Another 'Moneyball' teaser featuring Bradd Pitt, Jonah Hill debuts

Two weeks before the movie's theater release, "Moneyball" creators has released via Yahoo! another teaser clip titled, "Rincon." Check it out below:

Moneyball teaser | Courtesy of Yahoo!

"Moneyball" tells the true story of Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics. It based on the book of the same name written by Michael Lewis in 2003.

The film's cast include Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Casey Bond, Stephen Bishop, Royce Clayton, David Hutchison, Kathryn Morris and Robin Wright.

"Moneyball" hits US theaters on September 23, 2011. It will be released in the Philippines on Novemberr 23.

Check out "Moneyball's" full theater trailer below:

Miss Universe 2011: Manny Pacquiao one of the judges?

Manny Pacquiao a Miss Universe 2011 judge?

There are unverified reports that boxing champ and Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao will be judging the Miss Universe 2011 beauty pageant.

According to forum talks and blog posts, Pacquiao, who is currently on a 4-city global tour promoting his upcoming fight with Juan Manuel Marquez this November, will fly to Sao Paolo after completing his current commitments. However, there has been no official confirmation from the Miss Universe organizers yet.

A list of Miss Universe 2011 judges came out recently and it contains only 7 names - Helios Castroneves (racing champ), Connie Chung (journalist), Isabeli Fontana (supermodel), Vivica Fox (actress and TV producer), Adrienne Maloof (actress), Lea Salonga (movie and theater actress), and Amelia Vega (beauty queen).

The 2011 Miss Universe Coronation Night is set to be staged at the Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil on Monday, September 12 at 9 p.m. ET (September 13, 9 a.m., Manila Time).

Reese Witherspoon recovering at home after accident

Reese Witherspoon recovering at home after accident

Reese Witherspoon who was injured in an accident is now recovering at her home.

According to reports, the Oscar-winning actress was jogging in Santa Monica Wednesday when a car, approximately running 20 miles per hour, hit her. She was taken by an ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment. Fortunately, she only suffered minor injuries and was already released from the hospital. She is now resting 'comfortably' at her residence.

The Santa Monica Police said the driver, an 84-year-old woman, was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Reese Witherspoon, 35, received worldwide attention and praise for her portrayal of
June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line", which earned her an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award for "Best Actress in a Leading Role." She married actor and "Cruel Intentions" co-star Ryan Phillippe in 1999; they have two children, Ava and Deacon. Witherspoon and Phillippe divorced in 2007.

Alaska Volcano Observatory raises Aviation Color Code to Orange, Alert Level to Watch for Mount Cleveland

The Alaska Volcano Observatory has raised Cleveland Volcano's Aviation Color Code to Orange and the Alert Level to Watch following observations that the small lava dome in its summit crater has resumed growth and now fills the floor of the crater.

Alaska's Cleveland Volcano | Courtesy of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

Observers from the Alaska Volcano Observatory added that there is a persistent thermal anomaly that has been observed since September 3, probably marking the timing of resumed lava dome growth.

As of August 30, the size of the dome when it appeared to have stopped growing was approximately 80 meters (262 feet)in diameter. On September 6, the dome measured approximately 120 meters (394 feet) in diameter.

Scientists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory said that if dome growth continues, lava flows onto the flanks of the volcano may develop but would not be hazardous to aviation. They explained that the presence of the lava dome increases the possibility of an explosive eruption, but does not necessarily indicate that one will occur. Short-lived explosions could produce an ash cloud that exceeds 20,000 ft above sea level. These events can occur without warning and may go undetected in satellite imagery for hours, the scientists added.

Cleveland Volcano, a 1,730 m (5,676 ft) high land mass situated in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, is one of the most active of the 75 or more volcanoes in the larger Aleutian Arc. It has reportedly erupted at least 21 times in the last 230 years. Its most recent eruption was in July 2011.

produce row

The Pale Rider (Terminal Gravity IPA & Blanton's Single Barrel)

Portlanders (and non-Portlanders, no segregation here)! Have you been to Produce Row? Criminy, my tastebuds and stomach are still recovering from the gluttony of Tuesday night.

Now there are two things you must know about me -- while I have a few grails that I hold holy (try saying that three times fast... Oh, it's easier than I thought, nevermind) two of the toppers on that list are good food and good drinks.

Produce Row apparently has a similar epicurean faith.

You should also know that while I do love me some sweets, savoury will always win out in the end. So will whiskey.

So when Maria (and her Christopher) (and later, Phillip  and Cara) said we could go anywhere I wanted to celebrate my birthday I had little thinking to do (part of the beauty of living in Portland - little thinking when trying to find good food/drinks because the foodies have taken over the city!). I'd been to PR once before with Dean, Robin, Shamoo and Dani, but you know the old saying: first the worst, second the best.... Except this is n good here because the first time was the best, the second was best-er.

