Daniel Millhouse's Blog, page 8

Superdelegates Carry too Much Power

Photo from Bernie Sanders' Facebook page
Now that it's primary season, the contest between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders intensifies. Clinton was supposed to be the lockdown favorite to win the Democratic Party's nomination, but thanks to social media and a message that reaches the first class, Sanders has become a serious contender to Clinton. This isn't too dissimilar to President Barack Obama's campaign in 2008 when he defeated Clinton through social media and his grassroots campaign. The problem for Sanders in 2016 is the superdelegates.

For those of you who don't know what a superdelegate is, they are a party leaders and distinguished elected officials that can choose whomever they want to endorse instead of being beholden to the voters' wishes of their state.

The problem with this is that their single vote could be equal to thousands of regular citizens' votes. This is unfair. In America, every vote should be counted as equal. The superdelegates have enough power to swing a primary election in the favor of a candidate that the general public did not choose to represent them.

Sanders has this problem currently. Already fighting an uphill battle with the media that gives him little airtime despite selling out rally venues up to the size of Madison Square Garden, Clinton has been presumed the party nominee from day one by the media, disrespecting the Senator from Vermont. Sanders has reached more people through social media than any other candidate for either party yet he is presumed to be a fringe candidate.

If you look at the delegate count as of March 4, Clinton has a modest lead with a count of 601 delegates compared to Sanders' 409. With the early southern states that have already held their primaries, this is not a surprise since Clinton polled better in the south. Sanders on the other hand polls better in western and northern states and if you look at the difference of the regular delegates, Sanders would be far from being knocked out of the race and would carry a certain momentum with him as states such as California and Oregon would hold their primaries in the future.

The monkey wrench is that Clinton dominates with the superdelegates. Instead of being a close race, when the superdelegates are factored in, Clinton is winning 1,058 to Sanders' 431. When future voters who have yet to participate in a primary look at this, it would appear that Clinton is destroying Sanders. This is only because she has 457 superdelegates compared to Sanders' 22. The 457 superdelegates she has have more power than the thousands of regular, everyday people that have voted for Sanders already. This is by far unfair.

On CNN, Jake Tapper asked the Democratic National Committee chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz, "What do you tell voters who are new to the process who say this makes them feel like it's all rigged?" Schultz responded, "Unpledged delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don't have to be in a position where they are running against grass-roots activists."

This sounds awfully bad. So campaigns that gain their power from the everyday person instead of those already in power are considered to be not as important in Schultz's eyes. Power remains in power. The will of the people is thwarted by those already in power. Maybe she feels this way since she was in charge of Clinton's first campaign for President in 2008 which fell to the grass-roots campaign run by Barack Obama.

With the appearance that Clinton is destroying Sanders this badly so far, many undecided voters find themselves swayed to vote for Clinton because she is winning instead of voting for who they think is really the best candidate.

Because of the existence of superdelegates, Sanders could beat Clinton by 711 delegate votes, effectively winning the majority of the United States by far and still lose the Democratic nomination if all 712 superdelegates voted for Clinton. Once again, extremely unfair and against the will of the regular everyday Democratic voter.

Neither party should have superdelegates. It's not fair to those who are not considered the front runner for their party's nomination at the beginning of the primary process. Sanders has proven that instead of being a fringe candidate, he is a real threat to win the majority of the regular everyday person's votes, but without the support of the superdelegates, it wouldn't matter.

Power keeps power.

Sexy Music for Valentine's Day

Screencap of music video for Christina Aguilera's "Not Myself Tonight"
Just like in movies, music can set the tone of our everyday lives. When you're working out, you want to listen to something quick or energetic. After a bad breakup, sad and slow music can help out the listener. And just like those times, music can set the scene for a steamy and sexy night with your loved one. The following is a list of some songs to listen to this Valentine's Day weekend with your sweetie...

1. Banks "Waiting Game": This song broke out when it was used as the backing music for an extended Victoria's Secret commercial. Banks sultry voice can instantly set the tone for a good night.


2. Chris Isaak "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" : The constant guitar riff playing in the background alone sets the tone for a good night.


