Had a lovely time at the Vegas bachelor party in which we did nothing remotely degenerate at all. Just studying in the hotel room...

Notes on Vegas:

1. Between the naked commodification of pretty much everything, conspicuous consumption, relentless tackiness and general wastefulness, Las Vegas is an excessive version of much of what I generally disagree with. It's still really fun.


2. Mmm. Buffets. I just have to get my body back onto actual living hours and feeding schedules. I was a total wreck at work today.


3. Gambling is much less fun when you don't win.


4. Five AM is when you learn who's still a drunk dialer.


5. She's working her way through law school.


6. At least I made money on the Over/Under in the G'Town-UNC game. G'Town wins on Saturday and I think I win the pool...


7. Oh my aching head.

Big deadly Feb-May work stretch mostly complete. We're now up on the post-mortem, which may not be too bad right now with other programs taking way more heat. Soon, it will be time for touring of the expo shows where I pick up all new pens and other schwag. And some new posters.

Hooray. Now I can take some time out to restitch my loose buttons. I have been so lax in my garment mending tasks...

Heading off to Las Vegas on Friday for a friend's bachelor party. Agenda includes:

1. Gambling
2. Booze
3. Strippers
4. Buffet Action
5. Watching Basketball in the Sportsbook
6. Drunken hookups possibly including accidental marriage at an Elvis Chapel
7. More Gambling, Booze, and Strippers

Good Times. Good Times.

Following up on my 2007 Men’s NCAA Tournament - What to Watch For post.

I started with Five Points

( 2007 Men's NCAA - Week 1 )

Bracket Entries due by Noon EST Thursday (Today). Information is here.

For those who only follow College Basketball loosely, I present some subplots to follow for the first weekend of the Tournament. None of which should serve as the basis for any cash wagers...

( Tourney Thoughts )

Ehh. That's Five Bullets, but more than five thoughts. Maybe I'll add more tomorrow.

(Crossposted to acc_sports)

As I did each of the last three years, once again, I'll be hosting a free - for pride only - NCAA Men's Basketball Bracket on ESPN.com. Let's find out if we'll get someone new, or if it'll be a repeat by last year's winner, hjcallipygian.

For those wishing to participate follow these easy steps:

1. Go to ESPN's Tournament Challenge page
2. If you do not have a free, ESPN Games ID, create an ID.
3. Join the group LJ Bracket Challenge and create an entry
4. Mock me and my crazy picks.

Note: The team listed as Control Bracket is simply an entry I've added in which the favored seed (not the Vegas favorite) was selected to win every game. For the purposes of seeing how our upsets deviate from expectations.

Repeating:
Group Name: LJ Bracket Challenge
Password: 123456

Okay, Folks.... as an appetizer I am watching Kevin Durant do ridiculous things.

The NCAA tournament Brackets will be announced Sunday Night, and I will open up a tourney pool Consider this the "Pre-call" to sign up. All are welcome to join.

As fun reference, I have added a brackets tag to previous NCAA Tourney related entries. Be psyched!

The government closed down yesterday at 1400, and I'd hoped they'd close today. Instead, it opened two hours late -- but I decided to just bail and sleep in instead. 80% of the office was out, so I'm not missing much by skipping.

However, went to clear driveway this morning and my frickkin' shovel broke.

^%$^$&$#^$&$$^^%

Why can't we just get some soft powdery snow? Why's it gotta be the ice? Whyyyyyyy

Not much new to post - but some pictures from the office. Can't really take any on-base, of course, but some views outside. We've got:

( Photos from the Office Windows )

Holy moley bejeebus, UVa is kicking the crap out of my Terps. Yeah, we beat Clemson - but this on the heels of the Women getting smacked around at Duke very much bums me out. Plus, we lost to freakin' Miami this week.

Reason #3,892 I love College Basketball more than the NBA? The crowd noise. Non-NBA Finals NBA games might as well be played in mausoleums. College Games have awesome crowd noise, thanks to usually-into-it student sections, if nothing else. Plus the chants (bonus points for profanity!) I wonder if I could get an Ambient College Basketball Crowd noise on CD?

It really takes something special, like Gilbert Arenas going bananas in the last minute to make an NBA game interesting. College games always have a rhythm. I just wish tonight's game didn't have the rhythm of them kicking our ass.

