RIP Mosi Tatupu
Unless you are a older Pats fan, you don’t know what Mosi Tatupu meant to those teams of the 80′s.  Mosi was Kevin Faulk, only bigger.  You needed a TD on a goal line stand, and 3rd down catch, a big block, extra protection, you put Mosi in.  Like Faulk, he was not appreaciated by the NFL pundits until later in his career, cause he did not put up huge numbers.

Shame for someone to die at 54.  RIP Mosi Tatupu.

Your Olympics Update
So the Canadian Hockey team spanked Germany only to have to tonight face Russia.  We also got the US team facing Switzerland, who also played yesterday, and unfortunately that is on at 3PM EST.   Gonna see if I can watch it on the internet.

Also, what a beautiful performance by figure skater Joannie Rochette.  Rochette mother died unexpectedly in Vancouver earlier this week, much like what to Dan Jansen when his sister died a number of years ago.  Not only did she do her program flawlessly, she earned her best score ever in the short program.  It brought a tear to my eye late last night, and Scott Hamilton could barely talk without balling at the end of the program.

And maybe I am crazy, but  I still to this day want to try bobsledding.

Way to go US, basically dominating the Swiss (which I watched at work, thanks to the internet), with two called back goals.  Canada is also rampaging on Russia right now.  Talk about a scoring fest it is 7 – 3 in period 2.

Some interesting debates/thoughts
So, between Lucas TdS bringing up what is a “sport” and the Reverend Angalyph’s tirade on the music industry and the financial viablity of the internet, it has give too great subject for today.  So we begin with:

What is a Sport?
Sport is commonly defined as as an organized, competitive, and skillful physical activity requiring commitment and fair play. It is governed by a set of rules or customs. In a sport the key factors are the physical capabilities and skills of the competitor when determining the outcome (winning or losing). The physical activity involves the movement of people, animals and/or a variety of objects such as balls and machines.

The comment from last night was that Ice Dancing was not a sport, but by the definition of the word it is.  It just not ice dancing, this has been argued about gynastics, figure skating, cheerleading and similar types of sports are all not considered sports some times.  Why?  Those sport are not primarily male persuits for one, and I think that still has some play in this.  The other issue, is unlike most sports, those sports winners are determined by some element of opinion and/or judging.  The same  could be argued with “extreme” sports are judged sports but most consider them sports.  Even Ski Jumping has a judged element to it.  I would argue that any of the above meet the definition of sport, even ice dancing.  You or I could not do what a competition level ice dancer could do (or a curler for that matter), just as I could not run like Usain Bolt.  With some training, who knows, but these are very physical (ice dancing, gynastics, all of it) activities where your physical skills determine whether you win or not.

There are also arguments about NASCAR being a sport, being that the racers are just driving cars.  But I challenge anyone to go to a track, get a car up too 200MPH, and drive around the track in one direction for 3 – 4 hours, never mind add 40 other cars doing the same thing inches away from you.  But just as I probably could not hit a 98MPH fastball without some practice and luck, I probably could not do NASCAR (or even something like Figure Skating) with out some serious injury or even death.

One this I do agree with is the concept of Hunting not being a sport.  Hunting is a not a competition (well and very one side competition).  I don’t know some of you may have other thoughts, and I would love to hear them.

Do you come from a land Down Under?
So Reverend Anaglyph has a very interesting rant yesterday at his blog.  It is a very interesting read, but very long.   If you want to read it, it is here.  You might want to read it as Agalyph is a much better writer than I am.

The whole premise of the rant is how the internet has specifically changed the music industry and the way one does business.  It began with the recent court ruling  in Australia, with Larrikin Music who owns the popular Australian child’s ditty, Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree.  Any child growing up in Australia knows this song like someone here in America would know a nursery ryhme.  We here in the states are also pretty familiar with the song and it is in most children’s music.  Song was made in the 1930′s by Marion Sinclair, and when she died in 1988, the publishing rights for the song transferred to Larriken music.  The song is still copyrighted according to Australian copyright law (as a little aside, we will soon be having some major court battles involving the copyright status of many of the characters introduced to us in the 20′s, 30′s, and 40′s.  It has already started with Superman, Mickey Mouse ain’t far behind).

