FYI

I haven't been around lately because I've been busy on campaign. I'm working on the Ryan Gailey for State Senate campaign out of Dekalb. His district covers Dekalb, Belvidere, and parts of Rockford. I won't be updating regularly until after Nov 4th. If you know anyone in those parts let me know so I can build some contacts.

Clips

The StL Post-Dispatch has some good cartoons http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=20386123&event=157573&CategoryID=0&picnum=6&move=F#Image

http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?userphoto=0&image=20513238&thispage=1

http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?userphoto=0&image=20528549&thispage=1

The single life gets a week
National Unmarried & Single Americans Week began in the 1980s as a way to celebrate the single life and raise awareness of the estimated 100 million single adults in the United States. Some groups call it simply National Singles Week.

Bret Michaels in Springfield for an eye exam?
Just weeks after the former Beatle stopped to use the men’s room in Springfield en route to St. Louis, Bret Michaels, frontman of the ’80s hair-band extraordinaire, got his eyes checked Tuesday afternoon at LensCrafters in White Oaks Plaza.

Wednesday Afternoon Quarterbacking

So I was going to do one every tuesday but yesterday was a bit busy and I was a little depressed about Sunday's game, but here is a shorter version.

This team was designed to control the ball get an early lead and dominate with defense and well it has done that for a good part of the season, just not the last quarter. The past two weeks have shown that the offense can move the ball for a couple series and score. The D has been solid until the last quarter, creating turnovers and points. We just need to work on finishing games and putting the game out of reach. While the Offense sometimes seems anemic the Bears have scored 29,17,24 pts respectively and that should be enough for the quality of D that they have.

The mistakes made were mostly mentally, like the Tillman call at the end of the game. While I understand why he did it, that doesn't make it smart. The Bears have been penalized 27 times 1 less than the league worst. Although it seemed like in the Carolina game the Panthers couldn't run a play without an O-line penalty the Bears kept pace with them penalty for penalty.

You just hope that his game is like the Browns game in 2005 when the team came together and said enough is enough and went on to win 8 straight. It's going to be a tougher road this time, with the AFC and NFC South teams on the schedule, and the Eagles ahead, but this is a team that I think can play up to and down to the level of competition. Hopefully, I don't get proven wrong.

Vid of the Day

Another Random thought: The bookmarks I set for work are websites of newspapers I have to remember to check. So they're not really my favorite thing to do. When I press the favorites tab, it feels like I should be going somewhere fun

Tuesday Afternoon Quarterbacking

Well everything pretty much went to plan in the first half. Special Teams play check. Offense moving the ball check. Solid Defense check. Then the Second half was marked by an inability to move the ball on offense and the inability to stop Jonathon Stewart in key situations.

The Bears in the first half far out played the Panthers, but the score 10-0 didn't reflect this and the Panthers were able to play well enough in the 2nd half to stick around and steal a win. This is a game that got away from the Bears. The Bears gave it away as much as the Panthers won it.

The game was plagued by penalties. The difference was the Panthers were eventually able to overcome them. It seemed like every punt or kick off return had a penalty forcing the offense to start with horrible field position. The fact that Brad Maynard had a poor game also didn't help. The mistakes eventually made this game to much to handle for the defense. The Olsen fumbles, the block in the back, the poor kicking, false starts, and the overthrown balls.

Offensive MVB: Matt Forte, second week in a row, didn't turn the ball over got the most out of every play
Honorable Mention: O-Line once again a decent game, but not as good as the first one. Orton didn't seem like he was in too much danger all game

Defensive MVB: Kevin Payne, he came back from a shaky week one start to force a fumble and play solidly

Lesson to be Learned: The Bears need to step on the gas when they have a team on the ropes. I felt that after the win at Indy they felt like they could hold on to a win here and just run out the clock . They needed to go after a win and finish off the Panthers before they could get the momentum on their side again.

Today's Song Tom Petty "It's Good To Be King"

Not sure about the Lion King video, but the song was stuck in my head

Today's Chuckle

Spellcheck for Outlook recommends changing my last name to Moonboot

Tuesday Afternoon Quarterbacking

Bears v. Colts

Well I had this game going one of two ways:
1. Bears keep pace with Colts for the first half, but Colts offense is just too much to handle.
2. Colts score easily on the first two drives and make it a blowout

Obviously I and 98% of people were wrong. New stadium and all. I have to say it all went according to plan for the Bears.
1. Solid, turnover generating defense.
2. Solid special teams, aside from Hester's boneheaded decision.
3. An offense that makes 3rd downs (10-16) an moves the ball with a strong running game and enough passes to get the job done.

This team seems more than the 2005 Bears that won with a amazing defense and a 3 and out offensive that just didn't turn the ball over. With Forte, Clark, Olson, and hopefully an array of receivers the Bears can be more offensively competent

Offensive MVB: Easy, Matt Forte (23 Car for 123 yds, 1 TD)
Honorable Mention: O-Line, big question mark performed (2 Sacks)
Defensive MVB: Stopping the run from the backside all game Adewale Ogunleye (Safety, 6 Tackles)
Honorable Mention: Charles Tillman (6 tackles, 1 FF) made the key play when it mattered

Dumbest Play: Hester bringing out the ball from the end zone after Vinateri booted it over his head
Honorable Mention: Ogunleye headbutting a Colts player
Honorable Mention #2: Refs not seeing the Colts O-Line holding the majority of the game

Biggest Drive: 3rd Quarter following Hester's mistake and a Manning to Wayne TD. The Bears, with a slim 15-13 drove from their own 26 to the Colts 34 before Orton was sacked at the 40. Maynard then punted it to the Colts 16, but the drive took up nearly 7 mins, allowed the defense a breather and changed field position. A 3 and out would have been deadly.

Best Sight: Seeing #86 Marty Booker back on the field making a catch. Sure he's not the same player, but it brought back a lot of memories.

Today's Randoms

Today's Jumble Wisdom

"Too many square meals can make one ---"

Well "Rounded"

Today's Stat

The Illini have given up 101 points in the last two games if you go back to the Rose Bowl.

Rose Bowl: USC 49 - ILL 17
Last Weekend: MIZ 52 - ILL 42

Political sign

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-platform/satire/2008/08/sign-of-the-times/

Blood and Death cab

No more blood drives?

An American team has found a way to turn the parent cells of other types, human embryonic stem cells, into significant quantities of functional oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

Also, a song thats been stuck in my head

More Illini move overseas & US Basketball

It looks like Randle is going to play in Israel and Pruitt is going to the Czech Republic.

http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2008/08/28/Sports/Randle.Signs.Contract.With.Israeli.Team-3406769.shtml

http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2008/08/28/Sports/Pruitt.Follows.Wave.Across.Atlantic-3406751.shtml

The popularity of the game has opened up many new markets around the world. I watched pretty much every USA basketball game in the Olympics (besides US vs. Argentina, the one I really wanted to see, but it was during work). It seemed apparent that while other teams can compete with the US for a while, the pure athleticsm and depth of the US seems to dominate. That assumes that they play as a unit as well. Spain stayed with the US until the final minutes of the game so all of it wasn't a cake walk.
Other things to I noticed....

