Discovery...

Why did NASA send up Discovery instead of it's two newer shuttles, Atlantis and Endeavor?

Atlantis and Endeavor were designed differently from Discovery, especially in one area...

• Construction of the orbiter Atlantis began on March 3, 1980. Thanks to lessons learned in the construction and testing of orbiters Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger, Atlantis was completed in about half the time in man-hours spent on Columbia. This is largely attributed to the use of large thermal protection blankets on the orbiter's upper body, rather than individual tiles requiring more attention. Weighing in at 151,315 pounds when it rolled out of the assembly plant in Palmdale, Calif., Atlantis was nearly 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia. The new orbiter arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 9, 1985, and over the next seven months was prepared for her maiden voyage.

Granted Discovery went over a major overall, I believe on a naive, common sense level that Atlantis and Endeavor would be better choices to avoid problems. Then again, the space shuttles have been operating since 1979 with one 2 major incidents. Airplanes have been in existance for over how many year? With how many incidents? Again, granted, there's more airplane flights, but still, the risk is low for incidents. I think you have to worry more about cousin Joey spilling spaghetti sauce on himself again at the family reunion then worrying about another shuttle problem. Significantly, though, it has to be done right as St. Vincent said. Those rocket scientists knows more than me about space shuttles, physics, and aerodynamics, so I'll leave the discussion and explanation to them.

Someone you see, but don't hear a lot about...

aC Girl Marisa Miller

You seen her in SI's Swimsuit Issues, but never in the world of gossip. She's a fine lady, and with that we say thank you and we appreciate what you do, especially for those with ED.

http://www.askmen.com/women/models_200/242_marisa_miller.html

Comic of the Week

Here's an idea, conservation and renewable energy source. Less independence on oil and natural gas. Same for electricity. To avoid another California brown-out and the Montreal-grid blackout along the north east-coast states in 2004, we could conserve. There's no need to keep power-consuming electronics and toys constantly on.

StockMonkey Thursday Stock Pick (7/28)

FNF-Fidelity National Financial
Recommend

Fidelity National Financial is the largest U.S. title insurance company, but also has five other operating segments: Title Insurance (70% of 2004 total revenues), which provides core title insurance and escrow and other title related services; Specialty Insurance (3%), which issues flood, home warranty, homeowners, automobile and niche personal lines insurance policies; Financial Institution Software and Services (FISS, 15%), which focuses on financial institution processing and mortgage loan processing; Lender Outsourcing Solutions (LOS, 4%), which consists of loan facilitation (customized title agency and closing) and default management services; Information Services (IS, 7%), which offers property data and real estate related information services; and Corporate and Other (1%), which consists of operations of the parent holding company and its wholly-owned equipment leasing subsidiary as well as other small operations. The FISS, LOS and IS segments make up the businesses of FIS.

FNF is in the property and causualty insurance industry and the foremost trend affecting most property-casualty (P/C) insurers is a softening in premium rates for most lines of business. After years of extremely competitive premium pricing conditions brought on by an overabundance of underwriting capacity, signs of pricing strength in some commercial lines first emerged in 2000 and continued through 2001, 2002, and well into 2003. However, industrywide written premium growth was a modest 4.7% in 2004. Emerging evidence suggests that the rate of premium price hikes is moderating further and, in some lines of business, softening. This is particularly true in the standard, more commodity-type lines of coverage and in certain property lines of coverage. Highly specialized coverage lines are less likely to be subject to relatively aggressive rate decreases.

Stock Monkey's crib is mostly likely titled by FNF and if I was going to put my crib up for sale, FNF's MLS software would probably be on most realtor's computers. With strong ties to the housing and insurance market, this seems like a very long-term pick. Beware of risk, because the ideas of housing bubbles and hurricanes hitting the hot Florida housing markets brings possible risk. Short-term volitility is present but the monkey like his bananas for the long-haul and real estate/insurance industries are long-haul industries, and FNF touches both.

British Humor and Sidebar...

Classic Silly British Culture meets Captain Kangaroo...
http://www.blogbod.co.uk/rainbow.html

Next is a special message for all the males out there...
http://www.rachelgetsfruity.com/

...and finally

...so last month a British police officer posed for one of England's many daily men magazines. another words, the daily version of Maxim Magazine. she was suspended and now it seems that she's on the path for another career. she doesn't have to look far. she has been a big hit on the Internet overseas and a bit here in the states. i think if you have the stuff you should supplement your job with an additional stream of income. plus, she's not that bad looking either. here's to british women.

