Similar to The Beatles, U2 is a quartet that’s both polarizing and overrated. You either love ’em or you hate ’em. As a member of the former group—although to a lesser extent now, as the ’80s and ’90s were kinder to the band than the last decade—these are the group’s best, most rocking, or otherwise most awesome compositions to date.
Achtung, baby!
As a self-employed individual, I’ve closed a lot of deals. Seven years worth, in fact. Enough to make me a thousandaire. But I’ve lost a lot more than I’ve won, something that’s expected in business.
What isn’t expected, however, are the rare occasions when a prospective buyer ridicules me for not meeting his terms. It usually happens like this: Buyer probes, likes what he sees, and then starts asking questions. We talk. I name my final price. He doesn’t like my final price.
But instead of walking away, like most sane buyers do, this buyer hangs around, and suddenly decides he no longer likes the free market. Continue reading…
U.S. Soccer
Unconventional bravery has always been USA’s winningest soccer strategy.
Although losing its first unofficial match 0-1 to Canada in 1885, the United States men’s national team beat Sweden 1-2 in its first official match played in 1916. Historian David Wangerin noted how the upset was achieved in my new favorite soccer book, Soccer in a Football World:
Sportswriter Carl Linde observed how much ground the American forwards covered and how their sheer willpower often compensated for a lack of technique. Linde claimed this style represented “a new way of playing” and that the visitors “form a very dangerous team, mainly through their primitive brutality; through their speed and through their will to win at all costs.” Another writer remarked that such energetic play made the home side Sweden look as though they were engaged in “exercise for older gents.” (p. 85)
After the game, U.S. coach Thomas Cahill added, “We were outclassed by the Swedish players on straight football. It was American grit, pluck, and endurance that won. No great football stars were members of our team, but we had the pluckiest aggregation ever banded together.”
To this day, America still plays a more primitive game when compared to giants such as Brazil, Italy, and Germany. You have to respect that. Otherwise you’ll slow play it as the underdog, ineffectively counter attack, and ultimately lose playing better opponents. This, I fear, is what U.S. coach Bob Bradley will do this summer to our team’s eventual demise. Continue reading…
“Oh Ten” has already been kind to sporting events. The Super Bowl was actually worth watching this year. The Winter Games were better this time than four years ago. And March Madness was crazy good—the most exciting first round I’ve ever seen, in fact.
But it doesn’t stop there. Grand Slam tennis picks up again next month with the start of the French Open, followed by hollowed Wimbledon a month later. The Atlanta Braves are gonna win the pennant this year and make it to the World Series. And college football will once again turn your Saturdays into the most important day of the week.
More than anything, though, I have World Cup fever this year. The U.S. opens against former colonizer England on June 12. And other first round match ups are equally oozing with riveting story lines and potential. Plus, all 64 games will be freely broadcast over air by either ABC or Univision in high-definition. (Note to self: Remember to buy bigger TV before hand; clear your schedule from Jun 11 – Jul 11.)
But enough about me. What are your favorite sporting events? What are you excited to watch this year?
Part of an ongoing series where anything I don’t like is labeled “un-American.”
I’ve been an American soccer fan for a long-time, and I can’t stand it anymore. Words like “pace” and “result” should be barred from the game.
In case you’ve never seen a soccer match, many soccer fans and sports writers use the word “pace” when describing a fast player. For example, they’ll say So-And-So “has pace,” or “is pacey.”
Dumbest thing ever. Continue reading…
Five years ago this week, I launched Smooth Harold. Coolest blog evar! Since its launch, if one thing has changed the site more than anything else, it’s been Facebook.
A quick glance at my front page reveals that not many people comment like they used to, even though traffic levels have remained the same. Since my blog is syndicated to my Facebook account, many readers prefer to comment there instead of here.
(Admittedly, I don’t post as much content as I used to, since Facebook is a superior way of bookmark sharing and pithy status updates.)
But maybe it isn’t just Facebook or Twitter that’s changed where people communicate online. Maybe the interest in the comment has waned. I remember when posting a comment was pretty fun. It was empowering. Now it’s almost blasé. And it’s annoying to skim through so many trolling comments. So commenting on Facebook, among trusted friends and family, ensures you don’t have to deal with the latter.
