I was listening to the radio this morning and I heard about a recent court case that has to do with the freedom of speech and how far that carries over into the world of the internet. I took a look online and found out some more information about this story. What happened was that a model, Liskula Cohen, had her photo and information posted on the blog called "skanks in NYC". She says that the blog referring to her as a skank defamed her.
The story gets really interesting with what Cohen did next. She contacted Google, the blog host, and told them to notify the blogger so that he or she could retain counsel and object to being unmasked, which is what Cohen wanted to occur. This brings us to the question what do we do, Do we unmask the person who wrote this blog or do we let them post the way other bloggers do without their faces ever being seen? It really is an excellent question.
The internet has provided a forum up until this point in time where people can post pretty much any kind of opinions or information that they want under internet privacy rights. If this blogger is unmasked then I could see a potential negative in others following suit in suing for defamation which in turn could further clog up the court systems.
Some responsibility does have to be taken by bloggers but how much responsibility?
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
LaGuardia terminal evacuated
So I woke up this morning and started checking some of my overnight emails and I came across this news story. It has to do with a man who early this morning walked into the airport acting suspiciously and left a bag out in the open in the middle of the airport. Thankfully the bag was looked through by bomb deactivation teams once the terminal had been evacuated and it was shown that the bag contained a harmless batteries with some wires attached to add to the effect of the fake weapon.
There are a few things that I picked up from this story besides the fact that the guy who planted the bag is a nut job. It really is amazing how quickly an entire airport terminal can be evacuated in the case of an emergency. The people who are in charge of emergency control at the airport really deserve a lot of credit because it can't be easy to orderly evacuate an entire terminal full of travelers.
I know what your thinking, not the longest blog entry of mine. I just felt some credit needed to be given to those who stepped up in this potentially dangerous situation.
There are a few things that I picked up from this story besides the fact that the guy who planted the bag is a nut job. It really is amazing how quickly an entire airport terminal can be evacuated in the case of an emergency. The people who are in charge of emergency control at the airport really deserve a lot of credit because it can't be easy to orderly evacuate an entire terminal full of travelers.
I know what your thinking, not the longest blog entry of mine. I just felt some credit needed to be given to those who stepped up in this potentially dangerous situation.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor
Everything has a process to it and without question the appointment of a justice on the supreme court has a lengthy process that goes along with it. It seems like I have been hearing about her for the past several months and yet somehow she still has not been appointed as a member of the court. I am grateful there is a process and not just anyone can be a member of the court but the question I ask is; at what point does the process become too large, almost larger than the job it was put in place to hire(if that makes any sense, I will explain further)?
Everything in government seems to take so long. Before viewing this appointment process my opinion about the government taking it's time mainly had to do with the waiting period people have to go through before facing trial. The questioning in this process is warranted but at this point I am hearing the same questions phrased in different ways and it really is beginning to feel like an unnecessary process.
On to the Judge herself; Judge Sotomayor is a truly outstanding person. She seems to have faced all adversity that she has faced in stride and only fought harder to bring her to the place she is in today (only a step away from the Supreme Court). She grew up in a poor neighborhood but always tried to make the best of all opportunities given to her and anyone who has been through as much as Sonya Sotomayor has is a winner in my book and a fitting applicant for the court based on how she has answered the intense amount of questions. The sooner she is on the court, the better.
Everything in government seems to take so long. Before viewing this appointment process my opinion about the government taking it's time mainly had to do with the waiting period people have to go through before facing trial. The questioning in this process is warranted but at this point I am hearing the same questions phrased in different ways and it really is beginning to feel like an unnecessary process.
On to the Judge herself; Judge Sotomayor is a truly outstanding person. She seems to have faced all adversity that she has faced in stride and only fought harder to bring her to the place she is in today (only a step away from the Supreme Court). She grew up in a poor neighborhood but always tried to make the best of all opportunities given to her and anyone who has been through as much as Sonya Sotomayor has is a winner in my book and a fitting applicant for the court based on how she has answered the intense amount of questions. The sooner she is on the court, the better.
Monday, July 13, 2009
MLB at the All Star break: State of the Yankees
Since the MLB is at the all star break I thought it would be fun to go through the Yanks and take a look at what they need and have to look forward to in the seccond half of the season.
The Yankees first half has been a very rocky road. By that I mean that there have been huge positive events but on the other hand there have been astounding disappointments. Since there are two ways to approach this I feel that it would be fun to write a review under the glass half full and the glass half empty views of where the team is at.
Glass half full- Coming into the all star break the Yankees are hot. They faced a small bump in the road in their series against the Angels but prior to that they were playing the type of ball that the fans have expected from them. One of the biggest pluses from the first half was the fact that the bullpen is developing very nicely. Phil Hughes has turned himself into reliable set up man for Mariano Rivera. I would not go as far as to call them a Rivera - Wetland combo but it has the potential to turn into something excellent. Offensively Tex started off slow and scared some fans but it got better as the month of May came around. Tex served as a great set up man for A Rod, pitch wise, and in the line up and kept a great on base percentage
Glass Half Empty- The Yankees have issues whenever they play a team of quality. They got embarrassed by the Angels, who had players missing, on their way into the break. As pathetic as it is the fact remains that the Yankees have yet to beat the Red Sox this season. Just look at that when you are asking yourself how we are in second place, maybe it is because we started 0-9 against our rivals! Pitching wise Wang has turned from a 19 game winner into a DL visiting dud. He has lost any kind of touch that he has had in the previous 2 years and who knows if he will ever get this touch back.
