As 2010 draws to a close, DaMan takes an unusual (possibly somewhat humours) look at all the top headlines this year.
1. Alabama wins National Championship: Do NOT remember this happening: I was watching this game drunk off my @$$ in a little bar near Mexico.......don't ask.
2. Haiti earthquake: One of the sadder stories of the year. CNN was all over this. Sports tie-in: Samuel Dalembert is a good guy.
3. Scott Brown elected to Senate, shocking Democrat Martha Coakley: a tiding of things to come for Democrats in 2010.
4. The Edwards separate, Elizabeth Edwards later passes away in December - further solidifying John Edwards' place in the Douchiest Douchebags Hall of Fame.
5. Apple unveils the iPad: Why is Steve Jobs NOT wearing a belt when unveiling it? Did he have to pawn that off to get funding for this gadget?
6. Toyota pedal recall: giving new meaning to Toyota's motto: "Moving Forward"
7. Vancouver Olympics: U.S. wins 37 medals. Wait, there's a WINTER olympics too?
8. Plane flown into IRS building: ironically, news broke while I was sitting in tax class. Professor had no comment.
9. Tiger Woods apologizes: he's sorry he got caught.
10. Dick Cheney heart attack: Being an ex-VP more stressful than being VP.
11. Sea World employee killed by whale....one of sadder stories of the year. Synonymous with the message Steve Irwin left: Nature can be dangerous.
12. Chilean earthquake: lots of natural disasters this year. Let's hope Cali doesn't get the next big quake? (fingers crossed)
13. Jesse James admits infidelity: he's sorry he got caught.
14. Obama signs healthcare into law: saddling the next Prez with more problems in 2014.
15. U.S. Census: o yea......I participated. Was like a 10 minute thing......faster than a McDonalds run.
16. Polish president killed in plane crash......In other news, LOST had its series finale.
17. BP oil well explodes......hasn't Louisiana as a whole suffered enough these past few years?
18. Arizona passes immigration law: Did they really think this law would fly?
19. Britain elects David Cameron as its new Prime Minister......Not as dashing as Tony Blair.
20. Blackhawks win Stanley Cup........now if only we could do something about the Cubs....
21. Russian spies arrested........yes, it was criminal how hot the red head Anna Chapman was.
22. Lindsay Lohan sentenced: Dude, Lindsay, can we time-warp back 12 years and try that teenage/adolesence thing again?
23. Mel Gibson audio tapes releases (threatens ex-girlfriend): Mel, that's NOT what woman want.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Fantasy football playoff time
Although I was eliminated in my I-really-care-about-this-league league last week, I'm still alive in my high school buddies league and doing rather well.
Observations:
1. If Austin Collie had played 16 games this season, he would have been the Fantasy MVP. Easily. I picked him up after week 1 and enjoyed the ride for 5 weeks, and he would have really helped this week too (8 catches, 87 yards, 2TD's)..... and could have been more if he didn't get hurt. Shame.
2. Jeremy Maclin and Tashard Choice went OFF the week after I desperately needed them. Sometimes that's just what happens in fantasy sports though: timing. Playoffs are a weird thing: studs turn into duds, no-names turn into heroes. Unpredictable, but the crap-shootness of it is part of the reason it keeps people coming back.
3. Vincent Jackson = God. Too bad he wont' be a Charger next year.
4. Ray Rice seemed off the whole season but looked like a SAINT for fantasy owner against the Saints. Maybe a sophomore slump? Great situation in Baltimore, good QB to throw to him, efficient offense. Like.
5. Words cannot describe how much of a fantasy freak Mike Vick is. He's a top-tier RB and a top-tier QB rolled up into one. Basically, a joker in a game of high card. And someone in my league benched him IN THE PLAYOFFS in favor of peyton manning. He's now eliminated.
6. LOVED that the Eagles lost to the Giants. Allows Bears more assurance of playoff spot (we have tiebreak against Eagles, Giants have it against the Bears). And the Eagles look.......better.
7. Lesson for next year: take a chance on young, rising WR's. (Probably true for RB's, too, but I was burned so bad by Ryan Mathews this year I hesitate to recommend it). Cases in point: Hakeem Nicks, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Roddy White, Dwayne Bowe, Mike Wallace. These are the names at the top of the WR rankings at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, I had Michael Crabtree. The exception to the rule. Damn.
8. Did you know who Arian Foster or Peyton Hillis were at the end of last season? Neither did I. But they're #1 and #3 in RB rankings and probably made dreams or shattered them this season.
Actually, neither did very well this week despite pretty good matchups.......another sign of the randomness of fantasy playoffs.
9. Kicker: you wouldn't think it w's a big deal, but it is: David Akers has led the league the last few years in points scored, and you'll take the HUGE playoff weeks he put up the last few. This one's easy: Pick akers as your kicker next year, probably in the last round of your draft.
