What I wanna do next year

ARTICLE 1

Daydreams

I would want to dream on to have 25k for my personal use and beyond that, I will let my dear sister manage them.

I would spend 'em on:

1 NFL jersey --- $300 (only wear REAL stuff)
1 MLB jersey (Athletics or Giants or Tigers) --- $100
1 MLB hat (as above) --- $70
1 NBA jersey --- $70+ - $100
1 Nike AF1 --- $130
1 AND1 --- $100
1 Osiris black --- $130
3 Jeans --- $210 total
More hats --- $70/- each
More Billabong stuff --- $300/-
T-shirts --- $30/-
Whatsoevers --- Below 300 bucks

What else, I wonder.

ARTICLE 2

REAL LIFE

After school, I plan to watch a favourite video (BBC/Sports/MSN/Rap/Toon) (JUST 1 A DAY), before I do tutorials, then... more tutorial questions based on the topics taught!

ARTICLE 3

I will love all forever if I can :)

ARTICLE 4

I will think of minimising pain and maximising pleasure for all.

Teams that i wanna buy

Carolina Panthers
Detroit Lions
Tennessee Titans
Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills
Oakland Raiders
San Diego Chargers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
St Louis Rams
San Francisco 49ers

Wishlist

I would want many many things...

Mitchell & Ness Detroit Lions 1996 Barry Sanders Authentic Throwback Jersey $319.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Customized Authentic Team Color Jersey (48-56) $229.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Customized Authentic White Jersey (48-56) $229.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Customized Authentic Alternate Jersey (48-56) $229.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Large Size Backpack $39.99
Detroit Lions Mens Custom Hooded Fleece Sweatshirt $52.99
Detroit Lions Mens Custom Short Sleeve T-Shirt $24.99
Reebok NFL Recline Lions Mens $49.97
For Bare Feet Detroit Lions Mens No Show Socks (3 Pack) $16.97
Reebok Detroit Lions 2008 Draft Hat $24.99
Mitchell & Ness Detroit Lions Fitted Throwback Hat $27.99
Reebok Detroit Lions 2008 2nd Season Hat $24.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Fitted Sideline Slouch Hat $21.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Old Orchard Beach Slouch Hat $21.99
Reebok Detroit Lions 75th Anniversary Structured Flex Hat $21.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Flex Slouch Hat $21.99
For Bare Feet Detroit Lions Wristbands $12.99
NFL Equipment Navy Mesh Performance Short (x3; 2 blue and 1 black) $24.99
NFL Equipment Speed Flex White Short Sleeve Loose Fit Top (x3; 2 blue and 1 black) $24.97
NFL Detroit Lions Classic Hooded Fleece $54.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Retro Helmet T-Shirt $24.99
Reebok Detroit Lions Short Sleeve Sideline Gemini T-Shirt $19.99
NFL Detroit Lions Ultimate Helmet T-Shirt $17.99
Gametime Detroit Lions President Series Watch $129.99

Dinosports Special

Thinking of only what I love.

(1) Stick sports --- stick-and-ball, bat-and-ball, Bowling --- All new arenas except... [1]

(2) Machine sports --- Motor racing (land, water, air) --- Up-to-date old arenas...

(3) Ball sports --- Handball, basket, football, volleyball, Ultimate --- Some old arenas... [2]

[1] Oakland A's, San Francisco Dragons...
[2] St Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers...

Press Says

Beginning in the fall of 2008, Michigan intercollegiate teams will be outfitted exclusively in adidas footwear, uniforms, training apparel and accessories. Michigan joins a select group of universities that have similar agreements with adidas, including Cincinnati, Memphis, Notre Dame, UCLA, Tennessee, Indiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin among others. adidas also has marketing agreements with the NFL, MLS and an 11-year exclusive all-league partnership with the NBA.

Nike still sponsors UNC and VT.

And more importantly... Well...

HYPHY

604 Crunk
DNSM Street Wear
Grills
Stunna Shades
White Tees
Vans
Jordans
Pea Coats
Girbaud Jeans
Red Monkey Jeans
Bape
Chanclas, or Huaraches
Warriors, A's, Giants,49ers,Kings & Raider apparel only
Odd clothes color combinations
Area Code Tees
M.W.
Guerilla Warfare (905th Brigade)

Cool... isn't this what others are wearing too? White T-shirt, blue jeans and fresh kicks. In South, add a hat and bling. How ex. Even without the throwbacks --- well, they cost $30 do they? We don't need big trucks, too. Looking awful while trying to act like man or so what.

Or... consider the suited up man...

Or... 

