NFL Picks Week Sixteen sponsored by Studio Yukupo

I don't have that much to say right now but what an incredible weasel David Stern is. He has been going around this week talking about the aborted Hornets-Lakers-Rockets trade that he nixed and of course chief in that concern is the fact the NBA owns the Hornets - he's talked about how the league is doing everything they can to save professional basketball in New Orleans. Hey asshole! You sure didn't lift a finger at all to save pro basketball in Seattle! Now there is a town that could actually support their team. What a lying scumbag. His league has no integrity. Let's hope the NFL doesn't follow suit bending to the will of idiots in their own league like the despicable James Harrison. When people like that are mouthing off and getting all the press plaudits, is it any wonder a guy like Tebow gets to be so popular against their will?

Picks after the jump.

Dexter - S6 E12 - This is the Way the World Ends

Dexter makes his way back to shore where Travis is plotting his final atrocity.

Spoilers after the jump.

NFL Picks Week Fifteen sponsored by Studio Yukupo

Rather than talk about the disastrous week I had last week picks-wise, we'll discuss a dish I made while listening to the radio yesterday which involved hosts and pundits talking about how tired they were of talking about Tim Tebow for about three hours. Seriously. How can they claim that everyone is giving Tebow all the credit and giving none to the defense, the coach, the O-line etc, when that's all they spend theor time stressing? Damn hypocrites.

The Famous Non-Baltimore Crab Cakes

Ingredients
500g white crab meat
1 Tbsp Thai green curry paste
1 lime zest only
8 spring onions, finely chopped
1 red chilli, sees removed, finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped
120g breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten

- Put the crab meat, curry paste, lime zest, spring onions, chilli, lemon grass, breadcrumbs and egg in a bowl.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Mix.
- Mould cakes.
- Fry.
- Serve!

Picks after the jump.

NCAA College Football Picks Bowl Week 1

No time for columns or analysis, too much to do, that's why they call it Stressmas (they do!?)  just pure football picks

Bowl Week One
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking
(*) = Awesome Name of Bowl Game

Wyoming (+6.5) vs Temple
(Gildan New Mexico Bowl)
Ohio (+2.5) vs Utah State
(Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)
San Diego State (-5) vs UL-Lafayette
(R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl)
Florida International (-4) vs Marshall
(Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg)
[16] TCU (-10.5) vs Louisiana Tech
(San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl)
[8] Boise State (-14) vs Arizona State
(Maaco Bowl Las Vegas)
[22] Southern Miss (-6) vs Nevada
(Sheraton Hawaii Bowl)
North Carolina (+5) vs Missouri
(Advocare V100 Independence Bowl)
Purdue (-2.5) vs Western Michigan
(Little Caesar's Bowl)
N.C. State (-2.5) vs Louisville
(Belk Bowl)
Toledo (-3) vs Air Force
(Military Bowl)
California (+3) vs Texas
(Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl)

Picks after the jump.

Person of interest - S1 E10 - Number Crunch

Carter is quizzed about her interaction with Reese who is chasing down multiple numbers. When he hits trouble, she has a serious decision to make.

Review after the jump.

Glee - S3 E9 - Extraordinary Merry Christmas

Artie directs a holiday special starring the New Directions to be broadcast on local television.

Review after the jump.

2 Broke Girls - S1 E12 - And the Pop-Up Sale

Caroline decides to sell her exclusive designer rings to fund a new oven for Max.

Review after the jump.

Dexter - S6 E11 - Talk to the Hand

Travis launches an assault on Miami Metro Homicide while Dexter plots to foil him. Deb is forced to face all her worst fears.

Spoilers after the jump.

NFL Picks Week Fourteen sponsored by Studio Yukupo

I wonder how NFL players remember all their passwords? That's my tenuous link to the NFL for this spiel. When they have to cram the contents of a 700 page playbook in their heads as well, how do they have space for passwords? You're told that you need a different password for every account you make and it needs to be randomly generated made up of letters, numbers, maybe even symbols. You're not supposed to write it down or keep any kind of record of it.

Impossible! If I go a few months without using an account I'll forget the password. Of course the worst part is, what happens when you remember the password but forget the name on the account? Then you're really screwed. I was allegedly told by Chris that what we need is some kind of biometric recognition system - turn over all our information to the machines and let them handle it for us. Sounds like a great idea, and he has no ulterior motive either. He's certainly not planning a machine uprising.

Picks after the jump.

Person of Interest - S1 E9 - Get Carter

Detective Carter is thrown up as the next victim by the machine leaving Reese no option but to protect his nemesis.

Review after the jump.

Community - S3 E10 - Regional Holiday Music

The group is asked to fill in for the indisposed glee club and one by one, they are sucked into performing.

Review after the jump.

