Sunday, December 28, 2008
The NFL sucks
Wow. So here I sit having just watched Brett Favre destroy the Pats chance to get into the playoffs and I wonder how it is justified that the Patriots, probably the hottest team in the league right now, are NOT going to the playoffs. Hell, a team that they just blew off the field two weeks ago is hosting a playoff game and yet the Pats will watch from home. It's pathetic.
Friday, December 26, 2008
A fine...for that?
Apparently, the NFL has fined Wes Welker $10,000 for "unsportsmanlike conduct" with respect to his creation of a snow angel after his touchdown during the Patriots recent demolishing of the Arizona Cardinals.
Are you kidding me? $10,000 for making a snow angel? This has gotten out of hand.
Wes Welker is one of the most stand-up guys in the league. The man recently nearly had his head torn off by a (very) borderline hit and later had nothing whatsoever bad to say about the defender. Besides which, I don't even think he meant to do it in the first place. If you watch the tape, he actually slips and falls after the touchdown and then sort of goes into the snow angel thing seemingly trying to cover up that he just fell. Fining him for unsportsmanlike conduct for this is ridiculous. Especially given that the last $10,000 fine that was handed down by the league was for throwing snowballs at fans.
So, as far as the NFL is concerned:
Assaulting fans with large balls of ice: $10,000.
Falling down and trying to cover it up by performing a brief post-touchdown snow angel: $10,000.
Unbelievable.
Are you kidding me? $10,000 for making a snow angel? This has gotten out of hand.
Wes Welker is one of the most stand-up guys in the league. The man recently nearly had his head torn off by a (very) borderline hit and later had nothing whatsoever bad to say about the defender. Besides which, I don't even think he meant to do it in the first place. If you watch the tape, he actually slips and falls after the touchdown and then sort of goes into the snow angel thing seemingly trying to cover up that he just fell. Fining him for unsportsmanlike conduct for this is ridiculous. Especially given that the last $10,000 fine that was handed down by the league was for throwing snowballs at fans.
So, as far as the NFL is concerned:
Assaulting fans with large balls of ice: $10,000.
Falling down and trying to cover it up by performing a brief post-touchdown snow angel: $10,000.
Unbelievable.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas...and Eartha Kitt has passed...
Well, here I sit, with my shiny new Eee PC. I love the little thing. I'm still getting used to typing on it...the keyboard is REALLY small. It's serviceable, though and I think I'll get used to it. I think I'm going to use this thing all the time...it's perfect for surfing while you're watching the tube.
That's only part of the reason that I'm updating the ol' blog after all this time. The other reason is to say Rest In Peace to the singer of one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time. Eartha Kitt passed away today, of all days, at the age of 81. She was famous for singing "Santa Baby". Ironic that she would pass today of all days. She had been battling colon cancer for a long time.
Here's to hoping that there's a sable under her tree wherever she is.
That's only part of the reason that I'm updating the ol' blog after all this time. The other reason is to say Rest In Peace to the singer of one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time. Eartha Kitt passed away today, of all days, at the age of 81. She was famous for singing "Santa Baby". Ironic that she would pass today of all days. She had been battling colon cancer for a long time.
Here's to hoping that there's a sable under her tree wherever she is.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Media bias...
...I just wanted to take this opportunity to point out the fact that the RNC is going on today (started yesterday actually) and no one seems to care. Mind you, I'm leaning towards the Obama side now, but still...the lack of coverage for the Republican National Convention has been almost comical in that it is the exact opposite of what happened for the DNC. That was covered like Paris Hilton was having Tom Cruise's illegitimate love child on the stage or something.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
How the F&*K is this news?
This is worthy of the front page of ESPN??? Really?? There's nothing else to talk about? I can't believe that there is a story entitled "Favre sends text message to Packers GM" on the front fucking page. That's unbelievable. For a second, I thought I was looking at CNN.com...their lead story was about an album that came out 30 fucking years ago.
Honestly. I mean, come on.
Honestly. I mean, come on.
Wait...he did what now?
Well, he seems to be at it again...but this is old/new news at the same time. We've all heard of the legislation which President Bush is trying to push through Congress with respect to the creation of special "tribunals" to try cases involving top al-Qaida operatives. Apparently, buried within the deep recesses of this bill is a provision which would pardon, retroactively mind you, any American national from any crime relating to the torture or interrogation of detainees as well as the ordering thereof.
You see ever since the Supreme Court found that, contrary to what President Bush and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales believed, the rules of the Geneva Convention DID apply to the handling of terrorist detainees, and therefore so did the War Crimes Act of 1996; this administration has made it one of its top priorities to try to gut that aforementioned legislation.
