My wife was telling me about a parent who is a professor of architecture in Istanbul and was transferred to Montreal for a year for her job.
It was interesting to hear the professor tell the story of how babyish students had become in Istanbul. The reason it's interesting is because a friend of ours who teaches at the Universite de Montreal said the exact same things about Canada. No one thinks for themselves anymore. They want everything handed to them on a silver platter as they listen to their iPods in class. And if you don't deliver and dare give them a low grade, watch out. In one case, she explained how she gave her class a topic to explore only for them to come back exasperated explaining they "google" searched the topic but found nothing. No one thought to do research at a library.
I observed the same things 18 years ago in university. A professor would provide the syllabus and the students would assume the professor had to narrow down what part of the book they were "responsible" for. The more sarcastic and blunt professors would answer "all of it". With a "dumbass" in their mind of course. I mean, our syllabuses were a joke. Already we were ripping off society with low tuition and the course would request we read two or three books.
There are no real standards anymore and I've met many a stupid, daft MBA student.
But hey, excellence has been weeded out of the equation to make sure no one is "left behind."
The ship is sunk.
2010-06-29
America Shrugged
If you're a person who cherishes freedom of any kind, this is just yet another reason to despise President Barack Obama and his bumbling, babbling hideous army of authoritarians.
I can't believe this stuff is happening. They'd actually contemplate banning freedom of speech which is basically restricting freedom of thought? Seriously, did these people get their pitiful education in a Soviet school still standing? Here's the thing, I don't know much about how the law world works and how justices are chosen in the States, but judging from Obama's amateurish approach to leadership, it's not surprising he nominated two people with very little real experience and in the case of Kagan, a person with no experience period. The youts are runnin' the asylum. It's Lord of the Flies!
What makes the exercise a joke is that these people don't even need to prove what their thoughts on life really are. For all Americans know, a real, hard core Marxist can be named to the bench. All you need to do is make sure you have the votes to be confirmed and you can duck and deke all you want.
What more do Americans need to know they elected a man who believes it is within his constitutional right to control the lives of Americans?
The right have been known to ban books and censor cartoons. They're rightly seen as regressive retrobates. The left wants to censor political writings and this is seen as? Progressive?
It's ironic. Under Bush, all I heard on the radio, in the papers, on the streets etc. was the coming theocracy. Yet, who is hastening the shut down of American liberty?
Stunning, staggering stupidity.
I can't believe this stuff is happening. They'd actually contemplate banning freedom of speech which is basically restricting freedom of thought? Seriously, did these people get their pitiful education in a Soviet school still standing? Here's the thing, I don't know much about how the law world works and how justices are chosen in the States, but judging from Obama's amateurish approach to leadership, it's not surprising he nominated two people with very little real experience and in the case of Kagan, a person with no experience period. The youts are runnin' the asylum. It's Lord of the Flies!
What makes the exercise a joke is that these people don't even need to prove what their thoughts on life really are. For all Americans know, a real, hard core Marxist can be named to the bench. All you need to do is make sure you have the votes to be confirmed and you can duck and deke all you want.
What more do Americans need to know they elected a man who believes it is within his constitutional right to control the lives of Americans?
The right have been known to ban books and censor cartoons. They're rightly seen as regressive retrobates. The left wants to censor political writings and this is seen as? Progressive?
It's ironic. Under Bush, all I heard on the radio, in the papers, on the streets etc. was the coming theocracy. Yet, who is hastening the shut down of American liberty?
Stunning, staggering stupidity.
German Cuisine
And no, we don't all do it. Many may pick, but less actually taste it. Cripes.
Low looks so Gothic.
Cloudy Visionaries
The minute you hear someone's a "visionary" it means, sometimes, they stole the idea from somebody else.
Actors and artists are often called visionaries. Even business people. They're also tagged with being "geniuses."
I'm less inclined to go that route so easily.
Whenever you read stuff in more detail, there's always a darker side to how ideas come about. Truth is, many people in the arts don't have an original bone in their god dang bodies. And you know who you are.
Me? I have plenty. For I am The Commentator! Kiss my toe....ga'head. It's clean.
Actors and artists are often called visionaries. Even business people. They're also tagged with being "geniuses."
I'm less inclined to go that route so easily.
Whenever you read stuff in more detail, there's always a darker side to how ideas come about. Truth is, many people in the arts don't have an original bone in their god dang bodies. And you know who you are.
Me? I have plenty. For I am The Commentator! Kiss my toe....ga'head. It's clean.
Freedom Of Choice Prevails
Some sanity was restored to Quebec's schools. Private schools will not be forced to teach the ethics and religious course. Two reasons why I like this. One, private schools are just that: Private. People pay to have their kids educated in a particular way. They exercise their rights through their wallets. It's not the state's business to infringe on this. If they want to go and muck up the public system (which they have) be my guest.
Two, I've been hearing a lot of bull about how Catholic schools teach religion. That it somehow teaches us to be bigoted and to believe there is only one and true religion. Aside from the fact all religions do this, it hardly has effected my and my friends outlook about life. I never recall language that was anywhere near damaging towards other religion - and this was in the public system.
It's insulting to think we're incapable of rationalizing what's being taught to us. No one believe (s) there's only one true religion and if the folks at Loyola believe this so be it - IT'S A PRIVATE INSTITUTION.
The reasoning behind pushing the paternalistic course was faulty in my view and was based on some serious assumptions.
Two, I've been hearing a lot of bull about how Catholic schools teach religion. That it somehow teaches us to be bigoted and to believe there is only one and true religion. Aside from the fact all religions do this, it hardly has effected my and my friends outlook about life. I never recall language that was anywhere near damaging towards other religion - and this was in the public system.
It's insulting to think we're incapable of rationalizing what's being taught to us. No one believe (s) there's only one true religion and if the folks at Loyola believe this so be it - IT'S A PRIVATE INSTITUTION.
The reasoning behind pushing the paternalistic course was faulty in my view and was based on some serious assumptions.
Scraps Of Paper And Credibility
We often hear "he or she has no credibility" to downplay or erase a testimony in a legal case. A common criminal, we're told, lies. No doubt they do. However, I don't know, as we move forward it's also become clear professionals we highly regard in society are fully capable of lying and immoral behavior; politicians, lawyers, doctors, CEOs etc. for so-called white collar crimes.
Seems to me they're more alike than we think. Man is wretched where he needs to be. No piece of paper from any school or plaque in a fancy executive office can shield us from that.
What seperates a miserable career criminal and a miserable professional criminal is education.
Seems to me they're more alike than we think. Man is wretched where he needs to be. No piece of paper from any school or plaque in a fancy executive office can shield us from that.
What seperates a miserable career criminal and a miserable professional criminal is education.
2010-06-28
Tragic Highway Deaths
Chick, excuse the pun, actually stopped the car in the fast lane, got out and helped a family of ducks cross the road at which point two motorcyles carrying a family of three slams into the back of her car killing two - a father and his daughter.
Crazy.
While the girl seriously had foie gras for brains, my question is, how did the motorcycles not see her stopped vehicle? Were they going too fast? Were they tailgating? Seeing this is Quebec where everything is optional on the road, that's a possible scenario. Furthermore, if she was aware of her surroundings what the heck was she thinking? Imagine if it was a Mack truck that hit her. The opposite would have happened.
Did those effen ducks make it after all?
Tragic. That girl's life will never be the same. Just tragic.
Crazy.
While the girl seriously had foie gras for brains, my question is, how did the motorcycles not see her stopped vehicle? Were they going too fast? Were they tailgating? Seeing this is Quebec where everything is optional on the road, that's a possible scenario. Furthermore, if she was aware of her surroundings what the heck was she thinking? Imagine if it was a Mack truck that hit her. The opposite would have happened.
Did those effen ducks make it after all?
Tragic. That girl's life will never be the same. Just tragic.
Quaking The Earth In Montreal
An earthquake that measure 5.5 on the richter scale hit Montreal the other day. I was, erm, napping when it hit. It was scary. Merci, Gee-noo.
Death Of Green Lawns
I think I've figured out why hay fever is on the rise and seems more vicious these days. It's tied to our lawns. Once upon a time we were allowed to use chemicals to kill of rag weed that grows on our grass. We'd spray it in the spring and we'd be good to go for the summer. Of course, such chemicals have been outlawed here in Quebec and Ontario and the result is, and I'm just musing here, more sneezing and watery eyes. To say nothing of weed infested lawns.
Houde Unique
I caught the tale end of His Worship, Mr. Montreal this morning. I regret missing most of it. It was a short film about the most colorful mayor this city ever saw in Camilien Houde. In fact, the "golden age" of Montreal was under Houde's and Jean Drapeau's command.
I read about Houde in a history of Montreal class and the awesome book City Unique. In doing work for Casa d'Italia, I also came across many pictures of Houde in their archives who was a huge friend to the Italian community donating the land to which currently sits la Casa. He was indeed a larger than life character. Only Brother Andre was possibly more loved..
This is a decent enough piece discussing both Houde and Drapeau.
The following still makes me chuckle:
"The excellent 1976 NFB doc His Worship, Mr. Montreal recounts the time Houde was riding in a convertible downtown with then-Princess Elizabeth. As the throngs cheered, Houde turned to her and said, "Some of that [applause] is for you!"
They don't make 'em like him anymore that's for sure.
I read about Houde in a history of Montreal class and the awesome book City Unique. In doing work for Casa d'Italia, I also came across many pictures of Houde in their archives who was a huge friend to the Italian community donating the land to which currently sits la Casa. He was indeed a larger than life character. Only Brother Andre was possibly more loved..
This is a decent enough piece discussing both Houde and Drapeau.
The following still makes me chuckle:
"The excellent 1976 NFB doc His Worship, Mr. Montreal recounts the time Houde was riding in a convertible downtown with then-Princess Elizabeth. As the throngs cheered, Houde turned to her and said, "Some of that [applause] is for you!"
They don't make 'em like him anymore that's for sure.
2010-06-27
Mental Iconoclast
I've posted about Thomas Szasz in the past and am doing so again here.
Hm. He and the Church of Scientology are both against psychiatry. I would love to know more about how they differ - if at all - on this issue.
Hm. He and the Church of Scientology are both against psychiatry. I would love to know more about how they differ - if at all - on this issue.
Peaceniks Silent Under Obama
Hey, I saw Obama coming from a mile away. Not because I'm smart (I'm as dimwitted as they come) but because I'm skeptical when it comes to politicians. The day he "won" the Noble Peace prize was the day that confirmed to me the world had lost its mind. Norway in particular.
It's interesting to see how politics on both sides of the aisle have dealt with Cindy Sheehan. She's the latest person to question the Obama promise; the change of nothing.
Is she a "racist?" Not everyone who criticizes the administration can be called a racist Tea Party member, right?
It's interesting to see how politics on both sides of the aisle have dealt with Cindy Sheehan. She's the latest person to question the Obama promise; the change of nothing.
Is she a "racist?" Not everyone who criticizes the administration can be called a racist Tea Party member, right?
Plugging And Plugged
From Exposing Faux Capitalism.
“Ms. Reisman is a former Governor of McGill University and of the Toronto Stock Exchange. She has served on many North American boards including Magna International, Suncor, and Rogers Communications Inc., and continues to serve on the board of Onex Corporation, J. Crew Group Inc., and Right to Play. She is also a Director and Officer of Mount Sinai Hospital, and a member of the Bilderberg Steering Committee, a geo-political think group.“
Quite a resume. Though one has to wonder just how much of a genius this chick really is. I'm going to guess it's more of a "who you know" situation to be given so many lofty posts. It's like an incestuous cynical game.
She was then handed a book monopoly with Chapters-Indigo - hey, it's Canada what did you expect? Competition? Each time I walk into Chapters I see her picture with her selections for us to buy. Yeah, like I'm going to take her word for it. She may not have even read that damn "pick of the week."
Which makes me think of Oprah. Amazing how influential one person is with their book suggestions. It's like an army of blinded, aimless drones wait to hear from someone from above to decide what they read.
Dumb.
Just dumb.
“Ms. Reisman is a former Governor of McGill University and of the Toronto Stock Exchange. She has served on many North American boards including Magna International, Suncor, and Rogers Communications Inc., and continues to serve on the board of Onex Corporation, J. Crew Group Inc., and Right to Play. She is also a Director and Officer of Mount Sinai Hospital, and a member of the Bilderberg Steering Committee, a geo-political think group.“
Quite a resume. Though one has to wonder just how much of a genius this chick really is. I'm going to guess it's more of a "who you know" situation to be given so many lofty posts. It's like an incestuous cynical game.
She was then handed a book monopoly with Chapters-Indigo - hey, it's Canada what did you expect? Competition? Each time I walk into Chapters I see her picture with her selections for us to buy. Yeah, like I'm going to take her word for it. She may not have even read that damn "pick of the week."
Which makes me think of Oprah. Amazing how influential one person is with their book suggestions. It's like an army of blinded, aimless drones wait to hear from someone from above to decide what they read.
Dumb.
Just dumb.
