Archive for April, 2007

Movie Review – Fallen (1998), Part 1

Monday, April 30th, 2007

An entertaining genre-blender that combines all the best elements of cop crime solvers with religious super-natural horror flicks.

The opening sequence could’ve been straight from “The Silence of the Lambs (1991).” Then the film slips into the “Jacob’s Ladder (1990)” territory of super-natural horror and wraps it up with an ending worthy of “Omen (1976)”.

Despite the freaky opening sequence, the films dives into the first act as a regular police precinct movie complete with the regular stock characters — the protagonist handsome Det. John Hobbes [Denzel Washington]; his avuncular sidekick Det. Jonesy [John Goodman]; and the cynical shin-kicker Det. Lou [James Gandolfini]; the hard-ass precinct boss Lt. Stanton [Donald Sutherland].

When the demented killer Edgar Reese (played to the nines by a scary Elias Koteas) is put to death in a gas chamber, Det. Hobbes thinks the worst is over, not realizing that his troubles are just beginning.

Here let’s put our hands together and applaud the great cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel since the way he came up with a visual representation of the evil spirit Azazel’s point of view is nothing short of genius. It is done so well that at one look we know which character the camera embodies in certain scenes. Without such an effective visual differentiation of the main antagonist’s point of view, this movie would have never worked this well, or perhaps not have worked at all.

Hobbes is a cop and rational man. He believes in what he can see and feel and measure. He believes in evidence, not hearsay and myths. But clue after clue tells him that this time, as strange bodies keeps popping up all over the unnamed town [although shot in Philly], he is up against something “different.”

The ancient Biblical evil spirit of Azazel is live and well and he changes bodies by just common physical touch. That’s why it is almost impossible to nail it down and destroy it. It is the most contagious sickness the world has ever seen. Screenwriter Nicholas Kazan also deserves our kudos for not only coming up with such a clever concept but also creating a pretty well written script.

(To conclude in part 2.)

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Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a senior writer and web content consultant with 20 years of experience.

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Geena Davis Commander in Chief? No! Amelia Earhart? Yes!

Monday, April 30th, 2007

Geena Davis Commander in Chief? No! Amelia Earhart? Yes!

The title is what turned me off.

I’ve not watched one episode of the in-troubled television series.

My problem is that George Bush II has always envisioned himself as Commander in Chief.

The President’s great role was when he landed a jet on a carrier and said, “Mission Accomplished!”

That reminds me of the Little Dictator.

Charlie Chaplain played such roles and Gilligan’s Island had a segment that showed where the exiled president of a revolution-torn country visited the island.

In her book, “Leap of Faith,” Queen Noor of Jordan quotes George Bush Sr. as saying to her husband, “I will not allow this little dictator [Saddam Hussein] to control 25 percent of the civilized world’s oil.” See coalition-of-the-willing.org/war/little_dictator.html

Now you know for sure why George II invaded Iraq, that and because Hussein sent a death squad to Kuwait to murder his parents.

I’d be angry too.

Anyway, I prefer Geena Davis in baseball garb playing “big sister” rather in a suit playing “big brother.”

The White House is a place I do not wish to visit, even if the beautiful Geena is there. George II might be creeping around.

I think a series starring Geena Davis as Amelia Earhart would have pleased me. See Amelia’s biography at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart. Geena would have played the role perfectly. The script writers could even have her survive the crash into the Pacific Ocean and produced a serious sequel to Gilligan’s Island. What a smash hit that would be. Amelia growing up in the Midwest, taking up flying, falling in love, crashing into the Pacific, eating coconuts, starting her first fire on the deserted desert island, fighting cannibals, dying a lonely death, etc. she could even join with that drinking radioman of hers and have a couple of kids before he died,a boy and a girl. They could show up later at Harvard or Stanford. Can’t you just imagine it? I’d be anxiously waiting for every episode. I’m going to copyright this paragraph right now: copyright©2006 John T. Jones, Ph.D. Now, don’t any of you script writers try to steal this television special, series, movie idea. All rights reserved.

Maybe I should have given Geena a chance as Commander in Chief. I would be more inclined to watch the show if it were called Lady President.

Well, there was one other reason I didn’t want to watch the show. I was afraid that Hillary Rodham might be crawling around in there somewhere.

Worse still. What if late one night Geena heard a noise and caught Dick Cheney creeping around, looking through her bedroom door keyhole?

