FALLOUT
There are two types of nuclear detonations...ground burst and air burst.
In the case of a surface burst, this cloud will also contain large quantities of dirt and other debris which are vaporized when the fireball touches the earth's surface or are sucked up by the strong updrafts afterwards, giving the cloud a dirty brown appearance. The dirt and debris become contaminated with the radioisotopes generated by the explosion or activated by neutron radiation and fall to earth as fallout.
Following an air burst, condensed droplets of water give it a typical white cloudlike appearance.
For the sake of argument we will assume that in this series the type of detonation that hit Denver was ground burst.
There will be large amounts of particles of less than 100 nm to several millimeters in diameter generated in a surface burst in addition to the very fine particles which contribute to worldwide fallout. The larger particles spill out of the stem and cascade down the outside of the fireball in a downdraft even while the cloud rises, so fallout begins to arrive near ground zero within an hour and more than half the total bomb debris is deposited on the ground within about 24 hours as local fallout.
So here is the problem. Denver is 3-500 miles from Jericho. It appears that episode one of Jericho was "day one", episode two is "day two' and so on. From the time the fireball was spotted to the time they noticed a rain storm approaching up to 24 hours had elapsed.
Now if you see a mushroom cloud to your immediate west, taking into account prevailing winds travel west to east.....you had better find some place to sit tight for the first several days. All that radioactive debris taken into the atmosphere and stratosphere by the mushroom cloud will start to fall back immediately. The closer one is to the cloud the more immediately he needs to seek shelter.
But these people in this town were out and about for up to 24 hours after the explosion???
At a nuclear test at the Bikini Atoll in 1954 it took 16 hours for fallout to travel just shy of 300 miles. This was a 15 mega ton bomb so the spread of "local fallout" will depend on several factors, two of which would be bomb yeild and weather. Not knowing the bomb yield (KT or MT) or having access to any weather forecasts the population of Jericho had already been exposed to an amount of radioactive fallout before they even sought shelter from the oncomming storm.
In one scene, the deputy mayor described radioactive poisoning. He describes the effects of the sickness and the certain death seemingly within days if not hours. The character playing pool was going to stay there and supposedly die by what he thought would be nuclear blast. If he had stayed there playing pool during the rainstorm that was comming he may have gotten a larger dose of radiation but think of fallout more like dust. Of course the rain was going to dump much more concentrated amounts of radioactivity onto Jericho but by staying inside and not frolicking outside in the rain improves survivability tremendously.
At 1 hour after burst the radiation from fallout in the crater region is 30 grays per hour (Gy/h) for a surface burst. A cumulative dose of 3.5 Gy is fatal to half of a population of humans.
The Gray
The unit of actual exposure is the Roentgen which is defined in ionisations per unit volume of air, and all ionisation based instruments (including geiger counters and ionisation chambers) measure exposure. However, effects depend on the energy per unit mass not the exposure measured in air. A deposit of 1 joule per kilogram has the unit of 1 gray. For 1 MeV energy gamma rays, an exposure of 1 roentgen in air will produce a dose of about 0.01 gray, i.e., 1 centigray (cGy) in water or surface tissue. Because of shielding by the tissue surrounding the bones, the bone marrow will only receive about 0.67 cGy when the air exposure is 1 roentgen and the surface skin dose is 1 cGy. Some of the lower values reported for the amount of radiation which would kill 50% of personnel (the 'LD50') refer to bone marrow dose, which is only 67% of the air dose.
At 1 hour after burst the radiation from fallout in the crater region is 30 grays per hour (Gy/h) for a surface burst. A cumulative dose of 3.5 Gy is fatal to half of a population of humans (it has been estimated that the LD50 dose under the conditions of nuclear war {poor diet, poor medical care etc} would be 2.5 Gy). There have been few documented cases of survival beyond 6 Gy.
So...a question would be: If the person shooting pool decided to stay there during the storm would have received a lethal dose of radiation with symptoms described by the deputy mayor??? Chances are no. He may receive a lethal dose but from prolonged exposure and not from one meterological event where he did not suffer direct exposure.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
All We Need Now
Just a quick view of the news this morning and you see oil has dropped below $60 on ample supplies here in the US and worry about the US economy. Recently...and I am thining it was perhaps Friday, it came out that the economy slowed more than originally thought, triggering a thought that The Fed might have to reduce rates for the first time in 2+ years when it meets next.
Economy slows, jobs are not created, people generally have less to spend and you add to that stockpiles of oil and gas then it sends energy prices downward.
Ok, so all we need now is China's economy to overheat (wages don't keep up with inflation) or for their economy to slow regardless of reason. That would take further pressure off oil and send it downward even more. I would suggest that China's booming ecomomy over the past 3-4 years alone may be responsible for up to $15 of the $60 barrel of oil.
It may even shut up ex paratrooper Hugo Chavez or cause to have him replaced. He has stayed in power only because he is redistributing Venezuela's oil wealth. The higher the price of oil, the more he has to give to the less fortunate who are the majority of that country's electorate.
Strangly enough....should China's economy slow the one repercussion we may be faced with is paying slightly higher prices for goods purchased at Wal Mart.
Right now on NYMEX we are seeing commodity energy prices at levels we haven't seen in at least two years.
Economy slows, jobs are not created, people generally have less to spend and you add to that stockpiles of oil and gas then it sends energy prices downward.
Ok, so all we need now is China's economy to overheat (wages don't keep up with inflation) or for their economy to slow regardless of reason. That would take further pressure off oil and send it downward even more. I would suggest that China's booming ecomomy over the past 3-4 years alone may be responsible for up to $15 of the $60 barrel of oil.
It may even shut up ex paratrooper Hugo Chavez or cause to have him replaced. He has stayed in power only because he is redistributing Venezuela's oil wealth. The higher the price of oil, the more he has to give to the less fortunate who are the majority of that country's electorate.
Strangly enough....should China's economy slow the one repercussion we may be faced with is paying slightly higher prices for goods purchased at Wal Mart.
Right now on NYMEX we are seeing commodity energy prices at levels we haven't seen in at least two years.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Jericho Review
There is one element that was missing in last night's premier of Jericho that was on the previews.....the nuclear related special effects.
From the preview it was edited in such a way that you saw the flash of the mushroom cloud and you heard a bang. In no scene last night did you hear any sound of explosion when the mushroom cloud was in camera view.