At the same time, I can recall numerous occasions where a complete stranger left an inspiring comment on my blog, something Facebook can’t offer (although Twitter can). So perhaps online commenting has become more insular, less democratic. At least on a personal level.
Or maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m out of touch. (Is this thing on?)
From doctored screenshots to recorded animations, in-game graphics often underwhelm
Left: Screen capture of a Madden 2005 trailer. Right: The final game, which looked noticeably worse.
Video games are a delight. In my eyes, they’re better than television, and right up there with books, movies, sport, and music as pastimes. But since their beginning, games have held a dirty little secret: they never look as good as advertised. Here’s why: Continue reading…
It’s called English Muffin Pizza. We had it for lunch today.
I’m not exactly sure of the origin, but I know Lindsey inherited the idea from her snazzy mother (thanks, Annette). The wife takes hers with pepperoni. The girlies and I are all about the cheese.
The recipe: English Muffin, sliced mozzarella, and your favorite pizza sauce and toppings broiled in the oven. Yum.
Excluding blog posts and short-news articles:
In case you didn’t know, I don’t like Wall Street. It’s not that I think the stock exchange is wrong, but I don’t like how its description went from being “speculation” to “investment” in the last 50 years. And I don’t like how it’s primarily sold to the uninformed public.
If you watch TV, chances are you’ve seen numerous investment commercials for Prudential, ING, Pacific Life, Merill Lynch, Charles Swab and countless others. What you might not have seen is the fine print during all this commercials: “Investment products may lose value” and “Investments involve risk.”
This of course is neatly tucked away at the bottom of the screen while some voice over promises an increase in wealth, a secure future, and guaranteed retirement. It’s yet another reminder that what these people are really selling is speculation.
In other words, know your stuff before playing the game, or stick to what you know if you want to protect and grow your principle.
Bert Williams is 90. You don’t him by name, but he’s the English keeper who allowed a single goal in the team’s monumental loss to America at the 1950 World Cup.
In an interview with the Associated Press this week, he said he was “virtually one of the spectators,” since England dominated possession, but couldn’t “get the ball past” the American defense. “As soon as England played a good ball through, the whole American team retreated to the 18-yard line,” the keeper remembers. “We thought the score should have been 8-1, 10-1 even.”
But it wasn’t. The U.S. won 1-0. Contrary to what ESPN reports, Williams said it was a freak goal that never should have been. “I had the ball covered and it was a deflection off one of their players who was standing in front of me,” he said. “I was going the right way. It just happened.”
What’s more, Williams said the Americans had “no intention of winning,” and even showed up to the game smoking cigars and wearing cowboy hats.
My response: We’ll take it. And have for the last 60 years.
Facebook is a great way to stay connected with friends.
It’s also a great way to get fired, have your insurance benefits revoked, or suffer public humiliation. As a result, a number of users are deleting their accounts and leaving the popular networking site behind.
For good.
“It just became too much,” says grade-school buddy and long-time friend Josh Rhine. “More an obligation than fun. It also started to smell like some one cracked an egg of high school over an old gossip rag.”
Continue reading at VentureBeat…
It may be called “the beautiful game,” but soccer is full of bad acting.
If fans want their sport to be taken seriously by fellow Americans—in other words, thrive here—they need to shun diving from the game at all levels. Otherwise, tough-loving American sports fans will never embrace the sport. And soccer fans in general will continue to get an inferior product. Continue reading…
Courtesy of Joey Reiman for Pink Magazine, published in 2005:
- Thou shalt not take the BlackBerry to any table with food on it or family around it. A BlackBerry is not a fruit, nor does it come from a tree.
- Thou shalt not use the BlackBerry as reading material in the event of insomnia. It will only worsen your situation.
- Thou shalt not BlackBerry in lieu of responding to a child’s request (e.g., “Wait a second, I’m reading something.”).
- Thou shalt not place the BlackBerry within distance of hearing its incessant beeps while at home. It is not a bird.
- Thou shalt not check BlackBerry as if it were your baby. It will not cry or stop breathing.
- Thou shalt not confuse number of e-mails with self-worth.
- Thou shalt do everything possible to misplace your BlackBerry on weekends.
