FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS:  A PIC WITH SANTA
Hey, all you parents out there of Moebius children--you of course would love to have your child get a picture on Santa's lap, right?  But maybe you're worried about how it will go--can you get a good picture?  Will your child be okay with it, or act out?  Well, fear not--you have the same worries that every other parent has, who seeks to get their child into that glorious holiday picture that will last forever.  And the good news is, there are things you can do to help make a better experience.  Read on:
"Jill Berry, a mom in Woodbine, MD, recalls her toddler's first photo with Santa. "She was fine in line, then hysterical when I handed her over," Berry recalls. The resulting photo: "a red-faced toddler, a bewildered Santa, and me, on his lap, wearing a ski jacket and an old shirt." Oh, the memories.
It's a ritual of the season: taking your child to the mall so he can tell Santa Claus what he wants for Christmas, and scoring an adorable photo of him sitting on the jolly one's lap. But not all kids are game. Some take one look at the fat old guy with that big white beard...and freak out.
Think about it: This ginormous, hairy guy shows up once a year and you thrust your kid onto his lap, says child psychologist Jonathan Pochyly, Ph.D., of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. The little guys have no concept that they're going to get something in return, and the bigger ones think he's been looking in their windows and compiling a "naughty" list. Of course, some kids do cooperate for the photo op, and yours may be one. Just in case, here's how to avoid a mall meltdown:
To avoid that stress this year, experienced Santa-snappers suggest you:
Do a dry run: Days before, give your child a glimpse of St. Nick from afar, says Amy Stone, owner of Jady Images in Miami, Florida. "When you come back for the actual photo, he'll be more familiar with what to expect."
Carry supplies: Snacks and toys are key. Hungry kids are likelier to act out.
Distract: "Put a piece of tape on your child's finger if he gets fidgety," says Marlboro, New Jersey, photog Jill Caren. "Sometimes that's distracting enough that he'll forget Santa's even there."
Present his requests: Tie up his wish list with a bow, and have him hand it over, suggests Heather Dillon, a Scottsdale, Arizona, photog. "It places the attention on Santa, not on him."
Think narrative gold: As the Santa at Holiday World, a theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana, says: "Sometimes those unposed moments make the best photos."
Be positive: Be careful not to paint a scary picture of Saint Nick. If you prep your child by saying "Don't be afraid, Santa's not going to hurt you," you've introduced a possibility that may never have occurred to him, notes Pochyly. Instead, talk about how fun it will be, and show your child a picture of a sibling or a cousin perched happily on Santa's lap.
Bring a lovey: Life's easier with a stuffed bear by your side—and you can always put some reindeer antlers on him."

And now, on to...
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!!
Last week---another winning week:  record of 9-6.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS

Georgia vs LSU.  MY PICK:  TIGERS.  Georgia has won 10 straight games, and has improved.  But their run game has been weakened by injury, and any team that is too one-dimensional will get eaten up by that LSU defense.

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State.  MY PICK:  COWBOYS.  OSU had a big, bad hiccup against Iowa State.  But here's their chance at redemption.  And they can score; meanwhile, I don't see evidence that either the Sooners' defense or offense is playing well enough right now to win.

Wisconsin vs Michigan State.  MY PICK:  SPARTANS.  I know, everyone is picking Wisconsin.  They certainly looked powerful at home against Penn State last week.  But temember, this game is not in Madison.  MSU showed earlier this season they can play with the Badgers.  And I think Spartie has a mental edge for this game, given the disrespect they feel they're receiving given UW is being seen as such a favorite to win.  That might give Michigan State the edge they need.  I like MSU in (another) upset.

NFL PICKS

Tennessee at Buffalo.  LINE:  Bills by 1.5.  MY PICK:  BILLS.  Buffalo lost narrowly last week.  Tennessee won narrowly.  I think this is the week the Bills get over the hump.

Kansas City at Chicago.  LINE:  Bears by 7.  MY PICK:  BEARS.  Mainly because as I understand it, the not-yet-ready-to-be-playing-QB-in-the-NFL Tyler Palko will start yet again for Kansas City.