I hate horror stories.

The End

Clinton, Hillary, Geena, Davis, Earhart, Amelia, television, script idea, series, show, ratings, commander, chief, Rodham

copyright©2006 John T. Jones, Ph.D.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: tjbooks.com tjbooks.com

Business web site: aaaflagpoles.com aaaflagpoles.com

The Advantages of Underwater Camera Housing

Monday, April 30th, 2007

You will need an underwater camera housing to keep your valuable camera dry. This is a very important piece of equipment.

When shopping for underwater camera housings, you may choose from single lens reflex (SLR) housings and digital housings. As a general rule, most underwater housings for compact digital cameras use externally mounted wide-angle lenses. These lenses are actually quite good for their low price and offer 100 degree wide-angle coverage and macro down to 1:1 (life-size) reproduction. Since these cameras have built-in zoom lenses, they are quite flexible and can be used for a large variety of subjects. Most of these lenses can be added or removed while underwater and therefore allow you to be ready for anything.

Check your underwater camera housing to see how many feet it is rated (its maximum working depth underwater). Will the camera be adequately and safely protected during use in rugged environments? Does it have injection-molded plastic? Is it constructed to take the rigorous environments that underwater photographers and outdoor photographer’s experience, and will it protect digital cameras in these demanding activities?

Just as most underwater video manufacturers limit their design efforts to Sony cameras, the majority of still housing systems are built around the Nikon line. Although Canon has increased in popularity with topside professionals, few underwater housings are offered for Canon systems.

For your underwater camera housing, you will want something durable. It should be made from machined aluminum, black type III ‘hard’ anodize finish, and sealed with a nickel-acetate process, have no sticking buttons or faulty electronic controls, use quality optics with clarity, sharpness and no vignetting (cutoff dark corners) to spoil your images. It should allow you to change lenses underwater from wide to macro with a MultiPort and include lighting options.

e-underwatercamera.com Underwater Cameras Info provides detailed information on underwater cameras, including underwater digital cameras, underwater video cameras, and underwater fishing cameras, as well as underwater camera housing and cases. Underwater Cameras Info is the sister site of e-disposablecameras.com Disposable Cameras Web.

How to Put Movies On Your PSP

Monday, April 30th, 2007

Have you been pulling your hair out trying to put movies on your PSP? Many folks know it can be done but are confused on how to do it.

I am going to give you my quick and easy recipe for putting movies and video on your PSP. There are only a few steps and it is a cinch on you know how.

First like any recipe…You have your ingredients:

512 MB Pro Duo Stick (This is what holds your movie files (MP4)

DVD Player installed in your computer

DVD Ripper (This pulls the movie from the DVD to your computer)

PSP Video Converter (converts movie and video files to MP4 format that you watch on your PSP.)

(Note: There is software that has both the DVD Ripper and Converter combined)

USB Cable

1. Load your DVD and fire up your DVD ripper, select the movie or video you want to put on your PSP and hit the “extract” or “rip” button. Tell it where you want to save the file to.

2. If you already have movie and/or video files on your pc then all you need to do is hit “add” from your DVD ripper and tell it where you want to save the file to.

3. Select the file that you saved to your computer and hit the “extract and/or encode” button from your PSP video converter and save that file.

3. If you have DVD Ripper/PSP Video converter combo software…You can combine steps 1,2 and 3.

At this point you have the files on your PC…and they are in the correct format.

4. How to download or transfer your movies to PSP? Just connect your PSP with your PC with the USB cable, and create a folder on your Memory Stick called “MP_ROOT.” and create a sub-folder called “100MNV01.” under it. Copy your MP4 files to this location (no need to copy the .HTM files).

5. Now on your PSP go to video and memory stick and watch your movie!

That’s it. It is real simple to put movies on your PSP!

Travis Sago is a computer technician and PSP enthusiast and fanatic. Don’t have a good DVD ripper or psp video converter? You can learn more at the-psp-pimp.com/pspvideoconverter.html the-psp-pimp.com/pspvideoconverter.html

View From the Stage: The Seven Milestones of g-man Blues

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

For those just starting out in the music business, you must measure you progress in small steps. Everything in manageable; the largest aspirations can be accomplished by planning and moving forward at your own rate. I’ll tell you my story; maybe you can learn from it.

