2008 Year in Review

The way I saw 2008...

FILM

Best Film: Wall-E

Worst Film: The Happening

Favorite Film: The Dark Knight

Most Underrated Film: Burn After Reading

Most Overrated Film: Iron Man

Most Disappointing Film: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Favorite Line Delivery: The Dark Knight: The Joker - (After being called crazy) "I'm not. No, I'm not."




TELEVISION

Best Television Drama: The Shield

Best Television Comedy: 30 Rock

TV Shows on the Rise: 30 Rock, Lost

TV Shows on the Decline: The Office, The Colbert Report

TV Show I wish I watched: The Wire

I don't get the appeal: Any CBS drama

Just cancel it: Heroes



SPORTS

Top 5 Moments

1.Wimbledon Gentlemen's Singles Final - Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer

Final Game of match:



2. Men's Golf U.S. Open - Tiger Woods defeats Rocco Mediate on 19th hole of playoff with torn knee ligaments.

Putt to force playoff:



3. Michael Phelps Wins Eight Gold Medals at Beijing Olympics













4. Superbowl XLII - David Tyree catch from Eli Manning:



5. Men's NCAA Basketball Championship Game - Kansas Jayhawks vs. Memphis Tigers

Mario Chalmers Three-Pointer to tie game with 2.1 seconds left in regulation:



MUSIC

Best Rock Album: The Raconteurs "Consolers of the Lonely"

Favorite Rock Album: The Killers "Day & Age"

5 Favorite Songs (from 5 different bands):

1. Weezer "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived"

2. The Raconteurs "Consoler of the Lonely"

3. The Killers "Spaceman"

4. Rise Against "Collapse (Post Amerika)"

5. Coldplay "Lost?"


Best Concert: Weezer 10/17/08 Cox Arena



Various

"Don't tase my bro" Moment: President Bush shoe throwing incident


Most Annoying People:

Kanye West - I do believe that Kanye is pretty talented, but if there is a more arrogant person in the world I haven't seen them yet. Here is a quote from Kanye around the time his new album was released: "I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice. It's me settling into that position of just really accepting that it's one thing to say you want to do it and it's another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan." These types of comments even led Stephen Colbert to launch the very much necessary Operation Humble Kanye.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Operation Humble Kanye

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Operation Humble Kanye - Stephen Beats Kanye

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Katy Perry - I don't care for her music much at all, but she appears to think of herself as some sort of musical genius. It just looks like she tries too hard to come off as provocative and different.

Any celebrity or supposed celebrity who went out of their way to lobby the public to vote for their candidate in domains that had nothing to do with politics. Why do they continuously attempt to help the helpless by spreading their higher intellect on the masses? I mean, don't they have enough on their plate already? Why do they have to be so ambitious? Thank God for them, because if Kumar didn't tell me it was important for Americans to vote for Barack Obama I wouldn't have known what to do with my ballot. Thank you celebrities for helping out the rest of the public who can't think for themselves.

Any reporter, journalist, etc. that went to celebrities and asked them about their political views. If you ask someone a question with a camera pointed at their face, they'll probably answer it. It only worsens the situation when you ask someone who is probably seeking the attention.

Joe the Plumber (JTP) - His name is not Joe and he is not really a plumber. He did supply us with as much free political advise/perspective as we could have ever thought imaginable (and then some). Sorry "Joe" but no one cares what you think, so please stop bombarding the public with your opinions when no one is asking for them.

Anyone who said this to anyone else, "Don't forget to vote."

Please get off of my TV...

Suze Orman - One of the worst things to come out of the economic crisis was her overexposure. Her constant breaking you down to build you back up message became so overbearing especially when it was on TV essentially everyday. Can we please get the economy back in order so she doesn't have to be on TV telling us all how we're a bunch of idiots?

"Dr. Phil" - Just stop.

Brett Favre - I really don't have anything against Farve as a person, he seems like a reasonable guy. I did have a problem when he or anyone else was on TV discussing his retirement/comeback. Why can't we just wait until he actually makes a decision? Is it that difficult? It gets just as old when sports reporters, analysts, etc. talk about Farve as if he is the God of football. He's a great player, hall of famer, and one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, but he's not head and shoulders above every player who came before him or any player in the present. Look at it this way, the great Brett Farve ended this NFL season with 22 TDs and 22 INTs. He's had a great career, but analyzing every move he makes and every thought he has is just not worth paying attention to and shouldn't be a daily story on TV.

Favorite Book: The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul

Favorite Website: What Would Tyler Durden Do? http://www.wwtdd.com/
NOTE: graphic content

Was that necessary?:

CNN's hologram technology on election night - The ultimate "was that necessary?" item of the year and possibly in the history of mankind. Did it serve any purpose at all? "Look, there is a distorted view of some person that CNN can easily afford to put an actual camera on and have a much clearer picture of. Wait a second, is that Will. i. am, of the Grammy award winning musical group, the Black Eyed Peas. Oh shit it is. Don't turn the channel, because we all must know what he thinks of the election. Do you a DVR? Damn it I hope they play that song about electing Obama. You know that one where everyone has to be overly serious. Look, Will is fading out. Damn you Wolf Blitzer, damn you! (shakes fist in the air ferociously)." Anyways that's what I envision a moron doing when that actually happened.

Crocs - I'm sorry, but come on. Is it scientifically possible for a human being to have respect for a fellow human being when they are wearing those things? If that is somehow possible, is it also possible to take that person seriously? To all of you Croc-wearers out there I know your rebuttal: "But they're comfortable." Well, just because something is comfortable doesn't make it right.

You're (At Least You Should Be) Better Than That:

News media - So many words come to mind when I think about how to describe the media's coverage of the presidential election, but here's one that sums it up pretty well: ghastly. Too much bias (on both sides), too many talking heads, and too much horse race coverage! I am entirely serious when I write that The Daily Show sometimes presented more newsworthy stories than the news networks. If the news media wants to continue to act like they serve an important duty to the country by holding our government accountable, than could they please start doing their damn job.

