monkey pictures
Monday, May 31, 2010
He Has the Cano-Do Attitude
By Tony Mangia
AL EAST TIGHTENS UP
A week ago, baseball fans---including me---were hoisting the Tampa Bay Rays on their shoulders and proclaiming them the best team in baseball. Young, fast, and with good starting pitching. They could possibly win 120 games. Yankee fans were left scratching their heads after after dropping 5 0f 7 against the Rays, Red Sox and Mets. They looked old and tired. Nobody, including old reliable Derek Jeter, was picking up the slack. Then, two things happened--the schedule and Robinson Cano.
Two old Yankee ego-boosters--the Minnesota Twins, who dropped 2 of 3 in their new stadium, and Cleveland Indians who arrived at Yankee Stadium and gave the home team another lift. Nothing lets off more steam than wins against your favorite punching bags. The upcoming timetable includes the cellar-dwelling Baltimore Orioles, twice, and the pitiful Houston Astros. Ten of the next thirteen games are against losing clubs. Only Sybil-personality Toronto has a winning record but they are, of course, the Blue Jays.
Seven days and everything has tightened up in the AL East--arguably the best division in the majors. Boston has a little hot-streak going while the Rays have cooled. Only 5 1/2 games separate all four teams. It's going to be a long, hot ride this summer.
ROBINSON CANO LIVING UP TO ALL THE HYPE
Yankee second baseman, Robinson Cano, is smoking up the place. He opened up the week with a grand slam against the Indians and continued a torrid hitting spree. Check out these stats: second in the league in batting .362, fourth in runs scored with 36, 37 RBIs and tops with 71 hits. He also leads the Yanks with 10 home runs and a muscular .607 slugging percentage. Cano had always seemed to squander his natural abilities in the past. He is , sometimes, one of the most complete players in the game. He has the skills to be the best second baseman in the majors, but has always frustrated purists with his immature attitude and major hitting lapses. Cano's play in the field this year has been exemplary. He looks like a Gold-Glover and seems comfortable as the team's slugger---until A-Rod and Teixeira get their mojos back. Right now, he only knock on Robbie is his base running. He still stands around admiring a hit one minute and, in the next, over runs a base. Cano could finally fulfill the Hall-of-Fame credentials he seemed destined to a couple of seasons ago. He looks like he is really enjoying the game, too.
CORE FOUR ENCORE
So much for the pundits predicting Jeter's demise after he got some timely hits in the week gone by and boosted his average to a more Jeteresque .297 . The same goes for Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. Rivera has a relatively low 10 saves this year, but last week picked up three---including two in one day against the Twins. Catcher, Jorge Posada looks like he's ready to return after two weeks on the DL. He says the walking boot he had been sporting was removed and, after a short rehabilitation stint in the minors, he'll be ready for the Blue Jays series.
COMIC RELIEF
The Yank's starters---Pettitte, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett--have been spectacular so far. They are a combined 18-4 with a 2.86 ERA. C.C. Sabathia still struggles and Javier Vasquez is only worth his snuff against NL teams. So that means he's good for what---3 wins this season? The real problem continues to be the bullpen. Joba Chamberlain continues to disappoint and Dave Robertson's great stuff of last season is junk this year. Pitching coach Dave Eiland says C.C. has corrected the throwing problem and it was just poor pitch selection. Is Chamberlain the most hot-and-cold pitcher in the bigs? I guess "The Joba Rules" haven't panned out as planned.
Red Storm Rising
It was a good week for St. John's University. Basketball coach Steve Lavin has already gotten a commitment from California high school hoops stud, Dwayne Polee and has surprised the experts by attracting the interest of other west coast blue-chippers . The team has announced it will open the season in The Great Alaska Shootout. The prestigious early season tournament will be a great gauge how far the Red Storm's veteran team will go in the upcoming season.
The Red Storm baseball team won the Big East Tournament by sweeping #10 Louisville, twice, and #18 Connecticut in the final to get an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament. The Johnnies (40-17) have been streaking the past few weeks and should make a good run for the regionals. Freshman pitcher, Kyle Hansen (younger brother of Pittsburgh Pirate, Craig) was awarded the Jack Kaiser Award for the tournament's most outstanding player. It marks a record sixth conference tournament baseball title for St. John's.
