Monday, August 31, 2015

Rolling Back the New Deal

Interesting article on libertarian judicial activism. Who knew but because I am for the repeal of Obamacare and feel that Kelo vs New London was an awful decision - I'm probably a libertarian judicial activist. 

DeflateGate

Tom E. Curran is 100% right - enough with the claims the balls were "significantly" underinflated. If you hear someone parrot the "significantly" underinflated line you will have to decide if the person saying or writing that is:

A: hopelessly biased against the Patriots
B: a stooge for the NFL Commissioner's Office
C: a moron
D: all of the above.

Sadly I think the most common answer with be D: all of the above (looking at you Chris Mortensen). .

Mount McKinley Now Once Again Mount Denali

President Obama has changed the name of Alaskan peak Mount McKinley back to the original native name of Mount Denali. I've heard the mountain called both all my life which I think is a testament to the name Mount McKinley never fully taking hold. I have no issue whatsoever with the name change back to Mount Denali.

Speaker John Boehner however is not pleased with the name change. Some things are worth fighting for. This is not one of them. Hey Boehner how about spending your time and effort to repeal Obamacare or stop the Iran Deal instead of this fluff.

As for me - I'm just happy that Vladimir Putin hasn't strong-armed Obama into selling Alaska back to Russia (although when he sees what Obama is willing to give away to Iran would you blame Putin if he tried?).

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Robert Shaw Describes Donald Trump

Robert Shaw describes Donald Trump at a press conference:
Donald Trump comes cruising in. The reporters form themselves into tight groups. You know it's kind of like ol' squares in a battle or like being roped together at a Hillary press conference. And the idea is if the Donald goes after one reporter and then that reporter would start hollerin' and screamin' and sometimes the Donald would go away. Sometimes he wouldn't go away. Sometimes the Donald, he looks right into you. Right into the reporter's eyes. You know the thing about the Donald, he's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be a real politician. Until he bites into ya with those scathing remarks and those black eyes roll over white. And then, ah then you hear that terrible high pitch complaining and the airways and Internet explode despite all the pounding and hollerin' that the Donald isn't a serious candidate. And that's when the Donald comes in and rips ya to pieces. I'll never go into a press pool again.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Don Orsillo

The Red Sox and NESN have decided not to renew the contract of team TV play-by-play man Don Orsillo. "Not renewing the contract" is a euphemistic way of saying "fired' or in this case "ripped the guts out of". This move was completely unexpected by Red Sox fans and just as unwelcome.

For the past 15-years Orsillo has handled the job in an understated, professional, upbeat manner. As a person who travels and has seen and heard the play-by-play announcers of many other teams - I hope NESN viewers understand just how good we have had it this past decade and a half. Outside of American icon Vin Scully -  Don Orsillo may just be the best in baseball. He was so good that he made everyone forget that Sean McDonough ever preceded him (and McDonough is one of the best all-around play-by-play announcers in my lifetime).

Orsillo will land on his feet somewhere and he will make some team's fanbase very happy. But it won't be the same. Either for us Red Sox fans or for the New England born Orsillo. Because of this move I might have already watched my last Red Sox game of the season and because of the way they just treated Don Orillo - NESN can suck my balls! I hope their ratings tank the next six weeks for what they just did to the good-hearted Orsillo. I hope advertisers pull their commercials to send a message to the NESN brass that they just screwed up in a major way. I hope all of their genitals shrivel up and whither away (maybe that last part is over the top).

The ever classy Gordon Edes describes the situation in a much more professional manner (even though there's no declaration that NESN can suck his balls too - there is no disguising Edes' contempt for this move). I hope Red Sox fans also appreciate Edes because like Orsillo he's one of the best in the business.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Donald Trump

I find I enjoy politics more these days if I imagine Donald Trump as Count Chocula and Joe Biden as Frankenberry. To follow through on the analogy - I think it would be cool if instead of Trump's Apprentice program there was instead The Next Renfeld where people competed to be Donald "Count Chocula" Trump's new crazy, bug-eating assistant.

