Off To The Holy Land
I'm leaving tomorrow to go to Israel on a program called Birthright, which, to those non-Jewish readers out there, is a free trip to the promised land. I'll be back July 7th. I know you'll miss me, like you've probably missed me all week, as I ignored the blog in favor of my money-making duties (i.e. my job). But fear not! There's plenty of posts on this blog to keep you entertained in my absence:
Adam's Life Patented Rants: No Smoking & Why Chivalry Is Dead, Sorta
Adam's Life Patented Humoroserious Commentary: Humorous views on Barry Bonds, Cyber-bunnies, and Daniel Day-Lewis.
Adam's Life Way To Save The Music Industry: (Note: Music Industry Already Following My Suggestion)
Adam's Life MSN Articles!! Making money for me, informing and entertaining you.
And some non-blog stuff to keep you occupied:
Sickabod Sane, "The Greatest Rapper Ever To Set Foot On This Planet"
Heat Vision & Jack
Scotch Mist: A Film With Radiohead In It
You seriously don't need to watch this whole thing, but it'll give you a pretty good idea about how crazy Lost fanatics are. Overanalysis, much?
Best TV Show. Ever. See Adam Brody in his pre-OC role! Note: Still Seth Cohen.
There's got to be a movie written about this guy.
She can't sing, but oh man is Scarlett Johanssen hot.
And finally, a great movie about the need to not take life so seriously. Edited for content.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
ABC News Promotes Autism Cure Hate Group
Apparently, there's an organization trying to discourage a cure for Autism. ABC News felt this was perfectly logical, because their news team devoted a whole article on the subject. They wrote a largely favorable piece, giving credence to the belief that Autism is not a disorder, but instead, something like a lifestyle or race. Like homosexuality or being an African-American.
"We believe that the autism spectrum and those on it, are important and necessary parts of the wide diversity present in human genetics," the leader of this group said.
Perhaps he's right. While we're at it, why don't we also stop searching for the cure to cancer, and instead begin to celebrate their "cellular diversity."
I'm sure there are people who are very happy living their lives in wheelchairs. So let's stop trying to cure paralysis and instead tell mobility-impaired individuals to "celebrate" their new wheels!
While we're at it, why try to bring patients back from comas? Aren't comatose people valued members of society? Let them stay unconscious, and stay PROUD!!!
My point is, for low-functioning, severe cases of Autism, life is no picnic. It's certainly not something that anyone would want to celebrate. Unlike what some people may gather from ill-informed news reports, Autism is not merely a case of the brain thinking differently from normal people. In the vast majority of cases, it doesn't mean people with Autism are just simply a bit weird, or can play piano really well, or can count cards in Vegas. For those with severe autism, life will never be able to be lived without constant care. I know this because my sister Shari has autism. I do love her the way she is, but I also know she'd think I was an idiot if I believed she didn't want a normal life and instead preferred living in group homes, enduring hours of therapy, being confused and scared by others, getting frustrated by her failed attempts at non-verbal communication, and struggling with other health and personal issues. My sister developed a severe infection simply because she didn't have the ability to tell anybody about a tiny cut on her finger.
No one would mistake someone with severe autism as someone who's merely "different." This is a health issue, not an issue of celebrating diversity. My sister Shari is able to enjoy many things-- but a host of problems arise from the fact that she is not completely healthy.
I think its great that the founder of this anti-cure coalition is able to live a normal life, and has the ability to go on ABC News and speak eloquently about his plans for destroying funding for an Autism cure and condemning people like my sister to a heartbreaking life they have little control over. But just because he has that ability, doesn't mean he should assume that all people with Autism feel that way, or that all people with Autism wouldn't welcome the ability to eat, speak, and live the way they should be able to.
This is not to say people with autism, even severe autism, cannot accomplish many things. Indeed, it's inspirational to see just what those with autism are capable of, with the proper support. Elaine Hall's Miracle Project is one example. There are countless others. But those with autism remain held back-- not by society, like the founder of the anti-cure group would claim-- but by their handicap. Shouldn't they be able to have a normal life, if a cure could be acheived?
