Hell On Wheels Finale and Defense

by Sam Mantell
Follow @SLMantell

            It’s not surprising that Hell on Wheels has not fared well in the area of blog criticism. Some critics have blasted its brooding nature, calling it boring and slow. I suppose it is tough to imagine a time when communication and information were not instantaneously available to everyone. Things took time back then and I think the show does an excellent job of recognizing that and playing it out. I have no problem with seeing Cullen Bohannon’s search for his wife’s killer derailed by a moral dilemma. Or, specifically, his "moral mathematics".

            I’m dismayed at the criticism that the dialogue is considered too simple. Bohannon is a man of little words to begin with. And I’m not sure I’d be so on board with a bunch of pioneering ruffians speaking articulately about their feelings. That wouldn’t seem quite right either. A lot of people at that time were uneducated about communication and rhetoric. They spoke plainly and directly, not passively, leaving no question about their intentions.

            Some of the finest moments of this show come while watching someone brood! Bohannon is a thoughtful character. He is tough, and fair, and the moments where he’s not saying anything are his finest. He’s a thinker. In the finale, when he kills the wrong man, he abandons his thought and reveals the only weakness we’ve seen in him thus far. The past blinds him with rage, and he loses his cool when he’s confronted with an opportunity to try and change that past, an ever futile endeavor.

            The finale leaves us with much to ponder about our other characters as well. The Swede has intrigued me from day one. I like the guy. I think he’s hilarious. When Bohannon sees the Irish running him out of town, he gives no indication of his consent one way or another. I have an inkling that Bohannon likes him too, even though he beat him with a strap with a metal loop attached to the end. The Swede is crazy, and it’s fun to watch characters dealing with illnesses before a time when the medical field wanted to corral it. He meets a cruel punishment at the hands of the Irish boys in the finale, and next season should bring us a completely unhinged Swede. Tarring and feathering someone with OCD can do wondrous damage to their brain, I assume.

            Thankfully, we’ve already seen the unhinging of the preacher, played fantastically by Tom Noonan. “Choose hate,” he tells Bohannon when he comes to Noonan for counsel. Although he doesn’t know it, Bohannon has walked in on the preacher attempting to conceal the decapitation of a Union soldier he committed the night before. Bohannon leaves none the wiser to the crime, but wrecked inside for a lack of the guidance he sought. At this, we are left to consider the church’s role in the town of Hell on Wheels, until next season.

            I liked this finale because it didn’t negate the deliberation present throughout the season. There weren’t a bunch of rash actions sprinkled in there to spice up the finale. The preacher and Joseph Black Moon are good examples of this, as the turning points in their character arc came in episode 9. Trying to pack their struggles into the finale would have been a mistake. We needed time to see Bohannon reason with himself that he should kill this man, and in the end we see why he does it.

            We know the Fair Haired Maiden of the West, Miss Lily Bell wants him and that’s all we need to know for her. We know Elam is thinking and acting as his own man, a turning point for a black character set in that time period.  And we know Thomas Durante, played by Colm Meany, thinks he’s locked up funding (as well as Lily's heart) for the railroad to continue. Admittedly, Durante’s story is guilty on the charge of aimlessness. At the beginning, his drunken monologues to round out an episode were brilliant. We got a notion of his dark, slanted ambition as he tore through his manifesto. But this fire seemed to be doused by the placid Lily Bell as the season went on. Hopefully, this fire is only temporarily quelled, and will return tenfold within him when Bohannon takes Lily for his own.

            For all the time Hell On Wheels takes, I think it’s pace is brilliantly appropriate for the setting in which we see it occur. It’s painfully easy to compare the show to the progress of a first-generation locomotive. It may move slowly at first, but with a full head of steam, its only threat is that of going off the tracks. And there’s no slight allusion to the significance of that pace as they rounded out the final episode with This Train Is Bound For Glory. 

Google Giggle: Blake Griffin's Nationality

Watching the Clippers/Heat game the other night, Nadia wondered what nationality Blake Griffin was. Google was brought up, and we were given what you see below. There were links below, as you can see, but Google offered a shortcut. "Best guess for Blake Griffin Nationality is United States of America" it told us. This answer was immediately acceptable, as well as enlightening. Great job, Google.

I’ll Take A Quarter, Back

by PJ Negri

Follow @PJNegri

I hope everyone has been enjoying the NFL Playoffs so far this season. It has been very exciting thus far. Who would have thought Tim Tebow and the Broncos could beat the big bad Steelers? And the 49ers won the shootout in Candlestick over the Saints! As exciting as the playoffs have been, I want to take some time to talk about the regular season, more specifically the quarterbacks during the regular season.

