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Reaching Middle Age and actually acknowledging the experience are two different feelings.

1. You go thru the fear of approaching it

2. You go into denial that you really have reached this age.

3. You begin to change everything in your life

4. Even if you accept it or not the experiences begin to happen

You really are in the middle of your life. Aging parents whom you thought would never look, act or be any different from what you knew as a child start to change and become vulnerable right in front of your eyes. One day they seem fine and outspoken as ever and the next your looking into the faces of people with ailments and medical charts and more needs than you can handle.

The next experience seems to be that you begin to envision your own mortality. Not something that crossed my mind until my mid forties and realization set in that I was becoming one of the older generation. The selling of my original home that always housed my parents and all my first experiences of life was quite an ordeal. The emotions of letting go are quite vast when you realize you no longer have that physical connection to return to. You are the connection.

The flip side of that middle age is looking at your children that are now adults. Fitting into their lives is another challenge. You dont want them to go through the same hardships as you but you also have to let them learn and find their own paths in life. You need to remember that even if you dont think so, there is a generation gap. Theyre doing things their way and you know they need but definitely do not always want your opinion or comments. You find you just agree to keep the harmony and just keep reassuring them of how proud you are of who theyve become.

So you see, you are middle age and havent the foggiest idea of what to do next! You realize that now that all those trips or vacations you thought you would always have time for seem more of a chore than a pleasurable opportunity. Your priority list needs to be updated. The time is passing and if you blink, it may no longer be available to you or you may feel to stiff and out of shape to do the most with such valuable time.

Its time to make a few decisions with yourself in mind. What do you want in your life? Where are your finances at this point in time? Is it time to downsize, remodel or sell? Is it time to bring out those dusty goals and dreams you put away for the future? The future has arrived. Is it time for a makeover of mind, body and homestead?

Just know for sure that you are not alone. Many aging baby boomers exist out there and have as many questions as you. Its time to build a boomer sitemap of your own and step into the next phase of your life.Enjoy!

# posted by blogs71375 : 10:21 PM  0 comments

Self-effacing humor, or making fun of yourself is quite a contrast. It is a very powerful form of humor that gets its strength from highlighting your weaknesses. It seems that people who have the ability to laugh at themselves in just the right amount during a public speaking engagement are perceived as secure, confident, strong, and likeable.

With this type of humor, a little goes a long way. If you overdo it during a public speaking engagement, you will look like a doomsayer who is always putting yourself down. If you can't bring yourself to use any self-effacing humor, you should learn. I must be candid here. Most people hate to deal with a stuffed shirt. Unfortunately, if you can't poke a little fun at yourself, that is the way you are perceived.

I think the reason self-effacing humor works so well is that weak people feel the need to inflate themselves and powerful people don't. If you have the confidence to tease yourself, you are indirectly sending the message to the audience that you are secure and powerful. Most audiences can see right through speakers who are trying to puff themselves up. It turns them off quickly.

The person who is not afraid to tease him or herself is the one who makes the greatest connection with the audience because everyone in the audience has embarrassed themselves or failed at something at one time or the other. If you use self-effacing humor, the audience knows that you, as the presenter, know how it feels to fail. That is a very powerful magnet.

Katharine Rolfe, President of The Lighten Up Club, takes self-effacing humor one step further. She says, 'I call it self-appreciating humor because it conveys a positive appreciation of ourselves as humans who are simply out there doing our best and bumbling along as we go.' Katharine's organization believes the key to a happy life is the ability to laugh at yourself, for then you are never without a source of amusement.

Unless you are a Don Rickles type presenter (known for his hockey puck teasing style of humor), you should never set yourself up as superior to the audience either socially, financially, or intellectually. You want the audience to accept you as one of them. Let them feel superior to you in some way. Your audience would rather hear about the time you fell on your face, rather than the time you won the race.

That is why self-effacing humor is great during speaking engagements. The audience likes the fact that you openly admit your weaknesses. They laugh, but they still respect you because you are self-confident enough to joke about yourself.

There are any number of things you can tease yourself about. Your physical appearance is good if you are especially tall, or short or fat or bald. Just make sure that the physical appearance is obvious to the audience. If you are disorganized, you could tease yourself about that. If you can't parallel park, you could tease yourself about that. Just about anything will work as long as you are the target.

