Mo's Marketplace | June 2007

House Hears Complaints on Former NFL Players Disability Benefits

A House of Representatives Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law heard from former National Football League (NFL) players yesterday regarding the league's disability retirement system. The object of their ire was the workings of the system negotiated between the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and its apparent disregard for former players. Testifying before the committee were Former Oakland Raider Curt Marsh, Former Chicago Bear and head coach Mike Ditka, Former New York...

A Slice of America

Tonight, with the Red Sox on an off night and a beautiful summer evening it was time to have a little slice of small town America. After playing catch and pitching to my sons in the backyard, I asked the boys if they would like to go for a Kayak ride in the tandem Kayak that we have; it actually seats three, perfect for two adults and one kid or One adult two 7 year olds. They said sure. We walked the Kayak down to the lake as we often do. We paddled down to our town’s lower...

What? Another Rant? How about a couple more...

It's way past my bed time. The smallest Mo will be turning 2 over the weekend, and as anyone with someone in their home who can count their years of life on one hand's fingers will tell you, if you can be sleeping at night, you should be sleeping at night. Well, I'm up watching what is quickly becoming one of those game. These damnable west coast road trips. 10 PM starts back here on the eastern seaboard. I was in California during the 2003 ALCS - that, I will say, was great. NFL football...

Rants and Opinions

Even though it uses the same system as New York's "EZ Pass," the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority in its omnicient great wisdom calls it's electronic tolls "Fast Lane." The result, predictably, is folks from out of state and otherwise "Noob" to "The Pike" (or as I would prefer to call it, the "Poke" but that's another rant) find themselves figuring out that "Fast Lane" is not an invitation to go speeding through, just about the time they...

Sports Mash Up June 21

Here’s an interesting question – Theft or Finder’s Keepers? At issue is whether an AP reporter who found a Diamondbacks scouting report on the Yankees (after the Yankees beat up on the D-Backs) in the visitors dugout in Yankee Stadium and subsequently published it. As an aside, this comes from a sports law blog that I usually enjoy, but the guy is way off the mark on his Mike Nifong piece. While he may likely be correct that the Dukies probably put themselves in a compromised...

Supreme Court Rules on Privacy Rights

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday, June 18, 2007, that passengers in vehicles pulled over by the police have the same rights as drivers to challenge the legality of the traffic stop when it results in an arrest. Since, like the driver, the passenger is "seized," they are covered by the fourth amendment. Justice Souter delivered the opinion of the court. In November, 2001, Karen Simeroth and her passenger, Bruce Brendlin, were stopped by police while she was operating her...

Sports Mash Up June 18

Lots o’stuff going on in the sporting world. But first, this commercial break: Have you ever wondered what the country’s sweatiest city is? Wait no longer – it’s Phoenix, Arizona. And I thought it was only because Dking’s hygiene. Apparently it’s the whole damned place. Interestingly enough, Green Bay, Wisconsin (#94) and Burlington, Vermont (#93) rank (apparently both literally and figuratively) over San Francisco (#100) Okay, back to business. Duke...

One

I have only one question: whose idea was it to have the Russians build the onboard computer systems for the Space Station? I mean, what with all of the Russians' recent blockbuster software releases I can't imagine why anyone would have thought someone other than the Russians should build this. I can see the plans now, a centrally controlled operating system determining system resource allocation on the basis of Marx: Well, the thrusters haven't been doing a lot of work lately, so we'll allocate...

Sports Mash Up

Justin Verlander throws a no hitter last night and as one of my recent fantasy pick ups (received in return for Chien-Ming Wang) and all I got was a couple of points. Why? Because no one else on my team did anything. Zounds. What's a guy gotta do? According to the MLB website it was only the sixth no hitter in Tigers history. As a bonus, he gets a date with Emily Yuen. To make matters worse for me, who did I forget to start yesterday? Yeah, Tim Wakefield. The dude only threw 8 innings, giving...

If You Look Good, You Play Good: The Weird, Obscure, Sublime and Stupid

When You Look Good, you play good." So sayeth Manny Ramirez in Eric Wilber's piece on Boston.com yesterday. He was promoting his hair stylist Lmonstro on the NESN broadcast of the game in Arizona. First eBay and his grill, now hocking a hair stylist. Man, this guy gets around. He knows stuff.... Actually, that lead in was on a piece discussing Julio Lugo and just how mediocre he's been this year. I guess he just doesn't look good. I love the "24" quote he thows in to highlight...

JR Smith & Being Bulletproof

We hear a lot about notorious bad guys, like Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson, but there are other bad actors out there as well. You don’t need to be a superstar in your chosen profession to be a bad actor. Take JR Smith for example. Smith carries a respectable 13 points per game average with the Nuggets, but I don’t think anyone would say he’s anything more than a very good player. Not being much the basketball fan, never mind not being a Nuggets fan, please feel free to openly...

Building a Text Resume

Building your resume should be one of the most time consuming parts of any job search. Your resume is the document that will either land you an interview or will wind your expression of interest in a company in the pile that nets you the dreaded "Thanks for your resume" letter. The first thing to remember is that your resume is a brochure, a sales pamphlet. It is important to remember that your resume will not get you a job; it will get you an interview. You should think long and hard...

Wireless Electricity

We live in a world where wireless signals are flying around and through us of every moment of every day. Radio waves, television signals, cell phones, and now...electricity? According to several media reports, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Physics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) have demonstrated a proof of concept for something they're terming, "WiTricity" or more specifically,...

Hockey Night in California & Other Notes

Congratulations to the somewhat oddly monikered Anaheim Ducks (presumably of Anaheim, but not entirely sure they're not from Los Angeles) who won the Stanley Cup last night. I watched maybe 10 minutes of the first period and it was clear to me (this was the first NHL hockey I had watched in well over 3 years) that the Senators were going to have a rough night. A 5-3 shorthanded situation in the first few minutes of action of game 5 of a championship round is NOT the way to start. I was surprised...

Sports Mash Up

Of all people to lose to - Lenny DiNardo? Ugh. And to be closed out by Alan Embree? Good grief. The Sox looked more than a little anemic last night, losing to the A's 2-0. Daisuke, for his work, struck out 8, but took the loss. When you can't score on Lenny DiNardo, a Sox cast off and as I recall a Rule 5 guy, it might be a little more than Jet lag. Eric Chavez hit another homer - of course, as I've been sitting him in my fantasy league. The first time was absentmindedness. Last night I saw...

Billy Donovan = Dana Altman

You know, I really have an issue with the idea that someone can sign a $27MM contract for a 5 year period and find he has reservations about it. I don't know Billy Donovan from a hole in the wall. Don't know a thing about college basketball, but I'd like someone to explain how this is different from the Dana Altman situation from April. As you recall, Altman had not only accepted the position of Head Coach of the University of Arkansas basketball team, but had been actually occupying it for...

Red Sox/Yankees Weekend

The Red Sox/Yankees rivalry always seems to find itself in full form regardless of standings, regardless of time of season. It always seems intense, it only gets more intense. Where many series are business like and the teams go about their business, the Sox/Yankees is always a blood feud with the intensity level ranging from intense to precambian volcanic. If you doubt for a second, check out this scene from the first game this Friday - fans pouncing ugly on A-Rod for the revelations...