"people are f**king stupid!"
My wife and I decided to sell an oriental rug a few weeks ago. We put an ad out on the internet in a local "for sale" portal, and received a response from someone within a couple of days. The buyer was very interested, and even offered me an extra $50 to hold the carpet for him.
But of course! I responded with my address information, so he could send the cashier's check, and kept in contact with the buyer. Well, there were some personal issues he ran into and such, and so it actually took 2 weeks for the cashier's check to arrive at my house. However, prior to this receipt, the buyer apologized profusely, but due to his personal problems, he made a mistake and sent me a check for 3 times the amount of the sale. After apologizing, he requested that I wire the difference back to him via Western Union and keep the difference for my carpet.
WHOA! Started smelling like a bit of shit here. Mrs Thew and I went on high alert at this point, it just seemed fishy. But, trying to still make things ok, we took the check (drawn on FNB) to our bank and deposited it after having the staff there check it out to see if it was legitimate (it looked "good enough" to use, but my old bank teller in me wasn't convinced). Well, my bank said it looked good and deposited it, and the money went into our account.
Somewhat satisfied after my bank said the check was good, and with the money in my account, I was prepared to give it a few days to clear via inter-bank transfer (even cashier's checks have to clear), but Mrs Thew, as stubborn as she is, took it a little further and checked into a couple of extra things:
a) the phone number on the Fedex envelope was a number in Ohio and was not in service (the buyer was in Florida)
b) the person to whom I was to wire the money lived in New York, and after digging, Mrs Thew found out that HE WAS DEAD (died in July 2007) - what the FRIKK?!
c) she went to the bank's website, and the front page of the bank's website said "BEWARE OF CHECK SCAMS!"
Armed with THIS information, I contacted FNB and spoke to a manager. Turns out that
1) the cashier's check number is not a sequence number that they currently use
2) the ABA number was NOT their bank ID number
3) the account on which this check was to be drawn was not one of theirs.
BAM! Gotcha! I wrote back to the buyer and said "you're out of luck asshole, we found you out!". Haven't heard from him since. Oddly enough, the money is still in our account earning interest - I am waiting for it to come back unpaid. Nothing yet tho.
Why do I think people are f**king stupid? BECAUSE STUPID PEOPLE FALL FOR THESE SCAMS!
"Hello, Thew, congratulations, you have won the Canadian Lottery. You have won $100,000! All we need to get the money from Canada to the US where you live is a $1000 processing fee. Please send and we'll cut you a check for your winnings." WOW, I didn't even play the Canadian Lottery, COOL!
"Mr Thew, I am Robert Zongo, I live in Nigeria, and I want to transfer money to my family in the US, and I need your help. I need to move $1,000,000 to a bank account, and will pay you $10,000 if you'll help me - to get the money there, I'll need $2,000 for fees and such to get the money there, can you send it to me, and I'll pay you your cut once the money has moved to my US accounts."
"Dear Thew, I would be happy to purchase your chair for $1,000, but I mistakenly sent $4,000 - can you please send me back the difference, and I'll arrange for a company to pick it up."
The manager at FNB told me a story about a man who deposited a check, then got upset when it came back as invalid. When questioned about the origin of the check, he said "well, it came in the mail and I just thought I got lucky". OH MY GOSH! You are f**king stupid!
These types of scams are perpetrated hundreds of times each money, targeting all types of individuals. But they are attempted constantly like that BECAUSE THEY WORK enough times to warrant continuation. DON'T BE F**KING STUPID. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You never get something for nothing. Remember that! Stupid lazy americans...
**********
Vick got 23 months, close to the max sentence. A little credit for time already served, but still...good luck keeping up your "NFL calibre" skills in the slammer. You're entering prison as a tight end, I hope you don't exit prison as a wide receiver...
Mitchell's report is a severe blow to MLB. There are some significant names on that list, and even others not named have admitted using HGH to get better (ESPN analyst Fernando Vina as one), mostly because HGH is undetectable. Clemens? WOW. But frankly, Mitchell's report is a lotta hot air and powerless, since he says "these people shouldn't be punished, I'm just naming these people to illustrate the fact that we NEED testing and monitoring. Ho Hum... It'll be interested to see if Bud Selig actually grows some actually balls to deal with this, but frankly, I'm not sure. However, I will leave this discussion to a more than informational Buster Olney, who's blog nearly hits the nail on the head!
NHL Thuggery - Chris Simon (again), Ohlund, the entire Flyers team - more attempt to injure opponents, more "I'm sorry I lost control of myself and reacted in a dangerous manner" incidents and apologies - Colin Campbell needs to REALLY punish people with games and salary, not just continuing to slap people on the wrist. Yes, it's only a few bad apples, but being a fringe sport as hockey is, the less bad press they have, the better. Oh, yeah, get rid of the instigator rule and let the players police themselves - nothing will stop some cheap ass stick swinging Euro player from whacking someone like a facial beatdown from, say, Georges Laraque. You swing your stick, I'll majorly kick your ass.
**********
Update on Mrs Thew. Big. Getting bigger. Phat and happy. Little Thew better be a soccer player cuz of all the kicking - I certainly hope he's not a dancer - unless it's Thewlette, and they SHE will be a wonderful prima ballerina. :) Due date still in early March, things are goign along wonderfully.
12.18.2007
12.05.2007
12.03.2007
Thanks for the mammaries...
I am completely unable to put out a better list than TILAM about "things to be thankful for", I will instead add my 2 cents:
My Health: I'm lucky. I'm able to work out 5 or 6 days a week, keeping in shape and good condition despite being on the nother end of 40. Put it this way, 3 years ago when my team won the Alpharetta GA softball championship, I led the team in home runs with 11 in 9 games - and I only hit ONE ball over the fence. I feel almost bad when I see disabled people, as there but for the grace of God go I. That is why I do my best to treat them normally - it's what they want.
My Family: I have wonderful parents who are still alive, vibrant, and healthy. I have a great brother who has been my best friend all my adult life. I have a fantastic wife, lunatic teenage children to make any parent proud, and a great floppy eared great dane pooch. And another little Thew on the way (although we don't know if it's a mr or miss Thew yet).
My Friends: Tilam has been my closest friend for wow, over 20 years. T-Dub has been my best female friend for way less time, but we share a bond of maturity, intelligence (umm, sort of), a love for gaming, sci-fi and fantasy, and the fact that we'd like to WHACK so many people with the CLUE hammer (otherwise known as "common sense"). Gus, not in this blog, has been my best golfing buddy for more years than he'd care to admit. If you can go through life with MAYBE 3 true friends that you can count on, you're ahead of the game. I have that, and I'm a better man for it.
My Work: I work for a great company (I've worked for some real clusterf**ks in the past) whose focus is on SUCCESS. Period. Let's do what need to do to be successful, both with our customers and ourselves. No politics, No infighting, just a great work environment.
Activies: not boredom. But, as Thew likes to say, "sometimes doing nothing is doing something". I have plenty of things to keep my mind occupied as well as my body. But even the ability to sit in front of the TV and watch On-Demand and nothing else is nice.
Freedom: as an adult, I have the singular ability to just pick up and go, where I want and when I want. Little planning to house the dog, get time off, and BAM, I'm outta here. Literally ANYWHERE in the world if I want. Freedom of time, and Freedom of money. It's a nice feeling.
My Faith: Here is where I'm thankful but also concerned. I am human, and I have my human doubts. I envy Tilam his surety of faith, surety of connection, and surety of his God. I do not have that - perhaps I will find it, perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place, perhaps I'm looking in the wrong way. I hope this clears as I get older.
Small Challenges...Small Moments...Yes.
My Fellow Woman...without whom I'd have to either become self-sufficient or gay, neither of which an attractive option.
LIFE: the greatest gift given to me by God. It's a great thing, to be alive. It's a good and exciting time to be alive. All in All, I'd rather be alive than dead (my destiny in heaven outside this equation). Highs, Lows, Angry, Sad, experiencing life and all that goes into it is pretty cool. I'd love to live for 500 years...
My Health: I'm lucky. I'm able to work out 5 or 6 days a week, keeping in shape and good condition despite being on the nother end of 40. Put it this way, 3 years ago when my team won the Alpharetta GA softball championship, I led the team in home runs with 11 in 9 games - and I only hit ONE ball over the fence. I feel almost bad when I see disabled people, as there but for the grace of God go I. That is why I do my best to treat them normally - it's what they want.
My Family: I have wonderful parents who are still alive, vibrant, and healthy. I have a great brother who has been my best friend all my adult life. I have a fantastic wife, lunatic teenage children to make any parent proud, and a great floppy eared great dane pooch. And another little Thew on the way (although we don't know if it's a mr or miss Thew yet).
My Friends: Tilam has been my closest friend for wow, over 20 years. T-Dub has been my best female friend for way less time, but we share a bond of maturity, intelligence (umm, sort of), a love for gaming, sci-fi and fantasy, and the fact that we'd like to WHACK so many people with the CLUE hammer (otherwise known as "common sense"). Gus, not in this blog, has been my best golfing buddy for more years than he'd care to admit. If you can go through life with MAYBE 3 true friends that you can count on, you're ahead of the game. I have that, and I'm a better man for it.
My Work: I work for a great company (I've worked for some real clusterf**ks in the past) whose focus is on SUCCESS. Period. Let's do what need to do to be successful, both with our customers and ourselves. No politics, No infighting, just a great work environment.
Activies: not boredom. But, as Thew likes to say, "sometimes doing nothing is doing something". I have plenty of things to keep my mind occupied as well as my body. But even the ability to sit in front of the TV and watch On-Demand and nothing else is nice.
Freedom: as an adult, I have the singular ability to just pick up and go, where I want and when I want. Little planning to house the dog, get time off, and BAM, I'm outta here. Literally ANYWHERE in the world if I want. Freedom of time, and Freedom of money. It's a nice feeling.
My Faith: Here is where I'm thankful but also concerned. I am human, and I have my human doubts. I envy Tilam his surety of faith, surety of connection, and surety of his God. I do not have that - perhaps I will find it, perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place, perhaps I'm looking in the wrong way. I hope this clears as I get older.
Small Challenges...Small Moments...Yes.
My Fellow Woman...without whom I'd have to either become self-sufficient or gay, neither of which an attractive option.
LIFE: the greatest gift given to me by God. It's a great thing, to be alive. It's a good and exciting time to be alive. All in All, I'd rather be alive than dead (my destiny in heaven outside this equation). Highs, Lows, Angry, Sad, experiencing life and all that goes into it is pretty cool. I'd love to live for 500 years...
11.21.2007
Giving Thanks
There is so much to be thankful for in this day and age, we make shit up just to bitch.
So in the spirit of our recent Top 10 jags, the Top 10 Things I am Thankful For:
1) My Health. Let's face it, I can enjoy everything else on this list because I am healthy. Sure, my blood pressure is high; my left knee is partly titanium and have various and sundry pains, but at 5' 11" and 165 lbs, I can still score well on the Army's PT.
2) My Family. Again, the kids can be a pain, the wife can get grouchy, but these are small compared to the joy they bring me. I also still have both parents, a brother and sister-in-law that I love dearly and an extended family remarkably free from tragedy.
3) My Friends. I am not a tremendously social person, but I am blessed with friendship of various depths from the "can tell anything to" to the "how 'bout them Yankees" and each is meaningful to me. My oldest friendship is 26 years old and my newest will start Monday.
4) My Work. I have professional options and get paid very well for what I do...and it does not seem to hard for me. (But it seems hard to others!) Only when the job gets stressful are we thankful for the routine of a good job.
5) Boredom. There is a reputed Chinese curse that goes, "may you live in interesting times." Real or not, a boring life is not all bad. A can go a few months without much changing and that becomes better and better each year.
6) Small Challenges. Okay, there are small challenges which I am thankful for. These are learning experiences that make me a better parent, husband, boss, etc.
7) Small Moments. When you are a teen, you blow through life like a bull in a china shop. Now, I appreciate the small moments in life. The first snow (yesterday), God's creatures, a connection with another human - each is precious, but often overlooked.
8) My Catholicism. I am getting to appreciate God as I age. Further, I am appreciating the Trinity even more. The issue of a superior being has been long settled for me. But Christ shows me how to incorporate God in my relationship with Him and my fellow man. Finally, the Holy Spirit show me how to make God personal to me. One God, three divinities, but it has taken me years to understand the importance of each.
9) My Fellow Man. Sure, some are scum, but all-in-all there are 6 billion others in this world who are looking to make their small part a better place and thereby make the whole a better place. I thank them and wish them continued success.
10) The Future. Sure, we could screw it up, but I don't think we will. The future will be a better place for my kids and their kids, then it was for my folks and me.
To Thew and Tdub and to you my dear reader, have a Happy Thanksgiving.
So in the spirit of our recent Top 10 jags, the Top 10 Things I am Thankful For:
1) My Health. Let's face it, I can enjoy everything else on this list because I am healthy. Sure, my blood pressure is high; my left knee is partly titanium and have various and sundry pains, but at 5' 11" and 165 lbs, I can still score well on the Army's PT.
2) My Family. Again, the kids can be a pain, the wife can get grouchy, but these are small compared to the joy they bring me. I also still have both parents, a brother and sister-in-law that I love dearly and an extended family remarkably free from tragedy.
3) My Friends. I am not a tremendously social person, but I am blessed with friendship of various depths from the "can tell anything to" to the "how 'bout them Yankees" and each is meaningful to me. My oldest friendship is 26 years old and my newest will start Monday.
4) My Work. I have professional options and get paid very well for what I do...and it does not seem to hard for me. (But it seems hard to others!) Only when the job gets stressful are we thankful for the routine of a good job.
5) Boredom. There is a reputed Chinese curse that goes, "may you live in interesting times." Real or not, a boring life is not all bad. A can go a few months without much changing and that becomes better and better each year.
6) Small Challenges. Okay, there are small challenges which I am thankful for. These are learning experiences that make me a better parent, husband, boss, etc.
7) Small Moments. When you are a teen, you blow through life like a bull in a china shop. Now, I appreciate the small moments in life. The first snow (yesterday), God's creatures, a connection with another human - each is precious, but often overlooked.
8) My Catholicism. I am getting to appreciate God as I age. Further, I am appreciating the Trinity even more. The issue of a superior being has been long settled for me. But Christ shows me how to incorporate God in my relationship with Him and my fellow man. Finally, the Holy Spirit show me how to make God personal to me. One God, three divinities, but it has taken me years to understand the importance of each.
9) My Fellow Man. Sure, some are scum, but all-in-all there are 6 billion others in this world who are looking to make their small part a better place and thereby make the whole a better place. I thank them and wish them continued success.
10) The Future. Sure, we could screw it up, but I don't think we will. The future will be a better place for my kids and their kids, then it was for my folks and me.
To Thew and Tdub and to you my dear reader, have a Happy Thanksgiving.
10.31.2007
The perennial doghouse...
What an intriguing question...should men marry...wow, I could talk for days on this subject, but as brevity is the soul of wit, I shall be brief...
Well, from experience, the divorce courts are HORRENDOUS on men...the prejudice against fathers in general is despicable, and many good, quality, fathers are lumped into the mix with shitheads and deadbeat dads simply because history has portrayed the man as the "criminal" in the event of divorce.
Regardless of WHY my first marriage failed (and I filed for divorce), the court basically bent me over a table and screwed me. Typical judgements against the father include:
- no chance of joint custody (my lawyer told me not to waste my time filing for joint custody, it wouldn't be granted at all)
- basically 10% of your "adjusted take home pay" for every child from the marriage (when all was said and done, I was forking over 23% of my NET pay to my ex)
- visitation every other saturday/sunday
I was like "what, that's it?".