That was a pretty sound thrashing. Florida 41 - Ohio State 14. And the game wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

I think that, while this Championship is fitting enough, this year's cycle is another argument in favor of a Tournament. Considering that I am a pretty strong proponent of a Tourney, most anything would have seemed like an argument for a tourney.

Particularly as there were two key factors in Florida winning, neither of which involved what Florida did on the field:

1. UCLA beating USC
2. Urban Meyer out Politikking Lloyd Carr

Beyond that, I get very tired of watching teams that don't bother to show up for a title game. OSU got outplayed and outcoached, and I can't blame it all on the layoff. Or on the exhibition factor. And maybe OSU's flatness was a factor of how Florida had played.

But there's a motivation factor. OSU had already proven the point of their season by going undefeated and winning that Michigan game. They weren't up for this in the way they would have been up for a playoff. Just as we'd seen very lackluster work from Louisville and Oklahoma teams that also had very little to prove in their bowl games.

All that said, probably the biggest story of the night for me, is trying to figure out just how much money those OSU players lost themselves. So much for thinking those Offensive Linemen are prospects. So much for any illusions that Anthony Gonzalez is a #1 or #2 receiver in the NFL. Troy Smith had a lousy game, never looked comfortable, and never made the great throws we saw from him earlier in the year. Not that he time or open receivers to throw to.

Well. That was a letdown. Also, they should never, ever, schedule the title game after the NFL Playoffs start. That's just idiocy.

So I finally got around to watching episodes of Dexter. Fascinating stuff. Can anybody link me to discussions/reviews in their journals?

Thanks.

Also, there is much rejoicing with the Cowboys Loss...

I think the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Oklahoma may be one of the best Bowl games I've ever watched. It's hard, off the top of my head, to think of comparisons...

There was drama. Oh, the drama & storylines. It's why sports is sometimes better than any scripted show you might otherwise watch on TV. We have David vs. Goliath. Comebacks. Killing Mistakes, and earning redemption. Great coaching decisions. It was huge.

Watch the Highlights
Read the Coverage

Last years Orange Bowl (Penn State over Fla State in OT) and Rose Bowl were both great games. This was more exciting because everyone knew Vince Young would score, and because this meant more for Boise State than the Orange did for either team. I think I have to put it up there with the legendary 1984 Miami-Nebraska Orange Bowl if for nothing else but the trick plays and key two-point conversions.

Key Moments:

1. Oklahoma's defense forcing the key fumble just when it looked like Boise would put the game away.
   
2. Oklahoma squanders its timeouts, but Paul Thompson atones for earlier mistakes with a great drive.
   
3. The tipped pass TD, and then the multiple 2-pt conversion attempts with a minute left to tie.
   
4. Boise's Jared Zabransky throwing a killer INT-for-TD in the last minute to lose the game.
   
5. But wait! Zabransky leads a great drive culminating in a receiver diving for a pylon in the final seconds at the end of a gorgeously executed Hook & Lateral play.
   
6. Adrian Peterson finally breaks off one last great run.
   
7. Boise State scores on a run-pass option, one of my favorite plays.
   
8. BSU goes for it and wins on a freakin' Statue of Liberty play, Zabransky to Ian Johnson. I can't believe the guts it took to call that, and how well BSU executed it. Give Zabransky an Oscar.
   

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those who celebrate during this Winter/Summer (Hemisphere depending...) Solstice season.

I, myself, am getting psyched for the annual Christmas tradition. Dinner tonight at the Hunan Delight!

This year's tally, limited by memory:

• Socks!
  
• UnderArmour Red Terps Terps Baseball Cap and Terps Arctic Beanie
  
• Red/Black Fleece Pullover
  
• Blue Short Sleeve Hawaiian Shirt
  
• The Patriot on DVD
  
• Scrubs, Season 4 on DVD
  
• New Cordless Phones for the House
  
• A Fancy Crystal Globe Paperweight

So it looks like I haven't posted any actual content here in over two weeks. I guess I've been busy.

It's been work and Alumni stuff, with holiday events mixed in. Random notes:

• Capitol Hill GVPT Alumni functions are much cooler when said alumni/attendees include the House Majority Leader. (Steny Hoyer, class of '63) A few other congressional alumni showed up, but my main man Steny was the highlight.

  
  
  

• Extra fun brought to work in the form of the Intern placed on rotation through our office. Having done numerous intern-type jobs, it's really nice not being one. And having an actual intern. Bonus - intern actually bright, capable and pleasant to work with.