Cannot charge or cannot change, only loser for current home records and streak (current/L10)

Oakland Raiders
Memphis Grizzlies

Ultimate Judgement for White Tees

My judgment:

(1) White Tees are a waste of money
(2) White Tees gets dirty easily
(3) White Tees, as tops, cost 10 throwback jersies
(4) White Tees are often worn like clowns, too big (esp. with shorts)
(5) Even with baggy jeans, White Tees can only complement a White pair of Nike Air Forces that get dirty easily
(6) Why not:

Wardrobe

- Some fitted hats
- Some fitted black/blue tees that mechanics can get dirty in
- Some fitting jeans
- Some shoes that look good after getting dirty
- Some socks, of course

Updated Rankings for 15 July 2008

Contenders (Hot favourites)

Los Angeles Angels (.600) --- AL West Leader
Chicago Cubs (.600) --- NL Central Leader
Boston Red Sox (.588) --- AL East Leader

Challengers (Challenge WS)

Tampa Bay Rays (.585) --- AL Wildcard Leader
Chicago White Sox (.574) --- AL Central Leader
Minnesota Twins (.558) --- 2.5 GB AL
St. Louis Cardinals (.552) --- NL Wildcard Leader

Accomplishers (Better than average)

Milwaukee Brewers (.547) --- 0.5 GB NL
Philadelphia Phillies (.542) --- NL East Leader
New York Mets (.537) --- 1.5 GB NL
Oakland Athletics (.537) --- 4.5 GB AL
Florida Marlins (.526) --- 2.5 GB NL
New York Yankees (.526) --- 5.5 GB AL
Arizona Diamondbacks (.495) --- NL West Leader

Spoilers (Battle for Winning Season)

Texas Rangers (.521) --- 6 GB AL
Detroit Tigers (.500) --- 8 GB AL
Toronto Blue Jays (.495) --- 8.5 GB NL
Los Angeles Dodgers (.484) --- 6.5 GB NL
Baltimore Orioles (.484) --- 9.5 GB AL
Cincinnati Reds (.479) --- 7 GB NL
Atlanta Braves (.474) --- 7.5 GB NL
Pittsburgh Pirates (.468) --- 8 GB NL
Houston Astros (.463) --- 8.5 GB NL

Facesavers (Win Home)

Cleveland Indians (.436) --- 14 GB AL
Colorado Rockies (.406) --- 14 GB NL

Failures (Fail to achieve anything)

Kansas City Royals (.448) --- 13 GB AL
San Francisco Giants (.421) --- 12.5 GB AL
San Diego Padres (.389) --- 15.5 GB NL
Seattle Mariners (.389) --- 18.5 GB AL
Washington Nationals (.375) --- 17 GB NL

NL Rankings for 12 July 2008

1st Class --- Contenders

(1) Cubs (Central Champs) (.602)
(2) Brewers (Wildcard) (.554)
(3) Cardinals (Wildcard) (.553)

2nd Class --- Challengers

(4) Phillies (East Champs) (.538)
(5) Mets (2.5GB off Brewers) (.527)
(6) Marlins (3GB) (.522)
(7) Diamondbacks (West Champs) (.500)

3rd Class --- Pleasers

(8) Dodgers (6GB) (.489)
(9) Reds (7.5 GB, .473)
(10) Braves (8GB, .467)
(11) Pirates (8GB, .467)

4th Class --- Salvagers

(12) Astros (10GB, .451) (Winning Home Records)
(13) Rockies (13GB, .415) (Winning Home Records)

5th Class --- Quitters

(14) Giants (12.5GB, .419)
(15) Padres (15GB, .391)
(16) Nationals (16.5GB, .376)

NOTE

(1) NL is weaker than AL
(2) This assumes that all teams are equal...

AL Rankings for 12 July 2008

AL Rankings

1st Class --- Contenders

(1) Rays (West Champs) (.598)
(2) Angels (East Champs) (.598)
(3) Red Sox (Wildcard) (.584)

2nd Class --- Challengers

(4) White Sox (Central Champs) (.582)
(5) Twins (2.5 Games Back (GB) Red Sox) (.559)
(6) Athletics (4 GB, .543)
(7) Yankees (5.5 GB, .527)

3rd Class --- Pleasers

(8) Rangers (6.5 GB, .516)
(9) Tigers (8 GB, .500)

4th Class --- Salvagers (for future)

(10) Blue Jays (8.5 GB, .495) (Winning home Records)
(11) Orioles (9 GB, .489) (Winning Home Records)
(12) Indians (15 GB, .416) (Winning Home Records)

5th Class --- Quitters

(13) Royals (13.5 GB, .441)
(14) Mariners (18 GB, .391)

We Want Padres!!!

Do you like Padres or Royals? They rock!

