Haylock

We don't know where JaMarcus Russell will play football in 2010, but he will apparently only consider offers from teams that play on 100-yard fields.

Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reports that Russell doesn't plan to play in the Arena Football League or Canadian Football League.

The mere fact that anyone is talking about Russell playing Arena football or Canadian football demonstrates just how far his stock has fallen since he was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft. Players with the talent to be the first pick in the draft don't end up desperately seeking employment three years later unless they've fallen victim to a bad case of lethargy addiction.

However, Russell does have a good enough arm that it seems likely that some team will eventually offer him a contract. We just don't know which team it will be.

And if it's not an NFL team, we know the UFL is hiring quarterbacks.

The JaMarcuss Russel watch continues. Today’s story is he will not try other leagues.

According to an article on NFL.com today, a source with knowledge of the situation said, “Russell has no plans to attempt a comeback in the Arena Football League or Canadian Football League.” He allegedly plans to try an NFL comeback.

Russell has been contacted by teams and hopes something will come to fruition. A few days ago, he was identified as being back home in Mobile, Ala; he continues to workout and stay in shape, waiting for team inquiries.

Russell has not spoken to the media since his release.

Today on the Dan Patrick Show, former Oakland Raider Howie Long commented on the Russell situation. He thinks a team will pick up the ex-Raider and said regarding Russell, “There didn't seem to be any urgency with the way he approached the game. So much leadership comes from that spot. But I think that he has so much talent, there's a coach or GM out there you could talk into [taking him.]“

While it may be considered an apples and oranges comparison, I couldn’t help but think of ex-Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Ram quarterback, Kurt Warner and his brief stint in the AFL. At the start of his career, he went undrafted and tried out with the Green Bay Packers but was released by the team when the regular season started.

Warner then spent a few years in the AFL playing for the Iowa Barnstormers. It is a success story and Warner is No. 12 on a list of top 20 all-time AFL players.

We know the rest of the Warner’s story.

Maybe the AFL or CFL wouldn’t be a such a bad idea for Russell. And I have to say, I’m surprised there hasn’t been any chatter of the Chicago Bears looking at Russell as their backup. I’d like to see Martz whoop Russell into shape, as well as Cutler.

To be continued…

The Kentucky Derby is right around the corner. Here are the fastest hores ever to run in the Derby. Whoops – but they are out of order. To earn your Mint Julep, just place the horses in the correct order, starting with the fastest. The answers are at the end.

List the Fastest Horses in Order:

1. Bold Forbes

2. Northern Dancer

3. Grindstone

4. Decidedly

5. War Emblem

6. Lucky Debonair

7. Spend a Buck

8. Affirmed

9. Thunder Guldch

10. Whirlaway

11. Middleground

12. Hill Gail

13 .Monarchos

14 .Proud Clarion

15 .Secretariat

Answers:

1.

Secretariat

1:59

(1973)

2.

Monarchos

1:59.97

(2001)

3.

Northern Dancer

2:00

(1964)

4.

Spend a Buck

2:00

(1985)

5.

Decidedly

2:00

(1962)

6.

Proud Clarion

2:00

(1967)

7.

Grindstone

2:01

(1996)

8.

War Emblem

2:01.13

(2002)

9.

Lucky Debonair
Affirmed
Thunder Gulch

2:01
2:01
2:01

(1965)
(1978)
(1995)

12.

Whirlaway

2:01

(1941)

13.

Middleground
Hill Gail
Bold Forbes

2:01
2:01
2:01

(1950)
(1952)
(1976)

Those interested in international relations are familiar with the age-old Middle East plight. Different forces active there have been exercising their own interests while to them the value of human life has meant little. Among the prominent players in the Middle East, the United States has clearly sided with Israel, the chief buyer of US weapons and other military products. Although decades have gone along with innumerable efforts for peace in the region, the industry of massacres and violence has continuously ascended its ladder. The Arab forces have been divided and ruled.

The Pentagon has openly sold to Israel satellite-guided bombs worth billions of dollars. It has sold similar weapons to Saudi Arabia as well. In the the region, babies get born insecure. If they survive the early years of birth they grow insecure. During their growth years, they are forced to live insecure. And should they escape death in the first half of their mid-youth, they are forced to take one-another's life as per the patterns under which they are structured.

A more or less similar situation of human insecurity exists in different parts of the world, be they in Asia, Africa or Latin America and definitely in the United States, where there is no calculation and proper information dissemination of how many children, youths and seniles are killed daily in dozens of cities and counties. Amidst a growing scale of international insecurity and militarism, South Asians today have a logical worry. They definitely do not want their region to fall into the impasse of a Middle East kind. They do not want an automated death machine to be implanted into their own heads and their region, already weakened through political instability and fundamentalism.

Indeed, South Asia is trapped between home-grown crises and foreign impositions. Despite being a world's large democracy constitutionally and procedurally, India has yet to democratize itself. All-pervasive corruption, violence, murders and robberies can never be considered the theories of democracy. Similarly, the unhindered de-humanizing practices of caste untouchability and discriminations cannot be synonymized with democratic characteristics. How can the existing caste apartheid in India and Nepal be understood as a local issue in the age of information and communication revolution in the global village? Such contradictions keep on dividing the majority of people, who, at the same time nurture their mutual misconceptions. They ultimately further exacerbate conflicts and violence. It is amidst such sharp contradictions that fundamentalism finds a fertile soil. In particular, intractable conflicts even invite foreign intervention. So many political and socio-economic contradictions existing in India have a great degree of commonness among the contradictions in other SAARC countries. This situation should be considered with much importance since the US Administration has sought to build up its intelligence base in the region.

