Big Brother is watching. Just let me know.

One of the values of going to law school is being around smart, hard-working people. One of the reasons why I picked Colorado Law specifically is the technology law focus. The current dean has a heavy tech background and has really focused a lot of energy on having great panes and programs concerning technology law. The Silicon Flatirons programs has been particularly helpful.

In today's talk, The Economics of Privacy, there have been great ideas put back and forth. What has concerned me is how much information the internet has about me. The first panel I watched talked about the ways advertising is used. I'm thinking about it even more considering how Google links all of my information. My screen name which I use for email is linked to my real name and identity through my Android phone, and Google+ account. The not so ironic point is that I'm currently on Chrome and writing the post utilizing Blogspot, both Google products. Even knowing how much I'm involved in Google products it was still interesting to see how specific, and how well the targeting advertising targets me. Named targets for dlbinspg: urban and hip hop music, american football and basketball, computer scripting, so on and so forth. Every YouTube video I post and watch, and every website I visit utilizing Google's search features also lend themselves here.

The next talk was about the cutting edge. This was led by two of my professors.The first thing was tying physical identity to digital identity. New tech puts a lot of information online in a public manner. Scales that publish your information on Twitter, iris scanning attached to credit cards and other financial information, and so on. It's to the point where I wonder whether or not privacy matters as much any more.

To an extent it certainly does. I don't want every iota of information publicly information. I probably wouldn't want my potential employer to read everything in this blog. At the very least, the  hours I spend playing video games may be percieved to be problematic. I certainly wouldn't all of my information exposed to my family. I wouldn't want strangers to know where I live, and that I'm new to Colorado.

On the other hand, by putting out a ton of information, I also receive a lot of information. When I sign up to Facebook I put out information about my likes and assocations and correlate them to my real name. In response, I also have that information and am able to get to know people more quickly than I would before. Sure we're different politically, and have different tastes in music, but we're both Dallas Cowboys fans or we're both criminal justice majors. I can listen to music and use the music I already own to find more music I may like that is similar. Also, as a result of all of the information I've put out, people with similar interests can also find me. I can find out when Serge Ibaka (NBA player) is returning to the U.S. to begin practice, because of my twitter page. There are a lot of ways that the large amount of information put into the world has been helpful. I think that more people are benefiting from the information than those who are losing out on it.

However, just because I benefit more than I lose doesn't mean that people don't have the right to have their image, thoughts, and interactions to remain private. Unfortunately, it feels like the fight is a losing battle.

That's my [expletive]

TL;DR : Post concerning use of the word "bitch".

That's my [expletive]

  

"I used to hate hip hop, yup,because the women degraded

but Too Short made me laugh like a hypocrite I played it,

a hypocrite I stated , thought I only recited half

Omitting the word… Cursing I wouldn't say it

Me and dog couldn't relate till a bitch I dated 

forgive my favorite word for hers and hers alike 

but I got it from a song that I heard and sorta liked"

 - Lupe Fiasco

I liked Jay-Z and Kanye West's album, Watch the  Throne. It's the only album I've bought this year, and likely the only one I will buy. However, I have an issue with the song "That's my Bitch". Maybe I'm a prude, and I wouldn't disagree with that, but I have an issue with the word. The song itself is ok. I'm far from a Dworkin-like feminist. I don't even have too much of an issue with offensive words. (One day I'll blog about the N-word, but no time soon.)  Yet, for some reason I have an issue with  that word. Maybe it's rap's history of being perceived as misogynist (deserved, but probably slightly exaggerated, especially with the fact that America's pretty misogynist.)  It's a crude term, and it sounds weird to hear Jay-Z call his wife his bitch. If it were a Kanye West song I probably wouldn't have an issue with it. (insert Dworkin's head exploding). It's weird and problematic that I have an issue with certain types of misogony and not others.

This isn't the first time I had a visceral reaction to a song.  The song "Me and my B" by Biggie is often quoted. Even though it was an awkward almost love ballad, I really won't listen to the song, even though I think it's a good song, in the context of the album. The chorus turns me off. Same thing for a lot of Eminem's "music," where there are a lot of misogynist terms.

Also, I was turned off by what the roots did when Michelle Bachmann came on the Jimmy Fallon show. I have no problem with poking some fun. I'm okay with hard criticism. I would have had no problem with for example playing "Minority Report" by Jay-Z and Ne-Yo while President Bush was on for example.  The use of Lyin Ass Bitch goes beyond plain criticism. It's sexist, and even though Bachmann's comparison between her and Michelle Obama was poor at best, the point that this is an awful idea, and worse in execution still stands.

I also under stand that my thoughts about the word aren't representative of every one else's. Some people feel that bitch isn't as offensive as other phrases.

** As per the actual song. Not bad. Okay beat, great references to "It's so hard" by Big Pun. (Kanye west's first line and Jay-Z's last line are both direct lines from the song.) 

Random Musings (NFL, Law School, Anniversary, Race, Apologies)

Today's my 5 year anniversary with my girlfriend. Rather than spending it doing anniversary like things, I'm 1,800 miles away. In a library. Studying Contract law.

Justin Verlander was voted MVP after receiving a unanimous cy young victory. I'm not a fan of giving pitchers the MVP, because they aren't everyday players. On the other hand, he was historically dominant and there really wasn't another player in the NL

Eight touchdowns, zero interceptions, and his best receiver has been hobbling or out. This is why Cowboys fans hate Tony Romo. He has streaks like this, and if he went and had 2 td and 3 picks against Miami, no one would be surprised.

Just finished my final memorandum for law school last Friday. I'm so thankful that this part of my law school career is over. Sadly, there's more law school left.

