Coug's Water Cooler

[WSUCougar]

WELCOME TO COUG's WATER COOLER!

Kind of a silly idea for a dynasty, but we’ll give it a shot and see if it flies…

Okay, here’s the “rules” for what they’re worth:

1. Each day, or as many as I am able to post on, I will post three topics that are fair game for that day’s Water Cooler Discussion. Anyone is able (and encouraged) to add their thoughts on any of these topics.

2. ALL POSTS ARE TO BE SHORT BLURBS, AS IF YOU ARE SPEAKING THEM AROUND A WATER COOLER. The whole idea is that this is a bunch of guys chatting things up while grabbing some water or drinking their coffee. No long diatribes or speeches! Try to keep your posts to sentences or short paragraphs.

3. You may post additional thoughts in blue italics (that’s coded (color=blue)(/color), with brackets instead of parentheses), but these are to be considered unspoken things that you are thinking.

4. Discussion ends at the end of the day. Reference to the previous days’ topics is allowed but generally frowned upon. I may, however, post the same topic again if the discussion warrants it.

[WSUCougar]

Topics for Friday, March 5th:

1. NFL Free Agency is Hopping
2. Seen the trailer for Brad Pitt’s movie Troy yet?
3. Computer Games magazine ran a story on Sid Meier’s new Pirates! game

[WSUCougar]

The Pirates game sounds awesome. Almost too good to be true.

[SirFozzie]

Another overpaid 'biggest movie of all time'.. sure to flop. Troy Aikman will be better known then Troy the Brad Pitt flexathon.

[sachmo71]

I'm excited about Troy, but it could be a stinker.

[WSUCougar]

The ships (triremes or whatever) look very cool. And it is a potentially cool storyline.

[WSUCougar]

SirFozzie has deep-seeded Titanic angst.

[Blade]

Already looking forward to the new NFL season...so long as Kearse stays healthy for the Eagles.

This place needs better water...

[corbes]

I'm surprised they signed Kearse. That's not really like the Eagles to spend big in free agency. Hey, look! A doughnut!

[corbes]

dolathought- does cougar speak in parenthetical statements all the time?

[Vince]

Don't know about Kearse...declining Sack numbers every year, potential injury risk...all for a big price tag.

[WSUCougar]

I remember after his rookie season when Kearse was the Second Coming...strange that he's just another free agent now.
(Why is Corbes looking at me like that?)

[corbes]

Hey, I just read some stuff on the internet about Owens.

[Raven Hawk]

Pirates, eh? That reminds me, I've got a dynasty to work on . . .

I hope the Bears can get Tate away from KC

[JAG]

Hey guys, what does the printer mean when it says "PC Load Letter"?

[WSUCougar]

Now you have to kinda wonder about this Owens situation. What technically constitutes a trade? And what if the NFL decides to empire-build a little bit, and put T.O. on Philly? Intriguing stuff.

[corbes]

why do people interrupt? Yeah, I mean, did san fran really do anything wrong?

[WSUCougar]

JAG, it means you're are hereby sentenced to 5 years in a Federal pound-me-in-the-ass penitentiary.

[Fonzie]

Hasn't Owens fired his agent yet? Sheesh.

I'd sure love to smooch that Jenniver Love-Hewitt. Hubba hubba!

[sachmo71]

PC Load Letter? It means you have to reboot.

[WSUCougar]

I wonder what someone from the 1950s or earlier would think "reboot" meant?

[Fonzie]

They'd probably think it mean "kick his ass again."

[corbes]

Or maybe "to vomit again".

[Buzzbee]

Coug, you're an idiot if you think Kearse is "just another free agent". He's no Reggie White, but he's still one of the better ends in the game. If you don't realize that your a ficking mor...oh, hey Janet! Nice work on that sales presentation for Murray.

man, talk about one of the better "ends" in the game. What a nice ass.

[WSUCougar]

I didn't mean to imply that he had ordinary skills, Buzzbee. I meant that when he first came into the league, the Titans never would have let him go. He was the rage of the league, the best defensive player to come along in years. And yet now they cut him loose.
Buzzbee's got NO shot with Janet.

[Blade]

It will all depend on if he stays healthy or not...

Damn...Janet is fine!

[tucker342]

Troy looks like it could be a very good movie. I'm excited for it to come out.

[tucker342]

I wish I had boobs like Janet's

[Buzzbee]

Hey, who's up for Hooters for lunch?

Mmmmm...I'd like to see Janet in a Hooters waitress outfit. Or out of it for that matter.


Man, tucker has some serious man boobs. I think they're almost as big as Janet's. Nah. More like Christina's.

[WSUCougar]

The Weekend Cooler topics:
1. Vacation plans for Spring/Summer
2. Grant Wistrom's new contract
3. It's March Madness soon

[WSUCougar]

My wife and I will be hauling our 2-year-old son off to Colorado in June to meet my folks and brother coming down from the Seattle area. Should be fun.

