Sunday, September 25, 2011

Mexico: Woman decapitated for posting about narcos on social networking site – Boing Boing

Mexico: Woman decapitated for posting about narcos on social networking site – Boing Boing:

'via Blog this'

The war on drugs is not working any better then prohibition did. As long as there is a market for cocaine for instance there are going to be people willing to take the chance of arrest to fill that need. With the price of cocaine being prohibitively high it allows people to rationalize taking more risks and greater chances because the reward is so "high".

Our government can't even get their heads around legalizing marijuana and there are hundreds of petitions circulating, studies done to examine health risks and a large portion of our population here in the united states either smoking weed regularly now or at least doing it at some point in their lives for a period of time....While weed may be used by a larger number of people, something like cocaine brings much much much higher profits and therefor is more lucrative for the criminal world. There is no short to fix to stop the bloodshed in mexico and convince the cartels to each take their little corner of the market and play nice. Everyone wants to make more money, everyone wants to have the easiest, safest, quickest trip for their drugs to the destination of initial distribution and they are going to be willing to kill for it and not just quietly from a distance in the dead of night. No. They want you to know how painful its going to be. They want you to know that it won't just be you, it will be every single person who loves you or that you love...They want there to be fear in your head and the more fear the more likely you are to turn the other way.

This article is about a women who was beheaded in Mexico because she supposedly posted information about the local cartels on a social networking site...that means just like facebook, google +1, myspace, think about how scary that is. I live in a decent middle class neighborhood where leaving your door unlocked was the norm 10 years ago, we barely even got that type of news out here even. Now its the internet age, we know A LOT OF BAD THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE WORLD. I've seen the atrocities in the Republic of Congo and the disgusting treatment of citizens in war torn countries. This was not the kind of thing that our parents were exposed to last generation, it's not even something they could really even find if they tried to find it unless they were in the military and deployed.

We need to focus on stopping the weapons trade or at least get it as much under control as we can. Your never going to rid the world of drugs, guns, and evil. Were stuck with bad people who do bad things sadly, but we can always control what we ourselves do. Telling someone that they need to stand up to the cartel when they have to live in the house down the street isnt the answer. Helping build allies across the border is a start, we need to stop the blame game and take responsibility too. A lot of those drugs are getting consumed right here in the US. So, if you want to think of it this way, the Mexicans could be made at us because the cartels wouldnt be killing for territory if there was not so much money to be made here.

What do you guys think our government should do? I know building some huge wall isn't the answer.....I'm pretty sure they have rope and ladders in Mexico too. 

Kevin Durant: Too Good To Be True? | Hardwood Paroxysm

Kevin Durant: Too Good To Be True? | Hardwood Paroxysm


GOOD READ- If you have any comments or thoughts on Durant or others in the NBA respond in my comments section. Who's fault is the NBA lockout? PLAYERS OR OWNERS? what percent of the blame is on each? I want to hear your opinions on this one guys.....



Saturday, September 24, 2011

Diana Nyad still swimming toward Florida despite jellyfish-filled night - ESPN

Diana Nyad still swimming toward Florida despite jellyfish-filled night - ESPN:

'via Blog this'


Overview: This 60 year old women name Diana Nyad is trying to best her own record for swimming across an open water without a shark cage by about a half mile. She is swimming from a marina in Havana, Cuba to Florida. She previously tried this same swim except with a shark cage at the age of 28 back in 1978 and made it 42 hours before she had to call it quits.

Then she tried again this August without a cage but had a severe asthma attack that lasted for 11 straight hours and she toughed it out until the 29 hour mark but had to end it one more time. She used that expierence as a sort of practice run and does not consider it a failure and still contends it had nothing to do with her age. Although she didn't plan on trying again she ended up flying to Cuba two days ago because of what she called "a magical window" which was the good weather and ideal sea conditions for her attempt.

At this point she is about halfway through her about 60 hour trip and she has dealt with a sighting of an Oceanic White Tipped Shark and barracudas were also spotted in the general vicinity. As if seeing those deadly creatures was not enough to deal with and get her back on the boat to safety she got stung by a "Portuguese Man O'war" jellyfish overnight and had difficulty breathing as a result which lead her handlers to give her oxygen and a steroid shot from the doctors.


