Life In The Weeds

UCLA Gets their Diddy

Justin Combs signed a letter of intent to play football next year for UCLA.  The Bruins offered J. Diddy (he goes by Justin) a full scholarship for his football skills, which amounts to a $54,000 free ride.  Some people, myself included, are questioning whether or not Justin really needs the tuition help.

Forbes lists his famous rap mogul father's net worth at $500 million.  Don't you think P. Diddy might say something like, "I'm so excited for my son to play football for UCLA, but as far as his tuition goes...I got it!"

The University defended their scholarship offer by stating, "There is a big separation between financial aid based on need and how that's funded and how athletic scholarships are funded and awarded to students," the rep explained. "Unlike need-based scholarships, athletic scholarships are awarded to students strictly on the basis of their athletic and academic ability - not their financial need." 

I get it!  And, I do not blame the University.  I think the responsibility rest with P. Diddley to step it up and cough over the cabbage.

Not only would it be the right thing to do, but it would open up another scholarship spot on the UCLA roster, which might give another student athlete the chance to fulfill their dream to become a Bruin...a student athlete that CANNOT currently afford it.

hhmm.

[BTW: I'm going on record to say there is no way Justin Combs plays 4-years at UCLA]

mj

Sacha Baron Cohen

Hard to say if Sacha Baron Cohen is a genius, but he sure understands how to promote his brand.  Yes, SBC is his own brand...and it comes in many forms...and once that brand identity is defined, SBC goes full throttle to promote.  He becomes the brand!

His latest brand happens to be in the guise of The Dictator's Admiral General Shabazz Aldeen, a Middle Eastern despot who is removed from power during a trip to the USA. The humor is derived from jokes that lampoon beheading, 9/11, rape and other despicable acts.  

He has been Aldeen for all of 2012.  The most memorable moment at this year's Academy Awards occurred when Admiral General Shabazz Aldeen (SBC), held up an urn with what he said were the ashes of recently deceased North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il and spilled the contents over E! Network's Ryan Seacrest.  At the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, "Aladeen" strolled the famous promenade on a camel, flanked by mini-skirted "virgin" bodyguards armed with assault rifles.

Whether it is Ali G, Borat or Bruno, SBC embraces the brand and makes it stick.

The Dictator is already getting great reviews.  SBC'c brand of comedy is polarizing...he takes risks that no other actor would, and somehow, he pulls it off brilliantly.  Even when he is not he lead character, SBC typically stills the movie...see Talladega Nights or Sweeney Todd.

Ironically, SBC rarely gives interviews and is a very private individual...unlike most all of his characters.

The best part of the SBC brand is waiting to see how it will evolve and come to life in a completely new way.

mj

 

Larry Bird - the One and Only

Larry Bird is still adding hardware to his trophy case - this time it is as the NBA Executive of the Year.

Of course, this award is just the latest in a long and storied career for Bird, whose other hardware includes three Most Valuable Player trophies with the Boston Celtics and the 1998 Coach of the Year award nod when he stalked the sidelines for the Pacers.

He has shown himself to be the rare superstar who is able to not only dominate on the court but also guide a team from the bench AND from the front office. If you think that is easy to accomplish, then see Michael Jordan's record in the NBA since retiring as an active player.

In fact, this white guy from French Lick, Indiana becomes the one and only person ever to win all three awards.

mj

Kevin Na

Not sure who Kevin Na is?  I was not familiar with the name myself, until I was watching some ESPN highlights over the weekend.  Turns out Kevin is on the PGA Tour...[which means he is a professional golfer!]  He is a very good, currently ranked #23 on the tour with almost $2 million in earning in 2012.

He received some attention over this past weekend at the Players Championship...not so much for his play, but for his pre-swing routine.  Turns out Kevin is fighting some mental demons out there on the course.  Check out this clip of him on the tee box.

 

I was not all that surprised to find out that Kevin Na has another distinction on the PGA tour.  Last year, Kevin recorded the all-time worst score on a Par-4...shooting a 16 last year.

 

Now you know all you need to know about Kevin Na.

mj

 

Deal with the Here and Now

You are a successful business man.  You have a 25 year track record of success. You ran a multi-billion dollar organization.  In comes to light that there was an error in your resume.  Does it matter at this point in his career?  Is it relevant at all?

You were an incredibly successful business man. You were the Governor of Massachusetts.   You are now a Presidential candidate.  You bullied someone 47 years ago.  Does it matter?  Is it relevant at all?

Obviously, I am referring to Scott Thompson and Mit Romney, respectively.  These are just two recent news items that have highlighted a past occurrence in someones life...a VERY PAST occurrence.

Where the news outlets find relevance, I do not!

It's like finding out the President smoked pot in college.  Who cares?  Does that make Obama a bad President?  Would that influence your decision?  Something that happened over 30 years ago...

I am not talking about something drastic.  Of course, if somebody did something awful or tragic, then yea, sure, investigate it.  But, in the above examples, their past decisions has absolutely nothing to do with how they would lead a company or a country.