If not akers, just get an accurate guy with an okay leg without a history of mental problems (i.e. NOT Garret Hartley).
10. Good teams have high-scoring fantasy defenses.
11. Don't buy the reniassance Running Back fluke of LaDanian Tomlinson. Don't touch him next year......Youth is in in the NFL.
12. Don't invest yourself too heavily in fantasy football. You'll kill yourself worrying over your team and write a "It's the Worst Day of your life and the World is Ending" post on your blog. And most people WILL lose...only a few people can win every year.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Observations:
1. If Austin Collie had played 16 games this season, he would have been the Fantasy MVP. Easily. I picked him up after week 1 and enjoyed the ride for 5 weeks, and he would have really helped this week too (8 catches, 87 yards, 2TD's)..... and could have been more if he didn't get hurt. Shame.
2. Jeremy Maclin and Tashard Choice went OFF the week after I desperately needed them. Sometimes that's just what happens in fantasy sports though: timing. Playoffs are a weird thing: studs turn into duds, no-names turn into heroes. Unpredictable, but the crap-shootness of it is part of the reason it keeps people coming back.
3. Vincent Jackson = God. Too bad he wont' be a Charger next year.
4. Ray Rice seemed off the whole season but looked like a SAINT for fantasy owner against the Saints. Maybe a sophomore slump? Great situation in Baltimore, good QB to throw to him, efficient offense. Like.
5. Words cannot describe how much of a fantasy freak Mike Vick is. He's a top-tier RB and a top-tier QB rolled up into one. Basically, a joker in a game of high card. And someone in my league benched him IN THE PLAYOFFS in favor of peyton manning. He's now eliminated.
6. LOVED that the Eagles lost to the Giants. Allows Bears more assurance of playoff spot (we have tiebreak against Eagles, Giants have it against the Bears). And the Eagles look.......better.
7. Lesson for next year: take a chance on young, rising WR's. (Probably true for RB's, too, but I was burned so bad by Ryan Mathews this year I hesitate to recommend it). Cases in point: Hakeem Nicks, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Roddy White, Dwayne Bowe, Mike Wallace. These are the names at the top of the WR rankings at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, I had Michael Crabtree. The exception to the rule. Damn.
8. Did you know who Arian Foster or Peyton Hillis were at the end of last season? Neither did I. But they're #1 and #3 in RB rankings and probably made dreams or shattered them this season.
Actually, neither did very well this week despite pretty good matchups.......another sign of the randomness of fantasy playoffs.
9. Kicker: you wouldn't think it w's a big deal, but it is: David Akers has led the league the last few years in points scored, and you'll take the HUGE playoff weeks he put up the last few. This one's easy: Pick akers as your kicker next year, probably in the last round of your draft.
If not akers, just get an accurate guy with an okay leg without a history of mental problems (i.e. NOT Garret Hartley).
10. Good teams have high-scoring fantasy defenses.
11. Don't buy the reniassance Running Back fluke of LaDanian Tomlinson. Don't touch him next year......Youth is in in the NFL.
12. Don't invest yourself too heavily in fantasy football. You'll kill yourself worrying over your team and write a "It's the Worst Day of your life and the World is Ending" post on your blog. And most people WILL lose...only a few people can win every year.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Friday, December 17, 2010
End of Finals
There's a lot of things people say "tell a lot about who you are." Examples: 1. how you handle adversity, 2. what you do when no one's watching, 3. what you do in the bathroom when you know it's gonna be awhile, etc., etc.
Add another thing to that list: How you deal with ending a stressful situation. Trust me on this, going through 1L year of law school is a very, VERY stressful situation. 2L and 3L years are marginally better, but still difficult: you usually find yourself in a room with no one but yourself, busily fumbling through notes and computer files trying to find the answer to questions that the professor has hid so well, trying to cram all the information you can into neat, tidy compilations called outlines that are thrown away almost instantly after the test, all the while counting down the hours that you have still to spend slaving away at the material, hoping that you were ANYWHERE but the library AGAIN on a friday night. Shudder.
But when you're finally done with all exams, when you can finally breathe again, when you can not only see the end of the tunnel but you cross through the end of the tunnel, the feeling is HEAVENLY. Nothing feels better. A huge load comes off your shoulders; there's a bit of a bounce in your step; HUGE chunks of time in your schedule are freed up. Sowhat do you do?
Option A: Drink. Drink more. Drink massive amounts of alcohol almost instantly after the exam. (usually consumed in conjunction with cigarettes, or harder drugs). Guru's take: Not recommended, especially the use of harder drugs. Consuming alcohol is good in a social environment where everyone's also in on it, and it becomes more of a congenial atmosphere, but by no means should you do it to TOO much excess, or else heavy puking and/or disastrous hangover might ensue.
