Siskel and Ebert Review Ferris Bueller and Back to School...

Talk about hilarious. I actually remember this from 1986. It saddened me when Siskel died so young with a young son, but he just never got it. I thought they picked a couple of bad scenes...probably some of the worst of the movie other than the first one.

Of course Ebert loves Back to School, and loves Back to School as well.

I think I watched that show every week and remember getting mad at them when they panned movies I liked. Of course, I was a kid, so I loved all movies.

Make the Most of the First 20 Seconds of an Interview

When you go into an interview, you have 20 seconds to give an employer a reason to consider hiring you. First impressions count for a lot; learn how to use them to your advantage. The parts of a successful first impression are an almost choreographed ritual of getting down to the serious business of interviewing. You can make an interviewer think, "This is a good candidate" by following several seemingly simple rules:

Look Confident

No matter how you may feel that day, smile. A smile is not just another facial expression. It's a signal to that primitive part of the interviewer's brain that you are friendly and not a threat. It also sends a message to your own brain of being happy and at ease. Linguists and psychologists have said that anywhere from 93 to 97 percent of communication is nonverbal, and the smile is a very important part of that communication.

10 General Questions:

1. Tell me about yourself.
* Keep your answer to one or two minutes; don't ramble.
* Use a ''positioning statement'' as a base to start. Your positioning statement is the boiled-down story of your resume -- general goals, skills and background.

2. What do you know about our company?
* Know products, size, income, reputation, image, goals, problems, management talent, management style, people, skills, history and philosophy.
* Project an informed interest. Ask several open-ended questions about the company's course and the department's goals so the interviewer can tell you about the company. Let her define the business in her terms.

3. Why do you want to work for us?
* Don't talk about what you want; first talk about their needs.
* You wish to be part of a company project.
* You would like to solve a company problem.
* You can make a definite contribution to specific company goals: identify its management talent, increase sales in the Northeast region, and so on.

4. What would you do for us? What can you do for us that someone else can't?
* Relate past successes in solving previous employer problems, which may be similar to those of the prospective employer.

5. What about our position do you find the most attractive? Least attractive?
* List three or more attractive factors and only one minor unattractive factor.

6. Why should we hire you?
* Because of knowledge, experience, abilities and skills. Tell what these are.

7. What do you look for in a job?
* An opportunity to use skills, perform and be recognized.

8. Please give me your definition of a ... (the job for which you are being interviewed).
* Keep it brief and action- and results-oriented

9. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?
* Very quickly after a little orientation and a brief period of adjustment on the learning curve.

10. How long would you stay with us?
* As long as we both feel I'm contributing, achieving, growing and so on.

8 Experience and Management Questions:

1. You may be overqualified or too experienced for the position we have to offer. * Strong companies need strong people.
* Experienced executives are at a premium today.
* Emphasize your interest in a long-term association.
* The employer will get a faster return on investment because you have more experience than required.
* A growing, energetic company is rarely unable to use its people talents.

2. What is your management style?
* If you've never thought about this, it's high time you did. Open door is best, but you get the job done on time or inform your management.

3. Are you a good manager? Give an example. Why do you feel you have top managerial potential?
* Keep your answer achievement- and task-oriented and emphasize management skills -- planning, organizing, controlling, interpersonal and so on.

5. What did you look for when you hired people?
* Skills, initiative, adaptability.

6. Have you ever fired anyone? If so, what were the reasons and how did you handle it?
*You have had experience with this and it worked out well since it wasn't a good fit, or you've focused on having a great team that works well together so have never been presented with this problem.

7. What do you see as the most difficult task in being a manager?
* Getting things planned and done on time within the budget.

8. What do your subordinates think of you?
* Be honest and positive; they can check your responses easily.

9. What is your biggest weakness as a manager?
* Be honest and end on a positive note: "I have a problem reprimanding people so I always begin with something positive first."
Industry Trends Question:
10. What important trends do you see in our industry?
* Keep your answer to two or three trends.

4 Questions If You Are Leaving a Job:·

1. Why are you leaving your present job?
* Refine your answer based on your comfort level and honesty.
* Give a "group" answer if possible; for instance, "Our department was consolidated or eliminated."

2. How do you feel about leaving all of your benefits?
* Concerned but not panicked.

3. Describe what you feel to be an ideal working environment.
* Where people are treated as fairly as possible.

4. How would you evaluate your present firm?
* An excellent company that afforded me many fine experiences.

12 Questions Quantifying Your Experience and Accomplishments:
1. Have you helped increase sales? Profits? How?
* Describe in some detail.

2. Have you helped reduce costs? How?
* Same as above.

3.How much money did you ever account for?
* Be specific.
4. How many people did you supervise on your last job?
* Be specific.

5. Do you like working with figures more than words?
* Be honest but positive.

6. In your present or last job, what features did you like the most? Least?
* Same as above

7.In your present or last job, what are or were your five most significant accomplishments?
* You could refer to the key accomplishments already identified on resume.

8. Why haven't you found a new position before now?
* Finding a job is easy but finding the right job is more difficult. You are being "selective."

9.Had you thought of leaving your present position before? If yes, what do you think held you there?
* Challenge, but it's gone now.

10. What do you think of your boss?
* Be as positive as you can.

11. Describe a situation in which your work was criticized?
* Pick an example that emphasizes how you grew from the experience.

12. What other types of jobs or companies are you considering?
* Keep your answer related to this company's field.

8 Questions on Your Work Habits and Style:

1. If I spoke with your previous boss, what would he say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
* Emphasize skills -- don't be overly negative about your weaknesses; it's always safe to identify a lack of a skill or experience as a shortcoming rather than a personal characteristic.

2. an you work under pressures and deadlines?
* Yes. Quite simply, it is a way of life in business.....Give example

3. How have you changed the nature of your job?
* Improved it, of course. Example

4. Do you prefer staff or line work? Why?
* It depends on the job and its challenges.

5. In your present position, what problems have you identified that had previously been overlooked?
* Keep it brief and don't brag -- that is, stick to the facts.

6. Don't you feel you might be better off in a different size company? Different type company?
* Depends on the job -- elaborate slightly.

