So...my good friend Dave came back to Rochester this weekend to get some stuff he left up here and to visit with all of us still stuck up here. It was definitely a fun weekend...
Take a look at some pictures from our weekend : Photos from Dave's Trip to Rochester. I'll try and post a few videos I took as well as photo captions soon...
For those of you who aren't aware, the "big" story up here in Rochester for the past year or so has been the Fast Ferry. Basically, the story in a nutshell is as follows: A company decided to begin operating a ferry service from Rochester to Toronto (which was not really that much faster than just driving from Rochester to Toronto and definitely a lot more expensive) about a year or so ago...and for several months it was "THE" news story around here (they did stories about its construction in Australia, its trip from Australia to here, its arrival and they even did a feature story where they took you on a tour of the ferry...I mean...who cares what the inside of a ferry looks like!). Then, the ferry started operating...for about 3 months. Then, all of a sudden, it went bankrupt and stopped operating and it was a "big" scandal, which has topped the news every night since. Finally, there now auctioning off the ferry and the city of Rochester is looking to be the high bidder. So, what did I just hear on the local 11 o'clock news?? There apparently going to be live at the auction this coming Monday as well as providing updates throughout the day on the status of the auction!!! I mean, is that ridiculous or what? WHO CARES??? So, I was thinking...maybe I'll show up at the auction...and half-way through jump up and scream "500 million" and then laugh maniacally and run out...haha...I bet I'd end up getting on the 11 o'clock news too then :)
I just got done watching this movie on in-demand digital cable (god...what a great invention...now I don't think I have to leave my apartment ever...) and I have to say it was pretty funny. I mean, it definitely wasn't the funniest movie I've ever seen, but there were some pretty funny scenes in it and the two main characters had some pretty damn funny lines. Anyway, I'd definitely recommend seeing it at some point...
Next up, my friend says I have to see Napoleon Dynamite...
So I was reading through CNN's website earlier today, like I always tend to do, and I came across the following article: Study: Cells make young drivers react like seniors. And I just need to say...this is what I've been saying all along...well, at least about the whole hands-free vs. using a cell phone at all debate. The hands-free laws that many state governments put in place are ABSOLUTELY useless!
Now, I'm sure that before these laws were passed by the legislators, studies were commissioned to determine the effectiveness of such measures. But here's the funny thing about a study...you can really make it show whatever you want it too, and ulterior motives definitely play into study results. For instance, perhaps the legislators were considering banning cell phones altogether while driving, and so the cell phone service providers...who might have stood to lose a lot of money, intervened with study upon study that show that driving and talking on a cell phone isn't that dangerous and that the only thing that needs to be done to make it safer is mandate a hands-free law (which, surprise, surprise, would end up benefiting cell phone manufacturers and service providers since they'd be the ones now selling these required devices).
Government legislators need to use some common sense and realize that the hands-free law is pretty useless and definitely won't contribute much to preventing accidents. Lets see, first, I'm willing to bet that the majority of people need to fumble with hooking in their hands-free to their cell phone, which in of itself is incredibly dangerous since they won't be watching the road and won't be able to react as quickly. But lets just say that the legislators thought that once they passed the law, everyone would set themselves up so that when they got in the car, the hands-free was already plugged in and ready to go (what a bunch of BS...but stay with me here). Then you have to worry about dialing the phone number you want to reach, which is also dangerous (and yet, not illegal according to current laws) because you once again won't be watching the road and won't be able to react as quickly. However, lets once again assume that the legislators decided that either most people would just be answering calls from their car or they would be using speed dials (wow, these legislators sure ASSume a lot). Well, now you get to the most interesting part...that of talking on the phone with a hands-free device while driving. Now, I don't know about everyone else out there, but I will readily admit that there have definitely been times when I've been having a conversation on my cell phone in my car and have missed my exit or turn or whatever because of it. Imagine how much worse that could become if I need to make a split-second decision or react quickly because a car swerves into my lane or a kid runs across the street to get his ball. I mean, c'mon...common sense dicates that if you're occupied with something (such as carrying on a conversation), then not all of your mental faculties are available to devote to something else (such as driving), and so therefore the act of talking on a cell phone (and not the act of simply holding one up to your ear or only using one hand to drive - which is all these hands-free laws account for) is whats really dangerous, and the current hands-free laws are half-assed attempts that don't do anyone any good and certainly are not effective, at least in my opinion. Now, don't get me wrong....i love having the ability to use my cell phone in my car and have even, on occasion flouted the laws and used my cell phone in my car without my hands-free device. And I'm not saying that if a law was passed that prevented drivers from using cell phones while driving, I would always obey it, but I think at the very least it would be a greater deterrent and a better solution that would actually have a chance of preventing accidents compared to the current hands-free law which is basically useless.
