Having fun with Rokkits

Adding to the Giant Rocket theme that I used in August for WARGames Con, I'm adding some warbuggies to my Ork army. Going to make them Rokkit Launchas:

I'm using spare Rokkit packs from some Storm Boys and plasticard to make the plat forms.

Going to make 4 in total and paint them to match the rest of the army.

Thoughts?

Heroes

I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing will
Drive them away
We can beat them
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
Just for one day

And you
You can be mean
And I
I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers
And that is a fact
Yes we're lovers
And that is that

Though nothing
Will keep us together
We could steal time
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
For ever and ever
What d'you say

I
I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins
Like dolphins can swim
Though nothing
Will keep us together
We can beat them
For ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes
Just for one day

I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing
Will drive them away
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be us
Just for one day

I
I can remember
Standing
By the wall
And the guns
Shot above our heads
And we kissed
As though nothing could fall
And the shame
Was on the other side
Oh we can beat them
For ever and ever
Then we can be Heroes
Just for one day

We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
We're nothing
And nothing will help us
Maybe we're lying
Then you better not stay
But we could be safer
Just for one day 


Knock 'em dead sweets... you are made of steel

Finally...

A win... Texas beat the tar out of FAU. Well done.

We will see what they do against eATMe.

Hook 'em!

Sorry for not much analysis, just exhausted lately.

Well that happened...

Not sure what to say. I think tonight finally broke me. I saw a team play with no identity and worse, less heart. I felt it in my bones at the end of the third quarter. They missed the touchdown and then the field goal. I felt it change. Next play... bam... Bears touchdown. Then EBS bobbles and hands off an interception. And then, despite what happened afterwards, the game was over.

Here's hoping Aaron Rogers can still remember his childhood, much less ever play again. As a multi-concussion person, it is painful to see any head injury, but he went down, flopped and then didn't move for about 5 minutes. I was sure he was dead. That isn't hyperbole. I thought I saw someone die on the football field. I hope he is well and seeing him walk off the field puts the game in perspective. He is still breathing, and for that, I'm thankful.

Even still... I will always be a Texas fan. Congratulations go to a Baylor team that has a FAST offense and a defense that might be decent enough to keep them in games. Griffen is as advertised and they will go far with him. Hell, they have a shot to win the Big XII South. Good luck to Baylor.

Well, no home game next week. K-State in Manhattan. I'm not sure if I could have done three weeks in a row of this at DKR.

Until next time, sleep well Ms Rabbit, you are making me smile tonight.

Where's the spoon?

I need to eat some crow.

As most of you know when talking to me all last week, I predicted a complete brutal beating of Texas in Lincoln this week. Gleefully, I shall now say this:

I WAS WRONG.

Damn that feels good.

I've watched this team all year. I never expected to see this... seriously. They played steady, assignment defense and kept Taylor Martinez in front of them. They made his running backs and passing beat them... and as we saw, they didn't.

Hook 'em. Gonna be rocking at DKR as all the fair weathers come out again. For the record, I only lost hope. I still wore my Texas gear to work and watched and cheered, damn it.

Zune 4.7... or why I want to chuck my machine out the window

So I'm getting a weird error... basically the install file that is running isn't recognizing itself as a valid file. Doing a bit of digging and it looks like this is a problem with the Wireless install within the Zune software. No word on a fix... there are like 10 of us Zune owners, so not much of a groundswell.

If I was going to a Windows Phone 7 phone I'd be more interested, but I'm on Sprint, and no CDMA this year at least. Every time I get hope in the Zune platform, it is propmtly dashed by the geniuses in Redmond.

Seriously Microsoft... are you actively trying to push your customers to Android/iOS?

UCLA and ou

Well I suppose I should give my thoughts on the debacle that was last Saturday in Austin.

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows that I'm a die hard Texas fan. I have been to every home game since 1994 when I was in LHB. I love my Horns. I will root for them and cheer until I go horse, and have many times. I'm bummed when they lose and elated when they win.

Saturday tho... I saw something I haven't seen in a long time. I saw a blatantly unprepared and overly sloppy mess of a team. I haven't seen Texas play this bad under Mack Brown. A muffed punt... a muffed kickoff! Nevermind all of the other miscues.

I will give credit to UCLA... their defensive strategy was simple: deep safeties to deny the down field pass and force Texas to run the ball. Texas responded by not being able to run the ball and making as many mistakes as they could.

It made me tired and frustrated to be a fan, knowing that my team was over-matched by a team we should have crushed. Texas played sound defense until the second half, giving up the first drive. It was a dagger in the heart.

I don't know what the fix is... I don't know what should be done. I've always been a fan of a new offensive mentality, based on schematic ingenuity and not reliant on athletic execution. As we've seen this year... that just isn't something Texas can do right now.

So on to our neighbors from the north... What are we going to see Saturday? I have no idea. I think Texas will play immaculate defense. I think Coach Boom will have them whipped up into a fervor over what happened last weekend and they will do everything they can to crush Landry and his boys. Offensively... well... OU's defense hasn't looked awesome so far so... well... I can hope right?

So Saturday I'll keep track of the game while I run errands as promised with the God of War. I don't know if I can watch that game on TV... if you go to games, watching it on TV is IMPOSSIBLE. So... root till you are horse and BTHOOou!!!!

Warmachine Plastic Battle Box

I picked up the new Menoth Plastic Battle Box yesterday. It is, funny enough, exactly what I expected. Plastic Crusader, which is the same bits we've seen before. Plastic Revenger and Repenter use the same main chassis (the same as the Vigilant) with different arms and head. This leads me to think they will do a kit with all 3 of the classic light jacks the same way they did with the heavy jacks. The plastic Kreoss was slick, and he assembled like a thin Bastion - very simple model to put together.

I took the opportunity to magnetize the Crusader chassis since it is now my 4th of the plastic heavy jacks. This will give me the flexibility to have a second Crusader, Templar or Vanquisher as well as a body that I can attach the Scourge of Heresy upgrade bits to.

All in all, I was impressed with how well the packaging came off and in general how easy the models are to put together. Privateer has done a great job with their plastic kits and now that they can get them out with regularity, we might see even more. I can't wait to see what they come up with.

The Battle of Lubbock

As I Tweeted during the game... thank god I don't have hair, or I'd have pulled it all out. That was painful to watch. Seeing the offense run around like the Key Stone Cops, doing everything they could to hand the game to Tech reminded me of the halcyon days of yore watching the Oilers.

