Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wow
Fox News reported that Sarah Palin had to be told that Africa was a continent, not simply a country in itself. What a complete ignoramus...Palin 2012!
Good Writing
Great stuff from favorite Glenn Greenwald over at Salon.com:
There are all sorts of reasons to view last night's events as an extremely positive development, including the fact that it was a truly crushing repudiation of the right-wing faction that has dominated the Republican Party for the last two decades. The GOP is very close to being nothing more than a broken regional party, confined almost entirely to the Deep South and a few small, scattered states in the Midwest, and entirely uncompetitive in huge swaths of the country. All of that merits, and will undoubtedly receive, lavish analytical attention (and celebration) over the next few days and weeks.
There are all sorts of reasons to view last night's events as an extremely positive development, including the fact that it was a truly crushing repudiation of the right-wing faction that has dominated the Republican Party for the last two decades. The GOP is very close to being nothing more than a broken regional party, confined almost entirely to the Deep South and a few small, scattered states in the Midwest, and entirely uncompetitive in huge swaths of the country. All of that merits, and will undoubtedly receive, lavish analytical attention (and celebration) over the next few days and weeks.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Yes We Can
First of all, I was in Rockefeller Plaza [MSNBC headquarters] and watched the Obama acceptance speech with a few thousand other people. It was uplifting, it was moving, it was amazing. There was a general feeling of joy and people are very, very excited in New York and I'm sure all around the country. This is a historic time and we should appreciate it accordingly and look forward with high anticipation to Jan. 20.
Secondly, I think my head is about to explode. Watching O'Reilly and Hannity today, there was a man on both shows actually defending Obama...who you ask? Would you even believe me if I told you it was Karl Rove? I couldn't believe what I was hearing, it was crazy. O'Reilly and Hannity both trotted out bullshit about how they don't know who Barack Obama is and they are hearing and feeling fear from people around the country about Obama. There was barely a whisper of congratulations from O'Reilly before he immediately began questioning Obama's "real" character and how he was going to accomplish his lofty goals. Forget the historical significance of the moment and the feeling of joy from many, many people around the country, let's just focus on the fear of the losers and question how Obama can possibly succeed...O'Reilly, what a schmuck. Karl Rove, still can't believe that.
Monday, November 3, 2008
How stupid is this guy?
Just read this article and laugh...http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/03/joe-plumber-plans-life-election/
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Why Hitchens Is the Best
From his latest Slate article:
"This is what the Republican Party has done to us this year: It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured. And those who prate of spiritual warfare and demons are not just "people of faith" but theocratic bullies. On Nov. 4, anyone who cares for the Constitution has a clear duty to repudiate this wickedness and stupidity."
Monday, October 27, 2008
The insanely stupid and illogical Religious Right
A story in the New York Times caught my attention today. California has once again become a hotbed of controversy in dealing with same-sex marriage. Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage in California has become a crusade for the Religious Right. Let's look at a few quotes from the article and attempt to determine what exactly is going on the these lunies' minds.
"This vote on whether we stop the gay-marriage juggernaut in California is Armageddon." Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministry
"We've picked bad presidents before, and we've survived as a nation, but we will not survive if we lose the institution of marriage." Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council
"He is a symbol of what is ahead." Rev. Jim Garlow speaking about Swedish jailbird pastor Ake Green, recently imprisoned under Swedish law prohibiting hate speech. A sermon he gave included the following, speaking about homosexuality: "abnormal, a horrible cancerous tumor in the body of society." He also said that a person cannot be a Christian and a homosexual at the same time.
Lou Engle, a prominent preacher in Washington and Kansas City moved his family to California and is holding prayer rallies where he is encouraging people to fast for the 40 days leading up to the election. Some people are giving up solid food, others are giving up clothes shopping or their favorite television shows. [paraphrased from article]
"We believe in a spiritual battle in an unseen realm, and that's why I've called for united prayer for divine intervention." Lou Engle
This is so ridiculous you can only laugh at the logic of these people. It seems to me that they are the bedfellows and disciples of the Pat Robertson's and Jerry Falwell's of the world, both who claimed that 9/11 was the product of a morally corrupt American society that harbored gays and lesbians, and that America was deserving of the attack.
Yea, that makes a lot of sense too. This is religion at its very core, butting it's nose [and ideals] into the private lives of private citizens and attempting to impose its backwards, fraudulent, hypocritical morality on our society.
Here's a question I would love to ask the religious -- if god is the source of our existence and the existence of everything in the universe would it not make sense to assume that if homosexuality is a choice [which I happen to believe it is not] that god provided people with this choice and that either way is acceptable to god? If god really did not want homosexuality to exist why didn't he simply not allow his creations to even conceive of the idea? It would have been quite simple for god, seeing as how he is omnipotent to banish the very concept from our primitive minds. If everything has its innermost source in god, would not a part of god be homosexual, in order for homosexuality to exist in the universe?
I think the part about fasting for 40 days leading up the election is quite scary actually. Why would that make any difference? In god's mind or in the mind's of the voters? Do humans think more clearly when they restrict themselves from food? If so why aren't we doing this more? Perhaps if scientists fasted we would miraculously find the cures to many diseases? Maybe economists should start fasting so they can more quickly solve the economic meltdown. You get my point. I actually laughed out loud at the ridiculous follow up to the fasting sentence. "Some people are giving up solid foods; others are giving up clothes shopping or their favorite television shows." WHAAAA? So you think that god, your creator of the universe, omnipotent, omniscient, the source of everything we know and will know, will rally to your cause because you gave up a few petty indulgences for 40 days?!?!