The US Administration has obviously viewed China and India with special attention. Almost all American think tanks most usually depict China as the closest challenge for the US in the 21st century. Several US senators voice for designing appropriate strategies to curb the growing Chinese influence in the international arena. This concern among US journalists and analysts indicates that the US cannot remain without doing something to neutralize or at least to undersize the Chinese influence. For this, the US Administration requires a suitable geopolitical station, and such a place cannot be other than South Asia. The US tactics based on regional cooperation and soft-cornered negotiation-based approaches can be seen in South Asia. It, on the hand, collaborates with India for the proliferation of nuclear weapons and, on the other, uses Pakistani political structures for establishing the US command in Afghanistan. Quite scantily discussed in this context is the geopolitical significance of Nepal where the US Administration is suspected of planning to setup a major regional infrastructure for the operations of intelligence and civil-clothed US security forces.

What is largely glamorized but little studied in this context is the case of Pakistan. Power-mongering Pakistani President Musharraf has facilitated a ground both for domestic fundamentalists and the US Administration. Today, Musharraf has become a person picked by the US Administration. Tomorrow, one of the current US-hunted fundamentalist leader in that country may be the US choice if genuine democracy based on the original aspirations of the Pakistanis comes to the fore with people's independent and integrated struggles. Because such a democracy established through people's original efforts may be incompatible with the Pentagon patterns. In this context, the world generally knows how the CIA nourished Iran's Shah, Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Saudi Arabia's Bin Laden for use purposes.

Today, Musharraf may appear a hero to many. It has been historically evident that the US Administration has been campaigning for preparing a battalion of its lackeys from among political leaders of all the countries. India, though it appears to be a global power, is a nation highly plighted by its scattered civil wars, armed separatism and social cruelties that have maintained extreme disparity and poverty. Medieval evils such as caste apartheid have weakened its collective strength. Informed about this, the US Administration, without touching such issues, has adopted a silent strategy of cooperating with India in order to bring the whole South Asian region under its control. Once the region is under full US control, it will be much easier for the Pentagon to cope with the Chinese politically, economically and militarily. Only intelligence exchange and logistical cooperation will not suffice for the US need in South Asia. What it requires as soon as possible is a base equipped with multiple facilities, including military and intelligence facilities.

India does not appear to favor the idea of allowing any US base within the Indian territory. As Nepal's political leaders, including those heading security mechanisms, generally appear prepared even for treason, American intelligence operatives are openly working since the 1990s. It has been customary for the US officials, whenever they visit Nepal, to deliver free political speeches with their instructions on Nepal's political and constitutional issues. It has equally been too common for the Kathmandu-based US ambassador to frequently meet Nepal's prime minister and security chiefs. Basically, any foreign power is not to be blamed. Those practicing the politics of treason within the country are to be blamed primarily. As this situation is much more favorable for the US Administration to be active in South Asia, it wants to maintain it. Therefore, it is natural for the White House to make every attempt to prevent any new political force or leadership to enter Nepal's mainstream politics unless there is a guarantee that the newly entering force or political organization will serve the US interests without a question. In this context, the US Administration will not want to miss Nepal, the most sensitive geopolitical hub of South Asia. Nepal being between the two nations with a major population of almost 2.5 billion, other European nations have equally begun to analyze and interpret Nepal and her issues at a deeper level.

This shows the geopolitical significance of Nepal in the international arena. Perhaps, China through its silent diplomacy, has been examining the ongoings in South Asia. However, Chinese officials have not made their analysis explicit regarding such issues. As to Bhutan, the US Administration has adopted a policy of not irritating India through any different Bhutan policy. It seems to be pursuing the usual policy as in the case of Nepal. Bhutan, though under heavy Indian influence, does not want to miss US favor, especially as regards to the preservation of monarchial autocracy there. The Bhutanese of Nepali origin are the greatest headaches not only to feudal Bhutanese rulers but also to the White House and New Delhi. The reason is clear: the Bhutanese of Nepali origin have been fighting for democracy and human rights within Bhutan for 16 years. India and America have never expressed their support to this democratic movement as they used to extend their support to the democratic movement elsewhere. Because of the protection of Bhutanese dictators by India and America, they have openly dared to violate human rights by expelling the vociferous Bhutanese citizens, who have lived a torturous life in refugee camps in Nepal for 16 years.

Currently, the White House and New Delhi have found one formula for neutralizing the Bhutanese people's movement for democracy and human rights: to let thousands of Bhutanese emigrate to US, Canada, Australia, Spain and some other European nations . It means that the background masters of Bhutanese feudal rulers have thought of sending Bhutanese refugees far away. If they stay within South Asia, they will not stop giving a headache to the rulers within and outside Bhutan. Although this approach appears humanitarian, most of the Bhutanese themselves, especially people of middle and older age groups, have opposed this as a piece of conspiracy against their repatriation. Instead of deciding to divide the Bhutanese refugees like this, they could pressurize the Bhutanese rulers to establish democracy in Bhutan and repatriate their citizens. Nepal, in the context of Bhutanese refugee issue, has not produced any independent policy. The ruling elites of Nepal have a habit of deciding everything at the gesture of India and America. Therefore, the government of Nepal has supported the US plan of de-Bhutanizing the Bhutanese refugees of Nepali origin. Instead, it could provide Nepali citizenship to Bhutanese refugees and include them in the mainstream development of Nepal. Nepal could also call upon all the Bhutanese of Nepali origin living in Bhutan to join Nepal as citizens. But becoming silent spectators of human rights violations and supporting de-nationalization campaign by the third country is equivalent to a crime against humanity.

