The Sagittarius Project

NCAA Rankings

2012-01-23T23:45:00.000-05:00

In doing my post on "The Big Game" I realize that I never posted my annual NCAA column. A simple scan down the blog shows that I do it every year. I did it this year, but left it on my laptop without posting it, copying it to the cloud or to my thumb drive. Problem is, my laptop got a virus and I forgot I had never backed the file up, so I told my IT guy to go ahead and wipe the computer and rebuild it. Oops. So, I just spent the last few hours copying the data from the CBS Sports web page, doing my personal rankings and adding all three together. Unlike the pollsters, the BCS loser does not get an automatic second in my book. Usually, I rank the BCS loser below the other BCS bowl winners but higher than the non-BCS winners, with the other major schools who won their bowl games following after, followed by the BCS bowl losers, although I usually run out of votes before we run out of teams. Some years, teams are close enough that my opinion matters in my ranking. This year, not so much.

Without further ado, here is my composite ranking for this year. Feel free to copy the table and put your numbers in instead.

The Big Game Cometh

2012-01-23T20:36:00.002-05:00

It is now that time again - my annual pre-Big Game rankings of what's at stake as far as all-time rankings. As people who follow this blog know, I count both Big Game victories, conference championships and league champships since an actual championship game has been played. Prior to the first such game, the league championship was based on win-loss records, essentially a division championship. To include those championships, one would also have to count all division championships in subsequent years as a "win." Others can do that, however unless someone pays me to do so and gives me a really good data file, I am not going to that kind of effort, especially since my current database includes year by year rankings so that you can follow the history of who was top ranked - although after a few decades this gets mind numbing to even look at.

That being said, I have two sets of rankings. The first stresses the number of wins in championship games, with ties broken by winning percentage. The second stresses the number of appearances, with ties broken by the number that resulted in wins. The reason I do separate stats is because the League ranks its all time greatest list by win-loss percentage in the last game, ignoring the fact that what was the league is now the conference - with conference championships still meriting a trophy. By their logic, an expansion team becomes the greatest team ever by winning the Big Game once. That is insane, but given that the alignment of divisions is geographically challenged, it is not unexpected.

Here is the first set of ranks. Click on the image to expand the table.

Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Dallas are safe in the one, two and three spots. New York is in number four and New England is at number five after last Sunday's game. This is a change, as these wins have moved them both past Washingon and San Francisco, who were tied for fourth at ten wins and seven losses. By losing yesterday, San Francisco moves down to seventh, while Washington moves to sixth by not losing. Baltimore dropped down from 21 to 22 by losing if you accept the fiction that they left their previous record in Cleveland with their name, even though there is continuity of personnel and ownership that indicates otherwise. If they have to leave their record, then they need to be given the prior record of a certain team in Indiana who used to be located there.

The winner of the Big Game will move to fourth greatest overall. New York currently has eleven wins and twelve losses in championship games, while New England has ten wins and five losses. A New England will give them eleven wins with fewer losses, moving them to the number four slot. A New York win gives them twelve wins - one behind Dallas who has thirteen.

For those of you who think being in the championship is more important than winning it, we have the second ranking:

New York, by showing up, will move to number two overall, with 24 total appearances. The conference championship was their 23rd appearance, tying with Pittsburgh but with fewer victories, leaving them in third position for the next 13 days until they walk into the stadium (moving Pittsburgh to third, even if New York loses. Dallas will still have more wins, even though they also have 24 appearances - so New York must go to one more champship game to get to the top spot (if they play Dallas, they have to win to overtake them).

New England was already in the tenth spot, with 14 appearances and nine wins, which is one more win than Denver and Indianapolis who are tied at eleven. Had Denver won last week, they would have passed New England. On game day, by showing up, New England moves up to ninth with 16 appearances, which is the same as Chicago, but Chicago has only nine wins, so New England already holds the tie breaker.

I prefer counting wins as more important than appearances, with winning percentage breaking the tie. This year shows why, since if appearances are more important, the result of this year's Big Game will mean nothing in the overall rankings, which is a bit anti-climactic.

Economic Roundup

2011-02-11T11:37:00.001-05:00

Economic Roundup by Bruce Bartlett

On the MLR gap between productivity and compensation, the degree to which it can be measured is the degree to which the labor market is in monopsony. One feature of monopsonies is that they are inelastic to minimum wage increases, since the monopsonist will simply absorb the increased costs rather than discharging employees. Of course, they may also up their contributions to the GOP in order to forestall these increases.

On the NY Fed Foreclosure Study, I would be interested to whether BAR had any effect on the behavior of ratings agencies. They did not look into it, but they did provide an email address.

The Football Top 10 All Time

2011-02-11T07:07:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I learned that Green Bay had more championships than I thought. From 1921 through 1933, the championship was awarded to the team with the best win-loss record. There were no playoffs, as the entire league was the size of a large division in baseball.

Should these champions ships count? Of course they do - however they should not be considered the equivalent of winning a Super Bowl in my view. You are, of course, free to think differently. My entire point in doing this list year after year is that everyone is free to conclude what all-time greatness means. There is no one answer to this question. Certainly the League's view that statistical championship percentage is more important than the absolute number of championships lacks common sense, which opens the door for better measures.

If the pre-1933 championships were counted, then all Division titles should also go into final rankings, since they are equivalent. I will leave that calculation to someone with better automated data, especially if it includes, as mine does, a flow of rankings throughout the years. As far as doing it manually, even I am not that OCD.

Without further ado, here is this year's top 10. Since I am feeling less OCD, I will only include rankings by number of trophies.

The Conference Championships

2011-01-17T14:10:00.003-05:00

Next weekend, Green Bay, Chicago, New York and Pittsburgh send teams to the conference championships. There may very well be a new number one all-time team when the dust settles - or after the Super Bowl two weeks later. This is because both Green Bay and Pittsburgh each have 13 tropies, along with Dallas - although Green Bay earned them with the fewest tries so can be considered the best. If both Green Bay and Pittsburgh win, they will each have 14, with one of them gauranteed to win a fifteenth trophy for their franchise. New York is not even close to the top, while with 10 total trophies to date, Chicago could pull within one game of the championship group if it takes bothe the conference and league titles this year - passing San Francisco and Washington.

It has been a strange season and this could lead up to a matchup of two of the ultimate giants in football history - the best of each conference.

I'm thinking Green Bay will ultimately win, but you never know. Check this space for updates next Sunday nite.

Aging Index: A Wake-Up Call for Policymakers - TheFiscalTimes.com

2011-01-17T12:14:00.000-05:00

Aging Index: A Wake-Up Call for Policymakers - TheFiscalTimes.com by Michael Hodin

The answer is more kids and possibly higher taxes, rather than lower benefits. That expands GDP in the long term, so that in concert with more technical productivity, makes longer retirement - and indeed - younger retirement - more affordable.

Another piece of the long term sustainability puzzle is the development of self-sustaining environments with food production facilities. If people could grow much of their own food hydproponically, they could spend down their savings less quickly (and receive lower pensions where those still exist) - keeping active in retirement without taking a job away from younger workers. Indeed, as retirees age, they might even provide shelter and a job to younger workers so that they can assit them in growing their food while learning how to run a hydroponic house. This would be the perfect part time job for a young family or couple to take while still in training for a primary career.

NCAA Football Combined Rankings

2011-01-12T14:00:00.002-05:00

Here is a chart of the combined rankings of the AP, the Coaches Poll and yours' truly. Some of the rankings are close, so one peron's voting does occassionally make a difference. If you want to see how your voting would do, go to one of the sports media web sites, copy the vote totals, add them and then add your votes (25 for first t0 1 for 25th). My last two columns are the vote totals for the AP and Coaches polls without my input and the resulting rankings. As you can see, I rearranged the 7, 8 and 9 ranks, raised Iowa in the rankings and added Pittsburgh at a spot higher than U. Conn. (as it should be, since UCONN and WVU lost their bowl games while Pitt won). Here is the chart (click to expand):

The Revelation of the Magi

2010-12-27T13:13:00.001-05:00

Brent Landau has translated the Revelation of the Magi from Syriac from a manuscript found in the Vatican Library. In it, the Magi are said to have come in response to visions, rather than simply the promptings of astrology. They are said to come from the land of Shir, which the author speculates to be China.

