Upstate doesn't count, buddy...

Taken from the CNNSI Boxscore in-game blog...

Darryl Johnston...go back to Dallas.
03:42 PM | As a New Yorker, I can admit that Eli Manning does get a lot of scrutiny in NYC, but this week's headlines were all about A-Rod and the feud between Marbury and Isiah Thomas with nothing about the Giants. I don't know what Darryl is talking about but Eli actually got a break from the criticism this week. Sad thing is, after looking so unimpressive in this victory, it might return on Monday | J. Heck Goree

PASSING
Manning
CP/AT 28/39
YDS 283
TD 1
INT 0

RATING 100.694

But you are right, people are giving him a break from criticism.

for all you Huckabee lovers out there...

I thought this was hilarious and quite clever! Huckabee may very well be that dark horse candidate that the Republicans need in '08. Apparently, his sense of humor is well known...

plus, Chuck Norris said so...lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDUQW8LUMs8&eurl

Week 11, back to a full slate of games

Which means lots of catch-up chances... pick your winners!

Sunday, November 18
Tampa Bay @ Atlanta
Cleveland @ Baltimore
NY Giants @ Detroit
Miami @ Philadelphia
Oakland @ Minnesota
San Diego @ Jacksonville
Kansas City @ Indianapolis
Arizona @ Cincinatti
Carolina @ Green Bay
New Orleans @ Houston
Pittsburgh @ NY Jets
Chicago @ Seattle
St. Louis @ San Francisco
Washington @ Dallas
New England @ Buffalo

Monday, November 19
Tennessee @ Denver

I feel like talking smack, but as soon as I do the football gods will do something worse than frowning... pick 'em....

Sunday, November 11
Atlanta @ Carolina
Minnesota @ Green Bay
Denver @ Kansas City
Buffalo @ Miami
St. Louis @ New Orleans
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh
Jacksonville @ Tennessee
Philadelphia @ Washington
Cincinatti @ Baltimore
Detroit @ Arizona
Dallas @ NY Giants
Chicago @ Oakland
Indianapolis @ San Diego

Monday, November 12
San Francisco @ Seattle

What's a methylene amongst friends?

Doubtless you've heard about the Chinese-made toy "Aquadots" that is being pulled for having a compound that metabolizes into GHB. The Washington Post says that the culprit is a simple compound switch:

"Moose Enterprises said Bindeez and Aqua Dots are made at the same factory, which is in Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province. Last week, the government announced an export ban on more than 700 toy factories in the region because of shoddy products. The company said the product is distributed in 40 countries.

The toys were supposed to use 1,5-pentanediol, a nontoxic compound found in glue, but instead contained the harmful 1,4-butanediol, which is widely used in cleaners and plastics. The Food and Drug Administration in 1999 declared the chemical a Class I Health Hazard, meaning it can cause life-threatening harm. Both chemicals are manufactured in China and elsewhere, including by major multinational companies, and are also marketed over the Internet.

It's not clear why 1,4-butanediol was substituted. However, there is a significant difference in price between the two chemicals. The Chinese online trading platform ChemNet China lists the price of 1,4 butanediol at between about $1,350-$2,800 per metric ton, while the price for 1,5-pentanediol is about $9,700 per metric ton."

I doubt there was any malicious intent involved in this. One feels sorry for the poor supply clerk who saw the price difference and jumped at it. Didn't take any med chem courses?

A good day for CNN....

So I can't decide which story makes me laugh the most today, there are so many options. I mean, there is this...
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14535338/detail.html
proof that heroism isnt dead, even after 5 bullets.

then there is this one, reason to realize that all that chineese lead could be a lot worse....
http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/07/news/international/toys_drug.ap/index.htm?cnn=yes

but best of all, without a doubt, is the worst way to get your steak.... airmail.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/offbeat/2007/11/07/cow.drops.onto.minivan.king

Smallmouth bass

2 lbs 8 oz smallmouth bass: caught in St. Joe river (County canoe landing in South Bend off Riverside road). What a fight!

Interesting British Law

Extracted from Yahoo.com (11/7/7):

Respondents were given a shortlist and asked to vote.

Most ridiculous British law:

1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27 percent)

2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down (seven percent)

3. In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store (six percent)

4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day (five percent)

5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter (four percent)

6. A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet (four percent)

7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail of the queen (3.5 percent)

8. It is illegal to avoid telling the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing (three percent)

9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour (three percent)

10. In the city of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow (two percent)

Week 9, Happy November!

Sunday, November 4
San Francisco @ Atlanta
Cincinnati @ Buffalo
Denver @ Detroit
Green Bay @ Kansas City
San Diego @ Minnesota
Jacksonville @ New Orleans
Washington @ NY Jets
Carolina @ Tennessee
Arizona @ Tampa Bay
Seattle @ Cleveland
New England @ Indianapolis
Houston @ Oakland
Dallas @ Philadelphia

Monday, November 5
Baltimore @ Pitsburgh

Week 8: Too much chaos for a cute byline

Sunday, October 28
Indianapolis @ Carolina
Detroit @ Chicago
Pittsburgh @ Cincinatti
NT Giants @ Miami (@ London)
Philadelphia @ Minnesota
Cleveland @ St. Louis
Oakland @ Tennessee
Buffalo @ NY Jets
Houston @ San Diego (@?)
Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay
Washington @ New England
New Orleans @ San Francisco

Monday, October 29
Green Bay @ Denver

Lessons learned

If you've been watching the news, you've learned that Southern California is ON FIRE!!1!!one! Below are a few thoughts on living through a minor natural disaster.

