tuesday museday 2010

Happy New Year! I know I was absent for some time over winter break, but thats just the way things go when the sun and fun of Florida provide ample distraction. Actually, who am I kidding? I rarely went outside, and when I did it was to do yardwork for my mom. My break was full of playing FIFA10 and watching HD movies on my parent's new TV.

Anyway, upwards and onwards to the inaugural muse of the year:

• wtf cold weather?! - Holy crap its cold outside. Where is that global warming Al Gore promised me in that movie a couple of years ago? You know the one he made on his Mac that scared the crap out of everyone and got him a Nobel Prize? Way to renege, dude. I am freezing my ass off here, and you know things are bad when the temperature cracks above freezing and it seems like a warm day. At least there is some snow in the forecast towards the end of the week. I swear, though, if this doesn't net me at least a two-hour delay I am doing to... to... be really mad! Gah, I can't wait for spring.

• Resolutioners... I am officially over you. No, no not you (hopefully) ex-smokers or dried up alcoholics out there. I am talking only to you people clogging up my gym for the past two days. As someone who has gone to the gym on a fairly regular basis for something like 6 years now, this January influx is not unexpected, but boy does it steam my clams. Don't get me wrong, I am all about self-improvement and getting fit and all that... heck thats why I am at the gym! BUT REALLY, these people are the worst. Its damn near impossible to get a treadmill to warmup on, and when I do find one, I am next to the smelly old guy! Come on! Ab machines? Forget about it. The newbies are using up all of those as well. Seriously, though, the fact that all these people are deciding at THE SAME FUCKING TIME to get in shape pisses me off. Getting healthy is something you want to start working on PROMPTLY. When you look at yourself in the mirror one day and realize you have to shape up, join a gym THAT DAY. Don't fucking put it off until some arbitrary day WHEN EVERYONE ELSE will be doing the SAME THING. It just makes things shitty for everyone. Put down the god damned hamburger and get on the stairmaster this MINUTE (not literally this minute because that would compound the problem, but you know what I mean.) GAH.

• Netflix - I can't believe I waited so long to get on this train. Now that I'm on it, though, I couldn't be more excited for the ride! Within minutes my mailing queue was stocked and my watch instantly list was extensive. I may not have mentioned this before, but I really like movies. I really don't like going out of my way to get them, though. Netflix really seems like it is going to bridge that gap nicely. First movie up on the queue is The Wrestler. Some other great movies are to follow, so I am thinking the blog may benefit from this new service by adding a new movie review feature (!)

• New York "Football" Giants - the football is in quotes because I am not sure if the team knew what sport they were supposed to be playing for the past couple of weeks. I really wasn't expecting all that much from the team following the fucking disgrace that was the Panthers game, but they really exceeded my expectations for shittyness with that stinker they laid in Minnesota. At least Bill Sheridan's head got rolling pretty quickly thereafter, but I am really hoping there is is another shoe to drop soon. And by shoe I mean Kevin Gilbride and by drop I mean get ditched in favor of an offensive coordinator worth a damn.

Onward and upward for the week, there may or may not be a book review soonish.

tuesday museday SEQUEL

... and we're back for part 2 of the NFL "of the Decade" edition of tuesday museday (on a wednesday no less!)

with no further ado, nos. 6 through 10!

6) Play of the Decade: Manning to Tyree in Super Bowl XLII

Apologies to the Music City Miracle (which actually occurred in the playoffs following the 1999 regular season, so I don't feel that bad), but this play was one of the wildest, perhaps flukiest, and definitely memorable plays of the decade. This play came on a career-defining drive for Manning, going for the win against a Patriots team that nearly everyone expected to go 19-0. After Manning gets out of the clutches of the Patriots pass rush, he seemingly lobs the ball into the middle of the field, where shockingly there is a Giants receiver waiting for the pass. Tyree goes up for it, and PINS the ball to his helmet and deftly prevents the pigskin from touching the ground. Rodney Harrison is simultaneously too shocked and unaware to try to strip the ball from the receiver. A few plays later, the drive is completed with a Manning TD pass to Burress and the Super Bowl of the Decade is pretty much over.

7) Upset of the Decade: Giants over Patriots in Super Bowl XLII

Recency effect! You are a Giants fan! What about the Patriots over the Rams in XXXVI?! STFU, I say. You can't tell me that beating the team that had YET TO BE DEFEATED and which had set NUMEROUS OFFENSIVE RECORDS in the process doesn't qualify as the upset of the decade. At least this is my last post that involves the Giants. The Patriots on the other hand...

