Laughter

I don't know why, but my friend told me something last night that just kind of stuck with me, but maybe not for the reason you'd think. "lol Jessica Simpson's dog was killed last night" is what he told me. At first I was horrified. "Why is that funny?" If one of my dogs was killed I'd be crushed, and I'm sure Miss Simpson was as well. I then realized that the "lol" was meant to be ironic, as in "she doesn't care what other people think of her, so why should we care about her feelings?" I am beginning to hate the "word" "lol". It's too hard to figure out what meaning it carries.

The "word" is literally an acronym, meaning "laughing out loud". If I'm chatting with you online, and I tell you a joke, you say "lol" as a way of expressing that on your computer, as you read my joke, you laughed. However, this doesn't say much about how you're laughing. Are you "giggling like a schoolgirl"? Did you smirk and go "heh"? Did you chuckle to yourself for a second, then stop? Are you laughing like a drunk person at Mardi Gras? I have no way of knowing. In fact, when chatting, if I literally laugh at something, I have started typing "HAHAHAHA" as a way of letting the person know I am actually laughing. People use "lol" to describe merely the tone of voice they're using to say what they're saying! That doesn't work for a conversation; I have no idea that that's how you're using it! "lol did you see Jessica Simpson's dog died?" Are you laughing at the fact that her dog died? Are you laughing at Jessica Simpson's reaction to her dog dying? Are you laughing at the dog itself? Did you even laugh? I think far less people sit cackling to themself at their computers as use the acronym "lol" on a consistent basis.

It's getting so bad that "lol" has made its way into real life! I've even done it myself sometimes! Your friend tells you something funny, and you just go "haha LOL!" That's not right! I have to physically restrain myself from saying "lol" to another human in person; it's a poor substitute for actual laughter. This country (maybe world; I only live here so I can only give this perspective) is turning into a nation of sarcastic non-laughers. Can we please can the "lol" and bring back physical laughter? We will all be better off without you, "lol". Now scram, see?

[Just as an even better view of how much this has infiltrated our culture, I just ended my blog post with a joke referring to the old-timey movie bad guys from the '20s who would say "yeah, see...ya gotta scram, see?" To illustrate that it was a joke, I don't have to do anything; if you know what I'm talking about, you already laughed. However, I actually typed "LOL" after the end of the joke to try to push the joke on you, when in reality I didn't laugh at the joke myself. Obviously I deleted the LOL, but the point remains: it IS possible to make a humorous statement without laughing yourself. Try to remember that the next time you're tempted to use "lol" within an online chat, a Facebook comment, or even worse, in real life.]

Brad

New music needed

When I first starting listening to Christian rock, I immediately picked up bands like Pillar, Thousand Foot Krutch, 12 Stones, and P.O.D. to listen to. They were hard-hitting, uptempo rock bands with solid vocals. Over the years, these bands have all done what almost every rock band does at some point: they've gotten softer. Each album seems to have more and more ballads, less uptempo songs, and less "loudness" in general.

I've been trying to find new bands to listen to, but my musical tastes have changed since I was 15. I've started listening to Demon Hunter, Bloodbound, and Killswitch Engage; harder music with more consistently uptempo beats. However, I'm finding a shortage of bands I really, truly like. I can't do music with the entire song being screamed, but I can do some screaming lyrics. I can't do the double-bass pedal drumbeat for an entire song, but I can do a little of that. I've tried Last.fm and Pandora, but they always seem to give me songs that aren't a good representation of what I'm trying to find. Anyway, if you have any band recommendations, please let me know!

New bands I've just found that are pretty cool:

The Ascendicate
Bloodbound
Hymns of Eden
Astral Doors

Thanks for reading!

Brad

Name change

I decided I didn't like the name I had given the blog; it was a poor play on words and didn't really reflect anything about myself. I decided to change the blog's name to "The Worse Half". This is a play on the popular phrase "my better half", used when a man talks about his wife. I refer to Laura as my "better half" all the time. If she is my "better half", what I have left can only be the "worse half". I don't know, I like it. Let me know what YOU think!

I'd love to have some of you guys follow me, especially since I'm planning to do more writing in the future. I like the new layout, but I don't LOVE it, so don't be surprised if the appearance changes again at some point. The name, however, should stay the same.

Until next time,

Brad...the Worse Half.

Slow walkers

Ever get stuck behind a wall of people moving SUPER slowly while you're trying to get by? Very annoying. I wish people would be more aware of their surroundings. If you're going to barely move, just go stand somewhere and talk to your friend or on the phone or whatever. I probably walk a little faster than I have to, but it's inconsiderate of people to slowly meander down a very crowded walkway at the pace of a toddler.

To not be completely negative, here is a picture for you.




This is my first blog post from my phone. Since I'm at school for so long each Tuesday and Thursday, I'll likely be posting more frequent, albeit shorter, blog updates. Thanks for reading!

