Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Las Vegas



This book is at the top of my summer reading list.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Pop icons seen in a different light (pretty funny stuff)

- The secrets of the shower scene in Hitchcock's 'Psycho' (HT Tao of Pauly)

- Costner cleanup device gets high marks from BP

- It’s time to be thankful for what you have!

- How Ernie Grunfeld might've just cost the Knicks LeBron James

- Princess Bride quiz (I got 9 out of 10)

- Interesting charts on cigarette taxes
Internet Trivia

Interesting bits of trivia I've learned from surfing the Internet.

- In the wilderness dusk with crickets chirping in harmony? Count their chirps in 15 seconds. Then add 40. That will give you the air temp in degrees Fahrenheit.

- Combined the 27 countries that make up the European Union still would cover only half of the USA

- In 1946, convenience store chain Tote'm changed its name to 7-Eleven to reflect new, extended hours—7am to 11pm.

- In the 3 yrs since Randy Moss left Oakland, he has 47 Rec TDs. In that same time, the Raiders as a team only have 40 passing TDs

- This was the most interesting factoid of all. It is funny because it is so true.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Aurora Australis

ISS Crew Captures Beautiful Image of Green Aurora Over the Indian Ocean. The aurora australis or Southern Lights.

Another amazing aurora australis pic from space.
Soccer



Huge win by Team USA today but I still can't help but think of soccer like the video shows it.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Wow - just wow

- Totally different movie with Vuvuzela Horns

- Is this why they are called the Yankees?

- Double Takes - things that make you look twice - cool blog

- Funny World cup commercial.

- Toy Story Meets the Wire - Awesome

- Mitch Hedburgh Quote Generator
Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Celtics game almost made me sick last night. Seriously. I had to chew Tums during the whole 4th quarter. Between the Celtics blowing an 11-point lead, the awful offense of the Celtics late in the game, the questionable officials and the ABC announcers openly rooting for the Lakers - I thought I was going to throw-up... I don't see the resemblance either... Doc Rivers tried to keep the team fresh for the playoffs but in the end I think age caught up with the Celtics. There were no hops in Kevin Garnett's legs last night. None at all. He had creaky old knees last night. Ray Allen? When you get worn down your shot is one of the first things to suffer and his shooting was tired last night. Paul Pierce? How many drives to the basket did you see him finish by dunking the ball? I don't care what anyone says - the Celtics showed their age last night and their age didn't have enough left in the tank when it came to the 4th quarter last night... This story is just bizarre. Throwing a puppy at the Hells Angels and then stealing a bulldozer to get away? Bizarre... No team in the AL West has a winning record against teams above .500... Exactly how insane have big banks' risky gambles on derivatives gotten? Check out the jaw-dropping chart. That's scary stuff... One of George W Bush's least heralded accomplishments was the creation of the largest marine sanctuary in the world. Over 84 million acres the sanctuary is larger than 46 of our 50 states. I just bring this up for obvious reasons... World Cup Fever... Did you know that M&M's stands for "Mars & Murrie's," the last names of the candy's founders? I did not know that...

Monday, June 14, 2010

Lakers Acting Like Losers

My high school football coach had put up motivational sayings all around the locker room. One has always stuck with me, "Only losers yell at teammates." Last night Kobe Bryant walked off the parquet floor at Boston Garden yelling at teammates.

Only losers yell at teammates Kobe.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Heh heh... Glove box? Glove compartment? Why? Do you know anyone who keeps gloves in there? Just wondering... Brian MacPherson points out that Michael Davies had the line of the World Cup so far on U.S.-England; "Best tie since Bunker Hill"... Best Laptop Ever... "I'm a Reagan Republican." That means I want growth-oriented tax policies, a strong, secure national defense, limited government and maximum individual liberty. That quote was from Peter Hannaford from 2003. It just seemed to crystallize my own political beliefs so well that I wanted to share it... Great story on Daniel Nava by Gordon Edes... People think that Andy Kaufman or Jim Morrison may have faked their deaths. Wouldn't it be funny if guy who faked his own death turns out to be Ted Knight?... Battleship - awesome game... Just as an FYI - "Britney Spears" is an anagram for “Presbyterians.”

