over three weeks since I last posted? Where does the time go? Well, believe me, for me to stay away from my loyal readers (all three of you), it HAS to be something important. I am working on something people. What? Can't exactly say yet, but hopefully, in its completion it will be worth the withdrawal pains that you have been going through. Gotta skedaddle.
-IV
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Back at ya...
It's been a week, a long week too, but I'm back at you live from the Georgia Dome, where the SEC tournament is taking place. Not a lot of big names but a few to go around: Charles Barkley and Pat Riley were the only people I saw personally. I am two games into the tourney, with a more talented LSU team losing to University of South Carolina, and now Vandy is beating Auburn by nine with 15:35 to go. A couple of things of note here:
1) The stadium is empty and boast the noise level of a library. I suspect when the big boys start playing tomorrow things will change. Of course, Philips Arena's decibel level is in competition, but I digress. But this is a bit disconcerting, and only emphasizes the lack of importance of basketball in Georgia. That right, totem pole bottom baby. I shouldn't be able to call out somebody 25 rows up in the middle up the game and that person be able to hear me.
2) Media people are treated very well. Unlimited ice cream, food and snacks. Unfettered access everywhere. People looking at you like you may be somebody important. OK, the last point isn't really important to me, but seriously, if there is a better job in the world for someone who loves to write stories and be around people, then God kept it for Himself.
Right now, the lead has stretched to 16 with 6:56 remaining, Vandy's way. The team is well-trained, but what sticks out to me about them is their interior defense and how they do a great job of moving their feet and avoiding fouls while still altering shots.
Alright, that's it for now. Audi 5000.
-IV
1) The stadium is empty and boast the noise level of a library. I suspect when the big boys start playing tomorrow things will change. Of course, Philips Arena's decibel level is in competition, but I digress. But this is a bit disconcerting, and only emphasizes the lack of importance of basketball in Georgia. That right, totem pole bottom baby. I shouldn't be able to call out somebody 25 rows up in the middle up the game and that person be able to hear me.
2) Media people are treated very well. Unlimited ice cream, food and snacks. Unfettered access everywhere. People looking at you like you may be somebody important. OK, the last point isn't really important to me, but seriously, if there is a better job in the world for someone who loves to write stories and be around people, then God kept it for Himself.
Right now, the lead has stretched to 16 with 6:56 remaining, Vandy's way. The team is well-trained, but what sticks out to me about them is their interior defense and how they do a great job of moving their feet and avoiding fouls while still altering shots.
Alright, that's it for now. Audi 5000.
-IV
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Check this out
An interesting read and take about Barack Obama and the lax treatment that the media gives him. Take from it what you will...
Hole in the armor?
-IV
Hole in the armor?
-IV
Monday, March 3, 2008
Through The Wire - Late Editions
Note: Spoiler alert, if you have been comatose or under a rock for the past 59 episodes of The Wire, and don't want to be reminded of it, then DO NOT read ahead.
With the season and series finale airing next week, March 9 at 9 pm, I could not resist writing a quasi-assessment of the greatest television show I have ever laid my eyes on. Few shows contain the realism, entertainment and adhesion that The Wire has. Sunday's penultimate episode was in many ways a microcosm of the total series at large. Four quick points:
- The scene in which Carcetti's aide was in the office with Rawls and Daniels, with the aide imploring - more like demanding - that the police department bring the crime numbers down 10%. "This thing is a tanker, you can't expect us to turn this ship around like that," said Rawls. The same ole' games. Police department being handcuffed, and then given the impossible, and if that impossible is not given, then the police department falls on the scimitar. Seasons 1-4 had the same elements in it, and with an idealistic new mayor, Carcetti, promises of change were made. Yet, when it came down to it, even the most well-intentioned politicians fall prey to the crippling machinations of their predecessors. School system deficits leads to police budget shortfalls which leads to more criminals experiencing carte blanch. The faulty system prevails! God help us.
- Kima "snitching" to Daniels should have been expected. Remember in Season One, when she was in the hospital, and Bunk came to her to identify the shooters who put her in there? Well, she ID'd one of them but WOULD NOT point out the other. Notice I said would not. Bunk gave the best speech he could to assure her that it was Wee-Bay who shot her, but Kima didn't see him so she wouldn't play ball. An interesting scene at the time, who knew that it would persist as Kima's defining role? Her integrity and commitment to doing honest cop work involved her turning in her closest co-worker and friend McNulty. Many question why she did it. Did she have to do it? I wish she hadn't. But I don't blame her. She did what she felt was right...in other words, she capitulated to her conscience. Something rarely seen these days.
