It's Shake & Bake Time!!!

I know, I know- I've been missing in action (to the Anon who wanted more AOG - here ya go), the blog has "died" (not one post since early August?), and a lot has changed in the AMDAL world since last season's pre-season post, but you know what hasn't changed one bit?!? MY OBSESSION WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL!

That's right, kiddos! We are only a quarter of a day (that's 6 hours) from the mayhem and glorious moment we all have been waiting for... 2010 season kick off!

The weeks leading up to today have been quite fun! For those of you who have been asleep at the wheel, here are some highlights: The NCAA laid a huge smackdown on USC ('bout time! The full 67 page PDF of the NCAA filing can be found here), taking a little swagger out of the Trojans' stride... There have been rumblings from 'Bama thinking they're going undefeated this year (as if!)... Boise State made it into BCS bowl contingency AND the top 5 pre-season rankings (WHAT IS GOING ON?!)... And then - I hope you can feel the excitement here - Nike went to my beloved NYC to unveil the sweet new duds Florida will rock this year, making it even easier to whoop up on the competition. I honestly got a little giddy inside when I saw them- not only are we a solid team, again, but we look dead sexy too!

I hope you will join in this year to watch the glorious wins by your favorite team, cry with our coaches when an unknown team storms the gates and takes you down a notch on your ego-pole, and of course, get furious as the crazy BCS and their nonsensical ranking system determines your bowl game future at the end of the year.

Without further ado, the top 20 teams to keep an eye on this season. So, grab a beer, some friends, and collegial colors as you enjoy another phenomenal year of college football!

xo- AOG*
* which to be fair, should be AOeGWINETHOeBFC, but that's neither here no there

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Google Gets 2 Gold Stars Today for Being Fun

Go to google.com*
Type in "Where Can I Find Chuck Norris"
Click "I'm feeling lucky"

*Wait- why is Google called Topeka?!?! - click the logo for the story

Paying for the Poop Sandwich

Each time I started to type a comment about the reimbursement issues with government run health care plans (past, present & future), I'd have to leave to go to a meeting and by the time I got back people had veered off into other sub-topics so it didn't fit in. The comments have been very interesting, sometimes silly, but check out the original poop sandwich post.

This post is really for BMar, who ambushed me on gIM to talk about this. Well, it started with "Please defend The Brah's inanity on AMDAL. thx" (since all us Republicans think alike, right?), but he did use his please and thank you's so that was nice of him :) In the end, I promised him I'd put this up and I'm a girl of my word.

The purpose of this post is to give an explanation of one side of the debate many people don't know about or that has been left out of the mainstream coverage, but please read it with the following things in your minds and hearts (awww):

1) No one is against decreasing the public good or equal opportunities or coverage provided. Everyone wants every person in America to be healthy and if they're not, to be taken care of with the best care possible.

2) We owe it all to each other to stop making it a red/blue/tea party thing, because it’s not. No matter who’s in the majority or who’s in office, the debate is the same on health care and is going to be around for a long, long time (probably forever). Truce?

3) Everyone has had great points- go AMDALers! I’m not putting this up here to promote comments about iron in the drinking water, or MacDonalds, or anything else. This post is to start talking about the numbers since it is something people have asked for more info about.

4) Please read the rest of this without thinking that insurance companies and hospitals are run by money grubbing evil individuals who sit in our offices on thrones made of dollar bills. If they were, then it would be awesome for me (j/k). It's very, very far from the truth. Health care is a business, and as a business you have to work with money and raise/bank revenue in order to be able to function past a one-day-at-a-time mentality. If you do not, you will not stay in business. It is not a matter of good versus evil- it's one of financial planning and budgeting. The health care industry is laying off staff at insurance companies & provider facilities, filing legislation to allow plans to be national versus state-to-state to lower the cost to those on the plans and make it a more affordable for everyone, suing to have the government plans be paid on a state-by-state basis (explanation of why below), and working with pharmaceutical companies to help offset the cost of medications (Americans pay for Europe's low cost meds but that's a whole different post in itself). Keep in mind that about 13 million people in the American work force are in health care/insurance related jobs- they can't pay their bills with chits for each good deed or life saved each day or else they probably would... They need to be paid in real American dollars.