If you asked my sister what she wanted, she wouldn't be able to tell you. And for many people with severe autism-- that's the case. Why ABC News feels its appropriate to stab Autism cure funding in the heart is beyond me. And that's what they've done, by promoting a fringe organization led by people who have little concept of those suffering with autism at the other end of the spectrum.
Apparently, there's an organization trying to discourage a cure for Autism. ABC News felt this was perfectly logical, because their news team devoted a whole article on the subject. They wrote a largely favorable piece, giving credence to the belief that Autism is not a disorder, but instead, something like a lifestyle or race. Like homosexuality or being an African-American.
"We believe that the autism spectrum and those on it, are important and necessary parts of the wide diversity present in human genetics," the leader of this group said.
Perhaps he's right. While we're at it, why don't we also stop searching for the cure to cancer, and instead begin to celebrate their "cellular diversity."
I'm sure there are people who are very happy living their lives in wheelchairs. So let's stop trying to cure paralysis and instead tell mobility-impaired individuals to "celebrate" their new wheels!
While we're at it, why try to bring patients back from comas? Aren't comatose people valued members of society? Let them stay unconscious, and stay PROUD!!!
My point is, for low-functioning, severe cases of Autism, life is no picnic. It's certainly not something that anyone would want to celebrate. Unlike what some people may gather from ill-informed news reports, Autism is not merely a case of the brain thinking differently from normal people. In the vast majority of cases, it doesn't mean people with Autism are just simply a bit weird, or can play piano really well, or can count cards in Vegas. For those with severe autism, life will never be able to be lived without constant care. I know this because my sister Shari has autism. I do love her the way she is, but I also know she'd think I was an idiot if I believed she didn't want a normal life and instead preferred living in group homes, enduring hours of therapy, being confused and scared by others, getting frustrated by her failed attempts at non-verbal communication, and struggling with other health and personal issues. My sister developed a severe infection simply because she didn't have the ability to tell anybody about a tiny cut on her finger.
No one would mistake someone with severe autism as someone who's merely "different." This is a health issue, not an issue of celebrating diversity. My sister Shari is able to enjoy many things-- but a host of problems arise from the fact that she is not completely healthy.
I think its great that the founder of this anti-cure coalition is able to live a normal life, and has the ability to go on ABC News and speak eloquently about his plans for destroying funding for an Autism cure and condemning people like my sister to a heartbreaking life they have little control over. But just because he has that ability, doesn't mean he should assume that all people with Autism feel that way, or that all people with Autism wouldn't welcome the ability to eat, speak, and live the way they should be able to.
This is not to say people with autism, even severe autism, cannot accomplish many things. Indeed, it's inspirational to see just what those with autism are capable of, with the proper support. Elaine Hall's Miracle Project is one example. There are countless others. But those with autism remain held back-- not by society, like the founder of the anti-cure group would claim-- but by their handicap. Shouldn't they be able to have a normal life, if a cure could be acheived?
If you asked my sister what she wanted, she wouldn't be able to tell you. And for many people with severe autism-- that's the case. Why ABC News feels its appropriate to stab Autism cure funding in the heart is beyond me. And that's what they've done, by promoting a fringe organization led by people who have little concept of those suffering with autism at the other end of the spectrum.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Feelin' Frisky At The South Pole
Polar scientists order 16,500 condoms.
Forget Spring Break in Cancun-- let's hit up Antarctica!
Polar scientists order 16,500 condoms.
Forget Spring Break in Cancun-- let's hit up Antarctica!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Yankees Do A Bad Joba Starting Joba
Joba Not InKansas Nebraska Anymore
Joba Chamberlain made his highly-anticipated first Major League start on Tuesday for the Yankees. Hank "The New Boss" Steinbrenner argued with everybody for the first two months of the season, trying to convince everyone to shift the Native American kid with the 100 MPH fastball from the bullpen into the rotation. He finally got his wish.
Joba pitched 2.1 innings, giving up 1 run and walking four in what would eventually be a 9 - 3 Yankees loss.
