Steal?

Is Mario Chalmers, the kid who basically won the NCAA Tourney for Kansas, not a Darrell Armstrong clone? Who wouldn't want this kid on their team? It's the Armstrongs and Bobby Jacksons of the world that help teams get titles.

STEAL for Miami. Absolute steal.

:-(

So my uncle passed away today, and he was very sick. No need for condolences, etc. for that's not why I'm writing.

He was a great man. Part of the "Greatest Generation" Brokaw coined.

Flew planes in World War II and Korea, and was also on the beach in Normandy. Multiple Purple Hearts, Silver Stars, and other accolades.

Obviously, he knew the difference between a war of necessity and one of choice. It's unfortunate he had to see our nation during a period of such moral decline and poor leadership.

It's Who You Know, Apparently...

News out of Central New Jersey is WFAN's Chris Carlin will take over the play-by-play responsibilities for Rutgers Men's Basketball, leaving my former boss, WCTC's Bruce Johnson in the cold.

Talk about a slap in the face. Johnson has been calling RU hoops for over 20 years, and does a great job, not only for WCTC, but for 710 WOR in New York.

Taking it further, Johnson has sent his sons to Rutgers, and is a tremendous advocate for the University and the community at large. He has been the news voice for Central Jersey for years, and has established great relationships along the way. To do this is really low class.

Why did this happen? If you think for a second that Carlin can hold a candle to Johnson you are mistaken. In fact, Carlin's best assets are his connections. First to WFAN radio hosts Mike and Mad Dog, and second to the NY sports scene. Carlin can be seen on some horrible SNY television show giving away money to random NYers, and be heard doing sports updates on WFAN's morning show. For years he was the producer for Mike and Mad Dog.

I say this without hesitation: Carlin is a no-talent. He was a good soldier for Mike and Chris, and along the way he has been moved up the line. Luckily for him Sid Rosenberg was unable to maintain his responsibilities because that was another opportunity for Carlin. But again, as far as talent goes, the only thing he has going for him is a lack of competition within WFAN and the greater NY area.

For him to get this job means only that Rutgers wants to buy a presence on WFAN without actually buying advertising. By hiring Carlin they figure they take a hit on good broadcasting, and get a bump by having him speak of them throughout the year. Carlin already does reporting for Rutgers Football, or at least he did.

Whatever the case, Rutgers would be better served by getting a coach that can actually recruit and coach. Going out into the world and hiring a guy like Fran Frischilla, or someone else who puts players in the NBA. This way it wouldn't matter who was calling the games because your team would be performing at a high enough level to generate excitement. Year in year out RU loses locals like Earl Clark and Derrick Caracter, to name a couple. That's your problem. Not who is calling the games.

Chris Carlin is an average talent with phenomenal connections. Just because you want to be something, knowing the right people shouldn't make you that something. Being good at what you do should. Apparently, that's not always the case.

This is an unfortunate day to say the least.

The "I" Man

Well, it seems this idiot is in hot water again, but of course for no reason.

I wonder who is raising this hell.

As I mentioned the first time this happened, Imus is in the marketplace, and the market decides. Stop getting your bloomers in a bunch every time the guy says anything. You're not going to "eracism" as some say. Besides, this was not racist.

I think WABC could do much better than Imus, but that's their choice.

Let him support McCain, let it hurt McCain, and let him have his older-skewing average ratings. But get off his ass.

All the Help He Can Get

I keep hearing that it's "no surprise" that a terror attack would "help McCain." But why would it help McCain? Because we're collectively a really dumb and manipulative society? Probably. One would think if we were attacked, like we were the first time when Bush took office, it would work against McCain. Who knows?!?! Hopefully we will not find out.

I'm just wondering how many terror alerts will transpire between now and election day, like the numerous alerts that happened to spring up right before the 2004 election.

It was all just a coincidence.

Miming Relations

In a turn of events morons may refer to as a flip-flop, the Bush Administration is considering opening up a "diplomatic outpost" in Iran. Adults have in recent years called this an embassy, but right now we're just hearing "outpost."

The purpose of the building, as we'll call it, is to give the US a presence on the ground in Iran, where they can foment dissent amongst those who do not like their lives and are willing to spy on their own.

Rumor has it the reason it's being called an "outpost" is the Bush Administration has refused to speak with the Iranians, and has conducted all of the meetings in sign language, or in one case, a meeting was actually mimed. Still yet, the Bush Administration REFUSES to speak. So we cannot be sure it's an "outpost."

It is believed if the outpost is actually opened the US will hire hundreds of mimes, signers, and translators in order to effectively communicate with the Iranian populace. This is completely at odds with how they handled employees within the military after 9/11, when they fired Arabic speakers in droves (don't worry, only the gay ones).

However, because of the language barrier, we can't even be sure it's actually an outpost we're speaking of. Others are saying the Iranians believe it's an "outhouse", which they believe is a more necessary place in case President Bush ever does visit. Since after all, he is completely full of shit.

Riiiight

Cause this war is so not about them:

Iraq is close to signing oil service deals with several major Western oil companies in an effort to boost its output capacity, the country's oil ministry said Thursday — the first major Iraqi contracts with big Western companies since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

The deals, once signed, are something of a stopgap measure to help Iraq begin to increase production until the country is able to approve a new national oil law — now held up by political squabbles among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.

But they also could mark the beginning of an important long-term toehold by big Western companies into Iraq's potentially lucrative oil industry, by giving the companies a bidding advantage over other companies in the future.

Iraq's oil ministry spokesman would not name the companies set to get the deals.

But last December, four major companies — Royal Dutch Shell PLC, BP PLC, ExxonMobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. — submitted technical and financial proposals for the five oil fields and received counterproposals from the Iraqi side.

The New York Times reported Thursday that Shell, BP and Exxon Mobil, plus Total, were the four major companies close to signing deals, along with Chevron and some smaller companies.

Better push that through before an oil man is out of office.

Thank GOD we're talking about Mrs. Obama.

More FaceCrack

I keep asking people, "What are you supposed to do when someone facebooks you, and you're not really their friend?"

I keep hitting ignore, and the person comes right back at you, harder than before. They have to know you're rejecting them because if they care enough to keep hitting you up they must be seeing your profile. If the number of people you are friends with is growing, and they haven't been added to that list, well, the math is done. But no, some people cannot relent.

One should not be surprised at the type of person who keeps coming at you since those people haven't changed a bit since when you actually were marginally friendly with them over a decade ago. Some things do not change. But I would think as we supposedly mature we learn not to care to be accepted, or we get the hint. I guess not.

In a few situations I have noticed a friends profile with a few common friends. Time and time again when I clock on that "common" friends link those same relentless people turn up. Now I know for a fact you are not "friends" with those people now, and were not then, so why make the request? Is it a burning desire to be seen as having a lot of friends? Or does it in your mind make it official that you truly are friends? That on some level, as much as you hate to admit it, the persistence the person has shown to want to be your friend has finally paid off in that you are now connected via facebook. And being that Facebook and Google are slowly becoming the world, yes, again, it is official.

As my girlfriend said yesterday when I asked, "Why did Dave Davies send me a friend request?"

"Whatever. Who cares? It's a facebook friend, which is different than the real world."

To which got me thinking: then why did it take my girlfriend over a month to admit she was "in a relationship" with me?

Then the answer came to me: I'm a huge asshole on the internet, so I guess she wanted to deny that relationship for as long as possible. Which gets me back to wondering why anyone would actually want to be my virtual friend?!?!?!



Feel free to post lame comment as a follow up to my great humor.