There were no other explosions in the opener other than the main one supposedly in Denver and the other heard on from a phone call originating in Atlanta. From the previews or early previews you got the impression that there might had been blast damage from the nuclear explosion. This certainly wasn't evident in the opener.
EMP
from http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/emp.htm
The pulse can easily span continent-sized areas, and this radiation can affect systems on land, sea, and air. The first recorded EMP incident accompanied a high-altitude nuclear test over the South Pacific and resulted in power system failures as far away as Hawaii. A large device detonated at 400�500 km over Kansas would affect all of CONUS. The signal from such an event extends to the visual horizon as seen from the burst point.
So, in theory a bomb detonated in the area of Denver would have knocked out most electronics in Jericho had it been an air detonation. If on the other hand it was a ground detonation then the EMP would have knocked out all electronics within the burn/blast zone the size of which is dependant upon the yield of the weapon.
Question... How long after Denver is knocked out would the power grid continue to operate? That all depends on how much generating capacity is located in the Denver area that is destined for the power grid and not used in Denver. Remember that a single lightning strike started what became a cascading blackout throughout the NE US and Canada.
So far it seems that the producers of the show have edited out some of the inaccuracies that were found in the early previews. Let's hope they keep the program to reflect some level of plauability.
From the preview it was edited in such a way that you saw the flash of the mushroom cloud and you heard a bang. In no scene last night did you hear any sound of explosion when the mushroom cloud was in camera view.
There were no other explosions in the opener other than the main one supposedly in Denver and the other heard on from a phone call originating in Atlanta. From the previews or early previews you got the impression that there might had been blast damage from the nuclear explosion. This certainly wasn't evident in the opener.
EMP
from http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/emp.htm
The pulse can easily span continent-sized areas, and this radiation can affect systems on land, sea, and air. The first recorded EMP incident accompanied a high-altitude nuclear test over the South Pacific and resulted in power system failures as far away as Hawaii. A large device detonated at 400�500 km over Kansas would affect all of CONUS. The signal from such an event extends to the visual horizon as seen from the burst point.
So, in theory a bomb detonated in the area of Denver would have knocked out most electronics in Jericho had it been an air detonation. If on the other hand it was a ground detonation then the EMP would have knocked out all electronics within the burn/blast zone the size of which is dependant upon the yield of the weapon.
Question... How long after Denver is knocked out would the power grid continue to operate? That all depends on how much generating capacity is located in the Denver area that is destined for the power grid and not used in Denver. Remember that a single lightning strike started what became a cascading blackout throughout the NE US and Canada.
So far it seems that the producers of the show have edited out some of the inaccuracies that were found in the early previews. Let's hope they keep the program to reflect some level of plauability.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Which Will It Be?
Central PA or Cleveland OH?? ConAgra or Nestle??
Shelly will be back from Nestle today after 1 1/2 days of meetings with dept heads at their plant. She is getting very positive feedback and knew going in that it is between her and an internal canidate. The internal canidate has no HR background so it would seem logical that she would be the choice but nothing written in stone yet.
We know her salary range and she would also be entitled to a 10% bonus per quarter. As for the relocation package....everything they have to offer would be available and will find out to what extent if she is offered the position.
On the other hand.
A former coworker who is now an HR manager for a ConAgra plant called her yesturday and if she is interested they would like to hire her. ConAgra would match or beat any offer Nestle comes to the table with.
So we will know something more concrete in the next few days. I have been getting into gear and working on the house the past week or so getting it ready to sell in anticipation she would be offered a job. Looks closer to becoming a reality.
Time will tell.
Shelly will be back from Nestle today after 1 1/2 days of meetings with dept heads at their plant. She is getting very positive feedback and knew going in that it is between her and an internal canidate. The internal canidate has no HR background so it would seem logical that she would be the choice but nothing written in stone yet.
We know her salary range and she would also be entitled to a 10% bonus per quarter. As for the relocation package....everything they have to offer would be available and will find out to what extent if she is offered the position.
On the other hand.
A former coworker who is now an HR manager for a ConAgra plant called her yesturday and if she is interested they would like to hire her. ConAgra would match or beat any offer Nestle comes to the table with.
So we will know something more concrete in the next few days. I have been getting into gear and working on the house the past week or so getting it ready to sell in anticipation she would be offered a job. Looks closer to becoming a reality.
Time will tell.
Monday, September 18, 2006
France says more Iran talks needed
VIENNA (Reuters) - French
President Jacques Chirac said on Monday talks with
Iran on its nuclear aspirations should be pursued since U.N. sanctions had never worked well, a fresh hint of EU misgivings over U.S. calls for punishing Tehran.
Remember - It's not a world war unless France surrenders.
True, on a world stage you cannot shoot and ask questions later....or at least it isn't a good idea too but on the other extreme the time for talking has to be FINITE!! Maybe they need a timetable for withdrawl of talking???
As UN Security Council deadline after deadline comes and goes there's France with their "we need more talking" dribble. When does the talking stop??? I would hope the time to stop talking would not be after a mushroom cloud rises above Tel Aviv. I liken France to Neville Chamberlin stepping off a plane and onto the tarmack and proclaiming "peace in our time".
When does the appeasment STOP!!
President Jacques Chirac said on Monday talks with
Iran on its nuclear aspirations should be pursued since U.N. sanctions had never worked well, a fresh hint of EU misgivings over U.S. calls for punishing Tehran.
Remember - It's not a world war unless France surrenders.
True, on a world stage you cannot shoot and ask questions later....or at least it isn't a good idea too but on the other extreme the time for talking has to be FINITE!! Maybe they need a timetable for withdrawl of talking???
As UN Security Council deadline after deadline comes and goes there's France with their "we need more talking" dribble. When does the talking stop??? I would hope the time to stop talking would not be after a mushroom cloud rises above Tel Aviv. I liken France to Neville Chamberlin stepping off a plane and onto the tarmack and proclaiming "peace in our time".
When does the appeasment STOP!!
The Doom And Gloom Report for September 18, 2006
A couple of topics are on my mind as we start the new week.
Oil and Gas
Seems to be that evergy prices have run into a classic investment wall...the correction.
