chillin' with mcmillan

NFL Fantasy Football 2010 Rankings and Draft Kit

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Today, I participated in my 2010 NFL Fantasy Football Draft with a group of old friends from Texas.  We play in a 12 -team league and use Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football 2010.  

If you have an upcoming NFL Fantasy Football 2010 draft coming up, I wanted to provide you with a couple options:  one paid and one free.

If you want to be serious in fantasy football, consider a service.

Due to the number of leagues I’m in, I’ve used a service from http://fantasyfootballstarters.com to assist me with my drafts, line ups each week, etc. Last  year, I utilized this service in two leagues and was happy to win both of those NFL fantasy football leagues.   The price tag:  $24.95 for the full service .  Note: I only recommend it if you are in serious leagues. (not an affiliate link).

Free NFL Fantasy Football 2010 Assistance (ChillinMcMillanCheatSheet250)

Not everyone needs to purchase a fancy system like Fantasy Football Starters provides though, so I wanted to give you a good “baseline” cheatsheet if you happen to be in a 12 team league and need something to use as a guide.   I utilized this one in my draft tonight so I’m not giving my secret away before the big draft but I hope it is helpful for your next draft.

This ChillinMcMillanCheatSheet250 works best for the following type NFL Fantasy Football 2010 League: 

12 team league

Positions:  QB, WR, WR, WR, RB, RB, TE, K, DEF.   

Point Settings:  6points for touchdowns, 1pt for receptions, 1 point per 10 yards rushing or receiving, -3 points for fumbles lost & interceptions, and 1 point per 20 yards passing.

I use my ChillinMcMillanCheatSheet250 as follows:

Pick the best available player to fill the roster in the round with the aim of filling each roster spot first and then filling the bench slots. (except for Kickers and Defense – I usually wait until later).  I will hold off on Tight Ends as well if I didn’t get an elite Tight End until the final 3 rounds.   

As you can see, it’s not very fancy but it does a pretty good job keeping me on track.   I hope you enjoy and get some use out of it.

Never Hire Someone to Cut your Grass Again!

What if I told you I could find a way to:

save you over $55,000 

burn over 1,000,000 calories

and find time for you to listen to over 450 self-development books ?

Sound interesting?

Ever since I became a homeowner (back in 2002), I’ve cut my own grass.  However, this year I’ve approached the weekly chore differently- dedicating the time to self-development. 

I figured that in the past, I found myself day-dreaming while walking through the motion of cutting the grass and weed-eating. 

Now, this one-time chore is an event I look forward to each week.

Here’s how you can do the same:

1. Start doing your own yard work

2. Approach the time as self-development time.

First, the benefits of just doing #1.

Money -  Let’s say you started cutting your grass at age 32 and continued doing it until you reached the new retirement age of 67, you’d save over $55,125 if it takes you about an hour and a  half to cut and trim your yard using a push mower and weed eater.  If it takes you an hour, count on saving $36, 750.   Just think of the money if you had compound interest added to these numbers.

Health – By cutting the yard with a push mower, you’d burn 364 calories per cut/trim on a small lot and 547 calories per cut/trim on a large lot according to the Lose It Application.  Again, by the time you retire, you’d burn over 1,005,112 calories on a large lot or 445,900 on a small lot.   READ THAT AGAIN.  That adds up to 558 days of the daily recommended caloric intake, gone, over the course of this adventure on a large lot.  That’s about 247 days, gone, on the small lot.

Ok, so that’s the financial and health benefit. Let’s look at the personal development benefit gained from implementing step #2.

Personal (Self) Development -   By approaching this weekly chore with the intention of doing some sort of self-development exercise you really can make great use of this time.   Try listening to an audiobook each week.  If you listened to a self-help audiobook each week, by the time you retire, you will have listened to 306 books if you have a small lot  and 459 books if you have a larger one.   That’s a pretty significant accomplishment.  If you are not big into listening to books – try focusing each week on a specific brainstorm (for example brainstorm things like new business ideas, solution to a particular problem you are trying to solve, or just mentally outlining how to approach a project).   By doing this exercise while mowing the lawn, you will gain the equivalent of 30.5 work weeks on a small yard and about 46 weeks on a large yard.  