G-20 Hoodlums
I don't mean the leaders.
I'm all for protests but how is this loser helping any cause let alone "the" cause? Whatever it may be. The minute the protest graduates into pointless destruction affecting other persons, it's invalid.
FIFA Sucks Balls
I'm fed up. I can bear no more. Missed calls that change the complexion of a game are not "part" of tradition. This world cup way too many goals have erroneoulsy been over turned and none more notorious (forget the USA-Slovenia game) than what we saw in the England-Germany match. The English, who have too much of an inflated view of themselves when it comes to soccer, scored a goal that crossed the line in the 38th minute that would have squared the game at 2-2. Instead, they went into the break down 2-1.
Sure, it probably wouldn't have changed anything (given Germany's remarkable propensity for getting calls their way) since Germany were the more clinical of the two sides in the second half on route to the quarter-finals.
Ooo. And the feigned injuries and diving in this game was delightful. Both countries are among the biggest simulators at this world cup.
My issue is directed at FIFA. There is no excuse for it anymore especially with the hawk eye technology available. NONE. It makes the sport look unfair. There is no rational explanation one can put forth against the case for technology in the game of soccer and perhaps even adding a goal linesman. Heck, I'd put a clock but wo, hey, don't force dinosaurs too, too much. They're liable to choke up that tricetop limb they just ate with the caviar.
Back to Germany. Some will say it's revenge for 1966. Perhaps. But we all know karma can swing many ways. Argentina fans are waiting for karma to catch up to Germany for 1990 and 2006. Plenty of countries are waiting for karma. The good news for France and Italy it came and they can begin with a clean slate moving forward.
Sure, it probably wouldn't have changed anything (given Germany's remarkable propensity for getting calls their way) since Germany were the more clinical of the two sides in the second half on route to the quarter-finals.
Ooo. And the feigned injuries and diving in this game was delightful. Both countries are among the biggest simulators at this world cup.
My issue is directed at FIFA. There is no excuse for it anymore especially with the hawk eye technology available. NONE. It makes the sport look unfair. There is no rational explanation one can put forth against the case for technology in the game of soccer and perhaps even adding a goal linesman. Heck, I'd put a clock but wo, hey, don't force dinosaurs too, too much. They're liable to choke up that tricetop limb they just ate with the caviar.
Back to Germany. Some will say it's revenge for 1966. Perhaps. But we all know karma can swing many ways. Argentina fans are waiting for karma to catch up to Germany for 1990 and 2006. Plenty of countries are waiting for karma. The good news for France and Italy it came and they can begin with a clean slate moving forward.
Women's Power
It's interesting to note the power base of the GOP is shifting to women.
And some of them are hot.
And some of them are hot.
2010-06-26
BP And The Suppression Of News
I have no idea what to make of The August Review. Obviously it can be classified as conspiratorial but is it?
Well, you have a President who wants a "kill switch" for the internet in power. Restricting access to BP news is peanuts. That's all you need to know.
Well, you have a President who wants a "kill switch" for the internet in power. Restricting access to BP news is peanuts. That's all you need to know.
The Culture Code For The Commentator Is: Non-Sequitor And Chaos
Last year I read The Culture Code and shopping in a toy store today was reminded the part about Germany and Legos.
It's rare perception and reality converge, but in this instance it looks like it does. Do any Germans with spunk or spontaneity exist?
Me? I was more like the American kids. Fuck the instructions. Open and over turn the box scattering a hundred pieces across the table or floor and start building idiotic things that made little sense. It was fucken Lego. I needed to get to other shit. Other toys. My mother is still finding pieces of Lego in the house.
Once, only once, I followed the instructions and wanted to vomit it was so boring. I built it up and smashed it with my A-Team truck and Star Wars figurines. I was always mixing up toys. There were no boundaries. Smash Up Derby was used to attack an Indian reservation or Union Compound. It didn't matter. What mattered was the imagination running wild. Legos were merely integrated into the larger canope of toys in the house. One time I took my sisters Barbie's, the ones that weren't defaced or given crew cuts, and pretended she was an evil giant to which my little figurines from Emergency or Star Wars or The A-Team or whatever teamed up to hunt and kill her. Now that I think about it, there were some sadistic tendencies in our play. Very few toys were safe from our marauding tendencies.
It wasn't a ver normal way to play, I admit that, but it was fun looking at my parents look on with a mixture of terror, horror and dismay. My brother and sister were no better.
Honestly, if you need instructions for Lego you live one rigid existence. I once stayed on an estate owned by a German millionaire in the Bahamas. They were miserable, cold people. They treated us as if we were lepers. All I remember was me telling my friend "I thought these people know you parents" and him replying with a confused shrug, "They do!" Imagine if they didn't! Would they eat us?
We tried to touch them with human interaction but the most we got was that they were from Cologne. The German Higgins of the house loosened up somewhat after five days but by then we didn't care and were happy to leave.
Anyway. Now that I think of it, he probably was upset he couldn't play with his Legos since they didn't come with instructions.
My lego creations were so retarded my mother considered sending me to a psychologist.
Now that's how you live!
Kidding aside, you have to respect and admire the German adherence to order.
The German Code for Germany is perhaps best illustrated in a story.This excerpt makes me laugh.
Lego, the Danish toy company, found instant success with their interlocking blocks in the German market, while sales foundered in the U.S. Why?
The company's management believed that one of the primary reasons for their success was the quality of the instructions they provided inside each box that helped children build the specific item (a car, a spaceship) that a particular box of blocks was meant to build. The instructions were quite a breakthrough in the field: precise, colorful, and refreshingly self-explanatory. They made construction with Lego blocks not only simple, but in some ways magical. If one followed the path through the instructions, tiny plastic pieces methodically turned into something grander.
American children could not have cared less. They would tear into the boxes, glance fleetingly at the instructions (if they glanced at them at all), and immediately set to a construction project on their own. They seemed to be having a wonderful time, but they were as likely to build, say, a fort, as they were to build the automobile for which the blocks were intended. And when they were done, they would tear their fort apart and start over from scratch. Once purchased, to Lego's dismay, a single box of Lego could last for years.
In Germany, however, Lego's strategy worked exactly as intended. German children opened a box of Legos, sought out the instructions, read them carefully, and then sorted the pieces by color. They set to building, comparing their assembly progress to the crisp, helpful illustrations in the instruction booklet. When they were finished, they had an exact duplicate of the product shown on the cover of the box. They showed it to Mother who clapped approvingly and put the model on a shelf. Now the children needed another box.
Without even knowing it, Lego had tapped into the Culture Code for Germany itself: ORDER. Over many generations, Germans perfected bureaucracy in an effort to stave off the chaos that came to them in wave after wave, and Germans are imprinted early on with this most powerful of codes. It is that imprint which makes children reach dutifully for the instructions, and it is that code which prevents them from immediately destroying their neat construction in order to build it anew. Lego's elegant, full-color instructions had tapped into the German code in a way that assured repeat sales.
It's rare perception and reality converge, but in this instance it looks like it does. Do any Germans with spunk or spontaneity exist?
Me? I was more like the American kids. Fuck the instructions. Open and over turn the box scattering a hundred pieces across the table or floor and start building idiotic things that made little sense. It was fucken Lego. I needed to get to other shit. Other toys. My mother is still finding pieces of Lego in the house.
Once, only once, I followed the instructions and wanted to vomit it was so boring. I built it up and smashed it with my A-Team truck and Star Wars figurines. I was always mixing up toys. There were no boundaries. Smash Up Derby was used to attack an Indian reservation or Union Compound. It didn't matter. What mattered was the imagination running wild. Legos were merely integrated into the larger canope of toys in the house. One time I took my sisters Barbie's, the ones that weren't defaced or given crew cuts, and pretended she was an evil giant to which my little figurines from Emergency or Star Wars or The A-Team or whatever teamed up to hunt and kill her. Now that I think about it, there were some sadistic tendencies in our play. Very few toys were safe from our marauding tendencies.
It wasn't a ver normal way to play, I admit that, but it was fun looking at my parents look on with a mixture of terror, horror and dismay. My brother and sister were no better.
Honestly, if you need instructions for Lego you live one rigid existence. I once stayed on an estate owned by a German millionaire in the Bahamas. They were miserable, cold people. They treated us as if we were lepers. All I remember was me telling my friend "I thought these people know you parents" and him replying with a confused shrug, "They do!" Imagine if they didn't! Would they eat us?
We tried to touch them with human interaction but the most we got was that they were from Cologne. The German Higgins of the house loosened up somewhat after five days but by then we didn't care and were happy to leave.
Anyway. Now that I think of it, he probably was upset he couldn't play with his Legos since they didn't come with instructions.
My lego creations were so retarded my mother considered sending me to a psychologist.
Now that's how you live!
Kidding aside, you have to respect and admire the German adherence to order.
Are They Smarter Than A Chimpanzee?
Who's smarter?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper or President Barack Obama?
Stay thirsty my friends.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper or President Barack Obama?
Stay thirsty my friends.
2010-06-25
Dunno What To Title This Post
More on Italy's exit over at sportsperspectives. A good read.
I was watching the Blue Jays earlier tonight and realized I actually owned a Toronto Blue Jays cap when I was 10 or 11. It went along with a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey I had when I was five. What's up with that? I could seriously care less about those teams though I wouldn't mind at all if the won a championship.
I was like that kid in Roch Carriere's classic 'The Sweater' when his mother sent for a Leafs jersey.
I was watching the Blue Jays earlier tonight and realized I actually owned a Toronto Blue Jays cap when I was 10 or 11. It went along with a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey I had when I was five. What's up with that? I could seriously care less about those teams though I wouldn't mind at all if the won a championship.
I was like that kid in Roch Carriere's classic 'The Sweater' when his mother sent for a Leafs jersey.
The Big Lummux
Anyone who actually didn't see through this guy doesn't know how to read into human bull shit.
Al Gore was and is a lying - and now tempermental horny - creep.
But hey, it's Bush's fault, right? Bush's fault and racism. Easy as 1-2-3.
I mean, he did destroy Gore's marriage. Heaven knows, it couldn't have anything to do with Al!
Al Gore was and is a lying - and now tempermental horny - creep.
But hey, it's Bush's fault, right? Bush's fault and racism. Easy as 1-2-3.
I mean, he did destroy Gore's marriage. Heaven knows, it couldn't have anything to do with Al!
Sad; Obliterating Perception
True to Italian form, the Azzurri displayed perplexing form at the 2010 World Cup. It took until the last 15 minutes of the third game for them to finally get in gear; driven by fear no doubt. Still, they established the ground game and showed they can play with skill. But it was too little, too late. Ironically, the bedrock of Italian soccer is its defense and it was hopelessly dysfunctional this time around. It reminds me of 1986 the last they defended their title. Shadows were on the field. The scary thing is if the back up goalie makes one save, and the Quagliarella goal stands (as it easily could have), I'm not writing this post. Nonetheless, they played poorly and didn't deserve it - despite peppering 40 shots at the net hitting the target 15 times in two games. It wasn't our year.
I don't blame the players - entirely. If there ever was a time where the coach is fully to blame it's this one. Marcello Lippi simply left me (and the entire Italian soccer community) speechless with his handling and selection of the national team. Half the players taken were way past their prime; as if Italy was a country with no talent to choose from. And therein lies my disappointment. The players left behind could have gone deep in the tournament. At the very least it would have been a great experience. Instead, our future stars lose four years because of Lippi putting his own interest above the team. He played politics and let personal trivialities get in the way of putting together a real team.
The World Cup is a place to showcase your talent. People who don't follow Italian soccer (and in my opinion it's their loss), came away asking, "is this the best Italy has to offer?" Lippi presented a skewed image of Italian soccer. If you're a fan of the Azzurri, you know what I mean. Don't make me list the players who should have been in South Africa. Lippi over rated experience over youth; personality over talent. He had no ideas, no tactics. He was still fiddling around with them at the World Cup! He had FOUR YEARS to prepare!
Truth is, we knew this team was sunk in 2007 at the Confederations Cup. We all saw it with our own two eyes. It screamed passing the torch to the young players. The qualifying campaign was mediocre at best and Euro 2008 a pure mess.
Above all, above all, what also blows my mind is Lippi admitted he didn't think he could win in 2010. Obviously this negative energy flowed onto his players. Which begs the question: If he thought this, why didn't he step down? Why bring the legendary Azzurri to their knees?
He capped off the poor performance by not shaking hands with the Slovak coach Weiss storming off instead. It wasn't quite a Domenech moment but it wasn't very classy and sporting of him. His hubris was the downfall of the team.
Meh. They'll be back in four years. Contrary to belief among Azzurri bashers, the pipeline is loaded with talent. They just need a chance. Let's hope the Cesare Prandelli era will see less bull politics we saw under Arrigo Sacchi, Cesare Maldini and now Marcello Lippi.
***
Speaking of bashers, I've grown a tad tired of them. One poster said, "Italy is the only team who dives!" Others made similar rubbish assertions but how to debunk the perception! It's hard enough to do it politics, but soccer is notoriously subjective.
