Delightful

Voting for entry into the Hall of Fame is just around the corner. On the ballot, we've got Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., and Mark McGwire. We will find out in January who ends up going into the Hall-of-Fame. This is how I feel...

Cal will be the first ever to be unanimously voted into the Hall-of-Fame. Tony Gwynn will follow as a first-time ballot. However, Mark McGwire should never get into the Hall of Fame. Buster Olney, of ESPN, has gone on the Dan Patrick Show on ESPNRadio and proclaimed that he will vote for McGwire to enter the Hall of Fame. While I can understand his reasoning for doing so (how do we differentiate those that did steroids from those who didn't do steroids?), I am in strong agreement with something that Mike & Mike always say about those that make a mistake. To paraphrase, "We, Americans, are a very forgiving nation. When you are wrong and admit it, we'll usually forgive you. Take Jason Giambi, for example. He didn't even say what he was apologizing for, but he claimed that he was sorry."

To me, McGwire's testimonial in Congress was a despicable spectacle. We will never be able to judge how many homeruns McGwire hit as a result of him being on steroids, nor do we truly know for a fact if he has been on steroids. However, I will say this: Rafael Palmeiro lied to Congress and should be punished. If McGwire didn't take steroids, why couldn't he just come out and say it? Even if he did, he should've come out, admitted his wrongdoings, and apologized. Yet, he hasn't. To me, his time has passed him by.

明 明錯 還 死 不 認錯

Fry him. Fry him with his own guilt and forever seal him out of the Hall-of-Fame. Wipe out all of his records and everything he stood for in baseball. The one question I will pose for Mr. Olney and everyone else considering voting McGwire into the Hall of Fame is this: Do you put McGwire on the same stage and level as a Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr.? I wouldn't and it is a shame for people to even think about doing so.

Okay, next... people are all struck in awe of the bidding wars and contract situations with Japanese players. The Boston Red Sox spent $51 million just to be able to negotiate an additional contract with the star pitcher of the Seibu Lions, Daisuke Matsuzaka. The New York Yankees spent $26 million just to be able to negotiate an additional contract with Hanshin Tigers pitcher, Kei Igawa. I won't discuss whether or not they have overpaid these guys or not because I personally feel value can easily be calculated in this situation:

• How much does each win in the regular season mean to a team?
• How much does each playoff win mean to a team?
• How much does a win in a World Series game mean to a team?

After determining these figures we calculate the present figure (what we ought to pay them now) by coming up with what we feel is an acceptable risk factor for the pitcher's/player's contribution to this success. If I am a GM for either team (of which, both are of the AL East), I would have no problem paying $100 million for a pitcher that can give our team 20+ wins a year.

Almost a Perfect Weekend

This past weekend was a relaxing one. On Friday, Texas A&M upset #11 ranked Texas in a nail-biter. LSU went into Arkansas and defeated the hogs, 31-26. On Friday night, Mark, Kevin, and I headed to the River Hill playoff game against Severna Park. The Hawks won in tremendous fashion; at halftime, the score was 21-3. It was fairly exciting, as it was my first night game at River Hill. Boy, the memories did come rushing back, I tell you. After we left the game, Kevin and I went back to his house, where we ate some delicious food, caught two episodes of season 3 Entourage, and then I met up w/ Mark and Jason at the Bachelor Pad. We decided to kick it at Caocao Lane for a bit before turning in.

Saturday was a pure veg day. The first games on the schedule were VATech vs. UVA (VaTech took those Wahoos down, 17-0), UF vs. FSU (UF won 21-14), and South Carolina vs Clemson (The Ol' Ball Coach won, 31-28). I can not be more happier, as... {DRUMROLL}... West Virginia took a dive and lost to South Florida, 24-19. The only sour note came in the evening with Maryland dropping a crucial bid to the ACC Championship by losing to Wake Forest. Like I said, it was an ALMOST PERFECT WEEKEND. USC defeated Notre Dame in a convincing manner, silencing all of the critics out there. If SC wins out, does UF deserve a chance? Eh... I will say 'no' not just because I am a big SC fan, but... YOU lost to Auburn, and... it looks like you are going to lose to Arkansas {CROSS YOUR FINGERS}.

