Twenty minutes to midnight on 12/31/08, and I'm bailing because I'm cold, exhausted, and cold.
Time to pull my pants up to my nipples and move to Florida.
Farewell, 2008. You kinda sucked.
Onward and upward!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Snow, Christmas, and Metallica
First of all, I apologize to anyone (all three of you) who might accidentally stop by this place looking for new content. This was another of my regular "dry spots", blog-wise, and I hope to get back on track in the coming days. No excuses this time around - mostly laziness, I guess. In my defense, though, I did change the layout of sonicplague.com, which I think is more user-friendly (especially the left-side links) and considerably less hideous than its predecessors. Not that I'll stop tinkering with it, though. And I'll probably screw it all up again, of course. Enjoy it while it lasts.
***
We were expecting some snow today, and we weren't disappointed. It started to fall at about 9:30 this morning, as I was headed up the street to the post office (which was a complete zoo, by the way). The ground was completely dry when I stepped outside my apartment, with a few flakes (big, fluffy ones) fluttering slowly to the ground. By the time I was finished waiting in line and started walking back to the apartment, the snow was sticking and the roads, sidewalks, and lawns were dusted. By the time I actually got back to my place (at about 10:15), it was pretty rough.
I've seen worse, of course, having grown up in Massachusetts. Last winter was pretty mild here, though, and the previous couple of winters were spent in Portland, Oregon, where snow is very rare (but enough to shut the city down for days on end). Though we only got maybe four or five inches in the end, this was probably the heaviest snowfall I've experienced in the last five years or so, so it was practically a new experience to me again.
One of the nice things about living in an apartment and not owning a home is that there's a grounds crew to (allegedly) take care of shoveling. Unfortunately, we didn't get any help until well after the snow stopped falling, so walking Joey was a bit of a treacherous endeavor ... but not nearly as treacherous as what Nicole had to go through.
Keep in mind that she works a little more than six miles away from the apartment, and on a normal day the drive is maybe 20 minutes, depending on traffic. She knew, via e-mail from her supervisor, that she could work from home if the weather was bad today, but when she left this morning at about 7 (as she does every day) the only noticeable weather condition was the cold temperature. She figured she'd go in for a couple of hours, then head home when the weather turned.
So I got home from the post office, and gave her a call to give her a head's-up that it was getting nasty out there. When she answered, she was in the Target parking lot, as she wanted to grab a couple of things before coming home. See you in half an hour, she said. I was going to walk Joey, I told her, and if she beat me home I'd be there soon. As Joey and I made our way through the neighborhood, the big fluffy flakes turned into small frozen darts, and the wind started picking up a bit.
Again, this was sometime between 10:15 and 10:30. Joey and I came back from our brisk and semi-slippery walk a little after 11. A little later, Nicole called my cell and said she was trying to get home but the weather was "terrifying", and she'd be at least another hour. Something else to keep in mind: we drive a normal, human sized automobile - a Mazda 3. Unlike, roughly, EVERYONE ELSE in this state, we don't have four wheel drive SUV to cart us around. We have a little, two-to-four person-friendly, mileage-happy little hatchback.
In the space of that hour, the storm took a dramatic turn for the worse, and there was not a plow to be seen. I spent a good amount of time looking out the window, fretting about the conditions, and wishing she could magically beam back to the apartment, Star Trek-style.
By the time she got through the door, we had a couple of inches of snow and it hadn't slowed up at all. She looked exhausted and worn out, and I was finally able to relax, knowing that she was home safely. We were both stressed out.
I've never really had to drive in the snow (always took the T in Boston, always walked or took the Max in PDX), so I don't know what it was like for her, but it couldn't have been fun and I didn't envy anyone caught off-guard by the fast-moving storm.
On the plus side, we were able to kick back and watch "The Thing" and a few episodes of "30 Rock" to kick off the weekend (via the greatest bit of technology to come into my life in the past couple of years: Netflix streaming on X-Box 360. Simply a remarkable service offered at no additional cost by two companies I already love.)
On the downside, though, is the timing of this weather pattern. Our plan was to head to Massachusetts on Saturday morning to visit my family for a couple of days, then to spend a couple of days at Nicole's parents' place. My mom, though, is still trying to get through cleanup of a messy ice-storm in Worcester, so it's all up in the air.
Long story short, the ice storm knocked her power out for days, and apparently there are still some electrical wires and pieces of tree down throughout her neighborhood. To make things worse, the branches, trunks, and whatever else apparently have to be specially removed (ground up, then ultimately incinerated, if I understand correctly) because parts of the city - including my mom's - are infested with Asian beetles. So she can't just expect the city to remove them the way it normally would.
Though her house itself avoided serious damage (no trees through windows or the roof, for instance), some cables of some sort are hanging perilously low over her driveway, and debris from the infested trees are (conceivably, according to my mom) going to block plows from getting her street cleaned off. Despite the blustery conditions here in New Jersey, Worcester is facing at least twice as much snow.
So who knows ... if we could, in fact, get to Worcester tomorrow, we might not be able to get to her house. And if we did, thanks to cables hanging low, we might not be able to park. And we can't leave the car on the street due to rules about snow parking.
And on top of that, there's another storm coming in on Sunday, too. What we thought would be a week-long "vacation" with family might be a condensed, seemingly non-stop road trip crammed into a couple of days. With the dog in the back seat, at that.
And now, who knows. It's all up in the air. At least we're not flying anywhere.
***
In more trivial news, Metallica.
I still can't believe they put out such an outstanding album, after almost twenty years of disappointment. And not only is the album great, the video for "All Nightmare Long" is a blast (though it has nothing to do with the song itself, which is somewhat distracting if you're trying to "follow along" somehow).
Zombies, Russian scientists, giant robots, and weather-control. Aces.
Further, there's a great entry over at Forgetomori about Tunguska, Russian science experiments, balloon bombs, and some of the other stuff used in the video as they relate to actual historical context. Cool stuff.
And then there's this newly released trailer for Guitar Hero: Metallica, for which I absolutely cannot wait.
Stay safe and warm, everyone!
***
We were expecting some snow today, and we weren't disappointed. It started to fall at about 9:30 this morning, as I was headed up the street to the post office (which was a complete zoo, by the way). The ground was completely dry when I stepped outside my apartment, with a few flakes (big, fluffy ones) fluttering slowly to the ground. By the time I was finished waiting in line and started walking back to the apartment, the snow was sticking and the roads, sidewalks, and lawns were dusted. By the time I actually got back to my place (at about 10:15), it was pretty rough.
I've seen worse, of course, having grown up in Massachusetts. Last winter was pretty mild here, though, and the previous couple of winters were spent in Portland, Oregon, where snow is very rare (but enough to shut the city down for days on end). Though we only got maybe four or five inches in the end, this was probably the heaviest snowfall I've experienced in the last five years or so, so it was practically a new experience to me again.
One of the nice things about living in an apartment and not owning a home is that there's a grounds crew to (allegedly) take care of shoveling. Unfortunately, we didn't get any help until well after the snow stopped falling, so walking Joey was a bit of a treacherous endeavor ... but not nearly as treacherous as what Nicole had to go through.
Keep in mind that she works a little more than six miles away from the apartment, and on a normal day the drive is maybe 20 minutes, depending on traffic. She knew, via e-mail from her supervisor, that she could work from home if the weather was bad today, but when she left this morning at about 7 (as she does every day) the only noticeable weather condition was the cold temperature. She figured she'd go in for a couple of hours, then head home when the weather turned.
So I got home from the post office, and gave her a call to give her a head's-up that it was getting nasty out there. When she answered, she was in the Target parking lot, as she wanted to grab a couple of things before coming home. See you in half an hour, she said. I was going to walk Joey, I told her, and if she beat me home I'd be there soon. As Joey and I made our way through the neighborhood, the big fluffy flakes turned into small frozen darts, and the wind started picking up a bit.
Again, this was sometime between 10:15 and 10:30. Joey and I came back from our brisk and semi-slippery walk a little after 11. A little later, Nicole called my cell and said she was trying to get home but the weather was "terrifying", and she'd be at least another hour. Something else to keep in mind: we drive a normal, human sized automobile - a Mazda 3. Unlike, roughly, EVERYONE ELSE in this state, we don't have four wheel drive SUV to cart us around. We have a little, two-to-four person-friendly, mileage-happy little hatchback.
In the space of that hour, the storm took a dramatic turn for the worse, and there was not a plow to be seen. I spent a good amount of time looking out the window, fretting about the conditions, and wishing she could magically beam back to the apartment, Star Trek-style.
By the time she got through the door, we had a couple of inches of snow and it hadn't slowed up at all. She looked exhausted and worn out, and I was finally able to relax, knowing that she was home safely. We were both stressed out.
I've never really had to drive in the snow (always took the T in Boston, always walked or took the Max in PDX), so I don't know what it was like for her, but it couldn't have been fun and I didn't envy anyone caught off-guard by the fast-moving storm.
On the plus side, we were able to kick back and watch "The Thing" and a few episodes of "30 Rock" to kick off the weekend (via the greatest bit of technology to come into my life in the past couple of years: Netflix streaming on X-Box 360. Simply a remarkable service offered at no additional cost by two companies I already love.)
On the downside, though, is the timing of this weather pattern. Our plan was to head to Massachusetts on Saturday morning to visit my family for a couple of days, then to spend a couple of days at Nicole's parents' place. My mom, though, is still trying to get through cleanup of a messy ice-storm in Worcester, so it's all up in the air.
Long story short, the ice storm knocked her power out for days, and apparently there are still some electrical wires and pieces of tree down throughout her neighborhood. To make things worse, the branches, trunks, and whatever else apparently have to be specially removed (ground up, then ultimately incinerated, if I understand correctly) because parts of the city - including my mom's - are infested with Asian beetles. So she can't just expect the city to remove them the way it normally would.
Though her house itself avoided serious damage (no trees through windows or the roof, for instance), some cables of some sort are hanging perilously low over her driveway, and debris from the infested trees are (conceivably, according to my mom) going to block plows from getting her street cleaned off. Despite the blustery conditions here in New Jersey, Worcester is facing at least twice as much snow.
So who knows ... if we could, in fact, get to Worcester tomorrow, we might not be able to get to her house. And if we did, thanks to cables hanging low, we might not be able to park. And we can't leave the car on the street due to rules about snow parking.
And on top of that, there's another storm coming in on Sunday, too. What we thought would be a week-long "vacation" with family might be a condensed, seemingly non-stop road trip crammed into a couple of days. With the dog in the back seat, at that.
And now, who knows. It's all up in the air. At least we're not flying anywhere.
***
In more trivial news, Metallica.
I still can't believe they put out such an outstanding album, after almost twenty years of disappointment. And not only is the album great, the video for "All Nightmare Long" is a blast (though it has nothing to do with the song itself, which is somewhat distracting if you're trying to "follow along" somehow).
Zombies, Russian scientists, giant robots, and weather-control. Aces.
Further, there's a great entry over at Forgetomori about Tunguska, Russian science experiments, balloon bombs, and some of the other stuff used in the video as they relate to actual historical context. Cool stuff.
And then there's this newly released trailer for Guitar Hero: Metallica, for which I absolutely cannot wait.
Stay safe and warm, everyone!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
NFL Week 12
Last week I lost Denver/Atlanta, lost New Orleans/KC, won Arizona/Seattle, won Tennessee/Jacksonville, and lost won re-lost Pittsburgh/San Diego. What a mess that was. An exciting mess, of course, but a mess nonetheless.
So I should have been 3-2, I ended up 2-3 (because of a blown call by the refs). I'd post my winnings/losings, fake-cash wise, but I think I messed up my math and I need to re-do it. I used to be an engineering student at BU, you know. I switched to Communications mid-way through, and now I can't do simple arithmetic. Seems about right. Anyway.
This week my picks are with Yahoo! odds as of 10:31 a.m. on Sunday morning.
There aren't a lot of games on the board that I feel strongly about this week, and my written justifications for picks in previous weeks prove to be too embarrassing, so let's go straight to the action and predict another 2-3 record for the week:
1. Washington (-3) vs. Seattle at Seattle (for $20)
2. NJ Giants (-3) vs. Arizona at Arizona (for $20)
3. NJ Jets vs. Tennessee (-5.5) at Tennessee (for $20)
4. Chicago (-7.5) vs. St. Louis at St. Louis (for $20)
5. San Francisco vs. Dallas (-9.5) at Dallas (for $20)
So I should have been 3-2, I ended up 2-3 (because of a blown call by the refs). I'd post my winnings/losings, fake-cash wise, but I think I messed up my math and I need to re-do it. I used to be an engineering student at BU, you know. I switched to Communications mid-way through, and now I can't do simple arithmetic. Seems about right. Anyway.
This week my picks are with Yahoo! odds as of 10:31 a.m. on Sunday morning.
There aren't a lot of games on the board that I feel strongly about this week, and my written justifications for picks in previous weeks prove to be too embarrassing, so let's go straight to the action and predict another 2-3 record for the week:
1. Washington (-3) vs. Seattle at Seattle (for $20)
2. NJ Giants (-3) vs. Arizona at Arizona (for $20)
3. NJ Jets vs. Tennessee (-5.5) at Tennessee (for $20)
4. Chicago (-7.5) vs. St. Louis at St. Louis (for $20)
5. San Francisco vs. Dallas (-9.5) at Dallas (for $20)
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Legion of Foreign Superheroes
My friend JD posted this clip of "Turkish Batman and Robin" on Facebook, and it reminded me of a bootleg Japanese Spiderman DVD I saw at a comic book show once. Sure enough, I found a clip on YouTube.
For your viewing pleasure (?), sit back, relax, and "enjoy" the following:
Turkish Batman and Robin:
Japanese Spiderman:
Indian Superman:
For your viewing pleasure (?), sit back, relax, and "enjoy" the following:
Turkish Batman and Robin:
Japanese Spiderman:
Indian Superman:
Sunday, November 16, 2008
NFL Week 11
Let's not talk about that Rams/Jets game last week. And though Miami won their game against the Seahawks, they didn't cover the spread. On the other hand, Atlanta won handily, Kansas City hung in and covered by a healthy margin, and the Giants held up their end of the bargain. A record of 3-2 with fake $20 per game earns me $20 more than I started with, which puts me up a whole FIVE DOLLARS through 10 weeks. But I'm out of the red, for now, and back with a positive balance.
Odds via Yahoo! at 9:20 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Denver at Atlanta (-6.5) at Atlanta for $20:
I wasn't sold on Denver when they were 4-1, and I'm not sold on them today vs. a surprisingly good, Matt Ryan-led Falcons team at home.
Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville for $20:
Jacksonville is 1-3 at home, and Tennessee is still undefeated. If the spread were larger, I might not be so inclined to make this pick, but I think the Titans can win by more than a field goal, and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that the Titans used to be the Houston Oilers.
San Diego vs. Pittsburgh (-5) at Pittsburgh for $20:
San Diego barely held on last week at home against the Chiefs. This week, they're on the road against a much, much better team. Even though they're only 6-3 and tied with the Ravens in the AFC North, and even though the Titans are still undefeated, if I had to pick - through 10 weeks - which team would win the AFC and go to the Superbowl, I think it would be the Steelers. They're experienced, tough, and gritty. Now that I've said that, watch Ben Roethlisberger get knocked out for the season today. Sorry, Pittsburgh!
New Orleans (-5.5) vs. Kansas City at Kansas City for $20:
Watching my fake money fly away ... goodbye, fake money! I'm taking the Chiefs, and here's why: they've lost their last three games by 4, 3, and 1 point against the Jets, Buccaneers, and Chargers - three very decent teams. They're playing well, with nothing to show for it. Plus, they're due for a win, and they're at home. This is the upset special for the week. All of the numbers would indicate the Saints' offense will roll over the Chiefs' defense, and maybe it will, but my gut tells me KC covers at the very least. Of course, my gut has led me to a .500 record so far, so what do I know. As a side note, my gut also likes donuts.
Arizona (-3) vs. Seattle at Seattle for $20:
I have to stop picking so many road teams. The spread is so small this week, though, and I think the Cardinals are so much better than the Seahawks in just about every way, shape, and form. So I gotta go with Arizona, right?
3-2, here I come!
Odds via Yahoo! at 9:20 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Denver at Atlanta (-6.5) at Atlanta for $20:
I wasn't sold on Denver when they were 4-1, and I'm not sold on them today vs. a surprisingly good, Matt Ryan-led Falcons team at home.
Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville for $20:
Jacksonville is 1-3 at home, and Tennessee is still undefeated. If the spread were larger, I might not be so inclined to make this pick, but I think the Titans can win by more than a field goal, and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that the Titans used to be the Houston Oilers.
San Diego vs. Pittsburgh (-5) at Pittsburgh for $20:
San Diego barely held on last week at home against the Chiefs. This week, they're on the road against a much, much better team. Even though they're only 6-3 and tied with the Ravens in the AFC North, and even though the Titans are still undefeated, if I had to pick - through 10 weeks - which team would win the AFC and go to the Superbowl, I think it would be the Steelers. They're experienced, tough, and gritty. Now that I've said that, watch Ben Roethlisberger get knocked out for the season today. Sorry, Pittsburgh!