I tend to lean towards the more positive way of thinking being that the Yankees were on a hot streak on the way into the Angel series and are still only a small number of games out of first place and in first place for the wild card. If they do make the playoffs then who knows what will happen, it becomes a whole new season.
The Yankees first half has been a very rocky road. By that I mean that there have been huge positive events but on the other hand there have been astounding disappointments. Since there are two ways to approach this I feel that it would be fun to write a review under the glass half full and the glass half empty views of where the team is at.
Glass half full- Coming into the all star break the Yankees are hot. They faced a small bump in the road in their series against the Angels but prior to that they were playing the type of ball that the fans have expected from them. One of the biggest pluses from the first half was the fact that the bullpen is developing very nicely. Phil Hughes has turned himself into reliable set up man for Mariano Rivera. I would not go as far as to call them a Rivera - Wetland combo but it has the potential to turn into something excellent. Offensively Tex started off slow and scared some fans but it got better as the month of May came around. Tex served as a great set up man for A Rod, pitch wise, and in the line up and kept a great on base percentage
Glass Half Empty- The Yankees have issues whenever they play a team of quality. They got embarrassed by the Angels, who had players missing, on their way into the break. As pathetic as it is the fact remains that the Yankees have yet to beat the Red Sox this season. Just look at that when you are asking yourself how we are in second place, maybe it is because we started 0-9 against our rivals! Pitching wise Wang has turned from a 19 game winner into a DL visiting dud. He has lost any kind of touch that he has had in the previous 2 years and who knows if he will ever get this touch back.
I tend to lean towards the more positive way of thinking being that the Yankees were on a hot streak on the way into the Angel series and are still only a small number of games out of first place and in first place for the wild card. If they do make the playoffs then who knows what will happen, it becomes a whole new season.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Things that make me want to root for a certain player
I was having this discussion with a friend the other day and it had to do with the characteristics of certain players that drove us as fans to root for them. It would be all to easy to say that we root for players soley based on their statistics (even though that is one of the criteria). If that were the case there would be a lot more people who would pick Barry Bonds as their favorite player. So here is my list in no particular order of things that cause me to root for certain players.
-intuitiveness- This is an important one on my list because it says a lot about how well a player understands the game. For some players you can tell it is in their nature to be in the right spot when the play comes along and for others you can sense a longer mental process of the player having to think before making the correct move. The players who have the intuition look much smother in their play because of the way they position themselves and follow through, it makes them more pleasurable to watch.
-gratitude- This one has to do with whether or not a player realizes how lucky they are to have a job playing a game that most people would give their left arm to have a shot at playing on a pro level. Does the player make known that the fans are the reason that they have their huge contracts in the first place. An example of a player who does not get this concept of gratitude would be Gary Shefield who once commented that he really doesn't care about the fan reception because they do not sign his paychecks. In reality the fans do sign the paychecks and the athletes need to be thankful for this.
-effort- this has to do with whether a player hustles out of the batters box or slowly trots to first base because they are predicting an out. I could never find myself truly rooting for a player who dogs it out of the batters box after a pop up. You never know what is going to happen and it is simple baseball logic that you run out every ball to the best of your ability. Some players are willing to play the ball on a couple of hops and toss it back into the infield and then you have others who sprint at the ball so they put themselves into a position to make a diving catch. People pay good money to see the game and effort should be shown by every player for the money that they are receiving.
-off the field activities- With the amount of money that these people make it is only natural that there be some left over that can be given to local charities. It goes beyond the money though, what kind of things do guys do after the games; speed off in their cars or sign a couple of autographs on occasion. Word gets around between the fans and we do know who signs and who does not.
Feel free to comment on this post and let me know what you look for in the people that you root for.
-intuitiveness- This is an important one on my list because it says a lot about how well a player understands the game. For some players you can tell it is in their nature to be in the right spot when the play comes along and for others you can sense a longer mental process of the player having to think before making the correct move. The players who have the intuition look much smother in their play because of the way they position themselves and follow through, it makes them more pleasurable to watch.
-gratitude- This one has to do with whether or not a player realizes how lucky they are to have a job playing a game that most people would give their left arm to have a shot at playing on a pro level. Does the player make known that the fans are the reason that they have their huge contracts in the first place. An example of a player who does not get this concept of gratitude would be Gary Shefield who once commented that he really doesn't care about the fan reception because they do not sign his paychecks. In reality the fans do sign the paychecks and the athletes need to be thankful for this.
