Here's a blurb:
Starving woman curses God, dies in her sleep
NAIROBI (Reuters) - A starving Kenyan woman placed a powerful tribal curse on God, accusing him of sending famine, and died in her sleep, local newspapers said Thursday.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
goddammit :)
Yikes was my reaction to this article.
Here's a blurb:
Starving woman curses God, dies in her sleep
Here's a blurb:
Starving woman curses God, dies in her sleep
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Here are some rules on when to storm
GREAT article from ESPN.com by Pat Forde
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Here are some rules on when to storm
By Pat Forde
ESPN.com
Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college basketball ("Bison Beat Bucky!" (1) T-shirts sold separately):
TO STORM OR NOT TO STORM
Within the last 10 days, those crazy college kids from Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Georgetown, St. John's and Tennessee have stormed the basketball court to celebrate big victories -- and for the chance to act like lunatics on TV. ("Look, Martha, there's our boy! Yes, the shirtless one with his face and torso painted, howling like a savage and jumping on that other child's back. ... Is that a whiskey flask in his back pocket?")
After watching all these giddy group gropes, it's high time to publish the Forde Minutes Court-Storming Protocol Guide. Students are advised to read the following rules and to act accordingly the next time their team agitates them to the edge of hoops ecstasy:
• The Old Money Principle (2): Look up at the ceiling of your gym and count the banners. If your school has won three or more national titles in its history, you shall not rush the floor at any time. Schools affected: UCLA (11 titles), Kentucky (seven), Indiana (five), North Carolina (four), Duke (three).
Your program has won big games before. Act like it.
The Old Money Principle clearly puts the Indiana student body in violation of The Forde Minutes' protocol. Especially when the vanquished team, Illinois, owns zero national titles of its own. How terribly tacky.
The Illini did not even qualify for a Minutes Protocol Exception (3), which states that if your august basketball program has hit the skids to a dispiriting degree (Indiana has missed the last two NCAA Tournaments), a storming is allowable under certain conditions:
Condition A (4): The opponent is ranked No. 1 and/or undefeated at least halfway through the season (14 or more games). Illinois was merely ranked fifth in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll and already had a loss on the season.
Condition B (5): Your august program defeats a top-five team on a suitably miraculous shot (25 feet or farther) at the buzzer, spurring spontaneous joy that overrides better impulses. (The Indiana-Illinois game went down to the wire, but it wasn't won at the buzzer on a prayer.)
Condition C (6): You are so intoxicated that you cannot remember the opponent's ranking, or how many titles your school has won. But be forewarned that The Minutes will not pay your bail if you're the lone trespasser on the court and wind up in cuffs.
Ashley Judd
If you see Ashley, storm all you want.
Condition D (7): You see college hoops fan Ashley Judd (8) sitting at the other end of the court, and you know that the shortest distance to her is a straight line.
• The Upper-Middle Class Principle (8): If your school has won multiple national titles, you are generally discouraged from storming the court unless you have defeated one of the above blue bloods, and only at the last second. Schools affected: Kansas, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Michigan State, Connecticut, North Carolina State.
However, stormings are allowable under the following conditions:
Ancient History Exception (9): If your national titles predate Texas Western's, you are free to storm the court for any dramatic win over a top-five team. Schools affected: Oklahoma State, San Francisco, Cincinnati.
Semi-Ancient History Exception (10): If your national titles predate the 3-point shot, you are free to storm the court for any dramatic win over a No. 1-ranked team. Schools affected: Louisville and North Carolina State; Kansas and Michigan State halfway (one title before the three, one after).
Current power Connecticut (two titles in the last seven years) is discouraged from rushing the court under any but the most extraordinary circumstances, such as beating the No. 1 team on an eyes-closed, left-handed hook shot from half court.
• The Middle Class Principle (11): If your program plays in a major conference, has some basketball heritage and takes itself fairly seriously, court stormings should be reserved for: upsetting a top five team; knocking off an unbeaten league rival of particular dislike; ending a period of extreme and elongated futility against an arch rival; clinching a conference championship.
Under this principle, Iowa is hereby indicted for its floor rush Tuesday night after beating No. 11 Indiana. (In fact, it's flatly inexcusable on any level, other than the boredom that January in Iowa City can precipitate.) Michigan is granted clemency under the elongated-futility-against-an-arch-rival clause. Georgetown, St. John's and Tennessee were all cleared for liftoff last Saturday.
Daniel Horton
Daniel Horton can celebrate; even the UM fans are exempt.
(Although The Minutes fully understands the Rocky Top rush, the SEC did not. It fined the Volunteers $5,000 for failing to keep the students off the floor, a violation of the league's sportsmanship policy. The Minutes fails to see the clear and present danger. This isn't football, where the fans mount heavy metal objects and send them crashing down upon the mob below. First time they tear down a basket stanchion, a fine will be in order. Not until then.)
• The Lower Class Principle (12): If your team plays in a mid-major or low-major league and manages to coax (or trick) a BCS-conference school into visiting and you win the game, a storming is allowed. Exceptions: Memphis, Gonzaga or any other school whose program is demonstrably larger than its conference profile. Also: beating a certifiably horrible BCS-conference school (Baylor, Arizona State, Purdue, South Florida or anyone with an RPI worse than 150) is not worth the effort.