RIP

Tim Russert

George Carlin

Paul Newman

Michael Crichton

Heath Ledger and many others...



MY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT

Trip to New York

During this summer I went to New York for the first time. I spent four full days there and got to see and experience a lot. Here are some pictures of some of the things that made an impression on me...

St. Patrick's Cathedral























Statue of Liberty


















World Trade Center Site


















Yankee Stadium





MOMENT OF THE YEAR

2008 Presidential Election
Shocking, I know. There couldn't have been any other moment of the year, right? This was my first time being eligible to vote in a presidential election so it had added significance for me personally. This wasn't really a moment as much as it was a process that lasted nearly two years. Too many things to cover here, but it was quite a process to follow.


QUESTIONS I AM LEFT WITH:

Change? - I am still not sure what it means. I mean I realize it was used as a vague message/theme for Obama's campaign and it seemed to connect with people. Is Change something tangible? Is Change different for each person? What does Obama think Change means? Did it just sound good, so his campaign ran with it?


What do people mean when they say the following (with regards to the presidential election) "I am proud of America." - This is really puzzling to me. Why are people proud of America after the election? Do these people think the United States voted in the correct person so they are proud? Do they mean that they are proud of America because they elected the best presidential candidate who happened to not be 100% white? Or do they mean that they are proud of America just for the simple fact that the American electorate voted in a minority candidate for President no matter who they were? I'm almost 100% sure this statement has something to do with race, but I don't know what people mean exactly when they say they are proud of America because Obama was elected.

2008 Film Releases Log

1. Cloverfield (1/18): C

2. Vantage Point (2/22 DVD): F

3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (4/18): B

4. Iron Man (5/2): B-

5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (5/22): C

6. Kung Fu Panda: (6/6 DVD): B+

7. The Incredible Hulk (6/13): D+

8. The Happening (6/13): F

9. Get Smart: (6/20 DVD): D

10. Wall-E (6/27): A

11. Wanted (6/27): D

12. Hancock (7/2): D

13. The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience (7/18): A

14. Pineapple Express (8/6): C+

15. Tropic Thunder: (8/13): A-

16. Burn After Reading: (9/12): A

17. Ghost Town: (9/19): B

18. The Duchess: (10/10): C+

19. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: (12/25): A

2008 College Football Poll - Week 15

1. Florida 12-1 (2)
2. Texas 11-1 (3)
3. Oklahoma 12-1 (4)
4. USC 11-1 (5)
5. Alabama 12-1 (1)
6. Penn St. 11-1 (6)
7. Utah 12-0 (7)
8. Texas Tech 11-1 (8)
9. Boise St. 12-0 (9)
10. Ohio St. 10-2 (10)
11. TCU 10-2 (11)
12. Oregon 9-3 (13)
13. Georgia Tech 9-3 (14)
14. Georgia 9-3 (15)
15. Oklahoma St. 9-3 (16)
16. Cincinnati 11-2 (12)
17. Mississippi 8-4 (20)
18. Oregon St. 8-4 (21)
19. Michigan St. 9-3 (22)
20. BYU 10-2 (23)
21. Virginia Tech 9-4 (NR)
22. Pittsburgh 9-3 (25)
23. Missouri 9-4 (17)
24. Boston College 9-4 (18)
25. Northwestern 9-3 (24)

Dropped From Rankings: Ball St.

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 14

1. Alabama 12-0 (1)
2. Florida 11-1 (2)
3. Texas 11-1 (3)
4. Oklahoma 11-1 (4)
5. USC 10-1 (5)
6. Penn St. 11-1 (6)
7. Utah 12-0 (7)
8. Texas Tech 11-1 (8)
9. Boise St. 12-0 (9)
10. Ohio St. 10-2 (10)
11. TCU 10-2 (14)
12. Cincinnati 10-2 (15)
13. Oregon 9-3 (18)
14. Georgia Tech 9-3 (19)
15. Georgia 9-3 (11)
16. Oklahoma St. 9-3 (12)
17. Missouri 9-3 (13)
18. Boston College 9-3 (20)
19. Ball St. 12-0 (17)
20. Mississippi 8-4 (NR)
21. Oregon St. 8-4 (16)
22. Michigan St. 9-3 (22)
23. BYU 10-2 (23)
24. Northwestern 9-3 (25)
25. Pittsburgh 8-3 (NR)

Dropped From Rankings: Florida St., West Virginia

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

The Shield Series Finale

Well, I am sitting at home on a Friday night, without a car, with the house to myself. Sounds pretty boring, all things considered. Anyone who is still reading this is thinking, what a loser. My response: sure. Although part of this night has been boring, I do have to say that I did finish watching the series finale of, perhaps, the best television series I have ever watched. The Shield.

I’m sure many people know of The Shield, but I don’t really run into too many people who watched the series on a regular basis. I didn’t even watch the show from its original start date, because I did not have cable television until the series was already a few seasons or so in. After season five had finished I ended up blind buying the first four seasons after it was recommended to me by my brothers. I was hooked immediately. When I first started watching the show I wondered why this show wasn’t more popular, something I still don’t completely understand. Why do I tell you all of this? Two reasons. First I wanted to admit that I did not watch the show from the beginning. I am not here to say that everyone who did not watch this show doesn’t know what good television is. Secondly, I highly recommend that anyone who is looking for a great show to watch should consider The Shield. This series, like all others, is not for everybody. However if you like serious television dramas with developed characters and storylines, this is for you; if you are into cop shows, you’d probably enjoy The Shield as well. I think most people who give The Shield a chance would likely get hooked just like I did. I give The Shield my highest of recommendations (for whatever that’s worth) and hope anyone reading this would at least give it a look.

