From the CI cutting room floor...

I've officially gotten the kibosh on a recent post intended for the CI blog.  It's disappointing to have a somewhat interesting topic (referencing an article in which I was quoted, no less) rejected because it has a small potential for controversy.  I sincerely think CI's loss to not have it published, and the debate has made clear the blog's lack of potential.

It was still a worthwhile mental exercise to look at the two contrasting data points and compose a few succinct reflections, though.  The only way to get the post published on the CI blog would have been to neuter it, replacing all the interesting bits of outside data with something vague like, "Other poll data indicates..."  In my mind, that would take away the whole point of the post and make it just unsolicited self-promotion.  I wouldn't want to put out a blog post in my name that just does that.

My work won't make it onto the CI blog this time, but to keep it from totally going to waste, I've surreptitiously posted a version right here:

Turning change into real money

That, times like 40

Coins are basically useless.  After a few unproductive minutes, I couldn't come up with stats on the breakdown of credit, debit and cash purchases.  But even that cash portion is mostly paper.  And don't get me started on the silly dollar coins.  Change is dead weight, until you find a reasonable way to cash them in in bulk.

With an impending move and pounds of currency, I figured it was time to do so.  I really should have taken a picture of my pile of cash, but didn't think of it.  So the left will have to do, with some imagination.  In that quantity, it was worth a thorough consideration of the hassle of counting and rolling coins versus the usurious rates charged by counting services.

The Striker's Mentality

The Beautiful Game.  Well, it might not live up to the appellation when the Terrible Tiggers take the field, but we do what we can.  And in my case, that involves little else than putting shots on goal.

In my other sports -- basketball, frisbee, etc. -- I've developed the skills to patiently work the (flat)ball for high-percentage scoring opportunities.  However, despite so many semi-hungover mornings watching the EPL, my soccer skills are still in their adolescent phase.  I'm generally good at watching my betters and synthesizing what I see for my own use.  That said, my best attribute as a soccer player is probably my willingness to simply send the ball toward the goal.

Long live rock and roll?

Supposedly, these are not good times for rock and roll.  Are there any bands that have made it big in recent years keeping up the tradition of the greats?  But, if the caliber of music is lower, then maybe it takes less of an expert to have an opinion.  So why not take a shot at a small music review?

I'm not nearly as attuned to the contemporary music scene as some, but I do like to keep my ears open for new stuff, and my tastes definitely lie in the rock genre.  I'm not sure why I first took a look at My Morning Jacket, but after checking them out, this is probably my favorite song of theirs:

Philosopher-Athlete... Champion

What a great end to the NBA season.  I haven't been too enamored with the Dallas Mavericks in a few years.  But after the untimely demise of the Knicks' postseason, it was a pretty easy bandwagon to get on once they met the Heat.  And Dirk, Jet, and Marion and Co. really came through.

Wrong and fired up about it...

Well.  Thankfully that last post turned out to be premature.  I stand by most of those thoughts - maybe it wasn't so much a "a near-miraculous convergence of events" as it was just a gutsy (and lucky) game and a half of soccer.  But getting that out helped me cope with a couple of intense games.  Still, I absolutely can't let that post sit as my last word on the end of this season.

End of the road for Wigan?

The season and Wigan Athletic's chances of avoiding "the drop" aren't mathematically settled.  But watching Tottenham-Liverpool, I caught the Anfield loudspeakers announcing an 0-2 halftime deficit to West Ham?!  It would take a near-miraculous convergence of events to keep them in the top flight.  And if they can't beat the bottom team in the league - at the DW Stadium - do they deserve to stay up?

Without putting myself through the unpleasantness of confirming, I still figured it was time for a eulogy for Wigan's Premiership run, and perhaps my Wigan fanship?