Brad

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Week 3: Jaguars @ Texans

Well, I definitely overestimated our pass rush for last week. If you had told me we'd get LITERALLY zero pass rush on Warner, I'd have given the Cardinals' pass offense a HUGE edge. I'll make sure not to make the same mistake this week. Week three! We need a win badly!


Jaguars' rush offense vs. Texans' rush defense - What was supposed to be the Jaguars' strong suit, running the ball, has turned into a liability due to the inability of the offense to get the ball downfield. Teams are stacking the box with eight and daring Garrard and company to beat them. So far, the defense has won that battle. That said, Houston's rush defense has looked horrific in the season's first two weeks, giving up huge games to the Jets' pair of backs and Chris Johnson. I can't help but give the Jaguars the edge here, even though it is tempered somewhat by the likely extra man in the box. Expect the Jaguars to run the ball to the right, away from Mario Williams. In return, I expect the Texans to send their extra man to the right side of the Jaguars' formation to help offset the advantage gained by running away from Williams.

Advantage: JAGUARS

Jaguars' pass offense vs. Texans' pass defense - The Texans sport one of the best young DEs in the game in Mario Williams, who will spend the day making life difficult for Eugene Monroe and David Garrard. Expect Lewis and Drew to have to chip on Williams all day, meaning their impact in the passing game will be slightly lessened. With Williamson out and Hughes cut, this game will be the "coming-out party" for rookies Mike Thomas and Jarett Dillard. I don't expect Dillard to see the field much, but Thomas should provide a new dimension to the Jaguars' offense; he gives them a receiver with considerable run-after-the-catch potential. Sims-Walker stepped up in the fourth quarter against Arizona; now he will be forced to play a big role. With the Texans sporting a decent pass defense, including a fierce rush from Williams, Garrard may have to dump the ball off more than...well, most quarterbacks. This is a draw.

Advantage: EVEN

Texans rush offense vs. Jaguars' rush defense - The Jaguars' rush defense looked solid against Indianapolis, but got gashed for big gains against Arizona. The three-man front got manhandled by the Cardinals' line, and the linebackers were inconsistent engaging their man and tackling. The Texans have struggled running the ball to date, but should find some holes against the Jaguars' underwhelming 3-4 alignment. If the Jaguars can't get any push from the big guys up front, this game could get ugly real fast. The Texans' running game has looked pedestrian thus far, but Slaton is a talented back who excels in the Texans' one-cut zone blocking scheme. I have to think the Jaguars will be playing with extra defensive backs to try to stop Schaub, meaning Slaton should have room to run. This advantage belongs to the Texans.

Advantage: TEXANS

Texans' pass offense vs. Jaguars' pass defense - This is a no-brainer...Matt Schaub just lit up one of the league's better defenses in Tennessee, while the Jaguars generated literally no pressure and got their helmets handed to them by Kurt Warner, who put on a league record-setting performance for completion percentage. The Jaguars are either going to have to cover for longer or send the blitz, neither of which are a good strategy against a very good quarterback, one of the two best receivers in the NFL, one of the best receiving TEs in the league, and a great receiving back in Slaton. This isn't even close.

Advantage: TEXANS

Jaguars' special teams vs. Texans' special teams - The blocked field goal by Scobee was due to Scobee taking FOREVER to get the kick off, plus some shoddy interior blocking. Expect teams to try to bring more interior pressure against the Jaguars on field goal attempts. The Jaguars have been absolute zeroes in the return game this year, while the Texans have historically been outstanding on both kick and punt returns against the Jaguars. Even if Andre Davis misses this game, Jacoby Jones is an electric return man. Kris Brown is a solid field goal kicker. Neither punter should play a factor, but based on the play we've seen from the Jaguars' special teams unit thus far, I can't give them the advantage until the show they've earned it.

Advantage: TEXANS

The Texans are a team full of offensive playmakers and fast young defenders. Every time a Texan has the ball, they're a threat to take it to the end zone. The Jaguars, on the other hand, are not anywhere near the threat the Texans are. I expect the Jaguars to have a lot of trouble getting off the field on defense. If the line can give Garrard time to throw, and he can get the ball downfield, this could be a shootout. If the line can't give Garrard time and/or he can't get the ball downfield, the final score will likely look similar to last week's. I expect the team to put forth a better effort than last week and at least make the score closer in a divisional game, but overall this Texans team is better than the Jaguars.

Final score:

Texans 31, Jaguars 20

Week Two: Cardinals @ Jaguars

I've decided to repost my weekly in-depth preview of the Jaguars' game on the blog. Hope you enjoy!



It's time for week two...I, like most of you, was disappointed with the outcome on Sunday, but I was also encouraged. I saw a lot of good tackling, especially by the linebackers. I saw some nice plays by Sean Considine, and some good from Derek Cox (along with some bad, of course). The run-stuffers looked excellent inside. Anyway, on to week two!

