THEJNSREPORT

Sports, Icons, and PEDs

Posted by THEJNSREPORT on January 15, 2013

Posted in: Sports. Tagged: BALCO, Fraud, Lance Armstrong, Liars, Marion Jones, MLB, PED, performance enhancing drugs, sports, sports heroes, Steroids, Suspicion, Taint, Usain Bolt. Leave a comment

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Sports, Icons, and PEDs

Written by T.D Moody

In the wake of the revelation that one of sports biggest celebrities and icons Lance Armstsrong, admitted to using performance enhancing drugs(PEDs) throughout his career, I am reminded yet again that far too often the adoration and praise heaped on sports figures if and when found out to be unwarranted and/or ill gotten has devastating consequences for all parties involved.

This is especially true in my mind even more so for us the fans. The people who blindly believe in their favorite sports heroes being clean despite the cries of numerous detractors. In the case of Lance Armstrong the story is even bigger because of the tie to the fight against Cancer. Cancer fighter and survivor and oh by the way 7 time winner of the Tour de France was the story that everyone remembers when first hearing the name Lance Armstrong.

Now it will conjure the image of one of sports biggest frauds and liars ever. A man who successfully for well over a decade deceived, defrauded, and ruined in some cases people lives and careers all the while extolling his innocence vehemently. I certainly like most who wore the yellow Live Strong bracelet am all for fighting cancer and finding a cure but this has to be one of the sickest moments in history I can recall because of the taint attached to it. Now stripped of all his titles and accolades will he be stripped of some of that enormous wealth he amassed?

I remember the countless interviews where Lance stated much like Marion Jones did once upon a time, that he was clean and innocent of the charges and accusations being leveled against him. I wanted to believe so badly that there were just a few haters who were jealous of the success and celebrity Lance had achieved.

I used to argue with many a sports fan that he hasn’t failed a test yet whereas his detractors have. Now I look around and think who is clean these days? How can we be sure? Now no matter what sport you pick if you look at someone doing something that hadn’t been done before a natural suspicion jumps to the forefront that they must be on some PED that there isn’t a test for yet.

Usain Bolt the world’s fastest human being is definitely on the radar and in the cross hairs next in my opinion. Here is a man who has dominated the world of Track & Field for two straight olympics. The fashion in which he’s dominated his closest competitors only now lends to my thinking that he too is potentially a fraud utilizing a new PED that isn’t detected yet and that has no current test available to accurately detect it. I mean just think back a little bit.

All of a sudden Jamaica is producing the world’s fastest men and women at the same time. I’m not ready to say they are cheating but coincidence these days has me thinking far more skeptically. Carl Lewis raised this notion following Bolts repeat performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Bolt said he’d lost all respect for Lewis and that Lewis just wanted some attention because no one was really talking about him. Time will tell whether those sentiments by Bolt are true.

I assume everyone remembers BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative) and all the pro sports athletes whose names were linked to it. Among the many names mentioned was Marion Jones. Of course I’m sure there will be many who will say in support of Lance so what if he cheated. At that time and even today cycling was and still is a dirty sport, where more often than not, the top names involved are using PEDs to gain a competitive edge over the field.

Lance just happened to be the best cheater of them all. This begs the question, if we assume that a large percentage of a pro sport is using PEDs, should it be allowed that everyone can use PEDs and thereby level the playing field?

There was a documentary I saw years ago on steroids and PEDs called “Bigger, Stronger, Faster”. I recommend that everyone watch that documentary to have a better understanding of the psychology behind using PEDs and how we as spectators view athletes when they excel at their chosen sport with the aid of PEDs. What does all this mean for the truly clean athletes? Will there be two pro sports leagues whose subcategories of athletes are PED Athletes and Non PED athletes?

When I imagine if that were to be the future of sports, I also wonder how difficult would it be to separate the PED athlete from the Non PED athlete. The sophisticated tests required to verify athletes belonging to either category has me thinking of the movie Gattaca.

Think about all the kids who are recruited at an early age as the next big thing for sports. High school athletes have been exposed to steroids as well. I’m convinced that what we as the public know now or think about steroids is only the tip of the ice berg.

Major League Baseball is another shining example of the hypocrisy. I don’t advocate cheating but I do have a better understanding behind the motivation and temptation to cheat. This year MLB inducted none of the names on this current year’s ballot.

