On College Football 2022: Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Pre... Ken said: |
Yeah, we've both had our share of hope and disappointment in this game. Let's just hope for a good b... |
On College Football 2022: Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Pre... Dan* said: |
I'm not sure how I feel about this game. On one hand, I feel pretty optimistic that we have the tale... |
On College Football 2022: Week 1 Preview Dan* said: |
Glad to see you'll be back writing football again, Ken! Congrats on the easy win today. You didn't ... |
On College Football 2021: Week 10 Recap and Week 11 P... Ken said: |
Yeah, sorry one of our teams had to lose. I've come to appreciate Penn State as a classy and sympath... |
On College Football 2021: Week 10 Recap and Week 11 P... Dan* said: |
Hey Ken, congratulations on the win yesterday! Some really odd choices by our coaching staff in that... |
College Football 2013: Week 2 Preview | Saturday, 2013 September 7 - 11:40 am |
Sorry, I don't have time for a proper preview today. Here's a mini version. Predictions: Michigan 29, Notre Dame 21. N.C. State 54, Richmond 6. Games to Watch on TV Florida at Miami, noon on ESPN. South Carolina at Georgia, 4:30 on ESPN. Notre Dame at Michigan, 8:00 on ESPN. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
Samsung Galaxy Gear | Thursday, 2013 September 5 - 7:14 am |
Samsung announced several new and updated products; the one that's garnering the most attention is the Galaxy Gear wrist device. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
Microsoft Buys Nokia's Phone Unit | Tuesday, 2013 September 3 - 10:56 am |
Microsoft announced today that it is purchasing Nokia's devices and services unit, which most notably includes the mobile phone business, Nokia's Lumia series that runs the Windows Phone 8 operating system. Nokia was really the only successful Windows Phone vendor; HTC, Huawei, and Samsung were far behind. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
College Football 2013: Week 1 Recap | Monday, 2013 September 2 - 10:59 am |
Michigan and N.C. State both win their openers handily. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2013: Week 1 Preview | Wednesday, 2013 August 28 - 10:51 pm |
FOOTBAWWWWW. Michigan hosts Central Michigan and NCSU plays Louisiana Tech in the season openers this weekend. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
This Week in SCOTUS | Saturday, 2013 June 29 - 7:53 pm |
It's been a big week at the Supreme Court this week. Here's a round-up for those of you who aren't SCOTUS-watchers. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: politics |
Viacom Signs Deal with Amazon Prime | Tuesday, 2013 June 4 - 12:38 pm |
I've always told my friends that if Comedy Central and ESPN were available over the Internet instead of exclusively on cable, that would be enough for me to ditch my cable subscription and "cut the cord". I think we're getting there. Viacom and Amazon today announced that a number of shows from Comedy Central (and Nickelodeon) will now be available on Amazon Prime. It strikes me that Amazon and Netflix have become the pioneer "networks" on a new broadcast medium: the Internet. Existing content providers will have to evolve to compete, just as the broadcast networks had to become cable networks in order to survive thirty years ago. My prediction is that some time in the next couple of years, the ABC/Disney/ESPN empire will either partner with one of these outlets or create their own paid streaming service. CBS will follow next; NBC (owned by Comcast) and all the Time Warner-owned stations will come around last. Then we'll finally have an open television market where the cable companies don't have a stranglehold on the terms of distribution, and content providers can negotiate subscription prices directly with consumers. This is how a free market is supposed to work; what we have now is effectively a monopoly. The rub, of course, is that cable companies are also Internet service providers, and may respond to this threat by jacking up Internet rates or metering the bandwidth available for competing video services. So the other part of the equation is that we need a more competitive Internet market, or municipal Internet providers. Of course, stupid states like my own (North Carolina) have legislation to prohibit municipal Internet providers... in order to protect the anti-competitive market that exists today. Sigh. Can you imagine if Time Warner were your electricity provider? If they could, they'd charge you extra for electricity being used for your computer, if they knew you were using it to watch YouTube. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch, television |
Site Updates | Saturday, 2013 May 4 - 2:29 pm |