Imagine the possibilities if you could find this much extra time —-well, I just showed you how. Take advantage of it.  It’s a simple switch that many of you may just have to implement #2.   Try it and let me know what you think.

Assumptions:  Grass is cut 35 times per year.  Cost of basic grass-cutting and trimming/weed-eating is $30 for a small lot or $45 for a larger lot.   Small lot considered one where it takes 1 person, 1 hour to mow, trim, and  weedeat using a basic push mower and weedeater.   Large lot would take the same individual 1.5 hours to do the same amount of work. Daily caloric intake should be 1,800 calories per day. The average audiobook is 4 hours. Average work week equals the standard 40-hour work week.

Chillin’ and Making Music Videos and Commercials

I recently had the opportunity to work with Polo on the creation of my own music video/commerical for their new set of colognes called The Big Pony Fragrances.  I created a video for the #1 collection which is their “sporty” cologne inside of The Big Pony Fragrance collection.

A few things to expect and see as it pulls from my personality:  crazy dancing, girls on tractors, hoops, goofing off, enjoying time w/ the dogs, competition, and of course, hotties!

Watch it here, “LIKE IT” and and go out and buy some.   Tell me if you like the song as well.   

Click on the screen to view…it will load on Ralph Lauren’s site in a seperate window.

Avoid making a fool of yourself. You’re “kind of a big deal”.

Everyone has a moment or two that they wish to could take back.  Ron Burgundy certainly wishes he could take the below moment back.

Mr. Burgundy makes a few mistakes from the get go. 

Ron Burgundy:

1.  Assumes the person knows who he is and dwells on his popularity.

2. Provides a list of things he thinks the other person will be impressed by.

3. In moment of starting over, puts his foot in his mouth.

Who am I kidding? This is one of the classic clips of Ron Burgundy and hilarious.  However, you’d be surprised at how many people come across as arrogant and self-centered.

Introduce yourself, learn a little about the person you are talking to, and find some common ground to lead your discussion.   Let someone else tell you (or give you permission to say about yourself) you’re kind of a big deal.

Video Credit: Mark63brisbane

How you will know when the world considers you “old”

Today was a new low point for me as I realized that I have been “labeled”  somewhere as an old person.  And I’m only 32!!!

Here’s why.

I received an offer for the 2 following things in one direct mail piece from The SCOOTER Store:

1. A FREE MOBILITY CONSULTATION

2. A FREE 32-PAGE PUZZLES & GAMES BOOKLET

Yes, you read that right.  I’ve been contacted to “Regain your mobility and Independence today”.  And I’ll even get a FREE 32-page puzzles and games booklet on top of that.  Simply amazing. Don’t believe me? See photos below.  What a great day!   Off to eat a few prunes. 

Ever gotten anything really “interesting” in the mail like this?  PLEASE let me know.

Top 10 Songs I Dance to with my Daughters

Remember this Public Service Announcement?  My wife Kristen used to always say this could have been me (I did too).

Dancing with our daughters is one of the most fun things to do as a Dad, especially when they are young.  I can honestly say that I’ve taught my oldest, Mary Grace, several dance moves like the Pretzel performed in famous dance call The Shag, the state dance of South Carolina.

I’ve already started the ritual with my youngest, Caroline, as well. 

Below are the top 10 songs (in random order) my girls like to dance with their daddy to:

10. Imma Be -  Black Eyed Peas

9. Undo It  – Carrie Underwoood

8. Dive In – Dave Matthews Band

7. This Town – OAR

6. Speed of Sound – Coldplay

5. Empire State of Mind – Jay Z

4. Because of You – Kelly Clarkson & Reba McIntyre (MG really likes this for some reason)

3. Single Ladies – Beyonce

2. Whatever it is – Zac Brown Band

1. Live Like We’re Dying – Kris Allen

Ok guys… I manned up and admitted it.  You should too.  Am I missing any good songs?

15 questions on my mind about this year’s college football season (yes, some are random).