So, within a couple of weeks, we will know for sure... As of right now, if I had game tickets, I would start making travel arrangements for Glendale, Arizona. Go Trojans~!

This week looks like my last solid chill week at home... Today, I'll be going to the bank, post office to send in my application, and to HCC to register for winter and spring classes. I am actually super-excited about the upcoming itinerary. I vividly remember a couple weeks ago, while talking to Kevin, that I might just be bored out of my mind in January, February, and March. But that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Should I be able to register for the classes I want, I'll essentially be busy every day of the week in the winter and Mondays/Wednesdays in the Spring. I am ready to tackle 24 credits.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day, everybody~! This marks the beginning of the winter holiday season, and I just can't wait:

• 12/2 Have to go to Newark to pick up my mom, who is returning from a month's trip in Taiwan.
• 12/3 Heading to Houston to see Grandma and family
• 12/10 A week's worth of vacation
• 12/24 Six Days, Five Nights with Mickey Mouse and family

All of this is in prelude to the next year and a half of intense education boot camp. I am surprisingly eager (to the extreme) in going back to school. It looks like I will be taking 9 credits at HCC in the winter, and then 18 credits split at Towson and HCC. I am very excited about the prospects of coaching baseball this spring; however, if the opportunity does not arise, I'm more than willing to wait for my turn.

Okay, so onto topics of discussion. There has been much talk about the problems the BCS poses. Personally, I don't see the problems at the moment - people are going "IF THIS and IF THAT" right now. There are still games to be played. Why don't we allow those games to be played and then start the discussions? I guess there aren't enough news to report in sports these days. Believe me, I will be the first to root for USC to play Ohio State in the national championship game. However, I know there are hurdles to be overcome - Notre Dame this weekend and then UCLA the final weekend. Florida still plays at Florida State and host #5 ranked Arkansas at home. If USC and Florida win out, there should be no reason for anybody to complain about any other team having the chance to play in the National Championship, other than these two teams. The problem that everybody is currently discussing is... What happens when these two teams lose one more game? Who will be the #2 team in the US? Well, as of this moment, it is Michigan. While an argument can be made for Notre Dame, Arkansas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Louisville being the second-best team in the United States, it is unlikely that one solid poll will be able to quell every die-hard fan's dissatisfaction for their team being shut out of the MILLIONS IN DOLLARS and the chance to be the best.

Next... Who was the writer from the Chicago Sun Times that voted Derek Jeter 6th in his ballot for this year's AL MVP? Now, as previously mentioned, I am not an Yankee Apologist like the infamous Keith Olbermann; however, this year's choices for AL and NL MVP were completely flawed. What is value? How do we determine value? In baseball, should value not be correlated to the importance of a player to his team? Meaning... If we are to take him out of the lineup, would the team ultimately would crumble? While I am not discounting the skills of Justin Morneau or Ryan Howard, they simply cannot be their league's respective MVPs. In the case of Morneau, he wasn't even the most important cog on his baseball team - Johan Santana was, is, and will always be. We can even reasonably support the notion that their catcher, Joe Mauer, was more important to the Minnesota Twins this year than Morneau. On a team filled with perennial all-stars, Derek Jeter is still able to stand out with his lead-by-example performance. While his statistics may not WOW any writer, without Jeter, the New York Yankees would fail as a team (even with a future Hall-of-Fame coach in Joe Torre). Derek Jeter is undoubtedly Mr. Clutch. I'm sure many of you share my utter disdain for the dreaded Evil Empire. Yet, we've got to give credit where credit is due - the MOST VALUABLE PLAYER in the American League this year should have been Derek Jeter. On the National League side, again, Ryan Howard (just like Morneau) is an excellent player; however, he just isn't the league MVP this year. The Philadelphia Phillies weren't even the best team in the east - the New York Mets were. Despite his injuries, Albert Pujols was still able to successfully lead his team to baseball's promise-land. That is my rant.

