I keep seeing articles like this one from servicemen and women back from Iraq. The picture a lot of them paint of the situation on the ground there differs pretty sharply from that presented on the front page of the Dallas Morning News or USA Today.
What is the honest-to-God truth? I suspect it's somewhere in between, but it's hard to argue with the folks who are there, on the ground, living it on a daily basis.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Indiana Jones 4 is no mirage
According to Ain't It Cool, Steven Spielberg has FINALLY said, in public, that he's making "Indiana Jones 4" this year, with a release scheduled next year.
I will be first in line!
I will be first in line!
You REALLY should use a hands-free when driving
A Kentucky woman recently ran her SUV off the road while talking on her cell phone. After the paramedics cut her out of the vehicle, they found her severed arm nearby, still clutching the phone.
Folks, use your hands-free when driving!
Folks, use your hands-free when driving!
Yeah, but the team still sucks
The Arizona Cardinals are about to open their new palace of a stadium in Glendale AZ. I've been by it on highway 101 and it is truly a behemoth. It's also, apparently, a marvel of technology inside.
Wonderful. The 10,000 suckers who buy tickets will be able to order concessions from their seats and participate in fantasy football during the games. The gizmos enabled by the huge IP network being installed may even be sufficient to distract the fans from the miserable product on the field.
Wonderful. The 10,000 suckers who buy tickets will be able to order concessions from their seats and participate in fantasy football during the games. The gizmos enabled by the huge IP network being installed may even be sufficient to distract the fans from the miserable product on the field.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Look out, AL East - Keith Foulke says he's back
According to Joy of Sox, Keith Foulke is a new man in both body and mind. This can only be good news for the Red Sox, and bad news from the rest of the AL East.
How the Red Sox emerge from this winter of discontent is one of the most intriguing stories of the upcoming season.
Today is the unofficial reporting date for big leaguers. We're almost there!
How the Red Sox emerge from this winter of discontent is one of the most intriguing stories of the upcoming season.
Today is the unofficial reporting date for big leaguers. We're almost there!
Gay or not gay - the authoritative list
For fans of Bob and Dan's "Gay or Not Gay" feature, or the occasional anonymous commenter on this blog, here's the most authoritative list I've ever seen of what's gay and what's truly manly.
Feel free to flame me, but sign your name to the comment. As we've said before, anonymous comments are gay.
Feel free to flame me, but sign your name to the comment. As we've said before, anonymous comments are gay.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Macintosh trojan now making the rounds
Attention, smug Macintosh owners who think they are immune from viruses and other malware: It's time to invest in some anti-virus software.
The Oompa-Loompa trojan doesn't sound too dangerous on its own, but it does represent the first iteration of some potentially bad stuff for Macs. You're no longer invulnerable, folks.
UPDATE: Leander Kahney from Wired says this is a bunch of garbage - that it's only news because of it's novelty. Well, no kidding. However, note the word "iteration" above. It's been proven that it can be done. Can the bad guys be too terribly far behind?
The Oompa-Loompa trojan doesn't sound too dangerous on its own, but it does represent the first iteration of some potentially bad stuff for Macs. You're no longer invulnerable, folks.
UPDATE: Leander Kahney from Wired says this is a bunch of garbage - that it's only news because of it's novelty. Well, no kidding. However, note the word "iteration" above. It's been proven that it can be done. Can the bad guys be too terribly far behind?
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Maybe not the "next U2" after all
According to "People" magazine (ok, so maybe it's not the MOST reputable source of info around, but let's face it, who is?), Chris Martin has started dropping hints that Coldplay is breaking up.
Didn't we hear story after story about how these guys wanted to inherit the mantle from U2? Dudes, you gotta put out more than 3 albums (only one of which was really great - the other two are merely good) if that's your goal.
Hopefully, this is a red herring, as I am a fan of those boys.
Didn't we hear story after story about how these guys wanted to inherit the mantle from U2? Dudes, you gotta put out more than 3 albums (only one of which was really great - the other two are merely good) if that's your goal.
Hopefully, this is a red herring, as I am a fan of those boys.
Hope you already got your Houston 1836 t-shirts
Houston's Major League Soccer team is in the process of changing it's name for the second time in a month.
After relocating from San Jose, CA (where they were known as the "Earthquakes") about four weeks ago, the team announced that they would be known as "Houston 1836". This was supposed to represent the year Houston was founded and, thus, foster all sorts of civic pride. However, the Houston Hispanic population views 1836 as a less-than-banner year, as it was the year the siege of the Alamo (a military victory for Mexico, but a PR debacle of monumental proportions) occurred, The Battle of San Jacinto has fought and lost by the Mexican Army (Sam Houston and the Texas militia surprised and routed Santa Anna's forces during siesta), and Texas achieved independence. Not much to be proud of.
Word is the team's new name will be something like "Lone Star", "Apollo", or "Mustangs".
After relocating from San Jose, CA (where they were known as the "Earthquakes") about four weeks ago, the team announced that they would be known as "Houston 1836". This was supposed to represent the year Houston was founded and, thus, foster all sorts of civic pride. However, the Houston Hispanic population views 1836 as a less-than-banner year, as it was the year the siege of the Alamo (a military victory for Mexico, but a PR debacle of monumental proportions) occurred, The Battle of San Jacinto has fought and lost by the Mexican Army (Sam Houston and the Texas militia surprised and routed Santa Anna's forces during siesta), and Texas achieved independence. Not much to be proud of.
Word is the team's new name will be something like "Lone Star", "Apollo", or "Mustangs".
DLP HD Projectors coming WAY down in price
This is such WONDERFUL news: The Toshiba MT700 projector, with native 720p resolution, has dropped from over $4,000 to under $2,500.
While I'm not all that interested in a 720p projector (why wouldn't you hold out for at least 1080i?), the trend is great news.
Once my media room is done, you can just send my meals up there, since I won't be coming out.
While I'm not all that interested in a 720p projector (why wouldn't you hold out for at least 1080i?), the trend is great news.
Once my media room is done, you can just send my meals up there, since I won't be coming out.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Cartoon jihad - Israeli response isn't what you'd expect
You gotta love the Israelis. How do they respond to the Iranians publishing some truly offensive Holocaust cartoons? Do they burn down Persian rug stores? Riot in the streets? Heck no!
They put on their own anti-Semitic cartoon contest.
Says Amitai Sandy, the founder of the contest, "We’ll show the world we can do the best, sharpest, most offensive Jew hating cartoons ever published! No Iranian will beat us on our home turf!”
How novel
They put on their own anti-Semitic cartoon contest.
Says Amitai Sandy, the founder of the contest, "We’ll show the world we can do the best, sharpest, most offensive Jew hating cartoons ever published! No Iranian will beat us on our home turf!”
How novel
Pitchers and catchers - THIS is the most wonderful time of the year
Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training tomorrow. As I've said several times, this is the most exciting spring in Texas Rangers' history. And here I am, less than 10 miles down the road from Surprise.
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Human garbage pleads for life
Joseph Smith, the piece of human trash who raped and killed 11-year-old Carlie Brucia two years ago, has pleaded with the judge to give him life in prison without the possibility of parole, rather than the death penalty.
Smith blames drugs for the horrific kidnapping and killing of young Carlie.
My own views on the death penalty have changed over time. I'm much less of a proponent than I used to be and, in this case, I think I'd vote for the life with no parole sentence.
For me, it comes down to "what makes the cretin suffer more", and in Smith's case, I think prison would be most unpleasant. I've heard that ODCs (Ordinary Decent Criminals - not my acronym) are not fond of child molesters, and would go out of their way to make Smith's existence a living hell.
I'm all for that.
UPDATE: Oh, darn. He got sentenced to death. It's probably the easy way out. Except his got some 'splainin to do on the Other Side, doesn't he?
Smith blames drugs for the horrific kidnapping and killing of young Carlie.
My own views on the death penalty have changed over time. I'm much less of a proponent than I used to be and, in this case, I think I'd vote for the life with no parole sentence.
For me, it comes down to "what makes the cretin suffer more", and in Smith's case, I think prison would be most unpleasant. I've heard that ODCs (Ordinary Decent Criminals - not my acronym) are not fond of child molesters, and would go out of their way to make Smith's existence a living hell.
I'm all for that.
UPDATE: Oh, darn. He got sentenced to death. It's probably the easy way out. Except his got some 'splainin to do on the Other Side, doesn't he?
Iranian Jews protest anti-Semitic cartoons
The BBC reports that the small Iranian Jewish community has officially protested the recent publication of anti-Semitic cartoons in Iranian newspapers.
Pretty ballsy, considering I didn't even know there was an Iranian Jewish community.
Pretty ballsy, considering I didn't even know there was an Iranian Jewish community.
DRM update: HBO redefines "fair"
From Boing Boing today: HBO has taken a hard line against recording and replay of their shows. The word is that HBO wants to enforce a policy of "Copy Never" upon their subscribers.
I'm sure they're thinking about Comcast's On-Demand service, which allows you to watch HBO shows whenever you want (as long as you're a subscriber). If you asked an HBO lawyer, they'd probably say something like, "Why do you need to record something you can watch on demand already."
In practical terms, I can see their point. For me, personally, On-Demand is good enough. I just don't like the precedent. When do I actually "own" content? When can I watch something I've paid for on any device I want, at any time I want? The line is getting fuzzier, not clearer.
I'm sure they're thinking about Comcast's On-Demand service, which allows you to watch HBO shows whenever you want (as long as you're a subscriber). If you asked an HBO lawyer, they'd probably say something like, "Why do you need to record something you can watch on demand already."
In practical terms, I can see their point. For me, personally, On-Demand is good enough. I just don't like the precedent. When do I actually "own" content? When can I watch something I've paid for on any device I want, at any time I want? The line is getting fuzzier, not clearer.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Top 5 Hottest Women in a Particular Film - The Single Movie Miracle
We did Top 5 Hottest Women of All Time recently, and I got some good feedback on it. Also, surprisingly, my wife didn’t chew me out for it.
So, since there seems to be interest from some quarters, and disinterest from others, let’s continue in that vein.
There’s a phenomenon out there that I think we’ve all noticed, and it can’t be ignored. This phenomenon is known as the Single-Movie Miracle. The Single-Movie Miracle occurs when a woman who is usually not-that-great to semi-hot looks so fabulous in one movie that you have to sit up and take notice.
A good example of the Single-Movie Miracle is Kate Winslet in Titanic. Normally, Kate Winslet is a not-so-great. But she was smoking hot in Titanic, and not just the nude scenes either. She looked great throughout.
I’m sure it’s a combination of director, cinematographer, wardrobe supervisor, and make-up supervisor (and, of course, the actress herself) that results in the Single-Movie Miracle. There really should be an Oscar in this category; it could be given to all involved collectively, sort of like Best Picture.
Whatever. On with the list (and, yes, I cheated again):
5. (tie) Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca
The triumph of black and white film and exquisite lighting. You can understand why Rick would throw it all away for her, and you realize the sacrifice he makes by sending her w/ Lazlo. Bergman was the perfect woman for the best film ever made.
5. (tie) Ashley Judd in Heat (and, I’ve heard, A Time to Kill, which I didn’t see)
Oh, what might have been. Ashley Judd was at the height of her hotness in Heat. If only she’d made some better career choices since then. Ah well. Again, it was easy to see how much Chris (Val Kilmer) was giving up when he turned his back.
4. Salma Hayek in Desperado
Sort of a silly film, but my God. Carolina is the embodiment of Latina hotness. Talk about the best thing going in a crappy, one-horse border town. I’d have braved the gauntlet of Bucho’s men as well.
3. Sophie Marceau in Braveheart
It was amazing how good the Princess Isabella looked in an age when no one bathed. Well, William Wallace probably didn’t look much like Mel Gibson either. Who cares. Maybe the best-looking couple ever on screen (not mere hyperbole – I mean, look at them).
2. Jennifer Garner in Elektra
If you’re into the kind of chick who can kick you’re a**, this is the movie and the actress for you. I have no idea what the plot of this bowser was about, and I don’t care. Jennifer Garner should hire the cinematographer from this film to do her home movies. She’s pure greatness on her own, but she is lit and photographed so well in Elektra that I’m willing to fight through a completely nonsensical plot and all kinds of ridiculous special effects just to look at her for 90 minutes.
1. Diane Lane in Unfaithful
I have been a Diane Lane fan since she was 19 years old and co-starring in Streets of Fire (10 bonus points if you can name anyone else in that one, but it’s better than you may remember). Through Lonesome Dove, Judge Dredd (oh dear), and The Perfect Storm, I always thought she was WONDERFUL. But she topped herself in Unfaithful. Forget that the plot is truly disturbing for any married guy (I mean, she goes from her seeming idyllic marriage to Richard Gere for God’s sake, to the arms of Olivier Martinez in no time and for no apparent reason, but she sells it). Forget that the last quarter of the film doesn’t live up to the rest of it. Forget it all. Just remember those smoking hot sex scenes. Remember Diane Lane completely believable as a woman besotted with passion. And remember the single greatest example of the Single-Movie Miracle. Zowie.
So, since there seems to be interest from some quarters, and disinterest from others, let’s continue in that vein.
There’s a phenomenon out there that I think we’ve all noticed, and it can’t be ignored. This phenomenon is known as the Single-Movie Miracle. The Single-Movie Miracle occurs when a woman who is usually not-that-great to semi-hot looks so fabulous in one movie that you have to sit up and take notice.
A good example of the Single-Movie Miracle is Kate Winslet in Titanic. Normally, Kate Winslet is a not-so-great. But she was smoking hot in Titanic, and not just the nude scenes either. She looked great throughout.
I’m sure it’s a combination of director, cinematographer, wardrobe supervisor, and make-up supervisor (and, of course, the actress herself) that results in the Single-Movie Miracle. There really should be an Oscar in this category; it could be given to all involved collectively, sort of like Best Picture.
Whatever. On with the list (and, yes, I cheated again):
5. (tie) Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca
The triumph of black and white film and exquisite lighting. You can understand why Rick would throw it all away for her, and you realize the sacrifice he makes by sending her w/ Lazlo. Bergman was the perfect woman for the best film ever made.
5. (tie) Ashley Judd in Heat (and, I’ve heard, A Time to Kill, which I didn’t see)
Oh, what might have been. Ashley Judd was at the height of her hotness in Heat. If only she’d made some better career choices since then. Ah well. Again, it was easy to see how much Chris (Val Kilmer) was giving up when he turned his back.
4. Salma Hayek in Desperado
Sort of a silly film, but my God. Carolina is the embodiment of Latina hotness. Talk about the best thing going in a crappy, one-horse border town. I’d have braved the gauntlet of Bucho’s men as well.
3. Sophie Marceau in Braveheart
It was amazing how good the Princess Isabella looked in an age when no one bathed. Well, William Wallace probably didn’t look much like Mel Gibson either. Who cares. Maybe the best-looking couple ever on screen (not mere hyperbole – I mean, look at them).
2. Jennifer Garner in Elektra
If you’re into the kind of chick who can kick you’re a**, this is the movie and the actress for you. I have no idea what the plot of this bowser was about, and I don’t care. Jennifer Garner should hire the cinematographer from this film to do her home movies. She’s pure greatness on her own, but she is lit and photographed so well in Elektra that I’m willing to fight through a completely nonsensical plot and all kinds of ridiculous special effects just to look at her for 90 minutes.