God sitting on his throne in heaven: Oh my! Look at these wonderfully obedient sheep I have created! That man has not watched The Office in 3 weeks! What a powerful will hath he! That woman, blessed woman, has not bought a pair of socks in 27 days! Glorious self-discipline have I given her! Let me look into their minds and see what they desire...hmmm, they wish to stop two people from marrying even though they love each other because they happen to be of the same sex! Strange request, seeing as there are so many more important problems in the world right now, but look at their mindless obedience to me! Thy will be done man not watching the Office! Thy will be done woman not buying socks!
This kind of thinking is beyond me.
"This vote on whether we stop the gay-marriage juggernaut in California is Armageddon." Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministry
"We've picked bad presidents before, and we've survived as a nation, but we will not survive if we lose the institution of marriage." Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council
"He is a symbol of what is ahead." Rev. Jim Garlow speaking about Swedish jailbird pastor Ake Green, recently imprisoned under Swedish law prohibiting hate speech. A sermon he gave included the following, speaking about homosexuality: "abnormal, a horrible cancerous tumor in the body of society." He also said that a person cannot be a Christian and a homosexual at the same time.
Lou Engle, a prominent preacher in Washington and Kansas City moved his family to California and is holding prayer rallies where he is encouraging people to fast for the 40 days leading up to the election. Some people are giving up solid food, others are giving up clothes shopping or their favorite television shows. [paraphrased from article]
"We believe in a spiritual battle in an unseen realm, and that's why I've called for united prayer for divine intervention." Lou Engle
This is so ridiculous you can only laugh at the logic of these people. It seems to me that they are the bedfellows and disciples of the Pat Robertson's and Jerry Falwell's of the world, both who claimed that 9/11 was the product of a morally corrupt American society that harbored gays and lesbians, and that America was deserving of the attack.
Yea, that makes a lot of sense too. This is religion at its very core, butting it's nose [and ideals] into the private lives of private citizens and attempting to impose its backwards, fraudulent, hypocritical morality on our society.
Here's a question I would love to ask the religious -- if god is the source of our existence and the existence of everything in the universe would it not make sense to assume that if homosexuality is a choice [which I happen to believe it is not] that god provided people with this choice and that either way is acceptable to god? If god really did not want homosexuality to exist why didn't he simply not allow his creations to even conceive of the idea? It would have been quite simple for god, seeing as how he is omnipotent to banish the very concept from our primitive minds. If everything has its innermost source in god, would not a part of god be homosexual, in order for homosexuality to exist in the universe?
I think the part about fasting for 40 days leading up the election is quite scary actually. Why would that make any difference? In god's mind or in the mind's of the voters? Do humans think more clearly when they restrict themselves from food? If so why aren't we doing this more? Perhaps if scientists fasted we would miraculously find the cures to many diseases? Maybe economists should start fasting so they can more quickly solve the economic meltdown. You get my point. I actually laughed out loud at the ridiculous follow up to the fasting sentence. "Some people are giving up solid foods; others are giving up clothes shopping or their favorite television shows." WHAAAA? So you think that god, your creator of the universe, omnipotent, omniscient, the source of everything we know and will know, will rally to your cause because you gave up a few petty indulgences for 40 days?!?!
God sitting on his throne in heaven: Oh my! Look at these wonderfully obedient sheep I have created! That man has not watched The Office in 3 weeks! What a powerful will hath he! That woman, blessed woman, has not bought a pair of socks in 27 days! Glorious self-discipline have I given her! Let me look into their minds and see what they desire...hmmm, they wish to stop two people from marrying even though they love each other because they happen to be of the same sex! Strange request, seeing as there are so many more important problems in the world right now, but look at their mindless obedience to me! Thy will be done man not watching the Office! Thy will be done woman not buying socks!
This kind of thinking is beyond me.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Misinformation is Sad, America's xenophobia rears its ugly head
I was just watching some CNN video of the McCain campaign stops, dealing with the increasingly volatile nature of the people at these stops. I get the feeling that one woman in particular serves as a microcosm to how many people think of Barack Obama and how scary and stupid some people in this country are.
The woman, middle-aged and white approached the podium and was given a microphone in anticipation of asking a question [one can only assume]. She said "I can't trust Obama. I have read about him...and he's not...he's a, he's an Arab." At which point, to his credit, McCain began shaking his head and took the mic away from her and discredited her by saying Obama was an honest, family man.
Firstly, let's look at a point not connected to the presidential race. The fact that this woman misrepresented and condemned an entire people with her racist misinterpretation of what an "Arab" is-- In the modern era, defining who is an "Arab" is done on the grounds of one or more of the following three criteria:
* Genealogical: someone who can trace his or her ancestry to the tribes of Arabia - the original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula - and the Syrian Desert. This definition covers fewer self-identified Arabs than not, and was the definition used in medieval times, for example by Ibn Khaldun.
* Linguistic: someone whose first language, and by extension cultural expression, is Arabic, including any of its varieties. This definition covers more than 250 million people. Certain groups that fulfil this criterion reject this definition on the basis of genealogy, such an example may be seen in the identity of many Egyptians.[15][16]
* Political: in the modern nationalist era, any person who is a citizen of a country where Arabic is either the national language or one of the official languages, and/or a citizen of a country which may simply be a member of the Arab League (thereby having Arabic as an official government language, even if not used by the majority of the population). [Courtesy of Wikipedia]
Now it's easily recognizable that the woman did not in fact mean "Arab", she meant Muslim. Notice how none of the above definition, nor any definition of "Arab" mentions religion in its criteria of determining who or who is not Arab. Islam is a religion practiced by many Arab people, but there are Arab Christians and even Arab Jews [in Morocco and Tunisia mostly].