So, Larrikin Music in 2009, decided to sue Sony BMG and EMI for infringement of copyright for the song Down Under from  Men at Work; I think everyone in the world is familiar with the song if not click the link.  The issue with the song is the flute riff at the begining, which I have been whistling all day.  Larikin claimed it a direct reproduction of a piece of the Kookaburra song.  Something I never noticed, and even now I can only kind of see it.  I have read that Colin Hay has stated the flute riff is a tribute to the song, being very much Australian.  The Australian courts sided with Larrikin and now back royalties from this extremely popular are due, back from 1982.

30 years.  All this time, no one has had issue with the song, not even Sinclair who I a sure heard the song.  All for a small little riff.  This in part goes back to the issue of sampling, and interpretation of copyright law.

This in turn got onto a rant how the music industry needs to find new ways to make money, so people buy rights to songs, and sue people.  With the advent of the internet, and someone like me being able to post this song without permission, so any could theorectically take it goes right up the record companies ass.  But everyone does it, and the Music industry is trying to catch up by suing people who download music illegally, sue for sampling, and not eve based on content on the use of the sample.  On top of that people are getting discovered by the internet, and many bands have even gone internet only.

Same thing is happening to the newspaper industry, they don’t know how to make money off all this free internet.  I will use my local newspaper for example.  The Standard Times is the local paper, covers the Greater New Bedford Area.  They have had a free website for a number of years.  So the past couple of months, they have been limiting what you can view on the website unless you have a newspaper subscription or you pay $4.00 a week to view what you want.  Of course it hasn’t been working cause there are plenty of other website that are free, that I can get the same news from.

There was also something from a web architect about Web 2.0 failing cause no one made any money off it.  Dude, there are is way too much free stuff on the net.  Example:  Facebook.  If tomorrow, Facebook started charging a monthly fee, what would happen?  Everyone would leave for the next big free knock off.

It was just a very interesting conversation, head over and join it.

So .  .  .

That made you throw up in your mouth a little, admit it.

This makes me giggle
That the President of Toyota’s name is Toyoda, yeah I know, I am sad.

Malach’s Video of the Day

I am Malach and that was nothing like that Kookabura song

You are listening too . .
Age of Spitting one more from Discount, you can see the Fugazi in this one.

More Olympic Updates
Hey Lucas, you guys won the Gold in Ice Dancing!  And we were just discussing that yesterday!  I also did not realize you guys had this Own the Podium program going.  It also looks like the Canadian Hockey team took my advice and benched Broduer. Things are looking up!  I am cheering for the Canadian Curling teams now too!  They got some ADD guys like Shuster on their team? And you got Canada playing Germany right now, which thank God is on CSNBC which is HD.

And this keeps getting funnier and funnier, too bad it figure skating and this aint 1985 (WOLVERINES!).

Hey Dick Cheney
Satan keeps calling . .

I bet this doesn’t happen and Canada
Mother of the Year right here

Malach’s Video of the Day

I am Malach, and it is all wack!

USA vs. Canada Hockey
Wow, what a game.   It puts my faith back in Hockey, I was at one time a BIG Hockey fan.  Of course Gary Bettma’sn comment after the game is rediculous . . . “this is what my sport is all about”.  Seriously Gary?  This is what your sport would be if you contracted the league to 15 – 20 teams, and changed a few of the rules, mainly the goaltending trapazoid.  Personally very surprised the US won.  If you don’t watch hockey consistently, you probably couldn’t name anyone on that US team that was not on one 0f you local teams.  It was very interesting game but first, I want to give the floor to my Canadian Buddy Lucas TdS.  I needled him a little on Facebook about his opinion.  Lucas is Canadian, and big hockey fan.  He is also from Vancover.  I will also have a nice present for him for my with ending video.  So here is Lucas:

My opinion on the Canada/US hockey game:

Canadians have this fantastic tradition that Americans might not be aware of. Besides beavers, moose and maple syrup (none of which I have ever seen in real life, by the way), Canadians are also united by one amazing skill: CHOKING.

In big sporting events, Canadian teams will inevitably choke. The bigger the games, the more choking will occur.

I first noticed the trend in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Perdita Felicien, a medal favourite, stepped off the line and, instead of jumping over the first hurdle, she stepped on it. She fell onto the ground taking out Russian athlete Irina Shevchenko.

