Yesterday the finals for UEFA 2008 was held, the Euro cup or whatever. Spain won 1-0. I had previously predicted a 2-1 victory for Spain.
Spain had the more dominant play for the majority of the game. It was much closer in the first half, with Lahm commanding runs down the left flank. However, he made a defensive mistake (though not huge, just got outplayed) that gave Fernando Torres his, and Spain's, only goal. He was subbed out at the half for Munchen Teammate Jansen. Germany never quite had the same offensive touch. Despite Schweinstagger's efforts, as well as Ballack's and Podolski's, Germany just had problems operating, and even when the opportunity presented itself, could not finish.
My choice for player of the game would be Sergio Ramos, who seemed to be a part of most of the successful offensive plays, and nearly all of the successful defensive stands. Ironically, I'd say the worst play of the game came from Spain's left wing (Silva?), who only seemed to have a right foot. So many opportunities presented themselves to him as left footed shots, however, he often had to stop and turn into center traffic, or spend extra time stopping the ball to get to his right foot, and this either resulted in the defender clearing it or giving time for Jens Lehman to get into position. Cesc Fabregas was also a minor disappointment. Though he had some good plays early on, he was never really able to establish himself as a force on the field, and once the game was clearly away, he was subbed out for a more defensive minded mid fielder.
It was a hard fought game, but Spain was just the better team. I'd shudder to think what would've happened if David Villa was healthy. Germany didn't lose this game. Spain simply won it.
Maybe more:
So I'm reading this book now, called 1421. It's about Chinese navigation in the 15th century. At first the sings said by the book seem plausible on some level, but you want some more evidence to believe it. The evidence is never shown. In some cases it is simply made up (mylodons were believed to be extinct since the BC's, though may have existed until 1500, though if they did, they certainly did not exist in numbers to be feasible for overseas trade). While some of the voyages made by the fleets of Zheng He are more believable than others, the slopshod and irresponsible use of minuscule amounts of evidence and a lot of imagination make them all seem more unbelievable. His ultimate proof lies with the similarities between Chinese and certain Native American DNA's. This proof only shows that there is some link between them, such as the migration over the Bering land bridge during the ice age. There is little evidence of the Chinese reaching America, and even less that they colonized and intermingled. Putting the eventual European exploration of the American west coast roughly at 150-200 years after the Chinese reached there would mean any Chinese colony should still bear a remarkably Chinese characteristic, something not noted.
It's simply a huge leap of faith that until 1421, the Chinese only knew China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and the coast of the Indian Ocean, but in the two years afterwards - 1421 - 1423, managed to discover the cape of good hope, the west coast of africa, brazil, argentina, tierra del fuego, the falkland islands, antartica, australia, new zealand, fiji, peru, chile, mexico, california, the carribbean, and Alaska -- basically everything else in the world besides Europe.
This particular leap offers little padding.
6.30.2008
6.27.2008
6 26 post 2
Finally got a chance to watch both of the Euro 08 semifinal matches.
From that outcome, I predict Spain to win the whole thing, Turkey to win the third place game.
Germany, while impressive on the first touch with the ball, could never seem to really carry it much past the back line. They seemed timid, maybe they were just being conservative and only taking shots down field when they had them. By that same token, it was Turkey who lost the game, despite never being out of it, not Germany who won it.
Spain's victory was against Russia, who had moments of good play, though nothing to show for it. Perhaps they just lacked a finisher, or perhaps they put too much effort into dismantling the dutch. But Spain's whole midfield came down and played defense, and would spring brilliant counter-attacks in the blink of an eye, with Silva, Iniesta, Torres, David Villa, and the like just throwing it back quickly. Also, Xavi's goal was amazingly impressive and aware. Abandoning his post as holding midfield, he saw an opportunity for a goal, and rushed into the box wide open.
