The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Tuesday - Florida Atlantic at Middle Tennessee. I like football, obviously, or I wouldn't waste my time doing this sort of thing. But I can't think of what would lead me to watch this game, outside of a large cash payment or Erin Andrews playing real-time strip ratings. All I know of FAU is Howard Schnellenberger, which seems like enough. Score: FAU 33, MTSU 7

Wednesday - Louisiana Tech at Boise State. See above, replace "FAU" and "Howard Schnellenberger" with "BSU" and "Ian Johnson." Throw in a reference to Smurf Turf if you'd like. Score: Boise State 33, Louisiana Tech 7

Thursday - Oregon State at Utah. The letdown commences. Score: Utah 41, Oregon State 3

Friday - BYU at Utah State. There actually is a trophy given to the best team out of BYU, Utah, and Utah State, called the Beehive Boot. The Aggies will officialy be eliminated from contention after this game, as they've already been thrashed by Utah. Mark your calendars for November 22, when the Cougars and Utes will play for the book (and, most likely, the Mountain West title). Score: BYU85, Utah State 2

Saturday (early) - Alcorn State at New Mexico State. A couple of weeks ago I called UC0nn-Baylor the least essential game of the season. I stand corrected. This would make sense if this were the Aggies homecoming game, but it's not. For some reason they've scheduled Boise State for homecoming. Apparently they get more money from alumni who drink away the pain. Score: New Mexico State 23, Alcorn State 0

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - Florida State at Miami. This week's entry into the Remembrance of High-Quality Football Past, as this series that for years had national title implications now serves as the decided for who gets to play in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. On the other hand, you don't hear about as many players from either program going to prison as you did back in the day, so there's that. Score: Miami 17, Florida State 9, Florida Department of Corrections 0

Saturday (night) - Ohio State at Wisconsin. Please, Badgers, put an end to any possibility that we'll have to sit through another title game thrashing involving the Buckeyes. One loss may not do it this year, especially after USC tanked. A grateful nation thanks you in advance. Score: Wisconsin 20, Ohio State 18

Last week: 4-2
Season: 15-12

Virginia Vacation - Day 10

Not sure how much of a vacation day this was; I suppose it depends on how much you like being in the car. We spent the whole day driving back, leaving before 7 am and getting home around 5:30 pm. I worried about getting stuck in traffic around the Meadowlands as the Giants were home, but it was fine (even stopped at the Vince). The traffic hit once over the GWB and on to the New York Thruway, which was very slow. Another argument for taking the long way around.

The only notable part of the trip was on 128 coming up from the Pike to home, where we got to see a fully engaged car fire. Thankfully, it looked like everyone got out of the car before it went up.

All in all, a much better vacation than Indiana, which was only a vacation for one of us (and even then not much of a vacation, as there's only so long you can hang out by yourself before you start to go a little batty). Then again, vacationing with in-laws can often lead to the same thing.

Virginia Vacation - Day 9

We finally connected the Historic Triangle by going to Colonial Williamsburg. It was pretty interesting, though we'd have appreciated more clarity between what buildings were recreations and what ones were original. Guides would usually note this, but not always (the guide for the capitol building never mentioned that it was rebuilt), and if you didn't go into a building you really had no way of knowing.

Also interesting were the number of buildings on the site that were serving as private residences. You'd need a very high tolerance for strangers traipsing through your backyard, among other qualities. I don't think I could put up with it.

Consequently, you can just walk on to the site from the town. You'd not be able to enter buildings (the staff is very alert to people not wearing a ticket badge), but if all you wanted to do is nose around and see the performances (there's a drum and fife procession, and on the day we were there a number of street theater pieces telling the story of local reaction to independence), you certainly could. And for the money we paid, I almost think I'd have preferred to nose around for free.

And that wrapped up the actual vacation portion of things. All that was left was the drive home.

Virginia Vacation - Day 8

We put the history aside for the day and took up geography, so to speak, by going to Busch Gardens Europe.

For those not familiar with the park, it has nationally-themed sections whose rides and attractions theoretically tie in to the country. For example, in Scotland you'd find the Loch Ness Monster roller coaster, in New France the log flume ride, and in Poland the Escape from the CIA Secret Prison motion ride.

(OK, I'm kidding about the last one. Poland isn't represented in the park.)

