Travel Site To Use One of My Pictures

I just secured an agreement for a new travel web site called Findmybeach.com to use a picture I took in France as part of their site.

Here is the picture they will use...

The picture is of a town called Villefranche sur Mer on the French Riviera. Diane and I stayed there in 2007 for our 10th wedding anniversary. It's a charming place that is equidistant between Nice and Monaco.

Findmybeach.com is scheduled to go live in December and focuses on travel and vacation information about European beaches.

NOTE: Use of this picture requires written permission from me.

Surprise! Palin Gets More Support Among Less Educated Republicans

Here is a surprise...

Turns out that Sara Palin gets very limited support among college educated Republicans, but more support among less educated Republicans.

The story is HERE.

I guess the silver lining here is that even with higher support among less educated Republicans, Palin is still under 20% total support among all Republicans...for now.

What We Learned - Week 13 of Pac-10 Football

What we learned this week in Pac-10 football...

Oregon (11-0 overall, 8-0 in Pac-10 play) defeated Arizona (7-4, 4-4) by the score of 48-29 in Eugene. Well, the first and foremost thing we learned from this game is that the Ducsk are...for the second year in a row...Pac-10 Champions! Yes indeed, they win the league again and no matter what happens against the hated Beavers next weekend in Corvallis, the Ducks are at worst going to the Rose Bowl again. We also learned that with this win, if the Ducks beat OSU next weekend, they will be in the National Championship game as the #1 team in the land.

Getting to the game, we learned that there is nothing "wrong" with the Oregon offense as some speculated after the 15-13 win against Cal a couple weeks ago. Nope, other than two costly turnovers, the Oregon O was back on track against a good defense. We also learned anew may of the same things we've learned over the weeks about the Ducks...bend but don't break (too much) defense, turnover producing defense, quick strike offense, breakneck wear-you-down style, great special teams and - unfortunately - they have a habit of giving the ball away a few times each game. We also learned that the Ducks have A LOT of weapons. Josh Huff, Darron Thomas, LaMichael James, Kenyon Barnor, Jeff Maehl, Cliff Harris, DJ Davis and more. Each of these guys had a big impact on the game against Arizona. Speed, speed, speed. I don't see this from other top five teams like Auburn, Boise State or TCU.

From Arizona we learned that if Nick Foles could play every game against the Ducks, he'd be Mr. All World as he absolutely BURNED the Ducks again and  again and again and again and again and again and again and again with pinpoint passing. Oh well, the Duckies still won by a lot.

Since the Ducks are in the race for the national championship, it is also worth noting that we also learned that Boise State is no longer a threat to make that game because they lost Friday to Nevada. Bye, bye Boise State.

Washington (5-6, 4-4) defeated Cal (5-7, 4-5) by the score of 16-13 at Berkley. We learned that Cal's season is done. With only five wins, they are not bowl eligible and they have no more games to play in the regular season. So, they're done. Meanwhile, we learned that Washington manned up when they had to and got the job done late - on the last play of the game. While you will never mistake me for a Husky fan, you have to give it up to the team and their coach for deciding to go for the win on the last play instead of kicking a field goal to tie it and send the game into overtime. So, we learned that the UW still could make a bowl game if they can defeat WSU in the Apple Cup. That would give them the required six wins. Oh, and by the way, we learned that the first half of this game was probably the most boring display of football seen so far this season. 0-0 the whole half until right at the end when Cal kicked a field goal.

Stanford (11-1, 8-1) defeated Oregon State (5-6, 4-4) by the score of 38-0 in Palo Alto. We learned that Oregon State is "not ready for prime time" when it comes to playing the top teams in the Pac-10. Put simply, they were WORKED by Stanford. With their loss, we learned that the Beavers now need to beat Oregon next weekend in the Civil War game just to become bowl eligible. One thing I've learned over the years is that it dose not matter if the Beavers are a horrible team or not, they always get up for and play well in the Civil War. So, I expect their very best game of the year next week against the Ducks.

