Jefe's Picks

Some of this is probably more of a wish-list because I'm an optimist.  That said, sometimes even optimism can't fight reality. Here we go...

World Series: The Cards (they're behind, but here they come)

Football Week 8:

 - Titans over Colts

 - Saints over Rams

 - Giants over Dolphins

 - Texans over Jaguars

 - Vikings over Panthers

 - Ravens over Cardinals

 - Lions over Broncos

 - Bills over Redskins

 - Bengals over Seahawks

 - 49ers over Browns

 - Patriots over Steelers

 - Cowboys over Eagles

 - Chargers over Chiefs

Republican Presidential Nomination: Romney

That last one will take a little longer to see if I'm right, but we'll soon see how I do on the Sports predictions.  Yahoo Sportacular App has me ranked at #5,513 out of 401,453 at the moment (that puts me within the top 1.4%) with a record of 42-17.  I had a mediocre week last week, but I predict this week will be different.

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10/31 Update -->

Alright, so most of the results are in and thus far my overall win rate is 77%.  And if the Chargers beat the Chiefs today, that record will improve to 79%.

The Cards came from behind to win the last two of the world series, as predicted.

The 3 I lost were:
1) Saints/Rams - who would have bet on the Rams?
2) Patriots/Steelers - you have to give it to the Steelers!!
3) Cowboys/Eagles - it was a good weekend for Pennsylvania; the Cowboys got routed!

My new Sportacular ranking for the moment is 4,317 of 429,115 (now in the top 1%) with a record of 51-20.

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11/1 Update -->

Okay, so the Chargers lost to the Chiefs due to a poor start which included 2 Rivers-thrown interceptions in the first half.  It ended up being a close game won in overtime by the Chiefs.  I hope to improve my record this next Sunday.

Getting in the Halloween Spirit

Gotta love home holiday light shows - this one is very creative

Extremist Twitterers

I've added some Twitter feeds from some of the crazies on the right.  3 of them are running for President.  I don't endorse any of these candidates, but I thought perhaps their tweets might be good for a laugh - as long as none of them ever become President.

"Have you heard" the things making me smile today?

bird is the word family guy

Crank Yankers Special-Ed Wants A Record

Obama announces total Iraq troop withdrawal

The Seven Weirdest Things About Moammar Gadhafi

:)

The 49ers are 5 and 1!!

Okay, so it's been a while since the 49ers have been good enough to start a season 5 and 1 - their best start since 1998!!  Now, they get a bye week and then will come back in week 8 to face the Browns, who were just beaten by the team across the bay (the Raiders) this week.  I'm thinking after week 8, we'll be at 6 and 1, and well on our way to win the division this year (knock on wood) - and that means playoffs!  Very exciting stuff.

As for the handshake, I buy that Harbaugh was just a bit "revved up" after the big win.  It's a big deal for the new niners coach to start the season this well and you always revel in winning games against the unbeaten.

I, for one, appreciate Harbaugh's excitement.  I haven't been excited about the niners in a long time.  Don't get me wrong - we have a long way to go.  I credit this season's early success to Harbaugh and the niners defense.  But defense can get tired over the course of a season, so I have hope that the offense will also improve.  Although, I'm not sure how much better Frank Gore can get?!  That guy is amazing.

"Super Official"

Politicians like catchy little sound bites that evoke strong responses or reactions when used out of context.  Granted, I'm sure most honest people would prefer what they say to be used or replayed with context, but these days we can't expect the media to report what is beyond the surface.

So, in a vicious, downward spiral in a race to discard self-discipline, self-respect and expectations beyond the given moment, our media and our politics have become a collage of sound bites - thousands, millions of instant gratifications only meant to scrape the surface, letting our minds wander and stay in the realm of possibility and opinion rather than deal with truth.

As a result, people stop questioning and just start believing the talking heads they've come to like from what they know on the surface.  Ideals become rallying points, inspiring emotion, and people become objects or pieces on a Risk game board, as people stop thinking about others as human beings with real emotions and troubles.

So, we elect people to congress that don't read bills - the titles are more important than the substance.  Like, "The No Child Left Behind Act," or "The Patriot Act," for example.  If their colleagues are for it and the media plays the sound bites over and over again as they've been groomed to do, then the minions - they used to be people - just nod their heads.

I propose that all those who prefer to dwell in an America above the surface, create and join a new Political Party called "The Super Official Party".  This way, they feel special with a super great name and the rest of us can continue to keep things in perspective, in context, digging below the surface, in search of truth.

Journalism and the Occupy Protests

Occupy Wall Street is a movement that has been showing up in cities across America as of late.  If you want to get a good idea of what these people are upset about, check out this Tumblr page.

Observation #1: It's interesting and ironic that the Occupy protests really have more in common with the historical Boston Tea Party than the Tea Party of today.  The government is "for the people, by the people," while corporations are for profit at the expense of all else.  Which movement are you for?  The Anti-Government Tea Party or the Pro-American Occupy Wall Street-ers?

Observation #2: When the Tea Party folks started showing up at events and places around the country, the media portrayed them as real Americans fed-up with Government telling them what to do, etc.  When Occupy protesters show-up around the country, they're a "mob."

Observation #3: Journalism is not what it used to be - and that's not helping us to distinguish real from superficial.  We put talking heads on TV who have an agenda, but no one - except for maybe Jon Stewart - seems to look deeper than the surface. 

We're a nation dumbed-down by reality TV and entertainment and ratings ahead of truth.  We like fancy slogans, especially when they lead us to believe things are how we'd fancy them to be - not necessarily how they are. 

I just realized this post if very serious and not really humorous at all.  But where we're headed is not funny - the Occupy folks will tell you that.

Game Plan

So here is the plan as I figure it (Caveat: I have the right to change the rules at any time)...

1. Frequency of posts: To be honest, I don't know.  The time I carve out to write posts is likely in between tasks that are dearly important to myself, my company, my family, or all of the above.
2. Topics to be covered: Politics, Sports, Fatherhood, Tech, and Humor (sometimes served as a mixed drink, high in volume of sarcasm)
3. Journalist vs. Blogger: I am not a Journalist, so it is my right to post things without referring to sources...that said, I will when I can (translation: when I have the time and/or inclination)
• Note: I am not an expert - merely someone with an opinion
4. Mission: At all times, I will aim to express views with logical reasoning while attempting to find the humor and/or irony, and when in doubt - and this is quite convenient given the lack of time I have to spend posting things - I will aim for brevity.
• To quote Wolf Blitzer, I may at times need to "leave it there."