I'm a soccer fan first so I know for a fact all teams bend the laws of the game. One adage I learned in my playing days was the team or persons who screamed for "fair play" most and loudest were most likely to break their own fair play covenant.
Italy has been singled out for some reason yet, when one consults history, they are far from the worst offenders. Consider the worst act of simulation came by way of a Brazilian named Rivaldo in 2002; the worst act of aggression a Frenchman in Zinedine Zidane in 2006 and Tony Shcumacher, a German, nearly snapped the neck of a French player with one of the most barbaric hits I've ever seen back in 1982. The most farcical game in the last 30 years involved the Netherlands and Portugal in 2006.
What about the English? The biggest cry babies of them all? They always claim to be "men." More pragmatic men knew this to be false.
Luckily a website is tracking all the "cheating" and have set up their own criteria to determine who are breaking the spirit of the laws of the game.
The more the English bitched and whined about Latins, the more people lavished love on Brazil, the more they reinforced the steeley German and the more they attacked Italy the more I became skeptical. I used to do my own tabulating of simulations and stopped after realizing it was far from a national or cultural issue and more a football-wide problem. My inexact figures had the three aforementioned near the top of the list.
Lo and behold, England leads this particular list followed by Brazil and Germany. Argentina, Portugal and USA also lead the list. Italy comes in 11th. Greece came in first. As I suspected, they're no better or worse than most countries but the ones whose supporters attack Italy most often have teams that commit more indiscretions.
Perception is a bitch sometimes.
Anyway, if you want to see the list from the site just click on sign up and then stats. It's not perfect science, but it doesn't have to be.
As for what constitutes a dive, to the vast majority of people who don't play soccer or comprehend it or even the fans who watch it but play it poorly, there's a fine line between a dive, embellishment and foul. Sometimes all three get mixed up but to an objective person, it's easy to detect.
I don't blame the players - entirely. If there ever was a time where the coach is fully to blame it's this one. Marcello Lippi simply left me (and the entire Italian soccer community) speechless with his handling and selection of the national team. Half the players taken were way past their prime; as if Italy was a country with no talent to choose from. And therein lies my disappointment. The players left behind could have gone deep in the tournament. At the very least it would have been a great experience. Instead, our future stars lose four years because of Lippi putting his own interest above the team. He played politics and let personal trivialities get in the way of putting together a real team.
The World Cup is a place to showcase your talent. People who don't follow Italian soccer (and in my opinion it's their loss), came away asking, "is this the best Italy has to offer?" Lippi presented a skewed image of Italian soccer. If you're a fan of the Azzurri, you know what I mean. Don't make me list the players who should have been in South Africa. Lippi over rated experience over youth; personality over talent. He had no ideas, no tactics. He was still fiddling around with them at the World Cup! He had FOUR YEARS to prepare!
Truth is, we knew this team was sunk in 2007 at the Confederations Cup. We all saw it with our own two eyes. It screamed passing the torch to the young players. The qualifying campaign was mediocre at best and Euro 2008 a pure mess.
Above all, above all, what also blows my mind is Lippi admitted he didn't think he could win in 2010. Obviously this negative energy flowed onto his players. Which begs the question: If he thought this, why didn't he step down? Why bring the legendary Azzurri to their knees?
He capped off the poor performance by not shaking hands with the Slovak coach Weiss storming off instead. It wasn't quite a Domenech moment but it wasn't very classy and sporting of him. His hubris was the downfall of the team.
Meh. They'll be back in four years. Contrary to belief among Azzurri bashers, the pipeline is loaded with talent. They just need a chance. Let's hope the Cesare Prandelli era will see less bull politics we saw under Arrigo Sacchi, Cesare Maldini and now Marcello Lippi.
***
Speaking of bashers, I've grown a tad tired of them. One poster said, "Italy is the only team who dives!" Others made similar rubbish assertions but how to debunk the perception! It's hard enough to do it politics, but soccer is notoriously subjective.
I'm a soccer fan first so I know for a fact all teams bend the laws of the game. One adage I learned in my playing days was the team or persons who screamed for "fair play" most and loudest were most likely to break their own fair play covenant.
Italy has been singled out for some reason yet, when one consults history, they are far from the worst offenders. Consider the worst act of simulation came by way of a Brazilian named Rivaldo in 2002; the worst act of aggression a Frenchman in Zinedine Zidane in 2006 and Tony Shcumacher, a German, nearly snapped the neck of a French player with one of the most barbaric hits I've ever seen back in 1982. The most farcical game in the last 30 years involved the Netherlands and Portugal in 2006.
What about the English? The biggest cry babies of them all? They always claim to be "men." More pragmatic men knew this to be false.
Luckily a website is tracking all the "cheating" and have set up their own criteria to determine who are breaking the spirit of the laws of the game.
The more the English bitched and whined about Latins, the more people lavished love on Brazil, the more they reinforced the steeley German and the more they attacked Italy the more I became skeptical. I used to do my own tabulating of simulations and stopped after realizing it was far from a national or cultural issue and more a football-wide problem. My inexact figures had the three aforementioned near the top of the list.
Lo and behold, England leads this particular list followed by Brazil and Germany. Argentina, Portugal and USA also lead the list. Italy comes in 11th. Greece came in first. As I suspected, they're no better or worse than most countries but the ones whose supporters attack Italy most often have teams that commit more indiscretions.
Perception is a bitch sometimes.
Anyway, if you want to see the list from the site just click on sign up and then stats. It's not perfect science, but it doesn't have to be.
As for what constitutes a dive, to the vast majority of people who don't play soccer or comprehend it or even the fans who watch it but play it poorly, there's a fine line between a dive, embellishment and foul. Sometimes all three get mixed up but to an objective person, it's easy to detect.
2010-06-23
I Hate You, I Love You
Wo, camel! Wo! Wo, camel! Aw, c'com camel! When I meant wo I meant WO!
Hang on. Wasn't General Petraeus dubbed "Betray us" by the left and presumably - I can't recall that far back as I've had two classes of brandy - was a whipping boy of the Democrats?
Wow.
Interestingly:
In the hearing last week, Petraeus told Congress he would recommend delaying Obama's prescribed pullout of U.S. forces from Afghanistan beginning in July 2011. He said security and political conditions in Afghanistan must be ready to handle a U.S. drawdown.
I'm sure this makes those who want the pull out very happy.
It has to be asked right here and right now once and for all: Does Obama have a clear strategy for Afghanistan? And saying he "inherited" it is not an answer. If he does, I'd like to hear it.
***
Meanwhile, judge lifts oil drilling ban.
Hang on. Wasn't General Petraeus dubbed "Betray us" by the left and presumably - I can't recall that far back as I've had two classes of brandy - was a whipping boy of the Democrats?
Wow.
Interestingly:
In the hearing last week, Petraeus told Congress he would recommend delaying Obama's prescribed pullout of U.S. forces from Afghanistan beginning in July 2011. He said security and political conditions in Afghanistan must be ready to handle a U.S. drawdown.
I'm sure this makes those who want the pull out very happy.
It has to be asked right here and right now once and for all: Does Obama have a clear strategy for Afghanistan? And saying he "inherited" it is not an answer. If he does, I'd like to hear it.
***
Meanwhile, judge lifts oil drilling ban.
Spooky
Obama is not allergic to stretching the limits of the constitution very much like his predecessor; something he did nothing but chastise Bush for.
The assault on personal liberties through censorship is also an alarming development in Obama's plans. Get allt your criticisms of him out now or be censored!
Now there's a bill to give a "kill switch" to the President effectively giving him the power to shut down the internet. You know, in the interest of public security and to make sure everyone "plays nice."
Two things have revealed the mindset of this President. One, is his reactionary impulse; see Gates. He's way too quick to comment before all facts come in. Two, his distrust of citizens. Some may have dismissed his request for citizens to snitch on each other on a White House government post but to me that was a telling sign of how he sees things. Bush may have froze out people, but Obama is taking it to, like the bail outs and spending, higher levels.
The assault on personal liberties through censorship is also an alarming development in Obama's plans. Get allt your criticisms of him out now or be censored!
Now there's a bill to give a "kill switch" to the President effectively giving him the power to shut down the internet. You know, in the interest of public security and to make sure everyone "plays nice."
Two things have revealed the mindset of this President. One, is his reactionary impulse; see Gates. He's way too quick to comment before all facts come in. Two, his distrust of citizens. Some may have dismissed his request for citizens to snitch on each other on a White House government post but to me that was a telling sign of how he sees things. Bush may have froze out people, but Obama is taking it to, like the bail outs and spending, higher levels.
BP Oil Cont'd
Because it is on-going.
From Von Mises:
As for the prez himself, it's been reported he's gone golfing during this mess. Now. Imagine. Imagine if Bush did this.
I'm having a blast with this "imagine if Bush" thing. Be careful what you sow...
From Von Mises:
This oil spill is something that we in engineering and science refer to as a three-sigma event, in that it is a very low-percentage occurrence. In other words, Congress and big oil companies colluded to reward risky behavior and lost their bet. Comically, we now see Congress — who encouraged the risks — cry "foul!" They are demanding that the previously set damage cap be raised, retroactively, to another arbitrary figure deemed more appropriate for BP's sins: at present, $20 billion, although this may change in the near future.
Predictably, in response to the mess, there have been calls for more and tighter regulation on the industry. President Obama recently said he is interested in finding out who deserves punishment for the crime of the oil spill. (Maybe he can blame Congress?) Also predictably, there is scarcely a mention of the role of government intervention in the mess in any of the traditional state media. Instead, there is the standard demonizing of "unfettered capitalism" and the cries about the failure of the free market. Barely a mention is made that safety on drilling platforms has been under the purview of government regulators within the US Minerals Management Service and that the Deepwater Horizon was deemed a model for industry safety just last year.BP are still dicks for how they allegedly behaved. In the larger context, I get all these arguments but BP does no favors for free-marketers when they cut corners - even if the government was complicit in the affair. The onus is on the company itself. However, I'd rather wait for final investigation. Unlike someone we know.
As for the prez himself, it's been reported he's gone golfing during this mess. Now. Imagine. Imagine if Bush did this.
I'm having a blast with this "imagine if Bush" thing. Be careful what you sow...
Meech Lake Twenty Years Later
Farewell the Peaceful Kingdom: The Seduction and Rape of Canada, 1963-1994
Twenty years after Meech, yet we still stand. All the doomsday scenarios - surprise - never panned out. Anarchy was supposed to follow if the people voted no.
Separatists still mourn the defeat but I care little for them. If they're sad, then I'm happy. Simple calculation really.
The more the government pushed, the more I became suspicious. However, I simply don't recall how I voted.
Meech and Elijah Harper inspired Blue Rodeo to pen the words to Fools like you (sorry couldn't find the video anywere. Too bad great song from a great album Lost Together).
So good at doing
What you don't do
Just trying to protect yourself
And other fools like you
So well practised
In your deceit
Behind the high walls of stupidity
Your endless conceit
Behind the locked door
The sleeping dog you beat
I hope I see the day
She satisfies her teeth
Give back to the native
Their treaty land
What you preach you preach for others
Why don't you practice that firsthand
I just don't understand
This world of mine
I must be out of touch
Or out of my mind
And will the profits of destruction
Forever make your eyes blind
Do you bow to the corporations
'Cause they pay their bills on time
God bless Elijah
With the feather in his hand
Stop stealing the Indian land
Stop stealing the Indian land
Stop stealing the Indian land
Twenty years after Meech, yet we still stand. All the doomsday scenarios - surprise - never panned out. Anarchy was supposed to follow if the people voted no.
Separatists still mourn the defeat but I care little for them. If they're sad, then I'm happy. Simple calculation really.
The more the government pushed, the more I became suspicious. However, I simply don't recall how I voted.
Meech and Elijah Harper inspired Blue Rodeo to pen the words to Fools like you (sorry couldn't find the video anywere. Too bad great song from a great album Lost Together).
So good at doing
What you don't do
Just trying to protect yourself
And other fools like you
So well practised
In your deceit
Behind the high walls of stupidity
Your endless conceit
Behind the locked door
The sleeping dog you beat
I hope I see the day
She satisfies her teeth
Give back to the native
Their treaty land
What you preach you preach for others
Why don't you practice that firsthand
I just don't understand
This world of mine
I must be out of touch
Or out of my mind
And will the profits of destruction
Forever make your eyes blind
Do you bow to the corporations
'Cause they pay their bills on time
God bless Elijah
With the feather in his hand
Stop stealing the Indian land
Stop stealing the Indian land
Stop stealing the Indian land
2010-06-22
Daycare Update
So. There I sat as the government asked me, a private entrepreneur, for all sorts of documents (in addition, to the many I've already given) in order to process my request for a permit.
It was a great meeting I must admit. Laid back and filled with laughs. They seemed determined to be efficient too - to the extent the government can be. I submitted my request in April. They told me it would take up to 60 days just to review the plans and request and surprisingly stayed within that time frame.
