The media is not conservative/liberal - it's sheep
All dang day long I've been forced to hear/read every major media establishment fall over themselves over Dubya's "unveiling" of his Iraq strategy. Granted a strategy is exactly what we probably should have had before we starting dropping Outkast songs, but we are far past that at this point.
Are you ready for it? You say you're ready, but don't come whining to me when the sheer heft of this strategy blows your mind sideways.
"This will take time and patience."
Huzzah! Everything's going to be fine! Here we thought we needed to know something about our enemy, have realistic expectations, establish the rule of law, give the people of Iraq some idea of why this whole democracy thing might actually be a decent alternative to living under the rule of a militaristc despot. All we needed to do was read Chicken Soup for the *@&#!*! Soul. The point I'm not being at all dramatic in trying to make is that there was absolutely nothing remotely like news about this address. This just in - Bush invokes 9/11. Bush has spent the last several years telling us that it would be a mistake to veer off-course from our mistakes on the chance that we might start making different mistakes. Have we not fine-tuned our bs-detectors enough to know that when Karl "No-Neck" Rove calls and says there's going to be a big address that he just wants to show-off his latest talking point? You can just tune into FoxNews the next day to hear it? Missed it the first time? Wait for it - it's coming again.Early in the long run of The Simpsons (stay with me, this is going somewhere), there was a running gag wherein Bart and Lisa became adamant about ____. Homer did not want to provide ____. So Bart and Lisa would ask Homer for ____ over and over and over. The scene would change from the car to the couch to the bedroom and so on, until Homer finally caved.Guess which one Bush is.Where was all of this, say, March 19, 2003? That's right - Shock and Awe was all the strategy we needed, as if the media thought that the outcome of a conflict between our military and Iraq was in question somehow. The idea of Iraqis throwing roses at our feet as we pummelled their infrastructure, their children, the nation they love despite of its leaders, just because we were waving democracy didn't at all seem like spin? Hooray for war! Someone get the night-vision goggles; our ratings are going to soar!The media knows it completely dismissed its responsibility and now they're lamely trying to make amends. It's that fact that makes me despair much more than whatever might be happening in Iraq right now. Losing the window into our government should terrify us. When our most recent journalistic hero, Bob Woodward, isn't willing to give up all his connections to the current administration in order to shed some more-than-likely startling light on what's happening in our government, we should be very worried.
Posted by Joel at 11/30/2005 10:43:00 PM
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New link
The St. Pete Times' newest featured blog has made it to my BlogRoll. The Jillabuster Blog is written by a woman fighting a particular aggressive form of breast cancer. It might be quite cliche, the idea of the terminally ill patient with a verve for life, but her verve also happens to make for good writing. Check it.
Posted by Joel at 11/29/2005 12:50:00 AM
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This is why the French don't like us
In my endless wandering around the web I found myself at the Wikipedia entry for the phrase coup de grace. It literally means "blow of mercy." We use it to describe a major event that causes great change. Apparently most English speakers mispronounce the phrase - I myself did not know any better. The way we normally pronounce the word sounds like coup de gras, which literally means "blow of fat." I do believe "blow of fat" is going to find a place in my lexicon.
Posted by Joel at 11/29/2005 12:07:00 AM
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Yet more non-insight into Florida governor race - now with malapropism
... Now throw me the ballI have earlier poked wise at the two Republican candidates for Florida's governorship - take a scamper down Memory Court here and here. For the sake of equal time, as well as the fact that I have only made one decision on the race - not Crist - I realized that I need to head on over to the other two candidates' sites and go over them with my fine-tooth hairbrush of harmless derision.
You're up, Rod Smith.
He's the only candidate that might be a sentence, as well as a craftsman of fishing equipment and not-spoiling-the-childware (you can decide for yourself whether it's kids or grouper that should most fear the RodSquad).
How much of a longshot is he? The feature story on the site right now is a Sun-Sentinel op-ed entitled Rod Smith may be perfect fit for Florida. He could also be the mythical Minotaur, finally escaped from the Labyrinth to wreak havoc and horror on the unsuspecting Florida electorate. We're still working on it.
Endorsements? He bagged the rhinoceros, folks: Gilchrist County (population 16,024, 90.5% of which are white - US Census Bureau) Sheriff David Turner says Rod's our man.
He also apparently has the blonde women who blog in the wetlands vote.
But my favorite part of the site by far has to be the picture I included at the top of this post. I challenge you to know for a fact which one is Rod and which one is Bob. You think I might get on his list of blogs now?
Posted by Joel at 11/28/2005 11:10:00 PM
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Because everyone needs a t-shirt, or BBQ apron
Sticks of Fire, the blog to which I contribute (I'm still quite flattered about that), has made itself even more useful. Tommy and his brother Mike have put together a great line of Tampa-themed products - check them out here.
Normally I'm not one for wearing my home - city or state shirts scream tourist, especially when you live in a tourist mecca - but the designs are pretty clever. And if you don't want a wearable, they've got throw pillows, beer steins, even postage pals - I didn't know what that was at first either. Or you can make your dog wear your Tampan pride. Do I need to remind you it's gift-giving time?And no, Tommy is not paying me to write this.
Posted by Joel at 11/28/2005 10:42:00 PM
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Let the metaphor begin
Damn you, Harriet Miers! Photo courtesy of Yahoo! (AP)Get ready, because the media and both sides of this farce we call our government will probably have a ball with the crumbling Supreme Court facade. Bill Frist will probably call for precaution of activist contractors.
Posted by Joel at 11/28/2005 12:57:00 PM
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Still not quite right
It seems that the two middle months of my archives are not displaying the sidebar properly. If anyone has any ideas, by all means share. Right now I have a day off and have no desire to spend it by playing HTML, so it's just going to have to stay that way for now.
