Big Money Tony

No Burris in the Senate Treehouse

2009-01-06T20:09:11Z

It seems odd that after commenting last week that he would not push the envelope, Roland Burris would actually try to get seated at the Senate. I don't have a strong opinion either way, but I would respect what the law/rules state.

I am NOT a Constitutional Scholar, nor do I have a JD behind my name. Never attended law school either. But I am an educated American citizen. From what I read, given that the Illinois Secretary of State has not signed off on Burris' appointment by Governor Rod Blagojevich. Some say the role of the Sec of State is administrative and symbolic. If that's the case, Illinois should do away with the ceremony. Let's be green! Save a tree (or sheet of paper).

From the point of the Senate, and particularly leader Harry Reid, the Senate has the right to accept/deny seating of any person. Given all of this, it appears to be that Burris should not be seated at this time.

There are a few questions.

Why does Burris feel he needs to be seated today? Another symbolic gesture? Governor Patterson of New York has yet to appoint Caroline Kennedy or another person to the Senate yet.
Which law/rule holds true? Each state has their own rules regarding filling an empty seat. In most situations, federal law supersedes state law. But there is a difference between appointment and actual seating, so both may be right. However, there is a question of whether a Senate rule is stronger than state law.
Beyond my first question, why does Burris feel he is the appropriate person to fill the vacancy? He said he had nothing to do with Blagojevich's prior dealings. Even if true, he could wait until Illinois settles the debate. Whoever is ultimately given the power to appoint will choose Burris if he is the best person for the job.

Interesting that just a few months ago, the Democrats were looking for a filibuster-proof pool, yet they are short a few heads at the moment and that looks unlikely to change.

Crazy Blind Date

2009-01-03T12:52:50Z

Ever hear of Crazy Blind Date? I had not until recently. My friend, The Sports Freak, who I am co-editor with over at The DC Sports Page, read it in the Express. You know, that thin Washington Post-lite that can be picked up at any Metro station.

After reading the article, he had to tell me about it. Basically, with the barest of information, you go on a date. They ask you to stay for only as long as you think it's comfortable, but give it at least 20 minutes if you can. You provide your statistics, the statistics you want to see in the person you meet, and the time and neighborhood you want to met in. They even have a "double date" option, so you can go with a friend

We joked about the odd things we might see on a Crazy Blind Date. Maybe I'll wake up after them in a tub full of ice with a note that both my kidneys are gone. Or I'll be calling TSF at midnight because she stole my wallet and carjacked me. But then the joking moved to seriousness. It became a stupid guy bet, except we didn't put money on it. At this point, I offered to try it out.

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It's only half an hour.
I will not provide my information under any circumstances, other than my first name, which she would already know.
I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.

Better, yet, I decided to shoot TSF a quick e-mail. "I'm headed to Atomic Billiards for a CBD. If you don't hear from me by 10 PM, call the cops." All for the humor, of course.

When I finally did arrive at Atomic Billiards, I was early. Grabbed myself a beer from the bartender Rich and waited. At about 6:30, our scheduled time, Shirley arrived. We had great conversation for an hour. I'm not going to spill all the secrets, so this will be all I discuss. I was not disappointed in Shirley. I was disappointed that I didn't have a CRAZY Crazy Blind Date to report on.

It was a good time in all. Would I try Crazy Blind Date again? I think so, because I really want that great odd story. Or maybe I'll end up meeting Ms. Right.

BMT's Vegas Vacation: Days 2 & 3: Chinatown & Hoover Dam

2009-01-03T12:36:47Z

This entry has been on the sidelines for awhile, mainly because I had not gotten around to loading the pictures. I was only in the Vegas area for 3 days.

Day 2 was not as eventful as Day 1. I had more relatives arrive this day in the snow. Yes, there was snow out in Vegas and I witnessed it. But similar to here in the DC area, people in Vegas don't know how to drive in the stuff, all 1 millimeter of the constantly melting snow. So traffic jams all along the strip. After we went through a number of hotels, my uncle suggested we see their Chinatown. Because when you think of Vegas, you think Chinatown right?

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Day 3 was a much longer road trip. Since the snow had stopped, we decided to try out the Hoover Dam. Boy that was definitely worth the drive. Only about an hour away, it's amazing how you can leave all the lights of the strip and come to breathtaking nature. I have a few photos, but really, they don't do it justice.

