Guy Ritchie, Hero

I confess. Two weeks ago I didn't know who Guy Ritchie was. Today I know.

Guy Ritchie is a hero.

Guy Ritchie just agreed to a divorce from his wife and she's ponying up $60 million, give or take a few quid. His soon to be ex-wife is Madonna.


Guy is getting a 1,200 acre country estate, a London pub, and cash. Madonna is keeping about 85% of her wealth, but she's giving Guy the heave-ho.


So, fellas, the precedent has been set. If your partner wants to boot you, your asking price is $60 million.


Start saving, girls.

Thank You, and Thank You for the Lesson, Too

HSHSQB got whacked and taught me just how kind people can be.

Translate, please.

My son, to whom I refer in certain circles as HSHSQB (Hot Shot High School Quarterback), took a vicious --and legal-- hit in the final minutes of his opening game this year. He's been hit hard before, he's landed in the ER before. We thought little of it. He continued to play for the next few days before confessing to the trainer (not to the parents, mind you) that he had a problem. Trainer sends kid to rehab place, rehab place says see doctor, doctor says big injury, kid gets scheduled for season ending surgery. Bang-bang-bang. And bang.

Between bang 3 and bang 4 is where the schooling began.

We have been fortunate to have avoided major injuries with the boy, and with the other kids before him, although the occasional guest author/daughter did run herself into a stress fracture as track athlete. A digression here, she has subsequently become a marathon runner, having completed the L.A. and now Chicago marathons, a feat which impresses me beyond expression.

Back at the current kid...after all the bangs, he, his mother and his father were all pretty bummed.

Then you started.

The things you have done have made such an impact on us, I can't thank you enough. Here's a partial list...

• Jess, coming over, bringing movies, spending time, you are so sweet


• Donna Kiewbawls, your selection of a birthday gift was inspired!


• Theresa, my telephone confidant, reminding me that we're not alone


• Linda, stopping by school, more than once, to offer concern and guidance, so appreciated
• Bob, your concern and insight into what the kid's feeling, right on target
• Patty, picking up the mom's spirits and concerned about the kid, we are so grateful
• Tim, your understanding and support have been very, very important
• ScottBob and Patty, you are special 'cause you make others feel that way
• Laurie, thank you for coming by, come more often
• Don, you called, out of the blue, and gave me peace of mind at a time when I really needed it
• My co-workers, my business associates, so many of you from HRI, PPD, GE, Penske, Mesirow, Tony Sr and Tony Jr, Big Mike, and many others whom I cannot at this moment recall, your kindness and concern has been very important to me
• The Mom's co-workers and all the teachers who've expressed support, it makes a difference, it really does
• HSHSQB's teachers, each of whom responded with "whatever you need"
• The boy's coaches, who made sure he stayed involved
• Petey and Margaret, I simply cannot express how much we appreciate your friendship
• Officer Tony, you are a peach
• Dziadi i Buszi, kocham cie
• Godmother and the kids, thank you

There's more, I'm sorry, I can't remember. You all collaborated, each with your independent actions, to teach me a lesson in how very kind, caring and compassionate people can be. I haven't been in this position before. Neither have I been pro-active towards others who have been there. That's the lesson you've taught me. Reach out.

Thank you for your kindness, and thank you for teaching me how important it is to reach out.

Monday Morning Football Scoreboard

No wager on it, but how 'bout them 'Cats!!! Northwestern's big thumping of Purdue over the weekend sends the 'Cats to 6-1. They're headed for Indiana this coming Saturday

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As for PFOS, well, Saturday was berry berry good for me, flirting with perfection, were it not for a missed game winning field goal by Connecticut and a lay-down like I've never before seen by Michigan in the second half of their game.

