Predictions for Thanksgiving week as seen on Big 12 Today’s blog, www.big12today.wordpress.com.

It’s gobble gobble day and last week’s predictions gave us another tie.  However the overall lead still stands with Jack Simms at 77-66-1 and the guest predictors at 67-76-1.

Oklahoma (-8) vs Oklahoma State

The Sooners are 6 and 5, but yet they have been favorites each games besides the Texas game.  I guess someone is hoping for the proverbial squirrel to find the nut.   The Sooners at home are tough, and if the Cowboys are playing without Robinson, this game could be interesting.

Jack Simms and Guest Predictor Rick pick OSU

Texas (-21) vs Texas A&M

The Aggies have been Jekyll and Hyde all year long, and this is the perfect time to bring out the Jekyll.   However the longhorns have the national title within their sites and they are not going to let it slip away like last yr.  I do think the game will be closer than the point spread however

Jack Simms and Guest Predictor Rick pick Texas A&M

Baylor vs Texas Tech (-20)

Will Texas Tech be able to overcome the all time high after their thrashing of the once mighty Sooners?   Well lucky for them they have the dead duck Bears coming into town

Jack Simms and Guest Predictor Rick picks Texas Tech

Nebraska (-10) vs Colorado

Playing in Folsom Field can always leave a team some bitter feelings.  However the Cornhuskers look to ride high into Big D next week to take on the Longhorns.

Jack Simms  and Guest Predictor Rick picks Nebraska

Pittsburgh vs West Virginia (Pk)

Here comes the roll of the spoilers, the Mountaineers at home against their rivals the Panthers.   Can Wannstedt actually win something win it matters?  The Panthers have quietly made their way into the BCS picture and now have a very good opportunity to get into the Orange Bowl.

Jack Simms picks Pittsburgh and Guest Predictor Rick picks West Virginia

Kansas vs Missouri  (-3.5)

At the start of the year most thought this game could be for the North title, or at least one of the teams would have had a shot.  Now this game is for pride, and most of all the career of the embattled Mangino.  If there was ever a time to right the wrongs that have been done it would be now in the rivalry game against the Tigers.

Jack Simms picks Kansas and Guest Predictor Rick picks Missouri

Alabama vs Auburn (-10)

Gobble Gobble day leads us to one of the most hated rivalries in all of college football.   If the fans could throw frozen turkeys at each other they probably would.   However in the end the only turkey on the field will be the Tigers.  Look for Alabama to finish things off early as they get ready for the Gators and a chance at a National Title

Jack Simms and Guest Predictor Rick pick Alabama.

Florida St vs Florida (-21)

The Gators have been playing uninspired football all year and in comes their in state rival the Seminoles.  Now, although this rivalry doesn’t compare to some of the others, it will still have the Swamp a rocking.

Jack Simms predicts Florida State and Guest Predictor Rick pick Florida

Illinois vs Cincinnati (-21)

The Bearcats haven’t exactly played lights out over the past few weeks, but with mighty Illini coming into town the ship can be straightened out quickly.   Of course, will the Bearcats over look the Illini as they face the Panthers next week for the Orange Bowl.

Jack Simms picks Illinois and Guest Predictor Rick picks Cincinnati

Arizona (-4) vs Arizona State

The battle of the Sun state brings us two embattled teams one with a terrible season, and the other with the disappointment over the last 2 weeks.   The Wildcats have had back to back heart wrenching losses, and look to get back on track against the sunless Sun Devils

Jack Simms picks Arizona and Guest Predictor Rick picks Arizona State

Notre Dame vs Stanford (-10)

Will this be the last hurrah for the almighty Weis?  Although, he thought he was almighty he wasn’t cut out for the College game.   Next stop for Weis is another stop with a NFL team as an offensive coordinator.   Look for Gerhart to lead the way for the Cardinals over the not so lucky Irish.   Note:  Weis if your AD cancels your recruiting trip it means your FIRED!!!

Jack Simms and Guest Predictor Rick pick Stanford

UCLA vs USC (-13)

The Trojans have had a week off to get over their debacle at home against the Cardinals.   Look for them to get back on track to salvage some sense of decency against their inner city rivals the Bruins.   However it would be funny to see the Trojans lose again.

Jack Simms and Guest Predictor Rick picks USC

This is one complicated guy. With two focal planets (two planets oppose and the focal planet squares) in his natal chart. The first, the Sun, is a desire for recognition that is self-seeking & overly confident which creates power struggles with others. It’s always about him. And Mercury, the other focal planet (see Alex Rodriguez), is highly critical, lacks warmth in relationships, and creates a nervous temperament with thoughts jumping around all the time. He can also be a little stingy with the truth.

All this made him the great athlete he is, but he’s not an easy person to be married to. So is he cheating on his wife? I would say there is a good chance he is and has all along. His temperament is just too focused on his own needs and his attention span just too fleeting. He needs a lot of excitement all the time.

His progressed Venus (love) is currently sitting on his Sun (himself). So he’s in love with someone and it could be someone new. And then, it could just be himself!!!

