jumpingpanda

Anti-Colonial?

2010-09-15T21:38:00.003-04:00

There was a time when I thought Newt Gingrich might be better than a thrice married, cheating douche who divorced his wife when she was diagnosed with cancer, but clearly I was delusional. Apparently, Newt and Dinesh D'Souza, who makes me feel shame as an Indian, have decided Obama holds "a Kenyan, anti-colonial worldview" and cannot be trusted. I guess the "Kenyan" reference just means Newt and D'Souza don't like non-white people. A strange sentiment for D'Souza given that he is not white. He could simply be a self-loather?
The "anti-colonial worldview" is what I find most strange. As a former history professor, Newt should know that the United States of America was founded by anti-colonialists. George Washington, the first president and one of the founding fathers, was an anti-colonialist. Apparently he skipped that class. Note to self, do not let friends go to Newt's alma mater.
Their are sure to take on a life of their own now that Glenn Beck has managed to equate anti-colonialism with socialism. One more apt would pair anti-colonialism with freedom. As the Tea Partiers rally, I hope they realize the oppressive federal government which they claim does not heed the will of the people has a lot in common with anti-colonialists desire for freedom from an oppressive government that regards them as less than equal. Although what is worse, the hypocrisy of the Tea Party or the ignorance?

My Reading List

2008-01-02T23:16:00.000-05:00

Wow. It's literally been months. But I am back, not sure for how long, but the next ten to fifteen minutes at least. Work really interferes with my ability to blog. However, it has not interfered with my ability to get in the occasional light read. Yeah!

I just finished reading three books, two of which, Atonement and The Blind Side, I was really excited about, and the other The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which I only bought because it was part of a 'Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off' deal at Borders. The Memory Keeper's Daughter was utterly useless. Quite frankly, I am surprised it hasn't made the Oprah Book Club list yet. But I suppose she has been busy campaigning for Barack. Anyway, I don't want to waste anymore time on the book. I already lost two hours of my life to it.

I was a little suspicious of Atonement, especially when the movie previews came out with Keira Knightly pouting around an English estate in that ridiculous green dress. But what can I say, I am a sucker for romance and period novels. By now, I am sure everyone is familiar with the plot - a little melodramatic no? Star crossed, class crossed lovers. Separated by a horrid lie, wrought from a child with an over active imagination, and Hitler's war. But in a period romance, it is unavoidable!

However, beyond the melodrama, the pacing of the book seemed off. I found the first part of the book interesting and well written, but slow. I could skip entire pages without missing anything at all. Especially true during the battle scenes. Not quite sure what was going on there. Despite my issues with the first part of the book, I found the latter half of the book far less engaging. Not only was the plot was completely predictable! it was also rushed.

Character development was another issues. Robbie and Cee, the emotional center of the novel failed to deliver for me. I didn't feel any connection to them what so ever. To the end, Robbie in remained nothing but a hormonal teenager disguised as a chain smoking, Cambridge intellectual. And Cee wasn't much better as a vapid, ineffectual, little rich girl.

Since reading The Blind Side, I have found myself watching football differently. I confess or perhaps compliment myself on being a sophisticated football watcher, in that I have always tried to watch the offensive line and the pocket. But the left tackle. Never really knew who he was, until Michael Lewis told me.

I found the first chapter or so of the book on the "evolution of the game" really interesting. The evolving importance of the passing game, the spread offense, the West Coast offense, etc. The decline of the running back, and the increased importance of the quarterback and hence the quarterback's protector, in the evolving passing game. The second half of the book, the story of Michael Oher was touching, something I would expect to see in the New York Times Magazine, where it was apparently excerpted some time back. But in a way the "rags to riches" story of Oher is troubling. Based on what I know of Memphis, the state of Tennessee, and Harold Ford Jr.'s unsuccessful presidential bid, there is something almost sinister in the way a rich, white, Southern, Christian, Republican family adopted Oher. Would they have adopted him if they hadn't seen his potential as an athlete? I can't help but wonder. I also can't help but wonder if my cynicism is getting in the way of appreciating real love and generosity.

At some point, the book became a bit tedious. It lacked the wit that I expect from Lewis. Towards the end it becomes clear that there are kids like Oher all across America's cities with the talent to make it as professional athletes. But they lack the access to education, to scouts, to a strong support structure, etc. You cannot help but wonder what the right market clearing price for talent would be if all these kids could be "adopted" like Oher. Or what it could mean in terms of uplifting entire families and breaking the cycle of poverty that pervades the inner city. On the whole though, the book ended up feeling a little more Reader's Digest, which is not a bad thing per say, just unexpected. So reader beware, this is no Liar's Poker.

Still I am look forward to seeing Michael Oher play next year either for Ole Miss or as a first round draft pick. Who would ever have thought the block and tackle would be worth more than the golden arm!

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

2007-08-13T22:36:00.000-04:00

I almost couldn't believe it when I opened up my e-mail and saw the WSJ alert on Karl Rove's resignation. I thought he would stay until the bloody end. But perhaps he realizes that he has already inflicted the maximum amount of carnage possible on this country. After all, a sinking ship can't really attack those around them. Or perhaps, more simply, Rove is trying to protect whatever is left of his legacy as a brilliant political strategist. The 2006 mid-term elections did not leave much. But it is unlikely he would have survived the remaining one year plus unscathed. If I was Bush though, I would be a little hurt by Rove's resignation. The Captain is supposed to stay with his ship, even when it is sinking. Apparently, Karl Rove was one of the few who missed Leo and Kate's 'Titanic'. I wonder how long it will be before Cheney and Condi take the last life raft. So it appears that without his most vociferous pit bull, Bush is being backed even further into a corner.

Somehow the current state of Bush's administration reminds me a bit of Richard the III, abandoned by his men on the battle field, alone and without a horse. I wonder when Bush will be willing to trade his "kingdom for a horse". Both men cut rather pathetic figures, but strangely Richard the III, who allegedly murdered his nephews and tried to marry his niece, is more sympathetic to me. I guess that goes to show what I think of GWB.

Return of the Gilded Age?

2007-08-10T23:03:00.000-04:00

Reading the paper these days makes me feel fatigued. I am tired of reading about the misery in Africa - Darfur, the Congo, Sierra Leone - where nothing ever seems to change, of New Orleans where Bush probably still thinks that Brownie did a "heckuva job", and Edward's two Americas - honestly, since when did Fortress care about high school educated textile factory workers? Perhaps my renewed cynicism is unjustified. But I am inclined to think not.

The newspapers are full of articles discussing the growing inequality between the rich and the poor. They allege that today's concentration of wealth rivals that of the Gilded Age - the age of monopolies, Standard Oil, and the Vanderbilts (who were famous for their balls, especially the one where they dressed as "the poor"). They quote statistics where CEO pay is over 1000x that of the average employee. And if that isn't disturbing, one only has to look at the earnings of hedge fund and private equity managers. My parents used to say, if it's too good to be true, it is. And I believe them!

These private investors claim to be creating value, and no doubt they are indeed creating value for themselves, but what about the business they shut down, the communities they hurt, the people they fire? I have no doubt that Cerberus will manage to make a fist full of money on Chrysler but it will be on the backs of Chrysler's employees and the community.

People, including some of my friends, argue that the best way to give back to the community is not to volunteer through organized programs, but to amass enough wealth such that you are able to distribute it at your discretion. So perhaps that is what guys like Schwartz and Ross plan to do, but will that make up for the costs associated with accumulating that wealth? Also I can't help but wonder who is a better redistributer of wealth - the individual or the government. I recognize government is not a particularly inefficient vehicle, but I am inclined to think it is best for the average American. Individuals tend to give their money to pet causes that certainly to benefit some people, but perhaps not as many as they could.

But why even bother trying to determine if there is a better way. The people who have the money control the politicians who control the law. And the hypocrisy is unbelievable. Chuck Schumer, who is all about protecting the poor and the middle class, does not think it is reasonable to tax private equity/hedge fund carry as income. One can't help but wonder if that has anything at all to do with the fact that hedge fund managers are among his biggest supporters.

I am not really sure what it is that I am talking about anymore... so I am going to stop.

Bourne Again

2007-08-05T11:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I went to see the latest installment of the Bourne series - The Bourne Ultimatum. I confess I was a bit disappointed, especially after all the hype it received from the reviewers. Especially Magnolia Dargis or whatever her name is... but then I tend to discount her opinion a bit. She likes everything. But I suppose on reflection that it was Number 3 in the series, it wasn't half bad. In comparison to Pirates of the Caribbean 3, it was gem. Matt Damon really does play Bourne well.

The previews they showed before the movie were quite disturbing. One was about an FBI investigation of a terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia. I am quite sure this movie won't be screening in Mecca, Medina, or Riyadh. If by some freak chance it does, I have a feeling it will do nothing to improve US-Middle East relations. Following up that was a preview for the movie 'Rendition'... yeah, a real upper. I wonder if we as a country are ready for movies where are country condones and encourages the torture of men who are very likely innocent. I remember wondering the same thing when 'United 93' or whatever that movie was came out. Then came the preview for the movie 'Beowolf'. Wow. I don't remember British Literature being like that... certainly there was no Angelina Jolie. If that movie makes any money, it will likely be on the backs of high school kids who are failing English.

The Tragedy of TV Summers and Other Nonsense

2007-07-26T21:14:00.000-04:00

After the mosquitoes come out, summer evenings end up being nothing more than a huge bore. To make matters worse, there is absolutely nothing on TV. It's like going to the mall with money and the intent to shop and finding nothing to buy or going to the candy store and finding it closed or just full of sugar free crap. Honestly, the state of summer television is truly distressing, unless you are a fan of random reality TV like Joey Fat-one and the 'Singing Bee'. I think there has only been one interesting show this summer, and that is 'Psych'. It has Charlie from the 'West Wing'. He's so cute, I just want to pat him on the head.

In other related nonsense, I had the opportunity to watch Poker on a 46" LCD HDTV. I am not sure that Poker does the TV justice. I am also not sure why anyone would watch such crap. It is just as bad as bowling. As for the commentators. I almost pity the fools, what did they do to deserve such a gig, and do they have writers or do they come up with their own inane drivel? God, I miss the fall. I miss football. I miss real sports!

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to see 'Wicked'. I read the book and loved it, and while I had heard mixed reviews about the musical's fidelity to the novel, I was hoping... well talk about misplaced hope. The musical destroys the book. Utterly and completely. And the songs, I am sure they were good, if only I could have made out the words. Definitely not the super fabulous production I was hoping for.

I have been trying to pay attention to the latest administration scandals, but quite frankly Alberto Gonzalez spews so much garbage, I just can't keep it straight. In fact, listening to him talk gives me a headache. I wonder if that is why GWB keeps him around... he annoys people so much, they forget that they should really be frustrated by the president who condones his very existence.

Oh, and about Harry Potter. What was up with the LOTR theme? How could they let ***** kill *********. It was supposed to be ******* dammit! And *** and ******** and ***** and ***** could JK have been any more predictable? Yeah, and the whole thing with the elder wand? How was its master *****? I thought for sure it would have been ***** or *****. Gotta say, I was a little let down by the whole production. So much for Harry and Luna ending up together forever or the raising of the dead with the end of the Dark Lord. Sigh...

Who Will Die?

2007-07-16T00:27:00.000-04:00

I saw the latest installment of the Harry Potter series today. It was actually my favorite one to date. Things actually started happening and there was no quidditch. (Thank god! That game is worse than cricket!) Watching today's movie made me wonder though, which two characters are going to die in the final book. I believe that there are supposed to be two main characters who die...

Harry Potter? Unlikely. If he dies, will anyone bother to see movie six and seven? Little kids all over the world will be heartbroken. The Queen will have to take back the knighthood or whatever it is she conferred on Rowling.

Ron Weasley? I think very likely. The best friend and sidekick tragically dying to help his best friend save the world. Seems appropriate. Besides Ron doesn't really do much besides occupy otherwise empty space.

Hermione Granger? I hope not. She is the only real main female character... they can't kill her. It's sexist I tell you!

Neville Longbottom? The boy has suffered enough. Crazies for parents, an utter and complete lack of social skills, and that name! Ach!

Severus Snape? Quite likely, and my sister will probably agree. The most hated man at Hogwarts will be beloved once everyone finds out he was only doing Dumbledore's bidding.

Draco Malfoy? He's pretty useless. I am not sure Rowling even plans to redeem him. If she isn't going to redeem him, then he is not important enough to go down in a blaze of glory...

So who do you think will die? I wonder if I should pre-order book seven... I seem to have succumbed to Potter mania.

Back from Hiatus

2007-07-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I last updated. Actually, I feel generally my postings have become quite sporadic, which is unfortunate.

I spent the past two weeks in Australia, and have thankfully picked up neither their slang nor their accent. But I do like how they occasionally refer to their president/prime minister person as 'Johnnie Howard'. I wish we could refer to George Bush as Georgie Bush. It seems so fitting. Rather like the name of a petulant child.

Being in Australia I was reminded that while the US may not be winning the war on terror, they sure are winning the culture war. 'Neighbors' may in fact be the only original Australian programming on TV. The show that took up the most airtime was 'The Simpsons', if there is a show more synonymous with American culture, I would love to hear about it. In fact, in Australia, I was able to watch such fabulous and stimulating programming as 'The Real World Las Vegas Reunion' show. I *love* America.

I also had a chance to catch 'Knocked Up'. Aside from the fact that the plot line was completely unbelievable, oh and that live birth scene (ew! totally gratuitous and unnecessary... I think I have been scarred for life... no wonder Anne Hathaway turned down the part...), the movie was pretty amusing. And Izzie was far more likable in the movie than Gray's itself.

I also had a chance to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef which led to the opportunity to drink large quantities of Pacific Ocean water. All I can say is... mmm... tasty! The reef was cool though. I think I was stalked by a somewhat inquisitive Zebra fish.

Cheating Darwin

2007-06-18T20:23:00.000-04:00

So I have been reading the latest edition of Vanity Fair, guest edited by Bono himself, which probably explains the less than stellar quality of some of the articles. It has been really hard to get through. Try as Bono might to celebrate the triumphs of Africa, there just isn't enough there. If Tunisia, a country that has been run by a succession of "benevolent dictators" is being held up as a model of Africa's future, you can't help but be troubled. And then not a single article manged to avoid the discussion of the diseases that have ravaged Africa over the generations.

I remember learning about Darwin and Malthus in high school. If you believe in both survival of the fittest and that population growth rapidly outstrips food production, then I wonder if epidemic disease is a way to shift populations, weed out the weak, and restore the balance between human populations and available resources. You see this often in the animal world, particularly with deer populations. If deer populations rise to an unsupportable level, many deer begin suffering from wasting disease and the population balance is restored within a couple seasons. Perhaps this is what Mother Nature is trying to do? But if it is...

Why is it that Africa is bearing the brunt of the burden?
What is our moral responsibility to alleviate these epidemics? Can we find a real cure or are we merely postponing an eventual and inevitable population shake out?
Are humans really capable of circumventing Darwinian logic?

If it is in fact possible to cheat evolution does that mean the creationists have it? Does it mean that Darwin was wrong? Or is cheating evolution simply mean that it is the fittest that do survive?

Fatty

2007-06-14T23:11:00.000-04:00

Why is it that today fatness, plumpness, and obesity are associated with the poor and less educated? It wasn't always like that. I still remember reading Anne of Green Gables when I was younger. Anne wished she had dimpled arms like Diana. I remember looking at my own arms and wondering where the dimples were supposed to be. So back in the day being rounder was not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was apparently a somewhat attractive quality. Maybe because plumpness connoted good health and wealth during a time when food was relatively scarce?

I guess what provoked this question for me was the very obese woman on the bus back to Boston yesterday. If I were hazarding a guess I would say she was morbidly obese. When I saw her, there were a couple things that ran through my head... things like, I hope I don't have to sit next to her (I like having my space) and why doesn't she take better care of herself and "white trash". But then I immediately felt guilty because there are plenty of people who are obese through no fault of their own, merely a cruel genetic trick and where do I get off judging people on their appearances. Then I felt worse when I heard other people whispering and snickering about her. Afterall, what I was doing wasn't much better...

But I wonder when exactly did obesity and income/education become so correlated? Is it that overly processed foods are expensive relative to fresh, healthy foods? Is it that gym access is expensive and not available to all? Is it that the poor and less educated have to work more jobs and more hours and don't have the time to take care of themselves? Fast food is always a quick and easy option.

My own gut reaction to obesity makes me wonder if there isn't a form of discrimination more insidious than racism. Racism is not acceptable to broader society, but I am inclined to think that weightism is sadly somehow more acceptable.

Long Time No See

2007-05-31T18:53:00.000-04:00

Wow! I have been gone for a month... and no one has noticed. Talk about tragic. I guess I am just a blip in the realm of the internet.

So what to write about there is all kinds of craziness going on...

Politics: I guess Bush is worried that Chancellor Merkel might try spank him and so has come up with his ridiculous Dilbert-esque plan of holding multi-year meetings to potentially address the potential problem of climate change. Oh and then there is the whole Iraq War timeline that never was. Literally sometimes I think the news is more like a comedy sketch than a report on the state of our reality.

Entertainment: I have seen several movies in the past week including Pirates of the Caribbean Take III and The Namesake. The former sucked big time. A pirate king? an octopus pirate? a voodoo Calypso? I was bored half way through the movie, but are you allowed to leave a sold out movie? The Namesake was relatively speaking better. But I didn't get the mother? I mean she did nothing except cook all the time. Yeah, was not loving that. And the slutty librarian. I didn't dig her either.

Sports: It is my belief that basketball players should be covered by SI more than People magazine. But apparently Tony Parker breaks the mold. In any case, the Pistons are giving me a serious case of ulceritis. And the Spurs irritate the crap out of me. Here's to hoping Game 5 keeps LeBron in check.

Books: I finished reading Never Let Me Go. It was good. But sad, but good. On the other hand, The Time Traveller's Wife, I was less thrilled about.

The Name Game

2007-04-30T22:54:00.000-04:00

It must suck to be a celebrity kid. You get saddled with the most god awful names. Now normal people give their kids names like Dan, Mike, Sara, and Jennifer. But apparently that is just too bland for celebs. I guess their kids need names that prove they are unique and privileged...

Apple Martini it used to be my favorite drink. Apprently it is Gwenyth's too!

And poor Chastity Bono. Not only did she have to live down her mother's exploits in real life and in drag queen renditions, but she had to do it while saddled with the name Chastity. That is just place rude! I wonder if that is why she is gay?

And what is the deal with all the city named kids? Paris Hilton, Brooklyn Beckham, Ireland Baldwin. Are they all named after places they were conceived? Talk about ew! No kid should be forced to think about such things on a daily basis. Interestingly a lot of kids are also named after months, August seems particularly popular. But I'll believe it when someone names their kid October.

Richard Gere has got to be one of the worst offenders in the name game. I am not sure if he is just clueless or truly has a mean streak. Homer James Jigme Gere. Now apparently, the poor sucker is named after his grandfather, but honestly when I hear the name Homer all I think off is a fat, loutish, yellow, beer guzzling cartoon character.

Got any other particularly bad names to share?

Sex, Lies, and Money

2007-04-30T16:05:00.000-04:00

So what is worse? Sleeping with a moderately pudgy, clingy, twenty-something in the Oval Office? Or getting your groove on with an moderately pudgy, graying, forty-something at the World Bank? Two seats of power. Two very different men, and two very different mistresses. Which is worse? Aesthetically neither couple seems particularly pleasing - Bill and Monica. The blue dress? Yuck! Wolfie and Shaha - I think I vomited in my mouth. I also think according to Bill's technical definition, they may actually have had "s-e-x".

I am not sure what Bush means when he says Wolfie acted in "good faith" regarding his companion. Is that "good faith" like the "good faith" Bush had in WMD in Iraq? or the "good faith" when he at Putin gazed lovingly into each other's eyes? And since when does someone's mistress get to be called a companion? Monica was never spared the ignominy. Why should Shaha be?

Random aside: I wonder if Shaha if of two minds about this though. Remember how Jennifer got mad when Angelina called her Brad's best friend in her Vanity Fair interview. As if Brad somehow viewed Jen as, I guess, asexual. Well talk about choosing a sanitized word. Companion brings up images of old women, spinsters, and chaperons. While they have all but admitted to gettin' it on, the word companion helps us forget.

Anyway, back to the 50% salary bump for his consort? Not even Monica got that and she let the leader of the free world score. All expenses paid trips to Iraq? Now I for one would have preferred Bora Bora, but you know those neo-con types, they'd probably prefer Tora Bora. While I don't begrudge Wolfie and Shaha their little sexcapades could they not do it on the tax payer dime?

And finally, if Wolfie is, and he clearly is, guilty of sleeping with a subordinate, lying about it, covering it up, and giving her huge amounts of money that is not his - then should he not be punished? Clinton did all the same, except unlike Wolfie he does not need to pay people to sleep with him, and he nearly got impeached. It seems only fitting that Mr. Wolfowitz should have to suffer the same.

Just in terms of full disclosure, I almost felt sort of bad writing this, because I just finished reading the article on Wolfowitz in the New Yorker and he really doesn't seem that bad...

Understanding the NFL Draft

2007-04-29T19:12:00.000-04:00

So I have played fantasy football, so I do have some vague sense of how the draft is supposed to work. That being said, I am totally baffled by this year's draft. Why so many defensive ends, defensive tackles, and offensive tackles in the first round? And why oh why, did the stupid Lions draft another friggin' wide receiver? I mean you need a couple of them, and I guess they are all about the spread offense. But a wideout is totally useless if there is not someone to get the ball in their hands. Hello - QB much?

Apparently, sensing my paranoia yesterday, the Lions did draft Drew Stanton. Now I love the idea of a hometown boy being a starting quarterback, but eh... I still see chokesville in his future. Detroit seems to lack good coaches and good supporting players, but it can't be any worse that what was going on in East Lansing.