This manuscript is in the tradition of other non-canonical works on the early life of Jesus which seem to be based largely on speculation rather than reportage, although they may still reflect underlying truths. The link to purchase the book is at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Revelation-of-the-Magi/Brent-Landau/e/9780062020239/?pv=y&inframe=y. This work was recently reviewed in the Arlington Catholic Herald at http://www.catholicherald.com/detail.html?sub_id=14437

Whether the manuscript is true or not is lost to the ages, although the story it lays out seems more like pious wondering than a statement of what actually happened - although the Shir concept is interesting.

I would suspect that instead of China, the site of Shir is India, which like China had a developed system of astrology and also may have had a thriving exile community of Israelites. Recent analysis of the Romany lead to the belief that these people, who were in India at the time, were members of the lost tribes of Israel - the inhabitants of the northern kingdom who were taken in exile by the Assyrians. Might the Magi have been Romany astrologers? If so, it would upset the current understanding that they were Gentiles, but it would be consistent with prophesies of the return to Zion on dromedaries bearing gifts to the Christ child that are used on the Feast of the Epiphany.

What is even more interesting is relating this possiblity with the legend that Thomas the Apostle evangelized India and reached the Romany community there, who when they returned from India went to Europe rather than what was then Muslim Palestine. It adds a whole new meaning to the words of the song O Come, O Come Emmanuel if captive Israel refers to the lost tribes who were soon evangelized and are not lost at all but right in front of us all, especially in Europe. As I have written previously, this definitely has interesting implications for relations with Israel and the apocolyptic hopes of Evangelicals as part of that.

BCS Bowl Predictions - end of November

2010-11-23T14:18:00.002-05:00

For what it's worth, here are my picks at this stage, which are obviously subject to change:

Rose: Wisconsin v. OK State

Sugar: S. Carolina v. TCU

Fiesta: Stanford v. Pitt

Orange: Michigan State v. VA Tech

BCS Title: Oregon v. Boise State

The US Open

2010-06-21T13:42:00.002-04:00

I watched the US Open Golf Championship this weekend. Everyone played badly, or so it seemed. Even the eventual winner lost 3 shots and the leader at the beginning of the day shot the worst round in 99 years.

I don't blame the golfers, however. While designing a difficult course for a major championship is all well and good, designing an impossible course is not. Skill in putting is replaced with dumb luck when putting surfaces are in the type of shape Pebble Beach was in. I suspect that the golfers will give the PGA an earfull - and that the venue won't host another major championship under the current greenskeeper.

The Christian Left: White Racial Superiority Disproven - Our Neanderthal Past

2010-05-17T18:16:00.000-04:00

The Christian Left: White Racial Superiority Disproven - Our Neanderthal Past

Why are we having so many earthquakes? Is Pluto pissed with his demotion?

2010-04-15T21:33:00.002-04:00

First, we really are not, its just that more of them are on or near land rather than deep under the ocean. Of course, we are noticing them more because they are affecting more populations. So, why is that?

Pluto. It used to be a planet and it has been delisted. This has pissed off the god Pluto and he is fighting back.

Ridiculous, right?

Absolutely, since there is no god named Pluto. Nor is the god Vulcan (or Saturn) ticked because there hasn't been a new Star Trek movie this year.

Why do I bring this up? Because there are people who believe that astrology is invalid because of its use of pagan symbolism. For this charge to make sense, however, there would have to be some feature of paganism that is true, rather than the more likely explanation that the archtypes developed for paganism were first described by astrologers. In other words, astrology does not come from paganism, paganism comes from astrology.

To believe otherwise, you must also believe that the gods Pluto and Saturn are pissed at us. Not really true.

Lesbianism in Underland

2010-03-16T10:29:00.002-04:00

Did anyone else catch the lesbian undertones in Tim Burton's new film, Alice in Wonderland? They are easy to miss and likely deliberately underacted, however one does get the impression that Alice and the White Queen were headed for a Pottery Barn moment until the Hatter & Co. returned on the Eve of Fraptious Day. Mia's performance had a bit of a languid quality, which at first look seems a bit flat. It could have been toned up a bit, with Alice more enraptured by the White Queen's charismatic pressence or with a bit more romantic connection. Of course, it is a Disney film, so it could not be as over the top as it should have been. Of course, being more out there in that scene would have given the film the PG-13 rating that would have probably helped it at the box office.

The Christian Left: Ice Dancing at Vancouver#links

2010-02-23T10:19:00.000-05:00

The Christian Left: Ice Dancing at Vancouver#links

2009 Football Championship Rankings

2010-01-26T14:36:00.002-05:00

The pro football season is quickly speeding to the final game, so its time for the annual ritual where I list how this seasons 3 championship games (both conference and league) affect the overall number of championships as a measure of franchise greatness.

Long time readers (if there are any) will know that I have two ways of measuring this. One is by the total number of championship game appearances, with tie breaks by the number of trophies received at both League and Conference levels. There is little change this year in the top 10 for this ranking - the only change being that Indianapolis is now tied with number 11 Denver and will move to a tie for number 10 with New England with a win. They were tied with Miami for 15th.

Minnesota 13 (4), moves up to 14th from the 17th spot by earning (and losing) their conference championship. The New York Jets move to 22nd with 5 appearances and two wins. New Orleans, with three appearances counting their next one, moves from 31st (last ranked – not counting Houston, which has none) to 27th . If they win they are in sole possession. If they lose, they are tied with Atlanta and Seattle with one win.)

Here is the current top 10.

Rank Team Appearances (wins)
1 Dallas 24 (13)
2 NY Giants 22 (10)
3 Pittsburgh 21 (13)
4 Green Bay 19 (13)
5 Oakland 19 (8)
6 San Francisco, Washington 17 (10) tie
8 St. Louis 17 (6)
9 Chicago 15 (9)
10 New England 14 (9)

The second way to count greatness is the total number of trophies received, with ties broken by win-loss percentage (with a better ranking for winning in fewer tries).

Indianapolis has moved to ninth because of last Sunday's win, and will move into a tie for seventh with New England with a win. They have cracked the top 10. They were eleventh.

Minnesota's loss leaves them in 18th place with 4 wins and 9 losses. New York's loss moves them to 25th, knocking them out of a tie for 22nd. New Orleans was second to last at 30th. They have moved into 27th with one win and one loss in conference championship games. A win moves them into the tie for 22nd (which will move New York to 26th) while a loss leaves them at 27th, a position they will then share with Atlanta and Seattle (currently tied for 28th).

Here are the top 10 by wins.

Rank Team(s) Win-Loss
1 Green Bay 13-6
2 Pittsburgh 13-8
3 Dallas 13-11
4 San Francisco, Washington (tie) 10-7
6 New York 10-12
7 New England 9-5
8 Chicago 9-6
9. Indianapolis 8-5
10. Denver 8-6

The Christian Left: New Years and Epiphany#links

2010-01-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

The Christian Left: New Years and Epiphany#links includes comments on the coming of the 3 Astrologers and how the Church is uncomfortable with calling them that.

NCAA Playoffs

2009-12-14T15:24:00.005-05:00

As Bowl Picks are made, talk again moves to creating a playoff for big time college football, which in the best of all possible worlds would be abolished, with the last two years of high school merged with the first two years of college for some and four year votech schools for the same age cohort all fielding teams. You might have regional playoffs, although I suspect the state level would be as high as you would go with this. Students who go on past sophomore year in college should be funded by their future employers to finish their majors and do masters level work and would have no time for big time sports. Any football draft would happen after sophomore year.

Of course, we aren't quite to that point, so let's talk playoff possibilities.

