Reinspire

Show Your

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:55:40 EST

It's time for the 3^rd annual CSS Naked Day! I am again participating in this year's web standards awareness "event" and baring all in the name of web standards awareness. As of right now, my site is a little... uhm... free.

So what is this "CSS Naked Day?"

The idea behind this event is to promote Web Standards. Plain and simple. This includes proper use of (x)html, semantic markup, a good hierarchy structure, and of course, a good 'ol play on words. It's time to show off your .

Due to being extremely busy these days, I thought I had almost missed this year's internet streaking party, but with this year's Naked Day landing on the calendar 4 days later than last year's event, I'm right on time! It's not too late to get involved if you can, so sign-up here.

The End of an Era

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:59:40 EST

Today my favourite football player, nay, my favourite professional athlete of all time decided to call it a career after an amazing 17-year run in the NFL. Brett Favre has retired.

Like most Packers fans, the news came as a bit of a shock to me this morning, and even though we all knew it was going to happen eventually, I didn't think that after the season that just passed that we'd be saying goodbye yet.

A lot will be said of Favre's decision to hang 'em up and the debate will surely rage on about whether or not he made the right decision. The truth of the matter is that he has made the right decision, because the decision is his alone. How can you say that someone who is making the decision to spend more time with his family is the right or wrong one? That is why, even though Favre clearly has more left in the tank, his decision is the right one for him to make.

What's incredible is that he's leaving the NFL on his terms, and after having one of the best statistical seasons he's ever had, he's leaving while at the top of his game. There really aren't many athletes in any professional sport that can lay claim to that statement.

A lot will also be made of the fact that if Favre stays retired, the final pass of his NFL career will be that interception he threw in overtime during the NFC Championship game. Honestly, I think that's irrelevant. I personally never thought that the outcome of that game, and more specifically how it ended for Favre, would have any effect on his decision to retire or return. The truth of the matter is that his decision-making on that fatal play was spot-on. WR Donald Driver ran a perfect route and Favre made the correct decision but just under-threw the ball. It's happened many times to many quarterbacks before, it just so happened that this time, the stakes were higher for Favre and the Pack.

During Favre's career, there was no greater entertainer in the NFL. The same passion, enthusiasm and never-say-die mentality with which Favre played the game which sometimes got him into trouble and made Packers fans scratch their heads was also the same force that kept us on the edge of our seats waiting for the next crazy play that Favre could come up with.

This entertainer quality became more apparent to me during the last 2 seasons of Favre's career. At a time when guys like Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson were trying their hardest to manufacture entertainment, Favre just went out and played like he'd always played and blew their acts out of the water by just being himself.

I'll never forget his falling pass to Donald Lee in the 2008 NFC Divisional round against Seattle, and the way he'd run up and down the field after each touchdown pass like it was his first time. Favre played the game like a kid, and it was that wide-eyed enthusiasm and genuine love for that game that we as NFL fans are going to be missing now that Favre is gone.

Favre leaves the NFL holding almost every major passing record in NFL history. Most wins (160), most touchdown passes (442), most yards (61,655), most attempts (8,758), most completions (5,377), and yes, most interceptions (288) - and that's just a few of the records he's established. Perhaps the most impressive record though was his string of consecutive starts which ends and an unheard of 253. And none of those numbers include his playoff totals, which if included raise his consecutive starts streak rise to an even more staggering 275. If there's any record that may stand the test of time, most believe it'll be the consecutive starts streak.

Brett Favre's legend and legacy are secure, and he didn't need another season to prove anything else. 2007 proved to everyone including Favre's staunchest critics that he can still play at a very high level as he led the youngest team in the NFL to the NFC Championship. It is perhaps that very fact that makes today's announcement so surprising. He's a sure first ballot hall-of-famer and the NFL and its fans will truly miss him.

There are definitely a lot of memories that are conjured up when thinking about Favre's career. My most vivid memory was that epic December 2003 game he played on Monday Night Football in Oakland the day after his father passed away. That may have been the best single-game performance of Favre's career and I've never been more inspired by any sporting event in history.

Sadly, an era is over for the Green Bay Packers, the NFL, and its fans. Thank you for the memories Brett, we'll miss you.

Elsewhere:

Thanks Microsoft!

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:16:33 EST

I've purposefully stayed out of the much-debated decision that Microsoft had apparently made with IE 8 to use version targeting because I can honestly say that I see both sides to the argument and I don't feel very strongly about either position. Today though, I'm breaking my silence on the topic because Microsoft has made an important decision.

In a complete reversal of their position, Microsoft today announced that IE 8's new standards mode will be on by default. What this means is that developers will have to explicitly tell IE 8 to act like IE 7, not the other way around as had been previously planned.

This isn't very important to me from an "is version targeting good or bad" point of view, but it's showing a continued change from Microsoft -- they're actually listening to the web development community! So, hats off to Microsoft for being open, listening, and then making an informed decision. You're slowly winning back the respect of designers and developers and the new-found transparency and focus on the standards community is refreshing.

I can now say, I'm really looking forward to what IE 8 will bring to the table -- not because of this latest announcement, but because of the continued push inside Microsoft's IE 8 team to have stronger standards support. That focus can only be good for all developers as Microsoft moves forward with IE 8.

Super Bowl Prediction

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:38:19 EST

I'm really going to shock some with my prediction for Super Bowl winner... but I'm going to go with...

