As we head in to the Sweet Sixteen, I’m currently towards the bottom in my work pool, thanks to upsets galore that have wiped out many of my picks. 3 out of my 4 Final Four picks are still alive, but with plenty of people picking Kansas to win the whole thing, I’ll need to get as many early points as I can.
Some tough breaks here in the South bracket, but the good news is that my champion is still alive.
My best bracket to date, with only 3 losses. Continue reading →
It’s that time of year again, as the nation’s attention turns to the college hoops scene for the next few weeks. I’m in three different pools again this year, one at work, one at my mom’s work, and one run by a friend. The Purdue Boilermakers return to the tournament for the second straight year, though they will likely not have an easy go of it.
The South bracket has the overall #1 seed in Kansas, who is also my pick to win the whole shebang.
The Big 10 is well represented in the East region, with both IU and Wisconsin picked to make it to the Sweet Sixteen.
My best week of 2016 (so far) got off to a good start thanks to a trip down to Champaign to take in a disappointing Purdue loss to the Illini on Sunday. Monday approached 7000 steps despite temperatures that didn’t break 10 degrees, and the remainder of the work week all managed to surpass that lofty goal. Saturday was a disappointment, despite going to a skating event for Angelina.
Total steps: 47,772
Daily average: 6824.6
Now that Christmas has come and gone, we can unveil the cover to this year’s calendar gift, given annually to my mom and sister, made up of pictures I have taken throughout the year. Once again. this year’s calendar was produced by the good folks at Shutterfly. As in year’s past, we will unveil each month’s photo on the first day of the month throughout 2015.
This year’s cover is made up of 12 pictures, each featuring some combination of Angelina, Danny, and Michael. We start with the shot above of all 3 riding a camel at the Memphis Zoo from our Elvis trip back in May.
Continuing counter clockwise is another shot of all 3 standing in front of the famous ivy on the outfield wall at Wrigley Field from the Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day conducted by the Cubs this summer.
The week got off to a disappointing start, as birthday celebrations for me, Angelina, and Danny meant falling under my daily goal on Sunday. Things picked up was the work week started, and the temperatures jumped up to an unseasonably warm 70 degrees. The big day of the week was Saturday, as Danny, Michael, and I headed down to West Lafayette for Purdue’s homecoming, where they embarrassed themselves against Illinois. Thankfully, the travels across campus did not result in an embarrassing step total for me, garnering my only 10,000 step day of the week.
Early last week, I passed the 2 million step mark for the year, well ahead of my goal. If I were to not take another step for the next 12 weeks, I would still average more than my daily goal for the year. This is the first time I’ve managed to surpass one of these goals that I’ve set for myself, so yay me.
Total steps: 51,931
Daily average: 7418.7
The Purdue Boilermakers kick of the 2015-2016 season today, meaning it’s time to take our first ever look at the results of the whopping 10 college basketball games I have attended in my lifetime. You’d think it would be more, since I was a big fan and we had a great team while I was in school, but for some reason I only made it to 2 games while enrolled in college. The other 8 have been post-graduation. Anyway, without further ado, here are the standings for those 10 games.
| School | Won | Loss | Winning Pctg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Commonwealth Rams | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | 7 | 3 | 0.700 |
| Northwestern Wildcats | 2 | 2 | 0.500 |
| Long Beach State 49ers | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 0 | 3 | 0.000 |
| Houston Cougars | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
20 years ago today, I was at the Hilltop Apartment of my friend Tina, along with our other friend Kelley, waiting for the verdict to be read in the OJ Simpson trial before heading off with Kelley to a Business Law exam. I imagine all of us were surprised that Simpson was found not guilty, more than 8 months after the trial began.
On June 13, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found murdered in Brentwood, California. Immediate suspicion fell upon OJ Simpson, the ex-husband of Nicole Brown Simpson and NFL Hall of Famer. He was arrested four days later, after leading police on a slow speed chase around Los Angeles from the back of a white Ford Bronco driven by his long-time friend Al Cowlings.
