#1s with Some Bullets

Some bullet points of a blog today:

• I have officially bet the entire AL Central to win the World Series. Before the season started, I threw $20 on the Sox at 21/1 odds (20 to win 420). I just checked all of the team's odds in the AL Central outside of the Sox and they were all 40/1 or over. So I threw $6 on KC (80/1 odds), $8 on the Twins (60/1 odds) and $10 each on the Indians and Tigers (both 40/1). Whether this proves to be a dumb strategy is a non-arguing point (I know it's stupid). I guess I figured if my Sox bet was gonna be shot in October, I might as well insure myself with the rest of the division at such high prices.
• Two trains of thought with the Bulls after going up 2-0 in the series: (1) Being on a double digit win streak, they're clearly doing something right, so no use in complaining on how they win, just as long as they win vs. (2) A #1 seed such as the Bulls with the supposed MVP should be destroying the Pacers on their home court, where they've shown themselves to be a dominant force, not letting them hang around (or in Game 1's sake, hold a lead the entire game up until the last minute). Both points can be argued. I don't think the Bulls can play like this against the Heat or Celtics (or even the Magic/Hawks) and expect to advance to the Finals.
• Speaking of the Bulls, I wore the Brian Scalabrine jersey again yesterday. I believe I have worn the jersey more than he has in 2011, and in about a quarter of the time.
• First day without class, so that means going to a bar of course. Well, for a friend's birthday. I don't want to make going to bars a habit, but I don't want to be trapped at home either this summer. Especially considering I work from home. So if you're reading this, GET ME OUT OF THE HOUSE!
• Just pulled the trigger on the Knicks for Game 2 tonight. I pegged them winning one of the first two games at Boston, so figured it was worth the risk at +275 for $35.
• Looks like The Playoff Stubble that I spoke of last week is about right for the Blackhawks, who are on the brink of elimination. I say they pull out a couple of wins here just to tease everyone, but then lose in Game 6.

....coming soon in the next day or two, a Scalabrine article that you will definitely want to read. Stay tuned.

World Series Bets Placed:

96124773	TNTODDS TO WIN 2011 WORLD SERIES [11108] CLEVELAND INDIANS +4000 $10.00 $400.00
96124774	TNTODDS TO WIN 2011 WORLD SERIES [11110] DETROIT TIGERS +4000 $10.00 $400.00
96124775	TNTODDS TO WIN 2011 WORLD SERIES [11113] KANSAS CITY ROYALS +8000 $6.00 $480.00
96124776	TNTODDS TO WIN 2011 WORLD SERIES [11117] MINNESOTA TWINS +6000 $8.00 $480.00

Now What: Filling a 20 Hour Weekly Void

If they only had a Brain. Now- he's gone from the Center of Illinois Broadcasting and looking for stuff to do.

What a great past couple of days to wrap up my time at school. Social events with my classmates bookended between a graduation where the school's dyslexia was in full display in the above picture (name and internship both messed up). Today was a good recovery/rest day from all of the excitement and madness that has ensued from the past week/month. But when Tuesday comes around, what will I do with the 20+ hours that I will now have to myself?

Sports: There's been some amazing basketball being played right now, which should fill some of the void. I've missed out on the majority of weekday sports since starting school. Luckily, during that time, I did pick up a CrackBerry, which allowed me to follow the scores of the games I was most interested in (i.e. the games I bet on). I had a brief early season buzz with the White Sox, but I am more interested in the NBA playoffs at this point. I'm sure I'll go to close to a dozen ball games this summer with my friends. I thought about doing the Ozzie Plan with the partial season ticket plan, but I don't like the idea of going to a baseball game with one other person for 13 games (I'd rather go to 13 games with 3-4 people). However, I don't have the cash to throw down on 39-52 tickets with the risk that I can't sell some of the tickets. Hopefully, sports will fill some of the void.

Bars/Drinks: To watch sports, I will likely go out every now and then to watch the big games and just to get out of the house. I already know of one bar having Summer Shandy on tap (Olivers), so that may be my bar for the summer. I need to go to Wild Wings more. My boneless wing craving has not been met enough this year. The question with the bars/drinks option is: Will I be able to get anyone to go out with me on a somewhat regular basis? That is the $20K question.

Bowling Leagues: More bowling leagues you say? Yes- much needed in my summer life. Last year's summer league was the highlight of what was otherwise a dull/depressing summer. And with the main league about to end in a few weeks, I'll need to keep sharp in the summer. I may look to bowl two summer leagues.

