I finally got the pictures uploaded. I was having Internet problems, but I got that resolved. They are in my usual Picasaweb site. If you want to view any of my pictures, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/jpates.
Here is the slideshow of the gallery from the Sept 11th game of Blacksburg Rugby versus Radford University.
17 September 2010
13 September 2010
Virginia Tech Football - Am Embarrassment to the ACC (update)
Wow. All I can say is "wow". Today, Virginia Tech lost to James Madison in football... 21 to 16. I wish I had access to see the game, but it wasn't aired. And, I guess that is good for Tech since they would have truly embarrassed themselves nationally. I so hope that Tech is not in the Top 25 for the AP Poll. There is no excuse that a nationally ranked team should ever lose to a non-Div IA team.
Tech needs to get their asses in gear.
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Just as a side note. This was only the 2nd time ever in the NCAA that a nationally ranked team was beaten by a non-Div IA team.
Tech needs to get their asses in gear.
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Just as a side note. This was only the 2nd time ever in the NCAA that a nationally ranked team was beaten by a non-Div IA team.
08 September 2010
ACC Football - Week 1 (Updated Estimated Scores)
Well, I actually guessed fairly well on my picks for ACC Football this last week. The only mistake that I had made was assuming that Navy was going to beat Maryland.
When it comes to ranking the top 10, my numbers have been off from the AP Polls. I have been using a variant of the ELO system to rank the Div I teams. My Top 10 for post-Week 1 are as follows:
1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. TCU
4. Boise State
5. Florida
6. Ohio State
7. Cincinnati
8. Brigham Young
9. Oregon
10. Penn State
Using the same system I used to pick last week's results, I will use for Week 2's predictions. For the Div I matches, the estimated score is included. (The score is something experimental and I want to see how accurate it is)
Duke v. Wake Forest - Wake Forest (22-27)
Georgia Tech v. Kansas - Georgia Tech (32-18)
James Madison v. Virginia Tech - Virginia Tech
Florida St v. Oklahoma - Oklahoma (25-33)
Presbyterian v. Clemson - Clemson
Kent St v. Boston College - Boston College (13-31)
Miami (FL) v. Ohio St - Ohio State (19-28)
Morgan St v. Maryland - Maryland
NC State c. UCF - UCF (24-27)
Virginia v. USC - USC (14-33)
When it comes to ranking the top 10, my numbers have been off from the AP Polls. I have been using a variant of the ELO system to rank the Div I teams. My Top 10 for post-Week 1 are as follows:
1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. TCU
4. Boise State
5. Florida
6. Ohio State
7. Cincinnati
8. Brigham Young
9. Oregon
10. Penn State
Using the same system I used to pick last week's results, I will use for Week 2's predictions. For the Div I matches, the estimated score is included. (The score is something experimental and I want to see how accurate it is)
Duke v. Wake Forest - Wake Forest (22-27)
Georgia Tech v. Kansas - Georgia Tech (32-18)
James Madison v. Virginia Tech - Virginia Tech
Florida St v. Oklahoma - Oklahoma (25-33)
Presbyterian v. Clemson - Clemson
Kent St v. Boston College - Boston College (13-31)
Miami (FL) v. Ohio St - Ohio State (19-28)
Morgan St v. Maryland - Maryland
NC State c. UCF - UCF (24-27)
Virginia v. USC - USC (14-33)
01 September 2010
Restaurant Review - Burger King
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be eating at each of the dining locations in the Blacksburg downtown area and providing a review. Some of these may be self-evident since the chain restaurant might be located everywhere and some places will be a local-only pub.
Today, I chose to have Burger King. I got the Smokey Cheddar Steakhouse XT with Medium Onion Rings and Medium Diet Coke. As a simple summary, I would have to say that was a big mistake. I really don't know where to start on this. It is one of the BK Xtra Thick burgers which I found out is 7 ounces of meat. It is served with the traditional lettuce and tomato but also has cheddar cheese, bacon and barbeque sauce.