There are two options. The first is to split Division I in two, exiling the Big East, the MAC, Conference USA, the WAC, the Sun Belt and the Mountain West to a separate division and leaving the PAC 10, the Big 10, the SEC, the Big 12 and the ACC to a playoff system. Under such a scenario the Rose Bowl between the PAC 10 and the Big Ten would move to the first week of December with the winner playing the Big 12 winner January first, which would also feature a contest between the ACC and SEC winners. The winner of the January 1 games would meet on the second Monday of January for the national title.

This would, of course, kill off most interest in the other Bowl games (which would become meaningless).

The other playoff scenario would include the other conferences, although again it would kill most bowl games and the associated advertising revenue. In a purer regional playoff, you would split the two division conferences up and pair BCS divisions/conferences with non-BCS divisions/conferences. Here is how such a lineup would look:

Western Region:
PAC 10 vs. Western Athletic Conference
Big 12 North vs. Mountain West

Central Region:
Big 10 vs. Mid-America West
Big 12 South vs. Conference USA West

Eastern Region:
ACC Atlantic vs. Big East
ACC Coastal vs. Conference USA East

Southern Region:
SEC East vs. Sun Belt
SEC West vs. MAC East

Semifinals:
Western Region v. Central Region
Southern Region v. Eastern Region

A final option could keep conference integrity:

Eastern Region:
ACC Playoff
Big East vs. Sun Belt

Southern Region:
SEC Playoff
Conference USA Playoff

Western Region:
Big 12 Playoff
PAC 10 vs. WAC

Central Region:
MAC Playoff
Big 10 vs. Mountain West

Semifinals under this scenario are the same as above.

Of course, under either scenario, the national championship you would get this year would likely yield the same result as the BCS system, with Texas playing Alabama in the National Championship (but with less likelihood of injury to the players - who you must remember are playing for scholarships rather than a share of the TV rights. I like the mix and match scenario. It would have been interesting to see Ohio State play Central Michigan in a playoff. Central just might have pulled that one out. In the end, however, Texas beats OSU and Bama beats everyone (including, I am sorry to say as a native Texan, the Longhorns).

Happy Birthday Sages!

2009-12-01T15:56:00.003-05:00

This is my annual birthday greeting to all of you who are also Sagittarians who follow this blog.

I think we need to open this up for more writers. Please comment if you would like posting access and I will consider adding you to the list of authorized bloggers.

International Space Consortium: The Twenty-first Century Career (Geocities Rescue)

2009-10-23T20:24:00.000-04:00

International Space Consortium: The Twenty-first Century Career (Geocities Rescue)

International Space Consortium: Twenty-first Century Homes: Interindependence (Geocities Rescue)

2009-10-23T20:23:00.000-04:00

International Space Consortium: Twenty-first Century Homes: Interindependence (Geocities Rescue)

Winter Birthday News

2009-09-23T16:21:00.002-04:00

The Wall Street Journal reports on a study of winter babies.

I think all they found was that sometimes it sucks to be a Capricorn.

Wealth Stocks

2009-08-28T08:30:00.005-04:00

This post is about what I would buy if I won the lottery in terms of investments. The overall purpose is to have stock in the things I would use if wealthy so that my spending would come back to me in more wealth.

Of course, there is some house cleaning to get out of the way before the stock spending spree commences. The first thing to do is to pay off the existing credit card and IRS debt, the student loans and enough of the mortgage on the existing condo so that when it sells, we can walk away without paying anything (since we are currently under water).

The second task is to find a house in the same complex where my wife's boss lives and works from home, assuming she still wants to keep busy. If not, then we'd buy something in Alexandria, Virginia, probably in the Del Ray neighborhood.

Now to the the purchase of financial instruments. The first thing to buy is enough Alexandria or Fairfax County munipal bonds to pay for both the property taxes and water bills on the house and to pay for the increase in these taxes over time. These should fund an escrow account which pays these bills automatically. Stocks in the local utility and telecommunication companies, as well as stock in Home Depot and Lowes, will also be purchased, with enough dividend reinvestment to grow the account for inflation and enough in distributions to fund current services, home repairs and the replacement of furniture and appliances. Also, don't forget that what used to be purchased at the video and record store is now purchased online or via the TV itself. These funds will also be deposited in the escrow account with automatic payment provisions. There must be enough of a cushion in the account to pay all obligations in advance of dividend and interest distributions.

The next thing to do is to take care of shopping, both for food and clothing. The same rules apply. We make sure we'll have enough so that you can reinvest to deal with inflation and make sure we have stock in every food store we shop at (Harris Teeter, Giant, Whole Foods and Safeway) as well as where we buy clothing - especially if we use their credit cards (Macy's). It is also worth it to buy stock in some of the products as well, especially in the clothing sector. Let's also not forget presents, since lottery winners must be generous to the relatives. These funds should go to normal checking, again with a cushion and probably a line of credit, just in case.

Entertainment comes next. There should be enough dividend return after reinvestment to cover eating out three or four times a week for dinner, as well as money for lunches and coffee (Outback, Fudruckers, Starbucks, etc.). Since some places are privately held, it is best to overinvest in the sector to get the required payout. The more you eat out, the more you must invest. The other reason to overinvest is for eating out on vacation. Also, don't forget the movies. Invest in both theaters and studios. Don't forget that rich people sometimes have to pick up the check, so include enough for guests.

Speaking of vacations, if you plan on one vacation a quarter - and if you are rich, why wouldn't you - you must cover enough for airlines and hotels - including international carriers. This may also involve getting a beach house, which requires a separate set of utility and local bond investments. Rental car and credit card company stocks are also a must, since these folks all profiteer off of vacationers. We also need to get the right kind of credit card to avoid paying for rental car insurance and currency conversion fees - and there should be come kind of kickback for frequent flier miles.

Personal transportation is also to be saved for. The amount of the investment depends on how often we want a new car and how many cars are needed. Replacing a car every three years and having two of them, both in the luxury zone, will require a significant investment - although it is fine to figure trade in allowances, so it's not as bad as it could be. We also must add oil company stocks to buy gas, insurance company stocks and stocks in someplace to get repairs and maintenance, even if we use a local garage.

When you are rich, private school is a must. It is probably better to pre-pay tuition than to rely on investment accounts that may or may not hold their value. We'll pay for college, but Catie is on her own for graduate school. Wedding expenses will be covered under the entertainment fund. After she goes away to school, food and enterainment costs will be less, although she will need spending money for the same kind of thing.

After we cost out all of these expenses and the stocks required, its time to plan for paying taxes. Taxes will be withheld automatically from the lottery winnings, however this is not enough. We must also plan to pay taxes on the dividends received to pay bills, since there is a limit to what you can put in a Roth IRA (although this should be utilized to the greatest extent possible). To pay these taxes, buy the highest yield US Treasury paper possible and make sure, like above, that enough is reinvested for inflation, with the remainder to pay taxes.

Finally, don't forget God. If you are rich, this is expected. In each category above, add enough padding so that we can give in charity an amount equal to 10% of whatever we spend on ourselves and others.

Watching NASCAR

2009-02-17T08:29:00.002-05:00

Sunday, I watched the Daytona 500. In the old days, the race would come on around noon and be over in time for dinner, if not before. Now, the engines are revved at 3:30. Given Florida's weather, there was rain in the late afternoon - so the race was called early - just in time for the Fox evening line-up. The race ticker went to fast and scrolled at the top of the screen, while the eye naturally goes to the bottom, since that is where the cars are. I was also watching 3 little girls (my daughter and her two best friends), who were in the living room watching Dora the Explorer videos and generally spreading dolls all over the house. In prior years, the race was a sporting event. Now, with all the hype and interviews, it more resembles reality TV.

How about more racing, earlier racing, and less personality. Will I watch next year? Probably. Will I enjoy it, probably not.

Pittsburgh moves up in All Time Rankings

2009-02-02T16:56:00.006-05:00

Here are the top ten rankings for this year in the NFL, both for appearances and wins.

Congratulations Pittsburgh!

