The hypocrisy of stem cell attitudes seems outlined so eloquently by Tilam. So, an organ donor is okay to give up his/her body, but an unused fertilized egg, which might develop into a human, isn't? What is the difference here? An organ donor signs his/her pieces away legally with a document, why can't the stem cell donors do the same? If we are all true believers, then how can we donate organs, when as good christians and such, life doesn't "truly end" at death, but begins as specified by many of our religious teachings! Some people, as we have seen time and time again, just use words and positions to enforce their political agenda, and of course, that of their lobbyists and campaign contributors. And yes, if federal funding is decreased, then private funding should step up and see how far this avenue of human advancement can go.
Oh, and amazingly enough, I haven't commented on Ricky's return to the Dolphins. If the fish had ANY guts, they'd say "hey, yanno Ricky, we sort of drafted this great runner out of Auburn, have a nice life". Looks like Ricky burned through his money a little earlier than expected. :)
What to say about Danica Patrick. WOW! What a great and promising young driver - her 4th place finish in the Indy 500 as a ROOKIE is incredible and to be applauded. But tO highlight the fact that she led for 17 or so laps of the race as a woman OVER the fact that she could have won as a rookie and had a great car (but fuel tightness ultimately caused her to have to drive too conservatively) is to disrespect the driver over the woman. She's a race car driver, get over the woman part - 'cause boyz, she's the REAL DEAL! And frankly, before this season is over, I predict she will have one win - you heard it here first! But also, let's not stifle the male chauvanist in us all and say "she's kinda cute, wonder what she looks like outta that complete coverage racing suit". :)
Musing and Notes and Opinions in the world of sports:
Frank Thomas is injured in his first game back - kinda gives new meaning to the term "the big hurt".
Phoenix is DONE against the Spurs. It's only a matter of time.
So the top 2 drafts of the MLB finally ended their holdouts, the longest in history. Here's to wishing them a complete meltdown in the big leagues, the selfish little pricks...oh wait, their agent was Scotty Boras. The selfish prick.
I'm getting a bit tired of "moral victories" for the US National Soccer team. While our skill level is catching up with the rest of the world, and while we have a great and successful record under Bruce Arena, we need to beat the "men" of the world. It's time to come to the stage and perform, not just "show up and give 'em hell".
Out for now.
5.26.2005
Stem Cells
Like Thew, I have a pretty hard time getting worked up over "destruction of stem cells = killing." I simply do not believe it is.
I understand the argument that "life begins at conception." I am even sympathetic to it. But I believe that is a political position, not a scientific or even religious one. For example, take a person who has just died. How is that clump of cells different then a blastcyst? If you said that the difference is that is can become a person or has potential to be a person, then you admit my point: it is not YET a person. Death clearly delineates when the body ceases to be person, but when does a body become a person? The body performs functions after death, so the presence of living human cells simply does not qualify.
What is not arguable is the potential stem cells have for helping others. At some point, this may be just another miracle that did not pan out, but right now, the potential impact is incredible. (I can see my grandkids [yet borne] saying, "you mean that some had to donate a kidney?")
I also don't buy the mad scientist crap. In every human endeavor, there are those who seek to exploit or profit or produce harm. That is okay. Or at least it is not a reason to stop progress.
Of course, it begs the question, if the soul of a person does not start upon conception, when does it? The heart's first beat? Self-awareness? Viability? I will not offer my opinion right now.
I will also admit the President Bush does not mean to ban research on stem cells, he is limiting federal funding for research on stem cells. I agree with this, not from a moral point of view, but from a "small government is better government" point of view. Let's face it, if the private sector does not think that stem cell research has potential (medical or economic) then there is a fair chance it does not.
I am willing to trust the capitalists on this.
I understand the argument that "life begins at conception." I am even sympathetic to it. But I believe that is a political position, not a scientific or even religious one. For example, take a person who has just died. How is that clump of cells different then a blastcyst? If you said that the difference is that is can become a person or has potential to be a person, then you admit my point: it is not YET a person. Death clearly delineates when the body ceases to be person, but when does a body become a person? The body performs functions after death, so the presence of living human cells simply does not qualify.
What is not arguable is the potential stem cells have for helping others. At some point, this may be just another miracle that did not pan out, but right now, the potential impact is incredible. (I can see my grandkids [yet borne] saying, "you mean that some had to donate a kidney?")
I also don't buy the mad scientist crap. In every human endeavor, there are those who seek to exploit or profit or produce harm. That is okay. Or at least it is not a reason to stop progress.
Of course, it begs the question, if the soul of a person does not start upon conception, when does it? The heart's first beat? Self-awareness? Viability? I will not offer my opinion right now.
I will also admit the President Bush does not mean to ban research on stem cells, he is limiting federal funding for research on stem cells. I agree with this, not from a moral point of view, but from a "small government is better government" point of view. Let's face it, if the private sector does not think that stem cell research has potential (medical or economic) then there is a fair chance it does not.
I am willing to trust the capitalists on this.
Return of the Thew!
As always, the demise of the Yankees was greatly exaggerated. Robinson Cano is shaping up nicely in his role, Jason Giambi is ummm, well, a gimp without the sauce but I admire his grit and effort, the pitching staff is now pitching the way they can. Yes, even Kevin Brown is pitching. Gadzooks people, it was only APRIL! Don't look now, but the Bronx Bombers are only 4.5 games back of the O's, in third place, only .5 games behind the Sawx. Woo Woo!
Tiger missed a cut, and the world didn't end. He was pissed, handled the miss with grace and dignity in his interview, then went off to rant and sulk and fume. He's earned it, let the man have his alone time.
Now on to the BIG stuff...
Stem cell research. I've got to admit, I'm in favor of it under certain conditions. We are talking about harvesting cells from discarded embryos left over after successful in vitro fert...so if they are going to be discarded, why not use them? With the donor's written permission perhaps?
I have to say that if my family had successful in vitro fert and they were just going to discard the embryos, then I would sign a permission slip to use them. There is SO much good that can be done with this research, I believe we should explore it. Will there be dirty abuses of the system - possibly; as a society today, if you can find a loophole to be dirty and illegal and screw people, someone generally finds it and exploits the common man. But that will be rare. Perhaps keep a few for future IVF, and donate the rest of the embryos? There is a solution, I have to admit I'm in favor of it, and have no moral ambiguity here. The cells would be harvested from a 5 day old blastocyst which, if discarded, isn't going to become a life anyway. So if they are going to be discarded or are signed away by the parents, I don't see the big deal.
Revenge of the Sith - date night with Mrs Thew coming soon.
The runaway bride - paying back upwards of $13K and is being charged with lying to authorities. Fitting. Score one for the law and common sense and accountability on this one. :)
Tiger missed a cut, and the world didn't end. He was pissed, handled the miss with grace and dignity in his interview, then went off to rant and sulk and fume. He's earned it, let the man have his alone time.
Now on to the BIG stuff...
Stem cell research. I've got to admit, I'm in favor of it under certain conditions. We are talking about harvesting cells from discarded embryos left over after successful in vitro fert...so if they are going to be discarded, why not use them? With the donor's written permission perhaps?
I have to say that if my family had successful in vitro fert and they were just going to discard the embryos, then I would sign a permission slip to use them. There is SO much good that can be done with this research, I believe we should explore it. Will there be dirty abuses of the system - possibly; as a society today, if you can find a loophole to be dirty and illegal and screw people, someone generally finds it and exploits the common man. But that will be rare. Perhaps keep a few for future IVF, and donate the rest of the embryos? There is a solution, I have to admit I'm in favor of it, and have no moral ambiguity here. The cells would be harvested from a 5 day old blastocyst which, if discarded, isn't going to become a life anyway. So if they are going to be discarded or are signed away by the parents, I don't see the big deal.
Revenge of the Sith - date night with Mrs Thew coming soon.
The runaway bride - paying back upwards of $13K and is being charged with lying to authorities. Fitting. Score one for the law and common sense and accountability on this one. :)
5.24.2005
ROTS Revisited
I should note that there are a number of scenes that are in the official script (get it at Borders or B&N), but are not in the movie. I think there are several important omissions, but they fall into two categories.
1. Senatorial Plot. Lost in the movie is the fact that Padme, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and several other Senators were plotting against the Chancellor. The introduction of Captain Antilles at the very end makes it clear that this is the start of the Rebellion of Ep. IV. Several scenes of this nature are cut.
2. Ancient Order of the Whills. The apparition of Obi-wan, Yoda and Anakin has its basis in the Ancient Order of the Whills and it is the ultimate power of the light side of the Force. At it turns out, Yoda and Obi-wan learn it from Qui-gon Jinn, who, like Obi-wan in Ep. IV, initially appears in voice form only. The later manifestation is the apparition. The power is to use the force consciously, but without a physical presence. Mastering this power allows one to be one with the Force. It also explains why Yoda and Obi-wan did not have bodies in Ep. IV and VI, but why Qui-gon (who had not yet mastered it in Ep. I) did. Most importantly, Yoda and Obi-wan become Qui-gon's apprentices in the time between Ep. II and Ep. IV.
The Shaman of the Whills and the Ancient Order of the Whills were left on the cutting room floor.
I sincerely hope Lucas adds those scenes back in the DVD version...
1. Senatorial Plot. Lost in the movie is the fact that Padme, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and several other Senators were plotting against the Chancellor. The introduction of Captain Antilles at the very end makes it clear that this is the start of the Rebellion of Ep. IV. Several scenes of this nature are cut.
2. Ancient Order of the Whills. The apparition of Obi-wan, Yoda and Anakin has its basis in the Ancient Order of the Whills and it is the ultimate power of the light side of the Force. At it turns out, Yoda and Obi-wan learn it from Qui-gon Jinn, who, like Obi-wan in Ep. IV, initially appears in voice form only. The later manifestation is the apparition. The power is to use the force consciously, but without a physical presence. Mastering this power allows one to be one with the Force. It also explains why Yoda and Obi-wan did not have bodies in Ep. IV and VI, but why Qui-gon (who had not yet mastered it in Ep. I) did. Most importantly, Yoda and Obi-wan become Qui-gon's apprentices in the time between Ep. II and Ep. IV.
