CableOne Sucks, How To Get ESPN3 In Fargo

There is a huge dilemma for many "locals" of Fargo, ND.  The NDSU Bison are in the FCS championships, which is great.  The problem is that, apparently, many people in Fargo, ND aren't too smart and continue to have CableOne and, thus, don't get to watch the game.  The game is on ESPN3.com, which a person can view FOR FREE over the internet as long as you don't have CableOne as your cable/internet provider

First, I must lecture all those that are coming here to figure out how to get the game in Fargo because you are foolish enough to have CableOne. Sure, there may be some of you that are renting some place that is forcing you to have CableOne and/or restricting you from getting DirecTV ...but you knew that when you moved in, so again, most of the blame goes to you.  For, you see, if you are a fan of sports...any sport...you can not have CableOne for your television or internet provider.  They are very anti-sport.  They don't carry all the Twins, Wolves or Wild games and people complain...but keep their service.  Anyone that remains with CableOne deserves what they get.  Horrible service and limited options.

If you have CenturyLink (formely Quest), I have had zero problems watching the previous NDSU games on ESPN3.com.  I will try and verify other non-CableOne internet providers in the area that a person can get ESPN3.com on.  When I streamed the game, I even used my wife's laptop with HDMI out and hooked it into my HD television and sound to my stereo reciever and the picture/sound was excellent.  No lag, and the picture was in nice HD quality...streaming wirelessly.

Another option that I have used, is to use my smartphone through Verizon, to navigate to ESPN3.com.  If you have Verizon and a decent smartphone, you can either a) tether your phone to a laptop and get the game streamed directly to the laptop or b) if your phone has video outputs (mine has hdmi out) you can hook your phone directly into your HD television and watch the game from your phone.  In both this cases, you will likely want to make sure your phone is charging or hooked up to a charger.  Also, if you are not on an unlimited or big data plan, you will want to monitor your usage as to not go over your data.

But the lesson everyone should take from this is that CableOne sucks.

Chargers: Losing With A Bright Side

Really no surprise to anyone following the San Diego Chargers at last week's outcome.  The Denver Broncos did exactly as they were suppose too...don't make dumb mistakes or turn the ball over and you will be able to beat the San Diego Chargers.  And that is exactly what happened.

I had stated after the Jets game that there wasn't a "for sure" win left on the Chargers schedule and even the Jacksonville game on Monday night isn't a for sure win...in fact, I think the Jags will likely win.  Yes, the Jacksonville Jaguars that just fired their head coach with 5 games left to play.  But with a new coach could mean a new "winning" attitude in Jacksonville...something the Chargers don't possess.

But news from San Diego that has many fans excited is that, by all indications, if the Chargers don't make the playoffs Norv Turner will be fired..at the least.  Then GM AJ Smith might also get the axe and both of those things have "energized" the Charger fan base...at least to the point where there might be hope next season.

It isn't over for Norv yet and he has rallied in December before...he is going to need 5 straight wins and some help to save his job...but I don't know if this team can do it, especially with the teams left on the card...and besides, I can't wait for Norv to get fired...he has ruined the San Diego Chargers and made them a laughingstock of the NFL...again.

Chargers Lose Again, Weren't Competitive

I had actually sat down and was ready to get a post up on the past Chargers game yesterday but really had nothing new to say...2 days after the game has ended, I am in the same predicament.  The Chargers continue to lose games in the same fashion as they do each week this season...

Phillip Rivers...right when you think he might be turning the corner and making better decisions, throws two interceptions, with one being at a critical time of the game and was really unnecessary.  The offensive line is awful.  Ryan Mathews, the Chargers 2nd year runningback is doing what he has been known to do and that is fumbling.  Mathews, like Rivers, had a turnover at a point in the game when the Chargers could have made the game interesting.  Instead, with the Chargers lowly defense, the Bears would coast to an easy victory.

Norv Turner pulled a move that I blast coaches for all the time and that is a waste of a timeout...On a questionable play Norv decided to take a timeout to stop the clock and then after the timeout decided to challenge a questionable call which, anyone could have seen, would likely not be overturned...thus, using two timeouts at the same time.  If the play was that questionable, you should have just thrown the challenge flag and not even bother using the first timeout...some have said that the timeout needed to be called and the challenge was an afterthought...well then the coaches need to change their thinking...if you plan on using a timeout, just throw your challenge flag out on the previous play with no reason at all...what's the worst that's going to happen?  Oh yeah, you use a timeout which is what you wanted to do in the first place...

I was hoping that this Charger team would mirror a Charger team of 30 years ago when the Chargers made the playoffs as a wild card and was the team that made me a Charger fan.  That team, 30 years ago, struggled too in the regular season but not in the same manner as this team.  The 2011 Chargers look completely dysfunctional at this time...the secondary is a complete joke...Jammer who once was a shutdown corner is getting burned on a regular basis and Cason and Gilchrist couldn't cover a slug...together.  The defensive line is just as bad as the offensive line and the Chargers are never too shy to get plenty of penalties to help the opposing team.

Tim Tebow is next on the card for the Chargers and Tebow almost beat the Chargers, himself, in the quarter and a half he played earlier this year so I think he will be able to really pile up some numbers this week against a Charger team that has shown it can't stop anyone, anytime.

Chargers Lose 4th Straight, Nowhere To Go But Down

I was pretty sure the Raiders were going to win the game last night and watched about what I expected from the San Diego Chargers.

Sloppy play on both sides of the ball with both the Charger offensive and defensive lines getting pushed around for the entire game...the same thing the Raiders did in their two wins last season, so it came as no surprise to me.

With the Broncos beginning to surge and the Chargers fading, the Chargers could be in last place in the AFC West before Thanksgiving and the only way they avoid that is if they find a way to win a game...but that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

As I said two weeks ago the Chargers will be fortunate to win 2 more games this season and it won't be next week against the Bears.  The play the Broncos after the Bears but Tebow only played a quarter and a half against the Chargers in their last meeting and came up one play short from a comeback...it won't be that tough for him next time.

There really is no need to describe the game(s) the Chargers lose anymore, it is the same each and every week...they have tons of stupid presnap penalties, no rush defense, no pass rush and their offensive line is horrible.  Phillip Rivers continues to play like garbage and after watching the game last night and the revelation that Rivers' record in game winning and/or come from behind drives is less than stellar the Chargers, once behind in the game stay behind.

Norv Turner continues to suck and hopefully this is the beginning of the end for him as the coach of the Chargers.

Chargers Losing Skid Continues

The San Diego Chargers may have avoided their typical slow start this season by jumping out to a 4-1 record...unfortunately it also might be their high water point of the season as well as the Chargers lost to the unbeaten Packers this past Sunday.

Its not really a surprise to anyone that the Chargers would lose to the Packers.  The Chargers are barely a mediocre team and at home, they were able to at least not be totally embarrassed, as has been the trend of the Chargers in high profile games.  Of course, though, the Chargers did have to display their incompetence to reassure everyone that they will certainly not be a team that will be a factor at any point this season.

We'll start with quarterback Phillip Rivers.  Many think that Rivers might have turned the corner after this past Sunday's game...I don't think so.  Rivers through back-to-back interceptions that were ran back for touchdowns and with the game tied at 7, the game was 21-7 in a blink of an eye.  Then to complete his league leading interception mark, Rivers threw the game ending interception to seal the Packers victory.

The defense, many think the Chargers defense is beginning to get better because the Charger d forced the Packers to punt, twice, in the fourth quarter.  The only problem with that, the Packers didn't punt once in the entire game prior to that and had scored a touchdown on every possession.  At no point was the Packer offense ever in jeopardy of stalling due to the Charger defense.

Penalities, the Chargers continue to get flagged for a ton of penalties, many of them pre-snap...totally correctable but never is.

The AFC West is such an awful division that which ever team claims the title will likely just be fodder for some vastly better wild card team.  I thought the Raiders would easily crush the Chargers but it looks like they may have some problems of their own...losing to the Broncos?  That can't be good.  I still think the Raiders should be able to beat the Chargers because they have the better offensive and defensive lines.  If the Raiders do indeed beat the Chargers it would make 4 straight losses for the Chargers and who were once 4 and 1 will move to 4 and 5 on the year with the possibility no playoffs looking them square in the face much earlier than usual.

Chargers Descent Continues, Chiefs Beat Chargers In OT

There seemed to be two camps for Charger fans going into Monday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.  One camp of fans still have optimistic hopes for the Chargers.  The loss to the Jets was just a bump in the road and the Chargers would correct their problems and the steam roll towards the Super Bowl would begin with a beat down of the Chiefs... a team that was once 0-3 and considered to be among the worst in the NFL, but was on a 3 game win streak and the winner would leave Arrowhead stadium with the AFC West lead.  The other camp of fans were those that thought the game against the Jets exposed exactly who the 2011 Chargers are and, that is, a fairly below average, to bad football team.  So when the Chargers literally had to take a few snaps and set up for the game winning field goal to end the game but instead, Phillip Rivers fumbled a snap, the Chiefs recover and promptly beat the Chargers in overtime...fans that were already prepared for the worst were not too shocked or stunned by the outcome.

