As if people haven't noticed yet, I am very enthusiastic about local music and unconventional genres. Today I present you both, as it is the CD release date of 9th Evolution's No Devil liveD oN album, which can be found on Bandcamp:
http://9thevolution.bandcamp.com/album/no-devil-lived-on
Hailing from Pinellas Park, 9th Evolution isn't a band, nor a musician, it's a catharsis. With many bands, you might say that an individual is the "mastermind" behind the band. That's not the way to describe Nick; Nick is 9th Evolution, or maybe 9th Evolution is Nick, depending on how you look at it. He is responsible for all of the writing, both music and lyrics, the recording, and every other component of the project. He has a live band to perform with, but make no mistake about it, this is Nick's heart and soul.
I saw 9th Evolution for the first time back in 2011 in Orlando at the Florida Underground Industrial Music Festival. I really enjoyed the show, so I picked up an album that ended up getting stolen that night. I didn't realize it was gone until about 4 A.M., long after just about everyone was gone, so there was no hope of buying another album. Much to my surprise, when I went and found their page online, The Life Atomic was available for download for free. Why? Nick felt it was more important to share his music than to profit from it. The music caught me, but the attitude reeled me in. This was not a hollow gesture or a one-off occurrence. Over the years it is a consistent 9E theme; Nick has eschewed labels to stand for his music. He wouldn't change his music because it would be asking to change himself, and his identity is far more important than being part of any label or sacrificing any of his artistic liberties, which I respect tremendously.
One thing you may also notice on the site's Bandcamp page is that he's put out three albums in the last three years. It's a reflection both of his dedication to his craft, and how personal the music is to him. Make no mistake about it, making an album for start to finish is an incredibly difficult process, especially to do in one year, and ESPECIALLY when you are doing it yourself. To replicate that three years running (and if you are a betting man/woman, I'd put my money on a fourth) just shows how much he cares about his craft. Despite the undoubtedly high level of stress to do this, it certainly serves as a release for him, too, and getting to the finish line truly validates all of the struggle along the way.
I am not prepared to give my assessment of the new album, as I have only listened to it once so far (but I have a long car ride ahead, so I get to spend some quality time with the album!), but my initial impression is positive and that the album continues to get stronger and stronger as you make your way down the track list. There's nothing more disappointing than an album that starts out strong and cannot sustain its level past the first five or six tracks, but rest assured you'll have no problems like that here. At the end of the day, I highly encourage others to take a listen and see what unadulterated music passion sounds like.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
The Demise of United States Tennis
This post will definitely illustrate that I am more blogger than expert on the topics I write about more often than not. I am fairly young, 25 years old, and didn't get into tennis until I was 17. That gives me a very limited frame of reference to work with on the tennis front historically, but it doesn't mean I don't have opinions on the state of tennis in the United States. It's no secret to tennis fans that the USA has been mired in a slump on the men's side of the professional tour. The USA has had Serena Williams carrying the country on her back on the woman's side, and Sloane Stephens has shown that she has all the potential to be a force at the top of the women's game, though certainly nowhere near the level of Serena. In general, though, interest in tennis has waned compared to levels it has been in the past, and the men don't have anyone in sight that has a shot at the top 5 in the next few years, let alone a number one. Fans here remember the days where we had champions like Sampras, Agassi, McEnroe, Chang, Connors, et al. I have heard many different contributions to the discussion as to why we are struggling so much, but the two big things that stand out to me: athlete engagement and style of play.
Athlete engagement is a huge piece to the whole equation. One argument is that if our best athletes played the sport, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Sure, if LeBron James happened to be working on his serve instead of his jumper, maybe he'd be number one in the world right now. I don't so much concur simply because freakish athleticism isn't commonplace at the LeBron James level on the tour from any country, and it historically hasn't been. There is a great lack of engagement in the sport as a whole, though. There are several factors that contribute to this, and I think that media presence, rather, lack thereof, is high on that list. Today we live in a high speed age with internet streaming and thousand of channels, but it comes at a cost. For hardcore fans, it has enabled access to more tennis than ever possible in the past, but it has cut out a large number of the more casual viewers. You go from a large number of people having a little access on common channels to fewer people have a ton more access because the average viewer isn't going to spend extra money for the tennis channel. And, of course, big television companies and cable providers want to milk every penny they can, so you see more and more coverage on the tennis channel and less and less everywhere else. Tennis flat out gets bumped from ESPN programming for just about anything, too: fishing, NASCAR, talk shows, college cheerleading, spelling bees, poker, you name it, it's televised instead of tennis. Certainly visibility is not what it once was.
Along the lines of the technology we have available, kids have more things to occupy their time with aside from sports. Growing up today in a country with a great deal of disposable income, kids have their handheld games, computers, video games, etc. That's not to say children don't still enjoy sports, but there's not quite the same need for it as before. Due to the prevalence of the football and basketball video games, too, there's perhaps more gravitation to those sports than tennis than before as well. You certainly cannot say the same about tennis video games. I don't think this point can be understated. In a prior post I mentioned how playing Madden 2000 was what got me into football. Personal anecdote aside, though, I don't think it is too much of a stretch to assert that technology does play a big role.
Style of play is pretty important as well. The game is now pretty well dominated by baseliners, particularly balanced baselines that have the ability to play defensive tennis. That is not to say that Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray or Roger Federer don't have brilliant offensive games, but all four of them have been able to keep themselves afloat in matches playing defense when their offensive games are not clicking. These men are tremendously fit and well suited for long rallies where consistency is key. Surfaces have become more homogenized in the past several years as well. Wimbledon plays much more slowly than it did in the 90s, and hard courts have slowed a little bit as well. Indoor carpet has vanished and replaced with indoor hard courts, which granted are still fast, but they don't have the same bounce. String and racquet technology is suited towards more spin and higher margin shots, and it really makes passing shots so much easier, preventing net players from being more prevalent like they used to be. All things considered, the style of play is less conducive towards aggressive play than it has been for some time, and the American strategy on court has more or less been to bash serves and forehands and play aggressively. Sure, a guy can get hot and go on a run, but it doesn't bode well over the course of a season, and it's certainly been the case in the results that the steady, more defensive players like David Ferrer have been able to excel with great consistency as opposed to more offensive players with less of a physical style, like Richard Gasquet, for example. It takes some time to adjust training strategy and player development to cycle its way through the game, so it stands to reason that it may been some time before you really see a change in tactics by US players.
Of course, we have to give credit where credit is due; other countries have had players working their tails off, and the game is deeper than ever before with more countries becoming more and more prevalent in the sport. I give these people all the credit in the world. It still does not take away from the decline of US tennis due to our own circumstances. I don't know what, if anything the USTA can do to reverse the trend. Certainly they are trying some things to increase engagement, and I believe they are working, but other countries don't have to try these gimmicks to drum up interests, and I feel the gap will continue to widen between other countries and the USA. There's a danger of it becoming a self-fulfilling cycle - there are no major American men's players that youngsters want to grow up emulating, so fewer kids go out trying to be Pete Sampras. Hopefully we will start to see the trend reverse, and not for the US's sake, but for tennis's sake; there can never be too many dynamic players on the tour!
What are your thoughts on the US decline in tennis?
Athlete engagement is a huge piece to the whole equation. One argument is that if our best athletes played the sport, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Sure, if LeBron James happened to be working on his serve instead of his jumper, maybe he'd be number one in the world right now. I don't so much concur simply because freakish athleticism isn't commonplace at the LeBron James level on the tour from any country, and it historically hasn't been. There is a great lack of engagement in the sport as a whole, though. There are several factors that contribute to this, and I think that media presence, rather, lack thereof, is high on that list. Today we live in a high speed age with internet streaming and thousand of channels, but it comes at a cost. For hardcore fans, it has enabled access to more tennis than ever possible in the past, but it has cut out a large number of the more casual viewers. You go from a large number of people having a little access on common channels to fewer people have a ton more access because the average viewer isn't going to spend extra money for the tennis channel. And, of course, big television companies and cable providers want to milk every penny they can, so you see more and more coverage on the tennis channel and less and less everywhere else. Tennis flat out gets bumped from ESPN programming for just about anything, too: fishing, NASCAR, talk shows, college cheerleading, spelling bees, poker, you name it, it's televised instead of tennis. Certainly visibility is not what it once was.
Along the lines of the technology we have available, kids have more things to occupy their time with aside from sports. Growing up today in a country with a great deal of disposable income, kids have their handheld games, computers, video games, etc. That's not to say children don't still enjoy sports, but there's not quite the same need for it as before. Due to the prevalence of the football and basketball video games, too, there's perhaps more gravitation to those sports than tennis than before as well. You certainly cannot say the same about tennis video games. I don't think this point can be understated. In a prior post I mentioned how playing Madden 2000 was what got me into football. Personal anecdote aside, though, I don't think it is too much of a stretch to assert that technology does play a big role.