While I want to be excited for the Lions, I have decided not to hold my breath. I remember what happened with Joey Harrington... oh the pain...

The Bettys of the World and Other Thoughts

2007-04-29T00:36:00.000-04:00

Is it possible for Bettys to Win?
After watching 'Clueless', I though a Betty was supposed to be a babe who got everything she wanted. Cher does point to her mother and call her a "total Betty". So you would think it is a good thing, but...

Remember Betty? Cheerleader, honor student, blonde hair, great body (well for a cartoon character)? She was the All-American girl. Too bad she was always second best in Archie's eyes. Always second best to rich, snobby, pert-nosed Veronica. Instead of being the girlfriend, she was the girl friend. Archie's best friend, emotional crutch, and substitute date... and quite frankly she was second best in my mind. I always wanted to be Veronica. Betty while pretty and smart was boring, and she didn't get the boy.

Apparently, things haven't changed that much because America's new, everywoman, (Ugly) Betty, can't seem to catch a break either. Her sister mocks her. Her crush has a girlfriend he won't dump. Her boss expects her to clean up all his messes. Her co-workers have a seemingly endless set of insulting nicknames they throw at her. To top it off, she isn't even as hot as cartoon-Betty. Not to mention Amanda ends up with all the best lines.

Early Onset Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease that's most well known symptom is memory deterioration. It typically occurs in the elderly, you have to be at least 65 or so. Imagine my surprise when Alberto Gonzales, apparently manifested a complete and utter loss of short term memory. So my question is this - if the man cannot remember, recall, or recollect major incidents that occurred over the last six months and is clearly suffering from dementia, should he really be AG? According to Bush - YES! Apparently memory deterioration is something that gives Bush confidence in his appointees... dear Lord! Maybe he should hire the Jokers from Arkham Asylum.

Random Aside
I watched Bill Moyer's "Buying the War" show on-line. It was nothing new, but it did irritate me beyond belief!

Was no one home at The Times or The Post? Maybe they were just out to lunch? A really long multi-year lunch? Apparently, the only people who really tried to report the news and inconsistencies on the evidence leading up to the Iraq War were the journalists at Knight-Ridder, who didn't even have a fair chance, since their papers don't release do major markets.

Did Big Media basically black out anti-war journalists? It has been awhile since Hearst used his media empire to foment the Spanish-American War. But since then, American journalists were supposed to be about truth - Watergate (though Woodward turned out to be all sorts of louse recently), Edward R. Murrow. But it seems that things have changed. Looks like MSNBC could not take the heat of old Phil Donahue poking holes in the case of the president and fired him.

Goddamn Judith Miller. She is everything a journalist should not be. She was Cheney's little lapdog. She makes me want to puke. She makes me want to discontinue my subscription to the New York Times. But then where would I go. Fox News? Hells no.

Incidentally, the show made me miss Dan Rather. I don't mind Charles Gibson, but I did grow up watching Dan give the news.

In the Last Couple Days

2007-04-28T23:10:00.000-04:00

I feel like I have been blogging non-stop, but somehow the moment I stop, all kinds of craziness happen...

Celebrities in the News

Hugh Grant dumped baked beans on paparazzi? Now anyone who has watched 'Bend It Like Beckham' has got to know that baked beans can do real damage and leave real scars!

Alec Baldwin called his daughter a "pig", seems a bit odd. But then my own father called me a "turkey" a few times. Whatever that means. I don't think I am too emotionally scarred though.

Richard Gere, I mean honestly if you are gonna pull an Adrian Brody on an Indian actress, at least go for a hotter one. Shilpa Shetty is like leftovers. The American version of, I don't know, maybe Meg Ryan... so like ten years ago.

Politics

I caught up on the Democratic debates on-line. Here were my takeaways.

No one will straight up answer a question. I mean Hillary and Edwards dodged the hedge fund question like there was no tomorrow. Wonder if it has something to do with donor dollars, Chelsea's job, and Johnny boy's advisory board position. The only people who had the balls to answer questions were Gravel and Kucinich, the two crazies, who don't have a chance in hell of winning. Even Richardson, who I actually had some hope for, turned the gun control question into a question about treating mental illness. No wonder he is the NRA's favorite candidate.

Apparently, John Edwards' daddy was a poor textile mill worker... blah... blah... blah. Isn't this the same story we have hear for the past four years? At least, he doesn't flip-flop on his family history. The sad thing is he appears to be the only Dem with a real chance of winning.

Mike Gravel is crazy! In fact, I was not sure if I should laugh or well laugh during his pontifications (e.g., rants). Personally, I wish the guy had received a little more air time because quite simply he added some levity to a very scripted debate.

Obama seems like less of a rock star than he did four years ago... I think he has finally become a real politician. He plays dodge ball like a pro!

Television and Books

The Grey's spin-off sounds utterly wretched. How many prime time hospital soaps can TV stand? And how many outlandish diseases can they think of to keep these shows going?

I am getting somewhat curious about the next Harry Potter book, which I find odd, since I am not even a super huge fan of the book. I wonder if Harry will kill Voldemort, or if it will be Neville, or maybe it will be Harry and Neville together. I really hope Hermione doesn't end up with Ron. I am just not that into guys with red hair. And image their children, yikes... freckled red heads with bushy hair and buck teeth. God forbid! Do you think Snape is bad? If he isn't bad, does that mean Draco could be good? Oh the confusion, and it all has to be resolved in several hundred pages, is it even possible?

My old babysitter had a front page article in the Globe today. I feel like I should link to it!

The Five Point Campaign

2007-04-24T19:37:00.000-04:00

So apparently, Obama announced his five point campaign a few days ago...

The first way America will lead is by bringing a responsible end to this war in Iraq and refocusing on the critical challenges in the broader region.

The second way America will lead again is by building the first truly 21st century military and showing wisdom in how we deploy it.

The third way America must lead again is by marshalling a global effort to meet a threat that rises above all others in urgency – securing, destroying, and stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

That’s why the fourth way America must lead is to rebuild and construct the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges and confront common threats.

The fifth way America will lead again is to invest in our common humanity – to ensure that those who live in fear and want today can live with dignity and opportunity tomorrow.

I think this is a five point plan everyone can agree with, well maybe with the exception of the hawkiest of the hawks, and that is precisely the problem. There are no details here. And I am really very curious to know what Obama means with position point #1. What in his mind is a "responsible end to this war in Iraq"? Leaving? Hmm... I was taught responsibility is to acknowledge the results of the decisions I made and clean up the mess.

I could quibble with other points, but that would be petty and not really worth it. But I do think his choice of words in point #1 is intriguing.

On the Distribution of Wealth

2007-04-24T11:29:00.000-04:00

There is an article in the New York Times today about how much money Hedge Fund Managers made last year. The top three hedge fund managers take home pay totals to the tune of $5+ billion. (I am trying to figure out how many Tiffany's engagement rings that equals, but I am getting confused by all the zeros!) In any case, the top 25 hedge fund managers earned about $14 billion this past year. That's enough to pay the 80,000 teachers in the New York City public school system for three years. It is also kind of sick.

I am all for people who can figure out how to create wealth. I mean I certainly hope to. But one person making $1.7 billion seems a bit odd. Especially since he does not really "do" anything. I wonder what he tells his children (if he has any that is). He is basically trading pieces of paper using a souped up excel model. It's like the Garbage Pail Kids collection I used to have. In fact, I would suppose that a lot of these hedge fund managers do more damage than good when they play in the public markets. Many of them with a focus on short-term earnings force companies to make decision while beneficial in the short-term, hurt the companies long-term prospects. It's kind of like how the US government refuses to balance the budget, great for now because they can have all these special pork barrel programs everyone loves, but crappy for people in the future who have to deal with the mess.

Anyway, this rant has a little more winding to go through. But today was the last day of one of my finance classes, and I was surprised that the professor quoted from the New York Times article mentioned above. He said people need to think about wealth creation and wealth distribution and not either in isolation which is what the Republicans and Democrats, respectively, tend to do. He also said that anyone who can justify CEO pay in America today clearly has yet learn "common sense". Now if this is true, and I for one do believe most CEOs are overpaid, what does this say about money managers and private equity sorts who do not manage people and who do not "create" anything.

Finally, on a somewhat related note, another group of "financiers" who have often troubled me are so-called "turnaround artists". These are guys like W.R. Ross. Ross is probably best know for the International Steel Group roll-up he created, and sold a few years ago to Mittal Steel, turning a neat $250 million profit for himself. Some might call this a success, but what about all the people who were laid off? who had their benefits cut? Clearly, there was value to go around as evidenced by the considerable sum Ross & Co. managed to tuck away as they steam rolled through the MidWest. According to my professor, every ecosystem needs a vulture. And I guess for the steel industry it was Ross. Perhaps it is with this same lens that one needs to view hedge funds? If you show any sign of weakness, if there is any blood, they will come after you. After all, I guess everyone needs lunch?

Polar Bears

2007-04-23T21:58:00.001-04:00

I am watching my polar bear cam right now. I like polar bears. They are cute. It is sad that the government refuses to accept global warming is a reality. The melting of the polar ice caps may not result in the flooding of Manhattan as depicted in Al Gore's movie 'An Inconvenient Truth', but it will certainly be problematic for polar bears. They aren't the world's most fabulous swimmers. They are dependant on the ice as a platform for hunting seals.

How can you not want to protect polar bears?

Thinking About Iraq

2007-04-22T19:37:00.000-04:00

If you have eyes and ears, it is hard to not think about Iraq. Here are some thoughts I have had over the past couple days...

Yes, it is sad that 32 people died at Virginia Tech. But on a scale of relative "badness" what is worse? the isolated killing of 32 people in Virginia? or the daily death of at least 32 civilians in Iraq? I hesitate to apply a scale of moral relativity. However, if you look at the way the news was apportioned between Iraq and Virgina Tech over the past week, it would appear the press has. 32 American lives are worth more than 224 Iraqi lives.
When will we learn pick and choose the strongmen we choose to topple. History has taught us bad things happen when heterogeneous populations lose their dictators. Half a million people died during the partition when the British Raj left India. We all know what happened when Tito was toppled in Yugoslavia. The trials are still running at the Hague. Thirty years after the departure of Belgians, Rwanda erupted in violence and genocide not seen since the 1940s. While the distrust and bad blood is rarely evident at the surface, it is always there. How we missed it is beyond me!

Why is the world so unwilling to split Iraq up into three different countries? It's what happened with Yugoslavia, despite potential concerns of the Albanians and Greeks. So the Turks don't want Kurdistan, but they'll get over it. It's not like they are doing anything to help now. Can't we just be done with this?

Being Pro-Life

2007-04-18T23:22:00.000-04:00

I consider myself to be a pro-life. I do not believe in capital punishment. I am by no means a fan of abortion. I believe in gun control and an automatic weapons ban, which could have prevented things like the tragic incident at Virginia Tech. I am against genocide and war and think we should have exercised more thought before going into Iraq and should try and intervene in Darfur. So it really irritates me that anti-abortion proponents, many of whom happen to be supporters of the the death penalty and the NRA, have co-opted the term pro-life.

While I am not a fan of abortion, I recognize that there are cases in which it may be necessary. My issues with the ban on "partial birth abortion" - other than the name, because it is certainly not a medical term - is that it is the first step in anti-abortionists' crusade against Roe v. Wade. It will be a sad day indeed, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, and women are forced to seek out the help of less than scrupulous "doctors".

The thing that gets me about the anti-abortion crowd is that they seem to be against the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. How often are they out there telling politicians that we don't need to teach kids just about abstinence but also about birth control? Are they leading the charge against pharmacists who refuse to fill birth control prescriptions? I am quite sure, anti-abortion supporters are at the front lines in preventing US international aid dollars going towards family planning. If indeed they feel the need to restrict a woman's ability to control her body and destiny, it is only fitting they do the same for men. Why not mandate vasectomy's by a certain age? I am sure the Thomas, ScAlito, Roberts, and Kennedy would have voted for that!

Anti-abortion proponents need to think for a moment and realize that no one wants abortions to be happen. In no world is it an ideal situation. At best it is a tragic solution to those in a desperate situation. Within my framework of beliefs being pro-choice is completely compatible with being pro-life!

Seeing Double...

2007-04-17T23:17:00.000-04:00

I thought Al Gore had a lock on being the Democrat whose soapbox issue was the environment. But apparently John Kerry has jumped on the bandwagon as well with his new book. I guess it's something ex-Democratic nominees for president do? I really hope one of the Dem's wins the 2008 election because I am not sure how many new books on the environment, the environment can take!

Not Desperate Enough...

2007-04-16T23:11:00.000-04:00

No one seems to watch Desperate Housewives with me anymore. At first I thought it was me. But now after finally watching this episode, I have come to the conclusion that it is the show. I don't even want to watch it with me anymore. Here's why...

Susan. Are you as bored of her as I am? Why didn't she just drown? Susan, Ian, and Mike. The drab three. I literally yawn when any of them are on camera. I mean we already know Susan is going to dump Ian's ass, take his money, and go back to Mike. Might as well fast forward to the next act.
Edie and Carlos. No. Yuck! Although Carlos did always want a kid. Must delete.
The Scavos are being destroyed! Lynette would not cheat, certainly not when Tom is literally flat on his back, and not with an ex-coke snorter. She can do better than that. The Scavos are the dysfunctional, love-hate, suburbia couple I aspire to be. You can't destroy them now. You already almost did that with Tom's demon spawn earlier.
I am not sure Gabby has done anything useful since she convinced little wannabe models to turn bulimic. Her holier than thou stunt with the mayoral candidate was more juvenile than Season 1 Gabby. And his ultimately successful attempts to get her back were pathetic. I mean come on man! She stole you ex-wife's couture. Gold digging slut vs. power player politician. I would go for the latter, but then that's just me.
I miss Bree! I miss her stepford wife-ish Breeisms. The way she can give you the verbal ass kicking of your life all without breaking a sweat or showing a frown line. I guess while Bree's daughter is having Austin's illegitimate child in Florida or whatever, Marcia Cross had her twins. Sadness. Bree/Marcia... come back before I give up on this show forever.

This show needs some major changes, starting with a real villain. I thought Orson would be it, but then they redeemed him. And now he is apparently just like his SATC alter ego, except he can get it up. Oh, and while you are finding a new villain Cherry&Co, it might be a good idea to dig up a real plot. The will she or won't she with Susan is getting really old, really fast.

Reconsidering, Perhaps...

2007-04-16T22:36:00.000-04:00

Watching '24' today, I had an epiphany of sorts. If a TV show on FOX can have two black presidents across it's six seasons on air, perhaps America is ready for a real life black president. Although, I gotta say, these guys seem to have had rather tumultuous terms. The first president was killed by homegrown terrorists, and the second suffered an attempted assassination by individuals within his own administration. I guess that's tough love? Barack - you sure you want in?

Who the heck is Ron Paul? I had never heard of him before. But he was on Bill Maher a few weeks ago and that is how I found out he was running for president. The guy is apparently a Republican from Texas and a hardcore libertarian, talk about an endangered species. I can't think of a Republican lately who advocated a smaller government. Bush, himself, expanded the federal government with the Department of Homeland Security and the Czars of Wiretapping and Torture.

But anyway back to Ron Paul. I am not sure I am with him on global warming denial, but I am with him on ending subsidies to Big Oil and ending wars over oil! I also like his skepticism of the CIA. He is probably right that the CIA's involvement in the "selection" or "deselection" of developing world leaders have fomented terrorist activities against us.

His most interesting comments were on the Civil War. He does not think the Civil War was necessary. Britain and other nations were able to end slavery without an all out war. I am not sure if the Civil War could have been averted, and I do wonder if he truly believes it could have been. But anyone who has taken AP US History knows that the Civil War was not about slavery, it was about states rights and the business interests of the North. Abraham Lincoln was no real friend of the slaves either. If he was, the Emancipation Proclamation would have been signed much earlier, not two years into the war, and not without a constitutional amendment prohibiting slavery.

Again, I have no real intention of voting for the guy. But he is a former doctor, and while some of his ideas are really kind of out there, he does strike me as a "thinking" individual. And while it does not take much to beat our current president, it is still something to find a Republican who does not always toe the party line. A new maverick?

The Iraq Conversation Extended and Continued

2007-04-11T23:34:00.000-04:00

I have a hard time respecting the policy decisions of Democrats who call for a complete exit of US forces from Iraq. Sure you can pull an Obama... I never would have voted for the war or this war was launched with false evidence and the likes. But that does not change the fact that we are in war of our own making. We waged war on Iraq with essentially no provocation, and now we want to up and leave? It just seems wrong.

In the aftermath of World War II, when Europe was laid waste, we did not leave. We stayed. We gave them a Marshall plan. We rebuilt Japan. Why are the Democrats, historically the less isolationist of the two parties, so against fixing the mess we made? Or at lease trying to make amends? I am a firm believe that what goes around, comes around. And if that is true, something is going to bite us in the ass real soon.

Still my feelings on the positions of Obama and Edwards aside, John McCain's comments today were neither constructive nor well advised. It seems that the nonpartisan McCain of 2000 is forever gone, in his stead we have mini-Bush who can only pander to his "base" (and I use the term base loosely because it is unclear if he can truly convert the hardcore conservatives). After describing the Democrats as happy after passing legislation setting a timetable for with drawl from Iraq, he proceeded to say,

"What were they celebrating?Defeat? Surrender? In Iraq, only our enemies were cheering.”

You would think McCain would be suitably chastened after his "I'm a fuckwit" statement on security in Iraq earlier this week. Apparently not! If he's lucky, and I mean lucky, he may be able to secure his party's nomination. But as they say, it'll be a cold day in hell before he wins a general election... which reminds me, where does he stand on global warming?

Black and White: Why are men stupid?

2007-04-10T17:50:00.000-04:00

I stayed in a newspaper free zone for the majority of the weekend, so Monday I was pretty surprised to hear about the Don Imus uproar. Sure it was a stupid and unkind thing to say, I am not sure what is funny about calling articulate women "nappy headed hos", but is it really that surprising that a radio shock jock said something stupid? Plenty of people have made very unfortunate and inappropriate comments before, among them old, white men like Rush Limbaugh and Trent Lott.

People have every right to call for Don Imus' resignation, but I cannot help but wonder if those spearheading these calls have their own agenda to further. Rev. Al Sharpton has made plenty of hurtful comments in the past, not to mention that during the drama of Tawana Brawley, he actually managed to tar and feather a man, for which to this day, he still claims no responsibility. And then there is Jesse Jackson, who has had his own missteps, particularly with regards to slurring Jews.

Now their own transgressions might not even matter if they applied standards more uniformly. Don Imus deserves to be chastised for his racist remarks, but do rappers deserve to be chastised for their misogynist remarks? Or what about ministers, many of them African-American, who consistently preach rather hateful messages directed towards the gays and lesbians?

Personally I think, this might be a good time for everyone from media personalities and musicians to politicians and the general public to exercise a little introspection.

Catching Myself Up

2007-04-05T16:57:00.000-04:00

Is it just me or are you too getting bored of this never ending game of chicken between President Bush and the Democratic Congress? So I get that Bush doesn't take ultimatums well, wonder if there is some history there between him and Pappy Bush, but threatening to veto a bill to fund our troops seems ludicrous and more than a little petty. The repeated need to prove that he is the boss is getting old. Seriously, if I didn't know better I would guess he has all the insecurities of a short, pudgy, and balding middle age man. Still as much as I may despise GWB, he is not alone in this. The Democrats need to avoid squandering whatever advantage they have gained in these past elections by not turning into the Newt Gingrich congress of the late-90s. The rhetoric between the president and Congress is reminiscent of the Gingrich led government shutdown, only with much higher stakes. So instead of letting John Edwards and Barack Obama rant on about an immediate and complete withdrawal, Democrats should tone it down and develop a realistic solution that doesn't involve a massive showdown between the executive and legislative branches.

Apparently it is possible to swiftboat your way into an appointed office. Just ask Sam Fox. $50,000 worth of anti-Kerry swiftboating ads got him Belgium. Go Bush and the recess appointment. I wonder if I make a $1000 contribution to One More Term for Bush if he'll let me have the Congo... it's GDP is 1/20th of Belgium...

Some still believe the third time is a charm. Kirk Kerkorian first tried to take over Chrysler almost a decade ago in a buyout partnership with Lee Iacocca. When that failed he sold his shares. Then he bought a stake in General Motors, only to sell it, when his dream of created an automotive behemoth (e.g., the merge of Nissan, Renault, and GM) did not come to fruition. Gee, like that's a surprise. And now Tracinda is back at it again, looking to buyout Chrysler from its German parents for a mere $4.5bn. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that the auto industry is troubled, but $4.5bn does seem absurdly low. The fact that Kerkorian was willing to offer over $20bn just 12 years ago only proves that he is low-balling DaimlerChrysler. That is $1.3bn on value disappearing on an annualized basis. It would be interesting to assess Chrysler's liquidation value, I would not be surprised if it hovered around the $5bn range.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder?

2007-04-04T15:08:00.000-04:00

I have been away from my blog for weeks, but no one seems to have missed me. How tragic is that? Well I blog for me, not for all the nameless, faceless people out there.

So here after my weeks away is my new, I'm dying to vent about list...

Sanjaya Malakar - Who is this rando and how did he get a spot on Idol? It's killing me! Is he even Indian? At worst (because he is giving us such a bad name), he can only be half Indian. I swear when I heard him try to channel Diana Ross with the hair and the music, I about died. Some people can sing and some people can't. But apparently, there is this new category of people who sound like strangled geese when they sing... Sanjaya that is where you belong, now it is up to the tweeners to realize that!

