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.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Why I admire Vince McMahon
Though I wouldn't mind the disposable income there are other things that I really respect about Vince McMahon. This man created an empire known as the WWE. The WWE is so huge and has such a large following built up over the years and I give 100% credit for this to Vince and his actions as owner of the league. Some owners and creators of leagues are just greedy and rely on people around them to get things done but not Vince. He has such a level of creative thinking that you really never know what is going to come next.
The latest news with Vince came where he had reserved an arena in Denver for a Monday night show but was told he could not have the arena due to a Denver Nugget playoff game that would take place even though he had a contract to use the arena for that night. At this point Vince was faced with a choice; he could mope away and act disappointed that he had to move his event or he could make a show out of it.
Vince took the later root in taking shots at the owner of the Pepsi center, E. Stan Kronke. He held an interview on ESPN where he stated that Kronke should be arrested for interpreting a good business man. To add insult to injury Vince moved his event to the home of the LA Lakers who are playing the Denver Nuggets. Was Vince done? No. He hired an actor to play Mr. Kronke and come out to the ring to open up the Monday night show. He made fun of Kronke having an initial as a first name and not having faith in his NBA team to do well in the playoffs. He then stated that when you push the WWE fans around the WWE pushes back as he proceeded to push Kronke out of the ring.
Vince took what could have been a let down to his organization and turned it into a chance to gain press attention and turn it against the Nugget ownership. I admire anyone who can be so creative and turn a possible negative situation into such a positive.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Walk off Weekend for the Yankees
This past weekend the Twins came into Yankee stadium and it was one of the most entertaining weekend series that I can remember in a long time. It wasn't the fact that the Yankees managed to win three games in a row but it was in the style that they did so. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were all classic games. To make this series even more memorable for me I was able to make the Friday night and Sunday afternoon games.
Friday was a game where the Yankees looked somewhat flat and they didn't appear to have much of a chance to win through the first five or six innings. The player who had the most to do with the Yankees winning this game would be Brett Gardner. In the seventh the Yankees were down 4-1 where a hit by Brett took a funny bounce which he took advantage of to produce a no doubt about it- inside the park home run. Gardner is so fast that he really did not have to slide into home plate as he could have made it in standing with time to spare. In the ninth inning Gardner led off the game with a triple, giving the Yankees the spark they needed to start up the three run ninth inning needed to win the game. Melky Cabrera won the game with a walk off single.
Sundays game was a game where you had the feeling throughout that it was going to come down to one big hit, which it did. Pitching was key for both teams as AJ Burnett and Kevin Slowey worked their way out of jams up until the seventh inning where both pitchers gave up two runs. After the seventh inning there were several blown opportunities by both teams where the Yankees and Twins both left several runners in scoring position. The game ended in the bottom of the tenth with a walk off home run from Johnny Damon.
I can not remember the last time there were three consecutive walk off wins for the Yankees. In a season where I am somewhat down on the team in the way they were put together in a poor fashion and the organization forgot about their true fans the events of this weekend helped to peek my interest in them once again. How can you not be intrigued when there are walk offs left and right?
Friday was a game where the Yankees looked somewhat flat and they didn't appear to have much of a chance to win through the first five or six innings. The player who had the most to do with the Yankees winning this game would be Brett Gardner. In the seventh the Yankees were down 4-1 where a hit by Brett took a funny bounce which he took advantage of to produce a no doubt about it- inside the park home run. Gardner is so fast that he really did not have to slide into home plate as he could have made it in standing with time to spare. In the ninth inning Gardner led off the game with a triple, giving the Yankees the spark they needed to start up the three run ninth inning needed to win the game. Melky Cabrera won the game with a walk off single.
Sundays game was a game where you had the feeling throughout that it was going to come down to one big hit, which it did. Pitching was key for both teams as AJ Burnett and Kevin Slowey worked their way out of jams up until the seventh inning where both pitchers gave up two runs. After the seventh inning there were several blown opportunities by both teams where the Yankees and Twins both left several runners in scoring position. The game ended in the bottom of the tenth with a walk off home run from Johnny Damon.