Option B: Watch some really bad TV..... also good for numbing your brain, making you forget. Suggested titles: Real Housewives of Orange County, I Love New York 2, Jersey Shore 2, you name it on MTV = yes. Also, old comedy shows, although not "bad TV," are good at making you feel some joy again (i.e. Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld, The Office, etc.)
Option C: Go to dinner with friends. Talk about the stresses of final (nothing substantive, or else it might freak out fellow test-takers who missed substantive things), but just make fun of it.... make fun of the class, make fun of the professors, make fun of the other students (especially quirky ones who stood out), celebrate the fact that you're done with the class forever. Put some closure to it. It works well to fill your stomach in the meantime.
Option D: Sports!! A little exercise/competition never hurt anyone, especially if you've been cooped up taking a final all that time, your limbs need some movement. The Guru recommends basketball, tennis, or hiking in the outdoors: basically anything that requires concentration and for you to forget about other things in your life.
Option E: Sleep..... I heard is also good, although personally I like to feel ALIVE after a period of pretty much death, especially socially and physically. However, if you took great quantities of time during finals cramming and forgoing sleep, this might (medically) be the best option.
Option F: getting a head start on other students by reading material for next semester's courses. Do NOT do this.....omg, you might as well kill yourself because you have NO LIFE!
Option G: Go home for the holidays. Getting on an airplane, subjecting yourself to a stricter body search nowadays, flying to a cold destination and having to pay through the nose is probably not the idea of fun for a lot of people, but it's a ritual that must be followed: there's really no choice. Also, the feeling of returning home, to the place where all your childhood memories are, your childhood friends are, and where family is, still is pretty sweet and makes up for it.
Personally, now that I live in Cali, a mix of Option C, D, G, and a little bit of A (don't wanna go berserk and lose my mind) is ideal.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan.
Btw, anyone check out that Chargers-Niners drubbing last night?? WWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO..........Not only that, but Vincent Jackson might have single-handedly moved fantasy owners a round further in their fantasy playoffs. All hail V-Jax!!!
Add another thing to that list: How you deal with ending a stressful situation. Trust me on this, going through 1L year of law school is a very, VERY stressful situation. 2L and 3L years are marginally better, but still difficult: you usually find yourself in a room with no one but yourself, busily fumbling through notes and computer files trying to find the answer to questions that the professor has hid so well, trying to cram all the information you can into neat, tidy compilations called outlines that are thrown away almost instantly after the test, all the while counting down the hours that you have still to spend slaving away at the material, hoping that you were ANYWHERE but the library AGAIN on a friday night. Shudder.
But when you're finally done with all exams, when you can finally breathe again, when you can not only see the end of the tunnel but you cross through the end of the tunnel, the feeling is HEAVENLY. Nothing feels better. A huge load comes off your shoulders; there's a bit of a bounce in your step; HUGE chunks of time in your schedule are freed up. Sowhat do you do?
Option A: Drink. Drink more. Drink massive amounts of alcohol almost instantly after the exam. (usually consumed in conjunction with cigarettes, or harder drugs). Guru's take: Not recommended, especially the use of harder drugs. Consuming alcohol is good in a social environment where everyone's also in on it, and it becomes more of a congenial atmosphere, but by no means should you do it to TOO much excess, or else heavy puking and/or disastrous hangover might ensue.
Option B: Watch some really bad TV..... also good for numbing your brain, making you forget. Suggested titles: Real Housewives of Orange County, I Love New York 2, Jersey Shore 2, you name it on MTV = yes. Also, old comedy shows, although not "bad TV," are good at making you feel some joy again (i.e. Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld, The Office, etc.)
Option C: Go to dinner with friends. Talk about the stresses of final (nothing substantive, or else it might freak out fellow test-takers who missed substantive things), but just make fun of it.... make fun of the class, make fun of the professors, make fun of the other students (especially quirky ones who stood out), celebrate the fact that you're done with the class forever. Put some closure to it. It works well to fill your stomach in the meantime.
Option D: Sports!! A little exercise/competition never hurt anyone, especially if you've been cooped up taking a final all that time, your limbs need some movement. The Guru recommends basketball, tennis, or hiking in the outdoors: basically anything that requires concentration and for you to forget about other things in your life.
Option E: Sleep..... I heard is also good, although personally I like to feel ALIVE after a period of pretty much death, especially socially and physically. However, if you took great quantities of time during finals cramming and forgoing sleep, this might (medically) be the best option.
Option F: getting a head start on other students by reading material for next semester's courses. Do NOT do this.....omg, you might as well kill yourself because you have NO LIFE!
Option G: Go home for the holidays. Getting on an airplane, subjecting yourself to a stricter body search nowadays, flying to a cold destination and having to pay through the nose is probably not the idea of fun for a lot of people, but it's a ritual that must be followed: there's really no choice. Also, the feeling of returning home, to the place where all your childhood memories are, your childhood friends are, and where family is, still is pretty sweet and makes up for it.
