It has become way to common for me to be reading a story online, and I find myself dumbfounded that what I'm reading is a news story and not some crazy dystopian science fiction tale.
Fresh off Bush's signing of a directive that would give him nearly unlimited powers in the case of a "catastrophic emergency," it has been announced that the Department of Homeland Security has contracted Halliburton's former engineering division to construct detention facilities inside the United States in case of a national emergency. The purpose of the these camps would be to house civilians in the case of a massive terrorist attack or natural disaster. Apparently the official excuse to build these camps is blame illegal immigrants: ' "The idea of the KBR contract is to support the Army Corp of Engineers in case we experienced a sudden mass immigration and we had to respond quickly," she said. "We would need immediate detention facilities in the form of temporary housing that would enable us to determine if the large numbers of illegal immigrants were political or economically motivated, or if they were criminals or terrorists." ' Once again, my information is from a conservative source, not a liberal one.
Have "illegal immigrants" become our nations' Jews? They seem to be a popular scapegoat right now. My guess is that these new concentration camps (that's exactly what they sound like) would make a perfect place to stick any dissenters that they round up once we experience some kind of terrorist attack (one either created by the powers that be or one that they have foreknowledge about and allow to happen) and the powers of that new presidential directive are enacted.
I hope I'm wrong. I pray I'm being paranoid. This all sounds absurd, but each day there is more and more evidence that makes the absurd seem believable.
edit: From some other things I've read, I'm not sure that this is actually a brand new development, but even if the contract is a few months old, its no less alarming.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
a long time ago...
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Star Wars in theaters. Craig and I plan on watching all three original movies today. At least that's what we said yesterday. To celebrate, here are a bunch of Star Wars related links:
- Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope - Wikipedia's featured article for today.
- Wookiepedia - Just what it sounds like: a Star Wars wiki.
- Wired's Star Wars blowout - Wired's site has gone Star Wars crazy.
- Make-it-yourself Star Wars
- Star Wars actors: Then and Now
- Star Wars at 30
Thursday, May 24, 2007
breaking young girls' hearts
For me, Chris Cornell is one of those artists that I would really like to see succeed. Don't get me wrong, obviously the guy has had enormous success over the years--seeing as he was in the of the biggest bands of the early nineties--but it has been obvious that things have been a little rocky for Chris since the demise of Soundgarden. The first Audioslave album was enjoyable, but it seems that Cornell reached his artistic peak with Soundgarden and his Euphoria Morning album, and his career has been circling the drain ever since.
I'd really hoped Carry On would be a good album, just like I hope the new Smashing Pumpkins album will be good. As a fan I want the albums to be good because I want to hear more quality music, but I also hate to see artists I enjoy become washed up and uninspired. But Carry On shows few moments of inspiration. The cover of "Billie Jean" really isn't that bad, and the decent Casino Royale theme song is on the album too. I guess it's not any worse than I assumed it probably would be. Not terrible, just bland. Still can't wait to see him in concert, though.
Speaking of the Pumpkins, I was very happily surprised with how much I like "Tarantula," the first single for Zeitgeist. There may be hope yet. And I really can't wait for that concert.
I'd really hoped Carry On would be a good album, just like I hope the new Smashing Pumpkins album will be good. As a fan I want the albums to be good because I want to hear more quality music, but I also hate to see artists I enjoy become washed up and uninspired. But Carry On shows few moments of inspiration. The cover of "Billie Jean" really isn't that bad, and the decent Casino Royale theme song is on the album too. I guess it's not any worse than I assumed it probably would be. Not terrible, just bland. Still can't wait to see him in concert, though.
Speaking of the Pumpkins, I was very happily surprised with how much I like "Tarantula," the first single for Zeitgeist. There may be hope yet. And I really can't wait for that concert.
with a capital g
I can't begin to express my horror at a recent, relatively unmentioned, bit of political news from this past week: Bush signed a directive giving the presidential office the ability to control all actions of the federal government in the event of a national crisis-"any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions." The directive appears to grant the president full powers without any congressional oversight. In other words, goodbye checks and balances.
Am I dreaming? Is this the newest Star Wars trilogy, with Senator Palpatine carefully plotting and manipulating his way towards galactic domination? This is complete lunacy! The entire Constitutional basis for our democratic republic has just been flushed down the drain. Our founding fathers probably aren't just rolling in their graves; I'll bet they're rising from the graves to escape to Canada or back to England.
I've said before that, despite his unapologetic tramping of civil rights, I believe Bush has still had the best interests of the country in mind. He's just been misguided in how he goes about it. From here on out, I'm throwing that opinion out the window. There is no reason anyone can give me that would justify such a move as this. Maybe Bush decided that eight years won't been enough and he'd like to keep his position. In my mind, the only explanation is pure greed, plain and simple.
If you want to dismiss this all as a bunch of liberal hyperbole, check out this summary of the story, from a conservative news source. See how much it resembles this liberal source.
To stick with the Star Wars theme: I have a bad feeling about this.
Am I dreaming? Is this the newest Star Wars trilogy, with Senator Palpatine carefully plotting and manipulating his way towards galactic domination? This is complete lunacy! The entire Constitutional basis for our democratic republic has just been flushed down the drain. Our founding fathers probably aren't just rolling in their graves; I'll bet they're rising from the graves to escape to Canada or back to England.
I've said before that, despite his unapologetic tramping of civil rights, I believe Bush has still had the best interests of the country in mind. He's just been misguided in how he goes about it. From here on out, I'm throwing that opinion out the window. There is no reason anyone can give me that would justify such a move as this. Maybe Bush decided that eight years won't been enough and he'd like to keep his position. In my mind, the only explanation is pure greed, plain and simple.
If you want to dismiss this all as a bunch of liberal hyperbole, check out this summary of the story, from a conservative news source. See how much it resembles this liberal source.
To stick with the Star Wars theme: I have a bad feeling about this.
Monday, May 21, 2007
it took you to make me realize
This must be a joke... Chris Henry tested positive for opiates and will spend 88 days in jail?! I'm speechless. He's done. Wow... are there really people in the world this stupid? Maybe we should require a license to procreate, because people like him clearly shouldn't be allowed to spawn offspring. Part of me always wanted to defend him because of how much he brought to the offense, but at this point I can finally agree that I want him gone for good so we can move on.
Edit: Thankfully it seems that Henry did not fail his test after all. Someone should reprimand those prosecutors for jumping the gun on that one.
Edit: Thankfully it seems that Henry did not fail his test after all. Someone should reprimand those prosecutors for jumping the gun on that one.
Friday, May 18, 2007
only love can break your heart
Pat Buchanan wrote a fantastic article about Ron Paul, defending comments the Republican presidential hopeful made in the recent Columbia debate regarding the reason we were attacked on 9/11. When Paul suggested that terrorists' hatred of the United States was driven by past U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Rudy Giuliani flew into a rage, trying to claim that Paul was unpatriotic for suggesting such a thing. Giuliani tried to completely warp Paul's comments into making it sound like Paul was blaming the U.S. for the attacks, which isn't the case at all. Paul was simply saying that actions like stationing troops in Saudi Arabia or sanctioning the Iraqi people created animosity towards to U.S. from the Arab world. That's just a fact. That in no way condones or rationalizes what the terrorists what the terrorists did. I get mad when someone cuts me off in traffic. The fact that he did something to anger me doesn't mean it is justified, or is his fault, if I follow him home and burn down his house for it (maybe that's a poor analogy, but that's all I can come up with on such little sleep).
I still think Ron Paul looks the best out of the Republican candidates, but I really don't see him getting the nomination with the way the news media, especially on television, is trying to ignore him and only focus on Giuliani and McCain.
I still think Ron Paul looks the best out of the Republican candidates, but I really don't see him getting the nomination with the way the news media, especially on television, is trying to ignore him and only focus on Giuliani and McCain.
breathe us in slowly
There's been something of an uproar created by Trent Reznor's recent post on nin.com in which he slams his record label for ripping off his fans:
This outburst has since been reported by a number of different news sites, including a decent article from Rolling Stone. He's also recently stated that he only has one or two more albums left on his current contract before it is fulfilled that will leave him free to do all kinds of things that his label is too short-sighted to do (live soundboard recordings of each live show on a tour being on possible example). I think it's fantastic to see him taking on the current climate of stupidity that surrounds record labels. He's absolute right about "self-inflicted" wounds, as the RIAA's strategy of aggressive lawsuits has done nothing but alienate consumers as sales continue to fall. Of course, the large number of absolutely horrible bands out now probably has something to do with that.
Posted on [05_13_2007]
As the climate grows more and more desperate for record labels, their answer to their mostly self-inflicted wounds seems to be to screw the consumer over even more. A couple of examples that quickly come to mind:
* The ABSURD retail pricing of Year Zero in Australia. Shame on you, UMG. Year Zero is selling for $34.99 Australian dollars ($29.10 US). No wonder people steal music. Avril Lavigne's record in the same store was $21.99 ($18.21 US).
By the way, when I asked a label rep about this his response was: "It's because we know you have a real core audience that will pay whatever it costs when you put something out - you know, true fans. It's the pop stuff we have to discount to get people to buy."
So... I guess as a reward for being a "true fan" you get ripped off.
* The dreaded EURO Maxi-single. Nothing but a consumer rip-off that I've been talked into my whole career. No more.
The point is, I am trying my best to make sure the music and items NIN puts in the marketplace have value, substance and are worth you considering purchasing. I am not allowing Capital G to be repackaged into several configurations that result in you getting ripped off.
We are planning a full-length remix collection of substance that will be announced soon.
