- the obligatory explanation for a lack of recent activity -
There is really no good explanation, other than the fact that I have had a rather fluid schedule, with no time set aside for noting down what I have been doing or thinking. Now that I find myself settling down into a good rhythm of things, should be able to keep up better with the blog.
- and now, on to the content -
As I read the latest edition of Sports Illustrated, I came upon an article about soon to be naturalized Russian (naturally born American) "Big Shot" Becky Hammon, a guard for the San Antonio Silver Stars and CSKA Moscow. Her story is not too complicated: she was not selected to the US National team, and took full advantage of a clause in her CSKA Moscow contract that provided a six-figure incentive if she were to play for the Russian national team and medal in the Olympics.
She is of the mind, as per her quotes in the article, that she is merely fulfilling a life-long dream of playing in the Olympic Games. Hammon rejects the "mercenary" label she has been given by some critics who cite the traitorous nature of playing for a country that for the greater part of the past century was the United States' sporting (and Cold War, for that matter) arch-enemy. The 2007 MVP runner-up "wish[es she were] given the opportunity to turn down two million dollars, to play for [her] country, because [she] would've done it in a second."
Given the opportunity to turn down money, to play for your country? I'm sorry, but this is not a matter of opporunity. This is a matter of a professional athlete looking to make more money and using the Olympic Games, a once amateur-oreinted competition founded upon the principle world peace and understanding through international sporting competition. Hammon (and her turncoat compatriot J.R. Holden) along with their enablers CSKA Moskow and the Russian government/sporting autorities. I have no problem with professional athletes doing what htey need to do to get the money they are able to earn due to their God-given natural ability and honed talent. But to cite the chance to seize upon the unique opportunity of playing in the Olympics as a reason for playing for a different national team is dishonest at best and ruinous to international competition. Hammon is merely seizing upon a unique opportunity for her wallet.
National teams are supposed to be the best of the best from the country they represent. They are not meant to be yet another club team for which any player can suit up. If they are, such hallowed competitions as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup cease to have any special meaning and become second-rate tournaments to top level club competitions like the UEFA Champions League. International sporting bodies like FIFA and FIBA should clamp down on rules that allow players to be mercenaries and punish clubs like CSKA Moskow that tempt players to switch national allegiance through financial incentives.
And as for Ms. Hammon, I hope she and her Russian "countrywomen" come in a close second to the United States at the Games and that the playing of The Star Spangled Banner arouses in her the deepest of disappointments, too deep for any sum of money to fill.
02 August 2008
14 July 2008
iphone
This past Saturday was both very familiar and life changing for me. It followed the normal pattern of collegiate Saturdays: wake up far too early, labor at a service project for about 3 hours, have a filling meal, take a shower, laze away the afternoon, and then drink heavily. Nothing all together out of the ordinary.
The life-changing part fell between the getting up too early and the manual labor. The hour of waking was about 6:30 (with a snooze or two, it actually became 6:42, but you get the idea) and the purpose was to get in line to purchase Cupertino Orchards' latest incarnation of the revolutionary iPhone, the iPhone 3G.
Now, I am the first to admit my admiration for gadgets, gizmos, and generally all things electronic. Spending hours walking around the aisles of Best Buy or their virtual counterparts on newegg.com is not a waste of time for me, but rather a necessary means for me to catch up on what is the latest and greatest in the world of technology. If this sounds weird at all, just replace 'Best Buy' with 'Nine West', 'newegg.com' with 'Steve Madden', and 'technology' with 'shoe fashion' and see if that doesn't sound like any woman you know.
But as a matter of principle I reject waiting in line for hours for the newest technology to go on sale. No, no you will never find me camped out in front of Wal Mart for that first shipment of PS3s, nor for that matter will you see me decked out in full Jedi attire for the midnight showing of a Star Wars prequel/sequel/animated movie (I am also way into movies, especially movies that incorporate sweet high tech things, hence Star Wars as an example). The whole notion of lines is distasteful to me, as standing still for hours on end is very boring and wasteful, as it could be spend lying still for hours (sleeping) or sitting (watching entertaining tv). To this point in my life, lines were to be avoided at all costs.