Personally, now that I live in Cali, a mix of Option C, D, G, and a little bit of A (don't wanna go berserk and lose my mind) is ideal.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan.
Btw, anyone check out that Chargers-Niners drubbing last night?? WWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO..........Not only that, but Vincent Jackson might have single-handedly moved fantasy owners a round further in their fantasy playoffs. All hail V-Jax!!!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Leaders and Legends divisions?
Here are some possibilities for the new Big Ten Football division names, OTHER than what they chose: "Leaders" and "Legends."
(Feel free to submit your entries, the following are a mixture of serious suggestions and not-so serious).
1.) "North" and "South" - straightfoward, geographical, no-nonsense
2.) Losers and More Losers
3.) The Joe P-tizzles and the Kirk F-renzos
4.) The Ohio St. division and the Nebraska division
5.) The Lakes and Plains (***actually thought this woulda been the best one)
6.) The Corn and Wheat
7.) The Black and Blue
8.) The Bread and Butter
9.) The Batman and Robin
10.) The School Names Beginning with I's and the others
11.) The Dumb and Dumber
12.) The Law and Order
13.) The Bold and the Beautiful
...... So many possibilities!!!!!
(Feel free to submit your entries, the following are a mixture of serious suggestions and not-so serious).
1.) "North" and "South" - straightfoward, geographical, no-nonsense
2.) Losers and More Losers
3.) The Joe P-tizzles and the Kirk F-renzos
4.) The Ohio St. division and the Nebraska division
5.) The Lakes and Plains (***actually thought this woulda been the best one)
6.) The Corn and Wheat
7.) The Black and Blue
8.) The Bread and Butter
9.) The Batman and Robin
10.) The School Names Beginning with I's and the others
11.) The Dumb and Dumber
12.) The Law and Order
13.) The Bold and the Beautiful
...... So many possibilities!!!!!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
One of the Worst Days of my life
I hereby declare that this day, the 12th day of December in the year A.D. 2010, to be one of the worst days in the short and irrelevant (but meaningful to me!) lives of Robert Yan.
First off, apologize for not posting recently. Been busy w/ the finals thing, see. Just got done with 4 finals in 4 days (don't ask me why I signed up for such a rigorous schedule) on Saturday, which makes the tragedy of this day so painful because it could have been one of the best days of my life!!!! And no, I'm fine physically, nothing happened to my person, not a car accident or physical injury, I'm just emotionally devastated. And also, not a death in the family or death of someone very close to me, of which when that does happen (and truly I hope it never does), THAT will be the worst day of my life ever. But here goes.
Part 1 of One of Worst Days of My Life: The collapse of my fantasy football "A" squad. I pride myself on being a fantasy sports guru, a "wise-guy" if you will among my peers, someone who "knows more stuff" than other people, and honestly I have sort of a superiority complex when it comes to fantasy football/basketball/baseball: I think I know it all because this is one of the only subjects where I feel like I DO know most of if not all: Therefore it's always devastating when I LOSE at fantasy football, when all the time and energy and trash talking and pride that I've devoted to my team comes crashing down on one December Sunday, ending my season. But today's loss was PARTICULARLY devastating. Greg Jennings, who's been a BEAST for me down the stretch in the season, had not ONE, but TWO touchdown passes in his hands for the Packers before dropping them, amounting to 22 precious fantasy points forgoed. Potentially devastating in a regular season week, this destroyed me. Coupled with the Pittsburgh Steelers Defense picking off Carson Palmer TWICE for TD's (for the opposing team), and I was really deep in the hole. And yet, I was STILL in it going into Sunday night, where I was hoping (crossed my fingers, I really did) that Tashard Choice and Jeremy Maclin would step up and do some damage for me. Ha. Maclin had ONE catch for 10 yards. Choice had like 15 rushing yards and 1 catch for 10 passing yards. Thanks, guys. DEVASTATED. Fantasy football, for me, is a game, but it's also more than that....it's an investment. Indeed, I invest myself more in it than my personal financial investments, where REAL MONEY is involved. And I do fantasy football for free, meaning I HAVE to value it intrinsically more than even making money. I'm like a CEO of a corporation, a General Manager of a professional football team: I'm responsible for all the decisions, and I get the credit when I win. I compete HARD. And losing is tough.
OK, so yea, losing at fantasy football doesn't seem much to the average person. I agree, it's actually not THAT big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
But #2 hurt: Personal relationships.
I'm not a ladies' man by any means. In fact, all throughout my life I've had trouble, I guess you could say, interacting with girls/women. I'm much more of a guys' guy, if you will. Talk about sports, play sports, trash talk, make fun of each other, laugh about stupid things, guys' stuff. I know how that works. Girls; I don't really speak their language. Couple that with my not-overly-attractive complexion (see pic above) and it's not like girls are hollering at me.
