Q (repeat): Jake - Who has the best chance to win the NBA championship this year? And don't cheap out on me with a "the Lakers have the best record, so they do." I want details, man. Details.
A: What I'm going to do is take the two teams from each conference I think will play in the conference championships, give you the winners, then run the matchup of the conference winners and give you an answer. Sound good? As with all of my prognostications I add the following disclaimer: any money you lose by betting on my less-than-informed picks is your own fault.
Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Winner: Cleveland
Ramblings: Cleveland is rolling into the playoffs like a juggernaut. They've won their last 8 games and have an easier path to the finals (at least on paper) than the Celtics. Of course last season they had the theoretically easier path and lost to the Orlando Magic in the conference finals. Will that happen this year? Maybe, but I don't think so. They are absolutely desperate to hang on to LeBron James and have sunk a lot of money and talent into this team. They're going to the finals.
LA Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Winner: LA
Ramblings: I think this will be less about LA and more about the fact that whomever LA plays in the conference finals is going to be vastly inferior to them. I looked at the playoff matchups and didn't see a really dominant team in the West other than LA. Therefore I don't think it matters who they play. LA will win and move on to the finals.
NBA Finals: LA Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers
Ramblings: This is 100% gut feeling, folks. I have no basketball reasons for this other than sheer force of will on LeBron's part. He wants a championship. Badly. And more importantly he wants one more than Kobe Bryant. That's the difference and that's why he's going to carry the team to Cleveland's first championship in team history.
Q: Eric - How many frequent flier miles do you have? and more importantly, how do FF miles work? you don't earn one for each mile you fly do you?
A: Below is the list of carriers and frequent flier miles I have with each.
United: 111,662 miles
Delta: 30,959 miles
US Airways: 9,136 miles
Continental: 2,000 miles
American Airlines: 551 miles
Air Tran: 4 Qualifying Segments
Frequent flier miles for the major carriers tend to work the same way. You earn a mile for every mile that you fly. You can get bonus miles for things like being a very frequent flier with an airline, using an airline credit card, or even just buy them. Once you have the miles you can redeem them for things like flights, hotels, rental cars, and even goods and services. I've linked to each airline's "How to use your miles" page so you can compare them for yourself.
The odd duck in this is Air Tran. They, like Southwest and Jet Blue do things called "segments". They don't give you the number of miles you travel but rather credit for the number of one-way flights that you take. If you do a lot of short hops you can build up credit very quickly, but there's no benefit to taking cross-country flights. These credits, like miles, can be redeemed for a number of different things.
Q: Kristian - Since we all seem to hate Sidney Crosby, what is your humble opinion on said douchebag?
A: First, I don't hate Sidney Crosby. I dislike him and find him to be a whiney, pretty-boy hockey player, but hate is something I reserve for those who really deserve it, like lawyers and people who talk on cell phones during movies.
My opinion of Sidney Crosby the hockey player is that he is talented. Very talented. He is a good skater, has a great hockey mind, and will go far in this league. Like it or not he's been good for the league as both a good player and a good personality. Pittsburgh's hockey program has been revitalized thanks to him and the Canadian Olympic hockey team owes their gold medal to his overtime goal in the final game. In short, he's extremely good.
But despite that I don't particularly like him. On reflection the main reason he rubs me the wrong way is that he's a hockey player that his teammates feel the need to protect. That bothers me. As a hockey fan I know that there have always been "finesse" players in the game and I accept that. But I much prefer the hockey player who can throw a good hip check, get the puck, and score on a well-placed wrist shot from the point. I don't see Sidney Crosby that way. He's a finesse player. Fine, wonderful, good for him. It's just not my cup of tea.
Q: Bill - Why do men like fire so much? Can we burn this quiz?
A: There are many possible reasons for this. First, one instinct that men have is to protect and provide for their family. Fire can be viewed as a tool to aid in that instinct. It has the capacity to heat an area and to cook food.
Second, fire is also a tool of destruction. From a very young age boys tend to display acts of aggression and destruction. They crash toy cars together, build structures out of blocks only to knock them down, and are generally more outwardly destructive than girls. Fire is an extension of that side of male nature.
Third, fire is just plain cool. I mean come on, what guy doesn't like burning stuff? It's awesome!
Oh, and about your second question, this is not a quiz but yes, you can burn it. However, since you just bought the computer you're likely reading this on I don't think you want to do that. I suppose you could print out a copy and burn that. Just don't tell your wife I gave you permission, especially if you end up burning your house down.
Q: Rani - On the topic of fire ... How does a person spontaneously combust?
A: By being not on fire one moment and being on fire the next. [Ed: You think you're funny, but you're not. But I answered the question, didn't I?]
Q: Jarsh - What is hell really like?
A: A little background for those of you who aren't fans of LOST. For a long time the producers of the show have said that the characters are not dead and are not in hell or purgatory. Last night's episode explored that topic a bit. The character on whom the episode focused at first believed that they were in hell but by the end of the episode came to accept that they were not.
Anyway, Jarsh posted the following on his Twitter/Facebook account: They aren't in hell. #alsonotaspoiler.
I responded on Facebook with: "I already knew they weren't in hell because I've been here for three weeks and I haven't seen them."
Now in the interest of full disclosure I'm not actually in hell. It only feels that way. I've spent the past three weeks in Barstow, CA. It's a desert town about halfway between LA and Las Vegas. Because of the amount of time I've spent here I'm losing more of my sanity than normal on this trip. A month is a long time to spend away from one's home, even if one doesn't consider one's self to have a home. If that makes any sense. See, I'm losing it, people! Luckily I'm only out here for another few days, then it's back to good old Rochester. I just hope my house is still standing.
The other reason I think I'm in hell is the fact that the hotel I'm staying in is about a mile away from a train yard. At random intervals during the day and night train cars will be moved around and the screeching sound of brakes can be heard reverberating through the hotel. It's a sound I cannot begin to describe other than to say that if you dislike the sound of nails on a chalkboard, you'd be in hell.
Q: Brett - Are you back in town next week? I'd like to dump all the Beaumonts photos on your machine off of my CF card before I go to Virginia for Easter weekend.
A: Yes, I will be back in town next week. I need to get with all of the filmers to collect tapes and to thank them personally for their help with this latest project. I can't wait to see what you guys were able to generate in my absence. I'll give you a call when I get back and we'll link up.
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
60 - Answers
Editor's Note: After over a month of hearing nothing from Tim I found two packages from him waiting on my front porch this morning. One was the collection of answers you're about to read and the other is an outline for a short film. At first I was outraged that Tim was wasting his time writing things other than Ask Mitssob, especially since he was so late delivering this round of answers. Then I read the outline. It's good. Really good. So I'll forgive him this time, but that doesn't mean that you have to.
Q: Brett - Any questions?
A: Who am I? Where am I? Why are my pants gone? I have lots of questions these days and disturbingly few answers. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to have fun along the way.
Q: Bill - Alright, so we talked about this on the trip, but I want to see the numbers: Paper towels kill trees, but hand dryers are powered by electricity (really? not magic?) and that's pretty dirty to make these days. Give them each a MOther NAture Rape Score (MONARS for short)
A: My gut originally told me that the answer would be that paper towels are better for the environment. My grandfather worked for a number of paper companies in both engineering and sales and so I've always thought of trees as a renewable resource. Therefore I considered paper towels to be better since they were made from something that could be regrown.
Then my research led me to this site. This research site pointed me at something that should have been obvious: the disposal cost of the paper towels. The graph below outlines the cost analysis that the author did:
As you can see the disposal cost alone of the paper towels is greater than the electricity of the blowers. So this is yet another case where my gut proves to be completely wrong. It won't be the last time.
Q: Matt - It's pretty obvious that the men's hockey team is going nowhere fast this year. What's more, they haven't even improved from last year, and there was plenty of room for improvement. What do you think are the problems the team is facing, and what are the root causes of their problems? Also, what do you think are some solutions?
A: I have seen the Clarkson Men's hockey team play a grand total of three games this season: two games at a tournament in Minnesota and once in Potsdam against Dartmouth. Now in fairness, this is not enough to make a full judgment. But life isn't fair so I'll judge them anyway.
When I saw the team play in Minnesota there were a few things I observed. First and most importantly I didn't get a sense of team from watching them. On a number of plays I would see a Clarkson do something fairly routine such as skate behind the net and drop the puck. Another Clarkson player who was supposed to pick the puck up always looked surprised. I thought it might be a one-time occurrence the first time I saw it but it just kept happening. Bill and Todd also noticed it and it was a topic of conversation during the game. When a team is firing on all cylinders then things like that are just routine. They'll make no-look passes, move around with ease, and generally find ways to get open. Clarkson wasn't doing any of those things.
Second the team was weak on the fundamentals of the game. They were doing entirely too much chasing the puck, passing poorly, and shooting even worse. They were predictable to the point of humor. "Oh look, another pass right to the other team."
The Dartmouth game started out with the best play I'd seen the team make in the last few years. They broke into the Dartmouth zone stacked three wide. They proceeded to make a series of drop passes that completely fooled Dartmouth's defense and it was only thanks to a great save by their goalie that they didn't score. My jaw dropped when I saw that play happen. Unfortunately that quality of play did not continue throughout the game and they soon dropped into the habits I'd observed in Minnesota.
So what to do about this? In my opinion the biggest problem that the team has is coaching, plain and simple. There is raw talent on the team. The problem is the harnessing of that talent and that responsibility falls to the coaches. George Roll must go if the team is to improve. Harsh? Yes. But frankly he's had four years to make this team into something better than it is. He's failed. A new coach and a re-focus on fundamentals ("Old time hockey, eh coach?") would do wonders.
Q: Lisa - And now for a completely random, more generic question: How are streets named? Who's responsible for determining what your street is named? Why is your street Paul Road, and who is Paul? Why is our street Matthew Circle, and who is Matthew? And more obscurely, why is my parents' street Bright Autumn Lane, and who is Bright Autumn? (you don't have to answer all the questions...I'm just giving examples...but I would love to know how to learn how our streets were named!)
A: The best source I found for how streets are named comes from my oft-used friend Wikipedia. The article explains that there are several reasons for the naming of roads including (but not limited to):
- Scenery
- Famous Citizens
- Numbers (which includes the most common street name in the US: "2nd")
- Themes (such as types of trees, US Presidents, etc.)
- Landmarks
For the streets you listed here are my explanations:
- Paul Road: Paul must have been someone famous in Chili's history.
- Matthew Circle: Ditto.
- Bright Autumn: This is probably a reference to a bright autumn day rather than a person.
I'll have to do some more digging into the history of our towns to find out specific details. Ask me again sometime and I'll tackle it.
Q: Karyn - Is there a external Hard Drive I can buy that comes with free backup/sync software that isn't just a free trial that will expire and then ask me to pay?
A: The software that came with Bill's Samsung hard drive was free and not a trial and it looked pretty good and simple. It's called "Auto Backup" and a link to it can be found here. I'm not sure if it will work with a non-Samsung drive but it's worth a shot.
There are other alternatives out there that I researched. Many of them are pay-only and/or want you to subscribe to an online backup system. One of them that I think would work is Microsoft Sync Toy, which is unfortunately named but looks quite capable. Another option that was recently featured on Lifehacker is called Back4Sure and also looks good. Best of luck and let me know how you make out.
Q: Nate - Gut feeling - will my first child be a boy or a girl? Or other?
A: My gut answer is a girl. I have no factual or rational reason why, I just think it'll be a girl.
Q: vanessa - I'm a grown up now with real taxes to file, should I A)go to a place like H&R Block, B) get my Aunt to do them since she does taxes all professionally and stuff, C) try and do them myself and probably miss a bunch of stuff and do them wrong?
A: Personally I would go with option C. You're a grown-up now but probably not one with a complex enough financial life to justify going to a professional. When you do them yourself you have two choices: by hand or software. My ex-girlfriend preferred to do her taxes by hand using the IRS forms. I have great respect for people who choose to do their taxes that way. Ever since I've entered the real world I have gone with Turbo Tax and I've been very satisfied with the results. Now that I'm a homeowner doing my taxes has gotten more complicated but Turbo Tax was able to keep up with me without problems. In the future I will probably move to consulting a professional but for now my life is still simple enough to just go with Turbo Tax.
The Jolinko community has their own opinions which I've pasted below:
Lisa: D) do them yourself using TurboTax, TaxAct, or some similar software (I recommend TaxAct)
Brad: E) do them yourself on paper to learn everything, then check and file using a tax program (I use H&R Block online for free)
Ultimately its your decision, so make it and plow ahead!
Q: Brad - Since we are on the subject of taxes, since I just got married in October, should I file single, married jointly, or married seperately? And does it matter that we live in seperate states?
A: To answer the last question first, it matters that you live in separate states for your state taxes but not for your federal taxes. Next, you are considered married if you are married on or before the last day of your tax year which is generally the last day of the calendar year for a normal person unless you've defined a fiscal year for yourself.
So now that we know that you're married in the eyes of the IRS (congratulations, by the way) you and your blushing bride have to decide whether to file married jointly or married separately. The decision will impact what kinds of deductions you can claim and also how much they are worth. Since I don't know anything about your financial situation this is something I would consult a professional about. I'm sure that software like TurboTax or a professional service like H&R Block would be able to answer your question better than me. For a LOT more information about filing married jointly vs. separately you can consult the IRS here.
Q: Matt - With the constant updating of technical storage devices, we've already seen the demise of the floppy disk (both of them) so far the CD seems to be holding out the longest so far, so my question is how far down the road do you see the CD finally going the way of its more-squared and floppier predessors if at all?
A: I think that the CD still has a long life ahead of it. People still use it to burn things for one-time use since the cost of the media is less than $.10 per disc these days. The difference between CDs and floppy discs is that CDs are the same size and use the same laser technologies as DVDs and BluRay discs. Therefore they will still be able to be used in computers as long as those computers support those technologies. Ultimately I think that media that is the same size as our beloved CD will remain dominant for the foreseeable future. By this I mean that where a CD isn't enough a DVD will work, and eventually BluRay will take over for DVDs.
Q: Jon - Well Betamax make a comeback?
A: Betamax, surprisingly, never went away as a media format. There is a small but crazy minority of users who still cling to it. It is also used by many professionals due to the fact that the tapes have a longer shelf-life than VHS tapes.