New Orleans (-5.5) vs. Kansas City at Kansas City for $20:
Watching my fake money fly away ... goodbye, fake money! I'm taking the Chiefs, and here's why: they've lost their last three games by 4, 3, and 1 point against the Jets, Buccaneers, and Chargers - three very decent teams. They're playing well, with nothing to show for it. Plus, they're due for a win, and they're at home. This is the upset special for the week. All of the numbers would indicate the Saints' offense will roll over the Chiefs' defense, and maybe it will, but my gut tells me KC covers at the very least. Of course, my gut has led me to a .500 record so far, so what do I know. As a side note, my gut also likes donuts.
Arizona (-3) vs. Seattle at Seattle for $20:
I have to stop picking so many road teams. The spread is so small this week, though, and I think the Cardinals are so much better than the Seahawks in just about every way, shape, and form. So I gotta go with Arizona, right?
3-2, here I come!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
More Sonic, Less Plague
I finally updated my sonicplague.com jukebox. I collect a lot of live shows, so I thought it might be fun to grab a couple of live performances off of the stuff on my iPod (rather than go through my archived DVDs, for the sake of convenience). Then I started thinking about some of the great cover songs I've come across, and there you go. An instant, themed mini-collection. Check 'em out, if you're into that sort of thing.
1. The Black Crowes "Highway to Hell" (AC/DC) - If the Black Crowes are on the road on Halloween, they do a mini-set of covers prior to their headlining performance. The first time they did this, if I remember correctly, they went onstage as "Jelly Donut" and performed Elvis Presley songs. A couple of years ago they were The Bitch Boys and did Beach Boys covers (including a cringe-inducing version of the already cringe-inducing "Kokomo"). I should dig that one up again ... just so I can re-bury it. This is from their performance as "BC/DC" (in Chicago, I think?) Cool stuff!
2. The Sheila Divine "Killing Moon" (Echo and the Bunnymen) - I personally recorded this at the Middle East Downstairs when TSD opened for The Chameleons. The song had a bit of a resurgence thanks to the movie Donnie Darko, which had come out maybe a year or so before this version was recorded? It's the first of two EatB covers discovered on my iPod.
3. Tracy Bonham "Tired of Waiting" (The Kinks) - I also recorded this one, this time at the Kendall Cafe on a blustery winter night. Tracy should be much more famous than she is, and has a terrific catelog that extends far beyond "Mother, Mother". I think Green Day covered this as a b-side, too.
4. Faith No More "Glorybox" (Portishead) - I have absolutely no idea where this came from. For that matter, I have no idea where Mike Patton came from. Outer space somewhere, I suspect. Planet Awesome, perhaps. This is one of my favorite live covers of all time because it's so unexpected.
5. Dear Leader "Born to Run" (Bruce Springsteen) - Suggested repeatedly by my great friend Bill (who also is responsible for the recording), the band finally played it live. I wasn't there, unfortunately, but I've listened to the bootleg repeatedly. I love the audience's "Whoa!" at about 1:20 in. Lots of fun. More fun than actually living in New Jersey, that's for sure.
6. Buffalo Tom "Here Comes a Regular" (The Replacements) - I recorded this live at the Somerville Theater in 2001. One of my favorite bands, Buffalo Tom, led by one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Bill Janovitz, playing one of my favorite songs by one of my other favorite bands, the Replacements, and written by another one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Paul Westerberg. This is just such a beautiful song, and an amazing performance. Admittedly, I'm biased, but if you disagree with me, you're wrong. Sorry. You just are. I have a great Paul Westerberg story / show from a few years ago that I need to post sometime soon.
7. Guns N' Roses "Theme From The Godfather" - I'm a sucker for any Slash solo. I admire and respect what guys like Clapton and Eddie Van Halen have done, but if you ask me who my favorite guitarist is, Slash is the man. Perfect tone, amazing melodies ... I have no idea where this performance was recorded, either. I must have downloaded it somewhere.
8. Metallica - "Stone Cold Crazy" (Queen) - recorded in September 2008 in London, England, I believe. A friend of mine e-mailed me the .mp3. I don't know anything other than that about this particular performance. This was originally recorded in the studio for Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary compilation, but this is the only live version of which I'm aware.
9. Orbit - "Do It Clean" (Echo and the Bunnymen) - recorded at TT The Bear's on March 2001, around the time "XLR8R" was released, if I recall correctly.
1. The Black Crowes "Highway to Hell" (AC/DC) - If the Black Crowes are on the road on Halloween, they do a mini-set of covers prior to their headlining performance. The first time they did this, if I remember correctly, they went onstage as "Jelly Donut" and performed Elvis Presley songs. A couple of years ago they were The Bitch Boys and did Beach Boys covers (including a cringe-inducing version of the already cringe-inducing "Kokomo"). I should dig that one up again ... just so I can re-bury it. This is from their performance as "BC/DC" (in Chicago, I think?) Cool stuff!
2. The Sheila Divine "Killing Moon" (Echo and the Bunnymen) - I personally recorded this at the Middle East Downstairs when TSD opened for The Chameleons. The song had a bit of a resurgence thanks to the movie Donnie Darko, which had come out maybe a year or so before this version was recorded? It's the first of two EatB covers discovered on my iPod.
3. Tracy Bonham "Tired of Waiting" (The Kinks) - I also recorded this one, this time at the Kendall Cafe on a blustery winter night. Tracy should be much more famous than she is, and has a terrific catelog that extends far beyond "Mother, Mother". I think Green Day covered this as a b-side, too.
4. Faith No More "Glorybox" (Portishead) - I have absolutely no idea where this came from. For that matter, I have no idea where Mike Patton came from. Outer space somewhere, I suspect. Planet Awesome, perhaps. This is one of my favorite live covers of all time because it's so unexpected.
5. Dear Leader "Born to Run" (Bruce Springsteen) - Suggested repeatedly by my great friend Bill (who also is responsible for the recording), the band finally played it live. I wasn't there, unfortunately, but I've listened to the bootleg repeatedly. I love the audience's "Whoa!" at about 1:20 in. Lots of fun. More fun than actually living in New Jersey, that's for sure.
6. Buffalo Tom "Here Comes a Regular" (The Replacements) - I recorded this live at the Somerville Theater in 2001. One of my favorite bands, Buffalo Tom, led by one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Bill Janovitz, playing one of my favorite songs by one of my other favorite bands, the Replacements, and written by another one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Paul Westerberg. This is just such a beautiful song, and an amazing performance. Admittedly, I'm biased, but if you disagree with me, you're wrong. Sorry. You just are. I have a great Paul Westerberg story / show from a few years ago that I need to post sometime soon.
7. Guns N' Roses "Theme From The Godfather" - I'm a sucker for any Slash solo. I admire and respect what guys like Clapton and Eddie Van Halen have done, but if you ask me who my favorite guitarist is, Slash is the man. Perfect tone, amazing melodies ... I have no idea where this performance was recorded, either. I must have downloaded it somewhere.
8. Metallica - "Stone Cold Crazy" (Queen) - recorded in September 2008 in London, England, I believe. A friend of mine e-mailed me the .mp3. I don't know anything other than that about this particular performance. This was originally recorded in the studio for Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary compilation, but this is the only live version of which I'm aware.
9. Orbit - "Do It Clean" (Echo and the Bunnymen) - recorded at TT The Bear's on March 2001, around the time "XLR8R" was released, if I recall correctly.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Political Fallout
Part of me wishes that I was semi-famous, so that I had a substantial number of readers to piss off or preach to. As it is, I don't know how many people actually visit this site at all, or for what reasons. I don't have a site-counter. But I know Lincoln visits, though I'm not deserving to have him (given that he writes to me, and my intentions to write back never seem to come to fruition). I know I have one reader listed as a "follower" of this blog over on the blogspot side (comeaujim.blogspot.com, if you're not reading the FeedBurner version over on sonicplague.com). I know I've had a few people come over to download some of the bootlegs I've posted.
But other than that, I can't say for sure how far my admittedly (very) limited reach actually extends.
I say this because now that the election is over, I feel the urge to go outside somewhere with a bullhorn and tell some people to just GET OVER IT already! Instead, I use this space, hoping my words find ears somewhere.
President-Elect Barack Obama won the election cleanly, despite fears from some (mostly the frothing-at-the-mouth right wing talk radio crowd and, of course, the increasingly unreliable Drudge Report) that the whole ACORN issue would cause voter fraud. He won the popular vote by about eight million votes. In a country of 300+ million people, perhaps that doesn't seem like a lot. But it seems impressive to me, especially when one takes into consideration how it looks numerically: 8,000,000. That averages 160,000 per state (granted, state populations vary wildly, but you get the point).
In terms of the Electoral College, it was a landslide victory.
America voted. We saw democracy in action. And when the results came back unfavorably to some, what happened?
Suddenly, the sky fell. The world ended. America had a communist leader. And also a secret Muslim with an agenda to destroy the country.
When George W. Bush became President in January 2001, these same people were probably all too willing to ignore the fact that Al Gore won the popular vote. They probably turned a deaf ear to the discussion of issues concerning flaws in electronic voting machines, or with the Florida recount, or of Katherine Harris acting in her own party's best interests rather than tending to the actual will of the people. His "victory" was deemed to be a "mandate" of the American people. (In a twist of linguistic humor, I love how he's against gay marriage yet readily embraces a "mandate". Go figure.) He was re-elected in 2004, by only three million votes.
And yes, for the record, I realize that not all of John McCain's supporters, or those who voted for him simply because he's a Republican even if they didn't like him specifically as their candidate, or even those who claimed they would vote for him but didn't vote at all, are so vociferous in their disappointment that Obama will be our number 44. Many - the great majority, I suspect - understand that a popular vote will leave some disappointed. It's the nature of the beast.
But the Sean Hannitys of the world, the rabid right-wing bloggers ... they're a different breed. And they need to get over it.
They are the people who decided that those who dared question George W. Bush were un-American terrorist sympathizers. This is a time of war!, after all. How dare you?
Under these rules, the ones I did not define but apparently was subject to for daring to question a failure of a businessman and ultimate insider who was "elected" by an even slimmer margin under what can generously be defined as "unusual" circumstances and who, for eight years, did more to prove than disprove his public appearance of incompetence and wanted only to govern the half of the country that voted for him, everyone else be damned ...
Under THESE rules, can I now say that 57.5 million McCain voters are now "anti-American"? I mean, they voted against the President Elect, right? They disagree with the soon to be President Obama! You're either with us or against us, right? Why do they hate America so much?
But no, of course not. Because it's ridiculous. It's an absolutely ridiculous argument.
We, as Americans, are going to disagree. It's part of the political process. It's why our process, coarse and gravelly as it may be, still has the potential to be so wonderful.
It's a new day. It's a new start. But before he's even been inaugurated, there are websites that call to impeach him. There are Facebook groups echoing the sentiment.
Those who cling to some false ideal that we're living in an unrealistic "Leave It To Beaver" world that no longer exists (if, in fact, it ever did) and that Barack Obama is going to destroy it really need to calm down, turn off Fox News for a few minutes, and chill out a bit.
We got through eight years of George W. Bush. Something tells me we'll all survive Barack Obama, too.
I have great optimism that his Presidency will be a positive one, and that his youth and energy will serve our country well.
He's like a surgeon treating a patient who just came into the ER: he may not be able to fix everything instantly, but at least he'll try to stop the bleeding and stabilize the victim.
Speaking of #43, Nicole and I hadn't gone to the movies in a while so we decided to check out Oliver Stone's "W." while it's still in theaters.
It was incredibly, horribly, and disastrously boring.
It offered no insight and no perspective. I learned nothing.
It was bereft of sarcasm, wit, or humor. In fact, if anything, the movie was a sympathetic portrayal of our outgoing President. Essentially, Stone decided to hinge the entire film around Bush's relationship with his father, #41, while completely glossing over virtually every controversy to have emerged in the last eight years.
Despite an incredible cast of terrific actors (whose performances, I have to admit, were mostly impressive), I could not wait for the movie to end so I could leave the theater. Despite my joking around on the way into the theater, not realizing how poorly spent those two hours of my life would be, perhaps I would have been better off if I'd accidentally taken a seat inide the wrong theater for a showing of "High School Musical 3" or "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." My life might have been richer for the experience.
What I'm saying is, don't bother. Much like the last few years of W's actual presidency, I simply sat there hoping it would end sooner than later, and that as few people would die while watching it as possible.
John McCain's concession speech was gracious and well spoken, and I feel like the "old" John McCain - the one I compared to Smeagol before he turned into Gollum - came back, even if only for an instant.
THIS was the John McCain I knew and liked up until about a year ago. If THIS John McCain had run for President, he might have won.
I still think someone in the RNC "got to" him somehow, and made him say things during the campaign that he didn't actually believe and didn't feel comfortable saying. I still think Sarah Palin was foisted upon him. I still think he deserves a better legacy than the one he'll be left with, given that many will remember him for his poorly-run, fear-based campaign against Barack Obama.
I'm sure we'll never learn all of the details, but I'd love for him to write a tell-all memoir of how the 2008 election actually played out from his side. I think it would be illuminating.
Whereas there seems to be a legitimate, palpable hatred of Obama by some on the far-right, I don't think a similar view was ever shared by the left about John McCain. On a personal level, I was disappointed by him, and I think he resorted to taking liberties with the truth on more than an occasion or two, but I never hated the guy. If anything, I felt a degree of sympathy for the poor bastard.
But I don't feel too sorry for others on the right who have decided in the wake of defeat to eat their own. As an observer from the outside looking in on the Republican party, watching them all blame everyone else is terrific entertainment. I wouldn't have thought twice about the allegations that Sarah Palin didn't know that Africa was a continent and not a country except that it was reported by Fox News. It may not be true, but it's a lot funnier to think that it is. And nobody will admit to responsibility for her wardrobe, either. The McCain campaign and the RNC both blame each other.
Some on the right even say that McCain lost because he wasn't conservative enough. So naturally, instead of voting for him, they decided to vote for "the most liberal Senator in history" instead?" Sure, why not ... if that's what you want to go with, guys, good luck.
And feel free to run Palin back out there in 2012, too. That'll be hilarious.
A side note: I'm actually starting to like Shepard Smith. I used to dislike him immensely, but he's actually grown on me a bit. Shep, my apologies - mostly.
From the (almost) "better late than never" collection:
"10 Sci-Fi Alternatives to Obama/McCain 08" (I'm particularly fond of Zod08)
Obama Headlines - 11/05/2008
Boston.com's "Big Picture" gallery of Obama photos
Change.gov
But other than that, I can't say for sure how far my admittedly (very) limited reach actually extends.
I say this because now that the election is over, I feel the urge to go outside somewhere with a bullhorn and tell some people to just GET OVER IT already! Instead, I use this space, hoping my words find ears somewhere.
President-Elect Barack Obama won the election cleanly, despite fears from some (mostly the frothing-at-the-mouth right wing talk radio crowd and, of course, the increasingly unreliable Drudge Report) that the whole ACORN issue would cause voter fraud. He won the popular vote by about eight million votes. In a country of 300+ million people, perhaps that doesn't seem like a lot. But it seems impressive to me, especially when one takes into consideration how it looks numerically: 8,000,000. That averages 160,000 per state (granted, state populations vary wildly, but you get the point).
In terms of the Electoral College, it was a landslide victory.
America voted. We saw democracy in action. And when the results came back unfavorably to some, what happened?
Suddenly, the sky fell. The world ended. America had a communist leader. And also a secret Muslim with an agenda to destroy the country.
When George W. Bush became President in January 2001, these same people were probably all too willing to ignore the fact that Al Gore won the popular vote. They probably turned a deaf ear to the discussion of issues concerning flaws in electronic voting machines, or with the Florida recount, or of Katherine Harris acting in her own party's best interests rather than tending to the actual will of the people. His "victory" was deemed to be a "mandate" of the American people. (In a twist of linguistic humor, I love how he's against gay marriage yet readily embraces a "mandate". Go figure.) He was re-elected in 2004, by only three million votes.
And yes, for the record, I realize that not all of John McCain's supporters, or those who voted for him simply because he's a Republican even if they didn't like him specifically as their candidate, or even those who claimed they would vote for him but didn't vote at all, are so vociferous in their disappointment that Obama will be our number 44. Many - the great majority, I suspect - understand that a popular vote will leave some disappointed. It's the nature of the beast.
But the Sean Hannitys of the world, the rabid right-wing bloggers ... they're a different breed. And they need to get over it.
They are the people who decided that those who dared question George W. Bush were un-American terrorist sympathizers. This is a time of war!, after all. How dare you?
Under these rules, the ones I did not define but apparently was subject to for daring to question a failure of a businessman and ultimate insider who was "elected" by an even slimmer margin under what can generously be defined as "unusual" circumstances and who, for eight years, did more to prove than disprove his public appearance of incompetence and wanted only to govern the half of the country that voted for him, everyone else be damned ...
Under THESE rules, can I now say that 57.5 million McCain voters are now "anti-American"? I mean, they voted against the President Elect, right? They disagree with the soon to be President Obama! You're either with us or against us, right? Why do they hate America so much?
But no, of course not. Because it's ridiculous. It's an absolutely ridiculous argument.
We, as Americans, are going to disagree. It's part of the political process. It's why our process, coarse and gravelly as it may be, still has the potential to be so wonderful.
