NBA: some idiot referee was betting on games; games he was officiating.
NFL: Michael Vick gets indicted for a freakin dog fighting ring.
MLB: Our lord and savior Barry Bonds is about to break the all time home run record.
All of these stories are the biggest in recent years for all three sports. All going on at the same time. All three commissioners are freaking out. Kinda cool.
Especially Barry. This is obviously one of the biggest stories in baseball history. Its gonna be awesome.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Answers
The biggest story in human history? Like I said it's not an easy question. Good amount of candidates. Obviously, humans beings coming into existence is the easy answer. But that's way more of a gradual progression. Not really a single story. Same thing with the computer. I'm sure when it gets done with what it's doing, it will have revolutionized society more than maybe anything before it. But again, this is gradual, and it's not even done yet. Oh, and before we go any further, let's count out so called miraculous events. Don't tell me Jesus resurrecting, or Noah building an ark is the biggest story in human history. Because these events did not actually happen, they cannot be considered.
The Holocaust was a pretty big story. Couple that with WWII and you got a pretty good candidate I'd say. 9/11 was huge. But I can't see these things being the biggest stories/events in all of human history. The birth and life of Jesus has to be considered a top candidate. Or Mohamed. Or whatever other prophets there were.
But I think I'm gonna go with the discovery of the New World. The Vikings, Columbus, whoever. Whenever it happened, that's my pick. For all intensive purposes, the world doubled in size. New land, new people, new resources, new everything. Am I way off here?
As for the question of of what will be the biggest story in human history when it's all said and done with, that's easy. If it ever happens. But if and when life is discovered somewhere other than Earth, that will be the biggest story in human history. It will mean so much to how we think of ourselves, the universe, whatever god people believe in. It'll be awesome. And it could happen in the next 50 years. And that's conservative. Scientists are pretty much certain that on Jupiter's moon, Europa, there is liquid water below it's icy surface. And as far as I know, there's no reason life could not exist there. All it takes is a mission to get there, melt through the ice, and check for life. This is not too far off. See here and here. If life is discovered there...oh man. One day, life on Earth is unique. Then NASA or someone makes an announcement, and life on Earth is literally commonplace in the Universe. Because if there are two places life exists in one solar system, you know life has got to be all over the place. Furthermore, it's not out of the question that Mars used to have life on it. And then there's Saturn's moon, Titan, which is a possibility. But the real challenge will be getting to life outside the solar system. Because interstellar travel is still a long long way away for us. See? Science is cool. Please watch "The Universe" on the History Channel. Tuesdays at 9. Real good stuff.
Now, the biggest sports story of all time. I think that one is pretty easy too. It's gotta be Jackie Robinson. Right? What else? The first Superbowl? That was bound to happen. The '98 (and '61) home run chase was pretty huge, but no way that that's bigger than Jackie Robinson. I myself am probably biased towards baseball, so if there's something I'm missing, let me know.
As for the cheesy ending to the last post (what will be the biggest story of your life when it's all said and done?): I dont know what it will be. But other than some sort of marriage or birth of a child, I hope the biggest story of my life comes in one of those space control rooms where something is accomplished and then everyone claps, like in the movies. I want to be in one of those rooms real bad. Definitely on my "things to do before I die" list. So that's my story.
Oh, actually, the invention/discovery of fire might be the biggest event in human history. I don't know.
The Holocaust was a pretty big story. Couple that with WWII and you got a pretty good candidate I'd say. 9/11 was huge. But I can't see these things being the biggest stories/events in all of human history. The birth and life of Jesus has to be considered a top candidate. Or Mohamed. Or whatever other prophets there were.
But I think I'm gonna go with the discovery of the New World. The Vikings, Columbus, whoever. Whenever it happened, that's my pick. For all intensive purposes, the world doubled in size. New land, new people, new resources, new everything. Am I way off here?
As for the question of of what will be the biggest story in human history when it's all said and done with, that's easy. If it ever happens. But if and when life is discovered somewhere other than Earth, that will be the biggest story in human history. It will mean so much to how we think of ourselves, the universe, whatever god people believe in. It'll be awesome. And it could happen in the next 50 years. And that's conservative. Scientists are pretty much certain that on Jupiter's moon, Europa, there is liquid water below it's icy surface. And as far as I know, there's no reason life could not exist there. All it takes is a mission to get there, melt through the ice, and check for life. This is not too far off. See here and here. If life is discovered there...oh man. One day, life on Earth is unique. Then NASA or someone makes an announcement, and life on Earth is literally commonplace in the Universe. Because if there are two places life exists in one solar system, you know life has got to be all over the place. Furthermore, it's not out of the question that Mars used to have life on it. And then there's Saturn's moon, Titan, which is a possibility. But the real challenge will be getting to life outside the solar system. Because interstellar travel is still a long long way away for us. See? Science is cool. Please watch "The Universe" on the History Channel. Tuesdays at 9. Real good stuff.
Now, the biggest sports story of all time. I think that one is pretty easy too. It's gotta be Jackie Robinson. Right? What else? The first Superbowl? That was bound to happen. The '98 (and '61) home run chase was pretty huge, but no way that that's bigger than Jackie Robinson. I myself am probably biased towards baseball, so if there's something I'm missing, let me know.
As for the cheesy ending to the last post (what will be the biggest story of your life when it's all said and done?): I dont know what it will be. But other than some sort of marriage or birth of a child, I hope the biggest story of my life comes in one of those space control rooms where something is accomplished and then everyone claps, like in the movies. I want to be in one of those rooms real bad. Definitely on my "things to do before I die" list. So that's my story.
Oh, actually, the invention/discovery of fire might be the biggest event in human history. I don't know.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The biggest story of all time
What is it? What is the biggest story of all time? Or, let's say the biggest story in human history. I was thinking about this yesterday. It took me a while to come up with some possible answers. I'll reveal my thoughts by the end of this weekend. What are your thoughts?
Furthermore, when it's all said and done with, what will be the biggest story of human history? What future event will take the place of whatever story currently holds the title of "biggest story of human history"?
And what is the biggest sports story of all time? And what future story will replace it?