Immediately, the press jumped all over Steinbrenner's decision. "Joba's 1st Start a Bust as Jays Top Yanks" ABC News declared. The NYPost called Joba "shaky," and "simply disappointing." WCBS New York went even further, declaring: "Joba Start Just Latest In String Of Disasters." Salon.com called it "Joba's first-start disaster." Today, there's reports that several Yankees players are questioning the move.
Here's why they shouldn't.
This is what Joba Chamberlain did as a starter at the University of Nebraska:
207.3 innings, 3.37 ERA, 232 Ks, 67 BBs, 15 HRs.
This is what Joba Chamberlain did as a starter in the minors:
84.3 innings, 2.56 ERA, 125 Ks, 27 BBs, 4 HRs.
Those figures are pretty hard to top. What they show is a power pitcher with good command over his pitches, who doesn't give up the long ball. That's a recipe for MLB success. One blog, which uses a conversion chart called MLE to translate minor league stats into major league ones, came up with these major league numbers: 4.07 ERA, 83 Ks, 36 BBs, 10 HRs in 84 innings. That ERA would make him better than any starter on the Yankees other than Mike Mussina, and that strikeout rate would beat all of them.
What has Joba done lately to change this positive outlook? Only 33 Ks in 26 innings-- better than his predicted K rate, and only 1 HR allowed, better than his predicted HR rate. He's actually been better than advertised.
Take away the 4 walks he threw in Tuesday's game, and his control isn't too shabby either: 0.46 walks per inning vs. a predicted 0.42 walks per inning.
And I take away those four walks on Tuesday for good reason. The Yankees set up Joba to fail.
That's right. They made it very, very difficult for Joba to be successful.
By announcing a 65-pitch limit, they basically told the Toronto Blue Jays how to beat Joba. By being patient. Toronto knew Joba's start would end after 65 pitches. So Toronto players took pitches (refused to swing) the majority of the time. When they got ahead in the count, they watched the next pitch rather than being aggressive. They often didn't take the bat off their shoulders until there were two strikes. This game plan is typically used against a pitcher known for wildness-- see Daniel Cabrera-- but in Joba's case, it was simply a matter of Toronto hitters wanting to see as many pitches as possible. “We worked him good, we really did,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. Notice he didn't say "hit him" or "beat him," but instead "worked him." The red light was on for the Blue Jays, and on pitches they may have chased on a normal night, they laid off. They weren't trying to slug against Joba, indeed, no ball was hit significantly hard. The lone run scored on a weak dribbler through the 2nd base-1st base hole.
Toronto forced Joba to throw 38 pitches in the 1st inning.
Now imagine you're Joba. You know you have a limited pitch count. What do you do? You try to make every pitch an out pitch. When the pitches start adding up, you're trying even harder to make every toss count as a strike or ground-out. You start aiming pitches instead of letting them fly. This is not how a pitcher is successful. A good pitcher often purposely throws balls to set up strikes later in the count. A good pitcher is willing to induce contact that leads to ground-ball outs and pop flies. Joba wasn't able to do this. Almost every pitch had to be a strike in order for 65 pitches to last the minimum 5 innings required to be credited for a win.
Putting that much pressure on a 22 year old is a recipe for disaster. But Joba actually did well. 3 Ks in 2.1 innings is in line with his career strikeout rate. He didn't give up any big hits. The four walks were more the result of the Toronto strategy of waiting Joba out.
Not wanting to "waste" pitches, Joba threw his two "out" pitches-- a 100 MPH fastball and a wicked slider--90% of the time, almost completely ignoring his change of pace curveball and change-up. Without half his arsenal, he wasn't nearly as deadly as he could have been.
