Watch me Steal a Rabbit from Your Hat
By Brian | November 11, 2006
From the “Criminals Get What They Deserve” file, we have three teenagers who tried to mug David Copperfield:
Copperfield, 50, and two female assistants were walking from the Kravis Center to their tour bus when they were approached by the teens [on] April 23. The assistants handed over money and a cellphone, but the illusionist turned his pockets inside out to reveal nothing, although he was carrying his passport, wallet and cell phone.
“He said in depositions that he had things on him, but it wasn’t difficult to make it seem like there was nothing there,” prosecutor Sherri Collins said.
And to prove that these kids still don’t get it, here’s a quote from one of the lawyers:
“Terrance was remorseful for what occurred, has told the truth about his involvement and would like everything to disappear,” said his attorney, Franklin Prince.
Hmmm….. Now who does Terrance know that can make things disappear???
Categories: The World Wide Weird | Comments Off on Watch me Steal a Rabbit from Your Hat
Three Blind Mice. See how they….see!
By Brian | November 10, 2006
Some good news from stem cell research:
BLIND mice have had their sight at least partially restored after scientists injected immature stem cells to replace damaged cells of the retina.
Maybe, given the events of last week and news like this, stem cell research will get a bit more popular…
Although, I should note, this news came from England, not the U.S.
Categories: The Future is Now | Comments Off on Three Blind Mice. See how they….see!
Christmas in November
By Brian | November 10, 2006
Ah, the joys of working in Rockefeller Center.
When I came to work this morning, there was an 88-foot pine tree sitting on a flatbed truck in front of my office building. I just went to grab some lunch, and the tree now has its lower limbs wrapped tightly in twine, and is hanging, horizontally, from a giant crane right next to the famous Rockefeller Center Ice Rink.
By the time I go home this evening, I’m guessing they’ll have it upright again, where it will stay for the remainder of the year, while workers spend the next few weeks covering it with 30,000 lights and a 550-pound Swarovski cyrstal star.
It’s times like this I regret not having a camera phone with me (stupid blackberry). Best I can do is this press photo from when they cut it down in Connecticut. Trust me – it look basically the same now, just much bigger, and surrounded by concrete, not grass.
Categories: New York, New York | Comments Off on Christmas in November
The Plots Thicken…
By Brian | November 10, 2006
Eliza Manningham-Buller, head of the British intelligence agency MI5, says her agency is tracking plans for roughly 30 terrorist attacks originating from Britain, including a plan to blow up the New York Stock Exchange, and other plans involving chemical and nuclear weapons.
Does anyone have any doubt that if this were reported a week ago, the Republicans would have been accused of fear-mongering?
Categories: Political Rantings | 3 Comments »
One more Election Post: Voting Problems…
By Brian | November 8, 2006
A quick note on my voting experience which, for the first time in my life, actually included a couple of glitches. Fraud! Conspiracy! Those Democrats stole the election! Nah…I can’t pull it off – my heart’s not in it…
Anyway, the local ABC affiliate ran this article, detailing problems with the voting machines in my hometown of Scotch Plains. Our machines weren’t the Diebold, touch-screen variety, but they were electronic (as they have been for several years, now, btw…). You push on a box next to the candidate of your choice, and a green “X” appears in the box. When you’re done, you push a “CONFIRM VOTE” button in the lower right corner of the ballot, the machine beeps, and the vote is counted.