Canadians everywhere were disappointed.

At these Olympics, on home turf, our downhill alpine ski team all got hurt before the games started. Except for Eric Guay, who got FIFTH in two events.

Chris Del Bosco, actually an American who was kicked off the US team for alcoholism and now competing for Canada due to double-citizenship, finally became a true Canadian this weekend. After making it through to the finals, the medal favourite fell over the final hill and finished in fourth. To think he was worried about not knowing the national anthem when he got his gold medal. He is now truly Canadian. He’s finished in FOURTH.

The other day, our female skeleton competitor was in second until her final run. She finished fifth.

Two brothers, Francois and Charles Hamelin, both made it to the finals in men’s short track speed skating. I watched the event thinking “Wow, with two Canadians out of five in the finals, we’re DEFINITELY GETTING AT LEAST ONE MEDAL OUT OF THIS.” After leading the entire race, the two brothers were passed by Apollo Anton Ono and two Koreans to finish in… guess what? FOURTH AND FIFTH.

Choking.

So I’m not too surprised Canada lost to the US in hockey. If it were in some other country, I would expect Canada to win. But on home turf, Canada always chokes. There’s a reason the Canada scored the winning goal in the 1972 Summit Series against Russia… because the second half of the series took place in Russia.

The Canadians were terrible in the games played in Canada.

Only Americans are able to pull of a Miracle on Ice at home. Americans, for some reason, don’t choke.

A small clarification: I’ve seen Maple Syrup in real life. Just not the trees it comes from.

ALSO: May I ask why NBC didn’t show the hockey game live? Canadians have SEVEN TV stations currently showing the game live, plus live internet streaming of every event (ctvolympics.ca). Americans get stuck with pre-recorded crap on TV… and they choose the most terrible events too.

ICE DANCING? REALLY?

YOUR COUNTRY IS PLAYING CANADA IN THE PREMIER EVENT OF THE GAMES AND YOU ARE SHOWING ICE DANCING???!

First a clarification, here in the states NBC showed the Hockey Game live on MSNBC.  In fact, many of the better sports have been on MSNBC, USA, and CNBC; like curling.  Funny though, NBC did show the Russia/Czechoslovakia game live earlier in the day, and then switched hockey to the NON HD CHANNEL over at MSNBC, so I switch channels to see a really good hockey game, and it did not dissappoint.  I am not sure why it was Ice Dancing, which isn’t even as popular as figure skating in the country that was on instead.

As for Del Bosco, he did say after the race that he didn’t want the Bronze he wanted more and of course pushed it and crashed, typical American Attitude.  Lucas you might of come up with a new Come to Canada slogan . .  even you can lose a medal on our Olympics team. I kid! I kid!

But I agree with the choke on the Canadian team.  Beside putting circa 1990 Wayne Gretsky on this team, this might be the greatest Hockey Team ever assembled.  But trust me, I understand choking, I am life long Red Sox fan (we were cursed you know), and I still suffer Post Traumatic Stress from that 18 – 1 Patriots season.  And of course we as Americans have the “Dream Team” from the Summer Olympics basketball a few years ago.

The main issue I saw with Canada?  Goaltending.  Brodeur basically went Brett Favre on you guys, at least two of those goals were brain farts by him, and Miller, wow, he pulled out the game of his life because honestly Canada DOMINATED much of that game.  Is Brodeur done? It is interesting that Brian Burke, built the US team around pieces to work together focusing on young big guys with speed who like to throw a check.  Canada is seems, did what the Dream Team of a few year back did.  Get big names, and throw them together.  Good example?  Patrice Bergeron only played 6 minutes?   Not that he would of won the game, but this is one of the Bruins best players.

Brutal game hitting wise too, and if not for the game misconduct we might of seen some gloves drop.

Maybe this is what the Canadian juggernaut needed, shots at the end vs. Switzerland, and a loss to a young US team to wake them up?  Are there too many big names on the Canadian Team?  And you can also see why the Bruins traded away Joe Thorton for almost nothing a couple years back.  What the heck was he doing late in the game?