Spain just seems to be clicking on all cylinders at the moment, much like the dutch were in group play. Sadly, that did not work out for the dutch, but Spain's midfield is just more cohesive. More importantly, I haven't seen many flaws in the backline either. Germany has had problems with the two center backs, the wingbacks being caught up field, and Lehman giving up goals that should never be. I just don't see Ballack and Schweinstagger willing their team to victory, not at this stage.
Prediction:
Spain 2-1 Germany
From that outcome, I predict Spain to win the whole thing, Turkey to win the third place game.
Germany, while impressive on the first touch with the ball, could never seem to really carry it much past the back line. They seemed timid, maybe they were just being conservative and only taking shots down field when they had them. By that same token, it was Turkey who lost the game, despite never being out of it, not Germany who won it.
Spain's victory was against Russia, who had moments of good play, though nothing to show for it. Perhaps they just lacked a finisher, or perhaps they put too much effort into dismantling the dutch. But Spain's whole midfield came down and played defense, and would spring brilliant counter-attacks in the blink of an eye, with Silva, Iniesta, Torres, David Villa, and the like just throwing it back quickly. Also, Xavi's goal was amazingly impressive and aware. Abandoning his post as holding midfield, he saw an opportunity for a goal, and rushed into the box wide open.
Spain just seems to be clicking on all cylinders at the moment, much like the dutch were in group play. Sadly, that did not work out for the dutch, but Spain's midfield is just more cohesive. More importantly, I haven't seen many flaws in the backline either. Germany has had problems with the two center backs, the wingbacks being caught up field, and Lehman giving up goals that should never be. I just don't see Ballack and Schweinstagger willing their team to victory, not at this stage.
Prediction:
Spain 2-1 Germany
6.26.2008
Post 1, thursday 26
Sports:
Donadoni of the Italian FA was fired today, after losing to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 recently. While the game was lost in PK's officially, it was only unnaturally elongated by the persistence and dedication to the method of flopping by Italy. Hopefully this spells an end to this awful portrayal of football, but unfortunately, it may signal a return to catenazzio, which is way worse. I heard they re-hired the coach who won WC 06, but what that exactly means is unclear. The team is in bad shape for the future, with an aging back line, and few rising stars in the mid-field. Luca Tony can hold down the lone striker position, but their offense seems toothless without Totti.
I shall write later about Spain v Russia, hopefully
Politics:
Two supreme court decisions were handed out recently.
One deals with the death penalty, as it relates to rape cases. While I find the crime of child rape very reprehensible, to warrant it with the death penalty, I cannot agree with. That is why I agree with the decision the Supreme Court agreed upon. The decision stated that while the crime is awful and causes years and years of anguish, the final result is not as irrevocable and irreconcilable as death itself. While it is saving the lives of criminals, this decision saves the lives of two individuals in Louisiana, and reverses laws on the books in several other states.
As it stands to my knowledge now, there are only two crimes that warrant, under law, the death penalty - murder and treason. My personal beliefs lie in that there should be no death penalty. I think it doesn't actually solve any crimes, and the investment the court system must put into a capital crime case is actually higher (in order to make sure they are killing the right guy, you wouldn't want the wrong guy to die for a crime) than keeping a man behind bars for life. While this decision, I think, didn't deal specifically with a constitutional matter, it had to be done in order to unite national law.
Moreover, if the decision had been the reverse, I believe it could have started a snowball effect as to what crimes can constitute capital punishment. While I don't think it could get so extreme, that could result in petty theft causing death. More realistically, it could have eventually resulted in a night of poor decision making resulting in the death penalty for drunken vehicular manslaughter. Kudos for stopping the snowball effect.
The other decision dealt directly with a constitutional matter, Amendment number 2 of the bill of rights. In a great decision, the court decided, yes, it is legal to hold a gun, as is stated in the constitution. Who would've thought? Thank god it is a slap in the face to liberals, who prefer to pick and choose which rights of the constitution we should have, while parading around the limits of the first amendment. It is also, in a way, a slap in the face to conservatives. Perhaps they will be more grateful of the bill of rights, now that their gun rights have been protected judicially by them. Perhaps now they can stop complaining about "liberal courts and judges legislating from the bench."
