58th Edition - 12/01/06

• The Self-Promotion

This month's monthly movie preview (with a local twist) combines the December films with holiday things to do around the Chicago area. It might be my biggest strectch yet, but in this noggin' ....mmmmm egg nog.... it all makes sense.
Click here to read

• NFL

A quick recap from last night's game. Bengals 13, Ravens 7.

Game of the Week: Giants vs. Cowboys (Fox, 3:15). The Giants have been in the paper all week with Strahan complaining about the media, and Coughlin complaining about Manning. The crazy thing is, everyone has decided that the Cowboys are THE team to beat and the Giants are in disarray. If the Giants beat the Cowboys, they'll both be 7-5, with the Giants owning the tiebreaker and a huge division lead.

Bears. Everyone is complaining about the 9-2 Bears. Grossman, the defensive line not getting a sack, Benson saying he is better than Jones ... I really wish I could enjoy this run the Bears are on a little more.

• Chicago Weather

Right now it is about 31 degrees in Chicago. Not bad.
It rained most of yesterday afternoon. Bad.
There was a slight layer of ice on things. Bad.
It started snowing last night. Bad.
It's pretty windy. Bad.
There is a huge about of slush in the city. Bad.
Every street corner is like a lake and your shoes will get soaked. Bad.
I couldn't risk biking to work today. Bad.
While taking the Blue Line, I read an article saying the city was ready for the storm. SO bad.

So, if you are keeping score, Chicago is losing 1-8 right now.

• NBA: Kobe being Kobe

I was going to try and make some create link to Bruce Springsteen's "52 Channels and Nothing's On" with Kobe Bryant going for 52 points last night, 30 in the 3rd quarter. But then I remembered that Bruce's song was 57 channels. So that's that.

• The Picks

Curious how anal I am? Here's an example ... I can't give college picks this week, because mike d will read them and then have a helping hand in trying to take me down for the season long competition that he, myself and nine other guys are doing (College Football Pick'em). Right now I have a two game lead with only eight games to choose this weekend. I need all the help I can get. So I will post my picks later this weekend, and you'll just have to trust me. Come on ... who wouldn't trust a guy to be honest about gambling?

Previous Standings
j NCAA: (21-15-1)
billy z NCAA: (25-11-2)
j NFL: (17-21-3)
mike d: (17-22-2)

j NFL picks
Colts -7.5 over Titans
Dolphins straight up over Jaquars
Lions +13.5 over Patriots

As always, look for mike d and billy z's picks later today.

• Stuff

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (the originators of the British "Office") wrote "The Office" episode from last night, and it wasn't that good.

"My Boys" -- a new sitcom on TBS is funny. Totally worth watching, especially compared to CBS sitcoms. Here is a link, there have been two episodes, but you can watch both online. It's like "Sex and the City" except the total opposite, while still being about a woman. Plus, it's based in Chicago and they actually know the city well.
Click here to watch

Don't go to the movies this weekend. Or at least don't bother seeing anything that opens up today. Go see --
"The Departed"
"Borat"
"The Prestige"
"Stranger Than Fiction"
"The Fountain"
"Casino Royale"
(in that order)