Captain Zoom Wishes You a Happy Birthday, Brother!

NFL 2016 Week 5 MNF Review & Week 6 Predictions

Tampa Bay 17, Carolina 14 - Uh-oh! Like most people, I assumed that the Panthers were going to be off the charts this season, following an amazing, even historical season last year that, nonetheless, ended in disappointment in the Super Bowl. Surely, this team was going to be hungry, and was going to come out and dominate! Well, not so much. The first loss at Denver was not that surprising. After all, it was the Super Bowl champs, and they had an emotional homecoming against the very same team that they beat to win their third franchise title. However, when the Panthers lost to Minnesota in much the same fashion shortly thereafter, you kind of sensed that something was wrong. Then, any denial went out the window when they lost yet again, this time to Atlanta. Now, injuries or not, the Panthers really should have found a way to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this Monday Night showdown. Granted, they were playing without Cam Newton, but still, you kind of figure that the team has to have some depth outside of their big star. Well, not so much. The Panthers came out flat, and looked surprisingly lifeless for much of the game. It certainly did not help that a late drive that could have gone for a go ahead touchdown to win it wound up being a turnover instead for Tampa Bay, a team that looked fired up all night. An ugly game, but ultimately for the Bucs, the results could not have been more beautiful, as they come into Carolina and shock the Panthers, who fall to 1-4 and, for now, own sole possession of last place in the NFC South! Who would ever have thought that? Not I! 

Let's look at the upcoming match-ups for Week 6:

Thursday Night: Denver at San Diego - Perhaps, just perhaps, the worst news for the Chargers heading into this game is that the Denver Broncos lost last week, as well. They are playing well, trying to defend their title, and so will be even more highly motivated than usual to avoid a second straight loss, which will have people asking what is wrong with this team. San Diego, in the meantime, has lost quite a few games in a row, and in the most heartbreaking fashion. It seems that they have kind of gotten used to losing in the worst ways, and against a team like Denver, that is not a promising sign. The Chargers have some talent, but the Broncos should still get this win. My pick: Denver

Cincinnati at New England - The Bengals just cannot catch a break this season. They keep having incredibly tough games at the most inopportune times. Really, the Bengals have not managed a very impressive win yet this season, beating only those opponents that they were supposed to beat. Few believe that they can beat a highly charged New England squad that seems to be at full power once again, particularly in hostile territory. The Patriots should be able to make relatively short work of an outclassed opponent. My pick: New England

Philadelphia at Washington - Here is a tough game to call! Philly was unbeaten, but received a bit of humble pie in Detroit, dropping their first game of the season. Washington, in the meantime, has won three straight, and they have home field advantage in an all-important divisional showdown. You better believe Washington will enter this game incredibly motivated, and the question will be how the Eagles respond. They have played well in each of their first four games, and their defense is tough. Still Washington just seems hot right now, and with home field advantage, that should be enough. My pick: Washington

Cleveland at Tennessee - The Browns return to the site of one of their greatest victories ever, and surely their greatest single victory in the last few seasons. It was not too long ago that the Browns overcame a 26-point lead by the Titans in Tennessee, only to come back and ultimately win the game. However, the two teams seem to be heading in opposite directions, with the hapless Browns losing consistently week after week, while the Titans are pulling off some upsets and showing some improvements. With a victory against Cleveland, that would start to change to significant improvement, although the Titans have to get it done first. The Browns are better than their 0-5 record suggests, and logic dictates that, sooner or later, Cleveland is bound to win again some Sunday afternoon. However, they just likely will not win this one. My pick: Tennessee

Pittsburgh at Miami - It would be nice to seriously pick Miami in this one. But barring some major miracle, it is hard to see how the reeling Dolphins slow down or keep pace with Pittsburgh's explosive offense. Miami was supposed to be better than this at this point in the season, but they keep disappointing. In the meantime, the Steelers have fully recovered from the humbling loss they were handed in Philadelphia, and are now on the verge of completely controlling their division, so they come in quite motivated. Under all of those circumstances, it is hard to imagine how Miami keep up. My pick: Pittsburgh

