NEWS
I was a bit worried about WikiLeaks and the sensitive documents that they put online because CNN made it sound as if they were giving away troop position coordinates in Afghanistan. The subject matter of the leaks were certainly not that sensitive. Not that I really want foreign heads of state knowing what assholes we think they are, but until anyone’s life really is in danger I doubt the authorities have a case. Remember there is a difference between dirty laundry and actual sensitive information that could cost lives. So until a life is lost due to this website, I don’t see what anyone can do. And ever since this story broke, reclusive WikiLeaks founder Julian
Assange has been put on Interpol’s most wanted list for an alleged rape in Sweden. They put you on the most wanted list for that? Why isn’t Roman Polanski on it then? I don’t know what this guy did or didn’t do, but the timing of these charges coinciding with this latest and most serious round of document leaking is questionable at best.And how has the keen intellect of the right in America responded? Republican Rep. Peter King asked the State Department if WikiLeaks can be designated a terrorist organization. A website/terrorist organization? Brilliant. Sen. Joe Lieberman has called on the United States and other governments to shut down WikiLeaks. Censorship? How American! And my favorite, Sarah Palin, blamed President Barack Obama's "incompetence" for the leaks, as she so brilliantly equated the current state of affairs with a website posting pages of her new book without her permission. At this point, Ms Palin should be more concerned about being able to determine the difference between North and South Korea.
As she said when asked about the current tension on the Korean Peninsula, and I quote, “We gotta stand with our North Korean allies.” I am very concerned that there is a segment of the population that wants a woman who doesn’t know which side we are on to have nuclear launch codes.However, before Assnage should meet his fate in a harsh Swedish jail/day spa, I do hope WikiLeaks is able go along with this idea… Early next year, WikiLeaks will publish tens of thousands of internal documents from a major U.S. bank, exposing the institution's rampant corruption and unethical practices and executives' brazen self-interest, Assange said in an exclusive interview with Forbes magazine. He also said the website plans a wave of new leaks from the corporate sector, including damaging documents from pharmaceutical companies, energy and oil companies and many banks.
So what’s this I hear about a Twitter campaign where Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and some other people I find totally irrelevant supposedly “die” and don’t tweet anymore? Is this true death or yet another self important promotion disguised as sacrifice and support for a good cause? Seriously if not being a slave to your Twitter account for a few days so that you can’t inform the rest of the world what color your latest crap is counts as some sort of charitable sacrifice I recommend 9 weeks of boot camp for these delusional shitheads. This campaign would backfire royally if this country were inhabited by smarter people, the drawback being that whatever AIDS charity they are working with wouldn’t see a dime.But imagine if this meant that we would never actually hear from them ever again as if they were really dead? Had that been the case I would have gladly surrendered my credit card number. Stephen Colbert said it best, “How about you raise only $999,999.99…and have the best of both worlds.”
SPORTS
You know why I didn’t comment too much about the Derek Jeter situation? Because there was no fucking way it wasn’t going to be resolved without Jeter ending up as a Yankee. Both sides had good arguments, but come on, what’s a few million amongst good friends? I’ll tell you a story I’m much more into is the possibility that the Yanks could trade for Zack Greinke, as he has waived his no trade clause with the Royals only if the Yankees are interested (Odd considering that one of the teams in his no-trade clause was reportedly The Yankees). Look, I know Cliff Lee is 
the ass everyone is kissing, but Greinke is a far better pitcher than his numbers should indicate, remember he plays in Kansas City. I think the Rangers end up with Lee anyway, so why not go for a younger arm for less money that can just as easily play second fiddle to CC Sabathia.I really don’t give a shit whether or not LeBron James throws talcum powder into the air in Cleveland tonight…really.
THIS WEEK’S REASON WHY TERRORISTS WANNA KILL US
Spiderman: The Musical
Posts
- Where were those who decry what amounts to little more than international gossip, when Valerie Plame was outed? Surely lives were lost in that treasonous endeavor. Sarah Palin needs to inquire about the incompetence of the Bush administration in preventing or at least preparing for...what was the title of that intelligence memo? Oh yeah: "Bin Laden determined to attack inside the United States."
ReplyDelete- The Yankees offered Jeter the more than fair 3 yr/$15m per. Considering he's not worth more than $8m tops in the current market, the other $7m could be construed as compensation for being a Yankee icon and services rendered. (He was already paid handsomely for the latter but let's move on.)
So, what do the Yankees do? With about 70% of Yankee fans agreeing with their offer, the front office knowing full well Jeter won't leave the Bronx and that NO OTHER TEAMS will meet his financial demands, they bid against themselves and up the offer to $17m per and add a 4th year player option! Ugh. And btw, those folks who feel Jeter was disrespected during the current contract negotiations should give Bernie Williams a call.
Also, my dear friend, Jeter is not the best SS in the game. Um, no. Especially not if his no.1 fan Troy Tulowitzki, with his better numbers and brand new 20m/yr contract extension, has anything to say about it.
That Jeter is gonna get paid $3m/yr less than an All-Star SS 10 yrs his junior says everything one needs to know about the Yankees bad negotiation skills. People have said--among them Darryl Strawberry--that The Boss must've been rolling in his grave over this negotiation. I'll tell you what The Boss would've never done: lose a negotiation where he had all the leverage.
Troy Tulowitzki's contract doesn't make him better than Jeter. Do I really have to pull stats out of my ass such as Jeter's higher lifetime batting average, 5 to 1 Gold Glove ratio or the fact that 5 years into Jeter's career he was considerably more sucessful? Come on man. Is he younger? sure but that doesn't make him better.
ReplyDeleteRemember Nomar Garciaparra, Omar Visquel, and Miguel Tejada? These are Jeter's contemporaries who are either retired or not nearly as effective as they once were. Did the Yanks bid against themselves? Sure, but that really is besides the point. When Troy Tulowitzki in TEN years has the career Jeter did in five maybe you can start to compare.
Do you really think Jeter is currently worth the same money as a same position All-Star 10 years his junior? Jeter's new contract was for the future not services rendered--and already handsomely compensated for--or at least it should've been.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of comparisons, Vizquel is at 43 years old. (And the oldest active every day player in MLB.) He also has the highest fielding percentage of all-time for a shortstop in Major League history and won 9 consecutive Gold Gloves, the last 2 at ages 38 and 39 respectively.
Tulowitzki is a ONE TIME All-Star. You can't use his contract to predict the career he is going to have. And Jeter was also an All-Star this year(for the 11th time).
ReplyDeleteI know how old Visquel is, And I know what he's done, and he is still not as good as Jeter. My point being that Jeter has outlasted his contemporaries.
I'll use a diffrent analogy. Tim Hardaway had the exact same numbers his first three years in the NBA as Magic Johnson. Do you remember how and where Hardaway ended his career? Of course you don't! Neither does anyone else. I think Hardaway was a good player, but that doesn't mean that he ever developed as a better player than Magic, regardless of what he was paid.
I'm sorry, I was unaware Jeter was a 26 year old elite player in his prime and not a 36 year old in his decline. At $15m per year Jeter would be grossly overpaid. Instead he's gonna get $17m. This is how a team with all the leverage loses a negotiation by overpaying: the blind Jeter hero worship. Good grief! When does it end?
ReplyDeleteI sure hope for Jeter's sake--and for the team's as well--he lives up to this contract. For if he brings on that consistent grounder-to-short production he had last season, by May the boos will be thunderous in The Bronx.