As for the series finale, it was absolutely breathtaking. Having seen other series finales they do seem to falter too often. This finale, on the other hand, was about as perfect and satisfying as it gets. For a show that has seven seasons to its credit, wrapping up the storylines for so many characters who had such a long time to develop would seem quite difficult (and I am sure it was), but they pulled it off and than some. I am completely awed with the way it all came to an end. What a television series.

Wes

2008 College Football Poll - Week 13

1. Alabama 11-0 (1)
2. Florida 10-1 (3)
3. Texas 10-1 (4)
4. Oklahoma 10-1 (5)
5. USC 9-1 (6)
6. Penn St. 11-1 (7)
7. Utah 12-0 (8)
8. Texas Tech 10-1 (2)
9. Boise St. 11-0 (9)
10. Ohio St. 10-2 (11)
11. Georgia 9-2 (10)
12. Oklahoma St. 9-2 (12)
13. Missouri 9-2 (13)
14. TCU 10-2 (17)
15. Cincinnati 9-2 (18)
16. Oregon St. 8-3 (19)
17. Ball St. 11-0 (16)
18. Oregon 8-3 (24)
19. Georgia Tech 8-3 (NR)
20. Boston College 8-3 (NR)
21. Florida St. 8-3 (NR)
22. Michigan St. 9-3 (14)
23. BYU 10-2 (15)
24. West Virginia 7-3 (NR)
25. Northwestern 9-3 (NR)

Dropped From Rankings: Pittsburgh, Maryland, Miami (FL), LSU, North Carolina

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 12

1. Alabama 11-0 (1)
2. Texas Tech 10-0 (2)
3. Florida 9-1 (3)
4. Texas 10-1 (4)
5. Oklahoma 9-1 (5)
6. USC 9-1 (6)
7. Penn St. 10-1 (7)
8. Utah 11-0 (8)
9. Boise St. 10-0 (9)
10. Georgia 9-2 (10)
11. Ohio St. 9-2 (11)
12. Oklahoma St. 9-2 (12)
13. Missouri 9-2 (13)
14. Michigan St. 9-2 (14)
15. BYU 10-1 (15)
16. Ball St. 10-0 (16)
17. TCU 9-2 (18)
18. Cincinnati 8-2 (20)
19. Oregon St. 7-3 (23)
20. Pittsburgh 7-2 (21)
21. Maryland 7-3 (24)
22. Miami (FL) 7-3 (NR)
23. LSU 7-3 (22)
24. Oregon 8-3 (NR)
25. North Carolina 7-3 (17)

Dropped From Rankings: Florida St., Tulsa

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 11

1. Alabama 10-0 (1)
2. Texas Tech 10-0 (3)
3. Florida 8-1 (4)
4. Texas 9-1 (5)
5. Oklahoma 9-1 (6)
6. USC 8-1 (7)
7. Penn St. 9-1 (2)
8. Utah 10-0 (10)
9. Boise St. 9-0 (9)
10. Georgia 8-2 (11)
11. Ohio St. 8-2 (12)
12. Oklahoma St. 8-2 (8)
13. Missouri 8-2 (14)
14. Michigan St. 9-2 (18)
15. BYU 9-1 (16)
16. Ball St. 9-0 (20)
17. North Carolina 7-2 (24)
18. TCU 9-2 (13)
19. Florida St. 7-2 (NR)
20. Cincinnati 7-2 (NR)
21. Pittsburgh 7-2 (NR)
22. LSU 6-3 (15)
23. Oregon St. 6-3 (NR)
24. Maryland 7-3 (17)
25. Tulsa 8-1 (NR)

Dropped From Rankings: West Virginia, California, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, Kansas

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

Off-Season Outlook - Los Angeles Dodgers

This is a couple of weeks late considering the Dodgers were eliminated from the 2008 playoffs and the World Series has been played, however the off-season has just begun. Here's what I see as the Dodgers options for the off-season and what they should do with them...

Needs: power hitting, shortstop, third base, starting pitching
Don't need: depth in outfield, relief pitching

1. Manny Ramirez - LF

Without question, this is the number one issue facing the Dodgers this season. Do the Dodgers want to bring Ramirez back? Should they? How much will it cost? How long of a contract?

At this point it is being reported that the Dodgers have offered Ramirez a contract somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-years $45-million, with an option for a third year. So the Dodgers are trying to get Ramirez back, that is apparent. Frankly this offer is not going to get it done, how could it? In order for Manny to come to the Dodgers at the trade deadline last summer, the Red Sox/Dodgers had to drop the remaining two option years from his contract so that he could become a free agent at the end of this season. So why would Manny accept a deal that he essentially already had three months ago before he went on a tear as a Dodger? The Dodgers, to keep Ramirez will have to expand this deal in the form of years. His agent, Scott Boras, has been hinting that Ramirez deserves a contract that would pay him until he is 42 years of age; this would mean a six year contract. The Dodgers would be insane to give him that length of a contract. At the same time the Dodgers really do need Ramirez, both on and off the field. On the field Ramirez was huge for the Dodgers. But off the field he was important for revenue; more people came to the games just to see him play. He brings a level of excitment to this organization that frankly hasn't been around since Mike Piazza was on team. The man can flat-out hit, and hit for power, something the Dodgers have been lacking for years. I think the Dodgers should try to sign Ramirez for a three year deal and go as high as four years to seal the deal. Anything higher they should let him walk. Three or four years is reasonable for both sides, and I don't really see too many teams going after Ramirez. Hopefully that will get it done.

2. Rafael Furcal - SS

Furcal missed most of the season, but when he was playing he played extremely well. The Dodgers too need Furcal back. Minus Ramirez Furcal may have been the Dodgers most valuable bat in the lineup; he plays a very good shortstop and brings speed to the top of the lineup. It is said that Furcal is looking for a four year deal and many teams are interested in signing him. I don't know if the Dodgers should give Furcal a four year deal considering his history with injuries, but it is not unreasonable. If the Dodgers don't resign Furcal than they are not left with much inside the organization. They would have Angel Berroa and Chin-Lung Hu. Both are good fielders, but don't bring any offense to the table. Signing Furcal should be the Dodgers top priority after Ramirez.