So, let's get to it! (Below is based off of what I am knee deep in daily, at one of the largest and most comprehensive, multi-campus, non-profit hospitals in the country, and ironically, is also the largest private-sector employer in NYC (due to the crash of banks/layoffs on Wall Street). This has put us in two different groups that will be impacted by the new bill: one as a corporation/ large-business and the other as a hospital... oh and it's pretty long so prepare yourself.)

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Need a Work Break?

Frog Leap: Even though it's for kids, you'll still get a sense of accomplishment when you figure it out :)

Tiger's Back!

Not only will he be making a public appearance* tomorrow, but there is now "The Back 9" to the previous game involving his biddies.

And yes, the fist pump is just as satisfying in this game as the first one.

* It's to a hand selected audience- booo! Let the people ask questions!!!!

Ravenous Raptor Strikes!

Hat Tip to Skankyface for the find

Nerd Alert!

Paleontology goes mobile... finally! There has to be a creative cheesy catch phrase for this announcement, right? Something like "Enabling dinosaurs to roam the Earth once again!"




Apparently ANHM will be making iPhone apps covering most of their collections- sadly, it's probably the best way to get kiddos interested in natural history & science... Oh how things have changed!

Over/Under Rated: The Microsoft Surface

The value of this post is completely based on audience participation- please get involved :)

I'm pretty sure 90% of AMDAL rides the Apple train, but aside from my shuffle, PCs still have my heart and, in turn, my wallet. My PC life has yet to fail me*, but I've been a little ashamed of my PC love until recently. I demoed the touch screen computer's older, roid-ed out big brother: the Microsoft Surface and I'm feeling pretty okay about it now.

Why post about it? After the feedback on the iPad, it dawned on me that some of you might have seen, heard about or demoed a Surface & I can use your brilliance to help me decide if I/we (my Hospital, not AMDAL... yet) should buy a bunch of these for the Pediatric Emergency Departments' waiting rooms as our first "go" at implementing these into the patient experience. I am totally amped up about having little buggers be able to entertain themselves with these while their parental unit(s) is pre-occupied tending to their sibling.

My top 2 O/U points for your input after the jump- please send yours on over, comments are greatly appreciated!

*PC fail: The evil blue screen of death in 2003 that ate my senior thesis paper will never be forgotten



OverRated:-
1) The Surface's surface is not exactly Teflon tough. We would purchase the insurance so that we can have the top protective layer replaced as often as needed. I loved that it was very sensitive to every movement, but I wonder how long this will last with rug-rats banging on them and getting their grubby little cookie monster hands all over it. Thoughts?

2) Lack of software- there are no children-based education software programs developed yet. What do y'all think the time table on this is/ do you have any good company names you can send me that I can inquire about building something? We use Kidzpace products now & they go over well with parents, kids, child life specialists, etc. There are plenty of things for kids do do on the Surface (paint, card games, move pictures, write/type, etc) but nothing specifically built for the Surface yet.

UnderRated:
1) User interaction- They are just awesome! I don't know who has gotten to use these yet, but if you can do it immediately. The practicality of them for other areas of the Hospital is endless, but we also like to show everyone who visits that we're not just life savers- we're hip and technologically advanced too :) I demoed it for patient evaluations & consults- viewing 3D imaging results, pulling up records, and linking physical objects on the surface to the data stored inside [a la laying my ID on it to log in or placing a heart valve pump on the Surface & it would place it into the anatomical image of a heart on the screen. Everyone who has touched one is excited about the opportunities to improve the patient experience, especially in terms of understanding procedures before they have them, as well as post-surgical compliance & care.

2) Bang for your Buck- for $20,000 each (table, insurance plan, installation, etc), it's pretty cheap for all that it does and eventually will be able to do once there is software built. But, in the same light- does anyone think that these will go down in price within the next year like everything seems to with technology or is it going to stay pretty standardized for a bit until they can get into more markets/need to produce them at high quantities?


