (Saturday)
Michigan State v. Wisconsin: I really want the Badgers to take this one, but they are too inconsistent to take the Spartans.
Michigan v. Purdue: Michigan goes on a Preseason NIT-like run and wins this one.
Finals (Sunday)
Michigan State v. Michigan: Michigan can only go so far, and I will lost my lunch when Tom Izzo wins the BTT.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
I Feel A Little Better
Disregard the previous post. It is amazing what a convincing win against quite possible the worst team in Big Ten history can do, but it sure did it.
Looking forward to the BTT. If I get a chance, I will post some worthless predictions and analysis.
Got some water in the basement again this afternoon. I had a pseudo-meltdown, but things will be allright...after we drop our tax return on getting the problem fixed. I tried to stimulate the economy, but my house had something else to say about it!!
(I understand that spending the money is still stimulating the economy...just not in the way that I had hoped!)
Looking forward to the BTT. If I get a chance, I will post some worthless predictions and analysis.
Got some water in the basement again this afternoon. I had a pseudo-meltdown, but things will be allright...after we drop our tax return on getting the problem fixed. I tried to stimulate the economy, but my house had something else to say about it!!
(I understand that spending the money is still stimulating the economy...just not in the way that I had hoped!)
Friday, March 06, 2009
What a Rough Season
Its been a couple days since the latest UW basketball meltdown, so I think I am safe to make some rational thoughts.
Though most people are saying the Badgers are safely in the tournament...barring a Senior Day disaster against Indiana...I am not sleeping easily yet. Then again, we are not sleeping much at all these days since Matthew has decided that he doesn't need to sleep through the night anymore!
Here is why:
They have a decent RPI and SOS, but they have no real good wins. They are 3-9 against the RPI top 50 (depending on who's RPI you look at), 6-8 in road/neutral games, and 6-6 in their last 12. Not very strong numbers.
Thankfully the rest of the bubble is playing their way off it as well. They need at least 2 wins, and a 3rd against MSU or Purdue would be really nice.
All in all, it is very disappointing to lose to Marquette, Michigan State, and Minnesota twice in the same season.
Though most people are saying the Badgers are safely in the tournament...barring a Senior Day disaster against Indiana...I am not sleeping easily yet. Then again, we are not sleeping much at all these days since Matthew has decided that he doesn't need to sleep through the night anymore!
Here is why:
They have a decent RPI and SOS, but they have no real good wins. They are 3-9 against the RPI top 50 (depending on who's RPI you look at), 6-8 in road/neutral games, and 6-6 in their last 12. Not very strong numbers.
Thankfully the rest of the bubble is playing their way off it as well. They need at least 2 wins, and a 3rd against MSU or Purdue would be really nice.
All in all, it is very disappointing to lose to Marquette, Michigan State, and Minnesota twice in the same season.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
CRAP!
That is all that can be said after a loss to Michigan State...especially when it seemed somewhat under control late in the second half.
I guess they had it coming to them after a couple second half comebacks in recent years, including the madness at last year's BTT.
I guess they had it coming to them after a couple second half comebacks in recent years, including the madness at last year's BTT.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Tech
I spent 3 years teaching at Tech. I have not been able to talk to anyone who is still there about the "brawl" the other day, but I have thoughts on both sides of the fence.
They claim that 200 people were involved. In that building, that is a normal occurrence just because of the way the school is built. When I taught there, you could hear a fight practically throughout the entire building. The floors have mall-like openings in the middle of them, so kids could watch (and throw things at) the fighters from above. They would also rush out of the wall-less classrooms because there was nothing to stop them.
A fight with 200 people watching is/was nothing new at Tech.
Girls were involved in the fight...what a surprise. Of the fights I remember at Tech, girl fights outnumbered guy fights at least 5 to 1. I broke up way more girl fights than guy fights...mainly because I knew if I stepped in a guy fight that I would likely get my ass kicked, but I still remember seeing drastically less guy fights.
Girl fights are nothing new at Tech.
The scary part of the whole fight is the police office getting punched in the face...for the second time this school year I believe. While that is pretty insane, you can't hold the school accountable for the actions of a student. The student should be taught to respect the law and those who enforce it...and the last time I checked, that is not one of the famous MPS "Learning Targets".