8) Call of the Decade: Tuck Rule in 2001 Raiders vs. Patriots AFC Divisional Game

Note: I am not saying its the best or worst call of the decade, I am simply noting its importance. The "tuck rule" becomes the savior of the Patriots and the doom of the Raiders. Three weeks after Walt Coleman's controversial call, the Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI and two subsequent titles, the Raiders make it to XXXVII, but slide into ignominy for the rest of the decade (one can envision an alternate universe where if the call were different, the Raiders win the game and somehow don't end up drafting this "quarterback" some years later). I am not sure if one call so dramatically impacted the fates of the teams and careers of the players involved so much as this one.

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Things that rank among "of the Decade" are not always great. For items 9 and 10, I have some thoughts on things that were not so hot this decade. Even though there are only two selections, I think you will notice a distinct pattern:

9) Bust of the Decade: Detroit Lions 1st Round Draft Picks (2002, 2003, 2005)

Mssrs. Harrington, Rogers, and Williams all join forces to create a megabust for this worst thing of the decade. Since their suckitude is patently clear, I will not elaborate more.

10) Worst Team of the Decade: Detroit Lions

42 wins DTD (decade to date) with a record setting 0 win season thrown in there qualifies this team for the inglorious title of Worst Team of the Decade. Again, the craptastic quality of this team is self-evident, so the analysis is unnecessary.

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I hope you, dear reader, have enjoyed this DiR as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I may feel inspired to do a few more before we finally say goodbye to the aughts, but not before Saturday, as I will be on an epic road trip until then.

tuesday museday

Another Tuesday, another (two part!) muse:

Ah, its that truly magical time that comes around every ten years, when we can take a subject matter and analyze it through the lens of the decade gone by. The subject matter at hand today is the NFL. The aughts represent my first full decade of football memories, and to celebrate this fact (and to gloss over its corollary, that I am getting old) I propose a Decade in Review for the NFL. The DiR consists of a series of "of the Decade"s. For example, if I were to have a "Top Restaurant Discovery of the Decade" it would surely be Chipotle. Before being introduced to its burritos back in 2002, Mexican food was purely a 3rd rate sit down dinner experience for me. Discovery of Chipotle was a watershed moment in restauranting for me for the rest of the aughts. As such, it gains "of the Decade" status. Make sense? Alright, now that I am hungry for a burrito, back to football we go. Seeing as how the decade represents 10 years, I chose 10 areas to highlight. With pictures! Please and thank you!

1) Offensive Player of the Decade: Peyton MANNING

Peyton Manning was selected to the 2000 and 2002-2008 Pro Bowls; was named NFL MVP in 2003, 2004, and 2008; was Super Bowl XLI MVP and Champion; and has been the face of the NFL for a greater part of the decade. He has coached the winningest team of the decade, the Colts, a team that would be a mere shell of itself without him running the show from the quarterback position. Some might cry out that Brady is 3x as much of a champion and thus deserves the award, but I will hear no such arguments. The Pats could have probably achieved a portion of their success without him as QB. The Colts, not so much.

2) Defensive Player of the Year: Ray LEWIS

Ray Lewis was selected to the 2000-01, 2003-04, and 2006-08 Pro Bowls; was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2003; was Super Bowl XXXV MVP and Champion; and has some of the sickest pre-game dance moves in the league, which are an inspiration to millions of Baltimorons (I was going to link to a Ravens-themed wedding reception, in which the overweight white groom does his best Lewis impression - God help us - but sadly its a private vimeo video now). Anywho, Lewis is a physical freak, being a bulwark on a formidable defense for the past decade.

3) Team of the Decade: New England Patriots

The Pats appeared in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXIX, and XLVII - claiming the championship in the first 3. They were also the first team to ever go 18-0, which was great and all, except that season had 19 games. Haha! But seriously, even though I hate them, I have to give credit where credit is due. Spygate, 18-1, and Bill Belichick's loathsomeness aside, this team will forever be synonymous with 2000s success.

4) Coach of the Decade: Bill BELICHICK

Bill Belichick started off the decade with a shrewd move - vacating the Jets coaching job within a day of receiving it, and went on to coach the Pats to their three Super Bowl crowns and their memorable Super Bowl loss to the Giants. I really dislike this dude (he may even be a cheater), but he, like his Pats, will forever be synonymous with success in the aughts.

5) Super Bowl of the Decade: XLII (Giants vs. Patriots)

Undefeated Pats cruise to their crowning moment, 4th Super Bowl in the decade, and a special place in the history boo... OH WAIT. The GIANTS win this one. Guided by a MANNING?! This is a total nightmare for the Pats, a wondrous event for Giants fans/Pats haters/and the '72 Dolphins all the same. In my (clearly) unbiased opinion, hands down Super Bowl of the decade, perhaps of all!

