"I'm just being honest/ I'm the s**t, no laxative/ I'm solid."
"Over these beats I'm sick/ But if you want beef get your dogs/ I'll get Michael Vick." (too soon?)
December 20, 2010
December 15, 2010
December 14, 2010
Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter All Helping to Take Away Your Right to Free Speech
Eugene Robinson -- Washington Post Op-Ed
This article is one of the few gems that the Washington Post puts out daily. Overall a crappy paper, but some of their writers are excellent. For those of you without the time or attention span to read this article I will sum it up for you after a little background. Wiki-leaks has been all over the news recently for exposing our government (and a few others) for what they really are. Corrupt systems of varying levels of oppression. Our governments' reaction proves this. The U.S. government supported Wiki-leaks when it was going to expose the Russian government but said it was inappropriate for them to expose the U.S. government. I find it very hard to believe that the government did not pressure Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter into fighting back against Wiki-leaks, but they had no legal ground to stand on. Those three companies should have told the government to shove off and stop intruding on the private sector, but instead they sided with the government and are helping to take away our right of free speech. In this article, Robinson says that while he doesn't support Wiki-leaks, he also doesn't support commercial enterprises making political decisions. He also pointed out that Facebook and Twitter allowed their sites to be used to organize protests against the Iranian government but won't allow them to be used for Wiki-leaks. He went on to say that it is dangerous to allow these near monopolies of the internet to decide what is acceptable and unacceptable to suppress on the internet regarding free speech. I agree with him 100%. It is only a matter of time before this gets out of control. My feelings on the situation are this; If our government doesn't want classified information to get out that could potentially affect national security, then maybe they should stop doing things that will affect our national security if the information gets out. It's all about accountability, something that we as Americans have forgotten about not only for our politicians, but also in our daily lives. It's time to step up and take our rights back.
This article is one of the few gems that the Washington Post puts out daily. Overall a crappy paper, but some of their writers are excellent. For those of you without the time or attention span to read this article I will sum it up for you after a little background. Wiki-leaks has been all over the news recently for exposing our government (and a few others) for what they really are. Corrupt systems of varying levels of oppression. Our governments' reaction proves this. The U.S. government supported Wiki-leaks when it was going to expose the Russian government but said it was inappropriate for them to expose the U.S. government. I find it very hard to believe that the government did not pressure Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter into fighting back against Wiki-leaks, but they had no legal ground to stand on. Those three companies should have told the government to shove off and stop intruding on the private sector, but instead they sided with the government and are helping to take away our right of free speech. In this article, Robinson says that while he doesn't support Wiki-leaks, he also doesn't support commercial enterprises making political decisions. He also pointed out that Facebook and Twitter allowed their sites to be used to organize protests against the Iranian government but won't allow them to be used for Wiki-leaks. He went on to say that it is dangerous to allow these near monopolies of the internet to decide what is acceptable and unacceptable to suppress on the internet regarding free speech. I agree with him 100%. It is only a matter of time before this gets out of control. My feelings on the situation are this; If our government doesn't want classified information to get out that could potentially affect national security, then maybe they should stop doing things that will affect our national security if the information gets out. It's all about accountability, something that we as Americans have forgotten about not only for our politicians, but also in our daily lives. It's time to step up and take our rights back.
December 9, 2010
Songs That Entertain Your Kids, As They Watch You Lose Your Mind
These two songs have been stuck in my head for a long time now. So long in fact that I have lost all track of time. I think I am forgetting who I am. Through all of it I still acknolwedge that these songs are better than 80% of hip hop on the market right now.
Backyardigans Theme (Pablo is the truth, don't hate)
Dorothy the Dinosaur (ugh...)
Backyardigans Theme (Pablo is the truth, don't hate)
Dorothy the Dinosaur (ugh...)
December 7, 2010
Why A Change In U.S. Foreign Behavior Is Necessary
I am preaching to you today to present a serious issue that is getting overlooked in all of the hype surrounding our financial problems in the United States. Our foreign behavior is boorish and needs to be changed. I would like to make clear that I am talking about our behavior and attitude towards other countries more than our foreign policy although both need to change. Our behavior is causing more problems than it is solving and it is costing us money in the process. I am first going to explain to you the issues with our foreign behavior, specifically concerning our Latin American neighbors but it will tie into our problems in the Middle East. I will follow that with an explanation of how this behavior negatively affects us. In closing I will tell you what we can do to remedy our relationships worldwide.
The United States has become a signal of oppression in Latin American countries. We are seen as a country who preaches democracy all while supporting corrupt dictatorships that allow us to pillage natural resources. This has caused extreme dissent in the Latin American region. The feelings of the poor who also generally happen to be indigenous, are coming out in revolutionary ways. It started in Venezuela and has spread across the South American continent. Countries like Bolivia, Ecuador and the aforementioned Venezuela are being run by indigenous people for the first time. The economies of Venezuela, Argentina, and Bolivia are gaining momentum at a time when most of the world is in a state of decline. The reason these economies are doing better than in recent times is the current lack of an overbearing United States presence. Private U.S. companies have controlled the natural resources of Venezuela and Bolivia in the past and only recently have been expelled from those countries. With the expulsion of foreign control the democratically elected governments are now able to more equally distribute wealth to their citizens. Programs in both countries have sprung up including free health care centers, schools for children, cheap night schooling for adults, and aid stations that help people understand their rights under the newly drafted constitutions. In Venezuela specifically the literacy rate has increased to almost 94% which is the highest in the region and poverty has dropped from 55% in 2008, to 32% in 2009. The United States has also demanded that Latin American countries take part in our war on drugs. The last statement I just made can sum up most of the issues of the United States' behavior abroad. Other countries criticize that we get involved with their internal affairs, base our foreign policy on money making, spend excessive amounts on our military, and have an overall elitist attitude in our dealings. The president of Bolivia, who was democratically elected, decided to back out of the war on drugs in 2008. Bolivia has many different geographical regions including the highest capital city in the world, La Paz. I say this to tell you that in Bolivia they use the coca leaf to combat fatigue, hunger, and altitude sickness, not to mention putting it in teas as well. It is a tamer but more useful version of coffee. I bring this back to my main point now. It seems that whenever the United States is actively involved in other countries business, the economies of those countries suffer. The fundamentalist groups in the Middle East saw us pulling out of the Latin American countries and realized that we would need to get our oil from somewhere else. They saw themselves as the next logical target of the United States and reacted accordingly. If we had not behaved in such a harsh way towards our Latin American neighbors, the fundamentalist groups may have never felt the need to act out against us. After all the main argument of Osama Bin Laden and Al Zawahiri was against the United States' economic and social infringement in the Middle East.
This behavior abroad has affected us in many ways, the most noticeable in our economy. The United States takes a hard line stance against governments we deem to not have our best interests at heart. I ask you. Why should another country, even an ally, have our best interest at heart? From this arrogance comes enemies. Enemies that our government feels are threats to us. In order to protect the citizens of this country our government spends exorbitant amounts of money on defense. There is a saying "To the victor go the spoils". What this means is that the victor in any conflict not only wins the subject of the conflict but additional perks which usually are economic. Whether it be slaves, jewels, fine metals or whatever the case, the spoils help make up for the money spent on the conflict. The issue the United States is currently having is that there are no victors and there are no spoils. We have reached a point in time where we are fighting ideologies that conflict with our own. Spending money to fight an idea will never work. It will only make the idea grow. It will only give it more credence which will only create more enemies.
The solution to our problem is simple. Our behavior towards other countries obviously involves person to person communication. The key to improving relationships with all other countries involves treating every country, no matter the size, as equals. We don't need to act like countries have the wealth or the military might that we do but we must treat them with respect. When you respect someone they generally will respect you back. Many foreign leaders feel threatened by the United States because of our aggressive nature. So naturally when we start to encroach in their country they get defensive. We can stop all of that by being respectful. President Obama took the first step when he made a point to shake Hugo Chavez's hand at the Summit of the Americas in 2009 and bowed to numerous foreign and domestic leaders over his time in office. While some in the United States view this as a sign of weakness, most in the world view it as a sign of respect. The more we respect foreign governments the more likely we are to get beneficial trade arrangements where both sides are happy.
I hope I made you think about worldwide relations today in a new way. The time of American dominance, or some would say imperialism, is over. It is time for us to move forward and act as one. If we establish respect and honor amongst our neighbors maybe others will follow suit. That way we can all establish lasting and lucrative economic agreements between countries and stop the economic downturn affecting many. There may even be a chance to lessen the gap between the have's and the have not's worldwide.
