Invincible
In trying to stay with this week’s Super Bowl theme I was going to post a review of Invincible earlier today. Then I was distracted by Google’s wild and wacky behavior.
So, now I am ready.
Invincible is the real-life story of Vince Papale, an out-of-work substitute teacher who is very much down on his luck, and his unlikely chance at a spot on the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles. We received the Blu-ray as a gift when we bought our TV and I looked forward to watching it because I remember the events depicted in the film. I was an Eagles fan for a couple of years at just this time (and am still a Dick Vermeil fan because of that).
Good writing and a great cast made this movie better than most sports movies. The story was as predictable as any of these stories are (even those not real-life), but I never found myself disappointed. I was especially pleased that it told another story – that of a man I still revere, a hero to the city I detest so much. 
Did Twitter Help Solve Google’s Problems?
After posting about Google’s problem and my subsequent confusion, I realized that I didn’t give Twitter it’s proper due. I made mention of my tweet and the many other I saw (1200+ in the first hour), but I didn’t ask the bigger question.
Did Twitter have a hand it getting this problem fixed more quickly than it might have been?
Google Flags Whole Internet As Malware
I’m planning a trip to Italy. While I am there, I may fly back for the Mets home opener - seriously – so I tried to search for GMT to get the flight times straight.
Google warned me about every result. I was very annoyed by two things. One, I use a Mac so most of these warnings don’t apply (I KNOW some do), and 2) the only way to continue to the site is to copy and past the URL (or type it) and go.
Then I noticed that even the Wikipedia entry was flagged. What?
Then I decided to search to see if my websites were flagged – Yep! Even my twitter page, hmmm? So, I searched for Twitter – Yep.
What about YouTube, a Google property. Searched for youtube and sure enough the first result was www.youtube.com which was flagged.
So, I sent a tweet to ask for help. Seems that about 300 people sent tweets just minutes before.
Good news – the problem seems to be fixed.
Google Flags Whole Internet As Malware .
Athletes and Faith
The NFL is a private organization and can essentially do what it wants, but some people have suggested that it doesn’t do enough to tone down the religious overtones.
This video implies that even the officials make judgement calls based on religious intent.
It’s also clear that athletes can make public statements of faith in cases where statements of another kind would not be tolerated. The recent discussions of Tim Tebow’s eyeblack demonstrates that not everyone is happy about this.
What do you think?
Daily Links
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I'm not so tiny.
Playing for Pizza
Playing for Pizza is a departure from Grisham’s normal fare, but it’s a fun story about a washed up NFL quarterback who heads to Italy to play for a team that even Italy doesn’t care about.
Like most readers, I guess, I found the novel was missing a real story. I was enjoying the read but didn’t see what the point was. It actually reminded me for a while of my first reading of Hemingway. That was the experience then – I thought the story wandered around but I enjoyed reading about the characters. The one difference here, of course, is that Grisham’s characters in this one are not as interesting.
I happened to read this book during the NFL season when my Jets were thriving with their new washed up quarterback, so I was captivated by the similarities in the experiences of the football teams. It actually gave me grand hope for my Jets – hope that dissipated soon after, I’m sorry to report.
If you are a Grisham fan, you may be disappointed. You won’t find the normal twist of plot you’ve learned to expect. If you are looking for a quick, relatively fun read then you should pick this one up.
Daily Links
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Bailout Recipients Hosted Call To Defeat Key Labor Bill – The Huffington Post
Are the best two teams playing in the super bowl?
I’ve always preferred college football to the NFL. Teams always seemed to take chances in order to earn points in the eyes of voters. I understand that this may take away from the strategy necessary to win a game in some cases, but it gives the game a level of excitement that is not present in a more conservative gameplan.
That being said, I’ve come away from many seasons with a sense of disappointment at the way the national champion was decided. Not this season, mind you – I’m very happy my Gators pulled it off but in many other seasons, I’ve been less than excited.
I was hopeful when the BCS was instituted, and in my opinion it has done a better job of choosing a champion than the previous system. My problem with the BCS is that it seems to have ruined the bowl season. What I remember as one or two days of great football has become almost two weeks of mostly inconsequential games named after greedy corporations.
So, like many others I have been spouting off at the mouth about how college football needs a playoff of some kind. I’ve been a big proponent of a “plus one” system. When Barack Obama started talking about it, I was thrilled. Not because I want my president to worry about such trivialities, but because I was glad to hear that someone of his intelligence (and sports fan status) would agree with me.
But now I have to wonder if I am on the right side of the debate. Are we headed in the wrong direction? If we can stick to the current system I think things will be okay, but can we do that? Will a plus-one system simply lead to more controversy? If it does, will that not eventually lead to a full-blown playoff system? and is that what we want?
