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October 20, 2005

bewilder me once, shame on you

Bewilder me twice, shame on me for paying attention. As a part of my student teaching, I attend a weekly seminar with other student teachers from my program. This week, an envoy from the university's career services office came and gave a not-short-enough presentation to inform us of the services they provide. These two little tidbits were from their presentation:

1. In explaining what he considers to be the best way to write a cover letter, one of the guys said to be "short, concise, and to the point."

2. Following a lengthy explanation of why it's important to be sure there aren't any spelling or grammar errors in either the résumé or cover letter, I began to look through the information packet they handed out. In it was a list of documentation they offer to maintain for students. This list went as follows:

- An updated resume
- Letters of recommendation
- Currents transcripts
That's right. "Currents transcripts." An error that, depending on how it occurred, could be considered either one of spelling or grammar. For the record, the reason to be sure résumés and cover letters don't have spelling or grammatical errors is because it makes you look like a damn moron. I just explained it in one-tenth the time it took this dude.

Posted by ben at 4:05 PM | Comments (1)


October 17, 2005

another moment

This afternoon, I went to the gym for the first time in, oh, maybe six months. Maybe more. Anyways, after I finished my time on the elliptical machine, I did a cool-down walk around the track, which overlooks the university's beach on Lake Michigan. Obviously, the beach is closed. But for a second it looked almost populated. It's been my experience that when people go to the beach, their choice of territory is somewhat predictable. We tend to gravitate towards the lifeguard chair and create a funnel-like formation out towards the water. Well, on this fall afternoon, roughly 150 white birds (perhaps sea gulls, or, more appropriately, lake gulls) hanging out on the beach and creating a formation identical to that which would be made by beach-goers in the summer. Strange.

Also, for the record, Go Sox.

Posted by ben at 3:41 PM | Comments (2)


October 13, 2005

could it be a logical fallacy?

Who remembers Keith Olbermann? Name sounds familiar, right? About fifteen years ago, he was one of the main anchors for Sportscenter before it acquired that special shimmer that an absurd number of endorsements gives it. He was one of my favorite anchors, primarily because he was freakin' hilarious. Well, he has a different job now, and it isn't quite so funny. He has a news show on MSBNC called Countdown. While I was watching TV last night, I was trying to change to channel 29 (ESPN), and accidentally hit 59, which is MSNBC in my cable TV realm. It just so happened that I stumbled across Olbermann doing one of his countdowns. The headline caught my eye, so I watched for a few minutes. It turns out this Sportscenter alumnus just might be doing actual news analysis. The headline was this: The Nexus of Politics and Terror. And here is the story.. The video clip that I saw is also linked from that page. If you scroll down, it's on the right. I have long considered the possibility that politics of fear play a huge role in terror-related announcements. But to see a list of so-called coincidences like this is, well, let's say it's thought-provoking.

I'm quite interested in what others have to say about this story, so responses and comments are highly encouraged. Yes, that means you.

Posted by ben at 2:45 PM | Comments (0)


October 11, 2005

take two

At last, the first round of playoff baseball is in the books. I believe I picked one winner correctly. That ain't good. Hey, at least for the winner that I picked correctly I got the number of games right, too. I'm going to try to do better with the ALCS and NLCS.

ALCS -- Los Angeles vs. Chicago
Let's start with the obvious. It would be impossible for the Angels not to be tired. Sorry for the double-negative. But it's true. They played Sunday night in New York, Monday night in Anaheim, and they're playing tonight AND tomorrow night in Chicago. That'll wear ya out in a hurry. Adrenaline will take the through 6-7 innings of Game 1, but Jenks' fastball is going to look like it's going about 120 miles a hour when he comes on in the ninth. Elsewhere, Chicago has a clear edge in starting pitching. They're healthy and their rotation is set just the way they want it. Contreras has lost once since July 2, Buehrle's a gamer, and their third pitcher (Garland) won more games during the regular season than anyone else on their staff. The bullpens are close, but the edge has to go to Anaheim here if only because they don't have to worry about the split-personality of Damaso Marte. Is he dominant? Is it impossible for him to throw a strike? Sometimes both. Sometimes neither.

