Well since my post 2 weeks ago where I described my success so far this year in picking against the spread winners in football, I've had even more lopsided returns. I call them lopsided because I'm dominating college football, and I suck at the NFL. It's to the point where I'm ready to give up on NFL games, and stick to NCAAF games. The biggest difference between the way I pick is that I use a system for NFL and I go with my gut for college. Either I need to fix the system I'm using, or scrap it all together and go with my gut. I'm currently negotiating with a guy I know whose success this year is the opposite of my, he's winning NFL and losing college. Hopefully me and him can work out a deal to swap picks where I supply him with college winners and he gives me the NFL winners. Here is a review of the past 2 weeks (I do have the Lions +6.5 pending in tonights MNF matchup against the Bears).
Lets start with college football. In week 7 I went 4-2, which took my win percentage for college games from 64.29% to 65%. Not a big jump by all means, but baby steps in the right direction. Remember it takes 53% to make money, and I have a target win % of 62% for the year, so we are ahead on both fronts. In week 8 of college football my tweeted picks went 6-1. That glorious day took my win % from 65% to an outstanding 70.37% for the season. My weekly records are: 3-0; 3-2; 3-3; 4-2; and 6-1 (remember I didn't start picking games in week 1, I waited until week 4). Hopefully this streak continues as the trend show, and I don't revert to the mean like the law of averages suggests.
Now for the NFL. I hate the NFL right now. After weeks 4 and 5 I stood with a 3-3 record or 50% winning percentage. I then went 1-3 in week 6, which put me at 4-6 (40%) overall. I followed that stink up with another 1-2 week 7, putting me at 5-8 or 38.46% on the season (as noted above I do have the Lions tonight in MNF, so I can go 2-2 on the week which would put me at 6-8 or 42.86%, but if I lose that game I will drop to 5-9 or 35.71%). No matter how you look at it, I'm horrible in the NFL games.
If you combine my college and NFL picks I stand at 24-16 or 60% on the season. This is short of my 62% goal, but in the ball park. I need to get my NFL picks turned around, as they are driving down my win percentage incredibly. I think I can do it, but only time will tell.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
Monday, October 22, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Employees being bullied to vote for Romney
The last couple of weeks I’ve seen news reports of company CEO’s sending their companies employees notifications that if Obama is reelected their jobs will be in jeopardy. The reasoning that they give hasn’t been clear, but does center on Obama’s tax plan. Not surprising to me though is that the Koch brothers have done this with an election packet that they sent to all 45,000 employees of their Georgia Pacific Company.
If you don’t know who the Koch brothers are, look them up, you will find lots of information about them. They played a major role in the congressional elections of 2010, the rise of the tea party, and are influential in the creation of the Super PAC’s that are single handedly destroying the American political system. But that’s a subject for a different time.
Essentially what these CEO’s are doing is bullying their employees into voting for the candidate that they want elected. That is not fair of them. They should not be able to put fear of losing your job into the decision that Americans have to make on who should be the next President. I understand that we are able to endorse and support whatever candidate that we want. We also live in a country of free speech, so they should be able to tell people who they will vote for and why. But they should not be able to send a letter to their employees and tell them that they can/will lose their job if Obama is reelected.
The great thing about America is that we are free, and with that freedom we have the right to vote for whoever we want. That is why your ballot is submitted anonymously. Of course you can tell people who you voted for, hell you can even lie about who you voted for if your candidate lost, but that’s not what is happening here. These CEO’s are single handedly attempting to strip Americans of one of their biggest rights as an American citizen, and that is the right to vote for who you think is the best candidate. Bullying or intimidating someone to vote for a particular candidate is the worst thing that can happen to our political system. It’s bad enough that the super rich can distort the information that we receive about candidates through the use of their Super PAC’s, but to threaten someone’s job, that just takes it to far.
