Armed Robber Thwarted By Dildos

Two female employees at a sex shop fended off an armed robber by throwing dildos at him.

Song of the Week

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" - Wham!

I know some people prefer the edgier, solo George Michael, but I love the youthful, poppy version. It was a more innocent time for all of us, and particularly George who was only 20 when this song sent him to stardom.

Hope

Carrie Fisher died at the age of 60 after suffering a massive heart attack on a plane.

She will be best remembered for playing Princess Leia in the original Star Wars movies and reprising that role in "The Force Awakens."

Two enduring images, as a hologram in "A New Hope"



and wearing a gold bikini in "Return of the Jedi"

If You Don't Stand For Something, You'll Fall for Anything

The University of Minnesota football team was willing to forfeit the Holiday Bowl in a protest designed to protect 10 of their teammates who were suspended following a sexual assault.
Thankfully new athletic director Mark Coyle (who left Syracuse after only 11 months to take this job) talked sense into them.
The other 75 players were going to give up something they'd worked long and hard for, in order to protect rapists?

According to the police report, the victim was very drunk before she left her apartment to attend a party. There were parties in several apartments and she ended up in one with Carlton Djam and a player who turned out to be a high school recruit. They began having sex with her simultaneously. And throughout what she describes as an hour to 90 minute ordeal, several players had oral and vaginal sex with her.

She said she tried to get them to stop, tried to push, tried to wrap herself in the blanket, but felt unable to move.

Here's the part of the police report that includes her recollection of the incident:

Now the players all deny this, saying that it was consensual and she was "down with it," it being fucked by 15% of the football team.

The police couldn't press charges in part because she was an unwilling (seemed very nervous and concerned about reporting) and unreliable (she was wasted) witness. And also because there were videos of her get Eiffel Towered by the first two guys and the police report says she looks willing and not incapacitated, she was on her knees and elbows engaging, not lying on her back, prone.

Most likely this girl was wasted beyond belief, started flirting with one guy, got talked into a 3some and felt unable to leave when Carlton Djam called his friends and told them about the slut they had who was ripe for a gang bang.

Maybe the players thought they could get away with it because she didn't actively protest, and maybe for those 10 guys it was hard to resist when the little head told the big head what to do.

But thank God the other 75 got talked out of their horrible idea to go down with the ship and their 10 rapist teammates.

Please Disperse

I know people died in this fire at a fireworks market in Mexico



but I can't help but laugh because the video reminds me so much of this scene from "The Naked Gun."

Weekly Picks

Another good week, another won best bet. Lots of close games though. And I almost forgot that all the games were Saturday this week.

miami +4 1/2 BUFFFALO
Dolphins are a better team, even with Matt Moore.

tampa bay +3 1/2 NEW ORLEANS
Similar story here though, this does seem like a game a team that needs it willcould lose to a team that doesn't.

LOS ANGELES -5 san francisco
Bad teams don't often win on the road. Plus they already beat the Rams this year.

KANSAS CITY -3 denver
Denver's offense has been incredibly weak and the Chiefs lost last week.

BEST BET
san diego -4 CLEVELAND
Sorry Browns fans, it's not going to happen.

Last Week: 3-2 (4 points)
Season: 41-29 (45 points)
Best Bets: 9-5 (I forgot week 1)

If At First You Don't Get Punished, Trip, Trip Again

Grayson Allen vaulted himself into second place on the most-hated Duke players list (no one will ever top Christian Laettner) by trip Elon's Steven Santa Ana.
What's worse, Allen threw a fit on the bench after being pulled from the game, seemingly acted as if his trip/kick to the back of the knee was warranted because Santa had grabbed his arm.

He also didn't seem to remember that this is the third time in his brief career that he has done something like this.
After the first two, Allen received nothing more than a reprimand from the conference and some excuses from his coach, which I objected to.
Now arrogant Coach K is once again behaving indignantly, saying that the discipline is between him and the player.
Infractions need to be met with consequences or they become habits. That is what has happened here and I think will continue to happen, as I would be shocked if Allen was suspended for more than 3 games, because Duke's 4th game from now is against a good Florida State team, and the game after that is against an even better Louisville squad.
Note: the reaction that Allen is getting has nothing to do with his color. He's an asshole, a jerk, a dirty player and if color plays a role at all it's because people perceive that a black player engaged in similar misbehavior would have punished far more severely, a long time ago.

