In a sensational article from TIME a few months ago, Kurt Anderson wrote, “But now everything really has changed. More than a year into the Great Recession, we still aren’t sure if there’s a bottom in sight, and six months after the financial system began imploding, it’s still iffy. The party is finally, definitely over.”

America has defined excess for too long. We were all at the party of irresponsibility and unaccountability. Some may have been drinking skunky beer, and some were drinking Dom, but we were all at the party. Thankfully the bloat is over and we can begin anew with a focus on efficiency and discipline.

A great way to begin with this new theory of thought is to wage war against stuff, or better put, crap.

There was a time when I believed the exact opposite. Kids in our generation all wanted the 5000 SF waterfront spread with a luxury yacht and private jet. It is just fact. Blame it on the media, movies, TV, magazines, whatever. We all wanted to be obscenely rich with tons of crap to fill all that space.

We have a weird feeling toward “stuff”. We show off our stuff, feel a sense of pride on in our stuff, enjoy that we paid money on that stuff, and put a false sense of happiness into that stuff. How much do you actually need? Really.

This school of thought leans most strongly to minimalism. It can be applied to almost every facet of our daily lives and I strongly urge you to consider some of its principles. Why?

1. It is more appealing. Think of your own experiences. What looks nicer, a cluttered wall and room or a bare minimum room with a very few awesome features?
2. It is cheaper. Buying less stuff means more money in your pocket.
3. It is less stressful. Less stuff to clean, less stuff to protect, less stuff to organize, and less stuff to worry about. Less stuff = less stress.
4. It is environmentally friendly. Less stuff = less consumption.
5. It is organized. Some people simply have trouble staying organized. I am too organized personally, I take too muck time organizing, that’s a flaw. Having less stuff in a more coordinated way means easy filing and easy reference.
6. Quality always beats quantity. One really nice table is nicer than six pieces of IKEA pressboard.

The major misconception of minimalism is that you have to live poor. Quite the opposite actually. We have this ingrained notion that wealth is measured by what we have. Your true wealth will accumulate exponentially the greater you minimize.

So how does one go about fighting stuff? It can be very difficult. Those from backgrounds with lesser economic means tend to cling to possessions extremely tight. This trait is not easy to break but can be worked on. Others simply can’t break from objects that they spent their hard-earned money on. Also a fair and prevalent ideology, especially when we tend to have a psychological attraction to items we’ve bought. Here are some tips to help you break the love of stuff.

1. Start where you live. Clear surfaces (Except for a very few accent pieces you love). Store stuff out of sight. Clear your walls (Only permit one or two art pieces). Have an assigned place for everything. This isn’t easy, and may not be for everyone, but the benefits will set in very quickly.
2. Look at your wardrobe. Consider simplifying what you wear. Start shopping with the intent of buying items for more than one outfit. How many pants can you wear that audacious top with? Look for clothes that can be a part of many different outfits. That said, how many clothes haven’t you worn in the past year? Really. It is time to get rid of them. It only hurts at first, like a tight band-aid. But as soon as you pull it off, you will wonder what took you so long. There are tons of great consignment shops across the country. You can even try to sell your clothes at places like Plato’s Closet but I definitely urge you to consider donation. Places like St. Pauly in Rochester are a great place to start.
3. Get rid of one thing, then another. Go to a room, or your desk, or your bookshelf. Find something in some area to get rid of. Then, immediately, or a day later, or a week later…get rid of something else there. You’ll be amazed how quickly you want to clear stuff away.
4. Sell something you don’t use. Turn to eBay or Craigslist to sell something of value that you no longer use or care for. You’ll feel like a genius for clearing out the item and cashing in on it. And I bet you’ll do it again.