Ex-St. John's star, Ron Artest, made the biggest three-point shot since he drained two against Duke to end Blue Devils home court winning streak (against non-conference opponents) at Cameron in 2001. Artest owned the Dukies in the final minutes of that game. The other night, Artest hit a last second trey to win the pivotal game five against the Phoenix Suns. The L.A. Lakers went on to win the series in the next game. In true Artest style, his timing wasn't as good the the next day, and he showed up late for the Lakers practice.
Congrats to another ex-Redmen basketball star, Walter Berry, and now---college graduate. The 1986 National Player of the Year received a baccalaureate degree from the university on Friday---27 years after his freshman year.
Now It's Known as U Con
The NCAA has slammed the University of Connecticut basketball program with eight major violations and specifically cited coach Jim Calhoun by claiming he "failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance." I'm not sure what that means but anyone who follows college basketball must be shaking their heads and asking, "What took so long?"
The Huskies have two NCAA championship banners hanging in their gym won before the current allegations between 2005-09. The violations center around calls and text messages to recruits. Big East coaches, in the past, have accused Calhoun of sending third-tier coaches or assistants to hype UConn to already verbally-committed recruits---a violation. I remember Calhoun giving players "season-long" suspensions for breaking team rules and criminal laws, only to quietly reinstate the offender just in time for the opening of the Big East schedule.
Calhoun is a Big East bully, with a five-year, $13 million contract, who always boasts his teams bring $12 million annually into the school. Funny, he never mentions the 30% graduation mark of his players.
JERSEY SCORE
Three years, seven months and 27 days until Super Bowl XLVIII in the Meadowlands. The temperature over/under is 34 1/2 degrees. Snow? 6/1 odds. Global warming is a handicap. I like the Florida organizers who claim the awarding of the game to Jersey was fixed. Yeah, everything and everyone in the Garden State is like The Sopranos.
Just wondering who the half-time act will be? Jersey boys, Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi will probably battle it out with Wyckoff's own favorite-sons, the Jonas Brothers. What about the cast of Jersey Boys? The opening act could be Coolio, Ice-Cube and Ice-T or or Foreigner singing "Cold as Ice." Wait, instead of half-time musicians, what about Ice Capades? Won't need a rink---just use the frozen turf. Better yet, the NHL could have their All-Star game. This way people will actually watch it. I'm thinking big. What about a Frank Sinatra tribute or, maybe, a Jimmy Hoffa extravaganza. Give each spectator a commemorative shovel to dig around the old stadium's fifty-yard line. Come to think about it, maybe the fix WAS in.
"Now boys, don't get caught watchin' the paint dry!"
Filmdom lost a real legend over the weekend, Dennis Hopper, 74. His career spanned six decades and, in that time, has any actor had a part in more groundbreaking films than Hopper? Rebel Without a Cause, Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now and as the nitrous oxide huffer, Frank Booth in Blue Velvet. The list goes on: Cool Hand Luke, True Romance...Sports fans will remember Hopper as the town drunk turned assistant coach, Wilbur "Shooter" Flatch in the fact-based film, Hoosiers.
Based on an underdog Indiana High school team that won the 1954 state championship, Hoosiers is regularly listed on critics top sports films of all time. Hopper got his second Oscar nomination for the role of Shooter. It's sad to say that, with all the cookie-cutter, pretty-boy actors of today, it will be hard to find a actor who can play strange as well as Dennis Hopper did. R.I.P.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sehidup (tak) Semati | Sinopsis | Movie Trailer
Satu lagi karya sutradara Iqbal Rais yang cukup menarik perhatian. Film berjudul Sehidup (Tak) Semati bisa menjadi pilihan penonton yang sudah bosan dengan film horor yang selama ini hanya menampilkan adegan menyeramkan dan sedikit seksi. "Kami memang membuat film ini berdasarkan apa yang terjadi di lingkungan sekitar.Kata 'sehidup semati' yang biasa didengar di banyak percakapan menjadi ide
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Millatfacebook | Facebook Muslim versi Pakistan
Aksi pemblokiran terhadap Facebook oleh Pemerintah Pakistan mendorong para ahli IT untuk mengembangkan jejaring sosial dalam negeri.Setelah, muncul fan page 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day', Pemerintah Pakistan langsung memblokir Facebook, karena hal itu dianggap melecehkan umat Muslim.Enam orang ahli IT asal Lahore, Pakistan mengembangkan Facebook berbasis Islam yang beralamat di
File this under things I think I think
The demise of the Boston Celtics was greatly exaggerated.The Celtics hammered the Orlando Magic in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals,making their second trip in three years to the NBA finals.I was one of the non-believers who figured the Celtics were done and went as far as saying this was thier last stand and with hardly any help on the horizon.I couldn't have been more wrong.Rajon Rondo has played like he's one of the all time greats,they've ramped up the defense,and have been fairly efficient on offense.Add to that,that the bench has been pretty good to.Right now I have to give them the nod over the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns,because of the way they've defended throughout the postseason.Phoenix plays no defense and they Lakers have been somewhat exposed and have a hobbled Andrew Bynum.Its too early to crown a champion,but if I were a betting man,I'd put my money on Boston.
