Roper Report

South Alabama tops FAU

2009-11-06T03:33:00.000-08:00

This is from Jan. 2007

Defense may win games, but it is the offense that turns them into blowouts. The University of South Alabama Jaguars used both on their way to a lopsided 101-76 victory in the first-ever meeting against Sun Belt Conference newcomers Florida Atlantic.

The Jags shot a season-high 58.2 percent from the field, including 14 of 23 from behind the arc. USA's offensive surge was led by Demetric Bennett, who was 7 of 9 from 3-point range en route to a 25-point night. Bennett credited the entire team for his performance.

"The team came out and we all played together," Bennett said. "Nobody tried to do it all themselves tonight. I feel if we play together, we are a real hard team to beat." Defensively, the Jags forced the Owls into 17 turnovers, outscoring FAU 28-11 in points off turnovers.

"I know they are not always going to shoot the ball like that," USA coach John Pelphrey said. "The balanced scoring needs to continue, the type of defense that was played for the majority of the game, especially the first half; that is where those guys have to go to if they want to have some repeat success."

USA opened by taking advantage of a 10-minute stretch in which the Owls scored only two field goals. The Jags built a 42-14 lead, highlighted by a rim-shattering slam by junior forward Ernest Little, who finished with 18 points. Three other Jags reached double digits in scoring. Guard Carlos Smith was 3 of 4 from 3-point range and hit 7-of-8 free throws for 20 points and fell just one assist away from a double-double. Daon Merritt scored 18 points, and Leandro Buboltz added 10 points

"We were so focused and everything just fell into place," Bennett said. "Guys hit me when I was wide open; we hit other guys when they were wide open; we got it inside, got a lot of fouls early. That opened up the outside."

After trailing 50-25 at halftime, Florida Atlantic settled down and began to chip away, cutting the Jaguar's lead down to 16 at one point and matching USA point-for-point in the second half.

"We had a tremendous amount of respect for FAU coming in here, with the start they have gotten off to, two road wins and being in first place right now on our side," Pelphrey said. "They are a good team. They have an extremely talented offensive machine and we were concerned about guarding them all."

The game was the third in five days. After dropping the first to Middle Tennessee State, the Jags won the next two to improve to 9-7 on the season and 3-2 in conference play.

"We lost the conference home opener, so we knew we needed to take the next two," Bennett said. "We wanted to get all three but after that poor outing against Middle Tennessee, we knew we had to come out and get these next two and tonight, all the guys came out and we knew if we wanted to be a championship team, we had to start playing together."

Company fires woman for having cancer

2009-02-23T02:12:00.000-08:00

To our Canadian readers, I encourage you that if you need a real estate agent, I'd stay away from this company

City lets WWII vet freeze to death

2009-02-19T03:21:00.001-08:00

New details have emerged about the 93-year-old veteran who froze to death after his power was turned off due to unpaid bills. Apparently, he had been chronically late paying bills over two years. Ok, that's bad. But, every time he was delinquent, he was able to pay the $1,000 late bills.

That should have been a red flag.

Then, the man tried to pay his power bill at his BANK.

That should have been a second red flag

This man should not have been allowed to die such an agonizing death. Someone should have been sent to check on the man before the decision was made to let him die.

Boycott Citi

2009-01-26T21:55:00.000-08:00

I strongly encourage anyone who sees this to boycott Citigroup.

After receiving $45 billion in taxdollars, they have the gall to purchase a $50 million jet. I'm too upset to give a rational response right now....

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01262009/news/nationalnews/just_plane_despicable_152033.htm