Style of play is pretty important as well. The game is now pretty well dominated by baseliners, particularly balanced baselines that have the ability to play defensive tennis. That is not to say that Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray or Roger Federer don't have brilliant offensive games, but all four of them have been able to keep themselves afloat in matches playing defense when their offensive games are not clicking. These men are tremendously fit and well suited for long rallies where consistency is key. Surfaces have become more homogenized in the past several years as well. Wimbledon plays much more slowly than it did in the 90s, and hard courts have slowed a little bit as well. Indoor carpet has vanished and replaced with indoor hard courts, which granted are still fast, but they don't have the same bounce. String and racquet technology is suited towards more spin and higher margin shots, and it really makes passing shots so much easier, preventing net players from being more prevalent like they used to be. All things considered, the style of play is less conducive towards aggressive play than it has been for some time, and the American strategy on court has more or less been to bash serves and forehands and play aggressively. Sure, a guy can get hot and go on a run, but it doesn't bode well over the course of a season, and it's certainly been the case in the results that the steady, more defensive players like David Ferrer have been able to excel with great consistency as opposed to more offensive players with less of a physical style, like Richard Gasquet, for example. It takes some time to adjust training strategy and player development to cycle its way through the game, so it stands to reason that it may been some time before you really see a change in tactics by US players.
Of course, we have to give credit where credit is due; other countries have had players working their tails off, and the game is deeper than ever before with more countries becoming more and more prevalent in the sport. I give these people all the credit in the world. It still does not take away from the decline of US tennis due to our own circumstances. I don't know what, if anything the USTA can do to reverse the trend. Certainly they are trying some things to increase engagement, and I believe they are working, but other countries don't have to try these gimmicks to drum up interests, and I feel the gap will continue to widen between other countries and the USA. There's a danger of it becoming a self-fulfilling cycle - there are no major American men's players that youngsters want to grow up emulating, so fewer kids go out trying to be Pete Sampras. Hopefully we will start to see the trend reverse, and not for the US's sake, but for tennis's sake; there can never be too many dynamic players on the tour!
What are your thoughts on the US decline in tennis?
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Night Photography
I received some rough news Friday. After spending some time with my brother, I knew I wouldn't be ready to head home, so I brought my photo gear with me. It hasn't been as much of a release for me as in the past, but I was trying something new (night photography is something I have done next to none of, and even then, it was of illuminated architecture), and I needed time to reflect (okay, so maybe I didn't need time to think, as my biggest issue is being able to stop thinking). Unfortunately, it was incredibly overcast, so photographing the stars wasn't ideal. I figured I drove 30 minutes to get away from the city lights, though, so I may as well take a few photos. I had my 8mm fisheye lens on my D5100, so it being on the crop sensor made the resulting picture non-spherical like it would have been had I put it on the D600. My cable release didn't work on the D600 anyway, so while I took a couple of shots holding down the shutter while tripod mounted, it wasn't possible to make some other type of photos work that way. The shot below is one I didn't mess with too much; I could have corrected the distortion caused by the fisheye, but I'd crop out the yellow floodlight at the left of the picture, and that is why the photo itself is the color it is. While the light obviously isn't that strong, when you have the lens open for several minutes, that is what happens (although the image when uploaded on blogger is much lighter and less contrasty than the photo appears when I open it in photo software). I wanted to be able to illustrate that effect. The light was actually not bright enough for me to see there was a gate there from afar! The idea for the shot was to have the road traveling off, but the gate sort of ruined it in a way.
In a way, though, I like the outcome even better. It tells a different story, one that I would say is even more applicable to my life. In life there are many paths we can take, but sometimes the only path that will yield any sort of results is to follow your heart. Happiness is such a fleeting emotion, so even if something doesn't make sense to try, that it logically is risky and the wiser answer is to try and make what you presently have work, emotions still persist and say there is only one path for you to take. Standing there, that's what it felt like. Clearly there is one road, but that road has a gate, and in that moment, one must wonder if one must try and cross the gate or turn back. Since it is a long release, though, that one moment is actually quite a few moments, which makes sense since it is a very difficult and exhausting decision. So in the end, I do like the narrative. Er, perhaps I shouldn't have given away the narrative that I portrayed to get the thoughts of others, you know, because there are hordes of people reading this post eager to give their interpretations of it :D
In a way, though, I like the outcome even better. It tells a different story, one that I would say is even more applicable to my life. In life there are many paths we can take, but sometimes the only path that will yield any sort of results is to follow your heart. Happiness is such a fleeting emotion, so even if something doesn't make sense to try, that it logically is risky and the wiser answer is to try and make what you presently have work, emotions still persist and say there is only one path for you to take. Standing there, that's what it felt like. Clearly there is one road, but that road has a gate, and in that moment, one must wonder if one must try and cross the gate or turn back. Since it is a long release, though, that one moment is actually quite a few moments, which makes sense since it is a very difficult and exhausting decision. So in the end, I do like the narrative. Er, perhaps I shouldn't have given away the narrative that I portrayed to get the thoughts of others, you know, because there are hordes of people reading this post eager to give their interpretations of it :D
Sword Chant
Previously I covered five websites on how people of any music tastes could find new music that they enjoy. With this post, I wanted to introduce one of my highly regarded sites for the folk metal genre: Sword Chant.
http://sword-chant.blogspot.com/
http://swordchant.go-board.com/
I don't know much about the founder of the site other than her name on there is Dragonhead, and I believe she resides in France. How I would love to shake her hand! In any case, Sword Chant is one of the greatest resources for folk metal music, both popular and obscure. The site is made purely to support the music and has so many resources for everyone. There's a section dedicated to folk instruments which helps identify folk metal bands by the instrument you'd like to hear, and it also contains links that redirect to the message boards for people interested in learning to play these instruments. The forums themselves are an invaluable tool to discovering new music, and a particularly useful post details a very thorough list of 2014 CD release dates. There is also a section that links to other crowd funded projects for bands so you can find ways to support new projects and get merchandise. Additionally, it's a great place to find lyric translations, as there are people from around the world who can provide more accurate translations than throwing something into an online translator.
This is definitely a site to bookmark if you are a fan of folk metal or elements of folk music.
http://sword-chant.blogspot.com/
http://swordchant.go-board.com/
I don't know much about the founder of the site other than her name on there is Dragonhead, and I believe she resides in France. How I would love to shake her hand! In any case, Sword Chant is one of the greatest resources for folk metal music, both popular and obscure. The site is made purely to support the music and has so many resources for everyone. There's a section dedicated to folk instruments which helps identify folk metal bands by the instrument you'd like to hear, and it also contains links that redirect to the message boards for people interested in learning to play these instruments. The forums themselves are an invaluable tool to discovering new music, and a particularly useful post details a very thorough list of 2014 CD release dates. There is also a section that links to other crowd funded projects for bands so you can find ways to support new projects and get merchandise. Additionally, it's a great place to find lyric translations, as there are people from around the world who can provide more accurate translations than throwing something into an online translator.
This is definitely a site to bookmark if you are a fan of folk metal or elements of folk music.
Sour Grapes at the Olympics
Ah, the Winter Olympics. It's a time of year where millions of people become obsessed with sports they didn't follow at all the prior four years. Make no mistake about it: I am one of those people and couldn't be happier to come down with Olympic fever. When you couple the dedication and athleticism of these people with compelling personal stories, you have all the makings of what I, and so many others, consider good entertainment. From the USA's perspective, there have been some great achievements, from Nicole Pikus Pace coming out of retirement following a miscarriage and putting together an inspired skeleton run to take home a silver medal, to Bode Miller's emotion fueled Olympics, to so many others, we don't lack for human interest stories. As with any Olympic games, there is also no shortage of drama and controversy, as is seemingly inevitable, especially in some of these sports. I want to preface this by saying athletes are entitled to vocalize whatever they'd like, and sometimes candor is appreciated in a sport where giving safe, by the book answers are norm. There's also the fact that in the USA, we cover USA athletes more than those of other countries, so what the athletes say here might not be materially different than other countries. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel the USA comes out with egg on its face because more and more athletes are not handling losing with the grace we tend to expect and appreciate of world class athletes.
The poster child for this, for me, is Shani Davis. Davis perhaps has earned the right to say whatever he likes; he is a record setting athlete in his sport and clearly will go down as one of the greatest speedskaters we've seen. That said, following the 1500 meter event I was disappointed that the suit issue was still to blame. This event was skated with their old suits, not the newer, perhaps poorly designed suits that were thought to create drag on the skaters. His comment was that the damage had already been done. That's right, merely putting on those bad suits ensured that even when switching back to the old suits, they still couldn't win. I get that the USA has a strong team, and that there was some mental anguish associated with these suits, but you look pretty immature to put up yet another dud of a race without the suits that had been blamed and still say it wasn't your fault. Davis had not made the podium at several other low altitude events with the old suits leading up to the Olympics either. He is clearly a better high altitude skater, and to blame the suits seems like a cop out. We can generally respect a disappointing showing if it is handled with grace, credit is given to the opponent, and you move forward with the results being a lesson for the future. Davis opted to make excuses, even if they have some degree of truth to them (although I think his case is weak), now the whole team sort of has that "guilt by association", despite the fact not all the skaters blamed the suits.