1. Diane Lane in Unfaithful
I have been a Diane Lane fan since she was 19 years old and co-starring in Streets of Fire (10 bonus points if you can name anyone else in that one, but it’s better than you may remember). Through Lonesome Dove, Judge Dredd (oh dear), and The Perfect Storm, I always thought she was WONDERFUL. But she topped herself in Unfaithful. Forget that the plot is truly disturbing for any married guy (I mean, she goes from her seeming idyllic marriage to Richard Gere for God’s sake, to the arms of Olivier Martinez in no time and for no apparent reason, but she sells it). Forget that the last quarter of the film doesn’t live up to the rest of it. Forget it all. Just remember those smoking hot sex scenes. Remember Diane Lane completely believable as a woman besotted with passion. And remember the single greatest example of the Single-Movie Miracle. Zowie.
Why emoticons are the greatest invention in the history of email
In case you didn't already know, email is a VERY imperfect medium for communication. I didn't realize just how bad it is until I read this piece from Wired.
Use those emoticons, kiddies. Annoying as they may be, they do help you convey your message a little more clearly.
Or, better yet, pick up the telephone.
Use those emoticons, kiddies. Annoying as they may be, they do help you convey your message a little more clearly.
Or, better yet, pick up the telephone.
Batman vs. al Qaida
From Michelle Malkin: In his latest graphic novel, Batman writer Frank Miller has the Dark Knight kicking al Qaida's butt. It's not politically correct, but I think I'll be purchasing my first graphic novel.
This is NOT what Gorbachev and Yeltsin had in mind
In today's Washington Post - a Siberian working man gets sent to prison for getting hit by the regional governor's car. The story is right out of the bad old days in the Soviet Union. Check the estimated speed of the governor's car - somewhere between 90 and 125 mph.
And yet, somehow it's the poor slob who happened to be in the way's fault.
The more things change in Russia, the more they stay the same.
And yet, somehow it's the poor slob who happened to be in the way's fault.
The more things change in Russia, the more they stay the same.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Winter Olympics: To stop down or not to stop down
My virtual friends Bob and Dan had a long conversation on their show yesterday regarding their (and America's) interest in the Winter Olympics. Their discussion, conclusions, and theories struck a chord with me.
The discussion revolved around the Winter Olympics' status as a sports-viewing choice. As kids, Bob and Dan (and me, too) remember putting aside all other sporting events to watch the Olympics each night. Back in the pre-cable, three-networks day, the Winter Olympics (and the Summer Games, as well) were required viewing for everyone. The other two networks usually curled up into a little ball for those two weeks and presented reruns, knowing they had no chance against the ratings juggernaut that was the Olympic Games.
Now, not so much. Bob and Dan both commented on the fact that they were far less interested than they used to be. They concluded, and I agree, the Olympics have lost their mystique and are now sort of run-of-the-mill sports TV, not worthy of a complete stop-down.
The theories as to why were especially interesting to me. Bob and Dan seemed to agree on three primary reasons:
1. Sports clutter
If you remember the 70's, you'll probably also remember the lack of sports programming during prime-time. Sports was a weekend thing with very few exceptions. It was rare to be able to tune in a national game of any consequence on television on a random Tuesday night. The Olympics were the big exception - you had two weeks of non-stop prime-time sports coverage and, thus, it was a vacation for the sports fan.
No longer. Now, the nights without a game of some interest to just about anyone is a rarity. The Olympics are just another choice. Even though the NHL is taking the two weeks (or most of it) off, the NBA, college basketball, a full slate of ESPN and Fox Sports programming continue.
2. The disintegration of the Soviet bloc
The Olympics used to be a relatively safe venue for the Cold War to heat up. The Soviets, East Germans, Romanians, Czechs, and other Communist bloc countries always fielded huge, skilled, and highly trained teams in both the Summer and Winter Games. Gymnastics, hockey, swimming, figure skating, basketball, and other sports were always tremendous competition between the good guys (the US) and the bad guys (the commies). National pride was always at stake, with the biggest and best example being the hockey and basketball tournaments.
Now, the bad guys are a lot harder to find. We hate Iran (I guess - they're making it easy to hate them lately), but it's politically incorrect to get too worked up about them. And, maybe more to the point, Iran is not much of threat in the Alpine Skiing events, or any other events that Americans give a hoot about.
The Chinese are a more formidable opponent during the Summer Games, but are they really the "bad guys"? Certainly not in the sense that the Soviets were. Our relationship with the Chinese is confusing, and sports is no place for confusion. We need a clear good guy/bad guy confrontation, like Red Sox-Yankees. EVERYONE has a clear rooting interest in those contests. There's nothing like that on the Olympic stage any more.
3. The pros dominate
Even the "amateurs" are professional these days, and in the marquee team sports (hockey and basketball), it's become a twist on the NHL All-Star format. The days of hungry college kids getting worked into the ground by a Herb Brooks are long gone, and so are the inspirational stories that went with those hungry college kids. The Games are much more bland and less exciting as a result.
I agree with all of these theories.
I'm trying to get my kids into the Olympics, with some success so far. Colorful characters like Bode Miller and Hermann Maier help a lot, as do some unique events like luge and skeleton. The kids seem semi-interested in those things.
But it's not the same. The Olympics represent some cherished memories from my childhood. I don't think it's going to be the same for my kids.
And that's too bad.
The discussion revolved around the Winter Olympics' status as a sports-viewing choice. As kids, Bob and Dan (and me, too) remember putting aside all other sporting events to watch the Olympics each night. Back in the pre-cable, three-networks day, the Winter Olympics (and the Summer Games, as well) were required viewing for everyone. The other two networks usually curled up into a little ball for those two weeks and presented reruns, knowing they had no chance against the ratings juggernaut that was the Olympic Games.
Now, not so much. Bob and Dan both commented on the fact that they were far less interested than they used to be. They concluded, and I agree, the Olympics have lost their mystique and are now sort of run-of-the-mill sports TV, not worthy of a complete stop-down.
The theories as to why were especially interesting to me. Bob and Dan seemed to agree on three primary reasons:
1. Sports clutter
If you remember the 70's, you'll probably also remember the lack of sports programming during prime-time. Sports was a weekend thing with very few exceptions. It was rare to be able to tune in a national game of any consequence on television on a random Tuesday night. The Olympics were the big exception - you had two weeks of non-stop prime-time sports coverage and, thus, it was a vacation for the sports fan.
No longer. Now, the nights without a game of some interest to just about anyone is a rarity. The Olympics are just another choice. Even though the NHL is taking the two weeks (or most of it) off, the NBA, college basketball, a full slate of ESPN and Fox Sports programming continue.
2. The disintegration of the Soviet bloc
The Olympics used to be a relatively safe venue for the Cold War to heat up. The Soviets, East Germans, Romanians, Czechs, and other Communist bloc countries always fielded huge, skilled, and highly trained teams in both the Summer and Winter Games. Gymnastics, hockey, swimming, figure skating, basketball, and other sports were always tremendous competition between the good guys (the US) and the bad guys (the commies). National pride was always at stake, with the biggest and best example being the hockey and basketball tournaments.
Now, the bad guys are a lot harder to find. We hate Iran (I guess - they're making it easy to hate them lately), but it's politically incorrect to get too worked up about them. And, maybe more to the point, Iran is not much of threat in the Alpine Skiing events, or any other events that Americans give a hoot about.
The Chinese are a more formidable opponent during the Summer Games, but are they really the "bad guys"? Certainly not in the sense that the Soviets were. Our relationship with the Chinese is confusing, and sports is no place for confusion. We need a clear good guy/bad guy confrontation, like Red Sox-Yankees. EVERYONE has a clear rooting interest in those contests. There's nothing like that on the Olympic stage any more.
3. The pros dominate
Even the "amateurs" are professional these days, and in the marquee team sports (hockey and basketball), it's become a twist on the NHL All-Star format. The days of hungry college kids getting worked into the ground by a Herb Brooks are long gone, and so are the inspirational stories that went with those hungry college kids. The Games are much more bland and less exciting as a result.
I agree with all of these theories.
I'm trying to get my kids into the Olympics, with some success so far. Colorful characters like Bode Miller and Hermann Maier help a lot, as do some unique events like luge and skeleton. The kids seem semi-interested in those things.
But it's not the same. The Olympics represent some cherished memories from my childhood. I don't think it's going to be the same for my kids.
And that's too bad.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Honda to produce a fuel cell car
This is GREAT news, and the kind of news we should (and will) see more of in the near future. While fuel cells, right now, are not a huge saver, dollar-wise, they will become more so. And they'll help us break our sick addiction to Middle East oil.
Bring it on, baby!
Bring it on, baby!
Lost – Best. Show. Ever.
Of course, I spent an hour last night with the latest episode of Lost. The interlude of relative peace and quiet on the show is over. Oh, sure, Charlie flipped last week, and Michael went Rambo recently. The encounter with “Zeke the Fisherman” and the Others was good and tense, but all-in-all, it’s been pretty lovey-dovey on Mystery Island since Shannon got ventilated.
No more, man. It’s back to the good old, paranoid days of the first season. Who do you trust? Jack, and… who? I think Sun and Jin are on the up and up, and Hurley probably is too. Sayid is probably a mensch (it would be too controversial to have the token Arab be a baddie), but there is NO telling with ANYONE else.
Next week’s show looks to be high-powered. If I saw the preview correctly, the Losties capture one of the Others and Sayid goes to work on him. Jack and Locke (who I really WANT to believe is on the side of the angels, but I can’t quite pull it off) finally let the clock run down to zero and we get to see what happens. HOLY SMOKES, I can’t wait for next Wednesday.
Lost is easily the best show in the history of TV, at least in my book. You can have your Sopranos and your 24. I’ll take the castaways of Oceanic 815 any day.
No more, man. It’s back to the good old, paranoid days of the first season. Who do you trust? Jack, and… who? I think Sun and Jin are on the up and up, and Hurley probably is too. Sayid is probably a mensch (it would be too controversial to have the token Arab be a baddie), but there is NO telling with ANYONE else.
Next week’s show looks to be high-powered. If I saw the preview correctly, the Losties capture one of the Others and Sayid goes to work on him. Jack and Locke (who I really WANT to believe is on the side of the angels, but I can’t quite pull it off) finally let the clock run down to zero and we get to see what happens. HOLY SMOKES, I can’t wait for next Wednesday.
Lost is easily the best show in the history of TV, at least in my book. You can have your Sopranos and your 24. I’ll take the castaways of Oceanic 815 any day.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Mark Cuban is a nut, but he's our nut
Mark Cuban, billionaire and owner of the little Mavericks, is a nut job. No question about it. And a lot of people can't stand him because of it. I, and most Maverick fans, however, love him.
Love him or hate him, you have to admit that he is a refreshing change from the typical button-down sports owner. The dude wants to win, which is more than we can say for the guy who owns 50% of the major sports teams in D/FW (Big Dumb Tom Hicks, in case you didn't get the subtle hint).
In addition to his commitment to winning, another endearing (or not-so-endearing, if you're in the anti-Cuban camp) Cuban personality trait is his propensity for skewering the NBA Establishment. David Stern and the refs are his favorite targets, but they're not the only ones.
Recently, Phil Jackson has found himself the object of Cuban mockery. While Big Metaphysical Phil publicly lets it roll off his back, I think it gets to him.
The latest Cuban salvo can be found on his blog, and it's a hoot. Check it out!
Love him or hate him, you have to admit that he is a refreshing change from the typical button-down sports owner. The dude wants to win, which is more than we can say for the guy who owns 50% of the major sports teams in D/FW (Big Dumb Tom Hicks, in case you didn't get the subtle hint).
In addition to his commitment to winning, another endearing (or not-so-endearing, if you're in the anti-Cuban camp) Cuban personality trait is his propensity for skewering the NBA Establishment. David Stern and the refs are his favorite targets, but they're not the only ones.
Recently, Phil Jackson has found himself the object of Cuban mockery. While Big Metaphysical Phil publicly lets it roll off his back, I think it gets to him.
The latest Cuban salvo can be found on his blog, and it's a hoot. Check it out!
WHOA - Apple buying Palm? I'll take some of that, please
According to Personal Computer World, via Gizmodo, Apple could be eyeing a purchase of Palm.
This makes a lot of sense for Apple - the competition for the iPod is going to come from the next generation of smart phones. I am personally in the market for a device that combines my cell phone, my Creative Zen Xtra 30gb jukebox, and a PDA. Apple currently has nothing for the first rqmt, the best-of-breed for the second, and nothing for the third. Palm has one and three covered.
This one, I'm excited about. Stay tuned.
This makes a lot of sense for Apple - the competition for the iPod is going to come from the next generation of smart phones. I am personally in the market for a device that combines my cell phone, my Creative Zen Xtra 30gb jukebox, and a PDA. Apple currently has nothing for the first rqmt, the best-of-breed for the second, and nothing for the third. Palm has one and three covered.
This one, I'm excited about. Stay tuned.
Scott Adams on the Cartoon Jihad
Scott Adams (the Dilbert guy) has an interesting take on the Great Danish Cartoon Jihad. All I'm going to say is, don't make a cartoonist mad.
Hamas might be "ready to talk" - Oh really?
According to the BBC, Hamas says it's willing to talk truce w/ Israel, provided the Israelis meet certain "conditions". One of these conditions is pulling back to pre-1967 borders.
Ariel Sharon was on his way to pulling back from large portions of the West Bank, but on Israel's terms, not those of Hamas.
This is the way to continue, in my opinion. Hamas is not interested in long-term peace with Israel. They state in their charter they are committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. Maybe they've changed, as they claim. But they've got to prove it first.
Until they prove they've changed, Hamas should not dictate anything to Israel. The Israelis are well along in their disengagement from the Palestinians. I say stay the course until Hamas or some other group proves they: 1) can effectively govern the Palestinian territories, 2) can prevent terrorism, and 3) are ready to seriously commit to a mutually-beneficial long-term solution.
Until then, I'm not really interested in anything the Palestinians and, especially, Hamas have to say. Hamas says they want to talk? Really? That's great. How about you call back when we can check off those three items above? In the meanwhile, the Israelis will continue to build the wall and prepare to live their lives without you. Thanks for calling.
I'm not there, and I don't know much about day-to-day life in Israel right now, but I sure do wish Sharon was healthy and running the show. He had the force of personality to continue the unilateral path he'd begun. Ehud Olmert and the rest of Israel's political leadership needs to prove they can do it too.
Ariel Sharon was on his way to pulling back from large portions of the West Bank, but on Israel's terms, not those of Hamas.
This is the way to continue, in my opinion. Hamas is not interested in long-term peace with Israel. They state in their charter they are committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. Maybe they've changed, as they claim. But they've got to prove it first.
Until they prove they've changed, Hamas should not dictate anything to Israel. The Israelis are well along in their disengagement from the Palestinians. I say stay the course until Hamas or some other group proves they: 1) can effectively govern the Palestinian territories, 2) can prevent terrorism, and 3) are ready to seriously commit to a mutually-beneficial long-term solution.
Until then, I'm not really interested in anything the Palestinians and, especially, Hamas have to say. Hamas says they want to talk? Really? That's great. How about you call back when we can check off those three items above? In the meanwhile, the Israelis will continue to build the wall and prepare to live their lives without you. Thanks for calling.
I'm not there, and I don't know much about day-to-day life in Israel right now, but I sure do wish Sharon was healthy and running the show. He had the force of personality to continue the unilateral path he'd begun. Ehud Olmert and the rest of Israel's political leadership needs to prove they can do it too.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Top 5 Hottest Women of all Time (Photographic Evidence subcategory)
This episode of Top 5 includes those women that we’ve actually got pictures of. Therefore, Cleopatra, Delilah, Joan of Arc, Dolly Madison, etc. are not candidates, and only those around in the past 100 years or so can qualify.