I’m not encouraging you do start eating granola only and begin living in a tent. Just think about the physical items around you in your life and ask what purpose it is serving. If you don’t use those items, don’t see the message in that wall art, can’t remember where you bought it or why, it is time to consider getting rid of it. A complete abandonment of possessions isn’t called for but we do need to change our way of thinking in a new world. As that TIME article I opened with also states:

We have to adjust the way we think of ourselves. The same goes for our individual senses of lifestyle entitlement. During the perma-’80s, way too many of us were operating, consciously or not, with a dreamy gold-rush vision of getting rich the day after tomorrow and then cruising along as members of an impossibly large leisure class. Now that our age of self-enchantment has ended, however, each of us, gobsmacked and reality-checked by the new circumstances, is recalibrating expectations for the timing and scale of our particular version of the Good Life.

Last week: 9-7

Season Total: 18-14

SportsMeister Season: 15-17

Sports Guy Season: 24-8

On to the picks…

Redskins (-6) over Lions

Despite a heavy feeling Detroit will cover, and maybe even win, I have to think Washington is feeling a serious sense of urgency. If they lose this game, their Head Coach may get fired next week. It is that serious. They need this one, full-on desperation mode already.

Packers (-6) over Rams

This is a few too many points than I’d like to see on the road for Green Bay coming off an inexplicable loss to Cincinnati, but I look for the Pack to rebound and get back some of that momentum they relinquished last week. GO PACK GO!

49ers (+7) over Vikings

Maybe San Francisco is for real, I doubt it, but maybe. They have a really solid young defense and Singletary has them playing super aggressively. Like Jamie Gold WSOP aggressive. Just unabomber aggressive. This game depends on how well Favre does, plain and simple. BTW, that new Adrian Peterson Nike commercial straight creeps me out.

Patriots (-5) over Falcons

Brady and Belicheck coming off a loss? At home? Getting Welker back? This may not be the dominant Patriots of yesteryear and their defense isn’t very good, but they’re still a playoff team folks.

Jets (-2.5) over Titans

J-E-T-S, Suck Suck Suck! Sorry, inner Bills fan monologue. The Jets might be the best team in the AFC, there I said it. Their defense is just freakishly awesome and their offense has the tools to be able to do just enough for a really successful year. If they get past this test against a desperate Titans team, Rex Ryan becomes the frontrunner for Coach of the Year.

Eagles (-9) over Chiefs

This line is just enough of a tease to make you want to run with Kansas City, which makes it a very good line. Even without McNabb, I look to Philly to recover from that Saints debacle and get back on track with a convincing win at home.

Giants (-7) over Buccaneers

Tampa has been smoked through the air via Dallas and Buffalo and Eli Manning coming to town isn’t going to help their cause, especially with the breakout performances of Mario Manningham and Steve Smith. It is looking like it is going to be a real long season for the Yucks.

Browns (+14) over Ravens

Fourteen points. Seriously, this is a professional game. If Brady Quinn and Mangini can’t cover 14, I just don’t know what to think of the Browns franchise.

Texans (-4) over Jaguars

As bad as Houston looked in Week 1, I think we just need to chalk that up to playing a ridiculous Jets defense. Houston looked great offensively last week versus Tennessee and I’m back on their playoff bandwagon!

Bears (-3) over Seattle

So much for my Seattle sleeper pick, they are just not very good. Especially with Hasselback hurting and Chicago coming off a huge win against the defending champs, this game could get ugly.

Saints (-6.5) over Buffalo

I don’t think this game will be a blowout, and I really believe Buffalo can not only cover, but win this game. New Orleans is really banged up on offense, the weather is calling for rain and wind, and Buffalo can score on the Saints’ defense. Maybe I”m crazy, as Drew Brees is, well, Drew Brees. I think it’ll be close and high-scoring, very fun game to watch. This game doesn’t matter much to Buffalo anyway, their focus should be on divisional games in the following weeks.

Steelers (-4) over Bengals

Pittsburgh needs to get it going with their run game or they will run into problems all year. The Bengals are better than I thought but I have to give Big Ben and Money Tomlin the benefit of the doubt.

Broncos (+2) over Raiders

I believe in Josh McD. “STOKLEY! DOWN THE SIDELINE! WOWWW!”