Moving onto figure skating, this one is different from the case of Davis. I can easily argue both sides of the Ashley Wagner discussion, and I might lean more to her defense, personally. Here's the thing: everything she said is true. Figure skating is probably the most corrupt sport in the Olympics, as it seems there is always conspiracy, rigging of results, etc. There's an immensely flawed scoring system, and it's not intuitive. To the average viewer, they can, for the most part, figure out watching any of the halfpipe events who scored well or not. If an athlete crashes, their score is basically a throw out. Granted, figure skating is different in that you have one run, so it isn't appropriate to instantly throw someone in last for a mistake, all but requiring a nearly flawless run for a good score, but the system basically says "give yourself the hardest program possible, even if you cannot execute it because it's better to fall on a hard trick than land an easier one". It makes for bad television; the men's program was awful, as you just saw fall after fall. Everything Wagner said is absolutely true. Unfortunately for her, she is a lightning rod of sorts in the media. Her selection to the Olympics was thrown under fire due to her one poor showing (these people are now saying who is she to criticize people who fall when she wasn't penalized for it, ignoring the fact that she was selected for her body of work, not because her falls were overlooked), and she's become an internet meme sensation due to her expressiveness on the ice. Wagner wears her heart on her sleeve, no doubt. In so many ways I find it refreshing, and it is bold for her to put herself out there. She's good natured about it, too, creating a Valentine's Day card of her own making light of one of her faces people have been posting about. I just wonder if now was the time for her to say something. I think what might have been a better PR move for her is to let the public make the criticism (which they have, in light of the backlash that Sotnikova was seen hugging one of the judges not long after her Olympic gold). Yuna Kim, in contrast to Wagner, took the high road and said her job is not to judge, so she had no comment. I can't help but think that type of deflection would help Wagner more than her very vocal stance, which certainly brings her more scorn from the international community, and even here in the US. "Just another whiny, entitled American".
Ted Ligety, in my mind, falls somewhere between Davis and Wagner. He criticized the slalom course setup as "borderline unsportsmanlike". Now, the results support his assessment; nearly half of all participants could not complete the course. Think about that. Thirty-four of the absolute best in the sport could not complete this course. That is absurd and does highlight that the course was... unique, to say the least. Ligety is spot on with his assessment that it rewards playing it safe and merely not crashing rather than highlighting some more of the dynamic runs these guys are capable of putting up. Ligety is not the the only critic of the course, either. That said, who said the intent of the sport is to make courses play into the strengths of any one type of skier? They all ski the same course; it is not like figure skating where the outcome is largely subjective. Everyone gets a similar chance (not same because the conditions of the course change over time after people ski), and it is up to the athlete to execute. Further, his criticism appears to be more whiny than constructive because he did not earn a medal in any event. He performed worse than his peers irrespective of individual setting the course for an event, so it does certainly come off as more of an excuse than anything. His contention may indeed have merit, but again, this is a situation where he was better served to let others do the talking. Somehow I doubt he would have been critical of the course had he made his way onto the podium.
It is unfortunate for the US as a country to have us framed in a negative light. It further perpetuates the stereotype (perhaps a true one to some extent) of American entitlement. Maybe our athletes don't care. Maybe our athletes just are more candid and vocal. But in the global eye, I feel a bit disappointed that our athletes couldn't act with a little more restraint and exhibit more textbook sportsmanship. Personally, I value sportsmanship in any sport, but to me it is particularly important in individual sports, and athletes need to hold themselves to a slightly higher standard. Maybe it just comes as a little bit of a shock to me as a person who follows tennis, a sport where the level of sportsmanship is considerably higher than many other sports. In the end, what has been said cannot be unsaid, and perhaps US athletes can try to be a little more mindful of the manner in which they communicate or elect not to communicate their opinions on matters.
The poster child for this, for me, is Shani Davis. Davis perhaps has earned the right to say whatever he likes; he is a record setting athlete in his sport and clearly will go down as one of the greatest speedskaters we've seen. That said, following the 1500 meter event I was disappointed that the suit issue was still to blame. This event was skated with their old suits, not the newer, perhaps poorly designed suits that were thought to create drag on the skaters. His comment was that the damage had already been done. That's right, merely putting on those bad suits ensured that even when switching back to the old suits, they still couldn't win. I get that the USA has a strong team, and that there was some mental anguish associated with these suits, but you look pretty immature to put up yet another dud of a race without the suits that had been blamed and still say it wasn't your fault. Davis had not made the podium at several other low altitude events with the old suits leading up to the Olympics either. He is clearly a better high altitude skater, and to blame the suits seems like a cop out. We can generally respect a disappointing showing if it is handled with grace, credit is given to the opponent, and you move forward with the results being a lesson for the future. Davis opted to make excuses, even if they have some degree of truth to them (although I think his case is weak), now the whole team sort of has that "guilt by association", despite the fact not all the skaters blamed the suits.
Moving onto figure skating, this one is different from the case of Davis. I can easily argue both sides of the Ashley Wagner discussion, and I might lean more to her defense, personally. Here's the thing: everything she said is true. Figure skating is probably the most corrupt sport in the Olympics, as it seems there is always conspiracy, rigging of results, etc. There's an immensely flawed scoring system, and it's not intuitive. To the average viewer, they can, for the most part, figure out watching any of the halfpipe events who scored well or not. If an athlete crashes, their score is basically a throw out. Granted, figure skating is different in that you have one run, so it isn't appropriate to instantly throw someone in last for a mistake, all but requiring a nearly flawless run for a good score, but the system basically says "give yourself the hardest program possible, even if you cannot execute it because it's better to fall on a hard trick than land an easier one". It makes for bad television; the men's program was awful, as you just saw fall after fall. Everything Wagner said is absolutely true. Unfortunately for her, she is a lightning rod of sorts in the media. Her selection to the Olympics was thrown under fire due to her one poor showing (these people are now saying who is she to criticize people who fall when she wasn't penalized for it, ignoring the fact that she was selected for her body of work, not because her falls were overlooked), and she's become an internet meme sensation due to her expressiveness on the ice. Wagner wears her heart on her sleeve, no doubt. In so many ways I find it refreshing, and it is bold for her to put herself out there. She's good natured about it, too, creating a Valentine's Day card of her own making light of one of her faces people have been posting about. I just wonder if now was the time for her to say something. I think what might have been a better PR move for her is to let the public make the criticism (which they have, in light of the backlash that Sotnikova was seen hugging one of the judges not long after her Olympic gold). Yuna Kim, in contrast to Wagner, took the high road and said her job is not to judge, so she had no comment. I can't help but think that type of deflection would help Wagner more than her very vocal stance, which certainly brings her more scorn from the international community, and even here in the US. "Just another whiny, entitled American".
Ted Ligety, in my mind, falls somewhere between Davis and Wagner. He criticized the slalom course setup as "borderline unsportsmanlike". Now, the results support his assessment; nearly half of all participants could not complete the course. Think about that. Thirty-four of the absolute best in the sport could not complete this course. That is absurd and does highlight that the course was... unique, to say the least. Ligety is spot on with his assessment that it rewards playing it safe and merely not crashing rather than highlighting some more of the dynamic runs these guys are capable of putting up. Ligety is not the the only critic of the course, either. That said, who said the intent of the sport is to make courses play into the strengths of any one type of skier? They all ski the same course; it is not like figure skating where the outcome is largely subjective. Everyone gets a similar chance (not same because the conditions of the course change over time after people ski), and it is up to the athlete to execute. Further, his criticism appears to be more whiny than constructive because he did not earn a medal in any event. He performed worse than his peers irrespective of individual setting the course for an event, so it does certainly come off as more of an excuse than anything. His contention may indeed have merit, but again, this is a situation where he was better served to let others do the talking. Somehow I doubt he would have been critical of the course had he made his way onto the podium.
It is unfortunate for the US as a country to have us framed in a negative light. It further perpetuates the stereotype (perhaps a true one to some extent) of American entitlement. Maybe our athletes don't care. Maybe our athletes just are more candid and vocal. But in the global eye, I feel a bit disappointed that our athletes couldn't act with a little more restraint and exhibit more textbook sportsmanship. Personally, I value sportsmanship in any sport, but to me it is particularly important in individual sports, and athletes need to hold themselves to a slightly higher standard. Maybe it just comes as a little bit of a shock to me as a person who follows tennis, a sport where the level of sportsmanship is considerably higher than many other sports. In the end, what has been said cannot be unsaid, and perhaps US athletes can try to be a little more mindful of the manner in which they communicate or elect not to communicate their opinions on matters.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Stigma Around Mental Illness
Generally speaking, I am not easily lured into pissing matches online. Every so often, though, there will be an occasion, and I happened upon one last night. My intent was merely to make a stand. There is a really bad combination to find in people, a triad of characteristics that consist of ignorance (and in many cases, willful ignorance), insensitivity, and outspokenness. It's the perfect storm, the individual is uneducated and unreceptive to learning about a topic, takes that lack of knowledge and frames it in the worst way possible, and then puts it on display because the individual knows nothing other than being belligerent about things. I encountered this type of individual who responded in a very pompous, condescending way to a question regarding therapy, and that is an instant way to get me to see red. I need not go into all the details of the exchange, but it does bring an issue to the forefront for me: mental illness and stigma.