The War Crimes Act of 1996 made it a felony to mistreat detainees in violation of the Geneva convention. With the Supreme Court ruling, this administration was suddenly not only facing the prospect of being in violation of the Convention, but now being in violation of federal law. This, obviously, would not do.
So, the President has reacted in a way in which I have come to expect this President to react in; by trying to ram poor legislation with hidden provisions through a favorable Congress before the winds of change bring a new Congress which would not accept such a provision. This, to me, is despicable and against everything that this country and our Constitution stands for. This man took an oath to uphold the Constitution and this country's laws; obviously with his hand behind his back, fingers crossed. Congress should not allow him to simply change them when they do not suit his needs.
I guess that's the saddest thing about this whole story to me. It's one thing for a President to be corrupt and then to be let off the hook by a colleague. (See Nixon, Richard and Ford, Gerald). It's another thing entirely to watch the entire system of checks and balances put forth by our forefathers crumble before your very eyes because Congress, like this President, is corrupt to the point of ineffectiveness.
You see ever since the Supreme Court found that, contrary to what President Bush and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales believed, the rules of the Geneva Convention DID apply to the handling of terrorist detainees, and therefore so did the War Crimes Act of 1996; this administration has made it one of its top priorities to try to gut that aforementioned legislation.
The War Crimes Act of 1996 made it a felony to mistreat detainees in violation of the Geneva convention. With the Supreme Court ruling, this administration was suddenly not only facing the prospect of being in violation of the Convention, but now being in violation of federal law. This, obviously, would not do.
So, the President has reacted in a way in which I have come to expect this President to react in; by trying to ram poor legislation with hidden provisions through a favorable Congress before the winds of change bring a new Congress which would not accept such a provision. This, to me, is despicable and against everything that this country and our Constitution stands for. This man took an oath to uphold the Constitution and this country's laws; obviously with his hand behind his back, fingers crossed. Congress should not allow him to simply change them when they do not suit his needs.
I guess that's the saddest thing about this whole story to me. It's one thing for a President to be corrupt and then to be let off the hook by a colleague. (See Nixon, Richard and Ford, Gerald). It's another thing entirely to watch the entire system of checks and balances put forth by our forefathers crumble before your very eyes because Congress, like this President, is corrupt to the point of ineffectiveness.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
You know what I hate?
...sitting on the toilet at work and finding that the seat is warm.
That sucks.
That sucks.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Bruins...
Well...I just watched my Bruins go down in flames against easily my least favorite team (and fans) in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens. It was a difficult game to watch; the Bruins never really had anything going. But the thing is, I'm not as upset about it as I thought I'd be. How can that be? Well, I look at it like this: the Bruins have a very young team. This is the first playoff experience for a lot of these guys. They'll take this experience, tuck it under their belts and come back next year with a vengeance. If they hadn't learned the hatred of the Canadiens and everything comes with them...they have now.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Is San Francisco Chinese soil?
It seems to me that the countries through which the Olympic torch is traveling are giving WAY too much leeway to these Chinese government agents who are traveling with the torch. I read a story last week about a woman who was "handled roughly" in England by several of the agents when she tried to interrupt the torch parade with a Free Tibet sign. Of course, by "handled roughly", I mean tackled and pinned to the ground until the procession had passed.
There was quite a bit of (deserved) criticism of the English government for allowing these agents to essentially assault an English citizen, on English soil, for saying something that the Chinese government did not agree with.
Well, it happened again...this time in San Francisco. And this time, American police helped.
According to this story, Majora Carter, a torch bearer in the San Francisco procession, apparently hid a Tibetan flag inside her sleeve. As she ran with the torch, she pulled the flag from her sleeve, exercising her right to free speech. The flag (and the torch) were quickly snatched from her by the Chinese guards running alongside and she was pushed into the crowd by the San Francisco police officers who were also along the route. The two other gentlemen that she was running with later decried her actions, saying that she "dishonored herself and her family" and that the act was "disgusting and appalling".
Now, it could perhaps be said that the timing was in poor taste. However, there are a few things that bother me about this story:
1. This woman has a right to speak her mind. It's right there in the Constitution. Unless there was some sort of treaty with China whereby the ground surrounding the torch temporarily became Chinese territory, it would seem to me that that right was suppressed; which is against the law.
