The Bloggopotamus

Something to think about

2008-06-12T14:47:00.002-03:00

I came across this on Teachertube.com and found it pretty interesting. Our ever-changing world is tough to keep up with....Where are we heading?.....Where have we been?....What are we doing now? This little film is one person's perspective but I suppose what we should all do at some point is take some time to reflect on our world and the changes we experience, the changes we cause, and just to be more personally, societally, and globally aware. Let me know what you think.

CTV and TSN Now Own The HNIC Theme

2008-06-09T17:51:00.003-03:00

The CBC recently had the term contract rights to the Hockey Night In Canada (HNIC) theme song come to an end and have failed to renegotiate deal that would see the song remain on the CBC television show.

Dolores Claman's song has been one of the most recognizable tunes on Canadian television and the round-up call for millions of Canadians to gather around the tv sets for an evening of hockey. To many people, the song is the unofficial anthem of hockey and some I'm sure would love to see it take the place of O Canada even. The song cost the CBC around $500 for every time that it was played on the air in their contract. The CBC apparently was not keen enough to keep the song safe under their own contract and even publicized the idea that they might be accepting applications in a contest to create a new HNIC theme.

Today, CTV and TSN announced that they have purchased the rights to the song, ending the nearly 40 years of the CBC's theme. This is one more battle lost by the CBC in the sports television competition as TSN is beginning to solidify itself and forge ahead in the NHL television market. It will forever remain as the Hockey Night in Canada theme for Canadians...we'll just be seeing it on another channel now. Will we soon see Grapes and McLean leaving as well?...it's come close to that before.

Here's a track of the HNIC theme from the 1970's and 80's to bring back some memories of the good ol' days.

Severn Suzuki - Rio Earth Summit 1992

2008-06-04T18:45:00.002-03:00

I received this video in an email today and although I've seen it a number of times before, I thought it was worth a posting on the Bloggopotamus. The video is the speech of Severn Suzuki, the daughter of Dr. Dave Suzuki, back in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit where she spoke to delegates from many of the United Nations countries gathered in Brazil. She was only 12 years old at the time. What a powerful and passionate speech!

Since then she has continued to be an incredible youth activist. For more information on Severn Suzuki...feel free to visit these sites as a starting point.

Earth Pioneer
or
Wikipedia

Bloggopotamus Bracketology - Saddling Up the West Region

2008-03-18T17:45:00.002-03:00

We're on the cusp of the tournament now with the opening play-in game in the East region going tonight between Coppin St and The Mount. The game will be on the Score at 8pm EST...can't wait...let it begin.

I still have to get through two more regions before Thursday so I'm lookin at posting my thoughts on the Midwest Region today and then finishing off with the South Region tomorrow. Then I have to finalize my bracket selections in my various pools, buy a huge amount of snack food and beverages, work in my couch spot a little more and take care of all miscellaneous distraction ahead of time so the tournament goes uninterrupted from the outside world.

Here we go with a round up of the Midwest bracket...

#1 UCLA (31-3) vs. #16 Mississippi Valley St. (17-15)

Here's another blowout game in waiting. Miss Valley St is really fortunate to have won the SWAC tournament with a 59-58 win over Jackson State (14-20). They have won 9 in a row entering the tournament but they were absolutely crushed by Pittsburgh early in the year and they only managed 26 points in a 71-26 loss to Washington State. They don't have a chance in this one...it will likely be the most lopsided game in the first round in my opinion.

UCLA has won their last 10 games including an impressive but not unexpected run to the PAC-10 regular season title and tournament title. Many "experts" are hinting toward the Bruins being the national champs at the end of the tournament. They are experienced, powerful, composed, and all around a great team. Kevin Love leads the way averaging 17 and 10 but they've also got 3 others averaging more than 12 pts a game in Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, and

Russell Westbrook. They have played high quality opponents and have beaten nearly all of them. They will storm through this one winning by a whopping 96-43.

#8 Brigham Young (27-7) vs. #9 Texas A&M (24-10)

I think the Aggies are the better team in this one and I can't really call it a real upset since often the 8 v 9 games are more of a coin flip than anything else. Brigham Young has had a great season indeed including a win over Louisville early in the year. They challenge shots well and have two solid 15+ pt guys in guard Lee Cummard and center Trent Plaisted. Unfortunately they did not look that great against UNLV in the Mountain West tourney.

Despite the Aggies 8-8 conference record, they have played pretty solid basketball lately and when they're on...they're a real tough team. Their guards are a little spastic at times in their decision making but I think they've got themselves in a good spot mentally right now and are playing with more confidence. Also something to note that they started the season 15-1 and not against really weak opposition. They were ranked I think even in the top 10 at one point in the season before going through a tough spell. I'm predicting the Aggies in a mild upset 61-60.

#5 Drake University (28-4) vs. #12 Western Kentucky (27-6)

Both of these teams have very impressive records coming into the tournament but like many small/weak conferences, it is really tough for them to prove themselves nationally unless they have a really tough non-conference schedule. Neither really did.

No one really had Drake on the radar until halfway through the season which was when I saw them televised for the first time. I was really impressed and love the old school basketball they are executing with great success. After starting 1-1, the Bulldogs when on a tear winning 21 straight games. They are solid all over the court...can drive to the hoop..can shoot from outside...make terrific cuts on the court...and are now one of my favourite teams to watch. 4 guys in double figures at multiple positions makes them able to punish you from any spot that you happen not to defend well.

The Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky are no slouch from the Sub Belt conference with a 16-2 conference record, both losses coming at the hands of South Alabama (reg season champs), but they successfully navigated the conference tournament. They have been on a roll winning 17 of their last 18 games. It should be a really good game and despite the closeness of their records, there is a reason Drake is the 5-seed. This is potentially upset material for those searching for the opportunity but I'm not giving in to the temptation...I like the Bulldogs too much. Drake moves on 76-71.

#4 UConn (24-8) vs. #13 San Diego (21-13)

Again..some pundits are predicting a potential upset in this one. Are you kidding me? The Huskies didn't start off great with losses to ranked teams like Memphis, Notre Dame, and G-town but since then...they've beaten the following ranked teams.... Marquette, Indiana, Louisville, Pitt, and some revenge on Notre Dame. They have developed greatly over the year and look really scary with Hasheem Thabeet in the middle. I remember a game against Syracuse where Thabeet had Arinze Onuaku so scared inside he just simply passed the ball back out to the perimeter rather than risk being swatted. That's what a 7'3" sophomore who keeps improving can do to you.

San Diego comes in on a roll after beating Gonzaga in their conference final and they have one 13 of their last 15 but the Tereros are going to have monster games from Brandon Johnson and Gyno Pomare in order to pull off a shocker. I am interested to see what all the fuss is about Brandon Johnson in this game but I know how strong the Huskies are. I don't think this will be a real close game but I don;t think a blowout is here either. Connecticut moves on 77-68.

#6 Purdue (24-8) vs. #11 Baylor (21-10)

The Boilermakers finished 2nd in the Big Ten regular season and have two freshman in the starting lineup leading the way. They are defensively tough and have come out on the positive side of many risk-reward situations this year. They've beaten Wisconsin twice!!! What?? They've beaten Louisville and Michigan State. They lost to Wofford!! Who? What? You never know what game you'll get with them...they have the potential to suck out and the potential to make a real run.

The Baylor Bears in the tough Big 12 conference have had a solid season a are in the tourney for the first time since 1988...that's 20 years folks! they did beat Notre Dame earlier this year but since then had some key losses against Washington State, Kansas, and Texas twice. I'm happy they made the tournament but this is as far as they go in my bracket.... Purdue wins 66-60.

#3 Xavier (27-6) vs. #14 Georgia (17-16)

No one was more impressed than I watching Georgia make the NCAA tournament after the drama in Atlanta last weekend where they pulled off 2 wins in one day and then beat the Razorbacks to win the championship. I'd love to see them make a run in the tournament because they're already playing beyond expectations but this is a team that lost 10 of their last 12 games going into the SEC tournament.

Xavier on the other hand has had a great season and despite a loss to St. Joe's in their tournament...they are a quality team and although I don't know if they should be a 3-seed...they are so much better than their opposition. They are so solid and their bench is deep. They have 6 guys averaging double figures in scoring...something remarkable and that is a huge part of their success. Xavier shouldn't have too much trouble unless Georgia plays out of their minds again. I see Xavier going through 84-66.

#7 West Virginia (24-10) vs. #10 Arizona (19-14)

Here's an upset I'm going to call. Granted West Virginia can shoot the three and they can score pretty evenly, I'm just not impressed by them throughout the season and they also were crushed by Georgetown in the Big East tournament 72-55. They have beaten Marquette, Pitt, ad UConn...but they've also lost to those teams as well. I also don't really like the way they play from the games I've seen.

The Wildcats have had a really rough season with numerous injuries that affected the team but now that they're healthy...they've been playing really well. Having Jerryd Bayless back makes a huge difference and Chase Budinger is an awfully nice guy to have on your roster. They are small and will have difficulty matching up against big teams...not a problem against West Virginia. They can run and score....their defense is suspect but I think they've got enough to upset in this one. Arizona wins 81-72.

#2 Duke (27-5) vs. #15 Belmont (25-8)

Poor Belmont!! They come rolling into the tournament on a 13 game winning streak, and Atlantic Sun title, a tournament title and they are about to hit the spike strips when they meet the Blue Devils. They are used to being the underdogs...they're fine with that...but they are a young team. They are facing Duke...a high scoring team that can score from all over the court against a small team and are incredible at swinging the ball for a 3 point dagger. No need to go into details..this game is over. Duke wins 90-53.

Bloggopotamus Bracketology - Breaking Down The Midwest Regional

2008-03-17T20:02:00.003-03:00

We are now only a couple of days away from the Madness. I heard on the radio on some miscellaneous talk show that a study was done on the estimated cost of lost time, wages on betting, and whatever else as a result of the NCAA tournament. They estimated the figure at $1.7 billion. At first, I thought "No way!!", but then again I don't know of any other tournament structure that can sweep the nation and beyond like this one. I've already filled out 3 brackets so far in various friendly pools with friends and I imagine I'll hop in on a couple more in the next day or so.

Ready for the next region of breakdowns? Here comes my brief synopsis of the matchups in the Midwest Region...

#1 Kansas (31-3) vs. #16 Portland State (23-9)

Kansas arrives as the #1 seed in the Midwest and for good reason sporting an impressive 31-3 season thus far with a national rankings of #4 by the AP and #5 in the coach's poll. They ran through the Big 12 tournament finishing with a very demonstrative win over highly ranked Texas 84-74. Led by guards Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers, Kansas started the season 20-0 and even though they didn't play many games against ranked teams...their competition was very solid all year long.

The Portland State Vikings arrive in the tourney out of the weak Big Sky Conference where they were regular season and tournament champions. Given the calibre of play, they were only able to garner a 16 seed which is a really tough draw for them pitting them against a #1 seed. They didn't have any significant wins and lost to UCLA and Washington State in their only games against ranked teams. Jeremiah Dominguez is a nice little guard for them and can be a thorn in the Jayhawk side if he's on. I don't however see this being a close game by the 10 minute mark of the first half. Kansas steadily runs away with this one from start to finish 83-55.

#8 UNLV (26-7) vs. #9 Kent State (28-6)

This is another really close pairing and many people are highlighting this matchup as a potential minor upset favoring the Golden Flashes of Kent St. I don't know if I can hop on that wagon but I'm running alongside it for the moment and I may hop on. UNLV lost a huge chunk of their team from last year's squad and surprised many by finishing 2nd in the regular season standings in the Mountain West Conference behind BYU but then went through the MWC tournament winning the final against BYU in convincing fashion 76-61. Wink Adams has been playing phenomenal basketball well above expectations but the Runnin Rebels haven't played many really tough teams except Louisville whom they lost to 68-48 back in November.

Kent State won the regular season MAC title and the tournament rolling Akron in the final 74-55. They did lose to UNC and Xavier in their marquee games but that isn't a surprise. Four starters for the Golden Flashes average double figures in points so they don't have just one guy that needs to be shut down. I imagine this will be a pretty tight game down the stretch with plenty of high energy and emotion throughout. What the heck...Kent State pulls it off 69-64.

#5 Clemson (24-9) vs. #12 Villanova (20-12)

I have to say I'm already biased in this one. I want Villanova to lose this one, they are responsible for my Orangemen not in the tournament....wait...rewind...Syracuse is solely responsible for their own demise. Nevertheless I am anti-Nova this year now. Villanova comes in after finishing the Big East in 8th place!! Their win against Syracuse in the Big East quarters put them on the better side of the bubble teams. This team has ability to pull off upsets and they have beaten Connecticut and Pitt during the regular season. They are led by Scottie Reynolds who loves to drive and get to the line.

The Clemson Tigers have got to be feeling good about themselves right now. Sure they lost to UNC in the ACC final but they were with them to the end. This is after they surprised Duke in the semis and demolished Boston College by 34 points in the quarters. The versatile K.C. Rivers will lead them into the tournament here and to a victory in the first round. I predict a high scoring affair with the Tigers winning 92-81.

#4 Vanderbilt (26-7) vs. #13 Siena (22-10)

I am so tempted to put Siena through on a major upset here but I just don't know they can pull it off. I do think they'll be able to run with the Commodores but down the stretch may prove to be just too much for the Saints. Siena makes it into the tournament after demolishing Rider (reg season champs) 74-53 in the MAAC final. Edwin Ubiles leads the Saints with 17.3 ppg but my problem with the Saints is that they are hot and cold. They did beat Stanford in an impressive early season win but were seriously humbled by Memphis 102-58 on January 3rd...that stings!! Siena will have to be hot all game long and hope Vandy is real cold.