What you want to avoid teasing about is any subject that has a direct tie to your credibility. For instance, if you were a nuclear control room technician, you would not want to joke about the time you pushed the wrong button. But, if you got fired from your job as a nuclear control room technician for almost pushing the wrong button, then this fact might be a good topic for humor. It could turn into a great topic if you now own a landscaping company or are in some other non-threatening position.

To use self-effacing humor, you don't necessarily have to joke about yourself. You can make fun of your family background, your profession, or anything else that directly relates to you. I tell a story in my presentations about the time my mom came from our very small hometown to visit me in the big city of Washington, D.C. The audience hears about how small Claysville is and that my mom's house is way out in the sticks. We didn't have city water, or city sewerage, or cable TV. I then go on to tell how we took a trip on the Spirit of Washington for a dinner cruise and went sightseeing all over the capital. Here's how the end of the story goes:

"When we got home that evening I was exhausted, so I told mom I was going to bed and that I would see her in the morning. She said, "OK. I'm just going to watch the news and then I'll go to bed." I got up at about 2:00 a.m. and there was mom sitting in front of the TV. Her head was nodding and drooping. I said, "Mom. What are you doing?" She said, "I'm just waiting for the news to be over." Well she would have waited a long time because she was watching . . .CNN 24 hour headline news."

In this story I was not directly teasing myself. I was teasing about my small town background and about the innocent and funny boner my mom pulled when she came to visit.

Former president Ronald Reagan was a master at using self-effacing humor. In his bid for the Presidency in 1980 his age appeared to be his biggest obstacle. He attacked the problem with self-effacing humor. He would joke about his age all the time which turned age into a non-issue. He told a group of reporters once, 'Thomas Jefferson once said, 'One should not worry about chronological age compared to the ability to perform the task.' . . . Ever since Thomas Jefferson told me that I stopped worrying about my age.'

Look for opportunities to tease yourself. This will be one of your most powerful tools to connect with the audience and a subtle way to show your strength.

# posted by blogs71375 : 7:57 PM  0 comments

Fifteen years ago, my friends and I wanted to get involved in fantasy sports. We had heard of Rotisserie baseball, the game where you select major leaguers and use their statistics for your own fantasy team. Most of us preferred football over baseball, so we did a little research and decided to create a fantasy football league. Now, we're entering our 16th season, with 20 of the most rabid football nuts anywhere, competing for pride and a small monetary prize each year.

We're not alone, of course. Over 15 million Americans play fantasy football, a game that uses the statistics of professional football players for personal, fantasy teams. During the last decade, this game has erupted, like a volcano. There are hundreds of web sites, dedicated to it. Magazines litter the newsstands in June and July, all dedicated to providing the best information possible about players from the National Football League, as well as offering "expert" prognostication as to which players will benefit your fantasy team the most, based on their performances on the gridiron each Sunday. There are even radio and TV shows, dedicated to discussion of fantasy football and the NFL players that dot each team's roster.

If you know someone who loves football, chances are he or she is part of a fantasy football league. My own participation has initiated a new experience. As a writer, I'm always looking for a new idea, something unique, and fantasy football has given it to me. A work of fiction. For years, while I was busy writing how-to books and articles, I dreamed, as most authors do, of writing the great American novel. When that didn't come, I just wanted something different; something I thought would interest a large audience.

It finally hit me -- a work of fiction, based on fantasy football. It's called The League. Suspense, conspiracy and fantasy football combine for the first-ever published work of fiction that has a back drop of America's favorite game. Here's to a dream come true and a hope that 15 million Americans love The League as much as I do. Learn more about it at www.sportsnovels.com.

# posted by blogs71375 : 7:28 PM  0 comments

If you are struggling with how to have confidence in your life, you are not alone. Most people think that self-confidence is something that lucky people have, people who can do anything and everything.

Part of the problem with confidence is we think we have to have tons and tons of it and all the time. The reality is, that not everyone knows how to have confidence in all situations.

Self-confidence is really an attitude a person has, that allows them to have a positive view of themselves and the situations life may put them. People with a confident attitude are realistic. They trust in their own abilities and believe that they will be able to do most of what they want to do in life. They know they cant do everything.

To look at how to have confidence you need to understand that the typical person is always going to have some areas in their life that they are more confident than others.