More specifically on the matter, this is not an umbrella decision, upholding everybody's right to "bear arms." There are provisions, as their should be. Convicted felons have restricted gun access, as do the mentally ill. The right to guns should be available, but only to those who can exercise it without endangering the people themselves.
This means that cities and states which are opposed to guns cannot just throw a law out there which states guns are illegal. If this decision is that unwanted by the people, than it would take a full amendment to state it, making it only the second amendment to overturn another one. Moreover, I think it would result in the first reversal of an amendment which reverses another amendment. This decision remained consistent with the constitution, and it would take a full constitutional matter if it is decided that guns are not a right.
Hopefully it shuts up pompous liberal assholes, talking about the danger of firearms, but sadly I think it will make them louder. Thankfully this is a life post, and they will not be voted off simply because whoever the president is does not like them.
-Knuttel
Donadoni of the Italian FA was fired today, after losing to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 recently. While the game was lost in PK's officially, it was only unnaturally elongated by the persistence and dedication to the method of flopping by Italy. Hopefully this spells an end to this awful portrayal of football, but unfortunately, it may signal a return to catenazzio, which is way worse. I heard they re-hired the coach who won WC 06, but what that exactly means is unclear. The team is in bad shape for the future, with an aging back line, and few rising stars in the mid-field. Luca Tony can hold down the lone striker position, but their offense seems toothless without Totti.
I shall write later about Spain v Russia, hopefully
Politics:
Two supreme court decisions were handed out recently.
One deals with the death penalty, as it relates to rape cases. While I find the crime of child rape very reprehensible, to warrant it with the death penalty, I cannot agree with. That is why I agree with the decision the Supreme Court agreed upon. The decision stated that while the crime is awful and causes years and years of anguish, the final result is not as irrevocable and irreconcilable as death itself. While it is saving the lives of criminals, this decision saves the lives of two individuals in Louisiana, and reverses laws on the books in several other states.
As it stands to my knowledge now, there are only two crimes that warrant, under law, the death penalty - murder and treason. My personal beliefs lie in that there should be no death penalty. I think it doesn't actually solve any crimes, and the investment the court system must put into a capital crime case is actually higher (in order to make sure they are killing the right guy, you wouldn't want the wrong guy to die for a crime) than keeping a man behind bars for life. While this decision, I think, didn't deal specifically with a constitutional matter, it had to be done in order to unite national law.
Moreover, if the decision had been the reverse, I believe it could have started a snowball effect as to what crimes can constitute capital punishment. While I don't think it could get so extreme, that could result in petty theft causing death. More realistically, it could have eventually resulted in a night of poor decision making resulting in the death penalty for drunken vehicular manslaughter. Kudos for stopping the snowball effect.
The other decision dealt directly with a constitutional matter, Amendment number 2 of the bill of rights. In a great decision, the court decided, yes, it is legal to hold a gun, as is stated in the constitution. Who would've thought? Thank god it is a slap in the face to liberals, who prefer to pick and choose which rights of the constitution we should have, while parading around the limits of the first amendment. It is also, in a way, a slap in the face to conservatives. Perhaps they will be more grateful of the bill of rights, now that their gun rights have been protected judicially by them. Perhaps now they can stop complaining about "liberal courts and judges legislating from the bench."
More specifically on the matter, this is not an umbrella decision, upholding everybody's right to "bear arms." There are provisions, as their should be. Convicted felons have restricted gun access, as do the mentally ill. The right to guns should be available, but only to those who can exercise it without endangering the people themselves.
This means that cities and states which are opposed to guns cannot just throw a law out there which states guns are illegal. If this decision is that unwanted by the people, than it would take a full amendment to state it, making it only the second amendment to overturn another one. Moreover, I think it would result in the first reversal of an amendment which reverses another amendment. This decision remained consistent with the constitution, and it would take a full constitutional matter if it is decided that guns are not a right.