Gilbert looked fine, but the receives need to, I don't know put glue on their gloves or something. Three Interceptions off of tipped/dropped balls? ARGH

Never mind the new-fangled "Running Game"... You started a drive in the 3rd Quarter to drive down the field and take over the game, figuring out WAY too late that you could destroy the gassed Tech Defense with Cody Johnson. Why did it take that long to figure it out? The guy is a beast and runs down hill. If you want to take the air out of the ball and lock down the game, it is his job. I know this is an dead horse round these parts... but does Greg Davis really feel like he has to out think himself that much?

Now... The Defense. HOLY CRAP. Coach Mother F'in BOOM. They were all over the field... fast, steady and explosive. Jackson Jeffcoat is the real deal. Watching him mature for the next 3 years will be a treat. They are stingy, fast, and full of all kinds of hate. They know the games will usually lie on their shoulders this year, and I think they relish it. Seeing those two interceptions warmed the cockles, considering the history of the field for those two guys.

So what are we left with? Texas has an offense that wouldn't scare a crossing guard and a defense that will win games all on it's own. This is going to be a season of hair pulling and nail biting. As a season ticket holder... it means good games. I'm a defensive hawk anyway.

On another note... just an idea... but I heard something Bill Walsh once said last week that has stuck with me: "Coaches who depend on Athleticism to win games will at best be 500. Random offense may be fun and entertaining, and occasionally effective, but it isn't consistent or dependable." Watching Texas play offense, I'm reminded of this constantly. They like to put "athletes in space." Sure that can work. I'd rather have a schemed play that gives the athlete a chance to excel instead of depend on them to make the play function.

So, bring on UCLA. The last time I had the... pleasure.... *shudder*... of watching them in Austin was the biggest home loss in Texas history and the game that ushered in Macovick's downfall.

While I don't think we will see anything like that again, I'm still counting it as a blessing that I keep my head shaved... Hook 'em... BTHOOUCLA

Tech

Wow I'm late updating this thing...

So tomorrow is the Tech Game. I cannot put into words how much Lubbock irritates me. I think I dislike being around their fans more than OU and A&M... and that is saying something. I have no idea what we are going to see tomorrow as far as on the field. Texas might roll right over Tech, finally showing every bit of the promise they've only hinted at so far. Or they could get destroyed in the one place where Mack doesn't always win.

Either way, I expect to piss off my neighbors screaming at the TV while watching it.

Learning Menoth goes well. I start the painting process this week. I'm making a point to focus on a caster to learn them. Right now, the focus is Harbinger, and I need to play more games. Looking forward to Wednesday for that...

For now... Go Horns, BTHOT

Game Week Pt 2

4. Coach Boom
I think I have more faith in the Texas D-Coordinator than anything else on the field. He has proved an insane ability to coach up talent, mold good players into great leaders and even more, concoct down right nasty defenses. Another year wiser, and it is truly a great thing to watch him coach on the sidelines. He's one of the reasons I love seeing the game live.

It's Game Week Kids

After 9 months of bitter taste in your mouth and hearing so much "could have been"... It is on. Football is back. And namely...

TEXAS FOOTBALL

As the week goes on, I'm going to break down my top 5 reasons why I'm excited for this year and what lies ahead.

5. New Beginning, but not really

10 years ago my father said to me "we need to be one of those places like Forida State... where they don't rebuild, they reload." Well Dad, it is truly here. We have a stout team, with a defense that might just be the best either of have seen. The "run-first" offense is a measured reaction to what beat Texas in the title game: if everyone is geared to defend the spread, smash mouth football should dominate. And so, with a new quarterback, and a new attitude, but many of the same pieces, we have a new season. Sure we lost Colt and Jordan. They will be missed. But Gilbert and his boys are here, and they hold all the promise in the world. Texas reloaded, and it didn't take too long to do it, and from the recruiting classes we've seen, it doesn't look like they are going to drop off any time soon.

Hook 'em... thoughts?

Nix the Trolls and 8th Ed

So after playing a few games of Menoth I decided that I didn't want to split my hobby more than I already have. I need to focus to improve, and that means all faith to Menoth.

Painting them starts this week... I've finally got time now that work has abated a bit.

On another note, I dipped my toes into the pool of 8th Ed. I've had Chaos Warriors lieing around a while, and in 7th they weren't too hot. But now, it seems they are stout. Going to play some more this week at The Lair. Should be fun.

Trolls and Painting Menoth...

I've wanted to get into Hordes as a way to compliment my Warmachine Menoth army, but I've been having trouble deciding. One thing I'm sure of, I really don't want to play Everblight, as they are just dripping with evil and really not my style.


I won Favored Opponent at WARGames Con for the Warmachine tournament, and I'm going to take my winnings and get that Hordes faction started. With the new rulebook out and each of the faction books throttling down the pipe, it seems like as good a time as any. 


Deciding which to play has been frustrating. I really like the look of a lot of the Circle and Skorne mini's, but the fluff is not really want I want to play. I play an uncompromising bad-ish guy in Warmachine, and I don't really want to play the manipulative douch-y-ness that is Circle or the Nihlistic Skorne. Then I read the Troll Blood fluff in the main rule book. Maybe it was the fact that Scotland the Brave was playing on my Zune... maybe it was the fact that I recently found out that my heritage traces all the way back to Robert The Bruce... but man... something about the Troll Blood fluff hooked me.


Yeah, their army isn't the most varied in terms of design. That, however, presents me with a challenge: make the Troll army I want to make, but give it a distinct aesthetic that I like to look at every time I sit down to play.


That same idea lead me to my color choice for my Menoth army: Burnt Orange, White and Slate Grey. Yeah, I know it is a bit on the nose given my prescription for fanatically following University of Texas Sports, but given that the army is full of fanatical wak-jobs, I find it oddly fitting.


So I'm going to start up a Troll Blood army. I think a slow burn on that would be best, so that I can also take the time now to paint my Menoth. 


One other sad note... RIP BFG... you were epic and a mecca for all of us. Good luck with what you do in the future guys, you will be greatly missed.


Anyone got any thoughts on Trolls, Menoth Paint or BFG?

Ring the Bell...

Holy crap... best weekend of gaming ever. I've been cramming for over a month to get the Ork Mob ready for this, and now... with BoLS... ahem... WAR Games Con finally here, all that work paid off.