A correction is when investors push their investment vehicle (stocks, bonds, real estate, energy) in one direction. For the most part you see a sustained upward trend. At some point if you have a large "paper" gain on your investment it is a smart thing to take the money and run or to cash out. Now you have money in your pocket so to speak rather than it showing on paper only.
It doesn't matter what the trigger was for the correction. Alot of this is psychological. How long do you hold onto your investment without risking any potential profit you could gain? Sell now and you made some good money; wait and your profit could be cut in half and you'll end up kicking yourself.
So several weeks ago people who invested in energy were asking themselves the same thing. They also took into consideration that American motorists cut back on their driving this summer so gas inventories are up. They saw the hurricane season as pretty much a no show this season with nothing happening in the Gulf of Mexico.
Taking into account just the previous two bits of information and you could see not much would move the price of oil higher so it is a safe bet to get out of the energy investments as the potential for further gains is low.
At this point in time, barring any single cataclysmic event or several energy related interruptions we should see significantly lower energy costs through the heating season when compared to last year.
Jihad
Have you ever run into someone whether it was at the school playground when you were a kid or maybe it was at a bar or club after work when you were out for a few where you maybe glanced over in someone's direction and a thug (for lack of a better word) wanted to beat you to a pulp just because you "looked at him"?
Today it was reported by Reuters that a militant group declared Jihad over the Pope's speech. That reminded me of the above mentioned context. It also reminds me of a Nazi official who could not eat breakfast before finding someone to kill. He would run out onto the street and it didn't matter what religion, race or whatever they were he wanted to kill. Perhaps it was the need to fullfill his own grandiose vision of being master.
Granted not all muslims are of the same cloth...no, just the schoolyard thugs are. Thugs who are offended 'cause they didn't get so much as a "By your leave" scream jihad. It was a speech and whether taken out of context or not, whether meant to inflame or not doesn't matter as a thug will use any and all excuses to thump his chest and proclaim himself a force to be reckon with.
This doesn't apply to just a single religion or people. Christians are guilty of it as well, just not on the same scale in recent history.
So when you have someone who uses any reason to encite, enrage, maim or kill the innocent what you have is a modern day school yard thug.....a dangerous one.
Oil and Gas
Seems to be that evergy prices have run into a classic investment wall...the correction.
A correction is when investors push their investment vehicle (stocks, bonds, real estate, energy) in one direction. For the most part you see a sustained upward trend. At some point if you have a large "paper" gain on your investment it is a smart thing to take the money and run or to cash out. Now you have money in your pocket so to speak rather than it showing on paper only.
It doesn't matter what the trigger was for the correction. Alot of this is psychological. How long do you hold onto your investment without risking any potential profit you could gain? Sell now and you made some good money; wait and your profit could be cut in half and you'll end up kicking yourself.
So several weeks ago people who invested in energy were asking themselves the same thing. They also took into consideration that American motorists cut back on their driving this summer so gas inventories are up. They saw the hurricane season as pretty much a no show this season with nothing happening in the Gulf of Mexico.
Taking into account just the previous two bits of information and you could see not much would move the price of oil higher so it is a safe bet to get out of the energy investments as the potential for further gains is low.
At this point in time, barring any single cataclysmic event or several energy related interruptions we should see significantly lower energy costs through the heating season when compared to last year.
Jihad
Have you ever run into someone whether it was at the school playground when you were a kid or maybe it was at a bar or club after work when you were out for a few where you maybe glanced over in someone's direction and a thug (for lack of a better word) wanted to beat you to a pulp just because you "looked at him"?
Today it was reported by Reuters that a militant group declared Jihad over the Pope's speech. That reminded me of the above mentioned context. It also reminds me of a Nazi official who could not eat breakfast before finding someone to kill. He would run out onto the street and it didn't matter what religion, race or whatever they were he wanted to kill. Perhaps it was the need to fullfill his own grandiose vision of being master.
Granted not all muslims are of the same cloth...no, just the schoolyard thugs are. Thugs who are offended 'cause they didn't get so much as a "By your leave" scream jihad. It was a speech and whether taken out of context or not, whether meant to inflame or not doesn't matter as a thug will use any and all excuses to thump his chest and proclaim himself a force to be reckon with.
This doesn't apply to just a single religion or people. Christians are guilty of it as well, just not on the same scale in recent history.
So when you have someone who uses any reason to encite, enrage, maim or kill the innocent what you have is a modern day school yard thug.....a dangerous one.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Uncle Smithers' Week #2 Picks
Ah, dreaded week two is upon us. Dreaded because it's hard to tell at this point which NFL teams are legit, and which are too legit to quit... (that would mean, suck, because anybody who coins a phrase Please Hammer Don't Hurth 'Em just isn't right in the head.) Uncle Smithers actually won money last week with his picks (I only put five on a parlay)--and overall didn't do too badly. How 'bout them Orange?! Pathetic.
This weeks college picks:
Michigan St. is a 2.5 point underdog traveling to Pitt. Both teams are 2-0, however, I'm giving this to Pitt for a number of reasons. First, they're at home. Second, the Big East is a stronger conference than the Big 10 this year. Third, Michigan St. has struggled on the road.
Florida is a 3.5 pt favorite going into Tennessee, where 105,000+ fans will be dressed in white and Yeorange. I like Florida because of their offense, and because Tennessee's is rather inconsistent. I'd be surprised if this comes down to a defensive battle.
The Irish are 6.5 point favorites at home against Michigan, how has had opening road wooes going back to 1999. Expect them to continue, though I'm still pissed Notre Dame didn't cover the spread at Georgia Tech.
Oregon is at home and a 4.5 point favorite against Oklahoma. I like the Ducks to prevail in this one. They're 22-1 at home against non-conference opponents and 4-0 against ranked teams there under their current coach. These guys are quick, and their QB, Dixon, looked pretty poised last week against Fresno St. Oklahoma seemed to struggle a bit in their two victories to date.
Louisville has an opportunity to beat Miami after losing to them 11 times. Good news for the Cardinals is they're at home where they've played pretty good over the last several years. Bad news for Miami is they looked rather sluggesh on Offense, something they can't afford to be if Louisville continues to put points up on the board sans their version of RB Bush, Michael. I like the Cards, -4.5.
