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Why Yesterday was Significant (in quotes)

Throughout the course of Obama's inauguration day, I encountered a mixture of emotions from people I spoke with. The most prevalent ones were, of course, feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and the sense that history was being written. However, for all these people, there were a large group who were mystified by the fact that people were making such a huge deal about the whole thing. They felt that it was a lot of hullabaloo for nothing. While it is true that all presidential inaugurations are highly televised and intensely covered, this one seemed to garner an amazing amount of attention, from all corners of the globe. This was the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NY yesterday, where they held a public viewing of the inauguration.

So the question needs to be posed. Was the hype justified? After all the pomp and circumstance, the official ceremonies, first dances, record setting crowds, the influx of Hollywood's finest, and Obama's remarkably moving speech, what comes next? Will the change that Obama has promised proliferate or fizzle?

I personally believe that, in one significant way, things will change under Obama. For the purposes of this piece, I want to concentrate not on specific issues but more on the general ambiance of America's political arena. In terms of the oftentimes vicious relationship between the Democrats and the Republicans, of the widening chasm between small town conservative America and big city Liberal America, of the general tone of daily interactions between politicians and citizens alike who passionately hold fundamentally opposing views, Obama will make a difference. My guess is that he will promote a richer sense of empathy, understanding, and cooperation in America.

Here is a list of quotes made by the new President, which lead me to believe that he does represent a significant change in attitude (which will prove to be contagious) from many of his predecessors:

#1 - “It [the absence of even rough agreement on the facts] rewards not those who are right, but those who can make their arguments most loudly, most frequently, most obstinately, and with the best backdrop.” The Audacity of Hope

This quote came after Obama told a story about US personnel acting inappropriately towards prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. After multiple sources (including Newsweek and the Pentagon) essentially proved that US guards had flushed a copy of the Koran down the toilet in front of a detainee, Fox News ran this news item along their newsfeed that same day: “Pentagon finds no evidence of Koran being flushed down the toilet”. Obama's argument is that politicians need to be able to admit when a fact is a fact and that the American public has the right to a transparent government. American media should not be allowed to use their networks to manipulate the facts so as to obscure and oftentimes, blatantly erase what is true.

#2 - “The story [hypothetical news story] is not really about the merits of the tax cut or the dangers of the deficit but rather about the dispute between the parties. After a few paragraphs, the reader can conclude that Republicans and Democrats are just bickering again and turn to the sports page, where the story line is less predictable and the box score tells you who won.” The Audacity of Hope

Here, Obama used a hypothetical news story about tax cuts to prove his point that the media concerns itself more with the clashing of ideas rather than the consensus of ideas, because that is what sells papers. He writes that usually, the story will have reaction from a liberal source, followed by a conservative source, but most of the time will lack reaction from an independent analyst who might “walk us through the numbers”. Bickering begets bickering and therefore, no real progress is made and no deeper understanding by everyday citizens of the issue at hand is obtained.

#3 - “In that sense, the episode [a reporter circulating a negative article about Obama comparing himself to Lincoln] hinted at a more subtle and corrosive aspect of modern media – how a particular narrative , repeated over and over again and hurled through cyberspace at the speed of light, eventually becomes a hard particle of reality; how political caricatures...lodge themselves in our brain without us ever taking the time to examine them.” The Audacity of Hope

This is another example of Obama's willingness to listen, digest, and learn from the Republican side. He refers to the overarching idea that the media has created this giant wedge between Republicans and Democrats, essentially drawing caricatures of each side. This phenomenon only serves to distance them from each other and as a result, serves to further divide America rather that unite it.

#4 - “ And as I look over the crowd, I somehow feel encouraged. In their bearing I see hard work. In the way they handle their children I see hope. My time with them is like a dip in a cool stream. I feel cleansed afterward, glad for the work I have chosen” The Audacity of Hope

Here, Obama is talking about the grounding effect that hosting town hall meetings has on him. In almost confessional tones, he often wonders aloud whether Washington will change him and thereby shifts his focus from helping average and poor Americans to padding the wallets of the super wealthy. These town hall meetings helped to keep the big picture of America clear in his mind and to remind him of who he is really fighting for.