But Nepali leaderships, recklessly bargaining their national sovereignty, are still lingering through political deadlocks within home. This seems to heighten the sovereignty crisis. Growing Pentagon influence in India and Pakistan shows the level of sovereignty crisis in South Asia. The peoples of the region have no other alternative except to join hands in preserving their national sovereignties.

Motivation, good coaching skills, great tactical awareness, and good deals in the transfer market are just some of the main skills needed to be a great manager; if you are not built up on the main skills then you will seriously fail in the football managerial world. Since the Premier League began many good managers have come and gone and some have just stayed here all the way so far, or since they came to England.

When I think about the best managers in the Premier League I think about silverware, trophies, and success, there have been a few greats in the past 16 years. Since the league began Manchester United have been kings of English football all thanks to a Scottish managerial genius named Sir Alex Ferguson. He brought up local home grown talent like David Beckham and Ryan Giggs and combined it with fantastic signings such as Roy Keane and Eric Cantona. After Blackburn one the first Premier League title Fergie knew that he had to purchase players and improve the team over the summer, so he did. Bringing in several new faces to fill the gaps that the youngsters were not ready to step up to yet he managed to bring the title to Manchester, which is where it would stay until 1998 with no other club even threatening United's crown. Fergie's management style was based around belief and motivation more than the tactical side of things, he is also well known for nurturing youth talent well and bringing them to the top of the game, he has many young gems turned to superstars to show for it.

Another great Premiership manager is Arsene Wenger. When he came to Arsenal in 1996 Wenger had a lot to sort out, as Arsenal were going downhill and so were the facilities at the club. Arsene had to sort out the training as it was poor, he had to start up a proper youth academy, and many changes were needed to be made to an ageing Arsenal side. In Wenger's first full season at Arsenal he managed to pip the kings United to the Premiership trophy in the last 10 games of the season. This was to be the start of a new era for the Gunners. It was a dry few years after the 1997/1998 season as Wenger made many changes to the team, but in 2001/2002 they were back as they done a fantastic double, in superb style. Quick slick passing was the new style for Arsenal under Wenger and they were playing the most stylish football in the league while winning trophy's with it. Arsenal went a whole season unbeaten in 2003/2004 breaking Brian Clough's record of 42 games without defeat at Forest; the Gunners set the new high of 49 games without defeat. Wenger is well known for buying unknown young players and turning them into world class footballers, and playing the best football on offer. In my opinion Wenger is a true Premier League Legend.

Another great manager was Jose Mourinho who fell into a fantastic fortune of billions of pounds at Chelsea, which he spent very wisely and managed to create a dream team. The man known as 'the special one' was a pure tactical genius and knew exactly what he was doing over his time in England. He won 2 league titles in his 3 seasons in the Premier League and trophy wise is the 3rd most successful boss so far. The guy was a pure genius, if you were there too witness Chelsea over these 3 seasons, you will know what I mean.

Overall I think that the best manager in the history of the Premiership so far is Sir Alex Ferguson. He has just racked up so many titles for United that it is unbelievable that such dominance could come upon a competitive league like this. Respect to Wenger and Mourinho for their part they are the other two great managers since the dawn of the league, but Fergie respectively takes top prize in my opinion.

Hollywood Hills resident Michele Greene is probably best known from her five years on the seminal television series L.A. Law,but with the upcoming release of her second Spanish-language CD Luna Roja (“Red Moon”), she talked to us about her Irish background and the role it plays in her music:

“My paternal grandparents Tennessee Cochrane and Thomas Greene were of Irish descent and they rode into Oklahoma in a covered wagon – and this was back when it was still Indian Territory.”

Greene hasn't visited Ireland yet, although her brother has done a lot of research on the Cochrane family tree:

“My father died when I was two, so it's a whole part of my life that I was never really been exposed to. I do have some old photos of my grandparents though, and when I was hiking across Europe about 20 years ago I met up with some Irish guys in Mykanos, Greece, who swore to me that Cochrane was a common name in Derry and Co Down and Greene in Co Antrim and Tipperary. I wish I knew more.”

Greene grew up in a bi-lingual household and was surrounded by the classic boleros and rancheras of Mexican music as well as the folk/country tunes of her father. Her mother had her roots in Nicaragua and Chihuahua, Mexico, and it was actually Michele's great aunt Beatriz Dominguez who had the first brush with Hollywood, dancing with Rudolph Valentino in movie The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse:

“I was only 23 when the L.A Law was on and I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but people still mention it to me today, which is very sweet. Today though, acting is really at the bottom of the list for me. It can be great, but the business end is so vile and really takes its toll on you after a while. Ideally you want to work with a good script, good actors and a good director, but that's not always there. It's like having a drummer that can't keep up with the beat”.

Greene is about to leave for a short tour of the East Coastpromoting Luna Roja, and hopes that the concerts will reflect the intimate atmosphere of the CD:

“Writing music is about the song, and a great song can be done with full orchestration, or one guy with a guitar.”

Dates in Texas, Arizona and California are planned for later in the year, although many people in the audiences may not know that the CD had a rocky road to release:

“I loved my old record label, but they didn't have any Spanish-language artistes and I really wasn't sure that they could market it in the right areas. I produced the music so I owned the rights, but I don't think they ever thought I would say “no” to them. In the end I had to pull out and put it out on my own label, hard as it might be, because I believe in these songs. If you have something you want to say in a certain way, you have to be honest with yourself.”

