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Wealth Target Spreadsheet (Excel) Master Financial Spreadsheet (Excel) Master Financial Instructions (Word)
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What I Think I Know by Damien Del Russo
A lot of criminals just aren't that smart.
Something naughty.
Here's a cool iPod utility (I haven't tried it yet, though).
Thanks to CapLion for pointing out this rambling but compelling essay about responsibility by Bill Whittle.
Here's a great new product for those limber young limbs to try.
Here's a really interesting page with a mocked-up version of the "Weapon of Choice" video. Amazing what some folks can do!
The Lemon has a very funny "Lifecycle of a News Story" comic.
This is one of those really dorky articles, so if you aren't interested in Fantasy Football, you might just want to bail a little early today. Thanks!
It's high fantasy football season - everyone is having their drafts, as the regular NFL season starts on September 4th. I've been playing for a couple years with slight interest, last year being my first in a pay league.
It's amazing how many people are in to fantasy football. About half my male friends, and a couple select females, play. A cursory search online turns up lots of dedicated websites, many of which are pay sites. Apart from porn, fantasy football may be one of the few profitable businesses on the internet.
Many fantasy football folks are very involved in their leagues. Yes, leagues - many players get into multiple leagues, often to avoid having a single injury destroy their season. Where as Bill Maher might suggest that we're anesthetizing ourselves, I would argue that we're simply having fun. It's a great hobby. While there is money on the line, it's not much of a gamble, as it takes 4 months to get a return, and the costs are usually pretty low ($30 - $200, usually on the low end, depending on the league). For me, the main reason to play is to ensure that the competition lasts the entire season - free leagues are notoriously lame because losing owners tend to stop managing their teams.
One thing I enjoy is the analysis. Preparing for the draft involves a lot of research, as a careful owner knows what's been happening during training camp, and can be fairly sophisticated in his methods. There are the famous "sleepers" - players who are not expected to do well by the general public, but may in fact be great performers. There are many complicating factors as well, including individual league scoring rules, varying numbers of teams among leagues, differing lineup options, trade restrictions, transaction fees, and reward systems. In other words, it requires a lot more than looking up last year's statistics!
The draft itself is the main event of the fantasy football season - selecting the players for your team is the most important thing an owner can do towards winning his league. During the season there are decisions, such as which players to start, whom to trade, etc - but the draft overwhelms those decisions in importance. In more serious leagues, the draft is a real poker game. Owners know each other, and must adjust their selections to take advantage. There is often a lot of misinformation beforehand, as owners prepare to dominate one another through both intellect and subterfuge.
We had our draft this weekend, and I certainly prepared. One of the important challenges of the draft is to stick to your plan, while having the flexibility to make adjustments based on who is available at each selection. I had the 6th pick in an 8 team league, although I made a couple trades to improve my draft position in the middle rounds. My selections went as follows:
My next draft is tomorrow - I already have Clinton Portis, and hopefully the rest of the draft will go as well. You might want to try it some time - it is a ton of fun, especially if you have some friends to talk smack with. That's the main reason I hope to do well - ridiculing my friends! What could be better than that?
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