And while we're at it, what is the biggest story of your life? Although that one's pretty easy if your parents are divorced. But ah-ha. Watch this:
Awesomely cheesy but even more awesomely inspiring end to the blog: What will be the biggest story of your life?
Furthermore, when it's all said and done with, what will be the biggest story of human history? What future event will take the place of whatever story currently holds the title of "biggest story of human history"?
And what is the biggest sports story of all time? And what future story will replace it?
And while we're at it, what is the biggest story of your life? Although that one's pretty easy if your parents are divorced. But ah-ha. Watch this:
Awesomely cheesy but even more awesomely inspiring end to the blog: What will be the biggest story of your life?
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
A Comparison
In case anyone cares, now that I've finished a full school year at Columbia, I thought I'd do a comparison between Columbia and University of Puget Sound. First, academically:
I don't think that it can be summed up as simply as statements such as "Columbia/UPS is easier" and "I got a better education at Columbia/UPS". There's a lot of different things to be factored in. Columbia is definitely more of a grind. That's for sure. While no class I had this year at Columbia was harder than the hardest classes I had at UPS, there is definitely more volume here. At UPS, four classes was the norm, and usually at least one of those was a I-don't-have-to-work-hard-at-all-for-this-class class. At Columbia, you need to be taking 5 classes, and at this level of a Mechanical Engineering major, they are all legit. You can't really mail it in for any of them. So I'd say I was probably busier with school work this past year than I ever was at UPS, but I could handle most of the material. For the most part, I had a pretty good grasp on the concepts. There were definitely a few classes at UPS where I was much more lost, struggling to keep my head above water.
Professors: Another topic for which there is a lot to say. For one, it is pretty easy to say that at UPS, the professors care more about the students than they do here. At UPS, professors were there to teach, and they did research because that's just sort of what you do aside from teaching (get on the tenure track, etc). At Columbia, it seems like the professors are there to do research, and they teach because that's just sort of what you do aside from research (after all, they do need a venue for their research). At UPS, classes were smaller, and, in general, professors much more personable and approachable. This serves well for education purposes. On the other hand, with a few exceptions, the professors are smarter here. It amazes me sometimes to think about how much some of these people know. That does not necessarily translate into being a good teacher, although it often does. Sometimes I'm in class thinking "I could teach this lesson better than you are." But usually that's not the case. I can't say for sure which institution gave/is giving me the better education. Small classes with approachable professors is a huge plus. No question you learn better ("learn better" - it sounds weird, but that's what I'm going with). But as a ME major here, you are just bombarded with knowledge--it's hard to say I'm not learning more.
That being said, I will say this. And it may seem surprising. This point was actually brought up by Bethany, but I have to agree: students here are not held to very high standards. The prevailing attitude when it comes to grading seems to be "Oh you didn't do well on this test. But nobody else did either. So we'll just give pretty much everyone A's and B's." Not that there were never any curves at UPS. But they are much more generous here. I mean, it is no easy task to write a test that's hard enough to separate those who know their shit from those who don't but easy enough so that it actually can be done (within a time limit as well). My suggestion to most professors would be make the tests easier, and curve less generously. One thing I said about UPS after going there was that there was definitely some grade inflation. I can name a few classes where I felt I deserved a grade significantly worse than the one I received. But I have to say grade inflation there is nothing compared to what it is here. Even slightly above average can get you at least a B+. I'm curious to know what the average GPA is among ME majors, the engineering school as a whole, and Columbia University as a whole. Also UPS as a whole and physics majors at UPS. Really, the average GPA should be a 2.0. But I bet here its about a 3.2. That guess is completely blind by the way. It could be way off. But part of the problem is that anything lower than a B- these days is disastrous. A C used to be average. Now it's "what the fuck am I gonna do Im never gonna get into Med school." It'd be nice if we could go back to when there was a nice bell curve centered around C, but the fact is, professors want to look after their students. I read an article in the Columbia newspaper a while ago that said that in Columbia College--not the engineering school--a couple years ago 52% of grades given were an A or A-. Students did exceptional/outstanding work 52% of the time? Really?
Anyway, on a selfish level, I did find a nice little loophole for getting into Columbia. People always seem pretty impressed when they find out I'm at Columbia. But all I did was take what I needed to at UPS and get at least a 3.0. It's funny. Most of us Dual Degree students agree that we would not have gotten into Columbia out of high school. And yet compared to the students who did, we do pretty well. So I guess that says something about education at small liberal arts schools. I think also it helps being a year or two older and wiser, but whatever.
Comparing the schools socially is no easy task either. Mainly this is hard because I spent 4 years at UPS, and I have a lot of friends who I am very very close with. So its easy to say that I had better times back at UPS. But its really not all that different. Play beer pong for a while, then go out. At UPS it was out to a bar or house party. No house parties here. On the rare occasion you do go to a dorm/apartment party, its usually a bit cramped. Columbia being in NYC is the other wild card. Obviously, New York is sweet. For the most part, we usually stick to the 5 or 6 bars that Columbia kids go to around here. But when we do make it downtown or wherever else, its pretty refreshing. Anyway, there's not much direction to this comparison, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that the social scenes at the two schools are pretty similar. And they're both probably about what you would expect. You got your different types of groups, and fortunately, my type of group is pretty easy to have fun with.
Girls are better looking here, but it's nothing to brag about being better looking than UPS. Actually, at UPS, I don't think it really was that bad. But its so small, its like you're never gonna see anything new. Sometimes I wish I went to a big school, partly for this reason. Also, a good sports school would be sweet. I mean I can't imagine what it would be like to be at Florida these days. 2 basketball championships in a row, with a football crown between them. That'd be awesome.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed that.
I don't think that it can be summed up as simply as statements such as "Columbia/UPS is easier" and "I got a better education at Columbia/UPS". There's a lot of different things to be factored in. Columbia is definitely more of a grind. That's for sure. While no class I had this year at Columbia was harder than the hardest classes I had at UPS, there is definitely more volume here. At UPS, four classes was the norm, and usually at least one of those was a I-don't-have-to-work-hard-at-all-for-this-class class. At Columbia, you need to be taking 5 classes, and at this level of a Mechanical Engineering major, they are all legit. You can't really mail it in for any of them. So I'd say I was probably busier with school work this past year than I ever was at UPS, but I could handle most of the material. For the most part, I had a pretty good grasp on the concepts. There were definitely a few classes at UPS where I was much more lost, struggling to keep my head above water.