The Yankees mistake was not in making Joba the starter. It was making Joba the starter before his arm was stretched out to pitch at least 5 innings. Perhaps they should have given him a four-inning relief effort before inserting him into the rotation. The Pettite start on June 2nd would have been a nice time to do it. Pettitte could have easily been lifted after putting two on in the bottom of the 6th, with the Yankees clinging to a 2-run lead. Hell, he could have been put into the game after Pettitte already blew the lead. Had he pitched to the conclusion of the game, he would have pitched nearly 4 innings, which would have stretched out his arm enough to pitch this weekend against the Royals, the weakest hitting team in baseball.
That would have been an ideal first start for Joba. Without a 65-pitch limit, against the light-hitting Kansas City squad, it could have been a legendary start to what still promises to be a legendary career.
The good news? Joba will make his second career start Sunday against the Royals, with a somewhat normal pitch count (90-100 pitches). Plus he'll be pitching to Jorge Posada, who will be back from the DL. If you're in a fantasy baseball league, the time to trade for Joba would be now, before he throws the inevitable shutout/no-hitter.
So Yankees and the media. Cut the kid a break. The guy allowed 1 run in 2.1 innings. He retired the side in order in the 2nd. If he had been given permission to pitch a normal game, that may have been the only run he allowed.
Would he be better as a set-up guy? The Yankees are 23-15 in games NOT started by the number 5 combo of Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes (who are both personally on the hook for 7 losses). They needed someone to start winning those games every 5 days.
I'll be at Joba's start Sunday, and I don't expect to be disappointed. As T.O. would say, "Getcha popcorn ready."
Joba Not In
Joba Chamberlain made his highly-anticipated first Major League start on Tuesday for the Yankees. Hank "The New Boss" Steinbrenner argued with everybody for the first two months of the season, trying to convince everyone to shift the Native American kid with the 100 MPH fastball from the bullpen into the rotation. He finally got his wish.
Joba pitched 2.1 innings, giving up 1 run and walking four in what would eventually be a 9 - 3 Yankees loss.
Immediately, the press jumped all over Steinbrenner's decision. "Joba's 1st Start a Bust as Jays Top Yanks" ABC News declared. The NYPost called Joba "shaky," and "simply disappointing." WCBS New York went even further, declaring: "Joba Start Just Latest In String Of Disasters." Salon.com called it "Joba's first-start disaster." Today, there's reports that several Yankees players are questioning the move.
Here's why they shouldn't.
This is what Joba Chamberlain did as a starter at the University of Nebraska:
207.3 innings, 3.37 ERA, 232 Ks, 67 BBs, 15 HRs.
This is what Joba Chamberlain did as a starter in the minors:
84.3 innings, 2.56 ERA, 125 Ks, 27 BBs, 4 HRs.
Those figures are pretty hard to top. What they show is a power pitcher with good command over his pitches, who doesn't give up the long ball. That's a recipe for MLB success. One blog, which uses a conversion chart called MLE to translate minor league stats into major league ones, came up with these major league numbers: 4.07 ERA, 83 Ks, 36 BBs, 10 HRs in 84 innings. That ERA would make him better than any starter on the Yankees other than Mike Mussina, and that strikeout rate would beat all of them.
What has Joba done lately to change this positive outlook? Only 33 Ks in 26 innings-- better than his predicted K rate, and only 1 HR allowed, better than his predicted HR rate. He's actually been better than advertised.
Take away the 4 walks he threw in Tuesday's game, and his control isn't too shabby either: 0.46 walks per inning vs. a predicted 0.42 walks per inning.
And I take away those four walks on Tuesday for good reason. The Yankees set up Joba to fail.
That's right. They made it very, very difficult for Joba to be successful.
By announcing a 65-pitch limit, they basically told the Toronto Blue Jays how to beat Joba. By being patient. Toronto knew Joba's start would end after 65 pitches. So Toronto players took pitches (refused to swing) the majority of the time. When they got ahead in the count, they watched the next pitch rather than being aggressive. They often didn't take the bat off their shoulders until there were two strikes. This game plan is typically used against a pitcher known for wildness-- see Daniel Cabrera-- but in Joba's case, it was simply a matter of Toronto hitters wanting to see as many pitches as possible. “We worked him good, we really did,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. Notice he didn't say "hit him" or "beat him," but instead "worked him." The red light was on for the Blue Jays, and on pitches they may have chased on a normal night, they laid off. They weren't trying to slug against Joba, indeed, no ball was hit significantly hard. The lone run scored on a weak dribbler through the 2nd base-1st base hole.