This is one tough, amazing, and strong women. Strong both mentally and physically obviously. Remember throughout all of these possible disaster's waiting to happen she STAYED IN THE WATER. There is no getting on the boat until the sharks go away, no going downstairs below deck to take a nap cause you don't feel well, none of this, well there's a possible deadly women-eating animal big enough to swallow me in minutes and if he wanted swim right past my "safety divers" and kill me while the terrifying barracudas circle their snack and down below she swims unknowingly close to another potential roadblock in the jellyfish. The rules she imposed are she must stay in the water at all times until the swim is completed. She gets to stop swimming every 45 and 90 minutes to rest and just tread water while her assistants pass her food like pasta, bananas, pieces of peanut butter sandwiches and high calorie/high carb liquid made drinks.

Marathon swimmers have said that tonight will be the biggest test because if she can make it through the second night(which is tonight) then she's more likely to succeed. But I think she made it through the toughest part already......not swimming right to her boat and telling them to bring her back home RIGHT NOW.....like I wouldve done.

But let's all hope this incredible women makes it not only through tonight but all the way to the Florida coast and shore.....

DUMBEST KIDS OF THE DAY


3 Kids Arrested For Trying To Steal A 30-Pack Of Tecate Beer



Quick Story: They tried to escape but CRASHED A CAR and HIT AN EMPLOYEE who chased them, then one RAN THROUGH A CAR WASH and another LEFT BEHIND HIS ID. Fail is an understatement.


Make sure you start following this blog so you get to ANSWER SPORTS TRIVIA AND OTHER WEEKLY CONTESTS TO WIN FREE $25 GIFT CERTIFICATES TO WWW.MASSAUTHENTICS.ECRATER.COM


Friday, September 23, 2011

What athlete's signature is this? Whoever goes to my blog and guesses in the comment section first with the correct answer wins a $25 Gift Certificate FREE to www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com Make sure you tell all your friends and start following cause I do sports trivia at least once a week to giveaway FREE GIFT CERTIFICATES www.mylifemysportsexcetra.blogspot.com



Here's the new SPORTS TRIVIA CONTEST TO WIN A FREE $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE WEBSITE
MAKE SURE YOU TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO START FOLLOWING, I DO 2 A WEEK USUALLY SO MAY AS WELL
ALWAYS TAKE A GUESS, IT'S FREE MONEY!








Onstar now using your driving data to record location, speed ect for any purpose at any time


The idea of a company tracking your location constantly is apparently as reassuring to some as it is disturbing to me. I understand that it can be very useful and even a life saver in some situations. However, I think that they have crossed the line where the costs outweigh the benefits greatly now that they have to total authority to record not only your locations at certain times, but speed, car safety data ect "for any purpose, at any time, to any third party as long as the data provided is anonymized" 
The changes to the TOS and reported by Reuters, were announced this week and, sent to all of their subscribers in full. Just think how many people don't read half of the mail that's from companies like that and figure its just junk mail when in reality it can have a ripple effect through all aspects of your life.
Sharing anonymized information isn’t anything new for users of online services. Unless you actually opt out, it’s likely that most of the stuff you use online is being tracked, and that data sold in some way or another. Most companies are careful about anonymizing data, but not all data can be anonymized. A GPS record is rather hard to decouple from identity, since an intact record of a day or a week will plainly yield home and workplace locations, among other things.
Cross reference that with the data they now sell to “credit card processors and/or third parties we contract with who conduct joint marketing initiatives with OnStar,” and you’ve got a nice little database of easily identifiable individuals going.
It should be noted that there’s some tension here regarding what’s private and what’s public information — certainly it can easily be found out from voting, property, and tax records where someone lives and works. And the make and model of your vehicle is easily discernible by anyone nearby.
But that’s a misleading way to think about it; customers agree to the TOS with the implicit understanding that their location and speed would be used for the services they pay for, and if necessary shared with law enforcement. Not only now does the TOS essentially say that as long as they take your name off it, they can sell your data to literally anyone who wants it, but they now will also continue to collect that data even if you don’t use OnStar.
Again, to give OnStar credit, they say right away that you can totally deactivate their data connection by telling a representative that you want to. But how many times have you had the opt-out process be as easy as they say? Why is a company with whom you have no connection other than a piece of hardware in your car, able to access that information as valuable as this and then not only use it for their own data building but sell it to whomever asks>? Police, Insurance Companies, in theory say John Doe calls and says he owns "company xyz" and wants to have all of the data gathered for a research project he is doing on future possible customers. So, onstar sells it to him because they even verified that he owns the domain name john xyz(for which he paid a whole $9.99 for the year the day before) and now he has thousands of customers that live in his target area annon information. Well, now it turns out he's actually a thief and wanted to build a data base of work schedules for houses to hit so now that he knows that this car is 100 miles away every day during the week he has a good idea of when to go. If you’re really intent on being invisible to them, search for OnStar and your vehicle make and model to find where the GPS unit is, and simply disconnect it.