This outburst has since been reported by a number of different news sites, including a decent article from Rolling Stone. He's also recently stated that he only has one or two more albums left on his current contract before it is fulfilled that will leave him free to do all kinds of things that his label is too short-sighted to do (live soundboard recordings of each live show on a tour being on possible example). I think it's fantastic to see him taking on the current climate of stupidity that surrounds record labels. He's absolute right about "self-inflicted" wounds, as the RIAA's strategy of aggressive lawsuits has done nothing but alienate consumers as sales continue to fall. Of course, the large number of absolutely horrible bands out now probably has something to do with that.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
it's what you wanted to see
THE SMASHING PUMPKINS CONFIRM TWO RESIDENCY STANDS:
NINE SHOWS AT ASHEVILLE, NC’S ORANGE PEEL JUNE 23-JULY 5
AND EIGHT SHOWS AT THE FILLMORE IN SAN FRANCISCO JULY 22-AUGUST 1
As they get ready to release ZEITGEIST--their sixth album and first of new material since 2000--THE SMASHING PUMPKINS have announced two sets of residency gigs: nine unprecedented shows at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC (June 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30 and July 2, 3, and 5) plus eight shows at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco (July 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30 and 31 and August 1).
At these very special and intimate residencies, the band will vary set lists from night to night. They’ll perform songs from Zeitgeist and Pumpkins classics plus retool songs that didn’t make it onto Zeitgeist and even offer tunes written the day of the show. The shows will give fans a unique opportunity to see the Pumpkins inside the process of creation and operating in the spur of the moment. The band will be taking chances in the hope of taking fans, and their music, to new places.
The eight concerts in San Francisco mark the first time the band has returned to The Fillmore since April of 1994 when they were invited to be the band to re-open the historic venue. The Asheville shows mark the first time the Pumpkins will have played a residency since their four gigs at the Double Door in Chicago in 1994 before the release of Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. Fans attending the Fillmore and Orange Peel shows are invited to capture the concerts with audio and video recorders.
General admission tickets for these all-ages shows go on sale Sunday, May 20. The San Francisco tickets ($25.00 each) and will be available at 10:00 AM Pacific via www.ticketmaster.com and www.livenation.com. For the Asheville show, tickets ($20.00 each) will go on sale at 1:00 PM Eastern at www.theorangepeel.net or www.ticketweb.com.
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for both shows will be available through internet ONLY. Tickets will NOT be available at either box offices, charge-by-phone or ticket outlets. Two-ticket limit per person. Purchaser must pick up tickets at the box office night-of-show only. Ticket-holders must immediately enter the venue. Photo ID required for ticket pick-up. Tickets are non-transferable. No refunds or exchanges. A service charge is added to each ticket price.
Wow, $20 for a Pumpkins show. I Mapquested directions and a trip to Asheville, NC would only be about six hours. Austin said he's interested. Anyone else? Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 1pm. I ended up passing on the Tool show, so I'm pretty set on this.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
washed me so far away
The rumors online say that NBC has renewed Scrubs for a shorter, 18-episode 7th season. Awesomeness. The 6th season may have been a little sub-par compared to previous seasons, but it is still one of the best shows on television.
The Office has been great in its 3rd season; in fact, this may have been the best season yet. However, I'm getting really tired of Pam. She was cool in the first two seasons, but now she's just mopey and annoying. Obviously the writers wanted people to root for Pam and Jim to get together, but now they brought Karen into the mix, who ends up being a more likable character than Pam. I think the writers made a mistake by giving Jim such a likable girlfriend like Karen. If they wanted viewers to still cheer on Jim and Pam getting together, they shouldn't have made Karen such a nice person. They ended up making Karen too likable for their own good; I for one would like to just see Pam move on. However, I don't think that is going to happen.
Based on last week's episode (SPOILER WARNING for last week's show), my prediction is that Karen will get the job with corporate that Jim, Karen, and Michael are applying for, removing her from the picture. Although I doubt they would let Pam and Jim just get together without any more roadblocks; the ever-present love triangle is one of their biggest drama points. I, for one, enjoy the show more when they don't play up the romance drama, but I don't think a lot of the audience (at least, not the female portion of it) agrees. Pam was a fun character the first two seasons, so maybe she'll go back to that if Jim becomes available again. I also think there's a possibility that there might be a big surprise plot twist involving Michael and Jan. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Jan is pregnant, but that is a completely blind guess on my part, and I'm probably 100% wrong.
The Office has been great in its 3rd season; in fact, this may have been the best season yet. However, I'm getting really tired of Pam. She was cool in the first two seasons, but now she's just mopey and annoying. Obviously the writers wanted people to root for Pam and Jim to get together, but now they brought Karen into the mix, who ends up being a more likable character than Pam. I think the writers made a mistake by giving Jim such a likable girlfriend like Karen. If they wanted viewers to still cheer on Jim and Pam getting together, they shouldn't have made Karen such a nice person. They ended up making Karen too likable for their own good; I for one would like to just see Pam move on. However, I don't think that is going to happen.
Based on last week's episode (SPOILER WARNING for last week's show), my prediction is that Karen will get the job with corporate that Jim, Karen, and Michael are applying for, removing her from the picture. Although I doubt they would let Pam and Jim just get together without any more roadblocks; the ever-present love triangle is one of their biggest drama points. I, for one, enjoy the show more when they don't play up the romance drama, but I don't think a lot of the audience (at least, not the female portion of it) agrees. Pam was a fun character the first two seasons, so maybe she'll go back to that if Jim becomes available again. I also think there's a possibility that there might be a big surprise plot twist involving Michael and Jan. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Jan is pregnant, but that is a completely blind guess on my part, and I'm probably 100% wrong.
Friday, May 04, 2007
sure don't mind the change
The "experts" at CBS Sportsline are up to their predictably terrible ways again. This time they're not ripping on Cincinnati or the Bengals, but one writer posted an article about the upcoming De La Hoya vs. Mayweather boxing match this weekend, which is a thin veil used by the author to rant about how much he loathes "the worst league ever invented, the UFC." It's a fairly amusing to see him rant about the "UFC barbarians" and "the ignorance that is mixed martial arts" and then go on to display his own ignorance of the sport and it's rules. He uses all the typical clichéd criticisms of MMA by calling it "human cock fighting" and it's fighters "thugs and ruffians." I might get annoyed or offended by this ignorant rant if it wasn't so laughable when he claims that MMA fighters are nothing more than unskilled goons. I'd love to see this guy try and learn Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It's obvious that the author simply cannot handle that boxing is going the way of the dodo and would prefer to stick his head in the sand and convince himself that everything is alright.
Although it does pain me that that clown Doyle at CBS Sportsline is the one defending MMA.
Although it does pain me that that clown Doyle at CBS Sportsline is the one defending MMA.
the biggest fish out here
I never really got into Scrubs until this year, but it's become one of the few shows I watch regularly on TV. While this season hasn't been quite as good as the other ones- it has been a little too wacky at times, if that's possible for Scrubs- it is still one of the better shows on television. So I'm hoping the rumors of the show's demise at the end of this season won't come to fruition. ABC has stated they are interested in picking up the show if NBC drops it, but even they say that Zach Braff's asking price for a new season is too much.
Speaking of good shows, you should really check out Man Vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel if you haven't seen it. Bear Grylls might be the coolest person alive.
Speaking of good shows, you should really check out Man Vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel if you haven't seen it. Bear Grylls might be the coolest person alive.
standing in the sun i'm about to melt
I remember now why I rarely go to bed earlier than 1am; went to bed about 45 minutes early tonight, woke up at 3am, and I've been up since. Tried going back to sleep but my back kept hurting, so I decided I might as well just get up for now. I'm debating if I should try to go back to sleep or just sleep after class tomorrow morning.
I'm disappointed with Prilosec OTC. I had been getting heartburn five or six times a week, multiple times a day, so I thought I'd try one of their 14 day treatments. The stuff was fantastic while I was taking it. The heartburn stopped after the first couple days and never came back. Unfortunately, less than a week after I finished the two weeks of taking it the heartburn already started coming back. It's supposed to last for several months, so I may call the good ol' Procter and Gamble customer service line and ask for my money back.
I need to get back to the rec again. The last time I lifted weights I was sore for almost a week but it felt great and I really needed it. I went running yesterday and I remembered why I just can't run for exercise anymore. I can't go more than ten minutes before my lungs start burning uncontrollably. The inhaler my allergy doctor helps a little, but not enough to let me run unhindered. He wants me to come in for another lung function test before I graduate. Maybe I'll be officially diagnosed with asthma this time instead of just falling short of it. There's a goal...
Sorry if this has been whiny, but what do you expect at 4:30am on three hours of sleep?
I'm disappointed with Prilosec OTC. I had been getting heartburn five or six times a week, multiple times a day, so I thought I'd try one of their 14 day treatments. The stuff was fantastic while I was taking it. The heartburn stopped after the first couple days and never came back. Unfortunately, less than a week after I finished the two weeks of taking it the heartburn already started coming back. It's supposed to last for several months, so I may call the good ol' Procter and Gamble customer service line and ask for my money back.
I need to get back to the rec again. The last time I lifted weights I was sore for almost a week but it felt great and I really needed it. I went running yesterday and I remembered why I just can't run for exercise anymore. I can't go more than ten minutes before my lungs start burning uncontrollably. The inhaler my allergy doctor helps a little, but not enough to let me run unhindered. He wants me to come in for another lung function test before I graduate. Maybe I'll be officially diagnosed with asthma this time instead of just falling short of it. There's a goal...
Sorry if this has been whiny, but what do you expect at 4:30am on three hours of sleep?
