Chelios is probably a Hall of Famer. But, the Thrashers are in a fight to make the playoffs. This just seems like a sideshow. I don't know much Chelios will help. I feel like if the Thrashers were safely in the playoffs, or safely out of it, this would be a better move. I know Chelios wants to play until he's 50. But, this is a huge risk for the Thrashers. Huge risk. If they don't make the playoffs, if they fall flat on their face, then this will be looked upon like a PR stunt. Which it may be. But, if it costs them a playoff spot, it's not worth it.
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This season feels different. The Rangers aren't that good. They may make the playoffs, but even if they do, they aren't going to go very far. I haven't been invested at all in the NBA this year. I'll watch the conference finals and league finals, but other than that, the NBA hasn't really been on my radar.
So, as I deal with the reality that is the Rangers, my mind wanders towards baseball. A couple months earlier. Which is great. In my spare time, I start thinking about Yankee lineups. Matchups. Yankee competitors. How will the bullpen be constructed? What should the lineup be?
Normally, this mental exercise happens this time of year, but it's never at this depth. I think about it, of course. I'm a Yankee fan. But, it's more casual. My mind is more focused on Ranger line combinations. And while I still think about that, my mind is shifting towards baseball. It's a nice change.
The weather here in New York is starting to get nicer, the snow is melting, the sun is shining. You turn on the TV and there's spring training baseball. You turn on the radio and there's baseball. It's here. In a few weeks, it will all start for real. Until then, we can enjoy thinking about baseball, dreaming about it. It's here.
]]>Here are some videos from tonight. Not the greatest quality, but you get the picture. Enjoy
]]>-Saved The Economy
-Passed Hate Crimes Legislation
-Expanded children's health care programs
-Enacted the LARGEST middle class tax cut in history
-Set strict new emissions standards
-Are so close to passing health care reform
-Helped unemployed Americans retain COBRA insurance
-Protected nearly two million acres of national forests
And so much more. (Thanks to Bob Cesca for the list of what the Dems have done.)
Problem is, no one knows! Because, for whatever reason, the Democrats have decided to be modest. The Republicans, meanwhile, have taken up the silence. Yelling everything possible, the Republicans own the debate. No one knows what the Democrats have done, because the Democrats haven't said anything.
A huge part of politics is getting the message out. And nowadays, it's very simple. Mass emails. TV ads. Twitter. Facebook. It's not that hard. It's so important to not be modest in politics. It's so important to boast about what you've done. Because if you don't, the opposition fills the silence.
So, Democrats, don't be afraid to speak up! You've had some amazing accomplishments. It'd be nice if people knew about it.
]]>But, sadly, there's been some talk of the NHL not allowing players to compete for their country in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. This is a horrible decision, if it happens. First, the quality of hockey would suffer. NHL players are the best in the world, and having college players, junior players, and others play is just not the same product. The quality of hockey this Olympics has been awesome.
Second, this is the biggest stage for the NHL. The NHL is not that popular, compared to baseball and football. But, for two weeks, everyone is a hockey fan--especially when USA is doing well. To lose that exposure would be a mistake.
Third, no one would watch the NHL during that time. Everyone watches Olympics anyway. You're losing viewers.
Olympic hockey has been awesome, and it's due to all the NHL players. If the NHL does this, it will be making a huge mistake. Don't do it, NHL.
]]>If Democrats want to do anything, the best thing to do is to ignore the Republicans. Liberal shows like Keith Olbermann's spent almost all of their time on Republicans. By doing this, the Republicans win.
Instead, ignore the Republicans. They aren't going to offer anything policy-wise, so go about it your own way. You're not losing anything. You're putting the focus on you, the Democrats, the solution party, the party that cares. You're the good guys.
And, about the filibuster, make the Republicans filibuster. Who cares if they "intend" to filibuster? Make them! Make Jim Demint read the phone book, the Bible whatever. You can only filibuster for so long. Civil rights legislation was filibustered. Make them stand up there. Make them make a fool out of themselves. It'll be worth it.