Before

After (work)

I'm A Fucked-Up-Chick Magnet (Editorial)

Hey, I don't want to brag, but when you got it, you got it. And when it comes to picking up women with severe personality disorders, I've got it. Seems like whenever I'm in the same room with a sexy young basketcase looking for some hot dysfunctional action, we lock eyes and I gaze right into the twisted, abnormal recesses of her psyche, and then-BAM! We make an instant, incredibly unhealthy, and regretfully the next morning, connection. What do I say? When it comes to women, I'm a fucked-up-check-magnet.

I know what you're thinking: "Why is he so full of himself?" I'm not being egotistical or nothing, but it's true. Hey, I know I'm not perfect. Who is? We've all got problems. I'm sure I've got some myself. But here's one problem I don't have: the ladies. When it comes to charming every borderline psycho in a skirt, I take second place to no man. I guess I just give off that "Hey there, pretty lady with the lifelong unresolved emotional issues" vibe. It can't be taught- you either got it or you don't. And I got it.

Everywhere I go, all kinds of psychiatrically disturbed women coming running- women who never got over a traumatic childhood accident, or habitually cut themselves, or slept with their stepfathers, or abuse substances while locked in self-destructive cycles of internalized loathing and rage. They just can't keep their hands off me.

It's been this way my whole life. When I was 14, I got lucky with a classmate's mom. In high school, I dated every bipolar suicide risk in town. In college, I had at least a dozen girlfriends who couldn't decide whether they were mental patients or lesbians. It's just the way it is: Deranged dolls dig me.

I don't even have to try. Maybe its chemistry, or pheromones, or these women can tell I'm afflicted with a complementary set of psychiatric disorders and their fucked-up-female intuition just can't resist. Whatever it is, I'm not complaining. All I have to do is show up at a bar, and before last call, every damaged woman in the place will make a beeline for yours truly, looking to get me entangled in a horrific web of codependency, manipulation, and mutual denial.

The sex is great, really. Believe me, all these highly unstable women have so many self-esteem issues, identity crises, and subconscious needs for approval from absent or emotionally abusive father figures, they'll do practically anything to try to please a man, no matter how self-destructive it is. Sweet!

Take this hot little nutjob who picked me up last weekend. Talk about crazy between the sheets! She cleaned my pipes six ways from Sunday before breaking down in tears out of nowhere at 4 a.m., screaming irrational threats, and trying to throw my stereo out the second-story window. Luckily, I was able to calm her down with a little TLC -time-release-capsules- and get her into a cab before she caused any serious property damage. But still, she can't say away-she's been leaving, like eight voicemails and 12 text messages on my phone. Hey, once they get a little taste for the old Coopster, they always come back from more... even after multiple restraining orders and injunctions.

All I can do is shrug and say, "Crazy women go crazy for me."

Lots of guys have asked for my secret, say stuff like, "Wow, you sure can pick 'em," or "Dude, you need help." They can’t understand how I manage to attract so many hot, wild, desperately pathological chicks. But I can't tell you my secret...It's just some kid of inexplicable magic.
Well, whatever it is, I'm enjoying every fucked-up minute of it.

To my friend aC.,

Donald Cooper

(Columnist-the Onion)

Video of the Week...

Two "OLD" men fight...

http://www.davesdaily.com/videoclips/83-oldgeezers.htm

...the first rule of geriatric fight club is, you DON'T TALK about GERIATRIC FIGHT CLUB!

People With Less Tact Than Me...

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) --
Written apologies will be sent to the family of a dead Marine who was upset that the lieutenant governor appeared uninvited at his funeral last week, Gov. Ed Rendell said. Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll went to the July 19 funeral of Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, passed out her business card and made a remark about the state government being against the war, family members said.

"Whether you're for the war or against the war, to say something like that to a relative of someone who just died in combat was just repulsive," said Goodrich's sister-in-law Rhonda Goodrich. Rendell, during an appearance in Pittsburgh on Sunday, said written apologies will be sent to the Goodrich family, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. Rendell said he hadn't spoken to Knoll about what happened. "It's not the business of state government to support the war, but our state supports the men and women who are fighting this war," Rendell said.

Goodrich, 32, of Westwood, died July 10 in Iraq. His family told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week that they felt they were owed an apology by Knoll and didn't understand why she attended the funeral in Carnegie. "Knoll felt this was an appropriate time to campaign and impose her will on us," Rhonda Goodrich said. "I am amazed and disgusted Knoll finds a Marine funeral a prime place to campaign."

Knoll's spokesman, Sean Pendrak, told The Associated Press on Monday that the lieutenant governor's office would be releasing a statement on the matter later in the day.