John McCain - Yes, the markets in Baghdad are safe when you are in bullet proof vests accompanied by a platoon of soldiers who have cleared the market for yeah. Puhleeze. McCain better get a grip on reality if he hopes to win this election. I think that cancerous lesion on his face may have spread to his brain.

Florida - Yuck! They foiled the Buckeyes again. As a Big Ten fan, I find it tragic. I think I may have a new hated school to put right up there with UMich, Chapel Hill, USC, and Duke.

Barack Obama - I just can't stand him. I am not sure why. There is something about the way he talks. He just seems to self-righteous and patronizing.

Reasons To Be Happy

2007-03-15T22:14:00.000-04:00

Oh! There are so many reasons to be happy today.

Michigan State won a 1st round NCAA game and didn't even look half inept. Actually, I didn't get to watch the entire game, so I am not 100% sure about that, but they did hold Marquette scoreless for the first ten minutes of the first half. That's gotta mean something! I really hope they don't get Chapel Hill next, but a No. 1 seed has never been knocked off before.
So far the Big Ten is 2-0 in NCAA games with Michigan St. and Ohio St.'s wins. Take that all you haters!
Did you know Duke has not lost a first round game NCAA tournament game in like ten friggin' years? Talk about crazy. But this bizzaro win streak, finally ended today! I admit to being as much of a Duke hater as the next person. But that being said, I think Duke played pretty well, but VCU played better. And more than that VCU's game just wore them down. I have never seen a press quite like that before. Pitt better watch out!
I had almost forgotten about the Gin Blossoms, and then I turned on the TV. And there they were...

Finally, A Little Honesty

2007-03-14T22:28:00.000-04:00

A lot of people aren't huge fans of Hillary, and neither am I. She never seems real. She's always a little too stiff and a little to rehearsed. After hearing her talk, I always wonder what she's really thinking. Well today, she finally told us. She actually outlined a fairly detailed position on Iraq, and while it is likely to be immensely unpopular, and I am not in complete agreement with it, I do respect her for it.

Prior to today, Hillary was shades of Kerry with her double negatives in explaining her Iraq vote. Like she would not have not voted for the Iraq war if she knew what she knew now. But Obama and Edwards have been equally tired with their call for a unilateral pull out of Iraq. Sure we were wrong to go in, but we are there now. It's a cesspool of violence, and in going in, we have allowed Al Qaeda, who didn't have much traction with Saddam, to get in. So while Iraq did not originally pose much of a threat to the us or the rest of the world, it is safe to say that they do now.

I like Hillary's idea of maintaining some small presence in Iraq for the foreseeable future. It allows the US to have some eyes and ears on the ground to actively monitor the situation. The scaled down presence will also force the Iraqi government to get it together and start doing their job. Finally, it will prevent Iran from having a free reign in the country.

While I think Hillary may have shot herself in the foot with her statements, I do have to give her some credit! If the rest of the candidates would get a little real instead of pandering to their base, all this pre-election campaigning might actually mean something!

The New York Times

2007-03-13T18:17:00.000-04:00

After reading Kristof's Op-ed on Darfur, I decided to post something on his blog. A bunch of people beat me too it, and some of them were pretty far off topic, but still you can check out my comment. Although I think one of the later posters thought I was an ignorant American for highlighting that Darfur was a case of Muslims fighting against other Muslims.

It's That Time of Year Again

2007-03-12T23:36:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again... spring, flowers, and MARCH MADNESS!

So the brackets were announced the other day, and I breathed a sigh of relief when they announced MSU. After the initial euphoria though, it was back to sadness. Even if State gets past Marquette, they have to face off against Chapel Hill, and I have some bad memories of the last time that happened. I hate ACC teams from North Carolina, sigh...

All things considered the Big Ten did a decent job of placing teams in the tournament with a grand total of 5. Sure other conferences had more teams, and typically I don't mind... but the PAC-10? Come on! They (for the most part) play basketball worse than me, and while I play a mean game of HORSE, I am not sure that's saying all that much.

Not only did the PAC-10 get more teams into the tournament, they got them in at a higher average seeding. (See below.) Some of these teams came out of nowhere to earn these seedings. And while the guy who lead the selection committee may be a fellow Princetonian, I have a serious bone to pick with him!

Setting aside my PAC-10 hatred, the bracket does look interesting. I could jump on the bandwagon of those who think the mid-majors got screwed (I do think they did), but it would be rather hypocritical given that State might not have made it if Drexel and a few others had.

Here are some teams I like...

MidWest
Florida because despite Billy Donovan's used car salesman look, and the fact that OSU is rated No. 1 in the AP, Florida is still the team to beat.
Old Dominion because someone has to fight the fight for the mid-majors.
Wisconsin because they can slow down a game like no one else and make you fall asleep standing up.
Oregon because I was afraid of jinxing a team who shall not be named.

West
Kentucky because the Wildcats and Tubby have something to prove.
UCLA because they are bitter about not being a 1 seed, and because they are the only really deserving PAC-10 team.
Pitt because yeah, I don't know why. They are the 3 seed and shouldn't prove why?
S. Illinois because they are the Salukis and they got D.

East
Michigan St. because they are my boys!!
Texas because they got a big man, and I would love to see some USC ass-kicking!
Georgetown because they won the Big East, have little John Thompson, and Ewings' son.
George Washington because they have some legit wins and both Vandy and Wash St. are takeable.

South
Ohio State because Greg Oden is the man!
Memphis because they are huge, also perhaps seeded a little higher than they deserve, which should help early on.
Louisville because they can leverage the home court advantage
Long Beach St. Why not? They have a crazy winning streak, and a coach whose contract needs to be renewed.

The Dumbing Down of America

2007-03-11T19:18:00.000-04:00

I was talking to some friends earlier in the week about the increasing sophistication of certain mainstream Hollywood movies. Movies like Babel, Little Miss. Sunshine etc. are a definite departure from the American Pie cliche. Part of this could be due to Americans growing appreciation of cinema as an art form, or as my more cynical, often international, friends suggest, the fact that Hollywood generates the majority of its revenues overseas where audiences crave a more substantive product. So imagine my surprise after a year of great movies, 300 has just broken the March box office records with its use of blood, gore, violence, CGI, and use of Muslims as the big bad.

In the Service of America

2007-03-11T12:50:00.000-04:00

Halliburton, the Cheney corporate toy, that is always in the service of the American people (who are in fact their biggest source of revenue via the federal income tax), has decided to move it's headquarters from the lovely state of Texas to Dubai. Interesting, no doubt... the general claim is that by shifting headquarters, Halliburton will be able to better serve the Middle Eastern oil mega-entities. But what about us, the little people in America? By shifting headquarters, not only will Halliburton continue to be able to siphon off American tax dollars with the tacit approval of Bush, Cheney, & Co., but they will also be able to get huge tax breaks in tax-free Dubai. I sense a record year for Halliburton profits, a record year for the cheating of the American tax payer, and a record year for leaks of top secret US information by a shady government contractor. Rather than a strategic move, this appears to be a shifty move. I wonder if Cheney has some backdated options sitting next to the skeletons in his closet...

The Secret Lives of Republican Men

2007-03-06T16:54:00.000-05:00

If Ann Coulter is to be believed, liberal women are ugly whereas Republican women are "pretty-girls". Now I personally think Ann Coulter should be taken with a large dose of salt, but if you are a Republican and believe her, can you explain why so many Republican men leave their pretty-girl wives?

Rudy Guiliani - Presidential nominee wannabe and thrice married. Rudy even had the nerve to dump his second wife during a press conference, before telling her... shades of Matt Damon on Oprah.

Newt Gingrich - I guess Republicans like to do things in three, because Newt (and who names their kid after an amphibian) is thrice married as well. In fact, he divorced his first wife when she was fighting cancer, and he divorced his second wife for an aide (read: someone half his age). Seems that despite their "prettiness", Republican women seem to have a hard time keeping their husbands occupied.

Bob Packwood - Not only did he sexually harass over 20 women, but he also documented all his exploits in a diary. This proves that not only are Republicans dirty, old, men, but they are also flat out dumb!

Clarence Thomas - Technically he has never run for office as a Republican, but I don't think he could be considered anything but by any stretch of the imagination. Thomas claimed he was 'lynched' by the Judiciary committee, but I doubt it. Women didn't come forward with sexual harassment claims back then without getting their reputations trashed. So I am firmly sticking with Anita Hill's side of the equation.

The FOX News "reporters" (and I use the word loosely) - While hating on Clinton and Democrats everywhere, O'Reilly apparently had enough time to try and solicit a colleague for phone sex. In further proof that Republicans are ugly SOBs, he got shot down and sued for sexual harassment. Rush Limbaugh (FOX news consultant?) is a serial dater and cheater. By my count he may be on wife No. 4. Looks like Republican women are pretty darn desperate if they are going for fat, balding men with addictions to oxycontin.

Got anyone else to add to the list?

On Sport: The Game of Lying, Cheating, and Name Calling

2007-03-03T17:39:00.000-05:00

So apparently Ann Coulter thinks that John Edwards is a 'faggot', and she plans to endorse Mitt for President. I suppose Edwards should feel offended by this, but looking at the spectrum of those Coulter hates - liberals, Democrats, agnostics, Muslims, widows of 9/11, African-Americans, journalists, and those she likes -- Joe McCarthy (her personal hero), Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity... maybe he should be thankful. Coulter's disdain means that you are always on the right side of virtually every issue!

Imagine my surprise when in the middle of the Mich. - OSU game, I am subjected to a painful HOOTERS commercial featuring none other than Dick Vitale. Talk about your low budget commercials. Vitale looked like he was pasted into literally every scene. You would think HOOTERS has made enough money off of truck-driving middle America to pull off a better editing job than this. And you would think Vitale has enough self-respect to avoid such tasteless promotions...

So Mich St. loses a buzzer beater to Wisconsin in the Cheese State. I am certain Michigan State would have won the game had the refs been only slightly less biased. Never have I seen so many offensive fouls called in one game, and the vast majority of them went against State. The Big Ten is all about a physical, inside game. What were these refs hopped up on? Oh well, Wisconsin has history on it's side. The Badgers have only lost 5 games at home in the past six years. But next year baby! those Badgers are going to be nothing but road kill!

Who says Michigan players are not cheaters? I watched the Michigan - Ohio St. game and I can certainly attest to the fact that Sims poked his finger into Cook's eye. That seems like a not very sporting thing to do...

Apparently, Obama's maternal relatives owned slaves. Perhaps he can win the South after all? (just kidding... I think...)

Breaking News...

2007-02-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well talk about shockers. John McCain finally, formally announced that he would run for President. Please like there were any doubts? I thought the Bush/Cheney ass-kissing done of late was all testament to his desire to win a Republican nomination. But personally I wouldn't want to listen to anything coming out of his lips... who knows where they have been.

According to my favorite news outlet, People, Posh Spice is all set to have her own new show. Allegedly, it is all set to focus on the life and times of Posh Spice. But there are numerous directions a show like this could go in.

(1) What do washed up Brits like Posh and Becks do when they hit the mean streets of LA?
(2) Is there such a thing as too much plastic surgery?
(3) Can white, British, ex-Spice girls really rap?

So everyone I know seems to adore Grey's Anatomy. But honestly, since the end of the first season I have just not been that into it. I was hoping against hope that Meredith would die at the end of the 3-part arc, but clearly the Fates are working against me. So here are some things I propose to the writers of the show to get me to start watching again.

Meredith dies. Yeah, I know it's not going to happen. They never kill the title character, except that one time on Dallas, but then they turned that whole season into a dream sequence. I will continue dreaming...
More McSteamy. 'Cuz I just think he's pretty hot. So he's an arrogant bastard, but I kind of wish I had gone to med school if the real world makes doctor's that look like him.
Christina having a Prestina baby and then getting a sex change. Let's face it, she totally wears the pants in any relationship. Did Christina even show up to last season's prom in a dress? Dude, the lady's a man.
George being gay. Every drama needs it's requisite gay character, even Desperate Housewives has one. If you compare George to Christina, he is definitely a girl. His brothers certainly seem to think so. Every woman on the show bullies him, especially Izzie. He's wife is larger than him. It all makes sense.
Izzie turning into a Dr. Kevorkian like character. I mean she already "killed" one patient. This could be like a serial killer plot line. All daytime soaps seem to have them, why not test it out in primetime.
Alex's sperm come back to haunt him. It turns out he has fathered like 20 children in the greater Seattle area. Hey. It fits his real life story. And it would likely also kill any chance of Addisex. How awesome would it be if Addison was the OB-GYN for all of Alex's illegitimates? Talk about buzz kill.

What do you think? Have better suggestions?

And history appears to be repeating itself... just like Bush Sr. failed the read my lips test on taxes, so to did Junior fail to find the oft cited uranium in Iraq. And now, in what amounts to be one of the administrations biggest take backs, it appears that the North Korean nuclear arms program is not nearly as far along as the administration has led us to believe. When are the guys in Washington going to realize that the semi-lucid, very insane despots who run these countries are prone to saying random and crazy things to further consolidate what limited power they have. I mean seriously...

Did You Know?

2007-02-27T23:09:00.000-05:00

Mitt Romney's grandparents were polygamists. Hmm... that seems a tad off. Ok, so maybe it was like his great-great-grandparents. But I still this it is unnatural. Interestingly, that's how people define gay marriage... people like crazy, conservative, Republicans that Romney himself is desperately trying to woo.

So I did find a Sex & the City character poll... I must say I am quite puzzled. Apparently, I am Carrlotte. I could either be Charlotte or Carrie.

Charlotte - Ummm... me an optimist?
You're more than an optimist. To you, the glass is always half full...even when it's broken. Sure, you can be a little overzealous in the pursuit of perfection. But that dedication is also what makes you such a great friend to have. You're a winner because you never quit. You persevere even when the odds are stacked against you (which happens more than you'd like to admit).
Carrie - A "fashion plate"? I like it!
Is it possible to be an old-fashioned romantic and a fashionplate for the modern age, all at once? Somehow, you make it work. You're a living contradiction: intelligent and worldly, yet constantly surprised by what life throws at you; fiercely independent, yet desperately longing for lasting love. With all of that going on in your head, it's a wonder you even get up in the morning!

Football, Basketball, Oh My

2007-02-25T14:42:00.000-05:00

Clearly, I am not as bright as I thought I was when it comes to sports...

I only just discovered that Andre Rison, of Left Eye fame, played for Michigan State. This is so weird to me, in large part because he made some clutch plays during the only Rose Bowl trip State made in my life time. I remember so much of that game, where I watched it, running around in circles when USC came back and it looked like State would lose, Lorenzo White, like the best running back MSU ever had. But how could I forget Andre Rison, especially since Plaxico could not break his career record, his name must have come up all the time with sport commentators. Clearly I am losing it...

I want to point out yet again how much I despise certain NBA players, who are seemingly only in the game for the money. Case in point Ben Wallace. Of all the teams to trade yourself to... the Bulls? The bloody, flippin' Bulls? It is ridiculous. Just like his hair and the new NBA cheerleader commercials airing on ABC.

Michigan State beat Indiana last night, but nearly gave me a case of heart palpitations in the process. I had not realized that IU has not beaten Michigan State at the Breslin since 1991. Wow! Talk about your droughts. I gotta say though, the fact that the sports commentators kept bringing it up really did scare me.

Apparently, Minnesota is desperately seeking a coach. Monson was given the boot a few months ago. Personally, I feel kind of bad for the guy, Clem Haskins did a number on the program. But now the Gophers want Flip Saunders to save their basketball program. I have mixed feelings about this. I was definitely not thrilled when the Pistons hired Saunders, I mean he couldn't get the Timberwolves a title with their very legitimately good players and Ben Wallace left (perhaps an unrelated event). But I like seeing some year-to-year consistency, I don't want the Pistons to be left in the lurch again.

Talk about craziness... Nick Saban, aka. the turncoat, is back to coaching college football... at 'Bama. I wonder how all those LSU fans feel about that... someone is going to be getting a lot of hate mail! Muhahahhaa!

Who thinks Tommy Ammaker is going to be fired this year? I think if Michigan does not make a serious run in the tournament this year, his job may well be "endangered".

Let The Games Begin

2007-02-21T22:12:00.000-05:00

Fight in the lunchroom. The Democrats are at it. Again! So much for Hill - Obama ticket. Don't see that one happening in this lifetime. And does anyone honestly think, Hillary would consent to be anyone's Veep. I think not! Seriously though, David Geffen and the rest of the Dreamworks clan should just keep their mouths' shut. And poor move by Obama in not attending the Nevada forum. Who does he think he is, the Queen of Sheba?

Michigan State is back in business. Woohoo! Knocking off the boys from the Cheese State. Love it! I can't wait for some March Madness...

Brit-Brit has apparently finally realized that bald is not her best look. I am not sure that the blonde wig works for her either, but hell, hair on any sort is a step in the right direction for her.

The charade that is/was Anna Nicole Smith's life continues on. Imagine my surprise when I turned to watch Hardball on MSNBC this afternoon and found myself watching the Anna Nicole trial -- LIVE! God. She is more famous in death than in life, now this is true for many people, but in her case it is simply sad...

Nooooooo! Make Grey's stop please. No more talk of this Addison spin-off. But perhaps this does spell the demise of Addisex. One can only hope!

I wish there was a survey to figure out which Sex & the City girl are you. Lately, I find myself relating to Carrie, and it is freakin' me out.

FOX, Nice Try, But Not Good Enough

2007-02-18T00:58:00.000-05:00

After Colbert's trouncing of O'Reilly the other day, I guess the honchos at FOXNews thought they needed their own comedy show. Hence the birth of The 1/2 Hour News Hour. The title itself proves how utterly foolish conservatives are. Besides which, they should honestly know better. I mean have some self-awareness. Can you even think of a conservative comedian? I certainly cannot. Conservatives are not funny, in fact, they are rather mean spirited. Take a look at the first clip, and if it doesn't make you cringe, well you must be a Hannity regular.

I mean Rush as President? That's quite possibly worse than the current administration, and I wasn't really sure that was even possible. Ann Coulter as Veep? Talk about nightmarish. I think I truly would be forced to move to France if a Rush - Coulter ticket won any sort of election - city council even, let alone a presidential election. But aside from the utterly unamusing scenario the sketch outlines, there is no comedy in the clip. It is just the usual vitriol spewed by FOXNews on a regular basis. Who on earth will watch this garbage? Well besides me for the purposes of blogging...

Bald Britney

2007-02-17T15:21:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that's what I said... check it out. I guess the girl has some serious issues...

A Hollywood Travesty

2007-02-17T02:31:00.000-05:00

I grew up reading Nancy Drew books. The old ones. The pages were slightly yellowed, dusty, and quite honestly a little musty, but they were authentic, you know? The real deal. It was great. Then Nancy got a little older and started dating Ned Nickerson. And then she got a little older still and started solving the occasional mystery with the Hardy Boys. I distinctly remember a little somethin' somethin' going on between Nancy and the older Hardy boy, who's name I cannot recall, yet strangely, his age I do remember. He couldn't have been out of college. So now tell me why. Why are Ben Still and Tom Cruise going to star in the movie version of The Hardy Boys?

So I get that Tom Cruise might still think he is Maverick. But the fact of the matter is he is pushing on 50, and these days he isn't looking that much younger than 40. And Ben Stiller? Yeah, no. This is the worst combination I have heard of since the movie version of Scooby Doo with the blond Freddie Prinze Jr. and a CGI canine. Why could they not have cast guys like Jake Gyllenhal? Toby Maguire? Tom Welling? Josh Harnett? Anything but this... sigh. God I hope they don't spoil Nancy Drew by turning her into a movie too!

In other Hollywood related randomness, what on earth is Beyonce doing on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition? The girl is quite attractive, but the airbrush was working hard on that cover... some wonderbra and thighs begone... she is curvy more than muscular. Not sure she is an SI girl, besides which she is everywhere I turn. I think she needs to go on the dl for a little while.

On My Last Nerve

2007-02-14T00:50:00.000-05:00

Lately there are a lot of things that have been getting on my nerves. Quite frankly, I am at my wits end...

Why are idiots sometimes right? It pains me to say this especially after all his nonsense about global warming, but Michael Crichton might actually be right about something. In his op-ed piece, Patenting Life, for the NYTimes, he very clearly lays out the problem with patenting human genes. Drug companies profit off of illness which seems somewhat distasteful, but those who have patents on genes have the ability to block the development of technology to detect and treat disease. That to me is beyond wrong. Kudos to Crichton for getting on the right side of this issue.
Mitt Romney. How dare the flip-flopper come to my state, my state, not his state, to declare his candidacy. There are no words for my displeasure. If Romney cared so much about Michigan, instead of making speeches at the Ford Museum, he would have tried to fix Ford. Why not be the Governor of Michigan? Not man enough for the job??
Princeton Basketball. In the cellar yet again. God. How I remember the days when we played Duke, UCLA, MSU, and now... now we suck. Big Time! It's enough to make a girl cry.
Katie Couric. I too rejoiced when a woman finally got a seat at the anchor table, but honestly did it have to be her. I grew up on CBS News, and I never switched until her. Sure Dan's Ratherisms could be a bit much, but Katie is like a cheerleader, except way older. Somehow reporting on Iraq, which incidentally does not happen much on CBS anymore, and if it does it is with stupid Laura Logan who can't seem to decide if she is a reporter or a wannabe model, does not jive well with the perky, girl next door routine. Katie belongs to talk news, like Today. Why didn't they get Diane Sawyer or Christine Amanpour or Meredith Viera?
Alex Karev is hot? Seriously, who are you kidding? McSteamy is the only hot one on Gray's. And honestly, if you really do think McDreamy is hot?? Certainly don't admit it. He looks like a complete fop. But I am simply astonished by the number of women who think Alex is hot. For those of you who do, please take some time out of your busy schedule to watch The Wedding Planner. Sadly, it is a JLo movie, but there are some drool worthy parts with Matthew McC. (Now he is hot!) Justin Chambers is in the movie. Yeah that guy who looks mentally deranged, is always on a moped, eats nothing but macaroni in cheese, and bears a startling resemblence to Alex Karev... How the boy modelled for Calvin Klein is beyond me.
Bad bottled blondes. Why are we still talking about Anna Nicole? She's dead. It's sad, for so many reasons. But honestly, does she really warrant having her picture on the front page of the NYTimes or CNN (although it is rather like a rag these days).