The New England Patriots.

Shocking, I know, but now that the Packers are gone, I have to stick with my week one prediction (and the majority of those who responded in my week 1 poll) and pick the Patriots to cap off their perfect season in super fashion.

For my bonus pick as Super Bowl MVP, I'm going to go with Wes Welker.

I don't really feel like analyzing this game all that much, because I really don't think there's any need. The Patriots haven't come this far to lose... I just can't see it happening.

What's your take?

Wow. I couldn't have been more wrong. What... Happened... ?

NFL Conference Championship Predictions

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:39:08 EST

This week has been pretty busy, so I'm going to keep it really short in the interests of actually getting this posted. Last week was a whole lot of fun for Packers fans to watch, and it's exciting to see the transformation that's taken place in Green Bay over the past year.

The conference championships this week are going to be a lot of fun to watch as well, but I honestly don't expect the same kind of drama that took place in the divisional championship round last weekend. We'll see, it could be surprising, but I don't think we'll be shocked by the outcomes.

Here are my picks for the Conference Championship games!

Away	Home	Comments	Result
Chargers (13-5)	Patriots (17-0)	See below:	•
Is there really any doubt about this? Honestly, I was shocked last week when the Chargers beat up the Colts in Indianapolis. Immediately after Peyton Manning threw his last pass of the game (which fell incomplete when Dallas Clark couldn't haul it in) I thought in my head "OK, may as well write the Patriots tickets to the Super Bowl." After giving it some more thought, I'm pretty comfortable with that original assessment, but maybe the Chargers are actually a lot better than we've all given them credit for... or maybe the Colts just laid an egg last week, just like they did the last time they had a bye week in the first round of the playoffs (memo to Peyton: the 3 seed is your friend!). I'll take the latter one, which means I still don't think the Chargers have much of a shot.
Giants (12-6)	Packers (14-3)	See below:	•
Credit where credit is due -- I was very skeptical about the job that Packers GM Ted Thompson was doing even through most of last season. The lack of action during free agency, the hiring of Mike McCarthy, the odd draft choices... everything. After seeing what's gone on this year, I think I've come around. Thompson and McCarthy have proved to work very well together as a team, and Mike McCarthy has been great as the head coach of the Packers. So far, he's been better (in terms of wins/losses) than any Packers coach in history through their first 2 years. That's impressive. Anyways, onto the game. The Packers will tell you that their previous game against the Giants this year really won't help them game-plan much for this NFC Championship bout, and I'd have to agree with that. The Giants are a lot better now than the team we saw back in week 2 and they've surprised me by how well they've done this year. Without over-analyzing (I'll leave that to the sports networks), I think this game is going to come down to the Giants secondary and how well they can hold together against the Packers 2^nd ranked passing offense. I'm expecting the Packers to utilize their "Big 5" (5 wide receivers) set a lot more than they have in the last few games and really try to take it to the Giants D. Packers win, Favre gets back to the Super Bowl, and I get really excited about it! Go Pack Go!!!

Anywho, that's enough, I'm tired and ready to hit the publish button. Here are this week's ESPN Expert Picks.

NFL Divisional Predictions

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:34:22 EST

Last week's Wild Card weekend wasn't actually as exciting as I thought it would be. Sure, the Jaguars/Steelers match was a lot of fun to watch, but that was really the only game that kept my full attention from start to finish. Congratulations to Eli Manning for winning his first playoff game and the San Diego Chargers, for winning their first one in long time as well.

My predictions last week got me off to a good start for the playoffs by picking 3 of the 4 games right. Hopefully I can continue that success this week in what looks like a bit more of an unpredictable weekend.

For most people, the game of the week this week is probably going to be the Jaguars at Patriots. It should be a great battle.

With that, I'll get right to my picks for the Divisional Playoffs as I'm not feeling well right now, and I really don't feel like typing anymore. As always, feel free to let me know what you think about this week's action by posting a comment below.

Away	Home	Comments
Seahawks (11-7)	Packers (14-3)	See below:
The Packers and Seahawks may actually match up fairly well and even though I think Seattle has been largely a pretender this year, their familiarity with Green Bay (and the grudge they'll no likely be holding since their overtime loss last time these 2 teams met in the postseason) will definitely help their game-planning. I think Green Bay is definitely the better team though, and they should be able to pull out a victory. What the Packers can't do though is lose the turnover battle, because I think this game will come down to turnovers. Seattle has had trouble running the ball all season long, which means QB Matt Hasselbeck is going to have to throw the ball a lot. That should give the Packers secondary a few opportunities to make a game-breaking play, and hopefully the Packers offense will be able to put up a crooked number on that Seattle D, just to make things more comfortable. Update: WOW! What a game!!! On to the NFC Championships, GO PACK GO!!!
Jaguars (12-6)	Patriots (17-0)	See below:
I can't pick against New England, regardless of who is playing them. Having said that, Jacksonville is a team that's more than equipped to be able to beat the Patriots in New England. That doesn't mean it will happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if it ended up being the outcome. To beat the Patriots though, the Jaguars will have to do something that they didn't do last week, and that's showing their relative playoff inexperience by blowing an 18 point lead and allowing the Steelers to get back in their Wild Card game. I still think the Patriots should win this game easily though. They just have too much talent and their coaching is too good to allow them to finish a perfect regular season by going "1 and done" in the playoffs.
Chargers (13-5)	Colts (13-4)	See below:
Earlier this season, the Chargers were able to eek out a win over the Colts, so we know they have what it takes beat them. However, that game was played in San Diego and the Colts were without Marvin Harrison. With Harrison finally ready to lace up again for the playoffs, this should be a much different game than the one we saw back in early November. Manning and the rest of the Colts offense will be more than prepared to slice through the Chargers secondary and everything is setting up for Indianapolis and New England to meet in the AFC Championship game for a second straight year. I don't expect the Chargers to be able to put any wrinkles in those plans.
Giants (12-6)	Cowboys (13-4)	See below:
The Cowboys should be worried about this game a little bit, because they don't really have a whole lot going for them right now. If TO doesn't play in this game, I may consider changing my pick to the Giants, but that decision will be made right before the game, so this pick may as well have an asterisk beside it. Without a healthy Terrell Owens, Tony Romo may have to spend a bit more time looking around for an open receiver, and up against the Giants tough D-line, that won't be very easy. With all that in mind, I'm still going to tentatively pick the Cowboys, because I think they've really got the Giants' number this season after beating them in both of their previous 2007 meetings. At home, the Cowboys are always tough to beat, even if they're not healthy. I think this game may turn into a shootout and come down to whoever ends up with the ball last.