The United States has become a signal of oppression in Latin American countries. We are seen as a country who preaches democracy all while supporting corrupt dictatorships that allow us to pillage natural resources. This has caused extreme dissent in the Latin American region. The feelings of the poor who also generally happen to be indigenous, are coming out in revolutionary ways. It started in Venezuela and has spread across the South American continent. Countries like Bolivia, Ecuador and the aforementioned Venezuela are being run by indigenous people for the first time. The economies of Venezuela, Argentina, and Bolivia are gaining momentum at a time when most of the world is in a state of decline. The reason these economies are doing better than in recent times is the current lack of an overbearing United States presence. Private U.S. companies have controlled the natural resources of Venezuela and Bolivia in the past and only recently have been expelled from those countries. With the expulsion of foreign control the democratically elected governments are now able to more equally distribute wealth to their citizens. Programs in both countries have sprung up including free health care centers, schools for children, cheap night schooling for adults, and aid stations that help people understand their rights under the newly drafted constitutions. In Venezuela specifically the literacy rate has increased to almost 94% which is the highest in the region and poverty has dropped from 55% in 2008, to 32% in 2009. The United States has also demanded that Latin American countries take part in our war on drugs. The last statement I just made can sum up most of the issues of the United States' behavior abroad. Other countries criticize that we get involved with their internal affairs, base our foreign policy on money making, spend excessive amounts on our military, and have an overall elitist attitude in our dealings. The president of Bolivia, who was democratically elected, decided to back out of the war on drugs in 2008. Bolivia has many different geographical regions including the highest capital city in the world, La Paz. I say this to tell you that in Bolivia they use the coca leaf to combat fatigue, hunger, and altitude sickness, not to mention putting it in teas as well. It is a tamer but more useful version of coffee. I bring this back to my main point now. It seems that whenever the United States is actively involved in other countries business, the economies of those countries suffer. The fundamentalist groups in the Middle East saw us pulling out of the Latin American countries and realized that we would need to get our oil from somewhere else. They saw themselves as the next logical target of the United States and reacted accordingly. If we had not behaved in such a harsh way towards our Latin American neighbors, the fundamentalist groups may have never felt the need to act out against us. After all the main argument of Osama Bin Laden and Al Zawahiri was against the United States' economic and social infringement in the Middle East.
This behavior abroad has affected us in many ways, the most noticeable in our economy. The United States takes a hard line stance against governments we deem to not have our best interests at heart. I ask you. Why should another country, even an ally, have our best interest at heart? From this arrogance comes enemies. Enemies that our government feels are threats to us. In order to protect the citizens of this country our government spends exorbitant amounts of money on defense. There is a saying "To the victor go the spoils". What this means is that the victor in any conflict not only wins the subject of the conflict but additional perks which usually are economic. Whether it be slaves, jewels, fine metals or whatever the case, the spoils help make up for the money spent on the conflict. The issue the United States is currently having is that there are no victors and there are no spoils. We have reached a point in time where we are fighting ideologies that conflict with our own. Spending money to fight an idea will never work. It will only make the idea grow. It will only give it more credence which will only create more enemies.
The solution to our problem is simple. Our behavior towards other countries obviously involves person to person communication. The key to improving relationships with all other countries involves treating every country, no matter the size, as equals. We don't need to act like countries have the wealth or the military might that we do but we must treat them with respect. When you respect someone they generally will respect you back. Many foreign leaders feel threatened by the United States because of our aggressive nature. So naturally when we start to encroach in their country they get defensive. We can stop all of that by being respectful. President Obama took the first step when he made a point to shake Hugo Chavez's hand at the Summit of the Americas in 2009 and bowed to numerous foreign and domestic leaders over his time in office. While some in the United States view this as a sign of weakness, most in the world view it as a sign of respect. The more we respect foreign governments the more likely we are to get beneficial trade arrangements where both sides are happy.
I hope I made you think about worldwide relations today in a new way. The time of American dominance, or some would say imperialism, is over. It is time for us to move forward and act as one. If we establish respect and honor amongst our neighbors maybe others will follow suit. That way we can all establish lasting and lucrative economic agreements between countries and stop the economic downturn affecting many. There may even be a chance to lessen the gap between the have's and the have not's worldwide.
December 2, 2010
World Cup/FIFA
I will make a more coherent post on this at a later time but right now I am too distraught to really think rationally. This is a sad day for soccer worldwide. Congrats to Russia but Qatar was only selected for the bribe. They will not host this event. They cant. It isnt feasible. FIFA will take their bribe money then say they arent fit to host it a few years from now. We can only hope.
November 29, 2010
AFC East Week 12 Review
Many would say that the Jets and the Patriots are two favorites to make it to the Super Bowl (see how I did that, "many would say", but who is "many"?). I would tend to agree with that statement. Both teams have been strong so far this year... Who am I kidding? I don't even watch these teams play but once or twice a year and it's usually in the playoffs. I do this because I know for a fact there are supporters of the AFC East amongst my regular readers. Look Ma, no cursing.
- Miami 33 - Oakland 17 -- Bob you are so lucky you disowned them at the start of the season. Mom would NEVER let you live this down. Well played Dolphins, well played.
- New England 45 - Detroit 24 -- New England is 9-2 thanks to a two headed power rushing attack led by BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead.
- NY Jets 26 - Cincinnati 10 -- I mean it's Cincinnati.
- Pittsburgh 19 - Buffalo 16 -- There is a lot of commotion surrounding Steve Johnson and his drop in overtime against the Steelers. I however want to switch the focus to Shaun Suisham. He went 4-4. What is that? He made field goals of 45, 46, 48, and the game winner from 41 yards out. He missed a 23 yarder in the same situation for us and kicked a 47 yard field goal that landed in the end zone. I can't find actual television footage of a Shuan Suisham Redskins field goal, but there is this
NFC East Week Whatever Review
At least my fantasy teams are doing well. So goes my thinking at about this time every year. Oh well. Self pity over. On to the Week 12 NFC East Review...
- Minnesota 17 - Washington 13 -- I want to blame Perry Riley for his block in the back on the Brandon Banks punt return TD, but that is expected of the Redskins. I want to blame McNabb for not being anything other than slightly better in the Burgundy and Gold than Jason Campbell, but that is expected of me. This one is on the receivers. McNabb was actually getting his passes consistently on target this game only to see drop after drop from all of his receiving options. This is what it has come to (trust me, it's only worth watching for about the first minute).
- NY Giants 24 - Jacksonville 20 -- Didn't see any of the other NFC East games at all. From what I could tell while watching the Skins game, the Giants trailed for most of this. But they pulled it out, and were pretty banged up coming into it.
- Chicago 31 - Philadelphia 26 -- Philly is definitely the most fun to watch. It only helps when DeSean Jackson makes analogies like this.
- New Orleans 30 - Dallas 27 -- What can I say other than I really hope Dallas doesn't catch any of us this year. That would be embarrassing.
November 24, 2010
Open Letter to President Obama
Dear President Obama,
I've been watching the relationship between our government and the citizens of this country slowly deteriorate. I know it's not entirely your fault. The previous regimes (yes Clinton too) have left a lot to be desired within this country. But this TSA thing is just going too far. Our elected officials are perfectly happy allowing TSA employees to sexually harass their customers. Think about it this way. If you were at your place of business and your boss (before you were president, sir) said, "before you exit/enter this building I must frisk you just to be safe. You don't have to submit to this but if you don't you will be fired and could face a $10,000 fine". Do you know what that is? That is sexual harassment. How is it acceptable for that to be done to us at airports? But never mind that. I have a suggestion for you that I hope makes it to you. Stop BS'ing around the States. Fuck these dudes here. They will never let you get anything done. No matter what you did with the health care in this country the rePUBICans were going to try to dump on you. I truly feel the most important thing you have done in your entire time in office is to shake Hugo Chavez's hand. Let's keep this going. Get out in the world. Talk to all the leaders of the countries the United States has oppressed over the past two decades. Lift the embargo on Cuba, apologize to Ecuador on behalf of George Bush, open up FAIR trade relations with Bolivia, Venezuela, and all other Latin American countries. Get our private businesses out of enterprises that should be run by their states. Did you know that Bechtel made it a crime to collect rain water in Bolivia. They had jacked up the prices so high the average citizen couldn't afford water, and then made it illegal for them to collect it. In Venezuela don't listen to the former leaders and corrupted media outlets. Hugo Chavez was voted in as president and when we helped to remove him, riots broke out across the country until he was re-established. Let's get you out to the Middle East. Sit down with leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and sit with the more prominent terrorist organizations. The terrorists attacked us not to kill innocent U.S. citizens. They attacked us to collapse our economy and bring about a worldwide recession. It worked. They attacked us to make us change the way we live and to make our government overreact and become even more oppressive. It worked. They had a reason behind it. Sit down and talk with them and other leaders in the region. Fighting is never the solution. If you sat down with people at a round table discussion and let everyone air their grievances you would be surprised by how much it would accomplish. Perhaps Bin Laden has a point. Maybe it isn't right for us to spread our influence through military and force of economy. People love our culture. They love McDonalds, they love basketball, they love hip hop and country. They don't love bombs being dropped on their houses nor do they love military bases being constructed next door. Having a military presence in another country is obscene. It's even worse because we don't let them build bases here. Be a man. Go out there and look these "rebel" or "difficult" world leaders in the eye and talk out your problems. You can't tell me Hugo Chavez wouldn't LOVE to trade oil to us, we consume so damn much of it. You can't tell me Evo Morales wouldn't love to trade natural gases to us, you can't tell me little Castro wouldn't want a flow of American goods and that U.S. citizens wouldn't love cheap Cuban cigars. Just make the trade arrangements fair. These countries hate us because we expect lopsided trade arrangements and if they don't sign them we threaten them with violence or trade embargos. Let's stop being worldwide bullies and start being a member of the worldwide community. Maybe others will follow suit when they realize they no longer have to fear being invaded for the smallest perceived injustice. Just a thought.
