The New England Patriots traded their fourth round pick to Oakland for Randy Moss. Yup the Randy Moss who has said publicly he play when he wants to, has been in trouble with the law and had provided some on-field calibrations that we wish he hadn't. [Maybe Randy’s real problem over the past 10 seasons that he has been on teams that have lost much more than they have won.] This seem like a departure from the prototypical player the Patriots would go after however upon closer inspection maybe Moss is exactly the guy they need.
The Patriots have long held the philosophy that they need to build a team and championships first, super stars and stats second. In the 3 super bowl champion seasons, Tom Brady has never had a pro-bowl receiver [and true deep threat] to throw to yet they continue to win. This was done by adding the pieces to the puzzle to better the team. After last season, where the team went 12-4, they continually lacked real receiver threat which at times made them a1 dimensional team. In this off season, the Patriots added new talent at wide receiver and defensive backs addressing their two biggest needs. Adding the pieces to the puzzle.
The last big [6'4"] piece to the puzzle is a tall, fast can-go-deep wide out for Brady to throw to this fall. Wouldn't we all like to see Tom finally have a Pro Bowl season to go with his fourth super bowl ring? How about 4 or 5 pro bowlers from one of the best teams in the history of the game. I say if Moss can bring all of that back to Foxborough and fall inline with the Patriot way then welcome to New England Mr. Moss.
2007 will be known as the Summer of the Sequel! Spider-Man 3, Pirates 3, Shrek 3, Bourne 3, Ocean's 3, Rush Hour 3, Die Hard 4, Potter 5, Fantastic 2, Almighty 2, Hostel 2, 28 days 2 and Halloween 9. Ok most summers we get a few sequels but this is redonkulous. This could be the biggest summer ever. Now I know the box office take is always a little bigger than the year before but this summer we have franchises that have movies that currently occupy numbers 3, 6, 7, 10, 17, 22, 26, 30, 31, 39, 42, 54, and 90 of the top US 100 grossing films of all-time! Here's a handy BOTB guide to the movies I am excited to see and/or could be very good NetFlix rentals come late fall/Christmas time [in order of release]:
Spider-Man 3 [May 4] - Spidey goes all black suit and takes on The Sandman, New Goblin and Venom. Plus he has the eye of both Mary Jane and new comer Gwen Stacy. What's not to like.
The Ex [May 11] - Finally a Zach Braff film where he is not the 30 something tortured soul with a smoking hot girlfriend. Well he does have Amanda Peet in this one but Jason Bateman is going to steal the show.
Shrek The Third [May 18] - The kids are going to love it and with the original cast plus several new big name voices added to the cast it is sure to even bigger than #2, if that's possible.
Pirates: At World's End [May 25] - Ok I got sucked into seeing the second one and now I am 2/3rd's of the way through, I guess I'll have to see the last one [just like the Matrix].
Knocked Up [June 1] - This could be the sleeper comedy of the summer. Brought to you by Judd Aplow [Anchorman, 40 Year-Old Virgin] where Katherine Heilg is, wait for it, knocked up by Seth Rogen. Should make for some laughs and probably a warm hearted finish.
Ocean's 13 [June 8] - George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh have promised that this film is what Ocean's 12 should have been and they are returning to the formula that worked so well in the original.
Fantastic Four 2 [June 15] - Yeah the original lacked some sizzle in the plot but an all CGI Silver Surfer might just be worth the trip. Human Touch racing Silver Server around the city, good stuff.
Evan Almighty [June 22] - Can lightning strike twice? With Steve Carell taking over for Jim Carrey and the budget ballooning to $175 million it better.
Die Hard 4 [June 27] - Sure 2 and 3 don't quite measure up to the original but I have a feeling that the guy who brought us Underworld might bring us something special, visually anyways.
Transformers [July 4] - Favorite childhood cartoon and toy making the leap to the big screen should be fun to watch. Michael Bay directs with Steven Spielberg producing and Industrial Light & Magic on special effects should create a "more than meets the eye" film.
Harry Potter 5 [July 13] - Looks like the coming of age Potter film where Harry finally gets his gang or wizards and take on the dark lord himself. Plus Harry might finally get a girl.