Vanderbilt is also a hot and cold team...hotsy at home...notsy on the road. They've played in the tough SEC conference and although they lost to Tennessee by 20 in January...they beat the Vols a little over a month later to exact some revenge. Shan Foster (SEC MVP)and freshman center A.J. Ogilvy (17.0 ppg and 6.8 reb) will be the keys to Vandy success and the team will only go as far as they take them. I do think Vanderbilt gets this one 78-66.

#6 USC (21-11) vs. #11 Kansas State (20-11)

This is touted as likely the best opening round game in the Midwest Region. It will feature a boatload of young talent full of energy and excitement. The only reason people talk about Kansas State is because of Michael Beasley who is averaging 26.5ppg and 12.5rpg which rank him third in the nation in scoring and tops in boards. He is almost certainly NBA bound as a lottery pick but I'm sure he'll want to prove himself..uhh..I mean his team in the tournament. The problem I have with the Wildcats are their losses to George Mason, Notre Dame, Xavier, Kansas, and Texas. They did pull off one victory against Kansas however..very impressive. I just think they're too young and too reliant on one guy and I think USC will have the answer for that...although they'll really have to work for it.

USC finished 4th in the formidable PAC-10 conference before fallin to UCLA 57-54...that's a good result in itself. The Trojans are now healthy after having numerous injury woes but they still are not a really deep team...maybe that won't matter now that it's tourney time anyway. O.J. Mayo will try to counteract the Beasley factor and with a healthy supporting cast around him, he won't have to go over the top to make things happen. The key is going to be defense and USC coach Tim Floyd is notorious now for throwing unorthodox and strangely-timed defensive sets to frustrate opponents. You will see some of this I'm sure. USC has a number of losses against ranked teams but did take Memphis to OT and also pulled off wins against UCLA and Stanford during the season. I'm going with USC in this one 81-76 in a really exciting game.

#3 Wisconsin (29-4) vs. #14 Cal State-Fullerton (24-8)

CSF had a strong season in Big West which has seen Pacific University into the tournament the past couple of years I believe. They tied with two other for the regular season title and defeated unexpected finalists UC Irvine to win the Big West tournament. With no major wins to their credit, they earn a #14 seed. They've won 10 of their last 11 but are nothing special as far as I can tell...haven't seen them play though either.

Wisconsin on the other hand is a scary team defensively and they manage the clock so well usually. After being embarrassed by Duke in November and losing to Marquette shortly after, the Badgers beat Texas, Indiana twice, and Michigan State twice. They did however lose to Purdue twice as well...but that also shows that their four losses have come to ranked teams. I don't see this being a major challenge for them and I imagine the CSF Titans will have to work for every basket. Wisconsin lacks star power but are well-rounded and will dominate defensively...they're all big inside....not monster big...but all big enough to be annoying around the hoop. Wisconsin wins a boring game 62-43.

#7 Gonzaga (25-7) vs. #10 Davidson (26-6)

This is an excellent spot for an upset and I'm going for it. I think Davidson is the better team in this one despite the seeding. Davidson went 20-0 in conference play in the Southern Conference which granted is not all that strong but undefeated is nice. They lost to Duke and to UCLA during the regular season but weren't blown out by any stretch of the imagination. They are led by Stephen Curry who's been knocking down 25 a game and also shoots close to 45% from 3-point land. Yeah..he's pretty good. P.S...3 pointers are in the genes I think. Guess who his papa is? Think Hornets.

Gonzaga...Gonzaga...everyone loved them years ago as a Cinderella...then they weren't a Cinderella..they were just a pretty good team. Now I just don't really care. They won the WCC regular season title and lost in the tournament final to San Diego. I think Saint Mary's is the better team out of the WCC actually. I find Gonzaga uninspiring and I don't know many people that really think they'll do much this year. Based on the lack of hype for the Zags and my interest in seeing Davidson take it to them...I'm going with Davidson on this one 80-73.

#2 Georgetown (27-5) vs. #15 UMBC (24-8)

UMBC is who? Where are they from? Oh...I guess they are Univerity of Maryland-Baltimore County from the America East conference. They have never been in the NCAA tournament before. They are the UMBC Retrievers and I have a feeling they'll be pretty solid and retrieving the ball as it drops through their own net. UMBC is remarkably better this year than last apparently...since their 24 wins this year is better than their past two seasons combined.

Georgetown won the Big East regular season title but their past few games have been very shaky. They don't have a "go-to guy" but they are pretty solid all around and Roy Hibbert is a scary presence inside. Defensively, I see Georgetown holding UMBC to under 60..if not under 50. Georgetown will win this one easily probably by about 20 or so....let's go with the Hoyas 73-52.

What do you think? Comments..questions..rebuttals? All are welcome!! :)

Bloggopotamus Bracketology - The NCAA East Regional

2008-03-16T19:30:00.018-03:00

To quote a Christmas classic that is more apt for March in my opinion, "It's the most wonderful time of the year". Despite my Syracuse Orangemen failing to reach the March Madness of the NCAA Tournament this year after a sloppy second half performance in the Big East Tournament against Villanova who by the way pulled off a 12-seed in the Midwest region, I am a huge fan of NCAA basketball in general. I always anticipate this time of year as it comes at a perfect spot in the school year for me and gets me through til the beginning of April. Then it's playoff time in the NHL and then the NBA...it's a beautiful thing!!

As I did last year, The Bloggopotamus will attempt to become a publishing analyst of the matchups throughout the tournament. I'll break down each round for each bracket as best I can and as time permits. I welcome any comments, questions, complaints, and any other feedback people want to give as we surf the wave of Madness over the number of weeks. Enjoy the ride!!

Here is the East Region schedule which are the Thursday/Saturday games this week with one exception of Tuesday's Play In Game between Coppin State and Mount St. Mary's. Let's get the ball rolling with this game....

Mount Saint Mary's (18-14) vs. Coppin State (16-20)

This play in game features two teams who won't be going any further than this game but for both of these teams to make it to the dance is an accomplishment in itself. The Mountaineers of MSM started off the season 0-4 and then played .500 ball the rest of the way but did not beat nor play anyone important really outside of their weak NEC. Well..they lost to Oklahoma and Oregon. They did however roll over Robert Morris (the regular season champs) by 18 points in their tournament. They're led by guards Chris Vann and Jeremy Goode averaging around 14 a game. They got into the tournament by beating Sacred Heart 68-55 in the NEC final.

The Coppin State Eagles I think are the only team to make it into the tournament with a losing record at 16-20 and as of Feb 4th they were an embarrassing 4-19 when they lost to Delaware State. Ugly!! Since then however they gone on a really solid run into the MEAC tournament and upsetting regular season champs Morgan State. Tywain McKee is the key for the Coppin State offense which has played against Marquette and Indiana this year getting pounded by 47 and 27 points respectively.

Both of these teams are on a roll and I've only seen MSM play once this year. I know they can score in bunches and I don't know that Coppin State can so I'm going to go with the Mountaineers for the win in this one. Doesn't really matter because the winner will face UNC on Thursday night. Mount Saint Mary's wins 61-51.

#1 UNC (32-2) vs. Mount Saint Mary's/Coppin State

This game will be an absolute blowout from start to finish in my opinion. The Tarheels are the #1 seed overall for good reason playing out of arguably the toughest conference in the ACC. They were the regular season champs, the tournament champs defeating an uppity Clemson Tigers squad in the final who disposed of Duke in the semis. UNC has a potential player of the year candidate in Tyler Hansbrough who has carried this team marvelously this year. His supporting cast isn't too shabby either with solid production coming from Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson. There is no doubt however that Hansbrough is the man in UNC and will take them far. This game will be over within the first 5 minutes and I can see the Tarheels hitting the century mark in this one. I'm predicting a whopping 102-56 thrashing in this one for UNC.

#8 Indiana (25-7) vs. #9 Arkansas (22-11)

This is an interesting matchup because I think that Arkansas has been seeded a little high. I know that they made it to the SEC final against Georgia and the SEC is no joke but they lost to Georgie by 9 in the final after Georgia had played 3 games in two days. Georgia is not a great team either so I question Arkansas. Interestingly enough though for Arkansas, they have beaten a number of ranked teams like Mississippi St., Florida, Vandy twice, and Tennessee in the SEC semi. I don't know how Patrick Beverley and Gary Ervin are going to stack up against Indiana's guards, Eric Gordon, Armon Bassett, and Jordan Crawford.

Indiana is another anomaly for me because I've seen them play great in back to back wins against Michigan State and Purdue but I also saw them get pounded by Michigan State 103-74 albeit on Senior's Day in Spartan country. They've also fallen victim to Wisconsin's tough D on two occasions this year. Eric Gordon is one of the top freshmen in the country this year and always brings his game. Which D.J. White are we going to see? That is going to answer the question of victory in this one. It's a real tough call but I think I'll have to lean on history with this one maybe and since I've played in the HoosierDome before...I'm going to give this to Indiana in a close one 64-60.

#5 Notre Dame (24-7) vs. #12 George Mason (23-10)

I watched the Fighting Irish beat my Orange back on Feb 24th and discovered a 3 point sniper in Kyle McAlarney and of course they have a star in Luke Harangody who's averaging over 20 points a game. This team can shoot and averages about 80 a game which is pretty impressive however they are only 2-5 against ranked teams. That is likely enough to get them past the Patriots but I don't know how deep they can go once they get in to some tougher competition.

George Mason comes out of the CAA as tournament champs but are relatively untested against ranked competition losing to Nova but beating Kansas State early in the year. They have a couple of guys averaging 15 a game so the scoring isn't all in one place but I don't know that they can hang with high scoring team from the Big East down the stretch. Notre Dame should advance to the next round...let's say 76-63.

#4 Washington State (25-8) vs. #11 Winthrop (22-11)

First of all..I vote that the Big South Conference be absorbed into other conferences. I'm tired of Winthrop getting into the tournament. The Big South is George's...aka....craptastic. They did play Miami-FL and won...but that team sucks too. The only other competition in their conference was seeing how tall they were against NC-Asheville's 7'7" behemoth Kenny George. Besides that, Winthrop has a nice little player in Michael Jenkins but they can't hang in this tournament. No...a Cinderella Story is not in the cards this year.

The Cougars on the other hand are legit. They're in a really tough..maybe the toughest conference in the PAC-10 and made a nice run into the PAC-10 tournament before losing to Stanford by 7 which is very respectable. They did not do well against ranked teams at all in their conference but they did start out the season 13-0 with a key win against Gonzaga. I think a 4 seed is really generous of the tournament committee for them but they can still run with many of the big ball schools. Their guards lead the way with all three of them averaging double figures in scoring including Derrick Low who's at 14 a game. They should easily dismantle the Eagles in this one although the score may be fairly close at the end. Wash St. gets the "W" in a game in the mid 60's....69-64.

#6 Oklahoma (22-11) vs. #11 Saint Joseph's (21-12)

This is one of those games where you could really mess up your bracket either way. Both teams can be extremely dangerous if they get hot and start playing with confidence. I'm really looking forward to this game because as soon as rationalize things in my head and am about to come to a conclusion, doubt creeps in. Not good. As soon as I choose one...I have a bad feeling about it.

Oklahoma comes from the tougher Big 12 conference and they did beat Gonzaga and West Virginia. Counter point: They've been smoked by Texas twice and have a number of losses against ranked teams such as Memphis, USC, and Texas A&M. Blake Griffin with almost a double double average and they do have Longar Longar, yes..his real name, at center who is a regular contributor.

St. Joe's comes into the tournament losing in the Atlantic-10 final to Temple but they did knock off Xavier in the semis. They also beat Xavier at the beginning of March but other than that, their results have been mixed. Pat Calathes is their leading scorer and this team can score averaging 73 a game.

For some reason however I think the Sooners have had tougher matchups throughout the year and as long as they play some solid D which they are capable of..I'm going to give this to them in a tough battle. Likely some free throws toward the end and a missed 3 pointer to tie by St. Joe's. Oklahoma comes away with the win 65-62.

#3 Louisville (22-8) vs. #14 Boise St. (25-8)

Not sure if you caught the WAC championship between New Mexico St and Boise St. but it was a triple OT thriller which saw Boise St take it 107-102. I think that's as far as the drama will go though this year. The show is over...Boise St. exit stage left please. The only quality win Boise St really had was against BYU and I don't know how quality that is...kind of like a day old panini sandwich....might taste ok...but meh.

The Cardinals on the other hand are really solid from the Big East and have beaten Marquette twice, and Georgetown and Notre Dame once each. They play stingy in their own half court and I think they'll easily tame the high scoring Broncos. They are really well rounded and have excellent depth...that's going to be the key to Louisville's success this year...when guys get tired...they've got guys to go to....many teams don't. I want to see more out of Derrick Caracter but everyone else seems pretty reliable. Louisville advances 73-65.

#7 Butler (29-3) vs. #10 South Alabama (26-6)

The Butler Bulldogs always seem to be the team coming out of the Horizon League. Is this because they are that good? Or is it because the conference is that bad? Butler did win their conference tournament with an easy 70-55 win over Cleveland State and can add victories over the following ranked teams.....umm none!!! In fact the only team they played that was ranked was Drake and they lost 71-64. Granted they do have some wins against close to top-tier teams in...well...um Texas Tech and Ohio State. Butler...stop walking your way to the tournament and get a real out-of-conference schedule next year please. Mike Green is definitely their best all-around player averaging 14.9 pts, 6.6 reb, and 5.1 ast....but if the Jaguars can get him frustrated or in foul trouble...it could happen.