**** Probably a good idea to stop here and explain that I am NOT gay....I've been questioned about it (I think unfairly), so need to put that to rest*****
So it's just that much tougher for me to ask out girls. I've done it before; it's usually pretty awkward; I'm not good at this stuff, I don't have a big bro/big sis to tell me how it's done, I don't like to confide in my friends about this stuff. ally takes a leap of faith for me to do it. As much as movies will say, "jusk go for it," or "just let your heart decide," and the "all they can say is no" attitude, it's different for normal people. A "NO" hurts. A "NO" could mean "you're not good enough for me." And even if you're one of the most thick-skinned people on earth, it's still difficult to get a "NO" because as the asker, you're the one who takes on the risk, who puts himself out there at the whim of the other person, allowing the other person to have all the leverage to say "NO." And when you do get the "NO", it makes you want to take that risk less in the future. It's a vicious cycle if you're a physically not-so-attractive specimen.
So basically, as you've probably surmised, I tried to "casually" ask a girl I've been talking to for a long time out today, and it did NOT go as planned. And I mean, I've built a repertoire with her f while and thought I kind of dug her, and more importantly, thought that she dug me back.
BUT........
It didn't go so well. And now I'm stuck. It wasn't a flat no; it was a "i'm not gonna be available for the next few days." So yea, basically no. I can't "casually" ask again. Basically, it's done. In a flash. Like what else can I do????? I literally cannot do anything anymore besides give up on this, I've gotten my answer.
This is the SECOND time I've been rejected this year alone!!!! What is going on!!!!
The sad thing is, today could have been such a great day. I could have moved on in the fantasy playoffs and looked forward to another intense battle next week in the semis (what I live for, fantasy playoff time). I could have established a time for a date, and initiated a healthy personal relationship with someone who I really enjoy. Instead, I am utterly DEVASTATED. DEVASTATED.
O and I lost at darts TWICE to my roommate in the morning. Fun times.
I dunno why I posted this on this blog. I might delete it, save it, and tuck it in my own private files. There's really no benefit to the reader of this; kinda like listening to a drunk guy at a bar wax on about his life failures, I suppose.
Good night, and I hope everyone has a better experience w/ life/ fantasy football/personal relationships than I did today, the 12th day of December, 2010.
First off, apologize for not posting recently. Been busy w/ the finals thing, see. Just got done with 4 finals in 4 days (don't ask me why I signed up for such a rigorous schedule) on Saturday, which makes the tragedy of this day so painful because it could have been one of the best days of my life!!!! And no, I'm fine physically, nothing happened to my person, not a car accident or physical injury, I'm just emotionally devastated. And also, not a death in the family or death of someone very close to me, of which when that does happen (and truly I hope it never does), THAT will be the worst day of my life ever. But here goes.
Part 1 of One of Worst Days of My Life: The collapse of my fantasy football "A" squad. I pride myself on being a fantasy sports guru, a "wise-guy" if you will among my peers, someone who "knows more stuff" than other people, and honestly I have sort of a superiority complex when it comes to fantasy football/basketball/baseball: I think I know it all because this is one of the only subjects where I feel like I DO know most of if not all: Therefore it's always devastating when I LOSE at fantasy football, when all the time and energy and trash talking and pride that I've devoted to my team comes crashing down on one December Sunday, ending my season. But today's loss was PARTICULARLY devastating. Greg Jennings, who's been a BEAST for me down the stretch in the season, had not ONE, but TWO touchdown passes in his hands for the Packers before dropping them, amounting to 22 precious fantasy points forgoed. Potentially devastating in a regular season week, this destroyed me. Coupled with the Pittsburgh Steelers Defense picking off Carson Palmer TWICE for TD's (for the opposing team), and I was really deep in the hole. And yet, I was STILL in it going into Sunday night, where I was hoping (crossed my fingers, I really did) that Tashard Choice and Jeremy Maclin would step up and do some damage for me. Ha. Maclin had ONE catch for 10 yards. Choice had like 15 rushing yards and 1 catch for 10 passing yards. Thanks, guys. DEVASTATED. Fantasy football, for me, is a game, but it's also more than that....it's an investment. Indeed, I invest myself more in it than my personal financial investments, where REAL MONEY is involved. And I do fantasy football for free, meaning I HAVE to value it intrinsically more than even making money. I'm like a CEO of a corporation, a General Manager of a professional football team: I'm responsible for all the decisions, and I get the credit when I win. I compete HARD. And losing is tough.
OK, so yea, losing at fantasy football doesn't seem much to the average person. I agree, it's actually not THAT big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
But #2 hurt: Personal relationships.
I'm not a ladies' man by any means. In fact, all throughout my life I've had trouble, I guess you could say, interacting with girls/women. I'm much more of a guys' guy, if you will. Talk about sports, play sports, trash talk, make fun of each other, laugh about stupid things, guys' stuff. I know how that works. Girls; I don't really speak their language. Couple that with my not-overly-attractive complexion (see pic above) and it's not like girls are hollering at me.