It is hard to believe that only a year ago I was just getting my toes in the water regarding performing again after a thirty-year hiatus. I had begun a year before that with a single song and quickly adding two others; at the time I was thinking that if I do get to play an open MIC somewhere I would have three songs ready. Small goal indeed but my first milestone.

I practiced those three songs hundreds of times. My primary goal was to have an acoustic show with lots of humorous songs built in. I waited and watched my song list grow slowly. I search the internet for funny songs. It took a long time to build my list because I utilized a Zen approach to my performance. I was less concerned about performing an accurate rendition of the covers that I was playing, and more concerned about utilizing my particular skills and talents. I wanted to personalize each piece—put my own spin on them. Everyone knows many players who can accurately depict and reproduce the songs that we have heard over and over. My plan was to provide a fresh view of these songs.

The song list grew to ten, twenty, then thirty. I was so proud. I kept multiplying the number of my songs times three minutes to attempt to determine how long I could play for. I slowly moved on from my goal of comedy and headed more toward acoustic rock and blues. My goal was fifty songs—I figured that I could play a three hour gig with breaks; milestone number 2.

One year ago I played my first performance, an inconsequential unassuming open MIC at a sandwich shop a few blocks from my home. I had made the promise to myself months before that I would start showing up and playing but it seems there always was a good reason for not showing. One day Carla (my wife) wouldn’t stand for another excuse. She made me go against a wholehearted resistance on my part. I was so glad I did. I showed up with the only piece of musical equipment that I owned—my trusty old Guild D44, now yellowed with age. I had to borrow Carla’s tiny practice amp to play through. Small beginnings—yet a huge milestone number 3 for me. I was so pumped up from the performance that I couldn′t sleep that night.

The sandwich shop turns out was a good performance workshop. The clientele changed every twenty minutes or so, so if I wanted to I could work on a song over and over. No one seemed to take notice of me. There was no pressure to do well. Although I still managed to invent reasons why I couldn’t open MIC there, Carla’s stubbornness was unyielding. I kept playing and kept improving; they liked me there and most nights let me play all evening. I kept buying equipment.

In the beginning of 2005 Carla took me on a whirlwind tour of Open MICs all over Chicagoland. Seven or eight stages in a two week period. I was in heaven. I was beginning to build confidence as a performer. Carla looked on the internet for “gman blues” no one had the name, and she suggested it. I began to perform under that name. Milestone number 4. Having a name, is the beginning of having your own “brand”. My Brand Identiy Statement became: Upbeat Acoustic Rock and Blues

After that first round of open MICs in the competitive world, I continued to open MIC around the city. I played Wednesdays at Ballydoyle Pub, and every third Friday at Sandwich open stage. Ballydoyle had a state-of-the-art Bose sound system, and a professional sound man who recorded the performances. They were a wonderful refinement tool. One of the problems with Ballydoyle however was the excessive number of players. Often I had to wait hours to play. At that time I only drank water because I still was somewhat unsure of myself. One of those times I broke protocol and started drinking “Black and Tans” while waiting for my set. I was feeling pretty good by the time I got on, and asked the house band to play with me. I did some blues songs and I really belted ‘em out. The place went completely nuts. Everyone was rockin’ and yelling out “g-man! Yo da man!” I never felt as good as that moment before onstage. Afterwards everyone was shaking my hand and telling me how good I was. So began the growlin’ thing. I thought that I would never be able to top that moment. I didn’t want to go back the next week, because I knew it would be less. It turned out really well however.

Ballydoyle soundman Rick Sullivan gave me lots of good insight about how and when to back off on the MIC when belting out. He also gave me the suggestion for the Aphex Acoustic Xciter which I wouldn’t’ show up to a gig without. I can’t tell you how many people think that my guitar is the best that they’ve ever heard.

In the spring I had launched my Web Site “gmanblues.com” it was a huge milestone number 5 for me. It was like hanging an “Open for Business” shingle out for me. Things really seemed to be happening. The Web opens many doors, and has many paths to progress on. You should be exploring and leaving your name wherever you go; building your brand recognition.

One Saturday I got a last minute email from Ballydoyle Pub requesting me to play that night the regularly scheduled band couldn’t make it. I didn’t think that I was ready, but Carla insisted that I was. Ballydoyle on a Saturday night was a huge first gig for me. I was apprehensive for several reasons, the main one was that Rick Sullivan couldn’t make it and I didn’t know how to run the Bose. But I showed up with my tiny little PA and showed everyone a good time. This was Milestone number 6—paying gig.