Monday, April 30, 2007
conquer nothing but our minds
Like most Bengals fans, I question the wisdom of taking running back Kenny Irons in the second round of last weekend's NFL draft, but I think you can make arguments both ways on picking him. Leon Hall falling to us in the first round was a blessing (although Darrelle Revis would have been nicer if the Jets hadn't traded up to steal him), giving our secondary some of the boost it needs. I think the Bengals were targeting a defensive player again in the second round, but right before our pick there was a run on linebackers and defensive linemen (including the Jets again trading up above us to steal another of our defensive prospects), leaving us without a good player to pick. We could have reached down for a lower-tier player, but instead the coaching staff chose to address the Chris Perry problem. Clearly they don't feel that Perry will be ready for this season, and there's little question that Irons will be an impact player. That said, it may have been better to address the bigger holes on defense instead of tweaking the minor problems on offense.
Let's not forget that you have to count Ahmad Brooks when you consider this year's draft (the Bengals used their third round pick for this year by taking Brooks in last year's supplemental draft). With the extra experience from last year under his belt, Brooks is worth more than a third-round pick now. So that's two of the first three picks being used on defense. Then we took Marvin White in the fourth round, making it three for four on defense. I think White will be a good third safety to compliment Madieu Williams and Dexter Jackson. Plus, I believe this is the last year of Jackson's contract, giving us a good prospect to replace him.
Some people might also complain about taking quarterback Jeff Rowe in the fifth, but I think that was a smart move. At the time of the draft the Bengals had Carson Palmer and Doug Johnson as the only quarterbacks on the roster. They had been talking to a couple of other veteran quarterbacks prior to the draft, but none of those quarterbacks nor Doug Johnson would make me feel comfortable about the Bengals' chances if, God-forbid, Palmer was hurt again. I think the popular consensus among Bengals fans is that if Palmer gets hurt, you can throw in the towel for the rest of the season. By taking Rowe, the Bengals have a player that they plan to groom as Palmer's long-term backup. Instead of always relying on questionable, aging veterans, the smart thing to do is to develop a reliable second string player. The only thing you could argue is that the fifth may have been a little high for this pick, especially in the face of a couple more glaring needs.
Add on a defensive tackle, a guard, and a strong safety in the last two rounds. You could still argue about holes needing to be filled at linebacker or center or tight end, but in all I think it worked out to be an above average draft. I think linebacker will be okay with Brooks back after having a full offseason and the re-signing of Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson. I think Alex Steponavich will do fine at center, leaving the lack of tight ends as our biggest glaring problem. When you consider that the Bengals have added a veteran on the defensive line in free agency, are still in talks with at least one veteran linebacker, that a lot of last year's injured draft picks like A.J. Nicholson and Frostee Rucker should be healthy, and that last year's standout defensive rookies- Jonathan Joseph, Domato Peko, and Ethan Kilmer- are back and should continue to improve, things don't look as bleak as a lot of people are making them out to be.
edit: I forgot to mention that Irons also gives us more big-play ability at running back. I love Rudi, and you can't beat his reliability, but the Bengals haven't had a run longer than 33 yards in 37 games, and their longest run last year was 22 yards in the season opener. Plus, Irons gives the Bengals a better receiving threat out of the backfield.
Let's not forget that you have to count Ahmad Brooks when you consider this year's draft (the Bengals used their third round pick for this year by taking Brooks in last year's supplemental draft). With the extra experience from last year under his belt, Brooks is worth more than a third-round pick now. So that's two of the first three picks being used on defense. Then we took Marvin White in the fourth round, making it three for four on defense. I think White will be a good third safety to compliment Madieu Williams and Dexter Jackson. Plus, I believe this is the last year of Jackson's contract, giving us a good prospect to replace him.
Some people might also complain about taking quarterback Jeff Rowe in the fifth, but I think that was a smart move. At the time of the draft the Bengals had Carson Palmer and Doug Johnson as the only quarterbacks on the roster. They had been talking to a couple of other veteran quarterbacks prior to the draft, but none of those quarterbacks nor Doug Johnson would make me feel comfortable about the Bengals' chances if, God-forbid, Palmer was hurt again. I think the popular consensus among Bengals fans is that if Palmer gets hurt, you can throw in the towel for the rest of the season. By taking Rowe, the Bengals have a player that they plan to groom as Palmer's long-term backup. Instead of always relying on questionable, aging veterans, the smart thing to do is to develop a reliable second string player. The only thing you could argue is that the fifth may have been a little high for this pick, especially in the face of a couple more glaring needs.
Add on a defensive tackle, a guard, and a strong safety in the last two rounds. You could still argue about holes needing to be filled at linebacker or center or tight end, but in all I think it worked out to be an above average draft. I think linebacker will be okay with Brooks back after having a full offseason and the re-signing of Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson. I think Alex Steponavich will do fine at center, leaving the lack of tight ends as our biggest glaring problem. When you consider that the Bengals have added a veteran on the defensive line in free agency, are still in talks with at least one veteran linebacker, that a lot of last year's injured draft picks like A.J. Nicholson and Frostee Rucker should be healthy, and that last year's standout defensive rookies- Jonathan Joseph, Domato Peko, and Ethan Kilmer- are back and should continue to improve, things don't look as bleak as a lot of people are making them out to be.
edit: I forgot to mention that Irons also gives us more big-play ability at running back. I love Rudi, and you can't beat his reliability, but the Bengals haven't had a run longer than 33 yards in 37 games, and their longest run last year was 22 yards in the season opener. Plus, Irons gives the Bengals a better receiving threat out of the backfield.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
wash your swollen feet
Hot Fuzz: I had pretty high expectations for this movie considering how much I liked Shaun of the Dead, and it didn't disappoint. It was a hilarious mixture of comedy, action, and even a little horror. A great spoof of police, action, and even slasher films. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost once again prove to be a funny leading duo. I don't think I would say it is quite as good as Shaun but it is by far the best movie I've seen all year, and it wouldn't surprise me if it is the best comedy that comes out in 2007.
4 out of 5 Davies.
Grindhouse: Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror was by far the better of the two features- a hilariously cheesy action/horror movie. The spoof trailers were fairly fantastic as well. Despite Kurt Russel's terrific performance, Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof was a fairly big yawn-fest. I like a lot of Tarantino's film but I think his own ego is his worst enemy sometimes, and Death Proof proved that well with all the self-indulgent dialogue that dragged the movie out far too long. Even the car-chase scene was boring.
3 out of 5 Davies.
Smokin' Aces: Stupid crap.
1/2 out of 5 Davies.
4 out of 5 Davies.
Grindhouse: Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror was by far the better of the two features- a hilariously cheesy action/horror movie. The spoof trailers were fairly fantastic as well. Despite Kurt Russel's terrific performance, Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof was a fairly big yawn-fest. I like a lot of Tarantino's film but I think his own ego is his worst enemy sometimes, and Death Proof proved that well with all the self-indulgent dialogue that dragged the movie out far too long. Even the car-chase scene was boring.
3 out of 5 Davies.
Smokin' Aces: Stupid crap.
1/2 out of 5 Davies.
cold metal in my hand
Oh my goodness. Mixed Martial Arts might quite possibly be the most unpredictable sport ever.Tonight marked the third crazy main event upset in as many UFC events. First we had Randy Couture's return from retirement to dominate Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight belt. Okay, it was surprising, but Couture is a UFC hall-of-famer, so it wasn't that much of a long shot. Then major underdog Matt Serra TKOed welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, considered one of the most dominant fighters in the weight class. Then tonight, it was PRIDE star and everyone's pick for the future heavyweight champion Mirko "Crop Cop" Filipovic against heavy underdog Gabriel Gonzaga. And Gonzaga won. Not only that... Gonzaga destroyed Cro Cop!
The second best heavyweight fighter in the world, and one of the world's top five pound-for-pound fighters, was just defeated in one of the most insane upsets in MMA history. Actually, upset doesn't even begin to describe it; it looked like Cro Cop's almost ended. Mikco is one of the best strikers in the world, and his kicks are quite possibly the most dangerous in all of MMA. If Gonzaga had any chance at all, people figured he might get Cro Cop on the ground and submit him. Instead, Gonzaga KOs him with the most devastating head kick I have ever seen. That was the last thing anyone could have ever foreseen happening. I'm still completely shocked that it happened. This has to be rigged, it is just too insane. These kind of crazy upsets don't happen in any other sport. While I'm a big Crop Cop fan and was really pulling for him to win, you can't help but enjoy the unpredictability of it all.
Friday, April 20, 2007
fadin' out like a stereo
I haven't posted anything about the whole Virginia Tech tragedy because, quite simply, I have nothing of worth to say about the situation. We're seeing the same textbook response to a disaster that we always see: relentless, insensitive media coverage, shameless politicians and pundits using this to further their own agendas and careers, a short-lived outpouring of grief and sympathy by the general public, and the desperate search for an explanation or a scapegoat. People want to blame gun laws, gun-free zones, video games, movies, whatever. It wouldn't matter if there were no guns in the world, or if every student in that campus had been armed in self-defense, or if violent entertainment was never created- these things would still happen because this world is screwed up and broken.
Friday, April 13, 2007
the way they only read about
Finally, the first good concert of 2007:
Tool - June 29 @ U.S. Bank Arena. Any takers?
This announcement somewhat alleviates the disappointment of all the good concerts and festivals this summer in Europe that include NIN, the reformed Smashing Pumpkins, NIN & Foo Fighters in Ireland, and most of all, NIN and Tool in Austria and Italy.
Tool - June 29 @ U.S. Bank Arena. Any takers?