By Appearance (Contenders):

Rank Team Appearances (wins)

1 Dallas 24 (13)
2 NY Giants 22 (10)
3 Pittsburgh 21 (13) (Passing Green Bay)
4 Green Bay 19 (13)
5 Oakland 19 (8)
6 San Francisco, Washington 17 (10) tie
8 St. Louis 17 (6)
9 Chicago 15 (9)
10 New England 14 (9)

Baltimore, who lost the AFC championship, moves to 26th with 3 appearances - although if you reject the fiction that they are not the former Cleveland Browns their real number of appearances is 17 with 6 championship wins (ranking them 8th in a tie with St. Louis). Arizona is tied for 22nd (or 23rd if Baltimore gets its history back from Cleveland) with 4 appearances and two wins. Philadelphia moves to 16th with 12 appearances and 5 wins (or 17th if Baltimore is counted correctly).

If you count championship trophies as your first criteria, with championship record as your tie breaker, last night's win moves Pittsburgh to #2. Phili stayed at 15 with its NFC championship loss. Baltimore stays at 21st with its AFC loss and Arizona moves up to a 4 way tie for 22nd with the other 2-2 teams with its NFC win and Super Bowl loss.

By Victories (Champions):

Rank Team(s) Win-Loss

1 Green Bay 13-6
2 Pittsburgh 13-8
3 Dallas 13-11
4 San Francisco, Washington (tie) 10-7
6 New York 10-12
7 New England 9-5
8 Chicago 9-6
9 Denver 8-6
10 Oakland 8-11

If Pittsburgh repeats next year, they will be the undisputed greatest of all time, leading not only in Super Bowl victories, but in total League, Conference and Super Bowl wins. Of course, in the League's history a pre-Super Bowl championship is equivalent to a Super Bowl and a Conference Championship is a lesser prize. By that reckoning, Green Bay is still hard to beat with 9 total League championships. I disagree, since they still give trophies for Conference victories. The original Super Bowl was AFL v. NFL. Because these merged to form a new NFL, the conferences can be called succeeding organizations with equivalent championships to the old leagues.

That's a discussion for later years. For this year - Hooray for Pittsburgh!

NFL Conferences

2009-02-02T16:20:00.002-05:00

I was going back through old blog entries today and I came across one where I expressed an opinion on the NFL division line-up. It was based on more realistic regions and somewhat losely on the geographic regions I posit for the U.S. Government.

Here is what I published back in February of 2005:

American North: Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
American East: New England, Buffalo, New York, Baltimore
American South: Tennessee, Miami, Jacksonville, Houston
American West: Denver, Kansas City, San Diego, Oakland
National North: Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota
National East: New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Carolina
National South: Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, Tampa Bay
National West: Seattle, San Francisco, Arizona, St. Louis

Since then, I have changed the regions to account for the upcoming census, based on the most recent populations shifts. Of course, the change has been minimal. However, it got me thinking about how you could do an NFL organization if you did not worry about Conference membership. Here it is for your consideration. Think about the juicy regional rivalries:

I. Buffalo, New England, New York, New York
II. Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington
III. Atlanta, Carolina, Jacksonville, Tennessee
IV. Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Tampa Bay
V. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis
VI. Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, St. Louis
VII. Arizona, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City
VIII. Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle

As I said four years ago, you can always schedule rivalry games, like an annual Dallas - Washington game. It would be more difinitive, since they would play only once, not twice.

I will provide the statistics later on the revised championship rankings.

The First Three Commandments

2009-01-12T08:58:00.003-05:00

In my book, Musings from the Christian Left, I address the topics ofChristian Humanism and liberation morality. My thesis is that human morality exists not for God, but for man, just as the Sabbath exists for man, not man for the Sabbath.

When I took Ethics class at Loras College, we discussed the obligatory nature of right action - that it is something we ought to do, not only because it fulfills us but because God deserves our good behavior. I never quite agreed with this last point, but it does raise the question of the first part of the Great Commandment, that You shall love the Lord, your God with all of your heart, all of your mind and all of your strength. The question again arises, why must you? Does God benefit from these things, or are they solely for our benefit?

We avoid idol worship because the idols are not real, although the Priests behind these cults are both real and greedy. We do not break the second commandment so that we do not take the pressence of God lightly. We rest and worship on the Sabbath so that we might have something to do in life other than work as human beings, not human doings. Jesus gave us a clue when he said the Sabbath was for man. God does not need our worship. If he did, he would not be worthy of worship. God freely choses to accept our worship, he does not require it.

It is good that God does not need our worship, for God would be in bad shape if He did. Our worship is but refrigerator art when compared with the worship of the angels, who do not say their prayers as much as sing them. I am a cradle Catholic, so I have heard the quality of human singing in Church. Angelic prayers are total expressions of who they are. This is why Satan could not fathom why Jesus would become man instead of one of his own angels. His real sin was to think that his prayer was essential to God. God freely choses to accept angelic prayer, which is simply a higher form of refrigerator art when compared with the perfect harmony of the Blessed Trinity. Let us not make the same mistake as Satan.

The Christian Left: Merry Christmas, Good Yule#links

2008-12-24T13:54:00.000-05:00

The Christian Left: Merry Christmas, Good Yule#links is a twist on last year's post on the calender and Yule.

Happy Birthday to Us!

2008-11-25T08:24:00.001-05:00

This is our month people - Happy Birthday Sagittarians!

The Illuminati Met on Halloween

2008-11-01T10:28:00.002-04:00

And we voted in the real election.

Obama won and the Democrats will pick up 16 votes in the Senate. The Republican members have been expelled and they will be utterly crushed in this election.

The Christian Left: Is Atheisim even Possible?#comments

2008-09-21T09:50:00.000-04:00

The Christian Left: Is Atheisim even Possible?#comments is a bit of philosophy to chew on this lovely last summer day.

Jeanne Dixon, Russia v. Georgia, China, the CIA and Global Warming

2008-08-13T22:14:00.006-04:00

There is a book by Jeannie Dixon where she predicted a Chinese migration into Russia. Given the current demographic reality, with the bulk of the Chinese population concentrated on their coast, this seems nutty.

Given the possibility of global warming and the current conflict between Russia and Georgia, her premonition deserves a second look.

It is hoped that the CIA is looking into what would happen if sea levels rose and the price of gasoline began to rise again. Both of these factors will drive the majority of the Chinese population away from the coast and the Chinese military west in search of oil, which is conveniently located in Siberia. Global warming and changing weather patterns could water the Gobi, or at least force the kind of technological development which makes drinking water more available in the Russian Steppe.

Due to the value of the resources contested in any Sino-Russian conflict, nuclear weapons won't be used - at least not strategic ones. This makes analysis of Russian v. Chinese conventional capabilities over the coming years essential. As we learned in Korea, China has the advantage of numbers, even after the one-child policy has been in effect for a generation. As those pampered pets need gas for their cars they may go west to get it. Picking on the Georgians, or even pushing back against Georgean militants, is one thing. Fighting a surging China, whether in war or in illegal immigration, is another (as we know with our southern border).

Astrology at the National Geographic Channel

2008-08-13T19:13:00.002-04:00

Last night, I saw a piece on the National Geographic Channel which included a discussion of Astrology. It featured an astrological author and a Cambridge professor of astronomy. As you would expect, it was slanted toward the scientist, although not blatantly so.

The astronomer quite rightly pointed out that the direct influence of the planets are a fraction of the influences of nearby objects. That is not how astrology works, however. As Ryan Aviation found more than 40 years ago, the resonance of the magnetosphere on the ionosphere occurs in the same range as the alpha rhythems of the human brain. Do the planets influence the solar wind and the Sun itself? One would think so - making astrology quite probable scientifically. Regardless, astrology is based on the observation of human behavior and its relation to the motions of the planets. This relationship has been demonstrated over millenia and can be verified by doing one's own natal chart.

Some have criticized the oldest science because of its link to paganism. What is laughable is that they are not very familiar with either. If they were, they would know that paganism is an allegory on human nature (there were no actual pagan gods - duh!). It is most likely that paganism grew out of Astrology, rather than the other way around.

