Welcome to Something for Nothing

I got the following message in my email box that I thought a lot of people would be interested in. I went to the SUV choir concert here in Henderson a weekend or two ago and it was fantastic. You can see why Gladys is the diva that she is.

Between conference sessions on September 30 @ 12:30 p.m. MST, BYU Television will air its 30-minute documentary report of the Saints Unified Voices directed by Gladys Knight visit to BYU-Hawaii during its 50th Jubilee in October 2005.
This program features historical information about BYU- Hawaii, a background look at Gladys Knight, and an overview of the Saints Unified Voices sharing its message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in its program “One Voice - a Presentation of Music and Testimony” on the campus of BYU- Hawaii on Sunday, October 16, 2005. Many of the songs that the Choir sings during these presentations are found on the Grammy-awarding winning CD One Voice, which received its name from these presentations.
Nearly 8,000 people attended the two SUV Choir presentations in Hawaii, which resulted in the Hawaii Mission distributing more than 1,200 copies of the Book of Mormon and kept the missionaries very busy teaching the gospel to the people of Hawaii.
BYU Television will air this documentary program several times throughout the month of October. Access to BYU Television is required to view the program. This program is not available for sale by either the SUV Choir or BYU Television. Copyright laws apply. For more information about this program, please contact BYU Television in Salt Lake City.

The good part is that you can watch LDS General Conference and the Gladys Knight SUV choir on BYUTV right online. I’m so glad because if we could stream Conference on our computer we’d have to go to the stake center.

Las Vegas has to be one of the most unique places in the world. Everyone knows that. In fact, that’s why every type of conference, training event, restaurant and hooker comes to Las Vegas. Everyone wants to at least make a stop here.

Here’s a perfect example. Joe Navarro who taught at CAMP HELLMUTH (famous poker player thanks to ESPN) will be coming to Las Vegas to host “The Tells of Poker.”

Here’s a description of the event:

This is an intense, fast moving seminar, similarily designed to how federal agents are trained. All attendants will receive Joe’s new book written in cooperation with Poker Champion Phil Hellmuth.

Sounds like a unique learning opportunity to me. After the training you might just have to put up a sign at Caesars that says Welcome to Navarro Poker.

Here’s the details on the when, where and cost for the training:
When: November 19, 2006
Where: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Price : $999.00

I just love Caesar’s Palace.

I found a really interesting list of the coaches from the class of 2001. That’s an amazing list of coaches. It’s also quite amazing to see how many things have changed over time. I loved to see Pete Carroll on that list. Lots of good information on this list for all those college football stats whores out there.

1. North Carolina, John Bunting

3 Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 16-18 (.470)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 24-36 (.400)

Current status: Bunting is in his sixth season as head coach of UNC with a 1-3 record.

2. Alabama, Dennis Franchione

3 Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 20-16 (.555)

Cumulative Record (2 seasons): 17-8 (.680)

Current status: Francione left after the 2002 season to take the head job at Texas A&M where he has had mixed success. Mike Shula replaced him at Alabama and is the Tide’s current coach.

3. Arizona, John Mackovic

3 Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 23-13 (.638)

Cumulative Record, (2+ seasons): 10-18 (.357)

Current status: Mackovic was fired five games into his third season at Arizona after a tumultuous tenure, including a player mutiny. Mike Stoops, former hot coaching prospect, is their current coach and has struggled to turn the program around.

4. Arizona State, Dirk Koetter

3 Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 17-18 (.485)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 33-28 (.540)

Current status: Still the head man at ASU; granted a contract extension through 2009.

5. Boise State, Dan Hawkins

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 26-10 (.722)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 53-11 (.828)

Current status: Now in his first season as head coach at Colorado.

6. Bowling Green, Urban Meyer

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 12-21 (.363)

Cumulative Record (2 seasons): 17-6 (.739)

Current status: Meyer left Bowling Green for Utah, where he had unprecedented success. He is now the head man at Florida. The Falcons went 11-3 and 9-3 after Meyer left but fell to 6-5 in 2005 and after losing 38-3 at home to Kent State are now 2-2.

7. BYU, Gary Crowton

3 Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 23-15 (.605)

Cumulative Record (4 seasons): 26-23 (.530)

Current status: Crowton resigned under pressure after four seasons and is now offensive coordinator at Oregon.

8. Buffalo, Jim Hofher

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 6-27 (.181)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 8-49 (.140)

Current status: Buffalo has never had a winning record in D-I. Honestly, I have no idea where Jim Hofher is today.

9. Georgia, Mark Richt

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 25-11 (.694)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 52-13 (.800)

Current status: Your average Tar Heel football fan is pretty clear at this point on Richt and how his career is going (and what might have been).

10. Kentucky, Guy Morriss

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 15-20 (.428)

Cumulative Record (2 seasons): 9-14 (.391)

Current status: Morriss was the offensive line coach for Hal Mumme before getting the head job when Mumme resigned after getting the program placed on probation by the NCAA. He took the team to a 7-5 record his second year (no bowl allowed, however) and then jumped to Baylor rather than continue with the mess created in Lexington.