Now, I have to wait to adjust my architectural plans (for a second time from a second source; the first was with the municipality my day care will be and the second with the provincial government). All little things but they add up to lost time. Once that's done, I wait again for the final word. So far, it could have gone worse, but it could have gone faster. As a pragmatist, I just have to accept it. As an entrepreneur with libertarian leanings, I can only philosophically moan about it.
As the bureaucrats piled on the list of documents (I need a permit to for outside toys) they requested, I phased out for a couple of seconds pretending I was in a comedy sketch.
True to my personality, I made a cute harmless remark about all the paper work which elicited a laugh and a response. It was designed to get one too. In my days at the bank, I wasn't allergic to speaking out.
In French one of them replied:
"Yes, it's a bit excessive and yes our social network is expensive but it accords us a great way of life."
There you go.
You were saying you wanted to reduce the size of government? I tell you what, the pyschological angle to our social welfare programs is poweful. They honestly believe all this is necessary. It may or may not. Hard to disprove it.
It was a great meeting I must admit. Laid back and filled with laughs. They seemed determined to be efficient too - to the extent the government can be. I submitted my request in April. They told me it would take up to 60 days just to review the plans and request and surprisingly stayed within that time frame.
Now, I have to wait to adjust my architectural plans (for a second time from a second source; the first was with the municipality my day care will be and the second with the provincial government). All little things but they add up to lost time. Once that's done, I wait again for the final word. So far, it could have gone worse, but it could have gone faster. As a pragmatist, I just have to accept it. As an entrepreneur with libertarian leanings, I can only philosophically moan about it.
As the bureaucrats piled on the list of documents (I need a permit to for outside toys) they requested, I phased out for a couple of seconds pretending I was in a comedy sketch.
True to my personality, I made a cute harmless remark about all the paper work which elicited a laugh and a response. It was designed to get one too. In my days at the bank, I wasn't allergic to speaking out.
In French one of them replied:
"Yes, it's a bit excessive and yes our social network is expensive but it accords us a great way of life."
There you go.
You were saying you wanted to reduce the size of government? I tell you what, the pyschological angle to our social welfare programs is poweful. They honestly believe all this is necessary. It may or may not. Hard to disprove it.
Stupefying Arrogance
Raymond Domenech put an exclamation point of France's disgraceful and utterly miserable world cup campaign. To be honest, I've never ever never seen anything like it sports. Period. The mutiny can be summarized this way: A bunch of troublesome fools out to make a point against an arrogant and pathetic coach. Two wrongs make a wrong here. Even if the players were "right" (and quite frankly what I've read about their treatment of team mate Yohann Gourcuff is all I need to know what type of players these guys are) this was not the way to go about it.
Just when you thought to yourself it couldn't get any worse
You would think the coach would lead by example and preserve French soccer honor and salvage what was left of his self-respect and god dang shake hands with the coach of South Africa Carlos Parreira. Allegedly, he was upset Parreira made some remarks about the French team making the world cup at the expense of Ireland after Henry's infamous hand ball.
Here's the thing. Aside from once and for all displaying his low character, this is the guy who did nothing but make unsubstantiated insulting remarks about Italian soccer for over two years TO THE MEDIA. This is the same guy whose side line antics were so obstuse and degrading, it left me wondering who was running the FFF.
In an a nutshell he's an asshole.
Good going FFF. Laurent Blanc has the tall task of repairing French football. A class player in his days, if I were him, I'd throw the identified rotten eggs off the team and bring in a new batch of stars to which there are a few to choose from in France.
Since Zidane's headbutt (something he never really owned up to despite the truth), it's been nothing but misery for French soccer and they've become a laughing stock of world football.
A shame really. In my formative soccer years, I grew attached to the French sides of the 1980s. Dominique Rocheteau was one of my all-time favorite players. Those teams were chic, talented and classy. The side of the late 1990s and 2000s were cocky but backed it up with victories and any potential loose cannons were kept in line with a core leadership. They talked but nothing we hadn't heard in pro sports.
End of an era. Start afresh.
Notice the wagging of the finger. I'd be tempted to punch him:
Just when you thought to yourself it couldn't get any worse
You would think the coach would lead by example and preserve French soccer honor and salvage what was left of his self-respect and god dang shake hands with the coach of South Africa Carlos Parreira. Allegedly, he was upset Parreira made some remarks about the French team making the world cup at the expense of Ireland after Henry's infamous hand ball.
Here's the thing. Aside from once and for all displaying his low character, this is the guy who did nothing but make unsubstantiated insulting remarks about Italian soccer for over two years TO THE MEDIA. This is the same guy whose side line antics were so obstuse and degrading, it left me wondering who was running the FFF.
In an a nutshell he's an asshole.
Good going FFF. Laurent Blanc has the tall task of repairing French football. A class player in his days, if I were him, I'd throw the identified rotten eggs off the team and bring in a new batch of stars to which there are a few to choose from in France.
Since Zidane's headbutt (something he never really owned up to despite the truth), it's been nothing but misery for French soccer and they've become a laughing stock of world football.
A shame really. In my formative soccer years, I grew attached to the French sides of the 1980s. Dominique Rocheteau was one of my all-time favorite players. Those teams were chic, talented and classy. The side of the late 1990s and 2000s were cocky but backed it up with victories and any potential loose cannons were kept in line with a core leadership. They talked but nothing we hadn't heard in pro sports.
End of an era. Start afresh.
Notice the wagging of the finger. I'd be tempted to punch him:
Funny
I've been a little too obsessed with eHarmony these days. I don't know why. Maybe it's the whole psycho aspect of it. Maybe I'm falling to smithereens emotionally watching all these soccer games. Ga,ga,ga,ba,ba,ba...wha? Yes, honey. Yes. Did you know eHarmony gets right to your soul by asking 29 questions of dimensions? Or something to that effect.
29! Let's get a divorce, join eHarmony and really see if we're meant for each other, k? K, baby? I see only upside here. At worst, depending how I answer the questions, I could bag me a deranged nymph nutcase. Yeah, sure, there are some risks but, golly-gee, the sex! Imagine the sex...Eat fresh.
Think Fatal Attraction. Then I kill the girl in my jacuzzi and my wife would love me ever more. Or in a less dramatic scenario, menage a trois.
So bumming around absorbing as much information I can about eHarmony, I found some really neat stories about people detailing their (failed) experiences with the dating service. This one made me chuckle; especially the responses.
Two caught my eye. One guy was turned down by eHarmony. Apparently, you can be rejected if you don't answer the questions "right":
Specifically, they didn't like his answer to question no 16, which asked "What do you like most in a woman".
The guy responded, "My d**k"...
And this one:
My favorite E-harmony story is how I wanted to cancel my membership, the reason being that they only matched me with people have a continent away. When I mentioned this, they offered me 3 months free, and magically they started matching me with people more local to me. So much for the scientific approach they boast about. Anyway, they matched me with my boss, who was a woman that absolutely hated me, and indeed most men. She did everything to make my life at the company miserable. The thing is, when they match me, the other party is informed at the same time. She avoided me for weeks.
Nice.
29! Let's get a divorce, join eHarmony and really see if we're meant for each other, k? K, baby? I see only upside here. At worst, depending how I answer the questions, I could bag me a deranged nymph nutcase. Yeah, sure, there are some risks but, golly-gee, the sex! Imagine the sex...Eat fresh.
Think Fatal Attraction. Then I kill the girl in my jacuzzi and my wife would love me ever more. Or in a less dramatic scenario, menage a trois.
So bumming around absorbing as much information I can about eHarmony, I found some really neat stories about people detailing their (failed) experiences with the dating service. This one made me chuckle; especially the responses.
Two caught my eye. One guy was turned down by eHarmony. Apparently, you can be rejected if you don't answer the questions "right":
Specifically, they didn't like his answer to question no 16, which asked "What do you like most in a woman".
The guy responded, "My d**k"...
And this one:
My favorite E-harmony story is how I wanted to cancel my membership, the reason being that they only matched me with people have a continent away. When I mentioned this, they offered me 3 months free, and magically they started matching me with people more local to me. So much for the scientific approach they boast about. Anyway, they matched me with my boss, who was a woman that absolutely hated me, and indeed most men. She did everything to make my life at the company miserable. The thing is, when they match me, the other party is informed at the same time. She avoided me for weeks.
Nice.
About Texas
In a previous post, I linked to the AEI about migration patterns into Texas.
Now what will people find in Texas? Conservatives will speak of freedom. However, they seem unconcerned about the rise of anti-science rhetoric. To wit, creationism in schools.
This comes under the guise of presenting two arguments. The problem one side is lunile in its premise.
Now what will people find in Texas? Conservatives will speak of freedom. However, they seem unconcerned about the rise of anti-science rhetoric. To wit, creationism in schools.
This comes under the guise of presenting two arguments. The problem one side is lunile in its premise.
2010-06-21
World Cup: Gallic And Anglo Mess; Cynical Brazilian Beauty
Maybe it's the thin air or the vuvuzelas. Or maybe all work and no play is making all these knuckleheads dull babies.
Wow. I've never seen anything like it. What the English and French are pulling is just plain strange and sad at the same time.
Let's start with the whiny Brits. They've come a long way since 1066, the Magna Carta, the Enlightenment, Queen Victoria, and the Blitzkrieg in terms of fighting and intellectual spirit. The 2010 edition of England came in with the usual over-hype and expectations to win a World Cup. And under, Fabio Capello (one of the most successful managers in soccer history), it seemed plausible. England has the talent; it was just a question of putting it together.
No sweat. They're English, right? Deferential and submissive. Perfect for an authoritarian like Capello.
Um, not really. All it took was one twirp to set this team off track. John Terry, and I'm not kidding here, is complaining that Capello and his Italian fitness team didn't permit the lads to have a beer after England stank out the joint in a scoreless draw with Algeria. A team some players were quoted as saying they didn't need to be at 100% to defeat.
From The Independent:
"By the end of an hour he had promised personally to challenge Fabio Capello in last night's team meeting and revealed how he had insisted to the Italian's backroom staff that the players should be allowed to relax with a beer after the draw with Algeria. As Terry's comments filtered back almost immediately to his team-mates just a few hundred yards away in their hotel there was disbelief."
Yes, just the perfect attitude you want from a second-tier soccer power. Sounds like the lessons of Croatia was lost forever. Michael Owens said something similar about Croatia (which was an incredibly stupid thing to say considering Croatia finished third at the 1998 World Cup and went farther than any English side since 1966; to say nothing of their skill) and England subsquently lost and didn't make Euro 2008.
What Terry and possibly others on the team don't grasp is it's THE WORLD CUP. It's not a bloody fucking holiday. You can't go for an effen "pint" especially after you played like wankers. Total and pure focus is needed to succeed. This notion seems to elude the lads.
***
France. Oh dear. It hasn't be a good four years for les bleus. First, it was the shameless Zidane head butt, then it was a more than mediocre qualifying campaign, then it was the infamous Henry hand ball against Ireland and now there's all sorts of acrimony with the team internally with the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka. A mini-temporary muitny took place; all before a huge match against South Africa.
Not very bright and becoming stuff for a team of their stature. If there's anyone to blame, stick it on the French federation (FFF) for sticking with controversial and tactically challenged coach Raymond Domenech.
***
And then there's this beaut from Brazil; the world's team. Brazil has indeed given us some beautiful soccer but it has also provided its share of cynical play. Anyone remember Leonardo's vicious elbow in 1994 or Rivaldo's wickedly wild simulation in 2002? Now comes Luis Fabiano's hand goal against Ivory Coast in 2010.
The reason why it's a serious infraction was because at the time the score was 1-0 in favor of Brazil very early in the second half. The goal deflated the Africans and ended up losing 3-1. These type of things are game changers.
Fabiano admitted he did it.
Problem is, it came with a Zidane-like "but":
"But in order to make the goal more beautiful, there had to be a doubtful element. It was a spectacular goal and I believe it was not a voluntary handball. It was a legitimate goal and it was one of the most beautiful goals that I've scored in my career. Where better to score such a goal than at the World Cup?"
Great. He's a thinker too. Oof.
***
As for the officiating, it's ridiculous the biggest sporting event in the world uses amateur referees. Some of these dudes are part-time officials or have real jobs. Seems to me, FIFA needs to get true, experienced referees to govern the laws of the game on the field. It won't eliminate human errors for we are a flawed species, but it doesn't mean we can't manage it better. Some games have experienced refs from Europe, others have inexperienced ones from Mali. For those inexperienced ones, maybe it's time to train them better and have them observe games in South America and Europe or something.
Yes, I do advocate the use of technology. I'm no Luddite on this front nor do I subscribe to the "it's part of the tradition" crap. In fact, if anything, I'd add a second referee and have video replay.
That way, stupidities we saw in the USA-Slovenia game could be avoided. Or the simulation by a Swiss player against Chile, or the dubious sending off of Swiss player etc.
Don't expect FIFA, though, to budge.
I swear, Bud Selig is running things behind the scenes. Bunch of dinosaurs.
Wow. I've never seen anything like it. What the English and French are pulling is just plain strange and sad at the same time.
