Freddy Adu And Manchester United
17 year old American soccer phenom Freddy Adu has completed his 2 week training spell with Manchester United. The result? Due to UK labo"u"r laws, United will have to wait until June, when Adu is 18, to sign him.
Some commentary on this, from me, is that Adu is nowhere near the talent he's let on to be. Bear in mind Adu was training with the youth academy, not the first team. There have been several American players who've had similar signings and have not broken into the first team or even the reserves.
Two Americans who did see some first team action were Tim Howard (gk) and Jonathan Spector (defender). Howard is now on loan at Everton, and Spector is on loan at bottom-of-the-table Charlton.
Adu is good, sure, but he's more marketing than anything else. He has never proven influential in a game for DC United, is not their match-winner, is not their playmaker, and does not have any sort of record for goals/appearances. In short, they call this "hype."
More power to Freddy and to US Soccer, but the early hype has gone to his head. He will never break into the first team at United. Never. He is too small, for one, and just doesn't have the vision or touch. Stature is not that much of a problem when you're a striker (witness Zola, for example) but as an attacking midfielder it's a total liability. Paul Scholes, Man Utd's holding midfielder, is only 5'7" but he's made of steel and bricks compared to Adu's 5'3" frame. And Scholes is a complete master of football. Hate to say it, but Adu is not fit to clean Scholes' spikes.
If Adu was not good enough to make it to the US World Cup camp, how good can he be? For fuck's sake! Did you see some of the guys in our camp? Yikes.
'nuff said.
Friday, December 01, 2006
World AIDS Day is December 1
AIDS has killed over 40 million people. Parts of Africa and Asia are up to 70% HIV infected. Condoms could prevent millions of deaths but religious "leaders" refuse to advocate their usage.
Children are born with AIDS.
Babies have been raped in Africa through the fucked-up belief that this will cure AIDS.
Families have been decimated.
Communities have been torn apart.
Do something. Make a donation to an organization that helps these children living with HIV, SOS Children's Villages.
Mostly, speak out. AIDS can be stopped. If you ever hear anyone say AIDS is some kind of divine retribution, or you hear someone say condoms are bad - SHOUT THEM DOWN. This is ignorance that is killing people. This is ignorance that has killed millions of innocent people.
There should be no tolerance for this type of head-in-the-sand stupidity, as preached by Bush and his idiotic minions. I have actually heard people say sex education and condom usage promotes promiscuity. Even if promiscuity was the only net result, so what? Promiscuity is not pregnancy, and it's not disease (life-threatening or otherwise). The Bush doctrine would rather have you die than allow you to have sex.
It's hard to be rational when you are presented with such colossal ignorance. Add to the list of idiots the Catholic church and their ban on birth control. Middle Ages were great, but come on, Church, GET WITH THE FUCKING TIMES.
AIDS has killed over 40 million people. Parts of Africa and Asia are up to 70% HIV infected. Condoms could prevent millions of deaths but religious "leaders" refuse to advocate their usage.
Children are born with AIDS.
Babies have been raped in Africa through the fucked-up belief that this will cure AIDS.
Families have been decimated.
Communities have been torn apart.
Do something. Make a donation to an organization that helps these children living with HIV, SOS Children's Villages.
Mostly, speak out. AIDS can be stopped. If you ever hear anyone say AIDS is some kind of divine retribution, or you hear someone say condoms are bad - SHOUT THEM DOWN. This is ignorance that is killing people. This is ignorance that has killed millions of innocent people.
There should be no tolerance for this type of head-in-the-sand stupidity, as preached by Bush and his idiotic minions. I have actually heard people say sex education and condom usage promotes promiscuity. Even if promiscuity was the only net result, so what? Promiscuity is not pregnancy, and it's not disease (life-threatening or otherwise). The Bush doctrine would rather have you die than allow you to have sex.
It's hard to be rational when you are presented with such colossal ignorance. Add to the list of idiots the Catholic church and their ban on birth control. Middle Ages were great, but come on, Church, GET WITH THE FUCKING TIMES.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Robert Dreyfuss' Epitaph On Bush, Cheney, Iraq and the Neo-Con Agenda
Writing in TomPaine.org today, Robert Dreyfuss explains the importance of the Iraq Study Group's findings, which will be formally announced on Dec. 6. Among some of his observations:
Stripped of its diplomatic weasel words, the ISG’s recommendations are a stunning blow to the administration of George W. Bush and everything it stands for.
Adding insult to injury, the policy will be carried out by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, a former member of the ISG, who will purge the Pentagon of neocons, Rumsfeld loyalists, and assorted other extremists.
And the final coup de grace:
It is, however, too late to stop the bleeding in Iraq. Six hundred thousand dead Iraqis later, the United States will depart from Iraq leaving behind a nation whose citizens will be struggling to rebuild their society for decades. The U.S. invasion of Iraq is a war crime of the first magnitude, an illegal war that destroyed a nation that had never attacked the United States, that did not have any weapons of mass destruction, that did not have any ties to al-Qaida, that had no connection to the September 11 attacks, and which—at the start of the war—was a small, impoverished country with a decimated army. The civil war in Iraq may indeed get worse, and it may last for years. Each and every one of those deaths will be on George W. Bush’s conscience—if, in fact, the Bible-thumping hypocrite has any conscience left.