I went 6-2 for the weekend to make up some of the year-to-date deficit, going from 7 under to 3 under .500 for the year. The game by game:

HAWAII +26½ @ BOISE STATE
Boise 27, Hawaii 7
Boise goes to 6-0, perfect. The bigger number is that they are now 30-0 against their WAC opponents on the SmurfTurf. The Rainbows hung in there, trailing only 10-7 at the half. Boise's D-backs had fun in the second half with a mittful of interceptions, but Hawaii stayed within the points.
"W"
CONNECTICUT +0 @ RUTGERS
Rutgers 12, Connecticut 10
The Connecticut kicker clammed a kick and killed the comeback as the clock clicked down. Onomonpoiea? No, alliteration. Words like "BOOM" or "CLANG" are onomonpoeia. Kid CLANGED a 42 yarder to cost his team, and me.
"L"
WISCONSIN +3½ @ IOWA
Iowa 38, Wisconsin 16
My choice is the Hawks at home, as the Badgers season flirts with train wreck stature.

Iowa is rejoicing, they knocked the Badgers around at will. When Wisconsin is good, they look really good. When they're bad, like they are now, they look like the Russian national football team. If there was a Russian national football team. It's not going to get easier, the Illini are coming to visit next, comrades.
"W"
USC -46@ WASHINGTON STATE
USC Trojans 69, Washington State -0-
I think that the Trojans will work out on the Cougars...
Did they ever! Pete Carroll let the starters play the first half. The second and third levels of the Trojans played the second half of the game and they were still too, too much for this unfortunate Washington State group. This is the 4th time that Washington State has surrendered 60 or more points this year. What a mess...
"W"
PITTSBURGH –3 @ NAVY
Pitt Panthers 42, US Naval Academy Midshipmen 21
how I love ya, how I love ya, my dear old Waaanie...Man, does that feel good to get one right on Pitt! They've been tough for me to handicap, but I am so excited to get this one right, even though Mrs. PFOS and I are Navy football fans. Navy battled right to the end, punching in a TD with :20 left on the clock. You gotta love these guys!
"W"
OHIO STATE –3½ @ MICHIGAN STATE
Ohio State 45, Michigan State 7
Terrel and Beanie will carry the Bucks. Terrel threw for a TD and ran for a TD, and Beanie ran for 2 TD's. We are an anti OSU household, but you have to give them credit for being very, very good. I'm pleased to see a resurgent Michigan State program, but I think the beat down they got on Saturday was good for quieting a rather obnoxious group of fans. Speaking of fans, MSU's stadium had pretty much emptied out long before the game ended. What's up with that?
"W"
TOLEDO @ NORTHERN ILLINOIS –7½
Northern Illinois Huskies 38, Toledo 7
the Rockets spent everything they had last week at Michigan, and a letdown is unavoidable.
Yes, the Rockets sputtered as predicted, and the Huskies did not waste their opportunity, avenging last year's loss to Toledo in a big way.
"W"
MICHIGAN +24 @ PENN STATE
Penn State 46, Michigan 17
Michigan needs redemption...Michigan needs a lot more than redemption. They need a quarterback, some running backs, a few receivers, a complete defensive unit, a place to hide...MICHIGAN SUCKS!!! Michigan led in this game, 17-7, believe it or not. Then PSU ran off score after score. There's all this bs in the press about new Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez needing to get personnel who fit his spread offense. BEEEE-ESSSSS! What's the excuse on the other side of the ball? Write it down: MICHIGAN SUCKS. The performance was witnessed by the 4th largest crowd in the history of Penn State, around 110,000. THEY were happy.
"L"
INDIANA @ ILLINOIS -16 1/2
Illinois 55, Indiana Hoosiers 14

Illinois in a rout...When they don't try to be more than they are, the Illini are an absolute handful. This stubby little tailback they unveiled, Ford, had over 150 yards rushing in his debut. Arrelious Benn looked NFL-worthy. Juice Williams played intelligently, with restraint, showed judgement, in other words he did everything that he doesn't usually do, so he looked fabulous. There was one impressive Illinois scoring drive early in the second half that looked like a tutorial, as the Illini used every offensive weapon at least one time in the drive, leaving a befuddled Indiana team not knowing what hit them. Illinois heads north to Madison this coming Saturday to try to make the Badgers' season a bit more miserable.