Obamania

2007-02-10T19:05:00.000-05:00

Surprise, surprise... guess who's running for president! Barack Obama. I swear, I never saw that one coming.

I know the Democratic base loves him. Heck according to most polls, America loves him. But I gotta say, I still am not loving him. I have yet to hear him clearly articulate a single policy stance. What does he stand for? Universal health care? Gay marriage? The end of farm subsidies? All I know is Barack wants our troops home starting in May, and he never would have voted for the Iraq War. Well... that is easy to say when you weren't there...

The thing that bothers me the most of Obama's Iraq position, and this holds other Democrats with similar positions on Iraq (e.g., Murtha, Edwards, et al.), is what happens when we do pull out of Iraq? Will Iraq magically fix itself? or will it turn into the next Iraq? Or better yet will it turn into some sort of Valley of Death, ala Afghanistan, where Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia all come in to secure their interests? I am not really sure, and I would rather not find out. The US needs to find a way to work with other governments in the region. All the countries in the region have some vested interest in seeing a stable Iraq. Let's get them to the table and talk about how to secure the country. Let's get some monetary and military commitments. Leaving cold turkey is no solution.

Personally, at the moment if push comes to shove, I'd vote Edwards. I don't feel solid about his Iraq position, but I am inclined to think he is pandering to the liberal base and knows it. Besides which, Hillary gives Republicans and Independents the heebejeebes. Voting for her in the primaries would be a waste come a general election. But Edwards has real positions, is a great public speaker, and I think his populist platform sits well with the general electorate. Most importantly, he is a Southern Democrat and there is a real possibility he could turn a few of those states Blue.

Also slamming Democrats really just does not sit well with me. I feel like there is plenty to chastise Republicans for. Especially those Republicans who ran on "moderate" platforms for most of their careers as public servants. McCain in my opinion was always a wolf in sheep's clothing. He is not really a moderate Republican. He is conservative to the core, he just managed to pull the wool over everyones' eyes. But Rudy and Mitt are a different story all together. Rudy has always been a pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay rights politician. Highly commendable stances in my opinion, and vital to survive in the City. Romney was also a moderate when he ran for governor. But it is a testament to the power of the crazy conservative Republican base that post politicians have been revisiting their social policy stances. Talk about flip-floppers. Karl Rove, cat got your tongue?

Why Grey's Anatomy is Still Annoying...

2007-02-09T12:34:00.000-05:00

I remember when ER used to do their special events. Like the time they were redeeming George Clooney's character for like the thousandth time, Doug really was kind of an arse, and he saved those kids trapped in a sewer drain pipe thing. But this episode was just utterly ridiculous. Why? Let me tell you...

Meredith: Well generally, I believe her character was created with the specific purpose of annoying me. She's a doctor. She should help people. They are bleeding bodies all over the place, and all she is doing is trying to take a non-hurt little girl to triage. Please. I get the kid needs her mom, and some how this all relates to Meredith's mommy issues, and she is projected on the girl, blah blah blah... but honestly get it together already. People are dying! And that whole thing at the end where she falls into the harbor. Ok, she is skinny as a stick, but reflexes force you to tread water, well I guess they force everyone except Meredith Grey to tread water. And all the drama around her fall, please, god does not love me enough to kill her off the show.

Christina: I gotta say, I used to love the girl. Sure she was a type-A, uber-competitive freak, but hell, I can relate to that. I mean, I am Asian too. But her entitlement issues are really beginning to irk me. Ok, so you are engaged and formally Prestina, but you don't want to tell anyone really, but you do want to be reap all the benefits of being Burke's butt buddy. Honestly. I am glad Burke, the gayhatemongerer, told Christina she was not needed and that she better go suture up some patients. Christina needs someone to teach her her place.

Addison: Ok. I am still totally jealous of the red hair and the fact that she got to hook up with McSteamy, but I wish she would stop drooling (literally!) over Alex. Yes, he was a Calvin Klein model, but technically not on this show, and if you evaluate by those merits alone, I am not sure he qualifies for super hot status - yet! We need women who do not have relationship issues, and now that they have effectively turned Addison into the brainless, hospital whore (she is definitely giving Meredith a run for her money), the only respectable woman left is Bailey.

Izzy: The show was actually so friggin' bad, one of the only likable characters was Izzy. Shit!

Don't worry there is plenty more hate to go around. But apparently, there are two more weeks of this story arc to go, so I will save some of it for next week.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

2007-02-01T00:33:00.000-05:00

Random topic. Yes, I know. But every once in awhile, a girl just needs to be a girl. So I have decided to start a list of my favorite products...

Favorite Lotion: Last month, I would have said my favorite lotion was anything from the Henri Bendel product line. That was until I discovered that the lotion's scent decomposes over the course of a year to an utterly rancid smell. My new favorite lotion comes from the H2O product line. The lotions are light weight yet very moisturizing, not overly thick like the Bath & Body Works body creams, and they lack the oily residue of the Body Shop's body butters, a definite plus.

Favorite Perfume: This is always a hard one for me. But I am a big fan of CoCo Mademoiselle. It's got a kind of rose/jasmine thing going on, but is not quite as heavy as Michael Kors, though I also think his perfume is fabulous as well.

Favorite Mascara: My latest mascara purchase was Benefit's BADgal Lash Mascara, which is pretty good, though super hard to use. The wand it way too fat and thus hard to manipulate. I got suckered into buying it by an over zealous Macy's make-up counter representative. (Watch out for them. I think they might be on commission or something.) Still it is kind of fun to use a product called BADgal. However, in my opinion, the best product on the market is Prescriptives False Eyelashes. Forget the curling iron and other medieval torture devices, this stuff gives eyelashes major curl and oomph!

Favorite Lip Stuff: My favorite lip gloss has got to be DuWop Lip Venom in Snowberry. The color is fantastic and has a little sparkle. But I like it because it is tingly and has a lip plumper. Fabulous stuff. I must buy more.

Favorite All Around Product: Talk about practical make-up. benetint works wonders as a blush and a lip stain (makes it look like you just had a cherry flavored popsicle). Sadly the glass packaging can lead to mishaps when the bottle falls on a tiled bathroom floor...

Favorite Make-up Brand: Well, I gotta say, hands down it is Benefit. They have a great array of products with fun names and packaging. I have their powder, foundation, concealer (it really does conceal as it heals), mascara (though not so much by choice), and lip stain. Honestly, I can't even think of a runner up.

Obama "Yo Mama"

2007-01-31T17:31:00.000-05:00

Ok. No idea why I wrote that. But Obama does in fact rhyme with Yo Mama.

As of late, I have not spent much time blogging about politics. But it is time to get back to it. Quite frankly besides the entire Republican party, George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the I. Lewis Libby (do we know what the I stands for yet?) trial drama, nothing annoys me quite as much as the media's love affair with Barack Obama.

Why is the media so in love with the man? Honestly, they are pimping him out as some sort of liberal pin-up. It is disturbing that on the basis of one good speech (years ago at the DNC convention) and one state-wide win (a predictable win over Alan Keyes. Anyone, and I mean anyone could beat Keyes), liberals have united around him. Well, liberals minus me that is.

It is my personal belief that Obama lacks the experience needed to be president. His lack of foreign policy experience is most glaring, but he also, in my opinion, lacks national domestic policy experience. Not to mention the fact that Obama has never run a political body. He has no gubernatorial experience, nor does he chair any of the caucuses or committees on the Hill. Obama has little in the way of responsibility. The buck does not stop with him, not even for his Illinois constituents who may turn more frequently to their Governor or their Senior Senator.

George W, as much as I dislike him, was the Governor of Texas before becoming president. He beat a formidable opponent in Ann Richardson. He also ran a state (although arguably not really by himself). While I dislike most of what I hear him say, I do believe that George W theoretically has the training to be president. He has the experience of managing a budget, of dealing with foreign policy issues (well maybe just Mexico... and unsuccessfully with Canda when he applied the death penalty to one of their citizens), and of having the responsibility for final decisions. Obama has none of that.

The general consensus is that Senators cannot win presidential elections because their voting records are long and often contradictory and rife with skeletons. Obama, given his short tenure, does not yet have to face this issue, which may be the impetus behind his candidacy. But it is a trifle disingenuous for him to take advantage of his Democratic competitors' voting records, specifically with regards to the war in Iraq. In fact, on this point, I find Barack to be beyond irritating. Everyone and their mother who was not in the US Congress at the time would now (upon reflection) say, they never would have voted for the war in Iraq. It is an easy statement to make, and there is absolutely no way to test the validity of the statement. The question is now what would you do? And to my knowledge Obama has offered little in the way of ideas and more lip service to a disenchanted, seemingly disenfranchised Democratic base. Bush's surge is likely not the right way to go, but neither is Obama's proposed pull out. Once the US pulls out, Iran will pull in to the Shiite South, the Kurds will break away leading Turkey to join in the tussle, and the Saudis might feel compelled to step in and save their Sunni brethren. If Obama want to talk about how this is a war we should not be in, that's great. But the fact is we are there, so tell me please how do we get out?

I can be unbiased enough to realize that many of you may believe me to be over harsh on Obama. The fact is that most politician are guilty of playing the "Iraq game". However in the case of Obama, it is a particular irritant since he never had any skin in the game. My disillusionment with his candidacy would diminish significantly if the man would just give me some real ideas with some real detail.

And the ruckus the media are making now out of Biden's comments on Obama being a, and I paraphrase, "great African-American candidate" is ridiculous. The media, in paying obeisance to Obama, is indulging in the exact same behavior that in many ways led this country into Iraq. Talk about your blind spots.

Disappointments?

2007-01-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

This week has been thoroughly disappointing on a number of fronts.

NCAA Basketball - Who are the people who put together these polls? And why is the Big Ten getting like no respect? It is unbelievable. Only three teams in the Top 25. My annoyance knows no bounds!

ABC Drama - So I used to be a huge ABC fan: LOST, Desperate Housewives, Grey's etc. But there haven't been new episodes of LOST in months, and watching Kate and Sawyer get their groove on has scarred me for life. Personally I think LOST is going the way of the X-Files with unresolved plot lines and too many random characters. Don't even get me started on Grey's. That show just annoys the beejeezus out of me. George the "sex machine"? WTH? I thought he was gay. What was it Isaiah Washington called him? If by the end of the season every intern hasn't slept with every resident at least once I will be officially shocked. And while Prestina is one of the all time annoying couples of primetime, if Addisex happens, I think I may, to quote Addison, vomit in my mouth.

Desperate Housewives - Are we already on reruns? Talk about disappointing. That being said, I do rather like this episode. The Gabby-Carlos battle has just begun escalating to War of the Roses proportions. And the pre-Marcia Cross pregnancy episodes are nice, in that Bree's breasts are not bigger than her head.

The Super Bowl - I know it hasn't happened yet, but I am already disappointed and waiting for next year. The Bears bore me. Rex Grossman couldn't throw a football if his life depended on it. And I am so over the Colts. Every year is supposed to be the year of Peyton, but it never is. There is no reason to think this year will be any different.

Housing Costs - A 440sq ft apartment for $2900/mo. That's over $6.50/sq ft/month. That's like the cost of a lunch per sq.ft. per month. Talk about intense. At this rate renting a cardboard box in Manhattan will run me upwards of a $100/mo, especially in a chic neighborhood. How on earth did Rachel afford her fabulous Manhattan apartment on a Barrista's salary?

Bad Books - I have read too many as of late: The Last Templar, True Lies of a Drama Queen, Love, Rosie. It is time for me to return to good book reading. Next on my list is Elementals. I have faith is A.S. Byatt!

Baking - I actually tried to be domestic and failed! Not enough eggs to make cupcakes, so I tried cookies. But they burned. And they were hard. And it was tragic. Thank god for conversation hearts. They take the edge off things.

Musings on the State of the Union

2007-01-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

Here is my attempt at a stream of consciousness entry...

Wow. Talk about a pick me up for GWB. His approval ratings are sub-zero, but he gets applause every 20 seconds.

41st month of uninterrupted job growth? Who is he kidding? Jobs at Wal-Mart and McDs maybe.
Wages are rising? are you sure you are talking about real wages?
Yikes, some one in the audience is wearing a pale pink suit. Horrors!

Laura Bush looks like she has got botoxed. Talk about a frozen smile. And what is with the Gwen Stefani lips?

I wonder if Hillary's pearls are real? They are really big and very unpresidental. I doubt GWB would ever wear them.

Why are politicians ugly? Why does Dick Cheney look constipated?

Synchronous water drinking by Cheney and Bush? Coincidence... I think not.

It's so funny, only half the audience is giving Bush a standing ovation. But I suppose that is better than the 35% of the American public who approves of him.

I wonder if GWB has ever considered a brow lift. He should consider it.

"Succeed in Iraq" - what does that really mean? I need a definition. Ooooh. Only the Republicans are standing up. Nancy Pelosi looks like she sucked on a lemon. Or maybe she is trying to make her cheek bones look better.

Ok. So it was good of him to plug Darfur and Burma. It's a shame the Chinese and Russians won't let us do anything there.

This is boring...

A Three Ring Circus?

2007-01-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

What are the Democrats up to? No one appears to have a coherent agenda, but everyone seems to be ready, willing, and able to throw their hat in the ring? Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Bill Richardson have all announced their intent to run (or at least start an exploratory committee which really amounts to the same thing), and the party (what a pun!) is only just getting started.

And it isn't even the Democrats who have been caught up in this maelstrom. Even Republicans, who have seen their President get repeatedly bruised in polls, seem to be chomping at the bit. What ever is going around must be contagious because the Republican party is fielding at least three candidates John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Sam Brownback. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone like Chuck Hagel join in as well, especially given the fact that he has been on every possible news show denouncing the President's "new" surge strategy for Iraq.

I suppose Americans should be thankful for all the selection they are being given in the coming election. Although quite frankly, the election is still another two years from now and I would much prefer our elected officials to focus on solving social security, the war in Iraq, and health care than feel out potential, ill-fated runs for the presidency. But then again that's just me...

Even with all this "selection" I do not feel like I have much "choice". Both parties are increasingly controlled by their base. John McCain is a perfect example of this. What happened to the maverick from elections past? He is turning into a patsy for the Christian Coalition and other right wing groups. And besides wanting a withdrawl of some variety, I do not even know what the Democrats stand for anymore. So forgive me for not being too excited about the fact that we could have our female president. Or our first African-American president. Or our first Hispanic president. Or if Joe Liebermann runs, our first Jewish president. Or our oldest president (septuagenarians for McCain). Let's face it, regardless of who wins, it will be a first!

Who will ultimately win the election is a mystery to me. But I am pretty sure on who will not win the election.

1. Hillary Clinton - I think Republicans and even moderate Democrats break out in hives at the mere mention of her name. Although she was the first lady of Arkansas, I doubt she would win the state now. Sure Hillary can win the Democratic primary and get the nod, but there is no way she will ever win a national election.

2. Mitt Romney - First off his name is very unpresidential. Second, he is a Mormon, and while I am for religious tolerance and the Bill of Rights, etc. etc., I am not sure how no caffeine and polygamy will play with the rest of America. Not to mention the fact that he can't seem to make his mind up about gays, and I think the Republican base may think he is bipolar.

3. Barack Obama - Obama to me appears to be a media creation and sensation. He gave one, albeit awesome, speech and the Democratic convention and is now some how ready to be president? He hasn't even completed his first term in the Senate and before that he was just a State Senator. If Tennessee was any sort of referendum on whether America is ready for a black president, then we as a country failed miserably. Harold Ford's loss does not portend well for Obama. To top it of his middle name is Hussein, there are only two worse middle names Saddam and Osama. And Obama rhymes with Osama. Imagine the field day Karl Rove and his lackeys could have with that.

4. All those other senators out there like Sam Brownback - Senators historically crash and burn in elections. Think Bob Dole of Viagra fame and John Kerry of the infamous flip-flops. The last senator who won a presidential election was John F. Kennedy. That was almost 50 years ago and rumor has it that daddy and Al Capone bought the Oval Office for him!

Movie Review: Pan's Labyrinth

2007-01-20T00:59:00.000-05:00

I certainly never read this kind of fairy tale growing up. Thank god! I would not have been able to sleep at night. This movie bears no resemblance what so ever to the Labyrinth of David Bowie. If anything it might be the type of thing Lewis Carroll would have cooked up if he was high on 'shrooms. In this tale, Alice fell down one seriously twisted rabbit hole.

While Ofelia may think she is living in a fairy world, it seems (for most of the movie) that she is merely exchanging one nightmare for another. In the real world, Ofelia is trapped in a run-down mill which her step-father, Captain Vidal runs as a fiefdom. His only pleasures appear to be the impending birth of his son and the torture of rebels and innocents who in his mind are guilty until proven innocent (which often happens only once they have paid his penalty). With her mother confined to bed rest, Ofelia is left to let her mind wander as she explores the mill grounds with their woods and stone labyrinth. Normal girls create fantasy worlds populated with princesses, fairies, pixies, and the like. However, tucked away in the midst of war, Ofelia's dream world is inhabited by crickets (her fairies), giant vomiting toads, and a strange, decrepit, somewhat evil looking faun.

Despite the fact that this is the darkest movie I have seen of late and that I spent much of the movie freaking out, I actually found it quite gripping and beautiful (you know in that ugly beautiful sort of way). Although the movie is at its core a fairy tale, the violent backdrop creates a thrilling/horrifying unpredictability, something often lacking in traditional, Hollywood horror movies. To me, it is the faun, Pan, that is the movie's scariest character. He appears in the guise of a fairy godmother, guiding Ofelia through the tasks that will allow her to return to her kingdom. Although Pan plays the part of her friend, there is something sinister about him in appearance and manner. His intentions are never clear.

The interplay between Ofelia's two worlds is well handled. Both rather dark and brutal worlds to begin with, they grow increasingly morbid and unfriendly with time. As day to day life within her step-father's compound grows more unbearable so to do the tasks she must complete to regain her throne. The saddest part of the movie is that even in her fantasy world, Ofelia cannot escape the horror of reality. And as her stay at the mill continues, the frequency and vigor with which her fantasy world intrudes on reality increases. The blurring between these two worlds, especially at the end, provides a bittersweet ending.

I am sure when all is said and done there must be a moral to this story, but I am not sure what it is. Figuring it out will probably take another watching (I always have problems with subtitles) and I am not quite sure I am ready for that yet. In fact, I have a feeling I will be having nightmares tonight populated with na-na-na boo boo monsters (see the movie and you'll know what I am talking about).

Donald Trump and the Meaning of Character

2006-12-21T22:06:00.000-05:00

Personally, I am a fan of the facts. Everyone can agree on the fact that Rosie is rather large and loud. But we can all also definitely agree that "The Donald" is a boor with really (and I mean really) bad hair.

While Rosie's words on The View were probably not the most advisable ever, I completely agree with her. Where on earth does Donald Trump get off on being the arbiter of what constitutes good behavior, good morals, and good character? Ok, so allegedly, Miss. USA was seen kissing Miss. Teen USA. Yeah, and maybe she snorted a little something. And fine, she probably drinks too much. But, honestly, is she any worse than Paris? Paris Hilton who was accused of making out with women in an MSNBC article as recently as a few days ago? As to her drinking and drugging, I believe the DUI's Paris has accumulated are pretty well documented. So despite that fact that Miss. USA is so generously being given a second chance by "The Donald". Paris apparently needs no second chances because according to Trump she is, "smart like a fox". Apparently all that Viagra has gone to Trump's head.

And while Trump's Paris adoration irritates, he has proven in the past to be far from a good judge of character. After all, in a Larry King interview, Trump said of K-Fed, "I think (he's) fantastic." Yeah, um right. Knock up Shar, then get with Britney, knock her up (twice!), go booze up, and spend her money... interesting Trump finds him fantastic... perhaps it's because "The Donald" also likes to love 'em and leave 'em with a little bundle of joy.

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Apparently, "The Donald" never learned this proverb from his mum. With regards to his status as a great businessman, it's really easy to make money when you already have a ton of it. If Trump ever made a good decision in his life, I've never heard of it. And he certainly made the unwise decision to procreate - lots! Three wives, and like a bazillion kids. A daughter with breast implants, and a son married to a Playboy playmate. Yes, Donald Trump's moral compass is clearly on-track.

Bush Loves Gay People?

2006-12-16T23:17:00.000-05:00

Color me confused. What is George Bush about these days? I thought he didn't like gay people. Isn't he of the party of Rick Santorum that compared homosexuality to bestiality, pedophilia, and rape?

So even though Bush does not believe in marriage for same sex-couples or civil unions and believes that the notion of same sex marriage should be constitutionally banned. He does believe that Mary Cheney and her (female) partner will make great parents? Yeah it confuses me too!

I do think Mary Cheney, her right-wing tendencies aside, will be a good parent. But Bush's logic is puzzling. And it is just this sort of faulty logic that has Bush's approval ratings below freezing. You can raise kids but cannot get married. You should invade a country that has no weapons of mass destruction.

As a Republican you know you are doing something wrong, when Bob Barr decides to leave your party. (Of course, there is always the off chance that he got evicted based on his "performance" in Borat.)

How I Hate the ACC, Let Me Count The Ways

2006-11-29T23:39:00.000-05:00

ACC land of Carolina basketball has never been a winner in my book. But this years Big Ten-ACC challenge ws particularly annoying. When is the Big Ten ever going to pull this off? I am tired of getting slammed by the bloody South.