• Wade looked really good. Watch out for the Heat this year, Wade looks back to his NBA finals form.
• LeBron was a force. LeBron just dominated the game at times on both sides of the court. We stole the ball, blocked it passed it well, and muscled shots through. I saw one play where the opposing team just hacked him while he was shooting and he went on to muscle through it and make a shot. Not like Jordan did, when he would make a miracluous shot out of nothing, but he just lifted his arms up and shot it like no one had hacked him at all.
• International teams couldnt handle the athleticsm of our big men, particularly Dwight Howard.
• The US definitely took advantage of Intl rules, by taking shots off the rim and pressing their defense harder.
• Chris Paul looked good, but he wasn't able to penetrate as much as he does in the NBA.
• Carlos Boozer must have somehow wronged Coach K because he barely got in.
• How will this effect these players later on in the season? Will there be fatigue issues?

Australia Pic

Giant Spider Thursday

you'll have to check out the picture

http://edwardsvillejournal.stltoday.com/articles/2008/08/14/news/sj2tn20080813-0806edw-giantspider.ii1.txt

The spider just appeared one day, Akins said, hanging from a web.Not fearing the creature, Akins grabbed her camera and took a few pictures of the species.The spider has since disappeared, but Akins sent the photos of the spider to biologists at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

"It's either a pet that got away, or one that hitched a ride on a shipment of goods or produce, possibly from South America," Theodorakis said. "It was probably hidden."

Theodorakis said the wandering spider is a species with a bite that is dangerous to both humans and animals.

Happy Belated Birthday

This is to my friend (and huge Beatles fan) Nikki whose birthday was yesterday. Sorry I forgot to post this yesterday and since she's in Korea right now its two days late.

Foo Fighters

Miscanthus to the rescue?

Surprising Things That Affect Memory(Negatively)
Tofu
Carbohydrates
Hot Flashes
Smoking
Statins (Positively)
Thyroid Disorder
Depression, Anxiety
Chronic Pain
Marital Status (Positively)
Fish (Positively)

'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution

a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine.

Until now, solar power has been a daytime-only energy source, because storing extra solar energy for later use is prohibitively expensive and grossly inefficient. With today's announcement, MIT researchers have hit upon a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process for storing solar energy.

Inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants, Nocera and Matthew Kanan, a postdoctoral fellow in Nocera's lab, have developed an unprecedented process that will allow the sun's energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or your electric car, day or night

Illini greats to reunite for alumni basketball game

Members of the 2004-05 and 1988-89 Final Four teams are expected to be well-represented. Williams, Dee Brown, Luther Head, James Augustine, Roger Powell, Kendall Gill, Stephen Bardo and Kenny Battle have all committed to participate. Others who have confirmed attendance are: Brian Cook, Kiwane Garris, Marcus Griffin, Sergio McClain, Victor Chukwudebe and Frank Williams.

Photo appears to show McCartney at Clear Lake Circle K

News Bits U Of I edition

New ethanol study shows grass outperforms corn

In the largest field trial of its kind in the U.S., researchers at the University of Illinois have determined that the giant perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus outperforms current biofuel sources, including corn and switchgrass, by a large margin. The researchers reported that using Miscanthus as a feedstock for ethanol production in the U.S. could significantly reduce the acreage dedicated to biofuels while still meeting government production goals.

Weber boots Jamar Smith off team, says he had 'no other recourse'

"Jamar's decision to violate the terms of our personal agreement for his potential return to our basketball program has left me with no other recourse but to rescind that opportunity," Weber said in a statement. "At this time, Jamar and his family need to focus their attention on the issues that have brought Jamar to this point.
"For the good of our program and players, we need to move forward and prepare for the 2008-09 season. While Jamar will always be a part of the Illinois basketball family, I have made the decision that he can no longer be a part of our team."


U of I Olympians
Williams' Olympic dreams now reality

Good luck to our Illini Olympians
Justin Spring for gymnastics, Emily Zurrer for soccer, Chris Robinson for baseball, Gakologelwang Masheto for track and field, Kevin Anderson for tennis and Deron Williams for basketball.

Sarah Castle, Patty Cisneros, Carlee Hoffman, Jennifer Ruddell, Emily Hoskins, Christina Ripp, Stephanie Wheeler, Steve Serio, Adam Lancia, Patrick Anderson, Tracey Ferguson, Edina Mueller and Grant Mizens for wheelchair basketball.

Adam Bleakney, Joshua George, Anjali Forber-Pratt, Jessica Galli, Amanda McGrory, Tony Iniguez and Tatyana McFadden for Paralympic track and field.

Kari Miller for sitting volleyball and Norm Lyduch for wheelchair rugby. GO ILLINI!

From Canada to Beijing: The journey of one Illini soccer player
Former Illini tennis star Anderson set to compete at Games

The Joker

The Joker was such a great character in this movie. His mysterious beginnings, his motives, and the acting. I tried to not be influenced by the rave reviews of Heath Ledger's performance, but there were definitely spot on. I actually saw part of "Ten Things I Hate About You" and won't believe its the same actor. Again, I do give away parts of the plot so you have been warned.

Anyway, the Joker is not after money, as the mob is, but seems to be out to prove a point. He seeks to create chaos, but show that everyone has a price, everyone can be bought. He shows this over and over, whether it be money or to protect loved ones. When Batman and Lt. Gordon are talking near the end, they say the he sought to prove that the best of us (Harvey Dent) was corruptible. I saw on TV they said that the Joker seeks to prove that law and the rule of law is a joke, because everyone has a price and the rules and laws of society can be broken for a price, so the laws that make everyone feel safe are a joke. I don't know if I believe that or not, but its an interesting take on the Joker. But that's the intriguing about the Joker.

Another interesting thing about the Joker is the situations he puts people in. The choice between faced by the two boats, the choice between Dent or Rachael that Batman has to make, the choice of killing Coleman Reis or destroying a hospital, or anyone of the policemen who are asked to betray Dent and Rachel in order to protect their family.

He also remains a step ahead of the police, the mob, and Batman as he intentionally gets arrested, supplants the mob, and has free reign over the city (he makes everyone panic and try to leave). In fact, the Joker destroys the mob as much as Batman does. Throughout the movie, you constantly wondering how he stays one step ahead of the game, even though as he claims to Dent/TwoFace that he doesn't have a master plan and that everyone else has plans and intentions.

The other interesting aspect about the Joker, but more about the movie is the aspect of terrorism. As the Joker says, think what I did with a couple barrels of oil, a few guns, and some knifes. What he did was push Gotham to the brink. As his escalation of terror picks up, he causes panic across the city and that is what terrorism is about, using terror and fear as weapons. Killing a few people, militarily is not going to bring down a large city, but inject those murders with a public displays and random killings and you have terrorism. In this respect, I feel the movie moves beyond the comic genre and makes political commentary about today's world. His acts are intentionally fuel the flames of fear.

As the movie climaxes the Joker gets to each of the three heroic characters. Harvey Dent obviously cracks and turns into Two-Face. Lt. Gordon's familiy is in danger. He, of course, antagonizes Batman the entire movie. The question becomes how far is Batman willing to go to rid himself of the Joker, who is threatening the city and Batman's very being. Will Bruce Wayne reveal himself? Will Batman kill the Joker? Is he willing to invade everyone's privacy to do it (another political statement)? How will Alfred's and Lucius's advice be taken?

