yesterday, major league baseball released the findings of their investigation into the use of steroids, called the mitchell commission report. this report, that cost around $20 million to compile is worthless. that's right, it is without merit.
now, i'm not being naive, or pretending that there isn't a steroid problem in major league baseball. and, barry bonds (former giant) probably did use some sort of performance enhancing substance. and, according to this list (summarized from the report) so did many other players.
but, this report is little more than fluff. it is conjecture. it is second and third hand reports. really, this report isn't based on any positive tests. it isn't based on interviews with any of the actual players named, with the exception of jason giambi. it's based on jose canseco. really, canseco? that's one of your reliable sources. or some guy that worked in some capacity for the new york yankees? or some minor leaguer that swears that this or that guy admitted to him that he took steriods?
well, most of those are shot down by a simple statement from the player, "no, i didn't do it." your word against mine.
and on bonds, the report seems to have some credibility. the report talks to his former trainer. but, the trainer didn't give him steroids, the cream, the clear, etc. the trainer says that greg anderson gave bonds a cream and some clear liquid. so, although this seems a little better, it still doesn't prove much because neither anderson or bonds will confirm this. in fact, i'm pretty sure that both have denied it.
here's what really interesting about the report: it doesn't mention the guys that actually have tested positive since steroids were outlawed by major league baseball. so, you have this "report" on the use of performance enhancing substances and you don't name the guys that have actually been caught? instead, you run with gossip and hearsay? it seems that mlb wants to have a big public show, pretend that it's "getting tough" and "cleaning up the league" but really won't do much else. because i'm pretty sure you can't hand out penalties based on unproven accusations. in fact, the report doesn't even suggest punishment, it does recommend that, "The commissioner should give the players and everyone else the chance to make a fresh start," Mitchell said, "except where the conduct is so serious that he must act to protect the integrity of the game."
for it's part, mlb says it will review the players mentioned on a case by case basis. but, i highly doubt any will admit to it, and unless you've got more evidence than the report, not much can come of the reviews.
now, they can pretend they've looked into and solved the problem. future big leaguers will never use any performance enhancing substances.
yeah right.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
video game causes sword attack
fresno, my beloved, continues to impress me with stories. a 31 year old man was arrested for assaulting his roommate after they got into an argument over a video game. the victim was stabbed in the leg and had some cuts on his fingers.
the weapon of choice: samurai sword. that's right, the assailant went all kill bill (i'm not sure which volume) on his roommate. or, maybe he went fresno state basketball on him. i forget what late '90's fsu player was also arrested for attacking a guy w/a samurai sword, but i think it also started over video games.
i wonder what they were playing. obvious choices would be:
heavenly sword
dragon quest sword
prince of persia: rival swords
red steel
less obvious choices:
tiger woods gold
rayman raving rabbits
cooking mama: cook off
come on gamers, learn to settle your differences in the game, not by stabbing each other over the game.
the weapon of choice: samurai sword. that's right, the assailant went all kill bill (i'm not sure which volume) on his roommate. or, maybe he went fresno state basketball on him. i forget what late '90's fsu player was also arrested for attacking a guy w/a samurai sword, but i think it also started over video games.
i wonder what they were playing. obvious choices would be:
heavenly sword
dragon quest sword
prince of persia: rival swords
red steel
less obvious choices:
tiger woods gold
rayman raving rabbits
cooking mama: cook off
come on gamers, learn to settle your differences in the game, not by stabbing each other over the game.
sometimes i think i'm big time
booyah! i'm coming up big on cnn's website right now. if you read this story about the australian rape case and scroll down to the bottom & click on the blogs, commentary, etc button i'm the first to show up. my first post on it.
in all seriousness, i still can't believe that the judge handed out that sentence. i saw another case about a rape in the u.a.e., where two men raped a teen boy, and they were given fifteen years. now, this case has some interesting twists because it involves the rape of a boy, so some may say that justice cares more for males. also, the family is crying out because one of the men has aids, and new it, so they feel he should have been given a much longer sentence.
asinine.