I have psychological issues. I have fluctuations between depression and dysthymia, and have also dealt with anxiety issues and some small obsessive tendencies from time to time. I think it sucks, but it is reality, and I am not ashamed to admit it, nor will I shy away from the fact. I don't have to go advertise it in an attempt for sympathy, because I don't want or need it. Rather, I wish that there were more people willing to put themselves out there, to stand for something that others are reluctant to. The world could use a few very successful, very bold people to step out and say, "I lead a very fulfilling life and overcome mental illness to do it". Perhaps more than that, however society could benefit from having a higher number of lower profile people doing the same. Maybe it requires the former to trigger the latter, but maybe not. Certainly a well respected person doing so could inspire others to take a leap of faith, but there's also the flip side where it could be reasoned that a prominent person can afford to do so because he/she is already in a good position in life. That's where I feel the strength in numbers kicks in. While mental illness is not openly discussed very often, it's managed to break away from some of the stigma of old. Sure, it's not much solace to say "yeah, at least they don't lock us in prisons anymore", but I think in general attitudes have shifted from one of discomfort, fear, or distaste for people with psychological afflictions, or the thought of sharing those afflictions of others, to merely one of avoidance. Many times it is the case where one person will take the plunge and confess to having depression or some other ailment, and once the topic is out there, all of the sudden others are comfortable enough to come out of the woodwork and reveal the same. It sometimes just takes that one person to have the courage to take the lead on it.
For me, I am very quick to point out to others who mention stigma how it is not as prevalent and they insist it is, but it's still far from gone, and the best way for me to help combat it is to stand up rather than stand aside. Stigma cannot be allowed to win out, and it takes resolve to stand in its face. I am fully aware there may be times to turn the other cheek; those times, to me, are when issues are about me. I will take the high road if someone wants to attack me more often than not, but the instant you make sweeping generalization about any sort of group, now I have people to fight for. Doing this isn't for everyone, but I hope that others will take this into consideration. Not contributing to society's preconceptions is good, but fighting against those who perpetuate them is great. Of course, someone could come right back and say, "that is just an articulate way of framing your internet pissing match". The last detail of this story is that I shared some conversation with another person after the fact, someone who also elected to stand up and not tolerate the derisive remarks of an individual hiding behind a monitor. To me, sharing that moment with a stranger who shares a common bond was beautiful. Change happens slowly, but you never know what lovely stranger can come along and help you break stigma, one person at a time.
I have psychological issues. I have fluctuations between depression and dysthymia, and have also dealt with anxiety issues and some small obsessive tendencies from time to time. I think it sucks, but it is reality, and I am not ashamed to admit it, nor will I shy away from the fact. I don't have to go advertise it in an attempt for sympathy, because I don't want or need it. Rather, I wish that there were more people willing to put themselves out there, to stand for something that others are reluctant to. The world could use a few very successful, very bold people to step out and say, "I lead a very fulfilling life and overcome mental illness to do it". Perhaps more than that, however society could benefit from having a higher number of lower profile people doing the same. Maybe it requires the former to trigger the latter, but maybe not. Certainly a well respected person doing so could inspire others to take a leap of faith, but there's also the flip side where it could be reasoned that a prominent person can afford to do so because he/she is already in a good position in life. That's where I feel the strength in numbers kicks in. While mental illness is not openly discussed very often, it's managed to break away from some of the stigma of old. Sure, it's not much solace to say "yeah, at least they don't lock us in prisons anymore", but I think in general attitudes have shifted from one of discomfort, fear, or distaste for people with psychological afflictions, or the thought of sharing those afflictions of others, to merely one of avoidance. Many times it is the case where one person will take the plunge and confess to having depression or some other ailment, and once the topic is out there, all of the sudden others are comfortable enough to come out of the woodwork and reveal the same. It sometimes just takes that one person to have the courage to take the lead on it.
For me, I am very quick to point out to others who mention stigma how it is not as prevalent and they insist it is, but it's still far from gone, and the best way for me to help combat it is to stand up rather than stand aside. Stigma cannot be allowed to win out, and it takes resolve to stand in its face. I am fully aware there may be times to turn the other cheek; those times, to me, are when issues are about me. I will take the high road if someone wants to attack me more often than not, but the instant you make sweeping generalization about any sort of group, now I have people to fight for. Doing this isn't for everyone, but I hope that others will take this into consideration. Not contributing to society's preconceptions is good, but fighting against those who perpetuate them is great. Of course, someone could come right back and say, "that is just an articulate way of framing your internet pissing match". The last detail of this story is that I shared some conversation with another person after the fact, someone who also elected to stand up and not tolerate the derisive remarks of an individual hiding behind a monitor. To me, sharing that moment with a stranger who shares a common bond was beautiful. Change happens slowly, but you never know what lovely stranger can come along and help you break stigma, one person at a time.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Common Novice Photography Problems
As much as I love the endless number of sophisticated topics to discuss in photography, I felt it might be appropriate to start off on a more basic level. Photography is such a beautiful blend of art and science, but it can be frustrating to many people if it doesn't yield the results they want or expect. This frustration leads to disengagement, oftentimes, so I feel like if I can help provide any insight as to why some of these outcomes exist, others will be less likely to become discouraged and subsequently be more apt to appreciating the various wonderful elements and nuances of photography. I tried to think of some questions or issues that people have asked about or that I have seen in photos to offer some guidance on.
1. "My picture is blurry, what gives?"
A picture will be blurry due to the presence of motion, and that motion can come from either the subject of the photo or the photographer. Generally people understand that if a subject moves a photo will come out blurry, but it's not as often they will think that the photographer is the cause. Holding the camera still is key, of course. I know my mother had the tendency to push the entire camera down when she pressed the shutter release rather than holding the camera still and only pressing her finger gently on the button. The downside of the point and shoot cameras of today are that they are very light, which makes them much harder to keep steady, and many opt for an LCD screen only and not a viewfinder. Always take advantage of a viewfinder if you can because it adds a third point of contact with you body to stabilize the camera. If that is not an option, try holding the camera closer to your body rather than extending your arms, as this will also help.
2. "My picture is all grainy!"
The grain in your picture comes from using a higher ISO setting. ISO allows you to take a picture in lower light, but you sacrifice sharpness and picture quality in the process (to give a simplistic version). Think film speed, if you are a film person. Higher film speeds allowed you to take photos in lower light or at faster speeds, but it introduces more grain into the photo. Okay, so that is great and all, but how do you get around this? Well, if you are shooting with your camera on Auto mode, many times it will pick a higher ISO than needed and offset it elsewhere in its settings. What you can do is go into your camera's settings and manually reduce the ISO before taking your photo. Just be careful that the outcome will likely be you needing to hold your camera more still, as your shutter will be open longer and be more susceptible to camera movement. The other thing to do, if possible is to add more lighting to your shot so the camera won't (hopefully) select such a high ISO for you. And, unfortunately, it could be the case where the scene is simply too dark to take a shot with your camera without getting a lot of grain. It won't hurt to try changing your settings, though, before giving up.
3. "The flash is way too bright!"
Flash can be one of the most frustrating elements of photography to learn about or deal with. It's a big weakness of mine in the DSLR realm, as I have never had any exposure to it there. With point and shoots, the camera tends to get very eager to put flash in all your photos on auto settings. Your first solution is to simply turn flash off altogether. Sometimes that will be appropriate for the scene. Other times, though, flash is needed, but you may not be able to adjust the intensity of your flash. What you can do in this situation is to try and evenly cover the flash directly with a translucent material. One good option is the cloudy type of scotch tape. It will stay secured in place and diffuse the flash while still providing a source of light. You can try other objects, such as a piece of paper, but it is important to have it up against the flash and not tilted; if you fail to do this, you're just going to bounce the flash in one direction and you won't get the desired outcome. Tape is definitely the best option, though.
4. "My images are too shadowy outside."
This one is going to sound counter intuitive, but turn on your flash. I know, I know, why would you need the flash if you're outside in the sun? Well, because if there are shadows on the subject's face, it means they are backlit, and you camera is assessing the exposure of the scene, which is very bright. Consequently, it closes the shutter quickly, and there is not enough exposure of the person's face. Now, you can elect to change the composition of the photo by taking it from another direction, but that is not always preferable, either to avoid a squinting subject or because you want to capture the background you had laid out. This is where flash helps. Your camera is still able to capture the image quickly and keep proper exposure on the background, but the flash will also illuminate the subjects face so it doesn't remain in the shadows. Using flash outdoors is actually a great technique, as the white light that can tend to show up in flash photos is neutralized by the ambient light.
Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or by using the Contact Me section on the page.
1. "My picture is blurry, what gives?"
A picture will be blurry due to the presence of motion, and that motion can come from either the subject of the photo or the photographer. Generally people understand that if a subject moves a photo will come out blurry, but it's not as often they will think that the photographer is the cause. Holding the camera still is key, of course. I know my mother had the tendency to push the entire camera down when she pressed the shutter release rather than holding the camera still and only pressing her finger gently on the button. The downside of the point and shoot cameras of today are that they are very light, which makes them much harder to keep steady, and many opt for an LCD screen only and not a viewfinder. Always take advantage of a viewfinder if you can because it adds a third point of contact with you body to stabilize the camera. If that is not an option, try holding the camera closer to your body rather than extending your arms, as this will also help.
2. "My picture is all grainy!"
