Monthly Archive for December, 2011

Christmas Comes Early for the St. Louis Cardinals

By: alex.chrum, December 23, 2011 in News and Sports. Closed Tags: , , , , .

Residents of St. Louis might be feeling some relief this morning after the loss of key player and city staple Albert Pujols. When Pujols announced his departure from the Cardinals earlier this month, St. Louisians were up in arms. Feelings of betrayal paired with accusations of greed and deception made the split less than amicable, and many were questioning the future of the team sans Pujols. Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., however, said he expected Pujols’s departure to enhance the team’s payroll by $110 million, allowing the opportunity for the Cardinals to sign younger, equally talented players.

Heavy hitter Carlos Beltran will now be playing for the Cardinals

That $110 million will apparently be put to good use, as yesterday the organization went public with its decision to sign fielder Carlos Beltran. Pending the results of a physical, Beltran and the 2011 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a two-year and reportedly $26 million contract. For many, the signing of Beltran brings great relief after the loss of Pujols. This past season, he batted .300 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .385 on-base percentage while playing for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. The switch-hitter is a six-time All-Star with a .283 career batting average, 302 home runs and 1,146 RBIs.

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Snooki Facing $7 Million Lawsuit

By: alex.chrum, December 21, 2011 in Celebrities, News and Television. Closed Tags: , , .

As if anyone is really surprised anymore, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi has made the news yet again for her ridiculous antics. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know Snooki as the pint-sized star of the latest reality phenomenon, “Jersey Shore.” She and her other “guido” and “guidette” roommates make oodles of money drinking, fighting and vacationing in New Jersey courtesy of MTV.

Snooki at her finest

Currently approaching its fifth season, the show has garnered record ratings for the network, making it their most viewed series of all time (which is exceptional considering the “The Real World” craze of the 90’s). While a number of the roommates have difficulty even using proper English (not because of a language barrier, but because of lack of intelligence), both Snooki and fellow guidette “JWoWW” (Jenni Farley) are both “authors” of “books” that have made the LA and New York Times Best Sellers lists. As an English major and an aspiring writer, there is no more depressing of a sign of the times.

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Kim Jong-il and Osama bin Laden: The World Responds

By: alex.chrum, December 19, 2011 in Government, News, Passings and Politics. Closed Tags: , .

The recent death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il bears stark resemblance to the May 2011 execution of Osama bin Laden. I personally received a heavy amount of criticism after bin Laden’s death, as I professed my discomfort with the United States’ overwhelmingly celebratory attitude regarding the event. Don’t get me wrong—I do not “side” with bin Laden. He was inarguably a cruel and ruthless man who took many lives. However, I was downright disturbed by the fact that one of the most advanced countries in the 21st century was celebrating a gruesome murder like we had won a sport’s game. No matter how many atrocities someone commits while he is alive, the loss of any human life should be regarded with respect, dignity and, in this particular instance, apprehension for the future. Instead, the United States of America responded childishly, demanding to see pictures of the dead body, making jokes about his death and going out to bars or even throwing parties to drink and celebrate. I can understand feeling relieved, more safe and secure, knowing that such a person is no longer a threat to society. However, I cannot understand reveling in the idea of the loss of human life, no matter the circumstances.

North Korean communist dictator Kim Jong-il has passed

Today, the North Korean state television officially announced that communist dictator Kim Jong-il had passed away two days ago from a heart attack at age 69. The news brings about mixed emotions, for despite his uncouth ways of leading he was regarded as by many in North Korea as the “Dear Leader” of their country. In fact, photographs from the last two days show North Korean residents overwhelmed with grief at the news of their leader’s death. Despite this country-wide reputation, however, a 2004 Human Rights Watch report named Kim’s North Korean government “among the world’s most repressive,” having roughly 200,000 political prisoners and no freedom of the press or religion. Kim’s regime barred political opposition, equal education and health care.

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Author and Visionary Christopher Hitchens Passes Away at 61

By: alex.chrum, December 16, 2011 in Literature, Passings, Politics and Science. Closed Tags: , .

“Take the risk of thinking for yourself, much more happiness, truth, beauty, and wisdom will come to you that way.” –Christopher Hitchens

Yesterday, December 15, 2011, controversial author, journalist, humanist and political activist Christopher Hitchens lost his battle with esophageal cancer. Hitchens, an outspoken atheist, was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant minds of our time.

Christopher Hitchens speaks during a debate in New York in 2005

In fact, he was voted the world’s fifth top public intellectual in a Prospect/Foreign Policy poll. While exceptionally smart, he was also remarkably accessible, writing for The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate and other publications. In 2007, he published a book on atheism and the nature of religion titled God is Not Great. His central argument, which is both incredibly powerful and controversial, is that the concept of god is a totalitarian belief that destroys individual freedom. He believed that free expression and science should replace religion as a means of teaching ethics and defining human civilization. Undoubtedly, he was one of the most prophetic and brilliant minds of the century.

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Matisyahu Shaves Beard, Renounces Hasidic Faith

By: alex.chrum, December 14, 2011 in Celebrities and Music. Closed Tags: .

On my personal quest for all things weird and strange, I have developed a strong affection for the Jewish reggae musician Matisyahu. Matisyahu, born Matthew Paul Miller, was brought up as a Reconstructionist Jew in New York. He joined the Lubavitch school of Hasidic Judaism when he was 19 and renamed himself Matisyahu. Perhaps the only artist of his kind, he mixes elements of his Orthodox faith with both reggae and hip hop, yielding an ultra-unique sound that is reminiscent of two of my favorite artists, Bob Marley and Lil Wayne.