  
  
  

• This morning, our SES along with Admirals E & H & E made us pancakes. It's part of an annual fundraiser we do at TSUB - it really does something for office morale, though, to see one of your admirals slaving over a griddle with one of those "Kitten falling into a punch bowl" aprons over his uniform. And the santa hats.

  
  
  

• Sometimes, I forget how awesome pancakes are.

  
  
  

• Finally got that raise that I was offered back in June, for the job I started in July, and which I have been waiting on ever since. Things are bad when even I think the corporate culture is way too relaxed. They have Group-All-Hands meetings without telling me, in addition to other events. I must look really sketchy to the suits way up the corporate chain. Good thing the customer loves me.

  
  
  

• I went up to Baltimore last week with some friends to see the old high school play in the Maryland 4A State Football championship. They lost 39-38 in overtime on a missed 2-pt conversion. I feel bad for the starting QB, who looked like a ridiculously good QB, but who has no scholarship offers as of yet because he's too short to play QB but won't give up the position. If he sticks with that, I wish him best of luck in DIII. And in basketball season, where he's the team's point guard.

  
  
  

• Shows I'm still watching as of December (Some on dload): How I Met Your Mother, Friday Night Lights, Veronica Mars, Nip/Tuck, Cheesy One Tree Hill, South Park, The Office, Scrubs.And loads of sports. Because, that's how I roll.

  
  
  

• And I still have PlotBlastulae for cracky-crossover scenarios that I'll never write.

Terps Headed to Champs Sports Bowl

The Maryland Terrapins are going bowling for the fourth time in the last six years after receiving an invitation Sunday to play Purdue in the Champs Sports Bowl on Friday, Dec. 29 in Orlando, Fla.

DAMMIT! I don't want the Bowl Game in Orlando. I wanted Nashville. Nashville would have been different and cool, and possibly fun.

Supposing I'm actually considering going to the game. Can anybody give me something to do in Orlando?
Note: All Disney related answers are out. I am not a Disney vacation kind of guy.

GIP!

Snagged from many people:

If My LJ Were Its Own Fandom...

a. Who would people ship me with?
b. Who would be my arch-nemesis?
c. What would a Mary Sue in my fandom be like?
d. When or how did I/will I jump the shark?
e. Write a one sentence summary of the story that would win the Best Fanfic Award in my fandom.
f. What would a typical badfic involve?
g. Who would be the BNFs in my fandom?
h. Why would my fandom end up on fandom_wank?

Hung out with the guys as Jesse & Shnu were in town, and went to see For Your Consideration -- which I think was quite funny, albeit a little short for my tastes. "Home for Purim" comes in there as one of my favorite Fake Movie-within-a-Movie concepts ever, because how funny is that idea. WIth the accents and the dialogue... (Ironically, the Haman I was protecting you from was me!) just priceless.

Am thankful for pain medication. Thursday morning, we played football. Initially it was going to be flag, but we wound up playing 10-on-10 and it's really hard to grab flags in muddy & raining conditions - you eventually have to tackle just to get flags off... so we went to playing standard tackle with offensive & defensive lines. And me playing mostly fullback. The hits and such weren't too much of a problem and I'm not really bruised or beat up, but my back... oy - that was aching fierce this morning.

Also, thankful to Miami which went out and beat Boston College... As a result, tonight's Maryland-Wake Forest matchup (On ESPN at 7:45 PM EST, live from College Park, MD) becomes meaningful. The winner plays Georgia Tech next saturday for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a berth in the Orange Bowl.

GO TERPS!!! I'll be there in my Vernon Davis Jersey (#18) ...

The open_on_sunday challenge was "Elvis song titles" and I had a great idea, but believe it or not - I got stuck on ten words. I have the best ten-word fanfic idea ever and I cannot add anything else. So, I dare yall to take my ten words and turn it into something resembling a drabble, short-fic, or anything.:

"My name is Riley Finn, and I approved this message."

So. Work with that.

So tell me of your favorite college marching band and fight song?

Is this the Bestest Fight Song Riff Ever!!! Do I have to cut you?

For your listening pleasure, the songs of my Alma Maters:

University of Maryland Fight Song
University of Maryland Victory Song
University of Michigan - Hail to the Victors

Also: United States Naval Academy - Anchors Away

Edited to Add: If you've got Fight Songs or links to Fight Songs, please supply. I collect.