Chargers (-6) over Dolphins

Rivers will be without LT2 again this week, and they need a win after a tough loss in week 2. Look for them to recover against a pretty bad Miami team and easily cover this spread.

Colts (+3) over Cardinals

I’ll take Peyton Manning over a Arizona team with a lot of question marks early in the season. Should be a fun primetime game to watch.

Panthers (-9) over Dallas

Both of these teams need to win this game. The Cowboys could very well win this game 35-3, Carolina is just no good, but I’m banking on some desperation heroics to rejuvenate their season. That, and I hate Dallas with the fire of 1000 suns.

Having used Twitter for a few months now, I have some preliminary opinions and analysis of the site.

Twittah is currently  a media darling and the subject of numerous acquisition rumors. The latest venture round puts the valuation around $1 billion. One billion dollars. And even at such a number, there are sources that say the company wouldn’t even sell at that pricetag. Yeah right.

First, the site is an amazing tool. Once you begin using Twitter as a real-time search mechanism, Google (and Bing) will feel downright slow. Twitter is the instant news and opinion across the entire planet. This functionality makes perfect sense, as it has been revealed that the site’s internal strategy is to be “The Pulse of the Planet.”

It is an impressive technology and I like the way things are being run, but I’m here to talk about the site itself.

1. There is a belief that Twitter is more “adult” than other tech companies. I personally don’t see it. There is research that confirms the “Teens Don’t Tweet” philosophy. Yet there is new data that reflects young people are racing over to Twitter. I don’t see a young/old rift as much as I see other bigger problems.
2. Why doesn’t Twitter make an official iPhone app? There are an abundance of good third party apps (I use and recommend TweetDeck), but why nothing official from the source?
3. There is a HUGE problem with Twitter that needs to be addressed very soon. That would be anonymity. But Dan, anonymity is partly what makes Twitter so great! If you want to require identity use Facebook! I hear ya, but anonymity is killing Twitter. If you search for anything close to trending, you’re going to have to cipher through spambots, pornbots, marketers abusing hashtags, etc. If Twitter required an email confirmation process, or even a first name, or initials, that would go a long way in stopping the spread of the crap on Twitter. We all saw what the anonymity of user names did to MySpace, Twitter can’t allow their product to go down that road.
4. There is a following dilemma that could create disinterest down the road. Twitter unlike Facebook, creates non-linear relationships, meaning on Facebook you friend somebody and are therefore linearly connected. You both ‘follow’ one another. On Twitter, you choose who to follow, and once that happens, there is no guarantee they’ll follow you. While your tweets are still universally search-able and part of the “pulse” that makes the site so cool, there will come a point where people feel like their tweeting is pointless at a small direct audience. Why tweet if no one is paying attention? There is a lot of white noise to send your message through. Will it be heard?
5. Where will the functionality of this open technology take the Twitter platform? As of now, the site is relatively static, you tweet and people read. You take a picture and people view it. The simplicity of Tweeting will expand the platform sooner or later, and third parties would be wise to capitalize on this potential with their own ideas based on Twitter’s openness. Semi-example of what I’m talking about would be sites like Tweetmeme.com and Retweet.com that measure the popular links being spread.
6. Businesses would be wise to start utilizing social media more frequently. Digsby recently @mentioned me when I linked a site about their revenue model. Smart move, I read what they sent, and further digested my opinion. I respect any company smart enough to embrace the power of “now.” Seth Godin, whose blog is amazing if you haven’t heard of it, just launched a company that focuses on the brand management/customer service that Twitter offers companies. Smart, smart, smart.

There is some splooge and some rant within my sentiments toward Twitter, but the upsides still outweigh the downsides. Real-time is here, and it is only going to get bigger and faster. It is an amazing time to be alive folks. As a society we are on the cusp of great change in the way in which we live our lives. Twitter is a big first step in that process.

"Yall gonna be tellin your kids about me!"