One of the things I've noticed as I've aged is that I've become a bit of a wuss where roller coasters are concerned. For me to go on one I need to see it in operation, gauge the height of the initial hill, find out what sort of restraint system is used, and then take a few minutes to ponder if it's for me. The Griffon was clearly not a coaster I was going to ride, given the 90 degree drop after its initial hill (and the way that the riders are held at the top, over the edge of the drop, for a few seconds before plunging to, what I see in my mind's eye, as a splatterific death on the pavement below).

To that end, I wound up passing on the Loch Ness Monster, which the wife went on about five minutes after we entered the park. If she'd been willing to wait a few more minutes I may have joined her, multiple loops be damned.

I do not have this same problem with other rides, so I did go on the variety of motion rides, the log flume, and even the bumper cars (I love bumper cars, they were always the highlight of summer trips to Canobie Lake Park when I was a kid). I did squeeze in one coaster, the Big Bad Wolf, which isn't too bad (though it has its highest hill towards the end, which seems a little cruel).

We also took in a few of the shows, which was kind of disappointing as they had all been changed for Howl-O-Scream. Seemed to early for that to me, but as Halloween candy has been on sale in our supermarket for a month I suppose it's the way things are going. While I wasn't looking forward to the shows, I would have preferred step dancing and guys and liederhosen slapping their feet to vampires singing covers of '80s music.

I will say that Busch Gardens is marginally less of a gougetastic experience than the Disney parks, and going on a Friday in mid-September pretty much guarantees minimal lines. It wasn't a bad way to spend a day of the vacation, and I'd go back if I was in the area (and it was a day where it wouldn't be too crowded), but I'm not exactly plotting my return trip now.

Virginia Vacation - Day 7

This was our second day of historical nerditry, as we went over to Yorktown. Same deal as Jamestown, the state has their own facility with recreated period scenes and the National Park Service is in charge of the actual location. Unlike Jamestown, though, there's been no numerically-significant anniversary to spur spending, so both locations are a bit disappointing.

The state's facility, the Yorktown Victory Center, has a decent museum area, but the movie they show is not very good at all. It tries to tell the story of the battle and the revolution by going through an American encampment before the last big push of the battle and hearing what various soldiers are talking about. It's not content-free, but it doesn't tell you much.

The recreated areas are small, and the encampment is too clean and ordered to suggest that the troops stationed there are fighting a war. There's also a farm/homestead area which doesn't quite fit in, though I liked that they were growing hops.

The NPS site's visitor center is suffering from age a bit, and the movie appears to have been made no later than 1981. The short walking tour we took did an excellent job of covering the basics of the seige and did take us through some of the remaining earthworks. But to see the whole site requires a driving tour, which we decided not to take. Which is too bad, as I'd have liked to seen more.

We did go through the actual town on the way to the NPS site. The downtown appears to mostly be an open-air mall-type thing, which we thankfully did not stop to explore.

One thing we noticed on the way home was the preponderance of gates on the on and off ramps that would cut them off from the roadways. From what I've read they seem to be there to allow for contraflow during hurricane evacuations, though I imagine they'd also help if the military had to get a lot of people in or out of the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area quickly.

So that was two-thirds of the Historic Triangle down.

Virginia Vacation - Day 6

My brother is an excellent golfer. My father loved to play, and wasn't too bad, either. One of his uncles was, for a time, the pro at the Westchester Country Club. So there is some connection to the game in my family.

I, for whatever reason, don't seem to share that connection, or at least not to the same extent. Which is why I had some trepidation going into this day of the vacation, the day where I annually tee it up with my father in law and the wife's uncle.

The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club in Williamsburg has two championship courses, one designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and the other by his son Rees. We did not play either of those. Instead, we opted for the $29 special to play the Spotswood Course. Which, when you think about it, isn't a bad deal considering it allowed us to play unlimited holes and included carts.

The course itself needs a little work. The 8th hole (which is the subject of the bottom right picture on their web page) may not be draining properly given the level of green slime on the water, and had more sand than grass on its green. Overall, though, it's a perfect course for hackers like us.

We're quite a trio when we go out, considering that the wife's uncle is legally blind and I often play like I am. Seriously, if this were a Cooch golfing recap I'd have had to contact MIT to design a polygon to contain some of my more egregious scores. But as we played on I got into the rhythm of things and even had legitimate par opportunities on occasion. Not that I converted any of them; it's hard to putt when you're more used to doing so while timing the arms of a tiny windmill. On at least two holes I took shots from under trees with a left-handed seven iron that my dad carried around for just such an occasion.

We wound up playing the course three times, as the second time around we zipped through in just about an hour. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but around hole 23 we started to flag, and we more or less played it out to satify honor.