While voting, I accidentally pushed the wrong box for one of the races. I tried to change my mind by pushing the other box, but the machine didn’t respond. After two or three tries, I realized that you have to push the first box again (to make the “X” go away), and then push your preferred box to make the “X” appear. I agree that this is a glitch, but it hardly seems like something that would cause “depressed voter turnout” as the Republican lawyer in the article says. People will complain about anything, especially when they’re paid to do so…
The other interesting twist was speaking to my mother after getting home from voting. When she went to vote, she noticed that my sister and I are both still on the rolls in Marlboro, NJ, where we grew up (and where my parents still live). I haven’t lived there since the early 90’s. My sister moved out of the town years ago, but has susbequently moved back. Still, they had her maiden name on the list (she got married in 1998). So theoretically, I guess I could have voted twice last night if I wanted to drive the 45 minutes from Scotch Plains to Marlboro…
Categories: Political Rantings | 2 Comments »
How I Voted…
By Brian | November 8, 2006
Since Jeff accused me of voting by foregone conclusion, I said I’d mention who I voted for and why. Looking at the results this morning, it seems just about everyone I voted for lost. No one ever listens to me…
Senator: Tom Kean, Jr (Republican)
Both candidates played extremely dirty pool throughout. All I knew about these two guys were that Kean was with Bush on the war (according to Menendez) and Menendez was corrupt (according to Kean). My vote here was, ironically, to keep the Democrats in check over the next two years (see my Pre-Election Thoughts). As expected, Mendendez walked away with it, though…
Congress: Linda Stender (Democrat)
I don’t know much about Ms. Stender either, but my wife met Mike Ferguson recently, and he acted like a absolute, total idiot (quick summary, before someone thinks he did something illegal: my wife was meeting me at Yankee Stadium with the kids and had car trouble. With everyone dressed in full Yankee regalia, she made it to our local mechanic, who was figuring out the car, when in comes Mike Ferguson – big smile on his face – and wants to campaign for Congress. Apparently, it took several “now’s not a good time” messages before he left her alone to deal with the crisis at hand). Party affiliation aside, I see no reason to send an idiot to Congress. That said, he won, so whatcha gonna do…
Freeholders: Her, him and the other gal (Republicans)
I’ve never heard of any of these folks, nor can I honestly say I know what a Freeholder does. My guess is not much. As a New Jersey resident who works in New York City, I’m much more interested in local politics in the city than I am in my home town, but they don’t let me vote in NYC. So I went Republican on the off chance they vote my way on some tax increase down the line. Meanwhile, the Democrats won. Ah, well.
Township Council: The grey-haired guys who I met at the train station four times leading up to the election (Democrats)
Again, these folks are low impact as far as I’m concerned, but they seemed nice enough, and the one guy actually recognized me after a couple of meetings, so it seems like his heart is in the right place. Good enough for my vote on town council. Apparently, two of them won and one of them lost. So, technically, I’m batting more than .000, although I’m pretty sure the one that lost was the guy who recognized me.
On the upside, I’m 4 for 5 in picking Presidents, so there’s that…
Anyway, I hope this little tour will convince Jeff to revoke my knee-jerk, neo-con status… Jeff???
Categories: Political Rantings | 5 Comments »
2006 Election Thoughts (Post-Election)
By Brian | November 8, 2006
First it must end, and then it will begin.
Here we are again at Election Day+1, and there are still significant races to be decided. The voters are done, and now it’s up to the lawyers and the conspiracy theorists. All I have to say is this: Please, God, let the Democrats take the Virginia and Montana senate seats. Although I prefer a Republican senate and know next to nothing about any of the four candidates involved , I just can’t bear to listen to the result of two Democratic leads turning into Republican victories in a recount. Mark my words: people will blame everyone from Karl Rove to the CEO of Diebold.
As it turns out, all the carping about how totally disastrous the first major election with electronic voting machines was going to be has proven to be nothing more than paranoia and fear-mongering. I’m happy to see the other party take the senate in exchange for a vote of confidence in the election process. Forgive me, for I am weak…
In either case, it’ll all be resolved by January, and that’s when it all begins. The question everyone’s asking this morning, of course, is the one I asked last night: What, exactly, is about to begin? If it’s significant progress in Iraq, progressive policies around immigration, stem-cell research, gay marriage, etc. then I’ll be glad to see it (and happy to vote for a 2008 Democratic nominee who will continue that progress). If it’s a series of subpoenas and congressional hearings, followed by emboldened terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere, then we’re in for a world of shit: including sweeping Republican victories in 2008 with a mandate to blow the crap out of just about everything. I’m exaggerating, of course, but I do believe that quite a bit rests on Ms. Pelosi’s ability to restrain herself. We’ll see what happens…
One other note: my iPod spit this out on my way into work this morning:
Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call;
Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall.