NL Rankings for 9 July 2008

1st Class --- Contenders

(1) Cubs (Central Champs) (.596)
(2) Cardinals (Wildcard) (.556)

2nd Class --- Challengers

(3) Phillies (East Champs) (.533)
(4) Brewers (Wildcard) (.551)
(5) Diamondbacks (West Champs) (.500)

3rd Class --- Winners

(6) Marlins (4.5 GB Cardinals, .511)
(7) Mets (4.5 GB, .511)
(8) Dodgers (6.5 GB, .489)

4th Class --- Salvagers

(9) Reds (8 GB, .478) (Winning Home Records)
(10) Braves (8GB, .473) (Winning Home Records)
(11) Pirates (8GB, .473) (Winning Home Records)
(12) Astros (10GB, .451) (Winning Home Records)
(13) Giants (11.5GB, .433) (.500 Away Records)
(14) Rockies (13GB, .418) (Winning Home Records)

5th Class --- Quitters

(15) Padres (15GB, .389)
(16) Nationals (17GB, .374)

AL Rankings for 9 July 2008

AL Rankings

1st Class --- Contenders

(1) Rays (East Champs) (.618)
(2) Angels (West Champs) (.600)
(3) White Sox (Central Champs) (.584)
(4) Red Sox (Wildcard) (.581)


2nd Class --- Challengers

(5) Twins (Wildcard) (.556)
(6) Athletics (3.5 Games Back (GB) Red Sox, .544)
(7) Yankees (4.5 GB, .533)

3rd Class --- Winners

(8) Rangers (6 GB, .511)
(9) Tigers (7 GB, .506)
(10) Orioles (7.5 GB, .500)

4th Class --- Salvagers (for future)

(11) Blue Jays (9.5 GB, .472) (Winning home records)
(12) Indians (15 GB, .416) (Away records at .500)

5th Class --- Quitters

(13) Royals (13 GB, .444)
(14) Mariners (17.5 GB, .389)

NL Rankings for 8 July 2008

NL Rankings

1st Class --- Challengers

(1) Cubs (Central Champs) (.596)
(2) Cardinals (Wildcard) (.556)
(3) Phillies (East Champs) (.533)
(4) Brewers (Wildcard) (.551)
(5) Dodgers (West Champs) (.494)

2nd Class --- Spoilers

(6) Marlins (1.5 GB, .517)
(7) Mets (2.5 GB, .506)
(8) Diamondbacks (0 GB, .494)
(9) Reds (10.5 GB, .478)
(10) Braves (6GB, .467)
(11) Pirates (11.5GB, .466)
(12) Astros (12.5GB, .456)
(13) Giants (5GB, .438)
(14) Rockies (6.5GB, .422)
(15) Padres (9.5GB, .389)


3rd Class --- Quitters

(16) Nationals (14GB, .378)

AL Rankings for 8 July 2008

AL Rankings

1st Class --- Challengers
(1) Rays (East Champs) (.625)
(2) Angels (West Champs) (.607)
(3) White Sox (Central Champs) (.580)
(4) Red Sox (Wildcard) (.576)
(5) Twins (Wildcard) (.562)

2nd Class --- Spoilers

(6) Athletics (6 games behind (GB), .539)
(7) Yankees (8.5 GB, .528)
(8) Rangers (8.5 GB, .511)
(9) Orioles (10.5 GB, .506)
(10) Tigers (7 GB, .500)
(11) Blue Jays (13.5 GB, .472)
(12) Royals (12 GB, .444)

3rd Class --- Quitters

(13) Indians (14 GB, .420)
(14) Mariners (19 GB, .393)

BOYCOTT the NBA

How could this happen?, The NBA now has stooped down to an all time new level with this one. I am HEARTBROKEN.

I am a lifelong Seattle Supersonics fan who has watched the glory years unfold from the likes of the Glove, The Reignman, Sam Perkins, Hershey Hawkins, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, and many other players that made the franchise a recognizable cog in the structure of the NBA.

As a lonely fan here in the state of New York and untouched by the reality of not having a local team in my town to root for anymore, I understand how it's really hard for me to understand the loss of a franchise.

But if there's any Sonics fans out there reading this, I am with you in grief. We all thought and knew this could happen two years ago when the idiot—yes, idiot—Howard Schultz sold the team to majority owners TPC inc. from OKLAHOMA CITY. It was like the writing was on the wall once that happened.

There are too many villains to name ranging from Seattle Mayor George Nickels, the governor of Washington, Clay Bennett and especially the scum of David Stern.

We watched it unfold, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis' trades for basically nothing. We watched at the trade deadline as Sam Presti, the GM of the team, made every trade he could to dump salary and replace it with expiring contracts and watched the Sonics win an all time low 20 games last season.