in all seriousness, i still can't believe that the judge handed out that sentence. i saw another case about a rape in the u.a.e., where two men raped a teen boy, and they were given fifteen years. now, this case has some interesting twists because it involves the rape of a boy, so some may say that justice cares more for males. also, the family is crying out because one of the men has aids, and new it, so they feel he should have been given a much longer sentence.
asinine.
week 15 nfl picks
a few games on alternate nights this week
thursday game
saturday game
weekend games
monday night
thursday game
| away team | spread | home team | my pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| denver | +1.5 | houston | houston |
saturday game
| away team | spread | home team | my pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| cincinnati | -9.5 | san francisco | san francisco |
weekend games
| jacksonville | +3.5 | pittsburg | jacksonville |
| atlanta | +12 | tampa bay | tampa bay |
| seattle | -7 | carolina | seattle |
| green bay | -9 | st. louis | green bay |
| baltimore | -3.5 | miami | baltimore |
| new york jets | +24.5 | new england | new england |
| arizona | +3.5 | new orleans | new orleans |
| buffalo | +5.5 | cleveland | cleveland |
| tennessee | -4 | kansas city | tennessee |
| indianapolis | -10.5 | oakland | indi |
| detroit | +10.5 | san diego | san diego |
| philly | +10 | dallas | dallas |
| washington | +4.5 | ny giants | ny giants |
monday night
| chicago | +10 | minnesota | minnesota |
instant coffee = yuck
today @ work they ran out of coffee filters. this meant no coffee in the lounge. but, everyday a catering truck comes around 9. i figured they might have coffee and i'd be fine. i went out there, saw that they had coffee for sale for 75 cents and thought i was in luck.
i ordered, and the guy said, "here's the stuff, you make it." so, yeah. it's that instant coffee, crystals just add water crap. i put in the right amount, add hot water and off i go, back to my desk.
holy crap. this stuff is terrible.
but of course i'll drink it. i'm just wondering if it's sanka, which is decaffeinated. that would be the worst, because i'd be suffering through terrible coffee w/o the mild pick up.
i ordered, and the guy said, "here's the stuff, you make it." so, yeah. it's that instant coffee, crystals just add water crap. i put in the right amount, add hot water and off i go, back to my desk.
holy crap. this stuff is terrible.
but of course i'll drink it. i'm just wondering if it's sanka, which is decaffeinated. that would be the worst, because i'd be suffering through terrible coffee w/o the mild pick up.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
art!
art happenings:
new post here
prepping for show @ the philharmonic @ the end of january
prepping for rogue 2008 - will be showing @ ashtree
should be posting more regular art updates on art blog as i'm actually working right now on stuff. love to work under a deadline.
new post here
prepping for show @ the philharmonic @ the end of january
prepping for rogue 2008 - will be showing @ ashtree
should be posting more regular art updates on art blog as i'm actually working right now on stuff. love to work under a deadline.
update on australian rape case
apparently not everyone is australia is retarded. the attorney general of the state said that the punishment was "manifestly inadequate," and, ""Any child under the age of 12 cannot legally give consent to sexual intercourse, so the relevance of the judge's remark mystifies me." well, i guess that also helps us know when one can consent in australia as well.
(and, yes, retarded works there because it means delayed or slow, which apparently some of their judges are working on some 18th century definition of rape. you, know, when they were still all criminals there.)
i really feel badly for this girl, because it seems this wasn't the first time she was victimized.
"Meanwhile, Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh confirmed reports that the girl was first sexually assaulted at Aurukun in 2002 by several juveniles. They were not charged.
Ms Bligh said the girl was placed into foster care after the incident but was returned to the settlement in April 2006, where she was gang-raped shortly after. "
damn. sad, sad state of affairs. reprehensible.
(and, yes, retarded works there because it means delayed or slow, which apparently some of their judges are working on some 18th century definition of rape. you, know, when they were still all criminals there.)
i really feel badly for this girl, because it seems this wasn't the first time she was victimized.