No, as I posted last week, I am resigned to the fact that this Charger team is not any good.  Looking at their remaining schedule, where prior to the season I had the Chargers going 9-7, I think they maybe lucky to go 6-10.  Yes, going from 4-1 to 6-10 is what I think could very well happen.

Lets start with Phillp Rivers...there has to be something going on.  He looks absolutely horrible.  Even on the passes that he completes, many don't look very good.  His interceptions are as ugly as they look, badly overthrown passes and in some cases, like in the Jets, it looks as if he threw it right to the opponent.  Rivers then tops off his 2 interception game against the Chiefs with the game losing fumble with time running out.  I have continued to say that I like Phillip Rivers because he is a winner, but he is, at least for now, stripped of that title.  A "winner" would never make such a huge mistake to cost the game.

Then there's the defense.  The Chargers win the coin toss in overtime and go 3 and out, punt the ball and push the Chiefs into their own territory.  The Chiefs proceed to move the ball at will down the field and make kicking a game winning field goal look routine against the porous Charger defense.  Cheifs QB Matt Cassels, who is not noted for running, had a big gain as he ran through 4, 5 miss tackles from lowly Charger defenders.  The Charger defense offers barely any resistance even against some of the worst NFL offenses.

There seems to still be the two camps, but the camp where fans are still optimistic for this season is seeing its faithful dwindling and the camp that sees this season of Charger football as another disappointing one is beginning to grow.

Green Bay comes to San Diego this week and the early line was Chargers +5.5 and many Charger fans are saying to take the Pack and the points because it is going to be a beat down.  And my thoughts are just that as well.  The Packers, coming off a bye week and have looked mostly unstoppable.  Unless they look past the Chargers, they should have little problem beating the Bolts this weekend.

The Chargers: Just What The Jets Needed

The Chargers fall in glorious fashion against the NY Jets this past Sunday and prove that they are a team that will be barely mediocre, as usual and as many suspected.

There should have been no excuses to losing to the Jets yesterday.  The Jets offense has been mostly pathetic against even poor defenses.  The Jets defense, still formidable, has allowed big games from high powered offensive teams that the Chargers are suppose to resemble.  But the Chargers are what they are and what the Chargers are, is a team that is good enough to beat lousy teams but is a lousy team itself.

The number of offsides the Charger defense had yesterday has laughable...but before we go too much further, the officiating in that game was all slanted towards the Jets to the point of silliness as well.  Two pass interference calls that went against Jammer were both bullshit as Jammer had perfect coverage and didn't even touch the receiver in the one instance.  And there were at least two offsides where the Jets had clearly moved early, yet the Chargers were flagged with neutral zone infractions.

The Chargers were up 21-10 at half and couldn't score a point in the second half.  Rivers looked completely awful and continues to be among the leagues top intercepted quarterback.

The Jets offense, with a lot of assistance from Charger defensive penalties, looked very capable.  NY fans, coming into the game, were crying for Plaxico Burress to finally show up...while thanks to the play of Chargers Antoine Cason, Plax had 3 touchdowns and Mark Sanchez looked awesome...when he is clearly not.

No, my hopes for the Chargers this season weren't high and this only confirmed my thoughts on this team...posers.  I've been tough on the media for labeling the Chargers as they have, but no longer, because the Chargers are who everyone thinks they are...non-factors.

Chargers Sharp Against Dolphins

The San Diego Chargers had little problems with the winless Miami Dolphins, something the Chargers couldn't say last week when they met up with another lowly team, the Kansas City Chiefs.  But this Sunday the Chargers looked like they are one of the best of the bad teams...the Chargers seemed to have little problem with the Dolphins on either side of the ball.  Even though the Dolphins were within 10 points in the second half, the Chargers made sure to keep a 2 score differential lead and the Dolphins were unable to take the lead from the Chargers.

Rivers looked better than he has from his first three games, imo, and this was his first game of the 2011 season without throwing an interception.  The Chargers did exactly what they needed to do...win and not lose to a team that they should have beaten, like last year's losses to the Seahawks, Rams and Bengals.  The problem, though, is that the Chargers really haven't done anything to elevate themselves to be considered a "good" team.  I have them where I think the Chargers have been placed for the past 3-4 years...and that is a team that can beat most bad teams on most Sunday's...and that's about it.

Bigger news was made prior to this game on the injury front with big implications as the season progresses.  The first was that Bob Sanders is done.  Sanders was a gamble that if paid off could have been a team changer...he is a smart, tough safety that the Chargers defense desperately needed...now, the Chargers revert back to needing a tough, smart safety.  The second injury report was from Antonio Gates.  Gates was going to a specialist to see if anything can be done to repair his foot.  Since his original injury in 2008 I had the sinking feeling that Gates' days may be numbered and the news isn't good as of now.  Hopefully, most Charger fans are keeping their fingers crossed, that the rest Gates gets now will help him be a factor later in the season where the past few years he has been sidelined with this nagging toe/foot/hip injury.

Up next for the Chargers are division rivals the Denver Broncos as the Chargers will travel to Denver to face the Broncos...then have a bye week then back-to-back road games to play the Jets and Chiefs before coming back home to take on the Packers...

Chargers Survive Chiefs

The San Diego Chargers gave life to Kansas City Chief fans...after seeing their team get beaten by the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions by a combined score of 89-10 most pundits had the San Diego Chargers dominating this (non)game from the kickoff.  But in typical, early season form, the San Diego Chargers kept the Chiefs in the game and with a 3 point lead, the Chiefs had the ball and were beginning to mount a late game drive that could potentially tie or win the game.  But the Chiefs offense, which was mostly muted most of the day, committed their first and only turnover of the game when Eric Weddle intercepted Matt Cassel and the Chargers had to simply run the clock out and escape with the win.

Philip Rivers has not looked good at all these first 3 games and was picked off twice.  The Charger defense resembles the defense that the Chargers have had in the recent past, able to virtually stop any team for three quarters but in the fourth, most teams are able to move the ball fairly effectively against the Chargers.

On the upside, runningback Ryan Mathews has proven his worth so far.  After a fairly lackluster rookie season, imo, he has proved to be a valuable weapon for the Chargers...catching and running the ball very good.  And Vincent Jackson continues to have a stellar year.  Antonio Gates did not play but his backup, Randy McMicheal has been filling in nicely.

I know many people in my survivor pool, me included, were sweating this game and everyone should take note that no Charger game can really be easy.  Case and point, the Miami Dolphins come to San Diego to play the Chargers this week.  The Dolphins are 0-3 and 7 point road dogs to the Chargers...if I were a betting man, I'd pick the Dolphins to cover because the Chargers can, and may just be likely, to play down to their competition and be lucky to sneak out a win, if at all, against the Dolphins this week...

Chargers Survive Vikes, Fumble To Patriots

I'm off to a slow start this season, doing my best San Diego Chargers impression...

The Chargers escape week 1 with a win over the Vikes, but not until after they showed why they are the Chargers of old, again.  Vikes run the opening kickoff back for a touchdown and for most of the first half the Chargers looked hapless.  Defense showed up in the second half and the Chargers end up with the win.

Week 2 rolls around and the Chargers played a game that resembles many of their playoff games against "elite" teams.  The Chargers fumbled and turned the ball over and, yet, still had a chance to win the game into the fourth quarter...but after the final Tolbert fumble that the Patriots then promptly scored a touchdown on, that, for all intense purposes, ended the game.

This game did reveal what will likely be the reason why the Chargers won't go far in the playoffs...but unfortunately, is the same reasons it has been in the years past.  Poor defense and turnovers.  The Charger defense is unable to make a stop when it matters against good teams.  Then, conversely, the Charger offense, which is touted as "high powered" is muted by a mediocre defense.

Sure the Chargers may impress against middle of the pack NFL teams, but they continue to be the same Charger team we have seen for the past 5-6 years...poised to disappoint.

Chargers 2011-12 Predictions

The 2011 football season kicks off tonight and I figured I best get my predictions in the books before the season starts...although, starting the season with one Thursday night game really doesn't seem like the season is kicking off...Sunday, of course, is the real kickoff...but I digress...

I'm just going to start with it and get it over with...it will be like the sting you feel from pulling off a band-aid, but I think it has to be done to justify my thoughts on this 2011 Charger team.  That is, Norv Turner sucks and the Chargers aren't going to win anything with him as the head coach.  I did give him the benefit of the doubt when he first got to San Diego but for the past 2 seasons I have been completely disgusted with how this team performs and then disappoints.