3. Portishead "Roads" : The soft music playing in the background while Beth Gibbons sings has a sensuous feeling to it that goes well together.


4. A Perfect Circle "3 Libras" : The haunting vocals of Maynard James Keenan over a mix of rock music and the string symphonic music led by Paz Lenchantin comprises one of A Perfect Circle's best songs of all-time.


5. Mazzy Star "Fade Into You" : Embodying that 90's casual music sound that is unique to that decade, Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" is comprised of the twangy lead guitar and a tambourine as the lead instruments.


6. Massive Attack "Angel" : The song starts of with a slow constant beat and picks up about three quarters of the way through. Perfect rhythm for a nice night with your sweetie...or kidnapping the President's daughter (as seen in West Wing).


7. Goldfrapp "Ooh La La" : Not all sexy music has to be slow. Goldfrapp's "Ooh La La" is an electronica example of this. Her voice is sensual and steady through the whole song, along with a constant and even rhythm through the whole song.


8. Snow Patrol "Run" : The soft guitar verses combined with the strong choruses set a perfect and uplifting beat to listen to while making out with your sweetie.



9. Garbage "#1 Crush" : Used as one of the main soundtrack songs in the remake of Romeo and Juliet, "#1 Crush" has perfect "come-hither" vocals belonging to Scottish seductress Shirley Manson. Just her moans in the first few seconds sets the tone.


10. Christina Aguilera "Desnudate" : This song makes this list because of the combination of suggestive lyrics and music that is upbeat and energetic.


11. She Wants Revenge "These Things" : A haunting guitar over the monotone singing of Justin Warfield leads to a sexy song. On a side note, the music video features Garbage's Shirley Manson who kidnaps Warfield.

Ten Best Couples in Movies and Television

Screencap from Sin City of Dwight and Gail kissing
Being that it's Valentine's Day weekend, many newer and young couples are looking for things to do out in the world. Have a romantic dinner, walk on a beach, or go see a movie. Often though, established couples find ways to avoid the business of public places by staying in and watching a movie at home or Netflix-ing a popular TV show they like.

For these couples, here is a list of some of the best fictional couples on television and in movies...

Screencap of Gail and Dwight from Sin City 1. Gail and Dwight (Sin City) : Now granted this is originally a comic book/graphic novel series, but in this case the actor and actress that play these two have so much chemistry with each other that they make this list. Originally a photographer for a Basin City newspaper, Dwight went through a bout of alcoholism and near death before coming out the other end as a private investigator. During his near death experience, Gail and the Old Town girls rescued Dwight and patched him back up. During this time, the two bonded and even though she was a prostitute/dominatrix and he had a couple of flings with Ava Lord and Shellie, the two were meant for each other. Every time they are around each other it's hard for them to keep their hands off each other. Dwight also proved that he was willing to risk his life to save Gail and vice versa.



Screencap from Friends of Ross and Rachel 2. Ross and Rachel (Friends) : It took ten seasons for these two to finally figure it out, but when they finally paired up for good in the last episode of the series, it felt like a logical conclusion to the show. Beginning with a crush on Rachel during their teenage years, Ross almost became a hero to Rachel who thought she was stood up by her prom date. Years later, the two would become a couple, but would go through their personal tribulations of "the break", two marriages, and "the sleepy apology", the two managed to become parents to a baby named Emma before figuring out that they belonged together.

Screencap of Harry and Sally from When Harry Met Sally 3. Harry and Sally (When Harry Met Sally) : Harry first met Sally as they traveled east after graduating college. Through the years, they would find ways to maintain a friendship without letting sex get in the way. Being there for each other through breakups and hard times, by the end of the movie, they figure out that they are meant to be together.

Screencap of Tara and Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4. Willow and Tara (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) : While most of the Buffyverse people viewed the relationship between Buffy and Angel as perfect, it was actually Willow and Tara who were the best couple. They balanced each other out. Tara kept Willow grounded while Willow ascended to becoming one of the most powerful witches in the world. When Warren accidentally killed Tara, Willow in her sorrow, went on a manhunt for the three involved and was on the verge of destroying the planet as "Evil Willow". Even during the last season rolled around and Kennedy made it known that she wanted to be with Willow, she always kept the most sacred piece of her heart for Tara.