I can not remember the last time there were three consecutive walk off wins for the Yankees. In a season where I am somewhat down on the team in the way they were put together in a poor fashion and the organization forgot about their true fans the events of this weekend helped to peek my interest in them once again. How can you not be intrigued when there are walk offs left and right?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Craigslist says it will drop 'erotic services' ads
While looking through some news articles today I came across the fact that craigslist will soon be dropping its erotic services ad section of the web page. There has been pressure to do this due to the recent violent acts that have taken place over the past few weeks where individuals have met on the adult section of craigslist and led to violent crimes being committed. I can totally see why craigslist is making this move due to the increased pressure from individuals but the question I ask is, do you really think that this move by craigslist will do enough to curve to problem of people meeting online and violent acts taking place?
My answer to that question is an obvious no. What this move by craigslist will do is make it more difficult for people to find a free area to meet others. In this age of the quickly changing internet I am sure there will be some creep more than happy to fill the hole that craigslist used to fill in adding an erotic services section to their web page.
The answer to this growing problem is that people need to better understand the dangers of the internet and use it in a safe way. If you have any questions about what is safe internet usage, a page like this is a good place to start in your search for more information. The fact that craigslist is taking down this section is not an answer to the problem we are having, it is a start but as long as we don't see this as a final solution but as a start towards a solution we are on the right track.
My answer to that question is an obvious no. What this move by craigslist will do is make it more difficult for people to find a free area to meet others. In this age of the quickly changing internet I am sure there will be some creep more than happy to fill the hole that craigslist used to fill in adding an erotic services section to their web page.
The answer to this growing problem is that people need to better understand the dangers of the internet and use it in a safe way. If you have any questions about what is safe internet usage, a page like this is a good place to start in your search for more information. The fact that craigslist is taking down this section is not an answer to the problem we are having, it is a start but as long as we don't see this as a final solution but as a start towards a solution we are on the right track.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Ohio Christian school tells student to skip prom
While looking at the news this morning there was one story that caught my attention. The story is about a 17 year old boy who was told by his Christian school that he would receive incomplete grades on the remainder of his assignments and not be allowed to walk during graduation. Before the start of the school year the student did sign a form that set certain rules in place for the upcoming year but how much should that apply to a student's out of class activities?
This school in Ohio sees rock music as "part of the counterculture which seeks to implant seeds of rebellion in young people's hearts and minds." You can see by this example that even though this school is a private institution that has a right to make their own rules, they take it to a new extreme level. From someone who went to a private high school I can understand them having tougher rules against drugs and alcohol but having rules against certain kids of music, hand holding, and kissing is just another story.
I really don't feel that raising kids in such a sheltered environment is the best way to go about it. Eventually, whether the parents like it or not, the kids will be exposed to the real world and certain things that you may be trying to hide them from. If you gradually let your kids experience certain aspects of life they will be a lot less shocked when they one day have to live in the real world.
This student has even expressed the fact that he understands the dangers of alcohol and sex on prom night but that did not seem to be enough to appease the principal and members of the school board. Proms are part of the normal high school lives for a great number of high school students and there is no reason to think that this student should not be allowed to go to a prom, even if he does go to a school with some harsher rules.
This school in Ohio sees rock music as "part of the counterculture which seeks to implant seeds of rebellion in young people's hearts and minds." You can see by this example that even though this school is a private institution that has a right to make their own rules, they take it to a new extreme level. From someone who went to a private high school I can understand them having tougher rules against drugs and alcohol but having rules against certain kids of music, hand holding, and kissing is just another story.
I really don't feel that raising kids in such a sheltered environment is the best way to go about it. Eventually, whether the parents like it or not, the kids will be exposed to the real world and certain things that you may be trying to hide them from. If you gradually let your kids experience certain aspects of life they will be a lot less shocked when they one day have to live in the real world.
This student has even expressed the fact that he understands the dangers of alcohol and sex on prom night but that did not seem to be enough to appease the principal and members of the school board. Proms are part of the normal high school lives for a great number of high school students and there is no reason to think that this student should not be allowed to go to a prom, even if he does go to a school with some harsher rules.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Baseball Fans in the tough economy
One of my favorite topics to read about has anything to do with baseball and how it relates to the business world. The article that I saw in today's Wall Street Journal has to do with exactly this and how some fans are taking advantage of tough economic times. The gist of the article is the fact that some teams are doing more to make the experience more enjoyable for the season ticket holders, something that I feel is long overdue.