I have some thoughts on this bullshit...
The courts need to recognize that unless you divorce for "extenuating circumstances", like infidelity, drug use, alcohol addiction, or breaking the law, simply divorcing for "irreconcile differences" does NOT constitute grounds for keeping the father mostly away from his kids. Simply being incompatible is not a reason to restrict the visitation rights of the father.
Same with custody - the fact that my X and I couldn't go 3 days without arguing about something does NOT make me an unfit father, and I should share custody unless I'm a danger to the kids. Giving the mother sole control over the children, in "regular" divorce cases, is simply assinine.
Child support absolutely needs to be overhauled, in a couple of ways. A) you need to take into account the earnings of the mother - in my case, even before I forked over 23% of my net pay, my X earned 10K more than I did a year - how the hell is THAT equitable? B) you need to institute a better tracking system for keeping an eye on the money and the ways in which it is spent - who's to say that the kids aren't getting clothes from goodwill while mommy is getting weekly facials and massages nice designer clothes. Also, it would be good to institute a system where receipts are provided as proof of expenses, and if abuses are noted, things need to change.
My last thoughts are these:
Spend more time with the person before you propose or decide to get married. Too many people are marrying too quickly and consequently finding out that "whoa, this woman farts in public, I can't deal with that" and the lawyers are on the phone.
Also, 2 words...marriage counseling. Too many couples, when they hit the skids say "that's it, I want a divorce" - invest the time to SAVE the marriage before you jump off that bandwagon - after all, "for better or for worse", right?
Also, I've seen and heard of too many people who just won't change or compromise their attitudes, behaviors, and the like just for their spouse - HUH? People need to realize that marriage is not each person giving 50% to make 100%, it's each person giving 100% to make 100%.
As I tell the Mrs - we may not have it all together, but together we have it all. A good marriage, like the one I have now (although Mrs Thew is currently pissed at me), is easy, comfortable, and just plain fun. So I'm all for marriage, but all for making sure it's the RIGHT marriage, something we are not very good at these days.
Well, from experience, the divorce courts are HORRENDOUS on men...the prejudice against fathers in general is despicable, and many good, quality, fathers are lumped into the mix with shitheads and deadbeat dads simply because history has portrayed the man as the "criminal" in the event of divorce.
Regardless of WHY my first marriage failed (and I filed for divorce), the court basically bent me over a table and screwed me. Typical judgements against the father include:
- no chance of joint custody (my lawyer told me not to waste my time filing for joint custody, it wouldn't be granted at all)
- basically 10% of your "adjusted take home pay" for every child from the marriage (when all was said and done, I was forking over 23% of my NET pay to my ex)
- visitation every other saturday/sunday
I was like "what, that's it?".
I have some thoughts on this bullshit...
The courts need to recognize that unless you divorce for "extenuating circumstances", like infidelity, drug use, alcohol addiction, or breaking the law, simply divorcing for "irreconcile differences" does NOT constitute grounds for keeping the father mostly away from his kids. Simply being incompatible is not a reason to restrict the visitation rights of the father.
Same with custody - the fact that my X and I couldn't go 3 days without arguing about something does NOT make me an unfit father, and I should share custody unless I'm a danger to the kids. Giving the mother sole control over the children, in "regular" divorce cases, is simply assinine.
Child support absolutely needs to be overhauled, in a couple of ways. A) you need to take into account the earnings of the mother - in my case, even before I forked over 23% of my net pay, my X earned 10K more than I did a year - how the hell is THAT equitable? B) you need to institute a better tracking system for keeping an eye on the money and the ways in which it is spent - who's to say that the kids aren't getting clothes from goodwill while mommy is getting weekly facials and massages nice designer clothes. Also, it would be good to institute a system where receipts are provided as proof of expenses, and if abuses are noted, things need to change.
My last thoughts are these:
Spend more time with the person before you propose or decide to get married. Too many people are marrying too quickly and consequently finding out that "whoa, this woman farts in public, I can't deal with that" and the lawyers are on the phone.
Also, 2 words...marriage counseling. Too many couples, when they hit the skids say "that's it, I want a divorce" - invest the time to SAVE the marriage before you jump off that bandwagon - after all, "for better or for worse", right?
Also, I've seen and heard of too many people who just won't change or compromise their attitudes, behaviors, and the like just for their spouse - HUH? People need to realize that marriage is not each person giving 50% to make 100%, it's each person giving 100% to make 100%.
As I tell the Mrs - we may not have it all together, but together we have it all. A good marriage, like the one I have now (although Mrs Thew is currently pissed at me), is easy, comfortable, and just plain fun. So I'm all for marriage, but all for making sure it's the RIGHT marriage, something we are not very good at these days.
Marrying Sam
Here is a thought provoking question: should men marry? I have my own thoughts, but will hold them for a bit to let Thew (one divorce, second success) and Tdub (?) to offer comments. To offer a taste:
"[N]o matter how decent, hardworking, and caring you may be as a father, that in the event of separation, you will more than likely not get custody of your child, you will lose up to 80% of all of your assets, you will have to pay up to five times the cost of raising a child, and most importantly you could never see your child again.”
"[N]o matter how decent, hardworking, and caring you may be as a father, that in the event of separation, you will more than likely not get custody of your child, you will lose up to 80% of all of your assets, you will have to pay up to five times the cost of raising a child, and most importantly you could never see your child again.”
10.29.2007
Back!!!!
Well, it's been a while but I'm back. Thew called me last week and told me I was slacking on the Blog! LOL!!!
Having a new puppy is a LOT of work. My life revolves around when is she GOING to poop and when did she LAST poop! Oh and making sure she doesn't poop IN the house!
Let's see I'll try to catch up.
Top 10 Places I Would Love to Visit.
In no particual order other than Ireland. That will be the first place I go.
1. Ireland
2. Japan
3. Scotland
4. Hawaii
5. Paris
6. New Zeeland
7. Greece
8. Italy
9. Egypt
10. Africa
Top 10 Driving Moves (that drive me crazy?)
1. Failure to merge. The concept seems to be lost on most drivers. Here is a helpful tip, if you are ALREADY on the freeway and are driving in the right hand lane, your job is to make room for those drivers who are entering the freeway. Your job is NOT to speed up and cut them off. Learn to merge!
2. Tailgating. Dude if I could go faster I would, but sitting on my butt is not going to make the person in front of me go any faster. Oh and if we're on the freeway, traffic is heavy, and I cannot move to another lane to let you get one more car length ahead and you sit on my butt....fair warning...I'm gonna slow down. WAAAAAYYYY down. I just want to see if I can get your frustration level so high that your head will explode!
3. People who do not realize that on a 2 lane highway, the left lane is for passing and the right lane is for driving. If you're in the left lane and just putzing along, you're an idiot and your gene pool should be wiped from the face of the planet.
4. Pulling out of a side street in front of me then not accelerating to at LEAST my current rate of speed. If you're going to pull out in front of me, then have the decency to speed up because someday you're going to pull out in front of some idiot who is not paying attention and they'll smash you to bits. Hmmmm.....
5. Honking at me right when the light turns green. Dude, seriously. The light JUST changed. If you're in that much of a hurry go home and invent a teleportation device and make all our lives better.
6. Take a year and a 1/2 to make a right hand turn. Meanwhile I get to actually come to a complete stop waiting for you to navigate through that tricky right hand turn, while some yahoo behind me honks his or her horn. Turn the freakin corner!
7. Not moving over out of a lane that is about to end due to construction. Let me just say this, if you sit in that lane and wait till you actually get all the way up to the flashing arrow to make your move over to the lane I've been in all along, I am NOT going to let you over. As far as I'm concerned, you can sit there all day cuz you're a dirt bag who should have done what the rest of the intelligent drivers did, got over when we saw the HUGE flashing arrow and the 53 signs telling us the lane was ending up ahead!!!
8. Stopping on an entrance ramp to the freeway. If there is no stop light, stop sign or any other indication that you should stop, then don't. If you're too timid to accelerate and merge into freeway traffic, then stick to the surface streets and leave the freeways to the rest of us who actually want to get to our destination before our next birthday.
9. Gawkers aka Rubberneckers. Oh my god! Could you be any nosier! I've talked about this before but this drives me up the freakin wall. It's an accident or it's some poor soul whose car has broken down. What is it NOT is an excuse for you to get your daily dose of reality TV. Move!!!!!
10. Smokers. Ok these have got to be the SLOWEST drivers on the planet. Have you ever gotten behind a car that was moving really slow and wondered what in the world is going on? When you pass them turn your head a little and take a little peak at the driver. I bet you he or she is a smoker. And if he or she is smoking and talking on the phone at the same time, get the hell out of their way. That is just an accident waiting to happen.
I think I'm caught up now!!!
Having a new puppy is a LOT of work. My life revolves around when is she GOING to poop and when did she LAST poop! Oh and making sure she doesn't poop IN the house!
Let's see I'll try to catch up.
Top 10 Places I Would Love to Visit.
In no particual order other than Ireland. That will be the first place I go.
1. Ireland
2. Japan
3. Scotland
4. Hawaii
5. Paris
6. New Zeeland
7. Greece
8. Italy
9. Egypt
10. Africa
Top 10 Driving Moves (that drive me crazy?)
1. Failure to merge. The concept seems to be lost on most drivers. Here is a helpful tip, if you are ALREADY on the freeway and are driving in the right hand lane, your job is to make room for those drivers who are entering the freeway. Your job is NOT to speed up and cut them off. Learn to merge!
2. Tailgating. Dude if I could go faster I would, but sitting on my butt is not going to make the person in front of me go any faster. Oh and if we're on the freeway, traffic is heavy, and I cannot move to another lane to let you get one more car length ahead and you sit on my butt....fair warning...I'm gonna slow down. WAAAAAYYYY down. I just want to see if I can get your frustration level so high that your head will explode!
3. People who do not realize that on a 2 lane highway, the left lane is for passing and the right lane is for driving. If you're in the left lane and just putzing along, you're an idiot and your gene pool should be wiped from the face of the planet.
4. Pulling out of a side street in front of me then not accelerating to at LEAST my current rate of speed. If you're going to pull out in front of me, then have the decency to speed up because someday you're going to pull out in front of some idiot who is not paying attention and they'll smash you to bits. Hmmmm.....
5. Honking at me right when the light turns green. Dude, seriously. The light JUST changed. If you're in that much of a hurry go home and invent a teleportation device and make all our lives better.
6. Take a year and a 1/2 to make a right hand turn. Meanwhile I get to actually come to a complete stop waiting for you to navigate through that tricky right hand turn, while some yahoo behind me honks his or her horn. Turn the freakin corner!
7. Not moving over out of a lane that is about to end due to construction. Let me just say this, if you sit in that lane and wait till you actually get all the way up to the flashing arrow to make your move over to the lane I've been in all along, I am NOT going to let you over. As far as I'm concerned, you can sit there all day cuz you're a dirt bag who should have done what the rest of the intelligent drivers did, got over when we saw the HUGE flashing arrow and the 53 signs telling us the lane was ending up ahead!!!
8. Stopping on an entrance ramp to the freeway. If there is no stop light, stop sign or any other indication that you should stop, then don't. If you're too timid to accelerate and merge into freeway traffic, then stick to the surface streets and leave the freeways to the rest of us who actually want to get to our destination before our next birthday.
9. Gawkers aka Rubberneckers. Oh my god! Could you be any nosier! I've talked about this before but this drives me up the freakin wall. It's an accident or it's some poor soul whose car has broken down. What is it NOT is an excuse for you to get your daily dose of reality TV. Move!!!!!
10. Smokers. Ok these have got to be the SLOWEST drivers on the planet. Have you ever gotten behind a car that was moving really slow and wondered what in the world is going on? When you pass them turn your head a little and take a little peak at the driver. I bet you he or she is a smoker. And if he or she is smoking and talking on the phone at the same time, get the hell out of their way. That is just an accident waiting to happen.
I think I'm caught up now!!!
Better than Cal - Stanford?!
Check THIS out...
So A-Rod opted out of New York. Is anyone surprised? Not here. He used a cheap excuse (uncertainty over other veterans' plans to resign or move on) to walk away from the club that he never really embraced; but truth be told, we never really embraced him. Seattle, Texas, and now New York have realized that A-Rod is a gamer...during the regular season. He's batted a PATHETIC sub-.200 in the post season with the Yankees, including a big DONUT HOLE O-FER with RISP (like 0-18). Winning in the regular season will be much tougher with him gone, but frankly, winning in the post-season might not. Hey, I heard Mike Lowell is available...
Pats - Colts. Circle it. Game of the year in the AFC, possibly in the NFL. In my opinion, the Super Bowl, regardless of whatever patsy the NFC sends to the field in February...
So A-Rod opted out of New York. Is anyone surprised? Not here. He used a cheap excuse (uncertainty over other veterans' plans to resign or move on) to walk away from the club that he never really embraced; but truth be told, we never really embraced him. Seattle, Texas, and now New York have realized that A-Rod is a gamer...during the regular season. He's batted a PATHETIC sub-.200 in the post season with the Yankees, including a big DONUT HOLE O-FER with RISP (like 0-18). Winning in the regular season will be much tougher with him gone, but frankly, winning in the post-season might not. Hey, I heard Mike Lowell is available...
Pats - Colts. Circle it. Game of the year in the AFC, possibly in the NFL. In my opinion, the Super Bowl, regardless of whatever patsy the NFC sends to the field in February...
10.26.2007
Back in a Jiffy...
I have been away from the blog for a while...far from being lazy, I have actually been very busy work. I am a project manager at a healthcare software application consulting company, and am juggling 4 nationwide customers, 6 projects, and base product software testing and development. So it's for a legitimate reason, in that I'm actually being productive for the boss man.
So, to catch up with my pal TILAM, here are my Top 10 driving moves I simply CANNOT ABIDE!
1 - wait until the last minute to move over 3 lanes to your exit ramp.
2 - allowing some asshole to move over 3 lanes at the last minute to their exit ramp.
3 - trying to "inch" through the intersection to beat the red light, thereby getting stuck IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION!
4 - speeding up to cut me off and get in front of me in the 1/2 car length space rather than slowing down a bit and moving over into the 5 car length area behind me.
5 - stopping on the highway ramp (on or off ramps) to give some lazy hobo $5.
6 - stopping in the middle of the road to let some idiot pull out either into or through traffic.
7-infinity - engaging in any or all of the following activities while driving (although the list is probably longer these are the ones I have seen); reading, doing a crossword, shaving, applying makeup, flossing your teeth, watching a DVD on your dashboard, eating, getting a hummer (umm, guilty here, sorry), letting your "fingers do the walking on your passenger" (hmm, yep, did that one too), having sex (uhhh, yeah, here on that one too), changing the music while LOOKING AT THE DASHBOARD, surfing the internet via wifi, et al.
God Bless Road Rage for emotional release...
**********
With regards to the top 10 places I'd love to visit...let's break it down into "rehash" and "new".
Rehashin...
The Pyramids of Giza are high on the list. Just an incredible sight to see, and to wonder how the hell they were built.
29,003 feet above sea level, on top of Mount Everest would be a pretty cool place to share a cold one with my brother.
I'd be remiss as a good Catholic if I did not visit the Holy Land as well.
And to think that the Taj Mahal was really built as a BURIAL PLACE for a favorite wife, I'd still love to wander around the halls.
Oddly enough, and one of the commonalities between the 2 of us, I'd also like to visit the birthplace of my mother in Hungary, and Yugoslavia in the 1-outhouse town where my father was born, if only to "leave my mark".