Screencap of Topanga and Cory on Boy Meets World
5. Cory and Topanga (Boy Meets World) : From the time they were babies to their adult years, the two were always around each other as friends and eventually as husband and wife. The only time in their lives that they weren't a couple was during those years when boys and girls think that the other sex has "cooties". Otherwise, every first you can think of, they shared together.

Screencap of Julia and Robbie in The Wedding Singer
6. Robbie and Julia (The Wedding Singer) : Both were destined to be married to other partners when they first met. Robbie was a wedding singer and Julia was a waitress for a reception hall that holds weddings. After Robbie's bride-to-be runs out on him on the day of the wedding, he finds comfort in his friendship with Julia, helping her plan her up coming wedding. The more they were around each other and the more Robbie was around her fiancé Glenn, the more that everyone around knows that Robbie should be with Julia. Well, except for the one date he went on with her best friend Holly, but even that became apparent when she tried to kiss Robbie.

Screencap of Penny and Leonard in The Big Bang Theory
7. Penny and Leonard (The Big Bang Theory) : In what seemed like the unlikely relationship at first between the scientist and the struggling actress, every season of Big Bang Theory ended on a new twist between the relationship of Penny and Leonard. Though the two came from both worlds, they brought out the best in each other. Penny brought Leonard out of his shell while Leonard made Penny want to aspire to be more.

Screencap of Annie and Crash in Bull Durham
8. Crash and Annie (Bull Durham) : Brought in to mentor a top draft pick, Crash and Nuke are the final candidates for baseball groupie, Annie Savoy's affection. Deciding he's too old to be part of some sort of seasonal ritual to be with Annie, Crash bows out and lets Nuke be with Annie. From that moment on of being passed by, Annie finds that she's actually infatuated with Crash. Unlike others she had been with, Crash is a combination of brains and brawn. When Nuke is called up to the big leagues and Crash is released, he finally comes knocking on Annie's door for their romance to begin.

Screencap of Justice and Jay kissing in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
9. Jay and Justice (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) : Forever the punk who sells weed, Jay and his hetero-life-mate Silent Bob go on a quest across America to stop a movie using their likenesses. On the way, he runs into Justice and her gang of diamond thieves. At first he is unaware of her true intentions of pulling off a diamond heist, but once the heist is successful and the authorities are searching for the fall guys, Jay and Silent Bob, Justice has a change of heart and saves the day. For her part in the robbery, she still has to go to prison, but Jay and her make a pact to wait for each other.

Screencap of Dante and Becky dancing in Clerks 2
10. Becky and Dante (Clerks 2) : Dante always thought his life was meant to be grand in some way, expecting bigger and better things to come his way. What he never realizes is that his true happiness is right there the whole time. After the Quick Stop burns down, Dante and Randall go to work for Mooby's. In his personal life, he meets and gets engaged to Emma whose father has promised Dante a carwash business manager job if they move to Florida. Becky, who also suffers from the "is this life" syndrome, find comfort in each other's presence. When the time comes for Dante to finally leave, Becky reveals that the one night that she and Dante spent with each other has led to a pregnancy. At the same time, Dante slowly realizes that Becky is his true love.

Companies Missing Out on Great Employees

Picture by Daniel Millhouse
In today's job market many corporations have become too narrowly focused in their search for new employees. Often recruiters are too cookie cutter in their approach which prevents them from discovering employees that might have the exact experience they're searching for, but have a skillset that not only would help them meet the needs of the job, but also excel at that very job.

Fashion retail can often be a perfect example of this. Many fashion retailers will look for experienced managers to run their stores, only looking at candidates that either worked for their competition. Sometimes their qualifications can be so strict that only a past employee can meet them. Companies will require experience in a particular piece of computer software that is proprietary to that company, meaning only a former employee is the only person that would have past experience using it.

The problem with this type of narrow search is that potential job seekers who have a wealth of knowledge and/or experience can often be overlooked. As in the previous example of fashion retail, they will often overlook someone who may have worked in retail selling other similar types of products such as shoes.