Let's start with the whiny Brits. They've come a long way since 1066, the Magna Carta, the Enlightenment, Queen Victoria, and the Blitzkrieg in terms of fighting and intellectual spirit. The 2010 edition of England came in with the usual over-hype and expectations to win a World Cup. And under, Fabio Capello (one of the most successful managers in soccer history), it seemed plausible. England has the talent; it was just a question of putting it together.
No sweat. They're English, right? Deferential and submissive. Perfect for an authoritarian like Capello.
Um, not really. All it took was one twirp to set this team off track. John Terry, and I'm not kidding here, is complaining that Capello and his Italian fitness team didn't permit the lads to have a beer after England stank out the joint in a scoreless draw with Algeria. A team some players were quoted as saying they didn't need to be at 100% to defeat.
From The Independent:
"By the end of an hour he had promised personally to challenge Fabio Capello in last night's team meeting and revealed how he had insisted to the Italian's backroom staff that the players should be allowed to relax with a beer after the draw with Algeria. As Terry's comments filtered back almost immediately to his team-mates just a few hundred yards away in their hotel there was disbelief."
Yes, just the perfect attitude you want from a second-tier soccer power. Sounds like the lessons of Croatia was lost forever. Michael Owens said something similar about Croatia (which was an incredibly stupid thing to say considering Croatia finished third at the 1998 World Cup and went farther than any English side since 1966; to say nothing of their skill) and England subsquently lost and didn't make Euro 2008.
What Terry and possibly others on the team don't grasp is it's THE WORLD CUP. It's not a bloody fucking holiday. You can't go for an effen "pint" especially after you played like wankers. Total and pure focus is needed to succeed. This notion seems to elude the lads.
***
France. Oh dear. It hasn't be a good four years for les bleus. First, it was the shameless Zidane head butt, then it was a more than mediocre qualifying campaign, then it was the infamous Henry hand ball against Ireland and now there's all sorts of acrimony with the team internally with the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka. A mini-temporary muitny took place; all before a huge match against South Africa.
Not very bright and becoming stuff for a team of their stature. If there's anyone to blame, stick it on the French federation (FFF) for sticking with controversial and tactically challenged coach Raymond Domenech.
***
And then there's this beaut from Brazil; the world's team. Brazil has indeed given us some beautiful soccer but it has also provided its share of cynical play. Anyone remember Leonardo's vicious elbow in 1994 or Rivaldo's wickedly wild simulation in 2002? Now comes Luis Fabiano's hand goal against Ivory Coast in 2010.
The reason why it's a serious infraction was because at the time the score was 1-0 in favor of Brazil very early in the second half. The goal deflated the Africans and ended up losing 3-1. These type of things are game changers.
Fabiano admitted he did it.
Problem is, it came with a Zidane-like "but":
"But in order to make the goal more beautiful, there had to be a doubtful element. It was a spectacular goal and I believe it was not a voluntary handball. It was a legitimate goal and it was one of the most beautiful goals that I've scored in my career. Where better to score such a goal than at the World Cup?"
Great. He's a thinker too. Oof.
***
As for the officiating, it's ridiculous the biggest sporting event in the world uses amateur referees. Some of these dudes are part-time officials or have real jobs. Seems to me, FIFA needs to get true, experienced referees to govern the laws of the game on the field. It won't eliminate human errors for we are a flawed species, but it doesn't mean we can't manage it better. Some games have experienced refs from Europe, others have inexperienced ones from Mali. For those inexperienced ones, maybe it's time to train them better and have them observe games in South America and Europe or something.
Yes, I do advocate the use of technology. I'm no Luddite on this front nor do I subscribe to the "it's part of the tradition" crap. In fact, if anything, I'd add a second referee and have video replay.
That way, stupidities we saw in the USA-Slovenia game could be avoided. Or the simulation by a Swiss player against Chile, or the dubious sending off of Swiss player etc.
Don't expect FIFA, though, to budge.
I swear, Bud Selig is running things behind the scenes. Bunch of dinosaurs.
Cynical Humanism
Admittedly, I don't know much about Webster Tarpley; he's made appearances on Alex Jones and infowars and is a conspiracy theorist regarding 9/11.
Still. It makes for fun reading. He takes on Soros here and this is cool with me. Why? For all his support for the left and his pseudo-humanist rhetoric, Soros profits from the hardhsips of nations. He's a speculator and short seller. That's fine. It's all legal. Just spare me the "help your fellow man" crap:
George Soros has been telling every media outlet that will listen that the euro is doomed to fall apart and break up over the short run. Soros even has a theory to deploy as part of his speculative attack. Soros argues that the fatal flaw or original Sin of the euro is that it was based on a common central bank among the participating countries, but lacked a common treasury and tax policy. This means that a country like Greece can no longer defend itself from a speculative attack on its bonds by the simple expedient of currency devaluation, since there is no more drachma, and the euro is controlled from Frankfurt, not Athens. British spokesmen are quick to point out that, even though the financial situation of London is far worse than that of Athens, the British government is already devaluing the pound through a downward dirty float.
Given Soros’s infamous track record, he must be taken seriously. In 1992, Soros became world famous through his attack on the European Rate Mechanism, which he executed by a highly leveraged speculative assault on the British pound, at the time one of the weaker members of the ERM. Soros’ speculative attack led to a pound devaluation and the ragged breakup of the ERM, and netted Soros £1 billion in profits. It was as if Soros had personally stolen a £20 note from every man, woman, and child in Britain. The speculative gains were no doubt gratifying, but the overriding political purpose of the assault was to sabotage that phase of European monetary policy.
Still. It makes for fun reading. He takes on Soros here and this is cool with me. Why? For all his support for the left and his pseudo-humanist rhetoric, Soros profits from the hardhsips of nations. He's a speculator and short seller. That's fine. It's all legal. Just spare me the "help your fellow man" crap:
George Soros has been telling every media outlet that will listen that the euro is doomed to fall apart and break up over the short run. Soros even has a theory to deploy as part of his speculative attack. Soros argues that the fatal flaw or original Sin of the euro is that it was based on a common central bank among the participating countries, but lacked a common treasury and tax policy. This means that a country like Greece can no longer defend itself from a speculative attack on its bonds by the simple expedient of currency devaluation, since there is no more drachma, and the euro is controlled from Frankfurt, not Athens. British spokesmen are quick to point out that, even though the financial situation of London is far worse than that of Athens, the British government is already devaluing the pound through a downward dirty float.
Given Soros’s infamous track record, he must be taken seriously. In 1992, Soros became world famous through his attack on the European Rate Mechanism, which he executed by a highly leveraged speculative assault on the British pound, at the time one of the weaker members of the ERM. Soros’ speculative attack led to a pound devaluation and the ragged breakup of the ERM, and netted Soros £1 billion in profits. It was as if Soros had personally stolen a £20 note from every man, woman, and child in Britain. The speculative gains were no doubt gratifying, but the overriding political purpose of the assault was to sabotage that phase of European monetary policy.
Two Sides Of A Story
"And there's the whole fucked up communism thing..."
It's all a scam.
I never really got why people fall over the Dalai Lama so much.
Michael Parenti:
It's all a scam.
I never really got why people fall over the Dalai Lama so much.
Michael Parenti:
Texas Here We Come
Once upon a time everyone flocked to California. No more.
Some very interesting visual maps about American migration to the new California: Texas.
Some very interesting visual maps about American migration to the new California: Texas.
2010-06-19
Willow Weep For....This Blog
Listen to my plea...Find me a more unique voice than hers in jazz.
The melanholic soul of Holiday was devastingly primal and beautiful at the same time:
The melanholic soul of Holiday was devastingly primal and beautiful at the same time:
Living In Servitude
Earlier I posted an article about how conservatism doesn't use literature to express its outlook. The New Criterion explores the cultural side of the equation and explores the classical conservative view of "letting life take shape."
“Society is recognized as no longer consisting of free men bargaining freely for their labor or any other commodity in their possession, but of two contrasting statuses, owners and non-owners.” Hilaire Belloc
I'm pulling out a precious view two paragraphs disjointly so I invite you to read the entire article - titled Morals & the Servile Mind - for it may, for those who are predisposed to think along those lines, provide a stimulating point of view. It's cumbersome in parts, and certainly will arouse objections, but a good read nonetheless.
"The crucial mark of independence was the ability to generate the resources needed for life without dependence on governmental subsidy, and it constituted “respectability.”
Exactly why I chose to not take subsidy for my daycare. I want to stand on my own two feet free of government interference. I don't need a linebacker in my way because I'm the QB. Mind you, the whole economic business model can't escape the fact that subsidies play a huge role.
It concludes that unfortunately:
"At the end of a period of civil strife, as Tacitus tells us, Augustus Caesar established peace and security in Rome during the long period in which he ruled, ending in A.D. 14. Augustus carefully preserved the constitutional structures inherited from the republican period. Rome was still, in a sense, at the height of its power. When he died, however, the Romans discovered that a new system had quietly come into being: they had acquired a master. And what they also learned was that almost insensibly, over the long reign of Augustus, they had learned the moral practices needed for a sycophantic submission to such a figure."
“Society is recognized as no longer consisting of free men bargaining freely for their labor or any other commodity in their possession, but of two contrasting statuses, owners and non-owners.” Hilaire Belloc
I'm pulling out a precious view two paragraphs disjointly so I invite you to read the entire article - titled Morals & the Servile Mind - for it may, for those who are predisposed to think along those lines, provide a stimulating point of view. It's cumbersome in parts, and certainly will arouse objections, but a good read nonetheless.
"The crucial mark of independence was the ability to generate the resources needed for life without dependence on governmental subsidy, and it constituted “respectability.”
Exactly why I chose to not take subsidy for my daycare. I want to stand on my own two feet free of government interference. I don't need a linebacker in my way because I'm the QB. Mind you, the whole economic business model can't escape the fact that subsidies play a huge role.
It concludes that unfortunately:
"At the end of a period of civil strife, as Tacitus tells us, Augustus Caesar established peace and security in Rome during the long period in which he ruled, ending in A.D. 14. Augustus carefully preserved the constitutional structures inherited from the republican period. Rome was still, in a sense, at the height of its power. When he died, however, the Romans discovered that a new system had quietly come into being: they had acquired a master. And what they also learned was that almost insensibly, over the long reign of Augustus, they had learned the moral practices needed for a sycophantic submission to such a figure."
Obvious Inexperienced Amateurism
From U.S. News and World Report by Mort Zuckerman:
"The reviews of Obama's performance have been disappointing. He has seemed uncomfortable in the role of leading other nations, and often seems to suggest there is nothing special about America's role in the world. The global community was puzzled over the pictures of Obama bowing to some of the world's leaders and surprised by his gratuitous criticisms of and apologies for America's foreign policy under the previous administration of George W. Bush. One Middle East authority, Fouad Ajami, pointed out that Obama seems unaware that it is bad form and even a great moral lapse to speak ill of one's own tribe while in the lands of others."
This was evident early in his Presidency. As to the last bold part, I wrote a while ago it's a simple axiom of etiquette to follow. Coaches in sports rarely speak ill of a predecessor and successor. It's plain bad form and suggests arrogance to do so.
"Even in Britain, for decades our closest ally, the talk in the press—supported by polls—is about the end of the "special relationship" with America. French President Nicolas Sarkozy openly criticized Obama for months, including a direct attack on his policies at the United Nations. Sarkozy cited the need to recognize the real world, not the virtual world, a clear reference to Obama's speech on nuclear weapons..."
"Vladimir Putin of Russia has publicly scorned a number of Obama's visions. Relations with the Chinese leadership got off to a bad start with the president's poorly-organized visit to China, where his hosts treated him disdainfully and prevented him from speaking to a national television audience of the Chinese people. The Chinese behavior was unprecedented when compared to visits by other U.S. presidents."
In his effort to "fix" things he only confused them further.
"Obama clearly wishes to do good and means well. But he is one of those people who believe that the world was born with the word and exists by means of persuasion, such that there is no person or country that you cannot, by means of logical and moral argument, bring around to your side. He speaks as a teacher, as someone imparting values and generalities appropriate for a Sunday morning sermon, not as a tough-minded leader. He urges that things "must be done" and "should be done" and that "it is time" to do them. As the former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Les Gelb, put it, there is "the impression that Obama might confuse speeches with policy." Another journalist put it differently when he described Obama as an "NPR [National Public Radio] president who gives wonderful speeches."
Again. Evident very early on in his Presidency. Way too preachy. "The time is now!" Pause. "Oh, you want me to lead? You want me to do what?"
"Les Gelb wrote of Obama, "He is so self-confident that he believes he can make decisions on the most complicated of issues after only hours of discussion." Strategic decisions go well beyond being smart, which Obama certainly is. They must be based on experience that discerns what works, what doesn't—and why. This requires experienced staffing, which Obama and his top appointees simply do not seem to have. Or as one Middle East commentator put it, "There are always two chess games going on. One is on the top of the table, the other is below the table. The latter is the one that counts, but the Americans don't know how to play that game."