The Bottom Feeder Principle (13): If you're North Dakota State, still on the D-I taxi squad, and you shock Wisconsin? Go crazy. Even if it's a road game. Break into the home gym and storm that sucker.
• The Morehead State Principle (14): The Eagles are 0-15 against NCAA competition. Any 8-0 run is justifiable incentive to rush the floor.
IT'S GETTING LATE EARLY IN THESE LEAGUES
It's still January, but The Minutes is ready to declare winners in a few conference races. (Hey, if they can call states in presidential elections with one percent of the vote counted, we can call a league champion or two before Super Bowl Sunday.) No fewer than five leagues already have one team that has put itself far above the competition:
League: Atlantic Coast Conference (15), where even Billy Packer would have a hard time getting chesty about an ACC with one team in the current RPI Top 20.
Winner: Duke (16). The Blue Devils already are two games up in the loss column over North Carolina State, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. Consecutive road games at Carolina and Maryland Feb. 7 and 11 could make the race mildly interesting. Or end it altogether.
Only potential spoiler: N.C. State (17). Wolfpack conceivably could be favored in every remaining game, but it doesn't get a rematch with Duke in Raleigh.
League: Big 12 (18), where the same two words you heard all football season still apply: hook 'em. If you can find another lock NCAA Tournament team in this motley conference right now, your vision is better than The Minutes'.
Team: Texas (19). The Longhorns also have a two-game lead in league play, over a half-dozen pursuers. Nobody has yet come closer than 19 points to the Horns in five Big 12 games.
Only potential spoiler: Oklahoma (20), and we're stretching to say that. The offensively challenged Sooners have averaged 56.4 points per game in 2006 -- but they do get Texas on their home court Saturday.
League: Conference USA (21). You think this league lost something in realignment? Just because eight of the 12 teams are ranked 200 or worse in the RPI? Nooooo.
Winner: Memphis (22). The Tigers have played only three league games, and there are two other unbeatens in C-USA play, but let's get serious: anything less than 13-1 in this conference would be a disappointment for a group with this much talent.
Only potential spoiler: UAB (23). The plucky Blazers are 4-0, play a problematic style and have two shots at Memphis, the first of which is Saturday on the road. But with senior Demario Eddins out for the year with an Achilles tear, The Minutes does not foresee a legitimate threat to the Tigers.
League: West Coast (24). After a couple of pretty good years, there are a whopping two teams with overall winning records.
Winner: Gonzaga (25). With road wins already at Santa Clara, San Francisco and San Diego, if the Zags don't run the table it would be a shock.
Only potential spoiler: Loyola Marymount (26), if you insist. The Fighting Bo Kimbles are 5-1 in WCC play and lost only by a dozen in The Kennel, but five of their final eight games are on the road. The Zags will win the league by at least three games.
League: Big West (27). It isn't very big this year.
Winner: UC Irvine (28). Anytime a team called the Anteaters is in first place, it's a good thing. They're deep and experienced, they lead by two in the loss column and they have five of their remaining eight league games at home (albeit, where they lost earlier this year to D-II Cal State Stanislaus).
Only potential spoiler: Pacific (29). The Tigers owned the league last year, and could again by season's end -- but they'll have to hustle. They've already been beaten by Cal-Irvine once.
COACH WHO EARNED HIS COURTESY CAR
And earned the right to run over a certain Conference USA officiating crew with it: Houston's Tom Penders (30). You probably heard that Penders drew a T last Saturday for having the gall to collapse on the sidelines during the Cougars' loss to UAB -- and that officials upheld the T even after they discovered that, gee, Penders wasn't lampooning a call, but was being wheeled out on a stretcher. Thankfully, Penders feels well enough now to laugh about the incident.
"It's a good thing I didn't die," he told the Houston Chronicle. "They [the Blazers] would have gotten two more free throws and possession."
COACH WHO SHOULD RIDE THE BUS TO WORK
Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (31), whose Orange have led a total of zero minutes and zero seconds in their past three Big East games. Granted, the competition has been brutal (Connecticut, Villanova and Pittsburgh), but since when is Syracuse supposed to roll over like that? They trailed UConn and Villanova 12-0 each before scoring, and were down 7-0 before getting on the board against Pitt. How 'bout answering the opening bell, guys?
SWAPPING E-MAILS WITH...
...Kentucky guard Patrick Sparks (32). Since transferring from Western Kentucky, his shooting has proven to be the true bellwether for the Wildcats: when the senior makes two or more 3s in a game, Kentucky is 23-3. When he doesn't, Kentucky is 18-9. His latest big bomb was a 3-pointer measured by the school's sports information department at 29 feet, and it came with 30 seconds left in a comeback win over South Carolina. The Minutes ruthlessly interrogated Sparks this week on that shot and other pressing topics.
Forde Minutes: A 29-footer with 30 seconds left? Was there even a moment's thought when you were going up that, gee, I'm pretty far out here?
Patrick Sparks: No. I just shot it. We needed a bucket and I was open.
FM: You've now taken three of the most memorable shots in recent UK history: the last-second 3 where you drew the foul against Louisville last year; the rim-dancing 3 against Michigan State in the Elite Eight; and the 29-foot hoist against South Carolina -- fair to say you like taking the big shot?
