- Global Warming as high as 15 feet in central U.S. http://bit.ly/6QEZAh #
- Holly Sampson Brags About Supposedly Sleeping With Tiger Woods http://bit.ly/5VNuZH List of men she has NOT slept with is down to 40 #
- I just realized my blog turned 5 Tuesday And I didn't send it a card. I'm such a slacker. #
- Watching "Men of a Certain Age" on the TiVo. I know all the songs they play. I think this show is about me. #
- The Mythbusters temp (Jessi) isted as "featuring" reminds me of Lost In Space having "Special Guest Star" Jonathan Harris on every episode. #
- When Hank Hill was a little boy, did his dad tell him that, if he was bad, he'd get an empty propane bottle in his stocking? #
- Santa: For Christmas, don't bring me anything. Rather, take several things away: healthcare, cap and trade... #
- Which is worse: Al Gore poetry? Or Vogon poetry? #
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thoughts for 2009-12-10
The "Best" Movies: Recap, part 2
A while back I decided to watch the "best" movies. I put together a big list from several other lists:
I'm telling what I thought of them. Part 1 is here. This is part 2.
- American Film Institute (AFI) 100 years, 100 movies (1998)
- AFI's 100 years, 100 movies, 10th Anniversary Listing. (2007)
- AFI's "10 Top 10" (Animation, Romantic comedy, Westerns, Sports, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Gangster, Courtroom Dramas, Epics)
- Academy Award® Best Pictures winners.
I'm telling what I thought of them. Part 1 is here. This is part 2.
- Adam's Rib
#7 Romantic comedy
Yes, this is a funny movie. Good Tracy and Hepburn film. Seen it on TCM many times. - Alien
#7 Science fiction
I saw this when it came out. It was one of the scariest movies I ever saw. The alien sprouting from the chest scene ... The aliens on the face ... They still affect me. Don't know if it would impact me as much if I saw it for the first time today, but it's a great, scary film. And better than #7 on the SciFi list. - All About Eve
#16 Top 100 (1998)
#28 Top 100 (2007)
Best Picture (1950)
I liked this movie. This is back when Best Picture was actually given to a good movie. Ever heard that movie line, "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night?" It's from this movie. Oh, a bit a trivia: Two actresses received best actress nominations (Bette Davis and Anne Baxter) ... and two received best supporting actress nominations (Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter) ... and the whole production got 14 nominations (it won 6). - All Quiet on the Western Front
#54 Top 100 (1998)
#7 Epic
Best Picture (1930)
2 hours, 18 minutes long. Seemed longer. Message film. The message? War is bad. And it took over 2-1/3 hours to say it. - All the King's Men
Best Picture (1949)
Unknown politician rises to prominence, only to ultimately fall. The Barack Obama story? No, it's based on a different Kingfish altogether: Huey Long. Pretty good film. - All the President's Men
#77 Top 100 (2007)
Saw it on TV years ago. Actually, a pretty good film. If only it was true. That reporters were honest and actually sought the truth, that is. - Amadeus
#53 Top 100 (1998)
Best Picture (1984)
Based on the life of Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. Go figure. It's one of those that, if it's on TV, and nothing else is on, you might as well watch it. - American Beauty
Best Picture (1999)
I didn't really care for this film. Best part? The bag being blown around by the wind. If you want to see a film narrated by a dead guy, see Sunset Boulevard. (Did I just spoil the ending?) - American Graffiti
#62 Top 100 (2007)
#77 Top 100 (1998)
Saw this when it came out. Loved it. Oh, this is the film that introduced us to Suzanne Somers, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss (first big movie role), and grown-up Opie Cunningham. - An American in Paris
#68 Top 100 (1998)
Best Picture (1951)
Actually an okay film, but not better than okay. I wanted to like it more.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The "Best" Movies: Recap, part 1
A while back I decided to watch the "best" movies. I put together a big list from several other lists:
Since you care so much, I'm going to briefly tell you what I thought about each movie. Not all at once, mind you. I'll tell you about maybe 10 at a time. And probably not much about each one. I won't be doing a full review. And I won't be telling you about Keyser Söze or anything. And I'll go in alphabetical order, just because.
- American Film Institute (AFI) 100 years, 100 movies (1998)
- AFI's 100 years, 100 movies, 10th Anniversary Listing. (2007)
- AFI's "10 Top 10" (Animation, Romantic comedy, Westerns, Sports, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Gangster, Courtroom Dramas, Epics)
- Academy Award® Best Pictures winners.
Since you care so much, I'm going to briefly tell you what I thought about each movie. Not all at once, mind you. I'll tell you about maybe 10 at a time. And probably not much about each one. I won't be doing a full review. And I won't be telling you about Keyser Söze or anything. And I'll go in alphabetical order, just because.