We'll start with the first game.  There has been a lot of emphasis being put on the Chargers first few games because under Turner the Chargers typically start slow and lose more than they win in their first 4-6 games of each season.  Turner has said that a lot of effort and determination is being put into starting the season out good, so we'll see if that indeed happens.  I can easily see the Chargers lose to the Vikings on Sunday...in San Diego to boot!  If that happens, I will be fully braced for another disappointing season.  Sure, under Turner the Chargers provide the fan with an exciting ride throughout the season but it always ends in a colossal disaster in the playoffs.

Many pundits put the AFC West as a weaker division and that may be true, but it is certainly better than it was just 3 years ago.  The Raiders and Chiefs aren't bad anymore and no one in the NFL minds the fact that the Denver Broncos stink - HA HA HA!  I think the division is once again up for grabs.

So let's just state the obvious...the Chargers special teams last season was the worst in the history of the NFL and cost the Chargers a number of games.  Although the Charger defense was ranked #1 last season it was mostly due to being in poor field position because of the horrendous special teams coverage so opposing teams didn't need to go on 70+ yard drives every time they took the field.  The Charger offense was legit last year and Phillip Rivers is "The Man".

The Chargers schedule will be interesting...they play (along with the AFC West opponents) the NFC North, AFC East, Jacksonville and Baltimore.  Interesting that the Chargers either play at home, indoors or in an otherwise "warm" part of the country every game after the game in Chicago on November 20th.  That could be in their favor for the regular season but could be a problem if they end up going somewhere cold in the playoffs and became 'soft' because of the climate they played in...

So the first four games (Min, @NE, KC, Mia) I think the Chargers go 2-2, losing at least one of the games that they could have, should have won.  The next four games (@Den, @NYJ, @KC, GB) are mostly road games and the Chargers go 1-3 in that stretch, so 3-5 overall at the midway point, right on pace with previous years.  Next four games (OAK, @Chi, Den, @Jac) look like the breather the Chargers need to get back on pace...go 4-0 and are now 7-5 coming down the stretch. Buf, Bal, @Det & @Oak finish up the Chargers season...I think they go 2-2 and end up one game short of the playoffs at 9-7...it will be the game in Oakland that will decide the season and the Chargers were manhandled by the Oakland line (both offense and defense) last season and Oakland looks to be better...but who knows, maybe 9-7 is good enough to win the division and get you into the playoffs.

But I see a season that will be very much of the same that we have seen for the past 3, 4 years under Norv Turner.  Occasionally the Chargers will beat a good team but the Chargers will also get beaten by any number of bad teams on any given day.  The Chargers haven't shown any consistency in the past had have only disappointed in the playoffs.  The AFC is always a knock-down, drag out fight and the Chargers never seem to have the mentality or the game to rise above the rest.  The AFC West gets no respect because no team from the AFC West has earned any and I don't think that is going to change after this season either.

I hope I'm wrong and I'll be watching every Charger game and would love nothing better than to see them win a Super Bowl because no matter what I think will or won't happen it will never change the fact that I am a super fan and will cheer for them no matter what... GO CHARGERS!

Yet Another Reason ESPN Sucks

Its not really anything new to anybody but just another example of why ESPN sucks and proof that they only care about the Yankees and Red Sox.

So Jim Thome hit his 600 hr last night...if he had been a Yankee or a Red Sox, ESPN would have live coverage and an endless lovefest with Thome.  But because Thome has always played in small market teams, ESPN folks barely even know who Thome is.  To prove this, this morning as I was driving to work I tuned into a little Mike And Mike show to hear what they were yapping about, because I knew it wouldn't be about Thome...but I was incorrect.  They actually did mention Thome's feat, but the crux of their discussion was how much bigger a story Derek Jeter hitting 3,000 hits was versus Thome's 600 hrs.  Are you f'ing kidding me?  ESPN can't even stop their endless Yankee lovefest for one frickin' morning and talk about Thome's accomplishments in MLB?  Nope, they have to tell you why some Yankee and anything that Yankee does is more important because more people care about the Yankees than any other team... GIVE ME A BREAK!  ESPN SUCKS!

Preseason Game 1, No Fantasy Football For Me

Tonight is the night many a football fan has been waiting for...the kickoff of the 2011 season...sure, it is just the preseason but just a few weeks ago we weren't sure when we would get to see our favorite NFL team back on the field.

As per usual, I won't spend much time watching or dissecting preseason football games but I will DVR the Charger-Seahawk game tonight and likely zip through it.  If Rivers and any starters play, I will likely pay more attention to those plays but overall, not grade the game as anything special, regardless of the outcome.

The 2011-12 season will also be an unique season for me...after 15 years of running a fantasy football league, I decided (last season) to disband the league and am not participating in any "serious" fantasy football league(s) at all.  Although, I don't think it will really be that big of a change for me since, to me, fantasy football was always secondary to me.  What could really be a blessing, now, is the fact that I will no longer have to care about almost every game because of fantasy football ramifications. 

I'm already debating on whether or not I just say screw it and not make any attempt to go out and watch football on Sundays, most of my friends stop going about week 6 and I am now thinking of not going out at all...even for week 1.  I know I might get some crap from my friends on week 1, but these are the same friends that stop watching football before November, so I really won't feel too bad about it.  I'll still get to see the Chargers play every game and since no other games matter to me, why do I really need to go out to watch them all anyways?

Even though those are my early thoughts, I will probably get coaxed into going out on week 1...but again, with no fantasy football amongst my friends, as well, maybe their interest in going will not be as great either...we'll see.

The Rich And Darrick Podcast

I have kept a project under wraps for the past few months because I was unsure if it was going to come to fruition or not...and as luck would have it, it is now a reality...The Rich And Darrick Podcast.  Me and my pal sit around and bullshit while sucking down some beers. Here you can get, first hand, some of my crazy thoughts and rants...and of course, thoughts on the San Diego Chargers.

We just released our first episode and we hope things work out...check it out and we hope you enjoy it!

http://richanddarrick.blogspot.com/

NFL Lockout Over, Game On!

It seems anytime I go on vacation something newsworthy happens and this year was no exception.  The NFL lockout was resolved last week and the 2011 NFL season will be played in full...sound the trumpets and cue the celebration complete with dancing in the street.  That is the good news.

And we'll stay with the good news, in terms of my favorite NFL team, the Chargers... a couple of moves that I have liked for the Chargers was the signing of Bob Sanders and Takeo Spikes.  Both veteran defensive players that will hopefully be "difference makers" for the Chargers on defense this season.  Sanders, though, is very injury prone.  When he played the Colts win a Super Bowl...when he doesn't, the Colts lose in the playoffs.

Now, unfortunately, the bad news for the Chargers before the season starts...Antonio Gates is still dinged up from last season and as I have speculated in the past, his toe injury is the same type that has ended careers of other players so, not saying his career is over, but I think the injury could effect his production...as it already has...for the rest of his career.

And of all the other news that has came out of Charger camp thus far, the one that troubles me is that 2nd year runningback, Ryan Mathews - the replacement for LT - came into camp apparently out of shape.  The article tries to 'sugar-coat' the fact that Mathews was winded after conditioning tests but anyone with a clue knows that a runningback should not be the player that has the most trouble during conditioning tests.  Mathews was injured and did little to impress me last season and his start to this season isn't doing much to improve his image with me.  Many Charger fans were quick to anoint Mathews the next greatest runningback or, at the very least, be a capable replacement for LT.  Darren Sproles, after a subpar season last year, is now in New Orleans.  The Chargers still have Tolbert who had an impressive year last season but ended up injured as well, to me, seem thin at runningback.

Add to the fact that the Chargers still don't have any wide receivers other than (I do believe still disgruntled) Vincent Jackson that make a difference.  Phillip Rivers is great and a winner, but with a lackluster run game and reliant solely on the pass game with, mostly, sub par receivers, the Chargers, I think, are in for another long year.

Word from Charger camp is that coach Norv Turner is putting some emphasis on the early season trying to get the team to care about the first 6 games of the season...something past Charger teams he has coached, have not done and most of the time are fighting an uphill battle for the remainder of the season leaving no room for error.  That of course, we will all be able to watch first hand when the season starts.

I will withhold any formal predictions at this time but will offer up my preseason picks, hopefully, prior to kickoff of the first game.

Clemens Trial Declared A Mistrial

The US Government continues it's stellar record at prosecuting steroid using athletes by screwing up their case against Roger Clemens in its second day that the judge declared a mistrial.  It sounds like Clemens will likely file a "double-jeopardy" claim that would prevent him from being tried again.  And the government will also have to decide whether or not to continue with its case...but I think that since they have wasted all this money and effort you might as well go to court even though a hayseed lawyer, Rusty Hardin, is able to outwit the incompetent US Attorneys.

