Still being a bit new at the Facebook thing, I have a question. I have three people who I don't know who have sent friend requests solely to become allies on one game that I've been playing (World Domination, in case you're looking for allies as well). I know that it's pretty common for people to add strangers as friends, but was curious as to any potential downside. Comments welcome!

The wife spent some of her formative years here, thankfully not at gunpoint.

Book Log 2008 #48: House Lust by Daniel McGinn

I read this a while ago and apparently forgot to log it, but from what I can remember this was a pretty good survey of the ways property ownership - either in one's own house or in investment property in a state you may never visit - has gotten people to go off the deep end in both good and bad ways. I think it'd be a more interesting read in the wake of all the subprime nonsense, and I'd love to catch up with some of the people in the book to see how they're faring.

Now that we have a World Series that's dangerously close to going into November for no good reason, can someone consider bringing back the doubleheader? The players won't because they don't want to play two games in a day, and owners won't because they fear that two games on the same day won't perform as well as one game each on two days. And Bud won't because the owners won't. Maybe President Obama can do something about this?

If each team plays one doubleheader a month, that would take a week off of the schedule. This may not help avoid the current problem (it's just as likely to be crappy on October 19 as October 26 in the Northeast), but mentally I think it'd be a nice move.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Tuesday - Houston at Marshall. This sounds less like a football game and more like the name of a '50s TV western. "Tune in next week to find out if Marshall Houston can save Miss Lil from the clutches of the evil Benson gang!" God knows the western would be more interesting. Houston does pass a lot, so let's pretend that this will be some sort of shootout at the medicore at best corral. Score: Houston 31, Marshall 7

Thursday - South Florida at Cincinnati. I'm a little shocked that South Florida is still ranked after their loss last week to Louisville, but am even more shocked at how many Big East teams are on the cusp of bowl eligibility. Six of the conference's eight teams have at least five wins, which I'm sure is comforting to the folks at the International Bowl. Anyway, tonight's winner will be one step closer to not playing in Toronto in January, which seems like a good thing. Score: South Florida 31, Cincinnati 23

Saturday (early) - Northwestern at Minnesota. Pre-season consensus was that neither of these teams would finish in the top half of the Big 10. Sports Illustrated had the Wildcats as high as sixth, while no major publication put the Gophers higher than ninth. So, of course, the teams are a combined 13-3 this season (5-3 in conference). A win for Minnesota puts them at 8-1 and, with a favorable schedule, potentially into the Rose Bowl. I'd like to see that. Score: Minnesota 21, Northwestern 10

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - Arkansas State at Alabama. Even for a homecoming game, this is weak. The Tide could at least play a C-USA team. I hope this drops them in the BCS standings, if just for the week. Score: Alabama 93, Arkansas State 2

Saturday (night) - Texas at Texas Tech. Expect another tight defensive struggle from these two teams. Ha! We'll be lucky if neither team fires its defensive coordinator before halftime. If the Longhorns get through this they'll run the table (with Kansas as a minor bump), while the Red Raiders get Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to follow this up. Should they win all three, I'd be OK with letting them, Alabama and Penn State play a round robin to determine the national title. Score: Texas 52, Texas Tech 48

Sunday - Central Florida at East Carolina. Scheduling tip - the Golden Knights have demonstrated why two weeks off in the middle of the season may not be such a good idea. They lost back-to-back games, took the time off, and got whacked by Tulsa upon their return. If you can't put together a workable game plan in two weeks, what hope do you have for the rest of the season? Score: East Carolina 33, UCF 3

Last week: 4-3
Season: 38-22

Book Log 2008 #47: The Great Derangement by Matt Taibbi

Disgusted with the way that day to day goverment runs in Washington (as attested in asides on how both parties are twisting the legislative process), Taibbi sets out to see how others similarly disaffected have channeled their energies. On the right, he hooks up with John Hagee's church, while on the left he samples some of the groups who believe that the US government either supported or simply allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur.