Hey, yeah, this blog is still alive... barely. Lately I've been fending off comment spam like crazy. I have a giant list of banned keywords, URLs, and IP addresses, but it always seems like I'm a step behind the spammers. My latest step is to ban all comments from certain countries, especially China... I think 90% of my comment spam comes from China. Frankly I'm not sure what's going to become of this blog in the long term. Every now and then I feel like I have a long-form essay to post, but that seems like it happens less and less often. Meanwhile all my short-form stuff goes onto Facebook, or less frequently, Twitter. Is blogging dead? Very few of my friends do it any more. I have a sentimental attachment to this site so I doubt it'll go away any time in the near future. Maybe what I need is a new project, like the frozen lunches thing I did a while back. Hmm. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: site-business |
Newtown | Tuesday, 2013 January 22 - 2:09 am |
It's been a month since the Newtown shooting and I've stayed quiet about the issue of gun control until now. But I think I need to say something. Being a civil libertarian, there's a part of me that believes that responsible gun ownership is part of living in a free society. But that doesn't mean it can't be regulated and controlled in a sane manner. I would hope that we would all agree on a couple of things. First, we should not tolerate living in a society where it is relatively easy for a teenager with mental health issues to walk into a school and murder first graders, using a weapon that has no practical use in either self-defense or hunting. So doing nothing is not the answer. The status quo is unacceptable. Second, not everyone should be allowed to own nuclear weapons, nerve gas, or fighter jets... so regardless of where you stand on handguns and assault rifles, surely you agree that there's a line that should be drawn somewhere, and the right to bear "arms" is not an absolute license to own any kind of weapon imaginable. We should be able to have a discussion on where that line should be drawn, without accusing each other of being anti-American or part of a socialist conspiracy. As for me, I will probably never own a gun. Not to be critical of my gun-owning friends, but if I ever reach a point where I think it's necessary to have a gun to keep me or my family safe, then it means that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong with my life. I'll change my tune when the zombie apocalypse comes, but as of today I'm much more likely to die from alcohol poisoning than an armed assailant, and I'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: commentary, politics |
Apple Watch: 2013 Predictions | Tuesday, 2013 January 1 - 7:22 pm |
Time for my annual Apple predictions. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
Election 2012 | Saturday, 2012 November 17 - 11:56 am |
With Obama's re-election two weeks in the rear-view mirror, there's been a lot of soul-searching and hand-wringing in the Republican party lately. Obviously most of the pundits have already weighed in on this topic, but I wanted to add my take on what happened in the election, what's in store for the Republican party, and what we might see in 2016. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: politics |
College Football Week Something Something | Saturday, 2012 November 17 - 10:53 am |
Okay... I fully realize that I failed to post my usual college football recaps and previews for the past couple of weeks, and for my two readers that look for those things, I apologize. Let's sum up a bit. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 9 Preview | Friday, 2012 October 26 - 10:08 pm |
Michigan plays a key divisional game at Nebraska; N.C. State takes on its biggest rival, UNC. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 8 Recap | Sunday, 2012 October 21 - 12:11 pm |
Well, that was quite a heart-attack inducing day. Michigan and N.C. State both pull off last-minute field goals to win their respective games 12-10 and 20-18. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 8 Preview | Wednesday, 2012 October 17 - 1:36 pm |
Michigan plays Moo U (er, Michigan State); N.C. State plays Maryland. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
Apple Watch: Media Event for October 23rd | Tuesday, 2012 October 16 - 12:53 pm |
![]() Apple has sent out a media invitation for October 23rd. This is 99% sure to be an iPad mini announcement, but we may get a new Retina MacBook Pro 13" announcement too... that would fit with the "a little more" theme. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
College Football 2012: Week 7 Recap | Sunday, 2012 October 14 - 12:49 pm |
Hey look! A Sunday update for a change! Michigan wins easily; N.C. State rests. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Preview | Saturday, 2012 October 13 - 11:40 am |
Michigan and N.C. State are both building off important wins from last week. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 5 Recap and Week 6 Preview | Saturday, 2012 October 6 - 10:58 am |