Et Al...
And to round out the list, I'd be very interested in visiting the following places:
Stonehenge would be in the top few. To walk about the stones, the grass, feel the old power coursing through it, would be a thrill for a fantasy story buff like myself.
Steeped in myth and ancient beliefs, the Acropolis is also on my list. The Temple of Athena, the Parthenon, too many others to list and link. Fascinating stuff.
Call me crazy, but space exploration fascinates me. I'd love to set foot on Jupiter, if for no other reason than to feel the climate, the storms, the clouds, and to step into the great red spot.
TILAM, your video is no longer available...
So, to catch up with my pal TILAM, here are my Top 10 driving moves I simply CANNOT ABIDE!
1 - wait until the last minute to move over 3 lanes to your exit ramp.
2 - allowing some asshole to move over 3 lanes at the last minute to their exit ramp.
3 - trying to "inch" through the intersection to beat the red light, thereby getting stuck IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION!
4 - speeding up to cut me off and get in front of me in the 1/2 car length space rather than slowing down a bit and moving over into the 5 car length area behind me.
5 - stopping on the highway ramp (on or off ramps) to give some lazy hobo $5.
6 - stopping in the middle of the road to let some idiot pull out either into or through traffic.
7-infinity - engaging in any or all of the following activities while driving (although the list is probably longer these are the ones I have seen); reading, doing a crossword, shaving, applying makeup, flossing your teeth, watching a DVD on your dashboard, eating, getting a hummer (umm, guilty here, sorry), letting your "fingers do the walking on your passenger" (hmm, yep, did that one too), having sex (uhhh, yeah, here on that one too), changing the music while LOOKING AT THE DASHBOARD, surfing the internet via wifi, et al.
God Bless Road Rage for emotional release...
**********
With regards to the top 10 places I'd love to visit...let's break it down into "rehash" and "new".
Rehashin...
The Pyramids of Giza are high on the list. Just an incredible sight to see, and to wonder how the hell they were built.
29,003 feet above sea level, on top of Mount Everest would be a pretty cool place to share a cold one with my brother.
I'd be remiss as a good Catholic if I did not visit the Holy Land as well.
And to think that the Taj Mahal was really built as a BURIAL PLACE for a favorite wife, I'd still love to wander around the halls.
Oddly enough, and one of the commonalities between the 2 of us, I'd also like to visit the birthplace of my mother in Hungary, and Yugoslavia in the 1-outhouse town where my father was born, if only to "leave my mark".
Et Al...
And to round out the list, I'd be very interested in visiting the following places:
Stonehenge would be in the top few. To walk about the stones, the grass, feel the old power coursing through it, would be a thrill for a fantasy story buff like myself.
Steeped in myth and ancient beliefs, the Acropolis is also on my list. The Temple of Athena, the Parthenon, too many others to list and link. Fascinating stuff.
Call me crazy, but space exploration fascinates me. I'd love to set foot on Jupiter, if for no other reason than to feel the climate, the storms, the clouds, and to step into the great red spot.
TILAM, your video is no longer available...
10.24.2007
10.22.2007
A Weekend in Boston Sports
It was a good weekend in Boston. The Red Sox completed the come back and won a spot in the World Series and the Patriots made Miami look like a DIII school.
Boston did what it should have (and the Yankees should have BTW) in beating Cleveland. No disrespect for Cleveland, but I think that the Sox were arguably the better team, though Cleveland may have been the hotter team coming into the Championship Series. Yesterday's game, like many in the playoffs, was not particularly pretty with errors, bobbles and blown calls (Lofton was safe at second...though not from the umps angle and the third base coach should have sent Lofton), but the game did not end up being close. The Rockies are a feel good story, but I say the Red Sox in 5.
Thew pissed me off the other day by saying something to the affect of, "sure...anyone can be as good as Brady with those receivers, show what he does with a lesser team." I replied, "See Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX." Boston sport fans are particularly sensitive about Brady, who is not as self-promoting as Peyton Manning, who talks about team first and is generally humble about his performance. Statistically, Manning has put up bigger numbers then Brady, but Brady has not had the overall receiver core or the run game of Indy. But Tom wins Super Bowls.
Belichick is out to prove something this year though. After everyone dumped on him because of Spygate, he made it his mission to make a simple point: we will crush you anyway. Prior to the Pats first punt Sunday, the 10 prior possessions against the Cowboys and the Dolphins went: TD, field goal, TD, field goal, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD and...wait for it...TD. Sixty-two points. Brady's QB rating is nearly 140 after seven games. The Patriots have scored on EVERY opening drive this year. 16-0 is possible.
Yes, the Pats will play Indy in Indy in two weeks. That will be a game to watch. And, of course, the Steelers, but the real interesting game will be against the Jets. Belichick wants to humiliate Mangini for crying about the camera. December 16 in Foxboro. I expect the Patriots to do everything they can to run up the score....
Boston did what it should have (and the Yankees should have BTW) in beating Cleveland. No disrespect for Cleveland, but I think that the Sox were arguably the better team, though Cleveland may have been the hotter team coming into the Championship Series. Yesterday's game, like many in the playoffs, was not particularly pretty with errors, bobbles and blown calls (Lofton was safe at second...though not from the umps angle and the third base coach should have sent Lofton), but the game did not end up being close. The Rockies are a feel good story, but I say the Red Sox in 5.
Thew pissed me off the other day by saying something to the affect of, "sure...anyone can be as good as Brady with those receivers, show what he does with a lesser team." I replied, "See Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX." Boston sport fans are particularly sensitive about Brady, who is not as self-promoting as Peyton Manning, who talks about team first and is generally humble about his performance. Statistically, Manning has put up bigger numbers then Brady, but Brady has not had the overall receiver core or the run game of Indy. But Tom wins Super Bowls.
Belichick is out to prove something this year though. After everyone dumped on him because of Spygate, he made it his mission to make a simple point: we will crush you anyway. Prior to the Pats first punt Sunday, the 10 prior possessions against the Cowboys and the Dolphins went: TD, field goal, TD, field goal, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD and...wait for it...TD. Sixty-two points. Brady's QB rating is nearly 140 after seven games. The Patriots have scored on EVERY opening drive this year. 16-0 is possible.
Yes, the Pats will play Indy in Indy in two weeks. That will be a game to watch. And, of course, the Steelers, but the real interesting game will be against the Jets. Belichick wants to humiliate Mangini for crying about the camera. December 16 in Foxboro. I expect the Patriots to do everything they can to run up the score....
10.19.2007
The Road Not Taken
My Top Ten Places to Visit that are in no particular order.
1. The Pyramids at Giza. To me, the greatest wonder of the man-made world.
2. The Great Barrier Reef. Shark diving would be cool, but exploring the GBR would be endlessly fascinating.
3. The Taj Mahal. This might well be the most beautiful building in the world.
4. The Top of Mount Everest. Why, because it is there.
5. The Serengeti. Nothing like a safari with my boys.
6. Grand Hotel Tremezzo Palace on Lake Como. Click on the link...enough said.
7. The Holy Land. To walk the ground Christ walked.
8. Tahiti. Pure beauty. But I will probably settle for Costa Rica. Which ain't bad...
9. Greece. This was tough as I also want to go to Morocco, but the wealth of history is too much to pass up. I want to stand at Thermopylae and imaging the clash of armies. (Tdub wants to go there and imagine Gerard Butler in various states of undress.)
10. Linz, Austria and Szentgotthard, Hungary. With my parents, since this is where they grew up. Just to experience my heritage.
1. The Pyramids at Giza. To me, the greatest wonder of the man-made world.
2. The Great Barrier Reef. Shark diving would be cool, but exploring the GBR would be endlessly fascinating.
3. The Taj Mahal. This might well be the most beautiful building in the world.
4. The Top of Mount Everest. Why, because it is there.
5. The Serengeti. Nothing like a safari with my boys.
6. Grand Hotel Tremezzo Palace on Lake Como. Click on the link...enough said.
7. The Holy Land. To walk the ground Christ walked.
8. Tahiti. Pure beauty. But I will probably settle for Costa Rica. Which ain't bad...
9. Greece. This was tough as I also want to go to Morocco, but the wealth of history is too much to pass up. I want to stand at Thermopylae and imaging the clash of armies. (Tdub wants to go there and imagine Gerard Butler in various states of undress.)
10. Linz, Austria and Szentgotthard, Hungary. With my parents, since this is where they grew up. Just to experience my heritage.
10.15.2007
Slackers!
Well, we had some momentum with our top 10 lists for a brief while, then hit a lull for a bit. So I'm going to attempt to revive some of the old brain cells...
What are the top 10 places you'd like to visit?
What are the top 10 places you'd like to visit?
10.10.2007
The Bronx IS Burning
Well, it's all over but the crying in the Bronx. After scorching the league following a 21-29 start, the Yankees made the playoffs for the 12th straight time, got the matchup they wanted, then got SPANKED! The Tribe pitched better, hit better (holy shit how many 2 out hits/rbi's did they get?!), and all around took it to the Bombers. It's a sad ending to what was shaping up to be a promising season - after collecting themselves so well, A-Clod burning it up on the way to probably another MVP season, the pitching coming around...well, it all kinda fell apart. Time to move on to Hockey season.
But before this, let me prognosticate about the future of the Yankee players:
Torre is gone. Too bad, but King George is gonna get rid of him.
Roger Clemens showed that he's old, slow, and no longer intimidating on the mound. He won't be back with the Yankees, although he MIGHT convince another team to piss away a boatload of money on his 6-6 record.
Andy Pettite will exercise his option and return to the team.
Jorge Posada will be resigned.
Mariano Rivera will be resigned, but I'm not really sure I care. Let the Sandman go, bring in Joba as the closer!
A-Rod is interesting...as fantastic a player as he is, it's really tough for me to justify his asking price (upwards of $30M a season?!) given the fact that he SUCKS ASS in the post-season. Even though he was dominant in the regular season like you'd expect, and he'll deservedly earn the MVP this year, Yankees are measured in POST-SEASON performance. I said this last year - until you shine and succeed and contribute in the post-season, you are NOT accepted. I think that they will retain A-Rod, but my feeling is that they should trade him for a top pitcher or let him go and use his salary to sign a top free agent pitcher - Rodriguez needs a market that has no expectations of him, a market that, like me with Mrs Thew, "just happy to be there". In TX and Seattle, they praised and worshipped him in the regular season, then didn't give a crap when he flopped in the post-season, they were just happy to make the playoffs. Not so in the Bronx - time and again you hear "our measuring stick is championships, not playoffs". He's a great player, but he's not a Yankee and not a good fit personality wise. Don't dispute his title of best player in the game, but I still think he's not a Yankee in his mind.
New York will survive and thrive. Jeter, Cano, Cabrera (how well did THIS guy play?), Abreu, Matsui, Damon, Hughes, Kennedy, Wang (even after his post-season debacle), these people will carry the load next year, the Yankees will once again be in the thick of the post season.
*****
An arbitrator ruled that the Falcons can recover $19.9M of their signing bonus to Michael Vick. Good.
*****
This is the problem with unions today. Thousands of workers at the Chrysler plant walked off the job today in a protest over an incomplete labor contract; I don't understand the mentality of crippling your employer so they can pay you more salary and benefits. Aren't you killing their business and revenue, so they will have less money to pay, therefore crippling yourself? Someone please explain this to me.
But before this, let me prognosticate about the future of the Yankee players:
Torre is gone. Too bad, but King George is gonna get rid of him.
Roger Clemens showed that he's old, slow, and no longer intimidating on the mound. He won't be back with the Yankees, although he MIGHT convince another team to piss away a boatload of money on his 6-6 record.
Andy Pettite will exercise his option and return to the team.
Jorge Posada will be resigned.
Mariano Rivera will be resigned, but I'm not really sure I care. Let the Sandman go, bring in Joba as the closer!
A-Rod is interesting...as fantastic a player as he is, it's really tough for me to justify his asking price (upwards of $30M a season?!) given the fact that he SUCKS ASS in the post-season. Even though he was dominant in the regular season like you'd expect, and he'll deservedly earn the MVP this year, Yankees are measured in POST-SEASON performance. I said this last year - until you shine and succeed and contribute in the post-season, you are NOT accepted. I think that they will retain A-Rod, but my feeling is that they should trade him for a top pitcher or let him go and use his salary to sign a top free agent pitcher - Rodriguez needs a market that has no expectations of him, a market that, like me with Mrs Thew, "just happy to be there". In TX and Seattle, they praised and worshipped him in the regular season, then didn't give a crap when he flopped in the post-season, they were just happy to make the playoffs. Not so in the Bronx - time and again you hear "our measuring stick is championships, not playoffs". He's a great player, but he's not a Yankee and not a good fit personality wise. Don't dispute his title of best player in the game, but I still think he's not a Yankee in his mind.
New York will survive and thrive. Jeter, Cano, Cabrera (how well did THIS guy play?), Abreu, Matsui, Damon, Hughes, Kennedy, Wang (even after his post-season debacle), these people will carry the load next year, the Yankees will once again be in the thick of the post season.
*****
An arbitrator ruled that the Falcons can recover $19.9M of their signing bonus to Michael Vick. Good.
*****
This is the problem with unions today. Thousands of workers at the Chrysler plant walked off the job today in a protest over an incomplete labor contract; I don't understand the mentality of crippling your employer so they can pay you more salary and benefits. Aren't you killing their business and revenue, so they will have less money to pay, therefore crippling yourself? Someone please explain this to me.
10.05.2007
Semper Fi
I have just finished three very good books about military. The first was Generation Kill by Evan Wright about a platoon of First Reconnaissance Battalion Marines, which are the Marine Corps' special operations unit. Wright gives a pretty engaging account and does a pretty good job suppressing any political tendencies he may have. The second book was Shooter by Jack Coughlin, the top-ranked Marine sniper. Finally, I read Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell about Operation Redwing which, by a quirk of fate and kindness, became the largest loss of life ever by the Navy SEALs.
Each was very different, but I was glad to have read them in that order. Generation Kill, though giving you an often disturbing picture of the Iraq invasion, involves little tragedy amongst the men you become attached to in the book. Shooter is a much more intimate book as Gunny Coughlin gives the reader vivid details of his targets, tracking them and then the "smoke checks." Riveting stuff.
Lone Survivor is powerful. Luttrell's four man SEAL team go hunting for a Taliban bad guy. Goatherds stumble upon them and they argue whether to kill them. They don't and soon thereafter, the team is attacked by the Taliban they are hunting. Outnumbers 40-1, they nonetheless hold off the attackers until three of the group is ultimately shot and killed. Luttrell survived and his tale of the Pashtun tribe that takes him in, thereby swearing to protect him, gives insight into the Pashtun tradition and Afghani history.
Each was very different, but I was glad to have read them in that order. Generation Kill, though giving you an often disturbing picture of the Iraq invasion, involves little tragedy amongst the men you become attached to in the book. Shooter is a much more intimate book as Gunny Coughlin gives the reader vivid details of his targets, tracking them and then the "smoke checks." Riveting stuff.
Lone Survivor is powerful. Luttrell's four man SEAL team go hunting for a Taliban bad guy. Goatherds stumble upon them and they argue whether to kill them. They don't and soon thereafter, the team is attacked by the Taliban they are hunting. Outnumbers 40-1, they nonetheless hold off the attackers until three of the group is ultimately shot and killed. Luttrell survived and his tale of the Pashtun tribe that takes him in, thereby swearing to protect him, gives insight into the Pashtun tradition and Afghani history.