"Computer, please give me the MASK agents best suited for this mission."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MASK

This is my all-time favorite 80's cartoon. I had the toys for most of the characters. Coming in 2nd is Transformers, and the 3rd all-time 80's cartoon is He-Man...yep..."I Got The Power!"


aC.

IT Humor

Click Me...

Did You Know...

Famous firsts at the 1893 World's Fair

Aunt Jemina pancake mix, Cracker Jacks, Cream of Wheat, Quaker Oats, Diet carbonated soda, the Ferris Wheel, Juicy Fruit gum, Pabst's Blue Ribbon, Shredded Wheat, the picture postcard, exotic dancing, "Midway" games.


Did You Know,
When Nike's Founder Phillip Knight was first setting out to fund his early shoe company, he named his company Blue Ribbon Sports after the beer. Yes, after a night of drinking in Japan, investors at a major Japanese bank asked for the name of his venture firm. With a sudden blank and curse for the previous evening, all he could think was PBR, and Blue Ribbon Sports got it's money. Eventually, he changed to Nike, paid a woman $30 bucks to design a logo, and the rest is history. With a humble start to a global sporting goods champion, Blue Ribbon Sports is still with us. Just look on the bottom of your Nike's (Running Shoes). You'll see BRS 1000 on the rubber.

Beam Him Up!

- AP -
James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" TV series and movies who responded to the command "Beam me up, Scotty," died Wednesday. He was 85. Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Wash., home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease," he said. He had said farewell to public life in August 2004, a few months after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The Canadian-born Doohan was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents. "The producers asked me which one I preferred," Doohan recalled 30 years later. "I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, 'If this character is going to be an engineer, you'd better make him a Scotsman.'"

The series, which starred William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the enigmatic Mr. Spock, attracted an enthusiastic following of science fiction fans, especially among teenagers and children, but not enough ratings power. NBC canceled it after three seasons.
When the series ended in 1969, Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the canny engineer with a burr in his voice. In 1973, he complained to his dentist, who advised him: "Jimmy, you're going to be Scotty long after you're dead. If I were you, I'd go with the flow." "I took his advice," said Doohan, "and since then everything's been just lovely."

"Star Trek" continued in syndication both in the United States and abroad, and its following grew larger and more dedicated. In his later years, Doohan attended 40 "Trekkie" gatherings around the country and lectured at colleges. The huge success of George Lucas's "Star Wars" in 1977 prompted Paramount Pictures, which had produced "Star Trek" for television, to plan a movie based on the series. The studio brought back the TV cast and hired director Robert Wise. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was successful enough to spawn five sequels. The powerfully built Doohan, a veteran of D-Day in Normandy, spoke frankly in 1998 about his employer and his TV commander." I started out in the series at basic minimum, plus 10 percent for my agent. That was added a little bit in the second year. When we finally got to our third year, Paramount told us we'd get second-year pay! That's how much they loved us." He accused Shatner of hogging the camera, adding: "I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don't like Bill. He's so insecure that all he can think about is himself."

James Montgomery Doohan was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, youngest of four children of William Doohan, a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist, and his wife Sarah. As he wrote in his autobiography, "Beam Me Up, Scotty," his father was a drunk who made life miserable for his wife and children. At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans." The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

After the war Doohan on a whim enrolled in a drama class in Toronto. He showed promise and won a two-year scholarship to New York's famed Neighborhood Playhouse, where fellow students included Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall and Richard Boone. His commanding presence and booming voice brought him work as a character actor in films and television, both in Canada and the United States. Oddly, his only other TV series besides "Star Trek" was another space adventure, "Space Command," in 1953.

Doohan's first marriage to Judy Doohan produced four children. He had two children by his second marriage to Anita Yagel. Both marriages ended in divorce. In 1974 he married Wende Braunberger, and their children were Eric, Thomas and Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80.

In a 1998 interview, Doohan was asked if he ever got tired of hearing the line "Beam me up, Scotty." "I'm not tired of it at all," he replied. "Good gracious, it's been said to me for just about 31 years. It's been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It's been fun."

Sidebar...
Yes, I'm a Trekkie. I'll miss the lad. Today, the Star Trek Universe just lost a legend. James, my the gates of Eden open for you. Live Long and Prospere...

I Have An Idea! (Part II)

Totally irrelevant to the first idea, but I decided to go try to catch a UPS truck. To put it in shorter words.

