Not much posting going on, as I've been occupied with a new side project I'm taking on. As part of this new venture, I'm setting up a corporation and am actually enjoying the process of getting things off the ground. (While technically I'm already a small business owner, buying into a corporation is just not the same as starting from scratch).
Filed with the state for my certificate of formation, and now have my official IRS tax ID number. Next step- licenses and a bank account. Hope to be operational by June, and soon thereafter taking advantage of all the benefits both personally and professionally that come from running my own show. Maybe I'll petition the Board of Directors (me) to hold the first shareholder's meeting (singular possessive) off-site- perhaps at Citi Field?
Friday, April 24, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Resurrection
Many have said the two things you can't talk about at work are politics and religion- that's what blogs are for. Touched on politics last fall, but I haven't really approached the third rail of religion yet, though not for lack of desire. In fact, I once thought about starting an entirely separate blog for matters of religion to allow for longer and deeper discussion. For now though we'll start here, and with no smaller matter than the entire foundation of the Christian faith.
I listened intently to yesterday's sermon in which the priest focused on the importance of the empty tomb. His point was that Christianity centers on the belief in the unseen, that Peter and the "other disciple" (John) left the empty tomb believing in the resurrection, though they hadn't seen anything. They went back and reported in, telling the others that Jesus had risen. Only Thomas doubted, and needed to see the risen Christ to believe. Jesus of course would soon show himself to Thomas and the others, but would then declare that with regards to the resurrection, "blessed are those who do not see, but still believe".
But what if the resurrection was more of a spiritual event than a physical one? What if it was more allegory than literal fact? Is it possible that those first two disciples came back from that empty tomb, professing their belief with such conviction that a miracle was born? What if it was not the return of Christ to a human body that was the true resurrection miracle, but rather the ability of those two disciples to believe that He would live on forever?
For Christians, a resurrected Christ is necessary to show God's ability to conquer death and to bring to believers the gift of eternal life. If the resurrection is not corporeal, than how could that need be filled? The answer is in the empty tomb. For Peter and John, the resurrection was not a vision of Christ. It was the absence of his dead body that caused them to believe. Once they believed that death had been conquered, the resurrection was real regardless of what happened to Christ's body. It is easy to question that if Christ did not return to his earthly body, then how did the tomb become empty in the first place, and how did Christ appear to the apostles later? That is not the point. How the body left the tomb does not matter, nor does his appearance later matter. Whether Christ rejoined his body at all does not matter. What matters is that we believe that after he died, Christ returned from death to live on first in John (because he got there first, of course), then in Peter, then the rest of us.
The sermon I remember more than any other was one I heard probably 25 years ago. It was given by a deacon about the gospel of loaves and the fishes. He suggested that perhaps the miracle that day wasn't Jesus creating food for 5,000 from thin air, but rather was Jesus convincing everyone other than the kid with the fish and bread to share the food they had brought with them. People in attendance, reluctant to share their food, were touched by Christ and produced enough food to feed everyone, with plenty to spare. Bible literalists would consider any possibility other than Jesus creating food to be blasphemy, but this exegesis struck a deep chord within me. It was a way to explain a miracle while still considering it a miracle.
If Christ can live on in each of us, than he has in fact conquered death. If we believe that Christ has conquered death, than we believe that we too can live forever. And if those beliefs are held in good faith, then isn't that what the resurrection is for?
I listened intently to yesterday's sermon in which the priest focused on the importance of the empty tomb. His point was that Christianity centers on the belief in the unseen, that Peter and the "other disciple" (John) left the empty tomb believing in the resurrection, though they hadn't seen anything. They went back and reported in, telling the others that Jesus had risen. Only Thomas doubted, and needed to see the risen Christ to believe. Jesus of course would soon show himself to Thomas and the others, but would then declare that with regards to the resurrection, "blessed are those who do not see, but still believe".
But what if the resurrection was more of a spiritual event than a physical one? What if it was more allegory than literal fact? Is it possible that those first two disciples came back from that empty tomb, professing their belief with such conviction that a miracle was born? What if it was not the return of Christ to a human body that was the true resurrection miracle, but rather the ability of those two disciples to believe that He would live on forever?