So, on a lighter note... Three quick notes...
1) Vivian's new CD, Vivi And..., is hot. I love it & giving it a STRONG RECOMMEND for all you Mandarin-listening folk. In the CD, she has songs w/ two men that have extraordinary voices, 曹格 and 李玖哲 from Machi.
2) I saw Happy Feet with my sister yesterday. The movie is a good one. I will have to vouch for its higher positioning than Casino Royale in the box office. I had no idea the movie composed of a super-star cast till I saw the beginning credits. This movie is rated PG for "some mild peril and rude humor." This last part of "rude humor" actually makes me chuckle because a large subplot of the movie is actually the writers' mockery of religious conformity. I am sure the kids that saw it didn't have a clue, but the satire was absolutely amusing.
3) I've known this for a while now, but it just never struck me to post till the other day. W - have you ever thought that Channel V VJ, 小香, resembles the one and only, 周董? The very first time I thought 小香 looked like Jay was in one of Jolin's MVs, playing the part of 周董...

Is it over for Seinfeld's Michael Richards, AKA Kramer? That is the poll question of the day. I am sure that those loyal listeners of Mike & Mike in the morning will agree with me when I say that Michael Richards should easily win the "JUST SHUT UP" award.

Latest Movies:
West Side Story (1961)
Happy Feet (2006)

Q & A

Q:What kinda speakers do you have connected to your machine?
A: Harman Kardon SoundSticks II



Q: How was new bond movie?
A: Daniel Craig will make a fantastic Bond. If you haven't seen Layer Cake, I strongly advise seeing that first before seeing 007; LC gives you a good idea of Daniel Craig's wide range of acting skills. As for the latest Bond, if you enjoy action, humor, and a little reckless aggression, Casino Royale is just for you.

Retirement

In a previous entry, Hatch asked of the size of the hole in my desk. Well, the following are pictures of the hole in my desk and of the new mouse that I am using. Yes, I had to retire my old Kensington mouse, as through its glory and workload, it has finally succumb to all of consequence. Good bye, my Kensington mouse.

The picture on the left is a picture of my attempt in patching up the hole. How big is the hole? Simply, trim off the edges, and imagine an ellipse. The picture on the right is of the new mouse I am currently using - I call it, "Mini."

This past Saturday, I took my Praxis Exam from 7:30 AM to 12:15 PM. I feel very confident of my performance, even with the difficulty I had in the writing section. I was very surprised with the ease in which I completed the exam - essentially, I finished the exam in half of the time that was given; unfortunately, I could not leave early, as we were all on lockdown.

Okay, I've got several topics we can talk about... First off, the other day, I was listening to the John Thompson show on SportsTalkRadio980. Now, Coach Thompson is a Hall-of-Fame college basketball coach. Rick "Doc" Walker played for the Washington Redskins. I doubt there is anyway I can compete with these two in the knowledge of their specialties. However, the third member of the show is Al Koken. Doing a little research, I found out a little about him - Wizards and Capitals sideline reporter. While I was listening to the show the other day, they were discussing the impact of the lack of salary cap in MLB. Listen, I've made it clear before in my blogs, since two years ago, I ONLY LOVE the Yankees every fifth day for 7 innings. I've got no probems with Mr. George Steinbrenner digging deep into his pockets to get the players he feels will help his team win (Hopefully, my boy, CMW, will get a nice share of that *pocket*). Anyways, Mr. Al Koken claims that baseball isn't a functional organization without a legitimate salary cap. In essence, he believes that professional baseball in America is unfair. He further adds on "supposed" economic concepts to why baseball will never be right without a salary cap.

Mr. Al Koken, if your specialty is hockey and basketball, please stick to it. Please, don't talk about baseball or attempt to analyze anything in an economic sense. I do not mean to be discourteous, but you are wrong. First off, in a free enterprise society, having any sort of limit, rules, or caps causes inefficiency in our capitalist system. There is already an inefficiency with the luxury tax system we have today - how does it make any sense to require the teams that increase their risk (willing to spend more money) to be FINED an additional amount (subsequently siphoned off to low-risk, less spending teams)? Teams should be encouraged to risk the "right" amount suitable for their needs, to gain the rewards they seek. Moreover, if the owners of the lower-income teams felt that their situations have been unfair, they would not have remained in their respective towns. Believe me, if there wasn't the required money-making, profit-taking incentive to stay in Kansas City, the Royals would've relocated long ago.

