The Worst in Methodologies

11 Worst Cars - Consumer Reports

This is a little strange but somebody at CNN decided to research the 11 lowest scoring cars at Consumer Reports and write them up as the "11 Worst Cars".

Anybody who has read auto evaluations from Consumer Reports should know that they have a narrow view of what a car ought to be. Consumer Reports loves mid-sized sedans that have proven themselves reliable, affordable, and get good fuel mileage. If you have a family of 4 or 5 and drive them around on family picnics in addition to driving to work, then, by all means, take Consumer Reports to heart. Obviously, many do.

Consumer Reports, for the most part, hates sports cars, SUV's, and trucks. They like luxury sedans but often wonder why anybody should buy one when a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord can do the job. Speaking of the Camry and Accord, Consumer Reports for years has considered them the benchmarks, not just against other mid-size family vehicles, but everything else as well.

Knowing this, it's clear as to why the following vehicles fared as the worst.

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited: Never mind that this is a revered vehicle amongst off-road enthusiasts. Never mind that it goes places that others cannot. In fact, the article states "Consumer Reports performs off-road testing at its Connecticut proving grounds, but off-road ability doesn't factor into the final scores." Keep this in mind.

Hummer H3: Another off-road vehicle that, like the Jeep, is unique. Like the Jeep, it's not for cruising across the country on the Interstate. It's a special-purpose vehicle and certainly won't be mistaken for an Accord or Camry.

Jeep Liberty Sport: Now I'm biased here because I own a Liberty Limited (an upscale version of the Sport). Liberty's can out-tow any other small to mid-size SUV. That's valuable to some folk. Obviously not Consumer Reports, though. I wonder how well an Accord climbs over boulders.

Chevrolet Aveo5: The article doesn't bother to point out what's so bad about this car. I can only assume that it's not worth considering because its so much smaller than a Camry. It certainly costs less and gets better fuel mileage so what's the problem?

Dodge Nitro: It's actually hard to argue against this one but I have to laugh where it states the Nitro has no high points. In R/T form, it's quite powerful. Can't they at least point out its one of the fastest SUV's out there?

Toyota FJ Cruiser: Back to the off-road crowd. See Jeep and Hummer.

Toyota Yaris: Obviously, like the Aveo5, it's too small.

Suzuki Forenza: A valid entry here. It's a family sedan that doesn't come close to the Accord or Camry.

Jeep Patriot: Obviously Consumer Reports hates Jeeps. If the Patriot is so bad, why isn't the Dodge Caliber on the list? The Caliber is basically the same vehicle but it's not meant to go off-road. Apparently since Camrys and Accords don't go off-road, nothing should.

Chevrolet Trailblazer: Another valid entry here just because its on an aging platform.

Mercury Grand Marquis: This is a beloved, although aged platform. They are relatively cheap, powerful, comfortable, and are easy to find parts for and can run almost forever. All Consumer Reports likes is the large trunk.

With my disdain for Consumer Reports, I'm not really faulting them here. As I mentioned above, they have their particular criteria for judging the value of an automobile and anything that falls short of that criteria, regardless of what other strong points it has will fall short in their eyes.

I fault CNN for taking a quick and easy route of just taking results from another source and creating a headline stating their own conclusion based on those results. Shame on you CNN.

The Obama Email

Yesterday, I received the following email from a colleague.

I think this is something we all should read!!!

Look this up on Snopes if you doubt it.

Who is Barack Obama? Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice.

If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it and share it.

We checked this out on "snopes.com". It is factual. Check for yourself. probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from Wichita, Kansas. Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii.

When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia. When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocate to Indonesia. Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school.

Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school."

Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that he is not a radical.

Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.

Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta.

Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.

Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy.

The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own!!!!

While this makes interesting reading. I can't endorse such a tactic to sway my vote. First of all, the statements about Obama disrespecting the flag are suspect. Yes, I've seen the photos out there but I am not so quick to jump to a conclusion.