I’m not sure. If there were a playoff system, I think I would be disappointed. First, one of the things I like most about college football, playing for “style points,” will not be as significant a factor. Second, we may end up with a definitive yet mediocre champion. I did not think much about this until I read this piece in which the author makes a very strong argument that the playoff system in the NFL simply doesn’t work. Someone at SI raises the same issue. I’d argue that is even the case in other professional sports.
On the other hand, maybe it’s the process we enjoy anyway. Who doesn’t love the NCAA basketball tournament? One of the things I like best about March Madness is that anything can happen, yet that’s what I like least about the NFL playoffs.
I guess I really have no idea what I want now.
Daily Links
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Wow! I can't stand the sight of it.
NFL Players Player’s Talk About Barack Obama
My posts over the next week will be mostly Super Bowl related and I thought the following video would be an interesting transition from my previous posts.
What do NFL players think about our new president?
Some of them speak out in this video.
WhiteHouse.gov
By now, most people have probably seen the new White House website.
There are promising signs that this will be an administration that cares to communicate with the public in a much more open way. Most third party content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, the unreasonable restrictions in the robots.txt file have been eliminated (I’ve seen others credited with finding this first, but it looks to me like it was reported first here.), and the blog looks good so far.
Some have argued that the site doesn’t go far enough, and I’d agree in principle; but I think it is a great step in the right direction. The responsibility for the welfare of our society falls on each of us. We must have a government that wants to keep the us informed as well as hear and understand our needs and opinions.
Check out the new site.
Daily Links
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Tell it like it is, Joe.
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No, not seriously. This must be a joke. Please tell me this is not happening.
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If it helps the cause of science, I think Galileo himself would have agreed to this.
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Beam me up, Scotty. I know, I know – no one ever said that on Star Trek! Simmer down.
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What a shame that something as fantastic as the calculus was essentially lost for 1900+ years.
Rhetoric & Rhythm
I’d have to say I agree that something is amiss here. I enjoy the non-mass-appeal movies myself, but there was a time when there were more mainstream movies represented. I think this started about the time of American Beauty. Since then movies have not only been of the more independent variety, many of them have dealt with topics that certainly don’t have mainstream appeal.
I tend to like movies like that but I think it is odd things have changed so much.
The 2009 Oscars
Every year I make a list of Oscar nominated films and then do my best to see enough of them so that I have an opinion on as many of the categories as possible.
This year’s list is an interesting one. I’ve only seen nine of the fifty which is a lower number than usual, there are only eleven that were already on my list of films to see which is also low, and frankly, of the remaining thirty I only would normally care to see about half of them. This is the first year I can remember being this indifferent to the films nominated.
I care most about the acting and writing categories so I like to see most of those movies. I am not very much interested in The Reader or The Wrestler, but I will probably see them if they win awards. My main priority this year will be to see all of Meryl Streep’s competition for best actress. I think she was simply fantastic in Doubt – one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. After that, I think I want to see the five actors whom the academy deem more deserving of the best actor award than Clint Eastwood. I’ve seen Gran Torino twice and I find it hard to believe he did not give one of the five best performances of the year.
What I’ve Seen
Changeling
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Encounters at the End of the World
Iron Man
Kung Fu Panda
Presto
This Way Up
Wall-E
On My List Before Nominations
Bolt
The Class
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Man On Wire
Rachel Getting Married
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
The Visitor
Waltz with Bashir
Wanted
Added To My List After Nominations
Australia
The Betrayal
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Duchess
The Final Inch
Frozen River – writing, actress
The Garden
Happy-Go-Lucky – writing
In Bruges – writing
Milk
Simple Pinki
Trouble the Water
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306
Movies I Will See If They Win Awards
The Reader
The Wrestler
Roe v. Wade
Two days ago marked the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. I think it’s safe to say that no other Supreme Court ruling has spurred so many into active protest and support. Millions of people call themselves pro-choice and millions call themselves pro-life. Thousands march ever year in Washington in what they call the March for Life and thousands more march and act in support or protest of this ruling.
With the election of our new President, this ruling is again at the forefront of the minds of many. Barack Obama co-sponsored the Freedom of Choice Act and stated that he would sign it as his first act as President, which has millions of people furious and frustrated. I’ve read summaries of FOCA written by supporters and detractors, but I have not read the bill myself yet. As such, I cannot say that I support it. It seems to raise issues regarding states rights which complicate the matter in my mind. I will have to save that discussion for another day.
But on the matter of a woman’s right to choose, I’ve made up my mind. I can’t pretend that this issue doesn’t leave me conflicted, but I believe in freedom. I think abortion is a terrible thing and I’d like to see fewer abortions this year than there were last, but I have never believed it is an issue for government to decide. Those who march against the right to choose, like to talk about the “slippery slope.” I don’t see any other way to look at anti-abortion laws as dangerously slippery. Reproductive rights should be protected at all costs. Any government big enough to tell you that you cannot have an abortion is big enough to tell you that you must!