7. How do you resolve conflict on a project team?
* First discuss issues privately....

8. What was the most difficult decision you ever had to make?
* Attempt to relate your response to the prospective employment situation.

3 Salary Questions:

1. How much are you looking for?
* Answer with a question: ''What is the salary range for similar jobs in your company?''
* If they don't answer, then give a range of what you understand you are worth in the marketplace.

2. How much do you expect, if we offer this position to you?
* Be careful; the market value of the job may be the key answer -- ''My understanding is that a job like the one you're describing may be in the range of $______.''

3. What kind of salary are you worth?
* Have a specific figure in mind, but don't necessarily volunteer it.

4 Personality Questions:
1. What was the last book you read? Movie you saw? Sporting event you attended?
* Talk about books, sports or films to represent balance in you life.

2. How would you describe your own personality?
* Balanced.

3. What are your strong points?
* Present at least three and relate them to the interviewing company and job opening.

4.What are your weak points?
* Don't say you have none.
* Try not to cite personal characteristics as weaknesses, but be ready to have one if interviewer presses.
* Turn a negative into a positive answer: "I am sometimes intent on completing an assignment and get too deeply involved when we are late."

Interviewing: Practice Interview Questions I


Job interviewing is like dating. You arrive at the agreed-upon location, on time, neatly dressed, determined to make a good impression and ready to answer a ton of questions. The key to a successful interviewing, however, lies in anticipating and preparing for those questions and knowing just how to handle them. We talked to five people who spend every day interviewing people, and they gave us the lowdown on how to best answer five common interview questions.

1. Tell me about yourself.
This open-ended question has no ''right'' or ''wrong'' answer, says Ken Ramberg, co-founder of Jobtrak.com in Los Angeles: ''It is merely the interviewer's way of getting you to talk, to open up, to say something that isn't canned, or not right in front of them on your resume.''
It doesn't matter exactly what you say so much as how you say it: with enthusiasm and passion. Because this question is open-ended, Ramberg says, be careful not to babble. Have a point. Perhaps talk about your excitement at having the opportunity to interview with this organization and explain how it meshes with your career goals. Or use this time to say what your resume doesn't and impress upon your interviewer why you're an asset to any company.

2. Why are you leaving your current job?
Many interviewers will ask this, and although they may be curious as to why you're job hunting, keep your comments diplomatic. ''Never say anything directly negative about your present job,'' said Laurence Stybel, founder of Lincolnshire, Stybel, Peabody, a recruitment firm in Boston. ''Instead, focus on things such as growth potential and skill development and your goals in those regards.'' Be honest about what you are looking for. But don't disclose everything (how your boss is a tyrant and your coworkers incompetent, for example) that has led to look around.

3. What would you say is your greatest weakness?
This is one of those slippery interview questions that, if you haven't given it a little thought beforehand, can catch you off guard. While it may be tempting, don't simply boast you're flawless.

Instead, answer the question with a real weakness, albeit many experts advise it be a watered-down one. ''I generally tell people to answer this question by giving a quality that is not that bad,'' said Rachel Cohen, a talent advocate at Muses, Inc., a San Francisco recruiting company. Stybel suggests naming a flaw and the steps you've taken to overcome it. For example: ''In the past I've been impatient to tackle many big projects at once. I'm still ambitious, but I prioritize so everything gets done in the right order.'' Other suggested not-so-flawed flaws -- being excessively organized and deadline-driven.

4. I see you have a gap on your resume. What did you do during this year/month/decade that you weren't working in this industry?
Be as honest as possible when you answer, says Sarah Jelley, a strategy recruiter at Luminant Worldwide Corporation in New York City. While you needn't give every detail of what you did during that ''gap,'' don't be evasive. The interviewer just wants to get a better idea of who you are, what makes you tick, and how your experiences make you a good fit for the job. ''Tell the interviewer what you did, and emphasize what you got out of it, or what you learned,'' Jelley said. You may have been washing dishes in Tijuana for a year, but you also were learning another language and culture.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5/10/fill-in-the-blank years?
You dread this question from your mother, not to mention your interviewer, and yet it comes up time and time again. But you needn't have your whole life lined up to answer this well. ''I'm looking for a person with self-insight, someone who will be open with me,'' said Tom DiDonato, senior vice president of human resources at Merck & Company in Franklin Lakes, N.J. ''I want to hear about your ambitions and your goals. I want to hear you get energized when you speak.'' Demonstrate your ambition by talking about the skills you hope to develop or projects you want to undertake. Whenever possible, says Cohen, give a concrete goal, focusing on the responsibilities, not the title. For example, you could say you'd like to work on certain kinds of projects, achieve a creative goal or manage a team because you think you have good leadership skills.

Practice Interview Questions II

The key to polished interviewing lies in anticipating and preparing for likely questions and knowing just how to handle them. We talked to five experts who spend every day interviewing people, and they gave us and how you should respond. But more is better, and five wasn't nearly enough. So here are five more to help you ace the interview.

1. I see you don't have ____ skill/experience. How would you handle that?
This is your time to convince the interviewer that, despite your inexperience with a certain computer program or procedure, you're up for the challenge. ''Your best bet here is to give an example,'' said Laurence Stybel, founder of Lincolnshire, Stybel, Peabody. ''Tell about another time you encountered this kind of situation and how you dealt with it.'' If you're short on I'm-a-quick-learner stories, impress your interviewer with the steps you're already taking to learn the skill -- a class you've enrolled in or a how-to book you're reading.

2. What kind of work environment are you looking for?
When an interviewer asks this, they exploring whether you will fit with their office, says Rachel Cohen, a talent advocate at Muses Inc. If they have a laid-back, laissez-faire approach and you like hand-holding and firm oversight, then perhaps it isn't the right place for you. That said, if you really want the job, and you're not lying to yourself in the process, you'd be wise to look around you and describe your ideal workplace as the one you see laid out in front of you. A little legwork before your interview should give you a good understanding of the corporate climate. If you can, talk to others at the company or in the same field. If you don't have these contacts, ask pointed questions of the receptionist, assistant and anyone else you talk to during the interview process.

3. What are your favorite magazines and/or what books are you currently reading?
Absolutely no right answers here, says recruiter Sarah Jelley, who always asks this question. ''I just want to hear you talk, to get an idea of who you are. I don't care what it is -- I'm not there to judge your reading selection -- I just want to see that you aren't a one-dimensional person; I want a person with interests."