Aw man, the last part is something that I've been talking about for years. Americans don't seem - or at least willing to be - furba as we say in Italian when it comes to Mid-East politics. Not sure what the direct translation is but crafty, resourceful, cunning and clever all in one. Can someone please tell the President it's "Tal-eh-ban" and not "Ta-lee-ban?"
American liberals on this front are the worst offenders. They're completely clueless as to how the Arab/Mid-East mind works. As they smile, they're frowning, and even if you figure that out it shifts to sterness. It's a moving target. A deal in the Western mindset - specifically in North America - is not interpreted the same in the Mid-East.
"Recent U.S. attempts to introduce more meaningful sanctions against Iran produced a U.N. resolution that is way less than the "crippling" sanctions the administration promised. The United States even failed to achieve the political benefit of a unanimous Security Council vote. Turkey, the Muslim anchor of NATO for almost 60 years, and Brazil, our largest ally in Latin America, voted against our resolution. Could it be that these long-standing U.S. allies, who gave cover to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran's nuclear ambitions, have decided that there is no cost in lining up with America's most serious enemies and no gain in lining up with this administration?
The end result is that a critical mass of influential people in world affairs who once held high hopes for the president have begun to wonder whether they misjudged the man. They are no longer dazzled by his rock star personality and there is a sense that there is something amateurish and even incompetent about how Obama is managing U.S. power. For example, Obama has asserted that America is not at war with the Muslim world. The problem is that parts of the Muslim world are at war with America and the West. Obama feels, fairly enough, that America must be contrite in its dealings with the Muslim world. But he has failed to address the religious intolerance, failing economies, tribalism, and gender apartheid that together contribute to jihadist extremism."
He's less like The Fonz and more like Potsie.
This thing he "inherited a mess" is a ridiculous cop out. A strawman. No one forced him to take this job. Real leaders don't subscribe to such meek assertions.
"The underlying issue is that the Arab world has different estimates on how to deal with an aggressive, expansionist Iran. The Arabs believe you do not deal with Iran with the open hand of a handshake but with the clenched fist of power..."
Kind of ironic considering they don't like the heavy handidness of American power. But it is true.
Arab leaders fear an Iran proceeding full steam with its nuclear weapons program on top of its programs to develop intermediate-range ballistic missiles. All the while centrifuges keep spinning in Iran, and Arab leaders ask whether Iran will be emboldened by what they interpret as American weakness and faltering willpower. They did not see Obama or his administration as understanding the region, where naiveté is interpreted as a weakness of character, as amateurism, and as proof of the absence of the tough stuff of which leaders are made. (That's why many Arab leaders were appalled at the decision to have a civilian trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York
.After 9/11, many of them had engaged in secret counterterrorism activities under the umbrella of an American promise that these activities would never be made public; now they feared that this would be the exact consequence of an open trial.)
America right now appears to be unreliable to traditional friends, compliant to rivals, and weak to enemies. One renowned Asian leader stated recently at a private dinner in the United States, "We in Asia are convinced that Obama is not strong enough to confront his opponents, but we fear that he is not strong enough to support his friends."
Yeah, moving KSM to New York was pretty shocking if not remarkably misguided and short sighted. They've sinced back tracked. Which begs the question: What the heck were they thinking?
"The United States for 60 years has met its responsibilities as the leader and the defender of the democracies of the free world."
I always thought America was a republic. A republic is meant to secure private freedoms; something the Founding Fathers understood and wanted to enhance and preserve. A democracy, as John Stuart Mill wrote, falls prey to tyranny of the majority which itself leads to "one size fits all" egalitarian policies that erode personal liberties.
And didn't Zuckerman support Obama? Shouldn't this type of homework have been done before he was elected? Reminds of when the steroids story broke in baseball. It took a former ball player of dubious credibility to expose the truth. When it came out, only then did the press act shock and with indignation. What the heck were they doing prior to? Were they doing their jobs or were they busy cozying up trying to get on an athlete's good side to share text messages? Sports and political journalists suffer from the same disease: They want to be popular. To be popular they have to play a certain game. They play ball they get access and invitations to an exclusive world. The opportunity cost is they become reluctant to reporting ugly truths. How can they talk bad about someone who gave them free tickets to a $1000 a plate gala? Not suggesting this is the case with the author here, but offering a wider, generalized observation.
"The reviews of Obama's performance have been disappointing. He has seemed uncomfortable in the role of leading other nations, and often seems to suggest there is nothing special about America's role in the world. The global community was puzzled over the pictures of Obama bowing to some of the world's leaders and surprised by his gratuitous criticisms of and apologies for America's foreign policy under the previous administration of George W. Bush. One Middle East authority, Fouad Ajami, pointed out that Obama seems unaware that it is bad form and even a great moral lapse to speak ill of one's own tribe while in the lands of others."
This was evident early in his Presidency. As to the last bold part, I wrote a while ago it's a simple axiom of etiquette to follow. Coaches in sports rarely speak ill of a predecessor and successor. It's plain bad form and suggests arrogance to do so.
"Even in Britain, for decades our closest ally, the talk in the press—supported by polls—is about the end of the "special relationship" with America. French President Nicolas Sarkozy openly criticized Obama for months, including a direct attack on his policies at the United Nations. Sarkozy cited the need to recognize the real world, not the virtual world, a clear reference to Obama's speech on nuclear weapons..."
"Vladimir Putin of Russia has publicly scorned a number of Obama's visions. Relations with the Chinese leadership got off to a bad start with the president's poorly-organized visit to China, where his hosts treated him disdainfully and prevented him from speaking to a national television audience of the Chinese people. The Chinese behavior was unprecedented when compared to visits by other U.S. presidents."
In his effort to "fix" things he only confused them further.
"Obama clearly wishes to do good and means well. But he is one of those people who believe that the world was born with the word and exists by means of persuasion, such that there is no person or country that you cannot, by means of logical and moral argument, bring around to your side. He speaks as a teacher, as someone imparting values and generalities appropriate for a Sunday morning sermon, not as a tough-minded leader. He urges that things "must be done" and "should be done" and that "it is time" to do them. As the former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Les Gelb, put it, there is "the impression that Obama might confuse speeches with policy." Another journalist put it differently when he described Obama as an "NPR [National Public Radio] president who gives wonderful speeches."
Again. Evident very early on in his Presidency. Way too preachy. "The time is now!" Pause. "Oh, you want me to lead? You want me to do what?"
"Les Gelb wrote of Obama, "He is so self-confident that he believes he can make decisions on the most complicated of issues after only hours of discussion." Strategic decisions go well beyond being smart, which Obama certainly is. They must be based on experience that discerns what works, what doesn't—and why. This requires experienced staffing, which Obama and his top appointees simply do not seem to have. Or as one Middle East commentator put it, "There are always two chess games going on. One is on the top of the table, the other is below the table. The latter is the one that counts, but the Americans don't know how to play that game."
Aw man, the last part is something that I've been talking about for years. Americans don't seem - or at least willing to be - furba as we say in Italian when it comes to Mid-East politics. Not sure what the direct translation is but crafty, resourceful, cunning and clever all in one. Can someone please tell the President it's "Tal-eh-ban" and not "Ta-lee-ban?"
American liberals on this front are the worst offenders. They're completely clueless as to how the Arab/Mid-East mind works. As they smile, they're frowning, and even if you figure that out it shifts to sterness. It's a moving target. A deal in the Western mindset - specifically in North America - is not interpreted the same in the Mid-East.
"Recent U.S. attempts to introduce more meaningful sanctions against Iran produced a U.N. resolution that is way less than the "crippling" sanctions the administration promised. The United States even failed to achieve the political benefit of a unanimous Security Council vote. Turkey, the Muslim anchor of NATO for almost 60 years, and Brazil, our largest ally in Latin America, voted against our resolution. Could it be that these long-standing U.S. allies, who gave cover to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran's nuclear ambitions, have decided that there is no cost in lining up with America's most serious enemies and no gain in lining up with this administration?
The end result is that a critical mass of influential people in world affairs who once held high hopes for the president have begun to wonder whether they misjudged the man. They are no longer dazzled by his rock star personality and there is a sense that there is something amateurish and even incompetent about how Obama is managing U.S. power. For example, Obama has asserted that America is not at war with the Muslim world. The problem is that parts of the Muslim world are at war with America and the West. Obama feels, fairly enough, that America must be contrite in its dealings with the Muslim world. But he has failed to address the religious intolerance, failing economies, tribalism, and gender apartheid that together contribute to jihadist extremism."
He's less like The Fonz and more like Potsie.
This thing he "inherited a mess" is a ridiculous cop out. A strawman. No one forced him to take this job. Real leaders don't subscribe to such meek assertions.
"The underlying issue is that the Arab world has different estimates on how to deal with an aggressive, expansionist Iran. The Arabs believe you do not deal with Iran with the open hand of a handshake but with the clenched fist of power..."
Kind of ironic considering they don't like the heavy handidness of American power. But it is true.
Arab leaders fear an Iran proceeding full steam with its nuclear weapons program on top of its programs to develop intermediate-range ballistic missiles. All the while centrifuges keep spinning in Iran, and Arab leaders ask whether Iran will be emboldened by what they interpret as American weakness and faltering willpower. They did not see Obama or his administration as understanding the region, where naiveté is interpreted as a weakness of character, as amateurism, and as proof of the absence of the tough stuff of which leaders are made. (That's why many Arab leaders were appalled at the decision to have a civilian trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York
.After 9/11, many of them had engaged in secret counterterrorism activities under the umbrella of an American promise that these activities would never be made public; now they feared that this would be the exact consequence of an open trial.)
America right now appears to be unreliable to traditional friends, compliant to rivals, and weak to enemies. One renowned Asian leader stated recently at a private dinner in the United States, "We in Asia are convinced that Obama is not strong enough to confront his opponents, but we fear that he is not strong enough to support his friends."
Yeah, moving KSM to New York was pretty shocking if not remarkably misguided and short sighted. They've sinced back tracked. Which begs the question: What the heck were they thinking?
"The United States for 60 years has met its responsibilities as the leader and the defender of the democracies of the free world."
I always thought America was a republic. A republic is meant to secure private freedoms; something the Founding Fathers understood and wanted to enhance and preserve. A democracy, as John Stuart Mill wrote, falls prey to tyranny of the majority which itself leads to "one size fits all" egalitarian policies that erode personal liberties.
And didn't Zuckerman support Obama? Shouldn't this type of homework have been done before he was elected? Reminds of when the steroids story broke in baseball. It took a former ball player of dubious credibility to expose the truth. When it came out, only then did the press act shock and with indignation. What the heck were they doing prior to? Were they doing their jobs or were they busy cozying up trying to get on an athlete's good side to share text messages? Sports and political journalists suffer from the same disease: They want to be popular. To be popular they have to play a certain game. They play ball they get access and invitations to an exclusive world. The opportunity cost is they become reluctant to reporting ugly truths. How can they talk bad about someone who gave them free tickets to a $1000 a plate gala? Not suggesting this is the case with the author here, but offering a wider, generalized observation.
World Cup: Americans Are Simpletons
So goes the usual assertion charged towards Americans (and North Americans really) who don't like soccer.
It's a popular saying every World Cup.
Now, I don't share in the view that soccer is nothing "but a bunch of divers playing a boring game walking around for 90 minutes." If someone played the game they'd see first hand how physically demanding it is and that tactics do exist. The pace and pulse of soccer is sophisticated and palpitating at the same time.
However, I don't think the fact some Americans don't like the game stems from a simpleton outlook. America is a place where baseball and football has captured the the public's sports psyche for over 100 years. And last I checked baseball and football are far more complex than soccer.
I think what irritates Americans is not the game itself but the surrounding parts. They have a hard time with the concept of a tie or draw playing a prominent role. How time is kept may also be another irritant. A clock would be more practical than leaving in the hands of one ref acting as an arbitrary time keeper - for extra-added time anyway. The cynical diving and play acting don't help - even if it's a ploy to waste time. Just put in a clock and stop time to weed it out, no? I agree with this by the way. Substituting players with 30 seconds left (that one has always made me laugh and I play the game) also leaves some befuddled.
To a newcomer or casual observer, all the games look alike. Differentiating the strategies of each team is hard to detect unless you follow the game. It's much like trying to understand pitching in baseball. To a person who hates baseball, all pitching looks the same. They don't consider a pitcher's style, what he has in his pitching arsenal, the mechanics and pyhsics of his release, what pitches he relies on in different situations and for batters etc. Soccer is similar.
The game isn't perfect. In fact, it's intent on clinging on to old traditions of a time long since gone refusing to modernize in spots where it can benefit - like replay. It's the stupidest thing that the Americans have to accept an incompetent ref's decision to disallow a goal as was the case in a 2-2 draw with Slovenia. On that front, I dismiss it's "part of the game" crap. When people had no access to replay and the internet, they could only take the printed words of a reporter to deliver the truth. The controversies at the 1954, 1962 and 1966 World Cups have stayed in the collective memories of contemporaries. The stories passed on orally or by print for posterity. These days they're immortalized on youtube and blogs.
