Rock Those Olympics, Bode

Bode Miller: American hero or American zero?

There's been a bit of disgust 'round these parts at Mr. Miller's obnoxious attitude.

But we all know a picture is worth a thousand words, so let's take a look at what Good Ol' Bode is telling us:


I wonder if, in 40 years, Mr. Miller would want that picture hanging on his wall, or if he will regret he doesn't have one like this:

Holiday

I've actually been on holiday the past week. The Oriental Wife is in Beijing, doing inscrutable Oriental things. So I've been taking care of Number One Son. This is the first time I've had him all to myself for more than a couple days. It's been interesting because he's just started preschool, and while he actually loves being there, it just dawned on him this week that he has to go every day, not just when he wants to. Welcome to the rest of your life, pal. It ends up being a tug-of-war on both ends -- getting him there and then dragging him away. It has been nice to do the kid thing 24/7, partly because we can do the father-son bonding thing, but also because it has made my holiday seem twice as long.

I also took him on his first camping trip a few days ago. It was also my first time out camping in years. China isn't really a camping-friendly place. First, with 1.3 billion people, there aren't that many unpopulated areas. It's also hard to get gear because camping as a recreational activity hasn't caught on. After all, for most Chinese, the whole point of civilization is to get away from nasty old nature, not invent ways to throw you back in the thick of it.

We went to a place called Gerstle Cove, about 50 miles up Highway 1 from San Francisco. The night before, I made a short list of possible camp grounds. Many of the California sites are on a reservation system, and yes, you can book online. My first choices were all booked, despite the fact that we were wanting to camp out on a Monday night. I had to come up with some sites that were first-come, first-serve set-ups, and I narrowed it down to four. It turned out that my first two were actually closed, so I was starting to get worried as we wound up Highway 1. It would suck to drive for two hours and then have to return home because there were no available campgrounds. So I was very surprised to find Gerstle totally deserted. It has 30 campsites and not a single one was occupied.

Gerstle is perched on a slope that lead down to the rugged coastline through a mixture of open fields and groves of pine trees. It's a short hike down to a secluded marine preserve with azure water and a beach cobbled with large stones rounded by the surf. Cute kid moment of the trip: when we emerged out of the forest and saw the ocean in front of us, Number One Son yelled, "Yay! We found Mother Nature!"

Gerstle's main drawback is that it does get a little windy, and the guidebook said that breezy days turn into really blustery nights. That had me worried as it was getting pretty damn chilly at dusk, and the whipping wind was causing out campfire to just devour the limited supply of wood I had brought. Thankfully, as soon as the sun popped below the horizon, the wind just deflated. The wind had also been on the verge of destroying our manly bonding experience because it was blowing campfire smoke into Number One Son's eyes, causing him to cry and say that he didn't like camping. Nothing I said cheered him up, so I busted out the big gun of the night: marshmallows. Of course they were a hit, and any leftover complaints died when the wind did.

The only other negative of the evening was when the little dude woke up in the middle of the night and had to pee. I hadn't thought to prepare an in-tent pee can, so I had to get his shoes on and take him outside the tent. This normally wouldn't be a huge challenge, but the temperature had plummeted to damn near freezing and by the time he was done, our teeth were chattering uncontrollably. Man, that was cold.

In the end, the trip was a major success, judging by the only reliable yardstick: he keeps asking me when we can go camping again. As soon as possible, I reply. As soon as possible.

Trapped

In a moment of extreme foolishness, I picked up George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. Why was that foolish? Because it's the first book in a massive fantasy epic that runs for thousands of pages. And now I'm committed to reading them all. Thrones was just over 800 pages, the second book, A Clash of Kings is more than 1,000 pages long, and the third book, A Storm of Swords tops 1,100 pages. When I started, I was under the impression that it was only a trilogy, but now there is a fourth book out as well. I really hope this doesn't turn into an endless epic, like Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series that is now up to its 11th installment, each one around 800 pages long. I got a couple hundred pages into the first Wheel book before getting bored and putting it down. Thank God I did, too. If you can't finish a story in 9,000 pages, you need a better editor or a smaller ego. I hope Mr. Martin follows a wiser path.