#5 – “I believe a stronger sense of empathy would tilt the balance of our current politics in favor of those people who are struggling in our society. After all, if they are like us, then their struggles are like our own. If we fail to help, we diminish ourselves. But that does not mean that those who are struggling...are thereby freed from trying to understand the perspectives of those who are better off. Black leaders need to appreciate the legitimate fears that may cause some whites to resist affirmative action. Union representatives can't afford not to understand the competitive pressures their employers may be under. I am obligated to see the world through George Bush's eyes, no matter how much I may disagree with him. That's what empathy does – it calls us all to task, the conservative and the liberal, the powerful and the powerless, the oppressed and the oppressor. We are all shaken out of our complacency. We are all forced beyond our limited vision.” The Audacity of Hope

This quote seems to lie at the crux of Obama's set of values and ideals. From the beginning of his political life, he has always spoken of empathy, the lack thereof in our lives, and the need to reinstate it. The wealthy need to understand the needs and circumstances of the poor in order to understand the world they live in. And vice versa. Americans are far less different from each other than they think, no matter how the media wants to portray them. They possess common needs, goals, aspirations, and values and I believe that Obama will succeed in helping many Americans turn the page on divisiveness.

It is precisely this overarching idea of inclusiveness that Obama promotes which made yesterday so very significant. Here is a man who I can relate to as a politician. I feel like the way he views the world mirrors in many ways the way I view the world. He speaks of inclusiveness, of sameness, of consensus and of cooperation rather than conflict. I have been studying politics for quite a while now and politicians to me have always seemed distant, boring, and robotic. Something to be studied rather than something to be admired. People trying to spin the media in their favour in order to win an election rather than people relying on their honesty and their values to win over the public. But with Obama, you get this magical sense that he is speaking from the heart. That all his hopeful rhetoric is not just a shtick but rather a set of values that have been planted in him from a young age. Now, he has the ultimate stage to promote those values.

And today is only Day #2. Let's see how he does.

An Historic Day

Today, something will happen that I did not think would happen this soon in the history of America. At around noon today, Barack Obama will take over presidential duties from George W. Bush . In what is turning into a music festival type atmosphere, the whole world is expected to tune in to be part of this momentous and historic occasion. Here's hoping my boss lets us take a break to at least check out his speech, which is highly anticipated. Congratulations to the Obama family for this amazing accomplishment.

Slumdog Millionaire

Wow.

That was the first word that came to mind upon seeing this film. It was emotional, powerful, beautiful, violent, disturbing, funny, dramatic, gut-wrenching, and tear-inducing all at the same time. I could have used less adjectives but a complex film such as "Slumdog" (possessive of so many layers and diverse attributes) deserves to be lauded as such.

Here's the trailer (which, by the way, does not do the film justice):



Honestly, the best way I can describe this film in short would be to call it the "City of God" of India. There are many parallels that can be drawn between the two films. Both are violent, sexy, funny, and most important of all, authentic. Both involve troubled and extremely poor youth trying to find their way in a scary world. And both are fantastic.

Long story short, see "Slumdog Millionaire". You will not regret it.

Is "Obamamania" Getting out of Control?

It seems that it's not only the nationalistic pride of American people who have and will capitalize on their new and highly promising next President. He is also helping to line people's pockets. Obama has successfully created a wave of merchandising and branding which is no doubt unprecedented in American politics. Now we are all fully aware of the standard bumper stickers, buttons, and political signage common to all politicians, but some Obama products take political merchandising to an entirely new and oftentimes, excessive and downright weird level.

Some examples include: Now you can apply your Obama lip gloss, pop on your Obama earrings, and plant a wet kiss on your very own life-sized Obama cardboard cut-out in the comfort of your own home! WARNING: dangerous levels of hope may result.

Let me just assure you that I am a huge Obama fan and have been supporting him since the start of the primaries against Hilary Clinton way back when. I was beyond ecstatic when he won on November 4th. I hold high hopes for him now. And I genuinely relate to the way he speaks and the humility, integrity, and rationality of his words.