Newcastle United v Swansea City

A big one for us. Can it really be only 5 years ago that we were in the bottom tier, going to places like Kidderminster, Lincoln and Macclesfield? Now we’re playing the top team in the Championship in front of a crowd likely to top 40,000.

And to top that off, we can go up there with a decent level of optimism to come back with something. They’ve got a number of Premiership quality players; Nolan and Gutierrez are far better than this league and Ameobi, Smith, Guthrie, Harper, Enrique and Taylor, are all capable at that level. But I look at a few of our players and am confident they could also make that step up.

Hopefully Cotterill will make an appearance and I’m sure he’ll be trying to impress if he does.

We’ve sold our away allocation and will make plenty of noise. I’m going for a 1-1 draw on this one – Carroll for them and Beattie to get another away goal for us.

Prediction 1-1

Other games of interest

Cardiff v Ipswich

Brings back some great memories from the last time Roy Keane’s ipswich came to Cardiff. Oh, how I laughed at the great Ninian Park send-off from last season. Here’s hoping Ipswich can do it again in Legoland.

Prediction 2-2.

Everton v Liverpool

The first instalment of Sky Sports’ Super Smashing Sexual Climax Sunday should be a good ‘un. Two shite teams, most of the best players injured, should hopefully lead to a nasty scrappy derby.

Prediction 1-0
Sendings-off 1-2

Arsenal v Chelsea

Hard to see the Premiership Swans stopping Chelsea. With Van Persie definitely out and maybe Gallas to join him, I’ll go for an away win.

Prediction 1-2

Saturday, 28 November 2009
Aston Villa 0-3 Tottenham
Blackburn 1-0 Stoke
Fulham 2-1 Bolton
Man City 1-1 Hull
Portsmouth 0-2 Man Utd
West Ham 0-0 Burnley
Wigan 1-2 Sunderland

Sunday, 29 November 2009
Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea
Everton 2-1 Liverpool
Wolverhampton 0-1 Birmingham

Alright last week’s Kibizters picks resulted in a tie. Both Gen and Greg had 10 picks correct and 6 incorrect. Andrew was the odd man out with only 9 correct picks but claims a moral victory by almost predicting the Dallas/Redskins game to a T, until SOMEONE HAD TO GO AND MISS TWO FIELD GOALS!!!! YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE!!!! GOD!

Anyway hoi polloi, it’s time to bet the house because the Kibizters aren’t going to lead you astray.

Thursday Nov. 26, 12:30 PM:

Green Bay Packers AT Detroit Lions – The Packers just lost two superstars in cornerback Al Harris and linebacker Aaron Kampman to season-ending knee surgery. Not to give themselves too much of an advantage, quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson are sitting out another practice due to their own ailments.

Andrew’s pick – Green Bay Packers. The Detroit Lions just made Brady Quinn look like a real quarterback, throwing for 304 yards and four touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers IS a real quarterback, so expect the same or better from him.

Greg’s Pick – Green Bay Packers. Stafford is out – enough said.

Gen’s Pick – Green Bay Packers. Even though the Detroit Lions are coming off of a win (oh boy), and a regular team could take that momentum and push for another, the Lions are without their rookie quarterback and well, they’re just not very good. Then again, Lions did win in 2003 over Green Bay (22-14). REPEAT?!

*Update: ESPN just announced that Stafford WILL be starting today.

Thursday Nov. 26, 4:15 PM:

Oakland Raiders AT Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboy’s prolific offense has only two touchdowns in the past two games while the Raiders mixed it up at GB last week and pulled a win out of their ass against the Bengals.

Andrew’s pick – Dallas Cowboys. Dallas should be able to thoroughly establish the run against the Raiders which will allow for some play action deep passes. People will start jabbering about Miles Austin again while Roy Williams (WR) fades further into the background.

Greg’s Pick – Dallas Cowboys. Possibly a trap game for Dallas, but after the last two weeks without an offense, the ‘boys show up big.

Gen’s Pick – hmm…uhh….Oakland Raiders. Oof. If Dallas puts on the same performance as last week and Oakland repeats what it did to the Eagles, then well – I’m right. But if these two teams decide to play the way they usually do, well then nevermind!

Thursday Nov. 26, 8:20 PM:

New York Giants AT Denver Broncos – Both teams know what it’s like to feel four losses in a row this season. The Giants have slowed the bleed with a win in over time last week whereas the Broncos have started to point fingers internally.

Andrew’s pick – New York Giants. Internal strife can make or break a coach and rookie coach Josh McDaniels seems like he stopped coaching after the bye week. Since then, Denver has been out-scored 117 to 37 and they’re facing another tough (although injured) defense with the Giants.

Greg’s Pick – New York Giants. I like seeing both of these two teams lose a lot, but will Denver ever be able to get out of this tailspin?

Gen’s Pick – Denver Broncos. I’m putting my trust in Denver’s explosive wide-receivers against the, sometimes, easily punk’d Giants’ secondary.

Sunday Nov. 29, 1:00 PM:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons are 12th in the league in terms of rushing yards. The Buccaneers are last in rushing defense but are looking to improve that stat by having head coach Raheem Morris call the defensive plays and changing back to Tampa Two defense (I wonder why they call it that……).