I enjoyed the two long, strange trips into the subcultures, but I'm not sure to what extent either group was really reacting towards the derangement in the title. In many cases (especially with the church group), the people Taibbi speaks with don't seem particularly political, but are more looking for some sort of individual direction in their lives (the truth groups less so, though the middle-level leaders come off as joining so they can boss other members around).

As I said I did enjoy the book and Taibbi's brand of participatory journalism. Not sure how much it informed me on the current political climate, but it's better than most of the usual political stuff that's out there.

For those of you who are looking for one more thing to drive you to distraction on election night, I've created a little prediction game.

Point yourself here to get a copy of the spreadsheet, and get your completed predictions to me by 11:59 PM EDT on Monday, November 3. If I've screwed anything up, feel free to note it in the comments for my public shaming and eventual correction. The winner will get a prize, by which I mean something I'll find at home that can be easily mailed or hand-delivered the next time I see the winner.

Two weeks until the election, so you know what that means. Endorsement time!

President - OK, I voted for John McCain in the primary, as I got to couple the vicarious thrill of voting in a Republican primary with maximizing my opportunities to vote against Mitt Romney. But I went into it knowing that I wouldn't vote for him again in November, and that's still the case. We're too far apart on issues, and he's clearly not the McCain of 2000. His talk is less straight now than ever, and I fully expect he'll bust out some revamped versions of John Edwards' "two Americas" stump speech before the week is out.

So then there's the other major option, Barack Obama. We in Massachusetts got a sneak preview of his campaign two years ago when Deval Patrick ran for governor, as the whole hope/change theme was the basis of his candidacy. And considering that it's been a mixed bag for Governor Patrick, I worry about similar lack of results for a potential President Obama (though I think Obama will find working with Congress less problematic than Patrick has found working with our hack-infested state legislature). So I'm at a bit of an impasse with him.

Normally, I'd settle this by going with one of the third-party candidates. In 2004 I endorsed voting for any one of them, depending on your politics. The only problem is that this year's crop of third-party candidates is sorely lacking. Your choices:

Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party: I don't know much about him as a person, but looking at the Party's website is interesting, to say the least. To quote their mission statement, "The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries." Which is great news to the folks who train seeing-eye dogs. They also seem very concerned about the North American Union, a theoretical merger of the US, Canada and Mexico, though I think they're missing a fundraising opportunity by not selling party logo-embossed tinfoil hats on their website.

Bob Barr, Libertarian Party: My problem here is personal, as Barr's role in the Clinton impeachment makes me want to slap the stupid little mustache off of his face every time I see him on TV. That he's turned his back on the GOP and now may help to torpedo McCain in some states makes me a little happy, in that now people on both sides hate the twerp.

Cynthia McKinney, Green Party: Assuming I never get the change to slap Barr's mustache off his face, McKinney may be able to do the honors for me. I've voted for the Greens the last couple of times, but can't see myself doing so this time between the cop slapping and all.

Ralph Nader, Independent: At this point I think he keeps running because he likes to get out of the house.

With all that in mind, the best I can do is say that Blogolicious endorses no one in particular, but wouldn't be heartbroken if you voted for Obama. Or Nader, if you want to get your third party on.

Senate - John Kerry is up against Republican Jeff Beatty and Libertarian Robert Underwood. Kerry is actually going through the motions of a campaign, as he's run TV ads, sent out mailers (including one with him acting as the T in the word VOTE) and even had a debate with Beatty on New England Cable News. I'll admit to knowing very little about Beatty and Underwood, but perusing their websites there's not enough there to convince me that either one of them is the right agent for change. So, for what it's worth, Blogalicious endorses John Kerry, though not exactly with enthusiasm.

US House - John Tierney runs against Richard Baker, a Republican. We actually got a mailing for Baker last week, looking to get money from us to do another mailing. Why he didn't just do one mailing I'm not sure, but he did tout his experience balancing the budget of his local school district as why he's the pefect person to fix our economy. I expect his plan has Treasury agents going door to door to sell wrapping paper, scented candles, and shares of AIG. While I'm dubious on him due to his switcharoo on the bailout bill, Blogalicious endorses John Tierney.

