thisisScoMan

Hello ScoFans!

Okay, so I haven't posted for a little bit now, but I'm on holidays and I didn't want too. Besides, as you can see, I've been very busy (for the last hour or so) and so didn't have time to post (for any of the week before that)

As some of you know, I have been thisisScoMan on Twitter for a long time, and I thought it was time to bring my blog into line with that branding. I've just passed 150 posts, I've just hit my 100th follower and I've just created my first award (which was corrected after the spell check. I don't know how I stuffed that up, I guess I got high off the fumes of cleaning chemicals in the shower)

But that isn't the only reason for my change.

I received my membership renewal from the Essendon Football Club who I follow on Twitter and who I have sent messages to on Twitter in the past and, well, would you like to see what they sent me?


Maybe I should start collecting a commission from their marketing department. Or maybe I should at least get them to design my banner for me. Plus they came up with four, I could only come up with three.

Anyway, because I wouldn't sue my favourite team and cause them to go bankrupt, I instead decided they took one of my ideas, I'll take one of theirs. All's fair in love and.. well no, just love.

I thought with the new design I'd try to keep it as simple as possible. This might have been a bit too simple. Whatever. You're only here for the words anyway right? (And the occasional picture)

Speaking of the occasional picture, I thought I might design some banners for some celebrities, because that's just the sort of person I am.



Okay, that'll do for now. You get the idea though.

Finally, I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this, but January the 4th is "National Act Like Sheldon Cooper Day". For those of you who don't know who Sheldon is, I've provided a clip which I think pretty much sums him up.

Of course if you need more tips there's plenty more videos on YouTube.

Let me know what you think of the new layout.

Until next time...

Because right now, nothing else matters

Hello ScoFans!

I wasn't sure if I was going to post tonight. Some of you noticed on Twitter that I mentioned I had a letter to write (which has been done and forwarded) and I wasn't sure if I had the energy or the motivation to continue to write.

And so I crashed on Sunday evening, flicked on the Football to watch the Mighty Bombers who were sitting 9th on the ladder and taking on the top of the ladder, hadn't dropped a game this year, won 19 in a row St Kilda.

I know that none of you care about this, but do you know what? Right now, that doesn't matter.

There's no point stalling here, we all know I wouldn't be posting about this if the result hadn't gone my way.


I don't know how well you can read that, but Essendon managed to win it by 2 points after being 29 points in front at 3 quarter time. St Kilda came hard in the last quarter and their gun forward had a shot at goal after the siren to win them the game, it was an incredibly nervous moment for Essendon fans around the country (and I imagine for the gun forward as well) but unfortunately for him (and fortunately for me) he missed. They lose, we win. Yay!

Of course, I had to go to LAST week's game. I had to go to the game where a kick after the siren from the opposition bought them to a draw (it was still exciting to be at a draw, but crushing to see a game Essendon had won slip away from them after the buzzer) I couldn't be at THIS WEEK's game when they managed to hold on to their slim lead.

The atmosphere during the final 10 minutes last week at the ground was electric, and I imagine it would have been much the same today. But the difference being, last week everyone went home disappointed because a draw is as good as a loss, this week one side would have been cheering and singing the club song while the others left with their shoulders slumped (last week there was no club song, a guy just came over the PA and said "That's it. It's a draw. Everyone go home".. maybe not in quite those words, but that's how it felt)

Oh, and what also made this week fun is that my brother is a St Kilda supporter, so I got to send him fun text messages. Here's some of the exchanges that took place:
ScoMan- Don't know if you're aware. Just keeping you in the loop.
Ess 66
Stk 33
CraMan- I'll loop you if you're not careful.

Okay, so from 66 to 33 they probably shouldn't have won by only 2 points. Especially seeing as I had a $5 flutter on them to win by more than 39.5 which paid out at something like $21.50 (I still won on my flutter for them to win which paid out at $6.00) but hey, a win is a win (you're learning today and that's good. You've learned a win is a win and a draw is a loss)

Then after the game.

ScoMan - 19-1
CraMan - 9-11
ScoMan - Excuse me, you forgot our draw. But all that matters is we're in the finals now. And guess what? We'll beat you then too.
CraMan - Excuse me but we're just throwing games to get extra draft picks. You won't beat shit.

It's funny because his team is set on top of the ladder and can't get any more draft picks now no matter what happens.

From the start of the weekend where playing finals football was unlikely, Essendon now sit in the 8, so from here it's theirs to lose.

Anyway, sorry to bore you all with Football talk this week. Next week I have something great planned, rest assured. And as I said, this week it was either football or nothing. Be glad the result fell the way it did and I felt the need to brag to anyone who would listen (you were listening, right?)

I'm going to give you the opportunity now to sing along to their theme song with me.

Back in the lab again...

Hello ScoFans!

As some of you may have noticed by the fact I'm commenting on your blogs, I am back from Adelaide. While I was there, I decided a few things regarding this blog:
1- I'm cutting back to one post a week for awhile. I should be able to churn out one a week, right? Also, I won't feel bad if my posts are long, because you guys will have a week to read it. If it's too much for today, read a bit and come back tomorrow.
2- I'm putting up a poll so YOU can vote for what you read next. I usually have a few ideas swimming about in my head, so I'll put the poll up and between you all you can choose which one interests you. (I'll give you about 72 hours from when the weekly post is posted to vote)

On the subject of what interests you, we move on to today's post. I'm posting about sport, which I'm sure interests very few of you, but this is my space and I will do what I please.