I know many would argue that the this right infringes on the rights of the unborn. I understand this argument, but I think this is similar to other judgement calls that need to be made in a free society. Stripping a woman’s right to choose places her freedom in the hands of government as well as others with a stake in the matter – parents, extended family, etc. This must be placed in balance against the rights of the unborn child. This is one of those issues that is a no-win situation. In many cases, a young woman is in grave danger when it becomes public that she is pregnant.
I don’t have the time to spell out all of my thoughts on this controversial and complicated subject. This is a heated debate and I don’t want to inflame the emotions of those with whom I disagree. Along with my thoughts on FOCA, I will have to make time to write at length about this issue, but on this day close to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade I wanted to make two of my opinions clear.
One, I am pro-choice. I strongly support the right of a woman to decide what happens in the matter of her own pregnancy.
Two, I am pro-life. I strongly believe that abortion is always a bad decision. I would argue that even in the case of rape, incest, and the life of the mother – abortion is not a good solution. It is a terrible thing.
So, how do I reconcile these disparate views? I remind myself that this discussion takes place on two levels – personal and societal. On a personal level, I believe abortion is wrong. I don’t want to see any woman have an abortion. I’d like to say that I have enough respect for others to allow them to make this choice without judgement from me, but on the issue I strongly disagree. On a societal level, the issue is different. It is not whether abortion is a bad thing, it is whether any society has the right to force a life-changing choice on an individual.
Daily Links
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Perhaps Johnson's ardor for Favre is as much economic as football-related. The Jets have some personal seat licenses (PSLs) to move, and it's a much easier sell when the starting quarterback is a first-ballot Hall of Famer instead of some dude named Kellen.
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I'm not a big fan of the NBA anymore, but Zo was one of my favorites. I was sad to see him leave my Nets and sad to see him leave the game. Stay healthy Zo.
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Accessories include: Night vision cameras, pump-action shotguns, tear gas cannons. Comes with bottles of blood compatible with the President's blood.
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The US Bird Avoidance Model? I find this all very hard to believe.
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We can say with some certainty that USA 202 is an advanced spy satellite of some description.
House Roll Call 1-22-2009
Commending the University of Florida Gators for winning the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.
NO votes from AR, AZ, GA, PA, and TX
via Final Vote Results for Roll Call 29.
The Corporatocracy
When I first picked up Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,I found myself having a hard time believing the story being told. It certainly read much more like a work of fiction. It is a story of the American Empire and the quest to protect U.S. interests at all costs – even in the face of dire consequences for much poorer nations.
A point the author tries to make – and I think many readers miss – is that there is not some sinister, back-room conspiracy at work in all of this. America is run by what the author calls the “corporatocracy” (a government dominated by corporate influence, banks, and governments). He writes:
corporations, banks, and governments (collectively the corporatocracy)
It is an eye opening read. While I do believe some of the author’s tales seem contrived and hard to believe, I have no reason to doubt the legitimacy of his overall claim. There have been many other books written about this subject and I think many people assume that the U.S. government does not always have the interests of the weak in mind. Very few doubt that any government should look out for its own interests, but it is not necessary to prey on the weak in order to make the strong stronger.
This book also reminded me that most of us operate following a misconception that human progress can be measured in strictly economic terms. We speak of poorer countries as being “underdeveloped” as if they are somehow inferior in every way because they do not produce as much as we. It seems to always be about production – for the sole purpose of more consumption. Perhaps we should look at the world through a different lens.
If you’d like an intriguing, fast-paced read that makes you question your old assumptions, you should pick up this book. If you need a “just the facts” approach, you may want to look for another.
Daily Links
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Don't worry, the White House says: Obama has still been president since noon on Inauguration Day.
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Sources close to the situation tell me that the Pens have been scouting Anderson since he was five.
GM Ray Shero, pictured, finally decided to make a move and sign him due to increased pressure from other teams — namely the Flyers and Capitals.
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Political Punch: Torture, Gitmo, and the Treatment of Detainees: President Obama's Three Executive Orders for Thursday
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A new picture every minute.
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you will not soon see a German chancellor of Turkish descent. Nor will a child of North African immigrants soon take the reins of power in France. It will be a long time before a Pakistani or Indian last name appears on the mailbox at 10 Downing St. And yet these countries bubble over with haughty finger-waggers eager to lecture backward and provincial America about race and tolerance. Why not enjoy rubbing Barack Obama in their faces?
Obama’s First 100 Days
Since FDR, it is common for Americans to judge a president’s effectiveness based on his productivity over the first one-hundred days of his presidency. It’s interesting to note that the “100 days” of FDR were actually not the first one-hundred days of his presidency but the first one-hundred day session of Congress. Congress was convened on March 9, 1933 – five days after the inauguration, and they adjourned on June 16, 1933 – 100 days later. This period of time was the most productive in American legislative history.