"Meanwhile, Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh confirmed reports that the girl was first sexually assaulted at Aurukun in 2002 by several juveniles. They were not charged.
Ms Bligh said the girl was placed into foster care after the incident but was returned to the settlement in April 2006, where she was gang-raped shortly after. "
damn. sad, sad state of affairs. reprehensible.
Monday, December 10, 2007
6 rapists slapped on the wrist in australia
"Judge Sarah Bradley told them that the victim 'probably agreed to have sex with all of you".
probably? no, i think it's whether or not she actually did agree. that's one of the big issues whether or not it's considered sex or rape, consent. so, either she consented or didn't. which is it?
"Judge Bradley later defended her sentencing, telling The Australian that the sentences were "appropriate" because they were the penalties sought by the prosecution."
well, then the prosecution are idiots, too. what does the law say should happen in this case? i doubt that the law says that convicted rapists should be given sentences ranging from probation to six months in jail.
at least activists have some sense about them, exhibited here:
"There is nothing culturally, there is nothing morally, there is nothing socially and there is definitely nothing legally that would ever allow this sort of decision to be made," she said, the she being Boni Robertson.
now, i agree with the last statement, but this case does demonstrate some of the difficulties of living in a society that is made up of different cultures. i don't know if australia is considered a "melting pot" like the u.s. fancies itself, but i do imagine that they do have a fair amount of diversity. and, it seems that this is a little bit (big bit) of cross-cultural dilemma,
"The case comes six months after a high-profile inquiry into child sex abuse in remote northern Australia said it found problems in every Aborigine community visited by researchers."
so here we have a case of sex between 6 males, 4 of which were minors, and one female. one ten year old girl. let me say that again, a ten year old girl. it seems that we may have some issue in aboriginal cultural of when is the appropriate age of sex. i although i admit to my ignorance here, i'm going to go out on a limb and say that ten is too young, and would imagine that their culture would agree, too.
so, ask yourself, judge sarah bradley, was she:
1. consenting?
2. able to consent?
if you can't answer both of those with a legal yes, than it's rape. and they should be punished appropriately, even if the prosecution isn't asking for it.
one fnial quote to throw into the mix,
"The offenders came from some of the most powerful and prominent Aboriginal families in Cape York, while the victim's family had a lower status, the Australian reported."
ah, yes, this may not actually have anything to do with cross cultural values. it's got to do with justice being blind for the right price, now isn't it?
probably? no, i think it's whether or not she actually did agree. that's one of the big issues whether or not it's considered sex or rape, consent. so, either she consented or didn't. which is it?
"Judge Bradley later defended her sentencing, telling The Australian that the sentences were "appropriate" because they were the penalties sought by the prosecution."
well, then the prosecution are idiots, too. what does the law say should happen in this case? i doubt that the law says that convicted rapists should be given sentences ranging from probation to six months in jail.
at least activists have some sense about them, exhibited here:
"There is nothing culturally, there is nothing morally, there is nothing socially and there is definitely nothing legally that would ever allow this sort of decision to be made," she said, the she being Boni Robertson.
now, i agree with the last statement, but this case does demonstrate some of the difficulties of living in a society that is made up of different cultures. i don't know if australia is considered a "melting pot" like the u.s. fancies itself, but i do imagine that they do have a fair amount of diversity. and, it seems that this is a little bit (big bit) of cross-cultural dilemma,
"The case comes six months after a high-profile inquiry into child sex abuse in remote northern Australia said it found problems in every Aborigine community visited by researchers."
so here we have a case of sex between 6 males, 4 of which were minors, and one female. one ten year old girl. let me say that again, a ten year old girl. it seems that we may have some issue in aboriginal cultural of when is the appropriate age of sex. i although i admit to my ignorance here, i'm going to go out on a limb and say that ten is too young, and would imagine that their culture would agree, too.
so, ask yourself, judge sarah bradley, was she:
1. consenting?