LSU travels to Auburn for a battle of top 10 teams (#6 vs. #3), and two of the best defenses in the country. I like Auburn, -3.5, playing at home simply because they've played two opponents a bit more worthy than LSU vs. Louisianna-Lafayette. Helen Keller would stop them on d-too.
The Pros:
Tough week for picks, so I'm just going to point and shoot:
RAVENS vs. raiders +11.5. I think Oakland will cover this spread, though we could see another 27-0 Baltimore route.
COLTS vs. texans +13.5. I'll take the Texans, as they give certain teams fits and Indy is one of them.
FINS vs. bills +6.5. Should be a good matchup though the rivalry just isn't as much fun as Kelly/Marino. I like the fins, but not by much. Look for the Bills to cover the spread.
BEARS vs. lions +8.5. One of those who cares NFC matchups. Has this game mattered in the last 20 years at all? I still can't believe Rex Grossman is the Bears QB. Take the Lions--they're actually looking like they're tired of being stepped on.
panthers vs. VIKINGS +2.5. Take the Vikings, playing at home. New coach Childress is a disciplinarian, and it's working to a "T".
EAGLES vs. g-men +3.5. Can you imagine the Giants starting 0-2? Eli showed on a national stage he isn't as good as his brother, and guess what? He's not as good as McNabb, either. Take the birds at home.
FALCONS vs. buccs +5.5. What the hell happened to the Buccs last week? I called Baltimore to cover, +2.5, but Jesus. On the flip side, Altanta beat Carolina senseless. I have to go with the Falcons here.
saints vs. PACKERS +2.5. Remember the days when Green Bay was undefeatable at home? That's where Brett Favre should be, home in Louisianna, watching the game on the porch and relieving those memories. Take the upstart Saints.
rams vs. 49ERS +2.5 Well, San Fran covered the spread last week, but I don't think playing at home will help them much this time around. Rams.
SEAHAWKS vs. cardinals +6.5. Shit, if Seattle can't score more than 9 points against Detroit, how can they be 6.5 point favorites against the Cardinals? Coffee? I like the birds. The red ones. To cover.
patriots vs. J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! +5.5 I'm not a Jets fan, but hmm... New England squeaks one out at home against Buffalo, go on the road and are a 5.5 point favorite? Jets to cover.
CHARGERS vs. titans +11.5. Have the Titans really fallen this far? I don't think so. 11.5 points is a lot, and I'll take it.
BRONCOS vs. chiefs +10.5. Trent Greene thought he was bucked by a bronco last week. The chefs, great googley moogley, will get bucked again this week as Plummer miraculously pulls his head out of his ass and shoots lightening bolts for touchdowns.
COWBOYS vs. redskins +5.5. Hmmmm... Rivalry. Another cowboy and indian thing going on here. But just as Brokeback Mountain proved, the Cowboy always gets it in the end. Look for Washington to cover.
steelers vs. JAGS +1.5. Ahhh... Those road warrior Steelers. If it weren't for Maddox, the Steelers would have won this game last year at home. But alas, they'll get it this year--watch them roll out newly acquired Najah Davenport to roll them into the endzone from short yardage.
This weeks college picks:
Michigan St. is a 2.5 point underdog traveling to Pitt. Both teams are 2-0, however, I'm giving this to Pitt for a number of reasons. First, they're at home. Second, the Big East is a stronger conference than the Big 10 this year. Third, Michigan St. has struggled on the road.
Florida is a 3.5 pt favorite going into Tennessee, where 105,000+ fans will be dressed in white and Yeorange. I like Florida because of their offense, and because Tennessee's is rather inconsistent. I'd be surprised if this comes down to a defensive battle.
The Irish are 6.5 point favorites at home against Michigan, how has had opening road wooes going back to 1999. Expect them to continue, though I'm still pissed Notre Dame didn't cover the spread at Georgia Tech.
Oregon is at home and a 4.5 point favorite against Oklahoma. I like the Ducks to prevail in this one. They're 22-1 at home against non-conference opponents and 4-0 against ranked teams there under their current coach. These guys are quick, and their QB, Dixon, looked pretty poised last week against Fresno St. Oklahoma seemed to struggle a bit in their two victories to date.
Louisville has an opportunity to beat Miami after losing to them 11 times. Good news for the Cardinals is they're at home where they've played pretty good over the last several years. Bad news for Miami is they looked rather sluggesh on Offense, something they can't afford to be if Louisville continues to put points up on the board sans their version of RB Bush, Michael. I like the Cards, -4.5.
LSU travels to Auburn for a battle of top 10 teams (#6 vs. #3), and two of the best defenses in the country. I like Auburn, -3.5, playing at home simply because they've played two opponents a bit more worthy than LSU vs. Louisianna-Lafayette. Helen Keller would stop them on d-too.
The Pros:
Tough week for picks, so I'm just going to point and shoot:
RAVENS vs. raiders +11.5. I think Oakland will cover this spread, though we could see another 27-0 Baltimore route.
COLTS vs. texans +13.5. I'll take the Texans, as they give certain teams fits and Indy is one of them.
FINS vs. bills +6.5. Should be a good matchup though the rivalry just isn't as much fun as Kelly/Marino. I like the fins, but not by much. Look for the Bills to cover the spread.
BEARS vs. lions +8.5. One of those who cares NFC matchups. Has this game mattered in the last 20 years at all? I still can't believe Rex Grossman is the Bears QB. Take the Lions--they're actually looking like they're tired of being stepped on.
panthers vs. VIKINGS +2.5. Take the Vikings, playing at home. New coach Childress is a disciplinarian, and it's working to a "T".
EAGLES vs. g-men +3.5. Can you imagine the Giants starting 0-2? Eli showed on a national stage he isn't as good as his brother, and guess what? He's not as good as McNabb, either. Take the birds at home.
FALCONS vs. buccs +5.5. What the hell happened to the Buccs last week? I called Baltimore to cover, +2.5, but Jesus. On the flip side, Altanta beat Carolina senseless. I have to go with the Falcons here.
saints vs. PACKERS +2.5. Remember the days when Green Bay was undefeatable at home? That's where Brett Favre should be, home in Louisianna, watching the game on the porch and relieving those memories. Take the upstart Saints.
rams vs. 49ERS +2.5 Well, San Fran covered the spread last week, but I don't think playing at home will help them much this time around. Rams.