Requinto Records is the name of her label – “it's the name of a smaller-sized guitar used in mariachi, and it was the first guitar I ever had” – and the socio-political songs on this CD include Green covering Bruce Springsteen's Across The Border as an acknowledgement to the ever-present issue of immigration:

“We are a country of immigrants. Even here you just have to look at some of the street names; La Cienega, La Brea, Cahuenga, to say nothing of the origins of the names Los Angeles and San Diego. Mexican land owners started this city, but now the lines are starting to get very blurred across the country, especially with the chance of a left-leaning politician hopefully likely to be elected President of Mexico.”

A typical day now includes several hours working on the record label, and it starts very early when her dogs wake her:

“I try to write for three or four hours a day, and sometimes there's an audition to go to – as well as the music stuff. This CD was a sort of universal trial for me, but it's been a real education and really energizing too. I really enjoy it”.

As for taking in the bright lights, Greene – who went to Fairfax High School in Hollywood, and admits to “knowing her way around”, tries to limit herself to one or two nights out a week:

“I've recently discovered a new place called Citizen Smith 1600 N Cahuenga Blvd. It's somewhere I'd never normally go, but they're great for a few drinks. The W in Westwood is the same, and I sometimes I like to sit by the pool and have drinks at the Avalon Hotel on W Olympic Blvd in Beverly Hills.”

As for eating, she has several favorites, but is naturally a big fan of Mexican food:”I like to go little mom-and-pop places when I can, but there's also Little Door on W 3rd Street and several places on Olvera Street in Downtown. There's even a plain old taco stand, Delta Tacos in Silverlake – delicious! As for music, I like to see bands at the Tangier on Hillhurst Avenue.”

HarperCollins has just published Greene's first book, Chasing The Jaguar, in stores now and selling briskly. It's the first in a mystery series featuring teenaged sleuth Martika Galvez and set in Los Angeles:

“I think I must have a kind of storytelling gene, because sometimes I see stories anywhere, and an artist should expand into as many areas as they can. If I was just an actress, I don't know what I'd do with all these stories.”

As for the future, she plans to direct her own short film, Beethoven's 7-11, this year and will be appearing in the indie film The Legend of Lucy Keyes and returning in her recurring role on the CBS David Mamet series The Unit, although she confesses that she'd like things to be different:

“In an ideal world the book would be wildly successful and I could just go on tour with my music, then go to maybe Chicago, New York, Boston, London or even Dublin once a year to do a play. Either way, I consider myself lucky to have been called to do what I do, because I'm not good at anything else. Except maybe making chicken tacos – hard shell.”

Scene: It's a sunny, idyllic day on The Island. In the distance, on a grassy hilltop, we see the ghosts of Jacob, John, Boone, the hobbit dude from Lord of the Rings, Jack's dad, Juliet, Libby, Daniel, Ana-Lucia, and Eko hula-dancing with the dirty polar bear and smoke monster. Jack and Kate aren't dancing; as usual, they are sweating and staring longingly at each other beneath a coconut tree. Sawyer has just removed his shirt and dived into the ocean. Kate's pretending she doesn't notice Shirtless Sawyer, splashing and laughing in the waves with young Aaron, whom we recently discovered is Sawyer's ex-girlfriend's cousin's son. Hurley is chilling on the beach in the back of the old VW bus, slathering Dharma Initiative peanut butter on a slice of mango.

Jack: (taking Kate's hand) Kate, will you marry me?

Kate: It'll never work, Jack. I'm sorry. I'll always love you, but…I just can't.

Jack: I came back to The Island for you! Please…

Kate: I'm sorry.

Jack: It's because of my son, isn't it?

Kate: What? What son?

Jack: The brilliant piano player.

Kate: Do I have a son, Jack?

Jack: Probably. Most of us have kids, even though we don't know it. Ben's dead daughter is one of his high school students. Ethan and Shannon had identical twin daughters who got adopted by Charles Widmore, the rich psycho in the submarine.

Kate: You've gotta be kidding. Ethan and Shannon?

Jack: I saw it all on a thousand-year-old cave drawing on the other side of The Island. The ugly guy was definitely Ethan.

Kate: That doesn't make any sense.

Jack: (snorts) Nothing around here makes sense.

Kate: What if I'm your son's mother? Your ex-wife?

Jack: I thought my ex-wife was the girl from “Ed.”

Kate: (sneaking another peek at Sawyer's bare, bronzed, well-sculpted chest) Oh, right. But wasn't that in a different dimension? Uh, in a parallel life or something?

Jack: I saw that.

Kate: What?

Jack: I saw you looking at him. I think you're drooling.

Kate: Sawyer's been so sweet to Aaron ever since Claire jumped into the volcano.

Jack: I still can't believe she's gone.

Kate: Aaron's safe now. I think she's…happy…wherever she is.

Jack: She's not out here dancing with the other ghosts.

Jin and Sun crawl out of a small hut on the beach. Hurley waves to them.

Hurley: Dude! I thought you guys would never come out!

Sun: (blushing) We've had a lot of…catching up to do.

Jin: (slapping Sun's ass) Yep.

Hurley: Is anyone else bored? Like, when are Ben and Sayid bringing the helicopter back?

Jack: Ben and Sayid aren't coming back.