Song of the Week

"Santa Claus is a Black Man" - Akim & Teddy Vann
Dumbest Christmas song ever.

Weekly Picks

The hot streak continues. Pretty sure that is 6 straight best bets.

miami -3 NEW YORK JETS
Backup quarterback theory which states that often the impact of losing your starting QB is overrated.

green bay -5 1/2 CHICAGO
The Pack are back and they won't be deterred by the cold.

HOUSTON -4 jacksonville
This seems like a really small number of points to give to a lousy team on the road.

pittsburgh -3 CINCINNATI
I think the Steelers will win.

BEST BET
oakland -2 1/2 SAN DIEGO
I still think we are underestimating the Raiders.

Last Week: 3-2 (4 points)
Season: 38-27 (41 points)
Best Bets: 8-5 (I forgot week 1)

One More Craig Sager Fact

When Hank Aaron hit his 715th career home run to pass Babe Ruth, Sager was on the field (in trench coat) trying to get an interview.

The World Just Got Less Colorful

Craig Sager dies at the age of 65 after a long battle with leukemia.

Song of the Week

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" - Pentatonix
Always enjoy their work, and Christmas is one time when it is ok to do covers.

Weekly Picks

Got 4 points again. Another best bet. Not really sure what's going on, but I like it.

pittsburgh -2 1/2 BUFFALO
Not really sure why, I just think this is the kind of game the Steelers win.

baltimore +6 1/2 NEW ENGLAND
I am not going to get rich picking against the Patriots at home, but I really think their offense will struggle without Gronk. Struggle being a relative term of course.

cincinnati -5 1/2 CLEVELAND
RGIII is not the answer.

SAN FRANCISCO -3 new york jets
The 49ers were so putrid last week, even bad teams don't play that badly every week.

BEST BET
CAROLINA pick'em san diego
Again, the Panthers were embarrassed last week. They will rebound.

Last Week: 3-2 (4 points)
Season: 35-25 (37 points)
Best Bets: 7-5 (I forgot week 1)

Song of the Week

"Cranes in the Sky" - Solange
Better song than her sister has had in the last 5 years.

What Would You Do If a Kangaroo Had Your Dog in a Headlock?

A hunter in Australia saw that a kangaroo had a headlock on one of his dogs.



I totally agree with doing whatever you can to protect your pets, but I really don't think it was absolutely necessary for him to strike the kangaroo, at least not at that point. He clearly startled the 'roo who relinquished the hold. The man could have waited and seen what happened next before punching the kangaroo, more for his own safety more than his opponent's.

Good thing he wasn't facing Killer Willard.

Weekly Picks

My worst week in the past month, only 4 points, too bad one game was a push. And there are a lot of games I like this week, which is surely a bad sign.

denver -3 1/2 JACKSONVILLE
When you have a defense that good you don't need a quarterback.

los angeles +13 1/2 NEW ENGLAND
The Patriots aren't the same without the Gronk.

new york giants +6 PITTSBURGH
This is a lot of points to give to a team as good (and lucky) as the Giants.

SEATTLE -7 1/2 carolina
The Seahawks will bounce back.

BEST BET
OAKLAND -3 buffalo
I know the Bills have improved but the Raiders will win at home. Hopefully by more than three this time.

Last Week: 3-2 (4 points)
Season: 32-23 (33 points)
Best Bets: 6-5 (I forgot week 1)

Song of the Week

"24K Magic" - Bruno Mars
I know, I can't believe it either. But I really like this song and think the cat has real talent.

Viva La Potencia

The Mets resigned Yoenis Cespedes for 4-years and $110M.
It's a slight overpay for a guy who is like a 3.5 - 4 WAR player, but not so outrageous when you factor in other things such as the Mets really needed him, he's one guy who has proven he can hit in CitiField and most importantly, they got him on a 4 year deal through his age 34 season.
I like the deal and I am happy with it but it means the Mets absolutely positively get rid of Bruce or Granderson or both.
Trading Bruce would bring back very little, meaning they would take a big hit on a trade that netted almost nothing.
Keeping Bruce and getting rid of Granderson would be high ceiling, if Bruce can rebound after two dreadful months in New York, but his age may make Granderson a little harder to deal.
I wouldn't mind getting rid of both and giving Conforto, Lagares and Nimmo more time to develop.
But they absolutely cannot saddle this great young pitching staff with an outfield of Granderson, Cespedes and Bruce, which would be historically bad defensively.