Here is a list of the top 5 passing performances (for the purposes of this, we are only looking at passing yardage) in the history of the NFL:

Rank	Player Name	Total Yards	Year	Team
1.	Drew Brees	5,476	2011	NOR
2.	Tom Brady	5,235	2011	NWE
3.	Dan Marino	5,084	1984	MIA
4.	Drew Brees	5,069	2008	NOR
5.	Matthew Stafford	5,038	2011	DET

Mariner

The most important thing to note here is the “Year” column. Four of the top five passing seasons happened in the past three years. This season (2011) includes three of those seasons and two in specific (one by Tom Brady and one by Drew Brees), that broke Dan Marino’s single season passing record. This is quite astounding when you think about it. Dan Marino was the first player in NFL history to throw for 5,000+ yards in a single season when he did so in 1984. Then no one threw for 5,000+ yards in a season again until 2008.

So let’s take a second to think about this. The NFL first started in 1920, if you count the American Professional Football Association. That means for 88 years only two players (yes you read that right only two!!) threw for 5,000+ yards in a single season.

Now let’s dive deeper into the numbers.  The league started with 11 teams, but now contains 32. For arguments sake, let’s just say there have been 22 teams in the league each year (and that is low-balling it).  Assuming each team has at least one QB on their team every season so in that time period (1920 – 2008) there were 1,936 opportunities for a QB to throw for 5,000+ yards. (Through 2011 is 2,002 opportunities) If you look at the percentage, 2 out of 1,936 is .1%. This means through 2008, the likelihood of a player throwing for 5,000+ yards in a season is roughly 1 out of every 1,000.

With that said, take a look at the chart above again. Not one, not two, but three! Yes THREE!! Players accomplished that feat this season (Brees (5,476) Brady (5,235) and Stafford (5,038)). So what gives? Are the quarterbacks of today that much better than the quarterbacks of old? Do not get me wrong they are good, but that can’t be the only reason, can it? Is it possible that this is a fluke? Will we not see a 5,000+ season for another 90 years? If that is the case most of us will not even see it.

One thing to consider is the rule change moving the kickoff up to the 35 yard line as oppose to the 30 which caused an increase touchbacks. This means offenses general needed to go more yards to get into scoring position, which logically could lead to more passing yards on passing teams. Still three in one season after happening only twice in 90 years!?!? But who knows, maybe we are in a once in a lifetime era of the quarterback? Tell us what you think below! But before you do that that check out this list of Hall of Fame QBs who never threw for 5,000+ yards in a season, just a little more food for thought.

v    1.      Joe Montana    

      2.    Steve Young

      3.      Roger Staubach

      4.      Troy Aikman

      5.      Johnny Unitas 

      6.      John Elway

      7.      Bart Starr

      8.      Y.A. Tittle

     9.      Fran Tarkenton

      10.  Warren Moon

And yes ... This list continues for a while

NFL Playoff Predictions

Divisional Round

By Mike Cannon

Follow @mcann333

It was certainly an interesting wild card weekend last week. There weren't too many surprises other than the Denver game, which I'm still shocked that happened, but the games were entertaining for the most part. An interesting note is that all 4 home teams won last week. Let's see if that trend will carry over. I went 2-2 last week. I'll try to do better this week. Starting with the AFC.

Denver @New England (Saturday, 8:00 pm)

The Greatest Thing You've Ever Seen. 

I should probably give up on trying to predict what Tebow does in a given week. I thought he didn't stand a chance against Pittsburgh last weekend and he proved me wrong. I have doubted him over and over again this year and a lot of my criticisms seem to be right, yet he still finds a way to win. I don't want to hear excuses about the Steelers being hurt, or it being it Denver, either. Sure they are factors, but this guy has proven throughout this year he finds ways to win in certain situations. This may be the only time I will be hardcore rooting for Tebow. Is anyone really going to root for New England outside of Pats fans? How hilarious would it be if Tebow (after already losing to New England this year) comes into Foxboro and ends their season making it an one and done for New England three years in a row and seeing Brady's stupid face confused and upset? I know I would love it. I don't think it will happen, though. Patriots are too tough offensively and although their defense isn't the strongest, their run defense is better than their pass. And Bellichick was successful with his strategy against Tebow last time. So I will continue my pattern of doubting Tebow. Only this time I really hope he proves me wrong. Pats win.