Andrew’s pick – Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are healthy and piiisssssedd after losing in overtime. Josh Freeman will still give the Bucs something to cheer about, but again will come up short.

Greg’s Pick – Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan against a weak defense will lead to a rout.

Gen’s Pick – Atlanta Falcons. I think Atlanta will try harder to bounce back from a weak couple of weeks.

Miami Dolphins AT Buffalo Bills – The Dolphins blew up the Bills the first time around in week four. The Bills lead the AFC in interceptions with 17 but the only thing that matters in this game is stopping Miami’s fourth ranked running offense, and the Bills are 21st in the league.

Andrew’s pick – Miami Dolphins. I picked against Miami once before and got burned, plus I think the Bills have bigger things on their minds. If you have TO in fantasy football though I’d start him. He’s going to keep this game close by tearing through the Miami secondary.

Greg’s Pick – Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins make the trek up north, I still think the loss of Ronnie Brown will come back to hurt them – this is the week.

Gen’s Pick – Buffalo Bills. I think TO will continue his recent success on the field this Sunday.

Cleveland Browns AT Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals overlooked the Raiders last week and got stabbed in the heart by one of those weird raiders nation guys. Brady Quinn started his 10th game in three years and had a career day with a passer rating of 133.1%, 304 yards, and four touchdowns. Maybe he had some help?

Andrew’s pick – Cincinnati Bengals. Last week was a fluke, let this ship right itself and move on.

Greg’s Pick – Cleveland Browns. Call me crazy, but I liked the way Quinn played last week (even if it was against the Lions). He’ll pull out a low scoring squeaker.

Gen’s Pick – Cincinnati Bengals. Quinn had a great game last week, yes, but that was against the Lions. I don’t think the Browns will be able to repeat their “success” against Cincinnati.

Seattle Seahawks AT St. Louis Rams – In week one the Seahawks blew the Rams out of the water 28 – 0. Both teams are chalk full of injuries but the Rams might have it the worst with Bulger being replaced by Kyle Boller after Bulger broke his leg.

Andrew’s pick – Seattle Seahawks. Even though Steven Jackson will run around like the predator, if this game gets close the Rams will need a QB and they just don’t have one right now.

Greg’s Pick – Seattle Seahawks. The Rams are just bad. There is such a disparity in this league of good and awful quarterbacks, the Seahawks have the latter.

Gen’s Pick – Seattle Seahawks. The Rams won’t do anything this game again despite the best efforts of Steven Jackson (or the Predator, as Andrew put him).

Carolina Panthers AT New York Jets – Both quarterbacks have trouble throwing the ball to their own team and each have lost three fumbles. Luckily, both teams can run the ball.

Andrew picks – New York Jets. The catch here is that the Panthers can’t stop the run and the Jets can, kind of.

Greg’s Pick – Carolina Panthers. Sanchez will once again throw interceptions, even though he only throws about 20-25 pass attempts per game.

Gen’s Pick – New York Jets. Inside sources have said that Rex Ryans has threatened to eat everyone’s children if the Jet’s don’t pull a win. Realistically, you can’t rely on just running the ball. Let’s hope Sanchez can go back to eating hotdogs during games.

Washington Redskins AT Philadelphia Eagles – The first half of the first game the Eagles embarrassed the Redskins on all fronts. The second half the Redskins showed some life before falling flat again. The only thing that has changed since then is that the Redskins have lost several key players.

Andrew picks – Philadelphia Eagles. The Redskins have had problems finishing games for the past two years and with Chris Cooley, Clinton Portis, Chris Samuels, Ledell Betts, Randy Thomas, and Chad Rhinehart out with injuries, the offense is full of holes. Even Colt Brennan is injured! When did that happen!?

Greg’s Pick – Philadelphia Eagles. Remember the first time these two met? Look for a repeat. If Andrew is even picking the Eagles, this cannot be good news for the Redskins.

Gen’s Pick – Philadelphia Eagles. There’s a fine line between supporting your team and looking like a fool. I have to be realistic here and predict that the Eagles will run all over the ’skins.

Indianapolis Colts AT Houston Texans – The Colts have gone 10-0 by being nearly perfect on offense and allowing the leagues lowest points per game on defense. The Texans would like to not miss the field goal that would tie the game this time around.

Andrew picks – Indianapolis Colts. I keep waiting for the Colts to over look a team and lose an easy win, but it won’t be this game.

Greg’s Pick – Houston Texans. This is the game Houston has been waiting for. They have everything in place and aren’t a cakewalk anymore. The Colts have been getting closer and closer to losing – this is the week it happens. Bye perfect season!

Gen’s Pick – Indianapolis Colts. They have great weapons on the field, but enough with these close games!

Sunday Nov. 29, 4:05 PM:

Kansas City Chiefs AT San Diego Chargers – San Diego took charge (get it) of the AFC West after beating down the Broncos. The Chiefs surprised everyone with a come-from-behind-reach-around-rinky-dink-….wait what? The Chiefs beat the Steelers in OT is what I’m driving at…

Andrew picks – San Diego Chargers. The Chargers do this every year it seems like. Start slow, win their division, and then burn out in the playoffs. Last time the Chiefs just rolled over and played dead and I don’t expect anything different this time around.