Weekly Picks

The hot streak continues for another week. 14-1 in the past 3 weeks.


new york giants -7 CLEVELAND
I don't see how the Giants aren't bigger favorites.

los angeles +7 NEW ORLEANS
They blew a game in excruciating fashion last week, but they have a pretty good defense that should keep them in this one.

OAKLAND -3 carolina
This isn't last year.

BALTIMORE -4 cincinnati
I know the Ravens aren't that good but the Bengals are in a spiral.

BEST BET
tennessee -5 CHICAGO
The Titans can put points on the board. The Bears can't.

Last Week: 5-0 (6 points)
Season: 29-21 (29 points)
Best Bets: 5-5 (I forgot week 1)

Song of the Week

"Make Me Yours" - Bettye Swan

3000 Words

Khabib Nurmagomedov lends Joe Rogan his hat during the post-fight interview at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden.

The Yale-Harvard game was delayed by naked Yale students participating in the Saybrook Strip.

Syracuse defeats Dartmouth in the NCAA men's soccer tournament on a typical, snowy November day in Syracuse.

Weekly Picks

This thing of quickly hammering out the picks without thinking has been working out. But the descriptions are back, let's hope the streak continues.

INDIANAPOLIS -2 1/2 tennessee
The Titans destroyed the Packers last week. I always look for bad teams coming off a win to revert to form.

MINNESOTA -2 1/2 arizona
How does a team go from being so good to so bad so fast?

DALLAS -7 1/2 baltimore
If Dallas really is the best team in the NFL they need to follow up last week's big win with a dominant performance over the weak Ravens.

new england -11 1/2 SAN FRANCISCO
If any team adheres to my bounceback theory it's the Patriots. When they lose they come back with a vengeance. They're playing a horrible team. This one could be ugly.

BEST BET
miami -2 LOS ANGELES
My only concern is that I think backup quarterbacks are constantly underestimated. But I think the Rams are bad anyway, and that Dolphins have been frisky lately.

Last Week: 4-1 (5 points)
Season: 24-21 (23 points)
Best Bets: 4-5 (I forgot week 1)

Funny Baby Videos

This would be Julian and Lincoln:



This would be Mama Poop and Linclon:

The Most Dickish Thing I've Ever Done (But It Was Hilarious)

I recently went to Atlantic City for the PokerStars Festival, a series of tournaments meant to promote poker now that PokerStars offers online play in my home state.
Because Resorts, which partners with PokerStars, doesn't have a poker room, the tournaments were held in a ballroom. As I walked through the tables I saw some well-known players sitting amongst regular folks aka amateurs.
I also recognized a friend of mine, Andy, and on his direct right was Barry Greenstein, peacefully reading news articles on his iPad.
I noticed Andy, whom I had never met in person, only online, was wearing a tank top that said "If you're offended, I'll help you pack" and had a big American flag in the middle.

Turns out two other friends (I use the term loosely) paid him $100 each to wear the shirt the entire day. As I was being told this story, I was inches from Barry Greenstein who looked up at me, and then I said:

"Barry, they're paying him $200 to wear this shirt. How much are they paying you to wear that sweater?"

Luckily it was well-received and when I saw him sitting alone later (he remained at his table during a break) I went over and apologized and we had a good laugh. He took it very well. And then we briefly talked about politics. He couldn't have been nicer. And I couldn't have been more dickish.

Song of the Week

"You & Me" - Skrux

Weekly Picks

Perfect 6, first time in a long time.

denver +3 NEW ORLEANS
san francisco +13 1/2 ARIZONA
PITTSBURGH -2 1/2 dallas
seattle +7 1/2 NEW ENGLAND

BEST BET
TAMPA BAY +2 1/2 chicago

Last Week: 5-0 (6 points)
Season: 20-20 (18 points)
Best Bets: 3-5 (I forgot week 1)

Song of the Week

"All Time Low" - Jon Bellion

Election Predictions

Popular Vote
Hillary Clinton: 49%
Donald Trump: 43%
Gary Johnson: 5%
Jill Stein: 3%


Electoral Votes
Hillary Clinton: 334
Donald Trump: 204

This is How Trump Wins

The town of Fair Lawn is an uproar over a lawsuit filed by the ACLU (the A stands for American) against the town's school district over policies it says discriminate against children of undocumented immigrants.