The Shaman of the Whills and the Ancient Order of the Whills were left on the cutting room floor.
I sincerely hope Lucas adds those scenes back in the DVD version...
5.23.2005
Revenge of the Sith
It is unfortunate that Star Wars: Episode III will be abbreviated ROTS. My expectations were very low due to my disappointment with Ep.I and Ep.II. Oh, sure. I knew the special effects would be great and the script kitschy, but would it venture into Ep. IV and Ep. V territory?
Yes and no. (He said unequivocally.) It was certainly the best of the "First Trilogy" (Eps. I - III). It was darker, more adult. It offered more tidbits about the Jedi and Sith then either TPM or AOTC, so it satisfied my thirst for more Force info.
But the "Second Trilogy" had more soul. Not in the "Godfather of" sense, but in the sense that there was something deeper about the Force and the Jedi's life. More than my revulsion of the "virgin birth" (explained in Ep. III), was the mitachlorians. In the First Trilogy the Force and Jedi had a very eastern religion feel to them. That with study, self-discipline and introspection, anyone could become a Jedi Master. With mitachlorians, that is not the case. My M-count determines my destiny (kind of like Jedi HDL/LDL). It was as if Lucas wanted to say, in the Second Trilogy, "we are all in this together," but by the First Trilogy (with more money than God) he changed his mind. In the First Trilogy the message is "you are born into your lot in life and your fate is determined by your genes, not your ambitions."
I was generally satisfied about Lucas' tying in Ep. III and Ep. IV. The only two major inconsistencies I saw right off were Leia's Ep. VI recollection of her mother (impossible, since Padme died in childbirth) and Obi-wan's seeming ignorance of Leia as Luke's sister in Ep. V (OW: That boy is our last hope. Yoda: No, there is another.) (I will ignore the seeming complete lack of recollection of Obi-wan and Darth Vader of the droids in the Second Trilogy.)
This is not a kid's movie. The numerous dismemberments were not so bad, but the roasting of Anakin and the subsequent transformation of his burned corpse in Darth Vader was gruesome enough that you really need to understand how your <13 year old child will react. I delivered the bad news to my 8 year old this morning (he is as big a fan as I am). He was devastated, but that was not a scene for the sqeamish.
The Sfx were great. The acting was not great, but I am darn sure Hayden Christensen is a better actor then Mark Hamill ("But I was going into Toshi station to pick up some pwer converters..." Luke whiiiiines.) Enough said.
The conversion of Anakin was better done then I expected. Put aside the question of how this all powerful Jedi is such a freakin' mamma's boy, Palpatine is masterfully manipulative. After Anakin kills Dooku, he frets about the killing of an unarmed prisoner. So when Mace is about to slay Palpatine (ostensibly unarmed), Anakin feels that stopping Mace is the right thing to do. I did not see this as a fall, but rather a reluctant slide. (I do wish Lucas would have spent more time in Ep. II and III examining Anakin's "rule the galaxy" impulses. Any beef one might have with the "abruptness" of the conversion is fair, but, seriously, any further examination of Anakin's descent would have cut out those Sfx. Be reasonable.)
I also thought (I can't believe I am saying this) that Ep. III "justified" the re-conversion of Anakin in Ep. VI. Given the choice a second time, Anakin does the right thing. When I first saw Ep. VI, I was horrified that Darth Vader, the symbol of pure evil, could be turned good, but now it makes sense.
I will see it again and come back to this. I am anxious to get Thew's view, as he is not a Star Wars fan to the extent I am. Overall, I rank this behind Ep. IV and V as the third best of the series.
Yes and no. (He said unequivocally.) It was certainly the best of the "First Trilogy" (Eps. I - III). It was darker, more adult. It offered more tidbits about the Jedi and Sith then either TPM or AOTC, so it satisfied my thirst for more Force info.
But the "Second Trilogy" had more soul. Not in the "Godfather of" sense, but in the sense that there was something deeper about the Force and the Jedi's life. More than my revulsion of the "virgin birth" (explained in Ep. III), was the mitachlorians. In the First Trilogy the Force and Jedi had a very eastern religion feel to them. That with study, self-discipline and introspection, anyone could become a Jedi Master. With mitachlorians, that is not the case. My M-count determines my destiny (kind of like Jedi HDL/LDL). It was as if Lucas wanted to say, in the Second Trilogy, "we are all in this together," but by the First Trilogy (with more money than God) he changed his mind. In the First Trilogy the message is "you are born into your lot in life and your fate is determined by your genes, not your ambitions."
I was generally satisfied about Lucas' tying in Ep. III and Ep. IV. The only two major inconsistencies I saw right off were Leia's Ep. VI recollection of her mother (impossible, since Padme died in childbirth) and Obi-wan's seeming ignorance of Leia as Luke's sister in Ep. V (OW: That boy is our last hope. Yoda: No, there is another.) (I will ignore the seeming complete lack of recollection of Obi-wan and Darth Vader of the droids in the Second Trilogy.)
This is not a kid's movie. The numerous dismemberments were not so bad, but the roasting of Anakin and the subsequent transformation of his burned corpse in Darth Vader was gruesome enough that you really need to understand how your <13 year old child will react. I delivered the bad news to my 8 year old this morning (he is as big a fan as I am). He was devastated, but that was not a scene for the sqeamish.
The Sfx were great. The acting was not great, but I am darn sure Hayden Christensen is a better actor then Mark Hamill ("But I was going into Toshi station to pick up some pwer converters..." Luke whiiiiines.) Enough said.
The conversion of Anakin was better done then I expected. Put aside the question of how this all powerful Jedi is such a freakin' mamma's boy, Palpatine is masterfully manipulative. After Anakin kills Dooku, he frets about the killing of an unarmed prisoner. So when Mace is about to slay Palpatine (ostensibly unarmed), Anakin feels that stopping Mace is the right thing to do. I did not see this as a fall, but rather a reluctant slide. (I do wish Lucas would have spent more time in Ep. II and III examining Anakin's "rule the galaxy" impulses. Any beef one might have with the "abruptness" of the conversion is fair, but, seriously, any further examination of Anakin's descent would have cut out those Sfx. Be reasonable.)
I also thought (I can't believe I am saying this) that Ep. III "justified" the re-conversion of Anakin in Ep. VI. Given the choice a second time, Anakin does the right thing. When I first saw Ep. VI, I was horrified that Darth Vader, the symbol of pure evil, could be turned good, but now it makes sense.
I will see it again and come back to this. I am anxious to get Thew's view, as he is not a Star Wars fan to the extent I am. Overall, I rank this behind Ep. IV and V as the third best of the series.
My Has Time Flown
I haven't posted in a while and was taken to task by Thew over the phone. (Argh! Old technology! At least it was a cell phone.)
Ostensibly, the reason is that the Tilam clan has moved. Sure, it was within town, but packing and unpacking is the same no matter how far you travel. And the move makes Mrs. Tilam nuts. Which puts your humble servant on edge.
Tonight I plan to see the new Star Wars flick. I promise to give my opinions. My oldest wants a Star Wars birthday party and his younger brother and sister will (no doubt) want to come along. I am being selfless by interrupting my evening schedule to pre-view it. What a guy.
So, a round-up on random thoughts:
What I am reading: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
What I can't wait to see: the Dark Knight.
What I am concerned about: have there been a rash of child kidnappings?
What I am not concerned about: anything you read here.
What I am listening to: Millie Manning. (Don't bother, you can't find her. Yet.)
What makes me smile: it was only April.
See ya.
Ostensibly, the reason is that the Tilam clan has moved. Sure, it was within town, but packing and unpacking is the same no matter how far you travel. And the move makes Mrs. Tilam nuts. Which puts your humble servant on edge.
Tonight I plan to see the new Star Wars flick. I promise to give my opinions. My oldest wants a Star Wars birthday party and his younger brother and sister will (no doubt) want to come along. I am being selfless by interrupting my evening schedule to pre-view it. What a guy.
So, a round-up on random thoughts:
What I am reading: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
What I can't wait to see: the Dark Knight.
What I am concerned about: have there been a rash of child kidnappings?
What I am not concerned about: anything you read here.
What I am listening to: Millie Manning. (Don't bother, you can't find her. Yet.)
What makes me smile: it was only April.
See ya.
5.05.2005
It's a wonder they sell anything!
Best Buy. Comp USA. Circuit City. They all have crappy reputations with the computer geeks of the world (and i mean the TRUE geeks) because their salespeople don't know jack about computers - they just know enough to spout out the buzzwords, get you fired up, and close the sale. They don't HAVE to know everything, they just need to know more than YOU!
I would never have put Dell into this group - but now i have to. My gaming computer died an ugly death, it appears to be a motherboard issue. So i called Alienware to order a new computer - well, the folks at Alienware were at least honest enough to let me know that i would NOT be able to use the parts in my old custom assembled PC (DDR SDRAM, 256MB AGP graphics card, et al) in their spiffy proprietary "don't touch my stuff" computer. So i called Dell...
Well, the Dell sales asswipe says "oh SURE, you can add your RAM to our mobo!", and "of course, you can drop your AGP graphics card into our slot". DICKHEAD! It turns out that my DDR SDRAM is NOT able to be dropped into their DDR2 SDRAM slots, and my AGP card is completely and utterly NOT compatible (without a sledgehammer) with their PCIexpress graphics slot. So, after I purchased this computer with minimal specs, i found out that it must stay with those minimal specs or else i have to pay $300 or more to add the proper RAM and graphics card to make it perform even remotely close to my old one. Now, i called back and talked to the customer service folks, and they said "oh, the technical support group can ship you new hardware for free to make the computer perform better, like the old one, don't worry". The technical support team said "he's lying, we are not authorized to do that". ARGH!!! So instead, I'm returning their P.O.S. and spending $200 at NewEgg.com and purchasing a new case, mobo, and hard drive, after which I'm going to reassemble and reload my old gaming PC. AND, I'm going to reload Win2K on the comp, not piece of s**t WinXP.