Just think about it for a minute, how devoted do you have to be to buy all 61 home games on your favorite team's schedule? The answer to that is that you have to be a huge fan who if you ask me may deserve a little extra based on your devotion to the home team. Some of the benefits that teams may offer are earlier entrance times into the ball park so that the season ticket holders can have a chance to take in some extra batting practice. Another common benefit being offered to the season ticket holders are meet and greet sessions with the players.
Times are tough right now and it is about time for some of these organizations to realize that the business they are still getting is coming from some of the most loyal fans in the world, the season ticket holders.
Just think about it for a minute, how devoted do you have to be to buy all 61 home games on your favorite team's schedule? The answer to that is that you have to be a huge fan who if you ask me may deserve a little extra based on your devotion to the home team. Some of the benefits that teams may offer are earlier entrance times into the ball park so that the season ticket holders can have a chance to take in some extra batting practice. Another common benefit being offered to the season ticket holders are meet and greet sessions with the players.
Times are tough right now and it is about time for some of these organizations to realize that the business they are still getting is coming from some of the most loyal fans in the world, the season ticket holders.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Taking Issue with the Yankees
This past weekend the Yankees played a three game set against the Red Sox and were throughly embarrassed. After losing three consecutive games up in Boston the Yankees record dropped to .500 with a 9-9 record. Boston on the other hand have won ten straight games. The Yankees flaws are not simple as they involve many aspects of the way they are playing and can not be remedied with simple trades and call ups. I am afraid to say it but what the Yankees need is a shakeup to the core of the franchise.
Let's start with the game this past Friday night. Mariano Rivera was on the mound with a 4-2 lead and gave up a ninth inning bomb to Jason Bay which tied the game. The game ended in extra innings where Youk hit a walk off home run to beat the Yanks. I am not saying that I don't want Rivera closing for the Yankees but what I am getting at is the fact that they need to start preparing for the post-Rivera era. Rivera used to be a starting pitcher for the Yankees but when they got smart enough to put him in the bullpen they had him as a setup man for John Wetland. What the Yankees need to do is to put Jaba back into a setup man role so that they have the crucial closer position taken care of when Mariano does leave.
Saturday the Yankees had the offense to win the game but the pitching did not follow suit. The Yankees had a 6-0 lead only to see AJ Burnett blow the lead when he gave up eight runs over the next two innings. With the kind of contract the Yanks gave AJ this kind of performance against Boston when the team had a demoralizing loss the night before is just not acceptable. You get paid that big money for a reason and that reason is so that you will be 'the stopper'. The stopper is the guy who when given the ball when it is his turn to pitch is prepared to bring a team out of whatever kind of slump they may be going through at the time.
Sunday was a tougher loss because there was no single person who can be held responsible for their sub par performance. One thing I will point at from Sunday is the fact that the Yankees gave up three runs in the fifth inning. This is okay with me as long as they have some fight and come out hot the following inning to attempt to switch the momentum. The top of the sixth for the Yankees was a flat inning with nothing spectacular, letting Boston keep the momentum and ultimately the ball game.
I will always be a Yankee fan but I will admit that I find it harder and harder to put my full devotion into this ball club. The fact that they may not be winning has nothing to do with it, it has to do with the way the team has been formed and the way they are treating the true fans. I said this before the season starting and I will say it again, paying the best players available huge sums of money is not the way you put together a winning ball club. You need role players and I can count the number of role players that the Yankees have playing for them on one hand. Jeter has and will always be a role player, Posada knows how to call a ball game and is a role player, a role player who doesn't get enough attention is Nick Swisher, a relaxed guy who has a genuine love for the game and brings everything he has on a day in day out basis.
The Yankees have a new stadium and the message that I keep hearing is that it provides a great experience for the fans. Is that the reasons why the Yankees priced out their premium seats so that they remain empty for many games? Fenway to me is a fan friendly stadium. Their prices are expensive but they still manage to sell out every game. The atmosphere is intense there with people watching the game and having a genuine love for their team. The Yankee stadium crowd does not have tis same feel because of tourists and corporate ticket holders who do not have a great level of baseball knowledge.