Pros: None
Cons: Everything else
What I did not like about this burger is something partly due to the fact I do not like Burger King burgers. It never ceases to amaze me that for a burger that is flame broiled on a wire rack, how much grease stays with the burger. The burger continued to ooze the remaining grease every time I took a bite. I could not detect a smoked flavor in the cheddar cheese. In fact, i could barely taste the cheese between the Gulf of Mexico oil slick I had going on in my mouth and the barbeque sauce. I also did not care for the bacon. The bacon was so thin and flat, I almost wondered how they managed to cook it. The slices of bacon literally was as thick as if someone cut 1" x 4" pieces of notebook paper and called it bacon. No crunch. No flavor. Just more grease to the burger. Another side note... with all the grease I took in, it made my stomach a bit queasy too.
As for the sides, they are traditional sides from BK. The onion rings are a pressed onion product formed into the shape of rings coated with breading and deep fried. They are nothing special, but I do like them better than BK's french fries.
As my personal opinion goes, I would avoid this burger at all costs. It is not worth the calories you take in for what little flavor you get.
As a nutritional side note:
Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT Burger
Calories: 850 cal
Total Fat: 51g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Weight Watchers Points: 21
Medium Onion Rings
Calories: 450 cal
Total Fat: 24g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Weight Watchers Points: 10
Medium Diet Coke
Calories: 0 cal
Total Fat: 0g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Weight Watchers Points: 0
Meal Total = 31 points.
My allowable daily total for me(37 y/o 6'4# 240# sedentary male) = 37 points
This will never be a repeat meal for me. I consumed close to 67% of my calories for the day and 115% of my fat for the day... all in one sitting.
Today, I chose to have Burger King. I got the Smokey Cheddar Steakhouse XT with Medium Onion Rings and Medium Diet Coke. As a simple summary, I would have to say that was a big mistake. I really don't know where to start on this. It is one of the BK Xtra Thick burgers which I found out is 7 ounces of meat. It is served with the traditional lettuce and tomato but also has cheddar cheese, bacon and barbeque sauce.
Pros: None
Cons: Everything else
What I did not like about this burger is something partly due to the fact I do not like Burger King burgers. It never ceases to amaze me that for a burger that is flame broiled on a wire rack, how much grease stays with the burger. The burger continued to ooze the remaining grease every time I took a bite. I could not detect a smoked flavor in the cheddar cheese. In fact, i could barely taste the cheese between the Gulf of Mexico oil slick I had going on in my mouth and the barbeque sauce. I also did not care for the bacon. The bacon was so thin and flat, I almost wondered how they managed to cook it. The slices of bacon literally was as thick as if someone cut 1" x 4" pieces of notebook paper and called it bacon. No crunch. No flavor. Just more grease to the burger. Another side note... with all the grease I took in, it made my stomach a bit queasy too.
As for the sides, they are traditional sides from BK. The onion rings are a pressed onion product formed into the shape of rings coated with breading and deep fried. They are nothing special, but I do like them better than BK's french fries.
As my personal opinion goes, I would avoid this burger at all costs. It is not worth the calories you take in for what little flavor you get.
As a nutritional side note:
Smoky Cheddar Steakhouse XT Burger
Calories: 850 cal
Total Fat: 51g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Weight Watchers Points: 21
Medium Onion Rings
Calories: 450 cal
Total Fat: 24g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Weight Watchers Points: 10
Medium Diet Coke
Calories: 0 cal
Total Fat: 0g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Weight Watchers Points: 0
Meal Total = 31 points.
My allowable daily total for me(37 y/o 6'4# 240# sedentary male) = 37 points
This will never be a repeat meal for me. I consumed close to 67% of my calories for the day and 115% of my fat for the day... all in one sitting.
30 August 2010
No Rugby Pictures This Week
I was planning on taking some pictures of the Blacksburg Rugby friendly match against Huntington and Virginia Tech this weekend. As I was getting ready to go take them, I set my camera back down and decided not to go.
I think I was being bothered that I was not playing. And after numerous gout attacks over the last couple of years, I haven't been able to participate. The more annoying part is that I doubt I will be able to again since even walking can be mildly painful, much less running or scrumming. I think watching everyone else having a good time out there while I am confined to the sidelines is starting to get to me.