It all started with the purchase of my accounting books last week. I got a great deal, but really push the deadline for the actual class date deadline. The books arrived last Friday, but since neither my roommates nor I were present to pick up the books, they were deferred to a Monday drop-off. So to anticipate the reception of the book early, I took my lunch break at my apartment yesterday. The slip (tracking slip) said a drop-off time between 10am to 5pm. Pretty broad, I know. So I wait for a bit and loss interest. So, I changed my cloths and went back to work. Keep in mind, that I've been worrying about the packages since Friday. Even through my Milwaukee Saturday.

Anyway, I left a command on the slip and stuck it back on my front door. Directions were to drop-off in front of the door. Second, I signed it in green, so it would clash and be open to the eye next the UPS colors. So at last, I went back to work. Towards the end of the day, I went back to Micki's and off back to the apartment to iron her cloths for work. Ghastly, I saw that there was another slip on my door. I was fuming. I really wanted the books that day. I called and was thinking in the back of my mind that I wanted to call the UPS driver idiots. Keep in mine the driver is a singular noun and even though there could have been different drivers in the singular sense, my word choice for displeasure was idiots. Unfortunately, I'm not that type of guy to bitch at people on the phone, so I decided to play nice because the woman on the phone was very nice and sounded attractive. In reality she could have been like 30 with 3 kids and a welfare check stub in front of her cubicle in middle-of-nowhere North Dakota. I digress; I calmed and anticipated another day of waiting. I also planned to pick up my packages if need be.

I called the next day to arrange the pickup of my packages. So expecting another nice and customer pleasing UPS attendant, my worries dissipated. Interesting enough, I got a serious, take-it-up-butt-attendant that told me my faults and that I should have someone be available there. The secondary signee could be my roommates or my neighbors. Lost for options for pickup and delivery, I left for another lunch today to anticipate my packages.

I left for lunch a few before one. I went home, had a Boston Crème yogurt and almonds to snack on. I waited for another 20 minutes and grew disappointed again. I have little patience don't I? I changed my contacts for glasses and left back for work. Now I was almost 2:00. As I got to the Paulina stop, I saw a UPS truck. My heart jumped. Not because of on-coming traffic, but for the fact that my packages could be in that rectangular automobile. I walked briskly. And briskly some more. Wait...oh no! The driver left the Rug store and bolted for the next block. So in my finest polo/khaki wearing dressing cloths I too bolted for the overgrown station wagon. Luckily it was only a block. In total disregard for the next customer for the driver, I shouted, "Do you have a package for 1734...," with my sweated, exasperated voice. He looked at me like if I was the Unabomber or something.

In totally sucking the conclusion or closing, I'll just leave with the image of clouds, sun, and a windy breeze. I received my packages and skipped merrily back to my place of employment. It will not be the end of my charades you know. As long as the Chan is alive, there will be many stories to tell, many facts to add, and many memories to add to your life.

This has been a Chan-Really-Life production. All rights, ideas, thoughts, and euphemisms are copyrighted and can not be used without the express written concern to myself. No Chan was harmed in this production, all parties involved in this story were really involved and any similarities, characters, names, titles, or people associated with this story are completely coincidental.

Video Game Violence...

Point...

Shooting. Killing. Vehicular mayhem. Sexual conquests. Teenagers can experience it all through today's almost-anything-goes breed of video games, primarily among those rated "M" for mature. "There is no doubting the fact that the widespread availability of sexually explicit and graphically violent video games makes the challenge of parenting much harder," said Sen. Hillary Rodham, who asked the Federal Trade Commission last week to investigate one of the most violent titles, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

(Yahoo.com)

During the last several decades, electronic interactive games have emerged as one of the most popular forms of entertainment, particularly among adolescents. In 1998, revenues totaled $6.3 billion in the United States. Ninety percent (90%) of U.S. households with children have rented or owned a video or computer game, 2 and young people spend an average of 20 minutes per day playing video games. Video games are the second most popular form of entertainment after television.

Although research has pointed to the constructive uses of video games in such fields as education and medicine, there are trends in game playing that some observers find disturbing. A 1998 survey revealed that 80% of the video games preferred by young people contain violent or aggressive content; of these, 21% depict violence against women. A survey of 900 fourth graders disclosed similar results: 50% of the respondents chose games with fantasy or human violence as their favorites.

Researchers have raised concerns about the potential link between playing violent video games and subsequent aggressive behavior. A number of studies have shown such effects, with younger children being particularly susceptible to influence. In fact, recent studies show that after playing a violent video game children can become desensitized to violence or act hostile to others.