Rochester is nation's snowiest city; Buffalo a close runner-up
According to data compiled by the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Rochester is the nation's snowiest city, based on data through 1990. At that time it averaged 94 inches of snow a year. That's the most for cities with more than 200,000 people. Buffalo is a close runner-up. In 1995, 39 inches of snow fell in just one day there. The one-day record for overall snow goes to Thompson Pass, Alaska. In one week in February, 1953 more than 15 feet, 187 inches, fell on the town.
One of my friends recently sent the following email to a sports columnist at the Democrat and Chronicle. It is so ridiculous that I had to put it on here ;)
His E-Mail: Bob:
The more I read your columns, the clearer it has become to me that you do not actually watch basketball but rather randomly select topics to discuss, take an opinion different from the consesus news media, then try to agrue your claims without thinking about the absurdity of some of your comments. A while back, I debated writing an email to you after you asserted that Steve Nash was not even the MVP of his team, much less the league. Your claim of Amare Stoudamire being the MVP of the Suns was easily proven false given the Suns losing streak while Nash was out and Stoudamire's drastic decline in production.
Now today, I have no idea what you were trying to prove in saying you do not understand why the Spurs would not want Karl Malone. Karl Malone is arguably the greatest power forward to ever live. While he certainly is not the Karl Malone of old, he still averaged 13 points per game last year as a third option and averaged over 20 points per game just two seasons ago when he was the primary scoring option on the Utah Jazz. To think that the Spurs would have no use for Karl Malone, you must have never seen him run the pick and roll. With Tony Parker, Brent Barry, and Manu Ginobilli all capable of hitting the 20 ft jumper, a pick and roll run by any of those individuals would lead to an open shot for either one of them or Malone. If you have ever watched basketball before, you would know the importance of a power forward who can step out and drain a 17-20 ft jumpshot. This ability forces defenders to decide whether or not to help out either on a Duncan post entry or Parker's dribble penetration. No help means Duncan one on one in the post. If you help, you leave Malone or Barry or Ginobili open. While Malone is certainly not the post player or defender he once was, he can still drain the open jumpshot. Finally, your argument that the Spurs have depth at the 4 spot with Horry, Massenburg, and Malik Rose is just laughable. You obviously have not seen Robert Horry play recently. Horry's skills have diminshed much more than Malone's and since he was a one-dimensional outside shooter to begin with, it does not say much about his game. Known for hitting the big 3's in his heyday, he is nowhere near the deadly 3 point shooter he once was averaging only 33% from outside the strip. Second, you also mistake Malik Rose for the player he was during the Spurs championship runs. His playing time has consistently gone down and he has been benched numerou s times this season by Coach Popovich. Third, I must laugh when you mention Tony Massenburg as a player who would take time away from Karl Malone. The man has career averages of 6pts and 4 rebs a game. On top of that, he is averaging a measly 2.7 pts a game this year while shooting an awful 41% from the field.
I ask that you take some serious thought the next time you write about basketball in your columns. It is an embarassment not only to yourself, but the Democrat and Chronicle, and the city of Rochester when you make such inaccurate remarks.
Sports Columnist Response: Actually, I watch a lot of NBA basketball, probably MUCH more than you do...I don't think you overrate Nash (even if he does play matador defense). Considering how the team struggled when he was out, (I believe the Suns would've struggled nearly as much if Stoudemire had missed those games instead of Nash, but we'll never know), I agree that he was MVP of the half-season (I made my pro-Stoudemire comment prior to Nash's injury). But I believe you underrate Stoudemire. He's probably the most improved player in the NBA and he's the main reason for Nash's success this season. He's an incredible talent and will only get better...Obviously, you're not real familar with my work. I for YEARS touted Karl Malone as the all-time best power foreard. He replaced Bob Pettit (another player I had great respect for) as the No. 1 PF a few years ago...Malone WAS a great player. He now is closing on 42 years old and coming off a MAJOR knee injury. He isn't CLOSE to the player he was....Sure, he could add to San Antonio's depth. My point is that the Spurs are deep enough without him so why risk messing with the chemistry's of the league's best team? Malone is a proud man and I'm not as sold as you seem to be that he could accept a secondary role on this particular... No, I don't "take an opinion different from the consensus news media and then try to argue (my) claims without thinking about the absurdity of some of your comments." I have a mind of my own. I don't always agree with the consensus and I'm glad I don't. If I did, I'd be a pretty boring read. Just because you disagree with me hardly qualifies me as an "embarrassment" to me, my employer and the City of Rochester. C'mon. Give me a break. You take sports MUCH too seriously to be making disparaging comments like that just because someone has a different point of view. Lighten up. I'll continue to call them like I see them, as I have for a long time. Yours in sports, BOB MATTHEWS.