Not so with the iPhone. For some reason, whether it be iPhone envy (Jeff and Mike have enjoyed the iPhone for months now) or dissatisfaction with my old phone (it doesn't really slide open anymore), I found myself more than willing to wake up at the crack of dawn and park myself outside of the local AT&T store and wait for the latest shipment to go on sale. And wait I did.
The scene at the store was quite a mess, as some folks who were snubbed after waiting in line on Friday morning made sure not to repeat the mistake by arriving extra early and truly camping out. One fellow claimed that he didn't go to sleep after bar hopping on the Corner Friday night, merely making the store the last leg of his Friday night exploits. Another chap was liveblogging (on his MacBook of course) about the experience while in line. Yet another dude, the king among all, made an event out of it by bringing the whole family along: he unloaded a passenger van full of his offspring (about 6 in number, none over the age of 10) and had them accompany him in line, well-equipped with juiceboxes, board games, and Hannah Montana accessories abound. The cynical among us thought that it was all a ploy to hoard iPhones (each person in line was entitled to one phone), but it turned out just be a very ill-advised parenting move (as each kid wreaked havoc in the store once they were let in, much to the dismay of the already on-edge sales reps).
I was the average, sensible enthusiast with my book and light breakfast (an apple, how apropos) with me in line. The two hour wait wasn't too bad, and when all was said and done was well worth it. How so? Of the past 52 hours I have had the phone, I have used it in some fashion for 8 of them, which is rather impressive when you factor out sleeping, eating, and all of the other essentials that take up one's life. Waiting for, using, and loving the iPhone, I am sure it is all time well spent.
The life-changing part fell between the getting up too early and the manual labor. The hour of waking was about 6:30 (with a snooze or two, it actually became 6:42, but you get the idea) and the purpose was to get in line to purchase Cupertino Orchards' latest incarnation of the revolutionary iPhone, the iPhone 3G.
Now, I am the first to admit my admiration for gadgets, gizmos, and generally all things electronic. Spending hours walking around the aisles of Best Buy or their virtual counterparts on newegg.com is not a waste of time for me, but rather a necessary means for me to catch up on what is the latest and greatest in the world of technology. If this sounds weird at all, just replace 'Best Buy' with 'Nine West', 'newegg.com' with 'Steve Madden', and 'technology' with 'shoe fashion' and see if that doesn't sound like any woman you know.
But as a matter of principle I reject waiting in line for hours for the newest technology to go on sale. No, no you will never find me camped out in front of Wal Mart for that first shipment of PS3s, nor for that matter will you see me decked out in full Jedi attire for the midnight showing of a Star Wars prequel/sequel/animated movie (I am also way into movies, especially movies that incorporate sweet high tech things, hence Star Wars as an example). The whole notion of lines is distasteful to me, as standing still for hours on end is very boring and wasteful, as it could be spend lying still for hours (sleeping) or sitting (watching entertaining tv). To this point in my life, lines were to be avoided at all costs.
Not so with the iPhone. For some reason, whether it be iPhone envy (Jeff and Mike have enjoyed the iPhone for months now) or dissatisfaction with my old phone (it doesn't really slide open anymore), I found myself more than willing to wake up at the crack of dawn and park myself outside of the local AT&T store and wait for the latest shipment to go on sale. And wait I did.
The scene at the store was quite a mess, as some folks who were snubbed after waiting in line on Friday morning made sure not to repeat the mistake by arriving extra early and truly camping out. One fellow claimed that he didn't go to sleep after bar hopping on the Corner Friday night, merely making the store the last leg of his Friday night exploits. Another chap was liveblogging (on his MacBook of course) about the experience while in line. Yet another dude, the king among all, made an event out of it by bringing the whole family along: he unloaded a passenger van full of his offspring (about 6 in number, none over the age of 10) and had them accompany him in line, well-equipped with juiceboxes, board games, and Hannah Montana accessories abound. The cynical among us thought that it was all a ploy to hoard iPhones (each person in line was entitled to one phone), but it turned out just be a very ill-advised parenting move (as each kid wreaked havoc in the store once they were let in, much to the dismay of the already on-edge sales reps).