I know this rant is kind of unorganized, so forgive me. The central thesis is this: Spend less time pointing out the pitfalls of the Republicans, and more time pointing out the successes of the Democrats. Frame the debate in your favor. Frame it so Americans are focused on you, not the antics of the Republicans. The Republicans are winning because the focus is on them. Ignore them, and put the focus on you.
]]>We went on the beginner track, which is pretty flat the whole way, except for one little gully. Without any instruction, I didn't have a grasp of the techniques. I just kind of went with what felt right.
Besides my harrowing experience going down that little gully--where I fell twice, and then just walked down it--I loved it. The views were tremendous (like this one below)
And it was peaceful. Barely any one was out there. It was pleasant. By the end, I started to get the hang out, and on the last hundred feet or so, I was really motoring. I'm going to do it again. But, maybe, with some instruction first.
There's Alex Rodriguez, who, after his tearful apology, got back on track with Yankee fans and won a World Series. Now, A-Rod is back where he started--hated by baseball, loved by Yankee fans.
There's Roger Clemens, who, instead of apologizing for steroid use, became defiant, and sued his former trainer for defamation. Now, Roger Clemens is on the outside of the sports world looking in, an outcast, forgotten.
And, then there's Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods apologized today for his recent behavior that landed him in sex rehab. Reading Tiger Woods' apology, one would think that he nailed it. You'd think you could forgive him. After he says stuff like this, you want to forgive him:
I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them.
I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.
You read that and say, "Maybe Tiger gets it". You read that and think, "He'll get back on track". Alas, apologies are not read. They are spoken. His orchestrated setting looked orchestrated. The awkward camera angles. The long pauses. Tiger didn't look human. He looked like a robot.
On paper, it was an apology, and a good one. On screen, however, it looked like a White House briefing. All business. When someone apologizes, you want to see emotion. You want to know they did something wrong. You tend to forget about the words. You focus on facial expression. In this case, there was none. He looked like he was a 10 year old boy, too nervous to speak in front of a crowd. You focus on hand gestures. Maybe he's animated. He wasn't. His hands were silent.
Maybe we're being too critical of Tiger. Maybe he was nervous. Maybe he was terrified. Still, the public, the sponsors, they don't care if you're nervous. They want you to cry. They want you to look human. They want you to say, "World, I'm sorry," wipe a single tear off your face, and answer questions from the media. They don't want you to speak in front of friends and family. They want you to speak to the public. They want you to look human.
There was one human moment, one that got lost amidst the post-speech analysis. After the speech, Tiger went straight to his mother, like a little boy looking for comfort after admitting his wrong, and going to the one person that will always love him. Sadly, for Tiger, the cameras didn't focus on that for long. They went right to analysis.
You see, Tiger is human. We just didn't get to see it. In an orchestrated news conference, he looked orchestrated. We wanted to see him deviate off script. A direct appeal to Elin. A direct appeal to his kids. A direct appeal to his fans. Maybe he should have had his kids there. We wanted to see him use hand gestures. We wanted to see him on the golf course.
Maybe it was the blue background that caught us off guard. We're used to seeing him in a sea of green. Maybe it was the lack of drama. Tiger is always right behind the leader, striking late and winning. This time, there is no winner, only a loser, and we knew that.
There are apologies that work, and apologies that don't. Some apologies propel an athlete back to where he belonged. Some apologies do nothing. Some apologies hurt an athlete more than the original act. This apology, however fake it may have been, might have hurt Tiger. We don't know when he will golf again. All we know is the same as what we started: Tiger is a robot. Now, we know he's one off the course too.
]]>I was watching the movie Nobelity. Here's the trailer:
They interviewed Jody Williams who won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, for getting a international treaty banning landmines She won it because of a passion. She won it because, as she said, she got off her ass and did something. I watched this video in awe. In awe of Jody Williams. In awe of the determination, the passion she has. I watched this video in awe of the people affected by land mines. Not because they've been struck by one. No. I'm in awe that they are doing everything they can to make sure their life goes on. There are little kids, in impoverished countries, learning how to walk in prosthetics. Their determination is inspiring.