We've been lied to on so many levels that I feel like we've been raped of our basketball team Sonics fans.

This team was above the caliber of the Charlotte Hornets and Vancouver Grizzlies. We won a championship in 1979. Look at the list of teams that won a championship in a city, then relocated. It's not impressive.

I applaud the efforts of the "Save our Sonics" group based in Seattle because at least it showed how some people in general could forge an effort and voice their opinions in a public form. Although I was unable to partake in the effort to protest, I would have been there front and center to voice my opinion to save the team.

So Sonics fans, I ask you this. Go to any venue in the NBA where the new Oklahoma City joke of a team visits and make signs, band together, and make sure the players such as Kevin Durant remember that SEATTLE is his home.

The NBA can no longer call me a fan or count on my dollars. No more will I buy jerseys and apparel. No longer will I watch the countless NBA games and coverage that goes on from night to night.

I say: Boycott the NBA, Seattle. We dont want it back ever again. No new team, no expansion franchise. It won't be the same as the real Sonics team now playing in OKC, as hard as that is to say.

The Oklahoma City Thunder sounds like a minor league baseball team to me.

Have fun OKC fans. Eight years from now, David Stern will find the Ford Center unsuitable for the NBA and you'll have your team ripped from your hearts as well.

Hope your marriage continues well David and Clay, the two villians who just broke my heart. Thank you Paul Allen and Mark Cuban for having the decency to vote against the relocation. I concede you'd attempted to stop the NBA from making the worst decision --- closing down the NBA franchise in the 12th largest media market of United States! The other 28 owners, what were you thinking I ask.

Oh well, what's done is done, farewell to the NBA in Seattle. We'll never be able to see Gary Payton have his number retired, or watch the greats be welcomed back into the Key. I, for one, will no longer be able to watch my favorite team play in the Garden or in New Jersey for their once-a-year visit in the Green and Gold.

Don't put this on the taxpayers, either. Shame on you, City of Seattle leaders, for allowing this to happen.

RIP The real SEATTLE SUPERSONICS ...
By KDaly

I hate David Stern --- he ruined NBA, because while being commisioner, he allowed a lot of things that is done to destroy support from the basic grassroot level.

David Stern, in the pursuit of profits, did a lot of things to earn short-term money --- which causes long-term consequences that rips the league apart!

First, Stern tore up the Supersonics franchise can asked them to move to Oklahoma City. In Singapore slang, Oklahoma City is simply 'ulu', or inaccessible to anywhere. There's no nothing there, and the fan support for Oklahoma City teams seems thin to me, as they can't even fill up a relatively small arena when the Hornets come in. This is worse than their situation in Seattle, which is a large-sized city with a market of more than 5 million or so (in Washington state plus British Columbia --- where another team called the Grizzles moved to another 'ulu' place). Yeah, the Trailblazers finally gained a monopoly on the Pacific Northwest, but they lost even more support and won't be revered anywhere --- thanks to their nickname which is true, 'Jailblazers'.

Then, Stern killed the Supersonics... through forcing the Celtics (which is near New York City and well-supported by long-time NBA fans since the Bird era) to snap up the Sonics' star player, Ray Allen. Stern later allowed the Celtics to kill the Timberwolves by slaughtering a franchise player by the name of Kevin Garnett in Minnesota to come to Boston, by the 'twin city' connection. Boston and Charleston in South Carolina are considered closely related cities in trade as well as wealth, and Garnett, playing in the Twin City (Minneapolis-St Paul) metroplex itself, hailed from South Carolina.

Then, Stern wanted to set up a dream finals. He found a star franchise, Los Angeles Lakers, which is popular throughout Asia thanks to Kobe Bryant (as well as location). This is much better than boring, boring San Antonio (NBA's defending champions in 2007-8, that had lower television ratings ever in all its finals appearances on average than any other team), isn't it? Kobe can attack and dunk while no Spur could attack and dunk like Kobe... Kobe, through his Italian early schooldays, also gained considerable European American support. Then he masterminded a move by Pau Gasol, a popular European player from Spain, to Spainish-speaking (gaining Hispanic markets?) Los Angeles. A point to add: Gasol's last team was hapless Memphis Grizzles, which came from Vancouver. Does Stern wants to kill off all the small franchises --- even San Antonio Spurs (which won 4 titles but gave boring ratings from all)???