Dell, you suck. Your people suck. They don't return phone calls, they LIE to make sales, they are worthless. Your customer service sucks too. AS SOON AS I CAN, I'm going to dump your piece of s**t stock too - although that might be a while because I'm losing money on it...I wonder why.
I would never have put Dell into this group - but now i have to. My gaming computer died an ugly death, it appears to be a motherboard issue. So i called Alienware to order a new computer - well, the folks at Alienware were at least honest enough to let me know that i would NOT be able to use the parts in my old custom assembled PC (DDR SDRAM, 256MB AGP graphics card, et al) in their spiffy proprietary "don't touch my stuff" computer. So i called Dell...
Well, the Dell sales asswipe says "oh SURE, you can add your RAM to our mobo!", and "of course, you can drop your AGP graphics card into our slot". DICKHEAD! It turns out that my DDR SDRAM is NOT able to be dropped into their DDR2 SDRAM slots, and my AGP card is completely and utterly NOT compatible (without a sledgehammer) with their PCIexpress graphics slot. So, after I purchased this computer with minimal specs, i found out that it must stay with those minimal specs or else i have to pay $300 or more to add the proper RAM and graphics card to make it perform even remotely close to my old one. Now, i called back and talked to the customer service folks, and they said "oh, the technical support group can ship you new hardware for free to make the computer perform better, like the old one, don't worry". The technical support team said "he's lying, we are not authorized to do that". ARGH!!! So instead, I'm returning their P.O.S. and spending $200 at NewEgg.com and purchasing a new case, mobo, and hard drive, after which I'm going to reassemble and reload my old gaming PC. AND, I'm going to reload Win2K on the comp, not piece of s**t WinXP.
Dell, you suck. Your people suck. They don't return phone calls, they LIE to make sales, they are worthless. Your customer service sucks too. AS SOON AS I CAN, I'm going to dump your piece of s**t stock too - although that might be a while because I'm losing money on it...I wonder why.
5.03.2005
Women are crazy for all the wrong reasons!
Jennifer "cold feet" Wilbanks...Welp, we found her a couple of days ago. After a frantic, hysterical 911 call during which she said she was abducted, then a recant and admission that she "got cold feet", then some more info about travelling around Vegas and New Mexico with a couple (that she met on the internet?!), she's home and meeting with authorities. They are thinking of a) pressing charges, and b) forcing her to reimburse the town of Duluth, GA for the expenses involved in her womanhunt, which took on a huge life of it's own and apparently cost up to $60,000.
A) She purchased her bus ticket a WEEK in advance, so this was fairly premeditated.
B) she called 911 and falsely reported a crime, which is a crime in and of itself, and the prosecutor of Duluth is thinking of pressing charges against her for this.
c) her fiance, the son of the ex-Duluth mayor, gave her the ring back and says the wedding is "postponed".
OMGz, they are BOTH complete idiots. First of all, she met that couple on the internet and ran off to meet them after getting cold feet - that might explain why she purchased the ticket a week before bolting. BUT, this is a high profile union, it seems, with a huge wedding party (14 maids and ushers and 600 guests), and I BET YOU A MILLION DOLLARS that if this wasn't as high profile (the ex-mayor's son and his rich little girlfriend) then we would have NEVER devoted all that time and energy and public resources to finding her. So YES, make the stupid bich pay back that money.
Yes, press charges against her like the law dictates. Just because she's marrying the ex-mayor's son that doesn't mean she is exempt from prosecution to the letter of the law. She should be arrested and do time as stipulated by law.
Now, I feel bad that she got cold feet, but this whole episode squeals of something more than just that. A premeditated bus ticket. A shady couple met on the internet. A fleeing bride the week before her wedding - a womanhunt for the bride of the high profile ex-mayor's son. A false call to 911 claiming kidnapping. Call me crazy, but I'd be a middle class normal person than a rich idiot with no common sense and all the apparently mental and emotional problems they have!
*****
NO comment on the Terrell Owens fiasco in Philly. The guy's a playa, but he's also an asshole. Stop pissing and moaning about more money, win Philly a Super Bowl THEN renegotiate your contract...
*****
On the "youth can sure be stupid" front: Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. sustained internal injuries and complained of chest pains after he was injured in a motorcycle accident, the team said Monday night. But lookie here...Beyond the injuries, there are possible financial ramifications as well, and Winslow may have given the team an opportunity to recover a portion of his signing bonus and option bonus, if he is found to be in breach of his contract. Two league sources said Monday night that Winslow's contract includes language which is even more specific and limiting, and which expressly forbids riding a motorcycle. Siiiiigh...will they every learn!?
*****
And on to my pet peeve topic of the week: young girls and their self images...my oldest daughter is having image problems - self-image, that is. And it's no wonder! The image that women, and young girls, are expected to model themselves after is ridiculously impossible. We could all look like those women on the pages of magazines if a) we never worked or went to school and spent all day in the gym and b) had a zillion dollars to spend for someone to come in and do our hair and make up each morning before we left the house, or c) never ate any food (bulimia included). Since the VAST majority of women do NOT live this idyllic life we don't look like super models or teen super stars. So, we end up hiding our true selves inside loose fitting clothing or developing eating disorders thinking that will help us attain that impossible "Perfect Image". If we all looked like the women and girls in magazines we would be useless. The world would literally grind to a halt. Why you ask? Because those women don't actually DO anything. They don't play sports and become role models for future generations; they don't usually want to bear children because they don't want to risk loosing their figures and so never get to experience the joy of being a mother. They don't become nurses or wives or doctors or business women, or teachers, or any other profession that actually contributes anything useful to society because they are so obsessed with their looks that they develop a very narrow and vain view of the world. And that view is that the only thing that matters is what they look like. What an utter waste of a life! YOung ladies would never see their own potential to be a positive person. I have friends who have young daughters/nieces and they say it is so frustrating to get them to understand that REAL beauty is not found superficially. REAL beauty is not visible, but rather found deep within a women's heart and in her soul. It is a measure of those that she loves, the lives she touches, and the contribution she makes not only to society but to her family. I hate to see a young person get lost on this path because it is truly a slippery slope and one misstep can lead to a lifetime of insecurity. The girls who are a size two with those waif looks are abnormal and not to be admired. Rather they should be pitied because they are stuck having to maintain that size and their looks and run the risk of becoming very, very sick. How do you think those girls maintain a size one? They either starve themselves or they are puking. Oh, and don't get me started on air brushing and picture altering...
A) She purchased her bus ticket a WEEK in advance, so this was fairly premeditated.
B) she called 911 and falsely reported a crime, which is a crime in and of itself, and the prosecutor of Duluth is thinking of pressing charges against her for this.
c) her fiance, the son of the ex-Duluth mayor, gave her the ring back and says the wedding is "postponed".
OMGz, they are BOTH complete idiots. First of all, she met that couple on the internet and ran off to meet them after getting cold feet - that might explain why she purchased the ticket a week before bolting. BUT, this is a high profile union, it seems, with a huge wedding party (14 maids and ushers and 600 guests), and I BET YOU A MILLION DOLLARS that if this wasn't as high profile (the ex-mayor's son and his rich little girlfriend) then we would have NEVER devoted all that time and energy and public resources to finding her. So YES, make the stupid bich pay back that money.
Yes, press charges against her like the law dictates. Just because she's marrying the ex-mayor's son that doesn't mean she is exempt from prosecution to the letter of the law. She should be arrested and do time as stipulated by law.
Now, I feel bad that she got cold feet, but this whole episode squeals of something more than just that. A premeditated bus ticket. A shady couple met on the internet. A fleeing bride the week before her wedding - a womanhunt for the bride of the high profile ex-mayor's son. A false call to 911 claiming kidnapping. Call me crazy, but I'd be a middle class normal person than a rich idiot with no common sense and all the apparently mental and emotional problems they have!
*****
NO comment on the Terrell Owens fiasco in Philly. The guy's a playa, but he's also an asshole. Stop pissing and moaning about more money, win Philly a Super Bowl THEN renegotiate your contract...
*****
On the "youth can sure be stupid" front: Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. sustained internal injuries and complained of chest pains after he was injured in a motorcycle accident, the team said Monday night. But lookie here...Beyond the injuries, there are possible financial ramifications as well, and Winslow may have given the team an opportunity to recover a portion of his signing bonus and option bonus, if he is found to be in breach of his contract. Two league sources said Monday night that Winslow's contract includes language which is even more specific and limiting, and which expressly forbids riding a motorcycle. Siiiiigh...will they every learn!?
