Well it doesn't start for the Kings until Thursday at Minnesota. It isn't until NEXT Monday that the Kings have their home opener against the Rangers. Good luck to your Sabres, Rick. Where is Ally? It's time to talk shit about Vancouver Ally!!!

^^^ Why the bag, pottedplant?

Hahaha...well, it was only Houston after all. The toughest ones for West Coast teams are the 1pm (10am PST) games on the Eastern seaboard. Seattle has a few more of those this year and they historically suck in those games. They struggled at Carolina in the first game of the season.

^^^ Wow, that is unconscionable and truly an unfortunate event. Lucky your teacher was there. I'm quite a bit older than you and even back in the dark ages of the 60s and 70s, our schools wouldn't let you near a pool unsupervised, especially if you didn't know how to swim. Those that didn't know how would get individual instruction immediately upon parental approval. Your supposed swimming instructor was an asshole for ignoring you. He deserves a bonk on the head for your trauma...and yes, before anyone accuses me of being dramatic, it is traumatic when you think you're drowning. SozoZoso, have you thought of taking swimming lessons at your local Y or recreation center?

^^^ Why not...we're all playing with House money, haha! I'm back to an even 1000 after Walter's stupid Cowboy's stunk up the joint. In retrospect, I should have bet on Denver or Seattle again, but it seems too easy and unsporting to just bet on the same team all year.

That is word-for-word the exact criticism directed towards rock and roll from the older generation in the 1950s and '60s. What goes around comes around. See, this is why I was leery to join in this discussion to begin with, except to answer specific questions from redrum, Sagittarius Rising, and others. I had a feeling the ulterior end-game to these questions was just another "Let's bash the '80s and Rap and the music of today" continuum. You're only proving to be as uptight and square to the kids of today as the parents of the 50s seemed to their kids. Which is what rock and roll does throughout the decades: Separate the young from the old...the new and hip from the old-fashioned squares...the cool from the boring.

Uneasy in the Big Easy, eh Paul? Denver and Seattle look like they got the bit between their teeth. Pittsburgh is a shocking mess. Dallas cost me big time yesterday. Then there's the Raiders...my stinking Raiders. Washington was one of the few games this season I thought we could win. Now it looks like we'll be lucky to win two all year. Jacksonville...what do you have to do in life to be sentenced as a Jaguar fan? Nobody deserves that cruelty.

WTF? This requires more explanation. What happened? Was the instructor fired? Did you tell your parents?

Damn Walter's Cowboys! Damn Cincinnati...what kind of 3-0 team loses to the Browns? The Bungles, that's who. I still make that Tampa pick...but then, that's why I hate teams like Tampa and Arizona and Cleveland. They suck, but they're just mediocre enough to win once in a while and fuck up your picks. BOO RAIDERS! HOORAY BEER! So, I'm sitting at 10-4 along with jabe going into tonight's game at the Superdome in the Big Easy. I think Brees is going to hook him some 'Fins!

I was hoping to come out and support you in person but I have to work all thru the weekend. I'm always a little shocked when I hear someone doesn't know how to swim. It seems like a basic childhood necessity. How do you go through life never learning to swim? Then I realize that some people grow up in arid areas where there isn't water or a swimming pool for miles around. That would be like torture to me. I'm guessing #1 on your list is the most popular answer so far on this thread. Loved the Tower of London tour when I was in England.

SPOILER ALERT! Before I answer your question, pottedplant, I want to be clear of some things. You say you don't have cable, so you couldn't watch this wonderful show. How do you know it's wonderful if you haven't watched it? Were you able to see some earlier episodes but not the later ones? Do you know you can catch up on the show via Netflix? If you plan on watching the show eventually, are you sure you want to know the ending before you do? Okay...if you still want to know...here, in one sentence, is what happened: !SPOILER ALERT! Like Michael Corleone, Walt methodically settles all scores (including admitting to Skyler that he broke bad for himself, that it made him feel finally alive, and blackmailing the Schwartz's into putting the rest of Walt's millions into a trust fund for his son), and dies at the end, saving Jesse's life in the process and wasting the Aryan Brotherhood gang in a hail of machine-gun bullets. Now, stay tuned for the spin-off show: "Better Call Saul".

BEST: As Long As I Have You Killing Floor Communication Breakdown Dazed and Confused White Summer/Black Mountain Side Thank You Whole Lotta Love Immigrant Song Celebration Day Out on the Tiles SIBLY Bron-Y-Aur Stomp That's the Way Tangerine (1975) Going to California No Quarter Over the Hills and Far Away TSRTS The Ocean Dancing Days Trampled Underfoot Kashmir Ten Years Gone Achilles Last Stand Nobody's Fault But Mine WORST: Train Kept a Rollin' Tangerine (1972) In the Evening All My Love

A dear friend of mine completed the 70-mile ride in the Ride to Defeat ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) charity cycling event today in Wayland, MA. This, after finishing another charity ride of 100 miles a few weeks ago. Not only am I happy, but I'm damn proud and inspired by my friend. As I am by another friend who ran her first 5K this weekend. My hat's off and cup raised in honour of these two wonderful people.

You deserved to finish the season with a victory. I'm sorry you won't get to use those playoff tix. Better luck next year.

Remember when all of us made our predictions before the season? Remember ZEPFAN17 and his Red Sox talk? He didn't even make it halfway thru the season...his Red Sox lasted longer than he did. Anyway, I decided to risk embarrassment and dredge up my predictions and see how I fared. As you can see, I overestimated several teams, starting with the Angels, Giants and the Nats. And like most people, I totally didn't see Boston coming. Of the six divisions, I correctly picked three: St. Louis and Atlanta in the NL; and Detroit in the AL. Both of my West Division picks were disasters: San Francisco and Anaheim had to be the two biggest flops of the year, especially in terms of expectations. My other pick that didn't pan out, Baltimore, was in the hunt all year and then had a disastrous last month. My Wild Card picks fared a little better...two of the four are in the playoffs (L.A. and Oakland, as division winners), and a third, Tampa Bay, could be a Wild Card provided it beats Texas. The Nationals will now be perennial victims of the Strasbourg Curse. Much like the Cubs have the Curse of the Goat. Obviously the Angels will not be playing the Dodgers in the World Series. My new-and-improved (haha, that's a laugh) picks are as follows: NL Wild Card winner: Pittsburgh AL Wild Card winner: Tampa Bay AL Pennant: Boston NL Pennant: LA World Series: Boston in 6 games.

Jesus. As bad as Stafford has been, Jay Cutler has been even worse. This is my first time really seeing the Bears play. How is Chicago 3-0? Damn Rick, your Bills are letting Baltimore back in the game.

What a nice thing to say, pottedplant. I guess I've accomplished my 'random act of kindness' for the day.

Fucking Lame Kiffin! That asswipe should never have been hired in the first place. It's about time they axed him.

Glad I'm not stuck watching the Browns-Bungles game.

Pedal to the metal, B!!! I'm with you all the way on this new adventure of yours. One question: Where is Soboba Casino?

I said earlier this year that Reggie Bush would be a great pickup by Detroit and a mistake by Miami.

Hold on jabe...don't panic yet. I've seen West Coast teams suddenly wake up in the second half.

Yes. Because I'm evil. BANG BANG!!! DETROIT SCORES BACK-TO-BACK TDs and finally lead 23-10 over the stinking Bears!!!

Shrub's lover Condi Rice showing up on these corny NFL commercials.

Atta boy Rick!!!