Baby is whining...gotta run.
They claim that 200 people were involved. In that building, that is a normal occurrence just because of the way the school is built. When I taught there, you could hear a fight practically throughout the entire building. The floors have mall-like openings in the middle of them, so kids could watch (and throw things at) the fighters from above. They would also rush out of the wall-less classrooms because there was nothing to stop them.
A fight with 200 people watching is/was nothing new at Tech.
Girls were involved in the fight...what a surprise. Of the fights I remember at Tech, girl fights outnumbered guy fights at least 5 to 1. I broke up way more girl fights than guy fights...mainly because I knew if I stepped in a guy fight that I would likely get my ass kicked, but I still remember seeing drastically less guy fights.
Girl fights are nothing new at Tech.
The scary part of the whole fight is the police office getting punched in the face...for the second time this school year I believe. While that is pretty insane, you can't hold the school accountable for the actions of a student. The student should be taught to respect the law and those who enforce it...and the last time I checked, that is not one of the famous MPS "Learning Targets".
Baby is whining...gotta run.
This Sums Up Ben Sheets
He commented yesterday that he "would be a good fit" for a team looking to make a late-season playoff push. If he is healthy, you can't argue with that comment. That is not what stands out though.
Later in the article he says that "when he started throwing, he realized the elbow wasn't going to be right for the start of the season." This injury happened a couple weeks ago. You would think that the guy would start throwing a baseball more than a week or two before spring training starts.
This just adds on to the legends of him not being able to take care of himself. He thinks he is going to fire it up a week or two before spring training?
Thanks for the memories, Ben.
Later in the article he says that "when he started throwing, he realized the elbow wasn't going to be right for the start of the season." This injury happened a couple weeks ago. You would think that the guy would start throwing a baseball more than a week or two before spring training starts.
This just adds on to the legends of him not being able to take care of himself. He thinks he is going to fire it up a week or two before spring training?
Thanks for the memories, Ben.
Friday, February 13, 2009
I Got My TV Converter Card Today
This whole thing is just real odd. I decided to go and order one of these converter coupons on the day they announced that the money was gone a month or two back. I really don't need one since I have cable TV (and I love my AT&T U-Verse...take that Time Warner) but I figured I should get one anyways since my basement is turning into a cemetery of used TV's...and I am guessing they may show extra NCAA basketball games on the digital channels in March??
The whole reason behind the push back is that people were not ready for the conversion. But it seems that if you ordered your "coupon" (did they really have to make it a plastic swipe card?) on the day they announced the money was gone, that you would be ready for the change that is supposed to happen next week, considering I got mine yesterday.
I know that the date was pushed back and the Congress voted to add more funds to the program, but that was just last week. I work for the government, and you can't tell me that the government works that fast. There is no way that they voted in the additional funds, processed the cards, and mailed them out within a couple days...especially since they were advertising a 4-6 week lead time to get the card originally.
Lets just keep delaying this thing until everyone is "ready". By that time my kids will be in college and I will probably have to buy a newer, more technological converter box...since the one I am going to buy this weekend will be obsolete by then.
On a side note, I wanted to give a shout out to the state of Wisconsin for having my tax return processed and the refund deposited to my bank account in one week. I am sure I will get my federal return by Opening Day though!
The whole reason behind the push back is that people were not ready for the conversion. But it seems that if you ordered your "coupon" (did they really have to make it a plastic swipe card?) on the day they announced the money was gone, that you would be ready for the change that is supposed to happen next week, considering I got mine yesterday.
I know that the date was pushed back and the Congress voted to add more funds to the program, but that was just last week. I work for the government, and you can't tell me that the government works that fast. There is no way that they voted in the additional funds, processed the cards, and mailed them out within a couple days...especially since they were advertising a 4-6 week lead time to get the card originally.
Lets just keep delaying this thing until everyone is "ready". By that time my kids will be in college and I will probably have to buy a newer, more technological converter box...since the one I am going to buy this weekend will be obsolete by then.
On a side note, I wanted to give a shout out to the state of Wisconsin for having my tax return processed and the refund deposited to my bank account in one week. I am sure I will get my federal return by Opening Day though!
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