The grain in your picture comes from using a higher ISO setting. ISO allows you to take a picture in lower light, but you sacrifice sharpness and picture quality in the process (to give a simplistic version). Think film speed, if you are a film person. Higher film speeds allowed you to take photos in lower light or at faster speeds, but it introduces more grain into the photo. Okay, so that is great and all, but how do you get around this? Well, if you are shooting with your camera on Auto mode, many times it will pick a higher ISO than needed and offset it elsewhere in its settings. What you can do is go into your camera's settings and manually reduce the ISO before taking your photo. Just be careful that the outcome will likely be you needing to hold your camera more still, as your shutter will be open longer and be more susceptible to camera movement. The other thing to do, if possible is to add more lighting to your shot so the camera won't (hopefully) select such a high ISO for you. And, unfortunately, it could be the case where the scene is simply too dark to take a shot with your camera without getting a lot of grain. It won't hurt to try changing your settings, though, before giving up.
3. "The flash is way too bright!"
Flash can be one of the most frustrating elements of photography to learn about or deal with. It's a big weakness of mine in the DSLR realm, as I have never had any exposure to it there. With point and shoots, the camera tends to get very eager to put flash in all your photos on auto settings. Your first solution is to simply turn flash off altogether. Sometimes that will be appropriate for the scene. Other times, though, flash is needed, but you may not be able to adjust the intensity of your flash. What you can do in this situation is to try and evenly cover the flash directly with a translucent material. One good option is the cloudy type of scotch tape. It will stay secured in place and diffuse the flash while still providing a source of light. You can try other objects, such as a piece of paper, but it is important to have it up against the flash and not tilted; if you fail to do this, you're just going to bounce the flash in one direction and you won't get the desired outcome. Tape is definitely the best option, though.
4. "My images are too shadowy outside."
This one is going to sound counter intuitive, but turn on your flash. I know, I know, why would you need the flash if you're outside in the sun? Well, because if there are shadows on the subject's face, it means they are backlit, and you camera is assessing the exposure of the scene, which is very bright. Consequently, it closes the shutter quickly, and there is not enough exposure of the person's face. Now, you can elect to change the composition of the photo by taking it from another direction, but that is not always preferable, either to avoid a squinting subject or because you want to capture the background you had laid out. This is where flash helps. Your camera is still able to capture the image quickly and keep proper exposure on the background, but the flash will also illuminate the subjects face so it doesn't remain in the shadows. Using flash outdoors is actually a great technique, as the white light that can tend to show up in flash photos is neutralized by the ambient light.
Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or by using the Contact Me section on the page.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Music Discovery
It's pretty evident that I have some unique and relatively obscure taste in music. People ask me how it is I find some of the bands that I do. Okay, so no one asks me that, but if people actually liked the music I listen to, it's conceivable that they could ask me that question. So in the event that ever happens, I am going to be prepared by posting something here. The two sites that got me on my way to finding a lot of cool local music are unfortunately both inactive now: Gainesvillebands.com and electronicsubsouth.blogspot.com helped me find a lot of the local groups and shows that got me going to a ton of local gigs. Aside from those sites, a lot of music was discovered in my insomniac nights where I didn't know what else to do with myself but look for new music and find local groups to listen to and support. Below are five sites that aren't genre specific and how I used them to find a lot of the bands I enjoy today.
- Reverbnation - Reverbnation is a great site for finding local musicians and keeping up with some local concerts. Using their browse and search functions can yield a myriad of results by genre and location, and a lot of my lesser known discoveries are as a result of using Reverbnation. I would just look by certain cities and genres and go down the list listening to sample songs from the bands on the list. I found two of my favorite bands, Violet Stigmata and NightCreepers, by looking for folk metal and gothic genres in France. Bella Lune from Arizona is another band that comes to mind as someone I discovered in the wee hours of the morning on a weeknight. This is definitely one of the better resources to find lesser known, small bands out there.
- Last.fm - Last.fm is a site that allows you to download a "scrobbler" that tracks the music you listen to and documents it. As a data junkie, this site has so many cool applications that I enjoy that the normal person wouldn't. One benefit of tracking your music plays and listening habits on Last.fm is not just the ability to find similar artists according to their recommendations, but to meet users with similar tastes. Odds are you have a better chance of finding a more obscure band you've never heard of before from another human than from a computer algorithm. You're a little less likely to find local bands on Last.fm, but the ability to connect with other people could still lead to that discovery.
- Spotify - Spotify has been around for a few years now and is my go-to listening application. It no longer requires a download, and you can pick from millions and millions of songs that you can play on a whim. Unlike Pandora, Spotify allows you to pick any song you want to listen to, not just an artist station. Spotify has a pretty darn expansive base of music, and their similar artists tend to have a nice range of music to the point you can always find someone you're not terribly familiar with. It is really easy to go down a chain of similar artists on Spotify because you just click the band and then their songs are just there to play immediately. I would say the majority of the symphonic metal bands I listen to are as a result from Spotify discovery.
- PledgeMusic - PledgeMusic is a crowdfunding site a la Kickstarter, but it is devoted entirely to music projects. This is a site that caters to both larger and lesser known bands. There is a genre search function that allows you to discover projects based on the type of music you prefer, which is nice. I particularly like PledgeMusic because it allows me to support local bands I may never have otherwise found and add to my local music collection. Even if you don't contribute to a campaign, it is still a good way to find music.
- Youtube - Okay, so everyone already knows this one, but Youtube is indeed a decent way to discover new music. Of course the videos on the right side bar are going to be generic crap if you listen to generic crap, but if you listen to anything less mainstream, there will probably be a good song or new band there on occasion. Searching for samplers of a genre can be a good way to find music on Youtube, and if you can tolerate the stupidity of the comments for a video, sometimes you can find some good suggestions by fellow listeners. There is also the added bonus that you can listen to live performances of local groups that aren't local to you.
What sites do you use to discover new music?
Sunday, February 16, 2014
First Non-Introductory Post
In life, the only things that are certain are death and taxes. Well, a third that isn't too much of a stretch is that there is plenty of news (or things that are turned into news) in the arena of sports. There are no shortage of topics to weigh in on: any of the numerous Sochi Olympics storylines, Michael Sam coming out and projecting to be the first openly gay player in the NFL, the Jon Martin bullying case, and so many more. My choice, though, will make sense in light of my first post in this section. I want to write about Derek Jeter's announcement to call it a career following the conclusion of the 2014 season.
Jeter has been as much a fixture in my life as just about anyone and anything else. For 19 years there were few things I knew for certain. I basically knew my parents were there for me no matter what, and I knew that Derek Jeter would be standing between second and third base when the Yankees took the field. I was six years old when he made his major league debut, seven when I first saw him in Spring Training, and eight when he helped lead the Yankees to the first of four World Series titles in a five year span. While Tino Martinez was originally my favorite Yankee, due in part to his batting stance and in part to the fact that Gonna Fly Now, the theme from Rocky, was the music he selected to play as he came to bat, over the years that shifted to Jeter as other players came and went. Jeter was not a perfect player, but there are so many things that made him special, particularly in this day and age.
First, you have his on field performance. The numbers, by and large, speak for themselves. Yes, to some extent they are a reflection of his longevity; he has compiled a lot of impressive stats because he has played so many seasons. These stats are not solely a reflection of tenure, though. Make no mistake about it: he has been a great player over the last 19 years. Offensively he piled up the hits and got on base like few others could, and in his prime he had a very underrated opposite field power. He could and did steal bases, took walks, and could do anything you needed him to. Bunt, hit and run, drive a double into the gap, you name it, he could do it. Defensively I think his actual performance exists somewhere in the middle of "Gold Glove" and "atrocious according to sabermetrics". Sabermetrics still have a bit of subjectivity on the defensive side, and while there's no denying Jeter didn't have the best range, I still will point out the flaws in UZR as they have massive fluctuations from year to year, and they also have dependencies on other factors that are not contemplated in the statistic. Depending on the point of his career, I would say that Jeter occupied the above average to below average classification with a propensity to make all of the routine plays, fewer of the higher caliber plays, but always managed to fit an absolutely spectacular play in there somehow. The 2001 miracle flip in the ALDS to possibly save their season against Oakland is the first to come to mind.
Much was made about comparing him to other shortstops of his time, and some argued there was never a single season where he was the best shortstop in the league. That might be true, but there are multiple factors to take into consideration. First off, it is impressive that part of the reason for this is that Jeter spans two generations of big league shortstops. He was one of the best in the game during the renowned Jeter/Nomar/A-Rod/Tejada debate, and he was one of the best in the game when the next generation of Tulowitzki/Ramirez/Andrus players came along. His prime was in the first of those two groupings, and instantly what stands out is to performance enhancing drug issue. A-Rod is as authentic as a Ken doll, Miguel Tejada had been caught using PEDs, and while Garciaparra never has been caught, some believe he was a user, hence his body breaking down and his rapid decline at a relatively young age. I won't make that assumption, but I do know that his statistics were heavily influenced by Fenway Park, as is the case for nearly all right handed hitters. His home/road splits over the time period varied dramatically over the time period, whereas the same cannot be said for Jeter as a Yankee. The fact that Jeter's numbers were what they were, independent of where he played, without (presumably) the aid of performance enhancing drugs, all while exhibiting a propensity to stay on the field (he had a freak injury or two prior to the last few years, but he would never be considered injury prone like Garciaparra), you can probably paint his statistics in the most favorable light of the bunch.
