Every year TIME Magazine picks their 'Person of the Year'. This person is meant to be someone that they believe most influenced events throughout the year. In past years there have been politicians, rock stars, and CEOs. But is this really the year for Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook.com?
Facebook is as big as they come, and no one can deny that. The site has over 500 million users worldwide, and has changed the way in which people interact with each other. Nonetheless, did Zuckerberg and Facebook do enough this year to make him 'Person of the Year' worthy?
I'd say no.
Sure, Facebook is great for keeping in touch with old friends, sharing thoughts and photos, even as a way to kill time. But what happened this year besides profile changes? Okay, so there was a movie called The Social Network. Yes, this gave people some more insight into the creation of Facebook, but worthy enough for this honor? No. Facebook changed the way people communicate and access information a few years ago. Zuckerberg should have been given this honor then, instead of now.
In times such as these when the economy is still suffering, the jobless numbers have been the worst in years, wouldn't something with a little inspirational be uplifting? The Chilean Miners would have been an excellent choice given this direction.
That being said, TIME could have gone a different route. How about Tony Hayward, the ex-CEO of BP. The gulf incident destroyed most wildlife in the area and nearly ruined the lives of a majority of the residence in the nearby states.
Even Steve Jobs and the iPad would have been more revolutionary then what Facebook has brought this year. The iPad has already had a huge influence on society, and easily could be changing the way people use computers in the future.
Did Zuckerberg deserve this award at some point? The success of Facebook answers this for us. Whether this was the year for it, not so sure. Maybe the folks at TIME were keeping him in their back pocket for a year when they didn't like the other choices...
PS - Has anyone seen the picture on the cover of TIME? Um, yea not so sure about that either.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Mona Lisa's Secret?
For 500 years the most famous painting in the world has also brought with it many questions. Leonardo da Vinci created the Mona Lisa, and the mystery of it followed. Who was the painting of? Where was da Vinci when he painted it? These are just a few of the questions that people have asked for years.
With the advances in technology, scientists and art historians have done much work to solve this mystery. Earlier in 2010, scientists used x-ray technology to "peel" away at the various layers of the painting. This allowed them to see how the painting was constructed in a way that was never capable prior. Nonetheless, the search for answers continues.
Recently scientists used magnifying powers to make a new discovery. Apparently they found never before seen letters and numbers in the painting. An 'L' and a 'V' were found together, as well as 'C' and 'E' and the numbers '7', '2'. The first two letters would make sense given the name of the artist. The rest just add to the mystery.
That being said, this sounds like one of those cases where a picture of Jesus is found on a piece of toast. Am I supposed to believe that 500 years after creation, it takes scientist using a magnifying tool to spot something that looks like letters? If it's too small to see with the naked eye, how do you suppose Leonardo da Vinci was able to write something so small that he could not see for himself? (For the sake of the argument, I won't get into the history of the magnifying glass)
Think back for a moment. Have you ever looked for something so hard that you started believing you actually found it? Maybe these scientists were trying too hard to find an answer? Isn't it more reasonable that there are coincidental brush strokes? Those who made the discovery aren't even sure if the 'E' they found is just that, or rather a 'B'.
To me this sounds like a fantastic publicity stunt to get people talking about the Mona Lisa and Leonardo da Vinci. It certainly is possible that da Vinci left these hidden marks - but until I see a close up of the painting myself, I'm going to doubt the apparent findings.
Favre Streaking No More!
Brett Favre who holds the NFL record for consecutive starts at 297, will have to start over (Hey, the way he retires it could happen!)
The streak of 297 games dates back to 1992. In his 20 regular seasons, he has passed for over 70,000 yards (almost 40 miles), thrown over 500 touchdowns, with over 300 interceptions.
I'm glad to finally see this streak end. You have to respect a man that can play non-stop on the professional level without ever having to miss a game (See Cal Ripken Jr.). Nonetheless, my respect for Favre was lost a few seasons back with his decisions to retire and come back more then I can remember. The man is just plain old. All week there was talk about whether he could play or would he start for a couple running plays and then get taken out - only to keep the streak alive. I kept hoping he was too hurt, and wouldn't be able to do it. Maybe now this grandpa will realize he can't play forever.
Instead of going out nearly on top last season, in what was his best season ever statistically, he had to come back for what has turned out to be a disaster.
Do we call that passion? desire for perfection? Or do we call that Favre being Favre?
I'm glad he didn't play tonight because that would have been the cheap way to keep the streak going. I wouldn't be surprised though if he kept begging the coaches to let him play. Maybe? If so, then finally someone on that team stepped up and showed him that the team is more important than any one individual - especially one named Brett Favre.
Let me be the first to wish Brett Favre a happy retirement. You will be a Hall of Famer, and rightly so. You're level of passion for the game of football is second to none. Now let the young men play, and go clean your dentures!
The streak of 297 games dates back to 1992. In his 20 regular seasons, he has passed for over 70,000 yards (almost 40 miles), thrown over 500 touchdowns, with over 300 interceptions.