Professors: Another topic for which there is a lot to say. For one, it is pretty easy to say that at UPS, the professors care more about the students than they do here. At UPS, professors were there to teach, and they did research because that's just sort of what you do aside from teaching (get on the tenure track, etc). At Columbia, it seems like the professors are there to do research, and they teach because that's just sort of what you do aside from research (after all, they do need a venue for their research). At UPS, classes were smaller, and, in general, professors much more personable and approachable. This serves well for education purposes. On the other hand, with a few exceptions, the professors are smarter here. It amazes me sometimes to think about how much some of these people know. That does not necessarily translate into being a good teacher, although it often does. Sometimes I'm in class thinking "I could teach this lesson better than you are." But usually that's not the case. I can't say for sure which institution gave/is giving me the better education. Small classes with approachable professors is a huge plus. No question you learn better ("learn better" - it sounds weird, but that's what I'm going with). But as a ME major here, you are just bombarded with knowledge--it's hard to say I'm not learning more.
That being said, I will say this. And it may seem surprising. This point was actually brought up by Bethany, but I have to agree: students here are not held to very high standards. The prevailing attitude when it comes to grading seems to be "Oh you didn't do well on this test. But nobody else did either. So we'll just give pretty much everyone A's and B's." Not that there were never any curves at UPS. But they are much more generous here. I mean, it is no easy task to write a test that's hard enough to separate those who know their shit from those who don't but easy enough so that it actually can be done (within a time limit as well). My suggestion to most professors would be make the tests easier, and curve less generously. One thing I said about UPS after going there was that there was definitely some grade inflation. I can name a few classes where I felt I deserved a grade significantly worse than the one I received. But I have to say grade inflation there is nothing compared to what it is here. Even slightly above average can get you at least a B+. I'm curious to know what the average GPA is among ME majors, the engineering school as a whole, and Columbia University as a whole. Also UPS as a whole and physics majors at UPS. Really, the average GPA should be a 2.0. But I bet here its about a 3.2. That guess is completely blind by the way. It could be way off. But part of the problem is that anything lower than a B- these days is disastrous. A C used to be average. Now it's "what the fuck am I gonna do Im never gonna get into Med school." It'd be nice if we could go back to when there was a nice bell curve centered around C, but the fact is, professors want to look after their students. I read an article in the Columbia newspaper a while ago that said that in Columbia College--not the engineering school--a couple years ago 52% of grades given were an A or A-. Students did exceptional/outstanding work 52% of the time? Really?
Anyway, on a selfish level, I did find a nice little loophole for getting into Columbia. People always seem pretty impressed when they find out I'm at Columbia. But all I did was take what I needed to at UPS and get at least a 3.0. It's funny. Most of us Dual Degree students agree that we would not have gotten into Columbia out of high school. And yet compared to the students who did, we do pretty well. So I guess that says something about education at small liberal arts schools. I think also it helps being a year or two older and wiser, but whatever.
Comparing the schools socially is no easy task either. Mainly this is hard because I spent 4 years at UPS, and I have a lot of friends who I am very very close with. So its easy to say that I had better times back at UPS. But its really not all that different. Play beer pong for a while, then go out. At UPS it was out to a bar or house party. No house parties here. On the rare occasion you do go to a dorm/apartment party, its usually a bit cramped. Columbia being in NYC is the other wild card. Obviously, New York is sweet. For the most part, we usually stick to the 5 or 6 bars that Columbia kids go to around here. But when we do make it downtown or wherever else, its pretty refreshing. Anyway, there's not much direction to this comparison, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that the social scenes at the two schools are pretty similar. And they're both probably about what you would expect. You got your different types of groups, and fortunately, my type of group is pretty easy to have fun with.
Girls are better looking here, but it's nothing to brag about being better looking than UPS. Actually, at UPS, I don't think it really was that bad. But its so small, its like you're never gonna see anything new. Sometimes I wish I went to a big school, partly for this reason. Also, a good sports school would be sweet. I mean I can't imagine what it would be like to be at Florida these days. 2 basketball championships in a row, with a football crown between them. That'd be awesome.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed that.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
I hate Jeff Pearlman
Once again, Jeff Pearlman has written an article berating Barry Bonds for doing something positive. This guys acts like he not only knows Bonds, but that Bonds also slaughtered his family. I think my thoughts are best represented in the email I wrote Pearlman promptly after reading his article:
"No matter what he does, he's wrong. He can't win with you. I read your Page 2 article on espn.com. The link to it had this description: "Barry Bonds planned to wear no. 42 on Sunday to join in the honoring of Jackie Robinson, further proof that this man just doesn't get it." I'm not sure if you wrote that, but I'm sure if Bonds did not plan on wearing no. 42, you would have written a similar article with the description, "Barry Bonds did not plan on wearing no. 42 on Sunday to join in the honoring of Jackie Robinson, further proof that this man just doesn't get it." I'm surprised you didn't blame him for the rain that washed away the games today. I'm sure you could have come up with something like "Barry told the public he would honor Jackie Robinson by wearing no. 42. But since he's simply an evil man, he decided he needed a way around it, because in reality, he actually hates Jackie Robinson. So he used the powers that his evil performing-enhancing drugs gave him and summoned a rainout." Seriously, with the bullshit you write about Barry Bonds, I would not have been surprised to see that in there.
Here's a man, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, who wants to honor one of his heroes, and you come up with a way to make that a bad thing. Even if his track record in regard to race and sports is not great--although I've heard about plenty of times Bonds has lent advice to black rookies--he is in fact trying to honor Jackie Robinson. This is what he currently wants to do. The quote you used--the one he told mlb.com--what more do you want? It's easy to say he's not being sincere. In fact, it gets you a paycheck. But whats more logical is to assume he is being sincere, because who wouldn't be sincere when saying something like that? It's Jackie Robinson, for christ's sake. What he said was fact: "You just can't underestimate the impact Jackie had on this game." But it's Barry Bonds, so obviously there's something deceptive or wrong or evil about it, right?