South Alabama's campus bookstore a bastion of rudeness

2007-01-06T19:52:00.001-08:00

Long lines and high prices are a staple at the University of South Alabama bookstore. Now, I can add rude cashiers and backwards policies to the list.
During the break I wanted to get a head start on the spring semester so I decided to pick up some of my textbooks.
I attempted to get the books from the website because of bad experiences in the past but they kept delaying the day when books would be available. I finally relented and went inside.
I tracked down the books I needed and went to pay for then. When I got to the register, instead of a ‘hello’, I get “This is non-returnable.”
Forget the fact I keep the vast majority of my books for a moment. The blunt demeanor of the woman ringing me up took me aback. I asked why and she replied in the same robotic voice “This is non-returnable.”
I informed her it was a textbook and she told me that was why I could not bring it back. I asked when they had begun this policy and she told me it has always been this way.
Three years of undergrad and two as a graduate student, I have never heard this before.
I asked her if this was to discourage people from buying early and she replied with a matter-of-fact “Yes.”
Apperantly, buying early is some sort of mortal sin at our campus bookstore.
It is not a big deal, as like I said, I keep most of my books. But, it would have been nice if she had politely explained why instead of just marking in big red letters on my receipt “No Return.”
Instead of a half-hearted apology or lame explanation, all I got was a bad attitude which pretty much told me to get out of her store.
This is the exact reason why I always try to buy online. Not only are the prices better, you do not have to deal with a stressed-out cashier who hates you simply because you are in the store. I can overlook having to navigate my away across piles of books and empty boxes. I can forgive the 80% markup on used books. But there is no reason to not allow a return on a textbook and then get grouchy when the customer enquires why.
The irony in this entire situation is that the bookstore is well aware of how they treat their customers. I will quote Brian W. Catlin in the Oct. 23, 2006 issue of the Vanguard, in a response to a similar article from another member of our staff:
“I would like to apologize to you for such a disappointing experience in the Bookstore and assure you that we value our customers and appreciate their business.”
He ends his letter with “We will use this experience as a reminder of the importance of knowing our customer’s expectations and our mission to exceed them.”
You did meet my expectations, Mr. Catlin, as I always expect to have a negative experience in the USA Bookstore.
Looks like I will have to go back to my habit of shopping online.
And if that does not work, well, hey, Anders is right across the street.

PS3 an official failure

2007-01-03T20:26:00.001-08:00

After literally years of hype, Sony’s Playstation 3 has officially failed to live up to some lofty standards.

Since launching in mid-November, the newest edition of the gaming juggernaut has been a disappointment to both buyers and sellers.

On the gaming side, a poor selection of exclusive titles has made the PS3 look like the second coming of the 3DO. Many titles expected for launch have been delayed until 2007.

Leading the list is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Pete Hines, Vice President of Public Relations for publisher Bethesda Software, said in an official press release “Oblivion PS3 is now a Q1 2007 title.”

While no reason was given, speculation suggested the delayed was due to difficulties in the PS3 hardware. Similar problems delayed the game’s release on the Xbox 360 a year earlier until Spring 2006.

Other big titles have either been delayed or canceled outright. Rainbow Six: Vegas is only delayed a few weeks but PC and Xbox 360 owners will have had a few months head start by time the game hits shelves.

NBA Live 2007, another much-hyped launch title, was cancelled. EA Sports put out a statement saying their plans were “too ambitious and did not want to rush” the title.

As the calendar changed over to 2007, the only PS3 exclusives were Genji: Days of the Blade and Resistance: Fall of Man. Only Resistance has had positive reviews.

The lack of games is not offset by the backwards compatibility Sony boasts for the PS3. Gamespot.com reported on Nov. 14 that close to 200 Playstation and Playstation 2 games would not work on the PS3. Sony has promised future upgrades to fix the problem, however.

Gamespot.com quoted a Sony spokesperson in the aforementioned article, "We are aware that a select number of titles have compatibility issues but these problems will be fixed with a software upgrade that will be available in the near future."

Unfortunately, Sony’s track record lately has not been that great when it comes to honesty in the game console wars.

First, the infamous spec sheet Sony released to the media. In this, they attempted to justify the PS3’s price tag by comparing it to the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. Sony erroneously stated that in order to play games on the Xbox 360, consumers would be forced to buy the 20-gig hard drive add-on, HD DVD add-on, a wireless controller and a 12-month subscription to Xbox Live.

The wireless controller is simply a luxury, not a requirement and Xbox Live is only needed to play games over the Internet. The gaming media was also quick to point out that the hard drive was only needed for a limited number of games and mostly served as an alternative to the memory card. Additionally, the HD DVD add-on will only play HD DVD movies, having zero impact on game play.

Sony also lost credibility in Nov. when executive vice president Jack Tretton stated the Nintendo Wii had “zero backwards compatibility.”

This statement was quickly proven false.

Gamers putting all their gaming eggs in the PS3 basket were also disappointed to see some games originally meant to be PS3 exclusives announced for other systems. Ubisoft lead the way in September, announcing the much-hyped “Assassin’s Creed” would grace the PC and Xbox 360. That announcement was soon followed by that of “Grand Theft Auto IV” and “Fatal Inertia” would be ported for Microsoft’s machine as well.

Sellers have not been impressed, either.

Retailers have not had as much success with the PS3 as the Wii.

According to Reuters, in the first week after each respective launch, the Wii doubled the sales figures for the PS3, 476,000 to 197,000 with The Times Online, the Wii was outselling the PS3 by a rate of two to one at the end of 2006.

Gameindustry.biz reported the Xbox 360 as the ‘official’ holiday winner, selling 2 million units, compared to 1.8 million units of the Wii and 750,000 PS3 units sold.

"Nintendo seems to have stolen the high ground in terms of playability and entertainment value. Nintendo seems to be surfing this wave of public interest and this idea of accessibility that they started with Nintendogs and these brain games," said analyst Paul Jackson.