The taint swirling around the nominees names was enough for Baseball and it’s Hall of Fame voters to turn their backs on the players they once raved about before suspected steroid use came to the fore front with the Mitchell Report. Remember MLB was losing its fan base and the steroid era with all these hitters smashing home runs brought fans not to mention excitement to the national past time once again. I still recall the commercials that said “Chicks dig the long ball”.

Now MLB shuns the players who took PEDs that benefited not only them but the sport itself. I call that shameful and a scandal. To completely ignore an era that did happen in the annals of history is pure BS!!! I say acknowledge the era, induct the Hall of Famers, and put the asterik in its place (PED use from 19– to —-). Let’s not forget the MLB season is a long 162 games not including the post season.

I’ve heard of the players even in the many decades prior to the “Steroid Era” taking amphetamines in order to be able to play all the back to back to back games they encounter throughout the season. Should every player who ever took “greenies”, or amphetamines be banned from ever being considered for the Hall of Fame too? You can view the entire Mitchell Report at MLB.com

Lastly, if we stop for a moment to consider the odds of an athlete making it to the pro-level vying for a limited amount of high salaried jobs and endorsements the competition alone mandates that one come up with an edge that makes them stand out in the crowded field.

Now think about this, how many colleges are there in the country with sports programs? How many athletes declare for a pro sport draft each year no matter the sport? How many spots are available each year? What’s the average life span of a pro career? When these questions get asked and answered honestly we get a much better sense of what’s happening and why.

For now, Lance Armstrong will live atop the list of history’s biggest frauds and liars. Will his admissions soften that stance? Only time will tell. The truth will set you free. Maybe this admission is just what Lance was looking for… to be set free. Think of all the time and energy and effort spent defending and hiding all the lies, all the lawsuits against anyone who dared to stand against him. It must be a huge weight off his mind to finally admit the truth he’s denied for so long.

At the end of the day we’re all human and we all make mistakes. The admission is at the very least one step in the right direction and road to redemption. I’m sure in the coming days and weeks and months Lance will have much more to say especially when pertaining to those who he vilified all while they decried his innocence. I’ve included images below gathered from the net of now infamous sports heroes.

Does anybody remember Ben Johnson? In the 1988 Olympics, the Canadian sprinter beat Carl Lewis in the 100m dash only to be stripped of his gold medal later after a positive result for a steroid was found in his post race test.

Ben Johnson

Marion Jones

Mark Mcgwire

Sammy Sosa

Barry Bonds

Dinosaur BBQ PT.II!!!!

Posted by THEJNSREPORT on January 14, 2013

Posted in: Food & Drinks. Tagged: BBQ, Catfish, Comfort Food, Corn Bread, Dinosaur BBQ Pt.II, Food & Drinks, Honey, Honey Cornbread, Mac N Cheese, Meal. 1 Comment

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Sometimes Ya Gotta Eat Son!!! Dinosaur BBQ PT. II!!!!

Another mundane week passed by as days began to blur together for me and at a certain point I couldn’t distinguish the routine Wednesday feeling from a Sunday or say a Friday. I awoke today feeling like the image below.

This is what that means

It’s been a while since I had some good Cue’ and so a revisiting of Dinosaur BBQ was in order. A quick trip to and from this spot was made as the order was phoned in ahead of my arrival for pickup (Thinking smart). After a slight mixup in the name put on the order ticket my order was found and I was on way home to enjoy this meal. Above what you see is Dinosaur BBQ’s half rack of ribs and Catfish with a side of honey corn bread, Cole slaw, and that spiced up Mac n Cheese. Mmmm Mmmmmm!!!!! You understand? Sometimes you just have to indulge in the small pleasures in life especially, when you consider how hard one has to work just to afford a decent quality of life.

Dinosaur from the Side

Yassum!!!!

Not that I’m trying to tease you…well maybe just a little, here are some more mouth watering images I had to savor before ruining that masterpiece.

Yes that would be a second honey cornbread. It had to happen. LOL

HaWhat?!! I can see your smoke ring!

I began to study it.

I sat in contemplation over this amazing color on my fall of the bone tender baby back ribs. There is wisdom and learning in that there meat. If you ever get that feeling like you just have to have you some good ole BBQ baby back ribs, then Dinosaur BBQ ribs are a must eat!!! The spicy kick in the Mac N Cheese really got my taste buds going and the contrast in texture from the Ribs and crunch from the Cole Slaw just had me feeling in a much better mood. I spare you the evidence of the destruction of that meal.

