Mr. Jones and Me

The Cubs look to have completed their lineup for the 2006 season with the signing of Jacque Jones. There has been a lot of criticism of this signing, but Jim Hendry signed him to a very reasonable deal, 3 years 16 million, which is a bargain considering the inflated free agent market. Jacque Jones is an above average hitter, especially if he returns to his pre-2004 production numbers. Hopefully he can have the type of turnaround that Jermaine Dye had for the White Sox last year. There are two things that this signing does do, first it solidifies the defense in the outfield, Juan Pierre should be able to cover a lot of ground in the less spacious outfield of Wrigley and Mr. Jones will be able to cover the rest, easing the pressure on Matt Murton. The Second and final thing this signing does is that it will allow those who attend the games to hear some "Mr. Jones and Me", it gives me shivers just to think of that.

Could Tom Cruise sue South Park?

Will Tom Cruise sick his Scientologist lawyers on Matt Parker and Trey Stone? It may happen as a result of the "Trapped in the Closet" episode that I wrote about here. Julie Hilden, a Yale Law Graduate, attorney, and freelance writer, says,"no" Actually here is some of what she says: In sum, a Cruise-versus-"South Park" suit would almost certainly be dismissed on First Amendment grounds. Moreover, such a suit -- depending on the way it was framed -- might arguably be as ethically problematic, as it is legally problematic, at least for those who believe that bias against homosexuals is wrong. Cruise has chosen, in the past, not only to challenge allegations that he cheated or lied to cover up his alleged homosexuality, but also to directly challenge allegations that he is gay. In 2001, Cruise's attorney Bert Fields was quoted saying to E! Online, that "[Cruise] is a great respecter of homosexual rights, but he's not gay, and he's ready to prove this in court. Tom is tired of it and it hurts his children. It's something that will be there forever. And damn it, he's going to stop it." (Emphasis added). If Cruise is truly a great respecter of homosexual rights, then to comport with his own ethical beliefs, he should have been more careful in crafting his past suit. Cruise already had a strong suit based on suggestions that he was an adulterer and a liar -- cheating on his wife and misrepresenting the character of their marriage to the public. Did he need to also directly take aim at the statement that he was gay? The final section of the article brought up an issue I hadn't entirely thought about before. Should courts permit claims of defamation simply because someone labels you as a homosexual? Is there any damage done to the reputation because of a false homosexual accusation? I think not, but read the article and make up your own mind.

Have a little faith in Kyle

I found this article to be very encouraging. Especially the part about quarterback guru, Jeff Trickey, where he stated: "When Kyle threw one ball 72 yards on a dead line, I knew this kid had some special skills," said Trickey, 56, a quarterback guru who runs schools nationwide, including the Chicago area. "You knew he had an NFL arm." Trickey still sees glimpses of Orton's arm strength when he watches Bears games on TV at home in Pewaukee, Wis. He agrees Orton's accuracy, as reflected by a completion percentage of 52.9, needs improvement, but blames inexperience that contributes to inconsistent mechanics. Orton's predecessor at Purdue, Drew Brees, who has recently come into his own in the NFL has faith in Orton as well. San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, Orton's predecessor at Purdue, cautioned it may take time at the pro level, but he also said he believes Orton will develop into a worthy NFL starter once he overcomes those early growing pains. Just as Brees did. "It's tough because mistakes are going to be made … you just have to weather the storm at times," Brees said. "Your No. 1 job as a quarterback in this league is to win ballgames, and his record shows he has done that. Not many quarterbacks can start this many games their rookie year and be 9-4. That's pretty impressive." I have believed and still believe that Kyle Orton will be a successful quarterback in the NFL. Commentators around the league do not seem to realize that he is a rookie. Most are probably basing their beliefs that Orton should be better, based on Big Ben's success in Pittsburgh. Big Ben runs a different system, has better receivers, and doesn't throw that many passess. A majority of his passes are short screens anyways. Here are stats you should look at when rating Orton's performance. Passing Rushing G | Comp Att PCT YD Y/A TD INT | Att Yards TD (A) 12 | 111 178 62.4 1204 6.8 5 9 | 45 276 3 (B) 13 | 182 344 52.9 1798 5.2 9 13 | 23 42 0 (C) 13 | 176 321 54.8 2023 6.3 7 8 | 40 141 0 (D) 11 | 123 259 47.5 1663 6.4 7 14 | 28 146 1 I'll give you a hint, (B) is Kyle Orton. (A) is a former Bear who went on to success elsewhere. (C) is a product of the Jeff Trickey school of quarterbacking and one of the better current quarterbacks in the league. And (D) is a future hall of famer and those are his rookie year stats. Answers will be forthcoming.

Chuck from Ivy Chat

Chuck from Ivy Chat If you read the Cubs Blog, Bleed Cubbie Blue, you may understand this.

First Business Idea Post

I had a dream last night. With the recent slump in Theater Attendance these days, I figure the market is ripe for a new style of theater. This article highlights why I think there is a need for new type of theater. Mainly the last paragraph which reads as follows: Speaking of the box office condition, we're coming up on the end of the year and things don't look good. The box office is lower for the year than it was this time three years ago. Some are blaming the drop on the fact that this year has seen very poor quality films. I personally don't buy that, and here's why: for the first time in nearly fifteen years the movie industry is facing a drop in overall receipts. Movies are getting too darned expensive. With average ticket prices hovering around $8.50 ($6.00 for matinees) and concession stands charging outrageous fees for popcorn and soda, it can cost a family of four around $30-$50 to go to the movies and that's without any munchies to accentuate the experience. Tack onto that the increase in cost of living due to fuel prices and the short amount of time between theatrical release and more budget-friendly DVD releases and you've got the makings of a movie industry in overall financial decline. How will the studios respond? Again, insert your wild speculation. You never know quite what Hollywood is going to do. I can only hope it involves fewer comic book character revivals and an end to Wayans brother films altogether. My Idea is basic: Improve the interior of theaters to give it that at home feel: Comfier Chairs and Cleaner Atmosphere. Concession Prices need to come down or the food offered needs to be worth the price. 6-8 dollars for popcorn and a coke is not going to cut it. Personally I would not mind paying 10-12 dollars for a movie, if I knew that I could pay a reasonable rate for concessions once I was inside. This is just the basis of my idea, but I think a movie theater that promotes affordable food and a comfortable quality movie experience would do well against today's unfriendly Cinema Chains.

At least he wasn't speaking Marklar

Sorry for not posting in awhile, if anyone still reads this page, been busy at work. I found this article to be a little disturbing. Suspending a kid for speaking Spanish in the hallways. And no he wasn't cursing. I wish I was in that high school I would start a revolution and have everyone speak Marklar to this teacher. Marklar marklar marklar. Marklar Marklar marklar marklar marklar, marklar marklar and this marklar marklar marklar. Catch my drift.