American Patriotism
Armed Liberal over at WindsofChange has a thought provoking discussion of patriotism vs. nationalism. He also has a follow-up to Matt Yglesias' follow-up. Now Yglesias is a very smart guy, but I find him much more reasonable in person (say at BloggingHeads.tv) than in print. I would suggest that Matt likes to be provocative rather then persuasive because provocative keeps readers coming back.
Now, I firmly believe that patriotism is different than nationalism, which is simply a "modern" version of tribalism. Further, there is an American culture that, I think, is clearer to the outside world then to Americans. You see that in the opinion of immigrants, who will often tell you, for example, that the mobility of American society is something foreign to, well, er, foreigners. In most nations-states based on ethnicity, there is a caste system of some sorts...that is, your birth is your destiny. Further, if you are a woman, life can be much, much worse. (In the film The Kingdom, Jennifer Garner walks around Saudi Arabia like it was Phoenix. Uh...no. A woman HAS to cover up in the Kingdom or she risks being beaten. I am not kidding.) I guess it is natural for Americans-by-choice to feel stringer about their chosen country then natural-born Americans.
I am very proud to be an American. My father was seven or eight when the Nazis rolled through his home town in Bosnia fighting Tito and the Partisans; my mother was 12 when the Red Army crushed the Hungarian Revolution and she and her family left everything for Austria. (You will be hard pressed to find two more patriotic Americans.) I do not think it is tribalism to believe firmly in the Western, Judeo-Christian tradition. Nor do I think we are perfect...just the best system so far.
Now, I firmly believe that patriotism is different than nationalism, which is simply a "modern" version of tribalism. Further, there is an American culture that, I think, is clearer to the outside world then to Americans. You see that in the opinion of immigrants, who will often tell you, for example, that the mobility of American society is something foreign to, well, er, foreigners. In most nations-states based on ethnicity, there is a caste system of some sorts...that is, your birth is your destiny. Further, if you are a woman, life can be much, much worse. (In the film The Kingdom, Jennifer Garner walks around Saudi Arabia like it was Phoenix. Uh...no. A woman HAS to cover up in the Kingdom or she risks being beaten. I am not kidding.) I guess it is natural for Americans-by-choice to feel stringer about their chosen country then natural-born Americans.
I am very proud to be an American. My father was seven or eight when the Nazis rolled through his home town in Bosnia fighting Tito and the Partisans; my mother was 12 when the Red Army crushed the Hungarian Revolution and she and her family left everything for Austria. (You will be hard pressed to find two more patriotic Americans.) I do not think it is tribalism to believe firmly in the Western, Judeo-Christian tradition. Nor do I think we are perfect...just the best system so far.
10.03.2007
10.02.2007
Driving Gaffes...
1) Lifting my head to see where the ball is going before I hit it - talk about a near miss.
2) Dropping my right shoulder - open face, push-slice.
3) Leading too soon with my lower body - open face, push-slice.
4) Starting my hands down too soon - over the top, pull-hook.
5) Opening up my left hip outward instead of moving it through the impact line - over the top, pull-hook.
6) Strengthening my right hand - leads to dropping right shoulder - see #2.
7) Standing too close to the ball - leads to pulling hands in during swing - leads to dropping right shoulder - see #2.
8) Standing too far from the ball - leads to reaching outward too far with my hands - over the top, see #3.
9) Lagging the clubhead behind to make a strong wrist release right before impact - clubhead way behind hands, push-slice.
10) Waiting for the group ahead of me to walk off the driveable par 4 green before I tee off - inevitably leads to an embarassing worm burner in front of the group behind you.
2) Dropping my right shoulder - open face, push-slice.
3) Leading too soon with my lower body - open face, push-slice.
4) Starting my hands down too soon - over the top, pull-hook.
5) Opening up my left hip outward instead of moving it through the impact line - over the top, pull-hook.
6) Strengthening my right hand - leads to dropping right shoulder - see #2.
7) Standing too close to the ball - leads to pulling hands in during swing - leads to dropping right shoulder - see #2.
8) Standing too far from the ball - leads to reaching outward too far with my hands - over the top, see #3.
9) Lagging the clubhead behind to make a strong wrist release right before impact - clubhead way behind hands, push-slice.
10) Waiting for the group ahead of me to walk off the driveable par 4 green before I tee off - inevitably leads to an embarassing worm burner in front of the group behind you.
10.01.2007
No HOPE for the Wicked
Greg Ryan broke the most cardinal rule in all sports, according to the words of wisdom stated by Crash Davis "A player on a streak always respects the streak".
By benching Hope Solo for the Brazil match, Ryan messed with chemistry, a recipe for success, and the comfortability of a team that was used to playing with Hope between the pipes, not Bri. Brianna Scurry, even at 36, is still a top flight goaltender, but it was clearly the wrong move - but this was known before the final lineup took the pitch against Marta and the Brazilians. What, a 50 game unbeaten streak? Strong goaltending in the early rounds of the WWC? Didn't matter. Ryan inserted a warrior, true dat, but an older and slower and rustier warrior against what could arguably be the top women's team in the world - certainly top 5. Tilam speaks the truth, the coach made a bad move and we paid for it, in an embarassing way. Perhaps he tried to get into the Brazilian minds by starting the US goalie that had beaten them in the last 2 matches, but this day I think that talent should have taken precedence, not mind games.
HOWEVER, that doesn't excuse Hope Solo's conduct. In any way. She was told not to speak to the media for any reason, and while I admit that I'd be frustrated and upset at this type of decision, he tirade and public expression of dissent was inexcuseable, and I'm not surprised she was dismissed from the team for the Norway match. I would have done the same. I am disappointed that on a team of really selfless "WE" players, she came out and publicly criticized the situation, her coach, and essentially, Brianna Scurry; perhaps she's just like the rest of the "me" athlete generation. What will be interesting to see is a) the fallout of her career with the WNT, and b) her relationship with the team even if she DOES stay. Some players have stated that this won't impact the team relationships, but...
Give Greg Ryan credit for stepping up to the plate and taking the fallout, though.
In any event, for those of you who watched the championship game, the 2 goals that the Germans scored were, in my opinion, very soft goals. Both balls went UNDER the arms of the diving Brazilian goalie, and a better (read: top notch) goalie would have made those stops, I believe. Stereotypical Brazil...
Hockey season has begun...YAY!
October baseball is coming up VERY soon...YAY! My prediction is that the Yankees and Angels will play for the AL crown. I'm going with trends, and the Yankees have owned Cleveland this year (6-0), while the Angels are too good and the Sawx not good enough right now to take that series. I don't like the Angels against the Yankees, it's a matchup that scares me, but I'm still going to be an optimist and say Yanks in 6. I have no idea about the NL - except for the fact that changes are coming down the pike for the Mets after their debacle of a Sept. Gonna have to call my Uncle Laszlo and laugh at him, he's a die hard Mets fan.
In the "taking one for the team unnecessarily", I present Woody Austin. Did his best to extricate himself from a water hazard, promptly lost his balance and tumbled in head first for a quick dip (and the water in Canada is FRIKKIN' COLD this time of the year!), and STILL lost the hole. BUT, he also birdied 16, 17, & 18 to half the match. WAY TO GO WOODIE! (Hmm, how many times have I said that to myself....well, never mind).
Who's turn is it for the top 10 challenge? I believe it's Tilam...
By benching Hope Solo for the Brazil match, Ryan messed with chemistry, a recipe for success, and the comfortability of a team that was used to playing with Hope between the pipes, not Bri. Brianna Scurry, even at 36, is still a top flight goaltender, but it was clearly the wrong move - but this was known before the final lineup took the pitch against Marta and the Brazilians. What, a 50 game unbeaten streak? Strong goaltending in the early rounds of the WWC? Didn't matter. Ryan inserted a warrior, true dat, but an older and slower and rustier warrior against what could arguably be the top women's team in the world - certainly top 5. Tilam speaks the truth, the coach made a bad move and we paid for it, in an embarassing way. Perhaps he tried to get into the Brazilian minds by starting the US goalie that had beaten them in the last 2 matches, but this day I think that talent should have taken precedence, not mind games.
HOWEVER, that doesn't excuse Hope Solo's conduct. In any way. She was told not to speak to the media for any reason, and while I admit that I'd be frustrated and upset at this type of decision, he tirade and public expression of dissent was inexcuseable, and I'm not surprised she was dismissed from the team for the Norway match. I would have done the same. I am disappointed that on a team of really selfless "WE" players, she came out and publicly criticized the situation, her coach, and essentially, Brianna Scurry; perhaps she's just like the rest of the "me" athlete generation. What will be interesting to see is a) the fallout of her career with the WNT, and b) her relationship with the team even if she DOES stay. Some players have stated that this won't impact the team relationships, but...
Give Greg Ryan credit for stepping up to the plate and taking the fallout, though.
In any event, for those of you who watched the championship game, the 2 goals that the Germans scored were, in my opinion, very soft goals. Both balls went UNDER the arms of the diving Brazilian goalie, and a better (read: top notch) goalie would have made those stops, I believe. Stereotypical Brazil...
Hockey season has begun...YAY!
October baseball is coming up VERY soon...YAY! My prediction is that the Yankees and Angels will play for the AL crown. I'm going with trends, and the Yankees have owned Cleveland this year (6-0), while the Angels are too good and the Sawx not good enough right now to take that series. I don't like the Angels against the Yankees, it's a matchup that scares me, but I'm still going to be an optimist and say Yanks in 6. I have no idea about the NL - except for the fact that changes are coming down the pike for the Mets after their debacle of a Sept. Gonna have to call my Uncle Laszlo and laugh at him, he's a die hard Mets fan.
In the "taking one for the team unnecessarily", I present Woody Austin. Did his best to extricate himself from a water hazard, promptly lost his balance and tumbled in head first for a quick dip (and the water in Canada is FRIKKIN' COLD this time of the year!), and STILL lost the hole. BUT, he also birdied 16, 17, & 18 to half the match. WAY TO GO WOODIE! (Hmm, how many times have I said that to myself....well, never mind).
Who's turn is it for the top 10 challenge? I believe it's Tilam...
More Soccer Stuff
My Boys took it to the other team this weekend with a 6 - 0 shellacking of our opponents. Prince Tilam scored on a really nice direct kick from way outside the box...bent it into the far corner. Our last goal was a hard pass to the goalie (after 5 up, we stop shooting) who ran to kick the ball..and whiffed. Ouch. Not a way to score. So, after 4 games we have had 11 goals scored by 5 different players. (But then again, I was never worried about our offensive breadth.)
Now for the tough part of the season.
So the US WNT beat Norway 4 - 1. Hope Solo was not part of the team. According to Kristine Lilly, it was a team decision, so you wonder what the future holds for Solo and whether she can be part of it going forward. I suspect she will as the old guard (who was probably more taken aback by the comments) leaves. That said while I certainly agree with the sentiment of Solo's comments, she really threw Scurry (who has lived and breathed US Soccer for years) under the bus and that can't sit well with anyone on the team. She may have also given coach Greg Ryan a reprieve, if US Soccer chooses to "rally" around the coach. And that would be too bad, because that decision was such a bone-headed move, he should be let go.
In other news, Brazil lost to Germany 2 - 0. It seems the US game took the wind out of them.
Now for the tough part of the season.
So the US WNT beat Norway 4 - 1. Hope Solo was not part of the team. According to Kristine Lilly, it was a team decision, so you wonder what the future holds for Solo and whether she can be part of it going forward. I suspect she will as the old guard (who was probably more taken aback by the comments) leaves. That said while I certainly agree with the sentiment of Solo's comments, she really threw Scurry (who has lived and breathed US Soccer for years) under the bus and that can't sit well with anyone on the team. She may have also given coach Greg Ryan a reprieve, if US Soccer chooses to "rally" around the coach. And that would be too bad, because that decision was such a bone-headed move, he should be let go.
In other news, Brazil lost to Germany 2 - 0. It seems the US game took the wind out of them.
9.27.2007
When Coaches Lose Games
Being a coach is tough. Trying to get the right chemistry among your players and getting the top performances you can game in and game out. In soccer, especially, a coach's job is done once the players take a step out on the field. You can no longer help...it is up to them.
But one firm rule of coaching is "don't mess with success." And that make Greg Ryan's decision to swap Hope Solo for Brianna Scurry so inexplicable. The results speak for themselves. A 4 - 0 spanking by the Brazilians.
Now this is not Monday morning quarterbacking. There was plenty of vocal opposition to Ryan's move prior to the game. What is unfathomable is the position he decided to tinker with. Goalie. The heart of the defense - the quarterback of the back line. Ryan was quick to say it did not matter, but that is total bullshit. It did. The own goal was miscommunication between the defense and the goalie. Scurry looked slow and tentative. It was a total (and predictable) disaster.
Greg Ryan lost that game for those women.
But one firm rule of coaching is "don't mess with success." And that make Greg Ryan's decision to swap Hope Solo for Brianna Scurry so inexplicable. The results speak for themselves. A 4 - 0 spanking by the Brazilians.
Now this is not Monday morning quarterbacking. There was plenty of vocal opposition to Ryan's move prior to the game. What is unfathomable is the position he decided to tinker with. Goalie. The heart of the defense - the quarterback of the back line. Ryan was quick to say it did not matter, but that is total bullshit. It did. The own goal was miscommunication between the defense and the goalie. Scurry looked slow and tentative. It was a total (and predictable) disaster.
Greg Ryan lost that game for those women.
Stomach Flu Funnies
Ok so the stomach flu isn't so very funny, but I've been suffering with this all week and found this online and it gave me a chuckle.
http://sappychick.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/bodily-functions-alert-the-stomach-virus-of-2007/
Anything that can make you laugh while you're in misery is worth sharing...in my opinion.
Ummmm....gotta go!!! :P
http://sappychick.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/bodily-functions-alert-the-stomach-virus-of-2007/
Anything that can make you laugh while you're in misery is worth sharing...in my opinion.
Ummmm....gotta go!!! :P
9.26.2007
OJ Junior
The Michael Vick case has truly become a famous/racial case, as was the OJ case.
When OJ was acquitted, black america (or, most of black america, and I seem to remember not the "upper crust" black america) cheered and jumped for joy, claiming a victory for black america. Because they began to see the case NOT as a murder trial, which is as it should have been viewed, but as a black man being tried by a bunch of white racists. Not being black, I'm not sure where this line was crossed, but truly am confused as to this leap of reasoning. Perhaps because the victims were white and the accused black, they saw it as a white legal system coming down hard on the black man, I'm not sure. Perhaps they saw this as a racially motivated trial?
Let me say that I believe that ANY prejudice against minorities, be it blacks, hispanics, or even the fairer sex, is too much. But that doesn't change the fact that in many (deep woods southern?) places, there is hatred against blacks.
But you BETTER BELIEVE that reverse racism exists in the world today too. You cannot have heads without tails.
Michael Vick has become the latest poster child for black america and their "struggle" against a white dominated society. I was watching the ESPN round table about this, and Neil Boortz (someone who I generally dislike) made an excellent point in saying that "people who don't believe that Michael Vick has committed a crime here are doing him a disservice" - and HE GOT BOOED! You're shitting me. The audience looked to be 95% black, and almost all of them were in support of Vick being let off the hook. How ignorant are these people?! Is it because Michael Vick is black being tried in Virginia that they want to automatically speak out against Whitey and say he's innocent? Is it because he's an athlete, and a black one at that, who is famous and such, and they want to overlook his transgressions because of this? It's unbelievable, the unwavering support he's gotten. Even Whoopi Goldberg says "there are places 'in Michael Vick's south' where dog fighting is common".