Kate: We thought you knew.

Hurley: (shaking his head) You mean, we're stuck here? Again?

Jack: Desmond and Penny and Walt should be here soon. They'll probably parachute down any second.

Kate: Or they'll all wake up inside the hatch, not remembering how they got here.

Hurley: So it's all a big joke to you guys.

Kate: (sarcastically) Haven't you noticed? We're in paradise. We can do anything we want.

Jack: Except get married and live happily ever after.

Kate: Shut up, Jack.

Hurley: My paradise includes air conditioning and Twinkies.

Kate: Ask the smoke monster for some Twinkies. I bet he'll hook you up.

Hurley: This island sucks!

Sawyer and Aaron are drying off on the beach. Thankfully, Sawyer is not putting his shirt back on. All of the ghosts have stopped dancing and have turned to stare at Hurley. The smoke monster is pissed!

Sawyer: Watch your mouth, Hugo. (raising his voice, smiling at the smoke monster) The Island is fantastic! We love being your prisoners here!

Ghost Charlie starts playing guitar and the other ghosts join him in singing DriveSHAFT's big hit, “You All (Everybody).” The smoke monster relaxes and starts swaying to the music.

Sawyer: (speaking quietly to everyone on the beach) Richard's on his way.

Kate: I don't trust Richard.

Sawyer: He's our last hope, Freckles.

Miles strolls out of the forest, concealing something in his shirt. He joins Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Aaron, Jin, Sun, and Hurley in the shade next to the VW bus.

Miles: (whispering) I got the berries.

Hurley: Let me have one.

Miles: Shh! Not yet.

Hurley: But…

Sawyer: Cool it.

Jack: I don't think this is gonna work.

Sawyer: Sure as hell beats your last plan, Doc.

Jack: It's insane.

Hurley: What's going on? You guys don't tell me anything.

Richard appears in the distance, paddling a large lifeboat toward the shore.

Sawyer: If you wanna stay here singing “Kumbaya” with Smoky and the Ghosts, you go right ahead. I'm getting off this godforsaken island once and for all!

Sawyer clutches Aaron to his chest and dashes to the ocean. Miles is right behind them. Jin and Sun grab Hurley and start running, too. Jack and Kate stare at each other and sigh and almost kiss. Then the smoke monster realizes what's happening and hops onto the back of the polar bear; they charge toward the beach, roaring and clicking.

Kate: (taking off running) Last one to the boat's a rotten egg!

Jack: (also running) Hurry!

The smoke monster, who can't leave The Island, strops abruptly as all of our favorite good guys safely reach the water and start swimming toward Richard's boat.

Smoke Monster: Curses! Foiled again! I would've gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!

Richard: (pulling Kate into the boat) So glad you all made it. Now, I spoke to Brooke Shields—she's a good friend of mine, you know, after all those years of working together on “Suddenly Susan”—and she says all we have to do is eat the poisonous berries. We'll all faint, and then, in a few days, one of our fathers and his rescue team will find us. They'll wonder if we're dead, but then they'll discover that we're only sleeping!

Kate: Oh my God! Just like The Blue Lagoon! Gimme some berries!

Hurley: Me first!

They all eat a handful of berries and pass out. The ghosts standing on the shore of The Island disappear one by one as the smoke monster's power fades away. Jacob is the last ghost standing. He stares directly into the camera, shrugs his shoulders, and laughs. Then the screen goes black.

Sources:
(Yeah, I actually did a bit of research for this. Sad, isn't it?)
Personal experience watching and loving and hating (but mostly loving) “Lost” on ABC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Lost_%28TV_series%29_cast_members
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Pace
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Lagoon_%281980_film%29

The 88th PGA Championship is scheduled to tee off on August 17, 2006 at the Medinah Country Club’s No. 3 Course, outside of Chicago, Illinois. The PGA Championship is known as ‘Glory’s Last Shot’ because it is the last of the four majors to be played every year. Phil Mickelson, winner of the 2005 PGA Championship, is looking to defend his title and to add to the three major wins he currently has. Mickelson is hoping that PGA will stand for ‘Phil Gets Another’ major victory this year. The PGA Championship was last held at the Medinah Country Club back in 1999. In the 1999 tournament at Medinah, Tiger Woods was crowned the champion. Tiger, coming off his recent major victory at the British Open in July, is hoping to win back-to-back major tournaments. Tiger hopes that PGA will stand for ‘Passing Greatness Again’, because a win will move him past Walter Hagen and into solo second place behind Jack Nicklaus for total major wins. Tiger Woods and Walter Hagen are currently tied with eleven major victories each. Jack Nicklaus holds the most major championship titles with a total of eighteen.

The Medinah golf course has undergone some changes since the PGA Championship was last played there in 1999. At the ‘99 tournament, Tiger narrowly edged Sergio Garcia to win by one stroke. Since then, the golf course has been lengthened to 7,561 yards. This will set a record for being the longest golf course ever used for a major championship. In addition to lengthening the course, 300 trees were removed, which will eliminate some of the blind shots that existed in 1999. Significant changes were made to the 17th and 18th holes, which could add some excitement down the stretch of the tournament. On the 17th hole, the tee was moved back and the green was moved closer to a pond. This could lead to some approach shots getting wet on number 17. As for the 18th hole, the green has been elevated, which will make the approach shot much more difficult. Coming down the stretch, accuracy will be the key to victory.