State House - Our state rep (Mary Grant) and state senator (Fred Berry) and governor's councilor (Mary Ellen Manning) are all running unopposed, so an endorsement seems pointless. However, we'll go out of district as Blogalicious endorses Arthur Vigeant for state representative for the Fourth Middlesex District. In the interest of full disclosure I work with one of his family members, but he does seem like the right choice, given that he's a long-time Marlborough city counselor running against a Democrat who was an aide to the previous rep.

I won't bore you with county races.

Ballot Question 1 seeks to repeal the state income tax in Massachusetts, cutting it in half next year and removing it entirely the following year. This doesn't seem like the best idea, given what the medium-term predictions are for the economy, and when paired with the cap cities and towns have on raising property tax the results of this passing look pretty grim. On the other hand, if you ever wanted to pay $750 to renew your driver's license, this seems like the perfect way to have it happen. Blogalicious endorses a no vote on Question 1.

Ballot Question 2 would decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, replacing criminal sanctions with fines and (in some cases) mandated treatment. Law enforcement and county DAs are against the question, and while I do have some concern related to public health and safety, I'm not convinced that the criminal system is the best way to approach things, so Blogalicious endorses a yes vote on Question 2.

Ballot Question 3 would ban dog racing, a proposal that's been brought up before and met with narrow defeat. While supporters focus on animal cruelty issues, I'm thinking this would be a good way to open up space for actual casinos. Trump's people have already looked at Wonderland, the track in Revere, which is located near public transportation and is likely to go bankrupt due to low revenue and significant tax debt. This could also shift racing fans to Suffolk Downs, which could use the business as well. So, perhaps twisted logic, but it leads to Blogalicious endorsing a yes vote on Question 3.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Tuesday - Ohio at Temple. Ah, sweet, sweet Tuesday football. It's MACtacular! Or whatever you call a match-up between a pair of 2-5 teams who would probably lose to North Dakota State. Score: Ohio 3, Temple 2 (23 OT)

Thursday - Auburn at West Virginia. A decent Thursday night affair, though I think the ESPN folks were expecting at least one of the teams to be nationally-ranked coming into it. Auburn limps in after a home loss to Arkansas (who may not win another game in conference), and West Virginia literally limps in with an injury to Pat White (not literally limping, it's a head injury) derailing their offense. White will be back this week, so it looks like another backwoods thumping for the Tigers. Score: West Virginia 24, Auburn 14

Friday - Boise State at San Jose State. With BYU's BCS-buster bid gone blooey, the Broncos face their toughest test before the season-ending game with Fresno State. We have to have at least one team spoil the party, and I'd prefer it be a team that's done so before in notable fashion. Score: Boise State 31, San Jose State 20

Saturday (early) - Texas Tech at Kansas. I feel kind of bad for Texas Tech. They're undefeated, yet all the talk is about Texas, Oklahoma State and one-loss Oklahoma. I don't feel as bad when I look at their schedule, peppered as it is with easy wins (recall their game a few weeks ago against UMass). I go back to feeling bad when I see that the Red Raiders will play Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in consecutive weeks in November. But, oddly, I'll feel something like relief when they leave Lawrence with a shootout loss. Score: Kansas 45, Texas Tech 38

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - UCLA at California. UCLA scored a touchdown with 10 seconds left to pull out a win over Stanford last Saturday. This makes a Cal win doubly important, as it will help the Golden Bears their fifth win and one they can lord over the Cardinal during the Big Game. Score: Cal 31, UCLA 20

Saturday (night) - Middle Tennessee State at Mississippi State. While I've not done the research on it, I think this could be the longest combination of school names possible for division I football. Expect MTSU to win when they hit the triple word score. Score: MTSU 24, Mississippi State 22

Sunday - Central Florida at Tulsa. Take that, Hawaii! And this game's even on TV, which will be great comfort to the dozens of people who didn't want to watch Indy-Tennessee or game 4 of the World Series. Score: Tulsa 37, Central Florida 9

Last week: 5-1
Season: 34-19

Now that the baseball season is over for the LA Dodgers, it's time to start wondering where Manny Ramirez will wind up next season. My top five possibilities:

5. Baltimore Orioles - Peter Angelos loves to sign aging sluggers, and in this case he'd actually be signing one who is still hitting (and who is apparently not using any performance-enhancing drugs; we'll leave mood-enhancing drugs out for now). If he heads here, expect him to finish his first season under a five year, $130 million contract with a .211 batting average, 8 home runs and 24 RBI just to fit the pattern.