Take my word for it only bones were left, it was that good. The Catfish I expected to be cornmeal crusted and fried but it was moist and blackened. It’s officially called Bronzed Catfish. The fish was excellent as an alternate flavor from the ribs. Just look at the char on em. As for the honey Corn breads. They too… didn’t make it. Under heavy questioning I got there sweet secrets as they went down into my stomach to join the rest of the meal. I must remember next time to also sample their burgers to see if they hold up the par excellence standard the Ribs, Catfish, Mac N Cheese, and Cole Slaw have.

Till next time this has been another report from THEJNSREPORT. Stay hungry my friends.

Excellent Comfort Food

Posted by THEJNSREPORT on January 4, 2013

Posted in: Food & Drinks. Tagged: Chili, Comfort Food, Dhal Puri, Excellent, Excellent Comfort Foods, Roti. Leave a comment

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Excellent Comfort Food at Home

I don’t know about you, but while I have an appreciation for all the seasons, Winter is my least favorite. For some, Winter is about making snow men or snow angels. Having snow ball fights and generally enjoying the initial first snows when it’s pure and settled like a blanket covering the ground.

For me Winter is a bitterly cold season where nothing grows, people tend to get sick and pass colds, and you don’t dare want to be caught outside with the wind chill unprepared. Even with layers and scarfs, gloves, and hat on I still am reminded of how harsh Winter can be. Yet for all that I do find the silver lining in Winter. The cold makes me hungry and a hot comfort food usually helps ease the tensions in my face from it being twisted up while enduring a face full of cold gusts of wind chilled air for however long I have to be outdoors.

A steaming bowl of hot chili I find is an excellent comfort food to eat during the Winter months. It’s hearty, it’s spicy and can make you have to go to the bathroom. LOL. I enjoyed this with a piece of Dhal Puri. Oh my goodness!!! Below are some images of the meal.

The Dhal Puri rolled up next to a hot bowl of chili.

And now for the closeups.

If you only knew hot good this tastes! If you do, congrats and Amen!!

Going in for a closer look

Incredible

In closing here’s a closeup of the chili. This combination will be a hit no matter who you are.

The glory of it!!!

I don’t know how to make Dhal Puri so it was purchased from an Indian restaurant for a few bucks. The crumbles of the dhal inside the roti were just amazing tasting crumbly morsels that accentuated the flavor of the roti. I wish I knew how to make it at home. Dipped in the chili all that flavor and spice and then the Dhal. Mmm mmmm!!!! Just incredible. I do find homemade chili to usually win out versus chili’s I’ve had that were either store bought or restaurant bought. That being said, no matter whether you cook it yourself or it’s store bought, a good bowl of hot chili and cornbread or in this instance, Dhal Puri Roti on a cold winter day makes things just a little bit better.

Till next time this has been another report by THEJNSREPORT.

Better Employees, Better Work Ethic…Papa John’s

Posted by THEJNSREPORT on December 31, 2012

Posted in: Social Commentary. Tagged: Customer Service, Food & Drinks, Green Peppers, Papa John's, Pepperoni, Pizza, Sausage, Take Out. 3 Comments

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: Papa John’s Meets the Hood

On this New Year’s Eve prepping myself for a night of celebration and fun, I thought it a good idea to order Pizza for lunch in lieu of the Giants $8.99 Papa John’s special. And while I know the G Men won’t be repeating as champs this year the effort they gave yesterday earned me the choice of 6 toppings for my pizza based on the 6 touch downs they scored Sunday.

I thought I was off to a good start by ordering online through the website as I have done many many times and yet for some reason the work ethic and decay in America’s service industry continues to rear its ugly head yet again!!! Now I’m pretty sure that had this experience I just had happened say in Manhattan I think my latest ordering experience with Papa John’s would have been totally different.

These are the six toppings I selected.
1. Pepperoni 2. Pepperoni 3. Sausage 4. Green Peppers 5. Black Olives 6. Grilled Chicken

Let’s see what the employees of Papa John’s decided to give me instead. As usual I have photo evidence.

What in the Hell is…this?!!!!