In particular, I'm posting about a game that was played on ANZAC day (the 25th of April.. that's how long I've been sitting on this blog) which made me realise just how seriously some people take their sport. I know it's been said before, but it never sunk in for me until this game was played.

It's a game involving Essendon and Collingwood, the highlights of the last 4 and a half minutes of which are below. When we pick the game up, Essendon are 14 points down (and so you know, it's 6 points every time they kick it between the big sticks in the middle, and one point if they kick it between the little post on the side)

You can watch it and see how much better it is than the game that's referred to as "football" in your country.

Now, here in approximate order are the things that made me realise people take this game too seriously (I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, because I did.. but some people get carried away)
1- My dad got a bit teary after the match. I was happy, sure, but I didn't get THAT emotional.
2- The coach of the Collingwood Football Club said "Our side really let the ANZACs down today". For you to understand how ridiculous that is, you probably need to know what an ANZAC is. The ANZAC acronym stands for "Australian and New Zealand Army Corps". It was first used for those soldiers that took part in the bloodbath that was the battle of Gallipoli. I really don't think most of these guys care too much about the outcome of a football match.
3- There was talk from a few media outlets that, because his side lost a game they should have won, the coach should be sacked. Personally, I think it's the coaches job to get them to the game, but in the last 4 minutes it's all on the players.
4- One of the guys at work said "Well done on Saturday" to me when I got to work on Monday. Really? Well, thanks. It's about time people started to recognise the hard yards I put in for that club. You know, sitting on my ass and watching TV and all.
5- My friend who barracks for Collingwood didn't talk to me for a week.
6- I'm still blogging about it now AND I still got goosebumps watching the video on YouTube.

Does anyone else have stories of how crazy people can get over sport?

Because I've bored you all with these tales today, I'm going to leave you with the results of a recent Facebook quiz I've done. My favourite Facebook quiz ever.

Scott completed the quiz "SAW: What would your 'Play Me' tape say?" with the result Razor Wire Trap.
Hello I want to play a game You are a perfectly healthy, sane and middle-class citizen yet last month you ran a straight razor across your wrist. Did you cut yourself because you truly wanted to die or did you just want some attention? Tonight, you'll show me. The irony is that if you want to die you just have to stay where you are, but if you want to live, you'll have to cut yourself again. Find the path through the razor-wire to the door but hurry. In two hours, that door will lock and then, this room becomes your tomb. How much blood will you shed to stay alive?.

Have I mentioned I love the SAW movies? Does that need mentioning, or is that obvious?

Actually, what I'll leave you with is one of the funnier moments in football...



Remember to vote on the poll!

Our First Game Ends

Hello ScoFans!

Earlier this week I showed you all how much I enjoy a good game of chance. I offered you the chance to see a picture of me in a hat, if my football team could get over the line and win their way to the Grand Final of the pre-season cup.

This would be our first game.

I know some of you have been hoping that you should win your prize, either to see me for the first time or to mock me in my hat. I know many others couldn't care less one way or the other.

Both sides lined up with a few of their quality players sittng in the stands, beacuse nobody really takes the preseason competition all that seriously, and if a player is "a bit sore" they won't risk him suffering a serious injury.

Anyway, the result was:

COLLINGWOOD 116 d ESSENDON 73

So there it is. A negative result this time.

Perhaps we'll play again in the future.

But as a runner up prize I'll give you a funny Australian song. I couldn't find the great video for it I saw last year, so I've left you with the official video. (Yes, some of the lyrics are out of place)

Game Time

Hello ScoFans,

I want to play a game. The rules of the game are simple. Your role in the game is minimal. Your rewards from a positive outcome are varied. Your consequences from a negative outcome are none.

After the Essendon Football Club won their game on Friday night, they place themselves in the semi-finals of the pre-season competition. If they win this Friday night, they are into the Grand Final.

But that is their prize. That prize is not for you my pets. Your prize, should Essendon make the Grand Final, is I will post a picture of myself here, on this blog. wearing my Essendon cap.

Therefore, your rewards vary from:

• seeing a picture of me for the first time
• already seen a picture of me, don't care about a hat
• already seen a picture of me, know that my mother once remarked when I was wearing a cap "You know you really shouldn't wear hats. You have an odd shaped head as it is and a hat just makes your head look more like an egg", know that I haven't worn a cap since and have secretly wanted to see my humiliate myself this way.

The stakes might not be as high as if we were playing one of Jigsaw's games, but, well.. maybe next time.

Hello, Amanda. You don't know me, but I know you. I want to play a game. Here's what happens if you lose. The device you are wearing is hooked into your upper and lower jaw. When the timer in the back goes off, your mouth will be permanently ripped open. Think of it like a reverse bear trap. Here, I'll show you. [on videotape, a mannequin's head is destroyed by the device] There is only one key to open the device. It's in the stomach of your dead cell mate. Look around, Amanda. Know that I'm not lying. You better hurry up. Live or die. Make your choice.

- Jigsaw (Saw)