*****
And on to my pet peeve topic of the week: young girls and their self images...my oldest daughter is having image problems - self-image, that is. And it's no wonder! The image that women, and young girls, are expected to model themselves after is ridiculously impossible. We could all look like those women on the pages of magazines if a) we never worked or went to school and spent all day in the gym and b) had a zillion dollars to spend for someone to come in and do our hair and make up each morning before we left the house, or c) never ate any food (bulimia included). Since the VAST majority of women do NOT live this idyllic life we don't look like super models or teen super stars. So, we end up hiding our true selves inside loose fitting clothing or developing eating disorders thinking that will help us attain that impossible "Perfect Image". If we all looked like the women and girls in magazines we would be useless. The world would literally grind to a halt. Why you ask? Because those women don't actually DO anything. They don't play sports and become role models for future generations; they don't usually want to bear children because they don't want to risk loosing their figures and so never get to experience the joy of being a mother. They don't become nurses or wives or doctors or business women, or teachers, or any other profession that actually contributes anything useful to society because they are so obsessed with their looks that they develop a very narrow and vain view of the world. And that view is that the only thing that matters is what they look like. What an utter waste of a life! YOung ladies would never see their own potential to be a positive person. I have friends who have young daughters/nieces and they say it is so frustrating to get them to understand that REAL beauty is not found superficially. REAL beauty is not visible, but rather found deep within a women's heart and in her soul. It is a measure of those that she loves, the lives she touches, and the contribution she makes not only to society but to her family. I hate to see a young person get lost on this path because it is truly a slippery slope and one misstep can lead to a lifetime of insecurity. The girls who are a size two with those waif looks are abnormal and not to be admired. Rather they should be pitied because they are stuck having to maintain that size and their looks and run the risk of becoming very, very sick. How do you think those girls maintain a size one? They either starve themselves or they are puking. Oh, and don't get me started on air brushing and picture altering...
4.25.2005
Young Man's Creed
Michael Barone, truly one of the brightest lights in political commentary, has a column in Real Clear Politics today about the role of religion in politics. A good commentary, but I think there is a further reason for the revival of religion he notes.
Atheism, agnosticism and secularism are young men's creeds. As the Boomers age (as it has been with every previous generation and as it will be in the future) they are becoming more religious.
I used to be relatively indifferent to the role of God in the world. For me at 24, it was hard to see. Further, with every reading of the front page of a national paper, it was certainly hard to believe in a God, or at least a benevolent God.
But when I watched my first child be born, I knew there had to be a God. It was as close to an epiphany as I could come. But with time, I saw more and appreciated that the proof of God is not in wars or famine, but in birth and in spring and in all the little things that we take for granted each day. It is a perspective I could not have at 24.
Miracles are not big things - parting of the Red Sea, the lions' den, curing the leper - they are small things - the first word of a child, the blossom of a crocus, the diversity of life on this planet. There is an interesting story of the man who walks through a field and finds a pocket watch. He knows immediately that the pocket watch is not part of "nature," but it has been made by someone or something.
The older I get, the more I believe that Earth is a pocket watch in the middle of an astral field.
Atheism, agnosticism and secularism are young men's creeds. As the Boomers age (as it has been with every previous generation and as it will be in the future) they are becoming more religious.
I used to be relatively indifferent to the role of God in the world. For me at 24, it was hard to see. Further, with every reading of the front page of a national paper, it was certainly hard to believe in a God, or at least a benevolent God.
But when I watched my first child be born, I knew there had to be a God. It was as close to an epiphany as I could come. But with time, I saw more and appreciated that the proof of God is not in wars or famine, but in birth and in spring and in all the little things that we take for granted each day. It is a perspective I could not have at 24.
Miracles are not big things - parting of the Red Sea, the lions' den, curing the leper - they are small things - the first word of a child, the blossom of a crocus, the diversity of life on this planet. There is an interesting story of the man who walks through a field and finds a pocket watch. He knows immediately that the pocket watch is not part of "nature," but it has been made by someone or something.
The older I get, the more I believe that Earth is a pocket watch in the middle of an astral field.
4.14.2005
Conclave
The subject of the Pope's death has been one that I have been thinking about a bit. It is pretty clear that he was a monumental figure in the world for the last 26 years; was instrumental in the fall of Communist Eastern Europe and Soviet Russia and left his personal mark on the Catholic Church, for better or worse. Though for the better, I think.
This is my and Thew's first time to be considered for Pope (no, we are not Cardinals, but every adult male Catholic is eligible to be Pope). I am quite sure I will not make the short list and DAMN sure Thew won't.
But I wondered, what would I do if I were Pope.
This started as an odd thought because my personal philosophy differs from the RCC in many ways: I am for a woman's (limited) right to choose; for euthanasia; for contraception; for married and female priests. But what if I were Pope? I think I would have to reassess.
JPII greatness lay in the fact that he stood for something in this world: moral goodness. He was unconcerned about the grayness and "realities" that I live day to day. (Or at least think I do.) Abortion in the case of incest or rape? No, that child is a child of God, regardless of the mechanism that begot it soul. Right to die? That is God's decision and God's decision alone.
Such clarity is enviable. And required in the Pope. And I found myself admitting that I would change my positions if I were Pope. Does that make me a hypocrite? I don't think so, but I do admit that I do not hold myself up to the standard of the Pope. But I must if I were.
John Paul was a beacon; a force for good and the absolute Rock upon which Christ built his Church. I may not agree with him from the vantage point of my mixed up muddled up 21st century suburban Boston viewpoint, but I thank God that John Paul II believed the things he did and reminded me of a higher standard.
Rest in Peace.
This is my and Thew's first time to be considered for Pope (no, we are not Cardinals, but every adult male Catholic is eligible to be Pope). I am quite sure I will not make the short list and DAMN sure Thew won't.
But I wondered, what would I do if I were Pope.
This started as an odd thought because my personal philosophy differs from the RCC in many ways: I am for a woman's (limited) right to choose; for euthanasia; for contraception; for married and female priests. But what if I were Pope? I think I would have to reassess.
JPII greatness lay in the fact that he stood for something in this world: moral goodness. He was unconcerned about the grayness and "realities" that I live day to day. (Or at least think I do.) Abortion in the case of incest or rape? No, that child is a child of God, regardless of the mechanism that begot it soul. Right to die? That is God's decision and God's decision alone.
Such clarity is enviable. And required in the Pope. And I found myself admitting that I would change my positions if I were Pope. Does that make me a hypocrite? I don't think so, but I do admit that I do not hold myself up to the standard of the Pope. But I must if I were.
John Paul was a beacon; a force for good and the absolute Rock upon which Christ built his Church. I may not agree with him from the vantage point of my mixed up muddled up 21st century suburban Boston viewpoint, but I thank God that John Paul II believed the things he did and reminded me of a higher standard.
Rest in Peace.
God these conference calls are too frikkin LONG!
What a satisfying win for the Yankees over the Red Sox last night, on a few levels. Mariano Rivera, aside from a walk given up, was solid and aggressive, proving that this guy has the stuff, both physically and mentally, to be a dominant closer, which he has been for a while now. Jason Giambi is looking better and more confident at the plate, and Bernie Williams is trying desperately to prove that even the old guy in centerfield still has game left. And finally, shutting up Curt Schilling, who has become the poster boy for Yankees bashing in Beantown, was satisfying, especially since we took him deep twice.
In the "no comment department", according to Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, the team's acquisitions of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell two summers ago were a "failed experiment." Now don't get me wrong, Cassell, 35, and Sprewell, 34, each complained in training camp about not getting contract extensions, which in my opinion ultimately doomed the team to mediocrity this year, but still, did he miss their run to the Western Conference Finals last year? Does he honestly think he could have done that without those two guys? I am all for shutting up those spoiled thugs that play in the NBA (not you, Ray Allen), but this is ridiculous to an extent. Their antics this season were abhorrent, and their attitudes have been questioned all season since the distractions they caused with their contract demands, but I think a little more credit is due to those two guys. Just me I guess...in any event, a team with that much talent is a despicable failure...like the NHL Rangers or the NFL Redskins.
My one last bitch at the Masters:
Unless you were fortunate enough to be at Augusta National on Sunday morning, you missed the incredible turnaround to The Masters, a possible record-setting run by Tiger Woods and what you could argue is the reason he eventually won the tournament. In the span of 30 minutes, Chris DiMarco double-bogeyed the 10th hole, which Woods had just birdied. Woods then went on to birdie the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, too. And none of it was televised. What a shame...
And for my last rant and rave, here are my musings as I fall face first into 40 during the month of April:
I am proud that aside from a slightly withdrawn hairline (family genes), I still have a full head of hair.
I am proud that my waistline is still smaller than my chest by a wide margin.
I am proud that I found a wonderful beautiful wife that I am going to be happy with for the rest of my days.
I am proud that my children have survived until their teenage years without getting kidnapped or molested - now the difficult part starts, my oldest is entering high school in the fall.
My golf handicap can be counted with the fingers on 1 hand, and I don't need the thumb (and you can keep the pinky too).
I've got a great family - parents and a crazy but outstanding brother who's always good for entertaining my kids with stories of his past escapades.
I am proud of the fact that my medicine cabinet contains exactly ZERO erectile disfunction medicines.
I hate having an ex-wife, they are mean and angry and just don't go away soon enough.
I hate having a slight case of love handles, where did those things come from - oh yeah, my wife is a good cook.
I hate the fact that now that I have the discipline to do things, I don't have the time. Back when I had the time, I did not have the discipline. *siiigh*
I hate traffic jams and have become the quintessential road rager.
I REALLY hate those prime indicators of old age - excessive nosehair and earwax...
In the "no comment department", according to Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, the team's acquisitions of Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell two summers ago were a "failed experiment." Now don't get me wrong, Cassell, 35, and Sprewell, 34, each complained in training camp about not getting contract extensions, which in my opinion ultimately doomed the team to mediocrity this year, but still, did he miss their run to the Western Conference Finals last year? Does he honestly think he could have done that without those two guys? I am all for shutting up those spoiled thugs that play in the NBA (not you, Ray Allen), but this is ridiculous to an extent. Their antics this season were abhorrent, and their attitudes have been questioned all season since the distractions they caused with their contract demands, but I think a little more credit is due to those two guys. Just me I guess...in any event, a team with that much talent is a despicable failure...like the NHL Rangers or the NFL Redskins.
My one last bitch at the Masters:
Unless you were fortunate enough to be at Augusta National on Sunday morning, you missed the incredible turnaround to The Masters, a possible record-setting run by Tiger Woods and what you could argue is the reason he eventually won the tournament. In the span of 30 minutes, Chris DiMarco double-bogeyed the 10th hole, which Woods had just birdied. Woods then went on to birdie the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, too. And none of it was televised. What a shame...