For Christians, a resurrected Christ is necessary to show God's ability to conquer death and to bring to believers the gift of eternal life. If the resurrection is not corporeal, than how could that need be filled? The answer is in the empty tomb. For Peter and John, the resurrection was not a vision of Christ. It was the absence of his dead body that caused them to believe. Once they believed that death had been conquered, the resurrection was real regardless of what happened to Christ's body. It is easy to question that if Christ did not return to his earthly body, then how did the tomb become empty in the first place, and how did Christ appear to the apostles later? That is not the point. How the body left the tomb does not matter, nor does his appearance later matter. Whether Christ rejoined his body at all does not matter. What matters is that we believe that after he died, Christ returned from death to live on first in John (because he got there first, of course), then in Peter, then the rest of us.
The sermon I remember more than any other was one I heard probably 25 years ago. It was given by a deacon about the gospel of loaves and the fishes. He suggested that perhaps the miracle that day wasn't Jesus creating food for 5,000 from thin air, but rather was Jesus convincing everyone other than the kid with the fish and bread to share the food they had brought with them. People in attendance, reluctant to share their food, were touched by Christ and produced enough food to feed everyone, with plenty to spare. Bible literalists would consider any possibility other than Jesus creating food to be blasphemy, but this exegesis struck a deep chord within me. It was a way to explain a miracle while still considering it a miracle.
If Christ can live on in each of us, than he has in fact conquered death. If we believe that Christ has conquered death, than we believe that we too can live forever. And if those beliefs are held in good faith, then isn't that what the resurrection is for?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Change you can believe in
So it wasn't entirely an April Fool's joke. Most of it was true. I used to be a horrible typist, and truly couldn't find a shift key. Didn't matter much to a science geek who had few term papers to write, but with the advent of the internet, typing was forced upon me pretty quickly. So, I could either type slowly, or just forego capital letters in the interest of speed. I opted for the latter.
Didn't take too long to get skillz, but I kinda liked the lower case thing. Became a style, an M.O. But for a while now I've been growing a little tired of it. Looking back on this blog in particular, I do feel that an all lowercase font does make the entries a little more difficult to read. (I know, the background and layout need some big time work too, but that's gonna take some HTML skillz that I haven't got yet.) So, it's time to grow up.
You may see e-mails from me in all lowercase, and for effect I won't rule out a lowercase entry here from time to time, but from now on, it's a more traditional style here at finkipedia. Except for the name.
Didn't take too long to get skillz, but I kinda liked the lower case thing. Became a style, an M.O. But for a while now I've been growing a little tired of it. Looking back on this blog in particular, I do feel that an all lowercase font does make the entries a little more difficult to read. (I know, the background and layout need some big time work too, but that's gonna take some HTML skillz that I haven't got yet.) So, it's time to grow up.
You may see e-mails from me in all lowercase, and for effect I won't rule out a lowercase entry here from time to time, but from now on, it's a more traditional style here at finkipedia. Except for the name.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
GOOD TIME FOR A CHANGE
WHEN I FIRST STARTED USING E-MAIL YEARS AGO, I WAS A HORRIBLE TYPIST AND COULDN'T FIND THE SHIFT KEY. THUS, I'D TYPE ONLY IN LOWER CASE. WHAT BEGAN OUT OF INEPTITUDE MORPHED INTO A STYLE, AND IT'S BEEN HARD TO GO BACK.
BUT WHEN I RE-READ THIS BLOG, I FIND THAT READING LOWER CASE CAN BE A BIT DISTRACTING AT TIMES. SO I'VE DECIDED TO CHANGE THE FORMAT A LITTLE, AND SWITCH TO AN ALL UPPER CASE FORMAT FOR A WHILE.
FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR COMMENTS AS YOU'D LIKE, BUT AN ALL-CAPS COMMENT SECTION WOULD JIVE NICELY WITH THE TEXT ABOVE.
BUT WHEN I RE-READ THIS BLOG, I FIND THAT READING LOWER CASE CAN BE A BIT DISTRACTING AT TIMES. SO I'VE DECIDED TO CHANGE THE FORMAT A LITTLE, AND SWITCH TO AN ALL UPPER CASE FORMAT FOR A WHILE.
FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR COMMENTS AS YOU'D LIKE, BUT AN ALL-CAPS COMMENT SECTION WOULD JIVE NICELY WITH THE TEXT ABOVE.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
caring is creepy
is there a time limit for leaving a dead person's voice on an answering machine message? i realize that for some people, it may be the only recording they have of their loved one's voice, but after a certain period of time after a death, it becomes a little odd hearing a voice from someone you know can't really call you back.
i'm sure there are situations too that because people don't really call their own homes, they may not even realize that their loved one's voice is on their machine. do you tell them? if so, how?
it's not anywhere near the top of the things-to-do-when-someone-dies list, but i'd propose that if the deceased is the voice on your answering machine, changing the message within a week would be appropriate. having a message still there after six months (as i experienced this morning) is a bit out there. you think i should submit this to miss manners or dear abby?
i'm sure there are situations too that because people don't really call their own homes, they may not even realize that their loved one's voice is on their machine. do you tell them? if so, how?
it's not anywhere near the top of the things-to-do-when-someone-dies list, but i'd propose that if the deceased is the voice on your answering machine, changing the message within a week would be appropriate. having a message still there after six months (as i experienced this morning) is a bit out there. you think i should submit this to miss manners or dear abby?
Monday, March 23, 2009
the holy grail
i've said for years that the biggest breakthrough in medicine we may see in the next generation is synthetic blood. that's based solely on my opinion, as many would argue that potential advances in gene therapy, fetal surgery, robotics, neuroscience or stem cell therapy would qualify as even greater successes. but i feel that the development of synthetic blood would revolutionize surgical and trauma care, not to mention the benefits for cancer, cardiovascular and critical care in general. a theoretical limitless supply of blood would eliminate the need for blood banks and donor programs and eliminate the risk of transmitted diseases through transfusion.
for years, attempts at developing a synthetic analog to red blood cells have failed. no chemical substance has ever been remotely effective at replicating the red blood cell's ability to transmit oxygen throughout the body. until one is discovered, the only way to expand the world's supply of blood would be to create more blood somehow.
i read today that because of stem cell research, we are on the doorstep of this breakthrough. i've posted previously about the ethical morass that is stem cell research, but there is no denying its potential for revolutionary discoveries such as this. we'll save countless lives with this new therapy, but will we be better off? that's more philosophical than medical.
for years, attempts at developing a synthetic analog to red blood cells have failed. no chemical substance has ever been remotely effective at replicating the red blood cell's ability to transmit oxygen throughout the body. until one is discovered, the only way to expand the world's supply of blood would be to create more blood somehow.
i read today that because of stem cell research, we are on the doorstep of this breakthrough. i've posted previously about the ethical morass that is stem cell research, but there is no denying its potential for revolutionary discoveries such as this. we'll save countless lives with this new therapy, but will we be better off? that's more philosophical than medical.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
best weekend of the year
parked in front of the couch per my usual routine for the first day of the NCAA basketball tourney. like last year, had another shamrock shake courtesy of erin. this year the technology of the finkstead has been upgraded, so all the games are in HD and the wifi will allow for a running update here throughout the day.
i'll keep you posted on how my bracket fares, as well as what brilliant insights the CBS commentators impart.
3pm: purdue/northern iowa- miserable game to watch. purdue is horrible, but NIU is worse. 3 for 3 on the early games- memphis, texas A&M and LSU
3:07pm uconn/chattanooga- what an ankle-breaker move by the chattanooga kid on the opening trip down the floor. if they could possibly get thabeet in foul trouble, this could be interesting
3:36pm back to back to back 3's for uconn, went from 19-15 to 28-15. game over. so much for the mocs
4:34pm still unscathed, thanks to purdue. unc and uconn are locked in, just hoping cal holds on over md to keep me perfect on the day. spaghetti jimmy wins!
6:37pm local and national news break for the games, so it's over to discovery channel for a little "cash cab"- great concept, great show. as for the bracket, i was cursed by spaghetti jimmy- maryland went on a run starting at about 4:35 and blew out cali. finished 6 for 7 in the early games, with mississippi state (my pick for a sweet 16 cinderella) not looking so hot against u-dub in game #8.
8:09pm 'nova/american- best game of the day so far. 41-31 american at the half. 'nova getting no love from the home crowd. oh, and dick enberg has on more makeup than joan rivers did on larry king last night.
9:27pm 'nova finally gets the crowd behind them, finally uses their size and goes inside, and punishes american in the second half. fun game for a while, though. maybe akron will sneak by gonzaga and be the cinderella of the day.
