S. Evan Townsend's Blog, page 73

It was Fun While It Lasted

I was right to worry.

Yesterday was a bizarre day in college football.

Number 2 (CFB Rankings) Clemson lost to an unranked team

Number 3 Michigan lost to an unranked team

And #4 Washington lost to USC, who was ranked #20.

Yes, my beloved University of Washington Huskies lost after going 9-0. They are now 9-1 overall and 6-1 in conference.

There are only two unbeaten teams in college football down. That's #1 Alabama and #21 Michigan State.

It's going to be interesting to see how the CFB rankings come out on Tuesday. And how the AP poll rankings come out today (in about 30 minutes from this writing). But I'm afraid Washington's hopes for a playoff berth have been eliminated. Or, maybe not since Michigan and Clemson lost. We'll have to see on Tuesday.

Since the Washington State Cougars beat California yesterday, they are 7-0 in conference (8-2 over all) they now lead the Pac-12 North Division. Washington is in second place. This means the Apple Cup will be huge. If Washington wins (assuming they beat Arizona State next week), they are the Pac-12 North Champion. If WSU wins (assuming they beat Colorado next week), they are the Pac-12 North Champions. But I do think WSU is going to have a challenge with Colorado.

Last night's game against USC, the Huskies were simply out-played. USC has been getting better and better this year and they have a very good quarterback. The Huskies put a strong defense and worked hard on offense, but it wasn't enough. Not at all. They lost 26-13.

I used to say if the Huskies could be at least 8-4 on the regular season, beat Oregon, beat WSU, and win their bowl game, I'd be happy. Well, they've done two of those so far (they are 9-1 and beat Oregon). It's all coming down to the Apple Cup. Should be a good game.

UPDATE: Washington is #7 in the AP Top 25 Poll. WSU is 20. And USC is back in the top 25 at 15.

I'm a Little Worried

I'm a little worried about today's game between the University of Washington Huskies and the USC Trojans.

At first glance, there doesn't seem to be much to worry about. The Trojans are 6-3 overall, 5-2 in conference which, in the wild Pac-12 South Division puts them in second place under Colorado. The Huskies are, of course, 9-0 and 6-0 in conference. Also, the game will be played in Husky Stadium in Seattle, so the Huskies will have home field advantage (which is huge).

But looking deeper into USC's record, there are some troubling bits. One: they have won five games in a row before this game. And two: one of their losses was to Alabama, the number one team in the nation. The other two were to Stanford and Utah. Utah is a tough team. Of course, the Huskies beat them, but it was a hard-fought game.

Finally, the past two games the Huskies have played almost lackadaisically, as if they think "we're too good to get beaten." That's why California was able to score on them early in the game last Saturday. Sure, the Huskies came back to win it big. But if they do that with USC, they could lose. So I'm hoping the Huskies go out there ready to fight for victory.

The game is at 4:30 Pacific Time on Fox. It should be a good game.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Alexander Galati and Angela B. Chrysler

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome writers Alexander Galati and Angela B. Chrysler.
Alexander GalatiAlexander Galati

Alexander Galati began writing fiction when he was seven, with his first story about a chicken having its first day at school. But aside from writing, Alexander also embraces his athletic and musical side. He excels in the piano and achieves well in sports, and now he’s decided to continue his hidden skill that is writing. At fifteen, Alexander began writing Amadon Outside, his first published work.

The world for Amadons Outside was inspired by a game he and his cousins used to play together when they were young. Within a few weeks, he had created a storyline around this world in his mind, forming characters as he went along.

In the game he played, creatures were their friends. In his story, the creatures are not their friends.

Alexander's Books:

Amadons Outside
Amadons Forest of the Ghosts
Alexander's Links:
Website Website Facebook
Angela B. ChryslerAngela B. Chrysler
Angela B. Chrysler is a writer, logician, philosopher, and die-hard nerd who studies theology, historical linguistics, music composition, and medieval European history in New York with a dry sense of humor and an unusual sense of sarcasm. She lives in a garden with her family and cats.
Angela's Books:
Dolor and Shadow (Tales of the Drui Book #1)
Fire and Lies (Tales of the Drui Book #2)
Broken
Angela's Links:
Website/BlogFacebookTwitterYouTube (Hosts live book readings)
From Today's Show: Mysterious Pulses May Be Signs of Alien Life (seriously)
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My Family

Back to the 52-week blogging challenge. Today's prompt is "Meet My Family."