Of course, I rank my super-hot wife of 14 years at the top of any list of this sort. However, I owe it to posterity to include only those women who have been seen by the public-at-large. Hopefully, this will keep me out of trouble.
With that intro done, here’s the list:
5. Marilyn Monroe
The standard by which all are judged. Some are hotter, but she is still the gold standard for real women.
4. Lynda Carter
In her Wonder Woman suit, Lynda Carter was the first woman to have an entire television show revolve around her dressed in a revealing costume. Was there any other reason for that show to exist?
3. Jessica Alba
The top three are, to me, almost interchangeable. Someone needs to talk to young Jessica about her choice in roles. She has the potential to take over number 1, if she can get a couple of Body Heat-type roles.
2. Angelina Jolie
Easily (for my money) the sexiest woman on planet Earth. She’s come back to reality after her super-whack-out marriage to Billy Bob Thornton.
1. Catherine Zeta-Jones
The classic beauty. Her appearance in Zorro was an eye-opener of the highest order. She’s done nothing but get better since. Only detracting factor is her marriage to that fossil Michael Douglas. Even that is not enough to knock her out of the top spot, though.
Honorable Mention:
Salma Hayek
Barbara Eden
Heather Locklear
Jacqueline Smith
Ziyi Zhang
Sophia Lauren
Of course, I rank my super-hot wife of 14 years at the top of any list of this sort. However, I owe it to posterity to include only those women who have been seen by the public-at-large. Hopefully, this will keep me out of trouble.
With that intro done, here’s the list:
5. Marilyn Monroe
The standard by which all are judged. Some are hotter, but she is still the gold standard for real women.
4. Lynda Carter
In her Wonder Woman suit, Lynda Carter was the first woman to have an entire television show revolve around her dressed in a revealing costume. Was there any other reason for that show to exist?
3. Jessica Alba
The top three are, to me, almost interchangeable. Someone needs to talk to young Jessica about her choice in roles. She has the potential to take over number 1, if she can get a couple of Body Heat-type roles.
2. Angelina Jolie
Easily (for my money) the sexiest woman on planet Earth. She’s come back to reality after her super-whack-out marriage to Billy Bob Thornton.
1. Catherine Zeta-Jones
The classic beauty. Her appearance in Zorro was an eye-opener of the highest order. She’s done nothing but get better since. Only detracting factor is her marriage to that fossil Michael Douglas. Even that is not enough to knock her out of the top spot, though.
Honorable Mention:
Salma Hayek
Barbara Eden
Heather Locklear
Jacqueline Smith
Ziyi Zhang
Sophia Lauren
Monday, February 06, 2006
I hate the Super Bowl
This blog is called “Curmudgeon-In-Training”, but I rarely post anything at all curmudgeonish. Well, read on, ‘cause that’s about to change.
While attempting to drum up some interest in yesterday’s “big game” (Who am I kidding? I was trying drum up some paying of attention. “Interest” was out of the question from word go.), it occurred to me that I hate the Super Bowl.
Not “dislike”, nor “feel strongly negative about”, or any other less-harsh descriptor. Hate. I hate it. As in, I have “a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action”, which is, in my case, writing this post.
To illustrate my point, here’s a brief lists of the positives and negatives of this event, strictly from my selfish and unappreciative point-of-view:
Positives:
1. World (although I question this – where are the Canadians?) championship of American football.
2 The game that everyone plays the entire season to reach. The goal.
3. Um, that’s it. I got nothing.
Negatives
1. So effing over-blown it makes me want to puke. Nothing on Earth, except maybe (maybe!) the arrival of the Messiah, needs a 5-hour pre-game show. There is no way the game could ever live up to the pre-sell. Even if you used Bill and Ted’s phone booth to assemble every great football player who ever lived, in his prime, and put them on the field in a true “All-Star” game, it wouldn’t live up to the hype that is the modern Super Bowl. Hell, the Civil War and WWI didn’t live up this much hype. I think the Revolution and WWII did, though. My opinion.
2. Over-commercialized to the point of being a parody of itself. I found myself reaching for the off switch right about the time Marv Albert told me that an official review of a play (Hasselbeck’s non-fumble in the 4th) was the “Barbisol Close Shave Play of the Game”. This after HOURS of assault on my resolve not to buy the ridiculous nonsense being hurled at me non-stop during the TV and radio broadcast.
3. Inanity heaped upon inanity. The halftime recap from Berman, Jackson, Irvin, and Young was the least-insightful talk about a football game I have ever heard from so-called sports broadcasting professionals. While I can no longer stomach Berman (hey, that’s pretty funny), and I think Steve Young is as bad on TV as he was good on the field, I do have high opinions of Tom Jackson and Mike Irvin as broadcasters (certainly not for Irvin as a human). I think they know what they’re talking about most of the time. You’d never know it from their comments yesterday. The reason (my opinion): They had about 10 seconds each, and they were under instructions from ABC to dumb it down for the 150 million viewers who never watch football on TV. Plus they had to shout. And it went that way all week. Men and women who know what they’re talking about and who have something to say were reduced to speaking in 15-second sound bites that conveyed no information worth knowing. What a time-waste.
4. Input on a football game from people who know nothing about football. While the true experts were being muzzled, we spent hours upon hours witnessing the equivalent of the painful “man-on-the-street” interview. It seems like the less a person knew about the match-up or the game of football itself, the more opportunities they had to speak into a microphone. Don’t let Michael Irvin tell what he knows to be true from personal experience in big games and his relationships with the players who are going to be on the field. But let’s let Ed from Watauga (who’s only at the Super Bowl because he threw a football through the Dunlop Super Tire while riding a flaming tricycle in the big contest at NTB back in August) to spout off for a minute and a half on how Troy Polamalu’s speed allows the Pittsburgh defense to disguise both blitzes and coverages. Hey Ed, while you’re up there, what do you forsee in Israel now that Hamas has won the elections and Ariel Sharon is getting his falafel through a tube?
5. Sponsors, spokespeople, and general hangers-on are self-congratulatory to a stomach-emptying extreme. Highly paid senior executives of enormous corporations are the only ones able to buy their way into this party, then they spend the entire week congratulating each other and themselves for being able to be there. By virtue of the fact that they can buy their way in, they get the privilege of spouting off their uninformed opinions and unfunny schtick to an audience which is encouraged to think of these wankers as knowledgeable and interesting because they are in a position to buy their way into the party in the first place! Who are these people and why should I listen to them about ANYTHING?
6. The stench of greed (or, at the very least, the appearance of greed) rubs off on everyone associated with the thing. Remember when the Rolling Stones were young, angry, and anti-Establishment? Neither do I. Those days are so far behind Mick and the boys that it’s hard to believe they were once viewed as “dangerous”. Why were they there last night? To reach a bigger audience? For the exposure? Hell no. They got money-whipped. And just think for a second about how much money it takes to money-whip the Rolling Stones. Then multiply that by the number of people, organizations, groups, etc who sell their name, talent, message, etc to “the cause” (ABC, the NFL, and whoever else made money on that freak show). What’s the word I’m looking for here? Oh, yeah. Prostitution.
Yes, I know that this is the ultimate expression of “free enterprise”, and, given that, you would expect me to be a supporter of it. Let there be no mistake, I am a fan of free enterprise and heartily oppose most, if not all, attempts to curb it. But the Super Bowl represents the extreme end of free enterprise. And like extremism of all stripes (religious, political, musical, etc), extreme free enterprise is, to me, something that is very difficult to like or support.
So, what’s to be done? Am I calling for a boycott of the NFL? No. A consumer strike against Super Bowl advertising? Absolutely not. Storming ABC headquarters like it was the Bastille, and beheading Chris Berman? Well, maybe the last part.
No, there’s no call to action here. I don’t expect anyone to take action on my opinion on a subject that, in truth, means so little in the scheme of things. I don’t even expect you to agree with me. The Super Bowl is the annually the highest rated telecast on TV (by a WIDE margin, too) for a reason. Most of you out there seem to like it just fine as is.
All I wanted to do in this post was vent a bit (mission accomplished), and give the NFL and the networks notice that they are losing me. I know they don’t care, why would they? But, maybe, I’m not the only one…
While attempting to drum up some interest in yesterday’s “big game” (Who am I kidding? I was trying drum up some paying of attention. “Interest” was out of the question from word go.), it occurred to me that I hate the Super Bowl.
Not “dislike”, nor “feel strongly negative about”, or any other less-harsh descriptor. Hate. I hate it. As in, I have “a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action”, which is, in my case, writing this post.
To illustrate my point, here’s a brief lists of the positives and negatives of this event, strictly from my selfish and unappreciative point-of-view:
Positives:
1. World (although I question this – where are the Canadians?) championship of American football.
2 The game that everyone plays the entire season to reach. The goal.
3. Um, that’s it. I got nothing.
Negatives
1. So effing over-blown it makes me want to puke. Nothing on Earth, except maybe (maybe!) the arrival of the Messiah, needs a 5-hour pre-game show. There is no way the game could ever live up to the pre-sell. Even if you used Bill and Ted’s phone booth to assemble every great football player who ever lived, in his prime, and put them on the field in a true “All-Star” game, it wouldn’t live up to the hype that is the modern Super Bowl. Hell, the Civil War and WWI didn’t live up this much hype. I think the Revolution and WWII did, though. My opinion.
2. Over-commercialized to the point of being a parody of itself. I found myself reaching for the off switch right about the time Marv Albert told me that an official review of a play (Hasselbeck’s non-fumble in the 4th) was the “Barbisol Close Shave Play of the Game”. This after HOURS of assault on my resolve not to buy the ridiculous nonsense being hurled at me non-stop during the TV and radio broadcast.
3. Inanity heaped upon inanity. The halftime recap from Berman, Jackson, Irvin, and Young was the least-insightful talk about a football game I have ever heard from so-called sports broadcasting professionals. While I can no longer stomach Berman (hey, that’s pretty funny), and I think Steve Young is as bad on TV as he was good on the field, I do have high opinions of Tom Jackson and Mike Irvin as broadcasters (certainly not for Irvin as a human). I think they know what they’re talking about most of the time. You’d never know it from their comments yesterday. The reason (my opinion): They had about 10 seconds each, and they were under instructions from ABC to dumb it down for the 150 million viewers who never watch football on TV. Plus they had to shout. And it went that way all week. Men and women who know what they’re talking about and who have something to say were reduced to speaking in 15-second sound bites that conveyed no information worth knowing. What a time-waste.
4. Input on a football game from people who know nothing about football. While the true experts were being muzzled, we spent hours upon hours witnessing the equivalent of the painful “man-on-the-street” interview. It seems like the less a person knew about the match-up or the game of football itself, the more opportunities they had to speak into a microphone. Don’t let Michael Irvin tell what he knows to be true from personal experience in big games and his relationships with the players who are going to be on the field. But let’s let Ed from Watauga (who’s only at the Super Bowl because he threw a football through the Dunlop Super Tire while riding a flaming tricycle in the big contest at NTB back in August) to spout off for a minute and a half on how Troy Polamalu’s speed allows the Pittsburgh defense to disguise both blitzes and coverages. Hey Ed, while you’re up there, what do you forsee in Israel now that Hamas has won the elections and Ariel Sharon is getting his falafel through a tube?
5. Sponsors, spokespeople, and general hangers-on are self-congratulatory to a stomach-emptying extreme. Highly paid senior executives of enormous corporations are the only ones able to buy their way into this party, then they spend the entire week congratulating each other and themselves for being able to be there. By virtue of the fact that they can buy their way in, they get the privilege of spouting off their uninformed opinions and unfunny schtick to an audience which is encouraged to think of these wankers as knowledgeable and interesting because they are in a position to buy their way into the party in the first place! Who are these people and why should I listen to them about ANYTHING?
6. The stench of greed (or, at the very least, the appearance of greed) rubs off on everyone associated with the thing. Remember when the Rolling Stones were young, angry, and anti-Establishment? Neither do I. Those days are so far behind Mick and the boys that it’s hard to believe they were once viewed as “dangerous”. Why were they there last night? To reach a bigger audience? For the exposure? Hell no. They got money-whipped. And just think for a second about how much money it takes to money-whip the Rolling Stones. Then multiply that by the number of people, organizations, groups, etc who sell their name, talent, message, etc to “the cause” (ABC, the NFL, and whoever else made money on that freak show). What’s the word I’m looking for here? Oh, yeah. Prostitution.
Yes, I know that this is the ultimate expression of “free enterprise”, and, given that, you would expect me to be a supporter of it. Let there be no mistake, I am a fan of free enterprise and heartily oppose most, if not all, attempts to curb it. But the Super Bowl represents the extreme end of free enterprise. And like extremism of all stripes (religious, political, musical, etc), extreme free enterprise is, to me, something that is very difficult to like or support.
So, what’s to be done? Am I calling for a boycott of the NFL? No. A consumer strike against Super Bowl advertising? Absolutely not. Storming ABC headquarters like it was the Bastille, and beheading Chris Berman? Well, maybe the last part.
No, there’s no call to action here. I don’t expect anyone to take action on my opinion on a subject that, in truth, means so little in the scheme of things. I don’t even expect you to agree with me. The Super Bowl is the annually the highest rated telecast on TV (by a WIDE margin, too) for a reason. Most of you out there seem to like it just fine as is.
All I wanted to do in this post was vent a bit (mission accomplished), and give the NFL and the networks notice that they are losing me. I know they don’t care, why would they? But, maybe, I’m not the only one…
Cartoons from the Arab World
Just in case you were wondering what "acceptable" political cartoons look like in Arab media, here are a bunch of 'em from various sources.
The examples on the page linked above are apparently very typical. All of them are offensive as hell, to Jews and Americans. And no one burns any buildings or shoots anyone when they are printed.
Hmmmmm.
The examples on the page linked above are apparently very typical. All of them are offensive as hell, to Jews and Americans. And no one burns any buildings or shoots anyone when they are printed.
Hmmmmm.
Headlines that say it all
"Iran new focus of caricature protests" and "Cartoon fury".
I repeat, what is wrong with these people?
I repeat, what is wrong with these people?
Friday, February 03, 2006
Borat hits the big screen
I didn't even know this was in the works, but, according to Moriarty from Ain't It Cool News, Sacha Baron Cohen has brought Borat to the big screen. And, according to the review posted on AICN, it's a scream.
I can't wait!
I can't wait!
Hamas is elected, students of history know what to expect now
I have avoided posting anything on events in the recent Palestinian elections for a simple reason: I just didn't have the words to adequately describe my dismay at the results and my fears for what the future will hold.
Richard Cohen's column in today's Dallas Morning News (and the WaPo, and probably all over the place) sums up my feelings pretty well. Hamas, he reminds us, has clearly and distinctly called for the destruction of Israel. So, now that they are going to be governing the Palestinian territories, we're supposed to forget about that?
Cohen goes on to draw parallels between the Weimar government of Germany in the late 1920's and early 1930's and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. In both cases, corruption and lawlessness were rampant, and civil society was breaking down. In this environment, in both cases, a radical, ultra-conservative party, who had previously and publicly stated some rather extreme goals (anyone out there read Mein Kampf?), came along, promised to pick up the trash or make the trains run on time, and won stunning victories at the polls.
Cohen takes pains not to directly compare Hamas to the Nazis, but that's because he has to. He's a national columnist who would prefer not to risk offending the sensitive in the Palestinian or larger Muslim community.
I, however, am a nobody blogger from Middle America, and am under no such restrictions, so I'll go ahead and say it: I am scared to death at what this portends for Israel and the Middle East. Jews in the Middle East today are in a MUCH better position to protect themselves than they were in Weimar Germany, but that doesn't change the fact that this is as scary a situation as has existed since the Yom Kippur War in 1974.
