www.flickr.com
|
Posted by Chris on February 20, 2010 at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The restaurant where I ate lunch had ESPN News looping when I went in today. The Tiger Woods statement was shown in its entirety at the top of the hour. It wasn't a pretty 13 minutes.
Is it just me or has someone scooped Tiger's brain out with a melon baller and inserted an android processor which just mouths words in a nearly human manner? i know the guy is known for his focus and lack of emotion on the golf course, but this was just unreal.
The presentation varied between the world's #1 golfer and uber philanderer staring at the papers in front of him and reading, or apparently freezing up in his speech and looking straight at the camera. Not pretty either way.
The best part was at the end when the robot known as Tiger walked over to his mom and his programmers had them embrace ion a long hug while the rest of the people in the front row stared at them, praying 'please god don't let him try to hug me.'
My brother and I had a spirited IM discussion about the Tigercast. He was amazed at the 'entitlement' the public felt toward Tiger and how much is being expected of him. Matt notes a belief that Tiger owes us nothing. I beg to disagree.
One of the reasons this guy has such problems is that he has no emotion beyond himself, not for golf, not for his wife, not for me, a fan of the game, or apparently for anything else. And he showed it again today.
While it's very true that infidelity is common in the world and probably more common among sports stars, that isn't really the issue. What I saw today was a guy trying to come before the public for its blessing and doing it with such hollowness that he was rendered unbelievable and even more pathetic.
He didn't have to do this. Tiger chose to be part of the public theater. If he was going to go out there and do this, he had a responsibility to do it well. If he couldn't do it well (which was apparently the case) someone should have told him to just stay silent and move on to the next phase of his therapy and ignore us. Because otherwise he ends up looking like a guy who felt like he had to go out and say that he was putting his wife and family first, but not because he necessarily felt that way.
I am not at all saying I won't be a fan of Tiger the golfer when he comes back, but I'll be a fan for the same reason I always have been- because he can do amazing things on a golf course, not becasue he is the accessible everyman on the golf course, a la Arnie Palmer. In the mean time, I want him to go away and get better and stop wandering though my life, blathering on about things it's clear he has no solid grip on yet.Posted by Chris on February 19, 2010 at 03:05 PM in Celebrity, Sports, Television, TV | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: apology, espn, sex addiction, statement, tiger woods
Posted by Chris on February 14, 2010 at 12:27 PM in Basketball, Looking Back, What's Going On | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on February 12, 2010 at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on February 11, 2010 at 05:48 PM in weather, What's Going On | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on February 11, 2010 at 08:07 AM in weather, What's Going On | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: blizzard, snopacalypse, snow, snowpalooza, weather
Posted by Chris on February 10, 2010 at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on February 07, 2010 at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on February 07, 2010 at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on February 06, 2010 at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on February 06, 2010 at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
We at Another Delco guy are up and about on this snowy Saturday, taking photos and assessing the snow event that is pounding the Philadelphia region today. John Bolaris is on Fox 29 saying that this snow storm will be one of the five largest ever, bigger than the December, 2009 storm and maybe even THE largest ever!
Fox 29 has a very cool new technology going allowing viewers to live steam video from their iPhones, showing conditions from all over the Delaware Valley. The app's video is a little choppy, but still very fun to watch. It's miles ahead of the guys at Channel 6 with their ancient graphics and stupid Action News ruler.
I have no idea how they are measuring snowfall totals, because the blowing and drifting has accumulations at my substantial, but not ostentatious estate varying from a mere 3 inches to over 20 inches. Regardless of how much we're going to get in the end, we will have some shoveling to do when it all winds down.Posted by Chris on February 06, 2010 at 08:33 AM in Burlington County, weather | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: blizzard, philadelphia, snowpalooza, weather
Posted by Chris on February 05, 2010 at 08:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on January 31, 2010 at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Apparently Facebook is the new place to announce your engagement
I've been thinking a lot about Facebook lately and social networking in general after I announced my engagement on the site in December. The flurry of congratulations from random people I have not seen in months or years was stunning. My childhood babysitter, a guy I coached baseball with for my son's team, some folks from college and high school. It all seemed a little bit odd. These are good people, all of them. And I love to see what is going on in their lives, but it did make me stop to think.
Why do people (myself included) who rarely buy birthday cards for people they see every day suddenly start posting birthday wishes for that cute girl from grade school who now lives in Montana, the wife of the guy who used to play in a band I like or the kid's teacher from 3 years ago? I get that it's convenient and way easier than a card and a stamp and writing and mailing and all, but really, why bother?
Three basic reasons, I think.
One is that Facebook helps us be the people we'd really like to be. You know the ones, the people who send cards for all the major holidays, keep up with what old friends are doing, know the ages of all their cousin's kids, make the best guacamole for parties and always seem to have great photos of the kids in the Christmas card. We can't every really be that person. He (more likely she) is a freak of nature akin to folks who can bench press cars and are 7 feet tall.
