Will the public ever get the true story behind the Tiger Woods car crash? Did wife Elin Nordegren really “go ghetto” on him as some reports indicate? It’s doubtful. There’s nothing but silence from the Woods camp (aside from a generic website posting or two), so everyone is left to just speculate.

The story is destined to remain in the “news” cycle for at least a little while longer, especially since Woods was forced to withdraw from his own tournament due to injuries sustained either from the crash or from his wife (depending on which published version you believe).

This just goes to show that crazy comes in all varieties.

(Photo from TMZ, in case the big, honking watermark didn’t clue you in.)

I didn’t even need to watch the second half to figure out where this game was headed. Another poor effort from the Bears will yield their fourth consecutive loss, this time at the hands of Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. I don’t know the final score because it’s not over yet, but it was “over” a long time ago, if you know what I mean.

I can’t remember the last time the Bears had a four-game losing streak. This has just been a brutal stretch for the team. Fortunately they’ll get a reprieve next week when they face the Rams (at least the Bears aren’t that bad), but then it’s going to be right back to losing against the Pack, Ravens, and Vikings again.

Blame Cutler, blame the o-line, blame the D, blame Lovie Smith, blame Ron Turner, blame Matt Forte… doesn’t matter. All of them are contributing to this godawful season. The best we can hope for as fans is that some changes are made and we come back strong in 2010.

(And yes, I know the Chargers were 4-8 last year before storming back to win their division. But the Bears play in the NFC North. There’s no way in hell that’s going to happen with them.)

I love the Mario Bros. franchise, and own a bunch of games featuring Mario, Luigi, and friends like Princess Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Toad, and others. The games are challenging, yet not impossible, and just a lot of fun to play. Plus, they give me a great opportunity to spend some quality time with my six-year-old son, which is always a good thing. That’s one of the reasons why I’m planning on giving him New Super Mario Bros. Wii this Christmas.

This is the latest update on the Super Mario Bros. franchise, and includes a bunch of new features that are sure to make the game even more fun to play. For instance, there are a lot of new power-ups in addition to the standard giant mushroom, mini mushroom, and flower power that we’ve grown used to. The new ones include a propeller suit, POW block, penguin suit, ice flower, and more. In addition, multi-player mode lets you go through each world simultaneously with your friends instead of having to play one by one. And you can choose to either help each other through, or push each other into harm’s way.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii has received excellent reviews and has been a hit ever since it first went on sale earlier this month. Most of the positive reviews note that the game is similar enough to the older versions that you feel like you’re playing a Mario Bros. game, but with enough new features to make everything fresh. Sounds great to me!

When Thanksgiving rolls around, I usually trot out a post listing some things that I’m thankful for. The list involves the standard things like stable jobs, a good home, and healthy family members. I am indeed thankful for all those things this year as well.

But this year I think I’m most thankful for a certain friendship that dates back to high school. Ours has been a rocky road, fraught with both good times and bad. We’ve gone years speaking to each other 25 times a day, and years of complete silence. Recently we sat down to air our grievances and really work things out, and I think we’ve made some positive strides. The relationship is not fixed yet, but it’s a lot better than it was two days ago.

Thank you for listening, JCM.

What a sweet debut for Marian Hossa, the $62-million free agent who played his first game for the Blackhawks after recovering from shoulder surgery. Hossa scored two goals, including a pretty short-hander, to help the Hawks bury the Sharks 7-2. The Blackhawks have now won 8 in a row, and look like the team to beat in the Western Conference. Can they hang with the Penguins or Capitals? We’ll see. But for now, I’m just gonna enjoy watching Hossa’s shorty a few more times:

You’ve probably heard that some Toyota owners have experienced problems with vehicle gas pedals. Some pedals from the 2007-10 model year Camry, 2005-10 Toyota Avalon, 2004-09 Prius, 2005-10 Toyota Tacoma, 2007-10 Toyota Tundra, 2007-10 Lexus ES350 and 2006-10 Lexus IS250/350 can get stuck on floor mats, causing acceleration and high-speed crashes.

My mom has a 2009 Camry, so I need to make sure she sees this info. She should get a letter from the dealer and then maybe an appointment or something to take the car in for a replacement. I think the article I read said something about replacement gas pedals being available in April. Let’s hope my mom’s car doesn’t have any problems before then!

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

I bought my first George Foreman Grill, one of the basic “Lean, Mean Grilling Machine” models, about seven years ago. I used the grill regularly for chicken, steak, and burgers, and absolutely loved it! The double-plate design makes for very even and quick cooking, and the nonstick coating made cleanup a breeze. Plus, the angled cooking surface is genius, because it allows excess grease and fat to drip out, making for healthier cuts of meat.

I used my George Foreman so much that it eventually wore out. The nonstick coating came out in several places, which made it virtually impossible to cook without having the meat stick to the plates. That was a mess I didn’t want to deal with, so now the machine is gathering dust in the pantry. I need a replacement, and this new George Foreman Champ Grill with Bun Warmer is a prime candidate.

The Champ Grill with Bun Warmer looks pretty much the same as the Lean, Mean Grilling Machine, except for the addition of a compartment on top where you can place two buns to warm while grilling up some burgers. I’m a warm/toasted bun person all the way, so this would be great for me!

The George Foreman Champ Grill with Bun Warmer usually retails for $39.99, but is currently on sale for just $16.88. Plus, it’s eligible for Buy.com’s free standard shipping, which is always a nice bonus. So that’s $23.11 off the regular price and includes free shipping? Sign me up!