Hopefully it shuts up pompous liberal assholes, talking about the danger of firearms, but sadly I think it will make them louder. Thankfully this is a life post, and they will not be voted off simply because whoever the president is does not like them.
-Knuttel
unprepared part 2
So I actually had two ideas to write about, this one I am even more unprepared for, and I did intend it to be my second post. I had originally planned to launch this yesterday (seriously, these things take like 5 minutes to set up), published with the "bump" article. Therefore the article for Wednesday would have been about an event which happened Wednesday, and if I had watched the whole thing, would have been able to write better about.
here I go anyway
Turkey 2-3 Germany
I have been following the Euro 2008 tournament quite closely. In fact, I almost wish I had been writing this a week or so earlier so I could talk about Christiano Ronaldo's huge defensive error which cost Portugal the game against Germany the round previous. A side note -- a friend of mine is quite crestfallen at his seemingly complete transfer to Real Madrid.
In any case, Turkey v Germany.
You would think, my name being Knuttel, and how I often go by the moniker -- Lothiar Matteus (after German football great Lothar Matthaus) -- I would want Germany to win. For the most part this is incorrect. Now that Turkey has lost, I want Germany to win, but I was pulling for Turkey, I guess it must be that underdog thing. Also, over the course of the year, I became enthralled by the play of Fehnerbace in the Champions League (how fitting if they had beaten Chelsea) and by the play of the Altintop twins, Hamit and Halil. Hamit is a midfielder and plays for Bayern Munchen; Halil is a forward/winger and plays for FC Shalke 04, both were born in Germany and play in the German Bundesliga. I don't know why Halil was left off the Turkey roster for the tournament, and perhaps it is something I missed entirely, but I really feel if he had been on the team, Turkey would have been in a lot better shape.
The first goal by Turkey seemed more accidental than anything else, though in today's game, you must get every goal which may come your way. Some call them garbage goals, others call them hustle goals. Being a Philadelphia Flyers fan, I really don't care how it gets in the net, and if the goalie plays it poorly, the forward has every right to get in his face and make him look like a fool. But from the goalie side of this, Jens Lehman really baffles me. Most goalies get on hot and cold streaks, but they last games each. Jens seems to make an awful play and give up an easy goal one minute and then fly to the opposite side of the net to rob a sure goal the next. His streaks last minutes, perhaps hours most of the time.
The first goal by Germany showed great tactical maturity by the coaches. The 4-4-2 is an outdated formation, I think, at least when all lines are flat. While Germany has 4 midfielders and 2 forwards of starting quality, you'd think they might use that, as in 06 i believe. Instead, they use a 4-2-3-1, like France used to get to the WC finals in 06, and Roma has used of late. They moved Lucas Podolski to the left wing, and in this first goal, he played it like a true winger. He had an amazing cross to Bastian Schweinstagger, who rushed in from the right wing and hammered it in, echoing a goal of his against Portugal in the prior game.
Ballack played the CAM/CF position, the one Zinedine Zidane held, and if anyone in the game out there is to continue his legacy, it is Ballack. My heart wants me to say it is Karim Benzema of OL/France who will continue his legacy, but being an OL fan, I know he is best as a pure striker, and as a second option on the wing. The 08 tournament, I think, proved he is a hesitant CF, and is more comfortable getting open and finishing off plays than setting up others. His current ability is staggering, and his potential signals only improvement. Perhaps someday he can be a CF, but for now, he would do better as a pure striker.
