Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Jared Lorenzen Update

This isn't hot off the press, but at least on July 11th, Mr. Lorenzen was still hanging around and working toward a roster spot with the Giants.

Trying to Make a Giant Impact

Alexander, Pt II

The local media got it right: Alexander signs deal

Alexander, Seahawks agree on deal

This story got one important piece wrong: Alexander did not sign the franchise tender. He signed a 1 year contract for the same amount of money. The deal he signed came with the two big stipulations. The first is that the 'Hawks won't put the tag on him again next year, the second is that he must approve any trades.

I'm often impressed with how many details the national media miss or get wrong.

I'm also impressed by how some of the nuances of the deal are missed by the local sports guys. Specifically, how this deal really gets both parties out of corners they'd painted themselves in. The Hawks couldn't offer a longer contract during these negotiations because the franchise tag would be unusable by the organization for the duration of that contract. By signing a one year deal, they merely lose the ability to franchise tag someone else this year, which is impossible anyway becasue the window has long since closed.

This does not indicate a lack of desire for a long term deal on either party. They simply had to sign a one year deal first, to avoid losing future franchise tag ability. I'm optimistic that both sides will sign a longer term deal either during next season, or shortly thereafter, as was done with Hasselbeck and Jones this year.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

St Chad

St. Ceadda

(Commonly known as ST. CHAD.)

Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop successively of York and Lichfield, England; date of birth uncertain, died 672.

He is often confounded with his brother, St. Cedd, also Abbot of Lastingham and the Bishop of the East Saxons. He had two other brothers, Cynibill and Caelin, who also became priests. Probably Northumbrian by birth, he was educated at Lindisfarne under St. Aidan, but afterwards went to Ireland, where he studied with St. Ecgberht in the monastery of Rathmelsige (Melfont). There he returned to help his brother St. Cedd to establish the monastery of Laestingaeu, now Lastingham in Yorkshire. On his brother's death in 664, he succeeded him as abbot.

Shortly afterwards St. Wilfrid, who had been chosen to succeed Tudi, Bishop of Lindisfarne, went to Gaul for consecration and remained so long absent that King Oswiu determined to wait no longer, and procured the election of Chad as Bishop of York, to which place the Bishopric of Lindisfarne had been transferred. As Canterbury was vacant, he was consecrated by Wini of Worcester, assisted by two British bishops. As bishop he visited his diocese on foot, and laboured in an apostolic spirit until the arrival of St. Theodore, the newly elected Archbishop of Canterbury who was making a general visitation. St. Theodore decided that St. Chad must give up the diocese to St. Wilfrid, who had now returned. When he further intimated that St. Chad's episcopal consecration had not been rightly performed, the Saint replied, "If you decide that I have not rightly received the episcopal character, I willingly lay down the office; for I have never thought myself worthy of it, but under obedience, I, though unworthy, consented to undertake it". St. Theodore, however, desired him not to relinquish the episcopate and himself supplied what was lacking ("ipse ordinationem ejus denuo catholica ratione consummavit" -- Bede, Hist. Eccl. IV, 2). Ceadda then returned to Lastingham, where he remained till St. Theodore called him in 669 to become Bishop of the Mercians. He built a church and monastery at Lichfield, where he dwelt with seven or eight monks, devoting to prayer and study time he could spare from his work as bishop. He received warning of his death in a vision.

His shrine, which was honoured by miracles, was removed in the twelfth century to the cathedral at Lichfield, dedicated to Our Lady and the Saint himself. At the Reformation his relics were rescued from profanation by Catholics, and they now lie in the Catholic cathedral at Birmingham, which is dedicated to him. His festival is kept on the 2nd of March. All accounts of his life are based on that given by Venerable Bede, who had been instructed in Holy Scripture by Trumberct, one of St. Chad's monks and disciples.

Behind the Name

Behind the Name

CHAD
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAD [key]
Extra Info: Popularity, Related Names, Namesakes
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From the Old English name Ceadda which is of unknown meaning, possibly based on Welsh cad "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century English saint. Also, a country in Africa bears this name, though it originates from a different source.