11. Maryland, Ralph Friedgen

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 13-20 (.393)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 41-20 (.672)

Current status: “Fridge” is another coach Tar Heel fans are all too familar with as his Maryland teams have frequently pasted the Heels and last season broke their hearts in OT at Kenan, leading to the Heels missing a bowl when they couldn’t beat the Hokies in Blacksburg. There is plenty of evidence, however, that Friedgen is faltering with his own players, going 5-6 each of the past two seasons and enjoying cupcakes this year to get to 3-1. (A 14-10 home win over Florida International this weekend probably hurts more than helps.) Still, many Tar Heel fans agree Friedgen is just too plain fat and untelegenic to ever have gotten the job at UNC.

12. Memphis, Tommy West

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 11-22 (.333)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 32-28 (.533)

Current status: West inherited a program that hadn’t had a winning record since 1994 and continued that trend his first two seasons but now has posted three straight winning records.

13. Miami, Larry Coker

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 29-8 (.783)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 53-9 (.854)

Current status: Coker won a national title his first season at the U and has a staggering winning percentage but at this point any loss or even a bad win could cost him his job. Four relatively easy games coming up (including UNC) before going to Atlanta for Georgia Tech and a home tilt with Virginia Tech.

14. Missouri, Gary Pinkel

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 15-19 (.441)

Cumulative Record: 29-30 (.491)

Current status: Pinkel’s five seasons have fluctuated between 4-7 (2001) and 8-5 (2003). This season may be his best however as the Tigers are 4-0.

15. Ohio, Brian Knorr

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 17-16 (.515)

Cumulative Record (4 seasons): 11-35 (.239)

Current status: Knorr replaced Jim Grobe, current coach at Wake Forest. Fired after four miserable seasons, he was succeeded by Frank Solich.

16. Ohio State, Jim Tressel

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 25-11 (.694)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 50-13 (.793)

Current status: Ranked #1 in the country.

17. Oklahoma State, Les Miles

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 13-20 (.393)

Cumulative Record (4 seasons): 28-21 (.571)

Current status: Miles turned OK State around with three straight winning seasons which he then used to catapult himself into the prestigious head job at LSU.

18. Rutgers, Greg Schiano

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 9-24 (.272)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 19-39 (.327)

Current status: Rutgers was Rutgers for the first four seasons under Schiano, but what has transpired since is well-documented. The Scarlet Knights went to a bowl last season for the first time since 1978 and are off to a 4-0 start this season, including a win in Kenan over Bunting and the Heels. Schiano received an extension last season through 2012.

19. San Jose State, Fitz Hill

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 14-20 (.411)

Cumulative Record (4 seasons): 14-33 (.297)

Current Status: The Spartans had been pretty miserable throughout the 1990s. Hill resigned and took an academic post after being unable to dent the apathy shown by the univeristy and community. The Spartans are now led by Dick Tomey.

20. Southern California, Pete Carroll

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 19-18 (.513)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 54-10 (.843)

Current status: Let’s just move along.

21. Texas Christian, Gary Patterson

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 25-10 (.714)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 43-18 (.704)

Current status: Patterson took over at TCU before the Horned Frogs’ bowl game in 2000 because then coach Dennis Francione left for the Alabama job. TCU is ranked and undefeated thus far in 2006.

22. Toledo, Tom Anstutz

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 23-11 (.676)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 45-18 (.714)

Current status: Never worse than 8-4 since taking over for Gary Pinkel, Anstutz is off to a 2-2 start this season.

23. Virginia, Al Groh

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 22-14 (.611)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 37-26 (.587)

Current status: Another name Tar Heel fans know very well, Groh replaced the (legendary?) George Welsh at UVA and has four straight seasons of 7-5 or better. The Wahoos are struggling in 2006 however and Groh’s support amongst the fanbase is less than enthusiastic.

24. Wake Forest, Jim Grobe

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 12-22 (.352)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 26-32 (.448)

Current status: Outside the ACC, or maybe even just North Carolina, I doubt many people know or care much about Demon Deacon football. Tar Heel fans however look on at amazement at what Grobe has done at WFU, a school where it is impossible to have much sustained success. Grobe is 2-2 against John Bunting and 4-0 to start the 2006 campaign.

25. West Virginia, Rich Rodriguez

3-Year Pre-Hire Cumulative Record: 19-16 (.542)

Cumulative Record (5 seasons): 39-22 (.639)

Current status: No team looks to benefit from the “new Big East” more than the Mountaineers. Without Miami, Virginia Tech, or Boston College in the way WVU looks poised to at least make a run at the national title this season.

Sources:

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/index.php

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/stats/2000/news.newcoaches.html

I have some breaking news for all of you wonderful PayPerPost peeps out there. Ted got out of bed REALLY Early!!

