Convention Protesters

While watching the news just moments ago a thought occurred to me. There were protesters out already at the DNC I thought I would test a theory. I googled the following two phrases "DNC protests" and "RNC protests." I was curious to see the political leanings of those who take the time to protest at a political convention. Well, I was right, in both cases the prosters where from the political left. So the left is protesting that DNC and the RNC for not being left enough. Here I am thinking that both are already too far to the left. So why am I not out protesting from my own perspective, and why do I believe others like myself are not as well, employment. We have jobs and families to attend to. I could be wrong on this, a clear generalization, but it just seems to make sense to me.

Bring back NBA Basketball

Alright, that title sounds strange even to me as it type it. The style of play that is claimed to be defense but often is nothing more than overgrown playground junk ball offense that passes as the NBA (notable exception in what Boston did to the Lakers in the Finals, that was fantastic D), is actually something that I find myself longing for after watching the international version of the sport offered in Beijing. Watching all the flopping and acting that was going on had me at times thinking that I was watching a court filled with Vlade Divac clones. Seriously, if I had to watch one more head fly back when a defender came near, I would seriously just give up my struggle to stick with the games to see the US back on top.

This does not even take into account the grossly inconsistent officiating that left me as well as the players wondering from one quarter to another just what would be called and what would not. It seemed as though on one drive a quick dribble spin move by the US point guard to protect the ball would garner an offensive foul and the Argentinian player flopped to the ground, only for minutes later for Kobe to be nearly mauled by two players with not a whistle forthcoming.

So, I say, bring back the NBA. At least we don't have to listen to the whistling.

The First 3 Months of James

Gene Upshaw - RIP

Having only learned Sunday that he had cancer, Raiders great, Gene Upshaw died at the age of 63 on Wednesday, August 20.
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Redneck Chopper

Leave it to American ingenuity to come up with a way to combine lawn mowing with motorcycling. Thank you John Deere.

What makes a sport a sport?

With all the time that I and many others have been spending watching the Olympics this past week, it seems only natural to give some thought to that nature of sport and a question that keeps coming to mind: What makes a sport a sport? In 2012 in London, the Olympics will be without Baseball and Softball, yet I am sure that they will retain rhythmic gymnastics, badminton, and handball. Now before I just launch into a rank on the sports that I think are not sports, something I will save for another day, I would instead like to get terms straight.

There are in my mind three terms that must be distinguished: Sport, Game, and Activity. A sport is a game and an activity. A game is an activity, but not always a sport. An activity maybe but is not always either a sport or a game. A sport is distinguished from a game by its organization, rules, and athletic nature. A game is distinguished from an activity by its organization and rules. To get a feel for how I see this distinction you can examine the relationship implied by the graph to the left.

There is also a certain natural seriousness that comes with a sport that is lacking in a game or activity that helps on keep each term more clearly in mind.

Based in this conception of these terms I would suggest that Handball is a game, not a sport, that Equestrian is an activity, and that Table Tennis might be argued to be a sport but putting tables in game rooms really should answers the question better. If I am wrong, all I can say is bring on the Olympic Dodgeball or for that matter Frisbee Golf!!!

The Intolerance of Christians

I selected that title more as a matter of irony for what I am about to share rather than claim again Christians for their intolerance of others. Historically Christianity may have had its issues in the tolerance department, yet as a religion its tenets are among the most open and respectful of other faiths. We typically respect the individuals right to disagree. We do however have the intellectual honesty not to simply claim that all beliefs are right and that therefore those who disagree or who do not have faith in Christ run the risk of being outside the will of God, if in fact the truth claims of Christians turn out to be correct. Yet the claim is still made that by merely asserting that there is a right and a wrong view religiously (or spiritually to use more popular language) that we are in fact already intolerant bigots.

With that in mind let me put before you two news pieces. One that has people worried about reprisal and one that no one seems too concerned with. First you have the theory that the meaning behind the phrase "the disciple whom Jesus loved" is in fact a homosexual relationship (far too much can be found here: http://www.jesusinlove.org/). Then you have the publication of a book on the child bride of Mohammed is pulled by Random House for fear that violence may result. Now a linked article on jesusinlove.org claims that depictions of a gay Jesus are destroyed when displayed. Yet no reputable news source is sighted for such an incident.

My point in this is simply that if find it ironic that we are called upon to lift up Islam as a religion of peace while Christians are routinely shunned as hateful, while the only violence that I see directed through a religious lens these days comes from an Islamic source. I really wish that more people in our nation had the capacity to reason through questions like this rather than simply condemning or accepting without understanding the broader implications of what they are doing.

Neighbors

In the evenings, the wife and I take out son for a walk. He rides and sometimes sleeps his way to and from the grocery store, where we have recently been walking and getting Ben and Jerry's (yup, our exercise comes complete with the reason we need to exercise).

The other day I was walking and looking around and as tends to happen to me a sign grabbed by attention and provided unintended humor. Across the railroad tracks is Pacific Transformer and well, you know where I went from there.