It's a new day. It's a new start. But before he's even been inaugurated, there are websites that call to impeach him. There are Facebook groups echoing the sentiment.
Those who cling to some false ideal that we're living in an unrealistic "Leave It To Beaver" world that no longer exists (if, in fact, it ever did) and that Barack Obama is going to destroy it really need to calm down, turn off Fox News for a few minutes, and chill out a bit.
We got through eight years of George W. Bush. Something tells me we'll all survive Barack Obama, too.
I have great optimism that his Presidency will be a positive one, and that his youth and energy will serve our country well.
He's like a surgeon treating a patient who just came into the ER: he may not be able to fix everything instantly, but at least he'll try to stop the bleeding and stabilize the victim.
Speaking of #43, Nicole and I hadn't gone to the movies in a while so we decided to check out Oliver Stone's "W." while it's still in theaters.
It was incredibly, horribly, and disastrously boring.
It offered no insight and no perspective. I learned nothing.
It was bereft of sarcasm, wit, or humor. In fact, if anything, the movie was a sympathetic portrayal of our outgoing President. Essentially, Stone decided to hinge the entire film around Bush's relationship with his father, #41, while completely glossing over virtually every controversy to have emerged in the last eight years.
Despite an incredible cast of terrific actors (whose performances, I have to admit, were mostly impressive), I could not wait for the movie to end so I could leave the theater. Despite my joking around on the way into the theater, not realizing how poorly spent those two hours of my life would be, perhaps I would have been better off if I'd accidentally taken a seat inide the wrong theater for a showing of "High School Musical 3" or "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." My life might have been richer for the experience.
What I'm saying is, don't bother. Much like the last few years of W's actual presidency, I simply sat there hoping it would end sooner than later, and that as few people would die while watching it as possible.
John McCain's concession speech was gracious and well spoken, and I feel like the "old" John McCain - the one I compared to Smeagol before he turned into Gollum - came back, even if only for an instant.
THIS was the John McCain I knew and liked up until about a year ago. If THIS John McCain had run for President, he might have won.
I still think someone in the RNC "got to" him somehow, and made him say things during the campaign that he didn't actually believe and didn't feel comfortable saying. I still think Sarah Palin was foisted upon him. I still think he deserves a better legacy than the one he'll be left with, given that many will remember him for his poorly-run, fear-based campaign against Barack Obama.
I'm sure we'll never learn all of the details, but I'd love for him to write a tell-all memoir of how the 2008 election actually played out from his side. I think it would be illuminating.
Whereas there seems to be a legitimate, palpable hatred of Obama by some on the far-right, I don't think a similar view was ever shared by the left about John McCain. On a personal level, I was disappointed by him, and I think he resorted to taking liberties with the truth on more than an occasion or two, but I never hated the guy. If anything, I felt a degree of sympathy for the poor bastard.
But I don't feel too sorry for others on the right who have decided in the wake of defeat to eat their own. As an observer from the outside looking in on the Republican party, watching them all blame everyone else is terrific entertainment. I wouldn't have thought twice about the allegations that Sarah Palin didn't know that Africa was a continent and not a country except that it was reported by Fox News. It may not be true, but it's a lot funnier to think that it is. And nobody will admit to responsibility for her wardrobe, either. The McCain campaign and the RNC both blame each other.
Some on the right even say that McCain lost because he wasn't conservative enough. So naturally, instead of voting for him, they decided to vote for "the most liberal Senator in history" instead?" Sure, why not ... if that's what you want to go with, guys, good luck.
And feel free to run Palin back out there in 2012, too. That'll be hilarious.
A side note: I'm actually starting to like Shepard Smith. I used to dislike him immensely, but he's actually grown on me a bit. Shep, my apologies - mostly.
From the (almost) "better late than never" collection:
"10 Sci-Fi Alternatives to Obama/McCain 08" (I'm particularly fond of Zod08)
Obama Headlines - 11/05/2008
Boston.com's "Big Picture" gallery of Obama photos
Change.gov
Saturday, November 08, 2008
NFL Week 10
Last week I had a winning record!
Tampa won but didn't cover, and the Jets beat the Bills for my two losses.
Detroit lost by four, but I picked them to cover, so that was a win. Atlanta shut out Oakland. The Eagles won by plenty against the Seahawks. And Sen. Obama became the President Elect.
So I went 3-2 with a big bonus pick. At twenty bucks a game, I netted only $20 for the week, but given my recent performance, I'll take it. Through nine weeks, I'm now only $15 down.
Yahoo odds as of 6:30 p.m. on Saturday lead me to the following picks:
St. Louis vs. New Jersey Jets (-8.5) at New Jersey for $20:
St. Louis is due for a win, and New Jersey is due for a loss. Perhaps this isn't the week this will happen, but my gut tells me the Rams can cover at the very least.
New Jersey Giants vs. Philadelphia (-3) at Philly for $20:
I'm a sucker for road teams and defending Superbowl Champs, I guess.
Seattle vs. Miami (-8) at Miami for $20:
When was the last time Miami was favored by that many points? I'll take 'em anyway.
New Orleans vs. Atlanta (-1.5) at Atlanta for $20:
Sure, why not. Whenever I try to explain my picks, the exact opposite result occurs. So I'll just pick and keep my mouth shut.
Kansas City vs. San Diego (-14.5) at San Diego for $20:
KC lost its last two games, but the scores were pretty close. The Chargers have also lost its last two. The spread is just too big to pass up.
Tampa won but didn't cover, and the Jets beat the Bills for my two losses.
Detroit lost by four, but I picked them to cover, so that was a win. Atlanta shut out Oakland. The Eagles won by plenty against the Seahawks. And Sen. Obama became the President Elect.
So I went 3-2 with a big bonus pick. At twenty bucks a game, I netted only $20 for the week, but given my recent performance, I'll take it. Through nine weeks, I'm now only $15 down.
Yahoo odds as of 6:30 p.m. on Saturday lead me to the following picks:
St. Louis vs. New Jersey Jets (-8.5) at New Jersey for $20:
St. Louis is due for a win, and New Jersey is due for a loss. Perhaps this isn't the week this will happen, but my gut tells me the Rams can cover at the very least.
New Jersey Giants vs. Philadelphia (-3) at Philly for $20:
I'm a sucker for road teams and defending Superbowl Champs, I guess.
Seattle vs. Miami (-8) at Miami for $20:
When was the last time Miami was favored by that many points? I'll take 'em anyway.
New Orleans vs. Atlanta (-1.5) at Atlanta for $20:
Sure, why not. Whenever I try to explain my picks, the exact opposite result occurs. So I'll just pick and keep my mouth shut.
Kansas City vs. San Diego (-14.5) at San Diego for $20:
KC lost its last two games, but the scores were pretty close. The Chargers have also lost its last two. The spread is just too big to pass up.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Election Day
To turn on CNN, or local TV stations, or to (shudder) check what the Drudge headlines say, one might think that casting a ballot in today's election will result in long lines, huge delays, and possible physical altercations. I can't say that other people in other locations may not face these, among others, as possibilities, but I can say that my trip to the voting station set up in the firehouse in my district was quick and painless.
Given that this was my first time as a New Jersey voter, I had no idea what to expect in terms of turnout, parking, etc., I decided to take my iPod and walk down to the station, which only takes 20 minutes or so. When I arrived at approximately 8:30 this morning, there was no line outside. The firetrucks were parked across the street, and plentiful signs indicated that the booths had been open since 6:00.
One of the (few) benefits of living in the suburbs, especially in a town like Morristown, is that the population is relatively small. I'm a big-city kind of guy, personally, and prefer the hustle and bustle of crowds. I never minded the T stations being packed in Boston, and never had a problem with the phalanx of umbrellas I might encounter while crossing the streets in Portland. But here, it's different. There are a lot fewer people, and/or I hit the polls at just the right time.
From the time I walked through the front door to the time I walked back out, I was inside maybe ten minutes. I brought my voter registration card just in case, but they found me on their voter list almost immediately. I turned around and walked into the curtained voting booth all of eight feet behind the check-in table, and made my picks, knowing full well that New Jersey is apparently going to strongly vote Obama anyway, regardless of my choice.
Here's the thing, though - the one thing that I really, really hate about polls and the influence they could conceivably have prior to the one poll that actually counts:
What if voters stay home, because they think their candidate has such a big lead in the pre-election polling, and the candidate not favored to win comes out on top? Every vote does count, even if only to cement and secure an outcome. And, if nothing else, there is an odd sense of satisfaction and pride that comes with simply making a selection. For better or worse, our voices get heard. In a country like this, in a democracy like ours, that's the whole point, isn't it?
That said, I think constructive changes could be made to the process. I would advocate any/all of the following:
1. Oregon, for instance, allows voting by mail, which provides for privacy (in the home) and convenience (no waiting in lines, just dropping a ballot in a collection box).
2. Not all states have "early voting" - I don't understand why not. I think everyone was pretty tired of non-stop election coverage these past few weeks, and it's been especially painful in the last few days prior to election day. The news can make a big deal about the undecideds all they want, but about 90+ percent of voters already knew who they were going to vote for well before today. Why make them wait? Sure, some bombshell might drop in the last remaining hours to make someone who'd already cast a ballot change their mind, but seriously - what are the odds?
3. I prefer this one, myself: Make federal election day (by law, the Tuesday following the first Monday in November) a national holiday. Everyone gets the day off from work, and we all go vote. According to the Wikipedia link I provided, John Conyers (D-MI) has introduced a bill that would do just that. I think it's a great idea. (Also, the Monday after the Super Bowl. Someone get to work on that one, too.)
Watching the polls over the past week or so left me repeatedly asking myself: mere days left in an important, wall-to-wall covered election, and there are still undecideds? HOW? Seriously, these guys are (pardon the obvious unintended racial implications) as different as night and day! One or the other! Come on, now! My goodness. These are the people I hate getting stuck behind at an ice cream counter. "Can I try the strawberry? Can I try the pistachio? Can I try the strawberry again?"
Then I wipe the tear from my eye ...
So what of my vote? I think it's obvious where my political beliefs lie. I say beliefs, rather than loyalties, because despite what people like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity might say, I consider myself an American first, and a liberal second.
I have had enough of hearing that I am a socialist, or a communist, or that I'm not "putting country first", whatever that means.
I love my country, imperfect as it is. I showed up to vote today. This is a democracy. I can think of nothing more truly American, nothing more patriotic, nothing that "puts country first" more than voting. If they don't like who I'm voting for, fine. Perhaps they should do a better job of trying to convince people why their candidate is better suited for the office instead of complaining about the personal choice that I have made.
But to them, I'm a socialist. I'm a communist.
Yes, I believe in universal healthcare. I believe it is a basic human right to receive medical attention when it is warranted, no matter one's income or social status.
Oh, but that's socialist!
But name-calling doesn't make people healthier, does it? According to this CNN article, almost 45 million people don't have health care coverage. Unreal. It doesn't suit my conscience well to know that someone who works hard at Wal-Mart, for instance, could fall on some ice, break a bone, and be responsible for hundreds of dollars worth of fees. And I don't even want to think about what happens if someone gets cancer.
According to WalMartWatch.com, "Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the United States, with over 1.3 million associates, yet they fail to give health insurance to 54 percent of its employees."
That's sickening to me.
Remember the big to-do in the debate when John McCain accused Barack Obama of wanting to fine companies for not providing health care to their employees? THIS is EXACTLY what Obama was talking about - for political reasons, I understand why Obama didn't specifically say "I'm talking about companies like Wal-Mart", but he SHOULD have said it to drive the point home.
That's one of the many things that, over time, it became apparent to me that John McCain didn't understand. It's one of the many, many reasons I found Obama to be the superior candidate.
I had many other problems with McCain, of course.
For all the accusations of "flip-flopping" thrown at John Kerry in 2004, McCain has absolutely skated by his own obvious changes of heart in this election cycle. He would do well to remember this every time he complains about media bias. He largely got a free pass on his dramatic reversals on two key issues: abortion rights and President Bush's tax cuts. To his credit, Obama chose to dwell on his own ideas and concentrating on his own strengths, but he could have easily chosen to demonstrate via Rove-ian negative ads just how severely McCain's opinions have shifted.
McCain, on the other hand, jumped from topic to topic, whenever some relatively insignificant "controversy" was created by Drudge, or Fox News, or conservative radio. As far as I can see, though, he never really gave an adequate, clear representation of what he himself wanted to do. More often than not, he seemed content to focus on why Obama shouldn't be president rather than why he should. I think voters, to their credit, finally got sick of that, after eight years of nonsense from the usual suspects.
Bill Ayers has not been in the public eye in decades. He's a non-factor in policy in every way, shape, and form. Granted, perhaps I'm naive in as much as I was born after his involvement with the Weathermen. But to pin his actions to Obama? Weak.
Jeremiah Wright? Don't like Rev. Wright? Fine, don't vote for him for President. I voted for Barack Obama, not Rev. Wright. In fact, and I've stated this previously on this blog, I'm still waiting for a candidate to pander to ME, the secular liberal.
A side note: If there's any position on which I disagree with Sen. Obama, it's this one. While I respect his religious beliefs, he would be an even better candidate in my eyes if he were to just say, 'You know what? Religion doesn't provide our troops armor and ensure their safety. Religion doesn't fill our potholes and keep our bridges strong and safe. Religion doesn't pay off our debts.' And then just leave it alone. No religion, no religious issues. Done and done. Further, and this came up in the VP debate, is the issue of gay marriage, which Senator Biden said that he (and Obama) is against. He spoke of allowing benefits such as visitation rights to sick partners, but that's not good enough for me.
If I were a candidate, I'd say that I believed strongly in gay rights, and that a homosexual couple should be allowed to marry just as any heterosexual couple can. Tradition, schmadition. Tradition used to dicate that a dowry was exchanged when a marriage was to take place. We get along just fine with that change, don't we? Who am I - what right do I have - to say that two people who love each other and are committed to each other can't marry? It's simply not right, in my opinion.
And the argument that it "cheapens" marriage to everyone else is bullshit. If two other people getting married somehow changes the way you feel about your own spouse, perhaps you shouldn't have been married in the first place. And frankly, that would seem appropriate ... where does the 50% divorce rate come into play, as far as "tradition" is concerned?
Gay marriage: yes. I'm all for it. I'm straight, and I love my wife. My relationship is not intimidated by the relationship(s) of others.
McCain should also be questioned regarding his selection of the vacuous Sarah Palin as his running-mate.
Something about this still seems off to me ... I wrote about this before, and I thought it seemed a little too conspiratorial then (but less so now), but I'm not sure McCain wanted her. Many others have speculated that he actually wanted to pick Joe Lieberman (who would have had the distinction of losing the Vice Presidency for two different political parties), and in retrospect he probably should have chosen Mitt Romney (who - and I say this as a former resident of Massachusetts - I still think is a fraud). I don't like him, either, but he would have given McCain a strategic advantage by having a "business guy" campaigning with him.
Why do I mention this, obvious as it is? Because the John McCain we see now is not the same John McCain the country got to know eight years ago. I liked that version, even if I disagreed with it. The current version, on the other hand, is too cranky and seemingly mean-spirited.
I can't prove this, of course, but I think McCain was sold a losing bill of goods by the controlling Republican think-tank that really didn't want him to be their candidate anyway. Meaning: Rove, Cheney, the Project for the New American Century cabal, and others that may have gotten its claws into the current Bush administration. Fox News had branded Rudy Giuliani "America's Mayor" and seemed intent to push him as the Republican candidate succeeding George W. Bush prior to the primaries, for instance. I don't think the Republican leadership thought McCain would end up winning over the voters.
But somehow they got to McCain and convinced him that he needed to follow their blueprint to maintain the White House. McCain, who was opposed by the religious right at first (and never seemed to be much of a religious guy to begin with), suddenly started receiving endorsements from prominent religious types, which I don't think would have happened had he not started playing ball with these guys.
Again, maybe this is all crazy talk, but it seems to fit to me.
Believing that he needed their help to win, the "maverick" followed their lead. The flip-flopping started. Suddenly he was anti-abortion rights. Then Sarah Palin showed up out of nowhere. And the real mud-slinging began.
McCain never seemed comfortable with this approach to me, which is why Palin became even more prominent. The bulldog with lipstick had no reservations about what she was saying, and, in fact, seemed to enjoy throwing a good smear out there once in a while (and by once in a while, I mean every time she opens her mouth at a rally).
Another side note: I hadn't heard that amazingly offensive and insensitive Palin joke until a couple of days ago, when my good friend Bryan (who loves a good offensive joke as much as anyone) mentioned that even he couldn't repeat it on-line. And if HE couldn't repeat it, I knew it had to be pretty bad. I googled it based on his hints, and sure enough, it was just ... wow. Serious wow. And even surer than sure enough, my brother texted it to me without hesitation or regret hours later.
And no, I'm not going to repeat it here, either.
So Palin, who doesn't understand the issues well enough to have an intelligent conversation about them, became the attack dog for an uncomfortable old man whom his own party voted for but didn't really want. And the discomfort grew, and it became anger. And then their followers became uncomfortable and angry, and we all know how their campaign stops became ... uncomfortable and agry - sometimes in horrible, horrible ways.
"Vote McCain, not Hussein!"
Really? Really, that's what you're offering? That's what's going to earn you the White House? I certainly hope America is smarter than that.
