Fantasy Football is both fun and silly. I (Potbellied Pigs) finished this season at 6-8 and ranked 9th (out of 12). Needless to say I did not make the play-offs. Still, I thought it would be fun to see how I would have stacked against the four guys who did make the play-offs this week.
Based mostly on the strength of Ben Roethisberger's game against the Packers, I would have finished the day with 97 points. Good in the regular season, not so much in the play-offs. I would have beaten one team (Point Crushers) by one point, tied with another (Tatonka) which would have been a loss as ties go to the team with the better winning percentage, and lost outright to the remaining two teams (Bus Drivers and Shepherd's Schleppers). In fact, Bus Drivers ended the day with 147 points.
I hope we do it again next year. I don't know if I'll do any better due to how much of it is luck based, but it still is fun.
On a brighter note, I am now up by two games in our head-to-head pick 'em. At this point it is down to me and one other guy with two weeks to go. But the last two weeks of the season are the hardest as the good teams start benching people to rest them for the play-offs. I hope to win, but nothing is certain.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Star Wars Motivational Posters
Because motivational posters are just that much funnier if they involve Star Wars:
And for our completely WTF moment:
Thursday, December 10, 2009
How Cool is This?
These pictures were taken in Norway last night. They suspect it was a Russian missle test that went wrong. If it was, it's a very regular pattern for fuel ejection. Still, it looks really cool:
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
How Dumb Are You?
Mr. Obama,
I know that you have been thinking about the troop decision for quite a while and that the announcement regarding the increase in troop levels is very important. But you really should have thought about the timing a little better.
Pissing off parents of young kids is not a smart political move.
I know that you have been thinking about the troop decision for quite a while and that the announcement regarding the increase in troop levels is very important. But you really should have thought about the timing a little better.
Pissing off parents of young kids is not a smart political move.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The First Thanksgiving
As it is about Thanksgiving, I thought I would talk about the first Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in November 1620. They settled in a patch of land that had previously been a Native American settlement but that had been wiped out due to disease. The Pilgrims tried to work the land but winter was rolling in and they could do nothing but try to trap a few animals, gather winter fruit, and consume the supplies from the Mayflower. According to the original plan drawn up in the Mayflower Compact, everything was shared equally. However, many of the Pilgrims died due to malnourishment over the winter.
In the Spring, the Pilgrims were approached by a tribe of Native Americans living nearby. They had as one of their guests, Squanto, one of the only survivors of the tribe whose land the Pilgrims now lived upon. Squanto had been held as a slave in England for several years and spoke English well. Being familiar with the advanced technology of the Europeans, Squanto convinced his host tribe to assist the Pilgrims to earn their trust and then use them as leverage in the power play with neighboring tribes.
The Pilgrims used the farming and hunting techniques taught to them by the Natives, but Governor Bradford found that they were still not accumulating enough food to last through the next Winter. At that time, the Pilgrims worked the land commonly and were to store all food in a common grainary that would be distributed equally. Bradford saw that many of the young men were not working or were working a bare minimum because they didn't want to exhaust themselves when it did not directly benefit their own families.
Bradford called a meeting and changed the Compact. He took all the common land and distributed a plot to each family. They were to work it and they were to be dependent on that plot. Should they not produce enough food, they would be required to live on their neighbor's charity, but there would be no obligation to share and no common grainary available.
Faced with this promise and threat, the Pilgrim men threw themselves into the land and production exploded. In that first full year, the Pilgrims produced both enough to feed themselve and send a surplus back to England to be sold and pay off their creditors who had financed their voyage.
In October, Governor Bradford called for a day of Thanksgiving in a model of the old Harvest Home celebration. The Pilgrims invited the members of the Native tribe to the feast, not only to share the bounty with those who had aided them, but also to work in converting the Natives to Christianity.
Much of this story get's truncated and it is important to recognize all factors (good and bad) that went into setting up the holidays we practice today.
The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in November 1620. They settled in a patch of land that had previously been a Native American settlement but that had been wiped out due to disease. The Pilgrims tried to work the land but winter was rolling in and they could do nothing but try to trap a few animals, gather winter fruit, and consume the supplies from the Mayflower. According to the original plan drawn up in the Mayflower Compact, everything was shared equally. However, many of the Pilgrims died due to malnourishment over the winter.
In the Spring, the Pilgrims were approached by a tribe of Native Americans living nearby. They had as one of their guests, Squanto, one of the only survivors of the tribe whose land the Pilgrims now lived upon. Squanto had been held as a slave in England for several years and spoke English well. Being familiar with the advanced technology of the Europeans, Squanto convinced his host tribe to assist the Pilgrims to earn their trust and then use them as leverage in the power play with neighboring tribes.
The Pilgrims used the farming and hunting techniques taught to them by the Natives, but Governor Bradford found that they were still not accumulating enough food to last through the next Winter. At that time, the Pilgrims worked the land commonly and were to store all food in a common grainary that would be distributed equally. Bradford saw that many of the young men were not working or were working a bare minimum because they didn't want to exhaust themselves when it did not directly benefit their own families.
Bradford called a meeting and changed the Compact. He took all the common land and distributed a plot to each family. They were to work it and they were to be dependent on that plot. Should they not produce enough food, they would be required to live on their neighbor's charity, but there would be no obligation to share and no common grainary available.
Faced with this promise and threat, the Pilgrim men threw themselves into the land and production exploded. In that first full year, the Pilgrims produced both enough to feed themselve and send a surplus back to England to be sold and pay off their creditors who had financed their voyage.
In October, Governor Bradford called for a day of Thanksgiving in a model of the old Harvest Home celebration. The Pilgrims invited the members of the Native tribe to the feast, not only to share the bounty with those who had aided them, but also to work in converting the Natives to Christianity.
Much of this story get's truncated and it is important to recognize all factors (good and bad) that went into setting up the holidays we practice today.
Monday, November 23, 2009
First BCS Projections
Our match-ups to determine the BCS representatives are all set.
Big 10: Ohio St. has won the conference and is slated to go to the Rose Bowl
Pac 10: Oregon and Oregon St. will decide the title on the field on Dec. 3
Big 12: Texas plays Nebraska for the title on Dec. 5
ACC: Georgia Tech will face off against Clemson in the ACC title game on Dec. 5
Big East: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh on Dec. 5 will decide the title
SEC: Florida and Alabama square off on Dec. 5
The shake down from this is that similar to what I posted before. The winner of Florida-Alabama will go to the National Title game while the loser goes to the Sugar Bowl. Squaring off for the title will most likely be Texas assuming Texas beats Texas A&M and Nebraska (neither opponent is as good as Texas).
TCU and Boise St. are still undefeated and will probably remain that way. TCU finishes it's season on Nov. 28 and Boise St. has Nevada on Nov. 27 and New Mexico St. on Dec. 5. At the moment I would expect TCU to go to the Fiesta Bowl and Boise St. go to the Sugar. If Texas loses though, TCU could vault ahead to go to the Title game.
ACC and Big East winners are still slated for the Orange Bowl. Should UC beat Pitt, they have an outside shot at the National Title game if both Texas and TCU lose, but that is rather unlikely. That just leaves the at-larges. With USC falling out, I think odds have gone up that the Fiesta Bowl, after taking TCU to replace Texas, will step on the Rose Bowl's toes and take Ohio St. Orange takes ACC vs. Big East, while the Sugar takes Boise St. In that scenario, I would expect the Rose Bowl to take Iowa, both to preserve Big 10 vs. Pac 10, but also in that Iowa would be the next highest BCS team available (the loser of UC-Pitt would probably fall below Iowa).
As such, my bowl projections at the moment are:
National Title: Florida vs. Texas
Fiesta: Ohio St. vs. TCU
Orange: Cincinnati vs. Georgia Tech
Sugar: Alabama vs. Boise St.
Rose: Oregon vs. Iowa
In the AFC, Indianapolis further cemented their hold on the #1 seed as they now have a 3-game lead on Cincinnati. San Diego is breathing down the Bengals neck at the #3 spot as is New England (#4). All are 7-3 with the divisional records acting as tiebreaker at the moment (5-0, 4-1, and 3-1 respectively). Cincinnati and San Diego play each other in week 15 and should the two teams finish with the same record, that will be the tiebreaker.
The AFC wild cards contenders are Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and Denver; all at 6-4. If Houston wins tonight, they will also be 6-4. Jacksonville earns the #5 seed by virtue of their conference record (5-2). Pittsburgh currently earns the #6 by virtue of their head-to-head win against Denver. Should Houston win tonight, Denver earns the #6 seed as Pittsburgh has a worse conference record among the three teams, knocking them out, and Denver has a better divisional record than Houston.
For the NFC, New Orleans and Minnesota are sitting happy in the #1 and #2 seeds. Dallas and Arizona hold the #3 and #4 seeds with Dallas having a better conference record giving them the tiebreak. Philadelphia, Green Bay and the NY Giants are all at 6-4. Conference record gives (as well as a head-to-head match-up) gives the Eagles the #5 and the Packers the #6 at the moment.
New Orleans, Minnesota, and Arizona are all but in now and the remaining games will decide seeding. The East is still open and both Green Bay and Atlanta still have decent shots at the wild card.
Big 10: Ohio St. has won the conference and is slated to go to the Rose Bowl
Pac 10: Oregon and Oregon St. will decide the title on the field on Dec. 3
Big 12: Texas plays Nebraska for the title on Dec. 5
ACC: Georgia Tech will face off against Clemson in the ACC title game on Dec. 5
Big East: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh on Dec. 5 will decide the title
SEC: Florida and Alabama square off on Dec. 5
The shake down from this is that similar to what I posted before. The winner of Florida-Alabama will go to the National Title game while the loser goes to the Sugar Bowl. Squaring off for the title will most likely be Texas assuming Texas beats Texas A&M and Nebraska (neither opponent is as good as Texas).
TCU and Boise St. are still undefeated and will probably remain that way. TCU finishes it's season on Nov. 28 and Boise St. has Nevada on Nov. 27 and New Mexico St. on Dec. 5. At the moment I would expect TCU to go to the Fiesta Bowl and Boise St. go to the Sugar. If Texas loses though, TCU could vault ahead to go to the Title game.
ACC and Big East winners are still slated for the Orange Bowl. Should UC beat Pitt, they have an outside shot at the National Title game if both Texas and TCU lose, but that is rather unlikely. That just leaves the at-larges. With USC falling out, I think odds have gone up that the Fiesta Bowl, after taking TCU to replace Texas, will step on the Rose Bowl's toes and take Ohio St. Orange takes ACC vs. Big East, while the Sugar takes Boise St. In that scenario, I would expect the Rose Bowl to take Iowa, both to preserve Big 10 vs. Pac 10, but also in that Iowa would be the next highest BCS team available (the loser of UC-Pitt would probably fall below Iowa).
As such, my bowl projections at the moment are:
National Title: Florida vs. Texas
Fiesta: Ohio St. vs. TCU
Orange: Cincinnati vs. Georgia Tech
Sugar: Alabama vs. Boise St.
Rose: Oregon vs. Iowa
In the AFC, Indianapolis further cemented their hold on the #1 seed as they now have a 3-game lead on Cincinnati. San Diego is breathing down the Bengals neck at the #3 spot as is New England (#4). All are 7-3 with the divisional records acting as tiebreaker at the moment (5-0, 4-1, and 3-1 respectively). Cincinnati and San Diego play each other in week 15 and should the two teams finish with the same record, that will be the tiebreaker.
The AFC wild cards contenders are Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and Denver; all at 6-4. If Houston wins tonight, they will also be 6-4. Jacksonville earns the #5 seed by virtue of their conference record (5-2). Pittsburgh currently earns the #6 by virtue of their head-to-head win against Denver. Should Houston win tonight, Denver earns the #6 seed as Pittsburgh has a worse conference record among the three teams, knocking them out, and Denver has a better divisional record than Houston.
For the NFC, New Orleans and Minnesota are sitting happy in the #1 and #2 seeds. Dallas and Arizona hold the #3 and #4 seeds with Dallas having a better conference record giving them the tiebreak. Philadelphia, Green Bay and the NY Giants are all at 6-4. Conference record gives (as well as a head-to-head match-up) gives the Eagles the #5 and the Packers the #6 at the moment.
New Orleans, Minnesota, and Arizona are all but in now and the remaining games will decide seeding. The East is still open and both Green Bay and Atlanta still have decent shots at the wild card.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Football Shifts
This weekend cleared things up a bit on the football schedule. Some of my comments that I made on on Friday came true. Some did not. Let's examine:
SEC - Still Florida vs. Alabama and both are still undefeated. SEC Title game is Dec. 5.
Big-10 - Ohio St. won the BCS berth.
ACC - Georgia Tech won the Coastal division. Clemson is slugging it out with Boston College. Clemson needs to win against Virgina to lock the Atlantic division. ACC Title game is Dec. 5.
Big East - Pittsburgh and Cincinnati still unbeaten in the division. Even if Pitt loses to West Virginia on Nov. 27, the division will be decided in the game between UC and Pitt on Dec. 5.
Big-12 - Texas will lock the South division when it defeats Baylor this weekend. Kansas St. lost while Nebraska won so Nebraska vaults into first place in the North. The match-up between the two teams this weekend will decide the North division and the right to face Texas on Dec. 5.
Pac-10 - Stanford's defeat of USC this past weekend actually put more pressure on Oregon. Oregon now has sole possession of first place thanks to Cal's defeat of Arizona, but Stanford vaulted into second place and Stanford has beaten Oregon head to head. Meanwhile, Oregon St. is sitting back in third place. If Oregon loses either to Arizona or Oregon St., Stanford vaults ahead of them. If Oregon loses to Oregon St., Oregon St. vaults ahead of them and Stanford as they beat Stanford. So the Pac-10 crown will likely be hanging on the result of the Civil War.
Outside of the divisions, TCU and Boise St. both won and retained their BCS #4 and #6 rankings respectively. However, USC lost and dropped completely out of the BCS picture. LSU would be the natural choice to replace them, but again, only two teams from each conference are allowed.
If they remain unbeaten against Colorado and Oklahoma, Oklahoma St. has a good chance to make it. However, they could also lose that place to Penn St. or Iowa, due to higher name recognition (especially if Ohio St. gets nabbed early and the Rose Bowl is left with an at-large pick).
In the NFL, on the AFC side, Indianapolis further cemented their hold on the #1 seed while Cincinnati took over the #2 seed from Denver. Denver could actually lose the divisional lead if they lose to San Diego. Currently Denver and New England are holding the #3 and #4 seeds but these will be in flux. Pittsburgh and San Diego are in possession of the #5 and #6 seeds with Houston and Jacksonville lurking on the outside at 5-4. Given the schedules, I think the only current playoff qualifier that is in danger is Denver. I think they will lose the divisional lead to San Diego and then they will be in the scrum with Houston and Jacksonville for that last spot. New England and Indy are too far ahead in their divisions to be in any danger and Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have enough cupcakes on their schedule that they should finish in the 11-5 area.