Thanks AMDAL tech support!

If you love the Jersey Shore...

Then you're gonna love this.

G-T-L, Baby!

Upcoming NYC Charity Events

This post is a little self-call, a little call-out, and a little bit of sales pitch but it's all about doing good right here in NYC. With all the generosity surrounding the Haiti earthquake, I can't help but think, "Why aren't people more involved in their local communities too?" I hope everyone did lend the support they could to the relief efforts in Haiti- it is important to be part of the global community. But when individuals in our own local communities need help, such as adorable little kids, we shouldn't say "oh, well maybe next year..." and turn our backs on their little puppy-dog eyes and sad faces.

I pose to our faithful and fraternal AMDAL following three questions:
1) What are you doing on Feb. 26th?
2) What are you doing on March 3rd?
3) Do you think you can out fundraise the AOG? If so, I'm offering up tangible rewards as a "thank you" for pitching in right here in NYC.



Answer #1 - Feb. 26

Attending the 6th Annual GOTO Black Tie Gala at Capitale. From 9 pm - 1 am, you will be teleported back to the Roaring 20's for a jazzed up good time full of reblerousers, casino games, silent auction, and around 600 of NYC's hottest young philanthropists. Tickets and info on this year's Gala here, and use the code "AMDAL" at check out to get $15 off each ticket. You're welcome.

Info on GOTO (which is in NYC & Boston, soon to be in LA) here, but the short & sweet in bullets:
- Started in 2001 with $3,000 of my friend's bonus check, he sent one kid to camp. We all thought it was awesome, donated our own cash the next year and so GOTO grew- last year we crossed the $1,000,000 mark in fundraising, solely with friends' donations and event ticket sales.
- We have funded over 250 summer arts camp experiences for kids in NYC and Boston, who are all in 6th, 7th & 8th grade. Due to budget cuts for arts programing in schools, GOTO has filled the gap allowing talented kids to pursue their dreams and passions
- Our mentoring program follows our scholars through high school and college. Our first class of kids were all accepted to their top choice schools & many with scholarships. Our second class is applying now and have been granted interviews at several top 20 schools
- Our volunteers get experience in areas outside of their 9-5 jobs and have a fun time! If you're planning to go to grad school- get on the community service horse, asap.

Also exciting is that you will get to enjoy one of my famous, overly excited GOTO Presidential thank you speeches and see ARod looking very dapper in his tux :) What more could you want?!


Answer #2 - March 3

2 years ago (pre-dating ARod, but we knew each other and were doing the awkward "I like you" dance that our Athletic Supporters soccer team is so good at), my friend Clara convinced me to be in a date auction. It was for a good cause, so I gathered a few friends (male & female) to be auctioned off as well and we just went with it. While I expected a couple bids, I did not in any way, shape or form expect that a date with me would sell for a cool G, as in $1,000 USD.

Now that I'm no longer auctionable, I challenge the readers of AMDAL to put themselves up on the block to help local kiddos out. Partnership with Children is a not-for-profit organization that provides emotional and social support to at-risk children so that they can succeed in school, in society and in their lives. We help children and young people in need, their families and their schools through our school-based Open Heart - Open Mind and Life Steps programs as well as through our Center for Capacity Building. We provide intervention and preventative services, counseling and leadership development. Founded in 1908 as Big Sisters, we have served the New York City community for 100 years.

Want to be auctioned? Fill out this survey and someone will get in touch with you. It's actually really fun, you get to plan a cool date to take someone on, and the more friends you get to be auctioned with you and/or attend the event, the more fun you will have!

Answer #3 - tangible goodies

Reward(s) will be your choice/or combo of goodies, sports tickets, gift certificates to eat at top restaurants, a night out on the town in NYC a la Marquee/M2/1Oak, etc- we'll figure it out when the time arises

How to win my little contest of "Who done did the best do good-ing?":
- Bring the biggest crew to the GOTO Gala
- Donate some sweet stuff to the GOTO silent auction (email info@thegotogroup.org w/ donation deets)
- Get the highest AMDAL reader/writer bid at the date auction

Yes, there can be multiple winners (one in each category) and the prizes will be good. Thanks for supporting those who need it! See y'all at the Makens events in early Feb!

