Crazy Russian Climbers

My friend Joe Miller sent me this link and it shows some really impressive physical tricks. Some of it is hard to see, but it is pretty amazing stuff.

No wonder the Russians been great gymnasts for so long. Look in the backgrounds. It doesn't look like there is anything else to do there.

Tiger

I like Tiger Woods. I'm not one of those people that resents his dominance. I find him likeable and the intensity with which he tackles the game is remarkable. I also like to see the lighter side of Tiger Woods, which doesn't come through very often. It does in this article by Bill Simmons, about a video game battle between "the world's greatest golfer and the world's greatest video game golfer." It's an amusing read.

Go Canes

Last Saturday I was watching the Miami-Auburn game on ESPN, and was as surprised as anyone to see the massive brawl between the University of Miami and Florida International University. The fight was shocking and unfortunate, and the actions of players on both sides cannot be condoned. Having been a longtime fan of the Canes, its possible that I was readier to forgive them than most, but what I have seen over the past week has been astounding.

Stewart Mandel is a writer for Sports Illustrated. He was quite critical in an article this week on SI's website, but it is his follow-up that I wanted to mention. He questions that zeal with which many commentators have criticized Miami's program:

You might not believe this -- you might not want to believe this -- but over the past decade, Miami has had fewer player arrests or NCAA-related incidents than almost any other major program in the country. Miami has not had 20-plus incidents involving shoplifting, assault, gun charges and failed drug tests over the past two years, as Tennessee has. Miami has not had to dismiss a star player for earning money through a phony job, as Oklahoma has. Miami has not had a star linebacker accused of sexual assault on the eve of its bowl game as Florida State did last year. And Miami's most recent Academic Progress Rate (956) placed it in the top 20 to 30 percent of all Division I football programs.

What the Miami players did was wrong, but the self-righteousness of the Sports media disgusts me.

Atlas Shrugged

I'm excited that one of my favorite novels, Atlas Shrugged, is due to be made into a movie. I am hopeful that it will be adapted faithfully. Keep your ears listening for more news.

The Devil's Miner

Lacy and I just finished this film, about the children that work in the silver mines of Potosi, Bolivia. It was particularly poignant to Lacy, as she lived in Potosi while a missionary for the LDS Church. The mines in Potosi are in the Cerro Rico, one of the world's richest silver mines, and one exploited heavily by the Spanish during their dominion over the region.

It is an excellent film, well-made and straightforward. It moved us both.

A Truly Great Idea

I was very pleased by the selection of Muhammad Yunus as the recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Recent history has not shown the selection committee to be very wise in their choices.

I was fortunate to hear Mr. Yunus speak while I was a student at Brigham Young University. His program is the very essence of good sense. Micro-lending is about providing opportunity and accountability, all without abandoning good business practices. Mr. Yunus explained how micro credit might be applied in the U.S. in an excellent Op Ed in the WSJ (also found at Opinion Journal):

Many people ask, Why not just give free cash, especially under such dire circumstances? In Bangladesh, we've learned that when aid is free, not only do the poor get the least of it, but everyone inflates their needs. While some handouts are clearly necessary in such times, we focus on lending small amounts of money. This lets us keep costs down and rebuild funds for the next disaster. Most importantly, our Grameen banks are ready to act at a moment's notice. They can respond to a disaster without waiting for anyone's permission, immediately becoming like humanitarian agencies by suspending loan payments, and providing cash, food and medicines. Once rebuilding starts, the bankers keep detailed records of the money lent, and people are allowed to repay bit by bit.

That is the strategy we followed after the 1998 flooding, which covered 50% of Bangladesh's land and affected customers at about 70% of our branches. More than 700 Grameen borrowers or their family members were killed and just over half (a million borrowers) were affected by the flooding. That represents a small percentage of the overall population affected, but the Bank and its staff where there right away to help with immediate needs. Later, microlenders helped people restructure their loans or gave out new loans on more favorable terms.

Microlending has already helped millions reach a better life through their own initiative. It has also given them valuable skills as well as crucial financial back-up in case they ever face a natural disaster like Katrina. So it might be time to think about another type of support for Katrina's victims: the microloan. As our small, flood-battered country has learned, giving someone a hand up doesn't always require a handout. The most important thing is to help people get back to work while letting them hold on to their self-respect. Microloans can do just that.

I couldn't agree more. Micro-lending works. For more info on Yunus, check out the following:

• The Grameen Bank website
• The announcement of the Peace Prize
• The Grameen Foundation, for those inclined to give

What if?