The question is who will be around for the next movie, if there is a next movie. Both lead villians from this movie seem not to be able to return. There is still the Scarecrow, but that seems like a road we've been down before. Some have speculated it could be the Riddler (Coleman Reis or Mr. Reis although I don't know the comic stories) or Catwoman, with the mention of cats and body armor. Also, how will that movie compare with this one. After the success of this movie, the next one would have astronomical expectations.

News Bits

Employing microbes as sources of sustainable biofuels

Thus, their ability to capture sunlight energy and make biomass is at least 100-fold greater than can be achieved by plants. Also, they do not need to grow in arable soil and compete with food supply.

Nutrionist who helped create Cap'n Crunch dies

Robert O. Nesheim, a nutritionist for Quaker Oats who helped develop popular breakfast cereals like Cap'n Crunch and Life, has died at age 86.








Definitely a different era. I'll try to write something up on the Joker tomorrow

Dark Knight

So I've resisted writing a review until I saw it a second time or until other people have seen it. I generally don't like to read reviews until after I see the movie (which kind of defeats the purpose of a review), because I want to see it for what its worth and then hear what others have to say. So I wouldn't read the rest of this if you plan on seeing Dark Knight in the near future, but if you do don't read past the next two paragraphs.



That being said my reaction was pretty much wow. I don't remember walking away from a movie quite like that one. It's a dense movie with rich characters and story lines. I could probably go on and on about different aspects of the movie. I still am trying to remember everything that happened (which why I wanted to wait, but oh well).



In this movie, a sequel to Batman Begins (2005) the Joker emerges to be Batman and Gotham's main antagonist. The mob, reeling from losses from Batman and an a energized police force, turns to the Joker to eliminate the problem. The Joker, then starts a campaign of terror aimed at terrorizing Gotham and calling out Batman. The Joker sets out to destroy Gotham much the way the "League of Shadows" does in "Begins", except he prays on people's fears through terror acts rather than a neural toxin. The Joker continually antagonizes Batman and Gotham to test their limits and rules they play by. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), the new DA, acts as the "White Knight" to Batman's "Dark Knight". He is a hero who doesn't need the mask. He also is involved with Rachel Dawes (this time played by Maggie Gyllenhaal), who was Bruce Wayne's love interest in "Begins", and is caught between the two. Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman) also has a beefed up role as always one step ahead of the mob, but two behind the Joker. Alfred (Michael Caine) and Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) also reprise their roles as advisors to Bruce as he struggles with the problems he has created by becoming Batman.

The first thing you notice about this movie and "Begins" is the realism aspect. Although clearly, you must step outside of reality the movie tries to portray a modern American metropolis. Gotham is no longer a fantastic-looking city, but a modern city (Chicago). This is also shown in the characters as well. All of the characters with the exception of the Joker are people, who are fallible. They have their own positive and negative aspects. The movie does a great deal to make Batman's equipment and actions plausible. It all together makes the movie stand on its own as a movie and not typecast into a superhero movie.

The movie benefits from the first, because it doesn't take the time to build up the characters you already know about. The Joker definitely drives the movie, he is the cause of all the action. You could even argue that without the Joker, there is no Batman. Batman in this movie almost takes a backseat to the development of these new characters at times. He is the one reacting to the Joker's moves. He is the one proping up Lt. Gordon and Harvey Dent. There characters are further developed while Bruce Wayne is a known quantity. In that respect, (and I know this is an odd comparison) Batman almost plays Seinfeld opposite the Joker's (Kramer) antics and Lt. Gordon and Harvey Dent's (Contanza) struggles to keep up with the situation. But as in Seinfeld, Bruce Wayne has his own struggles while being the constant through which all the other actors play off of. He wonders what he should do with the Batman symbol, should he give it up for Rachel, give it up to save people, or how far Batman can go to save Gotham.

Anyways this is getting kinda long so I'll continue later

Local H

So the new album has been out for over two months now. It's a concept album about a breakup going through each month. As I said a while ago I saw them at the Metro and heard a lot of the new album. I think it compares very well with what they have done in the past. Here are a few links to reviews online:



http://www.jimdero.com/News2008/LocalH.htm

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/50790-12-angry-months

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/60238/local-h-12-angry-months/

http://www.lostatsea.net/review.phtml?id=1635907512482834927c579

http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kxfpxzrjldje~T1



They talk a lot about the content of the songs, which I normally don't follow that closely. If you listen to the lyrics they are a bit they are angry, but that's how its supposed to be. On a side note, after the concert one of my friends who had never seen them before asked why everyone there seemed so angry with the jumping, pushing, and crowd surfing. I had to explain that its just a high energy show and everyone isn't angry, but its just a release. As soon as someone falls everyone is always there to pick them up that's the great thing about the shows, you recognize a lot of faces and everyone picks each other up. Anyway, Local H is always a better live band than a CD, but this album more than others had more layers of sounds than I remember on other albums.

The One with "Kid"
Great opening song. Good intro before it gets down to business.

Michelle (again)
Another great song that fits right into their style. I feel like this could be single as well.

BMW Man
Didn't really like this song at first but it is growing on me.

White Belt Boys
An intense song obviously angry, "I hope you live a lonely life." Once again, this is a song I really didn't like, but is growing on me.

The Summer of Boats
This is definitely a departure from what you would normally expect from them. There's none of Brian's dominating drums coordinated with Scott's guitar. It's a song you'll probably never hear live, but I like it and its one of my favorites.

Taxi-Cabs
This is a song I instantly liked, but has faded on me. Now it feels droning and tired.

24-Hour Break-Up Session
This is the first single, which also features a cover of Wolf Like Me from TV on the Radio.

Jesus Christ! Did You See the Size of That Sperm Whale
Another classic H song with the line, "You're not a junkie, just a groupie, but only a groupie would ever want to love me". Very classic H.

Simple Pleas
Another one of my favorites, that I was suprised they played at the Metro. Lighter and maybe too melodic.

Machine Shed Wrestling
A song that has a nice, tight guitar sound with Brian's drums rumbling in the background.

Blur
A shorter song, which is still growing on me although I'll probably need to hear it more.

Hand to Mouth
A highly instrumental song, that is also among my favorites. A nearly 9 min song which shows how well they can put a song together.

Overall, this album was not as heavy as others with songs like Summer of Boats, Simple Pleas, and Hand to Mouth, but it still packs a punch with other songs. I find myself liking the lighter songs, but every once in a while you still want to hear Fritz's Corner or High Fivin' .

Vid of the Day

I saw this last night and I won't give anything away right now, but you should go see it. Chicago is very visible in the film

News Bits

Logo Development costs U of I $383,000 to $816,000 annually

Couldn't believe this when I read it I mean $383,000 for logos? But someone pointed out that letterheads, signs, and other symbols have to be changed.

Taz evolving in front of our eyes

"Since 1996, a kind of infectious cancer that causes facial tumors has been killing them off. It’s spread by biting, something devils do for social interaction, especially when mating.The tumors grow so large and fast that infected animals no longer can eat, so they starve to death. In some places, devil populations have fallen by as much as 90 percent."