I was the average, sensible enthusiast with my book and light breakfast (an apple, how apropos) with me in line. The two hour wait wasn't too bad, and when all was said and done was well worth it. How so? Of the past 52 hours I have had the phone, I have used it in some fashion for 8 of them, which is rather impressive when you factor out sleeping, eating, and all of the other essentials that take up one's life. Waiting for, using, and loving the iPhone, I am sure it is all time well spent.
07 July 2008
back in action
It sure has been a long time since my last post, but here are some of the things I have been up to since I was last posting:
- attended my first wedding as an adult, where I delivered a best man speech for my brother. It was a nerve-racking experience until I gave the speech, whereupon the clock struck hammertime and it was on like donkey kong. The night went from having a dance off with my brother and dad to taking shots of tequila into the wee hours of the morning with my brother's (somewhat) alcoholic friends.
- a 13 hour drive home after the aforementioned night on the town. It hurt.
- training for CGs, which has been at varying times informative, extremely boring, and full of more hungover trials by fire.
- as a corralary: many, many college visits. I have seen over 16 colleges and universities in Virginia in the past few weeks. I think I will have a recap post once I am all done with the tours, to both jog my memory and enter the jone-dome because some of these places have been TRIFLING.
- seen what heretofore has been seemingly impossible: the Spanish National Football Team WIN an international tournament! What a moment that was! I think in the past 6 months I have expended most all of my good sports karma for the decade.
- recommitted myself to postings of note on this blog once again.
- attended my first wedding as an adult, where I delivered a best man speech for my brother. It was a nerve-racking experience until I gave the speech, whereupon the clock struck hammertime and it was on like donkey kong. The night went from having a dance off with my brother and dad to taking shots of tequila into the wee hours of the morning with my brother's (somewhat) alcoholic friends.
- a 13 hour drive home after the aforementioned night on the town. It hurt.
- training for CGs, which has been at varying times informative, extremely boring, and full of more hungover trials by fire.
- as a corralary: many, many college visits. I have seen over 16 colleges and universities in Virginia in the past few weeks. I think I will have a recap post once I am all done with the tours, to both jog my memory and enter the jone-dome because some of these places have been TRIFLING.
- seen what heretofore has been seemingly impossible: the Spanish National Football Team WIN an international tournament! What a moment that was! I think in the past 6 months I have expended most all of my good sports karma for the decade.
- recommitted myself to postings of note on this blog once again.
11 June 2008
mac guy
I got a call the other night from my brother (the very one I am writing a best man speech for) asking me to make a slideshow for him and his all-too-soon-to-be wife to be shown during the reception after the wedding. This will be the second wedding-related slideshow for me in as many weeks. Previous to this time in my 22 years of life, I have never been asked to make any sort of creative thing ever.
Why?
Because most people who know me will say that I am pretty much a dullard at making creative, artsy things. Of any sort. I nearly failed art class every year in elementary school, have never been able to fold origami, and the closest thing to a drawing I can usually muster is a funny-because-its-so-terrible stick figure scene. I really can't say that I have ever had any sliver of success at any time in my life when it comes to making visually appealing things of any size, shape, or style. My parents never had my artwork on the fridge... my doodles in notebooks were usually hard long division problems... I struggle to color inside of the lines.
I suck.
So why ask me to make something pretty, something that requires an artistic eye and a flair for the creative? I think its a simple matter of pigeonholing, I've been stereotyped. Is it due to my race, my color, my creed? No. Its because of my choice in computer. I've become a "mac guy".
Apparently owning a mac makes you some kind of creative wizard - after all, why would you get such a machine if you weren't on it to make movies, highbrow digital art, or (evidently) sweet slideshows in iMovie? This is indeed an unfortunate stereotype, because I am no mac guy. Its true, I do enjoy my computer a lot, but not because I am some kind of creative genius. No - I just like it because the OS is really sweet and stable, it has some neat design features, and looks pretty good to boot.
My clients may have made a perilous choice in trusting this art class failure to make something creative. Serves them right for stereotyping.