According to the complaint, Fair Lawn school district policy requires that parents provide a driver's license and automobile registration when registering their child for enrollment in the district. The group called these requirements "an impermissible and discriminatory registration hurdle" for children of undocumented immigrants, because a person without a Social Security number or valid immigration status is unable to obtain such documentation.

I'm sure the majority of you reading this are die-hard Hillary Clinton supporters who despise Donald Trump and have written all Trump supporters off as racist and xenophobic. But it's issues like these that resonate with people.

Weekly picks

Will clean this post up later

dallas -7.5 CLEVELAND

MIAMI -3.5 new york jets

jacksonville +8.5 KANSAS CITY

buffalo +7.5 SEATTLE

Song of the Week

"Broccoli" - Big Baby D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty
I'm not saying I like this song. But I'm also not saying I don't. But anytime I Shazam the same song twice, it automatically becomes Song of the Week.
Also, I am glad the video provided a couple of out of work strippers with an honest day's pay.

Happy Halloween

Lincoln's First Halloween was a great one. Mrs. Poop made an awesome Toad costume to go along Mario and Luigi.

How Tall This Fall

2016:

2015:

2014:

2013:

2012:

2011:



2010:



2009:



2008:



2007:

Weekly Picks

Damn. I really thought the Falcons had that one. Keep reading.

oakland +1/2 TAMPA BAY
People still keep underrating the Raiders.

minnesota -4 1/2 CHICAGO
If the Vikings are any kind of serious contender they will bounce back from a loss with a big win over a lousy team.

new england -6 BUFFALO
No way the Patriots lose to the Bills again. Only question is if they will win by a touchdown.

DALLAS -4 philadelphia
It's outrageous to think Dak Prescott is playing for his job. But I could totally see them starting Romo. Don't delude yourself, the 5-1 start is more about the offensive line and Ezekiel Elliott and Prescott just has to not fuck it up.
BEST BET
ATLANTA -3 green bay
I've actually seen a good bit of Green Bay this season and they really aren't that great. I love Atlanta and just wished they hadn't choked away a game against the Chargers. Though it could lead to them coming back stronger this week.

Last Week: 2-3 (1 point)
Season: 12-18 (10 points)
Best Bets: 2-4 (I forgot week 1)

Song of the Week

"Giants" - Matt Nathanson
Every year the World Series of Poker picks a theme song which it plays incessantly. But quite often I actually like the song. The live final table plays out in three parts this week, starting on Sunday. Watch and you will hear this song.

Mrs. Poop Will Never Buy MetLife Insurance Again

MetLife will no longer use Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang in its advertising.
After 31 years, MetLife is ending the relationship because now that it is exiting U.S. life insurance, it will have mostly corporate clients, and less consumer ones.
No more blimp, and no more commercials. The end of an era.

Why I Am Rooting Against the Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are in the World Series for the first time in 71 years and they have a good chance to win the World Series for the first time in 108.
And everyone will be rooting for them. Except me.
Why? Because as someone who is not a Cubs fan, the streak is fun. It adds to the mystique of baseball. And every year is a new chance for them to either win it all. Or lose in painful fashion and add another chapter to their painful lore.
Haven't the Red Sox become a lot less fun now that they have won 3 World Series titles in your lifetime, instead of 0 in an octogenarian's?
Of the 7 billion people on Earth I'd bet few than a couple thousand were actually alive in 1908.
There's the Billy Goat curse, Leon Durham's glove and of course Bartman, you want all that history to end just so the nickel dime people who don't even work can celebrate and get drunk in some bar?

Note: The only good thing that would come out of a Cubs win would be the absolution of Steve Bartman. The poor guy was treated horribly. Yes, he made a mistake, but it's one many of us would have made in the same circumstance. His biggest problem is that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And for that he was ostracized from his community? I don't want to the assholes who threw beer on him and threatened his life celebrate a World Series title.

Another note: At least Bill Buckner was on the team. He was reasonably expected to field that ground ball.