For Stanford, we learned that they have now clinched second place in the Pac-10. Their regular season is now complete and they await to see if they can sneak into a BSC bowl game or if they are relegated to the normal second place bowl for the Pac-10...the suddenly not-that-impressive Alamo Bowl.

Notre Dame (7-5) defeated USC (7-5, 4-4) by the score of 20-16 in Los Angeles. I did not watch this game nor have I seen highlights. So, all I'll say is that I think we learned that both these once great programs have lost the luster they once had and that whether it's ND winning by four or if USC would have won by four...it's oddly and now all-to-common that this game is irrelevant to the big picture of college football.

Week 12 Pac-10 Football Predictions

Here are my predictions for week 12 in Pac-10 football...

Oregon will defeat Arizona by the score of 34-24 in Eugene on Friday. I think the Ducks bounce back offensively from their 15 point output at Cal, but a stout Arizona defense "limits" them to 34 or so. Meanwhile, I think the Arizona O is pretty good and will probably score a few times. But, in the end, I think the Ducks are better and they are at home...so they win.

ASU beats UCLA by the score of 21-10 in Tempe. UCLA is in disarray. They have shown the ability to bounce back from horrible performances, and may do that somewhat coming off of their melt down vs. Washington. But, I do not think they will win this game. They just don't have the QB and incentive to. But, ASU is at home and still playing for a potential bowl appearance.

Cal will beat Washington by the score of 17-10 in Berkley. Cal is coming off an epic butt whooping at the hands of Stanford. But, they are also still in contention for a bowl appearance. And, they have shown a bizarre ability to play horrible one week and great the next (and vice versa), and I think they are due for one of those "play great" games. Also, this is the third week that new Cal QB has started since normal starter Riley's season ended with an injury, and I think he will finally put it together against a fairly weak but improving UW defense.

Stanford will beat Oregon State by the score of 31-17 at Palo Alto. OSU played great vs. USC and beat them in surprising fashion. But, that was last week and it was at home. This is on the road against a much better team that USC this season. Stanford is gunning for a first or second place finish in the Pac-10 and a BSC bowl bid...so they will be ready to go and they will win this one.

USC will beat Notre Dame by the score of 24-21 in Los Angeles. USC played horribly against the Beavers last week, but they are still - I know, I know you don't believe me - a pretty good team. Not a great team, but pretty good. And they are playing at home against a below average Notre Dame team having a poor season. So, I think it adds up to a win for the Trojans - even if backup QB Mustane must play for injured starter Barkley.

What I Am Thankful For 2010

Here are the things I am thankful for:

1. My wife Diane - simply said, my life. I lover her the whole world.
2. My health and that of Diane - no substitute for being healthy. So far so good!
3. Family - immediate and extended family bring us a lot of joy every year.
4. Friends - all friends old and new add so much to our lives.
5. Employment - hey, having a paycheck any time is good, but especially in these times!
6. Travel - it gives us a new perspective no matter where we go - in the U.S. or overseas.
7. Art - music, film, paintings, photography, sculpture or other forms of artistic expression are wonderful...either indulging us in something we already know and love or challenging us to think differently.
8. Our cat Josie P. Jones - yes, she has her own full name. The "P" stands for "Pussycat."
9. Good peripheral vision and quick reflexes - click HERE to read why.
10. Humor - imagine trying to get through life without having a sense of humor yourself or being around people who didn't have one.

What We Learned - Week 12 of Pac-10 Football

Here's what we learned from this week's Pac-10 football games...