In the Conference Finals, Spurs and Detroit Pistons each entered their respective Conference finals with the Celtics and Lakers. Spurs are, of course, tipped and fixed to lose, which may alienate them from casual NBA supporters further. Pistons, hailing from Detroit, are the most pathetic market of all. Their market is big! They have 6 million people in their market, spanning two countries (United States and Canada). But Stern thought it may not be big enough for viewership purposes. Los Angeles has a market of at least 20 million on United States and Boston, 30 million (including New York, which had two currently struggling teams that rotate with the Celtics to increase viewership). There are no better pair of media markets --- Boston/New York vs Los Angeles that can spark fan interest, albeit casual fan interests, to the Tube/Cable. Hence even good ol' Pistons are eliminated by Stern's hands.

In the finals, wary of Bryant's controversies, Stern used dirty tactics again to fix the finals. They purposely posted 6 consecutive freak results... So that Stern could see the better and cleaner team in his eyes to win in their Garden. Kobe had been charged for sexual assault, so it's not that favoured. In contrast, Garnett and Allen and Celtics' mainstay, Pierce, are all relatively free of controversy. Where's my favourite Answer (Allen Iverson, to protect Philadelphia's emerging market which is, again, near New York, he has to be dumped in the mountains of Denver) or Sheed (star of the Pistons) doing???

"It takes thirty good moves to win a game of chess, but one bad move to lose." Losing even one struggling franchise and failure to win the title may cost NBA. If MLB can save all its teams from contradiction, and NFL can ensure all teams make profits, I suppose... If NBA has to make all small market teams die on their own and only allow a few markets like New York and Los Angeles to thrive... Do you want to see a bland 8-team NBA in only a few states, or seeing the smallest franchise (Grizzles) earning the respect of all basketball fans??? NBA must be in a suicidal mode now...

By Ruennsheng

MLB on a slow decline again --- Will It ever improve?

Steroids, financial inequality and asymmetrical advantages all harmed MLB.

Steroids --- how many more people are now on an unfair advantage over the others for taking steroids??? Is baseball a game of skills or the art of manipulation?

Financial Inequality --- how many Padres or Royals are being rot to death by financial inability to be on par with the Yankees or the Dodgers???

Asymmetrical advantages --- abolish the DH now!

I feel that NHL is the result of MLB --- they won't get anywhere unless...

Down with David Stern!!! --- A parody of NBA events

I hate David Stern --- he ruined NBA, because while being commisioner, he allowed a lot of things that is done to destroy support from the basic grassroot level.

David Stern, in the pursuit of profits, did a lot of things to earn short-term money --- which causes long-term consequences that rips the league apart!

First, Stern tore up the Supersonics franchise can asked them to move to Oklahoma City. In Singapore slang, Oklahoma City is simply 'ulu', or inaccessible to anywhere. There's no nothing there, and the fan support for Oklahoma City teams seems thin to me, as they can't even fill up a relatively small arena when the Hornets come in. This is worse than their situation in Seattle, which is a large-sized city with a market of more than 5 million or so (in Washington state plus British Columbia --- where another team called the Grizzles moved to another 'ulu' place). Yeah, the Trailblazers finally gained a monopoly on the Pacific Northwest, but they lost even more support and won't be revered anywhere --- thanks to their nickname which is true, 'Jailblazers'.

Then, Stern killed the Supersonics... through forcing the Celtics (which is near New York City and well-supported by long-time NBA fans since the Bird era) to snap up the Sonics' star player, Ray Allen. Stern later allowed the Celtics to kill the Timberwolves by slaughtering a franchise player by the name of Kevin Garnett in Minnesota to come to Boston, by the 'twin city' connection. Boston and Charleston in South Carolina are considered closely related cities in trade as well as wealth, and Garnett, playing in the Twin City (Minneapolis-St Paul) metroplex itself, hailed from South Carolina.

Then, Stern wanted to set up a dream finals. He found a star franchise, Los Angeles Lakers, which is popular throughout Asia thanks to Kobe Bryant (as well as location). This is much better than boring, boring San Antonio (NBA's defending champions in 2007-8, that had lower television ratings ever in all its finals appearances on average than any other team), isn't it? Kobe can attack and dunk while no Spur could attack and dunk like Kobe... Kobe, through his Italian early schooldays, also gained considerable European American support. Then he masterminded a move by Pau Gasol, a popular European player from Spain, to Spainish-speaking (gaining Hispanic markets?) Los Angeles. A point to add: Gasol's last team was hapless Memphis Grizzles, which came from Vancouver. Does Stern wants to kill off all the small franchises --- even San Antonio Spurs (which won 4 titles but gave boring ratings from all)???

