caleb’s blog

Film & TV writers are on strike, which means everything except reality TV could halt production.  Do you support the strike?  Are any of your favorite shows in jeopardy?

I do! Are you kidding me?!  Video entertainment spans so many mediums now, and it seem as though everyone BUT the writers are receiving compensation for their diverse set of work.  Writing will make or break a show for me, so I figure if the writers are happy... then I'll continue be happy (or possibly become even more so) with the shows that I already enjoy.  

In related news, if you don't already know... many of the writers are also the actors in The Office... and i honestly feel that they say it best...

The Office is Closed

Who is your favorite video game character? 
Submitted by Korgoth.  

Easy decision.  Cyan Garamonde from, as it's known in the US Final Fantasy III.  I grew to love his character's storyline each time I played through the game. 

What is your favorite ring tone?
Submitted by rach. 

For some reason the ring tones I like to use are college fight songs from my favorite universities, which are usually the schools that contain my favorite collegiate sports programs. 
One, because these aren't too popular (yet), so I usually know when it's my phone that is ringing.
And two, because there is always a chance that someone will recognize it and either expose themselves as a fan/alum or I'll get a rise out of someone as they're a fan/alum of the schools big rival.

All in all it has the small potential for  some interesting times.

First Quarter:
UM Ball
Henne knows there are almost 110 thousand people yelling to drown him out, and he still has the confidence to check the play off at the line.... and its working.
Its all Manningham on the walk-on Corner for the bucks.
First possession for Michigan, no negative yards, Touchdown Heart.
7-0 blue.

OSU ball.
UM is giving them a good 5 yard cushion and bringing at least 1 from the short flats almost every play.
Ginn is running routs as expected.  They still haven't run with smith.
SMITH SACKED.  All day baby.
on the 2 yard line, 5 WR.....
TD bucks, a wide open Hall. (3 catches on the drive).
7-7  this game is going to be a slugfest.

90% passing calls from each team on their first possession. Maybe they want their running game fresh for the second half?

Bucks kick off out of the end zone.
Heirbstreet is remaining unbias thus far.

UM ball.
Still changing plays at the line.
1st down, incomplete, 2nd down 4 yard run to heart....
First 3rd down test of the game.... changing the play...
Catch to Breaston... even though he was being mugged right at the first down line!
First penalty goes to Michigan, False Start.
Just showed Derek Jeter on tv... apparently he gave up a scholarship to play for the Yankees.
No-brainer to me... I'd be a wolverine over a Yankee no matter what the price!
again, 3rd and 5...checking the play... threw it away, first punt also is Michigan.
Offsides, but it doesn't give Michigan the first so Carr will keep the excellent punt coverage Blue provided.

OSU ball
Ginn catches another 1st down ball.
Last year I wouldn't think that Smith would ever have the chance to be drafted in the 1st round, but his play this year changes things.  Another (smarter) Vince Young. What Atlanta fans wish Michael Vick was. "Pass first, run when I want need to."
This turf is slippery.
Lots of WR screens, looks like the Tressel's play calling is keeping them away from the big hits.
Michigan brings the house (6 men) and smith just bails on the pass. Bucks punt.

UM ball.
Henne takes another sack at his own 11 yard line, same way the last drive ended.  I couldn't see the coverage either time.
END OF FIRST QUARTER 7-7

2nd Quarter
UM ball
Gets to 3rd and one at the Michigan 11, and they take Heart outside for no gain.
Punt to a fair catch.  Good field position for OSU.

OSU Ball.
Smith runs for the first time 7 yards, and gets nailed.  How many times will those plays be worth it for OSU?
QB choice option ... True Freshman Chris Wells goes 50+ yards to the house for a TD after having about 4 Michigan players get a hand oh him. Touchdown Buckeyes.
14 - 7 OSU.

UM ball
Heart goes 2 maybe 3. Carr needs to keep giving him the ball up the middle, or off tackle or Michigan will get one sided way to quickly.
3rd and the state of Ohio after OSU brings the rush and Henne grounds the ball ... throws to TE bringing it to 4th and 13... Punt... another fair catch.... but a Flag on the play. ... Personal foul roughing the Center!! What a cheap shot.
First down Michigan!
3rd and long again after Heart gets a short run and a short screen pass. He looks like he wants to hit some defenders when he has the ball.
Henne goes over the middle to Breaston and they come up 1 yard short after a big hit
Punt and fair catch to the OSU 7 yard line.

OSU ball
Pittman runs for nothing.... 2nd down... good pressure on Smith... Great pass to the sideline... and Michigan doesn't look like Michigan while trying to defend.
Pittman 9 and a half yard gain... second and short.
Michigan needs a big defensive play to get it started again.
One of the most convinsing Play action dives I've ever seen, and Ginn splits the 2 deep coverage and scores, Touchdown OSU.
21 - 7.