Toronto forced Joba to throw 38 pitches in the 1st inning.
Now imagine you're Joba. You know you have a limited pitch count. What do you do? You try to make every pitch an out pitch. When the pitches start adding up, you're trying even harder to make every toss count as a strike or ground-out. You start aiming pitches instead of letting them fly. This is not how a pitcher is successful. A good pitcher often purposely throws balls to set up strikes later in the count. A good pitcher is willing to induce contact that leads to ground-ball outs and pop flies. Joba wasn't able to do this. Almost every pitch had to be a strike in order for 65 pitches to last the minimum 5 innings required to be credited for a win.
Putting that much pressure on a 22 year old is a recipe for disaster. But Joba actually did well. 3 Ks in 2.1 innings is in line with his career strikeout rate. He didn't give up any big hits. The four walks were more the result of the Toronto strategy of waiting Joba out.
Not wanting to "waste" pitches, Joba threw his two "out" pitches-- a 100 MPH fastball and a wicked slider--90% of the time, almost completely ignoring his change of pace curveball and change-up. Without half his arsenal, he wasn't nearly as deadly as he could have been.
The Yankees mistake was not in making Joba the starter. It was making Joba the starter before his arm was stretched out to pitch at least 5 innings. Perhaps they should have given him a four-inning relief effort before inserting him into the rotation. The Pettite start on June 2nd would have been a nice time to do it. Pettitte could have easily been lifted after putting two on in the bottom of the 6th, with the Yankees clinging to a 2-run lead. Hell, he could have been put into the game after Pettitte already blew the lead. Had he pitched to the conclusion of the game, he would have pitched nearly 4 innings, which would have stretched out his arm enough to pitch this weekend against the Royals, the weakest hitting team in baseball.
That would have been an ideal first start for Joba. Without a 65-pitch limit, against the light-hitting Kansas City squad, it could have been a legendary start to what still promises to be a legendary career.
The good news? Joba will make his second career start Sunday against the Royals, with a somewhat normal pitch count (90-100 pitches). Plus he'll be pitching to Jorge Posada, who will be back from the DL. If you're in a fantasy baseball league, the time to trade for Joba would be now, before he throws the inevitable shutout/no-hitter.
So Yankees and the media. Cut the kid a break. The guy allowed 1 run in 2.1 innings. He retired the side in order in the 2nd. If he had been given permission to pitch a normal game, that may have been the only run he allowed.
Would he be better as a set-up guy? The Yankees are 23-15 in games NOT started by the number 5 combo of Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes (who are both personally on the hook for 7 losses). They needed someone to start winning those games every 5 days.
I'll be at Joba's start Sunday, and I don't expect to be disappointed. As T.O. would say, "Getcha popcorn ready."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Rachael Ray Is A Terrorist
By Robbie Republican
My dear patriots, we have been on quite a journey these past few years, ever since 9/11 showed us how jellyfish-spined liberals could lead to the end of the world as we know it. But even in our age of increased vigilance, it's often easy to overlook some of the gravest threats to our nation. While the blue state elitists distract us by forcing hard-working American farmers to grow abortion pills instead of corn, subliminal messages are being sent to our nation's impresionable minds through the television airwaves. And not just in pinko programs like "Sex in the City."
I wish the only station that existed was Fox News, and that the only commercials were for wholesome, family products like AK-47s and those Left Behind books. But unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans unwittingly expose themselves to television programming specifically designed to turn ordinary citizens into terrorists.
Case in point: Rachael Ray's Dunkin' Donuts Commercials
Now, an ordinary, perfectly sane American may see the commerical and believe it's just an innocent advertisement for coffee. But look closer. Look what's around Rachael Bin la... I mean Rachael Ray's neck:
That's right, the exact same keffiyeh, or "terrorist scarf" that Yasser Arafat wore. I'm not sure where she got it, but reliable sources tell me that Ray once trained in a Sudanese terror camp, where I can only assume she met up with influential Islamic cell leaders.