Why should I give my undying devotion to the Yankees? All they have done for me lately is overprice their seats to keep me out of games and form their team in a fundamentally flawed fashion. Will I still watch the Yanks on TV and follow them over the course of the summer? Yes, but it has changed from what it used to be.
Let's start with the game this past Friday night. Mariano Rivera was on the mound with a 4-2 lead and gave up a ninth inning bomb to Jason Bay which tied the game. The game ended in extra innings where Youk hit a walk off home run to beat the Yanks. I am not saying that I don't want Rivera closing for the Yankees but what I am getting at is the fact that they need to start preparing for the post-Rivera era. Rivera used to be a starting pitcher for the Yankees but when they got smart enough to put him in the bullpen they had him as a setup man for John Wetland. What the Yankees need to do is to put Jaba back into a setup man role so that they have the crucial closer position taken care of when Mariano does leave.
Saturday the Yankees had the offense to win the game but the pitching did not follow suit. The Yankees had a 6-0 lead only to see AJ Burnett blow the lead when he gave up eight runs over the next two innings. With the kind of contract the Yanks gave AJ this kind of performance against Boston when the team had a demoralizing loss the night before is just not acceptable. You get paid that big money for a reason and that reason is so that you will be 'the stopper'. The stopper is the guy who when given the ball when it is his turn to pitch is prepared to bring a team out of whatever kind of slump they may be going through at the time.
Sunday was a tougher loss because there was no single person who can be held responsible for their sub par performance. One thing I will point at from Sunday is the fact that the Yankees gave up three runs in the fifth inning. This is okay with me as long as they have some fight and come out hot the following inning to attempt to switch the momentum. The top of the sixth for the Yankees was a flat inning with nothing spectacular, letting Boston keep the momentum and ultimately the ball game.
I will always be a Yankee fan but I will admit that I find it harder and harder to put my full devotion into this ball club. The fact that they may not be winning has nothing to do with it, it has to do with the way the team has been formed and the way they are treating the true fans. I said this before the season starting and I will say it again, paying the best players available huge sums of money is not the way you put together a winning ball club. You need role players and I can count the number of role players that the Yankees have playing for them on one hand. Jeter has and will always be a role player, Posada knows how to call a ball game and is a role player, a role player who doesn't get enough attention is Nick Swisher, a relaxed guy who has a genuine love for the game and brings everything he has on a day in day out basis.
The Yankees have a new stadium and the message that I keep hearing is that it provides a great experience for the fans. Is that the reasons why the Yankees priced out their premium seats so that they remain empty for many games? Fenway to me is a fan friendly stadium. Their prices are expensive but they still manage to sell out every game. The atmosphere is intense there with people watching the game and having a genuine love for their team. The Yankee stadium crowd does not have tis same feel because of tourists and corporate ticket holders who do not have a great level of baseball knowledge.
Why should I give my undying devotion to the Yankees? All they have done for me lately is overprice their seats to keep me out of games and form their team in a fundamentally flawed fashion. Will I still watch the Yanks on TV and follow them over the course of the summer? Yes, but it has changed from what it used to be.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Body Language speaks volumes
This is a topic that I have addressed before and am going to address again. Like it or not people are judged and assumptions are drawn based on the way they appear in public. The last time I talked to people about this issue was during the Vick trial where he appeared lackadaisical and care free during his trial for charges of dog fighting. If a person enters a trial in this manner then I feel the result of the trial should be affected accordingly. This theory also works in the reverse fashion like when a person shows remorse and a willingness to change during a trial, they should be judged a bit more leniently.
The body language I want to take a look at is the body language of the 18 year old Somalian pirate who is going to be tried for holding a cargo ship hostage and shooting at the captain of the ship. The photo is of the young pirate being led to a federal building in New York. The federal agents that are leading him look very serious about their responsibilities and understanding of the fact that they have an important job to perform. The pirate seems to have a grin on his face. This makes me question wether of not this young man understands how bad a crime he is being tried for. I don't think he understands because he has been raised in a pirate culture where these type of actions are common practice that should not be punished.