The day ended up pretty much like every other vacation golf day, I enjoyed myself but not so much that I want to play every week. Though we do have a municipal course in town that's fairly cheap...

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Thursday - USC at Oregon State. The Trojans open their Pac-10 campaign against a team that lost by double digits to Stanford and got whacked by Penn State (but beat Hawaii - woo!). The only hope for the Beavers is if USC is already looking forward to the BCS title game, which is possible given the "strength"of the conference this year. Possible, but unlikely. Score: USC 98, Oregon State 3

Friday - Connecticut at Louisville. UConn's second consecutive Friday night game. I assume their opponent next week is New Haven East High? I shouldn't mock the Huskies, considering Louisville won't play another Saturday game until mid-October. The Big East should just make ESPN a title sponsor already. Score: Louisville 10, UConn 8

Saturday (early) - Army at Texas A&M. This would have been a great game - in 1958. Today, Army loses to New Hampshire by three scores and the Aggies open the season with a loss to Arkansas State. Sad. Score: Texas A&M 35, Army 2

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - Marshall at West Virginia. You would think that a game between the state's only two Divison I teams would be more of a rivalry, but it's not. The Mountaineers have a series sweep going, and last year marked the first time in 92 years that the Thundering Herd hosted the game. It does have a snazzy name - the Friends of Coal Bowl - with the winning team taking home the Black Lung Trophy. But it won't really be a rivalry until Marshall wins one, which I don't think will be this year. Score: West Virginia 27, Marshall 10

Saturday (night) - Illinois at Penn State. If nothing else, this game will either prove that the Nittany Lions are (relatively) for real or that the power of ZOOK!!!!! hasn't dulled. The Illini are going to have to sweat intensity and crap passion to pull this one out. Score: Penn State 23, Illinois 20

Sunday - San Jose State at Hawaii. Thanks, time zones, for making me recognize this crap-ass game. Score: San Jose State 7, Hawaii 3 (14OT)

Last week: 5-1
Season: 11-10

Virginia Vacation - Day 5

This was the first day of historical geekery, as we went over to Jamestown, the site of the first permanent English settlement on American soil.

I was a little confused when reading about Jamestown, as there are two main attractions. One, Jamestown Settlement, is run by the state of Virginia and is a recreation of early Jamestown on land that is near, but not part of, the original site. There's a large and well-appointed visitors center, behind which you find the recreated settlement area, which includes typical native dwellings, the fort and a work area of the town in about the 18th century, and full-sized replicas of the ships that brought the colonists to Virginia in 1607.

The other part is the actual site, which is run by the National Park Service as part of Colonial National Park. The site doesn't have any original structures, but does have some later ones as well as a good museum showcasing artifacts found during excavations. It's also cheaper than the settlement site.

We wound up doing both, and both have their advantages. The settlement recreation made it much easier to visualize colonial life, and some of the guides were quite adept at explaining life for natives and settlers alike (the younger guides were less knowledgable, though I expect that they were recently-hired college students based on some comments they made). We also got to put on some colonial armor and help hollow out a canoe, which was fun. Still, there was an air of make-believe to the place that made it a little hard for things to fully sink in.

The actual site has the advantage of being the actual site, as well as some extremely knowledgable rangers. It helps to have seen the recreation first, I think, as it allows you to overlay the visuals on to the original site. It takes away some of the fun of coming up with your own mental pictures, but at least replaces that with something reasonably accurate.

Both facilities show the benefit of the 400th anniversary of the founding, with new buildings and exhibits. Both also try to demonstrate the balance between the English settlers, the natives they found upon arriving, and the Africans who wound up in the area after escaping from the Spanish, an important part of the history but one that the settlement beats over your head a little too much, I think.

Anyway, if you ever go I'd plan on visiting both sites. No combo admission, sorry to say, but both offer combos with sites at Yorktown. More on that on Thursday.

Book Log 2008 #39: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

I've had both good (Home Town) and not so good (The Soul of a New Machine) experiences with Kidder, and am happy to report that this was also one of the good ones (perhaps I just need to read books he's written before they turn 20 years old).

The book follows Paul Farmer, who built a small health outreach program in Haiti into Partners in Health, a multinational organization that tackles TB and other medical issues in some of the world's most difficult settings. Farmer's approach is personal and pragmatic, and successful in ways that more bureaucratic groups (like the WHO) can't model or support given the greater bureaucracy involved. Kidder deftly weaves Farmer's personal life around this story, from his unorthodox upbringing to his own, rarely-seen wife and child.

