This 'n' That

Thursday, March 31, 2005

Armstrong Aide: I Saw Banned Substance - EarthLink - Sports News

If the allegation made against Lance Armstrong turns out to be true, it may bring about the hardest fall from grace ever of an American sports legend.

Armstrong Aide: I Saw Banned Substance - EarthLink - Sports News

MSNBC - Panthers' steroid doctor defends self

MSNBC - Panthers' steroid doctor defends self: "Todd Sauerbrun, one of the league�s top punters, reportedly had a prescription for testosterone cream filled within two weeks of the Panthers� appearance in the 2004 Super Bowl"

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Food For Oil Controversy: Has it been fully and fairly investigated? Roger L. Simon is not so certain.

More on Kofi Annan from Roger L. Simon
He's not happy that the media is reporting that Annan has been "exonerated:"
The NYT has a superficially stern but also superficially naive editorial on the Volcker Committee interim report this morning. They assert that the panel "largely exonerated Mr. Annan of personal corruption in the awarding of a contract to a company that employed his son." But that's not quite true. They must realize the committee found no evidence of such corruption so far. Quite a different thing. And the Times' writers (you can be sure this was a thoroughly vetted editorial) were also aware (it is briefly alluded to near the bottom of the editorial) that three years' worth of Oil-for-Food documents were shredded by Annan's deputy. You don't have to be Woodward and Bernstein to smell a rat here.That they do not call for Kofi's resignation is also interesting. The Times itself moved quickly to change executive editors when it was found that a reporter, Jayson Blair, had fabricated stories. Yet Oil-for-Food, even at the level that it is currently understood, is far worse than a few made up tales. It concerns mass thievery, the starvation of children and the very nature of Security Council decision-making leading up to war. If this isn't a firing-offense, what is?
# posted by LaurenceJarvik @ 3:11 PM

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

When is a TV Ad not a TV ad? Asks LaurenceJarvikOnline.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

When is a TV Ad not a TV Ad? When it's on PBS...
I had to laugh, once again, at The New York Times (login required) today, reading Nat Ives' article about PBS's non-commercial commercials, and coming across this:


The 15-second commercial for Chipotle, a Mexican restaurant chain owned by McDonald's, will accompany 'How to Cook Everything: Bittman Takes On America's Chefs,' on some 150 public television stations across the country. The program features Mark Bittman, a cookbook author who writes a column for the Dining section of The New York Times, which is a sponsor of the program.


In the story, the Times repeats PBS's claims that their ads are not ads. How come?
The Chipotle spots had to toe some very fine lines. For example, the guidelines allow people in the spots to consume a product as long as they do not appear to enjoy it overtly. So the producer instructed the actors in its pledge drive spoof not to look too thrilled.


Maybe the New York Times is becoming a humor magazine...

# posted by LaurenceJarvik @ 10:22 AM

Monday, March 28, 2005

"Long lines at airports are 'the single greatest vulnerability that we have in the domestic U.S. at the moment,'

Friday, March 25, 2005

Steroids in Baseball - Congressional Testimony of Mark McGwire

"My lawyers have advised me that I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family, or myself," Mr. McGwire said in his opening statement, choking up and appearing close to tears, before a House committee investigating steroid use in baseball.

"Are you taking the Fifth?" Mr. Cummings demanded.
"I'm not here to discuss the past," Mr. McGwire responded. "I'm here to be positive about this subject.""Are you taking the Fifth?" Mr. Cummings demanded.
"I'm not here to discuss the past," Mr. McGwire responded. "I'm here to be positive about this subject."

Representative William Lacy Clay, Democrat of Missouri, said: "Mr. McGwire, we are both fathers of young children. Both my son and daughter love sports and they look up to stars like you. Can we look at those children with a straight face and tell them that great players like you play the game with honesty and integrity?"
Mr. McGwire replied, "Like I said earlier, I'm not going to go into the past and talk about my past."

Mr. McHenry asked the baseball players if using steroids was cheating. "That's not for me to determine," Mr. McGwire replied. Mr. McHenry persisted: "For you, is it cheating? Yes or no." Mr. McGwire repeated, "That's not for me to determine."Mr. McHenry asked the baseball players if using steroids was cheating. "That's not for me to determine," Mr. McGwire replied. Mr. McHenry persisted: "For you, is it cheating? Yes or no." Mr. McGwire repeated, "That's not for me to determine."

Come on, Mr. McGwire. It's an easy question. If steroid use in major league baseball has already been determined to be illegal, why would it not be cheating? In other words, Mr. McGwire, it wasn't cheating in your heart and mind. But it's not too late. You still have time to become a true hero. And you don't have to be juiced to succeed. All you need is a clear conscience.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

City-Country-City

Recently returned from a long weekend in North Carolina, Chapel Hill to be exact. Visited the campuses of University of North Carolina and Duke University. Found them exquisitely serene and clean. Most of the student body was friendly and open, if approached. Many actually made eye contact with me, accompanied with pleasant smiles. The one observation that stands out in my mind was that I didn't see a single student on either campus chatting away on a cellphone, nor one with an IPOD earphone jammed in his/her ear. Though both are ever present on the UCLA campus. I am an alum of the southern California campus, twice. That gives me some license to be lovingly critical.

What does it mean? Because I saw more students at the North Carolina campuses involved with their studies and/or engaged in conversations with fellow students, I took them to be more serious about their course work and interpersonal relationships. City folk vs. country folk? Does living and attending college in a rural setting as opposed to one in a large urban city make a difference? You tell me. I've already made up my mind, though.