Fifth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick-'em

The PH4H Tournament pool is back for the fifth straight year! As in the past, it utilizes a scoring system that uses a point multiplier based on seeding, to encourage picking upsets.

As usual, the winners are the people with the highest and lowest scores (i.e., even if your picks stink, the only way you're not in the running is if you don't play).

So all you need to do is log in with the username and password you used before, and you should automatically be back in the user group. Then just make your picks before the tournament begins on Thursday.

If you want to invite others, go ahead. Just have them go to this website (http://ph4h.mayhem.sportsline.com), and enter the password "reverse."

Good luck!

(Oh, and as a side note, I can't run the NIT Challenge this year, seeing as I will be unable to keep score manually while on the road. Anyone want to take over?)

Help Wanted: Wienermobile Driver

Anyone looking for a career change? Oscar Meyer is looking for people to drive the Wienermobile.



Puns are apparently an extra added bonus.

Stoopid Nats News

Anyone catch this on Friday? From D.C. Sports Bog and NBC News:

At last night's Marlins versus Nationals game, the Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn wore uniforms with their team misspelled. Look closely, see that? You see it's Nat-in-als? Where's the 'O' everybody? Anyway, later in the game both players changed into correctly spelled uniforms.

Snuggie vs. Slanket: An Investigation

Sunday night, I was watching football with Andy and it was very very cold. I told him that I wanted one of those blanket things with sleeves -- a Slanket -- which had been recommended to me by a friend. But then we saw a commercial for another version of it -- a Snuggie -- for less than half the price, plus a free book light.

So, being me, I decided to investigate. Before I went to bed, I sent an email to the Slanket people:

I am trying to decide between buying a Snuggie and a Slanket. I have a friend that recommended your product, but yours costs $44.95 -- whereas I can get two Snuggies and a book light for $19.95, plus shipping. So why should I buy yours instead of the other one? What makes yours worth the extra money?

Thanks.

The creator of the Slanket wrote back, less than 7 hours later:

Jan 5, 2009 06:31:25 AM, gary@theslanket.com wrote:

Hello!

Thank you so much for reaching out to us and The Slanket. We appreciate your interest and you for taking the time out to drop us a note.

The facts are: We are the original for this type of product and have been making a quality Slanket backed with attentive customer service and appreciation for a few years now. This knock off is an extremely poor quality product. It is smaller, the material is half the weight, and is overall not something you would want laying around your living room.

The Slanket is much larger, and is 310gsm, which refers to the weight. This knock off is 170gsm. Besides the blatant product differences, I can assure you that the other company could care less about their customers and you will see this through the service you get, if you get any. We will always take care of you, from today on to the future. Having contacted us now, we now consider you part of the Slanket family and will always be available for anything you might need.

I hope I have answered your questions.

We wish a happy and healthy new year to you and your family,

Gary H. Clegg
SlanketLounginLLC
www.theslanket.com

This kind of customer service should be rewarded -- or, at least, noted.

The Great Schlep

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

It's not the U.S. News and World Reports rankings, but . . .

. . . the University of Florida is ranked as the #1 party school in the country.

I am so proud.

Ross Hashanah

This would not be a good day in the PH4H league

Just wanted to point out that my alma mater has the awesomest baseball player ever:

The Seminoles catcher played all nine defensive positions -- and hit a grand slam -- in a 10-0 seven-inning victory over Savannah State on Monday.

Garfield Minus Garfield

Check out this website: Garfield Minus Garfield.

Empanada Bowl Results

Congratulations, Debby. You kicked all of our butts in the First Annual PH4H Empanada Bowl.

It wasn't even close:

(names partially redacted to protect the mostly-innocent)

For those who like trivia, but weren't keeping up with the message board, here are some weird facts:

• Three of us picked the final score to be 28-24;
• Only one of those three picked Ohio State to win;
• Four of us picked the winning team's score to be 28;
• Five of us picked the losing team's score to be 24; and
• The losing team did, indeed, score 24 points.

Congratulations, Andy!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Andrew Goldman has won the Washington Post Weekend section's annual Holiday Wrapping Paper Contest. "It was easy for the judges to see why his work is so popular," the Post intones. "The bold colors and well-executed details of his color-penciled snowmen and Christmas trees made it a top choice."

Also, we learn that Andy is 12. That explains a lot.

I think I need a new word

I stumbled across this discussion on the Washington Post's website on a familiar topic -- the Top Ten synonyms for "Awesome" that are no longer acceptable.

Query: Since when was "awesome" all that acceptable?

I mean, I know I overuse -- and therefore misuse -- the word, but c'mon.

Just in time for the holidays

It's Simon Sez Santa!

The Prime Number Shitting Bear

I was chastised last night at the White Elephant party for knowing about this and not posting it on the blog. I had a moment of panic when I tried to find it and received an error message. But I did some detective work and managed to find the new site. So here it is. Enjoy.

Best baseball quote of the day, possibly the year . . .

. . .courtesy of Slate:

"Doug Mientkiewicz: greatest Mientkiewicz in baseball history, or just the latest in a long line of great baseball Mientkiewiczes?"

The second-best quote from that same article:

Many fashion experts feel that the Diamondbacks' success can be attributed to the team's offseason decision to change from a calming purple/teal color scheme to a more robust Sedona red. Many fashion experts also feel that slimming vertical stripes and a sassy green fedora would look great on Bob Wickman.

Funny t-shirts

This makes me laugh.



But it's not quite as funny as the one I took a picture of last Sunday at the final game at RFK:

Farewell to RFK

Today, a bunch of us went to the last baseball game at RFK Stadium, which was great. But it won't be my favorite memory of the place.

And, although they were all fantastic, my favorite memory has nothing to do with Opening Day 2005, the 10 game winning streak in June, 2005, Ramon Ortiz's near-no hitter (and home run) on Labor Day, 2006, or even Zimm's walk off 3-run home run against the Yankees earlier that season.

No, my favorite RFK memory is this, as retold by Dan:

Third Annual Post-Rosh Hashana Services Karaoke Extravaganza

Nothing says "Rosh Hashanah" like sushi and karaoke. For those who missed it, you missed . . . well, you missed a three-quarters-empty Karaoke Idol. Which meant that those of us who wanted to sing got to sing a lot of songs, including a duet by Justin and yours truly.

Too bad I forgot the camera this time. But it was something like this, only with different songs and fewer people.

Just in time for the high holy days

You know what you boys all need? An Obama yarmulke.

"Empanadas are the new cupcakes."

If you haven't done so already, watch the Hipster Olympics video. Then you'll understand.