And my internet name:

CHADWICK
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: CHAD-wik [key]
Extra Info: Popularity, Related Names
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From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning "dairy farm belonging to CHAD" in Old English.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

GTA creators choke on their "hot coffee". Industry feels the burn.

Short version: There was adult and sexual content on the new GTA game, that could only be found by altering the game via a downloadable modification. This download was not authorized by the company who created or released the game.

I imagine the game designers put the sexually explicit mini-game in, then in later stages of development they decided not to pick this battle. Violence and lower grade sexual themes are enough this time around. In order to keep the development on track, they left the code on the disk, but made it impossible to access.

Then someone else (outside of the company) devised a modification which allowed access to the code.

Why are people so afraid of sex?

I expect it from moral right wingers, but specifically, why is Hillary Clinton so afraid of sex?

Why are people afraid of sex, but not violence? Gaming has grown up, and it's time to expect content found in film, comics and media to appear in gaming. That includes nudity and explicit sex.

I am profoundly against the policing of morality, and the legislation of morality; this is one more step down this road.

Friday, July 22, 2005

7 Habits of Effective People

I'm reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Covey, and I'm impressed. I'm at a point in my life where I've picked up most of this wisdom naturally, but it helps to see it written down and organized.

His examples are irritating, and the tone can be a bit much, but otherwise, it's good stuff, if a person is looking for self improvement.

Habit 1 : Be Proactive
Habit 2: Imagine the ending at the beginning. - I butchered that one. It reads differently, but I think I captured the message.
Habit 3: First things first - the part about four quadrants is wonderful.

More to follow another day.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Jail for Nigerian bank fraudster

A court in Nigeria has sentenced a woman to two and a half years in prison for her part in the country's biggest ever international fraud case.

Amaka Anajemba admitted helping her late husband to persuade an employee of a Brazilian bank to transfer millions of dollars into overseas accounts.


....

The BBC's Anna Borzello in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos says that the country is notorious for its advance fee frauds.

Known as four-one-nines after the Nigerian criminal code prohibiting such practices, greedy or gullible investors are invited to hand over money or bank account details on the promise of large future payments, which never arrive.

In its most common form unsolicited e-mails offer the recipient a share of the wealth of dead African dictators.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Even the title is difficult

Dai Senryaku VII
Acronyms--------
AAG - Anti Aircraft Gun
AEW - Airborne Early Warning
AH - Attack Helicopter
APC - Armored Personnel Carrier
ASM - Air to Surface missile
ASW - Anti Sumbarine Warfare, Anti Surface Warfare
ATACMS - Army Tactical Missile System
ATGW - Anti Tank Guided Weapon
CFV - Cavalry Fighting Vehicle
CG - Cruiser (Naval)DD - Destroyer (Naval)
DDG - Guided Missile Destroyer
IFV - Infantry Fighting Vehicle
LAV - Light Armored Vehicle
MBT - Main Battle Tank
RCV - Recon Vehicle
SAM - Surface to Air Missle
SP - Self Propelled
SPAAG - Self Propelled Anti Aircraft Gun
SPH - Self Propelled Howitzer
SPSAM - Self Propelled Surface to Air Missile

Monday, July 11, 2005

This Works:


I use a move like this when someone is trying to make me do something that I think is stupid. It works especially well via email. You can stretch the encounter out 4 days or more without trying.

I'm not lazy, but I hate doing stupid things.

Dilemma of the day

I received this message a few minutes ago:
Hi Chad,
We have a non-functioning computer, which is a problem as we have
more providers than computers. Also, can you please see that clocks in the
rooms are fixed. It is not a big deal, but yet another annoyance that
should be easily removed.
Thanks
(sender's name removed)

These are simple matters for me to take care of, and it's very much my job to do so. What got me was that last sentence. I replied quickly with my plan of action, and nearly, oh so very nearly commented on the vague snarkiness. I even had something written and ready to send. Caution isn't the issue. This person has no authority to hire, fire or write my performance evaluation. My boss does not particularly like or respect the sender of this message. However, the message sender has a history of passive aggression and getting annoyed about things she hasn't told anyone about. This message, even with it's quiet rudeness, is an improvement. If I push back, even subtlely, it may send her back into angry quiet mode. Angry quiet mode soon leads to explosive frustration mode and then blustering to administrators mode. We've been down those roads before.