I'm glad to finally see this streak end. You have to respect a man that can play non-stop on the professional level without ever having to miss a game (See Cal Ripken Jr.). Nonetheless, my respect for Favre was lost a few seasons back with his decisions to retire and come back more then I can remember. The man is just plain old. All week there was talk about whether he could play or would he start for a couple running plays and then get taken out - only to keep the streak alive. I kept hoping he was too hurt, and wouldn't be able to do it. Maybe now this grandpa will realize he can't play forever.
Instead of going out nearly on top last season, in what was his best season ever statistically, he had to come back for what has turned out to be a disaster.
Do we call that passion? desire for perfection? Or do we call that Favre being Favre?
I'm glad he didn't play tonight because that would have been the cheap way to keep the streak going. I wouldn't be surprised though if he kept begging the coaches to let him play. Maybe? If so, then finally someone on that team stepped up and showed him that the team is more important than any one individual - especially one named Brett Favre.
Let me be the first to wish Brett Favre a happy retirement. You will be a Hall of Famer, and rightly so. You're level of passion for the game of football is second to none. Now let the young men play, and go clean your dentures!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Must See Sports Videos
I've seen a handful of sports-related videos recently that I had to share. I'm sure you've seen some of these videos, but take another look!
Enjoy!
Fresh from this weekend, check out the video of the Metrodome collapsing under the weight of the snow:
Talk about creativity! I love this because there is nothing the goalie or defenders could have done. Pay attention about 15 seconds in:
So this has got to be one of the greatest trick plays. The quarterback is handed the ball and literally walks the ball through the defensive line while counting out yards. The defense here is so confused, and even his own teammates play stupid to sell the trick. This one was all over the news and internet a few weeks back, but deserved a spot here:
I'll leave it at 3 for now, I'm having difficulty finding another I was looking for.
Share your thoughts and/or other sports-related videos!
Enjoy!
Fresh from this weekend, check out the video of the Metrodome collapsing under the weight of the snow:
Talk about creativity! I love this because there is nothing the goalie or defenders could have done. Pay attention about 15 seconds in:
So this has got to be one of the greatest trick plays. The quarterback is handed the ball and literally walks the ball through the defensive line while counting out yards. The defense here is so confused, and even his own teammates play stupid to sell the trick. This one was all over the news and internet a few weeks back, but deserved a spot here:
I'll leave it at 3 for now, I'm having difficulty finding another I was looking for.
Share your thoughts and/or other sports-related videos!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sports City, USA
To all my loyal followers, my apologies for not posting sooner since my last. Creating a blog is easy, but maintaining it is quite another story. Maybe I haven't had many random thoughts the last few weeks, maybe I've had way too many. Either way I have no good excuse other than I didn't try hard enough. That being said, I join you this evening prior to consuming my evening meal.
I began typing this banter with the idea of discussing the latest acquisitions of my beloved Boston Red Sox. Instead I'm going to take a few minutes and clap my hands for all Boston/New England teams playing at the moment. When they say Boston is the greatest sports city in the country/world - we are currently experiencing why.
The Red Sox just made a trade for one of the best hitters currently in the game, as well as being a Gold Glove caliber 1st baseman. Adrian Gonzalez will be a power in our line up and will force the ownership to redo the face of the Monster with all the times he'll be hitting it. This is a guy the Sox have had their eyes on for quite some time and it is great to see the effort they made to get him. But my friends, this was not all. You should all now know that the Sox signed free agent Carl Crawford last night to one of the biggest deals in Red Sox history. Crawford may have been the best available position player and Theo and crew were not willing to let him slip away. Another great pick up, he adds his defensive skill to an already high-quality outfield. He has the ability to hit for average and some power, while being a menace on the bases with his outstanding speed. Just imagine the headaches pitchers will get trying to keep track of Ellsbury and Crawford on the bases.
All in all, great offseason so far for the Red Sox. If we can pick up a few arms for the bullpen, and have current players come back healthy and strong - the Red Sox will be a scary scary team, and jump to the top of the contender list once again.
Next we'll touch on the Patriots. Oh, P-A-T-S, PATS PATS PATS. Ask the Jet's fans what they think of the New England Patriots. The Patriots destroyed the Rex, Sanchez and the rest of the Jets on all sides of the ball. Now at 10-2 they have sole possession of first place in not just the AFC East, but all of the AFC. The offense is just as good as we thought it was - if not better as the weeks go by since they let go of one Randy Moss. Brady is pounding defenses and distributing the ball to all receivers that it is nearly impossible to just cover one. With his perfect rating against the far from frightful Detroit Lions, and an amazing performance against the Jets, Brady took home the honor of AFC Offensive Player of the Week - for the second straight week. If this doesn't catapult him to the top of the list for league MVP, I don't know what will.
The biggest weakness of the Patriots this year has been their defense. Statistically one of the worst in Patriot's history, this young group of guys are finally beginning to show progress as they some how manage to defeat decent teams at the right time. Whether it be Pittsburgh, Indy or the Jets - the defense has begun to show up and grow up a lot quicker then anyone could have expected.
