A long time gone

It's been sinx months since I've posted here, and I've since gotten engaged, bought a house, been on that trip to Florida and even gone to California, I've also started a blog about football, it's at sobofootball.blogspot.com. Check it out!

Two weeks til Florida

And boy am I looking forward to it. I got my first taste of baseball yesterday watching the Twins play the Red Sox to a 4-4 tie.

Haven't been to spring training for two years so it will be good to get back.

Weather is very March here in Maryland here on March 1 — moderately cold and rainy.

At least it's not snowing.

President Race 2008

Anyone else dreading the coverage of this? I don't want to talk, think or worry about who will be president in 2008 until at least October. Yet I will.

If you however would like to follow the polls, click on the Hedgehog Report, as he keeps a good update running. Also polls are here.

Some Sunday coverage:

A quick wire compilation of campaigns in the Globe.

New York Times talks about Hillary and her vote for the war.

Another NY Times article reports on the national press corp killing the living room pitch of candidates campaigning in Iowa.

Alabama tries to move its primary for more pull but the parties say hold it!

McCain says no abortions but does not use the phrase "activist judges."

I think judges get a bad rap. They spend years studying law but their decisions are constantly questioned by people who know little about legal statutes. I think many times people are upset with judges when they should be upset with the law on which the judges are ruling.

Why don't I get President's Day Off?

Here it is Sunday night on the eve of a holiday and I have to go to work tomorrow. And I went to work today.

So now I'm watching the NBA All-Star Game to try to stave off my lack of enthusiasm for the beginning of the work. I kind of lost interest in the league at the height of the Jordan era, I find it boring to have the same team win every year.

I've become a big Wizards fan though, so I was kind of excited to watch Gilbert and Caron. Gilbert was great in the three-point contest last night. This game is boring though, no one's even trying to play defense.

MLB All-Star Game is the only worth anything. I like the twist of making it count for home field.

Speaking of baseball here is a clip of the Twins at camp.

Back up north,people are finding plenty of ways to keep entertained, like setting snow angel records.

Also in the news -- Britney's hair is for sale. $1.2 million is a small price to pay.

Have you seen this:




SEXY!

Redesign

I've made my blog even more self-indulgent by adding photos of myself and significant other on the right side. It's kind of my own Arrested Development intro.

I also added links to my regional newspapers. More links to come.

Perhaps someone will leave a mean-spirited comment sometime soon.

It's feeling mighty Midwest

I'm not quite sure I'm in Maryland anymore.

One of the benefits to me moving out here was supposed to be warmer winters. Yet today, according to

href="http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=lwx"> the National Weather Service

the low this morning of 8 degrees was creeping on the 1895 record of 1 degree.

Of course that is still better than life in the Midwest. If I had taken the job in Davenport my overnight low would be -2.

That's progress!

I've reproduced

Sports related messages are moving here:

to Nate's Sports World.

This page will relate to me personally on mattes other than sports (as soon as I figure out what those are).

Today's rankings

I'm not one to worry too much about Top 25 rankings in college basketball, but how did Ohio State jump ahead of Wisconsin and North Carolina (teams they lost to)?

I know both games were on the road but it is my recollection that OSU trailed consistently through the second half of both games. I know they made it close against Wisconsin, but as long as they are tied atop the Big Ten I think Badgers should get the benefit of the doubt.

Another note from the rankings: How does Creighton not get a single vote in the coaches poll? That's how much respect a 10-3 Valley team draws.

Puppy Bowl = awesome

This post speaks for itself. Fewer turnovers than the Super Bowl.

I'm back.. with a bracket projection

I've decided to return to blogging by giving me a reason to sign on every week -- a bracket projection each Sunday. Although it would usually make more sense to do on Mondays, I don't have time.

I was trying to decide whether to make this based on who I would pick versus who the committee will pick. I went with the former because if anyone ever reads this I think it's more fun to debate.

With that caveat I put in Northern Iowa because they are my favorite team, but otherwise I would have likely given the slot to West Virginia.

So here's the first weekly pick:

South:
1. Florida (#1 seed)
16. Jackson St./Weber St.
8. Arizona
9. Missouri St.
5. Boston College
12. New Mexico St.
4. Indiana
13. Toledo
6. Creighton
11. Virginia Commonwealth
3. Marquette
14. Pennsylvania
7. Notre Dame
10. Clemson
2. Kansas
15. Austin Peay

East
1. N. Carolina (#4 overall
16. E. Tennessee St.
8. BYU
9. Michigan State
5. Oklahoma State
12. Massachusetts
4. Memphis
13.Winthrop
6. Virginia
11. Arkansas
3. Oregon
14. Vermont
7. Gonzaga
10. Kansas State
2. Ohio State
15. Bucknell

Midwest
1. Wisconsin (#2 overall)
16. Sacred Heart
8. Tennessee
9. UNLV
5. Southern Illinois
12. Florida State
4. Washington State
13. Appalachian State
6. Vanderbilt
11. Texas Tech
3. Butler
14. Oakland
7. Virginia Tech
10. USC
2. Pittsburgh
15. Marist

West
1. UCLA (#3 overall)
16. Northwestern State
8. Georgetown
9. Maryland
5. Kentucky
12. Marist
4. Air Force
13. Western Kentucky
6. Nevada
11. Villanova
3. Duke
14. Long Beach State
7. Stanford
10. Alabama
2. Texas A & M
15. Delaware State

My pick for the Final Four - Florida, Wisconsin, Air Force and the upset pick is Arkansas.