Q: Michaele-Lynne - How do those giant mutant mosquitoes get into my apartment when the windows are all shut (and in the winter!) and I am 4 doors away from the outside???
A: First, these are not "giant mutant mosquitoes". I'll let Brett tell you what they are:
Brett: You mean Mayflies? They probably laid eggs in your apartment somewhere, or in your hair.
Follow the link to find more than you ever wanted to know about mayflies that can be found in Pennsylvania. More information can be found here. Brett may be right that they laid eggs somewhere in your apartment, but it would have to be somewhere with standing water that has been around for at least a few months. This is possible but unlikely.
So my real answer is that I have no idea how they're getting into your apartment. The good news is that they are harmless unless exposed to great amounts of radiation, at which time they will be too busy fighting Godzilla to be of any trouble to you.
Q: Michaele-Lynne - I have another question. Is Brett right???
A: He's right about some things and wrong about other things. I've learned to trust his wisdom and doubt his word only when I am certain of his being in error.
Q: Jake - In related news, Tim requested a question of me. So I'll make him go out of his element. Who has the best chance to win the NBA championship this year? And don't cheap out on me with a "the Lakers have the best record, so they do." I want details, man. Details.
A: This question is so far out of my element that I'm going to punt this time. I will provide an answer in time for the start of the basketball playoffs next month. Sorry, Jake.
Q: Brett - Any questions?
A: Who am I? Where am I? Why are my pants gone? I have lots of questions these days and disturbingly few answers. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to have fun along the way.
Q: Bill - Alright, so we talked about this on the trip, but I want to see the numbers: Paper towels kill trees, but hand dryers are powered by electricity (really? not magic?) and that's pretty dirty to make these days. Give them each a MOther NAture Rape Score (MONARS for short)
A: My gut originally told me that the answer would be that paper towels are better for the environment. My grandfather worked for a number of paper companies in both engineering and sales and so I've always thought of trees as a renewable resource. Therefore I considered paper towels to be better since they were made from something that could be regrown.
Then my research led me to this site. This research site pointed me at something that should have been obvious: the disposal cost of the paper towels. The graph below outlines the cost analysis that the author did:
As you can see the disposal cost alone of the paper towels is greater than the electricity of the blowers. So this is yet another case where my gut proves to be completely wrong. It won't be the last time.
Q: Matt - It's pretty obvious that the men's hockey team is going nowhere fast this year. What's more, they haven't even improved from last year, and there was plenty of room for improvement. What do you think are the problems the team is facing, and what are the root causes of their problems? Also, what do you think are some solutions?
A: I have seen the Clarkson Men's hockey team play a grand total of three games this season: two games at a tournament in Minnesota and once in Potsdam against Dartmouth. Now in fairness, this is not enough to make a full judgment. But life isn't fair so I'll judge them anyway.
When I saw the team play in Minnesota there were a few things I observed. First and most importantly I didn't get a sense of team from watching them. On a number of plays I would see a Clarkson do something fairly routine such as skate behind the net and drop the puck. Another Clarkson player who was supposed to pick the puck up always looked surprised. I thought it might be a one-time occurrence the first time I saw it but it just kept happening. Bill and Todd also noticed it and it was a topic of conversation during the game. When a team is firing on all cylinders then things like that are just routine. They'll make no-look passes, move around with ease, and generally find ways to get open. Clarkson wasn't doing any of those things.
Second the team was weak on the fundamentals of the game. They were doing entirely too much chasing the puck, passing poorly, and shooting even worse. They were predictable to the point of humor. "Oh look, another pass right to the other team."
The Dartmouth game started out with the best play I'd seen the team make in the last few years. They broke into the Dartmouth zone stacked three wide. They proceeded to make a series of drop passes that completely fooled Dartmouth's defense and it was only thanks to a great save by their goalie that they didn't score. My jaw dropped when I saw that play happen. Unfortunately that quality of play did not continue throughout the game and they soon dropped into the habits I'd observed in Minnesota.
So what to do about this? In my opinion the biggest problem that the team has is coaching, plain and simple. There is raw talent on the team. The problem is the harnessing of that talent and that responsibility falls to the coaches. George Roll must go if the team is to improve. Harsh? Yes. But frankly he's had four years to make this team into something better than it is. He's failed. A new coach and a re-focus on fundamentals ("Old time hockey, eh coach?") would do wonders.
Q: Lisa - And now for a completely random, more generic question: How are streets named? Who's responsible for determining what your street is named? Why is your street Paul Road, and who is Paul? Why is our street Matthew Circle, and who is Matthew? And more obscurely, why is my parents' street Bright Autumn Lane, and who is Bright Autumn? (you don't have to answer all the questions...I'm just giving examples...but I would love to know how to learn how our streets were named!)
A: The best source I found for how streets are named comes from my oft-used friend Wikipedia. The article explains that there are several reasons for the naming of roads including (but not limited to):
- Scenery
- Famous Citizens
- Numbers (which includes the most common street name in the US: "2nd")
- Themes (such as types of trees, US Presidents, etc.)
- Landmarks
For the streets you listed here are my explanations:
- Paul Road: Paul must have been someone famous in Chili's history.
- Matthew Circle: Ditto.
- Bright Autumn: This is probably a reference to a bright autumn day rather than a person.
I'll have to do some more digging into the history of our towns to find out specific details. Ask me again sometime and I'll tackle it.
Q: Karyn - Is there a external Hard Drive I can buy that comes with free backup/sync software that isn't just a free trial that will expire and then ask me to pay?
A: The software that came with Bill's Samsung hard drive was free and not a trial and it looked pretty good and simple. It's called "Auto Backup" and a link to it can be found here. I'm not sure if it will work with a non-Samsung drive but it's worth a shot.
There are other alternatives out there that I researched. Many of them are pay-only and/or want you to subscribe to an online backup system. One of them that I think would work is Microsoft Sync Toy, which is unfortunately named but looks quite capable. Another option that was recently featured on Lifehacker is called Back4Sure and also looks good. Best of luck and let me know how you make out.
Q: Nate - Gut feeling - will my first child be a boy or a girl? Or other?
A: My gut answer is a girl. I have no factual or rational reason why, I just think it'll be a girl.
Q: vanessa - I'm a grown up now with real taxes to file, should I A)go to a place like H&R Block, B) get my Aunt to do them since she does taxes all professionally and stuff, C) try and do them myself and probably miss a bunch of stuff and do them wrong?
A: Personally I would go with option C. You're a grown-up now but probably not one with a complex enough financial life to justify going to a professional. When you do them yourself you have two choices: by hand or software. My ex-girlfriend preferred to do her taxes by hand using the IRS forms. I have great respect for people who choose to do their taxes that way. Ever since I've entered the real world I have gone with Turbo Tax and I've been very satisfied with the results. Now that I'm a homeowner doing my taxes has gotten more complicated but Turbo Tax was able to keep up with me without problems. In the future I will probably move to consulting a professional but for now my life is still simple enough to just go with Turbo Tax.
The Jolinko community has their own opinions which I've pasted below:
Lisa: D) do them yourself using TurboTax, TaxAct, or some similar software (I recommend TaxAct)
Brad: E) do them yourself on paper to learn everything, then check and file using a tax program (I use H&R Block online for free)
Ultimately its your decision, so make it and plow ahead!
Q: Brad - Since we are on the subject of taxes, since I just got married in October, should I file single, married jointly, or married seperately? And does it matter that we live in seperate states?
A: To answer the last question first, it matters that you live in separate states for your state taxes but not for your federal taxes. Next, you are considered married if you are married on or before the last day of your tax year which is generally the last day of the calendar year for a normal person unless you've defined a fiscal year for yourself.
So now that we know that you're married in the eyes of the IRS (congratulations, by the way) you and your blushing bride have to decide whether to file married jointly or married separately. The decision will impact what kinds of deductions you can claim and also how much they are worth. Since I don't know anything about your financial situation this is something I would consult a professional about. I'm sure that software like TurboTax or a professional service like H&R Block would be able to answer your question better than me. For a LOT more information about filing married jointly vs. separately you can consult the IRS here.
Q: Matt - With the constant updating of technical storage devices, we've already seen the demise of the floppy disk (both of them) so far the CD seems to be holding out the longest so far, so my question is how far down the road do you see the CD finally going the way of its more-squared and floppier predessors if at all?
A: I think that the CD still has a long life ahead of it. People still use it to burn things for one-time use since the cost of the media is less than $.10 per disc these days. The difference between CDs and floppy discs is that CDs are the same size and use the same laser technologies as DVDs and BluRay discs. Therefore they will still be able to be used in computers as long as those computers support those technologies. Ultimately I think that media that is the same size as our beloved CD will remain dominant for the foreseeable future. By this I mean that where a CD isn't enough a DVD will work, and eventually BluRay will take over for DVDs.
Q: Jon - Well Betamax make a comeback?
A: Betamax, surprisingly, never went away as a media format. There is a small but crazy minority of users who still cling to it. It is also used by many professionals due to the fact that the tapes have a longer shelf-life than VHS tapes.
Q: Michaele-Lynne - How do those giant mutant mosquitoes get into my apartment when the windows are all shut (and in the winter!) and I am 4 doors away from the outside???
A: First, these are not "giant mutant mosquitoes". I'll let Brett tell you what they are:
Brett: You mean Mayflies? They probably laid eggs in your apartment somewhere, or in your hair.
Follow the link to find more than you ever wanted to know about mayflies that can be found in Pennsylvania. More information can be found here. Brett may be right that they laid eggs somewhere in your apartment, but it would have to be somewhere with standing water that has been around for at least a few months. This is possible but unlikely.
So my real answer is that I have no idea how they're getting into your apartment. The good news is that they are harmless unless exposed to great amounts of radiation, at which time they will be too busy fighting Godzilla to be of any trouble to you.
Q: Michaele-Lynne - I have another question. Is Brett right???
A: He's right about some things and wrong about other things. I've learned to trust his wisdom and doubt his word only when I am certain of his being in error.
Q: Jake - In related news, Tim requested a question of me. So I'll make him go out of his element. Who has the best chance to win the NBA championship this year? And don't cheap out on me with a "the Lakers have the best record, so they do." I want details, man. Details.
A: This question is so far out of my element that I'm going to punt this time. I will provide an answer in time for the start of the basketball playoffs next month. Sorry, Jake.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
58 - Answers
Q: Matt - Since I'm both lazy and fed up with the pop-culture-obsessed society we are members of, I haven't really been following the Tiger Woods story. All I know is that he crashed his car after possibly being beaten up by his wife because he cheated on her with some skank, but it seems like there might be more details of the story that I haven't paid attention to. Could you give me/us a synopsis of what's been happening with golf's golden boy?
A: Before I tackle the full answer (and trust me, this is going to take a while), I have to give you credit for summarizing the Tiger Woods Saga (or, as Bill Simmons has called it, "Tiger Zoo") better than anyone else in the media. You've pretty much nailed the important details of the story in one simple half sentence. Of course the truth of this sad affair is far more complex and nuanced than that, but still, bravo!
OK, so let's get started with this. I think the first thing we need is a timeline of facts. On December 3rd the L.A. Times provided a good timeline of the first few days of the saga, and I'll be using that to help fill in some details.
1. On Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 Tiger Woods leaves a voicemail on the phone of Jaimee Grubbs, a 24 year old cocktail waitress in LA. In the message he tells the woman that "My wife went through my phone and may be calling you." He asks the woman to remove her name from her voicemail account.
2. Thanksgiving Week the National Enquirer breaks a story about Tiger Woods allegedly having an affair with a woman named Rachel Uchitel.
3. At 2:25am on Friday, November 27th Tiger Woods left his house and drove his Cadillac Escalade SUV into a fire hydrant and then into a tree.
- The Florida Highway Patrol say that alcohol was not a factor in the accident.
- Tiger's wife Elin broke the rear windows of the car with a golf club.
- He had cuts in his lips and blood in his mouth, but was otherwise unharmed.
- Neighbors report that Tiger was in and out of consciousness after the crash.
4. Over the weekend of November 26th:
- Tiger Woods puts off making statements to the Florida Highway Patrol regarding the incident. He schedules a news conference for Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 during a charity golf tournament that he is sponsoring.
- He releases a statement about the incident saying that "I'm human and I'm not perfect" and asking for privacy.
- Finally on Monday he withdraws from the tournament and cancels the news conference.
5. On Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 Tiger Woods is fined $164 for "careless driving" and the Florida Highway Patrol closes its investigation.
6. On Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 Us Weekly publishes a story revealing the voicemail that Tiger left Jaimee Grubbs. He releases a statement in which he says, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart."
7. Over the next few days over a dozen women come forward claiming to have had affairs with Tiger Woods. The number is somewhere between 11 and 17.
8. On Monday, December 11th, 2009 Tiger Woods announces that he is taking an "indefinite break" from golf.
9. Sponsors begin to drop Tiger from their advertising, including Gatorade, Gillette, Accenture, and AT&T.
So that's where we stand right now. To me the most interesting question is why it took so long for this to come out? I believe that the answer is money, pure and simple. Tiger Woods the celebrity endorser is (or at least was) worth a LOT of money. His face was on billboards and television commercials and video games. His name adorned all manner of products. He had an image of a squeaky-clean family man, cultivated and maintained and good. But what did we really know about him? The image of Tiger Woods was one thing, but the man Tiger Woods now appears to be something else entirely. It's an interesting study in public relations and media management that could easily take months to unravel and analyze.
Another reason it took so long to come out was that there was an active effort to keep the story quiet, dating all the way back to 2007. A article entitled "How Tiger Protected His Image" was printed in the Wall Street Journal on December 18th. In it the author reveals how Tiger Woods' affairs were discovered by the National Enquirer in 2007 and that he was able to keep the story quiet by doing an exclusive piece for Men's Health, which is owned by the same publisher as the National Enquirer. This tells me that not only did people know about Tiger's affairs, but that that knowledge was fairly widely known. Because Tiger Woods' image was so valuable it was in people's best interests to keep it cleaned and buffed as much as possible.
But now the story is out there. 2010 is going to be a very interesting year in the world of golf and for golf's biggest name. We'll just have to keep watching and talking and gossiping all the way through it.