Over on the NFC side, New Orleans and Minnesota are sitting very pretty in the #1 and #2 spots respectively. Despite their loss, Dallas still holds the NFC East lead and is contending with Arizona for the #3 seed. Arizona is in no danger of losing their division, which leaves the NFC East as the only division that is still competitive. The wild card is a hot mess as Atlanta, Green Bay, Philadelphia, and the NY Giants are all at 5-4. Carolina, San Francisco, and Chicago are also not out of the wild card hunt at 4-5 as well.
SEC - Still Florida vs. Alabama and both are still undefeated. SEC Title game is Dec. 5.
Big-10 - Ohio St. won the BCS berth.
ACC - Georgia Tech won the Coastal division. Clemson is slugging it out with Boston College. Clemson needs to win against Virgina to lock the Atlantic division. ACC Title game is Dec. 5.
Big East - Pittsburgh and Cincinnati still unbeaten in the division. Even if Pitt loses to West Virginia on Nov. 27, the division will be decided in the game between UC and Pitt on Dec. 5.
Big-12 - Texas will lock the South division when it defeats Baylor this weekend. Kansas St. lost while Nebraska won so Nebraska vaults into first place in the North. The match-up between the two teams this weekend will decide the North division and the right to face Texas on Dec. 5.
Pac-10 - Stanford's defeat of USC this past weekend actually put more pressure on Oregon. Oregon now has sole possession of first place thanks to Cal's defeat of Arizona, but Stanford vaulted into second place and Stanford has beaten Oregon head to head. Meanwhile, Oregon St. is sitting back in third place. If Oregon loses either to Arizona or Oregon St., Stanford vaults ahead of them. If Oregon loses to Oregon St., Oregon St. vaults ahead of them and Stanford as they beat Stanford. So the Pac-10 crown will likely be hanging on the result of the Civil War.
Outside of the divisions, TCU and Boise St. both won and retained their BCS #4 and #6 rankings respectively. However, USC lost and dropped completely out of the BCS picture. LSU would be the natural choice to replace them, but again, only two teams from each conference are allowed.
If they remain unbeaten against Colorado and Oklahoma, Oklahoma St. has a good chance to make it. However, they could also lose that place to Penn St. or Iowa, due to higher name recognition (especially if Ohio St. gets nabbed early and the Rose Bowl is left with an at-large pick).
In the NFL, on the AFC side, Indianapolis further cemented their hold on the #1 seed while Cincinnati took over the #2 seed from Denver. Denver could actually lose the divisional lead if they lose to San Diego. Currently Denver and New England are holding the #3 and #4 seeds but these will be in flux. Pittsburgh and San Diego are in possession of the #5 and #6 seeds with Houston and Jacksonville lurking on the outside at 5-4. Given the schedules, I think the only current playoff qualifier that is in danger is Denver. I think they will lose the divisional lead to San Diego and then they will be in the scrum with Houston and Jacksonville for that last spot. New England and Indy are too far ahead in their divisions to be in any danger and Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have enough cupcakes on their schedule that they should finish in the 11-5 area.
Over on the NFC side, New Orleans and Minnesota are sitting very pretty in the #1 and #2 spots respectively. Despite their loss, Dallas still holds the NFC East lead and is contending with Arizona for the #3 seed. Arizona is in no danger of losing their division, which leaves the NFC East as the only division that is still competitive. The wild card is a hot mess as Atlanta, Green Bay, Philadelphia, and the NY Giants are all at 5-4. Carolina, San Francisco, and Chicago are also not out of the wild card hunt at 4-5 as well.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Bowl Considerations
The Big-10 only has two games left in the season and the rest of the league has three (not including championships for the Big 12, SEC, and ACC). So I figured to look at the BCS bowls and see how things were shaking out.
Big-10: Ohio St. and Iowa are currently tied with one loss in conference. Ohio St. has a non-conference loss so technically Iowa has the tiebreaker. But they play each other this weekend. The winner will win the Big 10 outright as even with a loss the following week, the winner would have the tiebreaker over both the other and Penn St. Iowa's quarterback was injured in their loss to Northwestern and they are travelling to Columbus so I'm thinking Ohio St. has the advantage.
Pac-10: In the Pac-10, Oregon and Arizona are tied, although Oregon is ranked higher. They play each other in two weeks, although if Arizona wins, they still have to play USC. If USC beat Arizona, and Oregon won out, Oregon would win by virtue of their head-to-head win against USC. Either way, Oregon is the favorite at the moment to go to the Rose Bowl.
ACC: Georgia Tech is running away with the ACC South. Clemson is leading the ACC North but BC is still in the hunt. Clemson has the head-to-head tiebreaker so Clemson actually has a two game lead. Anything can happen in a title game, but I would favor Georgia Tech in a match-up with Clemson.
Big East: Cincinnati is currently tied for the Big East lead with Pittsburgh, although Pittsburgh has a non-conference loss which gives UC the tiebreaker at the moment. But, both teams will play each other in the last game of the season (Dec 5) so the winner will be clearly defined.
Big-12: Texas has effectively locked up the Big-12 South crown as they would have to lose two of their last three (Baylor, Kansas, Texas A&M) to give Oklahoma St. even a shot. I don't see that happening. Kansas St. is leading the Big-12 North, although Nebraska is only a half game behind them. They play each other on Nov. 21, which will be K-state's last game of the season. Either way, whether Nebraska or Kansas St., I would look for Texas to win the Big-12 Championship game.
SEC: Alabama and Florida have already won their respective divisions and will meet for the title game on Dec 5.
As far as the actual BCS bowl games, that gets tricky. The Rose Bowl will host the National Championship game this year and assuming that things go as they are expected, it will be the SEC title winner vs. Texas. That will give the Sugar Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl a free pick. I'm sure the Sugar Bowl will take the SEC title game loser, but the Fiesta Bowl may be interested in snagging Ohio St. away from the Rose Bowl, given Ohio St.'s popularity with that Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl would then get the follow up pick and may be very interested in taking TCU (assuming they stay unbeaten).
The Orange Bowl would then get the next two picks. They automatically get the ACC winner and will probably go for the traditional Big East winner (especially if UC is undefeated, although I don't think they would have a problem with a 1-loss Pittsburgh).
The Sugar Bowl is next. Having already taken the SEC title loser, the Sugar Bowl might opt for Boise St. Per the BCS rules, no conference can have more than 2 teams in the five BCS games and the top six teams in the BCS rankings get automatic berths unless this rule is violated or spots run out. TCU is currently no. 4 and Boise St. is no. 6. Assuming these two teams stay undefeated, they will have to go to a BCS bowl. With TCU going to the Fiesta Bowl, Boise St. would be an interesting option. However, it is also possible that the Sugar Bowl will turn it's nose up on Boise St. and give it's open spot to USC (especially if USC wins out but doesn't win the Pac-10).
If that happens, Boise St. would have to go to the Rose Bowl and play the Pac-10 winner. If the Sugar Bowl opted to take Boise St., the Rose Bowl would get the Pac-10 winner and a free at large pick. LSU is out because the SEC would already have two entries. If they win their last two games, the Rose Bowl might take Penn St., keeping the Pac-10 vs. Big-10 rivalry alive. This is especially true if the Rose Bowl is comparing a potential 10-2 Penn St. and a 10-2 Miami (Fl). Under no circumstances would the Rose Bowl consider USC as an all Pac-10 match-up would be horrible for them.
We also cannot rule out the possibility that the Fiesta Bowl would grab USC instead of Ohio St. to play TCU. If that happened, the Sugar Bowl would probably step on the Rose Bowl's toes and take Ohio St., leaving the Rose Bowl with the Pac-10 winner and Boise St.
Big-10: Ohio St. and Iowa are currently tied with one loss in conference. Ohio St. has a non-conference loss so technically Iowa has the tiebreaker. But they play each other this weekend. The winner will win the Big 10 outright as even with a loss the following week, the winner would have the tiebreaker over both the other and Penn St. Iowa's quarterback was injured in their loss to Northwestern and they are travelling to Columbus so I'm thinking Ohio St. has the advantage.
Pac-10: In the Pac-10, Oregon and Arizona are tied, although Oregon is ranked higher. They play each other in two weeks, although if Arizona wins, they still have to play USC. If USC beat Arizona, and Oregon won out, Oregon would win by virtue of their head-to-head win against USC. Either way, Oregon is the favorite at the moment to go to the Rose Bowl.
ACC: Georgia Tech is running away with the ACC South. Clemson is leading the ACC North but BC is still in the hunt. Clemson has the head-to-head tiebreaker so Clemson actually has a two game lead. Anything can happen in a title game, but I would favor Georgia Tech in a match-up with Clemson.
Big East: Cincinnati is currently tied for the Big East lead with Pittsburgh, although Pittsburgh has a non-conference loss which gives UC the tiebreaker at the moment. But, both teams will play each other in the last game of the season (Dec 5) so the winner will be clearly defined.
Big-12: Texas has effectively locked up the Big-12 South crown as they would have to lose two of their last three (Baylor, Kansas, Texas A&M) to give Oklahoma St. even a shot. I don't see that happening. Kansas St. is leading the Big-12 North, although Nebraska is only a half game behind them. They play each other on Nov. 21, which will be K-state's last game of the season. Either way, whether Nebraska or Kansas St., I would look for Texas to win the Big-12 Championship game.
SEC: Alabama and Florida have already won their respective divisions and will meet for the title game on Dec 5.
As far as the actual BCS bowl games, that gets tricky. The Rose Bowl will host the National Championship game this year and assuming that things go as they are expected, it will be the SEC title winner vs. Texas. That will give the Sugar Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl a free pick. I'm sure the Sugar Bowl will take the SEC title game loser, but the Fiesta Bowl may be interested in snagging Ohio St. away from the Rose Bowl, given Ohio St.'s popularity with that Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl would then get the follow up pick and may be very interested in taking TCU (assuming they stay unbeaten).
The Orange Bowl would then get the next two picks. They automatically get the ACC winner and will probably go for the traditional Big East winner (especially if UC is undefeated, although I don't think they would have a problem with a 1-loss Pittsburgh).
The Sugar Bowl is next. Having already taken the SEC title loser, the Sugar Bowl might opt for Boise St. Per the BCS rules, no conference can have more than 2 teams in the five BCS games and the top six teams in the BCS rankings get automatic berths unless this rule is violated or spots run out. TCU is currently no. 4 and Boise St. is no. 6. Assuming these two teams stay undefeated, they will have to go to a BCS bowl. With TCU going to the Fiesta Bowl, Boise St. would be an interesting option. However, it is also possible that the Sugar Bowl will turn it's nose up on Boise St. and give it's open spot to USC (especially if USC wins out but doesn't win the Pac-10).
If that happens, Boise St. would have to go to the Rose Bowl and play the Pac-10 winner. If the Sugar Bowl opted to take Boise St., the Rose Bowl would get the Pac-10 winner and a free at large pick. LSU is out because the SEC would already have two entries. If they win their last two games, the Rose Bowl might take Penn St., keeping the Pac-10 vs. Big-10 rivalry alive. This is especially true if the Rose Bowl is comparing a potential 10-2 Penn St. and a 10-2 Miami (Fl). Under no circumstances would the Rose Bowl consider USC as an all Pac-10 match-up would be horrible for them.
We also cannot rule out the possibility that the Fiesta Bowl would grab USC instead of Ohio St. to play TCU. If that happened, the Sugar Bowl would probably step on the Rose Bowl's toes and take Ohio St., leaving the Rose Bowl with the Pac-10 winner and Boise St.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Looking Ahead to 2010
The Politico posted their opinion of the 10 most interesting races for 2010. All of these races are far too early to speculate about, although since some of them are more interesting from a primary standpoint (Rubio vs. Crist) they will get hot soon. However, as I am a political junkie, I figured I would look at the one race that will actually impact me next year: Ohio's Governor's race.
What was going to be a bit more complicated at first, has already shaken out to a more simple equation. Ted Strickland (D) is the incumbent governor and will not face any primary challengers. It had looked like there might be several Republican challengers but most have already dropped out leaving the way almost completely clear for Former Rep. John Kasich.
Polling at this point is essentially meaningless, although Rasmussen did run a poll back in September showing Mr. Kasich with a 1-point lead. All other polling done has shown Mr. Strickland with a lead over the Republican opponent.
Under normal circumstances, I would expect Mr. Strickland to cruise to victory. Ohio has had some tough times, but they are tied into the country as a whole and I haven't seen or heard of anything that has shown any significant anger at the governor. However, these are not normal times. Independents did swing against the incumbent Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. What's more, the lack of a Presidential contest tends to leave the party in power less motivated to come out and vote. Throw that in with an expected attack by Mr. Kasich that Mr. Strickland has done nothing to keep jobs in Ohio and you are left with some nasty drains against Mr. Strickland's natural popularity.
Many will try to read what happens in this race as some sort of national referendum on the system (so goes Ohio, so goes the US). It might or it might not. We won't know for a while but it's one of many races that I'll let ping my radar.
Update: Quinnipiac has a new poll showing Strickland and Kasich tied at 40.
What was going to be a bit more complicated at first, has already shaken out to a more simple equation. Ted Strickland (D) is the incumbent governor and will not face any primary challengers. It had looked like there might be several Republican challengers but most have already dropped out leaving the way almost completely clear for Former Rep. John Kasich.
Polling at this point is essentially meaningless, although Rasmussen did run a poll back in September showing Mr. Kasich with a 1-point lead. All other polling done has shown Mr. Strickland with a lead over the Republican opponent.
Under normal circumstances, I would expect Mr. Strickland to cruise to victory. Ohio has had some tough times, but they are tied into the country as a whole and I haven't seen or heard of anything that has shown any significant anger at the governor. However, these are not normal times. Independents did swing against the incumbent Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. What's more, the lack of a Presidential contest tends to leave the party in power less motivated to come out and vote. Throw that in with an expected attack by Mr. Kasich that Mr. Strickland has done nothing to keep jobs in Ohio and you are left with some nasty drains against Mr. Strickland's natural popularity.
Many will try to read what happens in this race as some sort of national referendum on the system (so goes Ohio, so goes the US). It might or it might not. We won't know for a while but it's one of many races that I'll let ping my radar.
Update: Quinnipiac has a new poll showing Strickland and Kasich tied at 40.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Reading Tea Leaves
The fact that I've let three days go by after an election without posting some commentary should give you an idea as to how busy I've been. But I've got a little lull on a Friday and I might as well post my thoughts.
There has been wicked spin on both sides as to what the results of Tuesday's election's meant. Obviously it was a good night for Republicans but I wouldn't call it the major smackdown of Mr. Obama that the Right is portraying it as. Likewise the Democratic wins in NY-23 and CA-10 do not demonstrate the the Republicans are devolving into a civil war between Conservatives and liberal Republicans. The easiest way to look at things is to take each race one by one.