We have no choice but to let this play out. However, Hamas does NOT deserve the benefit of the doubt. They have to take some positive actions before I'm going to give them any rope at all. I know the Israelis are thinking the same way. I sincerely hope the Bush administration is as well. And, as for the Palestinian apologists in Europe and elsewhere: You can stick your heads in the sand all you want, but, to me, this is exactly the reason we study history.
Richard Cohen's column in today's Dallas Morning News (and the WaPo, and probably all over the place) sums up my feelings pretty well. Hamas, he reminds us, has clearly and distinctly called for the destruction of Israel. So, now that they are going to be governing the Palestinian territories, we're supposed to forget about that?
Cohen goes on to draw parallels between the Weimar government of Germany in the late 1920's and early 1930's and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority. In both cases, corruption and lawlessness were rampant, and civil society was breaking down. In this environment, in both cases, a radical, ultra-conservative party, who had previously and publicly stated some rather extreme goals (anyone out there read Mein Kampf?), came along, promised to pick up the trash or make the trains run on time, and won stunning victories at the polls.
Cohen takes pains not to directly compare Hamas to the Nazis, but that's because he has to. He's a national columnist who would prefer not to risk offending the sensitive in the Palestinian or larger Muslim community.
I, however, am a nobody blogger from Middle America, and am under no such restrictions, so I'll go ahead and say it: I am scared to death at what this portends for Israel and the Middle East. Jews in the Middle East today are in a MUCH better position to protect themselves than they were in Weimar Germany, but that doesn't change the fact that this is as scary a situation as has existed since the Yom Kippur War in 1974.
We have no choice but to let this play out. However, Hamas does NOT deserve the benefit of the doubt. They have to take some positive actions before I'm going to give them any rope at all. I know the Israelis are thinking the same way. I sincerely hope the Bush administration is as well. And, as for the Palestinian apologists in Europe and elsewhere: You can stick your heads in the sand all you want, but, to me, this is exactly the reason we study history.
A&M pays players? SHOCKING!!
I am shocked, shocked, to hear that Texas A&M might be paying it's football players. Good heavens. Who woulda thunk it?
Does anyone out there really believe major college football programs aren't paying their players? Every single one of them, no exception, is "cheating" in some way or another. Every single one of them could be on probation tomorrow if the NCAA wanted to dig just a little bit.
Terrence McCoy from Midland Lee was just callin' 'em like he sees 'em. I'm sure there are plenty of people around College Station suffering from severe pucker-factor until this one blows by.
Does anyone out there really believe major college football programs aren't paying their players? Every single one of them, no exception, is "cheating" in some way or another. Every single one of them could be on probation tomorrow if the NCAA wanted to dig just a little bit.
Terrence McCoy from Midland Lee was just callin' 'em like he sees 'em. I'm sure there are plenty of people around College Station suffering from severe pucker-factor until this one blows by.
Muslim outrage over cartoons grows more strident
Michelle Malkin has a thorough round-up of coverage of this truly ridiculous story.
Will someone please explain to me why this is the biggest and most critical issue in the Muslim world? Why are Muslims not protesting equally vociferously about their fascist governments, grinding poverty, crap education systems, or increasingly poor image in the rest of the world?
I am completely baffled by this.
UPDATE: These pictures speak for themselves. What is wrong with these people?
Will someone please explain to me why this is the biggest and most critical issue in the Muslim world? Why are Muslims not protesting equally vociferously about their fascist governments, grinding poverty, crap education systems, or increasingly poor image in the rest of the world?
I am completely baffled by this.
UPDATE: These pictures speak for themselves. What is wrong with these people?
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Genius office practical joke
Here's a great one from Geeding over at Bag of Nothing. So simple, yet so effective. Why don't I think of gags this great?
Sports sanity check
We've become quite tech-heavy lately here at CIT. I don't apologize for it, as tech and work stuff has been top-of-mind a lot recently. However, there is much going on in the world of ssssppppoooorrrrrtttttzzzz, and I wouldn't want to get too far away from it without commenting a bit.
In classic CIT fashion, let's scatter-shoot a bit (while wondering what ever happened to Gabe Kaplan after Kotter got cancelled), shall we?
Your Dallas Stars
Streaking up the Western Conference standings, Tippett and Co. are as hot as any team in the league. Jussi Jokinen is well on his way to being a major star, just on his shootout ability. Quietly, this team is accomplishing some things. It's hard to get really worked up about the regular season in the NHL, but the Stars are worth watching right now.
The little Mavericks
Speaking of red-hot, the Mavericks 10-game winning streak has them tied with the champs at the top of the Western Conference, and not far behind Detroit for tops in the league. The Mavs have options all over the court, real depth, and the desire to play a bit of defense. I wonder about their killer instinct, however. The NBA is the last league to permit dynasties, and teams stay together long enough to develop real personalities. Detroit and San Antonio are clearly the class of their respective conferences. I don't think the Mavs are tough enough to beat Duncan and Co. I question Dirk's grit. This year is as good a time as any to prove me wrong.
Seattle vs. Pittsburgh - The Nation Snores
I've tried hard to work up some interest in Super Bowl XL, but have yet to succeed. There are absolutely zero compelling story lines here for me.
Jerome Bettis goes home - big deal. What's so great about Jerome Bettis? Longevity? He's an OK running back, but nothing spectacular. Cowher? He would have been fired after losing to the Cowboys in the '96 Super Bowl in any other town in the NFL. Even the Sgt Slaughter jokes have worn thin with me.
On the other side of the ball, I'm a little more interested in Seattle, but not much. Holmgren looks more and more like Doc from Snow White every year. Hasselbeck could be John Malkovich's little brother. And I have a suspicion that Shaun Alexander is gay (not that there's anything wrong about that).
To me, there's a bit of interest in the battle of the Samoans (or whatever they are): Polamalu and Tatupu. I'm leaning Lofa's way for two reasons: His dad was one of my favorites on the mid-80s Pats teams of my college days, and I like guys named after bath products (bada-BING). Seriously, why don't opponents yank the sh*t out of Troy Polamalu's hair on every down? I would.
There's the usual interest in the commercials, although I've already tried the Gillette Fusion, so that mystery is over. Maybe Jessica Alba will show up in one or two - probably not, but it's something to hope for.
Even the Stones hold little interest for me. OK, they were great. Top 5 All Time, no argument at all. But they're ANCIENT. Enough already. I hope to God that U2 has more class than to flog their act until they're 60.
The one and only truly motivating factor that is compelling me to watch is ABC's HD setup. It will be bigger and better than anything ever televised. And I am SO happy w/ my HD set that I'll tune in for 5 hours of inanity just to see it crystal-clear perfection.
In classic CIT fashion, let's scatter-shoot a bit (while wondering what ever happened to Gabe Kaplan after Kotter got cancelled), shall we?
Your Dallas Stars
Streaking up the Western Conference standings, Tippett and Co. are as hot as any team in the league. Jussi Jokinen is well on his way to being a major star, just on his shootout ability. Quietly, this team is accomplishing some things. It's hard to get really worked up about the regular season in the NHL, but the Stars are worth watching right now.
The little Mavericks
Speaking of red-hot, the Mavericks 10-game winning streak has them tied with the champs at the top of the Western Conference, and not far behind Detroit for tops in the league. The Mavs have options all over the court, real depth, and the desire to play a bit of defense. I wonder about their killer instinct, however. The NBA is the last league to permit dynasties, and teams stay together long enough to develop real personalities. Detroit and San Antonio are clearly the class of their respective conferences. I don't think the Mavs are tough enough to beat Duncan and Co. I question Dirk's grit. This year is as good a time as any to prove me wrong.
Seattle vs. Pittsburgh - The Nation Snores
I've tried hard to work up some interest in Super Bowl XL, but have yet to succeed. There are absolutely zero compelling story lines here for me.
Jerome Bettis goes home - big deal. What's so great about Jerome Bettis? Longevity? He's an OK running back, but nothing spectacular. Cowher? He would have been fired after losing to the Cowboys in the '96 Super Bowl in any other town in the NFL. Even the Sgt Slaughter jokes have worn thin with me.
On the other side of the ball, I'm a little more interested in Seattle, but not much. Holmgren looks more and more like Doc from Snow White every year. Hasselbeck could be John Malkovich's little brother. And I have a suspicion that Shaun Alexander is gay (not that there's anything wrong about that).
To me, there's a bit of interest in the battle of the Samoans (or whatever they are): Polamalu and Tatupu. I'm leaning Lofa's way for two reasons: His dad was one of my favorites on the mid-80s Pats teams of my college days, and I like guys named after bath products (bada-BING). Seriously, why don't opponents yank the sh*t out of Troy Polamalu's hair on every down? I would.
There's the usual interest in the commercials, although I've already tried the Gillette Fusion, so that mystery is over. Maybe Jessica Alba will show up in one or two - probably not, but it's something to hope for.
Even the Stones hold little interest for me. OK, they were great. Top 5 All Time, no argument at all. But they're ANCIENT. Enough already. I hope to God that U2 has more class than to flog their act until they're 60.
The one and only truly motivating factor that is compelling me to watch is ABC's HD setup. It will be bigger and better than anything ever televised. And I am SO happy w/ my HD set that I'll tune in for 5 hours of inanity just to see it crystal-clear perfection.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Blackberry patent brouhaha - Wired's take
I have been a loyal subscriber and big fan of Wired magazine and it's various Web publications for more than 10 years. I find myself agreeing with the editors and writers of Wired more often than not, and almost always find merit in their arguments. In other words, I think they're a bunch of smart people.
Robert Strohmeyer, the editor of Wired's Gear Factor blog, has posted a strongly-worded opinion piece regarding the RIM vs. NTP wireless-email-patent-encroachment imbroglio. The bottom line: Strohmeyer believes that, even though NTP has some legitimacy to it's claim, RIM should win the case. His reasoning: NTP's patents are vaguely worded descriptions of obvious services, and RIM has spent a ton of time and dough making the concept into an essential reality.
My wife holds one patent and is applying for a second, so I am extremely sensitive to the rights of patent holders. The entire idea of patent law is to protect the inventor from larger, less-scrupulous entities who would exploit the little guy's genius.
With that said, I come down on Strohmeyer's side on this one. RIM has taken a concept (wireless email) from being a really good, but unexecuted, idea and has, through the application of a lot of money, time, and effort, turned it into a critical component of modern business communication. The working end result, the Blackberry wireless communicator, represents the creative efforts of thousands of people and millions of dollars, all of which were employed well after Tom Campana (the principal of NTP) patented his vague thoughts regarding mobile text messaging.
This is, however, dangerous ground. A victory either way has serious repercussions. If RIM prevails, even though they probably should in this case, patent holders will have to reassess the value of their patents. If NTP prevails, then almost all electronics manufacturers, along with companies in many other fields, will have to pursue patent investigations with far more fervor, not to mention expense - and you know who's going to foot the bill for that, don't you? Why, you are. Thanks so much.
The whole episode has been a thought-provoker with no obvious "right" answer. I think Strohmeyer and Wired make a good case for what they think the right answer is, but there's plenty of room for argument.
Read the whole thing!
Robert Strohmeyer, the editor of Wired's Gear Factor blog, has posted a strongly-worded opinion piece regarding the RIM vs. NTP wireless-email-patent-encroachment imbroglio. The bottom line: Strohmeyer believes that, even though NTP has some legitimacy to it's claim, RIM should win the case. His reasoning: NTP's patents are vaguely worded descriptions of obvious services, and RIM has spent a ton of time and dough making the concept into an essential reality.
My wife holds one patent and is applying for a second, so I am extremely sensitive to the rights of patent holders. The entire idea of patent law is to protect the inventor from larger, less-scrupulous entities who would exploit the little guy's genius.
With that said, I come down on Strohmeyer's side on this one. RIM has taken a concept (wireless email) from being a really good, but unexecuted, idea and has, through the application of a lot of money, time, and effort, turned it into a critical component of modern business communication. The working end result, the Blackberry wireless communicator, represents the creative efforts of thousands of people and millions of dollars, all of which were employed well after Tom Campana (the principal of NTP) patented his vague thoughts regarding mobile text messaging.
This is, however, dangerous ground. A victory either way has serious repercussions. If RIM prevails, even though they probably should in this case, patent holders will have to reassess the value of their patents. If NTP prevails, then almost all electronics manufacturers, along with companies in many other fields, will have to pursue patent investigations with far more fervor, not to mention expense - and you know who's going to foot the bill for that, don't you? Why, you are. Thanks so much.
The whole episode has been a thought-provoker with no obvious "right" answer. I think Strohmeyer and Wired make a good case for what they think the right answer is, but there's plenty of room for argument.
Read the whole thing!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Oh, CRAP!!
Prepare yourselves, frequent air travelers, for the specter of "More Important Than You Guy" yapping away on his cell phone in the seat next to you on your next red eye flight.
Is NOTHING sacred?
I'm going to start a petition to allow electric cattle prods on commercial flights, so I can deliver a nice, friendly 20,000 volts to the first a-hole I hear utter the phrase, "Talkin' to you from 30,000 feet, buddy."
Is NOTHING sacred?
I'm going to start a petition to allow electric cattle prods on commercial flights, so I can deliver a nice, friendly 20,000 volts to the first a-hole I hear utter the phrase, "Talkin' to you from 30,000 feet, buddy."
Microsoft Project Conference 2006 impressions
It's been two weeks since the Microsoft Project Conference was held in Seattle, so it's WAY past time for me to post some of my impressions from the event. Without further ado:
The conference was an excellent event in just about every way that matters. I liked the content, the execution, the venue, the attendees, the food, even the weather and the chairs. I have no major complaints of any sort, and only a few little quibbles to honk about.
Some specifics:
First and foremost, Microsoft Office Project 12 looks like an enormous improvement in just about every major area of the product. The desktop client is still with us, and some usability improvements (multi-level undo and highlighted schedule changes being the biggest) make this the easiest-to-use version of the venerable MS Project product ever. The communication between Project Pro and Project Server looks to be much better thought-out and more efficient, although I really want to see it working - I have concerns about keeping info synchronized between the desktop and the server. PWA does a heck of a lot more than it used to, is much cleaner, and is easier to modify - all thanks to it's newfound status as a legit SharePoint app. Better reporting, more configuration changes, and more-solidified time reporting make the product finally (I think) ready for prime time.
EVERYONE in the tiny, incestuous world of EPM was there. I ran across folks I've worked with, customers, contacts from Microsoft, bloggers, MVPs, contractors, VARs, partners, competitors, and others from all over the EPM ecosystem. It was tremendous to connect/reconnect with so many people in the field.
Microsoft usually puts on a good show, and this was one of the best that I've seen. The Westin in Seattle is a first-rate hotel, rooms were scheduled correctly, signage was omni-present and helpful, the Westin staff was omni-present and helpful, the food was plentiful and, for the most part, very good (although I wound up having a salami sandwich for breakfast one morning - what's up w/ that?).
Speakers and sessions were uniformly good and appropriate. I have to complain a bit about how jammed the schedule was. I counted at least 5 breakout-slots where I wanted to be in at least two different sessions, and in some cases three or more. There was EASILY enough content to justify a four-day conference. We'll get all of the material on a DVD in the next few weeks, but my experience w/ conference DVDs is they are usually good cures for insomnia. We were all there, and I think a lot of participants would echo my thoughts on extending the duration of the conference so we could get to more of the content.
INS was well represented both in attendees and visibility. We had an appropriate number of people at the conference, although more would have been OK too. We were a Gold Sponsor of the event, so INS signs were everywhere. Sandy Sharma (my hero) did a couple of breakout sessions and did a masterful demo on-stage w/ Steve Ballmer during the keynote on Thursday. Even your goofy correspondent got into the action, presenting w/ my pals at Project Hosts during one of the breakfast sessions.