You can be very athletic and comfortably confident in your athletic abilities while not feeling confident when meeting new people. Chances are you are confident in more ways than you may realize. The key to discovering a realistic self-confidence is to remove some of the false beliefs you may have developed.

1. False Belief:

I believe that to be successful in life I have to be competent in all the important areas of life.

Realistic Belief:

I know that achievement-based thinking is not the true way to feel worthy. I get some satisfaction when I achieve things that I set out to do, but I know that failures have nothing to do with my personal worth. I was born worthy.

2. False Belief:

The past has shown me how to have confidence in myself or not. My past is my most important guidance-system.

Realistic Belief:

As we grow we dont have the same vulnerabilities we did when we were young. Youve gained some awareness on what you think should continue to influence you in life. You choose which areas of the past that youll allow to steer the present, but you dont have to be a slave to the past.

3. False Belief:

Everybody knows that bad things happen more than good things. The good things I do cant be given too much importance with all the bad. People remember the bad so I should, too. Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, Ill have less bad results.

Realistic Belief:

I know that if I win 4 out of 5 times, that dwelling on the one time I lose and how terrible I feel is not a positive outlook. I know I cant win all the time! Its enough for me to do well at something most of the time.

I can use how good it feels to win next time things arent falling my way, because I know its only a temporary setback.

Learning how to have confidence has a lot to do with learning how to have a more realistic attitude towards lifes ups and downs.

# posted by blogs71375 : 5:07 PM  0 comments

Many people go to Florida to fish for that trophy bass but did you know that 4 other states have a bigger state record than Florida? Not only that but one of the states is said to have produced a new world record. Florida's record bass is 17.27 pounds, but others often cite an uncertified fish of 20.125 pounds (a fisheries biologist did not physically see the fish to certify it). Leaha Trew supposely caught a new world record largemouth in California. It weighed 22 pounds, 8 ounces, beating George Perry's 1932 record catch by 4 ounces. The problem is there was only one picture taken of it and it wasn't certified by a biologist or a California state fish and game offical.

Where is the next world record coming from? Florida, Georgia, Mississippi or Texas? More than likely it will be from California. Gregg Silks has already caught 2 bass over twenty pounds and says he has lost a world record fish of 24 pounds. Who is to argue with him since he knows what 20 pound plus bass look like? 22 of 25 of the largest bass ever recorded has come from California. The next world record bass in my opinion, is going to be from the lakes of San Diego water system. Just look at the stats:

Dixon: 21 pounds 11 ounce bass

Jennings: 18 pounds plus

Murray: 18 pounds plus

Poway: 18 pound 2 ounce

These are just a few of the lakes, all the lakes holds monster bass. Not only that, there are big bass all over California, Leaha Trew caught her bass in Sonoma County. While I am not taking anything away from Florida, as I have lived there and seen many 10 pound plus bass taken from there, California is growing bigger bass and people are catching them. Just check with the water district before you plan a trip as some have restrictions and are closed at certain times.

# posted by blogs71375 : 4:39 PM  0 comments

Birds are very interesting creatures. They are vertebrates, because like fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, they have a spinal cord. They are also tetra pods because of their four limbs, two of which became wings, that are, in general, for flying. The other pair is for walking, running, and swimming. All birds, and only birds, have beaks and feathers and all species lay eggs. They have no mammary glands and neither do they have teeth. They are endothermic, that is why they are considered warm-blooded animals. Most of them fly except for some emus, ostriches, and penguins along with a few other species.

They have been around for millions of years and have been helping the environment. They are known to be very intelligent even without having been thoroughly studied. Scientists believe that birds, as a class, have a higher level of intelligence than most reptiles, and can be just as intelligent as many mammals regardless of size. Mammal intelligence testing is based on how they modify their surroundings using their forelimbs, and since birds lack forelimbs it is difficult to test their intelligence as it is tested on mammals.

It is widely believed in the scientific world, that birds actually lack real intelligence; they act upon their instincts and are unable to learn. Scientists who believe this rely on the fact that birds have a relatively small cerebral cortex, which is the area of the brain where most animals use their intelligence. Yet, it has been proven that the bird uses a different part of its brain for intelligence, the hipertriatum.

Birds have excellent vision. They rely on it for flying and navigating. They need their sharp vision for processing large amounts of visual information for locating rodents and other prey on the earth while flying. They usually have monocular vision; their eyes are each on the opposite side of the head. They need great brainpower to process and combine the different information they get from each eye.