9:59pm ...or not- zags just too much. so much for the underdogs today- 2 #10s over #7s, but wins by maryland and michigan can hardly be considered upsets. binghamton not looking like much of a challenge for the dukies. maybe VCU or western KY will represent for the little guys. won't find out until tomorrow, though, because i think i'm tapped out. DVR is now taping ER and grey's anatomy for erin, relegating me upstairs to watch the rest from bed. means i'll be asleep in half an hour. great day though- looking forward to tomorrow night.
i'll keep you posted on how my bracket fares, as well as what brilliant insights the CBS commentators impart.
3pm: purdue/northern iowa- miserable game to watch. purdue is horrible, but NIU is worse. 3 for 3 on the early games- memphis, texas A&M and LSU
3:07pm uconn/chattanooga- what an ankle-breaker move by the chattanooga kid on the opening trip down the floor. if they could possibly get thabeet in foul trouble, this could be interesting
3:36pm back to back to back 3's for uconn, went from 19-15 to 28-15. game over. so much for the mocs
4:34pm still unscathed, thanks to purdue. unc and uconn are locked in, just hoping cal holds on over md to keep me perfect on the day. spaghetti jimmy wins!
6:37pm local and national news break for the games, so it's over to discovery channel for a little "cash cab"- great concept, great show. as for the bracket, i was cursed by spaghetti jimmy- maryland went on a run starting at about 4:35 and blew out cali. finished 6 for 7 in the early games, with mississippi state (my pick for a sweet 16 cinderella) not looking so hot against u-dub in game #8.
8:09pm 'nova/american- best game of the day so far. 41-31 american at the half. 'nova getting no love from the home crowd. oh, and dick enberg has on more makeup than joan rivers did on larry king last night.
9:27pm 'nova finally gets the crowd behind them, finally uses their size and goes inside, and punishes american in the second half. fun game for a while, though. maybe akron will sneak by gonzaga and be the cinderella of the day.
9:59pm ...or not- zags just too much. so much for the underdogs today- 2 #10s over #7s, but wins by maryland and michigan can hardly be considered upsets. binghamton not looking like much of a challenge for the dukies. maybe VCU or western KY will represent for the little guys. won't find out until tomorrow, though, because i think i'm tapped out. DVR is now taping ER and grey's anatomy for erin, relegating me upstairs to watch the rest from bed. means i'll be asleep in half an hour. great day though- looking forward to tomorrow night.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
top o' the mornin'
going green here on finkipedia in celebration of the holiday. made our annual irish dinner on sunday and have the leftovers for lunch today, including homemade soda bread. (green beer will have to wait until after hours). mmmm. looking forward to a shamrock shake to cap off my day this evening.
as they say in the homeland, may the road rise to meet you, may the wind be at your back, and may you be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
in the meanwhile, enjoy the dulcet tones of shane mcgowan belting out my favorite irish tune.
as they say in the homeland, may the road rise to meet you, may the wind be at your back, and may you be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you're dead.
in the meanwhile, enjoy the dulcet tones of shane mcgowan belting out my favorite irish tune.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
finkipedia ('07, blog) **1/2 witty comments on ordinary life
not sure who really reads the tv listings in the paper anymore, but i'm glad they're still printed. the increase in channels and the prime real estate of the newspaper page has forced the consolidation of the listings down to usually a 1/2 page. for some reason, the powers that be still find it necessary to include not just the name of the program but as much pertinent information about it as the space will allow. this means that most listings get 3 to 10 word descriptions that are rarely useful but often hilarious. no true gems in today's paper, but some good ones nonetheless (the asterisks represent ratings stars):
- scifi, 8:00pm lake placid 2 ('07) * giant crocodiles
- scifi, 11:00pm eye of the beast ('07) squid eats profits
- nbc, 10:00pm law & order "by perjury" airline plaintiff murdered TV-PG (HD)
- tcm, 8:00 pm rocky ('76, drama) sylvester stallone. a boxer trains for a championship fight
- max, 8:00pm meet the parents ('00, comedy) *** a man meets his girlfriend's parents
- starz, 11:00pm the game plan ('07) quarterback dad
- versus, 8:00pm PBR bullriding "birmingham" (taped)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
downhill lies
spent last weekend skiing in park city, UT with some M'97 classmates. hadn't been skiing in about 9 years, since before we left cali. was a little worried i'd embarrass myself, or worse, break a bone or two in the process. was just like riding a bike, though. after a few warmup runs on the green slopes, i made my way up to mostly intermediate runs for the rest of the weekend. the weather was great, snow was perfect, and the resorts we hit (park city, deer valley, and alta) were spectacular. mix in some great steaks, great sushi, many beers and some poker, and it had all the trappings of the perfect man-cation.hard to tell from the free sample image, but that's me, looking like quite the ski dork in my great gazoo helmet and trendy scarf.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
wonder if they have a shamrock version?
