Behold, a new Post!

"Hear Ye! Hear Ye!" sayeth the Town Crier.
Another semester has come and gone and now a two-week respite is here. Time for feasting and merriment by one and all. Whether dark and caffeinated, or another beverage of barley and hops, just be sure to make it strong & pleasing to taste. No servings of weak watered down swill please.
My Siberian Husky coffee mug is full...Let us think of Shakespeare, "Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war!"

Florida State: Congratulations and Wow! After the string of losses I had serious doubts about playing Va. Tech. The only glimmer of hope sprung from Miami's manhandling of them. Like the Canes I thought the Noles possessed enough team speed to possibly confound Va. Tech. I also hoped Mickey Andrews' defense would pull out the gameplan from the '99 championship game - the first Vick-led Hokies were crushed by a smothering defense that never gave Vick enough time to settle into the game. With that plan in mind, the coaches could invite every member of the '99 team to join them on the sidelines - like a conjuring of old glory for all the young guys to see.
And who would've guessed? The Seminoles scalped 'em! Next stop Miami and a date with JoePa! I'm still not convinced of Jeff Bowden's playcalling but that's for a later dispatch. For now, I'm throwing the prediction out there...
Once again the speed of Florida State will carry them to victory. Fire up the warchant. It's time for Penn State to meet Chief Osceola and the Seminole hoard. It'll be close, but once again Saint Bobby will be hoisting an Orange Bowl trophy above his head!

Carolina Panthers: You controlled your own destiny in the NFC South. Now it'll take some help to win the division. I have complete faith in John Fox. He and Hurney, the General Manager, know how to build a team. But the players better make sure they take care of business on the field - a trip back to Chicago or a showdown with the Seahawks may be in store for them come Playoff time.

Indianapolis Colts: Here's to hoping for perfection. Whether you like the Colts or not, how can you not like watching them play? Peyton's antics at the line are quite amusing and his skill at reading the defense are incredible. If his receivers are in single coverage he finds them, if they're doubled up he audibles off to James. The offensive linemen function like steamrollers and the defense is just as scary - watch out for Freeney's spin move. One more note on the Colts, even if you don't like them, you've got to admire their owner Jim Irsay. He owns the original copy of Jack Kerouac's On the Road and allows it to travel around for fans to see. How cool of a cat is he?

New York Giants: I thought they gave up too much to get Eli - guess that's why I'm not a GM. Eli's poise is well beyond his years. He is like a mirror image of his days at Ole Miss - not too many quarterbacks you can say that about. To clarify, watch a clip of a highly successful college qb then watch a clip of that same qb in the pros. Most of them don't make it. They can't adjust to the speed of the game. 1st round qb draft picks alone will justify my point. Eli is special and was well worth the trade.

Detroit: Are you kidding me? When will Matt Millen be held accountable for his actions? Mariucci coached 'em, but Millen put 'em all together. I can still recall hearing Peter King on The Dan Patrick Show questioning how you could choose Charles Rogers over Andre Johnson before the 2003 NFL draft. Johnson was built like a pro coming out of Miami, Rogers was built more like a toothpick. That's just one example of a bad decision over Millen's long, unsuccessful tenure. The Lions are in shambles and it's time the GM took the blame. Here's a word he should add to his vocabulary: resignation.

New England: Uh-oh. Look who is starting to hit their stride at just the right time? I would not want to face them in the playoffs. To quote Ric Flair, "Woooooooo! To be the man, you gotta beat the man." And New England is still the Man.

Seattle: The Seahawks may claim the NFC crown. Holmgren and company are not only winning at home, they're taking care of business on the road. With home field advantage locked up for the playoffs, Shaun Alexander may run them to the Super Bowl. But before we get there, how about the present we all get to share on December 25th? Indianapolis is coming to town. Assuming they're still undefeated, it'll be a game for all football fans to enjoy.

Coffee: Speaking of Seattle, it's time for a quick coffee break....Ahhh, like I said, make it strong - no swill here. My wife and I did end up having to replace the previously mentioned Capresso maker with a new one. Its clone now adorns our kitchen counter. Highly recommend it!
When homemade java's not available, I've really started to enjoy Dunkin' Donuts coffee. There's a drive thru on the way to my kids' daycare. Between the convenience and the taste, dare I say, it's better than Starbucks? Maybe if one of them would come out with the "buy nine and the tenth one's free" card, it would push them past the other. Of course neither is better than Port City Java, but I digress.

Hamlet: Saw the Laurence Olivier version of Shakespeare's classic the other night and loved it. While a few famous scenes were cut from the play - most notably Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, I thought it was remarkably well done. The camera angles and movement were superb and really added a great deal of insight. The film may have aged for the modern viewer, but the intentions, emotions, and brooding of Hamlet are still clear and even lucid during key scenes such as seeing the ghost of Hamlet's father, and his "get thee to a nunnery" exchange with Ophelia.
What can I say, I liked it. I'm an English Teacher after all.