Need more proof Rachael Ray is in bed with Bin Laden?
That's right. There she is with Bin Laden's best friend, Bill "9-11" Clinton.
I'd like to thank political genius Michelle Malkin for pointing out all this to me. I actually am ashamed to say I used to drink Dunkin Donuts coffee, because the fat man they used to use in their commercials reminded me of a heavier, older version of a nice German gentleman I used to know who had some wonderful, if a bit poorly executed, ideas about how to get rid of liberals.
Now that I know better, I'm on the lookout for other subliminal messages trying to turn the good people of America into terrorist zombies. I believe I found one earlier today:
Yes, the Charmin Bear. At first, I didn't see anything. But then I noticed that the way the bear is holding the toilet paper, it almost looks like a keffiyeh. Almost exactly like a keffiyeh. So I looked deeper. And deeper. And the closer I looked, the more I became horrified by what I saw...
Kill USA??? A Hammer and Sickle?? What is he really selling, I wonder. Toilet paper?
Or TERROR???!!
So to you, my brave soliders, I say, be careful about what you watch. Especially if it's on one of those souless idol-worshipping stations, like NBC. And don't use Charmin anymore. Or any toilet paper for that matter. It's just not safe. Do what I do. Use the New York Times.
Till next time, my conservative warriors. Stay strong, and stay right.
By Robbie Republican
My dear patriots, we have been on quite a journey these past few years, ever since 9/11 showed us how jellyfish-spined liberals could lead to the end of the world as we know it. But even in our age of increased vigilance, it's often easy to overlook some of the gravest threats to our nation. While the blue state elitists distract us by forcing hard-working American farmers to grow abortion pills instead of corn, subliminal messages are being sent to our nation's impresionable minds through the television airwaves. And not just in pinko programs like "Sex in the City."
I wish the only station that existed was Fox News, and that the only commercials were for wholesome, family products like AK-47s and those Left Behind books. But unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans unwittingly expose themselves to television programming specifically designed to turn ordinary citizens into terrorists.
Case in point: Rachael Ray's Dunkin' Donuts Commercials
Now, an ordinary, perfectly sane American may see the commerical and believe it's just an innocent advertisement for coffee. But look closer. Look what's around Rachael Bin la... I mean Rachael Ray's neck:
That's right, the exact same keffiyeh, or "terrorist scarf" that Yasser Arafat wore. I'm not sure where she got it, but reliable sources tell me that Ray once trained in a Sudanese terror camp, where I can only assume she met up with influential Islamic cell leaders.
Need more proof Rachael Ray is in bed with Bin Laden?
That's right. There she is with Bin Laden's best friend, Bill "9-11" Clinton.
I'd like to thank political genius Michelle Malkin for pointing out all this to me. I actually am ashamed to say I used to drink Dunkin Donuts coffee, because the fat man they used to use in their commercials reminded me of a heavier, older version of a nice German gentleman I used to know who had some wonderful, if a bit poorly executed, ideas about how to get rid of liberals.
Now that I know better, I'm on the lookout for other subliminal messages trying to turn the good people of America into terrorist zombies. I believe I found one earlier today:
Yes, the Charmin Bear. At first, I didn't see anything. But then I noticed that the way the bear is holding the toilet paper, it almost looks like a keffiyeh. Almost exactly like a keffiyeh. So I looked deeper. And deeper. And the closer I looked, the more I became horrified by what I saw...
Kill USA??? A Hammer and Sickle?? What is he really selling, I wonder. Toilet paper?
Or TERROR???!!
So to you, my brave soliders, I say, be careful about what you watch. Especially if it's on one of those souless idol-worshipping stations, like NBC. And don't use Charmin anymore. Or any toilet paper for that matter. It's just not safe. Do what I do. Use the New York Times.
Till next time, my conservative warriors. Stay strong, and stay right.
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