After spending the day there, we headed back to the strip for more gambling. Unlike my previous trips where I broke even, I ended up a nice sum up. Hip, Hip, Hooray! Oh wait, it's not a Redskins win.

Amazon Kindle

2008-12-29T03:46:39Z

As a holiday gift to myself, I got the Amazon Kindle . If you have not heard, the Kindle is an electronic "book". After just a week of working with it, I'm very satisfied. In the past, I was an avid reader, staying up until the wee hours of the morning reading magazines or books. In recent years, that has changed for many reasons. I have gotten older. I have not visited the library in quite awhile. While I can afford to buy books, I find it tough to justify buying many titles. There are simply many books I want to read, but only once.

The Kindle seems to solve the last problem. Paperbacks, mostly of the mystery or horror genres, are books I have no need to buy. The stories may be good, but I don't see why I need to re-read some of them. For example, The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver. I read the book years ago and have not picked it up since. I may read it again some day. With the Kindle, I can do so without taking up space on a shelf or a box.

Not only books, but the Kindle will also provide content from some magazines and newspapers. I have not tried a magazine, but for newspapers, I find that the real thing works better than the Kindle. Or I go to their website. The Kindle is lightweight. To me, about the same as a paperback, but the dimensions are bigger. It takes some getting used to holding it, but after a day or so, I think it worked out.

About the only drawback is that there are no illustrations. Or rather, there are crude ones but just for the cover of the book. A limitation of the black and white Kindle, which may be addressed in later versions. For now, though, any avid reader should consider one. It may not work for all, but I think it's worth a tryout. Try to find a friend who has one to see theirs.

BMT's Vegas Vacation: Day 1

2008-12-17T14:16:00Z

I am on a holiday vacation/mini-family reunion out in Las Vegas. Not exactly the smartest move for an Asian American family, since many of our kind have degenerate gambling problems, but luckily not my family. The week is still young..

After weather problems in Charlotte, delaying the first leg of my flight, I ended up arriving on time in Vegas. At least the delays got me the rare free beverage since we were on the runway for 2 hours. However, in Vegas, just a couple of quick observations.

Despite this being my second stay at the Luxor, I'm still lost as to where to go.
Vegas is really dead in December. Ain't no-one around.
Got propositioned while on the casino floor. Hot African-American woman, but unlike Gov Blagojevich, I don't approve of "Pay to Play". What's interesting is that she came up to me at the slots.
Won $200 on nickel slots, then promptly lost $50 of it on $1 slots, but learned my lesson and pocketed the remainder. It could have been the hooker too (see above). No I am not 80 years old.

The Kindness of Baltimore

2008-12-12T11:18:10Z

Baltimore, the neighboring city north of Washington, DC, sometimes gets a bad rap. Whether it be drugs, crime, or Peter Angelos, nearly everyone can find something to pick on.

This morning however, I have a new appreciation for this city. Yesterday, I was on business in New Jersey. As I was driving down I-95 through the tunnel, and past the exit for Morgan State in my pickup truck (yes, I know...but I can't afford a new car...sue me), I ran into some trouble. I heard a "pop" then my 65 mph became 45. 45 became a maximum of 35. Pulling over, I turned off the engine and let it sit for 5 minutes, you know, like computers, reboot and all goes well. Not my truck. Still couldn't go past 35 mph. It was a Nissan, not an American car, so the Big 3 don't take another hit.

Luckily, I have AAA. After calling them, I was thinking about how hard it was going to be to find a couple of thousand to cover repairs. My stocks are down 40%, the economy sucks, Christmas is just around the corner.

The tow truck driver arrives. After asking the standard questions, he hooks me up and off we go to the nearest garage. As we are going, he asks about what I was doing on the road in the lousy heavy rain, if I had dinner already, and just some small talk. Getting to the garage, he got out, grabbed the overnight paperwork for my vehicle and brought it back to me so I could fill it out in his truck while he got my vehicle down. Halfway through the process, he came back to me and told me he was 95% sure what the problem was. Given the heavy rain, I was unfortunate to get a lot of water in my engine. Told me to run my engine for 10 minutes, then try it out again. The rain had tampered down to a drizzle, so I should be able to dry it out.

This man made my night. After he got my truck down, I handed him a crisp $20 bill. Heck, for the kindness he showed me, it was worth it even if his theory didn't pan out. But 15 minutes later, I was back on the road. I should have listened to my late mother who wanted all her children to learn about everything mechanical. I'm an accountant by trade, and the closest thing to an engine I've seen is the inside of a computer. But always, mother knows best. So of course, Mom, you were right. And thank you kind stranger. You made an awful night a bit better.