What I really object to, though, is the dangerous notion that one can make determinations about someone because of the beliefs or actions of a family member. In other words, if a certain individual is a terrible person, therefore his son or daughter must be a terrible person as well. It is wrong to judge Obama by the actions of his parents just as it would be wrong to judge anybody by anything other than an individual's own actions and words.

I am not going to vote for Obama but that is because I don't agree with his politics, not because I disapprove of his parents.

Blu-Ray Wins

Toshiba quits HD-DVD business

Like many, I have yet to invest a single penny into anything regarding high definition television. The biggest reason of course is due to financial limitations. Another reason, though, was that no distributable media format had established itself. That obstacle appears to have been hurdled.

I posted an article, The DVD Situation over two years ago mentioning the format battle primarily between Toshiba and Sony with their respective HD-DVD and Blu-Ray DVD formats. HD-DVD had the initial support but over the past year, it seems that Blu-Ray was taken over. That now appears confirmed. Too bad for those who invested in HD-DVD players and disks. You should have known you were taking a risk (just like those who invested in BetaMax 25 years ago.) Of course, your equipment still works and I'm sure HD-DVD disks will still be produced for a while. It does appear that Blu-Ray has the brighter and longer future, though. This will dismay some as there are those of you out there who don't like certain business practices of Sony. One of these business practices was incorporating rootkits - a form of spyware into its media.

With all this said, we have to also realize that things will never be as stable as they once were. Our standard-definition TV's are based on a standard developed in the 1940's. Yet, high definition television standards that were set less than 10 years ago are already being set up to be replaced. In the past, people often held on to their TV's for many years, decades even. Not any more. The industry apparently wants everybody to buy a new TV every 8 years or so. Think about it. To stay reasonably up to date, we need to purchase new computers every 3 years so this is nothing new.

What's more is that people (myself included) still have piles of VHS tapes that we never bothered to convert to or replace with DVD. Now the original (1996) DVD standard is dying, our tapes are going to be two generations of formats behind.

Just like in Men in Black where Tommy Lee Jones laments that a new music format will force him to buy the White Album again, I wonder how many times I am going to feel the need to re-buy 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Blade Runner, etc.

The Fate of the Union

(Yeah, I've been coasting a bit. I'll have some articles of my own soon now that football season is over and I'm no longer sick.)

I found this little goodie and thought I'd share it. It's author is unknown.

If Bush resigned today, this is what his speech would be.....

Normally, I start these things out by saying "My Fellow Americans." Not doing it this time. If the polls are any indication, I don't know who more than half of you are anymore. I do know something terrible has happened, and that you're really not fellow Americans any longer. I'll cut right to the chase here: I quit. Now before anyone gets all in a lather about me quitting to avoid impeachment, or to avoid prosecution or something, let me assure you: There's been no breaking of laws or impeachable offenses in this office.

The reason I'm quitting is simple. I'm fed up with you people. I'm fed up because you have no understanding of what's really going on in the world. Or of what's going on in this once-great nation of ours. And the majority of you are too damned lazy to do your homework and figure it out. Let's start local. You've been sold a bill of goods by politicians and the news media. Polls show that the majority of you think the economy is in the tank. And that's despite record numbers of homeowners, including record numbers of MINORITY homeowners. And while we're mentioning minorities, I'll point out that minority business ownership is at an all-time high. Our unemployment rate is as low as it ever was during the Clinton administration. I've mentioned all those things before, but it doesn't seem to have sunk in.

Despite the shock to our economy of 9/11, the stock market has rebounded to record levels and more Americans than ever are participating in these markets. Meanwhile, all you can do is whine about gas prices, and most of you are too damn stupid to realize that gas prices are high because there's increased demand in other parts of the world, and because a small handful of noisy idiots are more worried about polar bears and beach front property than your economic security. We face real threats in the world. Don't give me this "blood for oil" thing. If I were trading blood for oil I would've already seized Iraq 's oil fields and let the rest of the country go to hell? And don't give me this 'Bush Lied; People Died' crap either. If I were the liar you morons take me for, I could've easily had chemical weapons planted in Iraq so they could be 'discovered.' Instead, I owned up to the fact that the intelligence was faulty.