And now, once again, it has resulted in people who aren't voting for McCain/Palin being called socialists, communists, traitors, treasonous, and even worse. And Sen. Obama, well, he's a secret Muslim, to boot.
The GOP and Fox News can claim all they want that it's been the same coming from the left, but it really hasn't. The left and its supporters, while hardly perfect, haven't been nearly as vitriolic or venomous as those on the right, at least as I see it. Perhaps I'm blinded by my own political persuasions, but to me, it's not even close.
But I am glad it's almost over. This stage, at least.
There will be spin in the next few days. There will be talk of voter disenfranchisement, this time from the right. There will be attempts to use "voter fraud" as an excuse for certain states' outcomes (by those who don't realize the difference between registration and actual voting - not that I condone registration fraud, either, of course). There will be more name calling and mud slinging.
But it will be over. I hope we move forward.
I also hope that Obama wins with 51% of the vote or more, and that he wins at least 325 electoral college votes. Then, it's undeniable that the country has chosen, and that the decision is fairly definitive.
In a way, oddly, I hope Obama loses Ohio, too. Ohio is home of the greatest portion of the whole ridiculous ACORN controversy. If McCain can win Ohio, he can't whine about the "fraud" issue there, and how it somehow "tainted" the national results. It diminishes that argument to nearly nothing but dust blowing in the breeze.
I don't dislike John McCain - I don't want to dislike him, at least. A few weeks ago I reviewed the new Metallica record, and I compared Bob Rock to Grima Wormtongue.
I also offer that John McCain has been seduced by the power of the Presidency. It has become his Precious, and he has become its Gollum. Somewhere, deep inside, his Smeagol is trying to find its way back out. I hope it does, before it is destroyed. The John McCain I want to believe exists is a good and honorable man, and I certainly respect and admire his sacrifices for our country. The John McCain I've seen in the past few months, though, is a shell of that man, and that saddens me. It truly does.
I honestly think that McCain was forced into a position in which he had to say things he didn't want to say and do things he doesn't really believe in.
I also believe that Barack Obama has spoken from the heart, and believes that what he's saying, doing, and proposing is for the best of the country, and not just for himself and his party.
I hope he wins the Presidency tonight.
And if he does, I hope he understands that a lot of people like me are counting on him to keep his word.
This is about more than him, and it's about more than beating John McCain, and it's about more than fixing what George W. Bush has done. (Actually, it kind of is about fixing what George W. Bush has done, but whatever ;) )
The bottom line: no matter what the result is, I have done my part. I voted.
Did you?
Given that this was my first time as a New Jersey voter, I had no idea what to expect in terms of turnout, parking, etc., I decided to take my iPod and walk down to the station, which only takes 20 minutes or so. When I arrived at approximately 8:30 this morning, there was no line outside. The firetrucks were parked across the street, and plentiful signs indicated that the booths had been open since 6:00.
One of the (few) benefits of living in the suburbs, especially in a town like Morristown, is that the population is relatively small. I'm a big-city kind of guy, personally, and prefer the hustle and bustle of crowds. I never minded the T stations being packed in Boston, and never had a problem with the phalanx of umbrellas I might encounter while crossing the streets in Portland. But here, it's different. There are a lot fewer people, and/or I hit the polls at just the right time.
From the time I walked through the front door to the time I walked back out, I was inside maybe ten minutes. I brought my voter registration card just in case, but they found me on their voter list almost immediately. I turned around and walked into the curtained voting booth all of eight feet behind the check-in table, and made my picks, knowing full well that New Jersey is apparently going to strongly vote Obama anyway, regardless of my choice.
Here's the thing, though - the one thing that I really, really hate about polls and the influence they could conceivably have prior to the one poll that actually counts:
What if voters stay home, because they think their candidate has such a big lead in the pre-election polling, and the candidate not favored to win comes out on top? Every vote does count, even if only to cement and secure an outcome. And, if nothing else, there is an odd sense of satisfaction and pride that comes with simply making a selection. For better or worse, our voices get heard. In a country like this, in a democracy like ours, that's the whole point, isn't it?
That said, I think constructive changes could be made to the process. I would advocate any/all of the following:
1. Oregon, for instance, allows voting by mail, which provides for privacy (in the home) and convenience (no waiting in lines, just dropping a ballot in a collection box).
2. Not all states have "early voting" - I don't understand why not. I think everyone was pretty tired of non-stop election coverage these past few weeks, and it's been especially painful in the last few days prior to election day. The news can make a big deal about the undecideds all they want, but about 90+ percent of voters already knew who they were going to vote for well before today. Why make them wait? Sure, some bombshell might drop in the last remaining hours to make someone who'd already cast a ballot change their mind, but seriously - what are the odds?
3. I prefer this one, myself: Make federal election day (by law, the Tuesday following the first Monday in November) a national holiday. Everyone gets the day off from work, and we all go vote. According to the Wikipedia link I provided, John Conyers (D-MI) has introduced a bill that would do just that. I think it's a great idea. (Also, the Monday after the Super Bowl. Someone get to work on that one, too.)
Watching the polls over the past week or so left me repeatedly asking myself: mere days left in an important, wall-to-wall covered election, and there are still undecideds? HOW? Seriously, these guys are (pardon the obvious unintended racial implications) as different as night and day! One or the other! Come on, now! My goodness. These are the people I hate getting stuck behind at an ice cream counter. "Can I try the strawberry? Can I try the pistachio? Can I try the strawberry again?"
Then I wipe the tear from my eye ...
So what of my vote? I think it's obvious where my political beliefs lie. I say beliefs, rather than loyalties, because despite what people like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity might say, I consider myself an American first, and a liberal second.
I have had enough of hearing that I am a socialist, or a communist, or that I'm not "putting country first", whatever that means.
I love my country, imperfect as it is. I showed up to vote today. This is a democracy. I can think of nothing more truly American, nothing more patriotic, nothing that "puts country first" more than voting. If they don't like who I'm voting for, fine. Perhaps they should do a better job of trying to convince people why their candidate is better suited for the office instead of complaining about the personal choice that I have made.
But to them, I'm a socialist. I'm a communist.
Yes, I believe in universal healthcare. I believe it is a basic human right to receive medical attention when it is warranted, no matter one's income or social status.
Oh, but that's socialist!
But name-calling doesn't make people healthier, does it? According to this CNN article, almost 45 million people don't have health care coverage. Unreal. It doesn't suit my conscience well to know that someone who works hard at Wal-Mart, for instance, could fall on some ice, break a bone, and be responsible for hundreds of dollars worth of fees. And I don't even want to think about what happens if someone gets cancer.
According to WalMartWatch.com, "Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the United States, with over 1.3 million associates, yet they fail to give health insurance to 54 percent of its employees."
That's sickening to me.
Remember the big to-do in the debate when John McCain accused Barack Obama of wanting to fine companies for not providing health care to their employees? THIS is EXACTLY what Obama was talking about - for political reasons, I understand why Obama didn't specifically say "I'm talking about companies like Wal-Mart", but he SHOULD have said it to drive the point home.
That's one of the many things that, over time, it became apparent to me that John McCain didn't understand. It's one of the many, many reasons I found Obama to be the superior candidate.
I had many other problems with McCain, of course.
For all the accusations of "flip-flopping" thrown at John Kerry in 2004, McCain has absolutely skated by his own obvious changes of heart in this election cycle. He would do well to remember this every time he complains about media bias. He largely got a free pass on his dramatic reversals on two key issues: abortion rights and President Bush's tax cuts. To his credit, Obama chose to dwell on his own ideas and concentrating on his own strengths, but he could have easily chosen to demonstrate via Rove-ian negative ads just how severely McCain's opinions have shifted.
McCain, on the other hand, jumped from topic to topic, whenever some relatively insignificant "controversy" was created by Drudge, or Fox News, or conservative radio. As far as I can see, though, he never really gave an adequate, clear representation of what he himself wanted to do. More often than not, he seemed content to focus on why Obama shouldn't be president rather than why he should. I think voters, to their credit, finally got sick of that, after eight years of nonsense from the usual suspects.
Bill Ayers has not been in the public eye in decades. He's a non-factor in policy in every way, shape, and form. Granted, perhaps I'm naive in as much as I was born after his involvement with the Weathermen. But to pin his actions to Obama? Weak.
Jeremiah Wright? Don't like Rev. Wright? Fine, don't vote for him for President. I voted for Barack Obama, not Rev. Wright. In fact, and I've stated this previously on this blog, I'm still waiting for a candidate to pander to ME, the secular liberal.
A side note: If there's any position on which I disagree with Sen. Obama, it's this one. While I respect his religious beliefs, he would be an even better candidate in my eyes if he were to just say, 'You know what? Religion doesn't provide our troops armor and ensure their safety. Religion doesn't fill our potholes and keep our bridges strong and safe. Religion doesn't pay off our debts.' And then just leave it alone. No religion, no religious issues. Done and done. Further, and this came up in the VP debate, is the issue of gay marriage, which Senator Biden said that he (and Obama) is against. He spoke of allowing benefits such as visitation rights to sick partners, but that's not good enough for me.
If I were a candidate, I'd say that I believed strongly in gay rights, and that a homosexual couple should be allowed to marry just as any heterosexual couple can. Tradition, schmadition. Tradition used to dicate that a dowry was exchanged when a marriage was to take place. We get along just fine with that change, don't we? Who am I - what right do I have - to say that two people who love each other and are committed to each other can't marry? It's simply not right, in my opinion.
And the argument that it "cheapens" marriage to everyone else is bullshit. If two other people getting married somehow changes the way you feel about your own spouse, perhaps you shouldn't have been married in the first place. And frankly, that would seem appropriate ... where does the 50% divorce rate come into play, as far as "tradition" is concerned?
Gay marriage: yes. I'm all for it. I'm straight, and I love my wife. My relationship is not intimidated by the relationship(s) of others.
McCain should also be questioned regarding his selection of the vacuous Sarah Palin as his running-mate.
Something about this still seems off to me ... I wrote about this before, and I thought it seemed a little too conspiratorial then (but less so now), but I'm not sure McCain wanted her. Many others have speculated that he actually wanted to pick Joe Lieberman (who would have had the distinction of losing the Vice Presidency for two different political parties), and in retrospect he probably should have chosen Mitt Romney (who - and I say this as a former resident of Massachusetts - I still think is a fraud). I don't like him, either, but he would have given McCain a strategic advantage by having a "business guy" campaigning with him.
Why do I mention this, obvious as it is? Because the John McCain we see now is not the same John McCain the country got to know eight years ago. I liked that version, even if I disagreed with it. The current version, on the other hand, is too cranky and seemingly mean-spirited.
I can't prove this, of course, but I think McCain was sold a losing bill of goods by the controlling Republican think-tank that really didn't want him to be their candidate anyway. Meaning: Rove, Cheney, the Project for the New American Century cabal, and others that may have gotten its claws into the current Bush administration. Fox News had branded Rudy Giuliani "America's Mayor" and seemed intent to push him as the Republican candidate succeeding George W. Bush prior to the primaries, for instance. I don't think the Republican leadership thought McCain would end up winning over the voters.
But somehow they got to McCain and convinced him that he needed to follow their blueprint to maintain the White House. McCain, who was opposed by the religious right at first (and never seemed to be much of a religious guy to begin with), suddenly started receiving endorsements from prominent religious types, which I don't think would have happened had he not started playing ball with these guys.
Again, maybe this is all crazy talk, but it seems to fit to me.
Believing that he needed their help to win, the "maverick" followed their lead. The flip-flopping started. Suddenly he was anti-abortion rights. Then Sarah Palin showed up out of nowhere. And the real mud-slinging began.
McCain never seemed comfortable with this approach to me, which is why Palin became even more prominent. The bulldog with lipstick had no reservations about what she was saying, and, in fact, seemed to enjoy throwing a good smear out there once in a while (and by once in a while, I mean every time she opens her mouth at a rally).
Another side note: I hadn't heard that amazingly offensive and insensitive Palin joke until a couple of days ago, when my good friend Bryan (who loves a good offensive joke as much as anyone) mentioned that even he couldn't repeat it on-line. And if HE couldn't repeat it, I knew it had to be pretty bad. I googled it based on his hints, and sure enough, it was just ... wow. Serious wow. And even surer than sure enough, my brother texted it to me without hesitation or regret hours later.
And no, I'm not going to repeat it here, either.
So Palin, who doesn't understand the issues well enough to have an intelligent conversation about them, became the attack dog for an uncomfortable old man whom his own party voted for but didn't really want. And the discomfort grew, and it became anger. And then their followers became uncomfortable and angry, and we all know how their campaign stops became ... uncomfortable and agry - sometimes in horrible, horrible ways.
"Vote McCain, not Hussein!"
Really? Really, that's what you're offering? That's what's going to earn you the White House? I certainly hope America is smarter than that.
And now, once again, it has resulted in people who aren't voting for McCain/Palin being called socialists, communists, traitors, treasonous, and even worse. And Sen. Obama, well, he's a secret Muslim, to boot.
The GOP and Fox News can claim all they want that it's been the same coming from the left, but it really hasn't. The left and its supporters, while hardly perfect, haven't been nearly as vitriolic or venomous as those on the right, at least as I see it. Perhaps I'm blinded by my own political persuasions, but to me, it's not even close.
But I am glad it's almost over. This stage, at least.
There will be spin in the next few days. There will be talk of voter disenfranchisement, this time from the right. There will be attempts to use "voter fraud" as an excuse for certain states' outcomes (by those who don't realize the difference between registration and actual voting - not that I condone registration fraud, either, of course). There will be more name calling and mud slinging.
But it will be over. I hope we move forward.
I also hope that Obama wins with 51% of the vote or more, and that he wins at least 325 electoral college votes. Then, it's undeniable that the country has chosen, and that the decision is fairly definitive.
In a way, oddly, I hope Obama loses Ohio, too. Ohio is home of the greatest portion of the whole ridiculous ACORN controversy. If McCain can win Ohio, he can't whine about the "fraud" issue there, and how it somehow "tainted" the national results. It diminishes that argument to nearly nothing but dust blowing in the breeze.
I don't dislike John McCain - I don't want to dislike him, at least. A few weeks ago I reviewed the new Metallica record, and I compared Bob Rock to Grima Wormtongue.
I also offer that John McCain has been seduced by the power of the Presidency. It has become his Precious, and he has become its Gollum. Somewhere, deep inside, his Smeagol is trying to find its way back out. I hope it does, before it is destroyed. The John McCain I want to believe exists is a good and honorable man, and I certainly respect and admire his sacrifices for our country. The John McCain I've seen in the past few months, though, is a shell of that man, and that saddens me. It truly does.
I honestly think that McCain was forced into a position in which he had to say things he didn't want to say and do things he doesn't really believe in.
I also believe that Barack Obama has spoken from the heart, and believes that what he's saying, doing, and proposing is for the best of the country, and not just for himself and his party.
I hope he wins the Presidency tonight.
And if he does, I hope he understands that a lot of people like me are counting on him to keep his word.
This is about more than him, and it's about more than beating John McCain, and it's about more than fixing what George W. Bush has done. (Actually, it kind of is about fixing what George W. Bush has done, but whatever ;) )
The bottom line: no matter what the result is, I have done my part. I voted.
Did you?
Sunday, November 02, 2008
NFL picks - week 9
Due to a very undeserved vacation in Orlando last week (thanks to my incredibly generous wife), I wasn't able to make picks for week 8. In week 7, I successfully covered the spread with the Titans and the New York Football Giants (thanks to a safety!). The freakin' Jets lost outright to the Raiders. The Bucs and Texans both won, but didn't cover (the Bucs won by 10 but the line was 10.5 (dammit!), and the Texans won by 7 but the line was 9.5).
So once again, a 2-3 record for the week. This is getting ridiculous.
My overall record is a lousy 16-19. If you look at my cash distribution last week, though, I broke even. I put $30 on the Titans and $20 on the Giants, with $50 on the other three games combined. Halfway through the season, I'm $35 down.
Like I say, it's a good thing I don't *actually* gamble money on the games, because I clearly have no idea what I'm doing.
Not that that's going to stop me from this week's predictions, using the odds as listed on Yahoo as of 12:01 p.m. on Sunday, an hour before the game begin. There are some great games on the schedule this week!
1. Tampa Bay (-9.5) vs. Kansas City (at Kansas City) for $20:
Larry Johnson is suspended again, and Tampa continues to impress (and surprise) me.
2. Buffalo (-5) vs. New York Jets (at Buffalo) for $20:
Because they're in Buffalo.
3. Detroit vs. Chicago (-12.5) (at Chicago) for $20:
On one hand, Detroit has played competitive football the last few weeks with nothing to show for it. On the other hand, Chicago is at home. My gut tells me that Chicago wins the game, but I think the spread is too big, so I'mthrowing my money away on picking the Lions to cover this week.
4. Atlanta (-3) vs. Oakland (at Oakland) for $20:
Picking against the Raiders every week has to pay off more often than not, right?
5. Philadelphia (-6.5) vs. Seattle (at Seattle) for $20:
Like a dumbass, I've once again chosen four road teams. 2-3, here I come!
So once again, a 2-3 record for the week. This is getting ridiculous.