(http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/ibriefs/vgv.htm)

Many social scientists have hypothesized that we should expect video games to have an even greater impact for the following four reasons:

1. Children are more likely to imitate the actions of a character with whom they identify. In violent video games the player is often required to take the point of view of the shooter or perpetrator.
2. Video games by their very nature require active participation rather than passive observation.
3. Repetition increases learning. Video games involve a great deal of repetition. If the games are violent, then the effect is a behavioral rehearsal for violent activity.
4. Rewards increase learning, and video games are based on a reward system.
   

While the research base conducted on video games is small compared to that conducted on television, early results are showing that the concern is indeed warranted. Anderson & Bushman have conducted a meta-analysis of 35 different studies of violent video games (2001). A meta-analysis is a type of study in which researchers analyze the results of other studies to see if there are similar patterns of results; Anderson and Bushman showed that there is a consistent pattern of results in five areas.

• Exposure to violent games increases physiological arousal.
• Exposure to violent games increases aggressive thoughts.
• Exposure to violent games increases aggressive emotions.
• Exposure to violent games increases aggressive actions.

(http://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/conf2001/papers/walsh.html)

CounterPoint...

I don't have a counterpoint. A videogame is just a video game. It doesn't tell me what I can and can't not do. It does play with your mind though. All the fun makes you forget about reality. It's not reality, and maybe that's why people like it. Especially in young children, because when you like eleven years old girls start to look "hot" or "cootie-free", and something downstairs happens and you really don't know what to do. Your best friend make Dave can't help you because he's going through the same thing, and Suzy. Well, little Suzy is taller than you, smells better than you, wants to be her boyfriend, and not so little any more. You notice her chest is grow something thing, and the next thing you know your a deer in headlights.

Honestly, I don't think video games are the main problem with kids. Kids are just being kids, specifically during adolescences. They're going to be sporty, they're going to bully, or become a hermit, or the Van Wilder of Junior High or Middle School. What's the underlying problem is not video games itself, but parenting. Yes, parenting is where the issue is central. Parents don't discipline anymore. Frankly, I don't see a lot of parents being involved these days. I'm not saying that there aren't involved parents, but when you think of the hoard of day-care centers reaping the benefits of 10-12 hour days with one's kids at consulting-level fees and the Federline's on TV visualizing the new wave of parenting skills, no wonder why kids turn out the way they do. They're either spoiled or abandoned.

Again, I'm not saying that all kids are abandoned, but media is no help either. There is a certain "invisible hand" in economics, and curtaining there is one in parenting as well. I know that if my son or daughter is out-of-line, I'm not going to give him or her "timeout". Tough love baby! I'm not going to hit my child, but pedagogical disciplinary actions will be used. Yes, scare tactics will be used. Oh yes, I'll bring back the boogie-man and the monster in the closet. No, I don't mean Michael Jackson, but as much as I would like to spoil my kid with abercrombie, sports, knowledge, and respect, there is a certain level of cast system that needs to be put in place. Respect, above all. "Thank you's", "Yes, Maim's", or "Yes, Sir's". Will be part of my kids regular vocabulary. My kids will learn how to type on the typewriter first before then get on the computer. They will learn cursive before they will type too. There are a lot of archaic knowledge that should be emphasized to children, like the Latin language and “Reading Rainbow”, unfortunately to older teenagers as well. I don't consider myself part of the "entitlement generation,” that magazine quotes of my age bracket because I don't feel entitled to anything.

I'm completely grateful for everything in myself. So should my children, and you, the reader. I think we lose that in the thick of things, especially when we see the fast car, fast women, and the fast changing world. We all change, but there are core compentiences we have to learn and there foundations in place that stand the test of time. In other words, loving and giving your child everything is fine, put Mom always said it should be in moderations. I'm not a parent yet, or even in the immediate future, but I know as a parent, I am the "invisible hand". I have supreme remote control power. I weld super diaper changing strength to megaphone chanting, sideline-running soccer dad ability and stamina. So take it Rockstar Games. So take it "Britney". My schwartz is bigger than yours. My child is and will always be the Jedi knight and he or she will not succumb to the dark side. My child will faultier because I do acknowledge my child will not be perfect, but in my eyes he will be. And will yours.

Comic of the Week

Honestly, if we can send a man on the moon almost a half-century ago, I think we shouldn't be having these issues here. Do you know how old the space shuttles are? You can't tell me with the new fighter planes, commercial jets, and fancy concept cars, that we can't develop a next generation space ship by and delivered by now? I know we have "drawing" and "concepts", but like with the World Trade Center dilemma, COME ON ALREADY. We have to have the technology by now. I don't want to wait a few years, I want to see action now. With all the bells and whistles. Maybe even a HD spacecraft with Star Trek power or something. Hey, how about getting Captain Kirk and Spock to help? Their old, but the have to have ideas. Regardless, do something now before the Soviets do. Opps, I mean the Russians.

