Updates

I've got a strength-of-schedule modifier in my NFL model now; we'll see how well it goes this week and then maybe I'll use that instead of the original.

Apparently the extravaganza in the last issue of P&A was too easy, as they claimed they upped the difficulty considerably; and I believe them. I've got about as much on this one as the last one, except I only worked on the last issue in bits and pieces, as my old printer refused to print it, and I more or less devoted today to this issue (apart from the grading I still have to do). The current score:
Sharp: No idea at the moment what is going on, and I don't have enough of the words to figure it out.
White: done.
Parker: done.
Post: probably doable, but this is not the sort of puzzle I enjoy and I don't feel like doing it right now
Price: done.
Ridge: Maybe I know what's going on, but not particularly close to an answer.
O'Connolly: Perhaps a glimmer, but I've not managed to make it work.
Baker: Again an idea of something to try, but I'm not getting anything out of it at the moment.
Reade: This one feels like that bit in the Princess Bride, where what's-his-name keeps switching the chalices around. I've been approaching it as though there are zero twists in the puzzle, but I'm pretty sure there's at least one. I'm hoping there's an even number, so that most of what I've got I can keep.
House: done. I feel prouder of the fact that I wrote a C++ program to do some of the grunge work in the middle than I am of the fact that I figured it out in the first place. I think figuring the puzzle out (and, worse, thinking it a little easy) means I've forfeited any right to be called "normal".
Kerry: this appears to be a Google hunt. Maybe I'll do it at work some afternoon this week.
Linkletter: Need a lot more words to get a toehold in this puzzle. Strangely, even in the isolated spots where I have enough words to get started, I can't seem to get them to fit.
Turner: haven't started, but should yield to actually working at it (famous last words)
Milk: Either I've got a couple words wrong, or my first thought isn't right. I'm betting on the latter.
Kidd: I have a bunch of random here, so who knows.
Mehta: As if.

This blog entry brought to you by the Mac Mini

Yes, that's right; I have finally upgraded my desktop machine from 1999 (or was it 2000?). Anyway, this thing is bloody small, that's for sure. I had to upgrade my printer as well, since it was even older, I think, and they don't make machines with those serial ports any more.

This post was eaten by Cox's FTP server the first time I tried to post it; let's see if this smaller, leaner, more better post makes it through.

NFL Week 3 rankings

Not the best week for the model last week: 7-8, but since that's only based on one week's worth of games that's not completely awful. Currently the model considers net points, net yards, and net turnovers. I really need to add a strength-of-schedule component to this thing, because I'm not really convinced by this current ranking. (Arizona #1? Kansas City ahead of Indianapolis? Really?) Anyway the list:
1. Cardinals (2-0) 11.37
2. Steelers (2-0) 8.94
3. Giants (2-0) 8.44
4. Eagles (1-1) 8.08
5. Bills (2-0) 8.07
6. Packers (2-0) 7.77
7. Titans (2-0) 7.18
8. Broncos (2-0) 6.23
9. Ravens (1-0) 5.78
10. Cowboys (2-0) 3.78
11. Redskins (1-1) 3.37
12. Patriots (2-0) 2.58
13. Buccaneers (1-1) 2.39
14. Bears (1-1) 2.29
15. Panthers (2-0) 2.04
16. Falcons (1-1) 0.62
17. Vikings (0-2) -0.85
18. Jets (1-1) -1.35
19. Chargers (0-2) -1.38
20. Raiders (1-1) -2.30
21. Saints (1-1) -3.49
22. Chiefs (0-2) -3.83
23. Colts (1-1) -3.87
24. 49ers (1-1) -3.97
25. Jaguars (0-2) -5.17
26. Dolphins (0-2) -5.61
27. Bengals (0-2) -6.91
28. Browns (0-2) -7.36
29. Seahawks (0-2) -8.76
30. Lions (0-2) -10.79
31. Texans (0-1) -11.06
32. Rams (0-2) -14.89

OEMC08

The first day was a mess. I'm pretty sure I dozed off a couple of times, since I remember waiting patiently for some tiles and then looking back and seeing that they had been discarded just two rounds back. Not good.

The second day was a little better--the first game I could get no traction (lots of good hands, but I couldn't capitalize on anything), the second game I got my entire tournament's ration of great hands and good luck in, and the third game was pretty good, although I was hoping for a win. My goal for myself was 13/24, but I could only manage 9/24.

I've been assuaging my psyche by creating a crosstable generator for MJ tournaments. Apparently it took me about four hours (since I started a little before 6 o'clock, I think, after the tournament and supper), and this is what it comes up with for this tournament. (Yes, it could use headers and footers. It doesn't handle in-game ties either, so that's going to take a rewrite anyway.) I could explain what it means, but I'd rather make you guess.

Anyway, obviously I've fixed the PDF issues; and I'm seeing saved games also, so maybe this weekend I'll get a write-up of the games up here. (It's better than grading finals.)