Base10Blog
Sunday, December 31, 2006
 
Happy New Year!

The Jets are in! The Boys in Green defeated Oakland 23-3 in a decisive victory and got into the second season today. There is much rejoicing in the borough of Queens!

Seriously, what a great way to start the year. There'll be more to write about the Jets this week, but Base10 is just basking in it right now. We will likely face either Indy or New England, but even that question is undecided as of this writing. Whatever. We are playing next week, and that's the most important thing. Anything can happen in the postseason. You control your fate. Just win, and go on to play next week.


Friday, December 29, 2006
 
Global Warming! Ahhhhhh!
Check out this article in CNN:

"Ancient ice shelf breaks free from Canadian Arctic" - CNN.

The "science" article contains such alarming phrases as "a dramatic and disturbing event," "crossing climate thresholds" and "consistent with climate change." However, unless you read closely you wouldn't see that this "dramatic and disturbing event" happened over a year and third ago. Nobody noticed until now.
 
Sports Notes
I'm not normally a big Phil Mushnick fan. He's a curmudgeon, basically. But anyone who trashes Joe Theismann and Monday Night Football is okay by me. Mushnick notes that Suzy Kolber interviewed the Williams sisters on the sidelines during the game:
Kolber tried to make the session football-relevant. Noting that the Dolphins are out of the hunt, "playing for pride," she then asked, "So if you're on the court and [there's] no title at the end of the match, what motivates you?"

Of course, the tennis played by the Williams sisters is overwhelmingly single-elimination - lose and you're out. And until you lose, there's always a title at stake. But these days, ESPN's bus to Stupidtown - far, far from the game - leaves every few minutes. All aboard!

I like Suzy Kolber, and this is one of those interviews that you have to do during MNF, but Mushnick has a point. For other examples of stupidity by our buddy Joe, read the whole article.

In other sports news, the Scarlet Knights won their first bowl game ever last night defeating Kansas St. 37-10.

Meanwhile, also at the Post, Steve Serby finally shows some love to Chad Pennington and the Jets. Base10 will be watching closely on Sunday. Click here for a preview. In other good news, the NFL is letting both CBS and FOX broadcast two double headers on Sunday.

Finally, Base10's NCAAF Bowl pool is still going on. He is 6 for 12. Not too shabby, but Base10 is hardly running away with it. There are seveal games today, although none are particularly compelling. The only ranked team playing is 24th rated Oregon St. against Missouri. Tomorrow's game of interest is Texas and Iowa. Base10 will be watching.
 
This Might Be Good News
Islamist extremists have retreated from Mogadishu and the war-torn city was retaken by Somali government forces backed by Ethiopian troops.
 
Digital Top Models
Male (and non-traditional female) readers should check out the absolutely smoking digital representation of Adrianne "America's Top Model" Curry over at Gizmodo. Base10 is, of course, still waiting for the asian girl robot he was promised back in '05.
 
They Said You Was Hung!
And they was right. Maybe this weekend.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
 
RIP, Mr. President
The morning news showed President Ford passed away. While Ford will never be remembered as a great president, Patrick Moynihan once described him as a decent man who inspired decency in others.

UPDATE: While everyone remembers Ford as a bit of a bumbler (mostly due to the early days of Chevy Chase on SNL) he was actually quite the athlete. He played center for Michigan and was on their team for two of their national championships in 1932 and '33. Click here for an MSNBC article. Interestingly, he also is apparently the only president to ever tackle a Heisman Trophy winner. Go Wolverines!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
 
A Win and We're In!
Base10's beloved Jets defeated the Miami Dolphins last night in a tough game in the rain. Final score: 13-10. Is this great, or what? As I wrote yesterday, the Jets control their own destiny. If they beat Oakland (2-13) next week, they are in. The early line has the Jets laying 12.5 to 13. If the playoffs started today, we'd be playing the Colts on Wildcard Weekend. As it stands, if we get into the playoffs, we'll probably play either the Colts or the Pats. I prefer the Colts, I'd rather not deal with the Pats again.