Some teams are definitely good. Some teams are definitely bad. Are the Ravens a good team? Are the Seahawks a bad team? Are the bills bad? Is Miami good? Yes, Yes, Yes and Yes. Sometimes describing a team as bad is a rookie mistake. Every team is flawed. Sometimes, a team plays a team that exposes their flaws, sometimes they don’t.

Speaking of which, how are we supposed to know anything about the Bucs. The last 6 games were against the 49ers, Saints, Bears, Saints, Texans, and Packers. Every one of those teams is leading their division. Are the Bucs good? The only way to find out is the rest of the week.

On the other hand, Tim "Don't call me till the 4th quarter begins" Tebow is ridiculously effective in the 4th qtr.  Ridiculous.  BTW, from watching the game yesterday, I found the proper comparison for Tim Tebow. Decent arm, winner in college, rushes often, not that fast, inaccurate, somehow gets wins in the pros despite the fact that no one thinks he's a good qb. Tim Tebow is Vince Young. (If Vince young had heart).

BTW, if Tebow were as good as people say he is, he wouldn't need to come back in every game he appears in.

Another thing of note.  Rushing for tons of yards used to be perceived as a "black quarterback" thing. Now? To be fair, the top two quarterbacks in rushing yards are Vick and Cam Newton.  After that Tim Tebow and Aaron Rodgers.  After Josh Freeman, there are no other black qbs in the top 10.

I always wonder if lack of people in a specific race in an area is because of racism or coincidence. For example, name 5 white running backs or cornerbacks in the NFL, then  name 5 black hockey players. The latter I attribute to coincidence. If you're black and athletic, you probably play basketball or football. Probably not outright racism. I wonder if it’s the same for running backs and corners. Are other sports and positions taking away future running backs and cornerbacks? Not my area  of expertise, but still interesting. Same for law schools btw, is the lack of black law students because of racism or coincidence.

Again, I apologize to the good people of Colorado for jinxing their hockey team and their college football and basketball teams.

It's often difficult to pay attention in law school.   Then I think about the debt, and I figure that I may as well succeed since they won't reduce the amount I owe because I didn't get an A. Back to work.

**By the way, I need a name for this type of post, often I have ideas that aren't worth writing 3 paragraphs or more. Is random musings okay?**

Review of Dance (A$$) Big Sean / Nicki Minaj

I'm going to keep this review as simple as possible. No Paragraphs, just bullet points. Wanted a silly post and here it is. 

• It is lowest common denominator. I don't have to analyze lyrics

• The coincidence of Big Sean's "Go stupid… I do it " beginning of the song isn't lost on me.

• MC Hammer references are always welcome, especially when the artist acknowledges the song where the sample comes from
• BTW, we love lowest common denominator in rap. Remember the thong song, or wait the whisper song, or no hands. Well, "Can't touch This" is also lowest common denominator.

• The chorus is just one word 15 times, 
• No lines that are well done
• If you had to pick a female rapper for the remix, wouldn't Nicki Minaj be in your top 2.
• It'd be like calling a song "sweater" and not having Drake on the Remix

• Video has a great international flair
• Again the word ass in multiple different languages
• Russian, Spanish, Japanese, I like
• And of course, Nicki Minaj's UK flag covered… you know
• I saw a lot of potential Drake references… totally overthinking it
• Headline 2nd verse: "Money over everything, money on my mind"
• Small print in the english version of ass "Finally Famous over everything"
• Big Sean- "You the best you deserve a crown [expletive]"
• Remember the chorus to "best I ever had"
• Hey isn't Big Sean grinding on Drake's YMCMB label mate

•  The Michael Kors Line was pretty good, simple, but good. Best line of the song
• The irony of Nikki calling girls "lil' whores" wasn't lost on me.
• Reminded me of the Lil N's verse from Jay-Z's "Trouble", where it was a shot at Lil Wayne.
• Remember Nikki's sometimes  beef with Lil'  Kim

• Yes the song pretty much confirms what we know about Nikki's injections. On the other hand it was a creative reference to the "In love with that ass Cupid gave you ass shots" line from the original Big Sean.
• Not to continue on the subject but the double entendre of ass shots as butt injections and "shots", as in people "taking shots" or talking badly about her ass was noted.  

• Selling ringtones and radio play depends on fitting the tastes of the listeners
• Nikki Minaj occasionally puts in some well played lines, but she usually resorts to sex and shock value. Some rapper's lines are like onions, with lots of layers each more rich than the last. Nikki usually talks about her… "onion".
• And no that's nothing like that other "Lil" female rapper. Not at all. 

• Despite my distaste for Detroit sports teams, I'm a fan of Detroit Rappers and will almost give them the benefit of the doubt.
• See Obie Trice, D12, Proof, obviously Eminem, and now Big Sean.

• Note the Fresh Prince influence in the video
• Throne with graffiti in the background.

• Videos nowadays don't utilize video girls well. This song was tailor-made for them
• Was Nikki the 3rd best looking girl in the video? Not at all.
• Learn from Beyonce. Make yourself look prettier by having uglier girls in the vid.

GTA V

There are very few influential video game commercials to me. The original super smash bros commercial, the halo 2 I need a weapon commercial  and the GTA 3 commercial. There's an opera song in the background and at the highest pitch you see a car in the air.  The game was the first mainstream "open world" game. It was a full city with things to see that had nothing to do with completion of the game. It was new, it was fresh, it was exciting, and I was too young to play it. My mom refused to allow me to play grand theft auto at all, even though my younger brother was allowed to play and own it. As I grew older I mostly ignored the vice city sequel, because it didn't matter to me anymore. The luster was lost. Then GTA San Andreas was released and everything changed. CJ was the protagonist. A different take on crime. Funny commentary on the legalization of marijuana, and the rap based soundtrack.  It was also the one of the first M rated games I bought when I came of age to buy them.