I think most Americans understand that it is unfair to judge a President based on what he can accomplish in less than 7% of his term – and at the beginning of it – yet we all still seem fascinated by this arbitrary measure of productivity. There are websites where one can see the progress other presidents made and others that will track President Obama’s progress (here and here) and still others with lots of advice for our new President.
Businessweek has advice on how to be productive in the first one-hundred days and the Washington Post warns that Obama should not make the same mistakes Clinton made.
As official Washington turns its attention from the transition to Obama’s plans for the first 100 days, Clinton’s difficult experience in his own first 100 days can again serve as a cautionary tale for Obama.
Clinton sought to move on a number of major policy fronts — an economic stimulus package, an overhaul of the health care system led by Hillary Clinton — that were eventually abandoned, and was buffeted by unforeseen controversies (gays in the military/”don’t ask, don’t tell”) and unpredictable events (the Branch Davidian stand-off in Waco, Texas).
“I think there was a great deal of exuberance by the president in terms of what he’d be able to accomplish immediately, and, no, he couldn’t match it all,” said Democratic pollster Peter Hart of Bill Clinton in the spring of 1993.
Obama’s First 100
So, what should Barack Obama do in his first one-hundred days?
Scientific American says
Energy security is the greatest challenge and the greatest opportunity of our time. But lack of action has put the U.S. at risk. America needs a bold plan that ignites our collective imagination, sparks innovation, and creates economic and national security. The starting point? A call to action from our new president in the first 100 days of his administration.
Obama’s First 100 Days
and it is clear that many others care about peace and the environment.
I think most people believe that the biggest challenge we face at this point is the economy. Commenters on the WP piece seem to agree that the economy is most pressing (followed by Isreal, and energy). Gerald F. Seib, Executive Washington Editor at the Wall Street Journal says that the top five items on the to-do list are economy, economy, economy, economy, and economy. This guy says the top issue is the economy (followed by Guantanamo, the Middle East, energy, and healthcare) and one of his commenters points out the following:
Barring any event of the magnitude of 9/11 or something approaching it, the bread and butter issue of American politics is, as it’s always been, the price of bread and butter.
link
and others agree
Though presidential historians say it’s an arbitrary Рand in some ways unfair Рmeasurement, they say Obama’s early actions will set the tone for his administration and establish his priorities and leadership style.
“It’s an unreasonable expectation that we put on all our presidents, just because it worked that way in 1933 for FDR. They shouldn’t be held to that” said Stephen Hess, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who worked for several presidents.
Obama’s advisers and outside observers say it is clear that fixing the economy and creating jobs will dominate his agenda in the early days, just as it did Roosevelt’s.
Shades of FDR
Alan Murray, Deputy Managing Editor at the Wall Street Journal, says that even though President Obama faces “a significant number of foreign policy problems” (Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Middle East) of which any one could hijack the President’s agenda, the economy is the biggest issue “bar none” and that the stimulus plan he pushes through Congress will “probably be the defining product of his presidency.” In a video preview of the next one-hundred days, he says that Obama will be considered successful if he can recover the economy and tackle just one more of the important issues on his agenda. Another commentator in the same video reminds us, though, that every day spent on the “short term agenda” is a day not spent on healthcare, climate change, or taxes.
President Obama’s campaign website has a list of issues that also puts the economy at the top, though the list is actually in alphabetical order.
The President himself had this to say:
“The first hundred days is going to be important, but it‚Äôs probably going to be more like the first thousand days that makes a difference” he told a Colorado radio station in an interview shortly before Election Day. “Most of the big challenges that we face, whether it’s making college more affordable, or fixing our health care system so it works for everybody, or making sure that we’ve got a serious energy strategy, or winding down the war in Iraq, all those things are probably going to take longer than three months to complete.”
Shades of FDR
Actually, I am not sure I’d agree that the economy should be the point of focus over the next one-hundred days. I must admit that I feel a certain sense of unease at the present state of our economy but I am in a different position than most – I have very little debt and 80% of my income comes from recession resistant sources. I’d like to think that my opinion would be the same even if that were not the case. Our economy has thrived for years on over-consumption and that has led us to this point. In order to solve our environmental problems and improve our stature in the world, we need to cut back on our consumption. I think a sluggish economy is a necessary evil and I am not sure we need to jump in and save it.
That being said, I believe that something must be done to help those who desperately need to survive during these hard economic times. My biggest concern, and the number one reason I voted for President Obama, is social injustice in the world. There are many in our own country who cannot afford to put food on the table and that ought not to be so in a place like this.
So, I guess in a sense it all comes back to economic concerns again.
What do you think?
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About This Site
This website is simply a place for me to express my opinions. I post my thoughts on faith, family, freedom, and fun. -
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