Not to say that stereotypes can't be useful or hilarious. One only need to think of this fellow to know that.
Euro 2008 match prediction success rate: 62.5% (fucking Greeks let me down, but at least the Spanish were dominant... ole!)
Why?
Because most people who know me will say that I am pretty much a dullard at making creative, artsy things. Of any sort. I nearly failed art class every year in elementary school, have never been able to fold origami, and the closest thing to a drawing I can usually muster is a funny-because-its-so-terrible stick figure scene. I really can't say that I have ever had any sliver of success at any time in my life when it comes to making visually appealing things of any size, shape, or style. My parents never had my artwork on the fridge... my doodles in notebooks were usually hard long division problems... I struggle to color inside of the lines.
I suck.
So why ask me to make something pretty, something that requires an artistic eye and a flair for the creative? I think its a simple matter of pigeonholing, I've been stereotyped. Is it due to my race, my color, my creed? No. Its because of my choice in computer. I've become a "mac guy".
Apparently owning a mac makes you some kind of creative wizard - after all, why would you get such a machine if you weren't on it to make movies, highbrow digital art, or (evidently) sweet slideshows in iMovie? This is indeed an unfortunate stereotype, because I am no mac guy. Its true, I do enjoy my computer a lot, but not because I am some kind of creative genius. No - I just like it because the OS is really sweet and stable, it has some neat design features, and looks pretty good to boot.
My clients may have made a perilous choice in trusting this art class failure to make something creative. Serves them right for stereotyping.
Not to say that stereotypes can't be useful or hilarious. One only need to think of this fellow to know that.
Euro 2008 match prediction success rate: 62.5% (fucking Greeks let me down, but at least the Spanish were dominant... ole!)
09 June 2008
best man
As some of you may know, my brother asked me to be one of the best men at his wedding this summer. Having never been to a wedding before, I found this to be a curious selection, but I didn't hesitate as I felt that it could be a great time considering I think he is a pretty cool guy and his fiancee is just wonderful. Besides, weddings are pretty jubilant affairs - or so I hear - and I am not one to turn down an open bar.
The one catch of course, is the best man toast. As one British writer said: "delivering the best man speech is like kissing the Queen Mother, its a great honour, but nobody wants to do it!" My sentiments exactly. Its not that I get nervous talking in front of big crowds, its just that the subject matter is pretty awkward to deal with. For two to three minutes, I have to wax poetic about lovey dovey shit re: my brother and his now-wife when we have maybe had a serious conversation about twice in our lives.
But the show must go on, so I am writing the speech right now, and it seems decent. Not good, not fork in the eye awful, but passable. I think it will get me out of the situation having done my duty, hopefully getting a few laughs and avoiding any embarrassing slipups or inopportune voice cracks. (I really hope my vocal cords have gotten that out of their system.) Ideally, it will pass by and before I know it I will be drinking a (numerous?) delicious jack+cokes with the rest of the groomsmen and bridal party. And then dancing up a storm in an attempt to seriously embarrass my brother. And then passing out and preparing for my epic journey back to Virginia on Sunday. More on that later.
But enough of that, here is some stuff on today's Euro action:
France 0 - 0 Romania
- more painful to watch than public access, elementary school children-produced television.
+ there is a dude named RAT on Romania.
Netherlands 3 - 0 Italy
- decidedly not what I predicted for the day... I'm sorry I assumed that the Italian National Team would show up and not the Fanculo Miss Nancy Squad.
+ Sneijder, the clutch Dutch Delight!
Euro 2008 match prediction success rate: 66.6% (took a hit as expected, but hopefully there will be recovery with the debut of LA FURIA ROJA!!!)
The one catch of course, is the best man toast. As one British writer said: "delivering the best man speech is like kissing the Queen Mother, its a great honour, but nobody wants to do it!" My sentiments exactly. Its not that I get nervous talking in front of big crowds, its just that the subject matter is pretty awkward to deal with. For two to three minutes, I have to wax poetic about lovey dovey shit re: my brother and his now-wife when we have maybe had a serious conversation about twice in our lives.