But there is such a thing as over-hyping someone, hence creating gargantuan and unattainable expectations of him and his performance. There is no doubt that Obama is inheriting a country in shambles, leaving him with a very full plate. Let's review:

• Two wars that are raging in Iraq and Afghanistan with favorable results from either seemingly out of grasp
• An almost impossible tightrope act in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
• An economy that is going through its worst times since the Great Depression of the 1930s
• A national debt of over a trillion dollars
• Difficult questions regarding Guantanamo Bay, Iran, Russia, and North Korea

On top of all this, add the huge expectations of the man, the incredible hype surrounding Tuesday's inauguration, and a populace suffering from a need for instant gratification, and the mere fact that this guy can sleep at night is amazing.

I'm not saying that people should not celebrate this historic moment with all their enthusiasm. It is what it is and the Obama bandwagon has gained too much steam to stop now. I guess my point is that we should all herald the fact that with so much going on around him, he remains just as calm, cool, and collected as we have ever seen him.

I have no doubt in my mind that while millions of people around the world revere and idolize him, very few would actually want to be him.

We've All Been Had!

So in my earlier post, "The Official 'Videos that Travel around the World' Post", I posted two great viral videos that use music in a wide range of locales to produce a couple of intensely uplifting clips. The first one, "Where the Hell is Matt", with over 17 million views worldwide has become nothing less than an internet sensation. The New York Times has called it "an almost perfect piece of internet art". To get the full effect, it is obviously preferable to watch the whole thing, but to give you the gist: Matt is shown dancing (proving at the same time all those who said that white men can't dance to have been correct) in 70 different countries, with the local folk acting as enthusiastic participants.

No, that is not really a Korean soldier but one of Matt's buddies.

One of the reasons I think that the video pleased me so much and put an instant smile on my face was the feeling of global unity and cooperation that it elicited. However irrational, it evoked the feeling that given all the conflict, the tension, the wars, and the hatred in this world, that we are all still more united than we are divided. That we are not just a collection of red states and blue states...kidding, but I'm sure Obama would enjoy it.

Appreciate you can, but the revelation a couple of weeks ago that the whole thing was an elaborate hoax took away the authenticity, and hence, a lot of its charm and impact. Yes, ladies and gents, the video was a pure product of excellent video editing, green screen technology, and dancing actors. The following clip is Matt himself explaining in great detail just how and why they did this. Extremely interesting video, especially for all you graphic designers out there!

Disturbing Article

I came across this piece of news today in the Toronto Star, the headline reading "Aid destroyed as UN's Gaza HQ hit by Israeli fire"

I always try to approach issues with a high dose of realism, temperateness, and logic. With vital issues where lives are at stake, emotion can be a dangerous thing. Emotion has the powerful ability to override the facts. It can serve to blur the line between right and wrong. And it can be dangerously contagious, oftentimes needing only an emotional and charismatic proponent to sway hearts and minds. I realize that everybody has their personal history and therefore emotion is practically impossible to brush aside. But with this conflict specifically, if one lets emotion take a back seat letting rationality guide their opinions, it is becoming very hard to support the Israeli actions.

While it is true that Hamas is a terrorist organization hell bent on destroying Israel and that it was them who broke the cease fire by firing rockets into Israel, the question begs itself. Where should the line be drawn in terms of proportional retaliation? How many innocent civilians who have nothing to do with Hamas need to be killed in order for Israel to make its point? How many hospitals, schools, and peoples homes need to be destroyed in order for Israel to intimidate Hamas into calling it quits? The latest numbers have the Palestinian death toll at more than 1,000, including over 300 children. And the Israeli? 13.

The somewhat promising development is that the international community (most notably the UN) is very slowly starting to condemn these atrocious attacks. Ban-Ki-Moon (secretary general of the UN) is in the region and is calling for an immediate ceasefire, labeling the death toll on civilians as "intolerable". In a more hostile fashion, Bolivia's president has called on Israel to appear before the International Criminal Court to face charges.