I realized that if I could do well there, I could do well anywhere. I began to actively look for gigs. Carla was always there, taking photos, and networking. She was always around to lend a hand, setting up, tearing down, or instantaneously producing a pick when one flew out into the crowd.

It is the end of 2005. There will never be a year like this one for me. I look at all the places I’ve been, and things I’ve done. I look at all this equipment that I have. I think about all the wonderful friends I’ve made along the way. It’s truly amazing.

Well that’s only six milestones you may be thinking. The last was the demo CD.

I performed over 50 times in 2005, from small to large crowds. I’ve grown so much in the year. I will be sharing what I have learned with you as we progress in this series.

Gary “g-man″ Wesselhoff is an acoustic blues writer/performer woking the Chicago Metro area. You can contact him at: mailto:gman@gmanblues.com gman@gmanblues.com

Please Visit my site: gmanblues.com gmanblues.com

How To Fake Being A Better Guitarist In Five Simple Steps - Part 1 Of 2

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

You spend five hours a day playing your guitar. You run your scales, master your legato, your two hand tapping would make EVH blush. So why is it that every time you see a band playing at a bar with a guitarist with only a smidgen of your technical ability he is the centre of attention, garnering the praise of all the punters in the crowd?

Wait a minute. Isn’t that the band that you tried out for the other week? The same band that said “don’t call us, we′ll call you”? The same band that was witness to your smoking 32nd note Lydian masterpiece solo?

Yeah it is, and you got smoked because the guitarist on stage knows how to fake being better than they actually are.

It’s not a hard thing to do. I should know, I′ve done it for years. I′m the first to admit to being an “average” guitarist (actually, I′ve been practicing a lot lately and now would call myself an “above average” player, but that is another column in the works). Despite being average, I would get a lot of people, drunken punters, other musicians, women, all approach me after shows proclaiming how good I am. Like most of my ex-girlfriends, I′ve been faking it all along. And now I am going to teach you how to do the same.

Over the next two weeks, I will share with you my five secret tips to help you Fake Being A Better Guitarist. We′ll start today with tip #1 and #2.

1. Decent equipment is a must and look professional
Sorry boys and girls, it’s time to spend some money. A picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to music your image is worth a thousand notes. There is nothing quite as satisfying showing up to a guitarist cattle call with your Marshall half stack on a trolley as you pass all the little Peavey Bandit combos and the like. Straight away you give the impression that you know what you are doing.

But this is not just about your amp. Guitars, effects, leads, the whole lot. This means guitar cases, if you have multiple effects a decent pedal board system set up and ready to just plug in. You need to look somewhat professional without looking like a complete tosser.

It’s even more important on stage. Standing on stage with a nice looking guitar and a cool backline is confidence building to say the least. Plus it makes you look damn sexy to boot.

This doesn′t mean spending a fortune though. I have an amazing sounding Fender Twin, but it stays at home while my Marshall AV𔢶 half stack hits the road with me. The half stack with my Epiphone Les Paul with classic tri-tone sunburst finish and some decent threads make me look the business.

2. Learn to sing
I can’t stress this enough. An average guitarist who is an average singer will get more gigs than an awesome guitarist who sounds like a dying dolphin. It makes you are more versatile, worthwhile musician for any band if you can step up to the mic and sing as well. It makes you look like a musician, rather than just a guitarist. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun.

Of course, some people just cannot sing, and this is you then don’t try to. Be honest with yourself on this one. If you can’t sing and you try to then you just look like a fool. And looking like a fool will not make you look like a good guitarist.

A good way to improve your singing is start singing along with your favourite artists. It’s a cliché, but start in the shower / bathroom with a small stereo cranking out some of you favourite songs. The natural reverb will make your voice sound better and give you some confidence (it’s an old studio trick to feed a wet mix back to the singer as they are recording). Then progress to the car while you’re driving. It’s private and you can just belt it out while you are in between your normal routine. Then the hard part comes. Listen to some music with harmonies and try to sing the different parts. I found Alice In Chains is especially good for doing this. And finally add harmonies to songs that don’t have them.

When you are confident you can do that, then, and only then, try to sing when you are playing. When you can do that (and that will take a while) you can start to think about doing it with your band.