I played like crap on Friday in the Warmachine tournament, making every bad decision I could have. Had a great time tho, and caught each mistake too late to fix the error, so at least I learned. Turns out my fun was obvious and it infected my opponents. They voted me Best Opponent for the Warmachine group, which was a great honor (and will be a great prize too lol)

The Narrative Track was AWESOME. Saturday and Sunday left me exhausted, but man was it a blast. I got to play with some great people, including Dave Taylor, conversion God. Our opponents Jason, Dan and Eric (brilliant gentlemen as well) all agreed with me that Game 3 on Saturday night was probably the most epic game of 40k we'd ever been a part of. The choice I made of a Big Mek Stompa was the right one. The model is getting renamed MVP... holding a Land Raider in lock down with the Lifta Droppa arm was probably the most consistent thing I was able to do all weekend. But that isn't why... shot after shot after shot of the Deff Cannon ripped things apart and the SuperRockets destroyed a few things... but that still isn't why.

MVP earned his name because of a simple score sheet... Gaze of Mork 2, Reaver Titans 0. After considerable effort to get the shields down and start the damage, with a simple throw away cannon on the head of the Stompa I was able to blow that Reaver Titan right the heck up. It Apocolypticaly exploded and took the majority of the enemy board with it. (They still won, but only because we were to crammed to get an effective defense of the objective mustered). Sunday MVP got the last shot in on the same Titan, wrecking it. 650 points well spent I'd say.

I'm already thinking up conversion ideas for next year... Russian Egg Stompa anyone?

As promised... pictures. Thanks to all who paid the compliments for my army. I was totally humbled by how many people had great things to say about my Orks. While I sat before we started with they army next to me, having hoards of people walk up and take pictures of it made me get all GARSH and blush. Just felt like all the work I had put in was appreciated. It was truly humbling, thank you to everyone who expressed their thoughts.

Great weekend. JWolf, BigRed and everyone involved ran a hell of an event and everyone I talked to walked away having had a blast. Visit BoLS, it is the premiere gaming blog on the net and home of The Girl. The Crowbar writes for them as well.

Hell of a weekend playing with plastic toy soldiers!

Things not to learn the hard way...

1. Don't put anything with fresh super glue in your mouth... you know it got on your tongue because you can taste the emptyness... it is like a taste cloaking device.
2. Don't apply paint seal in bad light... let's just say my army doesn't need a white dry brush... I want to punch myself in the face, but it would only hurt less.

I'm too tired to be pissed... spent the whole day getting the second stompa finalized. The Lifta-Droppa arm is complete and I like the way it looks. I have to let the green stuff rivets dry overnight before I base spray in the morning. 

At least the Stompas and the Mek Boy Junka won't look like some idiot sprayed too much sealant on them... I could puke right now.

The Convetion formerly known as BoLs

The Con Formerly known as BoLs is this weekend... and I'm just about ready. I've got most of my army painted. Tonight's work is finishing the MekBoy Junka, the Big Mek, the last MegaNob and all the grots on the 1st Stompa. Then the magnetizing and basing begins. I've made a mix of ash and this dark brush with some rocks for texture. Should look cool against the dull steel, bright blue and bone white.

I snagged a metal trash can lid for a display tray... which will look AWESOME and fit the theme of a bunch of grouches in walking trash cans.

The last task is to complete the second Stompa. Wednesday is going to be busy, but with the Girl, the Crowbar and the Spatula of Motivation to keep me crackin, I'm confident I can get it all built.

Best part about this army is that it was put together through copious trades of models I already owned and didn't use anymore. That and I get to play my Mega Dredd (such an awesome Christmas Gift, thanks Mom and Dad).

For Warmachine on Friday I have everything glued and my two lists put together. So glad I don't have to get them painted in time... 

Pictures will be posted both of the completed armies and from the weekend.

Le Tour 2010 - Finale

So Contador held on, barely, to win the Yellow in Paris. Seeing him break down on stage after winning the jersey at the Time Trial tells you how much he wanted it and just how scared he was he had lost it. It is good to see an emotional winner, who is proud to hold his prize and will break himself in two in order to achieve it. Too bad that usually means a lousy person to be around (see Michael Jordan).

Cavendish winning in Bordeaux and Paris cements him as the Greatest Sprinter of the Age. The Fastest Man on two wheels showed he needs only the opportunity and opening to get to the line, and he will dominate all challengers. The one man who I think could have given him a run for it was Farrar, and his broken wrist prevented the show down everyone wanted. Next year kids... next year.

Alas, for my cycling hero, Lance Armstrong, there is no next year. Well, at least at Le Tour as a rider. He was gracious in his exit and brilliant on Tuesday to give that lasting beautiful image of a great warrior fighting to show he still will. He will be missed, and Le Tour will certainly feel the hit in the ratings, but his Legacy not only as a great champion, but as an evangelist of Cancer Prevention and Treatment will last for ages. For the record I'm still going to watch... the rivalry between Contador and Schleck is compelling and will provide great story telling for years.

So I say good bye to my yearly obsession. It has gotten me back to blogging regularly, whether or not anyone else is reading it (stats tell me I'm the only one who does... anyone care to comment?). Enjoy the recap show on Monday on Versus.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 16

So we a hell of a fight up the Cul de Tourmalet. Andy hit Alberto with everything he had. Contador took every shot and didn't budge. When Contador finally attacked, Schleck was ready and answered. He even overtook Alberto and let him know to cut that out. They both had more in the tank and could have attacked for hours without either giving an inch.

Looks like it is down to the Time Trial on Saturday. Let's see if Schleck can pull something from his backside. Otherwise, we are looking at win number 3 for Contador.

In another fit of awesome, Lance Armstrong and Chris Horner finished very high in yesterday's stage. They both have shown incredible form in the Pyrenees, and Lance has the look of a man who would have been on the podium if not for the crash day in the Alps.

Sprinters *should* take the spotlight in Friday's stage, but look out for a head wind splitting the Peleton. It would be mind boggling for all of that amazing work in the mountains to shift because of a split.

Keep watching Versus, they continue to knock their coverage out of the park... now if they would only post the "You vs Second Place" video so I could link it's awesomeness here.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 15

This stage route is colorfully known by its traditional title... The Circle of the Dead Men. The route profile is something that matches the name. Two Category 1 climbs, two Beyond Category Climbs and a 60 KM run to the line. 100K/hr in speed on the descent, and all the pain you could ask for in a bike race...