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Chipper Jones

Chipper Jones came in second in the 1995 NL ROY voting to Hideo Nomo. Nobody in the top 10 in voting from that year in the NL is still in the bigs though Jason Isringhausen could make a comeback. The AL ROY that year went to Marty Cordoba of the Twins. Only Andy Pettite and Garrett Anderson from the top 10 in votes for 1995 AL ROY are still active and Anderson just barely.

Jones could retire tomorrow and in my mind he's a first ballot Hall of Fame guy. He's already in the top 50 all-time in on base percentage (45th), slugging percent (40th), OPS (29th), and home runs (39th). Chipper needs 62 more total bases to crack the top 50 in that category and he needs 42 more RBI to tie Mickey Mantle for 50th on that list.
World Cup

Today is England vs the USA. I'm not really a fan of soccer but I can't think of England's World Cup team without thinking of this.

WSOP

The World Series of Poker has been running for about two weeks. If you are interested in following the action - or if you are just a fan of interesting insights into the human condition - then the two spots for you to check daily are:

Tao of Poker - Dr. Pauly's twisted takes on Las Vegas and the degenerate lifestyle.

Michael Craig's Poker Blog - heavy on Full Tilt pros and stories of same but great stuff nonetheless

Friday, June 11, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

From Sons of Sam Horn - three days after Jamie Moyer's major league debut the Olsen twins were born... Could I get a matching couch in this material?... On a sadder note - three days after Jamie Moyer's debut - Len Bias died of an overdose... So we had one President saying that oral sex didn't count as sex and now one saying that kicking someone's ass is OK? Really? If a kid in any school in Massachusetts walked the hallways talking about kicking someone's ass they would be suspended. I'm not even going to touch the oral sex outbreak among teenagers today. We've come a long way since "Ask not what your country can do for you" and I wouldn't call it progress... I would love for ESPN to try and get Mike & Mike to call a World Cup match just for the comedy factor...
Dodgers Tap into "V" Energy

I got a real kick out of the story of the McCourt's using a Russian physicist to channel his energy towards the Dodgers in an effort to increase the performance of the team.
Frank and Jamie McCourt paid him [Vladimir Shpunt] to help the team win by sending positive energy over great distances.
Why can't I get a job like that? A job where your performance cannot be measured in any way and where you can take credit for any success the team has. I mean I think I can claim partial credit for the Red Sox titles in 2004 and 2007.
Shpunt began to use touch therapy with clients whom modern medicine could not help. He would place his hands on various places on the body, believing his healing energy would be transmitted to the source of the illness... she [Jamie McCourt] urged Frank to consult Shpunt regarding an undisclosed health issue...
OK am I the only one picturing Frank McCourt's undisclosed health issue as erectile dysfunction? Can you picture the guy with his hands on Frank's junk saying "Heal!" Or "Feel the power!"
Shpunt most often dispatched the energy from his home office, in a room that included a television, chair, bed and computer, watching the Dodgers late into the evening. If the Dodgers played on the West Coast, the game usually started at 10 p.m. in Boston... He would concentrate, sometimes with his eyes closed, as if meditating, Cohen said.
Well its not unusual for me to fall asleep during a West Coast game. Also not unusual for me to tell my wife I was just resting my eyes and meditating on sending positive energy to the team. Dear every team in MLB - I am available to do this sort of work!!

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Heh Heh



Via Grouchy Old Cripple
Linky Links

Some stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Victor Martinez' adoptive family in Ohio. Victor is a class guy.

- Do you want to know how to shoplift stuff? Wikipedia has you covered.

- Fictional Characters Whose Full Names You Don’t Know (Comic Book Guy? Cap’n Crunch? Barbie?)