In reading this I experienced equal parts awe at Farmer's successes and dismay that I'm wasting my life tapping on keyboards. It's an inspiring work that underscores that, after all the science and money, it's people who matter most.

Virginia Vacation - Day 4

A rest day, mostly spent in or by the pool at the timeshare. Had a conversation with a guy from Ohio that I gave up on once he recommended eating at Red Lobster while we were in town. That was pretty much all the interaction I had with other guests for the week, which is probably for the best.

We did go grocery shopping, and failed in my first quest for a bag of Utz's crab chips (which contain no crab, they're potato chips with Old Bay seasoning). They don't show up in supermarkets up here, even though Utz products have been widely available for at least a year. The only place I've found them up here have been at the Christmas Tree Shop and a local Italian grocery which doesn't always offer them (or were out the last time I went in, which was some time ago). Thought they'd be easy to find given our proximity to Maryland, but no soap.

We're back from a week-plus vacation to DC and Williamsburg, Virginia, and rather than try to recap it all at once (which has worked out so well for past trips to Devon, the Dominican Republic and Indiana), I'm going to do a day-by-day recap, with each day this week subbing for one day (or more) of the vacation.

So today, it's Virginia Vacation Days 1-3: Friday through Sunday

We left Boston on Friday night, hit the expected rush hour traffic but once we got through it was smooth sailing... until we got to New York. I think we averaged 4 miles per hour on the Cross Bronx Expressway. While that's never the speediest stretch of road, we've had bad luck through here the last three times we've driven through, so it may be time we take the Tappan Zee route permanently. Stayed the night at a Holiday Inn Express in Edison, New Jersey, where the front desk guy apologized for not getting us a ground floor room, which we found odd.

At least until the next morning, when a tour group where the average age was about 70 descended upon the breakfast bar en masse just as we were finishing up. We got out before they started to riot for Postum.

We made it to DC by 11 or so, and after getting thoroughly lost (as usual) and finding no luck with parking, we finally stopped in West Potomac Park and embarked on an afternoon walk around the monuments. This included several I'd not seen before, including ones for George Mason (a little creepy being larger than life-size), FDR (impressive, but we walked through it backwards, which I think diminished things a bit), the Korean War (very well executed) and World War II (which I liked, probably fitting that it was more traditional than the Korean or Vietnam memorials). We also saw Bob Dole at the WWII memorial, who was doing meet and greets with members of a veterans group.

The walk was over three miles, and it being over 90 degrees with significant humidity we were pretty wiped by the end, and looked forward to cooling off at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel. Which we couldn't find, although we probably drove under it at least once before sorting out which ramp we had to take to get up to hotel level. It's not a bad hotel, but it clearly caters to business folks, between the charges for everything and the lowel level shopping area that was closed up tight on a Saturday afternoon. Both HUD and Transportation have buildings in the area; HUD's may be the ugliest government building in the district. You be the judge.

We then took the Metro over to Union Station to have dinner at the Capital City Brewing Company. I have serious subway envy when it comes to the Metro, and while it is showing its age a bit it does at least have certain amenities that the T lacks, such as signboards that tell you when the next train is arriving and automated fare machines that work better than the Charlie Card system, even though they're at least 20 years older. I know everyday riders would be able to give me its faults, but as a casual rider I still enjoy it more than my daily trip.

Sunday was to start with a trip to Mt. Vernon and then the drive to Williamsburg. We decided to squeeze in a quick stop at Arlington National Cemetary. That quick stop wound up being almost three hours, forcing us to scrap Mt. Vernon. We got turned around leaving Arlington, putting us back into DC, which was more or less shut down thanks to the National Triathlon. We spent nearly an hour getting to a place where we could get the hell out, and I'll admit that I lost my shit at least once. I usually don't over traffic, but this time the whole delay was so obviously avoidable that I couldn't contain myself. There were no detour signs or police officers to direct traffic or provide directions. Actually, I did see two officers, but they were firmly entrenched in their cruiser (too hot to get out, I suspect). A better metaphor for federal governance could never be created. The wife navigated our escape, and we got down to Williamsburg in late afternoon.

The afternoon saw us take a quick view of Williamsburg as we tried to get to two different CVS branches to get prescriptions filled. It's probably a good thing I never visited when I was planning to go to law school at William and Mary, as I never would have decided to stay at BU if I had. Although the number of shopping centers may have put me off.

