Tag: ek Holiday

It sucks to be a member of the 70% majority.

Self loathing.  Did I mention self loathing?

Day 14, the traditional gift is a pad of paper and a pen.

Frank Capra– It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) (2:10)

His pictures let viewers witness “a triumph of the individual over corrupt leaders”, and experience “inherent qualities of kindness and caring for others.” Most of his best works have been revived, and are today considered timeless fables filled with love and respect for the struggles of the common man.

Please keep in mind that I’m even less Jewish than I am Christian so if I differ in details it’s pure ignorance, not malice.

At some point a Syrian King named Antiochus captured Jerusalem, outlawed Judaism, looted the Temple erected by Solomon, and sacrificed pigs on the altar.

To be fair it might have been lobsters, the point is that to express his contempt and enmity he was as disrespectful as he could figure out how to be.

Shortly (as these things go in antiquity which has a much more relaxed and nebulous time frame than contemporary reality) after that a group of Jewish rebels recaptured the city and set about ritually re-dedicating the Temple, a process that involved continuous illumination from a lamp called a menorah.

The supply of oil for this task was limited to a single day and more would not be available for at least eight, yet miraculously the lamp continued to burn.

Further speculation on my part seems unwarranted.  Should you be celebrating this season I wish you and yours a happy and enjoyable time.

Have you done your apocalypse shopping yet?

2012 Mayan Apocalypse Rumors Have Dark Side, NASA Warns

Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer

Date: 28 November 2012 Time: 06:46 PM ET

“While this is a joke to some people and a mystery to others, there is a core of people who are truly concerned,” he said.

…

“I think it’s evil for people to propagate rumors on the Internet to frighten children,” (astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center) Morrison said.

…

NASA scientists took questions via social media in the hour-long video chat, debunking doomsday myths from the rogue planet Nibiru to the danger of killer solar flares.

…

Nor are any near-Earth objects, planetary or otherwise, threatening to slam into our planet on Dec. 21, said Don Yeomans, a planetary scientist who tracks near-Earth objects at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The only close asteroid approach on the horizon is forecast to occur on Feb. 13, 2013, when an asteroid will pass within 4.5 Earth radii to our planet (for perspective, Earth’s radius is 3,963 miles, or 6,378 kilometers). The asteroid is not going to hit Earth, Yeomans said.

Other rumors – that the Earth’s magnetic field will suddenly reverse or that the planet will travel almost 30,000 light-years and fall into the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy – were also dismissed. (A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, or about 6 trillion miles, or 10 trillion km.)

One popular rumor that the planet will undergo a complete blackout from Dec. 23 to 25 earned a “What?” and blank looks from the panel of scientists.

Ultimately, concerns about Earth’s fate would be better focused on slow-acting problems such as climate change rather than some sort of cosmic catastrophe, said Andrew Fraknoi, an astronomer at Foothill College in California.

It would be irresponsible not to speculate.

8:30 pm NBC.  A more familiar kind of Throwball.

I’ve often wished these two teams would play in the Super Bowl every year since they are my favorites, but that would make it too hard to root.

Unlike most of my neighbors I’m definitely a New York market fan and have little use for the Sox or Patsies and notwithstanding Broadway Joe, Gang Green has always been flashy feckless collection of not quite good enoughs too lowly for even a Mets fan.

Woody Johnson and Tim Tebow are no improvement.

The Giants on the other hand have very, very occasionally put together a team that actually knows how to run and pass and control the clock so their usually ordinary Defense doesn’t look so bad (I remember LT with great fondness).  As one of the originals it’s a storied franchise that remembers its traditions of greatness.

They are my team of proximity.  The Packers are the team of my heart, The People’s Team.

I defy you to read their story and not get a little misty eyed about much better things could be if we had a system that rewarded its professed values of hard work and sacrifice for the collective good instead of Mammon worship in pursuit of a new feudalism.

I seldom notice Throwball until the last lingering leaf is brown on the ground.  Should, as frequently happens, the Giants not be a part of the post season at that point I sigh a little sigh and say- wait ’til next year.

If the Packers are not in the hunt I am reminded of the wisdom of Moonlight Graham.

(F)or five minutes you came within… y-you came this close. It would KILL some men to get so close to their dream and not touch it. God, they’d consider it a tragedy.

Son, if I’d only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes… now that would have been a tragedy.

6 pm Vs.– Grey Cup, Stampeders v. Argonauts.