Stupid and dumb (yes they are both) Boston College beat MSU. I blame the Pope. Why does he not love all alike? I wish Neitzel would play better and be a bit more consistent. I can't handle simultaneously rebuilding years in both football and basketball. It is simply asking for too much.
Friggin' Chapel Hill. I hate Chapel Hill, and their annoying powder blue almost as much as I hate Duke, Michigan, and USC. Let me tell you, that's a lot of hate! What is a TarHeel anyway? Is it that crap at the bottom of my shoe?
Duke beat Indiana and just barely. I bet you they cheated. Duke always cheats. Especially when they get to play at home. And has anyone noticed how Duke automatically gets a totally overrated ranking? Hate it! Hate them!
Maryland beat Illinois and ended their longest even home court winning streak. Now, personally, I don't mind seeing Illinois lose every now and again. But I was rather hoping the MSU would be able to end the streak in conference play. Not some uppity ACC team.
Clemson *pounded* Minnesota, and now that Clem is gone I don't half mind the Gophers.
Georgia Tech beat Penn State. Now I would have guessed that a Lion would beat a Bee hands down any day of the week. Go figure!

If there is any reason I like the ACC its that they beat Michigan. And I *hate* Michigan. Tommy Amaker made a bad, bad decision.

A New Year, A New Coach?

2006-11-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

So it looks like Michigan State found a new football coach - Mark Dantonio. Why Dantonio would want to leave a resurgent Cinncinati team to come to East Lansing is beyond me. Especially since MSU has a history of tossing coaches out on their asses.

Why I No Longer Like Grey's

2006-11-25T22:05:00.000-05:00

I simply can *not* abide by Grey's any longer. It irritates the crap out of my why??

I have never seen a more annoyingly, self-absorbed character on TV since Ally McBeal and Tyra Banks.

The whole Prestina (I made that up Prestina. Prestina = Preston Burke + Christina Yang) storyline. Christina has generally been a bitch to Burke from the very beginning. (1) She lied to Burke about moving in with him when she kept her own apartment. (2) She left him when he got shot and was unable to use his hand. (3) She pushed him into performing surgery too soon. (4) She became the boss of him. Call me old-fashioned, but I like a guy who can stand up for himself. And Christina emasculated Burke. On top of that, she rats him out. Now some who believe in the kinder, gentler Christina might believe her conscience got the best of her. But those of who actually watch the show realize that Christina's conscience is stunted and most of anything/everything she does is driven by self-interest. She is Darwin's survival of the fittest at its finest. I think she turned in Burke because he embarrassed her in the OR. Lame! I guess they are just trying to write Isaiah Washington off the show since he choked McDreamy.

Izzy. Will the Denny storyline never die? Denny died. Can't we just let the storyline rest in piece. I am not sure Izzy even realizes that she did anything wrong by cutting Denny's LVAD wire. If the hospital is going to fire Burke for operating with a slight tremor, then they should definitely fire Izzy for stealing a heart and trying to send a patient into cardiac arrest.

What a waste of McSteamy. I was hoping he and Addison would get together, but look likes it is going to be Addex (yes, that would be Addison + Alex). Not sure I am loving this idea. Now I know Justin Chambers was supposed to be a Calvin Klein underwear model or something of that sort. But honestly, he just doesn't do it for me. There is something slightly neanderthal-ish about him.

Now there are plenty of other things about the show I do not like. In fact, the only thing I even moderately like is George. I think I am going to switch back to CSI. Grissom may be annoying, but the show itself tends not to be.

To Be the Best

2006-11-19T01:21:00.000-05:00

After today, there seems to be little doubt that Ohio State is the #1 football team in the country. Sure their center could use a little extra work. But I was amazed by how awesome Troy Smith is. I don't care how many points Brady Quinn scores at USC, Smith is hands down the Heisman winner in my books.

The interesting question now becomes who is the best of all the rest? I would argue, as much as it pains me, that Michigan still belongs in the BCS Championship game... why, you ask? Well really it is quite simple...

I can't help but wonder if Florida ran up the score in their 62-0 win against W. Carolina in an effort to curry favor with the BCS. Despite a less than convincing win against Spurrier's Gamecocks, of all the also rans, Florida may be the most deserving. The Florida St. game will be key.
Booty and USC fail to impress me. They play all their hard games at home. If that and their pathetic loss to Oregon St. and near loss to Arizona St. don't drive down their BCS score, I don't know what will.
Arkansas has been on quite a roll. If they can beat LSU, they could potentially make the case for a BCS bid. Their loss to USC was the first game of the season, and they have since knocked off Auburn (then No. 2) and Tennessee. It could be an interesting SEC match-up between Florida and Auburn.
Notre Dame should be out. Wins over the Armed Forces (e.g., army, navy, air force) are expected and don't really help strength of schedule. Still I would like to see them crush USC.
Rutgers. Oh poor, poor Rutgers. Well one could question if they really even beat Louisville, or if Louisville beat themselves. They are so out!
The attack of the Big East continues with West Virgina. They look pretty good, but have only played one ranked team so far (Louisville) and lost. I say they are out.
Now that Saban ditched them to, I feel a certain kinship with the LSU fan who was betrayed by a coach running toward the elusive pot of gold. However, going to 1-2 against ranked teams, I think LSU's case is far from compelling. Maybe next year?
How the Big East teams are rolling through the Top Ten is beyond me! Still, Louisville presents an interesting case. Their only loss was to Rutgers and their flukey field goal. Still, I am uncertain that they have the strength of schedule required.
And for shits and giggles, why not throw in Boise State. Besides Ohio State, they are the only remaining undefeated team in the country. Wow. If they were in the BCS Championship game. I am pretty sure they would get steam rolled. In fact, I would worry that they might get hurt.

So what you ask is the point of all my blabbering? Quite simple. Ohio State and University of Michigan need another face off. Fans will be happy. Media outlets will be happy as rating would likely be fabulous. And people would keep faith with the BCS, which in the past has created some seriously shitty match-ups.

As a side note, I loved the whole Fear Factor, name your favorite mascot campaign. My only pet peeve with the commercials is that they didn't include any Big Ten mascots. The FurFactor commercials can be found on the Capital One Bowl page.

In case you were wondering about the Michigan State game... quite frankly it is just too painful for me to talk about. What is funny is that both Michigan St. and Penn St. are at the moment being coached my lame ducks - John L. because he was fired and Joe Pa because he is old, fell and couldn't get up.

At least I can capture a small slice of football happiness with the knowledge that Princeton secured a piece of the Ivy League title (although technically they should have it outright since they beat Yale) and beat Harvard and Yale in the same year for the first time in over 10yrs. Ah. Happiness.

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black?

2006-11-16T16:16:00.000-05:00

I generally disagree with much of what David Brooks has to say. But given his views and the paper he writes for, I am quite confident that he is used to all the "haters". The title of his Op-ed today intriguing, The Heyday of Snobbery. So despite my better judgement I decided to read it.

Brooks complains that the movie 'Borat' "ridicules Pentecostals, gun owners, car dealers, hicks, humorless feminists, the Southern gentry, Southern frat boys, and rodeo cowboys. A safer list it is impossible to imagine. " This may be true, but Brooks sense of injustice rings hollow. Brooks criticizes John Stewart and Bill Maher for scornful tone. His trifecta against snobbery culminates with the snobbery of Blue Staters who think people who voted for Bush are either racist or anti-Semitic idiots. (Note to D. Brooks: I doubt many people think GWB is anti-Semitic. I always thought he was rather nice to the Jews... to the Muslims, not so much. I would classify Bush as pro-Semitic if such a term exists.)

The problem with Brooks' essay is he, like Borat, goes with the "safe conservative list". By denouncing liberals, the Daily Show, and pot-heads (e.g., Maher), he hits the "usual suspects". Since when has Brooks cared about humorless feminists? If he did, he should have added Ann Coulter to the list. Is she not a snob for her comments about liberal feminists being ugly? Or how about Bill O'Reilly who thinks that secular progressives (e.g., most normal people)? Apparently, Brooks prescribes to the school of “fair and balanced” reporting ala FOX news.

The National Geographic

2006-11-11T23:55:00.000-05:00

I love the National Geographic. When I was a kid, my parents got me National Geographic kids. tucked away, somewhere underneath my bed are the scrapbooks I made by clipping photos from National Geographic articles. And if I am really honest with myself, what I would love to do some day is become a National Geographic photographer.

Anyway, the National Geographic website is pretty awesome. And the other day I discovered these webcams they have. (You need Real Player to watch).

The Polar Bear Cam - It's great. The Polar Bears seem to hang out right in front of it. One of them sleeps a lot, and the others seem to fight/play. I am not sure which actually. But seeing as how I have no plans to go to Alaska or the Arctic Circle anytime soon, this lets me pretend.
The Africa Cam - This one is less exciting for me since I spent some time in Africa already. The animals are your standard safari animals. But it is still pretty cool.
The Kakadu Cam - Good for checking out crocodiles. This Cam makes me feel guilty for wanting a crocodile purse...

Saturday Commentary: football, hypocrisy, and politics

2006-11-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

College Football
What weekend is complete without a little football? Well it looks like Ohio St. and UMich will stay on top. In fact, the divide between the best and the rest only seems to be growing. And as much as it pains me to see UMich as one of the best, I am proud of the Big Ten. If the BCS title game is between anyone other than UMich or OSU at this point, it will be an utter travesty!

Other potential contenders for a BCS title just do not stack up... here's why.

N0. 3 Louisville: If only they hadn't lost to Rutgers. But even then, they did not deserve the chance. With the mess they made at the end of the game, and my generally low opinion of the Big East, Louisville just isn't a National Champion.
No. 4 Texas: Texas could come back and beat Kansas state, but it'll be tough. And the fact that they are so far down, does not make them look like an attractive National Champion.
No. 5 Auburn: Another one of those, if only situations, except this time I actually feel rather bad for Auburn. But their loss to Georgia was nowhere near close in my opinion.
No. 6 Florida: With Auburn and Louisville's losses, Florida is likely to move up to either No. 3 or No. 4. But Florida already has one loss to Auburn, and barely got by South Carolina. If Auburn isn't good enough to play in the big game, why is Florida?
No. 7 USC: It'll be interesting to watch what happens in their game against Oregon. But as before, I maintain that USC's schedule is far too easy, and they already lost to Arizona St. At least have the decency to lose to a ranked team.
No. 8 Cal: While I am inclined to think Arizona just got lucky, Cal has had one too many losses. Multiple losses in the PAC-10 are certainly not acceptable.
No. 9 Notre Dame: The Irish have definitely rebounded since the ass-whooping they got at the hands of UMich. But it's easy to stay unbeaten when you play the cellar-dwellers of all the major conferences. Besides which, I have serious questions about the quality of the ND defense. They beat Air Force, but allowed them to get 400yds of offense. Notre Dame's real test is coming up at USC.

So suppose, Ohio St. and Michigan meet next week and then again in the National Championship game. It is likely that they would split the games... and then who would be the Champ? It's one of those things that makes you go hmmmm...

Fat Suits and Fake Empathy
Tyra Banks tried this awhile back, and it annoyed me then too. (Check it out.) But I randomly had ET on , and they had Vanessa Minello (Nick Lachey's new girl) in a fat suit, dressed ala Ugly Betty. And poor Ugly Vanessa, she was crying and sad because people were not talking to her. The punch line was, "you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover". Are you for real ET? You are in the business of judging people for the way they look. And would Pretty Vanessa even consider dating a guy with questionable fashion sense who was carrying an extra hundred pounds. Talk about hypocritical!

Germany and the Donald
Poor Donald Rumsfeld. First, he is ignominiously fired by Bush, before Virginia is even conceded. Then he is forced to plaster a fake sort of Rumsfeldian smile on his face as Bush announces Gates as the new Secretary of Defense. Now he is facing potential charges in Germany for war crimes associated with torture at Abu Ghraib.

Now I am not a fan of Rumsfeld, but war crimes do seem to be a bit unnecessary, and more than anything a way for some German politicians to gain a couple points in the polls. And although Rumsfeld may have a head of stone, and be prone to idiocies including statements like "it [the war] is complex for people to comprehend" (see my older entry for more Rumsfeldisms), he is not the real problem. The Cheney-Rove duo is the real problem within this administration and this country, and sadly it looks like they are not going anywhere for the next two years.

Election Night

2006-11-07T22:54:00.000-05:00

So it's election night, and there is nothing on TV except political pundits. But I did stumble across this interesting show, "The Papdits". It's basically a rather comed-ish sketch about a bunch of FOB Kashmiri's coming to America. I recommend checking it out.

Well on to topics of more substance... the election!

Rick Santorum is gone. I don't care what David Brooks says, I say 'good riddance'! Republicans are generally in my belief a bit nutters, but Santorum with his, I don't believe in evolution, I believe in the Lord of the Rings bullshit bullshit, was certifiable.
Poor Lincoln Chafee is gone. I do feel rather bad for him. He seemed like a decent guy, and I am inclined to think he actually thought about his votes. His voting record certainly suggests it. Collateral damage I suppose... sucks that he's the one who got bashed. But in some ways the Bush administration can't be crying much about this once since Chafee never really towed the party line effectively.
George Macaca Allen is apparently still going to be around. Oh the frustration. Usually the racists in office (the exception being Strom Thurmond) have either apologized or are in the closet about it. Allen apparently likes to embrace all with his bigotedness.
Michigan appears to be safe... for now! and the women came out strong. Granholm and Stabenow are both being called as winners. The big disappointment, in my mind, is that Mike Rogers may actually win. The guy is just a big waste of space in Washington, and that says a lot considering the extent of wasted space in that city.

So the talking heads on MSNBC, or maybe its just Joe Scarborough, seem to think the Democrats that are winning are "new", conservative, pseudo-Republican Democrats. But I am not sure that is really the case... sure Casey (PA), Tester (MT), and Webb (VA) are all on the conservative side. Hell Webb used to be Regan's Secretary of Navy (or something like that). But there are plenty of liberal Democrats campaigning out there, for instance Ned Lamont (though I guess he lost to Lieberman) and Sherrod Brown (who beat DeWine).

Incidentally, I know nothing about Tester, except that he has a really bad crew-cut, but I really hope he beats Conrad Burns. I blogged about Burns before. I can't stand the guy. He's barely educated and it comes out in spades with regards to his comments on fire fighters, abortion, etc. etc.

I am more than a little concerned about Nancy Pelosi becoming Speaker of the House. The Republicans call her 'the liberal from San Francisco'. While that may be a bit harsh, I do think there is some truth to it. She reminds me a bit of Howard Dean. She can appeal to the Democratic base in large urban areas, but other than that, she is not centrist enough. Oh, and I think she might be petty, in that way only women tend to excel at. Pelosi apparently has some tiff with Jane Harmon, the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. Therefore, an experienced woman will no longer have a ranking position on one of the most important committees in the House. I have a problem with that!

While this Election has already made me happy, there is a big elephant in the room (no pun intended) - what are the Democrats going to do about Iraq? Everyone seems to have a different idea. From time tables, to unilateral pull-out (e.g., cut-and-run), to stay the course (ala Bush-Lieberman)... will they ever agree? I am not sure... and can Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi make them? I think not. While I am happy the Democrats won, if they can't get their shit together, there won't be a Democrat in the white house in 2008.

A Night of Revelations

2006-11-06T01:28:00.000-05:00

I thought this was actually one of the better episodes of Desperate Housewives in awhile.

Romancing the Stone. I liked the shout out to the old Michael Douglas - Kathleen Turner movie. The Gabby-Carlos pairing has improved significantly since they decided to give Carlos a backbone. His line about Gabby screaming dollar amounts when she climaxes was pretty funny. Let's see what happens next week. It appears the on-again, off-again couple are back on-again. The writers need to give these two something else to do before they turn into the Ross and Rachel of Desperate Housewives -- oh, wait. They already have...
The Chinless Wonder. There is something about Julie that has been bothering me for awhile, and I finally figured it out. She has no chin. The doctors from Grey's need to get her some chin implants - Stat! Seriously, looking at her is almost painful because now I know what it is about her that is bothering me. And the sad thing is, she isn't unattractive. Still it looks like Julie has hit pay dirt because if the previews are to be believed she is going to be hooking up with Edie's nephew. And while Austin may not be as hot as John the Gardner, he is definitely a notch up from Zach the psycho stalker/murderer or any of the other Wisteria teenagers (e.g., Andrew the gay sociopath). Besides which, I kind of like the way they snark at each other.
How the mighty have fallen. Bree has been ever more annoying since she became Mrs. Orson Hodge. I don't even understand how their whirlwind romance occurred, and I am a little disappointed that Andrew hasn't tried to bust it up. But perhaps he is waiting for the union to go up in flames, as I am sure it will. Still Bree is largely responsible for what happened. Carolyn Bixby is as Stepford-ish as Bree. Bree should have known learning of her husband's affair would send Carolyn over the deep end. And then to turn a grocery store hostage situation into a gourmet, TV-viewing event, is beyond tacky. The Bree I know and love from Season One never would have done that...
The Body. How is it that Edie is always in the smallest outfits possible? She had some fabulous lines in today's show though... (1) when she tells Austin that she's disappointed he didn't steal better whisky, (2) when she tells Mr. Bixby to "take one for the team"... I wonder what she is going to say when she finds out that her nephew is hooking up with the spawn of her arch-nemesis.
The Death. There was no one else to kill besides Nora, yet some how her death seemed a bit too pat. It tied up the Tom-Lynette storyline a bit to cleanly. Still it was great that she managed to call Lynette a "stupid bitch" before she died...

Did I miss any other important moments in the show? Let me know!

Football Round-up

2006-11-05T00:16:00.000-05:00

There's something curious going on in the Big Ten. Sure there were the expected winners in Michigan and Ohio State, but they seemed weak. And there were unexpected losers.

No. 2 Michigan 34, Ball St. 26
Ball St 26? Yes, you did see that correctly. Ball St. had all of 46 rushing yards, yet still managed to put points on the board at the Big House. Looks like the Michigan pass defense is weak... I hope OSU was watching...

No. 1 Ohio State 17, Illinois 10
Is Illinois back? Have the ghosts of Florida finally left Ron Zook? Illinois could become a contender next year - compiled more total yardage than the Ohio State offense, held Ohio State scoreless in the second half. It looks like their bottom dweller days could be over. Woe to the Michigan State fan, looks like it is our turn to spend some quality time at the bottom.

The UMich-OSU game should be great. I do not care what BCS or stupid (and they are stupid) sports commentators say. The real Championship game is between OSU and UMich. There isn't really another team out there that has shown it can compare. Certainly not a team in the Pac-10. So all this talk of a BCS Championship game is utter nonsense, unless they have a UMich-OSU rematch.

No. 17 Wisconsin 13, Penn State 3
A low scoring game was not unexpected, but seeing the Wisconsin defense hold Penn State to under 50 rushing yards was. Not to mention all the bitching and moaning Joe Paw did, made him hurt his knee. The Paterno situation is sad. He really should just retire and preserve his legacy. Right now he is only damaging the way history, especially Penn State history, will remember him.

Northwestern 21, Iowa 7
How the mighty have fallen! Iowa was actually ranked at one point this season. And now they lose to Northwestern? Even Michigan State managed to beat Northwestern. Iowa still has a chance for a bowl game, but their season has effectively been a bust.

Purdue 17, Michigan State 15
Some how this score looked funny to me? 15 is not a number you see that often in football games. It does suggest some botched extra point kicks. Well, the MSU woes will now continue. They get Minnesota next which just routed Indiana. They have a lame duck coach, as John L had been sacked. Personally, I think this could be a mistake. Who is going to want to come into the toxic waste dump that is MSU football? And poor Drew Stanton... the fact that he rushed for 80+ yards should help him in the draft. Let's wait and see.

Minnesota 63, Indiana 26
Yes, the score is crazy! Equally crazy is that both offenses put up over 500 yards. Where's the Big D? Indiana is really going to have to step it up before they get Michigan next week. The Michigan D is certainly not going to let them put up 500 yards. Minnesota has it easier, as they get my sad and sorry Michigan State squad.

High School Football (aka. Pac-10 Round-up)
Well, didn't those USC Trojans bounce back from their loss to Oregon State with a stunning victory over Stanford. So they beat Stanford 42-0. Honestly, is that surprising? Stanford hasn't won a game this year. In fact, if USC hadn't put up as many points as they did, I would have been concerned.
Cal did have a somewhat convincing win over UCLA, 38-24. But unless you believe in the strength of the PAC-10 conference, which I certainly do not, their overall record is far less compelling.
In case it isn't clear, I have no use for the PAC-10. Their players generally suck in the NFL (e.g., Harrington, Leaf), their coaches can't seem to make it outside of the PAC-10 (e.g., Willingham), and they are a conference of the weak! with a couple dominant teams.

Other Games of Note...
No. 5 Louisville 44, No. 3 West Virginia 34. Louisville has Rutgers next in a game that looks increasingly important. Who would have ever guessed that Rutgers had the chance to be a spoiler. I wish I had the chance to watch the game. The teams seem to have very different styles of play (Louisville passing, WV rushing). This was probably the best game until the showdown in two weeks between UMich-OSU.

Crazy Clown Lady

2006-11-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

Remember Katherine Harris from the 2000 election that wasn't. She was the one with the orange, cake-like make-up who allowed Jeb Bush to hand the election to his brother. And now the crazy, orange heiress (I guess that explains her fascination with orange make-up) has decided to run for a Florida Senate seat. It really is an unfortunate decision on her part, and I feel rather sorry for her. Here's why

Her own party has withdrawn support for her - Republicans are stupid, but apparently not stupid enough to support her
She is polling at 29%... that makes this like the least competitive race in America.
None of the 22 daily newspapers in Florida support her.
Her former campaign manager says working for her is like being in "insanity camp".
She makes no sense. Generally, Republicans make no sense. What was Rick Santorum's LOTR comment all about anyway? But Katherine Harris makes even less sense. Her solution to solving the Social Security insolvency problem is to end the Social Security tax - huh?
Not only is her make-up still bad, but her plastic surgeon is apparently smoking crack because her face ain't pretty!