BIG FREEKIN DEAL you moron! It DOESN'T MATTER! It still A FELONY! A CRIME! AGAINST THE LAW!
I don't have any issue with Michael Vick paying his debt to society, getting freed after his time is done, then working hard to MAYBE return to the NFL. To play again. To make his living. That, to me, is fair. But these complete idiots who just want to support Vick because a) he's famous, and b) he's black, without any regard to the fact that he broke the law, just propogate anti-white attitudes and ignorance among the black community.
I'm all for giving and providing Michael Vick support. As friends, as family members, as fans. BUT, do not blind yourself to the fact that he broke a federal law - it doesn't matter whether he killed dogs, or sold drugs, or molested children, he BROKE THE LAW and should do his time. Do not sit there and say "well, he killed dogs and broke the law, but he's our poster child for the successful black athlete and we need to NOT let him get convicted, so we'll ignore the preponderance of evidence against him and protest his arrest, even though he's been indicted by a grand jury."
Black america is fooling itself; Michael Vick needs to be punished for breaking the law, simple as that. Then, after his debt is paid to society, he can return and move on to the next phase of his life; and hopefully provide a positive lesson for the black community. Sorry if I'm skeptical.
EDIT: Just noticed that Vick tested positive for marijuana...frankly, I'm not sure when his stupidity will end...and Judge Hudson won't look upon this "screw you" arrogance very lightly.
When OJ was acquitted, black america (or, most of black america, and I seem to remember not the "upper crust" black america) cheered and jumped for joy, claiming a victory for black america. Because they began to see the case NOT as a murder trial, which is as it should have been viewed, but as a black man being tried by a bunch of white racists. Not being black, I'm not sure where this line was crossed, but truly am confused as to this leap of reasoning. Perhaps because the victims were white and the accused black, they saw it as a white legal system coming down hard on the black man, I'm not sure. Perhaps they saw this as a racially motivated trial?
Let me say that I believe that ANY prejudice against minorities, be it blacks, hispanics, or even the fairer sex, is too much. But that doesn't change the fact that in many (deep woods southern?) places, there is hatred against blacks.
But you BETTER BELIEVE that reverse racism exists in the world today too. You cannot have heads without tails.
Michael Vick has become the latest poster child for black america and their "struggle" against a white dominated society. I was watching the ESPN round table about this, and Neil Boortz (someone who I generally dislike) made an excellent point in saying that "people who don't believe that Michael Vick has committed a crime here are doing him a disservice" - and HE GOT BOOED! You're shitting me. The audience looked to be 95% black, and almost all of them were in support of Vick being let off the hook. How ignorant are these people?! Is it because Michael Vick is black being tried in Virginia that they want to automatically speak out against Whitey and say he's innocent? Is it because he's an athlete, and a black one at that, who is famous and such, and they want to overlook his transgressions because of this? It's unbelievable, the unwavering support he's gotten. Even Whoopi Goldberg says "there are places 'in Michael Vick's south' where dog fighting is common".
BIG FREEKIN DEAL you moron! It DOESN'T MATTER! It still A FELONY! A CRIME! AGAINST THE LAW!
I don't have any issue with Michael Vick paying his debt to society, getting freed after his time is done, then working hard to MAYBE return to the NFL. To play again. To make his living. That, to me, is fair. But these complete idiots who just want to support Vick because a) he's famous, and b) he's black, without any regard to the fact that he broke the law, just propogate anti-white attitudes and ignorance among the black community.
I'm all for giving and providing Michael Vick support. As friends, as family members, as fans. BUT, do not blind yourself to the fact that he broke a federal law - it doesn't matter whether he killed dogs, or sold drugs, or molested children, he BROKE THE LAW and should do his time. Do not sit there and say "well, he killed dogs and broke the law, but he's our poster child for the successful black athlete and we need to NOT let him get convicted, so we'll ignore the preponderance of evidence against him and protest his arrest, even though he's been indicted by a grand jury."
Black america is fooling itself; Michael Vick needs to be punished for breaking the law, simple as that. Then, after his debt is paid to society, he can return and move on to the next phase of his life; and hopefully provide a positive lesson for the black community. Sorry if I'm skeptical.
EDIT: Just noticed that Vick tested positive for marijuana...frankly, I'm not sure when his stupidity will end...and Judge Hudson won't look upon this "screw you" arrogance very lightly.
I remember a time when.....
I've been away for a little while. Not physically away, but emotionally pre-occupired with a new puppy who has come to share my home. The last week has been consumed with feeding schedules, potty schedules and watching this little bundle of fur to make sure she doesn't "piddle" where shes not supposed to. But I'm back to work, trying to get back into the swing of my life, and realizing how truly great it is to have a little one at home who thinks I'm the greatest in the world.
Anyway, my responses to the Top 10 I posed a while back.
I remember a time when.....
1. Penny candy really did cost a penny.
2. I got 0.25 a week for an allowance and that was a fortune. Mom and Dad would take us up to Sams (a sort of old school walmart) and we could spend our allowance on anything we wanted.
3. The Detroit Tigers won the pennant against the Cardinals. I went to Catholic school, but we got to watch the last game in school missing our last two classes for the day.
4. We were so poor that my Mom, at times, would have to feed us butter and sugar sandwiches. But we didn't know or care cuz we thought it was a treat!
5. One toy box held all the toys for 5 kids. We got toys for birthdays and christmas. That was it!
6. "Dark Shadows" was the most popular daytime soap opera. Who could forget Barnabus Collins?
7. My Mom and Dad took us to the movie theatre to see the new release of the movie "Bambi" I cried!
8. Kids played outside all day, and video games were far off in the distant future.
9. The "Wizard of Oz" was on television and Mom and Dad put us all in our footie pjs, gave us each a bowl of popcorn, and let us stay up late to watch the movie. Wow what a night that was!
10. Kids walked to school alone and unescorted and that was completely normal.
I have to add two more and these are really special memories for me so I wanted to highlight them.
I remember when man walked on the moon for the first time. Sitting on the stairs, having snuck out of bed, to watch Neil Armstrong take that first step was something truly amazing.
I remember the funeral for President Kennedy. I remember seeing John John standing there so bravely as his father's casket passed by he and his family. I remember crying because this poor boy had lost his Daddy, and I remember how very brave he looked on that sad day.
During my childhood, it was still a time of innocence, something that is sadly missing today.
Anyway, my responses to the Top 10 I posed a while back.
I remember a time when.....
1. Penny candy really did cost a penny.
2. I got 0.25 a week for an allowance and that was a fortune. Mom and Dad would take us up to Sams (a sort of old school walmart) and we could spend our allowance on anything we wanted.
3. The Detroit Tigers won the pennant against the Cardinals. I went to Catholic school, but we got to watch the last game in school missing our last two classes for the day.
4. We were so poor that my Mom, at times, would have to feed us butter and sugar sandwiches. But we didn't know or care cuz we thought it was a treat!
5. One toy box held all the toys for 5 kids. We got toys for birthdays and christmas. That was it!
6. "Dark Shadows" was the most popular daytime soap opera. Who could forget Barnabus Collins?
7. My Mom and Dad took us to the movie theatre to see the new release of the movie "Bambi" I cried!
8. Kids played outside all day, and video games were far off in the distant future.
9. The "Wizard of Oz" was on television and Mom and Dad put us all in our footie pjs, gave us each a bowl of popcorn, and let us stay up late to watch the movie. Wow what a night that was!
10. Kids walked to school alone and unescorted and that was completely normal.
I have to add two more and these are really special memories for me so I wanted to highlight them.
I remember when man walked on the moon for the first time. Sitting on the stairs, having snuck out of bed, to watch Neil Armstrong take that first step was something truly amazing.
I remember the funeral for President Kennedy. I remember seeing John John standing there so bravely as his father's casket passed by he and his family. I remember crying because this poor boy had lost his Daddy, and I remember how very brave he looked on that sad day.
During my childhood, it was still a time of innocence, something that is sadly missing today.
9.24.2007
One Giant Leap...
I mentioned in a prior post that my U12 Boys team was, shall we say, struggling. We played last Saturday to a 1 - 1 tie. It was an outstanding game. Both teams played well. I thought we should have won the game, but could have lost it.
While the other team was not top flight competition. they were quite good. Their tying goal was a nicely executed 3 v 2, which we defended well, but couldn't stop. For our side, Prince Tilam scored from outside the box with a hard shot that caught the goalie a bit far out, but ducked under the cross bar at the last second. (That he managed to hit the upper part of the back of the net from 22 yards was pretty cool.) I was behind him when he struck the ball and from my vantage point on the sidelines, there was no doubt it was going in. We also missed a penalty; hit the cross bar another time; and missed from point blank range with < 1 minute remaining. Unfortunate, but it was still a great game to watch.
Several of the parents were still a bit frustrated we could not finish, but I said to them in an e-mail: "[Let] me stress one thing to remember when watching the game. The difference with soccer and every other major sport is that everything important a player needs to do on the field they do balancing on one foot. So while soccer has the same flow of basketball or hockey or lacrosse, at least those players get to use both their feet to stand. In soccer, dribbling, receiving, passing, shooting, etc. is all done with only one foot on the ground (and one touching the ball). As a player, you can see the right thing, know the right thing and want to do the right thing, but being even slightly off balance or leaning the wrong way makes it nearly impossible or causes a pass or a shot to be slightly off." Well played soccer is as pretty as ballet, if you know what to watch for.
Anyway, we picked up our first point...and some badly needed momentum.
While the other team was not top flight competition. they were quite good. Their tying goal was a nicely executed 3 v 2, which we defended well, but couldn't stop. For our side, Prince Tilam scored from outside the box with a hard shot that caught the goalie a bit far out, but ducked under the cross bar at the last second. (That he managed to hit the upper part of the back of the net from 22 yards was pretty cool.) I was behind him when he struck the ball and from my vantage point on the sidelines, there was no doubt it was going in. We also missed a penalty; hit the cross bar another time; and missed from point blank range with < 1 minute remaining. Unfortunate, but it was still a great game to watch.
Several of the parents were still a bit frustrated we could not finish, but I said to them in an e-mail: "[Let] me stress one thing to remember when watching the game. The difference with soccer and every other major sport is that everything important a player needs to do on the field they do balancing on one foot. So while soccer has the same flow of basketball or hockey or lacrosse, at least those players get to use both their feet to stand. In soccer, dribbling, receiving, passing, shooting, etc. is all done with only one foot on the ground (and one touching the ball). As a player, you can see the right thing, know the right thing and want to do the right thing, but being even slightly off balance or leaning the wrong way makes it nearly impossible or causes a pass or a shot to be slightly off." Well played soccer is as pretty as ballet, if you know what to watch for.
Anyway, we picked up our first point...and some badly needed momentum.
9.21.2007
Colonel Nicholson and Progressive Liberals
It is very difficult for me to understand the logical end game of progressive liberal movement. Thinking about HillaryCare 2.0, you wonder how the state planning of health care in the US will end up any better then the state planning of agriculture in the Soviet Union. Trying to reconcile the moral hypocrisy of not allow ROTC on campus for its "discriminatory" position on gays (in quotes because it is the same policy for heterosexuals) while allowing someone who advocates the killing of gays for the sin of homosexuality to speak on campus is really hard.
In The Bridge on the River Kwai, Colonel Nicholson seeks to show his captors the superiority of the British soldier and loses sight of his true purpose - defeating a fanatical enemy. In the end, responsible for the deaths of several of the commandos who seek to blow up his masterpiece, he comes to his senses: "What have I done?!" And, as his last act, falls on the plunger and destroys the train carrying Japanese soldiers. Major Clipton looks at the scene and simply says, "Madness."
The progressive movement has flourished because it has not had to take responsibility for its actions. Like a petulant child, it shrieks about injustice without regards to facts or context. It shrieks simply because it wants its way. Once it receives the lollipop in consolation, it is content.
Maybe there is freedom in knowing that this country is not nuts enough to give you real responsibility, but is it too much for us to ask that you occasionally - occasionally - act like an adult?
In The Bridge on the River Kwai, Colonel Nicholson seeks to show his captors the superiority of the British soldier and loses sight of his true purpose - defeating a fanatical enemy. In the end, responsible for the deaths of several of the commandos who seek to blow up his masterpiece, he comes to his senses: "What have I done?!" And, as his last act, falls on the plunger and destroys the train carrying Japanese soldiers. Major Clipton looks at the scene and simply says, "Madness."
The progressive movement has flourished because it has not had to take responsibility for its actions. Like a petulant child, it shrieks about injustice without regards to facts or context. It shrieks simply because it wants its way. Once it receives the lollipop in consolation, it is content.
Maybe there is freedom in knowing that this country is not nuts enough to give you real responsibility, but is it too much for us to ask that you occasionally - occasionally - act like an adult?
Columbia Trivia
This from the Wall Street Journal ($): "Oh, and by the way, [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's] regime also executes homosexuals for the crime of being themselves. Maybe if Columbia University President Lee Bollinger were aware of the latter fact he would reconsider his invitation to the Iranian president to speak on his campus next Monday.
Mr. Bollinger, notoriously, voted in 2005 not to readmit an ROTC program to Columbia (absent from the university since 1969), ostensibly on the grounds of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gay service members. Never mind that other upper-tier schools, including Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania all have ROTC programs. Never mind, too, that in 2003 the Columbia student body voted in favor of readmission by a 2-1 margin. In Mr. Bollinger's view, 'the university has an obligation, deeply rooted in the core values of an academic institution and in First Amendment principles, to protect its students from improper discrimination and humiliation.'"
Maybe if the military had a "tell and hang'em high" policy against homosexuals, Columbia would welcome ROTC. More liberal hypocrisy. (No, hypocrisy...Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hates Bush, too! Birds of a feather; the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. - Ed.)
UPDATE: Related via David Bernstein at Volokh: "And, come to think of it, I can't resist the contrast between the reaction to Rumsfeld at Stanford and, judging from the stories in the Columbia Spectator, the almost complete quiescence, apart from some Jewish groups, at Columbia regarding the invitation to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."
Mr. Bollinger, notoriously, voted in 2005 not to readmit an ROTC program to Columbia (absent from the university since 1969), ostensibly on the grounds of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gay service members. Never mind that other upper-tier schools, including Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania all have ROTC programs. Never mind, too, that in 2003 the Columbia student body voted in favor of readmission by a 2-1 margin. In Mr. Bollinger's view, 'the university has an obligation, deeply rooted in the core values of an academic institution and in First Amendment principles, to protect its students from improper discrimination and humiliation.'"
Maybe if the military had a "tell and hang'em high" policy against homosexuals, Columbia would welcome ROTC. More liberal hypocrisy. (No, hypocrisy...Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hates Bush, too! Birds of a feather; the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. - Ed.)
UPDATE: Related via David Bernstein at Volokh: "And, come to think of it, I can't resist the contrast between the reaction to Rumsfeld at Stanford and, judging from the stories in the Columbia Spectator, the almost complete quiescence, apart from some Jewish groups, at Columbia regarding the invitation to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."
9.20.2007
Academia is Totally Whacked
Columbia cordially invites President Ahmadinejad of Iran to speak. Holocaust denier; leader of the student who stormed the US Embassy; and who has vowed to "wipe Israel off the face of the map."
Freedom of speech is important, no?
UC Davis UNinvites Larry Summers to speak at a Regents dinner. Award winning economist, Secretary of the Treasury, ex-President of Harvard. Protests and outrage ensued. What did he do that was worse the Mahmoud? He suggested that one factor that might explain why women don't excel in the sciences is the fact that men and women might think differently.
Freedom of speech is important? No.