Yeah, I'm late again... combining this week's articles into one. Michigan is coming off a bye and will play Purdue; N.C. State loses a tough one to Miami FL and now has to face #3 Florida State. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 5 Preview | Saturday, 2012 September 29 - 10:52 am |
Michigan is on a bye; N.C. State plays Miami (FL). Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 4 Recap | Saturday, 2012 September 29 - 10:44 am |
Michigan loses in ugly fashion to Notre Dame; N.C. State rolls. This is way late, I know, but I've been depressed about last week's result. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
Apple Watch: The iPhone 5 | Saturday, 2012 September 22 - 11:28 am |
So no, I don't have the iPhone 5. But news and reviews have been flooding in. By all accounts, it's another marvel of engineering. It's taller but thinner and lighter; the screen looks amazing; the camera is best-in-class. It's significantly faster than the 4S. It includes 4G LTE without sacrificing battery life. Of course there have been the usual array of complaints that Apple has not introduced any radical new features. Prior to its introduction we saw plenty of guesses about gimmicky features, like a laser-based virtual keyboard. Uh, no. What we should know about Apple by now is that they usually don't try to make radical changes within an existing product category; their innovation comes when they introduce new product categories. For existing products, Apple's process is to refine them and make them simply the best in their category. The most noticeable omission is NFC, which was much-rumored. But I think Apple is concerned that it's a technology looking for an application; there simply isn't a widespread retail ecosystem for NFC, and there are other ways to accomplish point-of-sale solutions. I'm not saying the idea is dead; I just think Apple has other priorities. Sales have been brisk, to say the least. Estimates are that three days of pre-orders have surpassed the monthly sales record for the 4S. Now, there are emerging reports that the anodized aluminum finish on the black model is scuff-prone, with some people complaining that it is scuffed right out of the box. I find it strange Apple would have allowed that kind of thing to escape their design and testing processes... let's hope Apple has an answer for that soon. Finally, a note about the new Maps app, which is an iOS 6 thing, not just an iPhone 5 thing. There's lots of criticism that it's inferior to the Google-based app it replaces, and those criticisms are well-founded. But Apple has no interest in continuing to feed precious customer location data to its biggest rival, and I think they're willing to suffer through the early criticism to get the business decision done. And to be sure, the problems with Maps are fixable; in fact, to some degree, you have to get Maps out to the public just to find where all the problems are. It's doubtful that Apple is devoting hundreds of engineers to pore over every inch of map data in the entire world. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
College Football 2012: Week 4 Preview | Saturday, 2012 September 22 - 10:57 am |
Michigan has another big night game against Notre Dame; N.C. State has another cupcake game against Citadel. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 3 Recap | Sunday, 2012 September 16 - 2:14 pm |
Michigan and N.C. State win their cupcake games handily; some surprises nationally. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 3 Preview | Saturday, 2012 September 15 - 11:44 am |
It's cupcake weekend for Michigan and N.C. State. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 2 Recap | Sunday, 2012 September 9 - 9:25 pm |
Better. A win is a win. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 2 Preview | Saturday, 2012 September 8 - 12:13 am |
Let's hope this weekend is better than the last. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football 2012: Week 1 Recap | Monday, 2012 September 3 - 2:09 pm |
Not a good start for our teams. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
Apple Watch: Apple Wins $1 Billion Verdict Vs. Samsung | Sunday, 2012 August 26 - 1:29 pm |
On Friday, a 9-person jury returned a verdict in favor of Apple to the tune of $1.05 billion in a closely-watched patent infringement trial against rival Samsung. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
College Football 2012: Week 1 Preview | Sunday, 2012 August 26 - 1:07 pm |
FOOTBAWWWWWWWW. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
Apple Watch: Fall Predictions | Thursday, 2012 August 9 - 10:04 pm |