While all this represents progress towards a more balanced view of the conflict rather than knee-jerk support for Israel and all of its actions, the big names have yet to voice their opinions. The US called for a ceasefire about a week ago, only to be rebuffed by Israel. But there have yet to be any calls of human rights violations emanating from US shores. We have not been much better here in Canada either. This article states that Canada was the only country out of 47 who refused to support a UN motion condemning Israeli's actions. The headline is a little misleading, given the fact that the US, Britain, France, Japan, and South Korea were not involved while most of the countries involved were Arab nations. But it still represents somewhat of a break from a more neutral and balanced take on the conflict that Canada has shown in the past.

Countries need to start looking at the numbers. Politicians need to put their political futures on the line and stand up for a devastating offensive where innocent civilians who may have nothing to do with Hamas are losing their families, their homes, and their futures.

Personal Trainer Cooking, for Nintendo DS.

OK, so we all know that the Nintendo company has done a fabulous job of keeping themselves relevant by releasing some of the most unique and innovative products over the last few years. I mean, after Mario and Donkey Kong, did you ever expect them to release a fitness and weight loss video game? A stop smoking game? Learn French or Spanish games? I don't think I could have predicted that.

They have managed to make a huge comeback against the Playstation and XBox folks by releasing games with themes one would never have expected to show up in a video game and which appeal to all age groups, from toddler to grandma. The Wii was more interactive than the other systems. It appealed to adults as well as children. And the DS built upon the Palm Pilot craze with its touch screen and stylus.



Anyway, I have a DS but not a Wii and I recently picked up Personal Trainer: Cooking. This is a perfect example of the type of game that has helped Nintendo reclaim its status as one of the big players in the video game world. Appealing to all age groups, interactive, and finally, educational so you know the parents will approve. It is also important, because I believe that everybody should at least know the basics on how to cook. I have been working in a kitchen for the past couple of months and have really developed a high appreciation for the culinary arts. I am far from an expert chef but there is no doubt that I have learned at least one new thing every day at my work and am getting better.

So the game has over 400 recipes from countries all over the world. For each recipe, there is a guiding voice to talk you through each step. You can look at the list of ingredients needed and check off which ones you need; essentially creating a virtual grocery list. There are numerous short videos that explain everything from dicing an onion to rolling sushi. And you can search by ingredient, country, time needed, and even calorie intake.

I have yet to actually make one of the dishes from the game but I will be soon. Keep you posted.

New Music for You and for Me.

So, Israel has tightened its grip and intensified its attacks on Gaza. A new ground offensive has been under way for a few days now and the likelihood of a peaceful two-state solution to the most consequential conflict in the world is becoming less and less likely. Obama's inauguration day is less than two weeks away and I know my eyes will be glued to the TV. And my beloved Toronto Raptors are showing strong signs of improvement with two big wins against quality clubs but need to string together a 5, 6, or 7 game winning streak to really get the post-season back into their crosshairs.

But I digress.

Today, I want to mention a few albums that I have recently started listening to and that I would like to recommend. I don't usually write about music but after recently discovering some new albums and artists, I wanted to share some with you.

Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreaks

I've always liked Kanye. When he first came on the scene, I found him to be a fresh voice that broke the monotony of mainstream rap at the time. He was a welcome respite from all the regular "bling-bling", "I got shot 8 times", "my bitch is hotter than your bitch" fare. You could tell by listening to his lyrics that he was intelligent, insightful, and that he had something to say. With this new album, he has mellowed out substantially, ditched the rap verses for singing, and has moved toward a more R 'n' B sound. It takes a few listens to really appreciate the production of Kanye's beats but they are undoubtedly very unique, perhaps even groundbreaking. At least I had never heard anything in rap music like the drums on the chorus of this song:



Kate Nash - Made of Bricks

This is an album that sounds like a cross between Rilo Kiley and Amy Winehouse. With her clearly British accent coupled with her sometimes aggressive lyrics, the cute Londoner pulls off an album where the songs are catchy yet meaningful. Couple this with my penchant for female singers and I was hooked. Here is a good example:



K'Naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher

Speaking of rap music with good lyrics, this is a great example. I have a total love/hate relationship with rap and the deciding factor is and will always be the lyrics. This makes sense because mostly, the song is the lyrics in rap, with the beat often acting merely as a metronome of sorts. Put it this way: for me, a bad rap song will always have bad lyrics but good ones with bad beats can exist. Anyway, K'Naan is a highly talented rapper. He grew up in Somalia but has spent most of his formative years in Toronto. Growing up in Somalia clearly has had a large influence on his lyrics and his general message. This leads to very interesting and passionate rhyming both about his move to the First World and his early years in the Third. Here is a good sample:



Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

This American indie rock outfit has a fun, bouncy, and non-pretentious sound to them. I believe that they would be considered "hip", whatever that means nowadays, so don't be surprised to hear them at your local hipster haunt. In any case, a solid album from the New Yorkers. Wonderful album to clean to! Here's a sample:



So there are a few albums that I've been jiving to recently. Others might include the new Beck as well the new Tryo. Tryo are a French quartet whose sound is hard to pin down, but there are strong folk rock and reggae influences going on. They are a great group with poetic and socially conscious lyrics. I'll leave you with their new video:



Long live tunes! A la prochaine!

Israel's Aggression

The violent attacks being perpetrated by Israel towards its Arab citizens these past few days have been disturbing, to say the least. The last time I checked, the death toll for Israelis was less than 5 while the death toll for Arabs was hovering around 300. It does not take a genius to see the discord there. It reminds me of the war between Israel and Lebanon back in 2006 where the death tolls were equally disparate. The fact of the matter is that Israel's army, military technology, and weapons sophistication dwarfed those of their adversaries in both cases. And they are not afraid nor do they feel guilty about displaying this.



I am not saying that the border countries surrounding Israel (most notably Syria, Lebanon, and Iran) do not represent serious threats to Israel's security. But I am saying that the devastating attacks being perpetrated by Israel right now against Hamas (its own citizens) will slow progress, rather than hasten, towards a long lasting peace process between the parties, and therefore seriously compromise any chance of stability in the region for the foreseeable future.

And possibly the most disheartening aspect is the lack of an outcry from any countries. These attacks are acts of terror and need to be condemned. My guess would be that as the attacks get more intense, more countries may start to question some of Israel's actions, leaving their unquestioned support for the Jewish state up in the air. This is by far the most important area in the world in terms of its effect on global security. The major reason for 9/11 and for the continued battles between the Taliban and the US in Afghanistan is the unquestioned support for Israel by the United States. This represents one of Obama's most complicated, important, and consequential foreign policy files. All eyes will be on the new president (whose election for many Arabs around the world, represented hope for the future) to see exactly how he reacts publicly once he takes office to this ongoing seemingly never-ending conflict.

Taking Stock of Raptors Predictions

In my post, “Three Reasons for Raptors Optimism”, I laid out a few good (or so I thought at the time) signs at the start of the season that seemingly indicated a high playoff seeding and possibly a trip to the second round of the post-season or farther. I don't especially like to admit when I'm wrong but, in this case, my predictions have not quite panned out as I thought they would.

(Quick note that I am not suggesting that they blow this team up (figuratively, of course). The season is only a quarter of the way done, they are still getting used to playing for a new coach, and they have shown enough flashes of good play to not yet let our panic get out of hand. It is easier said than done to play like they have shown all the time, but it should be possible.)

Let's review my old list:

The swagger of Jermaine O'Neal

In the post, I argued that arguably the first “enforcer” in a Raptors uniform since Charles Oakley would bring some much needed grit, toughness, and aggressiveness to a team often labeled as “soft”. O'Neal's numbers have been admirable and he did string together five straight double doubles. He has been a presence in the paint, both altering and blocking shots.

But he has had injury issues, starting with him banging up his surgically repaired knee and ending with a sprained shoulder. He has missed a significant number of games because of this. Moreover, his toughness is not really rubbing off on his teammates. Aside from Bargnani throwing Vince to the floor like he was a candy wrapper, the Raps defence has been laughable at times.