Posted by Joel at 11/28/2005 11:36:00 AM
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3 out of 5 ain't bad
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced 2006's inductees:
The Sex Pistols
Blondie
Miles Davis
Black Sabbath
Lynyrd Skynyrd
I guess the last two deseve their place. I guess. I'm just not looking forward to yet more exposure for Ozzy Osbourne. I know we should show compassion to those with debilitating learning disabilities, but couldn't we find a better poster child?
He's just like that?
And of course it will be quite touching when the two suriving original members of Lynyrd Skynyrd go up on stage. Just remember that not all of the members that have passed on died in that plane crash. Guitarist Allen Collins plead no contest to DUI and manslaughter when the car he was driving crashed, killing his girlfriend and paralyzing him from the chest down. His health deteriorated rapidly, and he died four years later from complication of pneumonia.
So what part of that story do you think the Hall will remove in order to make induction night a truly touching evening? That's just not a rock and roll death. Gary Glitter potentially facing a Vietnamese firing squad is rock and roll (Part 3). Too bad Gary Glitter isn't.
Also receiving honors next year will be Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, founders of A&M Records. The honor will be for a non-performer. Come on! Does "Spanish Flea" mean nothing?
Posted by Joel at 11/28/2005 10:49:00 AM
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Props
My self-deprecation has taken another hit.
More thanks to Bitch Lab. Not only do I make her links page but I even get a description:I enjoy this guy's humor and he's a Clash fan, so there. Thanks! He said: Go out and get me my old movie stills
Go out and get me another roll of pills
There I go again shaking but I ain't got the chills
**ARRRGHHHGORRA BUH BHUH DO ARRRRGGGGHHHHNNNN!!!!
- The Clash, "The Right Profile"** - trust me - check the lyric sheet
Posted by Joel at 11/28/2005 02:46:00 AM
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Will blog for bucks
This amused me. Thanks to Bitch Lab, who found it first.
I'm pleasantly surprised, although I'm curious to see when I get that check.
Posted by Joel at 11/28/2005 01:30:00 AM
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That's better
I still have to figure out how to get the Google Search and BlogMap back on here without chaos, but I do believe I like this a whole lot more.
Thanks to Beccary for doing all the dirty work, providing the shell of the HTML code that I then toyed with to suit me. I have to imagine it took her less time to write the code than it took me to customize (change colors and picture - sounds easy, but man do I feel dumb when working with code) it.
And thanks to the Musee D'Orsay for being ever so photogenic in providing my header picture. I give myself three months before I grow tired of this theme.
Posted by Joel at 11/28/2005 01:01:00 AM
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Laziness takes a holiday
If you find the blog looking odd, it's because I've had enough and decided to change the template. Of course my limited HTML knowledge means an inordinate amount of trial and error. Please be patient.
Posted by Joel at 11/27/2005 11:18:00 PM
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Design
I've quickly grown quite dissatisfied with the template I chose for ...BEEHO. I've also quickly grown dissatisfied with the name, although the acronym does amuse me.
Reading my first post, it's obvious to me that I never imagined I would keep doing this. It's not as if pleasure is still not the primary purpose of this venture (the ads are for curiosity's sake). I guess I just never thought people would actually read this thing; now I'm annoyed that my haphazardness is being exposed to a decent amount of people.
My problem with the template is that I've made so many modifications to it that I'm afraid I'll be too lazy to put it all back. Those with even a minute amount of HTML skill will probably giggle at that notion - well, I didn't get into this for the programming.
As for the name, take a look at my links. There are some pretty good names there. Sticks of Fire is catchy and educational. College Confidential has alliteration plus a voyeuristic expose feel fitting for its personal diary style. Population Statistic is a great name even in spite of its bad-band-liner-notes origins. The only purpose my blog's name serves is that it virtually guarantees first-link status on TampaBLAB due to the ellipses. Hopefully I won't inspire some sort of blog-roll war like all the A's at the beginning of the telephone book. The title even feels slightly derogatory to other bloggers.
Alright - I'm obviously not doing this solely for fun anymore. I do certainly get a kick out of the idea that other people are reading my blog out of choice - it's choice, right? As long as the writing is marginally interesting I guess the title shouldn't matter. Who knows - maybe that's why people come. After all, if it's good enough for Nick, who am I to question?The template still bothers me. But until I find a significant improvement, laziness will rule. You could lock your doorsClose all your windows And hide away- The Feelies, "It's Only Life"
Posted by Joel at 11/27/2005 02:50:00 PM
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UConn 15, USF 10
For once I hope the Big Three bias in the state won out. Any Tampa fans that tuned in to see what all the fuss was about the Bulls may never watch again.Today's game introduced USF fans to what will no doubt be a recurring issue playing in the Big East season to season.
The cold.