But I'm just one man and this is my opinion.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
football picks making money
When it comes to picking football games against the spread, I like to wait until week 4 before I start to do so. This gives me time to get a feel for the teams, and let some trends develop. In college it also gets into conference play, which is a little more predictable than non conference games, especially with all of the cupcake’s that the big schools schedule.
I started tweeting (@Dustin_Dominiak) my picks for both College and NFL games starting in week 4, because I wanted a source that would give evidence of my picks. I hate when someone says that they went 5-0 or some other ridiculous record picking games over the weekend, but have no proof of those picks. Since college started a week before the NFL I have 3 weeks of picks for college and 2 for the NFL. I’m off to a pretty good start, especially in college. I started the year with the target win percentage of 62%, which would be 9% above the break even mark (remember with the vig you have to win 53% of your picks in order to break even). I’m currently sitting at 60% winners, so I’m close to my target percentage, but I still have room for improvement.
I started out on fire with my college picks going 3-0 in my first week. I followed that up with a 3-2 performance, then last week I went 3-3 leaving me with an overall record of 9-5 and a win percentage of 64.29%. Not bad at all, right where I want it to be. I must say though, that win percentage is being driven strictly by my first 3 picks, and if my recent trend of .500 picking continues that win percentage will be below my target mark before I know it.
The NFL I started the complete opposite of the college. I went 1-2 in my first week, and then 2-1 last week (much better). That leaves me at 3-3 overall or at 50% win percentage. So far this is a money losing venture, but don’t fret, we’ll get it turned around.
So what am I talking about here? Well if you’d been following my picks on twitter, and placing those bets yourself (remember sports gambling is only legal in 4 of the 50 states) you’d be making money right now. Say you bet 110 to win 100 on each game (10% vig, which is why you have to win 53% to make money) you’d have won $1,200 (12 * 100) and lost $880 (110 * 8) for a net profit of $320. So follow me on twitter, @Dustin_Dominiak, and visit Las Vegas to place your bets, if you catch me on a really hot weekend (like week 4 of college football) you’d be able to pay for your trip.
I'm just one man, and this is my opinion.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Goverment Spending gone bad part 2
The below post is an excerpt from a weekly column written by Gregg Easterbrook. Gregg is a phenominal writer. I agree with a lot of his opinions, and you should to.
The federal government is paying almost all the cost to extend Washington's subway system from the Virginia suburbs to Dulles Airport. The new line is entirely above ground -- no costly tunneling involved. Yet the project is slated to take eight years -- the Hoover Dam took five years -- and cost at least $6.8 billion, a stunning $296 million per mile. Bridging the 12-lane Washington Beltway while the Beltway is open is involved, and that's an expensive engineering feat. But most of the project is being built under favorable conditions, on board highway median strips already publicly owned and designed many years ago to accommodate rail construction.
Why is the cost $296 million per mile? Contractors and local authorities are dragging their feet. Since Uncle Sugar is paying, the longer the project takes and the more it costs, the more there is to steal. The federally funded Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has jurisdiction over parts of the project. Recently an official had to resign; she was being paid $180,000 annually for part-time consulting advice. Another official billed taxpayers for such necessities as $9,000 for first-class airfare to Prague. In order to supervise construction in Virginia, you absolutely must fly first class to Czech Republic!
The disheartening part is that neither Democrats nor Republicans in Washington seem to care. The public be damned! And we've only ourselves to blame since next month, practically every politician involved in the mismanagement of public money will be re-elected.
I'm just one man, and I agree with Mr. Easterbrook's opinion.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
The federal government is paying almost all the cost to extend Washington's subway system from the Virginia suburbs to Dulles Airport. The new line is entirely above ground -- no costly tunneling involved. Yet the project is slated to take eight years -- the Hoover Dam took five years -- and cost at least $6.8 billion, a stunning $296 million per mile. Bridging the 12-lane Washington Beltway while the Beltway is open is involved, and that's an expensive engineering feat. But most of the project is being built under favorable conditions, on board highway median strips already publicly owned and designed many years ago to accommodate rail construction.
