Down With Duke

Ecstatic. Duke gets beat by Clemson. Although Duke will still make it to the tourney, they still got beat by CLEMSON. 78-74 was the final score. And I can't say how excited I am that the always-overrated Duke (and there crappy, overrated players who generally suck in the NBA) got whomped on.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/7916374/Clemson-reaches-first-ACC-final-since-'62

In celebration of the win:




just to remind everyone why Duke sucks.

Blogging From My Basement

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/455928.html
http://deadspin.com/367883/bob-costas-thinks-youre-a-loser

Bob Costas just called me a loser. Yet, strangely, my pride isn't stinging. While this is not such an outrage as Geraldine Ferraro's comments earlier in the week [the bigot (for lack of a more vulgar word) stepped down from the Clinton campaign thankfully], it still does not sit well with me. First off, I've never really liked Bob Costas that much. He covers a variety of sports, which includes figure skating (I know this because my mom loves figure skating and has watched made serious efforts to watch it since I was a kid). Now, there's nothing wrong with figure skating. If you've ever ice skated (and don't figure skate or play hockey), it's hard. It takes a lot of balance, and I could never imagine jumping and spinning in the air or riding one skate with my leg propped up in air (not to mention wearing tights and all the frilly other stuff they have on). I also can't imagine having a choreographer, or having my leg beat in so I can't go compete for a gold medal (see Tanya Harding / Nancy Kerrigan). But I digress. Bob Costas has covered figure skating. I know because I've seen it with my own eyes.

And yet, Costas somehow maintains his integrity in covering the wide-world of sports. If I was another sports journalist or broadcaster, I'd heckle Costas at every juncture that I could. But Costas is just another guy to join the bandwagon of blog-bashers (also see Stephen A. Smith). The following is an excerpt of what Costas said:

it's one thing if somebody just sets up a blog from their mother's basement in Albuquerque and they are who they are, and they're a pathetic get-a-life loser, but now that pathetic get-a-life loser can piggyback onto someone who actually has some level of professional accountability and they can be comment No. 17 on Dan Le Batard's column or Bernie Miklasz' column in St. Louis. That, in most cases, grants a forum to somebody who has no particular insight or responsibility. Most of it is a combination of ignorance or invective.''

"It's just a high-tech place for idiots to do what they used to do on bar stools or in school yards, if they were school yard bullies, or on men's room walls in gas stations. That doesn't mean that anyone with half a brain should respect it.

Well, this blog has only been running for a few weeks now, but I've been blogging elsewhere for a while now. I've never felt that what I do creates a responsibility to a community. I guess the only thing I try and not do is lie, but that goes along more with living-as-a-human-being as opposed to blogging. I also don't try and pass off what I do as journalism or anything of that nature. I also don't try and pretend to be an expert on anything I write about. I'm just interested (albeit mildly sometimes) at whatever it is I'm writing about. It's also just a chance for me to write about things that interest me and let other people read it if they so chose to. I don't make any money off of it, I just do it to vent about my life or the things I come across.

I've always considered that Costas was probably a pretentiously, smug bastard, and well...this confirms it to say the least. I'm not sure what makes this any different than an editorial section of a newspaper. Editorial columns lack everything but subjectivity. But I suppose that being hired on by a newspaper somehow makes you qualified to write about whatever subject it is that you have chosen. And what's worse is that those people write editorial for-profit. But that's the beauty of America. We can all have our opinion. I've read plenty of articles from these people with supposed responsibilities. And I've watched plenty of newscasts and sportscasts with people who lack integrity because of their objectivity towards whatever it is they are covering. Capitalism and freedom allow us to write about, and do, whatever we please. And if Bob Costas, or any other journalist feels threatened (and they should) it's because the public has clearly chosen to support an alternative forum where people who aren't pretentious jackasses have decided to voice their opinion.

Perhaps what I'm doing right now lacks focus, is a bit convoluted, and, to say the least, is a not my best work. But it's a blog. It's my product, and I don't pass it as anything but that. So in summation, go pound sand Costas. I'm enjoying my life and apparently you're an elitist who feels some sort of glorified right to consolidate power in mainstream media. But at the end of the day a blog is an opinion. And my opinion thinks your opinion sucks.

Oh and Bob Costas, I don't even have a basement, so the jokes on you. Douche.

Stockton, We Win Again

Stockton (or better yet, San Joaquin County) rules again. My hometown is amazing for making lists of things that it does best in the nation. This time? Pollution! Yeah! We're not meeting the EPA standards. Previous lists we've made? Most illiterate, 2005 & 2006 (no three-peat unfortunately), I think we've also had most dangerous, and most depressing (we at least made the top 20 for both lists). Also, number 1 in foreclosures in the U.S.

you can see the latest achievement here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080313/ap_on_go_ot/dirty_air_counties
and the full story here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080312/ap_on_go_ot/dirty_air

Also on the list? The place I currently live (Harris County, Texas) and the place I previously lived (Hampshire County, Massachusetts).