Nows not a good time to make me feel like the holidays are here with these overly happy commercials.  Once Smith gets rocked in the back and coughs up the ball I'll be singing Jingle Bells in Russian...
Michigan needs to score in a way that makes the OSU defense look like a Division 2 team.

Breaston brings the kickoff to about the 19 and half...
UM Ball
Another incomplete pass...
2nd down.... BIG RUN for Heart! 30 yards on a draw to around the 50 yard line!
1st down... Henne checks again... Heart runs the ball for a yard.
Henne keeps changing the play... even though there are like 5 Michigan fans in the Horseshoe.  Heart runs for 7.
3rd and 2... (mich is 1/5 on 3rd downs so far)... whats the call going to be.. Pass... and a flag comes out on Jenkins who was of course covering Manningham.
1st down Michigan.. Big sack. I don't know if the Offensive line was on the field for that play.
2nd and 20... big pass to Arrington for a touchdown!  Great move to make the CB miss on the sideline to get the 6.  Just what the doctor ordered for the wolverines... if and only if the defense picks up the flag and carries it through the next drive.
21 - 14 OSU

OSU ball
Tressel is calling more of the play action from shotgun.. (where the tailback slides across the line and the get a quick slant or something to the outside)..
Back to nickel and diming Blue
Smith has a strong strong arm... commentators comparing him to Drew Brees.
Crable with a HUGE hit on Smith.
Yet another short pass to the sideline.  I don't think they want Michigan hitting them... Probably because there is a good chance they won't wake up after getting hit by any of the wolverines.
Smith is getting the ball to everyone and their mother's here.... good delivery.
Time out OSU 0:40 and they're in the Red Zone.
OSU take another Time out.
2nd and 6 from the 10.... Touchdown to Gonzolas coming from the slot.
28 - 14 OSU with 0:20 left in the half.

Squib kick ... Michigan ball only after muffing it around... Carr is going to let the clock wind down

HALFTIME
simply put... the x-factor in this game isn't smith... its the Michigan D. Will they or will they not show up in the second half.
3rd Quarter
Kick off to OSU
First play looks like even more of the same spreading out with 4 wide.
Ginn drops the ball ... wow.
3rd and 10.  If Blue can't stop this one... its going to be a long second half.
5 side... pass to Ginn not long enough. 3 and out.  Pat yourself on the back Michigan D.
Punt out of bounds to the Michigan 40 yard line.

UM ball
Empty backfield, ... WR screen to Manningham, no gain.
Heart runs through tackles for a gain of 9 and a half.... 3rd and short. We need more of this from Carr.
Michigan still only 1/5 on 3rd downs...
Big run for Heart to the short sideline!! 33 yards for a first. 
Yet another run to Heart takes it to the 4 yard line.  Where was this in the 2nd quarter?!?
Heart again... Touchdown! HAIL TO THE VICTORS is the only sound coming from the Horseshoe.
Bo must have been calling the plays on this drive, it couldn't have looked any more Michigan than that.
28 - 21 OSU.

Kick off... Ginn brings it to the 20 and gets nailed. 
OSU ball
1st... Run for 1 yard.
Showing a stat w/ Troy Smith in big games...  he's 4 - 0... and hasn't thrown an interception in any of them.  wow, can anyone else win the Heisman this year??
Big blitz on 2nd... Smith throws it away.
Huge 3rd down play here... OSU Timeout... early in the 3rd. Hmmm.
Big pressure here... DEFLECTED INTERCEPTION MICHIGAN!!

UM ball
2 runs to Heart.. he looks like he's welcoming contact...
3rd down ... Henne checks again... loses footing... bad pass.
4th down... going for a Field Goal... and its good.
28 - 24 OSU.

Apparently on 14 turnovers by the Buckeyes... those are the first points they've given up.

Ginn returns the kick off and draws a weak personal foul for what is probably another guy slipping on the crappy turf.
OSU ball
1st down and the 59th pass to Ginn on the outside.
Pittman slips the by on the trap block and scores on a 59 yard run.
Michigan is still keeping their #1 rush D in this game.  The only way OSU is gonna score running is by sneaking those  (lucky) big run plays in.
35 - 24 OSU

Kickoff deep ... Touchback
UM ball
Time out Michigan... I don't know why.
1st down from the 20... again, Henne checks.. Pass deflected.
Heart to the short side again 6 yard gain.... that should have been the 1st down call.
3rd and 4... big play needed again, complete across the middle to Arrington for a first down.  Heart helped with a big block picking up the blitz.
Heart runs for a couple... then a big pass to Arrington again for another first down.
1st down, heart again... no gain. Heart is running smart angles... into the D if necessary.
2nd down... high pass..
3rd and 10. these 3rd downs are stressful on a Michigan fan today.... Henne checks.. Pass... Hit hard on the throw... no completion.
Oh wow... going for it on 4th.. and 10... to Breaston underneath and slips... smart call to go for it, probably the first mental mistake for Henne today. 