I am a proponent of the fact that this game is predominantly about talent, but passion, hard work, and intensity can be almost as important to winning games. Players have made themselves careers in the NBA based mostly on hard work and intensity. On the flip side, no player has ever had an elite NBA career without talent. The Raps need to play with passion on both ends of the floor. We have seen that when they do this, they are successful. However, so far, neither J.O or Triano have managed to make that happen on a consistent basis.

Chris Bosh

I wrote that Chris Bosh entered the season with a new sense of purpose and intensity on both ends of the floor. If the first week of the season was a microcosm of an NBA season, he likely would have won MVP. But after that first week in which he was named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, he tailed off. His 30 point games were turning into 12 pointers. His 14 rebounds were turning into single digit totals. And he was becoming less willing to drive it to the hole. All in all, this team rises and falls with Chris Bosh and if he is not going at full speed, the team suffers. And that's what we have seen.

Calderon

Calderon has been going well actually. Last I checked, he was top 3 in the league in assists, with a stellar as usual assist to turnover ratio. He has a very reliable jump shot and for the most part, does not take unwarranted shots. He is a calming steadying force for this team and one need only watch Roko or Will run the offence to see the difference.

He has missed some games which has been disappointing. One silver lining in those dark days was the realization (if it wasn't already obvious) that the backup point guard situation is next to nothing and that more PG insurance may be needed.

All in all, the Raps have played far below their expectations. That was the danger when Colangelo boasted that this was the best Raptors team “on paper”. That likely created a wave of high expectations for this group and the fact is, they have not delivered. It is still early and they have showed signs. They just need to bring it for 48 minutes and the Ws will start coming. Or maybe my optimism (as well as others) was unwarranted, in which case, I'll stop making predictions. Nah, I'll never do that.

"The War Within" Part 1

So I am about halfway through the book "The War Within" written by Bob Woodward.

He is the author of many political readings, including "Bush at War" and "All the President's Men", as well as the associate editor at The Washington Post. He is probably best known for his critical role in uncovering the Watergate Scandal as well as his detailed and personal accounts of the Bush administration. People often say that he is the journalist who knows Bush the best, having conducted almost 11 hours of interviews with the man himself.

I aim to give you some feedback on the book as I progress my way through it. It is a highly detailed (and highly critical) account of the Bush administration vis-a-vis the war in Iraq between 2006 and 2008. It provides the reader with a behind the scenes look into the different misunderstandings, disagreements, tensions, and conflicts between all those involved. This includes the usual suspects, aka Bush, Rumsfeld, Powell, Rice, etc. But it gives equal weight to the huge and integral role played by all the military leaders. The hierarchy is sometimes hard to fully grasp and the list of actors involved sometimes seems convoluted and confusing, but this is more than made with the highly intimate feeling that one gets from reading it.

It is predominantly made up of scenes between important actors from the government and the military on their goals and strategies for success in Iraq. Reading these tetes à tetes brought two things to mind:

A) How does Mr. Woodward manage to be a witness to these high profile meetings?
B) The odd sensation that I was eavesdropping on the President and that I should have a red dot on my forehead.

It paints a grim picture of a group of politicians and generals trying to put together a plan that will topple a government, bring security and democracy to a country, whilst at the same time winning hearts and minds. This picture portrays these decision makers as disjointed, cobbled together, uninspiring, and clearly lacking the ability to come to a clear consensus.

Here is an example of the intense intimacy that is felt when reading this book. It starts with a private conversation between the President and Army General George W. Casey Jr. which happens on quiet veranda with a couple of cigars in the warm Baghdad dusk. Here's an excerpt:

Casey studied Bush's face, now wrinkled and showing its 59 years, the right eye slightly more closed than the left under graying, full eyebrows. The general had pushed for a drawdown for two years...
"I know I've got some work to do to convince you of that," the general said, "but I firmly believe that".
Bush looked skeptical.
"I need to do a better job explaining to you" why winning means getting out, Casey said.
"You do," Bush replied.