It's time to move on, Mr. Pearlman. We know you don't like Barry Bonds. But enough with making him out to be worse than Hitler. You say "he has treated his black baseball forefathers like Aaron not as legends to be honored, but as stepping stones in his own maligned assault on the record books." As far as I'm concerned, this statement alone ruins your credibility. Bonds has shown nothing but respect for Aaron. If you say he treats Aaron as a stepping stone, you also should write an article claiming Cal Ripken considered Lou Gehrig as a means to personal gain. Barry Bonds not trying to erase Hank Aaron from the record books. He's simply hitting home runs. He's trying to win baseball games. He will pass Aaron on the way, and you can bet on him showing nothing but respect at that time, even though Aaron will be showing disrespect by not being there. So when the guy goes out of his way to show respect Jackie Robinson, just let him be. The next thing you write about Barry Bonds should be an apology.
-Mike Meade"
"No matter what he does, he's wrong. He can't win with you. I read your Page 2 article on espn.com. The link to it had this description: "Barry Bonds planned to wear no. 42 on Sunday to join in the honoring of Jackie Robinson, further proof that this man just doesn't get it." I'm not sure if you wrote that, but I'm sure if Bonds did not plan on wearing no. 42, you would have written a similar article with the description, "Barry Bonds did not plan on wearing no. 42 on Sunday to join in the honoring of Jackie Robinson, further proof that this man just doesn't get it." I'm surprised you didn't blame him for the rain that washed away the games today. I'm sure you could have come up with something like "Barry told the public he would honor Jackie Robinson by wearing no. 42. But since he's simply an evil man, he decided he needed a way around it, because in reality, he actually hates Jackie Robinson. So he used the powers that his evil performing-enhancing drugs gave him and summoned a rainout." Seriously, with the bullshit you write about Barry Bonds, I would not have been surprised to see that in there.
Here's a man, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, who wants to honor one of his heroes, and you come up with a way to make that a bad thing. Even if his track record in regard to race and sports is not great--although I've heard about plenty of times Bonds has lent advice to black rookies--he is in fact trying to honor Jackie Robinson. This is what he currently wants to do. The quote you used--the one he told mlb.com--what more do you want? It's easy to say he's not being sincere. In fact, it gets you a paycheck. But whats more logical is to assume he is being sincere, because who wouldn't be sincere when saying something like that? It's Jackie Robinson, for christ's sake. What he said was fact: "You just can't underestimate the impact Jackie had on this game." But it's Barry Bonds, so obviously there's something deceptive or wrong or evil about it, right?
It's time to move on, Mr. Pearlman. We know you don't like Barry Bonds. But enough with making him out to be worse than Hitler. You say "he has treated his black baseball forefathers like Aaron not as legends to be honored, but as stepping stones in his own maligned assault on the record books." As far as I'm concerned, this statement alone ruins your credibility. Bonds has shown nothing but respect for Aaron. If you say he treats Aaron as a stepping stone, you also should write an article claiming Cal Ripken considered Lou Gehrig as a means to personal gain. Barry Bonds not trying to erase Hank Aaron from the record books. He's simply hitting home runs. He's trying to win baseball games. He will pass Aaron on the way, and you can bet on him showing nothing but respect at that time, even though Aaron will be showing disrespect by not being there. So when the guy goes out of his way to show respect Jackie Robinson, just let him be. The next thing you write about Barry Bonds should be an apology.
-Mike Meade"
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Here and there
A few things:
I feel as though this blog hardly ever gets read. I know this for a few reasons. 1) the pathetic ticker down at the bottom of the page. 2) the lack of comments. 3) I still am observing copious amounts of girls wearing hideously large sunglasses that make them look like Kim Jong Il if he went to the beach and needed his glasses to be shaded. If this blog was read like scripture like I secretly wish it was, there would have been huge-sunglasses-bonfires by now. But it makes sense that no one reads this blog, because it hardly ever gets written in. That being said:
Baseball season is upon us. Thank god. Unfortunately, my Giants are sucking more than Chipper Jones does in the back of a gay bar. After every Giants loss, I get in a remarkably bad mood for a good few hours. Luckily, sense baseball season is unnecessarily long, there is ample time to turn it around. The question is, how likely is it that they will turn themselves around into a contending team? I still have a good amount of optimism, but not nearly as much as I did before the season started. On the plus side, Barry hit two more home runs yesterday, leaving him 18 shy of Hank Aaron. My former 948 Cedar (aka CTU, aka The Hatch) housemate Matt has claimed for a while that if Barry gets reasonably close, he would take a crowbar to his knees. I doubt it will happen, but just be alert, Barry. The best way to avoid it would be to hit 19 home runs tomorrow, because I doubt Matt would be able to get to Pittsburgh on that short of notice.
Other than the slow start for the Giants, life is pretty good these days. I've found myself in mostly good moods. I do have a ridiculous amount of work remaining in the final month of school, but in a month, for better or for worse, it will be over. I've got an engineering internship in San Francisco lined up for the summer, which I'm fairly excited about. It's not my dream job, but I put a lot of time into landing an internship this summer, so it's nice that my hard work paid off. What else? Me and five of my best mates here will be moving into a nice suite closer to campus next year, which should be fun. One of them is talking about building a kegerator, and if anyone is gonna follow through on something like this, its him, so I'm pretty excited about that. I think we could do about a keg a week if we share a bit.
Oh, I wanted to write about this a few weeks ago. Has anyone played polo? Like, with horses? If you think about it, that's a pretty sweet sport. Man and beast working together and all? It's like a Midi evil battle scene, except instead of impaling each other with huge swords, they try and knock a ball into a goal or some shit like that. Anyway, I had the thought, so I thought I'd share it with you all (no one). Good day.