**** Probably a good idea to stop here and explain that I am NOT gay....I've been questioned about it (I think unfairly), so need to put that to rest*****
So it's just that much tougher for me to ask out girls. I've done it before; it's usually pretty awkward; I'm not good at this stuff, I don't have a big bro/big sis to tell me how it's done, I don't like to confide in my friends about this stuff. ally takes a leap of faith for me to do it. As much as movies will say, "jusk go for it," or "just let your heart decide," and the "all they can say is no" attitude, it's different for normal people. A "NO" hurts. A "NO" could mean "you're not good enough for me." And even if you're one of the most thick-skinned people on earth, it's still difficult to get a "NO" because as the asker, you're the one who takes on the risk, who puts himself out there at the whim of the other person, allowing the other person to have all the leverage to say "NO." And when you do get the "NO", it makes you want to take that risk less in the future. It's a vicious cycle if you're a physically not-so-attractive specimen.
So basically, as you've probably surmised, I tried to "casually" ask a girl I've been talking to for a long time out today, and it did NOT go as planned. And I mean, I've built a repertoire with her f while and thought I kind of dug her, and more importantly, thought that she dug me back.
BUT........
It didn't go so well. And now I'm stuck. It wasn't a flat no; it was a "i'm not gonna be available for the next few days." So yea, basically no. I can't "casually" ask again. Basically, it's done. In a flash. Like what else can I do????? I literally cannot do anything anymore besides give up on this, I've gotten my answer.
This is the SECOND time I've been rejected this year alone!!!! What is going on!!!!
The sad thing is, today could have been such a great day. I could have moved on in the fantasy playoffs and looked forward to another intense battle next week in the semis (what I live for, fantasy playoff time). I could have established a time for a date, and initiated a healthy personal relationship with someone who I really enjoy. Instead, I am utterly DEVASTATED. DEVASTATED.
O and I lost at darts TWICE to my roommate in the morning. Fun times.
I dunno why I posted this on this blog. I might delete it, save it, and tuck it in my own private files. There's really no benefit to the reader of this; kinda like listening to a drunk guy at a bar wax on about his life failures, I suppose.
Good night, and I hope everyone has a better experience w/ life/ fantasy football/personal relationships than I did today, the 12th day of December, 2010.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Guru's Gradually Improving Guesses - Week 11
After having conquered Brother Mouzone for the 2nd straight week in 10, the Brother claims "We can build on this." Well, there's no way he can beat me if I go 16-0, so here are YOUR NFL point-spread winners for the week:
O, but first, more "general lessons" I'm learning:
1. Chargers make 2nd-half runs.
2. Don't bet on Carolina
3. Teams coming off byes cover A LOT (see Chargers, Packers, Saints from last week)......since there's no more byes to speak of this season, I'll have to archive it for next year.
Again, picks that I differ from Brother are in red. (i.e., the incorrect picks Brother makes that I capitalize on)
1.) Lions +6.5 v. Patriots. Went back and forth on this......Lions are a neat little team.....they've covered a lot for me and Shaun Hill is a keep-you-in-it QB a la Ryan Fitzpatrick. And look at Detroit's home games this year......covered against Philly and NYJ, beat St. Louis and Washington outright.... the definition of a "home dog"..... or in this case, "home cat." Let's just not have Ndamokang Suh kick any more PAT's, shall we?
2.) Saints -3.5 @ Dallas. OK, everyone, let's calm all this talk about the Cowboys running the table and making the playoffs, OK? I see this game as Drew Brees v. Jon Kitna.
3.) NYJ -9 v. Cincinatti: I've been pretty dead-on about the Bengals all year......didn't think they were good, thought they would give one last effort against Steelers (almost won), and thought they'd lay down against the Bills. This week, I'm sticking the fork in the voodoo doll. You can go back to Thanksgiving desserts early this year: Jets win big by halftime.
4.) Washington -1 v. Minnesota: So........Minnesota's supposedly the better team here? This would be my lock of the week if I didn't want to curse myself. Do people just NOT learn to bet against the Vikings? Holy moly.
5.) Pittsburgh -6.5 at Buffalo: The Steelers must make a run to get a first-round bye and they know it. Can't be fooling around now..... Brother had the right idea about the Bills. For the same reason they shouldn't have won 2 games in a row, they CAN'T win 3 games in a row.
6.) Tennessee +6.5 at Houston: Kind of overstating the loss of Vince Young, aren't we? Last I checked, Titans still have Chris Johnson and a respectable D.......they still realistically can win, and like an extra seat cushion, I'll sit comfortably on an extra 6.5 points to say I'm right.