As for drama, it delivered, but not because Andy took his revenge. As a fan of cycling for over a decade in large part due to Lance Armstrong, Stage 15 was a beautiful bit of fan service. I got to root for my hero again. He climbed the Tourmalet gloriously and almost pulled off the stage win. This was, so far, my favorite stage to watch. It was compelling from the start, offering drama at every turn with attacks and a break away I had a rooting interest in.

Lance looked like the king he truly is. Eno joked that he seems to have come back only to leave out the "little door." Stage 15 wasn't a direct response to that, or to anyone. It was Lance taking the moment  by the throat like only he can. It made me revel in the day and the moments. I was cheering for him... literally yelling and clapping in support. Seeing the Texas Longhorn flags brought back more memories of past glory on the road and just made the moments that much sweeter.

Man... even writing this is giving me goose bumps. That was so much fun to watch. I had to call my Dad when it was done. Sports is shared at its very best, and he will always be my touchstone in that regard.

After the race Franky Andreu asked Lance, "You showed them that Lance Armstrong isn't done yet is he?" Lance's response and look at Franky was priceless, "Lance Armstrong is done in about 4-5 days." He's a tired old dog, but he still has all the fight in him. Bodies get old and wear out. That's the nature of the human condition. But as someone who is watching all his friends get older and realizing how lame it can be to get older... Stage 15 was a thumb in the eye. Man that was fun to watch.

Lance joked, "I wasn't the oldest guy in the break." Two other 38 year-olds as well as a 39 year-old were in there with him. It was brilliant to watch.

Rest day Wednesday and then... the Tourmalet and the dual that should decide Le Tour 2010. Andy and Alberto should be firing all their shells. Should be a hell of a day. This has been the most compelling Tour I've watched... every day is a story.

Keep watching Versus... they are in the mountains... and your HD TV will pay it self back to you when you see some of the helicopter shots.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 14

And with one slip of a chain, Le Tour went from one of the best I've ever seen in terms of competition and compelling television to eye glue. This is insane. We can cram more controversy and storyline into this year? Really? As a viewer and fan of the sport... AWESOME.

So yeah... Andy's chain popped off right as he was kicking in the after burners to try to put Alberto into difficulty. Alberto responded and then blew past him. Unfortunately, he kept accelerating up the mountain and put on the rocket jets down the descent. Schleck worked his ass off to get to the top as fast as he could, but his group wasn't the desending mad-men that Contador's was and he lost yellow.

Was it fair what Contador did? Should he have waited on him? In my opinion, maybe not waited, but he could have kept from the serious attacks. He actively accelerated while Schleck was getting back on his bike and back rolling. I've watched Tour after Tour that has examples of this kind of situation showing off supreme fair play and a desire to win because you put the other guy in difficulty, not a spot of luck. I can see why Contador wouldn't tho, as it wasn't his fault and he couldn't wait too long and give Sanchez and Menchov enough cracks to crawl back into the top two.

I will love watching people bag on Contador because he didn't win... he got lucky. Fine with me, I find the guy to be a jerk and it is so in his personality.

But now... as promised, Stage 15 will be Andy's Revenge. As a viewer and a fan... OH.HELL.YES.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 12 & 13

And it has come to this... the Pyrenees. Crazy high mountains... and 4 stages of pure unadulterated hell on the riders. At least 1-2 Cat 1 or Hor Cat in every stage until Thursday.

Is this awesome or what?

In what has turned out to be the most brutal of any Le Tour I've watched, people are dropping like flies. My hopes for Tyler Farrar winning a stage are dashed, as is his finish. The wrist proved more than he could bare, and I can't say I blame the guy. He was a warrior for staying that long, but man... I've said it before, when a pro-cyclist tells you they are in too much pain to go on... I mean WOW.

Schleck v Contador continues to entertain. They will box and match one another throughout the week. I was amazed to watch them almost stand up Sunday, but they are almost racing against each other alone... no one is close enough to over take them or even seriously threaten their lead.

Everyone keeps waiting for Lance to make his statement... not sure when it will come, but I have to agree... the guy is too competitive to let Le Tour slip by without at least one stage to call his own.

More tomorrow...

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 11

Started out as any other flat stage... morning break away... catch... but then the wind came. We saw an amazing pace set by Team Saxo Bank in defense of Andy Schleck's Yellow Jersey. They tried to dislodge Contador in the cross-wind, but thanks to one team mate, Contador stayed in contact.

Of course, then they started to roll in for the sprint. Robbie Hunter gone for a broken wrist... when a cyclist is telling you it hurts to much to use his hand, you know that he is talking about pain on an almost Biblical level. Tyler Farrar (I've been miss-spelling his name this whole time, sorry) lost one of his lead outs. He was left with Julian Dean, who is no slouch. As things sorted out going into the last 800 meters, we were witness to something I've not seen in racing in a while... HEADBUTTS. Renshaw didn't like the line that Dean took, so he head butted him 3 times. Once Renshaw sprung Cavendish, he peeled off and seemed to come out in front of Tyler, blocking his line. Cavendish won, Farrar showing excellent speed. He'll win a stage... I have faith... but luck keeps getting in his way.

As far as Renshaw being kicked off the tour... I honestly think it was earned. He seemed to go out of his way to impair the Garman riders. You can't do that. The rivalry between these two teams is starting to become a way to sell tickets. This will only add to that fire. Garman and HTC are two of the strongest American teams (Radio Shack being the third... BMC is still too new). If one of them ever gets a true GC contender, will the other sabotage? As a sports fan, man I hope that scenario comes out.

Again, watch Versus, their coverage is awesome. That and tones of adds for Inception and The Expendibles...

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 9 and 10

Andy Schleck is in Yellow, and looks like he wants to hold it for the rest of the race. The dual on La Madeline between him and Contador was fantastic, and really only topped by how well they caught the break away. Those two are the heads of state this year, no one else is close.

My thoughts on Radio Shack remain the same... but with the added caveat that they are going to try to win as many stages as they can. With a team that strong from top to bottom who are now going to stage hunt... let the Peleton be warned. Stage 10 already saw this start. I wonder if they will try to sprint?