The average temperature, the only other southern school in the conference, in November is 47; in December it's 36. Syracuse mercifully plays in a dome, but every other road team we could play at the end of the year plays in brutal winter conditions. USF receivers had issues with holding on to the ball as it is, but it was quite bad tonight. All in all, the team looked very out of sorts in the weather - afraid to get hit, slow, much too deliberate.Still, despite four turnovers, a safety and the atrocious special teams coverage that led to a kickoff return for a touchdown, the Bulls had several chances to win this game. UConn gave USF fantastic field position on drive after drive, but USF could do nothing. The climax to this running theme came after Amarri Jackson's fantastic 37-yard punt return. USF had 1st and goal on the UConn 9. Four downs later, UConn had the ball on their 20. There were plenty of plays that gave Bulls fans shivers, but to me the absolute came on 3rd down of the aforementioned drive. On 2nd down Pat Julmiste executed a fantastic bootleg, juking his way to the 2. Julmiste rushed the offense out of the huddle, apparently trying to catch the Huskies defense off-guard. Unfortunately the center John Miller caught Julmiste and the rest of the team off-guard, snapping the ball while Julmiste was still two steps away from set. The false start backed the Bulls five yards. The last two plays were a tipped pass and an ill-fated reverse. Nevermind the execution of that snap - why would you ever rush that? It was no secret to anyone watching that this would be USF's best change to score - certainly not to Jim Leavitt, who went for it on 4th down. I have to believe Leavitt was thinking four downs from the beginning of that drive. Why not run another bootleg or play action on 3rd down? THAT'S the type of trickery we needed there, not whatever that was exactly. I am curious to know whose idea it was to rush that play. But of course, like most games, it's unfair to pin everything on one decision when so many other plays and decisions led to the situation in which you find yourself. The running game disappeared - most of the credit should go to the UConn defense. The turnovers were disheartening. The dropped passes were maddening. Hey, at least we ONLY had 8 penalties. The Jekyll/Hyde act this team exhibites between home and road is not getting any better. Hopefully we can at least keep it going for one more game. I think the USF defense is more than capable of keeping the frightening West Virginia in check. Hopefully Andre Hall will say goodbye to Raymond James in style, because the passing game still has not shown that it can do anything but stay out of the way. And should fans feel that this game no longer matters with a BCS berth out of the question, consider that being bowl-eligible certainly does not mean we will get one. A loss to WVU would put USF below Louisville (as long as Louisville gets past UConn) and tied with Pittsburgh in the Big East standings. USF lost to Pittsburgh, meaning the team that had a chance to win the conference would finish fourth. If Notre Dame snags a BCS berth, USF should still manage a berth in the Insight Bowl in Arizona - not good for travel. If USF can beat the Mountaineers, they would still finish at least tied for second, more than likely landing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in North Carolina (a win and loss by Louisville might put us in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, but I wouldn't get my hopes up). No matter. Tonight was a reality check, but this is still a good team. Let's hope we show it next week.
Posted by Joel at 11/26/2005 11:31:00 PM
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Respect - just a little bit
Recognize the above logo? Yahoo! Sports doesn't.
Check out our team page. Check out Terry Bowden's weekend forecast, where he predicts a Bulls win (he'll also be doing the color commentary for the game on ABC - it's USF's first national game). Notice something amiss? Our "new" logo - new for over two years now - is nowhere to be seen. I understand it's going to take more than a win against overrated Louisville to even get the hometown newspaper to care more about USF than the Big Three. I understand that we're going to be Southern Florida for a while still to most in the rest of the nation, and that those same people will be perplexed by our location in Central Florida - so where does UCF play then? But would it be too much to ask someone at Yahoo! to watch at least highlights of a game - Chad Simpson's kickoff return against Louisville was a nominee for Week 4's ESPN Pontiac Game Changing Performance - and say, "Man, those helmets sure look different."?
On the flip side, crazy ol' Lee Corso, never a favorite of mine, gave us all something to enjoy when he predicted that USF would beat West Virginia and go to the Sugar Bowl. We still have to beat UConn, but it is nice to see someone outside of Tampa give us some props. He even called us USF. I'll bet he's seen our helmets.
Posted by Joel at 11/26/2005 12:51:00 PM
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Fight night at always low prices
WTSP.com featured a story on a
fracas at an Orlando Wal-Mart during Capitalism Friday.
A much more direct illustration of Wal-Mart's pricing being harmful for America. Who buys a laptop from Wal-Mart, anyway?
I love that the picture perfectly framed the "ONLY AT WAL-MART" sign in the background.
Posted by Joel at 11/25/2005 11:53:00 PM
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Jesus would have tipped well
The above statement is obviously pure speculation (as well as a tad silly, but that hasn't stopped me), but I'd like to think it's a good guess.
An acquaintance of mine has for some time waited tables at a certain big-headed-brothers-touted Italian chain restaurant. This particular location is frequented on Sundays by churchgoers. A Christian herself, she laments the dread surrounding working a Sunday - these churchgoers are notoriously bad tippers. We're not talking about 15% instead of 20% bad tipper; we're talking more of the 10% if she's lucky variety bad tipper.
Not to toot the old French horn, but the fact that I'm married to a one-time waitress has made of me a fairly good tipper. I shudder at the sight of someone using their cellphone to calculate the to-the-cent amount they should tip - shudder for the wait staff and for mathematics. But these people are a far worse breed, apparently tipping based solely on the smallest bill present in their wallet/purse.
I know tipping doesn't exactly qualify as charity, a principle still often absent from the Christian community as I see it. Yet this still strikes me as a pretty lousy attitude, considering how highly Jesus spoke of those who serve.
Christians Baptists (like most things that cause me shame in my faith, it seems like this is a problem specific to you - surely this will bring my first hate comment): being a good witness doesn't just mean shoving tracts down the throats of everyone you meet, especially if you're fouling up a thousand opportunities to show what should be true Christian character the rest of the time. There's absolutely no reason to be this miserly. If you can't afford the extra few dollars to make your tip more than just an insult, then eat at a buffet where you do all the work.
The soapbox is yours.
Posted by Joel at 11/25/2005 06:32:00 PM
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Look, Mommy - Santa brought me perspective
$21.5 billion:
1. the total amount of fourth quarter retail e-commerce sales in 2004 (US Census Bureau).
2. total GDP of Afghanistan in 2003, one-third of which could come from the opium trade (Central Intelligence Agency). Afghanistan's total GDP ranks 107 out of 230 countries.
Posted by Joel at 11/25/2005 05:14:00 PM
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Dia de Accion de Gracias
Let's set aside all that stuff about historical inaccuracies and all the rest of it. You have something to be thankful for, right? Okay then. There you go. Whatever it is, if you haven't been thankful for it yet, here's your chance. Whether Thanksgivings is part of your cultural tradition or not, have a great long weekend. And for those that don't get that long weekend, i.e. those in retail, good luck on Friday.