The NFL season is upon us, after one week you feel one of these emotions; panic, victory, disgust, sadness, or elation. Normally, I would tell you such erratic thoughts would be foolish after only one week of games, but this is the NFL. Every week means something. Take for example the so called parity in the NFL, bullshit. There are five really good teams, six or seven good teams, and then an abyss of suck. There are already twelve teams you can eliminate from playoff contention. Teams that are 0-1 NEED to win this week. Since the salary cap was instituted, of every single team that started 0-3, only two made the playoffs. Two teams. And they both lost in the first round of the playoffs. There is an immediate need to start well in football, so this should be a pressing week for any fan of a bubble team.

That said, fantasy football sucks, the Bills probably won’t make the playoffs (again), I may have been wrong about the Texans, the Jets scare the shit out of me, and picking football games with a line is not an easy task, that’s why they call it gambling!

Week 1 Picks: 9-7

Season Picks: 9-7

SportsMeister Season: 7-9

Sports Guy Season: 11-5

Patriots (-3.5) over Jets

I love the Jets, and they are at home, and New England didn’t look great on Monday night. But if you’ve been watching football this decade, you know Belicheck and Brady can clear 3.5 on the road versus the Jets.

Saints (-3.5) over Eagles

A tough game in Philadelphia only swings to the Saints (An early NFC frontrunner) because Donovan McNabb is out. And Andy Reid may not have properly game-planned because he was too busy dueling n00bs in Stormwind City.

Rams (-9) over Redskins

Seriously, how much longer can such a blatant racist team name continue? Anyway, I’m rooting for the Rams to at least cover in out nation’s capital versus an overrated Washington team.

Cardinals (-2.5) over Jaguars

The Cardinals need to be in full panic mode that I even thought about this pick. I, like most, was shocked that San Francisco beat them. Going into Jacksonville may prove a vital point in their season.

Falcons (-4.5) over Panthers

The Falcons at home with the return of the Dirty Bird and Matty Ice at the helm, what’s not to love? Personally, with slight bias, can we get Roddy White the ball this week? Thanks.

Vikings (-7.5) over Lions

Second week in a row the oddsmakers are dogging Minnesota. I don’t get it. A potential NFC champion versus the Lions, winless close to 20 straight regular season games. A note on Peterson; this is a really special runner. If he stays healthy, and that is a big if with his running style, we could be looking at one of the greats. Sayers vision, Brown’s intensity, Sanders’ agility, Walker’s acceleration, Peyton’s smoothness, and Emmitt’s instincts. All of those people did their specialty better than AP, but I haven’t seen a better runner do them all together so well since Bo Jackson. Guy is a STUD.

Packers (-9) over Bengals

I flirted with the points, but Cincinatti just sucks too much to root for. Do you hear that? No, not Gus Johnson’s lingering sportgasm from last week, it is the Green Bay bandwagon.

Texans (+7) over Titans

And here you were thinking I was jumping off of Houston already! Here is your upset of the week. For the sake of fantasy, I mean competition, Houston wins this one! Right?

Chiefs (-1.5) over Raiders

Essentially a pick’em game, I have no idea or any real opinion on how this one shakes out. Despite Oakland looking good last week, we know this franchise is more of a mirage than a real team. Take KC with the points at home, regardless of who is playing QB.

Bills (-5) over Buccaneers

Buffalo? A favorite? And I can pick them?!? YES! Look for Buffalo to roll huge in this one. Tampa sucks and I think TO goes for a huge game here. Side bet: If Buffalo loses, Jauron is out by Tuesday.

Seattle (-3.5) over 49ers

I like Seattle more than most, and I think San Francisco, while improving, simply got lucky last week abridging this line. Seattle here.

Chargers (+2.5) over Ravens

San Diego is an underdog? At home? Versus the Ravens? Check please.

Pittsburgh (-2.5) over Bears

Not sure why this spread isn’t larger. I’d be tempted at 6-7, not anything less. Big Beg takes the second city by storm.