Speaking of... should be a hell of a sprint today, hopefully Robbie Hunter didn't hurt his wrist too badly. That be crushing for Tyler Farrah... to finally be healthy enough to sprint, only to lose your lead out man.

Watching Cadel crumble was heartbreaking... but then we learned he had a broken elbow. Good Lord! The man is still riding! Tour riders are the toughest SOBs alive in my opinion.

Sprint fun during the week and then 4 days in the Pyraneese. Brutality pure and simple. I can't wait to watch.

Le Tour 2010 - Delay in Post

I must confess I fell asleep while watching the stage last night when I got home. I was tired, sorry.

Double re-cap will come in the morning when I get a chance to watch it.

Progress...

No tour stage Monday, so random thoughts and commentary...

• WARCon Orks are coming along... I will have a post on how I did the paint scheme once they are finished. I still need to find a metal trash can lid and an Oscar the Grouch figure to complete the over all look
• Nebraska have lost their minds... I never thought I would see something like the All Red Nation thing come out of Lincoln - it just isn't their style. Guess that's what happens when you get desperate and can't kill a bogeyman.
• World Cup was fascinating... the play combined with the mess that was "The Decision" makes me want to get into EPL and Champ League that much more. Just have to pick a team... anyone have any ideas?

That's all for today... commentary on Stage 9 will be posted as normal. As always, watch Versus. Phil and Paul are unmatched.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 7 & 8

This weekend we saw the true beginning of the Overall Classification for Le Tour De France 2010... the Alps. We saw men rise to the challenge of the mountains, showing off why they are considered challengers. Spartacus lost his yellow, but that is almost customary at this point. His body isn't fit for the peaks.

So now your GC top 10 looks exactly like what we thought it should look like. All the heads of state are there... well almost. Only one man failed to keep up, and it wasn't because his legs weren't with him. I never thought I would say this as a fan of his, but man, I almost pity Lance Armstrong. Lady Luck didn't just turn on him. She pimp slapped him in public, waited for him to stager back, and then did it again. There is no greater rider of Le Tour than Lance. He is inhuman and brilliant when he's on form. Sadly, form doesn't matter this year for him as flat tires and crashes that he didn't cause have nullified his greatness on the bike and reduces him to the best Domestique anyone has ever had. He will ride like a demon now for Levi, who remains in the top 10.

I would have fear if I was the rest of the riders, as Radio Shack still looks like they are a team with good legs. But now they have focus. I can guarantee you also that Lance is angry. He will personally attempt to push the field as the lead out for Levi. I'm very interested to see how this plays out.

That's what I'm hoping for at least... hard to root for a petulant twat from Spain, a douche from Luxumburg and an also ran from Australia.

Well... there are the sprints...

Rest Day today... watch the Versus recap. Those guys do AMAZING coverage of the race. Phil and Paul are why I know what I know about racing, and they are the most entertaining play by play guys in any sport just shy of Tommy Smyth.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 6

Cavendish looks to be truly back to last year's form. He's now at 2 wins so far, but the guy lurking is the tough bastard that is Tyler Farrah. If Garman can get their tactics together, which they will, Tyler will finally get a stage win. He has the legs now, he just needs the lead. Should be fun to watch next week.

For the weekend tho, The Alps loom. Saturday's stage isn't too brutal, we should see a mild sort out, but I doubt it. Likely Spartacus will lose his Yellow... he's too big a guy to climb well.

Looking forward to a weekend of great sports... Le Tour and the World Cup final. A nice taste of greatness after watching LeBron nut punch a city and his own legacy in the same hour. I have no issue with him wanting to win and going to play with his friends. If it makes him happy and that's what he wants ultimately, then good. Go for it. But could you have been less of a douche bag in how you did it? that was like watching someone dump their girlfriend life on TV. It was... rude and dirty.

Anyway... Le Tour continues with the drama. There was a fist fight at the end of stage 6... no joke... a rider took exception to getting elbowed repeatedly. In frustration, he began to hit his tormentor (no joke) with his rear tire. Fists were thrown, and it was broken up. Surprisingly, neither man was kicked off the tour, just fined $200 Euros each. To be fair, two men who are built like skeletons slapping each other can hardly be called a "fight".

Keep watching kids... Versus is doing a hell of a job as usual.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 5

Well, Cavendish has his head straight it appears. He showed amazing emotion after the race, crying as he got his stage trophy. I love the guy, but then again I also have a fondness for over the top sports personalities. (See my love of pro-wrestling)

Watching the Versus coverage last night and seeing the interviews they did with the Garman squad... from the first interview my reaction was "Farrah is healthy enough to go for it." Felt good to be right. If he had made the correct move, he would have won that stage. This is going to be fun to watch next week when we get back to sprint stages.

The mountains loom... well the first set anyway. Saturday is the first Alpine stage (and then the World Cup final, great sports TV day).

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 4

Not a lot of carnage yesterday, we just your average first week flat/sprinters stage. Great drama at the end with that sprint, however. What does look promising is how many guys from Garman/Slipstream are in good health. As Tyler Farrah gets healthy, we could be looking at some serious output from that team.

Most of the riders interviewed seemed okay with the way the first three stages played out. "That's a bike race" is what you heard most often. *grumble* I suppose... still... brutal course selection has led to an entire Peleton in bandages.

Le Tour 2010 - Stage 3

Cobblestones were as brutal as advertised. I've never seen the classics that feature them... that is just a rough ride.

Another GC guy goes down in Frank Schleck... the site of him laying on the side of the road was painful enough to watch, but word that he has 3 fractures to his collar bone makes it that much more cringe worthy.

Tyler Farrah is a bad bad man. Fractured wrist and a score of bumps and bruises, but the man is still in the race. I was already rooting for the dude... but now it is magnified. Hope he can make it to Paris and show just how tough an SOB he is. If he even manages to sprint in a stage or two, well, he's made of iron.

Lance's flat tire sucked, but his form looks outstanding. He looks like a man who is ready to win the race. I'm hoping he didn't lose too much yesterday for it to hamper him.

All in all, not as much carnage as day 2, but still... Le Tour is about suffering on some level, but the race planners this year are bordering on Sadists with some of the route choices. While yesterday made for compelling television, it was because of the effort of Armstrong, Contador, Andy Schleck, Spartacus and Thor. It shouldn't be easy, but I think this is a bit much.

Flat stage today, if anyone has the gas left for a sprint, it should be a fun finish.