Q: Rani - Should anyone ask the Eliot Spitzer call girl for advice? http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/spitzer_babe_answers_4duaVqTCJHA38suGawuaiM
A: I admit that I was unaware that the Eliot Spitzer call girl (Ashley Dupre) had an advice column. I just read one of her pieces and I'm actually impressed at her writing ability. That having been said I personally don't think that anyone should ask her for advice. Then again I don't think anyone should be asking me for advice either. The people to best ask for advice are your friends and family. They undoubtedly know you better than a stranger writing a newspaper advice column or a random guy who writes an online question-and-answer website.
Q: Sam - was it irresponsible for me to spend the $$ i had been saving for a new computer on another guitar?
A: This depends on a number of factors. In fact, this question would probably be best answered with a flow chart, but since I don't have the time or inclination to create one I'll just break the variables out in a quasi-programming language. This should be fun.
if (your old computer works) then (NOT IRRESPONSIBLE)
else if (your old computer has gone tits up) then
{
if (you need a computer) then IRRESPONSIBLE
else NOT IRRESPONSIBLE
}
Note that this analysis is using only your need for a computer as a variable. If your need for a guitar is greater than your need for a computer then you'll have to adjust the code a bit to suit your needs. But judging from the wording of your question I'd say you've already made your choice.
Q: Tara - What kind of red wine goes well with Ham for christmas dinner? And, any suggestions on a menu for 8 adults and 4 picky children? Also - do you think that Tom Brady's baby number 2 is making him play poorly due to lack of sleep?
A: Three questions for the price of one!
1. I am not generally a fan of red wines, but lately I've been expanding my palate. I think with a Ham you're going to want to go with a not-quite-as dry red wine. I would suggest a general red table wine, or maybe a blend of different red wines (Cab-Sav or Cab-Franc).
2. I would suggest ignoring the needs of the picky children and instead focus on pleasing the 8 adults. In my experience children are very difficult to please when it comes to food, so I would instead try and find something that will satisfy the 8 adults. I think you'll get more return for your efforts that way.
3. An interesting theory, but I think that Brady's recent decline in performance is the fact that he's been injured for a few weeks. The current injury report on Tom Brady lists his "right shoulder/rib/right finger", and those same areas have been on the injury report since the second week in December. I think that those injuries have contributed to his not-quite-as-spectacular performance of late. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's playing "poorly", but he's definitely not the Tom Brady of 2007. Time will tell if he can rally himself for the playoffs. I certainly hope so.
A: Before I tackle the full answer (and trust me, this is going to take a while), I have to give you credit for summarizing the Tiger Woods Saga (or, as Bill Simmons has called it, "Tiger Zoo") better than anyone else in the media. You've pretty much nailed the important details of the story in one simple half sentence. Of course the truth of this sad affair is far more complex and nuanced than that, but still, bravo!
OK, so let's get started with this. I think the first thing we need is a timeline of facts. On December 3rd the L.A. Times provided a good timeline of the first few days of the saga, and I'll be using that to help fill in some details.
1. On Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 Tiger Woods leaves a voicemail on the phone of Jaimee Grubbs, a 24 year old cocktail waitress in LA. In the message he tells the woman that "My wife went through my phone and may be calling you." He asks the woman to remove her name from her voicemail account.
2. Thanksgiving Week the National Enquirer breaks a story about Tiger Woods allegedly having an affair with a woman named Rachel Uchitel.
3. At 2:25am on Friday, November 27th Tiger Woods left his house and drove his Cadillac Escalade SUV into a fire hydrant and then into a tree.
- The Florida Highway Patrol say that alcohol was not a factor in the accident.
- Tiger's wife Elin broke the rear windows of the car with a golf club.
- He had cuts in his lips and blood in his mouth, but was otherwise unharmed.
- Neighbors report that Tiger was in and out of consciousness after the crash.
4. Over the weekend of November 26th:
- Tiger Woods puts off making statements to the Florida Highway Patrol regarding the incident. He schedules a news conference for Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 during a charity golf tournament that he is sponsoring.
- He releases a statement about the incident saying that "I'm human and I'm not perfect" and asking for privacy.
- Finally on Monday he withdraws from the tournament and cancels the news conference.
5. On Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 Tiger Woods is fined $164 for "careless driving" and the Florida Highway Patrol closes its investigation.
6. On Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 Us Weekly publishes a story revealing the voicemail that Tiger left Jaimee Grubbs. He releases a statement in which he says, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart."
7. Over the next few days over a dozen women come forward claiming to have had affairs with Tiger Woods. The number is somewhere between 11 and 17.
8. On Monday, December 11th, 2009 Tiger Woods announces that he is taking an "indefinite break" from golf.
9. Sponsors begin to drop Tiger from their advertising, including Gatorade, Gillette, Accenture, and AT&T.
So that's where we stand right now. To me the most interesting question is why it took so long for this to come out? I believe that the answer is money, pure and simple. Tiger Woods the celebrity endorser is (or at least was) worth a LOT of money. His face was on billboards and television commercials and video games. His name adorned all manner of products. He had an image of a squeaky-clean family man, cultivated and maintained and good. But what did we really know about him? The image of Tiger Woods was one thing, but the man Tiger Woods now appears to be something else entirely. It's an interesting study in public relations and media management that could easily take months to unravel and analyze.
Another reason it took so long to come out was that there was an active effort to keep the story quiet, dating all the way back to 2007. A article entitled "How Tiger Protected His Image" was printed in the Wall Street Journal on December 18th. In it the author reveals how Tiger Woods' affairs were discovered by the National Enquirer in 2007 and that he was able to keep the story quiet by doing an exclusive piece for Men's Health, which is owned by the same publisher as the National Enquirer. This tells me that not only did people know about Tiger's affairs, but that that knowledge was fairly widely known. Because Tiger Woods' image was so valuable it was in people's best interests to keep it cleaned and buffed as much as possible.
But now the story is out there. 2010 is going to be a very interesting year in the world of golf and for golf's biggest name. We'll just have to keep watching and talking and gossiping all the way through it.
Q: Rani - Should anyone ask the Eliot Spitzer call girl for advice? http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/spitzer_babe_answers_4duaVqTCJHA38suGawuaiM
A: I admit that I was unaware that the Eliot Spitzer call girl (Ashley Dupre) had an advice column. I just read one of her pieces and I'm actually impressed at her writing ability. That having been said I personally don't think that anyone should ask her for advice. Then again I don't think anyone should be asking me for advice either. The people to best ask for advice are your friends and family. They undoubtedly know you better than a stranger writing a newspaper advice column or a random guy who writes an online question-and-answer website.
Q: Sam - was it irresponsible for me to spend the $$ i had been saving for a new computer on another guitar?
A: This depends on a number of factors. In fact, this question would probably be best answered with a flow chart, but since I don't have the time or inclination to create one I'll just break the variables out in a quasi-programming language. This should be fun.
if (your old computer works) then (NOT IRRESPONSIBLE)
else if (your old computer has gone tits up) then
{
if (you need a computer) then IRRESPONSIBLE
else NOT IRRESPONSIBLE
}
Note that this analysis is using only your need for a computer as a variable. If your need for a guitar is greater than your need for a computer then you'll have to adjust the code a bit to suit your needs. But judging from the wording of your question I'd say you've already made your choice.
Q: Tara - What kind of red wine goes well with Ham for christmas dinner? And, any suggestions on a menu for 8 adults and 4 picky children? Also - do you think that Tom Brady's baby number 2 is making him play poorly due to lack of sleep?
A: Three questions for the price of one!
1. I am not generally a fan of red wines, but lately I've been expanding my palate. I think with a Ham you're going to want to go with a not-quite-as dry red wine. I would suggest a general red table wine, or maybe a blend of different red wines (Cab-Sav or Cab-Franc).
2. I would suggest ignoring the needs of the picky children and instead focus on pleasing the 8 adults. In my experience children are very difficult to please when it comes to food, so I would instead try and find something that will satisfy the 8 adults. I think you'll get more return for your efforts that way.
3. An interesting theory, but I think that Brady's recent decline in performance is the fact that he's been injured for a few weeks. The current injury report on Tom Brady lists his "right shoulder/rib/right finger", and those same areas have been on the injury report since the second week in December. I think that those injuries have contributed to his not-quite-as-spectacular performance of late. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's playing "poorly", but he's definitely not the Tom Brady of 2007. Time will tell if he can rally himself for the playoffs. I certainly hope so.
Monday, November 30, 2009
57 - Answers
Q: Matt - Ok, someone has to ask this so it might as well be me. What's your take on the Belichick debacle?
A: It's been about four weeks since the "Belichick debacle" as you called it, and frankly I'm more stumped now that I was when I was sitting in stunned silence alone on my couch watching my Patriots blow a game in the fourth quarter. I knew that something bad was going to happen when the Patriots turned the ball over in the red zone in the second and third quarters. You can't just give away points in the NFL, and especially not against a talented and driven quarterback like Peyton Manning. But it wasn't until the Patriots had the ball deep in their own zone and had to drive out to secure the win that I became truly nervous. The Patriots ran three plays and ended up with a 4th and 2 on their own 28 yard line. They went for it, they failed. That decision was subsequently debated on sports talk radio, the Internet, and in offices everywhere.
At the time I thought that it was a foolish decision. Better to punt in that case and make Peyton Manning march down the field. Then I remembered how Peyton Manning was giving the Patriots' defense the business. Maybe it was the right call to go for it, especially since there was only a couple of minutes left on the clock. Just get the first down and run the clock out. It was risky, and as it turns out too risky.
Oddly this scenario repeated itself in Week 12 against the Saints and then again Week 13 against the Dolphins. All three games featured 4th-and-something calls that ended up going poorly for my Patriots. In the Saints game that didn't really matter since the Saints were able to dissect the Patriots' secondary like a high school student dissecting a frog. And it was that dissection that gave me some clarity to the situation. When Belichick went for it during the Colts game one of the theories at the time was that he didn't trust his defense. Since this has now happened in subsequent games I think this might be close to the truth. I think the Patriots are weak on defense, that Belichick knows it, and that he has been leaning on his offense to make up the difference.
So that's my take on it. I'm not feeling that great about the rest of my Patriots' season. I think we'll win the AFC East pretty easily but as for farther ambitions in the playoffs I don't think we have what it takes this year.
Q: Bill - Fixed or variable price option this winter?
A: I admit that I haven't thought at all about my RG&E bill in quite some time. As it turns out it doesn't matter because as your wife correctly pointed out:
Lisa: Bill, fixed is no longer an option if you stay with RG&E
A smart woman, that Lisa. You were right to marry her, Bill.
Q: Rani - I just found out that there will be a Lobo (DC comics) movie, and am thrilled, but read it's trying to get rated PG-13, by Guy Ritchie who directed Lock, Stock, and Two Smokin' Barrels and Snatch. Will this movie get ruined, if the rating sticks?
Lobo is generally a DC equivalent of Deadpool (Marvel) didn't really find a good link to describe, so found this as clean of a reference as possibly (work safe) http://nativeberlin.net/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/lobo-christmas-special.jpg
If either unknown to you (somehow), use the Guy Ritchie as a reference, and what would happen if he made a PG-13 movie, to my knowledge all of his movies are generally violent
A: I happen to be a fan of Guy Ritchie. In fact, the only reason I will go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie is that he is the director. The next movie that he is officially attached to is called Gamekeeper, but various websites report that he is going to begin production of Lobo sometime in early 2010.
I didn't know anything about the comic character in question prior to your question, and based on the little I've read it sounds like his story is pretty violent. Given that I would say that a PG-13 rating might ruin the movie if the director is not careful. Knowing what the rules are will presumably allow him to craft the story within those rules. Yes, this constricts the creative mind, but he's going into this with eyes open. So my answer is a definite maybe.
Q: Kristian - In regards to Bud Selig not having a spine, I mean that he doesn't enforce anything. Why is he such a pansy?
A: Bud Selig, like the commissioners of all the other major sports, has a fine line to walk in his job. There are many competing interests in baseball and not all of them have the same bottom line:
- Television: Getting the most viewers who will buy the most products from their advertisers and generate the most revenue.
- Teams: Acquiring the best players to give themselves the best chance at making the playoffs and winning the World Series.
- Owners: To maximize the amount of money that they make
- Fans: To be entertained, to get value for their entertainment dollar, and to root for a team.
- Players: Both to make money and to play for a team that will make the playoffs and win the World Series.
I think that these interests are always in the front of Bud Selig's mind. Therefore when an issue arises in baseball (steroids, instant replay, etc.) he must run it through each of those filters before he can decide what to do. This can lead to all sorts of confusing results and outcomes. I also think this is why it seems like he has no spine. He is reluctant to upset the status quo or to offend any of those interests. I sympathize, but he is also the head of a major sport and thus must sometimes make tough decisions. I'd rather he own up to his responsibilities and make those decisions with less regard for the interests in question.
Q: Kristian - Best Winter Olympics sport?
A: As has become tradition with Ask Mitssob the Jolinko community has weighed in on this subject and so I'll give them the first word:
Jon: your mom
Brett: Biathlon. Next question.
Bill: No way, biathalon takes too long.
Eric: skis+shotguns=win
Brett: You meant rifles.
Eric: them too
Matt: Actually, I think that could make things a lot more exciting. Instead of a regular shotgun competition where you stand in one place and shoot at moving targets, have the targets stationary and have the shooter moving, i.e. skiing and shooting at the same time.
chris: extreme downhill biathlon?
Phil: shit just add shotguns or rifles to all winter sports, imagine curling with shotguns or speedskating with snipers on the roof
Kristian: Phil, I'm liking your ideas. You sould bring them up to the Olympic Committee
First, I'd like to say what a great idea adding guns to Olympic Events is. The possibilities boggle the mind. Imagine Curling in a Crossfire. Or downhill skiing straight out of a Bond movie. This is a fantastic series of ideas and must be explored.
With that out of the way the best winter Olympics sports (in my humble opinion) are the ones that you don't normally get to see. I enjoy watching curling (even without the crossfire), hockey, and speed skating. But the "best" for me is the Super G. It combines speed, danger, cool camera shots, and spectacular crashes. It's also a sport I only watch during the Olympics, which makes it a special treat.