One more note: There is one other good thing. If Theo Epstein is the general manager who breaks the curses for the Red Sox and the Cubs and he does so this time with Joe Maddon, maybe some people around baseball will start to do things differently. Instead of doing things the way they've always been done, because they've always been done that way, maybe people can look at how the Cubs became a model franchise (they built from the farms, and added key pieces once they were close, spending a lot of money on defense) and stop making the same mistakes they've been making for years.

Weekly Picks

Trying to bounce back after a disastrous start. Got my best bet two weeks in a row but the underdog thing otherwise didn't work out that great.

CINCINNATI -10 cleveland
The Browns stink.

baltimore +2 NEW YORK JETS
The Jets stink. Flacco should play.

buffalo -3 MIAMI
I think maybe the Bills have actually figured something out. And I don't think the Dolphins are any good, so coming off a big win is the perfect time to pick against them.

new england -7 PITTSBURGH
I normally don't get that jazzed about picking against teams using their backup quarterbacks, but the dropoff here could be severe. And Bill Belichick is the other coach.

BEST BET
ATLANTA -6 1/2 san diego
It's rare that I pick the same team as my best bet twice in a row but I think the Falcons continue to be underrated.

Last Week: 3-2 (4 points)
Season: 10-15 (9 points)
Best Bets: 2-3 (I forgot week 1)

It Worked for Curt Schilling

Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer cut his finger on the propeller of a drone he was working on and needed 10 stitches in his pinky finger.
The stitches didn't hold and he was bleeding like a stuck pig, blood literally dripping off his hand during Game 3 of the ALDS. He didn't even survive an inning before the gaping wound forced him out of the game.

The Indians held on in that game and the Series and will now seek to win their first World Series in 68 years, and to deny the Cubs their first in 108.

By the way, the Red Sox streak was exactly 68 years in 1986. And it took them another 18 to finally get there, ending their streak at 86.

Bauer says his finger is patched up and ready to go for the World Series. So we won't see anymore items joining Curt Schilling's sock and OJ Simpson's glove and the most famous blood-soaked items in sports.

Song of the Week

"Unwritten" - Natasha Bedingfield

2006 wasn't a good year for music, if you're an old grump. The pop music was just some of the worst there could be. "Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls being one example. But this song is good, and has a nice message. There is only one you in the world, so be yourself and make the most of your brief chance to exist on this giant rock hurtling through space. At least that's my interpretation.

Weekly Picks

Finally got one last week thanks to Tom Brady. Let's see if I can keep it going. Trying five underdogs this week.

jacksonville +1 CHICAGO
The Jags are the better team. The better team is more likely to win.

san francisco +9 BUFFALO
Let's see what Colin Kaepernick can do.

cleveland +7 TENNESSEE
Ok, this one may be crazy. But it's also possible that each successive QB isn't necessarily worse than the one who preceded him.

OAKLAND +1 kansas city
I don't get this spread at all. I know Murray is out, but Carr and Mack are still playing, right?

BEST BET
altanta +6 SEATTLE
Atlanta has been the better team this year. I hope I'm not overestimating them based on a win over the Broncos, but they have looked really good.

Last Week: 3-2 (4 points)
Season: 7-13 (5 points)
Best Bets: 1-3

Song of the Week

"Ready or Not" - The Fugees
The easiest choice I ever had to make. I have never listened to an album as much as we listened to "The Score" in 1996. I just to drive around with my friends, playing this CD over and over again.

Circle the 6 Differences Between These Two Pictures

Chase was a little version of daddy. Nine years later, Lincoln wore the same shirt. See if you can spot the other differences in these pictures?

Note: don't really, do that, I'm only kidding. There's a million of them.

Weekly Picks

Another horrible week. 1 point through 3 weeks. Thankfully we have a guaranteed best bet this week.

philadelphia -4 DETROIT
I'm not sure I believe in the Eagles yet but I believe they are better than the Lions.

new york giants +7 GREEN BAY
This is way too many points for Green Bay to give when they seem to be struggling on offense.

atlanta +5 DENVER
The Falcons can score. I know the Denver defense is good, but I am not sure how many points the Broncos can put up with Paxton Lynch at QB.

OAKLAND -3 1/2 san diego
I love the Raiders this year.

BEST BET
new england -10 CLEVELAND
Guaranteed.