Friday, May 28, 2010
1st BlogCamp’s Anniversary
Perhelatan akbar dalam dunia Blogosphere kembali digelar. Gaungnya sudah membahana dikalangan nara blogger. Siapa yang tidak mengenal Shohibul Hajjat "PakDe Abdul Cholik" , Sang Blog Comander dengan 10 buah blog yang tercantum di sidebar saya.Kali ini PakDe mengelar acara yang bertajuk 1st BlogCamp’s Anniversary , Manajemen BlogCamp Group telah menyiapkan initial planning dalam rangka menyambut
Thursday, May 27, 2010
BUDRUS, Film Dokumenter Gerakan Nonkekerasan di Palestina
Tak banyak yang tahu bahwa sebuah gerakan nonkekerasan sedang tumbuh di Palestina, yang telah menyatukan faksi-faksi Palestina yang berseteru, termasuk Fatah dan Hamas, dan mendorong ratusan orang Israel untuk melintas ke Tepi Barat dan Gaza untuk pertama kalinya guna bergabung dengan gerakan ini.Sepak terjang gerakan inilah yang terekam dalam film dokumenter baru Budrus yang diproduksi oleh Just
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
BAGAIMANAKAH MENJADI SEORANG PEMIMPIN ?
Salah satu permasalahan yang sangat mendasar di negara kita adalah kesenjangan sosial yang semakin tajam antara miskin dan kaya. Hal ini merupakan masalah krusial yang harus menjadi perhatian kita semuanya.Seperti telah diketahui dan dirasakan bersama, betapa keji dan biadabnya perbuatan korupsi yang mengakibatkan terampasnya hak azasi ratusan juta rakyat Indonesia. Mulai dari hak memperoleh
EMPTY NEST SYNDROME
By Tony Mangia
WHAT TO DO WITH DEREK JETER?
Only a quarter of the 2010 season has passed and media skeptics have started to swarm all over New York Yankee Derek Jeter's slump like Lindsey Lohan at a swag bag table. Even the most loyal Jeter fan has to be concerned about the anemic batting average, his left-side fielding, and how all this plays into his contract year. A four or five year contract for a 36 year-old shortstop, on the downside, has to already be on GM Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenner family's mind. How do the Yankees handle New York's favorite son?
Television analysts talk about future Jeter like he will become a 37 year-old unemployed son--- living in the basement, not paying rent and driving up the grocery bills. In other words, they claim the future Hall-of Famer will become a burden and take up a spot in the line-up, not produce and eat away salary space. At this moment, Derek Jeter is leading all vote getters in the MLB All Star balloting and is on pace to end the season with 36 doubles, 16 home runs and 100 RBIs. Down season?! How many other shortstops will be able to say that?
Jeter entered this season knowing that the Yankees brass never negotiates during a contract. He never whined, made excuses or went to the media through his agent. Jeter's expressions, manners and comments belie the fact that he is off to a slow start at the beginning of a contract season. Imagine players like Gary Sheffield or Manny Ramirez not moping, complaining or dogging it under the same circumstances? I still hear Shef, and I don't even know if he still plays.
Yankee fans knew this day would come; only not when Jeter was slumping. All along, he has done it all with an abundance of class. He accepted A-Rod and his shenanigans along with the media glare. Heck, Randy Johnson only lasted one day before he got into pushing match with the paparazzi. In 15 seasons, you've never seen Jeter sitting in the dugout. He's always standing at the rail, one leg up, scoping out the action on the turf. After a big hit, he's the first over the rail to high-five a score.