Don't forget to check out this week's Expert Picks over at ESPN.

NFL Wild Card Predictions

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 14:43:58 EST

Happy New Year! Today I decided to go back over each week of picks to check and make sure that I had been adding things up correctly. What I found out is that I had actually been tallying my total incorrectly since week 12, showing an extra 4 games in the loss column and bumping the total amount of games played out of whack (which is what prompted me to check my numbers in the first place).

So, all of my posts have been updated to show the correct records/percentages and other related items and in case you missed my update at the end of last week's post, it turns out that this has been my best year (at least for the regular season) ever. I finished off the regular season with a nice 172-84 record (.672) which is better than the 160-96 in 2006 and 163-93 in 2005.

As expected, the majority of voters picked Tom Brady as this seasons MVP in last week's poll, and I think we should be hearing the results of the Associated Press vote soon, with Brady probably wrapping up the 2007 MVP. Last week's game between the Giants and the Patriots was a great game to watch, and seeing so many historical marks in the same game is great for the NFL. I'm glad the Giants came out and played the way they did and made a great game of it, that was a decision from head coach Tom Coughlin that really took some stones.

Wild Card Weekend is always an exciting weekend of football and anything's bound to happen. For some reason, this year's wild card field seems to be a lot better than in previous years, and for the division winners that are hosting these wild card games, they'd better be prepared because on paper, these wild card teams may actually be the better team.

If you're the visiting team on Wild Card Weekend, you want to be getting hot at the right time and have major momentum heading into the playoffs. That's really the only way you're going to make an impact. So, who has the Mo' at the start of the playoffs? Well, I really think all of the WC teams do, but the team that I think has the most going for them is the Washington Redskins. Winners of their last 3 out of 4 games, the Redskins are looking good behind QB Todd Collins.

On the other side of that coin, I think there are some division winners who look like they're going the opposite direction, with the Steelers being the head of that pack.

So, this week's playoff poll wonders which wild card team you think has the best chance to go all the way to Super Bowl XLII in Arizona? As hot as the Redskins are right now, my pick is for the Jaguars, who have matched up extremely well against the class of the AFC this season. They could do some serious damage, but they must get off to a great start this week in Pittsburgh.

Here are my picks for this week's Wild Card action.

Away	Home	Comments
Redskins (9-8)	Seahawks (11-6)	See below:
Seattle has become a one-dimensional offense and the only reason they won their division is because of the weak competition. Matt Hasselbeck is a great QB, but you need more than a good passing offense to win in January. Washington has been great over the past 4 weeks, and I think they'll eek out a win this Saturday.
Jaguars (12-5)	Steelers (10-7)	See below:
The Jaguars have done it once already this season (beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh), so we know they can get the job done. This time will be a lot harder though, because Pittsburgh can look at how the Jags were able to beat them, and what they need to do to stop them. With that said, I think Jacksonville is still the better team which is obvious by their record (and the fact that Jacksonville has had a much harder schedule).
Giants (11-6)	Buccaneers (9-8)	See below:
The Giants come into this round of the playoffs as a battle tested team. Down the stretch, I fully expected them to tank and miss the playoffs, but they found ways to win when they needed to and looked great against the Patriots last week when they really had nothing to play for. How good will they be when their season (and probably Tom Coughlin's job) is on the line this week in Tampa? The Buccaneers could still win though, they're a great team with some good veterans, but I still have to pick the Giants. This could be the closest match of Wild Card Weekend.
Titans (10-7)	Chargers (12-5)	See below:
Who would've thought that the Chargers would be in this situation after their 1-3 start this season? Not I. They've started to form themselves back into the team we all thought they would be going into this season, it just took a while for them to stop talking and actually do something about it. The Titans will probably pose a good challenge, and it wouldn't surprise me if they won this game. Yes, Vince Young has a tendency to perform well in big games, but let's face it, last week's game against Indy (where they rested a lot of starters) isn't exactly a measuring stick of where the Titans are right now. I'll take the Chargers this week, although not comfortably.

