I went to the National Manufacturing Week conference last week, and then wrote this for Newcity. Boy, wouldn’t it be great if I got paid to write about SXSW or E3 or ETECH or a really cool conference? Nope. National Manufacturing Week for me.

I got a treat for you today. Get ready to win some money in your office pool, because here are my official NCAA March Madness picks for this year. In addition to a yearly pool run by my boss (in which I picked up major grip* last year) I’m already in groups at Chicagoist and Totalfark– if you want me to join yours, email me ASAP and I’ll see what I can do.

I used the same technique to make these as I do every year: a rigorous 48-hour session with my Scientologist auditor, followed by a light lunch with my Kabbalah mentor. Good times.

Thirsty 32 (I forget what they’re called– this is off to a good start already):
Illinois v. Texas
Alabama v. Boston
LSU v. Arizona
S. Illinois v. OK St.

Wash v. Pittsburg
Geo. Wash. v. Louisville
UCLA v. Gonzaga
Creighton v. Wake Forest (this is my official bracket breaker, plus my uncle works at Creighton)

NC v. Iowa St.
NM v. Florida
Wisconsin v. Kansas
Charlotte v. Conn

Duke v. Missippi
Mich St. v. Syracuse
Utah v. OK
Iowa v. Kentucky

Sweet 16:
Illinois v. Boston
Arizona v. OK St.

Washington v. Louisville
Gonzaga v. Wake Forest

NC v. NM
Kansas v. Conn

Duke v. Syracuse
OK v. Kentucky

Elite 8:
Illinois v. OK St.
Washington v. Wake Forest
NC v. Conn
Duke v. Kentucky

Final Four: OK St. v. Wake Forest, NC v. Duke

Champion: Ok St. beats Duke

There you have it. It’s like someone from the future came back and gave me the results of the tournament before it even started. Freaky. No seriously, I am totally going to pick up some bank* on this. Totally.

*make money