A: It's been about four weeks since the "Belichick debacle" as you called it, and frankly I'm more stumped now that I was when I was sitting in stunned silence alone on my couch watching my Patriots blow a game in the fourth quarter. I knew that something bad was going to happen when the Patriots turned the ball over in the red zone in the second and third quarters. You can't just give away points in the NFL, and especially not against a talented and driven quarterback like Peyton Manning. But it wasn't until the Patriots had the ball deep in their own zone and had to drive out to secure the win that I became truly nervous. The Patriots ran three plays and ended up with a 4th and 2 on their own 28 yard line. They went for it, they failed. That decision was subsequently debated on sports talk radio, the Internet, and in offices everywhere.
At the time I thought that it was a foolish decision. Better to punt in that case and make Peyton Manning march down the field. Then I remembered how Peyton Manning was giving the Patriots' defense the business. Maybe it was the right call to go for it, especially since there was only a couple of minutes left on the clock. Just get the first down and run the clock out. It was risky, and as it turns out too risky.
Oddly this scenario repeated itself in Week 12 against the Saints and then again Week 13 against the Dolphins. All three games featured 4th-and-something calls that ended up going poorly for my Patriots. In the Saints game that didn't really matter since the Saints were able to dissect the Patriots' secondary like a high school student dissecting a frog. And it was that dissection that gave me some clarity to the situation. When Belichick went for it during the Colts game one of the theories at the time was that he didn't trust his defense. Since this has now happened in subsequent games I think this might be close to the truth. I think the Patriots are weak on defense, that Belichick knows it, and that he has been leaning on his offense to make up the difference.
So that's my take on it. I'm not feeling that great about the rest of my Patriots' season. I think we'll win the AFC East pretty easily but as for farther ambitions in the playoffs I don't think we have what it takes this year.
Q: Bill - Fixed or variable price option this winter?
A: I admit that I haven't thought at all about my RG&E bill in quite some time. As it turns out it doesn't matter because as your wife correctly pointed out:
Lisa: Bill, fixed is no longer an option if you stay with RG&E
A smart woman, that Lisa. You were right to marry her, Bill.
Q: Rani - I just found out that there will be a Lobo (DC comics) movie, and am thrilled, but read it's trying to get rated PG-13, by Guy Ritchie who directed Lock, Stock, and Two Smokin' Barrels and Snatch. Will this movie get ruined, if the rating sticks?
Lobo is generally a DC equivalent of Deadpool (Marvel) didn't really find a good link to describe, so found this as clean of a reference as possibly (work safe) http://nativeberlin.net/cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/lobo-christmas-special.jpg
If either unknown to you (somehow), use the Guy Ritchie as a reference, and what would happen if he made a PG-13 movie, to my knowledge all of his movies are generally violent
A: I happen to be a fan of Guy Ritchie. In fact, the only reason I will go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie is that he is the director. The next movie that he is officially attached to is called Gamekeeper, but various websites report that he is going to begin production of Lobo sometime in early 2010.
I didn't know anything about the comic character in question prior to your question, and based on the little I've read it sounds like his story is pretty violent. Given that I would say that a PG-13 rating might ruin the movie if the director is not careful. Knowing what the rules are will presumably allow him to craft the story within those rules. Yes, this constricts the creative mind, but he's going into this with eyes open. So my answer is a definite maybe.
Q: Kristian - In regards to Bud Selig not having a spine, I mean that he doesn't enforce anything. Why is he such a pansy?
A: Bud Selig, like the commissioners of all the other major sports, has a fine line to walk in his job. There are many competing interests in baseball and not all of them have the same bottom line:
- Television: Getting the most viewers who will buy the most products from their advertisers and generate the most revenue.
- Teams: Acquiring the best players to give themselves the best chance at making the playoffs and winning the World Series.
- Owners: To maximize the amount of money that they make
- Fans: To be entertained, to get value for their entertainment dollar, and to root for a team.
- Players: Both to make money and to play for a team that will make the playoffs and win the World Series.
I think that these interests are always in the front of Bud Selig's mind. Therefore when an issue arises in baseball (steroids, instant replay, etc.) he must run it through each of those filters before he can decide what to do. This can lead to all sorts of confusing results and outcomes. I also think this is why it seems like he has no spine. He is reluctant to upset the status quo or to offend any of those interests. I sympathize, but he is also the head of a major sport and thus must sometimes make tough decisions. I'd rather he own up to his responsibilities and make those decisions with less regard for the interests in question.
Q: Kristian - Best Winter Olympics sport?
A: As has become tradition with Ask Mitssob the Jolinko community has weighed in on this subject and so I'll give them the first word:
Jon: your mom
Brett: Biathlon. Next question.
Bill: No way, biathalon takes too long.
Eric: skis+shotguns=win
Brett: You meant rifles.
Eric: them too
Matt: Actually, I think that could make things a lot more exciting. Instead of a regular shotgun competition where you stand in one place and shoot at moving targets, have the targets stationary and have the shooter moving, i.e. skiing and shooting at the same time.
chris: extreme downhill biathlon?
Phil: shit just add shotguns or rifles to all winter sports, imagine curling with shotguns or speedskating with snipers on the roof
Kristian: Phil, I'm liking your ideas. You sould bring them up to the Olympic Committee
First, I'd like to say what a great idea adding guns to Olympic Events is. The possibilities boggle the mind. Imagine Curling in a Crossfire. Or downhill skiing straight out of a Bond movie. This is a fantastic series of ideas and must be explored.
With that out of the way the best winter Olympics sports (in my humble opinion) are the ones that you don't normally get to see. I enjoy watching curling (even without the crossfire), hockey, and speed skating. But the "best" for me is the Super G. It combines speed, danger, cool camera shots, and spectacular crashes. It's also a sport I only watch during the Olympics, which makes it a special treat.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
56 - Answers
[Editor's Note: Tim has been working on these answers for the better part of a month now. Unfortunately it's NaNoWriMo season again so he's more pressed for time than usual. Honestly I don't know what that man does with his time. He could be running a meth lab out of his basement for all I know. What I do know is that he finally came through with the second-longest set of answers in Ask Mitssob history. It's not his best work, but it'll do.]
Q: Bill - Why do trees rot from the inside out?
A: Despite several minutes of research on the topic I have no idea why trees rot from the inside out. I learned a bit about tree rot in general. Heart Rot Tree Disease, for example, "is caused by fungi which have entered the tree through open wounds and bare exposed wood." I also found this site that explains how to evaluate trunk cavities. I would guess the answer is that the rot attacks the oldest wood first, and that wood is found at the center of the tree. I suggest tracking down an arborist if you want a more complete answer.
Q: vanessa - Why do people carve pumpkins for Halloween? (I've actually heard 'why' but I'd like to see what you dig up!)
A: From the site PumpkinCarving101:
On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be replaced by candles.
Today people carve pumpkins as a way to celebrate the holiday, to enjoy the feeling of pumpkin guts on their hands, and to provide targets for malicious youths wishing to rebel against society by smashing the hard work of others.
Q: Eric Democko - What is the temperature in Honolulu in October?
A: It is a lovely mid-80s at the time I am writing this. The palm trees are swaying in a gentle breeze and the ocean looks like something out of a postcard.
Q: Bill - What do I do to make facebook applications with all these flash/java animations run faster on my computer? Is it RAM? Video Card? Processor?
A: There are a few things to do that can make your computer run faster.
1. Eliminate background processes. Things like virus scanners, search-engine-toolbars, etc can slow your computer down if there are enough of them.
2. Defragment your hard drive.
3. Uninstall programs that you no longer need or use.
4. Clean out your registry. [Ed. - Isn't he already married? Not that kind of registry, you computer-illiterate nay-sayer.]
This last one is something that I've overlooked in past conversations with you about this subject. The Windows registry is where applications store information that they use while running. When you first do an install of Windows your registry is fairly small and clean, but over time the registry can get bloated with extra information from old applications that you've uninstalled, or outdated information from applications you no longer use. As the registry grows larger and more complex it takes longer for applications and Windows itself to scan it and find the information that they need to run. Thus you should clean it out from time to time to help your computer run faster.
On that topic, while I was researching this question I found a utility called CCleaner. I used it on my Dell D600 laptop as a test to see if it would help make it run faster, and I have to say that it seems to have done the job well so far. It got rid of about 500MB worth of temporary files, plus it cleaned out 232 registry entries that were no longer needed. My laptop boots noticeably faster now and seems to run smoother too. I suggest giving it a shot. If you'd like a house call then let me know and I'll swing by sometime.
Q: Brett - I might have already asked this, but it is a good question; Do you think Bob Seger ever made it to Kathmandu?
A: You did in fact ask me this question earlier this year. It was part of Episode 43 of Ask Mitssob. As I said then, I do think that he made it.
Q: Brett - If I already asked that, then never mind, but here is a new question also concerning Mr. Seger: If Bob Seger was from Detroit, why did he call his band the Silver Bullet band? Was Bob Seger a werewolf hunter? Or just a fan of Coors Light?
A: I do not have the faintest idea why Bob Seger named one of his bands the Silver Bullet Band. It's entirely possible that he was a werewolf and/or vampire hunter and used the name of his band as a sort of reverse camouflage to deflect attention away from him. The name could also be meant to inspire vampire/werewolf hunters around the greater Detroit area.
I find it hard to believe that a love of Coors Light was the reason for the name of his band. For one thing, one of his early singles with the Silver Bullet Band was called "Get Out of Denver." Why would he advocate getting out of a place that produced the beer he'd named his band for? To paraphrase the Chewbacca defense, that does not make sense.
I think that it's more likely that the name of the band is a reference to the common meaning of the term "silver bullet", which is a one-shot, simple solution to a complex problem. Am I right? I have no idea. You'll have to ask Mr. Seger that question to get the real story.
Q: Jesse - how much sex is too much?
A: I made the mistake of asking my coworkers this question one night in Hawaii as we walked to dinner.
Coworker 1: If you start needing blue pills.
Coworker 2: If your genitals get covered in puss.
And those were the only two responses that I can actually post here. The rest were just too graphic for a family site. I'm trying hard to forget them myself.
The glib answer to this question would be, "Too much sex? What, are you crazy? There's no such thing!" In fact I think that there are definitely cases where there can be too much sex. For example, I've heard that if you are trying to conceive then too much sex can lead to diminishing returns, that is your odds of conceiving actually go down. That's one case where there is such a thing as too much sex.
Also, and not to get overly graphic here, but I imagine that the physical limitation on sex in the, um, lubrication department depends on each individual. I won't add any more to that. In fact, let's just move on.
There is also a psychological angle to this question. Sex is as much about the mind as it is the body. If you have lots of sex with multiple partners, aside from the obvious physical hazards from STDs, there is the danger of depression and other psychological ailments.
Ultimately it's dependent on too many variables to give a single answer. Normally this is the part of my answer where I'd say to go ahead and find out the limit for yourself, but in this case I'll hold back that advice. I'll just say that you should have as much sex as you and your partner are comfortable with. Good luck out there, people.
Q: Anonymous - mitsob, I am an average guy trying to seduce better than average women. Recently I was propositioned by one young lady to "Talk nerdy to me." What should I say?
A: Frankly I'm afraid to touch this question. I am both an acknowledged nerd and a well-below-average ladies man. In other words, I can speak nerd but can't guarantee that anything I come up with will help you make inroads with the opposite sex. So rather than strain my brain I will turn this answer over to my close personal friend the Internet.
First, I came across this article at DateHookup.com. It's got some good advice, including a couple of pickup lines like "Hey, we can make beautiful .wav files together." And speaking of pickup lines, a collection of 50 nerdy pickup lines can be found here. I just read them and am speechless. Some of them might actually work for you, amazing as that sounds. I found another good pickup line on twitter: hey babe, wanna come over to myspace and twitter my yahoo 'til I google all over your facebook? Simple, direct, and clever. Finally, for more inspiration you might try reading the book "Talk Nerdy To Me" by Vicki Lewis Thompson.
By the way, if any of these lines work please let me know. I need all the help I can get.
Q: Jesse - what is a better way to wake up in the morning so I am not late to work?
A: Before I give my answer let me share a quick anecdote. I'm writing some of these answers from lovin' cup, a coffee/wine/beer bar and restaurant next to RIT's campus. It's a pleasant place to do a little writing, and I thought by coming here that I would be left alone. Well just as I started writing this answer a blonde haired young man with a scraggly beard and a Grateful Dead necklace moseyed over to me and asked what I was doing. I told him I was writing answers to questions, and that one was about how to wake up better. His suggestion was to "make sure some bitch is there to give you a fuckin' blowjob when you wake up." After giving that answer he drifted off, then came back asked me if I would like a Xanax to "help you mellow out." Judging from his demeanor I'd say he can't have many to spare.
Anyway, now that that's over with let me get on with the answer. I will divide up this answer into two categories: sleeping, and morning routine.
First, some suggestions on how to improve your sleeping routine:
- Go to bed earlier. An average adult requires at least 6 hours of sleep per night. If you're not getting that much then it can be harder to wake up.
- As Matt suggested: "Don't drink so much the night before." Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster but you won't sleep as deeply or as well, and thus will have a harder time waking up in the morning.
- Try reading for a while in bed before actually trying to sleep. It can help you relax and get you more ready for sleep.
Next, here are some ideas on how to change your routine so as to maximize the amount of time that you can stay in bed every morning.
- Shower the night before.
- Sleep in the clothes you plan on wearing to work the next day. That will save you at least a minute.
- If you bring your lunch with you to work, make it the night before.
Finally, it wouldn't be a true Ask Mitssob answer without some random silliness thrown in for good measure:
- Move closer to work.
- Sleep at your desk at night.
- Quit your job and work from home.
Q: Matt - What are your thoughts on Congress getting involved with sports? They had the giant steroids debacle, and now they're having hearings about NFL injuries. Should they be sticking to issues like fixing healthcare and the economy, or is this a legit topic for them?
A: I think that Congress should stay out of sports unless we allow those persons under investigation in sports the opportunity to meddle in the affairs of Congress. Seems fair to me.
On a more serious note I do not think that Congress should get involved in the issues surrounding injuries in the NFL. Professional sports in general are privately run and privately owned enterprises. Any issues that do not affect the public sphere should not be the business of Congress. Now, if an NFL team engages in criminal activity such as laundering money or murdering players who don't perform well then Congress would be right to investigate. But player health issues fall under the NFL's umbrella. If the NFL is not doing a good job of taking care of its players then that's an issue between the players and the NFL, not Congress.