I Have An Idea! (Part I)

Starting next week, I'm going to part-take in the random analysis of randomly selected women on DePaul's Facebook website and have a subjective "Hot or Not" by three random men from Facebook as well as a way to make this website kosher to those of "Reality" television programming, those similar, popular websites, and tasteful AIM popup section when you first sign-on.

What do you think of them apples? If I can't get three random men then I'll just give them my call. I'll probably get slapped in the face whenever I'll walk to class, but hey, I think I'm doing a service to a few women here and there. Seriously, if their hot, then i'm only just reassuring them and boosting her self-esteem. If they're not hot, then maybe they'll get plastic surgery or hopefully peg them down a notch from their pedestals. Hey, they laughed at Picasso, da Vinci, and Andy Kaufman. And now, they call them artists.

Hey, i'm an artist!

For Men...

This goes out to all the ex's in your life. I personally don't have any personal association to this comic, but let's just say that I have a lot of friends with significant others that would praise this very comic. This is also a shout out to my friends that wear the pants of the relationship, but unfortunately have those pants chosen by their women. Truly, you can't live with them and you can't live without them. "I Love You Honey!"

College Humor Part I

True Definition of Doggy-Style!

Woman Arrested After Giving Birth Drunk

AP PRESS

A woman has been arrested on child neglect charges after giving birth while drunk, police said. Melissa Irene Tanner, 37, is accused of having a blood alcohol content close to three times the legal limit when she gave birth to a baby girl on June 30.

She is being held in jail with bail set at $30,000 and the baby has been placed in foster care.
The baby was not breathing upon birth and had to be administered a medication to counteract any narcotics that may have been present in the child's system. After an emergency procedure by hospital staff, the child started breathing.

Tanner reportedly has six other children. According to a July 11 probable cause affidavit filed in the case, Tanner told police she and another person had consumed a case of beer.

Crime

Crime happens everyday in the world. In a city like Chicago, crime is a novelty as it is as much a serious event. This is the city of Al Capone. This is the city with a story, from the Dilinger at the Biograph or the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

Now if your a new resident, you should know that the areas west and south of the city are your crime-rich section of town. I'm not making any associations that the White Soxs are criminals because they are located in the South-side as well, or of the 1918 Black Soxs. That's a different blog. I'm more concerned with buffer zones that are located surrounding Tri-Taylor/Little Italy and Hyde Park. I'm concerned with how malious citizens of this beautiful can be towards other fellow citizens. This does not concern race. This is about murder and the tragic event of this past weekend.

Such a cruel-some and unscrupulous crime will be brought to justice for these criminals, but the issue is that a friend has loss a close friend. This Chicago-land area has also just experienced its third murder of similarity in less than a year. Nicholas Swanson from St. Charles last year and UIC Professor D'Agostino in Oak Park just a few months ago.

All three of these murders involved a object to beat, and bludgeon the victims. Both Nicholas Swanson and Tombol Malik had more than one assailant, which are all apprehended. Professor D'Agostino's assailant is yet to be captured. In lewd of these similarities, you have to ask yourself why?

Why do people do these things to other people? Is it a thrill? Is of malicious anger? In legal constraint, was it premeditated? This story has brings haunting reminders of my friend Jeff, Chris, and Steve. In the spring of our freshmen year, the assailant assaulted Jeff, Chris, and Steve, with Jeff getting punched to the ground and Steve losing two of his front teeth. Again, last year both Chris and his girlfriend at the time were victims of a hold-up. Two assailants were apprehended by CPD in late hours of the evening.

With a little precedence, the two men charged with Tombol’s murder will probably be served a life-time sentence, but that only if first-degree murder is applicable or a second-degree in circumstance. Manslaughter charges will be sought by the defense. Regardless, 10-15 years will be automatically charged to the individual. In lewd of the characters of the charged assailants, life-time sentence will probably be avoided. Just like the Swanson case, the bail will probably be lowered to a quarter of a million dollars instead of $900,000. Odds are, you’re looking at a sixty year sentence with a chance for parole. So if convicted and served, in twelve years, these gentlemen may again roam the streets.

Granted, the trial is anticipated for a long session. Justice may not come as swift for Tombol’s family and friends, but in my opinion, I hope justice is served for a crime that does not belong in our society. I may not have known you Tombol, but you legacy will live on with your friends and family.