....

[Numbers 6 through 10 to appear in tomorrow's muse sequel]

kit quick hit!

A possible feature? In the future? We'll see...

For now, though, two hearty helpings of FAIL in the world of kits, sadly both involving my favoured (note the English spelling!) sporting apparel maker adidas.

1) Just wandered over to Kitbag today to see what was going on in the world of purchasable kits and other soccer paraphernalia and noticed this little gem in the upper right of my screen. What would that be? Stevie G and his mug hawking "Liverpool European Away Kits." Ah yes, those kits that you will be donning in the prestigious Europa League, Mr. Gerrard? And, what? They are 15% off you say? What a shock! A great value for an item that will remind Liverpool fans of an utterly uninspiring and miserable European campaign this year. They should be giving these horrible things away, as a courtesy to fans, so they have something with which they can wipe away their salty scouser tears.

Liverpool better shape up before they get the Newcastle Treatment

2) Apparently, adidas unveiled the WC 2010 Nigeria kit a little too early. How early? Well, it would appear so early that the Nigerian FA didn't even have time to approve the design! I know adidas are eager to trot out their WC2010 offerings, but before the country's federation has time to approve them? Slow down there, Adi.

[image via football shirt blog @ footballshirtculture]

tuesday museday

First, to get everyone in the Christmas (holiday?) spirit, here and here are videos of one of my favorite holiday-time songs, Riu Riu Chiu. Its a medieval Spanish (Galician) folk song, about Jesus and wolves or something. I like how its sung in canon, and how the second super-Spanish version features people playing authentic medieval instruments.

Anyways, onwards to the muse:

Concentrated muse today, on a subject that has been on my mind for some time now. What with the events of my high school reunion and school field trip to my alma mater happening in the past weeks, I have been thinking about what impact these respective institutions have had on shaping me as a person/student/educated fellow. I like to think of it as assessing educational value added. This is not a new concept at all, higher ed wonks have been analyzing this concept for some time now, taking a critical eye towards what colleges actually do with those bright young people to whom they give access to their ivory towers.

Taking stock of the person I was (or I now view myself to have been), I can't say that my experience in college improved me all that much as a student. I think most of the habits, skills, and academic interests I have now remain unchanged since I graduated from high school some 5 years ago. I still write in mostly the same way, study in the same way, think in similar ways, and generally go about my intellectual business the way I did when I was a wide-eyed 18 year old coming out of high school. As a point of comparison, I think high school vastly changed the kind of student I was. In high school I was exposed to a level of academic rigor and enrichment that I had never before seen. I would say that I had to "level up" accordingly. I was taught to write (in some form or function), to think, to learn in a whole new way. Not to say that classes didn't frustrate or challenge me in college, but usually these obstacles were a function of the professor being hard to reach/too focused on research/weird to make the class as useful as it could have been. I found myself relying on the skills I learned in high school to get by in these classes, but never really needed to change the way I went about things to do well. The "leveling up" wasn't nearly as great as it was in high school.

Was/is it foolish to expect such an increase at the college level? Maybe, maybe not. I can't argue that I wasn't changed for the better through my experience in college - I met some truly amazing people, had some wonderful leadership opportunities, and matured quite a bit as a person. Is that the purpose of college though? Couldn't the same result be achieved through other means? Isn't the aim to change the way that students think and engage with the material they are presented? I am not sure of the answers to these questions, but they sure got me thinking.

So where is the educational value added, especially for someone like me who majored in a non-applied science and a liberal art? I am not convinced I am at all "smarter" for the experience. Sure, I may know more historical facts or be able to tell you how the cell cycle works (or not?), but really I learned these things from either reading a book (something I learned to do long, long ago) or a PowerPoint slide (just long ago), not from any special insight from a professor or TA. Now I don't mean to poo poo on ALL of my in-class experiences in college, Profs. Jenkins, Provencio, Gallagher, Braun, and Confino (and their respective classes) are notable exceptions. In some way their classes inspired/challenged/motivated me to be a better student and change the way I look at the world. None were Earth-shattering though. Kelly, Gullickson, Gecan, Nelson, McFaden, Lampazzi, Torrence, McCarthy... these are names that will live long in my memory, for I can trace specific ways I think about subjects (or how I try to avoid splitting my infinitives) back to these fine folks in high school.

Interested to hear what others have to think about their value added experience in college. Comments, ho!

weekend in preview

Ah yes, another return fail. Sorry about that!

and, the weekend!