4. Tell me about the best boss you've ever had.
Although this question can give valuable insight into whether you and your boss (often your interviewer) will get along, it also gives insight into how you would lead, says Tom DiDonato, a senior vice president of human resources: ''When someone tells me about the person they most enjoyed working with and learned the most from, it automatically tells me a lot about how they would be as a leader.'' There is no right answer, DiDonato stresses. Insightful and honest is what he's looking for. For example, discuss the attributes you liked in your hands-on supervisor and how they meshed with your close-knit team approach.

5. Do you have any questions for me?
Oftentimes this last question is the biggest stumper of all. Questions? Me? Yikes. But don't hit mute and make for the door just yet. Always come armed with a few more questions, whether they're about the business itself or about your specific role within it. Doing your homework on the company will make a big difference, says Ken Ramberg, co-founder of Jobtrak.com. Perhaps a new competitor has recently burst on the scene. Inquire about the company's plans to go head-to-head. Or, says Stybel, ask about how the company is meeting technological challenges or expanding. Just don't fall silent at this moment.
"The questions you ask are just as important as the ones they ask you,'' and they demonstrate your level of sophistication, Stybel said. Ask the interviewer why she works there or to describe a recent good hire. You can also highlight any qualifications that haven't been discussed yet and your enthusiasm. Use your voice and make yourself memorable.

Sherman era off to a bang!

18-14 Arkansas St. beats Texas A&M.

I don't know what was worse, the internet stream, or the performance of the Ags.
http://www.texags.com is going to be fun today and next week.

At least Fran beat Arkansas State his first game.



It is what it is. Ags couldn't stop them when it counted, and they turned the ball over too many times. Heisman hopeful Goodson fumbled when the game was on the line.

You should've known the Ags were in trouble when in the first series the Ags had their first sting QB playing QB, 2nd string QB playing TE, and 3rd string QB playing WR.

Top 10 1980s teen movies

10.
a

Take a computer with the power of my cell phone, a modem, and you can create a woman. Things like that only happened in 1980s movie. But there's a theme that take a computer, and you can do anything. Check out a hot Kelly LeBrock (no bigger than a mouthful) and a very young and stoned IronMan. It's a geek versus cool kid movie, and the geeks steal their girls. Very appropriate.

9.


A common theme of unrequited love took place in the 1980's. This one was definitely the wackiest, and had some of the funniest a and quotable lines. I remember seeing that trailer in the theatre and how the audience roared with the line, "Throwing away a perfectly good white boy like that."

8.


A group of friends rallying to save their houses. 2 sets of bad guys, a one eyed pirate, a hot teen girl, and you have your perfect teen adventure movie.

7.


No need to comment on this one.
6.


Skipping school, Cubs game, talking to the camera, taking advantage of the principal, what better movie could there be?

5.


Lucaplakia! Corey Haim before the drugs, Charlie Sheen before the sex addiction, Wynona Ryder before her kleptomania, Jeremy Piven before the hair implants and the beautiful at the time Kerri Green. Great movie. It's for the nerd in all of us.

4.


Great movie. A perfect coming of age movie set in the 50's with a great 50's soundtrack. This is probably River Phoenix's best performance. Such a tragic loss. Just be careful watching with your kids. The language is definitely harsher than I remembered.

3.


Original title was Boy Rents Girl. However, Can't Buy Me Love already had a song written for it. I really liked this movie and identified with Ronald Miller. Paula Abdul was the choreographer for the African Ant Eater Ritual.

2.


Stoner, Scalper, Slut, brother and sister, and a nerd. It's one of my top 10 movies of all time.

1.


No more yank my wanky, the donger need food!

Here's the funny part of those movies...
Corey Feldman is in 2 of them.
Kerri Green is in 2 of them.
Charlie Sheen is in 2 of them.
Anthony Michael Hall is in 2 of them.

More 1984 greatness

Allen Covert

Talk about a great name for a character actor. He truly is the definition of who you know, not what you know. He's a good actor, but geez...


IMDB

Actor

• Strange Wilderness (2008)...Fred
  
• "Slacker Cats" - The Wood (2007) Trevor Dagdale
  
• I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007....Steve
  
• "The King of Queens" .... Dave / ... (2 episodes, 2004-2007)
  - Mild Bunch (2007) TV episode .... Dave
  - Multiple Plots (2004) TV episode .... Towel Guy
  
• Grandma's Boy (2006) .... Alex
  
• The Longest Yard (2005) .... Referee
  
• 50 First Dates (2004) .... Ten Second Tom
  
• Anger Management (2003) .... Andrew
  
• Eight Crazy Nights (2002) (voice) .... Old Lady, Bus Driver & Mayor's Wife
  
• Mr. Deeds (2002) .... Marty
  
• Little Nicky (2000) .... Todd
  
• Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) .... Vic
  
• "Freaks and Geeks" .... Greasy Liquor Store Clerk (1 episode, 1999)
  - Beers and Weirs (1999) TV episode .... Greasy Liquor Store Clerk
  
• Late Last Night (1999) (TV) (as Alan Coert) .... Coked Guy
  
• Big Daddy (1999/I) .... Phil D'Amato
  
• Never Been Kissed (1999) .... Roger in Op/Ed
  
• The Waterboy (1998) .... Walter
  
• The Wedding Singer (1998) .... Sammy
  
• Bulletproof (1996) .... Detective Jones
  
• Happy Gilmore (1996) .... Otto
  
• Heavy Weights (1995) .... Kenny
  
• Airheads (1994) .... Cop
  
• "The Ben Stiller Show" .... Waiter #1 (1 episode, 1993)
  - A Few Good Scouts (1993) TV episode .... Waiter #1
  
• "Ferris Bueller" .... Steve (1 episode, 1991)
  - A Night in the Life (1991) TV episode .... Steve
  
• "Roseanne" .... Man #1 (1 episode, 1991)
  - Vegas Interruptus (1991) TV episode .... Man #1
  
• Going Overboard (1989) .... Bartender
  

Producer:

• The House Bunny (2008) (producer)
  
• I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) (co-producer)
  
• Grandma's Boy (2006) (producer)
  
• The Longest Yard (2005) (executive producer)
  
• Anger Management (2003) (executive producer)
  
• A Day with the Meatball (2002) (producer)
  
• Eight Crazy Nights (2002) (producer)
  
• Mr. Deeds (2002) (associate producer)
  
• Little Nicky (2000) (associate producer)
  
• Big Daddy (1999/I) (associate producer)
  

Let's see.... 26 credits as an actor, 13 of which star Adam Sandler.
12 credits as a producer, 11 of them star Adam Sandler.