VA Gov. - This is probably the easiest one to spin as a rebuke of current Democratic policies. Yes, Mr. Deeds was not the best candidate and Mr. McDonnall was already pulling ahead by the time Mr. Deeds told Mr. Obama to shove off; but, the fact that Lt. Gov. and AG were also won by Republicans with similar margins speaks to general disenchantment as a whole. It is also important to remember that unemployment is not as bad in Virginia as it is in other states so there was probably less general disenchantment with the status quo than there would be in a state like Ohio.
NJ Gov. - The Right wants to spin this one badly as a major rebuke of Mr. Obama. He stopped in NJ to campaign for Gov. Corzine at least five times and many key aspects of his campaign were being called from the White House. However, it is also important to remember that Mr. Corzine is extremely corrupt (and that's saying something for New Jersey) as well as a general jerk. Mr. Christie isn't exactly the winningest personality but his interview with Don Imus softened him up a bit to make him more palatable to voters. In general, it was a case where people who didn't like Mr. Corzine went to vote for Mr. Christie, but people who didn't like Mr. Christie didn't go to vote for Mr. Corzine. Result: the first Republican governor since 2002.
NY-23 - This was really more a bitch-slap to the Republican Party bosses and a warning to third-party wannabes. Mr. Hoffman entered into the race as a third party because there was no primary. He may have lost to Ms. Scozzafava in a primary, but he did petition the party bosses to be a regular candidate. That he was able to go from unknown to a 3-point loss with 45% of the vote in 30 days is pretty impressive. Add to the fact that he was a little hamstrung by Ms. Scozzafava dropping out and endorsing Mr. Owens (D) and it's something to make conservatives feel a bit better about themselves.
It must also be recognized that the Republican elites fouled up badly by picking a nominee who was far more to the left that what the district wanted. That Ms. Scozzafava went and turned on the Republicans after she dropped out, left the party bosses with even more egg on their faces. It would seem that the anger among the "masses" has finally started to register among those in the Washington cocoon.
Also needed to take a lesson is third-party folks (like Glenn Beck). Love them or hate them, the Democratic and Republican parties have the money and organization to get things done and get name recognition that an outsider just can't. There are also many people who just don't pay attention and will just vote if they see an "R" or a "D" and that is also difficult to overcome. If the conservatives want to regain the power they had in the Reagan days, they must go back in and do it under the umbrella of the party rather than trying to take their ball and go find another game. That will just split the vote and lead to many Democratic victories.
CA-10 - There was never a question that the Democrats were going to win this race. This is a liberal district bordering San Fransisco. However, Democrats might want to worry just a bit about the margins. Mr. Garamendi won 53-43 over Mr. Harmer. However the previous occupant of this seat usually won with 65% or better and Mr. Obama carried the district with better than 60% of the vote. People either didn't care or got complacent. That will happen in special elections where turnout is always lower, but it's another one of those red flags that Democrats might want to watch.
It is difficult to say if these four races reflect on what might or might not happen in 2010. Many things may happen in the coming year to sway the country further to the Right or Left. However, many Democrats do seem to be getting a little nervous about the possibility of a wave like happened in 1994.
The grand question is whether last year was 1976 or not. In 1976, Mr. Carter won over a moderate Gerald Ford who was unpopular due to policies reflecting his predecessor (Mr. Nixon). Mr. Carter went further to the left than the country was prepared for the economy went even further downhill. The result was a major victory for Mr. Reagan in 1980. It is far to early to say that Mr. Obama is Mr. Carter and it would be a great disservice to Mr. Reagan to say that anyone could have stepped up and won over Mr. Carter. Much depends on the person themselves. Still the parallels are interesting to look at and it might give an interesting perspective on the 2012 race, no matter who the Republican nominee is.
There has been wicked spin on both sides as to what the results of Tuesday's election's meant. Obviously it was a good night for Republicans but I wouldn't call it the major smackdown of Mr. Obama that the Right is portraying it as. Likewise the Democratic wins in NY-23 and CA-10 do not demonstrate the the Republicans are devolving into a civil war between Conservatives and liberal Republicans. The easiest way to look at things is to take each race one by one.
VA Gov. - This is probably the easiest one to spin as a rebuke of current Democratic policies. Yes, Mr. Deeds was not the best candidate and Mr. McDonnall was already pulling ahead by the time Mr. Deeds told Mr. Obama to shove off; but, the fact that Lt. Gov. and AG were also won by Republicans with similar margins speaks to general disenchantment as a whole. It is also important to remember that unemployment is not as bad in Virginia as it is in other states so there was probably less general disenchantment with the status quo than there would be in a state like Ohio.
NJ Gov. - The Right wants to spin this one badly as a major rebuke of Mr. Obama. He stopped in NJ to campaign for Gov. Corzine at least five times and many key aspects of his campaign were being called from the White House. However, it is also important to remember that Mr. Corzine is extremely corrupt (and that's saying something for New Jersey) as well as a general jerk. Mr. Christie isn't exactly the winningest personality but his interview with Don Imus softened him up a bit to make him more palatable to voters. In general, it was a case where people who didn't like Mr. Corzine went to vote for Mr. Christie, but people who didn't like Mr. Christie didn't go to vote for Mr. Corzine. Result: the first Republican governor since 2002.
NY-23 - This was really more a bitch-slap to the Republican Party bosses and a warning to third-party wannabes. Mr. Hoffman entered into the race as a third party because there was no primary. He may have lost to Ms. Scozzafava in a primary, but he did petition the party bosses to be a regular candidate. That he was able to go from unknown to a 3-point loss with 45% of the vote in 30 days is pretty impressive. Add to the fact that he was a little hamstrung by Ms. Scozzafava dropping out and endorsing Mr. Owens (D) and it's something to make conservatives feel a bit better about themselves.
It must also be recognized that the Republican elites fouled up badly by picking a nominee who was far more to the left that what the district wanted. That Ms. Scozzafava went and turned on the Republicans after she dropped out, left the party bosses with even more egg on their faces. It would seem that the anger among the "masses" has finally started to register among those in the Washington cocoon.
Also needed to take a lesson is third-party folks (like Glenn Beck). Love them or hate them, the Democratic and Republican parties have the money and organization to get things done and get name recognition that an outsider just can't. There are also many people who just don't pay attention and will just vote if they see an "R" or a "D" and that is also difficult to overcome. If the conservatives want to regain the power they had in the Reagan days, they must go back in and do it under the umbrella of the party rather than trying to take their ball and go find another game. That will just split the vote and lead to many Democratic victories.
CA-10 - There was never a question that the Democrats were going to win this race. This is a liberal district bordering San Fransisco. However, Democrats might want to worry just a bit about the margins. Mr. Garamendi won 53-43 over Mr. Harmer. However the previous occupant of this seat usually won with 65% or better and Mr. Obama carried the district with better than 60% of the vote. People either didn't care or got complacent. That will happen in special elections where turnout is always lower, but it's another one of those red flags that Democrats might want to watch.
It is difficult to say if these four races reflect on what might or might not happen in 2010. Many things may happen in the coming year to sway the country further to the Right or Left. However, many Democrats do seem to be getting a little nervous about the possibility of a wave like happened in 1994.
The grand question is whether last year was 1976 or not. In 1976, Mr. Carter won over a moderate Gerald Ford who was unpopular due to policies reflecting his predecessor (Mr. Nixon). Mr. Carter went further to the left than the country was prepared for the economy went even further downhill. The result was a major victory for Mr. Reagan in 1980. It is far to early to say that Mr. Obama is Mr. Carter and it would be a great disservice to Mr. Reagan to say that anyone could have stepped up and won over Mr. Carter. Much depends on the person themselves. Still the parallels are interesting to look at and it might give an interesting perspective on the 2012 race, no matter who the Republican nominee is.
Monday, October 26, 2009
To Third or Not to Third...
In addition to the two governor’s races going on, there is one other race that seems to be pinging people’s radars, the NY-23 race. Earlier in the year the sitting congressman, John McHugh (R), resigned to accept the Secretary of the Army position. Democrats nominated a man named Bill Owens. The Republicans had a nasty little fight and ended up nominating a fairly liberal Republican named Dede Scozzafava. Ms. Scozzafava’s connections to the more liberal elements were deemed untenable by the more fiscally conservative people in the district and they have subsequently rallied around Douglas Hoffman of the Conservative Party.
The fight has become a bit more nationalized and represents a legitimate question that has been raised through the Tea Party movement: If the Republican Party leadership continues to push Democrat-lite candidates, is it better to back more conservative third party candidates, even if it means they might lose to the Democrat?
It is difficult to say what will happen at this point. A poll taken on Wednesday showed Owens with a 5-point lead. However, a subsequent poll taken over the weekend showed Hoffman with a 4-point lead. It will probably mostly come down to turnout. Special elections are worse than off-year elections where usually only the impassioned people turn out to vote. That would seem to give Hoffman a fighting chance, as the mindless R or D voters would be that much more likely to stay home.
I’m somewhat skeptical that CNN or any other news network will pay much attention to this race so I will have to troll the interwebs on election night to see what kind of results are expected.
The fight has become a bit more nationalized and represents a legitimate question that has been raised through the Tea Party movement: If the Republican Party leadership continues to push Democrat-lite candidates, is it better to back more conservative third party candidates, even if it means they might lose to the Democrat?
It is difficult to say what will happen at this point. A poll taken on Wednesday showed Owens with a 5-point lead. However, a subsequent poll taken over the weekend showed Hoffman with a 4-point lead. It will probably mostly come down to turnout. Special elections are worse than off-year elections where usually only the impassioned people turn out to vote. That would seem to give Hoffman a fighting chance, as the mindless R or D voters would be that much more likely to stay home.
I’m somewhat skeptical that CNN or any other news network will pay much attention to this race so I will have to troll the interwebs on election night to see what kind of results are expected.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
How It Should Have Ended
These are absolutely hilarious. I think the Star Wars: Episode IV is my favorite
Everything's A-OK... from Hamas?
While I think we can applaud the effort, this venture does put Ernie and Bert into grave danger.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Evil Dictator Rules
I will not order my trusted lieutenant to kill the infant who is destined to overthrow me — I’ll do it myself.
I will not waste time making my enemy’s death look like an accident — I’m not accountable to anyone and my other enemies wouldn’t believe it.
I will make it clear that I do know the meaning of the word “mercy”; I simply choose not show them any.
My undercover agents will not have tattoos identifying them as members of my organization, nor will they be required to wear military boots or adhere to any other dress codes.
I will design all doomsday machines myself. If I must hire a mad scientist to assist me, I will make sure that he is sufficiently twisted to never regret his evil ways and seek to undo the damage he’s caused.
If my supreme command center comes under attack, I will immediately flee to safety in my prepared escape pod and direct the defenses from there. I will not wait until the troops break into my inner sanctum to attempt this.
Even though I don’t really care because I plan on living forever, I will hire engineers who are able to build me a fortress sturdy enough that, if I am slain, it won’t tumble to the ground for no good structural reason.
Any and all magic and/or technology that can miraculously resurrect a secondary character who has given up his/her life through self sacrifice will be outlawed and destroyed.
I will see to it that plucky young lads/lasses in strange clothes and with the accent of an outlander shall REGULARLY climb some monument in the main square of my capital and denounce me, claim to know the secret of my power, rally the masses to rebellion, etc. That way, the citizens will be jaded in case the real thing ever comes along.
I will not employ devious schemes that involve the hero’s party getting into my inner sanctum before the trap is sprung.
I will offer oracles the choice of working exclusively for me or being executed.
I will not rely entirely upon “totally reliable” spells that can be neutralized by relatively inconspicuous talismans.
I will make the main entrance to my fortress standard-sized. While elaborate 60-foot high double-doors definitely impress the masses, they are hard to close quickly in an emergency.
I will never accept a challenge from the hero.
I will not engage an enemy single-handedly until all my soldiers are dead.
If I capture the hero’s starship, I will keep it in the landing bay with the ramp down, only a few token guards on duty and a ton of explosives set to go off as soon as it clears the blast-range.
No matter how much I want revenge, I will never order an underling “Leave him. He’s mine!”
If I have equipment which performs an important function, it will not be activated by a lever that someone could trigger by accidentally falling on when fatally wounded.
I will not attempt to kill the hero by placing a venomous creature in his room. It will just wind up accidentally killing one of my clumsy henchmen instead.
Since nothing is more irritating than a hero defeating you with basic math skills, all of my personal weapons will be modified to fire one more shot than the standard issue.
If I come into possession of an artifact which can only be used by the pure of heart, I will not attempt to use it regardless.
The gun turrets on my fortress will not rotate enough so that they may direct fire inward or at each other.
If I decide to hold a contest of skill open to the general public, contestants will be required to remove their hooded cloaks and shave their beards before entering.
Prior to kidnapping an older male scientist and forcing him to work for me, I will investigate his offspring and make sure that he has neither a beautiful but naive daughter who is willing to risk anything to get him back, nor an estranged son who works in the same field but had a falling-out with his father many years ago.
Should I actually decide to kill the hero in an elaborate escape-proof deathtrap room (water filling up, sand pouring down, walls converging, etc.) I will not leave him alone five-to-ten minutes prior to “imminent” death, but will instead (finding a vantage point or monitoring camera) stick around and enjoy watching my adversary’s demise.
Rather than having only one secret escape pod, which the hero can easily spot and follow, I’ll simultaneously launch a few dozen decoys to throw him off track.
Prison guards will have their own cantina featuring a wide variety of tasty treats that will deliver snacks to the guards while on duty. The guards will also be informed that accepting food or drink from any other source will result in execution.
I will not employ robots as agents of destruction if there is any possible way that they can be re-programmed or if their battery packs are externally mounted and easily removable.
Despite the delicious irony, I will not force two heroes to fight each other in the arena.
All members of my Legions of Terror will have professionally tailored uniforms. If the hero knocks a soldier unconscious and steals the uniform, the poor fit will give him away.
I will never place the key to a cell just out of a prisoner’s reach.
Before appointing someone as my trusted lieutenant, I will conduct a thorough background investigation and security clearance.
If I find my beautiful consort with access to my fortress has been associating with the hero, I’ll have her executed. It’s regrettable, but new consorts are easier to get than new fortresses and maybe the next one will pay attention at the orientation meeting.
If I am escaping in a large truck and the hero is pursuing me in a small Italian sports car, I will not wait for the hero to pull up along side of me and try to force him off the road as he attempts to climb aboard. Instead I will slam on the brakes when he’s directly behind me. (A rudimentary knowledge of physics can prove quite useful.)
My doomsday machine will have a highly-advanced technological device called a capacitor in case someone inconveniently pulls the plug at the last second. (If I have access to REALLY advanced technology, I will include a back-up device known as a battery.)
If I build a bomb, I will simply remember which wire to cut if it has to be deactivated and make every wire red.
Before spending available funds on giant gargoyles, gothic arches, or other cosmetically intimidating pieces of architecture, I will see if there are any valid military expenditures that could use the extra budget.
The passageways to and within my domain will be well-lit with fluorescent lighting. Regrettably, the spooky atmosphere will be lost, but my security patrols will be more effective.