In addition to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, several other contenders also have a good chance to win the PGA Championship. Sergio Garcia, who finished second to Tiger at Medinah in 1999, is considered by many to be the best player never to win a major. Sergio, who is ranked ninth in the world, has the talent to win a major and has performed well on this golf course in the past. However, Sergio has struggled in the final rounds of past major championships, most recently at the British Open in July. He will need to overcome that if he plans to be in contention on Sunday afternoon at the PGA Championship.

Chris DiMarco is another player who has not won a major, but has the talent to get it done. DiMarco, unlike Garcia, has played his best golf when it has mattered most. DiMarco has dueled against Tiger Woods in two major tournaments and given him a run for his money. At the 2005 Masters, DiMarco was clutch down the stretch, pushing Tiger to the limit before eventually losing in a playoff. Most recently, at the British Open, DiMarco played a heroic back nine on Sunday, but again finished second to Tiger Woods. DiMarco has also proven that he can make putts under pressure. At the 2005 Presidents Cup, DiMarco rolled in a dramatic fifteen-foot putt to clinch the victory for the United States.

Previous major winners Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, and Jim Furyk are always contenders and should not be counted out. In addition, there is always the possibility of an underdog emerging, just as Rich Beem did in 2002 and Shaun Micheel did in 2003 to win PGA Championships. The beauty of golf is that anything can happen and sometimes does. A relative unknown can play the best golf of his life and walk away with a victory. As always, at this last major of the year, players will be shooting for their last chance at glory. I hope that there is some drama in store for us at Medinah. For more information on this year’s PGA Championship, you can go to www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2006/.

There are a few vegetables that seem to have shaped nations and set an economy tumbling. It is potato! The potato also played a role in diplomatic spats. In fried form, the potato took the center stage in the row at diplomatic level between Washington and Paris in 2003 when France refused to back the US led invasion on Iraq. The US lawmakers were very angry with the unruly French! So they changed the name of French fried potatoes to “freedom fries.” This action might be small but it is a symbolic effort to show the hatred between the two nations.

The population of Ireland was reduced to half when the potato crop failed in the mid 1800s, a four year famine followed. The Irish economy crumbled and the population of 8 million came down to 4 million! Many died of hunger and many people went away from Ireland! Ireland crossed 4 million mark when there was an economic boom in 1990s.

Dr. Fernando Ezeta of International Potato Center in Asia hailed the tuber for “bringing together people and nations” after North Korea hosted officials from 22 nations that included South Korea. It also shaped European politics.

Polish president Lech Kaczynski cancelled a summit meeting in anger when a German newspaper satirized the summit with the title “Poland's new potatoes.” The article was published in the German newspaper, Die Tageszeitung. The summit was scheduled to be held between German and French diplomats but failed due to a provoking newspaper headline. Though Kaczyanski gave the reason of being sick when asked the reason for the cancellation of the diplomatic meet but the real reason was his distaste for being compared with a potato.

The term “couch potato” seemed disgraceful to British farmers. They were very angry. They wanted the term to be removed from the dictionary. They marched to the houses of Parliament in London protesting it. They argued the slang word for a television, “tube.” It gave rise to “tubers.” The tubers are those who watch television over hours sitting in a sofa. It gives the impression that potatoes are bad for health. Therefore it is bad for business.

The people with big bellies are called couch potato. In fact these pot-bellied people do not look good at all! So I think the criticism is justified. It is always recommended that these people go to gym or do some exercise such as free hand or yoga. Health is wealth, we all know it. So it is good to be health conscious. Dieting is important. But it is more important to do exercise. The amount of calories taken should be burnt. Rather we should burn more calories than we take, so that we can have a slim figure. Fried potatoes sold in packets of Lays, Uncle Chips, etc. cause harm to the body as it has saturated fats. So more fat is deposited if we take the potato chips regularly.

32 Comments
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1. The system worked?

   Comment by Alan — 4/7/2010 @ 7:42 pm

2. 7 DOJ attorneys just applied for a leave of absence…

   Comment by Steve G — 4/7/2010 @ 7:44 pm

3. On the same day that…..
   “WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama’s advisers plan to remove terms such as “Islamic radicalism” from a document outlining national security strategy and will use the new version to emphasize that the U.S. does not view Muslim nations through the lens of terrorism, counterterrorism officials say.”

   How could they?

   Comment by Steve — 4/7/2010 @ 7:44 pm

4. No worries. I’m sure that there will just be some kind of “beer summit.”

   With BLTs.

   Comment by Eric Blair — 4/7/2010 @ 8:12 pm

5. Guess he is some kind of “diplomat radical” instead.

   Comment by beer 'n pretzels — 4/7/2010 @ 8:15 pm

6. A simple misunderstanding. He lit a cigarette, the flight attendant told him “no smoking, put your cigarette out” and he tried to extinguish it with his shoe.

   Comment by GeneralMalaise — 4/7/2010 @ 8:18 pm

7. “I did a stinky. so I decided to light my shoe on fire with the matches I am not supposed to have”

   And/or I was just smoking and made a flippant remark about setting my shoes on fire when caught

   Oh. Of course.

   That criminal defense attorney from Texas on the other thread has to love this guy

   Clearly yet another Qataari victim of American hate

   Comment by Steve G — 4/7/2010 @ 8:29 pm

8. Fox News is reporting that Qatar Embassy spokesman Ahsheed Mahdroors has indicated that it’s all a “misunderstanding” that is understandably due to cultural differences.

