Week 4 is upon us with the first game of the week slated for Thursday night (#21 West Virginia at Colorado).
Here is a look at the Top 25 (plus or minus) following Week 3 and their opponents in Week 4. (Poll numbers are those of the teams entering Week 4. The pre-Week 3 rankings are after the team’s name. Rankings are from the AP Writers’ Poll/the Coaches Poll/CBSSports.com in that order. NR= Not Ranked)
1/1/1 Southern California (1/1/4). The Trojans have the weekend off. They face Oregon State on Thursday, September 25.
2/2/2 Oklahoma (3/3/1). After scoring 57, 52 and 55 points, the Sooners’ offense will enjoy an idle week.
3/3/3 Georgia (2/2/3). The Bulldogs go across the country to play at Arizona State.
4/4/4 Florida (4/4/5). The Gators play at Tennessee.
5/5/5 Missouri (6/6/6). The Missouri Tigers host the Buffalo Bulls. Having scored 52, 52, and 69 points, I wonder what the over/under is on this one? (I just checked vegas.com and there is no over/under listed. Missouri is favored by 34, however.)
6/6/6 LSU (7/7/7). The Tigers travel to play at #10 Auburn.
7/7/8 Texas (8/8/9). The Longhorns play host to the Rice Owls.
8/8/9 Wisconsin (10/10/11). The Badgers are idle this week.
9/13/13 Alabama (11/16/16). The Tide rolls into Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks.
10/9/7 Auburn (9/9/8). The Auburn Tigers host the #6 LSU Tigers. (There are way too many tigers out there.)
11/10/11 Texas Tech (12/12/12). The Red Raiders host the UMass Minutemen on Saturday.
12/16/17 South Florida (19/18/20). The Bulls play Florida International in Miami.
13/14/12 Ohio State (5/5/2). The Buckeyes host Troy.
14/11/10 Brigham Young (18/15/13). The Cougars host Wyoming.
15/17/16 East Carolina (14/20/18). The Pirates play at North Carolina State.
16/15/18 Penn State (17/17/21). The Nittany Lions host Temple.
17/12/15 Oregon (16/14/17). The Ducks host Boise State on Saturday.
18/18/14 Wake Forest (20/19/15). The Demon Deacons travel to #24 Florida State.
19/19/19 Kansas (13/11/10). The Jayhawks host Sam Houston State this week.
20/20/20 Utah (22/22/23). The Utes square off against Air Force in Colorado Springs.
21/22/21 West Virginia (25/24/22). The Mountaineers play Thursday night at Colorado.
22/23/23 Illinois (24/NR/24). The Illini are idle this week.
23/21/22 Clemson (NR/23/NR). The Tigers host South Carolina State.
24/25/NR Florida State (NR/NR/NR). The Seminoles host #18 Wake Forest.
25/NR/24 Fresno State (21/21/19). The Bulldogs are at Toledo this week. Heck of a travel schedule they have!
NR/24/NR Arizona State (NR/NR/NR). The Sun Devils will play host to #3 Georgia.
NR/NR/25 Virginia Tech (NR/NR/NR). The Hokies play at North Carolina this week.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Week 3 Results.
I'm a tad late getting this up. I was going to do it on Sunday but put it off until Monday. Then the Bolt Hole Blackout of 2008 and.... The best laid plans and all that.
Week 3 is over and most teams have now played three games. A few have only two under their belt. In either case, we are getting a better feel for just how some of these teams stack up.
I present the results of Week 3. (Poll numbers are those of the teams entering Week 3 and are from the AP Writers’ Poll/the Coaches Poll/CBSSports.com in that order. The numbers following the team’s name reflect their position prior to Week 2 games. NR= Not Ranked)
1/1/4 Southern California vs #5 Ohio State. USC dominated the Buckeyes 35-3.
2/2/3 Georgia at South Carolina. The Bulldogs eked out a victory over SC 14-7
3/3/1 Oklahoma at Washington. Demolished Washington 55-14.
4/4/5 Florida was idle this week.
5/5/2 Ohio State at #1 USC. See above. All Trojans all the time.
6/6/6 Missouri vs. Nevada. Missouri surpassed the 52 point level which it had reached in each of its first two games with the most points scored by any team this week wiping out Nevada 69-17
7/7/7 LSU vs. North Texas. The Tigers easily defeated North Texas 41-3.
8/8/9 Texas vs. Arkansas. PPT Ike put a damper on this one. They will play later in the season.
9/9/8 Auburn at Mississippi State. 3-2? Did they play baseball or football? In any event, Auburn gets the W.
10/10/11 Wisconsin at #21 Fresno State. The Badgers edged out FSU 13-10.
11/16/16 Alabama vs. Western Kentucky. The Tide rolled over Western Kentucky 41-7.
12/12/12 Texas Tech vs. SMU. Texas Tech tamed the Mustangs 43-7.
13/11/10 Kansas at #19 South Florida. USF wins 37-34 on last second field goal after trailing 20-3 in first half and 20-10 at half time.
14/20/18 East Carolina at Tulane. The Pirates edged Tulane 28-24 to go 3-0 in the early season.
15/13/14 Arizona State vs. UNLV. UNLV upset ASU in overtime, 23-20.
16/14/17 Oregon at Purdue. In another overtime game, this one a double OT, the Ducks downed the Boilermakers, 32-26.
17/17/21 Penn State at Syracuse. No overtime needed here as the Lions mauled the Orange, 55-13.
18/15/13 Brigham Young vs. UCLA. All BYU over the Bruins 59-0.
19/18/20 South Florida vs. #13 Kansas. Bulls win 37-34.
20/19/15 Wake Forest was idle. (I mistakenly had them playing at Florida State. That’s week 4.)
21/21/19 Fresno State vs. #10 Wisconsin. See above Badgers 13-10.
