Cyclic Synchronicity

NFL Week 3 Pick'em Results:

This week: 10-4, 71.43%

YTD: 28-18, 60.87%

As the season continues, most teams have shown how they approach the game, and I believe that led to a greater percentage of correct games this past week.

8:52:00 AM

Monday, September 27, 2004

Just as a quirky experiment, I'm trying to locate as many American newspaper-associated blogs as possible. This is, by no means, limited to one post; it will take several to fully track all blogs. Due to the volatile nature of this project, I'm going to limit those to current and on-going blogs. Certainly, if I wanted, I could try to include all blogs -- and I just may at some future date -- but for now, those papers with blogs left by the wayside will simply have a "*" next to the paper's name. (A hat tip to the Newseum, which I am using to track down as many American papers as possible.)

Arizona Republic*: Plugged In (Editorial Page)

7:57:00 PM

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiles the outreach of literary journals.

Traditionally, a literary journal comes out in an academic setting twice or three times a year -- some in book form, others as magazines -- and may include poetry, book reviews, short stories and narrative nonfiction. Because most do not carry ads or make money from subscriptions (with circulations generally under 5,000), they bleed red ink. Editors spend much of their labor drumming up financial support from arts councils and foundations. The majority of start-ups do not last beyond a few years, Casper said. Venerable models include the Paris Review, Graywolf Press, Plowshares and the Kenyon Review.

(Link via ArtsJournal.)

9:46:00 AM

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Football Haiku.

Packers vs. Colts:
Burned by Manning's arm at half,
Brett could not reel in.

Javon: Hold on, man!
One TD, could have tied it;
instead, second loss.

New York G-Men next;
I wonder: Slowik to blitz,
yes = another loss.

10:35:00 PM

Sunday's Spam.

Bonjour!
Could you use a boost?
Up, up, and away.
pure cooling bliss once in a blue moon,
Let's do lunch ... I want to meet you tonight.
What about me what they wanted to
In full color, Take eight friends, find the edge.
Visit me: married ladies urgently need
Attention!
good stuff.

10:49:00 AM

Friday, September 24, 2004

NFL Week 3 Picks.

Arizona at Atlanta
Baltimore at Cincinnati
Chicago at Minnesota
Cleveland at N.Y. Giants
Houston at Kansas City
Jacksonville at Tennessee
New Orleans at St. Louis
Philadelphia at Detroit
Pittsburgh at Miami
San Diego at Denver
Green Bay at Indianapolis
San Francisco at Seattle
Tampa Bay at Oakland
Dallas at Washington

10:43:00 AM

Thursday, September 23, 2004

There's a couple of upcoming PS2 games that look interesting: first, Goldeneye: Rogue Agent, the sequel to the N64 game (screenshots here); and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, also a sequel (screenshots here).

2:45:00 PM

Fantasy Football, Week 2 Results.

After week 1, I was 1-2 in fantasy football, with the win in my dynasty league and losses in keeper and re-draft league.

This past week, I won in the re-draft and dynasty leagues, but lost in the keeper league; my record this week was 2-1.

Overall this season, I'm now 3-3, a .500 manager.

Re-draft: 1-1
Keeper: 0-2
Dynasty: 2-0

9:18:00 AM

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Recently I bought Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires, the newest game in the ongoing DW line, and was excited by the game. The gameplay is pretty much the same, except that Koei has added an appropriately named Empire mode, in which the player attempts to take total control over the 24 provinces of early AD China, right after the fall of the Han Dynasty.

Gamespot is rife with screenshots -- and a lot of them.

9:45:00 AM

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Joey Manley reviews the one-volume Bone edition over at the newly created The Graphic Novel Review.