Chuck and Larry [July 20] - Adam Sander + Kevin James + Pretend Gay Firefighters = way too many awkward situations and way, way too many puns.
The Simpsons [July 27] - After 18 years on tv you would have thought they had used nearly every plotline imaginable but after several years in the works Homer hits the big screen. Sure to be a big [big] hit with their loyal audience.
Bourne Ultimatum [August 3] - Matt Damon takes another trip around the globe kicking ass and taking names. This will be a nice change of pace from all the CGI heavy films of the early summer season.
Rush Hour 3 [August 10] - This time Chan and Tucker take their show on the road to Paris. I hope Jackie doesn't try any stunts of the Eiffel Tower, the French don't have much of a sense of humor.
John McClane and I would agree the only way to truly describe the 2007 summer movie season is Yippee-ki-yay... oh you know the rest.
Adjunct Professor Nicholas Winset was fired from Emmanuel College on Friday because of his in-class performance and discussion. Here is the official school statement on the subject:
On Wednesday, April 18th, an inappropriate incident occurred in an Emmanuel classroom which caused a great deal of concern within the College community. An adjunct faculty member made statements regarding the shootings at Virginia Tech University which prompted students and parents to contact the administration with complaints.
Emmanuel College has clear standards of classroom and campus conduct, and does not in any way condone the use of discriminatory or obscene language by any member of the College community.
Emmanuel College, like other colleges in the country, cannot tolerate any behavior or action which makes light of or mimics the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech.
At Emmanuel College, the well-being of our student body is a primary concern, and the action taken, which was to dismiss the adjunct faculty member, reflects this belief.
In response Winset has posted a 4-part 18-minute YouTube video because the media has not accurately reported his story. In part one, Winset oulines that the basis of the in-class discussion was to discuss both gun control and self-protectionism. Interestingly enough at the end of part one he was going to outline he lesson plan but stopped short. I wonder why?
In part two, Winset states he was encouraged by the school's administration to discuss the students fears which he went on to say that he found this to be "ridiculous" - "statistically" the students are more likely to be struck by lightning or hit by a perorate instead of a "mad man shooting" he continued. He went on to discuss, in class, his views on violence. How does this allow the students to discuss their fears?
After Winset gave the students his views on violence, he then told the class that they were going to do a short exercise in memory of the Virginia Tech massacre of April 16th. Note this was only 2 days prior to this class. He also comments that he is "quite the performer in class". Is his Financial Accounting class education or entertainment? He also comments how he typically shows music videos because many of his students are "hung over" in the morning. Is this fredom of speach or a mockery of modern higher education?
Then holding a dry erase marker as a gun and asked them to acknowledge he was holding a marker and secondly to agree to participate in the exercise. He didn't indicate that if the students actually knew what he was about to do when he asked for their consent and given the next thing he says, I think they did not understand what was going to happen. He states he walked about the class shooting students in a reinactment of the Tech masacer and then a student pulled out his magic dry marker gun, given to him by the professor and prepped in what he wanted to happen, shot the back at the professor. This was done to highlight his personal views on fighting back in a violet situation and gun control.
In part three, Winset defends his discuss stating he is a believer of discussing ideas which are generally controversial in nature. He then reveals the real lesson plan was an examination of the markets, real estate investment trusts or sally mae type stocks and there reaction to the V-Tech tragedy. He finishes up this part by stating this was only news because it happened at "a rich white school".
In part four, Winset takes aim right an the college and states that he is mostly concerned about his students and that they don't get a final or to finish his class which they "paid for". He also feels the root of the complaint is from a single student who is failing and has failed this course before. He continued by saying this was one of the least controversial issues he has discussed and he goes on to list several financial hot-button issues that he has discussed in class. Winset does takes a quick shot at the dioceses and their past problems and he closes stating that this kind of action by the college is the start of the end of the university system here in the US.
So who's right and who's wrong?
Winset. His in-class performance was unnecessary and very discompanionate. Studying the markets reaction to April 16th seems like an interesting discussion but using this tragedy to interject your personal beliefs on gun control and violence to combat violence is completely unnecessary. Could he have had this discuss without putting on a song-and-dance routine? Of course but unfortunately the performer in him wouldn't allow it. Maybe he should look for a new job at a performing arts college.