I've been watching the relationship between our government and the citizens of this country slowly deteriorate. I know it's not entirely your fault. The previous regimes (yes Clinton too) have left a lot to be desired within this country. But this TSA thing is just going too far. Our elected officials are perfectly happy allowing TSA employees to sexually harass their customers. Think about it this way. If you were at your place of business and your boss (before you were president, sir) said, "before you exit/enter this building I must frisk you just to be safe. You don't have to submit to this but if you don't you will be fired and could face a $10,000 fine". Do you know what that is? That is sexual harassment. How is it acceptable for that to be done to us at airports? But never mind that. I have a suggestion for you that I hope makes it to you. Stop BS'ing around the States. Fuck these dudes here. They will never let you get anything done. No matter what you did with the health care in this country the rePUBICans were going to try to dump on you. I truly feel the most important thing you have done in your entire time in office is to shake Hugo Chavez's hand. Let's keep this going. Get out in the world. Talk to all the leaders of the countries the United States has oppressed over the past two decades. Lift the embargo on Cuba, apologize to Ecuador on behalf of George Bush, open up FAIR trade relations with Bolivia, Venezuela, and all other Latin American countries. Get our private businesses out of enterprises that should be run by their states. Did you know that Bechtel made it a crime to collect rain water in Bolivia. They had jacked up the prices so high the average citizen couldn't afford water, and then made it illegal for them to collect it. In Venezuela don't listen to the former leaders and corrupted media outlets. Hugo Chavez was voted in as president and when we helped to remove him, riots broke out across the country until he was re-established. Let's get you out to the Middle East. Sit down with leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and sit with the more prominent terrorist organizations. The terrorists attacked us not to kill innocent U.S. citizens. They attacked us to collapse our economy and bring about a worldwide recession. It worked. They attacked us to make us change the way we live and to make our government overreact and become even more oppressive. It worked. They had a reason behind it. Sit down and talk with them and other leaders in the region. Fighting is never the solution. If you sat down with people at a round table discussion and let everyone air their grievances you would be surprised by how much it would accomplish. Perhaps Bin Laden has a point. Maybe it isn't right for us to spread our influence through military and force of economy. People love our culture. They love McDonalds, they love basketball, they love hip hop and country. They don't love bombs being dropped on their houses nor do they love military bases being constructed next door. Having a military presence in another country is obscene. It's even worse because we don't let them build bases here. Be a man. Go out there and look these "rebel" or "difficult" world leaders in the eye and talk out your problems. You can't tell me Hugo Chavez wouldn't LOVE to trade oil to us, we consume so damn much of it. You can't tell me Evo Morales wouldn't love to trade natural gases to us, you can't tell me little Castro wouldn't want a flow of American goods and that U.S. citizens wouldn't love cheap Cuban cigars. Just make the trade arrangements fair. These countries hate us because we expect lopsided trade arrangements and if they don't sign them we threaten them with violence or trade embargos. Let's stop being worldwide bullies and start being a member of the worldwide community. Maybe others will follow suit when they realize they no longer have to fear being invaded for the smallest perceived injustice. Just a thought.
A Concerned Citizen,
Tyler Martin
R.I.P. Lucas Anthony Tang
For those of you still unaware. A two year old named Lucas Anthony Tang fell to his death at the Staples Center during the Lakers v. Warriors game.
To all of you questioning the parents of the child who died from a fall in the Staples Center and are claiming child abuse, GET A FUCKING LIFE. People have been questioning why they would bring a two year old to a basketball game. Why? Because you want your child to learn about sports. my son is almost one and currently watches soccer with wide-eyed amazement. i cannot wait to get him outside and play with him as well as take him to see a game because of the atmosphere you can only experience from a live sporting event. I feel so bad for this family. I could not imagine losing my son and the thought of him falling instead of their boy brings tears to my eyes. it is every parents worst nightmare to not be able to protect your child from this sometimes cruel, cold world and now that is something they have to deal with for the rest of their lives. those thoughts will never leave their minds, and no matter the outcome of the investigation they will always blame themselves. My thoughts and heart goes out to the parents of Lucas Anthony Tang. And as for ESPN. You should be fucking ashamed of yourselves. YOU WENT TO KNOCK ON THEIR DOOR FOR AN INTERVIEW AND WERE SURPRISED THEY DIDN'T ANSWER? You all need to get a life too. Leave this family alone. Give them your condolences. But do it through e-mail or a telephone call. People get pissed when they get calls during family dinner. If you show up at my doorstep the day after my son died asking for an interview or a statement, I PROMISE you the paramedics wouldn't make it in time and your funeral will be closed casket. Shame on you ESPN, you have always been one of the least classy news organizations in the world and this proves it. Should they have kept a better eye on their son? Who knows. Maybe someone they trusted was watching him. Maybe it happened too fast for anyone to see. Maybe he wandered away at the exact moment both parents looked away for one second. There is no reason for anyone to be so heartless through all of this. A two year old lost his life. Whether or not you want to blame the parents, you can't at this point. So chill out and remember that karma always comes quicker to the man on the other side of the figurative gun. Rest in Peace Lucas Anthony Tang.
To all of you questioning the parents of the child who died from a fall in the Staples Center and are claiming child abuse, GET A FUCKING LIFE. People have been questioning why they would bring a two year old to a basketball game. Why? Because you want your child to learn about sports. my son is almost one and currently watches soccer with wide-eyed amazement. i cannot wait to get him outside and play with him as well as take him to see a game because of the atmosphere you can only experience from a live sporting event. I feel so bad for this family. I could not imagine losing my son and the thought of him falling instead of their boy brings tears to my eyes. it is every parents worst nightmare to not be able to protect your child from this sometimes cruel, cold world and now that is something they have to deal with for the rest of their lives. those thoughts will never leave their minds, and no matter the outcome of the investigation they will always blame themselves. My thoughts and heart goes out to the parents of Lucas Anthony Tang. And as for ESPN. You should be fucking ashamed of yourselves. YOU WENT TO KNOCK ON THEIR DOOR FOR AN INTERVIEW AND WERE SURPRISED THEY DIDN'T ANSWER? You all need to get a life too. Leave this family alone. Give them your condolences. But do it through e-mail or a telephone call. People get pissed when they get calls during family dinner. If you show up at my doorstep the day after my son died asking for an interview or a statement, I PROMISE you the paramedics wouldn't make it in time and your funeral will be closed casket. Shame on you ESPN, you have always been one of the least classy news organizations in the world and this proves it. Should they have kept a better eye on their son? Who knows. Maybe someone they trusted was watching him. Maybe it happened too fast for anyone to see. Maybe he wandered away at the exact moment both parents looked away for one second. There is no reason for anyone to be so heartless through all of this. A two year old lost his life. Whether or not you want to blame the parents, you can't at this point. So chill out and remember that karma always comes quicker to the man on the other side of the figurative gun. Rest in Peace Lucas Anthony Tang.
October 30, 2010
David Stern is the Worst Thing to Happen to the NBA
David Stern has been talking of creating a division for the NBA in Europe. He thinks it will be a five team division and that people will love it. That is STUPID. There aren't even enough good players to fill the current rosters and now he wants to expand to Europe where there are already professional basketball leagues. What a tool. This dude is a tyrant and I for one cannot wait until he leaves the NBA alone. Stop making your athletes act like they are someone they aren't. Stop fining people for expressing facts about how HORRENDOUS your refs are. STOP BEING A DOUCHE BAG DAVID STERN. Nobody likes you, at all, not even your family. That is all. Loser.
October 25, 2010
Diego Forlan
Dude went nuts earlier this summer.
Diego Forlan
World Cup Memories
Nah, I was playin. Here they are.
Diego Forlan
World Cup Memories
Nah, I was playin. Here they are.