This announcement somewhat alleviates the disappointment of all the good concerts and festivals this summer in Europe that include NIN, the reformed Smashing Pumpkins, NIN & Foo Fighters in Ireland, and most of all, NIN and Tool in Austria and Italy.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
faces come out of the rain
I still plan on overhauling my entire blog layout, but I don't want to start until I have the time to sit down and do it all in one fell swoop. Which means it may not happen until after graduation.
Work is slowly progressing on my senior project. For the uninformed, the professor in my senior seminar wanted everyone to do their research projects on some aspect of Spiritualism- the belief that spirits of the dead can be contacted by mediums. Thrilling stuff, I know. I decided early on that I wanted to do something related to the Civil War since Spiritualism was very popular at the same time. When looking for primary sources from Spiritualists in the Union Army (almost all Spiritualists were in the North), I found two prominent Spiritualists who were also the commanding officers of black regiments. Spiritualism and the abolitionist movement had always been closely related, so I finally settled on looking at the connection between Spiritualist involvement and the integration of blacks into the war effort. I know what you're thinking- that's sounds so exhilarating that you just can't wait to get your hands on it. Yawn.
I've thought about possibly posting some of my papers on here before, in the off chance that someone might find them remotely interesting. I know Jess was interested in reading my paper on the Soviet-induced famine in the Ukraine. The two main problems I see, besides boring everyone from ever visiting my blog again, is that the posts would be far too long and that I wouldn't want to risk someone ripping off my very mediocre work. We'll see.
Work is slowly progressing on my senior project. For the uninformed, the professor in my senior seminar wanted everyone to do their research projects on some aspect of Spiritualism- the belief that spirits of the dead can be contacted by mediums. Thrilling stuff, I know. I decided early on that I wanted to do something related to the Civil War since Spiritualism was very popular at the same time. When looking for primary sources from Spiritualists in the Union Army (almost all Spiritualists were in the North), I found two prominent Spiritualists who were also the commanding officers of black regiments. Spiritualism and the abolitionist movement had always been closely related, so I finally settled on looking at the connection between Spiritualist involvement and the integration of blacks into the war effort. I know what you're thinking- that's sounds so exhilarating that you just can't wait to get your hands on it. Yawn.
I've thought about possibly posting some of my papers on here before, in the off chance that someone might find them remotely interesting. I know Jess was interested in reading my paper on the Soviet-induced famine in the Ukraine. The two main problems I see, besides boring everyone from ever visiting my blog again, is that the posts would be far too long and that I wouldn't want to risk someone ripping off my very mediocre work. We'll see.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
seperated from the swine
Roger Goodell flexed his muscles as NFL commissioner today, doling out suspensions to Chris Henry and Adam "Pacman" Jones- 8 games and the entire 2007 season, respectively. Sounds like Bengals fans seem to be split on this decision; either they're tired enough Chris Henry that they support a harsh punishment, or they feel that Henry is being used by Goodell as an example for his new tougher conduct policy. I fall in the latter category. Half the season is too unreasonable. I think Henry's punishment is far too strict considering what has already transpired:
His harsher conduct policy was also announced today, and I was alarmed to see that, under the new code, "Clubs will be subject to discipline in cases involving violations of the Personal Conduct Policy by club employees" (link). Basically, they will start punishing the clubs themselves for problems caused by their staff or players. On the surface this looks good, but the problem has already been that the teams' hands have been tied when it comes to disciplining their players. Everyone has heard someone remark that they wish the Bengals would just cut Henry. The reality is that under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and players, there is a rule that players can only be cut for skill reasons and for conduct detrimental to the team. If the Bengals cut someone like Henry, they could face a challenge by the NFL Player's Union, which would lead to the team being punished. Also, as mentioned before, players could not be punished until their matters were resolved in court. This is why Marvin Lewis has benched Henry twice in the past two seasons.
Owners like Mike Brown have been advocating for more leeway for teams to punish their players. There's no indication that the teams are going to be given any more ability to punish players. Instead, Goodell is going to start punishing the teams themselves. He's not untying the teams' hands to let them punish players; it appears he's going to leave them tied up and resort to kicking them while they're restricted. Sounds fantastic.
Things are not off to a great start for the Goodell era as commissioner.
- Henry already served a two game suspension for the first two of his offenses (a suspension given out by Goodell)
- The two offenses he is being punished for now both occurred before his first suspension (the league cannot punish players before matters are finished in court. All four of Henry's arrests occurred before he was punished at all; the first two cleared up faster and he was suspended for two games last year. These last two took longer to get resolved in court, so he could not be punished until now)
- According to the article on Bengals.com, Henry's suspension is twice as long as any previous suspension for such a situation (not counting drug or gambling offenses)
His harsher conduct policy was also announced today, and I was alarmed to see that, under the new code, "Clubs will be subject to discipline in cases involving violations of the Personal Conduct Policy by club employees" (link). Basically, they will start punishing the clubs themselves for problems caused by their staff or players. On the surface this looks good, but the problem has already been that the teams' hands have been tied when it comes to disciplining their players. Everyone has heard someone remark that they wish the Bengals would just cut Henry. The reality is that under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and players, there is a rule that players can only be cut for skill reasons and for conduct detrimental to the team. If the Bengals cut someone like Henry, they could face a challenge by the NFL Player's Union, which would lead to the team being punished. Also, as mentioned before, players could not be punished until their matters were resolved in court. This is why Marvin Lewis has benched Henry twice in the past two seasons.
Owners like Mike Brown have been advocating for more leeway for teams to punish their players. There's no indication that the teams are going to be given any more ability to punish players. Instead, Goodell is going to start punishing the teams themselves. He's not untying the teams' hands to let them punish players; it appears he's going to leave them tied up and resort to kicking them while they're restricted. Sounds fantastic.
Things are not off to a great start for the Goodell era as commissioner.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
hyperpower!
I finally watched 300, which was gloriously mediocre at best. It's a perfect example of a movie studio taking a film that is a cheesy b-movie and using marketing to sell it as the next big blockbuster. The best thing I can say for the film is that it looks great. I'd have to think for awhile to come up with something more than that. The acting is over the top at best, and downright embarrassing at worst. Leonidas barks a lot and does his best Braveheart speech imitation every ten minutes (which is never very good), his wife looks smug or angry, the one father-son duo try to show emotion, and the rest of the Spartans yell. The plot is fairly dull and the even the combat itself- the obvious draw for the film- is relatively unexciting. 300 reduces warfare to a slow-motion ballet that is interesting for all of ten minutes, and then usually drags. Okay, so maybe I'm being a little harsh and it's not quite that boring, but it could have been much more exciting. I kept feeling sense of déjà vu for Braveheart and Return of the King anytime someone gave another mediocre speech for freedom or when the next exotic adversary was introduced. Question: Can anyone tell me what Frank Miller's obesession with freaky deformed people is? First we saw them in Sin City and now in 300. Weird.
300 = 2 out of 5 Davies
300 = 2 out of 5 Davies
in high def ultra-realism
My usual lack of self-control reared its head again today, and I succumbed to the temptation to listen to all of Year Zero instead of waiting till its released on the 17th. It was leaked on file-sharing sites and can now also be streamed straight from the official site.
After a couple listens, I can positively say that it surpasses With Teeth in quality. The album seems very much like a mixture of Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral. Unlike WT, this album actually feels like it's a progression of previous albums. I like WT, and I can appreciate why it was a necessary step for Trent personally to make, but it felt like a detour musically. Now things are back on track and proceeding forward with YZ. Definitely has the most noise in a NIN album since TDS, and I can see why Trent gave a few nods to hip-hop albums or groups like Public Enemy in interviews about the album. Clearly this isn't a rap album, but there is a big emphasis on the rhythm and percussion. The drum machines are out in full-force, and while I really liked the live drumming on WT, it seems like that would be out of place on YZ. I can also see why Trent has mentioned that the usual rock band lineup might not be the best way to present this material, but I think it can be done. The only real downside is that once again there seems to be no influence from The Fragile on this record. The orchestrated soundscapes are still missing although the instrumentals have returned with a couple tracks.
Plus, the pictures for the slipcase have been posted on line. Much cooler than the standard cover of "The Presence". Plus, the packaging sounds like it will be everything With Teeth should have been: slipcase over a "thermochrome" cover with a 24 page booklet, and who knows what other goodies.