Defects

Electronic Arts has had to make an embarrassing climb-down from its much ballyhooed European "booster pack" for its hit "Battlefield 2" computer game. For weeks, every time you fired up BF2 it would remind you that the Euro Force pack was coming soon, and the past few days they'd actually been doing a countdown -- "Euro Force in 3 Days!" etc. Not so fast. Turns out they delayed its release at the 11th hour to fix a bunch of bugs in a patch they issued only last week. I would guess the marketing team committed to something without really consulting with the developers. From their Web site:

Although patch 1.2 included several fixes that we know were eagerly awaited, it unfortunately introduced some new issues. These are being addressed immediately and we are working around the clock to resolve those. Patch 1.21 (coming soon) will be tested in a limited beta with select Battlefield community members starting as early as this week. We’re doing this to ensure a clean release of 1.21. In addition, we have decided to postpone the Euro Force Booster Pack until sometime after the release of the updated 1.21 patch.

But what really puzzles me is the complete lack of any mention on major gaming Web sites. GameSpy, GameSpot, Joystiq and Kotaku carried no word of the delay that I could find. These are sites that regularly rag on the print gaming press for being beholden to the publishers, yet they fall silent when the 800-lb gorilla of the industry stumbles.

Imagine that Ford is about to launch the Cobra version of its new Mustang. They've been hyping the debut day relentlessly. But they scrub it at the last minute because they found that a recall on earlier Mustang models actually created other defects that they want to fix before launching the new product. You think the press, especially the industry press, might mention that?

Anyway, I'm bummed because I was looking forward not only to getting my hands on some new weapons, but playing on the new Great Wall map. U.S. Army versus PLA on the Great Wall?!?! I am so there.

Skipping Stones

Funny, I was just showing Number One Son how to skip stones yesterday, and I come across this link to the guy who holds the world record -- 40 skips with one stone. Here's his site, complete with video. Camera 2 actually gives the best angle.

Thanks to GeekPress for linking to a science article about the physics of stone skipping that had the link to this guy's site.

Standing Up

The Mayor has gone off on one of his patented rants, this time against overzealous teachers and school administrators and how parents need to stand up to them when they over-reach.

I didn't have any school troubles, but when I was in about 5th grade, I would get out of class and catch a bus to my parents' office building and wait in the lobby for about an hour until they got off work. That is, until the company's HR chief decided that having an 11-year-old boy in a Catholic school uniform quietly doing his homework in a corner reflected badly on the company. He informed my parents that I would have to find somewhere else to wait.

Well, my dad ended up going off on the guy. He marched down to HR and yelled at him in the middle of the office. Within minutes, the whole building of a couple thousand workers was abuzz. You just didn't stand up like that to HR, because they could do things to you. My dad didn't care about that, he went ahead and fought the white-collar equivalent of a tooth-and-nail battle to allow me to stay. He won, too, though the HR guy did extract a pathetic revenge years later.

My dad decided to quit his job, and gave his two weeks' notice to his supervisor. That day, after the HR chief heard about it, he sought my dad out and told him there was no need to wait his two weeks, he could box up his stuff and get out right then and there.

I took me years to fully appreciate my dad's accomplishment, and I swore I would nothing less for my boy.

Lame

I tuned into Nickelodeon to kick back and watch a little Spongebob with Number One Son, and the channel was down, with this message: "We are monentararally expearancing". That's it. I knew Nick was run for children, I just didn't know it was also run by children.

Woah

This guy's moves are insane. Reminds me of Yoda fighting Count Dooku. I guess the "sport" is called free jumping, and it's crazier than The Mayor on a rye and ginger bender. I saw a clip of this dude a couple years ago but this one is new to me. Check it out, and word to video game blog Kotaku for the link. Why did a video game blog link this? Because someone set the video to Super Mario Brothers music.