La Coupe Grey was conceived as a Hockey Trophy and, like Lord Stanley’s Cup, has the name of each winning team enscribed on it.  It’s been broken several times and stolen twice.  The difference between the date of it’s anniversary (1909) and this year is because the Cup was not awarded during The Great War or the year after.  It’s been won by a US based team, the Baltimore Stallions, exactly once.

Canadian Football is a little different in the details from NFL and Collegiate rules but not as much as Rugby.  It’s recognizably North American Throwball and shouldn’t confuse the casual viewer.  There are 12 Players per side (Offense/Defense) and only 3 downs.

But it is a very different style of play which, like International Ice Hockey, is a function of being played in a much larger area- 110 yards (101m) long by 65 yards (59m) wide.  This extra space as well as the missing down favor wide open passing attacks (just as International Arenas favor a passing game over NHL-style checking).  Notable players who have been successful in both Leagues include Doug Flutie and Warren Moon.

This Centennial contest is being held at the home field of the Toronto Argonauts who are also the Yankees of Canadian Football with 15 Cup victories in 21 appearances (as opposed to the Stampeders who are only 6 of 12).  Still, true fans may have mixed feelings about an Argonaut win since the Cup almost melted to slag while in their care in 1947.

The year after that marked the first official Grey Cup party (also known as Canada’s “Grand National Drunk”).

It is said the two events are unrelated but you couldn’t prove it by me.

Update:

Grey Cup: Trophy survives parade from Varsity Stadium to Rogers Centre

Daniel Girard, Toronto Star

Sunday November 25, 2012

For the first time in its century of existence, hundreds of fans were able to carry the Grey Cup through the streets of Toronto.

“It was a feeling that can’t ever be replicated,” Kyle Dunn of Surrey, B.C., said moments after being one of the first fans to carry the CFL’s prized trophy as it made its way from Varsity Stadium, site of many early title games, to the Rogers Centre, site of the 100th.

“It’s like holding the most expensive thing you could,” said Dunn, 30, bedecked in Lions paraphernalia, his face painted orange. “It’s like holding the Canadian crown jewels.”

CFL commissioner Mark Cohon told hundreds of fans at Varsity Stadium he was hoping to make this inaugural parade of the trophy to the stadium on game day a regular event. But he implored those who got hold of the goblet to make that possible.

“It will only become a new tradition if you guys don’t drop it,” Cohon told the crowd. “Treat it with the respect it deserves.”

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Well, except for the Grey Cup, Packers/Giants, and anything else I forgot.

This project covers 6 pm to 6 am.

Don’t drive angry.

This project covers from 6 am to 6 pm.

Collegiate Cow Tipping-

This project covers 6 pm to 6 am.

noon

• ABC– Michigan @ Ohio State
• ESPN– Georgia Tech @ Georgia
• ESPN2– Rutgers @ Pittsburgh
• FX– Tulsa @ Southern Methodist

2:30 pm

• NBC– Grambling State v. Southern
• Faux– Texas Tech v. Baylor

3:30 pm

• ABC– Florida @ Florida State
• CBS– Auburn @ Alabama
• ESPN– Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma
• ESPN2– Wisconsin @ Penn State
• Vs.– Air Force @ Fresno State

6:30 pm

• Faux– Stanford @ UCLA

8 pm

• ABC– Notre Dame @ USC

10:30 pm

• ESPN2– Louisiana Tech @ San Jose State

midnight

• Vs.– Grambling State v. Southern

3 am

• ESPN2– Missouri @ Texas A&M

4:30 am

• ESPN– South Carolina @ Clemson

If your alma is represented I’m sure that’s the big game to you.  The two with the most BCS significance are Stanford/UCLA @ 6:30 pm and Notre Dame/USC @ 8 pm.  Armando will be watching Florida/Florida State @ 3:30 pm.

(h/t Herr Doktor Professor)

This project covers from 6 am to 6 pm.

Your usual collection of marathons, movies, and holiday specials.  New College Throwball on offer from ESPN at 7 pm (South Florida @ Cincinnati) and 10 pm (Arizona State @ Arizona).  Late night repeats 2:30 am ESPN2 Syracuse @ Temple, 5 am Arizona State @ Arizona; 3 am ESPN South Florida @ Cincinnati.

8 pm NBC The National Dog Show (repeat), midnight Speed Interlagos Practice  (also, too).

Big BCS day tomorrow, Interlagos Qualifying.  This project covers from 6 pm to 6 am.