Posted by Joel at 11/23/2005 11:55:00 PM
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Season over but still a success
The USF Bulls men's soccer team reached a heartbreaking end to their season on Tuesday, losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Virginia 4-4 (7-6 shootout).
Nevertheless this young team should be congratulated for a fantastic season, winning the Big East Red Division in just their first year in the conference. That's right - it's not just the (American) football team taking huge strides.
Great season, guys! Things will probably only get better next year.
Posted by Joel at 11/23/2005 10:36:00 PM
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Feeling accomplished
For the first time ever, ...BEEHO is coming to you from a brand new location: my bedroom.
After much-deserved prodding from my wife to make the obstacle course of cables from our modem disappear, I have installed a wireless internet router in my home.
There's no need to feign amazement - I know this is not a big accomplishment.
Nevertheless it's quite nice to bring the notebook trapper-keeper (much more descriptive a term for my cumbersome mobile computer) onto the bed. I don't think this means anything to my blogging. Most of my posting takes place at night long after my dear wife has gone to bed, so I'm sure the floor of the living room (we have a couch, but I only use it to lean on occasionally) will continue to be blogger central.Maybe tomorrow I'll post from the kitchen.A promise to my dear reader(s): the bathroom is right out.Rabid child stays at homeTalks on a CB- They Might Be Giants, "Rabid Child"
Posted by Joel at 11/23/2005 10:23:00 PM
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Democrats making sense, sort of
It's rare, but it's exciting when it happens.
Both Joseph Biden and Hillary Rodham Clinton started making a little sense today, opining that John Murtha's demand for an immediate removal of our troops from Iraq.
All senators involved can certainly agree that President Bush got us in a royal mess. Complete lack of preparation has left our troops in a mercilessly volatile situation with little sign of any improvement. But now we find ourselves in a new debate, the question of how to clean up the mess.
I honestly don't think it's politics behind Murtha's cry for a quick exit. It's honest-to-goodness frustration. How can you not be frustrated with what is happening? The problem is that leaving this mess behind virtually guarantees that we'll have to return there in the near future.
The United States has a pretty poor record of nation-building. The book Colossus by historian Niall Ferguson does a pretty good job of detailing our frequently hopeless attempts at building democracy. We're great with the bombs - it's what happens after the warfare that seems to trip us up. Ferguson highlights the key differences between our relative successes, most importantly Japan and Germany after WWII, and our failures - Vietnam, the Philippines. One of the key factors in post-WWII success was the sheer matter of determination. We didn't leave. In the case of Germany, we're still there in large force.I know - I'm starting to sound dangerously like Dubya. I am by no means suggesting that we stay with the strategy we've employed thusfar. But it might be time to face the grim reality that the only way we can make sure that this conflict is not an absolute waste of money and lives is by seeing this thing through.The change of strategy should definitely involve a major reduction in troop levels. We probably need to swallow some pride and let the UN or at least members of Europe get involved, entities much more adept at the intricacies of postwar nation-building. This would allow our military to concentrate on, oh, I don't know, maybe that "war" on terror we were supposed to be fighting. The repercussions of Bush's decision to involve us in Iraq will be felt no matter what we choose to do on or after December 15. It is absolutely maddening to think that a war that many of us were directly or indirectly duped into supporting should force us to continue to make sacrifices we do not want to make. Yet this might be the very choice we must make in order to ensure Iraq doesn't become another Afghanistan. I have no doubt that the candidates vying to succeed Bush in the White House will use their magic plan for Iraq as a major platform point. As long as Bush's approval rating remains subterranean as it is now, the most contrary plan to Bush's own "plan" will be the most lauded. And who can blame them? Apart from it making good political sense, who would possibly want to put themselves in the wholly unenviable position making sense of this quagmire? Let's just get the troops out; Iraq won't likely completely erupt and turn into Afghanistan II until the end of what's sure to be a one-term presidency. Let the next guy take the fall.The alternative will be to absorb the terrible legacy that Bush has left behind. Continue an albeit smaller presence in Iraq and join forces with the nations that wanted no part of this to begin with, virtually guaranteeing fierce criticism from all sides of the political fence. Do I have even the slightest hope that this candidate exists today? Not really. Not at all. This is just catharsis, people, not informed political commentary.
Posted by Joel at 11/21/2005 10:05:00 PM
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Link Wray
Link Wray, inventor of the power chord, died today at the age of 76.
If you were to believe his official site, we lost a great legend. While the influence of the power chord is quite omnipresent, that's pretty much about it. I'm not terribly sure that he ever used the power chord for anything that could pass for great rock and roll. Still though, maybe what little coverage Wray's passing will receive will help today's pimple-rock and whine-punk fans realize that the power chord was indeed not invented by Green Day.
Posted by Joel at 11/21/2005 08:52:00 PM
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Do as the ancestors - read
Photo courtesy of BN.com
When they have neared the end of their productive life, [Florida] is where the honored elders of our nation are sent to tend to the magic orange groves.
That is a quote from John Hodgman's Areas of My Expertise, my latest letters obsession. Sort of to Poor Richard's Almanack what The Onion is to journalism, Areas is a self-describe chronicle of "complete world knowledge," only all that knowledge is completely made up.
Examples: in the chapter that includes the above quote, Hodgman details our 51st state, Hohoq (The Ford Thunderbird State), a "large, cloud-encircled plateau that moves mysteriously from place to place through America." He gives us other historical tidbits, such as the nine presidents that had hooks for hands - Jefferson designed his own hooks. Hodgman also has a curious obsession with hoboes, climaxing in a list of 700 hobo names. If you don't believe that he came up with 700, check out the forty minute MP3 featuring each name being read to accompanying folksy guitar.
