betterREDthandead

I don't buy the fluctuation thing to explain losing four pounds in a week like that. I do weigh myself at the same time every day. I see the fluctuation, too, and it's never been like that. If weight fluctuation was the reason, I'd have seen 181 before. I NEVER got that low. 184, minimum. Now it's a maximum. With clothes on. Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly complaining. I wonder if the body needs that rest in order to adjust metabolism or something. But I'm not buying the normal fluctuation of weight as an explanation, because I know what it should look like.

I don't get this weight-loss thing. OK, first the good news: Today I weighed in at 181 pounds, which means I've officially lost 10 pounds since the beginning of summer. Which is nice, but not what I was hoping for. The bad news is I have absolutely no idea how that happened. My weight loss has happened really in two big spurts. The first was about a month ago, right around the time I was bitching that nothing was happening. In about ten days I went from hovering just under 190 to hovering at about 185. It sort of coincided with a week of shortened workouts (no lifting, running only, due to long days at work that week.) Then I got stuck at 184-186 for the next three weeks or so. About 185 was what it was just a week ago. I just got done with my break week and went back to working out again today. Yesterday was the first time in a week I weighed myself and it said 181. I got home today after working out - 181 again. Honestly, what gives? I rest for a week, during which I am bad and have a big meal at an Italian place, a HUGE meal at an Indian place, a Taco Bell dinner, and greasy airport food. And I drop four pounds in a week? I wish I could sell that as a weight loss plan. I'd make billions. Eat Italian and Indian, lots of it, and don't set foot on a treadmill, and lose four pounds a week! I've also decided to give in and try Hydroxycut. Today was the first day on it. We'll see how that goes after 8 weeks.

Howard would be ready now if this were one of about 25 other teams in the league. But these are the Red Wings, not the Thrashers or the Coyotes, and we have the luxury of being able to wait til a guy is a better player before calling him "ready".

Johnson + Smith is the best running back tandem we've had since Barry Sanders and a sack of cement. I hope the offensive line is up to the task because I have been pretty excited about Smith for a while now and wouldn't have dreamed we could get Rudi Johnson. Brilliant. There is no such thing as a bad offense with a good running game. Pinch me - Matt Millen made a smart move.

Ditto that. Pudge is all class and deserves nothing but the best from us Tigers fans.

I was a little disappointed in the officials deciding to hand Wilson the lead instead of first warning Helio. I've been watching some of the racing this year and Helio's my favorite driver, not least because he drives for Penske. And it's Penske's race, too. It's a shame, by the way, that so many CART and IRL drivers jumped to NASCAR, and are not actually doing all that well. IRL would be a hell of a series with Carpentier, Franchitti, Papis, Hornish, etc. still racing. Because let's face it, E.J. Viso cannot ******* drive. I may not be the world's biggest open-wheel follower but I've seen enough races to know that much.

Don't bet on it.

Not building a new stadium, just a new set of facilities for the team (practice, academic, etc.) But the stadium isn't going anywhere.

No worries. It's built smack on top of a major fault line, so sooner or later they're gonna find that 50 yard line seats on one side are 30 yard line seats on the other.

You haven't missed much. Even when they do make it they lose - badly. My memory is a little fuzzy though. It's been like nine years.

Phenomenal plus extra-s***ty averages out to just OK. I wouldn't call a defense "phenomenal" that gives up 300+ yards in one half. If they'd have played like that all game, things would have been great. Don't really understand your rage at Threet. Sheridan was worse. And the offensive line was worse than anything, ever. It's going to be a long year if that's our running game.

He is a complete f***up.

Frankly that is a whole collection of really goofy-looking dudes.

Why? The tour isn't based in Germany, France, or Spain. I'm not really sure why the need for the requirement. I haven't heard of the LPGA having to deal with a lot of translators for foreign golfers, and it's not like LPGA golfers are marketing idols, exactly. But I fully support their right to require English if they so choose.