Job Searching: With school now over, it's time to put this education to use better than I did with my previous degree. I have been given some websites to use for job leads in the video editing field. I'm gonna take a week or two to myself before I start looking.  Then it'll be time to start cranking out resumes and sending out my video editing demo in hopes of securing a gig. I'd like to get a part-time video editing gig to start if possible so I can keep my current job- which I do enjoy. If I do secure a part-time gig, I could see myself being a video editor at home- which means I'll need to score me a Mac and the new Final Cut program, which comes out in June.

Trips: A trip to Vegas is already set in stone, with a trip to Minnesota and Nashville, among others, on the horizon of being planned. These trips will help fill some of this downtime that comes from the ending of school.

I'm sure there's other things I'm forgetting, but luckily, it seems like I'll have a lot of potential outlets to kill the 20+ hours I will gain from not having school any more.

While it is bittersweet that we had to say goodbye to each other, it will be worth it for all of us ICBers in the end for the experience we went through together. It will make the future "Hellos" all the more sweet.

Yes and No

Hanging out with some of my classmates tonight made me realize that...while I'm looking forward to graduating from my 38 week program at ICB, I'm definitely gonna miss the 3 times a week where I get to laugh with the dozen+ people that I've gotten to know throughout our 114 classes. Everyone always has the clichéd "We became best friends through school" stuff, but this is actually my first decent-sized group of friends I've made in a school and feel like I will keep. Elementary school friends I can count on one hand as far as the one's I've even talked to in the past year. Junior high, about the same. High school- I know a lot of people, see them a lot around town (usually at local pubs), but never really connected with many of them. And first college (U of I)- I talk to one person from there. Maybe it's just my personality, or maybe I just never cared (for the most part) about the people around me in a learning setting. With these folks, something about them that makes me think this will be different.

We just finished our last project (music videos). We had a blast making ours. I love the editing stuff, and wouldn't mind pursuing something in that (at the very least I'd like to keep doing it recreationally). It'll probably all hit us around April 19th when there's no class scheduled on a Tuesday for the first time in 10 months, but it's starting to hit me a little now. The true test of any friendship formed at a specific place (work or school) is when one or both parties leave that particular setting for good. I believe once this setting is left, the personal bonds we've made will continue on. Maybe I'll be wrong, but just a gut feeling.

So in essence, Yes- I am looking forward to moving on and graduating the program in hopes of using my video editing skills obtained here. No- I am not looking forward to the lacking daily interaction between all of my peeps.

Let's make these last 3 weeks count folks. I'm already missing you guys.

Stairway to 2011

April 1st is around the corner, which roughly marks the start of the 2nd quarter of the year. It also marks the start of my brief demise last year after battling some personal issues. As I said during that stretch, sometimes you need to hit rock bottom before you climb your way back up. I'm hoping that personal rock bottom was achieved, because ever since I got back on my feet fully in mid July (the start of school and a new job), I've been heading up for the most part. This applies especially in 2011. Some personal achievements:

(1) Approaching the end of my 10 month program with the Illinois Center for Broadcasting and I've figured out what I want to apply for- video editing positions. I know there's plenty for me to learn about editing still, but I know I can get better and have been getting better with each assignment.

(2) I was able to meet my company at Tango2 (a consulting company) for the first time in my 9 months on the job in Puerto Rico. As many of you saw through pictures, I was able to enjoy 4 days in awesome weather, which played a part in all of the company mingling and getting to know each other for the first time. This trip will make me work harder to get my co-workers more work in health systems.

(3) Our bowling team won the 1st half championship and can clinch first place money by winning 2nd half. With my new bowling ball, I have improved my average by 7 pins in 9 weeks of bowling (172 to 179) by averaging over 190 in that span. Likewise, much of my team is making awesome strides and getting better as the season progresses. The worst we can finish for this session is 2nd place.

(4) To cap off an awesome weekend which was primarily based at Tim Wolfs and included the company of many of my great friends from the past 12 years, I was able to enjoy the company of one of my best friends (Spence) and his/our friends this past week as part of Mr. Spencer's bachelor party. Whenever a group of friends can get together after a long hiatus, it reminds you of the great past you have had as friends and what a great fortune it is to have great friends to share your future with.