Hodgman's tone may be a bit too deadpan and smart-arse for some, and over 200 pages of said tone may be a bit much even for those that don't otherwise mind. But for fans of publications such as McSweeney's - to which Hodgman has contributed - and authors such as David Sedaris this book will provide plenty of goofy entertainment. And don't forget hobo fans.
This heaven gives me megraine
- Gang of Four, "Natural's Not in It"
Posted by Joel at 11/21/2005 06:44:00 PM
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Kim Cattrall must be thrilled
Some guys get caught in South DakotaPhoto courtesy of IMP AwardsSometimes a story does not need even the slightest bit of commentary to create an impact. This is such a story.
And despite my general disagreement with a lot of what is said on the blog where I first heard about this story, proper blogsmanship dictates that I should set politics aside for a little credit. Ranting Right Wing Howler. I should say that anyone that follows that link and starts to fume should remember that you can't be convinced that someone's opinion is erroneous if you don't know what it is. You might even reconsider a thing or two.Mostly you'll fume.
Posted by Joel at 11/21/2005 01:20:00 PM
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What's in a name?
XX
"Janie Jones" - The Clash "Sally MacLennane" - The Pogues"Ivanka" - Imperial Teen
"Mildred Pierce" - Sonic Youth "Janine" - Soul Coughing
"Mrs. Jackson" - Outkast
"Debra" - Beck
"Ingrid Bergman" - Billy Bragg & Wilco
"Jacqueline" - Franz Ferdinand
"Kim" - Eminem
XY "Jorge Regula" - The Moldy Peaches"David" - Nellie McKay"Mr. Suit" - Wire"Mr. Grieves" - Pixies"Mr. Sellack" - The Roches"Pablo Picasso" - The Modern Lovers"Jonathon Fisk" - Spoon"Tom Courtenay" - Yo La Tengo"Django" - Rancid"Johnny Sunshine"/"Johnny Feelgood" - Liz Phair
Posted by Joel at 11/20/2005 01:24:00 AM
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USF 31, Cincinnati 16
Photo courtesy of gousfbulls.comOnly one team now stands in the way of USF's chance at a BCS berth. That means one more game for USF to figure itself out before take-two-homecoming against West Virginia.
The Bulls have every right to complain about the relative lack of attention in this area, particularly with two of the Big Three totally underachieving. But national attention has been pretty good. They had a two-page picture and story Sports Illustrated. Even the lousy people that decide the odds on amateur athletics gave USF 21 points for today's game. The issue here is that the team still hasn't quite played like it did against Louisville. Sure, that was just about the perfect performance, but I'm not sure we've come close to perfect, save the win against Big East doormat Syracuse. This game was no different. Pat Julmiste was much better than he's been of late, but throwing with a lead (albeit a slim one, 10-7 at halftime) at home against a mediocre team is usually pretty easy. USF didn't turn the ball over today, but it did fumble three times. And then there are the penalties, all 18 of them. I don't want to sound fatalistic. We should all be very excited about everything this team is accomplishing. We should be excited about the possibility of a bowl game, let alone a BCS bowl. I just don't want temper expectations to avoid bitter disappointment. This team is young - things are probably only going to get better. This town has been sort of spoiled by success of late. The fact that the Bulls are knocking on the BCS's door smacks of Tampa Bay destiny. Based on how this team has played overall this season, we should probably be thrilled if USF makes any bowl game, which it should if it beats UCONN next week and at least hangs with West Virginia. It's not unreasonable to think that USF can win Big East. But it is unreasonable to think it's in the bag. P.S. - Jim Leavitt - when K-State calls in the coming weeks about their job opening, let the machine get it.And congrats to the USF men's soccer team for advancing in the NCAA tournament!
Posted by Joel at 11/19/2005 05:09:00 PM
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Don't worry - the bayonets are purely ceremonial.
Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! (AP)
Posted by Joel at 11/19/2005 03:20:00 PM
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Cincinnati
A visual representation of the next
time I will visit Cincinnati.Photo courtesy of Wikipedia"Cincinnati USA - All Together Surprising"That's the slogan being used to promote the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. Hmm.
On several occasions on this blog I've spoken ill of the city of Cincinnati. I can't say I've traveled much in my twenty-five years, certainly not as much as I'd like. I can say that of the bigger cities that I have visited, none has left a worse impression than Cincinnati.
I'll admit: I only spent five days there during a high school wind ensemble trip. There's a pretty good chance that I didn't get the full picture. But here's what I did get:
- lots of urban decay
- a baseball stadium - fortunately demolished in 2002 - that leaked beer (hopefully) onto our heads from the upper deck above
- a very cold, very dull boat trip along the Ohio River
- a nasty 24-hour bug that hit hardest while we were trapped in a crowded docked-boat restaurant with lousy service and lousier food
So the criticism may not be entirely deserved. I could have just as easily gotten sick in New York City or Paris. And hey, Cincinnati was voted "most liveable city" in 1994 (it's also the third most oft misspelled). So are you going to take it easy on Cincinnati?
Probably not.
If anyone from Cincinatti Cincinatty Cincinnati happens across this, please feel free to leave a nasty comment, or a comment in agreement (I'm still hoping for my first nasty comment, though). Toss a potshot at Tampa if you wish. It's all in good fun.
All this leads to Saturday's football game between the USF Bulls and the Cincinnati Bearcats. Sorry, guys - you can have the basketball (and you will, along with every other team in the Big East), but football is our baby. We've got a BCS bowl to crash. After the Bearcats come the Huskies. And then the West Virginia Mountaineers.