22/22/23 Utah at Utah State. Utah romped over USU, 58-10.
23/25/NR California at Maryland. The Terps emerged victors 35-27.
24/NR/24 Illinois vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. The Illini barely edged La-Lafayette 20-17.
25/24/22 West Virginia idle.
NR/23/NR Clemson vs. North Carolina State. The Tigers of Clemson won 27-9.
NR/NR/25 UCLA at #18 BYU. See above. BYU 59-0. Not a good week for California teams whose mascots are of the ursine variety. Bye-bye UCLA and #23 California. It’s going to take a few upsets for them to climb back into the Top 25.
Week 3 is over and most teams have now played three games. A few have only two under their belt. In either case, we are getting a better feel for just how some of these teams stack up.
I present the results of Week 3. (Poll numbers are those of the teams entering Week 3 and are from the AP Writers’ Poll/the Coaches Poll/CBSSports.com in that order. The numbers following the team’s name reflect their position prior to Week 2 games. NR= Not Ranked)
1/1/4 Southern California vs #5 Ohio State. USC dominated the Buckeyes 35-3.
2/2/3 Georgia at South Carolina. The Bulldogs eked out a victory over SC 14-7
3/3/1 Oklahoma at Washington. Demolished Washington 55-14.
4/4/5 Florida was idle this week.
5/5/2 Ohio State at #1 USC. See above. All Trojans all the time.
6/6/6 Missouri vs. Nevada. Missouri surpassed the 52 point level which it had reached in each of its first two games with the most points scored by any team this week wiping out Nevada 69-17
7/7/7 LSU vs. North Texas. The Tigers easily defeated North Texas 41-3.
8/8/9 Texas vs. Arkansas. PPT Ike put a damper on this one. They will play later in the season.
9/9/8 Auburn at Mississippi State. 3-2? Did they play baseball or football? In any event, Auburn gets the W.
10/10/11 Wisconsin at #21 Fresno State. The Badgers edged out FSU 13-10.
11/16/16 Alabama vs. Western Kentucky. The Tide rolled over Western Kentucky 41-7.
12/12/12 Texas Tech vs. SMU. Texas Tech tamed the Mustangs 43-7.
13/11/10 Kansas at #19 South Florida. USF wins 37-34 on last second field goal after trailing 20-3 in first half and 20-10 at half time.
14/20/18 East Carolina at Tulane. The Pirates edged Tulane 28-24 to go 3-0 in the early season.
15/13/14 Arizona State vs. UNLV. UNLV upset ASU in overtime, 23-20.
16/14/17 Oregon at Purdue. In another overtime game, this one a double OT, the Ducks downed the Boilermakers, 32-26.
17/17/21 Penn State at Syracuse. No overtime needed here as the Lions mauled the Orange, 55-13.
18/15/13 Brigham Young vs. UCLA. All BYU over the Bruins 59-0.
19/18/20 South Florida vs. #13 Kansas. Bulls win 37-34.
20/19/15 Wake Forest was idle. (I mistakenly had them playing at Florida State. That’s week 4.)
21/21/19 Fresno State vs. #10 Wisconsin. See above Badgers 13-10.
22/22/23 Utah at Utah State. Utah romped over USU, 58-10.
23/25/NR California at Maryland. The Terps emerged victors 35-27.
24/NR/24 Illinois vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. The Illini barely edged La-Lafayette 20-17.
25/24/22 West Virginia idle.
NR/23/NR Clemson vs. North Carolina State. The Tigers of Clemson won 27-9.
NR/NR/25 UCLA at #18 BYU. See above. BYU 59-0. Not a good week for California teams whose mascots are of the ursine variety. Bye-bye UCLA and #23 California. It’s going to take a few upsets for them to climb back into the Top 25.
Bolt Hole Blackout of 2008: Update
So...I'm sitting here looking at the posts I've put up this week and they're all about the weather and the Bolt Hole Blackout of 2008 with no mention of the college football results or the new, post-week 3 polls. I'll attempt to rectify that in the next two posts.
First, however, I have this: The Bolt Hole Blackout may well continue through the day. There was a problem with a transformer on the pole down the road where a large maple had pulled the wires down, jerking the transformer from its customary position of being bolted to the pole so it was resting atop the wires. You might say it was hanging on by a thread. When the National Grid crew checked it out before attempting to remount it to the pole they found it had suffered internal damage and needed to be replaced. (That may explain the five minutes of flickering light I had the other Monday. When they tested the conductivity of the transformer I got juice for those five minutes before they said, "Un-huh, Ain't gonna work. Shut 'er down.")
Unfortunately, word has it, that there were so many lines down and transformers damaged, there were none on hand locally for them to use. That and the transformer installation crews are running around like crazy. Perhaps they will have service restored by this evening. Then again, perhaps not. In either event, I'm glad I came back to PA.
First, however, I have this: The Bolt Hole Blackout may well continue through the day. There was a problem with a transformer on the pole down the road where a large maple had pulled the wires down, jerking the transformer from its customary position of being bolted to the pole so it was resting atop the wires. You might say it was hanging on by a thread. When the National Grid crew checked it out before attempting to remount it to the pole they found it had suffered internal damage and needed to be replaced. (That may explain the five minutes of flickering light I had the other Monday. When they tested the conductivity of the transformer I got juice for those five minutes before they said, "Un-huh, Ain't gonna work. Shut 'er down.")
Unfortunately, word has it, that there were so many lines down and transformers damaged, there were none on hand locally for them to use. That and the transformer installation crews are running around like crazy. Perhaps they will have service restored by this evening. Then again, perhaps not. In either event, I'm glad I came back to PA.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me!
(Well almost...)
I'll be celebrating my 59th Anniversary of my Birthday tomorrow. I have no special plans. Terry wants to go to dinner.