I was talking to someone about the pirate the other day and he made the point that he feels somewhat bad for the pirate because he was raised so poorly. I can understand this logic because he did not have the opportunity to be raised properly.
Another theory is that this pirate is smiling to show his bravery and the fact that he will not be scared by the federal agent's tactics. I can understand this but I still feel that this simple display of body language shows a lack of understanding for the severity of his actions. This lack of understanding makes some sense because again the way he was raised has not taught him that his actions are wrong.
Monday, April 20, 2009
It's about corporate reponsibility
A friend of mine sent me copy of this article today. It has to do with pharmaceutical companies that dumped 271 million pounds of drugs into waterways that often led to water that the public eventually consumed. In a time like this where there is more and more emphasis placed on the responsibilities that companies owe the public these corporations need to be held accountable.
Another part of this story that frustrates me is the fact that federal officials do not know the extent of the contamination because they have no program in place that tracks this type of activity. For all we know this process could have been going on for even longer than the public realizes.
News stories today talk about financially irresponsible decisions being made by companies but I feel it is just as important to expose other types of irresponsible actions that companies take. Once consumers are given the information that certain companies are not being responsible they can alter their purchasing decisions as a result of what they have learned. This penalizes the companies for being irresponsible because they are losing potential profit from people who previously may have bough what they had to offer.
Now I am a person who can have a cynical view of some people of society especially when I see a story like this one where there is a fairly blatant case of people just not caring. It would not shock me if there were people receiving kickbacks from the drug companies that allow them to fly under the radar with their current practices.
Another part of this story that frustrates me is the fact that federal officials do not know the extent of the contamination because they have no program in place that tracks this type of activity. For all we know this process could have been going on for even longer than the public realizes.
News stories today talk about financially irresponsible decisions being made by companies but I feel it is just as important to expose other types of irresponsible actions that companies take. Once consumers are given the information that certain companies are not being responsible they can alter their purchasing decisions as a result of what they have learned. This penalizes the companies for being irresponsible because they are losing potential profit from people who previously may have bough what they had to offer.
Now I am a person who can have a cynical view of some people of society especially when I see a story like this one where there is a fairly blatant case of people just not caring. It would not shock me if there were people receiving kickbacks from the drug companies that allow them to fly under the radar with their current practices.
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Problem with Tea Parties
As many people know we just celebrated Patriots Day. Some people took this opportunity to stage 'tea party protests'. Originally the tea party was to protest taxation without representation that was taking place during that time of British rule. When people are staging reenactments of the tea party in the year 2009 with the point to show that they still are not being represented I have a problem with it.
At this point in time we vote for our president. That means that the population is being represented by the elected officials who enter political seats. These tea parties that are taking place are not as much anger over people not being represented but instead opportunities for people to score points against the Obama tax plans. Let's take a closer look into that, what type of people are protesting Obama's plans?
The people protesting are the people who make over a quarter million dollars a year. They are the people who stayed quiet during the eight years of the Bush administration where there incomes were more protected and now are claiming that they are not being represented. Just because you may not be pleased with the system that is in place this does not translate into you being under-represented.
The use of a tea party to express your anger with the current system does not make sense. If you want to hold a protest expressing that you are being over taxed that is your right. Holding a protest that expresses the fact that you are not being represented does not make sense because the system we live in, like it or not, is an accurate representation of the choices that the majority of voters make.
At this point in time we vote for our president. That means that the population is being represented by the elected officials who enter political seats. These tea parties that are taking place are not as much anger over people not being represented but instead opportunities for people to score points against the Obama tax plans. Let's take a closer look into that, what type of people are protesting Obama's plans?
The people protesting are the people who make over a quarter million dollars a year. They are the people who stayed quiet during the eight years of the Bush administration where there incomes were more protected and now are claiming that they are not being represented. Just because you may not be pleased with the system that is in place this does not translate into you being under-represented.