[Vince]

Stanford undefeated? Sure, I think they pull it off tonight, even if Washington's been playing hot. However, I think they're out before the Elite 8 in the tournament, easy.

[Ragone]

Stanford played in a weak pac 10 conference, clearly they'll be the first #1 seed gone.. maybe in round 2

[Blade6119]

Back to troy, i saw it and really liked it...i thought it was really good movie that ill be seeing again with its theatrical debut in the summer.

[WSUCougar]

I dunno...seems like a lot of conferences are down this year. I wouldn't write them off just yet.
The Pac-10 really never gets any respect...

[Ragone]

Well when your 2nd place team in the pac 10 is a bubble team.. that smells of a weak year

[tucker342]

Well Stanford's luck has offically ran out. I wish they would show West Coast games in Iowa. Maybe it's just me, but I would rather watch Gonzaga or Stanford then Northwestern or Minnesota....

[tucker342]

Anyone going anywhere over springbreak? I'm going to Hawaii:D I'm looking to get some booty

[WSUCougar]

Hawaii? Wow! Sounds 'spensive. Never been there myself.

And what do you guys think, will Washington get into the Dance now? Their RPI is still lousy, but they certainly are hot. It's a no-brainer if I'm selecting.

[Craptacular]

That's why Coug is not on the selection committee.

The committee will look at the whole season, and the beginning of it just kills the
Huskies. Bad losses to very bad teams (Houston and Wyoming), wins against the bottom feeders of lower-end conferences (Portland St and UC-Riverside), and an 0-5 start in the Pac Ten. Yes, they've had a nice run in the second half, but they dug themselves a really, REALLY big hole to start in.

[WSUCougar]

Topics for Monday, March 8th:

1. Haircuts
2. Public conversations
3. St. Joseph's basketball team

= = = = =

So I'm getting my haircut yesterday - which I view as a necessary evil - and the guy next to me is having an animated jabber-fest with the young woman cutting his hair. The topic? Tattoos. Where, what, how many, why, what they DON'T have...it was inane, and all wreathed in the tones of hitting on one another.
Watch one of these guys be really into tattoos.

[Blade]

My friend went out on a date with his hair stylist a little while ago. I don't know what would possess him to do that, as I don't think they hit it off at all. He still goes to her for his haircuts...and I bet that is pretty ackward!

Damn, I hate Mondays at work...I wonder if I can call in sick tomorrow if I start playing it up now!

[corbes]

Hey, how 'bout St. Joe's?

[WSUCougar]

When I lived in Philly, St. Joe's was always the tough little team in the den of lions. Temple was in their glory era (#1 in the nation for quite awhile), and Villanova was a Big East power. Now look at them go! I hope they take it all.

[WSUCougar]

Damn, these crickets are loud...

:(

[JeeberD]

I've got a haircutting delimma. Usually I go to Great Clips or one of those chain type places where I can get a decent cut for $11.99 or $15 after the tip. Well, last time I got it cut was right before Valentine's Day, and since I wanted it to look good for my Valentine's date, I went to Regis. Now, the woman there did a great, great, great job. That was the best haircut I've gotten in months, if not longer. Even nearly a month after the cut it still looks great. The problem is that it cost $24 ($30 after tip) there. Is it worth twice the price to get a great haircut???

[Buzzbee]

I don't think a haircut is worth $30. You're a guy. How bad can they mess up your hair. And if the screw it up too bad, you can always get your head shaved like Cam.

Speaking of haircuts, when I was in college, there was a hot young lady who owned a hair "salon". She wore no bra and cut off T-shirts. When she was cutting the front of your hair, you got a facefull. With all the young horny college males around, she made quite a killing.

[Blade]

Personally, I go to a hair stylist, and it costs around $20 per cut. A bit more than a cut at a cheaper place in the mall, but my wife and I have gone to her for a few years now...it allows you to have a nice conversation while getting your hair cut, and you get to know the person who your money is going to. Not a bad deal.

[WSUCougar]

But do you actually hold a real conversation, or is it small talk? I really dislike meaningless small talk just for the sake of breaking the silence.

And I don't think I've paid more than $15 for a haircut in my entire life.

[JAG]

Topics for Monday, March 8th:

2. Public conversations

I am firmly pro-public conversations. Everyone should get a chance to correspond with the voices in your head. I]Who the hell decided my inner voice is blue-colored?[/[I]

[JeeberD]

I hate when people cutting my hair try to talk to me. Just leave me alone and do your job...

[WSUCougar]

Exactly. It's like when the damn dentist fires up a conversation. Silence, tooth boy! Focus!