October 21, 2010
Wayne Rooney: Champ or Chump
For those of you living under the rock that is the southern United States, Wayne Rooney striker extraordinaire, wants out of Manchester United. If you don't know about Manchester United then I'm not quite sure why you are still reading. I'd have tuned out by now. There are two general theories on why Rooney wants out.
Theory 1: For the love of money. Basically it's about weekly wages. Right now at Man U the 24 year old makes roughly $140,000 per week (yes football/soccer is for real people). However if he were to switch clubs to say a Real Madrid or Manchester City (god forbid, the powder blue bastards), he could bring in almost twice that. While I feel that this factors into his decision in no small way, I'm not inclined to believe this because of his own words. Which brings us to theory two.
Theory 2: He wants to win. Here is Rooney's statement, "It is absolutely true that my agent and I have had a number of meetings with the club about a new contract. During those meetings in August I asked for assurances about the continued ability of the club to attract the top players in the world. I have never had anything but complete respect for MUFC. How could I not have done given its fantastic history and especially the last six years in which I have been lucky to play a part? For me its all about winning trophies - as the club has always done under Sir Alex. Because of that I think the questions I was asking were justified." Sounds reasonable to me. Rooney, sensing the slight decline of Man U, wanted to know that talent was going to be brought in to better the team. It seems as if that was not promised. This brings me to my thoughts as a fan of this club.
Is this Sir Alex Ferguson's fault? As blasphemous as that question may be, I think it is valid. For those of you who don't know the back story here, Sir Alex has won Premier League Manager of the Year nine times (most in history), he has won the Premier League 11 times, he has won the European Cup twice, oh and he was KNIGHTED for contributions to the game. He has credentials that would make any rapper jealous. Read that one more time. HE WAS KNIGHTED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GAME. Granted that game is football, but still. Back to the topic at hand. I truly feel Fergie (stop it. I know what you are thinking) is to blame for this. He is well-known for not allowing players to be bigger than the franchise but this has led to many major losses, the most recent of which Cristiano Ronaldo, we have yet to bounce back from. Our team is old with not enough young talent. I like Anderson but he is like Nick Young, he has no understanding of the game. He distributes too many errant passes that kill possession for us. Chicharito is gonna be a baller, but we already know we will be fine at striker even without Rooney. Our defense looks incredibly shaky even with Rio Ferdinand healthy, but even so, we shouldn't be losing with the firepower that we have up front. Which leaves us with the midfield. Another one of the youngsters is Nani. Certified baller status. I really enjoy watching him play, he learned a lot from Ronaldo and it is really showing through now. After Nani, our two most reliable, and some would argue the only two serviceable midfielders are Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. They are 36 and 35 respectively. Point is, Sir Alex has let this team gradually get older without having any youngsters in place to take over. He's slipping a little. He has done amazing things for this club and he shouldn't be forced out, but there have been signs. Not only is Manchester United sitting at 4th in the league currently, but over the past seven years some major players have fled the club. David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistlerooy, Carlos Tevez, and Cristiano Ronaldo all left on less than favorable terms with the manager. Although with Ronaldo, Ferguson wasn't upset as much as he was resigned to the fact that Ronaldo wanted to play for Real Madrid.
With all that said, I think it will be good to sell Rooney. Hopefully not to Manchester City but getting some money back and being able to buy some young talent will certainly start to change the downward trend at Man U. Let's just hope the Glazer's open up that pocketbook.
I leave you with the best commercial series ever.
Joga Bonito Brazil
Joga Bonito Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Cristiano Ronaldo
Joga Bonito Thierry Henry
Update: Rooney resigned with Man U for another five years. This either means his worries were appeased by management and we are going to sign new players to make the team better, or that we have spent our money on Rooney and are just counting on an old team to get younger.
Theory 1: For the love of money. Basically it's about weekly wages. Right now at Man U the 24 year old makes roughly $140,000 per week (yes football/soccer is for real people). However if he were to switch clubs to say a Real Madrid or Manchester City (god forbid, the powder blue bastards), he could bring in almost twice that. While I feel that this factors into his decision in no small way, I'm not inclined to believe this because of his own words. Which brings us to theory two.
Theory 2: He wants to win. Here is Rooney's statement, "It is absolutely true that my agent and I have had a number of meetings with the club about a new contract. During those meetings in August I asked for assurances about the continued ability of the club to attract the top players in the world. I have never had anything but complete respect for MUFC. How could I not have done given its fantastic history and especially the last six years in which I have been lucky to play a part? For me its all about winning trophies - as the club has always done under Sir Alex. Because of that I think the questions I was asking were justified." Sounds reasonable to me. Rooney, sensing the slight decline of Man U, wanted to know that talent was going to be brought in to better the team. It seems as if that was not promised. This brings me to my thoughts as a fan of this club.
Is this Sir Alex Ferguson's fault? As blasphemous as that question may be, I think it is valid. For those of you who don't know the back story here, Sir Alex has won Premier League Manager of the Year nine times (most in history), he has won the Premier League 11 times, he has won the European Cup twice, oh and he was KNIGHTED for contributions to the game. He has credentials that would make any rapper jealous. Read that one more time. HE WAS KNIGHTED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GAME. Granted that game is football, but still. Back to the topic at hand. I truly feel Fergie (stop it. I know what you are thinking) is to blame for this. He is well-known for not allowing players to be bigger than the franchise but this has led to many major losses, the most recent of which Cristiano Ronaldo, we have yet to bounce back from. Our team is old with not enough young talent. I like Anderson but he is like Nick Young, he has no understanding of the game. He distributes too many errant passes that kill possession for us. Chicharito is gonna be a baller, but we already know we will be fine at striker even without Rooney. Our defense looks incredibly shaky even with Rio Ferdinand healthy, but even so, we shouldn't be losing with the firepower that we have up front. Which leaves us with the midfield. Another one of the youngsters is Nani. Certified baller status. I really enjoy watching him play, he learned a lot from Ronaldo and it is really showing through now. After Nani, our two most reliable, and some would argue the only two serviceable midfielders are Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. They are 36 and 35 respectively. Point is, Sir Alex has let this team gradually get older without having any youngsters in place to take over. He's slipping a little. He has done amazing things for this club and he shouldn't be forced out, but there have been signs. Not only is Manchester United sitting at 4th in the league currently, but over the past seven years some major players have fled the club. David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistlerooy, Carlos Tevez, and Cristiano Ronaldo all left on less than favorable terms with the manager. Although with Ronaldo, Ferguson wasn't upset as much as he was resigned to the fact that Ronaldo wanted to play for Real Madrid.
With all that said, I think it will be good to sell Rooney. Hopefully not to Manchester City but getting some money back and being able to buy some young talent will certainly start to change the downward trend at Man U. Let's just hope the Glazer's open up that pocketbook.
I leave you with the best commercial series ever.
Joga Bonito Brazil
Joga Bonito Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Cristiano Ronaldo
Joga Bonito Thierry Henry
Update: Rooney resigned with Man U for another five years. This either means his worries were appeased by management and we are going to sign new players to make the team better, or that we have spent our money on Rooney and are just counting on an old team to get younger.
October 17, 2010
NFC LEast Week 6 Preview
Sitting pretty at the top of the NFC East is everyone but Dallas. AHAHAHHAHA. Super Bowl baby. But I digress. Before I tune out some of my readers let me clarify, this division is winnable for every team in it. Except for maybe the Redskins. As my Redskins readers now go from laughing to closing their internet browsers, let me clarify again. The last two times we played a full game against a starting QB, we lost. That includes a loss to Sam Bradford. I'm not sure if we can count on knocking out every starting QB the rest of the way, but it certainly is worth a try. The Eagles should be fine when Vick comes back, and the Cowboys SHOULD be fine, but aren't. Either way, I stand by my 7 win total for the Skins. Something just doesn't feel right. I guess I should say things don't feel different when I watch the Skins play, and that's not good.
Week 6 Predictions
Indianapolis 17 - Redskins 10 -- For some reason I don't see a high scoring game. Call me crazy. Or just look at the scores from the past two games. We are grinding them out. I just don't see a win.
Dallas 21 - Minnesota 17 -- Dallas can't possibly be as bad as they seem... Can they?
Atlanta 17 - Philadelphia 12 -- Kevin Kolb sucks. I can't wait until Vick is starting again.
NY Giants 31 - Detroit 24 -- I don't think either team can really stop the other consistently. However this does leave Eli in first place, and while I admitted it was a possibility before the season, this doesn't feel right.
Week 6 Predictions
Indianapolis 17 - Redskins 10 -- For some reason I don't see a high scoring game. Call me crazy. Or just look at the scores from the past two games. We are grinding them out. I just don't see a win.