3. Casey Blake

The word is that the Dodgers are interested in bringing Blake back, and he seems to be open to the idea. If the Dodgers don't re-sign Casey Blake than they are left with Blake Dewitt as the only third baseman option. I like Dewitt more at second base because his offensive production is more suited for second. Either way I see Dewitt as either the starting second baseman or third baseman on opening day. I think if Casey Blake would sign a two-year (maybe three-year) deal that would work for the Dodgers. Blake is a solid player who still has a few years of productivity ahead of him.

4. Players under contract

The Dodgers seem to be set in a few areas...

Catcher - Russell Martin
First Base - James Loney
Second Base OR Third Base - Blake Dewitt
Outfield - Matt Kemp, Andre Either

These five young everyday players are set as everyday players for the Dodgers. That leaves the three above free agents as players who are leaving positions vacated. The Dodgers need a shorstop and either a second baseman or third baseman. The Dodgers are still left with two high priced options to fill the last outfield spot in Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones. Unfortunately I don't see either of these players as everyday players if the Dodgers want to compete in the playoffs. The Dodgers need to work tor resign Ramirez, Furcal, and Blake in order to stay competitive. If they don't the Dodgers don't have great options left on the roster to fill out the rest of the team.

5. Starting Pitching

The Dodgers look to have three spots in their rotation already occupied by Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, and Hiroki Kuroda. This leaves two open spots in the rotation.

The Dodgers bought out Brad Penny so it doesn't look like he will be back with the team.

Derek Lowe is a free agent, and word is that he is looking to move on though I would love to see Lowe back in a Dodgers uniform. I just don't know how likely that is considering the Dodgers will have to already spend a bunch of money to try to keep guys like Ramirez and Furcal.

It looks like Greg Maddux is leaning towards retirement, and even if he wasn't he not much more than an OK 5th starter at best.

Although he hasn't pitched in about a year and a half Jason Schmidt is on the last year of his contract. He is an option, though the Dodgers shouldn't be expecting anything out of him.

The Dodgers have a bright young arm in James McDonald who is another option, though he is largly unproven.

The Dodgers could bring Chan-Ho Park back as well, he wants to be a starting pitcher again, though I don't know if he could be expected to be a member of the starting rotation for an entire year.

With Schmidt, McDonald, and possibly Park, the Dodgers could expect to fill one spot on their rotation.

That would still leave at least one spot left to fill.

The Padres are looking to trade Jake Peavy and the Dodgers are on his list of teams he would accept to be traded to. I don't see the Dodgers getting Peavy considering he is in the same division making the high price tag for getting him even higher.

The other big name on the market is C.C. Sabathia. To put it simply if the Dodgers sign Manny Ramirez, they won't have enough money to sign C.C. Sabathia; at least I don't think they will. Plus getting C.C. Sabathia probably means at least a 6-year contract and over $125 million. So I don't think that Sabathia is a big priority for the Dodgers, although I think they are one of the many teams interested.

So it looks like the Dodgers are going to have to sign an additional starting pitcher or maybe trade for one. Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett, and Oliver Perez are some of the second tier starters that are potential free agents this off-season that the Dodgers may be looking at.

Most likely the starting rotation looks like there is at least one spot and potentially two that will need to be filled this off-season.

6. Relief Pitching

For the most part the Dodgers look set here, as they usually do.

They have Corey Wade, Hong-Chih Kuo, and Jonathan Broxton.

They should also re-sign Joe Beimel.

No one really knows the status of Takashi Saito at this point. Does he want to retire, go back to Japan, or come back to the Dodgers? What is his injury situation? He could work for the Dodgers, but may not be the closer if he came back.

I am still not sold as Broxton as a closer, but he may just get the job because they have been grooming him for a few years now to eventually take over full time.

With Wade, Kuo, and hopefully Beimel, the Dodgers bullpen looks to be pretty good next year. They will need a long reliever, but that may be able to come from McDonald or Park (given he re-signs).

It doesn't look like the Dodgers need to do a whole lot of work in the bullpen this off-season.

7. Other Free Agents

I don't see the Dodgers making any effort to bring Jeff Kent back. I don't see either side wanting Kent back in a Dodger uniform.

I think the Dodgers could bring Nomar Garciaparra back as long as it was in an extremely limited role. A one-year contract where Nomar plays once, maybe twice a week in different places on the infield. I could see Garciaparra being valuable in that role.

There is no reason to bring back Mark Sweeney. He hit under .200 this year.

Pablo Ozuna doesn't really need to come back either. He would only bring some speed off of the bench, utility, and some depth. He doesn't hit at all though, which is a primary concern for the Dodgers. They have players already in the organization that bring what Ozuna brings.

Final Comments

The first priority for the Dodgers is re-signing Manny Ramirez. If Ramirez and Boras can agree to a reasonable 3-4 year contract with the Dodgers, it would be big for the organization. The Dodgers should than look at the left side of their infield, especially trying to re-sign Furcal. Then the Dodgers need to sign at least one starting pitcher, but most likely two starting pitchers. A lot of money is coming off of their payroll this year, but signing Ramirez and Furcal will take a lot of money to do. The Dodgers will probably not be able to sign high priced free agents for third base or second base as well as starting pitching. Another option the Dodgers have is to trade eitehr Andruw Jones or Juan Pierre or even both of them and fill in their needs that way. Unfortunately I don't see many, if any, teams that would want either player and even if there were teams interested the Dodgers would have to pay for a lot of their remaining contract.

