Americans Support Military Action Against Iran

Or at least 52% do according to a new poll. Man a lot of people in this country are fucking paranoid idiots aren't they?? A good quote from JFK to show how far we've fallen: "I look forward to a great future for America, a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose. . . . And I look forward to an America which commands respect throughout the world not only for its strength but for its civilization as well." That whole balance between military strength and moral restraint doesn't really seem to exist anymore.

Why I'd Vote for John Edwards

Here's the end of one of the best speeches I've ever read by a contemporary US politician: I stand here today the son of Wallace and Bobbie Edwards. The father of Wade, Cate, Emma Claire and Jack -- and I know, as well as you, that we must not be the first generation that fails to live up to our moral challenge and keep the promise of America. That would be an abomination. There is a dream that is America. It is what makes us American. And I will not stand by while that dream is at risk. I am not perfect -- far from it -- but I do understand that this is not a political issue -- it is the moral test of our generation. Our nation's founders knew that this moment would come -- that at some point the power of greed and its influence over officials in our government might strain and threaten the very America they hoped would last as an ideal in the minds of all people, and as a beacon of hope for all time. That is why they made the people sovereign. And this is why it is your responsibility to redeem the promise of America for our children and their future. It will not be easy -- sacrifice will be required of us -- but it was never easy for our ancestors, and their sacrifices were far greater than any that will fall on our shoulders. Yet, the responsibility is ours. We, you and I, are the guardians of what America is and what it will be. The choice is ours. Down one path, we trade corporate Democrats for corporate Republicans; our cronies for their cronies; one political dynasty for another dynasty; and all we are left with is a Democratic version of the Republican corruption machine. It is the easier path. It is the path of the status quo. But, it is a path that perpetuates a corrupt system that has not only failed to deliver the change the American people demand, but has divided America into two -- one America for the very greedy, and one America for everybody else. And it is that divided America -- the direct result of this corrupt system -- which may very well lead to the suicide Lincoln warned us of -- the poison that continues to seep into our system while none notice. Or we can choose a different path. The path that generations of Americans command us to take. And be the guardians that kept the faith. I run for president for my father who worked in a mill his entire life and never got to go to college the way I did. I run for president for all those who worked in that mill with my father. I run for president for all those who lost their jobs when that mill was shut down. I run for president for all the women who have come up to Elizabeth and me and told us the like Elizabeth they had breast cancer -- but unlike Elizabeth they did not have health care. I run for president for twenty generations of Americans who made sure that their children had a better life than they did. As Americans we are blessed -- for our ancestors are not dead, they occupy the corridors of our conscience. And, as long we keep the faith -- they live. And so too the America of idealism and hope that was their gift to us. I carry the promise of America in my heart, where my parents placed it. Like them, like you, I believe in people, hard work, and the sacred obligation of each generation to the next. This is our time now. It falls to us to redeem our democracy, reclaim our government and relight the promise of America for our children. Let us blaze a new path together, grounded in the values from which America was forged, still reaching toward the greatness of our ideals. We can do it. We can cast aside the bankrupt ways of Washington and replace them with the timeless values of the American people. We can liberate our government from the shackles of corporate money that bind it to corporate will, and restore the voices of our people to its halls. This is the cause of my life. This is the cause of our time. Join me. Together, we cannot fail. We will keep faith with those who have gone before us, strong and proud in the knowledge that we too rose up to guard the promise of America in our day, and that, because we did, America's best days still lie ahead. Of course, Edwards isn't going to receive the nomination and I do believe that Hilary is both an improvement over Bush and a better choice than any of the mainstream republican candidates. Even so, maybe she'll grow on me (I mean even John Kerry grew on me and I thought at the time and still believe now that Edwards would've not only made a better president but also a better candidate than Kerry did) but right now I can't help but be disappointed that she's likely to be the nominee when I would prefer any of Obama, Edwards, or Al Gore exponentially more and any of those 3 would likely win against whoever the Republicans throw out there. The funny thing to me is those who call Hilary too liberal, a socialist, whatever. In my opinion, she's not nearly liberal enough. She's nowhere near a socialist, she's a fucking corporate candidate (trying not to use the term whore) who will be a political pragmatist and make no real changes, too worried about her reelection hopes to step out of line to where ever her true beliefs have disappeared to. In short, she's too much of a politician. When she does become president, I do believe she can help fix some of the mess Bush has created and in that way be part of a short term solution; but long term, she and her special interest money are just as big a part of the problem as Bush, Rove, Giuliani, or any of the other republicans us liberals love to hate. Too bad the American people are so dumb that things like how much Edwards' haircut costs or how big his house is are more important to most than his actually ideas. But we are the people who elect presidents based on how likable they are instead of how well-suited they are for the responsibilities they will have and the challenges they will face, the people who elected fucking George W. Bush twice, so it's hard to be surprised any more. At this point, it's hard not to think we deserve what we get.