PS: Yes, I'm willing to take the big shot. I'm not afraid of the outcome. You can't make it if you don't shoot it.
FM: You once scored 71 points in a 32-minute high school game. Kobe (33) scored 81 in 42 minutes Sunday night. You win on points-per-minute. Was your performance better?
PS: I only played 28 minutes, but it wasn't better than 81 in an NBA game. That's impressive.
FM: What's the one thing a visitor to your hometown of Central City, Ky., must see or do?
PS: Great question. Everybody knows Central City for being home of the Everly Brothers (34), but the small-town atmosphere is what's great about living there. Plus, the hunting and fishing is great, too.
FM: What's the craziest thing a UK fan has ever said to you, requested of you or done to you?
PS: We have the greatest fans in college basketball. There's probably nothing I haven't 'John Hancock-ed.' Their passion is what makes playing at UK special.
FASHION POLICE
The Minutes is always vigilant for crimes against basketball fashion, and this year it is pleased to report one positive trend: Headbands have almost universally moved north on the craniums of the players. They're no longer being worn as earmuffs, but actually rest above the ears, as intended when James Naismith or John Wooden or Slick Watts or Bill Walton -- somebody -- invented the garment.
Now, here are the looks that still violate Minutes ordinances:
Knee-high navy blue socks, as worn by Xavier big man Brian Thornton (35). White? Maybe. Dark blue? Ugh.
Tights, as worn by Fairleigh Dickinson guard John Blackgrove (36). Men in tights might work in Sherwood Forest, but not in college basketball.
Sketchy beards, as worn by the Syracuse trio (37) of Gerry McNamara, Darryl Watkins and Eric Devendorf. Is the snow piled too high up there to get to the store and buy a razor?
The hobbit hair of Gonzaga's Adam Morrison (38). You can keep the 'stache. Just do something with that 'do.
Coaches Division: the orange suspenders of Tennessee's Bruce Pearl (39). At least they weren't an orange-and-white checkerboard pattern.
BOX SCORE OF THE WEEK
Massachusetts 60, Temple 34. (40) Nobody's teams are more famously hot-and-cold than John Chaney's. This might have been the game where the Owls reached absolute zero, shooting 26.5 percent from the floor and 10 percent from 3-point range in scoring their fewest points since 1973.
They actually led 13-12 at one point, then proceeded to score two points in the final 9:16 of the first half. They followed that up by scoring three points in the first 9:54 of the second half. That's five points in a span of 19 minutes, 10 seconds -- nearly impossible in modern basketball, unless it's played by kindergartners.
But that's Temple, a team that can beat Army by 32 and Miami by 17, then lose to Auburn by 31 and UMass by 26. When the Chaney mojo is good, it's very good. When it's bad, it's unwatchable. In this case, Mother Nature might have sensed the presence of the bad Owls; angry weather in the area knocked the broadcast off TV for about 10 minutes.
Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at ESPN4D@aol.com.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Here are some rules on when to storm
By Pat Forde
ESPN.com
Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college basketball ("Bison Beat Bucky!" (1) T-shirts sold separately):
TO STORM OR NOT TO STORM
Within the last 10 days, those crazy college kids from Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Georgetown, St. John's and Tennessee have stormed the basketball court to celebrate big victories -- and for the chance to act like lunatics on TV. ("Look, Martha, there's our boy! Yes, the shirtless one with his face and torso painted, howling like a savage and jumping on that other child's back. ... Is that a whiskey flask in his back pocket?")
After watching all these giddy group gropes, it's high time to publish the Forde Minutes Court-Storming Protocol Guide. Students are advised to read the following rules and to act accordingly the next time their team agitates them to the edge of hoops ecstasy:
• The Old Money Principle (2): Look up at the ceiling of your gym and count the banners. If your school has won three or more national titles in its history, you shall not rush the floor at any time. Schools affected: UCLA (11 titles), Kentucky (seven), Indiana (five), North Carolina (four), Duke (three).
Your program has won big games before. Act like it.
The Old Money Principle clearly puts the Indiana student body in violation of The Forde Minutes' protocol. Especially when the vanquished team, Illinois, owns zero national titles of its own. How terribly tacky.
The Illini did not even qualify for a Minutes Protocol Exception (3), which states that if your august basketball program has hit the skids to a dispiriting degree (Indiana has missed the last two NCAA Tournaments), a storming is allowable under certain conditions:
Condition A (4): The opponent is ranked No. 1 and/or undefeated at least halfway through the season (14 or more games). Illinois was merely ranked fifth in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll and already had a loss on the season.
Condition B (5): Your august program defeats a top-five team on a suitably miraculous shot (25 feet or farther) at the buzzer, spurring spontaneous joy that overrides better impulses. (The Indiana-Illinois game went down to the wire, but it wasn't won at the buzzer on a prayer.)
Condition C (6): You are so intoxicated that you cannot remember the opponent's ranking, or how many titles your school has won. But be forewarned that The Minutes will not pay your bail if you're the lone trespasser on the court and wind up in cuffs.
Ashley Judd
If you see Ashley, storm all you want.
