June 30, 2003
Summer Camp for the bad kids
This is an amazing and downright scary story about a camp in Jamaica that wealthy US parents send their troubled teens to. For $40K a year, the camp cuts off contact with the outside world, and uses mind control and submission techniques favored by Castro and Hitler to "re-educate" the troubled teens and turn them into responsible young adults.
Mindless zombies are more like it.
I'm not a big children's rights person, typically believing that the parent has the final say. However, having your own child kidnapped and handcuffed at 4 AM and forced onto a plane bound for Jamaica seems to be a little bit over the edge. I don't doubt that the parents think they are doing the best for the kids, and maybe some of these kids have been saved from drug addiction, teen pregnancy, or worse. However, the article suggests that these are not criminal kids, just your typical screwed up teens with rich parents. I think the cure here is far worse than the disease.
Permalink | Comments (0)Somebody needs to get a life
From: ASHTHEQT83@aol.com | This is spam | Add to Address Book Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 02:06:49 EDT Subject: Hey Chris! To: chrisodva@yahoo.comHey Chris,
I just wanted to let you know that I am probably your biggest fan ever. I think you are so hot, and I really loved you in Batman & Robin. I watch it all the time. I'm 20 years old, but I would really love it if you could write back.
Ashley
Watches Batman & Robin all the time? Is she being punished for something?
Permalink | Comments (1)June 29, 2003
First Ups
Remember that little game we played as kids to see who batted first in baseball? One team captain would toss a bat to the other. He would catch it somewhere in the middle, and then the two would alternate hand over hand and whoever capped the bat handle got first ups.
What did we call that?
A reader asked the question in response to an old baseball post and I'm drawing a complete blank.
Permalink | Comments (0)June 28, 2003
A real pitcher's duel
Rain wiped out over half of our little league practices ,and the first game. The kids finally got to play on Thursday. 2 hours and only 4 innings later, we (the Giants) had lost 10-9 after going into the bottom of the 4th with a 5 or 6 run lead. The game featured 6 or 7 hits, and about 30 walks. The umpire was a no-show, so the coaches took turns behind the plate. I was calling anything from the top of the shoulders to the bottom of the kneecaps, that was in the same zip code as the plate, a strike. Nomar Jr was happy with his day, 0-1 (fielders choice), 2 walks, 2 runs scored. We had a few kids missing that will be back today, so for today's game we have to get 14 kids into the game for 2 consecutive innings with an a bat. Games are only 5 innings or 90 minutes. Do the math. It's not easy.
Permalink | Comments (0)Fish out of water
Todd Walker tried to tag up and score on a short fly ball in the 7th inning, with the Red Sox leading 21 to something.
''No, I don't think we'll forget it,'' McKeon said. ''I hope we can do something about it. No way are we going to forget it.''
I have to admit, I think at that point, staying on 3rd base would have been the smart thing to do. Not because of any innate sense of fairness, because the guys you are showing up are throwing hard baseballs at 90+ MPH. There is no need to give them an incentive to throw at you. Would the extra run be worth it if Walker broke his leg sliding into home, or if the Marlins throw at Nomar today and hit him on wrist, knocking him out for the rest of the year?
As the saying goes - sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.
Permalink | Comments (0)
Hot Diggity Dog
The kids don't want to eat regular hot dogs? Serve them an Octodog.
Reblogged from The Daily Ping
Permalink | Comments (0)June 25, 2003
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis exposed Wall Street in Liar's Poker. Now he is doing the same thing to baseball. Moneyball follows the career of Billy Beane, first as a can't miss first round draft pick who missed, and then as the revolutionary GM of the Oakland A's. As GM, he realizes that everything baseball management thinks they know about baseball is wrong. Taking a Jamesian approach to building a team, he ignores conventual wisdom and turns the A's into a powerhouse with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.
An interesting read for the casual fan, as the basic premise of looking at results and finding the undervalued assets can be applied to a wide variety of situations. For the hardcore baseball fan, this is a must have in your library.
Now, I'm going to retool my Red Sox team in Out of the Park Baseball and see if I can win using a Jamesian approach.
Permalink | Comments (0)June 24, 2003
New Comic Blog
Michele, of A Small Victory fame, has started a new blog devoted to comics. Check it out if four color literature is your thing.
Permalink | Comments (0)WAP Fan Mail
WAP fan mail. This is a first.
To: chrisodva@yahoo.com From: lola@globextm.com.ph | This is spam | Add to Address Book Subject: Fan e-mail. Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 06:57:36 +0100Permalink | Comments (1)Message sent by Janey.