Now that we've cleared that up let's look at the woman's statement in a different light. Even if Obama practiced Islam, which sadly many still think he does [here's a question, why would Obama have a REVEREND who has caused him so many problems if he was Muslim?] why would that matter at all in terms of his ability to be President and in our ability to trust him? Sarah Palin harps on "small town values" at every campaign stop and in every speech, you know what I think some of those "small town values" are? Racism, xenophobia, and a distrust of people who are different than the people at the corner grocery store, or the fishing hole, or in Palin's case- the gun range. This hate directed at Obama simply because people think he is Muslim is something that is sad, and reflects so poorly on American society. Not every Muslim person is a terrorist, like not every Christian believes in the literacy of the New Testament, and not every Jewish person is a banker. It's disgusting the level of distrust people in this country, especially white, elderly middle-class and upper-class people have of a man who has served in the United States Senate, and of an entire people, based off of religion in general. Just another example of how religion fucks everything up.
I'm also listening to Palin speak right now, she just said "I eliminated personal property taxes [in my town as Mayor]", she should also mention that as mayor she forced women who had been raped to pay for their own rape kits.
The woman, middle-aged and white approached the podium and was given a microphone in anticipation of asking a question [one can only assume]. She said "I can't trust Obama. I have read about him...and he's not...he's a, he's an Arab." At which point, to his credit, McCain began shaking his head and took the mic away from her and discredited her by saying Obama was an honest, family man.
Firstly, let's look at a point not connected to the presidential race. The fact that this woman misrepresented and condemned an entire people with her racist misinterpretation of what an "Arab" is-- In the modern era, defining who is an "Arab" is done on the grounds of one or more of the following three criteria:
* Genealogical: someone who can trace his or her ancestry to the tribes of Arabia - the original inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula - and the Syrian Desert. This definition covers fewer self-identified Arabs than not, and was the definition used in medieval times, for example by Ibn Khaldun.
* Linguistic: someone whose first language, and by extension cultural expression, is Arabic, including any of its varieties. This definition covers more than 250 million people. Certain groups that fulfil this criterion reject this definition on the basis of genealogy, such an example may be seen in the identity of many Egyptians.[15][16]
* Political: in the modern nationalist era, any person who is a citizen of a country where Arabic is either the national language or one of the official languages, and/or a citizen of a country which may simply be a member of the Arab League (thereby having Arabic as an official government language, even if not used by the majority of the population). [Courtesy of Wikipedia]
Now it's easily recognizable that the woman did not in fact mean "Arab", she meant Muslim. Notice how none of the above definition, nor any definition of "Arab" mentions religion in its criteria of determining who or who is not Arab. Islam is a religion practiced by many Arab people, but there are Arab Christians and even Arab Jews [in Morocco and Tunisia mostly].
Now that we've cleared that up let's look at the woman's statement in a different light. Even if Obama practiced Islam, which sadly many still think he does [here's a question, why would Obama have a REVEREND who has caused him so many problems if he was Muslim?] why would that matter at all in terms of his ability to be President and in our ability to trust him? Sarah Palin harps on "small town values" at every campaign stop and in every speech, you know what I think some of those "small town values" are? Racism, xenophobia, and a distrust of people who are different than the people at the corner grocery store, or the fishing hole, or in Palin's case- the gun range. This hate directed at Obama simply because people think he is Muslim is something that is sad, and reflects so poorly on American society. Not every Muslim person is a terrorist, like not every Christian believes in the literacy of the New Testament, and not every Jewish person is a banker. It's disgusting the level of distrust people in this country, especially white, elderly middle-class and upper-class people have of a man who has served in the United States Senate, and of an entire people, based off of religion in general. Just another example of how religion fucks everything up.
I'm also listening to Palin speak right now, she just said "I eliminated personal property taxes [in my town as Mayor]", she should also mention that as mayor she forced women who had been raped to pay for their own rape kits.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Fox News: Sept. 14, 2008
Steve Doocy and Sean Hannity are blaming Barack Obama for the destruction of Hurricane Ike. "It's all Barack Hussein Obama's fault", Doocy claimed, while repeating the Senator's full name as many times as possible within the next 60 seconds. Hannity then went a step further, "Barack Obama's associations with left wing radicals such as Wright, Phleger, and Ayers is completely to blame for this natural disaster. There consistent attacks on America has brought down nature's wrath." In other news Hannity also lauded President Bush for creating such a strong economy, ridding the world of terrorists, and having such a wonderful sense of humor. It is reported, but not confirmed, that he later danced in a circle with Doocy, O'Reilly, and Dick Morris over a burning picture of Obama, Biden, and the Clintons while singing white nationalist songs and wearing a Hal Turner t-shirt.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Scary
Frightening video of Palin speaking at her church, going on and on about doing god's will, the power of prayer, and of the war in Iraq as "god's plan". Legitimately scary to think this person could be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Federer in post-match interview after beating Thiago Alves in straights today. "I think I did pretty well the last few years and I'm pretty happy with my career so far."
Just to recap Fed's career since 2004:
34 Titles including 11 Majors
354-34 singles record
237 Weeks at #1
Ten consecutive Grand Slam finals
17 consecutive Grand Slams semis [still intact]
65 match win streak of grass
56 match win streak on hard courts
Doubles Gold at 2008 Olympics
Just to recap Fed's career since 2004:
34 Titles including 11 Majors
354-34 singles record
237 Weeks at #1
Ten consecutive Grand Slam finals
17 consecutive Grand Slams semis [still intact]
65 match win streak of grass
56 match win streak on hard courts
Doubles Gold at 2008 Olympics
Genius
It's apparently official. Chad Ocho-Cinco will suit up for the Bengals this season. Brilliant.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Some Kind of A Record
Just looking over at Peter Bodo's Tennisworld blog and happened to come across this picture of Pete Sampras circa 1996. By my count there are 6 buttons on his Nike polo. A polo shirt...with SIX buttons! Pete had some style back then. I want one.
US Open
The US Open draw was revealed a few days ago and some very interesting things are going on.