Many times, a recruiter will also overlook someone because they haven't worked in the same exact field, missing out on a chance to hire someone who has a skillset that could easily translate into the type of work they are looking for. An employee with years of electronics retail management experience for example, should easily be able to transfer those skills into sporting goods. A solid manager has the base of skills needed to manage any type of retail. Common sense, hiring/training/development, profits and losses reports, sales techniques, public relations, cash management, and more.

And a skillset doesn't even have to remain within the same industry. Many different industries can use similar skillsets. A manager in retail for example can work in an administrative office setting because many of the skills of those positions are interchangeable. A social media manager has the right computer skills that could fit with a data entry job as well. A radio DJ could be a good stadium announcer. All jobs that are in different industries, but with similar skillsets.

A good recruiter could find someone that fits the cookie cutter mold of what they are looking for, but a great recruiter is willing to look for someone that fits outside of the box and can be awesome in the role they are looking to fill because they bring a wealth of outside knowledge with them.

RIP Abe Vigoda...Seriously

Screencap from The Godfather with Abe Vigoda (left) and Al PacinoNot known for being the best looking actor in Hollywood, hard working actor Abe Vigoda, passed away today at his daughter's home at the age of 94...really. Best known for his roles in the Godfather movies and as Fish in Barney Miller, perhaps one of the longest roles he had was weather he was really dead or alive.

As far back as 1982, news sources had accidentally reported Vigoda as having passed on. People magazine was the first to do so, but he quickly debunked this by posing with a picture of the issue that declared him dead for a picture in a Variety magazine ad. On Late Night with David Letterman, they had a skit where they tried to communicate with Abe Vigoda's ghost only to have Vigoda come out on stage and call him a Pinhead. Unfortunately, this time it's for real.

Vigoda had an acting career which included film, television, and stage work, dating all the way back to 1949.

“‘The Godfather’ changed my life,” he told The New York Times in 2001. That was the role that solidified him in mainstream entertainment. As Tessio in The Godfather movie, he was the trusted mobster and friend to Don Vito Corleone, only to become a betrayer to the family after Vito's death. Tessio, interested in filling the hole left by Corleone's death, he becomes one of the many steps Michael Corleone has to step over to rise to power after he plots Michael's murder. Even though Tessio is murdered in the first movie, he makes an appearance in The Godfather Part II during flashbacks.

He moved on to sitcom fame as Detective Fish in Barney Miller. As Fish, he was nominated three times for an Emmy for best supporting actor. Constantly battling hemorrhoids, his character gained so much of a following that he was spun-off into his own short-lived series, Fish.

Afterward, he would make appearances in Santa Barbara; Murder, She Wrote; Law & Order, Wings, Touched by an Angel, and many other shows. Even at that, he stated many times that film was his first love. He would act in small roles in movies such as Joe Versus the Volcano, Good Burger (where he would mock his own premature death announcements), Jury Duty, and Sugar Hill. He would also go on to reprise his role as Tessio in The Godfather video games.

A blue collar type of actor, there aren't too many actors like Vigoda anymore.

DH to the NL by 2017?

Photo by Daniel Millhouse; pitcher James Shields leading off of first base
With Major League Baseball coming up on its final year of the current collective bargaining between owners and players, rumors of expanding the role of the designated hitter into the National League have started to spread.

After years of offensive dominance in baseball, the league batting average dropped to .254 which has been the second lowest (the lowest being .251 in 2014) since the inception of the designated hitter position. Some of the owners have been worried about a decline in offensive production hurting attendance numbers.

Contrary to the American League, many of the National League owners of the past were reluctant to even consider adding the position.

Philadelphia Phillies chairman Dave Montgomery told the press, "We would like to remain real baseball." While he's not alone, he's finding those who agree with him to be fewer in numbers.

Newer owners are reconsidering the tradition that has made the NL uniquely different to the AL. With interleague play becoming a daily occurrence now, more AL pitchers are finding themselves hitting than ever before. On the flipside, since NL teams don't normally utilize the position, they focus less on signing nine hitters capable of being in a starting lineup and more on extra pitching. When an NL team plays at an AL park often their DH is just a good bench player compared to the AL teams that have DH's such as David Ortiz and Albert Pujols.