And for my last rant and rave, here are my musings as I fall face first into 40 during the month of April:
I am proud that aside from a slightly withdrawn hairline (family genes), I still have a full head of hair.
I am proud that my waistline is still smaller than my chest by a wide margin.
I am proud that I found a wonderful beautiful wife that I am going to be happy with for the rest of my days.
I am proud that my children have survived until their teenage years without getting kidnapped or molested - now the difficult part starts, my oldest is entering high school in the fall.
My golf handicap can be counted with the fingers on 1 hand, and I don't need the thumb (and you can keep the pinky too).
I've got a great family - parents and a crazy but outstanding brother who's always good for entertaining my kids with stories of his past escapades.
I am proud of the fact that my medicine cabinet contains exactly ZERO erectile disfunction medicines.
I hate having an ex-wife, they are mean and angry and just don't go away soon enough.
I hate having a slight case of love handles, where did those things come from - oh yeah, my wife is a good cook.
I hate the fact that now that I have the discipline to do things, I don't have the time. Back when I had the time, I did not have the discipline. *siiigh*
I hate traffic jams and have become the quintessential road rager.
I REALLY hate those prime indicators of old age - excessive nosehair and earwax...
4.12.2005
Tiger By the Tail
I spent a rare Sunday watching the final holes of the Masters. Rare in that there is usually some other thing going on. But not Sunday.
First, kudos to Thew for calling this ages ago. But Sunday's Tiger was not the Tiger of old - in 1997, his first Masters win, Tiger was -18 and beat Tom Kite by 12 strokes. His back to back victories (2001 and 2002) he was -16 and -12 beating David Duval and Retief Goosen by 2 and 3 strokes respectively. The "old" Tiger was chipping at 16, the "new" Tiger was driving on 17 and 18.
Honestly, though, I don't think Tiger has gotten worse as much as the field has gotten better. A better field means more pressure and the greater the chance of getting it wrong. In fact, if Tiger drives a ball 325 yards, he has a 19% greater chance of getting in the rough then a pro driving it 275 yards. Think about that, almost 1 in 5 will statistically be in the rough more. And that does not factor in the accuracy "bell curve" (i.e., a pro is more likely to hit an accurate shot that a stray shot). But it was good to see Tiger with the Green Jacket.
Unfortunately, it had to be at Chris DiMarco's expense. I do believe that DiMarco will lose the BPNTWAM label soon.
But this segues into a pet peeve of mine - that you have to move the tees way back to Tiger-proof a course. Nonsense. What you have to do is narrow the fairways and grow the rough really high. Distance is nothing without accuracy, hence the phrase "Long and Wrong." (Which I used to be before I became "Short and Wrong.") As I talked about above, with a 50 yard fairway and a straight ball flight, you have 8.8 degrees (4.4 on each side of center) of play to get it in the fairway. (If your desk is 36 inches long, measure up 3 inches on one side, imagine a line from that point to the other side's corner. That angle is about 4.4 degrees) In other words, not alot.
If the fairway is 75 yards across, you have 13.25 degrees, and increase of 50%!! I don't have time to do the statistical math, but that translates into a huge impact on accuracy. Adding 25 yards to the length of the hole has nowhere near the impact of tightening the landing area.
First, kudos to Thew for calling this ages ago. But Sunday's Tiger was not the Tiger of old - in 1997, his first Masters win, Tiger was -18 and beat Tom Kite by 12 strokes. His back to back victories (2001 and 2002) he was -16 and -12 beating David Duval and Retief Goosen by 2 and 3 strokes respectively. The "old" Tiger was chipping at 16, the "new" Tiger was driving on 17 and 18.
Honestly, though, I don't think Tiger has gotten worse as much as the field has gotten better. A better field means more pressure and the greater the chance of getting it wrong. In fact, if Tiger drives a ball 325 yards, he has a 19% greater chance of getting in the rough then a pro driving it 275 yards. Think about that, almost 1 in 5 will statistically be in the rough more. And that does not factor in the accuracy "bell curve" (i.e., a pro is more likely to hit an accurate shot that a stray shot). But it was good to see Tiger with the Green Jacket.
Unfortunately, it had to be at Chris DiMarco's expense. I do believe that DiMarco will lose the BPNTWAM label soon.
But this segues into a pet peeve of mine - that you have to move the tees way back to Tiger-proof a course. Nonsense. What you have to do is narrow the fairways and grow the rough really high. Distance is nothing without accuracy, hence the phrase "Long and Wrong." (Which I used to be before I became "Short and Wrong.") As I talked about above, with a 50 yard fairway and a straight ball flight, you have 8.8 degrees (4.4 on each side of center) of play to get it in the fairway. (If your desk is 36 inches long, measure up 3 inches on one side, imagine a line from that point to the other side's corner. That angle is about 4.4 degrees) In other words, not alot.
If the fairway is 75 yards across, you have 13.25 degrees, and increase of 50%!! I don't have time to do the statistical math, but that translates into a huge impact on accuracy. Adding 25 yards to the length of the hole has nowhere near the impact of tightening the landing area.
4.11.2005
RAWR!
Do you hear that growling? Sounds like a Tiger...
I like Chris DiMarco. I've seen him play in pro-am tournaments, and he's friendly, talkative, jovial, and generally a helluva guy. So I was a little disappointed that HE was the person that Tiger beat to claim the Green Jacket. He's a battler, a bulldog, never asks nor gives quarter, and even though he uses that "claw" putting grip, the man can put up numbers. After a demoralizing 41 (even TILAM can put up a 41 upon occasion) to end round 3, he gamely battled back to tie Woods for the lead - of coure, Tiger bogyed 17 & 18, but DiMarco still had to make a putt to force extra holes. He's a gamer, and is on my perennial "great guy to root for" list. I sure wish Tiger would have beaten that asshole Singh, or jerk Calcavecchia, or cheater Sabbatini, but oh well. The downside to all this? OMG, not another "best golfer to never win a major title" moniker is gonna be dropped on DiMarco, probably soon. I feel for him. Look for him to win a major by the end of 2006. And his Master's record the last couple of years has been pretty decent...
Ryan Moore made a great showing, kudos to Tilam for mentioning him and his accomplishments. Look for great things to come from this young man, and more kudos to Tilam for finding this jewel in the rough.
Frankly, in the aftermath of the Masters excitement, nothing else bears noting...
I like Chris DiMarco. I've seen him play in pro-am tournaments, and he's friendly, talkative, jovial, and generally a helluva guy. So I was a little disappointed that HE was the person that Tiger beat to claim the Green Jacket. He's a battler, a bulldog, never asks nor gives quarter, and even though he uses that "claw" putting grip, the man can put up numbers. After a demoralizing 41 (even TILAM can put up a 41 upon occasion) to end round 3, he gamely battled back to tie Woods for the lead - of coure, Tiger bogyed 17 & 18, but DiMarco still had to make a putt to force extra holes. He's a gamer, and is on my perennial "great guy to root for" list. I sure wish Tiger would have beaten that asshole Singh, or jerk Calcavecchia, or cheater Sabbatini, but oh well. The downside to all this? OMG, not another "best golfer to never win a major title" moniker is gonna be dropped on DiMarco, probably soon. I feel for him. Look for him to win a major by the end of 2006. And his Master's record the last couple of years has been pretty decent...
Ryan Moore made a great showing, kudos to Tilam for mentioning him and his accomplishments. Look for great things to come from this young man, and more kudos to Tilam for finding this jewel in the rough.
Frankly, in the aftermath of the Masters excitement, nothing else bears noting...
4.04.2005
Monday Morning Analyst
As predictable as the weather...in a manner of speaking. Every year the BellSouth Classic is held the week before the Masters, and every year the weather sux. Cut and dry...rounds 1 and 2 are plagued by cold and clouds/rain, round 3 is sunny but windy, Sunday is nice weather. No different this year. Not sure when they can move this tournament, but year after year people get turned off because of the pre-Masters weather. I feel sorry for the tournament organizers. HOWEVER, in a completely classy move (what else did you expect?), Phil Mickelson stayed around for the final round today. Why? Well, for a few reasons I bet; a) he's 1 stroke out of the lead, b) he could win a S**Tload of cash for finishing top 5 if not winning, and c) he's a helluva guy who will continue to honor his tournament commmitments. You know, Tiger might be the best money golfer in the world (piss off Vijay, yer gonna hafta win more on US soil Ernie), but I'd pick Phil over him anytime, anyday. Phil is just like Arnie - personable, friendly, sociable, even during his rounds. I saw him in the Pro-Am just yapping away with his amateur partners - now there's a guy who's Mr Everyman's friend - screw winning 10 majors, this guy will be loved like Arnie because he's just a great guy.
Masters prediction? Hmmm, you can't bet against the Big Four (Woods, Mickelson, Els, and Singh, although I want Singh to suck). Retief Goosen is always high on the list because of his flat stick. DiMarco again? Maybe. My darkhorse is Zach Johnson, the single season winnings record holder on the Nationwide Tour, first time winner at last year's BellSouth, he played solid at the Player's Championship, was playing at this year's BellSouth, and frankly, plays solid and fearless golf. I think he'll finish top 10 definitely.
Yankees-Sox was a good game, the Big Unit was everything we'd hoped for. Yes, it's opening day and there are 161 games left, but Randy Johnson was damm good. :)
Intersting knews you might not have heard and probably didn't give a crap about...The Supreme Court declined to consider the appeal of Maurice Clarett, the former Ohio State running back who challenged the eligibility rules of the NFL draft. The justices on Monday, without comment, let stand a lower court ruling that said federal labor law allows NFL teams to set rules for when players can enter the league. Face it, Maurice, you'll make a scout squad after your horrendous 4.7 40 yard dash, then you'll have a chance to make a big league squad. Then you might have an opportunity to prove yourself as something more than a whiner. Then maybe you'll be able to "make a living". Until then, shuddup. MAKE your career, stop pissing and moaning and hoping others will make it for you.