- 727 Fuselage Home, Hotel Costa Verde. I want one! Seriously cool living space.
Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I hope I'm wrong about this but I have Let me just go on record as saying that MLB overall first draft pick Bryce Harper is giving off serious Todd Marinovich type vibes... Mott's Apple Juice advertises on TV that each cup has 2 servings of real fruit but never says that fruit is apples. I find that strange... I’ve said it before but every time I see Helen Thomas – a voice in my head goes “Who’s that trip tropping over my bridge”... The Shortest Possible Game of Monopoly: 21 Seconds... I wonder if the Yankees are looking to hook up Mark Teixeira with a fat chick on the next road trip? A slumpbuster is a slumpbuster - right?... Studs Terkel never learned to drive. Helen Thomas never learned to stop hating Jews... I wonder if Bill Hall will get to pitch for the Red Sox in this series against the Indians?...

Monday, June 07, 2010

Sunday, June 06, 2010

D-Day

Today is the 66th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by Allied troops in World War II. It is an anniversary that seems to have largely gone unnoticed and unremarked by most.

I was looking forward to watching a Band of Brothers marathon somewhere on TV today between the Red Sox game and the Celtics-Lakers tonight. No such luck. SPIKE ran a Band of Brothers marathon on Memorial Day. I guess that was enough for them. Today they are running a UFC Unleashed marathon. The History Channel? They are celebrating the sacrifice of Ice Road Truckers with an all day marathon instead of celebrating the likes of Dick Winters and the men of Easy Company.

I know that Band of Brothers tells just a small part of the overall story of D-Day and I would be happy to watch Saving Private Ryan on TBS but instead they are celebrating Will Ferrell's contribution to world freedom. Turner Classic Movies or AMC? Instead of The Longest Day or The Big Red One - they're showing Old Yeller and Kill Bill: Volume 2.

Why don't have have my own copy of Band of Brothers you ask? Well I did. My wife got it for me for Christmas when it was first release. I lent it to a friend who lent it to his dad who lent it to who knows who.

So instead my plan will be to grab my copy of Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest and read through it while smoking a Padron cigar. My own individual way of honoring those who gave their full last measure of devotion so that we could enjoy the freedom to ignore their contributions 66 years later.

Quad 1st Basemen

I've been thinking of 1st basemen recently. This off-season all the talk in Boston was about the Red Sox making a play for the Padres' Adrian Gonzalez. Alex Speier points out why a deal for Gonzo is unlikely. I think Alex misses a very big point - Adrian Gonzalez isn't even the big trophy among young 1st basemen anymore. The new BMOF (Big Man on First) is Joey Votto. Compare the two:

Gonzalez 2010 - 10 HR / 33 RBI / .275 BA / .855 OPS
Votto 2010 - 11 HR / 35 RBI / .321 BA / .986 OPS

Adrian Gonzalez is 28-years old with 86 HR the past three years and has a $5.5 million club option for 2011. Joey Votto is 26-years old with 60 HR the past three years and who will be eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season. Votto will probably cost the Reds more in 2011 than Gonzo will cost the Padres. If the Red Sox are to deal top prospects for a 1st basemen - it will more likely be for Votto who would be under team control longer than the 1-year Gonzo would have.

Both players fall short in comparison to current Red Sox 1st basemen Kevin Youkilis who has 12 HR, 38 RBI, a .320 BA and an OPS of 1.064. Exactly why would a 1st baseman be a priority for Boston again?

More interesting to me is this player comparison:

Player A - 8 HR / 34 RBI / .215 BA / .698 OPS
Player B - 6 HR / 17 RBI / .211 BA / .716 OPS

Player A is the Yankees Mark Teixeira while Player B is the Rangers uber prospect Justin Smoak. It should be noted that Teixeira has had double the plate appearances that Smoak has had this season. Smoak was drafted the year after the Rangers traded away Teixeira. I just find the juxtaposition interesting.