Washington (4-6 overall, 3-4 in Pac-10 play) defeated UCLA (4-6, 2-5) by the score of 24-7 in Seattle. We learned that UCLA is in disarray. Penalties, fumbles, poor play, Neuheisel ranting at his own players on the sideline. Not good. Yes, they beat Texas on the road early, but they have virtually zero QB talent to throw the ball, rendering them one dimensional on offense and, therefore, easier to shut down. And that's what UW did. We also learned that UCLA will wilt. We saw it in their game vs. Oregon where after the Duck's initial onslaught they just kinda gave up. Same thing vs. Washington in the second half. All that said, I think we learned that UCLA is officially done this season and won't be winning any more games - like they still have to play against Arizona State and USC. No bowl for the Bruins.

We learned that Washington still has some life left in them and that if they win their last two games - one at Cal, one at WSU - they will make a bowl game. Granted, they were playing UCLA, but the UW defense came to play for real and did a very good job shutting down the Bruin offense. We learned that, despite Jake Locker being an all around good guy and having the potential to be an NFL QB, he is...much to UW fans' lament...not a very good college QB. Fewer than 100 yards passing, one interception, no TD passes...although he did run one in for a score.

And finally, we learned - or at least I did - that the UW looked good in those black uniforms. I say bring 'em out a few times a year you Dawgs!


Stanford (10-1, 7-1) defeated Cal (5-6, 3-5) by the score of 48-14 at Berkley. We learned once again how good, how balanced and how talented Stanford is. We also learned that Cal's defensive effort against Oregon last week was a "one-off" performance - part valiant effort, part Oregon not playing very well. Oh, and you cannot discount the "comedown" factor after a game like that. If just wasn't meant to be vs. Stanford. We learned that Cal needs to win its last game vs. Washington next week to get to a bowl. Same goes for Washington to keep its bowl hopes alive. I think we also learned that if Stanford wins its last game of the season, it will likely be in a BSC bowl. Lastly, we now know as a result of this game that Oregon still has to win one of its last two games to clinch the league title.

Oregon State (5-5, 4-3) defeated USC (7-4, 4-4) by the score of 36-7 in Corvallis. Well, the first thing we learned here is that I am not that good a predictor. I believed that a better USC team would roll into Corvallis and beat up on a downtrodden OSU team that just been beat by lowly WSU (sorry WSU fans), but I was wrong. Which leads to another lesson we learned anew this week...you cannot predict with much certainty what will happen in the Pac-10 from week to week. Teams look great one week and horrible the next and vice versa. Home, road, bye week? Not factors. Oh well. Although they still have to on the road to play Stanford next week, I fully expect OSU to use this win over USC to springboard into the Civil War at full strength.

Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State and WSU did not play this weekend, so we didn't learn anything about them...although we know if Oregon wins vs. Arizona Friday they will wrap up the Pac-10 championship.

Pac-10 Football Week 12 Predictions

Here are my predictions for this weekend's Pac-10 football games...

USC will beat Oregon State by the score of 35-21. USC has not fared very well in the state of Oregon over the past few years, losing to Oregon and Oregon State routinely there. I think this weekend breaks that streak. OSU is coming off a butt-whooping at the hands of none other than the WSU Cougars - in Corvallis! That's demoralizing, and sure, the Beavers will play better this weekend than last, but you don't often lose one week to the worst team in the league and then win against one of the better ones the next. And I don't think this happens here. Plus, USC has played well this  year and has really good talent...better than OSU overall. And by the way, whatever OSU does  against USC, I firmly believe they will play their best game of the season against the Ducks on Dec. 4 - no doubt in my mind.

Standford will beat Cal by the score of 31-17 at Berkley. Cal gave a great effort against Oregon last weekend, so you might say that they are improving, at home and barely lost to the #1 team in the league and in the country...so, certainly they should beat Stanford. But, I think they will not fare as well against Stanford. Call it a come down or simply not matching up as well vs. Stanford, but I don't see Cal winning this one.

I did not get a prediction in on Washington vs. UCLA as that game was played this week on Thursday. I will say that if I try to be objective I would have predicted a UW win - particularly because it was at home and senior day.

Oregon and Arizona have the weekend off, but play each other on Nov. 26. WSU and Arizona State also have a bye this weekend.