Before the cancer appeared, virtually all female devils reached sexual maturity at age two and produced several litters of young by five or six. Very few female devils were capable of breeding at age one.These days, very few Tasmanian devils reach prime reproductive age; most die at two or three years. But the number capable of breeding at the age of one — what scientists call “precocious breeding” — has jumped 16-fold

Jim Edmonds marries

James Patrick Edmonds and Allison Jayne Raski, both of Creve Coeur, were couple No. 11 of the 25 who got married Wednesday at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Clayton.Edmonds, now a Chicago Cub, was better known to Cardinals fans for whom he patrolled center field at Busch Stadium for eight years as Jim Edmonds or "Jimmy Ballgame.''

Biking and Doughnuts

I've heard about this event before http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/donuts_16095___article.html/tour_cyclists.html

I think it would be cool either to see or compete. The race takes place in Stauton and the surrounding area and is 32 miles and 5 minutes is taken off for each doughnut eaten. Stauton is between Springfield and St. Louis From the video they look like Mel-O-Creams, brand I hadn't heard about until coming to Springfield.

Dee finds a place in the NBA

Dee Brown signed with the Wizards to be their third point guard. He had been playing in Turkey.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/illinois/cs-080710-dee-brown-washington-wizards,1,3786228.story

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/10/AR2008071002564.html

It should be interesting to see when the Wizards come to town. Dee is still very popular in Chicago. In fact, the original Bull, Jerry Sloan, (He was the Bulls first draft pick) was booed last year when the didn't put Dee in the game despite the fact that the Jazz had sealed the game.

Crazies of the Day

Recent Letters to the Editor. The first two are halfway down on the same page

blacks have no loyalty to their country
Opposed to Obama
I see that Colin Powell is going to support Barack Obama for president. I am shocked. There's gambling going on in Rick's cafe.
Colin Powell was secretary of state under George W. Bush, the first black man to hold that post. Powell's decision just reinforces my contention that blacks have no loyalty to their country, party of ideals. They are blacks first and foremost. Just ask the Clintons.
Letter writer Pauline McCottrell says that Obama is for all people, not just blacks. Oh really? Why then did he attend a black liberation church for 20 years where racism and anti-Americanism are preached on a regular basis? If he didn't believe in their philosophies, why did he stay there? Last year he contributed $26,000 to this church.
McCottrell also tells us not to play "the race card." Well, she's a day late and an Obama short. Blacks have already played the race card, as more than 90 percent of them voted for Obama in the primaries. Obama says he is going to change America. Sure he is, just look at his great record. He reformed his hometown of Chicago and transformed Illinois so that it is an example for the rest of the country. Yeah, right.
Perhaps Chicago and Illinois are a little too tough for Obama, maybe he should start somewhere easier like East St. Louis.
Leon Anderson
Collinsville

Gays taking over McDonalds
Not on the menu
Did you know that the McDonald's Corp. USA has added the gay agenda to its menu?
Richard Ellis, vice president of communications for the company, joined the board of directors for the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. This was confirmed by a senior member (director) of media relations for McDonald's who said, "McDonald's is indeed a corporate partner and organizational ally of NGLCC."
Do you care? Call 1-800-244-6227 or e-mail them at mcdonaldscorporation@mcd.co. And by the way, I see in the paper that "gay pride" has come to Belleville. Big Mac, anyone?
Barbara Bertschinger
Belleville


WallE too violent

"Just another desensitizing movie brought to you by Pixar (Disney) hoping to cash in on the fears of children. Frankly, I’m through with any and all Disney / Pixar movies. Within the first fifteen minutes of this “should be” PG rated movie"

Read through all the comments too and you'll find this gem.

"You probably let your daughter watch crap like “Dora the Explorer” - which is a propaganda cartoon brainwashing our children into believing that illegal immigration is good, and that we should all speak Spanish. Or, Teletubbies - the “mushroom/LSD” inspired show about 4 beings who can’t speak a word of english and are obsessed with “tubby toast”."


I think Bambis Mom is correct on this one and has a good name.

"Puh-leaze…if everything has to be som homogenized that every kid has to react the same exact way to every movie that is geared toward the, you’d be watching the same movie all the time."

Vid of the Day

And then test your skills http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/worldmap/worldmap.html

Song of the Day

Counting Crows- Another Horsedreamer's Blues

Invisibility Cloak Possible

Suntimes and News-Gazette have a story about two U of I professors who created a proof to build a invisibility cloak

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1030085,CST-NWS-invis29.article

Harley Johnson, an associate professor of mechanical science and engineering, and research associate Dong Xiao offered mathematical proof that coating a container with multiple concentric rings -- made of silicon and separated by air -- could, in fact, cloak an object from human sight.

The U. of I. scientists' simulation demonstrated that those wavelengths can be bent around a container coated with the rings so you wouldn't notice the container or its contents. Another layer of rings blocks the light from penetrating the container, further cloaking it from view.

The next step in the cloaking research is to re-create the experiment in a lab -- which Johnson says he hopes will be done within the next several months with the help of colleague John Rogers, another professor on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

"It wouldn't be hard to scale up to some extent,'' Johnson says.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/u_of_i/2008/07/06/science_fiction_might_soon_evolve_into

Bondi Beach

I went in the morning so thats why no one is there. It is a perfect crescent moon shaped beach and one of Sydney's most famous

Blue Mountains

Rose

So it's official Rose. I'm excited to see what he can do. On the other hand, he is still very young. Just a season ago he was a high school senior.

What's next? Well according to Pax working out deals for Gordon and Deng. It's obvious someone has to go. My concern is who is going to handle the ball. You have Rose who will grow into the role, but is still young. After that who is there? Duhon is likely gone. You don't really want Sefolosha or Gordon handling it. Possibly Hughes, but that not ideal. That leaves Hinrich who I still trust with the ball. It's clear that Hughes will probably have to stay due to his contract. Sefolosha is a player still developing. That leaves Hinrich and Gordon. Although you like Gordon's shot making ability you have think he is undersized, can't trust him to make point guard like decisions on the court, and he's asking for too much. I guess that begs the question, well who will want him then. I think the fact that he can score very easily will always be an asset to a team. Plus, in the right package it could work out.

I guess I'm just saying this because everyone is pointing at Hinrich to be traded. I'm saying ideally it would be wise to keep another ball handler around. Besides, he has a favorable contract (which makes him attractive as well). Regardless, next season will be exciting to watch.

Well i forgot to post yesterday. Oops I'll post an extra picture later today to make up for it. But I saw Local H this weekend. They have a new album out which is a bit mellower than previous ones. It's called 12 Angry Months. Here's a video of the first single off of it on Carson Daly. It's called 24- hour breakup session. I'll probably do a more in depth review later

Completely agree with this article. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/berniemiklasz/story/42BAAAF86025FA598625746D0014AB03?OpenDocument

I usually don't rant on anything. But this rings true for all Boston teams. At first you rooted for them.

• Patriots over the Rams the underdogs.
• Boston over the Yankees cause everyone hates the Yankees.

Now not so much.

• Celtics won with team completely built in a year. Didn't build a franchise, but just moved in franchise players
• Patriots with the spygate scandal and arrogance had me cheering for Eli Manning?
• And the Red Sox don't get me started on the Red Sox. At first, you were glad that they hated the Yankees so much. They had a chip on their shoulder. The Yankees were the evil empire buying (and also destroying) any star they could. But now that they've won the World Series twice now, the still taunt the Yankees with Yankees suck. I mean its like watching Luke Skywalker defeat the Empire and then have him taunt them on their way out.