Monday, April 02, 2007
gravity always wins
I can't say I'm too excited for tonight's NCAA basketball championship, as I fear a second straight title for Florida. Honestly, I'll be more angry about a Florida win than by an Ohio State loss, if that makes any sense. I cannot stand the arrogant style of play from Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, or their teammates; constant screaming, fist-pumping, bragging, and taunting. I'm so tired of seeing Noah's ugly mug howling like a beast like he's a superstar, and then turning around and showing his true colors by going 2-7 on free throws. Of course UCLA had to self-destruct against Florida by coming out colder than Hilary Clinton in the second half after only being down six points, simultaneously propelling Florida into the title game and torpeedoing my pathetic bracket's last hope for redemption. I've been waiting for OSU to choke the entire tournament, and although they have come close a few times, so far they have survived. If this game opens anything like the NCAA BCS Championship football game, with an OSU breakaway dunk or something like that, I'm turning it off before I see Florida dismantle them the rest of the game.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
little piggy needed something new
Predictably, Spring Break went by all too quickly. I managed to only get a couple things done on my to-do list, but hopefully I can still use my extra time in the next couple weeks to finish them before classes get to busy. It was really nice to take some time to relax and to get some exercise; played a surprisingly decent game of frisbee golf for it being my first game of the year, and spent some time kicking around a soccer ball and running a couple days. I also got almost all the way through The Irresistible Revolution, which is one of the best and most challenging books I've read since Blue Like Jazz.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, a game almost as infamous as Duke Nukem Forever for its numerous delays, was finally released. The game is very open-ended, especially for a shooter. The open landscapes filled with respawning enemies and numerous side quests give the game an RPG element similar to something like Knights of the Old Republic. The best part is the environment: the developers should be proud of the bleak, moody atmosphere they successfully rendered. The day-night cycles, usually consisting of gloomy clouds and constant rainfall, add to the dreary ambiance. This depressing atmosphere is fitting considering the game is centered around a second Chernobyl meltdown in the near future, which has caused the "Zone" around it to be filled with mutant animals, zombies, mercenaries, and scavengers. The A.I. is pretty good, but buggy at times. In fact, there are an unfortunate number of glitches that affect some of the missions and other characters. Hopefully at least some of the problems will be addressed by a patch. I haven't tried the multiplayer yet, but it sounds like it could be fun. Command & Conquer 3 is getting good reviews, so I might have to check that out too sometime.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, a game almost as infamous as Duke Nukem Forever for its numerous delays, was finally released. The game is very open-ended, especially for a shooter. The open landscapes filled with respawning enemies and numerous side quests give the game an RPG element similar to something like Knights of the Old Republic. The best part is the environment: the developers should be proud of the bleak, moody atmosphere they successfully rendered. The day-night cycles, usually consisting of gloomy clouds and constant rainfall, add to the dreary ambiance. This depressing atmosphere is fitting considering the game is centered around a second Chernobyl meltdown in the near future, which has caused the "Zone" around it to be filled with mutant animals, zombies, mercenaries, and scavengers. The A.I. is pretty good, but buggy at times. In fact, there are an unfortunate number of glitches that affect some of the missions and other characters. Hopefully at least some of the problems will be addressed by a patch. I haven't tried the multiplayer yet, but it sounds like it could be fun. Command & Conquer 3 is getting good reviews, so I might have to check that out too sometime.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
the old familiar sting
November, 2008 cannot come soon enough.
The Bush administration has successfully whittled down my faith in their governance to nil. There have been too many scandals, too much abuse of power, too much unrepentant arrogance and stubbornness. I have tried to remain supportive and give them the benefit of the doubt over their intentions, but I just can't take it any longer.
You've probably heard about the latest scandal, where Attorney General Gonzalez fired U.S. attorneys as they were investigating those wonderfully illegal and unconstitutional wiretaps the White House had authorized (link). The newest development, after calls from Democrats and some Republicans for Gonzalez's resignation and preparing subpoenas for members of the Bush administration , is that Bush is willing to "compromise" by allowing Democrats to talk with these officials behind closed doors (link). Apparently Mr. Bush has gotten the idea in his head that a government of democratically elected representatives does not need to be held accountable by those people for it's actions, and has the right to secrecy over potentially damning information. That really shouldn't come as a surprise though, considering that Bush once passed a bill that would keep the personal notes and documents of every President a secret from the public (this is regarding government matters, not their personal lives), which would be repealed by a bill recently passed by the house (link, link 2), a bill which Bush has of course vowed to veto.
In response to this Justice Department scandal, the Senate passed a bill that would put an end to the attorney general's ability to appoint U.S. attorney's without Senate approval. Clearly the Democrats aren't the only ones upset with this entire situation, as the 94-2 vote proves the disapproval is hardly partisan (link).
Most alarming to me has been the Bush administration's complete lack of respect towards civil rights. I'm not even talking about terrorist prisoners in Guantanamo Bay or anything like that; I'm talking about the civil rights of American citizens. First there was the previously mentioned illegal wiretaps (link) and recent reports of further abuses by the FBI to illegally obtain information about ordinary citizens (link, link 2).
Then there's also the recent conviction of Dick Cheney's former chief of staff and former Bush aid "Scooter" Libby for perjury and obstruction of justice in an investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's identity in 2003 (link). I'm sure there are even more accusations and scandals I could dig up, but suffice it to say that I feel that Bush's credibility is wearing very thin.
All along I tried to remain positive and give the Bush administration the benefit of the doubt. I tried to tell myself that they had our best interests and national security in mind when they committed these offenses. They just got a little overzealous in their quest to protect Americans by treading on the hem of their civil liberties. But after seeing more reports of scandals and violations by the Bush administration than I have of legal incidents involving the Bengals, I'm really starting to believe that Bush really is getting wrapped up in his power and doesn't believe that his government needs to be held accountable for their actions.
Sorry, Spring Break gives me too much time to rant.
The Bush administration has successfully whittled down my faith in their governance to nil. There have been too many scandals, too much abuse of power, too much unrepentant arrogance and stubbornness. I have tried to remain supportive and give them the benefit of the doubt over their intentions, but I just can't take it any longer.
You've probably heard about the latest scandal, where Attorney General Gonzalez fired U.S. attorneys as they were investigating those wonderfully illegal and unconstitutional wiretaps the White House had authorized (link). The newest development, after calls from Democrats and some Republicans for Gonzalez's resignation and preparing subpoenas for members of the Bush administration , is that Bush is willing to "compromise" by allowing Democrats to talk with these officials behind closed doors (link). Apparently Mr. Bush has gotten the idea in his head that a government of democratically elected representatives does not need to be held accountable by those people for it's actions, and has the right to secrecy over potentially damning information. That really shouldn't come as a surprise though, considering that Bush once passed a bill that would keep the personal notes and documents of every President a secret from the public (this is regarding government matters, not their personal lives), which would be repealed by a bill recently passed by the house (link, link 2), a bill which Bush has of course vowed to veto.
In response to this Justice Department scandal, the Senate passed a bill that would put an end to the attorney general's ability to appoint U.S. attorney's without Senate approval. Clearly the Democrats aren't the only ones upset with this entire situation, as the 94-2 vote proves the disapproval is hardly partisan (link).
Most alarming to me has been the Bush administration's complete lack of respect towards civil rights. I'm not even talking about terrorist prisoners in Guantanamo Bay or anything like that; I'm talking about the civil rights of American citizens. First there was the previously mentioned illegal wiretaps (link) and recent reports of further abuses by the FBI to illegally obtain information about ordinary citizens (link, link 2).
Then there's also the recent conviction of Dick Cheney's former chief of staff and former Bush aid "Scooter" Libby for perjury and obstruction of justice in an investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's identity in 2003 (link). I'm sure there are even more accusations and scandals I could dig up, but suffice it to say that I feel that Bush's credibility is wearing very thin.
All along I tried to remain positive and give the Bush administration the benefit of the doubt. I tried to tell myself that they had our best interests and national security in mind when they committed these offenses. They just got a little overzealous in their quest to protect Americans by treading on the hem of their civil liberties. But after seeing more reports of scandals and violations by the Bush administration than I have of legal incidents involving the Bengals, I'm really starting to believe that Bush really is getting wrapped up in his power and doesn't believe that his government needs to be held accountable for their actions.
Sorry, Spring Break gives me too much time to rant.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
the face of your own stability
Exam week is over and Spring Break has arrived! I am very glad to be finished with this quarter. Hopefully I can get a lot of things done that I want to accomplish over break. My room is a mess and I really need to get all my paperwork in order. Getting some more work done on my senior project wouldn't hurt either. I'm also going to try to do some of the recreational reading that I've been wanting to, since I have books piling up on the "to read" list. First I've been digging into Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution, which has been excellent so far.
My March Madness picks have been less than impressive after the first round, but there hasn't been any long term damage... yet. That could change in a big way today, and I'm certainly not holding my breathe about doing well this year.
My March Madness picks have been less than impressive after the first round, but there hasn't been any long term damage... yet. That could change in a big way today, and I'm certainly not holding my breathe about doing well this year.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
we think we've climbed so high
Last night's UFC event in Columbus was an entertaining one, with a couple big highlights. Obviously the headline of the night was 43-year old UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture coming out of retirement to not only win, but completely dominate, Heavyweight title holder Tim Sylvia to become the UFC's first five-time title winner. Few people thought Couture had a chance, but he proved why he's a legend and completely controlled the fight. My own personal highlight was seeing Cincinnati's own Rich Franklin have an impressive win over Jason McDonald after losing the middleweight title to Anderson Silva in October. Franklin looked impressive throughout the fight, and McDonald took such a beating that his corner threw in the towel after the second round. Actually, I lied. The highlight wasn't just Franklin's victory; the highlight was Franklin conferring with UFC President Dana White after the fight and then announcing that White had agreed that the Franklin - Silva rematch would be held in Cincinnati!! Needless to say, our house erupted in cheers of astonishment and joy when he announced that. We didn't manage to get tickets to this event in Columbus but there is no way something will stop us from seeing Franklin's middleweight title rematch here in Cincinnati. I can't wait for them to announce the official date.Yahoo has launched its 2007 March Madness pick'em. I created a group that you can join here. The group number is 30858 and the password is cincinnati.
If you thought that naming all 50 states in ten minutes was tough, you probably don't want to try naming all 245 countries in the same amount of time. The only problem is this is that there are errors (the commonly accepted tally of countries is 193) because they include too many places that aren't real countries (Greenland and the U.S. Virgin Islands, for example) and because some of the names are too picky (while it accepts "United States", it does not accept "North Korea"; instead it wants the "Democratic Republic of Korea").
edit: Thanks to Rob for this article from the Enquirer on the Franklin bout.