[Buzzbee]

I agree. Shut up and cut my hair. I don't care where you are from. I don't care about the weather. Don't ask where I work or what I do for a living. You don't really care so don't ask. Oh, and don't tell me happy birthday (this in honor of QuikSand).

[Blade]

I don't mind it if this is the person I am going to all the time...although, normally, she just cuts my hair and talks to my wife...I just sit there like a good little boy...

I think I am whipped...

[Blade]

But do you actually hold a real conversation, or is it small talk? I really dislike meaningless small talk just for the sake of breaking the silence.

Usually it is a real conversation...

Do I say Dola around the water cooler????

[Raven Hawk]

I hate when people have public conversations about St Joe's Basketball when they are getting their hair cut.


Man I am one funny mofo, I just encapsulated all the topics into one statement. People should fear my wit.

I'm actually getting my haircut on Wednesday at a salon. I've always wanted to try a barber shop, but they are so hard to find now-a-days. Perhaps I would enjoy talking at the barber shop more than at a hair salon. A hair salon doesn't feel like a good place to talk about sports . . .

Damn! I just let a fart escape. I'll just move away from ground zero and pretend like I didn't notice. I hope it doesn't stink too bad.

[WSUCougar]

Cooler for Topics for Tuesday:

1. NCAA hoops tourney pools
2. Friends, the TV show
3. Taxes

[WSUCougar]

I probably say this every year, but this seems like an extra-hard year to predict the tournament.

[JAG]

I find Friends to be a vastly overrated show. Or maybe I just don't like it much.

[WSUCougar]

It has lingered for too long, but it has had some great moments.

[JeeberD]

I never win my NCAA tourny pool. And if UTEP makes the Dance this year, it's gonna be extra tough on me...

[Buzzbee]

I often fill out two tourney brackets for whatever office pool I'm in. One is my "real" bracket where I put who I really think will win the game. The other one is usually my "upset" bracket or my "dream" bracket. Invariably, they both suck. I might pick a few upsets, but there are enough "no-brainers" that end up losing that I screw both brackets up.

[corbes]

I pick UNC to win every year. It's bad mojo to predict a Carolina loss.

[Buzzbee]

Ya know, I found this great website the other day that had all kinds of stats on the tourney. Stuff like most wins, most times in tourney without a title, most times in tourney without winning a game. It was pretty cool. It was....ummm...oh: tournamentfacts.com

[WSUCougar]

I always seem to draw a bizarre, worthless team in the random tourney pool...like Prairie View. No offense to any alums or anything, but where the hell is Prairie View?

[Craptacular]

Shit, I still need to do my taxes. So much for the "I'll do them as soon as I get all the forms" promise.

[finkenst]

Why does the IRS always tax my winnings from the latest NCAA pool with my Friends? wish i coulda gotten in on these discussions earlier

[JeeberD]

No offense to any alums or anything, but where the hell is Prairie View?

It's in Texas. Kinda near Houston...

[finkenst]

Prairie View A&M University. A historically black college (university). It's in Texas down by houston. I've actually been on the campus. It's quite nice.

THey were home to the longest losing streak in college football a while back.. not sure if they still suck or not.

http://www.pvamu.edu (http://www.pvamu.edu)

--tim

[WSUCougar]

Cooler Topic for Wednesday:

1. Opus (comic strip)
2. Cadillac
3. The NHL

[WSUCougar]

I had high hopes for "Opus" - in the spirit of "Bloom County," one of the all-time great comics. But so far it's been little more than Opus bumming around and longing for the old days. Every time. *yawn*

I remember when Cadillacs were huge, stodgy cars for the wealthy set. Now they're...kinda weird. Not sure how to classify them.

[JeeberD]

Opus is out already? I had no idea. I thought that it was still in the works...

[Buzzbee]

Was it G.B. Trudeau or Berke Breathed that did Bloom County? I can never keep those two straight. Whoever did it, they should go back to the same drugs they were taking then. Opus just isn't funny.

[WSUCougar]

Berke Breathed. And yeah, it's sort of painful to see.

[Desnudo]

Cadillacs are some of the strangest looking cars on the road. All sharp edges and corners. Not very pleasing to my eye.

[Buzzbee]

Hmmm...I wonder where everyone is today. Oh well. At least the water will be colder than when everyone is around.

[WSUCougar]

Heh.

Cooler Topics for Thursday:

1. Road construction
2. Barking dogs
3. The decline of tennis

[WSUCougar]

Barking dogs and road construction are two things in life that seemingly never end. Anywhere you go, there they are.

Didn't tennis use to be much bigger in terms of sports? McEnroe, Borg, Lendl, and all that. Now it's just a snooze of a sport, in my opinion.

[Buzzbee]

When I was living in Tampa, just down the road from Pete Sampras by the way, it seemed they were always working on the roads. The screwy thing was that they would start working on a road, then stop mid-way through and start working on the parallel road that was an alternate for the first construction project. After a few years they'd have 4 or 5 roads, all parallel, all torn up so that there was no easy way to get from point A to point B. People are so stupid sometimes.