FBI arrests LulzSec member "recursion" for Sony Pictures hack

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Google +1 is now AVAILABLE!!!

Since Google's new +1 came out today and I use Google for my email, chat, homepage, search engine, photo's with Picasa 3 and pretty much everything else I figured I may as well give it a try so def come find me and follow me and i'll do the same. I'm always looking for people that are interested in sports in general, baseball, football, basketball, hockey, poker, and little bit of boxing and golf when Tiger gets his head back someday, well if he ever does.

Ok, so far I def like the +1 setup, it's very very easy to use, I haven't had any trouble figuring out how to navigate it at all. I already have all my different accounts set up through google services though so they are integrated already. I'm not sure how hard it would be and how long the setup would take to start fresh from the beginning but usually all of the ones I have signed up for with google are very quick. Your homepage is pretty straight forward with a profile you can list everything from schools, email, where you worked previously and present, and the thing I like is you can specify which people can see which parts of your pages and posts. For instance you can +1 things and have just your girlfriend know, or +1 something and have it be public and everyone on the internet could potentially see it. This way your able to pick and choose which pictures are private and public ect. +1 seems to integrate very well with all of google's other programs they have out already which is typical of google, i'm still waiting to see how popular it is because I personally don't really like twitter myself and I don't have a facebook page.

I'm really trying to get the word out about my website and blog so I created a twitter account just for that reason but i'm hoping this does well so that way i'm able to just keep people posted through the +1 forum. I've been trying to do some contests and sports trivia through this blog but have not had enough visits and pageviews yet for it to really take off and from what I can see so far on the +1 it seems like the majority of the people listed so far are from all types of areas and subcategories. I browsed through some topics that i'm interested in and just looked at pictures and went through to check out some people that way and it's def been well received so far from what I can tell.

Let me know what you think of GOOGLE'S NEW +1 IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR MY BLOG OR WEBSITE DEF LET ME KNOW. I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN WHAT TYPES OF ITEMS YOU GUYS LIKE SO IF YOU SEE A PICTURE THAT CATCHES YOUR EYE I'D APPRECIATE JUST A QUICK COMMENT SO I KNOW AND SAME WITH THE POSTS. I'd def like to know which ones you guys like so I know what things you want to hear more about. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson and Rafe Furst named by Manhattan U.S. Attorney in amended Black Friday civil complaint - ESPN

Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson and Rafe Furst named by Manhattan U.S. Attorney in amended Black Friday civil complaint - ESPN:

'via Blog this'

My Take: IM SPEECHLESS.....UM WOW.......I ACTUALLY HAD HEARD SOMETHING IN PASSING ABOUT THIS A FEW MONTHS BEFORE FULLTILT WAS SHUT DOWN BUT DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT BECAUSE I WAS NOT PLAYING AT HIGH ENOUGH STAKES THAT I HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT RISK AND BETWEEN MY 2 FRIENDS AND I WHO EACH HAD ACCOUNTS ALL OF THE WITHDRAWS MADE HAD NO PROBLEMS, OTHER THEN THE LENGTH TO GET THE ACTUAL MONEY. Surprise it takes longer to get the money back from Full Tilt then to get it to full tilt and have it available on the tables.

Ok, So basically because Full Tilt had a policy to credit players accounts before they actually had the money from the players bank account they ended up shorted X amount each month, quarter, year and as it built up more and more eventually they had player funds equaling 390 million(or so players thought) and they only actually had 59 million on hand.

I thought it was strange that when I first signed up and deposited $100 they immediately credited my poker account since at 10 pm on a Saturday they obviously didn't withdraw my money yet. Well, once you become verified which basically means they know who you are and your id and bank account match with a phone bill or something then you can withdraw larger amounts instantly ect ect. Well, the first problem with that is that a copy of an id, phone bill and bank account number could all be stolen by the same person and faxed to them and they did very little if any follow up in the beginning a few years ago, I did notice that it was getting harder and harder and they put more restrictions on bank transfers recently.