HANK IS NOT GEORGE
Jeter's relationship with George Steinbrenner is that of father and son. He still calls "The Boss," Mister Steinbrenner. Hank is like Jeter's older stepbrother. The younger boss doesn't have the emotional ties to Jeter that the old man does---but business is business and George is basically out of the picture. Nobody wants to keep Jeter for old times sake, ala Seattle, who brought back a broken down Ken Griffey Jr.. Nobody wants to remember The Captain hobbling to first base like Yankee great Mickey Mantle in his final seasons or just plain fall down like 41 year-old Willie Mays in the 1973 World Series. Even the staunchest Jeter-hater will never find enough flaws to see him fail miserably. Jeter doesn't have the physical, financial or personal afflictions to allow him fall down like those other greats.
WHAT IS JETER WORTH?
Do they sign Jeter to four or five years? Does he get a pay cut? Is he limited to the DH role? Is Jeter valuable to any other club? Would the face of the Yankees take a pay cut just to stay in New York? The Yankee brass must make a decision--and I'm pretty sure they know what they want to do but, because of team protocol, they can't make anything public yet. Derek Jeter's value goes past Elias statistics and Bill James' fantasy blather.
The thought of Jeter in another uniform would kill most Yankee fans. I'm sure they would rather an eternity of listening to the innocuous "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z---no, that's too cruel...maybe some simple water boarding---instead of envisioning their shortstop making "The Dive" or "The Flip" in anything but pinstripes.
Button Up Your Overcoat
Super Bowl Awarded to Swamps of Jersey
Am I the only New Yorker who isn't excited about the 2014 Super Bowl coming to New Jersey? That's right, Jersey! Thanks a lot Tampa, for using Dick Vitale in your promotion video. Is that the only celebrity you could get? We probably secured the bid after his third "Ba-beee!" While optimistic (really optimistic) local fans conjure up visions of a Giants/Jets scenario, New Yorkers who aren't delusional know this will be a pain in the ass.
I'm all for cold weather games but, NIMBY! The game will overload the city with one of two things we already have an abundance of---tourists. Hipsters are the other scourge. Hipsters, for the uninitiated are those twenty-something roaming the Lower East Side into Bushwick. You've seen their uniform--- canvas high tops, quirky Tee-shirts, forearm tats, I-pods in their ears and messenger bags slung over their shoulders. Don't forget the hats that look like the kind Swiss mountaineers wear. Go to any "dive" bar and you'll see herds of them swilling PBR's between talking about their band's new song. It looks like a Yodelers convention. Whew...glad I got that out of my system.
Tourists, on the other hand, roam our streets four across, arm-in-arm---like something is going to swoop down and take on away. Their lazy strolling, looking up and pointing tends to slow the locals down. Now imagine, in February, another 150 thousand crowding our streets, even more, with their huge, puffy, down-comforter coats. Sleeping bags with sleeves.
LOW-FAT CITY
It also means making the city look more like the Mall of America than the urban dwelling it should be. Mayor Bloomberg (the Patriots fan) lauded the Giants and Jets for their efforts in securing the game. Translated, this means he can put in more pedestrian malls and attract the few franchise restaurants we don't already have. Then, he can force them to use non-saturated fats, stop using salt and put up calorie charts so we're all healthy, if not happy. Oh yeah, there will probably be a excess tax on sugar drinks, sodas and juices by then.
I know a lot has been made of numbers since New Jersey/York got the big game. Temperatures, inches of snow, Rex Ryan's waist line, but the real numbers are in dollars. How about 1.7 billion to build an unnamed facility without a retractable roof? During game week, extra soldiers, cops and agents will dip into New York's Homeland Security fund while the city keeps extra salt and snow trucks warmed up---just in case of the big blizzard---and diverts money from fire and police budgets to make sure everyone can freeze their buns at GIANTS Stadium!
New Yorkers who think it will be easier to see a Super Bowl live will be shocked to find out the NFL sells less than 1,000 tickets to each team's season-ticket holders. Their only hope is for an 18 inch snowfall on Friday. The airports will close and all those extra tickets will be given away to fill the stands. Even the Mayor of East Rutherford (the city where GIANTS stadium sits) will get in.