My overall record is a lousy 16-19. If you look at my cash distribution last week, though, I broke even. I put $30 on the Titans and $20 on the Giants, with $50 on the other three games combined. Halfway through the season, I'm $35 down.
Like I say, it's a good thing I don't *actually* gamble money on the games, because I clearly have no idea what I'm doing.
Not that that's going to stop me from this week's predictions, using the odds as listed on Yahoo as of 12:01 p.m. on Sunday, an hour before the game begin. There are some great games on the schedule this week!
1. Tampa Bay (-9.5) vs. Kansas City (at Kansas City) for $20:
Larry Johnson is suspended again, and Tampa continues to impress (and surprise) me.
2. Buffalo (-5) vs. New York Jets (at Buffalo) for $20:
Because they're in Buffalo.
3. Detroit vs. Chicago (-12.5) (at Chicago) for $20:
On one hand, Detroit has played competitive football the last few weeks with nothing to show for it. On the other hand, Chicago is at home. My gut tells me that Chicago wins the game, but I think the spread is too big, so I'm
4. Atlanta (-3) vs. Oakland (at Oakland) for $20:
Picking against the Raiders every week has to pay off more often than not, right?
5. Philadelphia (-6.5) vs. Seattle (at Seattle) for $20:
Like a dumbass, I've once again chosen four road teams. 2-3, here I come!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
HEAVY METAL - update #1: so far, this sucks.
Eating is going to be an issue.
As you can see from the photos below, I have large upper front teeth (what grade school bullies might call "beaver" teeth). Additionally, in the front middle of the bottom row of teeth, one tooth is "short", especially compared to its elongated neighbor (to its left in real life, to its right in the photos).
I also have / had an overbite, which is no longer a problem, since the brackets are too big for me to put my top jaw over the lower. If I try, the bottom of my upper teeth collide with the brackets on the bottom. The only contact between teeth with the braces installed is between the upper left front tooth and the lower left front tooth.
The middle picture shows what my mouth now looks like when "closed". See the problem?
My molars don't touch.
I can't chew food. I can't grind it into small pieces to swallow.
Unless I take forever to do it all with the two teeth that touch.
Or maybe I just eat nothing but pudding, apple sauce, and ice cream for the next year and a half.
When I left the orthodontist's office, I was just trying to adjust to the way the braces felt in my mouth. I'd eaten some food prior to the appointment, so I wasn't hungry, so the issue of eating never crossed my mind when I was in the office. It apparently never crossed the orthodontist's either, because he didn't say anything when he double checked his work.
So I don't know what I'm going to have to do at this point. I'm going to try to give this a shot for the next couple of days, and I'll call (or just show up in the office) if it's a continuing problem to see if they have any advice. I asked Nicole about her teeth, and did she have any similar problems - nope. Her molars touch, so she can eat like a normal person.
On the plus side, maybe I'll finally drop those extra pounds. I didn't think starvation was an option before, but maybe it will be after all ...
As you can see from the photos below, I have large upper front teeth (what grade school bullies might call "beaver" teeth). Additionally, in the front middle of the bottom row of teeth, one tooth is "short", especially compared to its elongated neighbor (to its left in real life, to its right in the photos).
I also have / had an overbite, which is no longer a problem, since the brackets are too big for me to put my top jaw over the lower. If I try, the bottom of my upper teeth collide with the brackets on the bottom. The only contact between teeth with the braces installed is between the upper left front tooth and the lower left front tooth.
The middle picture shows what my mouth now looks like when "closed". See the problem?
My molars don't touch.
I can't chew food. I can't grind it into small pieces to swallow.
Unless I take forever to do it all with the two teeth that touch.
Or maybe I just eat nothing but pudding, apple sauce, and ice cream for the next year and a half.
When I left the orthodontist's office, I was just trying to adjust to the way the braces felt in my mouth. I'd eaten some food prior to the appointment, so I wasn't hungry, so the issue of eating never crossed my mind when I was in the office. It apparently never crossed the orthodontist's either, because he didn't say anything when he double checked his work.
So I don't know what I'm going to have to do at this point. I'm going to try to give this a shot for the next couple of days, and I'll call (or just show up in the office) if it's a continuing problem to see if they have any advice. I asked Nicole about her teeth, and did she have any similar problems - nope. Her molars touch, so she can eat like a normal person.
On the plus side, maybe I'll finally drop those extra pounds. I didn't think starvation was an option before, but maybe it will be after all ...
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Baseball '08 and Chinese Democracy
My fingers could not possibly keep up with how fast my mind wants to push the words out of them, so let's see what I can write without getting a case of the forgetsies or typos. I plan to write more later, too, but I have that "looking at a monitor too long and now there's a pain behind my right eye" thing going on, so I probably should keep this on the shorter side. Also, as of 11:40 a.m., I officially see snow falling outside my window. It's not sticking to the ground, but it's definitely not just rain.
Crap.
The end of the 2008 baseball season:
You can't win them all, though I think it's a lot easier to lose when you've known what winning feels like. Yes, I'm greedy - I would have loved for the Sox to have won the World Series again this year. Perhaps I'm feeling entitled these days. But after 86 years of futility, they won two World Series in four years. My grandfather never saw them win a World Series. My father never saw them win a World Series. I've now seen two in short order, with a team built to contend for years to come. As a fan, I'm disappointed that the team fell short this year, but overall I'm still quite content - especially given that I'm surrounded by Yankees and Mets fans who didn't even have a team to rally around this October.
And if there's a way to be happy in losing, this was the way to do it. The team was dead in the water, seven outs from the end of the series, and the miracle comeback occurred. Josh Beckett returned to form enough to force a game seven. And in that game seven, there were no weird plays, fluky bounces, controversial calls, or anything else to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Jon Lester was very good, Matt Garza was even better. No complaints - the Rays won, fair and square.
What could have ended bitterly in five games turned into a very competitive and undeniably entertaining series. And that's what it is for anyone not actually involved in the game itself, right? If you're not a participant on the field or in the business side of things - if you're a fan on a couch with some popcorn and a few hours to spare - you watch hoping to be entertained. I know I certainly was.
Would things have been different with Mike Lowell in the lineup? No offense to Mark Kotsay, but yeah ... probably. Papi proved he was human after all, Jason Varitek should have been pinch hit for late in game seven, and Tampa's starting pitching was solid.
Where do they go from here?
As many baseball columnists have written, Coco Crisp's performance in the ALCS have increased his trade value, and the time to move him is, I think, fast approaching (perhaps for a catcher?). If Crisp is traded, the Sox outfield is set with Bay, Ellsbury, and Drew. No need for further moves there.
The starting pitching is solid, and if the Sox want to make a run at Sabathia (given that Manny and Schilling will be off the payroll), it could get even better. Beckett, Lester, and Matsuzaka are clearly at the top of the rotation. Tim Wakefield had a better season than his stats would indicate, but he may be past the point of being anything more than a .500 pitcher at this point. Justin Masterson's best years should be spent as a starter rather than a reliever. Michael Bowden showed great potential in his few starts this season. I have no idea where Clay Buchholz or Paul Byrd might fit in at this point. That's seven starters, not including the possibility of Sabathia and/or a guy I'd love to see come back to Boston, free agent Derek Lowe.
Aside from Okajima and Papelbon, anything goes with the bullpen. Mike Timlin is gone, if my prayers to the baseball gods are answered. Manny Del Carmen is, in my mind, tradable if the price is right. Javier Lopez and David Aardsma? Ehh. You could do worse than keeping them, but you could do better, too.
I have no idea what happens to Julio Lugo, because he's untradable unless the Sox offer to pay at least part of his contract. Jed Lowrie and Dustin Pedroia are set in the middle of the infield. Kevin Youkilis (who needs a better nickname than "Youk" - Kevin "Youk" Youkilis? That's horrible. I propose Kevin "The Executioner" Youkilis instead.) is set at first ... or third?
There are interesting rumors swirling about Mark Teixeira, who would be a perfect (if expensive) fit with the Red Sox. If he signs, though, is Mike Lowell the odd man out? He's older, more expensive, and more injury prone at this point than Kevin Youkilis. Plus, Youk is probably the team's best pure hitter. Plus, Youkilis is just as talented defensively at third as he is at first.
After all he's meant to this team, though, I'd hate to see Lowell pushed to the side. And I realize that, aside from fans, there's very little loyalty in sports anymore - from players OR owners. Ask Manny Ramirez what it's like to give up on a team and its fans. Or ask Bronson Arroyo what it's like to show loyalty to the Sox by signing a smaller contract to stay in Boston rather than becoming a free agent, only to have Theo Epstein turn around and trade him to the Reds for Wily Mo Pena. Anyone remember Wily Mo? Didn't think so.
The issue of loyalty comes around again, and it wears the number 33. Jason Varitek - what to do with an aging catcher who can barely hit and rarely comes through in the clutch anymore. My heart AND my gut both say to keep him, as long as he doesn't insist on a bigger or longer contract. If he wants another four-year, $40 million contract and threatens to walk if he doesn't get it (his agent is Scott Boras), then I think we say Thanks, Tek - It's been fun. But if he's willing to sign a two-year deal in the $10-$15 million range, with maybe an option year or two, then he's back behind the plate next season (and his number gets retired a few years later).
Ahh, well. I love the Hot Stove kind of stuff ... and there should be plenty of it in a few days after the World Series ends.
The 8:07 starting times for the World Series are just too late, by the way. Kids can't stay up to watch the whole thing and be ready for school the next day, and starting so late practically ensures that rain-out disasters such as last night's are more likely. Or at least have a couple of day games on Saturday and Sunday. Anything.
If the weather stays bad in Philadelphia today and doesn't allow for the continuation of last night's game 5, would the game be finished in St. Petersburg at the Trop? That hardly seems fair to Phillies fans, who've waited 15 years to see their team make it to the World Series.
I don't know if my feelings are as extreme as those in this article ("Baseball's crown event is beyond repair"), but I absolutely understand and appreciate the sentiment. (My favorite line in that article is regards tickets in Florida: "Scalpers there are eating thousands of dollars because the demand for tickets is so flabby." Good. Scalpers are evil, and I hope they lose all their money. Douchebags.)
How to fix baseball might be a great topic for another entry (which I will probably never write, either).
Eh.
NFL Picks:
I wasn't home from my vacation in time to check out odds and post my five picks against the spread, but before I left I made my fantasy "Pick 'Em" choices in a league with some friends. It's just a straight "who wins" league - no point spread. 10-4 this week overall, for the record.
Braces:
Tomorrow at 11 a.m., I'll be squirming in my chair as I undergo the installation process. A lifetime of gap-toothed smiles will be eliminated in the next 12-18 months, if all goes well. (At which point, I will be hit in the mouth with a stray softball, messing it all up again. Mark my words.)
"Chinese Democracy":
I've heard most of the album now, and it's ... OK, I guess? I think I'd like it a lot more if it wasn't marketed as a Guns N' Roses album, because if Slash and Duff aren't on the record, it ain't GNR, you know? Call it an Axl Rose solo record, or come up with a different band name, and I'm there. A lot of the guitar solos sound like Slash played them (the tone and style, specifically), and the drums aren't as "rocking" as Steven Adler and Matt Sorum made them in the past. It sounds like there's a machine or sampler going on sometimes. There's also a lot of keyboard and weird bleeps and bloops, like someone was playing around with a Trent Reznor playset but hadn't mastered it yet. Lyrically, Axl isn't the same pissed off guy he was 15 years ago, and the songs sound like it. His vocal style has also changed quite a bit.
A quick rundown:
"Better" - a decent song, some good guitar. Weird intro - you may start to wonder if this is actually a Guns N' Roses song while you listen to it.
"Chinese Democracy" - you can check it out on gunsnroses.com, if you're interested. I wish more of the record sounded like this track. It's one of the "heaviest" on the album, and it's closest in sound to previous GNR albums.
"IRS" - the vocal intro in the first 20 seconds or so are horrible and should have been cut from the track. The short guitar solo at 3:30 is pretty sweet (I think it's Buckethead).
"Madagascar" - this is the song they played on the MTV awards a few years (!) ago. Of the songs I've heard so far, it's probably my favorite.
"Rhiad and the Bedouins" - Most of this is sung in Axl's higher register, and it gets a little annoying after a while. Another Slash-like solo at 2:30 saves this otherwise forgettable track.
"This I Love" - Power ballad alert! The final 1:45 is a long, gradual fade out that never seems to end.
"If the World" - Why, Axl? It took 15 years to record THIS? Horrible. There's some Barry White wah-wah chicka chicka guitar in the background, and the lyrics sound like they were written by an eight grader ("Never thought the way you looked at me would mean so much to me ...")
"The Blues" - Here's the big difference between old and new GNR: the "old" GNR had kickass guitar riffs and meaty hooks leading into the songs. Here, another piano intro. There's lots of piano on this record. Another power ballad with some good guitar solos. Some violin-sounding synth flourishes in the background, though - what is this, a Celine Dion record?
"There Was a Time" - opening "angelic" vocals reminiscent, purposely or not, of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want". At 6:51, though, it's a bit too long, but again the guitars save it.
"Catcher in the Rye" - utterly forgettable. Mid-tempo, piano intro, bleepy-bloopy nonsense two minutes in ... yeesh.
"Shackler's Revenge" - the first couple of lines reminded me of Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows". Maybe it's just me. Disco drums at 0:37! Apparently it was called "Chicken Dinner" for a while because of the opening guitar riff. Lots of screechy synth on this one, too.
Bottom line: Metallica's "Death Magnetic" brought the band back to a sound closer to it's roots, but GNR's "Chinese Democracy" shows that the guy who would jump off the stage and assault fans in the front row has grown up and become a more mellow person, musically at least.
It's not a bad record by any means, honestly. It's a very different record, though, than many GNR fans are probably hoping to hear. Some people are going to think it's awful. I like it well enough, I suppose ... as long as I don't think of it as Guns N' Roses.
In the next two posts:
1. Politics
2. Our vacation last week at Disney and Universal Studios in Orlando
Crap.
The end of the 2008 baseball season:
You can't win them all, though I think it's a lot easier to lose when you've known what winning feels like. Yes, I'm greedy - I would have loved for the Sox to have won the World Series again this year. Perhaps I'm feeling entitled these days. But after 86 years of futility, they won two World Series in four years. My grandfather never saw them win a World Series. My father never saw them win a World Series. I've now seen two in short order, with a team built to contend for years to come. As a fan, I'm disappointed that the team fell short this year, but overall I'm still quite content - especially given that I'm surrounded by Yankees and Mets fans who didn't even have a team to rally around this October.
And if there's a way to be happy in losing, this was the way to do it. The team was dead in the water, seven outs from the end of the series, and the miracle comeback occurred. Josh Beckett returned to form enough to force a game seven. And in that game seven, there were no weird plays, fluky bounces, controversial calls, or anything else to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Jon Lester was very good, Matt Garza was even better. No complaints - the Rays won, fair and square.
What could have ended bitterly in five games turned into a very competitive and undeniably entertaining series. And that's what it is for anyone not actually involved in the game itself, right? If you're not a participant on the field or in the business side of things - if you're a fan on a couch with some popcorn and a few hours to spare - you watch hoping to be entertained. I know I certainly was.
Would things have been different with Mike Lowell in the lineup? No offense to Mark Kotsay, but yeah ... probably. Papi proved he was human after all, Jason Varitek should have been pinch hit for late in game seven, and Tampa's starting pitching was solid.
Where do they go from here?
As many baseball columnists have written, Coco Crisp's performance in the ALCS have increased his trade value, and the time to move him is, I think, fast approaching (perhaps for a catcher?). If Crisp is traded, the Sox outfield is set with Bay, Ellsbury, and Drew. No need for further moves there.
The starting pitching is solid, and if the Sox want to make a run at Sabathia (given that Manny and Schilling will be off the payroll), it could get even better. Beckett, Lester, and Matsuzaka are clearly at the top of the rotation. Tim Wakefield had a better season than his stats would indicate, but he may be past the point of being anything more than a .500 pitcher at this point. Justin Masterson's best years should be spent as a starter rather than a reliever. Michael Bowden showed great potential in his few starts this season. I have no idea where Clay Buchholz or Paul Byrd might fit in at this point. That's seven starters, not including the possibility of Sabathia and/or a guy I'd love to see come back to Boston, free agent Derek Lowe.
Aside from Okajima and Papelbon, anything goes with the bullpen. Mike Timlin is gone, if my prayers to the baseball gods are answered. Manny Del Carmen is, in my mind, tradable if the price is right. Javier Lopez and David Aardsma? Ehh. You could do worse than keeping them, but you could do better, too.
I have no idea what happens to Julio Lugo, because he's untradable unless the Sox offer to pay at least part of his contract. Jed Lowrie and Dustin Pedroia are set in the middle of the infield. Kevin Youkilis (who needs a better nickname than "Youk" - Kevin "Youk" Youkilis? That's horrible. I propose Kevin "The Executioner" Youkilis instead.) is set at first ... or third?
There are interesting rumors swirling about Mark Teixeira, who would be a perfect (if expensive) fit with the Red Sox. If he signs, though, is Mike Lowell the odd man out? He's older, more expensive, and more injury prone at this point than Kevin Youkilis. Plus, Youk is probably the team's best pure hitter. Plus, Youkilis is just as talented defensively at third as he is at first.