Winset also feels this is a new era of "prissiness" and that the students fears are ridiculous. Didn't every American have some trepidation the first time they boarded a plane post 9/11? It's natural. It's human nature. Their kids. I find it ridiculous that a highly educated college professor doesn't have the first clue about the mind set of his students. I don't find this issue to be about freedom of speech but rather misconduct at work in a place of business - let's not forget running an institution of higher learning is a business. If I was to go into my bosses office this morning and tell him that he is a jackass, doesn't know how to run a business and proceed to juggle in my office all day do you think there would be some discourse? Absolutely - and rightfully so. You go to work, you do your job and you perform that job within a set of boundaries. College, software company, restaurant, whatever. Every place of employment has rules and consequences for breaking them.
Winset said that the shooting at Virginia Tech was not news yet complains that the media has not given him the proper attention. This seems quite hypocritical and one has to ask, is this news only because it happened at a rich white catholic school? Further did the markets react in any way to the dismissal of a single professor in Boston? Maybe the answers to those questions would lead to a nice discussion to close this semesters Financial Accounting class.
Microsoft has launched the human face of their MS Live service called MS Dewey, who is protrayed by Janina Gavankar, best known for playing womanizing Papi on The L Word. Beyond being a typical search engine, Micosoft has given MS Dewey a personality with many hidden easter eggs. Some of my favorites are:
cowboy moi nintendo ms. dewey, just tell me google web design lord of the rings art terrorist weather da da
Here is a list of many [and many] easter eggs for MS Dewey. Enjoy this sunny Friday.
Got an email from Nike today entitled "A Different Kind of Thank You " and in the body it contained the following statements:
Thank you, ignorance. Thank you for starting the conversation. Thank you for making an entire nation listen to the Rutgers team's story. And for making us wonder what other great stories we've missed. Thank you for reminding us to think before we speak. Thank you for showing us how strong and poised 18- and 20-year-old women can be. Thank you for reminding a sports nation that another basketball tournament goes on in March. Thank you for showing us that sport includes more than the time spent on the court. Thank you for unintentionally moving women's sport forward. And thank you for making all of us realize that we still have a long way to go. Next season starts 11.16.07.
I guess Nike isn't going to sponser the Imus Ranch anytime soon.
I love Google Maps and I use it all the time. I love that Google has a public API for those of you out there who are of the mind to create your own mapping site such as Map My Run, Gawker Stalker, New York City Bar and Subway Map, Daylight Map, or For Sale By Owner [housing] Map. I really love that the Google Guys have a real sense of humor. Here are the drving directions from Boston, MA to London England:
6. Turn left at Milk St 0.2 mi 7. Continue on Central St 0.1 mi 8. Turn right at Long Wharf 0.1 mi 9. Swim across the Atlantic Ocean 3,462 mi
The truth is directions that span the Atlantic are measured from Boston, Massachusetts and Le Havre, France and are clearly impossible by car but I give the guys from Mountain View, CA for having fun with their products. Can't wait until they have added swimming routes across the other major oceans. Maybe for once we could find the current location of Oceanic Air Flight 815.
Today marks the end of Operations Management and the beginning of Summer Vacation. I guess I'll have to wait for the snow to stop this week before summer starts! It's nice to see some snow in January, oh I mean April? Ahh New England. What's the saying... Wait 5 minutes.
Anyway, it's good to get this semester over with and to have completed another class toward my MBA. Just 8 more to go and I will have my master’s degree. Then what will I do with my time? PhD? Another masters, say in Mathematics? Or maybe just be done with school? Who knows, that's a ways off.
For now I am looking forward to some warmer weather, traveling to San Fran in May and enjoying New England this summer - camping in New Hampshire, beaches on the north shore, climbing Mount Monadnock, running a few road races, many, many BBQ's in the back yard, rollerblading the Charles on Sunday mornings, and biking around town. I can't wait for it to start. Now if it could just stop snowing for the season we would be all set.