7.) NYG -7 v. Jacksonville: Something about the Jaguars just screams: "We've set expectations mighty high but we're about to collapse!!!" Giants are PISSED after 2 straight losses.
8.) Cleveland -10 v. Carolina: Peyton Hillis. How did I not just grab this guy after Week 2 and hold on for dear life? ech. Also see Rule #1 of my the Guru's Life Lessons: 1. Don't bet on Carolina.
9.) Tampa Bay +7.5 at Baltimore. Every week when I come to picking the B-more game, a feeling of dread comes over. I'm 1-4 in their games. Could the Ravens POSSIBLY be looking ahead to a titanic showdown in Week 13 v. the Steelers???? If you need moral support in this game, Josh Freeman, I know it's hard....give the Guru a call.
10.) Philadelphia -3.5 at Chicago: I remember several games that the Bears gave Mike Vick fits pre-prison. But privately, deep down in a place I keep very secret, I think the Eagles are the best team in the NFL. Shhhhhh.
11.) Atlanta -2 v. Green Bay. Huh? Atlanta is better than than GB.....and they're only getting -2....at home? I've learned my lessons about good teams going into ATL.....they don't come out.
12.) Raiders -3 v. Miami: Darren McFadden will stomp all over the Dolphins like he's running on water.
13.) Kansas City -2 at Seattle. If only Seattle played Arizona every week.
14.) St. Louis +4 at Denver: Rams.
15.) Indianapolis -3 v. San Diego. As much as this is going against Life Lesson #2, and as much as I love Phillip Rivers, and how the Chargers are getting people back, and all that, one overwhelming rule trumps all: Do NOT bet against Peyton Manning at night.
16.) Arizona +1 v. San Francisco: This is just........bleh. Can I choose death?
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
O, but first, more "general lessons" I'm learning:
1. Chargers make 2nd-half runs.
2. Don't bet on Carolina
3. Teams coming off byes cover A LOT (see Chargers, Packers, Saints from last week)......since there's no more byes to speak of this season, I'll have to archive it for next year.
Again, picks that I differ from Brother are in red. (i.e., the incorrect picks Brother makes that I capitalize on)
1.) Lions +6.5 v. Patriots. Went back and forth on this......Lions are a neat little team.....they've covered a lot for me and Shaun Hill is a keep-you-in-it QB a la Ryan Fitzpatrick. And look at Detroit's home games this year......covered against Philly and NYJ, beat St. Louis and Washington outright.... the definition of a "home dog"..... or in this case, "home cat." Let's just not have Ndamokang Suh kick any more PAT's, shall we?
2.) Saints -3.5 @ Dallas. OK, everyone, let's calm all this talk about the Cowboys running the table and making the playoffs, OK? I see this game as Drew Brees v. Jon Kitna.
3.) NYJ -9 v. Cincinatti: I've been pretty dead-on about the Bengals all year......didn't think they were good, thought they would give one last effort against Steelers (almost won), and thought they'd lay down against the Bills. This week, I'm sticking the fork in the voodoo doll. You can go back to Thanksgiving desserts early this year: Jets win big by halftime.
4.) Washington -1 v. Minnesota: So........Minnesota's supposedly the better team here? This would be my lock of the week if I didn't want to curse myself. Do people just NOT learn to bet against the Vikings? Holy moly.
5.) Pittsburgh -6.5 at Buffalo: The Steelers must make a run to get a first-round bye and they know it. Can't be fooling around now..... Brother had the right idea about the Bills. For the same reason they shouldn't have won 2 games in a row, they CAN'T win 3 games in a row.
6.) Tennessee +6.5 at Houston: Kind of overstating the loss of Vince Young, aren't we? Last I checked, Titans still have Chris Johnson and a respectable D.......they still realistically can win, and like an extra seat cushion, I'll sit comfortably on an extra 6.5 points to say I'm right.
7.) NYG -7 v. Jacksonville: Something about the Jaguars just screams: "We've set expectations mighty high but we're about to collapse!!!" Giants are PISSED after 2 straight losses.
8.) Cleveland -10 v. Carolina: Peyton Hillis. How did I not just grab this guy after Week 2 and hold on for dear life? ech. Also see Rule #1 of my the Guru's Life Lessons: 1. Don't bet on Carolina.
9.) Tampa Bay +7.5 at Baltimore. Every week when I come to picking the B-more game, a feeling of dread comes over. I'm 1-4 in their games. Could the Ravens POSSIBLY be looking ahead to a titanic showdown in Week 13 v. the Steelers???? If you need moral support in this game, Josh Freeman, I know it's hard....give the Guru a call.
10.) Philadelphia -3.5 at Chicago: I remember several games that the Bears gave Mike Vick fits pre-prison. But privately, deep down in a place I keep very secret, I think the Eagles are the best team in the NFL. Shhhhhh.
11.) Atlanta -2 v. Green Bay. Huh? Atlanta is better than than GB.....and they're only getting -2....at home? I've learned my lessons about good teams going into ATL.....they don't come out.