Oh Joy of Joys- They're Back!

I don't know if anyone else was as gleefully obsessed with the Shiba Inu puppy cam as I was in 2008, but they've had another liter and they're back on the air! Or is it "back on the web?" Future- what's the proper webcam livefeed lingo?

Back to the puppies: They were born on the 16th, so they're not very active right now, but oh, you just wait!

There is nothing that can make your day instantly better then little puppies romping around... And get this- you have access to these puppies

ALL

DAY

LONG

Here's the Wiki page on the hysteria the 2008 puppies caused.

Ho In One

I couldn't think of a catchy title for this post, sorry. Fun little game found here if you get some downtime at the office. Despite the simple-graphics, the makers of this game kept the true je ne sais quoi of Tiger in this media scandal based game- if you hit one of the ladies, Tiger gives you a fist pump.

Hat tip due to Skankyface for sending this one over all the way from Wisconsin.

Submitted with a little backstory

Imagine these poor penguins' surprise when they went to go pick up their pictures from the nearest 1 Hour Photo. Finally able to relax after months of withstanding the unbearably cold ancestral breeding grounds, all they wanted to do was take a group shot. But in an homage to crasher squirrel, some a-hole seal had to show up and ruin it. And of course, this is the only picture on the roll where nobody blinked.

'Twas The Monday Before Christmas...

In the 13 or so hours of face time that I have to put in at the office before the new year, I imagine 60% of those hours will be work related with meetings that are half attended and about nothing in particular, 20% will be sending emails to work people so it looks like I'm filling the other 40% with work related things and the remaining 20% will be on AMDAL and visiting various holiday related sites, such as:

Weird singing faces (photo above)


Elf yourself - Elfing courtesy of Lizzy B- who's unemployment has brought much joy to the rest of us via taking the time to do things like this.

Disco Dancing Santa

and last but not least, looking up facts about Santa so that I can answer anything that my friends' kids might ask me in the 3 days leading up to the 25th. I don't want to be the one who ruins Christmas for them. There are tons of sites with Q&A on Santa- makes it kinda easy to predict what they might ask... I remember being told that Santa came to our house on a surfboard instead of a sleigh, because we don't get snow in Florida. Pretty sneaky, huh? My Santa was kinda like this:



Happy Holidays AMDALers!
xo- AOG

Confessions of a College Football-a-holic

The go-to Saturday plan was a simple one: football + beers + ARod + friends = happy face

If you're reading this, it's Saturday, December 12th and at this point in time I will have come to the realization that I'm addicted to being a fan of the #1 team, *sniffle* sorry, the #5 team in the nation.

Last weekend's loss took a lot of out of me emotionally- I'm not ashamed to admit that I felt almost as sad as Tebow, Spikes & Cooper. I wasn't prepared for this season's outcome- I thought we'd be in the title game not sitting at home on the 7th because my boys were dilly-dallying all over the field. I'm like a cracked out junkie right now- almost every weekend for the last 4 years, I've had something to make me feel good, something to give me that Gator Chomp fix. Even in the off season, there were training updates and recruiting reports.

And now? Now I have nothing to look forward to except a bowl game against Cinci, who's ranked higher then us... this is what disappointment feels like, isn't it? Even if we win, we'll have beaten Cincinnati, who's own coach is leaving them to take the head spot at Notre Dame. Add to that the fact that I will inevitably be uber hung over from New Years Eve while watching the game described above, in which they'll let all the youngin's play, proving that the next couple years will be not so great... I think I'll officially have hit rock bottom.

There is hope, I suppose. Tonight is the announcement of the Heisman trophy- Timmy could still win, right? And I finally understand why there are 31 bowl games scheduled sometime in the next 33 days before the BCS title game- it gives every fan who's team didn't finish #1 or #2 a chance to have some faith in the next season. It's like the circle of life... The full schedule of bowl games is is posted after the jump, in order of best game to worst game to watch- find a bowl game, go to a local bar and start pickin' up the pieces.