Greg’s Pick – San Diego Chargers. I really hate this team, there is literally no one on the team who is likable at all. But sadly they are the better team against the Chiefs.

Gen’s Pick – San Diego Chargers. I haven’t heard of anything the Chiefs have done this year that’ll make me think that they’ll have a chance against a team that has continually been to the playoffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars AT San Francisco 49ers – Jacksonville ranks 6th in the league in rushing yards and the 49ers rank 6th in the league in rushing yards allowed.

Andrew picks – San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers lackluster offense will match up well against the soft Jacksonville defense. I think this will be a good game for Alex Smith as he continues to try and prove that he was worth that number one pick for the 49ers. (He wasn’t).

Greg’s Pick – San Francisco 49ers. Singletary claims his team is good, well go out there and prove it! They won’t this week, they’ll barely get by a mediocre team in the Jaguars.

Gen’s Pick – Jacksonville Jaguars. Singletary won’t be able to rally his troops the way he did the end of last season. Let’s just hope the Jags don’t start slacking halfway through the game, the way they usually do.

Sunday Nov. 29, 4:15 PM:

Chicago Bears AT Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings 3rd ranked rush defense will put the ball primarily in Jay Cutler’s hands. Although considered to be, and certainly paid to be, the franchise quarterback, it seems that Jay Cutler is actually trying to challenge George Blanda for the single season interception record.

Andrew picks – Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are probably one of the most complete teams in the NFL. Given all their options on offense, it would take a long series of mental mistakes for them to lose to the Bears.

Greg’s Pick – Minnesota Vikings. I almost want to pick the Bears thinking Cutler might have another 5 TD game. But the Vikings are just too good to pick against.

Gen’s Pick – Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota has too much going for them. They’ll take this game no problem.

Arizona Cardinals AT Tennessee Titans – The Superbowl that could have been. The Titan’s defense is 31st in the league at stopping the pass but Vince Young is looking like the pro bowl, rookie of the year, quarterback he once was by leading the Titans to four straight wins. Or maybe they just have the league’s best rushing attack….

Andrew picks – Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals should be able to put enough points on the board to stay ahead of Chris Johnson. BTW he has 1,242 rushing yards right now, good lord son!

Greg’s Pick – Tennessee Titans. A few key turnovers by the Cardinals will be the story of this game.

Gen’s Pick – Arizona Cardinals. I just went on NFL.com and they’re reporting Kurt Warner has an “injured head”. I had to laugh at that. Not that I think concussions or head injuries are funny, I just like to think he has a headache. Either way, Warner is a better  quarterback than Young. Should be a decent game to watch, but Arizona will win.

Sunday Nov. 29, 8:20 PM:

Pittsburgh Steelers AT Baltimore Ravens – Both teams need this win to keep their AFC playoff wildcard spot alive. Statically the Steelers are the better team but have lost games due to a myriad of injuries.

Andrew’s pick – Baltimore Ravens. Big Ben took a hard knee to the head this past Sunday in their second consecutive loss to the Chiefs in over time. The Steelers expect to play him on Sunday, but I don’t think that will help him throw the ball any faster.

Greg’s Pick – Baltimore Ravens. Big Ben is just a moron, throw the ball and stop scrambling as if you’re fast. He’ll get another concussion today and be out til playoffs. Ravens stomp out the Steelers.

Gen’s Pick – Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers lost to the Chiefs. The Chiefs. His injury last game probably helped Rothlishamburger remember the time when he crashed his motorcycle and felt like a meat patty on the road (too soon?). Expect to watch Ray Lewis remind Big Ben about his accident again this Sunday. Boom goes the dynamite.

Monday Nov. 30, 8:30 PM:

New England Patriots AT New Orleans Saints – The Saints are 1st in the league for total offensive yards and points scored. The Patriots are 2nd in the league for total offensive yards and 3rd for points scored. Wow-wa-we-wah this is going to be a crazy game of football!

Andrew’s pick – New England Patriots. This game could go either way. To be honest, I’m just excited for it. I will gladly take a loss if the Saints win.

Greg’s Pick – New England Patriots. They are finally clicking; running on all cylinders; a seemingly unstoppable force (in the first half). While the Saints are an amazing team, I don’t see them stopping this offense. This is the Saints final test, the rest of their schedule is extremely easy (cough NFC sucks cough). Expect Belichick to pull out all the stops and play spoiler to New Orleans perfect season run.

Gen’s Pick – New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees and Tom Brady have similar QB stats, with Brady throwing about 300 more yards than Brees, but Brees throwing two more TD’s than Brady. Both teams are, undoubtedly, good teams. But I think the Saints’ drive to go perfect this season will help them win this game. Either way, this game will be good. I hope it’ll be as good as the Pats/Colts one.

YouTube – Auburn Football – Runningback U: On Fire.

A little preview for Bama fans about what to expect tomorrow.