2. able to consent?
if you can't answer both of those with a legal yes, than it's rape. and they should be punished appropriately, even if the prosecution isn't asking for it.
one fnial quote to throw into the mix,
"The offenders came from some of the most powerful and prominent Aboriginal families in Cape York, while the victim's family had a lower status, the Australian reported."
ah, yes, this may not actually have anything to do with cross cultural values. it's got to do with justice being blind for the right price, now isn't it?
Sunday, December 09, 2007
david beats goliath at basketball
UPDATE: here's the story from the perspective of the l.a. times.
call it what you want, i'll call it a victory. when i heard that fresno pacific university, with it's undergrad student population of about 1000, would be playing usc in basketball, i figured it would be a massacre. i didn't think the sunbirds had a snowballs chance in, well, hell. i mean, this is the university of southern california. the trojans. the trojans whose head coach used to be in charge of the chicago bulls. the trojans who have a guy who may be the next big thing, o.j. mayo. usc! fresno pacific has got to lose to them, right?
i was wrong. tonight, the sunbirds pulled off a minor (major?) shocker by defeating the trojans 65-44. now, it should be noted that usc, realizing that they were playing a naia school in an exhibition game did not play their starters. but you know what, it's not like the other athletes on usc's roster are a bunch of losers. they play division one college basketball, the top tier for the men's college game. and they were playing against a little naia school that doesn't even have full ride scholarships for all it's team.
david beat goliath. i bet that was a fun bus ride back to fresno.
recognize fresno. there's some basketball being played in a small gym in southeast fresno. it's worth checking out. the tickets cost less, the crowd can be just as into it, and hopefully you'll have a good time.
(oh yeah, congrats to the sunbirds volleyball team. national champs. national champs.)
(and the men's soccer team finished in the quarterfinals of the national tournament, which is dang good, too.)
call it what you want, i'll call it a victory. when i heard that fresno pacific university, with it's undergrad student population of about 1000, would be playing usc in basketball, i figured it would be a massacre. i didn't think the sunbirds had a snowballs chance in, well, hell. i mean, this is the university of southern california. the trojans. the trojans whose head coach used to be in charge of the chicago bulls. the trojans who have a guy who may be the next big thing, o.j. mayo. usc! fresno pacific has got to lose to them, right?
i was wrong. tonight, the sunbirds pulled off a minor (major?) shocker by defeating the trojans 65-44. now, it should be noted that usc, realizing that they were playing a naia school in an exhibition game did not play their starters. but you know what, it's not like the other athletes on usc's roster are a bunch of losers. they play division one college basketball, the top tier for the men's college game. and they were playing against a little naia school that doesn't even have full ride scholarships for all it's team.
david beat goliath. i bet that was a fun bus ride back to fresno.
recognize fresno. there's some basketball being played in a small gym in southeast fresno. it's worth checking out. the tickets cost less, the crowd can be just as into it, and hopefully you'll have a good time.
(oh yeah, congrats to the sunbirds volleyball team. national champs. national champs.)
(and the men's soccer team finished in the quarterfinals of the national tournament, which is dang good, too.)
Saturday, December 08, 2007
big ced's famous bbq & cafe corazon - what a saturday!
check out my reviews of big ced's famous bbq and cafe corazon. (i yelped 'em as well.)
el olio wolof
take some time, and enjoy a little bit of el olio wolof, recorded thursday @ tokyo garden.
now enjoy the rest of your day
now enjoy the rest of your day
Friday, December 07, 2007
week 14 nfl picks
thursday game
weekend games
monday night
a fire breathing dragon blows into town on thursday night. that's right, el olio wolof will be playing @ tokyo garden after art hop.
malcom sosa, of rademacher, will also be playing a solo show.
and a two other bands, one named myriad encephus, one named wheels of fortune.
it's only $3. you should go.
| away team | spread | home team | my pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| chicago | +3 | washington | chicago |
weekend games
| miami | +7 | buffalo | buffalo |
| st. louis | +7 | cincinnati | st.louis |
| dallas | -10.5 | detroit | dallas |
| oakland | +10.5 | green bay | green bay |
| san diego | pick | tennessee | san diego |
| new york giants | +2.5 | philly | philly |
| carolina | +10.5 | jacksonville | jacksonville |
| tampa bay | pick | houston | tampa bay |
| minnesota | -8.5 | san fran | minnesota |
| arizona | +7 | seattle | seattle |
| kansas city | +6.5 | denver | kansas city |
| pittsburg | +10.5 | new england | pittsburg |
| cleveland | -3.5 | ny jets | cleveland |
| indianapolis | -9 | baltimore | indi |
monday night
| new orleans | -4 | atlanta | new orleans |
Thursday, December 06, 2007
art hop + post art hop plans
a couple of photos to share before i...