The use of a tea party to express your anger with the current system does not make sense. If you want to hold a protest expressing that you are being over taxed that is your right. Holding a protest that expresses the fact that you are not being represented does not make sense because the system we live in, like it or not, is an accurate representation of the choices that the majority of voters make.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
It all starts tonight
I have been waiting on edge since Sunday for the playoffs to begin and tonight is the night. As much as I love all of the playoff hockey match ups there is really only one that I have much emotion caught up in at this point in time. Everyone who knows me knows that the series I will be watching is the Rangers vs. Caps series. After following a team for an 82 game season it is exilerating to say the least seeing them enter a best of seven series to determine if they will go on in their quest for the cup.
I see the key to this series being the play of Mark Stall. In the previous match ups against the Capitals it has been Stall who has had the job of containing the explosive Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin is one of the best players in the league and Stall has played the role of agitator against Alex in the previous meetings. Stall has not let Ovechkin get many good angle shots and if the Rangers have any shot at winning this series this trend needs to continue.
One thing that the Rangers can't do is hope to contain Ovechkin and then forget about the rest of the Washington Capital team. They have the best offensive defense man in the league in Mike Green who can not be left alone at the point during a power play. The shots that he takes from the points are rockets that often catch screened goaltenders off guard. Semin is just as dangerous as Green and when left open has no problem taking an Ovechkin pass and turning it into a goal.
Where the Rangers have an advantage in this series is in the goal tending category. Theodore can be vulnerable at times and the Rangers need to pepper him with shots. When you have a goalie who gives up rebounds like Theodore does from time to time you also have to have players crashing the net to capitalize on these opportunities. Lundquvist has had some playoff experience over the past three seasons solidifying himself as one of the top goaltenders in the league. The Rangers just have to make sure that there are no spare Capitals creating traffic in front of the net through playing a physical game.
A factor in this series that can never be overlooked in this series is that of Sean Avery. Historicly Avery always has done a good job of getting under the skin of opponents causing them to take needless penalties and loose focus. I am not sure if there is a player Avery will be targeting in this series, like he has in the past. If he is his pesky self it will be huge for the Rangers chances of pulling off this upset.
I see the key to this series being the play of Mark Stall. In the previous match ups against the Capitals it has been Stall who has had the job of containing the explosive Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin is one of the best players in the league and Stall has played the role of agitator against Alex in the previous meetings. Stall has not let Ovechkin get many good angle shots and if the Rangers have any shot at winning this series this trend needs to continue.
One thing that the Rangers can't do is hope to contain Ovechkin and then forget about the rest of the Washington Capital team. They have the best offensive defense man in the league in Mike Green who can not be left alone at the point during a power play. The shots that he takes from the points are rockets that often catch screened goaltenders off guard. Semin is just as dangerous as Green and when left open has no problem taking an Ovechkin pass and turning it into a goal.
Where the Rangers have an advantage in this series is in the goal tending category. Theodore can be vulnerable at times and the Rangers need to pepper him with shots. When you have a goalie who gives up rebounds like Theodore does from time to time you also have to have players crashing the net to capitalize on these opportunities. Lundquvist has had some playoff experience over the past three seasons solidifying himself as one of the top goaltenders in the league. The Rangers just have to make sure that there are no spare Capitals creating traffic in front of the net through playing a physical game.
A factor in this series that can never be overlooked in this series is that of Sean Avery. Historicly Avery always has done a good job of getting under the skin of opponents causing them to take needless penalties and loose focus. I am not sure if there is a player Avery will be targeting in this series, like he has in the past. If he is his pesky self it will be huge for the Rangers chances of pulling off this upset.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Experience in the stands at MSG
So I went to the Ranger game last night and had an amazing time. I went with my dad and got to see the Rangers play a really fundamentally sound hockey game to beat Montreal. The effort was there, in particular the seccond period. Drury did a great job crashing the net and being able to capitalize on rebound opportunities. This is his time of year and I am really not surprised to see him stepping up now to help the Rangers on their playoff run. The play on the ice was of playoff caliber but I want to comment on some things I saw in the stands.
Number one, I have to give it to Canadian fans they show up in numbers whenever their team is in town and are very vocal to say the least in support of their team. The jerseys of the opposing team are seen in many sections throughout the arena but most of the fans tend to stick together up in the 400s. The spirit of these fans is really great, they have chants and songs that they sing and engage in for all three periods. It is irritating as a fan of the home team to see the influx of vocal fans of the opposition in your arena. It makes me realize what fans of the Baltimore Oriole fans must feel like when the Yankees and Red Sox fans invade their ballpark.