The other problem which I assume is the biggest one for them is there are hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of people in the world with bank accounts that have little or no money at all. Well if your just crediting them because they ask for it then obviously either they can lose the "$100" they had and you never get it anyways or they win and you take it back from there poker account and then they go about their day continuing to play with the difference in money they had won which they shouldn't have been able to in the first place. Then you have the issue of the people they played against who lost money. Well, how is it fair to me that when I went to western union and sent $200 to you so you already have my money that some random guy that did a bank transfer and does not won against me and now i'm done playing for this week and little do I know I shouldn't have lost in the first place really?

Def let me know what you guys think of this, it's going to be a HUGE STORY BECAUSE there are tons of players that are still owed money from FULL TILT, I KNOW THAT I STILL AM OWED.

IF YOUR OWED MONEY LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Greg 'FBT' Mueller Wins Epic Poker League Pro-Am, Thwarts Robbery - Rakeback.com

Greg 'FBT' Mueller Wins Epic Poker League Pro-Am, Thwarts Robbery - Rakeback.com

All in a day's work.....Greg Mueller, who is a great poker player and knows his way around the table has a few qualities that most people didn't know he had, and very few people actually do. That's not only the fact that he is perceptive, quick thinking, and has courage that most people would only dream of but he didn't just realize that a thief had grabbed one of his $5k ticket markers while at the craps table at Aria in Vegas and alert security, he chased after him, tackled him and even gave him the chance to return it otherwise he'd be swinging instead of holding. Before the degenerate could respond with a tough guy no or a poor guy yes the authorities were on scene and took him into custody.

To top it off Greg Mueller actually won the Epic Poker League Pro-Am also for a score of
All of those traits I mentioned are qualities that many poker players that are at top of the poker community in terms of winning possess. High stakes poker has enormous swings and the players often speak of the "peaks and valleys" because of variance and you can't get caught up in yourself one way or another good or bad. Taking a bad beat is tough enough, but compounding the problem by playing hands that you wouldn't normally or changes your style because your angry. Odds are if your that angry that your all of a sudden all in 3 hands in a row when you hadn't been once in the previous 8 hours, other players notice too. Guess what? it's just going to keep getting worse and worse.


Saturday, September 17, 2011

Video: Father of the Big East dies - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

Video: Father of the Big East dies - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN:

'via Blog this'

If you know New England Basketball then you Know David Gavitt. Coached at Providence for many years and played a part in basketball for over 34, he passed away at the age of 70.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains unbeaten by knocking out Victor Ortiz - ESPN

Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains unbeaten by knocking out Victor Ortiz - ESPN:

'via Blog this'

Overview: Mayweather was dominating the fight with steady right hands and his as advertised vaunted quick defense when in the 4th round Ortiz appeared to headbutt Mayweather intentionally. When the headbutt occurred Mayweather had won each previous round in 2 of the judges scorecards and was ahead 2-1 on the third judges. Coming out of the break, after Ortiz planted a kiss on Floyd's cheek and semi-hugged him in an aparent apology, "Money" Mayweather quickly landed a straight left and then followed with his prototypical right that dazed Ortiz enough to end the fight. Afterword it was a little bit of he did this, he did that, with both sides claiming the standard "I did what I was supposed to do, you should always protect yourself", and the "I followed the referee's instructions exactly and Mayweather swung before I had begun fighting again" ect ect.

The talk before and after were pretty much the standard bravado and everything went just about as expected. Maybe a little quicker then most had planned but overall it was about what you'd expect from a Floyd "Money" Mayweather fight. Lots of talk.....some great defense that keeps the opponent at bay....some controversy inside and outside the ring......and Floyd standing victorious at the end.......THAT'S UNDEFEATED IN 42 PROFESSIONAL FIGHTS INCASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW!


CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE AT WWW.MASSAUTHENTICS.ECRATER.COM AND WWW.MASSAUTHENTICS.COM

RUNNING GUESS THE ATHLETE SIGNATURE CONTEST RIGHT NOW....WIN A FREE $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE.....IT'S FREE TO GUESS SO WHY NOT TAKE A SHOT??? 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

NAME THIS ATHLETE'S SIGNATURE

whoever can answer who's signature that autograph is win's a free $25 gift certificate to MassAuthentics. No minimum purchase, if you find a $20 item you want, you get it free and still have $5 to spend. Make sure you answer on the comment section fast, only the first answer wins.
ITS BASEBALL FOOTBALL BASKETBALL PLAYER
Preview

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

My Take On Current News In The World Today: New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners - Recap - September 13, 2011 - ESPN

My Take On Current News In The World Today: New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners - Recap - September 13, 2011 - ESPN

Rivera is 2nd player in history to notch his 600th save and he's still going strong.

New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners - Recap - September 13, 2011 - ESPN:

'via Blog this'

Overview: Mariano Rivera gets his 600th career save. Only second player in the history of MLB to reach 600.





Kristin's Kustom Kraft's can be seen and purchased at www.massauthentics.ecrater.com


Take a look at some of the crafts that Kristin has been working on for the website......Everything is hand made and done to be ordered so if there is a specific color or size you would like just email to let us know and we can adjust it so it's made specifically for your space. Also working on children's posters and character display's. Pick a combination of your child's photo and a poem written decoratively, a favorite cartoon character and a poem, favorite cartoon character with picture of your loved one ect. Photo can be sent to us and added as is or sent to us and sketched for effect......Find the perfect one today, they make great presents for kids birthdays, holidays, or even as a reward.

Athletes Kevin Durant, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Abby Wambach and more share their 9/11 memories - ESPN The Magazine - ESPN

Athletes Kevin Durant, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Abby Wambach and more share their 9/11 memories - ESPN The Magazine - ESPN:

'via Blog this'

Overview/Review-Athletes share what they were thinking back on the original 9/11 when most of them were not in the spotlight like they are now, you get more of an inside look at some of your favorite athletes in a variety of different sports. It's a pretty good piece by ESPN the magazine and the writers. 

The Caesars Cup returns this October with Phil Hellmuth and Bertrand Grospellier as captains. - ESPN

The Caesars Cup returns this October with Phil Hellmuth and Bertrand Grospellier as captains. - ESPN:

'via Blog this'

Short Summary: The Caesars Cup was the poker match that set "the Americans" vs. "the Europeans" in several(5 to be exact) heads up and partner formatted sessions. It was generally the thought at the time that the Americans would easily win and basically dominate the matches due to their combination of braclets, wins in tournaments at every level, lifetime winnings of millions and millions and live experience sitting at the felt of thousands of hours coupled with their name recognition within not only the poker community but their developing status growing throughout mainstream media. The match was in 2009 and the Europeans didn't have the same name recognition at the time outside of the world where they prospered, online. Surprising everyone but themselves the European group of 5 dominated from the start and won convincingly 4-1. This time ESPN will be capturing the rematch at the 2011 World Series of Poker Europe in October


2009 Match 8 players each team
American Team

Captain-Daniel Negreanu
Dolye Brunson
Phil Ivey
Jennifer Harman
Phil Hellmuth
John Juanda
Barry Greenstein
Huck Seed

European Team

Captain-Annette Obrested
Gus Hanson
Dario Minieri
John Harvey
Bertrand Grospellier
Patrick Antonius
Ziigmund Sahamies
Peter Eastgate




From the man himself:


 Bertrand Grospellier 
First pick is  ! RT : I can't wait for the Caesars Cup, you know who your picking yet?


2011 Match-5 players each team
American Team

Captain-Phil Hellmuth
1st Pick-Doyle Brunson


European Team

Captain-Bertrand Grospellier

Monday, September 12, 2011

Epic's Stephen Martin Discusses DiVita, Rheem, and League Conduct | BLUFF Poker News

Epic's Stephen Martin Discusses DiVita, Rheem, and League Conduct | BLUFF Poker News:

'via Blog this'

Quick summary-Explanations of some of the league conduct rules developed for the Epic Poker League for Pro's during questions and answer session. Also, topics move to Divita criminal past and the Rheem probation ruling due to his debts with other players. Good article.