Going from a group of rookies to a group, that out of respect we'll just call veterans, brings us to the Celtics. One may say the Patriots have their foot on gas and not letting up - the Celtics are on a steady cruise control that they look to take all the way to the post-season. With a starting line-up of Paul Pierce, KG, Ray Allen, Shaq and Rondo - this team needs to conserve as much energy as they can to prepare for a deep run in the spring. May sound tough, but when they open up a 20+ point lead Doc Rivers does what makes him a good coach and manages the clock and his bench. Fortunately, he has guys such as Nate Robinson, Glen "Big Baby" Davis who can step up and put in some good minutes. This team is exactly that, a team. They are about collaboratively winning, and couldn't care less about who scores more points. I think this is especially evident in the fact that Rondo, their starting point guard, is averaging 14 assists per game. They pass and distribute, and to take a jab at the Miami Heat, the Celtics are the perfect model that the Heat should be following. As the commercials say: "It's all about 18".
Finally to the Bruins. The B's are certainly a contender this year, and have been keeping that status due to their defense. One of the best Goals Against average in the league, it is the performance on their goalkeeper, particularly the veteran Tim Thomas that has been quite the shot blocker between the pipes. With a few games in hand, the Bruins are still in good position amongst their competition, and if the entire team can stay healthy, or get healthy I should say, they will continue to be an easy team to beat going forward.
I began typing this banter with the idea of discussing the latest acquisitions of my beloved Boston Red Sox. Instead I'm going to take a few minutes and clap my hands for all Boston/New England teams playing at the moment. When they say Boston is the greatest sports city in the country/world - we are currently experiencing why.
The Red Sox just made a trade for one of the best hitters currently in the game, as well as being a Gold Glove caliber 1st baseman. Adrian Gonzalez will be a power in our line up and will force the ownership to redo the face of the Monster with all the times he'll be hitting it. This is a guy the Sox have had their eyes on for quite some time and it is great to see the effort they made to get him. But my friends, this was not all. You should all now know that the Sox signed free agent Carl Crawford last night to one of the biggest deals in Red Sox history. Crawford may have been the best available position player and Theo and crew were not willing to let him slip away. Another great pick up, he adds his defensive skill to an already high-quality outfield. He has the ability to hit for average and some power, while being a menace on the bases with his outstanding speed. Just imagine the headaches pitchers will get trying to keep track of Ellsbury and Crawford on the bases.
All in all, great offseason so far for the Red Sox. If we can pick up a few arms for the bullpen, and have current players come back healthy and strong - the Red Sox will be a scary scary team, and jump to the top of the contender list once again.
Next we'll touch on the Patriots. Oh, P-A-T-S, PATS PATS PATS. Ask the Jet's fans what they think of the New England Patriots. The Patriots destroyed the Rex, Sanchez and the rest of the Jets on all sides of the ball. Now at 10-2 they have sole possession of first place in not just the AFC East, but all of the AFC. The offense is just as good as we thought it was - if not better as the weeks go by since they let go of one Randy Moss. Brady is pounding defenses and distributing the ball to all receivers that it is nearly impossible to just cover one. With his perfect rating against the far from frightful Detroit Lions, and an amazing performance against the Jets, Brady took home the honor of AFC Offensive Player of the Week - for the second straight week. If this doesn't catapult him to the top of the list for league MVP, I don't know what will.
The biggest weakness of the Patriots this year has been their defense. Statistically one of the worst in Patriot's history, this young group of guys are finally beginning to show progress as they some how manage to defeat decent teams at the right time. Whether it be Pittsburgh, Indy or the Jets - the defense has begun to show up and grow up a lot quicker then anyone could have expected.
Going from a group of rookies to a group, that out of respect we'll just call veterans, brings us to the Celtics. One may say the Patriots have their foot on gas and not letting up - the Celtics are on a steady cruise control that they look to take all the way to the post-season. With a starting line-up of Paul Pierce, KG, Ray Allen, Shaq and Rondo - this team needs to conserve as much energy as they can to prepare for a deep run in the spring. May sound tough, but when they open up a 20+ point lead Doc Rivers does what makes him a good coach and manages the clock and his bench. Fortunately, he has guys such as Nate Robinson, Glen "Big Baby" Davis who can step up and put in some good minutes. This team is exactly that, a team. They are about collaboratively winning, and couldn't care less about who scores more points. I think this is especially evident in the fact that Rondo, their starting point guard, is averaging 14 assists per game. They pass and distribute, and to take a jab at the Miami Heat, the Celtics are the perfect model that the Heat should be following. As the commercials say: "It's all about 18".
Finally to the Bruins. The B's are certainly a contender this year, and have been keeping that status due to their defense. One of the best Goals Against average in the league, it is the performance on their goalkeeper, particularly the veteran Tim Thomas that has been quite the shot blocker between the pipes. With a few games in hand, the Bruins are still in good position amongst their competition, and if the entire team can stay healthy, or get healthy I should say, they will continue to be an easy team to beat going forward.
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