Lakers losing 11 of 12 to essentially fall completely out of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Miami has truly become the Beast of the East. Hmmm...
Tough to call tonight's game. Personally, I'd love to see Roy Williams win because he's never won before. Then again, I'd like to see Illinois win because that school has never won before and it would certainly validate the Illini's performance and ranking all season. But I have tipped over and fallen off the fence in favor of UNC. How can you not like the Tar Heels?
A BIG congratulations to Jim's Boeheim and Calhoun, elected to the basketball HoF. Well deserved, if u ask me.
Masters prediction? Hmmm, you can't bet against the Big Four (Woods, Mickelson, Els, and Singh, although I want Singh to suck). Retief Goosen is always high on the list because of his flat stick. DiMarco again? Maybe. My darkhorse is Zach Johnson, the single season winnings record holder on the Nationwide Tour, first time winner at last year's BellSouth, he played solid at the Player's Championship, was playing at this year's BellSouth, and frankly, plays solid and fearless golf. I think he'll finish top 10 definitely.
Yankees-Sox was a good game, the Big Unit was everything we'd hoped for. Yes, it's opening day and there are 161 games left, but Randy Johnson was damm good. :)
Intersting knews you might not have heard and probably didn't give a crap about...The Supreme Court declined to consider the appeal of Maurice Clarett, the former Ohio State running back who challenged the eligibility rules of the NFL draft. The justices on Monday, without comment, let stand a lower court ruling that said federal labor law allows NFL teams to set rules for when players can enter the league. Face it, Maurice, you'll make a scout squad after your horrendous 4.7 40 yard dash, then you'll have a chance to make a big league squad. Then you might have an opportunity to prove yourself as something more than a whiner. Then maybe you'll be able to "make a living". Until then, shuddup. MAKE your career, stop pissing and moaning and hoping others will make it for you.
Lakers losing 11 of 12 to essentially fall completely out of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Miami has truly become the Beast of the East. Hmmm...
Tough to call tonight's game. Personally, I'd love to see Roy Williams win because he's never won before. Then again, I'd like to see Illinois win because that school has never won before and it would certainly validate the Illini's performance and ranking all season. But I have tipped over and fallen off the fence in favor of UNC. How can you not like the Tar Heels?
A BIG congratulations to Jim's Boeheim and Calhoun, elected to the basketball HoF. Well deserved, if u ask me.
3.31.2005
Just so Tilam doesn't hog da blog
Star Wars...They are no longer exciting to me and I no longer look for the new release with bated breath, as Tilam says. But I will see the last movie since I've seen the first 5, if only to bring closure to it all. Hopefully.
Here is a symptom I see - and I saw this with "The Matrix" trilogy - when you have a movie that spawns a slew of books, that's the problem. When you have a book or books that spawn a movie, it's better. Look at the Lord of the Rings. I read that trilogy in 8th grade, and was completely fascinated (I have since read it twice more cover to cover) with that story and genre. Then the movie(s), which frankly, I consider to be the greatest film trilogy of all time, bar none. But Star Wars came from GL's mind before it was a novel, and so many people jumped on the bandwagon with novellas, novels, and speculation, and GL got caught up in that maelstrom, trying to explain the story and please all his fans. I thought The Empire Strikes Back sucked donkey balls, but the Return of the Jedi was better. Episode 1 sucked goat balls, while episide 2 was better. So I hope this last episode bucks my trend and is good - I have to admit, the trailer looks pretty spiffy. Same with the Matrix - I STILL cannot understand wtf was at the end of the second movie, the dickhead in the chair - I thought I had it down good after that scene though, then the last one just was a lotta action wrapped around a sketchy plot. Here's the deal guys - if you want to wrap a storyline into it, make it cohesive, flowing, and tie all the loose ends. If not, just blow up shit, show gratuitous sex, naked bodies, lotta cusswords, then "the end".
Comments on Tilam's rant on Star Wars? He makes too many good points. I f**kin HATE Ewoks. And yes, the "immaculate conception" of Anakin Starwalker is assinine. Mitochloridians (or whatever the hell they are), I have to agree with Tilam again - just a buncha virus cells that speak to us? Kinda like the clap? "Hey baby, I got VD, but it's telling me that I'm a superhero!" A pathetic explanation, and RIGHT ABOUT THERE is where I first started thinking "okay, the Star Wars line sux".
Let me talk about the dying part...
Again, Tilam and I are on the same page here - quick and dirty, or peacefully in my sleep after a nice hummer from an 18 year old cheerleader. My own addition/edit is based on the premise - okay, if I have to die, I don't want to KNOW that I'm going to die. Much like drowning, falling off a building/cliff, and my ultimate slow death, a plane crash, I'd much rather get done in quickly rather than have, say, 1 minute to ponder that I'm actually doing to die while plummetting helplessly from 30,000 feet with 200 other people screaming in my ears. Talk about stress! (this is why those people on the hijacked flight that crashed in PA are ULTIMATE heroes to me, none of them wanted to die, but they KNEW they had to do something, and if they were gonna die they were gonna take those terrorist cocksuckers down with 'em). Oh, and in deference to my claustraphobia, being buried alive would suck big time. I can't even think about that without getting quesy.
Almost 2 weeks without food/water for Terry Shiavo. I'm sure she's registering the pain/discomfort on a subconscious level, but her vegetative state and lack of consciousness really make this a slow painless process for here. Or I believe painless, at least on cognizant level. Honestly, I wish would just pass quietly and let everyone make their peace. Too many people are suffering here, and all these motions, arguments, and legal briefs are just extending the pain of those around the case, not her.
Oh, and one comment on Tilam's frustration with our own private Player's Championship...15 years without a win will become 16 shortly. And remember, my FAVORITE beer is the ice cold beverage I win from my pal Tilam. :)
Here is a symptom I see - and I saw this with "The Matrix" trilogy - when you have a movie that spawns a slew of books, that's the problem. When you have a book or books that spawn a movie, it's better. Look at the Lord of the Rings. I read that trilogy in 8th grade, and was completely fascinated (I have since read it twice more cover to cover) with that story and genre. Then the movie(s), which frankly, I consider to be the greatest film trilogy of all time, bar none. But Star Wars came from GL's mind before it was a novel, and so many people jumped on the bandwagon with novellas, novels, and speculation, and GL got caught up in that maelstrom, trying to explain the story and please all his fans. I thought The Empire Strikes Back sucked donkey balls, but the Return of the Jedi was better. Episode 1 sucked goat balls, while episide 2 was better. So I hope this last episode bucks my trend and is good - I have to admit, the trailer looks pretty spiffy. Same with the Matrix - I STILL cannot understand wtf was at the end of the second movie, the dickhead in the chair - I thought I had it down good after that scene though, then the last one just was a lotta action wrapped around a sketchy plot. Here's the deal guys - if you want to wrap a storyline into it, make it cohesive, flowing, and tie all the loose ends. If not, just blow up shit, show gratuitous sex, naked bodies, lotta cusswords, then "the end".
Comments on Tilam's rant on Star Wars? He makes too many good points. I f**kin HATE Ewoks. And yes, the "immaculate conception" of Anakin Starwalker is assinine. Mitochloridians (or whatever the hell they are), I have to agree with Tilam again - just a buncha virus cells that speak to us? Kinda like the clap? "Hey baby, I got VD, but it's telling me that I'm a superhero!" A pathetic explanation, and RIGHT ABOUT THERE is where I first started thinking "okay, the Star Wars line sux".
Let me talk about the dying part...
Again, Tilam and I are on the same page here - quick and dirty, or peacefully in my sleep after a nice hummer from an 18 year old cheerleader. My own addition/edit is based on the premise - okay, if I have to die, I don't want to KNOW that I'm going to die. Much like drowning, falling off a building/cliff, and my ultimate slow death, a plane crash, I'd much rather get done in quickly rather than have, say, 1 minute to ponder that I'm actually doing to die while plummetting helplessly from 30,000 feet with 200 other people screaming in my ears. Talk about stress! (this is why those people on the hijacked flight that crashed in PA are ULTIMATE heroes to me, none of them wanted to die, but they KNEW they had to do something, and if they were gonna die they were gonna take those terrorist cocksuckers down with 'em). Oh, and in deference to my claustraphobia, being buried alive would suck big time. I can't even think about that without getting quesy.
Almost 2 weeks without food/water for Terry Shiavo. I'm sure she's registering the pain/discomfort on a subconscious level, but her vegetative state and lack of consciousness really make this a slow painless process for here. Or I believe painless, at least on cognizant level. Honestly, I wish would just pass quietly and let everyone make their peace. Too many people are suffering here, and all these motions, arguments, and legal briefs are just extending the pain of those around the case, not her.
Oh, and one comment on Tilam's frustration with our own private Player's Championship...15 years without a win will become 16 shortly. And remember, my FAVORITE beer is the ice cold beverage I win from my pal Tilam. :)
3.30.2005
The Force is Strong in This One
In retrospect, George Lucas should have done all six movies at once. But he did not.
If A New Hope (1977) was a flop, there would not have been the Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). But it was not. And there is where things went off the rails.
GL originally shilled his beloved Star Wars to nearly all comers. Before the mighty merchandising machine, the was a Wookie Christmas special (November 1978 famous for the first appearance of Boba Fett), Marvel comics and novels. All of this (the good and bad) comprises what we fans call the "Extended Universe." It also became a real nightmare for the making of the first trilogy.
You see, ultra passionate fans are hard to please. Through various novels, the Star Wars saga was heavily fleshed out. Han and Leia get married, have three kids (twins and a boy named Anakin). Luke takes the assassin Mara Jade as an apprentice, then as his wife. A good summary is at Wikipedia. In summary, the EU created a storyline that Lucas had approved, but is now not necessarily consistent with the movies. And also created expectation in fans about what they were going to see.