You can espouse any hateful orthodoxy you want...just do not question the liberals.
UPDATE: Victor David Hanson has similar thoughts expressed much better.
UPDATE 2: More sarcasm from Brendan Loy: "In other news from the world of academia, it seems that while Larry Summers isn't welcome to be a dinner speaker at the University of California, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an honored guest at Columbia. (Hat tip: Becky.) Well, that makes perfect sense to me. Ahmadinejad may be a murderous, oppressive tyrant bent on destroying Israel, dominating the Middle East, opposing America at every turn, and potentially hastening the apocalypse and the arrival of the 12th imam -- but hey, we should listen to what he has to say, right? Only closed-minded bigots and crazy right-wing warbloggers (but I repeat myself!) would say no to an "opportunity for faculty and students to engage the President of Iran." Free exchange of ideas, understanding the "other," and all that sort of thing. Summers, though -- Summers questioned feminist orthodoxy! Tolerance only goes so far, people. The free exchange of ideas extends to Holocaust denial, but it doesn't extend to suggesting the possibility that men and women might not be biologically identical. There are some things you just don't say!"
UPDATE 3: There is a method to the liberals' madness. To wit, if you don't want to look like a hating, half-crazed nutjob, you invite even more hateful, totally insane nuts. You look great in comparision!
Freedom of speech is important, no?
UC Davis UNinvites Larry Summers to speak at a Regents dinner. Award winning economist, Secretary of the Treasury, ex-President of Harvard. Protests and outrage ensued. What did he do that was worse the Mahmoud? He suggested that one factor that might explain why women don't excel in the sciences is the fact that men and women might think differently.
Freedom of speech is important? No.
You can espouse any hateful orthodoxy you want...just do not question the liberals.
UPDATE: Victor David Hanson has similar thoughts expressed much better.
UPDATE 2: More sarcasm from Brendan Loy: "In other news from the world of academia, it seems that while Larry Summers isn't welcome to be a dinner speaker at the University of California, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is an honored guest at Columbia. (Hat tip: Becky.) Well, that makes perfect sense to me. Ahmadinejad may be a murderous, oppressive tyrant bent on destroying Israel, dominating the Middle East, opposing America at every turn, and potentially hastening the apocalypse and the arrival of the 12th imam -- but hey, we should listen to what he has to say, right? Only closed-minded bigots and crazy right-wing warbloggers (but I repeat myself!) would say no to an "opportunity for faculty and students to engage the President of Iran." Free exchange of ideas, understanding the "other," and all that sort of thing. Summers, though -- Summers questioned feminist orthodoxy! Tolerance only goes so far, people. The free exchange of ideas extends to Holocaust denial, but it doesn't extend to suggesting the possibility that men and women might not be biologically identical. There are some things you just don't say!"
UPDATE 3: There is a method to the liberals' madness. To wit, if you don't want to look like a hating, half-crazed nutjob, you invite even more hateful, totally insane nuts. You look great in comparision!
9.19.2007
Some people have too much time & money
But this is rather interesting, and amusing... Fashion designer Marc Ecko revealed himself as Saturday's winning bidder in the online auction for the ball that Bonds hit last month to break Hank Aaron's all-time home-run record of 755.
Ecko had not even taken possession of the ball before posting a website that lets visitors vote on which of the three outcomes they think the ball most deserves. He said he plans to announce the final tally after voting ends Sept. 25.
"I bought this baseball to democratize the debate over what to do with it," Ecko wrote on the Web site. "The idea that some of the best athletes in the country are forced to decide between being competitive and staying natural is troubling."
Ecko, 35, is known for his pop culture pranks, including an infamous Internet video that showed him apparently infiltrating an airport tarmac and spray-painting graffiti on Air Force One. The incident turned out to be a hoax.
Personally, I voted to shoot the ball into space towards Uranus.
Ecko had not even taken possession of the ball before posting a website that lets visitors vote on which of the three outcomes they think the ball most deserves. He said he plans to announce the final tally after voting ends Sept. 25.
"I bought this baseball to democratize the debate over what to do with it," Ecko wrote on the Web site. "The idea that some of the best athletes in the country are forced to decide between being competitive and staying natural is troubling."
Ecko, 35, is known for his pop culture pranks, including an infamous Internet video that showed him apparently infiltrating an airport tarmac and spray-painting graffiti on Air Force One. The incident turned out to be a hoax.
Personally, I voted to shoot the ball into space towards Uranus.
9.18.2007
In the Sports World...
OJ is in a heap of trouble. Any doubt they will throw the book at him? It is a sad story...OJ was a big hero growing up in the 70s and his early biography - USC, Heisman, Buffalo Bills, Hertz - showed glimpses of a class act. But he just lost control. Too bad.
The New England Patriots were caught violating the rules. Peter King is in hysterics. Now every jealous franchise is doubting the authenticity of the Patriots past performances. LaDainian Tomlinson says that is how the Pats beat the Chargers last year and this year would be different. It was: the Chargers were NEVER in the game. Last year's MVP, Tomlinson managed 40 yards rushing.
Donovan McNabb, coming off of two poor performances and in the lower third of QB rankings, has an explanation: he's black, so he is criticized more. Yeah, that's it. He has got a 68.8 QB rating because of whitey. Being black is a factor to McNabb...he is using it as a crutch.
Tiger Woods does not need excuses or a crutch. He is simply the best golfer in the world. When Tiger has a few bad swings he hits the range...not the airwaves. Tiger is an over-dog you can root for because he is a "no excuses" competitor. Black, white, yellow, green...who gives a shit. McNabb are you listening?
USA, USA. The Women's National Team are on to the quarters of the World Cup and will play England Saturday. Go, girls!
And the Yankees continue to close the gap on the Red Sox. The advantage of winning the division is clear...avoid the Angels in the first round. I am also not counting the Tigers out quite yet.
The New England Patriots were caught violating the rules. Peter King is in hysterics. Now every jealous franchise is doubting the authenticity of the Patriots past performances. LaDainian Tomlinson says that is how the Pats beat the Chargers last year and this year would be different. It was: the Chargers were NEVER in the game. Last year's MVP, Tomlinson managed 40 yards rushing.
Donovan McNabb, coming off of two poor performances and in the lower third of QB rankings, has an explanation: he's black, so he is criticized more. Yeah, that's it. He has got a 68.8 QB rating because of whitey. Being black is a factor to McNabb...he is using it as a crutch.
Tiger Woods does not need excuses or a crutch. He is simply the best golfer in the world. When Tiger has a few bad swings he hits the range...not the airwaves. Tiger is an over-dog you can root for because he is a "no excuses" competitor. Black, white, yellow, green...who gives a shit. McNabb are you listening?
USA, USA. The Women's National Team are on to the quarters of the World Cup and will play England Saturday. Go, girls!
And the Yankees continue to close the gap on the Red Sox. The advantage of winning the division is clear...avoid the Angels in the first round. I am also not counting the Tigers out quite yet.
9.17.2007
Getting Spanked
I had mentioned before that my U12 Boys team was promoted to the Tournament of Champions League. Gah! It has not worked out so well.
Our first two games we got spanked 7-2 each time. Since my coaching career has been relatively successful, this is driving me nuts. Yes, the team is very young. Yes, the larger field is new to them (as is the formation). Yes, we are not the top all-star team. And yes, it is the start of the season, but sugar, honey ice tea!
Dissecting the games has been easy: our defense sucks! So I know the first problem we need to solve, but solving it will be tricky. To wit, I have only two "natural" defenders..."natural" being defined as both ability AND interest. Everyone else prefers the other side of the ball. This couple with my natural tendency to preach offense has resulted in two massacres. I am used to being Sherman, not Atlanta.
Oddly, it is not that we played poorly all the time...in fact we dominated huge parts of the last game, but our lapses are complete and devastating. In both games, 10 minute lapses resulted in four goals a piece. I nearly burst a vessel!
Two practices and one scrimmage this week marks the journey back.
Our first two games we got spanked 7-2 each time. Since my coaching career has been relatively successful, this is driving me nuts. Yes, the team is very young. Yes, the larger field is new to them (as is the formation). Yes, we are not the top all-star team. And yes, it is the start of the season, but sugar, honey ice tea!
Dissecting the games has been easy: our defense sucks! So I know the first problem we need to solve, but solving it will be tricky. To wit, I have only two "natural" defenders..."natural" being defined as both ability AND interest. Everyone else prefers the other side of the ball. This couple with my natural tendency to preach offense has resulted in two massacres. I am used to being Sherman, not Atlanta.
Oddly, it is not that we played poorly all the time...in fact we dominated huge parts of the last game, but our lapses are complete and devastating. In both games, 10 minute lapses resulted in four goals a piece. I nearly burst a vessel!
Two practices and one scrimmage this week marks the journey back.
9.14.2007
Looking out my back door...
Wow, to name only 10 would be difficult - at age 42 one of the great things about being older, as Tilam stated, was the abundance of memories. Oddly enough, as I get older, the BAD memories seem to fade to be replaced by the good ones, the happy ones, the ones truly worth remembering.
So, as I sit here thinking, I can remember a time when...
So many other random thoughts come to mind - picnics at Squantz Pond & Candlewood Lake, days at the beach at Seaside Park in CT, being a ballboy for Pele and the NY Cosmos, getting my only Hole in One and almost busting my brother's knee after jumping in his arms, being chosen for an all star soccer game at age 11 and travelling to New York then assisting on the winning goal, going went on my first date, breaking up with a girl because she tried to kiss me (yeah, the old horndawg did that), visiting my brother in college and thinking he was so damm (and finally) cool for being a "college guy", stuff like that. So many memories, it's what makes looking back fun, it's what makes our time here on earth worthwhile.
It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years. Although more years in your life is kinda cool too. LOL
T-DUB?
So, as I sit here thinking, I can remember a time when...
- My older brother was bigger than me - my father too, actually.
- When playing my favorite music I had to make sure I had it on the right speed; 33 or 45 rpm.
- I was 6 years old and I could walk to the store or a friend's house and not have a care in the world about any dangerous individuals.
- I thought my dad was the greatest guy in the world and so larger than life - hell, never mind, I still do.
- Being married with 3 kids was a "WTF am I thinking" thought!
- All I ever wanted to do was play soccer and score goals.
- Bellbottom jeans and Candies were in style - although I only wore the jeans.
- I was divorced with 2 kids, angry at the world, and never expected to mellow and find a wonderful woman to marry and be happy with.
- My mother could leave my older brother and I home all summer vacation days, and as long as were weren't dead when she came home, she was happy.
- I was finally the BMOC - well, Big Man in the Dorm, but I was THE MAN!
So many other random thoughts come to mind - picnics at Squantz Pond & Candlewood Lake, days at the beach at Seaside Park in CT, being a ballboy for Pele and the NY Cosmos, getting my only Hole in One and almost busting my brother's knee after jumping in his arms, being chosen for an all star soccer game at age 11 and travelling to New York then assisting on the winning goal, going went on my first date, breaking up with a girl because she tried to kiss me (yeah, the old horndawg did that), visiting my brother in college and thinking he was so damm (and finally) cool for being a "college guy", stuff like that. So many memories, it's what makes looking back fun, it's what makes our time here on earth worthwhile.
It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years. Although more years in your life is kinda cool too. LOL
T-DUB?
Memories, Like the Corners of My Mind...
Good one, Tdub.
So, I remember a time when:
My TV was black and white.
My hair was very blond.
A man first walked on the moon.
I could repair my own car...without fear.
Coffee was served only in diners and it cost a dime.
We waited for gas and worried there would be none.
Hair was long and shorts were short.
McDonald's was a special dining treat (followed by coffee milkshakes from Conti's for desert!)
I could go outside at 8 am, not come home until dinner and Mom would not be worried.
Not only were grocery stores not self service, but someone brought the groceries out to the car!
Of all the odd things I remember, the King Cole grocery store were I grew up used to have conveyor belts in the front of the store and we would watch the groceries travel out from the checkout counter to the parking lot. It was only a quarter of a mile from my house and sometimes we would walk to the store and walk home with the groceries.
Now, I just was looking at the old place on Google Earth and one thing that is funny is how close everything actually is. My old house to the Boys' Club is a third of a mile through Central High. (Across the street there was a high security prison.) The length of the deadend street I grew up on was only 330 yards. But it did not seem so short at the time.
So, I remember a time when:
My TV was black and white.
My hair was very blond.
A man first walked on the moon.
I could repair my own car...without fear.
Coffee was served only in diners and it cost a dime.
We waited for gas and worried there would be none.
Hair was long and shorts were short.
McDonald's was a special dining treat (followed by coffee milkshakes from Conti's for desert!)
I could go outside at 8 am, not come home until dinner and Mom would not be worried.
Not only were grocery stores not self service, but someone brought the groceries out to the car!
Of all the odd things I remember, the King Cole grocery store were I grew up used to have conveyor belts in the front of the store and we would watch the groceries travel out from the checkout counter to the parking lot. It was only a quarter of a mile from my house and sometimes we would walk to the store and walk home with the groceries.
Now, I just was looking at the old place on Google Earth and one thing that is funny is how close everything actually is. My old house to the Boys' Club is a third of a mile through Central High. (Across the street there was a high security prison.) The length of the deadend street I grew up on was only 330 yards. But it did not seem so short at the time.
9.13.2007
My Turn
*raises her head from her foxhole to see if the boys have stopped slinging mud*
Whew looks clear!
Well, since I can't do the top 10 reasons Gerard Butler is so sexy (there are no words to express the level of my disappointment) I suppose I'll have to come up with an alternative.
I'm gonna change things up a bit and hope this is enough of a challenge. I want each of you to come up with 10 possible responses to the following opening line:
"I remember a time when......"
Whew looks clear!
Well, since I can't do the top 10 reasons Gerard Butler is so sexy (there are no words to express the level of my disappointment) I suppose I'll have to come up with an alternative.
I'm gonna change things up a bit and hope this is enough of a challenge. I want each of you to come up with 10 possible responses to the following opening line:
"I remember a time when......"
Enough of the Catfighting
Marvel Comics has put in a major effort to sell movies based on its comic books. Spiderman, Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-men, to name a few. Some have been successful, some not (Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Elektra, Punisher), but success is measured two ways. The first, obviously, is the box office receipts, but I would argue that before you get there, you must be a hit with the fanboys.
DC Comics has not been as prolific; relying on Superman and Batman and some lesser known titles (Road to Perdition, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Constantine, Stardust), but I would give the edge to DC in terms of hit-to-miss ratio.
Several new films are coming to test my fanboy theory. First off, Ironman hit theaters next year. The trailer is out and looks interesting. I would not have picked Robert Downey, Jr., but RD is a hugh fan of the comic and Tony Stark has a dark-side not unlike Downey's own. My resistance is that Downey is a bit too cheeky for me, which we see in the trailer. The plot development is similar to the comics...so we shall see. (Samuel L. Jackson is supposed to play Nick Fury!)
Thor is the next unique interesting project. Again, fanboys will not be pleased if the director screws up a great franchise.
Then there is DC Comics' Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman is an icon. Her "modern" story - Paradise Island, Steve Trevor, alter ego Diana Prince, do-not-kill code - are as well known as her creation to balance a male-dominated superhero world. While Wonder Woman has often been sexualized (well, with a costume like that...), she can be a great metaphor for coming to grips with female power - think of a less dark version of Batman Begins.
And for Thew...Kate Beckinsdale has been rumored to play her.
DC Comics has not been as prolific; relying on Superman and Batman and some lesser known titles (Road to Perdition, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Constantine, Stardust), but I would give the edge to DC in terms of hit-to-miss ratio.