Do I see this US team winning it all?  Well they just made the road to the Gold Medal game much easier, they won’t have to play Russia or Canada unless it is the Gold Medal Game.  I figure you had Canada, and Russia, as the two powerhouses, with the US, the Czechs , and Sweeden as the next tier.   We will see how the US fairs . . .

And that was one of the craziest last 2 minutes of a game I ever saw, and the craziest open net shot ever.  I also got to defend my Canadian buddy, Malach has a ton of French Canadian ethnicity in him, damn my last name is French.  We American don’t hate Canada, I love Canada myself, and since we no longer have Cold War enemies like the USSR and those East German Women, we take it out on our neighbors.  Yes, we tease our Canadian friends, eh?  But we love you guys!

Malach’s Video of the Day
This one goes out to Lucas, and the love of his life, Eva Lund.

I am Malach, friend to Canada!

No stopping us now!
US men’s curling team won their second in a row today!  AWESOME!

Ut-oh
What a feeling, Toyota!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
They would never done this to Putin. Mainly cause I don’t think Putin is every Merry.

Malach’s Video of the Day

I am Malach and I don’t remember that part of the movie

You are listening too . . .
A song by a wonderful little band that is no more.  The song is Hit from Discount.  They are kind of a interesting cross of Fugazi, a few Rrriot Grrrl bands, Liz Phair, Throwing Muses, and a few other sounds.  They broke up in 2000.  Too bad.

The Mural
So I went by the client house today take some good pics for my portfolio.  This once came out really good, very clear, and close to true color.

Baby Mural

I like this too, cause it has a bit of the door which gives the 8′ by 12′ dimensions.

Man that Tiger is a robot
So he had his little tete au tete with the media today.  And of course he apologized.  I mean he needed to there was tons of money on the line.

In one way I feel bad for Tiger.  I mean he is a guy, and all guys are dogs  . . toss a few $100million dollars on top of that and you got women, women who would not give you the time of day, throwing themselves at you.

Of course, there is self control and discipline, which from what I understand, Tiger didn’t have even before he was married.

Thank you women curlers  . .
So the US women’s team broke the ice today, and won, and then the men’s team won . . . onward and upward!

HOLLYWOOD!
YOU NEED TO STOP FILMING ME WITHOUT PERMISSION!

Malach’s Sheik Yerbouti Friday Video of the Day

I am Malach and yes, that pickle got more fans than Nickelback on Facebook . . . Awesome

The Mural
Finished up this morning, and a little treat for youse guys, I will post three pics for you, starting from day 1 to day 3.

As you can see there is some slight differences between Day 2 and 3, some detail work, color matching, a little lightening, and edging.  Decided on no outline either.

Not bad, I am going over to UMASS-Dartmouth on Monday to meet with WUMD’s station manager about their mural they need assistance on.

The Vomit Hall
The Baking Soda took a large portion of the lingering smell away, but not completely.  Next is the suggestion from Buzzardbilly, which I trying tomorrow.

Nate Robinson to the C’s
Kind of mixed about this.  Robinson is a better Point Guard than House, and the Celtics need on to come off the bench so Rondo doesn’t have to play every minute of every game.  Robinson is a better scorer too.  But House can hit big three pointer when needed and is a classy guy (which Robinson ain’t nessecarily.  We will see how it works out.   Especially with the C’s taking on the Lakers later tonight.

Curling Rocks!
Even though the US men keep blowing matches, I love it.  The US women are kicking ass so far though.

Malach’s Video of the Day

I am Malach and Orgy of the Dead is the greatest movie ever made.

I really like how is shows how small Pluto really is and how huge some of the biggest stars are and how even our entire solar system out the Ort Cloud is really tiny in comparison.

You are listening too . .
A wonderful little song called Pretty Pathetic from The Smoking Popes, you anti-Valentines Day.

The Mural
So I started the mural today, sketching and blocking the colors in, and here is what we have so far.

Mural In Progress

I hope to get in 99% done tomorrow, color, texture, and details left.  Funny thing is the client posted it on Facebook, and one of my old college friends contacted me. She works for the company that puts out the pattern this is based on and one of her best friends made it.  She is going to post it for her when it is done.

More Olympics
So also today, had to print out a copy of the rules for Curling cause me and my son were getting into it.  It is like a game of Sorry Sliders.