- Michael and Snoop produced arguably the best scene of the season. The poignance of the kill emphasized the dichotomy of Michael and Snoop. The way Snoop reacted when the gun was pulled out on her was telling - it was as if she really believed that "deserve ain't got nuttin' to do with it" and when it is your time, it is your time. That's how true assassins think and carry themselves. Micheal, who constantly questioned Marlo's indiscriminate killings, was told before he pulled the trigger by Snoop that "you were never one of us, and you never could be." Well, she was right. Snoop was soldier, Michael is more CEO. Soldiers are followers, CEOs are thinkers and hence leaders. Mike only got into "the life" because Chris embraced him and did him a favor. He cared about Bug, his younger brother, and protected him. That was his number one mission in life. Everything else fell in line. But for Snoop, the life was all there was. Soldiers die for a cause, CEO's always think a step ahead. I will be real surprised if Michael ends up expired when this series end...
-Bug and Duke and Bubbles. Another emotion-packed scene that left any tender heart in tears, or the hardest heart feeling like "Dang..." As stated earlier, Bug was everything to Michael. But Mike knows that Marlo will retaliate, so he has to protect the people closest to him. Duke is now living with a junkie...time will tell if he is using too. Reginald - the guy formerly known as Bubbles - is probably the biggest feel-good story of The Wire series. We have all seen his regression and progression from a drug junkie/police informant/streets salesman/mentor to Sharrod. As someone who has frequented a few AA and NA meetings in his lifetime, the veracity of that scene hit home for me. When Reggie opened up - finally - about Sharrod and ended with the line "There's no shame in holding on to grief, as long as you make room for other things as well," there wasn't a thawed heart in the room (for the record, I was the only one in the room). I wonder if Fletcher will end up writing that story on him and if his sister will finally let him upstairs.
- How about Marlo and his blow-up in jail? For the first time in the past three seasons, he snapped and misplaced his cool (I don't want to say "lost" because he regained it quickly). The thing that gets me is, why didn't his lieutenants tell him about Omar? I have had numerous discussions with colleagues about this, and I haven't heard a satisfactory answer yet. My guess is that either they were ashamed that Omar was getting the "best" of them - which is an indictment on them not doing their jobs - or that Omar had them shook and feared that Marlo would have been killed if he went at Omar himself. I am inclined to say the latter, knowing that Marlo would not have resisted a showdown with Mr. Little to protect his reputation. After all, his name is his name.
Now you wonder, how could Zet do a psuedo-review of the penultimate episode of the fifth season of The Wire without incorporating his livelihood, the media? Doing that, would be so un-Wire like. Unpredictability is David Simon and company's calling card. Who am I to break away from what works?
-IV
With the season and series finale airing next week, March 9 at 9 pm, I could not resist writing a quasi-assessment of the greatest television show I have ever laid my eyes on. Few shows contain the realism, entertainment and adhesion that The Wire has. Sunday's penultimate episode was in many ways a microcosm of the total series at large. Four quick points:
- The scene in which Carcetti's aide was in the office with Rawls and Daniels, with the aide imploring - more like demanding - that the police department bring the crime numbers down 10%. "This thing is a tanker, you can't expect us to turn this ship around like that," said Rawls. The same ole' games. Police department being handcuffed, and then given the impossible, and if that impossible is not given, then the police department falls on the scimitar. Seasons 1-4 had the same elements in it, and with an idealistic new mayor, Carcetti, promises of change were made. Yet, when it came down to it, even the most well-intentioned politicians fall prey to the crippling machinations of their predecessors. School system deficits leads to police budget shortfalls which leads to more criminals experiencing carte blanch. The faulty system prevails! God help us.
- Kima "snitching" to Daniels should have been expected. Remember in Season One, when she was in the hospital, and Bunk came to her to identify the shooters who put her in there? Well, she ID'd one of them but WOULD NOT point out the other. Notice I said would not. Bunk gave the best speech he could to assure her that it was Wee-Bay who shot her, but Kima didn't see him so she wouldn't play ball. An interesting scene at the time, who knew that it would persist as Kima's defining role? Her integrity and commitment to doing honest cop work involved her turning in her closest co-worker and friend McNulty. Many question why she did it. Did she have to do it? I wish she hadn't. But I don't blame her. She did what she felt was right...in other words, she capitulated to her conscience. Something rarely seen these days.