Several new films are coming to test my fanboy theory. First off, Ironman hit theaters next year. The trailer is out and looks interesting. I would not have picked Robert Downey, Jr., but RD is a hugh fan of the comic and Tony Stark has a dark-side not unlike Downey's own. My resistance is that Downey is a bit too cheeky for me, which we see in the trailer. The plot development is similar to the comics...so we shall see. (Samuel L. Jackson is supposed to play Nick Fury!)
Thor is the next unique interesting project. Again, fanboys will not be pleased if the director screws up a great franchise.
Then there is DC Comics' Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman is an icon. Her "modern" story - Paradise Island, Steve Trevor, alter ego Diana Prince, do-not-kill code - are as well known as her creation to balance a male-dominated superhero world. While Wonder Woman has often been sexualized (well, with a costume like that...), she can be a great metaphor for coming to grips with female power - think of a less dark version of Batman Begins.
And for Thew...Kate Beckinsdale has been rumored to play her.
Back to Real Life
General Patreaus delivered his report to Congress along with Ambassador Crocker. What they said really did not matter, but to anyone paying attention...it contained no surprises EXCEPT for the proposal of a 30,000 troop drawdown next year. But even that makes sense given the facts and is confirmed by the soldiers themselves.
Did the Senators take the opportunity to ask probing questions? No. None of the Democratic candidates did anything more then deliver a stump speech.
Every poll on the President's poor approval rating makes headlines, but what of the Congress? Gallup measure confidence in various institutions last June. Congress is the lowest rated institution in the country. Lower then HMOs. Over 10 points lower then the President. Nearly two-thirds lower then the Supreme Court and 80% lower then...the Military. There are plenty of very effective Congressmen and women, but they are overshadowed by morons.
Glenn Reynolds says it best: "the best Bush strategy is to put Congress on TV as often as possible."
Did the Senators take the opportunity to ask probing questions? No. None of the Democratic candidates did anything more then deliver a stump speech.
Every poll on the President's poor approval rating makes headlines, but what of the Congress? Gallup measure confidence in various institutions last June. Congress is the lowest rated institution in the country. Lower then HMOs. Over 10 points lower then the President. Nearly two-thirds lower then the Supreme Court and 80% lower then...the Military. There are plenty of very effective Congressmen and women, but they are overshadowed by morons.
Glenn Reynolds says it best: "the best Bush strategy is to put Congress on TV as often as possible."
Someone is a Bit Touchy...
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes a slam is just a slam.
You hurt my feelings...now I am going to cry to Rosie...it is the only thing that understands. *Sniff*
You hurt my feelings...now I am going to cry to Rosie...it is the only thing that understands. *Sniff*
9.12.2007
Homophobic much?
The sad part about you being verklempt regarding me finding 32 sexy items about Gerard Butler is the fact that you are not, in fact, in touch with your masculinity enough that you can feel secure in admitting that another man is pretty...those of us not threatened by good looking men don't feel gay nor threatened when we admit that Brad Pitt is a pretty man.
Matter of fact, the only time you get "in touch" with yourself is with a large bottle of hand lotion after an extended stint in the "no nookie" zone...
Yes, I Pwned Joo Nub...
Matter of fact, the only time you get "in touch" with yourself is with a large bottle of hand lotion after an extended stint in the "no nookie" zone...
Yes, I Pwned Joo Nub...
Tdub's Turn
I think its Tdub's turn for a list, if she wants. And none of this Top 10 Sexiest Things about Gerard Butler crapola!!!
(I don't want Thew to embarrass himself when he has to cull his list down from 32 things...)
(I don't want Thew to embarrass himself when he has to cull his list down from 32 things...)
9.11.2007
Piss On 9/11!
I didn't know anyone who was affected in any way by the terrorist attacks on 9/11. But like many, a part of me died with those people in that building, in those planes; the victims above the impact points, some of whom jumped out of a window in the desperate hope that they MIGHT be spared in some way, the heroes on Flight 93 which crashed in PA who came to the conclusion that they were the last missile outbound that day, that they needed to do something, they needed to sacrifice themselves to save others. What died in me was my innocence of terrorism and hate, my arrogance of safety and invulnerability, the compassion for all others I used to give freely but now mostly offer with a suspicious eye.
Where are americans now? Well, as I said in the title of this post, back at square one from ground zero, in my opinion. Too many of us have retreated back into the same stupid, arrogant, self-centered, "no give a shit about anyone else" mode of behavior that they had before 9/11. Once again, we can't see past our own little circle of influence (which, by the way, extends approximately 2 feet around our body) to give a damm about the global situation, about society as a whole. Some people are parasites, trying to use the most horrible terrorist attack in history for their own gain, claiming to have lost loved ones in order to collect insurance money. A shiek, out of embarassment and generosity, offers 10 million dollars, and an african american politician says "give it to the poor black people" after the US says "no thanks".
People honor the memory of 9/11, but frankly, as a whole, they don't do much with that memory. Those affected mourn the loss of loved ones, but too many of the rest of us just pay lip service and continued on with the same selfish outlook on life. And frankly, we've regressed further...
We might be the best nation on earth, the free-est, but that doesn't mean that our society isn't filled with a bunch of selfish morons...
Where are americans now? Well, as I said in the title of this post, back at square one from ground zero, in my opinion. Too many of us have retreated back into the same stupid, arrogant, self-centered, "no give a shit about anyone else" mode of behavior that they had before 9/11. Once again, we can't see past our own little circle of influence (which, by the way, extends approximately 2 feet around our body) to give a damm about the global situation, about society as a whole. Some people are parasites, trying to use the most horrible terrorist attack in history for their own gain, claiming to have lost loved ones in order to collect insurance money. A shiek, out of embarassment and generosity, offers 10 million dollars, and an african american politician says "give it to the poor black people" after the US says "no thanks".
People honor the memory of 9/11, but frankly, as a whole, they don't do much with that memory. Those affected mourn the loss of loved ones, but too many of the rest of us just pay lip service and continued on with the same selfish outlook on life. And frankly, we've regressed further...
We might be the best nation on earth, the free-est, but that doesn't mean that our society isn't filled with a bunch of selfish morons...
911 Remembered
I got up for work this morning and went about my usual morning routine. Get up 30 minutes BEFORE the alarm to pee, then crawl back into bed only to have the alarm JOLT me awake moments later. Stumble down the stairs seeking coffee, stubbing my toe on the ottoman that has been in that same spot since I've lived in my house.
Once coffee is brewing I hobble down the back hallway to turn off the alarm, make my way back to the kitchen and stare bleary eyed as the coffee slowly drips into the pot. This is as much as I'm capable of at this point in my morning.
With my full coffee cup in hand I head back upstairs to check email, play a little WOW, listen to the radio and slowly let the coffee fumes clear away the sleep from my head.
I listen to the same radio station every morning. And every morning since 9-11-01, at 7:30 a.m., someone recites the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a patriotic song. This morning was different. This morning they reminded me it was 911. I had forgotten.
The DJ's talked about their memories of that day, and when 7:30 rolled around, they had the Captian from a local firehouse recite the Pledge, and, for the first time since that fateful morning, I stood, placed my hand over my heart, and remembered. In his words I heard pride, sadness, resolve and patriotism.
As he spoke the last words of the pledge the opening strains of a song started. As the lyrics "Little did she know she'd kissed a hero...", played I remembered the faces from that day. The ones covered in dust with a look of utter shock, the ones contorted in fear, the ones torn by grief, the ones standing steeley eyed and brave as they looked for survivors. How could I have forgotten? How could any of us EVER forget?
Today we remember what it is to be an American. It's a priviledge and it takes work. Freedom is never "free". We defend it with our dearest blood, we cherish it with every free breath we take, and, when threatened, we come together as one to push back the darkness with the light of our conviction shining brightly for our enemies to see. And in one voice we stand together and say "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Once coffee is brewing I hobble down the back hallway to turn off the alarm, make my way back to the kitchen and stare bleary eyed as the coffee slowly drips into the pot. This is as much as I'm capable of at this point in my morning.
With my full coffee cup in hand I head back upstairs to check email, play a little WOW, listen to the radio and slowly let the coffee fumes clear away the sleep from my head.
I listen to the same radio station every morning. And every morning since 9-11-01, at 7:30 a.m., someone recites the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a patriotic song. This morning was different. This morning they reminded me it was 911. I had forgotten.
The DJ's talked about their memories of that day, and when 7:30 rolled around, they had the Captian from a local firehouse recite the Pledge, and, for the first time since that fateful morning, I stood, placed my hand over my heart, and remembered. In his words I heard pride, sadness, resolve and patriotism.
As he spoke the last words of the pledge the opening strains of a song started. As the lyrics "Little did she know she'd kissed a hero...", played I remembered the faces from that day. The ones covered in dust with a look of utter shock, the ones contorted in fear, the ones torn by grief, the ones standing steeley eyed and brave as they looked for survivors. How could I have forgotten? How could any of us EVER forget?
Today we remember what it is to be an American. It's a priviledge and it takes work. Freedom is never "free". We defend it with our dearest blood, we cherish it with every free breath we take, and, when threatened, we come together as one to push back the darkness with the light of our conviction shining brightly for our enemies to see. And in one voice we stand together and say "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
"What a drag it is getting old" - Mick Jagger
Tilam takes a bit of liberty with the cooler things about growing old, but I'll forgive him for a bit of poetic license. Being an adult is very cool - much more complicated but much more free than being a child. It's nothing for Mrs Thew to whisk me to Vegas for a weekend of entertainment, which we can do because we are adults with jobs and the bills are paid - try doing this as a kid.
I also agree with the "pressure" of getting older being harder on women than men. We shallowly hold women to a high standard of beauty even as they get older, hoping that they will continue to have the body of Jessica Simpson until they are 90.
Of course, the BIG questions following Tilam's shameless self-plug: Is Mrs Tilam's name Rosie, maiden name Palm?
Okay, without further adieu, here is Thew's list of the top 10 things I !@#$#%*&@#$@%!-ing HATE about growing old.
Teenage Children - here's something that will give you gray hair in a jiffy. Holy SHIT were we that nuts when we were kids?!
Objects of Affection - all the hotties on my top 10 list are young enough to be my daughter!
Over the Hill Athletes - all the guys on the "downside" of their career or "ready for retirement" are YOUNGER THAN ME!
Nose Hair - what the hell, did someone pour miracle grow in my nostrils last night?
Foreplay - it's takes twice as long because it takes TWICE AS LONG TO GET GOING!
Metabolism - Regular is no longer a type of gasoline, it's what I strive for when I think about "quality time".
Ear Hair - those cute little fuzzy hairs on the end of your ear turn to full on piano wire weeds!
Two Words - "complete physical" - hey doc, why don't you tell me WHAT I'M THINKIN! if you're checking for cavities, I already have a dentist, thanks!
Six Pack - ahhh, fond memories of my tight waistline - some days I feel like the stunt double for the Michelin Man.
Good luck making nasty! - during the younger years, it was try-weekly, then in the good years it was try-weekly, now for many of you poor souls it's simply try-weakly...
I also agree with the "pressure" of getting older being harder on women than men. We shallowly hold women to a high standard of beauty even as they get older, hoping that they will continue to have the body of Jessica Simpson until they are 90.
Of course, the BIG questions following Tilam's shameless self-plug: Is Mrs Tilam's name Rosie, maiden name Palm?
Okay, without further adieu, here is Thew's list of the top 10 things I !@#$#%*&@#$@%!-ing HATE about growing old.
Teenage Children - here's something that will give you gray hair in a jiffy. Holy SHIT were we that nuts when we were kids?!
Objects of Affection - all the hotties on my top 10 list are young enough to be my daughter!
Over the Hill Athletes - all the guys on the "downside" of their career or "ready for retirement" are YOUNGER THAN ME!
Nose Hair - what the hell, did someone pour miracle grow in my nostrils last night?
Foreplay - it's takes twice as long because it takes TWICE AS LONG TO GET GOING!
Metabolism - Regular is no longer a type of gasoline, it's what I strive for when I think about "quality time".
Ear Hair - those cute little fuzzy hairs on the end of your ear turn to full on piano wire weeds!
Two Words - "complete physical" - hey doc, why don't you tell me WHAT I'M THINKIN! if you're checking for cavities, I already have a dentist, thanks!
Six Pack - ahhh, fond memories of my tight waistline - some days I feel like the stunt double for the Michelin Man.
Good luck making nasty! - during the younger years, it was try-weekly, then in the good years it was try-weekly, now for many of you poor souls it's simply try-weakly...
9/11 Then...
I still have The Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal from September 12, 2001 to remind me. Yellowed, they offer a very different viewpoint then the retrospectives of today...which are filled with politicized hindsight.
I remember the day vividly. It started with a lot of excitement for me. My company was about to sign a term sheet for a round of badly needed funding from a Swedish VC, our product had just experienced a month of explosive growth fueled by a vigorous embrace by the Manhattan legal community.
Life was good.
Then one of the programmers said, "a plane hit the Towers." I thought it was a small private plane, ala Corey Lidle years later. The VCs arrived and another programmer said a second plane hit. We turned on our TV and spent the rest of the day in a daze. When the third plane hit the Pentagon, THAT hit everyone real hard. Three planes meant a sophisticated enemy looking to do us massive harm.
One of our sales team was down in Atlanta and her husband worked for us also. He jumped in his car and drove down to get her. I knew two close friends on their way to the Towers for meetings. Timing saved their lives. For far too many others, the timing was tragic.
A few months ago I tripped over a plastic container in our basement. Within it was cereal; duct tape; batteries (now dead); bottled water and other stuff. I remember explaining to my then-7 year old that we may have to use these. I chuckled at the memory, but put it back. You never know.
I remember the day vividly. It started with a lot of excitement for me. My company was about to sign a term sheet for a round of badly needed funding from a Swedish VC, our product had just experienced a month of explosive growth fueled by a vigorous embrace by the Manhattan legal community.
Life was good.
Then one of the programmers said, "a plane hit the Towers." I thought it was a small private plane, ala Corey Lidle years later. The VCs arrived and another programmer said a second plane hit. We turned on our TV and spent the rest of the day in a daze. When the third plane hit the Pentagon, THAT hit everyone real hard. Three planes meant a sophisticated enemy looking to do us massive harm.
One of our sales team was down in Atlanta and her husband worked for us also. He jumped in his car and drove down to get her. I knew two close friends on their way to the Towers for meetings. Timing saved their lives. For far too many others, the timing was tragic.
A few months ago I tripped over a plastic container in our basement. Within it was cereal; duct tape; batteries (now dead); bottled water and other stuff. I remember explaining to my then-7 year old that we may have to use these. I chuckled at the memory, but put it back. You never know.
Hope I Die Before I Get Old...
Talkin' 'bout my generation.
Okay, I have to admit I had a tough time getting to 10. I also have a bunch of things I LIKE about getting old. I also think it is really a lot tougher on the ladies since society places a premium on looks in women more then men...and let's face it, the toughest thing about getting old is looking in the mirror one day and seeing your dad (or mom).
I also am lucky in that I don't suffer from ED (according to Mrs. Tilam, I have the exact opposite problem) and have all my hair. And since I have light hair without a lot of gray, I can pass off as being younger then 44. I am sure thinning hair, a silver mane and a broken Johnson will come eventually, but not yet. (Touch wood...so to speak.)
Warranty Expiration. It seemed like the warranty on my body expired at 40. What was a relatively smooth running machine developed all sorts of rattles and creaks. Knees hurt more, ankles clicked more, my back needed better feed and caring. I did a triathlon at 40 to over compensate, but I just can't maintain that training pace. Ugh!