Condition D (7): You see college hoops fan Ashley Judd (8) sitting at the other end of the court, and you know that the shortest distance to her is a straight line.
• The Upper-Middle Class Principle (8): If your school has won multiple national titles, you are generally discouraged from storming the court unless you have defeated one of the above blue bloods, and only at the last second. Schools affected: Kansas, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Michigan State, Connecticut, North Carolina State.
However, stormings are allowable under the following conditions:
Ancient History Exception (9): If your national titles predate Texas Western's, you are free to storm the court for any dramatic win over a top-five team. Schools affected: Oklahoma State, San Francisco, Cincinnati.
Semi-Ancient History Exception (10): If your national titles predate the 3-point shot, you are free to storm the court for any dramatic win over a No. 1-ranked team. Schools affected: Louisville and North Carolina State; Kansas and Michigan State halfway (one title before the three, one after).
Current power Connecticut (two titles in the last seven years) is discouraged from rushing the court under any but the most extraordinary circumstances, such as beating the No. 1 team on an eyes-closed, left-handed hook shot from half court.
• The Middle Class Principle (11): If your program plays in a major conference, has some basketball heritage and takes itself fairly seriously, court stormings should be reserved for: upsetting a top five team; knocking off an unbeaten league rival of particular dislike; ending a period of extreme and elongated futility against an arch rival; clinching a conference championship.
Under this principle, Iowa is hereby indicted for its floor rush Tuesday night after beating No. 11 Indiana. (In fact, it's flatly inexcusable on any level, other than the boredom that January in Iowa City can precipitate.) Michigan is granted clemency under the elongated-futility-against-an-arch-rival clause. Georgetown, St. John's and Tennessee were all cleared for liftoff last Saturday.
Daniel Horton
Daniel Horton can celebrate; even the UM fans are exempt.
(Although The Minutes fully understands the Rocky Top rush, the SEC did not. It fined the Volunteers $5,000 for failing to keep the students off the floor, a violation of the league's sportsmanship policy. The Minutes fails to see the clear and present danger. This isn't football, where the fans mount heavy metal objects and send them crashing down upon the mob below. First time they tear down a basket stanchion, a fine will be in order. Not until then.)
• The Lower Class Principle (12): If your team plays in a mid-major or low-major league and manages to coax (or trick) a BCS-conference school into visiting and you win the game, a storming is allowed. Exceptions: Memphis, Gonzaga or any other school whose program is demonstrably larger than its conference profile. Also: beating a certifiably horrible BCS-conference school (Baylor, Arizona State, Purdue, South Florida or anyone with an RPI worse than 150) is not worth the effort.
The Bottom Feeder Principle (13): If you're North Dakota State, still on the D-I taxi squad, and you shock Wisconsin? Go crazy. Even if it's a road game. Break into the home gym and storm that sucker.
• The Morehead State Principle (14): The Eagles are 0-15 against NCAA competition. Any 8-0 run is justifiable incentive to rush the floor.
IT'S GETTING LATE EARLY IN THESE LEAGUES
It's still January, but The Minutes is ready to declare winners in a few conference races. (Hey, if they can call states in presidential elections with one percent of the vote counted, we can call a league champion or two before Super Bowl Sunday.) No fewer than five leagues already have one team that has put itself far above the competition:
League: Atlantic Coast Conference (15), where even Billy Packer would have a hard time getting chesty about an ACC with one team in the current RPI Top 20.
Winner: Duke (16). The Blue Devils already are two games up in the loss column over North Carolina State, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. Consecutive road games at Carolina and Maryland Feb. 7 and 11 could make the race mildly interesting. Or end it altogether.
Only potential spoiler: N.C. State (17). Wolfpack conceivably could be favored in every remaining game, but it doesn't get a rematch with Duke in Raleigh.
League: Big 12 (18), where the same two words you heard all football season still apply: hook 'em. If you can find another lock NCAA Tournament team in this motley conference right now, your vision is better than The Minutes'.
Team: Texas (19). The Longhorns also have a two-game lead in league play, over a half-dozen pursuers. Nobody has yet come closer than 19 points to the Horns in five Big 12 games.
Only potential spoiler: Oklahoma (20), and we're stretching to say that. The offensively challenged Sooners have averaged 56.4 points per game in 2006 -- but they do get Texas on their home court Saturday.
League: Conference USA (21). You think this league lost something in realignment? Just because eight of the 12 teams are ranked 200 or worse in the RPI? Nooooo.
Winner: Memphis (22). The Tigers have played only three league games, and there are two other unbeatens in C-USA play, but let's get serious: anything less than 13-1 in this conference would be a disappointment for a group with this much talent.
Only potential spoiler: UAB (23). The plucky Blazers are 4-0, play a problematic style and have two shots at Memphis, the first of which is Saturday on the road. But with senior Demario Eddins out for the year with an Achilles tear, The Minutes does not foresee a legitimate threat to the Tigers.
League: West Coast (24). After a couple of pretty good years, there are a whopping two teams with overall winning records.
Winner: Gonzaga (25). With road wins already at Santa Clara, San Francisco and San Diego, if the Zags don't run the table it would be a shock.