If I’m sitting in my camp, hear a twig snap, start to investigate, then encounter a small woodland creature, I will send out some scouts anyway just to be on the safe side. (If they disappear into the foliage, I will not send out another patrol; I will break out the napalm.)
I will instruct my guards when checking a cell that appears empty to look for the chamber pot. If the chamber pot is still there, then the prisoner has escaped and they may enter and search for clues. If the chamber pot is not there, then either the prisoner is perched above the lintel waiting to strike them with it or else he decided to take it as a souvenir (in which case he is obviously deeply disturbed and poses no threat). Either way, there’s no point in entering.
As an alternative to not having children, I will have lots of children. My sons will be too busy jockeying for position to ever be a real threat, and the daughters will all sabotage each other’s attempts to win the hero.
If I have children and subsequently grandchildren, I will keep my three-year-old granddaughter near me at all times. When the hero enters to kill me, I will ask him to first explain to her why it is necessary to kill her beloved grandpa. When the hero launches into an explanation of morality way over her head, that will be her cue to pull the lever and send him into the pit of crocodiles. After all, small children like crocodiles almost as much as Evil Overlords and it’s important to spend quality time with the grandkids.
If one of my daughters actually manages to win the hero and openly defies me, I will congratulate her on her choice, declare a national holiday to celebrate the wedding, and proclaim the hero my heir. This will probably be enough to break up the relationship. If not, at least I am assured that no hero will attack my Legions of Terror when they are holding a parade in his honor.
I will order my guards to stand in a line when they shoot at the hero so he cannot duck and have them accidentally shoot each other. Also, I will order some to aim above, below, and to the sides so he cannot jump out of the way.
My dungeon cell decor will not feature exposed pipes. While they add to the gloomy atmosphere, they are good conductors of vibrations and a lot of prisoners know Morse code.
If my surveillance reports any unmanned or seemingly innocent ships found where they are not supposed to be, they will be immediately vaporized instead of brought in for salvage.
I will classify my lieutenants in three categories: untrusted, trusted, and completely trusted. Promotion to the third category will be awarded posthumously.
Before ridiculing my enemies for wasting time on a device to stop me that couldn’t possibly work, I will first acquire a copy of the schematics and make sure that in fact it couldn’t possibly work.
Ropes supporting various fixtures will not be tied next to open windows or staircases, and chandeliers will be hung way at the top of the ceiling.
I will provide funding and research to develop tactical and strategic weapons covering a full range of needs so my choices are not limited to “hand to hand combat with swords” and “blow up the planet”.
I will not set myself up as a god. That perilous position is reserved for my trusted lieutenant.
I will instruct my fashion designer that when it comes to accessorizing, second-chance body armor goes well with every outfit.
My Legions of Terror will be an equal-opportunity employer. Conversely, when it is prophesized that no man can defeat me, I will keep in mind the increasing number of non-traditional gender roles.
I will instruct my Legions of Terror in proper search techniques. In particular, if they are searching for escapees and someone shouts, “Quick! They went that way!”, they must first ascertain the identity of this helpful informant before dashing off in hot pursuit.
If I know of any heroes in the land, I will not under any circumstance kill their mentors, teachers, and/or best friends.
If I have the hero and his party trapped, I will not wait until my Superweapon charges to finish them off if more conventional means are available.
Whenever plans are drawn up that include a time-table, I’ll post-date the completion 3 days after it’s actually scheduled to occur and not worry too much if they get stolen.
I will not waste time making my enemy’s death look like an accident — I’m not accountable to anyone and my other enemies wouldn’t believe it.
I will make it clear that I do know the meaning of the word “mercy”; I simply choose not show them any.
My undercover agents will not have tattoos identifying them as members of my organization, nor will they be required to wear military boots or adhere to any other dress codes.
I will design all doomsday machines myself. If I must hire a mad scientist to assist me, I will make sure that he is sufficiently twisted to never regret his evil ways and seek to undo the damage he’s caused.
If my supreme command center comes under attack, I will immediately flee to safety in my prepared escape pod and direct the defenses from there. I will not wait until the troops break into my inner sanctum to attempt this.
Even though I don’t really care because I plan on living forever, I will hire engineers who are able to build me a fortress sturdy enough that, if I am slain, it won’t tumble to the ground for no good structural reason.
Any and all magic and/or technology that can miraculously resurrect a secondary character who has given up his/her life through self sacrifice will be outlawed and destroyed.
I will see to it that plucky young lads/lasses in strange clothes and with the accent of an outlander shall REGULARLY climb some monument in the main square of my capital and denounce me, claim to know the secret of my power, rally the masses to rebellion, etc. That way, the citizens will be jaded in case the real thing ever comes along.
I will not employ devious schemes that involve the hero’s party getting into my inner sanctum before the trap is sprung.
I will offer oracles the choice of working exclusively for me or being executed.
I will not rely entirely upon “totally reliable” spells that can be neutralized by relatively inconspicuous talismans.
I will make the main entrance to my fortress standard-sized. While elaborate 60-foot high double-doors definitely impress the masses, they are hard to close quickly in an emergency.
I will never accept a challenge from the hero.
I will not engage an enemy single-handedly until all my soldiers are dead.
If I capture the hero’s starship, I will keep it in the landing bay with the ramp down, only a few token guards on duty and a ton of explosives set to go off as soon as it clears the blast-range.
No matter how much I want revenge, I will never order an underling “Leave him. He’s mine!”
If I have equipment which performs an important function, it will not be activated by a lever that someone could trigger by accidentally falling on when fatally wounded.
I will not attempt to kill the hero by placing a venomous creature in his room. It will just wind up accidentally killing one of my clumsy henchmen instead.
Since nothing is more irritating than a hero defeating you with basic math skills, all of my personal weapons will be modified to fire one more shot than the standard issue.
If I come into possession of an artifact which can only be used by the pure of heart, I will not attempt to use it regardless.
The gun turrets on my fortress will not rotate enough so that they may direct fire inward or at each other.
If I decide to hold a contest of skill open to the general public, contestants will be required to remove their hooded cloaks and shave their beards before entering.
Prior to kidnapping an older male scientist and forcing him to work for me, I will investigate his offspring and make sure that he has neither a beautiful but naive daughter who is willing to risk anything to get him back, nor an estranged son who works in the same field but had a falling-out with his father many years ago.
Should I actually decide to kill the hero in an elaborate escape-proof deathtrap room (water filling up, sand pouring down, walls converging, etc.) I will not leave him alone five-to-ten minutes prior to “imminent” death, but will instead (finding a vantage point or monitoring camera) stick around and enjoy watching my adversary’s demise.
Rather than having only one secret escape pod, which the hero can easily spot and follow, I’ll simultaneously launch a few dozen decoys to throw him off track.
Prison guards will have their own cantina featuring a wide variety of tasty treats that will deliver snacks to the guards while on duty. The guards will also be informed that accepting food or drink from any other source will result in execution.
I will not employ robots as agents of destruction if there is any possible way that they can be re-programmed or if their battery packs are externally mounted and easily removable.
Despite the delicious irony, I will not force two heroes to fight each other in the arena.
All members of my Legions of Terror will have professionally tailored uniforms. If the hero knocks a soldier unconscious and steals the uniform, the poor fit will give him away.
I will never place the key to a cell just out of a prisoner’s reach.
Before appointing someone as my trusted lieutenant, I will conduct a thorough background investigation and security clearance.
If I find my beautiful consort with access to my fortress has been associating with the hero, I’ll have her executed. It’s regrettable, but new consorts are easier to get than new fortresses and maybe the next one will pay attention at the orientation meeting.
If I am escaping in a large truck and the hero is pursuing me in a small Italian sports car, I will not wait for the hero to pull up along side of me and try to force him off the road as he attempts to climb aboard. Instead I will slam on the brakes when he’s directly behind me. (A rudimentary knowledge of physics can prove quite useful.)
My doomsday machine will have a highly-advanced technological device called a capacitor in case someone inconveniently pulls the plug at the last second. (If I have access to REALLY advanced technology, I will include a back-up device known as a battery.)
If I build a bomb, I will simply remember which wire to cut if it has to be deactivated and make every wire red.
Before spending available funds on giant gargoyles, gothic arches, or other cosmetically intimidating pieces of architecture, I will see if there are any valid military expenditures that could use the extra budget.
The passageways to and within my domain will be well-lit with fluorescent lighting. Regrettably, the spooky atmosphere will be lost, but my security patrols will be more effective.
If I’m sitting in my camp, hear a twig snap, start to investigate, then encounter a small woodland creature, I will send out some scouts anyway just to be on the safe side. (If they disappear into the foliage, I will not send out another patrol; I will break out the napalm.)
I will instruct my guards when checking a cell that appears empty to look for the chamber pot. If the chamber pot is still there, then the prisoner has escaped and they may enter and search for clues. If the chamber pot is not there, then either the prisoner is perched above the lintel waiting to strike them with it or else he decided to take it as a souvenir (in which case he is obviously deeply disturbed and poses no threat). Either way, there’s no point in entering.
As an alternative to not having children, I will have lots of children. My sons will be too busy jockeying for position to ever be a real threat, and the daughters will all sabotage each other’s attempts to win the hero.
If I have children and subsequently grandchildren, I will keep my three-year-old granddaughter near me at all times. When the hero enters to kill me, I will ask him to first explain to her why it is necessary to kill her beloved grandpa. When the hero launches into an explanation of morality way over her head, that will be her cue to pull the lever and send him into the pit of crocodiles. After all, small children like crocodiles almost as much as Evil Overlords and it’s important to spend quality time with the grandkids.
If one of my daughters actually manages to win the hero and openly defies me, I will congratulate her on her choice, declare a national holiday to celebrate the wedding, and proclaim the hero my heir. This will probably be enough to break up the relationship. If not, at least I am assured that no hero will attack my Legions of Terror when they are holding a parade in his honor.
I will order my guards to stand in a line when they shoot at the hero so he cannot duck and have them accidentally shoot each other. Also, I will order some to aim above, below, and to the sides so he cannot jump out of the way.
My dungeon cell decor will not feature exposed pipes. While they add to the gloomy atmosphere, they are good conductors of vibrations and a lot of prisoners know Morse code.
If my surveillance reports any unmanned or seemingly innocent ships found where they are not supposed to be, they will be immediately vaporized instead of brought in for salvage.
I will classify my lieutenants in three categories: untrusted, trusted, and completely trusted. Promotion to the third category will be awarded posthumously.
Before ridiculing my enemies for wasting time on a device to stop me that couldn’t possibly work, I will first acquire a copy of the schematics and make sure that in fact it couldn’t possibly work.
Ropes supporting various fixtures will not be tied next to open windows or staircases, and chandeliers will be hung way at the top of the ceiling.
I will provide funding and research to develop tactical and strategic weapons covering a full range of needs so my choices are not limited to “hand to hand combat with swords” and “blow up the planet”.
I will not set myself up as a god. That perilous position is reserved for my trusted lieutenant.
I will instruct my fashion designer that when it comes to accessorizing, second-chance body armor goes well with every outfit.
My Legions of Terror will be an equal-opportunity employer. Conversely, when it is prophesized that no man can defeat me, I will keep in mind the increasing number of non-traditional gender roles.
I will instruct my Legions of Terror in proper search techniques. In particular, if they are searching for escapees and someone shouts, “Quick! They went that way!”, they must first ascertain the identity of this helpful informant before dashing off in hot pursuit.
If I know of any heroes in the land, I will not under any circumstance kill their mentors, teachers, and/or best friends.
If I have the hero and his party trapped, I will not wait until my Superweapon charges to finish them off if more conventional means are available.
Whenever plans are drawn up that include a time-table, I’ll post-date the completion 3 days after it’s actually scheduled to occur and not worry too much if they get stolen.
Monday, October 12, 2009
LCS Time
Well, I'm 1-2 in the baseball playoffs so far. Some of that was colored by wishful thinking (at least concerning St. Louis). But the Dodgers, Yankees, and Angels have all advanced in sweeps and I only picked the Yankees. I picked the Phillies and they are up 2-1 with game 4 tonight. So I might end the first round 2-2.
While I would love to see the Angels win, I still think the Yankees are just the better team (and with the better pitching). I would pick the Yankees in 6. Game 1 is Friday with the match-ups scheduled as Sabathia (NY) vs Lackey (Ana).
As far as LA, if the Rockies win, LA shouldn't have too much difficulty taking them out. Philadelphia has better pitching and I would favor them in a seven game series.
If we are destined to get the Yankees in the World Series, I would like to see the Dodgers match up against them. Not that I like the Dodgers (I actually significantly dislike them due to my Padres loyalties) but I do like Joe Torre and I would like to see him take down the team that dumped him.
But that's the next round and we are not there yet.
While I would love to see the Angels win, I still think the Yankees are just the better team (and with the better pitching). I would pick the Yankees in 6. Game 1 is Friday with the match-ups scheduled as Sabathia (NY) vs Lackey (Ana).
As far as LA, if the Rockies win, LA shouldn't have too much difficulty taking them out. Philadelphia has better pitching and I would favor them in a seven game series.
If we are destined to get the Yankees in the World Series, I would like to see the Dodgers match up against them. Not that I like the Dodgers (I actually significantly dislike them due to my Padres loyalties) but I do like Joe Torre and I would like to see him take down the team that dumped him.
But that's the next round and we are not there yet.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
2009 Postseason
Baseball playoffs start tonight. Some would argue that they started last night, but that was technically a play-in game. Minnesota defeated Detroit 6-5 in 12 innings to capture the Central Division crown. It was quite a good game. Some bad plays were made and it would be hard to argue whether it was truly a Minnesota win or a Detroit loss. Still it made for a compelling game and it’s just one more reason we all will miss the Metrodome once they tear it down at the end of the Twin’s season.
My original assumption was that since the play-in game had to be pushed back to Tuesday (due to the Vikings using the Metrodome on Monday), that the winner would play the Yankees on Thursday (both NL games are played today but only one AL game). However, the rules of baseball apparently state that the team with the best record get’s to choose if there is an option. So the Yankees were given the option of playing today or tomorrow and of course they chose to play today to try and take advantage of an exhausted Twins team. So Boston and Anaheim won’t play until tomorrow.
It’s hard to say how each match-up will go. The Yankees beat the Twins every time they played this year and the Yankees are rested while Minnesota is tired and emotionally drained. One would expect a sweep, but I could see the Twins making a series out of it. Likewise Anaheim is a very good team, but they can’t seem to be able to beat Boston; both in the regular season and in the playoffs. That would make it seem logical to immediately jump to a Boston-New York ALCS. I’d rather see a Minnesota-Boston ALCS, but that’s just my own personal preference.
On the National League side, things are a little more muddled. St. Louis plays the Dodgers while Colorado takes on the Phillies. St. Louis had the edge on Los Angeles during the regular season and the Dodgers were playing .500 ball at best during the last month of the season. Still, there is a scrappiness about the Dodgers that I can’t quite shake. The Cardinals may win, but I think it would be a very hard-fought win. On the other side of the coin, I have no idea who will win between Colorado and Philadelphia. Both teams come in playing well and both teams have a knack for finding ways to win. If forced to guess, I would lean toward Philadelphia just because of the experience. Colorado was in the World Series only two years ago, but the fact that the Phillies are defending champions gives them just a bit more of an edge in my mind. That would give us a St. Louis-Philadelphia NLCS and that would be fine with me.