Oh god, what's going to happen the third time I go there? My English professors and Creative Writing degree will weep, that's what. 

Anyway, we decided on some family-style feasting so Maria ordered this pizza situation and a Frito Pie (Fritos, Chili and cheese baked in some other heavenly fat? Yes please), Chris got a pulled pork  (which, being fairly Latin, he kept pronouncing "case-a-diLLa" which I found to be genuinely awesome) and I, being in the mood for some sinfully rich comfort food on an 85 degree evening decided on gouda macaroni & cheese with bacon. Have some. 

My Maria also insisted to both me and the server that under no circumstance was I to pay for anything and to bring me whatever I wanted to I landed on one of their beer & whiskey pairings (did you hear that correctly? BEER & WHISKEY PAIRINGS... Heaven is a place on earth). The first time I'd gone I went with The Redford which is Laurelwood Free Range Red Ale & a shot of Woodford Reserve (see, I get where they got the "red" and "ford" here, but I still prefer a good mental reference to The Sundance Kid). This time? Oh brace yourself because this time I opted for The Pale Rider (see photo above).

Ooh, happy little whiskey girl.

Peanut butter-honey-bacon-waffle-ice cream devil thing

In all, we ate too much, drank just enough and had a wonderful night of friendship around the great mini-feast of September 2011.

And a good time was had by all.

where there's smoke...

Good news! Everyone's favorite beef-jerky scented Indianian (and his party shorts) returned safe and sound from fire! Of course, as of this morning, he's back out again (Shadow Lake Fire in Sisters, Oregon, follow it here). Thank god he was home long enough for dinner and a few beers with friends at The Cheerful Tortoise.

a rare moment of dean not making robin dry-heave

coral playing coy

dani trying to decipher what kind of situation she's gotten herself into

It was really great to see the kid again. Even after all that has happened between us, I will always be happy to see him. He remains (and I hope he always will) one of my best friends so whenever he comes home alive, I will properly rejoice. So will Shamoo...

They love each other... Can't fight city hall.

I admit though, it was strange to be around him again. In the last three months he and I had barely spent as many hours together. In the two and a half years we were together, we hardly went three weeks (and that was only because I was home in California trying not to die of mono). With him being gone for so long I have been able to start gluing the pieces of my life back together that broke apart back in April (and that I, at the very least, started putting back together in London). The physical distance was helping... Is helping. I still miss his goofy face all the time, but I can feel the shift in myself and feel that maybe we are approaching the relationship - the friendship - we need right now.

(I feel somewhat safe pouring this out to you all here because I don't think he's ever actually read my blog)

Anyway, my roundabout point here is that as happy as I was to see him for a bit last night, I'm really glad he's back out on fire again. For his sake and for mine. Two very different reasons, yes, but I think it's the best thing right now for both of us.

Shamoo sure is going to miss him though!

baby face(s)

Remember when your mom would tell you not to make that face or it might stick that way? Sometimes I kinda hope that happens to Kamdyn.

I mean, how great are these faces?

Sports Silliness

The last few days have provided some funny sports stuff.  Let us take a look at a few of them.

Haha, very classy Rice!  Probably the only thing I will remember about them all season.

World-class athlete...running is hard!



Seriously, what the hell is Morgan thinking?  Does he really want a piece of Pujols?  That man would destroy him.  Also, I would love to see Fielder and Pujols fight.  Plus, if Morgan was so serious about fighting, how is it that Prince Fielder is able to lightly jog run full speed over to grab Morgan?  That was one of those:  "oh shit, I hope someone grabs before I get my ass beat."

And then Morgan decides to go to twitter...

Calling Albert Pujols a woman...wow.  Very clever Nyjer!  I also see that spelling is kicking your ass, especially "where vs. we're."  What a joke...



Things I learned from the Sidney Crosby press conference:
-His brain is like a Ferrari
-The etymology of the word concussion...it comes from Latin!
-Christmas is a celebration
-90% is better than 89%
-Sid needs to buy polo shirts a size bigger...he looked like he was about to explode out of that and start screaming "SID ANGRY!!! SID SMASH!!"
-According to the ladies, Sid is still sexy.
-Vestibular perception
-Sid is not retiring.  Or at least, do not bet on that.

Wow, just wow...these uniforms look like something you would see in Grant Morrison's Invisible.

thursday...

It's barely noon and it's already 80-some-odd degrees outside. I have propped up at an unnamed Seattle-based coffee chain in Multnomah Village because this is the closest place to my house that a) has AC b) usually plays a good mix of Eddie Vedder and Johnny Cash and c) can keep me in the Pumpkin Spice Lattes I need to fuel my addiction for the next three months (what classifies as a substance abuse problem?)

There is something I need to get off my chest though:

Hey... Portland... C'mere a minute... No, closer... Closer even... I want to whisper something in your ear...