- Michael and Snoop produced arguably the best scene of the season. The poignance of the kill emphasized the dichotomy of Michael and Snoop. The way Snoop reacted when the gun was pulled out on her was telling - it was as if she really believed that "deserve ain't got nuttin' to do with it" and when it is your time, it is your time. That's how true assassins think and carry themselves. Micheal, who constantly questioned Marlo's indiscriminate killings, was told before he pulled the trigger by Snoop that "you were never one of us, and you never could be." Well, she was right. Snoop was soldier, Michael is more CEO. Soldiers are followers, CEOs are thinkers and hence leaders. Mike only got into "the life" because Chris embraced him and did him a favor. He cared about Bug, his younger brother, and protected him. That was his number one mission in life. Everything else fell in line. But for Snoop, the life was all there was. Soldiers die for a cause, CEO's always think a step ahead. I will be real surprised if Michael ends up expired when this series end...
-Bug and Duke and Bubbles. Another emotion-packed scene that left any tender heart in tears, or the hardest heart feeling like "Dang..." As stated earlier, Bug was everything to Michael. But Mike knows that Marlo will retaliate, so he has to protect the people closest to him. Duke is now living with a junkie...time will tell if he is using too. Reginald - the guy formerly known as Bubbles - is probably the biggest feel-good story of The Wire series. We have all seen his regression and progression from a drug junkie/police informant/streets salesman/mentor to Sharrod. As someone who has frequented a few AA and NA meetings in his lifetime, the veracity of that scene hit home for me. When Reggie opened up - finally - about Sharrod and ended with the line "There's no shame in holding on to grief, as long as you make room for other things as well," there wasn't a thawed heart in the room (for the record, I was the only one in the room). I wonder if Fletcher will end up writing that story on him and if his sister will finally let him upstairs.
- How about Marlo and his blow-up in jail? For the first time in the past three seasons, he snapped and misplaced his cool (I don't want to say "lost" because he regained it quickly). The thing that gets me is, why didn't his lieutenants tell him about Omar? I have had numerous discussions with colleagues about this, and I haven't heard a satisfactory answer yet. My guess is that either they were ashamed that Omar was getting the "best" of them - which is an indictment on them not doing their jobs - or that Omar had them shook and feared that Marlo would have been killed if he went at Omar himself. I am inclined to say the latter, knowing that Marlo would not have resisted a showdown with Mr. Little to protect his reputation. After all, his name is his name.
Now you wonder, how could Zet do a psuedo-review of the penultimate episode of the fifth season of The Wire without incorporating his livelihood, the media? Doing that, would be so un-Wire like. Unpredictability is David Simon and company's calling card. Who am I to break away from what works?
-IV
Friday, February 29, 2008
More on the absurdity below
Claps abound for the man in the article who took preventative measures to protect his two daughters. Claps abound for the daughters for having the smarts and composure to call someone who they knew who take preventative measures to protect his daughters. Claps abound for the call to the police by the male who took preventative measures to protect his daughters.
Common denominator in those three sentences: preventative measures, something the law doesn't have in its policy of self-defense. Now granted, we don't know for sure if the daughters were telling the truth about being followed. For all we know, they could have known the dude all along and set him up to get shot. If that is the case, then that is just downright despicable. Time and investigation will tell what really happened.
But if the tone of the article is correct, that the man did take - here's that phrase again - preventative measures to protect his seeds, then I totally sympathize. Why is it that something has to happen for the self-defense law to be enacted? I'm not for unwarranted killings, as I again sympathize with the deceased' family. But you can't play in dirt, and not expect to get dirty. When you infringe onto somebody else's life, you leave your life in their hands. You don't know what others are capable of, so why get entangled with that?
This happens all the time. Helpless women falling prey to vulturous men. Only this time, a father - something that seems to be missing in the black community - comes to the rescue. This stuff makes me beam and cringe, because I know I would have probably done the same thing. Maybe. Who knows? But I don't blame him one iota.
Now of course, this is assuming that everything that the daughters and father said was true. If there is a complete reversal, then disregard everything I wrote and go about your business in having a blessed weekend.