OSU ball
Press coverage shown for the first time by Blue and Wells gets it from shotgun on the QB choice.
2nd... Flag on a stopped run... Holding on OSU.  Declined...
3rd and 11 hit as he was throwing and tight coverage results in an incomplete pass and Smith picking grass out of his facemask.
Punt... Breaston lets it go out.

UM ball
Pass on first... High to a wide open Arrington... Dang it.
2nd and 10. Heart breaks 2 tackles and gets 9.
3rd and 1. Carr tries to catch OSU bringing a run D... but Henne throws it and its called an interception to Jenkins. Under review.  Nice idea... but not for this game, at least not till the 4th quarter.  Heart needs to be getting 70% of the plays called.
Indisputable video evidence Incomplete pass...
4th and 1.  Henne wants to go out... but  Michigan will Punt...  Touchback.

OSU Ball.
1st down... and a I-Form tight.. this has to be the first time only 1 WR was on the field for the bucks. 5 yard game.
2nd and 5.  back to shotgun... FUMBLE... 3 sets of hands grasp for the ball but BLUE gets it in what is now their redzone!!

UM ball
Heart gets the pitch to the left... very little gain.
end of the 3rd. 35 - 24 OSU

4th Quarter
2nd and goal ... end-around to Breaston.... !!! tackled but stretches for the white paint TOUCHDOWN WOLVERINES!!
UM going for 2.. well... wait... now its under review.  Looks like the knee may have been down before the ball was stretched.... 3rd and goal now. Knee was down before the ball crossed the plain.
ANOTHER. BIG. THIRD. DOWN.
Ball is on the 2 foot line... Goalline form... Heart hit at the 1 but muscles to the end zone, Touchdown.
Again... Going for 2.... OSU calls a time out. (1 left for the Buckeyes).
I wonder what Bo and Woody are doing up in heaven right now...
UM is now going for the PAT...
35 - 31 OSU.

Its now getting to the point where I've become incredibly antsy and my heart rate stays high for almost an hour.. and i wish I had a direct line to Lloyd Carr.

Kickoff... Ginn brings it out to about the 26.
1st and 10 (i wonder what troy smith is thinking right now...) again pass to the sideline gain of 7.
2nd and 3. Run to Pittman... barely enough for the first down
1st and 10... another run to Pittman. Maybe a little change in philosphy here?
2nd and 7... pass outside to Ginn and he makes a move for some almost 14 yards extra.
1st and 10 again... another pass underneath to the TE for 6.
2nd... these sidelines have been OSUs best friend, in avoiding contact with the Michigan Defense.... 5 wide.. and a 3 yard pass bringing up 3rd and short. 
12 min left in the game... and its 3rd and 1.. 3WR ... and FUMBLE!! bad snap... and Michigan recovers!! Hail to the Victors rings out yet again.

UM ball
1st and 10... BIG DROP ... Manningham drops a wide open pass over the middle. 
2nd and 10 Heart runs for almost 7 yards.
3rd and 3.  I should stop watching these 3rd down plays... i'm gonna get early grey hair.... Missed pass to Breaston who was locked up with the CB.  the Blue Defense is doing what it needs to... why not get on Hearts back, especially on 3rd and short and run down the field?! Especially when you're down by 4 in the 4th quarter.
4th and 3  Punt... Ginn catches it and goes nowhere... on the OSU 15.

(The apple cup is going to start in 5 min... I wonder how many people in Washington will still be watching the OSU/UM game... HAHA)
OSU Ball
Conservative Run Form and Run play...
2nd.. Smith Keeps it... and gets the first, runs out of bounds.
1st and 10... 3WR back out... under center now, (too many fumbles?)... and now Michigan takes a timeout...(1 left for them as well)..
Back to another set of commercials I'll mute.
Big run to Pittman off of an Interesting pass fake by Smith. Gets nailed
1st and 10...  I-formWells up the middle for 4.
2nd and long...another middle run.. 1 yard gain at the most.
3rd and 5 ..4WR wide... complete to the short side... minimal gain for the 1st.
1st ... Middle run for no gain.
2nd down.. at the Mich 35... Nailed on the throw... incomplete pass. big hit shown on the replay.
3rd and 10... big down... again... (this game will be won and lost on the 3rd down plays)... Delay of game on smith now
3rd and 15. Like that matters with OSU's passing game... again... big down for Both teams.... Smith forced out of the pocket Incomplete pass ... but a Personal Foul on Crable...
1st and 10 now... wow... Carr is giving it to the Side judge... haha... on the 23... another slant.. and a Buckeye looks afraid to take a hit as he falls to the ground.
2nd and 3... OSU has scored on all of the Red Zone visits.  Smith keeps it for a short gain and a first down.
1st down... 6 left in the game... ... TD pass from Smith... looks like they're going to double check that had all of his toes in bounds, looks like it'll stay a Touchdown.
Crable has to be killing himself for that hit that would have forced the Buckeyes to Punt the ball.
It does remain a Touchdown.
42 - 31 OSU.  5 and a half left in the 4th...
I need to work out more... my heart can't take this kind of pressure...