[WSUCougar]

There seems to be so little planning involved. Or awareness (or concern, at least) of how drivers will be impacted. The no-flaggers, devil-may-care ones always drive me nuts.

[sachmo71]

A guy across the street from me lets his dog bark all night. I've comtemplated murder. And then I'll hand the dog over to the pound.

[WSUCougar]

We once lived two doors down from a beagle named Al that did his hound dog bark non-stop for hours on end. Slowly, but agonizingly consistent. Then, wonder of wonders, the owner (an eccentric middle-aged guy) would come out on the back porch and say "Hey Al! What're ya doin', Al?!?" We'd try to come up with creative answers that Al might say, like "I'm licking my own naughty bits and barking at the moon, asshole," in a Bruce Willis kind of way.

[Buzzbee]

The doberman next door barks when the wind blows. It's aggravating, but at least it's a LITTLE bit comforting knowing that if anyone tried to sneak up to our houses, they couldn't. Of course he barks so much, we've gotten to where we ignore it anyway. Oh well.

[Desnudo]

I wish they'd pass a law requiring the owner of barking dogs to be locked with the dog for a week in a windowless room with high amplification qualities.

[JeeberD]

All dogs should be shot. End of story.

There's nothing more annoying than highway construction. Period.

[Buzzbee]

You know, I think tennis has gone downhill because there aren't any great rivalries. I can remember growing up and watching John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg or McEnroe vs. Connors. Even womens tennis had Billie Jean King vs. Martina Navritolova or Chris Evert Lloyd vs. Martina. Nowadays there just aren't any compelling matchups. Serena vs. Venus was pretty cool when it first happened, but that has gotten old.

[corbes]

what about Marat Safin vs. Roger Federer?

[Craptacular]

As a transportation engineer, I think I'll bite my tongue on #1. It could get ugly. :D

[Buzzbee]

Today's topics:

1) Where's WSUCougar
2) Will the ACC really be worse in basketball, long-term, with the additions?
3) Best college/high school memory

[Buzzbee]

I wish Coug was around. I really wanted to know his thoughts about the long term impact on the ACC expansion. I think that short term the new shools may detract from the "tradition" of the ACC, but don't think they will knock the ACC from the ranks of the prestigious basketball conferences.

[WSUCougar]

I was in Vegas for the weekend with some high school buddies. Had an awesome time. That's an understatement.
One of my favorite high school memories was playing some seniors in a sandlot football game while we were sophomores. We narrowly lost the game but we were smacking them around and did very well for ourselves.

As for the ACC, I don't think it will dilute things too much. It is the prestige basketball conference in the country, and should draw better recruits to the new schools.

[finkenst]

I was in Vegas for the weekend with some high school buddies. Had an awesome time. That's an understatement.
One of my favorite high school memories was playing some seniors in a sandlot football game while we were sophomores. We narrowly lost the game but we were smacking them around and did very well for ourselves.

As for the ACC, I don't think it will dilute things too much. It is the prestige basketball conference in the country, and should draw better recruits to the new schools.
i had some colleagues who were in vegas this past weekend. I wonder if Coug ran into them.

[WSUCougar]

Do you know where they stayed? We were at the Luxor and mainly stuck around there, Mandalay Bay, and New York, New York.

With a couple minor diversions...heh.

[WSUCougar]

Wednesday's Cooler Topics:

1. St. Patrick's Day
2. Red heads
3. Vodka

[Buzzbee]

Ya know, there's just somethin' about St. Patties Day. The combination of green beer and red heads is a match made in heaven. Or if I'm lucky, down at the local pub.

[WSUCougar]

I find that red heads are sort of an "all or nothing" variety of women. They are either really hot, or they're really not.

I had the opportunity to explore vodka in detail while I was in Vegas. We went to a bar called "Red Square" in Mandalay Bay, and they have something like 150 varieties of vodka. We had Cosmopolitans to start and finished with an ass-kicker called a "Chernobyl Incident" recommended by the manager. Yowsa.

[JeeberD]

Saint Patty's day holds a special place in my heart. It was two years ago tonight that I got arrested for trespassing. You know what? Handcuffs ain't comfy...

Y'all know my feelings on redheads, I don't think I need to go into detail here...

I love vodka. Vodka sours, vodka martinis, white russians, black russians...it's all good...

[finkenst]

Saint Patty's day holds a special place in my heart. It was two years ago tonight that I got arrested for trespassing. You know what? Handcuffs ain't comfy...

Y'all know my feelings on redheads, I don't think I need to go into detail here...

I love vodka. Vodka sours, vodka martinis, white russians, black russians...it's all good...
i think you forgot redheads russians, jeeberd.