Incidentally, check out http://www.whitehouse.org/ it is definitely not like http://www.whitehouse.gov/.

Why Does Everyone Love John McCain?

2006-10-30T20:33:00.000-05:00

Why does everyone love John McCain? I just don't understand it. Anytime the 2008 election comes up, people make the same comments (that I too am guilty of):

Hillary Clinton is going to win the Democratic primary.
Hillary Clinton cannot win the South.
Barack Obama will win the Democratic primary.
Barack Obama will be the Vice Presidential candidate (the first African American Vice Presidential candidate).
John McCain will win the Republican primary and the election.

People seem to have this bizarre belief that McCain is a maverick, that he is not really that conservative, that he'll pick a Democratic running mate, etc. Personally, I think, Stephen Colbert got it right when he said, and I paraphrase, John McCain is such a maverick, he eats his salad with a desert fork.

Here are some, in my opinion, little known facts about John McCain.

Does not believe in a woman's right to choose and believes Roe vs. Wade should be overturned.
Voted NO on investigating contracts awarded in Iraq and Afghanistan (because clearly Haliburton deserved all the money for no results).
Graduated 5th from the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy which is apparently a McCain tradition of sorts (makes you wonder if he is smarter than G.W. Bush or just has better speech writers)
Voted NO on raising the minimum wage from $6.25 to $7.25 (easy decision when your wife's heir to an Anheuser-Busch distribution dynasty and you haven't worked a day in your life)
Voted NO on background checks at gun shows (because a criminal would never try to buy a gun at a gun show. who are you kidding??)
Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to the list of hate crimes and does not believe in gay marriages
Has limited interest in alternative energy options like ethanol, which are "not worth it" (tell that to the Brazilians who run the majority of their cars on that stuff and are hence less dependent on foreign oil).
Caved on his anti-torture beliefs to reach a compromise with the president that allowed for reinterpretation of the Geneva Conventions (as a former POW himself, I am sure this must have pained McCain because now our enemies can cite our behavior to rationalize their own, but of all those in Congress McCain had the most leverage to push the administration to obey international rules/norms that have been in place for a half century).

Don't get me wrong for all the McCain "cons" I have listed, I think he is generally a decent person. He has spoken out in favor of campaign finance reform and against pork barrel spending. He together with a few others (e.g. Arlen Specter) have helped check the growing extremism of the Republican party. These are things I can respect. However, unlike most, they do not make me see him as a political savior. McCain has bent over backwards a few too many times to gain entry to the Republican fold. It is hard for me to see him as a straight-shooter now. That being said, I am not convinced that I won't vote for McCain in 2008, nor am I convinced that I will vote for him. He'll have to re-earn my vote!

Weekend Recap

2006-10-29T23:22:00.000-05:00

I spent the weekend in Vermont. The middle of nowhere Vermont, but I still managed to keep up with all the important stuff!

College Football
* Michigan State lost again! and this time to Indi-frickin'-ana. I don't know what to say anymore, other than that this sucks big time.
* And just to spite me, the football gods made Princeton lose this weekend to Cornell which had yet to win an Ivy League game this year. Still there is hope. Yale (currently on top) still has to play both Princeton and Harvard.
* Oh happy days. USC finally lost. This day has been a long time coming, and they are lucky it didn't happen earlier this month. But I do take some perverse pleasure in the fact that their loss came to an essentially no name Oregon State. There is justice!

Desperate Housewives
* Oooh that Orson Hodge is a bad apple, and he just keeps getting badder. I liked him a lot better when he was Charlotte's husband on SatC, even though he was impotent.
* This must have been the week of the weak men getting back bones, because finally Carlos got Gabby good. She better watch out because it looks like her soon to be ex- is on the war path.

Nostalgia
* Remember the 'yep, yep' aliens from Sesame Street? They were awesome. Check them out on You Tube.

Things That Make You Go...

2006-10-27T01:17:00.000-04:00

Ugh!

The Tigers for mucking it up yet again to go 1-3 in the World Series. In fact they were so bad that they were accused of playing like the "Michigan State football team". The next game is in Detroit, hopefully they will be able to pull something off.

Republicans because they exist. In all honesty, it's really hard for me to think of a Republican I actually like amidst all this election year nonsense. Rarely are their ever any positive ads on TV, but I have found a few particularly annoying: Rick Santorum's new ads portraying Bob Casey as an Axis of Evil lover (because clearly all Dems are), Kerry Healey's ad against Devon Patrick is eerily similar to the Willie Horton ad the elder Bush used against Dukakis, the RNC ads against Harold Ford that are clearly in poor taste if not an attempt at race baiting (so much for the Republican outreach, apparently the Southern strategy is alive and well)

Bill O'Reilly on Oprah! How can the Queen of Talk even consider giving him such a platform. I hope the audience gives it to him good!

Huh?

Rick Santorum's Lord of the Rings analogy. I am confused. Bush and Cheney are Frodo and Samwise? which is which? Cheney probably bears more of a physical resemblance to Samwise. I wonder if Santorum has heard any of the discussion about Frodo and Sam's "relationship". It could offend his tender sensibilities. Also which character is he? and Ork? Check out Colbert's thoughts on it.

"As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else. It's being drawn to Iraq and it's not being drawn to the U.S. You know what? I want to keep it on Iraq. I don't want the Eye to come back here to the United States."

The NFL in Los Angeles. The NFL wants a team to move to L.A. in order to keep the number of teams even at 24. Here are the critical questions in my opinions. Which team is going to move? What will their name be? What will their colors be? And what's the price tag? cuz I wanna buy. In all seriousness though, L.A. already has two basketball teams, an ice hockey team, and two baseball teams. They don't need anymore!

Yeah!

Barney Frank for saying that when a party is in power for too long it tends to become corrupt regardless of whether they are Republican or Democrat.

'Ugly Betty' for being funny! My new favorite show

Never Again...

2006-10-23T00:44:00.000-04:00

At the end of World War II, the "world" (e.g., US, France, GBR, Russia) promised mass genocide would never happen again. Yet now, some 60-odd years later, it is. It is happening again in Africa. Nicholas Kristof has been writing about Darfur in his NYTimes Op-Ed column for months, if not years. The articles make me sad. They make me feel guilty. And perhaps for that reason, I have since avoided reading them. I too am now culpable in whatever small way for heinous events occurring halfway around the world.

Until today, I thought at worst (and it is pretty bad), the US could be accused of turning a blind eye. Other countries like China and Russia are far more culpable as they have leveraged their positions in the UN Security Council to block US-led sanctions against the Sudanese dictatorship. Both China and Russia also have vested interests in Sudan. China's lucrative oil contracts send huge amounts of hard currency to the Sudanese government, which they use to purchase Russian arms and pay the Janjaweed militias. It is a sad testament to our times that the United Nations which was created in part to prevent such crises has ignored the events unfolding in Darfur. The new Secretary General refuses to even use the word genocide in relation to Darfur. Not only that, but there is no one willing to take a principled and moral stand on the issue.

Still, it would be dishonest of me to claim to having given this issue much thought as of late. However, tonight, '60 Minutes' aired a segment on the situation in Darfur. While the human suffering was tragic, it was the connection between the 'War on Terror' and genocide that was the most troubling.

The Sudanese government sheltered Osama Bin Laden for a number of years and as a result has a veritable trove of information on Al Qaeda. So while President Bush has been denouncing Sudan publicly at home and at the UN, where he bandies about the word 'genocide', he has been cozying up to the Sudanese government in secret to gain tidbits of information on Osama and Al Qaeda. Although I disagree with Bush on many things, Darfur was not one of them. I respected him for taking up their cause (albeit late) and taking the moral high ground. But now even that is not true. It is all just posturing. Bush's accusations and proclamations do not scare the Sudanese government, and they already have Russia and China in their pocket. They know the US military is spread too thin between Afghanistan and Iraq. Not to mention the last time the US sent troops into Africa (Somalia), it was a complete and utter disaster that still to this day haunts Clinton. I doubt any American president wants to send troops to Africa.

All in all their seems to be little hope for the people of Darfur. Even if allies in Chad and Eritrea (interesting since it is a Christian country) come to their aid, it will serve no purpose other than to inflame this national crisis into a regional one much like what is happening in Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, etc. But perhaps looking back on this in a few years when the damage has been done, we will tell ourselves, "never again".

Uninspiring Football Weekend

2006-10-22T19:12:00.000-04:00

I have got to say this week's football just didn't do it for me. Part of the problem is none of the "good" games are televised out here. At best we get a few ACC games or an occasional SEC game, and I am really not a particular fan of either Bama or Tennessee. USC did not even play this weekend, so I am having a hard time getting my angry football fan spirit up. Hopefully, next week's games will be better!

Sitting Pretty in the Ivy

2006-10-22T00:44:00.000-04:00

I never got the chance to see Princeton beat Harvard at home, but apparently this year they did. Not only did Princeton beat Harvard, but Princeton secured a spot at the top of the Ivy League (which despite what some might suggest is better than even Texas high school football). Sadly, they have to share their spot with Yale, but still... Here's to hoping this will be a bonfire year!!

The Biggest Comeback!

2006-10-21T16:26:00.000-04:00

Is this an omen for things to come? I must confess that after seeing the first half score, I gave up in disgust and decided to go to a coffee shop to study. Besides which the game wasn't even televised here, so I had no idea what was going on. At least Michigan State should make Sports Center tonight, it'll be interesting to see how they spin this though as a triumph or a defeat (after all it is only Northwestern that they beat, though technically Northwestern has won 3 Big Ten titles since State won their last). Still all and all, I am somewhat happy. At least we are no longer Big Ten bottom dwellers, we are now ranked on par with such Big Ten "powerhouses" as Illinois. Woo hoo!

My full football recap to be posted after the Michigan-Iowa game...

Don't Vote for Dick the Dick

2006-10-18T23:29:00.000-04:00

You might think I am talking about Dick Cheney, but no, there is another elephantine Dick - Dick DeVos who is running for the Governor of Michigan. Incidentally, there are a lot of Dicks, and I mean it literally, in Republican politics? I wonder why...

I figured hating Dick for his name alone is not enough. So I scouted around for evidence to prove that he is in fact a dick.

Dick will quit again. Dick DeVos has a history of "cut and run". In 1990, he was elected to the Michigan State Board of Education. He resigned 2 years into his 8 year term. In 1996, he was appointed to the Grand Valley State University Board and again resigned before completing his term. Will he resign again once elected governor?
Dick has questionable bedfellows and no, I do not mean his wife, although she is a crazy (see below). Dick and Betsy have personally donated money to the political campaigns of both George W and Tom DeLay, not to mention the $100,000+ they collected for the Bush-Cheney ticket to cement their standing as "Pioneers". This does not even come close to accounting for all their "charitable" giving which includes organizations like Focus on Family, which despite having great names are nothing but Christian Conservative PACs.
Dick cannot win. When Dick DeVos was CEO of the Orlando Magic (His daddy bought the team. Feel any George W deja vu?) from 1991-1993, the Magic went 21-61 and 41-41. If elected governor will he bring his oh so stellar performance to Lansing?
Dick doesn't believe in science. Dick DeVos has stated that he believes intelligent design should be taught in high school classes as a legitimate alternative to the Darwin's theory of evolution. Right, teaching intelligent design is a great way to diversify Michigan's economy and bring in more high-tech and bio-tech companies. (DeVos' stance is not entirely unexpected given that he has a degree from the seemingly sketchy "Northwood University" which has campuses in Florida, Texas, and Michigan, huh?)
Dick is a crazy conservative when it comes to social issues. He does not believe in stem cell research. (Those fetuses were going to be thrown away if they weren't used by scientists.) He does not believe in abortion even in the case of rape or incest. (It really gets me when guys get to legislate what women do their bodies. Why don't mail politicans make sure rapists get their penises cut-off?) Through his foundations, Dick DeVos helped anti-gay groups lead a boycott of Ford Motor Company because of their support for gay rights. So (a) I just think that is wrong and (b) Ford is one of the biggest employers in Michigan and you are boycotting them while simultaneously complaining about lost jobs in Michigan - Hello! get a brain brainiac.
Dick has married the MidWest version of Marie Antoinette. Just like French Queen's 'let them eat cake' lives down in infamy, Betsy DeVos has maintained that Michigan's economic woes are due to the fact that Michigan workers are overpaid. I thought governors were supposed to increase the number of jobs for workers and their real wages... apparently not...
Dick is a job uncreator. Through his restructuring of Amway/Alticor, Dick DeVos shed nearly 1,000 Michigan jobs (that he subsequently moved to Asia) and reduced benefits by millions. From the perspective of a CEO, this was likely the right thing to do. However, as Governor of Michigan how will he be able to attract net new jobs to the state given his own track record?

Arrested!?!

2006-10-17T21:26:00.000-04:00

I thought all the jokes people were making about the Michigan State football team were just that - jokes! But apparently it is true. The Michigan State program has turned into those of schools I hate like Miami and Nebraska, the only difference is State doesn't have the record that typically goes will such jailhouse programs. I quick look at the Lansing State Journal shows that at least 3 current and former Spartan football players are facing possible charges... Talk about ridiculous. I do not think John L. deserves all the blame for this, but is Michigan State really so desperate for recruits that we have to recruit violent delinquents?

On a side note, why on earth does anyone think Mariucci should become the new head coach (well other than the fact that he and Izzo are buddies)? Mariucci's 15-28 record at the Lions, where he had more stars than the Spartans do, is currently worse than John L's record at Michigan State which is 21-22 (through 2005). I am not suggesting that keeping John L is the answer, but given the speed with which Michigan State churns through coaches, it is hard to imagine anyone taking on the task of trying to rebuild a program that has been in the process of rebuilding for almost 20yrs!!

Unbelievable!

2006-10-16T00:28:00.000-04:00

Guess who is No. 2 in the polls. You would think I'd be happy seeing as how it is not Michigan, but strangely I am not. Most bizarre sensation. In any case, the BCS has proven yet again how un-friggin'-believable they are (and not in a good way). What on earth has USC done to merit such fanatical devotion on the part of the BCS? I do not understand how a 28-21 win over a no-name, nothing Pac-10 team should vault anyone to a No. 2 spot. BCS must die! I want the Rose Bowl to be the way it was supposed to be...

Ok. So North Korea has a bomb. In my world, this is a not such a good thing. Call me crazy... my roommate does! You'd think the South Koreans and Chinese might be a bit concerned about the nuclear threat at their doorstep. But apparently not. Instead they are planning to undermine the Security Council's economic sanctions against the North Korean regime. Honestly, I cannot believe we fought a war for this Peninsula. If South Korea wants to play kiss-ass, I say we pull our troops out and let North Korea have their way with them. Also, who wants to guess how many days 'til Iran denotes their bomb, given all the internation uproar and condemation it will bring (*snicker*). 10... 9... 8...

Liberals and the McCain love fest. I do not get it! He is all over Bush (seriously, the hugs and kisses are enough to make you nauseous), and liberals defend with talk of how it is only "party politics". Yet when Lieberman votes for the Iraq War, praises Bush, he is forced to run as an Independent. I just don't get it. McCain voted for the war too! He is against time tables for leaving Iraq. He blames Bill Clinton (remember your god you liberal yahoos) for North Korea; I mean forget that Bush labelled them a core member of the Axis of Evil and then promptly forgot their existence. He is anti-abortion. He spoke at Bob Jones University, which would probably never allow his Bangladeshi daughter to set foot on campus. He was a member of the Keating Five, S&L disaster. For all his protestations, he still voted for a Bush endorsed torture bill. Honestly, McCain to me is dangerous. He is not a moral maverick. He is a hard core conservative, maybe not a Christian conservative, but still a hardcore conservative, and liberals should beware...

The Woes of College Football - Week 6

2006-10-14T23:19:00.000-04:00

Heisman Watch
Checking up on the Indiana - Iowa game early this afternoon, I noticed an interesting discussion on the ESPN GameDay message boards. The message was clearly left by a crazy, PAC-10 fanatic. According to the PAC-10 loon, Troy Smith is a mediocre quarterback at best who is only up for a Heisman because the field is so weak, and Smith can in no way compare to the USC QBs of late (e.g., Leinhart). I was tempted to reply to the joker, but decided it best not to dignify such nonsense with a response. Honestly, if Leinhart only had two interceptions (and he actually had 8 last year - I checked) it is because USC plays the weakest schedule of any "top" NCAA football team in the country. Leinhart is doing alright down in Arizona now, but I think Troy Smith will be a phenomenal pro-QB. He can run, move in the pocket, throw, I bet he can even tackle. I am a huge fan! And I dare anyone to come up with a better Heisman candidate.

Something about the Big, Blue, D
Michigan pulled out a 17-10 win in (Un)Happy Valley. And while the game seemed locked up at 17-3, with under 5 in the 4th quarter, Penn State and their 3rd string quarterback tried to make a game of it. But in the usual case of too little too late, it was simply not enough.

Sadly, in my opinion, this game will likely catapult UMich to a No. 2 ranking with the new polls are released. Something I find deeply troubling. Even more disturbing in my opinion though is the notion that Ohio State is a 1A team and Michigan is a 1B team (at least according to the ABC commentators who are clearly on some form of narcotic). I remain unconvinced that Michigan has been tested enough to be a No. 2. Likewise, I would be loathe to see USC in that position. Frankly, I would like to put Florida or another SEC team into the No. 2 slot. Their schedules are crazy hard and far more competitive. But since when do pollsters listen to me?

Also with regards to Michigan's defense, I get that they are good. (Holding Penn St. to negative rushing yards is pretty amazing.) But does that mean they need to become the decapitation squad? I understand that QBs have to take some pain. But the "bear hug of love" that Morelli received was clearly a late hit. Michigan deserved a penalty for it. I forget who made the tackle, all I remember was that he was big. Ok. So it was hard for him to stop... but he shouldn't have had his arms around the QB. I have less to quibble about the hit on Clark. But I think the Michigan defense could and should exercise a little more care in not winning by eliminating players. They seem to be doing it a lot lately, and it takes the luster off of their wins.

Invincible No More
Finally, the sports pundits have tired of the fad that is USC. The past couple years of USC adulation have been painful for this PAC-10 hater to watch. But the commentators are finally, finally calling it like it is. USC scraped by in this game. Booty call interceptions. 21 unanswered points by Arizona St. And this was the easy part of their schedule. With Cal, Oregon, and a revitalized Notre Dame still on their schedule, Pete Carroll & Co. should start worrying just a bit.

Crazy in the MidWest
Indiana over Iowa? You have got to be kidding me. At least that's what I thought. But at 31-28, Indiana pulled out a win to break into the top half of the Big Ten rankings at 2-1. I cannot remember the last time this happened. Sadly though, given they face Ohio St next weekend, their euphoria will be short lived. It will however be interesting to see what No.15 Iowa's response to this game will be. Iowa's next game entails a visit to AA. I am personally hoping they'll want some revenge after getting stomped on by Indiana. And here's to hoping they get it!
Random Aside
Surprisingly, the Ohio State/Michigan State game did not depress me as much as I had expected. In fact, it was a rather existential, out of body type experience. That said, there is a lot about Drew Stanton that reminds me of Troy Smith. And watching Ohio State play, reminded me of what I aspire for MSU to be. And I really believe they could be, if they could only stay healthy and play a clean game.

They also showed a clip of Lorenzo White during the game. Oh Lorenzo, how I loved thee. The last time (and technically the only time in my life) that Michigan State went to the Rose Bowl was when Lorenzo White was the star RB. This was back in 1988, well before the BCS turned the Rose Bowl into an utter travesty. It has been almost 20yrs since Michigan State's last trip to Pasadena. Even Northwestern has gone more recently. The only schools who have had to wait longer are Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa. But Iowa did go to the Orange in 2003 and Illinois to the Sugar in 2002. So bottom line, State fans are due a good bowl game!

A Little Slice of Happiness

2006-10-14T19:54:00.000-04:00

Go Tigers!

I don't like baseball much at all... but I am still really excited about the Tigers winning. The last time the Tigers went to the World Series I was 5 years old. That was a long time ago. Something is finally going right in Detroit. If only Ben Wallace hadn't left the Pistons (that bastard) and if only Lions would get their shit together... sigh...

Such Sadness

2006-10-14T19:22:00.000-04:00

I should be used to this, but four game slides are horrendously painful. In all honesty, I had mentally prepared myself for Michigan State to lose this game. Javon Ringer is out. Matt Trannon is out. Stanton has a bruised thumb, ribs, and now a bruised back. But to be shut out at home sucks (let's face it the TD at the end of the game was a mercy touchdown).

I guess this means that the season is essentially over. Illinois and Indiana both have better Big Ten records than Michigan State. I can't remember the last time that happened, and it certainly does not bode well for the Michigan State regular or post-season opportunities.

This loss also, in my opinion, seals the deal on John L's stay at Michigan State. I do agree with the commentators that this is not entirely his fault. Too many offensive players have been hurt. Only like five starters from the first game against Idaho suited up against Ohio State. For god's sake, there are defensive linemen lining up at the tight end position. State is literally starting 3rd and 4th stringers. That is not way to win against the No. 1 team in the country. I wonder if John L is kicking himself for leaving Louisville (No. 7). I wonder if Stanton wishes he went pro last year. I wonder...

There are a couple things that could redeem this football Saturday. (1) Michigan losing to Penn St. If Penn St. can pull out the win, I will bite my tongue for every time I said Joe Pa needed to get the hell out of Happy Valley. (2) The Tigers shut the door on Oakland.