1. Reverse 911 is a life saver. In the future, municipalities will need to register cell phones to cover the young and landline-less.
2. TV news cannot deliver actionable information fast enough to make it worthwhile. Watching the same 3 pictures again and again (house on fire, tree on fire, reporter in front on fiery treehouse) is useless. Their maps could have been drawn by a drunk first grader. Local news media do their best, but network news is completely useless. It is utterly devoid of anything but the broadest information ('Southern California is a living hell!') and the shallowest emotion ('It sucks to evacuate in the middle of the night!')
3. In terms of staying informed, blogs and interactive maps combined with good radio are the way to go.
4. Americans love to help: Qualcomm has been turning away donations since Wednesday afternoon. There are currently more volunteers than they can use.

San Diego County can relax a little, but we're not out of the woods yet. There are still more mandatory evacuations in some rural areas, but the major population centers are (relatively) safe.

California Fires

Is there an election coming up or something?

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Fox_advances_theory_that_CA_fires_1024.html

In case anyone was wondering...

Danielle and I are quite all right. My work is pretty smoky inside and it's hard to see across the Interstate 5 canyon. But we're nowhere near the fires, neither my work (La Jolla), her work (Kearny Mesa) or our apartment (Mission Valley/Serra Mesa.)That's cold comfort for many of my coworkers at PLJ, who live in the "evacuation" area. Pray for them, if that's your thing.

So far, we have experienced a very small earthquake and there's been a rather large landslide near my work. The fires are simply completing the troika, as far as I'm concerned. I have yet to see any locusts or trumpets.

Week 7: Anyone think Bruce can get back in this?

Cause I tend to doubt it. Only one way to find out, lets pick 'em!

Sunday, October 21
Baltimore @ Buffalo
Atlanta @ New Orleans
San Francisco @ NY Giants
New England @ Miami
Tennessee @ Houston
Tampa Bay @ Detroit
Arizona @ Washington
Kansas City @ Oakland
NY Jets @ Cincinatti
Minnesota @ Dallas
St. Louis @ Seattle
Chicago @ Philadelphia
Pittsburgh @ Denver

Monday, October 22
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville

Week 6, why didnt we think of this years ago?

Because man, if we would have i'd have 3 years of data to analyze, figure out who picks what way, and be able to design a program to beat up on everyone. As it is I have to continue to pull scores out of my... well, you get the idea... i score the same way ND does. On that note, Bring on the picks....

Sunday, October 14
St. Louis @ Baltimore
Minnesota @ Chicago
Miami @ Cleveland
Washington @ Green Bay
Houston @ Jacksonville
Cincinatti @ Kansas City
Philadelphia @ NY Jets
Tennessee @ Tampa Bay
Carolina @ Arizona
New England @ Dallas
Oakland @ San Diego
New Orleans @ Seattle

Monday, October 15
NY Giants @ Atlanta

I made the cut!!

Well, I thought I'd update everyone on the layoffs at Amgen. It was a pretty ugly day.... The Director of Chem. called people individually into his office, sat them down and with the HR rep. standing by, explained that they were no longer needed.

The package was pretty good, 6 months salary and a prorated bonus.

Looks like it's going to be another tough year to get a job in "big" pharma/biotech.

Well what do you all think? Does small molecule chemistry have a future? Can you retire in the industry or is it time to retool?

Good luck,

Mike

Emmanuel Lewis and the SAT

Dan Dierdorf quote during the Patriots Game:

"If Webster had a definition for the word 'competitiveness' it would include Trent Green."

Interesting weekend

Two major upsets in my town ... Los Angeles. Stanford beat USC 24-23 ... That was unbelievable. Then, Irish finally won their first game against UCLA. A tough weekend for Los Angelinos and my family I supposed, but not for me! My friend was in the rose bowl for the game, and she was rooting for the Irish despite the fact that her boyfriend was a hardcore bruins guy. Go Irish!

Week 5 and the dramatic leveling of the field

Its Thusday, and you know what that means... but first, a bit of a recap on what happenned last weekend.

ITs really pretty remarkable how after 62 games first and last place can be separated by only 4 games. Just when it looked like Dave and Bruce might start to lag, they both stormed back with 4+ points each. SO what does that mean this week, obviously Dave and Rick will now have the great weeks and we'll all be tied at 12 come monday night. Think it will happen, I guess "Thats why we play the games!"

Sunday, October 7
Jacksonville @ Kansas City
Arizona @ St. Louis
Atlanta @ Tennessee
Detroit @ Washington
Cleveland @ New England
Seattle @ Pittsburgh
New York Jets @ New York Giants
Carolina @ New Orleans
Miami @ Houston
Tampa Bay @ Indianapolis
San Diego @ Denver
Baltimore @ San Francisco
Chicago @ Green Bay (Editors Note: Chicago may have the most prime time games of any TERRIBLE team in a long time)

Monday, October 8
Dallas @ Buffalo

a gator at tOSU