As for gifts.... Well, there are plenty of toys I would like, but I've probably used up my quota for birthdays and Christmases for many, many years to come.
I'll be celebrating my 59th Anniversary of my Birthday tomorrow. I have no special plans. Terry wants to go to dinner.
As for gifts.... Well, there are plenty of toys I would like, but I've probably used up my quota for birthdays and Christmases for many, many years to come.
No Power...back to PA
Back at the Aerie...*sigh*.
There was no power all last evening despite a little five minute tease at around 5 PM in which the lights powered up for a little--just long enough for the fluorescent bulb over the kitchen sink to come on--and then pfft! Nothing!
When there were still no lights this morning I called National Grid again (not enough power on the computer's battery to check the web site) said the magic words needed to speak to a real human and found out that they hoped to get power back to my neck of the woods by 6 or 7 PM tonight.
Now, I can camp. I like to camp. I can live at the Bolt Hole in the middle of winter with no operational plumbing but lots of snow outside. I could even put up with no refrigerator in February. (Lots of snow outside, remember.) But being there for three days without power to run the water pump and limited sources of water for flushing the toilet, being there when the freezer is slowly thawing out on me, these are things I do not like.
So I packed up and drove home. I'll be staying here for a week or so before heading back up on September 27.
There was no power all last evening despite a little five minute tease at around 5 PM in which the lights powered up for a little--just long enough for the fluorescent bulb over the kitchen sink to come on--and then pfft! Nothing!
When there were still no lights this morning I called National Grid again (not enough power on the computer's battery to check the web site) said the magic words needed to speak to a real human and found out that they hoped to get power back to my neck of the woods by 6 or 7 PM tonight.
Now, I can camp. I like to camp. I can live at the Bolt Hole in the middle of winter with no operational plumbing but lots of snow outside. I could even put up with no refrigerator in February. (Lots of snow outside, remember.) But being there for three days without power to run the water pump and limited sources of water for flushing the toilet, being there when the freezer is slowly thawing out on me, these are things I do not like.
So I packed up and drove home. I'll be staying here for a week or so before heading back up on September 27.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Power outage at the Bolt Hole
Power is out at the Bolt Hole. Not surprising since the winds started howling around 11 PM last night and there were gusts that I would guess registered in the 40 mph range. They've abated a bit as dawn arrived.
The phone lines are obviously still working, however.
It used to be this sort of problem would be solved quite quickly when we had more working dairy farms in the region bu tin the last few years I know of at least two that have stopped operations. One switched over to growing crops--soy beans, corn, wheat and rye. It's an easier operation for an aging farmer and now his son who has an outside job. Another went purely residential. (No, it didn't get carved up as a development, but it was sold and no longer is a working farm. In fact, it is now on the market again.) With the loss of those two larger dairy herds, there's not the same pressure to get electricity back for milking and refrigeration.
Add the fact that this is likely a very wide spread problem (if you watched the game from Cleveland last night you would know that) and repairs might take some time.
Not a day to be walking in the woods where falling branches and widow makers abound.
I'll be back when they get power back.
The phone lines are obviously still working, however.
It used to be this sort of problem would be solved quite quickly when we had more working dairy farms in the region bu tin the last few years I know of at least two that have stopped operations. One switched over to growing crops--soy beans, corn, wheat and rye. It's an easier operation for an aging farmer and now his son who has an outside job. Another went purely residential. (No, it didn't get carved up as a development, but it was sold and no longer is a working farm. In fact, it is now on the market again.) With the loss of those two larger dairy herds, there's not the same pressure to get electricity back for milking and refrigeration.
Add the fact that this is likely a very wide spread problem (if you watched the game from Cleveland last night you would know that) and repairs might take some time.
Not a day to be walking in the woods where falling branches and widow makers abound.
I'll be back when they get power back.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Bolt Hole Weather, Sept. 14
Rain moved through the region of the Bolt Hole again last night and this morning. It looks like I'll be spending the day in and around the cabin, especially since the temperatures are supposed to go up to the low 80s. The temperature rise may be due to the movement of the remnants of Ike well to the west of us. The counter-clockwise circulation around the storm drags some of that warm air up from the south. The real winds from the storm will move through tonight and tomorrow.
Things will get back to relative normalcy come Tuesday and the high temps will be back in the 60s for the remainder of the week according to weather.com.
Oh, well, it's a good day to turn the TV on and watch some pro football. Let's go Jets!
Things will get back to relative normalcy come Tuesday and the high temps will be back in the 60s for the remainder of the week according to weather.com.
Oh, well, it's a good day to turn the TV on and watch some pro football. Let's go Jets!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
A walk in the woods
Around 9:30 AM things started to look a little brighter outside so I decided to pack a lunch, load the rifle and take a hike. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be out or if any showers would return so in addition to a lunch and a water bottle I had my poncho in the backpack. With a map and compass in my bag and my GPS clipped to my belt, I was ready to go.
I walked down the west edge of the property line and crossed over into state land. As expected after a couple of days of heavy rain, the creeks were running pretty high and the marshy areas sucked at my boots. The trees dripped and so did I in the high humidity despite walking very, very slowly. At least the wet made walking pretty quiet.
Chickadees and red squirrels chattered at my passing. Off in the distance I could hear the raucous call of a pilleated woodpecker and the occasional call of a raven or blue jay. Once or twice a wood thrush lifted off the forest floor and perched on a branch to get a better look at me but they were silent as they usually are at this time of year.
Visibility in the forest was next to nil. With all the beeches and maples still holding their leaves, it was only in the deepest part of the woods where the young saplings struggled for a growing spot and the forest understory thinned that I could see more than a few hundred feet in any direction.