A reporter here at the Vanguard works part-time at a local video game store and saw first hand how much more popular the Wii was to the PS3.

Wii systems usually sell out in less than an hour while PS3 systems stay for days. Parents are much more interested in the $249 price tag for the Wii than they are for the PS3.

Demand has dropped so much that scalpers have been returning systems for refunds.

The Hamilton Spectator reported scalpers were unable to receive the $1000 or more asking price, even during the Christmas rush.

As a result, scalpers are either keeping them for themselves, selling for close to the retail price or simply returning them for a refund.

An eBay search on Jan. 3 showed the system going for far less than launch-week prices. The highest bid was only $800, a far cry from earlier auctions which reached over $1,500.

PS3 owners still have something to smile about, however.

Namco recently offered an arcade-perfect port of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection for download through the Playstation Store. It features full widescreen support at 1080p resolution and features both single-play and versus mode.

Sony’s system still has arguably the sharpest graphics in the next-gen race and “Resistance: Fall of Man” is still a hell of an exclusive title.

Square-Enix has announced the 13^th installment of the mega-popular “Final Fantasy” series but a commitment to all three systems leaves the exclusivity of the game in doubt.

When one tires of games, PS3 owners can watch Blu Ray discs out of the box. Compared to an average price of $900 for a stand-alone, the PS3 is the cheapest Blu Ray player on the market.

Still, if the Playstation and Playstation 2 are any indication, the Blu Ray player in the system will be defective in a couple of years.

None of this is a death sentence for Sony and the PS3 but Sony does have a lot of ground to make up. After losing consumer faith after a year of broken promises, unfulfilled hyped and music Cd's which installed a virus on users PCs (yes, that was Sony, too) Sony must rebound in 2007 if they want to avoid the same fate as Atari , SEGA or worse, Commodore International.

O.J. Publisher fired

2006-12-15T22:27:00.000-08:00

So, Judith Regan has been fired.

A month after announcing she green-lighted Old J. Simpson's attempt to cash in on killing his wife, Harper Collins has red-lighted her career.

Regan has made a career out of sensationalism. Publishing books from Jose Canseco, Jenna Jameson and other bastions of role models, Regan has long lived by the mantra of 'controversy creates cash.' Her actions have allowed many to make millions for being a scuzzball.

Evidently, even America has had enough. After glorifying such snots such as Paris Hilton, Terrell Owens and Kevin Federline (ok, maybe not), even a society who is more concerned with the zany shenanigans of celebrities than genocide in the Middle East has finally found something that disgusts them.

Harper Collins gave no reason for the dismissal but I'm sure it had something to do with potential boycotts (read: 'loss of profits') which had put Harper Collins in the same neighborhood as Fox News Corp. and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Of course, unlike the WWE, the deceased person Harper Collins almost profited from wasn't their own employee.

So, kudos to you, Harper Collins for telling Old J. that you will not be a part of him profiting of his crimes.

Starbucks explosion in Mobile

2006-12-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

What's up with all the new Starbucks being built around Mobile?

I understand Mobile is the second wettest city next to Seattle but this is crazy. If you include places that brew Starbucks coffee, we have one in our student center, one being built next to campus, another down the road next to Carpe Diem (a move that really pisses me off), one by my apartment here in midtown, one at Government Plaze, one at Barnes and Noble and another across the street from Barnes and Noble. There is also one on the middle of Airport Blvd. and another on Schillinger Road.

For those keeping count, that is 9 within a 5-10 mile radius.

I guess that's good for people who need their latte at a moment's notice but I still prefere Carpe Diem. That is, as long as the employees make me feel welcome. As with all businesses, that can always be hit or miss, depending on what employee is there that day.

Of course, from what I have heard, Starbucks is one major corporation that actually takes care of their employees and could be a major boon to the Port City. Now if we could just convince Borders to open a store here and some high-end shopping, like Saks Fifth Avenue or The Sharper Image.

Plus, I get to play "Count the Starbucks," a game I oh-so-enjoyed when I holidayed in San Francicso last summer.

Even though my time in Mobile shall be short, it's nice to see my adopted home begin to resemble a decent place to live. Maybe someone can take a bulldozer to those dumps we call shopping malls and build a decent shopping center then some of these bigger and better businesses will move in. After all, the RSA tower should be attracting the home office side of retail.

Of course, as long as the construction on Cottage Hill next to the mall is taking, I have no confidence in Mobile ability to actually get something done.

I promise this isn't the anti-O.J. blog!!!

2006-11-20T12:57:00.001-08:00

NewsCorp, the conglomerate which owns Fox Broadcasting and HarperCollins has cancelled both the upcoming book as well as the television special.

At least Old J. Simpson won't be profiting off his crimes.