9:46:00 AM

NFL Week 2 Pick'em Results:

This week: 9-7; 56.25%

YTD: 18-14; 56.25%

8:36:00 AM

Monday, September 20, 2004

Paul Adamski of the Green Bay News-Chronicle depicts the woes that bogged down the Packers yesterday:

In the aftermath of Green Bay's impressive win over Carolina in Week 1, the defense was praised and highlighted for its blitzing schemes that first-year defensive coordinator Bob Slowik installed. After successfully ousting the defending NFC champion Panthers in front of a "Monday Night Football" audience, many believed Green Bay would easily win its home opener and get a 2-0 start for the first time since beginning 3-0 in 2001.

The Bears stymied many of the Packers' blitzes and often seemed to outguess Green Bay. When Green Bay blitzed right, Chicago ran left. When Green Bay blitzed left, Chicago bootlegged right to hit a running back in the flat.
With Chicago turning to the run to milk the clock, Green Bay was forced to cut back on the blitzes and play more of its base defense. It was here that the Bears and Jones were able to take full advantage of Jackson's absence.

7:46:00 PM

The Packers lost yesterday to the Bears, 21-10, in a game that should not be quickly forgotten. There were two major themes in this game: the first being Ahman Green's costly goalline turnover that swung the game 14 points (from the Pack being up 10-7 to being down 14-3; +3 to -11) and the constant blitzing by defensive coordinator Bob Slowik.

Green's fumbling can cause many headaches, and I'm loathe to say that his running ability offsets his fumbles, but to an extent, they do. Yesterday's game was an instance where his fumble probably cost the Packers the game, but if he fumbled in an instance where the game wouldn't be as threatened, let's just say I wouldn't sweat it as much.

As for the defense, Slowik has to learn that blitzing is a great situational tool -- not one that should be used every down. If you do, Thomas Jones will rush for 150+ yards, it's really that simple. The defense looked completely different from the Carolina game; they were tired, giving up big play after big play, first down after first down, and the absence of Grady Jackson was really noticable. That said, I really like the pick up of Truluck from Kansas City, I think; he looked good for the most part and should really help on passing downs.

Next week it's off to Indianapolis, where there's going to be some defensive screws tightened if the Pack hope to escape with a win.

9:27:00 AM

NeilAlien reviews Strange #1.

9:10:00 AM

Friday, September 17, 2004

Comics To Buy List:

Buddha
Egg Story
Salmon Doubts
Flight
McSweeney's #13
Giant Robot #33
Ojo #1

On a related note, ninety candles sounds interesting; A few perfect hours and Lackluster World do too ; slowly I seem to be buying fewer and fewer trades to long-running titles and more and more graphic novels.

11:18:00 AM

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Today I grabbed:

The Complete Bone, by Jeff Smith
Same Difference and Other Stories, by Derek Kirk Kim

Unfortunately, I've still got a back-log of "to read" stuff, including items purchased months ago. I do have a three-day weekend, though, so maybe I'll make the most of that.

1:35:00 PM

Return of the Spam: "You knew that I'd be back."

Find a bench to work on
Menopausal Women and good girls only.
We can't keep this a secret
every daughter should have
Something she can't refuse:
Guilty conscience.
Heaven on earth is
Patriotic Biker Bears,
harmful errors lurking inside your computer,
The only natural lip plumper,
cheap high-quality software.
can this be true?
is that really you?
You forget to respond?
Bored with your job?

9:47:00 AM

NFL Week 2 Picks.

Carolina at Kansas City
Chicago at Green Bay
Denver at Jacksonville
Houston at Detroit
Indianapolis at Tennessee
Pittsburgh at Baltimore
San Francisco at New Orleans
St. Louis at Atlanta
Washington at N.Y. Giants
Seattle at Tampa Bay
Buffalo at Oakland
Cleveland at Dallas
New England at Arizona
N.Y. Jets at San Diego
Miami at Cincinnati
Minnesota at Philadelphia

9:18:00 AM

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

NFL Week 1 Pick'em Results:

This week: 9-7; 56.25%

YTD: 9-7; 56.25%

9:52:00 AM

Is Mike McKenzie ending his holdout today, or is he simply meeting with top Packer officials, including head coach Mike Sherman? I guess we'll know more as the day passes, but if McKenzie is rejoining the team and is looking to help the team, and not himself, this could be a nice boost the the Packers' defense, one in which I had little confidence entering the season.