Friday, March 02, 2007
there's calm in your eye
NFL free agency has opened today and there's been a fair amount of news surrounding the Bengals. Predictably, Eric Steinbach wasn't re-signed, and he'll probably be signed early on for a huge paycheck by another team. I was really shocked that the Bengals cut Brian Simmons, and frankly I don't understand that decision, so I hope Ahmad Brooks is ready to play middle linebacker this season. Reggie Kelly and Kevin Kaesviharn are two of the more popular free agents and are receiving some interest from other teams. I have a bad feeling that Kelly may end up in Atlanta, but hopefully we can resign him. I don't expect Tory James to be back, and although I've said it for the past couple offseasons, I'm sure this is the year that Kelley Washington goes somewhere else. Hopefully deals can be worked out with other free agents like Kenny Watson and Marcus Wilkins.
There were some big names cut by other teams, including Joey "the Jackass" Porter from the Steelers, Jamal Lewis, Joe Horn, and Keenan McCardell. Also a number of players that were not re-signed, including Ashley Lelie and Adalius Thomas. There seems to be a good number of free agent tight ends out there, so it will be interesting to see if the Bengals go after any big free agents after creating some salary cap room by cutting Simmons.
edit: Why did Steinbach have to sign with the Browns? That's disappointing. The Patriots cutting Corey Dillon isn't that surprising, but Jake Plummer retiring instead of being traded to Tampa Bay is.
There were some big names cut by other teams, including Joey "the Jackass" Porter from the Steelers, Jamal Lewis, Joe Horn, and Keenan McCardell. Also a number of players that were not re-signed, including Ashley Lelie and Adalius Thomas. There seems to be a good number of free agent tight ends out there, so it will be interesting to see if the Bengals go after any big free agents after creating some salary cap room by cutting Simmons.
edit: Why did Steinbach have to sign with the Browns? That's disappointing. The Patriots cutting Corey Dillon isn't that surprising, but Jake Plummer retiring instead of being traded to Tampa Bay is.
while you're hiding in the trees
I've been long overdue for an update, which I blame on the last two weeks of this quarter being way too busy. Next week looks even more daunting.
Chicago was a lot of fun. Unsurprisingly, UC lost to DePaul, but we had a good time hanging out in the city for the rest of the day (even when Doug and I were wandering around downtown lost at night in the freezing rain for two hours). Chicago is a nice city. It's amazing how nice everyone is in person; they see someone holding a map and leap for the chance to give them directions. But then if you put them in their cars, they honk over the slightest transgression.
UFC 68 kicks off tomorrow night. Too bad we won't be there. I hope Franklin comes back strong after his loss to Silva. Jess leaves for the Ukraine tomorrow and she'll be gone for a week and a half.
Here's a fun little game for you all: Name all 50 states in ten minutes. It got around 45 in the first few minutes (the hardest pat is spelling some of them, like Connecticut) and then it took some thinking after that. Some of you probably know some lame song from grade school that will make it easier, but I did it with my gland full of knowledge.
Chicago was a lot of fun. Unsurprisingly, UC lost to DePaul, but we had a good time hanging out in the city for the rest of the day (even when Doug and I were wandering around downtown lost at night in the freezing rain for two hours). Chicago is a nice city. It's amazing how nice everyone is in person; they see someone holding a map and leap for the chance to give them directions. But then if you put them in their cars, they honk over the slightest transgression.UFC 68 kicks off tomorrow night. Too bad we won't be there. I hope Franklin comes back strong after his loss to Silva. Jess leaves for the Ukraine tomorrow and she'll be gone for a week and a half.
Here's a fun little game for you all: Name all 50 states in ten minutes. It got around 45 in the first few minutes (the hardest pat is spelling some of them, like Connecticut) and then it took some thinking after that. Some of you probably know some lame song from grade school that will make it easier, but I did it with my gland full of knowledge.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
i can swallow it down
I don't think I've ever taken the time to formally rant about the FCC on here, and since I have a paper due tomorrow that still needs to be finished, obviously now would be the ideal time to distract myself by doing so. If you were to ask me the top three things that have most bothered me during Bush's tenure in office, I can say with almost complete certainty that one of those things would be the transformation of the Federal Communications Commission into the moral Gestapo of American society. Ever since that moronic Super Bowl halftime show we've been subjected to a Puritan FCC crackdown on all the things that might possibly offend anyone.
Of course the political system is at the heart of this entire problem. Take, for instance, the recent rumor that the FCC will look into curbing violence broadcast on cable television. Ever desperate for any useless issue that might garner more votes, regardless of how many taxpayer dollars are wasted in the process, Congressional representatives are the real people behind this moral policing and giving the FCC the authority to carry out such worthless tasks:
Naturally, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is hardly satisfied with the amount of authority he already holds, and in a quest for yet more power, has argued that "(The FCC) can't just deal with the three or four broadcast channels. We have to be looking at what's on cable as well."
Once again, the whole thing boils down to the fact that certain groups in America simply cannot leave the responsibility up to the parents to raise their children (or maybe it's that many parents in America refuse to be held responsible for raising their child). Quit assuming that we're all too dumb to take care of ourselves.
That said, I actually like Martin's idea of an "a la carte" cable selection, where the household picks and chooses the individual channels they would like. I'd say I watch between 5-10% of all the channels we have at our house here, so this is really an intriguing option. Of course, there was a study that the cable providers cite as proving that an "a la carte" system would make channels cost much more than they do, but guess who funded that study: the cable providers. Gee, that doesn't exactly sound like an unbiased inquest to me.
There also may be some hope for some members of Congress, after a recent report announced an upcoming hearing with the FCC over numerous issues, including their lack of investigation of into the NSA wiretapping scandals and how the FCC plans to improve America's lousy high-speed broadband setup when compared to most developed nations. It's nice to see that some people are focusing on issues that actually matter, but we'll see if anything comes
of it.
Of course the political system is at the heart of this entire problem. Take, for instance, the recent rumor that the FCC will look into curbing violence broadcast on cable television. Ever desperate for any useless issue that might garner more votes, regardless of how many taxpayer dollars are wasted in the process, Congressional representatives are the real people behind this moral policing and giving the FCC the authority to carry out such worthless tasks:
A draft report from the Federal Communications Commission raises the possibility that the FCC may act to clamp down on violent content on prime-time television—provided it gets the green light from Congress. Currently, the FCC has the authority to regulate sexual content and profanity on television, but most of the commissioners would like to see their power extended to cover depictions of violence.
"The pressure to do something on this is building right now," Commissioner Michael Copps told the AP. "People really feel strongly about this issue all across this land. This is not a red state or a blue state issue."
The report comes in response to a request from a bipartisan congressional group and will be submitted more two years past the original deadline of January 1, 2005. In their request, the congressmen asked the FCC to determining whether it could define "exceedingly violent programming that is harmful to children" in order to regulate it.
Naturally, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is hardly satisfied with the amount of authority he already holds, and in a quest for yet more power, has argued that "(The FCC) can't just deal with the three or four broadcast channels. We have to be looking at what's on cable as well."
Once again, the whole thing boils down to the fact that certain groups in America simply cannot leave the responsibility up to the parents to raise their children (or maybe it's that many parents in America refuse to be held responsible for raising their child). Quit assuming that we're all too dumb to take care of ourselves.
That said, I actually like Martin's idea of an "a la carte" cable selection, where the household picks and chooses the individual channels they would like. I'd say I watch between 5-10% of all the channels we have at our house here, so this is really an intriguing option. Of course, there was a study that the cable providers cite as proving that an "a la carte" system would make channels cost much more than they do, but guess who funded that study: the cable providers. Gee, that doesn't exactly sound like an unbiased inquest to me.
There also may be some hope for some members of Congress, after a recent report announced an upcoming hearing with the FCC over numerous issues, including their lack of investigation of into the NSA wiretapping scandals and how the FCC plans to improve America's lousy high-speed broadband setup when compared to most developed nations. It's nice to see that some people are focusing on issues that actually matter, but we'll see if anything comes
of it.
Friday, February 16, 2007
bloated belly's still not full
So the Year Zero hype machine keeps on rolling: The first single, "Survivalism," has hit radio and the internet as of this morning. As a first impression, I'd say I feel about the same towards this song as I did towards "The Hand That Feeds." It sounds a little too much like it was made for radio. In fact, the guitar riff in the chorus sounds almost exactly like the riff from "THTF." But the good news is that of the two songs I've heard so far, the album is at least on the same level as With Teeth, maybe even a little better.