-effort- this has to do with whether a player hustles out of the batters box or slowly trots to first base because they are predicting an out. I could never find myself truly rooting for a player who dogs it out of the batters box after a pop up. You never know what is going to happen and it is simple baseball logic that you run out every ball to the best of your ability. Some players are willing to play the ball on a couple of hops and toss it back into the infield and then you have others who sprint at the ball so they put themselves into a position to make a diving catch. People pay good money to see the game and effort should be shown by every player for the money that they are receiving.
-off the field activities- With the amount of money that these people make it is only natural that there be some left over that can be given to local charities. It goes beyond the money though, what kind of things do guys do after the games; speed off in their cars or sign a couple of autographs on occasion. Word gets around between the fans and we do know who signs and who does not.
Feel free to comment on this post and let me know what you look for in the people that you root for.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Last play of Friday night's Yankee game
For anyone who watched the entire Yankee vs. Met game Friday night you probably all know the play I am talking about. With the Yankees down by a run and two outs in the bottom of the ninth with men on first and second A Rod hits a pop up which is dropped by the Mets seccond baseman allowing two runs to score. This gave the Yankees a dramatic win. I just wanted to break this play down because it says a lot about different ways that the game of baseball is played.
It is easy to point the finger at Louis Castillo, the second baseman, for dropping the pop up partially due to the fact that he did not use two hands. That is just little league stuff, you get under the ball and use one hand to help shut your glove around the ball when the time comes. He is not the only player who needs to be analyzed during this crazy play, you can also look at the role that Texiera, the runner on first, and Arod, the batter played.
For Mark Texiera to score on this pop up is just astounding to me. He hustled on contact, meaning he took off in a full sprint the seccond that Arod made contact. This is also something that we learn in little league, when there are two outs you are supposed to run once someone hits the ball regardless of whether it looks like an out or a base hit. The number of players who actually put in this effort seems to be constantly shrinking. Players who may slow to a trot when the ball appears catchable are just all too common. Tex broke that trend by hustling the whole way through the play.
A Rod's role in this play has not been the topic of much conversation but I still do feel that it needs to be looked at. The second he made contact with the ball he angrily threw his bat and took a slow trot. Another little league mistake that way too many professional ball players make, you should always hustle out of the batters box even if at first it may look like an easy out. For the money that A Fraud is getting paid can we please see some hustle out of the batters box?
It is easy to point the finger at Louis Castillo, the second baseman, for dropping the pop up partially due to the fact that he did not use two hands. That is just little league stuff, you get under the ball and use one hand to help shut your glove around the ball when the time comes. He is not the only player who needs to be analyzed during this crazy play, you can also look at the role that Texiera, the runner on first, and Arod, the batter played.
For Mark Texiera to score on this pop up is just astounding to me. He hustled on contact, meaning he took off in a full sprint the seccond that Arod made contact. This is also something that we learn in little league, when there are two outs you are supposed to run once someone hits the ball regardless of whether it looks like an out or a base hit. The number of players who actually put in this effort seems to be constantly shrinking. Players who may slow to a trot when the ball appears catchable are just all too common. Tex broke that trend by hustling the whole way through the play.
A Rod's role in this play has not been the topic of much conversation but I still do feel that it needs to be looked at. The second he made contact with the ball he angrily threw his bat and took a slow trot. Another little league mistake that way too many professional ball players make, you should always hustle out of the batters box even if at first it may look like an easy out. For the money that A Fraud is getting paid can we please see some hustle out of the batters box?
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The start of Summer
A lot of people have a single event that they can point to that marks the 'official' beginning of their summer season. For some it is the first time they have to mow their lawn or start the planting of veggies in the back yard. For me the start of summer is marked by an event that occurs every year on the first Saturday of June. It happens out on Long Island where spectators come to watch the third leg of the triple crown, the Belmont Stakes.
The race itself is great every year as there is no telling which horse will win. Over the past six years I have seen favorites, long shots, and marginal horses win the third jewel of the triple crown. Never a triple crown winner in the past six year but hopefully that day will come sooner rather than later. I was never a huge horse racing fan until going to my first Belmont in 2004 where I saw Birdstone with a burst of late speed go on to beat Smarty Jones who was running for the crown. It didn't hurt that I won 160 bucks on that race but watching that horse take off late was just incredible.
The first Saturday in June really is more than just a day for great horse racing but instead a chance to grill burgers have some beers and spend time with friends. The relaxed feel in the parking lot is really what summer is all about to me. People just sitting back relaxing and soaking in the fun that is taking place all around them. The past couple of years have been even better experiences due to the terrific weather that has occurred on race day.
The race yesterday was another great one with the three favorites; Mine that bird, Dunkirk, and Charitable Man battling it out in the last 50 yards of the longest leg of the triple crown. These three only had their dreams broken by 11-1 shot Summer Bird who passed them all to win the 2009 Belmont Stakes. I can't say that I was too pleased to see Summer Bird pass the three favorites because I would have won a lot more money if things had stayed the way they were before that horse passed the three leaders. All was not lost though because my mom had money on Summer Bird to win it.
All in all the race was not the best part of the day, it was being around good friends and having a great time for the official start to my summer.
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