Lisa asked me this morning if I had trained for this year's marathon, would I have gotten up and ran in this spring nor'easter we are current having? I'm really not sure. Chicago was hard enough with the 26.2 miles and the very cold day [40 degrees/30 mile an hour wind] but today's Boston Marathon is something else. Sure the miles are the same but here the course has some hills so just that makes this race probably more difficult than most.
Today's conditions at start time: 48 degrees, 26 mile an hour wind, and heavy rain - now that is down right awful running conditions. At last year's Harpoon 5-Miler it rained a little harder than it will this morning and that was the most unenjoyable run I have had in years so facing this course today would be the biggest mental challenge and for those who are brave enough to take on New England's most famous foot race on a day where mother nature is really showing her full force, I say god bless and good luck. You are all my hero today.
Faced with getting out of bed and strapping on the shoes this morning, I'm not sure I could have done. I just don't know. Godspeed to each and every champion who runs the 111th Boston Marathon today!
The following are quotes attributed to Don Imus along with who he was referencing:
"Chest-thumping pimps." - the New York Knicks "William Cohen, the Mandingo deal." - Former Defense Secretary Cohen's African-American Wife "A fat, pill-popping loser." - Rush Limbaugh "I don't know how she gets that lipstick on looking like a rodeo clown." - Janet Reno, Former U.S. Attorney General and Parkinson's sufferer "I didn't know that Alan Bloom was coming in from the back end." - Posthumously about author Alan Bloom, after it became known he was gay "Old Kabuki's in a coma and the market's going up. How old is the boy? The battery's running down on that boy." - Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who died the next week. "I tried to put it in terms that these money-grubbing bastards could understand." - Jewish management at CBS.
And for the one that actually got him fired, which couldn't of happened to a nicer guy:
"That's some nappy-headed hos there. I'm gonna tell you that now, man, that's some -- woo. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like -- kinda like -- I don't know." - Rutgers University women's basketball team.
Well Don thanks for the memories, even if they of an over-rated, childlike, racist former radio host. Time to go back to your summer home you call a tax write off as the Imus Ranch for Kids with Cancer, say hi to the .7 of a African American child you claimed visited the ranch last summer and enjoy some of your 1977 Vodka and Cocaine.
Dine 16 feet below sea level at this unique undersea restaurant. Marvel at 360° views of reef and marine life, sip champagne cocktails and sample Maldivian-Western fusion cuisine at this spectacular Maldives restaurant - the world's only all-glass undersea restaurant.
So where is this amazing place? It can be found at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa Rangali Island in the Republic of Maldives which is an island nation consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean. The Republic of Maldives' capitol city is called Malé which is the densest city in the world. So now you have two reasons to visit this tiny country located off the coast of India.
I wonder, are we watching the fish swim as we eat or are the fish watching us eat as they swim by?
The 1924 Anti Scalping law of Massachusetts maybe out of date, no-longer applicable and completely behind the times but that doesn't mean it should be enforced. This law was created to help control the up-selling of tickets to events which now include sporting events, concerts, the theater and other events. Local agencies [StubHub, Admit One Ticket Agency, Ace Ticket Worldwide] are coming under fire from several lawsuits stating that they are breaking our laws with each transaction. The current law states a ticket can be resold for face value plus $2 and "reasonable" expenses not including the cost of obtaining the ticket. It is this loose language that the agencies have been hiding behind for years but that maybe coming to an end.
Just for fun, I checked StubHub for tickets to upcoming Red Sox games and found the following seats:
Bleacher Seats Face Value: $23 StubHub Bleacher Seats for 4/20 Yankees Game: $110 StubHub Bleacher Seats for 5/18 Braves Game: $41
Both tickets are for a Friday night game however one seems to be much more expensive than the other, why is that you suppose? Maybe they are not applying the same business expenses [again not including the cost of obtaining the ticket, which should be $23] to the very popular Yankees game that they are to the less than popular, yet still sold out, Braves game. maybe the courts should look into that too?