South Alabama is in the Sun Belt conference and doesn't have strong competition in house except for Western Kentucky and they beat them twice. They haven't played any real competition out of conference either except for Vandy I suppose and they lost 91-88 in that one. Demetric Bennett averages 20 a game for a team that went undefeated at home this year. In reality however this is an untested team but based on my distaste for the Bulldog resume this year...I'm going to try and sell a 82-80 win for South Alabama...the only upset I'm calling in the East for the first round.

#2 Tennessee (29-4) vs. #15 American (21-11)

American University was the cream of the crap this year in the Patriot League. They did win their conference this year and their conference tournament but in their only game against a ranked team this year...they were throttled by the Hoyas 78-51. They are nothing special though and nothing special will happen against a powerhouse like Tennessee.

The Vols bowed out early in the SEC semis at the hands or Arkansas 92-91 in an excellent game. but they went 14-2 in conference play this year and they're not in a cakewalk conference. They did lose to Texas handily early in the year and fell to Vandy once but they have a long list of impressive victories over Xavier, Mississippi, Vandy, Mississippi State, Florida, and most notably over Memphis...the only blemish on the Tigers' record. Chris Lofton will lead the way as he as done so many times before in a rout of the Eagles from American University. I don't imagine the score will be very close...I'll Volunteer this score 86-57.

Side Notes....
- when I say ranked teams...the teams were ranked at the time they played.
- spoilers always happen...the beauty and devastation of March Madness
- I welcome any comments or opinions people have..am I way off?
- I will post the next region tomorrow night...gotta give my fingers a break.

Soulja Boy in Filipino Prison System

2008-03-04T17:03:00.005-04:00

It's now been about a year or so since Soulja Boy rose to popularity with his repetitive and trance-like kettle drum song "Crank Dat". The song and dance took off immediately. I'll admit it is a song that has a great rhythm and sound to it and I'm into a lot of rap so I liked it at first. The lyrics are really lame but that doesn't seem to matter because anyone can repeat the word "Youuuuuuuuu" and if you add some pretty simple dance steps that anyone can learn...you've got a hit...especially at the junior high level. For me...the song was played out by November...you can only hear it so many times....but it just won't go away.

We were at a set of exhibition basketball games in December in New Glasgow and they had the song playing in the gym during the warmups. It seems that as soon as the song comes on...junior high students seem to just start movin to the song...Soulja Boy had infiltrated rural Nova Scotia.

We went to a tournament in Yarmouth toward the end of January...and surprise..surprise.. the kids in Yarmouth are all about trying to crank it too. When will this become passe? I hope soon.

Hold Up! Wait...the prison system in the Philippines has something for us now. Apparently, to help inmates occupy their time during their stay in the Filipino prison system at Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, they spend a great deal of time rehearsing choreographed dance routines that are eventually perform for an audience. I suppose there are many worse ways they could spend their time. I've seen them do "Thriller" by Michael Jackson in the past and now apparently it's time for a cross Soulja Boy and Hammer Time medley! For more on this program and its purpose...click here for an article from the International Herald Tribune.

Lufthansa Airbus Tries To Land

2008-03-04T16:45:00.004-04:00

Yesterday in Hamburg, Germany, a Lufthansa Airbus 320 tried to land on the runway during some really windy weather. Take a look at the video and see for yourself the impact of the crosswinds on the plane as it tries to land.

I've never seen anything like this before. Apparently the plane had to pull up and make a second landing attempt which was more successful than this one. Some pretty fine piloting...perhaps some poor decision making in the tower not changing the direction of their landing strip, and likely a whole bunch of freaked out passengers.

Respect in the Classroom

2008-02-20T20:37:00.006-04:00

I believe that one of the fundamental tenets of teaching and learning is respect. That's a tough concept to teach and a very difficult quality for many to develop and display consistently. I am very proud (not in a boastful way) of the rapport that I am able to develop with 99% of the students that I see.

I don't demand respect from a student at the beginning of the year. If you do that from a position of authority, I don't know that it can called respect in its truest sense but maybe that is simply respect out of fear. Instead I like to think that what I am able to do is command respect from my students and that is done through developing a relationship with them ensuring they understand I have their best interests at heart and in mind. This is an ongoing relationship that needs to be nurtured. There are times of course when conflict occurs in a classroom and how it gets resolved is one of the keys to that respect relationship. The times of conflict actually provide opportunity for growth and development.

If you allow a confrontation to spiral in a negative manner, it becomes more difficult to rebuild that respect later. It can be like an injury that sure it can heal, but it may never be the same. If you allow a confrontation to get the better of you, feelings are hurt, resentments can build, and bitterness and spite can show up in future interactions very easily. I saw this happen recently to a teacher and student where the student overreacted, the teacher was stubborn and condescending, the situation blew up and any sign of positive relationship was gone. Who knows when, if ever, that will heal?

I don't know that I've ever lost my temper in the classroom. I don't know that I could let a situation in that setting get the better of me and I hope that never happens. What kind of example and role model would I be in that sitauation? I shudder at the thought. I'm not there to keep the kids "in line". I'm there to educate and provide an environment that is conducive to growth and personal development. I have a blast doing it too.

As professionals, as teachers, as nurturers, we need to recognize the power and influence that our position holds in the lives of young people always being aware that "little eyes are watching" to use an apt expression. Maybe a better expression is that "wide eyes are watching".

I wasn't sure what this post was going to actually end up looking like. I had some ideas runnin through my head and figured I'd bang some of it out on here. Hopefully, this is somewhat coherent and some sort of message is understood....anyone gettin it?

Jasper and The Weasels

2008-02-16T10:28:00.007-04:00

This is my little guy, Jasper, who is rarely ever called by his real name and has acquired a plethora of aliases that he responds to. Despite the notion of some that all cats have little personality and are not affectionate, Jasper eliminates that, in fact he's more like a puppy in the way he acts, plays, loves and craves attention. I'll quickly give you a sample of some of his names.

Rodrigo Dondiego
Double Deuce Goose
Goosey
Zazoo
Baron Von Frigginfruz
Supersilo Commander Horace Beeswax
Jermaine Puddleduck
Merle Haggard
Julio Jumping Bean Sanchez
Rogey
Reggie Fanta
Dougie Donair

...there are plenty more...

Today when I got up...I flipped on the television and it was already on Channel 36 (Fox) which was beginning a Wild America program "Weasels: Savage and Sleek". Jasper has a fascination and a hate on for weasels. He also enjoys shows like "Meet the Weasels" and "Meercat Manor". He will sit and watch intently for full shows (30-60 minutes) at times unless its a repeat of course. I took a couple of pictures of him today enjoying his Saturday morning shows.

Skype: My Initial Thoughts

2008-02-12T18:12:00.001-04:00

For Christmas, my parents bought me a Live Messenger Webcam which is something I can't believe I didn't have sooner. It was mainly for my wife and I to be able to video chat with her sisters who are going to school in Ontario. We have still yet to connect online with them for a video chat but I've been using it more frequently lately. At first, I experimented using it within MSN which is painless and very user friendly. The sisters however are on Macs and the Messenger version they have doesn't support video conferencing so I investigated Skype a little while ago. I've known about Skype for years but there was no need to ever use it. Now there is. Check it out at Skype.com

Skype is a fantastic and free software program that enables video conferencing and instant messaging among numerous other features. I've used it a number of times for long distance conversations across the Atlantic or just between myself and friends within the HRM. It's also really easy to use....my only issue is that so few people use it...or so few people that I know use it. I love the idea of being able to see people when I talk to them although the process of talking to the camera as opposed to your screen takes some getting used to. The fact that it is a free program blows me away and I'm not sure why more people aren't taking advantage of it.

I rarely get to go to Ontario to see my extended family and would love some of them to get hooked up....first of all with the internet....second of all with programs like Skype. I guess they need a little more convincing or exposure on both fronts. I'm not sure why Skype hasn't been as successful as I think it should be...I know there is competition from MSN and other instant messaging applications but it is the best one I've seen so far.

How many people that are reading this use Skype? What are your thoughts?

Freedom Writers Moves Me

2008-02-11T14:32:00.000-04:00

During our very unexpected snow day today, I took the time to make some lasagna and sit down on the couch to watch Freedom Writers for probably the third or fourth time now. Not sure why I put it in the player, I just did.

Despite some of the typical "inspiring teacher inspires students" mantra that goes with movies such as Dangerous Minds or Stand and Deliver, I find that this movie gets me pretty emotional in parts.

It still makes me laugh though when I look back after watching it that my eyes began to well up at certain points of the film when the emotional heart strings are pulled. Maybe you have to be a teacher and not just be a teacher who teaches as a job but one who is truly passionate about connecting with students and providing a meaningful life-changing experience. When did I become so soft to allow my emotions to show like that? C'mon...it's an MTV movie...get real. Well..I can't help it sometimes.

When one student in the movie reads from his diary and explains the hardships that he's gone through and how the classroom with his teacher and fellow students is the only place he feels at home and inspired...that evokes an emotional response. There were numerous moments where you see lives being changed....that stuff is powerful. Whether you're a teacher or not...I highly recommend this movie to you. Very inspirational.

Richard Zednik Injury

2008-02-11T11:16:00.000-04:00

Last night in the Florida Panthers game visiting the Buffalo Sabres, Richard Zednik was seriously injured having his carotid artery severed in a freak accident in the third period. He was cut unintentionally by teammate Olli Jokinen as Olli was being check off the puck and a skate went high. Immediately, the blood began streaming and Richard Zednik with brave thought immediately put pressure on his neck and courageously skated to the bench where he was helped by players and medical staff. He was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery to close the wound. The latest news as of this morning is that he is in stable condition after surgery but will remain in hospital for an undetermined amount of time. I wish him all the best in his recovery from a very scary injury. Here is a video clip of the incident.

I remember the Clint Malarchuk incident in Buffalo when his neck was cut while playing in net for the Sabres. It freaked me out back then...and this kinda freaked me out now.

Cormorant Devours a Pike Fish

2008-02-09T19:48:00.001-04:00

I came across this article in The Daily Mail from the UK featuring some incredible photographs taken by an amateur photographer, Stewart Canham, near Salisbury, Wilts in the United Kingdom. The birs is a cormorant and he's eating a pike WHOLE!! I know that the cormorant is quite the hunter but had no idea they were capable of taking one of these down in one piece. The pike can get to be pretty long and is not the smallest of freshwater fish.

"With its rows of needle-sharp teeth, the pike is a feared predator in the water world. But this one hadn't a hope when a hungry cormorant decided it was supper time. The bird pounced on the foot-long pike with its hooked bill and pulled it to the surface of a lake. The two antagonists grappled for a few seconds before, in one swift movement, the magnificent bird extended and twisted its neck in preparation for supper. Its highly elastic throat allowed the cormorant to gobble the pike down whole within seconds."

Check out how the cormorant twists its neck...crazy!! Anyway...if you want to check out the original link...click on the post title.

Frank Caliendo Impersonations: A Tribute

2008-02-08T20:32:00.000-04:00

Frank Caliendo is probably my favourite comedian who can make me laugh on a consistent basis know matter how many times I watch the same skits he performs in. Chicago-born Caliendo is most famous for his time as a cast member of MadTV from 2001 to sometime around 2006 I think. He also had a show called FrankTV on TBS starting in 2007 that featured many of his impersonations as hosts of the show. He has well over 100 quality impressions in his repertoire and I'll try to round up a few of my favourites for you. Dude is incredible!! Be ready to be amazed and to laugh.

Frank has also done some in-house commentary on Fox NFL Sunday. Of course this is done with a humourous twist. Below is an impersonation of Jim Rome who is an outspoken, smack-talkin' radio and television sports host. He nails the voice...

Here's a collection of impersonations from when he appeared on Mike and Mike In The Morning on ESPN Radio from November 20, 2007. sorry for the first minute or so which is basically commercials but in his interview he does a little John Madden, Jim Rome, Bill Walton, and Charles Barkley.

Next up is a clip from the Letterman show where Frank does some stand up featuring some John Madden, Al Pacino, George Bush, Bill Clinton.

Now for the real funny stuff that you'll catch on MadTV. This is where I first encountered Frank and he fit in with the cast and became the funniest person on the show for me personally. Here he is in one of my favourite skits for the "Quick Pop Popcorn Popper". The impression is obvious.

Here's another beauty from MadTV's skit humouring Boston Legal with Caliendo as William Shatner hamming it up.

Wow...there are so many to choose from but I'll just throw another three on here for you. This one is another MadTV clip for the presidential debates featuring Caliendo as Bush and Mike MacDonald (another talent) as Kerry.

Here here is again doing another one of my favourites as Jay Leno...

Here is a promo for the FrankTV show where he does some quick impressions

He's got many other classics but I couldn't manage to find them on youtube in good enough quality. His Jack Nicholson is one I wish I could have shown. Just google him and you'll find plenty. He is one of the elite impressionist comedians in my mind if not the best.

Current Fantasy Team Review and Issues

2008-02-05T20:25:00.000-04:00

I'm runnin with my "Mather the Menace" crew in a standard H2H Yahoo league with 10 teams. I'm currently in first but I'm so shallow at point guard that I feel if I were to dive into my team...i'd have a head injury. I'm gonna break down my team....for my own analysis more than anything else but also for anyone who is interested and cares to comment on the strengths or maybe more usefully the weaknesses.