But yet, with a minimum of effort, Facebook lets us pretend to be that person, even in the most diluted way.
The second reason is that Facebook is all about helping us connect with who we used to be. It's a lot less about who we are today than who we used to be, or even who we wanted to be back then. It opens up a lot of windows into the past, where we see ourselves 15 pounds lighter with 80s hair and a goofy smile on our faces. Some of those windows are best left closed, like the ex who was kinda weird and stalkerish or the former boss who drunkenly hit on you once but never mentioned it again. Best to just click ignore on those folks.
We still seem to end up with an army of people we sorta remember from high school and people we didn't really hang out that much with in college to go with the people we don't talk to much at work, the assistant coach's wife and the contractor that did a lousy job on the door. Facebook is the way the geek from chem. Class gets to talk to the star quarterback or the hall monitor gets to chat it up with the hot cheerleader, albeit 20 years too late.
Bottom line is that it's a continuous class reunion, with all the fun chatter, awkward remembrances and naughty possibilities running 24/7 on your netbook in the living room while the kids do homework and your spouse is on the Wii Fit.
The final reason that we all say happy birthday to the jerk father of the jerk kid from the soccer team and join causes we could care less about is that Facebook easily fulfills our basic need to just belong to something, to connect with others and be somehow larger than the person in the existence we have today. It's a pretty basic human need. Facebook is the bridge club and afternoon corner tavern of this generation. None of us bowl anymore, but we all play Farmville and tell the world about our latest Bejeweled score.
And in the pale blue light of the LCD screen, that is what passes for connection and human bonding as we move into the second decade of this millennium.
Posted by Chris on January 24, 2010 at 01:20 PM in Internet, Looking Back, Me, Media | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
It's been a while since I actually sat down and pounded out a blog post at the keyboard. There have been a lot of reasons from there being no compelling sports on TV, to a new game I am playing that takes up too much of my time, to business with family and kids over the holidays, to just feeling like I needed to take a break to freshen up my thoughts and get ready for a new year.
I've got a few blogs in the can now and ready to go. I'll be musing on the new way to announce your engagement, finally getting around to the year that was 2009 and also catching folks up on the life I live here as Another Delco Guy In South Jersey.
Somewhere along the way I may share some new photos, drop in a restaurant review or two and get things moving here again.
Sorry for the month off, but I am back now!
Posted by Chris on January 24, 2010 at 11:15 AM in Catching Up | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on January 21, 2010 at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on January 14, 2010 at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: exhibits, female artists, philadelphia, shows, uarts
Posted by Chris on January 10, 2010 at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 31, 2009 at 08:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Shaking off the cobwebs from a great family party. Smelling the coffee brewing. Helping a friend with a year-end move. Heading back to Delco for more family time.
Gosh, working in higher ed has some benefits!
Posted by Chris on December 28, 2009 at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 25, 2009 at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 24, 2009 at 09:50 AM in Kids, Photography, Pictures | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 23, 2009 at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
While I would like to say that Philadelphia looks beautiful under a blanket of white, I must acknowledge to truth of the situation. Philadelphia looks paralyzed today, grey ribbons of icy slush hemmed in by truck-sized piles of snow, the growl of snow blowers and the curses of pedestrians everywhere in the air.
Posted by Chris on December 21, 2009 at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 20, 2009 at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Well I braved the 16 inches of snow we have here in Mount Laurel to get you this shot of our Christmas lights in the Blizzard of 2009.
The roads are barely plowed and our driveway and walk are unshoveled. What's the point when you are getting an inch of snow an hour?
Posted by Chris on December 19, 2009 at 08:53 PM in Home, weather | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 19, 2009 at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 19, 2009 at 08:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 17, 2009 at 10:04 AM in Kids | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 16, 2009 at 07:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 16, 2009 at 09:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 15, 2009 at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 15, 2009 at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 14, 2009 at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Today is Char's birthday and I just wanted to say how happy I am to have her in my life.
She's doing a great job as a new mom and helping to manage a new house.
Char is my sidekick out on the town, my friend when we are at home, my partner when we are doing all the tough things.
So happy birthday to the most important woman in my life. I love you sweetheart! Have a happy birthday!
Posted by Chris on December 11, 2009 at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 07, 2009 at 08:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 05, 2009 at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 05, 2009 at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 05, 2009 at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Headed to the Swarthmore Tree Lighting
Hats, glove,s boots, snow pants, long underwear, we got it all!
Posted by Chris on December 05, 2009 at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 04, 2009 at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 04, 2009 at 02:55 PM in Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 04, 2009 at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 03, 2009 at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 03, 2009 at 08:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 02, 2009 at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 01, 2009 at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 01, 2009 at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Posted by Chris on December 01, 2009 at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Recent Comments