Let me remind you that the rest of the world thought Saddam had the goods, same as me. Let me also remind you that regime change in Iraq was official US policy before I came into office. Some guy named ' Clinton ' established that policy. Bet you didn't know that, did you? You idiots need to understand that we face a unique enemy. Back during the cold war, there were two major competing political and economic models squaring off. We won that war, but we did so because fundamentally, the Communists wanted to survive, just as we do. We were simply able to out spend and out-tech them.

That's not the case this time. The soldiers of our new enemy don't care if they survive. In fact, they want to die. That'd be fine, as long as they weren't also committed to taking as many of you with them as they can. But they are. They want to kill you, and the bastards are all over the globe. You should be grateful that they haven't gotten any more of us here in the United States since September 11. But you're not. That's because you've got no idea how hard a small number of intelligence, military, law enforcement, and homeland security people have worked to make sure of that. When this whole mess started, I warned you that this would be a long and difficult fight. I'm disappointed how many of you people think a long and difficult fight amounts to a single season of 'Survivor.'

Instead, you've grown impatient. You're incapable of seeing things through the long lens of history, the way our enemies do. You think that wars should last a few months, a few years, tops. Making matters worse, you actively support those who help the enemy. Every time you buy the New York Times, every time you send a donation to a cut-and-run Democrat's political campaign, well, dang it, you might just as well FedEx a grenade launcher to a Jihadist. It amounts to the same thing.

In this day and age, it's easy enough to find the truth. It's all over the Internet. It just isn't on the pages of the New York Times or on NBC News. But even if it were, I doubt you'd be any smarter. Most of you would rather watch American Idol. I could say more about your expectations that the government will always be there to bail you out, even if you're too stupid to leave a city that's below sea level and has a hurricane approaching.

I could say more about your insane belief that government, not your own wallet, is where the money comes from. But I've come to the conclusion that were I to do so, it would sail right over your heads. So I quit. I'm going back to Crawford. I've got an energy-efficient house down there (Al Gore could only dream) and the capability to be fully self-sufficient. No one ever heard of Crawford before I got elected, and as soon as I'm done here pretty much no one will ever hear of it again. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to die of old age before the last pillars of America fall.
Oh, and by the way, Cheney's quitting too. That means Pelosi is your new President. You asked for it. Watch what she does carefully, because I still have a glimmer of hope that there are just enough of you remaining who are smart enough to turn this thing around in 2008. So that's it. God bless what's left of America .Some of you know what I mean.The rest of you, kiss off.

Patriots 49 Giants 17

That's my pick and I'm sticking to it. Every Supebowl, it's the same thing. The sports media tries hard the entire week to convince us that the underdog has a chance.

They are usually wrong.

Of course, I've been mostly wrong this whole season. I would love to be wrong again.

Another Silly "Who Am I?"

I find these more fun than informative. What is informative about these is the human need to be defined.



I Am A: Lawful Neutral Human /Ranger (3rd/2nd Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-14

Dexterity-15

Constitution-15

Intelligence-13

Wisdom-14

Charisma-11


Alignment:
Lawful Neutral A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs him. Order and organization are paramount to him. He may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or he may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government. Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot. However, lawful neutral can be a dangerous alignment because it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.


Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.


Primary Class:
Monks are versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor. Good-aligned monks serve as protectors of the people, while evil monks make ideal spies and assassins. Though they don't cast spells, monks channel a subtle energy, called ki. This energy allows them to perform amazing feats, such as healing themselves, catching arrows in flight, and dodging blows with lightning speed. Their mundane and ki-based abilities grow with experience, granting them more power over themselves and their environment. Monks suffer unique penalties to their abilities if they wear armor, as doing so violates their rigid oath. A monk wearing armor loses their Wisdom and level based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their additional unarmed attacks per round.


Secondary Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.