Wrap Up
So there are the first two tips, looking the part and learning to sing. These two things alone will make you look more like a real musician and come across as a real guitarist. Remember that being a guitarist is more than just playing well, it is a persona, a way of being. By rounding out these other facets of your guitarist personality, the way others will perceive you skills will rise dramatically. Next week I′ll look at the next three tips and by then you’ll be able to fake it just like that guitarist on the stage.

Chris Watson is an on again / off again professional musician from Newcastle, Australia. He is also the owner of guitartoybox.com guitartoybox.com.

Japan [1999/Expensive and Interesting]

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

Japan

In July of l999, I took a trip to Japan, visited a friend I had met in Turkey, in l996. She and I had a good time. We spent time in Tokyo, Kyoto, and several other locations. We went to the top of he Tokyo Tower, it was built in l957, and is taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower (of which I’ve been to, or to the top: Paris now I understand from a friend that just came back gives .52 cents to the dollar, or they change 18% to change dollars at venders, and banks will not change money for Americans: I always knew they didn’t like us, but that is depressing news; oh well, back to Japan). And we went to several temples. Kyoto, was perhaps one of the better cities I liked, matter-of-fact it remains one of my favored cities in the world. In a nearby city, by Kyoto, there was an international sumo wrestling, international tournament going on ($500 dollars a ticket, and you get the 13th row) and I attended that. Everything was quite expensive; I’d say the most expensive city in the world is Tokyo. I did go to the top of Mount Fuji, as well as going town the most famous city street in Kyoto, where the Geishas were. I was allowed in a few inns, and talk to the head Geisha, and was shown around. The food in Japan never filled me up it seemed. I did go to some traditional small, original wooden inns, family-run guesthouses you might say. Food comes dish by dish, when you think its over, the dinner, its not. All in all, the people of Japan were indifferent to me, I doubt they knew I was there, but when confronted, were kind.

See Dennis’ web site: dennissiluk.tripod.com dennissiluk.tripod.com

Play Bingo Online From The Comfort Of Your Home

Sunday, April 29th, 2007

Online bingo allows everybody to enjoy all the fun and excitement of your local bingo hall in a safe, secure and comfortable environment of your own home. Some online bingo sites offer a wide variety of online bingo games and online bingo promotions that provide hours of entertainment. Whether you are new to online bingo or a senior online bingo player, there is something for everyone. Online bingo sites offer a realistic bingo hall experience with the best online bingo software available. All the online bingo games are very simple and easy to play. Usually they offer four online bingo rooms to choose from as well as multiple chat rooms so you can chat with other online bingo players from around the world. Since many years they have provided reputable online bingo and online casino games and our members privacy and security is of the utmost importance to us. Their friendly customer service representatives are standing by 24/7 to promptly answer any questions you may have.

A growing number of bingo players have made online bingo their preferred form of entertainment. Online Bingo offers convenience, unbelievable gaming options, and great excitement. One can play whenever and wherever they wish. One can become a free member today to play bingo, have fun, and win impressive jackpots.First-time bingo players and die-hard bingo fan alike all gather at online bingo halls. One of the reasons for the huge success and popularity of Internet bingo is the way in which online bingo sites have translated the elements that have made regular bingo games so popular through the years. Just like in the real bingo hall, online bingo players can chat with their friends and other players as they play bingo. This online chat feature increases the excitement of the online bingo games, and makes players feel a sense of community with their fellow players. There are a lot of new bingo games forming all the time with new jackpots everyday. Bingo on the Internet brings the excitement of the bingo hall right into the living room of your home.

Online bingo is a game that is elegant in its simplicity and it is even easier online. The aim of any style of bingo is to complete the game pattern on your bingo card before any other player. In case you do have a bingo and win the prize. It is easy when playing online; your bingo cards are very randomly selected for you. Most of the online games give you 3 or 4 cards. Other games let you take more than that. All the online bingo games have a caller or a display board for the bingo numbers.

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Hercules and Theseus, the Two Great Heroes of the Greek Mythology

Saturday, April 28th, 2007

Hercules excelled from the others at a very young age, when he killed two snakes with bare hands. Theseus was a strong child, too. His father placed a sword and a pair of shoes in a hallow and he covered them with a great stone. He wanted to see if his son Theseus could move that stone. If yes, then he is able to take over the kingdom.