It's a shame I've never been to Morgantown. How will I ever make fun? On one scary night I saw the lightHeard a voice that sounded like Barry WhiteSaid, "Sure you're right"- Madvillain, "Raid"
Posted by Joel at 11/18/2005 08:32:00 PM
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Another on-ramp
Thanks to the St. Petersburg Times for adding ...BEEHO to their blog list. I'm a newest addition!
Posted by Joel at 11/18/2005 07:40:00 PM
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Wearing out a welcome that was never there
Photo courtesy of Weather UndergroundA lot of us have probably already donated all those non-perishable food items we bought at several times during this absurd hurricane season. Thanksgiving is in a few days, after all. If you still have 30 cans of fruit medley, you should consider donating them to a local charity
like Metropolitan Ministries.
Then again, you may want to save a can or two. Tropical Storm Gamma formed off Honduras. Early forecasts have it taking a very similar path to Wilma. While this is good news for us, you can't help but feel frustrated for our neighbors to the south. The forecasts also don't anticipate a very strong storm, but right now any type of tropical weather could be trouble for an area still not entirely recovered. Gamma. I'm not even sure I know that much more of the Greek alphabet. Hopefully this is all the lesson we get.
Posted by Joel at 11/18/2005 06:56:00 PM
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Get off the computer
Seriously. If you're in the Tampa Bay area, turn off you computer. Go outside. The weather is absolutely fantastic. I don't care what time it is. When people ask you, "Why do you live in Florida? Isn't it just for tourists and old people that don't know how to vote?" and you respond, "The weather is amazing," this is the weather you're talking about. I checked the Weather Channel temperature map - the entire country is blue-to-purple, save for a small corner in the Southwest and here. But the Southwest gets into the 100's in the summer, so this is the place to be. You know you're going to be whining when the hurricanes and the humidity and all the rest of it come back, so go enjoy this while you can. Now.
Posted by Joel at 11/18/2005 12:48:00 AM
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When a politician is sleazier than a strip club, and why the strip club will win
Ronda Storms, Hillsborough County commissioner representing District 4, recently added another layer of shoes to her already high horse. She made phone calls to companies sponsoring a local charity event in order to make them aware of a most heinous offense: Joe Redner wants to help children.
It seems that Ronda did not like the idea of a company that owns a local strip club (among other such scandalous ventures as health clubs and real estate) having its logo on an invitation for a children's charity that so happened to have a picture of, well, a child. She called several of the other sponsors to warn them of Redner's involvement. Understanding that county commissioners don't usually just call to chat, some of the sponsors bowed out. Fortunately the last word is that the event will continue.
I have plenty of things to say about the negative effects of strip clubs. I also have plenty of things to say about the negative effects of glazed doughnuts. My personal opinion does not enter into this. What does enter into this is that there is a need to be filled, and Joe Redner wanted to help.
Ronda Storms has made it quite clear in her time as county commissioner that she has a lot to say. But her status as elected official does not provide her with the right to turn her personal opinion into policy. Joe Redner is a member of this community like any other. I'm assuming he's a taxpayer - the way he's vilified by some in local government, I'm sure someone has probably scoured his tax records many times. That some of that money has been derived from a salacious yet completely legal venture should not be of any concern to a government official, at least not to the point that she turns her office into the morality police.
Or maybe we need to dig through the garbage of the other sponsors involved in the event. A Michigan man was recently arrested after having sex with a teenager in his room at the Wyndham Westshore hotel, which was a sponsor and is hosting the event. Maybe that's why they withdrew sponsorship. I ask you this, Ronda Storms: do you get Cinemax?Ultimately, I think this whole thing is going to work out just fine. The organizers of the event has hoped to raise $30,000 at this year's event. After one of the potential beneficiaries removed itself from the auction, the goals were scaled down, hoping to just recoup the $1,200 it will cost to send 15 kids to the camp involved with the charity that stuck it out. My guess it that the publicity generated by this debacle will increase awareness of the event, and that people with giving hearts and utter disdain for what Ronda Storms has been doing with her time and our money for the last seven years will make sure that this charity benefits greatly. And Ronda Storms? I imagine she's already moved on, content with this latest bow to her base, hoping someone will help her off her horse.
Posted by Joel at 11/16/2005 10:01:00 PM
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A celebration
My wife and I are different in many complementary ways, but we both share a general disdain for spectacle. When presented with the question of how to celebrate our first anniversary, this low-key attitude left us with very few options.
So we went shopping.
Well, we did go to a fantastic restaurant for lunch. But the rest of the day amounted to a celebration of capitalism.Actually we didn't buy all that much. We just wandered around some malls and shops. We ran into an old high school friend. We made fun of a lot of people. We had a blast.I had actually planned a few things, but the Fates had obviously conspired to take all plot from our day. Completely undeterred, we went where the spirit or red lights led and had a fantastic time at every stop. I can safely say that our day was all the better for the freestyling.Going into this thing, I knew that my single biggest obstacle in making a success of the marriage would be fighting the aloofness that comes much too easy to me. Early in our relationship, before marriage, my wife occupied this place in my mind completely separate from the rest of my life. Now that this is a shared life, I have found myself fighting acclimation, knowing that my usual attitude towards all things could never be fair to her. I spent so much time dreaming up these great romantic gestures that rarely materialized that I wound up frustrated to such a point that aloofness proved the best escape. I should at this point admit that my wife, while normally quite low-key, is much more of a romantic than I - she couldn't be much worse, could she? Being with her means displaying affection in grand ways from time to time. I would like to think that from time to time I excel at said gestures, and that those gestures almost always come from genuine feelings rather than reluctant obligation. The point is that our relationship was not born of Shakespeare. We were friends all through high school, friends that respected one another more than any other friend. After infrequent contact for years after graduation, we discovered that the respect had only grown outside the cliques and immaturity of high school. We were best of friends for years before finally admitting to each other that this respect came with a serious longing for so much more. We would drive around to nowhere in particular, most often and memorably finding ourselves on the swings at Lowry Park, watching the sun rise to the soundtrack of fascinating conversation or beautiful silence. Even after the romantic tension melted away, our best "dates" were canoeing on the Hillsborough and feeding the ducks outside the music building at USF.Yes, I think our first anniversary celebration was ideal. Maybe next year we'll do something more blog-worthy. This one was just for us. Baby babyAin't it trueI'm immortal When I'm with you- P.J. Harvey, "Big Exit"
Posted by Joel at 11/15/2005 10:35:00 PM
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Fawlty Towers. The Office (UK). Arrested Development
What's the correlation? Apart from being 3 of the best things ever put on television, they will now more than likely share the status of great shows that never jumped the shark.