Leno to Primetime

2008-12-10T09:09:12Z

In what has to be one of the dumbest moves in entertainment history, NBC signs Jay Leno to do a nightly show at 10 PM Eastern, once his Tonight Show run is over. I've never really understood the ratings that Leno gets. I am a David Letterman kind of guy. He is far more talented. I do understand that Leno has his audience, I'm just not part of it. But to move him to primetime on a broadcast network?

I would understand if they were putting him on one of the cable arms NBC-Universal owns. But to eat up the 10 PM hour on NBC seems to be shooting themselves in the foot. Or should I say leg for Plaxico Burress? That hour is valuable airtime. What happens to the various incarnations of Law & Order? L&O mothership and SVU are currently occupying the 10 PM slot. For good reason too, as some of their topics are a bit gory or racy for earlier timeslots.

A Leno "Daily Show" at 10PM would work if he was a little more serious. Many people say Stewart, Colbert, and Letterman are excellent interviewers when it comes to the serious stuff. I think there is only so much Will Smith and Angelina Jolie we can take. To watch every weeknight would be horrible.

Review: Chinese Democracy

2008-11-25T23:01:48Z

The day is finally here. Chinese Democracy, the long awaited album from Guns N' Roses was release yesterday. I was a fan of Appetite for Destruction, but then again who wasn't? I purchased it yesterday on iTunes hoping for that great sound. I found Axl's voice. Unfortunately not much else. GNR is missing that key sound. It begs for Slash et al. The entire album feels of one long ballad. Individual songs don't seem to stand out. One exception is the third track, "Better". It has a good beat and seems to pull some classic Guns N' Roses. The problem is that is about the only thing that sounds familiar. It's not that the album is bad. This would be a great album if it wasn't Guns N' Roses. It's that we expect more from GNR. The sound is just not there. Sample or buy it here.

Review: My Name is Bruce

2008-11-16T19:09:44Z

On Saturday night, I was coaxed into seeing My Name is Bruce, the latest movie from cult favorite Bruce Campbell. For those of you how have not heard, Campbell himself is going from city to city to "open" the movie for that specific city. Part of that is for him to speak before each showing and take questions. I am not a huge fan of Campbell's, but I decided to have an open mind to see this. Showing at the E Street Cinema downtown, we wanted to catch the 10:15 PM showing. Part of the Landmark Theatre group, we tried all day Sunday to get on their website to buy tickets. The site never came up. We tried calling. Just a long recorded message. So taking a chance, we decided to go downtown.

That was mistake #1. 10:15 was sold out...we were offered 12:15 AM. While they seemed to "customize" the phone recording daily, they didn't bother to note that the 10:15 show was sold out for a week. I didn't want to see the midnight showing, but was again coaxed to buying those tickets.

We headed off the ESPN Zone to kill time. The place was kind of empty, but some good college games were on, so we stuck around to watch. Mistake #2. Apparently on a Saturday night, in the middle of BCS season, the ESPN closes at 11 PM. Without warning, they shut off the TV's at around 11:30. With that we headed back to the theater.

Bruce Campbell showed up at about 12:15 and spoke for 5 minutes. "What are you expectations for this movie?". One fan shouted "Rock Bottom!". Campbell didn't disagree. He was entertaining as you expected and on with the show. I'd like to spoil it for you, but there is nothing to spoil because there was no plot. Anything you see coming happens. I would say rent it on DVD, but that would mean wasting $4 or $5. Well if you are on a subscription plan like Netflix, you might put this at the bottom of your queue. Eventually, you'll drop it from your list in favor of a better movie. Like that new Jean Claude Van Damme movie. OK, I haven't seen it, nor will I ever, but at least you might see him kill someone in a fashion you might believe.

As you may have figured out, I didn't enjoy My Name is Bruce. Maybe hardcore fans like it better. I don't know. The trailer is below and is decent, but remember, trailers are supposed to entice you to see the movie.

Race and Sports Journalism

2008-11-14T18:41:02Z

At Cole Field House last night, the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism and the Colonnade Society of the University of Maryland hosted a 3rd Annual Shirley Povich Symposium. This year's topic was Race and Sports Journalism. I was lucky to be in attendance. The panel was moderated by Maury Povich of tabloid show fame and Kevin Blackistone, Povich Chair at the Merrill College. Michael Wilbon, Gary Williams, Sage Steele, Scott Van Pelt, and Len Elmore rounded out the panel. George Solomon, former Washington Post writer, ESPN Ombudsman, and current professor at Maryland, was in attendance as well. The discussion started with a mention of President-Elect Barack Obama. While historic, it does not mean the end of the race discussion in America.