2. The response to her actions was overwhelmingly negative; which baffles me. To say that she brought "dishonor to herself" by standing up and exercising her right to criticize what she sees as an oppressive, overstepping government if foolish. I, for one, think it is dishonorable, not to mention un-American to decry an individual for speaking their mind. As Evelyn Beatrice Hall once said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
3. What does it say about the English and American governments when they are not only allowing Chinese authorities to enforce their will upon their citizens on their own soil, but they are helping them do so? I'll tell you what it says; it says that the era of Western dominance is over. The English and American governments rely upon China too much at this point. The dollar is declining world-wide at a rapid pace. The American economy is no longer the number one economy in the world. It's not even number two. China and India have taken those spots. England and America live on Chinese imports.
China knows this. They understand completely the economic power that they now wield worldwide. No government is really willing to stand up to China because of this and as a result, China has seemingly grown indignant with the rest of the world. Any time they are questioned on their human rights violations, past and present, they always say something like "that is an internal matter".
Now, someone reading this might think that I am completely anti-China. This is not the case at all and is not what this is about. I believe that China is an important country rich with and extremely diverse and interesting history. I do, however, feel that the current government is an oppressive, choking regime who is riding to the top of economic superiority on the broken backs of its mostly poverty-ridden populace. I feel that the Chinese government still has a long way to go on human rights.
What this is really about is the seeming willingness by my and other governments to allow their citizens rights to be suppressed by agents of the Chinese government simply because they have said something that the Chinese government doesn't like. That may fly on Chinese soil, but around these parts...not so much.
There was quite a bit of (deserved) criticism of the English government for allowing these agents to essentially assault an English citizen, on English soil, for saying something that the Chinese government did not agree with.
Well, it happened again...this time in San Francisco. And this time, American police helped.
According to this story, Majora Carter, a torch bearer in the San Francisco procession, apparently hid a Tibetan flag inside her sleeve. As she ran with the torch, she pulled the flag from her sleeve, exercising her right to free speech. The flag (and the torch) were quickly snatched from her by the Chinese guards running alongside and she was pushed into the crowd by the San Francisco police officers who were also along the route. The two other gentlemen that she was running with later decried her actions, saying that she "dishonored herself and her family" and that the act was "disgusting and appalling".
Now, it could perhaps be said that the timing was in poor taste. However, there are a few things that bother me about this story:
1. This woman has a right to speak her mind. It's right there in the Constitution. Unless there was some sort of treaty with China whereby the ground surrounding the torch temporarily became Chinese territory, it would seem to me that that right was suppressed; which is against the law.
2. The response to her actions was overwhelmingly negative; which baffles me. To say that she brought "dishonor to herself" by standing up and exercising her right to criticize what she sees as an oppressive, overstepping government if foolish. I, for one, think it is dishonorable, not to mention un-American to decry an individual for speaking their mind. As Evelyn Beatrice Hall once said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
3. What does it say about the English and American governments when they are not only allowing Chinese authorities to enforce their will upon their citizens on their own soil, but they are helping them do so? I'll tell you what it says; it says that the era of Western dominance is over. The English and American governments rely upon China too much at this point. The dollar is declining world-wide at a rapid pace. The American economy is no longer the number one economy in the world. It's not even number two. China and India have taken those spots. England and America live on Chinese imports.
China knows this. They understand completely the economic power that they now wield worldwide. No government is really willing to stand up to China because of this and as a result, China has seemingly grown indignant with the rest of the world. Any time they are questioned on their human rights violations, past and present, they always say something like "that is an internal matter".
Now, someone reading this might think that I am completely anti-China. This is not the case at all and is not what this is about. I believe that China is an important country rich with and extremely diverse and interesting history. I do, however, feel that the current government is an oppressive, choking regime who is riding to the top of economic superiority on the broken backs of its mostly poverty-ridden populace. I feel that the Chinese government still has a long way to go on human rights.
What this is really about is the seeming willingness by my and other governments to allow their citizens rights to be suppressed by agents of the Chinese government simply because they have said something that the Chinese government doesn't like. That may fly on Chinese soil, but around these parts...not so much.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
I hate when the Sox are on "Sunday Night Baseball"
As I sit here and suffer through the color commentary and "analysis" from Jon Miller and Joe Morgan, I am constantly reminded why I hate when the Red Sox are playing on "Sunday Night Baseball". I mean Jon Miller just busted out with this little gem: "The Yankees [are] playing without Big Papi, David Ortiz [who's] been given the night off tonight."
Really, Jon? The Yankees are playing without him? Was there a trade? I would have thought someone would have reported something like David Ortiz going to the Yankees. Oh, that's right...I remember...you're a fucking moron. Had me going for a second there...my b.