More to the point, is it the role of Congress to look at these issues? The United States Constitution is pretty clear about the roles of the three branches of government. Nowhere is it mentioned that Congress should get involved in the recreational affairs of the citizens, nor in the legal business practices of private companies.
Q(A): Bill - NFL injuries? Really? I think they should mandate that quarterbacks not be treated like porcelain dolls. These roughing the quartback-contact to the head calls are getting ridiculous.
Q(B): Kristian - Aaron Rodgers got cracked in the helmet last night and nothing was called. I was shocked. And the reason they're treated like porcelain dolls is because of Brady.
A: I agree with both up to a point. Yes, quarterbacks are being overprotected in today's NFL, and yes, part of the reason that they're treated like "porcelain dolls" is because of the injury that Brady sustained last year. But why are quarterbacks being treated that way? The logic behind protecting quarterbacks is that they are generally the most visible and high-profile football players on any particular team. They often make the most money and thus represent the biggest investment a team makes as far as players go. So when a team's quarterback gets injured the team as a whole suffers greatly. Thus there is an interest on the part of the teams to lobby for greater protection of the quarterbacks.
Now, has the pendulum swung too far in the direction of quarterback protection? I think so, yes. Personally I'd like to see the line come down as follows:
1. A quarterback should be subject to the same "dirty hits" rules as every other player. Late hits, facemasks, spearing, etc. should be called the same regardless of what position you play.
2. Eliminate "roughing the passer" and "roughing the kicker" penalties altogether. Yes, they are in "helpless" positions from time to time. My answer: if you don't want to get hit then go be a golfer. Otherwise accept the fact that you play a rough sport.
Q: Kristian - Going along with the sports topic, why does Bud Selig not have a spine?
A: I am not exactly sure what you are referring to. If you wouldn't mind, could you give me some specific instance of his lacking a spine? I'm not trying to duck the question, but I don't want to answer until I know what you're asking about. Sorry. See you next time.
Q: Eric - instant replay in baseball: will it ever happen for more than just reviews of home runs? also, why do the umps in the world series suck so bad?
A: Instant replay in baseball will expand to other aspects of the game sooner rather than later. It might come as soon as next year but I would guess that it'll be more like three years before the next change in instant replay happens. The next area of the game to get attention will be calls on the bases, particularly close calls at first base and during steals, and also fair and foul balls.
As to why the umps in the world series suck so bad, I think it's a combination of factors. Despite the fact that we all want them to be perfect Umpires are human. They make mistakes. Did this world series contain more mistakes than normal? I know that it seemed that way judging from the quantity and voracity of reactions from fans of both teams. Another factor could be the crowds themselves. I think that umpires are more susceptible to pressure from a vocal crowd than they admit. And that's a very human reaction to their job. They want to make everyone happy, and I suspect that that failing contributes to some bad calls.
Finally, people of a more conspiratorial mindset than me will say that the umps are fudging calls in the game so as to give one team an advantage over another as part of a larger plan (such as making sure the series goes longer). I personally do not believe this, but I also know that there's a wide range of people who do. Maybe I'm looking at the sports world in general with rose colored glasses, but I believe that it's more likely that umpires either make mistakes or are influenced by a home crowd than in some grand conspiracy.
Q: Matt - The Sprint Cup series race at Talladega on the weekend was complete horseshit. A lot of people including myself blame the lack of exciting racing on the implementation of the restrictor plates designed to make the top speed slower and hence accidents that are less harsh. On the flipside, the cars are bunched up so close that now it's almost impossible to have a race without having one or more big big crashes. The Truck Series race was also held at the same track on the same weekend with much better racing and much fewer wrecks as well. So I ask, are the plates really doing that much good?
A: A disclaimer: I am not a racing fan. I know very little about the sport, and care about it even less. Normally I use "Ask Mitssob" as a way to expand my knowledge about a particular subject and come to some kind of educated and informed opinion about things I don't know much about. I confess that my desire to be educated on this subject is pretty low, so I'll be relying on common knowledge, intuition, and guesses for this answer.
As far a I can tell the rules in NASCAR are set up for two reasons. The first is safety. By limiting the top speed that a race car can be driven that means that the top speed that it can strike an object is limited and the risk of injury to the driver is reduced. The second reason to make the cars as equal as possible so that the race comes down to the driver. That's a very noble goal, but teams are going to try and bend those rules as much as possible to gain some kind of mechanical edge. The smarter the crew chief, the more likely that they will find some way to eek out an edge within the rules.
In my opinion when the rules of sports are rewritten to make things more "fair" then the sport itself tends to suffer. In the case of NASCAR the rules put in place to level the playing field are in fact creating more dangerous and less competitive conditions. Is that good? No, I don't think so.
Let me turn the question around and ask what the purpose of the restrictor plate really is. As you point out the cars have a lower top speed, but cars are more bunched up as a result. When cars are more bunched up there is a bigger danger of large and spectacular wrecks. Big crashes are one of the reasons that people tune in to watch racing. So it begs the question: could it be that the actual purpose is to cause more dangerous racing conditions? I know that sounds conspiratorial, but it's something to consider.
Q: Sarah LaBombard - Are you moving to Hawaii?
A: No. I enjoyed my three weeks in Hawaii very much. Ultimately, though, it reminded me that I am a cold weather creature. I have said before that I would have trouble living in a place that didn't have four seasons and three weeks in Hawaii did not change that. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast and I will certainly go back in the future, but as for a permanent relocation I will pass.
Q: Bill - Why do trees rot from the inside out?
A: Despite several minutes of research on the topic I have no idea why trees rot from the inside out. I learned a bit about tree rot in general. Heart Rot Tree Disease, for example, "is caused by fungi which have entered the tree through open wounds and bare exposed wood." I also found this site that explains how to evaluate trunk cavities. I would guess the answer is that the rot attacks the oldest wood first, and that wood is found at the center of the tree. I suggest tracking down an arborist if you want a more complete answer.
Q: vanessa - Why do people carve pumpkins for Halloween? (I've actually heard 'why' but I'd like to see what you dig up!)
A: From the site PumpkinCarving101:
On this magical night, glowing jack-o-lanterns, carved from turnips or gourds, were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones, but also to act as protection against malevolent spirits. Burning lumps of coal were used inside as a source of light, later to be replaced by candles.
Today people carve pumpkins as a way to celebrate the holiday, to enjoy the feeling of pumpkin guts on their hands, and to provide targets for malicious youths wishing to rebel against society by smashing the hard work of others.
Q: Eric Democko - What is the temperature in Honolulu in October?
A: It is a lovely mid-80s at the time I am writing this. The palm trees are swaying in a gentle breeze and the ocean looks like something out of a postcard.
Q: Bill - What do I do to make facebook applications with all these flash/java animations run faster on my computer? Is it RAM? Video Card? Processor?
A: There are a few things to do that can make your computer run faster.
1. Eliminate background processes. Things like virus scanners, search-engine-toolbars, etc can slow your computer down if there are enough of them.
2. Defragment your hard drive.
3. Uninstall programs that you no longer need or use.
4. Clean out your registry. [Ed. - Isn't he already married? Not that kind of registry, you computer-illiterate nay-sayer.]
This last one is something that I've overlooked in past conversations with you about this subject. The Windows registry is where applications store information that they use while running. When you first do an install of Windows your registry is fairly small and clean, but over time the registry can get bloated with extra information from old applications that you've uninstalled, or outdated information from applications you no longer use. As the registry grows larger and more complex it takes longer for applications and Windows itself to scan it and find the information that they need to run. Thus you should clean it out from time to time to help your computer run faster.
On that topic, while I was researching this question I found a utility called CCleaner. I used it on my Dell D600 laptop as a test to see if it would help make it run faster, and I have to say that it seems to have done the job well so far. It got rid of about 500MB worth of temporary files, plus it cleaned out 232 registry entries that were no longer needed. My laptop boots noticeably faster now and seems to run smoother too. I suggest giving it a shot. If you'd like a house call then let me know and I'll swing by sometime.
Q: Brett - I might have already asked this, but it is a good question; Do you think Bob Seger ever made it to Kathmandu?
A: You did in fact ask me this question earlier this year. It was part of Episode 43 of Ask Mitssob. As I said then, I do think that he made it.
Q: Brett - If I already asked that, then never mind, but here is a new question also concerning Mr. Seger: If Bob Seger was from Detroit, why did he call his band the Silver Bullet band? Was Bob Seger a werewolf hunter? Or just a fan of Coors Light?
A: I do not have the faintest idea why Bob Seger named one of his bands the Silver Bullet Band. It's entirely possible that he was a werewolf and/or vampire hunter and used the name of his band as a sort of reverse camouflage to deflect attention away from him. The name could also be meant to inspire vampire/werewolf hunters around the greater Detroit area.
I find it hard to believe that a love of Coors Light was the reason for the name of his band. For one thing, one of his early singles with the Silver Bullet Band was called "Get Out of Denver." Why would he advocate getting out of a place that produced the beer he'd named his band for? To paraphrase the Chewbacca defense, that does not make sense.
I think that it's more likely that the name of the band is a reference to the common meaning of the term "silver bullet", which is a one-shot, simple solution to a complex problem. Am I right? I have no idea. You'll have to ask Mr. Seger that question to get the real story.
Q: Jesse - how much sex is too much?
A: I made the mistake of asking my coworkers this question one night in Hawaii as we walked to dinner.
Coworker 1: If you start needing blue pills.
Coworker 2: If your genitals get covered in puss.
And those were the only two responses that I can actually post here. The rest were just too graphic for a family site. I'm trying hard to forget them myself.
The glib answer to this question would be, "Too much sex? What, are you crazy? There's no such thing!" In fact I think that there are definitely cases where there can be too much sex. For example, I've heard that if you are trying to conceive then too much sex can lead to diminishing returns, that is your odds of conceiving actually go down. That's one case where there is such a thing as too much sex.
Also, and not to get overly graphic here, but I imagine that the physical limitation on sex in the, um, lubrication department depends on each individual. I won't add any more to that. In fact, let's just move on.
There is also a psychological angle to this question. Sex is as much about the mind as it is the body. If you have lots of sex with multiple partners, aside from the obvious physical hazards from STDs, there is the danger of depression and other psychological ailments.
Ultimately it's dependent on too many variables to give a single answer. Normally this is the part of my answer where I'd say to go ahead and find out the limit for yourself, but in this case I'll hold back that advice. I'll just say that you should have as much sex as you and your partner are comfortable with. Good luck out there, people.
Q: Anonymous - mitsob, I am an average guy trying to seduce better than average women. Recently I was propositioned by one young lady to "Talk nerdy to me." What should I say?
A: Frankly I'm afraid to touch this question. I am both an acknowledged nerd and a well-below-average ladies man. In other words, I can speak nerd but can't guarantee that anything I come up with will help you make inroads with the opposite sex. So rather than strain my brain I will turn this answer over to my close personal friend the Internet.
First, I came across this article at DateHookup.com. It's got some good advice, including a couple of pickup lines like "Hey, we can make beautiful .wav files together." And speaking of pickup lines, a collection of 50 nerdy pickup lines can be found here. I just read them and am speechless. Some of them might actually work for you, amazing as that sounds. I found another good pickup line on twitter: hey babe, wanna come over to myspace and twitter my yahoo 'til I google all over your facebook? Simple, direct, and clever. Finally, for more inspiration you might try reading the book "Talk Nerdy To Me" by Vicki Lewis Thompson.
By the way, if any of these lines work please let me know. I need all the help I can get.
Q: Jesse - what is a better way to wake up in the morning so I am not late to work?
A: Before I give my answer let me share a quick anecdote. I'm writing some of these answers from lovin' cup, a coffee/wine/beer bar and restaurant next to RIT's campus. It's a pleasant place to do a little writing, and I thought by coming here that I would be left alone. Well just as I started writing this answer a blonde haired young man with a scraggly beard and a Grateful Dead necklace moseyed over to me and asked what I was doing. I told him I was writing answers to questions, and that one was about how to wake up better. His suggestion was to "make sure some bitch is there to give you a fuckin' blowjob when you wake up." After giving that answer he drifted off, then came back asked me if I would like a Xanax to "help you mellow out." Judging from his demeanor I'd say he can't have many to spare.
Anyway, now that that's over with let me get on with the answer. I will divide up this answer into two categories: sleeping, and morning routine.
First, some suggestions on how to improve your sleeping routine:
- Go to bed earlier. An average adult requires at least 6 hours of sleep per night. If you're not getting that much then it can be harder to wake up.
- As Matt suggested: "Don't drink so much the night before." Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster but you won't sleep as deeply or as well, and thus will have a harder time waking up in the morning.
- Try reading for a while in bed before actually trying to sleep. It can help you relax and get you more ready for sleep.
Next, here are some ideas on how to change your routine so as to maximize the amount of time that you can stay in bed every morning.
- Shower the night before.
- Sleep in the clothes you plan on wearing to work the next day. That will save you at least a minute.
- If you bring your lunch with you to work, make it the night before.
Finally, it wouldn't be a true Ask Mitssob answer without some random silliness thrown in for good measure:
- Move closer to work.
- Sleep at your desk at night.
- Quit your job and work from home.
Q: Matt - What are your thoughts on Congress getting involved with sports? They had the giant steroids debacle, and now they're having hearings about NFL injuries. Should they be sticking to issues like fixing healthcare and the economy, or is this a legit topic for them?
A: I think that Congress should stay out of sports unless we allow those persons under investigation in sports the opportunity to meddle in the affairs of Congress. Seems fair to me.
On a more serious note I do not think that Congress should get involved in the issues surrounding injuries in the NFL. Professional sports in general are privately run and privately owned enterprises. Any issues that do not affect the public sphere should not be the business of Congress. Now, if an NFL team engages in criminal activity such as laundering money or murdering players who don't perform well then Congress would be right to investigate. But player health issues fall under the NFL's umbrella. If the NFL is not doing a good job of taking care of its players then that's an issue between the players and the NFL, not Congress.
More to the point, is it the role of Congress to look at these issues? The United States Constitution is pretty clear about the roles of the three branches of government. Nowhere is it mentioned that Congress should get involved in the recreational affairs of the citizens, nor in the legal business practices of private companies.
Q(A): Bill - NFL injuries? Really? I think they should mandate that quarterbacks not be treated like porcelain dolls. These roughing the quartback-contact to the head calls are getting ridiculous.