Those who don't know who Shirley Povich was should know that he was a great sports columnist for the Washington Post for over 60 years. He died one day after writing his last column in 1998. He was the father of Maury, the night's moderator and David, an attorney.

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Kevin Blackistone was very approachable. As a regular panelist on ESPN's Around the Horn, and a former writer for Politico.com, he discusses race and journalism from time to time. I had a discussion with him about his high school, Good Counsel and sports in general. The panel discussion was provocative. When asked about how he handles the media with his team, Williams said that his team needs to be more sensitive to race issues because of the vicinity to Washington, DC. "...it's not like we are a backwoods place like Durham, NC". That set the theme for the night; both a serious topic with a layer of light comedy.

Wilbon discussed his column immediately after the death of Sean Taylor. His comments referencing Taylor's past history with the criminal element brought criticism from all around. Scott Van Pelt interjected stating that Wilbon could write that, even though he took criticism. "You can write that, I can't". Van Pelt also brought up the point that he chooses his words carefully. When analyzing the Duke basketball team this upcoming season, he used the words "less athletic", which were chosen over "more white" because that wouldn't be criticized as a stereotypical or racist remark. Van Pelt brought up another example. Since being on SportsCenter, he has received regular snail-mail letters from a viewer in Virginia he called "Rumar". Rumar accuses him of being biased with many different innocent remarks. One time, Van Pelt was so angered by a letter, he looked up Rumar and called him. After a long debate over the phone, Rumar apologized and said Van Pelt was not bias in that case. It shows that no matter what journalistic setting he took, it could still be construed as bias.

Len Elmore and Sage Steele brought their unique situations to play. Len as both a former star player and now analyst and commentator with various networks. Steele as a female minority journalist. They brought those aspects to their journalistic duties in approaching athletes. Some athletes may feel more comfortable with journalists of their own ethnicity. The panel also discussed use of the N-word. Wilbon stated he frequently uses it in his personal life, but more as a pronoun, not a derogatory word.

After the discussion, the crowd was free to speak with the panelists again. Scott Van Pelt was surrounded by students immediately. He is very popular with the college crowd. Wilbon, as one of the stars of Pardon the Interruption, was also surrounded. It was a great night to think about the relationship between journalists and their subjects. In particular how integration took place much earlier in the sports world than in parts of the real world. I could write about all the topics discussed, but I'd be writing for days.

Obama was brought up during the discussion about how he transcends some of the stereotypes. As both an athlete and a scholar, President-Elect, and a minority, he could change the world in a different way than most Presidents will.

Indifference on the Presidency

2008-11-05T20:24:59Z

Unless you have been sheltered from the media for the past 48 hours and thought today, Wednesday, was Election Day, you know that Barack Obama was elected President of the United States yesterday. Many rejoiced and many are angered or dejected. I am neither. I suspect a small and quiet group of people feel the same way.

I don't know what it was. While Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention caught my eye, I've never felt comfortable enough with him. To me, he lacks experience. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, or that he won't be a good or even great President. I just would have preferred someone with at least a decade of experience.

Maybe it was John Edwards, the previous moral compass of the Democratic party falling down hard and fast. Or Hillary Clinton, fighting on way too long in the primaries. It could have been the non-stop election coverage via Internet, blogs, Twitter, and 24 hour news channels. I'm guilty of watching and participating in all. Maybe it was because other than his lack of economic sense, I really liked McCain. But I will let this pass. Living in the Washington Metropolitan area, I plan on taking in as much as possible from now until the inauguration.

For the next 4 to 8 years Barack Obama is our President. We should support him and give him a chance to right the ship for those of you who think it is tilting. Those who think it's upright, let Obama keep it afloat.

Cheerleader Elections

2008-11-04T20:03:21Z

On this very important day in American History, the DC Sports Page wants to bring you an election that everyone can agree on. BTW - I also blog on The DC Sports Page. Vote for your favorite Redskins Cheerleader! This first week of voting pits Buffy versus Tocarra. At the end of the season, we will match up the winners to choose the favorite of the year. Vote early. Each Tuesday we'll bring you a new matchup. Find the poll at The DC Sports Page on the right sidebar.