This Will Not Stand

I am currently downloading a 90 megabyte update to the "Battlefield 2" computer game. My current download rate is 37.2 kilobytes per second. This is just lame.

I mean, I moved away from China for precisely this reason -- to get away from download speeds that are slower than a turd rolling downhill in Kansas during a snowstorm.

Bumper Sticker

I glimpsed a headline on one of the San Francisco newspapers today that read, "Anger Over Cheney Shooting" or somesuch. Disappointment, disbelief, puzzlement, or mirth I can understand. But anger? Really, people what is there to be pissed off about? A couple of guys had an unfortunate incident and someone got seriously hurt.

Anyway, this is the best line I've seen so far regarding Cheney's hunting incident.

First Day

Today was Number One Son's first day at school. Pre-school, actually, but still. It was a big day. He had been saying literally every day for the past couple months, "Daddy, I really want to go to school!" So he was mentally prepared. In the zone. But between moving back from China, settling in and scoping out the local schools, it took us this long to get him enrolled. It was a hoot getting him ready. We bought a race car lunchbox and a black REI backpack. The teacher called during the day to say he was amazing -- no fussiness or crying for Mommy, which apparently is highly unusual for a first-day preschooler.

But it is also bittersweet. Our little guy is growing up. Believe me, the Oriental Wife needed the break. I needed the break. He needs friends and a learning environment away from home. We are thrilled that he has taken his first sip from the font of knowledge. But it also marks his first steps out of the nest. In one regard, it's just one continual curve of separation from here on out. One day he's swinging his race car lunchbox in the sun and eating Spongebob Cheez-Its, and the next he's piercing his eyebrows and huffing glue under the bleachers.

Cheney

As usual, The Onion was ahead of the curve.

Curious About George?

We took Number One Son to see "Curious George" today. It was actually better than we expected, but in an unexpected way. Let me explain. The storyline of "Curious George" is mediocre, leaning towards bad.

The Man In the Yellow Hat, whose name we learn is Ted, works for a museum that is about to close. To prevent the museum from becoming a parking lot, he heads to Africa to search for a fabled idol. There, he runs into George. Hilarity ensues as the monkey follows Ted back to the city and causes all kinds of trouble.

The movie is faithful to the spirit, if not the detail, of the books. The closest the plot comes to anything in the books is a scene when George is carried away by a bundle of helium balloons.

If that was all there was to the movie, you could safely skip it. But the movie is worth seeing simply because of the lush and colorful production. The characters bear only the merest of hints of the overdone Disney-style of animation, but they are softened and brought to life by a marvelous visual style that employs soft edges and bright, but not overbearing, primary colors. The use of light is masterful at times -- for example, bringing a soft glow to George's eyes or Ted's yellow hat while muting the surroundings.

The artists also did a marvelous job with George. He is lovingly drawn, and he easily stirs sympathy and affection in the audience. The portrayal of Ted also makes it seem as if he was brought to life straight out of H.A. Reys' books. They didn't hit the same notes of perfection for the other characters, however. For the museum director, it seems like the simply recast Jane's father from Disney's "Tarzan". And the mad inventor character sort of appears out of nowhere and is responsible for the movie's disjointed ending.

If you have kids, this movie, diamond in the rough though it is, should be a no-brainer.

Oh yeah, and the soundtrack by Jack Johnson is a surprisngly sweet touch.

Pathetic Losers

I'm talking about the mainstream music industry, of course.

Ooh, U2 wins more Grammys than Mariah Carey? How edgy! How daring! They really went out on a limb this year and finally gave U2 the recognition that has eluded them all these years.

Oh wait, not only did they "win" their 20th Grammy, they won for "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb", which also "earned" them three Grammys last year.

How lame is that? Can anyone imagine Tom Hanks winning 20 Oscars? Or the Academy deciding to give "Return of the King" five more awards, just because?