Q(B): Kristian - Aaron Rodgers got cracked in the helmet last night and nothing was called. I was shocked. And the reason they're treated like porcelain dolls is because of Brady.
A: I agree with both up to a point. Yes, quarterbacks are being overprotected in today's NFL, and yes, part of the reason that they're treated like "porcelain dolls" is because of the injury that Brady sustained last year. But why are quarterbacks being treated that way? The logic behind protecting quarterbacks is that they are generally the most visible and high-profile football players on any particular team. They often make the most money and thus represent the biggest investment a team makes as far as players go. So when a team's quarterback gets injured the team as a whole suffers greatly. Thus there is an interest on the part of the teams to lobby for greater protection of the quarterbacks.
Now, has the pendulum swung too far in the direction of quarterback protection? I think so, yes. Personally I'd like to see the line come down as follows:
1. A quarterback should be subject to the same "dirty hits" rules as every other player. Late hits, facemasks, spearing, etc. should be called the same regardless of what position you play.
2. Eliminate "roughing the passer" and "roughing the kicker" penalties altogether. Yes, they are in "helpless" positions from time to time. My answer: if you don't want to get hit then go be a golfer. Otherwise accept the fact that you play a rough sport.
Q: Kristian - Going along with the sports topic, why does Bud Selig not have a spine?
A: I am not exactly sure what you are referring to. If you wouldn't mind, could you give me some specific instance of his lacking a spine? I'm not trying to duck the question, but I don't want to answer until I know what you're asking about. Sorry. See you next time.
Q: Eric - instant replay in baseball: will it ever happen for more than just reviews of home runs? also, why do the umps in the world series suck so bad?
A: Instant replay in baseball will expand to other aspects of the game sooner rather than later. It might come as soon as next year but I would guess that it'll be more like three years before the next change in instant replay happens. The next area of the game to get attention will be calls on the bases, particularly close calls at first base and during steals, and also fair and foul balls.
As to why the umps in the world series suck so bad, I think it's a combination of factors. Despite the fact that we all want them to be perfect Umpires are human. They make mistakes. Did this world series contain more mistakes than normal? I know that it seemed that way judging from the quantity and voracity of reactions from fans of both teams. Another factor could be the crowds themselves. I think that umpires are more susceptible to pressure from a vocal crowd than they admit. And that's a very human reaction to their job. They want to make everyone happy, and I suspect that that failing contributes to some bad calls.
Finally, people of a more conspiratorial mindset than me will say that the umps are fudging calls in the game so as to give one team an advantage over another as part of a larger plan (such as making sure the series goes longer). I personally do not believe this, but I also know that there's a wide range of people who do. Maybe I'm looking at the sports world in general with rose colored glasses, but I believe that it's more likely that umpires either make mistakes or are influenced by a home crowd than in some grand conspiracy.
Q: Matt - The Sprint Cup series race at Talladega on the weekend was complete horseshit. A lot of people including myself blame the lack of exciting racing on the implementation of the restrictor plates designed to make the top speed slower and hence accidents that are less harsh. On the flipside, the cars are bunched up so close that now it's almost impossible to have a race without having one or more big big crashes. The Truck Series race was also held at the same track on the same weekend with much better racing and much fewer wrecks as well. So I ask, are the plates really doing that much good?
A: A disclaimer: I am not a racing fan. I know very little about the sport, and care about it even less. Normally I use "Ask Mitssob" as a way to expand my knowledge about a particular subject and come to some kind of educated and informed opinion about things I don't know much about. I confess that my desire to be educated on this subject is pretty low, so I'll be relying on common knowledge, intuition, and guesses for this answer.
As far a I can tell the rules in NASCAR are set up for two reasons. The first is safety. By limiting the top speed that a race car can be driven that means that the top speed that it can strike an object is limited and the risk of injury to the driver is reduced. The second reason to make the cars as equal as possible so that the race comes down to the driver. That's a very noble goal, but teams are going to try and bend those rules as much as possible to gain some kind of mechanical edge. The smarter the crew chief, the more likely that they will find some way to eek out an edge within the rules.
In my opinion when the rules of sports are rewritten to make things more "fair" then the sport itself tends to suffer. In the case of NASCAR the rules put in place to level the playing field are in fact creating more dangerous and less competitive conditions. Is that good? No, I don't think so.
Let me turn the question around and ask what the purpose of the restrictor plate really is. As you point out the cars have a lower top speed, but cars are more bunched up as a result. When cars are more bunched up there is a bigger danger of large and spectacular wrecks. Big crashes are one of the reasons that people tune in to watch racing. So it begs the question: could it be that the actual purpose is to cause more dangerous racing conditions? I know that sounds conspiratorial, but it's something to consider.
Q: Sarah LaBombard - Are you moving to Hawaii?
A: No. I enjoyed my three weeks in Hawaii very much. Ultimately, though, it reminded me that I am a cold weather creature. I have said before that I would have trouble living in a place that didn't have four seasons and three weeks in Hawaii did not change that. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast and I will certainly go back in the future, but as for a permanent relocation I will pass.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
55 - Answers (Part 1)
[Editor's Note: Tim asked me if he could divide up this week's answers into two parts. I thought he was just stalling again since he was already running late and running out of excuses. But then he told me that there were two questions posed about a very serious topic and he wanted the chance to answer them separately. I saw the questions and agreed with him. This time.]
Q: Michaele-Lynne - What are your predictions for my Maple Leafs this year? Will they make the cut for playoffs or be a complete disappointment as per usual?
A: I asked the only other Maple Leafs fan that I know (a coworker named Nick) this question and he just chuckled. He told me that it had been over 40 years since they'd won a Stanley Cup and that they'd missed the playoffs for the past five years, and it sounded like he didn't expect that trend to be broken this year.
I have not done any pre-season research on the NHL this year so I turned to ESPN to help me out. I read the NHL preview for the Maple Leafs (found here) which was pretty informative. It looks to me like their GM is making some smart moves but I'm not sure just how quickly these changes can help. For example, they've acquired star forward from the Bruins named Phil Kessel, but he's out with a shoulder injury until at least November.
In the end I'll go out on a limb here and say that yes, Toronto will make the playoffs this year. They'll get crushed in the first round but at least they'll make it to the dance. Best of luck this season!
Q: Bill - Who's the republican favorite for president in 2012? And if you say Sarah Palin I will burn your house down and possibly cut off what nuts you may or may not have.
A: As of this date (September 26, 2009) there is no clear favorite for the Republican candidate for President. The most recent polling information that I could find was a poll done of self-declared independent voters put out by the Clarus Research Group. A PDF of their survey can be found here. Among likely Republican candidates the poll shows that Mitt Romney is the current favorite with 30% of the vote. Mike Huckabee is second with 22% and Sarah Palin gets 18%.
A second indicator came during the annual Values Voters Conference that happened the weekend of September 18th in Washington, DC. Several of the likely Republican presidential candidates spoke there including Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Mike Pence. At the end of the event a straw poll was held among participants. The winner of the straw pole was Mike Huckabee with 29% of the vote. This surprises no one, me included. He was the clear favorite among the more religious conservatives in the 2008 race. He is also the reason that we ended up with John McCain as our nominee, but that's a topic for another time. Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty and Mike Pence all received about 12% of the votes, with the remaining votes going for other candidates like perennial nut Ron Paul and the up-and-coming-but-still-too-early Bobby Jindal.
My final answer is that there is no Republican favorite for President in 2012. At least not yet. Assuming I'm still doing this in 2012 you'll just have to ask me then.
Q: Jarsh - Why don't Canadian quarters work in US vending machines. To my naked eye they are the same size.
A: Below is a table comparing the two quarters:
The physical dimensions of the two quarters are nearly identical, so your naked eye isn't lying to you. The difference comes in the weight. There is a 1.27 gram difference between the weights of the two quarters, and that's enough for the vending machines to tell the difference between them. Personally I find it annoying that I can't use Canadian quarters in vending machines.
The metal in the two quarters is also different, which Adam commented on:
Adam: I watched a show about how coin sorters work last night, conveniently. Canadian quarters aren't made of the same metal that American quarters are. They don't displace the magnetic field (that distinguishes what type of metal the coin is made of) in the same way, so they aren't usable.
Very interesting stuff, guys. Thanks.
Q: Jesse - use washers?
A: Occasionally, yes. I've never tried to use them in vending machines as a substitute for real money, but I've used washers for other purposes.
Q: Rani - Speaking of washers, is mankind's greatest enemy water?
A: In my opinion water makes the list, but it is by no means mankind's greatest enemy. Water can either be the bringer of life or the bringer of destruction depending on the situation. Our bodies are roughly 70% water and we cannot survive for more than a couple of days without it. Then again water is a very powerful natural force. Over time water can carve spectacular landscapes. It can also destroy cities in the form of tidal waves, storm surges, or even just excessive rain. But water enables man to grow crops and feed himself. In the end I think that there are too many upsides to water for it to be our greatest enemy.
On a final note, I was discussing this with my colleague Jeff as we drove from the Kansas City airport to Junction City, Kansas and he informed me that "Humidity created the snowman but it was sunshine that destroyed him." True on both counts, though I'm not exactly sure what that has to do with this question.
Q: vanessa - yes, how many alumni will wanna come to my halloween party in Oswego? the over/under is set at 2.
A: I'll take the over and go with an official prediction of 4.
Q: Bill - When would said party be? Will there be adult beverages served?
A: I'll turn the microphone over to Vanessa to answer this question:
"halloween party = halloween night. beeeeerrr."
Q: Jarsh - Ask Mitssob has become Random Thread v2 apparently
A: I'm not sure I expected this development but I'm certainly happy about it. Having a community to help me answer questions is a big help. [Ed - And it helps cover up the fact that you don't have any idea what you're talking about. Now that's just plain mean.]
Q: Bill - Question: Now that breast implants are made with saline, do they act differently than the old silicon ones?
A:Breast implants (link is Wikipedia but still NSFW) are used primarily in breast augmentation surgeries. Other uses include breast reconstruction following a mastectomy or as part of a sex change procedure. The two most common types are saline enclosed in a silicone shell and all silicone. The all silicone varieties were banned in the United States in the late 90's and that ban was lifted in 2006.
I have never been with a woman with breast implants, so that makes me unqualified to evaluate the behavior of either type of implant. Now that I think about it I'm not sure that I know any women with breast implants. It has never occurred to me to ask the women I know whether or not their breasts are real. Seems kind of rude and overly personal now that I think about it, so it's probably best that I just keep on not asking.
Anyway, according to the above link the silicone variety provides a superior look and feel to the saline variety. This makes sense to me. Silicone is a more solid substance than saline and would probably blend better with the natural breast tissue. I would imagine that the saline variety might move in a more unnatural fashion. Again, I'm just not an expert on this subject. Sorry.
Q: Jesse - How big will the random thread get?
A: As of this writing the Random Thread consists of 1776 pages and 44383 entries. It has gone on for just over 5 years. How much longer can it go on? Technologically I don't have an exact answer. Eventually the hard drive on the server that host Jolinko could fill up and that would bring it to an end.
My guess is that the Random Thread will break through 100,000 entries sometime in the year 2013. Time will tell if I'm right.
Q: Michaele-Lynne - What are your predictions for my Maple Leafs this year? Will they make the cut for playoffs or be a complete disappointment as per usual?
A: I asked the only other Maple Leafs fan that I know (a coworker named Nick) this question and he just chuckled. He told me that it had been over 40 years since they'd won a Stanley Cup and that they'd missed the playoffs for the past five years, and it sounded like he didn't expect that trend to be broken this year.
I have not done any pre-season research on the NHL this year so I turned to ESPN to help me out. I read the NHL preview for the Maple Leafs (found here) which was pretty informative. It looks to me like their GM is making some smart moves but I'm not sure just how quickly these changes can help. For example, they've acquired star forward from the Bruins named Phil Kessel, but he's out with a shoulder injury until at least November.
In the end I'll go out on a limb here and say that yes, Toronto will make the playoffs this year. They'll get crushed in the first round but at least they'll make it to the dance. Best of luck this season!
Q: Bill - Who's the republican favorite for president in 2012? And if you say Sarah Palin I will burn your house down and possibly cut off what nuts you may or may not have.
A: As of this date (September 26, 2009) there is no clear favorite for the Republican candidate for President. The most recent polling information that I could find was a poll done of self-declared independent voters put out by the Clarus Research Group. A PDF of their survey can be found here. Among likely Republican candidates the poll shows that Mitt Romney is the current favorite with 30% of the vote. Mike Huckabee is second with 22% and Sarah Palin gets 18%.
A second indicator came during the annual Values Voters Conference that happened the weekend of September 18th in Washington, DC. Several of the likely Republican presidential candidates spoke there including Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Mike Pence. At the end of the event a straw poll was held among participants. The winner of the straw pole was Mike Huckabee with 29% of the vote. This surprises no one, me included. He was the clear favorite among the more religious conservatives in the 2008 race. He is also the reason that we ended up with John McCain as our nominee, but that's a topic for another time. Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty and Mike Pence all received about 12% of the votes, with the remaining votes going for other candidates like perennial nut Ron Paul and the up-and-coming-but-still-too-early Bobby Jindal.
My final answer is that there is no Republican favorite for President in 2012. At least not yet. Assuming I'm still doing this in 2012 you'll just have to ask me then.
Q: Jarsh - Why don't Canadian quarters work in US vending machines. To my naked eye they are the same size.
A: Below is a table comparing the two quarters:
| US | Canadian | |
| Mass | 5.670 g | 4.4 g |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm | 23.81 mm |
| Thickness | 1.75 mm | 1.60 mm |
| Edge | 119 reeds | milled |
| Composition | 91.67% Cu, 8.33% Ni | 94% steel, 3.8% Cu, 2.2% Ni plating |
The physical dimensions of the two quarters are nearly identical, so your naked eye isn't lying to you. The difference comes in the weight. There is a 1.27 gram difference between the weights of the two quarters, and that's enough for the vending machines to tell the difference between them. Personally I find it annoying that I can't use Canadian quarters in vending machines.
The metal in the two quarters is also different, which Adam commented on:
Adam: I watched a show about how coin sorters work last night, conveniently. Canadian quarters aren't made of the same metal that American quarters are. They don't displace the magnetic field (that distinguishes what type of metal the coin is made of) in the same way, so they aren't usable.