Oakland at Miami.  LINE:  Dolphins by 3.  MY PICK:  RAIDERS.  Carson Palmer continues to improve at QB for Oakland.  Michael Bush helps their run game.  The Dolphins have certainly played better in the second half of the season, and have a lot of fight.  But this is an important game for the Raiders, and I think they'll play like it.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh.  LINE:  Steelers by 7.  MY PICK:  STEELERS.  A big game at home with big playoff implications.  Hard to go against the experienced Ben Roethlisberger and Steeler defense in this one.  Andy Dalton and the Bengals have made great strides.  But I don't think they're quite ready yet.

Baltimore at Cleveland.  LINE:  Ravens by 6.5.  MY PICK:  BROWNS.  Not to win the game.  But to keep this one close.  And there's plenty of precedent this year for the Ravens playing down to the level of their competition; see their games at Tennessee, at Seattle, at home vs Arizona, etc.

NY Jets at Washington.  LINE:  Jets by 3.  MY PICK:  JETS.  The Jets' defense will, I predict, create a couple of turnovers, and help them win this game by 7 to 10 points, somewhere in there.

Atlanta at Houston.  LINE:  Falcons by 3.  MY PICK:  FALCONS.  Mainly, and very simply, because Houston is so thin at the QB position.  T.J. Yates will have to start for the Texans; and so, even having the whole week of practice behind him, he still has to limit the Texans' offense, and this will open the door for a tough Falcons' D to dominate, and for Matt Ryan to get something done, with plenty of chances to be on the field.

Carolina at Tampa Bay.  LINE:  Bucs by 3.  MY PICK:  BUCS.  Tampa Bay and Josh Freeman has been right in the last couple of games they've played, but have come up short.  Still, they still seem to have fight left in them.  Here's a chance for them to break through at home against a still-inexperienced Cam Newton-led Panther club.

Detroit at New Orleans.  LINE:  Saints by 9.  MY PICK:  SAINTS.  New Orleans is a hot team, with a QB playing well; we saw that Monday night vs the Giants.  The Lions have injuries, they're without Ndamokong Suh...all adds up to good news for the Saints.

Denver at Minnesota.  LINE:  Vikings by 1.5.  MY PICK:  BRONCOS.  I jumped on board the Tebow train last week...and again, the Broncos won.  I see no reason to get off; the Broncos' defense and run game can again keep this game close, and Tebow can find a way to pull it out in the end.  Note especially--Tebow is faster than many think.  That's why his scrambles at the end of the game are so effective.

St. Louis at San Francisco.  LINE:  49ers by 13.5.  MY PICK:  49ERS.  It's a lot of points, but look for the Niner defense to pitch a near shutout in this game; that makes it a whole lot easier to cover a spread.

Dallas at Arizona.  LINE:  Cowboys by 4.5.  MY PICK:  CARDINALS.  Yeesh.  A hard game to pick.  The Cowboys began the week as something like a 7 pt favorite.  Now it's nearly down to 4.  There's a reason for that; the Cardinals have covered in 3 of their past 4 games against the spread.  Meanwhile, against teams with losing records, the Cowboys are 0-4 against the spread recently.  So...go with the Cards...maybe not to win, but to keep it close.

Green Bay at NY Giants.  LINE:  Packers by 6.5.  MY PICK:  GIANTS.  I just think that if:  the Giants can get a running game going; if the Packers continue to play, well, OK, but not great (as has been the case in the past few weeks); if the Giants play as the more desperate team--as they should; all of that could at least allow the Giants to keep the game close. As I think they will.

Indianapolis at New England.  LINE:  Patriots by 20.  MY PICK:  PATRIOTS.  20 is a lot of points to cover.  But the beaten-down Colts...now with Dan Orlovsky starting at QB--would seem to have no chance.

San Diego at Jacksonville.  LINE:  Chargers by 3.  MY PICK:  CHARGERS.  But why pick the electricity-less Chargers, you might well ask?  Well...they've still got more talent than do the Jags.  And did you see Blaine Gabbert at QB last week?  Honestly, he was pretty awful.  Don't be surprised to see Luke McCown this week for the Jags; which won't help much.

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with
others." - Robert Louis Stevenson