Anyway thats today's thought more pictures to come

I posted another one yesterday, but apparently it didnt get up. So here's another one. Here's a Koala from the Taronga Zoo. We were able to get pretty close to them.

So I haven't posted in a while, mainly because I was in Australia, so I'll try and post Monday through Friday for the near future. Anyway I'll start by posting pics from Australia

A Rose by any other name

So it's been a while, but I should be able to post more often with session over.

So let's get down to it. The Bulls, so much to talk about. 1st pick, coach, direction. I'll try and focus on one topic for now, the #1 pick.

Derrick Rose. I'll admit that I didn't watch too much college basketball, but I did see both of them play in the tournament. I thought both were impressive. Beasley was a force down below and Rose seemed in control of the game. You wouldn't have guessed that he was a freshmen. Derrick Rose seems like a better choice given that good quality point guards don't come along too often. Beasley may be a talent, but forwards are plentiful. I think if you look at this season you see Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Rajon Rondo contributing extensively to their team, not to mention Tony Parker.

I think Paxson agrees, despite some reports that the Bulls have settled on Beasley. In the days following the draft he talked about leadership and how Rose being from Chicago would be counted against him. Paxson has always gone the route of college success and character. Rose would seem to make sense.

On the other hand, the Bulls would still be missing that difference maker, that guy that changes the game and as much as we like to believe Rose will do that, I don't know if that will happen. So there is that hole that need to be filled. That's why the Bulls need to think big this summer. Big as in big name. Do what they should and pull together the plethora of spare parts around and make a deal for a big name player. But that player has to fit within the scheme. I could go more into it, but I'll save it for later. For now the name is Rose.

Steamed Hams

Something just made me think about this scene today

Skinner: Superintendent, I hope you're ready for mouth-watering hamburgers.
Chalmers: I thought we were having steamed clams.
Skinner: Oh, no, I said, "steamed hams." That's what I callhamburgers.
Chalmers: You call hamburgers steamed hams.
Skinner: Yes, it's a regional dialect.
Chalmers: Uh-huh. What region?
Skinner: Uh, upstate New York.
Chalmers: Really. Well, I'm from Utica and I never heard anyone use the phrase, "steamed hams."
Skinner: Oh, not in Utica, no; it's an Albany expression.
Chalmers: I see.

Chalmers: You know, these hamburgers are quite similar to the ones the have at Krusty Burger. Skinner: [laughs] Oh, no, patented Skinner Burgers. Old family recipe.
Chalmers: For steamed hams.
Skinner: Yes.
Chalmers: Yes, and you call them steamed hams despite the fact that they are obviously grilled. [shows Skinner the grill marks]
Skinner: Uh ... you know ... one thing I sh-- ... 'scuse me for one second.
Chalmers: Of course.

Skinner: [faking a yawn] Well, that was wonderful. Good time was had by all. I'm pooped.
Chalmers: Yes, I guess I should be -[notes entire kitchen is on fire] Good Lord, what is happening in there?
Skinner: Aurora Borealis?
Chalmers: Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? A this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?
Skinner: Yes.
Chalmers: May I see it?
Skinner: Oh, erm... No.

Japanese Ambassadors

Japan now has two cartoon ambassadors. Doraemon was declared its anime ambassador earlier this year. Now Hello Kitty has been named Tourist Ambassador to China and Hong Kong.

The article also says that Hello Kitty lives in London with her family

Oreos

Reminds me of a certain Simpsons episode

14 tons of Oreos spill on IL highway
ASSOCIATED PRESS
05/19/2008
MORRIS, Ill. -- Got milk?Police say a trailer loaded with 14 tons of double-stuffed Oreos overturned Monday morning, spilling plastic sleeves of cookies into the median and roadway.Illinois State Police Sergeant Brian Mahoney says the truck's driver was traveling from Chicago to Morris on I-80 around 4 a.m. Monday when he fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into the median.Mahoney says the force of the crash ripped open boxes of the cookies, but their plastic wrappers kept them from covering the ground.The crash about 50 miles southwest of Chicago remains under investigation.Mahoney says no charges have been filed but both lanes of traffic remain closed while authorities remove the cookies.

Chicagopedia

A couple new ones at Chicagopedia

• Witchya - witchya / witt cha / prep. phrase. "With you." As in: "You mind if I come witchya?"
• Nodjew? - nodjew? /no d'jeww/ Phrase. Much-contracted way of saying: "No, did you?" Often used as an answer to the question: "Jeetjet?"
• Elgin-O'Hare Expressway - Elgin-O'Hare Expressway/ el GIN oh HARE ex press way / n./ An optimistically named suburban highway that is the butt of many jokes because it reaches neither Elgin nor O'Hare -- and is often backed up. The roughly six-mile road, located near Schaumburg and Roselle, opened in 1993 with ambitious plans to someday link Elgin to the airport. Yet it now only connects Hanover Park to Itasca, ending at U.S. Route 20 to the west and I-290 to the east.
• 588-2300 - 588-2300 /five ate ate too three hun dred/ n. The phone number and catchy jingle, drummed into our heads for decades, of Empire Carpet, now known as Empire Today. The jingle was penned and performed by ad man Lynn Hauldren of Evanston, who has also portrayed the mustachioed Empire Carpet Man since 1977. It's his former barbershop quartet singing the jingle, which now includes the "800" prefix. Remarkably, despite decades of advertising, Empire operators have been known to ask callers, "How did you hear about us?"

Ten weirdest computers

Here's an interesting article I found about computers

Ten weirdest computers

1. Optical Computing - light signals to process data
2. Quantum Computing - using qubits which can be both 1 and 0 (Bender would be confused)
3. DNA Computing - Not really sure sounds like has to do with DNA reading input and running progrmas
4. Reversible Computing - reusing the output signals
5. Billiard Ball Computing - using chain reactions there's a video explaining
6. Neuronal Computing - using living cells to compute which can be used to create cyborgs like in the video at the bottom
7. Magnetic Computing- not too sure
8. Glooper Computer - ions a chemical goo
9. Mouldy Computers - using slime mold to find the shortest route in a maze
10. Water Wave Computering - again not sure

Beer can coffin

I'll let this story speak for itself, no comment.

Click here to seek a picture and story

Man Uses His Coffin As Beer Tub


An Illinois man says he hopes to get his money's worth out of his new coffin, eventually. In the meantime, Bill Bramanti of South Chicago Heights says that his specially designed silver casket is serving as a beer cooler. The 67-year-old Bramanti recently ordered a coffin designed like a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.

The coffin's interior has a black liner to prevent seepage. On Saturday, Bramanti hosted a party and filled his red-white-and-blue casket with ice and PBR. The 67-year-old administrator for the village of Glenwood figures he can fit about 15 cases of Pabst inside. Bramanti ordered his coffin from a Chicago Heights funeral home and had a local sign company design the PBR can. He says he doesn't know yet how much the coffin will cost.