Now, I don't want to say that GTA was the reason why I majored in criminal justice, but it was a piece of that and a substantial piece of my own views of criminal activity. We as a society are against crime, yet we root for CJ and Nico Bellic and Omar Little in the wire. We buy documentaries and read books about sensational crimes. Crime sells newspapers and TV shows. GTA represents a maturing of the video game industry. It's one of the first occasions where the person you're using has nuance. Usually if you have a gun, you're a cop or a soldier. Now you're a street criminal.  People on your side die during the commission of a felony, and you're supposed to feel bad. The GTA series has done a good job of eliciting that emotion.

Of course, as every GTA player knows, the story isn't even half of the game. There's also the side missions and the pieces that you make up. Do you want to pick up a hooker? Do it. Ram a police car? Do it. Steal one? Go ahead. There are consequences for these actions, but the fact that it is a video game reduces the impact of those consequences. Do you want to steal a car and race it at top speed? Use it for a drive by? Take a boat? Fly a plane. Beat a drug dealer with a bat? Rob someone? Do it. There is a level of freedom I  the game where you can utilize the game mechanics and have fun playing a game you want to play. How long can you survive a six star wanted level? Can you collect every car? Can you buy all of the available  property in the city? Can you keep you girlfriend(s) happy? Can you do all of the ambulance missions? Can you get to that building? Can you land a plane on it? A tank? Do you want to put in a code to create a tank? A jet pack? Unlimited ammunition or health? Can you play the game without running red lights? Its like being a kid again and being in the park with your friends and trying to create a game to play. 

Just saying

Quick Shots

The BET cyphers were pretty bland except for the Shady 2.0 cyphers. I enjoyed Royce's verse but did no one notice that after the "Hi Rihanna" lines he says, "I beat my girl too". Worse pickup line ever… just saying.

The NFL this week was a pretty predictable scene in hindsight. Sure, 62 points is a lot, but If I told you on Friday that one of the games was going to be a 62-7 game wouldn't one of your first 3 guesses be Saints-Colts. On the other side of things, road to .500 is complete for the Cowboys and other teams. Better than the Eagles. Just saying.

The NBA is locked out, and Bill Simmons called out Kevin Garnett for essentially derailing negotiations by behaving erratically. He also said that the basketball players lacked the intellectual capital to negotiate fairly with the agents.  Some professor wrote that by doing this Simmons was essentially being a racist. It's not using the "angry black man" trope, if the person who you're talking about is all 3 of those things.  Also in a professional basketball game I'd trust the basketball players over the j.d's and m.b.a's. Why is it racist to assume that the professional negotiators with the degrees to prove it would be better at negotiation than the basketball players, some barely with high school diplomas.  Just saying.

Speaking of which, NBA2k12 removed my favorite online feature. Apparently, there won't be "my crew" in the near future. Now that I'm in law school I couldn't help but wonder if I could sue for false advertising. Then I looked back at the public statements made by Ronnie2k and the NBA 2k posters and advertisements. They never said that there would be my crew in nba2k12. Ronnie never said they would add it in DLC. We just assumed it would be there. And since they already have my money, it doesn't really matter to them.  Still disappointing that my favorite feature  is gone, although it makes me more  productive for that aforementioned law school life. Just saying.

For those thinking that this one game  hope this Murray guy is going to be a star for the Cowboys. I'm excited too, but  single game rushing yards don't constitute a long and fruitful career (See Harrison, Jerome). Just Saying.

It's snowing in October in Colorado.  Just saying.

NBA Rank

I love the #NBArank project by ESPN. I disagree with some of the rankings (Blake Griffin too high, Zach Randolph too low). I think it points out something with the NBA. There is no overarching number one talent. Lets check out the contenders at each position.

1. Lebron James

Pros: You try to stop him  from dunking at will. Athletic Shot blocker
Cons: See NBA Finals, 2011

2. Dwight Howard

Pros: Best defender in the NBA period.
Cons: Foul prone. Especially of the technical variety. Also offensively limited

3. Derrick Rose

Pros: MVP
Cons: Statistically similar to Russell Westbrook with less assists. Questionable Clutch gene.

4. Pau Gasol. Carmelo Anthony

Pros: Offensive Virtuosos
Cons: Remember that time they played defense? Me, neither

5. Kobe Bryant

Pros: Comparisons to Jordan looked almost reasonable about '07, '08
Cons: This isn't '07, '08 and he's closer to Jordan on the Wizards, than Jordan on the Bulls.

6. Kevin Durant

Pros:  Probably the best scorer in the NBA
Cons:  Iffy 3 point shooter. Ever since Jeff Green left, also a questionable defender.

7. Joe Johnson

Pros: Best paid player on this list
Cons: Most overpaid player on the list. See Lewis, Rashard.

8. Bismack Biyombo

Pros: Potentially the greatest shot blocker of all time. Has yet to play an NBA game with less than 15 blocks.
Cons: None, other than the fact that he also has yet to play an NBA game. And the Jordan Curse.

Either way, no matter where you go, there is no unquestioned number one. There is no 90's Jordan, '06 Jordan, Early '00s Iverson or Shaq. The league has parity, and a bunch of players with clear flaws. 

NBA 2k12

First off, to the people who enjoy my NFL picks, I'm sorry. I don't really have the time and even though I'm good at it I'm not sure if I'm as good at writing those articles. Outside of that, NBA 2k12 has been on my mind and its important to me to get some thoughts off my chest.