Today, we all have access to everything instantly. It's absurd to know truth while a sport wallows in ignorance under the guise of being true to itself. Baseball wallows in the same pointless delusion, slaves to a romantic view of a mythical image of its history.
Americans may have their reasons to not jump on the soccer bandwagon, but claiming it's because they're simpletons is a simplistic statement to make.
It's a popular saying every World Cup.
Now, I don't share in the view that soccer is nothing "but a bunch of divers playing a boring game walking around for 90 minutes." If someone played the game they'd see first hand how physically demanding it is and that tactics do exist. The pace and pulse of soccer is sophisticated and palpitating at the same time.
However, I don't think the fact some Americans don't like the game stems from a simpleton outlook. America is a place where baseball and football has captured the the public's sports psyche for over 100 years. And last I checked baseball and football are far more complex than soccer.
I think what irritates Americans is not the game itself but the surrounding parts. They have a hard time with the concept of a tie or draw playing a prominent role. How time is kept may also be another irritant. A clock would be more practical than leaving in the hands of one ref acting as an arbitrary time keeper - for extra-added time anyway. The cynical diving and play acting don't help - even if it's a ploy to waste time. Just put in a clock and stop time to weed it out, no? I agree with this by the way. Substituting players with 30 seconds left (that one has always made me laugh and I play the game) also leaves some befuddled.
To a newcomer or casual observer, all the games look alike. Differentiating the strategies of each team is hard to detect unless you follow the game. It's much like trying to understand pitching in baseball. To a person who hates baseball, all pitching looks the same. They don't consider a pitcher's style, what he has in his pitching arsenal, the mechanics and pyhsics of his release, what pitches he relies on in different situations and for batters etc. Soccer is similar.
The game isn't perfect. In fact, it's intent on clinging on to old traditions of a time long since gone refusing to modernize in spots where it can benefit - like replay. It's the stupidest thing that the Americans have to accept an incompetent ref's decision to disallow a goal as was the case in a 2-2 draw with Slovenia. On that front, I dismiss it's "part of the game" crap. When people had no access to replay and the internet, they could only take the printed words of a reporter to deliver the truth. The controversies at the 1954, 1962 and 1966 World Cups have stayed in the collective memories of contemporaries. The stories passed on orally or by print for posterity. These days they're immortalized on youtube and blogs.
Today, we all have access to everything instantly. It's absurd to know truth while a sport wallows in ignorance under the guise of being true to itself. Baseball wallows in the same pointless delusion, slaves to a romantic view of a mythical image of its history.
Americans may have their reasons to not jump on the soccer bandwagon, but claiming it's because they're simpletons is a simplistic statement to make.
Perplexing Behavior
Just another reason why I don't support, or at least have become indifferent, the Montreal Canadiens any more.
They can put on a great ceremony but don't have enough decency to call back a legend who helped make them what they are.
Please.
Larry Robinson, by all indications, is pure class.
They can put on a great ceremony but don't have enough decency to call back a legend who helped make them what they are.
Please.
Larry Robinson, by all indications, is pure class.
The Role Of Literature In Libertarianism And Conservatism
Most engaging read in The American Conservative about how the imagination through fiction can drive a philosophy.
Now as to whethere one "ism" or ideology is more read than the other, that's something I'd rather not consider.
Now as to whethere one "ism" or ideology is more read than the other, that's something I'd rather not consider.
Music And The Passage Of Time
I was listening to The Rolling Stones classic Dead Flowers in my jeep earlier. As it were, I passed by my elementary school. It got me thinking about the passage of time. By the time I was in kindergarten, the song had already been four years old. Now, it's 37 years since it was written.
I often do that. I listen to a song and think about it in the context of time.
Beauty comes in many forms.
Jazz, something I don't discuss enough for some reason, is my preferred genre of music.
***
Speaking of jazz, I think it's time the Montreal International Jazz festival drops the jazz from its name. It's plain, plump an international music festival. But it's a bit of a problem since it has branded itself as the largest jazz fest in the world. I'm sorry I see no correlation between rock acts and other genres playing the fest with jazz. Call me rigid, a purist and yes, even old fashioned but when someone tells me it's the jazz festival, I expect nothing but jazz.
I often do that. I listen to a song and think about it in the context of time.
Beauty comes in many forms.
Jazz, something I don't discuss enough for some reason, is my preferred genre of music.
***
Speaking of jazz, I think it's time the Montreal International Jazz festival drops the jazz from its name. It's plain, plump an international music festival. But it's a bit of a problem since it has branded itself as the largest jazz fest in the world. I'm sorry I see no correlation between rock acts and other genres playing the fest with jazz. Call me rigid, a purist and yes, even old fashioned but when someone tells me it's the jazz festival, I expect nothing but jazz.
2010-06-18
BP Oil Spill Continued
A chilling story of BP.
What I don't get is how a company that has the responsibility to extract oil from the earth doesn't have a bleeping contigency plan when things go wrong. It doesn't look good at all.
What I don't get is how a company that has the responsibility to extract oil from the earth doesn't have a bleeping contigency plan when things go wrong. It doesn't look good at all.
Stupidly Judgmental
I guess Obama is the one who acted "stupidly" by responding before the facts were in after all. The New England Center for Investigative Reporting has concluded no racial profiling took place.
Cheap Laugh
Mexican soccer fans or illegal aliens lecturing Americans for being too racist and not extending welfare benefits to them. Or a scolding for the demand of the return of Texas and New Mexico?
Second pic:
Mexican soccer fans or illegal aliens celebrating being covered under public health?
Sorry couldn't resist. Didn't mean to rain on Mexico's stellar 2-0 win over France.
2010-06-17
Not Quite Yankees Fans
I keep hearing on the radio a replay of the call the night the New York Yankees won their 27th championship. The announcer made the claim it was the most of any professional team in the world.
Not quite.
River Plate in Argentina has earned 33 titles. Real Madrid in Spain has won 31 titles. Juventus in Italy conquered 27 trophies.
There are others I'm sure like rugby clubs somewhere. Another soccer team, Penarol in Uruguay has 37 titles.
Point is...
He was safer toning the hyperbole down and keeping it restricted to North America. Only the Montreal Canadiens trail them with 24.
Not quite.
River Plate in Argentina has earned 33 titles. Real Madrid in Spain has won 31 titles. Juventus in Italy conquered 27 trophies.
There are others I'm sure like rugby clubs somewhere. Another soccer team, Penarol in Uruguay has 37 titles.
Point is...
He was safer toning the hyperbole down and keeping it restricted to North America. Only the Montreal Canadiens trail them with 24.
How Much Is That Oil In The Window?
I only had a chance to peruse this article at The Oil Drum, but the parts I read were extremely informative - and easy to read. I liked the Peak Oil explanation.
It explores what happens if energy resources deplete.
It explores what happens if energy resources deplete.
Statism Killed Rome
Hey, I didn't say it. He did.
Excerpt:
I agree that Quebec right now is squeezing the living crap out of Quebecers. It pays me little comfort when a Montreal politician defends higher taxes by saying, "it's not going to kill people." Gee, you think? But it will erode wealth over time. Bet on it.
Excerpt:
Greco-Roman civilization, like all great civilizations, developed first and foremost in the cities. The division of labour and commercial exchanges required for economic prosperity, not to mention social and cultural innovations, can only take place in an urban context. The cities of the Mediterranean basin remained relatively independent even in the Hellenistic kingdoms that followed Alexander's conquests, and even in the early days of the Roman Empire. But as of the 3rd century, emperors began confiscating city revenues, reducing their independence, annexing their territories, and centralizing administration. Stripped of the means required to maintain their infrastructures, cities entered a period of economic decline from which they would only emerge a thousand years later in Europe, beginning in the north of Italy and in Flanders.It makes me wonder. If it existed, then extinguished (Rome) and then reborn (Renaissance), have we entered an extinct phase of economic liberty and if so, one would have to believe another rebirth will come at some point.
I agree that Quebec right now is squeezing the living crap out of Quebecers. It pays me little comfort when a Montreal politician defends higher taxes by saying, "it's not going to kill people." Gee, you think? But it will erode wealth over time. Bet on it.
Bizarro
Ok. Observe the picture above. Scary, eh? America "owes" them what exactly is what I want to know. Americans are now asked, or even being shamed, into covering and paying for illegal immigrants?
Horrors Of All Horrors
When Karla Homolka was set free because of a deal she cut with prosecutors, I was left numb. Here was one of the most vicious murderers in Canadian history - who by all accounts never really showed remorse for her crimes - walking the streets of Montreal!
It was equally shocking to listen to people say "she did her time." No she didn't. She got off because the criminal justice system is stacked against the victims. What kind of legal system is it anyway that allows for such technicalities?
So it comes as no surprise that she would ask for a pardon. I tell you what. If she gets one, I'm going to denounce my Canadian nationality in spirit. Sickening.
That's why it's important Bill C-23 passes and the lame, trivial attempts by the Liberals to pretend it's acting like an opposition leaves me completely befuddled. They know they can't afford to gut this thing and to stall on it using the idiotic argument the conservatives prorogued parliament leaving us in a tight spot is disingenuous. It has nothing to do with that. Lay off the petty politics and pass the sucker.
It was equally shocking to listen to people say "she did her time." No she didn't. She got off because the criminal justice system is stacked against the victims. What kind of legal system is it anyway that allows for such technicalities?
So it comes as no surprise that she would ask for a pardon. I tell you what. If she gets one, I'm going to denounce my Canadian nationality in spirit. Sickening.
That's why it's important Bill C-23 passes and the lame, trivial attempts by the Liberals to pretend it's acting like an opposition leaves me completely befuddled. They know they can't afford to gut this thing and to stall on it using the idiotic argument the conservatives prorogued parliament leaving us in a tight spot is disingenuous. It has nothing to do with that. Lay off the petty politics and pass the sucker.
La Violence
We violence in every crevice and corner now. The school my daughter attends is so terrified of its shadow they see violence in everything. "Oh no madame, la violence!" This is what I thought about when I read this story about a boy sent home for making a hat for hat day out of toy soldiers with tiny guns to honor U.S. troops. Dunno about you but when I was a kid I had millions of those little green toy soldiers and I turned out (relatively speaking) alright.
Here's the thing. You can't fight violence this way. Banning or limiting freedom of expression is not a means to creating a peaceful society, it's a sure path to tyranny. Crooked and violent people have and always will exist. If anything, if I'm a kid with a penchant for violent or a person seeking a life of crime I'm loving all this. More soft people to terrorize. I'm no psychologist. I'm just saying.
Here's the thing. You can't fight violence this way. Banning or limiting freedom of expression is not a means to creating a peaceful society, it's a sure path to tyranny. Crooked and violent people have and always will exist. If anything, if I'm a kid with a penchant for violent or a person seeking a life of crime I'm loving all this. More soft people to terrorize. I'm no psychologist. I'm just saying.
Bail Out This Blog
God, this is so dumb. A while ago I posted about the potential of bail outs for newspapers. I dismissed hoping wiser heads would prevail.
Guess not.
I read parts of that FTC report and it's exactly what the writer here was saying. Ho-hum and typical technocratic bull shit.
It seems the only solutions we've got for "problems" are bail outs and higher taxes.
Guess not.
I read parts of that FTC report and it's exactly what the writer here was saying. Ho-hum and typical technocratic bull shit.
It seems the only solutions we've got for "problems" are bail outs and higher taxes.
Shake This
I can't stop laughing watching this. I'm so getting this for my wife. Wink.
Tired of over working your hand and arms while pleasing your husband or boyfriend? Well, be tired no more! With Shake Weight, cut your time exponentially! Thanks to dynamic intertia what used to take minutes to achieve bliss can happen in mere seconds! But don't believe us since we use our mouths more than our hands, take it from satisfied customers!
"It used to take 46 minutes to make my hubby cum. My hair would come undone, and I couldn't cook or clean the next because my arms were so tired. But now, with Shake Weight, it only takes six seconds. His penis turns black, blue and purple but he loves it! And I can resume my duties soon after. Thanks Shake Weight!"
Stupid. I wouldn't be caught dead holding this. What, and have to listen to all those "build your strength for jacking off" comments? Nah.
*Jerk-off hand gesture with a smirk*
This is better than porn:
Tired of over working your hand and arms while pleasing your husband or boyfriend? Well, be tired no more! With Shake Weight, cut your time exponentially! Thanks to dynamic intertia what used to take minutes to achieve bliss can happen in mere seconds! But don't believe us since we use our mouths more than our hands, take it from satisfied customers!
"It used to take 46 minutes to make my hubby cum. My hair would come undone, and I couldn't cook or clean the next because my arms were so tired. But now, with Shake Weight, it only takes six seconds. His penis turns black, blue and purple but he loves it! And I can resume my duties soon after. Thanks Shake Weight!"
Stupid. I wouldn't be caught dead holding this. What, and have to listen to all those "build your strength for jacking off" comments? Nah.