the marching of the feet
Well I ripped on the Bush administration the other day and now it's the Democrats' turn. So, Ted Strickland is refusing to allow any of the 7,000 Iraqi refugees being brought to the U.S. into Ohio. What happened to the Democrats supposedly being the party of the people? I thought they cared so much about the poor, the downtrodden, the disenfranchised, blah blah blah. Apparently when it comes to poor, noncitizen refugees (meaning they can't vote), the Democrats don't give a crap. This just shows that they really don't care about people at all. They care about votes. Why do the Democrats support raising minimum wage? Not because they actually care about people trying to live off of minimum wage. It's because that when the minimum wage is raised, labor unions, a Democratic-voting base, get a raise in their salaries or pay. Whenever Republicans counter legislation from the Democrats for raising minimum wage with their own legislation to raise the minimum wage but include provisions that prohibits the wages of union workers from increasing as well, the Democrats vote it down (sorry, I lost my source on that). Now I'm not arguing that raising the minimum wage is necessarily bad or that Republicans actually care about people. I'm saying our political system is rubbish.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
the deepest shade of mushroom blue
I'm becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the level of tension between the White House and Iran right now. The last thing we can afford right now is to start another war, especially in the Middle East, but there's part of me that can't help but think the administration is intentionally agitating the situation. There's no doubt in my mind that the Iranian regime is up to no good, and there probably is a good chance that they're aiding insurgents in Iraq. However, we're clearly stretched thin as it is, so we can't afford to get in a spitting match with Iran. That and, considering how good our intelligence was when it came to Iraq and WMDs, maybe we should be a little careful about throwing around accusations. Obviously it would not be a good thing if Iran continues pursuing its nuclear program, but the recent success with North Korea proves that there is not any reason to go running in there guns blazing over it.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
into fire you can send us
A very complicated viral marketing campaign for Year Zero, akin to Halo 2's I Love Bees, has been underway for a few days now. It started with people connecting randomly highlighted letters from the new tour shirts that led them to a website, which has been followed by more websites. The latest development is that one of the tracks has been leaked, allegedly acquired from a flash drive left in a bathroom at Monday's concert in Portugal. I'm not sure I believe the story, but the track is certainly NIN, and the pixelation around the song's name on the Year Zero website makes it look like it was legitimately leaked, and not stolen. the Echoing the Sound forums are following the whole thing a lot closer than anywhere else, but I don't have the time to sit and keep up with the whole thing. The whole campaign is very interesting, as NIN fan's are obsessive enough without Trent drumming up with kind of frenzy, but it has certainly hooked people.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
get behind the wheel again
It has been an exciting week in music news this week. First there was the official release date for Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero on April 17. Then today Billy Corgan announced that the Smashing Pumpkins' sixth studio album, Zeitgeist, will be released on July 7th (7-7-07). Already this year is looking like it could have some quality releases. However, my expectations for Zeitgeist are remaining very reserved, and I'm anticipating Year Zero to be about on par with With Teeth.
On the other hand, it was announced today that Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (along with Team Fortress 2 and Portal) would be delayed again(!) till Fall 2007. Now, Valve Software, correct me if I'm mistaken here, but wasn't the purpose of episodic content so that the public would not have to wait as long between releases? Still, I suppose that when you release video game sequels as frequently as the old Trent Reznor used to release Nine Inch Nails albums (Half-Life: 1998, Half-Life 2: 2004), eighteen months isn't really that bad. Valve proved with Half-Life 2 that their games will be worth the wait, and I suppose I shouldn't berate them for taking their time to perfect their product, instead of rushing a game full of bugs and flaws. I have no doubt that Episode 2 and it's accompanying games will be fantastic, polished masterpieces. I just wish I didn't have to keep waiting on them.
On the other hand, it was announced today that Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (along with Team Fortress 2 and Portal) would be delayed again(!) till Fall 2007. Now, Valve Software, correct me if I'm mistaken here, but wasn't the purpose of episodic content so that the public would not have to wait as long between releases? Still, I suppose that when you release video game sequels as frequently as the old Trent Reznor used to release Nine Inch Nails albums (Half-Life: 1998, Half-Life 2: 2004), eighteen months isn't really that bad. Valve proved with Half-Life 2 that their games will be worth the wait, and I suppose I shouldn't berate them for taking their time to perfect their product, instead of rushing a game full of bugs and flaws. I have no doubt that Episode 2 and it's accompanying games will be fantastic, polished masterpieces. I just wish I didn't have to keep waiting on them.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
last chance to lose control
Congratulations Colts! I couldn't be happier for them. I was really afraid they might choke again after that kickoff, but they ended up playing a solid game. It's so nice to see the Super Bowl won by such classy people as Manning, Dungy, Marvin Harrison, and the like. It was a fairly sloppy game but still a fun one. Congratulations to the Bears for their good season, too. I have nothing against them and they played well in the mediocre NFC. But they should be proud of their season , and Lovie Smith seems like a good man as well from what I hear.
There weren't too many memorable commercials this year. As usual a lot of companies tried too hard. I still think the Kevin Federline commercial by Nationwide was the best. The Coke spoof of Grand Theft Auto was another favorite. As usual there were some good ones by Budweiser too.
edit: Oh yeah, the one Sierra Mist commercial where Jim Gaffigan had a beard comb-over was good too. He was hilarious last month when Jess and I saw him at the Taft Theater. I never got to talk about that but here's the picture we got with him:
There weren't too many memorable commercials this year. As usual a lot of companies tried too hard. I still think the Kevin Federline commercial by Nationwide was the best. The Coke spoof of Grand Theft Auto was another favorite. As usual there were some good ones by Budweiser too.
edit: Oh yeah, the one Sierra Mist commercial where Jim Gaffigan had a beard comb-over was good too. He was hilarious last month when Jess and I saw him at the Taft Theater. I never got to talk about that but here's the picture we got with him:
some kind of sign
With all that's been going on the past couple of weeks, I never get to talk about how glad I was to see the Colts make it to the Super Bowl. Plus it's always fantastic to see the Patriots lose. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy seem like two first-class guys, and it's nice to see them finally achieve the same success in the post-season that they have for so many regular seasons. Even if the Bears end up the victors tonight, at least there's not a team I hate in the Super Bowl this year. That hasn't happened in awhile.
I did have a dream the other night that the Bears won the Super Bowl. Although, I think over the course of the dream the Bears turned into the Giants, so who knows.
UFC 67 was fairly entertaining last night. Except for when the Pay-Per-View cut out halfway through before coming back, causing us to miss an entire fight. Time "Satan-in-Cable-Company-Form" Warner can expect an angry phone call from us later this week demanding our money back. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filpovic's UFC debut was as dominant as I had hoped. I really hope they take the Anderson Silva route with him and give him a title-shot after one fight. Watching Mirko stalk Eddie Sanchez around the Octagon while systematically picking him apart was the highlight of the night, but the best overall match was probably the undercard fight between Frank Edgar and Tyson Griffin which was a back-and-forth brawl until Edgar won by decision. Quinton Jackson's debut was not nearly as impressive as Cro Cop's, although Marvin Eastman may have been a tougher opponent, but I don't see him taking down Chuck Liddell just yet.
I did have a dream the other night that the Bears won the Super Bowl. Although, I think over the course of the dream the Bears turned into the Giants, so who knows.
UFC 67 was fairly entertaining last night. Except for when the Pay-Per-View cut out halfway through before coming back, causing us to miss an entire fight. Time "Satan-in-Cable-Company-Form" Warner can expect an angry phone call from us later this week demanding our money back. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filpovic's UFC debut was as dominant as I had hoped. I really hope they take the Anderson Silva route with him and give him a title-shot after one fight. Watching Mirko stalk Eddie Sanchez around the Octagon while systematically picking him apart was the highlight of the night, but the best overall match was probably the undercard fight between Frank Edgar and Tyson Griffin which was a back-and-forth brawl until Edgar won by decision. Quinton Jackson's debut was not nearly as impressive as Cro Cop's, although Marvin Eastman may have been a tougher opponent, but I don't see him taking down Chuck Liddell just yet.
Friday, January 26, 2007
on heartattack and vine
Alright Dad, you wanted to know if you'd made the blog, so here you go.
It has been a crazy week. Dad seems to be doing really well after his heart attack on Monday. I think we all kinda figured the food at Phil's could be lethal, but we still didn't see this coming. Considering the severity of the heart attack itself (he went into actual cardiac arrest), that he was about as close to death as you can get without actually dying (as Dad said himself, or said quoting one of his doctors), it seems like he has made a fast recovery. The first twenty-four hours were pretty tense, especially Monday evening, but a lot of that was simply the shock and thinking about what could have happened. Maybe it was just me being naive, but I never felt too worried about things getting worse; once I found out about it, the heart attack had already happened and he was in the hospital. My impression was always that he was stabilized, and barring some random unforeseen complication, it was just a matter of taking time to recover. Although considering the heart attack itself was a pretty random occurrence, maybe I should have been more concerned. But now the only worry is that it could happen again. It is a little disconcerting that the doctors themselves seem surprised that it happened in the first place and aren't sure what caused it. We're praying that means there's little chance of it happening again in the future. Anyway, Dad is scheduled to come home tomorrow (Friday) and hopefully he'll take it easy and not hop back into things too quickly.
We love you Dad, and we're glad you're okay.
It has been a crazy week. Dad seems to be doing really well after his heart attack on Monday. I think we all kinda figured the food at Phil's could be lethal, but we still didn't see this coming. Considering the severity of the heart attack itself (he went into actual cardiac arrest), that he was about as close to death as you can get without actually dying (as Dad said himself, or said quoting one of his doctors), it seems like he has made a fast recovery. The first twenty-four hours were pretty tense, especially Monday evening, but a lot of that was simply the shock and thinking about what could have happened. Maybe it was just me being naive, but I never felt too worried about things getting worse; once I found out about it, the heart attack had already happened and he was in the hospital. My impression was always that he was stabilized, and barring some random unforeseen complication, it was just a matter of taking time to recover. Although considering the heart attack itself was a pretty random occurrence, maybe I should have been more concerned. But now the only worry is that it could happen again. It is a little disconcerting that the doctors themselves seem surprised that it happened in the first place and aren't sure what caused it. We're praying that means there's little chance of it happening again in the future. Anyway, Dad is scheduled to come home tomorrow (Friday) and hopefully he'll take it easy and not hop back into things too quickly.
We love you Dad, and we're glad you're okay.