Matisyahu pre- and post- shaving

Yesterday, however, in a surprising turn of events, Matisyahu made waves with a very public renunciation of his trademark Hasidic faith. Via Twitter, he shared a picture of his newly beardless face with the caption, “At the break of day I look for you at sunrise When the tide comes in I lose my disguise.” The event marks the artist’s rebirth as a non-Hassidic reggae star, a risky but respectable move in my opinion. While his religious dedication is what made him unique and, perhaps, famous, he undoubtedly possesses the overwhelming talent to remain one of this generation’s most notable reggae artists.

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Could the God Particle Save Our Society?

By: alex.chrum, December 13, 2011 in Science and Technology. Closed Tags: , .

The age-old battle between religion and science might soon be coming to an end thanks to researchers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, also called CERN. CERN, located in Geneva, Switzerland, is home to the world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider. For days now, speculation has been running rampant that scientists at CERN had finally located the elusive “God particle,” officially called the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson is believed by many to hold the key to the origin of the universe, as it has potential to explain the origin of mass (in accordance with the Big Bang Theory).

Workers in front of the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider

On Thursday, December 13, scientists at CERN announced that they had narrowed the list of possible hiding places for the Higgs and appear to be hot in its trail. “I think we are getting very close,” said Vivek Sharma, a physicist at the University of California, San Diego, and the leader of the search for Higgs. “We may be getting the first tantalizing hints, but it’s a whiff, it’s a smell, it’s not quite the whole thing.”

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Tragedy for the Duggar Family

By: alex.chrum, December 9, 2011 in News and Television. Closed Tags: , , .

Last month, Michelle Duggar of the reality show “19 Kids and Counting” made waves when she announced on “The Today Show” that she and her husband Jim Bob were expecting their 20th child. Despite the public’s apprehension at their unbelievably large and continuously growing family, the Duggars and their 19 children could not wait for the latest addition.

The Duggars with baby Josie shortly after she was born prematurely

In a tragic turn of events, however, the family released a statement Thursday declaring that Michelle has suffered a miscarriage. “We had just been talking about baby names last night and they were getting excited about naming a boy or girl. It has been a real sad disappointment,” she told People magazine.

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Alec Baldwin has ‘Words with’ American Airlines

By: alex.chrum, December 7, 2011 in Celebrities, News and Technology. Closed Tags: , .

Anyone who knows me knows that I am The Scrabble Master (or “TSM” for short). I take my Scrabble so seriously, in fact, that I invested in the Scrabble Diamond edition of the game a few years ago. Scrabble Diamond, which costs about $20 more than the standard game, comes with a rotating board, grooved spaces and a sexy velvet pouch in which to keep the letters. Then, when I got an iPhone, the first app I downloaded was Words with Friends in order to take my word play on the go. As of today, the highest scoring word I have ever played was worth nearly 90 points. Like I said…I’m the TSM.

He's frustrated, all right

I never thought I would meet anyone in the world more dedicated to word games than I. Today, however, I think I must officially renounce my title to Mr. Alec Baldwin. Tuesday, the “30 Rock” star’s addiction to Words with Friends actually got him kicked off of a flight from LAX to New York. While the plane was waiting to depart, Baldwin played Words with Friends on his cell phone. It is unclear whether or not the attendant had already asked passengers to turn off their electronic devices, but his actions were apparently inconvenient enough for them to ask him to deplane. He later tweeted, “Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. #nowonderamericaairisbankrupt.”

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‘Celebrity Rehab’ Star Mindy McCready in Trouble Yet Again

By: alex.chrum, December 5, 2011 in Celebrities, Crime and News. Closed Tags: , , .

Country singer Mindy McCready, who has been singing since 1996, tragically boasts more fame and fortune for her legal troubles than for her artistic career. She has spent time in jail for assaulting her mother, and has also been busted for drug charges and DUI. Hospitalized multiple times for suicide attempts, she also claims to have had an affair with baseball legend Roger Clemens.

One of McCready's numerous mugshots

In an attempt to reconcile these personal problems, she appeared on Season 3 of “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,” alongside Dennis Rodman, Heidi Fleiss and Tom Sizemore. This past weekend, however, McCready made the news yet again for actions that will undoubtedly land her in back in jail.

McCready, who is six months pregnant with twins, intentionally violated a court-ordered custody agreement when she took her five-year-old son Zander from her father’s residence in Florida, fleeing north. Shortly thereafter, the pair was reported missing, and FBI fliers circulated calling the incident a “parental abduction,” deeming Zander “missing.” On Friday, the mother and son were found hiding in the closet of her boyfriend’s lake home in Heber Springs, Arkansas. There was no ensuing struggle, but McCready was reportedly quite emotional.

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Vikings Release Football Legend Donovan McNabb

By: alex.chrum, December 2, 2011 in News and Sports. Closed Tags: , , , .

In yet another blow to the superstar’s already floundering career, professional football player Donovan McNabb has been let go from his position as quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. McNabb became a household name after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999, and remains to be the team’s all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. He was traded to the Washington Redskins in 2010, then to the Minnesota Vikings in 2011. After playing in only six games of the 2011 season, he was indefinitely benched in favor of Christian Ponder. Yesterday, the Vikings announced that they would be releasing McNabb, meaning that the football legend is now officially available on waivers.

McNabb hoists the NFC Championship trophy after a big win in 2008

McNabb’s release comes from a long, slow downfall beginning in 2009. After being named the Big East’s offensive player of the 1990s for his years with Syracuse University, the Chicago native was drafted second overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. In his 10 years as quarterback for the team, he led them to four consecutive NFC East division championships (2001-2004), five NFC Championship games (2001-2004 and 2008) and one Super Bowl (in which they lost to the New England Patriots).

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