Really, Jon? The Yankees are playing without him? Was there a trade? I would have thought someone would have reported something like David Ortiz going to the Yankees. Oh, that's right...I remember...you're a fucking moron. Had me going for a second there...my b.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Old
I'm not sure that I'm ready to live in a world in which The Doors are "oldies" and Guns 'n' Roses are "classic rock".
Argh.
Argh.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Wow...almost a month?
OK, now that's just foolish. I haven't had anything to say in almost a month? Really? Why? I guess maybe it's been a pretty busy couple of weeks...things have been pretty quiet news-wise...baseball's started back up.
Actually, that last one should be making me blog more. I tend to watch the game while surfing the web these days; at least once the kids have gone to bed. (What can I say...I guess maybe I've got Adult ADD or something.) So, I should be able to be posting something. Hopefully in the coming days and weeks, I will.
Actually, that last one should be making me blog more. I tend to watch the game while surfing the web these days; at least once the kids have gone to bed. (What can I say...I guess maybe I've got Adult ADD or something.) So, I should be able to be posting something. Hopefully in the coming days and weeks, I will.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Slainte!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The War of the Camcorder
I have been toying with the notion of putting this up on my blog for a while now and decided that I might as well at this point, since this is dragging out waaaaay too long.
On Jan. 31st, I ordered a refurbished Canon ZR100 camcorder from Woot.com. Admittedly, I was a bit leery of a refurbed camcorder, but I'd purchased refurbished electronics before and have never had a problem. I got the camcorder on Feb. 6th.
When I got home that evening, I plugged it in to charge the battery...nothing. No charging light, no battery indicator, nothing. I went onto the Canon website to see what I could find out. There were a few suggestions that I tried; all of them fruitless.
The troubleshooting guide on Canon's site informed me that if the suggestions didn't pan out, either the battery or the charging cable were faulty and would need to be replaced. Not wanting to spend the $100 it would cost for a new battery and cable (especially since the camera was only $130 to begin with), I decided to return the camera.
I e-mailed Woot to get an RMA number and got a pretty short response...essentially that I should contact Canon to see if they could fix it. Initially I was a bit put off, not thinking that Canon would really do anything since it was a refurb and more likely than not out of warranty.
But, since I seemingly needed to do so, I contacted Canon and spoke to a very friendly woman in Virginia. Much to my surprise, she told me that she would put in an order to send me a new charging cable AND a battery since it was impossible to know which was the problem. I thanked her and told Woot that Canon was going to help.
After waiting the requisite 7-10 business days for the battery and cable to arrive and receiving nothing, I called Canon back. I spoke to another friendly person who said that yes, he did see an order for a charging cable, but unfortunately, the order had never been put in for shipping. This was a bit dismaying. I asked about a battery as well as I was told I would be receiving both and he said, "Yep, I'll get it out to shipping right now."
This time the shipping was expedited (I knew this because I received no less than 8 confirmation/shipping e-mails) and I received a package in two business days. I thought, "Sweet, maybe this'll get it fixed." I opened the package and found, as I had feared, only a charging cable...
Of course, when I plugged the new one in, the same issue persisted.
So, I called up Canon again and spoke to a third friendly representative and explained the story to him...again.
He then asks me, "OK, is the issue with the cable or the battery?"
I replied, "At first, I had no way to tell, but now that you've sent me a new cable and the battery still won't charge, it would seem that the issue is with the battery...or the camera."
"Well, I can help you get it shipped out to a repair center" he answered.
"OK, is there a reason you can't send me the battery I was promised the first time I called in?"
"Um...let me see here. Yeah, OK, I can do that."
"Great, am I going to get a confirmation e-mail?" I asked.
"Yep."
So, now, I am sitting here, awaiting said e-mail. I'm a bit dubious of the whole thing...it seemed a little too easy to change his mind about sending a battery. If I don't get an e-mail today, I'll call them back tomorrow for a status...
...to be continued.
[Edit: 1:30PM - 02.26]
Got a message from my wife that we got another package from Canon in the mail today...the battery. She tried it in the camera, plugged it in and still nothing. So, it looks like the camera is the faulty piece of this puzzle. Guess I'll be contacting Woot for an RMA tonight.
[Edit: 2:55PM - 03.10]
We got a message on Thursday that Woot had received the camera, so now we're just waiting for the refund. That should take 7-10 days. We'll see...
On Jan. 31st, I ordered a refurbished Canon ZR100 camcorder from Woot.com. Admittedly, I was a bit leery of a refurbed camcorder, but I'd purchased refurbished electronics before and have never had a problem. I got the camcorder on Feb. 6th.