Very interesting stuff, guys. Thanks.
Q: Jesse - use washers?
A: Occasionally, yes. I've never tried to use them in vending machines as a substitute for real money, but I've used washers for other purposes.
Q: Rani - Speaking of washers, is mankind's greatest enemy water?
A: In my opinion water makes the list, but it is by no means mankind's greatest enemy. Water can either be the bringer of life or the bringer of destruction depending on the situation. Our bodies are roughly 70% water and we cannot survive for more than a couple of days without it. Then again water is a very powerful natural force. Over time water can carve spectacular landscapes. It can also destroy cities in the form of tidal waves, storm surges, or even just excessive rain. But water enables man to grow crops and feed himself. In the end I think that there are too many upsides to water for it to be our greatest enemy.
On a final note, I was discussing this with my colleague Jeff as we drove from the Kansas City airport to Junction City, Kansas and he informed me that "Humidity created the snowman but it was sunshine that destroyed him." True on both counts, though I'm not exactly sure what that has to do with this question.
Q: vanessa - yes, how many alumni will wanna come to my halloween party in Oswego? the over/under is set at 2.
A: I'll take the over and go with an official prediction of 4.
Q: Bill - When would said party be? Will there be adult beverages served?
A: I'll turn the microphone over to Vanessa to answer this question:
"halloween party = halloween night. beeeeerrr."
Q: Jarsh - Ask Mitssob has become Random Thread v2 apparently
A: I'm not sure I expected this development but I'm certainly happy about it. Having a community to help me answer questions is a big help. [Ed - And it helps cover up the fact that you don't have any idea what you're talking about. Now that's just plain mean.]
Q: Bill - Question: Now that breast implants are made with saline, do they act differently than the old silicon ones?
A:Breast implants (link is Wikipedia but still NSFW) are used primarily in breast augmentation surgeries. Other uses include breast reconstruction following a mastectomy or as part of a sex change procedure. The two most common types are saline enclosed in a silicone shell and all silicone. The all silicone varieties were banned in the United States in the late 90's and that ban was lifted in 2006.
I have never been with a woman with breast implants, so that makes me unqualified to evaluate the behavior of either type of implant. Now that I think about it I'm not sure that I know any women with breast implants. It has never occurred to me to ask the women I know whether or not their breasts are real. Seems kind of rude and overly personal now that I think about it, so it's probably best that I just keep on not asking.
Anyway, according to the above link the silicone variety provides a superior look and feel to the saline variety. This makes sense to me. Silicone is a more solid substance than saline and would probably blend better with the natural breast tissue. I would imagine that the saline variety might move in a more unnatural fashion. Again, I'm just not an expert on this subject. Sorry.
Q: Jesse - How big will the random thread get?
A: As of this writing the Random Thread consists of 1776 pages and 44383 entries. It has gone on for just over 5 years. How much longer can it go on? Technologically I don't have an exact answer. Eventually the hard drive on the server that host Jolinko could fill up and that would bring it to an end.
My guess is that the Random Thread will break through 100,000 entries sometime in the year 2013. Time will tell if I'm right.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
47 - Answers
Q: Bill Jeffers - Way to tank the Frozen Four Dr. No. Which Clarkson alum has the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup this year?
A: I hang my head in shame at my inability to pick college hockey games involving teams I know next to nothing about. Why don't you just kick my dog while you're at it?
Anyway, below is a list of every Clarkson alumni that I could find currently playing in the NHL Playoffs. If I've left someone off this list then please let me know and I'll post an addendum.
Phillipe Paquet - Montreal Canadiens
Chris Clark - Washington Capitals
Nick Dodge, Erik Cole - Carolina Hurricanes
Randy Jones - Philadelphia Fliers
Steven Zalewski - San Jose Sharks
Kent Huskins - Anaheim Ducks
Grant Clitsome - Columbus Blue Jackets
Willie Mitchell - Vancouver Canucks
Craig Conroy - Calgary Flames
As of this writing here are the current playoff matchups (for current news go here):
Boston vs. Carolina
Washington vs. Pittsburgh
Detroit vs. Anaheim
Vancouver vs. Chicago
That means that of the 9 Clarkson alumni in the playoffs, 4 have been eliminated. In my opinion the odds of a Clarkson alumni making it to the Stanley Cup playoffs are pretty good since they are evenly spread out throughout the eight remaining teams. I'm not particularly up on how these teams match up against each other, but I'm going to try and guess anyway. I think that Boston will beat down Carolina, eliminating two more from the pool. Washington and Pittsburgh will duke it out hard, but Washington will prevail. Detroit will dispatch Anaheim, and Vancouver will beat Chicago. That means that there will be two remaining Clarkson alumni in the playoff picture. In the end I think that Washington is going to go all the way and win, so I will say that Chris Clark will be the Clarkson alumni to win the Stanley Cup this year.
Q: Eric Democko - which single cup coffee maker is best? Keurig, Senseo, Tassimo, (anything else?)
A: At my office we have several of the Keurig B140 model. I was very satisfied with the coffee that it produced, but that was mostly because it was free for several months. Free coffee is better than coffee you have to pay for. While the coffee is no longer free for employees, it is still of pretty good quality.
All of these machines function basically the same way. You put in a disposable unit into a slot and hot water is passed through it, producing coffee (or hot chocolate or tea or whatever). Therefore I think that the deciding factor in this question lies in the coffee that you buy for the maker. What flavors are offered? How much do they cost? What is the general quality of the coffee? Tassimo has partnered with a variety of coffee providers including Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Maxwell House, etc. The other two only have their own coffee products.
Personally I'd rather find a unit that you can pour your own coffee into, which I know the Keurig unit offers with their K-Cup product. So that would be my choice of products. Let me know which one (if any) you decide to purchase. Enjoy!
Q: Jarsh Beckstein - Full Electric or Electric w/ gas range Extender?
A: Given the choice between the two I'd choose electric with a gas range extender, which is the system that Chevrolet has chosen for its highly anticipated Volt. I'm not comfortable with the thought of driving a vehicle that I cannot refuel easily should the need arise, which is basically the case when you are driving a fully electric vehicle today. In the future it may be possible to rapidly charge the batteries of an electric-only vehicle, or possibly have a self-charging mechanism using solar cells. Those would be welcome developments and would make me reconsider my choice.
Though I know the choice wasn't given to me, but I would actually prefer a Diesel Hybrid to either of those choices. You get the high-milage of a diesel with the city-driving benefits of an electric. Everybody wins! Since I do a lot of long-distance driving I'm really not in the target demographic for any electric vehicles, be they hybrid, pure electric, or the Volt. Internal combustion will be my choice for the foreseeable future, but I wish all car manufacturers luck with their electric vehicles. There are plenty of other consumers that could benefit from the technology.
A: I hang my head in shame at my inability to pick college hockey games involving teams I know next to nothing about. Why don't you just kick my dog while you're at it?
Anyway, below is a list of every Clarkson alumni that I could find currently playing in the NHL Playoffs. If I've left someone off this list then please let me know and I'll post an addendum.
Phillipe Paquet - Montreal Canadiens
Chris Clark - Washington Capitals
Nick Dodge, Erik Cole - Carolina Hurricanes
Randy Jones - Philadelphia Fliers
Steven Zalewski - San Jose Sharks
Kent Huskins - Anaheim Ducks
Grant Clitsome - Columbus Blue Jackets
Willie Mitchell - Vancouver Canucks
Craig Conroy - Calgary Flames
As of this writing here are the current playoff matchups (for current news go here):
Boston vs. Carolina
Washington vs. Pittsburgh
Detroit vs. Anaheim
Vancouver vs. Chicago
That means that of the 9 Clarkson alumni in the playoffs, 4 have been eliminated. In my opinion the odds of a Clarkson alumni making it to the Stanley Cup playoffs are pretty good since they are evenly spread out throughout the eight remaining teams. I'm not particularly up on how these teams match up against each other, but I'm going to try and guess anyway. I think that Boston will beat down Carolina, eliminating two more from the pool. Washington and Pittsburgh will duke it out hard, but Washington will prevail. Detroit will dispatch Anaheim, and Vancouver will beat Chicago. That means that there will be two remaining Clarkson alumni in the playoff picture. In the end I think that Washington is going to go all the way and win, so I will say that Chris Clark will be the Clarkson alumni to win the Stanley Cup this year.
Q: Eric Democko - which single cup coffee maker is best? Keurig, Senseo, Tassimo, (anything else?)
A: At my office we have several of the Keurig B140 model. I was very satisfied with the coffee that it produced, but that was mostly because it was free for several months. Free coffee is better than coffee you have to pay for. While the coffee is no longer free for employees, it is still of pretty good quality.
All of these machines function basically the same way. You put in a disposable unit into a slot and hot water is passed through it, producing coffee (or hot chocolate or tea or whatever). Therefore I think that the deciding factor in this question lies in the coffee that you buy for the maker. What flavors are offered? How much do they cost? What is the general quality of the coffee? Tassimo has partnered with a variety of coffee providers including Starbucks, Seattle's Best, Maxwell House, etc. The other two only have their own coffee products.
Personally I'd rather find a unit that you can pour your own coffee into, which I know the Keurig unit offers with their K-Cup product. So that would be my choice of products. Let me know which one (if any) you decide to purchase. Enjoy!
Q: Jarsh Beckstein - Full Electric or Electric w/ gas range Extender?
A: Given the choice between the two I'd choose electric with a gas range extender, which is the system that Chevrolet has chosen for its highly anticipated Volt. I'm not comfortable with the thought of driving a vehicle that I cannot refuel easily should the need arise, which is basically the case when you are driving a fully electric vehicle today. In the future it may be possible to rapidly charge the batteries of an electric-only vehicle, or possibly have a self-charging mechanism using solar cells. Those would be welcome developments and would make me reconsider my choice.
Though I know the choice wasn't given to me, but I would actually prefer a Diesel Hybrid to either of those choices. You get the high-milage of a diesel with the city-driving benefits of an electric. Everybody wins! Since I do a lot of long-distance driving I'm really not in the target demographic for any electric vehicles, be they hybrid, pure electric, or the Volt. Internal combustion will be my choice for the foreseeable future, but I wish all car manufacturers luck with their electric vehicles. There are plenty of other consumers that could benefit from the technology.
Monday, January 19, 2009
42 - Answer(s)
Q: Bill Jeffers - With all the talk about McNabb not knowing that there were ties in football, and now his team is advancing even though he might be perceived as stupid...what sport has the smartest athletes? Would Jeopardy: Professional Athlete tournament be interestingor embarassing?
A: Bill, as much as I love this question, I don't think I can give you an answer that's as scientific as you deserve. Researching this question has proven harder than I expected. I was hoping to find a list of average IQs for each major sport and just pass that on. Sadly such a list does not exist. Nor can I find any intelligence measurement of the general population that includes professional athletes. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, sure, but not athletes. Or musicians, for that matter.
So I'm going to have to tackle this myself. First, the counter-question that must be asked is what does "smart" mean? Does it mean general intelligence as measured by an IQ or does it mean smart as far as skill required to play the sport? Also, elite and snobby does not necessarily mean smart. I'll admit that my first thought was that golf had the smartest players. Then I realized that it was because of the air surrounding the game, not because of the players themselves.
With that out of the way, what follows is an off-the-top-of-my-head, no-good-reason ranking of the "major" sports:
1. Baseball - Players have to think about their actions and anticipate what others will do. Pitchers and hitters will study film of each other in an effort to gain an advantage.
2. Hockey - Hand-eye coordination like no other sport, plus memorizing plays.
3. Football - You have to memorize complicated playbooks, especially quarterbacks. Lots of time spent analyzing film and learning from it.
4. Basketball - Memorizing plays, but not as complicated as other sports. More about athleticism than intelligence.
5. Soccer - Running up and down a field and kicking a ball.
Like I said, this is hardly scientific. If you'd like me to dedicate more time to this then I will. I find the question fascinating, and I really think it does deserve an entire book. Or maybe a chapter in my book. We'll see.
As for your second question, I think that Jeopardy: Professional Athlete is a great idea. I would actually make it like a tournament. Baseball players one night, football players the next night, and so on. The winner of each round gets to proceed and finally a winner is decided. I would watch that. Especially if the answers were all sports related. That would be some entertaining television.
Q: Jarsh Beckstein -
1) Don't you think speeches such as Crichton's there and movies like Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" only add to the partisan nature of the argument and allowing either of them to profoundly influence your ideas is giving in to the partisan nature of the argument? Both seem to be at the far ends of each sides arguments.
2) Going back to where this started: how is adding solar panels to your house and reducing your "carbon footprint" not adapting to climate change and (trying to) doing something about it?
A: 1. When I say I was profoundly influenced by Michael Crichton's speech I mean that it changed the way that I thought about the issue. I don't see that as giving in to the partisan nature of the debate but rather opening up my mind to other ways of looking at the issue. Once I stopped reflexively believing in whatever the climate change proponents said I was able to start to see the issue in a whole new way. As I said in my last answer I stopped looking at causes and started looking at actions.
I disagree that both Crichton's speech and Al Gore's (and others') films are opposite ends of some kind of spectrum. To me that's engaging in a kind of equivalence between the arguments that misses the point. In the case of the debate about climate change there are scientific facts regarding the issue. Put another way, one side is going to be right and one side is going to be wrong. Will that matter? I don't know. I'll say it again: I see the partisan nature of this debate as the fault of the believers in climate change. Is this because I'm not a believer? Maybe.
2. As I said in my last answer there are many reasons that someone might choose to add solar panels to their house. Motivations and effects are not necessarily linked. Let me illustrate this with a related point. Let's say I trade in my SUV and buy a Chevy Aveo (or some similar small car). What is the effect of that decision? For one thing, I'll get better gas milage and thus spend less money on gas. For another, I'll be polluting less and thus my "carbon footprint" will be smaller. So why did I buy the smaller car? It's impossible to say.
Here's another example that is unrelated to the environment. Back in 1990 President George HW Bush signed a tax increase that included, among other things, a "Luxury Tax" on such things as yachts, private airplanes, and luxury cars. The motivation for the tax was to tax the rich and raise money for the government. The effect of the tax was that the rich bought less of the items being taxed, and thousands of jobs were lost in the industries that produced those goods. Was it President Bush's intention to destroy those jobs? Of course not. But that was the effect.