My boy, S, posted about Affirmative Action lately. Personally, I think there are better alternatives than just adding/subtracting points based upon race. To start off, we cannot fairly compare those that live in New York City to those that live in Omaha, Nebraska. Their educational backgrounds are completely different. Furthermore, while comparing their grades is equally unfair, we ought to compare their effort in their studies, as well as other characteristics (unique to each university) that will ensure their success in the future.
To judge by a so-called standardized test score, grades, race, and economic status is unjust... Let us find those hard-working, dedicated, well-rounded individuals to fill some necessary seats and allow them to influence.

Latest Movie:
Casino Royale (2006)

Sice

Lately, I've been cranking up the studying sessions. However, I've got to admit that the grammar section continues to beat me up. With just three days to go, it looks as if we're in for some last-second cramming.

Since the beginning of mass-communication, the media has always been in the propaganda spotlight. Just as in James Bond's Tomorrow Never Dies, we make news when there is no news. What really upset me yesterday was the Bob Knight/Michael Prince news. People like Doug Gottlieb have been blowing up Coach Knight's spot, having the audacity to suggest Coach Knight owes society an apology.

Okay, I have never been a Duke fan and I never will be a Duke fan. However, applause should always be granted to those that are courageous and righteous. Yesterday, when Mr. Doug Gottlieb stuck his neck out the way he did, Jay Bilas struck back and essentially back-handed Gottlieb. I couldn't be happier. I am reminded of a similar situation years ago when Trey Roberts suggested that Coach Joe Paterno should step down, and Mark May hit him right back w/ "NO."

We have one of the best College Basketball Coaches of all-time, in Coach Bob Knight, disciplining his players the way they need to be taught. While I may personally not teach this way, Coach Knight has been teaching for the past 40 years. It is neither here or there for us to judge his successful resume. He is one of the best educators of all time, you can all mark my words (i.e. he kicked a SOLID player off of his team before this year started because the kid couldn't pull his weight in school, case closed).

For those that missed the clip:

Today, I put a hole through my desk.

謎

This past weekend proved to be a great one, as much time was spent with the family. On Friday, my dad decided to not go into work. In the morning, we went to IKEA, had some breakfast and then purchased some small items he needed to hang posters. Afterwards, we went to Schooley Mill Park to play tennis, where I subsequently got schooled. In the evening, we decided to watch United 93. Man, I've seen the movie twice now; both times, I could feel myself getting upset during the movie.

On Saturday, I took my sister to watch the McDonogh vs. Gilman football game in Roland Park, Baltimore. My sister has been a student at McDonogh for the past 6 years, and this was her first time at a McD/Gilman game. The atmosphere was absolutely out-of-this-world. Now, remember, this was an AWAY game AT Gilman. Prior to the game, the ENTIRE McD school population paraded and marched from ACROSS the Northern Parkway bridge onto the field. SICK. Talk about school spirit. What was most surprising was the amount of people/fans that McD outnumbered Gilman by... Allow me to illustrate. While I understand that Gilman is currently undergoing reconstruction/renovation to their campus, they just didn't show up, in terms of numbers.


Okay, so, the bleachers of both teams were on the long sides of the field, labeled as so... The McD students chose to not sit at the bleachers and stand at the back of each endzone. Thus, yes, in reality, just as the picture illustrates, McD had 75% of the fans literally ON TOP OF THE FIELD. I understand that Gilman is an All-Boy school; however, I also know that Roland Park Country School (an All-Girl school) is only across the street. Anyways, it was an unbelievable game, as McD pulled off the upset - I have never seen fans rush the field in a high school football game. P.S. McD students almost pulled down the north end goalpost before the game ended. P.P.S How good is McDonogh's starting quarterback? See for yourself, here.

We come home in the afternoon, just in time to catch the Maryland football team take down another victory. 8-2, my friends, a couple more to go and we are IN THE MONEY. On Sunday, Steve McNair carried the Ravens on his back to their 7th victory of the year. An amazing game, to say the least.

This upcoming weekend is going to be huge... as I have the Praxis exam at the Rockville Campus. Wish me luck~ Oh, and Daniel Craig, starring in Casino Royale, can't wait to see that; I am a big fan of Layer Cake!!