Jeremy lookalike

This dude (Andy Comeau), who is one of the new fellows in the new season of House, bears a striking resemblance to Jeremy (even more so from the side and back....of the head, haven't had a good waist down shot yet unfortunately). The first time I saw him (no full facial shot mind you) I was actually torn for about 5 minutes wondering if Jeremy had some secret life as a crappy TV actor in Hollywood that he wasn't telling us about, even rewinding, pausing, and slow-moing on the DVR. Anyways judge for yourselves: On another note, the Jeremy lookalike has been just about the most interesting aspect of the new season of what used to be a pretty entertaining show.

Thierry Henry

Watching some old Arsenal highlights I came across some ridiculous goals from Henry (2 of which I'd seen before, 1 that I hadn't). Enjoy: backheel vs. Charlton turn and lob vs. Man U solo run vs. Liverpool And though it isn't Henry, I'll leave you with a must-see goal from his Barca teammate Leo Messi from last season vs. Getafe (he was all of 19 years old at the time) where he beats 5 defenders and the keeper on a 60+ yard run.

The New Invincibles? Arsenal 7 Slavia Praha 0

No ratings for this game cause I didn't see it live (Barcelona 0 Rangers 0 was the game on ESPN2, a decently entertaining match, though a goal or 2, or even an attack or 2 from Rangers' side, would've been nice) but I did see the highlights and all I can say is wow. Cesc 2 goals, Walcott 2 goals, Hleb 1 (and forced an own goal), Bendtner 1. The first goal from Cesc is nice, the next 2 are sort of trashy, but the 4 in the 2nd half are all essentially perfect goals - no dead ball set pieces, all from the run of play, combination of quick passing, intelligent movement, great skill on the ball, and superb finishing. This game reminded me of Man U's 7-1 demolition of Roma in the CL Quarterfinals last year where they just scored great goal after great goal - Man U's was of course a much more important game against a better team, but that's the only recent parallel I can think of... As usual Cesc (age 20) was at the center of most everything - but just as important to Arsenal now is the unbelievably underrated Alexander Hleb. Man he's an incredible player, I can't think of many who are playing better than he is currently. Maybe he doesn't get as much hype because he's never going to play in important international matches for Belarus but if he keeps it up at this level, more people will have to notice his play. God it pisses me off that freaking Belarus can produce a genius footballer like Hleb (or Togo a top class striker like Adebayor, or Mali players like Freddy Kanoute, Mahamadou Diarra, and Momo Sissoko, or goddamn Ivory Coast with stars at damn near every position with Drogba, Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure, Kalou, Kone, Keita, Eboue all getting regular playing time for teams in the Champions League) and the best the US can do club-wise in Europe is DaMarcus Beasley starting about half the games for Rangers. Where are our star players? Maybe 5 years down the road, Adu will be at Arsenal, Altidore at Man U, and Szetela at Real, but I can't believe we haven't had a single player break through at a truly elite club yet. I mean Mexico now has a freaking 17 year old who gets regular playing time at Barcelona (Giovani...not to mention Rafa Marquez who regularly features for Barca as well) and we own them. All I want is a few American star players, is that too much to ask? Ok that rant took me a little off topic, back to Hleb - he is one of the most technically gifted players I've ever seen (does he ever have a bad touch on the ball?), has great vision and unselfishness, runs off the ball constantly, and is even finishing this season (check out Arsenal goal #4 today). But Hleb and Cesc's excellence have come to be expected, the big story from this match is Theo Walcott, who was composed enough to make the most of a mistake for goal #3, had a brilliant finish on goal #5, and a perfect (and unselfish) one-touch layoff into the path of Cesc to set up goal #6 (the best of the bunch imo, though Eboue's backheel for goal #7 is freaking ridiculous). Walcott has looked good coming off the bench lately (set up the 2nd against Bolton on Saturday) but this is by far his best game yet. Hopefully it's a breakout and a sign of things to come, cause the Gunners will need it with van Persie out for a month and Liverpool and Man U coming up. If Arsenal still hasn't lost in 2 weeks, we might be looking at some new Invincibles (probably impossible but imagining this Henry-less Arsenal side starting the season so well that the Invincibles can be mentioned is incredible as it is).

