It bothers me in a way that this whole controversy involving Tiger Woods as gotten so overblown. The woman said what she said live on air, it was regrettable, she apologized, Tiger accepted, end of story? Of course not.
Here's what troubles me; that there are people that are actually outraged, Tiger wasn't outraged. Honestly, what is gained by projecting your anger onto someone else? Why are you offended by Tiger's reaction? What's that really about? Why would you believe your agenda naturally should be Tiger's agenda as well. I don't understand why anyone would think they needed to tell Tiger how he should handle his own personal business. He's an athlete, not an activist. Why shouldn't he have the right to conduct his career as he sees fit. Why should the color of his skin, or his nationalities, define his obligations to the world?
I'm annoyed by those obnoxious types who are so quick to jump in front of a camera to publicly display their outrage. They relish these situations, taking advantage of them, using them, as platforms to further their own causes. Opportunities to spout their propaganda to the masses. It's sickening.
The facts don't seem to matter much either. She is by Tiger's own account a personal friend. He has said he respects her, believes she meant nothing disrespectful by the comment, and he accepts her heartfelt apology. I have to think that no matter what any of these charlatans mugging the cameras would say, if they were ever in the same situation they wouldn't handle it much differently. I can't imagine there would ever be a statement anyone, I felt truly dearly for, could say that would prompt me to act as these people fools expect of Tiger without first a regard for the person's, intention, explanation, and apology. Honestly, who would do that? Maybe I will just never understand the plight of the...
Let me explain. It may be hard to express in words, but in my life I always somehow felt like I'm stuck in the middle of things. I don't mean in the middle of drama, or people's business (I try to avoid that stuff like the plague), I mean in the sense that I don't always know where I stand. For whatever reason, I usually feel both included in the crowd, but somehow also out of place. Almost like I'm alone in the middle of crowded room. I call it off in Centerville. You know, like that place everyone's heard of, but no one's quite sure where it is. I joke to myself that I'm that quaint little small town in the middle of nowhere everyone loves. That seemingly perfect place, halfway between where you're from and where you're going, you always stop at. Maybe, if I just started making really good pies people would...
Where do I start?
I'm not really the type of person who generally holds views passionately. I definitely have my opinions and thoughts, I just don't tend to hold them that tightly to my heart. I don't imagine myself ever being a protester.
I think of myself as more the practical type than a theoretical thinker. I still can be a dreamer though.
Politically, my allegiances lie with neither side. I personally just don't believe either side has all the answers as they both usually claim only they do. I also just don't see the point in viewing the world only through one ideology or prism so to speak.
Sports wise, I'm split between both coasts. Love the S.F. teams of my hometown and the Boston teams of my family's hometown.
Musically, my taste is undefinable and all over the map. I love some of the crap as much as I love all the good stuff. I'm not pretentious at all about my music. I love a lot of top 40 type stuff - I love country, alternative, pop, rock, folk, indie, hip-hop and some r&b. I also on occasion enjoy jazz, vocal, and electronic / dance type stuff. I rarely go anywhere without one of my iPods.
Today is my birthday.
I guess, what I'm trying to say is that I'm just your average...I guess, what I'm trying to say is that I'm just your average...
As I've mention before I'm a fan of a video podcast called The Totally Rad Show. If you haven't seen it, and you are into movies, and/or video games, and/or tv shows, and/or possibly comic books/graphic novels, you should seek it out. Don't be afraid of it being a podcast. I know you probably have an iPod, so just search for it in the iTunes store and subscribe. It will do the rest, all you have to do is enjoy. Or you can just look over the site and watch it there. Alright, okay, my TRS ad is done. lol
Anyway, I got around to watching the most recent episode, their "awards show" so here are my top 5 in movies, video games, tv shows. You'll notice mine ended up being quite different from their's, but then I think my tastes are a bit different. Let me explain where I'm coming from so you'll possibly better understand some my picks. First of all, my criteria was: I picked what I enjoyed most, not what was necessarily the best artistically.
As far as movies, I watch a ton, my tastes are all over the map, but I watch movies mostly on DVD, I haven't seen any movies currently in theaters, I think you'll see my list reflects that. Video games, I do have an Xbox 360, but I don't have the other systems they regularly mention (DS, PS3, Wii) and I also don't really play games on my computer outside the Sims 2 and it's various EPs (I know dorky) so my list reflects that as well. I also should mention here that, although I probably bought more games this year than usual (I bought the 360), still I know what I like and that isn't necessarily what is popular to most. For perspective, I've never even played any of the Halo games. Yea, that probably says it all. TV shows, I watch (or I should say Tivo) a fair amount I guess, but again I like what I like and I don't stray far from it. Enough that blabber, here are my lists.