Broncos (-3) over Browns

I’m taking Denver two weeks in a row, not to cover, but to win. In Josh McD I believe.

Cowboys (-3) over Giants

Dallas at home in their new stadium in primetime versus a huge rival? Have to take them. I hate the Cowboys with every fiber of my being. Go Giants.

Colts (-3) over Miami

SQUISH THE FISH!

No one in the ever expanding world of technology likes to applaud Microsoft. But with the still rock stable XP OS on my desktop, the awesomeness of Bing.com (And surging market share), and my recent xBox 360 experience, Dan Driffill gives MSFT a nice…slow…clap…clap…clap.

Over the summer, my xBox 360 began getting very loud when in use, this is a common problem due to poor cooling in the console, leading to the dreaded ‘Red Ring of Death’. The hardware is so bad, some reports put the xBox 360′s failure rate over 50%. Astonishingly high for such a mainstream product. But the platform is great for developers, generating superior games, and has a greater online interface and activity.

So I simply stopped using the gaming console because I didn’t want to have to deal with customer support and the aggravation of getting the system fixed. I even thought of just buying another one. Finally I got the determination to just take care of it already, as it was serving as no more than a paper weight, and went online to figure out the process. To my surprise, actually my astonishment, the whole warranty claim system was automated online; the support’s site knew my device’s problem, told me where to ship the device, gave me a prepaid shipping label, and all for free.

They didn’t provide any packaging, but luckily I still had my box from my MacBook Pro laptop, shhh! So I shipped the console and was surprised that in just 10 days the system was returned in perfect working condition. I don’t know if they ‘fixed’ my device or sent me a diferent refurbished model, but who cares?

I thought the simplicity of the process and efficiency of their logistics deserved praise. So one point to Ballmer and the rest at Microhoo. Keep it up.

The Buffalo Bills, a team in which I am a diehard fan of, lost another game tonight in the most improbable of ways.

For many minutes after the game, I sat quietly questioning whether this kind of loss was even possible. Questioning how I am going to sleep tonight. Questioning every single play in the game and every single player. Questioning whether the universe is actually against this franchise.

Seriously. The Bills have literally invented ways to lose. How many times can this happen before we turn the tide?

By now you know the story, I’m not here to talk much about the game. Bills fans know the misery all too well. It is almost masochist at this point to be a Bills fan. I want to assess the Bills franchise and their season going forward, this game is over, you move on like anything else in life. As Yankees manager Billy Martin once said, “When you’re a professional, you came back no matter what happened the day before.”

When the Bills scored on a Freddy Jackson touchdown with five minutes left, giving the Bills an 11 point lead, I started getting a flood of emails, texts, and calls. I ignored all calls (sorry to all), but read all the texts and emails. I responded to a few, only saying there was a lot of football to be played. Truth is, when Jackson scored, my Dad and I barely cracked a smile, we were already thinking what every other Bills fan was thinking, “How are we going to screw this up?”

My girlfriend called me right after the game, her flight jut landed and she was home. I accidentally ignored her call…actually twice (sorry J). I felt like an infant unable to raise my head, let alone check my iPhone (Which was dinging and chiming at an unprecedented rate). When I finally called her, I managed a meak, “Hey”, to which she just said, “Would you get over it? They suck!” Serious ouch, serious serious ouchies. But it is undeniable.

If you’re not a Bills fan, it is really hard to explain, there is nothing else in life like fan loyalty. If your car sucks, you buy a new brand. If you have a bad meal, you don’t go back to the restaurant. In sports, you’re stuck with what you’ve got, unless you’re some kind of jackass and change teams. But you can see from the outpouring of sympathy for Bills fans on Facebook and Twitter that people genuinely feel bad for fans of Buffalo. They’re like that car accident up ahead that you just can’t help but glance at when you drive on by. As Jay-Z profoundly noted, “People would line up to see the Titanic sinking.”