I'm very pleased so far with my play at SG and SF, was happy with my situation at C until my sneaky draft pick ended up on the injury list and is lost to me for 8 weeks. I've been generally unhappy with my PG and have been moving guys in and out of my roster continuously trying to ride hot hands and playing time as much as I can but I'm beginning to lose patience. I'm beginning to come to grips that I may have to part with some of my top players to fill the voids but I still need a little more convincing. Here's my team...

Point Guards

Antonio Daniels (Was) - has lots of potential. Can score...can dish....has a lot going for him but is so inconsistent for me and add to that some bum knees and a potential returning Agent Zero puts him on my ready to move list. I think I've milked this cow as much as I can.

Jamaal Tinsley (Ind) - By far my best PG...isn't that gross? He's a great assist guy when he is healthy...used to be able to score but with awful percentages and now he hardly even shoots as Danny Granger seems to take a billion shots a game now. He's been injured, unhappy, in trouble, and really...I'm just not a fan. He's definitely trade bait but who wants him right now when his value is so low.

Jason Williams (Mia) - Does anyone really want anybody on Miami right now. They are by far the worst team in the league right now and are really a good example of how not to play basketball in the NBA. Injuries...yeah..yeah...still!! J-Will has been off and on my roster a couple of times this year already...no one picks him off the FA list...i don't blame them. I figured I'd pick him up after his injury (tendinitis) and see if he pulls out some old school before being auctioned by Miami in the near future. Plus...he's going to get the minutes in Miami...they have no one else. So I'll hold on to him for a while.

Beno Udrih (Sac) - The return of Mike Bibby has really sacked Beno. He's now coming off the bench and has been brutal in the last two weeks. I'm really hoping Bibby gets moved...maybe to the Celts? and that would clear room for Udrih to start where he has shown this year that he can fit in nicely and contribute in multiple areas. I'm hopin Sacramento is going to go Talib Kweli and "move somethin".

Shooting Guards

Ray Allen (Bos) - I'm really happy with his production. Ray doesn't have to be "the guy" in Boston..they have 3 of them now. PP is the horse...KG is the everyman...and RA gets to be the pure shooter that he needs to be. Just stay off the injury list Ray and we're good to go. His FT percentage is a real nice addition for me.

Ben Gordon (Chi) - Who would have thought that coming off the bench would actually increase your scoring? Mo Pete syndrome I guess. Doesn't get a whole lot done more than scoring...a couple of rebounds...a couple of assists maybe....but having him and Ray Allen shooting free throws helps make up for a couple of my other charity stripe chuckers.

Vince Carter (NJ) - Doubles as a small forward and when anyone can play a couple of positions in fantasy ball...they become more and more valuable. VC has played above my expectations this year and is having a great year for me....great scorer...and gets a handful of rebounds, assists, and steals for me every game it seems...or at least he does when others are faltering.

Richard Hamilton (Det) - I love this guy's game...hate the face mask! I don't know that I've seen a more active guy breaking off screens since Reggie. His shooting percentage from the field is awesome and I love looking at the stats about 10 minutes into a game seeing him in double digits before anyone else. This guy has been money for me.

Linas Kleiza (Den) - A more recent addition to my team and after the start he's had...I'm glad to have him especially when K-mart or Melo or Nene, or...whoever else is out in Nuggetland. He's cooled off recently and I'm also cool with letting him go if need be to fill another spot. He's not really trade bait unless in a package since he's relatively unknown. Also has SF eligibility.

Small Forwards

Richard Jefferson (NJ) - He should have a spot on anyone's roster. He and VC are the only two scorers in NJ and he's been probably my 3rd best player this year. He ain't goin nowhere.

Shawn Marion (Phx) - Has been consistently a top 3 fantasy player for a couple of years. Not amazing in any one category but way above average in most categories. If he's playing on a Sunday and I'm down by a few stats in multiple categories...he can change the day. The guy's a fantasy stud and you trade him for anyone...well maybe King James....but wouldn't go for Kobe or KG for him...no way. PS...he's PF too.

Carmelo Anthony (Den) - He is fighting for my number one player right now. His recent injury had significant impact on my team's performance. Good thing while he was out I was playing an awful fantasy opponent. He lights it up pretty much every night and is now pulling down boards and droppin some times and playing at an elite level. Go 'Cuse!!

Tim Thomas (LAC) - Owwww my baaaaack! Fanfreakintastic! TT is an inconsistent scorer...hey...watch me drop 28 one night and the next night...ummm..I don't feel like running so I'll score 3 points. So frustrating but I don't have a whole lot of options...well..maybe I do now since he hurt his back. I tried to trade him the other day...more in a joke trade than anything else. Dude rejected the trade...what? Is Hedo Turkoglu having a good year or something? Never expected it to be accepted but stranger things have happened.

Power Forward / Center (every PF I have has dual as either SF or C)

Emeka Okafor (Cha) - They're trying to feature him in the offence in Charlotte and I'm gettin double-double numbers consistently from him and his point production has been on the rise lately. Really happy with his play and he's probably now my best center. Shoots FTs like George Costanza though.

Nazr Mohammed (Cha) - I picked him up when the trade went through sending Mike Van's boy Walter Hermann to Detroit and packing Nazr down to the Bobcats. I'm not a big fan of handcuffing pllayers like that at the same position on the same team but with Okafor's potential to play at PF and Mohammed at C...the Bobcats seem to be producing better now. I get could production from Nazr too but only has my bottom center on my roster. Not really much on the waiver wire either other than Oberto beef jerky in San Antonio...no thanks.

Al Horford - (Atl) Not bad for a rookie to establish himself in the starting rotation in a position that had lots of people fighting for it. Not a great scorer but can put a few in around the hoop but i mainly have him for his rebounding and shot blocking. Was initially ranked hight than I thought he should be but he is proving me wrong as a center.

Nick Collison (Sea) - He's an enigma for me fantasy-wise. He's not holt and cold on a night to night basis but more so on a week to week level. A couple of weeks ago he was averaging 20 and 20 over a 4 game stretch...monster numbers for him.....but then he slumps as well. It all depends on the rotation system that Seattle is trying to get working so they can win games consistently. Nothing seems to work for that...so please just use the system that keeps Collison with premier numbers....I don't really care if the Sonics win.

Andris Biedrins (GS) - I haven't even seen him play this year. He's ranked really high among centers and he has some big games. More of a rebound guy which is fine...i have plenty of scorers but I'm thinking I may try to trade him off to a team that needs a top 10 big man where I think he's just hovering around. Just gotta try to trade high.

Andrew Bynum (LAL) - My most rewarding pick of the draft. He has emerged as what I think is a top 5 center in the league this year based on his numbers. Too bad he's out with a knee injury for a while. No worries Andrew...i'll save a spot for you on the bench...no way I'm putting you out there as an FA.

So...if you take a look back...i'm thinking my biggest hole is at point guard....gotta do somethin about it. Tough to try and trade off some greatness when you have it in other positions. Wish I were the Yankees and I could simply buy the players I want...but with monopoly money or somethin. Might take a crack on the FA list and gamble on Anthony Carter from Denver or Anthony Johnson in Atlanta....but not sure if I'll bother.

Any opinions?

Teaching The Jump Stop in Junior High

2008-01-23T17:22:00.000-04:00

We are in the middle of a basketball unit and something that I continually need to re-realize is the incredibly wide range of skill and ability that shows up in classes. I have some athletes, some basketball players, some sedentary individuals, and some who simply lack co-ordination at this age. That is just categorize a few.

I suppose since I've always been a multi-sport athlete since I was very young, I can easily take for granted the skill sets I have developed over time. To demonstrate the proper techniques for a volley, an overhead smash, a bending free kick is not the hard part, it is in being able to transfer the skill set effectively to students in a way that they understand, see value, can practice, and be able to use effectively.

I also run into students who believe that they already know more than the teacher or coach about the game of basketball and therefore sometimes it becomes more of a challenge to educate them than a novice learner.

One student commented to me that the jump stop was only for people who can't do layups and did not really see the point in the skill because they could do a layup. Of course...they could do an uncontested layup at a medium pace but put them into a game situation and it becomes significantly more difficult. Drives to the hoop are not simply layups and to minimize them to that causes some issues in games. The jump stop on a drive is fantastic for slowing your body down, gathering yourself and powering up to the hoop especially if you are being defended closely on a break or are traveling between defenders. Take a look at an example below.

Richie Williams of the San Diego St. Aztecs uses a double crossover and a jump stop to finish off the play.

Above: Drive and jump stop

The jump stop is not just for drives to the hoop but can be used in many places on the court. It is such a helpful use of offensive footwork that can be used at the end of a dribble to shoot, to pass, or to get in a triple threat position. It can be used to slow the body down quickly while carrying the ball to avoid those nasty traveling calls at the end of a dribble. The beautiful part about the jump stop is that it allows for either foot to be used as a pivot foot making you considerably more dangerous.

Above: The jump stop can be used in many different situations

It would be really nice in class if you could have a database of skills in video form and in game situations that you could call upon instantaneously from your brain and project the video onto the wall for easy viewing. Something worth developing in the future perhaps...way off in the future.

How Well Do You Know Your World?

2008-01-20T10:39:00.000-04:00

Every so often a student or teaching colleague will mention an interesting web site to me that I should check out. Being the curious individual that I am, I usually do. This link is for a game that challenges you to locate various cities or landmarks around the world. As the game progresses, the locations you are to identify become significantly more difficult. You must reach a minimum score on each level in order to advance and when you can't do that the game is over. It then spits out a "Traveler's IQ" for the game.

I've become addicted to it and have spent almost a full hour playing it now trying to get past level 9. I'm pretty solid up until level 8 but that is where I start to falter. Being able to locate many of the small islands around the world is definitely a difficult task. I encourage everyone to give it a try. The only part of the game that I dislike is that it doesn't track how well you do compared to other people and doesn't track your scores. Feel free to post your score in the comments.

Just click on the post title to link to the game.

Are We Reaching Our Students?

2008-01-16T18:44:00.000-04:00

As an educator, a proud educator, I'd like to think I am one of those who attempts to make learning interesting and relevant for my students. I am a fan of technology and enjoy applying it and allowing students to apply it in order to benefit learning.

That certainly does not mean there are not times when the excitement has dwindled and certain ideas or concepts need to be discussed that unfortunately may not have a lot of room for bells, whistles, and instant gratification. However, the approach that you take in these areas , such as understanding the usage of proper grammar, can be made to be entertaining and interactive if you can take the time to plan it. That is not always an option though.

Some kids will complain at the "boring" stuff...and some will complain even if you put them in front of the most exciting learning opportunity. But that doesn't mean we stop trying, experimenting, and having fun ourselves as we teach. I sincerely enjoy teaching and I think at times, I have more fun than some of my students will allow themselves to.

We are in an everchanging world and its is changing exponentially it seems. What was once the focus of some educational concepts may now be outdated and we must as educators make sure that we are adapting and changing with society as well. I never want to be considered a dinosaur teacher.

A colleague of mine in my Masters programme found a couple of interesting videos on Youtube that can stimulate some debate or discussion about the changing world we live in and the educational response that is happening. (Video below) Is this what students are thinking as they attend to their schooling and what are educators doing to address this and meet the student need? At what point do students need to also take responsibility for their educational pursuits as well?

I would love to hear some responses or comments from students, teachers, or any interested parties.

Urban Butter Showcase hits Granville Street

2008-01-12T23:41:00.000-04:00

I just heard about the Urban Butter Showcase on Friday the 11th. I'm not sure whether I've been living under a rock, or maybe you have to be part of the park and pipe scene, or maybe the event just wasn't marketed well enough to reach me more than a day in advance. Regardless, I thought I'd go check it out with a couple of people before my indoor soccer game on Saturday night.

Essentially what this showcase brought to Granville Street in downtown Halifax was an artificial hill, covered in snow much of it natural but I also heard they had to truck some in from Martock as well. Add to it a simulated urban environment with a small lip that approached three different types of rails for snowboarders and park skiers to launch off and hit. For those not sure where Granville Street is, it is located just up from the harbour in a strip well-known for it's cobblestone surface and bars on its sides like the Split Crow, Peddler's, and Boston Pizza. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got down there but was relatively impressed with the attempt to entertain well over 1000 spectators with bright lights, music, an MC, and some excellent riders pleasing the crowd. Granville street is pretty narrow however and the spectating area was really crowded making it very difficult to get a good view of the proceedings without people cutting in front of you or just getting in the way. I did manage to find a decent little spot in front of the run although it was pretty far back for my digital camera to get great pics but I'll post a few of them anyway.

Above in the third video is John Emberly, a teaching colleague of mine at the showcase hitting the middle rail. It was definitely an entertaining event with some excellent riders and skiers but with it were a number of not so great performances as well. I did see a number of riders bail before they hit the jump and then a bunch who probably should have bailed before hitting the rails and having a yard sale at the bottom of the run. Was it successful? I'm sure it was. Could it be more successful? Absolutely. Better advertising...a little more thought for spectators...but other than that...it was a good time.

So You Wanna Fight?

2008-01-07T19:42:00.000-04:00

I just got in the door from my Master's class tonight after a long day of teaching at school. So it's been a double dose of education for me today and I'm in desperate need of some zone out time. I collapsed on the couch and flipped on the old telly to see what is on. Oh yeah, it's free preview month on Eastlink this month so I get a number of channels I don't usually get nor am I planning on getting but while it's available for free, I might as well take a peek.