Gypsy Curses

2008-06-29T19:59:00.004-04:00

Since I last posted, I attended the funeral of my uncle, who stopped eating when put on a pureed diet because of his esophogeal problems and went quietly in his sleep. This is perhaps the only moral way to let yourself die and I thank God my aunt did not insert a feeding tube. This posting is not about that, however, but is about what I learned about my family tree.

It turns out that my father's paternal grandfather was one of the Romany people. Even though he was born in Luxembourg, ethnically he was Sinti. A family portrait of my grandfather and his siblings clearly shows their ethnicity.

This makes a lot of sense. For one thing, it explains my congenital anemia, which is a type that occurs sporadically and is found in the Romany people (which is the politically correct term unless you are also a Gypsy). I also explains my inability to drink safely as well as natural abilities in music and breaking and entering, as well as extraordinary perceptions of both time and human emotions. In certain situations, I can even tell what people are thinking - although this may be an astrologically based talent. It may take both genetic and astrological factors to bring out such talents, as well as the previously mentioned curses (like those involving alcohol).

This got me to thinking about the title of this post, curses. Curses are a lot like blessings. They are a sign of an underlying reality. For example, when a Priest blesses children who are not receiving Communion when their parents come up to receive he is not actually bestowing any special favors. Rather, he is showing that they are blessed by God. When the Priest gives his blessing after Mass, he is not blessing the assembly but rather showing that God has blessed it. This is the difference between miracles and magic.

Curses are the same way. When one is cursed by one of my people, it is usually because their conduct will lead them to bad fortune. The speaking of the curse does not create the bad forture, rather it is speaking what the Gypsy senses will happen - and would happen whether the curse is uttered or not.

For example, in the early 2000's, I had a client who had issues with anger - having mostly to do with his carbohydrate addiction (which also made him obese) and the rage his carbo withdrawls threw him into. I never cursed him when he fired me, although I knew he was in trouble - as a later heart attack showed. Luckily he survived and hopefully he is doing better. Likewise, a certain client who stopped my hiring into the government, who shall remain nameless, is likely cursed, not because I curse him, but because of how he handles his staff. Some folks don't like to hear bad news. This will get him into trouble, as the word is out not to bring him any. You don't have to be a management expert to know that this can only lead to trouble for him and for his management.

Being cursed verbally is actually a good thing - it means you have a chance to change. In the latter case, I am not sure I would waste my breath. (How's that for a bad ass curse).

War Kittens

2008-05-19T14:15:00.002-04:00

There is a little bit of buzz over the Capital One commercial where the Galactic Emperor is designing his credit card with kittens and his aide asks if he wants War Kittens, to which the answer is no, cute kittens, baby cats.

This is all well and good, but I want to see a picture of the war kittens, perhaps dressed in the same uniform as the commercial's characters. While I would not get a Capital One card again (since the day the statement arrives is remarkably close to the due date to avoid late fees), I would like to see the War Kittens image.

The Christian Left: Is a League of Democracies Enough?

2008-05-19T12:02:00.000-04:00

The Christian Left: Is a League of Democracies Enough? is my latest commentary about regional and allied government.

The Iowa Center for Fiscal Equity: The Job of President

2008-04-28T16:41:00.000-04:00

The Iowa Center for Fiscal Equity: The Job of President responding to Joel Achenbach's piece in the Post Sunday Outlook Section.

New York Triumphant!

2008-02-04T09:11:00.001-05:00

Last night, the Giants showed New England who was boss, penetrating their line most of the game. Without further ado, then, are the new championship rankings for Super Bowls, Conference Titles and League Titles (top ten only):

By Appearance (Contenders):
Rank Team Appearances (wins)
1 Dallas 24 (13)
2 NY Giants 22 (10)
3 Green Bay 19 (13)
4 Pittsburgh 19 (11)
5 Oakland 19 (8)
6 San Francisco, Washington 17 (10) tie
8 St. Louis 17 (6)
9 Chicago 15 (9)
10 New England 14 (9) (Up from 12th, passing Denver and Cleveland)

By Victories (Champions):
Rank Team(s) Win-Loss
1 Green Bay 13-6
2 Dallas 13-11
3 Pittsburgh 11-8
4 San Francisco, Washington (tie) 10-7
6 New York 10-12 (up from 10th)
7 New England 9-5 (passes Chicago by winning AFC Title)
8 Chicago 9-6
9 Denver 8-6
10 Oakland 8-11

Note that most of the action, with the exception of the Chargers appearance in the AFC title, was among teams already in the top half of the rankings. Green Bay's loss in the title game did not change their position at the top of the trophey standings and their meer appearance helped them move up two places in that category.

That about wraps it up for this year.

Can Environmentalists Be Atheists?

2008-01-29T16:49:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend, I went to the Atlantic coast and stayed on Chincoteague. On Saturday, I took a stroll to Assateague Island. On the entire trip, both the drive and the walk, the outstanding feature was the trees. Both along the highway and on the islands, there are trees in abundance. This had me thinking this morning about the central feature of the drive to save the rainforests and fight global warming, the fear that biodiversity will be lost as species of trees and animals go extinct.

What amuses me is the extent to which many of have these fears are atheists and/or are believers in the view that our current way of dealing with the world is entirely too human centric. Why is this amusing? You have to know a bit of epistemology to see why. The entire concept of the “species” is a product of human thought. Granted, there are physical realities that distinguish one such grouping from another, but their entire importance lies in the mind and language of man. What we consider a species is in reality a small variation in the genetic pattern of the organism in question. A few chemical sequences in the DNA, if you will. All of the importance attached to preserving this bit of variation lies in the conversation about it. The soon to be extinct species could care less (unless they are having trouble mating).

Notice the contradiction? If there is no “meta-reality” beyond the physical world, the entire conversation about extinction is rather silly. Also, if there is such a reality, then the normal cycle of species extinction also matters little in the grant scheme of things.

There are a few species, such as the American Bald Eagle, that have symbolic significance to us – but likely don’t to the people of other nations. There are also some species which are close enough to humanity to preserve as a point of familial honor, such as the Orangutan. I won’t lose much sleep about most of the rest, however. Species have been going extinct before man walked the earth and will do so long after we join them or evolve out of this universe.

If there is a Meta-Reality, isn't this Meta-Reality God?

This Year's NFL Championships

2008-01-22T09:40:00.000-05:00

This coming weekend, the Conference Championships will be played, followed in two weeks by Superbowl Sunday. In all, three trophies will be awarded, one for each conference and one for the Superbowl. Readers of this blog (oh, that's only me) and my main blog The Christian Left are familiar with my past rankings of NFL frachises by number of championships (Superbowl, League and Conference) with ties broken by win-loss percentage, so none will be surpised that I will update these rankings this year.

With the conference championships set, there are four teams who could move in the rankings (thereby moving everyone else): Green Bay, New York, New England and San Diego (team names are trademarked, but cities are not).

Green Bay has 13 wins (like Dallas, who was eliminated yesterday). If they win the conference, they will have 14. If they win the Super Bowl they will have 15. Even if they lose the NFC title game, they will retain the best championship record at 13-6, ahead of Dallas' 13-11 record. The only way they would have been at risk was for Dallas to have won yesterday.

New York has 8 wins and 12 losses, with a 10th place ranking. If they win and New England loses, they will move into 7th place at 9-12. If New England (currently 8-4) wins the AFC title game, they will be at 9-4, taking Chicago's place at 6th and leaving New York in 8th. If New York wins the Super Bowl, they will stand at 10-12, and move into 6th (behind San Francisco and Washington, who are tied at 4th at 10-7. If New England wins the Super Bowl, they will move into 4th at 10-4, moving San Franciso and Washington down to a tie for 5th. A New England loss in the big game leaves them at 9-5 in 6th place.

San Diego is currently at 2-7 in 25th place. A loss this weekend will leave them where they are. In the unlikely event that they win at Foxboro, they will be at 3-7 in a tie with Tennessee for 20th. If they then lose the Super Bowl they fall to 21st at 3-8. If they win, they will be at 4-7 and move into 18th place, displacing Minnesota from that lofty perch.