15.  How much air time will be dedicated to Super Conference avoidance and its obvious destiny?

14.  Wondering when Georgia will bring out the new Uga?

13. Will Steve Spurrier bring success to USC finally?

12. Is this UNC’s year for ….(oh wait, NCAA investigation might hamper that)?

11.  Anyone with a heart wants to watch ACC athlete from Boston College, Mark Herzlich, do well this year after his battle with cancer.  This will be the tear jerk story of college football throughout 2010, especially if he performs as well as he did before his diagnosis.  

10. Who will be the quarterback at Ole Miss? Houston Nutt has some tough choices to make.

9. Will Arkansas live up to the hype (or get sidelined quickly with a loss against Texas A&M in Dallas?)

8.  Will Jerrod Johnson be the best quarterback in the Big XII?

7. Wondering how long Joe Paterno will coach football at Penn State?

6. Can Will Muschamp stick around Texas any longer or will he finally jump ship?

5. Wondering if Clemson will have another real Thunder and Lightning duo of running backs?

4. Will Houston QB Case Keenum go down as one of the best college quarterbacks in history…he has a shot at three 5,000 yard seasons in a row by the way.

3. Will Mark Ingram win the Heisman Trophy again this year?

2.Can Alabama repeat for a BCS national championship or even another SEC championship? 

1. Wondering what record and what bowl game Texas A&M will attend at the end of the season?

Photo Credit: Jayal Aheram

Greatest Financial Lesson of All Time

This lesson will change the way you look at money. It is the best way to get ahead and lead you to being a financial powerhouse.  Ok, here it is:

PAY YOURSELF FIRST.

That’s it. Simple and straight to the point. It is also easier said than done.  Here are a few ways to pay yourself first…please explore these opportunities so you can get ahead and plan for your future.  

Pay yourself first using pre-tax contribution

Many companies offer programs like 401(k) for saving for retirement. This is often the best way to ensure you are saving money.  Most employers provide a match of some sort so you are stashing away your own money and some of the companies’ money.  You won’t pay taxes on this money until it is used when you withdrawal at retirement.  Plus, you can sock the money away without ever seeing it.

Pay yourself first using post-tax contributions

Many companies have other types of savings programs such a stock purchase programs (purchase stock at a discount) or even Christmas shopping accounts.  Though you don’t get the tax benefits of pre-tax contributions, this is an easy way to save money as it comes out of your paycheck directly –so its automatic and occurs before you get your take home pay.

Pay yourself first using automatic saving/routing money to savings accounts, etc.

This is the first method of paying yourself first that requires some self discipline.  You will need to proactively set up to have either a set dollar amount or percentage of your check routed directly to your bank’s savings account. This can usually be done online, on the phone, and often you can have this done at work –just talk to someone in human resources about setting up your direct deposit to multiple accounts.

Pay yourself first by using innovative savings programs offered by banks.

Over the past couple of years, many banks such as Bank Of America and Wachovia have created innovative savings programs designed to automatically place money in your savings account when you make a purchase with your debit card.  Examples include “Keep the Change” that rounds each purchase up to the next dollar and transfers the difference from your checking to your savings. Other programs, like Way to Save, transfer $1 each time you make a purchase.  Most of these programs also pay you just join these savings programs.

These are ways that I try to pay myself first….do you have any other ideas?

Photo Credit:  alancleaver_2000

Top 10 Moments of My Twenties

Was the first day of your first job out of college one of the greatest days ever?  For me, not so much….it wasn’t that much fun at all since I spent a lot of it doing paperwork (though the anticipation of the day was a lot of fun).

My 20′s proved to have many moments that I think will continue to be some of the highlights of my life (though I look forward to having many more awesome moments). Here’s a look at my Top 10 moments in my 20′s (and a list of some honorable mentions).

10. Stepping onto Kyle Field at Texas A&M and realizing “this is my job”.

OK, so I was 25, and working in the athletic department as a marketing coordinator at Texas A&M.  I’ll never forget the moment but one Saturday we had a home football game at Kyle Field and I got to walk out onto the field and see over 82,000 fans in the stands…and I just thought, “wow, I have an awesome job.”