Jaguars' rush offense vs. Cardinals' rush defense - Against San Francisco, the Cardinals held Frank Gore to 30 yards on 22 carries, which is, of course, outstanding. SF fans now think we are going to get "owned" by the awesome Cardinals rush defense. I think differently. Arizona boasts a very solid DT in Darnell Dockett, and a rising player at DE in Calais Campbell. However, their other DT and DE are mediocre players at best. The Jaguars' line is much better than San Francisco's, and Maurice Jones-Drew has the ability to run outside, whereas Gore is pretty much only useful between the tackles. Drew was impressive against Indianapolis, though he didn't break any long runs due to the shrunken field. If the Jaguars don't show the ability to throw the ball downfield, expect to see Adrian Wilson around the line of scrimmage doing his Bob Sanders impression all day long. Due to the fact that I expect the Cardinals to stack the box, along with their impressive showing last week, I'm calling this even. Advantage: Even

Jaguars' pass offense vs. Cardinals' pass defense - Against Indianapolis, Garrard looked good early, but with pressure in his face late he fell apart. Expect Arizona to try to bring the house on passing downs and try to rattle Garrard and make him throw short. This will likely open up some routes for Maurice Jones-Drew, routes that they had trouble covering against SF (see Gore's game-winning TD catch; WIDE open). Torry Holt was okay in his first game as a Jaguar, but the drop was disconcerting. Mike Sims-Walker was barely on the field, which seems strange given his great performance against Washington in the final preseason game. Williamson was a non-factor besides the slip, which cost the Jaguars a first down. The WR are going to have to not drop balls or fall down, but Garrard is also going to have to stretch the field. Arizona has a couple nice players in the secondary in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson, and a respectable FS in Antrel Rolle, a former CB. The other starting CB, Bryant McFadden, is a career Cover 2 corner from Pittsburgh. Expect Torry Holt to be doing a lot of sitting in the sweet spots of zones. I expect Garrard to look deep a couple times this game, and might hit on one. This should open up the defense a little bit and allow the Jaguars' receivers to do something with the ball. I'm hoping Mike Thomas is active; he would be a shot in the arm to a WR corps that has little run-after-catch ability. Advantage: Even

Jaguars' rush defense vs. Cardinals' rush offense - Arizona has had trouble running the ball since, well, Garrison Hearst. Hightower is a slow back with little to no "wiggle". Chris Wells has a little more suddenness, but neither of these guys are really a threat to bounce anything outside, meaning Henderson and Knighton will be holding down the fort inside. I expect Wells' carry load to increase this week, likely overtaking Hightower's, but I don't expect the Cardinals to be able to do much on the ground. They have a pass-blocking line, not a run-blocking line. Advantage: Jaguars

Jaguars' pass defense vs. Cardinals' pass offense - If the Jaguars don't get a pass rush this week, they will be in trouble. Though he suffered a stinger last week, the reason Warner was a non-factor was due to a fierce 49ers pass rush. Warner looked rattled and was all over the place in terms of accuracy. Fitzgerald was shadowed by Nate Clements, and Boldin wasn't able to get open due to his inability to play at full speed. Boldin should be a little better this week, but hamstrings are tricky. Steve Breaston was inactive with a PCL sprain. If the Jaguars can get pressure, they have the advantage, as Warner looked horrible with pressure in his face. They NEED to cover Tim Hightower in the flat if they blitz, though; Hightower had 121 yards receiving against San Francisco. I expect the Jaguars to bring some blitzes and use a linebacker to stay with Hightower, but I also expect the Cardinals to have some success through the air when they play straight-up. Call it even. Advantage: Even

Jaguars' special teams vs. Cardinals' special teams - The Cardinals use rookie LaRod Stephens-Howling on kickoff returns; having a rookie returning the kicks could be in the Jaguars' favor. The Jaguars' coverage looked solid against Indianapolis. Arizona did a very good job in coverage against SF, holding kickoff returner Allen Rossum to 20 yards per return. Ben Graham boomed punts on Sunday for Arizona, ending up with an average of 54.7 yards per kick. Podlesh was much worse; he had a good couple of kicks, but botched one punt that set the Colts up on a short field. Rackers and Scobee are both very good kickers. Call it even, with the Jaguars having a better chance to take one the distance. Advantage: Even

Overall I think this is a solid matchup with two teams who need to make a statement: Jacksonville that the Indianapolis game was not a fluke, and Arizona that the SF game was. Expect a lot of hard hitting, and a few big plays by each team. I don't expect this to be a defensive battle, but we all saw what happened last week. I'm tempering my expectations with the score. I do, however, expect the Cardinals to have difficulty running the ball, which will cause them to throw early and often. If the Jaguars get pressure without allowing the big play, I love their chances to win this game, and I expect the Jaguars to send enough guys to get in Kurt Warner's face and keep the ball out of the hands of Boldin and Fitzgerald. Once again, Derek Cox will play a huge part in this game. This could be another heart attack special, coming down to the final possession.

Prediction:

Jaguars 23, Cardinals 20