IT'S SEPTEMBER! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AUTUMN OUTSIDE! WHY DIDN'T YOU GET THIS HEAT WAVE OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM IN JULY WHEN WE REALLY NEEDED IT (and when I was in London and could have avoided it altogether)?!

There. I said it. I'm sorry I yelled.

Hope you're all havin' a happy (I know Robin is always has a happy).

A World in Union - Welcome...to the 2011 Rugby World Cup!

Tomorrow sees the opening match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

I can't really believe how quickly the past 4 years have flown but here we are awaiting a feast of  sport - and all in the early hours of the morning!

If Wales qualify for the quarter-finals (particularly after the shambles of 1991, 1995 and particularly 2007) I'll be content. But time will tell.

I also decided to join a sweepstake for the event. Having won a handsome £28 in the football World Cup sweepstake last year when Spain came out victorious I felt it worth having another punt. But drawing Italy means my hopes are severely restricted!

But in the meantime, with thanks to Harry Hayfield on Youtube, here's a jolly message of good luck to all of the competing nations in the weeks ahead to the tune of the Rugby World Cup anthem 'The World in Union'.

Come on Wales...and Italy!

A look into the future: telling my kids about the Big 12

This is about what a Big 12 meeting looks like these days.

How crazy is this Big 12 mess right now? Teams are trying to leave. There are rumors of others threatening to sue to keep teams in unless another team promises to stay. After that team stays then leaves, maybe the other schools will sue them, too. It’s hard to keep track of. Right now it seems like all the Big 12 schools are at each others’ throats. I imagine a meeting of the Big 12 presidents that looks a lot like the final scene of Reservoir Dogs. It’s an explosive situation that could go horribly wrong at any moment.

Growing up, we all swear we won’t be one of those people who talk about “the good ol’ days.” We don’t want to be constantly telling stories with the mixed messages of how things were much tougher when we were young, yet somehow everything was much better.

Unfortunately, I totally see myself heading down that road. I don’t have kids of my own. Maybe I will someday, and if/when I do, I’m going to sit them down and tell them stories about when college sports were much more enjoyable, when rivalries and tradition mattered. Let’s fast forward 20 or 25 years down the road and listen in.

Future Joe: Kids, back in my day, college football was a lot better.

Son: Did it have a playoff?

Future Joe: (sigh) No. But it did have rivalries.

Son: College teams have rivalries? I thought that was just for high schools and pros, like with the Yankees and Red Sox.

Future Joe: College teams used to have rivalries, too.

Daughter: Why don’t they anymore?

Future Joe: Well, it’s because there are only three football conferences with 40 teams each, so it’s impossible to play everyone, which is why they keep rotating every season.

Daughter: So, who were the best rivals?

Future Joe: Well, Texas and Oklahoma used to be a great one. They used to play every season at the Texas State Fair. The Cotton Bowl was split with crimson on one side and burnt orange on the other. It was quite a sight and an amazing game day atmosphere.

Son: So, TCU and SMU didn’t always play at the Texas State Fair?

Future Joe: No. See, Texas and Oklahoma used to be in a conference called the Big 12. It was great league with those two, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Missouri, and others. They had some great games in all sports. And they all had their fun rivalries that the fans looked forward to.

Daughter: You mean Texas used to be in a conference? Was Notre Dame in it, too?

Future Joe: No, Notre Dame was always independent. Texas decided to go independent in 2011 after the Big 12 collapsed and nobody wanted to deal with Texas and its Longhorn Network.

Daughter: Didn’t that go off the air last year?

Future Joe: Yeah, ESPN signed a 20-year deal, and Texas held them to it. The whole Longhorn Network thing made Texas a lot of money, though. That’s why Texas A&M went to the SEC and ended its rivalry with Texas, which was also a great one. It was pretty even believe it or not.

Son: You mean Texas A&M used to be good at football? They finish middle of the road or worse in the SEC every year!

Future Joe: Yeah, I know. They thought they could compete in the SEC. It hasn’t worked out on the field, but they made their money away from it by joining the SEC. A long time ago, though, they were very competitive. Unfortunately, A&M and Texas haven’t played since 2011. And neither have OU and Texas.

Son: So, was College Station a more happening town back then?

Future Joe: No. It was the same as it is now... Honey, quit playing with your iPhone 41 or I’ll take it away and make you use my old iPhone 33.

Daughter: Sorry, Dad. Hey, did you like your Marquette Atlantic 20 championship shirt I got you for your birthday?

Future Joe: Yes, it’s great, thank you. It’s nice that Marquette has been able to win a few A-20 titles, but I just wish they could have won a few Big East titles before they got kicked out.

Son: What’s the Big East and why did Marquette get kicked out?

Future Joe: Well, the Big East was another conference that had some great basketball rivalries with Georgetown, Syracuse, and Connecticut. The conference was okay in football. When the Big 12 folded, the Big East took in Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri and kicked out some schools that didn’t play football. Marquette then had to go join what was then known as the Atlantic 10. The Big East folded a few years later when half the teams went to the SEC and the rest went to the Big Ten.