SEAHAWKS vs. cardinals +6.5. Shit, if Seattle can't score more than 9 points against Detroit, how can they be 6.5 point favorites against the Cardinals? Coffee? I like the birds. The red ones. To cover.
patriots vs. J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! +5.5 I'm not a Jets fan, but hmm... New England squeaks one out at home against Buffalo, go on the road and are a 5.5 point favorite? Jets to cover.
CHARGERS vs. titans +11.5. Have the Titans really fallen this far? I don't think so. 11.5 points is a lot, and I'll take it.
BRONCOS vs. chiefs +10.5. Trent Greene thought he was bucked by a bronco last week. The chefs, great googley moogley, will get bucked again this week as Plummer miraculously pulls his head out of his ass and shoots lightening bolts for touchdowns.
COWBOYS vs. redskins +5.5. Hmmmm... Rivalry. Another cowboy and indian thing going on here. But just as Brokeback Mountain proved, the Cowboy always gets it in the end. Look for Washington to cover.
steelers vs. JAGS +1.5. Ahhh... Those road warrior Steelers. If it weren't for Maddox, the Steelers would have won this game last year at home. But alas, they'll get it this year--watch them roll out newly acquired Najah Davenport to roll them into the endzone from short yardage.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Survivor: Stereotype Island
Alot has been made of this season's Survivor. GM reportably has pulled its ads. It's been said that it is a social experiment. For those who are unfamiliar, there are twenty people in this show this season. They are broken down into 4 teams of five members each....by ethnicity. We have our Latinos, African Americans, Asians, and Whites. Each team has its own name which damned if I can't remember. You may insert your own racial epithet for each if you would like. For me, I will call my own race....crackers.
So far the first episode has shown that us that:
1. Fat, grossly overweight men are lazy regardless of race.
2. Asians are good with puzzles
If you can think of more please drop me a line and I will add it to the list
So far the first episode has shown that us that:
1. Fat, grossly overweight men are lazy regardless of race.
2. Asians are good with puzzles
If you can think of more please drop me a line and I will add it to the list
Thursday, September 14, 2006
RockStar Finale
Well, sometimes you just gotta be careful of what you wish for. The SuperNova boys, apparently soon to be called something else, wanted a frontman, and that's exactly what they got. What they didn't get, however, was a lead singer. Big difference.
In what was perhaps TV's biggest surprise since Geraldo opened Al Capone's empty vault, the show went as "scripted". Magni, then Tobey, Dilana, and finally Bukkake Throated Lukas (who just gives the band that air of "dangerousness" they need, considering how ho-hum their songs are). The criticism of Magni was, again, unfounded. "We're looking for a frontman and you look like you blend in with the band". Hmmm... Is this not the same group that kicked Ryan off the show for standing out just a bit too much? Talk about sqauwking out the both sides of your mouth.
What really got me was the final two were the least talented singers and songwriters. Now, one could say there was a conspiracy to take Lukas, because the lad looks like he's in sad shape to get laid. With him "fronting" the group, the other bandmates will still have their pick of groupies, whereas if Tobey were leading the way, I'm sure the group would be lining up outside his trailer whining "C'mon mate, I saw her first!".
I'm really glad the show is over--seems like it was forever ago that the first guy got kicked off. At that point, it looked like there were no real candidates for a singer, and the band looked rather bored, if not downright horrified, with it all. It just seemed inevitable from the start that Lukas would be the singer--the band just seemed too eager to sing their praises for him. He's got the stage presence of Scott Weiland, however, that shit just doesn't get captured on recordings. Unfortunately, he's got about 1/8th the voice of Scott Weiland.
Interestingly enough, Brook Burke said "see you next summer", so it looks like we may have a good nine months to ponder what will come next. Truth be told, this format--finding a new lead singer for a semi-all-star-band--was nowhere near as finding a new lead singer for an existing group. A good candidate, if Burnett would stick to his local Aussie roots, would be Midnight Oil, who's lead singer left to pursue politics. At 7 feet tall, those would literally be some big shoes to fill, but they do have a catalog of hits... But I just don't see them holding up to American audiences who most likely know two or three songs, tops.
So, who knows, perhaps Eddie and Alex will be front and center court looking for a new lead singer (and bassist, as they've apparently cut ties with Michael Anthony, too).
In what was perhaps TV's biggest surprise since Geraldo opened Al Capone's empty vault, the show went as "scripted". Magni, then Tobey, Dilana, and finally Bukkake Throated Lukas (who just gives the band that air of "dangerousness" they need, considering how ho-hum their songs are). The criticism of Magni was, again, unfounded. "We're looking for a frontman and you look like you blend in with the band". Hmmm... Is this not the same group that kicked Ryan off the show for standing out just a bit too much? Talk about sqauwking out the both sides of your mouth.
What really got me was the final two were the least talented singers and songwriters. Now, one could say there was a conspiracy to take Lukas, because the lad looks like he's in sad shape to get laid. With him "fronting" the group, the other bandmates will still have their pick of groupies, whereas if Tobey were leading the way, I'm sure the group would be lining up outside his trailer whining "C'mon mate, I saw her first!".
I'm really glad the show is over--seems like it was forever ago that the first guy got kicked off. At that point, it looked like there were no real candidates for a singer, and the band looked rather bored, if not downright horrified, with it all. It just seemed inevitable from the start that Lukas would be the singer--the band just seemed too eager to sing their praises for him. He's got the stage presence of Scott Weiland, however, that shit just doesn't get captured on recordings. Unfortunately, he's got about 1/8th the voice of Scott Weiland.
Interestingly enough, Brook Burke said "see you next summer", so it looks like we may have a good nine months to ponder what will come next. Truth be told, this format--finding a new lead singer for a semi-all-star-band--was nowhere near as finding a new lead singer for an existing group. A good candidate, if Burnett would stick to his local Aussie roots, would be Midnight Oil, who's lead singer left to pursue politics. At 7 feet tall, those would literally be some big shoes to fill, but they do have a catalog of hits... But I just don't see them holding up to American audiences who most likely know two or three songs, tops.
So, who knows, perhaps Eddie and Alex will be front and center court looking for a new lead singer (and bassist, as they've apparently cut ties with Michael Anthony, too).
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Rock Star: ????????????????????