When I got home that evening, I plugged it in to charge the battery...nothing. No charging light, no battery indicator, nothing. I went onto the Canon website to see what I could find out. There were a few suggestions that I tried; all of them fruitless.
The troubleshooting guide on Canon's site informed me that if the suggestions didn't pan out, either the battery or the charging cable were faulty and would need to be replaced. Not wanting to spend the $100 it would cost for a new battery and cable (especially since the camera was only $130 to begin with), I decided to return the camera.
I e-mailed Woot to get an RMA number and got a pretty short response...essentially that I should contact Canon to see if they could fix it. Initially I was a bit put off, not thinking that Canon would really do anything since it was a refurb and more likely than not out of warranty.
But, since I seemingly needed to do so, I contacted Canon and spoke to a very friendly woman in Virginia. Much to my surprise, she told me that she would put in an order to send me a new charging cable AND a battery since it was impossible to know which was the problem. I thanked her and told Woot that Canon was going to help.
After waiting the requisite 7-10 business days for the battery and cable to arrive and receiving nothing, I called Canon back. I spoke to another friendly person who said that yes, he did see an order for a charging cable, but unfortunately, the order had never been put in for shipping. This was a bit dismaying. I asked about a battery as well as I was told I would be receiving both and he said, "Yep, I'll get it out to shipping right now."
This time the shipping was expedited (I knew this because I received no less than 8 confirmation/shipping e-mails) and I received a package in two business days. I thought, "Sweet, maybe this'll get it fixed." I opened the package and found, as I had feared, only a charging cable...
Of course, when I plugged the new one in, the same issue persisted.
So, I called up Canon again and spoke to a third friendly representative and explained the story to him...again.
He then asks me, "OK, is the issue with the cable or the battery?"
I replied, "At first, I had no way to tell, but now that you've sent me a new cable and the battery still won't charge, it would seem that the issue is with the battery...or the camera."
"Well, I can help you get it shipped out to a repair center" he answered.
"OK, is there a reason you can't send me the battery I was promised the first time I called in?"
"Um...let me see here. Yeah, OK, I can do that."
"Great, am I going to get a confirmation e-mail?" I asked.
"Yep."
So, now, I am sitting here, awaiting said e-mail. I'm a bit dubious of the whole thing...it seemed a little too easy to change his mind about sending a battery. If I don't get an e-mail today, I'll call them back tomorrow for a status...
...to be continued.
[Edit: 1:30PM - 02.26]
Got a message from my wife that we got another package from Canon in the mail today...the battery. She tried it in the camera, plugged it in and still nothing. So, it looks like the camera is the faulty piece of this puzzle. Guess I'll be contacting Woot for an RMA tonight.
[Edit: 2:55PM - 03.10]
We got a message on Thursday that Woot had received the camera, so now we're just waiting for the refund. That should take 7-10 days. We'll see...
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Bus stops
So, I'm driving to work today, a bit later than usual since I'm in training. Normally, this would be a good thing, but what I've discovered is that that is not the case.
You see, the road on which I work also has an elementary school. This week, I seem to be getting to the road just in time to be behind the bus.
Normally, this wouldn't be a problem; however, it's where the bus is stopping that is really getting on my nerves.
There are two houses, the first of the two being 100 yards from the school driveway and the second being maybe 20 yards away. The bus stops at both of these driveways. Let me repeat that...the school bus stops two separate times and picks up children at two separate houses; both of which are less than a football field away from the school itself. Oh and did I mention that the houses are on the same side of the road as the school? Oh yeah, and also, these kids have to cross the street to get on the bus.
People, this is getting out of control. I mean, this makes no sense at all. One of the parents (the one who lives literally next door to the school) actually walks his children across the street to get on the bus. Why doesn't he just walk them to the school???
Or, a better question I think is why isn't there just one spot for the bus to stop? Back in the day, if you lived on a cul-de-sac, the bus stopped at the end of the damn road and every kid that lived in the circle was expected to wait in the same spot. Does the bus really need to be stopping twice within a football field distance from the school itself? Argh!!!
You see, the road on which I work also has an elementary school. This week, I seem to be getting to the road just in time to be behind the bus.
Normally, this wouldn't be a problem; however, it's where the bus is stopping that is really getting on my nerves.
There are two houses, the first of the two being 100 yards from the school driveway and the second being maybe 20 yards away. The bus stops at both of these driveways. Let me repeat that...the school bus stops two separate times and picks up children at two separate houses; both of which are less than a football field away from the school itself. Oh and did I mention that the houses are on the same side of the road as the school? Oh yeah, and also, these kids have to cross the street to get on the bus.