Only potential spoiler: Loyola Marymount (26), if you insist. The Fighting Bo Kimbles are 5-1 in WCC play and lost only by a dozen in The Kennel, but five of their final eight games are on the road. The Zags will win the league by at least three games.
League: Big West (27). It isn't very big this year.
Winner: UC Irvine (28). Anytime a team called the Anteaters is in first place, it's a good thing. They're deep and experienced, they lead by two in the loss column and they have five of their remaining eight league games at home (albeit, where they lost earlier this year to D-II Cal State Stanislaus).
Only potential spoiler: Pacific (29). The Tigers owned the league last year, and could again by season's end -- but they'll have to hustle. They've already been beaten by Cal-Irvine once.
COACH WHO EARNED HIS COURTESY CAR
And earned the right to run over a certain Conference USA officiating crew with it: Houston's Tom Penders (30). You probably heard that Penders drew a T last Saturday for having the gall to collapse on the sidelines during the Cougars' loss to UAB -- and that officials upheld the T even after they discovered that, gee, Penders wasn't lampooning a call, but was being wheeled out on a stretcher. Thankfully, Penders feels well enough now to laugh about the incident.
"It's a good thing I didn't die," he told the Houston Chronicle. "They [the Blazers] would have gotten two more free throws and possession."
COACH WHO SHOULD RIDE THE BUS TO WORK
Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (31), whose Orange have led a total of zero minutes and zero seconds in their past three Big East games. Granted, the competition has been brutal (Connecticut, Villanova and Pittsburgh), but since when is Syracuse supposed to roll over like that? They trailed UConn and Villanova 12-0 each before scoring, and were down 7-0 before getting on the board against Pitt. How 'bout answering the opening bell, guys?
SWAPPING E-MAILS WITH...
...Kentucky guard Patrick Sparks (32). Since transferring from Western Kentucky, his shooting has proven to be the true bellwether for the Wildcats: when the senior makes two or more 3s in a game, Kentucky is 23-3. When he doesn't, Kentucky is 18-9. His latest big bomb was a 3-pointer measured by the school's sports information department at 29 feet, and it came with 30 seconds left in a comeback win over South Carolina. The Minutes ruthlessly interrogated Sparks this week on that shot and other pressing topics.
Forde Minutes: A 29-footer with 30 seconds left? Was there even a moment's thought when you were going up that, gee, I'm pretty far out here?
Patrick Sparks: No. I just shot it. We needed a bucket and I was open.
FM: You've now taken three of the most memorable shots in recent UK history: the last-second 3 where you drew the foul against Louisville last year; the rim-dancing 3 against Michigan State in the Elite Eight; and the 29-foot hoist against South Carolina -- fair to say you like taking the big shot?
PS: Yes, I'm willing to take the big shot. I'm not afraid of the outcome. You can't make it if you don't shoot it.
FM: You once scored 71 points in a 32-minute high school game. Kobe (33) scored 81 in 42 minutes Sunday night. You win on points-per-minute. Was your performance better?
PS: I only played 28 minutes, but it wasn't better than 81 in an NBA game. That's impressive.
FM: What's the one thing a visitor to your hometown of Central City, Ky., must see or do?
PS: Great question. Everybody knows Central City for being home of the Everly Brothers (34), but the small-town atmosphere is what's great about living there. Plus, the hunting and fishing is great, too.
FM: What's the craziest thing a UK fan has ever said to you, requested of you or done to you?
PS: We have the greatest fans in college basketball. There's probably nothing I haven't 'John Hancock-ed.' Their passion is what makes playing at UK special.
FASHION POLICE
The Minutes is always vigilant for crimes against basketball fashion, and this year it is pleased to report one positive trend: Headbands have almost universally moved north on the craniums of the players. They're no longer being worn as earmuffs, but actually rest above the ears, as intended when James Naismith or John Wooden or Slick Watts or Bill Walton -- somebody -- invented the garment.
Now, here are the looks that still violate Minutes ordinances:
Knee-high navy blue socks, as worn by Xavier big man Brian Thornton (35). White? Maybe. Dark blue? Ugh.
Tights, as worn by Fairleigh Dickinson guard John Blackgrove (36). Men in tights might work in Sherwood Forest, but not in college basketball.
Sketchy beards, as worn by the Syracuse trio (37) of Gerry McNamara, Darryl Watkins and Eric Devendorf. Is the snow piled too high up there to get to the store and buy a razor?
The hobbit hair of Gonzaga's Adam Morrison (38). You can keep the 'stache. Just do something with that 'do.
Coaches Division: the orange suspenders of Tennessee's Bruce Pearl (39). At least they weren't an orange-and-white checkerboard pattern.
BOX SCORE OF THE WEEK
Massachusetts 60, Temple 34. (40) Nobody's teams are more famously hot-and-cold than John Chaney's. This might have been the game where the Owls reached absolute zero, shooting 26.5 percent from the floor and 10 percent from 3-point range in scoring their fewest points since 1973.
They actually led 13-12 at one point, then proceeded to score two points in the final 9:16 of the first half. They followed that up by scoring three points in the first 9:54 of the second half. That's five points in a span of 19 minutes, 10 seconds -- nearly impossible in modern basketball, unless it's played by kindergartners.