Now for the unpreparedness, I did not get to see much of the rest of the game, including no other goals (I know, Lahm scored in the 90th to win it, so dramatic, like Degrassi dramatic), but the lightning flashed a light so we could see the fallacies of ESPN, conspirators against sports not names Football, Basketball, Baseball, Nascar, Poker, and Bowling. Yes, I know the last three aren't sports, but don't tell ESPN that, at least there's some variety. But here is what the lightning showed - THE ANNOUNCERS FOR THE GAME WEREN'T EVEN THERE. They were in America, probably ESPN headquarters/legion of doom -- Bristol, Connecticut. ESPN, for shame. You are the world's largest sports channel, and you can't even ship your announcers overseas for the biggest sport in the world? Are you that oblivious?
As for what I saw, besides the goals, it looked as if Germany was going to win it anyway, just from a possession standpoint in the first half, but when Turkey got in the penalty box area, they harrassed them. Germany's defense gets points here for not letting up too many good shots, but bad points for not being able to clear it well enough and steal possession away in your own territory. My guess is the game turned into a midfield battle, with Germany's overwhelming midfield talent just overwhelming them. Just a thought, but Podolski rushing up to a forward position with Lahm filling in the left wing, backs centering up, seems like a real good strategy. Maybe I'll add more insight after I watch the game fully, though it is more likely I will move onto a different topic entirely.
-Knuttel
here I go anyway
Turkey 2-3 Germany
I have been following the Euro 2008 tournament quite closely. In fact, I almost wish I had been writing this a week or so earlier so I could talk about Christiano Ronaldo's huge defensive error which cost Portugal the game against Germany the round previous. A side note -- a friend of mine is quite crestfallen at his seemingly complete transfer to Real Madrid.
In any case, Turkey v Germany.
You would think, my name being Knuttel, and how I often go by the moniker -- Lothiar Matteus (after German football great Lothar Matthaus) -- I would want Germany to win. For the most part this is incorrect. Now that Turkey has lost, I want Germany to win, but I was pulling for Turkey, I guess it must be that underdog thing. Also, over the course of the year, I became enthralled by the play of Fehnerbace in the Champions League (how fitting if they had beaten Chelsea) and by the play of the Altintop twins, Hamit and Halil. Hamit is a midfielder and plays for Bayern Munchen; Halil is a forward/winger and plays for FC Shalke 04, both were born in Germany and play in the German Bundesliga. I don't know why Halil was left off the Turkey roster for the tournament, and perhaps it is something I missed entirely, but I really feel if he had been on the team, Turkey would have been in a lot better shape.
The first goal by Turkey seemed more accidental than anything else, though in today's game, you must get every goal which may come your way. Some call them garbage goals, others call them hustle goals. Being a Philadelphia Flyers fan, I really don't care how it gets in the net, and if the goalie plays it poorly, the forward has every right to get in his face and make him look like a fool. But from the goalie side of this, Jens Lehman really baffles me. Most goalies get on hot and cold streaks, but they last games each. Jens seems to make an awful play and give up an easy goal one minute and then fly to the opposite side of the net to rob a sure goal the next. His streaks last minutes, perhaps hours most of the time.
The first goal by Germany showed great tactical maturity by the coaches. The 4-4-2 is an outdated formation, I think, at least when all lines are flat. While Germany has 4 midfielders and 2 forwards of starting quality, you'd think they might use that, as in 06 i believe. Instead, they use a 4-2-3-1, like France used to get to the WC finals in 06, and Roma has used of late. They moved Lucas Podolski to the left wing, and in this first goal, he played it like a true winger. He had an amazing cross to Bastian Schweinstagger, who rushed in from the right wing and hammered it in, echoing a goal of his against Portugal in the prior game.
Ballack played the CAM/CF position, the one Zinedine Zidane held, and if anyone in the game out there is to continue his legacy, it is Ballack. My heart wants me to say it is Karim Benzema of OL/France who will continue his legacy, but being an OL fan, I know he is best as a pure striker, and as a second option on the wing. The 08 tournament, I think, proved he is a hesitant CF, and is more comfortable getting open and finishing off plays than setting up others. His current ability is staggering, and his potential signals only improvement. Perhaps someday he can be a CF, but for now, he would do better as a pure striker.