UPDATE: Base10 was perusing the NY Post for Jets stories, but most of the colmnists were discussing how much the Giants sucked rather than talking about the Jets win. Granted that it was a Monday night game with a late ending, but still, where is the love? It occured to me that next week's game creates a lot of pressure. What if you lose to the worst team in football? That could be the biggest collapse in sports since the Yankees lost to the 'Sox in the ALCS. Then again if you lose to Oakland with a playoff game on the line, you have no business in the post-season anyway.
Monday, December 25, 2006
 
Fascist, Smascist
There's a little mini-stir in the blogosphere about a New York Times Book Review writer calling Robert Heinlein a fascist. Instapundit noted that a review of John Scalzi's new book (I must get around to reading Old Man's War) and the author compared it to Starship Troopers. Here's the original quote:
Heinlein’s military sci-fi, particularly the book that practically invented the genre, “Starship Troopers,” has not aged well, to put it mildly. First published in 1959, when America’s misadventure in Korea was over and its intervention in Vietnam was hardly a twinkle in John F. Kennedy’s eye, “Starship Troopers” tells of the education of a naïve young man who enlists in a futuristic infantry unit. Raised by his father to believe that the practice of war is obsolete, the immature soldier — and, by extension, the reader — is instructed through a series of deep space combat missions that war is not only unavoidable, it is vital and even noble. While peace, Heinlein writes, is merely “a condition in which no civilian pays any attention to military casualties,” war is what wins man his so-called unalienable rights and secures his liberty. The practice of war is as natural as voting; both are fundamental applications of force, “naked and raw, the Power of the Rods and the Ax.”

From here the book starts to get a little scary. Frame it as a cautionary tale if it helps you sleep better, but to a contemporary reader it is almost impossible to interpret the novel as anything other than an endorsement of fascism, from an era when the f-word wasn’t just a pejorative suffix to be attached to any philosophy you disagreed with. Taken literally — and there is no indication that Heinlein meant otherwise....

Richard Miniter writes about it a pajamas media. Also a good read is this link to Spider Robinson's defense of Heinlein.

Frankly, I don't think the comments were all that bad. Especially when you note the writer's self-effacing comments at the end:
If [Scalzi] uses [his] work to articulate a firm position on the political issues that will inevitably define his historical moment, take a stance that considerate readers might potentially disagree with, and even risk the possibility that a half-century later, some petulant, know-nothing critic will dismiss his ideas as dangerous and obsolete, then Scalzi truly will have earned his place alongside Heinlein in the canon of military science fiction — and not a moment too soon.

 
This is The Way To Raise Money
"'Tis the season to bare (almost) all for charity" - CNN.
 
RIP, James Brown
James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, passed away last night. The angels must have needed a new frontman.
 
Papi Fidel Death Watch
I feel fine.
 
Joy in Mudville?
Not quite, but the Jets received a remarkable gift this Christmas Eve. They now control their own destiny. Today, New England beat Jacksonville and Denver beat Cincy. This means that now the Broncos have 9 wins while the Jaguars and Cincy now have 8. If the Jets win tomorrow, they will also have 9 wins, basically tying with Denver. If the Jets go on to win next week against Oakland, they will be guaranteed a playoff berth. Not too shabby for a team that was supposed the get, at most, five wins this year. I think Mangini should should get coach of the year out of this one, if it happens.

I have to say, I am really digging NFL parity. Two game remain tomorrow, with playoff implications and even next week--the last week of the season--several teams are still in the hunt. What a game!

On the NFL Network issue, there is still no progress. Interestingly, the NFL has offered to televise the Rutgers Bowl game (to which they have the rights) for free. I will get this game at least, but while my carrier RCN has the NFL Network already (but not the pro games) so I'll get Rutgers. Time-Warner is apparently saying "no thank you" to the offer.

That's enough for now. Base10 spent a quiet day at home but cooked up a storm! I've made an interesting discovery. A bit of cabernet can improve the taste of just about anything!
Monday, December 18, 2006
 
Joy in Mudville!
The Jets dismantled the Vikings yesterday afternoon. It was nice to get a win that way, even though the game started with a Viking touchdown and a blown Nugent fieldgoal (largely due to a bad snap). Final score: 26-13.