Le Tour 2010

"So I guess this year they don't care about skill, just if you have enough to survive" - The Crowbar

That's paraphrasing, but the sentiment was captured. This years Tour de France, the first two stages at least, have been more about making it through to the end than anything else. We were robbed of a sprint finish on Stage 1 by three successive crashes. Then Stage 2 treated us to what can be accurately be described as cycling carnage. I've been an avid watcher of Le Tour for a decade... I've never seen anything like this. Seeing Andy Schleck with what has to be a severe shoulder/collarbone injury stand by the side of the road in shock summed it up. This isn't fair... this isn't because someone was better on a mountain... this is because the road was too narrow for that many riders... and then it rained. To lose out of the finish because of nonsense like that goes beyond sport... it is simply cruel.

So far Schleck hasn't abandoned, but he *has* to be hurt and that will impact his chances in the mountains. VanDeVelde continues his snake-bit dance with the Tour, cracking 2 ribs, lacerating his freaking eye-lid and generally having his body destroyed after 3 successive crashes. If Tyler Farrah can keep sprinting with the pain he must be in (jacked up wrist, general falling injuries) it will be heroic to watch. Farrah vs Cavendish was a reason to watch the Tour this year... now it might be a never was.

At least most of the GC remained up right. Fabian "Spartacus" Canchelara is to thank for that. He slowed the Peleton, even convincing it to neglect the sprint finish. Sure his team leader fell down, but the man is a titan in cycling. He is a old school professional who wants to win things on the road because he or his team was better than another man, not because they were able to avoid a wreck they had no hand in causing. The fact alone that Contador and Armstrong were caught behind the series of wrecks and had to push hard to get back to the lead group is enough to tell you this was a crap day. Those guys hug the front. They live on the front of the Peleton, specifically for days like this. That's how bad it was... people scanning likes hawks for wrecks, knowing they would come still got caught up.

And all this is before Stage 3... 200k on freaking cobblestone roads. I know cyclists have pain tolerances that are truly inhuman, but Good Lord. This is like making golf courses longer to "Tiger-proof" them, except instead of length they added MMA fighters to protect every green. Wait... that would be awesome... contemplate the visual of Brock Lesner on the 18th hole of the Masters, staring down Lefty McManboobs ready to pounce. Who wouldn't watch that?

But I digress... we will see how all this hits the contenders as the race progresses. It would be a shame if the Le Tour 2010 dies a slow death because every contender is broken long before the mountains can crack them.

Thoughts?

Kavaki

 
Kavaki, originally uploaded by pkhtexas.

Just finished painting my model for the Jester's campaign.

Thoughts?

When you get what you wanted...

I know already that I'm going to be in the minority here. But...

I really enjoyed the Lost finale, and yes, I got it. The show about journeys of faith, trust and destiny came to a close. It walked a beautiful line, giving the first hour of great moments of redemption and beauty. People found their meaning and more importantly, those that they loved, and moved through with it.

The island is exactly what they said it was in Across the Sea... it is the light that is everything. If you snuff it, you snuff the world. I have a long winded theory about what the church scene meant, but its late and sleep is calling.

Lost left me with joy in my heart and a sense that I saw something come to its conclusion. There are threads unresolved, and those will soon enough annoy me, but right now, I have a smile and felt rewarded for being a fan.

Linda Holmes over at NPR has a similar take to mine...

Just less bitchy... LINKY

Learn to Trust A Story Teller ... or ... Why I Want to Strangle Most of Fandom

So yes, on many levels, the title sounds like pot calling the kettle black, I know. If you have ever heard my thoughts on X-Men 3, you know I HATE miss-handled stories. The thing is, I waited till I saw the whole thing and *then* I shit all over it. I had problems with the way the story progressed as well as how ridiculous some of the things that happened were. It completely stepped away from what had been built in the first two movies and in general aborted the franchise.

Now... Lost... and yes... spoilers (and vitriol) may or may not abound... read at your own risk...

I love this show. It is everything that is brilliant about serialized story telling. You have to check your instant gratification at the door. It is the only way to truly enjoy it. If you want every answer ever, watch something else. The whole show is about faith ... faith and mysticism. Of course there will be things that aren't answered. If we have to explain to you what the light is about and why everything started, well, there are whole schools devoted to studying that degree of philosophy. Get the hell over yourself... everything isn't spoon fed... use your damn mind and think.

But more than anything... stop being pissed that they haven't answered everything. I've come to a point where I accept where the story is going... but I'm also a comic book guy. I am VERY comfortable with the idea that I won't get every answer right away, and really will only get the answers that matter. Some things will always stay a mystery. That's because the storyteller wanted it that way. We aren't talking the end of the Sopranos where it felt like they played a trick on the audience. We are talking about a show that has always been about mystery. Trust that the story tellers will take you where they want the story to go. They will resolve the major issues of the show, and if not, I too will light them up. Until then... let Cuse and Lindleof take you on the journey or get off the bus.

Things I've seen that drive me insane:
1. What will happen if Smokey leaves the island? Why is it bad? Well, they've kind of made that clear... the world will end. If he gets out, he's full blown evil. He gets off the island and he will destroy the world. If you need that made clearer, well, you are likely one of those people who spills hot coffee and is surprised it burns you.
2. What is this "infected"? Are you stupid? It isn't some kind of disease like cancer... they are referring to the idea that a person has been taken to the dark side. They just don't want to say it that way because it sounds silly. It's called a story device used to make something sound mysterious.
3. Why don't we know Smokey's name? Because. That's why. Eat it fan-boy... you don't get to know the name of the full embodiment of evil, if for no other reason than Cuse and Lindelof want to mess with you for being annoying... and I wouldn't put it past them.
4. What was the deal with Walt? Why did they drop his story? Well, he hit puberty harder than anyone saw coming. And well, not every turn in a TV show has a story reason. Sometimes people get a DUI and have to get killed off suddenly and that's the way that goes. Yep, there death didn't mean a thing... but the actor didn't give the show a choice.

Those are just some examples... and really... for so much of Lost fandom I have a simple message: (Camera 3 moment)

Shut up. Never talk again. Get the hell over yourself. Watch the show for what it is... entertainment. It's a freaking TV show. Watch it and let the story unfold. Stop being pissed that they made you think and explore your own ideas about why and who and what. They've answered most of the what the hell stuff... the whispers, why did Jack see his father, who were Adam and Eve, what is at the heart of the island, why did Jacob bring them to the island...