Daughter: So, did the Big Ten ever only have ten teams instead of 40? That logo where the 10 fades back and forth to a 40 is weird.

Future Joe: Yes, a long time ago, the Big Ten had exactly ten teams, and the Pac-40 used to be the Pac-8. And there were also leagues called the Atlantic Coast Conference, Mountain West, and Conference USA and some others. They all folded when all football schools except Notre Dame and Texas joined the SEC, Big Ten, or Pac-40.

Son: So, with all those conferences, what was harder to decide: the BCS title or the Television Revenue Title?

Future Joe: You know what, that’s enough for today. You kids go teleport to your friends’ houses. I want to watch a little of the Pac-40 opener between Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Week One: Yes, Virginia, There Is A Season

Unless you live under a rock, you're well aware that there was way too much angst this season about a lockout canceling the NFL season. When I say too much angst, I don't mean because angst would be an inappropriate response. To be sure, angst, is a mild way of putting how the sports world would react if the NFL season were actually imperiled, but to any rational, thinking person, there was never really a chance that this would happen. The differences in CBA negotiation were not big enough to warrant it, and there was simply too much money to be lost if the sides didn't make an agreement.

I haven't read the agreement yet, nor will I, truth be told, but I'm fairly certain there's a clause in it to prevent the kinds of uniforms Boise State, Georgia and (holy crap on a stick) Maryland wore this weekend. Now, Boise State's giant Bronco helmet logo actually isn't half bad, and these duds weren't nearly as horrendous as the weird gray and blue ones they wore against Tetris-ified Virginia Tech last year. As for the Terps, I happen to actually be a huge fan of the Maryland state flag and love that it's been subtly incorporated into the uniforms of the Ravens and Orioles.

But the key word is subtle. These things are the very definition of eyesore, and depending on who you talk to, may or may not have been stolen from a Baltimore-based roller derby team.

As I've said before, this is one of about a thousand reasons that college football, love it as much as I do, just will not measure up to the NFL for me. Uniform stability is right up there with quality of play, quality of organization and reasonable means of determining a champion. And so, given my love for the NFL, it is with great joy that I get ready to watch some very exciting football this weekend. No, not just Friday morning's Qualifying Final between Geelong and Hawthorn -- though that will be awesome -- but professional American football, which kicks off Obama style on Thursday night with Green Bay and New Orleans and then reaches a high point for me Sunday afternoon when the New York Gia play the Redskins on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I'm calling them the New York Gia because half the team, apparently, is already injured.

Despite those injuries, I will be making may plans to see the Gia this season on multiple occasions. I've already got my flight booked to San Francisco, am working on going up to New England to see Big Blue face the Pats, and am very seriously considering trying to find someone to go to New Orleans with me to see the Giants play the Saints as it's a Monday night game and those are far easier for me to take off work for than the Sunday variety.

Until then, however, I'll just be watching on TV. Again I will be picking games each week against the spread in my inevitably failed quest to beat Vegas -- it's a good thing I don't actually bet on sports -- but before I tell you who will win this week I suppose I need to tell you who's going to win in general.

And with that in mind, it's time for my almost certain to be wrong 2011 NFL Season Predictions.

AFC East

1. NY Jets - This is by far my most unreasonable pick of the season, but I think New England is overrated and the Jets tend to overachieve under Ryan. 12-4.
2. New England - But don't underestimate Darth Belichick. I'm sure he'd have something up his sleeves if he wore any. 10-6.
3. Buffalo - The new uniforms are an incredible upgrade. Step 2 is upgrading the team. 5-11.
4. Miami - These boys can't swim. 4-12.

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh - Honestly, who wants to disagree with me on this? Yeah, I didn't think so. 13-3.
2. Baltimore - I say this a lot, but people probably won't give the Ravens their due for being as dominant as they have been for the past decade if they don't win another championship. 11-5.
3. Cleveland - The Peyton Hillis Speedwagon just keeps on rolling. Right to a sixth win. 6-10.
4. Cincinnati - No quarterback? No problem. Oh wait, lots of problems. At least until Andy Dalton grows up. 1-15.

AFC South

1. Houston - Oh my lord, it's finally here. I don't know what to say. Really. 11-5.
2. Indianapolis - This team is so well-rounded and complete, and they never fail to make their presence felt. Huh? His neck is sore? Are you sure? 7-9.
3. Tennessee - Matt Hasselbeck can really add another dimension to this offense if he doesn't throw his back out while moving his walker. 6-10.
4. Jacksonville - Oh man. I've got a great idea. Let's tell the coach that his future is on the line this season if he doesn't make the playoffs. And then, let's cut his starting quarterback five days before the season. 4-12.