First, I'm a huge fan of the 2k brand and the NBA 2k series. I owned NBA 2k in December of 1999. Its a great game series. Its been pretty good or great for years. I feel that 2k11 was a standout game.

Because I remember playing basketball games on the Dreamcast (and Sega Genesis for that matter), the additions are amazing. The way the improvements have allowed the video game to look like the game on TNT is important to me. Post-up improvements, the reduction of center dribbling effectiveness, the difference in shot types, the customization of created players. Its been a long time since my 7'7 center on the Dallas Mavericks with Dirk and Finley.

My favorite feature has been the aptly named "my player" mode. It allowed people to create and customize players. This was a mode that made nba 2k10 worth buying by itself. It allowed me to appreciate the moment to moment grind of being an NBA Center. In 2k10, I wasn't drafted, and I was kicked off a practice squad. I had to grind on a D-League squad (Iowa Energy). As I improved I was called to the NBA to play for the Hornets, I endured a rough year with the clippers followed by a Defensive Player of the Year award followed by a series of championships with the Oklahoma City Thunder. I was heavily invested in my players career. 

In 2k11, I enjoyed this mode enough to go through the process with 3 maxed out players. I enjoyed the my crew mode. The mode allowed my friends and me to play against other crews with our customized players. We created a dominating team, eventually. It, much like my 2k10 my player, didn't start off well, with a running joke about the road to .500, i.e. winning as many games as we lost. Eventually we became a better squad. More importantly it was incredible fun and a completely worthwhile experience. 

Now it seems that NBA 2k12 has improved the my player experience, yet again. The problem? They apparently eradicated the my crew feature.  I love doing my player ,but without my crew then its just like the superstar mode in Madden 12. Useless.  Truly useless. Maybe it reflects my stance on gaming more than it reflects on the merits of the game. My favorite experiences are those found in Co-op gameplay. This is especially true when those co-op experiences are buoyed by a great single player element. This seems like a good idea when executed as well as it was in 2k11. But now the dream is dead.

If it is true that there will be no my crew, I might buy it anyway, sadly. I'm a fan of My Player. The mode is enough to keep me interested in the game especially considering that there aren't a lot of games that I'm interested in buying at this point. Unlike Madden I don't feel it to be a neccessity that I purchase the game. It seems completely unneccesary.  

It's because he's black isn't it.

Many things are racial. Not everything is racist. Sometimes, it's a little bit more. Sometimes things happen that are just wrong. If Troy Davis were Asian, would the outcry be as high over his death penalty case? I doubt it.

There are many things that piqued my interest with this case. The overwhelming majority of the tweets and Facebook posts I read were something along the lines of "Innocent Man gets Death Penalty and he's black". I get it. If life were that simple it would make sense. Yes, I understand the pull of that headline. He's black, he was accused of killing a cop, and it's in Georgia, a southern state not known for its track record of great race relations. My issue isn't with the case, or the way it was handled, because even though shoddy work was done, that's par for the course in incidents where there is a huge media outcry. My issue is with a lot of the reaction that was on Twitter.

Would this be a story if instead of a cop, the person killed was a 2 year old girl?  Shoddy evidence was more than enough for a conviction when Twitter and Facebook raged over the Casey Anthony case. When someone is being arrested, we're perfectly accepting of bad detective work. How about DSK? He was accused of rape and the evidence was so poorly laid out that they had to let him go. Of course, his name was dragged through the mud and people were on Twitter talking about the sex acts that would be performed on him in jail for what he had "done". 

If the people on Facebook and Twitter were alive in 1989 would there be the same outcry upon arrest conviction and sentencing? My bet is probably not. The media would have started by having the picture on the local news papers, with COP KILLER in bold letters. Then, upon his conviction and sentencing, there would have been a ROT IN HELL caption. and people would have been happy to see the "cop killer" off the streets and in jail, then to see that he would be killed as well. As a country we can't rush cases and push through bad detective work because we want A conviction. We have to be patient and make sure that we get the right person to the best of our ability. However, even when the    

Are you against the Death Penalty regardless of evidence? For some people, Timothy McVeigh shouldn't have gotten the death penalty. Not because of lack of evidence, but because they are against the death penalty in all forms. I like that stance, even though I don't agree with it. What I saw from Twitter and Facebook last night smacked of hypocrisy. People who were willing to give others the electric chair a couple of months ago are now against the death penalty.  Is that a change of heart, a change because of the details of the case, or just a change because this week the death penalty isn't cool this week.

I wish I had a witty conclusion for this. Some way of tying the race relations, hypocrisy, death penalty and anti-cop sentiment into one paragraph. I don't. But what I am saying is if you believe that Troy Davis was wrongly convicted, and therefore wrongly killed, then be cautious when you're quick to judge the next case that pops up on the Daily News. You might be stirring the frenzy that puts an innocent person to death.

*I'm not anti death penalty but even Troy Davis killed the officer in the same way that was said, I wouldn't give him the death penalty.
**I'm putting the words cop killer and done in quotes because I don't know what happened in the DSK hotel room or what Troy Davis actually did.
***I'm perfectly aware that in the same way I'm accusing people of overmagnifying the case because of his race, that my title oversimplifies it.
**** When I say Faacebook and Twitter, I'm speaking about a group of the people using the service, not the service itself. I don't know (or care) how Zuckerberg feels about the case

Privacy and Self censorship

I put out a lot of information online. My name, my interests, my pictures, my dislikes, my opinions, and the list goes on. I've made a choice to make my blog generally PG. Not PG as in, I wont talk about sex violence and drugs, but PG as in I make a more concerted effort not to curse and to be a good guy. I don't negatively air people out on the blog, because its my most censored piece of writing. I put a lot of thought into my posts and generally believe that anything I say here should be held against me whether it be my thoughts on affirmative action, or my prediction that the Browns would have a good season.  Its not private at all and you can access it however you want.