When talking about "greatness", there is usually some qualities beyond pure numbers that factor into the discussion, too. This is an area where Jeter stands out to me. First and foremost, the coolest thing as a fan is to grow up with a player, and in the free agency age, that is very rare. Seldom will you find a player spend his entire career with a single team. Historically this was not always the case due to the lack of free agency in the past, but what is historically rare is the length of the tenure with one team. Jeter will become only the 18th player in MLB history to spend his entire career with one team with a tenure of 20 years or more. That is an impressive feat no matter how you look at it, but one that true baseball fans will appreciate. That he did it on the biggest stage in New York is just icing on the cake. That segues nicely into another intangible; the guy kept his nose clean. It's pretty well documented that Jeter has dated numerous models over the years, but he always managed to stay out of the limelight off the field. He never got in trouble, he never did anything stupid or put his selfish desires in his personal life ahead of his profession. There was one isolated incident where he went out on the town for his birthday, missed curfew, and the late George Steinbrenner, true to form, called him out on it in the papers. How was the situation handled? The two starred in a Mastercard commercial making light of the incident. You don't spend 20 years in New York with as clean of a record as Jeter in this day and age, yet somehow he did it. Perhaps the "he played the game the right way" talk is overblown, but in a time where so few athletes really make good role models, wouldn't you want your kid to emulate Jeter ahead of so many other athletes of today? In a way, he doesn't just represent the Yankees, he represents America's pastime, the part of the game that a father shared with a son, and a time when a family could go to a game without spending half a paycheck to do it. He reminds us of the perfect, romanticized view of baseball in a day and age where headlines are dominated by steroid use and other controversy.
With Jeter's impending exit, so goes the last of the Yankees' "Core Four" that comprised such a significant component of their turn of the century dynasty. He's the final cog to leave, it it was close that era of Yankee history completely. While his ability is diminished, the loss of his presence and his legacy is still a significant occurrence not just for the Yankee organization, but for baseball in general. It is unclear who is next in line for the shortstop position for the Yankees in 2015, but one thing is for certain: he has some mighty big cleats to fill.
Jeter has been as much a fixture in my life as just about anyone and anything else. For 19 years there were few things I knew for certain. I basically knew my parents were there for me no matter what, and I knew that Derek Jeter would be standing between second and third base when the Yankees took the field. I was six years old when he made his major league debut, seven when I first saw him in Spring Training, and eight when he helped lead the Yankees to the first of four World Series titles in a five year span. While Tino Martinez was originally my favorite Yankee, due in part to his batting stance and in part to the fact that Gonna Fly Now, the theme from Rocky, was the music he selected to play as he came to bat, over the years that shifted to Jeter as other players came and went. Jeter was not a perfect player, but there are so many things that made him special, particularly in this day and age.
First, you have his on field performance. The numbers, by and large, speak for themselves. Yes, to some extent they are a reflection of his longevity; he has compiled a lot of impressive stats because he has played so many seasons. These stats are not solely a reflection of tenure, though. Make no mistake about it: he has been a great player over the last 19 years. Offensively he piled up the hits and got on base like few others could, and in his prime he had a very underrated opposite field power. He could and did steal bases, took walks, and could do anything you needed him to. Bunt, hit and run, drive a double into the gap, you name it, he could do it. Defensively I think his actual performance exists somewhere in the middle of "Gold Glove" and "atrocious according to sabermetrics". Sabermetrics still have a bit of subjectivity on the defensive side, and while there's no denying Jeter didn't have the best range, I still will point out the flaws in UZR as they have massive fluctuations from year to year, and they also have dependencies on other factors that are not contemplated in the statistic. Depending on the point of his career, I would say that Jeter occupied the above average to below average classification with a propensity to make all of the routine plays, fewer of the higher caliber plays, but always managed to fit an absolutely spectacular play in there somehow. The 2001 miracle flip in the ALDS to possibly save their season against Oakland is the first to come to mind.
Much was made about comparing him to other shortstops of his time, and some argued there was never a single season where he was the best shortstop in the league. That might be true, but there are multiple factors to take into consideration. First off, it is impressive that part of the reason for this is that Jeter spans two generations of big league shortstops. He was one of the best in the game during the renowned Jeter/Nomar/A-Rod/Tejada debate, and he was one of the best in the game when the next generation of Tulowitzki/Ramirez/Andrus players came along. His prime was in the first of those two groupings, and instantly what stands out is to performance enhancing drug issue. A-Rod is as authentic as a Ken doll, Miguel Tejada had been caught using PEDs, and while Garciaparra never has been caught, some believe he was a user, hence his body breaking down and his rapid decline at a relatively young age. I won't make that assumption, but I do know that his statistics were heavily influenced by Fenway Park, as is the case for nearly all right handed hitters. His home/road splits over the time period varied dramatically over the time period, whereas the same cannot be said for Jeter as a Yankee. The fact that Jeter's numbers were what they were, independent of where he played, without (presumably) the aid of performance enhancing drugs, all while exhibiting a propensity to stay on the field (he had a freak injury or two prior to the last few years, but he would never be considered injury prone like Garciaparra), you can probably paint his statistics in the most favorable light of the bunch.
When talking about "greatness", there is usually some qualities beyond pure numbers that factor into the discussion, too. This is an area where Jeter stands out to me. First and foremost, the coolest thing as a fan is to grow up with a player, and in the free agency age, that is very rare. Seldom will you find a player spend his entire career with a single team. Historically this was not always the case due to the lack of free agency in the past, but what is historically rare is the length of the tenure with one team. Jeter will become only the 18th player in MLB history to spend his entire career with one team with a tenure of 20 years or more. That is an impressive feat no matter how you look at it, but one that true baseball fans will appreciate. That he did it on the biggest stage in New York is just icing on the cake. That segues nicely into another intangible; the guy kept his nose clean. It's pretty well documented that Jeter has dated numerous models over the years, but he always managed to stay out of the limelight off the field. He never got in trouble, he never did anything stupid or put his selfish desires in his personal life ahead of his profession. There was one isolated incident where he went out on the town for his birthday, missed curfew, and the late George Steinbrenner, true to form, called him out on it in the papers. How was the situation handled? The two starred in a Mastercard commercial making light of the incident. You don't spend 20 years in New York with as clean of a record as Jeter in this day and age, yet somehow he did it. Perhaps the "he played the game the right way" talk is overblown, but in a time where so few athletes really make good role models, wouldn't you want your kid to emulate Jeter ahead of so many other athletes of today? In a way, he doesn't just represent the Yankees, he represents America's pastime, the part of the game that a father shared with a son, and a time when a family could go to a game without spending half a paycheck to do it. He reminds us of the perfect, romanticized view of baseball in a day and age where headlines are dominated by steroid use and other controversy.
With Jeter's impending exit, so goes the last of the Yankees' "Core Four" that comprised such a significant component of their turn of the century dynasty. He's the final cog to leave, it it was close that era of Yankee history completely. While his ability is diminished, the loss of his presence and his legacy is still a significant occurrence not just for the Yankee organization, but for baseball in general. It is unclear who is next in line for the shortstop position for the Yankees in 2015, but one thing is for certain: he has some mighty big cleats to fill.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Sports Sentiment
If you are to look at all of my talents and interests, it's pretty clear that my mind is my greatest asset, the creative arts have won my greatest admiration and esteem, but sports will always be my first love. Baseball was the favorite sport of my youth. It seems like half my childhood was spent in my backyard, throwing up a whiffle ball or a tee ball and hitting it, pretending I was a major league baseball player. I was a Yankee through and through; I listened to to their games on the radio every night on AM 620 or AM 1010 (AM 620 later changed to AM 820). Anyone who questions why I am a Yankee fan despite not growing up in New York (we didn't have a home team when I was a kid, and my dad was from New York), I challenge them to tell me knowing the radio stations you listened to a baseball team on is the behavior of a bandwagon fan. I grew up with the "Core Four", I got to see my favorite players in Spring Training, and I experienced the magic of playoff baseball in the prime of my youth.
Apart from baseball, I was fond of sports in general. I shot a basketball every day at recess with a friend in the first grade. When I changed schools, recess was held out on a soccer field, so soccer was the sport I played for four years of recess. Ages ten and eleven saw me loving basketball, shooting a pretty arc over the telephone line in the driveway for a corner three over and over and over. Age twelve saw my interest turn to football, as the cerebral elements of the game appealed to me. There is a cerebral element to any sport, but football was a game that I got into playing the Madden football video game series. It combined sport with strategy; any other sport to that point I saw as "you just play it", but Madden had you selecting a play from a playbook for each snap. It combined athleticism with intellect, strategy for jocks, if you will. That's what really got me hooked, and it probably occupied the role of favorite sport role for a good five years or so. I played volleyball in 8th grade, but around this time I started to really have problems with the tumor in my foot, and the constant inflammation it caused made it difficult to play sports at the level I wanted. This prompted me to try golf, which ultimately proved to be too expensive to sustain.