But we are not impossible to please though. But George has never "liked" Star Wars fans. We stole his baby and made it our own. Papa George could not let that stand. But the problem is that Pandora's box was open, the fan base had created a myths, legends and rumors that made sense and reinforced the fans' view of the Star Wars universe.
Then. Finally. Episode One.
In Episode I, Lucas thumbed his nose at the fan base repeatedly. In particular, speculation is THE favorite pastime of Star Wars fans and GL's job (IMAO) was to give us a little of want we wanted, but leave us wanting more. But he didn't. To wit:
The Virgin Birth of Anakin? That is the implication of Anakin having no father. Come on. What pseudo-religious drivel. Anakin/Vader as Christ? This is particularly galling because speculation on who or what is Anakin's father would have been great. And easy to do. Not knowing Papa Skywalker was also quite easy to leave in the script.
Nope. Instead, we get virgin birth.
Mitaclorians? This is a TOTAL BETRAYAL! The Force was always something Zen-like to be learned and practiced over years. Mastery of your base instincts and emotions was difficult, but attainable.
Nah, the Force is just a bunch of bugs in your blood stream. You are either born with it or not. Like money, good looks or the ability to hit a curve. All you losers with a low mitaclorian count are out of luck.
I will see Episode III as soon as it is out. I am hoping George "redeems" himself with a compelling story and a plausible connection to Episode IV. (For example, Darth Vader CLEARLY did not know he was a father. How will that be explained?) But I am not invested in this anymore.
The ride is ending and I am not as thrilled as when it started.
If A New Hope (1977) was a flop, there would not have been the Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). But it was not. And there is where things went off the rails.
GL originally shilled his beloved Star Wars to nearly all comers. Before the mighty merchandising machine, the was a Wookie Christmas special (November 1978 famous for the first appearance of Boba Fett), Marvel comics and novels. All of this (the good and bad) comprises what we fans call the "Extended Universe." It also became a real nightmare for the making of the first trilogy.
You see, ultra passionate fans are hard to please. Through various novels, the Star Wars saga was heavily fleshed out. Han and Leia get married, have three kids (twins and a boy named Anakin). Luke takes the assassin Mara Jade as an apprentice, then as his wife. A good summary is at Wikipedia. In summary, the EU created a storyline that Lucas had approved, but is now not necessarily consistent with the movies. And also created expectation in fans about what they were going to see.
But we are not impossible to please though. But George has never "liked" Star Wars fans. We stole his baby and made it our own. Papa George could not let that stand. But the problem is that Pandora's box was open, the fan base had created a myths, legends and rumors that made sense and reinforced the fans' view of the Star Wars universe.
Then. Finally. Episode One.
In Episode I, Lucas thumbed his nose at the fan base repeatedly. In particular, speculation is THE favorite pastime of Star Wars fans and GL's job (IMAO) was to give us a little of want we wanted, but leave us wanting more. But he didn't. To wit:
The Virgin Birth of Anakin? That is the implication of Anakin having no father. Come on. What pseudo-religious drivel. Anakin/Vader as Christ? This is particularly galling because speculation on who or what is Anakin's father would have been great. And easy to do. Not knowing Papa Skywalker was also quite easy to leave in the script.
Nope. Instead, we get virgin birth.
Mitaclorians? This is a TOTAL BETRAYAL! The Force was always something Zen-like to be learned and practiced over years. Mastery of your base instincts and emotions was difficult, but attainable.
Nah, the Force is just a bunch of bugs in your blood stream. You are either born with it or not. Like money, good looks or the ability to hit a curve. All you losers with a low mitaclorian count are out of luck.
I will see Episode III as soon as it is out. I am hoping George "redeems" himself with a compelling story and a plausible connection to Episode IV. (For example, Darth Vader CLEARLY did not know he was a father. How will that be explained?) But I am not invested in this anymore.
The ride is ending and I am not as thrilled as when it started.
Wake Up, Time to Die
I have been “pleased” (I am not sure that is the right word, strike that, I am sure it is not the right word) to see a number of bloggers on my most respected list (Reynolds, Sensing, Althouse, to add a few to the list below) discussing the necessary “triumph” of the rule of law in the Schiavo case. Even the Captain himself has realized enough is enough.
4. Terrorist Beheading (Film at 11). A public death for the kids to watch on the web. I'’ll pass.
3. Falling Off a Building/Cliff. Final thought: “"This is gonna hurt." Then” *splat*. The scenes from the WTC were absolutely gut wrenching to me.
2. Slow Roast. The burning, the smell, the pain. I almost pity the rotisserie chicken.
And the Number 1 Way I Would Not Want to Die,
1. Eaten By a Shark. Adding to the pain of the bites themselves (I'’d say I'’d need at least three to kill me). There is the ultimate humiliation of ending your mortal stay as some fish'’s turd.
3.29.2005
A Long Time Ago...
Coincident with the Tilam-Thew Players Championship (which I have not won in 15 or so years) is the premiere of Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. Thew asked me the other day why hadn't I blogged on Star Wars yet.
Star Wars is an interesting subject for me. I was 14 in 1977 when A New Hope was released and was a big fan from the start. In particular, when I found out that Lucas was set to do two more (with the obvious opportunity for a prequel trilogy), like many a young man, I was hooked.
Alas, 28 years later, I fear Star Wars has outgrown me.
I know the minute it out grew me, though I did not recognize it at the time: when Darth Vader became a good guy, throwing the Emperor into the abyss. I could go on as to why - DV was too evil to become good, Daddy bailing out the kids, it made Luke look like a pussy - but that is beside the point. Further, the prequels have reinforced my disappointment. Anakin goes over to the dark side watching his mother die and comes back watching his son? Pleeeeeease. Too much pseudo psycho psyhit for me.
Star Wars should have been the ultimate 'B' movie; good guy is very good, bad guy is very, very bad, good guy beats bad guy. Simple. Straight forward. Great lessons.
But Star Wars became too cute and complicated. Love triangles, incest, teddy bears, bar bands. So, what I was left with was the good guy always needed to be bailed out, the bad guy turns good and the most interesting characters (Obi-wan, Yoda, Han) where secondary. So when I wanted a "High Noon" what I got was "Peyton Space." (And ultimately, I always thought Han Solo could kick Luke's ass force or not.)
But at least the special effects were super...
While Episode VI was a bit of a letdown (especially with the Ewoks), it was still Jeopardy-esque (or the Hitchhiker's Guide-esque): now we have the answer, but what is the question. Nothing prepared me for Episode I.
Next post, I will talk about where Lucas went off the rails and why.
Star Wars is an interesting subject for me. I was 14 in 1977 when A New Hope was released and was a big fan from the start. In particular, when I found out that Lucas was set to do two more (with the obvious opportunity for a prequel trilogy), like many a young man, I was hooked.
Alas, 28 years later, I fear Star Wars has outgrown me.
I know the minute it out grew me, though I did not recognize it at the time: when Darth Vader became a good guy, throwing the Emperor into the abyss. I could go on as to why - DV was too evil to become good, Daddy bailing out the kids, it made Luke look like a pussy - but that is beside the point. Further, the prequels have reinforced my disappointment. Anakin goes over to the dark side watching his mother die and comes back watching his son? Pleeeeeease. Too much pseudo psycho psyhit for me.
Star Wars should have been the ultimate 'B' movie; good guy is very good, bad guy is very, very bad, good guy beats bad guy. Simple. Straight forward. Great lessons.
But Star Wars became too cute and complicated. Love triangles, incest, teddy bears, bar bands. So, what I was left with was the good guy always needed to be bailed out, the bad guy turns good and the most interesting characters (Obi-wan, Yoda, Han) where secondary. So when I wanted a "High Noon" what I got was "Peyton Space." (And ultimately, I always thought Han Solo could kick Luke's ass force or not.)
But at least the special effects were super...
While Episode VI was a bit of a letdown (especially with the Ewoks), it was still Jeopardy-esque (or the Hitchhiker's Guide-esque): now we have the answer, but what is the question. Nothing prepared me for Episode I.
Next post, I will talk about where Lucas went off the rails and why.
A brief interlude back to hockey
What Eric Clapton was to Cream, John Buccigross is to ESPN Hockey Night. I like Bucc. MY EPSN dream job would be to hang with him, Barry Melrose, and chicken parm Ferraro in the Hockey Night studios. He's written an interesting article on how to win back the fans and improve the game (and the product) of hockey...
I cannot subscribe to bigger nets. How can we compare Jarome Iginla's scoring totals in the future to Wayne Gretzky's total when Wayne had to shoot into a 4x6 net, while Jarome shoots into the cavernous 5x7 net (or whatever it will be)? I don't believe we make the nets absolutely bigger, we make them RELATIVELY bigger by reducing the size of the goal equipment. Shaving off inches from the treetrunk legpads that goalies wear today is a better step, not enlarging the net opening.
No skater interference - get a life! Every year we hear they are going to crack down on clutching and grabbing. Nice idea, the implementation of which has SUCKED every year they've yapped about it.
Penalty deterrents - making a minor last the full 2 mins is a GREAT idea. Tossing a guy out of the game after a set number of penatlies is a nice idea, but I'm not sure the practical application will be all that great. You might be ejecting "the dirty player", but it's a rarity when a player has 4 or more minors in a game; unless he's having a REALLY bad night.
Adopt the AHL changes. Limit goalie wandering isn't a good idea because you need to showcase some talents of the goalies, and if puckhandling is one of them, let 'em play. Moving the nets back, yeah, fine. Making the lines bigger is okay too. The best of which is a shoot out after 1 overtime during the regular season. EXCITEMENT! Also, I think the tie is an assinine way to end a game, what other sport allows ties? Okay, soccer, but you can see how popular THAT sport is in the US. :)
Paint the helmets - marketing ploy, but every other major sport with helmets have designs, why not hockey?