I'm sure the guy is great, and he was funny and good in Grandma's House...
Now that I know who he is, it's funny to see him in all of Sandlers movies!

My favorite joke

An unemployed man applies for a job with Microsoft as a cleaner. The manager there arranges for an aptitude test. After the test, the manager says: "You will be appointed on the scale of $30 per day. Let me have your e-mail address, so that I can send you a form to complete and advise you where to report for work on your first day."

Taken aback, the unemployed man protests that he is neither in possession of a computer nor of an e-mail address. To this the manager replies: "Well then, that really means that you virtually don't exist and can therefore hardly expect to be employed."

Stunned, the man leaves the Microsoft office. Not knowing where to turn and only having about $10 left, he decides to buy a 10kg box of tomatoes at the supermarket. Within less than 2 hours, he sells the tomatoes singly to office workers in the city for their lunch, at 100% profit. Repeating the process several times more that day, he ends up with almost $100 before going to sleep that night. That's 3 times what he was offered as a cleaner, so it dawns on the man that he could quite easily make a living selling tomatoes.

Getting up early and earlier every day and going to bed late and later, he multiplies his hoard of profits in quite a short time. Not too long thereafter, he acquires a cart to transport several dozen boxes of tomatoes, only to have to trade it in again shortly afterwards for a pick-up truck. By the end of the first year, he is the owner of a fleet of pick-up trucks and manages a staff of several hundred former unemployed people, all selling vegetables.

Considering the future of his wife and children, he decides to buy some life assurance. Calling an insurance adviser, he picks an insurance plan to fit his new circumstances. At the end of the telephone conversation, the adviser asks him for his e-mail address in order that he might forward the documentation.

When the man replies that he has no e-mail, the adviser is stunned: "What, you don't even have e-mail? How on earth have you managed to amass such wealth without the Internet, e-mail and e-commerce? Just imagine where you would have been by now, if you had been connected from the very start!" After a moment's silence, the tomato millionaire replied: "Sure! I would have been a cleaner at Microsoft!"

It's a form of a story written by Somerset Maugham. I took a survey course on Maugham my final senior year at A&M. The Verger. Read it if you have a chance here.

How you know you're not wanted...

Dallas Cowboys cut guard Adam Stenavich today.

Why?

To sign veteren gaurd Larry Allen.
To a 1 day contract.
To retire as a cowboy.

I'm sorry Adam, we're going to have to let you go. Larry needs to retire.

Larry Allen, the original Manimal.

Cowboys finish the preseason 2-2

Thoughts on the Minnesota game...

• Hurd getting hurt is major. That's the 3-4-5 receivers getting hurt in back to back to back weeks. Perhaps they should've drafted a WR. I wonder if the talks with AZ and Boldin will resume.


• Barbie Carpenter played like one. It's not his fault he was drafted in the 1st round, but he still sucks.


• Tellus looked good. Missed a block on a linebacker in the first half, but made a couple of great catches.


• Nick Folk is not an attractive man. Thank God God blessed his right leg.


• Do they pick up Davis?


• Jefferson or Amendola?

Not much else to talk about..

McGuffie starting for Michigan

Link…

Rich Rodriguez fully expects to play freshmen this fall. Not just one or two, but probably 10. While playing them on the offensive line might be a necessity, playing TBs Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw will be a reality because they're both very good, very adept at the offense and already look seasoned. Running backs coach Fred Jackson has profusely praised both, even saying McGuffie has speed like ex-Michigan back Justin Fargas . While Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown entered camp as the favorites to handle the bulk of carries, this will be a tailback-by-committee situation, and McGuffie and Shaw likely could be at the head of the table.

Now, the comparison may be true, but off all the tailbacks in the history of Michigan, they compare him to the whitest looking one of the bunch.

It never ceases to amaze me why our brains cannot compare black athletes to white athletes, vice versa.

Hard Knocks Stream of Consciousness 2

Predictions: More Martellus redemption, more Campo, more Amendola, Lowber... Somebody hams for the camera.

• I love the intro music...gets you in the mood for some football insight, whether it's accurate insight or not.
  
• Wade takes the blame for mistakes, and he needs to do a better job. Gotta love a man like that.
  
• Here comes the fiesta at the practice last Wednesday in the Farewell to Texas Stadium tour.
  
• Ramiro loves Tony unconditionally. How sweet. Parcells didn't love Ramiro.
  
• Tony knows the scrubs by name and where they went to school... gotta love that.
  
• More TO catching the ball against his body.
  
• TO seems to be a great mentor when he's happy.
  
• Who will get cut? I think I'll cry? Lowber, Tcehtard, or murderer jr??
  
• I wonder how Dat feels working with traitor Reggie herring? ;)
  
• Tour of the spaceship from helicopter...that thing is amazing. It dwarfs the ballpark.
  
• That dude, walking on the top of the stadium, he's not getting paid enough.
  
• Martellus Bennett's license plate: FFP 191. His dog grew!
  
• Nice one hander Tellus
  
• Garretts giving him props. Pushing for a lot of playtime! Taking over 2nd string. He seems to be working hard, and gets it. No mouthing off this week.
  
• Props from Witten. In today's paper, there was a quote that Tellus didn't think Witten liked him. Witten thinks he needs to be broken down, and then brought back up.
  
• Stewart is the first guy to get fired from this staff.
  
• Crayton naked at the meeting...
  
• Jean Jacques Taylor, least athletic looking black man ever.
  
• Carpenter is my least favorite Cowboy. He sucks ass.
  
• Ellis: Great guy... but as long as he's not whining, I love him. And Wade is right about the Achilles. I thought his career was over.
  
• Jerry has a tiny head.
  