I walked slowly in the hopes of seeing either deer or bear but also because of all the trees that have been blown down from the storms of late August 2007 and this past summer. Cherries, beeches and red maples ranging in size from eight to twenty inches in diameter at chest height had been pushed over. Many still had soil around their root ball and still had green leaves. Around several of the maples I could see where deer had come in to nibble the leaves. Tracks and droppings were abundant but I saw no deer. Nor did I see any rubs or scrapes where bucks were marking their territory. Perhaps it's still too early for them to be doing that. They have just shed the velvet from their antlers and started to don their winter coats of gray/brown and the does aren't even close to going into heat.
I walked for two hours and by then I was dripping with perspiration. Instead of continuing, I decided to head back to the cabin to eat my lunch and shuck my own warm clothes. In two hours I had covered just over one mile. Perhaps tomorrow, I'll simply pick a spot and sit for a couple of hours. Meanwhile the loaded rifle is sitting next to the door...just in case.
I walked down the west edge of the property line and crossed over into state land. As expected after a couple of days of heavy rain, the creeks were running pretty high and the marshy areas sucked at my boots. The trees dripped and so did I in the high humidity despite walking very, very slowly. At least the wet made walking pretty quiet.
Chickadees and red squirrels chattered at my passing. Off in the distance I could hear the raucous call of a pilleated woodpecker and the occasional call of a raven or blue jay. Once or twice a wood thrush lifted off the forest floor and perched on a branch to get a better look at me but they were silent as they usually are at this time of year.
Visibility in the forest was next to nil. With all the beeches and maples still holding their leaves, it was only in the deepest part of the woods where the young saplings struggled for a growing spot and the forest understory thinned that I could see more than a few hundred feet in any direction.
I walked slowly in the hopes of seeing either deer or bear but also because of all the trees that have been blown down from the storms of late August 2007 and this past summer. Cherries, beeches and red maples ranging in size from eight to twenty inches in diameter at chest height had been pushed over. Many still had soil around their root ball and still had green leaves. Around several of the maples I could see where deer had come in to nibble the leaves. Tracks and droppings were abundant but I saw no deer. Nor did I see any rubs or scrapes where bucks were marking their territory. Perhaps it's still too early for them to be doing that. They have just shed the velvet from their antlers and started to don their winter coats of gray/brown and the does aren't even close to going into heat.
I walked for two hours and by then I was dripping with perspiration. Instead of continuing, I decided to head back to the cabin to eat my lunch and shuck my own warm clothes. In two hours I had covered just over one mile. Perhaps tomorrow, I'll simply pick a spot and sit for a couple of hours. Meanwhile the loaded rifle is sitting next to the door...just in case.
T-t-t-that's all folks!
If you grew up in the late 50s/early 60s watching the Bugs Bunny Road Runner hour every Saturday morning as I did, you’ll get a kick out ofTEXT IOWAHAWK’s take on the Press vs. Palin. Let’s just say that it’s not much of a contest.
(h/t Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit.)
(h/t Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit.)
Saturday morning and it's wet
It rained much of the night and this morning every leaf, every blade of grass, every twig is glistening with drops of water. This literally dampens my desire to go out and scout the woods for deer sign and bears.
If I were up in Quebec to go fishing I would have no problem going out. I'd just don my rain gear and go. There would, after all, be no dripping from over hanging branches or water from brushing against a shrub. Here, however, with the leaves still on the trees, I'd be soaked after half an hour. Maybe later today things will improve. Right now though it's somewhat foggy and very, very overcast. The weatherman on the TV said not to worry if it looks threatening as the showers would be few and far between.
Terry just called from the Aerie to say I]m in the wrong place. Seems she had a visitor last night. Mr. Bruin showed up to raid the bird feeders at around 9 PM and, while he didn't do any serious damage, he managed to empty two feeders, knock over the tray, knock down the bird bath/water bulb and make off with the suet feeder. I got a little lax about bringing in the feeders because he hadn't been around while I was there. But the blackberries are gone now so I guess he's looking for a new source of food.
If I were up in Quebec to go fishing I would have no problem going out. I'd just don my rain gear and go. There would, after all, be no dripping from over hanging branches or water from brushing against a shrub. Here, however, with the leaves still on the trees, I'd be soaked after half an hour. Maybe later today things will improve. Right now though it's somewhat foggy and very, very overcast. The weatherman on the TV said not to worry if it looks threatening as the showers would be few and far between.
Terry just called from the Aerie to say I]m in the wrong place. Seems she had a visitor last night. Mr. Bruin showed up to raid the bird feeders at around 9 PM and, while he didn't do any serious damage, he managed to empty two feeders, knock over the tray, knock down the bird bath/water bulb and make off with the suet feeder. I got a little lax about bringing in the feeders because he hadn't been around while I was there. But the blackberries are gone now so I guess he's looking for a new source of food.
Weigh in Time
One of the perks of moving into the Bolt Hole is that I automatically lose 7 pounds. Not literally of course, that would require surgery. No, the loss is due to the difference in scales. The one up here is a morale boosting digital picked up in CVS. The scale at the Aerie is a stern taskmaster purchased from Weight Watchers. It matches the doctor’s scale quite accurately and even displays the tenths. Bastard!
Now, like all scales, there is a zeroing mechanism on the Bolt Hole scale and I could adjust it to read the same number as the Aerie scale but that would eliminate the feel good mind games. Just standing on that scale in the morning and seeing the “0” in the middle of the three digits is worth several people asking if I’ve lost weight. And anyone who has tried to lose weight knows how uplifting those kinds of questions can be. I will, therefore, leave it just as it is and do the arithmetic to add the 7 when it comes time to report to Excel and the world what my weight is.
Knowing the there was a difference, I weighed myself at the Aerie Friday morning and again at the Bolt Hole once I arrived to determine the difference so I could continue to gather semi –accurate data. That’s how I know the difference is 7 pounds, plus or minus a pound. This morning’s corrected reading is 214 pounds. That’s a loss of 3 pounds from last Sunday and reflects the work I did in moving soil about the new raised bed at the Aerie as well as a somewhat stricter adherence to my lower caloric intake (diet, if you will).