Carolina at New Orleans - The battle for the cellar of the NFC South division. This will be a tough game to call, and really hinges on whether Cam Newton will be back or not. If he is, then that gives that Panthers an obvious advantage. If not, however, then the Saints can very likely take advantage of a reeling and seemingly disorganized Carolina franchise that is on the verge of seeing their incredibly promising season go up in flames. Indeed, should Carolina lose this game, they would fall into sole possession of last place in the NFC South in Week 6 with an alarming 1-5 record, which would be an almost unthinkable scenario considering how heavily favored the Panthers were going into this season. I really hesitate to make a pick here, because so much depends on Newton, who is still a question mark. However, if he is not there, or not at one hundred percent, then look for the Saints to take advantage. My pick: New Orleans

San Francisco at Buffalo - Here is an even more glaring example of two teams heading in opposite directions. The 49ers won big in week one at home against the Rams, shutting out Los Angeles on a nationally televised game. Since then, however, they have been hit hard, losing all four games and getting blown out in three of them. Buffalo, in the meantime, got off to a rough 0-2 start, but have been playing lights out since, pulling off three consecutive victories against quality teams. The Bills defense is intimidating, and the 49ers have one of the worst offenses in the league. Buffalo is riding high, while San Francisco often looks overwhelmed. It is hard not to picture the Bills winning this one, and potentially even winning it big against a reeling 49ers club that just may be overwhelmed in this one. My pick: Buffalo

Los Angeles at Detroit - The Lions looked very good early in the season, but have since suffered some truly huge setbacks. Still, they just managed to pull off a big victory at home against the previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, so attention should be paid. The Rams have been surprisingly good to this point in the season as well, even though they just lost to the red hot Bills last week. All of this makes this game a particularly difficult contest to call. Still, the Lions have talent on offense and defense, as well as home field advantage, and I suspect that should count for something here. My pick: Detroit

Baltimore at NY Giants - Two teams that are really struggling at this point, after undefeated starts. Suddenly, both teams are struggling, and more or less thrust into almost must win situations for this game, particularly the Giants. However, I like the G-Men here, specifically because they are returning home, and they have faced the tougher teams in those losses, falling at home to Washington, then losing on the road at Minnesota and Green Bay, although playing fairly tough in each contest. The Ravens, by contrast, have lost two consecutive at home, and barely won some of the games that they did win. New York takes this one. My pick: NY Giants

Jacksonville at Chicago - Tough game to predict! On the one hand, the Jaguars finally showed signs of improving, and should be well-rested and well-prepared for this game. On the other hand, the Bears are at home, and have been playing much better themselves these last two weeks. Still, the Bears have not found a great deal of offense, while the Jaguars can potentially light it up. I suspect that their better offensive capabilities should prove to be the difference in this contest. My pick: Jacksonville

Kansas City at Oakland - The Chiefs are not where I expected them to be to this point in the season. Then again, neither are the Raiders. I expected some improvements in terms of record from both of them, but the Raiders thus far look like they are flirting with being an elite team! Kansas City, in the meantime, has struggled more than I thought they would, particularly on the road, and that is troubling. A KC road victory is certainly not impossible, although if Oakland continues playing the way that they have and are capable of, the Raiders take this one. My pick: Oakland

Atlanta at Seattle - Now, this just might be the game of the week coming up! Two elite teams in the NFC, two teams atop their respective divisions. You have to imagine that one of them is going to lose, right? The Falcons have the most explosive offense in the league right now, and have won two particularly impressive games in a row, knocking off the two last Super Bowl teams in back to back weeks. They have handed both Denver and Oakland their only losses of the season thus far, and that was in back to back weeks, to boot! But the Seahawks are always tough, particularly in Seattle. My pick: Seattle

Dallas at Green Bay - Yet another game that is very tough to call going in. What an intriguing match-up this one is! Green Bay enters with a 3-1 record, and are notoriously tough to beat at Lambeau Field. The Cowboys are themselves red hot at 4-1, and have the revenge factor on their side, having lost that heartbreaking playoff game a couple of years ago. If the 'Boys play anywhere near the level that they played at against Cincy last week, they have a strong shot at pulling off this tough road game. The Packers have not shown their usual explosiveness on offense, which you would expect from an Aaron Rodgers led team. In a tough game, I still pick the Pack. My pick: Green Bay