IN THE YEAR 2014
Let me set the scenario at Super Bowl XLVIII, in "Trump's The Apprentice and Miss America Stadium", for Giants and Jets fans in the land of make believe. Rex Ryan now weighs 87 pounds. He needs a brace to support his giant head. Mark Sanchez now works on a sit-com produced by George Lopez. Eli Manning hasn't been seen since 2010 after someone gave him the wrong directions to the new stadium. Tom Coughlin's face got so red he blew up and Justin Tuck is still auditioning for Tiki Barber's "job" on The Today Show. The Player's Union is on strike. Replacement Giants beat replacement Jets on a freak 70 degree day. Finally, New Yorkers, and the rest of America, had to watch the game on Pay-Per-View.
WHAT TO DO WITH DEREK JETER?
Only a quarter of the 2010 season has passed and media skeptics have started to swarm all over New York Yankee Derek Jeter's slump like Lindsey Lohan at a swag bag table. Even the most loyal Jeter fan has to be concerned about the anemic batting average, his left-side fielding, and how all this plays into his contract year. A four or five year contract for a 36 year-old shortstop, on the downside, has to already be on GM Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenner family's mind. How do the Yankees handle New York's favorite son?
Television analysts talk about future Jeter like he will become a 37 year-old unemployed son--- living in the basement, not paying rent and driving up the grocery bills. In other words, they claim the future Hall-of Famer will become a burden and take up a spot in the line-up, not produce and eat away salary space. At this moment, Derek Jeter is leading all vote getters in the MLB All Star balloting and is on pace to end the season with 36 doubles, 16 home runs and 100 RBIs. Down season?! How many other shortstops will be able to say that?
Jeter entered this season knowing that the Yankees brass never negotiates during a contract. He never whined, made excuses or went to the media through his agent. Jeter's expressions, manners and comments belie the fact that he is off to a slow start at the beginning of a contract season. Imagine players like Gary Sheffield or Manny Ramirez not moping, complaining or dogging it under the same circumstances? I still hear Shef, and I don't even know if he still plays.
Yankee fans knew this day would come; only not when Jeter was slumping. All along, he has done it all with an abundance of class. He accepted A-Rod and his shenanigans along with the media glare. Heck, Randy Johnson only lasted one day before he got into pushing match with the paparazzi. In 15 seasons, you've never seen Jeter sitting in the dugout. He's always standing at the rail, one leg up, scoping out the action on the turf. After a big hit, he's the first over the rail to high-five a score.
HANK IS NOT GEORGE
Jeter's relationship with George Steinbrenner is that of father and son. He still calls "The Boss," Mister Steinbrenner. Hank is like Jeter's older stepbrother. The younger boss doesn't have the emotional ties to Jeter that the old man does---but business is business and George is basically out of the picture. Nobody wants to keep Jeter for old times sake, ala Seattle, who brought back a broken down Ken Griffey Jr.. Nobody wants to remember The Captain hobbling to first base like Yankee great Mickey Mantle in his final seasons or just plain fall down like 41 year-old Willie Mays in the 1973 World Series. Even the staunchest Jeter-hater will never find enough flaws to see him fail miserably. Jeter doesn't have the physical, financial or personal afflictions to allow him fall down like those other greats.
WHAT IS JETER WORTH?
Do they sign Jeter to four or five years? Does he get a pay cut? Is he limited to the DH role? Is Jeter valuable to any other club? Would the face of the Yankees take a pay cut just to stay in New York? The Yankee brass must make a decision--and I'm pretty sure they know what they want to do but, because of team protocol, they can't make anything public yet. Derek Jeter's value goes past Elias statistics and Bill James' fantasy blather.
The thought of Jeter in another uniform would kill most Yankee fans. I'm sure they would rather an eternity of listening to the innocuous "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z---no, that's too cruel...maybe some simple water boarding---instead of envisioning their shortstop making "The Dive" or "The Flip" in anything but pinstripes.
Button Up Your Overcoat
Super Bowl Awarded to Swamps of Jersey
Am I the only New Yorker who isn't excited about the 2014 Super Bowl coming to New Jersey? That's right, Jersey! Thanks a lot Tampa, for using Dick Vitale in your promotion video. Is that the only celebrity you could get? We probably secured the bid after his third "Ba-beee!" While optimistic (really optimistic) local fans conjure up visions of a Giants/Jets scenario, New Yorkers who aren't delusional know this will be a pain in the ass.