Dallas 21 - Minnesota 17 -- Dallas can't possibly be as bad as they seem... Can they?
Atlanta 17 - Philadelphia 12 -- Kevin Kolb sucks. I can't wait until Vick is starting again.
NY Giants 31 - Detroit 24 -- I don't think either team can really stop the other consistently. However this does leave Eli in first place, and while I admitted it was a possibility before the season, this doesn't feel right.
Sick Song Saturday
Those of you who have been around me long enough know I am prone to many boisterous and bold claims. The most consistent of which, my claim that Cormega is the greatest rapper ever, generally falls on deaf ears even though I feel it is not the least bit bold. Generally these claims end with me throwing up my hands in disgust and agreed that Cormega is the greatest rapper ever in MY opinion. I truly don't feel you can get a good feel for him as a rapper unless you hear everything. I recommend giving a listen to every verse of his you can find. Right now I leave you with one of my favorite songs and one of his better verses... Keep in mind, neither is his best work, just what I have been listening to recently. That's how dope this dude is... or in his words "Rhymes so dope I hope I make it through customs"
"I paint a picture vividly as if Picasso's spirit entered me/ Staring at the heavens/ Secluded in a tinted jeep/ I'm sick of hearing eulogies/ I realize my/ Nigga Blue is a reminder of my past like Greek ruins yet his seed keeps blooming/ Unaffected by police intrusions/ Or street illusions we were consumed with/ I've even grown away from/ people I grew with/ I mean we cool but I don't need the bullshit/ My mood could switch easily/ From smooth to ruthless/ We ain't built the same so mind games are useless/ Time's change/ Like the climate/ I changed/ Check the forecast/ I reign (rain)."
Cormega - The Saga (The Realness) <-- Dope song
And the illest verse of the decade goes to Mega... 3rd verse by the way but give Lake a listen as well.
"Niggas rap about the game but never been in it/ Mega's equivalent to Eric Dickerson/ Incredibly gifted/ The thoroughest lyrics since the era of Sega Genesis/ Float like a Pegasus/ my potential is infinite/ I was blessed with a gift to spit so hard and strenuous/ It resonates through prison gates and halls of tenements/ Where dealers rise and fall like temperatures/ Cold bodies make the block hot as Caribbeans its real in the field/ Serious I got a myriad of skills/ You aint feelin me/ Do you/ I'll do me and you ain't gotta deal with it/ That G-O-Rilla shit had Lake and me facing sentences that's continuous/ So I send what I can/ Or visit friends in the 'pen like ink/ The streets know who the realest is/ We go deep like syringes/ and bring heat like Shaquille and them/ I drop jewels and rock clearer ones and popped many guns/ On the block when we chopped and measured up" Seriously... illest verse.
Cormega & Lake - The Oath (My Brother's Keeper)
"I paint a picture vividly as if Picasso's spirit entered me/ Staring at the heavens/ Secluded in a tinted jeep/ I'm sick of hearing eulogies/ I realize my/ Nigga Blue is a reminder of my past like Greek ruins yet his seed keeps blooming/ Unaffected by police intrusions/ Or street illusions we were consumed with/ I've even grown away from/ people I grew with/ I mean we cool but I don't need the bullshit/ My mood could switch easily/ From smooth to ruthless/ We ain't built the same so mind games are useless/ Time's change/ Like the climate/ I changed/ Check the forecast/ I reign (rain)."
Cormega - The Saga (The Realness) <-- Dope song
And the illest verse of the decade goes to Mega... 3rd verse by the way but give Lake a listen as well.
"Niggas rap about the game but never been in it/ Mega's equivalent to Eric Dickerson/ Incredibly gifted/ The thoroughest lyrics since the era of Sega Genesis/ Float like a Pegasus/ my potential is infinite/ I was blessed with a gift to spit so hard and strenuous/ It resonates through prison gates and halls of tenements/ Where dealers rise and fall like temperatures/ Cold bodies make the block hot as Caribbeans its real in the field/ Serious I got a myriad of skills/ You aint feelin me/ Do you/ I'll do me and you ain't gotta deal with it/ That G-O-Rilla shit had Lake and me facing sentences that's continuous/ So I send what I can/ Or visit friends in the 'pen like ink/ The streets know who the realest is/ We go deep like syringes/ and bring heat like Shaquille and them/ I drop jewels and rock clearer ones and popped many guns/ On the block when we chopped and measured up" Seriously... illest verse.
Cormega & Lake - The Oath (My Brother's Keeper)
October 1, 2010
Michael Vick
Michael Vick is playing absurdly well right now if you were not aware. I shiver to think what he is going to do to the Redskins this weekend. The only thing I will say is that with everything that is surrounding this game, there is absolutely no predicting what will happen. But that is not what this is about. This is about Michael Vick the person, and how many do not approve of the opporunity he has been given. I've talked about this issue many times over and my thoughts have been best summed up by ESPN comedian, Bill Simmons.
"If Vick didn't pay a reasonable price for his sins, it would be one thing. But he torched his career, blew a lucrative contract, went bankrupt, spent 19 months in prison and became a public pariah. That wasn't a reasonable price? Every prison sentence has four goals: remove a lawbreaking person from society; assess an appropriate penalty; incarcerate the individual as a deterrence from ever breaking the law again; and hopefully, rehabilitate him or her to become a contributing and upstanding member of society. With Vick, the first three goals were accomplished. The fourth goal seems to have been accomplished. What more do you want? Deny him a chance to make a living? Under what constitutional umbrella? The man paid his price."
That's all there really is to say in my not so humble opinion.
Article here in it's entirety.
September 25, 2010
Sick Song Saturday
Wow... I really can't believe more people haven't caught on to Freddie Gibbs yet (you know who you are). He is the present and future of hip hop. I have no hesitations in saying he is the best rapper out right now. He absolutely murders everything he is on. My personal judgement of a classic album is whether I listen to every song, every time I play an album. While it is too soon to judge, I enjoy putting on Gibbs because I can just let the tracks spin. Today's sick song Saturday: Freddie Gibbs -- The Coldest (Str8 Killa) <-- ITunes (now)
WARNING: If you don't like offensive or potentially racially charged language, please do not read on.
"...no songs spinnin so I resort to the zone flippin./ Something must be wrong wit him./ He takin this shit for granted./ Try to write up in the house with no lights,/ you'll understand it./ I can't teach you how to dougie/ but I can teach you bout this thuggin./ Keepin it thorough./ Keep your mouth closed nigga./ Keep it one hundred./ Keep your hand up out my goddamn pocket/ and keep it pushin./ Keep the reefer, keep the white, keep the soft,/ or just keep it cookin./ But keep in mind that any given day you could die for this./ As I bag this dope I'm prayin one day that I could just/ make an honest piece of change./ Prolly change the way I live./ MJ fadeaway,/ I'm somethin niggas can't defend./ Gangsta Gibbs./ Fresh out the fridge, forty below flow./ No introduction needed cuz niggas already know so..."
WARNING: If you don't like offensive or potentially racially charged language, please do not read on.
"...no songs spinnin so I resort to the zone flippin./ Something must be wrong wit him./ He takin this shit for granted./ Try to write up in the house with no lights,/ you'll understand it./ I can't teach you how to dougie/ but I can teach you bout this thuggin./ Keepin it thorough./ Keep your mouth closed nigga./ Keep it one hundred./ Keep your hand up out my goddamn pocket/ and keep it pushin./ Keep the reefer, keep the white, keep the soft,/ or just keep it cookin./ But keep in mind that any given day you could die for this./ As I bag this dope I'm prayin one day that I could just/ make an honest piece of change./ Prolly change the way I live./ MJ fadeaway,/ I'm somethin niggas can't defend./ Gangsta Gibbs./ Fresh out the fridge, forty below flow./ No introduction needed cuz niggas already know so..."
September 20, 2010
Sick Singles -- Pill "Let Me In"
After having Pill's "Let Me In" run through my different music outlets all day I decided to change Sick Song Saturdays into Sick Singles. I just couldn't wait until the weekend for this. For me, Pill is the type of artist that I am either indifferent to, or completely locked into his songs. There is no middle ground. As this is the only song I have listened to during my trips out today, I'm definitely locked into this one...
Pill's lyrics are brilliant over this ominous beat that Game originally used. I don't see very many artists painting a better picture on this beat than the one Pill so skillfully lays onto the canvas of your mind. Certainly the original is not up to par and I will not include for your listening pleasure. If you haven't heard of Pill yet, now is a good time to listen. Like I said, it's hit or miss, and this is a hit...