Message:
Hi chris,i know im only one of the millions of sending e-mail to
you..Im the very very person seems to be curious about you since i watched
the movie mad love..I like the chemistry of you together with drew..And
im giving you my belated greetings to your marriage..You dont know what
would i feel when i recieved an email from you..Im begging for your
feedback..By the way im only 18 yrs old girl from the PHILIPPINES....im
waiting for your reply..Thanks...
This WAP e-mail message was sent via Zap 3G's great free service.
Visit us on your WAP phone at www.zap3g.co.uk/services.wml.
June 23, 2003
Yahoo can see the future?
I'm listening to the Red Sox via MLB.com, and as usual its getting ugly in the 9th inning. So I went to Yahoo to get a visual on the situation with Game Channel. On the live radio feed, it was 3-0, 2 out and 2 on in the 9th. On game channel, the game was a 3-1 Red Sox win. Sure enough, about 90 seconds later, the audio feed went final, the Red Sox won 3-1.
That means that the radio feed has about a 90 second delay. Is Real caching the audio for that long? It seems rather extreme. Are they bouncing the signal off the moon or something? Or maybe Yahoo can see the future. I know, maybe they have that sports almanac that Marty McFly lost in the past.
I connected Back to the Future, the Red Sox ,and the Internet. I am such a geek.
Permalink | Comments (1)June 22, 2003
Special Weather Alert!!!!!!
Apprently, the National Weather Service thinks we are all idiots. We get a special weather advisory for normal weather.
Permalink | Comments (0)
Statement as of 2:49 PM EDT on June 22, 2003SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
249 PM EDT SUN JUN 22 2003...WEATHER WILL TURN MORE SUMMERLIKE THIS WEEK...
AFTER A COOLER THAN NORMAL SPRING...TEMPERATURES WILL BECOME MORE
SEASONAL THIS WEEK. HIGH PRESSURE WILL STRENGTHEN ACROSS THE AREA
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...AND THEN MOVE OFFSHORE THURSDAY. THIS WILL
ALLOW WARMER...MORE HUMID AIR TO FLOW NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF OF
MEXICO. EXPECTED HIGH TEMPERATURES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WILL BE
IN THE UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90 DEGREES. THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST
OCCURRENCE OF 90 DEGREES THIS SEASON.ALTHOUGH THE REGION TYPICALLY EXPERIENCES WARMTH MUCH SOONER...IT IS
NOT UNPRECEDENTED. THE LATEST 90 DEGREE DAY IN WASHINGTON CAME IN
1979...WHEN 90 DEGREES WAS NOT ATTAINED UNTIL JULY 12. IN
BALTIMORE...IT OCCURRED IN 1915...ON JULY 16TH. ON AVERAGE...THE
FIRST 90 DEGREE DAY OCCURS AT THE END OF MAY.SINCE TEMPERATURES UP TO NOW HAVE BEEN QUITE COOL...THE CHANGE WILL
BE A SHOCK TO THE HUMAN BODY...EVEN IF THE ACTUAL TEMPERATURES ARE
NOT EXTREME. THUS...AREA RESIDENTS SHOULD REVIEW BASIC HEAT SAFETY
TIPS. MOST IMPORTANT IS TO DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. WEAR LOOSE
FITTING... LIGHTWEIGHT... LIGHT COLORED CLOTHING. ALSO...IF YOU ARE
FEELING FAINT OR EXCESSIVELY TIRED...TAKE A BREAK IN THE SHADE OR AN
AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENT.
So much for Harry Potter
Breck started reading the book at about 5 PM last night. He finished at 3 PM today. 900 pages in less than 24 hours. As far as we know, he did sleep last night.
He proclaimed it the best Harry Pottter book so far.
I've got to catch up and read 3 & 4 before I read the new one.
Permalink | Comments (2)June 20, 2003
The difference between school books and real books
From John Gatto, the godfather of homeschooling.
Real books transport us into an inner realm of private solitude and unmonitored mental reflection in a way schoolbooks cannot because that would jeopardize school routines devised to control crowds through close-order drill and endless surveillance and intimidation.
Speaking of books- Harry Potter arrives tomorrow. Breck doesn't know that we pre-ordered from Amazon so the book will be delivered tomorrow. Of course, I'll have to wait for him before I get to read it.
Permalink | Comments (0)June 19, 2003
Bambino's Curse gets the call
Ed, poet laureate at Bambino's Curse, has been called up to the big time. For the rest of the baseball season, Bambino's Curse will be published at Fox Sports New England. Fox Sports does not have comments, but if you click on the permalink it takes you back to the Bambino's Curse archives, where comments are functional.