I think another reason I am feeling less inclined to take pictures is that I know almost no one on the team now. Since I am not playing, I am not getting to know the new people. Turnover on the team can be high sometimes since we do get a good number of college guys on the team that eventually graduate and move away. So, outside of the team leadership that I do know, no one else out there was familiar to me, and that didn't help with the decision of whether or not to go take pictures.
Maybe I will not be in such a bummed mood for the next home game.
I think I was being bothered that I was not playing. And after numerous gout attacks over the last couple of years, I haven't been able to participate. The more annoying part is that I doubt I will be able to again since even walking can be mildly painful, much less running or scrumming. I think watching everyone else having a good time out there while I am confined to the sidelines is starting to get to me.
I think another reason I am feeling less inclined to take pictures is that I know almost no one on the team now. Since I am not playing, I am not getting to know the new people. Turnover on the team can be high sometimes since we do get a good number of college guys on the team that eventually graduate and move away. So, outside of the team leadership that I do know, no one else out there was familiar to me, and that didn't help with the decision of whether or not to go take pictures.
Maybe I will not be in such a bummed mood for the next home game.
27 August 2010
Virginia Tech Football
So, it is that time again. Soon, Virginia Tech will be hittin gthe field again in an attempt to get a National Championship.
Here are my ACC predictions for Week 1.
All of the teams playing a non-Div I team should win which include:
Boston College over Weber State
Florida State over Samford
Wake Forest over Presbyterian
North Carolina State over Western Carolina
Georgia Tech over South Carolina State
Miami(FL) over Florida A&M
Duke over Elon
UVA over Richmond (but with UVA, maybe the Spiders will give them a rough time)
For the "real" games of the weekend:
Clemson over North Texas
Maryland losing to Navy
Virginia Tech losing to Boise State
North Carolina losing to LSU
And yes, I can hear the cries of sacrilege from my fellow Hokies, but I am still picking Boise State to win using last year's statistical numbers.
Here are my ACC predictions for Week 1.
All of the teams playing a non-Div I team should win which include:
Boston College over Weber State
Florida State over Samford
Wake Forest over Presbyterian
North Carolina State over Western Carolina
Georgia Tech over South Carolina State
Miami(FL) over Florida A&M
Duke over Elon
UVA over Richmond (but with UVA, maybe the Spiders will give them a rough time)
For the "real" games of the weekend:
Clemson over North Texas
Maryland losing to Navy
Virginia Tech losing to Boise State
North Carolina losing to LSU
And yes, I can hear the cries of sacrilege from my fellow Hokies, but I am still picking Boise State to win using last year's statistical numbers.
23 August 2010
Caesar Cipher Lesson
I have prepared a lesson on the Caesar Cipher. You will need Adobe Reader 9 or higher to view this presentation.
Caesar Cipher Presentation
Caesar Cipher Presentation
Starcraft II
I just finished Starcraft II: Episode 1 "Wings of Liberty" this last week. Nice game. It plays virtually identical to Starcraft. Some people were disappointed, but why change a winning formula?
I did love that the missions were not "you are base 1 and you need to wipe out base 2" like most Real Time Strategy games. Some people were complaining that they felt cheated that they only get to play the Terran missions. Again, that is a gripe of a few. Starcraft had 9 missions(maybe 10) for each of the 3 races. This one focuses mostly on the Terrans with 26 or 27 missions to tell their story. The other two races will get their turns.
But, for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, this was the pre-release trailer for the game.
I did love that the missions were not "you are base 1 and you need to wipe out base 2" like most Real Time Strategy games. Some people were complaining that they felt cheated that they only get to play the Terran missions. Again, that is a gripe of a few. Starcraft had 9 missions(maybe 10) for each of the 3 races. This one focuses mostly on the Terrans with 26 or 27 missions to tell their story. The other two races will get their turns.
But, for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, this was the pre-release trailer for the game.
20 August 2010
Rugby in Blacksburg
Believe it or not, rugby is gaining in popularity in the United States. This is evident that the town of Blacksburg, Virginia actually has three teams. Virginia Tech has both a collegiate men's and women's team and there is an adult men's team in Blacksburg itself.