Now, like all scales, there is a zeroing mechanism on the Bolt Hole scale and I could adjust it to read the same number as the Aerie scale but that would eliminate the feel good mind games. Just standing on that scale in the morning and seeing the “0” in the middle of the three digits is worth several people asking if I’ve lost weight. And anyone who has tried to lose weight knows how uplifting those kinds of questions can be. I will, therefore, leave it just as it is and do the arithmetic to add the 7 when it comes time to report to Excel and the world what my weight is.
Knowing the there was a difference, I weighed myself at the Aerie Friday morning and again at the Bolt Hole once I arrived to determine the difference so I could continue to gather semi –accurate data. That’s how I know the difference is 7 pounds, plus or minus a pound. This morning’s corrected reading is 214 pounds. That’s a loss of 3 pounds from last Sunday and reflects the work I did in moving soil about the new raised bed at the Aerie as well as a somewhat stricter adherence to my lower caloric intake (diet, if you will).
Friday, September 12, 2008
Lawn Signs
After lunch today I took the Tundra up to the Bolt Hole with the intention of doing some scouting around for deer and, if the opportunity arises, perhaps shooting myself a black bear. The game cameras Mark and I have had out have documented plenty of bear in the area including a couple of decent sized males to go along with two Mamas and their sets of cubs. The Mamas and cubs are, of course off limits, but should I stumble upon one of the larger males....
It rained the entire time I was driving up here, is still raining now and may even be raining when I get up in the morning. If that's the case, all bets are off.
On the drive up I noticed something interesting. My route takes me through the town of Ithaca, NY on Route 13. I may have mentioned the little bumper sticker that caught my attention a few months back that read "Ithaca: 10 square mile of beauty surrounded by reality." I assumed it was referring to the well know liberal/leftist bent of the college town's politics. (Ithaca is home to not only Ithaca College but Cornell University.) There's one home on the west side of town that sports a lawn sign calling for President Bush's impeachment. That sign has been up for over a year.
Well, as I drove along Route 13 today I noticed more lawn signs. Not surprising given the election is less than 50 days away. What did surprise me was that the vast majority of those signs were for the McCain ticket. These signs were from west of Ithaca through Cortland, where I picked up I-81. They weren't all on the lawns of homes either, some were in front of businesses. A rough estimate would put the mix at about 10-2 McCain vs. Obama. And this was in New York. Granted this is truly upstate New York, not the "upstate" that the NY Times talks about, but the real rural regions of upstate. This is indicative of little, I know, but with the Obama campaign starting to crumble and exhibit signs of panic....
When your No.1 is dissing the other sides' No.2 it is not a good sign. I wonder what the internal polling is saying? External polling seems to be showing huge gains for the McCain/Palin team.
It rained the entire time I was driving up here, is still raining now and may even be raining when I get up in the morning. If that's the case, all bets are off.
On the drive up I noticed something interesting. My route takes me through the town of Ithaca, NY on Route 13. I may have mentioned the little bumper sticker that caught my attention a few months back that read "Ithaca: 10 square mile of beauty surrounded by reality." I assumed it was referring to the well know liberal/leftist bent of the college town's politics. (Ithaca is home to not only Ithaca College but Cornell University.) There's one home on the west side of town that sports a lawn sign calling for President Bush's impeachment. That sign has been up for over a year.
Well, as I drove along Route 13 today I noticed more lawn signs. Not surprising given the election is less than 50 days away. What did surprise me was that the vast majority of those signs were for the McCain ticket. These signs were from west of Ithaca through Cortland, where I picked up I-81. They weren't all on the lawns of homes either, some were in front of businesses. A rough estimate would put the mix at about 10-2 McCain vs. Obama. And this was in New York. Granted this is truly upstate New York, not the "upstate" that the NY Times talks about, but the real rural regions of upstate. This is indicative of little, I know, but with the Obama campaign starting to crumble and exhibit signs of panic....
When your No.1 is dissing the other sides' No.2 it is not a good sign. I wonder what the internal polling is saying? External polling seems to be showing huge gains for the McCain/Palin team.
Oy! What a disaster! NCU 44---RU 12
For the second time this season RU was on a nationally televised game. They have succeeded in making stars out of their guests.
This time it was a North Carolina team that had never scored a point in the state of New Jersey, that had lost I don't know how many games outside the state of Carolina, and that was known for its futility in the ACC during the last few seasons.
But that was before. This is now. In their first game, the Tarheels' Brandon Tate had plays over 50 yards in four different ways, returns, runs, passes.... All he did last night was score on a 69 yard pass play and a relatively short end around.
Rutgers, playing without running back Kordell Young, once again showed some spark between the twenties but couldn't seal the deal in the first half. That Mike Teel's passing seems to be going hot and cold in alternate series hasn't helped either. he's had the time needed in the pocket but hasn't connected with the wide receivers often enough and they, in turn, haven't broken free at all. Britt and Underwood haven't been taking on the yards-after-catch that they were able to do last season. They are also not getting open as often. Teel threw three interceptions.Two of them went off the hands of the receivers including the one that was returned for a touchdown.
Rutgers had more first downs than UNC (23-18), more net yards (383-378), more plays (72-61), more passing yards (243-221) yet lost by an overwhelming score of 44-12. Go figure.
(RU vs. North Carolina)
Rutgers is 0-2 now. They play Navy a week from Saturday on the road. It will be broadcast by CBS. I hope it's a regional feed.
This time it was a North Carolina team that had never scored a point in the state of New Jersey, that had lost I don't know how many games outside the state of Carolina, and that was known for its futility in the ACC during the last few seasons.