Last week: 2-3 (1 point)
Season: 4-11 (1 point)
Best Bets: 0-3

Outdueled

I got to witness an all-time great pitching duel in a winner-take-all wild card game.

Unfortunately angry and ornery Madison Bumgarner

beat our lovable Thor who was equally as awesome, but a little less efficient, and therefore only pitched 7 innings.

I blame Terry Collins only slightly here, I would have given Thor a chance against the bottom of the Giants order in the 8th, even though he struggled in the 7th, because I knew Bumgarner would keep putting up zeroes.

I don't however blame the Mets strategy of swinging early in the count. They knew Bumgarner was going to throw strikes. If you don't swing, you're in a hole against a great pitcher. If you swing at least you have a a chance to get a hit on a good pitch.

It sucks to lose, and not have another crack at the Cubs, and it sucks to watch a team celebrate on our field for the second year in a row.
But it was a difficult season with a lot of injuries and realistically, they didn't have a good chance of beating the Cubs anyway.

But the hurt is still very real right now.
I suppose Noah Syndergaard put it best when he said on Twitter "Baseball has a way of ripping your heart out, stabbing it, putting it back in your chest, then healing itself just in time for Spring Training."
And I can't wait for spring training because maybe, just maybe, next year will finally be our year.

Buck Blew It

In one of the worst managing decisions in recent times Buck Showalter allowed his team to get knocked out of the playoffs with Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound, while Zach Britton watched. 

Britton is having on of the best years a closer has ever had. And when a fly ball will beat you, you need a strikeout or a weak ground ball. Britton was eminently more likely to get one of those results than Ubaldo.  Britton had the highest rate of ground balls per batted ball of anyone ever. 

But those are the specifics. Let's address the broader issue:  you need your closer to protect a lead of you get one. 

No you don't. 

The way closers are used in baseball is terrible and counterproductive in many ways. But that's the way it is. 

But in these special circumstances (it wasn't just a playoff game, it was a single-elimination playoff game, in extra innings), you need your best pitcher to pitch one or two innings to maximize the chances your offense will get to win the game. 

You just cannot get beat without using your best relief pitcher. It's a terrible mistake and it cost the Orioles a chance to win the game. 

Song of the Week

"The Glory of Love" - Peter Cetera
A great song typifying the 1986 sound. Add in the fact that it was from "The Karate Kid II" soundtrack and it was a pretty obvious choice.

Postseason Predictions

National League
Wild Card
Giants over Mets

Division Series
Cubs over Giants
Nationals over Dodgers

League Championship Series
Nationals over Cubs

American League
Wild Card
Blue Jays over Orioles

Division Series
Rangers over Blue Jays
Red Sox over Indians

League Championship Series
Red Sox over Rangers

World Series
Nationals over Red Sox

Weekly Picks

Another horrible week. I will do better this week. I promise.

buffalo +7 NEW ENGLAND
Maybe this is a huge mistake but maybe the Patriots won't go 4-0 without Brady.

TAMPA BAY +3 denver
I think the CornPrices are actually pretty good. And I never ever pick home dogs, so if I like one I'm going to go with it.

oakland +3 1/2 BALTIMORE
I love the Raiders too, and don't think too highly of Baltimore.

carolina -3 ATLANTA
The Falcons don't have the defense to do to Cam what the Broncos and Vikings did.

BEST BET
ARIZONA -8 los angeles
Classic bounceback game.

Yankees Fan Tries To Propose, Can't Find Ring

An idiot Yankees fan (sorry for the redundancy) tried to propose to his girlfriend, but couldn't find the ring. The entire section was looking for it.



Eventually they found it, seemingly in the cuff of her pants. Despite him being a complete moron, she said yes and they will live happily ever after.

Now I don't want to insult the couple too badly, but they are the typical Yankees couple. He's a dead-eyed douchebag and she's cute but trashy.

I wish them well.

Song of the Week

"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" - England Dan and John Ford Coley
There weren't any really soul or funk songs in 1976, so I decided to go with this one because it typifies the era's easy listening tunes.

Pour Out a Little Iced Tea, and a Little Lemonade

Arnold Palmer passed away at age 87, after living a full life in which he had a drink named after him.



Nails puts a little shot of vodka in his Arnold Palmer and calls in a John Daly.