To sum it all up, the Project Conference was a great experience, in large part because the news from Microsoft is all good with regard to the product, and in smaller part due to the planning and execution of the event itself, and the response from the EPM community in terms of attendance and participation.
You can read more about the conference from Dieter, Dr. Porkchop, MPA, Jack Dahlgren, Brian Kennemer, and probably a bunch of other places I don't even know about.
The conference was an excellent event in just about every way that matters. I liked the content, the execution, the venue, the attendees, the food, even the weather and the chairs. I have no major complaints of any sort, and only a few little quibbles to honk about.
Some specifics:
First and foremost, Microsoft Office Project 12 looks like an enormous improvement in just about every major area of the product. The desktop client is still with us, and some usability improvements (multi-level undo and highlighted schedule changes being the biggest) make this the easiest-to-use version of the venerable MS Project product ever. The communication between Project Pro and Project Server looks to be much better thought-out and more efficient, although I really want to see it working - I have concerns about keeping info synchronized between the desktop and the server. PWA does a heck of a lot more than it used to, is much cleaner, and is easier to modify - all thanks to it's newfound status as a legit SharePoint app. Better reporting, more configuration changes, and more-solidified time reporting make the product finally (I think) ready for prime time.
EVERYONE in the tiny, incestuous world of EPM was there. I ran across folks I've worked with, customers, contacts from Microsoft, bloggers, MVPs, contractors, VARs, partners, competitors, and others from all over the EPM ecosystem. It was tremendous to connect/reconnect with so many people in the field.
Microsoft usually puts on a good show, and this was one of the best that I've seen. The Westin in Seattle is a first-rate hotel, rooms were scheduled correctly, signage was omni-present and helpful, the Westin staff was omni-present and helpful, the food was plentiful and, for the most part, very good (although I wound up having a salami sandwich for breakfast one morning - what's up w/ that?).
Speakers and sessions were uniformly good and appropriate. I have to complain a bit about how jammed the schedule was. I counted at least 5 breakout-slots where I wanted to be in at least two different sessions, and in some cases three or more. There was EASILY enough content to justify a four-day conference. We'll get all of the material on a DVD in the next few weeks, but my experience w/ conference DVDs is they are usually good cures for insomnia. We were all there, and I think a lot of participants would echo my thoughts on extending the duration of the conference so we could get to more of the content.
INS was well represented both in attendees and visibility. We had an appropriate number of people at the conference, although more would have been OK too. We were a Gold Sponsor of the event, so INS signs were everywhere. Sandy Sharma (my hero) did a couple of breakout sessions and did a masterful demo on-stage w/ Steve Ballmer during the keynote on Thursday. Even your goofy correspondent got into the action, presenting w/ my pals at Project Hosts during one of the breakfast sessions.
To sum it all up, the Project Conference was a great experience, in large part because the news from Microsoft is all good with regard to the product, and in smaller part due to the planning and execution of the event itself, and the response from the EPM community in terms of attendance and participation.
You can read more about the conference from Dieter, Dr. Porkchop, MPA, Jack Dahlgren, Brian Kennemer, and probably a bunch of other places I don't even know about.
Oracle: More mess for your money
Niel Robertson, the Chief Technology Officer for a PeopleSoft support outfit called Newmerix, has written a blog post covering Oracle's recent "Halfway to Fusion" event.
Oracle, in case you didn't know, has recently purchased PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, and Siebel in an effort to become all things to all people and to compete effectively in the ERP market with the big boys at SAP. "Fusion" is Oracle-speak for the combined platform they hope to weave out of the hodgepodge of home-grown and acquired toolsets, applications, and suites. Oracle claims to be "Halfway to Fusion", but the smart money is they are nowhere near the midpoint of the journey.
Robertson's post is a tongue-in-cheek (but, I think, fair and accurate) assessment of the true meaning behind things said and unsaid by Oracle execs at the event. Most of it is not terribly good news for the current Oracle, PS, JDE, and/or Siebel user base.
If your company uses (or is considering using) any of Oracle's products, you MUST read this post.
If you're in technology sales and compete against Oracle, this is also required reading, as your job just got a lot easier.
And, if you're like me and simply wish failure on Larry Ellison at every opportunity, it is a worthwhile read as well. Lots of fodder for your next speech.
Oracle, in case you didn't know, has recently purchased PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, and Siebel in an effort to become all things to all people and to compete effectively in the ERP market with the big boys at SAP. "Fusion" is Oracle-speak for the combined platform they hope to weave out of the hodgepodge of home-grown and acquired toolsets, applications, and suites. Oracle claims to be "Halfway to Fusion", but the smart money is they are nowhere near the midpoint of the journey.
Robertson's post is a tongue-in-cheek (but, I think, fair and accurate) assessment of the true meaning behind things said and unsaid by Oracle execs at the event. Most of it is not terribly good news for the current Oracle, PS, JDE, and/or Siebel user base.
If your company uses (or is considering using) any of Oracle's products, you MUST read this post.
If you're in technology sales and compete against Oracle, this is also required reading, as your job just got a lot easier.
And, if you're like me and simply wish failure on Larry Ellison at every opportunity, it is a worthwhile read as well. Lots of fodder for your next speech.
Monday, January 30, 2006
SuperBowl XL mega-HD setup
This weekend's SuperBowl will be the biggest HD event yet, with ABC deploying HD cameras all over the place. This is great, but I can't wait for the day when this isn't news at all, because EVERYTHING is in HD.
Gillette Fusion Power verdict: Not bad, too pricey
As usual, I did the family grocery shopping yesterday. While I was looking for shampoo for the wife, I saw the new Gillette Fusion Power razor handle and blades on display, along with the "Shopping Card Saving" tag. The new package is an eye-catcher for sure, full of Microsoft Office Orange and shiny, curvy plastic, so I took a closer look. Turns out our friendly neighborhood grocery store had these babies for $5 off for both the handle and the blades. Even with $10 knocked off the price, I still couldn't believe how expensive these things are. But, I'm a sucker for the latest thing, so I picked them up.
So, first shave with the new 5-blade (6 if you include the trimmer blade on the top) wonder is behind me and the verdict is: Not bad at all.
Some impressions: The Power version vibrates like crazy. It seems kind of strange to be manually shaving with a power razor, but I suppose I'll get used to that. The lubricating strip on this thing is MUCH better than the strip on the Mach 3 or Sensor. The shave is very comfortable, there's no razor burn at all, and it is easily the closest shave I've ever gotten. I'm writing this at 5:20 p.m. and I've got some stubble, but it's noticeably less than usual.
I'm still choking on the price of blades, but, if I can find coupons, I may go with it long term. I would not pay full price for either the handle or the blades, but at a discount, I recommend it.
So, first shave with the new 5-blade (6 if you include the trimmer blade on the top) wonder is behind me and the verdict is: Not bad at all.
Some impressions: The Power version vibrates like crazy. It seems kind of strange to be manually shaving with a power razor, but I suppose I'll get used to that. The lubricating strip on this thing is MUCH better than the strip on the Mach 3 or Sensor. The shave is very comfortable, there's no razor burn at all, and it is easily the closest shave I've ever gotten. I'm writing this at 5:20 p.m. and I've got some stubble, but it's noticeably less than usual.
I'm still choking on the price of blades, but, if I can find coupons, I may go with it long term. I would not pay full price for either the handle or the blades, but at a discount, I recommend it.
Enron trial - watch out, David Blaine
The trial of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, the two head weasels in the Enron weasel-pit, begins today in Houston.
The pre-trial coverage seems to indicate that the defense will consist primarily of this amazing hypothesis: Enron was a healthy company right up until it's overnight collapse, and neither Lay nor Skilling did anything wrong.
Rrrriiiiiight.
The defense will argue that a combination of CFO Andrew Fastow's criminal activity (which he did only for his own misbegotten benefit, not the company's, you understand), over-zealous prosecutors, and media hysteria have brainwashed the public into believing nefarious deeds were perpetrated by anyone else within Enron. You've been duped, people!
This is pretty ballsy stuff. I give them an A+ for chutzpah.
I am pretty sure that the media is not very fair or even accurate in many cases, and the complexity of this case probably means that most of the reporters who cover it don't understand it (I know I sure don't, even though I am no reporter). As for the average American, I have no illusions that there's any real comprehension of what went on at Enron out there. Most people wouldn't know off-balance-sheet financing from shinola. The possibility of being duped is certainly there.
However, with all that disclaimer on the table, there's WAY too much smoke here for there to be no fire.
This whole thing makes me want to puke. The image that comes to mind is a bunch of rodents fighting inside a barrel of snot. I hope both Lay and Skilling wind up in the slam for decades. And no country club, either. Hard time with the skin-heads, Crips, and Mexican Mafia.
As little Susie Derkins once said in an immortal Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, "While I'm wishing, I want a pony."
I will be keeping an eye on this one. The lawyer slickness co-efficient looks to be very high, the fake-sincerity factor should be off the scale, and the condescension-to-fact ratio will be absolutely extraordinary. This has all the makings of classic, early-21st-century entertainment to me.
The pre-trial coverage seems to indicate that the defense will consist primarily of this amazing hypothesis: Enron was a healthy company right up until it's overnight collapse, and neither Lay nor Skilling did anything wrong.
Rrrriiiiiight.
The defense will argue that a combination of CFO Andrew Fastow's criminal activity (which he did only for his own misbegotten benefit, not the company's, you understand), over-zealous prosecutors, and media hysteria have brainwashed the public into believing nefarious deeds were perpetrated by anyone else within Enron. You've been duped, people!
This is pretty ballsy stuff. I give them an A+ for chutzpah.
I am pretty sure that the media is not very fair or even accurate in many cases, and the complexity of this case probably means that most of the reporters who cover it don't understand it (I know I sure don't, even though I am no reporter). As for the average American, I have no illusions that there's any real comprehension of what went on at Enron out there. Most people wouldn't know off-balance-sheet financing from shinola. The possibility of being duped is certainly there.
However, with all that disclaimer on the table, there's WAY too much smoke here for there to be no fire.
This whole thing makes me want to puke. The image that comes to mind is a bunch of rodents fighting inside a barrel of snot. I hope both Lay and Skilling wind up in the slam for decades. And no country club, either. Hard time with the skin-heads, Crips, and Mexican Mafia.
As little Susie Derkins once said in an immortal Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, "While I'm wishing, I want a pony."
I will be keeping an eye on this one. The lawyer slickness co-efficient looks to be very high, the fake-sincerity factor should be off the scale, and the condescension-to-fact ratio will be absolutely extraordinary. This has all the makings of classic, early-21st-century entertainment to me.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Required reading before posting anything on the Internet
James Lileks has posted a set of tongue-in-cheek "rules for making a fool of yourself on the Internet" which should be read by anyone contemplating posting anything anywhere.
I especially like the first one. I haven't heard Mrs. Clinton referred to as "Hitlery", but it is a giggle nonetheless.
I especially like the first one. I haven't heard Mrs. Clinton referred to as "Hitlery", but it is a giggle nonetheless.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Top 5 sports moments – personally witnessed (live or on TV)
This installment of “Top 5” focuses on the sporting events that I have personally witnessed, either live or on TV. Not all are good memories, but they're all stories I tell from time to time.
I know, I cheated and got six onto the list. But they’re all great.
They are:
5. Red Sox vs. Mets, Game 6, 1986 World Series
This was the “Bill Buckner Game”. I was living in Boston, a well-hit 3-wood away from Fenway Park, and was a real band-wagon Red Sox fan. Regardless, I have never seen a collapse like the one we witnessed that night. After that, the Curse of the Bambino was very real for me.
4. Doug Flutie to Gerard Phelan, BC vs. Miami, Thanksgiving weekend 1984
Flutie-mania had gripped Boston for a while before this one, but I don’t know if he was much of a story around the nation. This was a GREAT game prior to the miracle, last-minute heave, but that play will be the one that everyone remembers. I was visiting a friend in Detroit and watching it on TV, and only caught that play out of the corner of my eye.
3. (tie) Troy Aikman to Alvin Harper on a slant, Cowboys vs. 49ers, NFC Championship 1993
The moment that signaled the changing of the guard at the top of the NFC. SF had ruled the late 80s, Dallas was coming on strong. This perfect throw and outstanding run-after-the-catch put the game away for the Cowboys, and turned the 90s into the Cowboys’ decade.
3. (tie) Vince Young turns in the greatest individual performance ever, Texas vs. USC, College Football National Championship 2006
I will be telling my grandkids about this one. Vince Young absolutely ruled the world that night, and the ‘Horns won their first National Championship in 30+ years. The single greatest college football game in history, bar none.
2. The Miracle on Ice, USA vs USSR, Hockey Tournament in the Winter Olympics 1980
It’s hokey, but it’s true – this moment transcended sports like nothing I have ever seen. Whether you knew anything about hockey or not, it didn’t matter. This was “us vs. them” in every sense of the phrase, and it signaled the end of a really crappy decade for the US. Reagan was elected later that year, but this is where the turnaround started. The most exciting live event I have ever seen on TV.
1. Cleon Daskalakis withstands 2 minutes of 5-on-3 hockey to win the Beanpot, 1985
I know. You’re going “huh?” Let me explain: The Beanpot is the college hockey tournament held in Boston every year, pitting Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, and Harvard against each other in the Fleet Center (it used to be in the old Garden). It’s a nothing outside of Boston, but it’s HUGE there. I was a student at BU, and we had very little to cheer for. Our football program was middle- to bottom-tier 1-AA, and was dropped a few years after I left. Our basketball team was nothing in those days. All we had was hockey. And the Beanpot was the highlight of the season. Our boys were playing our arch-rivals from BC, and the game was a nail-biter. BU had, as best as I can recall, a one goal lead late in the third period when we were saddled with two penalties. Cleon had been the star of the team for the past few years, and this was his senior season. He was a solid wall in goal, stoning close-in shot after close-in shot for the duration of that ridiculous 5-on-3. The BU crowd in the old Boston Garden was going absolutely nuts throughout. It was at that moment that I really envied the kids at Notre Dame or Duke or any other school that had a traditionally great program of one sort or another. It was BU’s shining sports moment in my four years there. I walked out of that game, which we did win, absolutely wrung out. I have never yelled louder, jumped up and down more, or poured more emotion into a sporting event before or since. And it was the greatest sports moment of my life.
Feel free to add your favorites, or to argue any of mine, in comments.
I know, I cheated and got six onto the list. But they’re all great.
They are:
5. Red Sox vs. Mets, Game 6, 1986 World Series
This was the “Bill Buckner Game”. I was living in Boston, a well-hit 3-wood away from Fenway Park, and was a real band-wagon Red Sox fan. Regardless, I have never seen a collapse like the one we witnessed that night. After that, the Curse of the Bambino was very real for me.
4. Doug Flutie to Gerard Phelan, BC vs. Miami, Thanksgiving weekend 1984
Flutie-mania had gripped Boston for a while before this one, but I don’t know if he was much of a story around the nation. This was a GREAT game prior to the miracle, last-minute heave, but that play will be the one that everyone remembers. I was visiting a friend in Detroit and watching it on TV, and only caught that play out of the corner of my eye.
3. (tie) Troy Aikman to Alvin Harper on a slant, Cowboys vs. 49ers, NFC Championship 1993
The moment that signaled the changing of the guard at the top of the NFC. SF had ruled the late 80s, Dallas was coming on strong. This perfect throw and outstanding run-after-the-catch put the game away for the Cowboys, and turned the 90s into the Cowboys’ decade.