I usually wait until New Year's Day to make predictions, but I think there's a lot coming in the near future. Here's what I think will happen this fall. New iPhone: 99% likely. Apple will stick to their yearly cycle and put out a phone with a taller display, 4G LTE, NFC, and a new dock connector. The rumor sites are all over the leaks from China, and I think they'll prove to be right. iPad Mini: 75% likely. The tea leaves point in this direction... something like an 8" screen and a $300 price tag, to help reduce the "umbrella" for lower-priced products like the Kindle Fire. It makes too much sense not to be true. New iMac: 75% likely. It's overdue for an upgrade and it remains Apple's primary desktop product. Apple won't cede the desktop market yet, especially with Windows PC manufacturers struggling so badly. New iPods: 65% likely. It's a declining market but still important for Apple. I can see a shakeup in the lineup to help keep it relevant for the holidays. 13" Retina MacBook Pro: 55% likely. My gut says Apple wanted to have this out at the same time the 15" version came out, but supply chain constraints nixed that idea. New Mac mini: 40% likely. It's a good entry-level product and in need of an update, but I can't help but think Apple eventually wants to do something else for the low-end market. New Mac Pro: 20% likely. It's even more overdue for an update, but it's more of a niche product. I think a radical overhaul is coming in 2013, to replace both the existing Pro and the obsolete Server machine. Maybe a modular solution is coming. Apple-branded television set: 20% likely. It's still churning around the rumor mill, but I think it's a ways out. A software update to the existing AppleTV to allow third-party apps seems like a likely short-term upgrade. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
Movies: The Dark Knight Rises | Thursday, 2012 July 19 - 10:49 pm |
I was fortunate enough to get to see an early screening of "The Dark Knight Rises", so I figure this is a perfect time to bring back movie reviews to this blog. Chris Nolan's final (well, presumed final, I guess) interpretation of "Batman" has been heavily hyped and anticipated. Hopefully this review will actually be helpful to people thinking of seeing the movie. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: movies |
Affordable Care Act Upheld by Supreme Court | Saturday, 2012 July 7 - 2:55 pm |
Continuing in my three-part series of "things that were news weeks ago but I'm only just now getting around to commenting on", the Supreme Court last week upheld the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") in a 5-4 decision, with Chief Justice Roberts being the surprise deciding vote. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: politics |
Google I/O News | Saturday, 2012 July 7 - 1:49 pm |
You know, I have mixed feelings about Google. On the one hand, they've proven to be an innovative company that puts out lots of great ideas and products. On the other hand, they put out Android with the grandiose notion that there should be an "open" mobile operating system (but in the end, it turns out they were really just out to make money like any other company, and the way they got there was by pulling a Microsoft and slavishly copying Apple's iPhone feature-for-feature). And then there's the fact that we, the public, are not Google's customers... we are the product, with reams of our personal data being sold off to web advertisers for the purposes of extracting money from our pockets. With that rant aside, let's talk about some of Google's new announcements. The big blockbusters: Google Glass, and Google Now. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
Apple Watch: WWDC 2012 | Saturday, 2012 July 7 - 1:09 pm |
On Facebook a few weeks back, I had promised to post a full blog entry about the latest Apple news from the WWDC. Well, various vacations and things intervened and I never got around to it. I do feel a little guilty that I don't blog the way I used to, but like for so many other people, short-form status updates on Facebook and Twitter have largely supplanted long-form blog posts for me. But still, I did want to talk about the new MacBooks and iOS 6. Read on for all of my observations. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
Shame | Wednesday, 2012 May 9 - 12:42 am |