I feel as though this blog hardly ever gets read. I know this for a few reasons. 1) the pathetic ticker down at the bottom of the page. 2) the lack of comments. 3) I still am observing copious amounts of girls wearing hideously large sunglasses that make them look like Kim Jong Il if he went to the beach and needed his glasses to be shaded. If this blog was read like scripture like I secretly wish it was, there would have been huge-sunglasses-bonfires by now. But it makes sense that no one reads this blog, because it hardly ever gets written in. That being said:
Baseball season is upon us. Thank god. Unfortunately, my Giants are sucking more than Chipper Jones does in the back of a gay bar. After every Giants loss, I get in a remarkably bad mood for a good few hours. Luckily, sense baseball season is unnecessarily long, there is ample time to turn it around. The question is, how likely is it that they will turn themselves around into a contending team? I still have a good amount of optimism, but not nearly as much as I did before the season started. On the plus side, Barry hit two more home runs yesterday, leaving him 18 shy of Hank Aaron. My former 948 Cedar (aka CTU, aka The Hatch) housemate Matt has claimed for a while that if Barry gets reasonably close, he would take a crowbar to his knees. I doubt it will happen, but just be alert, Barry. The best way to avoid it would be to hit 19 home runs tomorrow, because I doubt Matt would be able to get to Pittsburgh on that short of notice.
Other than the slow start for the Giants, life is pretty good these days. I've found myself in mostly good moods. I do have a ridiculous amount of work remaining in the final month of school, but in a month, for better or for worse, it will be over. I've got an engineering internship in San Francisco lined up for the summer, which I'm fairly excited about. It's not my dream job, but I put a lot of time into landing an internship this summer, so it's nice that my hard work paid off. What else? Me and five of my best mates here will be moving into a nice suite closer to campus next year, which should be fun. One of them is talking about building a kegerator, and if anyone is gonna follow through on something like this, its him, so I'm pretty excited about that. I think we could do about a keg a week if we share a bit.
Oh, I wanted to write about this a few weeks ago. Has anyone played polo? Like, with horses? If you think about it, that's a pretty sweet sport. Man and beast working together and all? It's like a Midi evil battle scene, except instead of impaling each other with huge swords, they try and knock a ball into a goal or some shit like that. Anyway, I had the thought, so I thought I'd share it with you all (no one). Good day.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The worst of all time? I say yes.
I had a thought the other day (and I'm pretty sure I'm right) that the current President Bush will go down as one of the worst presidents in our history, if not the worst. 50, 100, 200 years down the line, I'm pretty sure W will be mentioned in every discussion of our worst, and pretty much accepted by historians as possibly the worst president in the history of the United States. There are a lot of reasons, but obviously mostly because of the War. I mean this thing is bad news. Seems like it was pretty much his idea. He rushed us into it. There didn't really seem to be a strategy, except to announce "Mission: Accomplished." And now, as it drags on, with no improvement, he sees it fit to escalate the dam thing (to use some democratic rhetoric). All the experts and panels and committees and what not that were set up said sending 20,000 more troops over there was a bad idea. And the public was way against it. Up until recently I had known that I disagreed on pretty much every one of his policies, but I sort of just figured that in order to become president, you have to be a smart guy. Sort of just by definition. But now, its like, "man, this guy is an idiot." It's like he's completely oblivious to what's going on around him. Like a girl who is really really stupid, but gets by because she is really good looking. The fact is, even if we sent over 100,000 more troops we wouldn't win. My freshman year I saw this poster that was an illustration of a couple soldiers talking and saying something like "Yea, the War on Terror is great. Remember the War on Drugs and how there's no drugs anymore?" The War in Iraq, which is supposedly part of the War on Terror, really is a lot like the War on Drugs. The worst part is, its not like there's something out there that could be a good solution. I think what a lot of people fail to realize is there is no solution. We can pull out soon, and the "democracy" in Iraq will likely crumble, it will officially go into civil war, and become a haven for terrorists. Or, we can stay for a few more years, then pull out, and the "democracy" in Iraq will likely crumble, it will officially go into civil war, and become a haven for terrorists. It's time to cut our losses. It really is hard not to bring up comparisons to Vietnam. But I guess Bush missed that lesson. Speaking of Vietnam, though, here's what I'm worried about: Nixon took most of the heat for Vietnam. He kept us there too long. But it was really JFK and LBJ who got us started there. Bush got us started in Iraq, but will it be the democrat elected in 2008 who takes most of the heat for it down the line? Either for keeping us there too long or pulling out and watching the "democracy" in Iraq likely crumble, it officially enter a civil war, and become a haven for terrorists. I'm a bit worried it will be the democrat who gets shamed for Iraq. Not that Nixon doesn't deserve heat for Vietnam. He was a Dick (get it?). But on the other hand, I think most historians in the future will realize that this is Bush's war and nobody else's.
Now of course, it is not entirely Bush's fault. He does have an entire administration. But how can you say this guy is a good leader? Everyone says he did such a good job leading us after the 9/11 tragedy (I never thought so - "You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists"? Come on). But look at us now. Right now is where he's led us since the 9/11 tragedy.
And no one ever thinks about the Iraqis. Can you imagine if we actually had a war on our soil? That would suck. Now granted, a lot of Iraqi deaths are the result of Iraqi bombers. But what if when you walked down the street, you always had to worry about the car you are walking by blowing up? But anyway, it's safe to say that the Americans are responsible for about 30,000 civilian Iraqi deaths. That's 9/11 times 10. And that's probably the lowest number you would ever hear. Really its probably about 100,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Now that's a tragedy.
On top of all this, the war has cost 412 billion dollars. By the time it ends it will be well over a half a trillion. What if that money had gone to education, or domestic programs? Now that would make the country better. Instead, we are probably more susceptible to terrorism because of all the terrorist recruits the War has created. What's interesting is that the war is probably underfunded. How many times have we heard about troops not getting their armor and shit? I mean, its probably the case that we simply cannot go to war without spending this much money. This is just what it costs these days. The easy answer to this is to not go to war in the first place.
Beyond the War, it's not much better. There's corruption everywhere you turn. Now this Pat Tillman scandal comes up. Who knows if it's true, but it seems like at least a little shady activity was going on. Not that this was Bush's fault or idea, but ultimately, all this stuff is going on under his administration. Attorney General Gonzalez's unjust firings, catering to corporations and oil companies, Abu Grahib, pre-Iraq War intelligence, Katrina failures, Abramoff, the whole Plame/Wilson/Libby/(Cheney?) thing. The list goes on and on. I hope you're happy, people who voted for Bush. In the future, people will read about the world of 2000-2008, and in reference to Americans of this period, they will say "what the hell were they thinking?"
