connoisseur series500

Well, I've got the NFL Network, so I can give you guys some updates. Of course it means that I have to listen to Bryant Gumbel.

Picking Dallas to win tonight's game. Will have the other picks in tomorrow. Week 13: DALLAS JACKSONVILLE SAN DIEGO NY JETS MINNESOTA ST. LOUIS CAROLINA WASHINGTON TENNESSEE CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA CLEVELAND DENVER NEW ORLEANS PITTSBURGH NEW ENGLAND

Very interesting article, Aloc. I have always marveled at the attraction the game held for oddballs and social misfits. This doesn't imply that chess tournaments are fully populated with such people, but there are a good number of them nevertheless. Many of them are charmingly simple and guileless; and they appear as wholly unfit for the rough and tumble of daily life. There are a lot of interesting characters who play the game. But I insist: I am normal!

Not sure about that. The Japanese Yen, Deutsche Mark (sp) and Swiss Franc have generally been more stable. The problem is that those nations have kept interest rates low. The dollar was primarily used because it was the main source of foreign reserves for nations. Why? Well is was somewhat stable, but more importantly, it offered a nice mix of relative stability plus nice return on the treasury notes.

Wow, just came upon this thread. Glad it worked out well. Man, if you had left the engine on w/ the stereo on playing Mothership, it would have likely scared them away!

Thanks! How about ME, Ron?

An excerpt: HBO did a fascinating documentary on Little Rock Central High School, the Arkansas school that required the National Guard so that nine black kids could attend in the 1950s. Fifty years later, the school is one of the nation's best in terms of funding and educational opportunities. It's 60 percent black and located in a poor black community. Watch the documentary and ask yourself why nine poor kids in the '50s risked their lives to get a good education and a thousand poor black kids today ignore the opportunity that is served to them on a platter. Blame drugs, blame Ronald Reagan, blame George Bush, blame it on the rain or whatever. There's only one group of people who can change the rotten, anti-education, pro-violence culture our kids have adopted. We have to do it. According to reports, Sean Taylor had difficulty breaking free from the unsavory characters he associated with during his youth. The "keepin' it real" mantra of hip hop is in direct defiance to evolution. There's always someone ready to tell you you're selling out if you move away from the immature and dangerous activities you used to do, you're selling out if you speak proper English, embrace education, dress like a grown man, do anything mainstream.

Very thought provoking. http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7499442...P&GT1=10637

Very entertaining book. Will read Aloc's article shortly. Haven't gotten to it yet.

Happy Birthday to a live chat buddy! Happy Buzzzzzzzday!

Do you have any non-Blue note material in mini-lp format?

Week 12 Results: Noj 11-5 Conn 11-5 Van B 10-6 Year to Date: Noj 115-61 Conn 111-65 Van B. 109-67

Glad to hear that you are alright.

Fun topic.

Tony Monaco is a great B-3 player and a good guy! Dig the Jimmy Smith videos on there as well!

Sad news. It seemed last night that he might be recovering. Guns suck!

Sad news. I've got a couple of them myself. Get another one when you recover.

So you simply knew that Feeley would make a mistake and the defense would come through when it absolutely had to? I cannot understand that level of confidence. The game easily could have been lost, and I was surely worried that they were going to. I don't know, maybe if you're just a Pats fan, losing isn't an option. But if you're a Red Sox fan and a Pats fan, a history of disappointments conditions you to expect the worst. I'm serious. I wasn't concerned at all. Of course, I've been wanting a game like this for a long time. The team's goal is to win the Super Bowl, not finish the season undefeated. There's no way that you can go through 19 games without being tested; and if you are not tested, then there will likely be problems once you do face a tough test. I was delighted by the course of the game. Having to dig a bit like they had to last night will likely be good for a 2-3 more wins. Then the danger of getting big headed will appear again, and they'll need another gut check.

Incredible news on Sean Taylor. Hope he pulls through. It was a gunshot to the leg but it hit an important artery. I don't understand why teams continue to kick to Hester. He is 30% of the Bears' offense. I'm not concerned about the Pats at all. They played flat and they needed a good test. Blowouts don't count as real football. The team can't remain good by blowing people out every game. If they are to win the Super Bowl, they will have to survive several tests. Thank God they got one yesterday. I was never concerned that they would really lose the game at any point. Feeley was doing everything right for three quarters--hitting the receivers and converting long third downs. There was no doubt that the Pats' defense would buckle down for the last quarter and things would unravel. In the meantime, while Patriot receivers were uncharacteristically dropping balls, the Eagle's receivers were catching everything. No way the would maintain that for the whole game. The call on Moss was questionable but I can accept it. The non calls on all the mugging he took the entire game was unforgiveable. At one point, he tried to catch a ball with his shoulder pads revealed. He was being mugged prior to the throw. Whatever.... The team has more weapons than just Randy Moss. They barely ran the ball against a defense that was playing soft against the run. SS1 and I have a bet on who will catch more passes this year, Reggie Wayne or Wes Welker. He even spotted me 10 receptions. Right now, Welker is ahead by 13 receptions. SS1 is in trouble.

hehehehehehe

Come to think of it, we, Pat fans probably did use injuries as an excuse for losing games.

It's tough for sure, but the Patriots have been playing without several starters for several years in a row. This year they have been blessed with fewer injuries, but the team last year which held a 21-3 lead against the Colts in the AFC championship game were playing without starters, Richard Seymour, Eugene Wilson, Rodney Harrison, Junior Seau, and another starter or two which escapes my memory. I think Lawrence Maroney was out for that game as well, of if he wasn't, he was rendered ineffective by an injury which required offseason surgery. They had to start Reche Caldwell (who isn't even playing football right now) and Jabar Gaffney as wideouts because Chad Jackson was injured. I can't remember if Troy Brown was injured for the game. They still finished 12-4 last year and outplayed the Colts for half the game. Pats have always suffered from injuries, and the team has never used it as an excuse for losing. The 53 man roster is meant to handle such contingencies. The problem with the Colts is that they pay a handful of guys a ton of money, so they can't afford to keep much depth in any position. The Pats pay scale is more egalitarian. Ty Warren doesn't get anywhere as much money as Dwight Freeney, but that allows the team to pay backup Jarvis Green decent cash. The Colts' pay Freeney a ton of money so if he goes down, his replacement might not be as good since he isn't paid as much. Jarvis Green could start on most NFL teams, and the Pats pay him good money to stay as a backup. Patriots have always been about depth as opposed to big stars. This year has been a bit different, I think. They've got Randy Moss and Asante Samuel who will likely be looking for big money. We'll see if they adopt the Colts' way of paying big $ to keep big names around at the expense of depth. It will be interesting. Yes, I guess the Colts will likely be there to face the Pats in the AFC Championship game, but they'll have to get past Pittsburgh first.

Picks are in. Week 12: GREEN BAY DALLAS INDIANAPOLIS TENNESEE JACKSONVILLE KANSAS CITY (after conferring w/ Noj who says Raiders will not win another game) SEATTLE TAMPA BAY CLEVELAND NEW ORLEANS NY GIANTS ARIZONA SAN DIEGO DENVER NEW ENGLAND PITTSBURGH

Great tune! Thanks!

Today: GREEN BAY DALLAS INDIANAPOLIS Will pick the rest later.