NFL picks Week Three sponsored by Studio Yukupo

Horrible week of picks for me last round but my spirit is not quite broken just yet. We'll just call it teething problems as I got suckered in like a fish on some of them as I shook my head afterwards wondering what the hell I was thinking. In particular, picking the Giants and Raiders  each at -4.5. Things are just too volatile at the beginning of the season and teams with obvious weaknesses should really never be picked -3 or higher unless they're playing Tampa at home, holy crap was that one not fun to watch unfold.

Picks after the jump.

NFL picks Week Two sponsored by Studio Yukupo

After the rousing success of my week one picks, going 4-1 with my Super Contest selection, I'm back to completely ruin everything and go 0-5 in week two, jsut you watch me. I was going to skip tonight's game and wait until Saturday before betting this week but then I heard that Rex Ryan is doing a reality show with his brother Rob. At that point, I knew that the shade I had thrown on the Bills in week one was 110% justified. The Jets are favored by one, it's essentially a pick 'em and pick the Jets I shall.

More picks after the jump.

UFC 203 picks sponsored by the Devon Corporation

I'm relatively new to following MMA but enjoy it a whole lot. I thought it would be fun to write a brief preview for UFC 203 as I had some thoughts about the matchups. I have gone back, watched old fights, listened to podcasts, read up on the subject and am learning all the time. I feel I do a pretty decent job of picking up on certain trends but this can be such an unpredictable sport and your best-laid plans can be waylaid be one lucky punch.

With that said, let's dive into the action- right after the jump.

NFL Picks Week One sponsored by Studio Yukupo

Yes, it's back! I'm not talking about football season, I'm talking about my picks column which I'm sure someone out there missed. This one goes out to you, buddy. Last Year I went 134-114-8 with my picks and I'm certain I will be just as terrible this year with the added wrinkle that I'll be singling out (fiveling out?) five games Las Vegas Super Contest style just to embarrass myself even further.

My general thought on how the season will go is that I have no flipping idea because pretty much every team has a fatal flaw that makes me not want to trust them. Even though W̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶H̶u̶n̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ Tom Brady is suspended for the first four games, it's difficult to look past them in the AFC. It will take an almighty fluke to overturn that sort of organizational superiority even with the quarter season handicap. In the NFC on paper it ought to be Green Bay, but the question is will Aaron Rodgers be distracted by his loser brother Jordan popping up everywhere attempting to expand his brand? I have a sneaking feeling about Tampa Bay but a conference title might be too much, too soon for them...

Picks after the jump.

True Detective - S2 E8 - Omega Station

The remaining crew plot their escape but there are still loose ends to be tied as the net closes around them...

Spoilers after the jump

UnREAL Season 1 in review

As a watcher of the Bachelor and being familiar with the way in such that type of show is produced, I was quick to pick up on UnREAL when it was first put out there fully expecting to be the only one watching. Somehow it became a cult hit - relatively speaking at least, it's still just a Lifetime show. I'm not entirely convinced it's quite as good as its media darling status proclaims it though.

It's fun to watch and I will definitely be looking out for it next year as it has been confirmed as renewed for a second season. The performances were also okay but I definitely felt the plotting was haphazard and the characterization a little inconsistent. More thoughts after the jump.

True Detective - S2 E7 - Black Maps and Motel Rooms

The detectives flee into hiding following the orgy. Meanwhile, Semyon attempts to get to the bottom of his financial collapse.

Spoilers after the jump.

Shenmue 3 update and The Bachelorette Season 11 wrap-up

Just one Shenmue update of note and then I will have some thoughts on the recently concluded season of the Bachelorette. Why? Well, because I can.

It's now more or less certain that there will be Paypal fund for donations to continue to the Shenmue 3 Project. While I'm of course in favor of Yu Suzuki having the money to make his vision a reality, I do carry a wariness over this kind of thing. It's certainly a less open process than Kickstarter or other public funding sites and it's not incumbent on the team to reveal how much they are making.

I certainly think it would be naive to just blindly trust them, especially considering they will never disclose what other sources of funding they are receiving and how they are being applied. I already wrote a post regarding these frustrations of mine about a month ago so there is no need to rehash it right now. With that said, when the fund is officially set up, I will post the link here and wish them luck.

Bachelorette musings after the jump.

True Detective - S2 E6 - Church in Ruins

Velcoro relapses while Frank is doing his job for him and Bezzerides infiltrates a sex party with mixed results.

Spoilers after the jump.

Shenmue 3: News and notes a week on

Just a short post more to force myself to keep abreast of Shenmue-verse news than anything else. First to note something a few people mentioned to me about how the exclusive original watch and jacket offered as rewards on the Kickstarter had actually been reserved but the buyer backed out at the last minute most probably because he had no intention of buying it in the first place. I just assume it was a guy, sorry for being sexist. Anyway I'm not too bothered by it because now if they so need, the team can auction them off and likely get more than what they were being offered for since it seems like there are a lot of wealthy lunatics hardcore, loyal fans.

The Kickstarter ended with a statement from Yu Suzuki thanking the fans for their support. According to him he "will listen to all of you to make Shenmue III even better" which I hope to God is false because 95% of the time fan ideas invariably makes everything worse because fans glorify stuff that doesn't have any place forming a core basis of a consumer product. How I Met Your Mother became an abysmal show when Barney became the focus of every episode. I like Mayumi but I bet following her around as she studies languages probably wouldn't make a great game. Ok, actually, I bet it would.

More notes after the jump.