Detailed Results:

Alignment:

Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (22)

Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (16)

Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (18)

Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (28)

True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (22)

Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (24)

Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)

Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXX (8)

Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXX (10)



Law & Chaos:

Law ----- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)

Neutral - XXXXXX (6)

Chaos --- XXXXXXXX (8)



Good & Evil:

Good ---- XXXXXXXXXX (10)

Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (16)

Evil ---- XX (2)



Race:

Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)

Dwarf ---- XXXXXXXXXX (10)

Elf ------ XXXXXXXX (8)

Gnome ---- XXXXXXXX (8)

Halfling - XXXXXX (6)

Half-Elf - XXXXXXXX (8)

Half-Orc - XXXXXXXX (8)



Class:

Barbarian - (-21)

Bard ------ (-25)

Cleric ---- (0)

Druid ----- (0)

Fighter --- XX (2)

Monk ------ XXXX (4)

Paladin --- (-21)

Ranger ---- XXXX (4)

Rogue ----- (-6)

Sorcerer -- XX (2)

Wizard ---- (-2)

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus

SuperBowl Cancelled

I have to agree with the L.A. Times TJ Simers on this one:

The Chargers Just Ruined a Great Game

Thanks to the San Diego Chargers, the Superbowl that would have been played next week in Foxborough, Ma between the two best teams in the NFL - The Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots won't occur. I guess it shows you have to actually play the games instead of figuring it out on paper.

The Patriots must be happy because the one team that had a decent chance of killing their perfect season is gone.

Meanwhile, in the NFL's version of Division 2 - also known as the NFC, Packers' fans around the country should write [G]iant thank you notes to the New York Giants. New York's upset in Dallas yesterday all but put the Packers in the Superbowl (although, as mentioned above, they will have to go through the actual process of playing the game).

Stop Them (Please)

I don't care who it is, but somebody please beat the New England Patriots before they go 19-0 and I will never stop hearing Bostonians (and band wagoners) boast about their ultimate season.

I never had anything against the Patriots before this year. They are the team of the decade and I've had great respect for Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. I've lost much of that respect this season.

No, it's not because of the whole "cheating" thing. I'm sure just about every team does some form of play stealing that the Patriots got caught doing. I am talking about the pouring it on and the stat-padding.

They've been on TV quite a bit this year, obviously. Why do they never take Brady or any of their starters out in the last 5 minutes of the game when it's 42 - 10 or something like that? Why do they go for it on 4th down in these situations? Bellichick is showing he has no respect for the rest of the NFL. This team has no class. They don't deserve the acclaim.

I think Jacksonville has a small chance (really, I do). However, assuming New England wins today, I am looking for Indianapolis to end it next week.

Thoughts on 2008

What to blog about in 2008?

Actually, I think I am mostly going to stay away from the election nonsense - at least directly. I have no idea of whom I want to win the next election. Just please let it not be Clinton or Obama.

I want to talk some more about the whole climate change subject. I will continue to assert that humans have very little to do with the Arctic ice melting and such until I read something really compelling and not fudged up, cherry-picked nonsense from ex-hippies and politicians. There's a lot more to this than whether or not it exists or is caused by humans. I intend to explore the benefits of global warming, (yes, there are benefits.) I also want to address the whole "sky is falling" mentality that is eroding our collective consciousnesses.

Ethanol is a good topic to discuss in 2008. It's ludicrous to think that it will take place of oil. At least, with the technology we have today. We may be substituting "Big Oil" with "Big Corn" but we will be paying more and polluting no less.

If not ethanol, then what?

Are hybrid cars all that?

The biggest problem in the world is people.

Guns, do they really kill people?

Health care. Raise your hand if you think the federal government could possibly provide it efficiently and with quality. Before you raise your hand, think about all the other wonderful government programs that are run well and within a reasonable budget.

Radical Islam. Is 2008 going to be the year they hurt us again or will they keep infiltrating and hold on for a bigger strike?

I'm wondering if Joe Torre will make any bit of difference to the Dodgers. Are we just in for another slightly above/below .500 year again?