In the Conference Finals, Spurs and Detroit Pistons each entered their respective Conference finals with the Celtics and Lakers. Spurs are, of course, tipped and fixed to lose, which may alienate them from casual NBA supporters further. Pistons, hailing from Detroit, are the most pathetic market of all. Their market is big! They have 6 million people in their market, spanning two countries (United States and Canada). But Stern thought it may not be big enough for viewership purposes. Los Angeles has a market of at least 20 million on United States and Boston, 30 million (including New York, which had two currently struggling teams that rotate with the Celtics to increase viewership). There are no better pair of media markets --- Boston/New York vs Los Angeles that can spark fan interest, albeit casual fan interests, to the Tube/Cable. Hence even good ol' Pistons are eliminated by Stern's hands.

In the finals, wary of Bryant's controversies, Stern used dirty tactics again to fix the finals. They purposely posted 6 consecutive freak results... So that Stern could see the better and cleaner team in his eyes to win in their Garden. Kobe had been charged for sexual assault, so it's not that favoured. In contrast, Garnett and Allen and Celtics' mainstay, Pierce, are all relatively free of controversy. Where's my favourite Answer (Allen Iverson, to protect Philadelphia's emerging market which is, again, near New York, he has to be dumped in the mountains of Denver) or Sheed (star of the Pistons) doing???

"It takes thirty good moves to win a game of chess, but one bad move to lose." Losing even one struggling franchise and failure to win the title may cost NBA. If MLB can save all its teams from contradiction, and NFL can ensure all teams make profits, I suppose... If NBA has to make all small market teams die on their own and only allow a few markets like New York and Los Angeles to thrive... Do you want to see a bland 8-team NBA in only a few states, or seeing the smallest franchise (Grizzles) earning the respect of all basketball fans??? NBA must be in a suicidal mode now...

Impact on Education

TOP STATES IN INDIVIDUAL UNIVERSITY’S IMPACT

1st Class (Excellent)

1) California – 1.5M

2nd Class (Decent)

2) Florida – 1.4M
3) Georgia – 1.4M
4) Michigan – 1.4M
5) Wisconsin – 1.4M
6) Maine – 1.3M
7) Hawaii – 1.3M
8) Nevada – 1.3M
9) Washington – 1.3M
10) Arizona - 1.2M
11) Missouri – 1.2M
12) Texas – 1.1M
13) Illinois – 1M
14) Massachusetts – 1M
15) Minnesota – 1M
16) Colorado – 1M
17) New Jersey – 1M
18) New Mexico – 1M

3rd Class (Catching Up)

19) Kansas – 0.9M
20) Nebraska – 0.9M
21) Ohio – 0.9M
22) Oklahoma – 0.9M
23) Oregon – 0.9M
24) Pennsylvania – 0.9M
25) New York – 0.9M
26) West Virginia – 0.9M
27) Kentucky – 0.7M
28) Iowa – 0.7M
29) Indiana – 0.6M
30) New Hampshire – 0.6M
31) Maryland – 0.6M
32) Vermont – 0.6M

4th Class (Loads to Do)

33) Alabama – 0.5M
34) Arkansas – 0.5M
35) Connecticut – 0.5M
36) Idaho – 0.5M
37) Mississippi – 0.5M
38) Montana – 0.5M
39) North Carolina – 0.5M
40) Tennessee – 0.5M
41) Virginia – 0.5M
42) Wyoming – 0.5M
43) Delaware – 0.4M
44) South Carolina – 0.4M
45) South Dakota – 0.4M
46) Utah – 0.4M
47) Louisiana – 0.3M

5th Class (Miraculous)

48) North Dakota – 0.3M
49) Rhode Island – 0.3M
50) DC – 0.1M

I hate Overpaid Playas

Having followed the great sport of hockey for several years, and at several different levels, I feel compelled to reprimand the professional hockey playing counterparts of where they come from.

First, let me explain I’m no fantastic hockey talent, hence why I am a writer. I don’t exactly expect someone to take my words to heart, but merely to think about them. I know all those who have played will agree, and probably many who wish they had and are just die hard fans, with what I have to say.

Lately it seems to me that the real talents, the real players worth having on a team, have become a minority. I remember the days of the amazing rosters of the Stars, Wings, and Devils. The rosters of good upstanding guys who played for love of the game and less for money are long gone now.

I’ll begin my explanation with ripping on my own team, the Anaheim Ducks. How could Brian Burke ever rationalize signing Todd Bertuzzi to such a long, expensive contract? He was a liability from the get-go. Bertuzzi no longer is worth $4 million, and I doubt he ever will be again. But, that is only part of the argument here—the brunt of this is rooted in the players who play for money.

My fight lies with Marian Hossa, and those like him. Many in Pittsburgh will agree that one day we are hearing he would pick “winning over money,” but man did he hitch a ride to Hockeytown fast. True, he took the winning and money route, but it was major back-stabbing to Pittsburgh. If he didn’t like the city, or fans, or team, say it! They wouldn’t care as much as being lied about.