Here we go! Yes, I know I've gone a little risky and picked 3 of 4 visiting teams to win this week, but I think I'm fairly sound in my reasoning. It should be an exciting run up to the Super Bowl and I can't wait to watch it all unfold! Don't forget to check out this week's Expert Picks over at ESPN, and check back after the weekend for some more comments and updates.

Update: Well, 3-1 to start the playoffs is a pretty good start :) That brings my season total up to 175-85. By a long-shot, the best game of the Wild Card weekend was definitely the Jaguars/Steelers match, and it was also the closest (making me wrong about the Giants/Bucs game). Even though I had no real rooting interest in any of the teams playing, it was still a ton of fun to watch! Catch you next week for my divisional picks.

Quote of the Day

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:39:26 EST

I've come up with some pretty deep thoughts this year... the latest was dropped in an IM session with my brother today:

The new one is newer.

Brilliant. Simply Brilliant.

NFL Week 17 Predictions

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:01:05 EST

Last week's 11-5 record brought my season total up to 163-77 heading into the final week of the regular season. It's not a bad percentage (.679), but I was hoping to fair a little better this year.

It's been a pretty busy week for me with the Christmas holidays, so my apologies for the late entry. With that in mind, I will again try and keep this week's post a little shorter so I can get my picks up as soon as possible. There are really just 2 or 3 things that I'd like to touch on, so I'll dive right in.

League MVP

This year has seen some stunning performances by several individuals, and it's probably going to make the MVP voting a little more difficult than expected. I have 5 candidates that I think are deserving of at least some recognition on the ballots. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson. My pick would have to be for Favre, although it's actually a tough argument to make given the season that Brady has had. I'll get into it a bit more later, but I'd also like to know what you think, so my final poll for the regular season will be for your vote for MVP. Cast your vote and then let me know your reasoning by posting a comment.

So, why Favre over Brady? Well, again, it's a very close decision in my mind and I think the associated press will give it to Brady, who is certainly deserving. I give it to Favre though because he's guided his team (the youngest team in the NFL by the way) to a 12-3 record, the NFC North championship and a playoff bye -- which is a far cry from what anyone expected this season. Favre has had one of his best statistical seasons ever and has shown the football world that he's still got what it takes to lead a team and play the quarterback position in the NFL.

Favre also wins the "more with less" award, and I think that should play into the voting. I don't want to take away from what the Packers offense has been able to accomplish this season, or from the talent that they possess, but it takes a good leader to be able to utilize that talent and really draw it out of his team mates, and I think Favre has done that this year. No one expected it, myself included. What the Patriots and Tom Brady have done this year was (at least somewhat) expected from the beginning of training camp, so it's not surprising that the Pats are once again dominating the NFL. The only unexpected thing about the Pats this year is that spotless 15-0 record, but I think that points more to the coaching staff and the entire team than it does to any one individual.

Again, my guess is that Brady wins it this season and it wouldn't be a bad pick by any stretch of the imagination. I just give the edge to Favre. Call me a homer, that's OK by me, but keep in mind that I think I could also make a very good case for Peyton Manning to win another MVP award over Brady as well. Neither will happen, but I think Favre and Manning definitely deserve some vote recognition.

Sitting Starters

I think this should be a simple decision. For teams that have a first-round bye, don't do it. Put yourself in a position to go into the playoffs with momentum. Look at the '05 Colts for an example of why. You don't want to rest for 2 weeks in a row because rust will form and it'll take a half for the team to come back to life, which may be too late. If you must rest your starters, only do so if they've already put your team in a virtual no-lose situation (up by 21+ going into the 4^th quarter).

For teams that do not have the first round bye but have already qualified for playoffs, go for it. You've got nothing to gain anymore, so treat it like the last pre-season game and pull your starters after the first few series, especially if they're nursing injuries. The only exception to this would be for the Cowboys, because they've got so many injury concerns.

Game of the Week: Patriots at Giants

OK, so I pulled this from the "state the obvious" department, but really, you need to watch this game. History ~~could~~ will be made on Saturday Night Football and my hat goes off to the NFL for making the decision to allow CBS and NBC to simulcast this game that is being broadcast by the NFL Network. I personally like the NFL Network (who probably have the nicest production of any of the networks doing NFL games right now) and have no trouble getting it, but I understand the pains of those who don't. Great decision by Roger Goodell to allow as many fans as possible the chance to view history. It's good for the game, it's good for the fans and it's good for the teams involved.

Oh, and don't be surprised if Tom Brady makes some history of his own this weekend -- he's just 1 TD pass away from tying Peyton Manning's single-season record of 49. Expect Brady to pass it with at least 2 TD tosses in this one.

Here are my picks for the final week of the 2007-2008 NFL Regular Season!