What else can one say? The playoff picture is still pretty murky. If we end up tied with Jacksonville, they win because they beat us head-to-head. If it is a three-way tie for the wildcard, it is basically decided by conference record. We play Miami and Oakland and so can improve, but even here, all the clubs are hovering around the same mark.

Speaking of playoff implications, tonight Indy plays Cincy--click here for a preview. If Cincy loses it would actually help the Jets chances. Go Payton!

Speaking of QB's named Manning, unlike Jet fans, fans that root for that other team that plays in the Meadowlands were quite disapointed. The Eagles just creamed Eli Manning and the Giants. Final: 36-22 in a game that was not even nearly that close. You have to wonder about Eli's decision when he was drafted to go skip the Chargers and holdout for the Giants. Look at Philip Rivers. He sat behind an experienced Drew Brees and now runs one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. Look at Eli. Well, dynamic isn't exactly the word I would use.

Fantasy-wise, Base10 isn't doing too well. He is still hanging on by a thread in his fantasy playoffs, but his opponent has LT (charger not the Giant) on his team and he just killed us last night. I do have Carson Palmer tonight, but I'm conflicted (see above playoff note).

Another activity Base10 is involved in is a NCAA Bowl Game pool. You pick every bowl game from the Poinsettia Bowl to the BCS Championship. For the record, I have Northern Illinois getting 13.5 vs. TCU. I'll keep the blog updated. Wouldn't it be great if Northern Illinois football squad was called the Lions? It would be the Christians versus the Lions in the first bowl game!
Friday, December 15, 2006
 
Rest in Peace, Captain
ABC News reports that Capt. Travis Patriquin, the author of this humorous plan for victory in Iraq, was killed by an IED. Do your self a favor and read "How to Win in Al Anbar."
 
I Say Sit On 'Em!
"Report of the Task Force on the Role of Chairs" - John Jay College.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
 
The Jets and the Rest
Ah, the Jets. Last week, the Jets were going to the playoffs. Then, a loss on Sunday to the Bills. Now the media says we're finished. (Apologies to Mark Cannizzaro for slightly exagerating his opinion). That loss did hurt, but hey, did you think we'd have seven wins in December over the summer? Whatever happens with the Jets in the next three games, I'm happy that they made a great deal of progress. As it stands, the Jets face Minnesota, Miami and Oakland in that order. Even if we crash and burn for the rest of the month, I can't see the Jets not picking up at least two more wins. Be happy. Mangini and Tannenbaum are geniuses. A couple of off-season moves and a good draft puts us in great shape for years to come.

Actually, Cannizzaro is quite right when he says this:
The fact is, the Jets have drawn their fans deeper into this season watching games of significance than virtually anyone dared to predict.

The Jets have done this without a dynamic playmaker on either side of the ball. The Jets, quite simply, do not have anyone close to - to borrow from Herman Edwards - a so-called "da-na-na, da-na-na," ESPN "SportsCenter" highlight player.

Add a dynamic running back to their offense next season, a player who can be counted on to bring some 1,300 yards to 1,500 yards to the mix, and see how much better Chad Pennington and the Jets' offense will be.

Defensively, the Jets have a solid foundation, but a playmaker is missing on that side of the ball, too.


But if you're a masochist, read this for a breakdown of the playoff possibilities.

In other football news, Lamar Hunt, owner of the Chiefs and namer of the "Superbowl" passed away. Hunt was one of the original AFL franchise owner and was also one of the founding investors in the Chicago Bulls. His death had a slight ironic twist:
Hunt remained influential in league affairs, and the trophy given annually to the AFC champion is named for him. A persistent advocate of rethinking the rules, he helped see through the adoption by the NFL of the two-point conversion, used by colleges and the AFL, in 1994.

He also fought to break the grip on Thanksgiving Day home games by Dallas and Detroit; the NFL this year added a third game to the Thanksgiving schedule and put it in Kansas City, where it may stay permanently.

Hunt, however, was too ill to attend. In a sad twist, he was also unable to view the game on television. The newly added game is shown on the NFL Network, available on cable systems and via satellite, and the Dallas hospital to which he had been admitted did not have access to the network. Hunt listened to the broadcast over a phone.