For starters, the top of the draw no longer says "Roger Federer". It has been over 4 years since a grand-slam has not had his name at the top. It has been 3 years since Rafa's name was not at the bottom. Seeing the flip in print not only makes it official, but more real than anything. We've known for 3 weeks Rafa was going to take the #1 spot on August 18th, but it doesn't make seeing Fed's name with a '2' next to it any easier.
Rafa has a nice draw in his quarter. There is some talent, Thomas Berdych and David Nalbandian for instance but those guys don't pose a serious threat. The two guys that are in his quarter that he may have to worry about are James Blake-fresh off an olympic victory over Fed, and Dr. Ivo. If I were Rafa and saw Dr. Ivo's name in my quarter I would not be too happy. You just never know what is going to happen with him, especially on a fast surface like the US Open. I don't honestly think Blake can beat Rafa, so if there is an upset it will be Dr. Ivo.
David Ferrer's quarter is an interesting one. Ferrer is the 4 seed, but as far as I'm concerned this is Andy Murray's quarter to lose. Ferrer has only 2 minor titles this year and an early flame out at the Olympics. Murray has been coming on strong all summer and has reached his highest ranking ever at #6. He had an impressive Wimbledon reaching the quarterfinals, beat Djokovic in Toronto, and beat him again the next week to win in Cincinnati. One guy to keep your eye on in this quarter as well is Juan Martin Del Potro, possibly the hottest guy on tour right now. He's the 17 seed, but has had an unbelievable summer, winning the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, the Austrian Open, the Countrywide Classic [where he beat Roddick in the final], and the Legg Mason in D.C. [the last two US Open Masters Series tournaments]. Don't be surprised if he makes a lot of noise and takes out Ferrer before meeting Murray later on.
The bottom half of the draw is scary good. If Djokovic comes through his quarter it will be well deserved indeed. Great second round match-up here with Roddick v. Gulbis, Roddick could easily lose this match which would be devastating considering he's always talked about as someone with a puncher's chance at the Open because of his serve. Gonzo is in here at 11, always dangerous. Marat Safin is unseeded, but as at Wimbledon, if the guy gets hot watch out. Carlos Moya is having a good summer. Maran Cilic is in here, as well as Jo Wilfried-Tsonga. Djokovic should come through this quarter, but if he doesn't I think it will be Gulbis or Gonzo that gets him. I hate to say it, but don't be surprised if you see Andy out of this tournament in round 2.
Now Fed's quarter. Obviously he will be the favorite, but his quarter is absolutely stacked. Davydenko, Tursunov, Nicolas Almagro, Tipsarovic [who gave Roddick fits at Wimbledon], Gasquet, Verdasco, and Stepanek are all threats here. It would be so simple [and make me feel better] to say Federer will cruise because none of these guys have ever really given him problems, but before this year who really have him problems anyway? [Besides Rafa]. I am hoping and praying that Fed will come through this quarter, but a lingering feeling has me doubting him. He lost to James Blake in Beijing, who he was 8-0 against. Every fiber in my being tells me not to expect him to come out of his half of the draw, so I'm going to do the obvious thing. Take him anyway.
In the Semis:
Rafa v. Murray
Djokovic v. Federer
Final:
Rafa v. Federer
Winner:
Rafa [unfortunately]
For starters, the top of the draw no longer says "Roger Federer". It has been over 4 years since a grand-slam has not had his name at the top. It has been 3 years since Rafa's name was not at the bottom. Seeing the flip in print not only makes it official, but more real than anything. We've known for 3 weeks Rafa was going to take the #1 spot on August 18th, but it doesn't make seeing Fed's name with a '2' next to it any easier.
Rafa has a nice draw in his quarter. There is some talent, Thomas Berdych and David Nalbandian for instance but those guys don't pose a serious threat. The two guys that are in his quarter that he may have to worry about are James Blake-fresh off an olympic victory over Fed, and Dr. Ivo. If I were Rafa and saw Dr. Ivo's name in my quarter I would not be too happy. You just never know what is going to happen with him, especially on a fast surface like the US Open. I don't honestly think Blake can beat Rafa, so if there is an upset it will be Dr. Ivo.
David Ferrer's quarter is an interesting one. Ferrer is the 4 seed, but as far as I'm concerned this is Andy Murray's quarter to lose. Ferrer has only 2 minor titles this year and an early flame out at the Olympics. Murray has been coming on strong all summer and has reached his highest ranking ever at #6. He had an impressive Wimbledon reaching the quarterfinals, beat Djokovic in Toronto, and beat him again the next week to win in Cincinnati. One guy to keep your eye on in this quarter as well is Juan Martin Del Potro, possibly the hottest guy on tour right now. He's the 17 seed, but has had an unbelievable summer, winning the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, the Austrian Open, the Countrywide Classic [where he beat Roddick in the final], and the Legg Mason in D.C. [the last two US Open Masters Series tournaments]. Don't be surprised if he makes a lot of noise and takes out Ferrer before meeting Murray later on.
The bottom half of the draw is scary good. If Djokovic comes through his quarter it will be well deserved indeed. Great second round match-up here with Roddick v. Gulbis, Roddick could easily lose this match which would be devastating considering he's always talked about as someone with a puncher's chance at the Open because of his serve. Gonzo is in here at 11, always dangerous. Marat Safin is unseeded, but as at Wimbledon, if the guy gets hot watch out. Carlos Moya is having a good summer. Maran Cilic is in here, as well as Jo Wilfried-Tsonga. Djokovic should come through this quarter, but if he doesn't I think it will be Gulbis or Gonzo that gets him. I hate to say it, but don't be surprised if you see Andy out of this tournament in round 2.