if you've never checked out thisiswhyyourefat.com, go and take a peek. it may gross you out a bit, but it might just make you feel a little less guilty about the cheeseburger you had for lunch when you realize what some of your other options were. this is one of the less revolting images you'll find in the archives there.
it's a pic of the mcnuggetini, a delectable cocktail made from a mcdonald's chocolate shake and vanilla vodka, rimmed with barbecue sauce and garnished with a mcnugget. if i were a cardiologist, i'd refer to this as "business".
Friday, February 27, 2009
the pestilence returns
this time, it's brendan. not GI-oriented this time, which is good, but it looks like the poor guy has the flu. came out of school today with his head hung low, stating "i just don't feel good, mom". not what you expect from a second grader on a friday afternoon.
achy, feverish, sore throat, belly ache- just miserable. hopeful that a) it doesn't last long, and b) it starts and ends with him. full quarantine in effect.
achy, feverish, sore throat, belly ache- just miserable. hopeful that a) it doesn't last long, and b) it starts and ends with him. full quarantine in effect.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
"fifty-seven thousand six hundred minutes..."
the easter season gets no love. easter is a more important holiday on the christian calendar than christmas, yet it gets nowhere near the commercial attention. hard to say whether the holiday drives the lead-in season or vice versa, but either way the weeks leading up to easter have nothing on those before christmas. i can't really say that advent gets any special billing, but the generic "christmas season" certainly gets its fair share. the pre-easter season kicks off with dirty foreheads, winds down with free palm leaves that clutter your house until you get rid of them just before the next year's holiday, and ends up on a total downer of a holiday, so-called "good" friday.
lent needs to go mainstream, get the people talking about it to drive up the word on the street. mel gibson tried, but he just brought everyone down with "the passion" (besides, the merchandising options were awful). we need something with a little life in it. so, as a means of bringing some much-needed attention to the season, i'm going to propose to the u.s. conference of catholic bishops that someone there just adapt a popular broadway show and create "lent- the musical". sure, they'll have to groom over some little things (like the gay sex and the aids and the drugs and all), but the songs are way better than anything from church!
c'mon, isn't lent really a "season of love" after all?
lent needs to go mainstream, get the people talking about it to drive up the word on the street. mel gibson tried, but he just brought everyone down with "the passion" (besides, the merchandising options were awful). we need something with a little life in it. so, as a means of bringing some much-needed attention to the season, i'm going to propose to the u.s. conference of catholic bishops that someone there just adapt a popular broadway show and create "lent- the musical". sure, they'll have to groom over some little things (like the gay sex and the aids and the drugs and all), but the songs are way better than anything from church!
c'mon, isn't lent really a "season of love" after all?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
geography bee
being the pedagogic parent that i am, i insisted that if i was going to have a pokemon battle with the boys on saturday afternoon, they would have to play a quiz game with me. i tried to get them to agree to state capitals, but they talked me into just quizzing them on the 50 states. turns out, that itself was an adventure enough.
the game went like this- i'd give them a letter, and they would have to provide me with all the states that started with that letter. first letter i gave them was L. owen's quick response: "lakota?" let it be said that the kid is well read, and he did go to custer's battlefield this summer, but i didn't realize he believed in statehood for native american tribes. with only a little prompting ("think south, near texas"), one of them quickly got louisiana and calmed my fear that this might be more of a lesson in futility for me than of geography for them.
we went on, covering most of the states with fair success on their part and only a few incorrect guesses (most were cities instead of states, as well as the almost expected incorrect guess of "new england"). then came T. right out of the box, both gave texas simultaneously, then paused for a good bit. finally, brendan broke the silence with "talabama?". classic. i believe i gave them tennessee because i couldn't bear the thought of anything worse.
but there was, sort of. i think the last letter we hit on was R. silence again, until owen responded with "richigan?". obviously he was playing off brendan's previous response, but when i gave him a "come on..." look, he replied "what? that's how scooby doo would say it." now the silence was on my end. you just can't argue with logic like that.