My favorite quote from "Broadcast News":Paul Moore: It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you're the smartest person in the room. Last night I was up until about 2:00 a.m., debating with someone I didn't know, about the North Carolina marriage amendment, on Facebook. Ugh. Those of you who know me know this: I generally try not to assert superiority over anyone. I do not like stereotypes, and the stereotype of the "smart Asian" makes me cringe. But: when someone who may or may not have completed high school, and whose career now reads "trainee at a Pepsi plant", tries to tell me that they have a deeper knowledge of constitutional law, theology, economics, and public policy than I do... frankly, I'm offended. I have read the entire Bible several times over and have delved into many passages in the original Hebrew and Greek. I have studied the Constitution and a hundred Supreme Court decisions, and I can recite to you most of the various decisions that support the Establishment Clause and the Incorporation Doctrine. I've studied Keynesian economics and neoclassical criticisms. Also I know a large variety of Internet memes, Urban Dictionary terms, and funny cat videos. So you know what? When you assert that Obama will ruin the country, and that China owns the U.S., and that God will judge homosexuals... you do not impress me. When you assert that liberals will take away your freedoms and force you to give up your private health insurance and force your church to marry gays... I tell you this: YOU, MR. WHITE PROTESTANT, HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE YOUR RIGHTS TAKEN AWAY. Maybe that's all that it is... you have to have been the victim of discrimination, hatred, and bigotry to appreciate its harmful effects. Or, you have to be one of my enlightened and beautiful friends, apparently. Today North Carolina voted to amend its Constitution with a horrific amendment that institutionalizes bigotry and discrimination. I am ashamed and embarrassed to live in this state. But as long as I live here I will fight this shamefulness. First they came for the communists, Don't be the last one. Stand up and fight. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: commentary, politics |
Security | Sunday, 2012 February 5 - 3:46 pm |
Amy's wallet was lost or stolen last week, when we were out at a douchey nightclub downtown (we didn't even want to be there, but got roped into it). In the wallet were a driver's license, a credit card, a bank card, and her social security card. Yeah, we know, no one should carry their social security card around with them, but an employer said they needed to see it. (They don't, by the way; the SSN can be verified by employers online.) Anyway, that got me thinking about the antiquated mechanisms we have for identity security. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: commentary, techwatch |
Apple Watch: 2012 Predictions | Monday, 2012 January 2 - 1:39 pm |
As is my New Year's tradition for this blog, I've got ten Apple predictions for the year. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |
College Football Recap: Week 13 | Sunday, 2011 November 27 - 12:18 pm |
Michigan and N.C. State both win in glorious fashion. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Week 13 Games to Watch | Friday, 2011 November 25 - 4:11 pm |
It's that time again... Michigan plays Ohio State Saturday. N.C. State plays for a bowl bid against Maryland. Games to Watch on Friday Ok, the best games of the day are already underway. Iowa is losing to #21 Nebraska on ABC late in the game, 20-0, so I guess you can skip the rest of that one. #8 Houston is up 26-17 on Tulsa; that game is not televised nationally. #1 LSU vs. #3 Arkansas is underway on CBS, and that's this week's Game of the Week. It's 0-0 in the first quarter. If Arkansas wins this one, BCS chaos will ensue. Games to Watch on Saturday #15 Michigan plays Ohio State at noon on ABC. That's obviously the Other Game of the Week for us Michigan fans. #13 Georgia plays #23 Georgia Tech on ESPN. At 12:30 N.C. State plays Maryland on ESPN3.com. At 3:30 #2 Alabama plays #24 Auburn in another big SEC game, on CBS. #5 Virginia Tech plays Virginia on ABC/ESPN2, in another game with potential national title implications. #19 Penn State plays #16 Wisconsin on ESPN to determine the Big Ten Leaders division winner. At 7:00 Florida State plays Florida in the State of Disappointment bowl, on ESPN2. At 7:45 #17 Clemson plays #12 South Carolina on ESPN. #22 Notre Dame takes on #6 Stanford at 8:00 on ABC. Michigan Game Prediction: Michigan 27, Ohio State 17. I think this will be a conservatively-played game with running plays outnumbering passing plays by at least two to one. I think that Ohio State goes about 20% on third down conversions, but gets some cheap big-yardage opportunities with Braxton Miller scrambling on busted plays. It'll be uncomfortably close until late in the fourth quarter. N.C. State Game Prediction: N.C. State 34, Maryland 13. This is an atrocious 2-9 Maryland team, one that lost to Temple 38-7. They somehow scored an upset against Miami FL and managed to keep it close against Clemson, but whatever they did in those games did not prove to be sustainable. I think the Terrapins will struggle to move the ball against the revitalized Wolfpack defense. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Recap: Week 12 | Monday, 2011 November 21 - 11:38 pm |
Michigan and N.C. State both win over ranked opponents; there are other stunning upsets all across the country. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Week 12 Games to Watch | Saturday, 2011 November 19 - 10:20 am |