Hopefully the Dodgers will spend their free-agent money well, something that they have rarely done in the past few years with the exception of Furcal, which still didn't turn out perfect considering his injuries. The Dodgers could do some trades as well, though I don't see any reason to trade Martin, Either, Kemp, or Loney. I also wouldn't want to trade Billingsley, Kershaw, or McDonald unless if you got a front line player in return.

For the first time in a while it looks like there might be some stability to the Dodgers organization, something they have prided themselves throughout history. The manager, coaches, GM, and owner seem to be on the same page for the most part, which can't be said for the last fifteen years or so. The Dodgers just finished their most successful season since they won the World Series in 1988. Between that time they made it to the playoffs four times and and went 1-12. This year they swept the Chicago Cubs and advanced in the playoffs for the first time in twenty years before losing in five games to the eventual World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Hopfeully the Dodgers will be able to build on their success from this year and it all starts by making the right decisions this off-season.

Thoughts on the Election and Election Day

So, I am writing minutes after seeing now President-elect Barack Obama’s victory speech and I have to say, that his speech was almost exactly what I wanted to hear from him. Now, I realize that a lot of you may have been immediately turned off by what you just read, but I hope you hear me out.

Barack Obama could have focused on any number of things in his speech, but he focused on a few central themes. Most importantly to me, he focused on uniting the country. If there was one thing that I hope for from Obama, it would be that he would bring us, as a nation, together. In my lifetime, which hasn’t been all that long, I have never seen so much division in this country. The truth is we have much more in common than we have uncommon. Our future President tonight spoke about working to bring people together when he said, “And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.” It is time for this country to become one, and I hope that he will work to do that once he is in office.

Anyone following this campaign knows that that it got very ugly at times. That was why I was so impressed by John McCain’s concession speech tonight. Just like Obama he could have focused on a number of things, but he too said the right things. I have to admit that I have had respect for John McCain for a long time now, ever since I heard his story and tonight he renewed that respect. McCain was very gracious tonight and I commend him on that. No matter what you may think of John McCain, there is no denying that he has a great sense of pride in our country and has served it for most of his life; we know that he cares about this country deeply. It’s too bad that our elections aren’t more like the two speeches we heard tonight. Just because we may disagree with each other, doesn’t mean that we have to resort to pettiness and fieriness.

If you know me, you know that I do not hold social or racial issues with as much importance as others. A person’s race has never been held any sway with me, and it didn’t in this election either. Throughout this election process the issue of race was on people minds frequently. Could a black person actually become President of the United States of America? Well, once Barack Obama is sworn in as President in January, we will see the first black President in our nation’s history. It hit me in that time tonight between when Obama won Pennsylvania and Ohio and essentially put a stranglehold on the electoral map and the time when the news networks basically made it official when they announced that California had put him over 270 electoral votes. I will only say that no matter how much of a role you believe race plays in American life, the election of Barack Obama is historic to American politics and history.

This election process, in all likelihood, will go down as the longest in American history to this point. I am glad that we finally got to vote. It has been a long road from the time when the candidates put there names in officially as candidates, through the primaries, and into the general election campaign. In a sense it feels like tonight is the end of that long road, but it really is only the beginning. It is now time for our representatives to take on the issues that face our country. Although some of the issues I find important probably won’t be addressed, there are serious issues facing our nation at this time that will need to be addressed rather quickly, as we all know. Hopefully the cynicism that I have felt for most of my time following politics will be cured with the actions that our representatives take once they get into office. It is a critical time in American history, and I hope that our elected officials will realize this and do what is right for our country. I am not celebrating this night as many are; I am not feeling disappointment as many others are feeling tonight either. Instead I am feeling a sense of hope and optimism for the future that I didn’t think I would feel. I only hope that the feelings that I have tonight will be allowed to persist in future days, weeks, months, and years.

Humbly,

Wes

2008 College Football Poll - Week 10

1. Alabama 9-0 (2)
2. Penn St. 9-0 (3)
3. Texas Tech 9-0 (7)
4. Florida 7-1 (5)
5. Texas 8-1 (1)
6. Oklahoma 8-1 (4)
7. USC 7-1 (6)
8. Oklahoma St. 8-1 (9)
9. Boise St. 8-0 (12)
10. Utah 9-0 (10)
11. Georgia 7-2 (8)
12. Ohio St. 7-2 (11)
13. TCU 9-1 (13)
14. Missouri 7-2 (15)
15. LSU 6-2 (14)
16. BYU 8-1 (16)
17. Maryland 7-2 (17)
18. Michigan St. 8-2 (20)
19. West Virginia 6-2 (24)
20. Ball St. 8-0 (25)
21. California 6-2 (NR)
22. Georgia Tech 7-2 (NR)
23. Northwestern 7-2 (NR)
24. North Carolina 6-2 (NR)
25. Kansas 6-3 (NR)

Dropped From Rankings: Tulsa, Minnesota, Oregon, Florida St., South Florida

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 9

1. Texas 8-0 (1)
2. Alabama 8-0 (2)
3. Penn St. 9-0 (3)
4. Oklahoma 7-1 (4)
5. Florida 6-1 (6)
6. USC 6-1 (5)
7. Texas Tech 8-0 (11)
8. Georgia 7-1 (8)
9. Oklahoma St. 7-1 (7)
10. Utah 8-0 (12)
11. Ohio St. 7-2 (10)
12. Boise St. 7-0 (13)
13. TCU 8-1 (15)
14. LSU 5-2 (9)
15. Missouri 6-2 (16)
16. BYU 7-1 (17)
17. Maryland 7-2 (21)
18. Tulsa 7-0 (23)
19. Michigan St. 6-2 (24)
20. Minnesota 7-1 (25)
21. Oregon 6-2 (NR)
22. Florida St. 6-1 (NR)
23. South Florida 6-2 (14)
24. West Virginia 5-2 (NR)
25. Ball St. 8-0 (NR)