After all he's meant to this team, though, I'd hate to see Lowell pushed to the side. And I realize that, aside from fans, there's very little loyalty in sports anymore - from players OR owners. Ask Manny Ramirez what it's like to give up on a team and its fans. Or ask Bronson Arroyo what it's like to show loyalty to the Sox by signing a smaller contract to stay in Boston rather than becoming a free agent, only to have Theo Epstein turn around and trade him to the Reds for Wily Mo Pena. Anyone remember Wily Mo? Didn't think so.
The issue of loyalty comes around again, and it wears the number 33. Jason Varitek - what to do with an aging catcher who can barely hit and rarely comes through in the clutch anymore. My heart AND my gut both say to keep him, as long as he doesn't insist on a bigger or longer contract. If he wants another four-year, $40 million contract and threatens to walk if he doesn't get it (his agent is Scott Boras), then I think we say Thanks, Tek - It's been fun. But if he's willing to sign a two-year deal in the $10-$15 million range, with maybe an option year or two, then he's back behind the plate next season (and his number gets retired a few years later).
Ahh, well. I love the Hot Stove kind of stuff ... and there should be plenty of it in a few days after the World Series ends.
The 8:07 starting times for the World Series are just too late, by the way. Kids can't stay up to watch the whole thing and be ready for school the next day, and starting so late practically ensures that rain-out disasters such as last night's are more likely. Or at least have a couple of day games on Saturday and Sunday. Anything.
If the weather stays bad in Philadelphia today and doesn't allow for the continuation of last night's game 5, would the game be finished in St. Petersburg at the Trop? That hardly seems fair to Phillies fans, who've waited 15 years to see their team make it to the World Series.
I don't know if my feelings are as extreme as those in this article ("Baseball's crown event is beyond repair"), but I absolutely understand and appreciate the sentiment. (My favorite line in that article is regards tickets in Florida: "Scalpers there are eating thousands of dollars because the demand for tickets is so flabby." Good. Scalpers are evil, and I hope they lose all their money. Douchebags.)
How to fix baseball might be a great topic for another entry (which I will probably never write, either).
Eh.
NFL Picks:
I wasn't home from my vacation in time to check out odds and post my five picks against the spread, but before I left I made my fantasy "Pick 'Em" choices in a league with some friends. It's just a straight "who wins" league - no point spread. 10-4 this week overall, for the record.
Braces:
Tomorrow at 11 a.m., I'll be squirming in my chair as I undergo the installation process. A lifetime of gap-toothed smiles will be eliminated in the next 12-18 months, if all goes well. (At which point, I will be hit in the mouth with a stray softball, messing it all up again. Mark my words.)
"Chinese Democracy":
I've heard most of the album now, and it's ... OK, I guess? I think I'd like it a lot more if it wasn't marketed as a Guns N' Roses album, because if Slash and Duff aren't on the record, it ain't GNR, you know? Call it an Axl Rose solo record, or come up with a different band name, and I'm there. A lot of the guitar solos sound like Slash played them (the tone and style, specifically), and the drums aren't as "rocking" as Steven Adler and Matt Sorum made them in the past. It sounds like there's a machine or sampler going on sometimes. There's also a lot of keyboard and weird bleeps and bloops, like someone was playing around with a Trent Reznor playset but hadn't mastered it yet. Lyrically, Axl isn't the same pissed off guy he was 15 years ago, and the songs sound like it. His vocal style has also changed quite a bit.
A quick rundown:
"Better" - a decent song, some good guitar. Weird intro - you may start to wonder if this is actually a Guns N' Roses song while you listen to it.
"Chinese Democracy" - you can check it out on gunsnroses.com, if you're interested. I wish more of the record sounded like this track. It's one of the "heaviest" on the album, and it's closest in sound to previous GNR albums.
"IRS" - the vocal intro in the first 20 seconds or so are horrible and should have been cut from the track. The short guitar solo at 3:30 is pretty sweet (I think it's Buckethead).
"Madagascar" - this is the song they played on the MTV awards a few years (!) ago. Of the songs I've heard so far, it's probably my favorite.
"Rhiad and the Bedouins" - Most of this is sung in Axl's higher register, and it gets a little annoying after a while. Another Slash-like solo at 2:30 saves this otherwise forgettable track.
"This I Love" - Power ballad alert! The final 1:45 is a long, gradual fade out that never seems to end.
"If the World" - Why, Axl? It took 15 years to record THIS? Horrible. There's some Barry White wah-wah chicka chicka guitar in the background, and the lyrics sound like they were written by an eight grader ("Never thought the way you looked at me would mean so much to me ...")
"The Blues" - Here's the big difference between old and new GNR: the "old" GNR had kickass guitar riffs and meaty hooks leading into the songs. Here, another piano intro. There's lots of piano on this record. Another power ballad with some good guitar solos. Some violin-sounding synth flourishes in the background, though - what is this, a Celine Dion record?
"There Was a Time" - opening "angelic" vocals reminiscent, purposely or not, of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want". At 6:51, though, it's a bit too long, but again the guitars save it.
"Catcher in the Rye" - utterly forgettable. Mid-tempo, piano intro, bleepy-bloopy nonsense two minutes in ... yeesh.
"Shackler's Revenge" - the first couple of lines reminded me of Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows". Maybe it's just me. Disco drums at 0:37! Apparently it was called "Chicken Dinner" for a while because of the opening guitar riff. Lots of screechy synth on this one, too.
Bottom line: Metallica's "Death Magnetic" brought the band back to a sound closer to it's roots, but GNR's "Chinese Democracy" shows that the guy who would jump off the stage and assault fans in the front row has grown up and become a more mellow person, musically at least.
It's not a bad record by any means, honestly. It's a very different record, though, than many GNR fans are probably hoping to hear. Some people are going to think it's awful. I like it well enough, I suppose ... as long as I don't think of it as Guns N' Roses.
In the next two posts:
1. Politics
2. Our vacation last week at Disney and Universal Studios in Orlando
Saturday, October 18, 2008
NFL - Weak 7 (Yes, Weak - not Week)
Last week Miami covered but lost, and New Orleans covered (handily) and won. The Cowboys pooped the bed, the Bears somehow lost to Atlanta (?!), I don't even want to talk about the Brown / Giants game, but I have to for just a moment.
If you go back to a previous post, you'll see that I wrote that "... the Browns will probably win by 30, just because I'm picking the Giants to cover" - they then proceeded win by 21 points. In week 4, I also said that my pick of the Broncos "almost guarantees that (the Chiefs) covers the spread".
Maybe I'm on to something here. Maybe I need to pick opposite what my head tells me, and we'll see what happens then, like the episode of "Seinfeld" in which George does everything the exact opposite of the way he usually does. Maybe next week.
Last week I was 2-3 for the fourth consecutive week, and my overall record is 14-16. Last week I "lost" $60 but "won" 40, so I start with an imaginary $80. To push it up to my minimum weekly wager of $100, I add another imaginary $20, which brings my "invested" money for the season to $135 with no winnings to show. YET, DAMMIT! I WILL WIN!
Let's see how badly I can mess this week up. Again, odds via the first column of Yahoo's odds page, at 6:00 on Saturday evening.
1. Tennessee (-9) vs. Kansas City (at KC) for $30:
The Titans are still undefeated, while KC has suspended Larry Johnson for a game. Plus, Tony Gonzales was allegedly going to be traded but wasn't, so there are all sorts of distractions for the Chefs. Great googily moogily. So ... Titans? Right?
2. Seattle vs. Tampa Bay (-10.5) (at Tampa Bay) for $20:
Seattle's so much worse than I expected, and Tampa's better. So ... Bucs at home? Right?
3. NY Giants (-10.5) vs. San Francisco (at NEW JERSEY) for $20:
The Giants are at home and looking forward to make up for last week's loss to the Browns. The Niners give up a LOT of points. So ... Giants? Right?
4. Detroit vs. Houston (-9.5) at Houston for $15:
Houston (barely) won last week, and should have won the week before. The important part about those two games, and the game before it (a loss to Jacksonville) is that they've averaged just north of 27 ppg during that span. Detroit, with the exception of last week, gives up an ass-load of points. They also are playing with a second-string QB and just traded one of their best players (Roy Williams) to Dallas. I don't think they can keep up. Plus, Houston's at home. So ... Houston? Right?
5. New York Jets (-3) vs. Oakland (at Oakland) for $15:
No reason, other than I can't envision the Raiders beating a Favre-led team.
Next week I'm away on vacation, so I may not be able to post week 8 picks. Consider it my bye week if I'm not able to make it on-line for picks.
If you go back to a previous post, you'll see that I wrote that "... the Browns will probably win by 30, just because I'm picking the Giants to cover" - they then proceeded win by 21 points. In week 4, I also said that my pick of the Broncos "almost guarantees that (the Chiefs) covers the spread".
Maybe I'm on to something here. Maybe I need to pick opposite what my head tells me, and we'll see what happens then, like the episode of "Seinfeld" in which George does everything the exact opposite of the way he usually does. Maybe next week.
Last week I was 2-3 for the fourth consecutive week, and my overall record is 14-16. Last week I "lost" $60 but "won" 40, so I start with an imaginary $80. To push it up to my minimum weekly wager of $100, I add another imaginary $20, which brings my "invested" money for the season to $135 with no winnings to show. YET, DAMMIT! I WILL WIN!
Let's see how badly I can mess this week up. Again, odds via the first column of Yahoo's odds page, at 6:00 on Saturday evening.
1. Tennessee (-9) vs. Kansas City (at KC) for $30:
The Titans are still undefeated, while KC has suspended Larry Johnson for a game. Plus, Tony Gonzales was allegedly going to be traded but wasn't, so there are all sorts of distractions for the Chefs. Great googily moogily. So ... Titans? Right?
2. Seattle vs. Tampa Bay (-10.5) (at Tampa Bay) for $20:
Seattle's so much worse than I expected, and Tampa's better. So ... Bucs at home? Right?
3. NY Giants (-10.5) vs. San Francisco (at NEW JERSEY) for $20:
The Giants are at home and looking forward to make up for last week's loss to the Browns. The Niners give up a LOT of points. So ... Giants? Right?
4. Detroit vs. Houston (-9.5) at Houston for $15:
Houston (barely) won last week, and should have won the week before. The important part about those two games, and the game before it (a loss to Jacksonville) is that they've averaged just north of 27 ppg during that span. Detroit, with the exception of last week, gives up an ass-load of points. They also are playing with a second-string QB and just traded one of their best players (Roy Williams) to Dallas. I don't think they can keep up. Plus, Houston's at home. So ... Houston? Right?
5. New York Jets (-3) vs. Oakland (at Oakland) for $15:
No reason, other than I can't envision the Raiders beating a Favre-led team.
Next week I'm away on vacation, so I may not be able to post week 8 picks. Consider it my bye week if I'm not able to make it on-line for picks.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Sox/Rays - part II
When not writing here on the blog (too often these days, I realize), I keep in touch with a lot of friends over on a messageboard we all frequent. Some choice cuts from the last few hours, because I'm too lazy to write something new at the moment:
[This one was written on Oct. 13]
[This one was written on Oct. 13]
... but I'd like everyone to remember how down about the team so many people were in 2004 and 2007 after similar playoff situations.There's no reason to panic!
The "Fan on Strike" thing was in the late 90s, I think? 2000 at the latest? It was pre-Theo, I'm pretty sure. It seems like a lifetime ago. It was fun. For those who didn't know me then, the Players Union threatened to go on strike again, and I preemptively decided it was time for fans to speak up first. One day I made a sign that said "Fan on Strike" and marched around Fenway Park a few times before a game. Ahh, to be single and awkward with strange priorities ... Good times.
I got some weird looks, had some fun conversations with random strangers. But to point, I never, EVER gave up on the Red Sox or questioned my loyalty to the team. My "battle", such as it was, wasn't with the franchise in particular.
For the record, I still stand by the point I was trying to make at the time: ticket prices are too high, the players are paid too much, it's bad for the game to have the balance of power in the same cities every year (though it's easier to look past this last one these days, I'll admit - at the time, the Yankees controlled everything).
... we're all fans - or worse: we're Red Sox fans. We're like the infected in "28 Days Later". It's in our blood. It brings us to a point of indescribable rage. It makes us eat our own. But there's nothing like it, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I think we all know that if we could, we'd all get season tickets together and watch almost every inning of every game as a group, because: 1. It's part of who we are, and 2. We don't know any better ;)
Personally, I've found my "sports zen". My father never saw the Patriots win a Superbowl. I've seen three. My father never saw the Sox win a World Series. I've seen two. If the Patriots went 0-16, or the Sox went 60-102, I'd always have amazing memories (and commemorative DVDs) to celebrate.
One last thing: the first six innings were like watching King Kong Bundy destroy Hulk Hogan at the beginning of a match. The Rays had the Sox in a headlock, and it looked like all was lost.
Varitek flied out - the referee held up Hogan's arm, and it fell. Kotsay flied out, and again the arm fell.
We know how this goes, right?
Crisp singled, and the Hulkster's arm stayed up! Then Pedroia singled in the first run, and Hogan started shaking. Then Papi hit the three run blast, and the champ started waving his finger in the air to let the crowd know that there was still some life left, and that this grudge match wasn't over yet!
Drew homered, and Hogan started connecting with some big right hands! Crisp singled in the tying run - Hogan with a big boot to Bundy's chin!
When the momentum had finally swung in the ninth, JD Drew (he of "has a Posse" fame), summoning his inner-Hulkster, hit a big Leg Drop of Doom for the win!
Can you imagine how loud Fenway *WOULD* have been if all those undeserving "fans" had stayed?
I Love That Dirty Water!
Proof that I NEVER gave up on the Red Sox can be found HERE, specifically with my post at 6:50 p.m. (which was actually 9:50 p.m., but the messageboard is on West Coast time for some reason).
I wrote specifically, and I quote:
So there you go.
I wrote specifically, and I quote:
First of all, I'm going to be obscenely optimistic. At the time I'm writing this, the game isn't over yet. Let's all remember the "Mother's Day Miracle" game and hope lightning can strike twice.
So there you go.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
NFL Week 6
Well, I forgot to write something, and the Sox/Rays game is still on, so here's a quick entry with some picks. Last week I went 2-3 again, but should have gone 1-4 (thanks for blowing it, Texans!). So I started with $105, lost $60 with my three incorrect picks, and got $80 back thanks to the Bears and Colts, which means I have to use another imaginary $15 to make it an even $100 in betting for the week.
Therefore, going into the start of week six, I've "invested" $115 and don't have any winnings yet. Once again, this is why I don't actually bet real money.
Yahoo! sports has thrown a wrench in my system, too, and it's odds page (as of 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night) now lists five different sources. Given that I don't know one from another, I'll go with the first column, from SportsBetting.com. Because why not.
1. Houston (-3) vs. Miami (at Houston) for $20:
Miami beat New England, then beat San Diego. Doesn't make sense. Houston lost a heartbreaker to what one would think is a much better team than the Dolphins (Indy) last week. I think Miami can win outright.
2. Dallas (-4.5) vs. Arizona (at Arizona) for $20:
I know Arizona destroyed the Bills last week, but my gut says the Cowboys take this by at least 5.
3. New York Giants (-7.5) vs. Cleveland (at Cleveland) for $20:
I didn't think the Browns would be this bad, and I didn't think the Giants would be this good. What I think doesn't seem to matter with my picks, though, so the Browns will probably win by 30, just because I'm picking the Giants to cover.
4. Chicago (-2.5) vs. Atlanta (at Atlanta) for $20:
The Bears are the only team treating me well so far this season, so I'll stick with them.
5. Oakland vs. New Orleans (-7) (at New Orleans) for $20:
Because I have to pick more home teams.
Dammit all, I should have written more stuff ... in the ten minutes it took me to get this entry ready, Josh Beckett imploded and the Sox are down. Again.
Fun for the whole family.
There's still a lot of baseball left tonight, though ...
Therefore, going into the start of week six, I've "invested" $115 and don't have any winnings yet. Once again, this is why I don't actually bet real money.
Yahoo! sports has thrown a wrench in my system, too, and it's odds page (as of 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night) now lists five different sources. Given that I don't know one from another, I'll go with the first column, from SportsBetting.com. Because why not.
1. Houston (-3) vs. Miami (at Houston) for $20:
Miami beat New England, then beat San Diego. Doesn't make sense. Houston lost a heartbreaker to what one would think is a much better team than the Dolphins (Indy) last week. I think Miami can win outright.
2. Dallas (-4.5) vs. Arizona (at Arizona) for $20:
I know Arizona destroyed the Bills last week, but my gut says the Cowboys take this by at least 5.
3. New York Giants (-7.5) vs. Cleveland (at Cleveland) for $20:
I didn't think the Browns would be this bad, and I didn't think the Giants would be this good. What I think doesn't seem to matter with my picks, though, so the Browns will probably win by 30, just because I'm picking the Giants to cover.
4. Chicago (-2.5) vs. Atlanta (at Atlanta) for $20:
The Bears are the only team treating me well so far this season, so I'll stick with them.
5. Oakland vs. New Orleans (-7) (at New Orleans) for $20:
Because I have to pick more home teams.