The trial, which made stars out of nearly everyone involved, from the witnesses to the police to the lawyers and the judge, was the news story of 1995. While most people assumed Simpson did it, his defense hinged on racist cops who were out to frame the celebrity for having married a white woman.
I don’t remember much about that particular Business Law exam, or class, to be honest. But the events of this day have stayed with me for the past 20 years. The day a man (likely) got away with murder due to the color of his skin.
My alma mater, the Purdue Boilermakers, kick off their 2015 gridiron campaign today, so I thought it was about time we took a look at the results of the 20 college football games I have attended since the 1993 season, covering 4 different stadiums in a whopping 2 states.
| School | Won | Loss | Winning Pctg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Nittany Lions | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 4 | 1 | 0.800 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | 12 | 6 | 0.667 |
| Northern Illinois Huskies | 1 | 1 | 0.500 |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 1 | 5 | 0.167 |
| Western Michigan Broncos | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Northwestern Wildcats | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
| North Carolina State Wolfpack | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Michigan Wolverines | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.
We wrap up our look back with Volume 20, which stretches over late 1995 and the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college. At some point, I noticed that the tape players on my boom box were slowing down and, despite multiple attempts, apparently could not be repaired, which spelled the end for these collections.
Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
A healthy doubling plus for the first single from the Pumpkins double album opus.
2012 iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 5/11/2012
2015 iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 6/25/2015
Melissa Etheridge – Your Little Secret
The first single from Melissa Etheridge’s under-performing followup to her smash hit album is still missing from my collection.
Lisa Loeb – Do You Sleep
The first single from Lisa Loeb’s major label debut doubled its plays in the last 3 years.
2012 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 8/27/2011
2015 iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 7/21/2015
Goo Goo Dolls – Name
A slight 3 play increase over the past part 3 years for the first hit from the Goo Goo Dolls.
2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 5/21/2012
2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 3/3/2015
Collective Soul – The World I Know
The latest middling hit from Collective Soul was only heard once in the past 3 years, on my 40th birthday.
2012 iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 6/2/2012
2015 iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 10/27/2014
Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
The hit from the Empire Records soundtrack has yet to be heard.
2012 iTunes stats: Never played
2015 iTunes stats: Never played
Garbage – Queer
The breakthrough hit for Shirley Manson and the boys picked up only 4 new listens over the last 3 years.
2012 iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 5/21/2012
2015 iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 7/24/2015
Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.
Volume 19 stretches from late summer 1995 and into the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college. Again, it mostly features what was considered alternative music, with Coolio interjecting some street flavor for good measure.
Tripping Daisy – I Got A Girl
The one hit for Tripping Daisy managed to double its number of plays in the last 3 years.
2012 iTunes stats: 3 plays
2015 iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 7/22/2015
Foo Fighters – This Is A Call
The debut for Dave Grohl’s new venture earned a relatively paltry 4 additional plays in the past 3 years.
2012 iTunes stats: 13 plays
2015 iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 4/2/2015
Pearl Jam – Whipping
The final appearance of Pearl Jam, which I barely even recall, picked up 2 listens in the past 3 years, none in nearly 2.
2012 iTunes stats: Never played
2015 iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 9/7/2013
Hootie and the Blowfish – Only Wanna Be With You
Hootie’s ode to, among other things, the Miami Dolphins added 3 new listens in the past 3 years, despite not having been heard in over a year.
2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays
2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 6/8/2014
Elastica – Stutter
The follow up from Elastica picked up 2 listens in the past 3 years.
2012 iTunes stats: Never played
2015 iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 2/10/2015
Cranberries – Ridiculous Thoughts
2 listens for the latest from the Cranberries in the last 3 years.
2012 iTunes stats: Never played
2015 iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 6/2/2015
Green Day – J.A.R.
3 new listens for Green Day’s contribution to the Angus soundtrack.
2012 iTunes stats: 7 plays
2015 iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 5/8/2015
Alanis Morissette – Hand In My Pocket
The second release from the juggernaut that was Jagged Little Pill tripled its number of listens in the past 3 years.
2012 iTunes stats: 3 plays
2015 iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 1/15/2015