I'm all for cold weather games but, NIMBY! The game will overload the city with one of two things we already have an abundance of---tourists. Hipsters are the other scourge. Hipsters, for the uninitiated are those twenty-something roaming the Lower East Side into Bushwick. You've seen their uniform--- canvas high tops, quirky Tee-shirts, forearm tats, I-pods in their ears and messenger bags slung over their shoulders. Don't forget the hats that look like the kind Swiss mountaineers wear. Go to any "dive" bar and you'll see herds of them swilling PBR's between talking about their band's new song. It looks like a Yodelers convention. Whew...glad I got that out of my system.
Tourists, on the other hand, roam our streets four across, arm-in-arm---like something is going to swoop down and take on away. Their lazy strolling, looking up and pointing tends to slow the locals down. Now imagine, in February, another 150 thousand crowding our streets, even more, with their huge, puffy, down-comforter coats. Sleeping bags with sleeves.
LOW-FAT CITY
It also means making the city look more like the Mall of America than the urban dwelling it should be. Mayor Bloomberg (the Patriots fan) lauded the Giants and Jets for their efforts in securing the game. Translated, this means he can put in more pedestrian malls and attract the few franchise restaurants we don't already have. Then, he can force them to use non-saturated fats, stop using salt and put up calorie charts so we're all healthy, if not happy. Oh yeah, there will probably be a excess tax on sugar drinks, sodas and juices by then.
I know a lot has been made of numbers since New Jersey/York got the big game. Temperatures, inches of snow, Rex Ryan's waist line, but the real numbers are in dollars. How about 1.7 billion to build an unnamed facility without a retractable roof? During game week, extra soldiers, cops and agents will dip into New York's Homeland Security fund while the city keeps extra salt and snow trucks warmed up---just in case of the big blizzard---and diverts money from fire and police budgets to make sure everyone can freeze their buns at GIANTS Stadium!
New Yorkers who think it will be easier to see a Super Bowl live will be shocked to find out the NFL sells less than 1,000 tickets to each team's season-ticket holders. Their only hope is for an 18 inch snowfall on Friday. The airports will close and all those extra tickets will be given away to fill the stands. Even the Mayor of East Rutherford (the city where GIANTS stadium sits) will get in.
IN THE YEAR 2014
Let me set the scenario at Super Bowl XLVIII, in "Trump's The Apprentice and Miss America Stadium", for Giants and Jets fans in the land of make believe. Rex Ryan now weighs 87 pounds. He needs a brace to support his giant head. Mark Sanchez now works on a sit-com produced by George Lopez. Eli Manning hasn't been seen since 2010 after someone gave him the wrong directions to the new stadium. Tom Coughlin's face got so red he blew up and Justin Tuck is still auditioning for Tiki Barber's "job" on The Today Show. The Player's Union is on strike. Replacement Giants beat replacement Jets on a freak 70 degree day. Finally, New Yorkers, and the rest of America, had to watch the game on Pay-Per-View.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
TANAH AIR BETA | Sinopsis dan Movie Trailer
Satu lagi Film yang patut menjadi tontonan segar untuk keluarga. Film ini akan dirilis 17 Juni 2010. Waktu perilisan film ini memang disengaja berdekatan dengan liburan anak-anak sekolah.Sutradara muda berbakat Ari Sihasale segera meluncurkan film tentang Indonesia-Timor Leste. Film bertema keluarga yang mengisahkan perjuangan seorang anak di daerah perbatasan Indonesia dan Timor Leste, berjudul
KEBIJAKSANAAN Vs PENGETAHUAN
Ada perbedaan antara kebijaksanaan dan pengetahuan. Orang bisa saja mengatakan bahwa kebijaksanaan adalah pengetahuan yang dibawa masuk ke dalam hati seseorang untuk kemudian dirasakan atau dialami sebagai kebenaran.Kita tidak bisa mendapatkan kebijaksanaan dengan cara pasif menerima apa yang kita baca atau dengan mempercayai apa yang dikatakan orang lain kepada kita. Sebelum informasi yang kita
Monday, May 24, 2010
Taking the L Train
By Tony Mangia
Yanks Must Regroup After Lost Week
Thousands of Yankee fans watched the Lost finale last night; only it wasn't on ABC. They watched their team drop the rubber game against their cross-town rivals, the Mets on ESPN. The three game series ended with Mets closer K-Rod on the mound, arm raised in victory, and Yanks slugger A-Rod standing at the plate swinging at strike three with two men on. It ended a hell week that saw the Yankees lose 5 of 7 against the AL East leaders, Tampa Bay Rays, the hated Mets, and blow a 5-0 lead against their arch-enemies, The Boston Red Sox. Like the television series, the Yanks answered some questions, but left a lot of mysteries, too.