Many scientists say that the more social animals are, the more intelligent they are. The greatest argument in favor of this is that humans are the most social and the most intelligent animals. Parrots and corvids both tend towards organized social behavior. Many corvid species separate into clans for nesting or defending territory. Then they usually flock together with different species in order to migrate. When migration is through they go back to their original clans. Scientists say that this behavior indicates real intelligence because of the way the bird can identify each clan member and the changes in temperature and climate while migrating.

While hunting, some birds make use of teamwork. Predatory birds work in pairs, while one bird distracts the prey, the other swoops down for the kill. This is called the "bait and switch" technique.

Similar to primates, many bird species use tools. Some species of crows grip sticks with their beaks to pick out insects from logs. This has been observed as something the young birds learn from their elders, but it has also been observed in captivity. A laboratory crow made a hook tool with wire without having learned this from any other bird.

Birds have no form of spoken language as we humans do, but they do communicate through singing, calling and using body language. Studies show that birds learn their territorial songs at a young age and use them for the rest of their lives. Some species even learn different song dialects.

A bird can instinctively migrate alone for the first time, and as it gets older and more experienced it has a smaller probability of getting lost. This shows that they can memorize places, landmarks, and have a sense of direction.

Many people like to compare stupid people with birds, but actually birds are one of the most intelligent creatures on Earth. They are highly evolved and have developed extremely sharp skills and senses. So, next time you make fun of someone less experienced than you and you say they're "as dumb as a duck", remember this article.

# posted by blogs71375 : 2:17 PM  0 comments

Fly Fishing is such a traditional sport many refer to as an art form, and compared to other modes of fishing, incorporates so much to learn in terms of casting technique, and more particularly the study of the trout's diet, and their imitations, that it can distract anglers from focussing sufficiently on their quarry's habits and behaviour. If you want to catch more Trout, and particularly larger Trout, you need to know more about the Trout than you do about casting and their diet.

The deeper I looked, the more things just didn't make sense. I reared both Brown and Rainbow Trout in my lounge room aquarium and studied them closely. From atop steep banks of clear pools on the stream, I experimented and studied them.

There was finally but one conclusion I could make. We, as fly fishermen, to a large degree, have been kidding ourselves for a very long time. Looking realistically at many of the trout flies, it seemed that the trout must either be half blind, or quite stupid, to accept many of them as the insects being imitated. Either way, it detracted from the achievement of having deceived them.

The more I critically analyzed the whole routine of fly fishing, the more assumptions I recognised as having been made to compensate for our lack of understanding. At best, some of the assumptions may have been correct to some degree, but could never be proven or confirmed. At worst, some were just blatantly wrong.

These assumptions have been cycled for so long they have just been accepted as fact. The Trout have been considered 'Unpredictable' because their behaviour or actions didn't always fit what we would have expected when fly fishing. No-one, it seems, had ever thought about the possibility of their actions not matching our expectations because our beliefs could be flawed.

I started evaluating alternative possibilities. Gradually I put the puzzle together. Eventually, those long standing questions had answers. The trout behaviour then became extremely predictable. I started taking advantage of these findings. Having realized I didn't need to imitate anything to induce takes, I was able to construct flies which could do specific jobs for me rather than imitating anything.

With each of the situations I encountered on the water mastered, the results just automatically followed. I had seemingly mastered the sport of fly fishing.

# posted by blogs71375 : 1:29 PM  0 comments

So now you've decided to record your songs. Good for you, except that you will need people to play the instruments for which your music calls for. If you can play all the instruments on your own, then all the better. You will have less people to argue with! Other wise, you will have to hire (read: bribe with beer/food/hockey tickets) session musicians and vocalists to play and sing for you, putting you in the producer's chair.

Your songs are only as emotional as the performers who play them. It goes without saying that you should hire the best performers your budget will allow. But if $100/hour for a professional vocalist is a little steep, here are a few ways to help encourage the best from your session players.

1.) Always praise, never criticize.

The is THE most important rule in my book. The only way any session musician could ever get comfortable at your studio is if YOU put them at ease. That's one of your jobs as a producer.

