The Friday Variety Plate

This is an under-the-weather, off-to-Oktoberfest-in-Munich version of the Variety Plate. A cold staked out my nasal passages Sunday through Tuesday, my throat Wednesday and is squarely fixed on my lungs right now. Despite this, I’ve a day-long day with Oktoberfest followed by an evening of poker as your gleaning these words. All that said, it means I didn’t take the time this week to rake through and find some of the better stuff. Still, there’s stuff and here it is:

• This has eclipsed the Old Spice Guy for fun. I’ve tried about seven different verbs and got seven different results. Well played, Tipp-Ex. There must be a burgeoning market for this stuff that I’m not seeing. Damn me for not getting that business degree.
• All week I’ve alluded to Randy Quaid squatting in various body parts in reference to my cold. If you missed the story, here it is. It makes me wonder how he made it through film shoots, contract negotiations and other complex life matters, but there seems to be a history of this.
• These have been pushed almost everywhere giving anyone who can’t get the immersion a sense of the fest. It’s a lot like this, but the smells, overcrowding, kilometers of cleavage on women 16 to 67, suffocating heat, urine smelled train ride home and pounding hangover are to be experienced. Today is my second run at it. Photos will follow.
• If you have Facebook, and are a friend, these are photos I shot from my trip to Budapest, Hungary. There are 116 of them. Some good stuff along the Danube as the sun is going down. If you’d like to see them, but aren’t on Facebook,  friend me with a reason why. ;)
• The first review/preview is in for “The Undead That Saved Christmas.” I contributed a short story and a few pieces of artwork to the nonprofit anthology. You’ll find a link to the review on my press page.
• My next column at Army of Ermas isn’t up until Sept. 30. However, the past couple have been great. Read them here.
• My favorite webcomic is Eben07. It takes my one of my favorite genres and intelligently turns it on its ear. Written and drawn by two smart fellows, Eben07 is released weekly.
• Finally, it’s Zombie Week at Wisecrack Zodiac and my friend Stacey Graham is featured. Stacey is brilliant, funny and stumbled into zombie writing. She’s done it so well she’s gotten herself an agent and an appearance at ZomBCon in Seattle over Halloween. Don’t forget to peek at the Zombie Dating Guide.

My prediction for the Raiders Game

So long Jason Campbell, hello Bruce Gradkowski. Raiders beat the third worst team in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Of course, only the Cardinals and the Raiders are worse … wait. Cynicism aside, a win is a win. A record of 1-1 is better than starting 0-2, which is what almost happened until Tom Cable yanked the former Auburn star and let Gradkowski save the team. The Polish Rifle knows how to make this offense score. Obviously, the media and the world’s expectation of Jason Campbell was too much. He has a slow release and hasn’t shown anything worth head-nodding the trade from the Redskins. That said, as division records go, only the Kansas City Chiefs are better than the Raiders right now. Michael Bush is getting healthier. And we get that other worst team in the league, Arizona, this week. The Cardinals have larger quarterback problems, an injured Beanie Wells and disarray in general. So, my belief is that we’ll be 2-1 by the end of the day. Raiders 24 Cardinals 17.

Who I’m starting on my fantasy football team

Won again two of three leagues. Had little chance in the other league. So it goes. here’s the probable lineup for my local (Garmisch) fantasy football team:

Peyton Manning, Ray Rice, Arian Foster, Marquis Colston, Legedu Naanee, Wes Welker, Tony Gonzales, Mason Crosby, the Patriots.

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