One sport is conspicuously absent to this point: tennis. This highlights a bit of a theme in my life. My hobbies and interests deviate dramatically from my upbringing and youth influences. Much like photography, and music, tennis was nowhere to be found as something I was introduced to. My first tennis memory was watching the French Open final between Guillermo Coria and Gaston Gaudio. I don't really recall being that engaged in it, but it was entertaining enough for me to watch. It wasn't until a year later, though, that someone turned it from something to watch on TV to something that captivated me. That someone was Roger Federer. Tennis no longer seemed like glorified Pong to me; Federer took the sport and turned it into art. I didn't understand everything that was going on at the time, but I just knew it was beautiful. Tennis also seemed like a good sport to play. I thought it would be cheap (wrong), and it was something you only needed one other player to play rather than rounding up a group of people to play. For my 17th birthday, a friend of mine bought me a tennis racquet, and the rest is history. To quote my primary tennis buddy over the years, "if I didn't know you, I'd think you were really good at tennis". I look the part, I talk the part, and I simply just don't play the part. That's fine, though, as at the end of the day, it's a sport I received no training in and did not take up until I was 17. Nothing to be ashamed of there.
There are times where I wonder if I had not grown up with sports if I'd be better with my other hobbies, that I'd be happier and have fewer things to try and juggle in my life, and that more concentrated focus would lead me to be a better and more accomplished person in photography (or something else, I suppose). Wondering what could have been, though, ultimately accomplishes nothing. I cannot deny what has been such an integral part of my life regardless, but to think back over the years and recall all of the memories, I feel that hypothesizing is meritless. I understand not everyone likes sports, but it does hold such a profound power that captivates the masses. Aside from the inherent beauty of tempering the body and mind to achieve a physical pinnacle, team sports take such a profound unifying role in society. Irrespective of the salaries professional athletes make or the egos some may have, there are few other outlets that bring people together like sport. A single event brings complete strangers together and makes them brothers and sisters for a few hours. In trying times, a sporting event has proved time and time again to be a source of strength and inspiration for people to band together and persevere. Be it imagery of former President Bush throwing out the first pitch at a Yankee game several days after the 9/11 attacks, to images of children playing basketball among the debris and wreckage following a typhoon in the Philippines, there are countless instances of sports being the catalyst to recovery for so many people around the globe. I cannot imagine life absent this presence of emotion, and I think that is primarily what I hope to channel in this section of the blog.
Photography Philosophy
Photography is a topic that were you ever to talk to me about it, you probably wouldn't know just how little of it I have actually done. Part of that probably comes from a little quirk of mine where I have a passion for talking about things more than I enjoy doing them (sounds like a perfect reason for a blog, eh?). That's not to say I am entirely inexperienced with photography, but it is only something I got into a few years ago, and there are huge dormant periods contained within that timeline as well.
I first really got into photography when I was 21. I decided I wanted to get a nicer point and shoot camera that had manual options so I could learn a little bit more and take photos when I went walking on trails. The interest didn't really take its present form until I started going to local shows, though. I would bring my camera and liked taking photos and videos of the performances. Obviously photos are not going to turn out so well with a point and shoot, but it was just something that added to the experience for me. I sometimes thought about how it would be nice to take better photos, but I didn't feel it was worth the expense of getting yet another more expensive camera.
That changed when I started having issues with my knees. One evening I was playing tennis with a longtime friend of mine and another guy from the condo complex I lived at. My right knee was really giving me problems, and I wasn't able to move around the court. Much to my dismay, both knees were in pain the next morning, and the next... and the next. In hindsight, it looks like the problem was a combination of just overworking myself and having excess acidity in my diet, even though I was very conscientious of the acidity and drank copious amounts of water. But back then it was diagnosed as chondromalacia, and even injections didn't help for longer than a few weeks. It was bad enough being in pain sitting at my desk at work and in the gym, so tennis was the odd thing out.
Enter photography; I needed something to fill the void left by no longer playing tennis. I decided photography was going to be that hobby when I found a deal on a Canon T2i with two lenses and a 13x19" printer. I was so nervous about using the camera without studying up about the camera and learning more about photography than I currently knew that it sat in its box for more than a month after I bought it. Then I saw how foolish I was being and just went for it.
Over the years, I have gone through my ups and downs. I've learned a lot about photography and gear, I've worked on a feature film, I've switched camera brands, I've learned my strengths and weaknesses, I've learned a lot about photo editing and processing, and yet there's still an overwhelming number of things I don't know. Inspiration comes and goes. Editing has become a chore, and at times photography has felt more like a job than a hobby. Through it all, though, I truly believe the hobby is here to stay, albeit not with the same grand plans I may have had for it at some time. How do I know? All you have to do is hear the enthusiasm in my voice when I talk about photography. I actually hope that blogging will rekindle the enthusiasm (and not make it seem more like a job). My goal for this section of the blog is to do a little of everything; to teach, to talk about software, to show photography that I admire, talk about gear, and maybe even show some of my own work.
I first really got into photography when I was 21. I decided I wanted to get a nicer point and shoot camera that had manual options so I could learn a little bit more and take photos when I went walking on trails. The interest didn't really take its present form until I started going to local shows, though. I would bring my camera and liked taking photos and videos of the performances. Obviously photos are not going to turn out so well with a point and shoot, but it was just something that added to the experience for me. I sometimes thought about how it would be nice to take better photos, but I didn't feel it was worth the expense of getting yet another more expensive camera.
That changed when I started having issues with my knees. One evening I was playing tennis with a longtime friend of mine and another guy from the condo complex I lived at. My right knee was really giving me problems, and I wasn't able to move around the court. Much to my dismay, both knees were in pain the next morning, and the next... and the next. In hindsight, it looks like the problem was a combination of just overworking myself and having excess acidity in my diet, even though I was very conscientious of the acidity and drank copious amounts of water. But back then it was diagnosed as chondromalacia, and even injections didn't help for longer than a few weeks. It was bad enough being in pain sitting at my desk at work and in the gym, so tennis was the odd thing out.
Enter photography; I needed something to fill the void left by no longer playing tennis. I decided photography was going to be that hobby when I found a deal on a Canon T2i with two lenses and a 13x19" printer. I was so nervous about using the camera without studying up about the camera and learning more about photography than I currently knew that it sat in its box for more than a month after I bought it. Then I saw how foolish I was being and just went for it.
Over the years, I have gone through my ups and downs. I've learned a lot about photography and gear, I've worked on a feature film, I've switched camera brands, I've learned my strengths and weaknesses, I've learned a lot about photo editing and processing, and yet there's still an overwhelming number of things I don't know. Inspiration comes and goes. Editing has become a chore, and at times photography has felt more like a job than a hobby. Through it all, though, I truly believe the hobby is here to stay, albeit not with the same grand plans I may have had for it at some time. How do I know? All you have to do is hear the enthusiasm in my voice when I talk about photography. I actually hope that blogging will rekindle the enthusiasm (and not make it seem more like a job). My goal for this section of the blog is to do a little of everything; to teach, to talk about software, to show photography that I admire, talk about gear, and maybe even show some of my own work.
Music Musings
Sometimes I will use the expression, "I love music as much as you possibly can for someone who doesn't know how to play an instrument". Obviously that is debatable, but the point still stands that I love music and it occupies a significant portion of my life. I was a late bloomer when it comes to music; I didn't purchase my first CD until I was 15, and in high school I mostly listened to more of the generic alternative and punk music that is pretty mainstream. I had the bands I liked that I found online that didn't get radio play, but they were still big bands, just big bands that didn't get radio play. That couldn't be further from the point that I am at now. Where is that point? Well, my favorite music genres are folk/pagan, avant-garde, symphonic, and industrial subgenres of metal, and the majority of the gothic subgenres.
My music tastes really started to shift once I bought a new car after graduating college. The car came with a trial of XM satellite radio, and I found myself listening primarily to 1st Wave. I really enjoyed (and still do) new wave and a lot of the electronic music that came out of the 80s, and I started to become more and more familiar with it. The new wave sort of led me to synth pop and dark wave, and there were a couple of occasions where car rides on Sunday nights had me listening to the Dark Wave segment on the radio, which is where my affinity for gothic genres really started to cultivate. I learned that "gothic music" was not just the same dozen of Cruxshadows, Combichrist, Apoptygma Berzerk, VNV Nation, and Assemblage 23 songs my previous girlfriend played hundreds of times on repeat, so the genre I thought was stupid actually became one that I loved. The only real band from a goth subgenre I enthusiastically liked prior to that was The Birthday Massacre, as they opened for Mindless Self Indulgence back in 2008, which was my first real concert I went to.
So where does the metal come in? Well, I never liked metal previously, but that all changed when I searched Youtube for "This Corrosion", and an In Extremo Video came up. I enjoy covers, so I clicked it, not knowing it would introduce me to the genre I love most: folk metal. The common thread in 99% of the music I listen to is it is not your vanilla vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. That was what metal tended to be in my experience, primarily because the metal I heard was all garbage from the United States. Add some niche to it, like bagpipes, harp, hurdy gurdy, shawm, accordion, violin, etc, and you've got an entirely different animal. I couldn't get enough of it. Over time, my acceptance of different vocal styles grew, and I now listen to some stuff I never thought I'd listen to in a million years. But it is all so wonderful and eclectic, and that is why I enjoy it.