Away	Home	Comments
Patriots (16-0!)	Giants (10-6)	History is about to be made. Watch.
Seahawks (10-6)	Falcons (4-12)	Will the Hawks leave their starters in long enough to seal a win? Maybe, but I wouldn't be surprised if they still lose on the road.
Saints (7-9)	Bears (7-9)	After last week's strong showing against the Packers, I don't expect the Bears defense to let up this week.
49ers (5-11)	Browns (10-6)	The Browns should still make the playoffs, but they need to win to have any chance.
Lions (7-9)	Packers (13-3)	If you watched last week's broadcast, they touched on a very interesting point. Favre's numbers over the past 5 or 6 games with 34º temperatures or lower aren't very good. Maybe the Packers are better off if they have to play Dallas again in Big D.
Jaguars (11-5)	Texans (8-8)	Who wants to face the Jaguars? They've had an impressive season in my books -- expect more national attention (and prime time games) next season.
Bengals (7-9)	Dolphins (1-15)	If only the Ravens hadn't coughed up that win to the Dolphins, we'd be looking at 2 historical opposites in the same year. Anyways, Bengals should win. Should.
Bills (7-9)	Eagles (8-8)	Will this be Donovan McNabb's last game in Philly? My take: yes. He should go out with a win though.
Panthers (7-9)	Buccaneers (9-7)	I'll take the Bucs in a close one. For the Panthers, will John Fox return as their head coach next season? My take: undecided.
Cowboys (13-3)	Redskins (9-7)	The Cowboys don't really have anything to play for this week. Yes, it's a tight rivalry that they'll want to win, but don't be surprised if the emotion level is higher on the Washington side of the field. Without TO, the Cowboys offense is entirely different and because of injuries, I think the Redskins could win this game and actually make it into the playoffs.
Rams (3-13)	Cardinals (8-8)	8-8 for the Cardinals is a definite possibility this Sunday as they take on the Rams in Arizona. It's not exactly what they were hoping, but it's a step in the right direction for a perpetually bad franchise.
Vikings (8-8)	Broncos (7-9)	Last week's loss was a tough one for Minnesota that may have cost them their chance at making the playoffs this season. I think they'll win, but I wouldn't be surprised either way. Regardless of what happens though, the Vikings are set up for success as long as they can either find a good QB, or develop Tavaris Jackson into one.
Chargers (11-5)	Raiders (4-12)	10-5 is a great spot for the Chargers after starting the year with so much disappointment. They should win this one handily.
Chiefs (4-12)	Jets (4-12)	Herm Edwards returns to New York to play in what might be the stinker of the week. This one's a toss-up, but I'll go with KC.
Steelers (10-6)	Ravens (5-11)	I'm honestly bored with both of these teams.
Titans (10-6)	Colts (13-3)	Don't expect the Colts to just allow Tennessee to walk into the Playoffs, that's just not how you treat a division rival.

Don't forget to check out this week's ESPN Expert Picks.

Update: Well, 9-7 isn't how I wanted to finish off, but week 16 is usually a crap-shoot. So, my regular season has finished off with a pretty decent 172-84 record, which is good for 67.2%. That's not too bad, but not quite as good as I was hoping for. With that said, a look back in history would show that this has been my best regular season yet! Check back on Tuesday for my Wild Card predictions!

Why I still can't use Safari

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:11:50 EST

It's been just over a year since I made the full time switch to Mac and my software tastes have definitely evolved some since I first posted my list of frequently used applications a while back. Sometime soon, I'll probably revise that list, but for now I just wanted to touch on one application that I still can't use on a regular basis. Safari.

One of the joys of being a Mac user is that the software applications for the OS X platform are generally all of higher quality than a lot of the applications you can get for the PC. Obviously, there are some exceptions to this rule, but I think for the most part it's a true statement. Usually, it's Apple's own apps that lead the pack in many arenas, but while the newest version of Safari has made some giant leaps, it still has a lot of things that really make it unusable for me as my primary browser.

Most of them are really nitpicky reasons, but I thought I'd list them here and hopefully some of you who do use Safari regularly will be able to offer some suggestions. So, here's my short list:

There's no option to "Force links that open new windows to open in a new tab" like Firefox does.
Double-clicking the tab strip doesn't open a new tab like Firefox does.
F5 doesn't trigger a refresh like every other browser I've ever used. You need to use Apple + R
F6 doesn't set the focus to the location bar like Firefox. Apple + L will do it for you though.
Opening/Closing the tab strip (if you have the option set to hide the tab strip when you only have one tab open) causes the window to change size (only in Tiger... Safari on Leopard seems to not struggle with this), not the viewport. This is minor, but it really throws me off sometimes because my work computer (ie, the computer I use most often) is still running Tiger.
You can't switch between tabs by using the Control + Tab key combination like most other browsers. Instead, you must use Apple + { or Apple + } (which in effect is actually Apple + Shift + [ & Apple + Shift + ]). This is a really minor one, but it bugs me anyways.
No middle-click scrolling simply by moving your mouse up/down left/right.
No Firebug. Yes, the Web Inspector has come a long way in recent years, but the thing that I love about Firebug is the ability to dynamically change the values of certain things. You can edit/add HTML, change CSS values or add new ones, temporarily disable certain CSS rules and the browser will update the page with all of your changes instantly. This is huge for web development, especially when you're trying to debug someone else's code, markup or CSS.

So there they are in no particular order. The surprising thing to me is that this is something that Apple would usually get right. They're leaders when it comes to usability, so why is their browser so drastically different (in the "little things department") than everyone else's? Maybe it's just a matter of breaking old habits, but sometimes that's a bit of a painful experience. So, what about you? Have you made the switch to Safari? Any tips on how I can overcome the hurdles that I've mentioned above? Please let me know.

All of this begs the question of course---If I'm so happy with Firefox, why would I want to switch to Safari anyways? Well, it's true, I really like Firefox and it has everything I need, but it suffers from 2 distinct problems. First, it's a memory hog, which in turn slows down my computer. Firefox 3 is supposed to take care of all of this, but it's still going to be a while before that one's finished. Secondly, Firefox is pretty slow handling JavaScript. Don't believe me? Fire open Safari and find a site that uses a lot of JavaScript animation effects (apple.com/downloads/ is a good example). Then open Firefox with that same URL and compare. You'll see what I mean.