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060913/music_nm/supernova_dc_1
A new Mark Burnette reality tv series: Name That Band!!! How about Rock Star: Whomever???
By Jonathan Cohen Wed Sep 13, 1:13 PM ET
NEW YORK (Billboard) - A California judge has ordered producers of the CBS reality show "Rock Star" to find a new name for its group Supernova, ruling that an established band already exists with that moniker.
The original Supernova, best known for contributing the song "Chewbacca" to the cult movie "Clerks," had previously filed for a preliminary injunction protecting its name.
The news comes at a particularly bad time for the TV show, which will name its winning vocalist Wednesday. The winner will promptly hit the studio with guitarist
Gilby Clarke, bassist Jason Newsted and drummer
Tommy Lee; the group is slated to begin a North American tour on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas.
As part of the judge's ruling, the CBS-spawned group is enjoined from using the Supernova name for performances and recordings.
"The ruling is a major victory for Supernova, especially since it has been announced on several occasions that our client's case had no merit," says Supernova attorney John Mizhir, Jr. "This is sweet justice. The order also proves that the law does not discriminate. The band members have worked hard for the past 17 years to establish the name Supernova and they are entitled to continue to perform without any other parties -- large or small -- infringing on their rights."
Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Supernova, founded in 1989 by Jodey Lawrence, Art Mitchell and David Collins, has released four albums.
A new Mark Burnette reality tv series: Name That Band!!! How about Rock Star: Whomever???
By Jonathan Cohen Wed Sep 13, 1:13 PM ET
NEW YORK (Billboard) - A California judge has ordered producers of the CBS reality show "Rock Star" to find a new name for its group Supernova, ruling that an established band already exists with that moniker.
The original Supernova, best known for contributing the song "Chewbacca" to the cult movie "Clerks," had previously filed for a preliminary injunction protecting its name.
The news comes at a particularly bad time for the TV show, which will name its winning vocalist Wednesday. The winner will promptly hit the studio with guitarist
Gilby Clarke, bassist Jason Newsted and drummer
Tommy Lee; the group is slated to begin a North American tour on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas.
As part of the judge's ruling, the CBS-spawned group is enjoined from using the Supernova name for performances and recordings.
"The ruling is a major victory for Supernova, especially since it has been announced on several occasions that our client's case had no merit," says Supernova attorney John Mizhir, Jr. "This is sweet justice. The order also proves that the law does not discriminate. The band members have worked hard for the past 17 years to establish the name Supernova and they are entitled to continue to perform without any other parties -- large or small -- infringing on their rights."
Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Supernova, founded in 1989 by Jodey Lawrence, Art Mitchell and David Collins, has released four albums.
RockStar SuperNova Review
Well, I don't think there's too much sense wasting time on a write-up as it appears it's all but a foregone conclusion as to who will be picked as the lead singer (Lukas). It's rather unfortunate, because I still don't believe the guy can sing a lick. He did a bit better last night, but he just doesn't have it. I would not buy an album with him as the singer, and taking into consideration the tracks previewed on the show, it's not that big of a loss anyway.
Last night's show was a little hum-drum. Why bother letting them sing their original again? Even Tobey's song, heard for the third time now, came across as anti-climatic. And what's up with Tommy's response to Magni? Of all the things one could say, his was the most dumbass. "Dilana, Tobey, and Lukas all had memorable songs. There wasn't anything memorable about that one." If I were Magni, I would have retorted with "Well, and to be honest, Tommy, you're no Dave Grohl". I think that would have pissed him off. The best performance of the night had to have been Magni's Hush cover, which Tommy could have nodded to to ease the sting, but he just left it at his one comment.
So, barring some miracle, I would expect Lukas to be crowned the winner of this corporate rock wanna-be band (mind you, any of the singers would still have elicited the same outcome). I expect the album to crack the top 10 the first week, then fade into obscurity. The tour will do as well as expected, but it will be one and done.
Last night's show was a little hum-drum. Why bother letting them sing their original again? Even Tobey's song, heard for the third time now, came across as anti-climatic. And what's up with Tommy's response to Magni? Of all the things one could say, his was the most dumbass. "Dilana, Tobey, and Lukas all had memorable songs. There wasn't anything memorable about that one." If I were Magni, I would have retorted with "Well, and to be honest, Tommy, you're no Dave Grohl". I think that would have pissed him off. The best performance of the night had to have been Magni's Hush cover, which Tommy could have nodded to to ease the sting, but he just left it at his one comment.
So, barring some miracle, I would expect Lukas to be crowned the winner of this corporate rock wanna-be band (mind you, any of the singers would still have elicited the same outcome). I expect the album to crack the top 10 the first week, then fade into obscurity. The tour will do as well as expected, but it will be one and done.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
New From The Grassy Knoll
As I was watching shots of the space shuttle lift off and the "live" shots on tv today from the shuttle at the space station a thought crossed my mind.
Hollywood does a fine outstanding job!
Hollywood does a fine outstanding job!
Friday, September 08, 2006
Uncle Smithers' Weekly Picks--Week #1
Ah, the smell of pigskin flying through the air and tailgating on an autumn day. Let us start out by saying the BELOVED STEELERS opened their title defense with a defensive performance from Joey Porter worthy of all-pro status if he doesn't do jack the rest of the season.
Without further ado, here's my college picks:
Georgia on the road as a 3.5 favorite against South Carolina. I like Georgia. Always have, always will. The Gamecocks will undoubtedly improve once again with Steve Spurrier at the helm, but I don't see the Bulldogs losing this game.
Oregon on the road against Fresno St. Oregon is a 4.5 point favorite, which I like after they convincingly beat Walt Harris's Stanford team.
THE BIG GAME OF THE WEEK is Ohio State at Texas (c'mon, did you think it was Iowa at Syracuse? The Orange(men) won't have a winning season again until Perry Patterson is gone.) The Buckeyes are a 2.5 point underdog, and while the Texas has home field advantage, I the the veteran offense of THE Ohio State University will rate better than Texas, which will be more prone to mistakes. Don't know if the new QB will survive the hype, as my mother would have looked good under center against North Texas.
On to the pros:
Broncos on the road against the Rams. Denver is a 3.5 pt favorite, which I like.
Titans at home, -2.5 against the Jets. I'll take the Titans.