#2 Oklahoma State already lost to Iowa State on Friday night. What other upsets are in store? Games to Watch this Saturday #18 Michigan plays #16 Nebraska at noon on ESPN. Though Michigan State still controls its own destiny in the Legends division, this game is still important in determining bowl placement for both teams. #17 Wisconsin plays slumping but still dangerous Illinois on ESPN2. BTN2 has Iowa vs. Purdue. At 3:30, N.C. State plays Clemson on ABC/ESPN. State will need a huge upset to keep its bowl hopes alive. Meanwhile #21 Penn State plays Ohio State on ESPN/ABC in the Scandal Bowl. At 4:00 Notre Dame plays Boston College on NBC in the old rivalry game. At 7:30 Virginia plays #25 Florida State on ESPN2. Virginia still has a shot of making it to the ACC title game and Florida State does not; but Florida State will be a stiff test for the Cavaliers. At 8:00, ABC is showing either #5 Oklahoma vs. #22 Baylor, or this week's Game of the Week, USC vs #4 Oregon. Oregon is back in the championship hunt after Oklahoma State's loss, and a win over USC would go a long way towards convincing people they're deserving of a rematch against LSU. Meanwhile USC, though ineligible for post-season play due to NCAA sanctions, is quietly having a pretty good year. Your nightcap game is Cal vs. #9 Stanford on ESPN, and you can expect many replays of that game where Cal scored the winning touchdown as the Stanford marching band was on the field. Michigan game prediction: Michigan 35, Nebraska 24. Can Michigan put together back-to-back solid games on both sides of the ball? My hope is that Al Borges is done tweaking and has found what works with Michigan's offense. On defense I'm not as concerned, as there has been steady improvement under Greg Mattison. I still think we'll see a few ARGH TACKLE HIM moments and Nebraska will find ways to score, but the Illinois game has given me renewed faith. N.C. State game prediction: N.C. State 17, Clemson 42. I'm just not seeing a lot to be hopeful about in this game. Clemson's high-powered passing attack will be too much for the Wolfpack defense. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Recap: Week 11 | Sunday, 2011 November 13 - 1:43 pm |
I go 0-2 in my predictions this week as Michigan wins and N.C. State loses. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Week 11 Games to Watch | Saturday, 2011 November 12 - 12:21 pm |
Games to Watch this Saturday At noon #19 Nebraska plays at #12 Penn State on ESPN in the Awkward Bowl. If this were an away game for Penn State, the signs in the stands would be brutal. This is the first game for Penn State without Paterno, who has been forced out due to the scandal. Other notable games: #17 Michigan State vs. Iowa on ESPN2, Florida vs. #13 South Carolina on CBS, and #2 Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech on ABC. Each of these teams should be on upset alert today. At 12:30 N.C. State plays Boston College on ESPN3.com. At 3:30, #24 Michigan plays Illinois on ESPN/ABC. I'm nervous about this game. Texas A&M plays #14 Kansas State on ABC; TCU plays #5 Boise State on VS, #20 Auburn plays #15 Georgia on CBS, and Miami (FL) plays Florida State on ABC/ESPN. At 7:45, #3 Alabama plays Mississippi State on ESPN. This is a decent Bulldogs team and Alabama is coming off their LSU hangover, so it might be an interesting game. At 8:00, we've got this week's clear Game of the Week, #7 Oregon vs. #4 Stanford on ABC. Stanford is trying to keep their championship hopes alive, but this game will be a stiff test. I think it'll be a shootout, and that Oregon will come out the winner. Michigan game prediction: Michigan 10, Illinois 13. I'm concerned about Michigan's ability to move the ball on a legitimately good defense. While Zook will be Zook and will make an inexplicable decision that results in Michigan points, I'm just not confident in Michigan's ability to win on the road here. That being said, I think Michigan's defense will play well... it should be a close game. Of course I'm hoping I'm wrong about the outcome. N.C. State game prediction: N.C. State 31, Boston College 7. This is a woeful BC offense and N.C. State should jump all over them. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Recap: Week 10 | Monday, 2011 November 7 - 4:08 pm |
Michigan loses to Iowa; N.C. State shuts out UNC. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Week 10 Games to Watch | Saturday, 2011 November 5 - 4:56 am |