People, this is getting out of control. I mean, this makes no sense at all. One of the parents (the one who lives literally next door to the school) actually walks his children across the street to get on the bus. Why doesn't he just walk them to the school???
Or, a better question I think is why isn't there just one spot for the bus to stop? Back in the day, if you lived on a cul-de-sac, the bus stopped at the end of the damn road and every kid that lived in the circle was expected to wait in the same spot. Does the bus really need to be stopping twice within a football field distance from the school itself? Argh!!!
Monday, February 04, 2008
How? Why?!
I sit here...the day after one of the most devastating sports losses witnessed during my lifetime and the only thing I can think is: WHY?!
WHY did the vaunted Patriots offensive line (which is sending three of their five to the Pro Bowl) suddenly morph into a junior varsity version of themselves? Brady spent most of the game on his back...which I hear makes it hard to throw the ball.
WHY did the Patriots decide to play a completely different game than they have all year? The 18-0 Patriots were angry, ruthless, efficient...these Patriots were scared, guarded, conservative. Only at the very end of the game did they "unleash the hounds" and had success because of it. The rest of the game was spent intermittently testing an ineffective running game and throwing short dump passes.
WHY did the defense get no pressure on Eli Manning? It did not seem like many blitzes were called and when they were called, the Patriots rushers either couldn't get to Manning or, when they did, couldn't bring him down.
WHY does Asante Samuel feel like he has to try to intercept every single pass that comes anywhere near him? The Giants first touchdown doesn't happen if Samuel simply tries to bat the ball to the ground rather than holding up two hands to try for a pick. Needless to say, there's a reason he's not a receiver.
WHY is Ellis Hobbs ever single-covering anyone; let alone the other team's star receiver?
WHY did Eli Manning suddenly become Tom Brady and vice-versa?
WHY did Tom Coughlin suddenly become Bill Belichick and vice versa?
There are so many questions from this Super Bowl that will forever go unanswered; those are but a few. I will never understand, as long as I live, why the Patriots played the way they did. This was the single greatest offense that this league has ever seen and they curled up right from the beginning. For whatever reason, this team lost its swagger at the worst possible time and because of that, lost the Super Bowl as well.
Credit the Giants for the win; they were the best team on the field yesterday.
WHY did the vaunted Patriots offensive line (which is sending three of their five to the Pro Bowl) suddenly morph into a junior varsity version of themselves? Brady spent most of the game on his back...which I hear makes it hard to throw the ball.
WHY did the Patriots decide to play a completely different game than they have all year? The 18-0 Patriots were angry, ruthless, efficient...these Patriots were scared, guarded, conservative. Only at the very end of the game did they "unleash the hounds" and had success because of it. The rest of the game was spent intermittently testing an ineffective running game and throwing short dump passes.
WHY did the defense get no pressure on Eli Manning? It did not seem like many blitzes were called and when they were called, the Patriots rushers either couldn't get to Manning or, when they did, couldn't bring him down.
WHY does Asante Samuel feel like he has to try to intercept every single pass that comes anywhere near him? The Giants first touchdown doesn't happen if Samuel simply tries to bat the ball to the ground rather than holding up two hands to try for a pick. Needless to say, there's a reason he's not a receiver.
WHY is Ellis Hobbs ever single-covering anyone; let alone the other team's star receiver?
WHY did Eli Manning suddenly become Tom Brady and vice-versa?
WHY did Tom Coughlin suddenly become Bill Belichick and vice versa?
There are so many questions from this Super Bowl that will forever go unanswered; those are but a few. I will never understand, as long as I live, why the Patriots played the way they did. This was the single greatest offense that this league has ever seen and they curled up right from the beginning. For whatever reason, this team lost its swagger at the worst possible time and because of that, lost the Super Bowl as well.
Credit the Giants for the win; they were the best team on the field yesterday.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Shocking
Last night, I had what, for me, was a shocking conversation. My wife and I went out after bowling with a few friends and the Presidential Election came up. This led us to discuss who and why, etc. This, in hindsight, is something in the future that I should avoid discussing with friends. Why? Because much to my surprise, they all seemed to believe that George Bush has actually been a successful president. George Bush!!! One went so far as to say, "The reason you don't like George Bush is because he did what had to be done." To which I replied, "No, the reason I don't like George Bush is because he is the leader of the free world and the man cannot put together a coherent sentence. Not to mention that 'what had to be done' was apparently and invasion of a country which was completely unrelated to the attacks we were responding to; an invasion which was built upon the back of complete and utter fabrications."