So I am almost completely certain that Woodward was not on that veranda that evening. So how does he know what was said between these two men? Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me. But the fact that you can read conversations of such a high importance between highly important people really gives the reader a rare treat into the insight, discussion, and procedures that go into decision making on the highest level.

Jon Stewart pulls no punches!

So I am a huge fan of Stewart and Colbert. And so should all of you. I remember a recent Rolling Stone cover with the two of them on the cover displaying "The two most trusted names in news". While they are, for the most part, comedians, there is no doubt that the two possess keen political intellects and have a powerful influence on the political views of America's youth. Stewart always ends his shows with a guest, who is oftentimes on the other side of the political spectrum. He is always respectful and polite in these "debates", and also always seems to wipe the floor with his opponent. And with Colbert, you can just tell that he understands right-wingers because if not, he wouldn't be able to impersonate one so convincingly.

Anyway, perhaps more on them later but I wanted to post Jon Stewart's take on the Canadian crisis. Pure gold!

If you have not yet seen it, please click here!

Wow. Good for this guy!

So I'm sure that this has already traveled substantially across cyberspace but I wanted to post it anyway. The reason for this is because it's awesome!



A man responsible for the death of so many innocent Iraqis as well as US soldiers finally gets a taste (albeit not even close to proportional) of his own medicine. I wouldn't imagine this happening if the president was not so close to his exit day (and will therefore start to minimize his official state visits), but it just shows the intense ire that is felt towards Bush, who has turned Iraq upside down and has spiraled it into a seemingly never-ending civil war.

Seriously, how many of you would love to do this? I bet if they held a worldwide contest with ten open spots to launch a couple shoes at the outgoing president, more than half the world would enter! By the way, apparently throwing shoes at someone is a long held Iraqi custom that is used to display disdain and rage. It is interesting to note that many anti-Saddam Iraqis flung their shoes at the Saddam statue once it came down back in 2003. Apparently, they don't much like the new guy either.

Wikipedia says:

The shoe represents the lowest part of the body (the foot) and displaying or throwing a shoe at someone or something in Arab cultures denotes that the person or thing is "beneath them." Showing the bottom of one's feet or shoes (for example, putting one's feet up on a table or desk) in Arab cultures is considered an extreme insult. Examples include Iraqi citizens smacking torn-down posters of Saddam Hussein with their shoes, and the depiction of President of the United States George H. W. Bush on a tile mosaic of the floor of the Al-Rashid Hotel's lobby, forcing all visitors entering the hotel to walk on Bush's face to enter the hotel.

Call me cold. Call me out for wanting to kick somebody when he is as down as down can get but the last thing I felt while watching this was sympathy. It was more like "OK, that makes sense."

Question for all you faithful readers (i.e. me and who knows who else): If you could throw anything at Bush, what would it be and why?

The Official "Videos That Travel Around the World Post"

I know how long you guys have been waiting for this official "Videos That Travel Around the World Post", henceforth known as the OVTTATWP. Well, the time has come.

Warning: you will see other posts that claim OVTTATWP status but be weary. These are all fakes. You've arrived at the realness.

Today, I have two. The first is of a guy named Matt who dances his way around the world. And the second is a version of the classic "Stand by Me" played by street musicians from around the world. If you're ever in low spirits, these videos are guaranteed to tug at your little heartstrings and cheer you right back up.

If anyone knows of others (and I'm sure they exist), feel free to post links.

So without further ado:

Note: a far better version of this video can be found here.

An "Old" Man Among Boys.

You know when you see a headline that is so unfathomable that you can't really decide whether it is fact or just taken from "The Onion" website? Well, today I saw this headline:

73 Year-Old Gives Basketball Another Shot.

Now, upon reading this, you might think that its just some geezer who started shooting some hoops down at the local YMCA because some extra free time had befallen him. But no. This 73 year-old senior citizen, Ken Mink, is a member of the Roane State Community College Basketball team. 52 years back, he attended the school as a freshman and played for the basketball team. The reasons are hazy, but he was forced to leave after one year. So now, Ken Mink is finally making his comeback and is expected to go # 1 in next year's NBA draft. That last part isn't true but I assure you that the rest is.