Now Fed's quarter. Obviously he will be the favorite, but his quarter is absolutely stacked. Davydenko, Tursunov, Nicolas Almagro, Tipsarovic [who gave Roddick fits at Wimbledon], Gasquet, Verdasco, and Stepanek are all threats here. It would be so simple [and make me feel better] to say Federer will cruise because none of these guys have ever really given him problems, but before this year who really have him problems anyway? [Besides Rafa]. I am hoping and praying that Fed will come through this quarter, but a lingering feeling has me doubting him. He lost to James Blake in Beijing, who he was 8-0 against. Every fiber in my being tells me not to expect him to come out of his half of the draw, so I'm going to do the obvious thing. Take him anyway.
In the Semis:
Rafa v. Murray
Djokovic v. Federer
Final:
Rafa v. Federer
Winner:
Rafa [unfortunately]
Saturday, August 16, 2008
2 quick thoughts
1) Finally something good this year for Fed. He and Stanislas Wawrinka won the gold in doubles yesterday. Maybe this will give him some confidence and bring up his spirit just in time for the US Open, which starts in 9 days.
2) For everyone who hasn't watched the Michael Phelps 100m fly race from last night, go to nbcolympics.com/video and watch it immediately. It was amazing! He won by the length of 1 fingernail, unreal.
2) For everyone who hasn't watched the Michael Phelps 100m fly race from last night, go to nbcolympics.com/video and watch it immediately. It was amazing! He won by the length of 1 fingernail, unreal.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Michael Phelps is even more amazing then you think
Michael Phelps' daily diet:
Breakfast: Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise. Two cups of coffee. One five-egg omelette. One bowl of grits. Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar. Three chocolate-chip pancakes.
• Lunch: One pound of pasta. Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread, plus 1,000 calories of energy drinks.
• Dinner: One pound of pasta, an entire pizza and even more energy drinks.
Estimated calories: 12,000. Courtesy of London Times
A collective... whaaaaaa? That's a whole lot of calories, however take into consideration he burns approximately 4,000 calories in a workout. But what's with all the cheese? and an entire pizza plus 1 pound of pasta?? that's just ridiculous.
Breakfast: Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise. Two cups of coffee. One five-egg omelette. One bowl of grits. Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar. Three chocolate-chip pancakes.
• Lunch: One pound of pasta. Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread, plus 1,000 calories of energy drinks.
• Dinner: One pound of pasta, an entire pizza and even more energy drinks.
Estimated calories: 12,000. Courtesy of London Times
A collective... whaaaaaa? That's a whole lot of calories, however take into consideration he burns approximately 4,000 calories in a workout. But what's with all the cheese? and an entire pizza plus 1 pound of pasta?? that's just ridiculous.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Vamos Rafa
Long live the King. It's over. 235 weeks. 4 1/2 years. Roger Federer is no longer the world #1.
After a disastrous turn of events following the greatest tennis match in history a few weeks ago Rafa Nadal has ripped away the #1 ranking and looks poised to hold onto it for some time after defeating Nicolas Lapentti 7-6 [3], 6-1 in Cincinnati tonight.
Following Wimbledon Fed's nightmare season has continued as he lost to Gilles Simon in Toronto in the second round last week and in the 3rd round at the Cincinnati Masters last night to Dr. Ivo. Rafa has taken control by winning the French [for the 4th straight time], Wimbledon, Toronto and he now looks poised to take Cincinnati; although he will have a tough time playing a determined Novak Djokovic tomorrow and will face either Dr. Ivo or Andy Murray in the final. Federer looked great at Wimbledon, just not great enough in that epic final. Now he looks shaken and uninspired and will have to dig deep and find some answers before the Olympics and the US Open. He was unable to deal with Dr. Ivo's ridiculous serving in the big moments and he was spraying forehands all over the place on the big points. The Federer forehand, one of the greatest shots in the history of tennis, has somehow become vulnerable. Those who have watched Fed since he became Roger Federer in 2004 will recall how easily his forehand could change a point. He could go from a defensive position to an offensive position in an instant and the forehand was his biggest weapon. Now it is prone to mistakes and players are even attacking it. They are attacking Roger Federer's forehand. This is like throwing A-Rod a fastball down the middle, or allowing Randy Moss to be single-covered; it's just not done. Ever. Fed has lost the mystique and the invincibility that was a calling card over his 4 1/2 years at #1 and it is obvious players believe they can beat him when they step onto the court.
Rafa looks unbelievable right now. Who remembers the forehand passing shot he hit against Fed at 7-7 in the 4th set breaker at Wimbledon? He hit it from about 10 feet behind the baseline off his back foot for a clean winner past a charging Fed. I just saw him hit 2 consecutive shots like that against Lapentti to set up double break-point at 5-1 in the 2nd set. The guy is an absolute beast. Even on TV it is obvious how hard he hits the ball, how much spin is imparted, and how physical he is. He is simply imposing his will on guys and dominating them. Rafa's game isn't poetic like Federer's. Federer is Baryshnikov with a tennis racket, his game is beautiful to watch. Rafa is like a tank out there, steam-rolling people and blowing them off the court with power, spin, and intensity. The guy is just plain scary. And right now he's on a 32-match win streak and playing with a ton of confidence to match all those physical gifts.
I can't wait until tomorrow night for the Djokovic-Nadal match. There is known bad-blood between these two guys and Djokovic seems to have recovered from his 2nd round loss to Safin at Wimbledon and early exit in Toronto. This is a guy who could have been the #2 player in the world if he had beaten Nadal at Queens the week before Wimbledon and he is playing well now, so it should be a helluva match.
Rafa looked a little tense against Lapennti in the first set, but he managed to take in a breaker. I'm curious to see how he reacts now that he knows he is the #1 player in the world. I think he will simply continue rolling people and it won't affect him that much. Not until the US Open, when he is playing Fed in the final hopefully.