3. (tie) Vince Young turns in the greatest individual performance ever, Texas vs. USC, College Football National Championship 2006
I will be telling my grandkids about this one. Vince Young absolutely ruled the world that night, and the ‘Horns won their first National Championship in 30+ years. The single greatest college football game in history, bar none.
2. The Miracle on Ice, USA vs USSR, Hockey Tournament in the Winter Olympics 1980
It’s hokey, but it’s true – this moment transcended sports like nothing I have ever seen. Whether you knew anything about hockey or not, it didn’t matter. This was “us vs. them” in every sense of the phrase, and it signaled the end of a really crappy decade for the US. Reagan was elected later that year, but this is where the turnaround started. The most exciting live event I have ever seen on TV.
1. Cleon Daskalakis withstands 2 minutes of 5-on-3 hockey to win the Beanpot, 1985
I know. You’re going “huh?” Let me explain: The Beanpot is the college hockey tournament held in Boston every year, pitting Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, and Harvard against each other in the Fleet Center (it used to be in the old Garden). It’s a nothing outside of Boston, but it’s HUGE there. I was a student at BU, and we had very little to cheer for. Our football program was middle- to bottom-tier 1-AA, and was dropped a few years after I left. Our basketball team was nothing in those days. All we had was hockey. And the Beanpot was the highlight of the season. Our boys were playing our arch-rivals from BC, and the game was a nail-biter. BU had, as best as I can recall, a one goal lead late in the third period when we were saddled with two penalties. Cleon had been the star of the team for the past few years, and this was his senior season. He was a solid wall in goal, stoning close-in shot after close-in shot for the duration of that ridiculous 5-on-3. The BU crowd in the old Boston Garden was going absolutely nuts throughout. It was at that moment that I really envied the kids at Notre Dame or Duke or any other school that had a traditionally great program of one sort or another. It was BU’s shining sports moment in my four years there. I walked out of that game, which we did win, absolutely wrung out. I have never yelled louder, jumped up and down more, or poured more emotion into a sporting event before or since. And it was the greatest sports moment of my life.
Feel free to add your favorites, or to argue any of mine, in comments.
YES! I knew it!
This substantiates a theory I have long believed in. Ladies and gentlemen, you now have documented proof.
ChoicePoint penalty - not enough, but at least it's something
ChoicePoint has finally been punished for last years' sale of over 150,000 consumer records to an organized crime ring. The total penalty consists of a $10 million fine and an order to set up a $5 million fund to help victims of identity fraud.
ChoicePoint probably has this much money sitting in the soft-drink machines around corporate headquarters, so this isn't exactly a crippling blow. I'm disappointed, but not as much as I expected to be. In truth, I expected el zippo in terms of punishment.
This ain't enough, but it's a start.
And the real lesson is: It's up to each of us to protect our own identity. The big boys don't care about you.
ChoicePoint probably has this much money sitting in the soft-drink machines around corporate headquarters, so this isn't exactly a crippling blow. I'm disappointed, but not as much as I expected to be. In truth, I expected el zippo in terms of punishment.
This ain't enough, but it's a start.
And the real lesson is: It's up to each of us to protect our own identity. The big boys don't care about you.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Black hole puts dent in space-time, and gives me a serious headache
Articles like this, which appears in the most mainstream of mainstream-media (in this case, MSNBC), make me feel like a preschooler with a brain deformity. I know there's a concept being explained here, but for the life of me, I don't understand it.
I wish I did, because putting a dent in space-time sounds pretty cool.
I wish I did, because putting a dent in space-time sounds pretty cool.
Jobs vs. Gates: Life is not fair
Leander Kahney recently wrote a Wired News column comparing the myth vs. the reality when it comes to the two alpha-geeks in modern America - Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
His conclusion: Gates gets the bad rap, but Jobs is really the one who deserves it.
I'm a fan of both, but I always like to see the the other side of any story. I think there's a lot to this one.
Read the whole thing!
His conclusion: Gates gets the bad rap, but Jobs is really the one who deserves it.
I'm a fan of both, but I always like to see the the other side of any story. I think there's a lot to this one.
Read the whole thing!
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Where are they now - #2,137
Former teen idol (and a favorite of someone I know very well) Leif Garrett was recently arrested in LA for riding the subway without a ticket and possession of narcotics.
What a tragedy.
What a tragedy.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
No progress on Burma human rights
In news that comes as a shock to exactly no one who follows events in Burma, US-based Human Rights Watch has issued a report indicating that Burma's ruling military junta has made no progress towards democracy, despite the government's elaborate promises to reform.
The report also chastises most of the rest of Southeast Asia for the deterioration of human rights throughout the region. Again, this flies in the face of ASEAN's pledges to promote democracy.
The report saves it's most scathing remarks for Burma, which is, by far, the most egregious abuser of its population. With over 1,100 political prisoners, including Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, currently being detained, continuing crackdown on opposition figures of any stature, and smothering of protest, the Burmese government continues to serve as an example of how to impoverish a resource-wealthy and fertile country.
This report won't cause change any more than the umpteen reports that have proceeded it, but it's better than complete silence on the subject.
If you're looking to get involved in the effort to do something about the abysmal conditions in Burma, check out the Free Burma Coalition home page.
The report also chastises most of the rest of Southeast Asia for the deterioration of human rights throughout the region. Again, this flies in the face of ASEAN's pledges to promote democracy.
The report saves it's most scathing remarks for Burma, which is, by far, the most egregious abuser of its population. With over 1,100 political prisoners, including Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, currently being detained, continuing crackdown on opposition figures of any stature, and smothering of protest, the Burmese government continues to serve as an example of how to impoverish a resource-wealthy and fertile country.
This report won't cause change any more than the umpteen reports that have proceeded it, but it's better than complete silence on the subject.
If you're looking to get involved in the effort to do something about the abysmal conditions in Burma, check out the Free Burma Coalition home page.
Another scary public bathroom
Sean Payton is now an NFL head coach
Sean Payton, the Cowboy's offensive coordinator for the past few years, has taken the head coaching position in New Orleans.
As far as I know, Payton has never been punched out by Parcells on the sideline, but I guess Sean decided not to press his luck. I know these guys all aspire to be head coaches, and once you make it into the rotation, you're sure to be hired if you get fired, but I can't believe the head coach in New Orleans is a much-sought-after position. The Saints have a history of losing rivaled only by the Cardinals, and who the hell wants to live in New Orleans?
Regardless, I wish him success (such as it can be in that toilet) and good luck. Now, the Cowboys will launch a search for a new offensive coach. For my money, they could hire Shakes the Clown or a blow-up doll, since Parcells has been calling the plays himself for the past three years, regardless of what he says publicly.
As far as I know, Payton has never been punched out by Parcells on the sideline, but I guess Sean decided not to press his luck. I know these guys all aspire to be head coaches, and once you make it into the rotation, you're sure to be hired if you get fired, but I can't believe the head coach in New Orleans is a much-sought-after position. The Saints have a history of losing rivaled only by the Cardinals, and who the hell wants to live in New Orleans?
Regardless, I wish him success (such as it can be in that toilet) and good luck. Now, the Cowboys will launch a search for a new offensive coach. For my money, they could hire Shakes the Clown or a blow-up doll, since Parcells has been calling the plays himself for the past three years, regardless of what he says publicly.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Cheap ads for Google Maps
Target is painting their logo on their store roofs, evidently with the intent of having them show up on Google Maps.
I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner.
I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner.
More DIY voodoo
Similar to some strange kitchen gadgets we've featured on CIT before, here's another example of the macabre for your home - the human head knife block.
Charming.
Charming.
Gay-Rod decides he's an American after all
In news hoped for by dozens (maybe), Alex Rodriguez has decided to play for the US in the World Baseball Classic.
I know I'll sleep better knowing that Gay-Rod will be dressed in the red, white, and blue, ready to choke for the good old US of A.
I know I'll sleep better knowing that Gay-Rod will be dressed in the red, white, and blue, ready to choke for the good old US of A.
Arizona is dry as a bone (duh)
Since I've been traded to Phoenix again, for the 2nd time in 6 or 7 months, this one caught my eye: Arizona is experiencing it's driest winter in centuries. Not years or decades, but centuries.
I'm on the north side of town this time, up around Deer Valley, and you'd never know there was any sort of a crisis underway, as dirt is flying almost as fast as it is back in my beloved Frisco, TX.
The Phoenix metropolitan area is huge and growing fast. Under the best of circumstances, it's in the middle of the friggin desert, which I've always wondered about. I hope they know what they're doing, because a real water crisis could be very bad news indeed.
I'm on the north side of town this time, up around Deer Valley, and you'd never know there was any sort of a crisis underway, as dirt is flying almost as fast as it is back in my beloved Frisco, TX.
The Phoenix metropolitan area is huge and growing fast. Under the best of circumstances, it's in the middle of the friggin desert, which I've always wondered about. I hope they know what they're doing, because a real water crisis could be very bad news indeed.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Top 5 channel surfing stop-down movies (all time)
The next installment of the Top 5 series: Here are the top movies that cause me to stop channel surfing and put down the remote whenever/wherever I run across them.
5. The Searchers - The best of the John Wayne/John Ford Westerns, and the one with the heaviest message. This is Wayne at his best and orneriest.
4. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - The classic high school comedy. Cameron Crowe's screenplay nails the American high school experience, and Amy Heckerling (who also directed the near-genius Johnny Dangerously - bet you didn't know that) directs with flair. Sean Penn did this right after Taps, and his 180-degree turnaround in character types made me sit up and notice him. Plus, there's Jennifer Jason Leigh and Phoebe Cates showing some skin. What more do you want?
3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail - My vote for funniest movie ever made (apologies to Blazing Saddles and Team America, which finish not far behind). I saw this for the first time late one night when I was about 12 years old and laughed myself almost sick. When I see it these days, it's just as funny.
2. Heat - Michael Mann has been a favorite of mine for years, and this is his best. Sure he rehashes some Miami Vice and Crime Story bits, but what the heck (no one saw Crime Story but me anyway), Pacino and De Niro are on screen together for 5 minutes, and who the heck buys Amy Brenneman as a major babe? I don't care. It's got atmosphere out the wazoo (not one minute was shot on a soundstage), you've really got to pay attention to the story and are rewarded if you do, all sorts of great cameos pop up (Jon Voight, William Fichtner, Jeremy Piven, a very young Natalie Portman, etc), and it's got the most realistic street battle in cops-and-robbers-movie history (technical advice from my main man Andy McNab, what do you expect?).
1. Casablanca - My vote for best movie in the history of ever. Every line of dialog is famous, all of the major characters are complex and three-dimensional, Bogart was never more Bogarty, Bergman never looked hotter. I've wanted to be Rick Blaine for as long as I can remember.
5. The Searchers - The best of the John Wayne/John Ford Westerns, and the one with the heaviest message. This is Wayne at his best and orneriest.
4. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - The classic high school comedy. Cameron Crowe's screenplay nails the American high school experience, and Amy Heckerling (who also directed the near-genius Johnny Dangerously - bet you didn't know that) directs with flair. Sean Penn did this right after Taps, and his 180-degree turnaround in character types made me sit up and notice him. Plus, there's Jennifer Jason Leigh and Phoebe Cates showing some skin. What more do you want?
3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail - My vote for funniest movie ever made (apologies to Blazing Saddles and Team America, which finish not far behind). I saw this for the first time late one night when I was about 12 years old and laughed myself almost sick. When I see it these days, it's just as funny.
2. Heat - Michael Mann has been a favorite of mine for years, and this is his best. Sure he rehashes some Miami Vice and Crime Story bits, but what the heck (no one saw Crime Story but me anyway), Pacino and De Niro are on screen together for 5 minutes, and who the heck buys Amy Brenneman as a major babe? I don't care. It's got atmosphere out the wazoo (not one minute was shot on a soundstage), you've really got to pay attention to the story and are rewarded if you do, all sorts of great cameos pop up (Jon Voight, William Fichtner, Jeremy Piven, a very young Natalie Portman, etc), and it's got the most realistic street battle in cops-and-robbers-movie history (technical advice from my main man Andy McNab, what do you expect?).
1. Casablanca - My vote for best movie in the history of ever. Every line of dialog is famous, all of the major characters are complex and three-dimensional, Bogart was never more Bogarty, Bergman never looked hotter. I've wanted to be Rick Blaine for as long as I can remember.
NYT - All the fake news that's fit to print
The New York Times, once proud bastion of complete, fact-checked news, has been outed, again. This time, they printed a picture, reputedly of some sad Pakistani tribesmen, very sad child and old man prominently displayed, posing with the "remains of a missile fired at a house in the Bajur tribal zone near the Afghan border".
One little problem: The "missile" is actually a really old, unfired artillery shell.
Whoops. Well, maybe they'll get the next one correct.
Way to go, boys and girls.
One little problem: The "missile" is actually a really old, unfired artillery shell.
Whoops. Well, maybe they'll get the next one correct.
Way to go, boys and girls.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Top 5 current TV shows
Just for giggles, we'll be doing a series of posts ranking the top 5 or so entries in a number of categories. Movies, bands, all-time TV shows, sports moments, babes, you name it. If you have any suggestions, please pass 'em on.
To inaugurate the series, here's our Top 5 television shows currently in production:
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm - A lame most-recent season, but still better than just about anything on network TV.
4. The Sopranos - The first appointment TV show for me since the heyday of ER.
3. Da Ali G Show - All three characters are genius, and even better on DVD.
2. Entourage - Johnny Drama and Ari are the two best comedy characters on TV anywhere. I wish I had the stones to say, "Let's hug it out, bitch" in business conversation. I get the feeling that this is pretty much the way it is in big-time LA circles.
1. Lost - Well into the second season and still as mind-bendingly confusing, frustrating, and enthralling as ever.
Before you start with the hate mail, I have held 24 at arms length (personal thing regarding Kiefer Sutherland - I've never liked him or his dad in a single role), and have not succumbed to Deadwood either. I hear great things about both shows, but can't render a personal opinion either way.
Tune in again soon for our next "Top 5" installment.
UPDATE: It hit me like a bolt from the blue today, as the kids were turning on their daily dose of Nickelodeon. I completely forgot Fairly Odd Parents, the genius Butch Hartman cartoon on Nick about a hundred times a day. This show is such fast-paced nuttiness that I have more fun watching it than the kids do. Cosmo is one of the great characters of all time, there are many other great regulars (April Fool, Chip Skylark, the Pixies, Denzel Crocker, and Norm the Genie are some of my favorites), and I can do an excellent Jorgen Von Strangle imitation. This kicks Larry David off the list and comes in at a strong #5.
To inaugurate the series, here's our Top 5 television shows currently in production:
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm - A lame most-recent season, but still better than just about anything on network TV.
4. The Sopranos - The first appointment TV show for me since the heyday of ER.
3. Da Ali G Show - All three characters are genius, and even better on DVD.
2. Entourage - Johnny Drama and Ari are the two best comedy characters on TV anywhere. I wish I had the stones to say, "Let's hug it out, bitch" in business conversation. I get the feeling that this is pretty much the way it is in big-time LA circles.
1. Lost - Well into the second season and still as mind-bendingly confusing, frustrating, and enthralling as ever.
Before you start with the hate mail, I have held 24 at arms length (personal thing regarding Kiefer Sutherland - I've never liked him or his dad in a single role), and have not succumbed to Deadwood either. I hear great things about both shows, but can't render a personal opinion either way.
Tune in again soon for our next "Top 5" installment.