Meme time! Ran across this post on Boston.com's dining blog, so here's what I've eaten on The Omnivore's Hundred:

(And because I'm feeling dorky, it's now with added color coding. Black are the things I've had, Red the things that would likely kill me, green the things I would eat, orange for the things I think I've eaten but am not sure about, and purple for the things that I think would make me turn that color if I ate them.)

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

I'd like to think I'm reasonably adventurous about eating, but many of the green items I'd try only if I wasn't in a position where I'd have to buy an entire serving if I didn't like it.  There's also a subset of things I'd try buy feel no particular compulsion to go out and do so (steak tartare, salted lassi, and most of the alcoholic drinks).  If forced to try any of the purple foods, I'd probably give horse a go. My father in law has had it (in Spain back when he was in the service), and he said it wasn't bad. Though I don't think he knew it was horse before tucking in.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Wednesday - Kansas State at Louisville. I don't think there was ever a time where this would be a good football game, and at this point it wouldn't even be a good basketball game. And isn't it a little early in the year to be starting in on the Wednesday games? Couldn't ESPN give us two baseball games with playoff implications? Score: Louisville 9, Kansas State 4

Thursday - West Virginia at Colorado. Both teams have had a week off - the Mountaineers to stew in their loss to East Carolina, Colorado after their win over Eastern Washington. I can't imagine either team is in a good mood (Colorado only won by 7), but I'll take the team that really has something to prove. Score: West Virginia 24, Colorado 6

Friday - Baylor at Connecticut. The least essential match-up of the year. I think Baylor is under the assumption that UConn is still 1-AA, and by the end of things they'll wish that assumption was true. And then they get to play Oklahoma! Also, I promise that this is the last time I feature Baylor, this is more pub than they deserve. Score: UConn 35, Baylor 0

Saturday (early) - Iowa at Pittsburgh. The Big 10 has six early games. This is the only one not on the Big 10 Network. FAU-Minnesota is, as is the looming bloodbath of Penn State-Temple. I assumed this was because ESPN would show it, but apparently not. More fun with programming from these folks. Anyway, I'm willing to bet that the loser of this game sacks their coach before the end of the season. Adios, Kirk. Score: Pitt 6, Iowa 4

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - Florida at Tennessee. When was the last time this game was played where one of the teams wasn't ranked? It was 2002, when the Gators went to Knoxville and won 30-13. That makes things easy. Score: Florida 30, Tennessee 13

Saturday (night) - Massachusetts at Texas Tech. I suppose it's games like this that helps Our State U offer hockey, so I'll give them my best on the way to the slaughter. You don't eke out a win over Holy Cross and then hope to keep up with the Big XII's resident offensive circus. Score: Texas Tech 66, UMass 3

Last week: 2-3
Season: 6-9

Book Log 2008 #38: The Anatomist by Bill Hayes

Hayes originally set out to write about Henry Gray, whose anatomical text has been the reference of choice for over a century. Unfortunately for Hayes, it turns out that Gray left little behind that could be used to write a biography, in part due to his early passing from smallpox. Rather than give up, Hayes turns his focus to Henry Carter, the book's illustrator, who proved a more accessible subject, and especially interesting given his competing drive to succeed in medicine and an almost militant piety.

Hayes mixes this story with his own involvement in a series of anatomy classes, where he goes from simple observer to amateur expert while musing on what anatomy and its study tells us about ourselves. The two tracks of the book don't always mesh well, but the ending throws a twist unusual to non-fiction, one which helps to tie things together. It's a short read, but an interesting one, as much for Hayes' story than Carter's.

Book Log 2008 #37: Panic in Level 4 by Richard Preston

Preston name-drops John McPhee early on in the introduction to this book, which is fitting as the book takes a McPhee-like wander through the fringes of science. The majority of the stories take place in Preston's medical/biological wheelhouse, from his own encounter with a possible exposure to Ebola to a rare genetic disorder that results in self-cannibalism. The other stories feature the Chudnovsky brothers, whose focus on higher math - specifically determining pi - led them to build a supercomputer in their New York apartment.

I liked the stories in general, but I think there's a kind of disconnect between stories that doesn't lead to the sort of unified whole that McPhee gets in his work. As fringey as the Chudnovskys might be, they may be a little out of place in a book that references high-level biohazards. But that shouldn't dissuade you if you like Preston's previous work.

Book Log 2008 #36: The Triumph of Caesar by Steven Saylor

The latest in the Gordianus the Finder series, it picks up with Gordianus back from Egypt, looking forward to spending time with his family when he is thrown into a double investigation into the death of a friend and a potential plot against Julius Caesar (no, not that plot).