Clemens Trial Starts Today

I just got back from a relaxing and enjoyable extended holiday weekend and what is waiting for me to follow?  The Roger Clemens trial of course!  I continue to follow all the cheaters and their efforts to get away with cheating.  So far Barry Bonds has successfully dodged any legal ramifications from his cheating and now Roger Clemens is next (to steal a baseball analogy) up to bat.

I'm not sure who his lead attorney is for this case but I hope it is his regular attorney, Rusty Harden...the guy is a complete hayseed and has no clue.  I think Roger could end up being found guilty if it is up to ole Rusty...but if Roger has a clue in his brain, he should have gotten Bonds' attorneys...or as close as possible to them.

Jury selection starts today and I am following the action on Twitter (as I did with the Bonds trial), which, if the reporter is active, a person can get a blow-by-blow account of the entire trial.

As I did with Bonds, I hope Clemens gets found guilty.  But in either case, like Bonds, the amount of money these guys are spending to keep their name clean is outrageous.  I don't think you could find a person on this planet that doesn't think either of those two guys juiced.

Summer Time Notes: Smartphone, Roku & Golf

Summer time is officially here.  It is a hot day today and suppose to be even hotter tomorrow and the fourth of July holiday looks to be sunny and dry.  Hopefully it all works out that way!  I figured I best get a post up sooner or later or else some will think I have died, but I have been working on another project that, if it comes to fruition, I will have a bigger presence for everyone to enjoy....or hate, your choice.  But here's just a few quick notes:

First, as I posted last fall, I got my first smartphone and I was wildly impressed with it when I got it.  Well, now more than a half year later what do I think?  I think it is still awesome if not even more awesome than before!  There was a recent update that now allows me get Netflix to my phone...are you frickin kidding me?  I can now watch any title in the Netflix library on a device that I can carry in my pocket, plus the picture is really good.  Unbelievable and I love it!  Of course that is just one of the fantastic things this phone can do...I enjoyed getting internet from my phone to my laptop while at my folks' lake cabin where there is no internet...I was the envy of all.  The car dock features are super cool that make using the phone as any number of devices while driving a snap...and with Google Music (beta) I can now stream my entire library of music to my phone...Pandora has been sketchy these past few months and sluggish...Google Music has been very quick and fast.  Needless to say, I can only imagine what the next generation of phones are going to bring in terms of features and I can hardly wait to check them out!

The next item is that I also recently purchased a Roku box and is equally awesome.  I was initially trying to find a solution to get Netflix to an additional television upstairs and this was the solution I chose and it is so much more than I expected.  For those that don't know what a Roku box is, it is basically an internet television tuner...to further simplify, it streams video off the internet to your television.  There are several pay services, like Netflix, that Roku works with but there is also a ton of free channels as well.  You also can stream Pandora and Facebook and updates and new channels continue to roll out all the time.

And then there is my new activity...golf.  When I was young I use to golf all the time but once my parents could no longer afford to get a membership for our family I stopped golfing...that was well over 20 years ago.  I decided this past winter to get back into golf.  I purchased a set of clubs and set out to go golfing.  My first outing went as well as could be expected...not so good.  But I have gone golfing about 10 times this summer and I think I have improved each time.  I am not going out with the intentions of getting good or being able to 'beat' people, just to go out and get some exercise and enjoy the weather.  I have been having a blast.  And of course I am not "hardcore"... I only go golfing when it is nice and I know I will have a good time.

I got some holiday plans lined up for this weekend and if everything works out, it sounds like it will be an awesome time!  I hope everyone else has a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Dick Ebersol Leaving NBC, Sports May Return To Network

I think I might be the only person in the USA that isn't sad to see Dick Ebersol leave NBC Sports.  In almost every article and interview with the guy praise is just heaped upon him... he is given numerous flattering titles and genius like qualities.  But not me.  I have never been a fan of Dick Ebersol because, to me, Ebersol essentially destroyed the NBC Sports that I loved and turned it into the NBC Sports of today, that I hate.

Dick Ebersol first rubbed me the wrong way when NBC gave up the NFL.  Bryant Gumbel and Bob Costas were two of my favorite NFL announcers, now without a sport.  And, if you fast forward to today, all Dick Ebersol has really accomplished for NBC, other than getting rid of all four of the major sports off of their airwaves, and Ebersol's claim to fame, the Olympics.  Well, for the most part, I think the Olympics suck and I especially think the network coverage of the Olympics suck.  What does a person get to watch on NBC during the Olympics?  Gymnastics ... every stinking night.  Sure they will throw some track and swimming in there but for "premiere" events always showcase gymnastics.  And of course there is the opening and closing ceremonies as well.  So, in my eyes, all Ebersol has done is create programming that resembles sports but appeals to mostly women.  Well good for him but it will not earn any praise from me.

Slacking Issue VIII: Fake Stupity

This next slacking tip does take a bit of 'set-up' and, also, can't likely be applied to all areas in a work place.  That is pretending to be dumb or incapable of doing some tasks, usually some ancillary task that needs to be completed before you can finish your, usually, more important task.   And the more basic and menial you can feign incompetence on, the better.

You do need to remember that you do not want to get fired from your job so this tactic has to be applied knowing that your employment is safe.  In the couple of instances I have seen this tactic applied it was done properly and those are the examples I will share with you.  And like most of my other slacking tips, this tip is purely from observation only...I have never been a person that could pull off something like this.

The most prominent instance I have witnessed using this method is when I worked with an award winning individual.  This coworker was usually given carte-blanche to work on whatever projects they wanted because the result would be of very high quality.  And to be clear, without revealing the specifics of the job as to keep this as anonymous as possible, the work place I was in was of the technical nature and winning awards in this field is note worthy.  So yes, there is this very smart coworker but can't set the clock in his vehicle.  He's unable to make toast successfully.  Usually has someone "work" a cell phone and have them hand it to them because it is too confusing.

Are you telling me that a truly smart person can't figure out some of the most basic things in the world?  Well, that's what some will have you to believe, but not me.  I can see right through these people.  There is no way they have gotten to where they are today without knowing how to work an alarm clock or change a light bulb, they just no longer see those tasks as something that require their attention and thus, now, no longer even know how to do some of these menial tasks. To me, I could see a brain surgeon pulling the same tactic just to have people not feel bad about being his servant.

Now, when coming upon these people it would be easy to just call them out and refuse to do their menial tasks, but I also think they are also part of a 'slacking circle'.  They are providing you with an ample reason to slack off for a while because the person that is unable to change the batteries in his wireless mouse is no way going to get fired and they certainly aren't going to fire you for helping him.

Now if you can excuse me, I need to go help the IT guy put some mp3 music on his player...he mentioned how he had no clue how to do that as he was installing some new fiber optic switches in the server room the other day...

Slacking Issue VII: Vacation

A person that has accrued a fair amount of vacation time may think that they have got all those days they can devote to doing what ever leisure time activity, but certainly not work.  But what a potential 'slacker' may not know is how to effectively use their vacation time.

One of the first tips I have is to find out when your boss/supervisor is taking vacation and most certainly not use any of your vacation days during that time.  At most of my work places, when a boss/supervisor was on vacation that was like a vacation for us as well, so it would be foolish to use a paid vacation day on a day that was essentially a vacation day at work.

In fact, the best time, I think, to take a vacation is on the day your boss/supervisor returns from their vacation.  A lot of times the boss/supervisor may have some "new ideas" or, at the very least, get things "caught back up" since they were gone.  So if you are conveniently gone, you would miss out on any of this activity and return just in time for things to get back to normal.

Another tip, which is just blatantly obvious is to 'piggyback' your vacation time.  That is, to take a day off when you are already getting paid time off to make the paid time off period even longer.  For example, if Christmas falls on a Friday and you get that day off paid, take the Monday off as well and now instead of a 3 day paid break you have a 4 day break, almost an entire work week...plus, you are shortening up 2 work weeks and using only 1 paid day off...common sense is all that is.  The trouble comes when you have one of those holidays that happens in the middle of the week...which really is only the Fourth of July for most of us, which may tend to land on a Wednesday ... then do you take the days off in front of behind it?  If you don't have a lot of vacation the easy answer is to find out when your boss/supervisor is taking time off and make sure you are working those days...I don't know a single Fourth of July holiday that I had to work where I was busy at all, so even having to work around some of these holidays isn't so bad either...depending on what you are doing...

Slacking Issue VI: Commute

My next topic about "slacking" is the commute to work and how this can work out for those that want some quality slacking time.  Of course the commute to your work will depend on where you live but if you are able to "choose" where you live and your workplace is fairly laid back, you can use your drive - or lack of ability to do so - to and from work to essentially trim some time off their work day.