With Georgia Frontiere not expected to live out the year, will Chip Rosenbloom move the Rams back to Los Angeles?

Last Thoughts on 2007

For us Wilson's, 2007 was a tumultuous year. My mother suffered a heart attack on Valentine's day and had to go through open-heart surgery. One month later, my father passed away. It seemed like I spent the rest of the year in picking up the pieces.

In between all of this, I had some of the heaviest workloads I had seen in a while. I racked up a lot of overtime, which is good, especially when it's over. Then at the end of the year, business really slowed and I started to stress a little over that. Fortunately, it seemed to have been a temporary lull. While I haven't been putting in long hours, the work has been steady.

Well, most things are in order again. We found all of my Dad's important stuff and my Mom now is living comfortably 20 min. from my home. Goodbye monthly trips to Las Vegas! I won't miss them. I'm wondering what is coming next. One thing I know is that if one ever thinks he or she has a handle on things, it won't last. Something always changes. It's how we adjust that makes all the difference.

Happy Birthday Sir Arthur C. Clarke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLXQ7rNgWwg

Arthur C. Clarke is one a a very select few whom I would call a "hero" of mine. He celebrated his 90'th birthday today (really yesterday to me since he lives on the other side of the planet in Sri Lanka).

Clarke is primarily known as a science fiction writer, but he has been much more than that. He is one of the few sci-fi writers who really knew his subject matter really well. His stories are loaded with authenticity. There is really nothing he ever speculated about in his writings that could ever be considered impossible or even improbable. While many or really most writers conveniently ignore gravity, the speed of light, and other inconveniences of the universe so they can put their Earthbound stories in space, Clarke respects the laws of the universe and his novels and short stories reflect this respect.

Clarke will always be remembered for other things.

• One-Time Head of the British Interplanetary Society: In the 1930's, Clarke and others, would gather in pubs and talk about real spaceflight. No Buck Rogers, but real rockets and what it would take to get to outer space from scientific and engineering viewpoints. Many of their ideas became reality 30 years later.
• Clarke's Belt - Geo synchronized satellites that allow global communications including the Internet. Clarke drew this up in 1945 - 12 years before Sputnik. Clarke is considered the "Father of Global Communications"
• Clarke's Three Laws - Gems that are the basis for all good science fiction.
  1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
  2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
  3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
• Oscar Nomination for 2001: A Space Odyssey (With Stanley Kubrick)
• Predicting the Internet in the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Calling the Space Shuttle Program "A Disaster waiting to happen" in mid-1985, half a year before the Challenger disaster. Clarke never was a fan of a space shuttle designed beautifully by NASA and destroyed by Congress.

There are Clarke speculations that have yet to come to pass, but I hope they will. These include the Space Elevator from his novel The Fountains of Paradise and energy derived from ordinary air.

Happy Birthday Dr. Clarke. I share in your hope for s space-faring human race.

Streeter and Dorrell

" Over several seasons, Dorrell has won about six out of 10 games. So did his predecessors. He's doing what football coaches do at UCLA.

I've long been skeptical about the heated, heavy anger directed at Karl Dorrell. I've wondered: Where does it come from? " - Kurt Streeter, Los Angeles Times, Nov. 30, 2007

There is a very good chance that today will feature Karl Dorrell's last game as UCLA's football coach. This man was probably hired because of his skin color and will most likely, be fired because he is a mediocre coach. Kurt Streeter, in the quote above, doesn't seem to realize that Dorrell's white predecessors who performed similarly, also were fired.

Go Trojans!

What's in a Name?

If you haven't seen the exchange involving the word "bitch" between John McCain and a Hillary hater or the remarks by CNN's Rick Sanchez, watch it here.

Crazy or Stupid?

I'm not a McCain fan but my initial reaction is that he handled it pretty well. Of course, CNN's Sanchez would like to think this finished the whole campaign but that's what I'd expect from CNN. That's not what I want to discuss, however.