Similarly the effect of installing solar panels or other "green" home improvements might be to impact climate change (I personally don't believe it, but I'll concede the point for now). But that is not necessarily the motivation for the actions. I'll turn the question back around on you: does it matter what the the motivations for the actions are? I contend that it doesn't, and that we as a people shouldn't be concerned with it. But that's just my opinion, as always.
Q: James Lileks (via Twitter) - What does the guy whose job it is to bang on the drum all day want to do instead of work?
A: This question was not asked of me directly, but I saw it on twitter the other day and was so amused that I had to give my own answer. For those of you who don't know, James Lileks is a humorist who writes for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and is the editor of buzz.mn. He's on par with Dave Barry for humor in my opinion, albeit less wacky than Dave.
Anyway, this is a good question. I think that a professional drummer might want to do any of a number of things all day:
- Work in an office (first suggested by Brett Gobe).
- Learn to play guitar/sing so he can have a chance to get laid.
- Bang on a different drum.
Ultimately it's unanswerable, but still very funny to ponder.
A: Bill, as much as I love this question, I don't think I can give you an answer that's as scientific as you deserve. Researching this question has proven harder than I expected. I was hoping to find a list of average IQs for each major sport and just pass that on. Sadly such a list does not exist. Nor can I find any intelligence measurement of the general population that includes professional athletes. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, sure, but not athletes. Or musicians, for that matter.
So I'm going to have to tackle this myself. First, the counter-question that must be asked is what does "smart" mean? Does it mean general intelligence as measured by an IQ or does it mean smart as far as skill required to play the sport? Also, elite and snobby does not necessarily mean smart. I'll admit that my first thought was that golf had the smartest players. Then I realized that it was because of the air surrounding the game, not because of the players themselves.
With that out of the way, what follows is an off-the-top-of-my-head, no-good-reason ranking of the "major" sports:
1. Baseball - Players have to think about their actions and anticipate what others will do. Pitchers and hitters will study film of each other in an effort to gain an advantage.
2. Hockey - Hand-eye coordination like no other sport, plus memorizing plays.
3. Football - You have to memorize complicated playbooks, especially quarterbacks. Lots of time spent analyzing film and learning from it.
4. Basketball - Memorizing plays, but not as complicated as other sports. More about athleticism than intelligence.
5. Soccer - Running up and down a field and kicking a ball.
Like I said, this is hardly scientific. If you'd like me to dedicate more time to this then I will. I find the question fascinating, and I really think it does deserve an entire book. Or maybe a chapter in my book. We'll see.
As for your second question, I think that Jeopardy: Professional Athlete is a great idea. I would actually make it like a tournament. Baseball players one night, football players the next night, and so on. The winner of each round gets to proceed and finally a winner is decided. I would watch that. Especially if the answers were all sports related. That would be some entertaining television.
Q: Jarsh Beckstein -
1) Don't you think speeches such as Crichton's there and movies like Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" only add to the partisan nature of the argument and allowing either of them to profoundly influence your ideas is giving in to the partisan nature of the argument? Both seem to be at the far ends of each sides arguments.
2) Going back to where this started: how is adding solar panels to your house and reducing your "carbon footprint" not adapting to climate change and (trying to) doing something about it?
A: 1. When I say I was profoundly influenced by Michael Crichton's speech I mean that it changed the way that I thought about the issue. I don't see that as giving in to the partisan nature of the debate but rather opening up my mind to other ways of looking at the issue. Once I stopped reflexively believing in whatever the climate change proponents said I was able to start to see the issue in a whole new way. As I said in my last answer I stopped looking at causes and started looking at actions.
I disagree that both Crichton's speech and Al Gore's (and others') films are opposite ends of some kind of spectrum. To me that's engaging in a kind of equivalence between the arguments that misses the point. In the case of the debate about climate change there are scientific facts regarding the issue. Put another way, one side is going to be right and one side is going to be wrong. Will that matter? I don't know. I'll say it again: I see the partisan nature of this debate as the fault of the believers in climate change. Is this because I'm not a believer? Maybe.
2. As I said in my last answer there are many reasons that someone might choose to add solar panels to their house. Motivations and effects are not necessarily linked. Let me illustrate this with a related point. Let's say I trade in my SUV and buy a Chevy Aveo (or some similar small car). What is the effect of that decision? For one thing, I'll get better gas milage and thus spend less money on gas. For another, I'll be polluting less and thus my "carbon footprint" will be smaller. So why did I buy the smaller car? It's impossible to say.
Here's another example that is unrelated to the environment. Back in 1990 President George HW Bush signed a tax increase that included, among other things, a "Luxury Tax" on such things as yachts, private airplanes, and luxury cars. The motivation for the tax was to tax the rich and raise money for the government. The effect of the tax was that the rich bought less of the items being taxed, and thousands of jobs were lost in the industries that produced those goods. Was it President Bush's intention to destroy those jobs? Of course not. But that was the effect.
Similarly the effect of installing solar panels or other "green" home improvements might be to impact climate change (I personally don't believe it, but I'll concede the point for now). But that is not necessarily the motivation for the actions. I'll turn the question back around on you: does it matter what the the motivations for the actions are? I contend that it doesn't, and that we as a people shouldn't be concerned with it. But that's just my opinion, as always.
Q: James Lileks (via Twitter) - What does the guy whose job it is to bang on the drum all day want to do instead of work?
A: This question was not asked of me directly, but I saw it on twitter the other day and was so amused that I had to give my own answer. For those of you who don't know, James Lileks is a humorist who writes for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and is the editor of buzz.mn. He's on par with Dave Barry for humor in my opinion, albeit less wacky than Dave.
Anyway, this is a good question. I think that a professional drummer might want to do any of a number of things all day:
- Work in an office (first suggested by Brett Gobe).
- Learn to play guitar/sing so he can have a chance to get laid.
- Bang on a different drum.
Ultimately it's unanswerable, but still very funny to ponder.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
12 - Answer(s)
Q: Brett Gobe - How do you measure yourself against other golfers?
A: Chevy Chase would answer this question with, "By height." I am a much more infrequent golfer than he (I've played three times in the past four years), but I'll give the same answer since it gives me a greater chance of victory than if I played golf straight-up against other golfers.
Q: Bill Jeffers - Will the Yankees ever win it all again?
A: My initial answer is "I hope not." As a fan of the Boston Red Sox since childhood, I have a nearly genetic predisposition to hating the NY Yankees. Therefore I hope that their six-year trend of failure in the postseason continues into the next century. But even I must admit that yes they will win it all again. I personally think that it'll take another two or three years of failure before they accept the fact that trying to buy the best players and placing them on the field together does NOT a team make. Of course, they could always purchase every other team in major league baseball and win by default, but that's pushing even my Yankee-hating boundaries.
Q: Eric Carney - You have Box and you have Wine. Two of my most favorite things united in what can only be described as a monumental achievement of the late 20th century. There's no question here I justed wanted to say I love Boxed Wine.
A: That was Eric Carney, former Pep Band President. He was damned glad to meet you.
Q: Adam Barnello - What would you do for a Klondike Bar?
A: First, I would get up from the comfortable couch on which I am typing these words. I would then put on my coat, leave my apartment, get into my car and drive to Wegmans. Once at Wegmans I would find the frozen dessert section and get a package of Klondike bars. I would then exchange cash for said Klondike bars at a checkout register and leave the store. I would then have the Klondike bars, and could do with them whatever I wished. Fling them at passing motorists, rub them in my hair, or even consume them with a nice glass of milk. Whatever came into my head.
Q (repeat): Nicole Maloney - What kind of music was played at weddings before the 70's came along?
A: I asked around about this question, and everyone I asked had pretty much the same two answers as me: either the popular music of the day, or the music that the bride and groom request. This makes sense. The wedding reception will reflect the tastes of the bride and groom, and therefore the music played at the reception will mirror those tastes. All things being equal, popular music of the day is probably the most common music played at weddings in all times. Some couples may choose to have something different, such as a string quartet, a jazz band, or even a carribian steel band. It's really up to the bride and groom (which means the bride).
A: Chevy Chase would answer this question with, "By height." I am a much more infrequent golfer than he (I've played three times in the past four years), but I'll give the same answer since it gives me a greater chance of victory than if I played golf straight-up against other golfers.
Q: Bill Jeffers - Will the Yankees ever win it all again?
A: My initial answer is "I hope not." As a fan of the Boston Red Sox since childhood, I have a nearly genetic predisposition to hating the NY Yankees. Therefore I hope that their six-year trend of failure in the postseason continues into the next century. But even I must admit that yes they will win it all again. I personally think that it'll take another two or three years of failure before they accept the fact that trying to buy the best players and placing them on the field together does NOT a team make. Of course, they could always purchase every other team in major league baseball and win by default, but that's pushing even my Yankee-hating boundaries.
Q: Eric Carney - You have Box and you have Wine. Two of my most favorite things united in what can only be described as a monumental achievement of the late 20th century. There's no question here I justed wanted to say I love Boxed Wine.
A: That was Eric Carney, former Pep Band President. He was damned glad to meet you.
Q: Adam Barnello - What would you do for a Klondike Bar?
A: First, I would get up from the comfortable couch on which I am typing these words. I would then put on my coat, leave my apartment, get into my car and drive to Wegmans. Once at Wegmans I would find the frozen dessert section and get a package of Klondike bars. I would then exchange cash for said Klondike bars at a checkout register and leave the store. I would then have the Klondike bars, and could do with them whatever I wished. Fling them at passing motorists, rub them in my hair, or even consume them with a nice glass of milk. Whatever came into my head.
Q (repeat): Nicole Maloney - What kind of music was played at weddings before the 70's came along?
A: I asked around about this question, and everyone I asked had pretty much the same two answers as me: either the popular music of the day, or the music that the bride and groom request. This makes sense. The wedding reception will reflect the tastes of the bride and groom, and therefore the music played at the reception will mirror those tastes. All things being equal, popular music of the day is probably the most common music played at weddings in all times. Some couples may choose to have something different, such as a string quartet, a jazz band, or even a carribian steel band. It's really up to the bride and groom (which means the bride).
Thursday, October 12, 2006
10 - Answer(s)
Q: Bill Jeffers - Will this be the year the Sabres bring home Lord Stanley's Cup?
A: Unfortunately, I don't know. More to the point, I won't even hazard a guess at this point in the season. The Sabres have definitely been improving over the past few years. They've got tgot some hot rookies (Jason Pommenville and Ryan Miller, both former Amerks), as well as a solid cast of verterans (Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, and Marty Biron). I think they can compete with the best of the NHL, but as we all know that's not necessarily enough. On a personal level, I certainly hope they win the cup. As a transplanted New Englander, my sports loyalties still lie in that region, but the one exception has been the Sabres (I was a Whalers fan before they moved, and don't really care for the Bruins). So go Sabres!
Q: Jennifer Walden - Why can I 'drop out' of school, but I have to 'quit' my job?
A: The first thing to do is get some definitions, courtesy of Dictionary.com. The definition of "quit" that fits best to your question is "To give up; relinquish." The definition of "drop out" that fits is "to stop attending school or college." So it seems that the initial answer to your question lies in the very difinitions of the words that are used.
But I find this an interesting question, so I'll dig a little deeper. I think that part of the difference in terminology comes from the difference between school and work. "School" is a voluntary activity in which an individual pays money to an organization, and in return the organization educates the individual. "Work" is a voluntary activity in which an organization pays money to an individual, and in return the individual gives worth to the organization.
I see the difference between the two in the expectations of the parties. In the case of work, you (the individual) have obligations to the organization. If you choose not to perform those obligations, then you have quit. The organization will stop paying you because you have stopped adding worth to the organization. In the case of school, you are obligated to pay and to learn. Should you choose to end, then you simply leave. The organization will not be paid, but they will also not be educating you.
I guess the real answer for me lies in another difference between school and work. School is not only an educational institution, but also a care-giving one. When you go to school as a child, then you are under their direct care. When you go to school in college, you often live on campus and are a part of the larger college community. When you choose to leave school prematurely, you are truly "dropping out" of the community. The same cannot be said of work. If you stop working, then you quit. There is a "dropping out", but it's not the same as school.
So those are my thoughts on that subject. I may come back to this question; it's more interesting than I expected. Thanks, Jen!
A: Unfortunately, I don't know. More to the point, I won't even hazard a guess at this point in the season. The Sabres have definitely been improving over the past few years. They've got tgot some hot rookies (Jason Pommenville and Ryan Miller, both former Amerks), as well as a solid cast of verterans (Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, and Marty Biron). I think they can compete with the best of the NHL, but as we all know that's not necessarily enough. On a personal level, I certainly hope they win the cup. As a transplanted New Englander, my sports loyalties still lie in that region, but the one exception has been the Sabres (I was a Whalers fan before they moved, and don't really care for the Bruins). So go Sabres!
Q: Jennifer Walden - Why can I 'drop out' of school, but I have to 'quit' my job?
A: The first thing to do is get some definitions, courtesy of Dictionary.com. The definition of "quit" that fits best to your question is "To give up; relinquish." The definition of "drop out" that fits is "to stop attending school or college." So it seems that the initial answer to your question lies in the very difinitions of the words that are used.
But I find this an interesting question, so I'll dig a little deeper. I think that part of the difference in terminology comes from the difference between school and work. "School" is a voluntary activity in which an individual pays money to an organization, and in return the organization educates the individual. "Work" is a voluntary activity in which an organization pays money to an individual, and in return the individual gives worth to the organization.
I see the difference between the two in the expectations of the parties. In the case of work, you (the individual) have obligations to the organization. If you choose not to perform those obligations, then you have quit. The organization will stop paying you because you have stopped adding worth to the organization. In the case of school, you are obligated to pay and to learn. Should you choose to end, then you simply leave. The organization will not be paid, but they will also not be educating you.
I guess the real answer for me lies in another difference between school and work. School is not only an educational institution, but also a care-giving one. When you go to school as a child, then you are under their direct care. When you go to school in college, you often live on campus and are a part of the larger college community. When you choose to leave school prematurely, you are truly "dropping out" of the community. The same cannot be said of work. If you stop working, then you quit. There is a "dropping out", but it's not the same as school.
So those are my thoughts on that subject. I may come back to this question; it's more interesting than I expected. Thanks, Jen!
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