Wade Redden, you have been terrible lately, yet you still expect large amounts to end up in your coffer? So, of course you go to the Rangers, who will fork over cash to any guy who thinks he’s worth it.

The Rangers have a great team, and it would really sadden me for them to not do well, and you to demand a trade or something stupid, but anything is possible with you. I like your play as a younger guy, but lately, you’re in the same boat as Hossa, a money grubbing wuss!

Mats Sundin, I gave you a lot of credit for being an upstanding guy and all with the Leafs, but after having so many teams tossing you contracts, you ignored them. It’s like your going for broke of a hockey team. I’m very sure I’m jumping the gun here, but just bear in mind—it's about the game, not the money. The players above you have forgotten that.

Most of my anger lies with Marian Hossa, and the fact he is as highly paid as Nick Lidstrom, but hasn’t even proven himself as a steady contributor for Detroit. It's sort of stupid on Detroit’s part, but hey, do with your money as you wish.

It seems to me, from my former hockey days, that too many in the NHL only care about the paycheck, and not the game. An NHL team could pay me $100,000 a year and I'd be happy, and this is considering I was that talented.

Talent shouldn’t dictate the entire salary. Why not pay a guy more for being loyal to the team and being a good role model along with on ice performance? Andy McDonald, a favorite example of mine, was a loyal, hard working, goal scoring, undrafted Duck who gets $3.3 million. True, he is no Wayne Gretzky, but I’d take him on my team any day over a punk like Hossa.

Bottom Line—the lockout solved nothing! Fix the salary issues Bettman, before I invest in becoming an AHL fan. It’s not Brian Burke’s fault, or Lowe’s in Edmonton. It’s yours! Hockey is a business; GM’s are forced to pay some players insane amounts in the name of winning.

So Mr. Bettman, please do your job, and end this money grubbing insanity and let it be about hockey again.

To Marian Hossa, keep your head up, pretty boy, that expensive face of yours could get a nice Penguin elbow come fall.

What alphabets tell me

College Fanatics

MLB

1) A - Atlanta Braves
2) B - Boston Red Sox
3) C - Chicago Cubs
4) D - Arizona Diamondbacks
5) F - Florida Marlins
6) J - Toronto Blue Jays
7) M - Milwaukee Brewers
8) S - Seattle Mariners
9) W - Washington Nationals

NFL

1) G - Green Bay Packers

College

1) H - Harvard Crimson
2) I - Illinois Fighting Illini
3) L - Louisville Cardinals
4) N - Nebraska Cornhuskers
5) O - Oregon Ducks
6) P - Purdue Boilermakers
7) R - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
8) T - Tennessee Volunteers
9) U - South Florida Bulls
10) V - Virginia Cavaliers

E Team Gear

1) E - Eastern Michigan Eagles
2) X - Xavier Musketeers
3) Y - Youngstown State Penguins

Non any of above but it's awful
1) Z - Zero
2) Q - QUT adjustable hats in Queensland, Australia
3) K - Kent State Golden Flashes, w/o fulfilling any of above but still K

Weaskest teams in Sports Leagues

NBA

New Orleans Hornets
Sacramento Kings
Memphis Grizzlies
Milwaukee Bucks
Los Angeles Clippers
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Jersey Nets
Golden State Warriors
Phoenix Suns

NFL

Buffalo Bills
Minnesota Vikings
San Diego Chargers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Oakland Raiders
New Orleans Saints
St Louis Rams

NHL

Nashville Predators
Florida Panthers
Atlanta Thrashers
New York Islanders

MLB

Oakland A's
Tampa Bay Rays
Florida Marlins
Toronto Blue Jays

Stability of Sports Leagues compared by types of sports

Bat --- everyone equally stable (except less than a handful)
Motor --- everyone equally unstable (except less than a handful)
Others

Maybe the difference is between startup cost per capita...

Minor leagues can survive well but not minor motor racing teams. Only 4-5 teams in F1 can survive. And almost one quarter of the teams in ball sports struggle, with half of the quarter in ruin...

Who shares the same birthday as me?

Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland
King Frederick I of Prussia
John Quincy Adams, US President
Alfred Binet, French psychologist
Aleksandr Milkhailovich Prokhorov, Nobel Physics Laurete
Gough Whitlam, Prime Minister of Australia
Giorgio Armani, Italian fashion designer
Pai Hsien-yung, Writer
Leon Spinks, former boxer
Richie Sambora, musician (Bon Jovi)
David Tao, songwriter and singer
Lil' Kim, American rapper
Samer el Nahnam, Finnish musician (Lordi)
Kelly Poon, singer
Ryan Jarvis, footballer (Norwich)
Shigeaki Kato, Japanese pop idol (NEWS)

1st entry

If college were purely academic, 16-year-old Cullen Kappel would have no worries.