Comic of the Week

Imagine This:

Bush: Tony, what are we having for lunch today?
Koizumi: Sushi!
Schroder: Nein, we're having Wiener Schnitzels with beer.
Berlusconi: No, no, no... a nice antipasta with a tasty gelato.
Blair: So, that's a no to my Guiness with Fish and Chips.
Chirac: France will not have lunch with you.
Martin: Jacque, are you still bitter about 2012.
Chirac: Oui, I need some Tums...
Putin: Vodka. Get some vodka. Vodka solves every thing!
Bush: ...hmm... how about next year we take Air Force I to the Taste of Chicago.
Putin: In Russia, lunch is Vodka!
Bush: I know Vladdy, but it's only 11am. What's good in Scotland?
Koizumi: Not the woment.
Blair: Shut Up Junichiro!
Bush: Hey guys, come one. We must be vigilent and steadfast. So, how about some chicken lo mein with some egg roll?
Putin: Yes...with Vodka!

Why France Loss the 2012 Olympic Bid

And, it's not because France sucks. Forgot the American rouse of anti-France regards. In all actuality, I have quite the affection for the French people, culture, and the country. My personal sentiment is that we, actually screwed over France. Bittersweet if you give it some thought for the conservative America, but before I say why France loss the Olympic bid, I would like to say how close all bids were and how the votes really came down to London, Madrid, and France.

Importantly, all three really deserved to win. I admire New York's run, but come on, imagine the rush hour traffic in the summer. Which sports team will move to what stadium? The Mets or the Yankees? The Jets or the Giants? Top with the fact that Ground Zero is still a big hole with no substantial plan for development is just sad. Those 3,000 people deserve more than just a hole in the ground. Those developers, city and governmental officials, and people in general need to get their head out of their asses and do something. If we can start bombing Afghanistan after 9/11, then we can sure pay tribute to all the brave men and women and innocent victims of the tragic and cowardly event. Anyway, I digress. Hillary Clinton can digress way from the Olympics now too, because New York really didn't deserve to spend the money on the Olympics anyway. Maybe 2020 or 2024

From the IOC's website for official stuff,

The host city of the Games of the XXX Olympiad will be elected at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore on 6 July 2005, when a secret ballot is held among all IOC members. The announcement of the winning city is expected to be made at 7.30 p.m. (GMT+8)

Voting procedure
Voting will take place in successive rounds until one candidate receives a majority of those voting. The ballot continues until one candidate gets an absolute majority of the votes cast. IOC members from a country whose city is a candidate in the election must abstain from taking part in the vote.
Non-votes, spoiled votes, and abstentions do not count toward the calculation of the majority. For example, if 100 members are present, but four (4) abstain, the number of votes needed to win is 49. If no candidate city achieves a majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes drops out of the running, and the members vote again on the remaining candidates. If two or more cities are tied for the lowest number of votes, a runoff election will be held between them, with the winner going on to the next round.

Voting Results

First round
London 22, Paris 21, Madrid 20, New York 19, Moscow 15 (eliminated)

Second round
Madrid 32, London 27, Paris 25, New York 16 (eliminated)

Third round
London 39, Paris 33, Madrid 31 (eliminated)

Fourth round
London 54, Paris 50 (eliminated)


As you can see, London has been the favorite among the voting members of the IOC, which is contrary to all the hype of Paris being the heavy favorite to win the bid. Surprisingly though, Madrid also showed a strong showing with the voting members. Now moving to politics now, with elimination of each candidate city, their votes are distributed across the board. So, political sentiment would have played a role. I could have said could, but these days politics always play a role in anything important and which involves "voting".

Now I have to say, both Paris and London have many strengths in their bid. These rival cities have so much to impress and give, that no wonder why they've been having the sibling rivalry syndrome for centuries. In London, three marquee venues really stick out; Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon, and Hyde Park., in another words, Soccer, Tennis, and Fun. These exciting ventures are the heart of London and of the world. Besides the point of remembering WWF wresting and the World Bowl at Wembley and the movie with Kirsten Dunst, the more positive light that these two ventures represent can probably win the Olympic bids by itself. Now put together Paul McCartney, U2, and Oasis on stage at Hyde Park for some concerts and Olympic bonding, that is just like having extra frosting with an extra cherry on top.

To complicate the venture matters, Paris offers some stiff competition, specifically Roland Garros and the famous Champs Elysees. I believe the last time tennis was played on Olympic clay was Barcelona. Seriously, Wimbledon vs. Roland Garros, I'll pay to see that. Plus, I'll pay to see the Olympic procession marching down the Champs Elysees. That would be a beautiful sight. The Champs Elysees is probably the most beautiful street in the world. Forget Time Square in New York. Can Broadway and Seventh Ave., contain the riders of the Tour de France? Ironically, that would be a fun sight. Granted, a cycling event on dirty Times Square in the 70's is a lot more enjoyable to watch. Come on, those cyclists are as skinny as the crack-whores back in those days.

