U.S. Open Men's Draw Analysis

Looking at the brackets, there is distinct possibility of some surprises at this year's Open.

Federer will run into trouble early when he meets John Isner in the 3rd round. Isner won the NCAA college championship at Georgia. He's a 6'9'' and hits aces pretty much every time. His 1st round victim, Jarko Niemenen, said Isner had the best serve he's ever seen.

I'm not a fan of players that win with cheap points, but the fact is that Isner could give Federer plenty of trouble. On the other hand, Federer beat Sampras, Philippoussis, and Roddick on grass so I guess if anyone can handle it, it's Federer. This should be one to watch. Mind you, it could be painful.

If Federer makes it past Isner, he'll meet Roddick in the QF. I presume he'll make sausage out of him as usual. In the SF he'll face either Blake or Davydenko. Blake has had a strong summer, but sometimes he's off his game whereas Davydenko is more consistent. I'm picking a Blake-Federer SF with Federer prevailing.

In the other half of the draw, the match to watch will likely be this weekend between Djokovic and Hewitt in the 3rd round. If this match isn't great, I'll be pissed. I'm picking Djokovic to win this and go all the way to the final, beating Youzhny and Nadal on the way. If Nadal goes out early, it will be to Tipsarevic in the 2nd or Tursunov in the 3rd. But I think he'll grind it to the semis.

The champion? A couple of weeks ago I picked Djokovic. I'll stick with that, but I'm less sure now that Federer seems to be his old self again.

Brian May Receives PhD in Astronomy

No, I am not making it up...

Nearly 37 years after beginning work on his dissertation in astronomy at London’s Imperial College, the guitarist for Queen successfully defended his 48,000-word thesis, “Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud,” in a three-hour oral examination.

Impressive. I wonder what American rock guitarists are up to...

Astronomers Discover Foreign Policy Metaphor in Outer Space

University of Minnesota astronomers have found an enormous hole in the Universe, nearly a billion light-years across, empty of both normal matter such as stars, galaxies and gas, as well as the mysterious, unseen "dark matter." While earlier studies have shown holes, or voids, in the large-scale structure of the Universe, this new discovery dwarfs them all.

"Not only has no one ever found a void this big, but we never even expected to find one this size," said Lawrence Rudnick of the University of Minnesota...

more...

Northwest Ohio Pummeled by Rain, Flooding

Nine inches in 48 hours... that is a lot of water, and most of it is above ground right now.

From the VanWert Times-Bulletin:

Besides Van Wert County, the state of emergency is also in effect for Allen, Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Putnam, Richland, Seneca, and Wyandot counties in northwestern Ohio... Altogether, 21 counties in Ohio have been affected by flooding and wind damage.

I remember the last Ohio River flood back in the early 90s. Serpentine Wall was entirely under water. I remember looking at it and seeing just the top of a flagpole sticking out from the water. Crazy.

The VanWertVoice has links to some videos of the current flood.

Erin Burnett: Cuter When Quieter

I had to take a break from my delicious grilled chicken and vegetables to post this. I'm sure BlurgGurl would agree this surely deserves an AssHat Award:





The MSM... still in a holding pattern above Stupid, USA.

The Cincinnati Masters Report

What is going on at the Cincy Masters?

Novak Djokovic beats Federer in Montreal but loses here in the first round. Rafael Nadal, about as close to a machine as a human can get, gets heat exhaustion and retires in the first round. Andy Roddick fucks it up again and loses to a guy I've never even heard of. Roger Federer plays like crap but barely manages to beat Marcos Baghdatis, who plays even crappier.

Ah, yes, 100 degree tennis. Glad I gave up my ticket for today.

Thank you, James Blake, for giving us at least one match worth watching. And good luck against Sam Querrey (He'll need it... they played a few weeks ago and Querrey won, 7-6,6-7,7-6. At one point he served 10 aces in a row).

I don't know what's going on with Federer. The last time I saw him play well, it was 20 degrees outside. I can assure you that he'll be in big trouble at the U.S. Open, where his current "hanging in there" style will not get him a trophy.

Based on what I've seen this year, I'd pick Novak Djokovic for the U.S. Open title. And I think Lleyton Hewitt might surprise some people, too.

Getting the Lead Out

The news of lead in children's toys has been a hot topic recently. The adverse health effects of lead have been known for decades, so it's a bit puzzling that these stories still appear from time to time.

Regardless of the reasons why the problem still persists, the fact is that it still does and parents with young children need to be vigilant and take precautions. The neurological damage is irreversible.

For those who can use such information, here is an article that explains how lead can get into the home and how to prevent it.

I Am not Making This Up

Imagine your task is to find someone to send to Iraq to help set up the country's legal system. Who is the least competent, most under-qualified, absolutely last, worst person you would choose for the job?

Gonzales arrived in Baghdad on Saturday, his third trip to the country, and met with Justice Department officials there to try to help build the country's legal system.

AP story...

Secondary Smoke Linked to Childhood Asthma

Childhood asthma (as well as other pulmonary problems) has been on the rise for decades. The cause, however, has remained something of a mystery.

Recently published research in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology puts forth damning evidence for cigarette smoking. Researchers analyzed data on cigarette use and asthma incidence over the past 100 years and noted parallel increases in both. Their conclusion:

We present one possible factor that may be contributing to the epidemic of childhood asthma. We hypothesize that (1) there has been a marked increase in smoking during the past century, (2) this increase in smoking has resulted in a substantial increase in exposure to environmental tobacco smoke among children, and (3) increased exposure to environmental tobacco smoke has contributed to the increase in childhood asthma.

A report in the August Infectious Diseases in Children adds:

Children breathe more air than adults and have narrower airways, so environmental tobacco smoke is a greater causal risk factor for asthma in children.

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, especially in the home, increased a child's likelihood of developing asthma by 63%...

Smoking. It pollutes, it litters, it stinks, and it contributes to asthma in children. But it's a synonym for freedom, according to at least one person (and read those comments to see who hates our smokings).

Does Cincinnati Need a Signature Tower?

That's the question posed at UrbanCincy. He makes the point that many great cities don't have a signature tower and that such a monument is not what makes a city great. Strictly speaking, Cincinnati does not need a signature tower.

I think one of the best things Cincinnati can do to make itself a world-class city (for those 3 or 4 of us who think about Cincinnati in such fantastic notions) is to focus on architecture and design across the whole city, not just a building or two downtown. A city characterized by great architecture is a city where people want to live, play, and visit.

Two words: Columbus, Indiana. If not for its notable architecture, this town would be nothing more than a place to stop for fast food on the way to IU. But its commitment to architecture and design makes it a regional attraction and brings in revenue consistently. You don't have to be a huge metropolis to have great architecture.

Three words: Paul Brown Stadium. Putting aside issues of boondoggling taxpayers, it's a great stadium. That's what I'm talking about. Imagine what the Banks could be if modern architecture were a priority. It could be the coolest urban development within 299 miles (since Chicago is 300 miles...).

Let's also remind ourselves that we have one of the best architecture and design schools in the country. It frustrates me that city government has repeatedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on east coast consultants rather than take advantage of top-tier resources right up the street.

Still like the signature tower idea? Check out MOMO's page on tall buildings. Very cool.