The main event of the night in the stands was not watching the Canadian fans but instead a Ranger fan. The camera man stopped by our section to put some of the fans on the jumbo-tron. There was not enough time and so nobody in my section got onto the screen. This fan was not happy with that because he wanted a little girl and her dad on the screen. The man stood up and started yelling at the camera man as he walked away. He kept standing as people in our section yelled at him to sit down and watch the game. He then gave the section the finger, continued yelling about the camera man who walked away. Security then stopped by and told him to sit down which he did for about a seccond. As soon as the guard walked away he continued standing and yelling at people in our section. Security saw this and about five of them stopped by to throw him out of the game. When he sensed this he threw a near full beer into the middle of our section dousing everyone. People started throwing stuff back at him as it took all five security guards to pretty much drag this guy out of the arena. I just found it nuts how all this started as a guy trying to get the camera man to put a daughter and father on the screen and ended with him screaming at a section of angry fans while being dragged out.
Number one, I have to give it to Canadian fans they show up in numbers whenever their team is in town and are very vocal to say the least in support of their team. The jerseys of the opposing team are seen in many sections throughout the arena but most of the fans tend to stick together up in the 400s. The spirit of these fans is really great, they have chants and songs that they sing and engage in for all three periods. It is irritating as a fan of the home team to see the influx of vocal fans of the opposition in your arena. It makes me realize what fans of the Baltimore Oriole fans must feel like when the Yankees and Red Sox fans invade their ballpark.
The main event of the night in the stands was not watching the Canadian fans but instead a Ranger fan. The camera man stopped by our section to put some of the fans on the jumbo-tron. There was not enough time and so nobody in my section got onto the screen. This fan was not happy with that because he wanted a little girl and her dad on the screen. The man stood up and started yelling at the camera man as he walked away. He kept standing as people in our section yelled at him to sit down and watch the game. He then gave the section the finger, continued yelling about the camera man who walked away. Security then stopped by and told him to sit down which he did for about a seccond. As soon as the guard walked away he continued standing and yelling at people in our section. Security saw this and about five of them stopped by to throw him out of the game. When he sensed this he threw a near full beer into the middle of our section dousing everyone. People started throwing stuff back at him as it took all five security guards to pretty much drag this guy out of the arena. I just found it nuts how all this started as a guy trying to get the camera man to put a daughter and father on the screen and ended with him screaming at a section of angry fans while being dragged out.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Fraud that is the Yankee ticket system
So the Yankees now have a new stadium right across the street from the old stadium that they used to call home. The new stadium contains many new amenities that have caused the Yankees to raise their prices for the upcoming season. Seats are still available for most games, even the premium games like those against Boston and the Mets. The problem with this is the fact that the seats that remain for these games cost about 900 a seat and I don't see how anyone would be able to afford them.
When I saw that the Yankees were releasing 5 dollar tickets for 11 games through the regular season I was extremely excited. For the past two years I have bought all 11 of the five dollar games and made it to as many as possible. This season the Yankees did not offer the option to buy the full plan but instead you have to buy each of the games individually. I went online to look for availability of seats for each of the 5 dollar games and this is where I had a problem.
I could not find two seats together for any of the 5 dollar games and so I went to the ticketmaster outlet to look for even single seats that may be available for any of the 11 games. Guess what, zero 5 dollar seats available for any of the 11 games. Why would they even promote five dollar seats for 11 games when they do not have any seats available for any of the listed games? I almost feel like they are teasing the fans, almost as if to say, "hey look we are doing something to be fan friendly with our five dollar plan". In reality they gave the fans nothing.
I am really fed up with the way the Yankees have handled their ticketing this past season. They have priced out the real fans and invented affordable tickets that in reality do not even exist. If there are no five dollar tickets available then the Yankees should not even bother teasing the fans with the illusion of five dollar seats being available. I will not spend anything more than 25 dollars a seat for any game, unless it is a premium one against the Red Sox or Mets.
I won't stop going to see the Yankees but what I will do is limit what I purchase inside the stadium and continue to voice my displeasure with the way they are currently operating.