Congrats are in order to V-nasty. I hope you are enjoying your little moment of glory right now, with your beloved Longhorns playing 'Bama for the title. Please beat 'em good. Not because I like your team, I just don't want 'Bama to win.


1. Citi BCS National Championship Game
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 1 Alabama
8 p.m. ET, Jan. 7
The undefeated Crimson Tide versus the unbeaten Longhorns. SEC versus Big 12. Nick Saban versus Mack Brown. Defense versus offense. What more could you possibly want? Well, if you're a Crimson Tide fan, you'd probably rather play Ohio State or Oklahoma.

2. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
No. 6 Boise State vs. No. 4 TCU
8 p.m. ET, Jan. 4
Yes, it's a rematch of last season's Poinsettia Bowl, in which the Horned Frogs defeated the Broncos 17-16 in Boise's only loss of the season. But it's a heck of a lot better than trying to watch Iowa's offense score against TCU or Georgia Tech's defense trying to stop Boise State. It's a matchup of two unbeaten teams, and one of them could finish No. 2 in the country. TCU leads the country in total defense; Boise State leads the country in scoring.

3. Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Oregon
4:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 1
The Buckeyes avoided playing an SEC team in a BCS bowl game, but the Ducks might be nearly as fast as the Florida and LSU teams that beat OSU in the past couple of years. Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor gets an up-close look at the Oregon offense he might have flourished in if he'd signed with the Ducks. It also might be one heck of a fashion show: Oregon's ever-changing wardrobe against Ohio State's classic uniforms.

4. Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 5 Florida vs. No. 3 Cincinnati
8:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 1
Notre Dame fans won't get to watch the Fighting Irish play in a bowl game, but the Sugar Bowl might offer them the next-best thing. They'll get to see Cincinnati's Brian Kelly, who might become their next coach, and Florida's Urban Meyer, who didn't want to be their coach. Meyer takes on his alma mater and coaches quarterback Tim Tebow in his final game.

5. Capital One Bowl
No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 12 LSU
1 p.m. ET, Jan. 1
It's a great matchup of traditional powers and an intriguing matchup of head coaches. LSU's Les Miles has a hard time managing time; Penn State's Joe Paterno refuses to acknowledge Father Time. The Tigers lost three games in the fourth quarter; the Nittany Lions lost the only two games that really mattered.

6. Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
No. 16 West Virginia vs. Florida State
1 p.m. ET, Jan. 1
It's the Bobby Bowden Bowl, as Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will coach the Seminoles for the final time. It's fitting that his final opponent is West Virginia, the school where he coached from 1970 to '75 before leaving for Tallahassee. In his finale, Bowden, 80, will attempt to avoid FSU's first losing season since 1976.

7. MAACO Las Vegas Bowl
No. 18 Oregon State vs. No. 14 BYU
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 22
Oddly enough, Las Vegas has become BYU's second home. The Cougars will be playing in the Las Vegas Bowl for the fifth consecutive season, and they've gone 2-2 against Pac-10 teams in the bowl. It's the first time they'll play the Beavers, who were one victory from playing in the Rose Bowl. It's the first meeting of ranked teams in the Las Vegas Bowl.

8. FedEx Orange Bowl
No. 10 Iowa vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
8 p.m. ET, Jan. 5
Georgia Tech has the triple-option spread offense. At times, Iowa doesn't seem to have any offense. The ACC champions are playing in their first Orange Bowl since 1966, when they lost to Florida and Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier. Iowa, the Big Ten runner-up, should have back injured quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

9. Chick-fil-A Bowl
No. 11 Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
7:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 31
NASCAR mogul Bruton Smith once offered the Hokies and Volunteers $20 million each to play a game at Bristol Motor Speedway. With a total payout of $6 million, Chick-fil-A Bowl officials might be getting off cheap. It's a matchup of two great running backs: Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams and Tennessee's Montario Hardesty.

10. AT&T Cotton Bowl
No. 19 Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss
2 p.m. ET, Jan. 2
The Rebels return to the Cotton Bowl for the second straight year, after routing Texas Tech 47-34 last season. That victory propelled the Rebels into the preseason top 10, before they fell on their faces too many times in an 8-4 campaign. The Pokes fell short of their lofty preseason goals, too, finishing 9-3.

11. Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
No. 20 Arizona vs. No. 22 Nebraska
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 30
The Wildcats are riding sky-high after defeating Southern California in their regular-season finale. But watching film of Cornhuskers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in the Big 12 championship game was probably pretty sobering. Suh alone is enough reason to watch the Holiday Bowl.

12. Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Houston vs. Air Force
Noon ET, Dec. 31
The 2008 Armed Forces Bowl was so good, with Houston defeating Air Force 34-28 to end an eight-game postseason losing streak, that bowl organizers decided to pit the same two teams against each other again. Houston quarterback Case Keenum leads the country's No. 1 passing attack. Appropriately, Air Force has the country's best air defense.

13. Brut Sun Bowl
No. 21 Stanford vs. Oklahoma
2 p.m. ET, Dec. 31
This would have been a fantastic matchup if Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford had stayed healthy. Then again, if Bradford hadn't injured his throwing shoulder in the opener, the Sooners probably wouldn't be playing in El Paso, Texas. Stanford might play without quarterback Andrew Luck, who underwent surgery to repair a finger on his right (throwing) hand. The OU defense will get a major test from Cardinal running back Toby Gerhart, a Heisman Trophy finalist.

14. San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
No. 23 Utah vs. California
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 23
This game will be even better if Cal running back Jahvid Best returns from the frightening concussion that caused him to miss the Bears' last three games. Utah has won eight bowl games in a row, including last season's 31-17 upset of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

15. Meineke Car Care Bowl
No. 17 Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina
4:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 26
Former Jimmy Johnson assistants Butch Davis of UNC and Dave Wannstedt of Pitt square off in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers lost their last two games in heartbreaking fashion, but Wannstedt is finally showing progress at his alma mater. Davis is looking for momentum, too, after the Tar Heels finished 8-4.

16. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Nevada vs. Southern Methodist
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 24
SMU coach June Jones returns to the beautiful islands after leading the Mustangs to their first bowl game since 1984 (before they were given the NCAA "death penalty"). Hawaii's past two seasons only felt like NCAA probation after Jones left. The Mustangs will have to slow Nevada's highly potent running game, which features three 1,000-yard rushers.

17. Champs Sports Bowl
No. 15 Miami vs. No. 25 Wisconsin
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 29
Neither team finished the season where it wanted to be, but the Hurricanes could start the 2010 season pretty high in the rankings if they beat the Badgers in Orlando, Fla. Quarterback Jacory Harris must cut down on his turnovers and mistakes, and the Hurricanes will have to slow Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year John Clay.

18. Emerald Bowl
Boston College vs. No. 25 Southern California
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 26
After finishing 8-4 and 25th in the BCS standings, there isn't much left for the Trojans. After playing in seven consecutive BCS bowl games, they could hardly view San Francisco as their most desirable destination. If USC's much-maligned defense gets ripped by BC's offense (97th in total offense and 71st in scoring), coach Pete Carroll will know he really has some problems.

19. GMAC Bowl
Central Michigan vs. Troy
7 p.m. ET, Jan. 6
Watch the GMAC Bowl and you'll see why Notre Dame decided to skip the postseason this time around. The Fighting Irish defense wanted no part of Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour, who has the NCAA record for career touchdowns. This game might be a shootout: Troy finished third nationally in total offense and 18th in scoring.

20. Outback Bowl
Northwestern vs. Auburn
11 a.m. ET, Jan. 1
Will Auburn change planes in San Francisco to get to Tampa, Fla.? Perhaps no team took more of a back door into a bowl game than the Tigers, who lost five of their last seven games in coach Gene Chizik's first season. Northwestern won four of its last five games, including upsets of then-No. 4 Iowa and No. 16 Wisconsin.

21. AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Arkansas vs. East Carolina
5:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 2
The Pirates slowed Houston's Keenum just enough to win a second straight Conference USA championship. In Memphis, East Carolina's defense will face Arkansas' Ryan Mallett, the SEC's top quarterback with 3,422 yards and 29 touchdowns. ECU coach Skip Holtz faces Arkansas, where his father, Lou Holtz, coached from 1977 to '83.

22. Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Kentucky vs. Clemson
8:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 27
The Tigers always seem to fall short of preseason expectations; the Wildcats always seem to exceed them. The Tigers lost their last two games: against rival South Carolina, then versus Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game. Kentucky is playing in the Music City Bowl for the third time in four years. The Wildcats will have to slow explosive tailback/kick returner C.J. Spiller; the Tigers will have to contain versatile Randall Cobb.

23. Papajohns.com Bowl
South Carolina vs. Connecticut
2 p.m. ET, Jan. 2
Who didn't root for the Huskies to make a bowl game as they rallied after the tragic death of cornerback Jasper Howard in October? Connecticut lost five games by a total of 15 points but then won their last three games, including a road upset at Notre Dame. South Carolina faded down the stretch again, losing four of its last six games.

24. Valero Alamo Bowl
Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
9 p.m. ET, Jan. 2
If only the Spartans showed as much fight on defense as they did in dorm fights. Michigan State won't have eight suspended players when it faces the Red Raiders in San Antonio. The Spartans ranked 96th nationally in pass-efficiency defense and 103rd in pass defense, which is never a good thing when facing Mike Leach's pass-happy offense.

25. Texas Bowl
Navy vs. Missouri
3:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 31
The Tigers felt they were jobbed when the Insight Bowl selected 6-6 Iowa State over them. Worse, they'll have to spend the holidays preparing for Navy's triple-option spread attack. Missouri's defense has been pretty stout against the run, allowing only 96.4 yards per game, which was 12th-best in the country. Tigers wide receiver Danario Alexander gets one more chance to impress NFL scouts.

26. Advocare V100 Independence Bowl
Texas A&M vs. Georgia
5 p.m. ET, Dec. 28
Neither team can be too excited about playing in Shreveport, La., after entering the season with higher expectations. Georgia will be playing without a defensive coordinator (Willie Martinez was fired last week); Texas A&M looks as though it simply doesn't play defense. Fortunately for both defenses, their bowl gift bags probably will include Advocare vitamins.

27. St. Petersburg Bowl
Central Florida vs. Rutgers
8 p.m. ET, Dec. 19
The UCF Knights won five of their last six games to earn a bowl invitation close to home. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, a former Miami assistant, has been trying to make inroads into Florida to bolster the Scarlet Knights' recruiting efforts. South Florida coach Jim Leavitt has to be thrilled that both teams are playing in his hometown.

28. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Mississippi vs. Middle Tennessee
8:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 20
It will be the final college game for Southern Miss running back Damion Fletcher, one of the most underrated players in the country. He has run for 5,224 yards and 44 touchdowns in his career. The Blue Raiders' defense has been stout all season, leading the country with a per-contest average of 8.83 tackles for loss and finishing fourth in sacks with 3.17 a game.

29. Insight Bowl
Minnesota vs. Iowa State
6 p.m. ET, Dec. 31
The Cyclones are really excited to be playing in the Insight Bowl after finishing 6-6 in coach Paul Rhoads' first season. The Gophers might not be as excited about playing in Tempe, Ariz., for the third time in four seasons. Bowl officials can only hope the Gophers' offense does more against the Cyclones than Nebraska's did.

30. New Mexico Bowl
Fresno State vs. Wyoming
4:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 19
Many college football fans will get to see Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews for the first time. He led the country in rushing yards per game with 151.3. Wyoming coach Dave Christensen probably would prefer not to see him after the Cowboys ranked 91st in run defense, allowing 170.5 yards per game.

31. Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Bowling Green vs. Idaho
4:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 30
Two high-powered offenses should feel right at home on Boise State's blue turf. Will anyone be in town to see the Vandals and Falcons play with the Broncos playing in the Fiesta Bowl? Idaho averaged 31.8 points per game; Bowling Green averaged 27.3. Falcons receiver Freddie Barnes should make some All-America teams.