As for Fed, I think it's just a confidence thing right now. He's still got he same gifts, the same game; but now he is in a position he hasn't been in for 4 1/2 years. As excited as I am to see how Rafa reacts to being #1, I'm more excited to see how Federer reacts to being #2. He doesn't show it on the court a lot but he is an extremely competitive guy who is not going to like his crown being taken from him. This is when we'll find out how great of a champion he is. For 2 years we've been talking about him as the greatest tennis player of all-time. But right now he's only got 12 grand slams and he's lost his #1 ranking. If he bounces back, which I think he will, and can regain that #1 and win a few more slams and take Sampras' record away he will indeed be the greatest ever. But it's not going to be easy, not by a long stretch, with a guy the quality of Nadal standing in the way.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Seriously...this is what its come to
An actual ESPN headline: Packers didn't give Favre team-issued cell phone.
I am sick and tired of Favre. Nobody outside of Green Bay cares anymore. Either come back or don't, stop dancing around and make a fucking decision. In addition, I still hate ESPN because of stuff exactly like this.
I am sick and tired of Favre. Nobody outside of Green Bay cares anymore. Either come back or don't, stop dancing around and make a fucking decision. In addition, I still hate ESPN because of stuff exactly like this.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Dark Knight
The summer movie season is clearly in full swing now with the release last week of Dark Knight and its record breaking opening weekend of a shade over $155 million. I'm sure most of you reading this blog have already seen it so I don't want to do a review, simply to share a few thoughts.
1) This is the best comic-book movie I have ever seen. Better than Spiderman 2, which until now I believed was the best and until now held the record for the biggest opening weekend in movie history [$151 million]. The critics who have not liked this movie, meaning they gave it a B, which shows you just how well its been received have lamented the darkness of the film. It's too serious, it's too morality-based in it's message; for all intensive purposes their problem is the film is too real. But this is exactly the reason why I enjoyed it so much. It is what is happening with heroic characters in every movie series and it makes it much more compelling. When Pierce Brosnan was Bond there was no way he was getting hurt in any fashion and everyone knew it. Now with Daniel Craig, Bond is more human and the movie has more at stake. Spiderman is the same way and with the Christopher Nolan Batman series the trend is evident. These are better movies for that reality and as an audience member I appreciate it.
2) The other reason why this movie is so great is simple: Heath Ledger. He is unbelievable. I will be the first to admit that until now I had not seen much of him. I had seen that atrocious movie he did where he was a knight in a jousting tournament. Mainly I knew him as Jake Gyllenhaal's lover in Brokeback Mountain. I have not seen that movie, but because Ledger was so incredible in Batman I find myself wanting to see it. Having never really seen his work I was shocked and saddened for his family, etc. when he died, but it wasn't as if I was really depressed or anything, not like if Daniel Day-Lewis or Viggo Mortensen were to suddenly die. But after the movie it finally connected for me that as good as he was, we will never get to see him in another movie [discounting the 1/2 role in the upcoming the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, for the second half Ledger's role is filled by Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Christian Bale].
His performance in Batman is absolutely electric. He steals every scene and his voice and mannerisms are extremely well-crafted. It has been said that he was disturbed by the role and it caused his death, but he was clearly able to tap into the psyche of the Joker and create a role that should garner him a nomination for best supporting actor.
3) Aaron Eckhart was, as in every movie he's in, very good. Harvey Dent is an interesting character, but I was surprised he was killed off in this movie. He seemed like a logical villain for the next Batman. I suppose Nolan wanted to take it in a different direction and make Batman the outcast, as evidenced by the end of the film. Eckhart is perfect as the cocky Dent and I always appreciate his work.
I give this movie an A-, as I didn't really like Maggie Gyllenhaal and I think it runs too long. Otherwise, brilliant.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Dawkins Interview
A gift from us here at L'enfant Terrible. The world's best-known atheist, renowned ethologist, rationalist, and humanist, Oxford Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, author of numerous bestsellers including The God Delusion, the man known as "Darwin's Rottweiler", our hero...Richard Dawkins. These are parts 1&2/7 of the interview, more to come as the days go by.
Why I Do Not Like Scoop Jackson
Scoop is at again folks! This time he is writing about one of the oldest, most beloved games in the world. No not tiddlywinks...golf. Scoop has decided to write an entire article about why he does not play golf and he tries to justify his reasoning with a few examples and a lot of bullshit. He claims to have seen "dudes" lose $100,000/year jobs because of golf. He claims to know a man who lost his wife because "golf balls don't talk back". He claims to have seen a man eat a baby and defecate on a homeless man because his handicap slipped [okay not really, but you get the point]. He equates golf with addictive drugs and can't understand why people can quit crack but not golf. He refuses to play golf because he's scared he will become addicted.
This article may be dumber than the NYC point guards article from the previous post. Maybe your friends that lost $100,000/year jobs because they couldn't get their asses off the golf course are just fucking idiots. Maybe the man who left his wife just hated her and was sleeping with someone else and planning to leave her anyway. The very last thing you should blame over people is a GAME. It's called self-control Scoop, everyone has it. If we didn't we would be walking around having sex with random strangers in public, killing everyone we disagree with, and eating donuts and ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don't blame golf as the evil here, that's simply ridiculous.
Here's the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/080716
This article may be dumber than the NYC point guards article from the previous post. Maybe your friends that lost $100,000/year jobs because they couldn't get their asses off the golf course are just fucking idiots. Maybe the man who left his wife just hated her and was sleeping with someone else and planning to leave her anyway. The very last thing you should blame over people is a GAME. It's called self-control Scoop, everyone has it. If we didn't we would be walking around having sex with random strangers in public, killing everyone we disagree with, and eating donuts and ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Don't blame golf as the evil here, that's simply ridiculous.