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The world is a poorer place today with the passing of John Wooden. He was truly a class act. I think it says a lot about the state of college basketball today that a man of Wooden's character probably wouldn't be able to compete against the John Calipari's of the NCAA world if Wooden was to have started his coaching career in this day and age... I find it hard to believe that Clay Buchholz has just 2 career shutouts. I don't find it hard to believe that both of those games came against the Orioles (no hitter on 9/1/07 and last night's 5 hitter)... 5 Hot Wheels/Matchbox Cars Worth Crazy Money... Heh heh - Tweet of the Day: @OldHossRadbourn Hoss would be really quite content if S. Waldman never again mentioned how much she loves N. Swisher "in the 2-hole"... Possible Signs of Methane-Based Life on Saturn's moon Titan... I am so sick of these commercials for the movie Splice but yet oddly curious if the beast breast feeds. Also is there still a 7-Up clone called Splice out there? What's next - a horror movie about a deranged surgeon called Dr Pepper?... I did not know this. According to Mental Floss "In 1946, Boston owner Walter Brown chose the nickname Celtics over Whirlwinds, Olympians & Unicorns." I did know that Red Auerbach's brother is the one who designed Lucky the Leprechaun... The world would have been a much better place if John Wooden started a religion instead of L. Ron Hubbard...

Thursday, June 03, 2010

The Person Who Really Cost Armando Galarraga a Perfect Game

I haven't seen anyone make this point regarding Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game last night so I'll make it because it is a pet peeve of mine.

Miguel Cabrera - not Jim Joyce - cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Watch the replay. Cabrera ranges too far away from 1st base to snag a ball that should have gone to the 2nd baseman - Carlos Guillen - who was in perfect position. Cabrera should have stayed at home. If he did that then Cabrera simply takes the throw and the game is over. Instead he ranged too far away from the bag which forces the pitcher to cover which sets in motion the events which will live in baseball infamy.

Jim Joyce will get the blame but Miguel Cabrera is the real culprit.
Armando Galarraga’s Perfect Game was a Lesson in Grace

Joe Posnanski once again pens a wonderful column. This time on Armando Galarraga's perfect gem and Jim Joyce's horrible mistake.

There have been 20 perfect games pitched in the history of major league baseball. If Jim Joyce made the right call last night then there would have been 21. People would have celebrated the great achievement for a few days and then slowly forgot it. I can remember Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay's perfect games but if you were to ask me who pitched the ones just before them - I would draw a blank. Perfect games and no-hitters get jumbled up in people's memories - mine included.

I will remember Armando Galarraga's perfect game that wasn't though. I'll remember how he was robbed of history by an honest mistake. I'll remember how he handled the situation with class and yes grace - grace in the religious metaphysical sense. I'll remember how he smiled.

Armando Galarraga's game and his reaction to it were truly unforgettable.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- The Big Lead cashes in! Congrats to Jason McIntyre

- I guess you really could add Jason McIntyre's name to this list of people who used the web to get jobs

- Bud Light Swear Jar - classic beer commercial

- 24 cupcakes in 90 minutes for $25k - I'd do that in a heartbeat

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

True story - Bill Lear, the founder of Lear Jet Corporation named his daughter Shanda. Yup Shanda Lear... This puts the BP oil disaster into perspective... In the 1995 MLB draft the Red Sox took Andy Yount with the 15th pick while Roy Halladay went 2 picks later to the Blue Jays. Talk about wanting a do-over... Lyndon Baines Spongebob... Whatever happened to Madame Esperanza Brooks? She was the cheerleader coach by day who ran an escort service by night who was arrested in Las Vegas a couple of summers ago. She claimed that Bill Clinton and Shaq were two of her clients. You would think that story would have had more legs (no pun intended)... Heh heh - the classic Squirrel catapult... Coors must aim their advertising at stupid people. Not sure about you but I can tell when my beer is cold all by myself. I don't need "windows" or blue mountains to do it for me... This is odd. Tampa Bay must really hold a grudge... Speaking of commercials - Aciphex is a product whose name is pronounced "ass-effects" and whose possible side-effects include gas, infection, and constipation. That just cracks me up... In Reagan's first term there was only one PC in the White House and it was used as a word processor. My how times have changed... Awesome Big Baby GIF,,,