A Step Slower. 15 years ago, I could run 8 miles at under 7 minutes per mile...not great, but not bad. Now my 4 mile times are on the heavy side of the 8 minute per mark. Ugh!
Prostate Exams. Moooooon River... No additional comment yesterday.
Age Spots. A small, but niggling issue. But I really dislike those little monsters.
Shifts. Echoing Tdub, things do seem to have sagged. My six pack has become a two pack. Very curable, but it takes a lot more work then before.
Longer Hangovers. This might not be age per se, but recover on everything seems to take forever. Have that 4th scotch...you feel it the next day. Play ball with the guys - hurt for three days. And the kids just won't let you sleep it off.
No Patience. When you are a baby, your world is all of three feet in diameter. As you age, it grows and grows, until one day you lose patience with all the morons and decide you can't change the world. Then it starts to shrink, until you are 90 years old and your world is all of three feet in diameter. I lost patience some time ago...but I am not proud of it.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda. I don't have a lot of regrets, but I have some. Most come under the heading of "I should have been nicer to so and so." I am trying to learn from this.
Pictures. I overheard some women talking about the Big Hair days of the 80s. HAH! I can do you one better: leisure suits. Nothing is more painful then pictures of me trying to look cool in the 70s.
Dating Myself. Beyond the collection of Kiss albums (I can remember when Strutter '78 was new), old 8 track tapes and Pong, I do seem to be years behind. Sometimes it works for me; Led Zeppelin is still cool, but mostly I am an analog guy in a digital age.
I watched the ESPN series, The Bronx is Burning, about the 1977 Yankee season. I really enjoyed it both as a story and as a reminder of that period. Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson and Bill White in the booth, Thurman Munson, Willie Randolph, Mickey Rivers and, of course, Reggie Jackson on the field.
And that's the best thing about getting old...some really great memories.
Okay, I have to admit I had a tough time getting to 10. I also have a bunch of things I LIKE about getting old. I also think it is really a lot tougher on the ladies since society places a premium on looks in women more then men...and let's face it, the toughest thing about getting old is looking in the mirror one day and seeing your dad (or mom).
I also am lucky in that I don't suffer from ED (according to Mrs. Tilam, I have the exact opposite problem) and have all my hair. And since I have light hair without a lot of gray, I can pass off as being younger then 44. I am sure thinning hair, a silver mane and a broken Johnson will come eventually, but not yet. (Touch wood...so to speak.)
Warranty Expiration. It seemed like the warranty on my body expired at 40. What was a relatively smooth running machine developed all sorts of rattles and creaks. Knees hurt more, ankles clicked more, my back needed better feed and caring. I did a triathlon at 40 to over compensate, but I just can't maintain that training pace. Ugh!
A Step Slower. 15 years ago, I could run 8 miles at under 7 minutes per mile...not great, but not bad. Now my 4 mile times are on the heavy side of the 8 minute per mark. Ugh!
Prostate Exams. Moooooon River... No additional comment yesterday.
Age Spots. A small, but niggling issue. But I really dislike those little monsters.
Shifts. Echoing Tdub, things do seem to have sagged. My six pack has become a two pack. Very curable, but it takes a lot more work then before.
Longer Hangovers. This might not be age per se, but recover on everything seems to take forever. Have that 4th scotch...you feel it the next day. Play ball with the guys - hurt for three days. And the kids just won't let you sleep it off.
No Patience. When you are a baby, your world is all of three feet in diameter. As you age, it grows and grows, until one day you lose patience with all the morons and decide you can't change the world. Then it starts to shrink, until you are 90 years old and your world is all of three feet in diameter. I lost patience some time ago...but I am not proud of it.
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda. I don't have a lot of regrets, but I have some. Most come under the heading of "I should have been nicer to so and so." I am trying to learn from this.
Pictures. I overheard some women talking about the Big Hair days of the 80s. HAH! I can do you one better: leisure suits. Nothing is more painful then pictures of me trying to look cool in the 70s.
Dating Myself. Beyond the collection of Kiss albums (I can remember when Strutter '78 was new), old 8 track tapes and Pong, I do seem to be years behind. Sometimes it works for me; Led Zeppelin is still cool, but mostly I am an analog guy in a digital age.
I watched the ESPN series, The Bronx is Burning, about the 1977 Yankee season. I really enjoyed it both as a story and as a reminder of that period. Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson and Bill White in the booth, Thurman Munson, Willie Randolph, Mickey Rivers and, of course, Reggie Jackson on the field.
And that's the best thing about getting old...some really great memories.
9.10.2007
Getting Old??? Nooooo!!!
Oh my! Oh my! Where do I start?!
From strictly a female perspective the top ten things I HATE about getting old are.....
10. Having to use the restroom at least twice a night.
9. Having a cute, young guy call me ma'am.
8. Looking at all those cute little outfits hanging on the rack and thinking "Yeah! Right!"
7. Looking down at my once flat stomach and wondering how this happened.
6. Opening my medicine chest and realizing that the pill bottles have staged a coup and have reinforced their lines
5. Looking in my makeup mirror and admitting to myself the truth that those really are NOT laugh lines.
4. Wondering why gravity is so very, very cruel.
3. Watching as all my TV shows get cancelled because I'm no longer the target demographic.
2. Waking up in the morning and walking around for about 5 minutes just to get the kinks out. Oooohhh my aching back!!!
And the number one thing I HATE about getting old is.....
When you tell someone your age and their immediate response is "Wow!" and then they try to cover it up by saying "You know, 50 is the new 30." Hello!!!!! If I was 30 everything would be where it's supposed to be!!!!
From strictly a female perspective the top ten things I HATE about getting old are.....
10. Having to use the restroom at least twice a night.
9. Having a cute, young guy call me ma'am.
8. Looking at all those cute little outfits hanging on the rack and thinking "Yeah! Right!"
7. Looking down at my once flat stomach and wondering how this happened.
6. Opening my medicine chest and realizing that the pill bottles have staged a coup and have reinforced their lines
5. Looking in my makeup mirror and admitting to myself the truth that those really are NOT laugh lines.
4. Wondering why gravity is so very, very cruel.
3. Watching as all my TV shows get cancelled because I'm no longer the target demographic.
2. Waking up in the morning and walking around for about 5 minutes just to get the kinks out. Oooohhh my aching back!!!
And the number one thing I HATE about getting old is.....
When you tell someone your age and their immediate response is "Wow!" and then they try to cover it up by saying "You know, 50 is the new 30." Hello!!!!! If I was 30 everything would be where it's supposed to be!!!!
Ladies First...
Mrs. Tilam always complains that aging does not hit men like it does women. So, I am curious about the female perspective...
Card Carrying AARP Members!
US-Brazil soccer match was a great game, albeit a true case of "michael jordan-ism". Brazil got the benefit of a couple of non-calls that were CLEARLY calls. Both within 10 minutes of each other mid-late second half. A CLEAR penalty kick takedown of Josh Wolff in the box by the Brazilian defender - I'm not sure what the hell the ref was watching, but that was a HORRIBLE no call. And assuming the PK is converted, it really changes the face/nature of the game, at least for a while. Several minutes later, a CLEAR handball miss by the referee on Brazil - I can't remember if it was in the box or not (memory says "just outside") but the referee was horrible....again, it seems, based on Jen Chang's analysis. But I think the boys made a good accounting of themselves, played aggressive not passive, took it to Brazil - the Brazilians were just a better team, but this time we didn't back down in awe. I liked that...although why the HELL we still play people like Eddie Johnson and Demarcus Beasley (the big disappointment of US Soccer imo) is mind boggling. Bradley's takedown was a bad decision, but truly, at that point, I'm not sure it changed the outcome of the game. Super free kick goal by Ronaldinho.
Interesting thing shopping with my daughter this past weekend. After buying some items, I got the proverbial "thank you sir" from the young thang behind the register..causing a bit of a giggling fit from my 16 year old. When asked about her source of amusement, she responded with "thank you for shopping SIR", followed by more laughter. I frowned at her, gave her that look of annoyance, to which she responded with more laughter. I shook my head and walked to the car, thinking that it sure is a bitch growing old...
THEN IT STRUCK ME!
The 3-T's of this blog are all in the same demographic (that is, young enough to last the whole game but old enough to have been around when they invented it), so I wanted to pose THIS top 10 list to the experienced bloggers of Tilam v Thew v T-Dub:
Give me the top 10 things you HATE about growing old!
Interesting thing shopping with my daughter this past weekend. After buying some items, I got the proverbial "thank you sir" from the young thang behind the register..causing a bit of a giggling fit from my 16 year old. When asked about her source of amusement, she responded with "thank you for shopping SIR", followed by more laughter. I frowned at her, gave her that look of annoyance, to which she responded with more laughter. I shook my head and walked to the car, thinking that it sure is a bitch growing old...
THEN IT STRUCK ME!
The 3-T's of this blog are all in the same demographic (that is, young enough to last the whole game but old enough to have been around when they invented it), so I wanted to pose THIS top 10 list to the experienced bloggers of Tilam v Thew v T-Dub:
Give me the top 10 things you HATE about growing old!
9.07.2007
Does Tdub Hate Titles?
Okay, we will let the TV characters slide this time... What, no Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman???
I was curious about Tdub's response because I did not have any females in my Top 10 list. And Thew only had one. Hmmmmm. I really think it is because the characteristics I have been brought up to admire - strength, courage, chivalry - are "male" strengths. The (non-physical) traits that I have been taught to admire in women - sensitivity, selflessness - are good, but no one will ever utter the phrase, "that Tilam, he is so sensitive... ." And I will never lose sleep over that.
Darth Vader - A New Hope. Only in the original was he just pure evil. He was castrated by the end of ROTJ.
General Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator. Manly virtue in centurion armor.
Judah Ben-Hur - Ben Hur. Businessman and charioteer.
Irwin Fletcher - Fletch. "Can I borrow that towel?"
Bond, James Bond - Casino Royale. Connery, Craig, maybe even Brosnan. But that is it...
Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark. "Snakes, why does always have to be snakes."
Det. John McClane - Die Hard. The character fit the actor to a "t".
Insp. Harry Callahan - Dirty Harry. Can't agree with Thew more.
Donkey - Shrek. There is no character that epitomizes the wise cracking sidekick like Donkey.
Roy Batty - Blade Runner. Struggled with his humanity to the end and finally faced with death, could not kill another being.
Odd that three of the movies feature Harrison Ford.
Next....
I was curious about Tdub's response because I did not have any females in my Top 10 list. And Thew only had one. Hmmmmm. I really think it is because the characteristics I have been brought up to admire - strength, courage, chivalry - are "male" strengths. The (non-physical) traits that I have been taught to admire in women - sensitivity, selflessness - are good, but no one will ever utter the phrase, "that Tilam, he is so sensitive... ." And I will never lose sleep over that.
Darth Vader - A New Hope. Only in the original was he just pure evil. He was castrated by the end of ROTJ.
General Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator. Manly virtue in centurion armor.
Judah Ben-Hur - Ben Hur. Businessman and charioteer.
Irwin Fletcher - Fletch. "Can I borrow that towel?"
Bond, James Bond - Casino Royale. Connery, Craig, maybe even Brosnan. But that is it...
Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark. "Snakes, why does always have to be snakes."
Det. John McClane - Die Hard. The character fit the actor to a "t".
Insp. Harry Callahan - Dirty Harry. Can't agree with Thew more.
Donkey - Shrek. There is no character that epitomizes the wise cracking sidekick like Donkey.
Roy Batty - Blade Runner. Struggled with his humanity to the end and finally faced with death, could not kill another being.
Odd that three of the movies feature Harrison Ford.
Next....
My Top 10 (There...I added a title!)
Since I am of the female persuasion I'm gonna represent my sista's!!!
1. Ellen Ripley "Aliens" (Sigourney Weaver) - "Get away from her you bitch!" Don't get between a mama and her cub!
2. Aeryn Sun "Farscape" (Claudie Black) - My all time favorite sci-fi TV show. "Got a bit of a problem, Commander? Well, now you've got one more. 'Cause the only way you're going to get my weapon is if I'm dead."
3. M'Lynn Eatenton "Steel Magnolias" (Sally Field) - "I find it amusing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something. I just sat there. I just held Shelby's hand. There was no noise, no tremble, just peace. Oh god. I realize as a woman how lucky I am. I was there when that wonderful creature drifted into my life and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life." This is one of the FEW chick flicks that I love to watch.
4. Alice "Resident Evil" (Mila Jovovich) - "I'm missing you already" I know a lot of guys like her cuz she's sexy, but she was one tough bitch as well.
5. Buffy Sommers "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" Sarah Michelle Geller - I HAD to have this character on my list. She could kick butt, and yet keep her perky sense of humor. I loved her tombstone "She Saved The World Alot"!
6.Sabrina Duncan "Charlies Angels" 1976 Kate Jackson - Here was a woman for the first time on TV who was sexy AND smart.
7. Laura Holt "Remington Steel" Stephanie Zimbalist - Talk about the woman behind the man! And she could chase down bad guys in high heels! Hello!!
8. Lornette 'Mace' Mason "Strange Days" Angela Bassett - This was sort of a cult favorite but this character was so tough. This is when I became a huge Angela Bassett fan.
9. Major Samantha Carter "Stargate SG-1" Amanda Tapping - She's smart, funny, and can out shoot just about any man. "You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."
10.Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan "Bones" Emily Deschanel - I love this show and love this character! "Every culture nurtures ideals of beauty toward which people strive - fine! But in the future people'll look back upon the surgical alterations of the nose or breasts or buttocks with the same horror that we regard the binding of feet or the use of bronze coils to extend the neck." Sing it my sista!
1. Ellen Ripley "Aliens" (Sigourney Weaver) - "Get away from her you bitch!" Don't get between a mama and her cub!
2. Aeryn Sun "Farscape" (Claudie Black) - My all time favorite sci-fi TV show. "Got a bit of a problem, Commander? Well, now you've got one more. 'Cause the only way you're going to get my weapon is if I'm dead."
3. M'Lynn Eatenton "Steel Magnolias" (Sally Field) - "I find it amusing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something. I just sat there. I just held Shelby's hand. There was no noise, no tremble, just peace. Oh god. I realize as a woman how lucky I am. I was there when that wonderful creature drifted into my life and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life." This is one of the FEW chick flicks that I love to watch.
4. Alice "Resident Evil" (Mila Jovovich) - "I'm missing you already" I know a lot of guys like her cuz she's sexy, but she was one tough bitch as well.
5. Buffy Sommers "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" Sarah Michelle Geller - I HAD to have this character on my list. She could kick butt, and yet keep her perky sense of humor. I loved her tombstone "She Saved The World Alot"!
6.Sabrina Duncan "Charlies Angels" 1976 Kate Jackson - Here was a woman for the first time on TV who was sexy AND smart.
7. Laura Holt "Remington Steel" Stephanie Zimbalist - Talk about the woman behind the man! And she could chase down bad guys in high heels! Hello!!
8. Lornette 'Mace' Mason "Strange Days" Angela Bassett - This was sort of a cult favorite but this character was so tough. This is when I became a huge Angela Bassett fan.
9. Major Samantha Carter "Stargate SG-1" Amanda Tapping - She's smart, funny, and can out shoot just about any man. "You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."
10.Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan "Bones" Emily Deschanel - I love this show and love this character! "Every culture nurtures ideals of beauty toward which people strive - fine! But in the future people'll look back upon the surgical alterations of the nose or breasts or buttocks with the same horror that we regard the binding of feet or the use of bronze coils to extend the neck." Sing it my sista!
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