The overwhelming opinion at the table was that the erosion of privacy that is going on right now is completely OK as the Constitution does not specifically grant a right to privacy. The argument being that if you're not doing anything wrong, why should you care? (Which is the standard argument for this and I should have been able to deflect it easily.)
I was flat out shocked that these, some of my closest friends, had such an opinion. This shock basically caused me to get very frustrated and I was unable to adequately articulate things like "The Fifth Amendment is intentionally vague for exactly that reason...it's called due process...innocent until proven guilty" and all that jazz.
My big problem is that I feel like that is such a naive viewpoint. People who don't care that their evey conversation is being listened to truly believe that their government is out for their best interests and will only use the information they gather to "fight evil". Blind faith. I have a far more cynical view of our government and it has done nothing in the past several years to convince me otherwise.
Unfortunately, I ended up snapping at one of my closest friends which I felt very badly about. I've since apologized, but still don't feel good about the way things went.
Lesson learned, though. Don't talk politics with your friends.
The overwhelming opinion at the table was that the erosion of privacy that is going on right now is completely OK as the Constitution does not specifically grant a right to privacy. The argument being that if you're not doing anything wrong, why should you care? (Which is the standard argument for this and I should have been able to deflect it easily.)
I was flat out shocked that these, some of my closest friends, had such an opinion. This shock basically caused me to get very frustrated and I was unable to adequately articulate things like "The Fifth Amendment is intentionally vague for exactly that reason...it's called due process...innocent until proven guilty" and all that jazz.
My big problem is that I feel like that is such a naive viewpoint. People who don't care that their evey conversation is being listened to truly believe that their government is out for their best interests and will only use the information they gather to "fight evil". Blind faith. I have a far more cynical view of our government and it has done nothing in the past several years to convince me otherwise.
Unfortunately, I ended up snapping at one of my closest friends which I felt very badly about. I've since apologized, but still don't feel good about the way things went.
Lesson learned, though. Don't talk politics with your friends.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Daily Haiku - 01.26.08
Mexican Neighbors
I hear you all night.
Singing, I can't understand.
Please close the window.
I hear you all night.
Singing, I can't understand.
Please close the window.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Daily Haiku - 01.21.08
Talking Clock
You tell me the time
even though I just don't care.
So, go fuck yourself.
You tell me the time
even though I just don't care.
So, go fuck yourself.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Daily Haiku - 01.17.08
Angry Monkey
The angry monkey
throws feces at the tourists
while I point and laugh.
The angry monkey
throws feces at the tourists
while I point and laugh.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Daily Haiku - 01.16.08
The Fish
You fought long and hard.
Alas, twas not hard enough,
'cause now you're dinner.
You fought long and hard.
Alas, twas not hard enough,
'cause now you're dinner.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Daily Haiku - 01.15.08
Cubicle Warrior
Shine on you crazy
cubicle warrior, you.
Keep living the dream.
Shine on you crazy
cubicle warrior, you.
Keep living the dream.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Daily Haiku - 01.13.08
The Third Pig
Should I build with straw?
Or maybe I should use sticks.
Nah, I'll build with bricks.
Should I build with straw?
Or maybe I should use sticks.
Nah, I'll build with bricks.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
So you think you can blog, eh?
Well, at least I did. I thought to myself, hey, all you gotta do is sit there and write about stuff. What kind of stuff? Any kind of stuff. Sure, you can do this, no problem.
Well, I was wrong.
See, the problem that I'm having is not one of motivation. I love to write and would love to do so all day, every day. I feel like I have this overwhelming urge to just sit down and write. The problem is that when I try, there's nothing there. I don't know if it's writer's block or what. There are plenty of things going on in the world on which I have opinions. Major things like the election, the craziness that is the Middle East, the doings and growings of my children. Also not-so-major things, like the domination that is Boston sports right now, the train-wreck that is the Spears family and the shambles that is Roger Clemens' reputation.
Unfortunately, whenever I sit to write something, I feel like I have nothing to say; even though I know that's not true. Is it that I truly don't have an opinion? Nay. Is it that I can't articulate my opinion through words? I don't think that's it either. Is it that I'm afraid to "put myself out there" with my opinions and true feelings? Could be.
I have trouble writing about my political views for fear of someone thinking I'm too left or too right.
I have trouble writing about sports for fear of seeming less informed than many because I don't eat, sleep and breathe sports.
I have trouble writing about other people because, really, who am I to judge?
I have trouble writing about my kids for fear of someone judging my parental chops.