But that was before. This is now. In their first game, the Tarheels' Brandon Tate had plays over 50 yards in four different ways, returns, runs, passes.... All he did last night was score on a 69 yard pass play and a relatively short end around.
Rutgers, playing without running back Kordell Young, once again showed some spark between the twenties but couldn't seal the deal in the first half. That Mike Teel's passing seems to be going hot and cold in alternate series hasn't helped either. he's had the time needed in the pocket but hasn't connected with the wide receivers often enough and they, in turn, haven't broken free at all. Britt and Underwood haven't been taking on the yards-after-catch that they were able to do last season. They are also not getting open as often. Teel threw three interceptions.Two of them went off the hands of the receivers including the one that was returned for a touchdown.
Rutgers had more first downs than UNC (23-18), more net yards (383-378), more plays (72-61), more passing yards (243-221) yet lost by an overwhelming score of 44-12. Go figure.
(RU vs. North Carolina)
Rutgers is 0-2 now. They play Navy a week from Saturday on the road. It will be broadcast by CBS. I hope it's a regional feed.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ah, baseball!
The temperature is falling. The leaves are changing. Folks are playing football. But the most important time of the baseball season is fast approaching: Playoffs and World Series.
The Anaheim Angels became the first team to clinch a playoff spot yesterday as the lay claim to the American League West yesterday with a 4-2 victory of the NY Yankees combined with a Texas Rangers loss to the Mariners. And they still have 17 games to play.
Meanwhile Boston was closing in on the stumbling Tampa Bay in the AL East—until they lost their last two games—to the Devil Rays. The Rays have reopened a 2 ½ game edge again.
The White Sox hold a one game lead over the Twins in the AL Central race.
Over in the NL, the Mets have established a 3 ½ game lead over the Phillies in the East, the Cubs hold a 4 ½ game lead over Milwaukee in the Central, and the Dodgers are 3 ½ ahead of the Diamondbacks in the West.
In the Wild Card races, it looks like the Brewers hold a slight edge over the Phillies and Astros with the Cardinals an eyelash back in the NL. Boston leads Minnesota in the AL (although Toronto may still edge their way into the picture).
The Anaheim Angels became the first team to clinch a playoff spot yesterday as the lay claim to the American League West yesterday with a 4-2 victory of the NY Yankees combined with a Texas Rangers loss to the Mariners. And they still have 17 games to play.
Meanwhile Boston was closing in on the stumbling Tampa Bay in the AL East—until they lost their last two games—to the Devil Rays. The Rays have reopened a 2 ½ game edge again.
The White Sox hold a one game lead over the Twins in the AL Central race.
Over in the NL, the Mets have established a 3 ½ game lead over the Phillies in the East, the Cubs hold a 4 ½ game lead over Milwaukee in the Central, and the Dodgers are 3 ½ ahead of the Diamondbacks in the West.
In the Wild Card races, it looks like the Brewers hold a slight edge over the Phillies and Astros with the Cardinals an eyelash back in the NL. Boston leads Minnesota in the AL (although Toronto may still edge their way into the picture).
Seven Years Ago
Seven years ago today, my son was in his final weeks of Marine Corps basic training at Parris Island.
Seven years ago today, my daughter was at the University of Massachusetts studying to be a Music Educator.
Seven years ago today, I was in my classroom at a middle school in Morris County, New Jersey teaching sixth graders how to use the computer. I was within ear shot of Interstate 80 and US Highway 46.
Seven years ago today, Terry went to work at the US EPA offices in the federal building a few blocks north of the World Trade Center.
Early that morning she was called into another's office to look at the unbelievable accident that had just occurred. What she saw was one of the Twin Towers emitting smoke and flame. As they watched, a second plane crashed into the other tower. As she and her coworkers looked on in disbelief, an announcement came over the PA to evacuate the building and it was then they realized they might be within a target rich environment.
As I taught my sixth graders, with the windows open for some fresh air on that sunny September morning, I heard the sound of sirens out on the highway. This wasn't an unusual occurrence for there were always accidents to which emergency personnel needed to respond. But it soon became apparent to me that this was not a normal highway accident or fire. The sound of sirens continued for much to long and there were far too many for this to be normal. Near the end of the class, one of the office persons came to my room and told me that there had been an attack on the World Trade Center and that I should expect individual students to be called out of class and, indeed, school in the next hour or so as news spread. When class ended, I immediately went to the internet to get more information.
Terry and her coworkers didn't need the PA to tell them to leave. Some were heading fro the doors as the announcement was being made. When she go to the street, she realized there was no way she could make her normal way home via the Path system which ran under the Trade Center so she started northward on Broadway with thousands and thousands of others heading for Penn Station with the hope of getting a train back to New Jersey. Behind them smoke and flame billowed from the Twin Towers. She had gone perhaps ten blocks when everyone around her stopped and she looked back to see the first tower collapse.
I watched the news unfold on the internet as reports on the news sites were updated minute by minute. I learned of the collapse of the towers and the soot, ash and dust that swept the southern tip of Manhattan and wondered where Terry was, hoping she was safe. I learned of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon and another that went down in a field in Pennsylvania before it could reach its target in Washington, DC. I learned that all air traffic had been grounded. That the sirens I had heard of were of fire trucks and ambulances heading to New York from all across northern New Jersey and that there were more from throughout the state heading to Manhattan. I saw video clips of the crashes and of people falling/jumping from windows of the Towers. Like everyone that morning I was shocked and angered that someone would/could do this to my homeland.
Terry did make it to Grand Central Station and caught one of if not the last train to New Jersey. It happened to take her to her parents' home town. She managed to call her Dad and tell him she was okay and on her way to their home and she managed to call the school at which I worked to let me know she was fine and where she was heading.
For weeks after we all walked on eggshells waiting to see if there were further attacks on the horizon.