Patriots looked good on offense in the preseason--I expect them to cover at home (-9.5) against the Bills.
Upset #1: Ravens on the road against the Buccs, who are a 2.5 pt favorite. I really think McNair is going to help this team out tremendously.
Upset #2: Bengals +2.5 on the road against the Chiefs. Sure, Arrowhead is a tough place to play, but Cincy looks better on D this year and even scarier, better on the O, too.
Seahawks will redeem themselves in Detroit as 6.5 pt favorites.
Panthers are always tough at home, and I expect them to cover the 5.5 pt spread against the Falcons.
Eagles on the road against Houston, who still has a problem. Eagles minus 5.5 should cover, though this might be a tough one as Houston does play much better at home--historically speaking.
The Browns. The Saints. Hmmm. I'll take the Browns at home, +3.5.
The Jags are at home, too, as a 2.5 pt fav against the Cowgirls. I'll take the Jags.
Upset #3: The Packers at home, 3.5 pt underdogs against da Bears.
Upset #4: You can build a new state of the art stadium, and fill it with electricity, but at the end of the day... They're still the Cardinals. Until they prove otherwise, why bother? San Fran, +7.5
Manning vs. Manning, a sequal to Kraemer vs. Kraemer. I'll take brother Peyton on the road as a 3.5 pt. favorite against the g-men.
Upset #5: The Vikings on the road in DC against the RedSkins, who are 4.5 pt. favorites. I'm guessing every Minnesota fan sighed in relief after watching Daunte's performance last night, knowing it wsa the right decision. Brad Johnson is looking pretty sharp. I like the Vikings to cover.
And last but not least, the Chargers on the road vs. Oakland. The Chargers are 2.5 pt. favorites, and I like them to cover.
Without further ado, here's my college picks:
Georgia on the road as a 3.5 favorite against South Carolina. I like Georgia. Always have, always will. The Gamecocks will undoubtedly improve once again with Steve Spurrier at the helm, but I don't see the Bulldogs losing this game.
Oregon on the road against Fresno St. Oregon is a 4.5 point favorite, which I like after they convincingly beat Walt Harris's Stanford team.
THE BIG GAME OF THE WEEK is Ohio State at Texas (c'mon, did you think it was Iowa at Syracuse? The Orange(men) won't have a winning season again until Perry Patterson is gone.) The Buckeyes are a 2.5 point underdog, and while the Texas has home field advantage, I the the veteran offense of THE Ohio State University will rate better than Texas, which will be more prone to mistakes. Don't know if the new QB will survive the hype, as my mother would have looked good under center against North Texas.
On to the pros:
Broncos on the road against the Rams. Denver is a 3.5 pt favorite, which I like.
Titans at home, -2.5 against the Jets. I'll take the Titans.
Patriots looked good on offense in the preseason--I expect them to cover at home (-9.5) against the Bills.
Upset #1: Ravens on the road against the Buccs, who are a 2.5 pt favorite. I really think McNair is going to help this team out tremendously.
Upset #2: Bengals +2.5 on the road against the Chiefs. Sure, Arrowhead is a tough place to play, but Cincy looks better on D this year and even scarier, better on the O, too.
Seahawks will redeem themselves in Detroit as 6.5 pt favorites.
Panthers are always tough at home, and I expect them to cover the 5.5 pt spread against the Falcons.
Eagles on the road against Houston, who still has a problem. Eagles minus 5.5 should cover, though this might be a tough one as Houston does play much better at home--historically speaking.
The Browns. The Saints. Hmmm. I'll take the Browns at home, +3.5.
The Jags are at home, too, as a 2.5 pt fav against the Cowgirls. I'll take the Jags.
Upset #3: The Packers at home, 3.5 pt underdogs against da Bears.
Upset #4: You can build a new state of the art stadium, and fill it with electricity, but at the end of the day... They're still the Cardinals. Until they prove otherwise, why bother? San Fran, +7.5
Manning vs. Manning, a sequal to Kraemer vs. Kraemer. I'll take brother Peyton on the road as a 3.5 pt. favorite against the g-men.
Upset #5: The Vikings on the road in DC against the RedSkins, who are 4.5 pt. favorites. I'm guessing every Minnesota fan sighed in relief after watching Daunte's performance last night, knowing it wsa the right decision. Brad Johnson is looking pretty sharp. I like the Vikings to cover.
And last but not least, the Chargers on the road vs. Oakland. The Chargers are 2.5 pt. favorites, and I like them to cover.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Coming Soon! Uncle Smithers' Weekly picks!
Yeah, that's right. Time to talk smack about college and pro football. I'm going to try to hold to a strategy this year and pick four for $40 each week (unless I win, of course), which pays 12.5 to 1... or something like that. All I know is I had three picks out of four right last week, with a mere three points needed by the friggin' Hunch-back Gang to cover the spread for a payout of $480. Last weeks picks included UCLA, Pitt, and USC as winners, though lord only knows why I didn't pick West Virginia and Oregon like I wanted to.
I'm gonna miss them tats!
I said tats... but come to think of it, I'll probably miss those other things, too. I'm talking about Storm being booted from Rock Star SuperNova. I think over the past few weeks, she's held my attention by simply baring her mid section.
So, here it is a week into the college football season, and I should have put money down on my bottom three picks instead of Notre Dame last week (thanks ND--you're inability to kick a friggin' field goal blew my chance to win $450 on my parlay card. So much for the luck of the Irish). Yes, I would have had the bottom three right had I picked them last night: Dilanah, Storm, and gulp... Lukas.
I suppose, in the end, Storm was the obvious choice--but I do have to say Dilanah really has taken a plummet these past few weeks, somewhat comparable to Jordis last year (she got stuck with that one Aerosmith song and never recovered, losing votes every week which in turn lead to her losing confidence). Interestingly, both Jordis and Dilanah share that Grrrr-voice thing along with the hair do thing.
Glad to see Magni make it into the final show along with Tobey--these two have separated themselves from the pack over the last few weeks. Lukas as shown a bit more emotion which has lead to a better demonstration of vocal ability, but I just don't see it happening (though unfortunatley, I do--I think it's something of a forgone conclusion that he will be pegged as the lead singer). About the same point last year, Andew Farriss from INXS was criticizing JD for not showing up "prepared" for the original song episode. This time around, we get the same situation with Lukas. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, but I'd be very surprised (but totally elated) if it weren't Lukas.