Three years ago I went 0-7 in predicting the series outcomes. Let’s see how bad I do this year.
My original assumption was that since the play-in game had to be pushed back to Tuesday (due to the Vikings using the Metrodome on Monday), that the winner would play the Yankees on Thursday (both NL games are played today but only one AL game). However, the rules of baseball apparently state that the team with the best record get’s to choose if there is an option. So the Yankees were given the option of playing today or tomorrow and of course they chose to play today to try and take advantage of an exhausted Twins team. So Boston and Anaheim won’t play until tomorrow.
It’s hard to say how each match-up will go. The Yankees beat the Twins every time they played this year and the Yankees are rested while Minnesota is tired and emotionally drained. One would expect a sweep, but I could see the Twins making a series out of it. Likewise Anaheim is a very good team, but they can’t seem to be able to beat Boston; both in the regular season and in the playoffs. That would make it seem logical to immediately jump to a Boston-New York ALCS. I’d rather see a Minnesota-Boston ALCS, but that’s just my own personal preference.
On the National League side, things are a little more muddled. St. Louis plays the Dodgers while Colorado takes on the Phillies. St. Louis had the edge on Los Angeles during the regular season and the Dodgers were playing .500 ball at best during the last month of the season. Still, there is a scrappiness about the Dodgers that I can’t quite shake. The Cardinals may win, but I think it would be a very hard-fought win. On the other side of the coin, I have no idea who will win between Colorado and Philadelphia. Both teams come in playing well and both teams have a knack for finding ways to win. If forced to guess, I would lean toward Philadelphia just because of the experience. Colorado was in the World Series only two years ago, but the fact that the Phillies are defending champions gives them just a bit more of an edge in my mind. That would give us a St. Louis-Philadelphia NLCS and that would be fine with me.
Three years ago I went 0-7 in predicting the series outcomes. Let’s see how bad I do this year.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Obama Look-A-Likes
A while back, I posted that someone had shown that Mr. Obama had a bit of a resemblance to Pharaoh Ahkenaten. Aussie Dave just posted another "looks like" for Mr. Obama that's a pretty good match.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
A Point About Cash For Clunkers
Dealers are starting to wake to the hangover from the Cash for Clunkers program. Yes it stimulated purchasing for new cars, but it crammed about half a year of demand into a couple of months. As a result, dealers are looking at some very lean months ahead. A short term high resulting in a long term down (sounds like a drug trip).
One other little point that someone came up with as follows:
A vehicle at 15 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 800 gallons a year of gasoline.
A vehicle at 25 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 480 gallons a year.
So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons/car per year.
They claim 700,000 vehicles – so that’s 224 million gallons / year.
That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.
5 million barrels of oil is about ¼ of one day’s US consumption.
And, 5 million barrels of oil costs about $350 million dollars at $70/bbl.
So, we all contributed to spending $3 billion to save $350 million.
Short term lift. Long term headache.
One other little point that someone came up with as follows:
A vehicle at 15 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 800 gallons a year of gasoline.
A vehicle at 25 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 480 gallons a year.
So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons/car per year.
They claim 700,000 vehicles – so that’s 224 million gallons / year.
That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.
5 million barrels of oil is about ¼ of one day’s US consumption.
And, 5 million barrels of oil costs about $350 million dollars at $70/bbl.
So, we all contributed to spending $3 billion to save $350 million.
Short term lift. Long term headache.
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Future Governors Slate
Last time I noted the two governor's races that will be decided this November. Even though it's more than a year away, I thought I'd list the governorships that would be up in 2010, since the candicacy of Gov. Paterson (D-NY) has been in the news lately.
States where the governor is seeking relection:
New Hampshire - John Lynch (D)
Massachusetts - Deval Patrick (D)
Connecticut - Jodi Rell (R)
New York - David Paterson (D)
Maryland - Martin O'Malley (D)
Ohio - Ted Strickland (D)
Illinois - Pat Quinn (D)
Arkansas - Mike Beebe (D)
Iowa - Chet Culver (D)
Nebraska - Dave Heineman (R)
Texas - Rick Perry (R)
Colorado - Bill Ritter (D)
Idaho - Butch Otter (R)
Utah - Gary Herbert (R) (special election)
Nevada - Jim Gibbons (R)
Arizona - Jan Brewer (R)
Alaska - Sean Parnell (R)
States with an open race:
Maine - currently Democratic
Vermont - currently Republican
Rhode Island - currently Republican
Pennsylvania - currently Democratic
South Carolina - currently Republican
Georgia - currently Republican
Alabama - currently Republican
Florida - currently Republican
Tennessee - currently Democratic
Michigan - currently Democratic
Wisconsin - currently Democratic
Minnesota - currently Republican
South Dakota - currently Republican
Kansas - currently Democratic
Oklahoma - currently Democratic
New Mexico - currently Democratic
Wyoming - currently Democratic
Oregon - currently Democratic
California - currently Republican
Hawaii - currently Republican
Obviously it's way too early to speculate about anything now, but this is what will be on the docket. Plus, we'll have the senate races to look forward to as well. Should be fun.
States where the governor is seeking relection:
New Hampshire - John Lynch (D)
Massachusetts - Deval Patrick (D)
Connecticut - Jodi Rell (R)
New York - David Paterson (D)
Maryland - Martin O'Malley (D)
Ohio - Ted Strickland (D)
Illinois - Pat Quinn (D)
Arkansas - Mike Beebe (D)
Iowa - Chet Culver (D)
Nebraska - Dave Heineman (R)
Texas - Rick Perry (R)
Colorado - Bill Ritter (D)
Idaho - Butch Otter (R)
Utah - Gary Herbert (R) (special election)
Nevada - Jim Gibbons (R)
Arizona - Jan Brewer (R)
Alaska - Sean Parnell (R)
States with an open race:
Maine - currently Democratic
Vermont - currently Republican
Rhode Island - currently Republican
Pennsylvania - currently Democratic
South Carolina - currently Republican
Georgia - currently Republican
Alabama - currently Republican
Florida - currently Republican
Tennessee - currently Democratic
Michigan - currently Democratic
Wisconsin - currently Democratic
Minnesota - currently Republican
South Dakota - currently Republican
Kansas - currently Democratic
Oklahoma - currently Democratic
New Mexico - currently Democratic
Wyoming - currently Democratic
Oregon - currently Democratic
California - currently Republican
Hawaii - currently Republican
Obviously it's way too early to speculate about anything now, but this is what will be on the docket. Plus, we'll have the senate races to look forward to as well. Should be fun.
Monday, September 14, 2009
A Return to Analysis
The legal issues that arose early this summer have now been almost completely dealt with. I hope to put the last of this to bed in October and then I can deal with the ramifications of all of it.
So in this spirit, I thought I would posit a little bit on the only two races of significance this year: the New Jersey and Virginia governorships. I know that the election of Mr. Kennedy's replacement to the Senate will also take place but there is still a lot of set up there so we won't know who the full field is until later this month.
Virginia turned blue in 2008 and has had a slate of Democratic governors in recent years. However, these have usually been in the traditional Southern Democrat model which is more conservative than their mid-Atlantic cousins. State Senator Creigh Deeds represents the Democrats while former Attorney General Bob McDonnell represents the Republicans. With the past two governorships being Democratic and a general anti-Democrat feeling running due to backlash on healthcare, Mr. McDonnell has been steadily pulling ahead since about early June. The current RCP average has him up 10 points on Mr. Deeds.
Also on the docket is the New Jersey governorship. New Jersey is a reliably Democratic state, although Republicans have been able to win state office though they tend to be a bit more liberal in their outlook. The race is a three-way between Democrat Jon Corzine (incumbent), Republican Chris Christie, and Independent Chris Daggett. More than anything else, the polls indicate a dislike for Mr. Corzine among Independents and this is probably the key on which this race will depend. At the moment it is unclear as to who Mr. Daggett is draining more votes from (Mr. Daggett is a former NJ EPA Commissioner and Deputy chief of staff to the Governor which probably indicates a larger draw of Democrats). As such Mr. Christie has consistently polled ahead, currently holding an RCP average lead of 7 points. However, it should also be noted that New Jersey is a difficult state to poll and many a race has occurred showing a Republican polling ahead, only to lose by a significant margin on Election Day. Mr. Christie will probably only be considered safe if he goes into the day with an 8-point or better lead.
If any other races start to spice up we'll have to see how those go.
So in this spirit, I thought I would posit a little bit on the only two races of significance this year: the New Jersey and Virginia governorships. I know that the election of Mr. Kennedy's replacement to the Senate will also take place but there is still a lot of set up there so we won't know who the full field is until later this month.
Virginia turned blue in 2008 and has had a slate of Democratic governors in recent years. However, these have usually been in the traditional Southern Democrat model which is more conservative than their mid-Atlantic cousins. State Senator Creigh Deeds represents the Democrats while former Attorney General Bob McDonnell represents the Republicans. With the past two governorships being Democratic and a general anti-Democrat feeling running due to backlash on healthcare, Mr. McDonnell has been steadily pulling ahead since about early June. The current RCP average has him up 10 points on Mr. Deeds.
Also on the docket is the New Jersey governorship. New Jersey is a reliably Democratic state, although Republicans have been able to win state office though they tend to be a bit more liberal in their outlook. The race is a three-way between Democrat Jon Corzine (incumbent), Republican Chris Christie, and Independent Chris Daggett. More than anything else, the polls indicate a dislike for Mr. Corzine among Independents and this is probably the key on which this race will depend. At the moment it is unclear as to who Mr. Daggett is draining more votes from (Mr. Daggett is a former NJ EPA Commissioner and Deputy chief of staff to the Governor which probably indicates a larger draw of Democrats). As such Mr. Christie has consistently polled ahead, currently holding an RCP average lead of 7 points. However, it should also be noted that New Jersey is a difficult state to poll and many a race has occurred showing a Republican polling ahead, only to lose by a significant margin on Election Day. Mr. Christie will probably only be considered safe if he goes into the day with an 8-point or better lead.
If any other races start to spice up we'll have to see how those go.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Never Forget
To those who have said, ‘move on’, ‘no one cares anymore’, I say go to hell!
-Anonymous
-Anonymous
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A Comment Regarding Mr. Kennedy
I didn't write this, but I wish I had:
If they get to talk about Camelot, we get to talk about the lady in the lake.
-Jim Treacher
If they get to talk about Camelot, we get to talk about the lady in the lake.
-Jim Treacher
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Political Posters
That someone was able to modify these posters and make them feel accurate says a great deal:
I also like this one:
Thursday, August 13, 2009
How to Die Quickly
Green groups have been pushing Smart cars as a way to cut down emissions. Smart cares are very small and are not much more than a souped up golf cart:
The major downside to this is what happens if you get into an accident in one of these things. My vague estimations based on the damage to the red truck, suggest that impact occurred between 30-50 mph:
The major downside to this is what happens if you get into an accident in one of these things. My vague estimations based on the damage to the red truck, suggest that impact occurred between 30-50 mph:
On the plus side, increased use of the Smart car will lead to a decrease in health care costs as fewer people will survive accidents and not run up costly ICU bills.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Legal Complications
Because of legal complications that have arisen in my life, this blog will be put on hiatus. It is already on author view only and should I reactivate it, I will allow universal viewing again.
For now, this is Mr. X, signing off.
For now, this is Mr. X, signing off.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Pharaoh Obama?
Want to see something interesting? Some Israeli bloggers couldn't help but notice some similarities in the facial structure of Mr. Obama and Pharaoh Akhenaten:
How interesting would it be if Mr. Obama's father's family had ties back to the 18th dynasty of Egypt? This isn't that far fetched as the 18th dynasty of Egypt controlled a good portion of the Sudan and some less important members of the royal family did flee south in the upheaval following the death of Tutankhamun and minor civil war that lead to the foundation of the 19th dynasty.
Of course some Israelis have their own, less flattering, comparisons of Mr. Obama to Pharaoh, but that's another issue.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Still Alive
Work has been insanly busy and Baby X2.0 will be 4 weeks tomorrow. These two things tend to not allow one to make too many blog posts.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Simpsons Trivia
Pop Quiz time. Below I will list the common names for several popular Simpson's characters. Try to remember what their actual names are? (Highlight for the answers)
1) Sea Captain Horatio McCallister
2) Krusty the Clown Herschel Krustofski
3) Sideshow Bob Robert Underdunk Terwilliger
4) Sideshow Mel Melvin Van Horne
5) Comic Book Guy Jeff Albertson
1) Sea Captain Horatio McCallister
2) Krusty the Clown Herschel Krustofski
3) Sideshow Bob Robert Underdunk Terwilliger
4) Sideshow Mel Melvin Van Horne
5) Comic Book Guy Jeff Albertson
Friday, April 24, 2009
Pakistani Pancakes
How about a joke... what the difference between Pakistan and a pancake? I don't know of any pancakes that got nuked by India. What? Too soon?
-Krusty
A few months ago, the new government of Pakistan decided that it couldn't defeat the Taliban elements in the tribal regions. So they signed a treaty giving them autonomous control over the Swat Valley. Apparently, this put blood in the water and the Taliban commander has mobilized his troops and nearly taken full control over an adjoining region (Buner) and are moving into the district of Haripur. Most distressing about all this, is that the neighboring region of Haripur (Attock) contains two nuclear plants that churn out the material needed to maintain Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. This region also gives the Taliban strategic positioning should they decide they want to go for the throat and take the capital, Islamabad, which is only 60 miles away.
There are scenarios that have been planned out where we might go in and try to either seize or destroy the nuclear reactors, but there is essentially nothing that we can do if the Taliban try to take the capital. What this does is put a huge onus on India. Obviously India will not stand for a militant Islamic government in control of Pakistan. The question is, would they invade with massive ground forces, or would they send in nuclear armed bombers to irradiate the Taliban controlled regions. We don't know and given the bitterness of the feud between Hindi and Muslims on the subcontinent, I would not be shocked by India going nuclear somewhat early in the fighting, especially if they think they can neutralize Pakistan's nuclear arsenal with a first strike.
I don't think Lord Marbury or Gerald will be able to solve this one anytime soon.
-Krusty
A few months ago, the new government of Pakistan decided that it couldn't defeat the Taliban elements in the tribal regions. So they signed a treaty giving them autonomous control over the Swat Valley. Apparently, this put blood in the water and the Taliban commander has mobilized his troops and nearly taken full control over an adjoining region (Buner) and are moving into the district of Haripur. Most distressing about all this, is that the neighboring region of Haripur (Attock) contains two nuclear plants that churn out the material needed to maintain Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. This region also gives the Taliban strategic positioning should they decide they want to go for the throat and take the capital, Islamabad, which is only 60 miles away.