AFC West

1. San Diego - Fact: The Chargers had the No. 1 offense in the NFL last season. Fact: The Chargers had the No. 1 defense in the NFL last season. Fact: The Chargers missed the playoffs last season. So... regression to the mean, right? 12-4.
2. Kansas City - You have to expect the Chiefs to come back a little from last year, but they're poised to take over this division when San Diego's window closes. 8-8.
3. Denver - Go ahead. Bet against Kyle Orton. He'll win more games than you expect. Not many more, but definitely, like, one more. 6-10.
4. Oakland - So this is some fun, the Raiders were the only team in the League to go undefeated in their division last season, a feat that will be tough to duplicate. Against the rest of the League the Raiders won... twice. That, too, will be tough to duplicate. 5-11.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia - IT'S A DREAM TEAM. But definitely one of those dreams where you wake up right before finding out who the murderer is or that hot girl in your apartment building takes her clothes off. 11-5.
2. NY Gia - Get it? Because they're injured! Whatever, I'm still optimistically blinded by my fandom. And so are most pundits if you look at the predictions. 10-6.
3. Dallas - Now that the Cowboys aren't hosting the Super Bowl anymore, do you think people might stop considering them Super Bowl contenders? 7-9.
4. Washington - I'm pretty sure every defensive player in the NFC East got aroused when they found out Rex Grossman was the starting quarterback. 4-12.

NFC North
1. Green Bay - Um. Yeah. These guys are really, pretty good. 13-3.
2. Detroit - And you know what? So are these guys. 9-7.
3. Minnesota - I have never been this clueless about where to put a team maybe ever. There are so many variables and a decent amount of talent. Not enough though. Really, if the roof stays in one piece they should consider the season a success. 7-9.
4. Chicago - These guys are almost as confusing as Minnesota. But just almost. 5-11.

NFC South

1. Atlanta - I'm willing to bet that playoff loss to the Packers sticks in Atlanta's craw more than just a little. 12-4.
2. New Orleans - These guys are looking to rebound from a tough postseason loss, too. Too bad they play in such a tough division. 9-7.
3. Tampa Bay - That Josh Freeman is pretty awesome. At least he better be for the sake of my fantasy team. 8-8.
4. Carolina - Cam Newton is going to be getting a really talented side kick soon. Only problem is he's getting him because the Panthers will have a top 5 pick. Again. 2-14.

NFC West

1. St. Louis - Sam Bradford has a lot more weapons than people think. The Rams just might scare some people. 9-7.
2. San Francisco - Welcome to the show Jim Harbaugh. This team probably won't fare as well as Stanford did last season, but most of your rivals are just about as good as USC normally is. 7-9.
3. Arizona - So Kevin Kolb is expected to be quite the elixir for this team, but I'd really love to know when everyone made the communal decision to decide that Kevin Kolb is really, really good. 6-10.
4. Seattle - The Seahawks won the division last year. The division did not have any teams with a winning record. Seriously. Not one. 5-11.

AFC Playoffs
Wild Card weekend
(3) NY Jets over (6) New England
Still can't justify this. I'm still sticking with it, though.
(5) Baltimore over (4) Houston
Man the Texans are just so happy to be here. So very, very happy.

Divisional weekend
(1) Pittsburgh over (5) Baltimore
Cities will be destroyed during this game. There's simply no other way to describe the certain destruction that awaits.
(2) San Diego over (3) NY Jets
The Jets love to over achieve, but I have a feeling their run of AFC title game appearances is about to end. It was a good run, though, wasn't it?

AFC Championship Game
(2) San Diego over (1) Pittsburgh
I mean, seriously, how due is this team. Really. They've got to break through one of these years, right?

NFC Playoffs
Wild Card weekend
(6) New Orleans over (3) Philadelphia
You know a few weeks ago I was taking a girl on a date and I told her I hated the Eagles. She thought this seemed like a bit of a strong word and said, "I can't imagine hating anybody unless they, like, killed puppies or something." To this I responded, "You know, it's funny you should mention." True story.
(5) NY Gia over (4) St. Louis
I would sign up for this first round matchup in a heartbeat. Right now.

Divisional weekend
(6) New Orleans over (1) Green Bay
Really, they could be the best No. 6 seed in history
(2) Atlanta over (5) NY Gia
Well, it was fun while it lasted, folks.

NFC Championship Game
(2) Atlanta over (6) New Orleans
You know, I'm not going to lie. It makes me feel kind of gross picking the same Super Bowl matchup as Sports Illustrated.

Super Bowl XLVI
(2) San Diego over (2) Atlanta 
But I'm not picking the same winner. Let's be honest. For the Chargers? It's about time.

So there you go kids. My official certain to be wrong NFL season preview. Good ol' Stan Humphries will be so proud of his old team. Maybe.

And now that you've gone through that exhausting read, perhaps you'll go a little further with this week's picks. Here. We. Go.