Thinking about it some more brought me to an interesting hypothetical. What if the questioner was an African-American referring to Barack Obama asking:

"How do we beat the n*****?"

I wonder how it would have played had this been the case. I believe McCain would have reacted much more harshly and if he hadn't, then Sanchez would probably be right. McCain would be finished.

Notice how even I will print the "b" word and not the "n" word. The "n" word has certainly become quite the taboo in our society. It's interesting isn't it? How many women would think it's okay to use the "b" word and not the "n" word? Should we react upon hearing the words equally? If not, what makes one okay to use and not the other?

Rudolph Giuliani: Sports Analyst

Let's do this again.

Al Michaels: So Mr Giuliani, you probably are aware that on this coming up Sunday, there will be a battle between two undefeated teams, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. Who do you like in that one?

Rudolph Giuliani: Well Al, I remember when I was Mayor of New York, I cut down crime on the roads to the Meadowlands Stadium by 45%. I worked hard with our law enfo...

Al Michaels: (To himself) Here we go again

Al Michaels: Rudy, Rudy!, I'm here to talk about sports. I just want your prediction for the game.

Rudolph Giuliani: Oh, the game itself? It's going to be a struggle - kind of like the struggle during 9/11 when our firefighters had to battle the smoke, ash and falling debris to save thousands of lives. I expect the Colts and Patriots to be like my fire-fighting warriors as they battle each other.

Al Michaels: Care to actually make a prediction as to who will win?

Rudolph Giuliani: Oh, I'm rooting for Boston, er New England for sure.

New Yorkers: Boooooooh!

Hillary Clinton: Sports Analyst

Let's just imagine this for one minute.

Al Michaels: So Mrs. Clinton, you probably are aware that on this coming up Sunday, there will be a battle between two undefeated teams, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. Who do you like in that one?

Hillary Clinton: First of all, having two teams undefeated this late in the season indicates a lack of parity in the league. This can clearly be blamed on the current administration for setting up policies where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. When I am President, I am going to change that by increasing the ta...

Al Michaels: Eh, excuse me Hillary, I just want your prediction as to who's going to win the game.

Hillary Clinton: The Patriots are certainly a strong team. They are very democratic in the way they share the ball among so many players. The current administration doesn't play that way! The Patriots' style of play makes them unbeatable.

Al Michaels: So you pick the Patriots, then?

Hillary Clinton: Well, you also have the Colts, who have an African-American coach. Despite the current administration's running the country like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about, the coach has managed to overcome this and because of that, the Colts are unbeatable.

Al Michaels: Now wait a minute, you just said earlier that the Patriots are unbeatable. They both can't be.

Hillary Clinton: No Al, this is one of those situations where my opponents say "gotcha!". Don't misconstrue what I've said. Clearly this confusion can be blamed on the current administration!

Al Michaels: Let me ask this question, again... One more time. Who do you pick to win on Sunday, the Patriots or the Colts?

Hillary Clinton: I believe I've stated my position on this issue clearly.

Boo!

Just thought I'd list some of my favorite horror movies. Don't know what prompted that. Most horror films are pure crap. That includes just about all the teen slasher movies. I'm not the type who actually gets scared watching a movie so this is not a list of the scariest films. It's a list of the rare films in this genre that I think are worthwhile to watch.

In no particular order:

Psycho: The definitive work on audience deception. Hitchcock masterfully leads us into a story about a woman trapped in her own web of deception, then without warning, kills her off and reveals a new story about a man in his own trap.

Alien: The ultimate creature movie. This film has such a creepy tone. It doesn't hurt that it takes place in a cramped ship in an alien part of outer space.

The Shining: In the Overlook hotel where the winding endless hallways mimic the surrounding mountains, a family dwells in utter isolation. Does the terror come from outside unnatural forces or does the locale bring out the inner demons of each individual? The Kubrick film is great. The TV movie that is based more on the Stephen King book is weak.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 & 1978), Body Snatchers (1993): A movie so good, they've re-made it three times. I haven't seen the one that came out this year (The Invasion), but the three predecessors are all very good in their own unique way. "They're coming, they're coming! You're next!"