The only bright spot I can see is that The White Stripes won Best Alternative Album for their subtle, amazing, and totally underappreciated "Get Behind Me Satan".

Funny Ad

Huh. I missed this ad during the Super Bowl, but it's pretty funny. Check out the director's cut version.

Oh, So That's Okay Then

Hey, the 80 percent of you who think the officials favored the Steelers in the Super Bowl?

You're all wrong. The NFL has decided the calls were as pure as the driven snow.

"It was a very well-officiated playoffs, including the Super Bowl," he [Greg Aiello, the NFL's vice president of public relations]said.

Hey, if 88,000 people come forward and agree on one thing -- in this case, that the officiating in the Super Bowl sucked more than a Hoover in a whorehouse -- they can't all be wrong, can they?

If you're the pompous asshats who run the NFL, they can. What utter arrogance.

Go here to vote.

That Was Fast

Wikipedia has a surprisingly in-depth article up about the game. No mention of the questionable officiating.

Bad Calls

Here are some comments on a Seattle P-I blog about the bad reffing. There were at least three, and probably four, and maybe more, bad calls against the 'Hawks.

UPDATE: Here's another thread about the bad calls. One guy, who says he's an impartial watcher from Texas, counts 10 bad calls against the Seahawks.

UPDATE: I like this commment from another P-I thread:

"We may not have won, but we most certainly did not lose. The Steelers found a way to overcome the 12th man - add 4 Zebras."

UPDATE: "Pittsburgh had the 12th Man tonight and he was wearing black and white stripes".

UPDATE: "The Pittsburgh Stealers". Heh.

UPDATE: Here's a take from a disinterested third party.

Bottom line: "Cowher can smile all he wants, but this was clearly a case of stealing a Super Bowl win. Stealing a win. Is that why they’re called the “Steelers”?"

UPDATE: The Seattle Times posts letters from some angry fans.

Nuts

Well, crap. I really thought the Seahawks were the better team going into this match. They played better, more consistent football than the Steelers, but couldn't match them on the big plays. Roethlisberger's 28-yard pass on 3rd and really long. The 75-yard TD run. The trick bomb by wide receiver Randle El. The Steelers' D managed to really rattle Hasslebeck, and he just couldn't recover. The questionable ref calls -- reversing Jackson's TD catch and giving Roethlisberger a TD when he was clearly down before the line -- all went against the Seahawks, too.

But seriously, I was just happy to have the Seahawks in the game for the first time ever. Thanks for an incredible season, guys.

Comeback Time

120 seconds. 11 points.

Let's do it!!!

A Punt?!?!

As Gregg Easterbrook will almost certainly say: You're down by 11. There are 6 minutes on the clock. You're in Super Bowl. Why are you punting?!?!?

Fumble

Did I say game over already?

Well, now it really is.

UPDATE: Call overruled on review. They're still in it. But it's going to be almost impossibly tough.

Wow

Aw shit. The game is over.

But I have to admit that was a sweet play.

Weak

Yet another bad call against the Seahawks. Even Madden was saying there was no foul.

And now Pittsburgh intercepted.

And now things get tough.

End of the 3rd Quarter

The Seahawks are making things happen. No spectacular plays, but Hasselbeck is spreading the ball out to a bunch of different receivers. They moved from their own 3 to the 48 in a couple minutes. Let's keep it up.

Seahawk TD

Now THAT's more like it!!!

YES!

Pick #2. HUGE play.

Oops

Okay, a 75-yard touchdown by the Steelers on the 2nd play of the 2nd half doesn't bode well.

Nuts.

Worst Commercial

The Toyota Hybrid ad with the father and the kid was hammy, cheesy and lame.

The Rolling Stones were actually pretty good, though. Best halftime show in a long time.

Halftime

The halftime analysts agreed on a few things:

1. The Seahawks are playing better football.

2. The Seahawks got robbed of a TD because of that bogus offensive pass interference call on Darrell Jackson.

3. The Steelers have the lead thanks to one big play by Ben Roethlisberger.

7-3

The Steelers obviously got in a groove on that drive. Roethlisberger made some nice plays.