Sunday Night - Indianapolis at Houston - A huge divisional showdown that could be all-important, despite how early in the season it is. If the Colts win, they will have recovered from a two game deficit to beat their likely biggest rivals on the road, and would have forced a first place tie. However, if the Texans win, they will re-open a two-game lead, and could come close to taking control over this AFC South. You just cannot get higher stakes so early in the season, and this presents a tight match-up. The Texans have lost a couple of blowouts on the road, but being at home in this one should help. Their defense might be limited due to injuries, but my suspicions are that they should be tough enough to beat Indy in this one. My pick: Houston

MNF - NY Jets at Arizona - This is basically a must win for both teams. The Jets are really struggling, and look to simply stop the bleeding at this point. The Cardinals want to build on their victory last week, after a shockingly bad 1-3 start. With both teams projected to be playoff teams, it is now crunch time, and this game means everything right now for both clubs. Unfortunately, for the Jets, they have some key injuries, and keep getting these really difficult games in must win situations, and they have not really gotten the job done yet. The Cardinals, in the meantime, have not shown their full potential except for the Tampa Bay game, although they came close to it last week against San Francisco. Being back home again, and with extra time to rest and prepare, Arizona should come away with this all-important victory for them. My pick: Arizona

Happy Thanksgiving Day to Canada!

Yes, today, the second Monday of October, is Thanksgiving Day in Canada.

It might seem strange for many Americans used to celebrating much later in the year, although remember that, in Canada, the harvest comes considerably earlier than it does here in much of the United States.

Despite having just been to Canada a little over one week ago, I had actually forgotten about the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday until just today.

Still, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish our Canadian friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!

NFL Week 5 Review

New England 33, Cleveland 13 - Well, Tom Brady was his typical self in his return to the lineup as the starting QB for the Pats. He threw for three touchdowns, with no picks. Cleveland, quite typically, was overwhelmed and simply not up for this challenge. Gronkowski also returned, and did some damage with a touchdown catch. The Browns simply could not contain the big guy, and the lethal Brady-Gronkowski combination is back. New England got back on track after a relatively shocking home shutout loss last week to the Bills, while this loss forced the Browns to remain with the dubious distinction as the sole winless team remaining in the league.

Pittsburgh 31, NY Jets 13 - The Jets were keeping up early on, and looking like they were making a game of it. However, the Steelers proved to be too much later on in the game, as they took over. Pittsburgh's offense just looked solid, and the New York defense simply could not contain them as the game wore on, and the game just kept getting worse, more lopsided over time. New York's offense sputtered as the game wore on, unable to keep up with the amount of points that Pittsburgh kept scoring. Perhaps more worrisome for the Jets was the knee injury to Nick Mangold, who is one of their prime players on the offensive line. On a positive note, the Jets did not commit the costly turnovers that killed them in the last couple of weeks. Still, they made silly mistakes that still proved costly, and they lost their cool towards the end. On a positive note, this game marked the last time that Pittsburgh was to don their "bumblebee" throwback 1934 uniforms, which I think is a positive, as they really are butt ugly.

Minnesota 31, Houston 13 - Who would have believed, back in the preseason when Minnesota lost their starting QB, that the Vikings would remain as the only remaining undefeated team following Week 5? Yet, with the losses by Denver and Philly, the only other two remaining unbeaten teams, the Vikings secured their status as the sole remaining team with a perfect record. Plus, they now have a bye week, so that they can be well rested two weeks from now, when they go to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. That will obviously present a tough challenge, although Minnesota has proven to be up for every challenge presented them so far. They certainly did what they needed to yesterday against the Texans, dominating more than the final score would suggest. As for Houston, they have shown remarkable consistency, as they beat the opponents they are expected to beat, but lose (and usually, pretty badly) to the teams that everyone expects them to lose to. True, they lost their biggest talent on defense, and they are still reeling. However, they will need to elevate their game and beat some more serious teams at some point, if they want to establish themselves as serious contenders. 