Both teams excel defensively. Both teams play center fielders in left. No one has a better arm than Vlad Guerrero. Finley's and Anderson's arms are pretty good too, though they are not what they once were. On the infield, both teams are solid defensively. Really, in this aspect, it's a draw. Offense, though, is not. the Angels have a much more potent line-up, at least on paper. But those hitters may be tired. The Sox have been resting and getting healthy, not trying to save their season. They took great swings against Boston. They looked relaxed and confident at the plate. I think the pitching of the Sox will make up for any edge Los Angeles has offensively. The Sox offense surprised everyone in the ALDS. I look for more of the same from them.

White Sox in 7

The NLCS -- Houston vs. St. Louis
Let's not beat around the bush -- the Cardinals are the better team. By far. But that doesn't always translate to playoff wins. In terms of pitching, the edge has to go to the Cardinals. That's right, not Clemens, Pettitte, an Oswalt -- Carpenter, Mulder, and Morris. The Cards' rotation is lined up the way they want it, while the Astros needed Clemens to pitch three innings in relief in their clincher on Sunday. and Oswalt pitched the day before that. That means Pettitte faces Carpenter, Mulder will probably face Oswalt on short rest, and then who knows from there. The Cardinals have the edge in bullpens as well. Isringhausen is better than Lidge, and the set-up men are far better for St. Louis. Pitching edge goes to St. Louis.

The Cardinals have won games all year behind their defense. Nunez stepped in at third for the injured Rolen and didn't miss a beat. Eckstein and Grudzielanek are one of the best double play duos in the league. Their outfield defense is excellent -- far better than Houston's, which features different players almost every night. St. Louis' Yadier Molina is turning into one of the premier catchers in the game. Defensive edge goes to St. Louis.

Offense. Hardly worth mentioning. The Cardinals scored 100 more runs during the regular season than Houston. And keep in mind, the Cards weren't at full strength until the final two weeks of the season. Reggie Sanders is in a groove at the plate, Edmonds is always good for at least one homer in each series, and Pujols is, well, Pujols. Houston changed their batting order during the last week of the season in an attempt to push more runs across. Not a good sign. Also, let's not forget the embarrassment visited upon the Cardinals last year when they were swept right out of the World Series with little more than a whimper. They want to get back there badly. The best news for the Cards -- Clemens can't possibly be on the field every night. Houston will take two at home, but it won't be enough.

Cardinals in 6

Posted by ben at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)


October 6, 2005

a sense of humor

The most absurd ballpark in the league clearly belongs to the Houston Astros. Minute Maid Park, formerly known as Enron Field before obvious reasons forced a name change, has a hill in center field, it's only 310 feet down the left field line (the league average is somewhere around 340 feet), and in what I'm sure is the most absurd feature of any ballpark in history, the center field foul pole, which is located 420 feet from home plate, is actually in play. So, theoretically, the hitter could hit the ball 500 feet to center field and, if it hits the pole and comes back onto the field, the ball is still in play. That don't make no sense. Thankfully, somebody has a sense of humor.

In other news, Pete's CD is in stock again. It's excellent. Get 'em while they last. It's nice to have something new to listen to.

Posted by ben at 5:26 PM | Comments (3)


October 5, 2005

moment of bewilderment

One of my favorite features in Sports Illustrated is their weekly sidebar titled This Week's SIgn of the Apocalypse in which they relay an all-but impossible to believe quote from or fact about some public figure, usually but not always sports related. Since I began reading SI and this sidebar on a regular basis, I have begun to see similar such examples more often than I feel is reasonable. I call these times Moments of Bewilderment, and I think I will appreciate them more if I can share them with all two of my readers. And for my first installment...

While flipping through the on-screen tv guide on my television this afternoon, a familiar tune caught my ear. I turned up the volume to get a better gander at it, and it hit me. My absolute favorite Phish tune -- Divided Sky -- was being used as background for golf highlights on Sportscenter. WHAAAA??????

Posted by ben at 7:30 PM | Comments (1)


October 4, 2005

can't top the original

I have left two of Drew's talking points (Law and Order and Madden 2006) unaddressed, a sin for which I will now attempt to compensate.