(photos may or may not be added later. blogger is quirky and won't let me upload photos.)
tell you all to go out and see some art tonight. we're headed out to tower mosaic, then over to broadway studios, and then corridor (i forgot the numbers). nick potter has a show over @ corridor, which i'm excited to see. if you're interested, we're meeting up @ tower mosaic @ 6:30.
then, i'll head home, watch survivor & an office rerun. then, off to the post art hop show @ tokyo garden. malcom sosa solo set, el olio wolof, good times, great music.
(photos may or may not be added later. blogger is quirky and won't let me upload photos.)
tell you all to go out and see some art tonight. we're headed out to tower mosaic, then over to broadway studios, and then corridor (i forgot the numbers). nick potter has a show over @ corridor, which i'm excited to see. if you're interested, we're meeting up @ tower mosaic @ 6:30.
then, i'll head home, watch survivor & an office rerun. then, off to the post art hop show @ tokyo garden. malcom sosa solo set, el olio wolof, good times, great music.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
crime doesn't pay
especially when you're stealing hats.
seriously, these guys were stealing hats from a sports store in visalia. hats? i hope you got a whole rack of yankees caps (i figure this is the crap hat people would steal). and how many hats can five guys steal? i'm guessing at least four.
the thing is, they crashed their getaway car and were all caught. brilliant. i wonder if they stole ginormous hats and it covered their eyes?
seriously, these guys were stealing hats from a sports store in visalia. hats? i hope you got a whole rack of yankees caps (i figure this is the crap hat people would steal). and how many hats can five guys steal? i'm guessing at least four.
the thing is, they crashed their getaway car and were all caught. brilliant. i wonder if they stole ginormous hats and it covered their eyes?
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
post art hop show
a fire breathing dragon blows into town on thursday night. that's right, el olio wolof will be playing @ tokyo garden after art hop.
malcom sosa, of rademacher, will also be playing a solo show.
and a two other bands, one named myriad encephus, one named wheels of fortune.
it's only $3. you should go.
r.i.p. pimp c
pimp c, aka chad butler was found dead in a sunset strip hotel in hollywood. this is sad news. pimp c and bun b make up the group u.g.k. (underground kings), an influential houston rap group.
u.g.k. had been on the shelf for a few years as pimp c was in jail for a few years for not paying child support. but, he had been released in the last year and they had a #1 album.
although i wasn't a huge fan, i did enjoy many of the songs they had collaborated on such as jay z's big pimpin. their current album had a song on it w/outkast that was very nice. i'm going to have to pick that up now.
it's still unclear how pimp c passed, but we'll know more in time. rest in peace, pimp c.
u.g.k. had been on the shelf for a few years as pimp c was in jail for a few years for not paying child support. but, he had been released in the last year and they had a #1 album.
although i wasn't a huge fan, i did enjoy many of the songs they had collaborated on such as jay z's big pimpin. their current album had a song on it w/outkast that was very nice. i'm going to have to pick that up now.
it's still unclear how pimp c passed, but we'll know more in time. rest in peace, pimp c.
Monday, December 03, 2007
banksy's new west bank art
english artist banksy has always impressed me with his subversive work. previously, he had done a series of pieces on the wall separating the west bank in bethlehem. recently, he did a new set which include the following (from bbc news).
Sunday, December 02, 2007
rademacher video
starting to upload some video i took at a recent rademacher show @ tokyo. i'll be uploading more @ youtube over the next few days, so check my youtube link later.
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