Andy Samberg joked that he wanted take the music from Beyonce's "Lemonade" album, and put Ice-T lyrics over it to create a new album called "Arnold Palmer."

The Reason Gifs Were Invented

Talent prima donna Odell Beckham Jr had a fit on the sidelines after Eli Manning didn't throw him the ball, and he attacked the field goal kicker's practice net. The net fought back.
I suppose it's much funnier if you are not a Giants fan.

Beckham played a great game and he was probably right than no one on the Redskins could cover him, not even his tormentor Josh Norman, and that Eli missed him a couple of times wide open.
It was a horrible game by both teams as they competed to see who could gift the game to the other. Thanks to two interceptions by Eli and a horrible penalty that negated a blocked punt, the Redskins hung on and salvaged their season.

Weekly Picks

Zero points. That seems about right. I'll do better this week.

oakland -1 TENNESSEE
Titans are a bad team that won last week. I don't see them making it two in a row.

TAMPA BAY -5 los angeles.
The Rams are a bad team that won last week. I don't see them making it two in a row.

GREEN BAY -7 detroit
Something is wrong with Aaron Rodgers. But something has been wrong with him many times before and he's always rebounded. I expect more of the same, especially against the woeful Lions.

arizona -4 BUFFALO
I like the Cardinals, the Bills, not so much.

BEST BET
pittsburgh -4 PHILADELPHIA
The Eagles and Carson Wentz played probably the two worst teams in the NFL so far. They will get a rude awakening. I expect the Steelers to win by 30.

Last week: 1-4 (0 points)
Season: 1-4 (0 points)
Best Bets: 0-1

3000 Words

A baby's head and a kiwi look remarkably similar.

A koala sits on a fence post to avoid an overflowing river below him.

An artist stacks 760 bicycles to make art.

Song of the Week

"Reach Out (I'll Be There)" - The Four Tops
We go back to 1966 for this classic, the first Motown song I remember liking, from my favorite Motown group.

I Think She Held It Together Quite Nicely

Trey Mancini hit his first Major League home run for the Baltimore Orioles, and his mom Beth was there to see it.
She was shocked, amazed and tearful, the exact reaction I would expect a mother to have. It was very similar to the reaction of Grandpa Matz when Steven had 3 hits in his Major League debut.



I promise you if any of my kids ever homer, majors, minors, high school or Little League, I will make her reaction look subdued in comparison.

I Get To Do Cool Things

Three years ago I was lucky enough to attend a Mets game and spend pre-game on the field, and take one of my favorite pictures ever, with Mr. and Mrs. Met.
The experience I had before Friday's game against the Twins was even better. Thanks to the dogged persistence of a friend we were invited for a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium by the Mets PR team.

We entered at the Hodges gate, where right through that door is the press room where we often see Terry Collins discussing Mets injuries.

From there we were led down a back hallway, where the clubhouse is. And at the moment we passed by, Brandon Nimmo emerged on his way to the video room.

He stopped and chatted with us briefly about money and investing and the rapid depreciation of expensive automobiles.

To our left in that hallway is the batting cage where players can take some in-game cuts.

Lined up along the walls, where the bats and other equipment for every Met.

And in the best part of it all, we were led out onto the field, THROUGH THE DUGOUT!!!!!

Don't I look happy?

We were offered a piece of Major League gum. I brought two pieces home for the boys, who were initially unimpressed until they realized, that later that day the Mets had stuck their hands in that same bucket. They asked if the Mets get a new bucket of gum every day. I said yes. They decided the Mets must be rich to afford new gum.
They chewed it and decided it tasted better than the regular dubble bubble available to the public.

After a few more moments sitting on the dugout bench, and taking pictures we were escorted onto the field to enjoy batting practice.
Unfortunately, the Mets had concluded and the Twins were hitting (Kennys Vargas hit some bombs).

After a while we were asked to leave the field and head back to our seats, which we purchased ourselves, which explains the view from the 500 level.

But from that vantage point I got to see a masterpiece from Bartolo Colon, back to back homers from Jose Reys and Asdrubal Cabrera, and a 3-0 Mets win, topping off another memorable experience I was fortunate enough to enjoy. Note: Please forgive the lousy way this displays. I wanted pictures to be as big as possible, which doesn't work well with this template. For best experience click on the first picture and use the viewer to peruse them all.