"My knuckles bleeding, I been knocking for hours, I know you see me/ I'm pleading could you just open so I could shower and eat/ It's been weeks/ and I been roaming. No sleep, I thought we was homies/ I'm weak from being hungry, but what the fuck do you care for?/ When I'm down seems like they smile. When I'm up/ feels like they stare more/ Where the fuck is your character? It's resembling shallow"
Pill -- Let Me In (4075: The Refill)
Pill's lyrics are brilliant over this ominous beat that Game originally used. I don't see very many artists painting a better picture on this beat than the one Pill so skillfully lays onto the canvas of your mind. Certainly the original is not up to par and I will not include for your listening pleasure. If you haven't heard of Pill yet, now is a good time to listen. Like I said, it's hit or miss, and this is a hit...
"My knuckles bleeding, I been knocking for hours, I know you see me/ I'm pleading could you just open so I could shower and eat/ It's been weeks/ and I been roaming. No sleep, I thought we was homies/ I'm weak from being hungry, but what the fuck do you care for?/ When I'm down seems like they smile. When I'm up/ feels like they stare more/ Where the fuck is your character? It's resembling shallow"
Pill -- Let Me In (4075: The Refill)
Redskins v. Texans Review
Question: What's the difference between the Washington Redskins and a dollar bill?
Answer: You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.
Bah Doomp Tshhh!
Answer: You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.
Bah Doomp Tshhh!
September 18, 2010
Sick Song Saturday
I just got back from a birthday dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Absolutely delicious, incredibly filling. While driving home I needed something chill to listen to while digesting my cheese fries and wings. The problem is my mind was focused on driving while trying not to "take my talents to South Beach" all over the seat. I couldn't think of anything other than those two quite important issues, so I threw the IPod on shuffle... Well what do you know, "High Life" by U.G.K. came on. Needless to say I put the track on repeat and my ride home was relaxing... Almost too relaxing, but you all don't need to hear that.
"...because it ain't like they make higher levels gainable/ and that full piece of American pie/ just ain't attainable. So how can I sustain a full life/ before death. Man I'm left out here to make it by my god damn self/ Now come on..."
U.G.K. -- High Life (Ridin Dirty-1996)
"...because it ain't like they make higher levels gainable/ and that full piece of American pie/ just ain't attainable. So how can I sustain a full life/ before death. Man I'm left out here to make it by my god damn self/ Now come on..."
U.G.K. -- High Life (Ridin Dirty-1996)
September 15, 2010
NFC L-East Review/Preview (Wks. 1 and 2)
Fantasy football is upon us which can only mean one thing. The NFL has started back up. Since I am clearly a Redskins fan and have minimal time to update my blog, I am doing my weekly NFC East article. I just don't have the time for the rest of the league. Plus the two biggest earners in the NFL play in this division.
- Redskins 13 - Cowboys 7 (14) -- I understand completely that Alex Barron held Brian O-sack-po on the last play. But I feel the need to say that there is absolutely zero reason for Roy Williams to be THAT open on that play. Inexcusable. It's also not a certainty that Orakpo even makes that sack, Romo is a tricky bastard in the pocket. DJ Gallo described it best, "Only Tony Romo can throw a game-winning touchdown on the last play and have it result in a loss."
- Packers 27 - Eagles 20 -- I have never seen a team's hopes and dreams crushed so ruthlessly, yet revitalized so quickly. In the first game of the season their quarterback of the future goes 5 for 10 with 24 yards, and then gets face-planted from his blind side. Which was immediately followed by their quarterback of the present, Michael Vick, coming in and tearing the field up. He did look a little tight at the end of the game but I gotta give him the benefit of the doubt. He's Michael Vick.
- Giants 31 - Panthers 18 -- The Giants put up the most points of any of the NFC East teams and after trailing at the half 16-13, came out and put it together well. Sloppy end of the game though. Eli Manning is still their QB, so there's always that problem.
WEEK 2 GAMES
- Chicago at Dallas -- I think the Cowboys will put it together this week. Rivalry games are always a little off... Dallas 27 - Chicago 13
- Philadelphia at Detroit -- I hope this is the 1 o'clock game in my area. Vick should do bad things against the Lions... Philadelphia 19 - Detroit 9
- Houston at Washington -- I don't see the Redskins being able to slow down the Texans passing attack. I do feel that they can contain Arian Foster... Houston 24 - Washington 17
- NY Giants at Indianapolis -- The Giants shouldn't be able to stay with the Colts. Look for Peyton to dominate Eli on the field and in the commercials, as usual... Indianapolis 24 - NY Giants 13
September 2, 2010
August 31, 2010
Bob Bradley is Bad Business
On numerous occasions during the World Cup I voiced my displeasure with Bob Bradley to any within earshot. After the US got knocked out to a less talented but more driven Ghana team, I was sure his time as coach was up. There was no way US Soccer would keep him on after his team gave up three separate pre-15 minute goals... in four games. On top of that Bradley continually fielded the wrong players at the worst possible times. What I gathered from the World Cup was that we had a coach who did not properly motivate and prepare players, made fundamental errors in player choices, and lacked any true tactical insight to the game. What US Soccer gathered was that we had a coach who could lead us to redemption in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I'm not saying Bob Bradley isn't a decent coach, quite the opposite in fact. Bob Bradley is a decent coach and that's the problem. National teams don't need a decent coach, they need good coaches or better. Brazil failed this year because Dunga is set in his ways and good coaches are flexible. Italy and France failed because while they had all world talent to choose from, their coaches made poor personnel decisions. The reason the US teams were able to even the score in each of the three games they fell behind in was Bob Bradley. He is always the calm in the storm. He doesn't get rattled and doesn't allow his players to get rattled either. However, as I stated before, Bradley is the reason we fell behind to begin with. Even more appalling is the fact that US Soccer had been in talks with Jurgen Klinsmann about him taking over as coach.
After the US was eliminated against Ghana, Jurgen Klinsmann outlined a blueprint that could cause a US soccer revolution. While I'm skeptical that there will ever be a soccer "revolution" here (I see it as more of a very gradual growth), the fact that he took the time to do that on ESPN said a lot. He too clearly saw that Bradley and his team had under-performed, and may have been jockeying for position for the job. In the end US Soccer balked at Klinsmann wanting total control of the team and went with 'ol reliable. The interesting thing here is the only national team job that Klinsmann held was with Germany in the 2006 World Cup. When Klinsmann took over for Germany he completely changed the German program. He decided that a youth movement was in order because he felt the team had gone stale (how's it going Italy). After a relatively poor lead up to the Cup, Klinsmann was facing heavy criticism. The German fans didn't like that he had replaced many of the older staples on the team with younger talent, but they especially were not too fond of him living here in the US while coaching the team. However during the World Cup Klinsmann and his team silenced the critics by making a semi-final run where they lost to eventual champions, Italy.
I could go on for days about this but I will stop myself here. Basically I feel let down by US Soccer yet again. Rarely is it a good idea to keep a coach on for more than one world cup cycle because it is a long, gruelling process and it is easy to get complacent at the wrong time. Even worse, they kept a coach that never really impressed. I wish Bob Bradley and our team the best, I really want us to succeed. Oh yeah, one more thing... Screw you Aston Villa, you should have taken him.
After the US was eliminated against Ghana, Jurgen Klinsmann outlined a blueprint that could cause a US soccer revolution. While I'm skeptical that there will ever be a soccer "revolution" here (I see it as more of a very gradual growth), the fact that he took the time to do that on ESPN said a lot. He too clearly saw that Bradley and his team had under-performed, and may have been jockeying for position for the job. In the end US Soccer balked at Klinsmann wanting total control of the team and went with 'ol reliable. The interesting thing here is the only national team job that Klinsmann held was with Germany in the 2006 World Cup. When Klinsmann took over for Germany he completely changed the German program. He decided that a youth movement was in order because he felt the team had gone stale (how's it going Italy). After a relatively poor lead up to the Cup, Klinsmann was facing heavy criticism. The German fans didn't like that he had replaced many of the older staples on the team with younger talent, but they especially were not too fond of him living here in the US while coaching the team. However during the World Cup Klinsmann and his team silenced the critics by making a semi-final run where they lost to eventual champions, Italy.
I could go on for days about this but I will stop myself here. Basically I feel let down by US Soccer yet again. Rarely is it a good idea to keep a coach on for more than one world cup cycle because it is a long, gruelling process and it is easy to get complacent at the wrong time. Even worse, they kept a coach that never really impressed. I wish Bob Bradley and our team the best, I really want us to succeed. Oh yeah, one more thing... Screw you Aston Villa, you should have taken him.
Transfer Updates
- Asamoah Gyan (a personal favorite from the World Cup) signed a 13 million pound (don't have the symbol on my laptop) deal with Sunderland. This deal is actually the biggest in the clubs history.
- Robinho transferring from Manchester City to AC Milan is pretty big news. He was unhappy at City (who wouldn't be) and had been asking for a move to the Spanish or Italian league for awhile. It is believed to be around a 22 million pound deal.