My first example is from a time when I lived in Phoenix in the late 80's...at this time in Phoenix there was literally one interstate that ran north and south that that was just 6 lane (3 lanes each way) ...  At this time driving any distance in Phoenix was a crap shoot.  Never, not once, would you ever be questioned if you show up late for any appointment or your job (as long as it was a consistent occurrence) because everyone had the same excuse and that was the traffic.  The sad fact is, though, you would be late for your appointment or whatever because it was actually due to the traffic...at any time if an accident or mishap happened on your route to where ever, you were screwed.  More than once I have came to a complete stop on the interstate or various other streets/roads in and around Phoenix.  Sometimes a 20 minute trip would take 2 hours because of some mishap.  I only could dream of how much better being stuck in traffic today would be compared back to then...all I had back then was the radio ... no cell phones, internet, etc... Now, being stuck in traffic a person can open up their laptop or pull out their smart phone and at least have some good time killing items available.

The second example works great in this region, the barren wasteland.  I have worked at a couple of different jobs and in both instances there have been coworkers that live 10, 20 miles out of town and make the drive in and out every day.  Traffic would never be an issue here.  But what these folks have in their favor is bad weather.  Each winter we are all but guaranteed at least a half dozen blizzards or so that will close down the highways, which would prevent the out of towners from getting to town.  Getting around town during a blizzard usually isn't too bad and a person can typically get to work and home safely...but out in the open it is too dangerous.  These coworkers simply need to call in to say that they can't make it to work because of the no travel advisory and go back to sleep. 

Another factor that is working in their favor these days is that the weather forecasters are all about overhyping any weather system and even the remote chance of a blizzard forming, will forecast a blizzard days in advance...those living out of town will all but make arrangements to not leave their house for the next 3, 4 days because of the impending blizzard...and then I would say 3 out of 5 forecasted blizzards don't materialize or are not as bad as what was forecasted...but that won't stop the out of towners from making plans on not going to work for the day...

Bonds Guilty Of Obstruction - Muddled Verdict

So the Bonds trial ended somewhat bizarrely, with only one verdict decided and that was for obstruction of justice, while the 3 charges of perjury the jury was unable to reach consensus on...word is, on the one count of lying about being injected by other people all the jurors except one felt Bonds was guilty because Kathy Hoskins saw Greg Anderson inject Barry Bonds, but the one juror said that Kathy was like family to Bonds so that left reasonable doubt in her mind.  WTF?  I can't figure that statement out but I figure she was probably bribed and thats why it was 11-1 on that one count...there was no way she was ever going to convict Bonds...

So in the end the entire trial was a waste of money and the government will have to decide if it wants to retry Bonds again and waste even more money.  Bonds of course is appealing the verdict and arguing to have the charges dropped based on the trial's conclusion and not ending in consensus.

Roger Clemens is probably got a great big smile after seeing and hearing how Bonds fared because his trial will be starting up soon and will likely be similar to Bonds' in a he said/she said type trial and the jury won't believe any one and will find Clemens not guilty due to inconclusive evidence.

The cheaters are going to get away with it...

Slacking Issue V: Appearing Efficient

Throughout my employment history I have had one trait that I have had to temper and alter my work ethic because there has yet to be one workplace that I have been at, whether it be menial labor or skilled, that this trait has paid off and gotten me either money or advancement and that is being efficient.  I think most people have a built in "switch" that they can flip when they realize that they will complete a project "too fast" or get done with something before they really want to for one reason or another. Me, in almost every job I have had, especially when first starting, would complete tasks in a very quick and efficient fashion.  Well, it didn't take me long to realize that this really isn't all that good for myself...my work shift was always the same duration regardless of how much "work" I would do and/or accomplish.  And what did completing tasks in a quick and efficient manner garner me?  A raise?  A promotion?  Absolutely not, all it did was get me another task to complete for the day or to redo the previous task again with maybe some alterations.

Being a "go-getter" and doing things as fast as you can really won't get you too far in most workplaces.  Oh sure your manager/boss will love the fact that he now essentially has a "willing slave".  Someone they can assign all the tasks that everyone else doesn't want to do with the best part being, is that they will likely complete the task very quickly and in an efficient manner ... and just waiting for the next assignment.

I have a two-pronged approach that I think can help others slack a little better at work.

The first step is the basic set up for "slacking".  And that is, begin to take your time and don't submit a project until it is the absolute deadline...at one work place I was at, the absolute deadline meant another week of my manager/boss telling me all the changes they wanted to see in my projects and usually, I felt my projects were very good 'as is'.  It took me all of 2 projects to realize that no matter what I produced, no matter how awesome/professional it was, if I submitted it early it meant that I would be making changes to it until it absolutely had to be done.  Oftentimes, I felt that most of the stuff was nit-picking and would actual make the project appear worse than what I originally put together.  This approach also deals a blow to the credibility of your manager/boss, and it is at their own expense.  Once I knew that any "deadline" that was given to me was just a fake deadline, I no longer even tried to do my best work until I would submit my project and get all the changes they wanted back ... then I may consider beginning the project in earnest.

The second step is for when you have an occupation that will let you determine your own deadlines...I had a position at a job once where this was the case and it was a nice slacking type job.  With this type of position I employed what I like to refer to as the "Wrath Of Khan Time Code" and those familiar with Star Trek II: Wrath Of Khan should recognize this application.  What it basically is, is that when you are asked how long a certain project will take, you will instantly add on weeks, days, hours, etc. to keep your manager/boss informed as to your project status.  But in reality your project should take considerably less than the time you gave to your manger/boss.  In the Wrath Of Khan, Cpt. Kirk and his away team were stranded inside a planet and couldn't get immediately beamed out because their ship was severely damaged.  When Kirk asks Scotty, their engineer, how long it will take to get things fixed up Scotty proceeded to say days, hours and weeks from now will be the soonest they will be functioning again...but of course that sneaky Kirk knew the enemies were listening to their conversations so they used a "Federation trick" in which the time(s) that Scotty gave to Kirk were actually hours and minutes rather than days and weeks...so the enemy thinks that Kirk and his team will be stranded for some time, but to his surprise Capt. Kirk and the Enterprise get up and running and save the day.

So if a manager/boss asks you how long a (typically) 1 day project will take you, you should reply at least 3 days.  And, I always like to add a bit of "Scotty flair" to this discussion, making it sound as if it will be of great labor and very time consuming...almost miraculous if the project can be completed at all, let alone at a specific time.  "How long will it take for you to do this?" my boss will ask.  I will reply "Gee, that's going to be tough and with all the other stuff I got going on, I think I can try and squeeze this in and have it done by the end of next week."  Knowing that I could have the project completed by the next day if I really wanted...but if I were to have it done the next day there will be another project waiting for me or I will get to redo the very same project again ... but never will a raise or a promotion be waiting for me...

Slacking Issue IV: The Victory Lap

Many of the "tips" I have for slacking are determined on your work place and the environment you work in.  I would say that most places have a certain degree of tolerance that they will tolerate certain activities and that is really where most of my "tales" come from...instances where a person was allowed to get away with "slacking" but it wouldn't be seen as that way.  This next example I first observed while working a crappy retail job but also have seen it employed in an office setting as well and that is what I like to call "The Victory Lap" and while, again, appearing to be working you are essentially getting away with slacking.

I first learned of this maneuver, as I mentioned, working a retail job and anyone that has worked a retail job knows that it sucks.  Oh sure you probably know or have met someone that really loves working some retail job but the truth is, unless you own the place or are getting paid a shit-ton of money (which you won't be), working a retail job sucks.  So at this one store, like most other retail stores, weekends were our busiest...during the week it was easy to slack off and not do much but during the weekend there were PIC's (person in charge - glorified manager wanna-bee) that would constantly be hovering over us peons ... making sure we were keeping on task at all times.  It seemed like an endless 8 hour grind.  Then I began to take note of Bob, he had worked there for a couple of years and I seemed to notice, especially during our busy times, that Bob would only be around some of the time.  Well, how could Bob get away from the PIC that was hovering over all of us, all of the time?  But then I noticed his trick...he would help a customer with their purchases and even go the extra mile and help them to their car, the door, however far that customer would want his assistance but once he completed that transaction he would proceed to walk around the entire store and essentially "check in" with everyone.  After the customer would leave Bob would leisurely saunter into the next department greet the manager there and then keep on walking until he had completed an entire "lap" of the store...and in no hurry now mind you.  And of course while you are doing a victory lap you might as well stop for a bathroom break as needed as well.  Of course the victory lap is best deployed if you work at a reasonably sized store where your "lap" would be sure to consume enough time to make it "slack worthy".