Illinois man orders custom beer-can coffin
The Associated Press
SOUTH CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. --Bill Bramanti will love Pabst Blue Ribbon eternally, and he's got the custom-made beer-can casket to prove it. "I actually fit, because I got in here," said Bramanti of South Chicago Heights.
The 67-year-old Glenwood village administrator doesn't plan on needing it anytime soon, though.
He threw a party Saturday for friends and filled his silver coffin - designed in Pabst's colors of red, white and blue - with ice and his favorite brew.
"Why put such a great novelty piece up on a shelf in storage when you could use it only the way Bill Bramanti would use it?" said Bramanti's daughter, Cathy Bramanti, 42.
Bramanti ordered the casket from Panozzo Bros. Funeral Home in Chicago Heights, and Scott Sign Co. of Chicago Heights designed the beer can.

Today's Music Video

Ebert Fest

So i went to the Ebert Film Festival last weekend and saw 2 movies, The Hulk and Romance and Cigarettes. It was a pretty good weekend. John and I got on the News-Gazette website under the photos section. I believe we are the 3rd photo. The best part was hearing Ang Lee speak after The Hulk.



The Hulk I thought was better than I was expecting. It probably would have done better if he had not been a comic book character. The movie was more character driven and not a struggle between a villain and hero, although his father is the villain it isn't exactly clear that this is the case throughout the movie. With superhero movies you probably want to have a clearly laid out villain and hero throughout the movie. Also the visual effects were a bit off. That being said, I liked how the character was developed and I liked the split screen throughout the film. The split screen gave it a comic book feel, while allow you to see different angles. I especially like the split screen shots of different faces which allow you to see how the different actors react at the same moment.



Ang Lee spoke after the film about his U of I experience and film making. He said he came to U of I because he wanted to act, but couldn't do it because he did speak English. He also said that his relationship with his dad fueled much of The Hulk's emphasis on father-child relationships. Surprisingly enough, Ang Lee also was the Hulk. He put on the motion capture suit to make many of the Hulk movements on screen. Another interesting moment was when Joe Pantoliano, who was in town for Canvas, asked him a question about how he deals with actors. He said that when actors believe they are giving a good performance, they are often overacting. So he says he picks them apart or confuses them when necessary to get a good performance. He said he is the 3rd eye in the sky for them. One of the more interesting things he said was that he was burnt out after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Hulk so he wanted to do a small movie that no one paid any attention to and only showed in art house movie theaters. After all he said in his own words, "Who would want to see a gay cowboy movie?" Of course, that movie was Brokeback Mountain.



Romance & Cigarettes is actually a musical starring James Gandolfini. Other big names include: Susan Sarandon, Mary Louise-Parker, Mandy Moore, Christopher Walken, Kate Winslet, Eddie Izzard, Steve Buscemi, and Aida Turturro. It's loosely based on the family life of John Turturro. who has been in movies like Rounders, Do the Right Thing, Quiz Show, and Transformers. It wasn't a traditional musical because while the actors were singing, they were singing with the original tracks from the original artists over the actors. In fact, it wasn't a very traditional movie at all. Best line I heard from the discussion afterwards, "Christopher Walken does a great Christopher Walken". It has some odd age arrangements. Aida Turturro plays James Gandolfini's adopted daughter, whereas in the Sopranos they play brother and sister. Mandy Moore and Mary Louise-Parker play sisters, but in Saved! Mandy Moore plays Mary Louise-Parker's daughter's friend/nemesis. Overall the movie was pretty funny and I really liked the ending too.

Subway

So Subway is good at catching slogans at least for me. Like if I hear Subway, I have to say "Eat Fresh". Now, I can't get the $5 footlong song out of my head and I check on their website and there is like a dance club remix of the song. Check it out.

LT pic of Cap

Obama op-ed from 1990

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_barack_o_080202_why_organize_3f.htm

Venezuelan TV Channel takes off the Simpsons in favor of Baywatch

'The Simpsons' yanked from Venezuelan TV

• A Venezuelan TV channel has yanked "The Simpsons" off the air because it may be inappropriate for children. Taking its place: "Baywatch Hawaii."
• Televen TV station spokeswoman Elba Guillen said Monday that the decision to hand over the daily 11 a.m. time slot came after the National Telecommunications Commission received complaints from viewers.
• It had to be taken off," Guillen said. "They consider it to be a series that isn't appropriate for that time because it isn't appropriate for children."

Articles

So here are some articles I've been saving mostly about biological things. Scroll to the bottom to hear an old guy rant about noisy Rock 'n Roll.

Feeling No Pain: New Form of Rare Gene Disorder Decoded

• Across the world about a few hundred people suffer from one of a variety of diseases that make them completely unable to feel pain from the time they're born.
• Surprisingly, the families were unrelated, but all of the afflicted members had mutations to the same gene

Naked Mole Rats Unable to Feel Burning Pain

• the hairless, finger-size rats are numb to the burning sensation that almost every other mammal feels when exposed to acids and hot peppers
• The researchers also found that nerve connections in the naked mole rat's spinal column are different than those of any other animal.
• The findings may lead to new treatments for human sufferers of dull, steady post-surgery pain

Profs study use of sensors in combat helmets

• The sensors, which are smaller than a pinhead, would continuously monitor brain activity and detect any change due to explosions, physical contact or other trauma. The sensors would record changes in the brain, such as blood oxygen levels and heart rates, and wireless technology would transmit the data to an off-site computer.

Tea instead of Toothbrush to Banish Bad Breath

• It’s impossible to get rid of these bacteria using only a toothbrush. But there is one thing that kills these bacteria – tea. Part of nature, people with get old and generations will not understand each other. It makes this guy seem really old.

Imitating Nature by Self healing materials

• Materials’ properties degrade over time due to cracks on a microscopic scale that ultimately lead to failure of the material. In the biological world there are built-in mechanisms that continuously sense damage and repair it. In the field of materials science researchers are now trying to engineer this type of behaviour into man-made materials, hence called self healing materials. There are already a few such materials but new research and development has focussed on materials that repair within minutes of damage.
• one in the US and one in the UK — have independently tried to create composite materials that mend themselves if damaged. In a manner akin to the self healing process of an animal’s broken bone
• The American initiative by Jeff Moore and his colleagues at the University of Illinois focusses on the problem by adding extra components to composites. Like most such materials, these composites comprise fibers, carbon fibers in this case, embedded in a plastic matrix (an epoxy resin).

No appreciation for noisy rock ’n’ roll

• To me, rock is something like a wrestling match, or a riot, with it's banging, pounding, crashing, shrieking, yelling, howling.
• The shrill was so ear-splitting that it was impossible to undertake a conversation or hear the lyrics, if there were any. Screaming, I surmised, was meant to get the crowd to gyrate along with the thumping and pounding of the musicians. Some rockers act like they're having a seizure and should be hauled away to the emergency room.
• the screwy names rock performers use...Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Cheap Trick, Grand Funk Railroad, Sister Hazel, Better Than Ezra. Led Zeppelin and, of course, Grateful Dead.
• Well, rock is bad enough, but there's a new song invention that has generated millions of dollars for its performers, if you can call them that. It's rap, one of the biggest con games ever created. If anyone really believes that reciting paragraphs instead of singing is music, I have a special deal for you. I own 100 original copies of the U.S. Constitution, each written in longhand. I'll sell them for $100 each, two for the bargain of $200.