Games to Watch this Saturday #15 Michigan plays Iowa at noon on ESPN. N.C. State plays UNC at 12:30 on ESPN3.com. At 3:30 we get #6 Oklahoma against Texas A&M on ABC and #10 Nebraska against Northwestern on BTN. At 7:15 #7 Arkansas plays #9 South Carolina on ESPN. But the Game of the Week is obviously #1 LSU vs. #2 Alabama on CBS at 8:00. ABC has regional coverage of either #3 Oklahoma State vs. #14 Kansas State or Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest. Michigan game prediction: Michigan 28, Iowa 17 thanks to two Michigan interceptions and a run-heavy game on both sides of the ball. N.C. State game prediction: State 23, UNC 17. It will be a day full of surprises. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Recap: Week 9 | Monday, 2011 October 31 - 11:48 pm |
Michigan rolls over Purdue; N.C. State gets shutout by Florida State. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
College Football Week 9 Games to Watch | Saturday, 2011 October 29 - 11:56 am |
Michigan plays Purdue; N.C. State plays Florida State. Games to Watch on Saturday #18 Michigan plays Purdue at noon on ESPN2. But even we Michigan fans will be keeping an eye on this week's Game of the Week, #11 Michigan State against #14 Nebraska on ESPN. Meanwhile N.C. State plays Florida State on ESPNU... looks like I'll have a lot of split-screening going on to watch all these games. At 3:30 we get #9 Oklahoma against #8 Kansas State on ESPN. That would have been Game of the Week if I cared more about the Big 12. Meanwhile there's Illinois vs. #19 Penn State on ABC/ESPN2. The game formerly known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, Florida vs. #22 Georgia, is on CBS. This game still has relevance even if both teams are slightly down this year. Navy plays Notre Dame on NBC; we'll see if Navy still has ND's number. Wake Forest against UNC on ESPNU might be a good game too. Your primetime slate has #5 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech or #6 Stanford vs. USC (regional coverage, sigh), as well as #15 Wisconsin against Ohio State. All of these should be fun to watch. Michigan Game Prediction: Michigan 38, Purdue 28. Purdue's defense looked good against Illinois but I'm hoping Michigan figures out that they need to run away from Purdue's talented nose tackle Kawaan Short and instead attacks the edge against Gerald Gooden, a 235-pound defensive end, or Ryan Russell, a redshirt freshman playing at the other DE spot. Meanwhile on defense I think Michigan's defensive line may struggle a bit, but Mattison will stack the box against the run and force Purdue to try to pass. There'll be a breakdown or two and Purdue will score some points, but I think Michigan maintains a lead for most of the game. N.C. State Game Prediction: N.C. State 31, Florida State 34. Ugh. It's hard to pick against the Wolfpack in this one because N.C. State has been improving and Florida State isn't as formidable as people thought they'd be. But N.C. State has struggled to defend the pass and that's FSU's strength. With FSU playing at home, I think NCSU falls just short. Hopefully this will be a jinx though. I'm 13-1 in predictions, by the way, with my only miss being the Michigan-MSU game. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: sports |
What Has America Become? | Thursday, 2011 October 27 - 9:30 pm |
There's a letter that appeared in a newspaper about a year ago, and it's been making the rounds on Facebook and the Internets again lately. It's attributed to someone named Ken Huber, and I'm going to post it in its entirety. I'm posting it not because I agree with it in the least; I'm posting it to expose it for the right-wing whiny bullshit that it is. Read more... |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: politics |
Steve Jobs: I Finally Cracked It | Monday, 2011 October 24 - 11:45 pm |
Much is being made of a cryptic quote from Steve Jobs in the biography written by Walter Isaacson being released tomorrow:"I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," [Steve Jobs] told me. "It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud." No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels. "It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it." Taking on the cable and satellite companies would be Apple's biggest undertaking since taking on the music industry with iTunes. (Look how that turned out, eh?) The three major hurdles for Apple:
The fact that cable companies control Internet access... that's a tough one; unless, Apple has an answer for that too, in the form of ubiquitous WiFi, a nationwide LTE network, or a partnership with a company who can provide that. Here's a super-crazy theory... what if Apple partnered with their biggest current rival to make that happen? A rival whose interests in this area perfectly align with Apple's? A rival who has been active in blanketing cities with Internet access? What if Apple teamed up with Google to take down the cable industry? Maybe that's a stretch. But it would be utterly breathtaking. I would love to see the look on the faces of Time Warner executives on the day something like that was announced. |
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![]() Posted by Ken in: techwatch |