- Thou shalt remember that a BlackBerry is not a body appendage. It is a device that belongs in your briefcase or on your desk, and not in social settings.
- Thou shalt refrain from bringing the BlackBerry to events involving family interaction. Extraneous dialogue with this contraption in lieu of real conversation suggests addiction.
- Thou shalt never, ever, ever bring the BlackBerry to bed.
Since canceling my data plan last year, I haven’t broken any of these. (Thanks, Josh)
Democrats in the House of Representatives last night approved a controversial healthcare bill, written and approved by Senate democrats in December. The president is expected to sign the bill into law on Tuesday, “then hit the road to sell it to a reluctant public,” reports the Associated Press. Here’s how those in favor of reform have responded to the unpopular bill:
- Why would any damage control be necessary if this bill is so good and will do so many good things? Why did it take a year to pass and why was it passed without any Republican input or votes? How come the people in the party that crafted it needed to be bribed and bought off to vote for it?
- This bill should have been broken into smaller single elements, each being its own bill, then voted on.
- I want reform, but smart reform. Not this.
- The reason we think Washington is dysfunctional is not that nothing gets done, it is because Washington does not listen to those who put them there. Had they scrapped the bill and fixed the things that are broken, no damage control would be needed.
- And how does passing this make Washington functional? They passed it when nobody wanted it (in its form that passed). Wouldn’t that make it dysfunctional?????
- It’s amazing the arrogance of the House to force this atrocious legislation through despite all the public resistance to it. Anyone who voted for it has no business even being elected again.
- Congress ignored the people and now must suffer their wrath in November elections.
Of course, many Americans are elated with the bill, even though most agree it’s “imperfect.” And the bill is a step in the right direction on reigning in ridiculous health insurance policies. But it’s frustrating to see our politicians pass imperfect legislation just to get something passed. Why not wait until we get reform right before passing something? It boggles the mind. Good thing legislation isn’t reversible.
I like running.
With exception to an injury hiatus, I ran several times a week over the past two years. And since reading Born To Run, I do so enthusiastically (not begrudgingly like I once did).
I normally run continuously for 45 minutes to an hour. On occasion, two hours—whatever I feel like really. I don’t time myself or track miles—an act that makes running feel like work—I just run.
Two weeks ago, I was feeling especially light on my feet. When I left the house on an empty stomach that Saturday, I didn’t plan on running for three plus hours, but I did. I also didn’t take water or food with me, and nearly put myself in the hospital as a result.
Continue reading…
It’s called Flight Control. You can download it on either iPhone or Nintendo DSi. And it’s awesome. My current high is 58.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWV6iklM_HQ[/youtube]Microsoft thinks so. And they’re newest commercial says so: “I can’t pick a restaurant in all these links,” an indecisive women using Google replies, when asked “What’s taking you so long?”
I can’t speak for everyone, but I’ve never felt overwhelmed by Google results. It’s not information overload if I find what I’m looking forward on the first results page, second at most. It’s almost as if Microsoft is confusing relevance with lack of choice.
I’m all for keeping Google on their toes through competition, but build a better mousetrap if you want to compete.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0xo05N89RU[/youtube]Told you so.
With a new decade upon us, the lemonade salesman in me is thinking about adding brownies to the menu. That is, I’m ready for my next big move, having already established myself as a new media tycoon.
So help me out, folks. Help me brainstorm and identify the next big thing. You know, a “Google killer.” I’m looking for a real win-win, here. Some ideas to get the juices flowing: Continue reading…
In the 1920s, U.S. soccer proponents were clamoring for a rule change, according to Soccer in a Football World. Said advocates wanted to “Americanize” the game. Specifically, they thought it was ridiculous that substitutions weren’t allowed, even for injured players. So the U.S. Soccer Federation rightfully changed the rule to allow for substitutions—long before either FIFA or the English Premiership did the same.
“This was an innovation which had come very late in relation to other American sports,” writes author David Wangerin on page 67, “though it was not until 1965 that the [English Premiership] allowed substitutes and another five years before they were seen at the World Cup.”
Fancy that. It’s unclear what other countries (if any) were also calling for substitutions at the time. But it’s obvious “Americanization” was on the right side of the argument, despite what purists may have argued. And it’s a clear reminder that changes to the game are sometimes a good thing.
