Roomba Review

A few months ago I was told of a gadget called a "Roomba". Basically, the Roomba is a robot that will vacuum for you. What did I do? I did a little research and found that a number of companies try to make their own robot vacuum. In the reviews it was pretty universally stated that the Roomba is the vac to go with. So, I bought it off Amazon with a coupon for a mere $125 (a small price to pay to not longer have to vacuum). When I received it, I put it right to work. I took some kitty litter and put it on our wooden floor to be vac'ed up. Boo-ya, all that litter was sucked up, no problem. It even had a little light turn on saying that it found a dirty spot. Then I thought, "What about getting into corners". So, I sent it into a corner with some litter and I noticed that it has an arm that sweeps out for corners. The Roomba does an OK just at getting corners, nothing to tell my mother about. Needless to say, I highly recommend the Roomba. Even if if appears that you don't need to vacuum it will come back with a truck load of dust, old bread morsels, and randoms.

The NBA.... Those crazy guys!

Leave it to the NBA to come up with this ploy. On June 28th at 10:30 AM, Commissioner David Stern will unveil the contents of the black box on the left. According to the NBA, this box "will change the way you see the game." Now, as good as I was at finding Christmas presents before Christmas, I have no clue as to what's in the box. Of course, I have some ideas which I will share but I would love to hear some comments on what you guys think is in the black box. Here are a couple of my theories to get the ball rolling.



1. Perhaps, the NBA has bought the rights to the glowing hockey puck that we all found so helpful back in the NHL a few years back. Now, I'm sure this has been a deal in progress since the NHL hasn't really used the technology in about 8 years but I'm sure Gary Bettman was holding out for that extra cash. We all know what a hard ass Mr. Bettman can be in negotiations. Just think of the possibilities with a glowing basketball. Shaq at the free throw line with a glowing ball in his hand... very Kazaam like. Or perhaps a free throw line shot of Chris Kaman where the glow of the ball is covering his face making him look like radioactive white trash instead of just normal white trash. I like this idea, and will not be upset at all if the glow is "in the box."









2. Now the box in question is very close to the size of a basketball which leads me to a rumor I found on the web saying that the NBA will be using a new ball next year. The site says the new ball will not be made out of leather but of a composite surface. They also say the new ball will result in a lower shooting percentage which would definitely hurt scoring. Now, call me a tradionalist but why change the material? Leather has seemed to work just fine over the past 50 years and I love killing cows so we can play a game. A composite material is too sketchy and I think it would be only a matter of time before we get a "juiced ball" theory like we get every summer in baseball. Forget that, just say "No" to the new ball. However, if it contains adamantium, I'm all for the new ball.

Liberalism and liberalism

First of all, I am glad that you brought this up Tim; it is a great point for discourse.
You bring up an interesting and important point in contemporary American politics: Americans (well westerners really) throw around the terms conservative and liberal like they are synonymous with political parties. Well I am here to tell you that modern day Democratic and Republican parties are so far separated from traditional liberal and conservative ideologies that it is not even worth talking about. Yet I digress. We have to be careful however of talking about Liberalism like it is associated with liberal politics. Liberalism has its foundations in the idea of liberty, freedom, and a free market economy. A Liberal democracy is what America is, yet is vastly different from a liberal party (or what many incorrectly compare to the democratic party). Tim you are right that America has its foundations in Liberal ideals. But that is Liberal in the democratic sense. If we are talking about political ideologies than we are talking about a completely different beast.