Why is the cost $296 million per mile? Contractors and local authorities are dragging their feet. Since Uncle Sugar is paying, the longer the project takes and the more it costs, the more there is to steal. The federally funded Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has jurisdiction over parts of the project. Recently an official had to resign; she was being paid $180,000 annually for part-time consulting advice. Another official billed taxpayers for such necessities as $9,000 for first-class airfare to Prague. In order to supervise construction in Virginia, you absolutely must fly first class to Czech Republic!
The disheartening part is that neither Democrats nor Republicans in Washington seem to care. The public be damned! And we've only ourselves to blame since next month, practically every politician involved in the mismanagement of public money will be re-elected.
I'm just one man, and I agree with Mr. Easterbrook's opinion.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
$6 Million Escalator? The American Government
The below post is an excerpt from a weekly column written by Gregg Easterbrook. Gregg is a phenominal writer. I agree with a lot of his opinions, and you should to.
Here's another small, comprehensible example. The subsidized public transportation authority of the Washington, D.C., area is taking eight months and $12 million merely to replace two escalators.
The project specifications include two months of full staffing for "adjustment" of the escalators. Two months to adjust two escalators! The agency involved isn't even embarrassed by this -- from appearances, could not care less how much taxpayer money is wasted, so long as cushy government-guaranteed jobs continue.
I'm just one man, and I share this opinion with Mr. Easterbrook.
Thanks for reading
Dustin Dominiak
Here's another small, comprehensible example. The subsidized public transportation authority of the Washington, D.C., area is taking eight months and $12 million merely to replace two escalators.
The project specifications include two months of full staffing for "adjustment" of the escalators. Two months to adjust two escalators! The agency involved isn't even embarrassed by this -- from appearances, could not care less how much taxpayer money is wasted, so long as cushy government-guaranteed jobs continue.
I'm just one man, and I share this opinion with Mr. Easterbrook.
Thanks for reading
Dustin Dominiak
Government spending going bad
The below is an excerpt from a weekly article written by Gregg Easterbrook. Gregg is a terrific writer, and I tend to agree with his thoughts, so I'm sharing them here.
Economic growth has slowed while the national debt has risen: Reckless borrowing has been the rule under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Yet hardly anything new is getting built. Government-funded construction projects continue to take too long and cost too much. Corruption in government contracting appears to be rampant, as does the desire of local politicians to drag their feet in order to keep money flowing. In May, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that cost-effectiveness of subway spending is not as important as "social equity," by which he seemed to mean channeling handouts to party interest groups. If the people in charge of large government spending projects -- whether those people are Republicans or Democrats -- think cost-effective use of taxpayers' money does not matter, that is a formula for reckless borrowing combined with little progress. Exactly what the country's getting.
A year ago your columnist offered numerous big-picture examples on Reuters. Sometimes the little picture is easier to understand, so consider the reflecting pool between the Washington and Lincoln monuments. Recently there was a federally funded project to renovate the reflecting pool. The renovation took two years -- longer than was required to build the pool 90 years ago when machinery was much less efficient -- and cost $34 million. Two years and $34 million to rebuild a pool of water.
The super-slow, super-expensive project -- perhaps overseen by dozens of senior-grade managers with few if any actual duties -- is now finished, and the new pool has immediately filled with algae.
The National Park Service, which supervised the renovation, "said the project was an overall success," The Washington Post reported. Of course the project was a success -- Park Service officials and contractors received millions of dollars for doing very little. That was the whole point all along! At any private business that botched an overpriced project, heads would roll. The Park Service knows that as with all government initiatives, there will never be any accountability. When government botches an overpriced project, everyone gets a raise. Excuse me, a "step increase."
I'm just one man, and I agree with Gregg's opinion.