I've been very fortunate in my life. I have everything I can imagine. I don't have to worry about how I'm going to pay the bills. I'm lucky. While life has thrown some unexpected turns at me, I'm grateful that my life has gone as smoothly as it has. I'm grateful that I don't live in a country where I have to worry about land mines. I'm grateful that I have the family I do. I'm grateful for everything. And I'm lucky.
It's funny. My birthday is coming up in about a month. And, the only thing I wanted was an iPad. I thought (and still think) it's the coolest thing ever. It would be awesome to have. And that's where that moment of clarity, that moment of direction came. That's where everything clicked.
As I was watching this video, the thoughts of the iPad came into my head. I thought about how cool it would be to get one. And, just like that, I looked back up at the screen. I saw a young boy, not more than 3 years old, trying to put on his prosthetic leg. Living in Cambodia, that boy is probably impoverished. He probably wonders where his next meal is coming from. He probably wonders where he's sleeping that night. He probably wonders if he's going to get out of poverty. He probably won't.
And here I was, lusting for an iPad. It dawned on me. I was being selfish. There is someone who doesn't know where his next meal is, and I'm sitting here, lusting for an iPad. For the first time, I was disgusted at myself. Disgusted for thinking about only me. Disgusted for not realizing the problems of others. Disgusted.
I don't need an iPad. Hell, no one does. I have an iPhone. I have a laptop. I've done just fine without one. An iPad is about $500 dollars, give or take. I was going to spend that money on an iPad. But, after watching that 3 year old boy, after ridiculing myself for being so selfish, I decided to do something good.
Instead of that $500 dollars going towards an iPad, that money will be going towards a charity. I have not decided which one. I may break it up into two charities. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm not going to sign the check and be done with it. I'm going to follow up. I'm going to donate my time to whatever organization I donate to. I want to get off my ass and make a difference.
You may be sitting there and thinking, "It's just $500 dollars. So many people give that money. He's not going to think about it afterwards. He may end up buying an iPad the next year." But that's where you're wrong. You see, I had one of those moments of clarity, of direction, where everything clicked in. I realize I didn't need anything. The only thing I really need is socks. Other than that, I need nothing. I'm lucky. There's a 3 year old boy who needs my help. He needs my money. He needs me to think about him. And that's what I'm going to do. Whatever charity I pick, I will go all-in. I will donate money. I will donate time. I will spread the world. That three year old boy, and millions of others, need it. If I don't provide that help, if I don't provide my time, who will? I can rely on others to make a difference. I have to make it myself.
My moment of clarity came unexpectedly, while watching a movie. I didn't plan it. I didn't know it was coming. But, I've embraced it. You see, my moment of clarity is this: I can't sit back and watch others suffer. I can't sit back, knowing that I'm able to give, and not do anything. I can't sit back and let that child in Cambodia suffer. I just can't. I never had this paradigm before. I've donated to charities before. But that was it. My moment of clarity tells me that I have to do more. My moment of clarity tells me that I can't sit on my ass on watch people suffer. I can't watch that poor Cambodian boy suffer in poverty, while I lust over an iPad. My moment of clarity broke me out of a spell of "me, me, me" and put me into a mindset of "how can I help others less fortunate".
My birthday will be uneventful this year. I'll have a nice dinner with friends and family. I'll blow out the candles, and make a wish. And then I'll write a check to a charity that needs it. I'll follow up with my time. I'll follow up with my heart. For my birthday, I'll be getting the satisfaction of getting off my ass and making a difference. And socks.
]]>Ryan Miller was strong in net, making the saves when he needed too. One problem with the US: After dominating the first two periods, especially the second, they played a very lackadaisical third period. Switzerland dominated the third period, both in shots and in effort. Against better teams like Canada, that won't work.
But, so far, so good. There's scoring on this team, and two of the three goals came from fourth liners. Defense looks pretty good, led by Erik Johnson. I was impressed. Still, Switzerland is not a great team. Need to see what they can do against Canada.
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