However, as I said in my last post, controversy creates cash and now people will be even more interested in this garbage. How long before another publisher picks it up?

Some Fox affiliates not showing the O.J. Simpson special

2006-11-19T23:40:00.000-08:00

I promise this is not the O.J. Simpson blog. It is only coincidence I have made two straight posts dedicated to the former football star.

But, it seems my local affiliate has decided not to air the mocking interview. Now, I cannot honestly say it will affect me personally, as I had no desire to watch it but I have conflicting emotions about the whole thing.

While my article in this week's Vanguard called for the boycott of not only the special but the advertisers as well, I cannot shake the feeling that this is a form of censorship. Not government mandated censorship but censorship nontheless.

I am a little worried that Lin Broadcasting's (the owner of Mobile's Fox affiliate, WALA) decision to not air the piece of trash will only drive the curious towards the bookstore in a mad stampede. After all, controversy creates cash and Old J. Simpson is nothing if not controversal.

The AP is also reporting that many advertisers are reluctant to shell out cash for commercials during the broadcast. This is good news to me, as it gives me fewer products to boycott this holiday season.

Of course, there is always the possibilty Fox 10 will show the special anyway. It is still posted on their HD schedule for next week. Too bad Comcast does not have an HD channel for Fox on its lineup.

The O.J. Simpson confession

2006-11-18T21:20:00.001-08:00

Evidently, O.J. Simpson has been neglected.
A decade after he ‘allegedly’ murdered his ex-wife and her friend, the former Heisman Trophy winner is set to release a book his publisher calls “his confession.” He will also have a special on Fox.
In Simpson’s new book, “If I did it,“ he details the night of June 13, 1994, how he would have killed two innocent people and gotten away with it. He is going to tell the world how he would have murder Nicole Brown Simpson, the mother of his children, and her friend, Ron Goldman, “if he had been there.”
Except he still says he is innocent.
Despite being found libel in a civil suit and making no effort to keep a promise to find the “real killer,” Simpson spends most of his time on a golf course in Florida, sleeping with bimbos and mocking Ron Goldman. Instead of trying to clear his name, he lives a life of affluence from his NFL pension because the Goldmans cannot touch it.
Evidently, a life out of the spotlight is not good enough.
With the tabloids no longer knocking down his door, Simpson is lonely. There is no other logical explanation as to why someone who avoided life in prison would force himself back into the limelight with a non-confession. Oh, wait, there is. Fox is willing to fork over some cash and he begins seeing dollar signs.
I wonder how much the Brown and Goldman families will get. If they get a dime, I bet they won’t get the $33.3 million they were awarded in the civil case.
The timing could not be better, either.
Just in time for November sweeps, Fox will allow this jerk to insult the intelligence of television viewers around the world. I knew Fox produced some great comedy but they should really stick to “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons”
With the holiday season coming, instead of allowing two families to move on with their lives, they now have to relive a nightmare they will never fully get over.
Denise Brown, sister of the slain Simpson’s lashed out at publisher Judith Regan, and said "It's unfortunate that Simpson has decided to awaken a nightmare that we have painfully endured and worked so hard to move beyond."
I could not agree more.
If this were a true moment of regret and Simpson wanted to clear his conscious, I would be a lot less appalled. As it is, this is just a cheap, heartless ploy to make a buck from a society that is too obsessed with sensationalism.
I did enjoy the statement Fox released about the special. It stated, “Over 10 years after he was tried for two murders in the “Trial of the Century” that captured the attention of the world, O.J. Simpson, in his own words, tells for the first time how he would have committed the murders if he were the one responsible for the crimes.”
It then goes on to add “In the two-part event, Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade.”
For someone who is so adamant about his innocence, he has sure put a lot of thought into what “the real killer” did wrong.
Fox, why not go ahead and give him a job as a consultant on “Prison Break” while you are at it. After all, if he can write a “fictitious” murder so well, surely it could only help add realism to a show that should have had a shelf life of only one season.
I cannot totally blame Fox for this, though. After all, they are a business in a consumer-driven economy and they are only selling what people will buy. The same people who tune in by the millions to watch white trash beat each other up on Jerry Springer and drool over the murder of the week will be all over this.
Nor can I really blame Regan Books. They are in the publishing business to make money and they know there are plenty out there who will eat this up. After all, if “Mien Komp” is in print after more than half a century, surely Simpson’s idiocy will find a place in bookstores across the country.
If America has any morals, then we will boycott this book and the television special accompanying it, as well as any company that buys advertisement.
Unfortunately, though, I have a feeling many a stocking will be stuffed with this garbage come Christmas morning.

My first

2006-11-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I decided to start a blog as a medium to get my stuff out to the world. Most of my stuff will be found at my university newspaper, The Vanguard but I would like to broaden my audience.