When trying different versions of a take, tell them how you would like it to sound, instead of what they did wrong ie: "That was great, but let's try to hit the high note a little stronger" instead of "you know, you were a little off on the high note, it didn't sound that good".

Always start with praise, then with a correction. Keep your vocabulary positive. The best producers make the artist feel as if they can do nothing wrong.

2) They Can Do Nothing Wrong

Remember this rule while you are writing or recording. There is no "wrong way", there is only "a different way". Don't tell people that their way is wrong. Remember that music is an art, and there are no rules in art. When a performer is playing something you don't like, correct them by saying "let's try it this way too". Don't start off my saying "nope, you were wrong, do it the right way".

3) Let Them See The Light

Ambiance, atmosphere, vibe: whatever you call it, they need it. I guarantee that you will get a much better performance if you have water on the table, comfortable chairs, maybe a few candles, a towel, mints, and candy. Have you ever tried recording in an office with harsh florescent lights and hard wood chairs?

4) Take Your Time

If you're recording at your own studio, you have all the time in the world (which is an evil thing in my opinion). Let the artist relax, "get into the groove", talk a little and get comfortable with the other people in the control room. A tense artist's performance will always sound 'artificial' in the final song.

Don't be worried if it takes another 10 minutes to finish the take. Each performer works at their own pace, and the best thing you can do as the producer is to respect that and adjust your pace to theirs. Unless you have a record company breathing down your neck. Then everyone has to work at THEIR pace!

5) Ask For Help

Artists love to be listened to. It's always good to ask them for their opinion. Whether you actually listen is up to you. But once in a while, a simple question like "What do you think? Do you want to keep that take?" can do wonders for their performance. It helps keep them involved in the project and make them feel less like a "hired hand".

Obviously, if it was the worse singing you've ever heard and they want to keep it, just mention that you will do "one more take as a safety". And then, when they're not looking, use the better take instead and auto-tune it to no end. This is a little producer's secret, but don't let the artists know!

6) Know The Words

Make sure that you, the engineer, the assistant engineer and everyone else in the control room has lyrics to all the songs. The best way for your studio team to find their way around the songs is with the lyric sheets. Another good idea is to USE THE WHITEBOARD! That's why it's there. If you don't have one, get one. Write down the chord progressions, lyric ideas, timing marks, track listings, McDonald's lunch orders, everything.

7) It's MOSTLY About The Music

I've heard people say "it's ALL about the music". Well, in my books, that's not the truth. I'd rather say "it's mostly about the music". Because you have to remember, it's also about having fun, having a good time, writing and performing the best you can and above all, sharing your talent and gift with others. Try to make it less of a job, and more of a passion and you'll find yourself doing it for the rest of your life!

2005 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic)

# posted by blogs71375 : 1:18 PM  0 comments

Texas may be No. 2 two in all the polls as well as being No.2 in the BCS standings but it seems as if its QB, Vince Young, is 'stealing' the hearts of many Heisman experts. I think there is little argument the Reggie Bush's candidacy has lost a lot of momentum since the Notre Dame game plus I get the feeling that too many people are taking for granted the incredible accomplishments of Matt Leinart. Add it all up and Young looks like the favorite. Behind the "Big Three", Brady Quinn of Notre Dame and Drew Olson of UCLA are having Heisman-worthy seasons but unfortunately for both of them, its a case of wrong time, wrong place (season). My latest Heisman update follows.

1) MATT LEINART (USC) Last Week: 1. I'm not ready to drop Leinart from the top spot just yet, although I admit Young is making a very significant challenge. However, Leinart is playing this season under an incredible 'microscope' and with tremendous pressure. He turned down countless millions to stay at USC for an opportunity to lead the school to an unprecedented third straight national title. So far, he's done everything one could ask, and MORE! USC won at Berkeley this past Saturday, beating Cal 35-10. Of course everyone knows it was the Cal Bears who last beat the Trojans, 34-31 in triple-OT (back in 2003). However, USC had little trouble this time around, as Leinart ran for two second-quarter scores, giving USC a 21-3 halftime lead. Leinart didn't have a great game, failing to throw a TD pass for the third time this year and just the fourth time in his career. He finished the game 20-of-32 for 246 yards with one interception and those two rushing TDs (five on the year). He's now led USC to 32 straight wins (tied for the 6th-best streak of all-time) and a record-tying 22 straight Pac-10 wins. He's 35-1 as starter, tossing a Pac-10 record 94 career TD passes (just 22 INTs), while topping 300 yards passing in six games this year. In comparison, he had just five 300-yard games in his first two seasons at USC and Vince Young has just ONE 300-yard game in his entire career! I'll leave further comparisons for future use (if needed). Leinart has two big games left, both versus quality opponents. USC hosts No. 16 Fresno State this Saturday and then No. 12 UCLA on December 3. His season stats are: 211-of-318 3017 yards 66.4 23 TDs 7 INTs / 5 rush TDs.