A two party system is a core fundamental of American Liberal democracy. For example political differences, close elections and nasty political campaigns, are not a recent thing in American history. The press has just made it a recent thing. In the election of 1796, John Adams beat Thomas Jefferson by just 3 electoral votes, and in 1800 it was the famous tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr. The funny thing was that the runner up in the election became the Vice President. So often you had a President and a Vice President that did not get along. Adams and Jefferson went months without speaking. In fact if we’re speaking strictly politically, the liberal ideals that many speak of that this country was founded on I would argue were as much traditional conservative ideals as they were traditional liberal ideals. While the American Revolution was about change and the rights of individuals (considered to be liberal ideals), it was mostly about the advancement of freedom (both individually from government and economic), which is a more traditional conservative ideology. However both encompass a Liberal democracy. The real issue (as you hit on Tim) is that Americans have no idea what liberalism or conservatism mean anymore. They are just ideals that are thrown into the pathetic pot of contemporary American politics. The days of John Stuart Mill and Edmund Burke are long gone, and that is really sad. We just have to be careful that Liberalism and liberalism are not made out to be the same thing.

Liberalism is a mental disorder

San Francisco has been labeled the most liberal city in America, marginally rivaled by Seattle Washington and possibility New York. I had just returned from a vacation to this liberal land. This visit inspired much thought on the term liberalism. I have a lot of friends and family members that use the word liberal in an almost derogatory context saying "Well he's liberal though" or "the liberals think this" or even "we don't discussion liberalism here"(I was told this at the school I used to work at). While in Sanny Franny I saw an appeared homeless man walking the streets with a sign that read "Liberalism is a Mental Disease". I was shocked because of the preconceived notions of the city but than I thought that he was probably just trying to get attention. This did get me to thinking...what is wrong with liberalism. Dictionary.com's definition of the term is: a political orientation that favors progress and reform. As far as I can tell our country was founded on change and reformation; us separating ourselved from the problem we had with the English government. In a sense, we are founded on liberalism, so I don't understand why so many people judge and complain about the liberals. I'm sure that they don't know the true definition of what is means to be liberal. I can moan and complain for a long time about the judgment and misuse of this word brings, but that would make this blog too long to read. What I'm trying to say is that most people think that other people are doing it wrong and think that things need to be changed, therefore most people are liberal. Let's stop judging and go smoke some sausage.

Long-range politics

I am going to post my first political piece, on what I hope will be a regular occurrence. I hope that on days that I won’t be able to do both that everyone will check our my other blog intelligentconfusion22.blogspot.com. I will also post the blogs on both sights when it is pertinent to the world of politics.

The debate in Washington about Iran and North Korea continues. President Bush met with European leaders at a summit this week in Austria, foreign policy (more specifically American foreign policy was top on the list of discussion). The E.U. has stated that it will support the U.S. in measures against North Korea if they don’t comply with recent sanctions against their nuclear program. The E.U. is also on the same page with the U.S. on the recent Iranian proposal that seeks the use of diplomacy. Talks about North Korea heated up, because of recent testing of long-range missiles. North Korea has long been believed to have a nuclear program in place, and the possibility of a warhead to attach to that long-range missile has many around the world a little uneasy. Now I am of the belief that it is all show (as usual) with North Korea, but never the less whenever anyone is testing long-range missiles when the world is seeking diplomatic resolutions it certainly gets your attention.

A story coming out of the U.S./E.U. summit that seems to be just as big is that of the protestors outside of the summit where it is being held in Vienna. Many of the protestors are calling President Bush the real terrorist, and saying that the United States is the world’s real enemy. Much of this is in response to the malcontent with the war in Iraq, but once again many Europeans (along with some radical Americans) are making themselves look really foolish. There are many within the protestors that are making adamant comparisons of President Bush to former German dictator Adolph Hitler. That is absolutely absurd, and Bush said so himself. Look for an upcoming blog on this very subject in the next few weeks. But the question I would like to pose to Europe is this, what if the U.S. decided tomorrow that we were going to become an isolationist nation again, and our foreign policy would be domestic first, and then if we have time…? There are many in America that would like to see that happen. I don’t happen to be one of them, but it would certainly leave Europe in a big hole for the future. Anyway I won’t get into that now.