But that's Temple, a team that can beat Army by 32 and Miami by 17, then lose to Auburn by 31 and UMass by 26. When the Chaney mojo is good, it's very good. When it's bad, it's unwatchable. In this case, Mother Nature might have sensed the presence of the bad Owls; angry weather in the area knocked the broadcast off TV for about 10 minutes.
Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at ESPN4D@aol.com.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Craziest day in college basketball
Today had to be one of the most fun sports days I've had the pleasure of experiencing. Especially since I just had an exam on Friday, and have one worry-free week to look forward to great matchups in hockey, basketball, and football.
So, I am a Big East fan. And this year Big East Basketball is just plain sick... six teams outright in the top 25 in the nation and 3-4 more legitimate NCAA contenders. I was upset with Nova's loss at West Virginia which made them drop their perfect start. U Conn was already imperfect. Nonetheless, out of the three remaining undefeated teams, #1 Duke, #2 Florida, and #9 Pitt, Pitt was still representing Big East. Of course, this morning Pitt lost to conference rivals St. John's, and even though I like the Red Storm, I wasn't too happy. Next came Duke against my very own Georgetown. Now I had watched Georgetown play a couple of outstanding games, but they have lost to all the ranked teams they have played so far, including the pesky West Virginia. I gave them no chance in this encounter. Imagine my surprise when they hold an 8-something lead early - very uncharacteristic of Duke games. I figure I would save myself the heartache and check scores at half-time for the damage. I almost fell off my chair when I saw the half-point scores: 42-28 GEORGETOWN.
WTF?? Duke is 17-0, matching its best start EVER. They're so not losing to a mediocre G'town team... but then Georgetown had the misfortune of being coached by an extremely untalented (I could use other words here but I will be PC) Craig Esherick until last year. With another Thompson behind the bench, they could actually win a few important games. But it was too much to hope. But considering the fibrillations G'town basketball tends to cause, I decided to check the score later and watch some TV. Guess what was on when I pushed the power button on the remote? I was now looking at the MCI Center in DC, watching the game live. Oh yeah.. I forgot how every single Duke game is either on ESPN or network TV. Well, since I couldn't avoid the game, I just settled down, expecting G'town to fall apart as I watched, giving me another frustrating performance. Well, after a few mini heart-attacks, I watched the floor of MCI Center get swamped by hundreds of students as G'town "Nuked Duke (espn.com)" defeated its first 1st #1 ranked opponent since it beat St. John's in 1985.
Wow.. so two of the three unranked teams defeated within hours... Seems like Florida may be in trouble. I guess Tennessee must have watched the news, cuz it made sure that Florida's 17-0 win streak was snapped short in the day's fashion.
So you'd think that Duke and Florida's upset would be the biggest headlines in NCAA basketball. Nope. Apparently #13 Wisconsin lost to INDEPENDENT North Dakota (Fargo). FIRST loss to a nonconference player in like 27 games. North Dakota is actually in the middle of going from Division II to Division I, and after beating a good Wisconsin team, it seems that they'd be a good fit come 2008.
And to make a good day even better, NJ Devils won their 9th straight hockey game. Only 4 more games to go to match their franchise best 13 game win streak. Of course, it helps that there are no more ties in NHL starting from this year. Last 3 of their 4 wins have been in shootout. And I was pleased (a little) to see the high flying Carolina hurricanes lose, snapping their rival 9-game winning streak. To the Caps of all people. The MCI Center must have been ridiculous today.
The Devils play the Rangers tomorrow, who won their game today, keeping a six point difference between the Atlantic devision rivals. Since both teams played today, neither has an advantage from fatigue or rustiness tomorrow. Hopefully Devils can win because its a four-point swing closer to the Rangers in the rankings. But the way how the last few games have been so close, I am fully expecting this winning streak to end soon. Which is too bad.. it's nice having an undefeated status for the year.
So, I am a Big East fan. And this year Big East Basketball is just plain sick... six teams outright in the top 25 in the nation and 3-4 more legitimate NCAA contenders. I was upset with Nova's loss at West Virginia which made them drop their perfect start. U Conn was already imperfect. Nonetheless, out of the three remaining undefeated teams, #1 Duke, #2 Florida, and #9 Pitt, Pitt was still representing Big East. Of course, this morning Pitt lost to conference rivals St. John's, and even though I like the Red Storm, I wasn't too happy. Next came Duke against my very own Georgetown. Now I had watched Georgetown play a couple of outstanding games, but they have lost to all the ranked teams they have played so far, including the pesky West Virginia. I gave them no chance in this encounter. Imagine my surprise when they hold an 8-something lead early - very uncharacteristic of Duke games. I figure I would save myself the heartache and check scores at half-time for the damage. I almost fell off my chair when I saw the half-point scores: 42-28 GEORGETOWN.
