Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Tim Vickery makes another astute observation
One of the best footballing bloggers out there, Tim Vickery makes an astute observation while looking at the changes in Brazilian football:
According to Moracy Sant'anna, one of Brazil's most respected physical preparation specialists, in the mid-70s it was generally true that players were covering around 5,000 metres per game. By the mid-90s that figure had doubled, and now some are even reaching 12,000.
So the physical intensity of the game is greater than ever before, and with the growth of the Champions League and the crowded modern calendar there is no respite. It is match after match, physical challenge after physical challenge.
This twin dynamic - greater rewards, greater sacrifices - helps explain why we are seeing so much inconsistency at the elite level of the game.
Manchester United looking forward to hosting Inter
This is a good overview of the FA Cup victory over Fulham and the upcoming Champions League match against Internazionale.
I am a fan of both teams. That said, I think Manchester United is the better of the two teams -- the Red Devils pass with fluidity and confidence and are good at creating chances. They know that they have to play better than they played in Milan if they want to go through, but their defense will be more cohesive than it was in Milan. Inter has good players, but they do not have the cohesiveness that Manchester United have -- they have been carried by Mourinho's tactical mastery of the game and the players own talents. But Inter have yet to demonstrate the magic, the spark that marks all great teams.
I worry about Mourinho, because I sense he is ambivalent about his position at Inter, that he is not completely committed to the project of making Inter a complete team. In part this is probably due to the lack of control he has in making executive decisions. He has inherited a bloated team with too many players, many of whom have a sense of entitlement that is perhaps undeserved (Inter's recent success is more the result of the fallout of scandal involving AC Milan and Juventus than good play on the field). I do feel that Mourinho could remake Inter into a European contender, but I do not think that this year is Inter's year: the team needs to cut its roster and perhaps bring in a few younger players and rebuild for next year.
I am a fan of both teams. That said, I think Manchester United is the better of the two teams -- the Red Devils pass with fluidity and confidence and are good at creating chances. They know that they have to play better than they played in Milan if they want to go through, but their defense will be more cohesive than it was in Milan. Inter has good players, but they do not have the cohesiveness that Manchester United have -- they have been carried by Mourinho's tactical mastery of the game and the players own talents. But Inter have yet to demonstrate the magic, the spark that marks all great teams.
I worry about Mourinho, because I sense he is ambivalent about his position at Inter, that he is not completely committed to the project of making Inter a complete team. In part this is probably due to the lack of control he has in making executive decisions. He has inherited a bloated team with too many players, many of whom have a sense of entitlement that is perhaps undeserved (Inter's recent success is more the result of the fallout of scandal involving AC Milan and Juventus than good play on the field). I do feel that Mourinho could remake Inter into a European contender, but I do not think that this year is Inter's year: the team needs to cut its roster and perhaps bring in a few younger players and rebuild for next year.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Special One
Sometimes I wish Jose would shut up.
Sometimes I don't.
He is a great tactician. But I question his man-management skills. I do not think he gets the most of his players in the long term.
Sometimes I don't.
He is a great tactician. But I question his man-management skills. I do not think he gets the most of his players in the long term.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Gold farming
Interesting article on gold farming at the Guardian. However, the reporter should look into the relationship between the gaming companies (like Blizzard) and the gold farming companies. I'm sure there is a story there.
Our Sicko System
My mother recently saw Sicko for the first time on Showtime. Ironically, seeing the disparity between health care in the US and abroad (where it is much easier to acquire and less expensive) made her sick.
Karen Tumulty writes movingly about her brother's experience with a life threatening disease. Definitely worth a read.
Karen Tumulty writes movingly about her brother's experience with a life threatening disease. Definitely worth a read.
Beckham
Beckham puts his own money where his heart is.
I expect England to make it to the World Cup. But they have to play better football than they played against Spain if they hope to progress through the tournament.
I expect England to make it to the World Cup. But they have to play better football than they played against Spain if they hope to progress through the tournament.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Teens face child porn charges
6 Pa. high school students busted after sharing nude photos via cell phones
If there is a case that cries out for jury nullification this is it. That said, the chances of jury nullification occurring are slim, given that most people don't understand what it is (and what it is for), and prosecutors and judges tend to despise it. A better outcome would be a serious rethink at the legislative level of all of the sex laws and how they impact on teenagers -- that age when most sane people experiment with sex. The fact that there are people in jail and on sex offender lists for consensual sex with someone 1-2 years younger than themselves shows that something is out of whack.
In the WPXI story, which included contributions from the Associated Press, Saranko indicated that authorities decided to file the child pornography charges to send a strong message to other minors who might consider sending such photos to friends.
"It's very dangerous," he said. "Once it's on a cell phone, that cell phone can be put on the Internet where everyone in the world can get access to that juvenile picture. You don't realize what you are doing until it's already done." (Seranko could not be reached for comment on Thursday, and a woman who answered the phone at the Greensburg Police Department said, “Our department is not doing any more interviews on the case.”)
But Patrick Artur, a Philadelphia defense attorney who by his reckoning has handled at least 80 child pornography cases, said the prosecution of minors for photos they took themselves runs counter to the purpose of both state and federal child pornography laws: Preventing the sexual abuse of children by “dirty old men in raincoats.”
“It’s clearly overkill,” he said. “… The letter of the law seems to have been violated, but this is not the type of defendant that the legislature envisioned” in passing the statute.
Artur said that because there is no mandatory minimum sentence under Pennsylvania’s child pornography law, unlike the federal statute, the students would not necessarily be incarcerated if they are found guilty. But he noted that convictions would have "serious, serious implications," including forcing them having to register as sexual offenders for at least 10 years.
If there is a case that cries out for jury nullification this is it. That said, the chances of jury nullification occurring are slim, given that most people don't understand what it is (and what it is for), and prosecutors and judges tend to despise it. A better outcome would be a serious rethink at the legislative level of all of the sex laws and how they impact on teenagers -- that age when most sane people experiment with sex. The fact that there are people in jail and on sex offender lists for consensual sex with someone 1-2 years younger than themselves shows that something is out of whack.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
It is like Christmas
... except instead of gifts we get a new President!
Hope you have a nice Inauguration Day.
Hope you have a nice Inauguration Day.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
My post for today...
I feel blah...
The beginning of the chapter I am starting today. Needs work. And yes, Night City is a deliberate homage to William Gibson.
I was trying to find Drexel Morrow. [...] Drexel was a short man with long greasy hair and greasy hands that liked to grab people. You could not have a conversation with him, in person, without his hands touching you, feeling you, sizing you up. He was a scrappy guy, like many on the night side of Turner. His twisted nose attested to the number of times it had been broken in bar fights. He never bothered to have his nose fixed. For a guy like Drexel his nose was a badge of pride. Finding Drexel would not be particularly difficult — there were a finite number of bars in Night City.
The beginning of the chapter I am starting today. Needs work. And yes, Night City is a deliberate homage to William Gibson.
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