Maybe that's the crux of it. Maybe I don't blog as much as I could because I'm afraid of what people will think. It's a strange thing, because I'm not like this in every day life. I couldn't give two shits what Joe Blow from engineering thinks of me when I tell him that his part of the software sucks. I couldn't care less what my fellow cube mates think when I state and defend my political opinions. I couldn't care less if my coworkers think I'm a bad parent because my kid got a cut on her finger by reaching into a soda can.
I think what I need to do is to just get past the worrying. When I really look at it, I think it's really the people that I'm close to that I'm worried about; not the strangers. I have this irrational fear that something that I write is going to alter one of my friends' or a member of my family's opinion of me or disappoint them in some way. This probably stems from years and years of self-loathing, giving rise to feelings of unworth, causing me to repress my feelings for fear that I shatter my already tentatively-constructed self-image that I let other people see; or some other such psychoanalysis jargon.
Even as I write this, I just thought to myself, "My but you're a whiny prick." See what I mean?
The problem is...I'm not really very different deep down than I am on the outside. It's not like you "peel back the mask" and I'm a monster. I'm really the same guy that I show the world. The people that I'm close to know everything about me...I'm an open book. Who knows what the problem is? It would probably take years of professional psychoanalysis to really get down to it. In any case, I'm hoping that I can just get over these fears and start to write. Because, well, I feel like I have something to say...even if I can't figure out what it is.
Well, I was wrong.
See, the problem that I'm having is not one of motivation. I love to write and would love to do so all day, every day. I feel like I have this overwhelming urge to just sit down and write. The problem is that when I try, there's nothing there. I don't know if it's writer's block or what. There are plenty of things going on in the world on which I have opinions. Major things like the election, the craziness that is the Middle East, the doings and growings of my children. Also not-so-major things, like the domination that is Boston sports right now, the train-wreck that is the Spears family and the shambles that is Roger Clemens' reputation.
Unfortunately, whenever I sit to write something, I feel like I have nothing to say; even though I know that's not true. Is it that I truly don't have an opinion? Nay. Is it that I can't articulate my opinion through words? I don't think that's it either. Is it that I'm afraid to "put myself out there" with my opinions and true feelings? Could be.
I have trouble writing about my political views for fear of someone thinking I'm too left or too right.
I have trouble writing about sports for fear of seeming less informed than many because I don't eat, sleep and breathe sports.
I have trouble writing about other people because, really, who am I to judge?
I have trouble writing about my kids for fear of someone judging my parental chops.
Maybe that's the crux of it. Maybe I don't blog as much as I could because I'm afraid of what people will think. It's a strange thing, because I'm not like this in every day life. I couldn't give two shits what Joe Blow from engineering thinks of me when I tell him that his part of the software sucks. I couldn't care less what my fellow cube mates think when I state and defend my political opinions. I couldn't care less if my coworkers think I'm a bad parent because my kid got a cut on her finger by reaching into a soda can.
I think what I need to do is to just get past the worrying. When I really look at it, I think it's really the people that I'm close to that I'm worried about; not the strangers. I have this irrational fear that something that I write is going to alter one of my friends' or a member of my family's opinion of me or disappoint them in some way. This probably stems from years and years of self-loathing, giving rise to feelings of unworth, causing me to repress my feelings for fear that I shatter my already tentatively-constructed self-image that I let other people see; or some other such psychoanalysis jargon.
Even as I write this, I just thought to myself, "My but you're a whiny prick." See what I mean?
The problem is...I'm not really very different deep down than I am on the outside. It's not like you "peel back the mask" and I'm a monster. I'm really the same guy that I show the world. The people that I'm close to know everything about me...I'm an open book. Who knows what the problem is? It would probably take years of professional psychoanalysis to really get down to it. In any case, I'm hoping that I can just get over these fears and start to write. Because, well, I feel like I have something to say...even if I can't figure out what it is.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Daily Haiku - 01.08.08
Life Sucks?
You think your life sucks?
At least you're not Britney Spears.
Suck it up, pussy.
You think your life sucks?
At least you're not Britney Spears.
Suck it up, pussy.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Daily Haiku - 01.07.08
In an effort to post something, I am going to start trying to post a daily haiku. This is something that I had been tossing around for another site that was being...well, tossed around. I'll start here.
So, here it is, the inaugural Daily Haiku by J: "Public Service Announcement"
A Public Service
Announcement: Shit tastes like shit
Thank you, that is all.
So, here it is, the inaugural Daily Haiku by J: "Public Service Announcement"
A Public Service
Announcement: Shit tastes like shit
Thank you, that is all.
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