So the game is over, we lost. We all expected to lose. The line went from 10.5 to 13.5 today because so many people thought the game was a foregone conclusion (I took Buffalo with the +10.5 BTW). It was a terrible way to lose. Gut-wrenching. Heart-breaking. You pick your cliche.

But I’m going to try to offer some perspective. I’m someone who doesn’t get too high or get too low. The Bills just almost beat a team that many “experts” have winning the Super Bowl. If we play like we did last night, all season long, we have a legitimate chance at a Wild Card position.

"Yo Federer, I'm happy for you, but the Bills had one of the best losses of all-time!"

Some notes of interest:

For those calling for Leodis McKelvin’s head, please just stop. The guy is on the verge of superstardom in this league and can be one of the anchors of our defense for the next decade. Randy Moss was absolutely torching Terrence McGee all night and when the coaches FINALLY moved McKelvin onto Moss, he shut him down. He is a bonafide shut down corner and one of the league’s better returnmen. And you know what? I love that he took the ball out of the end zone. He was able to get out farther than the 20 and got the clock past the two minute warning, which would have given the Patriots a free timeout. He fumbled the ball, all on him, and he took blame. Don’t blame the coaches because someone fumbled, a fumble can’t happen, and that is all on him. So when McKelvin makes the Pro Bowl, remember you told him to die and wanted him to be cut. Perspective folks.

Shawn Nelson needs to be the every down tight end. He is a great blocker and has the ability to be a 40-50 catch guy.

Trent Edwards played the game he needed to. No mistakes, stellar accuracy, quick release, confidence in his receivers, and mobility in the pocket. Similiar kudos to Alex Van Pelt for wisely calling a game in which the Bills took what the Patriots would give them, it almost worked.

I know the seat was already warm, but Dick Jauron should be on a very hot seat now. If it was really his decision to cut Langston Walker, because he felt Demetrius Bell was ready to play, then he is simply an idiot coach and an even worse evaluator of talent. If the cut came from Ralph to clear money, fine, we’re no stranger to that. But the way it sounded was the Bills thought Bell was simply better at this point, and he was the worst player on the field. He allowed multiple sacks, was called for multiple holds, and pressure off his side constantly forced Trent to be on the move.

Reggie Corner is good enough already to be the #2 cornerback. Maybin looked game speed ready but needs to vary his techniques in the pass rush, way too predictable for a line as smart as New Englands.

Our offensive line looked great! Seriously, what a major concern lifted. If the line plays with that kind of intensity and strength every game, we’re going to surprise people this year.

Keith Ellison, while scrappy and determined, just simply lacks the physical tools to be an every-down player in the NFL.

Next week we get Tampa at home, I’ll be there, and I’ll like the Bills to beat down on a very bad Tampa team to get their record to .500 early. From there, it is a matter of how cohesive the offensive unit becomes and how healthy we stay on defense.

I know it is getting harder, but keep Billievin. When this team wins it all, and it is damn sure going to happen one day, you will enjoy it all the more knowing you were here for these tough times. In the NFL, there is no yesterday, we gave New England a hell of an effort, but let’s build on the positives and move on to what is ahead of us. Billieve.

I have always wanted to try this type of recurring column throughout the NFL season and figure this is the year I will do so. My inspirations for this solely come from @sportsguy33 and his first picks column and my very talented brother Matt @sportsmeister and his initial pick column. BTW, if you’re on Twitter and like sports, you owe it to yourself to follow both of these men. Introductions aside, on to the picks!

Pittsburgh (-6) over Tennessee

I made this pick before the game and would have struggled to justify a winning pick after the fact, but them losing and me admitting can add to my credibility, right? Big Ben looked great, Chris Johnson looked great, rookie WR Kenny Britt looks like he’s on the verge of Lance Mooreism, and Troy Palamalu looked great early but left with what looked like a bad knee injury. I know football, it is the only sport I can speak with great confidence on…the hit looked like a ligament tear. At very best it is sprained, which would be a 2-6 week injury, and at worst, it will be season ending surgery. It looked bad, and looks like the Madden curse has struck again, which is a shame for such a class act like Polamalu. Either way, I’m 0-1 on the year.