Just for the record, I do know that Safari can be extended, but it really doesn't have as much exposure as Firefox does, so even the great extensions for Safari are not very popular. Are there Safari extensions that can help me with my pains? I want to use Safari. Please, show me the way.

NFL Week 16 Predictions

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:48:01 EST

Last week's picks generated a ho-hum 10-6 week, but it wasn't without it's surprises. Seattle basically cemented their "pretender" status in losing to the Panthers and with the talent on the Bengals and Ravens, they just shouldn't be losing to the 49ers and Dolphins respectively.

Last week also generated a number of significant news items... none bigger than Brett Favre passing Dan Marino's all time passing yardage mark with a 7 yard slant to Donald Driver. It was nice to finally see Double D on the end of one of Favre's record breaking passes this year and very classy of the St. Louis fans to give a standing ovation in recognition.

I was personally disappointed by 2 things last week when the Patriots didn't end up beating the pants off of the Jets and when (as mentioned above) the Ravens put an end to the Dolphins bid for a winless season. What can I say, sometimes it's just fun to watch that sort of thing.

With week 16 comes the announcement of this year's Pro Bowl teams, and I'm happy that 4 from the Packers (Favre, Driver, DE Aaron Kampman and CB Al Harris) have been named as starters (well, Driver is the 3^rd WR, but that's pretty much a starter) and several others have been named as alternates. It's a clear indication of how well the Packers are doing this year, and how much really can change in the NFL year to year. And how about Vikings RB Adrian Peterson? He's been named as the NFC's starting running back in his rookie year. If that doesn't assure his Rookie of the Year status, I'm not sure anything will.

Game of the Week: Packers at Bears

First, there really aren't that many obviously compelling games this week. Second, this is the oldest rivalry in the NFL and Packers vs. Bears is always a great game. I don't expect Green Bay to cruise easily through this game though because even though the Bears have been eliminated from playoff contention, they'll still be amped up and looking for a win. Green Bay should be able to win their final 2 games of the year (this one, and next week against Detroit at Lambeau Field in Green Bay) and if they do so they could potentially clinch home field advantage for the playoffs if the Cowboys lose one of their remaining 2 games.

Sure, it's probably not likely that the Boys will lose another game against the Panthers or Redskins, but after their loss to Philadelphia, the injuries, and Roy Williams being suspended for 1 game for breaking the "Roy Williams rule" yet again, it wouldn't surprise me if they coughed up their lead. The road to the Super Bowl going through Lambeau would be something to see.

Here are my predictions for week 16! Total so far: 152-72.

Away	Home	Comments
Steelers (10-5)	Rams (3-12)	Cris Collinsworth said it best on Football Night in America about last week's Jags/Steelers game: The Jaguars out Steelered the Steelers. Pittsburgh is just not an elite team in the AFC, but they should still get the win this week.
Cowboys (13-2)	Panthers (6-9)	Losing that ugly one to the Eagles last week put Dallas in a tie with Green Bay for home-field advantage in the NFC. Dallas holds the tiebreaker and probably will retain it with a win this week, but like every other Packers fan I wouldn't mind if they lost.
Chiefs (4-11)	Lions (7-8)	After looking so impressive with a 6-2 start, the Lions have now lost 6 straight games and are out of playoff contention. They won't get their 10 wins that Jon Kitna promised, but they should be able to get #7 this week.
Browns (9-6)	Bengals (6-9)	Cleveland just keeps rolling. Cincinnati just keeps disappointing.
Packers (12-3)	Bears (6-9)	Last time these 2 teams met, the Packers had every opportunity to win, but were killed by some key mistakes. Things have changed a lot since early October and I really don't think the Bears have the offense to be able to keep up with the Packers in the end.
Giants (10-5)	Bills (7-8)	Buffalo won't make the playoffs, but they've been better than most expected this season. The Giants lost a huge component to their offense in Jeremy Shockey, but even with him I wouldn't like their chances in Buffalo in late December.
Texans (7-8)	Colts (13-2)	Indy's pretty much wrapped up all they can, so I expect them to try and get ahead early and pull their starters mid-way through the 3^rd quarter.
Eagles (7-8)	Saints (7-8)	I think the Eagles have a great chance to win this (meaningless) game. As long as Westbrook is in the lineup and they get adequate play from their QB, the Eagles should win.
Raiders (4-11)	Jaguars (11-4)	Jacksonville just keeps getting better and will be a scary opponent for any team in the AFC in January. Oakland should just lose out so they can waste the highest possible draft pick in 2008.
Falcons (3-12)	Cardinals (7-8)	I feel bad for Falcons fans -- their team is in utter disarray. Arizona has a great chance ahead of them to finish this season at .500. This week it's the Falcons, next week it's the Rams and both games are on home turf.
Buccaneers (9-6)	49ers (5-10)	Congrats to the Bucs, who won their division last week and finally (after 30-some years) returned a kick for a touchdown. Another win this week for TB.
Dolphins (1-14)	Patriots (15-0)	After their dominating performance last week, I was almost going to pick the Fins to knock off the Pats this wee... Riiiiiight.
Ravens (4-11)	Seahawks (10-5)	The Ravens have now lost 8 straight games, capping it off with a loss to the worst team in the NFL last week. Does that make THEM the worst team in the NFL now? Seattle at home in December is a tough draw even for a good team.
Jets (3-12)	Titans (9-6)	OK, so they didn't get beaten to a bloody pulp by the Patriots last week. They have the weather to thank for that. Tennessee needs this win to stay in the playoff picture and should be able to get it.
Redskins (8-7)	Vikings (8-7)	If the Redskins defense can give Tavaris Jackson fits like Chicago did last week, they just might have the offense to win. I'll stick with the Vikings though, becasue that "if" is a big one.
Broncos (6-9)	Chargers (10-5)	This is the first year in a long time that the Broncos really aren't a competitive team. San Diego should stay hot this week and grab another win, even though it really won't mean much for their playoff picture -- they've already clinched their division.