On the other side of things, we have my twitter account. My twitter account is pretty much the same as the off the cuff things I'd say in "real life". I might drop an expletive if the time calls for it (Cowboys games). I will complain about small things (Cowboys games). It's not overly rowdy by any means and I don't go out of my way to be a sailor, but on the other hand its nice to have a forum where I can be a bit more free. That forum has always been semi public and if you ask in my only request is that you accept all responsibility for what you see. If you are easily offended, don't follow me. I feel that since you have to go through the effort to follow me, and can easily unfollow me, then there should be no problem with the things I say, especially if they aren't directed towards you. Recently, someone made a huge deal, in person, because I tweeted a joke concerning a menage a trois. (Note: I'm not resposting it here because, well that would violate the 1st paragraph) I immediately blocked them. On the other hand I realized that despite trying to make my tweets public with the caveat, I realize that it may not be the best way to handle my public web presence. I've done enough online over the last 8 years that there is a lot to google about me. As of today, my twitter feed is now private. I'm still seeking advice about the best way to handle my public internet identity.

How bout 'dem cowboys

People say I'm predictable. I'll bet you expected me to talk about the Cowboys win yesterday. Talk about Romo's willis reed impersonation, coming back into the game after having a horrid 1st half and fracturing a rib? Perhaps about how Miles Austin put the team on his back and scored 3 TD's, then talk about how great Jason Witten was.  Maybe compare it to the Cowboys Bills game from '07 where Romo threw 5 interceptions and fumbled the ball once then won the game, then compare Romo's performance in coming back after he was expected to be out, as opposed to Jay Cutler who left the NFC Championship with a knee injury and never returned to the field? Thank goodness I'm not predictable.

Is Romo Great?

I finally was able to experience NFL RedZone for the first time. In Redzone, I was able to watch the meaningful part of all of the Sunday Games. Tomorrow, I will do a full evaluation of every single game. But until then, It's all about the Cowboys-Jets heartbreaker.

T. Romo

23/36

342 passing yards

2 tds

1 int

101.9 passer rating

Men Lie, Women Lie, But Numbers Don’t ...Unless they belong to Tony Romo or Lebron James. My argument in support of Brett Favre, Lebron, and Romo has always been... "Well if they weren't so good to begin the game we wouldn't even be talking about the last minute mistakes". I'm not sure how much I believe in that line now.

First, the cowboys had no business being that close in the game to start with. We lost our "best" corner, (best in quotes because he's not very good). And throughout the game we lost Jenkins and Scandrick. For those keeping track at home that would be the number 2 and number 3 cornerbacks. We also lost Dez throughout a crucial portion of that game, and Miles Austin was hurt. Even if there were no injuries, the cowboys are an inferior team to the jets. The Jets are better at just about every position.  Despite all of the things that happened, the Cowboys covered the spread.

Tony Romo was lights out for 3 quarters. The reason why Cowboys fans don't call for his head every season is because when he's on, he's a top 5 qb and I'll take him over almost anybody. He even made good decisions. He fell down and took sacks rather than throwing ducks. He threw the ball out of bounds when no opportunities availed themselves. Austin got a TD, Dez got a TD, Jones was amazing last night. Even the defense was solid, blowing through the Jets O-line at will. The safeties, Sensabaugh and Elam were phenomenal. Even the young O-line held up.

But then the 4th qtr... Romo fumbles at the goaline. The Special teams allow a punt block, Romo throws a line drive to Darelle Revis. After making no mistakes and no idiotic plays for 45 minutes, the Cowboys went into a tailspin. And of course my nightmare comes true. Nick folk hits a game winner from 50 yards out. Barely, I would like to add. What a night.

Is Romo Good? Undoubtedly. Is Romo Great? Not until he can come through with the game on the line.

Post 100. NFL Predictions

Post 100. I wanted it to be my NFL predictions. As regular visitors know, here is how it works. I pick all 256 games of the 2011-2012 season. I write down the number of wins. Don’t read it as: “He thinks the Browns will win 12 games” as much as you should understand that I just mean that I think the Browns will be a good team. Equally I don’t think the Broncos won’t win any games (a weird anomaly on the other side of things). However, I do think the Broncos will struggle heavily considering all of their offseason turmoil. Forgive me for the lazy reviews of the NFC South and West.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills : 6
The Bills are going to win some games. I like them. It’s a shame that they lost their best defender (Pozluzny) and Lee Evans. They won’t be able to "Suck for Luck" but they’re okay

Miami Dolphins : 3
Running Backs? Gone. The fans have no faith in their starting QB and were booing him in Practice. The ownership tried to get rid of their coach and extended his contract upon the realization that they couldn't. This is a potential train wreck. I stand by the phins being an awful squadron.

New England Patriots : 11
Why do I keep picking against the Pats to win the division. They’re the best team this year.

New York Jets:  10
Listen to this. The team lost some of their best defenders, their second best wide receiver and didn’t improve any of the positions on the team. Their biggest signing was a wide receiver who hasn’t played in nearly 3 years.  



AFC North

Baltimore Ravens : 15
The Ravens need to win this year. If they cannot win the division this year I wonder if they ever will. I think Ray Rice will have an outstanding season.

Cincinnati Bengals : 6
I have a bet going. I think the Bengals will be bad. However, the Bengals might be ok defensively. I think they are going to do just enough for a low draft pick. 