Is it me or is it strange that Donald Trump not only has his own IMDB page but it has lots of credits. He's been on things as varied as The Jeffersons, Spin City and Zoolander where he's credited as an actor (some would argue that his running for President as a Republican should be credited as an actor's role as well). Plus there's 189 things where IMDB credits Trump as appearing as himself. This includes multiple WestleMania and WWF Raw appearances starting back in 2004 - showing Jon Stewart to be a Johnny Come Lately to the world of wrestling compared to the Donald.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- EPA knew beforehand about risk at mine. It disgusts me that no one will even lose their job over this

- US Soldier: How We Stopped the Train Gunman

- Peter Gammons is the King of Butt Tweeting. Some of the comments are gold.

- Heh heh - speaking of Subway spokesmen

- For all those Firefly fans out there - that hat does make you look like an idiot (but we still love the hat)

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

People keep wondering if Donald Trump would run as a Third-Party candidate but the real question people should be asking is if Bernie Sanders would run as a Third-Party candidate... Why there should be no deal with Iran... Praise the Lord! I've now been stigmata free for over 40-years!... When asked to name their favorite movies people rarely list The Princess Bride but when reminded almost all add the classic to their list...  Interesting look at Notre Dame football... As a reminder of how important air pressure is to the "integrity" of  NFL games - the NFL has yet to issue teams their new pressure gauges... 15 facts about daddy longlegs. Missing is the fact that if you kill one you will cause it to rain... If the ads for Hai Karate cologne were true then I when was young I would have spent all my energy beating off the advances of swarms of women - instead I just beat off. There's no truth in advertising...

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

2016 Election Parallels 1968

Hill-Err-Ray, Hill-Err-Ray - How many emails did you release today?
Maybe not as dramatic or as serious a charge (maybe) as;
L-B-J, L-B-J - How many kids did you kill today?
But I keep thinking that 2016 feels a lot like 1968 as far as the Democratic Presidential nominating process is concerned. Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democratic Party Candidate but as the scandal of her unsecured private email server (among other things) continues a drip drip of bad news she is looking very vulnerable. Bernie Sanders is gaining ground and proving much more popular to the Party's hard left.

In 1968 it was Eugene McCarthy that was the darling of the far left and who eventually forced sitting President Lyndon Johnson from the race. Will Hillary eventually also decide that discretion in dropping out is the better part of valor like Lyndon Baines Johnson decided 47-years ago? In 1968 it was sitting Vice President Hubert Humphrey who eventually carried the Party Standard in the November election but not until after a lot of contentious primaries. Will Joe Biden likewise take on the role of Hubert Humphrey in 2016?

Only half-kidding but who will be the Republican Richard Nixon in 2016?

No matter what happens it will be great theater but my only hope nobody has to play the role of Robert Kennedy.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Ronda Rousey vs Floyd Mayweather

The day after the Manny Pacquiao - Floyd Mayweather fight I said that the UFC should have Ronda Rousey challenge Mayweather to a $100 million winner-take-all fight. Mayweather would have to either refuse or no-comment the offer which would make him look afraid of a woman and make boxing look like a joke. Nothing but upside for the UFC though.

Now that Ronda Rousey is saying that she could beat Mayweather in a "fight" - could this actually be something that could come to fruition? If it did - I'd pay money to watch it and so would millions of others. It would be by far the biggest pay-per-view event in history!

But it won't happen.

It won't happen because Mayweather could lose. That would be the end of Mayweather and the final nail in the coffin for boxing. No matter what the potential payday - the risk is too great.

Too bad because I would have put my money on Rousey.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Not sure how I would feel about a possible Deadwood movie. Loved the show but it will more than 10-years passed if a movie does come out... I think the Jets are much better off with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. I also think Geno Smith will never start another game for the Jets... 18 Game of Thrones moments improved by Monty Python and the Holy Grail quotes... Growing up Catholic if a priest kept a mass under an hour he was a "good" priest. If he was consistently at 45 minutes - that priest developed a cult following... The idea of bringing back original Johnny Carson Tonight Show episodes in their full length is genius. So glad the hurdles were cleared to make this happen... All of you NFL fans who call the Patriots cheaters - time to move out of your glass house... You have to wonder how the Red Sox would have done this season if they had both Jon Lester and John Lackey in the rotation... Unbelievable - letter to the editor predicted EPA spill a week before it happened...  A Red Sox outfield with Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo would be the best defensive OF in MLB - time to move Hanley Ramirez to first base... When Tom Brady sues the NFL for defamation and the damage done to his reputation I hope this post is listed among the exhibits... Just saying but Hanley Ramirez can't be any worse defensively at first than Kevin Millar was... Heh heh...