A day or so later we got a call from Rick down in Parris Island. he wanted to know if we were alright and if his Mom had been anywhere near Ground Zero. The Marines, in an unprecedented act, had actually pulled all the guys and gals who came from the NYC metro area out of their final week of training--The Crucible--to let them make this call. Graduation was scheduled for 21 September but it was still unclear as to whether civilians (including parents) would be allowed on base to witness this, the first post 9/11 class become Marines in a very different world. (They did permit immediate family on the base but every vehicle was given a thorough inspection at a checkpoint far removed from any where. With air traffic still an uncertainty, Terry and I drove down but my daughter was able to get a flight to Savannah and join us in seeing her brother become a Marine reservist.)
The roll of those missing in the tower collapse shrank steadily as folks got in touch with their relatives, friends and employers but the final tally was/is still much too high. There were several persons from the towns in which I lived and in which I taught who lost their lives that day. There were one or two former students of mine who never made it out of the Towers. I think of them from time to time. I think of all of those who lost their lives that day.
And it angers me.
It also angers me that some here in this country seem to have forgotten what happened that day and are willing to shrug it off. Or worse blame the US for the actions of the jihadists.
Never forget. Never forgive.
UPDATE:
I was directed to this excellent essay by Jim Lileks about 9/11 while perusing Glenn Reynolds’site. It’s a great read and provides amble food for thought. It was written, as far as I can tell on the second anniversary of 9/11/01 but the content is timeless.
GO. READ. NOW.
UPDATE:
Seven years ago today, my daughter was at the University of Massachusetts studying to be a Music Educator.
Seven years ago today, I was in my classroom at a middle school in Morris County, New Jersey teaching sixth graders how to use the computer. I was within ear shot of Interstate 80 and US Highway 46.
Seven years ago today, Terry went to work at the US EPA offices in the federal building a few blocks north of the World Trade Center.
Early that morning she was called into another's office to look at the unbelievable accident that had just occurred. What she saw was one of the Twin Towers emitting smoke and flame. As they watched, a second plane crashed into the other tower. As she and her coworkers looked on in disbelief, an announcement came over the PA to evacuate the building and it was then they realized they might be within a target rich environment.
As I taught my sixth graders, with the windows open for some fresh air on that sunny September morning, I heard the sound of sirens out on the highway. This wasn't an unusual occurrence for there were always accidents to which emergency personnel needed to respond. But it soon became apparent to me that this was not a normal highway accident or fire. The sound of sirens continued for much to long and there were far too many for this to be normal. Near the end of the class, one of the office persons came to my room and told me that there had been an attack on the World Trade Center and that I should expect individual students to be called out of class and, indeed, school in the next hour or so as news spread. When class ended, I immediately went to the internet to get more information.
Terry and her coworkers didn't need the PA to tell them to leave. Some were heading fro the doors as the announcement was being made. When she go to the street, she realized there was no way she could make her normal way home via the Path system which ran under the Trade Center so she started northward on Broadway with thousands and thousands of others heading for Penn Station with the hope of getting a train back to New Jersey. Behind them smoke and flame billowed from the Twin Towers. She had gone perhaps ten blocks when everyone around her stopped and she looked back to see the first tower collapse.
I watched the news unfold on the internet as reports on the news sites were updated minute by minute. I learned of the collapse of the towers and the soot, ash and dust that swept the southern tip of Manhattan and wondered where Terry was, hoping she was safe. I learned of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon and another that went down in a field in Pennsylvania before it could reach its target in Washington, DC. I learned that all air traffic had been grounded. That the sirens I had heard of were of fire trucks and ambulances heading to New York from all across northern New Jersey and that there were more from throughout the state heading to Manhattan. I saw video clips of the crashes and of people falling/jumping from windows of the Towers. Like everyone that morning I was shocked and angered that someone would/could do this to my homeland.
Terry did make it to Grand Central Station and caught one of if not the last train to New Jersey. It happened to take her to her parents' home town. She managed to call her Dad and tell him she was okay and on her way to their home and she managed to call the school at which I worked to let me know she was fine and where she was heading.
For weeks after we all walked on eggshells waiting to see if there were further attacks on the horizon.
A day or so later we got a call from Rick down in Parris Island. he wanted to know if we were alright and if his Mom had been anywhere near Ground Zero. The Marines, in an unprecedented act, had actually pulled all the guys and gals who came from the NYC metro area out of their final week of training--The Crucible--to let them make this call. Graduation was scheduled for 21 September but it was still unclear as to whether civilians (including parents) would be allowed on base to witness this, the first post 9/11 class become Marines in a very different world. (They did permit immediate family on the base but every vehicle was given a thorough inspection at a checkpoint far removed from any where. With air traffic still an uncertainty, Terry and I drove down but my daughter was able to get a flight to Savannah and join us in seeing her brother become a Marine reservist.)
The roll of those missing in the tower collapse shrank steadily as folks got in touch with their relatives, friends and employers but the final tally was/is still much too high. There were several persons from the towns in which I lived and in which I taught who lost their lives that day. There were one or two former students of mine who never made it out of the Towers. I think of them from time to time. I think of all of those who lost their lives that day.
And it angers me.
It also angers me that some here in this country seem to have forgotten what happened that day and are willing to shrug it off. Or worse blame the US for the actions of the jihadists.
Never forget. Never forgive.
UPDATE:
I was directed to this excellent essay by Jim Lileks about 9/11 while perusing Glenn Reynolds’site. It’s a great read and provides amble food for thought. It was written, as far as I can tell on the second anniversary of 9/11/01 but the content is timeless.
GO. READ. NOW.
UPDATE:
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Yep, seems about right
more music charts
Of course if they ever really discussed the issues and the costs of some of the proposals from the Democrats in a manner, the contest would be over.
Energy, defense, taxes, school choice, free speech, gun rights, hell, the entire Constitution, are all pluses for the Republicans.