Now of course, it is not entirely Bush's fault. He does have an entire administration. But how can you say this guy is a good leader? Everyone says he did such a good job leading us after the 9/11 tragedy (I never thought so - "You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists"? Come on). But look at us now. Right now is where he's led us since the 9/11 tragedy.
And no one ever thinks about the Iraqis. Can you imagine if we actually had a war on our soil? That would suck. Now granted, a lot of Iraqi deaths are the result of Iraqi bombers. But what if when you walked down the street, you always had to worry about the car you are walking by blowing up? But anyway, it's safe to say that the Americans are responsible for about 30,000 civilian Iraqi deaths. That's 9/11 times 10. And that's probably the lowest number you would ever hear. Really its probably about 100,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Now that's a tragedy.
On top of all this, the war has cost 412 billion dollars. By the time it ends it will be well over a half a trillion. What if that money had gone to education, or domestic programs? Now that would make the country better. Instead, we are probably more susceptible to terrorism because of all the terrorist recruits the War has created. What's interesting is that the war is probably underfunded. How many times have we heard about troops not getting their armor and shit? I mean, its probably the case that we simply cannot go to war without spending this much money. This is just what it costs these days. The easy answer to this is to not go to war in the first place.
Beyond the War, it's not much better. There's corruption everywhere you turn. Now this Pat Tillman scandal comes up. Who knows if it's true, but it seems like at least a little shady activity was going on. Not that this was Bush's fault or idea, but ultimately, all this stuff is going on under his administration. Attorney General Gonzalez's unjust firings, catering to corporations and oil companies, Abu Grahib, pre-Iraq War intelligence, Katrina failures, Abramoff, the whole Plame/Wilson/Libby/(Cheney?) thing. The list goes on and on. I hope you're happy, people who voted for Bush. In the future, people will read about the world of 2000-2008, and in reference to Americans of this period, they will say "what the hell were they thinking?"
The mean surface temperature of the Sun is 5506°C (9944°F)
Also, with the springtime return of the Sun comes the return of maybe the most atrocious fashion trend of all time. I said it last summer, and I'll say it again: Girls, put away the obnoxiously large sunglasses. Yesterday was the first hot day we had in like 5 months probably. Not only did I have to be indoors with class, work, and homework the entire day, but during the brief times I was outside, I was distracted from the skimpy outfits by these shaded windshields that some girls actually choose to put over their faces. Case in point. I pray that this will be the summer that these girls will get a glimpse of themselves in one of their friends' pairs and finally realize how ridiculous this looks.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Comics
I
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
F that
The Facebook homepage had a video advertisement for the Army on it today. How lame is that? I mean, if there's gonna be commercials up there, couldn't they at least be funny? Rather than people trying to get you to literally go to war. From what I can tell, if there is a Hell (which I am pretty much 100% sure there is not, but in the infinitely small chance that there is), I bet it would be a lot like war. Pick one - Those ancient/middle ages ones, Revolutionary, Civil, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Iraq...being in the heat of any of those wars I imagine is as close to Hell on Earth as we can achieve.
I can't believe people even join the Army. I do not get why you would want to do that. Even in peace time. I don't imagine its a walk in the park. Sure, you can give me that talk about honor and defending your country and what not, and sacrifice--I guess that's what it comes down to. But I say leave the sacrificing to Jesus. Cuz if there were no soldiers, there couldnt really be any wars, right?
I can't believe people even join the Army. I do not get why you would want to do that. Even in peace time. I don't imagine its a walk in the park. Sure, you can give me that talk about honor and defending your country and what not, and sacrifice--I guess that's what it comes down to. But I say leave the sacrificing to Jesus. Cuz if there were no soldiers, there couldnt really be any wars, right?
Friday, February 09, 2007
PB&J
Wow. I suck at writing blogs on a regular basis. If there are any people out there who check this blog every so often and say "man, Mike doesn't write on his blog often enough," well, I'm sorry. I did notice this the other day, though:
I was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I put the jelly on first. And as I was doing this, I thought to myself, "Hmm, I'm putting the jelly on first. That's weird. I think usually I put the peanut butter on first." Now, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is one of my all time favorite foods. It's easy to make, and it tastes f-ing fantastic. No question about it. Its not a full meal, but for a snack--or if you didn't get full from your real meal--it is just perfect. Point is, I've made my fair share of PB&Js. And as I continued to think about my PB&J-making habits, I realized that I always put the PB on before the J. I bet that this sandwich I made the other day with the jelly on first was the first I made that way in like 10 years probably. Who knows. It could be the first ever for me. The question is, why? Why did I break away from this stead-fast routine of putting the peanut butter on first? I have absolutely no idea. In any case, I like my routine, and have since gone back to putting the peanut butter on first.
In case you are wondering, some of my other favorite foods include pizza and cereal (specifically Cinnamon Life, Life, Honey Bunches of Oats, Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Frosted Flakes, and Honney Nut Cheerios). There you have it. Pizza, cereal, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are some of my top foods. Sounds pretty childish, no? Well F that. They all are easy to make (or buy, in pizza's case), and taste f-ing amazing. There is absolutely no substitute for breakfast on a daily basis for a couple bowls of cereal. I already went over PB&Js. And I honestly think if I was on death row, I might choose a couple of slices of Koronet's Pizza for my last meal. Koronet Pizza is a pizza place right by where I live. It's known for the size of the slice it gives you, but it is also just really good pizza. A slice is $2.75, plus a dollar more if you want a topping. Sounds expensive, right? Wrong. This is the biggest slice of pizza ever. Slices are estimated at 90 square inches (an 8.5x11 inch piece of paper is 93.5 square inches). What's a shame is that when I first got here, I could barely finish a slice. Now, I feel as if I could put down two. This built up immunity has already affected some of my friends. But that's why if I was on death row, it would have to be two slices.
I also enjoy a good steak. I might choose that as my last meal. Quesadillas are pretty dam good too. Get some chicken or steak in there, with onions, peppers, and multiple kinds of cheese....ooo wee.
If you would care to discuss your favorite foods, favorite cereals, pizza, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I would be more than happy.