But the show must go on, so I am writing the speech right now, and it seems decent. Not good, not fork in the eye awful, but passable. I think it will get me out of the situation having done my duty, hopefully getting a few laughs and avoiding any embarrassing slipups or inopportune voice cracks. (I really hope my vocal cords have gotten that out of their system.) Ideally, it will pass by and before I know it I will be drinking a (numerous?) delicious jack+cokes with the rest of the groomsmen and bridal party. And then dancing up a storm in an attempt to seriously embarrass my brother. And then passing out and preparing for my epic journey back to Virginia on Sunday. More on that later.
But enough of that, here is some stuff on today's Euro action:
France 0 - 0 Romania
- more painful to watch than public access, elementary school children-produced television.
+ there is a dude named RAT on Romania.
Netherlands 3 - 0 Italy
- decidedly not what I predicted for the day... I'm sorry I assumed that the Italian National Team would show up and not the Fanculo Miss Nancy Squad.
+ Sneijder, the clutch Dutch Delight!
Euro 2008 match prediction success rate: 66.6% (took a hit as expected, but hopefully there will be recovery with the debut of LA FURIA ROJA!!!)
08 June 2008
usa - argentina
Sorry for all of the soccer posts as of late, but with the Euros going on and really not that much else taking place in my life, there really isn't much else to talk about.
Sadly, I wasn't able to enjoy today's Euro '08 as much as I would have liked due to a combination of shambolic transmission from my best friends at Comcast and me wasting a lot of time showing my computer illiterate cousin how to burn dvds from his girlfriend's laptop. I am ok with people being computer illiterate (if you are over 40), but what really irks me is when people fill up their generic PC computing box with a lot of generic bullshit spyware nonsense (those stupid search engine bars in IE and animated cursors, terrible). So helping involves a number of hurdles, such as overcoming the fact that your cursor is actually a fucking "I <3 NY" icon and you have filled up your hard drive with adware doodoo. Nice.
But I digress.
Highlight of the day was definitely the USA-Argentina match that I was able to watch without illiterate interruption. Here are some of the things that I liked (+) and didn't like (-) about the match:
+ Gago and Dempsey getting pissy with each other and trading words and fouls in the first half.
+ Eddie Johnson apparently yanking Mascherano's johnson in the second half... much to Javier's chagrin.
- the fact that Argentina continue to be one of the more hideous national sides in the world. Its almost as if they outcrossed Carles Puyol and a thawed Neanderthal to produce the team. (Reference exhibits A, B, and C.)
- refereeing worthy of UVA IMs instead of a FIFA governed international friendly. Who in their right mind could confuse Edu and Mastroeni?
- lackluster American commentary... Aguero plays in the Spanish Primera Liga, or La Liga, not "the Spanish League", that league does not exist. Thanks.
+ a gritty, impressive showing from the Americans (Man of the Match is Tim Howard for me) against a solid Argentina side.
Euro 2008 match prediction success rate: 100% (4 for 4... look for this to take a hit with tomorrow's group of death matches)
Sadly, I wasn't able to enjoy today's Euro '08 as much as I would have liked due to a combination of shambolic transmission from my best friends at Comcast and me wasting a lot of time showing my computer illiterate cousin how to burn dvds from his girlfriend's laptop. I am ok with people being computer illiterate (if you are over 40), but what really irks me is when people fill up their generic PC computing box with a lot of generic bullshit spyware nonsense (those stupid search engine bars in IE and animated cursors, terrible). So helping involves a number of hurdles, such as overcoming the fact that your cursor is actually a fucking "I <3 NY" icon and you have filled up your hard drive with adware doodoo. Nice.
But I digress.
Highlight of the day was definitely the USA-Argentina match that I was able to watch without illiterate interruption. Here are some of the things that I liked (+) and didn't like (-) about the match:
+ Gago and Dempsey getting pissy with each other and trading words and fouls in the first half.
+ Eddie Johnson apparently yanking Mascherano's johnson in the second half... much to Javier's chagrin.
- the fact that Argentina continue to be one of the more hideous national sides in the world. Its almost as if they outcrossed Carles Puyol and a thawed Neanderthal to produce the team. (Reference exhibits A, B, and C.)