The view that the Bama defense will remember from the Iron Bowl 2009 will be the rear of McCalebb and Tate.

The team with the most rushing yardage has won the last 12 games.  Auburn will outrush Alabama on Friday….

War Eagle!  Beat Bama!

WEEK 11 RECAP
Bad week for all, here’s my recap… screw the Lions (lucky), Niners (annoying), Steelers (blew that game, inside the 10 and throw a pick? c’mon!) and Cowboys (it’s the Redskins, score some points dammit!)… The rich get richer as the Saints and Vikings crush again… The Raiders get some love here. Although they messed these picks up, I had them on a Proline ticket and in about every other picks league I’m in, not sure why I didn’t take them here. Oh, and they knocked 6 people of out 13 out in my Survivor pool… Gotta feel bad for the Falcons after that wasted comeback… Nice road wins in the night games by the Eagles and then the Titans. Wow, the Titans look possessed right now. Could they actually pull off Chris Johnson’s prediction that they’ll run the table and go from 0-6 to 10-6? Up next for them? Home against Arizona. We’ll see…

WEEK 12 PICKS

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Rupert and Wendi Murdoch at a recent film premiere

MySpace, wow it’s a crazy social network that one. Ads galore I feel like I’ve stepped back in time each time I use it. I got a similar feeling last week when I tried out Skyrock, kind of an earlier social web.

Where was the clean, utilitarian, streamlined Facebook I’ve come to love. The platform that gets out of the way as soon as my friends start talking.
But where is MySpace going? If it’s no longer competing head to head with Facebook (recent FT news article) then that means it needs, long term, to integrate with it.
I give MySpace 6 months before they integrate Facebook Connect and maybe 18 months before you can access your MySpace account from within Facebook itself, whatever it looks like then.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful – single sign on, privacy and newsfeed, all handled by Facebook, yet with the liveliness and music activism of Myspace.  The only problem for MySpace is can they swallow their pride (and some of their ad revenue).

If they don’t then I wouldn’t be surprised if Facebook based competitor Ilike matures (it already has 50m users) to break out new bands instead.

Last week we had another solid week …

Last week our Record was 4-2-0

Which brings our Season Record to 37-29-0

And now… onto this week’s games!

Before we get started, we at Kimmelitis are going to give all of the NERFL Owners something to be thankful about; predictions without the commentary!

You’re Welcome!

• Falls Church Players   -vs-   The Cardiac Kids

• Kenosha Maroons   -vs-   Pop’s Puppies

• AI’s Practice   -vs-   E & J Experience

• West Hartford Trees  -vs-   Carlos

• The Rookie Sensation   -vs-   Dragon Slayers

• Marty’s Schottenheimers   -vs-   DC Nukes

The 2009 Red Sox were pretty good. They weren’t great, but they did make the playoffs only to flame out in ALDS versus the Los Angeles Angels (which, incidentally, translates to The Angels Angels, right?) Since 2004 and 2007, the blow of such events has been greatly lessened for me. Sure, I was not pleased with their performance and the eventual crowning of the hated Yankees as champs, but by no means was I heartbroken/crushed/unable to eat or sleep for days as it was before the Sox return to glory. The Sox didn’t win, but hey, you can’t win every year (and I still can’t imagine what 2003 me would think if he knew that 2009 me would be writing that calmly, lucidly and soberly.)

Anyway, this is not to say that I don’t want the Sox to succeed. Of course I do, that is why I’m a fan. I love my Red Sox no less than I did in 2004 and I still can’t stand to listen (yes, I tend to listen to the Sox) them lose any game. So, with the Yankees not getting any weaker and the Rays likely to bounce back, what can the Red Sox do to keep pace in 2010? Let’s see …

The roster (as of 11/23/2009) – starters in italics when there is an appropriate starter

• C: Victor Martinez; Jason Varitek
• 1B: Kevin Youkilis*/Mike Lowell*; Casey Kotchman
• 2B: Dustin Pedroia
• 3B: Kevin Youkilis*/Mike Lowell*
• SS: Jed Lowrie
• RF: J.D. Drew; Jeremy Hermida
• CF: Jacoby Ellsbury; Brian Anderson
• LF: Jeremy Hermida
• DH: David Ortiz
• SP: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield
• CL: Jonathan Papelbon
• SU: Daniel Bard, Hideki Okajima
• MR: Ramon Ramirez, Dustin Richardson, Manny Delcarmen
• LOOGY: (none)
• MU: (none)

* According to some things I’ve read, Youkilis might play third and Lowell might move to first, which could make sense in terms of defense. I’ll list them at both of the hot corners.

So, what is needed? A shortstop, a left fielder, a starter and some relievers. Sounds about right, and mostly in that order. What to do?

Shortstop: Am I the only one who thinks signing a 34-year-old after a fluke year is a bad idea? That idea’s name is Marco Scutaro. Now, trading for either Stephen Drew or Brandon Phillips is a good idea. Drew will cost more and Phillips costs more money, but either at short would be just fine. Additionally, I’d sign Khalil Greene to a minor league deal.