Finally the debate goes on in the U.S. Senate about the war in Iraq. With many Democrats saying that there needs to be a time table for withdrawal, and some going so far to say that troops need to be withdrawn immediately. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) spoke out in adamant opposition to President Bush yesterday, and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) called Bush’s strategy the “lie and die.” Strategy. Republicans responded with a stupid little saying of their own. Close line to Senator Kerry and the senate: We are tired of your dumb little catch phrases; they just make us look ridiculous. I think that both parties should refrain from the name-calling and start to have a legitimate discourse about the proper action in Iraq… However that just wouldn’t be politics, would it?

Ask Butter (Version I)

This week Chuck from Fayetteville, Arkansas wrote:

Hey Butter, what do you think of Superman as a super hero? - Chuck

(Butter Writes)

Well Chuck,

I'm very glad you asked that, it is a great question. While I respect him as a legend in the super hero game and will go see the movie, I'm not a big fan. Why make a super hero that is all powerful. Where's the fun in that? There is no bad guy that can really challenge him (I know in one of the old movies he fought 3 people from him homeworld and that was interesting, but you can't keep replaying that).

Superman can fly, shoot lasers out of his eyes, see through walls, can't be hurt, and is infinately strong. Why don't I make myself a super hero in a world of ants and when one of them commits a crime I just go step on it.

Then, they go on to attempt to create a limitation with Kryptonite. Big friggin deal. As humans we can be harmed by so many things (posions or whatever). There is one thing in all of life that can harm him and it's a rare rock and on top of that it doesn't kill him right away but hurts him over a seemingly long period of time. Boooo!

I want a super hero that has cool powers, but is still challenged. Isn't it more interesting to watch the US soccer team or Chicago Bears try to fumble and bumble their way to a victory than watch Team USA in the Jordan era (as cool as they were to behold) beat international teams 88-21.

I respect what Superman started as. Did you know at it's inception he couldn't fly and wasn't infinately strong. He used to jump from building top to building top much like the Tick.

I will, however, give credit where credit is due. Clark Kent is awesome. The alter-ego is truly a brilliant gem in a patch of dirt. He has no super hero arrogance and sees fit to fumble about his life spilling coffee on everything and rocking out with his nerdy self. I'd love to create a show with just Clark Kent and no superman. It would be superb.

-Butter

Random

Hey guys, let's invent a Super Villian named Gary. Everybody add an aspect of his personality or a super power. I'll start: he has a small but respectable gut and loves eating pringles and watching Frasier re-runs.

A&E picks

For any of you who have 12-15 bucks in your back pocket and want to trust someone who still enjoys Phil Collins, here's my pick of the week for music:

Sam Roberts, Chemical City
With his second major U.S. album release, Sam Roberts puts together a great album in Chemical City. From the opening rock anthem The Gate to the melancholy A Stone Would Cry, Roberts creates a cohesive album (and a sweet album art package) that would please Neil Young, Depeche Mode, and the Velvet Underground at the same time. Sam Roberts is a brand of no-frills rock, the kind of music that has lyric and musical depth but still begs to be pumped up on the drive home from work. Vancouver, Regina, Saskatoon, Ottawa, and Acadia are in love with him, and it's only a matter of time before the states follow suit.

If your Netflix que has more than two Steven Segal movies in it, try my movie pick:

Millions, directed by Danny Boyle (Transpotting, 28 Days Later), 2005

Millions is a thoroughly enjoyable movie about two young English boys who, having just lost thier mother, come upon millions of dollars on accident and have to decide how to steward the gift they've been given. The 9-year old, Anthony, is practical and utilitarian, While Damien, 7, is a dreamer and a child of faith. The cinematography is stunning at times, creating the the fantasy world of Damien and the jaded view of Anthony. This would be an excellent film to watch with someone who is very different than yourself; different faith, belief, ethical value, economic status. It's a movie about stewardship, faith, and imagination that I can't recommend highly enough. It's well worth your time and could be a great date movie as well.

If you check out my picks, let me know what you think. Salut! Skol! Prost!