There are scenarios that have been planned out where we might go in and try to either seize or destroy the nuclear reactors, but there is essentially nothing that we can do if the Taliban try to take the capital. What this does is put a huge onus on India. Obviously India will not stand for a militant Islamic government in control of Pakistan. The question is, would they invade with massive ground forces, or would they send in nuclear armed bombers to irradiate the Taliban controlled regions. We don't know and given the bitterness of the feud between Hindi and Muslims on the subcontinent, I would not be shocked by India going nuclear somewhat early in the fighting, especially if they think they can neutralize Pakistan's nuclear arsenal with a first strike.
I don't think Lord Marbury or Gerald will be able to solve this one anytime soon.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
New Arks
A bit of a strange phenomenon has been cropping up around the world. Two separate replicas of Noah's ark have been built around the world. The first is by a Dutch man, Johan Huibers, who built it to the exact proportions as specified in the Bible, only 1/2 the size:
What's more, the Dutch ark actually floats. Mr. Huibers has publicly stated that he hopes to have it fully seaworthy in time to sail it to London for the 2012 Olympics.
In a similar vein, a group of brothers in Hong Kong have just finished a full scale ark (300 cubits x 50 cubits x 30 cubits). It wasn't built to float but instead will have a restaurant and children's museum. This is a picture of it still under construction:
I don't have any other pictures but I have heard stories that other people have built replicas of the ark in other places. I find it fascinating that there is such an effort from around the world to prove that Noah's ark could be built and add one more notch in the argument that the Biblical flood did actually happen.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Three Men on a Dead Man's Chest
Major Kudos to the Navy Seals for taking out the Somali pirates yesterday. They should have been prepared when the captain jumped into the water the first time, but at least we got the correct result in the end.
Now we just have to deal with the remaining pirate who was arrested. He should thank his lucky stars that he was captured today and not a couple of hundred years ago. Today he'll be taken someplace and put in prison. If he was lucky a couple of hundred years ago, he simply would have been hung. If he was unlucky, he would have either been keelhauled or had one of his arteries cut and thrown overboard to see how fast it took for the sharks to get him.
Hopefully next time this happens, the pirates will be dealt with quickly and they will learn to be much more afraid of a vessel flying the stars and stripes.
Now we just have to deal with the remaining pirate who was arrested. He should thank his lucky stars that he was captured today and not a couple of hundred years ago. Today he'll be taken someplace and put in prison. If he was lucky a couple of hundred years ago, he simply would have been hung. If he was unlucky, he would have either been keelhauled or had one of his arteries cut and thrown overboard to see how fast it took for the sharks to get him.
Hopefully next time this happens, the pirates will be dealt with quickly and they will learn to be much more afraid of a vessel flying the stars and stripes.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Checking the Numbers
At the beginning of the tournament, I noted what the Mike & Mike backroom boys had cooked up regarding only North Carolina and Louisville satisfying all historic criteria of past winners. Now North Carolina has won the title by stomping Michigan St., validating these numbers once again. When the tourney comes around next year, I'm hoping they repeat this segment so I can figure out what teams to put on the short list.
Incidently, although I didn't enter a pool, I did fill out a bracket and did have North Carolina winning it all. I had them playing Louisville so I lost on that end, but I still think I might have won a little money if I had entered a pool. Such is life.
Incidently, although I didn't enter a pool, I did fill out a bracket and did have North Carolina winning it all. I had them playing Louisville so I lost on that end, but I still think I might have won a little money if I had entered a pool. Such is life.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Kings, ref. Abraham
The Biblical allegory that is Kings took a little break from the Saul/David story last night. There was the obligatory reference in the form of a modification of 1 Samuel 18:7 РSaul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands. But for the most part, the story focused on some clich̩d writing with a minor deviation into Genesis.
This deviation involved the king’s son by his mistress. Apparently the boy is sick and was dying. Silas, reeling from the spate of bad luck that has plagued him lately, meets the Reverend Samuels to ask him how to get back into God’s good graces. Samuels doesn’t know but knows that atonement must be made in the form of sacrifice. Silas storms off in his car but promptly hits a deer. Figuring this is the first part of the sacrifice, he kills the dying animal. He then returns to the hospital to keep vigil until morning when the boy awakes. Knowing that the treatment has worked, Silas then walks away, vowing to never see them again as the price of keeping the boy alive and hopefully resuming his good standing with God.
This story has two aspects of the story of Abraham in it, although Silas is far more resistant of God’s will. In the original story, Abraham is given a test to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham complies but an angel stops him before he can cut Isaac’s throat. Instead, Abraham is given a ram to sacrifice. Silas being given a deer to kill instead of his son dying echoes this.
The other aspect of Abraham is that Silas walks away and vows not to see his mistress and her son again. This is similar to Abraham sending away his son Ishmael and his mother Hagar. The main difference is that Abraham sent away Ishmael because he mocked Abraham’s chosen heir Isaac and because Hagar grew increasingly disrespectful of her mistress Sarah, probably feeding into Ishmael’s resentment of his younger brother. In Kings, the other family is sent away because Silas sees it as an aspect of atonement in trying to get back into God’s favor and retain the crown. This puts a very different spin on motivations while keeping the nominal details the same.
Overall, this was a boring and somewhat predictable episode. Next week looks like it might get a little better by accelerating the plot against the king. Yay for civil war.
This deviation involved the king’s son by his mistress. Apparently the boy is sick and was dying. Silas, reeling from the spate of bad luck that has plagued him lately, meets the Reverend Samuels to ask him how to get back into God’s good graces. Samuels doesn’t know but knows that atonement must be made in the form of sacrifice. Silas storms off in his car but promptly hits a deer. Figuring this is the first part of the sacrifice, he kills the dying animal. He then returns to the hospital to keep vigil until morning when the boy awakes. Knowing that the treatment has worked, Silas then walks away, vowing to never see them again as the price of keeping the boy alive and hopefully resuming his good standing with God.
This story has two aspects of the story of Abraham in it, although Silas is far more resistant of God’s will. In the original story, Abraham is given a test to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham complies but an angel stops him before he can cut Isaac’s throat. Instead, Abraham is given a ram to sacrifice. Silas being given a deer to kill instead of his son dying echoes this.
The other aspect of Abraham is that Silas walks away and vows not to see his mistress and her son again. This is similar to Abraham sending away his son Ishmael and his mother Hagar. The main difference is that Abraham sent away Ishmael because he mocked Abraham’s chosen heir Isaac and because Hagar grew increasingly disrespectful of her mistress Sarah, probably feeding into Ishmael’s resentment of his younger brother. In Kings, the other family is sent away because Silas sees it as an aspect of atonement in trying to get back into God’s favor and retain the crown. This puts a very different spin on motivations while keeping the nominal details the same.
Overall, this was a boring and somewhat predictable episode. Next week looks like it might get a little better by accelerating the plot against the king. Yay for civil war.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
How Food Kills You
I will say that while I find most entrys on this site a bit too much for me, there are a couple that make me drool a little bit.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
There Can Be Only One
Yesterday on Mike & Mike, they mentioned something that was very interesting. Apparently, their back room guys had gone over the past 20 years of NCAA basketball winners looking for commonalities. They came up with a fairly impressive list of 9 or 10 things, all legitimate statistics to look for in a basketball team. I can't remember all of them, but the ones I do remember are noted below:
1. A team will have more assists than turnovers (low turnover total)
2. The coach must have been to at least the Sweet 16 (Michigan St.'s coach was an assistant on the team the year before they won when they went to the Sweet Sixteen and took over at the end of the regular season, the season they won)
3. The team had a winning record the previous season
4. During the regular season, the team had at least two wins vs. the Top 25
5. The team cannot be the only representative from their conference in the tournament
There are more, but these are the ones I could remember off the top of my head. So the backroom guys applied this criteria to all the teams in this year's tournament and it eliminated all but two teams: North Carolina and Louisville. Interestingly, I've seen a couple of brackets that have these two playing against each other for the title. But if I were a betting man, I would certainly lean on one of these two teams winning it all.
1. A team will have more assists than turnovers (low turnover total)
2. The coach must have been to at least the Sweet 16 (Michigan St.'s coach was an assistant on the team the year before they won when they went to the Sweet Sixteen and took over at the end of the regular season, the season they won)
3. The team had a winning record the previous season
4. During the regular season, the team had at least two wins vs. the Top 25
5. The team cannot be the only representative from their conference in the tournament
There are more, but these are the ones I could remember off the top of my head. So the backroom guys applied this criteria to all the teams in this year's tournament and it eliminated all but two teams: North Carolina and Louisville. Interestingly, I've seen a couple of brackets that have these two playing against each other for the title. But if I were a betting man, I would certainly lean on one of these two teams winning it all.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Kings
So Mrs. X and I watched the pilot episode of Kings last night. It actually aired on Sunday but we recorded it and watched it last night. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great either. It’s a bit slow, but I think that’s because of set up and character establishment and I have hopes that it will pick up in later episodes. It also is not subtle in the least. In addition to using all the standard TV clichés, the writers go over the top in trying to make sure the ordinary person gets their references.
For those of you who haven’t seen it or even the previews for it, Kings is a modern retelling of the second half of the book of 1 Samuel, telling the story of David’s rise from a humble shepherd to king of Israel. Of course, the show doesn’t go so far in calling it Israel, but they do everything but. Below is a list of the various references that I caught in my watching:
King Saul – The king in the show is called Silas Benjamin. Silas is not the same as Saul, but it looks similar. However, Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, hence the use of the last name Benjamin.
Shiloh – At the beginning of the episode, Silas is shown dedicating the new capital of Shiloh, which had been built up from a ruined city during the previous wars. Shiloh was actually the town where the Ark of the Covenant was kept prior to David’s successful capture of Jerusalem. Saul actually kept court at his home in Gibeah with Mizpah and Gilgal being the sites of great assembly for the Israelites.
Gilboa – This is the name of the Israelite country in the show. In actuality, it was a mountain in northern Israel, overlooking the Jezreel Valley, where Israel was defeated in battle by the Philistines. During the battle, three of Saul’s sons were killed and Saul himself was severely wounded. Saul was overtaken by the Philistines and fell on his sword rather than be killed in battle.
Gath – In the show, Gath is the neighboring country that Gilboa is fighting. Gath was one of the five Philistine city-states that fought Israel in alliance. It was also the hometown of Goliath.
Goliath – Goliath was the giant whom David kills with a single stone from his slingshot. In the show, it is a class of tank that looks a lot like the Abrams variety in the US Army. This is actually one part of the show that disappointed me. First, it downgraded David’s triumph as Goliath was a singular champion for the Philistines in the Bible. Turning him into just one of many tanks takes away any specialness of the victory. Second, it seems rather absurd that a country as seemingly advanced as Gilboa is shown to be would not have any armor of their own and would be facing a tank battalion with only infantry. Any country that has an army of any consequence has some armor to put into the field, outclassed as it may be.
David – In the show, David is given the name of David Shepherd and is shown to live on a farm with an aptitude for fixing things. David’s father was Jesse, but in the show, they switched this around a bit by having David’s father be killed in a previous war and making his mother’s name Jessie. He is shown being an adept piano player rather than a harp player as in the Bible. At the beginning of the show, David is shown fixing the car of the Reverend Samuels, who then anoints David in a very subtle way.
Samuel – Samuel was the priest who led Israel prior to Saul becoming king. He anointed Saul and later David as kings of Israel. Saul’s great undoing was to summon Samuel’s spirit from the dead by using the power of the witch of Endor. Samuel then proclaimed that Saul would die in the upcoming battle. In the show, Samuel is shown as a late-forties black man, growing increasingly opposed to the king’s choices. He eventually rejects Silas as king, though he has yet shown that David will succeed Silas as king.
Michal – Michal was the second daughter of Saul. She was given to David in marriage as a reward for slaying Goliath and later helps him escape Saul’s plan to kill David. In the show, her name is given as Michelle and she is shown as the only daughter of Silas. She is not given as a reward per say, though David is rewarded by being allowed to dance with her during the banquet held in his honor. David and Michelle are shown to develop something of a romance later in the episode.
Abner – Abner is shown as the head military commander and (it seems) head of the secret service (including assassinations). In the Bible, Abner was Saul’s principle commander and supported his one surviving son (Ish-Bosheth) against David for king until Ish-Bosheth insulted Abner. Abner defected to David but was murdered by David’s commander Joab.
Probably the two biggest deviations in the show from the Bible are Silas’ son Jack and the elevation of the Queen and her family. Saul had four sons and his eldest, Jonathan, was David’s closest friend, even thwarting his father to protect David’s life. In the show, Silas is only given one (legitimate) son and he is shown to be a drunken playboy, despised by his father because of his homosexual tendencies.
The use of the Queen and her brother are the other interesting twist. In the Bible, Saul is anointed by God and that is enough. In the show, Silas divorced his wife and married the sister of the wealthiest man in the country. This family of bankers provides the gold necessary to keep economic stability which allows Silas to sieze the monarchy. Essentially, they give a twist on the conspiracy theory of the cabal of global bankers who manipulate the global economy to ensure that modern leaders do as they please. The pilot episode ended with the brother-in-law withdrawing gold from the treasury and then offering the kingdom to Silas’ son Jack (his nephew).
I look forward to seeing how they do things in the remaining episodes. NBC went out on a limb and seems to have committed to a full 13-episode season. Initial ratings were low enough that I expect that the show will not be renewed for a second season. I suspect that they will burn through the rest of Silas’ kingship and the show will end with David being proclaimed king while Jack is proclaimed king-in-exile and civil war looming between the two sides. If a second season were to ever emerge, it would probably cover the civil war and David’s conquests to stabilize the region. I would be curious to see how they would treat the conquest of Jerusalem or if that would be a part left on the cutting room floor. Given that there probably won’t be a second season, that’s a moot point anyway.
For those of you who haven’t seen it or even the previews for it, Kings is a modern retelling of the second half of the book of 1 Samuel, telling the story of David’s rise from a humble shepherd to king of Israel. Of course, the show doesn’t go so far in calling it Israel, but they do everything but. Below is a list of the various references that I caught in my watching:
King Saul – The king in the show is called Silas Benjamin. Silas is not the same as Saul, but it looks similar. However, Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, hence the use of the last name Benjamin.
Shiloh – At the beginning of the episode, Silas is shown dedicating the new capital of Shiloh, which had been built up from a ruined city during the previous wars. Shiloh was actually the town where the Ark of the Covenant was kept prior to David’s successful capture of Jerusalem. Saul actually kept court at his home in Gibeah with Mizpah and Gilgal being the sites of great assembly for the Israelites.
Gilboa – This is the name of the Israelite country in the show. In actuality, it was a mountain in northern Israel, overlooking the Jezreel Valley, where Israel was defeated in battle by the Philistines. During the battle, three of Saul’s sons were killed and Saul himself was severely wounded. Saul was overtaken by the Philistines and fell on his sword rather than be killed in battle.