Leftfield: Everyone seems to think this should be a question of Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both fine players, but I just feel a lot of enthusiasm towards signing either to the big, long term deals they will want. Sure, if you can get either for 3 years, do it, but thats not happening. So, if the Sox don’t sign either? Well, how about a platoon of Marlon Byrd/Rick Ankiel and Jeremy Hermida? I’d also be tempted to sign Rocco Baldelli or Austin Kearns to minor league deals if possible. Or lets think waaay outside the box: Miguel Tejada in left? Maybe Conor Jackson?

Starters: The Sox have 5 guys who should be good to serviceable (when averaged over all 5). If you look at the top three, the rotation should be quite good, and if Daisuke can get his act back together, they should have a decent top 4. However, as last year showed, you can never, ever, ever have too much pitching. So the Sox really need to go out and sign some reclamation projects to shore up the rotation. Ben Sheets? Rich Harden? Eric Bedard? Justin Duchscherer? Kelvim Escobar? Brett Myers? Chien-ming Wang? There are a lot of options. This all being said, 2010 is a year of decision for the Sox – can they compete for a championship, so should they wait until it all comes off the books (well, Beckett, Lowell and Papi) in 2011? If they think they can win, they should go all in for any of the aces that could be dealt: Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson, Roy Oswalt, someone like that. It will be pricy, but that would definitely shore things up.

Relievers: OK, way too many to go through for potential relief help through free agency or trades, but … how about kicking the tires on guys like Joaquin Benoit, Kiko Calero, JJ Putz, Takashi Saito (again), Ron Mahay (as a LOOGY) or Chan Ho Park. Potential nontenders worth examining might be Jeremy Accardo, Taylor Bucholz, Matt Lindstrom or Seth McClung.

Wild card ideas: What if the Sox bring in a big 1B and just cut/trade Lowell or Papi – maybe acquire Lance Berkman for a bevy of prospects to the rebuilding Astros? Or what about signing Garrett Atkins as a free agent if he is nontendered? Or even get Tejada to play 1B?

My ideal 2010 Red Sox roster

Batting

1. Jacoby Ellsbury CF
2. Brandon Phillips SS
3. Dustin Pedroia 2B
4. Kevin Youkilis 3B
5. Victor Martinez C
6. Miguel Tejada 1B
7. J.D. Drew RF
8. David Ortiz/Mike Lowell DH
9. Hermida/Ankiel LF

Starters

1. Josh Beckett
2. Jon Lester
3. Clay Buccholz
4. Daisuke Matsuzaka
5. Justin Duchscherer

Relievers

• CL: Jonathan Papelbon
• SU: Daniel Bard, Hideki Okajima
• MR: Ramon Ramirez, Kiko Calero, Ron Mahay
• MU: Tim Wakefield

Bench

1. Jason Varitek C
2. Casey Kotchman 1B
3. Khalil Greene SS

Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers out there.  Three Thursday games this week, so we’ll waste no time diving into this week’s column.  Oh, and a new feature at the end of the column, but we’ll get to that later.

Start ‘Em

Carson Palmer, QB, Cincinnati

He gets his turn against the Browns this week, who were TORCHED last week by Matthew Stafford and the Lions.  After a disappointing loss to the Raiders, I think the Bengals come out and take their frustration out on Cleveland.  I expect a huge day from Palmer & Co.

Donald Driver, WR, Green Bay

Detroit is ravaged by injury on both sides of the ball, and this wasn’t exactly a defense that scared people to begin with.  Driver will be open a lot, and looks ready to put very nice numbers on the national stage.

Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego

They take on Kansas City, and that bodes well for most teams.  Jackson has been a beast at the WR position all season, and I think he continues that trend this week with a monster game at home.

Jackson has been big all season, and looks ready to go off against KC this week.

Thomas Jones, RB, New York Jets

He gets his turn to run the ball at Carolina and their shaky defense.  With Sanchez throwing picks left and right, I think he might get a few more carries than normal this week and maybe catch a few balls as well.

Nate Burleson, WR, Seattle

They take on the Rams this week, and have no running game whatsoever.  They have a solid passing game, and when you take on a team as lousy as the Rams, that turns into a great passing game.  Feel free to roll him out, and reap the benefits.

Sit ‘Em

Kevin Smith, RB, Detroit

No Matthew Stafford, no Calvin Johnson.  No hope for Smith.  He had a very nice week catching the ball, but against Green Bay’s defense, and the lack of other weapons in the Lions lineup, the Packers will look to take him away.

Trouble looms with Smith being the only real weapon on the field for Detroit

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh

Taking on the stingy Ravens defense, he doesn’t appear to be in line for much success.  If you have better options, put them in in place of Mendenhall.

Steve Smith, WR, Carolina

He’s been hot lately, catching touchdowns and putting up nice numbers.  The Jets have a good defense this year, and I think they hold him in check, and keep him out of the end zone.

Players to Add in a Bind

Justin Forsett, RB, Seattle

Seattle isn’t great on the ground, but they do play the Rams this week.  Julius Jones is still questionable, so Forsett will probably get the majority of the carries, and he may be able to find the end zone and put up decent numbers.