9. Climbing The Great Wall of China

This is memorable because it is one of the wonders of the world…but also because I rode on the ”sketchy” slide on the way down. After the slide took off, I thought to myself, maybe this wasn’t a good idea.  I made it to the bottom but I was a little freaked out on the way down.  

 8. Running a 1/2 marathon 

This was a big personal accomplishment for me…13.1 miles is tough.  I did it in style at the Nashville Country Music 1/2 Marathon.  My favorite part – standing at the starting line with over 10,000 people jumping up and down to U2′s Beautiful Day.   I’ll never forget it….(I also ran it again the next year).

7. Honeymoon at resort in Cancun, Mexico

Lots of great memories here…enough said.

6. Watching my brother graduate from Army Basic Training

I’ve never been more proud of my brother…it was very emotional for me.  My father is a veteran as well so that added to the moment for me.

5. Buying my first home

Exhilarating…such a big accomplishment.  I thought we’d never get out of the lawyer’s office though…so many paper’s to sign. 

4. MBA – Business School Graduation

This was a goal of mine since I started undergraduate school and deciding on my career.  This was a great day that I spent with my wife, parents, and in-laws. Oh…my degree was handed to me by the President of Texas A&M – Robert Gates – now our country’s Secretary of Defense.  

3. College Graduation

Neither my father or mother had a bachelor’s degree and they pushed me hard throughout my school years to go to college. I was happy to get this completed for both myself and them. Going to school at Newberry College was a great decision.

2. Getting Married

Marrying my wife Kristen was one of the greatest days of my life.  She is the perfect life partner for me…I love her dearly.  I will never forget this day (nor the many many moments leading up to this day).

1. Having my daughter

Up until this point in my life, I never felt so many emotions in a split second as I did at the exact moment that our first daughter was born.  Admittedly, prior to the actual birth, I was scared to death of being a father, but that magical moment Kristen and I shared when we had Mary Grace was incredible and erased any fear I had and filled me with a father’s love.  It was truly magical.

So those are my top 10 moments of my twenties.  Here’s a quick list of some of the honorable mentions:  Bachelor Party, 1st Job, Surprise going away party at Texas A&M, Getting an Unsung Hero Award at Lowe’s, Riding a corporate jet, camping in the snow….to name a few.

What are some of your top moments in your 20′s?   I’d love to hear them.

Photo Credit: Francisco Diez

The App that Can Change Your Life

On New Year’s Day in 2010, I didn’t think that weight loss would even be mentioned in my 2010 resolutions.  At work on January 4th, I was asked to take part in an interoffice weight loss challenge.  I balked at the idea but then was co-erced to at least weigh-in.  I jumped on the scale with our campus nurse and also found out my blood pressure was really high.  She advised me that I probably should lose a few pounds to get the blood pressure back in check.  I am now (in July) 20 pounds lighter with good blood pressure numbers.  This is all thanks to the Lose It Application.   I highly recommend it …it’s a free application on iTunes.

Here’s why:

1) GOAL SETTING – In this application, you can set a reasonable program up that puts you on a weight loss program at your pace.  I chose to lose 20 lbs at 1.0 lb per week.  The app will give you a Daily Calorie Limit to manage to.

2) COUNT CALORIES/LOG EXERCISE - This thing has just about anything you can eat loaded inside of the program so you can easily keep track of the calories you eat.  You can also log your exercise and it automatically subtracts the calories you burn (so you can eat more) …this alone caused me to be more active.

3) TRACK PROGRESS – The application has the ability to chart your progress over time…as you weigh in, the application will show you how your are progressing over time to get to your goal.  You can also see at a glance how you’ve done each day managing to your calorie limit…if you go over…it turns red. 

4)SHARE (ahmmm…let your friends ride you about it) -The app has the ability to connect with your Facebook page and post your progress (it has various levels of info you can choose to share). This makes the process fun as you will see that many of your friends will comment on good progress  and will encourage you in times when you fail.

Do you have an application that has “changed your life”?  Let us know about it in the comments section.

Photo Credit: Mess of Pottage

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