Prediction: Denver: 13 New England: 27

Houston @Baltimore (Sunday, 1:00 pm)

I was impressed by Houston last week. Their defense showed up and frustrated Dalton all day. They got 3 picks from him and were able to maintain a stable lead the entire game on Cinci. Good for them and their first ever playoff win. Unfortunately I see that streak coming to an end this week. Ravens are out for something to prove this year. They have always been contenders but in a way have fallen second fiddle to Pittsburgh in the past. This year is different. They sent a message week 1 when they blew out the Steelers, they have had some signature wins this season, and now the AFC is wide open for them to take. Even Joe Flacco has something to prove and wants some props. I like how this team finished the season too. Aside from the San Diego loss, they won 6 of their last 7 in relatively easy fashion. That, along with the game being in Baltimore, makes me think Houston has a chance unless Foster somehow runs for 200+ yards.

Prediction: Houston: 10 Baltimore: 21

On the NFC:

New Orleans @San Francisco (Saturday, 4:30pm)

Flaccer. 

This one was the toughest game to pick as you could imagine. I like both of these teams a lot. They are opposites in a way too. Saints have an unstoppable offense, 49ers have a dominating defense. It's a matter of who's strength is better. The Saints are coming into this game as 4 point favorites, but I can't be so sure about it. Guys like Aldon Smith and Patrick Willis will need to have huge days for San Fran. Alex Smith will also need to play mistake free football, which he has been doing all year. That is a major factor in their success. The 49ers have allowed only 1 runningback to gain over 100 yards rushing this year. I think the Saints will get their first real scare facing a lot of pass pressure as well. The 49ers won't stop Brees and the Saints, that's a given, but containing them is a possibility. If the 49ers can do that, along with the home crowd behind them, I think they can pull it off. I'll go with the mini upset here, and say San Fran takes it.

Prediction: New Orleans: 20 San Francisco: 23

New York @Green Bay

Their last match up earlier in the year was great. Very exciting right to the end. The Giants showed they can compete with the best of them. I like the Giants right now, I think they are finding themselves at the right time. They essentially shut out the Falcons last week with not allowing an offensive score. Their offense got off to a slow start, but then sure enough, we saw a ridiculous Hakeen Nicks touchdown. With their talented offense, and Green Bay's lack of defense, I don't see moving the ball downfield to be a problem. One thing to remember for New York Giants, though, is that they haven't left Metlife Stadium in over a month. (I don't count the Jets game as a true away game). They've been pretty comfortable in the same spot and going to Lambeau this time of year is never easy, let alone facing a 15-1 team. Giants Defensive End  Jason Pierre-Paul seemed to have guaranteed a victory earlier in the week, but then has kind of backed off with it, for good reason. There's no doubt the Giants offense is capable when they're at their best to be right there with the Packers, but there is doubt in their ability to stop Rodgers when it counts. He's just too good. I'm rooting for another exciting end like last time, but when I think it's all said and done, Green Bay is coming out as a winner. 

Prediction: New York: 27 Green Bay: 35 (Sunday, 4:30 pm)

Hopefully I'm a little better in my predictions this week. After looking at it, I noticed that I actually picked all four home teams. This didn't really have anything to do with the fact that all four won last week either, just found it interesting. 

Serious Business: Part One

by Dan Greco

Follow @DVGreco

Serious Business is a two-part segment about some real shady stuff. Go ahead and put your conspiracy cap on for this one. Part Two next week...

In 1969, the Ford Motors team, led by CEO Lee Iacocca, used a cost-benefit analysis to calculated the value of life (in their eyes).  In an effort to penetrate the compact car market, Ford mass-produced 12.5 million vehicles called the Pinto prior to testing it.  The Pinto failed 37/40 crash tests due to a flaw in the location of the gas tank, which caused the vehicle to become engulfed in flames in almost every event of a rear collision. Ford used the cost-benefit analysis to determine if they should fix the location of the tank or not.  Ford estimated the number of deaths, injuries, and vehicle damages then multiplied it by the victim benefit estimates provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.  When compared to the cost to fix each vehicle’s gas bladder ($11), Ford found it was $88 million cheaper to leave the Pinto as it was.