A Simple Thank You Would Suffice | Hardwood Paroxysm

A Simple Thank You Would Suffice | Hardwood Paroxysm



Overview-Shaq had one team that he played for that didn't end up on the wrong end of a 7'4" bitch slap and that was the celtics......that's over ;)

Here's A Picture Of An Amorous Moment Between A Yankees Starting Pitcher And Backup Catcher

Dale Earnhardt jr 1:64 matchbox car in Budweiser can Limited Edition Adult Colletible made by RCCA.

Dale Earnhardt jr 1:64 matchbox car in Budweiser can Limited Edition Adult Colletible made by RCCA.

For unique items like these Dale Earnhardt Sr 1:24 die cast cars check out www.massauthentics.com or www.massauthentics.ecrater.com


Dale Earnhardt Sr was one of the greatest drivers to ever drive NASCAR. His on track death was a immense loss for the racing community. He had one of the biggest followings of any driver ever and is still the biggest seller and most valuable piece of memorabilia you can own as far as NASCAR. Check out a couple of the very unique cars for sale at MassAuthentics in the collage above. These are both very rare and have become valuable collectors items because of the design and rarity of his items hitting the market.

LOOK AT THIS!!!! FUNNY SPORTS SIGNS

CLICK TO SEE: GREAT SIGNS. DEF CHECK THIS ONE OUT SPORTS FANS

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Thank you

So much has changed in the last 10 years since the world trade center collapsed but there is one thing that will always be the same, the men and women that protect and serve this great country will always be brave, will always make me proud to be an AMERICAN. Next time you see a member of our armed guard or first responders, take the time to stop and say thank you......it's the least we can do.

Boston Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis sidelined with bursitis, hernia - ESPN Boston

Boston Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis sidelined with bursitis, hernia - ESPN Boston:

'via Blog this'

Red Sox need to get back to the basics and get healthy before the playoffs-With Youkilis hurting more and more as the season goes on it's not just him that hurts everytime he gets in the lineup. Between the coach, the fans, his teammates, we all hurt as he continues to struggle at the plate. He hasn't been himself for any length of time this entire year really. Youkilis is a gold glove player in the field and an above average batter at the plate, with a mix of patience to extend at bats and power to drive in runs. His patience has not only drawn walks but when he's putting pressure on the opposing pitcher and making him throw strikes and get his pitch count up. It's fairly typical that the quicker you get to the bullpen the better position your in as a team. We need someone to step up and play this role of solid defense and a key bat in the lineup whether it's him or something else before the Rays are looking back at us.

Stumbler Spotlight: Will You Marry Me?

Stumbler Spotlight: Will You Marry Me?:

'via Blog this'

Short version:

Guy and his girlfriend are frequent Stumbler users so he contacts Stumbler team and works with them to set up an elaborate stumble that end with him proposing at the end of the rainbow per se......very clever and unique.

Never Forget-9/11/01-9/11/11

Exercises In Futility:An Addendum (I’m Sorry, Stephen Graham) | Hardwood Paroxysm

Exercises In Futility:An Addendum (I’m Sorry, Stephen Graham) | Hardwood Paroxysm

What started out as a running joke of ranking players at the bottom of the nba went a little too far in some readers minds. Players like Stephen Graham who have done everything right off the court throughout their less then flattering career on it when at the highest level were ostracized and made an example of. It's subjective as we all have our own opinions about the line and where and when it gets crossed but when it is sometimes a simple apology goes a long way. Something to think about. The next time your having second thoughts about one of your actions, do what you think is right, at the very least, maybe it will make someone else feel a little bit better.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Kyle Snow Gets Married!!!!

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Kyle and Kelly Snow. I hope you are both very happy on this special day and wish you a great life together, you both deserve the best. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, you are both in my thoughts though. 


Where were you when everything changed?

Just like everyone who was alive when John F Kennedy was shot still remembers where they were, what they were doing, how they found out, if you were old enough to know the significance of what was happening, then you remember exactly what was going on when the first plane crashed ten years ago, tomorrow morning. September 11th is always going to be an important day in my life.