Up All Night - S1 E11 - First Christmas

Reagan srives to make Amy's first Christmas as special and glittery as possible. Chris hunts a good present for REagan but worries about funds.

Review after the jump.

Glee - S3 E8 - Hold On To Sixteen

The New directions get set to compete in Sectionals. Finn and Rachel bring Sam back to the fold, Quinn plots against Shelby, Finn has an altercation with Blaine and Tina gets aggressive in her dealings with Mike's dad.

Spoilers after the jump.

Gossip Girl - S5 E10 - Riding in Town Cars With Boys

Dan is working up the courage to admit his feelings to Blair just as Serena may be redisovering hers for him. Ivy's past continues to haunt her and Nate solidifies his position.

Spoilers after the jump.

2 Broke Girls - S1 E11 - And the Reality Check

With snow coming down, Caroline is forced to find alternative accomodation for her horse Chestnut.

Review after the jump.

How I Met Your Mother - S7 E12 - Symphony of Illumination

Robin worries she might be pregnant but if wary about sharing her secret. Marshall befriends a neighborhood kid.

Spoilers after the jump.

Dexter - S6 E10 - Ricochet Rabbit

Dexter chases Travis, having discovered his secret but appears to be a step behind. Deborah has some unexpected revelations.

Spoilers after the jump.

NFL Picks Week Thirteen sponsored by Studio Yukupo

Three-Quarter Point Power Poll
This is a list based on who I think is better, regardless of record - although Bill Parcells did say of course, "You are what your record says you are."

1. Green Bay Packers
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Teams just don't seem so varied lately. Even though San Francisco and Pittsburgh aren't as good as their press clippings may indicate, they're still more solid than almost every other team out there such is the current state of the league.Despite their unbeaten status, I'm not even sure Green Bay is so elite.

5. New England Patriots
6. New Orleans Saints
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Oakland Raiders

These teams are all good and capable of beating anyone in the tier above, but there is a fundamental weakness of spirit hidden deep within that feels like it will fail them at some point. The team that ends up inning the whole thing has often come from the second tier of contenders lately however.

9. Houston Texans
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. Chicago Bears
12. New York Jets

Three of these teams don't have a quarterbackwhich limits their potential. If Chicago can get Cutler back refreshed and healthy, they could tear through the playoffs but I'm not sure any of the others have enough coaching depth to pull one out.

More and picks after the jump.

NCAA College Football Picks Week 14

My annually wrong BCS bowl projections:

National Title: LSU vs Alabama
Sugar Bowl: Houston vs Michigan
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs Boise State
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs Wisconsin
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Louisville

I feel truly sorry for anyone who has to sit through that awful Orange Bowl matchup. Everyone is supposedly whining at the prospect of LSU and Alabama rematching in the Title game. Hold on. Isn't that what everyone wanted for months and months? Sounds like revisionist history; any old ploy to get their beloved playoffs in place. There's no way any playoff system would be satisfactory. This isn't basketball where the games don't mean anything. Any scenario that leads to the most self important pompous sportswriters and pundits feeling put out works fine for me.

Picks after the jump.

Community - S3 E9 - Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism

Jeff is looking to hone his foosball skills and finds an unlikely mentor in Shirley. Annie accidentally destroys Abed's $300 Collector's DVD and concocts a bizarre scenario to deflect guilt.

Review after the jump.

Ringer - S1 E10 - That's What You Get for Trying to Kill Me

Bridget, Andrew and Malcolm work to expose Charlie who is antsy and wants to dispose of Gemma. Juliet attempts to get intimate with Logan Echolls and Machado makes a breakthrough in the Macawi case.

Spoilers after the jump.

Glee - S3 E7 - I Kissed a Girl

The McKinley High Class President title vote draws to a head. Santana is forced to confront her demons. Puck makes progress with Shelby.

Spoilers after the jump.

House, M.D. - S8 E8 - Perils of Paranoia

The team treats a prosecutor who hides an arsenal of weaponry in his house. Wilson goes on a hunt for House's own concealed firearms. Park fears she is not respected. Taub interferes in Foreman's business.

Spoilers after the jump.

Gossip Girl - S5 E9 - Rhodes to Perdition

Max takes aim at Ivy as the Rhodes family gathers for a function. Nate finds he has family problems of his own brewing. Blair makes a naked attempt to get closer to Chuck under the pretense of getting tips on making Louis a better man.

Spoilers after the jump.

Dexter - S6 E9 - Get Gellar

Travis and Dexter join forces to take down Gellar. Deb finds she could use the help of her psychiatrist and Lewis disregards Batista's unfriendly advice.

Spoilers after the jump.