If such an agreement were discussed at the end of this year, the NL teams may find themselves a little behind the AL for the first couple of years. They'd have to compete against the AL to sign DHs from free agency or may have to turn to their minor league system depending on a rookie or younger player in general to provide a boost in offense comparable to the AL DHs.

The rumblings have picked up recently due to several injuries to NL pitchers while hitting. The most significant injury to a pitcher this past season came when the St. Louis Cardinals' Adam Wainwright tore his Achilles while at-bat.

While finding ways to prevent injuries is an admirable thing to do, Major League Baseball has taken it a step further than it should. Many times managers are already too conservative when dealing with their pitchers when it comes to innings pitched and pitches thrown. Once a pitcher hits 75 pitchers, regardless of how well they're pitching, often a reliever can be seen warming up in the bullpen.

Innings leaders in the past before 1980, commonly reached 300 plus innings a season. Now, if a pitcher tossed 230 innings, he is an innings leader and if you're a younger pitcher, you're lucky to hit 150 in a season.

Baseball has become too conservative when it comes to their pitchers. They are not eggs. They will not break.

As far as the lull in offense, just as it has in the past, offensive stats go up then they go down, just like a rollercoaster. Stats were high in the early '60s with legendary hitters like Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Robinson, Banks, and many more dominating the game while another good hitter, Roger Maris, broke the record for homers in a season in 1961. By the end of the decade, offensive stats declined, culminating in 1968 when pitchers dominated the game, led by Bob Gibson and his 1.12 ERA, Denny McLain's 31 wins and 1.96 ERA, and Luis Tiant's 1.60 ERA. After the 1968 season, the mound height limit was set at 10 inches, effectively juicing up offensive stats again.

The game has always been a rollercoaster. When offense dominates the game, people debate whether players are taking PED's or if the baseball is "juiced". When the stats drop like where they are today, talks spring up on how to invigorate the slumping offenses. Talking about instilling a DH in the National League is not new. It was discussed in the early '80s once stats started to slump again and now we are back at it again.

Keeping the DH away from the NL is essential. It gives the National League a unique identity compared to its American League counterpart. If the game is homogenized, having two leagues doesn't make as much sense as it once did. If the DH is instilled across baseball, maybe it would be better for Major League Baseball to realign the leagues similar to what the way the NBA has. East and West.

While Joe Torre has denied the discussion has ever come up and Commissioner Rob Manfred has said he has no opinion either way, team owners and chairman have talked about it on the more casual level. With the collective bargaining agreement talks coming up at the end of this year, probability that the DH comes to the National League is a real possibility.

Training in the Workplace an Oversight

Picture by Daniel Millhouse
In today's job place there are so many different companies that now run operations their own way and utilize proprietary software that at least some training should be expected. Unfortunately, many companies view this as a hindrance and refuse to relinquish any payroll toward training new employees on how they do things. This is not to say that the employee isn't qualified, but every company has their own timeframes, their own systems put in place, and many have their own computer programs that are not used outside of the company itself.

On job search boards it is not uncommon for companies to even advertise that they prefer a candidate to have experience with a particular software program. The problem is that this program is exclusively used by said company, meaning that the pool of candidates they would consider are potentially limited to past employees. Sticking to this qualification preference, the company loses out on potential candidates that could be a better overall fit to that company, only if they are given some basic training on how to use the program.

In some cases, companies have even done away with employee training manuals, preventing employees that learn better by reading from adapting easier to the job. The cost of a training manual in minimal. It is only slightly more when every employee is given their own copy to keep. Various statistical reports show that when an employee is trained more efficiently, turnover rates drop like a rock. The cost of a personal training manual compared to the possible cost to train a new employee months later is very minimal and should be a main factor in the decision of a human resources department to expand on new employee training.

One of the problems is that the mentality is that of the previous century when most registers were nearly all the same and the workplace featured no computers. Training was more basic then and it was easier to insert a new employee into a position. This is no longer true. With payroll cuts and a more complex workplace in the current century, a new employee who is inserted into a new job instantly with no previous training is likely to fail in the job or at least hit some speed bumps along the way. The more experienced workers may be able to relate the new job to previous ones or at least have an idea of what the expectations might be, but often these employees with more previous experience cost more and inexperienced employees are hired instead because of their cheaper cost.

