10 thoughts for November 23, 2013

I have a lot of thoughts going through my head, all the time.  Here's my way of getting a bunch of them out of my head, without taking the whole day to write long form.

1. It's officially out: Nexus 5 (and Nexus 4 and 2013 Nexus 7) wireless charger.  Picking up on something I mentioned the other day, other Qi-compatible chargers have restricted 1000mA output or lower.  This official charger has 1800mA output.
2. Oregon Ducks just blew it.  When USC beat Stanford last week, Oregon had a second life to get back into the PAC-12 Championship game and a slim chance to get into the BCS NC game.  They completely blew it down in Tuscon.  Hey, who knew that the Ducks defense was incapable of defending the read-option, the same offense their team runs?!?  Well there you go: Josh Huff got his wish and Oregon won't be in the Rose Bowl (or any other BCS bowl.)
3. The PAC-12 Championship game is already set: ASU v. Stanford.  It doesn't matter if Arizona beats ASU or ND beats Stanford next week.  It's a rematch of an early conference game that ASU lost.  I was really hoping that USC and Oregon met in the PAC-12 Championship.
4. USC's Soma Vainuku has now blocked three punts and delivered one of the biggest hits in college football this year (against Oregon State)...and he's a fullback.  If you watch USC's games, their biggest run gains have been from the tailback following Vainuku.  He finished the Colorado game with a 52 yard run.  If you watched his high school highlight reel, he was quite the bowling ball rolling down hill -- you don't arm tackle him as the Buff players tried to do.  Special player who'll make it to the NFL.
5. On that USC - Colorado game: When was the last time you saw the head ref explain every non-foul?  The PAC-12 refs are certainly feeling the heat for the rash of missed calls this year.
6. USC is now 6 - 1 since Ed Orgeron took over.  To reiterate: If he beats UCLA, the search is over, in my mind.  That's quite the incentive for Trojans to leave nothing on the field, don't you think?  It could be a huge blowout.
7. US and Iran reach a historic deal to freeze Iran's nuclear program.  Huge.  Avoids military intervention.  Did I mention huge?
8. Some Republicans are so cynical that they've taken to Twitter to discount a historic deal between the US and Iran to freeze their push to build a nuclear weapon.  In some fairyland world, these Republicans believe that all solutions come at the end of a military strike.
9. China has declared its right to defend the airspace over the disputed Senkaku Islands.  Figures.  They'll spend hundreds of millions to defend the airspace of the disputed territory, but practically nothing on the typhoon victims in the Philippines.  Ikea has pledged more to the Philippines than China -- talk about embarrassing.
10. Gizmodo suggests signing up for the free trial of Amazon Prime during the holiday shopping season, to get free 2-day shipping, plus free Amazon Video streaming.  IDK though...I don't usually buy gifts for other people from Amazon.