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled;
The battle outside raging will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls,
For the times, they are a changin’
Heh…
Categories: Political Rantings | 2 Comments »
2006 Election Thoughts (Pre-Election)
By Brian | November 7, 2006
OK, so I’ve been blogging so much about politics lately, I guess I should say something about the election. It’s hard, though, because my feelings are very conflicted this time around.
If the Republicans hold on to Congress, I have a pretty good idea of what to expect over the next couple of years: continued slow progress in Iraq, tough talk (or worse) with North Korea and Iran, continued tough policies on preventing future terrorism, tougher immigration laws, no change in tax policy, continued over-spending at the federal level, and lots of “sound and fury signifying nothing” over social issues like abortion, stem cell research, and same-sex marriage.
As a general rule, I’ve never bought into the whole “Republicans are evil, especially Bush” meme that the Democrats have been selling. If anything, their decision to constantly pound that message has made it more difficult to stay informed on world events, especially in the last two years. That said, I think the Republicans are drunk with power. And while the criticism flung their way is often distorted or unfair, I hate the fact that they’ve got so good at using it to distract us from valid criticism. I get the sense that this strategy has left them feeling immune to criticism of any stripe, which gives them an “above the law” mentality. Also, if nothing changes today, the 2008 presidential election will be more of the same “vote for us, we’re not them” messages, which won’t help me pick the next president at all. So, on balance, I’m for throwing da bums out.
But…
If the Democrats take control of Congress, I really don’t know what to expect. Their position on Iraq seems to be “Bush is wrong on Iraq.” Their position on immigration is “Bush is wrong on immigration.” Their position on taxes is “the Bush tax cuts were only for the rich.” And the list goes on. With this much time on the sidelines, it’s absolutely reprehensible that I’m not aware of 3-5 bills that will be sent to the President on inauguration day if the Democrats take control. Ironically, I can draw direct parallels to their criticism of Bush in the Iraq war: they have a plan to win, but then no plan for what to do after they’ve won.
Also, there’s this: the level of vitriol coming from the Democrats right now has me worried that if they gain control, they’ll spend the next two years ripping Bush to shreds in the form of investigations, hearing, and possibly even impeachment proceedings.
As I’ve said many times before, one of the unfortunate side effects of defining yourself solely by the shortcomings of your opponent is that you find yourself rooting for your opponent to fail, in order to reinforce your message. When your opponent controls the Presidency and both houses of Congress, though, this amounts to rooting for your own country to fail, which is subsequently perceived by the rest of the world as what Lincoln called a “house divided against itself.” Up until now, I’ve generally bit my tongue and accepted this sorry state of affairs as the price we pay for freedom of speech. Now that the enemy has CNN (and CNN.com) just like we do, our choices are either to crush dissent out of fear of emboldening our enemies, or assume that they’ll eventually understand our bickering as politics and not policy. And so while the consequences are real, we accept them in exchange for the benefits of the American way of life.
When the bickering becomes congressional hearings, though, a whole new legitimacy is granted, and the message to our enemies becomes very different. So aside from my opinions on whether or not the President deserves to be impeached (he doesn’t), I worry that steps in that direction will strongly embolden our enemies – either in the form of additional attacks, or in the form of a recommitment to keep fighting in hopes of America eventually backing down.
The bottom line: the Republicans are the devil known, the Democrats are the devil unknown. I’m sufficiently disenchanted with the Republicans to vote them out, and would probably do so if I could be assured that the Democrats would act like adults over the next two years – governing in the best interests of the country, rather than using the opportunity to institutionalize six long years of Bush-bashing.
Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to go vote…
Categories: Political Rantings | 6 Comments »
A quick check on High School Football…
By Brian | November 6, 2006
In writing the last post, I pulled up my High School’s football schedule, just to remind myself how many games were in a high-school schedule.
The Marlboro Mustangs weren’t exactly a football powerhouse when I was in school, but even so, I was surprised to discover that this year (with one game left to play), they are 0-8, and have been outscored by their opponents 364-27.
The most they’ve scored in a single game is 7. By contrast, the least their opponents have scored is 35, when they lost the opening game of the season in a sqeaker: 35-6. Also of note is the game against Toms River North, who defeated Marlboro by a score of 67-0.
The only word that comes to mind is “Wow…”
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The Best Football Game Ever
By Brian | November 6, 2006
As a member/alumnus of marching bands since 1983, I’ve been to a lot of football games. In fact, having just attended my fourth game in three weeks, I started adding it up: 36 high school games, 40 college games, 1 high school homecoming game (the year after I graduated), 15 college homecoming games since graduation, and 3 NFL games (including 2 in the last 3 weeks). That makes 95 football games that I’ve seen live. And this coming from a diehard baseball fan.
At any rate, given my rather extensive experience with live football, it should carry some amount of weight when I say that the Penn vs. Princeton game on 11/4/06 was the single most exciting football game I’ve ever seen. For those who missed it, here’s a recap:
Some Context: The game was at Princeton, but was during their Fall Break (a 3-4 day weekend in the middle of the Fall Semester that most students use as an opportunity to go home and visit family, friends, etc.). So there weren’t a lot of Princeton fans at the game. For Penn students, on the other hand, the game fell during an activity known as The Line, in which students participate in a 24 hour ritual that culminates in them being able to purchase season tickets for the upcoming Men’s Basketball season. Since “The Line” included a trip to the Princeton football game this year, there were several hundred Penn students at the game (in addition to the “normal” crowd that bought tickets on their own). The point is: lots of very excited Penn students were at the game.
The First 3.5 Quarters: Ho hum. The Penn placekicker actually made a field goal, which is exciting only in the sense that he doesn’t do that very often (Penn lost the previous two games in overtime, principally because the other team was able to kick a field goal in overtime, and Penn couldn’t reciprocate from, well, anywhere on the field).
The Fourth Quarter: OK, here’s where it gets really good. With roughly six minutes left in the game, Penn is down by 7 points, 24-17, and has the ball deep in their own territory. They complete a couple of long passes and make it to around mid-field. Excitement is building in the (let’s just call it “well lubricated”) crowd, as the potential to save the game becomes evident. On a running play around mid-field, Princeton makes an open-field tackle, strips the ball, and recovers the fumble. Dejection sets in amongst the crowd. But, alas, hope is not lost. Princeton goes 3 & out, and punts with roughly two minutes left to play. Penn once again has the ball deep in their own territory. The band plays some inspirational college fight songs. The team begins to move the ball. The crowd re-engages. With 49 seconds left in the game, Penn completes a long pass down to the Princeton 5-yard line. The crowd goes nuts! But wait! They’re supposed to stop the clock while they move the first down markers and they haven’t! By the time Penn lines up at scrimmage, the clock reads ~20 seconds! The players protest. The ref blows a whistle and has the time added back to the clock. The crowd goes nuts again! On the next play, Penn runs the ball into the endzone. Touchdown! Now for the extra point. Remember, as I discussed earlier, this is no foregone conclusion. But, in this case, luck prevails, and the kick is straight & long. Tie game! 24-24! Penn’s third overtime in three weeks. The crowd, well, you know…
Overtime, Part 1: For those who don’t know, college football has some very strange overtime rules. Rather than playing another 15 minutes, or playing until someone scores (“sudden death”), each team gets the ball at the opposing team’s 35 yard line. If one team scores more than the other, they win. If they both fail to score, or they both score the same number of points (e.g., two field goals), then the two teams each get another shot. This continues until both teams have had equal opportunities from the 35, and someone has more points.