"我不習慣牽自己的手"

Latest Movie:
United 93 (2006)

Instant Classics

Before we even begin... W is right - Cyril is too MANLY (阿Ben is too Pansy) to be compared with ANYBODY. "Man-Love," Cyril [As Dan Patrick would say].

The definition of "Classic" from Merriam-Webster OnLine:
1 a : serving as a standard of excellence : of recognized value <classic literary works> b : TRADITIONAL, ENDURING <classic designs> c : characterized by simple tailored lines in fashion year after year classic suit>
2 : of or relating to the ancient Greeks and Romans or their culture : CLASSICAL
3 a : historically memorable classic battle> b : noted because of special literary or historical associations classic refuge of expatriates>
4 a : AUTHENTIC, AUTHORITATIVE b : TYPICAL classic example of chicanery> classic error>
5 capitalized : of or relating to the period of highest development of Mesoamerican and especially Mayan culture about A.D. 300-900

I watched Bonnie and Clyde the other day. Faye Dunaway is amazing. I thought she was amazing in Chinatown; I should've watched Bonnie and Clyde first. B&C is CLASSIC. I was watching the movie, when I realized two things...

1. Would it have been more entertaining had Jack Nicholson played Clyde?
2. Warren Beatty was jacked at the age of 30. Crazy Dick Tracy.
3. I've seen A LOT of Cantonese movies that end the same way as Bonnie and Clyde. A Classic is... A Classic.

Aside from my geographical biases, I have to say "Congratulations" to the Rutgers University Scarlett Knights and to the rest of you UnderDogs out there. Last night, your victory over the #3 ranked Louisville Cardinals was amazing. This should cause a stirrup in the BCS polls come next Sunday/Monday.

Some big games this upcoming weekend:
McDonogh vs. Gilman (yes, I'll plug my sister's school, and YES, we will be at the game)
Georgia @ Auburn
South Carolina @ Florida
Miami @ Maryland
Tennessee @ Arkansas
Wake Forest @ Florida State
Oregon @ USC

As you can see from what I consider to be big games, the SEC is a dominant conference, and if all things pan out, they should have the representative team in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, playing for the National Championship. If Rutgers wins out (which I hope they do, as I also have a unfavorable prejudice of West Virginia University), they will represent the Big East in a BCS Bowl, earning the $14 million for their school and their conference. If the game is close between Ohio State and Michigan next weekend, I hope... I HOPE... it comes down to the loser of the game vs. USC at the Rose Bowl. However, we shall see how things pan out... College Football is great.

"Let's Hug It Out."

Latest Movie:
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

The Day After

Okay, election day is over, and I hope you all voted.
One sad news to report... University of Miami DT Bryan Pata was shot and killed yesterday. With all of the drama that has gone on with the Hurricanes, this really puts all of the negatives at the school into perspective. The "U" is coming into town this weekend to College Park, and many are speculating whether or not the game will be played.

On a lighter note, I've got another Twins Sighting. Cyril, I've found your twin. His name is 阿Ben, and is a singer/actor in Taiwan. He was a part of a band called B.A.D, but that didn't work out too well; however, he does have several hot singles. See for yourself:

Gem

Too often times, we find ourselves constantly needing a reminder of just how grateful we've really got it. Through all of the material and media propaganda, we allow ourselves to be lost in a sea of preposterous refuse. With some extravagant cleansing, we are able to find a GEM every once in a while. Allow me to introduce 江美琪 (Melody Chiang). She may not be a looker, as Sammi can be, nor is she able to throw that rarely-found, classy, hissyfit attitude that makes Kelly golden. But, 江美琪 (Melody) has a voice that is out of this world. Now, of course, a lot may be that the lyrics she sings are "SICE" as well, but nonetheless, we need to give credit where the credit is due. She puts it down from time to time when she writes both the lyrics and music. In her latest album, 愛哭鬼 (Cry Baby), she sings this one song, titled, 不速之客 (unexpected guest) that definitely touches me.



不否認 我心裡 不能平衡
不否認 我對你 還有一點的心疼
你不愛了 我卻無法把你當敵人

Latest Movie:
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)