I could do this two ways. One is "Meet My Dysfunctional Family" where most of us are on some sort of psychotropic drugs. Or Two is "Meet My Family, ain't they grand?"

My nuclear family consists of my wife whom I've been married to for nearly 35 years. We have three sons, all in their 20s and all at various stages toward being independent. One has a job in Portland, Oregon, one is in college (still), and one lives in our basement and delivers pizza for Dominoes. He likes to play Dungeons and Dragons with friends on his days off.

My mother, who got remarried in September, lives in the same town as I do. As do my older brother and sister. My father also lives here. He lives alone in his own house. Growing up in a small town in Idaho, we used to make fun of families that all lived in the same town they grew up in. Now we all live in the same town. But in our defense, it wasn't the town we grew up in.

Like all families we have issues. But unlike a lot of families, we don't spew them out on Facebook.

Nor in blogs.

What's your family like?

My Election Wrap-Up Post

Damn, I'm glad that's over!

Washington Huskies #4 in CFB Rankings

It's election day in the U.S. and pretty soon I'm going to start watching returns on T.V. But before I subject myself to that torture, some good news.

The CFB Selection Committee has put the University of Washington Huskies at #4, up one from last week's #5.

This is significant because if things don't change, the Huskies will be in the playoffs, probably playing #1 Alabama first. But there are three games to go in the regular season for the Huskies, plus any post-season games such as the Pac-12 Championship Game on December 2nd. So a lot could change. The Apple Cup cross-state rivalry game against the Washington State Cougars could be a key game for the season. The Cougars are second in the Pac-12 North standings (and #23 in the CFB rankings).

On Saturday the Huskies play USC (#20 in the CFB rankings) who are looking better and better. So that, too, could be a tough game.

But at least we're getting the respect we deserve. Finally.

Rudolph's Reading 2016 Christmas Giveaway

It's time for another giveaway. This time it's Rudolph's Reading 2016 Christmas Giveaway. $130 cash prize plus hundreds of other prizes. Enter below:


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Huskies are 9-0, Still Not Respected

For a few glorious hours last night after they decimated Arizona, the Washington State Cougars were leading the Pac-12 North Division with a 7-2 over all, 6-0 in conference record. Because the University of Washington Huskies played late (7:30 Pacific Time) and only had an 8-0 overall record with only a 5-0 in conference record, Wazzu fans go to know the thrill of being number one, at least for a short while.

That was until UW beat California by a score of 66-27 to maintain their unbeaten status, go to 9-0 on the season, and go to 6-0 in conference.

Sorry Cougs.

The game started out looking like it might be a challenge for the Huskies. In fact, California scored
first with a field goal coming off a very very bad punt by the Huskies that gave California very good field position to start their series. That the defense held them to a field goal is amazing.

And the offense wasn't doing much better. Except for a couple of long bombs by quarterback Jake Browning to John Ross, which let to touchdowns, the offense was just lack luster all through the first half.

Then the second half came and things changed. The defense stopped Cal on nearly every drive and the offense would march down the field and score on nearly ever possession. Once again, at about nine and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter, Washington started putting in second-string players. And they still made a touchdown.

The Huskies have won seven of their nine victories with more than 40 points. This is the first time the Huskies have gone 9-0 since 1991 when they were co-national champions (one poll picked them, one poll picked another team, I think Miami of Florida). This kind of thing is why, eventually, they went to a playoff system (after the horrible experiment with the BCS).

The AP Top 25 Poll today has the Huskies still at #4 (WSU at 23, up two). But really, no one cares anymore since the CFB Selection Committee Rankings, which come out on Tuesday. There is a lot of speculation about what's going to happen.

As you may recall, the Huskies were #5 in that ranking. despite being #4 in the AP poll and the USA Today poll. The top four teams in that ranking go to the playoffs, so being #5 is significant. Last week Texas A&M was #4. But they lost to an unranked team yesterday which means they will likely drop from that spot.