- Klass-Jan Huntelaar left AC Milan and is joining Schalke 04. Deal believed to be around 11 million euros.
- Last but certainly not least (okay, maybe), Demarcus Beasley finally got out of a bad situation at Rangers and is joining Hannover 96 and US National teammate Steve Cherundolo. I couldn't find the price anywhere so maybe someone can help with that. Now it's time for Edu to get out of there, if only he was better.
August 30, 2010
Five Subtitled Movies You Should See
5) Red Cliff (theatrical or original version) - Just finished watching this one. It's the reason for this post... First let me say, anyone who has played the Dynasty Warriors video games will like this movie. It is based on the story from those games. Basically, this is the story of the Battle of Red Cliffs in which a numerically superior force led by an overly aggressive warlord, was turned back by two lesser warlords. There is a good amount of impressive fighting scenes filled with blood in this movie, but it also portrays the vast array of issues that war brings: intrigue, battle strategy, resources needed to field an army, benefits/ problems of having an ally, etc. Favorite movie on this list. (China)
4) Dog Eat Dog - Very impressive story told from multiple points of view. Basically the main character "loses" the bosses money and has to get it back, or else. For me it was one of those movies where you take a long breath when it ends and just sit there for a minute. (Columbia)
3) City of God/City of Men - If you haven't seen these, get on it. That's all I really have to say. (Brazil)
2) Innocent Voices - This movie is based on Oscar Torres while he was growing up in El Salvador during the Salvadoran Civil War. He is 11 years old in a time when the military is forcefully taking children into it's ranks at ages 12 and younger. It is a bittersweet story but it is extremely raw. The facts that scrolled through before the last credits had me shaking my head yet again. Won't give it away though. (El Salvador)
1) Sin Nombre - Long story short. An MS-13 gang member has to leave the gang for a very brutal reason. He catches a train with other immigrants heading to the US, and has a very interesting trip. This is another movie that after it ended, I collected my thoughts. (USA/Mexico)
4) Dog Eat Dog - Very impressive story told from multiple points of view. Basically the main character "loses" the bosses money and has to get it back, or else. For me it was one of those movies where you take a long breath when it ends and just sit there for a minute. (Columbia)
3) City of God/City of Men - If you haven't seen these, get on it. That's all I really have to say. (Brazil)
2) Innocent Voices - This movie is based on Oscar Torres while he was growing up in El Salvador during the Salvadoran Civil War. He is 11 years old in a time when the military is forcefully taking children into it's ranks at ages 12 and younger. It is a bittersweet story but it is extremely raw. The facts that scrolled through before the last credits had me shaking my head yet again. Won't give it away though. (El Salvador)
1) Sin Nombre - Long story short. An MS-13 gang member has to leave the gang for a very brutal reason. He catches a train with other immigrants heading to the US, and has a very interesting trip. This is another movie that after it ended, I collected my thoughts. (USA/Mexico)
August 24, 2010
Albert Hanynesworth and More of the Same
Wow. That's all I really have to say about the current situation in the Washington Redskins organization. When we traded for Donovan McNabb, many in the D.C. area started up the annual "We are gonna make the playoffs" ramblings. For the second year in a row I refused to partake. I was labeled a traitor, a Cowboys fan, and a pessimist. I hope they were right. Unlike the optimists that surround Redskins park every preseason and feed into the circus that is the Washington Redskins, I tried to take a rational approach in evaluating the coming season. Here are my conclusions:
- The McNabb trade looks better than it really will be in the long run. We gave up a second round pick in this year's draft and a third or fourth rounder next year. Who did the Eagles select with that pick? Free safety Nate Allen. What is the one position in the secondary the Redskins are in dire need of help with? Yep, free safety. Did I mention he is the Eagles starter? No... Well he is. On the flip side of this trade however, we get a much needed boost at quarterback. So it seems. Quarterback is the hardest position to draft for on the field. They touch the ball on every offensive play, so making a mistake in the draft could be devastating. What the Redskins are suggesting is that they will be able to select a replacement for McNabb in one of the next two drafts, because let's be honest, he doesn't have more than three serviceable years left. Well here is a list of the Redskins drafted quarterbacks under Daniel Snyder: Todd Husak, Sage Rosenfels, Patrick Ramsey, Gibran Hamdan, Jason Campbell, Jordan Palmer, and Colt Brennan. Hmm.
- The McNabb trade is just another case of the Redskins signing past their prime players. So is Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Rex Grossman (never really had a prime), Joey Galloway, maybe Jamaal Brown, Artis Hicks, Ma'ake Kemoeatu (surgery), and Philip Buchanon. *Shakes my head*
- Albert Haynesworth was never happy to be a Redskin. While this may seem insignificant, it is not. As a soccer player I have come to understand the importance of not only teamwork, but team harmony. When one player is unhappy it has only negative effects on the team. Football is slightly different because the offense and defense practice separately. If there is a problem within the defense, it may not affect the offense. Since football is still a team game, if both units are not functioning properly then the team will not win. This is what I fear is going to happen to the Redskins.
Which brings me to my final point. Albert Haynesworth himself. I have not found a single Redskins fan that is willing to even acknowledge that Haynesworth may have a right to be a little upset. Just one time let us try to look at it from his point of view. While the Buccaneers offered Haynesworth more money, the Redskins promised him they would make him the cornerstone of their defense. Imagine to his surprise, when he gets to the Redskins he is asked to eat up space to free other players. So he did what any teenager would do in his situation, he complained. Then he got hurt. Which brought us to the signing of the ultimate no non-sense coach, Mike Shanahan. If I'm Haynesworth (remember, teenage frame of mind), I see this as a personal attack. I was the one player who publicly wasn't happy, that was still on the team. For whatever reason that is well beyond me, he couldn't give up on the idea of being THE star. He hesitated to come to training camp because he wanted reassurances that he would be a key part of the defense. This is his ultimate, unforgivable, failing. He doesn't grasp the basic concept of a team sport: You will get your time to shine, and when it comes you take advantage of it. Until then, you play your role. Unless he changes his attitude he will never be happy on a successful team. Anyway. Haynesworth finally reported to training camp only to be told that he had to pass a conditioning test. Everyone else had to do it, so shut up and get to work. Still, he complained. He eventually passed the conditioning test, only to fall ill. His head coach publicly announced "He felt that his head was bothering him more than it was dehydration, so he wasn't feeling good, basically," Shanahan said. "Just didn't feel very good. More of a headache than anything else." Well that headache turned out to be rhabdomyolysis, an ailment that causes "the rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle due to injury to muscle tissue.". Still the D.C. natives were harsh. Many saying that it was because he came back out of shape, but it could easily be from actually playing football as well. He recovered well enough to play second half snaps against the Ravens last Saturday. Still, I feel he has a right to be angry. Mike Shanahan didn't even realize Albert Haynesworth had rhabdomyolysis until the Washington Post interviewed him. Yet he said in a press conference that he thought it was "headaches". Look, this is football. Even if Mike Shanahan thought that Haynesworth was dogging it, you don't throw a player under the bus like that. It shows poor character. Players in the Redskins locker room feel the same way. While some still criticize Haynesworth, more and more are starting to feel that Shanahan is going a little too far. As I said before, a divided team cannot win.
- The McNabb trade looks better than it really will be in the long run. We gave up a second round pick in this year's draft and a third or fourth rounder next year. Who did the Eagles select with that pick? Free safety Nate Allen. What is the one position in the secondary the Redskins are in dire need of help with? Yep, free safety. Did I mention he is the Eagles starter? No... Well he is. On the flip side of this trade however, we get a much needed boost at quarterback. So it seems. Quarterback is the hardest position to draft for on the field. They touch the ball on every offensive play, so making a mistake in the draft could be devastating. What the Redskins are suggesting is that they will be able to select a replacement for McNabb in one of the next two drafts, because let's be honest, he doesn't have more than three serviceable years left. Well here is a list of the Redskins drafted quarterbacks under Daniel Snyder: Todd Husak, Sage Rosenfels, Patrick Ramsey, Gibran Hamdan, Jason Campbell, Jordan Palmer, and Colt Brennan. Hmm.
- The McNabb trade is just another case of the Redskins signing past their prime players. So is Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Rex Grossman (never really had a prime), Joey Galloway, maybe Jamaal Brown, Artis Hicks, Ma'ake Kemoeatu (surgery), and Philip Buchanon. *Shakes my head*
- Albert Haynesworth was never happy to be a Redskin. While this may seem insignificant, it is not. As a soccer player I have come to understand the importance of not only teamwork, but team harmony. When one player is unhappy it has only negative effects on the team. Football is slightly different because the offense and defense practice separately. If there is a problem within the defense, it may not affect the offense. Since football is still a team game, if both units are not functioning properly then the team will not win. This is what I fear is going to happen to the Redskins.