That there is a new book is apparently a surprise, as some readers thought Gordianus had died at the end of the previous book. I never thought that, which is either a sign that I'm working on the same level mentally as Saylor or I was just too dense to think that the ending of the book was also the ending of the series. I'm going with the latter.

Another solid and entertaining entry in the series.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Thursday - North Carolina at Rutgers. I think the Scarlet Knights are happy this is North Carolina rather than East Carolina, though the ways things are going they may have preferred South Carolina. Western Carolina gets no consideration based on lack of directional conformity. Sadly, this digression will likely be more entertaining than this game, which at a different time of year would be known as the Armed Forces Bowl. Score: Rutgers 17, UNC 3

Friday - Kansas at South Florida. Could ESPN perhaps switch this game with Thursday's game? Because I won't be home Friday night and would much rather watch this, even though Kansas is likely to demonstrate to South Florida why people think the Big East is a joke. Score: Kansas 37, USF 10

Saturday (early) - Washington State at Baylor. If nothing else, this guarantees that one of these teams will have a win over a D1 opponent this season. Not so fast, Baylor. Score: Washington State 7, Baylor -2

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech. Winner here takes on the winner of Cal Tech-MIT for the Golden Protractor. Score: Virginia Tech 32pi/7, Georgia Tech 3!

Saturday (night) - Oklahoma at Washington. Jake Locker leads the Huskies to a furious comeback, only to get called for two celebration penalties when he smiles and pats the back of his center after a touchdown. The 50 yard extra point hits both uprights and the crossbar - twice - before the ball falls into the end zone. Score: Oklahoma 31, Washington 30

Last week: 3-2
Season: 4-6

Book Log 2008 #35: Bananas! How the United Fruit Company Changed the World by Peter Chapman

It's been a while since I've read this, but I do have a sense of lingering disappointment. I think it stems from a lack of follow-up on the event that starts the book off: the dramatic suicide of CEO Eli Black, who threw himself out the window of his office on the 44th floor of the Pan Am Building in New York. The book delves into the company's early history, and how it grew in power to dominate the countries that were home to its plantation, culminating in its involvement in a 1954 coup in Guatemala.

From there, though, the history of the company gets sparse, missing I think a chance to link the company's rapacious practices with its later problems (even if the link isn't provable, it'd have been a nice contrast from a literary point of view).

Overall it's a decent example of how globalization can go wrong, though at times the author's ovbious contempt for his subject takes away from things. Not that there's much to love about United Fruit, but less is more at times.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Thursday - South Carolina at Vanderbilt. I was leaning towards the clash between Nicholls State and New Mexico State, but that got postponed what with the hurricane and all. I'm guessing because the Nicholls State folks didn't want to get stuck in Las Cruces. I think I'd rather take my chances with the storm surge, too.

As for the game being played, South Carolina is tuning up for Georgia next week, and might be looking past this game. Vandy is playing Rice next week, and maybe will be looking forward too much for next week, when everyone will get to play. Score: South Carolina 23, Vandy 15

Friday - Navy at Ball State. There may be more rushing touchdowns than passing attempts in this game. The Fightin' Lettermans are a perfect 2-0 against the Middies, but I don't think three will be the charm. Score: Navy 35, Ball St. 24

Saturday (early) - Southern Miss at Auburn. Maybe the Tigers/War Eagles will do us all a favor and have their crippling loss early this year. It's the football equivalent of doing your Christmas shopping in October. Both teams feasted on schools in the University of Louisiana system last week, so it's not like either team has actual data to look at for this season. I'm pretty sure Auburn used their swim team in the final quarter of their game. Score: Auburn 27, Southern Miss 17

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - San Diego State at Notre Dame. The Aztecs lost to Cal Poly last week. Should the Golden Domers somehow manage to lose this game they should drop football forever. I realize I've just made several new San Diego State fans with that suggestion. Score: Notre Dame 35, SDSU 3

Saturday (night) - Murray State at Indiana. The game the Big Ten Network was created to show. Seriously, this is their prime time game this week. I can't imagine why cable operators wouldn't want to add this to their roster of channels. Score: Indiana 9, Murray State 6

Last week: 1-4
Season: 1-4

I don't have a real opinion on this whole Bristol Palin pregnancy thing, other than hoping she and the baby daddy get away from the sort of names that were used on Bristol and her siblings. Although it would be amusing to have the Vice President introduce the nation to her first grandchild, Yardarm Slapshot Palin-Johnston.