• Spencer: I guess he hasn't hurt his knee yet..opps...there is the injury. Not rehabbing...Wade is too nice. I'm going to fine you, but the most important thing is to get well.
  
• Those guys are working on quick twitch muscles in the weight room...awesome.
  
• Roy: Moved out of the dime package so "he's fresh for the second half" I have to laugh at that comment.
  
• Zach Thomas is the manimal, again. Learn it, know it, live it Carpenter.
  
• Is it just me, or does he look like Dee Snider??
  
• Gene Upshaw dies, Wade cries...touching moment. TO was shocked and upset.
  
• Good editing on the equipment set up...reminded me of Pink Floyd's Money?
  
• Danny Amendola is short, which makes him a long shot. Height discrimination. He needs to be smarter than everyone else, and his error on the INT in Denver didn't help.
  
• Anyone know what the chain on the bench press is for?
  
• Wait, Bruce Read may be fired before Stewart.
  
• TO gets the ham award, but he's funny.
  
• Great...rednecks representing Texas.
  
• Cowboys serious about the Silver Boot.
  
• Jessica was at the game. No WONDER he threw that INT in the endzone. Damn bitch messed with his head. Didn't show it. Jessica was in his head.
  
• Wait, that was a TD pass with Jessica at the game.
  
• Game looks about 10x's faster at ground level on NFL films. Unbelievable.
  
• Isiah had the ball way loose. And then he hurts his shoulder.
  
• Nice catch by Amendola.
  
• Carpenter bagging on Tellus. Another tackle. Nice catch and run.
  
• Fumble Felix Jones!
  
• Why did Parcells draft Carpenter in the first round??
  
• Wow...that guy was good with painting the grass. I wonder how many times he's done that.
  
• #$@! that, we're not doing that anymore.
  
• More Tellus love.
  
• Danny getting some love, but is he big enough, and enough technique.
  
• Lowber, 1 play, Missed assignment. He's just lost.
  
• Lowber and Keon are talking, and I'm not sure everything they're saying.
  
• Cuts: Here comes the Turk. Bruce Mays. He has hair implants. I saw him at restaurant in Lewisville once. 5 players that haven't been on Hardknocks yet. At least Wade gets to do the deed, and not Jerry like in 2003.
  
  

Who says Tom Coughlin can't motivate...

Link…

The most intriguing sidelight locally was the pre-game talk by Coughlin before the Giants-Cowboys playoff game. He told his team that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones put two tickets to the NFC championship game on the stool of each player.

"They've already won this game," said Manning, reflecting on Coughlin's words. "Why do we need to show up?"

After the Giants upset the Cowboys 21-17, Coughlin told his team: "I don't want anybody talking about this in the media – but Jerry just sent the tickets over, so we're all set."

For the record, Jones didn't leave any tickets on player stools. Label this one a motivational ploy.

Of course, if Cowboys block someone and Crayton doesn't choke, it's all moot.

I don't know why I find this hilarious, but it is...

Amy Dickinson's unintentional funny…

Dear Amy: I'm responding to the letter from "Anonymous," who said she and her husband did not want children. Now, all of a sudden, she doubts her decision not to have kids.

Let me tell her: "Don't do it!" I didn't want any children, and after just one exposure I had a baby.

It doesn't end there, because they just keep coming. I raised my child. I raised the grandchild, and now I'm raising my great-grandchild.

How many times a day do I say to myself, "We should have used a condom."

––Also Anonymous

Dear Also: Your letter illustrates the unfortunate consequence of raising an unwanted child, who in your case evidently stayed unwanted.

I take the fact that you raised a grandchild and are now raising a great-grandchild as evidence that your attitude toward children filtered down to your own child––and your grandchild, as well.

When you found yourself pregnant after one "exposure," you could have placed your baby for adoption and at least given it a chance of growing up with motivated and loving parents. Two generations later, it seems unfortunate that you didn't make this choice.

Unlike you, "Anonymous" wants to have a baby, though she says her husband doesn't. One can only hope that if she chooses to have a baby, it will be cherished.

Top 5 Movies of 1984

In no particular order...

Can Sherman be successful at TAMU?

What do these numbers mean?

He's going to win regular season games.

He's a proven winner in the regular season. In 26 seasons, he's only had 6 losing seasons. He's won .617 of all games he has coached.
As a head coach, his winning percentage is greater than Jackie Sherrills.

Mike Sherman had a long climb to get to where he is today. He worked his way up, working in the trenches coaching OL and TE's. He not only knows where the game is won and lost, but he has the technical savvy to teach the intricacies of line play.

Where Mike Sherman has failed, is at the NFL level. And that was one season in which his top 2 WRs and top 4 running backs were hurt. He had a good run, was in a role as coach and GM that many people have not succeeded at. Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren, are all Super Bowl winning coaches that are unsuccessful in a the duel HC/GM role.

The difference between the NFL and the NCAA is that in the NCAA, success breeds success. The NFL makes it harder and harder to maintain the success the longer you have it.

Lets put it simplistically: Imagine that the Cowboys have the worst record, and the Texans have the best record. Assuming that there are no trades and compensory picks...

Cowboys
1
33
55
87
119
151
183

Texans
32
54
86
118
150
182
214

It doesn't take a genius to figure out which team is going to have a better draft if they make wise decisions. Of course, you can still end up with better players if you're the Texans, but you have a much larger pool if you're the Cowboys. Every year that you do well, you have bad draft positions. Teams get around this by being smarter than others, but the very nature of the slotting handicaps success.

Also, the NFL, based on your record, has a system to determine which teams play which. One portion of the determination, is that first team teams play first place teams. Makes better television.

In the NCAA, there is nothing like this. In fact, success truly does build success. Winning games in the NCAA is the true snowball rolling down the hill. The better you get, the easier it is to get better. At some point you plateau, but it's easier to stay at that point than it is in the NFL, which is why the same programs stay at the top over the years.

Win games get on TV more. Get on TV more, recruits see you more. Fans see you more, and unbiased football fans become fans of the program. Everyone wants to jump on a bandwagon, and you get more t-shirt fans. It snowballs.

My only concern looking at his history is his playoff and bowl game wins.