So, I let it go. If I can fix these easy things for her, maybe her attitude will improve, and she'll lighten up some. It's worth a try.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Today's run

Went for a run; just got back. This time I carried two 2 lb weights, one in each hand. I only weigh about 130lbs myself, so that's the same as gaining 3% of my body weight overnight. That may not sound like much, and maybe it isn't, but it sure felt different. Not to mention those two doughnuts I had for breakfast, and the complete absence of water in my morning's diet (unless you count my two cups of java).

Those 4 miles were TOUGH today. It felt pretty good, but it was tough to keep my body moving. I expected to feel it in my arms, but I didn't expect the overall difference of carrying extra weight.

Franchise tag / Alexander

Here's an exerpt from an article from seahawks.com:
Looming over everything else is the Alexander situation. If he doesn't sign the franchise tag, they can't negotiate a new deal. If he doesn't sign it, they lose the tag for a year. If they were to sign him to a five-year deal in lieu of the tag, they would lose the franchise tag for five years.

"That's what people don't understand," Reinfeldt said. "He has to sign the tender before we can do anything, before he can do anything. The franchise tag is too important for the (financial health of the) team to lose. And even if he signs the tag, there has to be a cooling off period before we can do a long-term deal, otherwise the union will file a grievance and that can get ugly."

So in Alexander's case, Reinfeldt's hands are tied until he signs the tender.
Reinfelt is the executive vice president of administration for the Seahawks.

In other words, they could negotiate a long term deal with Alexander, but it would be foolish. To sign a deal with him under these conditions would cause the team to lose their ability to place the franchise tag on other players for five years. The franchise tag is a huge financial tool, and the front office would be foolish to throw it away.

Match this with Alexander's absolute comments from earlier this week, and we see a huge disconnect. Mo Maurice's chances of starting are looking better and better.

Match this with the uncertainty at the second receiver position and the new cast of characters at linebacker, and this season could easily go either way. It could be a disaster. It could also be their best year yet.

From a Fantasy perspective, I won't touch Alexander on draft day, and I'll keep an eye out for Mo in the later rounds.

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Mayor proposes stricter rules for strip clubs

Mayor Greg Nickels proposed new rules for strip clubs yesterday, including a virtual ban on lap dances, that could hurt existing clubs and keep new ones from opening in Seattle.

The mayor's proposal would bar strippers from getting within four feet of customers, in effect eliminating the closer contact that often occurs with lap dances and table dances. It also would require brighter lighting, prohibit customers from directly tipping dancers, and hold owners and managers responsible for violations by dancers.

Some of the proposed strict rules have been upheld by state and federal courts and should withstand legal challenges, said Regina LaBelle, the mayor's legal adviser. LaBelle said the mayor wants to keep new clubs from opening.

One club manager was disappointed with the proposal. "The morality police are out," said Keith Jackson, a manager at the Déjà Vu club downtown. "My take is that rules and regulations are already in place. Enforcement of those should be enough instead of adding new laws or rules."

The mayor's proposed restrictions are prompted, in part, by a federal lawsuit challenging the city's 1988 moratorium on new clubs.
Isn't it bad enough that we can't have alcohol in strip clubs? I used to support and respect Mayor Greg Nickels, but we are on opposite sides of the fence on this one. This proposal shows a fundamental policy of legislating personal behavior based on a bias toward 'morality.' This sort of legislation is what I expect from the Chrisitan Coalition, the Taliban or other Fundamentalist Groups. I don't expect this in the liberal oasis of Seattle Washington.

There is definitely an element of the mayor raining on my parade. I enjoy strip clubs. I enjoy going in to relax, getting the attention from the girls, and I enjoy having a beer while I do it. Already my beer is forbidden in the puritanical throwback state. Now, the mayor wants to abstract the experience further.

I don't care about the lap dances. I enjoy them, but I could go either way. The four foot rule is silly, not being allowed to tip the dancers directly is absurd, and the lighting requirements are completely stupid.

Frankly, I'd rather switch to the model found in Portland, Oregon: strippers are found in bars. Lap dances don't exist, but patrons can sit up close to the stage, usually by tipping the dancer a dollar per song. That way you can have your drink, and get up close and flirt with the dancer.