Opening Day

Today is a semi national holiday, Opening Day for the MLB. While there were games in Japan and a few last night today is when most teams start. This should be an interesting season. Here's a few teams I'll be keeping an eye on besides the Cubs.

Tampa Bay Rays (Should be the Devil Rays, but whatever)
This team is like a who's who of current and former prospects. It should be interesting to watch there outfield, Crawford, Upton, Gomes and their infield Pena and Iwamura among others. I also think Shields and Garza are interesting pitchers. Of course they have no shot as always with the Red Sox and Yankees on top.


Toronto Blue Jays
Another AL East team who has no chance, but. I've been a fan of the Blue Jays the past couple years. They seem to have put some decent pieces together on offense (Rios, Wells) and some pitching (Halladay, Burnett). I've always somewhat been a fan of Wells and Overbay. Halladay just eats up innings and their bullpen of Accardo and Ryan (if he comes back healthy) should be good. I also think McGowan and Marcum have some potential at the end of the order.

Seattle Mariners
Surpisingly, last year they finished 88-74 good enough for 2nd in the West. They definitely have a veteran hitting crew; Sexson, Ichiro, Beltre, Ibanez, Vidro, Wilkerson, Cairo. They have Bedard and Felix Hernandez 1-2 and a couple vets, Batista, Washburn, and Silva there too. J.J Putz is solid as a closer as well. This team actually has a shot if all goes well. That's why it would be interesting to see a bunch of older guys, who are past there prime, do some damage.

Colorado Rockies/Arizona Diamondbacks
I lump these two teams together, because they seemingly came out of nowhere to win last season. They are both very young and apparently talented. The Rockies have a bunch of young talent; Holliday, Hawpe, Atkins, Tulowitski, but face questions in their pitching staff. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks have decent rotation (Webb, Haren, Davis) with some young hitters (Chris Young, Justin Upton, Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, and Mark Reynolds). It should be interesting to see if last year repeats itself, or if there will be a team sophomore slump. Not to mention the fact that the Dodgers are getting better as well.


Here are my predictions for the year in terms of standings.

AL East

1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Blue Jays
4. Devil Rays
5. Orioles

AL Central

1. Tigers
2. Indians
3. White Sox
4. Twins
5. Royals

AL West

1. Angels
2. Mariners
3. Rangers
4. A's

NL East

1. Mets
2. Phillies
3. Braves
4. Nationals
5. Marlins

NL Central

1. Cubs
2. Brewers
3. Reds
4. Astros
5. Cardinals
6. Pirates

NL West

1. Dodgers
2. Rockies
3. Diamondbacks
4. Padres
5. Giants

AL Playoff Teams: Red Sox, Tigers, Indians, and Angels

NL Playoff Teams: Mets, Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers

Not too many surprises there. I would go further, but I don't want to jinx any teams so I'll leave it at the playoff teams.

Species

Human Viruses Jumping to Wild Apes

• The research found that recent respiratory disease outbreaks among chimpanzee and gorilla populations come from great-ape researchers and ecotourists.
• Between 1999 and 2006 three chimpanzee study groups in Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) suffered a total of five outbreaks of respiratory disease.
• Apes can also transmit diseases to people. In recent years outbreaks of the Ebola virus—a severe, often-fatal hemorraghic fever—have arisen in Africa, most likely sparked when a person contacted an infected ape. And the origin of the HIV virus has been traced to a group of chimpanzees in Cameroon.
• In 1994 in Serengeti National Park, 1,000 of 3,500 lions died of canine distemper, which they contracted from wild dogs. Humans were indirectly the culprit, since their domestic dogs helped spread the disease.
• In addition Asian elephant populations of Nepal are suffering as their numbers dwindle from human tuberculosis.

AIDS Origin Traced to Chimp Group in Cameroon

• Researchers have identified simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in wild apes for the first time. The virus, which at some point jumped to humans as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been found in chimpanzees in Cameroon, west-central Africa
• The virus was found in chimpanzees in southeastern Cameroon, where SIV infection rates were as high as 35 percent in some chimp populations.
• Hunters in the region who caught and ate chimps were probably the first to contract HIV, she adds.
• Eventually the virus ended up in a major metropolitan area, which would either be Kinshasa [Democratic Republic of the Congo] or Brazzaville [Republic of the Congo]," Hahn added. "That's where we believe the AIDS pandemic really started

Herons in Chicago Wetlands Survive Exposure to Banned Toxics

• The researchers found polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs, and DDE in the eggs of the night-herons nesting in wetlands adjacent to Lake Calumet
• They found that the Lake Calumet herons appear to be picking up the contamination primarily from Lake Michigan by means of an invasive fish, the alewife
• Populations of black-crowned night-herons in the Lake Calumet wetlands have fluctuated in the last 20 years, peaking at more than 1,500 birds in the early to mid-1990s.
  Birders counted 447 black-crowns in Lake Calumet wetlands in 2005, the last year for which data are available
• "Wetlands have persisted in these areas because they were out on the back 40 of some company and people generally didn't have access," he said. These urban industrialized sites provide needed habitat, Levengood said, but are also "contaminated and degraded."

Articles about beer plus an update on the "The Great Illinois Corn Flake."

Anheuser-Busch heir arrested at underage drinking party in Godfrey

Eight Healthy Reasons To Drink Beer

Corn flake sells for $1,350.

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't had too much to post about. I've been looking up fantasy baseball stats recently, but that appeals to a very limited crowd. But here's an interesting article on the lineage of Clinton and Obama. A few highlights...

• Barack Obama is a distant cousin of Brad Pitt


• Hillary Rodham Clinton is related to Pitt's girlfriend, Angelina Jolie


• Clinton, who is of French-Canadian descent on her mother's side, is also a distant cousin of singers Madonna, Celine Dion and Alanis Morissette


• Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, can call six U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, his cousins.


• McCain is a sixth cousin of first lady Laura Bush.


• Obama's distant cousins include President George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry S. Truman and James Madison. Other Obama cousins include Vice President Dick Cheney, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Civil War General Robert E. Lee.


• Clinton's distant cousins include beatnik author Jack Kerouac and Camilla Parker-Bowles

Also, an interesting article about the economy comparing it to the 1930s. Here's another. They both explain the credit crisis.

Here's some news that will someday track you down 1984 style. The first is an article about face recognition software that doesn't even need to see your eyes, nose, or mouth to recognize you. Another technology can track where you have been using hair and the isotopes in it in relation to tap water in different cities.

Time to return to my favorite topic, the Chicago Bulls.

Well its down to crunch time and tonight's game against the Nets is important because they are ahead of us in the standings. We are currently 2 and a half games behind the Hawks.

So why is it important to make the playoffs?
Some people say that we should just scrap the rest of the season and shoot for a lottery pick. I think that is the wrong attitude. First of all, the Bulls don't need to get younger, there are enough young prospects on the team. Second, its more important to end the year on a good note rather than a sour one. Coming into training camp for next year it is important to build on something. If the Bulls play well down the stretch, that is something to build on. Without it, the season was just a complete waste and a case of taking ten steps back after one step forward last season. Third, this team still is very young and the playoff atmosphere is completely different from the regular season. The playoffs are all about matchups, stops, and strategy. Every possession is intensified. It would help players like Noah, Gray, Thomas, Thabo, and others to get a little more experience under their belt.