WTF?? Duke is 17-0, matching its best start EVER. They're so not losing to a mediocre G'town team... but then Georgetown had the misfortune of being coached by an extremely untalented (I could use other words here but I will be PC) Craig Esherick until last year. With another Thompson behind the bench, they could actually win a few important games. But it was too much to hope. But considering the fibrillations G'town basketball tends to cause, I decided to check the score later and watch some TV. Guess what was on when I pushed the power button on the remote? I was now looking at the MCI Center in DC, watching the game live. Oh yeah.. I forgot how every single Duke game is either on ESPN or network TV. Well, since I couldn't avoid the game, I just settled down, expecting G'town to fall apart as I watched, giving me another frustrating performance. Well, after a few mini heart-attacks, I watched the floor of MCI Center get swamped by hundreds of students as G'town "Nuked Duke (espn.com)" defeated its first 1st #1 ranked opponent since it beat St. John's in 1985.
Wow.. so two of the three unranked teams defeated within hours... Seems like Florida may be in trouble. I guess Tennessee must have watched the news, cuz it made sure that Florida's 17-0 win streak was snapped short in the day's fashion.
So you'd think that Duke and Florida's upset would be the biggest headlines in NCAA basketball. Nope. Apparently #13 Wisconsin lost to INDEPENDENT North Dakota (Fargo). FIRST loss to a nonconference player in like 27 games. North Dakota is actually in the middle of going from Division II to Division I, and after beating a good Wisconsin team, it seems that they'd be a good fit come 2008.
And to make a good day even better, NJ Devils won their 9th straight hockey game. Only 4 more games to go to match their franchise best 13 game win streak. Of course, it helps that there are no more ties in NHL starting from this year. Last 3 of their 4 wins have been in shootout. And I was pleased (a little) to see the high flying Carolina hurricanes lose, snapping their rival 9-game winning streak. To the Caps of all people. The MCI Center must have been ridiculous today.
The Devils play the Rangers tomorrow, who won their game today, keeping a six point difference between the Atlantic devision rivals. Since both teams played today, neither has an advantage from fatigue or rustiness tomorrow. Hopefully Devils can win because its a four-point swing closer to the Rangers in the rankings. But the way how the last few games have been so close, I am fully expecting this winning streak to end soon. Which is too bad.. it's nice having an undefeated status for the year.
china is angry?
From shoutwire -
OK.. now I can understand why people may be upset about casting a Chinese actress (excellent though she may be) in a Japan-centered story.. Do all Asians look alike and so on... Or it may be considered a slap-in-the-face to the many very-talented Japanese actresses.... but why is CHINA upset? Especially as the movie clearly portrays geishas as companions/consorts, not prostitutes.
Chinese censors say the film "Memoirs of a Geisha" may be banned in Chinese cinemas, due to the inflamed emotions caused by the casting of Chinese actresses as Japanese geishas.
OK.. now I can understand why people may be upset about casting a Chinese actress (excellent though she may be) in a Japan-centered story.. Do all Asians look alike and so on... Or it may be considered a slap-in-the-face to the many very-talented Japanese actresses.... but why is CHINA upset? Especially as the movie clearly portrays geishas as companions/consorts, not prostitutes.
Why you smoke less if you're black.....
An interesting article explaining how black teens get a significantly stronger hit of nicotine from cigarettes and take longer to get rid of it from their bodies than white teens. I think they need to throw in some brown people in this equation and see how they figure.
On a similar note... this is a funny analogy of second hand smoking and swimming pool etiquette.
On a similar note... this is a funny analogy of second hand smoking and swimming pool etiquette.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Whale Swims to London
Because I'm too lazy to copy the article....Here's the link:
AOL News - Whale Swims Up River to Central London
AOL News - Whale Swims Up River to Central London
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Poe's Birthday
People really irritate me sometimes. Mystery Man Places Roses on Poe Gravesite
By KASEY JONES
AP
BALTIMORE (Jan. 19) - For the 57th straight year, a mystery man paid tribute to Edgar Allan Poe by placing roses and a bottle of cognac on the writer's grave to mark his birthday.
Some of the 25 spectators drawn to a tiny, locked graveyard in downtown Baltimore for the ceremony climbed over the walls of the site and were "running all over the place trying to find out how the guy gets in," according to Jeff Jerome, the most faithful viewer of the event.
Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum, said early Thursday he had to chase people out of the graveyard, fearing they would interfere with the mystery visitor's ceremony.
"In letting people know about this tribute, I've been contributing to these people's desire to catch this guy," Jerome said. "It's such a touching tribute, and it's been disrupted by the actions of a few people trying to interfere and expose this guy."
Jerome has seen the mysterious visitor every Jan. 19 since 1976.
"They had a game plan," Jerome said of the spectators. "They knew from previous years when the guy would appear."
But Jerome declined to reveal details of what the Poe toaster was wearing, what he did at Poe's grave, and whether he left anything besides the roses and cognac, such as a note.
It was a the crisp, cold, clear night. "I was hoping for wind and rain in keeping with a Poe story," Jerome said.
But the museum curator was saddened by the disrespectful spectators.
"I hope to preserve this tribute. It's one of those things that make Baltimore so unique," he said.
For decades, a frail figure made the visit to Poe's grave. In 1993 the original visitor left a cryptic note saying, "The torch will be passed." A later note said the man, who apparently died in 1998, had handed the tradition on to his sons.
Poe, who wrote poems and horror stories such as "The Raven" and "The Telltale Heart," died Oct. 7, 1849 in Baltimore at the age of 40 after collapsing in a tavern.