In this case, Penn got the first shot. Now, remember, Penn is sorely lacking in the kicking department, so a game of field goals is a distinct disadvantage. Starting from the 35-yard line, Penn makes a first down (to near the 20), but fails to make another one. On fourth down, still around the 20-yard line, the field goal unit comes out. The crowd is excited, but cautious. The center snaps the ball to the holder, who bobbles it, and can’t get it down in time for the kick! He picks it up and starts running, tries several laterals, but in the end, Penn doesn’t score. Dejection once again sets in among the crowd.
Now, it’s Princeton’s turn. From the 35, they also get a first down, and eventually work their way to a fourth down situation. Their field goal unit takes their place. If he puts in this (fairly short) field goal, Penn would lose their third straight overtime game, in precisely the same fashion (botched field goal vs. good field goal). The crowd is screaming “Block that kick! Block that kick!” The snap is good, the center holds, and OH MY GOD, THEY ACTUALLY BLOCKED THE KICK! WE’RE STILL IN THIS! HOLY S(%&^(T!!!.
Overtime, Part 2: This time, Princeton starts with the ball, again at the 35-yard line. The first play results in a 10-yard penalty against Princeton, putting them back to the 45. The second play is a passing play, but Penn sacks the quarterback, putting them past mid-field. The Penn crowd, still celebrating from the near-death experience of the blocked field goal, is in an alcohol/football induced frenzy. Princeton’s next play is a long pass, caught on the Penn 2-yard line.
You could hear a pin drop.
So, first and goal from the two. Princeton tries three hand-offs up the middle, trying to jump over the defense for the touchdown, and fails three times. By the third time, the Penn crowd is screaming again. On fourth down, they decide to go for the touchdown, rather than kick a field goal. More screaming from the crowd. The ball is snapped, the hand-off is made, the runner jumps….and is hit by the defense at the line of scrimmage! No touchdown! The crowd screams! But wait – he landed on his feet after the collision and isn’t down yet! He laterals to someone in the backfield (maybe the quarterback? I don’t remember…), who runs around the entire pile, and scores easily. Now the (few) Princeton fans are celebrating, while the Penn crowd shouts obscenities at the referees for not whistling the play dead after the first hit. The refs ignore the fans, the Princeton kicker adds the extra point, and the score is Princeton 31, Penn 24.
Penn has one more shot, but the crowd is somewhere between fuming and gathering their stuff up to board the bus back to Philadelphia. Penn has the ball at the 35-yard line again. The first play from scrimmage is a 35-yard pass into the corner of the endzone, which the Penn receiver catches in full stride. Touchdown, Penn! OH MY GOD, WE’RE STILL IN THIS! HOLY S(%&^(T!!!.
Time once again for the extra point. The center snaps the ball, but this one hardly makes it to the holder on a fly. He doesn’t even have time to try and place the ball. So, once again, he’s up and running, this time to WIN the game, trying laterals when he runs out of room. Eventually, someone winds up with the ball and breaks around the sideline, headed for the endzone. The crowd, inexplicably, seems to be screaming and holding it’s breath at the same time. The Princeton defense approaches and knocks the guy out of bounds at the 2-yard line. In a last, desperate attempt, the Penn player fumbles the ball forward, hoping one of his teammates will recover it in the endzone, but it too, goes out of bounds just before the goal line.
Game over. Final score: Princeton 31, Penn 30.
It was Penn’s third overtime loss in three games, an NCAA record. ESPN’s SportsCenter listed the end of the game as #1 on its “Top 10 Plays of the Day,” quite an accomplishment for an Ivy League game.
As a band member and fan, I can’t imagine it getting any more exciting than that (except, possibly, for my team actually winning the game). Maybe if I watch another 95 games…
Categories: Sports Talk, University of Pennsylvania | Comments Off on The Best Football Game Ever