Mandatory player/referee microphones? Hmmm, I don't agree with player mics, but referee's are fine with me. Yes, you'd like to hear the sounds and voices of the game, but you could also catch Kevin Stevens of the Penguins yelling at Brian Bellows of the North Stars (an old clip I have), calling a f**king c**ks****r and a p***y, among other niceties. Not a good idea.
No more music...hmmm, I'm an audiophile too, and while I that there is too much music, some is good. Get's the blood pumping... Better to be selective as to when you play it...
Eliminate the RED LINE - no f**kin' s**t! Let 'em play dammit.
Play-in games. Nah, stupid idea. Why? Well, what became of the NCAA hoops play-in game loser this year? They went home. Nope, didn't get into the NIT, they just went home. I think that's a stupid idea for ALL sports. Top 64 get bids, top 8 into the playoffs. 'Nuff said.
Congressional hearings...OMG, please don't bring in the asshole politicians to fix our sport. Why? Because the idiots who run hockey will NEVER learn if they get a directive from congress on "how to fix it". They need to be able to learn to work together and fix problems as a team, not as William Wallace and Longshanks. If you TELL your children to get along, what's the likelihood they will "get along"? Bad idea, let hockey rule itself.
My 2 cents - market players, not teams. Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash, Eric Staal and others are the future stars of the league, make 'em known to the US public. Change the schedule to highlight more regional rivalries - NYR v NYI, Florida v Tampa Bay, LA v San Jose v Anaheim, Calgary v Edmonton - don't hype 'em as boxing matches, play them up as rivalries. MARKETING THE PRODUCT - three words that might mean a future for hockey. Oh, wait, GET THE PRODUCT BACK ON THE ICE first. :)
Back to the general grind...
Charlie Villanueva is contemplating declaring for the NBA draft? WTF is this guy smoking - 75% dog, 25% racehorse. When he becomes 99% racehorse, then he'll be a top 10 pick. But only then, since his attitude, work ethic, and ability to play a full game at 100% has been questioned by pretty much every NBA GM in the league. A guy with his supposed talent and size does NOT let his team get owned in the second round of the tournament - see Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, and Rip Hamilton - Husky leaders show up to lead and play, the whole game, not just when it looks good for the highlight reel. That aside, if he ever puts it all together, wow is he gonna be good. Another case of a million dollar athelete with a five cent head. I'd still pick Josh Boone over him because of Boone's effort and ethic. I hope that Charlie returns to UCONN and works at his game and attitude. It'd be a wonderful thing to see this guy fulfill his potential. Here's to hoping he acquires Ed Nelson's attitude and fire. :)
The UCONN women lost, finally, in the NCAA. 20 straight games. 3 straight national championships. All good things come to an end. Geno was gracious at best in losing to Stanford, complimenting the Cardinal as he should, since they put a stomping on the Lady Huskies. But I'd sure hate to be in that locker room listening to his analysis of the second half. Blarg...
Well, it had to happen eventually, althought I'd thought it would be someone else. Jesse Jackson has entered the Schiavo case, crying that her situation and impending passing is "an injustice". Interesting, I for sure was wondering when Al Sharpton would show up...
Ah well, back to the rat race...
I cannot subscribe to bigger nets. How can we compare Jarome Iginla's scoring totals in the future to Wayne Gretzky's total when Wayne had to shoot into a 4x6 net, while Jarome shoots into the cavernous 5x7 net (or whatever it will be)? I don't believe we make the nets absolutely bigger, we make them RELATIVELY bigger by reducing the size of the goal equipment. Shaving off inches from the treetrunk legpads that goalies wear today is a better step, not enlarging the net opening.
No skater interference - get a life! Every year we hear they are going to crack down on clutching and grabbing. Nice idea, the implementation of which has SUCKED every year they've yapped about it.
Penalty deterrents - making a minor last the full 2 mins is a GREAT idea. Tossing a guy out of the game after a set number of penatlies is a nice idea, but I'm not sure the practical application will be all that great. You might be ejecting "the dirty player", but it's a rarity when a player has 4 or more minors in a game; unless he's having a REALLY bad night.
Adopt the AHL changes. Limit goalie wandering isn't a good idea because you need to showcase some talents of the goalies, and if puckhandling is one of them, let 'em play. Moving the nets back, yeah, fine. Making the lines bigger is okay too. The best of which is a shoot out after 1 overtime during the regular season. EXCITEMENT! Also, I think the tie is an assinine way to end a game, what other sport allows ties? Okay, soccer, but you can see how popular THAT sport is in the US. :)
Paint the helmets - marketing ploy, but every other major sport with helmets have designs, why not hockey?
Mandatory player/referee microphones? Hmmm, I don't agree with player mics, but referee's are fine with me. Yes, you'd like to hear the sounds and voices of the game, but you could also catch Kevin Stevens of the Penguins yelling at Brian Bellows of the North Stars (an old clip I have), calling a f**king c**ks****r and a p***y, among other niceties. Not a good idea.
No more music...hmmm, I'm an audiophile too, and while I that there is too much music, some is good. Get's the blood pumping... Better to be selective as to when you play it...
Eliminate the RED LINE - no f**kin' s**t! Let 'em play dammit.
Play-in games. Nah, stupid idea. Why? Well, what became of the NCAA hoops play-in game loser this year? They went home. Nope, didn't get into the NIT, they just went home. I think that's a stupid idea for ALL sports. Top 64 get bids, top 8 into the playoffs. 'Nuff said.
Congressional hearings...OMG, please don't bring in the asshole politicians to fix our sport. Why? Because the idiots who run hockey will NEVER learn if they get a directive from congress on "how to fix it". They need to be able to learn to work together and fix problems as a team, not as William Wallace and Longshanks. If you TELL your children to get along, what's the likelihood they will "get along"? Bad idea, let hockey rule itself.
My 2 cents - market players, not teams. Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash, Eric Staal and others are the future stars of the league, make 'em known to the US public. Change the schedule to highlight more regional rivalries - NYR v NYI, Florida v Tampa Bay, LA v San Jose v Anaheim, Calgary v Edmonton - don't hype 'em as boxing matches, play them up as rivalries. MARKETING THE PRODUCT - three words that might mean a future for hockey. Oh, wait, GET THE PRODUCT BACK ON THE ICE first. :)
Back to the general grind...
Charlie Villanueva is contemplating declaring for the NBA draft? WTF is this guy smoking - 75% dog, 25% racehorse. When he becomes 99% racehorse, then he'll be a top 10 pick. But only then, since his attitude, work ethic, and ability to play a full game at 100% has been questioned by pretty much every NBA GM in the league. A guy with his supposed talent and size does NOT let his team get owned in the second round of the tournament - see Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, and Rip Hamilton - Husky leaders show up to lead and play, the whole game, not just when it looks good for the highlight reel. That aside, if he ever puts it all together, wow is he gonna be good. Another case of a million dollar athelete with a five cent head. I'd still pick Josh Boone over him because of Boone's effort and ethic. I hope that Charlie returns to UCONN and works at his game and attitude. It'd be a wonderful thing to see this guy fulfill his potential. Here's to hoping he acquires Ed Nelson's attitude and fire. :)
The UCONN women lost, finally, in the NCAA. 20 straight games. 3 straight national championships. All good things come to an end. Geno was gracious at best in losing to Stanford, complimenting the Cardinal as he should, since they put a stomping on the Lady Huskies. But I'd sure hate to be in that locker room listening to his analysis of the second half. Blarg...
Well, it had to happen eventually, althought I'd thought it would be someone else. Jesse Jackson has entered the Schiavo case, crying that her situation and impending passing is "an injustice". Interesting, I for sure was wondering when Al Sharpton would show up...
Ah well, back to the rat race...
3.28.2005
I'd Be Right, If I Weren't So Wrong
I owe a big heaping apologies to the Big 10. "Not their year?" Shows you how much I know.
Just phenomenal games this past weekend. I actually was watching the Illinois game periodically at a restaurant (with the others at the party wondering why I was using the restroom so often) and gave up on the Illini.
Some thoughts:
1. There is a clean slate come Tourney time. Who cares about MSU's regular season? Who cares about Kansas'? It is about putting it together for six games.
2. Coaches and players. Jim Calhoun, Coach K, Tubby Smith can only take the team so far. I was watching UConn-Stanford last night and there was a remark Geno Auriemma made about the regionals, how they were the toughest on him. I will go further, the regionals are about the kids, they show up or not. In the Final Four, the coaches can influence the game more. (Of course, Izzo, Pitino and Williams are three of the best.)
3. Parity, parity, parity. The difference between number 1 and number 32 is just not as big as it once was. Early exits, more TV time for smaller programs, all add up to more exciting games.
***
One last thing: good to see Rick Pitino back at center stage. The Big East should be frightfully good next year.
Just phenomenal games this past weekend. I actually was watching the Illinois game periodically at a restaurant (with the others at the party wondering why I was using the restroom so often) and gave up on the Illini.
Some thoughts:
1. There is a clean slate come Tourney time. Who cares about MSU's regular season? Who cares about Kansas'? It is about putting it together for six games.
2. Coaches and players. Jim Calhoun, Coach K, Tubby Smith can only take the team so far. I was watching UConn-Stanford last night and there was a remark Geno Auriemma made about the regionals, how they were the toughest on him. I will go further, the regionals are about the kids, they show up or not. In the Final Four, the coaches can influence the game more. (Of course, Izzo, Pitino and Williams are three of the best.)
3. Parity, parity, parity. The difference between number 1 and number 32 is just not as big as it once was. Early exits, more TV time for smaller programs, all add up to more exciting games.
***
One last thing: good to see Rick Pitino back at center stage. The Big East should be frightfully good next year.
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