Dropped From Rankings: Kansas, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 8

1. Texas 7-0 (1)
2. Alabama 7-0 (2)
3. Penn St. 8-0 (3)
4. Oklahoma 6-1 (4)
5. USC 5-1 (6)
6. Florida 5-1 (5)
7. Oklahoma St. 7-0 (8)
8. Georgia 6-1 (9)
9. LSU 5-1 (10)
10. Ohio St. 7-1 (11)
11. Texas Tech 7-0 (7)
12. Utah 8-0 (15)
13. Boise St. 6-0 (18)
14. South Florida 6-1 (22)
15. TCU 7-1 (25)
16. Missouri 5-2 (12)
17. BYU 6-1 (13)
18. Kansas 5-2 (14)
19. Georgia Tech 6-1 (NR)
20. Pittsburgh 5-1 (NR)
21. Maryland 5-2 (NR)
22. Virginia Tech 5-2 (16)
23. Tulsa 7-0 (NR)
24. Michigan St. 5-2 (17)
25. Minnesota 6-1 (24)

Dropped From Rankings: North Carolina, California, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 7

1. Texas 6-0 (5)
2. Alabama 6-0 (3)
3. Penn St. 7-0 (7)
4. Oklahoma 5-1 (1)
5. Florida 5-1 (9)
6. USC 4-1 (8)
7. Texas Tech 6-0 (6)
8. Oklahoma St. 6-0 (20)
9. Georgia 5-1 (10)
10. LSU 4-1 (4)
11. Ohio St. 6-1 (11)
12. Missouri 5-1 (2)
13. BYU 6-0 (12)
14. Kansas 5-1 (14)
15. Utah 7-0 (15)
16. Virginia Tech 5-1 (16)
17. Michigan St. 5-1 (18)
18. Boise St. 5-0 (17)
19. North Carolina 5-1 (22)
20. California 4-1 (21)
21. Vanderbilt 5-1 (13)
22. South Florida 5-1 (23)
23. Wake Forest 4-1 (24)
24. Minnesota 6-1 (NR)
25. TCU 6-1 (NR)

Dropped From Rankings: Auburn, Wisconsin

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 6

1. Oklahoma 5-0 (1)
2. Missouri 5-0 (2)
3. Alabama 6-0 (3)
4. LSU 4-0 (4)
5. Texas 5-0 (5)
6. Texas Tech 5-0 (6)
7. Penn St. 6-0 (7)
8. USC 3-1 (8)
9. Florida 4-1 (10)
10. Georgia 4-1 (12)
11. Ohio St. 5-1 (13)
12. BYU 5-0 (11)
13. Vanderbilt 5-0 (22)
14. Kansas 4-1 (15)
15. Utah 6-0 (16)
16. Virginia Tech 5-1 (19)
17. Boise St. 4-0 (17)
18. Michigan St. 4-1 (22)
19. Auburn 4-2 (9)
20. Oklahoma St. 5-0 (NR)
21. California 4-1 (NR)
22. North Carolina 4-1 (NR)
23. South Florida 5-1 (14)
24. Wake Forest 3-1 (24)
25. Wisconsin 3-2 (18)

Dropped From Rankings: Fresno St., Oregon, Connecticut

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 5

1. Oklahoma 4-0 (4)
2. Missouri 4-0 (5)
3. Alabama 5-0 (8)
4. LSU 4-0 (6)
5. Texas 4-0 (7)
6. Texas Tech 4-0 (11)
7. Penn St. 5-0 (13)
8. USC 2-1 (1)
9. Auburn 4-1 (9)
10. Florida 3-1 (2)
11. BYU 4-0 (12)
12. Georgia 4-1 (3)
13. Ohio St. 4-1 (15)
14. South Florida 5-0 (16)
15. Kansas 3-1 (18)
16. Utah 5-0 (19)
17. Boise St. 3-0 (20)
18. Wisconsin 3-1 (10)
19. Virginia Tech 4-1 (21)
20. Fresno St. 3-1 (22)
21. Oregon 4-1 (23)
22. Vanderbilt 4-0 (24)
23. Connecticut 5-0 (NR)
24. Wake Forest 3-1 (14)
25. Michigan St. 4-1 (NR)

Dropped From Rankings: Clemson, East Carolina

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 4

1. USC 2-0 (1)
2. Florida 3-0 (2)
3. Georgia 4-0 (3)
4. Oklahoma 3-0 (4)
5. Missouri 4-0 (5)
6. LSU 3-0 (8)
7. Texas 3-0 (6)
8. Alabama 4-0 (11)
9. Auburn 3-1 (7)
10. Wisconsin 3-0 (9)
11. Texas Tech 4-0 (10)
12. BYU 4-0 (14)
13. Penn St. 4-0 (15)
14. Wake Forest 3-0 (18)
15. Ohio St. 3-1 (13)
16. South Florida 4-0 (16)
17. Clemson 3-1 (19)
18. Kansas 3-1 (20)
19. Utah 4-0 (21)
20. Boise St. 3-0 (NR)
21. Virginia Tech 3-1 (23)
22. Fresno St. 2-1 (24)
23. Oregon 3-1 (12)
24. Vanderbilt 4-0 (NR)
25. East Carolina 3-1 (17)

Dropped From Rankings: West Virginia, Arizona St.