Arnie, the Rap Song

Hilarious rap song narrating the Predator. Well worth the watch.




Also, the Governator has a last name that is very hard to spell. Yeah, I grew up watching his movies and stuff, and I'm sort of (not really) educated, but I never tried to blog his last name before. I almost gave up and shut this thing down.

The Yankees Maybe Aren't The Evil Empire?

No, they still are. But Darth Vader didn't kill everyone he encountered did he?



Way to go Billy Crystal. He actually made contact on a pitch which, in and of itself, should be applauded (albeit a fouled off hit).

Destined For Failure

This one is an interesting post. Newly resigned ex-governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer may have been destined for failure.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080313/us_time/wasspitzerdestinedtofall

Part of it was being not just the brilliant son of a multimillionaire - someone who surely sensed entitlement from an early age - but the son of a particular multimillionaire, Bernard Spitzer. Bernard (who is in his 80s and suffering from Parkinson's) was a fierce, demanding parent. He once reduced Eliot to tears during a game of Monopoly. Bernard, a real estate developer, had ordered his son - at the time a boy of 7 or 8 - to sell him a piece of property; Eliot then couldn't afford the rent when a roll of the dice landed him on that property. "He didn't realize his own rights," Bernard told Masters years later, adding that he had taught his son a lesson: "Never defer to authority.

First of all, I'm pretty sure Spitzer had a deep seeded resentment towards his father. Actually, I kind of have a deep seeded resentment towards his father. Aside from the whole hooker-fiasco (Hookergate maybe? I love adding the words 'gate' to the end of things to make them into a controversy! Schoolgate, apartmentgate, cargate! try it out with your friends) Spitzer did kind of do a good job as attorney general. He was just kind of, you know, a hypocrite.

But look, his dad made him cry after a game of Monopoly. I've always had a problem with Monopoly. Mainly because it makes you want to conquest to make everyone else bankrupt. If anything, Monopoly can probably be attributed to every rich, jackass who lords his (or her) money over you. I would blame Monopoly for many of the social ills that exist today (poverty, hunger, homelessness, KFC, AIDS, SARS, the Ebola virus, bird flu, Cuba; the list could go on).

In short, Monopoly made Spitzer cry, made him governor, made him have a strong love of hookers, and eventually led to his demise. I think Monopoly should be banned in this country like a Cuban Cigar. And someone should beat up that Monopoly, cartoon guy too.

This One Is a Little Bit Late

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080308/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_s_experience

The story popped up a few days ago examining Clinton's political record amidst her numerous claims on what she did as a first lady. I guess embellishing things is part of not only politics, but good story telling as well. Some of her claims are mildly legitimate. I should emphasize "mildly."

Highlights:

• "She takes credit for helping bring peace to Northern Ireland, negotiating open borders for refugees fleeing Kosovo, standing up to the Chinese government over women's rights, and flying into Bosnia when it was too dangerous to send the president."
• "A contrary view comes from Susan Rice, a former assistant secretary of state from the Clinton years and an Obama campaign adviser. She said Clinton's involvement with foreign policy as first lady was "laudable and important, but it is hardly the same thing as the kind of crisis management" that is required of a president. "There is no crisis to be dealt with or managed when you are first lady," Rice said."

I won't ruin the rest for you. Well that, and I'm too lazy to cut and paste what else was being said. But basically, her claims of what she accomplished were a pretty big stretch. However, to counter that notion, this also makes her experienced; experienced at manipulation.

In other news:

Bill Clinton backs Obama and shuns Hillary:



AND

Samuel L. Jackson picks his candidate:

Creep Keeps Creepland

Michael Jackson is a strange, strange fellow. But I guess he's keeping his multi-million dollar, 2,500 acre amusement land of doom.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080313/ap_en_ce/people_michael_jackson

Neverland Ranch was set to go up for public auction later this month. But apparently he struck a confidential agreement with some company to retain ownership in the Neverland Ranch. The article also says he owes more than $23 million on the property. Oh, and let's not forget that he hasn't lived there since 2005. This whole thing upsets me for a few reasons:

1) I had my checkbook ready to go, but I guess I'll have to wait for a different crazy pop star's paradise to go up for public auction (Britney Spears, I'm looking in your direction). Disappointment has overwhelmed me.

2) Why the hell do you owe that much money on a place that you don't even live in anymore, and then strike up a deal to retain ownership? Clearly, there's a reason you don't live there (ahem, child molestation....), so why keep the place? But then again, all of the Jackson family is kind of odd, to say the least.

I don't think we'll ever figure out the answer to number 2. But then again, why does Jack-O molest children.

In conclusion, Michael Jackson is still a weirdo.

Comments

Something was wrong with the comment section (hey I'm new at this). But now commenting is much more liberal. Sorry if I've scolded you for commenting elsewhere.

AWESOME (Updated Video Link)

I was sitting alone in a conference room at the library when I watched this. And it made me actually laugh. Aloud. And loudly




Thanks to withleather

update: had to find a new link to the video, sorry for the temporary inconvenience.