Gath – In the show, Gath is the neighboring country that Gilboa is fighting. Gath was one of the five Philistine city-states that fought Israel in alliance. It was also the hometown of Goliath.
Goliath – Goliath was the giant whom David kills with a single stone from his slingshot. In the show, it is a class of tank that looks a lot like the Abrams variety in the US Army. This is actually one part of the show that disappointed me. First, it downgraded David’s triumph as Goliath was a singular champion for the Philistines in the Bible. Turning him into just one of many tanks takes away any specialness of the victory. Second, it seems rather absurd that a country as seemingly advanced as Gilboa is shown to be would not have any armor of their own and would be facing a tank battalion with only infantry. Any country that has an army of any consequence has some armor to put into the field, outclassed as it may be.
David – In the show, David is given the name of David Shepherd and is shown to live on a farm with an aptitude for fixing things. David’s father was Jesse, but in the show, they switched this around a bit by having David’s father be killed in a previous war and making his mother’s name Jessie. He is shown being an adept piano player rather than a harp player as in the Bible. At the beginning of the show, David is shown fixing the car of the Reverend Samuels, who then anoints David in a very subtle way.
Samuel – Samuel was the priest who led Israel prior to Saul becoming king. He anointed Saul and later David as kings of Israel. Saul’s great undoing was to summon Samuel’s spirit from the dead by using the power of the witch of Endor. Samuel then proclaimed that Saul would die in the upcoming battle. In the show, Samuel is shown as a late-forties black man, growing increasingly opposed to the king’s choices. He eventually rejects Silas as king, though he has yet shown that David will succeed Silas as king.
Michal – Michal was the second daughter of Saul. She was given to David in marriage as a reward for slaying Goliath and later helps him escape Saul’s plan to kill David. In the show, her name is given as Michelle and she is shown as the only daughter of Silas. She is not given as a reward per say, though David is rewarded by being allowed to dance with her during the banquet held in his honor. David and Michelle are shown to develop something of a romance later in the episode.
Abner – Abner is shown as the head military commander and (it seems) head of the secret service (including assassinations). In the Bible, Abner was Saul’s principle commander and supported his one surviving son (Ish-Bosheth) against David for king until Ish-Bosheth insulted Abner. Abner defected to David but was murdered by David’s commander Joab.
Probably the two biggest deviations in the show from the Bible are Silas’ son Jack and the elevation of the Queen and her family. Saul had four sons and his eldest, Jonathan, was David’s closest friend, even thwarting his father to protect David’s life. In the show, Silas is only given one (legitimate) son and he is shown to be a drunken playboy, despised by his father because of his homosexual tendencies.
The use of the Queen and her brother are the other interesting twist. In the Bible, Saul is anointed by God and that is enough. In the show, Silas divorced his wife and married the sister of the wealthiest man in the country. This family of bankers provides the gold necessary to keep economic stability which allows Silas to sieze the monarchy. Essentially, they give a twist on the conspiracy theory of the cabal of global bankers who manipulate the global economy to ensure that modern leaders do as they please. The pilot episode ended with the brother-in-law withdrawing gold from the treasury and then offering the kingdom to Silas’ son Jack (his nephew).
I look forward to seeing how they do things in the remaining episodes. NBC went out on a limb and seems to have committed to a full 13-episode season. Initial ratings were low enough that I expect that the show will not be renewed for a second season. I suspect that they will burn through the rest of Silas’ kingship and the show will end with David being proclaimed king while Jack is proclaimed king-in-exile and civil war looming between the two sides. If a second season were to ever emerge, it would probably cover the civil war and David’s conquests to stabilize the region. I would be curious to see how they would treat the conquest of Jerusalem or if that would be a part left on the cutting room floor. Given that there probably won’t be a second season, that’s a moot point anyway.
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Game of Kings
Chess is not a noble sport. When you play chess, your object is to crush the opponent's mind. In today's world, a man's mind is his most precious commodity. Proving to your opponent that his most precious commodity is useless can be devastating for him.
-Unknown
-Unknown
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Legal Implications of Marriage
California Attorney General Jerry Brown is submitting a referendum to eliminate the state government's recognition of marriage and reclassify unions as "domestic-partner contracts."
Essentially, this is a way to try and get around the nastiness that has been brought up by Prop 8. From a Libertarian stand point (and to a degree from a small government standpoint) I can appreciate the merits of this idea. I wonder however what this will mean in terms of other laws usually tied to marriage (domestic violence, child support, alimony, community property, etc.)? Will all these laws have to be re-written and will the state of California still have to issue licences codifying the domestic partner contract (giving the anti-homosexual marriage side another point of attack)?
One of the main reasons the DOMA was opposed a little heavier in Ohio rather than other places was because it opened loopholes for domestic violence perpetrators to avoid being charged with the more severe options if they committed their abuse on a partner outside the traditional marriage construct. I am curious as to what kind of loopholes and other problems would be created by California actually enacting this referendum.
Of course it may not pass, but it does give one a forum to conduct a legal analysis of the various pros and cons of the possibility. I look forward to Mrs. X's take on the potential ramifications (at least if this were attempted in Ohio).
Essentially, this is a way to try and get around the nastiness that has been brought up by Prop 8. From a Libertarian stand point (and to a degree from a small government standpoint) I can appreciate the merits of this idea. I wonder however what this will mean in terms of other laws usually tied to marriage (domestic violence, child support, alimony, community property, etc.)? Will all these laws have to be re-written and will the state of California still have to issue licences codifying the domestic partner contract (giving the anti-homosexual marriage side another point of attack)?
One of the main reasons the DOMA was opposed a little heavier in Ohio rather than other places was because it opened loopholes for domestic violence perpetrators to avoid being charged with the more severe options if they committed their abuse on a partner outside the traditional marriage construct. I am curious as to what kind of loopholes and other problems would be created by California actually enacting this referendum.
Of course it may not pass, but it does give one a forum to conduct a legal analysis of the various pros and cons of the possibility. I look forward to Mrs. X's take on the potential ramifications (at least if this were attempted in Ohio).
Monday, March 02, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
God is Watching
The Helix Nebula (nicknamed "The Eye of God") located in the constellation Aquarius.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Coming Refund Adjustment
Ahhh, nice to know why prices of consumable goods and gas will be jacked through the roof in 2011.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Dark Knight of Oscars
Mrs. X and I sort of watched the Oscars last night. I say sort of, because we turned it off about halfway through and the first half, she was working on stuff on the computer and I was working on the taxes, so it was more background noise at many points.
Still, we did see some of the more interesting points. Honestly, we were really only interested in seeing if Heath Ledger would win for the Joker. I seem to be a real late comer to this party and I still stand by my original statement that as good as his performance was, I don’t think he would have actually won the award had he not died. Nothing against the performance but it has more to do with the Academy’s view of the superhero genre: these types of movies are allowed to win technical awards, but to treat them on the same level as the arthouse fare that generally wins would be beneath one’s dignity. Now, I must say that I haven’t seen any of the other performances, but my gut tells me that if Ledger had not died, the award may well have gone to Josh Brolin given how his performance in Milk was talked up at various points. But that is just my opinion.
Now, while I’m on the subject, I actually watched The Dark Knight for the first time on Friday. It was okay but in my opinion it was not the tour-de-force that many people seemed to make it out to be. It had great promise to start out. Unlike your traditional comic book movie, DK seemed to be trying to get back to its detective roots and not just make Batman some guy who beats up other people with neat gadgets for two hours. Even the introduction of the Joker with no worries about his backstory but just as a new player on the scene felt more authentic.
However, the movie tried to do too much. The introduction of Two-Face didn’t help and detracted from the confrontation with the Joker at the end of the movie. In fact, trying to maintain Harvey Dent’s profile and push the love triangle made the rest of the movie feel rushed. There should have been a lot less of this aspect and more savoring of reign of terror unleashed by the Joker. In many ways, this movie would have been well served to have been expanded into an HBO type miniseries. This format would have given a lot more time to appreciate some of the nuances of the overarching story.
There was only one other little aspect of the movie that I didn’t like and that was the whole “man is a noble creature” aspect that came up when the two ferries refused to blow each other up. I have a hard time believing that in the face of terror and death not a single person would give in and panic. Usually it only takes one person to start a panic and in that panic, someone would have detonated the bomb on the other boat. Perhaps I’m just overly cynical, but I’m still more inclined toward Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K outlook that while a single person may be intelligent and well-grounded, people as a whole are panicky, fearful, and irrational. It’s one of the reasons that the ship sinking scenes in Titanic are so believable: it shows how people will act in a true crisis. But that is a small nitpick in an otherwise acceptable movie.
Getting back to the Oscars, I believe Mrs. X has already put Slumdog Millionaire on our Netflix queue. It seems like it is a good movie and it would be the first Best Picture winner that I’m interested in seeing since Return of the King. I don’t know if she plans on putting any of the other nominees on the queue. I don’t really have an opinion of the rest and I’m not going to put any effort into seeing them, but I’m not going to say that I won’t watch them.
And at least, most of the political rhetoric was limited to Sean Penn and I had long since gone to bed by that point. Score one for me.
Still, we did see some of the more interesting points. Honestly, we were really only interested in seeing if Heath Ledger would win for the Joker. I seem to be a real late comer to this party and I still stand by my original statement that as good as his performance was, I don’t think he would have actually won the award had he not died. Nothing against the performance but it has more to do with the Academy’s view of the superhero genre: these types of movies are allowed to win technical awards, but to treat them on the same level as the arthouse fare that generally wins would be beneath one’s dignity. Now, I must say that I haven’t seen any of the other performances, but my gut tells me that if Ledger had not died, the award may well have gone to Josh Brolin given how his performance in Milk was talked up at various points. But that is just my opinion.
Now, while I’m on the subject, I actually watched The Dark Knight for the first time on Friday. It was okay but in my opinion it was not the tour-de-force that many people seemed to make it out to be. It had great promise to start out. Unlike your traditional comic book movie, DK seemed to be trying to get back to its detective roots and not just make Batman some guy who beats up other people with neat gadgets for two hours. Even the introduction of the Joker with no worries about his backstory but just as a new player on the scene felt more authentic.
However, the movie tried to do too much. The introduction of Two-Face didn’t help and detracted from the confrontation with the Joker at the end of the movie. In fact, trying to maintain Harvey Dent’s profile and push the love triangle made the rest of the movie feel rushed. There should have been a lot less of this aspect and more savoring of reign of terror unleashed by the Joker. In many ways, this movie would have been well served to have been expanded into an HBO type miniseries. This format would have given a lot more time to appreciate some of the nuances of the overarching story.
There was only one other little aspect of the movie that I didn’t like and that was the whole “man is a noble creature” aspect that came up when the two ferries refused to blow each other up. I have a hard time believing that in the face of terror and death not a single person would give in and panic. Usually it only takes one person to start a panic and in that panic, someone would have detonated the bomb on the other boat. Perhaps I’m just overly cynical, but I’m still more inclined toward Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K outlook that while a single person may be intelligent and well-grounded, people as a whole are panicky, fearful, and irrational. It’s one of the reasons that the ship sinking scenes in Titanic are so believable: it shows how people will act in a true crisis. But that is a small nitpick in an otherwise acceptable movie.
Getting back to the Oscars, I believe Mrs. X has already put Slumdog Millionaire on our Netflix queue. It seems like it is a good movie and it would be the first Best Picture winner that I’m interested in seeing since Return of the King. I don’t know if she plans on putting any of the other nominees on the queue. I don’t really have an opinion of the rest and I’m not going to put any effort into seeing them, but I’m not going to say that I won’t watch them.
And at least, most of the political rhetoric was limited to Sean Penn and I had long since gone to bed by that point. Score one for me.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Danger in the Air
Mr. Obama gave a speech on his mortgage plan at an advanced placement high school in Arizona yesterday.
One student watched the speech from his classroom on TV and said that he didn't agree with the way Mr. Obama was going about this. He also wore a T-shirt with Mr. Obama's picture on it with the phrase "Hitler gave good speeches too."
The crowd is starting to get a little testy.
One student watched the speech from his classroom on TV and said that he didn't agree with the way Mr. Obama was going about this. He also wore a T-shirt with Mr. Obama's picture on it with the phrase "Hitler gave good speeches too."
The crowd is starting to get a little testy.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Work Intellegence
I keep a Bible at my desk to remind me a few things about work now and again:
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own 0pinions.
Proverbs 17:28, 18:2
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own 0pinions.
Proverbs 17:28, 18:2
Monday, February 16, 2009
Fuzzy Molech
Pioneers of Tomorrow gained fame with their theft of Mickey Mouse to create Farfour the Mouse. Typically, Farfour created more stir because of the theft of intellectual property rather than the death and hate that he spewed. Hamas turned this into an opportunity by having Farfour killed by Jewish settlers.
He was then replaced by Nahoul the Bee. Nahoul died due to the Jewish "blockade" denying him medicines. Then came Assud the Rabbit who actually spoke of eating Jewish flesh. Assud was killed during Operation: Cast Lead.
The latest iteration of the Hamas cute character of death is Nassur the Bear. Feel the hate.
He was then replaced by Nahoul the Bee. Nahoul died due to the Jewish "blockade" denying him medicines. Then came Assud the Rabbit who actually spoke of eating Jewish flesh. Assud was killed during Operation: Cast Lead.
The latest iteration of the Hamas cute character of death is Nassur the Bear. Feel the hate.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A Long Way from Schindler
I was reading an article and in the comments someone posted some interesting comments regarding The Reader. This comes up as both the movie and Kate Winslet have been nominated for Oscars, with Winslet being favored to win Best Actress.
The plot involves the main character having to deal with his feelings upon finding out that a woman (Winslet) who cared for him as a teenager (and with whom he had a sexual relationship) did a lot of terrible things while working for the Nazis. That in itself isn't bad and makes for good drama. However, the commenter pointed out that Winslet's character is portrayed in a very sympathetic light and he felt that the director was working hard to make you feel sorry for her in the fact that she can't read, which drives a portion of the story.
What irritated him though was the fact that this character was treated in this light and the fact that she is technically a pedophile and that while working for the Nazi's she sent hundreds of people to be gassed is rather glossed over. To give it a contrast, in Schindler's List Amon Göth is never given a sympathetic moment. He is given a moment to repent of his crimes (though he declines it), but even with that we are never put in to a position where we it is suggested that we feel sorry that he is an alcoholic psychopath.
I would like to believe that Hollywood would never get to the point where they put out a movie suggesting that the Jews deserved what happened to them. However, as the survivors and perpetrators of the Holocaust die off, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot more of this nuanced storytelling where characters previously portrayed as evil are given a more sympathetic light.
The plot involves the main character having to deal with his feelings upon finding out that a woman (Winslet) who cared for him as a teenager (and with whom he had a sexual relationship) did a lot of terrible things while working for the Nazis. That in itself isn't bad and makes for good drama. However, the commenter pointed out that Winslet's character is portrayed in a very sympathetic light and he felt that the director was working hard to make you feel sorry for her in the fact that she can't read, which drives a portion of the story.