Cleveland Browns : 12
To quote a friend of mine, the Browns are "creeping on the come-up".  Colt McCoy is improving. The O line is high quality. Peyton Hillis will be good till the madden curse hits him.  I honestly think they'll be a first round exit team. 

Pittsburgh Steelers : 12
Rooting against the Steelers. Always. Betting against the Steelers? Not happening.

AFC South

Houston Texans : 8
The Texans remind me of the niners. Weak division. Quality players. They gotta win this year.

Indianapolis Colts : 8

Too many wins. They dont have the personnel to beat teams without manning. I've had to rewrite this because the manning story gets uglier and uglier. Out indefinitely? I should take some wins away from this squad. 

Jacksonville Jaguars : 1
I'm done with the jags. You can’t get rid of your starting qb and expect to find success, especially when your team is not very good.

Tennessee Titans : 7 
Boring. Just the way they like it.  CJ2k is back and their QB is lackluster. The defense is mediocre.

AFC West

Denver Broncos : 0
Hmm. I don’t have any faith that this team will be better.

Kansas City Chiefs : 9
KC wont be as good as they were last year with the injuries that they have suffered. The sched is harder.

Oakland Raiders : 7
You want respect, Oakland? Stop firing head coaches. Until then I'm not picking you to win more than 7 games ever.

San Diego Chargers : 9
You want respect Phillip Rivers? Don’t get swept in the division by the Raiders. Don’t lose the first 4 games and expect to make the playoffs. Most importantly, don’t act as if you're going to kill your wide outs after every single incompletion. 

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys : 11
I know I'm biased but I swear my hearts in the right place. They finally have a D coordinator. The coach looks good. Romo is healthy. Dez looks like a beast. The problems? All the corners were lackluster last year and now they're hurt. Miles Austin is hurt as well. Their O-line is made from scrap metal. Good luck.
 
New York Giants : 5
Meet the 2010 Cowboys. Watch as they turn on their head coach. Look at them appearing lost on plays. Check out the Manning Face. It’s going to be a long and difficult road.

Philadelphia Eagles : 9
Don’t call it bias. Where did they improve their team last year. They still can’t stop the run. Maclin hasn’t been in camp

Washington Redskins : 11
I know. When I saw the number I was surprised too. But they are stacked defensively. Their offense isn’t great, but it may be enough to steal enough wins to reach double digits.

NFC North

Chicago Bears : 6
What do Gholston, Barber and Roy Williams have in common? They all were in training camp for the Bears, and their former teams are glad to see them gone. The bears are probably going to be closer to .500 but not a playoff squad.

Detroit Lions  : 10
I like the boy named Suh. I like the pass defense. I think Stafford is a beast. They had the Best rookie rb last year. Why not? 

Green Bay Packers :  11
Every team will hunt them. They will still win the division.

Minnesota Vikings : 10
McNabb will have his last hurrah this year. Bank on it. Oh and Adrian Peterson is working on a new Contract.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons : 13
What happens when a team fixes all of its flaws over the off season? A division title.

Carolina Panthers  : 2
What happens when a bad team signs its players to new contracts? More losses

New Orleans Saints : 12
Whats the difference between the Saints and USC? When Bush left, the saints they got to keep their title.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers : 6
How much of a chance does LeGarrette Blount have of being the best rb in the division? A punchers chance.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals  : 5
The Cards still can’t run or play defense right?

San Francisco 49ers :  5
Darn you to heck Niners. I constantly expect greatness, and you reward me with medicrity.

Seattle Seahawks : 8
I believe in the Seahawks as long as they don’t change stadiums. That 12th man advantage is real.

St. Louis Rams : 8
Young. Ready. I wish they hadn’t cut every receiver they had, but I believe in them. Sjax is still amazing and still a true workhorse.

Thank you.

To the people who've read my blog before, thank you. To the people who are reading this post for the first time, thank you.

So I've been messing around with the back-end of the blog and apparently, people are reading my humble little blog more. To be fair, I've also written more than 40 posts this year, which is more than I wrote in any other 2 years. It's been a big year for me, and for sports.

Now that I'm done with that I have bad news if you like reading these posts. I'm in University of Colorado law school right now. Law School is difficult and my non-law school activities have to take a bit of a backseat. For the first time, I was on my Xbox, and I said "gotta go, I have class in the morning." During many other important occasions, I'd play till 2, 3, or 4 am when I had to wake up in the morning. Now, can't do it. Not when I have 50 pages of 10 point font to read a night. I gotta take care of business, it also means that there will be less posting over the next couple of months, or shorter posts. Unless you want to read about my struggles with "The Regulatory State", which I have no problem doing, it may be worthwhile to post less. I'll still do my normal NFL posts/predictions, I'll still post about random things like Kerry Collins's Hall of Fame candidacy, and Affirmative Action. Just less of it. Have fun reading better material until then.      

Law School Week 0

"The exam will be administered via ExamSoft and will be taken from 8:30am-4:30pm on Tues Dec 6, 2011."


As I look through my syllabi, I see this monster. I'm doing the math in my head over and over again and realizing that indeed this is an 8 hour final exam.  I'm nervous now. Luckily, over the week that I've been in Colorado, I've met with students who will be fighting this fight with me. Doesn't prevent me from being nervous. Doesn't prevent me from wondering if I would have been better off taking a year off. I'm confident, but nervous. I've spent a week getting my apartment together, checking out the scenery, going to the mall, buying food, and making sure all of me other needs are taken care of with various success. I also know that this beast awaits me at the end of the semester. I'm ready. 