Dammit all, I should have written more stuff ... in the ten minutes it took me to get this entry ready, Josh Beckett imploded and the Sox are down. Again.
Fun for the whole family.
There's still a lot of baseball left tonight, though ...
Monday, October 06, 2008
Site update stuff
I didn't realize how many of my links were dead-ends and how many of my pages were poorly formatted after the fact, specifically regarding some of the live bootlegs I've posted. I've fixed them (mostly, I think?) and encourage you to re-live my late 20s with me by checking out the Buffalo Tom and Dismemberment Plan shows I've posted so far, with more to come.
I also have 10 Orbit shows up, and you have no idea how much time and effort I've put into the Sheila Divine archive ... There are three new Aaron Perrino solo shows posted, with more full-band stuff coming soon too.
Other than that, nothing interesting to report, other than I'm tired from watching last night's loss to the Angels, and I'm nursing a big ol' bowl of plain oatmeal (having not paid attention, and thinking I was making blueberry). Watching the economy tank is making me feel really optimistic about finding a job I like, too ... sheesh.
Anyway, the bootlegs are free, so if we're all broke, don't despair. There may not be such thing as a "free lunch", but I'm not asking for anything in return for the music (except that you don't sell copies).
Power to the people!
I also have 10 Orbit shows up, and you have no idea how much time and effort I've put into the Sheila Divine archive ... There are three new Aaron Perrino solo shows posted, with more full-band stuff coming soon too.
Other than that, nothing interesting to report, other than I'm tired from watching last night's loss to the Angels, and I'm nursing a big ol' bowl of plain oatmeal (having not paid attention, and thinking I was making blueberry). Watching the economy tank is making me feel really optimistic about finding a job I like, too ... sheesh.
Anyway, the bootlegs are free, so if we're all broke, don't despair. There may not be such thing as a "free lunch", but I'm not asking for anything in return for the music (except that you don't sell copies).
Power to the people!
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Fixing broken things, part IV (the trilogy continues) / NFL Week 5
Yesterday morning I woke up, took a shower, brushed my teeth, and had to skip breakfast because I had an appointment with an oral surgeon to have my wisdom teeth removed. I had to skip food because of the planned anesthesia - I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything for six hours prior to the scheduled 8:45 a.m. procedure, so I had a grumbly stomach by the time I sat back in the doctor's chair.
The nurse came in first, went over the list of do's and don'ts for the next 24-hours and what to expect for the next couple of days. The doctor came in, had me sign the agreement regarding the anesthesia, and put the mask on me through which the laughing gas would be applied. I didn't smell anything, didn't feel faint, and didn't, in fact, think he actually had anything flowing through the machine. He prepped my arm, put in a needle, and ...
Well, then I woke up with Nicole in the room, my mouth stuffed with gauze.
I have no idea what happened at all. Not in the slightest. I sat down then I woke up, and that was it. I've never blacked out due to drinking, never been abducted by visitors from Mars ... but this. Whoa. Neat. I was O-U-T. What a wonderful deep, deep sleep I must have been in.
I was brought to a recovery room to relax for another few minutes, and I pointed at my wrist to ask Nicole what time it was. It was barely past ten. In less than an hour, they'd knocked my ass out, taken out four wisdom teeth, stitched me back up, and revived me, all with minimal pain.
They gave me a prescription of 20 Oxycodone pills to be taken over the next few days, but I doubt I'll need them past today. I feel slight discomfort, but no pain. The feeling you get when you eat the triangle center of a piece of hot pizza and it burns the roof of your mouth is worse than the discomfort I feel right now. Nicole said she was amazed yesterday afternoon when I was pretty much acting like nothing at all had happened.
Just after the appointment, the walk to the car was a bit of a slow, zig-zagging adventure, since I was still a little dopey, and my communication skills were hampered by the gauze and my numb lips, but other than that, all was well. When I looked in the car's passenger-side mirror, my face was rather puffy and swollen (pics to come), and I had to wipe blood off my front teeth with my finger. I looked like a vampire who'd just fed. Taking the bloody gauze out of my mouth to replace it wasn't fun, either, but at least I didn't have to wear a giant plastic cone around my head like Rocky did a couple of weeks ago. So I had that going for me, which was good. When I move my tongue around my back teeth, I can feel the stitches, which is also a strange and somewhat unsettling experience.
The most unpleasant part of the whole thing, though (other than my insurance only covering 75% of the procedure), is that it quite literally has left a bad taste in my mouth. After removal of wisdom teeth, you're not allowed to brush your teeth for 24 hours, so my breath must be pretty bad by now. On the other hand, all I had to eat yesterday was a lot of ice cream and some soft egg salad, so it's not like I was chowing down on garlic and onions or other pungent foods. More than that, however, is the unshakable aftertaste of blood in my mouth. It's inescapable.
Two quick plugs:
1. I ate a LOT of ice cream, for the record. Edy's Slow Churned - go get some. A scoop full of vanilla with some iced coffee poured over it is great stuff, I promise. And their limited edition Pumpkin flavored ice cream is terrific.
2. If anyone somehow comes across this entry while doing a Google search for information about Dr. Kenneth Press, an Oral Surgeon practicing in Morristown, New Jersey - he's fantastic, and I highly recommend him. He was recommended to me by my dentist, and the lady I spoke to at the orthodonist's office gave him a glowing review when I name dropped him in a conversation regarding the reason for the delay in getting my braces put on. He's a really nice guy, and he did a terrific job of getting me fixed up and back on my feet in no time flat. His office is covered in "Best of New Jersey" magazines in which he was featured, and he's clearly on top of his game.
I'd probably been awake anyway "recovering", but last night's Red Sox / Angels game was a terrific reason to get a late start on this morning. As much as I hated to see a true Dirt Dog like Trot Nixon be unceremoniously let go two seasons ago for the much dreaded J.D. Drew era (how could they pay him THAT much?), I have to admit I was wrong.
J.D. Drew: I apologize. While I still feel you're overpaid, I feel that ALL ballplayers are pretty much overpaid. So don't take that personally. I was wrong, though, about what I thought you would contribute to my Red Sox, and I'm glad you're on our side. Hell, I'm even glad you stole Trot's #7 for your jersey. You are a worthy heir to the number and the field position. I wish you could stay healthy all year long, of course, but whatever voodoo you're practicing on your herniated disc seems to be working, so go do some more chanting, or sacrifice a chicken, or whatever it is you need to do to get through the next couple of weeks.
And Kevin Youkilis. Oh, man. If you've read the excellent Moneyball, which focuses on how small-market teams like the A's function and compete with teams like the Red Sox and Yankees, who have the resources to outspend their opponents on big-name free-agents, you know that Youkilis was a highly prized prospect within the Red Sox farm system a few years ago, and that many teams wanted to trade for him. Theo Epstein's continued patience in not moving guys like this is the reason the Sox are trying to win their third World Series in five seasons. He made two spectacular late-inning defensive plays at third base last night, filling in for Mike Lowell, and every at bat looks like he's faced with the prospect of having a kidnapped relative killed if he doesn't get a hit. In his first at-bat last night, he was an absolute mess, dripping with sweat as if a faucet was attached to his batting helmet. It was the first inning. The temperatures were said to be in the 60s.
Talk about a gamer.
I already have plenty of Red Sox shirts at this point, but I think I'd have a real dilemma on my hands if I wanted to get another one. Youkilis? Jon Lester? Good thing I'm not in the market at the moment.
Finally, week five of the NFL season. When the season began, I started with an imaginary $100, and entering week five - twenty individual game picks into the season - I have an imaginary $105. Last week's 2-3 debacle (Buffalo and San Diego both covered, though neither game looked to be going well after their respective first halves and I could have easily gone 0-5) followed another 2-3 week, so I need to turn it around. On the plus side, I haven't had to use any more imaginary "seed money"; on the negative side, I'm not setting the world on fire or impressing anyone (myself, particularly) with my NFL prognostication prowess.
Part of the reason is that I never pay attention to teams like Tampa Bay, and I end up picking games that already have pretty big point spreads.
So let's see what's on the agenda this week.
The odds are from Yahoo! sports at 11:38 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4.
1. Arizona -1 vs. Buffalo (at Arizona) for $20:
One of the Cardinals' best offensive weapons, Anquan Boldin, is likely out for the game, which should allow Buffalo's already tough defense to dominate even more. I know they're on home turf, and clearly I'm no NFL expert given my picks so far this year, but how a 2-2 Arizona team is favored by a point over the 4-0 Bills is a little beyond me, and I'm pretty confident that the Bills win this game.
2. Chicago -3.5 vs. Detroit (at Detroit) for $20:
The Bears are 2-2 and coming off a big win against the Eagles. Their two losses were each by only three points, against the surprisingly tough Panthers and Bucs. They beat Indianapolis handily in week one. Detroit is 0-3 and coming off a bye week, and they've lost by no less than 13 points prior to that. Da Bears ought to take this one easily.
3. Indianapolis -3 vs. Houston (at Houston) for $20:
The under-achieving 1-2 Colts are due for a breakout offensive game, and 0-3 Houston is giving up 341 yards per game. Indy is coming off a bye week and have Peyton Manning salivating to put up some numbers. Houston has ... who does Houston have, exactly? Three points seems easy to cover.
4. NY Giants -7 vs. Seattle (at New Jersey - let's face it. They're in New Jersey.) for $20
No explanation, just a gut feeling. Seattle's put up 67 points in the past two weeks, and the Giants are coming off a bye week following an overtime scare against the Bungles. I think the Seahawks can cover, in a 27-23 kind of way.
5. San Diego -6.5 vs. Miami (at Miami) for $20:
Simply because I don't think Miami can do it twice in a row.
So there you go - five games, and I'm picking the road team in EVERY ONE OF THEM. Two underdogs, and as Lincoln would call them, three overdogs.
A sure recipe for disaster!
If I have a losing record this week, next week I pick teams out of a hat. I'll make a video of the picks and everything as proof.
The nurse came in first, went over the list of do's and don'ts for the next 24-hours and what to expect for the next couple of days. The doctor came in, had me sign the agreement regarding the anesthesia, and put the mask on me through which the laughing gas would be applied. I didn't smell anything, didn't feel faint, and didn't, in fact, think he actually had anything flowing through the machine. He prepped my arm, put in a needle, and ...
Well, then I woke up with Nicole in the room, my mouth stuffed with gauze.
I have no idea what happened at all. Not in the slightest. I sat down then I woke up, and that was it. I've never blacked out due to drinking, never been abducted by visitors from Mars ... but this. Whoa. Neat. I was O-U-T. What a wonderful deep, deep sleep I must have been in.
I was brought to a recovery room to relax for another few minutes, and I pointed at my wrist to ask Nicole what time it was. It was barely past ten. In less than an hour, they'd knocked my ass out, taken out four wisdom teeth, stitched me back up, and revived me, all with minimal pain.
They gave me a prescription of 20 Oxycodone pills to be taken over the next few days, but I doubt I'll need them past today. I feel slight discomfort, but no pain. The feeling you get when you eat the triangle center of a piece of hot pizza and it burns the roof of your mouth is worse than the discomfort I feel right now. Nicole said she was amazed yesterday afternoon when I was pretty much acting like nothing at all had happened.
Just after the appointment, the walk to the car was a bit of a slow, zig-zagging adventure, since I was still a little dopey, and my communication skills were hampered by the gauze and my numb lips, but other than that, all was well. When I looked in the car's passenger-side mirror, my face was rather puffy and swollen (pics to come), and I had to wipe blood off my front teeth with my finger. I looked like a vampire who'd just fed. Taking the bloody gauze out of my mouth to replace it wasn't fun, either, but at least I didn't have to wear a giant plastic cone around my head like Rocky did a couple of weeks ago. So I had that going for me, which was good. When I move my tongue around my back teeth, I can feel the stitches, which is also a strange and somewhat unsettling experience.
The most unpleasant part of the whole thing, though (other than my insurance only covering 75% of the procedure), is that it quite literally has left a bad taste in my mouth. After removal of wisdom teeth, you're not allowed to brush your teeth for 24 hours, so my breath must be pretty bad by now. On the other hand, all I had to eat yesterday was a lot of ice cream and some soft egg salad, so it's not like I was chowing down on garlic and onions or other pungent foods. More than that, however, is the unshakable aftertaste of blood in my mouth. It's inescapable.
Two quick plugs:
1. I ate a LOT of ice cream, for the record. Edy's Slow Churned - go get some. A scoop full of vanilla with some iced coffee poured over it is great stuff, I promise. And their limited edition Pumpkin flavored ice cream is terrific.
2. If anyone somehow comes across this entry while doing a Google search for information about Dr. Kenneth Press, an Oral Surgeon practicing in Morristown, New Jersey - he's fantastic, and I highly recommend him. He was recommended to me by my dentist, and the lady I spoke to at the orthodonist's office gave him a glowing review when I name dropped him in a conversation regarding the reason for the delay in getting my braces put on. He's a really nice guy, and he did a terrific job of getting me fixed up and back on my feet in no time flat. His office is covered in "Best of New Jersey" magazines in which he was featured, and he's clearly on top of his game.
I'd probably been awake anyway "recovering", but last night's Red Sox / Angels game was a terrific reason to get a late start on this morning. As much as I hated to see a true Dirt Dog like Trot Nixon be unceremoniously let go two seasons ago for the much dreaded J.D. Drew era (how could they pay him THAT much?), I have to admit I was wrong.
J.D. Drew: I apologize. While I still feel you're overpaid, I feel that ALL ballplayers are pretty much overpaid. So don't take that personally. I was wrong, though, about what I thought you would contribute to my Red Sox, and I'm glad you're on our side. Hell, I'm even glad you stole Trot's #7 for your jersey. You are a worthy heir to the number and the field position. I wish you could stay healthy all year long, of course, but whatever voodoo you're practicing on your herniated disc seems to be working, so go do some more chanting, or sacrifice a chicken, or whatever it is you need to do to get through the next couple of weeks.
And Kevin Youkilis. Oh, man. If you've read the excellent Moneyball, which focuses on how small-market teams like the A's function and compete with teams like the Red Sox and Yankees, who have the resources to outspend their opponents on big-name free-agents, you know that Youkilis was a highly prized prospect within the Red Sox farm system a few years ago, and that many teams wanted to trade for him. Theo Epstein's continued patience in not moving guys like this is the reason the Sox are trying to win their third World Series in five seasons. He made two spectacular late-inning defensive plays at third base last night, filling in for Mike Lowell, and every at bat looks like he's faced with the prospect of having a kidnapped relative killed if he doesn't get a hit. In his first at-bat last night, he was an absolute mess, dripping with sweat as if a faucet was attached to his batting helmet. It was the first inning. The temperatures were said to be in the 60s.
Talk about a gamer.
I already have plenty of Red Sox shirts at this point, but I think I'd have a real dilemma on my hands if I wanted to get another one. Youkilis? Jon Lester? Good thing I'm not in the market at the moment.
Finally, week five of the NFL season. When the season began, I started with an imaginary $100, and entering week five - twenty individual game picks into the season - I have an imaginary $105. Last week's 2-3 debacle (Buffalo and San Diego both covered, though neither game looked to be going well after their respective first halves and I could have easily gone 0-5) followed another 2-3 week, so I need to turn it around. On the plus side, I haven't had to use any more imaginary "seed money"; on the negative side, I'm not setting the world on fire or impressing anyone (myself, particularly) with my NFL prognostication prowess.
Part of the reason is that I never pay attention to teams like Tampa Bay, and I end up picking games that already have pretty big point spreads.
So let's see what's on the agenda this week.
The odds are from Yahoo! sports at 11:38 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4.
1. Arizona -1 vs. Buffalo (at Arizona) for $20:
One of the Cardinals' best offensive weapons, Anquan Boldin, is likely out for the game, which should allow Buffalo's already tough defense to dominate even more. I know they're on home turf, and clearly I'm no NFL expert given my picks so far this year, but how a 2-2 Arizona team is favored by a point over the 4-0 Bills is a little beyond me, and I'm pretty confident that the Bills win this game.
2. Chicago -3.5 vs. Detroit (at Detroit) for $20:
The Bears are 2-2 and coming off a big win against the Eagles. Their two losses were each by only three points, against the surprisingly tough Panthers and Bucs. They beat Indianapolis handily in week one. Detroit is 0-3 and coming off a bye week, and they've lost by no less than 13 points prior to that. Da Bears ought to take this one easily.
3. Indianapolis -3 vs. Houston (at Houston) for $20:
The under-achieving 1-2 Colts are due for a breakout offensive game, and 0-3 Houston is giving up 341 yards per game. Indy is coming off a bye week and have Peyton Manning salivating to put up some numbers. Houston has ... who does Houston have, exactly? Three points seems easy to cover.
4. NY Giants -7 vs. Seattle (at New Jersey - let's face it. They're in New Jersey.) for $20
No explanation, just a gut feeling. Seattle's put up 67 points in the past two weeks, and the Giants are coming off a bye week following an overtime scare against the Bungles. I think the Seahawks can cover, in a 27-23 kind of way.
5. San Diego -6.5 vs. Miami (at Miami) for $20:
Simply because I don't think Miami can do it twice in a row.
So there you go - five games, and I'm picking the road team in EVERY ONE OF THEM. Two underdogs, and as Lincoln would call them, three overdogs.