Indianapolis 29, Chicago 23 - The Bears seemed to feel rejuvenated by their first victory of the season against Detroit last week, and they entered this game seemingly ready to compete and win. Of course, both of these teams are struggling, and entered this game with identical 1-3 records, making this a virtual must win situation for both teams. Ultimately, the Colts held off the Bears and pulled out only their second win of the season, and barely doing so, at that. They needed everything that they had to defeat Chicago at home, which might not be a good sign for the remainder of the season. Still, a win is a win, and in a weak division like the AFC South, that should count for something. As for the Bears, despite this good effort, they once again find themselves in sole possession of last place in the NFC North. 

Tennessee 30, Miami 17 - Miami is in serious trouble. They lost to the Titans, a team that came in with only one win on the year. The Titans have had their share of problems this season, including inconsistent play by their emerging star quarterback, Marcus Mariota. However, they put together a solid game plan yesterday, and executed very well, pulling off what seemed an unlikely road win at the expense of the Dolphins, a team that seemed to be better than their poor record indicates. For Miami, this sinks them still further from the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots, making the AFC East a de facto two team race already, despite how early in the season it is. Unless their is a miracle coming to Florida soon, the Dolphins already look done.

Washington 16, Baltimore 10 - Washington received a bit of help from a bad call, although they played a tough, defensive style that stymied the Ravens. Baltimore got off to a 3-0 start, but already, that is looking like a long time ago, after they suffered their second straight home loss to drop to 3-2 on the season, and fall fully a game behind Pittsburgh. For Washington, on the other hand, an impressive three straight wins has them right back in the NFC East race, fully a game ahead of the Giants, a half game behind Philadelphia, and a full game behind Dallas. They have a real chance at defending their division championship now, if they keep playing at this level. 

Dallas 28, Cincinnati 14 - The Cowboys won this one primarily off the strength of a nearly flawless first half. The Dallas offense was thorough, marching down the field and ultimately scoring at will against an overwhelmed looking Bengals defense. That while Cincy's offense looked flustered and frustrated by the Big-D defense, which kept getting to Andy Dalton, or at least forcing him to throw too quickly or, in a couple of instances, to take off scrambling. Dalton is not known as a scrambler, of course, and it showed. Dalton was making his first professional return to his home, but it was not a happy one, as Dallas built a 21-0 lead by halftime, and upped that to 28-0 in the third quarter, as these same trends continued. The Bengals only really managed to look halfway decent in the fourth quarter, when they had fallen hopelessly behind and were quickly running out of time. Two more or less garbage time touchdowns simply made the score look more respectable, but not more interesting. A solid win for the 'Boys, their fourth straight, while the Bengals continue their up and down season.

Atlanta 23, Denver 16 - Okay, it looks like people bette start paying attention to the Falcons, who have now beaten last year's two Super Bowl participants in back to back weeks. The Falcons jumped ahead early, and showed that they were capable even against Denver's notoriously tough defense, while Atlanta's own defense looked like an elite unit, containing Denver's limited and injury-plagued offense to pedestrian results. The results put both teams at 4-1 on the year, although for Denver, that means a sudden first place tie with the Raiders in the AFC West, while for the Falcons, they at least appear to be in complete control in the NFC South.

Buffalo 30, LA Rams 19 - Man, watch out for those Bills! Buffalo suddenly has beaten the highly regarded Arizona Cardinals, shut out the Patriots in New England, and ended the Rams three game winning streak, all in consecutive weeks. Buffalo's defense was stifling when it needed to be yesterday, as they wore down the Rams, en route to a third straight victory of their own, raising their record to 3-2. The Bills are right on the heels of the first place Patriots, and for now, own the tiebreaker, having beaten New England at Foxboro. Buffalo is looking like this year's team might finally end that dreadful playoff drought, if they keep playing like this. As for the Rams, this was a disappointing loss, but not the end of the world, as they are still in second place in the NFC West, still ahead of Arizona and San Francisco, although they cannot allow the Seahawks any more cushion than they now have. 