It just got real

I'm going to University of Colorado Law School. I love it. Ive been happy to get an apartment there that I'm moving to. But now I have my schedule. The classes I have to take. I'm
scarred. Im scared. Im concerned and Im absolutely worried. I have a semester with no criminal complaints. Contracts, Torts, Civ Pro, Legislation and Regulation, Legal Writing. Here we go.

Dear Canton

To whom it may concern, I'm retiring. I have been in the league for many years, and I'm glad to finally be able to relax. I won't come back like Favre. Here's my resume. I've thrown for 40,000 yards, putting me at 11th all time. Everyone who is aove me is either a Hall of Famer or a future one (depedending on how you feel about  Vinny Testaverde and Drew Bledsoe).  I'm 9th in total completions and attempts. I was drafted to an expansion team and I've never had a hall of fame wide reciever to throw to. I've made the most out of tough situations and despite trouble on and off the field I've been nominated to 2 Pro Bowls. Please consider me.

Sincerely,
Kerry Collins

Best shooting guard in the NBA

Player A: 25.3 Points per Game, 45% FG, 32% 3pt, 82% FT, 1.2 Steals Per Game, 0.15 Blocks Per Game.
Player B: 25.5 Points per Game, 50% FG, 30% 3pt, 75% FT, 1.4 Steals Per Game, 1.14 Blocks Per Game (the only SG to average more than 1.)
Of Course, as I’m sure you all figured out, Player B is Dwayne Wade who was put as 2nd team NBA. Player A? Kobe- 1st team NBA.

Now, I'm not an expert at judging the shooting guard position. Nor will I pretend that I'm even all that invested. Shooting guards are like wide recievers. They are generally cocky brash and hard to root for. Of course, they are often the most physically talented and the most skilled player on the court. I felt that Wade deserved 1st team NBA when I first read that Kobe got it. Looking at the relevant numbers, I'd say its a discussion worth having, but its not as ridiculous as Allen Iverson getting an all-star nod or Derek Jeter representing the American League in the all star game. In fact, depending on how relevant you find defense, it might be a landslide in Kobe's favor. I'd still vote Wade though.

NBA Player Dissection

Player A: 2nd team All-NBA, played in all 82 games, 4th in total assists, 3rd in total steals, 8th in PER, 4th in Total made free throws, Number 1 at his position in total rebounds and blocks

Player B: 1st in total turnovers, 44 % field Goal Percentage, 33 % 3 point shooter, ninth in the league in field goal attempts


I laugh when people say that Player A shouldn’t be a starter in the NBA. He’s the best player at his position in blocks and rebounds, and 3rd in steals. He’s second in points per game for his position. By the All-NBA voting, he is the second best player at his position. He also led the team to victory in a crucial game 5 overtime game in the playoffs, with a virtuoso 40 point performance. Unlike other point guards, didn’t take a lot of three point shots.

Player B on the other hand has some serious issues as a player. He coughs the ball up, he makes bad decisions often. He’s quick to drive but his scoring often depends on whether the referees call shooting fouls. He’s also not a great free throw shooter. He sometimes plays too fast for his own good. His field goal percentage is shaky and his 3 point percentage is worse.

Player A and Player B are Russell Westbrook

3 second violation

Cliffnotes: Mila Kunis agrees to go on a date after he asked her out via Youtube. Texas Rangers fan dies trying to catch a ball for his son. Guy who caught Derek Jeter's ball gave it back.

Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis might be my favorite person for this one. Apparently, a marine asked her out to go to a ball via a youtube video. Kunis accepted. On one hand, this has gotta be the luckiest marine in the world. He’s parlayed his military service into a date with a celebrity. On the other hand, expect lots of youtube videos. Is Sanaa Lathan single? Kerry Washington? Rosa Acosta?

Texas Rangers fan

I’m pretty numb to stories about tragedy. Not out of cold heatedness but more out of being exposed to it early and often during my formative years, and seeing lots of it in court. However, this story really touched me. A baseball fan in Texas died trying to get a ball for his son. Every kids dream is to get a baseball at a game. It’s one of the coolest things that can happen. Even at 22, I had my eye on every single foul ball, hoping I could catch one, and I’m sure as I get older, that feeling won’t change. This man was trying to get one for his 6 year old son who was there with him and overextended and fell over the rail leading to his death. This story really crushed me because of the way it affected the people around it.

Derek Jeter catches number 3,000

In other fan news, the person who caught Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit decided to return it to Derek Jeter, with no expectation of a reward even though he got a signed ball, a couple of bats and a bunch of other trinkets. I call them trinkets because the value of that ball would have easily surpassed $100,000. I'm a huge Derek Jeter fan, but I would probably have paid my way through law school if I caught that ball.

Why I (sometimes) like rap music.

"I hate to think that the dope game is my callin'
Cause it got us singing lullabies to our fallen" - Malice (Comedy Central)

One of my favorite aspects of music is when it is reflective. There is no sitation that is pure bravado or purely great. Anything that has benefits has some drawbacks. One of the reasons I like the Clipse and Jay-z is that they both acknowledge that the fast life has its own issues. However, their music isn't always down and depressiong and in the same verse, they may acknowledge both sides of the coin, often in subtle, slick ways.

In one of Jay-Z's song's he raps that often rappers make up the stories that they say and to be cautious of that. Immediately afterwards he says...

"Then actually, believe half of what you see
None of what you hear even if its spat by me
And with that said, I will kill n***** dead
Cut n***** short, give you wheels for legs
Im a K-I- double -L-E-R "

Even the title of the song "Ignorant S***" is meant to be ironic. The song is a criticism of critics who describe his music as being all cursw words and generally ignorant. In fact, the hook is actually just strings of curse words put together, which apparently is how he feels certain critics hear his music as being anyway, even when it's not.