4. New York Yankees - of course everyone has him going here, as he's from New York and the Steinbrenners are angling to have the first billion-dollar payroll in sports. I'm less convinced that Manny will wind up here, either because A-Rod has some sort of hissy fit over his potential singing or it will finally dawn on Manny that life in the Yankees fishbowl will be even tighter than in the Red Sox fishbowl (I assume the explanation will involve flash cards, a game of charades and the use of Lego figurines).

3. Los Angeles Dodgers - Manny seems to like LA, and the fans have certainly reacted well to him. I don't know if the mutual appreciation would last if he became a regular, either through fans not understanding that he doesn't always hit .400 or Manny finding LA a little too anonymous. But the Dodgers have let the Angels get the upper hand in terms of local baseball supremacy, and signing Manny would be a good way to change that around a bit.

(Of course, Anaheim could make a play here, and by not putting them on the list I'm more or less guaranteeing that Manny will be with the Halos by Thanksgiving.)

2. New York Mets - this is almost the perfect scenario for Manny, as he'd be playing in New York for a team with a strong Latino orientation, but would be under less of a microscope thanks to the attention given to the Yankees. I don't know if Manny would react well to the one time the Mets get attention: their annual swoon from playoff contention. I also don't know if the Mets want to throw the sort of money at Manny that other teams will pony up, but they do have a new stadium to fill (which you may have heard about through all the din surrounding Yankee Stadium), and Manny would help with that.

1. San Francisco Giants - they're a team that has a proven track record for spending money on aging sluggers who may not be the clubhouse fave. They have a dedicated fan base, but one not known for its rabidity. They're rebuilding and can use a marquee name, and playing in the NL West they're never that far out of playoff contention. And what major league city would be more accepting of Manny than this one?

Book Log 2008 #46: USSA by David Madsen

In this book, the US has won WWIII and occupied Russia. A large displaced persons camp rings Moscow, and large areas of the country are off limits due to radiation. The espionage market has dried up, forcing many cashiered spies into working on corporate cases. Among the lower tier of such spies is Dean Joplin, whose luck turns when an officer of the occupation police hires him to conduct an off the books investigation of a murder in a new luxury hotel.

From there things progress as you might expect in a spy thriller/mystery. There are a few places where you'll find echoes of future Arkady Renko plots, but this book never comes close to the excellence of that series. It's not a bad book, but it never quite uses it's setting as well as it could have. The depiction of the occupation police officer and his family is also kind of off-putting, which doesn't help.

I don't think it's quite worth seeking out, but may be worth a browse for alt-history types.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Thursday - Florida State at North Carolina State. They say that no parent should outlive their child (so true), but I don't know if there's a similar sentiment for a parent's career outlasting that of their children. Probably not where the Bowdens are concerned. Maybe Bobby winning this week will help to open up the NC State job for one of the boys. Score: Florida State 24, NC State 10

Friday - Hawaii at Boise State. The (Rainbow) Warriors are on here a lot, aren't they? I suppose it helps to have a time zone to yourself. Plan ahead for their appearances here when they host Nevada and Idaho, which should be more competitive than this game. Score: Boise State 55, Hawaii 7

Saturday (early) - Vanderbilt at Georgia. I love the Vandy story so far, but I really can't see them going into Athens and winning, considering they've not done so since 1874. Actually, they won there in 2006, Georgia's "down" year when they went 9-4. Still, as long as the Bulldogs don't try another fan blackout they should be fine. Score: Georgia 37, Vandy 17