Chris Chambers, WR, Kansas City

He has put up quite a few yards, and with Dwayne Bowe sitting out the next few games, Chambers turns into the #1 WR in KC.  They will likely trail San Diego for the majority of the game, so he should put up nice numbers again.

Rock Cartwright, RB, Washington

With Portis, and now Betts down in Washington, Cartwright steps into the #1 RB spot for the Redskins.  He takes on the Eagles, which isn’t a great matchup, but when you know someone is getting the majority of the carries, it never hurts to try and take a gamble on them.

The last man standing in the Washington backfield may be a good fantasy option this week.

Man Thought of the Week

This is a new feature that I’ve decided to add to this column, because I feel I’ve been cheating you with a lack of content.  We’ll see how it goes.

This week’s thought?  Bacon grease.  In my opinion there is no greater thing to cook in than bacon grease.  It’s delicious, just throwing some of it in a pan and letting it melt. It almost fakes you into thinking you’re making actual bacon.  I’m starting to cook everything in this stuff.  Eggs, potatoes, pan-fried hamburgers, brats.  Big Daddy Drew over at KSK would be proud of me for this revelation in my life.  You name it and I’m willing to fry it up in bacon grease.  Don’t ask me how I’m only 140 lbs.  The only time I advise not using bacon grease for cooking?  Cooking for a woman. She more than likely won’t eat whatever you’re making if she finds out that what you’ve made has been fried in the tastiest fattiest substance on the planet.

I’m also starting to get quite a good stash of it.  I fry up a pan of bacon, and I let the grease sit in the pan and harden, once it’s hard, I scrape it into tupperware I keep in the fridge.  Never waste good bacon grease.

Well, that’s all for this week. Hopefully what I’ve written helps you, either in football or the kitchen.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and good luck to your teams.  Don’t forget to set your lineups before the games kickoff on Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The Siena at Georgia Tech prediction will be the next game predicted by the formula.

(excerpts via Yahoo! Answers)  …always good for a laugh.

We have to listen to six months of excuses for why it didn’t actually happen.

Much like Y2K. -magpieix A.L.M.N.

The word APOCALYPSE means: “Unveiling/revealing of hidden facts.”

Sounds pretty positive to me!

Peace. – Yaya

Bozo is left to sweep up the mess, as usual. Damn you, 2012 apocalypse! -Boris

the biggest alcohol and drug fueled naked orgy you’ve ever seen! and it will be special, cause not just humans will partake…oh no! species from all over the galaxy will congregate here on earth to strip naked, get inebriated, and have a blast at galactic orgy 2K12! itll be a blast! – Bob H

Read More

And the march of progress continues:

‘Insecurity Cameras’ To Track All Of Town’s Traffic

A little town in California has a big and controversial idea: It wants to install security cameras on roads leading into town so that it can screen and record every license plate that comes inside city limits. The plan could effectively turn Tiburon into perhaps the nation’s first public gated community.

* * *

“Tiburon is unusual because there are only two roads going in and out of the town,” says Mayor Alice Fredericks.

It’s quite easy, she says, to keep track of every car along those two roads. Last week, the Town Council decided to spend $200,000 to place six security cameras at strategic points along the road. For now, the plan is to make sure none of the cars coming into town are stolen. Crime statistics are low in Tiburon, but in a small town, Fredericks says, even a few crimes make an impact.

* * *

Police run license-plate checks all the time, says Jennifer King, an expert in technology and public policy at the University of California, Berkeley. Tiburon’s plan is to just run many plate checks. The problem, she says, is that once the equipment is installed, safeguards to protect privacy can change. For instance, the license plate information is supposed to be purged after eight hours, but what if a crime occurs and suddenly that information becomes more important?

“They may start today by keeping it eight hours, but I’ll almost bet you that what they’ll find is that somebody will come back and go, ‘If only we had the data from those cameras,’” she says. “We call it ’scope creep’ in the technology world. That scope can really crawl, really grow very quickly.”

Nah, that’d never happen, would it? I mean, the police would never seek to use the collected data in an inappropriate or unethical fashion, would they?

Police routinely arresting people to get DNA, inquiry claims

Police officers are now routinely arresting people in order to add their DNA sample to the national police database, an inquiry will allege tomorrow.

The review of the national DNA database by the government’s human genetics commission also raises the possibility that the DNA profiles of three-quarters of young black males, aged 18 to 35, are now on the database.

* * *

The crime and security bill published last week by the home secretary, Alan Johnson, proposes to keep DNA profiles of people arrested but not convicted of any offence on the database for six years. This follows a landmark European court judgment last December, ruling illegal the current blanket policy of indefinite retention of DNA profiles whether or not the person has been convicted of an offence.

It adds that parliament never formally debated the establishment of the DNA database. Its evolution involved a “function creep” from being used to confirm police suspicions to identifying suspects. This resulted in the addition of more and more profiles without being clearly matched by an improvement in convictions.