Last week: n/a
Season: 0-0-0

GREEN BAY (-4.5) over New Orleans
Atlanta (-3) over CHICAGO
CLEVELAND (-7) over Cincinnati
KANSAS CITY (-6) over Buffalo
Philadelphia (-6) over ST. LOUIS
TAMPA BAY (-1) over Detroit
Tennessee (+3) over JACKSONVILLE
Pittsburgh (+3) over BALTIMORE
HOUSTON (-9) over Indianapolis
Carolina (+7) over ARIZONA
SAN DIEGO (-9) over Minnesota
SAN FRANCISCO (-6) over Seattle
NY Giants (-3) over WASHINGTON
NY JETS (-4) over Dallas
New England (-7) over MIAMI
DENVER (-3) over Oakland

And there you have it. See you all at kickoff tonight. Thank God it's football season.

I'm ready for the Lib Dem conference, but is the Lib Dem conference ready for me?

The shambolic preparations for the 2011 Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham continues.

With just 10 days to go, scores of members are still awaiting to be given their accreditation to attend. Many have already paid for their travel and accommodation but are currently in limbo. Others meanwhile have delayed the booking of such until they've got confirmation that they can attend which means they'll have to pay more for last minute accommodation and transport once the clearance has finally been given (if it is in fact given).

10 days to go and still not knowing what is happening? Taking away the issue of the principle at stake which is a seperate matter, the process that is currently dealing with delegates' registrations is proving cumbersome and unfit for purpose. It's madness. Pure and simple.

Proper Planning Prevents...
I had my accreditation e-mail last month and as a result have been able to confirm my arrangements.

I booked my hotel room at the Etap on a good recommendation from York's Nick Love a few months ago and I booked my train tickets last week. This for me is rather unheard of - even whilst everything else has fallen into place the weeks running up to a conference, I've never planned my transport so far in advance. But my very reasonably £29 priced return train tickets arrived in the post yesterday.

Ready for a trip to my Nirvana - Villa Park

I've also gone a step forward and taking the opportunity to buy myself two tickets for the Aston Villa Vs Newcastle match on the Saturday afternoon having not been to Villa Park for some 7 or 8 years. At a bargain £40 deal for both tickets, I'll be delighted to lap up the atmosphere of the Hotle End. The tickets likewise landed on my doormat this morning.

So I am ready for conference. But is conference ready for me? Clearly not. Because whilst I've been accredited (for which I suppose I should be thankful) and have received my first conference pack as I commented with some excitment at the time here, I am still waiting for my conference pass to arrive in the post along with the second conference pack. This is rather frustrating. Normally, both packs will have been posted out by the end of August but here I am with barely a week to go before my train leaves Aberystwyth and I'm still unable to plan the detail of my week because that second pack with information on conference fringe events and training opportunites is still lost somewhere in the ether.

Yes, I'm aware that this information is on-line but I'm a conference traditionalist. Just like with the Xmas edition of the Radio Times, I want the hard copy on my lap so I can circle all of those fringes and policy debates that I want to attend. I want to see the fringe clashes in black and white and have to work through which ones I'll attend and which ones I'll have to miss.

But I can't do that yet and that's frustrating.

For once, I'm completely ready for conference except, that conference isn't ready for me.

Matters Of Size . . . .

Buried in a sea of seminar research and writing, my mind wandered today while writing a little section on social networking and how it feeds our Narcissism. We love to let other people know what we're doing . . . every little detail. Oops. . . I just told you I was writing a seminar today. Still, there's a point. As I was thinking through the sometimes ugly ways our hearts and desires connect to and use (maybe abuse is a better word here) social media tools, I got to thinking and writing about liking to be liked. You know. . . the little "like" button on Facebook. . . a brilliant idea by the way. Going places where I'm always going to be liked is pretty doggone desirable! Why isn't there a "dislike" button? For the simple reason that such a button wouldn't serve us well. For example, Lady Gaga's Facebook page has over 43 million "likes". . . and not one "dislike." Who would have thought?

I got to thinking about metrics and numbers and how we now rely on them to gauge our success or failure. We do that in the church you know. Twenty-five years ago I came out of a day spent at a National Youthworkers Convention wondering where I stood on the youth ministry success/failure scale. A series of firsthand and overhead conversations that day always came down to the number of kids in your youth ministry. I'd answer the question with a number and then wait for a response. . . which could be read through words, tone, and body language as to whether or not the other person saw me and our ministry as successful or not so much. A couple of weeks ago I had a conversation with a pastor who told me the size of his church thinking that size matters quite a bit in my mind. Sure, if I'm honest I have to admit it can be a struggle. But the truth is that deep down inside this kind of stuff churns around like a piece of rotten food that just won't settle. You know it's just not right.