It is entertainment and meant to spark your mind to think about things. It isn't designed to spoon feed you everything you ever wanted to know. If you don't like where the story went, that I can talk to you about... but don't give me this shit about "why don't they tell me how everything works?" If you need that, well, I'm terrified at how you contemplate the reality of your own existence.

Thoughts...

Random thoughts on a Thursday morning while I wait for data to calculate...

• Comics: Well Seige has ended, wrapping up almost 3 years of Marvel storytelling. I feel the same way I did at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths... felt good to find closure to the story. The book felt like a proper ending to something that pushed comics storytelling and reminded everyone why heroes are heroes. The redemption of Loki was especially cool. You realized that while he is full of mischief, that mischief is in the service of Odin and Asgard. Volstag also summed it perfectly... "All will pay for their sins this day"
• Tabletop: I'm fully into Warmachine. It's just a better game. The rules are tightly written, the models have a unique and beautiful aesthetic, and it's just... well... fun. My Menoth army grows as new options come forward and I learn to enjoy all the different aspects of the army... perhaps Hordes will offer the same joy.
• Longhorns: Baseball team is playing at an unfairly high level. Can't wait for the tournament to watch them.
• Android: Damn you Sprint... the Droid Eris gets 2.1... why can't I have it for my Hero? It's the same damn phone.
• Music: Listen to the Muse HAARP live disc... its Muse at their most Muse

Because everyone needs a little motivation now and then...

Follow through
Make your dreams come true
Don't give up the fight
You will be alright
'Cause there's no one like you in the universe


Don't be afraid
What your mind conceives
You should make a stand
Stand up for what you believe
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we're invincible


During the struggle
They will pull us down
But please, please
Let's use this chance
To turn things around
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we're invincible


Do it on your own
It makes no difference to me
What you leave behind
What you choose to be
And whatever they say
Your souls unbreakable


During the struggle
They will pull us down
But please, please
Let's use this chance
To turn things around
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we're invincible
Together we're invincible


During the struggle
They will pull us down
Please, please
Let's use this chance
To turn things around
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we're invincible
Together we're invincible

1 Free Throw

Seriously? Can't hit 1. Fucking. Free. Throw?

On other notes...
Do yourself a favor and check out The Heavy... they are the band responsible for the How You Like Me Now song in the Kia add where the monsters run amok. The CD (The House that Dirt Built) has a ton of flavor, and feels like a garage band with funky foundations and horns.

Much to my own surprise, I'm coming around on Kings of Leon... more on this later.

A look into things to come...

> Sequential Story Telling and the Cliff Hanger - a theory on why some people live for it and some people hate it
> Podcasts you should be listening to
> How I learned to love the little things... Why Zombieland was excellently crafted entertainment
> The Pacific - thoughts as I watch more than the first episode
> The Seige - how years of vigilance standing behind BMB have been payed off in spades


All for now... talk to you kids in a few days...

Tired...

Post deleted as it was full of emo...

A Yurt is a Tent

The things you learn at the D&D table...

That, and roller girls make great cup cakes... no really... that isn't some kind of double entendre thing... one of the player's girlfriends made these awesome cup cakes with a melted Hershey's kiss in the middle... oh so tasty... and now she's taunting me with this red velvet cake description that is just... man... I'm having a Homer Simpson moment.

Packing, well, it goes. Man I hate how much dust gets everywhere no matter how much I try to clean... which is admittedly not as much as I should. At least this move will be easier than the last. We have enough boxes and I already have most of my stuff ready to put in boxes.

Warmachine continues to draw my interest... more as I read the rules and actually get a chance to play.

So this was one of the most cathartic weeks of my life. Took care of so many things and put so many others in motion for positive change. Going to end up waving good bye to someone who seems to be missing out, but that's the way things go. For so much of my life I've lived under so much weight, and this week did a lot to push that into the "done" column. Change is a brutal thing, and I'm feeling every bit of it, but man I'm happier to have things move forward.

All for now kids... anyone else want to share?

Weekend thoughts...

Watched most of the first season of West Wing Sunday... it's like watching a road map for the next 4 season... Sorkin telegraphs every story he's going to tell, but it's so brilliantly crafted, it doesn't matter.

Wiretree - great band... good driving to the lake music...

Warmachine is everything addictive about deck building in Magic The Gathering with the modeling fun of Warhammer... MK II is tightly written and the game seems to be all about going for the jugular. I'll have my Menoth army together by summer. Can't wait to learn a new game...

We are moving... Crowbar and I are moving just a hair north of where we are now because we found a better place for the effectively the same price... more space, we can see the sun and my cell phone works... just waiting to move out before I light up the old apartment on Yelp or something...

When I was a kid the dunk contest was the most magnetic thing ever... this year I completely forgot it happened until I heard the Sports Center Radio guy talking about how lame it was...

We got the T-Rex some D&D 4E on Friday... here's hoping the 1st TPK I've ever seen in 4E wasn't an indication of things to come....

A new Week dawns... anyone else do anything fun this Weekend?

Siege and Lost

Mmmm... tasty serialized story telling
Lost came back... and while it answered things, it did the constant bait and switch of causing more questions... which is what Lost does better than any show ever has. I'm a sucker and can't wait to see where this goes.

"Osborn, you might want to turn around"
Siege... good God on a pogo stick... Siege. You can feel it when you read it... you can hear Bendis saying "remember how I kept telling everyone this was going somewhere? Well... ITS ON". Holy crap this is a great pay off book. I'm digging the heck out of it. Nevermind all of the push to it and the epic nature of the stories once you realized that was where Marvel was going.

All in all... its a good time to be reading comics... the coming tablet wars will redefine the industry, and the storytelling is ready to meet the new formats.

Chrome Puff

So I hate to admit it. I've been a Firefox guy for almost 10 years. I'm giving Chrome a fair shake now that its up to version 4 and has Ad-block available.

OMG

It is so damn fast.

I can't even... I mean things load instantly almost. On top of that, very little of the web is crappy like you would expect. Just... an excellent browsing experience. I might even drop Firefox for it... maybe.

Two gripes... I want to be able to make the buttons smaller in the tool bar and I want to be able to move the extension buttons around. Other than that, its fantastic. I guess I might have to look into how to make a theme for it to see what is possible.