   Comment by GeneralMalaise — 4/7/2010 @ 8:33 pm

9. There are strict laws on Qatar Airways against smoking – as well as long prison sentences – using an excuse that he was unaware of the consequences is going to be alot of bull

   Qatar US relations have taken a steep nose dive in the last 30 days – the Emir gave a very anti west speech in Libya

   However found this to be hilarious

   http://business.maktoob.com/20090000452402/Kadhafi_suggests_Qatar_emir_is_overweight/Article.htm

   Comment by EricPWJohnson — 4/7/2010 @ 8:46 pm

10. It will be interesting to hear the Administration’s take on this, if there is one. I’m thinking they will send him back to Qatar with a fruit basket and say, pretty please don’t come back.

    Comment by PatAZ — 4/7/2010 @ 8:46 pm

11. http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093317353

    The Arab world is trying to talk up their courage to take on Israel – good luck with that!

    Comment by EricPWJohnson — 4/7/2010 @ 8:50 pm

12. Paraphrasing Tom Maguire, good thing our war against radical Islam is over.

    Comment by daleyrocks — 4/7/2010 @ 8:57 pm

13. Alan:

    The system worked?

    Not if he managed to get on the airplane with some kind of explosive. I wonder if he used diplomatic immunity to avoid an inspection?

    Comment by DRJ — 4/7/2010 @ 8:58 pm

14. There will be an investigation but if there is a basis to file charges, I’m not aware of an exception that would prevent the suspect from asserting diplomatic immunity to avoid criminal prosecution.

    Comment by DRJ — 4/7/2010 @ 9:01 pm

15. Diplomats who are terrorists get immunity???

    If so, I have an idea for a new law . . .

    Comment by Patterico — 4/7/2010 @ 9:15 pm

16. Send him to Guam, then tip it over, after evacuating everybody else of course.

    Comment by daleyrocks — 4/7/2010 @ 9:23 pm

17. I found several papers on the subject (such as this one). It sounds like the general rule is still that diplomatic immunity protects a diplomat from being prosecuted for a crime unless the diplomat’s home country waives immunity and allows the prosecution. Alternatively, the home country could elect to prosecute the diplomat itself.

    The article I linked also argues that terrorism is outside the scope of diplomacy and thus shouldn’t be protected by immunity, but I think that would be true of virtually all crimes.

    Comment by DRJ — 4/7/2010 @ 9:34 pm

18. The system worked as designed, again. You Islamaphobes need to find a new hobby.

    Comment by JD — 4/7/2010 @ 9:41 pm

19. I would think an act of “terrorism” by a deputized official of another country could be seen as an act of war unless the country disowned the person and allowed prosecution.

    Comment by MD in Philly — 4/7/2010 @ 9:47 pm

20. Another man/mullah caused disaster averted?

    Comment by JD — 4/7/2010 @ 9:54 pm

21. New update from Malkin: He was smoking in the lavatory (contrary to rules, as we all know) and when he exited the lavatory after a long stay with the smell of smoke lingering behind him, he “joked” that he had been trying to alight his foot.

    Comment by JVW — 4/7/2010 @ 9:58 pm

22. DRJ

    Its interesting that AlJAzeera – whichis owned by Qatar is reporting that the incident was “not” a misunderstanding but an overt act of defiance by the diplomat.

    They just said on the radio that Air Marshalls confronted the Diplomat who said “what o you think I was doing – lgihting my shoes?” Upon which there was an altercation comencing with a good beat down.

    Given my years here in Qatar – this is typical behavior of Some Qataris – many are not this way but a good deal are – there are factions and right now – this could be an interal problem to embarass the Emir

    Comment by EricPWJohnson — 4/7/2010 @ 9:59 pm

23. So the diplomatic immunity will probably prevent him from being prosecuted for “tampering with or disabling smoke detection devices” as well as smoking on the plane. I hope one of two things happens:

    1. Qatar waives his immunity, he is prosecuted, given a suspended sentence, and sent home for good, or

    2. Qatar does not waive his diplomatic immunity, so United and every other domestic carrier bans him permanently from all their flights.

    Comment by JVW — 4/7/2010 @ 10:02 pm

24. EricPWJohnson, weren’t you last seen making an ass of yourself about O’Keefe?

    Comment by SPQR — 4/7/2010 @ 10:13 pm

25. JVW,

    So maybe this guy was just being a smart aleck after smoking on board? If so, it’s like diplomats who flaunt their immunity by violating American parking laws, except this guy took it to a whole new transportation venue.

    Comment by DRJ — 4/7/2010 @ 10:26 pm

26. It was just really strong global warming.

    IMHO it was mau-mauing the flak catchers.

    Somebody on Ace’s page found a photo of him and he looks like a rich, spoiled angry young man.

    Comment by Patricia — 4/7/2010 @ 10:28 pm

27. SPQR

    Yep!

    Comment by EricPWJohnson — 4/7/2010 @ 10:37 pm

28. I agree, DRJ. But even if Qatar insists on extending diplomatic immunity to this guy, I don’t see how that precludes us from putting him on our no-fly lists. Let him take Greyhound from Washington to Denver next time.

    Comment by JVW — 4/7/2010 @ 10:54 pm

29. Denver is an interesting choice of destination. It’s where the New York terror suspect Najibullah Zazi was living.

    Comment by DRJ — 4/7/2010 @ 11:09 pm

30. Maybe this was a probe on the best way to light a shoe bomb on board a plane.

    Comment by DRJ — 4/7/2010 @ 11:22 pm

31. Maybe it was a magic trick gone horribly awry, DRJ.

    Comment by lodge — 4/8/2010 @ 12:35 am

32. Heh. Based on the latest reports, maybe it was a Stupid Human Trick.

    Comment by DRJ — 4/8/2010 @ 12:49 am

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The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said that a United Airlines flight from Washington to Denver last Wednesday landed safely after air marshals responded to a passenger causing a disturbance on board.