As I mulled that over, I remembered that Derek Melleby had lent me his copy of Eugene Peterson's memoir, The Pastor, a few months ago after we had one of our many conversations about this very topic. Derek, I'm sorry that the book has been sitting on my desk since then. It's been a few months. But I remembered today that you bookmarked a page containing a letter Peterson once wrote to a pastor friend who was leaving his current church to lead a "more promising" congregation that was three times the size. I read that letter today and it felt like a good dose of stomach-settling stuff. I thought I would pass it on in its entirety:

Dear Phillip,

I've been thinking about our conversation last week and want to respond to what you anticipate in your new congregation. You mentioned its prominence in the town, a center, a kind of cathedral church that would be able to provide influence for the Christian message far beyond its walls.Did I hear you right?

I certainly understand the appeal and feel it myself frequently. But I am also suspicious of the appeal and believe that gratifying it is destructive both to the gospel and the pastoral vocation. It is the kind of thing America specializes in, and one of the consequences is that American religion and the pastoral vocation are in a shabby state.

It is also the kind of thing for which we have abundant documentation through twenty centuries now, of debilitating both congregation and pastor. In general terms it it the devils temptation to Jesus to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple. Every time the church's leaders depersonalize, even a little, the worshiping, loving community, the gospel is weakened. And size is the great depersonalizer. Kierkegaard's criticism is still cogent: "the more people, the less truth."

The only way the Christian life is brought to maturity is through intimacy, renunciation, and personal deepening. And the pastor is in a key position to nurture such maturity. It is true that these things can take place in the context of large congregations, but only by strenuously going against the grain. Largeness is an impediment, not a help.

Classically, there are three ways in which humans try to find transcendence - religious meaning, God's meaning - a part from God as revealed in the cross of Jesus: through the ecstasy of alcohol and drugs, through the ecstasy of recreational sex, through the ecstasy of crowds. Church leaders frequently warn against the drugs and the sex, but, at least in America, almost never against the crowds. Probably because they get so much ego benefit from the crowds.

But a crowd destroys the spirit as thoroughly as excessive drink and depersonalized sex. It takes us out of ourselves, but not to God, only away from him. The religious hunger is rooted in the unsatisfactory nature of the self. We hunger to escape the dullness, the boredom, the tiresomeness of me. We can escape upward or downward. Drugs and depersonalized sex are a false transcendence downward. A crowd is an exercise in false transcendence upward, which is why all crowds spiritually pretty much the same, whether at football games, political rallies, or at church.

So why are we pastors so unsuspicious of crowds , so naive about the false transcendence that they engender? Why are we so knowledgeable in the false transcendence of drink and sex and so unlearned in the false transcendence of crowds? There are many spiritual masters in our tradition who diagnose and warn, but they are little read today. I myself have never written what I really feel on this subject, maybe because I am not entirely sure of myself, there being so few pastors alive today who agree. Or maybe is is because I don't want to risk wholesale repudiation by friends whom I genuinely like and respect. But I really do feel that crowds are a worse danger, far worse than drink or sex, and pastors may be the only people on the planet to encourage an imagination that conceives of congregations strategically not in terms of its size but as a congenial setting for becoming mature in Christ in a community, not a crowd.

Your present congregation is close to ideal in size to employ your pastoral vocation for forming Christian maturity. You have talked about "multiplying your influence." My apprehension is that your anticipated move will diminish your vocation, not enhance it.

Can we talk more about this? I would welcome a continuing conversation.

The peace of Christ,

Eugene

I think size does indeed matter in ministry. . . but maybe not in the ways that we think it does.

Seven dogs eat their owner in Indonesia

Skull of the man eaten by his dogs in Indonesia

Abandoned for two weeks, seven dogs ate their owner Andre Lumboga alive when he returned home, several news sites reported Wednesday.

The incident reportedly happened in Indonesia Wednesday last week. The dead body of the 50-year old man was discovered on Monday after a neighborhood guard smelt a foul odor and noticed that the luggage of Lumboga were still at the front of his house.

"His skull was found in the kitchen, and his body was found in the front of his house," Eriyana, a local police chief in Batam, an island off Sumatra, told VIVAnews website.

"We suspect that the dogs were hungry, so they attacked Andre, because they had not been fed for 14 days," the police added.

According to Reuters, Lumboga is a native of Sulawesi island, "a predominantly Christian area, where the local spicy diet is famous in Indonesia for including dogs, bats and forest rats."

Miss Universe 2011 judges include Lea Salonga

The list of Miss Universe 2011 judges has been revealed today and it includes Filipina Tony Award winner and actress Lea Salonga.

Six of the Miss Universe 2011 candidates during their swimsuit photo shoot | AP

Joining Lea Salonga in judging the 89 lovely candidates of the Miss Universe 2011, are the following:

--Helios Castroneves, three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500;
--Connie Chung, U.S. broadcast legend;
--Isabeli Fontana, Brazilian supermodel;
--Vivica Fox, actress & television producer;
--Adrienne Maloof, from Bravo's hit series "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills"; and
--Amelia Vega, Miss Universe 2003.