Now for the unpreparedness, I did not get to see much of the rest of the game, including no other goals (I know, Lahm scored in the 90th to win it, so dramatic, like Degrassi dramatic), but the lightning flashed a light so we could see the fallacies of ESPN, conspirators against sports not names Football, Basketball, Baseball, Nascar, Poker, and Bowling. Yes, I know the last three aren't sports, but don't tell ESPN that, at least there's some variety. But here is what the lightning showed - THE ANNOUNCERS FOR THE GAME WEREN'T EVEN THERE. They were in America, probably ESPN headquarters/legion of doom -- Bristol, Connecticut. ESPN, for shame. You are the world's largest sports channel, and you can't even ship your announcers overseas for the biggest sport in the world? Are you that oblivious?
As for what I saw, besides the goals, it looked as if Germany was going to win it anyway, just from a possession standpoint in the first half, but when Turkey got in the penalty box area, they harrassed them. Germany's defense gets points here for not letting up too many good shots, but bad points for not being able to clear it well enough and steal possession away in your own territory. My guess is the game turned into a midfield battle, with Germany's overwhelming midfield talent just overwhelming them. Just a thought, but Podolski rushing up to a forward position with Lahm filling in the left wing, backs centering up, seems like a real good strategy. Maybe I'll add more insight after I watch the game fully, though it is more likely I will move onto a different topic entirely.
-Knuttel
unprepared
So I had this idea in my head for quite some time now about doing this blog, and yet when I actually begin to write in it, I just do not plan it out.
I had an idea to write an entry about a post-mortem bump in sales. Specifically, I had in mind Tim Russert. As most of you know, he was a journalist who covered mostly political matters for national television stations. The specific one seems to escape me for the moment, though I think it's NBC. Regardless, he had two books published, both of which received a substantial increase in sales when news of his death had reached. One of the two, Big Russ and Me, was about his relationship with his father, and perhaps other fatherly relationships he has heard about -- I'm not entirely sure, not having read the book. Russert's death occured in close proximity to Father's day. So not only does Russert's work get a bump because he died, increasing exposure to his name over a short period of time, but his work gets a bump because it deals with a "holiday" (just not very big on the greeting card companies) that seems to happen right after his death.
I want to point out, I am not trying to make any conspiracies regarding Russert's death. I only feel I need to make this clarification because anyone who knows me knows my knack for finding/creating conspiracy theories (it is a fine line). This only happens to be a happy/sad coincidence (happy for sales, though much, much more sad for the loss).
-Knuttel
I had an idea to write an entry about a post-mortem bump in sales. Specifically, I had in mind Tim Russert. As most of you know, he was a journalist who covered mostly political matters for national television stations. The specific one seems to escape me for the moment, though I think it's NBC. Regardless, he had two books published, both of which received a substantial increase in sales when news of his death had reached. One of the two, Big Russ and Me, was about his relationship with his father, and perhaps other fatherly relationships he has heard about -- I'm not entirely sure, not having read the book. Russert's death occured in close proximity to Father's day. So not only does Russert's work get a bump because he died, increasing exposure to his name over a short period of time, but his work gets a bump because it deals with a "holiday" (just not very big on the greeting card companies) that seems to happen right after his death.
I want to point out, I am not trying to make any conspiracies regarding Russert's death. I only feel I need to make this clarification because anyone who knows me knows my knack for finding/creating conspiracy theories (it is a fine line). This only happens to be a happy/sad coincidence (happy for sales, though much, much more sad for the loss).
-Knuttel
6.25.2008
first post
here lies my first post.
mostly just a test/trial run
i was going to continue from my old blog, but alas, the new email was incompatible, so i may periodically link it to the old one.
to the future
mostly just a test/trial run
i was going to continue from my old blog, but alas, the new email was incompatible, so i may periodically link it to the old one.
to the future
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