This is not about protecting the population from some threat, this is another case of the government legislating morality. Please contact Mayor Nickels and tell him what you think: http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/contact.htm

The Guy Game banned, goes straight to video

Short version: this crappy game that sold crap turned out to have a 17 year old girl in one of its 'Girls Gone Wild' esque shots. Game is banned, not sold and quickly becoming a collectors item.

It's still a crappy game! Don't get suckered into buying this thing!

Don't get me wrong, I love lowbrow entertainment. I love video games, I love seeing girls topless and all that fun stuff. I hate bad art, and just because it's lowbrow doesn't make it bad.

Something similar happened to the fighting game "Kakuto Chojin." It wasn't very good, it was pulled from shelves for its use of a Muslim prayer chant (might have been Hindu, my apologies for lack of detail) in its musical score; the game sold amazingly on the collectors market. And yet, it's still a crappy game.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Nigerian in trouble?!!

I received an interesting variation on the Nigerian Prince spam and fraud seeking email:

Dear blanchard,:
Date: Fri, 08 Jul 2005 13:23:52 +0100
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Barrister Greg Obi
16 Williams Street, SW,
Ikoyi, Lagos- Nigeria.
TEL: + 234 803 561 9649
TEL: + 234-1-720-4473
FAX: + 234 1 7590694

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

Dear Blanchard,

I am Barrister Greg obi an advocate and Solicitor. I am the PersonalAttorney to Mr. Fredrick Blanchard, a foreigner, who used to work withEuropeanDevelopment Company in Nigeria.On The 21st of April 2002, my client,his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident alongSagbama Express Road. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately losttheir lives.

Since then I have made several enquiries to his embassy to see if i canlocate any of my clients extended relatives, this has all the whileproved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, Idecidedto trace his relatives (i.e. same surname) over the Internet, to locateany member of his family but of no avail, hence I contacted you. I havecontacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by myclient before it is confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bankwhere this huge deposit were lodged.

Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an account valued atabout 7.3 million dollars has issued me a notice to provide the next ofkinto the deceased or have the account confiscated within the next tenofficial working days. Since i have been unsuccessful in locating therelatives for over 2 years now I seek your consent to present you asthenext of kin of the deceased since you are still a foreigner, so thattheproceeds of this account valued at $7.3 million USD can be paid to youand then you and me can share the money, 60% to me and 35% to you,while 5% should be for expenses or tax as your government may require.I have all necessary legal information that can be used to back up anyclaim we may make.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this dealthrough. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimatearrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Pleaseget intouch with me by my fax or call my cell no: + 234 803 561 9649 /tell:+234-1-720-4473 / fax: +234 1 7590694 to enable us discuss further.

Best regards,

Mr. Greg Obi ( Esq)

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Seahawks: Alexander won't sign $6.32M tender

One key point: clubs can't re-open negotiations until July 15th because of NFL rules.

Alexander's adamance against signing a one year deal is concerning both as a Hawks fan and as a potential fantasy owner.

It's also notable that he insists there are no hard feelings, that he wants to stay in Seattle, and that he expects there to be a deal before the season starts. I wonder what the front office thinks about that.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Dai Senryaku VII

The Game arrived today from half.com. I couldn't find it locally, so I had to order it online.

It's awfully intimidating. There aren't many games for the Xbox that require you to read the manual before actually playing one of the levels. The tutorial levels are also extensive, but not especially game-play-esque.

I think this is going to be fun.

I also bought Jade Empire today. Yes, yes, we all know it's brilliant. Designed by Bioware (the company who gave us Baldur's Gate II and Knights of the Old Republic), no license, only RPG/Action goodness. I'm still getting used to the fighting, but it's fun stuff so far.

AbsolutAnalysis: "Gameday Playsheets"

Four Days

On Saturday I played poker and came out ahead.

On Sunday I beat three others at a game of ZOMBIES!!!.

On Monday morning I won a race up a mountain.

On Monday afternoon I held a shareholders meeting and was elected President of the Board of Directors for a new Corporation.

On Monday evening I made it home safely.

It was a good long weekend.