Not only is training needed when it comes to computers. Every retail company has their own procedures when it comes to marketing and other visual standards. Some companies prefer a single display or display per product while others prefer to flood the floor with as much as can fit on the shelves. Some prefer price tags in the corner, some prefer price tags on the back of the product. Shoe stores have different ways of just tying their laces for shoes that are displayed. While this training isn't intense by any means, it is still needed to have a more efficient workplace.

The old saying, "You have to invest money to make money," still holds true today. Dr. Laurie Bassi, the CEO of McBassi & Company put that theory to the test from an investor stance. Along with a business partner, she launched an investment firm that specifically buys stocks in companies that invest heavily in employee training compared to others. She had a 24 percent return over the previous year, two years in a row, topping the Standards & Poor's index by four percentage points.

Cutting corners, especially when it comes to staffing only hurts the company ultimately. It may save a dollar today, but cost two dollars in the future, only leading to the company's eventual downfall.

Alan Rickman Passes Away; World Loses Legend

Screencap of Alan Rickman in Dogma
Within just four days, England, along with the rest of the world lost two major icons in the entertainment field. David Bowie passed away four days ago and the world wept. Unfortunately, without nearly as much news coverage, Alan Rickman passed away from cancer.

While the world revels in the authoritative voices of actors such as Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, and Malcom McDowell, one of the most overlooked was Alan Rickman's. In a statement released by Helen Mirren to Entertainment Tonight, she said, ""He was utterly distinctive, with a voice that could suggest honey or a hidden stiletto blade, and the profile of a Roman Emperor." His voice was so distinctive that director Kevin Smith cast Rickman as the Metatron (the voice of God) in Dogma.

And this is not to take away from his overall acting abilities. Rickman was a master at transforming into whatever the part required of him. He could star in romantic roles in movies like Sense and Sensibility and Love Actually. He was also able to pull off comedic roles such as in Dogma and Galaxy Quest.

 Most of all, he was able to play the perfect villain. As Hans Gruber in Die Hard, Rickman was voted the 46th best villain in cinema history in "AFI 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains". For those who are younger, they would probably know him from his role as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series of movies. To a lesser extent, he played the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and as Rasputin in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny in one of his few television roles.

Not only could he act before a camera, but he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and logged in time on the stage. He was so good that he was nominated twice for a Tony Award as a lead actor for his roles in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Private Lives.

In his career he had been nominated for multiple awards and pulled down wins in the BAFTA Awards, the Golden Globes, the MTV Movie Awards, the People's Choice Awards, the Emmys, the Satellite Awards, and the SAG Awards. About the only major award he was never even nominated for was for the Oscars which is a travesty considering all the great roles he has played and made his own.

He was also a talented voice actor in such roles as Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and as Absolem the Caterpillar in the Alice in Wonderland movies starring Johnny Depp. The sequel Alice: Through the Looking Glass will end up being his last role as the movie is set for a May release in 2016.

With friends and family at his side, Rickman passed away quietly and the world lost another legend.

Rams Moving to LA Short of What City Deserves

Photo taken by Daniel MillhouseAs of yesterday, the NFL announced that they have granted the Rams franchise of St. Louis the okay to move to the Los Angeles area. With a vote of 30 to 2, NFL owners granted the Rams approval to move the site of the old Hollywood Park horse racing track which is located in Inglewood. Is this really the best move for the NFL though?

While this news breaks the hearts of many Raiders fans in Southern California and leaves Chargers pondering if their team will join the Rams within the next year. The Chargers will have one year to decide whether or not they want to move to Inglewood and if they pass, the Raiders will have one year to make a similar decision.

Stan Kroenke, owner of the Rams has also promised that the stadium will be surrounded by entertainment, retail, and restaurant venues, upgrading the entire area surrounding the stadium that is expected to be completed by 2019.

Everything sounds great on the surface, but what about building a loyal base? Though the Rams played in Southern California from 1946 to 1994, some of their fan base still feels the sting from when the team left the first time around along with the Raiders. Some of the loyal fan base still remains, but it now feels like Southern California is getting back a recycled team that couldn't thrive in a part of the country that adores football more than any other sport.