It's really bad week for the Yankees, when they call Javier Vasquez the best pitcher during that spell. He pitched a masterful one-hitter for six innings in the first game of the Subway Series until he left the game with an injured finger. "Masterful" and Vasquez sure haven't been used in the same sentence all season. Maybe the Yankees should have him pitch every game against the National League. Only now, after bruising his digit, he joins a long list of injured pinstripers---Jorge Posada, Nick Johnson and Alfredo Aceves won't see action for a few weeks; while Nick Swisher and Marcus Thames are "day to day." Now, the return of Curtis Granderson looms larger than the reported return of Paula Abdul to American Idol.
The week started with a wild come-from-behind victory over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The four hour game (a nick in time for these two teams) battled back-and-forth until the Yanks pulled out the walk-off win. Yeah, there was a pie-in-the-face. The breakdown appeared devastating to the Bostonians. The next night, the Sox looked ready to concede the season, after falling behind 5-0, until bungling plays by the Yankees' fielders allowed the visitors to win. Next, the Tampa Bay Rays rolled into town. They completely out pitched New York, outhit them and finally ran all over them. Six stolen bases in the first game, alone. They made the two-game sweep look easy. They seem like the real deal and made the veteran Yankees look old and tired.
Catch Some Rays
The Rays also made the home team's younger players look stale and showed the Yankees future who the real up-and-comers are. They are 32-12 and lead the rest of the majors by 6 games! Their record is no fluke, but winning this division isn't automatic. The Red Sox looked punch drunk seven days ago, too. The Yankees may be banged up and the top of the lineup is slumping badly, but fill-ins have performed admirably. The starting pitching on the Yankees is still good, even after the past few losing scuffles, but the Rays staff is even better. Tampa Bay is young and can go deep into the game. They are not the upstarts of two seasons ago; so sneaking up against anyone won't happen. The Yankees had beaten Tampa Bay seven straight at Yankee Stadium, and took two of three in April, until last week. That is, until they got a real look at this peaking club. It remains to be seen if they have staying power---a few injuries here... There's still 120 games left to play, so its too early to crown the Rays champs yet.
The Good Things
The Yankees have survived, despite all of their injuries. They still have the most potent offense in the league. They lead the majors in runs scored and on-base percentage. Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes looked mortal last week, but are still having good seasons. As a whole, the Yankee starters are 18-7 without Vasquez. Even with batting free falls by Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and A-Rod, the Yankees can still grind out plays and score. They did have 38 runs cross the plate in six days---too bad the other teams scored more.
The Bad Things
The major off-season moves aren't panning out. Vasquez, Granderson, Johnson, Randy Winn and Chan Ho "Out of the" Park haven't played well or have been nicked up. Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera both had bad weeks and the bullpen has struggled on-and-off all season. The injured list is growing faster than C.C.'s ERA.
The American League East is no longer a two-horse sprint to win--maybe its a three way trot to place. Yankee manager, Joe Girardi's yappings about Josh Beckett's extra warm-up pitches and then Cervelli's non-home run call against the Mets might be out of frustration--not desperation-- but he doesn't have to hit the panic button--yet. Last week's botched game against the lifeless Sox, let another team back into the playoff picture. Toronto is nipping at the Yankees' heels while the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins are formidable opponents from the Central Division. All five of these teams are legitimate wild cards if Tampa Bay doesn't cool off. If anything nice came from the losses to the Mets, its the benevolence of Girardi's team. It probably saved Mets' manager, Jerry Manuel's job.
SHORT JABS
EXIT 16W, YA MOOK!
Looks like the 2014 Super Bowl is coming to the Meadowlands. Oh hell, it's still Giants Stadium! Last year, during the Super Bowl game, nighttime temps in the swamps of Jersey hit 5 degrees--without the wind chill! Lots of things to keep the players and fans warm and busy all week. Visit the club where Plaxico shot himself and the hotel where L.T. got busted. If it snows, Mayor Bloomberg says 800 workers will be available to clear the roads. Security is another thing, last year during a blizzard, the NYC F.B.I. offices closed down, when only one agent showed up for work, because all the others called in a snow day.