A sure recipe for disaster!
If I have a losing record this week, next week I pick teams out of a hat. I'll make a video of the picks and everything as proof.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
ALDS entry #1
Johan who?
The centerpieces of the proposed trade for Santana last offseason were either Lester or Ellsbury. As the baseball cliche goes, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.
I'd love to know what the 2008 Red Sox season in the Santana-era alternate universe looks like, but the real one we're seeing right now seems like a pretty good one.
Think about this: If the Sox had made the deal, the other components to the trade would likely have left Julio Lugo or Alex Cora at shortstop (Lowrie would be gone) and the Sox without Justin Masterson in the 'pen (which means Mike Timlin would probably be out there instead).
Would you rather have a post-season team with Lowrie (who can also play third), Masterson, and Ellsbury/Lester? Or would you rather have a team with Santana, Timlin, Cora, and Ellsbury/Lester?
(Not to mention Michael Bowden, who is not on the post-season roster but looked good in his limited play earlier this year and could be a factor in the next year or two.)
Throw in the salaries of these guys versus that of Santana ...
Man, I'm glad that trade didn't happen. Say Santana's free agency were to begin a year later than it did. The Sox would <i>never</i> entertain the thought of a trade of that magnitude after THIS season, knowing what their guys are legitimately capable of.
They would have given up far, far too much for Santana, as good as he is.
While Jon Lester may not - yet - be as feared and dominant as Santana, he seems to have the potential to be just as reliable (and, at a fraction of the cost). In a playoff series, when a pitcher's impact is tremendous but the number of games played is limited, Lester and Santana seem to be of equal game value at this point. But for the rest of the series, for everyday players, I'm glad we have guys like Ellsbury and Lowrie out there. They can make a difference more than just every third day. It's very reassuring.
Once again, nice job, Theo. Your patience is a gift.
The centerpieces of the proposed trade for Santana last offseason were either Lester or Ellsbury. As the baseball cliche goes, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.
I'd love to know what the 2008 Red Sox season in the Santana-era alternate universe looks like, but the real one we're seeing right now seems like a pretty good one.
Think about this: If the Sox had made the deal, the other components to the trade would likely have left Julio Lugo or Alex Cora at shortstop (Lowrie would be gone) and the Sox without Justin Masterson in the 'pen (which means Mike Timlin would probably be out there instead).
Would you rather have a post-season team with Lowrie (who can also play third), Masterson, and Ellsbury/Lester? Or would you rather have a team with Santana, Timlin, Cora, and Ellsbury/Lester?
(Not to mention Michael Bowden, who is not on the post-season roster but looked good in his limited play earlier this year and could be a factor in the next year or two.)
Throw in the salaries of these guys versus that of Santana ...
Man, I'm glad that trade didn't happen. Say Santana's free agency were to begin a year later than it did. The Sox would <i>never</i> entertain the thought of a trade of that magnitude after THIS season, knowing what their guys are legitimately capable of.
They would have given up far, far too much for Santana, as good as he is.
While Jon Lester may not - yet - be as feared and dominant as Santana, he seems to have the potential to be just as reliable (and, at a fraction of the cost). In a playoff series, when a pitcher's impact is tremendous but the number of games played is limited, Lester and Santana seem to be of equal game value at this point. But for the rest of the series, for everyday players, I'm glad we have guys like Ellsbury and Lowrie out there. They can make a difference more than just every third day. It's very reassuring.
Once again, nice job, Theo. Your patience is a gift.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The woman who could be VP
Tuesday night is going to be a bloodbath.
Two clips for your consideration:
That's gotta be the worst she can do, right?
Oh, no, wait ...
Speaking of debates, a quick note about last night's: McCain won!
He did!
In fact, he was proud to tell everyone about it ... before the debate actually took place.
Sigh ...
Obama was terrific last night, I thought.
Two clips for your consideration:
That's gotta be the worst she can do, right?
Oh, no, wait ...
Speaking of debates, a quick note about last night's: McCain won!
He did!
In fact, he was proud to tell everyone about it ... before the debate actually took place.
Sigh ...
Obama was terrific last night, I thought.
NFL Picks - Week 4
Last week was a nightmare. Oh, man. I won the Atlanta and Tennessee games, but lost the other three. I started the week at imaginary $150, bet $100, and with my incorrect picks lost only $20, so after three weeks I'm still up $30.
How people make a living betting for real is beyond me - three weeks into the season, with a cumulative 8-7 record, I'm living the high life with three extra imaginary ten dollar bills in my imaginary wallet. Not enough to pay for the removal of my wisdom teeth this coming Friday (wish me luck), but enough to pay for some ice cream I guess. Also, I had that cardiac calcium scanning test three days ago, and I'll write about that in the coming days. Amazing machinery and technology, that thing. Much to Nicole's relief (mine too, obviously), all is well with my ticker, and the doctor said that my results were "excellent."
But this week ... let's see what we've got.
This whole season, being completely upside down at this point, is pretty much beyond comprehension. From week to week, guys (and I mean superstars, not just linemen) are getting injured left and right, and any given team's starting lineup at the start of the first half of a game can change completely by the end of halftime. Basically, I should pretty much just pull teams out of a hat and pick that way.
But I won't - not this week, at least. As always, I'm using Yahoo! odds as they're listed at 4:15 on Saturday afternoon.
Buffalo -8.5 vs. St. Louis (at St. Louis) for $25
Buffalo is 3-0, even if last week was shaky. St. Louis is 0-3 and in the midst of a revolt from their head coach, and Marc Bulger is no longer their QB. Their receivers aren't happy, their running back isn't happy, Marc Bulger is not happy (duh) ... all of which means I'm happy to pick the Bills, your AFC East Champions for the 2008-2009 season. Sorry Patriots.
Denver -9.5 vs. Kansas City (at Kansas City) for $25
The 3-0 Broncos are averaging 38 points per game, and the 0-3 Chiefs averaging just under 11. Looks like a no-brainer to me. (A statement that almost guarantees that KC covers the spread, right?) I'm not sold on Denver being Superbowl-bound yet, by the way. Yes, they're putting up big scores and are undefeated, but they beat the Chargers at the last second in a very controversial manner (i.e., they SHOULD have lost, if not for a bad ref decision), and New Orleans almost snuck back from an 18 point deficit last week. But against the Chiefs this week ... hell, anyone against the Chiefs any week, perhaps, they're a lock.
New Orleans -5 vs. San Francisco (at New Orleans) for $25:
SHOOTOUT! First, the over-under is 48, which seems really low to me. New Orleans is giving up an average of just under 28 ppg (while scoring just under 27). San Francisco is averaging 32 ppg over their last two games (just under 26 overall) while giving up just under 19. The mere concept of a shootout assumes that both sides will keep trading scores right through the end of the game, and if that's the case, the score should be pretty close. And if the score's close, I have to go with the underdog to cover the spread - if not win the game outright.
Jacksonville -7 vs. Houston (at Jacksonville) for $25:
Jacksonville, though 1-2, sees the opportunity given to them by Indianapolis' poor start, and I can't see them missing a chance to take advantage of an 0-2 Houston team that is likely emotionally and physically tired from having played no home games, having practice issues, and everything else that came about due to Hurricane Ike.
San Diego -7.5 vs. Oakland (at Oakland) for $25.
Oakland can't cover the spread twice in a row, especially against a team that put up 48 points this past week, can they? My only concern is that the Chargers are playing on short rest. Still, if I have to pick five games, this is my fifth.
That leaves me an imaginary $5 for a pint of imaginary Ben and Jerry's, for my very real wisdom teeth removal.
How people make a living betting for real is beyond me - three weeks into the season, with a cumulative 8-7 record, I'm living the high life with three extra imaginary ten dollar bills in my imaginary wallet. Not enough to pay for the removal of my wisdom teeth this coming Friday (wish me luck), but enough to pay for some ice cream I guess. Also, I had that cardiac calcium scanning test three days ago, and I'll write about that in the coming days. Amazing machinery and technology, that thing. Much to Nicole's relief (mine too, obviously), all is well with my ticker, and the doctor said that my results were "excellent."
But this week ... let's see what we've got.
This whole season, being completely upside down at this point, is pretty much beyond comprehension. From week to week, guys (and I mean superstars, not just linemen) are getting injured left and right, and any given team's starting lineup at the start of the first half of a game can change completely by the end of halftime. Basically, I should pretty much just pull teams out of a hat and pick that way.
But I won't - not this week, at least. As always, I'm using Yahoo! odds as they're listed at 4:15 on Saturday afternoon.
Buffalo -8.5 vs. St. Louis (at St. Louis) for $25
Buffalo is 3-0, even if last week was shaky. St. Louis is 0-3 and in the midst of a revolt from their head coach, and Marc Bulger is no longer their QB. Their receivers aren't happy, their running back isn't happy, Marc Bulger is not happy (duh) ... all of which means I'm happy to pick the Bills, your AFC East Champions for the 2008-2009 season. Sorry Patriots.
Denver -9.5 vs. Kansas City (at Kansas City) for $25
The 3-0 Broncos are averaging 38 points per game, and the 0-3 Chiefs averaging just under 11. Looks like a no-brainer to me. (A statement that almost guarantees that KC covers the spread, right?) I'm not sold on Denver being Superbowl-bound yet, by the way. Yes, they're putting up big scores and are undefeated, but they beat the Chargers at the last second in a very controversial manner (i.e., they SHOULD have lost, if not for a bad ref decision), and New Orleans almost snuck back from an 18 point deficit last week. But against the Chiefs this week ... hell, anyone against the Chiefs any week, perhaps, they're a lock.
New Orleans -5 vs. San Francisco (at New Orleans) for $25:
SHOOTOUT! First, the over-under is 48, which seems really low to me. New Orleans is giving up an average of just under 28 ppg (while scoring just under 27). San Francisco is averaging 32 ppg over their last two games (just under 26 overall) while giving up just under 19. The mere concept of a shootout assumes that both sides will keep trading scores right through the end of the game, and if that's the case, the score should be pretty close. And if the score's close, I have to go with the underdog to cover the spread - if not win the game outright.
Jacksonville -7 vs. Houston (at Jacksonville) for $25:
Jacksonville, though 1-2, sees the opportunity given to them by Indianapolis' poor start, and I can't see them missing a chance to take advantage of an 0-2 Houston team that is likely emotionally and physically tired from having played no home games, having practice issues, and everything else that came about due to Hurricane Ike.
San Diego -7.5 vs. Oakland (at Oakland) for $25.
Oakland can't cover the spread twice in a row, especially against a team that put up 48 points this past week, can they? My only concern is that the Chargers are playing on short rest. Still, if I have to pick five games, this is my fifth.
That leaves me an imaginary $5 for a pint of imaginary Ben and Jerry's, for my very real wisdom teeth removal.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
NFL Picks - week 3
OK, so I didn't expect Pittsburgh to play Cleveland in a monsoon last weekend. Pittsburgh didn't cover the six point spread and I lost that one. Had I known about the weather situation, I probably still would have picked the Steelers to cover that game, so what can you do, right? And picking the Atlanta/Tampa Bay game ... eh. Made sense at the time, I guess.
I hit the other three games, though, so after the first two weeks my cumulative record is 6-4, and my original investment of $100 has grown to $150 ($20 left over from week 1, plus $130 from last week's correct games). Not great, but I'm in the black, and I haven't had to put in "additional" funds to keep this going.
As always, the odds are via Yahoo! sports, this week taken at 6:23 p.m. on Saturday 9/20.
Buffalo -9.5 vs. Oakland (at Buffalo) for $20:
I know the Raiders won last week, but they're still terrible, and Buffalo's defense won't allow many points this week. They'll be lucky to score a touchdown on offense, frankly. I know it's a pretty big spread, but Buffalo's at home, and I can envision the Bills winning by two touchdowns (at least).
Tennessee -4.5 vs. Houston (at Tennessee) for $20:
Houston didn't play last week due to Hurricane Ike, so they've been dealing with major distractions off the field, and Tennessee seems to have successfully navigated through their own distractions on the field (for now, at least). They're at home, and a 4.5 point spread seems do-able to me.
Minnesota -3.5 vs. Carolina (at Minnesota) for $20:
Adrian Peterson may not play, the team has turned to Gus Frerotte (!) to lead the team at QB, and the Vikings are coming off a disastrous loss last week in a winnable game vs. Indianapolis. Carolina is 2-0, Steve Smith is back in the lineup, and the Panthers have every reason to be as optimistic as the Vikings may be pessimistic. Even on the road, I think the spread favors Carolina.
Atlanta -5.5 vs. Kansas City (at Atlanta) for $20:
The Chiefs are terrible, and it may be safe to bet against them and whatever their spread is for the rest of the season. Atlanta's not great (especially their defense, which has allowed 45 points already this season), but the Chiefs are starting their third string QB on the road.
New England -12.5 vs. Miami (at New England) for $20:
What I said last week about not betting on the home team, and using your head instead of your heart? Here's the exception to the rule. I know the point spread is pretty big, but the Patriots are at home, Matt Cassel is playing with confidence, Chad Pennington is no Bret Favre (because if he was, he'd still be a Jet instead of the actual Favre), the Dolphins can't run they give up a ton of yards to their opposition, and Joey Porter said the 'Fins would treat Cassel "like a backup" and that the game "shouldn't be that hard" because Cassel "isn't Tom Brady".
Why do you say such stupid things, sir? Even if Matt Cassel can't perform the way Brady did, the rest of the team can still perform better than the Dolphins can. The Dolphins who won exactly one game last year. The Dolphins who are winless this year and looked clueless vs. Arizona.
P-A-T-S! Pats Pats Pats!
Five games, twenty bucks a pop, keeping $50 off the board for next week. Plus a "real" blog entry to follow in the next day or two.
I hit the other three games, though, so after the first two weeks my cumulative record is 6-4, and my original investment of $100 has grown to $150 ($20 left over from week 1, plus $130 from last week's correct games). Not great, but I'm in the black, and I haven't had to put in "additional" funds to keep this going.
As always, the odds are via Yahoo! sports, this week taken at 6:23 p.m. on Saturday 9/20.
Buffalo -9.5 vs. Oakland (at Buffalo) for $20:
I know the Raiders won last week, but they're still terrible, and Buffalo's defense won't allow many points this week. They'll be lucky to score a touchdown on offense, frankly. I know it's a pretty big spread, but Buffalo's at home, and I can envision the Bills winning by two touchdowns (at least).
Tennessee -4.5 vs. Houston (at Tennessee) for $20:
Houston didn't play last week due to Hurricane Ike, so they've been dealing with major distractions off the field, and Tennessee seems to have successfully navigated through their own distractions on the field (for now, at least). They're at home, and a 4.5 point spread seems do-able to me.
Minnesota -3.5 vs. Carolina (at Minnesota) for $20:
Adrian Peterson may not play, the team has turned to Gus Frerotte (!) to lead the team at QB, and the Vikings are coming off a disastrous loss last week in a winnable game vs. Indianapolis. Carolina is 2-0, Steve Smith is back in the lineup, and the Panthers have every reason to be as optimistic as the Vikings may be pessimistic. Even on the road, I think the spread favors Carolina.
Atlanta -5.5 vs. Kansas City (at Atlanta) for $20:
The Chiefs are terrible, and it may be safe to bet against them and whatever their spread is for the rest of the season. Atlanta's not great (especially their defense, which has allowed 45 points already this season), but the Chiefs are starting their third string QB on the road.
New England -12.5 vs. Miami (at New England) for $20:
What I said last week about not betting on the home team, and using your head instead of your heart? Here's the exception to the rule. I know the point spread is pretty big, but the Patriots are at home, Matt Cassel is playing with confidence, Chad Pennington is no Bret Favre (because if he was, he'd still be a Jet instead of the actual Favre), the Dolphins can't run they give up a ton of yards to their opposition, and Joey Porter said the 'Fins would treat Cassel "like a backup" and that the game "shouldn't be that hard" because Cassel "isn't Tom Brady".
Why do you say such stupid things, sir? Even if Matt Cassel can't perform the way Brady did, the rest of the team can still perform better than the Dolphins can. The Dolphins who won exactly one game last year. The Dolphins who are winless this year and looked clueless vs. Arizona.
P-A-T-S! Pats Pats Pats!
Five games, twenty bucks a pop, keeping $50 off the board for next week. Plus a "real" blog entry to follow in the next day or two.
Friday, September 19, 2008
(Warning: politics inside!) the Obama vs. Palin chain e-mail
This is from an e-mail making the rounds recently, so it may be old news to some of you. Please feel free to send it to your other political-junkie friends (on both sides of the aisle) to see what kind of response it gets.
* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're
"exotic, different."
* If you grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, you're a
quintessential American story.
* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.
* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well
grounded.
* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the
first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter
registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years
as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator
representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of
the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years
in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people
while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs,
Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you
don't have any real leadership experience.
* If your total resume is local weather girl, 4 years on the city
council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000
people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people,
then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking
executive.
* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while
raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're
not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your
disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a
Christian.
* If you teach children about sexual predators, you are irresponsible
and eroding the fiber of society.
* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no
other option in sex education in your state's school system while your
unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.
* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in
a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city
community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values
don't represent America's.
* If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI
conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until
age 25 and once was a member of a group that hates America and
advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is
extremely admirable.