But the mostly straight-A student who studies astrophysics just for fun knows his challenge at college will be in what happens between classes.

Cullen has Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. Like others with Asperger's, he tends to hyper-focus on topics, can be thrown off-kilter with a slight change to his routine and has a tough time deciphering conversation cues.

"I feel a bit socially challenged," said the junior at Clarkston High School.

Now, universities across the state and the country are reaching out to students with autism and related disorders as their numbers grow rapidly -- thanks to early treatment of the disorders in children.

The schools are setting up peer mentoring programs, having one-on-one interventions and working with housing officials, campus security and professors to help them understand why some students might seem quirky, rude or out of place.

Students with Asperger's syndrome are some of the highest-functioning among those with autism, many with above-average intelligence, "all the way to brilliant," said Jane Thierfeld Brown, director of student services at the University of Connecticut's law school. She's coauthoring a book, "Students with Asperger's Syndrome in Higher Education."

But the disorder also short-circuits the part of the brain responsible for executive functioning, making it difficult to organize and prioritize -- keys to academic success.

Physical idiosyncrasies -- hand-flapping, for example -- can make people with Asperger's appear eccentric.

And conversational cues -- plays on words, facial features, hand gestures -- pass by unrecognized.

So Brandon Goyings, a 22-year-old Oakland University student from Jackson, sometimes doesn't get jokes.

"I think more concrete, less abstract," he said.

And it's something that threatens academic success. An autistic student might not be able to read a professor's cues or decipher a lab partner's annoyance at his outbursts or quirky habits.

"College expects you to come with a certain skill set ... but this is a communication disability," said Linda Sisson, director of Oakland University's new peer assistance program for students with autism.

More students in college
Students with autism were graduating from college long before many of today's outreach efforts began.

But university disabilities offices say more of those students are heading to college than ever after a decade or more of early intervention, parental advocacy and federally mandated mainstreaming into regular classrooms.

Steven Schwartz, an associate professor of special education at Madonna University, noted that "15 or 20 years ago, the idea of including an autistic kid in a general education classroom was craziness. Now it's not only an expectation, it's the law."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 150 8-year-olds has some autism spectrum disorder.

And in her survey of 80 institutions across the country last year, Thierfeld Brown said four-year schools had an average of 10 students who reported to their schools' disabilities offices that they had some form of autism. But she estimates the number is much higher because many students don't report their diagnosis.

Tailor-made programs
In Michigan, Oakland University has offered courses for years for teachers and other professionals who want to work with students with autism.

Now it's wrapping services around its students with the disorder, starting with a peer support program for students like Goyings.

To address the organizational challenges and the need for tangible direction, students with autism paired with other students and received a daily planner. They broke down a semester's worth of assignments into daily chunks and listed every task of the day -- sometimes even eating and exercising.

To hone communication skills, the students meet weekly to practice what they have learned about conversation intricacies -- from beginning a conversation to registering smiles and frowns.

Mia Evans, a 22-year-old political science and journalism major from Detroit, mentors a 22-year-old student with autism from Orchard Lake. Evans asks her mentee about classes and homework. She helps the student replay conversations, searching for clues that the student is faltering.

"We don't sugarcoat the campus experience," Evans said, but "we give them a reference point."

Success in school
Even universities that don't have programs tailored for students with autism have made adjustments for them.

Since they can get easily distracted -- or at the other end, fixated -- some disabilities offices work with professors during final exams week to find a quiet room for the autistic test-taker.

Tim Hull, a 22-year-old Grass Lake student with autism, expects to graduate from the University of Michigan this spring with a double major, but it hasn't been without plenty of challenges.

He has trouble parsing questions on a test or splitting a semester's project into daily tasks. He gave up on taking notes in class, finding himself consumed with writing instead of digesting the lecture.

He sometimes works on projects for several days straight with just a few hours of sleep.

"I tend to do everything full force or not at all," he said.

For others, the most pivotal battle is in building relationships. Because they can seem to be eccentric or rude, autistic students often are isolated, frustrated and ultimately depressed. It's a road map to dropping out of school.

At Grand Valley State University, Amy Matthews, the project director for the STate Wide Autism Resources & Training program, recruited students from her classes to invite an autistic classmate to movies and football games.

She and others who work with students with autism say they have gained crucial ground -- people are starting to recognize the disorder rather than reeling from it.

At the University of Connecticut, Thierfeld Brown said she recently explained to someone outside her school that she worked with students with Asperger's.

"He said 'Oh, my neighbor's kid has that,' " she said, adding: "Five years ago, it would have been 'Asparagus-what?' "