The victory lap used in an office setting can be a little tricky, especially if your boss seems to think you are just "standing around" talking to your coworkers.  So what I recommend is befriending other coworkers in other departments or areas of your work place...hopefully as far away from your overseers as you can.  So if/when you decide you would like to take a "victory lap" after completing some task you would leave your general work area and just walk to the other department's and areas in your work place.  Many of your coworkers will be more than willing to talk about the weather, sports or politics at the drop of a hat versus work so you may likely have an extended victory lap if you find two, three people to even have a 5-10 minute conversation each.

As an added bonus to the victory lap you can gain some 'brownie' points by noting anything the work place may be suffering from.  So when you complete your victory lap and your manager/coworkers come to you and may want to know what's going on or what you have been up too... "Well," you say, "as I was heading down the stairs I noticed this railing was coming off and wanted to let Ralph now but then he was busy trying to fix the clayiode system that crashed so I talked to Mike but he couldn't find the right tool.  So I am going to try and hook up with them in about 45 and help them finish that up if that is alright?"

How could a boss say no to that?  I mean look how busy you are!

Slacking Issue III: The Bathroom Break

Over the years I have had many different jobs and worked with many different people which have given me much insight into my current theme of "Slacking at work."  Because I am sharing many of these techniques doesn't necessarily mean that I, myself, have employed them.  I am just giving you my observational point of view, which leads me to my next topic, the bathroom break.

The bathroom break is similar to the smoke break in that if you work at a place where you won't get into trouble for taking as many bathroom breaks for as long as you need to without getting into trouble, some employees make sure to take full advantage of that workplace policy.  Now before we go much further I will let everyone know that I have never been comfortable taking a dump in a public place and doing so at the workplace was a very rare occurrence for me and would depend on the circumstances but I have a couple of examples of people that I worked with that had no inhibitions about using the toilet and would almost brag about their adventures in the bathroom ... "Boy you should have seen that last one, it about made me cry...had to flush twice and it still left streaks" a proud coworker would share with me without asking.

My first example was a coworker of mine about 10 years ago and let's call him Carl.  For some reason Carl thought it was absolutely outrageous if the first thing you didn't do when you got to work was grab the paper and go into the bathroom to spend the next 20 minutes emptying your bowels.  Then, before you left work that process should be repeated.  He took great pleasure in making sure that anytime he needed to take a dump it was done on company time.  I almost thought he would force himself not to shit all weekend so that when he came in on Monday it could be done while he was getting paid.  By setting this type of schedule, and making it known amongst your coworkers, you have essentially bought yourself at least a half hour, if not longer, per work day of "alone time".  Of course you need to be comfortable sitting on a toilet in the bathroom for the duration you don't want to appear working.

The second example was probably 20 years ago, damn has it been that long, but I digress.  I worked at a business where we would be fairly busy the first thing in the morning and then again in the late afternoon.  Well, when times were exceptionally slow, our managers/bosses would want us to do some sort of work around the place...sweep, mop, inventory, whatever.  Well, it didn't take long for me to catch onto the trick this one coworker employed and that was, as soon as it began to taper off they would have to go to the bathroom and sure enough wouldn't emerge from the restroom until the manager has assigned most everyone with some sort of menial task.  He would just "get lost in the shuffle" and end up basically doing nothing ... and apparently at no fault of his own for he was in the bathroom when duties would be assigned and then right when you think he would get some menial task assigned it would be lunch break and/or work would pick up and we would all resume our regular duties.  And what I would like to use this example for is to illustrate how the restroom, in most places, is still a sanctuary for people.  Would it be that difficult for a manager to walk to the restroom open the door and yell, "Hey Bob, after you are done how about sweeping up front?"  But managers are just like everyone else, trying to get by with doing less...its so much easier to assign that task to Joe who is just standing here...but I guess he is waiting to go to the bathroom...

Slacking Issue II: Smoke Breaks

I know I won't be able to keep this pace of a post a day in my new "Slacker" series of posts but I figured I do want to get some things up as they come to me and since this topic is fresh in my brain right now, here is my second installment of slacking in the workplace...

I use to smoke cigarettes but quit several years ago and don't regret it one bit ... but the one thing I didn't do, for whatever reason, was smoke at most of the places I worked at, but there were some, for the most part I was a "social smoker" and would only smoke cigarettes when I drank or went out...which was all the time as to give me an excuse to smoke cigarettes.  I have always wondered why I would never take advantage of being a smoker at work, especially in this day and age when smoking is so taboo you need to make a trek on foot a distance that is equal to the state of Texas to enter the "designated smoking area" for where ever you work ... which will usually be in an alley or behind the building, at the loading dock, next to the garbage ... all usually really pleasant places to be at to smoke.

So if you work in job that allows you to essentially take a "smoke break" as needed with no restrictions you should make sure you take full advantage of that.  I had one such job where one coworker was the master of the "smoke break".  I am fairly confident he took a smoke break at least once an hour, if not more, and each smoke break was a minimum of 15 minutes ... because on your way back from a designated smoking area you might as well swing by the break room and grab a cup of coffee ... since your on a break anyways.  So right there, this smoker is literally shaving 2 hours of "work time" off of his 8 hour work day every day...but that's just where it begins.

Being a 'known' smoker also has it benefits in the workplace when someone comes to you with a project or asks for your assistance because every reply you have will be "Sure, just hang on, I'm gonna run and have a quick smoke and be right back."  Of course you make sure that smoke break is at least a half an hour and the coworker that wanted your help, unless they specifically want YOUR help, may have just left or been helped by someone else and you can resume slacking.

Smoking has so many "bad" things correlated to it that most people won't even challenge your need for a smoke break.  And with smoking being banished out of most work places a savvy smoker can easily get a smoke break in as well as their "normal" breaks.  I worked at one place many, many years ago where we had several smokers but I would never see any of them outside smoking on their lunch or coffee breaks and I asked one of them why. They chuckled and stated that it was silly to smoke during your breaks because you could simply go outside and smoke while you were suppose to be working...I think it was around this time that I took up smoking and also began to become wise in the ways of work slacking.

Slacking Issue I: How To Look Busy/Important At Work Pt. 1

I've been searching for something new, something fresh, yet something I am familiar with to start blogging about...as some of my regular readers have likely noticed my posting has tapered to a snail's pace for some time but it's because I've been trying to think of a few different topics to begin discussing on my blog in hopes to "freshen" it up a bit...and just this afternoon the inspiration came to me.  My home page is set to my.yahoo.com which will select "feature" stories and for the past few weeks I have gotten (recommended by Yahoo!) stories on how to conduct a proper job interview, what questions not to ask a potential employer, how to do your resume and so on.  But I've rarely seen posts on how some employees get away with doing little and yet keep their job ... so that is how I decided start giving some of my observations which can be used by anyone in their workplace to do less and yet seem to be integral to the business.  I've always have been a "go-getter" at my work places but then some employers, over the years, have ripped that spirit from me and turned me into a lazy employee.  I have had more than my fair of jobs ... up until the past 15 years, most were menial, low paying jobs and I have my share of "quitting" stories...but that is all background to my new series: Slacking.  And to be more specific, I think it to be more centered around slacking at the work place because over the years not only have I perfected some great slacking methods I also like to think that I am an "expert" in the field and would like to recognize and share other great slacking techniques...and so with that, here's my first installment...How to look busy or more important than what you are ... and I'll say part one because I am fairly confident I can discover more...

Here is a great slacker trick that I just discovered and I think it to be very effective.  If you ever think your co-workers think you don't do anything or you are just sitting around - and maybe it is because you do - but here is a great first step to reverse that impression from your coworkers and that is request a whiteboard and markers ... and the request is important for this process too... for you see, you want your employer to start to think...oh boy, this person looks like he is going to "get organized" and will promptly run to the office supply store and get a white board and markers for you.  Now there's a couple of key elements to this entire plan to make sure it works perfectly for you...the first is to then hang the white board in the most noticeable place for your coworkers to see it...exactly in line with your entrance to your office/cubicle/shop/what have you, so that a person, when entering, will see that white board.  The next part is fairly obvious...have stuff written on the white board and keep it updated.  What you have written on your white board is irrelevant and if you actually want to use it in a productive manner, more power to you.  But if you just want to "appear" busy and/or important then make sure you are just putting things on the white board and I think that the more gibberish the funnier ... yet have it "appear" as if it is some cryptic short-hand known only to you.  I would use common looking words for your workplace but remove all the vowels, put plenty of dates and or times on the white board and maybe a name or two... something like this would surely make you appear busy and important:

4/12 - mtng John w/GE
2:45 - mntnce vb
6/2 - Clear jmpst
4j-345 - invoice cp/dl
cpu wkshp
dl-fwd mit design

But make sure you change your white board on a regular basis...simply erasing a few lines and adding a few lines would make it appear as if your day is busy every day and what have you really done?  Nothing, just wrote some things on a white board...but it sure appears as if you are in the process of doing something.  As and added bonus, you can use the white board to get you out of work...if someone comes to you asking for help and you don't want to help, just simply look at the white board and say "I'd love to help you but my day and week (or month or year or life) is booked solid., look at this."  As you point to your cryptic whiteboard.