Thompson does not have a Computer Science degree?  Well, holy shit, he is going to really suck as the CEO of Yahoo!

Romney bullied a guy with long bleached hair...IN 1965,.  Though brutalizing a classmate is never acceptable behavior, attitudes about respect for diversity and non-conformity have come a LONG WAY in five decades.

The media needs to get over the distant past and deal more with the here and now.

mj 

Dude, That Wave Looks Like a Good One

....talk about an understatement.

In fact, "that" wave was a world-record breaking wave and big-wave surfer Garrett McNamara of Oahu's North Shore, was the one who rode it. The 44-year-old Hawaiian pro surfer caught a 78-foot wave off the coast of Portugal and Guinness Book of World Records has confirmed that the November 2011run beats a 2008 record by more than 1 foot.

Big-wave surfing is a very serious occupation, which I learned a great deal more about after finishing a great book by Susan Casey, The Wave.

One of the folks who helped determine the size of the wave put the achievement on par with other infrequent athletic feats like four home runs in a game – which Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton achieved this week – or a perfect game.  The only difference, he adds, is the fact that the stadium could collapse on you at any second.

Take a look at this ride.

 

mj

 

Are You Mom Enough?

This is the question revealed on the latest issue of Time Magazine.  But, it is not just this question that is raising eyebrows among women through out the country...it is this cover photo.

Interestingly, the cover photo does not accurately reflect what the story is about... "attachment parenting," a trend that has been on the rise over the past two decades. Attachment parenting includes extended breast-feeding, co-sleeping and "baby wearing," where infants are physically attached to their parents with slings.

The cover, as you might imagine, has sparked a firestorm of criticism across the media. The woman in the picture is 26-year-old Jamie Lynne Grumet of Los Angeles, who weaned herself from breast-feeding at age 6.

I am certainly not going to debate the idea of breast feeding.  My wife breast fed all our four kids, though she did not breast feed past 1-year.

My personal opinion is that when a child is old enough to walk up to their mom and pull up her shirt, then the child is too old to breast feed.  

Breast feeding will always be a hot topic and this cover certainly adds to the discussion.  "From the moment that we started talking about this story as a cover possibility, it was like I couldn't get out of the meetings, Forbes quotes Time managing editor Rick Stengel as saying. "There was so much opinion and passion about it and discussion. What that told me is, boy, this is a story that people care a lot about."

mj

The Avengers

Time for me to eat a little crow.

Last fall, I traveled to Europe and had plenty of time to watch the remaining Marvel Comic movies.  I had already watched both the Iron Man movies, which I really do not put in the same category because the Iron Man movies sort of stood alone.  And, I had seen both Hulk movies...which did not seem very Marvel Comic like, whatever that means.

So, I knocked out Thor and Captain America.

Captain America was almost unwatchable.  Had I not been 50,000 feet up, I would have walked out for sure.  It was truly a bad movie.

Thor was marginally better...at least more entertaining, with a cast of supporting characters that seemed to help with the story.  Don't get me wrong, it was not great...like a 5 out of 10.

Let's rewind to The Hulk movies.  The Hulk, with Eric Bana, was awful.  The Incredible Hulk, with Edward Norton, was semi-awful.

Iron Man movies were both top notch...Robert Downey Jr. is the perfect Tony Stark.

Okay, back to The Avengers.  I tweeted and/or blogged last fall that this movie would be terrible.  How could it be good?  All the prior, separate Marvel movies sucked.  I was convinced that a combination movie, with all the players, would be a disaster.

Not true.

After a 200 million dollar opening last weekend, critics are praising The Avengers. Everyone I have talked with who has seen the movie all thought it was great.

I guess the old adage is true; the whole is greater then the sum of it's parts!

mj

One Man's Dream

Great little video that we shot recently...I SO want to buy an Electric Vehicle!

 

mj

Buccaneers Sign College Football Star

I know what you are thinking...SO WHAT?!  Professional teams sign collegiate athletes every year, that's how it works!

However, Eric LeGrand, the collegiate athlete I am referring to, is paralyzed.

The Rutgers defensive tackle broke two vertebrae and suffered a serious spinal cord injury on Oct. 16, 2010, during a kickoff return against Army. He became an inspiration to the Scarlet Knights, eventually being able to stand upright with the help of a metal frame. He resumed his studies via video conferences for the 2011 spring semester and last Oct. 29 led the team onto the field before a game.

His former coach, Greg Schiano, left the Scarlet Knights for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January, but the first-time NFL head coach has remained in contact with LeGrand and his family.

Schiano, described the decision to sign LeGrand as a “small gesture” to recognize LeGrand’s “character, spirit and perseverance.”  

The Bucs are shipping a No. 52 jersey to LeGrand, along with a helmet and contract. This my friends, is a class act by Tampa Bay...clearly driven by Schiano.   

On the heels of the NFL draft, when all those players drafted will be struggling and fighting to make the final NFL roster, LeGrand will continue his pursuit of his ultimate goal...to walk!

mj