Mock Draft version 1.0

With the NBA draft less than 2 weeks away, the Decent Destroyer needs to make his first NBA mock draft. Of course, a lot can happen in two weeks but the DD needs to be heard. I'm throwing away any bias I have for the Bulls pick and will go strictly on what I think Mr. Paxson will do. The Toronto Raptors are on the clock....

1. Toronto selects Andrea Bargnani

To be honest, I think the Raptors are sold on him being the next Nowitzki. I seriously doubt they go with Aldridge here even though it would make their star, Mr. Bosh, happy. This pick has the most potential of the top 5 to be traded. I could definitely see the Blazers or Hawks jumping at this pick to grab Aldridge or Morrison.



2. Chicago selects Tyrus Thomas

We all know that Paxson and Skiles need certain type players. As much as I want to see Aldridge here, I can't help but think Paxson goes for the workaholic in Thomas. This guy is certainly a beast down low, but his offensive game is not quite ready for the pro's. I think the Bulls take Thomas and sign a post player that is ready to play right now so Thomas can develop. I hope I'm wrong, but this is what the DD sees.




3. Charlotte selects Adam Morrison

This team has a lot of young talent in Okafor, Felton, May, and Wallace. Morrison would fit in quite nicely with this bunch and round out a very decent starting five. I could also see Rudy Gay picked here since Morrison and Gay are the #1 and #2 small forwards in the draft. I don't think Morrison will be a superstar and the comparisons to Larry Bird are way too high. In the end, he will be a Sam Perkins type NBA player.




4. Portland selects LaMarcus Aldridge

Portland definitely got the bad end of the draft lottery but they come out as a big winner with the actual draft. I know I'm going out on a limb by having Aldridge fall this far, but sometimes the draft surprises us all. It will be interesting to see if the Blazers keep Randolph and decide to team him up with Aldridge and form a couple twin towers in the Pacific Northwest. I think Aldridge will take some time to develop but in the end, I think he will be the best player out of this draft. On a side note, Portland fans will be quite upset they didn't get fellow Pacifican Brandon Roy. Oh well Blazer fans, Aldridge will not become the next Alaa Abdelnaby.



5. Atlanta selects Shelden Williams

Let me say first, that I love this pick for Atlanta. The Hawks have a huge need for a presence down low. I think Williams will complement Zaza Pachulia quite well. I don't see Harrington returning to this team which leaves Joe Johnosn, Josh Smith, and a bunch of question marks. Atlanta needs players that will not complain about the state of the franchise and the Landlord will do nothing but work his butt off. Good fit indeed.



6. Minnesota selects Rudy Gay

As much as McHale would love to mess up this pick, he does the right thing and selects Rudy Gay from UConn. Brandon Roy is also a possibility but I like what I saw from McCants at the end of the year and I doubt the Wolves want to select another shooting guard. Gay will fit in nicely with KG and the gang and him and McCants should be nice complements to the Big Ticket.








7. Boston selects Brandon Roy

I think it's doubtful that Roy will last until #7 but at least in this mock draft, he gets the nod here with the Celtics. This is basically the Celtics taking the best player available because if they drafted for need, the Celtics would definitely be taking a big man here. It's a little early for Patrick O'Bryant so perhaps a trade down would work better for them.

Covered and Smothered

Welcome to the Breakfast Gravy Blog. This is great! I had a vision while I was dreaming a couple nights ago. Why not have a blog that has numerous contributors?

When my pal James, or Lars, heads over to Denny's for a tasty Grand Slam breakfast you better believe that they are going to their potateo's both covered and smothered. That is what I want to do with this blog. I want articles covered and smothered. I want movie reviews about "The Return to Salem's Lot". I want reviews of new breakfast venue's....and I want reviews on why Luke Skywalker is a bigger sally than John Sally. I'm calling out some writters to step up to this challenge to change the world. With a great writting staff and free interest blog this world will be a better place.