Being a sports nut I have most of the sport channels available with the exception of a few like the Speed channel or the Fight Network. So as I'm flipping through these channels, I pause on the Fight channel that is showing a program called "So You Wanna Fight". I had heard of it before but never seen it so I thought I'd check it out.

Essentially the show pits regular people, men and women, of various walks of life against each other in a boxing ring. Give them a set of gloves, a mouth guard, a low-class entrance, some cheesy trainers, a drunken boisterous crowd, some corny announcers, and a bell and you've got yourself about a minute or so of brain cell destroying action. I felt less intelligent by the minute for even watching the program yet I couldn't manage to change the channel and I even felt inspired enough to post it here.

I'm not surprised that this type of programming has made its way onto the television especially when you look at what else currently gets on the air. The matches were the equivalent of Cletus the Slack-jawed Yokel vs. K-Fed and had about as much credibility as a Jerry Springer show. Absolutely ridiculous and about as classy. I can't believe that even this passed as temporary entertainment for me tonight. Talk about mind-numbing!! I'm embarrassed for myself.

Winter Tires Needed in Halifax (HRM)?

2008-01-02T10:29:00.000-04:00

(photo: Phil Carpenter/The Gazette Dec 17th)

I haven't seen this much snow fall prior to January 1st, actually make that the 2nd, since I was very young back in the 1980's.

I moved to Nova Scotia, more precisely Beaverbank, in 1991 when my family moved from Regina. Prior to that we had lived in Ontario so the winters I began to experience in Nova Scotia were miserable compared to winters further west in Canada. Certainly not because of the amount of snow but because of the type of snow and the weather patterns that accompany it.

In Nova Scotia, especially close to the ocean as I am in Dartmouth, we usually experience some heavy snow, followed by freezing rain, followed by rain, followed by slushy driving and walking for a couple of days. In December, this has seemed to be the pattern every two to three days. As if people didn't already complain about the winter weather!! Now it seems like the conversations repeat themselves as often as the bad weather.

I often have News 95.7 on my car stereo because of the sports coverage they offer especially in the evening hours. When I drive to school in the morning, I'll probably catch the local news and a sports update. Since I've been off for the Christmas holidays and doing plenty of errands and running around during the daytime hours, I've listened in on a couple of talk shows hosted by either Tom Young or Andrew Crystal, both whom I can only listen to in small doses.

On one of the shows, the topic du jour or maybe the topic de semaine has been whether or not winter tires should be made mandatory in Nova Scotia. The "lucky" listeners get to hear the host's opinion, the tire dealer, the scared driver, the overconfident driver, the "I want to hear my voice on the radio despite the fact that I haven't really thought through what I want to say Caller". Well..I suppose I may be guilty of that at times here on the Bloggopotamus but it's always worse when I hear someone else do it I think. Anyway....back to the winter tire issue.

Mandatory??!!?? Are you kidding me? The best you can or should do is recommend or suggest. Why make them mandatory when they are not needed? I did not say they were not beneficial nor helpful. Of course they are, they are designed for better performance in winter driving conditions and their "track" record is proven and tested. This sort of mandate however is ridiculous. I have never had snow tires for my car (VW Golf) and have never been in an accident. The VW Golf handles very well and I consider myself to be a very competent driver in all weather conditions. I have all-season tires on my car....that's what they are designed for...all seasons. They are not "summer tires"...they are all season. There was some confusion on the radio show when many callers including the host at one point was indicating there were two type of tires, winter and summer. Not correct!

If people can afford winter tires or people feel the need to put winter tires on their vehicle, then they should. I'm well aware that some vehicles function poorly in the snow compared to others and should be taken into consideration. Not all cars "need" winter tires though. There is little doubt that snow tires can help in winter driving conditions but accidents are usually due to driver error. Driving too fast, driving too slow, driving too close, taking too many risks, etc.

I don't know whether the debate over mandating winter tires came from anything credible at all and perhaps it was just a question posed by the producer/host to stimulate discussion or debate.

Either way, it has sparked some discussion, enough to even have me comment on the topic so it has had some impact. My final thoughts...Mandate? No!! Suggest? Yes!

Safe driving!!

Can Team Canada Do It?

2008-01-01T09:18:00.000-04:00

The Boxing Day ritual for myself and many others is to get together with a group of friends at a restaurant, sports bar, or someone's place that has a big flat screen TV and settle in for the opening day of the World Junior Hockey Championships.

Some people will wear Team Canada jerseys, others will wear red and white, some won't need to dress their support but it is obvious and well understood that everyone is cheering for Team Canada hoping that a talented team of young Canadians can dominate the world in what we like to believe is "our game".

Touting a lengthy unbeaten streak and even an impressive shutout record, this year's team definitely has big skates to fill. To follow up the performances of the past two years is no small task. I don't know that this team is talented enough but I will still cheer and support as I always do.

While watching the opening game against the Czech Republic on Boxing Day at the Pardubice Arena, in the 2nd period, I distinctly remember looking over at a friend and we both had wide-eyed expressions and a shrug as if to say "Is this all we've got?". They certainly were not exciting offensively and the chances they created were few and far between. Defensively, they were much better and the goalie, Jonathan Bernier, looked to be that saviour of the Canadian team this year.

It doesn't seem like this young team has the fire that the previous couple of teams had, the deft passing, the domination of puck control, the exciting breakouts, or the bone-jarring hits (Although I'll give Sutter credit for trying to set the tone but by the end of the first game, I'm sure he was feeling all the bumps and bruises he created and took)

Admittedly, it must be tough for this team to follow the past couple of teams with players such as Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Jonathan Toews, Mike Richards, Dion Phaneuf, Patrice Bergeron, Shea Weber, Brent Seabrook, etc. I thought the same thing last year looking at the Team Canada roster but after a truly inspired and undefeated tournament, I thought maybe you didn't need to have star-power to win. Then again...sometimes you do.

The game on Saturday against Sweden was not actually a surprise to me seeing Team Canada in a struggle late in the game. An unfortunate period of frenzy saw the Swedes score three times in just about 5 minutes shook the Canadians and they were able to pull a goal back late in the game. I think the whole country breathed a sigh of relief and figured OT was coming and Canada could take care of business but a careless turnover by Brad Marchand, a Hammonds Plains-native followed by terrible defensive choices on the Swedish breakout left Tobias Forsberg with one of the easiest goals of his career right at the end of the period and a game-winner too. I will mention however that Marchand earlier in the game had one of the nicest goals of the tournament and hopefully he can put a few more away in upcoming games.

There are definitely some bright spots on the team such as Jonathan Bernier, Stefan Legein, Kyle Turris, Steve Stamkos, and John Tavares who is still not even draft eligible this year.

The expectations are always high for Team Canada and sometimes that can be overwhelming for young players. We need to remember that these young fellas are only teens. They have the ability, they have the talent, they have the support, and I believe they have the heart. They put away Denmark 4-1 yesterday in a game without much meaning and will be playing in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Get out your red and white.

"Gotta support the team". David Putty says the face painting is optional.

Car Football....How Much Fun Would That Be??

2007-12-30T22:08:00.000-04:00

I came across this insanely entertaining clip on youtube yesterday. I'm a big soccer or football fan and love to get out and play as often as I can. I'm also a Volkswagen fan and a proud Golf owner. Now...combine the two and you've got an awfully exciting event. As long as I'm using someone else's car I'd be all over this.

I think this was featured on Top Gear and basically it is two teams of cars...in this case the Volkswagen Fox vs. Toyota Aygo (defending champs). Is there a real competition for this? They push around a huge inflatable ball attempting to score in regulation soccer nets.

How much fun would this be to get a bunch of friends together and play?

The Baby Name Debates!!

2007-12-30T09:41:00.000-04:00

I flipped on the television this morning and was watching a show on G4Tech TV that I find myself watching more and more. The show is called Call for Help with Leo Laporte. They often troubleshoot computer software issues, answer inquiries on effective programs, and often provide nifty little tools and tricks for computing.

I'm sure today's episode was a repeat at this time of year but if you haven't seen it before, a repeat is just like the first time.

I'm getting to the age now where relatives, friends, acquaintances, and random people often ask when or if I'm going to have any children. I don't see it happening in the immediate future. I'm too much of a kid myself right now and until I/we are comfortable in the idea there will be no little mini-Mathers running around. For some of you who know me...you're thinking "Thank God!"

However on the show today, they highlighted a website that provides some interesting information on selecting baby names, their popularity, their history, etc. The website is basically designed to promote and sell a book on the topic but the site is still pretty cool. The Baby Name Wizard was kind of fun to play with not that I'm looking for any baby names for people though.

I was able to look up a few sample names to take a look at their

1) popularity/rarity (ranking)
2) Style of name (not sure what this really is...but offers "biblical", "Antique", Guys and Dolls")
3) Variants of the name (i.e. Hannah - Hanna - Hana)
4) Suggested names for brothers and sisters that fit the same genre of name
5) Then a little commentary on the name to make it more personal from writer to reader.

Of course the sample names are meant to give you a taste so that you'll perhaps buy the book and I'm sure many expecting parents do such things. I think it would be brilliant for a web site to produce such a book online and charge a one week viewing fee or something for people to look at the entire database rather than sell it as a book...well maybe not brilliant...and it's probably been done...but much more interactive that way.

The feature that really drew my attention though was the Name Voyager (requires Java). "The Baby Name Wizard's NameVoyager is an interactive portrait of America's name choices. Start with a "sea" of nearly 5000 names. Type a letter, and you'll zoom in to focus on how that initial has been used over the past century. Then type a few more letters, or a name. Each stripe is a timeline of one name, its width reflecting the name's changing popularity. If a name intrigues you, click on its stripe for a closer look."

You can search your own name and see when it was popular in recent history and it charts its incline or decline in popularity. For example, no one really had a name like Britney until the 1990's. Name like George were much more popular earlier in the 1900's and since the introduction of the Simpsons, I don't think anyone in their right mind now would choose a name like Homer for their son. My apologies to all the existing Homers out there...you may have gotten a raw deal thanks to Matt Groening.

Another note for Seinfeld fans....George Costanza's Soda and Seven both did not make the list of names. Check it out...have some fun...let me know what you think. Any other cool baby name sites out there?

Alonzo Mourning Tribute

2007-12-26T20:58:00.000-04:00

Alonzo Mourning is one of the best shot blockers in the history of the NBA. Despite his injury woes during his career, when healthy he could dominate a game defensively making many aggressive ball handlers think twice before entering "Zo's House".

Mourning was always a treat to watch and helped me out in numerous years of fantasy basketball. I think what I like most about Alonzo is his heart and passion for the game. The guy got seriously pumped when he played and inspired people around him and was easily a fan favourite. Was he ever tough in the paint!!

He underwent successful knee surgery last week on Friday, after tearing his patellar tendon a couple days earlier on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the NBA and its fans, the surgery signals the end of Mourning's season and in all likelihood his career. Mourning was nearing the end of his career but I think he still had plenty left in him for a couple of years.

Here are a couple of videos I found on Youtube that I'll put up as a tribute to one of the toughest defenders in NBA history.

Stereotypical Pick-Up Basketball Players

2007-12-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

After a long absence...I'm going to try and resurrect the Bloggopotamus and see how it goes. Some things serious, some things bizarre, some things to make you think, and some things to make you fall off your chair laughing.

No matter where you go to play some pickup ball...whether it be at the Dalplex, The Tower, The Hood, The lunchtime intramural program.....you're bound to find some of these winners. Enjoy!!

When Will The Bloggopotamus Return?

2007-10-29T12:42:00.000-03:00

I have not posted anything on the Bloggopotamus since the summer but I hope to get back into the swing of blogging again in the near future with a narrower focus at times. Currently, the Halifax Regional School Board has banned access to journals and blogs on the internet in all schools.

This is done using a netsweeper program that eliminates access to categories of sites based on key words, content, and board administration. Unfortunately this has also eliminated access to educational blogs and their effective use in the classroom. Thanks a lot HRSB!! I used the Bloggopotamus in class so often last year as many of the units progressed, I was able to post relevant information and interesting enrichment for my students. Now that has been erased.

The same goes for Youtube and Google Video and a massive list of other sites that have educational value. Of course, there are dangers and concerns over the use of many sites but it is lack of supervision in the classroom or school environment that is often connected with inappropriate surfing and internet use. School board solution? Ban it all! This is truly unfortunate for teachers and students who benefit greatly from being able to access these resources.

Of course, they claim the process for having a site unblocked and made accessible is quite simple and just needs to go through the proper channels. We attempted this at the end of last year and found that the hurdles we had to jump over were too much of a hassle to bother with and too time consuming.

So...the result for the time being. The Bloggopotamus is blocked on school computers. Ridiculous. I will however be attempting to resolve this issue in the near future and we'll see what happens. In the meantime, posting will be sporadic.

I do realize that this post is likely choppy and not well thought out...but it is more of a venting session for viewers to see. So..no apologies as of yet but hope you understand.

Anyone else care to vent? Fire away. :)

Transformers - Bumblebee Tribute Trailer

2007-07-10T18:18:00.001-03:00

I went and saw Transformers on the weekend and I was so impressed.

The storyline was a little cheesy in parts but that was expected. I was blown away by the special effects and the amount of action from start to finish.

I was so happy to be able to relive my youth for 2 1/2 hours. Definitely well worth checkin it out in the theatres if you haven't done so already.

Family Guy - Stewie: That novel you've been working on

2007-07-10T17:56:00.001-03:00

Funny little clip posted on Youtube of Stewie Griffin questioning Brian on how he's coming along with his novel that he's been working on now for 3 years.

