Go Badgers!

Go Badgers is a new feature I will post every Saturday throughout the remainder of the NCAA Basketball season. It will focus mainly on The University of Wisconsin, but also any other major college basketball stories.

This year is an exciting year to be a Badger fan. The Badgers are currently Ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll and No. 4 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Those are the highest rankings in school history. With a record of 16-1 and just beginning the Big Ten schedule, this is the first team that has a legitimate shot at the Final Four.

This week was big with a 72-69 win over Ohio St. on Tuesday, the Badgers have gained the upper hand in the race for the Big Ten Title. Today's game against Northwestern will be a true sign of what the team is made of though. With Wisconsin and Ohio St. seemingly head over heals above the rest of the Big Ten teams, getting past teams that are supposed to be wins shows character. If they can take care of business, Badger fans should be cheering all the way through March. Go Badgers!

Movie of the Week 002

This week, my movie pick is Office Space. This is a great movie to end the work week with. With all of the humor, and classic scenes this movie provides, it is a great movie to just sit back and enjoy. So go rent it, or add it to your Netflix Que.

LOST the "Maxi-Series"

I don't watch many TV shows, but when it comes to ABC's Lost, I'm hooked. Now I don't get as worked up like other people seem to when it comes to the plot twists, open agendas, and mystery of the series, but I would ultimately like to learn the secrets of the island. There was an article on Variety.com recently that discussed this very topic. The author, Brian Lowry, discussed an interesting alternative for TV shows such as Lost, Prison Break and others that are obviously not meant to run forever. Rather than treating these as your average TV show, he suggests what he calls a "maxi-series" in which a the date when the show will end is known by the audience. In theory, this would help to eliminate that anxiety and disgust that many people feel when watching these shows and not knowing if they will ever get any real answers. In this era of TV shows on DVD, iTunes and On Demand, this may be a step in the right direction toward retaining more viewers for an entire series.

A disturbing, violent trend (from ESPN.com)

I read an interesting and somewhat disturbing article on ESPN.com this morning. This article is in response to the young Denver Broncos player Darrent Williams who was killed on New Years Eve. It discusses the issues with African-American men using violence as a way of gaining respect, and status, far more than any other racial group in America. Though this article isn't revolutionary, it does help to put things into perspective. The quote that I was amazed by is that "the life expectancy of a black man in Cleveland is closer to that of West Africans".

SunRocket

Everyone has seen the Vonage adds on TV, and online. They advertise that their broadband phone service is the cheapest around. Well I would like to introduce a company that is much cheaper, with great service and unlimited minutes.

SunRocket is $199 for a year (that is ~$17 a month) and you will enjoy the freedom of unlimited minutes, free long distance calling, voice mail, and caller id among the top features. I have been using the service for a year an a half now and have no complaints. It is easy to set up, the calls are clear, and it save my wife from going over on her cell phone minutes. Check it out, you won't regret it.

Movie of the Week 001

My wife and I typically end up watching at least one movie on the weekends. In honor of this, I have decided that every Friday I will recommend a movie to watch over the weekend.

Today, my recommendation is Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Directed by Guy Richie and set in London's ganglands, this movie is full of witty comedy, and surprising twists that will keep your attention until the very end. With a great cast, boasting many virtually unknown actors when the film was released, including Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, Sting and Vinnie Jones (who in my opinion steals the movie). And as an added bonus, don't forget to check out the "Cockney Dictionary" in the bonus features section of the DVD.

So take the time this weekend to go to your local video store or add this to your Netflix Que. Enjoy!

Next-Gen Console Wars!!!

Now that the holiday's are over, and all of the new video game consoles have been released, I wanted to take a step back and analyze each.

Xbox 360
The Bright Side: It has been out the longest. The graphics and gameplay of the second generation of games are as good, if not better than PS3's current offerings. Has the strongest financial backing (Microsoft).

The Dark Side: Microsoft! (For reason's that shouldn't need explaining). Less innovative than the Wii and PS3.

Playstation 3
The Bright Side: It is the most powerful of the next gen consoles. Sony has dominated the past two console wars.

The Dark Side: The Price Tag. $500-$600 is a lot of loot even if it is the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market. Many people are fed up with Sony's high and mighty attitude.

Nintendo Wii
The Bright Side: The most innovative and unique of any console to be released since, well, Virtual Boy. It is by far the cheapest of the next gen consoles.

The Dark Side: The most innovative and unique of any console to be released since, well, Virtual Boy. No major graphical upgrade (is that a word?). Nintendo's lack of 3rd party support in the past.

Based on what I have seen so far, I believe the early favorite to win this generation is the Xbox 360. It seemed like there were more people trying to make money with the PS3 than wanting to actually spend money on one. I'm not convinced that the Nintendo Wii has the staying power to with the less than stellar graphics even despite early sales. The Xbox 360 seems to have created a nice cushion, and with killer apps like Gears of War out now, and Halo 3 in the future along with others, I feel it has the most potential to be the King of this generation.