So there you have it! Enjoy the final 2 weeks of this year's regular season. Also, here are this week's ESPN Expert Picks.

Update: 11-5 this week wasn't too bad, but I did expect better. A lot of surprises this week, but such is life in the NFL. See you next week for my week 17 picks.

NFL Week 15 Predictions

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:03:22 EST

Last week was another good one as I made 13 correct picks to bring my record up to 142-66. This week we should see a lot of teams that are "on the bubble" have their hopes burst. Hey, with only 3 games left in the season, someone's gotta lose.

My poll question this week: Who do you think deserves the "Rookie of the Year" award? I think it's Adrian Peterson without a doubt -- to me, it's not really even close. Peterson is second in the league in rushing and only 17 yards behind Pittsburgh's Willie Parker... but he's also missed 2 games to injury. That fact alone is pretty impressive and Peterson's performance has even garnered him some MVP considerations (in some circles at least). If you think anyone else is deserving, please let me know!

I'll keep my comments fairly brief again this week but I just thought I'd point out my game of the week before I get to my picks for week 15.

Game of the Week: Jets at Patriots

This game has been circled by many since the week 1 post-game saga that was "Spy-Gate" (or "Camera-Gate" or any other gate you'd like). The Patriots are entering this game as 27-point favourites over the Jets and for good reason. This game is the payback game for all of the embarrassment that was sparked by the Jets coach who was formerly known as "the Man Genious." Mangini's decision to out his former boss's tactics cost Belichick $500,000 and cost the Patriots a first round draft pick. You can bet the entire Patriots organization (including their fans) will be ready for this one. If you watch only one game this weekend, do yourself a favour and watch this one.

On to my predictions for week 15!

Away	Home	Comments
Broncos (6-8)	Texans (7-7)	Jay Cutler was great last Sunday and I think the Broncos will be able to start a bit of a mini-streak here. 2 in a row!
Bengals (5-9)	49ers (4-10)	The Bengals should be able to win this one with ease, but I wouldn't be surprised either way.
Jets (3-11)	Patriots (14-0)	This is going to be fun to watch.
Jaguars (10-4)	Steelers (9-5)	Memo to the Steelers: Don't let any of your team mates use the word "Guarantee" ever again. It'll be a tough task for Jacksonville on the road this week, but I just think they're the better team here.
Seahawks (9-5)	Panthers (6-8)	At this point the Seahawks are fighting for playoff position and currently have the inside track on the 3 seed. They'll need to continue to win if they want to hold on.
Ravens (4-10)	Dolphins (1-13)	After 2 hard to swallow losses the Ravens get to go to Miami. They have to be able to win this one.
Packers (12-2)	Rams (3-11)	It seems like a long time ago that Randy Moss mooned us out of the playoffs, but the Packers are back in the 2^nd season after a 2-year absence. Ryan Grant continues to get better with each passing week, and that's a great sign for Packers fans.
Cardinals (6-8)	Saints (7-7)	Both of these teams still have a mathematic chance to make the playoffs. I don't think either of them will, but this game will probably cement that for one team.
Titans (8-6)	Chiefs (4-10)	It's been a disappointing season for the Chiefs that I don't think will get much better this week. Even though the Titans haven't been as good lately, I think they'll win because they just need it more.
Bills (6-8)	Browns (9-5)	Trent Edwards looked pretty good last week at QB for the Bills... but they were playing the Dolphins. This week, I think the Browns offense will out-match the Bills D.
Falcons (3-11)	Buccaneers (9-5)	The Bucs are hoping to get Jeff Garcia back this week, which should help, but I think they beat the Falcons either way.
Colts (12-2)	Raiders (4-10)	Can you imagine how badly the Colts would've beaten the Ravens last week if a) Marvin Harrison was playing and b) if Tony Dungy didn't (tastefully) pull most of his starters mid-way through the 3^rd quarter?
Eagles (6-8)	Cowboys (12-2)	Can't really pick against the Cowboys until they prove me wrong.
Lions (6-8)	Chargers (9-5)	Well, the 10 wins thing isn't happening, that's for sure. Honestly, I think the Lions will be lucky if they get to 8 now.
Redskins (7-7)	Giants (9-5)	I want the Redskins to win this one. I don't think they will, but I think they'll at least make it close.
Bears (5-9)	Vikings (8-6)	Kyle Orton is starting for the Bears. Vikings win.

This week should be a lot of fun to watch... unless you're a fan of one of those bubble teams that loses on Sunday. Here are this week's ESPN Expert Picks.