The Beginning of the End... of YouTube

2006-10-14T12:23:00.000-04:00

This week has been an absurdly long week, and for that reason, I simply haven't kept up with my TV watching. For example, 'Smallville'. I missed the entire episode. My plan had been to watch it on YouTube, which I have done in the past. But imagine my surprise when I clicked on the video and found it was "removed for copyright infringement". How annoying! I don't use YouTube to watch people's lame attempts to recreate America's Funniest Home Videos. I use it to catch up shows that I miss. Next thing you know the 'Daily Show' clips will be gone too... I wonder if Google knows what it bought...

When...

2006-10-12T00:15:00.000-04:00

When the stars align crazy things happen, like the Tigers winning two straight games in Oakland. To all you sports reporters who thought it couldn't be done... yeah well... it could!

When the UN nominates someone from South Korea (Ban-Ki Moon) as their next secretary general, you might expect someone who would take action against nuclear proliferation. Perhaps, dare I even say it, take a "hard-line" against rogue states. Apparently, from the looks of things, that is the farthest thing from the truth...

Ban will not use the word "genocide" to refer to the situation in Darfur. While Darfur may not have reached Rawandan-like proportions, it is fast getting there. His sadness over the "overwhelming human suffering" is really quite meaningless. Actions always speak louder than words.

One of Ban's most prominent roles was as negotiator in the six-party talks involving North Korea's nuclear program. In his opinion the North Korean and Iranian situation are different because North Korea "promised to give up all nuclear weapons and programs in return for economic and security assistance from the other five participating countries". Umm. Right. That's why North Korea tested their nuclear weapons earlier this week.

As a side note, I understand that the US, Russia, UK, and France (though slightly questionable here depending on your belief in the strength of the Resistance) gave them self veto rights in the UN. After winning WWII, they probably felt justified. But how on earth did China secure themselves veto power? I can almost guarantee, China is one of the countries casting a vote against Shashi Tharoor for the secretary-general position, just as they block India's entry into the Security Council.

Some Kind of Crazy

2006-10-10T01:05:00.000-04:00

Divine Intervention (e.g. Punishment)
I have never quite forgiven Nick Saban for leaving the Spartans right when he was at the cusp of turning them into a real program. He left for LSU where he had a grand ole time stomping over the SEC, while State slowly sunk deeper and deeper into the Big Ten morass. But finally, it appears that Saban too will have to face the pain of mediocrity. Saban thy punishment is a PAC-10 quarterback, and to fans from the state of Michigan, not one held in particularly high regard. Maybe Joey Harrington can work some of his Duck magic down in Miami because he rarely showed it up in Detroit. But it is doubtful. Saban will have his comeuppance as he watches the Dolphins season turn into mush!

Sweet Revenge
Personally I think Manningham is a fabulous player and fun to watch and I will certainly cheer for him when he goes pro. But for now he is a Michigan player and I rather despise him. Although I generally take joy in the Wolverine's pain, it seems rude to smile over potentially injured players. Still the reports of Manningham's injury seem strange. I do not recall any really hard tackles. Yes, Hart was a little roughed up, but Manningham? Maybe I missed it. Looks like Penn St. may have their chance for some sweet revenge after all. And if they in fact get some, I think I may smile just a little wider.

Mushrooms
Generally, I hate mushrooms. Mushrooms in pizza, mushrooms in risotto, mushrooms in Thai food - I just can't stand it. 'shrooms, I have never tried. That being said, I do find the mushrooms and toadstools that grow in my mothers garden interesting in a clinical sort of way. But mushroom clouds are not interesting especially when being created by a silly, little, despotic man in the Korean Peninsula with a fixation on buxom, Swedish women.

How could Bush let this happen? Saddam for all his wonderfully, heinous qualities was quite nicely contained in the Middle East. All he wanted to do was lord over his own people and make occasional proclamations about his fabulousness. Kim Jong-Il is a bit of a psycho and no one knows what he wants. With Saddam, we kind of knew what he wanted. And now in North Korea gets to join the nuclear club as the most unstable member since Pakistan. Honestly, Saddam never scared me. But North Korea does. The Bush administration made a nice mess of this one by not talking to the Kim Jong-Il, and now there is really nothing to be done.

Buying YouTube
Everyone knows Google has money pouring out of its ears. And if I had money like Google had money, I too would go on a crazy, over-priced shopping spree. But I would like to think I wouldn't buy something, like say a baby pit bull, that could grow up to bite me in the ass.

As much as I love YouTube and trust me I do, it is a Napster waiting to happen. And with Google's deep pockets you better believe the media/content providers will be getting in line to get a piece of the pie. I feel rather bad for Google's internal counsel, they are going to be busy! And talk about a windfall for external council. If only I had gone to Law School. Instead of being an ambulance chaser, I could have been a Google-victim chaser.

In Response to Comments - Simmer Down Michigan Fans

2006-10-09T10:35:00.000-04:00

So I can admit that perhaps I slightly exaggerated the events of the Minnesota-Michigan game. My bad. Although in fairness Michigan was a little sluggish in the second half of the game.

But no one can honestly tell say that Arrington's first TD in the game was good. Please, please watch the instant replay before commenting. His foot never came in in bounds. The commentators were talking about this play the whole game! And the point is John L. did not even have a chance to throw down the red flag because (a) the refs were not looking at him and wouldn't have seen the flag in which case nothing would have been reviewed and (b) Michigan lined up its field goal team in like 2sec. It reminds me somewhat of the LSU-Auburn game two weeks ago. In any case, the play was clearly questionable, and if the refs were taking it upon themselves to review Stanton's TDs' later in the game they certainly should have reviewed Arrington's TD. As a Michigan State fan, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth...

Any how, you have to let us State fans blather on a bit. It's the only outlet we have in a very trying part of the year. I'll understand if you feel the need to do the same during the basketball season...

The Agony of Defeat

2006-10-08T00:56:00.000-04:00

Unless you are a moronic Michigan, USC, Florida, or Arkansas fan, today was a bloody, f-ing, awful day. It's painful to watch the teams you love lose and the teams you hate win.

After today, I have come to the conclusion that sports commentators are utter idiots. I mean pick a team/pick a position and stick with it, I can respect that. Or at least have some sort of rational thought process. But no, that would be asking for too much. These guys just sit there blowing hot air and getting paid millions. I wish I could get a gig like that.

Michigan 31, Michigan State 13
Honestly don't know what to say here, other than, did Michigan buy off the refs? If you read the ESPN game summary, you'd think that Michigan won all nice and clean. All I can say is hardly. I have seen Michigan cheat before, especially in basketball (remember the Fab-5 who got paid on the side?), but this was something else.

Michigan's first touchdown of the game wasn't even good. Arrington never came down in bounds. Did the refs review it as they should all questionable plays? No, of course not. Who are they to question the "Victors"? And did John L. get a chance to ask for a review? No. Because UMich decided to snap the extra kick ball, literally 2 sec later. And then the commentators have the nerve to talk about how great Michigan's play was. Puhleeze! That is cheating! Since when did ABC endorse cheating? Actually, scratch that. They do endorse lying. Remember the 9/11 docu-drama based on real events and the occasional Republican lie.

To add insult to injury, the refs called every single penalty conceivable against Michigan State. Roughing the kicker, offsides, etc. etc. As if! If the Michigan players weren't such drama queens this could have been a game. At some point though the refs decided to get some religion, which you might think would be good for State. But no, instead it just meant they would review every single offensive play State made. Including both of Stanton's touchdown attempts. Finally, finally, they let one count.

Aside from the bad calling, the other major downer was hearing all the talk about Michigan potentially getting a No. 2 ranking (and potentially being a National Championship contender) and Trannon getting hurt. He got hurt bad enough for the go-cart to come on the field. Not good. I swear the Michigan players were trying to kill our players. Their were some extra hard tackles against Stanton. Talk about blast from the past, it's how they won 2yrs ago. And they say cheaters never prosper... Michigan seems to be doing just fine.

John L. is looking increasingly embattled. I bet at this point he wishes he never left Louisville. They are ranked No.9 right now!

The commentators seem to think it is the players fault MSU is where they are, and not John L's. I am not sure I agree. The fumbles and the penalties, those are certainly the players fault. But things would be so different right now if Michigan State hadn't lost to Notre Dame. If they hadn't lost to Notre Dame, MSU would have ended the season 4th/5th in the Big Ten. They certainly would not have lost to Illinois and would have been significantly more competitive today.

The blame for the Notre Dame game lies squarely with John L. There was no reason to run down the clock the entire 2nd half against Notre Dame. You never ever count a team like that out, and you always, always try and put points up on the board. Especially when you are weak defensively. And today, with Ringer out, you don't run the ball against one of the best rush defenses in the country. Pass the goddamn ball. Let your quarterback and wide receivers put up yards and points. John L decided not to. I do feel bad for him, but I do blame him. If only, if only we hadn't lost to Notre Dame. This could have been the year.

Ohio State 35, Bowling Green 7
This isn't altogether unexpected. But with all the upsets today, it looks like Ohio State has solidified itself at the No. 1 spot. Honestly, I could care less about Ohio State. But given the level of hate and bitterness I feel for Michigan and USC, I'll be a Buckeye fan. No questions!

Elsewhere in the Big Ten
Penn State held on to beat Minnesota in overtime 28-27. Next up, Joe Pa's squad faces Michigan. I bet you can guess what I hope will happen! You gotta feel for Minnesota though. They put up 350yds in passing alone today and are still 0-3 in the Big Ten. It really doesn't do them justice considering the scares they have been giving everyone. Michigan barely got by them last weekend!
Indiana edged Illinois with a last second field goal 34-32, thus killing any chance Illinois had for back-to-back wins this decade. Kind of ironic that Illinois should lose on a last second field goal, since they beat Michigan State on one last weekend.
Northwestern gotten beaten by the guys from the Cheese State to keep MSU company at 0-2.
Iowa beat Purdue 47-17. Sadly for Iowa and Michigan-haters like me, they have to play UMich in AA. But here's to hoping they can pull some sort of hat trick.

The SEC Upsets
Tennessee 51, Georgia 33
SEC football is great. As much as I love Big-10 football, I think the SEC wins hands down. I wish I had been able to watch this game, but the pain of the Michigan State vs. cheaters game was too painful and the martinis were calling. Maybe Tennessee is back to its Peyton Manning, glory days.

Florida 23, LSU 10
Technically, this may not have been an upset. Unbeknownst to me, Florida is No.5 and LSU is only No. 9. That was shock No. 1. Shock No. 2 was seeing LSU play like hapless, bumbling fools. I expect better from a former Saban squad. But I guess they were down in the Swamp which can't be easy. It is however sad to see their national title chances slip away, especially after seeing them get the shaft the past couple years.

Arkansas 27, Auburn 10
Now this actually was an upset. I am not a huge fan of Auburn especially after all that academic nonsense. But it is mildly irksome to see Arkansas pull a 2-game lead in the SEC West. They may be good, but I do not think they are that good. And at this point is may be an impenetrable lead. Auburn and LSU are still better in my book.

As an aside I am starting to like SEC football more and more. I may have to become a conference switcher...

PAC-10 Drivel
USC 26, Washington 20
Does this mean we are going to see USC in the Championship game again? God, how I hate BCS. I wonder which Hilton sister Booty is dating. God his name is funny. I wonder if girls ever get Booty-calls. USC has had it easy so far. The real test comes when they face Oregon, Cal, and Notre Dame in back to back contests which are conveniently at home, as was their only other ranked opponent Nebraska. Interesting...

Notre Dame 31, Stanford 10
La ti da. So Notre Dame beats Stanford. Who really gives a shit? It is a well established fact that PAC-10 teams suck at football, and Stanford is certainly no exception. If Brady Quinn wins a Heisman for this, I swear I will give up college football for life!

Cal 45, Oregon 24
Why are these teams even ranked? Oregon is #11 and Cal is #16. It is ludicrous. Oregon has one "legit" win against Oklahoma and Cal beat the barely even-ranked powerhouse of Arizona St., after being bumped off by a stellar Tennessee. Once again the powers that be in the world of football have shown their pro-PAC-10 bias. If Cal manages to crack the top-10 with this win, all I can say is un-friggin'-believable!

Happy Days in Detroit.
God knows Detroit needs something to be happy about these days. Go Tigers! I love seeing the Yankees lose, but I especially love seeing the Tigers win. And win well! Sadly, their win wasn't enough to take the edge off of the day.

Friday Night and Only YouTube for Company

2006-10-06T21:43:00.000-04:00

It's Friday night and I am stuck at home with the sniffles and a fever. Lovely, no? But with all this free time on my hands I decided to explore the lovely world of YouTube. I gotta say I just love this website! Here are some of favorite clips...

John Stewart on Mark Foley, the blame game, and Democrats
John Stewart is a funny man! I particularly liked his story on Republican Senator Mark Foley. I had to bold the word Republican because apparently Bill O'Reilly *forgot* that Senator Mark Foley was a Republican. Also while I am on a roll with regards to Bill O'Reilly can I just say the man is totally nutters!?! He calls George Soros the "most dangerous man in America". Um, hello? What about the men in all those alleged sleeper cells that Bush/Cheney keep talking about, surely they are at least a little worse? Personally, I think O'Reilly is just jealous that Soros has more money than he does. But I digress. Watch the clip. You will laugh or your money back!

Iraq is but a comma in history
Only our great President George Bush would be foolish enough to say something like that. But if it is only a comma, then why do we need to spend $20mn to celebrate our victory there? Especially, with the "Mission not Accomplished".

This clip has great lines including, "9/11 changed everything into punctuation".

The Singhsons
Funny, although I was a little disappointed with Marge's (Marji's) hair. This one is also funny, the robber gets "cheesed".

Neither Here nor There
Other interesting discoveries while on YouTube. I can watch the entire season premiere of Smallville. Fantabulous! Bad Lex. Love it! Chlarky kiss. Awww... ever wondered why people merge TV couple's names? I don't get it. Especially when the word doesn't make sense. I mean Bennifer? At least, TomKat sort of made sense.

On the topic of TomKat, they are allegedly getting married in November. I guess by then she will have dropped the baby weight, but it is unclear that Tom Cruise will have gained any inches. Also to complete the whole creep factor, just days after he met her (1) had her car totally overhauled, apparently it was too beaten up and (2) invited her to Rome and gave her a credit card with a $100,000 limit... weird...

Also on YouTube, the entire Sept. 22nd episode of Bill Maher. It's worth watching just to listen to the crazy woman from Fox News. She is quite possibly crazier than Ann Coulter and clearly out of her league!

The Twins crashed and burned against Oakland this week. Shut out 0-3 in the series. While I am annoyed that the Twins managed to edge the Tigers (and as I result the Tigers are stuck with the Yankees), I feel for them as a MidWest team. But honestly, the Twins sucked. Big Time! And their owner looks utterly asinine, "I’d rather play the Yankees because I know we can beat them." Please! You couldn't beat Oakland, but you can beat the Yankees? Senile much?

Potpourri

2006-10-05T23:57:00.000-04:00

Grey's Anatomy

Quite frankly, I am not sure why I even watch this show. Meredith and Derek annoy me. They are both so dirty and I hate their goo-goo eyes. Yes, yes, Addison cheated on Derek, and it was awful and bad of her, but when they decided to try again, he should have really tried. Instead, he kept undressing Meredith with his eyes. Nastiness. And I don't like his hair. I bet he uses more product than I do and that is just wrong!

Meredith reminds me an awful lot of Ally McBeal. They both have this birdy look going on. And they are both whiny (e.g., Meredith does a "poor me" every episode, even the episode in which Izzy's fiance died) and selfish (e.g., can't own up to the lost panties, sleeping with a married man, etc., etc.). Worst of all she was mean to George. Poor, clueless, socially inept George. If anyone deserves niceness it's him. Although he does seem to be awfully rude to girls who aren't Meredith. I felt bad for Callie today when he told her to move out. Is it just me, or is Callie being like twice the size of George kinda freaky?

I don't even know where to begin with the Izzy story line. They should have just kept her with Alex. They work. The whole Denny, dying patient, I love you thing made no sense at all. She stole a heart! Stole a man's life, and they are going to reinstate her? What kind of hospital is this? Remind me not to ever go there.

I like Addison. Yeah, she cheated on her husband. But at least she cheated up! Mark is hot! And he is in the previews for the next episode. I like Addison because she has red hair. Sadly, red hair does not work on Indian skin. Trust me. I tried!

Peace in the Middle East?

I have nothing to offer on this topic other than that it seems like a land far far away. Perhaps someday the story will end with "and they lived happily ever after". But that seems like a long ways away.

Republican Perverts...

Personally, I think the e-mails Foley sent to teenagers in the Page program are despicable. But it does bother me that this news story has replaced other more serious stories on the front page. Yes, Foley is a bad bad man, but at the end of the day, no one was hurt. Yes, there should be an investigation, since most of the teenagers were underage, but it isn't a front page story.

Is America obsessed with sex? The Bill/Monica episode was like a circus freak show with all the coverage it got. TomKat's sex life was grist for the entertainment magazines. It's all quite ridiculous in my opinion. How about a little less sex and a little more "is North Korea going to explode an atom bomb over Japan" or "is Iraq's US-led self-destruction complete yet" or "will the US ever balance it's budget again"? (You know it really bothers me that the government made it hard for people to file for personal bankruptcy - wonder how much in political contributions the credit card companies make - yet the government relies on China to keep it from declaring bankruptcy... hmmm... makes you wonder).

Last but not Least

Anna Nicole Smith. Gross much? I remember when she was the svelte Guess girl. I used to love Guess! And now she is a trashy, trailer-park looking, bottled blonde. She's like Marilyn Monroe on meth, crack, and heroine. She's like the "here's your brain on drugs" commercial they used to do with an egg on a skillet. Yikes!

A Chance at Redemption?

2006-10-04T01:00:00.000-04:00

Quite frankly, I have been too better over the Notre Dame game to update my blog. I hate those bloody, f-ing, Domers. While MSU's defense was clearly on vacation, and John L. was trying to make the offense burn the clock for the entire friggin' 2nd half, I know in my heart (and in my mind) that Notre Dame cheated. And the sad thing is they used to be my 2nd favorite team. I mean what more does a girl want than a team that beats UMich every year and loses to Michigan State every year. It's like a dream come true. Except I got a nightmare this year. And now with Stanton injured things are looking more grim than usual. Still MSU may have a shot at redemption down in good old AA.

Factoids of note:

MSU hasn't won at Ann Arbor since 1990. All winning streaks must come to an end. If Michigan can finally beat Notre Dame and Touchdown Jesus, surely Stanton can miraculously get well and save State fans.
State has lost four in a row to Michigan. That's a dry spell if I ever heard one. And I can't remember having to go this long without a win in years!
History suggests a loss in Ann Arbor would cause MSU to end the season with a record 4-8. Ouch! Typically, after losing to UMich, MSU takes a nose dive, and only wins one of their remaining games. If they beat UMich, they typically take 2 or 3 games, thus ending with a record of 6-6. Bowl game anyone?

So what does this all mean? If Stanton and the Spartans manage to beat UMich, I for one will be cheering. But don't expect the party to last that long. State is still plagued by the inconsistency of years past.

2005: MSU loss, 34-31 (OT) @ East Lansing
MSU was 4-0 entering the game. MSU then went 1-5 in their last six games. Talk about dismal. But this year, we have a better kicker... please no wide to the rights.

2004: MSU loss, 45-37 (3OT) @ Ann Arbor
MSU was doing just find until UMich decided to take a peice out of Stanton. bloody cheaters. MSU went 1-3 in their last four games. Ach so!

2003: MSU loss, 27-20 @ East Lansing
MSU was 7-1 entering the game, with wins over teams like Iowa and Notre Dame. But after succumbing the the vile AA-ers, went 1-3 the rest of the season. Although the sole win was an awesome spanking of Joe Pa's club.

2002: MSU loss, 49-3 @ Ann Arbor
Oh the pain. I cried that day. Oh, Smoker why did you have to start popping pills. To lose like this to a real Michigan QB is one thing, but John Navarre. Does anyone even remember who he is anymore? State ended the season going 1-2.

2001: MSU win, 26-24 @ East Lansing
Can you believe it? I hardly can. Sure the maize&blue complain about time calling nonsense. But a win is a win I say, and I'll take this one! Although, MSU won more than one game after beating down UMich, they lost to such spectacular teams as Indy-f-ing-ana. Consistency, where arth thou?

2000: MSU loss, 14-0 @ Ann Arbor
A shut-out. No way! Poor T.J. Duckett. He was robbed I tell you. Robbed. MSU ended the season 2-2.

1999: MSU win, 34-31 @ East Lansing
Plaxico what can I say. I loved you then, now if only you would score me some points for my ff team! The Tom Brady years, a boon for us State fans, who woulda thunk he would make it in the pros. MSU ended the season 4-2 with wins over Ohio State, Penn State, and Florida in the Citrus Bowl. This what MSU football was supposed to be about!

Does Notre Dame Stand a Chance?

2006-09-17T00:26:00.000-04:00

Common logic suggests that Michigan State is doomed next week when Notre Dame comes to East Lansing. Not only does Notre Dame have bigger and arguably better players, but after such a steamrolling, they are definitely hungrier. Still my recent recollection suggests that Michigan State has been going to town on Notre Dame lately. Here are some stats on games between 1995-2005 (note: Notre Dame didn't play Michigan or Michigan State in 1995 or 1996)

positive signs

Notre Dame is 2-7 against Michigan State
Notre Dame's victories over Michigan State have only ever occurred when they beat Michigan the preceding weekend

negative signs

Notre Dame is 2-2 in East Lansing

I am not sure what to make of this. Looking at the Michigan - Notre Dame trends would have show Notre Dame dominating the recent series especially at home. But use of historic data proved to be wrong in today's game. I am only hoping that similar causality holds. Since Notre Dame lost to Michigan today they *should* also lose to Michigan State.