Regardless, Paris was ready. The World Cup of '98 was held in Paris. The Tour de France and the French Open happens every year in Paris. The IAAF World Track and Field Championships were held in Paris in 2003. Again, Paris was ready, maybe, too ready. Their economy is not comparable to England. Plus, when the IOC visited Paris, there was a transportation strike, but the people still cheered. The public wanted the Olympics. Maybe the Spanish had a little more desire, but Celine Dion, Tony Parker, and the President Chirac all wanted the games in France.

In the end, only one city could host the Olympic Games. In 2007 we’ll know who will host the Winter Olympic Games. Coincidently, Albertville, France hosted it 1992. Paris hasn’t hosted the Olympic Games since 1924. Poor old French, maybe the Winter Olympics Games held recently held their fate. The IOC doesn’t like to hold recent Olympics within the same continent as the previous Olympics: Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, and China. Unfortunately, with that logic, we may not see Paris be a contender until 2016 or 2020. South America and Latin America has yet to host the Olympic Games, except for Mexico in 1968. I really would like to see Buenos Aires or Rio as Olympic Candidate Cities. Think about it, if Manu still has it then maybe he’ll bring better luck than his Spurs teammate did. Maybe Carnaval will put everyone in a good mood, especially the IOC Selection Committee.

You know, Chicago has yet to host the Olympic Games. We have Soldiers Field, US Cellular and Wrigley Field, Michigan Avenue, and even hosted popular events like the NBA Finals, Chicago Marathon, the World Cup in 1994, the World’s Fair, and heck, the World Series. Put me on the Buenos Aires or Chicago 2016 Olympic Candidate City committee. I’ll make sure we’ll bring to Chicago. Hopefully by then the Cubs or Soxs will win a championship. In all reality, Paris doesn’t yet begun to look hopeless as the Cubs and Soxs.

Paris, three strikes does not mean you’re necessarily out. To think about it, the Buffalo Bills went to four championships. Granted, that they choked each time. Paris, you are better than Buffalo. You have bread and fries named after you. You have culture and life, unlike most of America. You have the world best wine and cheese. Maybe not with beer or fish and chips, but hey, you can’t win them all. You have some work to do. Build up your economy and shake off defeat. Keep going for the other massive sporting events. Maybe work with the United States, the E.U. and other countries more. The E.U. Constitution thing was sort of embarassing There’s the G8 meeting in Scotland, so why don’t you start making the most of it now. Heck, thousands did this past weekend.

We may have screwed you, but it’s not all our fault. Instead of pointing the finger, just look on the bright side of life. Do a little whistle, have some wine, and just say…C’est La Vie!

Welcome to the Big East DePaul!

Chicagoans, Mid-West Folk, and Faithful Big Ten Fans,
Welcome to the world of Big East Conference sports. As of July 1st, new member DePaul is welcomed to the conference that I was blessed to grow up watching. Throw out everything thing you know about college sports. There's a new star in town. Something different, exciting and you just might like it.


Dear DePaul Demons and Fans,
Yes, my allegiance to my alma mater will conflict with my West Virginia blood. I'm cheering for one college team now, the Mountaineers of West Virginia University. I've never paid any attention to DePaul sports in the likes of Tennis, Volleyball, or Track-and-Field, but to see the colors of Blue and Gold, I’ll attend the games, matches, and meets; Best of luck to DePaul this year though.

"Hail West Virginia"


Sincerely,
aC.

Get 15% off your next Ted flight

So, I was at the Taste of Chicago, they're giving these away. Probably the best deal/freebie next to the free Maalox and and Pepcid AC. I wonder if the free antiacids are for something? For too many BBQ Sandwiches with Cheesecakes and Beer? Serious, at the Taste you have your 4 important food groups; Fried, Refridgerated, Brewed, or Grilled. I do have to say, the Southern Comfort stand with the red slurpee/margarita was really, really good. Granted, it costed 10 tickets, it was good. You can't go wrong with the cheesecakes and BBQ Pork sandwiches. Avoid the enchiladas and pizzas, unless you like both. It's all about the cheezeborger, ribs, chip/fries, and beer.

God bless da Taste. See you next year. With or without the customary shootings and underage girls working everystand. Honestly, teen oriented apparel retailer, make-up company, or other young teenage feminine related marketed products could do a killer at the Taste. Even, a stroller company too, for those pesky, chocolate covered mouths of young, pidder-padder of children.

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