Gods, what are people thinking? In my own hometown there is once again an effort to put “security cameras” in place in our downtown area, a subject I have written about previously. Last spring our City Council decided to put a stop to it, but proponents have gathered enough signatures to now have the matter put on the ballot for a special election next year. It’s like the damned “red light cameras” which cost more than they’re worth, do not lead to improved safety at intersections, and just decrease everyone’s privacy.

But hey, they make people feel good, right? And all that matters is good security theatre, not actual security. Don’t scare the sheep, or they’ll panic and run.

Jim Downey

PS: since I’ve been told that sometimes I need to be less subtle, let me be bloody obvious – I chose the title intentionally. Yes, I think that religion and the perceived need for security theatre come from the same source: that reassurance that someone else is watching over you to make sure you are safe. What else is the Abrahamic God but a paranormal surveillance system?

(Cross posted to UTI.)

It was announced Tuesday that Koenigsegg, a Swedish supercar manufacturer, has dropped out of a deal to purchase Saab from GM.  Contrary to previous press releases from GM stating the “winding down” of Saab if a buyer could not be found, they are now saying that they, “… will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week.”  Expect more news posted here next week as GM figures out what to do with its quirky subsidiary.

My prediction is that GM will sell off Saab to another buyer.  There were other companies interested in Saab before Koenigsegg, and now they can come to the forefront.  Realistically, GM doesn’t need Saab, so they should sell it off, or shut it down.  This would get rid of unnecessary overhead and costs on GM’s part.  While some reports have declared an end to the automotive recession, I believe we are far from it.  The downward slide in sales may have slowed or stopped by this point, but I think it will be a long time before the American automotive market will be able to support sales of 13-17 million new vehicles per year.

by John Suit

Sources: Automotive News, GM

Bing-Yahoo-Trackbacks.

Rupert Murdoch connives with Bing to withdraw News Corp from Google.

Bing-Yahoo-Trackbacks.

Somebody should cue Al Michaels — we have a miracle. Last week the Landshark Maniacs predictions went (hang on, this is gonna require the Caps Lock) FIVE-AND-OH, BABY!!! OH, YEAH!!! This lifts the season record to 31-24.

With the dinner-busting tripleheader on Thanksgiving, we have to get this week’s predictions in early. Let’s see if the short week affects the forecasts as much as it does the New York Giants.

Peoples Pigskin vs. Hawaiian Surfriders. If the forecasts can have a perfect week, then the Pigskin can make the playoffs.

Ravens Fan T Sizzle vs. T-bay jacks 151rum stumblrs. It comes down to one letter: Q. That’s the letter you’ll see next to Calvin Johnson’s name. The Lions may either inactivate him or hold down his playing time. That will be enough for the stumblrs to squeeze out a win.

Big Lough O vs. Houston Wreckin’ Crew. You’ll see another Q next to Michael Turner’s name, but that one won’t matter as much. The Lough Os have too many weapons and will cruise to a victory.

Southern Rebels vs. D.C. Destroyers. This is your wishbone game of the week — the one that could go either way. The difference? Chris Johnson. He’s heading for a rushing title, and the Destroyers are heading for the winner’s circle.

Northeast Dragons vs. Tinks Revenge. There are two indisputable facts to remember this week: One of your relatives will attack Thanksgiving dinner the way these folks attack hot dogs, and the Dragons will chalk up another win.

Please remember to vote in our polls, both of which will close tonight. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and be sure to save me some pie.

POP PROPHECY is watching the heavens. Did you think we’d forget?

We hope you enjoyed Moon in Aquarius! How was it for you? Comment!

The moon entered Pisces @ November 24th, 11:07 AM EST.

Her stay will be 3 days in the watery sign. This will be a challenging time for relationships.

The period starts out as an especially spiritual time where we may find conflict between our ideals and dreams, you may be asking yourself, which is the best to pursue? It is possible to be overly emotional at this time; so watch your temper ( continued … click link below )

Around the 26th, we should be careful of any emotional verbal outbursts, don’t be too blunt when speaking with others. It will be easy for misunderstandings and miscommunications to happen. You may be challenged to think with your head first before your heart.

Around the 26th and 27th, it is an especially cautious time for all love affairs. Emotions will flow effortlessly, relationships will feel fun and friendly. Keep everything light and airy; don’t be lulled into being too emotionally involved; this is an especially bad time to do so. Relationships will face sudden changes and be volatile, if you fall into the dream too much it will be a rude awakening.

Men, you may find yourself opening up to women more than usual. Artists, you should feel an easier time than normal connecting to inspiration, with many ideas.

At the 27th, things seem to be looking good, and we look forward to the future.

This will be a beneficial time if you use the challenging energy wisely.

Enjoy Moon in Pisces, November 2009

astrologer vesta @ pop prophecy

TWEET THIS TREAT “HOROSCOPE: Moon Enters Pisces; Nov 24-27th 2009; Watch Your Emotions, Open Up to Love”

Famous Pisces

Chelsea Handler 38, Late Night Host [February 25th]

Drew Barrymore, 34, Actress [February 22]

Eva Longoria, 34, , Actress [March 15]

Steve Jobs, 54, Owner of Apple [February 24th]

Elizabeth Taylor, 77, Actress [February 27th]