"W"

The year to date record is now 27-30-2. STP Partners, which is a pick and choose of games picked here, hit a big one and a little one on Saturday and then GOT HIT by a horseshoe to win another. Very profitable weekend, and please, folks...Start Wearing Purple!

Week 8 Will Be My Redemption!

It's the 8th week of this charade, and as a practicing numeroligist, I predict that I will lose one more than I win this week. That will take me from 7 under .500 after 7 weeks to 8 under after 8 weeks. Flawless numerology based logic, except that prediction is coming from a man who is 7 under .500.
In order to assure that I break the bad mojo, I have this week prognosticated eight results, thereby making the -8 impossible.

Unless there's a tie.


HAWAII +26½ @ BOISE STATE
Hawaii is 3-3, 1-2 on the road. Boise State is 5-0, 3-0 on the Smurf blue field on the western edge of Idaho. Popular opinion is that Hawaii is a fallen too far defending conference champion. Boise likes to run up the score at home. It's supposed to be pleasant weather on Saturday in Boise, so the Rainbows won't be worried about freezing to death. My guess is that Hawaii can stay within the spread.
CONNECTICUT +0 @ RUTGERS
This game is a pick-em. No points. Just pick a winner, like on the confidence pools. CT comes in with a 5-1 record. Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey, is 1-5. I pick Connecticut. They are the Huskies, by the way.
WISCONSIN +3½ @ IOWA
This is going to be a fun game to see. Wisconsin was included in reviews of the nation's power teams in the preseason. Iowa wasn't picked to do anything, and they haven't , though their fans have whined more than the transmission on my dad's old '63 BelAire. Iowa is 3-4; they beat the snot out of Indiana last week. Wisconsin is 3-3, they've lost 3 in a row (to Michigan, Ohio State and a pounding last week at home from Penn State). My choice is the Hawks at home, as the Badgers season flirts with train wreck stature.
USC -46@ WASHINGTON STATE
Yeah, yeah, here we go again with the giant point spreads. OK, so I'm an addict, of sorts. USC can score on anyone, anytime. On the other hand, the Cougars of Washington State have given up 66 points--TWICE!-- and 63 points another time. I think that the Trojans will work out on the Cougars, whom I have just heard described by a coaches panel as "inept". GO TROJANS!!!
PITTSBURGH –3 @ NAVY
Waaaanie, how I love ya, how I love ya, my dear old Waaanie...hell, I never get this guy right, but I'm coming back at him again. Stuttering Dave and the Panthers (my high school garage band's name, too) to prevail over the Middies. I think Pitt's played a tougher schedule, and Wannie will get his D ready to work on the Navy veer.
OHIO STATE –3½ @ MICHIGAN STATE
Both teams are 6-1 right now. This could be a breakout game for the MSU program. If it is, THE Ohio State University will be relegated to also ran status for the remainder of this season. Terrel and Beanie will carry the Bucks. Ohio State will win this game and cover.


TOLEDO @ NORTHERN ILLINOIS –7½
Toledo is coming off a historic win against Michigan in Ann Arbor last week. Northern is a good team. Toledo is 2-4, the Huskies are 3-3, 2-0 at home. I think the Rockets spent everything they had last week at Michigan, and a letdown is unavoidable. Take the Huskies.
MICHIGAN +24 @ PENN STATE
This is the other side of the coin, with Michigan coming off the worst loss imaginable, the first time a Michigan team has lost to a MAC team. Penn State beat the hell out of Wisconsin in Cheeseland last week. Michigan needs redemption. I don't think they'll win, but I think they'll stay within the spread here.
INDIANA @ ILLINOIS -16 1/2
Another MOWL pick (Mighty One Week Late). Indiana is going to visit Champaign and Coach Zook will have the Illini ready to rumble. Illinois in a rout.

A Special Gift for You

http://www.palinaspresident.us/

Click on different items. Some items can be used two or three times.

Courtesy of my daughter. Enjoy!