Denver (+4) over Cincinnati

Everyone can talk down Denver and talk up Cincinnati all they want, I’m not buying it. It comes down to Josh McDaniels vs Marvin Lewis, I’m taking the rookie coach. Carson Palmer may be fine, Ochocinco may be invigorated, but I’m not buying the resurgence. I like Denver in an upstart role this year to a degree.

Houston (-4.5) over New York Jets

I am allllll over Houston this year. They are my darkhorse, sleeper, whatever you want to call them in the entire NFL. Plus, I have Slayton in both of my fantasy leagues, and the Jets are a Bills rival. Texans are the easy choice here, and their stadium is awesome.

Minnesota (-4) over Cleveland

Brett Favre vs Brady Quinn? -4? Really? I like Mangini, and I love Quinn, but really? Minnesota is one of the better teams in the NFC and Cleveland is one of the worst in the AFC…-4? Really? Thanks for the free money bitch.

New Orleans (-13) over Detroit

That is a lot of points, but then again, it is a Sean Payton offense at home with Drew Brees against a team that was winless last year. Hmmm, 13 may not be enough of a teaser after all.

Indianapolis (-7) over Jacksonville

Quite simply, I am higher on Indy than I am on Jax. I don’t like MJD. I like Manning. I don’t like Garrard. I like Reggie Wayne. “Experts” say I am wrong, we’ll see.

Kansas City (+13) over Baltimore

At home, new quarterback, new coach, getting 13, I’m in. I don’t care how good Baltimore’s defense is, I have Cassel in one of my fantasy leagues and I need to give him some positive karma. You play to win the game!

Dallas (-6) over Tampa Bay

I think Dallas will underachieve this year. Romo will be terrible and Witten will have more receptions than Roy Williams, but I think Tampa will be even worse, possibly one of the worst in the league. Dallas all day in this one folks.

Philadelphia (-2) over Carolina

Great week 1 game. This is based solely on the fact that I believe Philly is aging better than Carolina. Both teams have been consistent forces in the NFC for years but Carolina is getting older faster than Philly.

New York Giants (-6.5) over Washington

I just trust the Giants more than Washington. That simple. It is week 1 folks.

Seattle (-8.5) over St. Louis

I think Seattle will be better than people think and I think St. Louis will be worse than people think. Simple.

Arizona (-6.5) over San Francisco

I imagine this will be a popular last man standing pick this week. Next?

Atlanta (-4) over Miami

I think Miami will take a big step back this year and I think Atlanta, while not being as good as many project them to be, will be a competitive NFC team.

San Diego (-9) over Oakland

I think Roger Goodell is two or three more bad draft choices/trades by Oakland, tempted to absorb the team by the league for the sanctity of competition. As much as it pains me, Oakland fans have nothing to root for until Mr. Davis kicks, as morbid as that sounds. I don’t think SD is the Super Bowl team as many project them to be, but they can still beat the Raiders by nine.

Green Bay (-3.5) over Chicago

Intriguing matchup and intriguing line. Green Bay is a popular sexy pick this year, I”m down with that. I think Aaron Rodgers is the real deal and never doubt GB at Lambeau versus anyone, anytime.

Buffalo (+10.5) over New England

My upset of the week! You may think getting 10.5 is no upset, but you probably haven’t been following football recently. It is very fair to think the Pats win this game by thirty, but it is week 1, and again, I’m drinking the Buffalo Bills kool-aid. Who wants a glass?

No, I’m not advocating you take the fight against socialism to your nearest town hall meeting with the rest of the mob with torches and pitch forks (and assault rifles). I’m advocating you stop using the word itself; try to completely remove the word ‘socialism’ from your vocabulary. Why?