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Will the NFL's blatant lies about Ted Wells' independence even hurt them?

- Bob Cousy turned 87 on Sunday. It is hard to come up with a player who impacted his pro sport as much as Cousy but somehow has gone more under-appreciated. We still love ya Cooz!

- Heh heh. I like places that look nice and I'm not even British!

- Just became a fan of Dr. Roy Spenser and his views on Climate Change.

- Very cool photos - underwater mangrove trees and salt plains after rain.

- Heh heh

- If you've ever wanted to be a screenwriter or were ever curious about the process read this!

Friday, August 07, 2015

DeflateGate Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations on DeflateGate.

Not sure when I realized this but Roger Goodell is actually a Phil Hartman sketch come to life - the Unfrozen Caveman Commissioner... Heh heh - Fundamentally Honest Man Railroaded by Arrogant Ginger... Sources say Tweet by @mortreport denying Roger Goodell three times before the cock crowed has been deleted... When the NFL finally fires Roger Goodell - they should ask Condolezza Rice to be the next Commissioner... Roger Goodell's Fatal Mistake: Tom Brady an Innocent Man... Sources says @mortreport Tweet saying Roger Goodell has accepted Baphomet as his Lord and Savior has been deleted... Is Roger Goodell from Pennsylvania because he sure acts like a Keystone Commissioner... Agree with this 100%... Actually Goodell was born in New York and I'm not sure if anyone will get the dated Keystone Cops reference... Random and arbitrary decisions seem to be Roger Goodell's modus operandi ... Could the Colts and Ravens look any more whinny and duplicitous in this whole affair? And I'm guessing more damaging emails are forthcoming if this farce isn't ended soon... Sources say @mortreport has deleted Tweet accusing NFL VP Mike Kensil of having a detatchable penis... 

Monday, August 03, 2015

DeflateGate Updates

Here's a roundup of just some of the developments in DeflateGate over the past few days.

- Could Brady case result in a reduction of Goodell's power? Personally I think it will result in Goodell losing his job once the eventual defamation case costs the NFL millions upon millions of dollars.

- Yes the NFL did correct that pretty quick. Which means they didn't want to correct Mortensen's 11 out of 12 balls 2 PSI under regulation report because it served the NFL's purpose of defaming the Patriots (see above).

- NFL's own new procedures on ball handling and now officials saying that sometimes balls just have slow leaks are undermining the Commissioner. If the ice caps eroded as quickly as Goodell's integrity then everyone would believe in Global Warming.

- Keep in mind that the NFL picked the Second Circuit Court. This may prove to be a fatal mistake.

- Robert Kraft is finally taking the gloves off.

- And why did Bob Kraft release the emails?

- And if Mike Kensil was source of Mortensen's false report? He loses his job (along with Goodell).

Sunday, August 02, 2015

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Had to tap out of watching the UFC last night around midnight to go watch live music instead. An overall very disappointing fight card... Six months ago yesterday... The movie Three Days of the Condor was based on the book Six Days of the Condor. Was it reduced to three days because of budget constraints?... Given how he doesn't seem to believe in the Ideal Gas Law - could Roger Goodell be the poster boy for climate change deniers?... Speaking of climate change - one of the biggest factors in climate change is the Earth's magnetic pole shifting from North to South. We still know so very little about the Earth's "magnetic personality" (so let's blame Americans who don't drive Prius' for climate change instead to make us feel better for our ignorance - better yet let's blame Tom Brady)... Holy crap - did the Garland Texas shooter buy one or more of his guns via the Fast and Furious "sting"?... Given how much credibility Chris Mortensen has flushed down the toilet in DeflateGate - someone should start a fake Twitter handle for him and report things like, "Multiple league sources confirm that Roger Goodell was eaten by wolves. And that he was delicious"... How can it be "Ultimate" fighting when biting and kicks or punches to the dick/baby-maker aren't allowed? Wouldn't that be the ultimate in fighting? Truly no holds barred...