And being in a car which is pretty clearly ass, I think. There is something seriously wrong with Dodge engines. GEM has like one good car and that's Kahne's. Carpentier is not chopped liver and the guy can't even qualify for some of the races. Robby Gordon is one of the best drivers on the circuit IMO (not even being entirely a homer here....have you seen what he does when the plates even things out?) and he simply cannot go anywhere. It's amazing that he's even on track to stay above 35th in owners points given that he gets the leftover scrap engines from GEM which doesn't even have good ones to begin with. Montoya is a hell of a driver and was a successful driver in friggin' Formula One, and he can't get around the track either. Penske and Ganassi ought to know a thing or two about racing, being far and away the elite teams and biggest names in IRL, yet their NASCAR teams are s***. Yay Dodge for being American and all, but their race cars have been absolute turds this year. Sum and gist of the rant: Kahne is screwed. I feel for the guy. Allstate makes him do the worst frickin' commercials ever, he battles all year for the Chase with half a wheel tied behind his back, and his reward is to get taken out and effectively knocked out of the Chase in a wreck that's not his fault. (Speaking of which how about Casey Mears totally diming out his spotter?)

Only 2 races left til the Chase - anyone got any favorites on the bubble? Personally I don't care much who makes it, as long as Denny Hamlin doesn't. Toyota, y'know. Watched last night's race when I realized that my hatred of short-tracks came from only watching Martinsville. So, Bristol good, Martinsville is still lousy. Turned it off after the last big wreck - when Kyle ******* Busch is dominating the race and Robby Gordon is wrecked, it's not much fun watching any more. So I missed Carl Edwards' little bump to knock Busch out of the way for the win. Naturally, Busch whined. This is a little like Bryan Marchment complaining that someone went after his knee. Kyle Busch is a giant turd and if there's going to be a big rivalry between Carl Edwards and him then I may have two favorite drivers soon.

They got a QB. At least, I'm not worried that Threet or Sheridan will have problems running the show - IF the line can protect them. Way more worrisome is the idea that a defensive lineman can switch to the O-line and in less than a week be mentioned as a candidate to start. Not good.

The organization is loyal to a fault. I think a lot teams in the league would have got rid of Maltby and Chelios by now, but the Wings will make every effort to find ways to keep you around if you've still got a role to play, which those two do. They don't look at players as cost-benefit figures on a ledger. And who else would have given McCarty even a sniff at the big time again? I think this is why you don't see the younger guys worried about being kept in Grand Rapids for as long as they're able. They know if they're patient their turn will come and the team'll take care of them. The Wings just do all the little things right in dealing with their players. And yes, Konnan511, it's called CLASS. Call a spade a spade. From Mike Ilitch all the way down to the poor sap who has to pick up sweaty jockstraps, it's a classy show. Oh, and the guaranteed shot at a Cup every year doesn't hurt.

I know the prevailing feeling is that Newsome will end up at Tech, but I'm still skeptical. Tech's filled up pretty much their entire quotient of schollies for the class of '09 - they intend to bring in a really small class. They're up against the ceiling so closely that they had twin brothers Tariq and Tyrell Edwards grayshirt for 2010. Plus, there are still a couple of bigger fish than Newsome out there that they probably want to have room for. Unless Newsome grayshirts as well (which might make sense because of Tyrod Taylor) then they'll have a tough time fitting him in.

I say, never deny yourself actual fun even if you're trying to lose weight. The point of losing weight is to be happier about yourself, right? But you're not gonna be happy if everyone's having a great time getting toasted and you're sitting there by your lonesome sober self munching on celery sticks. I just make sure I stay disciplined at home and at the cafeteria at work and what not, and when I go out I'm not gonna be the one guy complaining about my diet and how I can't have any beer or good food. Besides, if you let yourself go for a weekend maybe it'll help you stay motivated to keep at it the rest of the time.

Lebda = Meech = Quincey. Seriously, why the heartache if one gets traded instead of the other? They are not gonna make or break the season. Whichever one brings the highest return, that's the one I'd prefer to see traded.

Nothing really drew me in. To the six or seven year old version of myself, it really only seemed natural that you root for the hometown team.

They say the jersey is 16 months old, but really it's only about 12 months.

Can't they at least rip off our good beer? Seriously? Chinese PBR? In the spirit of the Rollexx watches you can probably get all over Beijing, the jersey will likely come back saying Zetterburg. Come to think of it, I think that's how some people think it's spelled anyway.

It's probably a good thing for the NHL that Vs. got the IRL. IRL isn't exactly the country's most popular sport - it's probably running 15th or so - but a little cross-pollination never hurt.