Thanks for reading
Dustin Dominiak
Economic growth has slowed while the national debt has risen: Reckless borrowing has been the rule under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Yet hardly anything new is getting built. Government-funded construction projects continue to take too long and cost too much. Corruption in government contracting appears to be rampant, as does the desire of local politicians to drag their feet in order to keep money flowing. In May, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that cost-effectiveness of subway spending is not as important as "social equity," by which he seemed to mean channeling handouts to party interest groups. If the people in charge of large government spending projects -- whether those people are Republicans or Democrats -- think cost-effective use of taxpayers' money does not matter, that is a formula for reckless borrowing combined with little progress. Exactly what the country's getting.
A year ago your columnist offered numerous big-picture examples on Reuters. Sometimes the little picture is easier to understand, so consider the reflecting pool between the Washington and Lincoln monuments. Recently there was a federally funded project to renovate the reflecting pool. The renovation took two years -- longer than was required to build the pool 90 years ago when machinery was much less efficient -- and cost $34 million. Two years and $34 million to rebuild a pool of water.
The super-slow, super-expensive project -- perhaps overseen by dozens of senior-grade managers with few if any actual duties -- is now finished, and the new pool has immediately filled with algae.
The National Park Service, which supervised the renovation, "said the project was an overall success," The Washington Post reported. Of course the project was a success -- Park Service officials and contractors received millions of dollars for doing very little. That was the whole point all along! At any private business that botched an overpriced project, heads would roll. The Park Service knows that as with all government initiatives, there will never be any accountability. When government botches an overpriced project, everyone gets a raise. Excuse me, a "step increase."
I'm just one man, and I agree with Gregg's opinion.
Thanks for reading
Dustin Dominiak
Monday, October 1, 2012
Apple panorama pictures
Lately I've been seeing commercials for the new iPhone 5 and the panoramic picture capabilities that it has. What's the big deal? Is this something that is new to the iPhone camera? If it is then apple should be embarrassed that it is promoting this aspect of the phone on national commercials. The panoramic picture capabilities of meshing multiple pictures together to form one long picture is not new.
I have a Samsung galaxy sII, it's a handy phone. One of the capabilities of the camera on my phone is the panoramic captures that apple is now boasting about in its commercials. The galaxy sII was unveiled at the mobile world congress in February 2011. As you turn the camera or walk parallel to what your shooting, the Samsung camera takes up to 8 pictures and combines them together. The pictures are taking during an auto snap as the camera moves. It's a fun way to take pictures.
To me it seems that apple is a little behind on the picture taking capabilities of the iPhone. But maybe the marketing department deserves some credit for this, as I have yet to see any other company Promote this function in their phones. I just hope people don't believe apple was the first to offer this camera function.
I'm just one man and that is my opinion.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
I have a Samsung galaxy sII, it's a handy phone. One of the capabilities of the camera on my phone is the panoramic captures that apple is now boasting about in its commercials. The galaxy sII was unveiled at the mobile world congress in February 2011. As you turn the camera or walk parallel to what your shooting, the Samsung camera takes up to 8 pictures and combines them together. The pictures are taking during an auto snap as the camera moves. It's a fun way to take pictures.
To me it seems that apple is a little behind on the picture taking capabilities of the iPhone. But maybe the marketing department deserves some credit for this, as I have yet to see any other company Promote this function in their phones. I just hope people don't believe apple was the first to offer this camera function.
I'm just one man and that is my opinion.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Parenting gone bad
What's up with fathers these days? Over the past couple of weeks I have witnessed unfortunate interactions between fathers and their kids. That's witnessed not saw in the news or on the internet.
Went out for the Cowboys vs Giants game 2 weeks ago, and the father at the table next to me refused to talk to his son. That is actually an understatement, he wanted nothing to do with his son. All he cared about was something on his phone. Every time his son spoke to him he responded with "shut up". At the end of the meal the father actually went on a rant repeatedly say "shut up", and "how many times did I tell you to shut up". I think at one time I heard him say something like "I don't want to talk to you shut up". It was hard for me to keep quiet and mind my own business, and the rant at the end had me so stressed out that I had to walk away and go smoke a cigarette. I could only imagine how the kid felt.