UPDATE: It hit me like a bolt from the blue today, as the kids were turning on their daily dose of Nickelodeon. I completely forgot Fairly Odd Parents, the genius Butch Hartman cartoon on Nick about a hundred times a day. This show is such fast-paced nuttiness that I have more fun watching it than the kids do. Cosmo is one of the great characters of all time, there are many other great regulars (April Fool, Chip Skylark, the Pixies, Denzel Crocker, and Norm the Genie are some of my favorites), and I can do an excellent Jorgen Von Strangle imitation. This kicks Larry David off the list and comes in at a strong #5.
Iranians at it again
The fun never stops in Tehran, does it? The latest has the Iranians hosting a conference to discuss the "scientific evidence" supporting the Holocaust.
Remember that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently called the Holocaust a "myth", has called for Israel to be "wiped from the map", and has stated that Israel should be relocated to Europe.
And, in case you've been living under a rock (sorta like me this past week), you may have missed the stories mentioning that Iran has told the EU to take a jump at a rolling donut regarding the Euros efforts to reign in Iran's nuclear program. The Iranians are working on nuclear weapons, folks. Raise your right hand if you think that's a good thing for geopolitical stability. No takers? Hmm. You know, I rather agree.
In other news, Iran's representative to OPEC has called for the cartel to cut back production of crude oil. To this, I say, "Bring it on". The short term impact will be bad, of course. However, in the long term, these idiots are cutting their own throats. As I keep saying, higher oil prices lead to increased research on alternative fuel sources, and hasten the day we (and the rest of the world) tell Iran, the Arabs, and the other fascist OPEC regimes to take their oil and polish their mothers' behinds with it.
Remember that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently called the Holocaust a "myth", has called for Israel to be "wiped from the map", and has stated that Israel should be relocated to Europe.
And, in case you've been living under a rock (sorta like me this past week), you may have missed the stories mentioning that Iran has told the EU to take a jump at a rolling donut regarding the Euros efforts to reign in Iran's nuclear program. The Iranians are working on nuclear weapons, folks. Raise your right hand if you think that's a good thing for geopolitical stability. No takers? Hmm. You know, I rather agree.
In other news, Iran's representative to OPEC has called for the cartel to cut back production of crude oil. To this, I say, "Bring it on". The short term impact will be bad, of course. However, in the long term, these idiots are cutting their own throats. As I keep saying, higher oil prices lead to increased research on alternative fuel sources, and hasten the day we (and the rest of the world) tell Iran, the Arabs, and the other fascist OPEC regimes to take their oil and polish their mothers' behinds with it.
Peyton Manning is a loser
Can't win the big one, indeed. Old #18 is turning into the modern-day equivalent of John Elway. Will he manage to get to the Super Bowl before he's done? Time will tell, but he's going to have to wait another year at least.
For all his tricked-up play-calling-at-the-line-of-scrimmage and pointing crazily at the defensive alignment (just a note here - doesn't it seem like all that carrying on would further stress out his linemen?), Manning is not the miracle worker I thought he might be this year. Pittsburgh tried hard to lose this one, but Peyton couldn't un-gag the chicken bone caught in his throat long enough to do anything about it.
Ah well, go Seahawks (I guess). Consider me on the Rain City Bandwagon, but only because it's the only semi-attractive one left.
For all his tricked-up play-calling-at-the-line-of-scrimmage and pointing crazily at the defensive alignment (just a note here - doesn't it seem like all that carrying on would further stress out his linemen?), Manning is not the miracle worker I thought he might be this year. Pittsburgh tried hard to lose this one, but Peyton couldn't un-gag the chicken bone caught in his throat long enough to do anything about it.
Ah well, go Seahawks (I guess). Consider me on the Rain City Bandwagon, but only because it's the only semi-attractive one left.
Patriots are done, Colts and Seahawks should be SBXL matchup
I will need to call my friend Joe today to make sure he's not standing on the edge of a bridge somewhere, as his beloved Patriots have finally lost a playoff game.
I didn't see a minute of the game, I'm sorry to say (I spent the night dining, drinking, and dancing with my incredibly hot wife at the Temple Shalom 40th Anniversary bash instead), but it sounds like the Pats gave it away. Five turnovers? You can't win a playoff game turning the ball over that many times.
However, it also sounds like bad calls, and a terrible defensive pass interference call in particular, had a BIG impact early. You start to get into dangerous territory quickly when you ask things like, "What happens if that call in the first half gets overturned?", especially when the Pats wheels really fell off following the call in question. However, it's got to be asked: What happens if that call in the first half gets overturned?
Regardless, Brady, Belichick, and Vinatieri all showed themselves to be human after all. It's too bad, but it had to happen eventually.
The Colts game today will be very interesting. It's hard to say where the Colts heads are right now, with nothing to play for over the past month or so, as well as the Dungy family's recent tragedy. They should beat Pittsburgh handily, and they should stomp the Broncos next week just as handily. However, time will tell. If I were gambling, I'd probably stay away from this game.
Over in the NFC, I am happy to see that the Redskins are done. What a bunch of frauds. The good news is that they probably think they're close, so perhaps they won't change much in the off-season. Assuming Shaun Alexander's bruised melon is OK, Seattle should be the class of the NFC and should not have trouble with the winner of Bears-Panthers (Carolina should win what I think will be one of the most boring playoff games ever).
And to round out the predictions: Peyton Manning will have no trouble with the Seabags. I would take Indianapolis regardless of the point spread, as I think it would be a blowout of Cowboys-Bills proportions.
Final NFL note for now: I really hope Carson Palmer's injury is not as bad as was being reported earlier in the week. In case you didn't already know it, this ought to remind you that you shouldn't take ANYTHING for granted in sports.
I didn't see a minute of the game, I'm sorry to say (I spent the night dining, drinking, and dancing with my incredibly hot wife at the Temple Shalom 40th Anniversary bash instead), but it sounds like the Pats gave it away. Five turnovers? You can't win a playoff game turning the ball over that many times.
However, it also sounds like bad calls, and a terrible defensive pass interference call in particular, had a BIG impact early. You start to get into dangerous territory quickly when you ask things like, "What happens if that call in the first half gets overturned?", especially when the Pats wheels really fell off following the call in question. However, it's got to be asked: What happens if that call in the first half gets overturned?
Regardless, Brady, Belichick, and Vinatieri all showed themselves to be human after all. It's too bad, but it had to happen eventually.
The Colts game today will be very interesting. It's hard to say where the Colts heads are right now, with nothing to play for over the past month or so, as well as the Dungy family's recent tragedy. They should beat Pittsburgh handily, and they should stomp the Broncos next week just as handily. However, time will tell. If I were gambling, I'd probably stay away from this game.
Over in the NFC, I am happy to see that the Redskins are done. What a bunch of frauds. The good news is that they probably think they're close, so perhaps they won't change much in the off-season. Assuming Shaun Alexander's bruised melon is OK, Seattle should be the class of the NFC and should not have trouble with the winner of Bears-Panthers (Carolina should win what I think will be one of the most boring playoff games ever).
And to round out the predictions: Peyton Manning will have no trouble with the Seabags. I would take Indianapolis regardless of the point spread, as I think it would be a blowout of Cowboys-Bills proportions.
Final NFL note for now: I really hope Carson Palmer's injury is not as bad as was being reported earlier in the week. In case you didn't already know it, this ought to remind you that you shouldn't take ANYTHING for granted in sports.
Mecca stampede - God's will or crappy bag-check?
Almost 350 Muslim pilgrims were trampled to death in Mecca this week, a story you've no doubt read or heard about elsewhere. As you probably also already know, this isn't the first, or worst, incident at the stone-throwing ritual, which is an important part of the Hajj.
Reaction from the Islamic press is worth a read. There's very little in the way of the "God's will" sort of explanation. There's also very little condemnation of the Saudi government, which is responsible for Mecca, Medina, the Hajj, and those millions of annual pilgrims. Not too surprising, when you consider that "freedom of the press" is not a concept embraced by most Islamic governments any more than queues and luggage checks are embraced by their populations.
Another surprising (sort of) component of the press roundup in the BBC today is the lack of compassion expressed for the victims and their families. I'll leave it to your imagination to figure out what that means. Simply left out of the quotes, but expressed elsewhere in the source pieces? One hopes...
It's difficult not to come across as intolerant and/or flat out anti-Islam in a situation like this. At least, it is for me. For that reason, I will conclude with these two final thoughts:
1. As long as you're not hurting anyone and not shoving it down my throat. I respect everyone's right to worship as they believe.
2. Many Muslim countries, especially host-country Saudi Arabia, are among the wealthiest states in the world. Given that, why can't they solve a problem that is completely predictable, getting more severe each year, and not going to get better on it's own?
Reaction from the Islamic press is worth a read. There's very little in the way of the "God's will" sort of explanation. There's also very little condemnation of the Saudi government, which is responsible for Mecca, Medina, the Hajj, and those millions of annual pilgrims. Not too surprising, when you consider that "freedom of the press" is not a concept embraced by most Islamic governments any more than queues and luggage checks are embraced by their populations.
Another surprising (sort of) component of the press roundup in the BBC today is the lack of compassion expressed for the victims and their families. I'll leave it to your imagination to figure out what that means. Simply left out of the quotes, but expressed elsewhere in the source pieces? One hopes...
It's difficult not to come across as intolerant and/or flat out anti-Islam in a situation like this. At least, it is for me. For that reason, I will conclude with these two final thoughts:
1. As long as you're not hurting anyone and not shoving it down my throat. I respect everyone's right to worship as they believe.
2. Many Muslim countries, especially host-country Saudi Arabia, are among the wealthiest states in the world. Given that, why can't they solve a problem that is completely predictable, getting more severe each year, and not going to get better on it's own?
Back above ground - what's happening?
I need to apologize to all my fans. The combination of a busy first week at a new client, and the world's worst hotel Internet connection (which cost $10/day, btw - I am so DONE with Embassy Suites), and here I am, a week behind on blogging.
There's no point in trying to catch up on the 1,000+ posts in my blogroll, so I'm just going to do a restart. Stay tuned.
There's no point in trying to catch up on the 1,000+ posts in my blogroll, so I'm just going to do a restart. Stay tuned.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Blogging will be slow this week
Writing from Phoenix this week, in a hotel room that doesn't have a desk but does have a crap Internet connection and an even more crap alarm clock.
I'll try to blog when I can, but no promises.
I'll try to blog when I can, but no promises.
Friday, January 06, 2006
New version of Moto ROKR sucks less
Gizmodo has a preview of the ROKR E2 from CES. Apparently it's a huge step forward over the incredibly disappointing original.
Maybe worth a try?
Maybe worth a try?
Virginia Tech gives Marcus Vick the boot
In a shocking move, Virginia Tech has kicked QB Marcus Vick of the football team for numerous legal problems and unsportsmanlike conduct in the Gator Bowl.
Vick was often brilliant on the field, but struggled in big games. He never became the sensation that his older brother Michael was. His off-the-field problems were significant, ranging from drug arrests to serving alcohol to minors to many driving infractions.
This is refreshing - a big-time football program actually kicking someone off the team for being a low-life almost never happens. However, you have to wonder just how sorry a human Vick really is to warrant this sort of punishment.
At any rate, look for Vick to enter the NFL draft this year. His more-talented older brother struggles in the NFL, so I don't hold out much hope for Marcus. He might make a decent receiver or defensive back, but I see no way he succeeds at QB in the pros.
Vick was often brilliant on the field, but struggled in big games. He never became the sensation that his older brother Michael was. His off-the-field problems were significant, ranging from drug arrests to serving alcohol to minors to many driving infractions.
This is refreshing - a big-time football program actually kicking someone off the team for being a low-life almost never happens. However, you have to wonder just how sorry a human Vick really is to warrant this sort of punishment.
At any rate, look for Vick to enter the NFL draft this year. His more-talented older brother struggles in the NFL, so I don't hold out much hope for Marcus. He might make a decent receiver or defensive back, but I see no way he succeeds at QB in the pros.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Greatest college football game ever
For today, the rules of hyperbole are suspended. It's impossible to to go too far when describing what we witnessed last night.
First, name the college football game that surpasses last night's Rose Bowl. One where there was more anticipation leading up to it. One where there was more at stake. One where there were more big plays. One where there were more standout individual performances. Got anything? I don't. Definitive statement: Greatest college football game ever.
Next, name the individual performance in a college football game that surpasses Vince Young's from last night. Again, one where there was more at stake. One where the player made more absolutely clutch plays. One where the player put an entire team on his back and willed them to victory against the heavy favorite. Got anything? I don't. Definitive statement: Greatest individual performance ever.
Holy cow, man. Where to start?
I don't necessarily take back everything I've said about Mack Brown over the years or even this season. I still don't think he's Bear Bryant or Darrell Royal. He may prove to be that or more over time, but he's got a ways to go in my book. However, I do give him full credit for recognizing what he's got in Vince and letting him do his thing. As he said in an interview last night, "Sometime when you do less, you get more." Don't underestimate what it took for him to let Vince have some rope. Brown gets full marks for making the realization and doing something about it. Wanna bet that coaches of major programs all over the country are out today, buying iPods and downloading 50 Cent?
The Texas offense and defense both proved that Vince is not the whole team. Sure, they made mistakes. But they also made BIG, GIANT, HUGE plays when they had to. I don't know how many of these guys are going to the pros, but what a performance by so many of them. Limas Sweed, Ramonce Taylor, Michael Huff, David Thomas all made things happen in the biggest game of their lives.
The Trojans proved to be nearly as good as advertised. Leinart showed quite a bit, and was as good as you'll ever see in the third quarter. Pro scouts are drooling over this guy and rightly so. He has a long, successful NFL career ahead of him.
Reggie Bush also showed why he's Mr. Highlight Reel. However, for everything he did, I think you have to consider his game disappointing. He never really seemed to recover from that ill-advised pitch-while-being-tackled early on. Bush's semi-sleepwalking may have been the difference.
LenDale White, on the other hand, proved quite a bit on the national stage last night, and probably improved his draft position (if he comes out) significantly. It will be interesting to see if he can play at the NFL level. I don't think he's fast enough, and his toughness will be diluted a bit by the superior talent at the next level. Still, what a great game for him.
The USC offense has so many weapons that it's kind of embarrassing.They came so close to going down as one of the greatest college team of all time. As it is, they are still something special. Which makes the Texas victory all the more sweet.
And, finally, Vince. He may be the greatest athlete I have ever had the privilege of watching perform in real time. He made everything look so friggin easy last night. He never looked like he was running hard, but he consistently outran the whole USC defense. He never looked like he was having trouble finding receivers (and, to be honest, his receivers were often wide open), but he made some great throws. He never looked flustered or frustrated. Whenever I hear the term "special athlete", I think of Dana Carvey's "Church Lady" bit, but I don't know how else to describe Vince.
Does Vince come back for his senior year? As much as I'd like to see it, I don't know why he would. Other than the Heisman (more about that in a moment), what's left for him to prove? As for the Heisman, my take is this: He completely outplayed the last two Heisman winners last night, if the voting were re-held today, he'd win in a landslide (an aside: Why isn't the voting done after the biggest games of the year? That seems backwards to me). If he were to come back next year, he'd be the overwhelming favorite to win it, and all of the pressure would be on him. It would be a no-win situation for him - if he got the award, it would be because he was supposed to, if he didn't, he'd be called all sorts of nasty names in the media. Why bother?
Can Vince play in the NFL? I don't know. Physically, there's NO DOUBT he can. He's a bigger, faster, stronger Michael Vick. If Vick is a star in the league (and, for whatever reason, he is), then Vince is a SUPER-star. However, I don't know if Vince can do well in structured NFL offense. It really seems to me that he began to flourish when Mack Brown threw out the playbook and instituted the "zone-read". If he comes out, he'll go in the top 3, and we'll get to find out if he can hack it. I wouldn't bet against him.