2) VINCE YOUNG (Texas) Last Week: 3. Young has passed Bush in my poll and I'm getting the strong impression that he's the current favorite. Texas beat Kansas just 27-23 last year, in a game which featured some heavy controversy regarding the officiating. The Longhorns left little in the hands of the officials this past Saturday, running up a 52-0 halftime lead. Young misfired on his first three passes but then completed his next eight, including TD throws of 45, 64 and 29 yards. He added a fourth TD pass before the half, giving him a career-high in TD passes for a game and was on the bench with five minutes remaining in the third quarter of a 66-14 Texas win. Young finished 19-of-27 for 281 yards and didn't throw an interception. Only a head-scratching six rushing attempts for minus four yards, kept him from topping 300 yards in total offense for the FIFTH time in his last seven games. After opening the season by averaging 181.3 YPG passing with five TD passes, four interceptions and one rushing TD in his first three games, Young has averaged 267.2 YPG passing while throwing for 17 TDs (just four INTs) and running for seven more over his last seven games. In that stretch, he's averaged 348.9 YPG in total offense. He passed Major Applewhite on Saturday and is now the school-leader in total offense with 8,269 career yards. He's led Texas to 17 straight wins and is 27-2 in his career as a starter. Texas plays Texas A&M on November 25 and then will play in the Big-12 title game on December 3. His season stats are: 155-of-244 63.5 2414 yards 22 TDs 8 INTs / 117 carries 774 yards 6.6 YPC 8 TDs.

3) REGGIE BUSH (USC) Last Week: 2. I can't imagine that even Bush's most ardent supporters don't feel as if the Heisman is slipping from Reggie's grasp. Bush was a spectacular but complimentary play last year when he finished fifth in the voting. However, he was given a bigger role this year and after opening with an 86-yard effort versus Hawaii, ripped off FIVE consecutive 100-yard games (had just two in his career entering this year), peaking with a 160-yard three-TD effort (not to mention his all-important "push") in USC's thrilling 34-31 win at Notre Dame. Bush has failed to top 100 yards in three of his four games since (scoring just two TDs) and often has been overshadowed in the backfield by teammate LenDale White (three TDs in Saturday's win over Cal). When all the votes are in, both Leinart and Bush may suffer from the fact that there is so much talent around them and unlike last year, may actually take votes away from each other. While Bush remains the nation's most SPECTACULAR player (ranks third with 182.5 YPG in all-purpose yards), his opportunities have been limited recently and unlike last year when he made major contributions with his pass-catching abilities (seven TD catches), he's gone seven games without a TD catch and has just two for the entire season. His season stats are: 140 carries 1104 yards 7.9 YPC 11 TDs / 28 catches 315 yards 11.3 YPC 2 TDs.

4) BRADY QUINN (Notre Dame) Last Week: 4. Quinn continues to be a record-breaking 'machine' this year for Notre Dame. In two years under Willingham, Brady completed just over 50 percent of his passes (50.8), throwing 26 TDs and 25 interceptions. However, under the tutelage of Charlie Weis, Quinn has spent the season re-writing the Notre Dame record book. His latest onslaught came in Notre Dame's all-time NCAA record 42nd straight win over Navy, 42-21. Quinn finished 22-of-31 for 284 yards with four TDs and one interception. That fourth-quarter interception ended a stretch of 130 consecutive passes without a 'pick', setting a another Notre Dame record. He extended to 14, his school record of consecutive games with least one TD pass and by game's end, had passed Ron Powlus as the school's career-leader with 53 TD passes (Powlus had 52). He topped 250 yards passing for the 14th time in his career (extending another record) and now owns the school's single-season record with 2,931 passing yards. Quinn is now just 254 yards shy of passing Powlus as the school's all-time leader in passing yards. His season stats are 217-of-330 65.8 2931 yards 27 TDs 5 INTs / 1 rush TD