I'm not a big fan of all the Law and Order spin-offs, though I can't say I watch them regularly. I can't deal with Law and Order: SVU. Too intense for my blood, not to mention disturbing. Law and Order: Criminal Intent is pretty interesting. It's all about smart crimes and is a bit more in-depth than the original show. They started another one recently called Law and Order: Trial by Jury featuring Bebe Neuwirth, who played Lilith Crane, Frasier Crane's (Kelsey Grammer's) wife on Cheers. I think it must've folded, as I haven't seen commercials for it recently.

I can't yet discuss with any depth of experience the Madden 2006 game. Once the new XBox arrives, I'll be purchasing it and, after a few weeks, I'll pull myself away from the game to tell you what I think of it. From what I've heard, it can be pretty addictive, but I've felt that way about several of the Madden games. We'll see.

Posted by ben at 7:16 PM | Comments (0)


sure, that makes it legal

A few things have been bothering me lately. I heard yet another substance-free Bush press conference in the car this morning. He keeps telling Americans to save gas because of the hurricanes and such. Never mentioned by anyone is the fact that he has been to Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi on day trips like seven or eight times since the hurricanes passed through. Why has he been going? To "monitor progress" and "survey damage." In plain English, this translates to, "making up for the fumbling of cronies after the first hurricane." Does this sound like gas conservation to anyone?

So I was driving home down 94 the other day. The traffic was pretty bad, as it usually is in this city, so I was sitting in the traffic, slowly making my way home. All of sudden, this guy, with his hazard lights on mind you, whizzes past me on the left shoulder. Then, he flips the hazards off and swerves into the left lane. The traffic stops again, and he flips his hazards back on and zooms back onto the shoulder and out of sight. I don't know what was going on with him. In fact, I don't even know he was a 'him'. But man, all I could think was, 'you gotta be kidding me'. True, turning on the hazards makes some parking jobs at least semi-legal if not socially permissible. But circumventing traffic on the shoulder of the highway? That's just craziness.

Now, let's talk playoff baseball. I've done some thinking, I've seen some predictions, and here's what I think. Not what I want. What I think.

The NLDS
San Diego vs. St. Louis: No way San Diego can pull this out. They're outmatched in pitching, bullpens, defense, power and contact hitting, clutch hitting, and big game players. San Diego will be lucky to pull one game out of this one.

Cardinals in 3

Houston vs. Atlanta: An interesting match-up. Houston's pitching is going to make them tough. No question about that. However, let's not forget Atlanta has some pretty damn good pitching themselves. I look to the Smoltz vs. Clemens match-up in Game 2 to determine how this series goes, especially since these two guys would probably meet up again if a fifth game i needed. The edge here goes to the Braves for one reason: bullpens. Houston has a great closer, though he's been shaky lately, but they use two guys with no game (Wheeler and Qualls) to get to him.

Braves in 5

ALDS
Boston vs. Chicago: Man, I'd love to see the White Sox win the Series. No White Sox-hating here. But this will be a tough series for them. The edge has to go to Boston if only because they have the best clutch hitter in baseball in David Ortiz. And that Ramirez guy swings pretty good too. If Chicago has a chance, it's because Boston's starting pitching has been suspect of late, with the exception of Schilling). Long story short, Chicago doesn't have the offense to keep up with Boston.

Red Sox in 4

New York vs. Anaheim: Unfortunately, beating the Yankees in the playoffs is an extraordinarily difficult feat. Randy Johnson has started to pitch like the big, ugly, guy with nasty stuff that New Yorkers expected all season. And he's a gamer. Oh yeah, and their offense is absurdly good. If Anaheim pitches well AND they get into New York's middle relief, they'll have a chance. But the Yankees will win the slugfests.

Yankees in 4

ALCS: Red Sox in 7
NLCS: Braves in 7
World Series: Braves in 6

More detail on ALCS and NLCS match-ups and the Series will come once that time approaches and the teams are known.

A quick note on the Cubs: Last week, they signed Ryan Dempster to a 3-year contract extension. At last, they have found and retained their closer.

Posted by ben at 2:51 PM | Comments (2)