Benefit:               (180 deaths)($200,000) + (180 injuries)($67,000) + (2,100 vehicles)($700) = $49.5 million

Cost:                      (12.5 million cars and trucks)($11) = $137.5 million

                The Pinto caused 27 deaths from gas tank explosions before it was recalled.  In the case Grimshaw vs Ford Motor Co., 13 year old Richard Grimshaw was awarded $6 million in cumulative compensatory and punitive damages after being severely burned and watching his mother perish in front of him.  I’m unsure if the cost-benefit analysis worked after the lawsuits from the injuries and casualties derived from the Pinto’s flaws, but the point of this example was to point out how big business thinks. If it weren’t for a Ford engineer whistleblowing, this car would have been a recall just like any other car with a problem (although it’s significantly more tragic). 

                The only difference between big business and big government is that the government has the strength, size, and wealth to conceal anything they wish with no third party regulating agencies like the BBB or FDA.  I like to think of the American government like a spider web.  The outside is thin, lined with local governments, and somewhat penetrable.  Moving towards the center is the state governments and the center being the federal government that is the foundation of our nation’s dominance.  The principle: No one can get through and no information gets out. All you have to be is rational: put yourself in the shoes of our nations leaders (how do we create jobs? Increase GDP?), but many people don’t care. If you are one of those people, feel free to stop reading now and continue believing everything you hear.  

                My Theory: if something makes perfect business sense (creates more revenue), and there is no visible way for the public to prove that the revenue stream is illegal, unethical, or wrong, the business will take advantage.  To quote one of my favorite movies, “What mama don’t know, won’t hurt her,” (Coach Kline, Waterboy) and in this case “mama” is the United States public. The question is…what don’t we know?

Culture Shock Is Only a Click Away

by Colin Walker

Follow @ColinWalker13

Colin Walker is a graduate assistant at Central Michigan University and a former classmate of ours at Marist College. His independent study, The Effect of Social Media on Intracultural Shock, is part of what Don't Get Lazy is all about. Please give the article a read and leave some feedback for Colin.

         Two years ago, I received a tremendous offer to become a graduate teaching assistant at Central Michigan University. Six months later I moved from Syracuse, New York to Mount Pleasant, Michigan. I thought I would be able to adjust without any problems, but I did not take into account the cultural differences between the two places. I failed to do enough research about the area prior to moving, resulting in a lack of understanding about it. I felt I had made a mistake, but realized it was a learning experience as well. This event inspired an ongoing study into what this culture shock is and how to potentially overcome it.

            Everyday people interact with one another, but what occurs when they are from different groups?  Groups are a social identity for individuals to associate with one another, and they create multiple sectors within a culture. Some of these sectors cross over with one another when an individual associates with multiple groups.

            “A group is perfectly stable only when no new information enters the group and everyone in the group knows everything that anyone else in the group knows” (Carley, p. 332, 1991). This requires a large amount of communication involving different media channels. The media can create confusion by introducing a high volume of information, whether true or false, to groups at a high rate. This can potentially besmirch  a group’s identity. Groups take pride in their distinctiveness from one another and, as a result, an in-group bias is created. People may not believe their groups have a bias. But when you are trying to get together with friends, are there certain ones you call first? Are there particular events you may not tell specific people about? It is something we all do, but it’s motivated by psychological and social factors.

The Trek Trek

by Paul Zurheide

Follow @PaulZurheide

STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES

Part II: Shatner tries to outact Shatner, Nemoy declared winner.

       I'm going to start with the most basic question of all. What is Star Trek? On a large scale, Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) is the many stories and adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew on and off of the Starship Enterprise during their five year mission. The Enterprise is one of only a few of the top line of starships in Star fleet. It takes place centuries in our own future, when first contact with alien life has long since been made, and space travel has become common for us. We have joined a union of planets known as The Federation of Planets. Star fleet is their exploratory/military faction, similar to our own Navy. On the smaller scale though, at it's heart, Star Trek is the story of three men whose only similarity is their loyalty and friendship to one another. These three, and a few others in the crew have to deal with hopeless situations, unimaginable problems, and various issues that often blur the line between good and evil.

        That being said, do not think that Star Trek TOS is too involved, or is in anyway difficult or confusing to watch, that it most certainly is not. There's not even an introductory episode for these guys. We just jump right in on an already established story. The plot of one episode will not effect the others. Each episode is it's own contained story. Our heroes of the Enterprise travel down onto some planet, or someone visits their ship and there's some sort of catastrophe. Some time, roughly forty-five minutes later, and after a series of dramatic pauses from William Shatner, that catastrophe is solved and over. Sometimes these story lines are intelligent and imaginative. Sometimes they're tragic and emotional. Sometimes though, well... not so much.