Movies
Knocked Up
Eastern Promises
Transformers
The Bourne Ultimatum
Live Free or Die Hard
Children of Men
TV Shows
Gossip Girl
Dexter
Pushing Daisies
Mad Men
Chuck
Lost
Video Games
Bioshock
Call of Duty 4
The Sims 2: Seasons
Assassin's Creed
Madden '08
Italic: special pick/honorable mention
The Mitchell report is the biggest story going in sports right now so I might as comment on it. I guess it's a nice little document that hopefully gets the attention of those that can do something about this problem in baseball, but I honestly don't think it will result in much at all.
Unlike a lot of the sports media, I don't feel sorry for any of players named either. For the most part they got what was coming. I don't want to hear anymore, "I never did anything, how dare you accuse me's", I'm sick of it. For the most part everyone recognizes steroids, HGH, and the like are a huge problem in baseball, tons of players current and past have done them, yet every time a player is called out, it's the same tired story, "not me." At the end of the day the money was too good, so everyone looked the other way. Hope it was all worth it. Who am I kidding. Of course it was. This was really all about money in the first place, consequences be damned.
The reason I don't feel sorry for any of the players, in fact I feel angry at some of them, is because they allowed this to happen. They remained silent every step of the way, no one (expect good olde Canseco I guess) was willing to step up and do something... anything. What did they think was going to happen? They all know most of us fans suspect a ton of them and that most of us are looking for answers. And surely they realize we want to know who's doing it. The money was too good for any of them to go and ruin it.
The players that are/were of course never stepped up for obvious reasons. Funny how quick you are to deny, deny, deny now. Forgive us for not buying your bull. Too bad money can't buy you that. I'd say make us believe you, but wait, you can't can you? And the players that aren't/weren't, shame on you for allowing it to continue. You obviously didn't care enough then, so sorry, you forfeited your right to be outraged if you yourself get accused. Want us to believe you, then sue, prove it! Honestly though, of those accused, I think we all know for 99%, rightfully so. Sorry, you got caught and your "buddies" haven't. We know there are hundreds more, it's just a matter of time for many of them. You had every chance to speak up, most of you declined that opportunity when asked, too late now. Hopefully, it's not too late for baseball.
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Update [4:45pm]: Wow, so Andy Pettitte admits it. Not sure what to make of, "If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I
apologize," but good on you for at least stepping up. Probably should have said more sooner, but it's a start. Where you at now Clemens? I got a feeling though this may be the new "part admission, denial." The "I took HGH breifly to recover, I'm not a cheater, I'm not a steroid user" line. F.P. Santangelo basically said the same thing Friday morning, though to be fair he did express far more responsibility and remorse for his actions than Pettitte seems to have in his statement. In any event, I hope at least this leads to more truths and less lies and denials.
I was outraged when I first learned of the match ups in the "big boy" bowls, but now after a few days to think about it... forget the bowls, I don't really care anymore. The BCS is broke. No more silly, "makes it worse" tweaks, I'd rather college football roll back to 1994* and pretend the BCS never happened. (I realize the BCS began in 1997, but the 1995 season started the madness with the Bowl Alliance, or as I like to call it, BCS lite.)
Each year of the BCS has been worse than the previous as the "old boys" of college football sink the sport deeper and deeper into unapologetic politicking and insane computer rankings. If that's the best we can do, what's the point? We might as well be playing video games. This should be the year that makes the case that forces true consideration of a playoff system, but as we all know the BCS has never been about what's best for the sport of college football, it's about filling up the coffers of the universities of the 6 big conferences (plus that little school in South Bend).
Are you kidding me... Ohio State does nothing, gets a title shot, while Hawaii does it's best with little, gets no shot (how's that fair). LSU makes the miracle rankings jump (where were those in past years?), Kansas in, Missouri out, (didn't Missouri beat Kansas, at Kansas?) These bowl games are a total joke. I'm not really looking forward to a single one of them. Well, okay, maybe the Sugar and Fiesta Bowls offer some intrigue, but I expect the other three to be blowouts. Tell me again how the BCS is a benefit? I say blow it up. Do it right. Either admit it's money and not academics preventing a playoff, or prove it's all about the academics and go back to the old way.
I've always really wanted to complete what I've dubbed the "round trip" of my local running trail. It's kinda been my personal long shot goal and something I always figured I'd never accomplished, but now that's all changed... well almost.