Many people seem to avoid coming out for rugby since they think the rules are too confusing or that they don't have the build for it. I would like to dispel some of these negative reasons for not coming out to play. While at first the rules may seem confusing, it is no more confusing than learning any other new sport. Then, people think that they don't have the right build for the sport. As long as you can run, you can play rugby. You can be tall and thin, short and fast, or even have a stockier build. There are many different positions that have different functions.
The season for Blacksburg Rugby will be starting next week (28 August) with a friendly non-divisional match against Huntington, WV's team. All of Blacksburg's home games are played behind the Kroger on Main Street and they will usually start at noon.
Feel free to come out and watch. The information for the team can be found at http://www.blacksburgrugby.com
Many people seem to avoid coming out for rugby since they think the rules are too confusing or that they don't have the build for it. I would like to dispel some of these negative reasons for not coming out to play. While at first the rules may seem confusing, it is no more confusing than learning any other new sport. Then, people think that they don't have the right build for the sport. As long as you can run, you can play rugby. You can be tall and thin, short and fast, or even have a stockier build. There are many different positions that have different functions.
The season for Blacksburg Rugby will be starting next week (28 August) with a friendly non-divisional match against Huntington, WV's team. All of Blacksburg's home games are played behind the Kroger on Main Street and they will usually start at noon.
Feel free to come out and watch. The information for the team can be found at http://www.blacksburgrugby.com
18 August 2010
My AFOQT Results and Disappointment with AF Recruiters
This is something I still hold a grudge against. Every year, Virginia Tech's Engineering department sponsors an Engineering Expo career fair. The Air Force recruiters show up for this one, but skip out on the Business school's career fair which is the following day.
Back in 2004, 2005 and 2006, I had talked to the recruiters briefly about getting a commission. I was practically blown off by the recruiters since they were wanting "engineering students only" and that I was older than most of my peers.
Here is where my gripe comes in. I was older because I had spent 10 years in the Air Force. I had left to work on getting a degree in hopes of getting a commission. I was a 3C051 Communications/Computer Systems Specialist and then retrained to eventually become a 1A471 Instructor of Air Battle Management. I had hoped of getting a job as either a 13Bx Air Battle Manager, 14Nx Intelligence, 33Sx Communications/Computer Systems Officer.
I had finished my degree in Business Information Technology and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Virginia Tech. I had already knocked out my AFOQT prior to leaving the service. But, the recruiters still did not even call me back after talking to them at the career fair. Now, I am past the 36 year old age cutoff. So the Air Force is no longer an option for me. Such a shame since I truly enjoyed the military.
But, when one door closes, another door opens. While it is not the life I had planned for, I do not think I could trade it for anything else.
By the way.. here are my test results....
Back in 2004, 2005 and 2006, I had talked to the recruiters briefly about getting a commission. I was practically blown off by the recruiters since they were wanting "engineering students only" and that I was older than most of my peers.
Here is where my gripe comes in. I was older because I had spent 10 years in the Air Force. I had left to work on getting a degree in hopes of getting a commission. I was a 3C051 Communications/Computer Systems Specialist and then retrained to eventually become a 1A471 Instructor of Air Battle Management. I had hoped of getting a job as either a 13Bx Air Battle Manager, 14Nx Intelligence, 33Sx Communications/Computer Systems Officer.
I had finished my degree in Business Information Technology and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Virginia Tech. I had already knocked out my AFOQT prior to leaving the service. But, the recruiters still did not even call me back after talking to them at the career fair. Now, I am past the 36 year old age cutoff. So the Air Force is no longer an option for me. Such a shame since I truly enjoyed the military.
But, when one door closes, another door opens. While it is not the life I had planned for, I do not think I could trade it for anything else.
By the way.. here are my test results....
World of Warcraft
I have had many characters. Some are still there even though I never play them, others have been deleted forever. But this is my workhorse character. If there is an achievement to get, this is the character that will get it.
Thurissa on Gul'dan is my main character on World of Warcraft.
As much of a time sink that WoW has been for me, I thought I should honor the character that eats up most of my time. I must say that I love the Draenei female's "No" emote.
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