One of the other things I LOVE about the Olympics?  Seeing all these analysts you only get to hear and see once every four years.  Who here wants to see Scott Hamilton or Dick Buttons annouce NFL games, or is it just me?

Malach’s Video of the Day

I am Malach and I don’t want to set the world on fire

The Winter Olympics
Me and the kids have been enjoying them immensely.  It is still weird to me though, growing up in the 80′s not have the Eastern Bloc and the Soviets to root against, even China isn’t really that bad to root for their athletes.  Just goes to show, I miss the Cold War.

What I love about especially the Winter Olympics, is seeing all those sport we never see the US, and how much I can get into cross country skiing like I was from Norway.

First day of Vacation
Well, today in the US it is actually Presidents Day, so most of the US had the day off, I have the rest of the week off, but, I got a lot web work to do, a mural to paint, and I started today reorganizing the house.

Also got to thank A&E for the marathon of Hoarders and Intervention that was on all day.  It was like I was never on vacation and at work!

Hey Murky!
Here’s one we gotta see!

Malach’s Video of the Day

I am Malach and I love Ween!

The Olympics
Not sure if you saw the video of the Luger that was killed today, quite a nasty wipe out about 90 mph, vaulted him off the track and into a metal support pole.  NBC showed a video of it tonight and there is one on the link you can click on to see.  It is not bloody, but you can see what happened.

It is a shame, only the second death in Winter Olympics competition, the Winter sports are much more dangerous than the summer ones.

Malach’s Sheik Yerbouti Friday Video of the Day

I am Malach and it is nice to see Black Francis looking less fat

You are listening too . . .
So, Malach is of couse doing who should be put in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is currently up to Public Enemy.  Got and email the other day saying that I skipped over Yo! Bum Rush the Show, PE’s first album.  So, ever to please, Malach has gone back and put up Miuzi Weighs a Ton off that album. Yo! is a very interesting album, it is at once, PE, but no PE.  It is interesting see Chuck and the Bomb Squad struggle with trying to make political album, while still trying to please a record company with more good time early 80′s Rap Music.

Again, PE was not the first to put a political message into a rap song, they were the first to make a real political statement with the music too.  You can hear with this song, a couple years before their huge breakout album, that wall of sound they are trying to create.

T-Shirt Friday
So Malach has decided to join in the fun of Nursemyra, and her blog crew (which I still need to check them all out) in their Friday ritual of posting the t-shrit you are wearing on Friday.  So Malach did just that:

This of course is Huey Freeman, fellow PE listener from The Boondocks.

Yikes
Rio is nice, but doesn’t it have one of the highest violent crime rates in the world?  We were safer in China!

Ted Williams’ Head
Wait until you read this book.  Cryogenics is a psuedo science at best, but there are some freaks who work at these places.

HDTV
So Malach has his first experience with HD, and let me say one thing.  MAN PEOPLE ARE UGLY!  You ever watch History Channel HD, and see this nutty professors and all their splotches and blemishes!  Yeah the show up brilliantly in HD.  The kicker was my wife, we were watching the NESN PreGame Show.  My wife immediate comment:  “Wow, I did not realize Tom Caron was so bald.”  That what happens when you can see every hair on someones head.

Malach’s Sheik Yerbouti Friday Video of the Day

I am Malach, and GET DOWN WITH YOUR BAD SELF CARL SAGAN!

You are listening too . .
Perhaps the smoothest dead black crooner, Barry White, with one of his signature songs, Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe.  Man, that voice, I think he could even get Dr. Murk in bed.

The Olympics
Of course they are over, and congrats especially to Men’s Volleyball with what happened with their coach the first couple of days at the Olympics.  Of course, Redeem Team won the Gold, which they should have, even with out Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.  And got to give it up to Men’s Water Polo, who didn’t even belong in the Gold Medal game, taking on Water Pole powerhouse Hungary, and almost pulled it out.  By the way, if you aren’t familiar with how brutal a sport water polo is, check this out.  Next stop London!

Dubya
Your enviromental president.

I knew it!
Chris Kattan is gay!

Yeah . .
I don’t see Ratzy being to excited about this.

Malach’s Video of the Day

I am Malach . . . SHAZAM!