User:Redbird294

I'm the Redbird. I enjoy reading the articles on Wikipedia, and I'll add new ones for the folks to add stuff to as I go along. I try to add information on the stuff I actually know something about.

My interests, as they pertain to Wikipedia, are mathematics, sports, and computer science. These also happen to be some of my actual interests :)

I also enjoy watching Rudi Bakhtiar of Headline News. I think she's gorgeous. From the size of the Yahoo group devoted to Rudi, I'm not the only one!

I'm currently in graduate school at ISU, studying mathematics, primarily statistics, number theory, and mathematical computer science. My undergraduate minors were in english and philosophy. As you can see, I like working both sides of my brain.

Stuff I specialize in:

• Cable news networks: I don't necessarily watch it for the news, although it's great to be informed about the happenings of the world....as long as Kiran Chetry is informing me.
• Sports: The majority of my edits and contributions have been in baseball, basketball, and football...not that I'm limiting myself.
• College football rivalries: It's part of what makes college football great. The BCS, however, is not. It's time for a playoff, folks. NOW.
• Theoretical computer science, discrete mathematics: For those a bit more mathematically inclined, check out the great sections on computational complexity and Big-O notation.
• South Suburbs of Chicago: I'm very familiar with the area, and I try to lend my expertise here when I can.
• The Run and Shoot offense: It hasn't been seen in the NFL since Atlanta and Detroit got rid of it, but it's one of the best offensive systems ever created--right up there with the wishbone offense, the flexbone offense, and the West Coast offense.

Stuff I have an interest in, and may soon add to my specialization:

• Television shows
• comedy movies
• porn (hey, at least I'm honest)
• chemistry and physics
• boolean algebra and logic

Why Redbird294?

It's simple. I'm a student at Illinois State University, and its mascot is a Redbird, which is another name for Cardinal, like the St. Louis Cardinals, my favorite baseball team. The 294 part comes from Interstate 294, which runs close to my home in the south suburbs of Chicago.

My infatuation with Cable News

I watch quite a bit of cable news. In fact, maybe I watch too much. When I'm at home, I usually watch Fox News Channel, and maybe a bit of CNN. I consider myself a hardcore FNC watcher, though. On occasion, I've been known to watch MSNBC, but primarily just to stare at Amy Robach. I'm currently writing a parody of cable news networks, and I'm about halfway finished with it. More on this as it gets completed.

What I think of the cable news networks

MSNBC: The network that needs the most help. They don't have an identity. No sizzle, no "wow factor." Yes, they've got pretty faces (Amy Robach, Contessa Brewer, etc.) but no real reason for anyone to watch them over their competitors. Right now, I tune in to see Amy, then watch Hardball....that's about it. It's a shame they got rid of Bianca Solorzano, and Laurie Jennings went back to Miami to do network news again. I'll miss both of them....but at least Amy's still there!

CNN: Although they don't want to say it, CNN is in the same boat as MSNBC. They had an identity, then lost it. Now, they've revamped themselves and came up with a new slogan--"More Americans Trust CNN." Yes, that's true--more people do watch CNN, but people watch Fox News for longer periods of time. Once again, some nice looking ladies, but not as many as MSNBC.

Fox News: Yes, they've got a certain conservative slant to their news, but they've got the market cornered when it comes to lip-glossed newsbabes. Their roster is deep, and when you've got Page Hopkins on the second string, the bench is pretty loaded. So many blondes, not enough air time. They plucked Martha MacCallum from CNBC and turned her into an infobabe too. Why do I get the feeling that if given the chance, Rudi Bakhtiar would jump ship to Fox News? Come on, they've got Kiran Chetry! This isn't fair, folks. Fox News is so loaded with hot news women, Kiran Chetry is on the bench, albeit the first one off the bench.

My infatuation with Rudi Bakhtiar

There's not much to this. I just think she's absolutely gorgeous. I watch her every evening without fail on CNN Headline News. But she's 37, and I'm 23. Not much hope in pursuing that. :(

My Favorite Newswomen

Rudi Bakhtiar: I can go on and on about this woman. What can I say? I doesn't matter what she wears, she looks good. I saw her the other day in her glasses, and....oh boy!

Kiran Chetry: My other favorite. She single-handedly turned leg crossing into an Olympic sport. It's too bad she's married already, 'cause she would probably have a line of guys around the corner, just waiting for a shot to be with her. She's extremely hot--I mean supermodel hot.

Juliet Huddy: She's hot, and she knows it. I can watch her all day with the sound down; it doesn't really matter what she says.

Amy Robach: Where the heck did MSNBC find her? Where can I get one?

Why I like the Designated Hitter rule

Every baseball fan has an opinion on whether or not to keep the designated hitter rule. Although my favorite team is in the National League, I like the DH. In fact, I think it should be used throughout baseball, not just in the American League. Pitchers batting is generally a waste of an out and my time as a fan in the stands. The guy is almost always batting 9th, and he usually does one of two things--strike out or sacrifice bunt. Opponents of the DH say it dilutes the game and lets pitchers throw inside with no retaliation. I think that since AL pitchers have to face 9 legitimate batters in a lineup and not 8, they have to work harder. They're only pitching once every five days--why give them a free out every time through the batting order? Edgar Martinez has made a career out of being a DH, and he's a great hitter. Take the DH out, and he has to sit the bench or retire, because he just can't play the field anymore. This is why I like the DH--take an easy out away from the lineup and put in a guy who can focus solely on hitting, just like a pitcher can focus solely on pitching. The first baseman isn't suddenly going to take the mound, is he? Then why have the ace pick up a bat? Anyway, that's my seventeen cents on the matter.