Writing in TomPaine.org today, Robert Dreyfuss explains the importance of the Iraq Study Group's findings, which will be formally announced on Dec. 6. Among some of his observations:
Stripped of its diplomatic weasel words, the ISG’s recommendations are a stunning blow to the administration of George W. Bush and everything it stands for.
Adding insult to injury, the policy will be carried out by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, a former member of the ISG, who will purge the Pentagon of neocons, Rumsfeld loyalists, and assorted other extremists.
And the final coup de grace:
It is, however, too late to stop the bleeding in Iraq. Six hundred thousand dead Iraqis later, the United States will depart from Iraq leaving behind a nation whose citizens will be struggling to rebuild their society for decades. The U.S. invasion of Iraq is a war crime of the first magnitude, an illegal war that destroyed a nation that had never attacked the United States, that did not have any weapons of mass destruction, that did not have any ties to al-Qaida, that had no connection to the September 11 attacks, and which—at the start of the war—was a small, impoverished country with a decimated army. The civil war in Iraq may indeed get worse, and it may last for years. Each and every one of those deaths will be on George W. Bush’s conscience—if, in fact, the Bible-thumping hypocrite has any conscience left.
Kiana Alford Is A Hero.
This 18 year old woman is the star witness in a hate-crime beating that occured in Long Beach on Halloween.
Ms. Alford is testifying to put up to two dozen teenaged black girls and one boy behind bars for their unprovoked, vicious assault on three white women (aged 19, 21, and 21). The three victims were going to a haunted house, when they were suddenly pelted by lemons and pumpkins and then jumped. At least 8 assailants beat each victim, hitting them in the chest and face with skateboards and causing broken bones.
The assailants are charged with 3 felonies each with a hate-crime enhancement, which should mean an additional 10 years.
When Ms. Alford was scheduled to go testify, she found 6 black gang members sitting on her car, prompting police escorts. The defense shitheel/ass-licking/soulless/cowards/attorneys refused to allow Alford to testify anonymously. So this young woman has the courage to testify against these horrible people who nearly killed 3 innocent women for no reason. How easy it would have been for Alford to "forget" what she saw, but Alford is no coward, unlike the assailants. Ms Alford has placed her own life in jeapardy (sp?) so that these victims will see justice.
Ms. Alford is an inspiration, God bless her.
This 18 year old woman is the star witness in a hate-crime beating that occured in Long Beach on Halloween.
Ms. Alford is testifying to put up to two dozen teenaged black girls and one boy behind bars for their unprovoked, vicious assault on three white women (aged 19, 21, and 21). The three victims were going to a haunted house, when they were suddenly pelted by lemons and pumpkins and then jumped. At least 8 assailants beat each victim, hitting them in the chest and face with skateboards and causing broken bones.
The assailants are charged with 3 felonies each with a hate-crime enhancement, which should mean an additional 10 years.
When Ms. Alford was scheduled to go testify, she found 6 black gang members sitting on her car, prompting police escorts. The defense shitheel/ass-licking/soulless/cowards/attorneys refused to allow Alford to testify anonymously. So this young woman has the courage to testify against these horrible people who nearly killed 3 innocent women for no reason. How easy it would have been for Alford to "forget" what she saw, but Alford is no coward, unlike the assailants. Ms Alford has placed her own life in jeapardy (sp?) so that these victims will see justice.
Ms. Alford is an inspiration, God bless her.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Nice Going, Assholes!
The LAPD responded to a gun/hostage complaint and ended up shooting to death a 19 month old girl. She was being held in the arms of her deranged father, Jose Pena. No doubt the LAPD had a tough call here, but the subsequent investigation has showed that one officer fired on his own authority at the retreating Jose, and that created a turkey shoot with 13 officers emptying their weapons at him.
Shouldn't a bit more caution have been exercised to save the life of the baby?
I know it's ridiculous to suggest the LAPD uses excessive force, or that cops, for that matter, are trigger-happy.
It's even more ridiculous to bury a 19 month old baby with bullet holes in her.
The LAPD responded to a gun/hostage complaint and ended up shooting to death a 19 month old girl. She was being held in the arms of her deranged father, Jose Pena. No doubt the LAPD had a tough call here, but the subsequent investigation has showed that one officer fired on his own authority at the retreating Jose, and that created a turkey shoot with 13 officers emptying their weapons at him.
Shouldn't a bit more caution have been exercised to save the life of the baby?
I know it's ridiculous to suggest the LAPD uses excessive force, or that cops, for that matter, are trigger-happy.
It's even more ridiculous to bury a 19 month old baby with bullet holes in her.
Bye Bye First Amendment!