One More Commercial Miscalculation

Just thought of another form of advertising that causes me to avoid a product rather than run out and get some are those commercials that I have to suffer through while at the pump at the gas station. Really, do I need to see that additional ad revenues are being added to the already burgeoning profits while I pay in excess of $4 a gallon.

The Unintended Consequences of Bad Commercials

As Madison Ave advertisers attempt to find ways to sell you and I that latest and greatest useless gizmo, they occasionally strike upon an idea that yields the reverse effect. So here are a list of the advertising techniques that I find the most repellent:

1. The volume of the commercial is well above that of the program or even other commercials.
2. The man, husband, or father in the commercial is the foolish patsy bungling his way through life.
   
3. Anything sold by Billy Mays.
4. Medications that I have to ask my doctor about.
5. Anti-smoking ads that lack the ability to understand basic logic.
6. German auto makers telling me about how they have dealt with years of high gas prices and that their solution is a car I also cannot afford.
   
7. Brendan Fraser movies.
   

Crunk is dead! All drink Crunk!

You know how a trend gets so trendy that silly product connections start to crop up causing purists to consider even the original to be rendered a mockery. Well, just like the "Extreme" got run into the ground, "Crunk" is well on its way to that abysmal grave site. "Crunk" is now an energy drink. All I want to know is if it comes with a pimp cup.

PETA

For years my buddy Rich and I have joked about the creation of our own PETA T-shirts. Only instead of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals our PETA would be People for the Eating of Tasty Animals. Well, so far we have been all talk. Perhaps someday we might actually get a design at least. In the meantime enjoy this T-shirt I found at www.thoseshirts.com.

It's only a model

Support Discrimination Against the Foolish

Listening to the radio today, I heard about a hairdresser in Britain who was denied a job because when she interviewed she refused to remove her head covering. The claim is that the request and not hiring her because of it is an attack against Islam. Actually is the discrimination against foolishness. Who wants to have their hair done by someone who will not let their own hair be seen. It is sort of like having a morbidly obese fitness trainer. I just want to see if what you will do to me is consistently and well lived out in your life. The result of the lawsuit was an award of $4,000 pounds in part for "injury to her feelings." Really in Britain I can sue you if you hurt my feelings. Wow! Thus I support discrimination. Specifically against the foolish.

Obama's Confusing Message on Abortion

For Father's Day, Barack Obama spoke at at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, IL. In his address he stated that "responsibility doesn't just end at conception." This was addressed to fathers, who as he points out, all too often in the black community do not stick around to raise the children that they create. Now, this otherwise great challenge stuck out in my mind, not because of the social health that it can engender, but the contradictory message that it offers when compared with prior statements that he has made with regard to the conceptions of a child. Some time back Senator Obama commented that he did not want his daughters punished with a baby if they make a "mistake." So, let me understand this, men, if we make a baby our responsibility continues, but women if you want out of your own responsibility just abort that thing before it really is a child. This is the equal freedoms that Barack has talked about at rallies before audiences such as Planned Parenthood. I am not sure that this is all that coherent of a policy or consistent of thinking on his part. But you be the judge and listen to him tell you.

Finding his voice

Last night James found his voice and boy did he use it. I could get into much greater detail on this but first I am just too exhausted to do so and for those of you who are parents, you really don't need much of an explanation.

11 days and a few more names

I missed a couple of our son's nicknames in the list I posted yesterday. So here a a few more of the cute nicknames he has so far:

• Bubba
• Bub
• Bubs

Note the theme with this set. All his mother, this time. More to come as they continue to surface.

Ethnic Skin

Have you seen the commercials for the Al Roker NBC special on America's Ethnic Skin? Being as etymologically inquisitive as I am, I wanted to see how they intended to make use of the word "Ethnic" with respect the this so called "Ethnic Skin." Two quotes on articles related to the show shed some light on the direct they might be taking.

"By the year 2050, one-half of the American people will have ethnic skin."

"Melanin-rich skin has unique attributes and special concerns that are best addressed under the medical advice of a dermatologist who is well-experienced in treating ethnic skin,"

Once again white people, you have no ethnicity!

10 days old

Life with a 10 day old son is just about the most exciting adventure one could hope for. There are of course the diapers and midnight feedings which one would naturally expected (though how hard it is to get myself awake in the morning is something I had to experience to truly understand). What I did not anticipate was the volume of nicknames that seem to flow quite naturally from both mom and dad. Here is a sampling of the names the wife and I have been using to comfort and engage our boy.

• Jamesy
  
• Bug-A-Boo
• Bugs
• Snuggle Bug
• Snugs
• Sugar Baby
• Shugs
• Monkey
• Squirt
  

More to come I am sure.

Captain Jackson

For those of you who saw the American Idol Finale last night, this photo might look somewhat familiar. Sadly I was unable to locate a good photo of Randy in his Bob Keeshan look-a-like jacket.