I was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I put the jelly on first. And as I was doing this, I thought to myself, "Hmm, I'm putting the jelly on first. That's weird. I think usually I put the peanut butter on first." Now, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is one of my all time favorite foods. It's easy to make, and it tastes f-ing fantastic. No question about it. Its not a full meal, but for a snack--or if you didn't get full from your real meal--it is just perfect. Point is, I've made my fair share of PB&Js. And as I continued to think about my PB&J-making habits, I realized that I always put the PB on before the J. I bet that this sandwich I made the other day with the jelly on first was the first I made that way in like 10 years probably. Who knows. It could be the first ever for me. The question is, why? Why did I break away from this stead-fast routine of putting the peanut butter on first? I have absolutely no idea. In any case, I like my routine, and have since gone back to putting the peanut butter on first.
In case you are wondering, some of my other favorite foods include pizza and cereal (specifically Cinnamon Life, Life, Honey Bunches of Oats, Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Frosted Flakes, and Honney Nut Cheerios). There you have it. Pizza, cereal, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are some of my top foods. Sounds pretty childish, no? Well F that. They all are easy to make (or buy, in pizza's case), and taste f-ing amazing. There is absolutely no substitute for breakfast on a daily basis for a couple bowls of cereal. I already went over PB&Js. And I honestly think if I was on death row, I might choose a couple of slices of Koronet's Pizza for my last meal. Koronet Pizza is a pizza place right by where I live. It's known for the size of the slice it gives you, but it is also just really good pizza. A slice is $2.75, plus a dollar more if you want a topping. Sounds expensive, right? Wrong. This is the biggest slice of pizza ever. Slices are estimated at 90 square inches (an 8.5x11 inch piece of paper is 93.5 square inches). What's a shame is that when I first got here, I could barely finish a slice. Now, I feel as if I could put down two. This built up immunity has already affected some of my friends. But that's why if I was on death row, it would have to be two slices.
I also enjoy a good steak. I might choose that as my last meal. Quesadillas are pretty dam good too. Get some chicken or steak in there, with onions, peppers, and multiple kinds of cheese....ooo wee.
If you would care to discuss your favorite foods, favorite cereals, pizza, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I would be more than happy.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
So?
Yea, I watch a little "Weeds" now and then. Curiosity got the best of me. I kept hearing over and over about how great Weeds is, so I finally tried it. And it was fun. To be honest, I can't wait to watch it again. And I know when I run out, I'll be thinking about when I get to watch Weeds again. But let's be honest, the side effects are probably exaggerated. Sure, sometimes you're just lazy, sittin on your ass watchin Weeds all day. But they say it's a gateway show. Come on. I'll believe it when I see it. They say "it starts out with Weeds and before you know it they'll be into 'Dexter' and 'The Wire.'" Actually, The Wire does sound pretty cool. But whatever. Its my life anyway. Its "Lost" that people really should be worried about. I know way more people who are like addicted to that. And I've been on that shit for like two and a half seasons, and look how I've turned out. Just dandy. Its just way easier to get a hold of--its free for Christ's sake. Now, I got the hook up, so I get my Weeds for free, but that's another story. Point is, Weeds is pretty much harmless. It's up to parents to educate their children about the benefits and drawbacks of Weeds. I'm gonna take advantage of it while I'm young. Before it can get in the way of a regular job and other responsibilities.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
WWJD?
Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...
That's right folks, the new season of "24" is upon us. Jack Bauer returns tomorrow night as part of a two night, four hour premier event. Only on Fox. I should get paid for that.
For those of you who don't know, "24" is Fox's documentary series that follows Jack Bauer in real time as he fights terrorism and saves the world. He's already done it like 5 times. Jack Bauer received an Emmy for "Best Person Ever" last year, but accepted it under the alias "Keifer Sutherland" so as to throw off the terrorists. Last season's ending and this one's beginning can be summed up nicely by one of the Jack Bauer Facts: 1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Jack Bauer. Sounds like a fair fight.
Anyway, I wonder if during 24 Bush's approval goes up at all. Or at least if peoples' attitude on certain things change. Like how much danger we are in from terrorists, and whether torturing terror suspects for information is ok. The answer 24 gives us is yes, we are in extreme danger, and yes, torturing people works and is necessary to protect us. If we have Jack Bauer.
I will probably get called a number of names, and rightfully so, for the following:
Right now I have my computer set up so that when it starts, it plays the same sound as when 24 starts - you know, that fast series of beeps that accompany the "24" title showing up? Not the "beep...beep..." of the ticking clock for when it goes to commercial breaks. I downloaded an alarm clock and set it to play the "beep...beep..." clock tick sound every hour. And, by shear luck, the clock display on this alarm clock is red and digital. Awesome.
Before this, I had my computer set up so that when it starts, it played the main title theme of LOST--short and eerie. And, I had it so that when my computer shuts down it plays that sound that is often at the end of LOST episodes--that crescendo of instruments and then that sort of explosion-type sound that accompanies the "LOST" on the screen. Maybe I'll return to these settings once LOST returns, which I cant wait for.
Also, over the last 3 or 4 days or so, I've gotten into the new NBC show, "Heroes." You can watch all of the first 11 episodes online (along with a lot of other nbc shows). The show is good. A lot of similarities to LOST in that there is a lot going on, and a lot of it is about the unknown and destiny. The characters and acting is not as good as LOST, but it works. I like this thing networks are doing with putting full episodes of their shows online. ABC does it too, and I've been able to watch "The Nine", which also is a lot about the unknown, but with characters and acting not quite as good as LOST. I've heard NBC's "30 Rock" is good, so I might get into that. And does anyone know anything about the series that is similar to 30 Rock with Chandler in it? "Studio on the Sunset Strip" or something like that? What channel and is it any good?
Anyway, as the new year trudges on you may find yourself in some difficult situations. I advise you to refer to the title of this entry and ask yourself, What Would Jack (Bauer) Do?
That's right folks, the new season of "24" is upon us. Jack Bauer returns tomorrow night as part of a two night, four hour premier event. Only on Fox. I should get paid for that.
For those of you who don't know, "24" is Fox's documentary series that follows Jack Bauer in real time as he fights terrorism and saves the world. He's already done it like 5 times. Jack Bauer received an Emmy for "Best Person Ever" last year, but accepted it under the alias "Keifer Sutherland" so as to throw off the terrorists. Last season's ending and this one's beginning can be summed up nicely by one of the Jack Bauer Facts: 1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Jack Bauer. Sounds like a fair fight.