I think a lot of people take their life for granted. Some are much better off then others, but the majority of our population live better then the average citizen in many 3rd world countries. Things that are a normalcy in my house would be unheard of in the slums of the republic of Congo. I sometimes sit and think why do I deserve more then another? Why is one part of the world in such disrepair when other parts are on the other end of the spectrum to the point that if I walked down the street myself, I would be looked down upon? A report by the United Nations says that about 25,000 people die in the world every single day. READ THAT AGAIN AND LET IT SINK IN. 25,000 PEOPLE ARE GONE EVERY MORNING WHEN YOU WAKE UP AND GO GRAB A DRINK OF WATER FROM THE REFRIGERATOR, POUR A CUP OF COFFEE, TURN THE COMPUTER AND AIR CONDITIONER BACK ON, TURN ON THE TV AND JUMP IN THE SHOWER BEFORE GRABBING A NICE BIG BOWL OF CEREAL BEFORE STARTING YOUR CAR FROM INSIDE WITH THE REMOTE. 


I just can't get my head around these statistics. Almost 3.5 BILLION PEOPLE out of 4.8 billion people listed in the entire world live on $2 a day or less. That's the change in your pocket if you work in a building with a soda machine/candy machine at the end of your day. That's less then the amount you could get if you went and picked up cans and bottles for an hour around the big apartment buildings at the local colleges after a night of drinking from the kids. That's 25% of the cost of a beer at a Red Sox game. So, if you wanted to have a beer with your wife you'd have to work for 8 days or more. And these are not 8 hour days in your office with "casual friday's". Think about a 16-20 hour day on your feet without shoes in 105-110 degrees. These numbers account for almost 75% of the people in the world guys. I get so frustrated just thinking about it.

Ok, I bring all of this up because even when we get home after a bad day or a bad week or even a bad month sometimes it's just really time to put it in perspective. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves when there is someone else always having a worse day, worse week, worse month. The men and women serving our armed services right now need to be thanked. They need to be thanked endlessly. Whether you agree with the war or not is a moot point. It's not their choice to fight, it was not their choice to invade Iraq, it's not their choice to be away from their families and loved ones for months at a time. It was their choice to say I want to protect this country. It was their choice to say I want to stand up for human rights. It was their choice to do what they believe in. I'm proud to say my father served in the Army many years ago and I am proud to say I was born at Fort Bragg Army base in Fayetteville, NC. I am free and able to sit here and write this right now because of the sacrifices that the men and women of our armed services have made. Thank You. Thank You EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT I WAKE UP AND HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO WHATEVER IT IS I WANT.

When those planes crashed Al-Qaeda wanted to break the resolve of our country. They wanted to cause unrest, hate, divide our citizens. The issues certainly have caused unrest, even hate sometimes and there have been many issues which the country disagree's on. In the end though, America is still somewhere that I am proud to say is home. America is still the land of the free and the home of the brave. I think there are many many people who would agree with me when I say.I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW AS I READ ALL OF THE SUPPORT WE HAVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.

Friday, September 9, 2011

TOP QUARTERBACKS IN THE NFL

In my humble, living in Massachusetts, root for the Patriots, opinion, Tom Brady is still the best quarterback in the NFL. I think Drew Brees is right behind him and when Peyton Manning is in between the two when he is healthy before this neck surgery. Now? Not so sure, i'd have to wait and see how it heals. But, Aaron Rodgers has improved every season in the NFL. Even in the first few years when he sat behind Farve. By all accounts, he studied the offense, worked hard and got better on his own working with the team and watching one of the greatest play the game. Now as Brady gets toward the end of his career I think Rodgers is the next superstar in the making. I think he's shot up the charts towards the end of last season and obviously had a great start to this year with 27-35, 312 yds passing and 3 td's in the opening game win vs the Saints. So, he's up to the 2 spot which pushes Brees down to 3 right now. Next I'd have to say Phillip Rivers and then Eli Manning. But I really think Manning is just standing still right now. While Sam Bradford and Matt Stafford are going to have solid years with teams that are starting to build around them. They need the offensive lines to keep them standing upright though so they can stay on the field healthy.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Green Bay guard pranked with scholarship - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

Green Bay guard pranked with scholarship - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN:

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This is the kind of story that makes me think what my father is doing at the edge basketball club can make a difference. How many times have you heard about that great basketball player that can shoot from all over the floor, with a great handle that's 6'8". Let me tell you, it's not common. One thing that there are a lot of though, is hardworking kids. Hardworking kids that really do love basketball. Some of them don't have the money to drive to tournaments, money to stay in hotels when they go, money to buy shoes so there not wearing ones with holes, or even money to pay the entry fee to be on the team in the first place. That's where the donations I talked about help, where some of these kids just need the chance to do something with their time and they won't get in trouble. The edge basketball club gives them this chance. 