Gone Baby Gone - 8.5

I was ready to crown Michael Clayton as my new favorite movie of the year (a distinction which will likely change hands several times over the next few months) until I saw Ben Affleck's directing debut Gone Baby Gone a few days later. Reminiscent of Mystic River (which it should be since the source material is by the same author), this film tells the story of a young P.I. (portrayed with a who the hell knew he could act so well performance by Casey Affleck) investigating the kidnapping of a young girl in his Boston neighborhood. Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris also come through with fine supporting turns, as does The Wire's Amy Ryan, playing the girl's drug-addicted whore of a mother. My man Omar even shows up, sadly only for a solitary scene, and even worse as a cop, not as a bad ass loner who robs drug dealers. Even so, one of my general guidelines is that anything with Omar in it is better than it would have been if Omar wasn't in it. The same holds true for Daniel Day-Lewis, Mr. Eko/Adebisi, and films directed by Michael Mann. Back to the movie - as the true story behind the kidnapping unfolds, every twist and turn worked for me before Casey Affleck's character was finally put in a truly morally ambiguous situation. Once Gone Baby Gone ended, I was left with the first movie in a while that really had me putting myself in the shoes of a main character and considering what I would do in their situation...and not coming up with an easy answer. Ben Affleck hasn't acted in a good movie in years, if this movie is any indication, maybe he's found his new calling behind the camera. I for one will be looking forward to his next attempt at directing much more than his next (inevitably disastrous) starring role.

Michael Clayton - 7.5

George Clooney's newest film, Michael Clayton, is well-written, well-made, and well-acted, with Clooney and Tom Wilkinson both turning in Oscar-level performances. The overall plot is interesting and after getting past a slow first 30 minute or so set-up phase, this movie moves along nicely. Bottom line, similar (though not quite as good imo) to The Insider, it is an intelligent, thrilling drama that could easily pick up several Oscar nominations - though since it is still so early in the season and real contenders are only just now starting to be released, it really is impossible to say. However, I will say I'll be very surprised if Clooney's combination of a fine performance here and his status as an Oscar darling and one of Hollywood's foremost lead actors doesn't get him his first Best Actor nomination.

USA 1, Switzerland 0

Player ratings from yesterday's USA game: Marcus Hahnemann - 6.0 - he didn't have a whole lot to do but didn't make any mistakes either. Steve Cherundolo - 6.0 - made a few good runs forward and was good enough defending. Not a spectacular performance but solid. Oguchi Onyewu - 7.0 - gets a little too physical sometimes, getting close to giving away freekicks and even PKs but he pretty much shut down their big forward (Streller) in the first half. Carlos Bocanegra - 8.5 - he played great, anchoring one of our best defensive performances in recent memory. Switzerland really only had 1 or 2 real shots on goal and nothing too dangerous and Boca was a huge part of it with great positioning and a few big tackles. He was also unlucky not to score when he redirected a shot directly to their keeper from 6 yards out. Eddie Lewis - 3.0 - I normally think he's ok but in this game he was pretty terrible both at left back and left winger. Our defense looked the most shaky before he was moved up to the wing and once he was playing as an attacker he gave away possession nearly every time he got the ball and when he didn't he wasted several good crossing opportunities. He also took too long on a good scoring chance and ended up hitting it right at the keeper for a relatively routine save. It was telling how much better our offense looked when he was subbed out (along with Twellman). Benny Feilhaber - 6.0 - he had a really good first half where I thought he was probably our best attacking player but tailed off as the game went on. Maurice Edu - 7.0 - for a guy making his first cap against pretty good competition he did surprisingly well. He didn't necessarily shine but never looked overmatched either. I didn't know much about him before but he certainly looks like a good guy to have around especially since Mastro is aging and hurt half the time. Michael Bradley - 8.0 - After very good to great performances against Brazil and Switzerland (not to mention a goal scoring binge for his club Heerenveen) he's really starting to grow on me. As his offense has improved he's really turning into a good all-purpose midfielder and he's still only 20. He played well today and then found himself in the right place at the right time to score the winning goal. Damarcus Beasley - no rating - He got hurt like 10 minutes in and tried to play through it but was never the same. Hopefully the injury isn't a long term thing... Taylor Twellman - 3.0 - along with Lewis, he was the other guy who I thought was bad out of the starting 11. Maybe never got great service but was pretty worthless either way. Our MLS forwards really suck. Clint Dempsey - 5.0 - not his best day but never saw much of the ball. I am very impressed at his overall conversion from winger to forward though. Subs: Heath Pearce - 6.0 - defense looked way better with him at left back instead of Lewis. Brad Guzan - 6.0 - made one good save on a free kick that he stupidly gave away with his handball outside of the box. Dan Califf - 7.0 - did well at center back coming on for Onyewu at halftime. He did miss one great goalscoring chance on a corner though, hitting a free header over. Freddy Adu - 9.0 - hard to overstate how much more lively our offense looked when he came on for Twellman. Had a hand in the attack that led to the goal, could've easily scored chipping a through ball one time just over, drew and took a dangerous freekick, and had a nifty back heel right into the path of Cherundolo - all in the span of 15 minutes that he played. He looked significantly better than the last time I saw him play, hope he gets some more time at Benfica and for the national team. Danny Szetela - 8.0 - along with Adu, him coming on for Lewis paid big dividends for our offensive production. Sent in the cross that led to the goal and in general looked very confident out there for a guy making his first cap. He's an exciting prospect, someone who should hopefully be a starter by the next world cup. Robbie Findley - no rating - also making his first cap, looked lively but didn't have much to do. Overall, this was a very solid performance from the US. We were playing against a good Switzerland team who could've easily been in the quarterfinals of the last World Cup (didn't concede a goal in the WC) and had most of their regulars and we pretty much shut them down - outstanding performance from our defense. Though we did have some good chances here and there, our offense didn't look too dangerous for most of the game, clearly missing Landon. For as much crap as I give him for not asserting himself, he's definitely our most important offensive player. We did take it to another level offensively when Adu and Szetela came in which is especially encouraging since these are two of our most promising young players. Great to end our losing streak and get a win on European soil. Next up is at South Africa in a month, winnable game no doubt (hope we get them as our seed in the WC draw...).