Which brings me to my final point. Albert Haynesworth himself. I have not found a single Redskins fan that is willing to even acknowledge that Haynesworth may have a right to be a little upset. Just one time let us try to look at it from his point of view. While the Buccaneers offered Haynesworth more money, the Redskins promised him they would make him the cornerstone of their defense. Imagine to his surprise, when he gets to the Redskins he is asked to eat up space to free other players. So he did what any teenager would do in his situation, he complained. Then he got hurt. Which brought us to the signing of the ultimate no non-sense coach, Mike Shanahan. If I'm Haynesworth (remember, teenage frame of mind), I see this as a personal attack. I was the one player who publicly wasn't happy, that was still on the team. For whatever reason that is well beyond me, he couldn't give up on the idea of being THE star. He hesitated to come to training camp because he wanted reassurances that he would be a key part of the defense. This is his ultimate, unforgivable, failing. He doesn't grasp the basic concept of a team sport: You will get your time to shine, and when it comes you take advantage of it. Until then, you play your role. Unless he changes his attitude he will never be happy on a successful team. Anyway. Haynesworth finally reported to training camp only to be told that he had to pass a conditioning test. Everyone else had to do it, so shut up and get to work. Still, he complained. He eventually passed the conditioning test, only to fall ill. His head coach publicly announced "He felt that his head was bothering him more than it was dehydration, so he wasn't feeling good, basically," Shanahan said. "Just didn't feel very good. More of a headache than anything else." Well that headache turned out to be rhabdomyolysis, an ailment that causes "the rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle due to injury to muscle tissue.". Still the D.C. natives were harsh. Many saying that it was because he came back out of shape, but it could easily be from actually playing football as well. He recovered well enough to play second half snaps against the Ravens last Saturday. Still, I feel he has a right to be angry. Mike Shanahan didn't even realize Albert Haynesworth had rhabdomyolysis until the Washington Post interviewed him. Yet he said in a press conference that he thought it was "headaches". Look, this is football. Even if Mike Shanahan thought that Haynesworth was dogging it, you don't throw a player under the bus like that. It shows poor character. Players in the Redskins locker room feel the same way. While some still criticize Haynesworth, more and more are starting to feel that Shanahan is going a little too far. As I said before, a divided team cannot win.
August 14, 2010
Weekly Redskins/ Football Update
So the Redskins first pre-season game was today. We beat a injury (and talent) depleted Bills squad 42-17. Already I've heard Redskins fans saying 12-4, some even saying that we are going to the Super Bowl. Oh what a lovely breed of fans we are. After nearly two decades of complete crap, I am not quite so optimistic. First, however let me say a few things about the game...
First of all, Rex Grossman. Baller status. Dude went 11 of 18 for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns. Let me stop... I didn't even watch most of the game. This is more for all you delusional Skins fans out there. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Seriously. This means nothing, its pre-season. This is the time of year that you try to figure out how long you can play your starters but still avoid injury. Let me drop some pre-season knowledge on you to calm you down a bit...
In 2001 the Skins decided we needed to make a serious change to be successful. Dan Snyder decided that Norv Turner was too lenient with the players so he went out an got a disciplinarian in Marty Schottenheimer. The Skins went 8-8 that year. Marty was fired. HOWEVER. We started the season 2-6, so even though it all started to click at the right time, Snyder still canned the poor guy. We will chalk that one up to youthful exuberance. Pulling another 180 degree turn, he hired Steve Spurrier to open up the offense. What did we get? Instant success. In his his first pre-season game, Spurrier's Skins put up 38 points in a victory over the Niners. Oh wait... we went 7-9 that year. Look, the moral of the story is this; we are owned by Daniel Snyder, so until he learns how to run a professional organization, there isn't much hope for us. He heavily favors Portis, and loves signing past their prime players to lucrative deals. Both of these things have horrible effects on team chemistry, and in a team game, chemistry is the path to victory. You can have all the talent in the world, but if your players don't mesh (on the field at least), you won't win. Ask the Cowboys...
Important things from games played so far:
- In the Skins-Bills game the Bills suffered two more injuries. Fred Jackson is looking like he will miss the rest of the pre-season after hurting his hand, and Marshawn Lynch has an ankle problem that Coach Chan Gailey says is hopefully "more short-term than it is long-term. Add them to the 13 players already scratched for this game.
-Nothing of note in the Patriots 27-24 victory over the Saints, save for the Saints starting punter hurting himself pushing a returner out-of-bounds.
-The Ravens beat the Panthers 17-12
-The Cowboys lost 17-9 to the Raiders. Yep, Cowboys lost. The Raiders have Jason Campbell and Rock Cartwright so I'm sure they enjoyed that
-Philly beat Jacksonville 28-27. Shout out Michael Vick.
-Finally, Atlanta beat KC 20-10. Curtis Lofton was seen limping of the field, but it seemed to be just a cramp. Shout out Michael Vick.
First of all, Rex Grossman. Baller status. Dude went 11 of 18 for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns. Let me stop... I didn't even watch most of the game. This is more for all you delusional Skins fans out there. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Seriously. This means nothing, its pre-season. This is the time of year that you try to figure out how long you can play your starters but still avoid injury. Let me drop some pre-season knowledge on you to calm you down a bit...
In 2001 the Skins decided we needed to make a serious change to be successful. Dan Snyder decided that Norv Turner was too lenient with the players so he went out an got a disciplinarian in Marty Schottenheimer. The Skins went 8-8 that year. Marty was fired. HOWEVER. We started the season 2-6, so even though it all started to click at the right time, Snyder still canned the poor guy. We will chalk that one up to youthful exuberance. Pulling another 180 degree turn, he hired Steve Spurrier to open up the offense. What did we get? Instant success. In his his first pre-season game, Spurrier's Skins put up 38 points in a victory over the Niners. Oh wait... we went 7-9 that year. Look, the moral of the story is this; we are owned by Daniel Snyder, so until he learns how to run a professional organization, there isn't much hope for us. He heavily favors Portis, and loves signing past their prime players to lucrative deals. Both of these things have horrible effects on team chemistry, and in a team game, chemistry is the path to victory. You can have all the talent in the world, but if your players don't mesh (on the field at least), you won't win. Ask the Cowboys...
Important things from games played so far:
- In the Skins-Bills game the Bills suffered two more injuries. Fred Jackson is looking like he will miss the rest of the pre-season after hurting his hand, and Marshawn Lynch has an ankle problem that Coach Chan Gailey says is hopefully "more short-term than it is long-term. Add them to the 13 players already scratched for this game.
-Nothing of note in the Patriots 27-24 victory over the Saints, save for the Saints starting punter hurting himself pushing a returner out-of-bounds.
-The Ravens beat the Panthers 17-12
-The Cowboys lost 17-9 to the Raiders. Yep, Cowboys lost. The Raiders have Jason Campbell and Rock Cartwright so I'm sure they enjoyed that
-Philly beat Jacksonville 28-27. Shout out Michael Vick.
-Finally, Atlanta beat KC 20-10. Curtis Lofton was seen limping of the field, but it seemed to be just a cramp. Shout out Michael Vick.
August 13, 2010
Reasonable Doubt
No, this isn't about Jay-Z. This is about the fact that I have no experience blogging, and the c-button on my computer gets stuck at times. This is about the fact that I rarely spell or grammar check; even more rare for me is proof-reading. But enough already, the real question is what am I going to be blogging about, and why should you care?
To answer your first question... This blog is going to be about anything really. Anything at all. Most of the time it will probably be music, sports, and whatever current event is annoying me at the time. However, I can assure you it will always be opinionated...
Which brings me to your second question. Why should you care? You shouldn't. But if you are bored, stop by. Check it out, I'll try to update as much as possible. This is a blog, don't take it too seriously, don't be like me.
Feel free to express your opinions, but be prepared to not like what you read sometimes.
Also, if you would like something to be thrown up as a post drop me a line in the comments section or my e-mail which you can find somewhere on my blog. Honestly, I don't even know if you CAN comment. Like I said, I'm new to this here. Let's get this started...
To answer your first question... This blog is going to be about anything really. Anything at all. Most of the time it will probably be music, sports, and whatever current event is annoying me at the time. However, I can assure you it will always be opinionated...
Which brings me to your second question. Why should you care? You shouldn't. But if you are bored, stop by. Check it out, I'll try to update as much as possible. This is a blog, don't take it too seriously, don't be like me.
Feel free to express your opinions, but be prepared to not like what you read sometimes.
Also, if you would like something to be thrown up as a post drop me a line in the comments section or my e-mail which you can find somewhere on my blog. Honestly, I don't even know if you CAN comment. Like I said, I'm new to this here. Let's get this started...
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