-IV
Common denominator in those three sentences: preventative measures, something the law doesn't have in its policy of self-defense. Now granted, we don't know for sure if the daughters were telling the truth about being followed. For all we know, they could have known the dude all along and set him up to get shot. If that is the case, then that is just downright despicable. Time and investigation will tell what really happened.
But if the tone of the article is correct, that the man did take - here's that phrase again - preventative measures to protect his seeds, then I totally sympathize. Why is it that something has to happen for the self-defense law to be enacted? I'm not for unwarranted killings, as I again sympathize with the deceased' family. But you can't play in dirt, and not expect to get dirty. When you infringe onto somebody else's life, you leave your life in their hands. You don't know what others are capable of, so why get entangled with that?
This happens all the time. Helpless women falling prey to vulturous men. Only this time, a father - something that seems to be missing in the black community - comes to the rescue. This stuff makes me beam and cringe, because I know I would have probably done the same thing. Maybe. Who knows? But I don't blame him one iota.
Now of course, this is assuming that everything that the daughters and father said was true. If there is a complete reversal, then disregard everything I wrote and go about your business in having a blessed weekend.
-IV
Check this absurdity out
One of many you have heard in your lifetime.
My thoughts will follow later. Let this marinate for now.
-IV
My thoughts will follow later. Let this marinate for now.
-IV
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Perhaps the last bruhaha of a great season...
As I am currently sitting on my plush leather couch watching the Senators Barack and Hilary go at it for the 13,456th (seriously, the 20th) time in the last few months, a few quick things stick out like outliers:
1) The desperation on Hilary's countenance and in her voice is as palpable as a crater on a 14 year old's face on prom night. She knows that if she doesn't win Texas AND Ohio, her campaign is clinically effed. The cutoffs of the moderators, the chime-ins on questions directed towards Barack, and the over-emphasizing of her experience as First Lady all indicates a woman who is on the verge of going fishin'.
2) Barack, for the first time since I have seen him, looked slightly flapped. When the query of whether he will keep his word on the acquisition of funds from the general public, there was a glimpse of panic in his eye before he recovered with his answer (for complete analysis of the debate, hit up the New York Times. They have been magnificent in covering this debate.)
3) The inevitable Louis Farrakhan question came up. Great job by Barack in deflecting and distancing himself from Farrakhan without cheapening Farrakhan's endorsement.
4) How can you stop the effect and power of special interest groups if you are using their money to fund your campaign? Riddle me that Hil...
5) Great questions by the moderators Brian Williams and Tim Russert. They gave the tough inquiries, and pressed both candidates on the major linchpins of their respective campaigns. The mods could have been a little harder on Barack's drug history and how he plans on counteracting attacks from the GOP nominee, and on Hil's failed health plan in 1993. But who's tripping?
6) Barack didn't directly address the question of his pastor's affiliation to Louis Farrakhan. He's going to have to do that eventually.
-IV
1) The desperation on Hilary's countenance and in her voice is as palpable as a crater on a 14 year old's face on prom night. She knows that if she doesn't win Texas AND Ohio, her campaign is clinically effed. The cutoffs of the moderators, the chime-ins on questions directed towards Barack, and the over-emphasizing of her experience as First Lady all indicates a woman who is on the verge of going fishin'.
2) Barack, for the first time since I have seen him, looked slightly flapped. When the query of whether he will keep his word on the acquisition of funds from the general public, there was a glimpse of panic in his eye before he recovered with his answer (for complete analysis of the debate, hit up the New York Times. They have been magnificent in covering this debate.)
3) The inevitable Louis Farrakhan question came up. Great job by Barack in deflecting and distancing himself from Farrakhan without cheapening Farrakhan's endorsement.
4) How can you stop the effect and power of special interest groups if you are using their money to fund your campaign? Riddle me that Hil...
5) Great questions by the moderators Brian Williams and Tim Russert. They gave the tough inquiries, and pressed both candidates on the major linchpins of their respective campaigns. The mods could have been a little harder on Barack's drug history and how he plans on counteracting attacks from the GOP nominee, and on Hil's failed health plan in 1993. But who's tripping?
6) Barack didn't directly address the question of his pastor's affiliation to Louis Farrakhan. He's going to have to do that eventually.
-IV
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