32. International Bowl
South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
Noon ET, Jan. 2
Another late-season collapse caused the Bulls to get shipped all the way to Toronto for a bowl game. South Florida started 5-0 before losing five of its last seven games. Quarterback B.J. Daniels has a bright future, but the Bulls had better be motivated when facing the Huskies.

33. Eagle Bank Bowl
Army/UCLA vs. Temple
4:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 29
If Army can upset Navy on Dec. 19, the Eagle Bank Bowl might feature the most unlikely bowl matchup in history. The Black Knights can punch their tickets to RFK Stadium by finishing 6-6. The Owls are playing in their first bowl game in 30 seasons after finishing 9-3. Then again, even a 5-7 Army team might be more deserving than 6-6 UCLA.

34. Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
Marshall vs. Ohio
1 p.m. ET, Dec. 26
Playing the Bobcats in Detroit was so enticing that Marshall coach Mark Snyder resigned after the Thundering Herd's final regular-season game. A new coach will lead Marshall against Ohio, which won four of its last five games and lost to Central Michigan 20-10 in the MAC championship game.

(hat tip for the rankings: espn)

Submitted Without Comment (but tiny NSFW warning)

Free working LCD tv (west burbs)
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Date: 2009-12-07, 2:56AM CST
Reply to: sale-tnpkx-1498514993@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
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Rest of the ad is after the jump- text might be NSFW

Free LCD TV. Yes it works perfectly. Yes it has a remote. No i wont deliver. Why is it FREE you ask????? My room mate thought it would be "hysterical" to pause gay porn on my TV while my girlfriend and I were on vacation for 2 weeks, thus burning and image into the screen. So...If you dont mind a sillouette of a skinny white guy taking a load in the face from the biggest black penis in recorded history forever adorning your new TV, Its yours.
Location: west burbs

Hat tip: Lizzy B

Totally Creepy

Coke Zero started this app on Facebook where it matches your face with someone else on Facebook who looks just like you, then connects y'all. I am sufficiently creeped out.

Coke Zero is saying that if Coke Zero has the same great taste as Coke, then there is a chance that someone out there has your face too. I'm not sure what the point of this whole thing is, because they're kinda saying we're all interchangeable and/or their product tastes like something that can eat away battery acid.

Click here to find your twin, if you dare... email your matches to allmydealsarelive@gmail.com and we'll post some matches after the jump for commentary on likeliness.

Over/Under Rated: Top Ski Resorts

It's freakin' freezing out and you know what that means: it's time to bundle up and hit the slopes! While I leave most of the snow-based sports to my brother* (front & center above), even my sun-lovin, beach-bum self enjoys a day of skiing.

Plus ARod loves to ski... and if ARod loves something, well, so do I.

Ski Magazine has done all the dirty work for me. Wahoo! Click the different categories on the bottom of the wheel and you'll see the different ratings change. Pretty nifty, huh?

Looking forward to everyone's reactions on how far off the reviews are- I expect some heavy commentary regarding the in's and out's of everyone's favorite slopes.

xo- AOG

*photo montage of my favorite skiing moments re: my brother after the jump and some inspiration for fun (stupid boy moments included) this winter!


ABasin Beach Day & Keg-Jumping

How it can go right....


or terribly wrong...





Annnd some sweet shots from ski trips- Enjoy!

Submitted without Comment

Come on, don't be ashamed. You know you giggled just a little bit...

Politically Incorrect (Yet Accurate) Weather

While the nation debates, backpeddles or celebrates the fact that 2 of the President's picks didn't get elected this past Tuesday, the site Obama Weather is backing the President's wardrobe picks with facts & figures from the Weather Channel.

Can't bear to wake up and look at Obama every morning? You can choose from Angelina, House MD and Bender (the cartoon not the hangover inducing activity or my roommate) to deliver your daily dose of duds.

I had a fun time putting in different cities to see what the Pres would wear on possible upcoming political trips. Although unlikely he has any agenda in Miami (maybe he and MLR can get matching shirts?), I checked just in case and it looks like he will fit right in on South Beach.



Enjoy!