Lethal Weapon 2 - 6.0

So I haven't been watching too many movies lately, mainly because Halo 3 has pretty much consumed me for the past week or so. Anyways, I do plan to definitely see Michael Clayton soon, and possibly In the Valley of Elah, The Kingdom, and Gone Baby Gone. As for Lethal Weapon 2, I queued it up on netflix because it's available in bluray - it's basically the same movie as the others in the Lethal Weapon franchise... though I do consider #4 as a bit of a departure from the first 3 - I think #4 is the funniest (mainly because of Chris Rock) but conversely the overall plot and action scenes are much weaker. As for this one, there's some decent chase scenes, some funny lines, several instances where Mel Gibson gets to be a badass, and a hot Dutch chick. Nothing groundbreaking but overall decently entertaining.

Friday Night Lights

The first season of Friday Night Lights successfully combines sports, drama, and romance as well or better than any other movie or TV show I've ever seen. By the end of the season I actually enjoyed the football scenes the least out of any part of the show - this isn't really an indictment of the quality of these scenes, they were very good (though not great) but instead more of a statement regarding how good the rest of the show is. I was also extremely impressed with how they handled some delicate issues such as steroids and especially racism with the episodes dealing with the latter being possibly the strongest in the entire season. The season 2 premiere was very good - the new dynamic between now absentee father Coach Taylor and his wife and daughter is especially promising (this family plus Matt is really the heart of the show imo). However I am with what seems like the general consensus that the whole subplot of Landry killing the guy who was stalking Tyra and then covering it up is extremely stupid. The scene where he kills the dude was well-handled and realistic enough I suppose but Landry not going to the police is completely inconsistent with his character (one of the best characters in the show). I don't think this subplot will ruin the show but I admit I am a little worried.

Law School

After finishing up my personal statement in the last few days (thanks Jeremy and Alexa), my UNC Law application is officially submitted. Woohoo for me, hope they accept me...

One Nil to the Arsenal - Arsenal 1 Steaua Bucharest 0

here are some brief player ratings from Arsenal's uninspiring 1-0 away champions league win today (9th win in a row). Manuel Almunia - 6.0 - a bit shaky but kept the clean sheet Bacary Sagna - 7.5 - gave up nothing defensively but didn't get forward a whole lot Gael Clichy - 6.0 - good defensively for the most part but had 1 or 2 lapses, dangerous as always going forward but his crosses were terrrrrible Kolo Toure - 8.0 - a rock as usual, great heads up play to get back and make a back save when Almunia came too far off his line Phillipe Senderos - 8.5 - played great today, probably because Steaua is a physical team that tries to attack through the air, Phil's strength. I'll have more confidence when he plays this well against a team with some speedy strikers who like to run at the defense. Emmanuel Eboue - 3.0 - man he played really poorly, gotta trust Wenger but he still hasn't shown much as a winger Alexander Hleb - 8.0 - vital player, in the middle of every attack and man is he good on the ball Cesc Fabregas - 5.0 - another uninspired performance especially with the high standards he's set this year Mathieu Flamini - 7.0 - played well again Emmanuel Adebayor - 7.0 - started off poorly but ran hard and eventually set up the goal Robin van Persie - 7.5 - only had one real chance all game and buried it Well there's back to back 1-0 away wins for Arsenal, the type of games I'm convinced they would've drawn or even lost last season. Up next are Sunderland and Bolton at home, obviously anything less than 6 points from those 2 matches would be a huge disappointment.