I loved this game. I really think this is one that we'll look back on for the next 30 years, and remember it as the best championship game in history. I anticipated this game for weeks (hell, since the Ohio State game), and it lived up to my expectations. Even Robynne, who is no sports fan, got into this one, and was talking about it this morning. I'm just glad I got to see it, and in spectacular HD to boot.
I'm going to enjoy this, and all Texas fans should. Whatever happens next season, it won't be as much fun as this year has been.
First, name the college football game that surpasses last night's Rose Bowl. One where there was more anticipation leading up to it. One where there was more at stake. One where there were more big plays. One where there were more standout individual performances. Got anything? I don't. Definitive statement: Greatest college football game ever.
Next, name the individual performance in a college football game that surpasses Vince Young's from last night. Again, one where there was more at stake. One where the player made more absolutely clutch plays. One where the player put an entire team on his back and willed them to victory against the heavy favorite. Got anything? I don't. Definitive statement: Greatest individual performance ever.
Holy cow, man. Where to start?
I don't necessarily take back everything I've said about Mack Brown over the years or even this season. I still don't think he's Bear Bryant or Darrell Royal. He may prove to be that or more over time, but he's got a ways to go in my book. However, I do give him full credit for recognizing what he's got in Vince and letting him do his thing. As he said in an interview last night, "Sometime when you do less, you get more." Don't underestimate what it took for him to let Vince have some rope. Brown gets full marks for making the realization and doing something about it. Wanna bet that coaches of major programs all over the country are out today, buying iPods and downloading 50 Cent?
The Texas offense and defense both proved that Vince is not the whole team. Sure, they made mistakes. But they also made BIG, GIANT, HUGE plays when they had to. I don't know how many of these guys are going to the pros, but what a performance by so many of them. Limas Sweed, Ramonce Taylor, Michael Huff, David Thomas all made things happen in the biggest game of their lives.
The Trojans proved to be nearly as good as advertised. Leinart showed quite a bit, and was as good as you'll ever see in the third quarter. Pro scouts are drooling over this guy and rightly so. He has a long, successful NFL career ahead of him.
Reggie Bush also showed why he's Mr. Highlight Reel. However, for everything he did, I think you have to consider his game disappointing. He never really seemed to recover from that ill-advised pitch-while-being-tackled early on. Bush's semi-sleepwalking may have been the difference.
LenDale White, on the other hand, proved quite a bit on the national stage last night, and probably improved his draft position (if he comes out) significantly. It will be interesting to see if he can play at the NFL level. I don't think he's fast enough, and his toughness will be diluted a bit by the superior talent at the next level. Still, what a great game for him.
The USC offense has so many weapons that it's kind of embarrassing.They came so close to going down as one of the greatest college team of all time. As it is, they are still something special. Which makes the Texas victory all the more sweet.
And, finally, Vince. He may be the greatest athlete I have ever had the privilege of watching perform in real time. He made everything look so friggin easy last night. He never looked like he was running hard, but he consistently outran the whole USC defense. He never looked like he was having trouble finding receivers (and, to be honest, his receivers were often wide open), but he made some great throws. He never looked flustered or frustrated. Whenever I hear the term "special athlete", I think of Dana Carvey's "Church Lady" bit, but I don't know how else to describe Vince.
Does Vince come back for his senior year? As much as I'd like to see it, I don't know why he would. Other than the Heisman (more about that in a moment), what's left for him to prove? As for the Heisman, my take is this: He completely outplayed the last two Heisman winners last night, if the voting were re-held today, he'd win in a landslide (an aside: Why isn't the voting done after the biggest games of the year? That seems backwards to me). If he were to come back next year, he'd be the overwhelming favorite to win it, and all of the pressure would be on him. It would be a no-win situation for him - if he got the award, it would be because he was supposed to, if he didn't, he'd be called all sorts of nasty names in the media. Why bother?
Can Vince play in the NFL? I don't know. Physically, there's NO DOUBT he can. He's a bigger, faster, stronger Michael Vick. If Vick is a star in the league (and, for whatever reason, he is), then Vince is a SUPER-star. However, I don't know if Vince can do well in structured NFL offense. It really seems to me that he began to flourish when Mack Brown threw out the playbook and instituted the "zone-read". If he comes out, he'll go in the top 3, and we'll get to find out if he can hack it. I wouldn't bet against him.
I loved this game. I really think this is one that we'll look back on for the next 30 years, and remember it as the best championship game in history. I anticipated this game for weeks (hell, since the Ohio State game), and it lived up to my expectations. Even Robynne, who is no sports fan, got into this one, and was talking about it this morning. I'm just glad I got to see it, and in spectacular HD to boot.
I'm going to enjoy this, and all Texas fans should. Whatever happens next season, it won't be as much fun as this year has been.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Rose Bowl Day is finally here!
How does this happen in 2006 America??
By now, you've probably heard about the absolutely horrific foul-up regarding the fate of the miners trapped in the West Virginia coal mine. If you haven't, let me quickly rehash it.
Last night, late word was that a single miner had been found, dead, inside the mine, and that the search was continuing for the remaining 12 missing men.
This morning, I woke to find that the 12 remaining miners had been located, and, miraculously, they were all alive. It was unbelievably great to see that on the front page of the Dallas Morning News.
Now, we find out that 11 of the 12 are, in fact, dead. And the 12th is just barely hanging on.
Worse yet, the families were not told of the mistake for several hours. Even though officials knew within 20 minutes that initial reports of multiple survivors were incorrect.
This is the sort of news you expect to see in your history text book about 1855 America. You aren't all that surprised to see news like this come out of China or the far reaches of Siberia today. But this is West friggin' Virginia, 2006. How is a fuck-up (pardon my language) like this POSSIBLE?
Well, say bye-bye to International Coal Group, the owner of the mine. The judgment against them in the lawsuit to be brought by the families will be in the billions. And rightly so.
News like this shakes your faith (not that I had much to begin with) in corporate America. Maybe the frothing-at-the-mouth types have a point now and again.
UPDATE: Not so fast. I was quick to jump on the company, and it sure looks like there's lots of blame for them in this. However, the cable news channels may have jumped the gun, "reporting" rumor and overheard conversations as "corroborated news". This story ain't done, not by a long shot.
Last night, late word was that a single miner had been found, dead, inside the mine, and that the search was continuing for the remaining 12 missing men.
This morning, I woke to find that the 12 remaining miners had been located, and, miraculously, they were all alive. It was unbelievably great to see that on the front page of the Dallas Morning News.
Now, we find out that 11 of the 12 are, in fact, dead. And the 12th is just barely hanging on.
Worse yet, the families were not told of the mistake for several hours. Even though officials knew within 20 minutes that initial reports of multiple survivors were incorrect.
This is the sort of news you expect to see in your history text book about 1855 America. You aren't all that surprised to see news like this come out of China or the far reaches of Siberia today. But this is West friggin' Virginia, 2006. How is a fuck-up (pardon my language) like this POSSIBLE?
Well, say bye-bye to International Coal Group, the owner of the mine. The judgment against them in the lawsuit to be brought by the families will be in the billions. And rightly so.
News like this shakes your faith (not that I had much to begin with) in corporate America. Maybe the frothing-at-the-mouth types have a point now and again.
UPDATE: Not so fast. I was quick to jump on the company, and it sure looks like there's lots of blame for them in this. However, the cable news channels may have jumped the gun, "reporting" rumor and overheard conversations as "corroborated news". This story ain't done, not by a long shot.
Funniest Gizmodo headline ever
The new Motorola H5 In-Ear Bluetooth handsfree set is one cool gadget, but the headline chosen by my friends at Gizmodo sure does put an unpleasant image into your head.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
$200 Google PC on the way?
This is worth watching - the Internet is all a-buzz with rumors that, this Friday, Google will be unveiling a $200 mini-PC running some sort of Google OS.
Gizmodo is taking the skeptical route, and I am right there with them. However, nothing those boys (and girls) at Google does surprises me any more.
Gizmodo is taking the skeptical route, and I am right there with them. However, nothing those boys (and girls) at Google does surprises me any more.
Pocket-sized HD video cams are coming
Sanyo will be unveiling it's new, hand-held, high-def video camera at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas.
Just what I need - shaky, poorly framed video of my daughter's 9th birthday in 720p.
The good news is that this camera is priced well south of $1,000, and they'll only get cheaper. But I have to believe we're going to reach the point of diminishing returns on this stuff. Why on Earth do I need to see my lousy home video in true 1080p?
Stay tuned for more goodies from CES throughout the week. This is the best show of the year.
Just what I need - shaky, poorly framed video of my daughter's 9th birthday in 720p.
The good news is that this camera is priced well south of $1,000, and they'll only get cheaper. But I have to believe we're going to reach the point of diminishing returns on this stuff. Why on Earth do I need to see my lousy home video in true 1080p?
Stay tuned for more goodies from CES throughout the week. This is the best show of the year.
The Zapruder film - stabilized version
In the middle of this post from WFMU's Beware of the Blog, you'll find a link to a digitally stabilized version of the famous Zapruder film.
The Zapruder film, for anyone living under a rock for the past 40 years, is a home movie shot by one Abraham Zapruder in Dealy Plaza, Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. It is live-and-in-color view of the assassination of John Kennedy. It is one of the most stunning 10 second pieces of film you'll ever see and, for my money, it completely refutes the Warren Commission's "official" finding that Oswald acted alone.
The problem with the Zapruder film over the years has been the jerky, all-over-the-place framing of the subject. You have to remember that Zapruder was 50 feet from the street, using a crap 8mm film camera to record the murder of his president on a beautiful autumn day. It's miraculous that Kennedy is even in the picture throughout.
Some genius has digitally stabilized the film. You'll see how it was done right away. The result is a piece of film that is more disturbingly clear than ever.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Zapruder film is not for kids. It is graphic as hell. Consider yourself warned.
The Zapruder film, for anyone living under a rock for the past 40 years, is a home movie shot by one Abraham Zapruder in Dealy Plaza, Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. It is live-and-in-color view of the assassination of John Kennedy. It is one of the most stunning 10 second pieces of film you'll ever see and, for my money, it completely refutes the Warren Commission's "official" finding that Oswald acted alone.
The problem with the Zapruder film over the years has been the jerky, all-over-the-place framing of the subject. You have to remember that Zapruder was 50 feet from the street, using a crap 8mm film camera to record the murder of his president on a beautiful autumn day. It's miraculous that Kennedy is even in the picture throughout.
Some genius has digitally stabilized the film. You'll see how it was done right away. The result is a piece of film that is more disturbingly clear than ever.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Zapruder film is not for kids. It is graphic as hell. Consider yourself warned.
New movie-download service launches
Starz, the premium movie channel available on your satellite or cable service, has just launched a new video download service called Vongo.
Painfully silly name aside, there a few things regarding the service that are worth mentioning:
1. While there are other movie download services available already (MovieLink being the most notable), Vongo is the first to offer a rotating selection of movies.
2. Vongo is specifically designed to work with Microsoft's Mobile Windows Media Player, which means you'll be able to watch your downloaded movies on any handheld device that uses Microsoft's mobile OS.
3. Vongo's DRM (Digital Rights Management - the distribution and viewing restrictions employed by the provider - if you don't know this acronym, you should) enables you to transfer your movies among three different devices, a lot like the .mp3s you're buying online (you are buying now, right?).
4. Vongo works on a subscription model - a flat fee for all the movies you want. You'll also be able to pay a smaller fee for pay-per-view for newer movies.
This sort of service represents the next frontier in digital media. It's going to be very interesting to see how online distribution co-exists with next-gen DVDs, hi-def cable (BTW - I think satellite is toast within 5 years), and other distribution channels.
Painfully silly name aside, there a few things regarding the service that are worth mentioning:
1. While there are other movie download services available already (MovieLink being the most notable), Vongo is the first to offer a rotating selection of movies.
2. Vongo is specifically designed to work with Microsoft's Mobile Windows Media Player, which means you'll be able to watch your downloaded movies on any handheld device that uses Microsoft's mobile OS.
3. Vongo's DRM (Digital Rights Management - the distribution and viewing restrictions employed by the provider - if you don't know this acronym, you should) enables you to transfer your movies among three different devices, a lot like the .mp3s you're buying online (you are buying now, right?).
4. Vongo works on a subscription model - a flat fee for all the movies you want. You'll also be able to pay a smaller fee for pay-per-view for newer movies.
This sort of service represents the next frontier in digital media. It's going to be very interesting to see how online distribution co-exists with next-gen DVDs, hi-def cable (BTW - I think satellite is toast within 5 years), and other distribution channels.
Woman marries dolphin
A 41-year old British woman has married a 35-year old male bottlenose dolphin in Israel.
Sometimes, this blog just writes itself, you know?
Sometimes, this blog just writes itself, you know?
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Maurice Clarett - from star to alleged felon in no time at all
Police in Columbus, OH are looking to pick up former Ohio State star running back Maurice Clarett on armed robbery charges.
Clarett, for those of you who don't know, was a tremendously successful freshman running back at Ohio State back in 2002, helping the Buckeyes win the National Championship. However, since the win over Miami in that year's Fiesta Bowl, Clarett has had nothing but trouble.
He was suspended by Ohio State for the 2003 season for filing a false police report and for receiving special favors from boosters. Then, in 2004, he spilled the beans on Ohio State's "fringe benefits" program to ESPN The Magazine. Following that less-than-shocking revelation (folks, EVERY major college football program has that sort of shenanigans going on), the NCAA extended an "invitation" to Clarett for him to elaborate on his charges. He never showed.
Clarett also challenged the NFL policy on draft eligibility, a case that made it to the Supreme Court. Once he was finally drafted by the Denver Broncos, he made it all the way through training camp before Denver cut him. He has not caught on anywhere else.
The real kicker is the fact that, if he had stayed in school and kept his mouth shut, Clarett would be a senior right now, and the Buckeyes might be somewhere other than back in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame.
You hate to paint everyone with the same brush, and there are many examples of athletes who are fine, upstanding citizens, but there are also enough of these stories that I often ask myself, "Why am I cheering for these guys?"
Clarett, for those of you who don't know, was a tremendously successful freshman running back at Ohio State back in 2002, helping the Buckeyes win the National Championship. However, since the win over Miami in that year's Fiesta Bowl, Clarett has had nothing but trouble.
He was suspended by Ohio State for the 2003 season for filing a false police report and for receiving special favors from boosters. Then, in 2004, he spilled the beans on Ohio State's "fringe benefits" program to ESPN The Magazine. Following that less-than-shocking revelation (folks, EVERY major college football program has that sort of shenanigans going on), the NCAA extended an "invitation" to Clarett for him to elaborate on his charges. He never showed.
Clarett also challenged the NFL policy on draft eligibility, a case that made it to the Supreme Court. Once he was finally drafted by the Denver Broncos, he made it all the way through training camp before Denver cut him. He has not caught on anywhere else.
The real kicker is the fact that, if he had stayed in school and kept his mouth shut, Clarett would be a senior right now, and the Buckeyes might be somewhere other than back in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame.
You hate to paint everyone with the same brush, and there are many examples of athletes who are fine, upstanding citizens, but there are also enough of these stories that I often ask myself, "Why am I cheering for these guys?"
In case your New Year resolution included killing yourself in an unusual way...
Introducing the Sideways Bike. The site includes photographic evidence that it can, in fact, be ridden by a human.
I love nutty inventions like this. I really wonder what the heck was going through this guy's mind when he had his "Eureka!" moment.
I love nutty inventions like this. I really wonder what the heck was going through this guy's mind when he had his "Eureka!" moment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)