Trailers

"Mission: Impossible 3" looks good, but "Poseiden" has to be the most pointless remake of the year. The original was decent enough, as well as not being that old. And of course, "Titanic" sort of closed the book on ship disasters made with modern effects technology.

Pick

That's the first of two interceptions I predict the Seahawks will make on Roethlisbergercocktoasten.

Lucky

Oof. The Seahawks are lucky that lost catch by Jeremy Stevens at the start of the second quarter wasn't ruled a fumble. He had enough control of it to stick it under his arm, but it was ruled incomplete when it popped out when he was hit. Lucky.

Figgie

To bad about the penalty that cancelled the TD, but I'll take the three.

The Seahawks have played better ball through the whole first quarter. They'll win if they keep it up.

Ford

That little Dr. Seuss-inspired segment was the best thing Harrison Ford has done since "Patriot Games".

Game Time

Time to kick some ass.

Steelers or Seahawks?

ESPN's "Cold Pizza" segment this morning showed that of the approximately 240,000 people who had responded to their poll about who would win the Super Bowl, more than 60 percent had picked the Steelers. If you're a believer in the wisdom of crowds, that's bad news for Seattle fans.

But their main story up today is by John Clayton, a sports writer who covered the Steelers and the Seahawks for years. He claims he has the most experience around both teams of any reporter out there. He came up with a list of 10 things to expect from Sunday's Big Game. Nine of them favor the Seahawks. Here's what he has to say by way of introduction:

Remember the Patriots team that beat the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI? I was one of the dummies that didn't appreciate the concept of team as well as I should have and picked the Patriots to lose by 21. Never again, I said. Never again would I make rash judgments of Super Bowl teams that slipped under the radar.

In case you missed it, he's talking about the Seahawks there. Here's a summary of his list.

1. Hasselbeck is on fire.

2. Steelers' star linebacker Joey Porter has pointlessly distracted himself.

3. The Seahawks are better at getting an early lead.

4. Hasselbeck is on fire.

5. Roethlisberger will have more difficulty handling the slick, new balls they use at the Super Bowl.

6. Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker isn't good enough.

7. Seattle's offensive line is better.

8. Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher has proven he can win big games. This is the only point that Clayton lists in Pittsburgh's favor.

9. Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren is on fire.

10. The Seahawks are better at making long scoring drives.

Looks like Dave has himself a safe bet

Shaving Tech

I couldn't resist. I bought one of the new Gilette Fusion Power razors. This is the one with five blades. Six if you include the "trimming" blade on the top.


Count 'em. That's five blades of pure shaving action, baby.


I was going to write this up last night, but the Oriental Wife and I were trying to pass one evening without either of us turning on our computers (we failed). Then I see this morning that some law prof in Tennessee, of all places, was already razorblogging.

It actually took a bit of hunting to track one of these things down. You'd have thought it was an Xbox 360 or something. The Walgreen's near my office didn't have them, and Long's only had the regular version, not the high-end battery-powered version. I finally tracked one down at Target.

So how does it shave? Feels pretty damn good, the kind of performance you'd hope to get from a $10 razor. Is it better than the Mach 3 Turbo? Yes, but probably only incrementally, at least from the one shave I've performed so far. It actually left me with a slight bit of razor burn, but I get that occassionally anyway.

One weird thing is the vibrating function of the Fusion Power. It feels like razor is going to jump out of your hand at any second. Kind of unsettling, to feel like you don't have a good grip on an implement with five sharp blades moving around your face and neck. I'll have to see if I get used to that.

Weak

Electronic Arts used the latest version of Madden to simulate the Super Bowl. In their match-up, Pittsburg won 24-19. It's clear that their player algorithms are deeply flawed, but I have to admit the score and game details actually sound eerily realistic.

Sand Art

You ever doodle in the sand? Yeah? You ain't got nothin' on this lady.

Thanks to Retired Geezer for the link.