Sure, they played great Monday night and they played like a team, but with lots of blitzes on the menu, it could be short order until the plan backfires and the Packers find themselves in a huge hole.

Either way, this story should be a good one.

9:37:00 AM

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Week 1 of the NFL has concluded and Green Bay has a win. Unfortunately, that win came at the expense of injured players: Grady Jackson and Najeh Davenport. Jackson is expected to miss extended time and Davenport's availability is unknown.

As for week 1 of the fantasy football season, well, I started out a lackluster 1-2. I notched my win in my dynasty league, but lost in both the keeper and re-draft leagues.

9:28:00 AM

Monday, September 13, 2004

The Green Bay Packers begin their season tonight on Monday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers, the defending NFC champions. It's hard to expect big things from this team with the way the new emphasis on rule enforcements and the shape of their defense. Realistically, I think this team has enough to win the division and get into the playoffs with the game on Wildcard Weekend. Anything beyond that, however, is reaching for the sky.

I really think Mike Sherman needs to step down as general manager, however. After the late '90s trend of hiring head coaches as general managers has winded down (former Packers coach Mike Holmgren has abdicated his general manager powers), Sherman remains, I believe, the only coach who concurrently serves as his team's general manager. The Packers will not win a Super Bowl with Sherman serving as general manager.

I wish I could sit here and write that they will finish 12-4 or 13-3 and wrap up the NFC and Super Bowl, but I think that 10-6 is the best record with which they could finish the season. A tiebreaker annoits them NFC North champions over the Minnesota Vikings once again, and they lose at home in the first round of the playoffs (I know; I have them beating the Vikings at home in the Wildcard Weekend, but I'm quickly losing faith).

9:18:00 AM

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Matthew Clark reviews Ojo #1.

10:20:00 PM

Thanks, Mike Sherman. Your contributions to the team have been quite a successful two-fold.

Harris's play and leadership in training camp prompted the Packers to get a deal done now rather than risk letting Harris become an unrestricted free agent after the season, coach-general manager Mike Sherman said.

5:21:00 PM

The New York Times reviews Art Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers.

5:19:00 PM

Saturday, September 11, 2004

An abuse of any network service or tool for promotional purposes poem.

Married whores please confirm:
Never Forget
Your future is waiting.
Funability from Albina
will not last.
Hollywood laboratories
Defend Your Family Against
The Threat Of Home Invasion.
Creating an Asian way that's
just right:
Based on the same concept
as the clown car.
Thousands Of Happy Customers:
Get a glue gun and get the job done.

11:41:00 AM

Friday, September 10, 2004

This is why media properties should be seperate from other business properties.

Mark Guthrie, the former newspaper carrier for The Courant, shared more than a name with Mark Guthrie, the former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. They shared a corporate parent.

Last fall, someone at the Tribune Co.'s corporate headquarters put $301,000 into Mark Guthrie's account. Only it was the wrong Mark Guthrie.

Nearly a year later, $26,000 is still in the deliveryman's account and the Cubs want it back. They've had a lawsuit pending against Guthrie since February, but in legal papers filed last month, the ball club offered to drop the suit if he simply pays up.

(Reg. req./BugMeNot.com)

1:40:00 PM

Thursday, September 09, 2004

NFL Power Rankings.

Here's my rankings for pre-Week 1 match-ups.

New England Patriots
Carolina Panthers
Seattle Seahawks
Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Rams
Green Bay Packers
Kansas City Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals
Denver Broncos
Baltimore Ravens
New York Jets
Dallas Cowboys
Jacksonville Jaguars
Washington Redskins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
Houston Texans
Oakland Raiders
Detroit Lions
New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears
Arizona Cardinals
Pittsburgh Steelers
Miami Dolphins
San Diego Chargers
New York Giants
San Francisco 49ers

7:28:00 PM

NFL Week 1.