The Origins of Symbols

2007-07-09T07:30:00.000-03:00

Neatorama posted an interesting piece of information compiled from one of the many Uncle John's Bathroom Reader type books on the origin of some of our every day symbols that we use in writing.

Question Mark

Origin: When early scholars wrote in Latin, they would place the word questio - meaning "question" - at the end of a sentence to indicate a query. To conserve valuable space, writing it was soon shortened to qo, which caused another problem - readers might mistake it for the ending of a word. So they squashed the letters into a symbol: a lowercased q on top of an o. Over time the o shrank to a dot and the q to a squiggle, giving us our current question mark.

Equal Sign

Origin: Invented by English mathematician Robert Recorde in 1557, with this rationale: "I will settle as I doe often in woorke use, a paire of paralleles, or Gmowe [i.e., twin] lines of one length, thus : , bicause noe 2 thynges, can be more equalle." His equal signs were about five times as long as the current ones, and it took more than a century for his sign to be accepted over its rival: a strange curly symbol invented by Descartes.

Dollar Sign

Origin: When the U.S. government begin issuing its own money in 1794, it used the common world currency - the peso - also called the Spanish dollar. The first American silver dollars were identical to Spanish pesos in weight and value, so they took the same written abbreviations: Ps. That evolved into a P with an s written right on top of it, and when people began to omit the circular part of the p, the sign simply became an S with a vertical line through it.

For more symbol origins....click here

The Octapult

2007-06-29T07:11:00.001-03:00

Interesting kinetic-based octapult that has eight catapults function via pulleys, resistance and a rotating disc. Really interseting although I'm not sure that it really is useful for anything other than a little entertainment.

Play Tron Online and Offline

2007-06-26T07:26:00.001-03:00

I was very addicted to this game when I as young. Here you can relive the experience with better graphics.Sometimes it is not just play. You need to think about strategy, timing and other things in order to win. Like all games I blog about, here is another one that is bound to get you thinking. Based on the light cycle sequences from the film Tron, the aim of the game is to be the last player riding. So avoid running into walls, your own tail and...

read more | digg story

Soccer's Top-Earning Players

2007-06-24T08:47:00.000-03:00

Forbes.com has produced a nice little slideshow highlighting soccer players with the fattest paychecks. For many people, it is difficult to truly appreciate the amount of cash some of these athletes are rolling around in since most football contracts are expressed in British pounds as opposed to dollars. Then there is also the "transfer fee" idea and often fans wonder...well what do they really make? For all of those who seem to get confused...just watch the show. :)

Click on the post title.

F4 Tornado touches down - Elie Manitoba - June 22, 2007

2007-06-24T08:21:00.001-03:00

Here is some video from the F4 tornado that touched down in Elie, Manitoba about 40 km from Winnipeg.

The Fujita scale for tornadoes only goes up to F5 so this is nearly as storng as it can get. It was packing winds of 417 km/h at one point.

It just kept growing and growing. Amazing that no one was injured or hurt in this small town.

Canada v USA June 21 2007. Gold Cup Soccer Robbery!

2007-06-23T15:22:00.001-03:00

Here is the controversial end to the Canada and USA semifinal of the Gold Cup.

Offside called on the deflection against Canada as they go in and score in injury time.

Brutal way to end the tournament. This is one more reason why CONCACAF football refereeing is so sketchy.

Canada Opens Some Eyes In The Gold Cup

2007-06-23T10:34:00.000-03:00

I saw a post on the Nova Scotia Soccer League web site commenting on Canada's performance at the recent Gold Cup soccer tournament after their somewhat controversial loss to the USA in the semi-final. Despite any controversy, the team showed that the program is finally beginning to make some progress and young players are beginning to see that the men's and women's programs are developing. Here is what the NSSL site had posted

" Forget the final official score. Canada's Men's National team and the game of soccer in Canada were the big winners in Thursday night's Gold Cup semi-final between the USA and Canada.

Those of us who were able to follow the contest live on the Gol Soccer Channel (Channel 117 EastLink Television) were treated to an excellent display of how Steve Hart wants Canadians to play the game - intelligent, ball control, sound defence, and crisp, controlled passing.

Canada did that throughout this game and indeed throughout their entire run at this year's Gold Cup. Against the 16th ranked Americans, Canada controlled the game for long periods of time and had the Americans in trouble for much of the game following a five minute shaky start.

To say we, as soccer enthusiasts in Canada, could take something positive away from this game is a gross understatement. We found out that we can really play this game and play it consistently well.

Our young players finally have Canadian stars they can identify with, the de Guzmans, the Humes, the Jazics and throughout the roster many others who carried themselves with skill, dignity and pride. Add to this the fabulous effort by Coach Hart, and all levels of the game have something to attach themselves to.

We have seen this development on the Women's side with the Sinclairs, Timkos, the Laings, and all the others we have come to know so well.

Now they have been joined on the world stage by the National Men's team (which has climbed nearly 40 spaces in FIFA Rankings during this 2 week period) and with the much anticipated challenge by the young Canadian side in this years U-20 World Cup, we fully believe the 'Beautiful Game' is finally taking root in Canada.

When one throws in the phenomena developing around the MLS Toronto FC, soccer enthusiasts in Nova Scotia from mini to the EastLink Premiership have plenty to aspire to and together we will use this as a springboard to continue our collective efforts to 'grow the game'.

NSSL Administration"

Thierry Henry Leaving Aresnal for Barcelona

2007-06-23T10:14:00.000-03:00

Barcelona claim they've agree to a 16 million pound transfer of Thierry Henry to Barca.

This could be potentially a massive blow to Arsenal as a team but also to the fans who so often have looked to Henry to be the saviour in so many matches and he has often been able to deliver.

Reports in Spain have emerged suggesting the Arsenal striker has signed a four-year deal with Barcelona.

Cadena Ser radio, the station that broke the news of David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane's moves to Real Madrid, have stated that Barcelona will pay €24million (£16million) for the Arsenal forward.

The station, which quotes Barcelona officials, says Henry has already put pen-to-paper on a contract spanning until 2011.

To read more...click the post title to go to Sky Sports' latest news

A Pet Hippo? Awesome!

2007-06-22T07:09:00.001-03:00

Meet Jessica, a seven-year-old hippopotamus from South Africa who has become the family pet of a game ranger who found the hippo as an injured baby and nursed her back to health. She only weighs about 3/4 of a ton. Not your average house pet.

Attempts to reintroduce her to the wild have failed as she has become somewhat domesticated and feels at home with her human parents. Putting her back into the wild puts her at risk of being killed or attacked by other hippos, shot by farmers protecting crops, and besides she likes the comforts of home.

For more pics and info...click on the post title or here.

Attention Trekkies...Home Theatre Renovation

2007-06-20T07:26:00.001-03:00

I've always wanted to have a really cool home theatre room to watch movies and tv but you need to have a deep wallet, dedication, and a fanatical passion for something. Here is an example. This is a home theatre room that has been modeled after the bridge on Star Trek. The site has a step-by-step log of how the process was completed with pictures. (Does that make it a Captain's Log?...ugh...groan)

Neil...as soon as I saw this...I had to put it up. This might be right up your alley at some point in the future.,..and if you do...I expect you to track me down and invite me to the bridge.

Here is the site for everyone to check out...pretty amazing. (link)

NBA Finals Lebron Etch A Sketch

2007-06-20T07:23:00.001-03:00

Whe I was a kid..I had an Etch-a-Sketch. I was very talented and could make a box. I could make a box like car...a box like house...and box man...and many other box-related items.

Then I discovered how to make a curved line...i was then able to make lopsided circles and add some wonky wheels to my box cars. I quit shortly thereafter.

Here is a video of George Vlosich creating an Etch-a-Sketch of Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The sketch apparently took 5 hours to make but the video is condensed into 3 minutes. A lot of talent and time is used in this one folks!

Magic Trick Tutorials

2007-06-20T07:14:00.001-03:00

Be the life of the part, or get the interest of that girl. These are the 20 most amazing magic tricks tutorial videos that you will find anywhere according to someone. Some pretty neat stuff/ Nice to see the videos to accompany it. Click on the "read more" link below. :)

read more | digg story

How Do You Lace Em Up?

2007-06-19T17:21:00.000-03:00

How do you lace up your shoes? Ian's Shoelace Site gives 31 ways to tie up your sneaks or boots with directions and diagrams. Apparently, there are over 2 million ways to feed a lace through six eylets...most probably look ridiculous.

This site has 31 options that look pretty good according to the author's opinion. Check em out and good luck experimenting with them. They are also evaluated by difficulty to tie, to tighten, comfort and a few other categories.

Paul Potts finale performance on Britains got talent

2007-06-18T06:56:00.001-03:00

Here is the finale as promised of Paul Potts...the eventual winner of Britain's Got Talent.

A big career lies ahead for him.

Britain's Got Talent- Connie Talbot

2007-06-17T14:13:00.001-03:00

I hadn't seen many of the other competitors on Britain's Got Talent this year but here is Connie Talbot...she's six years old. She sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in perfect pitch....totally amazing. It will be an interesting finale for sure.

Rich, Black and Flunking...

2007-06-17T09:05:00.001-03:00

The black parents wanted an explanation. Doctors, lawyers, judges, and insurance brokers, many had come to the upscale Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights specifically because of its stellar school district. They expected their children to succeed academically, but most were performing poorly. African-American students were lagging far behind other groups of students.

This is a very interesting article that tackles a very complex topic and one that is debated frequently in many of the courses I'm currently taking in my graduate studies. The article pits two positions against each other...both with some validity and both with some ignorant thought. I would suggest that the real deal is somewhere in between

Parents need to be involved in their child's education...students need to take ownership for their own lives...teachers need to strive to motivate and equip students for real success...and the system needs to look at ways to remove potential roadblocks that hinder these ideas.It's amazing how damaging ignorance can be.

read more digg story

Paul Potts Semi Final winning performance High Quality V/S

2007-06-16T19:24:00.001-03:00

Here he is again singing Time To Say Goodbye in the semifinals. This song was recently done by Andrea Bocelli in case you're wondering where you've heard it before.

Paul Potts - Britain's Got Talent

2007-06-16T19:20:00.001-03:00

I saw this the other day and was absolutely amazed. Paul Potts...just a regular guy in Britain who is a salesman and doesn'y have the star appearance...surprises everyone including the judges on Britain's Got Talent as he sings Nessum Dorma. What a great story!!

Japanese tv tetris game

2007-06-09T08:20:00.001-03:00

The Japanese have to have the most entertaining game show ideas. I love watching MXC and ridiculous games like that.

Here's another great one in which the contestants have to adjust their body into a shape in order to pass through a wall or else they get knocked back into the water. Looks like a lot of fun.

Flexibility is key in this one...I would be terrible.

A Little Ironic...Don't cha think?

2007-06-03T10:32:00.000-03:00

US Spelling Bee took place this week. Can you spot the problem in this picture?

Video Killed the Radio Star

2007-06-03T10:16:00.001-03:00

Here’s The Wrong Trousers, a band of very talented three high school students Mack Leighton (bass), Kelsea Little (harp) and Joseph Lorge (mandolin), busking in Balboa Park, California, singing Video Killed the Radio Star.

Definitely an interesting mix of instruments and talents in this one.

Snoop on HNIC...what?

2007-05-31T22:26:00.001-03:00

Alright...check out this contrast. Scott Oake of Hockey Night in Canada interviews Snoop Dogg at Game 2 of the Anaheim/Ottawa Stanley Cup game.

I think Scott Oake says "Big ups to this crunk planet...what's cracklin nephew?"

As if this isn't one of those classic interviews.

Trick Of A Dozen Nails

2007-05-31T07:00:00.001-03:00

Can you balance 12 nails on top of one nail planted into a block of wood? Beofre you look at this video..you may want to start the video and then stop it before he shows the solution and then go try it.....or take the easy was out and just watch the video and then show all your friends how much of a "fake" genius you are.

It makes sense but so many of us would spent a lot of time frustrating ourselves or simply say it can't be done.

Suspicions about Pearl Harbor

2007-05-30T21:07:00.000-03:00

Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most dramatic incidents in U.S. history - and the source of persistent questions. Did President Roosevelt know the attack was coming? If so, why didn’t he defend against it? Here’s some insight from It’s a Conspiracy!

There are always conspiracy theorists out there who challenge the recounted history of events. In some cases they are blatantly false, but in some cases maybe there have been cover-ups that have been silenced in the textbooks, the media, and society in general by the government. I came across an interesting post on Neatorama that throws out some information that may cause some suspicion.

I suppose that no matter what we read or hear, we should be critically analyzing the information, its sources, and the intent of the information.

Click on the post title to see more pictures and read about possible holes in the common historical account of Pearl Harbor.

Don't Look back in Anger mime

2007-05-30T20:45:00.001-03:00

This guy mimes various songs in a very humorous fashion. His name is David Armand but I guess this persona is Johann Lippowitz.

Interesting and entertaining for sure. You can find mimes to many other videos on Youtube.

Warning: one mild piece of language at the beginning of the clip.

1938 German Ballot

2007-05-30T20:34:00.000-03:00

From Wikipedia:
The ballot text reads “Do you agree with the reunification of Austria with the German Empire that was enacted on 13 March 1938, and do you vote for the party of our leader Adolf Hitler?,” the large circle is labelled “Yes,” the smaller “No.”

Hmmm...I wonder which way they want you to vote?