When you look at the Democratic side you see they want to snatch defeat from victory in Iraq; "talk" to those who would gladly spit in their eye and behead them while dismantling the military that currently keeps the peace; redistribute wealth from those that earn it to those that don't; shred the Constitution to institute a "fairness doctrine" (that was not when last we saw it) and to take away the true rights as delineated in the document (see specifically the Second Amendment) while ensuring "rights" that are not there at all (see abortion, illegal aliens, etc.); institute a health care system that has failed in Great Britain, Canada, and everywhere else it has been tried; create a massive bureaucracy to run a mandatory volunteer program (now that's double speak!); and turn the UN loose to run the world (or at least the US).
Time for that coffee.
Chilly morning
It was 45 degrees outside when I came down at 7 AM. heavy, heavy fog down in the valleys again. That fog makes it appear as if I'm looking out upon a vast gray lake that has tiny islands (the hilltops) all over. That fog will burn off as the sun rises but the temperatures will only get into the 60s again today. Tonight will be a real test. With clear skies the temperature will be into the upper to mid 30s and a frost in some of those deep valleys is possible.
Dude, whatever happened to "global warming"?
I need another cup of HOT coffee.
Dude, whatever happened to "global warming"?
I need another cup of HOT coffee.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Autumn is arriving.
Last Saturday we when the remnants of Hannah moved up the east coast, we here in north-central PA were on the back side of the blow and heavy rains. What that means is we didn't get the heavy rains the folks east of us did (I recorded a mere 0.3 inches in the rain gauge) but the winds came pretty strongly out of the north. The 80 degree temperatures were blown well to our south and we were left with highs in the low 70s during the day and lows in the low 50s at night.
This morning was a bit warmer with a low of only 60 but that was because we got a little more rain around 3-4 AM. It never did get very warm today and only reached 67 degrees. When I had to go down the hill for the mail I heard on the radio there may be light frost in some areas tomorrow night. Checking weather.com, they say a low of 40-41 is possible Wednesday night.
Oh, it will get slightly warmer from Thursday on. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the 60 range. Even so, I'm going to have to think about closing up some windows.
And Old Mr. Sol is still blemish free. It's going to be a cold, cold winter.
This morning was a bit warmer with a low of only 60 but that was because we got a little more rain around 3-4 AM. It never did get very warm today and only reached 67 degrees. When I had to go down the hill for the mail I heard on the radio there may be light frost in some areas tomorrow night. Checking weather.com, they say a low of 40-41 is possible Wednesday night.
Oh, it will get slightly warmer from Thursday on. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the 60 range. Even so, I'm going to have to think about closing up some windows.
And Old Mr. Sol is still blemish free. It's going to be a cold, cold winter.
Idaho ends 11-game losing streak
Idaho University had an excellent week.
Their alumna (Gov. Sarah Palin) has brought new life to the campaign of Senator John McCain as his VP pick and their football team won a game.
The Vandals defeated Idaho State 42-27. Yeah, yeah, I know IS is only a Championship Series school and not in the league of the "Big Boys" but it was a win nonetheless and Idaho can use all it can get. This one happened to end an 11-game losing streak that had the hapless Vandals tied for the longest futility streak in the country.
They started the day out on the right foot too as Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle connected with Maurice Shaw for a 77-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game.
Way to go guys!
Can they make it two in a row by defeating Western Michigan?
Their alumna (Gov. Sarah Palin) has brought new life to the campaign of Senator John McCain as his VP pick and their football team won a game.
The Vandals defeated Idaho State 42-27. Yeah, yeah, I know IS is only a Championship Series school and not in the league of the "Big Boys" but it was a win nonetheless and Idaho can use all it can get. This one happened to end an 11-game losing streak that had the hapless Vandals tied for the longest futility streak in the country.
They started the day out on the right foot too as Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle connected with Maurice Shaw for a 77-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game.
Way to go guys!
Can they make it two in a row by defeating Western Michigan?
Rutgers vs North Carolina
North Carolina and Rutgers kickoff the college football slate on TV this week. The ESPN Thursday night game is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM from Rutgers Stadium on the Banks of the Old Raritan.
North Carolina's Tarheels come in with a 1-0 record having defeated McNeese State 35-27 back in Week 1. Reciever/returner Brandon Tate lead the Tarheels in that game with an 82-yard return for a TD and a 57-yard catch for a score.
Rutgers enters the contest 0-1 having dropped their opener to Fresno State 24-7. The Scarlet Knights played tough in the 0-0 first half, but could not push the ball across. In fact, seven times Knights' drives started on the Fresno State side of the 50-yard line and the RU squad failed to score on any of them. Life without Ray Rice or Brian Leonard is proving difficult.
RU will bring its A-game to this one. The offensive line will improve in it's run blocking and Kordell Young will have a much better day than his 94 yards on 26 carries. Look for the defense to play more consistently. They were on the field much too long in the second half against Fresno State. That shouldn't be a problem this week. RU wins 31-10.
North Carolina's Tarheels come in with a 1-0 record having defeated McNeese State 35-27 back in Week 1. Reciever/returner Brandon Tate lead the Tarheels in that game with an 82-yard return for a TD and a 57-yard catch for a score.
Rutgers enters the contest 0-1 having dropped their opener to Fresno State 24-7. The Scarlet Knights played tough in the 0-0 first half, but could not push the ball across. In fact, seven times Knights' drives started on the Fresno State side of the 50-yard line and the RU squad failed to score on any of them. Life without Ray Rice or Brian Leonard is proving difficult.
RU will bring its A-game to this one. The offensive line will improve in it's run blocking and Kordell Young will have a much better day than his 94 yards on 26 carries. Look for the defense to play more consistently. They were on the field much too long in the second half against Fresno State. That shouldn't be a problem this week. RU wins 31-10.
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