Sad as it is to admit it the outer boroughs don’t have a thing on service, especially customer service and value for the money that one can obtain like in Manhattan. Can some one tell me how you mess up an order that is typed and directly in front of one’s face as it’s prepared? This of course would make no sense if one is paying attention to what he/she is doing. I took one bite into a slice and immediately much to my chagrin realized this wasn’t what I paid and tipped handsomely for I might add. The delivery driver got his $2 delivery fee plus a $5 tip. The hell you say? Oh yes $7 dollars for something I didn’t order and well over an hour after I ordered it. I received Onions not Grilled Chicken, No double Pepperoni, and no Sausage.

This is the confirmation page showing my order summary

When I called the store location that prepared my order. I was immediately told please hold before anything else was said. I waited patiently for a store clerk to come back to my call. After 7 minutes on hold, I mean not even some annoying elevator music playing to keep me occupied while I waited, I gave in and hung up as I don’t have time for my minutes to be wasted. Not easily deterred I redialed the store location again. This time a female employee answers my call I ask as politely as possible if they could have someone correct my order as what I received was entirely the wrong Pie. She responded with give me a second for the second time and never came back to the phone after placing me on hold for an additional 5 minutes.

We don’t slack a minute sir!

I’m very adamant about standing up for one’s rights especially the paying consumer. People have gotten away from pride and character in their work. I don’t care that it is a boring, dead end job. My attitude is in this economy if you have a job, you better appreciate it and do your job to the best of your ability. If you mess up…Fix it!!! To treat a paying customer like a douche bag that is bothering you to simply do your job is obscene and asinine!!! This all goes back to treat others how you’d like to be treated. I made one last ditch effort to call the store. This time around no one would pick up the phone to answer my call even after I let the phone ring until my cell stopped trying to dial.

I resolved that they actually thought I wouldn’t come down to the store to rectify the situation as I’d ordered for delivery. How wrong they were. Oh yes, I got dressed jumped in the car and drove myself down to the store and saw exactly who was on duty working at the time of this debacle. I should have known to expect a group of lazy good for nothings with attitudes impersonating Papa John’s employees. The young girl working the phone clearly would have liked nothing more than to be at home or anywhere but there. When she saw me place the pizza box on the counter top she immediately starting chirping to the manager in back that the customer who called about the messed up order was there.

The manager approached and asked me what was the problem. I reiterated to her that my order was incorrect. She flips open the box looks at the pizza then promptly asked with attitude “What’s the Address?” I still kept calm and told her as she looked at the sticker on the pizza box and removed it. She then relented and said she’d make another one in 8 minutes. Keep in mind it’s now over hour and a half since I placed my order. I decided it wasn’t worth the wait and demanded my money back. She gave me money and I left the store disgusted that I paid $7 for that aggravation. I mean think, why would someone wait an additional 1 minute even, after over an hour and a half of shenanigans? This has soured me on my dealings with corporate entities operating in the outer boroughs. Again this all comes down to the hiring pool and who is available to work these types of jobs. America is headed down the toilet quick fast, and in a hurry. Not good. This only helps me see that either cooking at home or having good delivery is really a matter of your location.

Lastly, Papa John’s loves to say in his commercials “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza…Papa John’s. Well I like to say in order for that statement to mean something to paying customers you better have Better Employees and Better Work Ethic.

Til next time this has been another report from THEJNSREPORT.

The Selfish

Posted by THEJNSREPORT on December 31, 2012

Posted in: Social Commentary. Tagged: Charity, Human Condition, Love, Self, Selfishness, What goes around, Where is the Love?. Leave a comment

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: The Selfish

Recently while thinking on the subject of selfishness I decided to try and document some still images of plain old selfishness to show how selfish we as human beings can be towards one another let alone the world around us. Traveling around the city on the MTA affords many opportunities to capture “people at their best” as I like to call it. I jest in that last statement as clearly people at their best could never embody the following exhibits of selfish behavior.

Exhibit A

Geez ya think someone would mind if I sat there?

Your honor Exhibit B

Okay I’ll try somewhere else in the car. Let’s see what I find.

Exhibit C!!!!!

Why???! Explain why you have to have your legs that far open? These are microcosms of what goes on routinely.

Let’s move in the new year towards being unselfish and thinking of others. It will come back around.