NFL Picks Week Twelve sponsored by Studio Yukupo

Other than pointing out how right I was a few weeks ago when I said older brother John had the beating of Jim, and how proud I was to go 3-0 with my Thanksgiving picks, I didn't really prepare anything to write this week about NFL stuff so here's a delicious starter/side dish recipe that serves four.

King Prawn Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 225g/8oz Raw King Prawns (jumbo shrimps), peeled and deveined
• 4 Spring Onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 10cm/4-inches Cucumber, cut into 5cm/2-inch julienne strips
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped Coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
• 1 teasp Fish Sauce
• 2 fresh Red chillies, finely chopped
• The juice of 1 Lemon

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and when very hot add the prawns and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until they turn pink.

2. Remove the prawns from the pan with a slotted spoon and cut into thin slices diagonally.

3. Place the prawn slices in a mixing bowl together with the remaining ingredients and toss to mix well. Serve immediately

Picks after the jump.

NCAA College Football Picks Week 13

Despite all appearances to the contrary, there are people out there more insufferable than SEC homers. For example:

- Bill Maher
- Joy Behar
- Trent Dilfer
- Merrill Hoge
- Jason Whitlock
- All the other humps rooting for Tim Tebow to fail
- Everyone squatting at an Occupy movement event
- Environmentalists
- People who don't appreciate how awesome a public holiday in the middle of November is, I'd be a way better American than them.

The important thing to remember is that while the SEC is 1-2-3, 4 through 12 are no great shakes. If an SEC fan starts yapping about Georgia and the conference strength in depth, remind them that they got the crap kicked out of them by Boise State. How can we judge them when they're playing Furman? They're gonna finish 4-5 in their bowl games. We'll call it a moral victory.

Picks after the jump.

Up All Night - S1 E10 - Week Off

Reagan is forced to take a week off when the studio is flooded but can't stop fussing over every little detail back home.

Review after the jump.

House, M.D. - S8 E7 - Dead & Buried

House is obsessed with the case a young boy who died under mysterious circumstances but Foreman tries to distract with a different patient.

Spoilers after the jump.

Gossip Girl - S5 E8 - All the Pretty Sources

Ivy and Max have a showdown over her identity. Nate hatches a plan to out Gossip Girl's anonymous tipsters but is dissuaded by Serena.

Spoilers after the jump.

2 Broke Girls - S1 E10 - And the Very Christmas Thanksgiving

Max is apathetic about the holiday season but Caroline is overly enthused and accidentally breaks Max's blender.

Very Brief Review after the jump.

How I Met Your Mother - S7 E11 - The Rebound Girl

Marshall and Lily reconsider their decision to stay in the heart of the city. Ted and Barney, depressed over lost loves, concoct a crazy scheme.

Spoilers after the jump.

Dexter - S6 E8 - Sin of Omission

Travis tries to lead a normal life but continues to be hounded by Gellar. Deb is picking up his trail and also must deal with Dexter's unwillingness to open up.

Spoilers after the jump.

NFL Picks Week Eleven sponsored by Studio Yukupo

I meant to do this last week, but forgot, I have a question - with it all being assured that the Colts will end up with the first pick, select Andrew luck and trade Peyton Manning, where will he end up? No fear! I have the answer in ascending likelihood. He's not interested in being a mentor to some younger QB so we can rule out Jacksonville, etc and focus on teams without long-term solutions.

Seattle Seahawks: Highly unlikely, but a dude can dream, right?

Cleveland Browns: Again, highly unlikely but it is within driving distance of Indianapolis. I have a feeling he'd prefer to go somewhere where there's a chance of winning.

NY Jets: They have Mark Sanchez but reputedly, there's a rift between him and Rex and a general power struggle. He is a guy holding them back and I wonder if Manning were to appear on the block, don't you think the Jets would put in a speculative bid?

Kansas City Chiefs: This works on the premise that they continue to fall apart and Todd Haley gets the bullet. With him gone, you can safely bomb out Cassel without too many fears of reprisal, you get all your nice defensive pieces like Berry back, contend next year and give some more reflected glow to Pioli.

Miami Dolphins: With a high draft pick they might pick Barkley, but the defense is pretty good already. If they took Blackmon with their top pick instead and flipped the 2013 pick for Manning, couldn't you see them contending in the AFC East next year? Yes, this is all very short-term thinking but desperate teams make for desperate measures.

San Francisco 49ers: If Alex Smith continues to make strides this might be a moot point, but they're ready to win, have picks to spare and Harbaugh and Peyton may have a little of that Colts camaraderie. Kaepernick is not a factor because he was only a second round pick and he's not that good anyway.

Washington Redskins: I don't know why I even bothered considering the rest of these teams, there is no way Dan Snyder could resist this one. The guy never learns and I'm sure Shanahan would be eager to have on board the guy who destroyed him over and over.