Kickoff Breaston takes it out... to the 19
1st and 10... time for Michigan to put up or shut up... pass complete to Manningham for 5.
2nd and 5.. pass to Arrington... OSU style... (to the sidelines)
1st down... heart gets the pass now over the middle... for 2...
2nd down... 4 left in the game... pass to Manningham to the 50 yard line...
1st down... (as you can see i'm in my 2 min drill writing mode)... 5 yard pass to Arrington...
2nd down... 3:20 left... (1 time outleft)... Arrington gets rocked but catches the ball for a first down...  but now there is a Flag on UM... Holding.
2nd and 14..... off of the TEs hands...
3rd and 14. OF COURSE.  UM is 4/12 on converting these...Henne checks off.... big Sack 4th sack.
Michigan takes a time out...
4th and 16... 3WR... Manningham should have caught the ball but couldn't, cause of Pass Interference...
1st and 10 from OSUs 42.. pass to Manningham for 6 and finds the sidelines.
2:40...
2nd and 4.. pass complete to the TE very athletic pass...
1st and 10 from the 16... incomplete looking for Arrington hear the Endzone..
2nd and 10.. Henne needs to play as smart as ever now... with no time outs left... Henne standing in a small pocket.. pass to TE Ecker... TOUCHDOWN!!
Going for 2... 3WR... Henne checking down again... pass..  GOOD to Breaston!
42 - 39 OSU.. with
2:16 left.
Onside kick ... Ginn gets the ball... I don't know what the math is with the clock and possessions..

OSU Ball
1st and 10.... Pitman gets a 9 yard gain.
Michigan player is injured and the ever curious OSU fanbase is booing with the stopped clock.
2nd down... run for 1 yard loss...
3rd and 2.. ... 5 yard run... game over.
What a let down.
What. A. Let down.
.... Hard fought game.. Blue lost it by not bringing the D in the second quarter... too much to make up for.

I'm not afraid of many things, but given the few careers I am currently considering and working towards... and even in my everyday life, and I guess to a further extent in my "academic world" Amorality scares me.

That word has always stuck out to me... I find it to be an oddly interesting word that will almost always catch my attention if read or heard, but for some reason I've just recently grown to develop an explicit repulsion to the whole concept.  For myself. 

I see it as a bear trap of sorts.  Those kinds they have in cartoons where the hunter always walks into his own trap, and gets the metal looking venus flytrap-esque contraption crammed on his ankle. 
Thats how I see a person becoming Amoral... They never see it coming.  Its also something that I feel like can only come after a person has, to some degree, been enlightened.  They know what they believe to be right and wrong, and somewhere along they way they are desensitized.... or... something.

If you're going to put in the work of escaping the world of naivety, please know that comes with the responsibility of protecting yourself from the pitfalls of amorality. 

How did you pick your Vox name? Does it mean something? 
Submitted by LeendaDLL.  

yeah.... its my name. not too exciting.

i hear its the most exclusive club in the world.

my lovely girlfriend decided to dare me to not use emoticons for the rest of the day.
i never really realized how often i use them until she challenged me.  i don't know why i use them but they seem to just pop into my conversation.  not just one, but usually a combination of two to three.  sometimes the combination of a few better describes what i'm emoting. 
I'm also going as far as leaving it all out of my text messages and blog posts.
leaving out emoticons not emotions.

:-.... woah, close there.

so far so good...

Show us something dangerously cute.
Submitted by Indy Bunny.

Want an ipod nano? Want a reason to make you feel good... you know, all warm and fuzzy inside. 
Get the new red one and $10 from that purchase will goto (product)Red.  <<thats how its supposed to look I guess.
Goto the joinred site to look at their manifesto...

http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/red/
http://www.joinred.com/

The following is a link that gives a little background on web2.0 company 37 signals.
Its a great little interview where they talk about their approach to programming and a bit about why they choose to develop with Apple Computer products.  If you like apple, or like software development, or any combination of the both... take a look! (its not that long).

http://www.apple.com/education/whymac/compsci/video.html