the game went like this- i'd give them a letter, and they would have to provide me with all the states that started with that letter. first letter i gave them was L. owen's quick response: "lakota?" let it be said that the kid is well read, and he did go to custer's battlefield this summer, but i didn't realize he believed in statehood for native american tribes. with only a little prompting ("think south, near texas"), one of them quickly got louisiana and calmed my fear that this might be more of a lesson in futility for me than of geography for them.
we went on, covering most of the states with fair success on their part and only a few incorrect guesses (most were cities instead of states, as well as the almost expected incorrect guess of "new england"). then came T. right out of the box, both gave texas simultaneously, then paused for a good bit. finally, brendan broke the silence with "talabama?". classic. i believe i gave them tennessee because i couldn't bear the thought of anything worse.
but there was, sort of. i think the last letter we hit on was R. silence again, until owen responded with "richigan?". obviously he was playing off brendan's previous response, but when i gave him a "come on..." look, he replied "what? that's how scooby doo would say it." now the silence was on my end. you just can't argue with logic like that.
Friday, February 20, 2009
leading me here, despite my destination
almost 2 weeks without a post, and now two in 45 minutes. couldn't let this wait, though. i'm adding this to my bucket list- somehow, someway, i want to see this with my own eyes. (i'd post the picture here, but it's a panorama and wouldn't fit.)
speaking of bucket lists, that sounds like a good idea for another day's post...
speaking of bucket lists, that sounds like a good idea for another day's post...
back off the DL
about 90% recovered from a nasty go-around with the stomach flu earlier this week. owen came home early from school on tuesday with it, and was still feeling the effects into the evening. i was fine all day, had a great dinner, went to bed a little early more for the rest than anything else, then started having that not-so-fresh feeling.
at about 10pm the fun began, with visits to the vomitorium about every 60-90 minutes throughout the night. one trip was a touching father-son moment- owen staggered into our room sometime around midnight, vomited on our carpet, then finished the job in the commode. once i knew he'd run dry, i gently nudged him aside and contributed my share. now there's bonding.
the other 60% of the family has emerged unscathed so far. here's hoping diligent hand washing and personalized water bottles keep it that way.
at about 10pm the fun began, with visits to the vomitorium about every 60-90 minutes throughout the night. one trip was a touching father-son moment- owen staggered into our room sometime around midnight, vomited on our carpet, then finished the job in the commode. once i knew he'd run dry, i gently nudged him aside and contributed my share. now there's bonding.
the other 60% of the family has emerged unscathed so far. here's hoping diligent hand washing and personalized water bottles keep it that way.
Monday, February 9, 2009
'roid rage
at the risk of starting a war of words in the comments section between wiley and 2white, i feel obliged to acknowledge the recent developments in the life of one alex rodriguez.
first of all, this news should come as no surprise to anyone who follows baseball. i've yet to see any of those before/after photos of a-rod, like the ones that sports outlets love to put up on bonds and clemens, but it's fair to say that a-rod now is nothing compared to the lanky shortstop that came up with the mariners. in a league where performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) were/are rampant, it's foolish to believe that after signing that almost immoral $250M contract, a-rod would have just turned his head and taken the moral high ground when presented with the temptation to cheat to succeed.
the signing of that contract, along with his antics on and off the field in NY, establish a-rod as a person with extremely low self-esteem. that low self-esteem was no doubt what drove him to feel the pressure to "'roid up", so as to avoid the ridicule that failure would bring after signing for 1/4 billion.
i give him some credit for owing up so fast. sure he's known for 5 years that there's a positive test on him, but if MLB wasn't going to leak it, why would he? his cop-out excuse seems lame, but i'm sure it's true- just make sure you interpret his feeling of "pressure" as more accurately an "immature fear of failure and loss of stature".