Here's the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/080716
Brooklyn Air Guitar Champion Toe Update
As you will remember from the previous post the Brooklyn Champion, Bettie. B Good, suffered a compound fracture of her toe during the championship round. Completely unphased by the injury she continued to perform and won. Now it seems she has suffered greatly for her "art"...because they had to amputate her toe.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2008/07/17/2008-07-17_air_guitar_hero_loses_toe__literally.html
As Bill Walton would say, Unbelieeeeeevable.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2008/07/17/2008-07-17_air_guitar_hero_loses_toe__literally.html
As Bill Walton would say, Unbelieeeeeevable.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Grown Men [and Women] fake guitar playing and Scoop Jackson
I was in NYC for a few days last week and while taking in sites such as Central Park, MoMa, and Times Square I attended the Brooklyn Air Guitar Championships. Air Guitar, what could be more awesome than a contest revolving around simulating playing a guitar with nothing but your hands while also displaying all the requisite facial expressions, gestures, body movements, etc. High comedy indeed.
So the format was each person would get to "play" for 60 seconds and there were 3 judges scoring on a 4.0-6.0 Olympic scale. I wasn't sure they were judging like that because we are in an Olympic year or because that's just how they generally do it; alas I have revealed myself as inept when it comes to judging an AIR GUITAR CHAMPIONSHIP.
Everything you would expect ensued from there, with numerous people doing lame windmills and power stances that everyone who has ever watched a rock band perform can relate to. However, there were some interesting moments, such as in the finals when a contestant jumped off a staircase in nothing but his underwear from about 20 feet high. The best thing however was when the winner, Betty B. Good, dressed in a lion print skin-tight pant suite jumped onto a glass awning type of thing which was literally 30 ft in the air and connected to the 2nd floor of the bar. Keep in mind she was highly intoxicated and the glass stage was only about 10 x 5 ft. I would not have been shocked for the world to have read in the newspaper the next day: "Air Guitarist falls to death in bar mid-windmill". She escaped safety however and only during the judging was it revealed that she has a compound fracture of her 3rd of 4th toe on the left foot...seriously. She was completely unphased and I think may have even licked blood from her finger from the wound; needless to say she did not accept her championship trophy because she was being rushed to the hospital via ambulance.
Aside from that horrible incident which makes me cringe every time I think about it there were some extremely funny moments made even funnier by the fact that beer was present. One of the first contestants, a rather portly fellow dressed only in a pair of shorts and a tie [with no shirt on] attempted a stage dive that can only be described as a Moses-Level Event. When the guy dove, there were a good number of people in his targeted landing zone. However, as soon as he took off the people parted so quickly you would have thought actual Egyptians were chasing them and attempting to re-enslave them. Needless to say the guy hit the ground so hard I'm pretty sure the floor shook [he landed about 2 ft. from where we were standing]. The Highest of High comedy: the utterly, devastatingly inept, unsupported stage dive.
Overall a worthwhile experience, you should check one out. Videos available at usairguitar.com
Next order of business, as brought to my attention by cousin David Stern, is an article so bad we are starting a new segment here at L'enfant Terrible. And now get ready for the first installment of:
Articles So Bad They Make Me Fear For The Future Of Our Species [not in a biological sense but in a morally or intelligence-related way]!
This first article is brought to you by ESPN page 2 resident Robert "Scoop" Jackson. Scoop takes a very interesting point of view in his latest article, claiming that NYC street basketball point guards do not need the NBA because they would rather have the respect of the people of NYC. Here is a microcosm of the article:"What's the point in being Jamaal Tinsley, a quasi-respected midlevel starting point guard for the Pacers, but having no one north of 110th Street honor you as dude in the summer, when you could be Kenny Satterfield or Andre Barrett, who dropped 68 and 66 points, respectively, in a Hoops in the Sun tournament game in the Bronx two weeks ago, and get love so unconditional that people riding the 6 uptown with you start rating you as the basketball equivalent of Zeus?" Pictured: Andre Barrett at Rucker Park in Harlem [6/23/08 courtesy of SI.com]
First of all, what does "basketball equivalent of Zeus" mean? I'm always a bit confused by these equivalence analogies. Does Andre Barrett's jumper cause thunderbolts with jagged edges to fly from the clouds? Does his dribbling ability cause him to trick various maidens into sleeping with him while he assumes various disguises [this could actually be a reality, if it is hats off to Scoop for uncovering this story]? And why Zeus? Do NYC people have a special affinity for a deity not worshiped for over 500 years [I'm counting Zeus's Roman from as Jupiter here too, for all you classicists out there]?
I digress, the answer to the question "What is the point of being Jamaal Tinsley?" would seem to be this--his 2007-08 salary was $6.3 million, he plays professional basketball for a living, gets tons of free equipment and clothing, never has to work a day in his life, and can support his entire family for the rest of his life. According to Scoop that's nice and all, but it's simply nothing compared to receiving compliments on the subway. I mean, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This guy writes for a national publication? Let's put this in perspective: would you rather be a professional baseball player or a great Rec-League 16in softball player who gets a lot of compliments? Would you rather be an astronaut or a highly respected planetarium-goer? Would you rather be a chef or the best busboy in the restaurant? Respect is nice, but streetballers do not play basketball for a living. They may make some $ if they go on the AND1 tour or something, but very few do and it definitely isn't $6.3 million per year. Do you know what Kenny Satterfield probably respects? That Jamaal Tinsley lives in a mansion in Indianapolis and never has to worry about his finances or his family or anything other than playing basketball. I don't believe for 1 nanosecond that if you offered him, or Dwight Hardy, or Kemba Walker, or any other NYC pg $6.3 million to play a year in the NBA they would turn that down because they like the respect they are payed north of 110th street in the summertime.
Let's talk about other things in the article that make no sense.
"Left standing from this basketball exodus are the likes of Corey "Homicide" Williams, the oxymoron: a point guard so good he probably will never see an NBA check."