Next year
The Bulls can become better by subtraction. It is clear that there is no one who is safe from trades. The team is overloaded with guards right now. Duhon is pretty much gone. To stay are most likely Thabo, Hinrich, and Hughes. That leaves Gordon as the odd man out. The Bulls like Thabo's size too much. Hinrich's contract is okay if he plays like he did in the previous seasons and Hughes contract is too big to move. Additionally, Gordon while he is a scorer has tended this year to make more crucial, boneheaded turnovers. He'll go up in the air and lose the ball, have it striped, or make a ridulous attempt.

For the big men, I would prefer to keep Nocioni, Deng, Noah, Gray, and Gooden. Nocioni embodes what made this team good in previous years. This year the effort doesn't seem to be there on a team level. Nocioni is the player that always is hustling. They need his leadership by example. He is a good reserve player, who can come out and start if needed. He also has a nice 3 pt touch and drive. Deng needs to redevelop his mid range jumper. Some where between international basketball and injuries he seems to have lost his bread and butter. Maybe he was focusing too much on developing a post game, but the Bulls need his midrange shot. I think Noah is a very defensive, rebounding player. He goes out there with the same energy as Noc and that's the kind of player the Bulls are looking for. Gray is a nice reserve that can step in. He has a nature touch in the post, but does lack defensive skills. I like Gooden because he provides a strong, big man down in the paint that can push people around and take up space. He needs to be an enforcer down low and average around 15 pts and 10 boards. That leaves Thomas out. I like his athleticism and effort, but he's still too raw. Gordon and Thomas could provide an interesting package for a trade.

Trades and free agents
Tradewise, the Bulls are in better shape than they were last season. Hughes and Gooden are definitely improvements over Wallace and PJ Brown. The Bulls have many pieces in place for a major trade. I think the turmoil in the West bodes well for the Bulls. Some team, namely aging older teams, will not make the playoffs decide to sell and start young again. The Bulls have plenty of young talent and by the looks of it should have a decent pick in the draft. The key would be to get quality for quantity. The West could yield potential free agents looking an easier route to the playoffs. Elton Brand sounds good. I think this team still has the potential it showed the past few seasons. What is lacking is the effort, presence, and chemistry. Too often are leads blown or mistakes made. The longest winning streak is 2 this season. If they can develop some of the chemistry and presence they lost this season, I will feel much better about next season.

St Patrick's Day

Here's a pretty good article about St. Pat's Day. Among the Highlights

• St. Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who lived during the fourth century. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.
• St. Patrick was born in Britain as Maewyn Succat. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland where he became a shepherd and took solace in religion
• He is also credited with driving the snakes from Ireland, believed to be symbolic of him putting an end to pagan religions in Ireland,
• Until the 1970s, Irish laws called for even pubs to be closed due to the religious nature of the holiday, but in an effort to spur tourism and showcase Ireland, the law was changed in 1995.
• When some of the first Catholic Irish celebrated St. Patrick's Day, they were portrayed as drunk and violent. But their sheer numbers as part of the voting "green machine" began to make a difference to political candidates. Suddenly, the Irish and St. Patrick's Day celebrations gained more importance in America.
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 34.7 million U.S. residents who have some degree of Irish ancestry, which is about nine times the population of Ireland. It is the nation's second most reported ancestry, following those with German ancestry.
• At one time, wearing green was considered in Ireland to bring bad luck because mystical fairies of Ireland were believed to steal children who wore too much green.
• Some sources say the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held not in Ireland but New York City; others say Boston. Either way, though parades are now a huge part of the celebration in Ireland, that's not where they began.

So I've been busy lately, but I should more time in the next two weeks with no session. If you like to check out what I've been up to you could check out www.senatedem.ilga.gov. Look for any press releases for Senators Frerichs and Haine and I have done them.

6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon

So this is actually an interesting post so pay attention. (not that the others weren't). Most people know the game 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. Well, I found a site which is dedicated to that game. It is http://oracleofbacon.org/. Just type in the actors name and it will connect them to Kevin Bacon. Pretty cool. Kevin Bacon can be linked to Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, and James Dean in 2 steps.

It gets more interesting. You can also see who is the best center, meaning who is the most connected actor here. It is Rod Steiger, but the list includes the top 1000. Kevin Bacon is 1049 and not even on the list.

So check it out and enjoy.

A pretty good article about the history Black politicians in Chicago, including how Obama was helped by moving here instead of New York.

I thought it was interesting especially when it mentions William Dawson, who ran the Black machine under Mayor J Daley. You see from what I read in a book about Daley and the machine, the machine worked to the benefit of whites who feared blacks moving into their neighborhoods and politicians. Large housing projects guaranteed that Black politicians would get reelected and would have a representation. It also guaranteed that black residents would be stuck in those housing project and unable to move to white neighborhoods. So from Daley's perspective he could say he was helping black politicians advance while avoiding conflict in white neighborhoods looking not to integrate.

The article doesn't go into that much, but it is still a good article mentioning all the powerful politicians that have come from Chicago. It also lauds Illinois as the most average state in the US, a microcosm of the nation. Anyway, I thought it was interesting.

Bulls trade

So the Ben Wallace era has ended. What can we conclude and what can we assume for the future?

The basics
What we gave up: Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Adrian Griffin, 2009 second-round draft pick.
What we got: Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown

I think that we can conclude that Ben Wallace signing did not work as the Bulls had hoped. He was not the same player and did not provide the veteran leadership the Bulls had envisioned. When they brought him, they traded away Tyson Chandler. While Tyson has improved, he is still not a dominant player on a Hornets team that is very hot. (Due mostly to Chris Paul, who I think is quickly becoming on of the elite players in the league) While he certainly was not worth the price, he did weaken the leading contenders the Pistons and provide occasionally boost on defense and rebounding.

I think we can assume the era of the Post Curry-Chandler Bulls, the era of the 2003/2004 draft is done. In those drafts, they picked up Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Duhon, and Nocioni. It looks like Gordon is through. Possibly, Nocioni and Duhon as well. The Bulls have too many shooting guards with Gordon, Thabo, and now Hughes and Brown. It should be interesting to watch Gooden and Hughes. Shannon Brown is also an interesting player to watch because he is a native of Chicago and because of his time a Michigan State. While there are an overload of guards now (which would have been helpful a couple weeks ago when they were essentially down to Duhon and Thabo), there are more spots for Noah, Thomas, and Gray to contribute. The Bulls and other teams should get a good look at these players. They should be able to evaluate them for the future, and possibly for trades.

I'm taking the optimist's view on the trade. The Bulls still have a collection of good, quality players. They still have enough to attract free agents with a quality core or put together enough pieces for a superstar trade. They still have enough talent to make the playoffs, which I think should be a goal, regardless of how well they do in it. So while things look to be going backwards, remember that this is still basically the same team that made it to the second round last year in an Eastern Confrence which was stronger.

Sam Smith as usual has an interesting analysis of the trade.

A pretty interesting article on self repairing machines. I haven't had time, but I am planning posts on the Bulls trade and the future, as well as the Cubs.

One of my favorite Across the Universe songs

(Skip ahead to the song)