I love the Lord of the Rings, both written and film versions. This is still very fnnny. Caution: Cartoon mooning.

A Must for Lost Fans

I didn't know that YouTube has a treasure trove of videos that provide information about the back story of Lost, the Dharma Initiative, and the Hanso Foundation. This video actually provides a fair amount of information into the 6 numbers and the purpose of the island. Check it.

Duke LAX Case

This case is probably old news to a lot of you. Most probably didn't care that much to begin with. What interests me most about it are the procedural issues that seem to have been royally messed up by the police and District Attorney.

If these things are of interest, you won't be disappointed by this post.

Funny Stuff

This is from The Tonight Show. I think this video is hilarious.

New Bond

The secret agent identity has long been a fertile playground for boy's imaginations. The Bon archetype that dominated and shaped it for so long did become stale. The Bourne Identity and its sequel were far superior to the last Bond movies, which beyond the requisite gee-whiz technology were pretty poor stories. I just saw the new trailer for Casino Royale, and if it lives up to the excellent preview it should impress.

Just the Bond we're looking for? I think it might be.

Hang Six

I have never been surfing, or at least never gotten up on a surfboard. I sat on one for a little while, but it was summertime in Florida so who was I kidding? Knowing this, and despite the fact that it might make me a poseur, I love surf movies.

Today I saw this trailer for a very unusual kind of surfing flick. I liked the look. Surf's Up.

Crazy Torts

I love Eric Snider. The guy cracks me up on a frequent basis. Check out a bit of his latest column on a women suing Starbucks because they cancelled her coupon:

...Evidently Ms. Coakley was so racked with sorrow and disenchantment over her failed Starbucks freebie that she ran sobbing back to her apartment, shattered her framed "I Heart Starbucks" poster on the floor, and lay weeping inconsolably on her bed for several days, soothed only when a lawyer came to her bedside, gently stroked her hair, and said he could sue Starbucks for $114 million. At least I imagine that's how it happened. What the lawyer neglected to tell her, of course, is that if she wins she'll get $1,000 while the law firm gets $113,999,000.

Read the whole thing. By the way, tort is another word for lawsuit.

Chavez el Gamberro

Hugo Chavez came to New York and showed American what we are up against. His speech to the United Nations can be found here. It is not impressive oratory.

The response of various Democratic officials was gratifying, but doesn't go far enough. I am inclined to agree with Peggy Noonan's piece in today's Opinion Journal. She advocates a strident rebuttal of Chavez, focusing on the facts behind our case.

Chavez fancies himself the next Castro. I don't think he'll have the longevity, but contemplating even a few more years of his nonsense is not pleasant. His country is not powerful militarily, but their natural resources make it an important player. We should be wary of what he is up to and undermine him at every chance.

That's My Boy

I edited together a little clip of Joseph that I shot a few weeks ago. Joseph is drawing with his mom and decides it would be really funny to laugh and laugh. We loved it, and it was fun to see him get so excited. He loves to talk.

Who has the Conflict?

As you may know, I take a particular interest in stories that involve Cuba. I am of Cuban ancestry, and have grown up with a dislike of communism from my infancy. I wholeheartedly support any effort that might help bring freedom to Cuba. One important initiative is Radio Marti, a service of the Federal Government that broadcasts to Cuba.

Carlos Alberto Montaner is a syndicated columnist and has an op-ed in today's WSJ (Opinion Journal link here) in which he examines a move by the publisher of the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald (the Spanish-language sister paper) that undermines that program.

It is evidence of another dumb move by a media company that will further undermine their credibility to the public. Who has the conflict of interest?

Aarghhhhh!

Ahoy mateys, it's Talk like a Pirate Day so I have rounded up a few Spanish Pirate Phrases that I found on this discussion board:

• ¡Al abordaje!
• ¡Barco a la vista!
• ¡Me tiemblan las maderas!

Okay, so that last one I made up. It means, "Shiver me timbers," but probably doesn't translate.

Time to Laugh

This clip cracked me up. I think Steve Carrell is hilarious and I'm looking forward to the season premiere of The Office this Thursday.

They have some hilarious fake Public Service Announcements by cast members on NBC site.

Good Journalism

I posted a bit on Right Wing Pundit about some interesting journalism by David Plotz of Slate. Check it out.

Low Budget - High Quality

I like the sound of this song, but really like the video. It's impressive in that it is filmed in a single take, and although the choreography is simple, they do it right. I bet there were a lot of outtakes.