Tweeting allowed during Pro Bowl

Posted: 26th January 2012 by T.F.P. in Sports
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NFL players will be allowed to tweet during this year’s Pro Bowl game if they want. The NFL will set up computers on each sideline to encourage players to tweet to the fans or each other during the game. Normally the NFL prohibits the use of all social media for a period of time before, during, and after games, but I guess they can change the rules when it suits their interests. In this case, players will be required to use the #ProBowl hashtag, which essentially promotes the event on Twitter.

I usually think the NFL is too strict with their rules, but I don’t mind the social media prohibition. The fact that tweeting is allowed during the Pro Bowl just goes to show that this doesn’t resemble real NFL football in any way, shape, or form. I have never in my life watched a complete Pro Bowl from beginning to end, and I definitely won’t be starting this weekend!

Vocal Mic for Musicians

Posted: 24th January 2012 by T.F.P. in Products
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My younger cousin is really into music and has been taking singing lessons for several years now. For his graduation present, he wants me to get him a shure sm7 microphone, which is supposed to be the very top of the line when it comes to vocal mics. In fact, this is the model that Michael Jackson used when recording Thriller, so that tells you how good it is.

I don’t know a thing about mics, but if this is the model my cousin wants, then this is exactly what I’m going to get him. Now the only thing I have left to do is look around for the lowest price and I’ll be set!

NFL Championship Weekend

Posted: 22nd January 2012 by T.F.P. in Sports
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Okay, there are two great NFL games on the schedule today: New England vs. Baltimore and SF vs. NYG. I hate the Patriots, so even though I have no real rooting interest in Baltimore, I want them to win today. And how can I not be behind the 49ers and everything Jim Harbaugh has done to pull the team together and turn around their fortunes?

Yes, a Baltimore-San Francisco Super Bowl would likely be a boring defensive struggle (“boring” to those that like big offenses) and, like the NCAA championship game, a repeat of an in-season matchup, I don’t want any of the other options either!

So…. Go Ravens and Go Niners!

RIP, Sarah Burke

Posted: 20th January 2012 by T.F.P. in Sports
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Freestyle skier Sarah Burke died yesterday after suffering massive internal injuries in a practice crash on January 10 in Utah. Burke, a multi-time X-Games champion, had also lobbied successfully to get superpipe accepted into the Olympics (where it will debut in Russia in two years). She leaves behind a husband, Rory Bushfield (also a freestyler), and countless mourning fans across the globe.

This young woman was just 29 years old, which makes her death even tougher to swallow. We often tend to view sports heroes as superhuman, but incidents like these are stark reminders of just how vulnerable they really are. RIP, Sarah.

Wikipedia blackout

Posted: 18th January 2012 by T.F.P. in Check it out
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I wanted to look up something about motorhome repair on Wikipedia today, but was met with a black screen instead. I guess Wikipedia is participating in this blackout to protest against SOPA, which is legislation aimed at stopping online piracy. While the legislation sounds good in theory, it apparently would put a major burden on smaller websites and somehow constrict the free flow of information on the Internet. I can’t really pretend to know more about SOPA than that.

Anyway, this is kind of a hassle. Wikipedia, I’m convinced that your stance is right. Now please get back online!!

Self-improvement

Posted: 17th January 2012 by T.F.P. in Life
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January seems to be the time when I embark on all kinds of self-improvement schemes. Despite the timing, they don’t really have anything to do with New Year’s resolutions, per se. Instead, I think these plans come about because I’m trapped in my house for most of the winter and have time to dwell on my shortcomings.

Anyway, my latest effort at self-improvement involves taking math classes! I have forgotten all about Algebra, and was never any good at geometry or trigonometry. I might have taken a pre-calculus course in college and a statistics class or two, but there again, I remember nothing. I want to start with Algebra and work my way through several courses just so I understand what’s going on.

So now I’m looking at Online Colleges that offer these classes at reasonable prices. I just need to “audit” the classes or take them on a pass/fail basis. I don’t want to deal with actually enrolling in a school and getting grades or whatever, so we’ll see how that goes.

I’m obviously too late to start the winter semester, but maybe spring or summer would work!

Obit Picture

Posted: 15th January 2012 by T.F.P. in Check it out
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I was looking through the obits of one of the local online papers and found this terrific photo that a man’s family included with his write-up. The man passed at the age of 86, but his obituary noted that he was a high school athlete so they decided to  show him in his old baseball uniform. I was very intrigued by this photo, and found myself looking at it for a lot longer than I would have if the family had included a shot of the man at 86.

This high school pic of an athlete poised and ready to play, squinting against the sun with a hint of a smile tugging at his lips shows all the self-assuredness of youth. I like looking at this photo of a teenager and thinking that he will have a long life that will span seven more decades.

The fact that the man kept this photo at all shows how much it meant to him, so I just really LOVE thinking that this is the lasting image he had of himself — and the ONLY image that I have of him.

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