Fox announced that they will be canceling Arrested Development after the 13 episodes it already ordered have aired.
I really want to be upset about this, but I'm pretty sure it's for the best. It just so happens that today my wonderful wife gave me season 1 on DVD. We had once already devoured that whole season on DVD (thank you, Netflix), but after watching disc one of three all the way through today I know that nothing about this show becomes any less funny on repeat viewing.
I've only seen two season 3 episodes, but nothing about those episodes struck me as shark-jumping material. I think it'll be quite nice having those three DVD sets sitting on the shelf, next to both season of The Office (UK), without worrying about whether or not being a completist means owning a lot of garbage - that means you, Seinfeld and Friends, among others. I have a feeling bad Arrested Development could be very difficult to watch.
There is always the possibility that another network, cable or broadcast, could pick up the show. There is absolutely no way AD works on another broadcast network - stay tuned for another Yes, Dear followed by Arrested Development and Two and a Half Men. I guess it would work on Comedy Central (Lord knows they could use something to replace Dave Chapelle - David Spade is not it), but as the Yahoo article surmises, the cost of the show may be too high for most cable networks.
Yes, I think this is alright. Leave prime-time to schlock like Prison Break and stride confidently into the sunset. Let's face it - we all knew Ron Howard being involved in something good could not possibly last forever.
Posted by Joel at 11/12/2005 03:45:00 AM
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Question for Pat Robertson
Do you actually own a Bible?
This is what Mr. Robertson said to the city of Dover, PA after they voted out the entire school board that had recently ruled in favor of intelligent design being taught in their public schools (link):
"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected him from your city."
"God is tolerant and loving, but we can't keep sticking our finger in his eye forever. If they have future problems in Dover, I recommend they call on Charles Darwin. Maybe he can help them."
That's right, folks. Mercy and grace that has endured for the entirety of existence has finally run out. You really did it this time, Dover.
I often find my thoughts sorting out the question of separation of church and state. How separate should it be? Is the country better off with this separation in place, or could we use a little injection of Christian principles? Being a Christian myself, I obviously think those principles are pretty solid.
Then Pat Robertson opens his vicious, misinformed mouth.
Even if you ignore the countless wise reasons why that concept was introduced in this country from its inception (after greed, religious freedom was the biggest reason people headed to the New World), THIS is why church and state need to remain organizations independent of each other. It seems like the only self-proclaimed Christians that are so totally obsessed with the political power are people like Robertson who have seemingly no knowledge of what Jesus ever did on this earth. While most decent Christians are perfectly content with leading by example, away from the obviously irresistible lure of political power - precisely what Jesus did - power-hungry zealots like Robertson only manage to completely alienate anyone who would love to find something positive in this faith.
I can hear the defense now. We cannot allow ourselves to conform to the evil ways of the world. They criticize because they are sinful and do not wish to acknowledge their sinfulness. No, they (and I) criticize because your hypocrisy is so absolutely stubborn and obvious.
This is exhausting.
Posted by Joel at 11/11/2005 02:02:00 AM
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More non-insight into Florida gov. election
Don't forget to tip your candidate.
In the spirit of equal time, I browsed Tom Gallagher's campaign website in the hopes of finding some odd pictures or other irrelevant stimuli to pick apart.
He's just not that creepy.
I did learn a few things, actually. I like to consider myself moderately savvy in the ways of politics, but I had no idea that among the duties involved in Gallagher's catch-all position of state CFO is State Fire Marshall. Oh if only his name was Bill. Well, I must say that my home has not caught fire, so he's obviously getting the job done.
As for his wife, Laura, I learned that she is Chairman AND CEO (it's quite the renaissance family) of the North Florida Ladies Prayer Brunch. I'm pretty sure that means she brings the cantaloupe.
Seriously, look at this family. It's so vanilla. I got nothin'. The wife even seems nice, but not creepy Laura Bush-Stepford Wife-telling horse milking jokes nice. I may have to look at the issues. Hopefully he'll pose for a ridiculous photo-op that will make this decision much easier.
Ah, those were the days.
I don't understand
Jackie Susann meant it that way
- X, "Adult Books"
Posted by Joel at 11/09/2005 11:19:00 PM
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Doppelganger
Just in case I was beginning to fancy myself clever, I recently discovered that there is another blog out there - on Blogger, no less - called Because Everyone Else Has One.
Well, technically it's called Nick's Blog: Because Everyone Else Has One. More of a subtitle, like Manos: The Hands of Fate.
Further, he provides the following reasoning for his blog's existence below the title:
Everyone else had one, even Drew. And Drew hates babies and koala bears. So I decided that an Emo kid like me should definetly have a Blog. Blog stands for Weblog, by the way. But it sounds like something a lobster would say. I guess that makes it cool.