Real Photograph of a Terrace Field

2007-05-30T20:27:00.000-03:00

Terrace farming is very common on the landscape in Asia. This is a real picture taken of Terrace Rice Fields in the Yunnan Province of China. It was posted on wikipedia by Jialiang Gao. When you first look at it...it looks like a painting or something but if you look at it closely enough..you can tell it's real. Fascinating farming practice...beautiful

Ekranoplans...Some funky lookin planes!!

2007-05-25T22:28:00.000-03:00

A bizarre cross between a hovercraft and an airplane, developed during the Cold War mainly by the Soviet Union. They hover and skim above the water surface at speeds of up to 250 miles an hour, they carry heavier loads of cargo and troops than any airplane - the Ekranoplans, or "Wing-in-Ground" (WIG) vehicles are possibly the most exciting and strange looking technology ever designed by men.

Developed mostly by Soviets during Cold Wars years (by Rostislav Alexeev's design firm) some of them were over 500 feet in length and had an estimated weight of over 500 tons! And yet they skimmed over the waves with grace, at high speeds, able to negotiate stormy conditions, unseen by radar - all thanks to an aerodynamic principle known as the "ground effect".

These are some funky looking planes. Hopefully in class this year we'll get ot cover some of the Cold War and the technologies that were being developed. This post has numerous pictures and even a video post within it. Definitely worth a look.

Click on the post title to learn more about Ekronoplans.

The Bicycle-Eating Tree

2007-05-25T22:15:00.001-03:00

On Vashon Island (near Seattle, Washington), a tree grows carrying a rather unusual passenger - an old bike. Apparently some kid chained a bike to the tree decades ago and never picked it up, leaving the tree no choice but to grow around the bike.

The tree and island gained some level of notoriety when Berkeley Breathed, creator of Bloom County, wrote a children’s book inspired by the bicycle eating tree entitled Red Ranger Came Calling.

This post in its original form came through neatorama.com and before that through the Museum of Hoaxes although apparently this is no hoax.

Star Wars Characters: Then and Now

2007-05-24T07:16:00.001-03:00

Kind of like a "Stars Wars: Where Are They Now?" picture slide. Interesting collection of some of the characters and where they are now. Wow...Mark Hamill looks so old now.

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AC Milan defeats Liverpool 2-1 to win the Champions League title

2007-05-24T07:10:00.001-03:00

Pippo Inzaghi scored a goal in each half as AC Milan claim the Champions League title with a 2-1 win over Liverpool. Not so happy with the result but at least Liverpool made it to the final after putting out Chelsea in the semifinals.

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Rate Your Students

2007-05-23T21:10:00.000-03:00

In the age of technology, students and teachers alike are becoming tech-savvy. The teaching profession often comes under scrutiny from students, parents, community, and society in general and there are numerous sites on the net that allow for the public to comment on, complain about, or praise educators.

Some popular sites are Rate My Teacher or Rate My Professor. I'm sure there are plenty more and if you come across any...please add them in the comments below. These forums allow people to voice their opinions whether negative or positive. Then you have sites like Facebook where people can create their own groups of interest and discuss topics of interest. I've noticed that most schools are mentioned somewhere on Facebook as members or alumni gather to talk about experiences, memories, reconnecting, and who knows what else.

I recently came across a similar type of site designed for teachers...Rate My Students. This site is basically a blog where teachers can creatively express their frustrations, successes, learnings, and general reflections on teaching. In accordance with ethics of professionalism, names are not used and the reflections ring true I'm sure with many educators.

Here is the blog description...

Welcome to Rate Your Students, a public forum where faculty and students can work out the tricky dynamic of the modern classroom. Students can tell us why they won't take the iPod out during a lecture, and professors can tell us why their clothes are so frumpy.

I've visited the site a number of times in the past couple of days and have greatly enjoyed the posts there. Many people do not appreciate the struggles that so many of us passionate teachers deal with in our occupation. It's definitely worth a read for fellow teachers and also for students to perhaps see things from a slightly different perspective...i.e. outside their own.

Sideshow World

2007-05-20T10:25:00.000-03:00

Sideshow World is an online museum and archive of the circus and carnival sideshows of the past. You’ll find pictures, stories, and links about performers and exhibits, and daily updates. Click on the post title.

Who Will Win in the 21st Century?

2007-05-19T09:45:00.001-03:00

"In the International Management Development World Competitiveness Yearbook, the U.S. came in first once again. But other nations are closing the gap" This may not be as exciting as best-dressed or worst-dressed list or the nominees for the NHL awards but plenty of high ranking business people and economists pay attention to this publication.

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Threats Shut Down High Schools in HRSB

2007-05-17T15:12:00.000-03:00

excerpts from linked new sources...

Three Halifax-area high schools are closed as police investigate reports of various threats, but the RCMP said they had not found anything suspicious.

Auburn Drive and Cole Harbour High, both in Cole Harbour, were evacuated Thursday morning. Each school has about 1,100 students.

The 1,300 students at Lockview High School in Fall River had already been given the day off. Police were patrolling Lockview and were searching the two Cole Harbour schools Thursday.
The RCMP said they heard Monday that students and staff at Lockview could be in some kind of danger on Thursday.

"We're still trying to determine whether the threats are true," Cpl. Joe Taplin told CBC News Wednesday.

For more on this story...click the post title or click here. This story is being reported on CBC.CA

CTV Atlantic and MSN News are reporting a similar story...excerpts below....

Classes have been cancelled for thousands of students as police probe threats against three Halifax-area high schools.

Lockview High School in Fall River, N.S. remains closed on Thursday, May 17, 2007 as an investigation continues by the RCMP.

Auburn Drive High School in Cole Harbour was the first school to be evacuated Thursday morning.

"A student went into the washroom, discovered a note that said a possible bomb could go off in the school later that day," Halifax RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Taplin told CTV Newsnet.
The school was evacuated and classes have been cancelled for the day.

"At that time, we brought in our RCMP bomb dog to go through the school to see if there are any explosive devices within the school."

A couple of hours later, at about 11:00 a.m. AT, Cole Harbour High received another threat.
"Another high school, which is approximately three to four city blocks away from Auburn Drive High School received a phone-in call regarding a bomb threat and once again that school was evacuated," Taplin said. A Halifax Regional Police bomb dog was brought into the school to search for potential explosive devices.

For more check out CTV.ca

Flickrvision

2007-05-15T06:46:00.000-03:00

Flickrvision is one of those sites that can get you stuck for just a little bit too long if you don’t watch out. It’s a Google Map on which you in real-time will see new photos that are being posted on Flickr. Click on the post title to visit the site.

Original link through Neatorama.

CSIS Goes On A Hiring Blitz

2007-05-13T20:41:00.001-03:00

Recently, CSIS hired over 100 new recruits for the Intelligence Service from a growing pool of interested candidates. Canadian involvement in foreign peacekeeping and security missions may be helping spur interest from Canadians in this field. Here is a link to an article from the Toronto Star. Click below to read more.

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Gordon Lightfoot Concert May 12th, 2007

2007-05-13T11:57:00.000-03:00

Now I can finally say that I saw one of Canada's greatest songwriters in concert. Last night, a number of us went to see Gordon Lightfoot at the Halifax Metro Centre to take in what may have been his last trip down to Atlantic Canada as a concert performer. It certainly was not a high-energy performance but that has never been Lightfoot's style. He is a class act as a musician and our reason for going was simply to appreciate his music. Walking away from it however, I had mixed feelings about the concert's worth.

The tickets were $55.00 for the floor and we had pretty good seats. My only beef with the floor seating is that it is on a flat level and if you have some people with big heads in front of you, as we did, it can be a little frustrating. I think in hindsight for concerts at the Metro Centre I would prefer to be on the sides where your view might be less obstructed. I know that Gordon Lightfoot is a pretty big name and that the ticket price would be pretty high but with no opening acts and only a 1 hour and 45 minute show....i was hoping for a little more. We also knew that we were going to be the youngest people in the audience likely...and indeed we were but that's fine because you don't have to be a certain age to appreciate music.

The music itself was fantastic and flawless. The solo guitarist was great. I am not a Lightfoot fanatic and many of the songs that he played I was unfamiliar with but when he pulled out some classics like "Sundown" and "If You Could Read my Mind" among others, the crowd really lit up. Gordon Lightfoot is getting up there in age now and his voice and power is not nearly as strong as it was years ago and I found that his mic was turned down a little too much making it difficult to hear much of what he was singing. Coupled with his singing style, it reminded me of tyring to interpret Bob Dylan in some ways.

Looking back now i likely would not spend that much money but at least now I can say that I saw Gordon Lightfoot in concert.

Nasa unveils Hubble's successor.

2007-05-11T07:34:00.001-03:00

The US space agency Nasa has unveiled a model of a space telescope that scientists say will be able to see to the farthest reaches of the universe.The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is intended to replace the ageing Hubble telescope.

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Incredible Hotel Concepts and Potential Realities

2007-05-10T11:21:00.000-03:00

Bornrich.org has an interesting post on the World's Top Ten Futuristic Luxury Hotels. These are some pretty amazing conceptual ideas and some of them are already becoming a reality. From breath-taking scenery to views from space, this is a fantastic list to stimulate the brain and allow us to wonder and envision the potential future. I've borrowed a few snapshots from the post. Above is the Apeiron Island Hotel which is in the concept planning stage.

This is a picture of the the Burj Al-Arab hotel in Dubai, UAE. This hotel is already built and only ranges from $1,000 to $28,000 a night. That's nuts!!

This last one is my favourite and is called Waterworld designed by Atkins Architecture Group and would be located in China. This is also simply in the concept phase but looks like it would be amazing if it were to be pulled off.

This is just a teaser of the list and it is full of really neat ideas. Click on the post title to see the full list...or click here

Encyclopedia of Life Initiative

2007-05-10T09:47:00.000-03:00

"Comprehensive, collaborative, ever-growing, and personalized, the Encyclopedia of Life is an ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. Our goal is to create a constantly evolving encyclopedia that lives on the Internet, with contributions from scientists and amateurs alike. To transform the science of biology, and inspire a new generation of scientists, by aggregating all known data about every living species. And ultimately, to increase our collective understanding of life on Earth, and safeguard the richest possible spectrum of biodiversity."

This is an interesting idea and venture. The Encyclopedia of Life Project will attempt to document the 1.8 million species known to mankind currently with a detailed page of information and hopefully pictures of each species. This is a massive undertaking obviously and will take many years to complete. Currently, they are building the framework for the project and have a few demonstration pages accessible.

It is too soon to predict how long it will take to fully document, catalog, and list all 1.8 million species on the Encyclopedia of Life site. The intention is to make key components of the Encyclopedia available to the general public starting some time in 2008. As a ballpark estimate, they are hoping that a full encyclopedia would be ready in about 10 years. Of course...this is all subject to change. This will serve as such a great resource for learning. Click on the post title to visit the site

World is walking 10% faster - New York 8th Fastest City

2007-05-03T06:48:00.001-03:00

The pace at which city dwellers walk has increased by 10 per cent in the last decade, a new study has shown.I wonder where Halifax would stack up on this list. I imagine we are nowhere near the top especially compared to the larger cities with major businesses in the downtown core and many more people on very tight schedules. Everyone is always in asuch a hurry it seems. To link to the article click on the post title or below on Read More."Slow down..You move too fast...You got to make the moment last" (Simon and Garfunkel)

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Demakersvan Wind Lamps

2007-05-01T11:09:00.000-03:00

"An outside lamp drawn from our home surroundings. The gently sweeping Dutch windmills were actually perfect generators of their own. With that in mind, we made this lamp. With every breeze it stores energy, enough to enjoy every summer evening until forever. Contemporary vs traditional, art vs functionality. Shaped by its function the big prop spans over one meter on each side. It is a self supporting light source that marks the landscape."

The Dutch Design House Demakersvan has created a really neat product that is a wind-powered lantern with some artistic flare. This would be a great addition to a deck or backyard I think. Who knows what the price point is on a functional artistic piece like this. It has just been released and will be shown at various expos in the near future. To visit their site with more interesting pieces...click here.

100 Places To See Before You Die

2007-05-01T10:38:00.000-03:00

Eiffel Tower
Architect: Gustave Eiffel
Location: Paris, France
Built from 1887 to 1889
Style:structural expressionist
Height: 300 m (985 ft) tall.

The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World Exposition.

Essential Architecture has produced a suggested list of the top 100 architectural sites to visit in the world before you expire. The Eiffel tower is just one of those. Others include the Sphinx, Machu Pichu, and many more Click here to see the list...it includes pictures as well.

Anatomy of the Heart Tutorial

2007-04-29T19:36:00.000-03:00

Here's a great little tutorial from Holomatix.com on the anatomy of the human heart.

The tutorial is run in java and is interactive for the user. You're able to zoom in and rotate around the beating heart. You can also click on the various parts to learn more about their function. Click here to get to the site.

What You Know About Math?

2007-04-28T11:38:00.001-03:00

Our school recently hosted a Math Olympics competition and the mathletes as they are apparently called really got into it.
I came across this video on Youtube which made me laugh...it's a version of T.I.'s song "What you know about that".

Volcano Cake

2007-04-26T17:48:00.000-03:00

This guy went nuts for his son's 5th birthday creating an elaborate and active volcano cake for his son. The cake actually erupted with strawberry jelly and even rumbled too. Click on the post title to see the link which includes all of the steps in the process with pictures as well. I wonder how it tasted.