Check out this interview.

Highlights include:

• Ken admitting that he doesn't have an iPod after receiving the requisite question, "What is on your iPod?"
  
• Commenting on todays fashion trends as compared to his freshman days more than half a century ago
  
• Nicknames bestowed on him by his teammates (who, by the way, have an average age of 19)
• His coach talking about how Ken brings "experience" to the team

Anyway, this is obviously strange, surreal, and even possibly an underhanded attempt to get the media's attention. I can't imagine him getting any significant playing time down the stretch. When you watch the video, check out Ken participating in the running drills with his young, virile teammates. I think he has man boobs! I mean, I could even score on this guy!

Anyway, a fun and interesting story. And if his and his team's goal was media attention, well, they got it alright. How about top story on the New York Times website. Here's the link.

Bill Ayers speaks!

I found this op-ed piece written by none other than Bill Ayers. Name ring a bell? He's the "terrorist" who Obama "palled around with".

This is for sure one of the most interesting pieces I have read in a long time. The most interesting topic that he addresses comes near the end of the article, where he articulately describes the "guilt by association" culture in the United States. Apparently, having a relationship of any kind with somebody equals shared values. Rather than paranoia setting in, relationships with different types of people should be seen as leading to a more varied, cosmopolitan, and understanding view of our world. He writes:

The dishonesty of the narrative about Mr. Obama during the campaign went a step further with its assumption that if you can place two people in the same room at the same time, or if you can show that they held a conversation, shared a cup of coffee, took the bus downtown together or had any of a thousand other associations, then you have demonstrated that they share ideas, policies, outlook, influences and, especially, responsibility for each other’s behavior. There is a long and sad history of guilt by association in our political culture, and at crucial times we’ve been unable to rise above it.

And then a bit later:

Demonization, guilt by association, and the politics of fear did not triumph, not this time. Let’s hope they never will again. And let’s hope we might now assert that in our wildly diverse society, talking and listening to the widest range of people is not a sin, but a virtue.

More from Mr. Ayers himself:

Speaking of Steve Nash...

I love this video.

A little bit of Canadian content for Canada's only NBA team.

Nash and Triano

Sam Mitchell, now the ex-head coach of the Toronto Raptors, was swiftly replaced last week by the then assistant coach Jay Triano. Apparently, winning "coach of the year" does not give one much job security these days. All in all, the decision was not a surprise, given Colangelo's obvious and understandable desire to install someone of his own choosing as well as the pitiful week the Raptors had just prior to the falling axe. In this climate of constant coaching changes, Mitchell should not have been that surprised either. Coaching is equally about keeping your players motivated as it is about Xs and Os. And the recent trouncing by the Denver nuggets demonstrated a huge lack of both, with the former being the higher cause for concern.

Here's a clip: (highlights include a refreshing JO speaking about personal responsibility as well as Triano trying to turn Hassan Adams into an all-star!)



Triano, the first Canadian born coach to ever coach in the NBA, will inherit a no doubt talented team with an equally no doubt roster with many holes. The most glaring of these is the backup point guard situation with two unproven, often confused looking, frustratingly inconsistent PGs in Will Solomon and Roko Ukic backing up the solid Jose Calderon. They are weak on the wings, with Anthony Parker possibly the worst starting 2 in the league. They have an aging ex-all star in Jermaine O'Neal with a scary history of serious injuries.

But given all that, Calderon and Bosh are all-star calibre. Bargnani is showing some serious signs that he's here to play this season. Joey Graham has been perhaps more good than bad. And O'Neal (if he stays healthy) can be a tenacious rebounder and intimidating presence in the post. I heard the other day that altered shots are better for the defensive team than blocked shots because they result more often in defensive rebounds while blocks often give the ball back to the team on offense. And JO has the ability to consistently alter shots.

So it is up in the air as to how this team will perform under the tutelage of a "new" face. My prediction is a playoff berth without home-court advantage and perhaps another first round exit. But it is early and there is a game today. And we all know how one game can change peoples minds. Especially the acute minds over at realgm.

Enjoy the game.