Friday, January 19, 2007
The 2006 Davie Awards
Looking back at last year's awards, there were some trends that continued into 2006. This past year saw an even stronger movie crop than 2005, and there was a handful of movies I didn't get a chance to see that, from the look of them, had a good chance of making the list. Another thing that continued from 2005 was the presence of several good albums, but as in '05, there wasn't really one dominant, extraordinary CD. There also wasn't a huge number of video games that appealed to me, although video games are the group that suffer the most from time constraints. Games require such a bigger investment of time to play through and enjoy them thoroughly, so there's a much smaller selection to choose from. This is also where I'll put my disclaimer in that I don't own a Wii, so don't expect to see Wii Sports or Twilight Princess under the Best Video Games category, as my experience with both games was limited. But without further ado, I present to you the probably much-overhyped and very late 2006 Davie Awards:
Movies:
Best Movie: The Fountain
Runners-up: The Prestige, Children of Men, The Departed, Stranger Than Fiction, Casino Royale
As I said before, there was a slew of great movies this year, but The Fountain really stood out among the rest. You could arrange the likes of The Prestige, The Departed, Casino Royale, or Stranger than Fiction in whatever order you'd like, as they're all exceptional movies. I thought Children of Men was fantastic and it was a clear-cut second place over the others.
Music:
A strong group of albums this year as well. None of them quite stood out to me as much as 10,000 Days. Tool bucked the trend of established bands releasing sub-par albums. While not quite as strong as their two previous works, it was still a fantastic CD.
Top Ten Albums
The movie would not have worked without the wonderful soundtrack from Clint Mansell. After the Requiem For a Dream OST and now this, he's making quite an impression.
It will be pretty difficult for a concert to top Nine Inch Nails July 3rd at the Verizon Ampitheater in Indianapolis. Doug and I were about three rows from the front of a jam-packed pit. The crowd was so amazing that it drew praise from the normally reserved Trent Reznor. The set list was almost as good as it could have been and the band played with reckless abandon. There was some stiff competition from Tool, Alice in Chains, and the first NIN concert, all of which were awesome shows.
Video Games
Best Game: Company of Heroes
Runners-Up: Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,
Prey, Civilization IV: Warlords
Company of Heroes was the runaway hit this year. Not only was the single-player campaign good but Doug and I have had a blast over the LAN. Half-Life 2: Episode 1 moved the franchise's story along nicely and set the stage for what should be a fantastic game in Episode 2. Lego Star Wars II was the other big hit this year.
Television:
It's pretty obvious that I think NBC is doing something right, as every show but the hilarious British series Top Gear is from the network. The Office continues to be the best show on television and the show is sandwiched between two other great comedies NBC's Thursday nights, My Name Is Earl and the resurrected Scrubs. The ill fated Studio 60 was surprisingly clever; it's not normally the type of show I'd watch. Conan is still the funniest person on television.
Sports:
The failure of the Bengals to live up to the expectations set last year by claiming the AFC North title was easily the most disappointing aspect of sports this past year. Watching the Steelers march through the playoffs and win the Super Bowl was a close second, as was seeing Rich Franklin get picked apart by Anderson Silva.
Obviously it was a lot easier to think of disappoints in sports this year than things that went right. It has been great to see the continued rise in the popularity of the UFC, and of MMA sports in general. Things are still looking up going into 2007, with some landmark names coming to the UFC, and more Pride Fighting events in the U.S.
Alright, well I'm sure we're all glad that's finally over. Here's to 2007!
Movies:
Best Movie: The Fountain
Runners-up: The Prestige, Children of Men, The Departed, Stranger Than Fiction, Casino Royale
As I said before, there was a slew of great movies this year, but The Fountain really stood out among the rest. You could arrange the likes of The Prestige, The Departed, Casino Royale, or Stranger than Fiction in whatever order you'd like, as they're all exceptional movies. I thought Children of Men was fantastic and it was a clear-cut second place over the others.
Top Ten Movies
- The Fountain
- Children of Men
- The Prestige
- The Departed
- Casino Royale
- Stranger Than Fiction
- Thank You For Smoking
- Babel
- The Illusionist
- The Proposition
Biggest Let Down: Snakes on a Plane
Runners-Up: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit
Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Miami Vice
Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Miami Vice
I still think Snakes was really, really stupid. Borat was okay, but like Snakes, it too was overly hyped. I love Michael Mann's films, but Miami Vice suffered too much from a boring storyline.
Music:
Best Album: Tool - 10,000 Days
Runners-Up: Muse - Black Holes and Revelations, Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways, The Killers - Sam's Town, Beck - The Information, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
Runners-Up: Muse - Black Holes and Revelations, Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways, The Killers - Sam's Town, Beck - The Information, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
A strong group of albums this year as well. None of them quite stood out to me as much as 10,000 Days. Tool bucked the trend of established bands releasing sub-par albums. While not quite as strong as their two previous works, it was still a fantastic CD.
Top Ten Albums
- Tool - 10,000 Days
- Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
- Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
- The Killers - Sam's Town
- Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
- Beck - The Information
- Neil Young - Live at the Fillmore East
- David Gilmour - On An Island
- BT - This Binary Universe
- Tom Waits - Orphans, Bawlers, Brawlers, and Bastards
Best Soundtrack: Clint Mansell ft. Kronos Quartet & Mogwai - The Fountain
The movie would not have worked without the wonderful soundtrack from Clint Mansell. After the Requiem For a Dream OST and now this, he's making quite an impression.
Biggest Let Down: Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Runners-Up: Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist, Incubus - Light Hand Grenades,
Audioslave - Revelations
Runners-Up: Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist, Incubus - Light Hand Grenades,
Audioslave - Revelations
I expected more from Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's first solo album than what amounted to a short, minimalist electronica album. I had reserved expectations for the new Deftones, Audioslave, and Incubus, as all three bands seem to be on the decline as far as quality goes, and sadly my fears were realized in two mediocre albums. The Eraser is certainly the best album of the four, but also the one I had the most hope for. Light Hand Grenades just sucks.
Runners-Up: Tool in Columbus, Nine Inch Nails in Cincinnati, Alice in Chains in ClevelandBest Concert: Nine Inch Nails in Indianapolis
It will be pretty difficult for a concert to top Nine Inch Nails July 3rd at the Verizon Ampitheater in Indianapolis. Doug and I were about three rows from the front of a jam-packed pit. The crowd was so amazing that it drew praise from the normally reserved Trent Reznor. The set list was almost as good as it could have been and the band played with reckless abandon. There was some stiff competition from Tool, Alice in Chains, and the first NIN concert, all of which were awesome shows.
Video Games
Best Game: Company of Heroes
Runners-Up: Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,
Prey, Civilization IV: Warlords
Company of Heroes was the runaway hit this year. Not only was the single-player campaign good but Doug and I have had a blast over the LAN. Half-Life 2: Episode 1 moved the franchise's story along nicely and set the stage for what should be a fantastic game in Episode 2. Lego Star Wars II was the other big hit this year.
Television:
Best TV Show: The Office
Runners-Up: Scrubs, Top Gear, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, My Name Is Earl,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Runners-Up: Scrubs, Top Gear, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, My Name Is Earl,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
It's pretty obvious that I think NBC is doing something right, as every show but the hilarious British series Top Gear is from the network. The Office continues to be the best show on television and the show is sandwiched between two other great comedies NBC's Thursday nights, My Name Is Earl and the resurrected Scrubs. The ill fated Studio 60 was surprisingly clever; it's not normally the type of show I'd watch. Conan is still the funniest person on television.
Sports:
Most Disappointing Sports Event/Moment: Bengals' mediocre season
Runners-Up: Steelers win the Super Bowl, Rick Franklin loses UFC Middleweight title, U.S. World Cup team fails to win a game, UC's basketball team is robbed of an NCAA tournament berth
Runners-Up: Steelers win the Super Bowl, Rick Franklin loses UFC Middleweight title, U.S. World Cup team fails to win a game, UC's basketball team is robbed of an NCAA tournament berth
The failure of the Bengals to live up to the expectations set last year by claiming the AFC North title was easily the most disappointing aspect of sports this past year. Watching the Steelers march through the playoffs and win the Super Bowl was a close second, as was seeing Rich Franklin get picked apart by Anderson Silva.
Best Sports Event/Moment: The (continued) Rise of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Runners-Up: Georges St. Pierre wins UFC Welterweight title, UC upsets undefeated Rutgers
Runners-Up: Georges St. Pierre wins UFC Welterweight title, UC upsets undefeated Rutgers
Obviously it was a lot easier to think of disappoints in sports this year than things that went right. It has been great to see the continued rise in the popularity of the UFC, and of MMA sports in general. Things are still looking up going into 2007, with some landmark names coming to the UFC, and more Pride Fighting events in the U.S.
Alright, well I'm sure we're all glad that's finally over. Here's to 2007!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
on the backs of the bruised
Something besides Ohio State's BCS Championship performance had me irritated last night, and that was hearing about the San Diego Chargers' third-string tight end being arrested for a DUI. Actually, it wasn't the arrest itself that ticked me off, but that fact that this is this San Diego's seventh brush with the law this season. That's right, only one less than the Cincinnati Bengals. Where are all the pundits and talking heads now? While the Bengals are supposedly nothing but a bunch of criminals and thugs, nary a word is spoken against the Chargers. I wonder if it has anything to do with them being the top team in the NFL with a 14-2 regular season record. Everyone wants to point out the Bengals' off-field problems and label them a bunch of convicts, but the reality is that at least 35 NFL players have been arrested this year, so it's obviously a league-wide problem. Not that the media will care.
My annoyance continued today as we failed to get tickets for UFC 68 in Columbus. I can't believe how fast they sold out. Hopefully this will be a sign of how popular MMA events are here and the UFC will host more in Ohio in the future.
Carson Palmer is one of three finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year, but it'll be tough to beat Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.
My annoyance continued today as we failed to get tickets for UFC 68 in Columbus. I can't believe how fast they sold out. Hopefully this will be a sign of how popular MMA events are here and the UFC will host more in Ohio in the future.
Carson Palmer is one of three finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year, but it'll be tough to beat Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.
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