At a very young age both characters became heroes by killing monsters and doing good to mankind. On his way to Athens Theseus killed many bandits and he also killed the Minotaur. Hercules was renamed after his strength and he was called a hero when he defeated the Minyans.
Of course they had some different characteristics as every person does. But these differences were important. Their intelligence level was like sky and ground, and their life experience differed, too. Theseus was at a higher level of his mental capabilities because he wanted a people’s government where all would be equal. Hercules was different: even if his feelings were strong, he always blamed himself for the way he acted.

During their long journey both heroes had different life experiences. The “strongest man on earth” engaged three times while Theseus married only two women. Theseus decided to dedicate his life for saving innocents and helping mankind. He knew how to treat people and how to understand people that supported him. Hercules always had to make up his fault. He got twelve labors, but he also killed innocent people by accident.

Why were they supported by different parts of Greece? Athens supported Theseus while Hercules was the Spartans favorite. Athens was the home of the thinkers, doctors and scientists. As Theseus acted after his mind, he was considered as one of them. Another reason why Athenians like him best is he never had to make labors like Hercules did many times.

Athenians didn’t like Hercules, because he was wild. The rest of Greece honored and admired wildness and strength. In Greek tradition, the boys were taken at the very young age for military practices and they were educated to kill there. As Hercules was strong and able to kill, Spartans considered him as one of them.

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Make Money With Online Football Betting - You Need to Understand the 2006 NFL Draft

Saturday, April 28th, 2007

Sports Betting on the NFL and college football is a national pastime. Every week millions of dollars are bet on the home town favorites with local bookies. People bet even more money with online sports book agencies. Even the major news services publish all the betting stats. If you′re going to bet money on games, you might as well be as informed as possible! There are even many sports betting sites that provide up-to-the-minute information on your favorite teams and this weeks games. If you are at all interested in Football Betting then you need to understand the 2006 NFL Draft.

What initially seemed to be a predictable rookie draft actually turned into one with much intrigue and surprise. The organization with the overall first selection, the Houston Texans, had been widely believed to have its sights set on selecting USC running back, and Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush. The dynamic playmaker seemed to be just the answer for an organization that had struggled to generate points, or excitement, in it first four years in existence. Adding to the drama, many Houstonians were hoping that the team would select University of Texas standout quarterback, and Rose Bowl hero, Vince Young.

However, in the days leading to the draft, the Texans organization reiterated their commitment to franchise quarterback, David Carr and announced that they would not be selecting Young with the first pick. With Young out of the picture, the team began contract negotiations with Bush and North Carolina St. defensive end, Mario Williams. Williams was thought to be a “can’t miss” defensive prospect in the mold of Julius Peppers, or even the legendary, Reggie White. But with Bush being touted as a “once in a lifetime” player, it appeared that Williams was just being used as a bluff in negotiations with Bush.

Unable to come to agreement with Bush and his representatives, hours before the draft, the Houston Texans announced that they had an agreement in place with Mario Williams, and that he would the #1 selection in the 2006 NFL draft. NFL fans were shocked, analysts were stunned and Texans fans were downright angry. For a team that needed offense and excitement, Bush seemed to be the only choice, regardless of the price. Texans′ management immediately began to justify and put a spin on their decision to take Williams, and insisted that the defensive stud was whom the team needed to build around, and that the decision was not strictly a financial one.

After the Texans passed on him, Reggie Bush landed in the laps of the long-suffering New Orleans Saints. As nobody had seriously anticipated Bush being passed over by the Texans, this may have been the greatest day in franchise history. A sense of hope was restored to a city that had never had a winning football team and was recently devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

The third pick in the draft, owned by the Tennessee Titans, also had a bit of mystery and subplot attached to it. The team refused to re-sign veteran quarterback Steve McNair to a long-term contract and it was generally accepted that they would build the future of the team around a quarterback with that third draft pick. The question was, would it be Vince Young (a favorite of owner, Bud Adams) or USC quarterback, Matt Leinart (a favorite, and former pupil, of offensive coordinator, Norm Chowd). In the end, the man signing the checks won out, and the Titans selected Vince Young. Back in Houston, many people believed that this was just another example of Adams rubbing their noses in the dirt, much like he did when he moved the city’s beloved Houston Oilers to Tennessee in 1997. Finally, in what was largely considered the biggest surprise of the entire draft, Matt Leinart was not selected until the tenth pick, falling to the Arizona Cardinals.

David James is one of the world’s foremost