Oakland 34, San Diego 31 - How many ways can San Diego find to lose games in the fourth quarter? Well, San Diego certainly appears to be testing out all new and interesting ways to lose games in that final quarter. They did it again yesterday in a back and forth contest that the Chargers certainly had a chance to win. But on fourth down very late in the game, with a chance for a field goal to tie it and send it into overtime, the snap was mishandled, and the play was botched, essentially handing Oakland the chance to hang on for the all-important divisional victory. It was not pretty, but the Raiders got it done, and this win, coupled with Denver's loss, moves those two teams into a first place tie in the AFC West. 

Green Bay 23, NY Giants 16 - Remember when the G-Men were one of the undefeated teams, and looked like they were on the verge of beating Washington to raise their record to 3-0? Instead, they lost that game and have not won another since. Of course, all three of their opponents were playoff teams last season, and are looking solid again this season, as well. Still, the way that the Giants lost to Washington, and then got blow out in Minnesota, left a bad taste in the mouths of us fans. It helped a little bit that New York really seemed to fight for this game at Lambeau Field, which is never an easy place to play. But apparently, gone are the days when the Giants could do it, as they did in both of their last Super Bowl runs, just a few years ago, really. It was a tough game, a relatively low-scoring affair, at that. But in the end, the Giants only managed to keep it close, but did not manage to actually win. Green Bay's offense does not look nearly as explosive as it did a few seasons ago, but their defense seems to have toughened up, and they still find ways to win. For the Packers, they maintain a solid 3-1 mark on the year, while the Giants drop to 2-3 with their third straight loss. They desperately need to stop the bleeding, before this seasons really begins to spiral out of control.

Saudi Arabia Warned to End Torture & Killings of Children

The more that you hear about Saudi Arabia, the less that you want to hear.

In the latest news, the United Nations just reprimanded Saudi Arabia's practice of torturing children.

Specifically, the Saudis were urged to “repeal all provisions contained in legislation which authorize the stoning, amputation and flogging of children.” Also, Saudi Arabia needed to “unambiguously prohibit the use of solitary confinement, life sentences on children and child attendance of public execution”.

In particular, girls face extreme discrimination and a lack of opportunity, as well as sexual exploitation. According to the report, Saudi Arabia “still does not recognize girls as full subjects of rights and continues to severely discriminate (against) them in law and practice and to impose on them a system of male guardianship”. 

The Committee on the Rights of the Child also blasted Saudi Arabia's airstrikes on neighboring Yemen. 

However, Wahhabism reigns supreme in Saudi Arabia, which recognizes strict interpretations of sharia and Islamic laws. The chairman of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, Bandar Bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, answered criticism of his country by suggesting that these Islamic laws were more important than all other laws and treaties, including those of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Still, the Kingdom does have the political desire to protect the rights of children, he said.

My question is why we are such close allies with this ridiculous regime? This country, Saudi Arabia, has funded some of the most notorious terrorists in recent history, and their human rights abuses are almost off the charts. Women are not seen as equals with men and, in fact, are relegated to, at best, the status of second class citizens. Non-Muslims are not welcome and, moreover, there are segregated highways within the country for Muslims and non-Muslims. And Wahhabism, the most extreme and damaging form of Islam, the one responsible for terrorism, came from Saudi Arabia and reigns supreme there, as does Sharia law. In short, this country represents the very worst things that any regime could represent, and it has been allowed to get away with these abuses time and time again. It is hardly a mystery to figure out why.

Had the United States, and the rest of the West, gone ahead and developed energy independence, as President Jimmy Carter urged us to do decades ago now, we would have been able to end our reliance on Saudi Arabia, and these dehumanizing and criminal practices would surely have been targeted for economic sanctions, boycotts, and divestment, much like South Africa faced during the apartheid years. Surely, however arrogant the men in charge may by, they would quickly find it in their hearts to reform if the money stopped coming in.

However, since our own values favor oil over human rights, that particular message is continually ignored, and Saudi Arabia continues not just to ignore these criticisms but, as their official response suggests, to flaunt the fact that they can well afford to ignore any criticisms, as well. 