I think if you are looking to start slacking at your workplace adding a whiteboard is a great first step...

Happy Slacking!

Bonds Jury Selected, Trial To Begin

Well, its only been what, 4 years since Barry Bonds quit playing baseball and several of those final years under a lot of scrutiny for his steroid use.  Well, today is the big day...the trial begins.  Jury was selected yesterday and today opening arguments will be heard and I would imagine the government will get to begin their case.

Most everyone on the planet knows Barry Bonds is guilty of using steroids, now it is a matter of whether or not he has good enough lawyers to fend off the government's case...of course the #1 star witness, the guy shooting Bonds up with roids, his trainer Greg Anderson, will be sitting in jail during the trial because he will refuse to testify against Bonds.  He doesn't care, he has already sat in jail for over a year and the courts keep letting him out...this time, he will be in jail during the trial and then let free after it is done...really not putting any pressure on him to testify...I don't get why they can't just lock him up and keep him locked up until he agrees to testify...letting him free is pointless.

From what I have read, the government will have a good case so it will come down to how good the lawyers for Bonds are...plan and simple.  We know a person can get away with murder in this country with the right lawyers, we will now see if Bonds has some of those lawyers...

Like with the Landis case, I will be following the Bonds case closely...for some reason seeing how these liars try to get away with it interests me...

Coming Soon To A Court Near You: State Of North Dakota vs NCAA

It happened...the North Dakota Senate passed a resolution that now will become law that the University of North Dakota has to use the nickname "Fighting Sioux" and it is illegal to change it and if the NCAA has a problem with it, then the state will sue the NCAA.

Unfrickinbeliavable is all I got to say.

The debate over this nickname will never end...at least not in my lifetime...

North Dakota Class B Boys Basketball - Ain't That Special

For most of my adult life I have been in a profession that usually has had some relationship with news, weather and/or sports in the upper Midwest.  Add to that fact that I have lived in the barren wasteland for my entire life (40+ years).  There has always been one annual occurrence in this state that was once hyped as the greatest sporting event in the state, rivaling the once annual UND-NDSU football game (which is no more).  It was the North Dakota State High School Class B Boy's Basketball tournament.

Yes, at one time the Class B Boy's bb tourney was a fun little tournament ... and not because you would get to see some up and coming basketball stars, but because it was full of dreams, Cinderella stories and an entire town's pride.  You see, prior to the mid-1980's the class b tourney was made up of small towns that dotted North Dakota.  Braddock, Linton, Beach, Belcourt, Rugby, Wilton, etc. and these schools would have a basketball team that often times wouldn't be more then 6 or 7 boys.  These small schools, especially during tournament time, all seemed to be equal and every game was a thriller, coming down to the last second.  The tournament site would be packed for every game, from 5th place to first place and why?  Because the entire town that these schools were from would come to watch their school play and when I say I mean the entire town, I mean the entire town would close, pack up and go to the tournament site.  It was once a boon for whatever city would host the Class B tournament ... not so much so anymore.  When living in Bismarck, a popular Class B site, in the early '80's the city would be crawling with people from these small towns and with the basketball site within a block of the largest shopping center in the town, the Class B folks were in heaven and the stores were loving it as well.

But it was about the late 80's, as I was going through high school, that the "luster" of the Class B that was incessantly preached to me was beginning to wear on me.  I began to tire of local sports fans that would, with great bravado, declare that the ND Class B Boys tournament is WAAAAAAYYYYY better than the Class A Boys or any other ND high school tournament in general.  It was far superior to any other high school event in this state.  I began to make note of their declarations and am ready to say that the Class B Boys tournament is no better and no worse than the Class A tournament or any other tournament for that matter.  Yes, at one time the ND Class B was probably the premiere high school event in the state but that is so far from the truth today.

First, I began to notice that the Class B boys bb games were pretty boring and very sloppy...certainly not these exciting nail-biters that once happened on a regular occurrence in the past.  It was also during this time that schools begin to combine to save money.  No longer is there just one small community school but a multi-community school, some schools made up of 5 or more smaller towns.  This essentially striped each school of its own identity.  So now none of the residents go to the tournament unless they have a friend or family member on the team.

And now we fast forward to the 21st century.  North Dakota high schools have gone through a myriad of reclassifying schools and changes still continue to be talked about so change is likely to continue...but what has happened is many of the "smaller schools" in the largest cites that are classified as a Class B school now dominate the scene.  Schools that once were Class A schools in larger cities as well as private schools in the larger cities are now all dominate in the basketball tournament... teams from Fargo, Minot, Bismarck, Dickinson and so on, make up much of the bracket these days.

You factor in both those elements, the multicommunity school and the large city schools that have had a strong presence in Class B basketball and you will be able to see why the Class B Boys BB Tournament is no longer the jewel of ND High School Sports, but what frustrates me the most is that many people and media outlets still try and present the Class B Boys tourney as if it were and the Class B hasn't been relevant in probably 20+ years and those that continue to trumpet its awesomeness are nothing more than morons that don't know any better.

Nothing Can Be Easy Anymore

The good ole days, something that I have gotten into a rut proclaiming.  I do believe I do sound like an angry old man.  But I like to think when I make the declaration of "Back when I was young..." or "In the good old days" I put some merit behind it, that yes, indeed, things were a bit better when it was like that...

Like for instance being able to work on your own vehicle.  This is a prime example of what I am saying.  Yes, cars are nicer these days, more fuel efficient and blah, blah, blah.  But was the trade off for better (and of course that is purely a subjective view) vehicles was that the common person could no longer do any maintenance or minor repairs on their vehicle ever again?

Case and point...my wife's car is a 1995 Cavalier ... yes, it is that old.  She has owned it since new and as a person could imagine after 16 years the car is beginning to need some maintenance and, as a matter of fact, her blower motor just went out.  I had changed the blower motor on my Blazer in the 90's and in a couple of other vehicles...fairly simple...but when I tried to find the blower motor for her car, I couldn't find it...no worries, went online and not only did I find the location but also a video that showed how to change the blower motor...it is literally 5 screws that need to take out, replace the blower motor and screw back in...done and done.

After watching the video, which was all of 6 minutes in length, I figured it MAY take me upwards of 15 minutes because I like to lollygag...of course this was my first mistake...thinking this would only take 15 minutes.  So I was going to be the nice guy and change the blower motor out over my lunch break and my wife would be able to go to work in the afternoon with heat again, something she hasn't had since last week.  Everything was going as planned, first 2 screws out to remove the under dash cover and there's the blower motor, just 3 screws holding it up, should be a piece of cake...WRONG!  Sure, there is one screw that is very accessible and offers no problems but the other 2 screws are placed right up against the front firewall and with the blower motor assembly it is nearly impossible to get a wrench into that location.  After being flipped upside down in her car, ruining a pair of pants and shirt and spending an hour and half, I was able to finally get the blower motor removed.  After trying for another thirty minutes I decided to give up in disgust as I was unable to even get the two difficult screws to find their post to even get a couple of threads turned in.

I could not believe this entire ordeal.  Am I that completely inept that I can't remove 5 screws and put a new blower motor in in under 2 hours?  Now I know I am probably lacking some tool or device that would help me in this endeavor but that almost goes hand-in-hand with my original gripe of how come nothing can be easy anymore or that you don't have to go out and buy a new tool to do your task, with of course the tool costing more than the part you are trying to replace in the first place?


Gone is the time when a person could pack their toolbox and if your vehicle broke down alongside the road you would have a good chance of repairing your vehicle.  Changing even light bulbs on today's vehicles can oftentimes be a chore when, at one time, it wouldn't take a person 5 minutes to change. It is getting completely ridiculous.


I really should have had a audio recorder going as I was attempting to do this task and post the audio, which would have been 90 minutes of f bombs and JESUS CHRIST!  Even I was laughing at myself and how silly this chore was becoming ... but laughing out of complete frustration because this task defeated me and was all of 5 screws...just take out 5 f'ing screws, replace motor and re-secure with the screws...sounds so easy doesn't it?

Lockout? What Lockout? Chargers Sign Bob Sanders

I don't know if anyone has told the San Diego Chargers that a work stoppage is about to happen for the NFL...but the Chargers seem not to care as they signed Colts safety Bob Sanders yesterday.