MLB is the real loser here. a-rod is the anchor brick in their steroid jenga tower- it all comes down now. there's no reason to believe that the 90's and early 00's were anything but a PED-fueled power trip. MLB must acknowlege that, acknowledge their outward denial, and allow all the records to stand and all the players during that period to be treated as equals. either that, or disavow the whole decade and a half and start anew.
first of all, this news should come as no surprise to anyone who follows baseball. i've yet to see any of those before/after photos of a-rod, like the ones that sports outlets love to put up on bonds and clemens, but it's fair to say that a-rod now is nothing compared to the lanky shortstop that came up with the mariners. in a league where performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) were/are rampant, it's foolish to believe that after signing that almost immoral $250M contract, a-rod would have just turned his head and taken the moral high ground when presented with the temptation to cheat to succeed.
the signing of that contract, along with his antics on and off the field in NY, establish a-rod as a person with extremely low self-esteem. that low self-esteem was no doubt what drove him to feel the pressure to "'roid up", so as to avoid the ridicule that failure would bring after signing for 1/4 billion.
i give him some credit for owing up so fast. sure he's known for 5 years that there's a positive test on him, but if MLB wasn't going to leak it, why would he? his cop-out excuse seems lame, but i'm sure it's true- just make sure you interpret his feeling of "pressure" as more accurately an "immature fear of failure and loss of stature".
MLB is the real loser here. a-rod is the anchor brick in their steroid jenga tower- it all comes down now. there's no reason to believe that the 90's and early 00's were anything but a PED-fueled power trip. MLB must acknowlege that, acknowledge their outward denial, and allow all the records to stand and all the players during that period to be treated as equals. either that, or disavow the whole decade and a half and start anew.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
those darn kids and their myface
finally succumbed to the pull of the black hole that is facebook. signed myself up yesterday, and already have found some old friends from high school and earlier whom i haven't heard from (or even about) in years. from what i hear that's the point, right? (that, and posting ridiculous photos from those early years)
still trying to figure out all the ins and outs of the site and figure how it will factor in to my online life. at the very least, maybe it will direct a little more traffic this way.
friend me up, 'cause i may have some dirt on you somewhere just waiting to find its way to cyberspace.
still trying to figure out all the ins and outs of the site and figure how it will factor in to my online life. at the very least, maybe it will direct a little more traffic this way.
friend me up, 'cause i may have some dirt on you somewhere just waiting to find its way to cyberspace.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
finkbowl recap
another great finkbowl has come and gone. thanks to all those who came from far and near- you are the ones that make the party what it is. some great food helps too, and i must say, this year's feature of BBQ pulled pork was a taste sensation that's sure to return next year.
a few special thank yous:
a few special thank yous:
- to the 2parm clan for making the trip for tacos on saturday
- to the cast of lovemomworklife for sharing your whole weekend with us
- to 2white for representing with GH-world tour
- to googs and RK-K for being a great uncle and aunt and even greater friends
- to puddin' and "jello" for homemade beer, NY cheesecake, and companionship during the finkbowl 5K
- to CTB for a fantastic cake in a solo effort
- to judge, for continuing to fly across the country every year just for the sake of a good party (and for finally losing back some of the money you've taken from us over the years)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
things i love: convenience stores
i've probably written in the past about the little things in life that i love, but i'm not sure i made it any kind of formal post. figured i'd start a new somewhat recurring series of posts about some of the esoteric things that bring me joy.
i love convenience stores. much of the appeal is derived from my love of road trips, which are always punctuated with frequent stops at gas stations and thus the convenience stores they often have. i love scratch and win lottery tickets (more on that in another "things i love" post), packaged processed food, and coffee- all staples of the convenience store. i love the classless atmosphere of the convenience store- guys in beamers and suits waiting in line for their coffee behind hardened women buying marlboro lights and mexican day laborers buying iced tea by the half gallon. i love the fact that you can see all these things whether it's three in the afternoon or three in the morning.
next time you stop for gas, see if you can appreciate the inner beauty of the quickie mart. it's america in a 600 square foot fluorescent-lit room (that smells like hot dogs).
i love convenience stores. much of the appeal is derived from my love of road trips, which are always punctuated with frequent stops at gas stations and thus the convenience stores they often have. i love scratch and win lottery tickets (more on that in another "things i love" post), packaged processed food, and coffee- all staples of the convenience store. i love the classless atmosphere of the convenience store- guys in beamers and suits waiting in line for their coffee behind hardened women buying marlboro lights and mexican day laborers buying iced tea by the half gallon. i love the fact that you can see all these things whether it's three in the afternoon or three in the morning.
next time you stop for gas, see if you can appreciate the inner beauty of the quickie mart. it's america in a 600 square foot fluorescent-lit room (that smells like hot dogs).
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