Finally, I am very passionate about supporting local musicians. Local music changed my life. I'll spare the long story, but I was in a rut, and going to local shows was the hobby that got me out of it. I met new friends, discovered new music, got into photography, and have some of my best experience before, during, or after local concerts. It's saddening that mainstream music gets so much attention when the breadth and depth of talent in the local scene is so immense. Everyone can do themselves huge favors by going to a few local shows and discovering some new artists. I would just encourage people to think about something they are passionate about and how good it makes them feel. Isn't that something you want to support? That is what supporting local artists and musicians is all about.
Well folks, that right there is your starting point for all of the music related posts to follow. I can't teach you how to play guitar, but I will try to open up a new world of music that isn't very widespread. I'll talk about how the music makes me feel, I'll dispel misconceptions, and I'll show you how you too can find local Chinese electronic folk metal bands at the click of a button. Yes, the universe in which I operate is to find "local bands" that are in other continents than the I one I reside in. If you find one new band you like, whether it's someone I share or simply because you're prompted to explore your local scene because I mentioned it, I've been successful here.
My music tastes really started to shift once I bought a new car after graduating college. The car came with a trial of XM satellite radio, and I found myself listening primarily to 1st Wave. I really enjoyed (and still do) new wave and a lot of the electronic music that came out of the 80s, and I started to become more and more familiar with it. The new wave sort of led me to synth pop and dark wave, and there were a couple of occasions where car rides on Sunday nights had me listening to the Dark Wave segment on the radio, which is where my affinity for gothic genres really started to cultivate. I learned that "gothic music" was not just the same dozen of Cruxshadows, Combichrist, Apoptygma Berzerk, VNV Nation, and Assemblage 23 songs my previous girlfriend played hundreds of times on repeat, so the genre I thought was stupid actually became one that I loved. The only real band from a goth subgenre I enthusiastically liked prior to that was The Birthday Massacre, as they opened for Mindless Self Indulgence back in 2008, which was my first real concert I went to.
So where does the metal come in? Well, I never liked metal previously, but that all changed when I searched Youtube for "This Corrosion", and an In Extremo Video came up. I enjoy covers, so I clicked it, not knowing it would introduce me to the genre I love most: folk metal. The common thread in 99% of the music I listen to is it is not your vanilla vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. That was what metal tended to be in my experience, primarily because the metal I heard was all garbage from the United States. Add some niche to it, like bagpipes, harp, hurdy gurdy, shawm, accordion, violin, etc, and you've got an entirely different animal. I couldn't get enough of it. Over time, my acceptance of different vocal styles grew, and I now listen to some stuff I never thought I'd listen to in a million years. But it is all so wonderful and eclectic, and that is why I enjoy it.
Finally, I am very passionate about supporting local musicians. Local music changed my life. I'll spare the long story, but I was in a rut, and going to local shows was the hobby that got me out of it. I met new friends, discovered new music, got into photography, and have some of my best experience before, during, or after local concerts. It's saddening that mainstream music gets so much attention when the breadth and depth of talent in the local scene is so immense. Everyone can do themselves huge favors by going to a few local shows and discovering some new artists. I would just encourage people to think about something they are passionate about and how good it makes them feel. Isn't that something you want to support? That is what supporting local artists and musicians is all about.
Well folks, that right there is your starting point for all of the music related posts to follow. I can't teach you how to play guitar, but I will try to open up a new world of music that isn't very widespread. I'll talk about how the music makes me feel, I'll dispel misconceptions, and I'll show you how you too can find local Chinese electronic folk metal bands at the click of a button. Yes, the universe in which I operate is to find "local bands" that are in other continents than the I one I reside in. If you find one new band you like, whether it's someone I share or simply because you're prompted to explore your local scene because I mentioned it, I've been successful here.
Others' Offerings
This section is an area where I will provide links to the sites or works of others. Since I have a whole section dedicated to music, I will not put bands or musicians here.
http://kisotchka.deviantart.com/
This is the DA profile of my dearest friend. Mélissa and I met on a music message board four and a half years ago. In that time, she has seen the innermost depths of my psyche. Candor is not a trait I lack, but no one has experienced it with the frequency and depth of emotion that she has. I deeply admire her artistic mind; her writing and her art just have an expressiveness that I could only dream of possessing. All this, and English is not even her first language!
http://inf3kted.blogspot.com/
Inf3kted is the fashion blog of the Industrial musician Raivyn. I first checked out the blog as a link from her music blog, and now I am a regular visitor. While I may never get any use from many of the fashion critiques personally, it's the writing and attitude of K that brings me back to the page. Her ambition, honesty, and her wonderfully refreshing outlook all make me hold her in very high esteem, despite having limited interaction with her over the past several years. And, while I may not get to utilize many of the fashion tips, I do love both her style and her philosophy about style.
http://www.robinspaldingart.com/
When I grow up, I want to be Robin. While I can admire all sorts of photography, the type I probably appreciate most is more of the creative concept photography. Perhaps it is because it is a type of photography I will never personally be good at. Robin and I only met about five months ago, but I seriously think I am her lost twin, only she stole all the creativity. Because her thoughts, emotions, and interests are very much aligned with my own, it stands to reason I really favor her work.
https://www.facebook.com/chanceinhellproductions
Sam is one of the most talented dudes I know. I see him as a mad scientist of multimedia. Film, sound, directing, producing, writing: you name it, Sam can do it. With his equally talented bride, he and Corina always have about five projects in the works, which really means they have about ten times that number floating around in their endless pool of ideas. I met the two of them after one of their concerts, and a great friendship has ensued ever since. They were kind enough to include me on a number of their projects, including feature film Girl of My Dreams, which is one of the coolest experiences of my life. It's always great to see what they are cooking up next.
http://www.raphaellem.com/
This is only person in this list whom I have never corresponded with. Raphaelle is the keyboardist of one of my favorite bands, NightCreepers, which is how I discovered her photography, and subsequently her other talents. Her repertoire is very impressive, and I think what draws me to her work so much is that her imagery is representative of my dream world. The reality she creates has this wonder and mystique; I love the world of fantasy, and she melds fantasy and reality. It doesn't help the side of me that wants to run away to live in Europe, that's for sure.
http://kisotchka.deviantart.com/
This is the DA profile of my dearest friend. Mélissa and I met on a music message board four and a half years ago. In that time, she has seen the innermost depths of my psyche. Candor is not a trait I lack, but no one has experienced it with the frequency and depth of emotion that she has. I deeply admire her artistic mind; her writing and her art just have an expressiveness that I could only dream of possessing. All this, and English is not even her first language!
http://inf3kted.blogspot.com/
Inf3kted is the fashion blog of the Industrial musician Raivyn. I first checked out the blog as a link from her music blog, and now I am a regular visitor. While I may never get any use from many of the fashion critiques personally, it's the writing and attitude of K that brings me back to the page. Her ambition, honesty, and her wonderfully refreshing outlook all make me hold her in very high esteem, despite having limited interaction with her over the past several years. And, while I may not get to utilize many of the fashion tips, I do love both her style and her philosophy about style.
http://www.robinspaldingart.com/
When I grow up, I want to be Robin. While I can admire all sorts of photography, the type I probably appreciate most is more of the creative concept photography. Perhaps it is because it is a type of photography I will never personally be good at. Robin and I only met about five months ago, but I seriously think I am her lost twin, only she stole all the creativity. Because her thoughts, emotions, and interests are very much aligned with my own, it stands to reason I really favor her work.
https://www.facebook.com/chanceinhellproductions
Sam is one of the most talented dudes I know. I see him as a mad scientist of multimedia. Film, sound, directing, producing, writing: you name it, Sam can do it. With his equally talented bride, he and Corina always have about five projects in the works, which really means they have about ten times that number floating around in their endless pool of ideas. I met the two of them after one of their concerts, and a great friendship has ensued ever since. They were kind enough to include me on a number of their projects, including feature film Girl of My Dreams, which is one of the coolest experiences of my life. It's always great to see what they are cooking up next.
http://www.raphaellem.com/
This is only person in this list whom I have never corresponded with. Raphaelle is the keyboardist of one of my favorite bands, NightCreepers, which is how I discovered her photography, and subsequently her other talents. Her repertoire is very impressive, and I think what draws me to her work so much is that her imagery is representative of my dream world. The reality she creates has this wonder and mystique; I love the world of fantasy, and she melds fantasy and reality. It doesn't help the side of me that wants to run away to live in Europe, that's for sure.
Page Purpose
Why hello! You've stumbled across my page and wonder why it exists. Well, this is the section to give you a little insight. The best way I like to describe my mind is by using the very picture that is the background of this blog: M.C. Escher's Relativity. It's a series of all these very uncorrelated interests, musings, and postulations, and they never quite build to anything. It's chaotic and can be frustrating at times, so I figured I'd create a venue to just let some of it loose. Now, I did want to add some structure to the blog. Random rants are great and all, but people do tend to attach to specific content matter. I have no misgivings that people would come just to read whatever impulse comes to my mind, otherwise therapists would pay me to hear me talk. To accommodate that, I am going to try to regularly update a few common areas of interest of mine, and then have my "bonus section", if you will, where you'll never know what to expect. Inspiration is a fickle thing, after all. So hopefully this blog makes you think and/or feel. If it doesn't, well, I do it more than enough to make up for it. Cheers!
-Anth
-Anth
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)