5) DREW OLSON (UCLA) Last Week: 5. Bruin fans will argue that Olson is having the best year of any QB in the city! They may just be right. Olson had three TD passes and 295 yards passing by the end of the FIRST quarter, in UCLA's 45-35 win over Arizona State this past Saturday. He opened the game with a 91-yard TD pass on the game's first play from scrimmage and never looked back. He finished the game 22-of-27 for a career-high 510 yards with five TDs and no interceptions. He missed by just FOUR yards, of setting a single-game school record for passing yards (Cade McNown threw for 513 yards in UCLA's infamous 49-45 loss at Miami in 1998). His 30 TD passes this year (just three INTs!), easily breaks McNown's single-season record of 25, set in that 1998 season. Olson was the main QB at UCLA for the last two years when the Bruins went 12-13. Similar to Quinn, Olson entered this year without much fanfare (32 TDs and 25 INTs in his three-year career) but has been BRILLIANT! Olson's 172.5 QB rating ranks him FIRST in the nation. By the way, Young is second, Leinart fourth and Quinn fifth. Olson will have to wait until December 3 but he will get his showdown with Los Angeles' "other" QB. His season stats are: 218-of-322 67.7 2909 yards 30 TDs 3 INTs.

Typically, I list five other players six-through 10 but it hardly seems worth it. Last week's sixth-ranked player (Cody Hodges of Texas Tech), saw his team lose to Oklahoma State, a team that entered the game winless in Big-12 play. No. 7 Maurice Drew of UCLA has fallen so far behind teammate Drew Olson, it's not worth arguing. My No. 8 guy last week, DeAngelo Williams of Memphis, missed last week's game versus Tennessee because of injury and the Tigers fell to 4-5 with a 20-16 loss. Laurence Maroney of Minnesota was ranked No. 9 and like Williams, missed the Gophers' game with an injury but Minnesota hardly missed him, beating Michigan State 41-18. As for Washington State's Jerome Harrison (No.10), he ran for 143 yards and has now run for more than 100 yards in all 10 games this year, as well as topping 100 yards in 13 straight games, setting a new Pac-10 record. That being said, his team has lost SEVEN straight games!

# posted by blogs71375 : 1:06 PM  0 comments

Betting on sports is perhaps as old as the various games themselves. Millions of people have made huge money out of betting on sports. Possibly no game is left virgin of betting. All games have bookies and wages attached to them. Alike is the case with the countries across the globe. Betting is becoming a universal phenomenon nowadays. The difference however lies in the fact that some countries have accepted betting and so have legalized it while others still consider it illicit. For instance betting is taken to be legal nearly in entire Europe whereas Nevada is the only place in United States of America where wagering is deemed to be lawful. But the geographical scenario does not bring much variation in the terms and conditions or the rules and style of betting. The betting policies for a particular game for example cricket remain approximately the same around the world.

But what differs with the place or country is the sport and the amount of bets placed on it. Like people in Asian countries are leaders in betting on cricket. Cricket is the favorite sport in the Asian subcontinent. But in Europe and America games like horse racing, basketball, hockey, soccer and football etc. receive topmost priority. Thus that sport is wagered the most, which is relished, by maximum number of people.

Australia is one of the best places in the world to enjoy betting. This is because betting is legal in Australia and there are ample of sports that are cherished by the Aussies. Australian Football and Rugby are the two eminent names in this category. Lots of good information and even betting guidelines or tips about these games and many others like tennis are available on the Internet due to the legality of sports betting in Australia.

Ireland is the land that gives birth to the most of the English sports action. Irish football and Hurling are unique English sports. Rugby, cricket, golf and tennis are other English sports that invite lot many bookmakers and so bets. The English Premier League or one can say the English Soccer involves tremendous wagering in Europe. Darts are also famous among the English. Many people love betting on the not so common game of Darts. But this isnt all. Punters never leave The National Leagues, the National and International Cups, the Motor Sports like Formula F1 Racing, the IRL or the Indy Racing League and the NASCAR i.e. the National Association of Speedy Cars and Rednecks, involves million dollar wages or even more every year.

Human beings have always made good business through animals. Along with the horse racing the racing of animals like camels, pigs, ponies and dogs invite great amount of betting in Europe as well as on the land of America.