Even if Sherman maintains the .375 winning percentage in post season, it is better than the .200 Texas A&M has had since 1989. Instead of winning 3 in 18, they'll win 6in 18, and hopefully one of those will include a Big 12 and Bowl game championship.

Sherman, to be successful, needs to have the success of his first coach in DI football, Jackie Sherrill. Jackie had a career winning percentage of .593 and .571 in bowl games.

Who is Mike Sherman?

Wikipedia says:

Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954 in Norwood, Massachusetts) is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Before he started an NFL coaching career, Sherman served as an assistant coach at five different colleges, including Texas A&M, where he coached the offensive line for seven seasons.

Let's look at Sherman's career.

He started his coaching career at a public high school in 1980. He coached there for one year and moved to the prestigious prep school Worcester Academy. Worcester is the stereotypical movie NE prep school. Think School Ties. In fact, scenes in that movie were filmed there. Interesting tidbit: Rick Carlisle, Dallas Mavericks head coach went there. So did Donnie Nelson, President and GM of the Mavericks.

In 1981, Sherman joined the Jackie Sherrill's staff Pittsburgh as a GA. He was there for 2 seasons. Pitt was a top notch program and they went 19-3 in regular season and 1-1 in bowls. Interesting tidbit 2, Wikipedia says that he didn't have a room to rent, and slept in the stadium, a la Rudy.

In 1983, Sherm left Pitt to go to Tulane to coach the OL under Wally English. Tulane was bad, and in the 2 years they went 5-17. Can't blame all that on the OL coach. Interesting tidbit 3, Mack Brown became the head coach at Tulane after Wally English was canned. Mack got them to .500, and the left to take over North Carolina. Greg Davis became the head coach there. Greg is fired after 4 years, and joins Mack in Carolina. They've been bosum buddies ever since. Betcha didn't know that.

Sherm then finds himself without a job and ends up at Holy Cross. Yes, back to Rudy. I wonder if he had a room to rent there?? He starts there coaching the OL and does that for 3 years. They have a bad first season, but in those 3 years they go 25-7, including a perfect season of 11-0 in 1987. I'm sure the OC at Holy Cross was given a head gig somewhere, and Sherm is promoted to his first gig as an OC. They go 9-2.

Meanwhile, in Aggieland, Sherms first NCAA boss is ran out of Aggieland chased by NCAA investigators, and RC Slocum is made HC. Big money of Aggieland comes calling, and Sherm flys to Houston, and drives the lonely road up Hwy 6. Along the way he thinks, "Where the bleep am I?" As he takes Business 6, and gets to the top of the hill and sees Kyle field in the distance thinks, "Ok, not so bad." (Note, this is the authors extrapolating thoughts to Sherman.)

We all know the regular season success of the Aggies in this period. From 1989 to 1993, the Aggies go 39-8-1 in regular season. However, 1-4 in bowls. That one victory can be seen here. Aggies, when they're feeling down, think about this game with a smile.

Compliments of Doug Keegan with the Pearl Jam soundtrack. Not bad for a VCR and a Commodore 64.

Sherman is decides that he needs to act, and where else do you learn to act? LA. In 1984, Sherman joins Terry Donahue's staff at UCLA, and things didn't go so well. I don't profess to know any details, but the team only goes 5-6. He also failed at acting, and couldn't even get the role of Coach Harris in Revenge of the Nerds and Sensei John Krese in The Karate Kid. Back to Aggieland.

This period in Aggieland was the beginning of the end of RC's tenure at TAMU. He's again the OL coach, and they go 15-9, with 1 bowl victory.
Following the 1996 season, RC promotes Sherm to OC. Sherm, however, gets an offer from the defending Super Bowl Champions to be the TE Coach. Tough decision...in his own words from Wikipedia, "There is absolutely no other college job I would have left Texas A&M for and only one professional job that I've ever had any interest in and that being the Green Bay Packers. I've enjoyed the small-town atmosphere of College Station for my family, and Green Bay offers that same atmosphere. If the truth be told, there is not a whole lot of difference between an `Aggie' and a `Cheesehead."

He serves as TE's coach for 2 years. They go 13-3 and 11-5, and lose a Super Bowl. Overall, they go 24-8, and 1-2 in playoffs.

Mike Holmgren leaves Green Bay because he was not allowed to be both coach and general manager, and takes that role in Seattle. He takes Sherm with him, and makes Sherm his OC. Ok...so Sherm hasn't been OC since 1988 at Holy Cross, and now he's OC with the Seahawks. Seattle has a good year, go 9-7, and make to the playoffs and lose in the wild card. 0-1.

Now, here's the shocker. Green Bay doesn't give Mike Holmgren the job as GM and Head coach, but after hiring Ray Sherman as HC, they need some help. In 2000, the Green Bay Packers hire Mike Sherman to be Head Coach, and then in 2001 when Ron Wolff leaves, they make him Head Coach and General Manager. They didn't give that job to Holmgren, who is a Super winning head coach, they give it to Sherman, who hasn't had a head coaching job since 1980.

From 2000-2004, the Pack go 53-27 with a winning percentage of .663. The offense is off the charts, and Pack are winning regular seasons, but they only win 2 play off games and lose 4, including the 4th and forever in 2003.

In 2005, Sherman is demoted out of the General Manager role, and Ted Thompson is brought on board. The Pack go 4-12, and are are completely decimated by injuries. They lose their top 2 WRs, and their top 4 RBs. Sherm is shown the door.

Sherman goes to work for his old buddy from Aggieland, Gary Kubiak with the Texans as Asst. Head Coach. In 2007, he serves as the OC. The Texans go 6-10 in 2006 and 8-8and 2007 and were generally on an upward trend.

On November 26th, 2007 Sherm becomes head coach at Texas A&M. That day shall be forever known as Sherman Day.

Coming next: Can Sherman be successful in Aggieland?

5 point plan...remember, men have died trying to obtain this valuable information....

but I'll give it to you for free.

Hardknocks Stream of Conscious blog

Predictions: Martellus is redeemed! Lowber looks like he'll make the team for making a great catch.

Show Comments:

• Traitor Herring loves the Manimal Thomas.
  
• Tony Romo love...
  
• Troy texts a funny..."I saw where Favre turned down $25MM to stay retired. Ask Jerry where my check is."
  