I hope they are paying him well to sell his soul to big media ;)
Is anybody aware of another example of an independent blogger getting a paying gig? I guess Glenn Reynolds would count. He is a law professor that is now getting paid to write about world affairs and technology.
So many people seem to think I'm the actor, maybe that other Chris O'Donnell would be interested in paying me to maintain his online persona? His career seems to be stalled right now, maybe virtual Chris could give his career a boost.
BTW, I'm 99.99% kidding here. That said, if any of his people are reading, feel free to give my people a call. Just give me a day or two to round up somebody to play the part of my people.
Permalink | Comments (0)June 18, 2003
Baby Day at the movies
This is really a great idea. Lowes theater in NYC is promoting a daytime showing as "baby friendly" so parents can bring a potentially cranky baby to the movies and not feel guilty. What a great way to cater to a niche audience while drumming up business when the theater is otherwise empty.
Next, they should do a special show just for idiots that insist on taking cell phone calls during a movie.
Permalink | Comments (1)Add ADD to the list
According to this online test graciously provided by Eli Lilly, I might have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. And I always thought my short attention span was due to my huge intellect :)
Actually, when I answered the questions honestly, I did not have ADD. I answered "sometimes" on 4 questions, and "rarely" on the other two. However, changing either of the "rarely" answers to "sometimes" changes the diagnosis to "possible ADD."
That sounds real scientific. Maybe Eli Lilly is concerned that Congress will forbid the public schools from requiring parents to drug kids with Ritalin when directed by a government official. That could hurt Ritalin sales. Time to get the parents hooked I guess.
I remember seeing a rash of commercials a couple of years ago by Lilly. They were promoting Prozac as a treatment for some form of advanced PMS. (I'm going to surprise my wife and resist the temptation to make the obvious PMS joke here.)
Prescription drugs are supposed to treat and cure disease. If companies can make a profit doing that great. However, this apparent trend of cures in search of a disease is troubling.
Hypothetical question. If some researcher at Eli Lilly discovered a cheap and easy cure for diabetes would they be happy about it or would they see it as a threat to the insulin market? In my younger naive days I would have been very sure of my answer. Today I'm not so sure.
On a related and less serious note, you might want to check out ADD Reviews, the best (and shortest) music reviews on the Internet.
Permalink | Comments (1)June 16, 2003
BOOK REVIEW: Where Wizards Stay Up Late
The subtitle is The Origins of the Internet, and that is a perfect description. It's a history book, starting with the first experiments in computer networking in the early 60's, driven by research contracts handed out by APRA, and ending in 1994 at a reunion party thrown by BBN. This is a geek book. If routing protocols get you excited, or your really dying to know how @ became the email address symbol, you will greatly enjoy this book.
And really, who doesn't get excited by routing protocols?
A few of interesting facts from the book:
- The government tried to give the Internet to AT&T. They didn't see the value and refused.
- XEROX could of owned Ethernet. They missed the boat.
- Vint Cerf, while sitting in a hotel lobby waiting for a conference to start, doodled a sketch which became TCP, later modified to TCP/IP.
Like all great, life changing ideas, when you get under the hood and learn the details, you really wonder how they ever pulled it off. Luck played a major part.
Permalink | Comments (1)PS Teacher Singing the SOL Blues
Check out this article written by a VA public school teacher. She is bemoaning the fact that her students think they are "proficient" in English because they passed the state Standard of Learning test, when in fact they are barely literate, in her opinion. She also points out that VA is quietly lowering the bar every year to make it look like the schools are improving, when in fact the state really lowered the required score to pass.
Bravo to her for speaking up. If we had a lot more teachers like her the schools would not be in such bad shape in the first place.
Permalink | Comments (0)The Third Annual Nigerian Email Conference
Permalink | Comments (0)June 15, 2003
I can only hide for so long...
Mark Horne found this interesting review of a book neither of us has read, Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers, by Alissa Quart. It's an expose on just how hard Madison Ave is working to sell to your teenagers. Unfortunately, they are quite successful at it. The book apparently also ties the marketing effort to the rampant consumerism of American society. I'm not sure I know which came first, the desire, or the advertising. I'm sure the advertising execs would say they are just giving us what we want.
The author of the review makes a comment that for every iconoclast unschooler that opts out, there are tens of thousands that are too worried about their future prospects for wealth and comfort to risk opting out of the race.