The hosts of the 2011 Miss Universe Coronation Night will be Andy Cohen, host of Bravo's "Watch What Happens: Live," and Natalie Morales, news anchor of NBC's "Today."

There will also be performances from Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Bebel Gilberto and Brazilian native pop singer Claudia Leitte.

The 2011 Miss Universe Beauty Pageant will be broadcast live from Credicard Hall in São Paulo, Brazil on Monday, September 12 at 9 p.m. ET (September 13, 9 a.m., Manila Time).

SOA Premiere: Out

Last night's season premiere pretty much kicked ass.  Obviously it was no where near the level of the premiere of season two, but still very good.  It started out 14 months after last season with some of the members getting out of jail.  They are free and there are plenty of changes happening in Charming. 

There is a new sheriff in town, as Mayor Hale has gotten rid of the Charming Police and put them under the jurisdiction of the county police.  The new guy is a bit of a dick and he will not be bought off by Clay.  Hale is trying to develop Charming into a place for rich, white people.

It appears that SAMCRO made a deal with the Russians while they were in jail.  Apparently, Jax got shanked and they needed to stop the violence or else they would all end up dead.  Now that they are out, the Russian's basically have the guns that SAMCRO is supposed to be getting from the IRA.  Clay negotiates a deal with the Russians that should make everyone happy.

There is an assistant US attorney in Charming, who is trying to bring down all the gangs together.  He has a man inside the Russian gang and he believes he can take down SAMCRO, the Russians, and the IRA all with the same law used by Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight.  This new AUSA is a weird individual.

Everyone goes to Opie and Lyla's wedding and this was actually an excuse for some of the guys to leave for a booze run and actually visit the Russians and pick up the guns.  SAMCRO kills the Russians and take the guns.  Clay, Jax, and Opie go out in the woods to try out the new pistol that the Russian boss gave to Opie.  Clay turns and shoots the two goons and Opie grabs the boss.  Jax then sticks a knife in him.  We see the guys dumping the bodies out in the future site of Hale's luxury homes.

Here are some of the other cool things happening:

-I loved when Clay rolled off of Gemma and he made the comment about that being too quick and Gemma says that he must gotten used to those quickies with Juice in a dark corner and Clay responds with something like "Do not turn what Juice and I had into something dirty and torrid!"  That cracked me up.

-Awe, Jax proposes to Tara.  Actually he just puts a ring on her finger and says that he loves her.  He never really asks anything.  He also informs her that his father was weak, and could not leave the club, but Jax is not weak.  He will leave the club once he has enough bank that they can live comfortably since he has no real skills.

-This is Jax biggest mistake:  he underestimates Gemma.  I do not know how far she is willing to go to keep her family together. 

-Jax and Opie should open their own porn studio.  Get Lyla and her friends, boom!  Instant money again.

-Judging from the previews for upcoming episodes, Clay will not go down without a fight and he will take the club into some very dangerous territory.

-Otto killing the Russian by stabbing him in the ear was pretty awesome/gruesome.  Not the way I want to be killed while in prison.

Sum 41 postpones Manila concert

Sum 41 is postponing for an indefinite period of time the rest of the scheduled dates on their "Screaming Bloody Murder" 2011 tour which include October 16th, their Manila concert.

Sum 41 | Photo courtesy of Livemanilaconcert

In a statement, Sum 41 said lead vocalist Deryck Whibley is currently undergoing treatment for a medical condition which was not divulged. Whibley's doctor has ordered him to start a rehabilitation program and to recuperate for the rest of 2011, the band added.

"We are all devastated that our best tour yet has been interrupted." said Drummer Stevo Jocz "Our band lives to be on stage and playing in front of our fans. We never want to let anyone down but the most important thing right now is that Deryck makes a full recovery so we can continue on next year . We’re working as fast as we can to reschedule these dates," Sum 41 said.

Sum 41 was scheduled to perform in a one-night concert at the A-Venue Concert Hall on October 16, 2011.

Adele, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga | Magazine Covers Roundup - October 2011

British songstress Adele, "Criminal" singer Britney Spears and Mother Monster Lady Gaga will be on the covers of three magazines due to be released next month, October 2011. Check them out below:

Adele - Vogue UK

Star Update: Adele has postponed two of her shows because of her voice problems. In a statement, Adele said she has "serious colds and chest infection."

Britney Spears - Glamour

Star Update: Britney is reportedly shooting the music video of her single "Criminal" in London.  She's currently busy with her "Femme Fatale" concert tour.

 Lady Gaga - Harper's Bazaar

Star Update: Lady Gaga has joined Nas, DJ Pauly D, Julianne Hough and Drake Bell in "I Will", a public service campaign designed to inspire Americans to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.