If the Chargers moved to Los Angeles, they would have that same recycled team feeling. Raiders fans on the other hand are masochistic in a manner, not seeming to care that their teams moves every couple of decades on a whim of the Davis ownership. They're in Oakland, they're in LA, they're in Oakland, now they want back in LA. Just stay put in Oakland or move to St. Louis or San Antonio as some have proposed.

What Los Angeles deserves is a new expansion team. One that can build that fan base and feel like they truly belong to Southern California. Even if you disregard that the Rams played in St. Louis since 1994, the fact is they originated in Cleveland, though many of us alive today wouldn't remember that. A team in the second largest market in the United States shouldn't feel like they're getting a recycled team.

Bringing in an expansion team would allow fans to feel more invested in their team from day one. From logo and mascot creation, to the expansion draft, to their first college draft, fans will feel like they are part of the ride. Yes, the team will probably have a few poor seasons before finally pulling everything together, but it's not as if the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders were winning teams either.

Two teams seems ridiculous in Los Angeles as well. There are so many markets ready for a football team such as San Antonio, Las Vegas, and Omaha all come to mind. To many teams in the same market saturate the fan base and the money that could be spent on sports. It would be one thing if there was some sort of history with two teams in the same city such as Chicago with the Cubs and White Sox, but Los Angeles doesn't share that same die-hard devotion to their teams that Chicago does.

No, an expansion team would have been best for the city of angels. Bringing in an existing franchise falls just short of what the football fans of Los Angeles deserve. Something to call their own, from the start.

Playboy Mansion For Sale; End of an Era

Photo courtesy of Glenn Francis via Wikipedia
Playboy Enterprises announced over the weekend that one of the most famous residences in the world, the Playboy Mansion, home to founder Hugh Hefner, is up for sale for $200 million. The only caveat is that 90-year old High Hefner gets to stay there until he passes way. It's believed that the home will in reality sell anywhere between $60 to $90 million. The reality of the matter is that with the sale, it will be the end of an era.

With free porn on the internet, sales of print media dropping, and Playboy deciding to no longer feature nude pics of women in their magazines, the Playboy empire is most likely on its decline. The mansion was a key to what became the sexual revolution, along with the magazine of course.

While some may view the mansion as the home of sexual deviation, in many ways it inspired people to look at sex differently. Hefner wanted people to be okay with the fact that they are sexual beings and that the act of sex itself can be a beautiful thing. Hosting parties for various artists brought an expansion of these ideas to mainstream and changed how sex was perceived by the American public.

With the sale of the house, it feels that the empire itself will eventually fall into obscurity. Kids will wear t-shirts with the famous bunny logo, but not really understand what it stands for. People who claimed they were "only reading the magazine for the articles" will be saddened when one less source for articles/interviews from political, religious, and other notable public figures, and a source for short stories written by Arthur C. Clarke, Ian Fleming, Ray Bradbury, and various other important writers of our generation fades out.

The magazine made famous for premiering with Marilyn Monroe on its cover, helped find famous pinup queen Bettie Page financial backing when Hefner found out that she had no money, yet her image was being used for profit with kicking her back some royalties. When Page passed away, she was worth $20 million thanks to the legal team that Hefner help put together for her. Her estate is now worth even more.

To teenagers, it was almost a right of passage when they would come across old copies of the magazine that their brothers, fathers, grandfathers, or other relatives would be hiding in their homes. Another piece of the American life that died off since it is easier for someone to find naked pictures online than in person anymore.

Hefner and his empire had an expansive reach. Cooper Hefner, son of Hugh, had remarked before about being astounded by the correspondence alone that were sent to his father by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., President Ronald Reagan, and other historical figures of the last sixty years. Hefner's influence touched millions in America alone, let alone around the world.

Now that the mansion is for sale, it feels like the end of an era is near. Most likely the famous Midsummer Night's Dream Party will end. Most likely the animals that live at the onsite zoo will have to find a new home. Most likely the charity events for autism and community healthcare will have to find a new place to be held at. With the mansion for sale and after Hefner's death, America will be forever changed.