A.I. Plays 20 Questions With You

2007-04-26T09:06:00.000-03:00

This is absolutely awesome. This game is based on an Artifiicial Intelligence that learns answers every time someone plays to become smarter and smarter. You choose a person, place, or thing, and the computer will ask you a series of questions and eventually attempt to guess your selcetion. I tried this a couple of time with some pretty obscure topics and it got it every time before asking 20 questions...pretty amazing.

The site is 20Q.net, it is the online game that can "read your mind", recently played past the 50,000,000 game mark. With each game played the A.I. that drives the game gets a little smarter. This thing is so accurate it’s spooky.

Billy's Balls 2

2007-04-25T21:59:00.001-03:00

Pretty interesting video. The guy bounces ping pong balls off various objects and into a plastic cup.

I wonder how many takes it took them to shoot a video like this. Very entertaining.

Incredible Pic of Preying Mantis

2007-04-21T13:06:00.000-03:00

This is one of the most unique pictures I have come across. It was posted on a Flickr account which unfratunately at school is blocked and I want it to be visible so I uploaded the pic myself but the original source is in the post title.

It's a great picture of a mantis in a defensive position but then with the backdrop of suburbia behind it makes it really interesting.

Amazing Rap Impressions

2007-04-21T13:01:00.001-03:00

Here's a medley of impressions by stand-up comic, Aries Spears, on K105 radio. In this one he does impressions of LL Cool J, DMX, Snoop, and Jay-Z.

I love listening to impressions and Aries Spears is incredible. He does a great Shaquille O'Neal impression but that's for another time.

Is ethanol the answer?

2007-04-20T07:07:00.001-03:00

Apparently not, as an inconvenient truth emerges. Here's an interesting article on the push toward the use of ethanol-based fuels and possible drawbacks to its use. The ongoing battle between the oil industry and the up-and-coming green fuels proponents have some more to debate now.

read more | digg story

Stranded Sailors in Newfoundland

2007-04-19T16:15:00.000-03:00

Dozens of ice-locked longliners off Newfoundland's coastlines were running low on fuel and supplies Thursday as coast guard vessels worked to free fishermen who have been trapped returning from last week's seal hunt.

With ice starting to pressure the hulls of some vessels, Canadian Coast Guard officers on Wednesday night removed 20 crew members from five longliners.

With some longliners, officials said, supplies of fresh water are now so low that coast guard vessels are aiming to bring supplies for what could be an extended — and frustrating — operation.

For more...click on this link from CBC.

This hasn't become a major news story yet so maybe the situation is not as bad as I imagine it could be. But....so much ice packed together....ships stuck in it...ice moves...crushes ships? I don't know but it doesn't sound good to me.

Hitler vs. Himmler vs. Goebbels vs. Göring

2007-04-17T23:47:00.000-03:00

Here is a link to a post on Neatorama that looks at the differences between some German leaders during WWII. In many pictures you will see some key individuals and this article highlights some of the differences and how you can tell who's who.

Adolf Hitler - Fuhrer and leader of Nazi Germany

Heinrich Himmler - Head of the SA and eventually the SS in Germany

Joseph Goebbels - German propaganda minister

Hermann Goring - Leader of the German Air Force "The Luftwaffe"

The original article came from Mental Floss book "What’s the Difference?"

Full of intersting stuff.

Dinner with a Megavertebrate

2007-04-17T23:27:00.000-03:00

The Maldives 15 April marks the day that the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant in the world opens its doors for business at the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. Ithaa* will sit five meters below the waves of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and encased in clear acrylic offering diners 270-degrees of panoramic underwater views.

"We have used aquarium technology to put diners face-to-face with the stunning underwater environment of the Maldives", says Carsten Schieck, General Manager of Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa. "Our guests always comment on being blown away by the colour, clarity, and beauty of the underwater world in the Maldives, so it seemed the perfect idea to build a restaurant where diners can experience fine cuisine and take time to enjoy the views - without ever getting their feet wet."

For more...visit Deep Sea News

Tragedy at Virginia Tech

2007-04-16T16:28:00.000-03:00

Virginia Tech is now the scene of the deadliest school rampage killing in US history. Although the story is just breaking it is worth an initial post. I came home from school today and flipped on the tv to CNN just to see what was happening in the world. This is not how I wanted to sit down on the couch and relax. I was overcome with shock and sadness immediately. I am sitting here right now watching the footage and the updating story on CNN and listening to some students being interviewed and even an I-report from a cell phone camera. I am continually floored by this situation. Here is a link to the CNN coverage of the incident. 32 people apparently now have passed away in this tragedy but that number is subject to change. My heart goes out to the family and friends of victims.

I'm sure we will learn a great deal more about this horrific situation in the hours and days to come

10 Most Successful Web 2.0 Startups To Date

2007-04-15T10:19:00.001-03:00

It's been almost three years since Tim O'reilly first officially coined the term 'Web 2.0,' and we've come a long way since then. This list looks at the 10 most successful Web 2.0 startups we've seen to date and provides researched information on each of them. The top 3? Surprise! MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook. Here's a list that has been compiled and was posted on rev2.orgAmazing how quickly Web 2.0 sites are taking off. The ideas are pretty basic but the technology aspect is so user-friendly.

read more | digg story

Sounding Off Beyond the Don Imus Situation

2007-04-11T20:10:00.000-03:00

If you've been paying attention to CNN news or any other news outlet in the past week, you're likely to have heard something about a guy named Don Imus. Don Imus is a radio host who has been outspoken and made some offensive comments in the past.

He made news again the other day after his comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team as they recapped the game against Tennessee from the night before. He has had a tendency to make comments without really thinking and without much awareness or care in who it might offend.

The Rutgers women's basketball team has a number of African-American players who happen to have some tattoos and braided hair. Apparently this gives them a stereotype that caught Imus's attention as he referred to the team as a bunch of "nappy-headed hoes". Immediately people in the studio were caught off-guard as well as the listening public. Did he actually say what I think he did?

He has since apologized after being taken to task by the media, by the coaching staff, by Al Sharpton, and by society in general. His apology did not sound all that sincere in my opinion but so many people are hung up on having him apologize, have him fired, and make giant leaps in the fight against racism.

I am in no way condoning Don Imus and his comments, they were most definitely out of line and deserve some repercussions but the problem is so much larger than that. I have heard reporters, bloggers, and many other people talking about how important it is to make a stand in this incident especially since this is a huge racial issue. Is it really though? Have you listened to a Snoop Dogg, 50 cent, or Three Six Mafia cd? How many times in an album or song do they use derogatory terms to refer to women or to each other? You all know what words I'm referring to and if you don't...just think about it. Yet, people seem to be okay with that. It isn't very often that I hear African-American or African-Canadian people get upset or enraged when that happens. I know that some people pass it off as being okay between people of the same race because it bonds them or something ridiculous like that. If it is offensive to be called those terms...then it should be offensive no matter who it comes from.

My name is Patrick...I am called Patrick..it is acceptable for me to be called Patrick...I am not offended. I don't mind who calls me by my name....it's ok. It is socially acceptable. I may even have a nickname and people who are close may call me that....and that's ok. If someone who is not close to me calls me by my nickname...it would be odd...but not offensive. If African-Americans and African-Canadians refer to each other using terms that would be offensive from some....well that's a slippery slope because that creates an image and a stereotype in society that is going to be identified and in some ways validates those offensive comments to be used. If in the media, movies, music, and entertainment, people who look a certain way, act a certain way, are labeled using certain terms by prominent or influential people, that will spread throughout society.

The problem is so much bigger than Don Imus and his quick mouth and maybe instead of just attempting to focus on this one incident, the prominent individuals who are so focused on Don Imus could look beyond this and attempt to tackle the broader societal issue.

10 Horrible Deep Sea Creatures

2007-04-09T09:40:00.000-03:00

Viper fish (Mesopelagic - found at 80-1600 meters - about a mile down) are some of the most wicked looking fish dredged up from the depths. Some of them are black as night all over with light organs (called photophores) in strategic places on their bodies, including one on a long dorsal fin that serves as a lure for the fish it preys upon.

Some viperfish (and many other deep ocean fish species) don't have any pigment (color) at all - they're "see through". They also have enlarged eyes, presumably for gathering as much light as possible where there is little or no light at all. The light organs create lights by using a chemical process called bioluminescence.

Other deep ocean fish, such as the the gulperDeep ocean anglerfish eel have a hinged skull, which can rotate upward to swallow large prey. They also have large stomachs which can stretch to accommodate a fish much larger than itself. The gulper eel is particularly well-known for its impossibly large mouth - big enough to get its mouth around (and swallow!) creatures much bigger than itself.

Fish that live down here must adapt to a very low food supply, eating only "scraps" that sink down from above, or sometimes eating each other.

Check out the list of other deep sea oddities of our world here. This was posted on Oddweek.com last week.

Quake lifts Solomons Island Metres

2007-04-09T09:26:00.000-03:00

The force of this week's Solomons earthquake has lifted an island in the South Pacific archipelago and pushed out its shoreline by tens of metres, exposing surrounding reefs.

The remote island of Ranongga in the western Solomon Islands used to have submerged coral reefs that attracted scuba divers from around the world.

But since Monday's massive earthquake in the Solomon Islands, the reefs are now exposed above the water and are dying, an AFP reporter and photographer have seen. The AFP team, which travelled to Ranongga on a chartered outboard after the quake, saw exposed reefs bleaching in the sun, and covered with dead fish, eels, clams and other marine life.

The 8.0-magnitude quake, caused by a shift in the Earth's tectonic plates, triggered a tsunami that killed at least 34 people in the remote western Solomons and left 5,500 homeless.

Aid agencies have yet to reach Ranongga, but the AFP team saw the devastation that has permanently altered the geography of the island, 32-kilometres (20-miles) long and 8-kilometres wide.

Although Ranongga escaped the fury of the tsunami, the seismic upheaval from the quake pushed out the shoreline by up to 70 metres, local resident Hendrik Kegala also said.

for more...click here

Multiplying Numbers Graphically

2007-04-08T23:11:00.000-03:00

Via: VideoSift

Interesting video I found on Videosift demonstrating a method of multiplying numbers graphically. I'm still trying to figure it out but in the meantime I'm going to post it here for easier access. Not sure if this only works for numbers with a certain pattern or not. Anyone have any ideas or can anyone explain the method?

Soldier Surprises His Son

2007-04-08T22:43:00.001-03:00

What a happy reunion for a father and son. Imagine how many more happy reunions there could be if troops were brought home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

SmartMirror

2007-04-08T09:54:00.001-03:00

Interesting idea for an innovative mirror that merges the functionality of an interent browser, video camera, and music player with that of a traditional mirror. This was created by students at the University of Waterloo. The future of home mirrors?

Not a big fan of the video playback..not really necessary since it is a mirror but still a pretty nifty mirror.

Fred Brathwaite Amazing Save

2007-04-06T11:51:00.001-03:00

Great save by Freddy Brathwaite of the Flames.

Aquadom, World's Largest Cylindrical Aquarium

2007-04-05T22:39:00.000-03:00

Placed at the lobby of the Radisson SAS Hotel in Berlin, the 25 meters high AquaDom is the largest cylindrical aquarium ever built. Filled with about 900,000 liters of seawater, it contains some 2600 fish of 56 species.

Combined with a vast amount of sandblasted glass, the giant AquaDom gives a transparent-like feeling to the lobby. Guests and visitors are able to travel through the aquarium in a glass-enclosed elevator to reach a sightseeing point and restaurant under the glass roof. Two full-time divers are responsible for the care and feeding of the fish and maintenance of the aquarium.

For more on the Aquadom...check out the link here. This site is full of interesting posts and worth a look through.

The Charleston Remixed

2007-04-05T07:20:00.001-03:00

I showed this video the other day in class since we were talking about the Charleston Dance craze in the 20's and 30's. Although this is obviously not the jazz/swing music that the Charelston was done to you can get an idea of some of the movements. The song is actually "Around the World" by Daft Punk. Enjoy.

Charile Chaplin-Modern Times

2007-04-05T07:17:00.001-03:00

Since we've been talking about old movies in class and the transition from silent films to "talkies"...Here's a little snippet of the great Charlie Chaplin from "Modern Times"

Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes

2007-04-01T20:39:00.000-03:00

Happy April Fool's Day everyone. Hope everyone was able to pull a prank or two today and for those of you who fell victim...don't feel too bad....live and learn. The Museum of Hoaxes put out a list of the 100 Best April Fool's Day Hoaxes. This is a fantastically funny list and it really amazes me at times how gullible people can be. From Sidd Finch, the Taco Liberty Bell, the Left-Handed Whopper to the Whistling Carrots, there all kinds of interesting and far-out hoaxes that have suckered so many. Enjoy. I think my favourite is the Sidd Finch article in Sports Illustrated, I still remembering the article when I was a kid and was so excited that such a great and unusual talent might enter major league baseball...ahhh....being a kid...I'd believe anything I guess. Which is your favourite?

Humanizing China, a Series of Great Photographs

2007-03-28T21:11:00.000-03:00

A while back, EastSouthWestNorth blog posted a series of touching photos meant to Humanize China. The series are divided into 3 sections: Survival, Relationship, and Desires. If you haven’t seen them - it’s well worth checking out.

This post is forwarded from Neatorama.com

Amazing Sidewalk Art

2007-03-28T20:57:00.001-03:00

Check out this slideshow of incredible sidewalk art. The art is done on a flat surface but is done with such great skill and care that many of his creations look 3D. Looks like they are actually there. I don't have much artistic talent so I'm really floored by this sort of stuff