Admittedly, soccer is a wonderfully climatic sport. You wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t agree. But you’re thick if you don’t think it can benefit from innovations like those found in other sports. You’re wrong if you think it’s a perfect game.
I don’t care so much for the hearts, but the expression is solid.
In the wake of my previous covers of Phoenix’s 1901 and U2’s Stay, I also recorded the greatest ’80s one-hit wonder this month: The Promise by When in Rome. Hope you enjoy it!
After rediscovering them again during this year’s Winter Olympics, my respect for downhillers soared. Reading this 30 year old piece on the history of the event makes me respect the sport all the more. From the article:
“I can say that the ideal downhiller must be a little uppity, a little arrogant,” Downhill Charlie says. “I love that type. He has to have guts, and he should always be plenty nervous before the start. And then, too, it doesn’t hurt if he is born poor, because when a skier’s born poor it is in his nature to want to get ahead. Yes, take the poor ones—Klammer, Moser-Pröll, Nadig, Wirnsberger—they all came from tiny villages, from poor parents, and they wanted to prove they were someone through performances on the mountain.” Continue reading…
Excluding blog posts and short news articles:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3IArJTfUy8[/youtube]
Although I think BMWs handle better, this Audi commercial entitled “Breaking the spell” is brilliant from a branding perspective. Love it. The black cars are pretty hot too.
Although gimmicky, Reebok Pump became such a phenomenon in the early ’90s, that even Nike released pressurized knock-offs for a while. That being the case, the above documentary of Pump technology is well worth 22 minutes of your time. Featuring the inventor of the shoe, Dee Brown, Michael Chang, and urban collectors.
See also: Classic commercials: Reebok Pump vs Nike Air
True to chain letter form, Lindsey emailed me the following “friend survey” today. With exception to nos. 23 and 41, her responses made me proud to call her my wife—especially with Valentine’s around the corner. They also make me look chivalrous, which is always a good thing.
Warning: some of her answers are a little sappy. But this is my blog—not yours. You can get lost if you have a problem with that! Continue reading…
I like Shirley Temples. A lot.
So imagine my frustration this weekend, when I was told by eight different grocers, including one floor manager, that they didn’t know what it was or if they even had it. “You might want to try a liquor store,” one lady incredulously advised me, as if I haven’t purchased at least two dozen bottles of the delicious red syrup at other grocers over the years.
Most upsetting, though, was not a single worker said, “I’m not sure if we sell that, but I will find out.” Not a single one.
Like Click To Flash or Flash Block, Caffeine is a must for portable Mac users. With this tiny program installed, your monitor won’t dim unless you say so by clicking an icon on the menu bar. First discovered in December (thanks, Matt!), it’s just the shot my portable video needed to stay awake. There’s also a PC version.
After a five year hiatus, I rediscovered multi-track recording this month. Here is my first new mp3 production, an “unplugged” cover of Phoenix’s 1901.
It was recorded in Garage Band with a cheap headset and USB guitar cable connected to my Epiphone acoustic/electric.
It’s good to be in the studio again. Enjoy the mp3.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tjYoKCBYag&videos=WLGC6CrDHT8&playnext_from=TL&playnext=1[/youtube]
… At any age even.
I despise Flash. It slows down your computer, starts without being asked, and crashes my Internets. So until YouTube finally abandons Flash, as does the rest of the web with media-rich HTML 5, here are two easy plugins I use to grab life by the horns:
Both programs are free and make it so you dictate when a Flash file is played, as opposed to it taking over. Now that’s browsing with power!
In an effort to avoid having to finish her lunch yesterday, my four-year old casually lied to her mother, claiming to have had a headache and, therefore, would be unable to finish her meal. Playing along, my wife ask, “How long have you had it?”
“14 days,” came the reply. Upon hearing this from the adjacent room, I did a double take and replied, “That is one massive headache.” Laughter ensured. Kids Say the Darnedest Things now up to 16,470,002.
Before you chase ’em with milk (a given), what’s your technique?
What’s the best way to eat an Oreo?(surveys)
See also: Off-brand alternatives I won’t buy
