First off, happy Veterans Day to everyone – especially our own Outlaw. Glad to see the media behind the holiday this year, especially ESPN of all places. One wonders where this support was during the Bush years, but better late than never.
Here are some nuggets Tzupek-style. I’m currently sitting on three possible DVD reviews, hopefully I’ll have them cranked out by the weekend. The quarter is winding down, looking to catch up on some viewing.
- Robert Zemeckis, fresh off A Christmas Carol and its rather lukewarm greeting at the box office, is rumored to helm an animated re-telling of The Nutcracker. This would be the fourth-consecutive animated film for Zemeckis and his third Christmas-themed movie in recent years. The Nutcracker would have been a better selection than the oft-repeated Dickens classic.
- Lou Dobbs has quit CNN. Hotair has the video. Fox denies any dealings with Dobbs, though he met with Roger Ailes back in September, according to a report by the New York Times. Glen Beck and Dobbs, a populist tag team of death. I’m sure Dobbs is well aware of what Beck’s ratings were at Headline News and what they are now.
- Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are doing a movie called Date Night – and it looks like it sucks.
- The Wall Street Journal says football helmets might not do much to protect your noggin. They do make a convenient weapon to use against your opponent, which is something many coaches and players complain about.
- The White House is considering the use of TARP funds for deficit reduction. At most, that would be around $200 billion ($500 billion, or somewhere north, has already been spent) taken off a chunk of $1.5 trillion, which is the future projection of the deficit. Calling Rufus, but is this a good idea or more like paying off one credit card with another?
- The pro-abortion crowd is going nuts over Stupak.
- The Atlantic is already asking if Avatar, the new epic James Cameron film, will be a flop. The article disputes the New York Times claim that the film cost $500 million with marketing. The film was already made a target on South Park tonight.
- Camille Paglia manages to hail and insult Nancy Pelosi at the same time.
- Oprah goes full out for an Oscar.
I saw that article in the journal but have not had time to read it yet. When I was playing I heard some coaches and older, former players lament the introduction of the facemask. They said guys used to hit a lot more cleanly before the facemask was added. When it’s your nose on the line one tends to be a lot more focused on where that helmet is going. I’ve only played with a modern helmet and facemask, so it’s hard to say. My hands were constantly getting beat up by facemasks. When a player would have my forward progress halted it was very common for one of the defensive backs to fly in, face first, and try to dislodge the ball to force a fumble. That means I had to keep the ball and my hand in place, so as to not fumble, while a facemask with plastic coated metal bars was slamming into my fingers and knuckles. Think about the force behind a 150 – 180 pound body, moving at 15mph, all concentrated on a round surface area about 1/4″ in circumference, and that surface area is dense metal. That’s a lot of psi’s hitting a guy’s fingers.
Also, safeties and defensive backs were prone to fly into pile-ups head first, putting their necks and backs at great risk, because they knew the helmet would protect their skulls and faces. However, I’m sure without facemasks there would be a lot of broken noses and eye and eye socket injuries. Guys were constantly punching and gouging me when at the bottom of a pile, out of sight of the refs.
So, it’s a tough call. I know a fair amount of the old timers I’ve talked to say the facemask changed technique, and the game, for the worst, and believe facemasks contribute to injuries. I don’t think the issue should be helmets, or no, but facemasks or no.
What is it with the Nutcracker, anyway? Mothers drag their kids to it, every year, in the hope that it’ll give them a love of culture.
The danged thing has NO STORY! NO STORY! It’s all spectacle, like a bad Dreamworks film, but with even less substance. I say, drive a stake through its heart. Keep the music for background stuff in malls during the Christmas season, but kill the ballet.
Lars,
I agree it is a very weak ballet and the story is nonsense, but the score is phenomenal. Oddly enough there is not a lot of Christmas classical that is “pop” music. There are plenty of masses, but few breezy, fun pieces associated with Christmas. Without the music of the Nutcracker it would be all 20th century pop.
Here’s a happy Christmas tune…
Weird Al Yankovic – Christmas At Ground Zero (Official Music Video) – Watch more amazing videos here
This line from the “Oprah goes full out for an Oscar” link is precious. The writer is someone called Jenni Miller, who apparently lives on the planet Zoltron:
“If anything, President Obama has allowed us to see more clearly than ever that racism is still a huge problem in America. In fact, his presidency has brought racists out of the closet in full force, and in a manner that is unbelievably tolerated.”
I’m not sure what part of that declaration is the most stupid. Is it the fact that what Obama’s Presidency has done is to highlight the lengths that Americans, and particularly the media, are willing to go to avoid criticizing a black President, no matter how badly he governs, rather than “bringing racists out of the closet”? Or is it the two word construction: “unbelievably tolerated”? I thought this was the age of tolerance. Maybe I missed the memo. It toleration no longer on the PC-approved list? Oh wait. I’m a conservative. No toleration (or soup) for me!
I wonder who the libtards are talking to. Themselves? When 80% of the country is not on board with their crap, they become like the annoying drunk at the Xmas party wobbily telling the same joke over and over and over again, until someone, somewhere will laugh at it.
If you speak Libtard, you know what she’s saying: “Wow, now that the enlightened are in charge, I can’t believe we still put up with these neo-cons who, by just disagreeing with us, demonstrate their ignorance and bias which will endanger us all”.
These clowns are so lost they don’t even know they’re lost. Damn, I can’t wait for the adults to return.