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.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
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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