The author doesn't get it. Homeschoolers, of which unschoolers are a smallish subset, opt out TO give our kids a leg up on the masses. The public educated masses may not be our enemy per se, but when it comes down to that final slot at Yale, the fact that my daughter did not spend her 7th year on the planet trying to emulate Britney Spears might be the first domino in a chain reaction that ultimately gives her an insurmountable advantage over her peers. Or not. What the hell do I know? It's not like I've ever done this before! However, I like my odds much better raising independent thinkers. I just hope I still feel that way when they are teenagers :)
We didn't start homeschooling to avoid pop culture. It's just another one of the wonderful benefits we have discovered along the way. My kids have the luxury of discovering their own talents and interests on their own terms. If those happen to intersect the fad de jour it's no big deal to me. My son is way into the Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh thing. Not because all the other kids do it, but because (I think) it is a natural extension of his interest in warfare and battle. My son does favor clothes and shoes with the Nike swoosh, so we certainly aren't immune from the long arm of Madison Ave.
Permalink | Comments (3)June 13, 2003
Now this is a flight simulator
This guy is building a flight simulator in his garage using parts from a retired 737 flight deck that he purchased, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000.
I didn't realize Boeing had put CONTROL-ALT-DELETE keys in the cockpit. Rebooting a 30,000 feet must be a real challenge.
It seems like it woould have been easier to go to college, enlist in the USAF, and be a real pilot.
Spam cure worse than the disease
Arnold Kling argues, and I agree completely, that any government imposed solution to the Spam problem is likely to be far worse than the actual problem.
I've had the same email address for 5+ years. I get a lot of spam, over 100 a day on average. It takes me less than 60 seconds total per day to deal with it. My web host has implemented Spam Assassin. It correctly identifies about 95% of the incoming spam. Filters in Pocomail get the rest. All the spam is filtered into a junk mail folder. I skim the subject lines to make sure something legitimate isn't there, then Control-A, delete takes care of the spam.
I don't accept images in email, I don't accept HTML in email, and Pocomail has no idea what ASP or javascript is, so any scripts embedded in spam are harmless to me. Poco also automatically accepts mail from anybody in my address book. Since 90% of my email comes from people in my address book, that helps insure that I don't miss a personal email.
Really, its not that big of a deal. People that think we need a government solution to spam probably should not be allowed on the Internet.
Permalink | Comments (0)June 11, 2003
Thanks Houston, I Needed That
I came home from work today to discover that builder's grading subcontractor ruined my yard. I won't go into the ugly details here, but I really though my head was going to explode.
Then I turned on the TV, flipped to ESPN ,and found the Red Sox - Cardinals game on. My first thought was that given how my day was going, the Sox were probably getting crushed. So I was pleasantly surprised to see a 9-0 score in the third inning, in favor of the Red Sox. The Sox won 13-1, and Houston no-hit the Yankees behind 6 pitchers. That is the first 5+ pitcher no-hitter in major league history.
I'm feeling much better now!
I witnessed a multi-pitcher no hitter at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium on 9-11-1991. (the date...yikes!) Kent Merker went 6 innings, Mark Wohlers pitched an inning, and Alejandro Pena closed it out against the Padres.
I could not find a box score to link to. Apparently, there is no database of box scores on the web. That seems like it would be a great web site. Put a flexible front end on the database and let users search for all kinds of interesting things. Of course, the hard part would be the data conversion - getting a couple of hundred thousand box scores into some coherent digital format that could be imported into a database. I'm sure that is why it hasn't been done yet. That would cost a fortune.
Permalink | Comments (5)Babe: The Legend Comes To Life
Babe Ruth was a drunken, philandering bum. He was also incredibly devoted to children and always had time to sign and autograph or chat with a kid. I have to wonder how many home runs he would have hit if he hadn't been playing many games hung over, or probably still drunk from the night before. He was often overweight and he had a horribly unhealthy diet. Still, he dominated baseball for 10+ years and was hitting 40+ homers when few other TEAMS could hit that many over the course of a season.
Also, the called homerun to center field at Wrigley in the 1932 World Series? It didn't happen. He did purposely let it go to 2 strikes before taking a swing. That itself is pretty gutsy. However, the called shot bit seems to be a fabrication of the press that got put into the movie about his life, and thus history was made.
A good book. The Babe really is a study in contradictions. An overweight drunken slob with a different girl or two in every city, who happened to be the most dominate baseball player of his era, and one of the all-time greats. This is a must read for any baseball fan.
(The book is way out of print. I got mine used via Abebooks.com).
Permalink | Comments (0)Why Johnny (from Petersburg VA) can't read
The school board in Petersburg VA voted to implement a new policy that would NOT require kids in grades 1-5 to be able to read in order to pass to the next grade. That is not a typo. Demonstrating the ability to read will not be required in elementary school.