By KASEY JONES
AP
BALTIMORE (Jan. 19) - For the 57th straight year, a mystery man paid tribute to Edgar Allan Poe by placing roses and a bottle of cognac on the writer's grave to mark his birthday.
Some of the 25 spectators drawn to a tiny, locked graveyard in downtown Baltimore for the ceremony climbed over the walls of the site and were "running all over the place trying to find out how the guy gets in," according to Jeff Jerome, the most faithful viewer of the event.
Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum, said early Thursday he had to chase people out of the graveyard, fearing they would interfere with the mystery visitor's ceremony.
"In letting people know about this tribute, I've been contributing to these people's desire to catch this guy," Jerome said. "It's such a touching tribute, and it's been disrupted by the actions of a few people trying to interfere and expose this guy."
Jerome has seen the mysterious visitor every Jan. 19 since 1976.
"They had a game plan," Jerome said of the spectators. "They knew from previous years when the guy would appear."
But Jerome declined to reveal details of what the Poe toaster was wearing, what he did at Poe's grave, and whether he left anything besides the roses and cognac, such as a note.
It was a the crisp, cold, clear night. "I was hoping for wind and rain in keeping with a Poe story," Jerome said.
But the museum curator was saddened by the disrespectful spectators.
"I hope to preserve this tribute. It's one of those things that make Baltimore so unique," he said.
For decades, a frail figure made the visit to Poe's grave. In 1993 the original visitor left a cryptic note saying, "The torch will be passed." A later note said the man, who apparently died in 1998, had handed the tradition on to his sons.
Poe, who wrote poems and horror stories such as "The Raven" and "The Telltale Heart," died Oct. 7, 1849 in Baltimore at the age of 40 after collapsing in a tavern.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
As requested, the seven ANCIENT wonders of the world
This is actually a great webpage detailing the ancient wonders of the world. I have shamelessly copied the relevant portion here for our collective knowledge improvement.
A gigantic stone structure near the ancient city of Memphis, serving as a tomb for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu
The Great Pyramid of Giza
(image placeholder)
A palace with legendary gardens built on the banks of the Euphrates river by King Nebuchadnezzar II
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
(image placeholder)
An enormous statue of the Greek father of gods, carved by the great sculptor Pheidias
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
(image placeholder)
A beautiful temple in Asia Minor erected in honor of the Greek goddess of hunting and wild nature
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
(image placeholder)
A fascinating tomb constructed for King Maussollos, Persian satrap of Caria
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
(image placeholder)
A colossus of Helios the sun-god, erected by the Greeks near the harbor of a Mediterranean Island
The Colossus of Rhodes
(image placeholder)
A lighthouse built by the Ptolemies on the island of Pharos off the coast of their capital city
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
A gigantic stone structure near the ancient city of Memphis, serving as a tomb for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu
The Great Pyramid of Giza
(image placeholder)
A palace with legendary gardens built on the banks of the Euphrates river by King Nebuchadnezzar II
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
(image placeholder)
An enormous statue of the Greek father of gods, carved by the great sculptor Pheidias
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
(image placeholder)
A beautiful temple in Asia Minor erected in honor of the Greek goddess of hunting and wild nature
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
(image placeholder)
A fascinating tomb constructed for King Maussollos, Persian satrap of Caria
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
(image placeholder)
A colossus of Helios the sun-god, erected by the Greeks near the harbor of a Mediterranean Island
The Colossus of Rhodes
(image placeholder)
A lighthouse built by the Ptolemies on the island of Pharos off the coast of their capital city
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Suicide Law
This is an article from AOL News, which is very interesting.
Oregon's assisted suicide law covers only those with incurable diseases and six months or less left to live.
Justices, on a 6-3 vote, said that a federal drug law does not override the 1997 Oregon law used to end the lives of more than 200 seriously ill people.
Out of 14,000 who had voted when i read the article, 84% felt the court made the right decision. What do you guys think?
Send Big Files easily to others
This is a great list of free websites with storage/file sending capabilities so you don't have to clog up your email. Plus, if you're not aware, most files emailed actually take up more room than the original so it takes even longer to download them. These websites mainly store the files online and send people links to download, which in most cases will be faster than transferring them via IM programs like MSN and AIM.
I, so far, like eSnips and pando because they have a software interface which makes it much more user friendly and allows for resuming interrupted uploads. Pando makes the downloaders install their software, though which may be annoying, but it probably worth it cuz it's useful. Don't be surprised if I Pando YOU some files.
I, so far, like eSnips and pando because they have a software interface which makes it much more user friendly and allows for resuming interrupted uploads. Pando makes the downloaders install their software, though which may be annoying, but it probably worth it cuz it's useful. Don't be surprised if I Pando YOU some files.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
New Wonders
At first I thought it was kind of weird that they would be picking 7 new wonders of the world, but then I found out that the only ones that still exist are the pyramids at Giza, so I guess it makes sense that people would want new ones that they can actually see. I also realized that I don't remember what the old ones were, other than the pyramids and the hanging gardens of Babylon. My dad said something about a Colossus of Rhodes, but even he can't remember all seven. Anyway, here's the list of the new ones they're going to vote on and the article. AOL News - New Seven Wonders of World to Be Chosen in 2007 AOL News: Top News - Full List of Candidate Sites
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