Notre Dame Results/Scores from 1995-2005:
2005: @ Michigan W, 17-10
Michigan State L, 44-41

2004: Michigan W, 28-20
@ Michigan State W, 31-24

2003: @ Michigan L, 38-0 (I was at that game. Madness!)
Michigan State L, 22-16

2002: Michigan W, 25-23
@ Michigan State W, 21-17

2001: Michigan State L, 17-10

2000: @ Michigan State L, 27-21

1999: @ Michigan L, 26-22
Michigan State L, 23-13

1998: Michigan W, 36-20
@ Michigan State L, 45-23

1997: Michigan State L, 23-7
@ Michigan L, 21-14

Week 3 College Football: Winners and Losers

2006-09-16T23:37:00.000-04:00

A girl can't help but love Saturdays full of non-stop football. I was a bit disappointed that the Michigan St. - Pitt game was not televised here. Apparently, watching Virginia Tech shut out Duke was far more important. Incidentally, who watches Duke football? basketball, sure I get it. But ACC football is garbage (for the most part) and Duke is the worst of the bunch.

Michigan St. - Pitt: Loved it! I admit to being nervous at first. I wish Stanton would stop throwing interceptions. But after the first half he got it together rushing for 100 yards and passing for another 200. I wish we could have seen more of Trannon. Still the win over Pitt and sustained dominance in the 2nd half in a hostile environment if State is to have a chance in hell of beating Notre Dame when they come calling next weekend.

Ohio St. - Cinnci: Ohio State had me wondering, but they pulled through. I like seeing a dominant team in the Big Ten that's not Michigan. Hopefully Tressel can remain strong against Michigan (and lose against Michigan State - yes, probability zero. But I have to dream the impossible dream).

UMich - Notre Dame: After the bliss of an Michigan State win, this game brought me back to reality. I didn't expect UMich to roll over and play dead (though I did sort of hope they would), but I certainly didn't expect to see Notre Dame fold like a house of cards. Brady Quinn had 3 interceptions. Three friggin' interceptions. He might as well just kiss his Heisman goodbye because it's as good as gone. And the entire Notre Dame offense put up 4yds rushing. 4 yards!!! Even I can do better than that. Touchdown Jesus was clearly not in the house.

LSU - Auburn: Now that Nick Saban jilted LSU (just like he ditched Michigan St), I no longer resent them like I used to. In light of all the nonsense at Auburn of late with players grades, I am inclined to pick LSU as one of my favorite SEC teams. The game was ridiculously low scoring (7-3) considering the caliber of the players, and LSU likely would have and should have won had the refs not made the asinine decision to reverse their pass interference call. Where is instant replay in college ball when you need it. Simply ridiculous!

USC vs. Nebraska: Hated it! I hate UMich with a passion even I find unbelievable. Second on my list of hated college football teams is USC and their pretty boy quarterbacks (and what is up with Reggie Bush getting free gifts???). Despite the fact that ex-Coach Osborne made me hate Nebraska and the thug-style players he supported back in the day, I would have loved to see Nebraska win. USC benefits every year from playing in a sissy conference. They need to be taken down a peg or two. Nebraska had a few moments, but they look green. Maybe next year?

Book Review: Oops I Did It Again

2006-09-13T23:15:00.000-04:00

I read another Oprah Book Club book! (Looks like Brit did it again to and popped out another baby.)

I recently finished reading a A Fine Balance by Rohin Mistry. In fact for some bizarre reason I felt compelled to read the book (over 500pgs) in one day. Making it through class the next day was horrid. And the worst part is that I am still not sure whether or not I like the book. I liked it enough to finish it in one day. But it is still an Oprah Book Club book. A well written Oprah book, but between her branding and the bleakness of the story itself, it can be difficult to enjoy. Mistry has been compared to Dickens, however, I never felt such an overwhelming sense of injustice at the end of his books. (Well technically, I felt kind of bad for Fagin at the end of Oliver Twist. He did seem to get a raw deal.)

A Fine Balance is set in 1970s Bombay (my guess based on the significant Parsi population referred to in the book) amidst Indira & Sanjay Gandhi's Emergency. Essentially, from what I gather, Indira concerned about the withering influence of her Congress Party usurped powers belonging to states. States ruled by opposition parties were placed under federal administrative authority. When the masses rose up against her, and it was an eclectic group (e.g., students, unions workers, former freedom fighters, etc.) that did, she claimed that India was being threatened from within and declared an Emergency Proclamation. This allowed her to push through Constitutional amendments, detain individuals without cause (e.g., under suspicion of sympathizing with the opposition), censor the press, etc. Potentially, one of the most disturbing aspects of the Emergency was the forced movement and abuse of the poor as the government flattened slums and embarked on a population control policy involving "voluntary" sterilization. A quick search on the Internet popped up a link showing that Indira Gandhi won the Lenin Peace Prize. It seems like some sort of sick joke. See here for more.

A Fine Balance focuses on four main characters. Dina Dalal is a relatively young, and still beautiful Parsi widow. Like all of Mistry's characters Dina struggles to earn the money she needs to survive. For her survival means retaining her Independence from her domineering older brother who would like nothing better for her to return to her "home" and share in the household duties (i.e. become a servant). Ishvar and Om Darji are members of the Chamaar caste (leather workers). But when Ishvar's father apprentices his sons to a tailor he upsets the balance of power within the caste system of his village leading to tragic results. Ishvar and Om now homeless and destitute try to rebuild their lives with optimism (Ishvar) and opportunism (Om). Maneck Kohlah is a young, Parsi student forced by his parents, fading aristocrats who lost everything during Partition, to attend college in the city. His struggle never seemed clear to me. He comes off as a petulant boy who has lived a relatively charmed life.

Although parts of the book dwell on the tragedies each character suffered (honestly, Maneck has very few in my opinion), there is considerable hope and light. However, at some point, I can't pin-point where, you know it will not end well. There are no happy endings for anyone in this novel with perhaps the exception of the murderous hair-collector. The punishment meted out to Ishvar and Om is especially tragic in light of what they have already faced. Dina's fate while sad and not unexpected seemed typical for someone of her means and status. What was most surprising was how the story of Maneck ended. Of all the characters he had the most advantages, but he was in my opinion disgustingly self-absorbed through the entirety of the book(the exception being when he helped Dina sew the dresses) and worst of all a coward, something Ishvar, Om, and Dina never were.

This book was hard to put down, and despite the Oprah appellation I do recommend it. The characters were well developed and compelling. I really felt for them, especially Ishvar. His story is heartbreaking. However, I would take the book's overwhelming darkness with a grain of salt. The Emergency was a terrible time especially for those who did not have the means (money or brute force) to protect themselves. That being said, I find it difficult to believe that so many misfortunes could visit the same small group of people.

Losing my Love for Football?

2006-09-11T00:45:00.000-04:00

Every year I enter at least one March Madness pool. The process from start to finish is full of angst and stress and considerable cursing. But it hasn't ruined my love for college football. However, I am concerned that my decision to try manage my Fantasy Football teams is going to destroy any interest I have (which is already limited) in the NFL.

Honestly, how much is a girl supposed to take?

Trent Green gets taken out and as a result Johnson and Kennison have particularly shitty games. Johnson who is supposed to run for over 100 yards a game. I am crying. Talk about a waste of a first round pick.

And what happened to Hasselbeck? Jesus. The superbowl MVP without a touchdown. Although in all fairness several of the *touted* QBs appear to have choked, including Palmer. Thankfully, I unlike some did not waste a 2nd round pick on him.

And the Tampa Bay defense. What was up with that? I remember them always being hard hitting, and instead they allow 21 points. 21 points. Sheesh.

I don't even want to talk about the utter and complete inadequacy of my WRs. I am definitely feeling some bitterness set in right now. And the worst part, is I can't ignore it and hope things sort themselves out (like I do with March Madness). No I actually have to actively manage my team and trade players and shit. Shit. I don't wanna.

The Mistress of Spices: Not Remotely Spicy

2006-09-10T14:34:00.000-04:00

Last night, I watched The Mistress of Spices. The latest (and certainly not greatest) work of the director behind Bend it Like Beckham, which I enjoyed immensely. The movie fails on virtually all counts...

Aishwarya Rai is undoubtedly beautiful. However, in this movie she is not supposed to be beautiful. The Mistress of Spices is supposed to appear to be old, wrinkly, and rather unattractive. It's what makes the love story more compelling. But in this case, old, wrinkly, and ugly means being Aishwarya Rai. If only I was so lucky.
The acting was terrible. Amongst the leads, both Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott appeared to be reading off of cue cards and seemed stiff. The supporting cast was not particular good either, accents were either too extreme, out of place, or temporary.
The special effects were by no means compelling. They were worse than those in the movie Carrie, which is at least 20 years older.
The scenes at the end where Aishwarya was wearing that red outfit were ridiculous. Even the divas on dynasty wouldn't have dared to put such a thing on. It isn't surprising to be at all that this movie got so little play amongst US audiences.

One thing I will say is that the settings were beautiful. I liked the way the spice store looked. The colors were amazing. Still that is not enough to make up for a tepid love story and poor acting. Do not waste your time on this movie. Ash fans are better off downloading hindi movie clips of her dancing instead.

Still Honeymooning with Michigan State Football

2006-09-10T00:09:00.000-04:00

Football Roundup - Week 2

As a Michigan State fan there is must to be grateful at the end of this the 2nd football Sunday.

Drew Stanton is hot. Ok. So he isn't ridiculously hard on the eyes as far as football players go. But excluding today's interception, he's back in form. I swear I will pick him as my QB for my fantasy team next year. I mean seriously 5TDs, I bet Henne is jealous.

So Matt Trannon isn't really that hot. But he did pass for like 40yards today (didn't know he did that), and he caught for way more. 3TDs. I just hope he doesn't hurt himself before the basketball season starts.

Henne barely cracked 100 passing yards today. It's unclear to me how he plans to compete against Brady Quinn next week. Nothing would make me happier than seeing the Fighting Irish beat Michigan next week and lose to State the week after. I love it.

So I already waxed poetic about Stanton. But seriously, the boy can run and throw at the same time. Please please let this be the year Michigan State does something.

The rest of the Big Ten did well today too, well for the most part (excluding the ugliness in South Bend and the West Coast). I liked seeing Ohio State kick Texas' ass. I just don't like Texas. As a state, I wish they would break off and form their own country. But alas, I will just have to settle for watching them get thrashed in football.

I was rather distressed by Minnesota's inability to put Cal away. If there is a league I have no respect for it is Pac-10 football. They suck and their QBs choke. Every single one... remember Ryan Leaf, Joey Harrington (he hurts the most, ran the friggin' Lions franchise into the ground, with some help of course). If anyone can name me a keeper let me know and it better not be Jake the Snake.

It Figures

2006-09-09T11:06:00.000-04:00

Right after Bill Ford resigns as CEO of Ford Motor Co., Bush tries to reschedule the meeting he was supposed to have with the Big Three (Two). Um... Mr. President, the meeting would have been useful a few months ago, heck a few years ago at that.
Okay. I too would love to have millions of dollars worth of jewels like Lindsay Lohan. But how the hell do you use said bag of jewels at Heathrow airport? I mean honestly girl has the hair dye gone to your head? Apparently!
Paris claims she is the hardest working person she knows. Maybe she means hardest partying person she knows? How else do you get caught with a DUI.

When Life Echoes Book?

2006-09-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

I recently read the book Prep. Honestly, I thought it was terrible. But honestly, I had a hard time putting it down. My only explanation, justification, rationalization is that in some twisted way I could relate the narrator, Lee. Talk about frightening. Lee is terribly insecure, whiny, and self-absorbed. Wow. It's scary to think that I could be all of those things.

Like Lee, I left my home in the Midwest to attend and *elite* school on the East Coast. Settling in was harder than expected. Moving from corn fields and homecoming bonfires to the world of Kate Spade purses and beamers is not easy, and I did turn inwards. It took me a while to come out of my shell and reconcile who I was with where I was. But I did. The narrator never does. Although she achieved her dream, she remains bitter throughout, apparently haunted by her past life as a small town daughter of people she considers nobodies.

Like the narrator, my parents also called me a snob. That still stings. Since when does liking nice things make one a snob? Personally, I consider myself to me more of a snob than a brat. But then again that's just semantics.

While the book struck a chord with me on an emotional level, I did not like it. Perhaps because it made me see things in myself I didn't like. However, I am inclined to think it is more because of the overall vacuous characterization of the students and the narrator who never grows up and realizes its her family who should be embarrassed of her and not the other way around.

Just Pick One

2006-08-31T22:32:00.000-04:00

What is the deal with all these artists who think they can act and sing? Given that most of them probably can't pat their head and rub their stomach at the same time, it is a good thing they rarely act and sing simultaneously. But the results are middling at best. Can anyone seriously think of a decent jLo movie? Ralph Fiennes looked like he wanted to die in 'Maid in Manhattan', and by the end of the movie I did too. (Granted, I did rather like 'Out of Sight', but I think that was more Clooney than her.)

This only comes to mind because due to sheer boredom, I am watching the MTv music awards. Jamie Fox (I am not sure if it is supposed to be one or two 'x's.) was up for best R&B video of the year. Dude, since when did the guy sing? And honestly until like a year or two ago, I never really knew he acted. I think I remember him being on 'In Living Color' though, where jLo was a 'fly girl'. Talk about hot.

I like Madonna's new song. But isn't even she a bit too old to run around in a hot pink leotard? Not sure I am loving the look for her. And should Fergie and her lumps/humps really be in that small of a dress...

Stupid Men

2006-08-28T15:23:00.000-04:00

This letter to the editor was in the local paper and it really, *really* irritated me, so I thought I would share.

God never intended for his son to come to this world to organize women to fight sin; only to be a help-mate. He organized men to fight sin.
God did not intend for women to be on the front lines in the Army to fight and kill men.
Listen women, God never intended for you to rule over men, but men to rule over you.

This annoyed me for so any reasons. (1) Why on earth would a newspaper print such a blatantly discriminatory and bigoted point of view? (2) How does such a clearly backward point of view still exist? How does this person even function? (3) The writer quotes the Bible (Luke, Matthew, and Genesis). Do all religions have such little respect for women?

I think if Hillary or Condi run for president I will vote for them, not because I like them, but to spite people like the author of the above. Hopefully, some day soon he will get a female boss who can *rule over him*.

Burn Baby Burn

2006-08-03T22:13:00.000-04:00

When I read this, I felt compelled to do a little investigation.

"You remember the ice age? It's been warming ever since, and there ain't nothing
we can do to stop it." - Conrad Burns (R - MT)

While Senator Burns' website indicates that he attended college for a spell, it is unclear that he ever finished. Given his above statement that is perhaps not surprising.

Apparently, Senator Burns is barely tolerated in Montana (38% approval rating, or some such absurdly low number), despite the fact that he managed to bring $2 billion in federal funds back to his state. How large are Montana's federal tax receipts? Because someone is certainly getting the "short end of the stick".

Time, a magazine of some repute (in my opinion), cited Senator Burns as one of America's 5 Worst Senators.

Senator Burns was apparently for a time in bed with Abramoff. (I don't mean that literally -- well, let me put it this way, as of yet, there is no evidence to support a literal view.)

What Passes as Art These Days

2006-07-30T21:23:00.000-04:00

This weekend I made it to three art museums (MoMA, Guggenheim, Whitney). Talk about your cultural weekends. It was a lot of fun, but it also got me to thinking. I mean what makes good art. The Guggenheim has a pretty large collection of Jackson Pollock's works. And I hate to say it, but I am not sure he developed the technique of "drip art" or whatever the heck it is that they attribute to him. Honestly, I was a master of the "drip art" technique, as a five year old when we called it, "splatter paint". I am seriously tempted to take some of my kindergarten paintings in and see if anyone will by them. And quite frankly, Jackson Pollock isn't the only painter whose works I think I could effectively reproduce (or rather have produced at one time or another). At the MoMA and Whitney, they have multiple paintings by Rothko and Neumann. Newman's contribution to the art world is a maroon canvas with vertical orange stripes. Yeah -- that's art? And to listen to the audio/critic's view of the paintings is too ridiculous. I wonder if the critics actually believe what they are saying, because it's really unclear to me what I am supposed to take a way from an all black canvas.

Newman Jackson Pollock

And don't get me started on the vacuum cleaners. At the Whitney, the had a display case of four vacuum cleaners. And the "artist" in the audio was talking about the sexuality of vacuum cleaners and how some were masculine and some were feminine. It really freaked me out. It's like anything can pass for art. I bet if I spray painted a bike rack hot pink someone might thing it was avant garde blah blah and put it in a gallery.

But then if I am so dismissive of modern art, should I be harder on other art? Like Claude Monet. Sure I like his pictures. But what made him different from other Impressionists? Like how did he not end up being the equivalent of a street painter. Who really decides what is "good art"?

So I noticed this a lot at the Lourve and in Italy, and it really annoyed me. And now they do it at the MoMA too. Why do people have to take pictures of paintings at museums. And why the bloody hell do they use their flash? It's bad for the paintings. And they get in the way of paintings, so the rest of us can't see them, and it is thoroughly annoying. Just buy the goddamn postcards.

Oh and why do artists hate women? I mean Picasso must have had some serious mommy issues to paint women the way he did. Inevitably all modern artists seem to enjoy destroying the image of woman. Hopper's women look like men (supposedly he used his wife as a model though... ick!) and de Koonig's women look like scary, man-eating, scrawly monsters.

Pablo Picasso William de Koonig

Desperate Times

2006-07-14T23:51:00.000-04:00

I didn't know what to call this blog entry... "Armageddon in the Middle East", "World War III", "Oil Prices Sky High",...

I can't begin to understand what is happening in the Middle East, but here is what I think I know.

Iran is bad people. So it's probably not fair to label all Iranians with such a broad stroke. But why do they allow such a crazy to be their president? They've had a Revolution before. I say, instead of turning Lebanon into your little sandbox of evil fun, why not take to the streets of your own country.
Egypt and Jordan are between a rock and a hard place (a really hard place). I really don't envy Abdullah or Mubarak. They signed peace treaties with Israel, and that can't be too popular with certain elements within their country. But given the virtually complete control they have of their own countries, I am sure they'll be fine. In fact, I must say Mubarak despite his unwillingness to tolerate political dissent of any sort (which I find to be somewhat disturbing and rather Bush like) did impress me by (1) working with Abbas to negotiate the release of the Israeli soldier held in Gaza (obviously this won't be happening anymore because of... yes... Iran) and (2) calling out Hezbollah for their "adventurism". Impressive!
What was it Teddy Roosevelt used to say? Talk softly and carry a big stick... I think it was something like that. Well I think Israel likes to talk loudly, stomp around, and carry a big stick, a huge big exploding stick. So I think Israel is perhaps overreacting a bit. But at the same time they have to flex some muscle. If they don't, they'll look weak. Then everyone will want a piece of them. And I don't mean that in a good way. So I game on... I guess...
Poor Lebanon. Since when did their country become the chessboard of the Middle East? 15 years of Civil War and it looks like they are going to get some more. I think their President needs to toss a few members of his cabinet - democratic of not.
You've got to be kidding me. Does Israel seriously think Lebanon can disarm Hezbollah or that the Palestinian Authority can disarm Hamas? I mean if Israel with the best American equipment money can buy can't do it, how do they expect these poor, "sovereign" states to do so? It seems some how not quite logical. But then again, when is anything in the Middle East ever?
Iran is the big bad. This is partly our (e.g., the US (e.g., GWB)) doing. If we hadn't created a power vacuum in the Middle East by taking out the WMD-less Saddam, this might not have happened. Saddam for all his despicableness was a good counterbalance to Iran. After all why else did Rumsfeld shake his hand all those years ago? And I doubt he could have been a Hezbollah fan... they are all Shia. So to recap, we (e.g., the US (e.g., GWB)) have created a power vacuum in the Middle East, and given Iran the perfect opportunity to assert regional hegemony. After all as they know, we are so bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan that we lack the resources to help Israel and stop the situation from turning into a complete and utter inferno.
The Dow is down again! Even GE with its double digit growth fell almost 2% today. The only ticker symbol that went green was Exxon. Fancy that. Record high oil prices. Turmoil in the Middle East. And an oil company doing well. Shocker! What a big fat shocker. I need to go back and watch Syriana again.

Duh! Because Popcorn Explodes

2006-07-12T22:25:00.000-04:00

The New York Times published the national assets database today. Here are the key takeaways...

Indiana is the most valuable state in the Union. Say what? Apparently that's what the US government thinks. Indiana, the state who's favorite pastime is cow tipping, has 8,591 registered national assets. Hmmm... how convenient that it is a red state. Oops did I just imply that the government has politicized national security -- God forbid! I mean the fact that Wisconsin and Indiana both have over twice as many national assets than California is undeniable (yeah right!?! where is the Terminator when you need him).
Basically it sounds like Indiana has been able to pull a nice little scam here... and they aren't the only ones. Did you know that New Mexico has 73% of the country's information technology assets? Yeah, I'm still scratching my head about that one...
And how does any state have more banking assets than New York? New York only has 2% of the banking assets in the US, according to the very accurate database set up by the Department of Homeland Security. I don't even know what to say about that.

My favorite part of the New York Time's article was when the owner of a Amish Country Popcorn in Indiana was asked why he his business was in the national assets database. His response...

"I am out in the middle of nowhere. We are nothing but a bunch of Amish buggies and tractors out here. No one would care." But on second thought, he came up with an explanation: "Maybe because popcorn explodes?"

On a random side note, I am super excited that Google has decided to open an office in Ann Arbor. The plan is to hire ~1,000 people. But quite frankly at this point, even one incremental new job in Michigan is a good thing. And the best thing about these jobs is they are totally and completely unrelated to the auto industry.