What a guy? He goes to New York City and parties late into the night just to wake up early (ok, so I made up the partying all night). In what’s an absolute classic moment, the video captures Ted waiting for the girls, which shall from now on be known as Ted’s Girls, for what seems like about half an hour to me. How perfect is that? You wake up at some outrageous hour just to wait for the girls to do their hair (or something important like that).

Yes, Ted sacrificed like this in order to get PayPerPost on the Today show. Talk about Guerilla Marketing. I actually think that it is a great idea. Although, I’m not sure it’s the right idea for PayPerPost. The line seemed to be full of OLD people that probably wouldn’t know a blog from a frog.

If they have an opportunity come up about the Today Show then I’ll know it was a success.

Here’s the video for your viewing pleasure:

It looks like Cowboys crazy receiver Terrell Owens has created a new way to get attention. He’s reportedly tried to overdose on prescription pain medications in a suicide attempt.

Here’s what ESPN reported about it:

Flamboyant Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens attempted suicide by overdosing on prescription pain medication Tuesday, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened, according to an internal police report obtained by The Associated Press.

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a “thumbs up” but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Publicist Kim Etheridge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that the police have gotten the story wrong. She said she was with Owens, who was having trouble because he’d mixed his pain pills with supplements. She said she called for help because he was becoming unresponsive.

Fox sports offered pretty much the same info on TO, but I found this part interesting:

“This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense,” Watson said. “This a medical type of situation that occurred.”

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

“Let’s just look at the tape, review the tape,” Lavender said. “I’ll give you an honest answer once I know something.”

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, “noticed that (his) prescription pain medication was empty and observed (Owens) putting two pills in his mouth,” the police report said. The friend attempted to pry them out with her fingers, then was told by Owens that before this incident he’d taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he’d emptied.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone “attempting suicide by prescription pain medication.” Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

From the ESPN report on Terrell Owens it looks like he’s back to his old self:

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they’re starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn’t talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

“My little boy knows better than that,” he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Looks like the Cowboys are really glad they brought TO into the organization. I guess TO prescribes to the any media is good media. Even if it means you have to attempt suicide.

At my work they are building a brand new building that is a recreation center along with a health center and counseling center. In the middle they have created an area called the wellness zone. Turns out that I’m in charge of the group that will put together all the technology for the room.

I just found an example of what I’m looking for in this Self Help Book. The website has a cool flash presentation that helps you to relax too. I hope that they create more of these online tools that I can integrate into the new Wellness Zone.

I worked with a guy while at college at BYU who flew The World’s Smallest One Man Helicopter. It was an impressive looking machine and absolutely fascinating. I recently ran across his website again and it was fun to think back to my time working with him.

Here’s his picture in the one man helicopter. I hope that he is able to take this technology and create a mass market for it.

Any man here knows that purchasing diamonds is never fun. However, every man also knows that it is essential to the happiness of woman. An engagement without a diamond just isn’t an engagement anymore.

At least we now have some online tools to help our wives (or future wives) choose what diamond they like best. Just turn on ESPN in the background and take her to choose an engagement diamond ring.

Sure, I could tell you all about things like:
1. Free Global Insured Shipping.
2. Risk Free Purchase.
3. Pay After You Receive.
4. We Source Diamonds and Jewelry.
5. Toll-Free Customer Support.
6. Life time upgrade plan.
Places like Diamonds-USA offer all of these. However, while those are important, it’s not what you need to help the selection process go easier. What you need is Diamons-USA’s online ring design tool. No more going to diamond shops and spending hours looking at diamonds. Just browse right online and design your very own diamond ring.

Sounds like a good Christmas present idea too.

I’m still amazed at the amazing selection of videos on YouTube. My friend sent me this Weird Al video that I think is called White and Nerdy, but I’m not 100% sure.

The thing I don’t understand is why she would send me a video like that? Was she trying to imply something?

I just recently purchased me a scooter that gets 100 mph to get me to and from work and save me whordes of money. Well, this is a great idea, but as I started driving I realized how much dust gets thrown everywhere here in the desert of Las Vegas. You can imagine dust in the air on a scooter going 40 mph isn’t good on the eyes. I show up to work and I’m sure everyone thinks I must have gone drinking the night before.

I started looking online for some sunglasses that might protect my eyes and also help with the glaring sun. Well, if you look at the site you see an enormous list of brand name glasses and even prescription glasses (which isn’t useful to me since I have great eyesight).

At first I thought I might want to check out some Bolle Sunglasses since they were sport sunglasses that were cool looking. Then, I realized they actually had a large selection of motorocycle sunglasses. I think that’s what I’m actually going to end up buying.

It made me laugh when I saw that there were even Orange County Choppers Sunglasses. I love the show, but I don’t care about the sunglasses.

I also found a pretty graphic page that talked about glasses that were used by military personnel and saved their lives. I guess that puts my need for glasses to protect me from a little dirt seem insignificant.

It is indeed relatively insignificant, but it’s still essential for me. Any suggestions on the best choices?