What irritated him though was the fact that this character was treated in this light and the fact that she is technically a pedophile and that while working for the Nazi's she sent hundreds of people to be gassed is rather glossed over. To give it a contrast, in Schindler's List Amon Göth is never given a sympathetic moment. He is given a moment to repent of his crimes (though he declines it), but even with that we are never put in to a position where we it is suggested that we feel sorry that he is an alcoholic psychopath.
I would like to believe that Hollywood would never get to the point where they put out a movie suggesting that the Jews deserved what happened to them. However, as the survivors and perpetrators of the Holocaust die off, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot more of this nuanced storytelling where characters previously portrayed as evil are given a more sympathetic light.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Israeli Follow-up
With 99% of the vote counted, Kadima has about a 30,000 vote lead, which equates to a one-seat victory over Likud (28-27). However, the soldier vote has not been counted yet so that could narrow Kadima's lead to the point that Likud could pull into a tie.
Either way, it's pretty much certain that the right-wing parties beat out the left-wing parties by about 10 seats. This means that even though Kadima might have the largest single bloc, a majority of the Knesset will recommend to Shimon Peres (President of the Knesset) that Likud be given the first opportunity to form the government. Likud will probably not be able to do that unless it pulls in at least one left party and Kadima would be the most logical choice. However, if Likud can get Shas (11) and Israel, Our Home (14) to play ball, they could pull Labor (13) into the government to make up the difference.
There will be some gymnastics yet to come.
Either way, it's pretty much certain that the right-wing parties beat out the left-wing parties by about 10 seats. This means that even though Kadima might have the largest single bloc, a majority of the Knesset will recommend to Shimon Peres (President of the Knesset) that Likud be given the first opportunity to form the government. Likud will probably not be able to do that unless it pulls in at least one left party and Kadima would be the most logical choice. However, if Likud can get Shas (11) and Israel, Our Home (14) to play ball, they could pull Labor (13) into the government to make up the difference.
There will be some gymnastics yet to come.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Election Day
- in Israel.
At the time of this post, it's about 7 PM. Israeli polls close at 10 PM, although they may stay open a little later due to some severe storms that have rolled through during the day. Overall turnout is estimated to be around 70-75%.
Word has it that Likud and Kadima are running neck and neck with several of the smaller right-wing partys picking up seats, especially at the expense of the Arab parties. I'll try and update again when I can see some exit polling data (should be around 3 PM EST).
UPDATE:
Exit polls indicate that Kadima leads Likud by 2 seats, but that right-wing parties in general beat the left 65-55. Full results will probably not be available until the wee hours, Israel time. Early talk is about a possible National Unity government. We'll see when we have full results tomorrow.
At the time of this post, it's about 7 PM. Israeli polls close at 10 PM, although they may stay open a little later due to some severe storms that have rolled through during the day. Overall turnout is estimated to be around 70-75%.
Word has it that Likud and Kadima are running neck and neck with several of the smaller right-wing partys picking up seats, especially at the expense of the Arab parties. I'll try and update again when I can see some exit polling data (should be around 3 PM EST).
UPDATE:
Exit polls indicate that Kadima leads Likud by 2 seats, but that right-wing parties in general beat the left 65-55. Full results will probably not be available until the wee hours, Israel time. Early talk is about a possible National Unity government. We'll see when we have full results tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Presidential Trivia
I know it's way too early to discuss Mr. Obama's reelection, but I saw a very interesting bit of trivia as it relates to his potential situation.
In the 220 years of the presidency, only once have we had three two-term presidents serve in a row: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. So if Mr. Obama wins reelection in 2012, he can set another bit of history.
In the 220 years of the presidency, only once have we had three two-term presidents serve in a row: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. So if Mr. Obama wins reelection in 2012, he can set another bit of history.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Paging Mr. Gore
It would appear that I will be shovelling more Global Warming off the driveway in the near future. Not only did Phil (and Chuck) see their shadows, but volcanoes in Alaska and Japan are currently expelling ash and sulphur-dioxide into the air. This will further screen out heat from the sun and drop us down a degree or two over the next few months.
Gonna be cold for a bit yet.
Gonna be cold for a bit yet.
Meh
I’ve seen a couple of reviews trying to describe this as the best Super Bowl ever. In that, they are woefully mistaken. The 100-yard touchdown return was interesting, mostly for the incompetence that the Cardinals showed in their ability to knock Harrison even out of bounds and going to the locker room down 10-7. But the rest of the game stank until the fourth quarter. Usually there is some ebb and flow in a good game. This game was all one-sided with no rhythm until the tail end of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter. Then it got good.
I don’t like the Steelers and I can’t say that I’m happy that they won, but unlike three years ago, there is no question that they won this game straight up. I still don’t think they should have won Super Bowl XL but that’s the past. In this one, they legitimately earned everything and there were no phantom penalties on the last drive to aid them. The only penalty that I saw that I disagreed with was the roughing the passer penalty that was called mid-way through the third quarter on Arizona. Even then, some might argue that the defender shouldn’t have shoved Roethlesburger with a blow in the back like he did. It’s quarterbacks in dresses to me, but we’ve seen it before at least. But the Steelers won this one fair and square.
Now to the ads. I think I’ve mentioned every year how the ads don’t live up to expectations and seem to get worse every year. This year seemed particularly bad. The highest rated ads as I heard them coming in were the two Doritos ads, two of the Budweiser Clydesdales ads (lovers and stick retrieval), and something else, perhaps one of the talking baby ads. Of all of these, only the Doritos crystal ball ad was any good and even that only because of the hitting the boss in the stomach at the end. Budweiser shot complete blanks this year in my opinion.
Mrs. X liked the Bob Dylan Pepsi ad, but she has a great affinity for the song they used. I don’t and thought the ad was a little dry. It was better than a lot of the other ads, but I can’t say that it was particularly entertaining for me either. For me personally, the only two ads that I liked were the Potato Head Bridgestone ad and the Career Builder ad, though I would qualify that the Career Builder ad went on a little long, losing a little power of the joke.
So it was thoroughly Meh Super Bowl, made even more meh by the fact that Toddler X chose this night to throw a total temper tantrum by refusing to put her toys away and then getting even madder when we meted out punishment in the form of no bedtime story or songs. We did get her calmed down eventually and she went to sleep almost instantly, but it made for an unhappy bedtime. Hopefully tonight will be a little better.
I don’t like the Steelers and I can’t say that I’m happy that they won, but unlike three years ago, there is no question that they won this game straight up. I still don’t think they should have won Super Bowl XL but that’s the past. In this one, they legitimately earned everything and there were no phantom penalties on the last drive to aid them. The only penalty that I saw that I disagreed with was the roughing the passer penalty that was called mid-way through the third quarter on Arizona. Even then, some might argue that the defender shouldn’t have shoved Roethlesburger with a blow in the back like he did. It’s quarterbacks in dresses to me, but we’ve seen it before at least. But the Steelers won this one fair and square.
Now to the ads. I think I’ve mentioned every year how the ads don’t live up to expectations and seem to get worse every year. This year seemed particularly bad. The highest rated ads as I heard them coming in were the two Doritos ads, two of the Budweiser Clydesdales ads (lovers and stick retrieval), and something else, perhaps one of the talking baby ads. Of all of these, only the Doritos crystal ball ad was any good and even that only because of the hitting the boss in the stomach at the end. Budweiser shot complete blanks this year in my opinion.
Mrs. X liked the Bob Dylan Pepsi ad, but she has a great affinity for the song they used. I don’t and thought the ad was a little dry. It was better than a lot of the other ads, but I can’t say that it was particularly entertaining for me either. For me personally, the only two ads that I liked were the Potato Head Bridgestone ad and the Career Builder ad, though I would qualify that the Career Builder ad went on a little long, losing a little power of the joke.
So it was thoroughly Meh Super Bowl, made even more meh by the fact that Toddler X chose this night to throw a total temper tantrum by refusing to put her toys away and then getting even madder when we meted out punishment in the form of no bedtime story or songs. We did get her calmed down eventually and she went to sleep almost instantly, but it made for an unhappy bedtime. Hopefully tonight will be a little better.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Travels with Desmond
Want something to make your head hurt? Try this:
Mrs. X and I have been big fans of Lost since the beginning. At the moment, the storyline is engrossed in a big time travel arc. The particular theory of time travel that the producers seem to have embraced is one that this sometimes called the Flowing Forward model. In this theory, time is completely set and if a person travels to the past, they cannot change anything because the point at which they came from has already been influenced by their decision to go into the past.
As an example, let’s say tomorrow I gained the power to travel into the past and decide to try and stop the murder of Abraham Lincoln. No matter what I did, I would be unable to stop the murder because even though I haven’t travelled back yet, all the actions I have taken already exist in the past. Time has recorded my future decision to travel back and the past is set with the actions I have performed, even though it’s my future self doing those things.
On Lost, this is shown and done well, although the matter of Desmond needs some additional explaining. Unlike the rest of the Losties, Desmond has not bodily travelled in time, only his consciousness. In his first trip back, Desmond tried to change things in the past, but he was thwarted by universal correction and instructed in this by a character known as Ms. Hawking. In his second trip, Desmond’s mind goes back to 1996 where he meets Daniel Faraday and get’s some help in managing his shifting consciousness.
A question that has popped up among viewers is that given that the past is set, why doesn’t Desmond recognize Faraday either when he comes out of the Swan station or when he comes to the helicopter for the first time if he had lengthy conversations with him in 1996? I’ll warn you that this is where your brain will hurt.
Even though Desmond did all these things in the 1990’s, they were overseen by his 2004 consciousness. Effectively his 1990’s mind was turned off during these periods, and his 2004 mind was running his 1990’s body. We know these events actually happened in the past and that Desmond is not changing anything because Faraday remembers all of this and has written it down. He knows how to react in every situation and can give Desmond proper instructions and uses Desmond’s information to help his own research.
Now, Desmond’s 1990’s mind cannot process the invasion of his future mind. Some of these periods might simply remain as blanks in his memory, but, and especially in the first instance of time travel, Desmond’s mind crafted events in a way that did not involve his future consciousness. For example, when Desmond goes to buy an engagement ring for Penny, rather than process the fact that Mrs. Hawking tells him that he doesn’t buy it and ends up going to the island, Desmond’s 1990’s mind justifies things by accepting the suggestion that he simply chickens out. Essentially, Desmond is creating a false memory to preserve his sanity. He is not changing the past when his 2004 mind intrudes, he is simply breaking the false memory his 1990’s mind created to protect itself. Does your head hurt yet?
The violent nature of Desmond’s swings in his second time travel trip would suggest that the entire trip to Oxford and his conversation with Penny would not have been recorded at all. Unlike the first trip, which was a gentle overriding of several days of memory, Desmond’s consciousness was ripped back and forth. To preserve itself, Desmond’s 1996 mind completely shut down and could not even record passively. This is demonstrated in the fact that when Desmond’s mind went back to his 2004 self, his 1996 body simply turned off and he passed out. Think of it like The Matrix when several people died because their minds were disconnected from their bodies by being left in the matrix. Desmond doesn’t die because a channel is still open, but the stress of the jumps would have eventually destroyed his 2004 body unless he could anchor himself (hence the need for a constant). Once the jumps were over, Desmond’s 1996 mind would have uncocooned itself and his entire leave would have just been a blank spot. This could have been justified by assuming that he had been drinking heavily or done something else to wipe himself out, again creating a false memory to justify the blank spot.
So, in a nutshell, Desmond is not changing the past. The past is what it is. The only thing Desmond is changing is his own false assumptions about what happened in the past. I think that is enough brain stress for one day.
Mrs. X and I have been big fans of Lost since the beginning. At the moment, the storyline is engrossed in a big time travel arc. The particular theory of time travel that the producers seem to have embraced is one that this sometimes called the Flowing Forward model. In this theory, time is completely set and if a person travels to the past, they cannot change anything because the point at which they came from has already been influenced by their decision to go into the past.
As an example, let’s say tomorrow I gained the power to travel into the past and decide to try and stop the murder of Abraham Lincoln. No matter what I did, I would be unable to stop the murder because even though I haven’t travelled back yet, all the actions I have taken already exist in the past. Time has recorded my future decision to travel back and the past is set with the actions I have performed, even though it’s my future self doing those things.
On Lost, this is shown and done well, although the matter of Desmond needs some additional explaining. Unlike the rest of the Losties, Desmond has not bodily travelled in time, only his consciousness. In his first trip back, Desmond tried to change things in the past, but he was thwarted by universal correction and instructed in this by a character known as Ms. Hawking. In his second trip, Desmond’s mind goes back to 1996 where he meets Daniel Faraday and get’s some help in managing his shifting consciousness.
A question that has popped up among viewers is that given that the past is set, why doesn’t Desmond recognize Faraday either when he comes out of the Swan station or when he comes to the helicopter for the first time if he had lengthy conversations with him in 1996? I’ll warn you that this is where your brain will hurt.
Even though Desmond did all these things in the 1990’s, they were overseen by his 2004 consciousness. Effectively his 1990’s mind was turned off during these periods, and his 2004 mind was running his 1990’s body. We know these events actually happened in the past and that Desmond is not changing anything because Faraday remembers all of this and has written it down. He knows how to react in every situation and can give Desmond proper instructions and uses Desmond’s information to help his own research.
Now, Desmond’s 1990’s mind cannot process the invasion of his future mind. Some of these periods might simply remain as blanks in his memory, but, and especially in the first instance of time travel, Desmond’s mind crafted events in a way that did not involve his future consciousness. For example, when Desmond goes to buy an engagement ring for Penny, rather than process the fact that Mrs. Hawking tells him that he doesn’t buy it and ends up going to the island, Desmond’s 1990’s mind justifies things by accepting the suggestion that he simply chickens out. Essentially, Desmond is creating a false memory to preserve his sanity. He is not changing the past when his 2004 mind intrudes, he is simply breaking the false memory his 1990’s mind created to protect itself. Does your head hurt yet?
The violent nature of Desmond’s swings in his second time travel trip would suggest that the entire trip to Oxford and his conversation with Penny would not have been recorded at all. Unlike the first trip, which was a gentle overriding of several days of memory, Desmond’s consciousness was ripped back and forth. To preserve itself, Desmond’s 1996 mind completely shut down and could not even record passively. This is demonstrated in the fact that when Desmond’s mind went back to his 2004 self, his 1996 body simply turned off and he passed out. Think of it like The Matrix when several people died because their minds were disconnected from their bodies by being left in the matrix. Desmond doesn’t die because a channel is still open, but the stress of the jumps would have eventually destroyed his 2004 body unless he could anchor himself (hence the need for a constant). Once the jumps were over, Desmond’s 1996 mind would have uncocooned itself and his entire leave would have just been a blank spot. This could have been justified by assuming that he had been drinking heavily or done something else to wipe himself out, again creating a false memory to justify the blank spot.
So, in a nutshell, Desmond is not changing the past. The past is what it is. The only thing Desmond is changing is his own false assumptions about what happened in the past. I think that is enough brain stress for one day.
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