I'm wondering what what in those brownies that Mrs. Smith brought to the last school board meeting.
The board has tabled the issue (even though they already approved it) after 100 locals showed up at a school board meeting to protest.
I expect that this proposal will die a quiet death now that it is national news. It doesn't change the fact that they did vote to approve it though.
Permalink | Comments (1)June 09, 2003
Diabetes in School
Yet another reason to homeschool (YARTHS). Budget cuts are being blamed for the lack of school nurses to help children with diabetes, asthma, etc. Budget cuts? When is the last time a public school had a budget cut?
Anyway, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to administer a glucagon shot in an emergency. Mix solution, inject needle, done. Not real hard. If you are using glucagon the person is most likely unconscious. This is something any adult can do - no special training is needed. The glucagon will pull the diabetic out of a low blood sugar coma. If they are out due to high blood sugar the extra sugar in the glucagon won't do any harm.
If a fellow student helps administer glucagon does he get expelled for violating the zero tolerance drug laws? And what about that insulin syringe? Kids have been kicked out of school for possessing far less dangerous weapons.
New Rule Ideas for Bud Selig
June 05, 2003
The Great Baseball Roadtrip
This is all very tentative, but he is what I am planning for my son and myself later in the summer.
Day 1 - Drive to Boston
Day 2 - Afternoon game at Fenway. Drive to Cooperstown that evening and spend night.
Day 3 - Baseball Hall of Fame - all day. Drive to Philly that evening and spend night.
Day 4 - Putz around Philly for the day, catch game at The Vet that evening. This is the last year I can see a game in one of the worst baseball parks ever built. After the game, drive home.
I could route thru Pittsburgh and Baltimore....nah. I don't want to kill us. Michelle thinks this is way to much for 4 days. She just doesn't understand ;)
Permalink | Comments (1)Violent Video Games Blah Blah Blah
The New York Times is talking about video games again.
(insert you own NYT joke here...)
They describe Medal of Honor a a violent game that requires you to main and kill your enemies.
Uh, there is no bias in that statement eh?
How about describing it as a first person simulation of WWII infantry combat?
Doesn't sound so scary now does it?
Really, I don't know where they find the parents to interview for these articles. One parent was very concerned about a game that involved sword play and laser guns. I guess she is concerned about all those kids that pull their Samurai Swords out of the closet and go on a spree beheading everybody in sight. Happens every day right?
If your kid is a violent antisocial thug it almost cetaintly has much more to do with your lack of parenting skills than it does any video game he may be playing.
Reblogged from Techdirt
Permalink | Comments (1)June 02, 2003
The Crue rocks DirecTV
For those of you with DirecTV - Motley Crue is this months freeview concert. All weekend, every weekend on channel 103. I don't know if this version of the band includes all the original members or not.
Permalink | Comments (0)June 01, 2003
Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Breck and I drove down to Richmond for the Pawtucket Red Sox - Richmond Braves game. Both are Triple A farm teams of their respective namesakes. Ed from Bambino's Curse set it up and took care of getting the tickets. As you can see, he did a fine job. I have never sat in the front row for any paid event. Note - that is not Ed in the picture. Also, that is a scorecard in front of Breck. He keeps score at baseball games. I've never been able to pay close enough attention. I always end up missing a few plays chatting with somebody, or admiring the blonde in the upper deck, whatever. Breck didn't miss any plays. He takes watching a baseball game in person very seriously.
Steve Woodward started for the PawSox. He started the year in Boston and was not happy to be sent down. Coming into the game is ERA was over 10 in Triple A, but he pitched a fine game today.
This is Johnny Estrada, the guy the Braves got in exchange for Kevin Millwood. Millwood pitched a no hitter for the Phillies this year. Estrada still hasn't made it to the major leagues. Yes, that is dust in the frame. You can sort of see the foot of the Red Sox player that was tagged out sliding into home. This was suppossed to be a picture of that play. However, I could not figure out how to get the sequential picture taking feature on my camera to work, so I had to try manually time it. I was about 1/2 second too late.
In the end, The PawSox brought in Hector Almonte to close the game. Given the state of the Boston bullpen one wonders why he hasn't gotten a shot at the big time yet. Is it just me, or does he have a strong physical resemblance to former Sox reliever Rich Garces?
It was a great day at the ballpark. The Pawsox won 4-1. Unfortunately, the parent club didn't do as well, losing their 5th straight, 11-8 at Toronto. The Yankees won, but at least Clemens was denied win #300 again.
Permalink | Comments (2)