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 3

1. USC 2-0 (1)
2. Florida 2-0 (2)
3. Georgia 3-0 (3)
4. Oklahoma 3-0 (4)
5. Missouri 3-0 (5)
6. Texas 2-0 (7)
7. Auburn 3-0 (8)
8. LSU 2-0 (9)
9. Wisconsin 3-0 (10)
10. Texas Tech 3-0 (11)
11. Alabama 3-0 (12)
12. Oregon 3-0 (13)
13. Ohio St. 2-1 (6)
14. BYU 3-0 (16)
15. Penn St. 3-0 (17)
16. South Florida 3-0 (NR)
17. East Carolina 3-0 (15)
18. Wake Forest 2-0 (20)
19. Clemson 2-1 (22)
20. Kansas 2-1 (14)
21. Utah 3-0 (25)
22. West Virginia 1-1 (23)
23. Virginia Tech 2-1 (24)
24. Fresno St. 1-1 (19)
25. Arizona St. 2-1 (18)

Dropped From Rankings: California

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 2

1. USC 1-0 (3)
2. Florida 2-0 (1)
3. Georgia 2-0 (2)
4. Oklahoma 2-0 (5)
5. Missouri 2-0 (6)
6. Ohio St. 2-0 (4)
7. Texas 2-0 (7)
8. Auburn 2-0 (8)
9. LSU 1-0 (10)
10. Wisconsin 2-0 (11)
11. Texas Tech 2-0 (12)
12. Alabama 2-0 (13)
13. Oregon 2-0 (15)
14. Kansas 2-0 (16)
15. East Carolina 2-0 (NR)
16. BYU 2-0 (14)
17. Penn St. 2-0 (20)
18. Arizona St. 2-0 (18)
19. Fresno St. 1-0 (17)
20. Wake Forest 2-0 (19)
21. California 2-0 (22)
22. Clemson 1-1 (23)
23. West Virginia 1-1 (9)
24. Virginia Tech 1-1 (24)
25. Utah 2-0 (25)

Dropped From Rankings: South Carolina

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Poll - Week 1

Rank, Team, Record, Previous Week

1. USC 1-0 (3)
2. Florida 1-0 (1)
3. Georgia 1-0 (2)
4. Ohio St. 1-0 (4)
5. Oklahoma 1-0 (5)
6. Missouri 1-0 (6)
7. Texas 1-0 (7)
8. Auburn 1-0 (8)
9. West Virginia 1-0 (10)
10. LSU 1-0 (11)
11. Wisconsin 1-0 (14)
12. Texas Tech 1-0 (15)
13. Alabama 1-0 (23)
14. BYU 1-0 (13)
15. Oregon 1-0 (16)
16. Kansas 1-0 (17)
17. Fresno St. 1-0 (18)
18. Arizona St. 1-0 (20)
19. Wake Forest 1-0 (21)
20. Penn St. 1-0 (22)
21. South Carolina 1-0 (24)
22. California 1-0 (25)
23. Clemson 0-1 (9)
24. Virginia Tech 0-1 (12)
25. Utah 1-0 (NR)

Dropped From Rankings: Tennessee

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football - Pre-Season Best by Conference

ACC

1. Clemson
2. Virginia Tech
3. Wake Forest
4. Florida St.
5. Boston College
6. North Carolina
7. Miami
8. Marlyand
9. Virginia
10. Georgia Tech
11. NC State
12. Duke

Big East

1. West Virginia
2. South Florida
3. Pittsburgh
4. Connecticut
5. Cincinnati
6. Rutgers
7. Louisville
8. Syracuse

Big Ten

1. Ohio St.
2. Wisconsin
3. Penn St.
4. Illinois
5. Michigan St.
6. Michigan
7. Iowa
8. Purdue
9. Indiana
10. Minnesota
11. Northwestern

Big 12

1. Oklahoma
2. Missouri
3. Texas
4. Texas Tech
5. Kansas
6. Colorado
7. Nebraska
8. Kansas St.
9. Texas A&M
10. Oklahoma St.
11. Baylor
12. Iowa St.

Pac-10

1. USC
2. Oregon
3. Arizona St.
4. California
5. Oregon St.
6. Arizona
7. UCLA
8. Washington
9. Stanford
10. Washington St.

SEC

1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Auburn
4. LSU
5. Tennessee
6. Alabama
7. South Carolina
8. Mississippi St.
9. Mississippi
10. Arkansas
11. Kentucky
12. Vanderbilt

Top Non-BCS

1. BYU
2. Fresno St.
3. Utah
4. Tulsa
5. TCU
6. Boise St.
7. East Carolina
8. Bowling Green
9. Nevada
10. Central Michigan

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

2008 College Football Pre-Season Poll

My Pre-season rankings...

1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. USC
4. Ohio St.
5. Oklahoma
6. Missouri
7. Texas
8. Auburn
9. Clemson
10. West Virginia
11. LSU
12. Virginia Tech
13. BYU
14. Wisconsin
15. Texas Tech
16. Oregon
17. Kansas
18. Fresno St.
19. Tennessee
20. Arizona St.
21. Wake Forest
22. Penn St.
23. Alabama
24. South Carolina
25. California

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

I Hate Ticketmaster

To put it simply and amateurishly: Fuck Ticketmaster! Every time I want to go to a concert, sporting event, or almost anything else involving tickets, I have to endure the frustration of Ticketmaster. I do realize that some of my statements about Ticketmaster may be factually off a bit and that some of my hate may at the same time be slightly misdirected, but I do hate having to deal with what I call the "Ticketmaster experience." Here are the four main reasons I hate this dreaded company...

1. Ticketmaster controls virtually all tickets that are initially sold. There are usually only two ways to get tickets for an event. Ticketmaster or on-line ticketing sites such as "StubHub" or "Razorgator". If you want first crack at a ticket you are essentially stuck with Ticketmaster. This apparently gives them the authority to excessively overcharge because a) that's what they do and b) they really aren't competing with anyone. If you don't buy tickets through Ticketmaster you then are relegated to on-line ticketing sites where people charge way over face value for tickets then the site adds commission and shipping charges. Sadly these sites are worse than the Ticketmaster experience. My main complaint here is that there is no real competition for Ticketmaster when tickets initially come on sale. They control almost all tickets and all other ticket companies are trumped by the one big superpower that gets the responsibility of selling tickets.