The smart money is on a Green Bay vs. New England Super Bowl, with a New England victory. Of course, anything can happen. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: The Super Bowl will be New England, now at #6 v. New York, now at #8.

There is always another way of looking at these things, of course. One way, which also makes intuitive sense, is to first credit appearances in championship games and then rank the number of wins for teams with an equal number of title game appearances.

Here is how this scheme works out:

Rank Team Appearances Wins
1 Dallas 24 13
2 NY Giants 21 9
3 Green Bay 19 13
4 Pittsburgh 19 11
5 Oakland 19 8
6 San Francisco 17 10
6 Washington 17 10
8 St. Louis 17 6
9 Chicago 15 9
10 Denver 14 8
11 Cleveland 14 4
12 New England 13 9
13 Miami 12 7
13 Indianapolis 12 7
15 Buffalo 12 6
16 Minnesota 12 4
17 Philadelphia 11 5
18 Tennessee 10 3
19 San Diego 10 2
20 Detroit 6 4
20 Kansas City 6 4
22 Cincinnati 4 2
22 NY Jets 4 2
22 Tampa Bay 4 2
25 Carolina 4 1
26 Atlanta 3 1
26 Seattle 3 1
28 Baltimore 2 2
29 Arizona 2 1
30 Jacksonville 2 0
31 New Orleans 1 0

After the Superbowl, win or lose, nothing happens to the Giants, who will have 22 appearances and still be ranked #2 behind Dallas. New England will move into #10, win or lose (although for tie breakers, it is better to win).

This second system rewards longevity, although there is something wrong with rising in the ranks even if you lose.

The Iowa Center for Fiscal Equity: Holistic Politics

2008-01-15T01:10:00.000-05:00

The Iowa Center for Fiscal Equity: Holistic Politics

A Universal Calender

2008-01-14T10:23:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

The true calendar geeks among us - most Sagitarians - know of a movement toward a Universal Calender, one that can be used every year by taking one day a year out of the standard week and doing the same for leap year. Without a strong planetary executive, this remains a pipe dream. I have never been one to pass up a good pipe dream, so let me offer my proposal.

The problem with the current leading proposal is the placement of the extra day at the end of the calendar year. Given the northern domination of the planet, resistence to another day of winter is not surprising (even though winter is not actually extended - however who needs a cold weather holiday).

I propose a midyear holiday for the day after June 30, which would fall on a weekend. (During leap years, there would be a two-day midyear). I would then cut out July 31st. I would then start the New Year on Sunday, January 1 and the year would always end on Saturday, December 31st. Christmas would always be on Sunday and Boxer Day would always be a holiday on December 26th. I would also end the Monday holiday for New Years, moving it to the previous Friday. In the U.S., ending President's Day, Columbus Day and Armistace Day could used to justify making all of the last week of the year a holiday period, thus leveling the playing field for all those workers who have to come into the office when everyone else is off that week.

I would do some additional shifting of the calender. I would start the New Year four days earlier than it is now in order to move Christmas closer to the winter solstice. In other words, the new Year would begin on what was December 28th. Oddly enough, we could make this change on January 1st, 2009, since this year December 28th will fall on a Sunday. I don't think I'll be planetary executive by then. The next year this could be done without breaking a week is 2015. I won't be planetary executive by then either (although one must have goals).

UPDATE: If you move January 1 to the winter Solstice and have Christmas January 7 (like on the Julian Calender), then Christmas moves to what is now December 28th. The question then becomes, when does the Winter Solstice (December 22) next fall on Sunday? 2013 and then 2019 and 2024 and 2030. If it doesn't happen by 2030, it is someone else's problem.

Happy Pagan Christmas!

2007-12-15T18:59:00.004-05:00

Nica Lalli wrote a nice little piece on the WashPost/Newsweek On Faith page.

It had one factual error, which assumed that Jesus was born on Christmas. Jesus was actually born April 17, 6BCE according to researchers who are knowledgeable about the astrology of that era (essential knowledge if you wish to duplicate the work of the Magi who found Jesus based on his astrology).

Christ is only about Christmas because early Christianity hijacked the winter solstice, which at the time was dated December 25 (due to the progression of the equinoxes). I stridently reject calls to keep Christ in Christmas or to ignore the traditions which have their roots in paganism. Pagan celebrations were not about the Roman, Celtic or Norse gods. Rather, the pagan gods are explanatory tools to better explain man and how he deals with the world around him.

In the northern latitudes, people get depressed as the shadows grow longer. Pagan rituals, as well as the placement of Christmas in December (where it no longer conflicts with Eastertide - which would bring in a reincarnation theme that the opponents of gnosticism likely wanted to avoid) have the purpose of raising our spirits - often with spirits and revelry, as well as the lighting of fires and candles (note Chanukah). It fulfills a deep need within us, regardless of the deity we accept or reject. This is also why many groups of Alcoholics Anonymous have "Alcathons" this time of year.

Those of us who are Christians proclaim Jesus as the light of the world, so the placement of Christmas here is appropriate for Christians. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Christmas cycle is the lighting of candles in a dark church at midnight Mass - which also occurs at the Easter vigil. The roots of this are all pagan. However, we must mind our manners when dealing with unbelievers. Jesus did not condemn the unbelievers. He saved and saves his wrath for those who profess to follow him but practice intolerance toward others.

The Christian Libertarian Party: Liberty and Unions

2007-12-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

The Christian Libertarian Party: Liberty and Unions

Living Forever

2007-12-09T08:51:00.000-05:00

The Christian Left: Killing an Embryo? contains a stinging refutation of the right wings arguments on the status of blastocysts in the stem cell debate, as well as how stem cells can be used (if derived from cells harvested from you while you are still young) to live forever.

Happy Birthday

2007-12-09T08:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to all my fellow Sagittarians and welcome to those of you now being born into our wonderful fellowship of sagacious living. Party on.

The Christian Left: The Political Spectrum - 2007 Edition

2007-08-23T00:49:00.000-04:00

The Christian Left: The Political Spectrum - 2007 Edition

The Christian Libertarian Party: My Unity*08 Candidacy

2007-08-23T00:26:00.000-04:00

The Christian Libertarian Party: My Unity*08 Candidacy

The Affordable Wedding

2007-05-06T23:12:00.002-04:00

I read with interest today's Washington Post excerpt from Slate Magazine by bridezilla-in-training Meghan O'Rourke. When my wife and I got married, the trend toward more expensive weddings was firmly entrenched. It is possible to avoid it. We had a fairly large wedding for 175 guests for about $11,000. And we did it leaving our guests happily fed.

There are a few things you can do that are obvious to lower the price:

Pick a reception site where you can bring your own catering. Letting the site provide the food brings up the fee without increasing quality. Avoid country clubs, hotels and restaurants. This leaves public spaces and church basements (although make sure there are no services going on upstairs, as they will make you kill the music during Mass, which can be upsetting during dinner). If getting married in the spring or early summer, or the fall, a tent is nice as well.

Get married in a venue which doesn't need a lot of flower decorations. We got married in a Romanesque church that frankly didn't need any decoration (aside from a few pew bows for reserved seating).

Avoid the linens, fine china and floral centerpieces for the reception. These add thousands of dollars and give your guests nothing but a formal feel. By the same token, guests are happy to be fed. They don't need plated meals. We used Rockland's catering and paid some teens we knew to manage the buffet, with another friend volunteering to manage them. Our guests told us it was the best wedding food they had ever eaten (since it was warm and because Rocklands is, well, superior to most other food).

Rent a DJ rather than a band, although make sure they don't play the theme to Married with Children when you come in.

Order your invitations online. It is likely cheaper than using a stationary store and the quality is sufficient to get the guests to the venue.

On the outfitting, forgoe the long train. Many people want the Julie Andrews look in Sound of Music. However, Maria wore a ball gown with no train and a cathedral length veil. The wedding train on a dress can cost hundreds of dollars and it gets dirty unless you get an aisle runner. A cathedral length veil is twenty bucks of tule that you can have turned into a veil for not a lot of money.