(5) I continue to meet and be introduced to awesome people. Unlike some people who grow older and close off the expansion of their friend base, I love meeting new people and striking up conversation with whoever is willing to listen to my loud voice. To those I've met recently that have become part of my daily rotation of conversation, I'm glad we've met and I hope we continue to get to know each other.

(6) Our family took in a foreign exchange student about a month ago. I must admit at first, I didn't know what to think about a new person living in our house for three months. However, Maria has been nothing but a delight to have around. It's nice being able to pick the brain of someone who is experiencing American culture for the first time. Someday, I'd like to think I'll come up in stories in Columbia where a Spanish to English translation of  "I have no idea why Brian had so much gas" comes up.

That's about all I got for now. I hope you read it and enjoy.

All I know is that the first quarter of this year has proven to be awesome and will only continue to get better.

Thanks to everyone for contributing to the above and I hope we continue to share awesome times together.

Kicked in the (foot) Balls

I thought I was gonna miss football being done more than I have so far. Usually, this is Black Monday, when I'm down and out and wondering how quickly September is going to come around, especially on the heels of a successful betting year. However, it's quite the opposite. Maybe it's because I forgot how much I love the betting torture that is basketball (especially the pros). Conference play is usually when college basketball is at its best, especially with some of the long-standing rivalries in various conferences. There's about 10,000 games to follow on a given weekend it seems, and I look at my bets as an opportunity to make gambling into a part-time job with enough research and a little bit of luck. I don't know how people become professionals at gambling, but I do think a love of numbers is required to win in the long haul. Maybe my Mathletic background was really just the start of my love of gambling, the crunching of numbers and figuring out lines that are worth betting vs. those worth avoiding.

The Super Bowl was berry berry good to me. After losing a couple of college games and $65 from my account, my bets of GB scoring over 23.5 and Jordy Nelson +290 to score a TD was my ticket to a $1.45 (yes, 145 cents) profit of a day when all was said and done. I never did prop bets in Super Bowl before but some of them caught my eye. I did lose a few of them but overall ended up $66.45 with my Super Bowl bets. I will miss football for the money I made, but I have faith that the season will start in September and I can continue my winning ways.

Tonights bets: WVU/Pitt Under for first half 59.5 (thank god only bet the first half, WIN), Mizzou/Kansas over 155 for game (WIN), Sac/Utah Over 199.5 for game (WIN), Phx/GSW Over 109.5 for 1st half (LOSS)
Nothing new in life. School finally resumes after a week off. It'll be nice to get back, but I think it'll be even nicer to graduate in April. I'm keeping my mind open when it comes to my career options after this. I've been enjoying (and getting better at) this working from home. I suppose it's nice to have these multiple options- certainly better than being stuck in limbo and not have anything.

Peace out to you peeps. I'll be updating my bets as they finish (and I make more). I hope to get more out before games start in case I get good and you wanna tail 'em.

Monday Funday

Lots going on today/this week:

Getting a new phone- highly leaning towards getting a Blackberry after years of getting shitty phone after shitty phone. I figure if my company is gonna pay my phone bill, might as well spoil myself a little on a decent phone.

Vegas Part V- I don't need to stress the epicness of Vegas. I think the Roman Numeral (a la Super Bowls) says it all.

TV school project- Finalizing a TV project that will be shown on a local Downers Grove channel. I am playing the role of on-air talent and also produced a 2:30 piece for it on a band and internet TV show that my friends are in. Should be great.

Vegas V: Oh wait, already mentioned that

Monday night pick: Cincy +6 over Pitt.

To say Cincy has under-achieved after last year's division championship would be an understatement. While everyone is quick to blame Palmer, it's been a team effort that has led to the 2-5 start.

With that being said, I have always liked taking the points in these spots: home underdog, struggling a little, getting nearly a TD (or maybe a TD depending on my book's final number), and playing a little below their talent level on their one chance under the national spotlight. I always think back to Arizona against Chicago four years ago and Buffalo against Dallas in 2007 or 2008 I believe and remember how they played above their actual talent level for one game (and in both cases, holding leads for much of the games only to lose at the end). Pittsburgh is closing a three game road trip, surviving against Miami after a controversial call and falling flat against a Saints team that lost to Cleveland a week before that. Winning on the road ain't easy in the NFL, so I'll say if Pitt wins, they won't cover. I won't be surprised to see a Cincy win to be honest (despite some flat showings lately).

I'm making this a $100 play.

Let's do this.

Rock on.