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Let me explain this very carefully, only the first one is worth the trouble. The sequels are just along the same lines as the Halloweens and Friday the Thirteenth movies. The first one though, is very good as it puts a new twist on the teen slasher. This time, he comes in your dreams. How can you stop him? How can you make anyone believe you?

Count Dracula (1977 TV Movie): This version of the classic story actually follows the novel quite faithfully. It's far superior to the very tame Bela Lugosi flick and the over the top, ridiculous Francis Ford Coppolla version.

Frankenstein (1992 TNT Movie): This is reasonably faithful to the novel and it certainly captures its themes quite well. The more recent Kenneth Branaugh film isn't bad but it's over-acted.

SSSSS: This is a campy B movie all the way but it is very creepy. "Red touch yellow kills a fellow."

Beware, the Blob: Also, a very campy B movie. It is hilarious. The blob devours everything including hippies, priests, and policemen. This is Larry Hagman's one and only movie he directed.

The Howling: This came out almost exactly at the same time as An American Werewolf in London. The Howling is much better, in terror, effects, and campiness.

Bush Hates Healthy Children! Read All About it!

House Sustains President’s Veto on Child Health

The headline of the New York Times article above is unbelievably slanted. Nevermind that federal government has no business in the health care business and the veto merely put some limits on the whole bad idea.

How about a headline slanted the other way.

House Sustains Bush's Defense of the Constitution

He Assaulted Truth. Now He Gets Awarded for Peace?

When Yasser Arafat received the Nobel Peace prize, the Nobel Peace committee lost all credibility for me. Now they award Al Gore the same award for his opinionated and biased attempt at explaining global warming. Well, at least they're consistent. Gore fudged data, made all sorts of inaccurate statements, and drew conclusions based on very little evidence. Yet, somehow, he gets an Academy award and a Nobel Peace Prize for his attack on the truth.

In a world gone mad, there is a little sanity. In Great Britain, it was ruled that An Inconvenient Truth, if it is to be shown in schools, must be accompanied by a disclaimer.

Schools must warn of Gore climate film bias

Of course, I already did my own research on this earlier this year.

A Convenient Lie Part 1
I assert that Al Gore created his film for political reasons. I outline his primary arguments.

"The Debate is Over" (A Convenient Lie Part 2)
I point out that there is a huge amount of qualified people who dispute Gore's claims. The debate is hardly over.

The Case for Global Warming (A Convenient Lie Part 3)
I summarize Gore's arguments.

Why It's Wrong (A Convenient Lie Part 4)
There are many holes in Gore's arguments. I go over just a few.

The Truth (A Convenient Lie Part 5)
Global warming is caused by (gasp) the Sun!

Politics vs Science (A Convenient Lie Part 6 - FINAL)
Politicians seem to care more about this issue than scientists. They wouldn't have anything to gain from this fear-mongering, would they?

October's Best

Now that I've mostly gotten over my depression of the Dodgers' absolute collapse in September, I'll give my fearless picks for October.

Divisional Series
Rockies over Phillies
Diamondbacks over Cubs
Yankees over Indians
Red Sox over Angels

League Championship Series
Rockies over Diamondbacks
Red Sox over Yankees

World Series
Red Sox over Rockies

Position Available #2

Badly Wanted: A head coach with guts and a success-driven attitude for a badly under-performing football team in St. Louis. This football team has some of the most talented players in the NFL. They feature one of the most cool-headed, accurate and toughest quarterbacks, a young, emerging running back who is also an excellent receiver and blocker. An array of wide-receivers and tight ends with speed and great hands would be at your disposal.

Unfortunately, this team is so poorly coached that they appear utterly inept. This position is available immediately. Hurry and apply before it's too late. Bill Cowher and Marty Shottenheimer would make primary choices but anyone who is fiery, and can plan solid game strategies and not be prone to making sorry-ass excuses would be considered.