Manage your own guest list. If you have parents who want control of who comes, make them pay. Luckily, we did not have to face this, as our families were more than generous. We also sold some stock when it was high, just before the tech bubble burst. We lost more on the stock we didn't sell for the wedding than if we had used it on the honeymoon or for the downpayment on a condo. While on the subject of guests, assume if they do not RSVP they will not be there. We had extra food and cake because we assumed that those who did not respond would come at the same rate as those that did. We could have saved a thousand dollars if we had counted them as nos.

That's the problem with weddings, once you learn your lessons you will, hopefully, have no way to benefit from them unless you have a daughter (and she will likely want to make her own mistakes).

Wanted: Astrological Authors

2007-03-21T20:18:00.001-04:00

Authors and investors are sought for an Astrological publishing project to blow the lid off of the field by publishing more precise horoscopes and eventually opening a line of stores in America's largest malls.

Why astrology? Isn't it unscientific?

No. Here's why. It is scientific fact that the Sun is affected by the planets. The sunspot cycle is related to the orbit of Jupiter, etc. We don't understand all of these relationships, but we just started looking in the last fifty years with real equipment. One of the things we have found is that the solar wind, which is affected by the planets, rains onto the earth's magnetosphere, which causes fluxuations in the ionosphere. According to findings by Ryan Aviation, these fluxuations resonate in the same range as the Alpha rhythems of the human brain, which are present when we sleep or watch television.

Some scientists object to Astrology because of its use of pagan imagery. They assume that it is merely a holdover of pagan religion. This shows a misunderstanding of paganism. For their objections to be true, there would have actually had to have been pagan gods which have somehow been displaced. That would be silly. Instead, paganism is a form of humanism. The pagan gods are archetypes of various aspects of human nature, which were likely informed not by simple story telling but by an understanding of Astrology. In other words, the gods were not used to create Astrology. Astrology was used to create the gods. Understood this way, the objection of scientists evaporates. The religious objections having to do with Astrology's pagan origins also evaporate with this understanding.

The more glaring scientific error is to reject Astrology because it cannot be explained (although as you can see from above, it now has been). Astrology is a social science, not a physical one, and is based on millenia of observation of human clients by their astrologers. Most scientists who object to Astrology have never studied it. The integrous thing to do in this situation is to be silent, not condemn what one does not understand.

The other way to try to understand science is to buy Astrology for Dummies and cast your own natal chart. If there are inconsistencies, consult an astrologer, who will then explain them to you. There are also online horoscope calculators, such as the one found at astrology.com. Use the chart provided to go to such references as the Astrologer's Handbook and see for yourself if astrology works.

There are other potential experiments. One is to try astrological matchmaking. Carl Jung found that stable marriages can be explained astrologically by Moon Sun conjunctions between the couple. That is actually one that is active in my relationship with Moira, as well as a tasty Mars Venus conjunction in Scorpio (along with my Moon and her Sun in the same sign and her Rising sign and my Sun in Sagittarius). Usually a good Mars -Venus connection also leads to a degree of psychic connection. If you wish to find someone who completes your sentences, look for a mate with whom you have this aspect. One fruitful experiment would be to create a speed dating service using these conjunctions to control who sits with whom. Comment below if you are willing to give this a shot and we can get busy matching people and making a little money. Nothing says proof like profit.

The other potential experiment is to publish a more precise horoscope, writing horoscopes for each Sun-Moon and Sun-Ascending combination. If you are interested helping with this experiment, comment below. Eventually, with enough trained astrologers and enough committed clients, it will be possible to cast for each Sun-Moon-Ascending combination - which can be more complicated because the house placements of the Sun and Moon may vary, impacting the client personality and thus the horoscope. However, casting for each of these combinations for each year of birth can result in some amazingly accurate annual forecasts, which would only be practical with extreme market share. We aren't there yet, but if we get there, it will be proof that there is something to this astrology thing. As Yogi Bera says, nothing succeeds like success.

Back to Ireland, if only in my mind

2007-03-21T11:04:00.001-04:00

Six years ago, my wife and I honeymooned in Ireland, using a self-guided tour package from the Isle Inn Travel Agency.

The first day we landed at Shannon Airport, drove to Limerick for breakfast, toured St. Mary's Cathedral (Church of Ireland) and King John's Castle and drove to Kilarney to a B&B to catch up on jet lag and etc (you can guess). We dined that night at Foley's restaurant (my wife is a Foley) and went home to find out that there is nothing on TV in Ireland, so we planned the next day and went to sleep fairly early. We then toured the Dingle Penninsula and started on the Ring of Kerry, after finding out at Inch Beach that the E I had seen on the camera meant empty rather than error.

We need to go back, if only to get pictures of the Dingle views on a nice day with film in the camera.

After reloading at Inch we proceded to Glenbeigh, which is the family seat of the Foley clans. We had in our possession the travel diary of Moe's Aunt Mae, who had gone a decade before. We started at the local mini-mart, who sent us down the way to talk to an older lady, who sent us to the hotel on the corner. She was a Foley, but of a different clan. She sent us to talk to the retired taxi driver, who filled us in on the family history and told us how to get to the family homestead. We followed his directions, but did not want to cross a locked gate, so we went around to talk to a neighboring farmer, Sean O'Shay. Sean said he had heard that Jerry and Mae had been there and that they had quite a trek looking for the family ruin, and if they had come to him he could have taken them right to it. He did so for us, although we neglected to take him up on the offer of wading boots. We took the pictures and Moira had her Roots experience. We then called on John O'Connor, Moira's third cousin, whose grandfather had bought the farm from his cousin, Moira's grandfather. We had tea and then headed back to the hotel to change out of our muddy jeans, then went back to Foley's for dinner (except for pubs, the sidewalks roll up at about 9, so we barely made it).

The next day we continued on the ring, turing toward Valencia Island then over Sleighhead to a stunning view of the Skellig Islands. The trip up and down the ridge in our rented Micra scared Moira half to death. We then finished the Ring, although Moira slept for a few hours of it and missed the nicest English Garden lane in Ireland. Our plan had been to start Kerry the second day and not the third, so we were a day behind. It was raining, so we bypassed Blarney Castle and the emmigrant center at Cohb, although we did drive through Cork at rush hour and got an outside view of their stunning Cathedral. We headed to Waterford to get back on schedule and stayed at Pat and Margaret Hayes B&B (another family connection) and ate at Reginalds Castle Restaurant. The next day we toured Ambassador Crystal (operated by Waterford artisans who protest the outsourcing of production) and Waterford Crystal, buying a few items not available in the states from the Dolman pattern. We toured the local museum of Irish history and then drove to Dublin.

We had planned our wedding to be in Dublin for the parade. However, it was cancelled due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in England (which was all over the BBC News). We were told that because of the holiday, the Trinity College library was closed (untrue), so we got on a double decker tour bus and saw the city, stopping at O'Connell Street to attend Mass at St. Mary's and to shop at the downtown mall for soccer jersey's, fleeces and new jeans to replace our soiled ones (laundry services are not offered at B&Bs). At lunch we went to the Hotel carvery (we stayed at Buswell's) and could not find corned beef. They don't eat corned beef in Ireland. That's a New York/New England thing. We had roast beef and fried cabbage, which I had never had before and which I now eat frequently. We then saw the dead Protestant's colleection at the National Portrait Gallery (all the 3rd earls of whatever in really posed art - save your Euros and bypass this). We bought a joint family crest and got coffee, but we did not get dinner reservations. This is bad on St. Paddy's Day, especially if you wish to eat in Temple Bar. There was an authentic Irish place I wanted to dine on at Merchant's Quay, but we could not find it (turned right instead of left at the Liffey) so we ended up eating at Planet Hollywood. We were served by a waiter who had gone to High School in D.C. who I seem to recall from the old neighborhood. We got a few shirts (one of the few items of clothing we kept since loosing our weight) and Moira crashed while I planned out the rest of our Dublin adventure. The next day we toured St. Stephen's Green and went to Mass at the White Friars Church, where St. Valentine's bones are kept. We then drove across country to Galway in about three hours.