Last week was a little different. I was walking around center city Philadelphia when I came across a father and his daughter walking down the street. The girl was shaken up about something and was crying, I thought she was being punished for something and throwing a fit. But after walking behind them a couple of blocks I realized what was going on, she was pleading with her father not to leave. I don't know where he was going or why she didn't want him to go, but you could tell it was the only thing in the world that she wanted. He just ignored her and kept walking. He even stepped around her a few times because she stood in front of him, just completely dismissing her. I finally couldn't watch anymore and made the next left to get some distance.
What did these 2 kids do to deserve to be treated that way? I thought fathers were supposed to love and protect there kids. I'm not sure which father above is worse, to me they are both dicks, but I'm sure there are a lot more saddening situations than these in the world. Then again what do I know.......
I'm just one man and this is my opinion
Thanks for reading
Dustin Dominiak
Went out for the Cowboys vs Giants game 2 weeks ago, and the father at the table next to me refused to talk to his son. That is actually an understatement, he wanted nothing to do with his son. All he cared about was something on his phone. Every time his son spoke to him he responded with "shut up". At the end of the meal the father actually went on a rant repeatedly say "shut up", and "how many times did I tell you to shut up". I think at one time I heard him say something like "I don't want to talk to you shut up". It was hard for me to keep quiet and mind my own business, and the rant at the end had me so stressed out that I had to walk away and go smoke a cigarette. I could only imagine how the kid felt.
Last week was a little different. I was walking around center city Philadelphia when I came across a father and his daughter walking down the street. The girl was shaken up about something and was crying, I thought she was being punished for something and throwing a fit. But after walking behind them a couple of blocks I realized what was going on, she was pleading with her father not to leave. I don't know where he was going or why she didn't want him to go, but you could tell it was the only thing in the world that she wanted. He just ignored her and kept walking. He even stepped around her a few times because she stood in front of him, just completely dismissing her. I finally couldn't watch anymore and made the next left to get some distance.
What did these 2 kids do to deserve to be treated that way? I thought fathers were supposed to love and protect there kids. I'm not sure which father above is worse, to me they are both dicks, but I'm sure there are a lot more saddening situations than these in the world. Then again what do I know.......
I'm just one man and this is my opinion
Thanks for reading
Dustin Dominiak
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Congressional spending problems
The aircraft carrier the Enterprise, commissioned 1961, oldest active ship in the fleet. In 2008, the Navy wanted to retire her. Congress instead voted out a $662 million refurbishment, as a giveaway to the congressional delegation of Virginia, where her home port is located. In 2010, the refitted Enterprise went back to sea; she will be decommissioned at a December ceremony in Newport News.
That's $662 million to keep an obsolete boat afloat three extra years, when the Navy already has 10 times as many carriers as the rest of the world combined and faces no blue-water threat. Wonder why the national debt is skyrocketing? Congress keeps throwing money out the window, or in this case, overboard. The appropriation was supported by now-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, who constantly denounces federal spending, unless the money goes to his state.
I'm just one man and this is my opinion.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
**editors note** this is an excerpt from Gregg Easterbrooks TMQ column published weekly on ESPN.
That's $662 million to keep an obsolete boat afloat three extra years, when the Navy already has 10 times as many carriers as the rest of the world combined and faces no blue-water threat. Wonder why the national debt is skyrocketing? Congress keeps throwing money out the window, or in this case, overboard. The appropriation was supported by now-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, who constantly denounces federal spending, unless the money goes to his state.
I'm just one man and this is my opinion.
Thanks for reading,
Dustin Dominiak
**editors note** this is an excerpt from Gregg Easterbrooks TMQ column published weekly on ESPN.
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