I was concerned when 2013 started off with this blog vanishing and the cryptic messsage “It Works!” appearing in its place. Immediately, I sent an urgent email to my IT specialist, my son Patrick (who was partying in Peru), and a day later my blog mysteriously reappeared. But only in Internet Explorer and on Apple devices. Weird. The explanation is that my blog had been hosted on an old, slow Server. On New Year’s Day 2013, my blog (and thousands of others) were transferred to a new, fast Server. I’m sure you’ve noticed the difference.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll be posting my 1500th daily blog post. I couldn’t have done all these postings without your energy and interest and excellent comments. I want to thank Patti, Jeff, Deb, Rick, Bill, Drongo, Beth, Bob, Carl, Steve, Stan, Dan, Sergio, Todd, Lauren, Randy, Art, Scott, Jerry, Evan, John, Ed, Max, and all the rest of you for your involvement and support!

The Colts vs. Ravens game kicks off at 1 P.M. on CBS. As much as I like Andrew Luck and his plucky team (who would have picked rebuilding Colts to make the Playoffs?) I think the Ravens are a better team. The 4:30 P.M. FOX game features another QB phenom, RG3. But once again, I have to go with the tougher, more complete team: the Seahawks. What are your Playoff picks?

Wild Card Weekend kicks off at 4:30 P.M. today on NBC. Some people think the Houston Texans have gone into a swoon at the end of the season, but I think they’re playing possum. I’m going with Texans over the Bengals. In the 8 P.M. game also on NBC, the Vikings face the Packers. This rivalry has produced some legendary games and this could be another one. Can Adrian Peterson’s running overcome Aaron Rodger’s passing? I’m going with the home team: the Packers. Who do you think will win these games?

Frank Belknap Long is best remembered for his Cthulhu Mythos stories like “The Hounds of Tindalos.” But the prolific Long also wrote his own unique brand of science fiction blended with mystery. This new Ramble House collection brings all of the John Carstairs stories together for the first time. If you like mysteries with a science fiction element to them, these long forgotten stories will delight you!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
PLANTS MUST GROW
SNAPDRAGON
PLANTS MUST SLAY
SATELLITE OF PERIL
THE ETHER ROBOTS
THE HEAVY MAN
WOBBLIES IN THE MOON
THE HOLLOW WORLD

After having the natural gas standby generator installed, Diane and I decided to safeguard our basement with a backup sump pump. What good is having power from a generator if your sump pump dies? So we went with the Liberty Backup Sump Pump that’s powered by water and not electricity. The Liberty SJ10 should protect us in the worst weather scenarios. For more information on the SJ10, just click here.

In 2006, Western New York was hit by a Surprise October Snow Storm. The storm knocked out power here for three days (and up to two weeks in some areas). My basement was flooded because the sump pump had no power and I lost hundreds of books. Thousands of my books were saved because Patrick and his friends assembled shelving the summer before and the shelved books (other than those on the bottom shelf) were fine. After power was restored, Diane and I considered buying a generator. But, like most things, it was relegated to the back burner. But Hurricane Sandy changed everything. Watching the devastation, and people with generators who couldn’t find gas to run them, galvanized us. Diane and I decided on a natural gas standby generator. We contacted the people at Capital Heating and got an estimate. Their three man crew showed up on time, worked hard, and had everything in place in one day. We rewarded them with pizza and wings. As global warming creates weather havoc, we feel more protected with our new generator. For more information on the Generac Guardian, click here.

I don’t usually recommend live CDs (most of them have bad sound and sloppy production values) but I’m making an exception for this recording of the Concert for Sandy. The line-up is impressive: Bruce Springsteen, Roger Waters, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Alicia Keyes, The Who, and Bill Joel. The sound, for once, is surprisingly good. And the proceeds from the concert goes to Hurricane Sandy relief. You get some good music and you’re helping a good cause. What could be a better way to end 2012? Happy New Year everyone!
TRACK LIST
1. Land Of Hope and Dreams (Live) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band 5:27
2. Wrecking Ball (Live) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band 6:15
3. Another Brick In The Atlantic Wall (Live) Roger Waters 7:15
4. Us And Them (Live) Roger Waters 7:48
5. Comfortably Numb (Live) Roger Waters feat. Eddie Vedder 6:44
6. Hallelujah (Sandy Relief Version) (Live) Adam Sandler and Paul Shaffer 4:53
7. It’s My Life (Live) Bon Jovi 3:50
8. Wanted Dead Or Alive (Live) Bon Jovi 5:29
9. Got To Be Better In A Little While (Live) Eric Clapton 5:56
10. Crossroads (Live) Eric Clapton 4:04
11. You Got Me Rocking (Live) The Rolling Stones 4:18
12. Jumpin Jack Flash (Live) The Rolling Stones 5:24
13. No One (Live) Alicia Keys 7:22
14. Who Are You (Live) The Who 7:00
15. Baba O’Riley (Live) The Who 5:27
16. Love Reign O’er Me (Live) The Who 6:53
17. Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) (Live) Billy Joel 4:50
18. Moving Out (Anthony’s Song) (Live) Billy Joel 3:50
19. You May Be Right (Live) Billy Joel 4:37
20. Viva La Vida (Live) Chris Martin 3:00
21. Losing My Religion (Live) Chris Martin feat. Michael Stipe 3:58
22. Us Against The World (Live) Chris Martin 3:33
23. Helter Skelter (Live) Paul Mccartney 4:10
24. Empire State Of Mind (Live) Alicia Keyes

It’s fitting that this meaningless Jets vs. Bills game is blacked out here because 13,000 seats at Ralph Wilson Stadium remain unsold. Who in the world would want to sit in a snow-filled stadium to watch these two underachieving teams. This is the final game of the season for both of these disappointing teams. How is your favorite NFL team going to do today? Are you ready for the Playoffs?