Films late 2012 to Watch

Posted by THEJNSREPORT on December 24, 2012

Posted in: Films & Reviews. Tagged: American, Chronicle, films, Irreversible, Movies, Paris, Political Science, Powerful, Project X, Racism, Reviews, Safe House, Shame, The Film Committee, The Mechanic, Thought Provoking, Werewolf. Leave a comment

Welcome to THEJNSREPORT’S: The Film Committee

Like many avid movie fans and non fans alike there are many times we look to film to escape reality or to live it through another’s eyes. The vicarious nature of living through some horrific and real moments in life but being absolutely safe within the confines of say one’s own bedroom or living room at home is an ideal novelty and one that I think is often overlooked when talking about films and their impact.

Now for T.D Moody’s films must watch for 2012. Keep in mind that not every film listed is produced in 2012. These are simply films we find good enough to watch no matter the year.

1. Shame 2012

2. Chronicle 2012

3. Project X 2012

4. Safe House 2011

5. The Mechanic 2011

6. Irreversible 2002

7. An American Werewolf in Paris 1997

8. American History X 1998

My first selection for this year is a film entitled “Shame”. It stars sexy actor and star from XMen First Class (character Magneto), non other than Michael Fassbender. Shame is a powerful film in my opinion in its raw honesty about sexuality and impulses and the things that drive us. Most importantly, it focuses on how important family is no matter how dysfunctional. Other works he’s been in are Inglorious Basterds, Prometheus, and A Dangerous Method. Shame resonated with me because of it’s raw unadulterated true honesty and battle within the protagonist Fassbender and his vices.

My second selection is a movie I managed to stumble across while surfing the guide for a late night movie to put me to bed. To my surprise I actually was a bit intrigued by the film’s plot and stayed awake long enough to catch the end. “Chronicle” has a cast of unknowns but does a great job of first person film making and the special effects are spot on. A powerful message is conveyed through one of the most emotional moments in the film in which the main character’s mindset bends towards a lack of respect for humanity and all things weaker than himself.

“Project X” is another teen movie told from first person point of view throughout the film with other third person shots. Looks amateurish in how its shot but that’s the idea. Kids documenting their high school experience throwing a house party while the parents are away. This is a must see in my opinion for anyone who hasn’t imagined what havoc teenage suburban kids can wreak if left to their own devices all for the feeling of being accepted as cool, in and popular. Life is passion. This movie definitely has it! I give it 4 pairs of shades. This film is even more potent if viewed while enjoying really good 420.

“Safe House” starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds is a cat and mouse chase in the same vein as say the Bourne Series but in typical Denzel fashion ends with Denzel one of the protagonists in the film teaming up with Reynolds character in high stakes information trafficking where Denzel presumably ends his role with a classic fallen hero scene. Much like he did in Man on Fire. This is a must see for conspiracy theory fans. The action is fast paced and well thought out.

“The Mechanic” is a good action film starring Jason Statham, Donald Sutherland and the guy who played the gayish marvel character Angel in the “XMen The Last Stand” as the son of Donald Sutherland’s character. Contract killings abound in this one with intricate techniques employed by master mercenary Statham’s character as he teaches the son of his mentor how to be a hit man while concealing he is the one who killed his father. The ending is perfect and when watched a second time you really appreciate it that much more hence the title name.

“Irreversible” starring married couple Monica Belluci and Vincent Cassel is a story of a couple going through their ups and downs and is told backwards with a shocking opening scene followed up by what led up to the opening scene. All I can say is this is not for the faint of heart and will have you talking long after it’s over. The special effects extras are definitely a must watch if you happen to have it on DVD.

“An American Werewolf in Paris” is a classic to own and keep in one’s movie library for fans of classic Werewolf movies up til now. If you remember the original American Werewolf in London this movie brings for its production a modern twist to the that film set in Paris. The updated CG look of the Werewolf and how the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously is why it works so well as a film in my opinion and while dark isn’t so gory and gruesome that eating will be a problem. However if you are talking post 90’s the UnderWorld franchise wins out hands down.

“American History X” Whooo!!! Where to begin? First off this goes out to any Poli Sci Professors, educators, or students studying history and the theory of human freedom. Watch this film. I was a sophomore in college when I first encountered this tour de force this side of “Amistad”. Oh my fuckin goodness! The acting is superb. If you don’t know the actor Edward Norton by now this is the film that will help you to learn, ponder, and then understand. Norton’s ability to be the contempo every man character actor a la the legendary and great actor of all times Gene Hackman is remarkable and stands out in the “racially” charged classic.

This is an abbreviated list as more films will be added in our next update. If you have any films you think are worth a mention feel free to post your reply. More Film Committee picks to come.