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - Toldeo at Northern Illinois. Even you don't consider their win over Michigan an upset given the way the Wolverines are playing this year, you know that there's going to be a let-down, right? Score: Northern Illinois 31, Toledo 2

Saturday (night) - Oregon State at Washington or Mississippi State at Tennessee. The Head Coach Death Watch focuses on Seattle and Knoxville, as Ty Willingham and Phil Fulmer coach for their jobs. Willingham at least has the excuse of Jake Locker still being out, not that it will keep the axe at bay for long. Score: Oregon State 31, Washington 7, Willingham 0; Mississippi State 12, Tennessee 6, Fulmer 0

Last week: 5-2
Season: 24-17

Book Log 2008 #45: New Masters, Old World by Cynthia Saltzman

This book details how a small group of American collectors, flush with fortunes made during our rapid industrial growth after the Civil War, created (and later dominated) the European market for high-quality paintings by the likes of Vermeer and Rembrandt (among others). These collectors, working with European-based intermediaries of varying ethics, created collections of both quality and quantity, which enriched private residences before becoming the foundation for colletions of museums across the country.

The story is deftly told from both the art and business perspectives, which isn't surprising as Saltzman has a background in both. She also gives a great deal of background on both the collectors and their agents, which helps to explain why the interest in collecting developed and how it was often exploited for personal gain.

The one major issue I had with the book is that it doesn't end as well as it starts. Coverage of the end of this collecting period, marked by the deaths of the original collectors and the varying success their heirs had in keeping the collections, seems rushed and much less interesting. A minor issue is that there are a number of paintings mentioned that are never reproduced in the book, and while Saltzman describes them well having the visual would be a bonus.

A good read for anyone interested in art or Gilded Age history.

Just once, when Sarah Palin or someone of her ilk drops a "Barack HUSSEIN Obama" in the middle of a speech, I want the crowd to react like the kids do in the Harry Potter books when Voldemort gets mentioned by name. Whatever faith I have in humanity will finally exhaust itself, but at least I'll get a chuckle out of it.

The Blogalicious College Football Games of the Week

Tuesday - Troy at Florida Atlantic. More mid-week love for the Sun Belt Conference, who is to ESPN2 what the Big East is to the mothership. The Owls tripped me up last week, so this week I am obligated not to take them so they can screw things up for me again. Score: Troy 27, FAU 10

Thursday - Clemson at Wake Forest. Wait, there isn't some MAC-WAC paddywhack we can get for Wednesday? Or does paddywhack more describe what Notre Dame is in for this week against UNC? Either way, Clemson is marginally lucky to be playing the second-best college football team in North Carolina this week. They may still be in this game at halftime. Score: Wake Forest 27, Clemson 6

Friday - Louisville at Memphis. Dick Vitale is sitting by the phone wondering why he hasn't been called to cover this game. Score: Louisville 38, Memphis 9

Saturday (early) - Texas at Oklahoma. Well, not really at Oklahoma as the game's being played in Dallas, which I'd think is unfair to the Sooners if they weren't the best team in the country and if Texas wasn't overrated (their 5 wins: FAU, UTEP, Rice, Arkansas, Colorado). Oklahoma at least played one ranked team (TCU was #24 when they faced off). I look forward to a Big XII title game where the winner here and Missouri combine for 1400 yards. Score: Oklahoma 37, Texas 28

Saturday (mid-afternoon) - Michigan State at Northwestern. If the Wildcats are going to shore up their claim of being the Vanderbilt of the Big 10, it starts here. But I have a feeling it'll stop here, though as it's the Big 10 the Spartans could lose by 30 just as easily. Score: Michigan State 17, Northwestern 15

Saturday (night) - LSU at Florida. I really need the Gators to lose here, as (a) I'm sick of them skulking around the BCS picture, and (b) it'd he highly entertaining if they were ranked lower than Vandy (or not at all!) when they take on the Commodores in November. I am slightly less sick of LSU hanging around, if only because I take warped pleasure out of James Carville trying to talk football. Score: LSU 23, Florida 18