As far as the Amendments to the Constitution goes, the First is kind of a namby-pamby one, and who's going to miss it when it finally utters its last death rattling gasp and collapses into a grave freshly-dug by Newt Gingrinch?
Gingrich gave a speech in Manchester saying that "we" will need to "re-examine" First Amendment freedom of speech rights in an age when terrorists might exploit our rights (huh?) to harm us.
All we can say is, it's a good thing Newt's current wife isn't sick with cancer, because he might run out on her too, the way he ran out on his first wife, yes, while she was dying of cancer in hospital. Newt Gingrich: stalwart of American values and decency; a role model for our children. As far as we're concerned, Newty-newt should shut the fuck up about telling others how to live, go find a hole somewhere, crawl in, and die.
Also, the Supreme Court has helped paved the way for further trammeling of reporters' right to keep sources confidential. This allows the government (ours) to go through reporters' phone records and emails to determine who they were speaking to, in violation of the law that allows reporters to refuse to testify, and in so doing, forcing the issue to be decided by a court whether the information they are protecting warrants more threats (jail time) or not.
An end run around the Constitution! Nice play, Supreme Court!
As far as the Amendments to the Constitution goes, the First is kind of a namby-pamby one, and who's going to miss it when it finally utters its last death rattling gasp and collapses into a grave freshly-dug by Newt Gingrinch?
Gingrich gave a speech in Manchester saying that "we" will need to "re-examine" First Amendment freedom of speech rights in an age when terrorists might exploit our rights (huh?) to harm us.
All we can say is, it's a good thing Newt's current wife isn't sick with cancer, because he might run out on her too, the way he ran out on his first wife, yes, while she was dying of cancer in hospital. Newt Gingrich: stalwart of American values and decency; a role model for our children. As far as we're concerned, Newty-newt should shut the fuck up about telling others how to live, go find a hole somewhere, crawl in, and die.
Also, the Supreme Court has helped paved the way for further trammeling of reporters' right to keep sources confidential. This allows the government (ours) to go through reporters' phone records and emails to determine who they were speaking to, in violation of the law that allows reporters to refuse to testify, and in so doing, forcing the issue to be decided by a court whether the information they are protecting warrants more threats (jail time) or not.
An end run around the Constitution! Nice play, Supreme Court!
Christians Say: "Screw the Poor!"
Okay, not exactly, but the Christian Coalition recently decided to "part amicably" with their president-elect, Rev. Joel C. Hunter, because he was trying to bring an agenda including reducing poverty and fighting global warming.
Both of those are ridiculous ideas out of step with American Christians, as everyone knows, because it's well documented in the Bible how Jesus loathed the poor and spent all of his time instead lounging around posh hotels in Damascus, worrying about his stock portfolio and glad-handing bankers and capitalists.
At least Rev. Hunter is on the right track, hats off to him.
Okay, not exactly, but the Christian Coalition recently decided to "part amicably" with their president-elect, Rev. Joel C. Hunter, because he was trying to bring an agenda including reducing poverty and fighting global warming.
Both of those are ridiculous ideas out of step with American Christians, as everyone knows, because it's well documented in the Bible how Jesus loathed the poor and spent all of his time instead lounging around posh hotels in Damascus, worrying about his stock portfolio and glad-handing bankers and capitalists.
At least Rev. Hunter is on the right track, hats off to him.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Cannavaro Wins European Footballer of the Year
Do we have to rehash the 2006 World Cup? Yes, the Italian blues won but with displays that were neither inspired nor inspiring. Cannavaro captained this lacklustre side to victory, capped off memorably by shitbird Matterazzo goading Zinedine Zidane into nutting him.
So cut to Cannavaro playing for Juventus, but then Juventus ensnared itself in a match-fixing scandal and was relegated, and bye-bye to Cannavaro. Yes, he captained them to two Serie A championships, but those were fixed matches! - as evidenced by Juventus being stripped of its titles, fined and relegated! Don't cry for him though, Italy, because he landed on his feet at Real Madrid.
Yes, Real Madrid, where he's been unspectacular in every match and has seen himself get subbed off to avoid complete humiliation.
And he won the European Footballer of the Year award. The main cool thing about this is that he's a defender and they almost never win the award.
Do we have to rehash the 2006 World Cup? Yes, the Italian blues won but with displays that were neither inspired nor inspiring. Cannavaro captained this lacklustre side to victory, capped off memorably by shitbird Matterazzo goading Zinedine Zidane into nutting him.
So cut to Cannavaro playing for Juventus, but then Juventus ensnared itself in a match-fixing scandal and was relegated, and bye-bye to Cannavaro. Yes, he captained them to two Serie A championships, but those were fixed matches! - as evidenced by Juventus being stripped of its titles, fined and relegated! Don't cry for him though, Italy, because he landed on his feet at Real Madrid.
Yes, Real Madrid, where he's been unspectacular in every match and has seen himself get subbed off to avoid complete humiliation.
And he won the European Footballer of the Year award. The main cool thing about this is that he's a defender and they almost never win the award.