- 12 Angry Men
#87 Top 100 (2007)
#2 Courtroom drama
Great film. Read the play in high school. Saw it on TV years ago. A must-see. - 2001: A Space Odyssey
#15 Top 100 (2007)
#22 Top 100 (1998)
#1 Science Fiction
Another must-see. Boring at times. Hokey at times. I actually fell asleep watching once. Or twice. Saw it a long time ago. And I still think it's a good film. - A Beautiful Mind
Best Picture (2001)
Yawn. Okay, I admit, I didn't see the twist coming. But the movie wasn't that good. - A Clockwork Orange
#46 Top 100 (1998)
#70 Top 100 (2007)
#4 Science fiction
Yuck. Saw it for the first time this year. Never had any interest in seeing it. And, after seeing it, I know why. Probably a very powerful movie back when it came out. Today, it's just unpleasant. - A Cry in the Dark
#9 Courtroom drama
That's the "dingo got my baby" movie, in case you were wondering. So-so film. Another one of Meryl Streep's "accent" movies. Saw it as part of this "watch 'em all" quest. - A Few Good Men
#5 Courtroom drama
It was okay. Didn't see it until earlier this year. Nicholson was great. Others were ... filler. - A Man for All Seasons
Best Picture (1966)
Another okay movie. And one that I saw for the first time this year. I felt I was watching PBS the whole time. - A Night at the Opera
#85 Top 100 (2007)
A funny, funny movie. Saw it years ago, and watch it every time it comes on TCM. It's the film with the crowded room scene. A classic. - A Place in the Sun
#92 Top 100 (1998)
A soap opera. Love triangle between Montgomery Clift, Shelly Winters, and Elizabeth Taylor. Watched it as part of this movie quest. A so-so film. A sort-of twist at the end. If it's on, watch it. But don't go out of your way. - A Streetcar Named Desire
#45 Top 100 (1998)
#47 Top 100 (2007)
Boring. Blanche says the "always depended on the kindness of strangers." If she's depending on me to recommend the film, she'll be disappointed. If it wasn't for this movie quest, I wouldn't have watched it.
Thoughts for 2009-12-09
- ME: Lunch at Country's? WIFE: Sure, what time? ME: About lunch time. WIFE: Smartass. #
- House subcommittee passes anti-BCS bill http://6CAzZF Maybe they'll pass this instead of healthcare. #
- Giant iceberg heading for Australia http://bit.ly/62lH58 The polar bears and the penguins are fighting back! #
- If they put the Secret Service or the TSA in charge of protecting Obama's birth certificate, we'd see it by nightfall http://bit.ly/7A5kA3 #
- Getting way too many emails from some things I signed up for on the FaceBook. Doing some serious cleanup. #
- Now, I've removed too much Facebook stuff. My Tweets don't show up on the Facebook anymore. Grrrr. #
- Maybe it's just the Twitter-Facebook that that's screwed up and keeping the Facebook from being updated by the Tweeter. #
- Why I'm concerned about the Facebook, I don't know. I rarely go there. Maybe if I wanted to play a farmer game, I'd go to the Facebook more. #
- Norwegians incensed over Barack Obama's snubs http://bit.ly/5iHKvq Silly Norwegians. Thinking Obama knows how to act in public. #
- Apple expels 1,000 apps after store scam http://bit.ly/8rx9Hb #
- If Bob Dylan recorded The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie," would they cancel each other out and we finally be able to understand the lyrics? #
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thoughts for 2009-12-07
- Checking out the bowl matchups. The "Brut Sun Bowl"? In the 70s, it would have been the "Hai Karate Sun Bowl" #
- Citi is using your bailout money to sponsor the Rose Bow. Yay! You own the Rose Bowl! #
- And the Citi National Championship Game. Don't forget that your bailout money is helping pay for that! #
- So, if Citi gets bailout money, and sponsors the Rose Bowl and the AL vs TX game, does this mean I've already paid for seats? #
- Should the GOP leaders declare the surge a failure and that the war is lost? Okay, I'm joking. No true American politician would do that. #
- All you ever wanted to know about the guy that run the BCS: http://bit.ly/6GMWm4 #
Sunday, December 6, 2009
College football playoffs: this year's seedings and schedule
Under my playoff plan for Division I-A college football, there are 16 teams in the tournament: the champions of the 11 Division I-A conferences, plus five wild card teams.
Seedings are by the Coaches Poll. The standings will be expanded beyond the traditional 25 teams, if necessary, to include all conference champions that received votes in the polls. Conference champions are seeded 1-11. Wild card teams are the top five teams in the Coaches Poll that did not win a conference championship. These teams fill the bottom five seeds in the tournament.
The higher seeded team is the host team. Highest seed faces lowest seed, and so on. First and second round losers are eligible for bowl games.
Here is this year's playoff tournament pool:
That means the first round matchups would be:
1) Alabama vs 16) Louisiana State
2) Texas vs 15) Virginia Tech
3) Texas Christian vs 14) Iowa
4) Cincinnati vs 13) Penn State
5) Boise State vs 12) Florida
6) Oregon vs 11) Troy
7) Ohio State vs 10) East Carolina
8) Georgia Tech vs 9) Central Michigan
Under this plan, there would be some good games played in the first round. And, second round. And third round. And a true championship.