Sport. Oh, okay, okay, yes, THIS is the "must win" game for the Giants. They are going to treat it like a playoff game, leave it all out on the field, fix the problems, etc. Sorry dudes, I am not aware of any playoff system that allows you to lose a game, narrowly win another, then lose next and still be in the competition. Thats just not how it works. Look for the Giants to continue their slide to mediocrity this Sunday against the Cowboys at the Meadowlands. Really this terrible nightmare of a season needs to mercifully end. This team is going nowhere. Why am I so downcast on my dudes? Well, for one, they have a literal moron running their defense. Bill Sheridan is the worst, injuries to the secondary or not. The secondary is not the issue. The problem is that somehow he has managed to turn Tuck, Umenyiora, Kiwanuka, et al. into a bunch of average to below average joes. Also, Brandon Jacobs is literal doo doo. He refuses to run like he used to, and subsequently refuse to believe in him like I used to. He will either hit the hole with authority, or he can hit the fucking bus to the glue factory. Bye.

Also, the USMNT gets to find out their group fate tomorrow at noon. I plan on following the action on ESPN360 intently. Come on Group of Life!

Cinema. Alright, I might be three weeks early on this, but at least I am in the same month as the release. I am ready for Nine to rock my world. Today, I found myself singing "Be Italian" in the shower. I fully expect this to continue until I am sitting Diet Coke and Twizzlers in hand, watching DDL to his thing in the highly anticipated musical. Gah. Cannot wait. What this has to do with this weekend, I really can't say. Maybe I will watch the "Cinema Italiano" video on loop during my free time. Or perhaps this nice trailer?

Drink. Ah, well, I had thoughts of concocting my favorite Puerto Rican coconut-based nog drink, coquito, but realistically I am not sure if I could do my father's version justice. Its pretty much the most delicious holiday drink imaginable, and I have been a devoted fan since I was but a wee lad. I plan to devote my holiday in Florida to learning the art of making the family recipe, drinking dozens of eggs and a handle of rum in the process. As for this weekend, I again strive to try some seasonal brews, as they are a thing right now.

Whimsy. I am really thinking about delving more into my interest in uniform design. Perchance on Sunday I will finally get around to reworking my alma mater's football getup for my first piece of work. Or maybe I will just wallow after the Giants sure loss. Guh.

tuesday museday? tuesday museday.

Hmmm, retroactive Tuesday Museday on a Wednesday. What is this skullduggery? Sorry, had some Business that kept me busy last night, so I couldn't do the usual Tuesday edition of musings. Most sincere apologies!

But this bastardization of the muse allows me to segue into what should be a New Feature of the blog that should bring more Entertainment to the legion of loyal readers.

What is this brand-new Thing? Well while many blogs may have link dumps once in a while, I propose an even FINER link dump for the middle of the workweek. Why is it better? Because it is an All Star collection of links, from all corners of The Internet. Naming suggestions for this amazing new feature welcome. I am thinking something along the lines of Hump Day Heroics, or something.

Anyways, the segue will be me providing a sort of hybrid between the Tuesday and Wednesday features. And away we go!

• Here we have a perfect example of how ab-so-freaking-lutely talented some Internet People can be. Well that or they are so incredibly bored that they produce such works of genius. I mean this video combines two loves of mine (Mario games and Queen songs) into one sinfully glorious union. I am not sure if my excited brain made this up or if it is an actual feature of the video, but I believe the game sounds are some way made to sound like features of the song. And then we have the lyrics being introduced in various forms in the background of the four windows, another stroke of brilliance.

• This, this, and especially this are the opposite of said brilliance. They are the work of a hackery of the highest order. If you at one point were ever a fan of Family Guy, it may pain you to watch. I encourage you to do so, though, because any shred of affinity you once had for that hollow shell of a show will disappear.

• I really wish this nifty little tool had been invented when I was a senior in high school. That was about the last time that calculus actually mattered in my life, and having this Internet Thing able to solve problems for me (and show all work!) would have been quite useful. The computers, I tell you, they will be self aware before we know it. Now I know recently I called for an epic struggle against a mighty foe, but I am pretty sure self aware machines are sure to crush the entirety of the human race. Or maybe I watched Terminator at too young of an age.

• I am really not sure if I like what Time, Inc. is showing me with their 'Manhattan Project.' It seems to me like a spiffy PDF or a neat way to interact with a website. I am not sure if its entirely viable as an alternative to print magazines or web pages. I really want great publications like Sports Illustrated and Time to survive the great journalism purge, but I am not convinced that this is a way to weather the downturn.

• TMZ goes to Taiwan, meets the Sims and talks Tiger. Hilarity ensues.

And then there was this image that captured my imagination yesterday. I would just like to note the a) dog wearing a sweater, and b) the fact that he has clearly made it rain on this tortoise in addition to enslaving it as his means of transportation.