- refereeing worthy of UVA IMs instead of a FIFA governed international friendly. Who in their right mind could confuse Edu and Mastroeni?
- lackluster American commentary... Aguero plays in the Spanish Primera Liga, or La Liga, not "the Spanish League", that league does not exist. Thanks.
+ a gritty, impressive showing from the Americans (Man of the Match is Tim Howard for me) against a solid Argentina side.
Euro 2008 match prediction success rate: 100% (4 for 4... look for this to take a hit with tomorrow's group of death matches)
07 June 2008
euro thoughts
The tournament began today, and not a day too soon because I was getting tired of the only thing going on in the soccer world being transfer rumors. I enjoyed both games, and figured I would share my thoughts about each one.
Switzerland 0 - 1 Czech Republic
- Some countries have extremely trifling national anthems. The Czech Republic is one of them. "Where is My Homeland?" asks a question to which the answer is clearly "somewhere behind the Iron Curtain of old", because it sounds like a straight up soviet dirge. Terrible.
- Speaking of national anthems, instead of having the typical, you know, Swiss-looking person singing it, they had what appeared to be a gypsy in a swiss miss red dress. At least it was a respectable tune.
- Philippe Senderos is a clown in "defense". One of his best moves of the day was when he closed his legs to prevent an imminent megging, just to be dribbled around instead. Good job.
- Jan Koller is an absolute lurch of a man. He lacks the spindly, awkward qualities that at least make Peter Crouch entertaining to watch.
Portugal 2 - 0 Turkey
- Whoa, am I playing FIFA? No, thats just Andy Gray commentating on a real life match!
- All bias aside, the new generation of Nike uniforms are a little tight fitting for my taste... I saw a little more nipple outlines from both teams than I would care to see.
- I could have sworn this was a sneak preview of the games in Beijing, but not of the soccer competition. No, no, I thought the team diving competition had begun a few months early. Both teams were guilty of some rather mediocre acting in this respect, chief among all being the antithesis-of-handsome Tuncay Sanli.
- I wish ESPN would quit trying to provide American coverage of the tournament and just patch through telecasts from an English-speaking country that has sportscasters who know what the fuck is going on. Julie Foudy is a sweetheart, but I would even take the squad over at FSC over this.
Euro 2008 match prediction success rate: 100%
Thats all for today, I think I am going to Outback with my parents now. Oh, and Clinton conceded today... could this day get any better?
Switzerland 0 - 1 Czech Republic
- Some countries have extremely trifling national anthems. The Czech Republic is one of them. "Where is My Homeland?" asks a question to which the answer is clearly "somewhere behind the Iron Curtain of old", because it sounds like a straight up soviet dirge. Terrible.
- Speaking of national anthems, instead of having the typical, you know, Swiss-looking person singing it, they had what appeared to be a gypsy in a swiss miss red dress. At least it was a respectable tune.
- Philippe Senderos is a clown in "defense". One of his best moves of the day was when he closed his legs to prevent an imminent megging, just to be dribbled around instead. Good job.
- Jan Koller is an absolute lurch of a man. He lacks the spindly, awkward qualities that at least make Peter Crouch entertaining to watch.
Portugal 2 - 0 Turkey
- Whoa, am I playing FIFA? No, thats just Andy Gray commentating on a real life match!
- All bias aside, the new generation of Nike uniforms are a little tight fitting for my taste... I saw a little more nipple outlines from both teams than I would care to see.
- I could have sworn this was a sneak preview of the games in Beijing, but not of the soccer competition. No, no, I thought the team diving competition had begun a few months early. Both teams were guilty of some rather mediocre acting in this respect, chief among all being the antithesis-of-handsome Tuncay Sanli.
- I wish ESPN would quit trying to provide American coverage of the tournament and just patch through telecasts from an English-speaking country that has sportscasters who know what the fuck is going on. Julie Foudy is a sweetheart, but I would even take the squad over at FSC over this.
Euro 2008 match prediction success rate: 100%
Thats all for today, I think I am going to Outback with my parents now. Oh, and Clinton conceded today... could this day get any better?
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