What annoys me, is when rappers are too down on their lives or view their situations purely from a positive perspective. It shows no depth of understanding.

Why I'm going to law school, in Colorado

Cliffnotes: Leaving for University of Colorado Law School in about a month. Explanation on why I'm going and the steps that got me this far, and my plans for the near future.

My journey started in high school. When I was a sophomore at St. Francis Prep, I knew I was going to be a doctor. I wanted to study neurology and used my entire science background to do it. I was a part of the Science Research program there, a pretty prestigous program at the school. I decided to do research on the effects of violent video games on adolescents. It was fascinating to me as a person who equally loved video games and wasn't allowed to play Grand Theft Auto, because my mom felt that the game was too violent.

Anyway, I embraced this field of study and was prepared to spend the summer working with a professor at SUNY Geneseo doing further research on the topic. Everything was going well. I enjoyed the research and loved the topic of study and at the year end symposium, people who passed by my project loved the idea. As the year was ending I told my teacher that I would prove that violent video games didn't cause long term aggression in children and did so with pride. My teacher stopped me and said, "That's not what scientists do. Scientists don't prove things. They do experiments and report what happens." This disheartened me, and I knew that I had no interest in doing that. I wanted to prove things because I felt that I was right. I knew that I wouldn't be returning to the program in the fall, and that I no longer had interest in doing any of these experiments at all. I alson knew that due to suffering performance and an overall depression, I wouldn't be back. I was going to lose my scholarship and figured that I would have to leave St. Francis and go to another school ending my tenure with the program, anyway.

I did lose my scholarship but through various means I was still able to finish out my high school years at St. Francis Prep. I spent the next couple of years fumbling around trying to decide what was next for me. In my senior year, I took a Criminal Justice class, detailing all of the processes involved with the criminal justice system. I went on a day trip to Queens County Criminal Courthouse. I loved it there and was fascinated by the things that went on. I also applied to one college, John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

I decided that I wanted to become a lawyer before going for various reasons. I realized that my personality, and skill set lent itself to lawyering. Reasonable doubt and legal ideas surrounding the defense of the accused fascinated me and felt natural. I had no idea what it would take to get there, but I knew that this was what I wanted to do.
My first 2 years at John Jay was filled with great information and more support. While all of the school isn't the same way, in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, I found myself surrounded with people with great ideas and interesting perspectives, something that I hadn't experienced before, at least not to the extent that it was offered in Interdisciplinary Studies. I didn't enjoy every class, but every class offered me something to enjoy.

During sophomore year of college, a couple of my professors suggested that I apply for the Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep program. I hadn't heard of it yet, and it didn't seem like something I was certain that I wanted to do. It required me to devote my summers to getting in to law school and required that I didn't go to work or take summer classes. I loved my job, and didn't want to risk losing it for this program. A couple of weeks after I decided that I didn't want to be a part of the program, I got a call from the professor that ran it. She sold it to me over the phone and I decided to just apply. At worse, I wouldn't get in anyway.
I got in. I spent the next two summers taking mock law school classes with law professors at St. John's University, doing LSAT preparation, learning the ins and outs of personal statement writing, doing an internship at the Queens Criminal Courthouse with the same judge that was doing arraignments during my high school trip, and another with the Legal Aid Society.
By the fall semester of my senior year, I had my plans set. I was going to apply to a couple of different law schools, reach for some and see where I could get in. I was dissatisfied with New York and decided that I wanted to leave the area unless I didn't get into any schools out of state. While I applied to a couple of local schools I realized that this would be my last opportunity to leave NY and try something new. Also, I had to deal with problems at home and in my inner circle.
As a result of the aforementioned issues I applied to schools later than I would have liked, likely costing me tons in scholarship money. Where my peers applied in November or december and were done with the process, I had yet to send out my first application until January. The first set of apps were the ones I wanted and could afford on limited means. 4 schools including Colorado.
I got in. No money offered where I recieved offers of much more to go. Even then Colorado is where I wanted to be. I didnt even have a particularly good reason to choose Colorado over other schools. Rank bore no importance to me and I got into other schools that were far from home. I suppose I didnt see myself living in California and didnt want to be 3 timezones over. Also, I figure that I wont have other opportunities in life to spend a lot of time in Colorado whereas California will always offer opportunities.

Once I visited the Boulder-Denver area, I was set. It was everything I wanted and everything just felt right, from the facilities to the people I encountered. The only thing it's missing is a white castle. Boulder's quiet enough and Denver is city enough. More importantly, crime is low enough so it does feel different from home. I wont have to worry about the question fireworks or gunshots as often as I do here. Diversity is low, but that's to be expected.

Last Week, the Supreme Court decided on a case involving a law banning the sale of violent video games. It was the case I would have loved to present, more than any other case in history I suppose. That's not an exaggeration in any way. Its the sort of thing that I want to be a lawyer to be a part of. A law was passed to make selling violent video games fineable. The law was misguided and was passed based on inaccuracies.  Lawyers presented a case to invalidate that law, and they were successful in doing so. They had a point to prove and they proved it. What I noticed in reading the references after the opinion was a familiar piece of writing. There was a study titled "Looking at the world through Mortal Kombat colored glasses", the same study which I based my science research on over 6 years ago. Life coming full circle? Maybe. A sign? Probably not. But certainly ironic that the same things that were brought up and the questions that were asked all that time ago that caused me to want to practice law and get away from science were the same questions that popped up all this time later as I prepare to go to law school.

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