Women Draw Men

2008-10-24T19:28:26Z

Understatement in mankind history right? Last night, I had the pleasure of attending another alumni event at my alma mater, the University of Maryland at College Park. Campaign Celebration was like just like all alumni events with the purpose of raising money.

As a good alumnus, I attended and got to speak with the new dean, old professors, and other trusted persons of the Robert H Smith School of Business. This event was similar to the exhibitions of any industry. The difference here was that instead of companies hawking their wares, it was the various schools and departments showcasing their current and future projects.

But one thing that definitely was the same as the dozens of conferences I attended were attractive women holding fort at the booths. OK some booths had men only. Their departments were very small or had no women...it didn't matter. Almost definitely, the larger departments and schools had their own young woman handing out pamphlets and other pieces. I know for sure there was one where I took whatever she was handing out. Don't remember what department she was with. It was either soil erosion or greenscaping. Sorry, I'm an adult male. I'm attracted to women. Sue me. There were definitely booths I had no interest in, but stopped by anyways because of the woman standing there.

Aside from that, it's strange that this culture still exists. I feel bad, but I know it happens every day at every conference in the United States. I'll have to enjoy endure this for years to come.

Voter Mis-Registration

2008-10-17T19:12:31Z

I live in the great state of Maryland. The voter registration deadline was October 14 and I've been a registered voter since November 1992, when I was first eligible. Confident that I was registered, for some reason today I remembered that I was still incorrectly registered at my parents old address in 2006. I'm a part-time voter, so 2007 wasn't all that important to me and I didn't bother to check. Today, I checked my registration and I'm still registered at the parents house in Montgomery County. Polling station is my old elementary school. Go Road Runners!

The problem is that I live in an entirely different county, Frederick. I changed my drivers license and vehicle registrations to reflect that within a week of moving. When filling out that form, I checked off the little box that says something about notifying voter registration. That was 2005. In 2006, I voted only for statewide elections and left the local politics to the real Montgomery locals.

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Any MoCo residents who need some vote to sway their way?

Bidders please send a comment to this message. You'll be notified of the $10 drop off location. Please type your ballot choices, because if I can not read your handwriting, I am not responsible for the vote I may or may not cast in your favor. Sorry, this offer is valid only for the November 4, 2008 Election Day. I plan on reasserting my Frederick County voting rights for the 2009 election.

Debate 08: New York

2008-10-16T02:29:52Z

It was Joe the Plumber night. Anne Marie Cox said it so right on Twitter. "Joe the Plumber is so getting laid tonight".

This is the final debate for this election cycle. Moderated by Bob Schieffer from Hofstra University, this was the most exciting of the three Presidential debates, although it didn't take much.

McCain referenced a conversation Obama had with "Joe the Plumber" and how Obama's tax plans would raise Joe's taxes because he falls in the $250K range. He came with a great line..."Why would you want to raise anyone's taxes now?". So true and Obama may yet change his mind on this, but not tonight.

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Character assassination was addressed. McCain asserted Obama's connection to William Ayers. Obama made clear of his connection to Ayers. Ayers participated in "despicable" act (referencing the Weathermen without actually saying it). Ayers and Obama served on the same neighborhood reform board. Ayers is not part of his campaign and would not be part of his administration. McCain said we "need more details". Did he just not hear the Senator from Illinois?

A this point, I was declaring it a draw. McCain was throwing punches, but they seemed all over the place. As NBC News stated, "Obama sat on the ball" and decided to take no chances. Given that, McCain could not win.

However, the question of healthcare reform and costs came up. After discussing their respective plans, McCain attacked Obama on the "fine" that would be imposed on businesses if they did not help employees acquire affordable healthcare. He brought up "Joe the Plumber" again and how Joe would have to pay a fine. McCain asked "how much". This is where Obama delivered the knockout. "Zero". McCain looked stunned. Actually shocked. Like he was the heavyweight in the ring who just got a heavy hit from a 100 pound geek. Obama explained that small businesses would not be fined. The "fine" was only for big business.

This set the tone for the rest of the debate. McCain brought up "Joe the Plumber" for almost everything. They discussed abortion rights, running mates, and other issues pretty much only to the extent of what we already know.

So we can thank Joe the Plumber for helping Obama win this debate ever so slightly. This of course is bad for McCain. Except for an "October Surprise" against Obama, it's hard to see Obama losing in November.