Over all, Chrome is an excellent browser, fast as hell and a minimal user interface for maximum content view.

Seeing it live

First off, read this... it is a Bill Simmons article about the brilliance of Lebron James, who I'm probably going to have to go see after reading it. First basketball player since Olajuwan in his prime that I thrilled to pay the price to see.

Don't get me wrong, Jordan was amazing, and his impact on the entire game was felt like a wave of intensity (I saw him live twice), but Olajuwan was like watching someone move with super-human body control. His smile was this infection that spread through the team... when he was on, he was unstoppable...

David Robinson (probably the best defensive center of that generation), shell shocked after Olajuwan had averaged something like 34/9/4 for the 1995 EPIC play-off series between San Antonio and Houston: "I thought I defended him pretty well." The guy looked like you had crotch punched him for hours. He was in a state of shock. So was every San Antonio fan. The 1995 Rockets team had 6 real players. (The Dream, Clyde, Kenny the Jet, Mario "Kiss of Death" Ellie, Big Shot Bob, and Sam Cassell) When you are three guards and a soft power forward, you really should be able to stop the center right? He's the only inside threat. Not that year. There was no answer for Olajuwan. The guy flowed and moved like a cat bred with a snake. He moved fluidly, and the fade away he could pull on you after the seemingly endless head fakes was unstoppable. He beat a young Shaq, Robinson in his prime, and a motivated Barkley. Sure all the games and series were close... one man can only do so much, but watching Olajuwan in those play offs made me gleeful to be a sports fan.

And because my dad was awesome and had season tickets, I got to watch The Dream in his prime live. I got to see all the little things that make the great that much greater.

So here's my list of other moments that brought the same joy...

> Ricky Williams breaking the all-time rushing record against A&M - one of the truly epic moments in Texas Football history, he breaks the record on a long run to the endzone, carrying two defenders with him into the end zone. Williams remains the best back I've ever seen in college.

> Randy Johnson vs Mark McGuire, Astro Dome, 1998 - Before we knew all about steroids, when the home run chase was still AWESOME, I got to see this match up. Johnson was over powering and didn't even put McGuire on base the whole game. Pitched right at him and struck him out. A close second was watching Billy Wagner fan Bonds on 3 pitches earlier that year.

> No kiss for you (Last Southwest Conference Championship) - Texas had lost to A&M something like 100 times in a row going into that game. It was at Kyle Field. Texas was scrappy, but inconsistent. They beat A&M 16-6 to win the last SWC Championship, and more importantly, deny Aggies the chance to smooch after a touchdown.

> I will never doubt Vince Young again (vs OKState, 2004) - Texas was down 35-7 just before half. My father looks at me as we stand in a quickly emptying DKR and says "Ya know, if they score right here, then they get the ball back to start the half and score, they could totally come back and win this game." He was only kind of kidding. And then... they did it. Texas won 51-35. Second best single game I've ever attended. That was when I signed up for the church of Vince Young. The guy is unlike any athlete I've seen live. He has the a liquidity of movement like Olajuwan... his speed is deceptive... he doesn't look fast, until you realize he just cleared 20 yards in about 5 steps. He also has that John Elway/Joe Montana "we gonna win this right here, right now" presence. This was the night that he became a Burnt Orange Kool-Aid salesman.

> The Best Game I've ever been to... The Inaugural Big XII Championship (1996) - before the game when asked what he thought of the 20 point spread, Texas quarterback James Brown said "Hey, they might win by 20, we might win by 20, we gotta play the game." People lost their minds and thought he was insane for giving a dominant Nebraska team motivation to stomp a mud hole. Then... something happened in St. Louis. The band felt it when we did pre-game... there was an energy. The team came out fired up in the ways you never saw from Macovik's teams. They got the kick-off and went right down the field and scored. Priest Holmes had a GREAT day, while Dan Neil and the Texas O-line played out of their minds. The game came down to the best roll-out ever, Ricky Williams making the block that let Brown set his legs and throw a perfect ball. Running down the field, the tight end Lewis saw the Nebraska DB chasing him and made sure to secure the ball. I have goose bumps typing this...


Seeing the two Rose Bowl victories in 2005 and 2006 were amazing, but there is something about being in the stadium that makes those moments that much more electric.

So... who has their own memories?

A few notes...

Sorry for the delay, been crazy busy...

> With the new Nids book out, I was WAY closer to an army than I thought. I should start seeing table time with them soon enough. The book itself reads like an awesome horror novel. It is GREAT.
> Gotta craft a Warshine for the Fantasy tournament this weekend. I have the parts... just need to get to it.
> Red Cliff is amazing... watch it if you get a chance.
> Blueprint III is still awesome... even after a ton of listens. The first 10 tracks on that record (minus one verse by Kanye) are untouchable. Brilliant record that moves the game forward.
> I had to resort to using a ticket sheet. MMMM gruel. To be fair tho, by using it, I was able to figure out how to make the super formula work on v2.
> The explosion of tablets at CES pushes things closer to my dream of an color e-Reader for comics.
> This just in... allergies suck
> Breaking news... new mattresses are expensive

Okay, enough for today. Don't break nuthin can't be fixed.

Well Shit

Really proud to call myself a Longhorn fan tonight. Really wish they had won and I'm sick to my stomach about losing. But man... they fought. They didn't lie down, and Garrett Gilbert grew up in front of everyone.

I'm also proud to root for a university and coaching staff that refused to let Colt come back into the game when his shoulder was sprained. It cost them the game. There is no doubt in my mind. But it didn't cost Colt his future. I'll take that any day of the week.

So... there is next year and more to watch. I'm proud to be a Texas fan, and really happy that I can sleep tonight knowing that Texas fought for every inch and kept coming back when they needed to. Those two videos in the previous post were a tad on the nose wouldn't you say?

Hook 'Em

\m/ Get your HORNS UP \m/





All the pretense will be done soon... all the pre-game predictions made. It is now time to bring the wood. If you have it, bring it. Fight for every inch...



And when it gets hard, remember...



If you are Texas fan and this doesn't have you rockin... well... I got nothin for you. It's go time kids. And now... to borrow from the Drop Kick Murphys...

Rally together, gather around, the sense of a battle is near...

The cannon sounds, the new year begins...

Fear nothing now... THE GANGS ALL HERE!

It's On

Just over 24-hours to go. Here's memories...


Let's make some new ones tomorrow night... Who else is ready to dance?