Picks after the jump.

NCAA College Football Picks Week 12

With all the discombobulation this week, I didn't prepare anything to write as precursor to my college picks so instead we'll talk about women.

Women! I don't understand them. It's a cliche sure but I swear if they wouldn't lie so damn much about what they really want and how they really feel, things would be a damn sight easier. I don't consider myself for example to be a particularly evasive or choosy guy. For all the women out there waiting for that perfect match, c'mon it's probably not gonna happen. For all you women out there digging for better financial and living situations rather than being with someone who takes care of you and loves you and respects you and all that comes with you, sure I get it but you pretty much disgust me. For all the ones out there who stick a violent or otherwise lousy guy because you're addicted to him like a drug, I'm sorry for you and wish you would allow yourselves to be rescued.

I better end this before it gets labeled misogynistic and i get in even more trouble than a Penn State administrator. Too soon?

Picks after the jump.

Person of Interest - S1 E8 - Foe

Reese and Finch attempt to halt a former Stassi agent's revenge spree.

Review, minor spoilers after the jump.

Community - S3 E8 - Documentary Filmmaking: Redux

Dean Pelton is charged with making a brand-new recruitment video for Greendale but goes overboard in ensuring its perfection.

Very, very brief review after the jump.

Up All Night - S1 E9 - Hiring and Firing

Chris is desperate for some down time so he and Reagan attempt to find a regular babysitter. Reagan has problems of her own at work where she is accused of having lost her cutting edge.

Review after the jump.

Ringer - S1 E9 - Shut Up and Eat Your Bologna

Malcolm begins to suspect something is not quite right about Charlie, and feels that Bridget is getting far too comfortable in her new life. Bridget visits Siobahn's therapist and is disturbed by her findings. Meanwhile, Andrew's business partner Olivia is eager to talk to Henry after he reveals his wealthy father-in-law is in very poor health.

Spoilers after the jump.

Glee - S3 E6 - Mash Off

Will and Shelby get together to announce a friendly competition between their respective glee clubs but the competition between their spiritual leaders Santana and Finn is in danger of tipping over into violence. Puck tries to get closer to Shelby and his daughter.

Spoilers after the jump.

House, M.D. - S8 E6 - Parents

The case of a aspiring teenage circus clown who takes inspiration from his dead father has particular significance for Taub whose ex-wife is planning to move to Oregon with one of his daughters. Meanwhile, Wilson scores ringside tickets to a boxing match but is unable to take House due to the terms of his parole.

Spoilers after the jump.

Gossip Girl - S5 E7 - The Big Sleep No More

When Chuck appears to have turned a new leaf, Blair sets out to expose his true self. Nate feels pushed away by Diana and seeks solace in Charlie, but she has problems of her own after the reappearance of her ex-boyfriend who knows of her true identity.

Spoilers after the jump.

2 Broke Girls - S1 E9 - And the Really Petty Cash

After awkwardness ensues between Max and Johnny, herself and Caroline find themselves catering cupcakes at an event organized by his girlfriend Cassandra.

Review after the jump.

How i Met Your Mother - S7 E10 - Tick, Tick, Tick

Barney and Robin debate over whether to admit their misdeeds to their respective partners. Ted, Marshall and Lily attend a concert but Ted encourages Marshall to engage in some preparatory illicit behavior.

Spoilers after the jump.

Dexter - S6 E7 - Nebraska

Dexter goes on a road-trip after hearing that Trinity has supposedly struck again. Meanwhile, Travis attempts to break free from Gellar's influence.

Spoilers after the jump.

Community - S3 E7 - Studies in Modern Movement

Annie is moving into Troy and Abed's apartment but finds it's not everything she had imagined. Jeff skipped out but is caught by Dean Pelton and blackmailed into spending the day with him.

Spoilers after the jump.

Up All Night - S1 E8 - First Night Away

Reagan and Chris are desperate to have a night alone together and are forced to enlist Ava as a babysitter.

Review after the jump.

Ringer - S1 E8 - Maybe We Can Get a Dog Instead

Bridget and Andrew deal with the aftermath of her supposed miscarriage. Malcolm attempts to contact Bridget but comes up against a wall of Siobahn instead. Juliet may like her teacher a little too much.

Spoilers after the jump.

Glee - S3 E5 - The First Time

On the eve of the West Side Story premiere, Artie criticizes Rachel and Blaine for being virgins, claiming their performances are lacking as a result. Coach Beiste also has a crush on someone but can't bring herself to accept love.

Spoilers after the jump.

House, M.D. - S8 E5 - The Confession

The local hero of a town is hospitalized and he decides now would be a good time to confess his numerous misdeeds. Taub and Chase return to the hospital, and Taub has two baby girls with him.

Spoilers after the jump.