Base10 has something to say about this as well. He got RCN specifically because they carry the NFL Network and he anticipated that the eight-game package that was to be shown of NFLNet would be available. Not so. In an ongoing dispute between the NFL and the major cable carriers, the actual games are not being shown. RCN didn't exactly advertise this fact when I signed up. Now there's no good guy-bad guy thing going on here. Between the NFL and cable networks, it's always more like bad guy-worse guy. The NFL wants too much money and for the network to be included with basic cable when they are only providing a small amount of original content. The cable companies want it to be a premium channel. Meanwhile, who gets screwed? The fans. At least Scarlet Knight fans are catching a break.
 
Sen. Johnson Ill
Yesterday, Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) was hospitalized for what was reported to be a possible stroke. He underwent brain surgery and is in critical, but stable condition. The senator first exhibited symptoms during a press conference when he appeared confused. He was later rushed to the hospital.

The Democrats are, of course, in panic mode. If Johnson dies or otherwise can't perform his duties, he can be replaced by the governor of South Dakota or the SD state legislature--both of which are overwhelmingly Republican. This would essentially, the Senate be tied 50-50 with Vice President Cheney having the deciding vote.

Base10's prayers go out to the senator and his family. He is, by all indications, a stand-up guy. This whole situation reminds me of the morbid deathwatch the media created around Strom Thurmond.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
 
The Best Thing About Obama
Barack Obama seems to be the Democratic frontrunner for 2008 this week. Which basically translates to, "We in the media will love you for a week but will set you up to crash and burn by next summer."

I wonder... If Obama does do well in the primaries, will Hillary be forced to commit to him as vice-president? That would be interesting. America may be ready for a woman as president or a black person. But is America ready for the double whammy?

Of course the Republican situation is even worse. Right now Rudy is in front, but remember, Base10 would vote for Howard Dean beore he'd vote for Rudy Giuliani. At least McCain doesn't ave to worry about the vice-presidential issue since Rudy is such an egomaniac that he would never consent to being second fiddle.

Seriously, the only thing that could drive Base10 to financially support and volunteer time to the Democrats would be a Giuliani run. When all is said and done though, I don't think Rudy is going to take it. Remember, aside from gun control, the gay rights thing and endorsing Mario Cuomo over George Pataki, there's also the marriage to his cousin, the ugly divorce with Donna Hanover, and--our personal fovorite--the albatross around his neck that is Bernard Kerik. I love presidential campaigns!

Not that McCain inany better. Frankly his use of the media over the last couple of months borders on the "w____" word. Personally, I'd like to see Newt Gingrich get the nod--just because he would keep his Democratic opponents intellectually honest when they start to resort to sound-bite politics. In any event, 2008 is a long time away.
 
I'm Back!
Base10 is here again. The semester is almost over, only finals remain. Unfortunately, while giving finals is easy, taking them is not. And Base10 has a finance exam on Friday. So is he hitting the books? No. There's no better time to get in a few hours of blogging in lieu of studying. What's more practical than that?

Anyway, I'm not all that worried about the finance final. The professor is letting us take any formulae we want in with us, so you really have to just understand the concepts. Admittedly, I need some practice in binomial trees, but that's not that hard.

After Friday, Base10 also has to write a final paper for his course in European Economic History. I'm not really worried about this one--too much. It involves a lot of reading, but I'm doing well in the class. I have to admit that I didn't think I would like this course, but it has turned out to be pretty interesting. I would have looked into this field had I taken this course earlier.

In any event, life's been busy, hence the sparse blogging. Base10 is actually looking forward to next semester. He'll be teaching four courses but is not too worried bout it. I'm teaching infosec management as usual, but I'm also teaching a "security technology" course which is new ground, as well as intro to security, which is the 101 course in the field. That course should be okay, but it's an internet course and I've discovered that that is just a lot of work. Finally, I'm teaching a principles of economics course. The good: it's the first time I will be teaching economics--cetainly a good thing. The bad: it's a Saturday morning course. I can deal, but Saturday morning?

To top everything off, I've got to take at least one of my comps in January. And I also have ambitions of taking the CPP exam as well, but that's another story...

Anyway, there's plenty going on right now. Let's take a look.

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