WATCH WHERE YOU AIM THAT, GUV'NOR, IT'S ME FACE
Love the new mascots the 2012 Olympics unveiled in London last week. They look like deformed Teletubbies with urinals as heads. Makes me pine for Izzy in Atlanta.
I.B.S.? I THOUGHT IT WAS THE NEW DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE?
According to The New York Daily News, an ESPN staffer was canned in 2009 for repeatedly using the garbage can as a toilet. The worker is suing because of irritable bowel syndrome caused by stress. Maybe she thought it was the in-box for the Fill-in-the-blank show.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
LASKAR CILIK MOVIE 2010
Maraknya produksi film Indonesia sekarang ini memang cukup membanggakan. Sayangnya kebanyakan film yang beredar hanya bertema horror,misteri, komedi dewasa dan drama untuk dewasa. Sedangkan Film khusus untuk anak-anak cenderung tidak diperhatikan.Tidak banyak produser yang mau memproduksi film untuk tontonan anak anak. Untungnya PT Ganesa Perkasa Films, perusahaan film yang telah sukses
Saturday, May 22, 2010
HASRI AINUN BESARI | Ainun Habibie Wafat
Kabar duka kembali menyelimuti negeri ini. Setelah Mama Laurent disusul oleh Gesang, kini Ibu Hasri Ainun Habibie Isteri Mantan Presiden Republik Indonesia BJ Habibie.Mantan ibu negara Ainun Habibie yang sempat terbaring kritis di rumah sakit Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Klinikum Gro`hadern, Munchen, Jerman, akhirnya wafat pada pukul 17.30 waktu Jerman.Sebelumnya, penyakit bronchitis akut dan
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Berita,
BJ Habibie,
Hasri Ainun Habibie,
Profil Ainun Habibie
Friday, May 21, 2010
30 Tahun Game PAC-MAN
Hari ini Google kembali merubah logonya untuk memperingati sebuah event penting yakni Celebrating PAC-MAN’s 30th birthday.Google doodle menghadirkan tampilan untuk bermain game arcade, Pacman. Hal ini sebagai salah satu langkah untuk menghormati game Pacman yang saat ini berusia 30 tahun.Tampilan Google doodle tampak berbeda. Demikian halnya dengan Google.co.id, yang menampilkan permainan Pacman,
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30 tahun Pacman,
Game Pac-man,
Google,
Logo,
PAC-MAN,
Pacman
Thursday, May 20, 2010
PROFIL GESANG
Indonesia kembali kehilangan salah satu putra terbaiknya. Sang Maestro keroncong Gesang meninggal dunia petang kemarin. Pencipta lagu Bengawan Solo itu wafat di ruang rawat ICU RS PKU Muhammadiyah Solo.Gesang atau lengkapnya Gesang Martohartono (lahir di Surakarta, Jawa Tengah, 1 Oktober 1917 – meninggal di Surakarta, Jawa Tengah, 20 Mei 2010 pada umur 92 tahun) adalah seorang penyanyi dan
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Bengawan Solo,
Gesang,
Gesang meninggal,
Profil Gesang
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
102 tahun KEBANGKITAN NASIONAL
Pada peringatan hari Kebangkitan Nasional yang bertepatan dengan 20 Mei hari ini, marilah segenap Blogger mania kita bersama mencoba untuk mengolahragakan otak guna mencari file yang sudah di save dalam long memory pribadi masing-masing. Tentunya hal itu masih bertalian dengan perjalanan sejarah yang diawali dengan lahirnya gerakan nasionalis pertama yaitu Boedi Oetomo (1908) dan Sumpah Pemuda (
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
BIOGRAFI MAMA LAURENT
Jenazah Mama Lauren sudah dimasukan ke liang lahat TPU Menteng Pulo, Jakarta Selatan, Selasa (18/5/2010) kemarin. Suami Mama Lauren, Hendrik Pasaribu tampak tak kuasa membendung air mata kesedihan.Prosesi pemakaman peramal keturunan Belanda itu dimulai pada pukul 12.40 WIB. Jenazah dibawa ke TPU Menteng Pulo, Jakarta Selatan setelah disalatkan di Masjid Al Husna, Cipinang, Jakarta Timur.Kerabat
Monday, May 17, 2010
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