From the WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW corner: what was up with Jason being overcome with Wish You Were Here? Obviously it holds some relevance to his own personal life, unless he was shedding a tear much like me in the thought of being a tatoo on Storm's body knowing she would be the next to go.
So, here it is a week into the college football season, and I should have put money down on my bottom three picks instead of Notre Dame last week (thanks ND--you're inability to kick a friggin' field goal blew my chance to win $450 on my parlay card. So much for the luck of the Irish). Yes, I would have had the bottom three right had I picked them last night: Dilanah, Storm, and gulp... Lukas.
I suppose, in the end, Storm was the obvious choice--but I do have to say Dilanah really has taken a plummet these past few weeks, somewhat comparable to Jordis last year (she got stuck with that one Aerosmith song and never recovered, losing votes every week which in turn lead to her losing confidence). Interestingly, both Jordis and Dilanah share that Grrrr-voice thing along with the hair do thing.
Glad to see Magni make it into the final show along with Tobey--these two have separated themselves from the pack over the last few weeks. Lukas as shown a bit more emotion which has lead to a better demonstration of vocal ability, but I just don't see it happening (though unfortunatley, I do--I think it's something of a forgone conclusion that he will be pegged as the lead singer). About the same point last year, Andew Farriss from INXS was criticizing JD for not showing up "prepared" for the original song episode. This time around, we get the same situation with Lukas. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out, but I'd be very surprised (but totally elated) if it weren't Lukas.
From the WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW corner: what was up with Jason being overcome with Wish You Were Here? Obviously it holds some relevance to his own personal life, unless he was shedding a tear much like me in the thought of being a tatoo on Storm's body knowing she would be the next to go.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Rock Star
Will Dilanah get the boot tonight? One could only hope. She does have a wonderful voice and should try and use it more often. Out of her I prefer her natural tones rather than the gravel she spews forth. I think that style of singning has run it's course but for her she sounds no different than any other woman who sings in that style and to me it's boring.
There were three performances that I loved. Magni, Toby and Lucas, in that order. Lucas has been a bit of a suprise the last couple of weeks. Like it was said last night, he has come to show some emotion...kind of reminisent of Kurt Cobain. Sometimes when you hear a song for the first time you get a feeling just from the first 10 or seconds and you know it is going to be great song. That is what I got from the first couple of chords of Magni's original. I could really see Supernova (if that name survives litigation) adopt it as their own.
Go Magni!!!
On another note..
How about Rock Star: Van Halen for next season??? I mean, We know Edddy's marriage did not survive but did he succumb to the tongue cancer as well?? Even their official web site hasn't been updated in recent millenia (hhmm, is that even a word?) The last we heard he wasn't going to do one of those "nastalgia tours".
Something to ponder
There were three performances that I loved. Magni, Toby and Lucas, in that order. Lucas has been a bit of a suprise the last couple of weeks. Like it was said last night, he has come to show some emotion...kind of reminisent of Kurt Cobain. Sometimes when you hear a song for the first time you get a feeling just from the first 10 or seconds and you know it is going to be great song. That is what I got from the first couple of chords of Magni's original. I could really see Supernova (if that name survives litigation) adopt it as their own.
Go Magni!!!
On another note..
How about Rock Star: Van Halen for next season??? I mean, We know Edddy's marriage did not survive but did he succumb to the tongue cancer as well?? Even their official web site hasn't been updated in recent millenia (hhmm, is that even a word?) The last we heard he wasn't going to do one of those "nastalgia tours".
Something to ponder
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Family Update - Sept 3, 2006
Well I hope I am not the only one thinking I am going to wake up one morning to find a foot of snow on the ground, and soon. It seems as though our summer came early and left early.
I have been car shopping the past week or so. I got one of those blank check offers so we were considering trading one or more of our cars in. Zack and I went into town Friday to see what we could get for trade in on the Jaguar. I bought it before we got married....mainly as a talisman to ward off evil spirits lol. Well, since I don't drive it in the winter I thought it just isn't as practical as it could be now that there is more than just myself to take into consideration.
That was the plan anyways. :) I wanted to get something for Shelly, something newer and nicer since she has the long commute for work. She really liked the new Dodge Caliber so we took one of those out for a test drive a cople of weeks ago. It's a little noisy for me but she liked it so that is what we were looking at Friday. Quite simply, I went to Dealmaker on Arsenal and said I wanted such and such car and I can either trade in Shelly's car or the Jaguar. Their finance manager thought he could get a better rate than what I already had been offered so Zack and I went to the mall while they worked the numbers.
We were planning on getting our hair cuts but seeing that it was the first of the month there was quite a bit of a wait, scratch that idea. So I said to Zack that we would look at the cars in the mall. He LOVES the "Horsepower Car" (Mustang). We walked around and asked for a couple prices then we came to the Honda Accord. It is an EX-L model with leather, sunroof, heated seats, heated mirros, power drivers seat, XM radio (free for 90 days) and an available iPod link where you can control the ipod through the stearing wheel controls. Shelly loves her iPod. I prefer anything else lol. It gets 34 mpg on hwy so not any less than she was getting in her Sunfire. All this for $27k.
So I checked back at the dealer but my salesman and the finance manager were out to lunch so I went home. I called him and told him the change in plans and he went to the Mall to get the vehicle. He also thought he could get us financing through Honda. We went into Watertown yesturday and picked up the vehicle. Not only did they pay off the Sunfire but we got into a 5 year 100,000 mile Honda extended warranty with no deductable which includes the trip interruption, roadside assistance, etc.
So what you see is the new addition to S&S Motors lol.
Beyond that, Shelly started classes for her Masters in Human Resource Management this weekend. Zack, like every other child is ready for school to start....wait, or is it me that is ready for him to start school??? Probably a little of both. lol
Shelly got an interesting email a couple of weeks ago. It seems that a professional recruiter had seen her resume online and wanted to place her as a canidate for a job. Without giving specifics, the job is with a very large multinational company and would require relocation. So far she is one of two canidates being considered and has another interview this week and from there they would fly her to their plant for a couple days. The benefits are very good and her pay would increase by 29%. Keep up the good work honey, Zack and I are proud of you!!
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