Anyway, I wonder if during 24 Bush's approval goes up at all. Or at least if peoples' attitude on certain things change. Like how much danger we are in from terrorists, and whether torturing terror suspects for information is ok. The answer 24 gives us is yes, we are in extreme danger, and yes, torturing people works and is necessary to protect us. If we have Jack Bauer.
I will probably get called a number of names, and rightfully so, for the following:
Right now I have my computer set up so that when it starts, it plays the same sound as when 24 starts - you know, that fast series of beeps that accompany the "24" title showing up? Not the "beep...beep..." of the ticking clock for when it goes to commercial breaks. I downloaded an alarm clock and set it to play the "beep...beep..." clock tick sound every hour. And, by shear luck, the clock display on this alarm clock is red and digital. Awesome.
Before this, I had my computer set up so that when it starts, it played the main title theme of LOST--short and eerie. And, I had it so that when my computer shuts down it plays that sound that is often at the end of LOST episodes--that crescendo of instruments and then that sort of explosion-type sound that accompanies the "LOST" on the screen. Maybe I'll return to these settings once LOST returns, which I cant wait for.
Also, over the last 3 or 4 days or so, I've gotten into the new NBC show, "Heroes." You can watch all of the first 11 episodes online (along with a lot of other nbc shows). The show is good. A lot of similarities to LOST in that there is a lot going on, and a lot of it is about the unknown and destiny. The characters and acting is not as good as LOST, but it works. I like this thing networks are doing with putting full episodes of their shows online. ABC does it too, and I've been able to watch "The Nine", which also is a lot about the unknown, but with characters and acting not quite as good as LOST. I've heard NBC's "30 Rock" is good, so I might get into that. And does anyone know anything about the series that is similar to 30 Rock with Chandler in it? "Studio on the Sunset Strip" or something like that? What channel and is it any good?
Anyway, as the new year trudges on you may find yourself in some difficult situations. I advise you to refer to the title of this entry and ask yourself, What Would Jack (Bauer) Do?
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
A few thoughts for the New Year
As the new year begins, I figured I should write a new blog entry, b/c my last one was like a million years ago. I have a few thoughts on 2006 and 2007. They are not organized, gathered together, or consise. But I did not want to sit around thinking about what I wanted to write.
-Worst thing of 2006: people caring so much about celebrity gossip. There are entire magazines and even TV channels devoted to telling us who is too thin, who is too fat, and who is grocery shopping. Seriously, people should mind their own dam business.
-Best thing of 2006: tie: Giants sign Barry Zito, excitement for next season is renewed. I get an Ipod, put my entire music collection on it, and consequently own the coolest thing on the planet.
-Most anticipated things of 2007: new season of 24, continued season of LOST, getting drunk for basketball games
-Best thing that already happened in 2007: The Boise State vs. Oklahoma University bowl game. If you didn't see it, find a way to see highlights. An OU Interception return for a TD w/ like a minute to go to take the lead after coming back from like 18 points down, then a TD by Boise to tie it up with a lateral involved. Then, in OT, OU scores. and then Boise scores on a Statue of Liberty play! Then they go for 2 to win it! Amazing!!! AAAHHH!!!
-Songs that I was most into in 2006: 2pac - "Ghetto Gospel"; Shakira - "Hips Don't Lie"; Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg - "Still D.R.E."; Eminem feat. 50 Cent and Nate Dogg - "Never Enough"; Hart, The Clap, and The Toddfather - "The Bay's In The Area"; Queen - "Killer Queen"; Michael Giacchino - "Win One For The Reaper" (from LOST); The Game feat. Snoop and Xzibit - "California Vacation."
Note that a lot of this list is biased towards the 2nd half or latter parts of 2006, because that is what I remember most.
Other worst thing of 2006: War in Iraq. The US death toll has reached 3000, more than the death toll of 9/11 which supposedly started this whole "war on terror." Then there are the Iraqi deaths, somewhere between 30,000 and 500,000 - mostly civilian. That is sick. And there is no solution. We can either stay there, and continue to repeat history (Vietnam), or we can leave and let Iraq deteriorate into civil war.
Worst thing of 2007: See "Other worst thing of 2006"
-Worst thing of 2006: people caring so much about celebrity gossip. There are entire magazines and even TV channels devoted to telling us who is too thin, who is too fat, and who is grocery shopping. Seriously, people should mind their own dam business.
-Best thing of 2006: tie: Giants sign Barry Zito, excitement for next season is renewed. I get an Ipod, put my entire music collection on it, and consequently own the coolest thing on the planet.
-Most anticipated things of 2007: new season of 24, continued season of LOST, getting drunk for basketball games
-Best thing that already happened in 2007: The Boise State vs. Oklahoma University bowl game. If you didn't see it, find a way to see highlights. An OU Interception return for a TD w/ like a minute to go to take the lead after coming back from like 18 points down, then a TD by Boise to tie it up with a lateral involved. Then, in OT, OU scores. and then Boise scores on a Statue of Liberty play! Then they go for 2 to win it! Amazing!!! AAAHHH!!!
-Songs that I was most into in 2006: 2pac - "Ghetto Gospel"; Shakira - "Hips Don't Lie"; Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg - "Still D.R.E."; Eminem feat. 50 Cent and Nate Dogg - "Never Enough"; Hart, The Clap, and The Toddfather - "The Bay's In The Area"; Queen - "Killer Queen"; Michael Giacchino - "Win One For The Reaper" (from LOST); The Game feat. Snoop and Xzibit - "California Vacation."
Note that a lot of this list is biased towards the 2nd half or latter parts of 2006, because that is what I remember most.
Other worst thing of 2006: War in Iraq. The US death toll has reached 3000, more than the death toll of 9/11 which supposedly started this whole "war on terror." Then there are the Iraqi deaths, somewhere between 30,000 and 500,000 - mostly civilian. That is sick. And there is no solution. We can either stay there, and continue to repeat history (Vietnam), or we can leave and let Iraq deteriorate into civil war.
Worst thing of 2007: See "Other worst thing of 2006"
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