Jake BrowningSo does UW move to #4 now? The FBS Selection Committee might move Ohio State to #4, skipping over UW, because of UW's lack of strength of schedule. Ohio State is 8-1 It was those three easy pushover teams we played before conference play. We'll find out Tuesday. And I'll probably blog about it.

If the Huskies can stay unbeaten and win the Pac-12 Championship game on December 2nd, they will probably go to the CFB playoffs. But that means winning the Apple Cup against Washington State. Washington State is looking better and better even though they lost to an FCS team early in the season. It's going to be tough to beat them when they will have home-field advantage. And the Apple Cup could very well be the battle for the Pac-12 North Division championship.

Meanwhile, in the Pac-12 South, after Utah lost to Washington, they are probably out of the running for the South Division title. Right now the Colorado Buffaloes are on top with USC close behind. The Huskies play USC next week at home, so that could help determine who wins the Pac-12 South. UW doesn't play Colorado this year, unless we end up playing them in the Championship game.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Robert Goos and A.B. Funkhauser

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome Robert Goos and A.B. Funkhauser.
Robert GoosRobert Goos

 I am a psychiatrist in private practice in Pueblo, Colorado. Prior to this, I practiced in academic centers, state mental institutions, community mental health centers, prisons, and for the 10 years prior to opening my private practice, at a Veterans Health outpatient center. With this breadth of experience, I believe I have seen every variety of mental illness possible, and treated the most severe cases imaginable. It is in my work with PTSD, however, that I found my most challenging mental condition to evaluate and treat.  It is from this work with combat veterans suffering from PTSD that I developed the premise of my book, the moral injuries or damage to the soul that these former soldiers encounter. I would hope that my book would provide some solace for these men and women with PTSD, and perhaps help in developing a new treatment paradigm for this disabling mental disorder.

Robert's Book:

Portal to Erytheum

Robert's Links:

Website/Blog
Facebook
Twitter

A.B. FunkhauserA.B. Funkhauser

Toronto born author A.B. Funkhauser is a funeral director, classic car nut and wildlife enthusiast living in Ontario, Canada. Like most funeral directors, she is governed by a strong sense of altruism fueled by the belief that life chooses us and we not it. Her debut novel Heuer Lost and Found, released in April 2015, examines the day to day workings of a funeral home and the people who staff it. Winner of the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll for Best Horror 2015, Heuer Lost and Found is the first installment in Funkhauser’s "Unapologetic Lives" series. Her sophomore effort, Scooter Nation, released March 11, 2016 through Solstice Publishing. A devotee of the gonzo style pioneered by the late Hunter S. Thompson, Funkhauser attempts to shine a light on difficult subjects by aid of humorous storytelling. “In gonzo, characters operate without filters which means they say and do the kinds of things we cannot in an ordered society. Results are often comic but, hopefully, instructive.”

Funkhauser is currently working on Shell Game, a contemporary “whodunit” begun during NaNoWriMo 2015.

A.B.'s Books:

Heuer Lost and Found

Scooter Nation


Shell Game (Coming Spring 2017)

A.B.'s Links:
Website Facebook Twitter Amazon Branded Google+ Publisher Goodreads Tumblr
Instagram
From Today's Show: May Not Make Alien Contact for 1,500 years.
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My Favorite Things

Back to the 52-week blogging challenge. The next prompt is "My Favorite Things."

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.

Oh wait, that's something else.

(Interesting note about The Sound of Music: Captain Von Trapp commanded a submarine during World War I for the "other" side, i.e., the Hapsburg Empire which was Germany's ally. He was awarded medals by the Emperor-as mentioned in the movie-for sinking a British troop ship that resulted in a large loss of life. Not so romantic, now, huh?)

My favorite things? Probably cars and movies. I love cars, the faster and more powerful the better. Back when I drove on a racetrack (which I had to give up for financial and health reasons) at speeds up to 155 mph, I called it "the most fun I've had with my clothes on."

Even though I tend to drive close to the speed limit on public roads, I can have fun accelerating to that speed quickly. And if the road has corners, even better. Maneuvering a car through a corner as quickly as you dare is one of the joys in life.

The other thing I like are movies. Well, good movies. Bad movies (and I've watched plenty) kinda suck. But a well-written, well-made movie is almost as good as a well-written book. Sometimes better.

So those are my favorite things: fast cars and good movies.

What are your favorite things?