The next step in this case should prove to be very interesting. A Quincy District Court judge last week indicated he plans to force a Weymouth ticket reseller, Admit One Ticket Agency LLC, to identify one of its key ticket suppliers. This seems reasonable to me. They think the laws are unfair well let's let the law be judged fairly with all of the pertinent information - namely where do these agencies get all those tickets they are selling?
Admit One Ticket Agency LLC, which operates online as RedSoxTix.com, said giving up the name of its supplier would be devastating to its business. Why? It is because what they do is illegal? Or is it because the source of these tickets is not individuals who simply can't attend but corporations that are holding back tickets and selling them through an agent to push the price higher by restricting the supply? Or maybe we would find that these tickets are being given to corporations as sponsors and then they are being resold ont he open market without the original purchaser knowing? Or maybe these tickets are flowing from individuals to the agencies but it is all in cash to the profit from buying and selling tickets is not being reported to the IRS?
What ever the "reason" these agencies don't want to publicly discuss how it all works seems like a bigger reason that we should. That and I too get pissed off that $23 Red Sox Yankee tickets cost $110 if I want to go.
Tomorrow mark's the 74th anniversary of the beginning of the end of prohibition. On April 7 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law an amendment to the Volstead Act known as the Cullen-Harrison bill allowing the manufacture and sale of "3.2 beer" (3.2 percent alcohol by weight). Eight months later, December 5th to be exact, the 21 Amendment was ratified ending probation.
So what do you call the day where beer could be enjoyed again here in the us? Brew Years Eve of course. The Brewers Association's website has some additional information on this holiday as well as some local listing for events [sorry none listed for Massachusetts - at least none listed on their site].
Also this weekend is the debut of a Here's To Beer documentary called American Brew which is a hour long journey through the rich history of American Beer. It will be broadcast on A&E April 07 at 10pm/9C and April 08 at 2am/1C. Don't forget to set your DVR before heading out to your local Brew Years Eve celebration.
So tomorrow, lift and pint of your favorite brew and, say it with me, Hoppy Brew Years Eve! Just had to do it. Cheers.
NBC is launching a new show called Thank God Your Here which is a new twist on Drew Carey's Whose Line Is It Anyway? TGYH takes 4 comedic actors, dresses them up and figuratively shove them on stage into a scene and let them improv their way through. At first I thought this was going to be boring but after watching the first episode online it looks pretty good. Wayne Knight was my favorite and I think looked most comfortable improving his scene. Bryan Cranston [Jerry's Dentist on Seinfeld] was very good too although I could have done with a little less guy-on-guy kissing [the first time is funny, the third becomes creepy]. The show premiere’s on Monday April 9th or you can watch it right now on NBC.com. I am looking forward to other celeb's that will take the challenge.
The Knight Industries Two Thousand, or KITT, car [don't confuse this for the KARR car] is for sale - well at least one of them is. There were only four documented "camera cars" used for the 4 year run of Knight Rider and a Dublin auto dealership is offering their KITT for purchase. The car belongs to Tim Russo of Livermore and is being offered by Johnny "Vette" Verhoek of Kassabian Motors has this prize 80's icon for sale at the low, low price of $149,995.
In case you were wondering, KITT is a black 1982 Pontiac Trans Am with many modifications including Computer AI, Alpha Circuit, Molecular Bonded Shell, Pyroclastic Lamination, Turbo Boost, Voice Synthesizer, Etymotic Equalizer, and Microscanners. Unfortunately the camera car version does not include of of these features and is not even street legal.
This would be the perfect match for the person who bought the SS Minnow and they could tour the country - KITT towing the Minnow bringing back all of those forgotten TV memories.
Today marks opening day for your Boston Red Sox where Curt Schilling gets the call to lead the hometown heroes into the 2007 season. [We will have to wait until April 10th for the Sox home opening day game against the Seattle Mariners where, ironically, Schill should get the start again.]
This week we will also get our first Dice-K start of the year and this is probably the most anticipated game of this April for Sox Nation. Will he be the start we all hope he will be? In 3 days we will get our first look.
With a rotation that also includes Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefeild - not to mention Jon Lester and Matt Clement who on injured reserve - and Jonathan Papelbon closing dare I say "This could be the year - again"? Go Sox!