Update: After a pretty good week last week, this week's picks didn't fair quite so well. 10-6 this week to bring my total for the year up to 152-72. This week's Monday Night Football match between the Bears and Vikings was actually a pretty good game that ended up being a lot closer than expected. Check back Tuesday for week 16 picks!

NFL Week 14 Predictions

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:07:16 EST

Last week I away on a great vacation in Mexico and enjoyed a fairly decent 10-6 record for my week 13 picks. That especially holds true when you consider the fact that I actually picked most of the games in advance of week 12's games actually playing out.

Watching the Packers/Cowboys game on NFL Network in a Mexican sports bar was quite a memory that would've even been better if only the Packers won... well, that and if that sports bar would have been smoke free so I could have enjoyed the game and the oxygen too. Due to the fact that the Packers played the entire game without starters Charles Woodson and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and most of the game without Favre, I was actually encouraged by just how well they played and I think they'll have a great chance to beat Dallas if/when they meet again in the playoffs.

As I sit and write this post I'm quite honestly feeling very tired and drained and I'm sure part of it was the weird travel schedule on the way home from the aforementioned vacation. (2 AM landing time as we were greeted by the most Canadian of welcome home gifts... the first major blizzard of the year). With that said, I hope you'll forgive me as I keep this entry pretty brief. Besides, I'd honestly rather write less and have you readers post your thoughts & comments below and strike up a football discussion than I would post a super-long entry that could potentially bore people to death.

So, without further ado... Game of the Week: Steelers at Patriots.

Here are my picks for week 14! Season total: 129-63.

Away	Home	Comments
Bears (5-8)	Redskins (6-7)	What happened to Sean Taylor is an absolute tragedy. The Bears have been better of late and I just don't see the Redskins being able to win this game because Washington has had to deal with so much over the past 2 weeks and have an extremely short week to prepare for the Bears on top of that.
Panthers (5-8)	Jaguars (9-4)	Unfortunately for the Jaguars, last week was their chance to really make some noise in the AFC South mix. Fortunately, they're still a great team who could make some noise when it really counts... in the playoffs.
Dolphins (0-13)	Bills (7-6)	I just can't pick Miami and I think more and more people (myself included) actually want to see that 0-16 season now that it's so close to becoming a reality.
Chargers (8-5)	Titans (7-6)	This is a risky pick, but the Chargers look like they're starting to gain some consistency and LT looks like he's back.
Buccaneers (8-5)	Texans (6-7)	Tampa Bay has very quietly gotten off to an 8-4 start this season. Give them number 9 this week.
Raiders (4-9)	Packers (11-2)	Green Bay is a better team than they showed last Thursday night. Thankfully, Favre looks like he's going to be able to start (consecutive start #250!) and after having 10 days to prepare for the Raiders, I expect the Pack to get back on track this week and clinch the NFC North crown.
Cowboys (12-1)	Lions (6-7)	Imagine what would happen if the Lions won this game... I don't see it happening, but as a Packers fan, I can't say I wouldn't enjoy it.
Giants (9-4)	Eagles (5-8)	Even though Philly's pretty much out of it this year, I think they could take this one if the Giants offense continues to flounder.
Rams (3-10)	Bengals (5-8)	The Bengals offense played well for 1 drive against the Steelers last week... I think they'll win this one, but after the rest of the season so far, I wouldn't be surprised either way.
Cardinals (6-7)	Seahawks (9-4)	Seattle can effectively eliminate the Cardinals from the playoffs and clinch their division with a win at home this week.
Vikings (7-6)	49ers (3-10)	All Minnesota really needs to do now is finish strong and they'll be in the playoffs with a wild card spot this year. Adrian Peterson looked good last week too, which is a great sign for Vikings fans.
Chiefs (4-9)	Broncos (6-7)	The Broncos are as inconsistent this year as the Saints but I think their collective yo-yo will rise this Sunday.
Steelers (9-4)	Patriots (13-0)	After what's happened the last 2 weeks, Pittsburgh may have the best shot of any team so far this year at knocking off the Pats. They wanted to be recognized as an elite team, now is their chance to prove their worthiness.
Browns (8-5)	Jets (3-10)	Thank you to the Jets for preserving the Dolphins winless season by laying down a beating last week. Cleveland really should be 8-4 right now -- the last play of the game against the Cardinals last week was clearly a force-out and should've been ruled as the game winning TD.
Colts (11-2)	Ravens (4-9)	By the time the Colts take the field on Sunday Night, they'll already know whether this game is a must win to keep their 2^nd seed in the AFC (if Pittsburgh can somehow knock off New England) or if they'll be playing for some nice insurance. I'll take the Colts either way, but after what I saw last night from Baltimore, I wouldn't be shocked if they pulled this one off.
Saints (6-7)	Falcons (3-10)	See the Broncos/Chiefs comments above. Another stinker on MNF.

Don't forget to check out this week's ESPN Expert Picks and come back after the games for more thoughts, updated records, and... well that's probably it. Also, in case you interested, check out the playoff picture for this week for all the clinching scenarios.

Update: 13-3 this week was pretty good and brings my season total up to 142-66, but there weren't many surprises. Even though anything can happen the rest of the way, I think it's time to stick a fork in the playoff hopes of the Saints, Broncos, Cardinals, Bengals, Eagles, Lions, Texans, Panthers, Bears and Redskins. See you Tuesday for week 15 picks!