There is no question that if Bob Sanders is healthy, he is a playmaker.  I haven't looked it up officially, but can almost certainly say that when Indy has won the Super Bowl a healthy Bob Sanders was playing.  The problem with Bob Sanders is that he has been injured ... a lot ... in the past few seasons.  This could be money thrown down the drain if Sanders is unable to be healthy ... but if Sanders wants to continue to play in the NFL, he has a one year deal with the Chargers to prove himself...

I like the signing since the Chargers haven't had a respectable safety since Rodney Harrison was let go by Marty Schottenheimer...a bad move at that time and the Chargers have paid dearly since.  Of course, Sanders has to play to make it worth it and if he is just a listing on the weekly injury report, his presence won't even be noticed. 

It Costs To Golf

I'm in the worst shape of my life.  I admit it and am fully aware of it.  I am almost embarrassed at how out of shape I am these days.  When I was younger I was a very active person... I would regularly play basketball, football, tennis and go mountain biking.  Now, for the past 5-10 years, essentially since I had children, I have been nothing but a slug.  I may go biking once or twice a summer and living in Fargo, it is usually a leisurely ride because it is so flat.  A few years ago a friend of mine and I made an effort to play tennis once a week and we did for an entire summer...hot or cold.  But the following summer we played a couple of times and then gave it up ... he moved to the other end of town and trying to find a place and a time we could meet up to play was becoming difficult.

And here's the deal...I would love to get back into shape but I have never been a guy that likes to just exercise...sure, I did run cross-country and track, but now-a-days running just doesn't appeal to me anymore.  And I really don't want to get into shape, per se, but I just want to get off my ass and do something.  I am a fairly tightly wound person and any activity at all would be good.  So that's where the first hurdle that presented itself in my quest to do "something".  I wanted to find an activity I could do that I would enjoy, give me some exercise and that winning and losing really didn't matter...just getting out and having some fun would be the priority. 

After some thought, I came up with the notion to start playing golf...again.  I use to play golf when I was young and the last "official" round of golf I had, I played even par on the local 9-hole course...that was in 1988.  So I wasn't too bad, but I played that course every day of every summer for a decade.  After that summer the course was being upgraded to a 18 hole course, the greens fees more than tripled and my parents no longer could afford for us to golf there and thus ended my golfing career...at that time.  So I thought to myself, why not get back into golf?  It is a leisurely sport and I have several friends that play...none of which claim to be an ace at.  So I have started to begin my quest to get back into golfing...and am finding out how much money I am going to have to spend just to play again and was a bit shocked at the fees...

There are plenty of golf courses in the region, so I am sure I will hit up the 'low-rent" courses, but I was stunned to see the green fees for some of these courses... $30+ to play a round of golf?  Holy cow!  Even $15+ to play on the nine-hole courses, to me, seem fairly expensive.  So I still want to start golfing, but my major concern is how much money is this going to cost me?  I've already determined to spend about $200-300 on clubs - which certainly won't be a set of clubs with any speciality...and figure about another $100 on other needed accessories to start out with...balls, tees, etc.  If I am going to spend all that money on equipment, I certainly don't want to see that stuff collecting dust...hell, living in the barren wasteland that I do, I will be lucky to golf 5 months out of the year the way it is and half of the days in those 5 months will suck...be too windy, too hot, too cold, rainy, etc...

I'm also leary as to whether or not I will enjoy the game like I once did.  When I previously golfed on a regular basis I was a teenager with minimal responsibilities.  I would golf twice a day in the summer just because I would have nothing better to do.  Also, back then  it was a simpler time...people weren't dicks like they are today.  I can already foresee myself getting into some disagreement with someone because I wouldn't be playing "properly" for them.  But I am hoping that if I play the "poor" courses the people there are more forgiving.

So there's my objective...I am a procrastinator and have gotten into mode of laziness...I know just buying the equipment won't be enough to start playing but I hope to take that first step soon...

Bonds Trial To Start

The NFL lockout is, by all appearances, all but inevitable, but us sports fans will have a little drama to keep us occupied for the next couple weeks and no, I don't mean exhibition mlb.  The Barry Bonds trial starts next week and I hope, once and for all, that he will be branded the cheater that he is.  Of course his trainer, Greg Anderson, who gave Bonds the roids as well as injected Bonds, will not testify against Bonds and will then be put into jail for the duration of the trial...which they figure should last about two weeks.  Anderson has already spent over a year in jail for not testifying against Bonds so a two week stint will be a walk in the park for him.

Like the Landis trial, I'll be keeping a close eye on this trial...but I would imagine that regardless of the outcome whichever side "loses" will appeal and this will go on for many years...but winning the first round is always good for the pr campaign.

State Of North Dakota Fighting For Fighting Sioux

It was just about a year ago when I thought the final chapter was written for the University Of North Dakota's athletic name and logo, the Fighting Sioux. But of course I was silly to think that the nickname backers were going to go quietly away...not when they have lots of dollars left, and when I say lots I mean millions of dollars courtesy of the Ralph Engelstad estate.

I was curious as to why the nickname supporters were fairly quiet over the past year...after losing the supreme court decision, I thought the supporters would continue to pressure the Indians to garner their support...but the Indians are not the least bit interested in this topic and have refused to embrace or reject the use of the Fighting Sioux name.  But the nickname supporters are way more clever than I am...they went to the North Dakota legislature and so far got the ND House to pass a bill that would make it illegal for UND to change it's name from the Fighting Sioux.  It even goes so far to state that if the NCAA takes any action to prohibit UND from competing in NCAA sanctioned events that an anti-trust lawsuit will be filed against the NCAA.

This was a totally brilliant move by the nickname supporters...politicians, last I checked, are more than happy to accept campaign contributions from entities that they support...I bet you won't have to look too hard to see who got a nice campaign contribution from the Sioux nickname lobby...again, filled to the brim with millions of dollars.

I am a supporter of the nickname.  I have not seen nor have heard of many Sioux Indians that dislike the use of their name and, in fact, the last Sioux Indian I talked to about this issue, she was really proud that the college was using Fighting Sioux...and she always said THE Fighting Sioux...never just the Sioux, always, The Fighting Sioux.  I could tell she was proud of that name.

Sure, the ND Senate now needs to pass the bill and then the ball would go back into the NCAA's court...are they going to back down or are they going to continue the pissing match?  They have to know that if they choose to sanction UND they will have a lawsuit coming there way backed by a lot of money...and it isn't just the money part of it.  I think the NCAA is one of the most hypocritical, non-nonsensical governing body in sports, I think if this case goes to court, lots of NCAA hypocrisy will be exposed that could potentially open up a lot more cans of worms and this would be just the tip of the iceberg - which would hopefully, inevitably destroy the NCAA, which would make me happy.

And North Dakota isn't like Wisconsin or Minnesota or California with massive state debt and budget shortages...In 2010, estimates are that North Dakota had a budget surplus of $1 Billion ... yes, a surplus of ONE BILLION DOLLARS.  So if the NCAA wants to get into a pissing match with the State Of North Dakota, the state is ready to start pissing money down the drain right alongside the NCAA all over the use of The Fighting Sioux name...again, not sure of the rationale of the NCAA, but they probably feel so superior to us hayseeds in the barren wasteland...yet have no idea who they are dealing with...very stubborn, determined Germans and Scandinavians descendants that are use to getting their way or die trying....is the NCAA gonna be able to match that intensity?  No way.


 

Clutch - Fargo - February, 13, 2011

I got to see Clutch this past weekend opening for the infamous Motorhead in Fargo at the Venue.  Overall it was a pretty good time.  Clutch played a solid set that once again included Spacegrass, which was awesome.  Clutch played for about an hour and got a solid list of songs in and they sounded really good.  Posted below will be video of Clutch playing Spacegrass, almost the entire song - although the audio clips frequently because I was on the floor and I was using a cell phone so didn't have much of a choice...the video looks pretty good if you ask me.  And then there are a few pics I took of the show as well.

The show was very well attended, but it was clearly a Motorhead show.  There were lots of bikers.  Clutch did have its fair share of fans though, but the Motorhead posse dominated.  Mosh pit started almost immediately when the opening band, Valiant Thor started...and I'll give credit to Valiant Thor, they got the crowd worked up nicely.  The place was fairly packed from start to finish.  Then when Motorhead came onto the stage...holy F@^K! were they loud!  I was on the second floor for most of their set and it wasn't too bad, but a couple of times I wandered downstairs for a minute or two and the music was so incredibly loud I couldn't believe it...and I've been to many a loud show.  Motorhead had a shitload of speakers and I noticed they didn't hang much, so most of the speakers were on the ground directed directly at the crowd...I think that is why it was so loud.

Overall, though, it was a good time...

(Click on the pictures to see the full size version)