UN Tells Saudi Arabia To Stop Stoning And Executing Kids by The Associated Press, 10/07/2016:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/saudi-arabia-stoning-executions-children_us_57f77373e4b0e655eab373aa

Honoring the Spirit of John Lennon on His Birthday

Photo by liz west Flickr page - Lennon grunge portrait: https://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/9572637336/in/photolist-fzUgzj-uNFqpw-xeZQj9-quZjYS-596jSC-dBn1iE-aR8sLk-mYWbqE-cXi2gm-a4WjQm-dh27dZ-aR8srn-aR8sgi-aR8s8P-aR8rpP-aR8rfM-6Kk1G6-aR8kq2-5B4T7h-3jnfq2-4qAGhJ-4EhYdv-8veeuh-8TqY36-oArrmb-oAr1dV-8HG4T9-8TtWKN-aR8idi-99kHdn-dAy2tP-oSW1Pr-8TqXYp-8Tu4gL-NkSxj-6Mehwp-bsiyx3-bsiyFy-4G1P6Z-ed8K7d-ejgJEC-ed8WCJ-7mDrJW-6FAcvT-4B8umA-4Bgr9z-bsiyZd-8TqY16-roXpY3-5V3oaa

There is one anniversary today that I wanted to make note of in particular - John Lennon's birthday. He would have been 76 years old today.

Lennon was born in England during the heavy days of World War II, when a sense of doom and hopelessness prevailed. Hitler's Germany had taken over and occupied, with quick and alarming efficiency, Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. He had strutted afterward, and acted like the war was, for all intents and purposes, over and done. Germany had won. Britain was the sole holdout, but they were all alone. Germany punished Britain with bombings, and Britain was able to withstand these attacks, and hold the Germans off. But it was during those darkest of days, as Hitler's Germany stood triumphant, that John Lennon entered the world.

He had a rough childhood, and was himself a reflection of this. he was a tough kid. He had joined the band, and was known for disruptive behavior. A rebel. Of  course, we all know the band that would gravitate to the Beatles that remain very well known and very well loved right to the present day.

Initially, it was Paul McCartney who seemed the most distinctive face and voice of the Beatles, and John Lennon was a bit jealous of just how easily the catchy and memorable Beatles songs that Paul wrote came to him. But Lennon developed his own considerable song writing skills, and he and McCartney, as well as George Harrison, began to feed off of one another's brilliance. That was part of what made the Beatles the Beatles.

John Lennon assumed leadership in the political realm with the Beatles. He grew bolder and bolder with his political expression, and came to be seen as a leader and a visionary. If anything, this increased after the breakup of the Beatles.

During his solo career, John Lennon continued to write and produce very influential and beautiful music, as well as to give a voice to what he saw as a better future, a world with greater possibilities than what we see all around us today. This vision inspired some of his most enduring works, and it is from this selection that I choose to honor him today, with the lyrics of one of my very favorite songs from him and, indeed, one of the signature songs in rock history, period. Here are the lyrics to what is likely his most iconic song (at least for his solo career), "Imagine":

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Being Thankful # 8

So on Friday, I worked at a school that is very close to a park. Often times, I had noticed this close proximity, and had always meant to take advantage of it by walking across an admittedly busy thoroughfare to walk around the park, and maybe take in the views - particularly of a pond and the nearby river.

On this day, the opportunity most assuredly presented itself, albeit in a surprising form. Quite unexpectedly, I found myself with free time when the principal allowed me that free time. Take a long lunch, she said.

And so I did. The first thing that I did was drop off some stuff in my car, although I held onto the book that I have been reading, and then headed off to the park.

This was a perfect early autumn day in this part of the northeast. Not too warm, not too cold. Just exactly as you would want it to be. The sun was shining, but not oppressive. 

I walked, enjoying the beautiful weather, and this unexpected opportunity to enjoy it! The walk is about 1 1/2 miles, and it felt good to stretch out my legs, to get out and take advantage of this chance to enjoy some fresh air.

When I got to the pond, I found a nice bench that offered a very nice view. The autumn colors were clearly coming, and some leaves had even turned, although mostly, it was green. The sun was shining, reflected on the sparkles in the water.

Frankly, you cannot ask for more from an extended lunch break!

It dawned on me that I should be appreciative of the moment, even though the wooden bench was a bit rough, and wound up ripping my pants, ruining them. You have to laugh at such things.

In any case, this was a moment that I felt extremely appreciative of, and so it seemed fitting to share it.