When I saw that the Yankees were releasing 5 dollar tickets for 11 games through the regular season I was extremely excited. For the past two years I have bought all 11 of the five dollar games and made it to as many as possible. This season the Yankees did not offer the option to buy the full plan but instead you have to buy each of the games individually. I went online to look for availability of seats for each of the 5 dollar games and this is where I had a problem.
I could not find two seats together for any of the 5 dollar games and so I went to the ticketmaster outlet to look for even single seats that may be available for any of the 11 games. Guess what, zero 5 dollar seats available for any of the 11 games. Why would they even promote five dollar seats for 11 games when they do not have any seats available for any of the listed games? I almost feel like they are teasing the fans, almost as if to say, "hey look we are doing something to be fan friendly with our five dollar plan". In reality they gave the fans nothing.
I am really fed up with the way the Yankees have handled their ticketing this past season. They have priced out the real fans and invented affordable tickets that in reality do not even exist. If there are no five dollar tickets available then the Yankees should not even bother teasing the fans with the illusion of five dollar seats being available. I will not spend anything more than 25 dollars a seat for any game, unless it is a premium one against the Red Sox or Mets.
I won't stop going to see the Yankees but what I will do is limit what I purchase inside the stadium and continue to voice my displeasure with the way they are currently operating.
Friday, March 27, 2009
The George Webber Murder Story
As many may know about at this point WABC radio host George Webber was found murdered in his Brooklyn apartment. Pretty tragic story, but it gets worse. It wasn't the opinions of Webber that led some irate listener killing him but rather some of Webber's own doing. The person that killed Webber was sixteen year old John Katehis. The details that led to how Webber and Katehis came to meet bring to light what I feel is the true story behind this brutal killing.
Webber met Katehis on the popular web page Craigslist.com. Webber exchanged emails with the teen after the teen responded to an ad left on craigslist looking for a sexual partner and this eventually led to the two scheduling a meeting at Webber's Brooklyn apartment. During this meeting the drugged up teen stabbed Webber to death. Many see it as insensitive to place any blame on a dead person for the events that led to his death but in this case I do place some blame on Webber for the events that took place.
I would call craigslist the wild wild west of the internet. By that I mean that it is completely unmonitored and very dangerous if not used in a careful manner. I have used craigslist before for buying and selling tickets and make sure to meet people in very public places where the chances of something going wrong are much lower. I would never have someone show up at my house for any kind of transaction let alone any kind of sexual encounter.
What kind of people do you think you are going to have showing up at your home when you place ads for sexual partners on an unmonitored web page? Creeps is the obvious answer to that question. That was exactly what Webber had showing up at his house a freak. This teen's myspace page had pictures of him with knives up to his neck and other gruesome poses.
People need to be more responsible when using the internet and this story is really an example of this fact. For some reason I can not understand people see posting and interacting through the internet as something safe. Maybe it is due to the fact that people still see it as just a screen and not an actual gateway to the rest of the world. So please, surf safely.
Webber met Katehis on the popular web page Craigslist.com. Webber exchanged emails with the teen after the teen responded to an ad left on craigslist looking for a sexual partner and this eventually led to the two scheduling a meeting at Webber's Brooklyn apartment. During this meeting the drugged up teen stabbed Webber to death. Many see it as insensitive to place any blame on a dead person for the events that led to his death but in this case I do place some blame on Webber for the events that took place.
I would call craigslist the wild wild west of the internet. By that I mean that it is completely unmonitored and very dangerous if not used in a careful manner. I have used craigslist before for buying and selling tickets and make sure to meet people in very public places where the chances of something going wrong are much lower. I would never have someone show up at my house for any kind of transaction let alone any kind of sexual encounter.
What kind of people do you think you are going to have showing up at your home when you place ads for sexual partners on an unmonitored web page? Creeps is the obvious answer to that question. That was exactly what Webber had showing up at his house a freak. This teen's myspace page had pictures of him with knives up to his neck and other gruesome poses.
People need to be more responsible when using the internet and this story is really an example of this fact. For some reason I can not understand people see posting and interacting through the internet as something safe. Maybe it is due to the fact that people still see it as just a screen and not an actual gateway to the rest of the world. So please, surf safely.
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