• Fake sweat poured on Witten's face for photos. Was it for vogue?
  
• Peter King doesn't do well in HD, and they need not to eat popcorn while miked.
  
• TO love: I think he catches the ball against his body too much.
  
• I can't understand TO when he's talking to his friends. "Excuse me Miss, I speak Jive."
  
• You gotta respect the short man, Dave Campo. Making excuses for Pac not doing well in zone. Pac's mama, "What the bleep are you doing!"
  
• Just noticed one of Pac's "great" breakups was a flag in a game.
  
• Sam Hurd love: I like this guy. Like his number, like his hands, etc. He's really helped by Miles Austin hurting his knee. I think Miles won the number 2 job out of camp. Of course, the knee injury isn't til later in the show. I don't like Austin's voice.
  
• Rowdy: He needs to be cut.
  
• Remind me to do a history of Wade Phillips like I'm doing on Aggie Coach Mike Sherman, which hasn't been posted yet.
  
• Amendola and Lowber.... do they make it past waivers? I'm thinking that Amendola doesn't, and Loweber does. It's amazing how Hardknocks can make fans love mediocre NFL talent.
  
• Ray Sherman,"If you don't want to be here, don't get on the bus!" Imagine that in corporate world. Nothing ever so blunt in Corporate America.
  
• Ware: He's a great guy....I think if I had to give my baby up, it'd be to DeMarcus.
  
• Tellus: Looks like an ass clown again, arguing with the coach about his shirt and being tucked in practice. Coach has a point, but Tellus needs to shut and say, yes coach. Looking at the other players, everyone has a shirt like Tellus.
  
• Here's the redemption. Look, a compliment from Garrett.
  
• Stewart: Is he playing for the camera's, or is he really going off on those guys? Carpenter looks hot with his bun.
  
• Keon:definite practice squad...bet he clears waivers.
  
• Gotta love the music when it's in slo-mo.
  
• Hochulie: Loves to get on TV. I wonder how many penalties his crew calls versus the rest of the crews.
  
• Greg Ellis' famous speech. Go to the fundamentals.
  
• Austin is about to hurt his knee after that great catch. 4-6 weeks, announcer. This injury could be huge. I really think he's the reason they didn't draft a WR. It's huge.
  
• More Tellus redemption: Makes a tackle on the kickoff. Makes several great blocks and a great catch and run. Holy Christmas! He's healed!
  
• Here comes Lowber's catch! He pushed off. ;)
  
• Lattimore's redemption: He's going to make the team, but he'll be crushed when he's cut. Then, he'll be excited when he's signed to the practice squad.
  
• Amendola: his fault on the INT? Probably. Maybe that'll keep him from being picked up by another team.
  
• This Miles Austin injury really highlights how hard it is to play in the NFL. He works his ass off for so long, and a freak injury can affect everything.
  
• Trump is a tool, and I don't want him to build a goff course in Scotland.

Rise up

Yes, I stole this from another blog, but it's still appropriate

I'm reminded of the time that Catherine, a little girl in our old neighborhood, told me that she wanted to be President one day.

Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there with us and I asked Catherine, "If you were President what would be the first thing you would do? "'

Catherine replied, "I would give houses to all the homeless people. "

"Wow - what a worthy goal you have there Catherine. " I told her (while both parents beamed), "but, you don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and clean up all the dog poop in the back yard and I will pay you $5 dollars. Then we can go over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out and you can give him the $5 dollars to use for a new house."

Catherine (who was about 4) thought that over for a second and then replied, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and clean up the dog poop himself and you can pay him the $5 dollars."

Welcome to the Republican Party, Catherine.....

About freaking time...

American Airlines has internet!

For $12.95, passengers on AA flights using its Boeing 767-200 will be able to surf the Net, check e-mail, instant message and access corporate VPN accounts using the system by Aircell LLC.

The ground-based system – called GoGo – won't enable any voice-based functions.

American says it will test GoGo on its fleet of 15 767-200s, which are used primarily on transcontinental flights, for three to six months.

Assuming everything goes well, the carrier may expand to the rest of its fleet.

American allowed passengers on a handful of flights test the system on June 25 and Aug. 13.

Rival Delta Air Lines Inc. announced earlier this month that it will install the system on its fleet of 133 MD-88/90 aircraft this fall and plans to offer it across its 330 mainline domestic fleet by mid-2009.

Several other carriers are testing in-flight connectivity. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. plans to test a satellite system by Row 44 Inc. next month.
[REDACTED]
"It's a game-changer," Mr. Harteveldt said. "You're no longer forced to be isolated from what's going on in your office, with your clients or with friends or family. For business travelers, this will greatly aid productivity, and for leisure travelers, it means they will be in control of their entertainment."

In-flight connectivity will also be a key driver as airlines compete for business.

"Live TV is great for now, but the Internet is what people want for the future," Mr. Harteveldt said. "Airlines that don't offer Internet access are going to lose business."

In-flight broadband is expected to generate $6.6 million in passenger revenue this year, according to a June report by MultiMedia Intelligence.

The research firm estimates the industry will skyrocket to $936 million revenue by 2012.

The real question is....how soon until someone is in trouble for surfing porn?
Seriously, I've always wondered why they didn't do this sooner. The simple fact is that they don't have the space on the planes, especially on AA fleet of MD80's to have this. As the article says, I'd be shocked that in 10 years every flight didn't have highspeed internet.

I don't speak Mexican...

but I don't think it matters.

Viva Brazil in Syncronized Swimming!

ESPN Wonders if Martellus should've stayed?