In order to save you the time and trouble of navigating his whole site, allow me to quickly summarize other similarities:
- we're both in a band
- we both own iRiver MP3 players - we both have some appreciation of the lynx
That's about it, really. I must admit that he did indeed begin his blog many months before I began my own. However, as he did predict in his first post he has obviously lost interest in the blogging idea, posting three times since I began my blog, two of them this month. Perhaps he's better living up to the apathy implied in the blog title. Or subtitle. Still, I am of the completely biased opinion that my own slightly absurdist musings are much more entertaining.
Besides, no one likes an emo kid.
So this will be a bit of an experiment. Let's see if Nick discovers my own BEEHO (you know, I'm warming up to the acronym) and the joshing I'm tossing his way. Nick, if you're reading this, leave me a comment. Please don't hesitate to be critical of my writing. Or if you like, we can find some critical common ground.
Have you ever been to Cincinnati?
Hear my voice
Move my hair
I move it around a lot
But I don't care
- Talking Heads, "Warning Sign"
Posted by Joel at 11/08/2005 11:49:00 PM
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Look what we did!
I found this on Charlie Crist's campaign website contact page. Is it me, or do they seem almost proud of all that hurricane damage behind them? Good thing they have that Expedition. More importantly, the disparity between the light of Crist's hair and the dark of his bacon-skin grows ever more alarming. Check out Google images - the pictures of him standing next to actual human beings are pretty startling.
Posted by Joel at 11/08/2005 05:08:00 PM
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Crashing the blogosphere, Part II
I might have to get what mileage I still can from my self-deprecating jokes about this being a blog for myself alone. First my blog was highlighted on Florida Politics, I'm assuming on the strength of a rather reactionary post about the closed session of the Senate called for by Harry Reid (and not, I'm also assuming, on the strength of just about everything else I've posted). That led to a startling amount of page visits linked from that particular blog.
...BEEHO (what an unfortunate acronym) has now seen an uptick in visits from Sticks of Fire. You see, Tommy over at SoF joined whoever exactly at Florida Politics in deciding that there's something worthwhile about my ramblings - he asked me if I was interested in contributing to Tampa's super-blog. And so I said yes. I've already had two postings; one an introduction of sorts, the other about my recent visit to and subsequent endorsement of the USF Contemporary Art Museum. From the introduction came more visits. About 20% of my now 500 page visits since August 28 have come in the last week.
So now what? I feel like I have to actually provide something in the way of substance. Everything was all fish and chips when the blog only stood to be exposed to myself and the occasional Blogger user that clicks "next blog." Now people might actually be visiting in hopes of reading something interesting/funny/insightful/thought-provoking. And worse, these people live in this state, in this city. God forbid they might be people I encounter from time to time. Neighbors. The horror. Some of them may at some point have lived in Cincinnati.
I'll get over it. It means nothing. If anything, the fact that I'll now feel compelled to provide true interest over at SoF (I can crap all over this blog, but I won't be sullying Tommy's hard work) should provide me with more freedom to do whatever I please here. It's like I'm Mike Patton, SoF is Faith No More, and this is Mr. Bungle. No, there is no better analogy.
In all seriousness, I am terribly flattered that I've been given this opportunity to contribute to the wonderful blog community that exists in this area. And most of all, I have a blast doing it. Bye-bye, boy, run to your mother- Franz Ferdinand, "This Boy"
Posted by Joel at 11/06/2005 09:45:00 PM
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Bill O'Reilly - the voice of Bill O'Reilly
Everyone's fair and balanced loofah fetishist is at it again - not the loofah thing, as far as I know. He couldn't help but jump on the developments here in Hillsborough County, where the school board decided to remove several religious holidays after a girl stood in front of the council requesting a day off for a Muslim holiday.
There is a lot to completely dislike about Bill O'Reilly. There is a lot to dislike about Bill O'Reilly specifically in regards to this story. Allow me to dwell on one specific aspect.
O'Reilly's argument is that this country is 85% Christian (and I certainly count myself as a member of that particular statistic), that this country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, therefore having these Judeo-Christian holidays in place in public schools is completely okay. That means leaving holidays of other religions off the school calendar okay as well. Basically, if you're going to live under this roof, you'll live by our rules. Predictably O'Reilly tosses in a little Red scare by saying that what the school board did is akin to what they do in Cuba. Cuba!
Well, here's the thing: denying someone their freedom of religious expression is not exactly all-American. Oh, but they can practice all they want in their own places of worship, blah blah. But not giving these children a day off on days considered as holy to them as Christmas is to Christians is a form of restriction. Nevermind the fact that Christmas means absolutely nothing except celebration of America's true religion, capitalistic spending. Pretending like these days mean nothing while sending them home on days that mean nothing to them is in essence a form of religious endorsement. The Constitution spells this out clearly. I don't see anything about a Judeo-Christian monopoly.
Solution? I think the school board's decision is a decent one. Yes, it might send a poor message to Muslims already fighting hard to separate themselves from the extremists that mean us harm. But by eliminating most all religious holidays, they are saying, "Your religion is no more or less important than anyone else's." Taking these holidays out is not going to damage the true traditions of Easter and Christmas any more than the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and general commercialism already have.Maybe the idea of floating holidays - popular in the workplace - is one that should be considered. On top of the government holidays, allow a set number of days that can be used for whatever meaningful days children choose to celebrate. This idea is already included in the school board plan to replace the holidays that are being eliminated. Maybe we should expand it. To have some sort of control over it, the school board could sanction specific days on which those days can be used. Anyone else have any ideas? I'm trying to remember that the worst form of criticism is criticism without solutions.
Alright, one more thing about O'Reilly - character assassination? Nevermind the idiocy of the term - it's a good thing nobody on the right has ever resorted to that sort of behavior - Swiftboat - I'm sorry, did I sneeze?
Posted by Joel at 11/04/2005 01:35:00 AM
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