Galway has beautiful sunsets over the Atlantic. It also has a wicked breeze off the ocean at night, especially Salthill, where the best B&B's in Ireland are. Tired of driving on Irish back roads, we took a guided bus, which picked us up a block from the Inn. We made reservations at the last minute, so we got the last seats in the back. I almost got motion sickness. We toured the Connemara, where the first stop was a tourist shop where Moira bought me a new wool suit (which I had altered two years later). We toured Kylemore Abbey and I finally got Irish lamb stew at the pub where we stopped for lunch. We ate dinner at the Galway Bay Hotel at off-season prices. This is where we found out about the wicked night wind off the sea. The next day we toured the city and environs, including the Cathedral, Royal Tara china (where we saw production) and Galway Glass (which only lets you into the store). We saw the old city wall, which is a part of the Mall, which we did not linger in since we were tired of shopping, so we hit the road for Dromoreland Castle - our last stop. For the third time on our honeymoon, we were upgraded to a suite (the first was at the Grand Hyatt for our wedding night and the second was at Buswells) and lived in castle elegance. Our only issue was that a window in our suite and one next to us at breakfast kept popping open. Ghosts I guess (I am descended from the O'Brian's and Dromoreland used to be the family homestead - as well as from John Lackland, whose castle we also visited).

When we turned in our Micra the next day at the airport we were glad we bought the comprehensive insurance, since we had scratched it up pretty bad and had scratched the windshield with a malfunctioning wiper, which we replaced and were reimbursed for. We took off for home at 1:45 and landed at 4:45. Going back through five time zones, that was the longest three hour flight I have ever experienced.

Ireland, the next trip

2007-03-21T09:16:00.001-04:00

On our honeymoon, Moira and me took a self-driven tour in a Micra, staying at B&Bs with two nice hotel stays. There are two more trips I would like to take to Ireland. One is to go to New Grange for the winter solstice and then on to Rome for Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's. The other is for the summer solstice, which I will describe here.

It will start a few days early with first class tickets from Baltimore to Shannon Airport (6/17), landing the following morning and going to Dromoreland Castle for their marvelous breakfast and a few hours sleep. Upon waking, if we are with my in-laws, golf will be on the agenda.

The next day, we will rent a Jaguar and drive to Galway, staying at the Galway Bay Resort Hotel (6/19-20) and visiting Royal Tara China, the Burren, the Cliffs of Mohr and Doolin - and the Aran Islands if we have time.

From there, its off to Donegal for the solstice and a stay at St. Ernan's House (6/21), from there going to Giants Causeway in Ulster, as well as Armaugh and a stay at the Conyngham Arms in Slade (6/22).

From there, it is back to Dublin, staying at the Sherbourne (6/23-24) and visiting metro Dublin and eating at Dobbins and Lord Edward, as well as a little restaurant on Merchant's Quay that I can't seem to find online.

From there it is down to Waterford to buy a few place settings of the Dolman pattern at the crystal factory, staying at the Waterford Castle Hotel (6/25) before heading out to Cork, where we will visit the emigrant center at Cohb and the Cathedral (and possibly kissing the Blarney Stone - I know, its campy) before heading to Bantry House (6/26), which will be home base to see Drombs Stone Circle and Timoleague Abbey.

After driving through the Ring of Beara, it is back to Kilarney, to stay at Foley's Hotel and Restaurant (6/27-29).

In Kilarney, we will visit relatives in Glenbeigh, the lakes of Kilarney, the Dingle Peninsula and the Ambassador Crystal workshop.

From there we will go to Limerick to look for Hayes family history and/or a Shannon River cruise and then to the Cashel Palace Hotel and the Brian Boru historial center for one last night (6/30) before flying home July first (just in time to rest up for July 4th at the Mall).

UPDATE 2011: Aer Lingus no longer flies from BWI, but they do fly from JFK. Luckily, we will move to Brooklyn later this year, so by 2012 (assuming I am not involved in a presidential campaign) we will have to funds to actually take this trip and be back in time for fireworks at South Street Seaport and NY Harbor.

New Standings for the NFL

2007-02-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

We have new standings for overall championship greatness. Note that these are by my calculations, and not those of the National Football League (who for some odd reason considers the record in NFL championships only - and not conference titles, even though a trophy is awarded and a modern conference is equivalent to the old NFL and AFL. They also rank by percentage rather than by number of trophies, which is odd).

Note that Green Bay is still the all-time greatest, with Dallas a close second.

Chicago moves up one position, to sixth, as a result of winning the NFC. A Super Bowl victory would have moved them into undisputed fourth place, edging out Washington and San Francisco based on winning percentage with the same number of trophies.

Indianapolis moves into a tie with Miami for eleventh, both teams having seven trophies and five championship losses - although by rights the Ravens should inherit some of their past glory, since they shed theirs when they left Cleveland (just as the Cardinals and Rams, if the same rule were applied, would have left past records in Clevand and Los Angeles). Then again, I feel the record should go with the franchise, not the city, so that the current Browns are an expansion team while the Ravens are the old Browns. If Indianapolis repeats against anyone but Chicago, they will be ranked number six next year. Had Indianapolis lost this year, they would have been tied for twelfth with Buffalo at 6-6. Their victory drops Buffalo to thirteenth.

Here are the numerical rankings.

Rank Team(s) Win-Loss (Percentage)
1 Green Bay 13-5 (0.7222)
2 Dallas 13-11 (0.5417)
3 Pittsburgh 11-8 (0.5789)
4 San Francisco, Washington (tie) 10-7 (0.5882)
6 Chicago 9-6 (0.6000)
7 New England 8-4 (0.6667)
8 Denver 8-6 (0.5714)
9 Oakland 8-11 (0.4211)
10 NY Giants 8-12 (0.4000)
11 Miami, Indianapolis (tie) 7-5 (0.5833)
13 Buffalo 6-6 (0.5000)
14 St. Louis 6-11 (0.3529)
15 Philadelphia 5-6 (0.4545)
16 Detroit, Kansas City (tie) 4-2 (0.6667)
18 Minnesota 4-8 (0.3333)
19 Cleveland 4-10 (0.2857)
20 Tennessee 3-7 (0.3000)
21 Baltimore 2-0 (1.0000) (should be 6-10)
22 Cincinnati, NY Jets, Tampa Bay (tie) 2-2 (0.5000)
25 San Diego 2-7 (0.2222)
26 Arizona 1-1 (0.5000)
27 Atlanta, Seattle (tie) 1-2 (0.3333)
29 Carolina 1-3 (0.2500)
30 New Orleans 0-1 (0.0000) (our newcomer to the standings)
31 Jacksonville 0-2 (0.0000)

With one unranked and untried virgin remaining, Houston.

The Christian Left: This years NFL playoff results - Pittsburgh exultant

2007-01-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

The Christian Left: This years NFL playoff results - Pittsburgh exultant was an update on last year's overall NFL rankings. The post below is the rankings from the prior year. The rankings from the year before that are in a post on the Althon Sports web page, which you can find by Googling my name and NFL. Watch this space for the 2006 rankings after the Superbowl.

The Christian Left: Pro Sports Ownership

2007-01-13T21:10:00.000-05:00

The Christian Left: Pro Sports Ownership contains comments about the effects a new method of pro sports ownership would have on baseball and football, particularly in team alingment and how champions are ranked.

A Belated Happy Birthday to Us

2006-12-18T23:17:00.000-05:00

As most of our birthdays have passed already, let me offer us all a Happy Birthday!

Welcome to the Project

2006-11-30T00:42:00.000-05:00

This is a blog by Sagittarians, for Sagittarians, to talk about what Sagittarians are interested in: philosophy, religion, politics and travel. We are the dangerous ones, the ones with not only the ideas (Geminis have many ideas), but the fire of conviction behind them to make the ideals. If you want to cause a problem, get a Sagittarian. More importantly, if you want to solve a problem, get a Sagittarian, or a bunch of Sagittarians. That is what this project is about - Sagittarians being sages and having fun doing it. We will have open posting on this blog, so everyone hold on tight - its going to be a bumpy ride!