12.) Raiders -3 v. Miami: Darren McFadden will stomp all over the Dolphins like he's running on water.
13.) Kansas City -2 at Seattle. If only Seattle played Arizona every week.
14.) St. Louis +4 at Denver: Rams.
15.) Indianapolis -3 v. San Diego. As much as this is going against Life Lesson #2, and as much as I love Phillip Rivers, and how the Chargers are getting people back, and all that, one overwhelming rule trumps all: Do NOT bet against Peyton Manning at night.
16.) Arizona +1 v. San Francisco: This is just........bleh. Can I choose death?
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Buy Chipotle Stock
The title says it all. I did it yesterday; I only wish I had more money. This stock is like a dot-com company in the summer of 1999: unstoppable. It's doubled its value in this year alone. It's quadrupled since Fall 2008. Its business concept is so simple too; I shoulda already become a millionaire.
Reasons why this company is the best of its era:
1. Good food: Chipotle has the same ingredients for everyone, so you know what you're gonna get, the menu never really changes, but people keep coming back.......over and over again. It's got one of the key maxims of any restaurant business: have good food.
2. Stable price: it raised its price recently a bit for all its products, but in general it stays the same: I know I'll be spending $6.42 on a chicken burrito or $6.69 on any other burrito. And given the fact that it's delicious and fills me up, I can't complain.
3. Attracts all demographics: Usually when you go to a McDonald's or a steakhouse you know what type of people are gonna be there: it's determined mostly by socioeconomic conditions, a lot by the ability to pay. Not Chipotle. I've stood in line with all sorts of people: students, businesspeople, mothers, athletes, doctors, kids, homsexuals, etc., etc., etc. Whenever you're feeling hungry and want something convenient + reasonably priced, you go to Chipotle. Bottom line.
4. The accepted norm for fast food: Whenever my friends/ colleagues are deciding on somewhere to go out and eat, we have a divergence of tastes: Chinese, Mexican, McDonald's, pizza, burger, etc., and sometimes one person isn't feeling Chinese, or McDonald's is rejected because someone just doesn't want all the fat. I've never really heard anyone object to Chipotle......it's always the default option, it's accepted by everyone.......that's MONEY in the restaurant business, when people can come to agreement on the product. That's the cash register ringing over and over again.
5. I don't see anyone really taking down Chipotle for awhile. It's just built such a tremendous brand within the last few years, its business model is almost impeccable. It's gonna really take serious effort by some new company to take away its customers, because I got news for all existing restaurant chains: You ain't taking Chipotle down.
So pardon me for only engaging in an "eye test" of this company, but Chipotle gets an overwhelming, resounding, earth-shattering "Buy buy buy" from the Guru. I buy Chipotle every day, my friends all buy it, pretty much everyone I know buys it. And now I've bought the stock. So should you.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
Reasons why this company is the best of its era:
1. Good food: Chipotle has the same ingredients for everyone, so you know what you're gonna get, the menu never really changes, but people keep coming back.......over and over again. It's got one of the key maxims of any restaurant business: have good food.
2. Stable price: it raised its price recently a bit for all its products, but in general it stays the same: I know I'll be spending $6.42 on a chicken burrito or $6.69 on any other burrito. And given the fact that it's delicious and fills me up, I can't complain.
3. Attracts all demographics: Usually when you go to a McDonald's or a steakhouse you know what type of people are gonna be there: it's determined mostly by socioeconomic conditions, a lot by the ability to pay. Not Chipotle. I've stood in line with all sorts of people: students, businesspeople, mothers, athletes, doctors, kids, homsexuals, etc., etc., etc. Whenever you're feeling hungry and want something convenient + reasonably priced, you go to Chipotle. Bottom line.
4. The accepted norm for fast food: Whenever my friends/ colleagues are deciding on somewhere to go out and eat, we have a divergence of tastes: Chinese, Mexican, McDonald's, pizza, burger, etc., and sometimes one person isn't feeling Chinese, or McDonald's is rejected because someone just doesn't want all the fat. I've never really heard anyone object to Chipotle......it's always the default option, it's accepted by everyone.......that's MONEY in the restaurant business, when people can come to agreement on the product. That's the cash register ringing over and over again.
5. I don't see anyone really taking down Chipotle for awhile. It's just built such a tremendous brand within the last few years, its business model is almost impeccable. It's gonna really take serious effort by some new company to take away its customers, because I got news for all existing restaurant chains: You ain't taking Chipotle down.
So pardon me for only engaging in an "eye test" of this company, but Chipotle gets an overwhelming, resounding, earth-shattering "Buy buy buy" from the Guru. I buy Chipotle every day, my friends all buy it, pretty much everyone I know buys it. And now I've bought the stock. So should you.
Fantasize on,
Robert Yan
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