The Flem File shares his all-access look at a day in the life of Michael Vick - ESPN

The Flem File shares his all-access look at a day in the life of Michael Vick - ESPN: "(What do you think? Are dog lovers who refuse to forgive Vick "heroes," "hypocrites" or "haters"? Weigh in via Twitter @DaveFlemingESPN, hashtag #FlemFile, or vote on my Facebook page poll.)"

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Alright, I just have to say to say it. Michael Vick went to prison, went bankrupt, missed the birth of his daughter,  served his time, and is now moving on with his life. That's a good thing people. There have been protesters everywhere he has appearances still, shouting that he's a killer, murderer, thug. Is what he did illegal? Yes. Is what he did disgusting, vile, and incomprehensible to the majority of people? Yes. Does that mean he should be punished for it for the rest of his life? 20 years? 10 years? Firstly, it's not our right to decide his punishment but we can certainly comment on what his punishment was. Losing all those sponsorship deals, NFL contract, missing the birth of his daughter, filing for bankruptcy, and finally going to PRISON. That is the final straw. It's what we do in society when there is no other channel available that is appropriate. Rehab, Halfway house, Therapy, Counsiling, Drug screening on probation. Those are all channels that come before Jail and i'm sure he's been in most of them in one way or another. On a side note, even while waiting to be sentenced he was using drugs. Against the rules of his bail. Some say it was "just weed" Well it was being used illegally. If I was already looking at jail time and it could get increased if I did anything wrong while i'm waiting you can bet that the last thing i'd be doing is taking any chances with ANYTHING that could hurt me even more. Already looking at missing the first months of your daughter being alive, how about missing the first 10 years because you smoked some weed, then you got into a fight and hurt someone while you were in prison those extra days, now your looking at extra years instead of days all because you wanted that hit. He had a lot of growing up to do and it looks like he did it. Let's wait and see before we call him a liar. Give the man a chance to earn back all that love he built up. I think everyone deserves a second chance, I know i've made my mistakes.

 I think it's obvious that jail was necessary, it's the amount of time that some people disagree on. I can hear both sites of the argument but when it's all said and done. He completed his jail sentence. Complied with his release instructions and has been in compliance with his bankruptcy ruling, which was still being paid back. Just last week though he signed a contract for over 100 MILLION DOLLARS WITH THE EAGLES for an extension. Now that's a lot of money. It's his second contact for over 100Million. Let's hope that all of that time to think gave him time to plan exactly where it's going to go after the creditors are paid and one of the places is the bank and another is his daughter's education fund.

From the Eagles point of view their signing the Star Quarterback that can lead them to the next Lombardi Trophy. They see a changed man that's behind center now. Some people still see the felon, collecting the earnings from last night's dog fights from one of his so called  "friends". The thing is, is this the same person or is that guy really gone? Vick says he is a changed man, that he now sees how wrong what he did was, he speaks to kids about the right path, is speaking on behalf of a bill against dog fighting actually. He's even been invited to speak, and did, at a school's commencement ceremony. That is a special day. A very important day in those kids lives. I think it was one of the most significant changes I have seen in the public opinion of Michael Vick. To ask him, of all people, to be the speaker talking about going down the right path and making the right choices whether it be friends, employment, drugs or anything else, it all boils down to the same thing.

 "You can live 23 hours and 50 minutes doing the right thing, but all anyone is going to remember is that 10 minutes that you did the wrong thing". That's a quote in the article that Vick says he remembers his grandmother saying before she passed. Sounds like a very smart women huh?

What your going to be reading when you follow

Just wanted to let everyone know what you can expect to find when you follow this blog......

I'm going to give my take on current events that I find interesting, noteworthy, or troubling. I'm always looking for people's imput and would appreciate any feedback you all can give me. My other blog will be more based around my website which is a big part of my life at this point so obviously it's very important to me. So def check it out but I think it's really important to share your opinions and really get the word out if you have a problem with how something was handled. We live in a free world and there is a reason that we have free speech. If something bothers you that you saw on the news last night before you went to bed send me an email about it and ill do a post. I want to keep it interesting and diverse but I def follow the world of sports A LOT. and when I say a lot I mean really a lot. I read between 30-50 different articles and blogs everyday just from espn.com so let me know your ideas and let's get going.....Thanks for the help everyone.