If you remember, I discussed this word shortly after President Obama’s inauguration. The word has forever lost all usefulness in intelligent conversation. Since McCarthy somehow linked the word to godless commie bastards, Americans have feared the very word to the most evil uprisings in world history. In fact, America is probably the only place in the world where ‘socialism’ has negative connotation.

This recent red scare is fueled by the flames of national health care reform. Conservative pundits are arguing against such reform, most simply, because it will raise the federal deficit. Something they didn’t seem to mind in George W. Bush’s eight year administration, but I digress.

But I don’t want to discuss the logistics of the actual debate, I just want to tell people to start behaving like adults instead of bickering children. We can have an intelligent national debate on what the future of health coverage can be in America without calling Obama ‘Hitler’ and without disrupting our elected representatives with silly nonsense. I wish more of our representatives would be so blunt as Barney Frank is with this woman.

I know going political will get me nowhere, but think about this, in 2003 liberals marched peacefully in Washington to protest an unjustified American war. In 2009, Republicans are encouraging bringing guns to town hall debates on health care reform. Democrats are encouraging town halls as part of the democratic process of such possible reform, where conservatives went straight to war without public consensus. And the difference? Democrats are trying to give health care to OUR citizens, whereas conservatives were sending OUR citizens to possibly die in battle overseas. Does that sound extreme? Sure it does, but it isn’t a fabrication of the facts.

Now we have people like Glenn Beck telling you that the “best healthcare system in the world will be destroyed” with this reform, when just shortly ago during his hospital stay, he complained that our healthcare system was a mess (Full coverage of this lying propaganda here).

My belief is that our country should be open to extensive health care reform. And I think it really should be discussed with more than a dollars and cents approach. The leading cause of personal bankruptcy in this country is medical bills, even for those with health care insurance. Both of my parents have undergone treatment for cancer in the past couple of years and their medical bills are astronomically high. Thankfully, we are lucky enough to have excellent medical coverage and our side of the bills have been manageable.

There are millions upon millions of people that are uninsured right now in this country. Our neighbors, family, and friends included therein. That number increases with continuing unemployment across the nation and as corporations cut employee coverage to manage expenses and appease stockholders. Small businesses are already struggling to stay afloat as it is in this economic climate and can’t even think of expanding health coverage for employees because the cost is simply too high.

So to me, the issue isn’t simply fiscal, it is a moral dilemma. In my head, I can’t understand why so many people are against expanding coverage for our fellow man? Our country was built on the equally balancing principles of individuality and community for all citizens. I really believe a successful nation must be a mutual undertaking to remain sustainable. And I also believe there can be efforts toward the benefit of the commonwealth without inhibiting individual success and accomplishment.

So okay, fine it is ‘socialism’, or socialized medicine anyway. Our entire society will share the cost. Is that enough for you to be okay with Americans having to choose between a mortgage payment or a needed surgery? You will still be able to choose your private doctors and choose your own insurance policies, so why the hate people? Selflessness is often preached but not practiced in today’s world. Give a little bit of your positive doing back to the world around you without asking for anything in return.

So stop spreading the lies about health care reform, and for the hope of sanity, stop screaming the word ‘socialism’. Because guess what? We are already a highly socialist country when you pay attention to your daily life.

We wake up to an alarm clock powered by a public energy monopoly, shower and shave with water provided by the municipal water authority, turn on the television to FCC monitored stations to see the weather forecast from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration from satellites designed, built, and launched by NASA, then eat your breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food, and take your drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Then you get into your National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved vehicle and set out to work on roads built by local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to buy fuel overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, using publicly issued legal currency from the fed, and dropping off the days mail at the US Postal Service and then your kids at public schools.

Then you return to your home that remains safe and intact due to fire marshall codes, building inspections, and your local police department, before finally logging on to the internet (developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration) to Fox News’ message forums to yell that we’re all screwed if government interferes in medicine because the government can’t do anything right.

So stop claiming that government ruins all that it touches and that socialism will take us to the Third Reich. Use reason folks.