Day: May 25, 2002

Beyond parody

/ Kevin B. O'Reilly

“Factual error found on the Internet,” The Onion reported this week. It’s funny, of course, because it’s obvious to anyone with a lick of common sense that there are many unreliable sources of information on the Internet.

But apparently Dr. Daniel Seidman of Tel-Aviv University didn’t understand the concept. He did a study examining the reliability of information on the Internet about the abortion pill RU-486 and found that “sites intentionally emphasizing extremely rare complications may lead women — especially young girls — to postpone their decision to seek medical care, thereby increasing the danger of medical complications known to be associated with delayed termination of pregnancy.”

Unreliable information about abortion on the Internet? Who’d of thunk it?! It’s a shame, of course, that anti-abortionists resort to disinformation campaigns, but the fact that a lot of sites favor their point of view over the facts is not exactly newsworthy. Indeed, this site is a prime example of it!

First time is the best time

/ Kevin B. O'Reilly

I almost always prefer the first version I hear of a song to any later versions. Obviously, many covers of classic songs are pale imitations of the original greats, but this extends even to different versions of a song by the same artist. Once that first version clicks on my mind, I either get into its groove or I don’t. And any subsequent version will be judged on how I reacted to the original version.

The only exception to this is any Bob Dylan version of one of his own songs when compared to cover versions. I liked Sheryl Crow‘s take on “Mississippi,” for example, but it’s nothing compared to his own version on “Love and Theft,” which is absolutely sublime. Anyway, no one can sing Dylan like Dylan.

How far can he go?

/ Kevin B. O'Reilly

While the Dodgers’ Shawn Green may have had one great day, but he’ll never have the kind of consistently great career Barry Bonds has had. Now that Bonds has passed Mark McGwire in the all-time home run
race, the question is who else he’ll pass before he retireds.

With 584 home runs, Bonds is 171 home runs short of Aaron’s record. Already 38, I think Bonds knows he won’t be productive enough for long enough to become the all-time champ. Ruth, of course, is in second place with 714 home runs and Willie Mays is in theird with 660 home runs. Bonds will pass Frank Robinson’s fourth-place 586 home runs within the week, probably.

Bonds is projected to hit 60 home runs this season, but let’s be conservative and say Bonds winds up with 50. That would give him 617. Then he would only need 44 home runs in 2003 to overtake his godfather Willie Mays for third place. At that point, Bonds would 39 — and all of this assumes of course he will stay healthy and productive.

But by 39 you’ve got to hink Bonds’ production will drop off, and he’d still be 53 home runs behind Ruth. I think that Bonds — aside from wanting to win a championship — must be realistically shooting for his godfather’s record. Third place all time for a few years? Not too shabby. Until Ken Griffey Jr. comes charging, of course.

All Chandra, all the time

/ Kevin B. O'Reilly

I remember how much I enjoyed the Chandra Levy story last summer. It was a refreshing memory of the halcyon days of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. Sure, Gary Condit was a relatively unknown congressman and not the president, but he did have an extramarital affair, and those are always interesting.

Moreover, this was something I could stomach listening to on the news talk shows. Instead of watching politicians and pundits the dime’s worth of difference between the Democrat and Republican plans to run my life, I could watch all Chandra, all the time! And my view is that any time there is a focus in Washington, D.C., on something other than substantive policy, then the least harm is being done.

That’s not quite the case this time around. There is a war on terrorism that needs to, and should be, fought. Still, this ghastly little murder mystery is, in a way, a welcome respite from the war, the Middle East and Robert Blake. Mickey Kaus does a good job of putting together the latest clues to the puzzle.

Now, if I were editing a newspaper, I certainly wouldn’t put Chandra on page one, but I’m not going to get all pissy about the fact that this is a juicy story a good chunk of people find fascinating and want to know more about.