Sunday - Louisiana Tech at Hawaii. I was all set to talk smack about the (Rainbow) Warriors, except that they beat Fresno State last week. Still not going to stay up for this thing, which is good as there doesn't appear to be a local outlet showing the game. Score: Hawaii 20, Louisiana Tech 2

Last week: 4-3
Season: 19-15

Book Log 2008 #44: A Few Seconds of Panic by Stefan Fatsis

I was somewhat disposed to dislike this book due to some loyalty towards Just Kick It, where another aging soccer player becomes a football kicker. I enjoyed that book quite a bit, and as it takes place locally I was a little miffed (irrationally so) that a better-known author would get more publicity for kicking for a better-known team (even if, unlike St. Amant, he didn't get to kick in live games).

What I should have been thinking is that there was a chance that there'd be two highly enjoyable books that use a similar premise to tell very different stories. That's the reality of the situation, as this book is as entertaining in its depiction of life in the NFL's least-secure position as Just Kick It is in telling the story of players looking for another season doing what they most enjoy.

Fatsis is skilled at getting into subcultures - if you've not read Word Freak, do so at your earliest convenience - and kickers may comprise the NFL's ultimate subculture. Granted, he gets access other kickers don't (he speaks with Mike Shanahan and team execs quite a bit), but he also gets into the minds of established guys like Jason Elam and fringe guys whose names I can't even remember. He's also there during Todd Sauerbrun's drug suspension, which helps to add some color to the narrative.

So, your two conclusions: one, I'm an idiot, and two, read both of these scribe-turned-kicker books.

Book Log 2008 #43: The Bluest State by Jon Keller

Keller, who has spent his career as a local political journalist, seems like just the right person to write a critique of the one-party, hack-heavy Massachusetts political system. And in places the fit between subject and author is just right, with Keller skewering the way folks like Tom Finneran played power games while not addressing state-wide economic issues like job growth and a lack of affordable housing.

But things don't work so well in most of the book, in which Keller blames pretty much everything on the outdated policies and values of the "boomer liberals," which in most cases is a Kennedy or John Kerry. And, of course, these folks hate America, don't give to charity, think religion is bunk and are to blame for the whole PC thing (seriously, there's a whole chapter on PC language and thinking that would have made some sense if the book was written ten years earlier).

I think my issue with this book is similar to the one I had with Thomas Frank's What's the Matter With Kansas? (which is mentioned a few times in the book as well). Both have an interesting premise and the material to really support it, but things drift as the book goes on. Maybe I'm just fated to be disappointed in contemporary political writing.

Book Log #42: 1434 by Gavin Menzies

I started this book thinking it was related to 1491, Charles Mann's book that uses a variety of new research and methodologies to paint a very different picture of the pre-Columbian Western Hemisphere than that which has been typically presented. Instead, it's the follow up to 1421, in which Menzies theorizes a Chinese discovery of America.

Suffice it to say that I was sadly mistaken. Where Mann makes his argument based on published research and interviews with people in the field, most of Menzies' ideas seem to have sprung from his head while on vacations with his wife. In fact, both he and his wife are mentioned more often then any Chinese admiral in the parts of the book I could get through. Needless to say I didn't make it through the entire work, and while it may have taken a turn for the better, I'm doubting it did.

Even so, I am interested in a suggested third book in the series, where Menzies will apparently argue that legendary admiral Zheng He is buried somewhere around Asheville, North Carolina. I'm looking forward to an Al Capone's vault-style TV special for if and when he finds Zheng's tomb.

Book Log 2008 #40 and 41: Service of All the Dead and The Dead of Jericho by Colin Dexter

Two more in the Morse series, the first revolving around deaths at a local church, the latter on two killings on a small street in the titular Oxford neighborhood. Both are good, and have some similarities where the victims are concerned. More development in the Morse-Lewis relationship, which is pretty much where it'll be for the rest of the series, I think.