It begins tonight. Final score:

Indianapolis - 21
New England - 26

7:21:00 PM

The state of Wisconsin has a new poet laureate, UW-Green Bay professor Denise Sweet. I didn't realize that the term for the position is four years; I thought it was only a one-year deal. Congrats to her, nonetheless.

10:12:00 AM

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Week 1 NFL Picks.

Indianapolis at New England
Arizona at St. Louis
Baltimore at Cleveland
Cincinnati at N.Y. Jets
Detroit at Chicago
Jacksonville at Buffalo
Oakland at Pittsburgh
San Diego at Houston
Seattle at New Orleans
Tampa Bay at Washington
Tennessee at Miami
Atlanta at San Francisco
Dallas at Minnesota
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia
Kansas City at Denver
Green Bay at Carolina

9:18:00 AM

With the NFL season set to start in just two days, I bring you my 2004 predictions (teams are ordered by expected regular season records; playoff teams are violet):

AFC East
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins

AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South
Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Houston Texans

AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs
Denver Broncos
Oakland Raiders
San Diego Chargers

NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys
Washington Redskins
New York Giants

NFC North
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears

NFC South
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccanners
Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints

NFC West
Seattle Seahawks
St. Louis Rams
Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers

Wildcard Weekend
Tennessee Titans def. Cincinnati Bengals
New England Patriots def. Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers def. Dallas Cowboys
Green Bay Packers def. Minnesota Vikings

Divisional Games
Kansas City Chiefs def. Tennessee Titans
New England Patriots def. Indianapolis Colts

Seattle Seahawks def. Green Bay Packers
Carolina Panthers def. Philadelphia Eagles

Championship Games
Kansas City Chiefs def. New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks def. Carolina Panthers

Super Bowl
Seattle Seahawks def. Kansas City Chiefs

8:11:00 AM

Monday, September 06, 2004

Those lovable huggables at Comic Book Resources have started to compile a list on some "essential" independent/small press comics.

Don't forget to check out the under-rated and overlooked thread, too.

11:24:00 AM

Sunday, September 05, 2004

Earlier today, I was watching BookTV on C-SPAN2, where Brian Lamb was hosting a somewhat informal interview and author chat with Art Spiegelman, whose In the Shadow of No Towers is set for release in just two days.

Spieelman was talking about his book and one thing that I found interesting was his rationale for having odd combinations of panels, causing confusion in the reader as to which panel should be read next. He compared this to how he felt on the morning of Sept. 11: confused and ephemeral.

5:49:00 PM

Today is Elimination Day in the NFL, with rosters required to be cut down to 53 players. Yesterday, the Packers traded away Marques Anderson for a couple of draft picks (if only we could do the same for GM Mike Sherman, but that's another rant).

So far, only one cut has surprised me: the Patriots passing on QB Kliff Kingsbury, who was touted to be in the running as Brady's backup. However, the Pats signed vet QB Jim Miller and Klingbury was expendable.

The season starts next week (Thursday) and there will be more cuts to come today.

UPDATE: Here's the official list of NFL cuts.

10:21:00 AM

Thursday, September 02, 2004

In an interview for ESPN's Page 3, Nick Lachey says that "Newlyweds" will air at least one more season, which is news to me.

6. Have you ever regretted doing "Newlyweds?"

No, I've never regretted doing the show. Of course, there are days when it gets old and what not. But it's given us so many opportunities and it's really been an overwhelming positive experience for both of us. We have no regrets. We're signed for one more season, so there will at least be one more. At this point it seems like that might be it, but you never know.

(Emphasis mine.)

9:47:00 AM

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Wow. I don't think there's anything I can add here.

Dad hasn't said much in the last year and a half, however, as Ho has raked in $70,000 as a full-time, professional Magic player. This week he hopes to win big in his hometown, at the $1 million Magic: the Gathering world championships at Fort Mason.

(Link via Obscure Store.)

9:57:00 AM