College Marching Band Song Links

So you think I only pick fights and join wars on fandom boards? Bah!!! I figured I'd take a brief break from picking the fight elsewhere and bring it to my LJ.

Presenting Dave's Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Predictions:

( Current BCS Rankings )

The top two make the title game.

This week, #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan close out their seasons playing against each other. Clearly, the winner of this game gets a spot in the title game. Given the absence of a playoff system, there will be the customary, heated debate over who gets the second spot in the title game.

Key games remaining:

• Rutgers @ West Virginia
  
• Notre Dame @ Southern California
  
• Southern Cal vs. California
  
• Arkansas vs. LSU
  
• Arkansas vs. Florida
  

1. an 11-1 Southern California (wins over Arkansas, Oregon, California, and Notre Dame)
   
2. a 12-0 Rutgers (Louisville and West Virginia)
   
3. a 12-1 Florida (Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas
   
4. an 11-1 Michigan (Wisconsin, Notre Dame)
   
5. a 12-1 Arkansas (Auburn, Tennesse, LSU, Florida)
   
6. an 11-1 Ohio State (Texas)
   
7. an 11-1 Notre Dame (Southern Cal, Georgia Tech)
   

• If Southern Cal wins out, can Rutgers beat West Virginia badly enough to overtake them?
  
• Arkansas got killed by Southern Cal in the opener. Do big wins over a strong slate of SEC opponents vault them over a Notre Dame team that beats Southern Cal?
  
• Do we really want to see an Ohio State-Michigan title game, when it's a rematch of the last regular season game. If it's a game for the ages (e.g. Triple OT) does that call out for another game, or does the re-match spoil the greatness of the earlier game?
  
• Speaking of rematches, how do we possibly justify a Notre Dame - Michigan rematch given that Michigan beat ND by Four Touchdowns at Notre Dame?
  
• Or if Michigan loses to OSU, how do we vault Notre Dame over that Michigan team that beat them so soundly earlier.
  
• How much will "impressive" wins help people. What if Notre Dame shuts out Southern Cal? What if Arkansas kills Florida? What if OSU-Michigan isn't close?
  
• Can all of these teams look bad enough against each other (picture a series of 2-0 games) to allow Wisconsin, West Virginia or Boise State a sniff?

As I have outed myself as a Flaming, unapologetic Former Government & Politics Major, some number of folks on my flist (over/under = 7) have at one point thought: "Hey, what does Dave make of this?"

As an inside-the-beltway, politically engaged type, I can tell you there are more important questions. Not "What does this election mean for the Economy/War on Terror/Environment/Moral Values of America/Health Care/Puppies..."

The key question is: What does this Election mean for dlgood?

Answer: Mostly, it means more work for dlgood.

Inasmuch as I am not that ambitious these days, that's kind of a bad thing. OTOH, more work for me means continued employment for me and continued (and possobly increased) payment of me. And friends, I am very Pro-Increased Payment of Me.

Politics aside, for the moment, I do congressional relations work. And the congressional staffers that we used to interface with... those folks aren't going to be hanging around for the next cycle of hearings and budget briefings. Which means we get to devote new hours to develop relationships with our new congressional overseers. It means re-writing our briefing into the 101-level. It means scrambling for new patrons after our sugar-daddy up and got bounced. It means preparing to answer the tough questions we likely expect to get from a newly elected thorn-in-our-side. So that'll be exciting.

But now, professional hat aside - as a political animal... as an american citizen. I'm pretty pleased about the results. I see a pretty strong rebuke for failed policy... and what looks to me like a clear market correction for those of us who think in those terms. I can't remember if the Rs ever got over 230 in their majority years - and I suspect the trend is going to go D in the next cycle too - especially in the senate where it's 22 Rs and 11 Ds up in 2008.

We'll just see how well W and the Rs are inclined to do any business.

All fandom complaints aside, sometimes it's awesome to go to a football game. Last night's victory was intense. Watching the players jumping up and down from excitement during the fourth quarter... everyone rushing the field after FSU's game tying field goal attempt was blocked.... an intense experience

thelastgoodname

Some number of folks meming an "Unpopular Fannish Opinions". As I have previously (granted, three years ago) posted Ten Unpopular Fannish Opinions and Ten Incendiary Fannish Opinions - I will stick to an 'All Sports Edition' of unpopular fannish opinions.

( Tenn Unpopular Sports Fan Opinions )