While betting on any game what should be followed is your knowledge of the game and what your intuition or common sense says. A bettor should be pretty clear and confident over the option of his bet. If an individual is making a bet for the first time, dont bet big. It can lead to unexpected snags. Remember, it takes time to learn and develop betting skills.

# posted by blogs71375 : 8:20 AM  0 comments

What's missing from Las Vegas newspapers, TV and radio this week?

The answer is easy for Sin City denizens: casino Super Bowl party ads.

That's because there aren't any big bashes planned, at least the kind where you pay a C-note, watch the game on widescreens, stuff yourself with all-you-can-eat "stadium fare" and get intoxicated with friends at open bars ... a big part of the Vegas mystique.

The Goliath NFL wiped them out last year, holding potential lawsuits over resorts that didn't kowtow to demands they cease and desist from airing the game at events people pay to get in.

The league cited broadcasting rights.

Oh, the gleaming alabaster palaces still will roll out red carpets for the rich, famous and media types, cook up fancy food (medallions of veal anyone?) and throw open the liquor cabinet, top shelf and all, but casinos don't like to discuss these "private" affairs.

Someone might be left out, inadvertently or otherwise.

Besides, letting the public know how the other half lives isn't real Strip smart.

Many resorts will show the big Pittsburgh-Seattle game throughout their casinos, offering food and drink specials.

Vegans and tourists also have the option of watching Super Bowl XL in sports books throughout Nevada; just come early, stake your claim (some bet shops feature more comfortable chairs than others), make your wagers and start searching for those specials.

Harrah's will give patrons Super Bowl t-shirts with $50 parlay wagers and showing the game at its Piano, Carnaval, Winning Streaks and other bars, while Fiesta Rancho will give away a 2006 Dodge Ram during festivities.

Many former NFL stars will spend Super Bowl weekend in Sin City, but most will maintain low profiles to escape media glare.

They'll limit public appearances to things like "tributes" and charity auctions, then mix and mingle "privately."

John Elway, for one, should thank the Steelers for creaming Denver in the AFC title game, as he already was committed here. So's Dan Marino, who never really had a reason to believe he'd be anywhere else on Super Bowl Sunday.

Philadelphia bad boy Terrell Owens will paint the town red, starting at 10 p.m. Friday at Caesars Palace's upscale PURE Nightclub; a deejay will focus on rock and rap music.

Like all free Americans, Vegans also can watch Matt Hasselback and Ben Roethlesberger duel in the friendly confines of their favorite pub, or tavern; they're on many neighborhood corners, like anywhere else.

The Steelers have several fan bars in Vegas while the Seahawks have one.

Bob Taylor's Ranch House and Supper Club in the far northwest valley has catered to Las Vegans since 1955.

The current owner hails from Pittsburgh and has turned the classy steak house saloon into a Steelers bastion.

"We'll have food specials, beer specials, shots and everyone will be dressed in yellow and black," a restaurant spokeswoman said.

"Everything we cook is mesquite grilled, you know.

"We're having a big Super Bowl party."

So is Rascals, another Steelers stronghold on Vegas' East Side.

"We have a free Super Bowl buffet -- actually, it's pretty nice and I'd be here myself (even) if I didn't have to work -- for anyone who buys a $25 square on our board," said a lady who answered the phone.

"But we only have two squares left, so we'll think up another gimmick by Friday so those who didn't get down on this one get another chance for free buffets.

"We'll have free well drinks too and 50-cent drink tickets that let you uprade on brands.

"And there's no cover charge."

Seahawks fans also have a haven, at Smoke Ranch Junction on the city's West Side.

"Sure, we're having a big Super Bowl party," said a voice at the other end.

"We'll have a free buffet and drink specials."

Bars rely on regulars for most Super Sunday business, but emphasize their shindigs are open to the public, which, in fact, they ardently pursue.

Those seeking something truly spectacular might give the Red Rooster a whirl; it's a swinging joint.

The Seattle-Pittsburgh match-up will be shown on big-screen TVs and a buffet will be served.

BYOB.

Cost is $40 for couples and single men; single women are free. No tickets will be sold in advance.

A dress code will be in effect: Men, boxers only; women, just panties.

# posted by blogs71375 : 2:29 AM  0 comments