The "round trip" is running the full six miles from one end of this particular stretch of running trail to the other and back. 12 miles total nonstop. There have been a few times in my running cycles where I thought I might be able achieve it, I've just somehow always conveniently lapsed in my running routine before I seriously considered going for it. Yesterday, I finally went for it.
As you may know, for the past month or so, I've been extra motived to run, because I've been participating in this virtual game of tag. So lately I have had to get a little creative in finding time to run to avoid being tagged and I ended up realizing a love for late night running. They started as simple laps around my neighborhood (it's conveniently a loop roughly a half mile around) in the 11pm to midnight hour of the night. That turned into full runs randomly around the area and to my amazement those ended up being seven miles long. The second, I felt I could have continued a lot longer, I had just already circled back home before realizing I really wasn't all that tired after all.
Anyway, those midnight runs inspired me yesterday to go for the "round trip." I didn't plan to try (okay, it was in my mind to try), but I figured I'd end up stopping at the water fountain and turn back like I always do. But I didn't. I kept on going and going further. Then further than I had ever reached from the mile 0 end and I knew there was no stopping.
Unfortunately, I realized roughly a mile and a half before reaching the mile 6 end that the Nike+ sensor was off and recording slightly more miles than I was achieving. So after actually reaching the 6mile end I decided to stop the Nike+ workout and start a new one so I wouldn't taint my "round trip" with an inaccurate pace and distance reading. I didn't want an asterisk next to my "round trip" in my mind.
I also forgot to take into account the time and about two miles into my return, total darkness had set in. I really shouldn't have been on the trail at that point, but what choice did I have. It got almost frighteningly dark those last few miles and with a few bouts of lightning filling the sky I wouldn't have finished a proper "round trip" anyway.
So in the end even though I technically didn't achieve the "round trip" now know I definitely can do it. All I need now is to properly calibrate my sensor, make sure I allow the enough time finished in the light, and actually do it. I'm thinking this coming Sunday will be the day. I can't believe I'm actually going to pull off the "round trip." Dreams really do come true! LOL
I finally got around today to trying out Starbucks' seasonal holiday mocha and I'm in heaven. If I drank nothing else for the next month, I wouldn't care. Pure bliss in a cup. It tastes like liquid Junior Mints, I loved Junior Mints as a child. I honestly don't frequent Starbucks nearly half a much as the average bear, but I just may make multiple daily visits now. Did I mention I'm in love with the peppermint mocha?
Alright, I feel a bit special, I've been invited to the party, I got a Hulu invite. Alright so Hulu isn't really a cool party, it's the online video site put together by NBC and Fox. Currently it's in a private beta and hence the excitement over the invite. I'm still a little bitter I never got into the Joost beta. Can't win them all I guess.
I haven't spent a ton of time playing around on Hulu in the past few days since I got the invite, so maybe it's a little unfair to say I'm not the biggest fan of it, but I do like the idea of it. It's a neat site, I just don't see it filling the void left by NBC's departure from iTunes.
What I like about Hulu, aside from the obvious episodes of current NBC and Fox shows, are the short clips of shows and the back catalog that teases with hints of promise. What's disappointing is that current shows only seem available in their current season, while most back catalog programing only in their first season. There is an interesting mix of random older feature length movies sprinkled about as well. I praise that, nice touch. I'd like to see though, a few of the older shows offered in their full run, but I can understand their perceived fear of possibly cannibalizing their DVD sales. To be honest, I just don't see anyone who would be interested enough in a show, choosing to watch the entire series in Hulu over seeking out the DVDs. The video quality is simply too low for that to happen and will push true fans elsewhere.
It's the failure of video quality that prevents Hulu from being the premiere destination to watch NBC and Fox video content. The quality of the video is frankly even substandard for an ad supported, "free" streaming video site. I couldn't see myself ever watching an entire episode of anything on Hulu full screen. Even the default presentation may be pushing it considering sites like ABC.com, for example, offer a far superior viewing experience. Hopefully, Hulu solves this issue once public. If so, then NBC may have something here. Especially, if they figure out a reasonable pricing scheme for "owning" shows. Considering their history; I'm not holding my breathe.
Ultimately, I see a lot of potential in Hulu even with it's shortcomings. I just don't have faith in NBC, or Fox for that matter, in realizing that promise. I definitely see people coming to Hulu to catch up on a missed episode or two; possibly even checking out a few clips here and there also, but not much else. At some point, Hulu will have to offer a much more compelling experience for any kind of success to be realized. Do the execs have the guts to realize the vision? Let's hope so; true pioneers are lacking in the online streaming video space. Personally, I have a feeling NBC may soon regret its decision to pull out of iTunes.