2. Another problem I have with the "Ticketmaster experience" is with the tack on fees. Recently I was interested in buying tickets for a concert on the Internet where the ticket price (face value) was $54.50. After a "convenience charge" of 11.35, a "building facility" for another $3.00, and an "order processing charge" of $4.10 my ticket price was now over $70.00; over $15.00 in tack on fees for this concert. Are you kidding me? What is "convenient" about me buying a ticket? I would love to know the justification for tacking on these fees because what it does is price me right out of going to events that I want to go to. A ticket that was $30 becomes $45, $40 becomes $55, and so on. My best guess is that I tried to buy it over the Internet rather than physically waiting in line somewhere else (do they even do that at all anymore?). At this point ticket buying is almost exclusively done on the Internet and we all know that; the Internet is the present and the future. If Ticketmaster is going to put these fees in they should just give all of us the harsh news from the start instead of having us hope the tack on fees are only $10 instead of $20. Just tell me that the final ticket price is going to be $70 instead of having your ridiculous price breakdown that I don't care about one bit. Showing me the tack on fees does not comfort me in any way.

3. I hope that everyone who is in the market for buying tickets through Ticketmaster or on-line ticketing sites knows about the scam that Ticketmaster runs with the site "TicketsNow". In case you didn't know Ticketmaster owns the site "TicketsNow". Here's an example of how the scam works....Ticketmaster sells someone a ticket through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster has done their business and walks away with whatever profit they get. Let's say this person than decides to sell the ticket they got on Ticketmaster for a profit over the Internet. They put the ticket up on "TicketsNow" (which Ticketmaster recommends to you in the case that you wish to sell your ticket). The person then sells the ticket on "TicketsNow". That person gets their profit for spinning the ticket for a higher price, but "TicketsNow" is also going to do themselves a favor (just like any other on-line ticketing site) and hit the person who bought the tickets off their site with a commission/service charge and a shipping fee which are more expensive than the tack on fees that Ticketmaster adds on. At the end of the day the money from "TicketsNow" and Ticketmaster are going to the same company. Let me know if I am crazy, but Ticketmaster has now sold the ticket twice! They get to charge two different people for the same damn ticket! They essentially get double the fees! I suppose this is good business on Tickemaster's part as they get profits for two tickets even though they have sold the same one only twice, but it does make ticket buying more expensive as Ticketmaster gets to screw everyone in a different way.


4. The Ticketmaster system does not let the common person such as me get any chance of getting good seats for the more sought after events. At the same time I think a lot of people get priced out of going to a lot of events because of the way Ticketmaster functions. The way the whole ticketing system works makes it tougher for the common person or the common family to go to an event that is affordable. I think this is especially the case for sporting events. Companies/corporations are classically known for having much of the best seats for the more sought after sporting events. I realize that Ticketmaster has to do their business too and companies/corporations use sporting events as a way to do their business. That doesn't mean that I have to be happy that those tickets are basically gone before they are officially on-sale and even if I had a chance at getting good seats I wouldn't be able to afford them anyways. This is a complaint at the teams/artists that charge as much as they do just as much as a complaint leveled against Ticketmaster. The way Ticketmaster and those putting on the events do business has strictly become business and commoners have suffered. It just seems to me that there is a trend forming in which going to events is becoming much less affordable while at the same time one can't even get a decent seat. The value of the ticket no longer comes close to the actual seat you are buying.

This whole thing reminds of how when I was growing my dad and I used to go to about five to seven Los Angeles Dodgers games a year. We would buy the tickets before the season started and have relatively decent seats for each game. The ticket prices along with the decent seat allowed us to go to multiple games per year. Through the years ticket prices have gone up and seat availability has diminished. This year I have been to one Dodger game with my dad. It's kind of sad in a way. Tickets that used to be $25 now are well over $50. Than Ticketmaster adds $15 in fees and you are looking at over $65 for one damn seat for a baseball game. Oh and by the way the $65 seat doesn't include the $15 parking fee. If you want to pay less than you get a much worse seat that feels like a rip-off. The entire situation has become one big rip-off.

Because of the ticket system, there is no longer any value in buying tickets.

Ticketmaster simply has too much power in the ticket market.

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.

My Thought Process

How’s it?

I have come to the conclusion that it is important for my first post to essentially outline my view on viewpoints. This way whoever reads this (if anyone does at all) can get an idea of where I am coming from in possible future posts.

My most basic thought is that rarely in life is there only one answer to a question. Mathematics is one such exception of course, but there are not too many fields where there is only one answer to a question. Because of this I am a proponent of seeking (or at least willing to hear) a multitude of viewpoints on almost any question or topic. Essentially I believe two people can have opposing views, but still both be correct at some level with those views. I also think that in the world today people are not open to views that differ from their own; I find this to be quite problematic for many people who seem to get bogged down in useless heated arguments about some subject that does not have a concrete answer anyway. Plus, when two people (or possibly more) start yelling at each other, how often do any of their opinions change? I am not saying that everyone's opinion or argument necessarily has the same amount of support, but I would argue that there is a lack of willingness to even listen to varying opinions that may or may not be in line with your own thinking. All I am trying to say is that I wish that people would be more willing to entertain differing viewpoints. This outlook would help us all in understanding each other and the world around us.

Lastly these posts are just my viewpoint and that’s all I hope is taken away from this. Essentially, just imagine that "in my opinion" is at the beginning of almost every sentence I write. If you like reading my posts than fine, if you don’t that’s fine as well. I am not trying to tell anyone how to think, because that is about the last thing I would ever hope to do. I am not here to be pretentious. All I am here to do is offer up my view on a range of topics that I find are worth writing about and sharing my insight however big or small on those topics.

I figure that a majority (and by majority I mean everyone) of the people that are about to read this next sentence will think I am an idiot (and that's fine with me), but isn't it time for me to insert my lame send off?

I am Wesley Robinson and I approve this message.