A US official said on condition of anonymity that the incident appears to have involved a Qatari diplomat who was smoking a cigarette in the lavatory and tried to put it out with his shoe.

He added that the passenger claimed diplomatic immunity and made comments that the authorities on the plane took to be threatening, which prompted the landing. The man was subdued after trying to set light to his shoes, earlier media reports said.

In a statement, the TSA said that police and TSA officials “responded to the scene and the passenger is currently in custody. All steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the traveling public.” The flight was UA flight 663.

A call to the Denver airport’s press office wasn’t immediately returned, and airport police declined to comment. Denver Police Lieutenant Matt Murray also declined to comment and referred calls to the FBI.

(article source: BusinessWeek, image source: The Hindu)

Here's 3 episode reviews from showtime's Masters of Horror (season 2)

Episode 202: Family 

Directed by John Landis

With Season 2 kicking off October 27th, Tobe Hooper’s episode aired first (I’m not reviewing it but IMO it was good) and now John Landis’ episode is now airing second. I really dug his last season episode “Deer Woman” and was looking forward to his latest episode “Family”. Did I like it as much as “Deer Woman”? Truthfully no, but I did buy what it was selling.

 “Family” was an interesting character study and I was engaged throughout. George Wendt totally sold me as the psycho neighbor with a sick and twisted hobby. Occasionally the word “Norm” would pop in my head but the sight of him washing down a corpse with acid made that go away, quickly. Meredith Monroe and Matt Keeslar also sold me as the couple on the block. I bought them all from the beginning. John Landis’ trademark humor is presented here and like usual I was busting a gut. But in my opinion I wanted to see more of it, it would have made the episode more “fun”. John Landis’ directing is great like always. 

The music score is forgettable with some 50’s or 60’s tunes booming in. Not much gore here besides melted corpses and CGI bashed in nose. My favorite part of the episode is the twist at the end. I’m not going to spoil it for you but I didn’t see it coming and loved what it brought to the table. 

Although I’ll give it the same rating, I prefer Deer Woman. But trust me I’m not hating on “Family”. Its engaging story and excellent twist make it a must see. So far, Season 2 is looking good. 

8/10

Episode 205: Pro-life

I’m a big John Carpenter fan and thought “Cigarette Burns” was the best episode of the last season. I high hopes for “Pro-Life” Carpenter’s latest episode and was hoping it was as good or even better then “Cigarette Burns”. Well “Pro-Life” wasn’t better but still pretty damn good.

 Pro-Life’s story is what got me into episode right away. I find the subject of abortion to very interesting and I like the idea of a young teen girl giving birth to something not human due to be being raped by a demon from hell. I loved seeing Carpenter tackle this subject. Ron Pearlman plays the role of Dwayne, the abortion hater, extremely well. I wanted to see him die horribly in the end, too bad I didn’t get to see it, but more on that later. Caitlin Wachs plays the role of Angelique, the pregnant teen, also very well. A great cast all around. The gore is plentiful with some really gory bullet hits. Heads are blown off and more. I’m a happy camper, you know why? Cause the main monster in the episode isn’t a CGI creation but a practical creation and looks great. I mucho dug it. The baby monster reminded me of the “head crab” creature from The Thing and I thought it was a great throwback to his classic film. 

John Carpenter’s directing is top notch as usual, Nuff said. His son Cody does a good score here that’s memorable enough. Not as good as his “Cigarette Burns” score, though. I did have a minor problem and it’s the finale. It’s not horrible but it did disappoint me. The one thing I wanted to see throughout the whole episode is Ron Pearlman get torn apart by the monster. Didn’t get to see it. Actually all the deaths committed by the monster were offscreen. Come on Carpenter, give me something! Also like “Cigarette Burns” I wanted this to be a full 90 minute movie, it would have worked! 

In the end, “Pro-Life” is my favorite episode of Season 2 so far. Highly Recommended. 

9/10

Episode 206: Pelts

Directed by Dario Argento  

I’m a fan of Dario Argento’s films. Not a big fan, but a fan otherwise. Last Season’s Jenifer was one of the better episodes of the season and I was looking forward to “Pelts”. I’m happy to say (for me anyways) that argento has delivered another solid episode cause “Pelts” was an engaging and sick ride! 

I know I had said this in previous reviews but I found “Pelts” story to be extremely engaging and it kept me glued to the screen for it’s entire length. I dug where Argento was going with the story. The actors do a fine job. Meat Loaf does a good job as Jake and the other actors also do a good job. Argento’s directing is great as usual. Yeah I know I also said this with Carpenter on Pro-Life but its true! The music is hauntingly beautiful. Great score. 

This has to be the goriest Masters of Horror yet. Things get nasty and quite sick. I’m not going to spoil things like I usually do but trust me, things get messy. Gorehounds will love it. There’s also plenty of TnA for the kiddies. Anything negative? Well (IMO) this, like other episodes of Masters of Horror could have worked as a 90 minute movie. I wish things could of went on longer and shown more madness in the finale. In the end, “Pelts” was one sick but engaging ride. 

Right next to “Pro-Life” this is the best episode yet. Season 2 is looking great so far!

8/10