Arguments against talk about the number of games played. I addressed that here.
Oh, and, yes, in earlier posts, I suggested using the BCS standings. I've changed my mind. The Coaches Poll is as good a single source as any for seeding. Keeping it simple is better.
Anyway, there you go. This year's college Division I-A tournament, seedings, and pairings.
Tell everyone who doesn't like it that they smell funny. Or a communist.
Seedings are by the Coaches Poll. The standings will be expanded beyond the traditional 25 teams, if necessary, to include all conference champions that received votes in the polls. Conference champions are seeded 1-11. Wild card teams are the top five teams in the Coaches Poll that did not win a conference championship. These teams fill the bottom five seeds in the tournament.
The higher seeded team is the host team. Highest seed faces lowest seed, and so on. First and second round losers are eligible for bowl games.
Here is this year's playoff tournament pool:
| Seed | Conference | Team | Coaches Poll |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeastern | Alabama | 1 |
| 2 | Big 12 | Texas | 2 |
| 3 | Mountain West | Texas Christian | 3 |
| 4 | Big East | Cincinnati | 4 |
| 5 | Western Athletic | Boise State | 6 |
| 6 | Pacific 10 | Oregon | 7 |
| 7 | Big Ten | Ohio State | 8 |
| 8 | Atlantic Coast | Georgia Tech | 10 |
| 9 | Mid-America | Central Michigan | 26 |
| 10 | Conference USA | East Carolina | 28 |
| 11 | Sun Belt | Troy | 37 |
| 12 | Wild Card | Florida | 5 |
| 13 | Wild Card | Penn State | 9 |
| 14 | Wild Card | Iowa | 11 |
| 15 | Wild Card | Virginia Tech | 12 |
| 16 | Wild Card | Louisiana State | 13 |
That means the first round matchups would be:
1) Alabama vs 16) Louisiana State
2) Texas vs 15) Virginia Tech
3) Texas Christian vs 14) Iowa
4) Cincinnati vs 13) Penn State
5) Boise State vs 12) Florida
6) Oregon vs 11) Troy
7) Ohio State vs 10) East Carolina
8) Georgia Tech vs 9) Central Michigan
Under this plan, there would be some good games played in the first round. And, second round. And third round. And a true championship.
Arguments against talk about the number of games played. I addressed that here.
Oh, and, yes, in earlier posts, I suggested using the BCS standings. I've changed my mind. The Coaches Poll is as good a single source as any for seeding. Keeping it simple is better.
Anyway, there you go. This year's college Division I-A tournament, seedings, and pairings.
Tell everyone who doesn't like it that they smell funny. Or a communist.
Thoughts for 2009-12-06
- Watching highlights at halftime. I must know: What was the bet that Boise State lost in 1986? It must have been a doozie! #
- Sarah Palin stand-up routine: http://bit.ly/6aVgrk #
- Cheney 2012? If only. http://bit.ly/77Lt9y #
- Hey! Today is Saturday! Are there any football games today? #
- Is it me, or is every replay out of position today? #
- Tech wins! #
- Tech beats that orange team; heads to the Orange Bowl. #
- Two years ago, ESPN promoted LSU from no 5 to the title game. Who do they annoint tonight? Texas? TCU? Cincinnati? Boise State? #
- If it's AL vs TX, bowl pick order: Sugar (sub AL), Fiesta (sub TX), Orange (vs Tech), Fiesta (vs sub), Sugar (vs sub) #
- If it's AL vs TCU/Cincinnati/Boise State, bowl pick order: Sugar (sub AL), Orange (vs Tech), Fiesta (vs TX), Sugar (vs sub) #
- Waiting on the polls. I have my Division I-A playoff seeding post nearly done. All but the seeding. #
- Texas beats Nebraska in a Dusty Finish. Do the Longhorns face Alabama? Or does TCU jump them? #
- Need a 16-team playoff for I-A championship: 11 conferences champs plus five wild-card teams. Use BCS to seed. And then PLAY! #
- Not your everyday ordinary Nativity Scene. Only in LA. http://bit.ly/8PS8Os Wonder if they would dress Mohammad in a short dress? #
- I'm waiting for CGIs (Climate Change Idiots) to say this proves they were right the first time: http://bit.ly/4G1vdk #
- If more people ate pulled pork sandwiches, the world would be a safer place... http://bit.ly/8B9kAc #
- Outer Limits season 2 on the TiVo via Amazon. Charlie Brown, Ralphie, and the Grinch can wait! #
- The whole "spit vs swallow" controversy regarding the Safe Schools Czar proves one thing: Obama sucks http://bit.ly/4sS205 #
- A quick check of the fridge: Nathan's dogs, leftover taco meat, shredded cheese, flatbread... so, it's Hot Dog Nacho Cheese Wraps for supper #
- There is nothing at all wrong with the BCS except that it sucks. #
- To all but two teams, the BCS rankings are a Death Panel #
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