*Jerk-off hand gesture with a smirk*
This is better than porn:
Canadian Programming Stinks
So thinks Alberta culture minister Lindsay Blackett.
Predictably, Canadians are all in a thin-skinned huff.
Predictably, Canadians are all in a thin-skinned huff.
CBC World Cup Coverage Is So Typically Multicultural
Someone asked me what I thought of the CBC's coverage of the World Cup and which World Cup I considered the best.
Normally, the CBC does a solid job of covering sports. Track & field for example. They do very well with the Olympics - superiour to anything NBC does. However, I don't get why they have three different sets of commentator crews. TSN had it right four years ago when they had ONE (outstanding) crew for the entire tournament. Another thing. They do overplay the multicultural/PC angle. I know about the impact soccer has on culture, but really, can we tone it down a tad? I really don't care that Nabil from Iceland who was adopted by a Cree couple living in Quebec who is with Metis blood but is of Berber ancestry pulls for Argentina.
Bah. It's public broadcasting. What did you expect?
As for the best World Cup, hands down 1986. Hands down. Worst one, easily 2002. Easily.
In a previous post, I mentioned how the British press blamed a former Canadian model for England's opening tie against USA. France's Patrice Evra blamed the vuvuzela. Now it's Spain's turn. The Spanish press is blaming Spain's loss on keeper Iker Casillas's (who like his Italian colleague Gianluigi Buffon is among the top keepers in the world but struggled this past season in league play) reporter girlfriend.
I don't know much but I'm going to guess none of England, Spain or France will win the world cup. When stuff like this happens, it's likely meant to mask deeper issues. The next country to complain will join this group. Although I will say Spain has the personel to overcome their early problems.
Normally, the CBC does a solid job of covering sports. Track & field for example. They do very well with the Olympics - superiour to anything NBC does. However, I don't get why they have three different sets of commentator crews. TSN had it right four years ago when they had ONE (outstanding) crew for the entire tournament. Another thing. They do overplay the multicultural/PC angle. I know about the impact soccer has on culture, but really, can we tone it down a tad? I really don't care that Nabil from Iceland who was adopted by a Cree couple living in Quebec who is with Metis blood but is of Berber ancestry pulls for Argentina.
Bah. It's public broadcasting. What did you expect?
As for the best World Cup, hands down 1986. Hands down. Worst one, easily 2002. Easily.
In a previous post, I mentioned how the British press blamed a former Canadian model for England's opening tie against USA. France's Patrice Evra blamed the vuvuzela. Now it's Spain's turn. The Spanish press is blaming Spain's loss on keeper Iker Casillas's (who like his Italian colleague Gianluigi Buffon is among the top keepers in the world but struggled this past season in league play) reporter girlfriend.
I don't know much but I'm going to guess none of England, Spain or France will win the world cup. When stuff like this happens, it's likely meant to mask deeper issues. The next country to complain will join this group. Although I will say Spain has the personel to overcome their early problems.
2010-06-16
Sugar, Sugar
Knocking sense and sensibility about sweet sugar.
Hey, it's pretty much how I see it. I use, by the way, Golden Cane Sugar.
***
Speaking of sugar. I was at a bookstore the other day flipping through some magazines when I came across Rolling Stones top 500 songs of all time. I found it odd that Sugar, Sugar by Andy Kim/The Archies was not on the list. In fact, it's ridiculous to exclude it. I put the magazine down, dropped to my knees and began screaming at the top of my lungs, "It's not fair!"
Hey, it's pretty much how I see it. I use, by the way, Golden Cane Sugar.
***
Speaking of sugar. I was at a bookstore the other day flipping through some magazines when I came across Rolling Stones top 500 songs of all time. I found it odd that Sugar, Sugar by Andy Kim/The Archies was not on the list. In fact, it's ridiculous to exclude it. I put the magazine down, dropped to my knees and began screaming at the top of my lungs, "It's not fair!"
Energy Question
Can someone please explain to me why we just don't build cars that run on natural gas?
Bad And Good Commercials
My cousin and I were talking about effective ad commercial campaigns the other day. Effective meaning it doesn't piss us off. Say like Miracle Whip and their mayonnaise revolution (It's brown but we're not going to back down!) and Tim Hortons and their obvious policy of political correctness.
Incidentally, if it were me, my group of friends in a car ordering au volant at Tim Hortons would include a heroin addict, a pregnant teenager, a deaf person and a Muslim woman decked out in her costume. She would of course just be sitting there doing nothing in the back seat.
I suppose it would beat those terrible, syrupy commercials fist fucking us with lame Canadian images. The best one was how a group of Canadian university kids in Scotland lined up early in the morning to get their fill of Hortons coffee. The narrator was lamenting not having enough of "Canada" in the highlands and lo and behold next thing he knew Tim Hortons was there serving coffee. Right.
Now. How to do it right. I've been meaning to post about this from the day I saw the Dos Equis commercial and their "Most interesting man in the world" campaign. I want to buy cheap Mexican beer on principle:
There are a bunch of these on youtube.
I don't always drink beer, but when I do it reminds me I have a nagging wife. Stay angry my friends.
Incidentally, if it were me, my group of friends in a car ordering au volant at Tim Hortons would include a heroin addict, a pregnant teenager, a deaf person and a Muslim woman decked out in her costume. She would of course just be sitting there doing nothing in the back seat.
I suppose it would beat those terrible, syrupy commercials fist fucking us with lame Canadian images. The best one was how a group of Canadian university kids in Scotland lined up early in the morning to get their fill of Hortons coffee. The narrator was lamenting not having enough of "Canada" in the highlands and lo and behold next thing he knew Tim Hortons was there serving coffee. Right.
Now. How to do it right. I've been meaning to post about this from the day I saw the Dos Equis commercial and their "Most interesting man in the world" campaign. I want to buy cheap Mexican beer on principle:
There are a bunch of these on youtube.
I don't always drink beer, but when I do it reminds me I have a nagging wife. Stay angry my friends.
GPS Distractions
In the past I've raged against the GPS navigation system for its imperfections and the fact that it can make people ignorant of being able to read maps or develop a sense of direction.
I don't see the need for a fucking GPS to go downtown. But people swaer by it. Some even ludicrously pay thousands of dollars to have one embedded in their car.
The other issue have with GPS is the distraction factor. Aside for not being able to listen to the radio on short journeys since it's always giving direction, you literally have to look at the monitor or come to a full stop to know what it's saying.
Can anyone explain to me how they manage and whether or not this thing leads to accidents? If text mesaging and hand held phones are banned, what's to stop legislators from outlawing GPS for being a "distraction?"
I don't see the need for a fucking GPS to go downtown. But people swaer by it. Some even ludicrously pay thousands of dollars to have one embedded in their car.
The other issue have with GPS is the distraction factor. Aside for not being able to listen to the radio on short journeys since it's always giving direction, you literally have to look at the monitor or come to a full stop to know what it's saying.
Can anyone explain to me how they manage and whether or not this thing leads to accidents? If text mesaging and hand held phones are banned, what's to stop legislators from outlawing GPS for being a "distraction?"
Relationship And Sex Humour
These jokes were forwarded to me by a non-blogging pal.
Relationship jokes can get stale but it never ceases to reinvent itself.
2010-06-15
Validation
Just got my Hema-Quebec blood card. Now I'm official. I celebrated by driving around blowing into a vuvuzela waving into the face of every indifferent person I could find.
O-Positive? What's that?
I would have written my name in my own blood on the card. Meh.
O-Positive? What's that?
I would have written my name in my own blood on the card. Meh.
From Nigeria To Congo Spam
I hope all is well. My name is Mr. Dudu Ben I want you to invest this $15.5 Millions U.S. dollars, you can using this money by expanding your company or business. i will transfer this money into your bank account If you can Assist me I am from Congo but now am in UAE for treatment this is investment money (00971555369508)
Dudu Ben
Yeah, sure thing Ben. Anything for my Congolese pal.
Dudu Ben
Yeah, sure thing Ben. Anything for my Congolese pal.
Open Them There Books
MPs have agreed to let Auditor-General Sheila Fraser audit the House of Commons. It's a bold move and if they're as clean as they say they are it can only make them look good in the eyes of the public.
Stay tuned.
Stay tuned.
Hear Me Roar
The President is declaring war.
On the shores.
Apparently he's "mobilizing the greatest military in the world" to fight the "assault on our shores." 17 000 National Guard troops have been authorized to head for their Dieppe. Shoot to kill orders have been given.
Funny stuff.
Obama to himself in the mirror: "I smash oil!"
Well.
Tough talk is nice and all but isn't it a tad too late?
What makes his stance morbidly funny? That European companies have the technology to clean up the spill and claim they can have the job done in three months instead of the nine forecasted by the U.S.
I don't know about you, but in light of the size of the catastrophe one may think the administration would consider all options. Yet, for some reason, the Americans turned down the help.
So. Now they entertain with military metaphors and an extended clean-up timeline.
On the shores.
Apparently he's "mobilizing the greatest military in the world" to fight the "assault on our shores." 17 000 National Guard troops have been authorized to head for their Dieppe. Shoot to kill orders have been given.
Funny stuff.
Obama to himself in the mirror: "I smash oil!"
Well.
Tough talk is nice and all but isn't it a tad too late?
What makes his stance morbidly funny? That European companies have the technology to clean up the spill and claim they can have the job done in three months instead of the nine forecasted by the U.S.
I don't know about you, but in light of the size of the catastrophe one may think the administration would consider all options. Yet, for some reason, the Americans turned down the help.
So. Now they entertain with military metaphors and an extended clean-up timeline.
Hugo Update
The more I'm invested in La Hoonchback de Noter-Dame the more I realize just how profound my ignorance of history can get. It says here on my little paper all neat in calligraphy that I hold a bachelors in history. I say "be off with the devil" with such lunacy!
A couple of lines I've enjoyed thus far:
"On that day (referring to the Feast of Fools) every turpitude was permitted and even held sacred. Was it not then the least they could do to swear as much as possible, and to curse a little in the name of God, on so fine a day, in the good company of churchmen and loose women?"
In a conversation - if you can call it that - between Pierre Gringoire and La Esmeralda. Gringoire asks her if she knows what friendship was. The gypsy replied, "It is to be brother and sister, two souls that touch each other without uniting, like two fingers of the same hand."
He then proceeds to ask her about love to which see replied with a trembling voice and sparkling eyes:
"Oh! Love! It is to be two but one - it is a man and a woman melting into an angel - it is heaven itself."
I've been too lazy to discuss books I read in the past. I'm determined to be less lazy with this book!
A couple of lines I've enjoyed thus far:
"On that day (referring to the Feast of Fools) every turpitude was permitted and even held sacred. Was it not then the least they could do to swear as much as possible, and to curse a little in the name of God, on so fine a day, in the good company of churchmen and loose women?"
In a conversation - if you can call it that - between Pierre Gringoire and La Esmeralda. Gringoire asks her if she knows what friendship was. The gypsy replied, "It is to be brother and sister, two souls that touch each other without uniting, like two fingers of the same hand."
He then proceeds to ask her about love to which see replied with a trembling voice and sparkling eyes:
"Oh! Love! It is to be two but one - it is a man and a woman melting into an angel - it is heaven itself."
I've been too lazy to discuss books I read in the past. I'm determined to be less lazy with this book!
You Are Always On My Mind
The British tabloid press, frothed and foamed with the usual hysterics, needed to find a reason - if not scapegoat - to explain how keeper Robert Green mishandled a ball that eneded up in the net against the United States in a World Cup match.
They found it. Here in Canada. He dated a model who dumped him. Apparently, he's the reason he messed up.
Good grief. God save not just the Queen but England too if this is how they view things.
Meanwhile, French player Patrice Evra, not to be outdone, blamed the vuvuzela for France's scoreless draw against Uruguay.
Right.
Blame this. Blame that. It's a blame culture.
Look, the vuvuzela is annoying. I know. My mother called me asking me if my TV was working because hers was making a loud buzzing sound. I explained to her what it was but remained unconvinced. "I'm calling Radio-Canada!"
As for the vuvuzela itself, people who want it banned are being silly. This is all part of the South African experience. Bunch of babies.
The Canadian chick and the South African horn are strawmen for two teams who couldn't overcome their opponents.
Suck it up and win your next match lads.
For Robert Green:
They found it. Here in Canada. He dated a model who dumped him. Apparently, he's the reason he messed up.
Good grief. God save not just the Queen but England too if this is how they view things.
Meanwhile, French player Patrice Evra, not to be outdone, blamed the vuvuzela for France's scoreless draw against Uruguay.
Right.
Blame this. Blame that. It's a blame culture.
Look, the vuvuzela is annoying. I know. My mother called me asking me if my TV was working because hers was making a loud buzzing sound. I explained to her what it was but remained unconvinced. "I'm calling Radio-Canada!"
As for the vuvuzela itself, people who want it banned are being silly. This is all part of the South African experience. Bunch of babies.
The Canadian chick and the South African horn are strawmen for two teams who couldn't overcome their opponents.
Suck it up and win your next match lads.
For Robert Green:
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