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/big12/0-1-211/Would-Bennett-have-benefitted-from-another-year-at-A-amp-M-.html

I'm not much for reality series, but the HBO documentary "Hard Knocks" about the
Dallas Cowboys' training camp has been really enjoyable to me so far.
The
reason why is because the show has prominently featured former Texas A&M
tight end Martellus Bennett, a rookie who I always felt one of the most
supremely talented players to ever come through the Big 12. I always felt like
Bennett just needed to grow up to fully realize his talents.
That trend has turned out once he started his NFL career. His Dallas Cowboys coaches have been grumbling about his lack of instruction he received in college and have wondered if his career might be salvaged. Particularly telling has been Bennett's lack of instruction in basic pass-receiving skills.
While I think that assessment is a little premature -- how many 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight ends can you find who are as fast and can jump as high as Bennett? -- I still wonder what might have happened if Bennett had stayed in college one more season.
Something tells me that Bennett could have made a lot more money in an improved draft status if he had stayed in college for one more season. New A&M coach Mike Sherman, a former NFL head coach, would have helped Bennett learn more of what he needed to make himself better prepared for the next level.
In Sherman's ball-control offense, I could envision Bennett catching 55-60 passes and growing up a little more.
And if that had happened, I don't think we'd see Bennett sulking through his meetings with Cowboys tight ends coach John Garrett like he was is
in the last "Hard Knocks" episode that I saw.

Rudyjax says: It's more pile on Fran. We all saw how raw he was, and how he didn't make many of the plays he should've made. Even if it was the coaches, Tellus probably have never been challenged in his life.
And complaining about leaving for the NFL early is like crying over losing your virginity. And I have read nothing anywhere, ever, that says that the coaches are grumbling about salvaging his career. The Cowboys knew what they were getting. A raw, athletic, strong young man that has never been pushed on the football field.
Tellus will be fine.
And yes, Tellus has looked like an Ass in camp, but it's probably 100th of the footage they have on Tellus. Watch Wednesday, you'll be surprised at the different man.

Owwwwwwwwwww

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2VwnBU1-iU

Gymnastics....

It's probably the most graceful and difficult of all sporting feats. It's also the biggest scam. WTF?

Any time an independent party determines the outcome, it's flawed.

Oh well, at least Nastasia Liukin is legal.

How many tries did it take and....

Did you know that they have full moons in China too?

Cowboys-Broncos thoughts

Sloppy mistakes continue to plague this team. It's a complete lack of discipline. It is good that they are getting their hineys handed to them during preseason.

Martellus: Came in the 2nd Quarter when Witten went out. Made a couple of good run blocks, blocked a blitzing LB well. Ran a great route, made the catch, protected the ball, and broke a couple of tackles.

Austin: Wow. This guy has come around. He may be the reason why they didn't care that they cut Glenn.

P. Jones: Great punt return. He won't delay the game again.

Defensive line: No pressure.

Z. Thomas: He's a manimal.

Here's a play on one will talk about, and only the coaches know who it was. On the FG try to end the half, a player on the edge came around and damn near beat the ball to the holder. Could that have been why it was pulled?

F. Jones: He just might be good. Great run on a dump pass for 27 yards.

Paused the Cowboys game, and just watched Phelps win his 8th. 7 WR. Amazing.

Talk about crazy celebrations. Watch your hand there, buddy.

Greg Kern gets his punt blocked, and then runs for a first down. Tashard Choice! I wonder if that was him on the field goal.

Danny Amendola (tcehtard whiteboy WR): Got decapitated by a linebacker. Couldn't make the catch prior to getting hit. He probably won't make this team, but will he clear waivers and end up in the practice squad? I hope he does. Well, for my sake. Not for his sake. He made a good catch, and he really really fights hard. As Moose and Babe said, that's where mistakes come from.

"Look at my Guns Hochulie" calls WAY too many penalties for preseason.

I keep wondering how many guys that are cut will not make it to the practice squad. Keon Lattimore? Oglivesby? Ball? Amendola? 44? Bartel? As I was typing this, pick 6. No, Bartel made the tackle. Who's fault was that int? Lowber or Bartel? Moose says Lowber.

44? Who is this guy??? He's making plays up and down the field against the future truck drivers.

Oh...and if you read this, leave a comment. Thanks!

Wascist?

Norm Chow...

Why didn't he even get a look at as a head coach somewhere?

Collegiate coaching career
Chow served as BYU's offensive coordinator from 1982 to 1999, during which time he helped coach the Cougars to their only national title in 1984, which is also the last time a non-BCS school (sometimes called a mid-major) won the NCAA Division I FBS (then I-A) national championship. He then left BYU for a short stint as the offensive coordinator at NC State, before accepting the position of offensive coordinator at the University of Southern California.
In 23 seasons as offensive coordinator, Chow coached 8 of the top 14 career passing efficiency leaders and 13 quarterbacks who rank among the top 30 in NCAA history for single-season passing yardage. The BYU Cougars scored 30 or more points in 106 of 181 games. His list of pupils include Robbie Bosco, Steve Young, Philip Rivers and Heisman Trophy winners Ty Detmer, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.
Chow helped lead the Trojans to the 2003 Associated Press title (their first since 1978) and the 2004 BCS Championship.
He left USC in spring 2005 after being passed over for the Stanford University head coaching job to join the Tennessee Titans as offensive coordinator under head coach Jeff Fisher, a USC graduate.
After being fired by the Titans following the 2007 season, Chow was hired by new UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel as offensive coordinator.

Professional coaching career
Chow served as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans from 2005 to 2007. During this time, the Titans had non-losing seasons in 2006 (8-8) and 2007 (10-6), and appeared in the 2007 AFC Playoffs. In 2007, the Titans were 21st overall in total offense, with a total of nine touchdown passes.[4] On January 15, 2008, Chow was fired by the Tennessee Titans; however, he had two years left on a contract that will pay him more than $1 million a year and if Chow were to take another job the Titans would only be responsible for the difference in salaries; thus, the Titans must pay the difference between his UCLA salary and what he was earning with the Titans.[4]

Head coaching interest
The extent of Chow's interest in a head coaching job is well known. In addition to Stanford, Chow has been officially "interviewed" for the head coaching jobs with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, North Carolina State University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Hawaiʻi.
Chow was a candidate to replace Karl Dorrell at UCLA, but withdrew his candidacy soon after interviewing.Chow was also considered for the replacement of June Jones at the University of Hawaiʻi.

Personal
Chow is of Chinese and native Hawaiian descent. He and his wife, Diane, have four children, all adults: Carter, Maile, Cameron and Chandler. Carter serves as his father's agent. One of his sons graduated from the University of Southern California and another is still a student there.

Rangers, Cowboys, Olympics...

All on at the same time. I don't know what to do, and I don't want to be up all night!

I think I'll just flip, and miss the olympics I don't want to watch.