Will someone please explain this to me? I legitimately do not understand what this sentence means. He's so good the players in the NBA do not deserve to compete against him? He's so good he doesn't want to make millions of dollars embarrassing NBA players with his superior talent? Oh wait, I get it!! He's soooo good, only compliments on the subways of NYC can ever possibly validate him to the rest of world! It all makes perfect sense now! Quick, go tell Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, CP3, and every other pg in the NBA that they should quit their jobs immediately, move to Harlem and only play at Rucker Park because otherwise the world will never respect them and they will only be doing the game of basketball an injustice by misusing their prodigious talents to support themselves and their families! Scoop Jackson is a genius ladies and gentlemen.
I actually hope "Homicide" does make the NBA, just imagine: And now, your starting pg for the New York Knickerbockerrrrrrrrs.....HOMICIIIIIIDE WILLLLIAAAAAMS! He and ex-gun runner Zach Randolph would become fast friends.
Alright, I think I've embarrassed Bob "Scoop" Jackson enough. Have a good one folks.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Once In a Lifetime
Almost one year to the day and we're back. The Wimbledon final of yesterday has prompted me to return to share my thoughts on what many are calling the greatest tennis match to have ever been contested. This was certainly the greatest match I have ever personally watched and I cannot help feeling that it may be the greatest match I will ever see.For those of you who do not follow tennis let me set the stage: Roger Federer, the greatest tennis player of our generation was going for his 6th consecutive Wimbledon title, something that had never been done. He had a 40 match win streak at Wimbledon and a 65 match win streak on grass. Federer's 4 year reign in tennis was being questioned by all as he has not won a major and has only a few minor titles to his name this year. Rafa Nadal, the man who has been number 2 for a record 155 consecutive weeks was gunning for his 1st Wimbledon title. The 4 time defending French Open champion, who lost to Federer in a classic at Wimbledon in the final last year was looking to continue his quest for #1 with a victory 2 weeks after his thrashing of Fed at Roland-Garros. Nadal was attempting to become the first man to win the French-Wimbledon double in 28 years.
So all of this history even before the match started. Many felt it would be a watershed moment in men's tennis if Nadal were to capture the title, and would signal a changing of the guard even though Fed would still retain his #1 ranking. The match itself would run 4 hrs 48 minutes long with 3 rain delays. The telecast was over 7 1/2 hours long. Simply put, it was the most tense, hotly contested sporting event I have ever witnessed [Carley can verify this, as in the 4th set tie-break I think my body was shutting down as blood rushed to support my vital organs, t
urning my hands and feet into ice blocks]. The level of play was simply absurd with a combined 31 aces to 5 double faults and 79 unforced errors in 413 points.But the statistics can never convey the way these two men fought throughout the entire match. The perfect contrast of styles; Federer the Ali of tennis, dancing and seemingly gliding over the court, the flowing forehand and elegant one-handed backhand. Rafa the Joe Frazier, the muscled bruiser who ruthlessly pounds the ball every swing, every point, every game, every set-the guy just does not let up ever. Not only is he the most physical player in tennis, he is probably the best mover in the game-making Fed hit shots when he thought the point was over numerous times and hitting an absolutely ridiculous forehand winner from 6 ft behind the baseline off his back foot as Fed rushed the net at 7-7 in the 4th set tie-break. That tie-break will go down in history as one of the best, maybe #2 behind McEnroe-Borg in the 1980 Wimbledon final which also took place in the 4th set [Johnny Mac won 16-18!].
Over the first two sets I kept thinking to myself "Fed is playing well, if he can just get a break he can pick up a set here" and I guess that will be remembered as why Fed lost this final. As in the 2005 French Open final against Rafa, when he was 1-17 in break point opportunities, he was 1-13 yesterday. He broke Rafa 1 time during the entire match. Fed's inability to cash in when it mattered on Nadal's serve cost him the first 2 sets, and eventually the match.
I have loved Fed since 2004 when I saw him tear apart Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the US Open. Having watched him and studied him for so long I know that his game has perhaps fallen a level this year. Whether that is due to lingering effects from mono early in the season we will never know, but I don't think so as he reached bot
h the final of the French and Wimbledon and nearly won the latter. It is more than clear that Nadal is simply improving at a phenomenal rate, quick enough to challenge Fed for #1 this year. Nadal's improved serve, the best 2-handed backhand in the game, the most vicious top-spin forehand and his quickness and unquestionable desire are all coming together right now and he looks poised to win the French and Wimbledon for at least another 5-6 years. Don't get me wrong, I think only a fool would think Fed was done at Wimbledon and I believe this loss might spark something in him to regain the title he values the most in all of tennis. I also believe he has to be the favorite for the US Open in September, as Nadal's game suffers most on hard courts because of his spin [the ball does not bite as much as on grass or clay] and the pounding his body takes. Fed is still #1 and with the hard court season now here I believe Nadal will not overtake him this year.What I'm most interested in seeing is how Fed will respond to the first real challenge to his throne in 4+ years. We know how much the history of the game means to him and he desperately wants to surpass Pete's 14
majors, but we now know it will not happen until sometime around now next year, if not until the 2009 Open. Reading the transcript of Fed's post-match interview, one really gets the sense of how disappointed he is, but also of the anger-streak that he so rarely shows on the court. "When asked whether it was a consolation that it was a great player like Nadal who had put an end to his 65-match winning streak, Federer’s humour became even darker. "No. Zero consolation. I didn’t learn anything new from today – certainly not about how to play him on grass. This really hurts… Losing Paris for me was nothing, losing here is a disaster." No more, no less.", ""Write what you want," he glowered after a sigh, a pause and a shrug. "I’m going to try to win at the Olympics and the US Open and have a good end to the season. That’s it." Fed has been the darling of tennis for 4 years and now it will immensely entertaining to watch him try to regain his seemingly lost grip on the tennis world. I know I wouldn't want to play a pissed off Fed and I definitely believe he will win the US Open. He still has the game's greatest forehand, his serve is better than ever, and his variety is still unmatched in today's game. He will be back and he will win more majors. For now though, it seems he will be answering some tough questions.
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