Saturday, March 31, 2012

Belly - Feed the Tree



I have no idea what the lyrics to this song mean but I always thought it was a catchy tune. Feed the tree? What the hell does that mean?

Top 5 - Christopher Walken Movies

Happy 69th birthday to Christopher Walken. My favorite Walken movies:

1. The Dead Zone
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Suicide Kings
4. Biloxi Blues
5. The Deer Hunter 

His role in the 2002 Man on Fire almost makes the list just for the fact that the last thing he says in the movie is "I have nothing else to say." He meant that he had no more lines in the script but the director left it in the final cut.

Joke of the Day

On this day in 1596 Rene Descartes was born. There aren't many Rene Descartes jokes but this is my favorite:
Rene Descartes walks into a bar. The bartender asks, "Can I get you a drink?" Descartes replies, "I think not" and disappears.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I didn't win last night's lottery but if I did I had planned to purchase the mortgage on any home for any player from the 1978 Yankees or the 1986 Mets. God help them if they would have missed a payment... Happy 84th birthday to NHL legend Gordie Howe. In his honor here's Ilya Kovalchuk's Gordie Howe hat-trick from this past February... My mind works differently than others. Proof is this morning I found myself wondering if Marcus Camby was this generation's Caldwell Jones or if he's the black Alvin Adams... Jack Johnson was born on this day in 1878. For my money - Johnson is the greatest heavyweight champion of all-time. I think Johnson in his prime would destroy Ali or Tyson. Joe Louis? That would be a great fight... I've said it before but Keith Olbermann really stopped being taken seriously after Ben Affleck's devastating spot-on impression of him on SNL. He's been a joke ever since... On this day in 1917 the US took possession of the US Virgin Islands (formerly the Danish West Indies) after paying Denmark $25 million. Talk about great deals - that $25 million would be worth just $486 million in today's dollars (less than last night's lottery total)... If I owned a minor league baseball team - I'd publicly offer Keith Olbermann the job of public announcer just for the free PR the offer would generate...

Friday, March 30, 2012

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
Some lottery history including interesting quote from Thomas Jefferson
Some very cool tables - if you replaced the picnic table one with the wine bottles with beer bottles then that would be my favorite
This 2006 back page from the New York Post makes you wonder if they were trying to tell you something about Carl Pavano without actually telling you something about Carl Pavano
The 25 Greatest Anchorman GIF's - BTW Anchorman II should be called Tits McGee - The Reckoning 
Speaking of Tits McGee - today was National Cleavage Day

U2 - Bad (Live Aid 1985)



Hard to believe that its been almost 27 years since Live Aid. This song stops me in my tracks whenever I hear it. Funny to see Bono rocking a mullet.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So it seems that Nancy Pelosi's idea of making laws equates to you have to pass it to find out what's in it and you have to send it to the Supreme Court to see if what's in it is Constitutional... Interesting look at life as a pro poker player. I agree 100% with the sentiments. Impossible to completely eliminate your "life leaks" but the best idea is to minimize them... For Game of Thrones fans - in the book Eddard Stark was 35 but Sean Bean is less than a month from being 53... I can't stand either person but I admit that I might watch a reality show where Jose Canseco and Rosie O'Donnell were forced to live together... Irish drinking toast - It is better to spend money like there is no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money!... Did I laugh at this because I'm disturbed or because I'm not a good person?... I hope the Dodgers put a big statue of Magic Johnson outside of Dodger Stadium just to further piss off Kareem Abdul Jabbar...

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Whole Lotta Helter Skelter

Wow - just freaking wow! Whole Lotta Helter Skelter (Led Zeppelin / Beatles mashup).

If this combined song was released for real I have no doubt it would debut at number 1 on the charts.



Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

It should be noted that Mike Aviles who ends up being the starting shortstop for one of baseball's richest teams was basically given up for nothing by the Royals. To get Aviles the Red Sox gave up Kendal Volz (flotsam) and  Yamaico Navarro (jetsam)...  Heh heh - the most accurate Jets passer... Could a guy who owns a landscaping business also be called a geostrategist?... All the talk about Etch-a-sketch reminds me of the Emerson quote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines"...  15 Bizarre Portraits of Nude Politicians. I thought the JFK assassination was tastefully done... Last night the Boston Bruins honored team Captain Zdeno Chara who recently played his 1,000th game. Chara reminds me of what could have been if Gord Kluzak had healthy knees. Kluzak may have been (slightly) shorter but he was actually much more talented than Chara (which is not a knock on Chara just a reminder of how great Kluzak could have been)... Taking the phrase "a man's home is his castle" literally... If anyone snarks at you about Mitt Romney and "car elevators" remind that person that Mitt is mega rich and that his wife Ann has MS... Do you have an extra $35-70,000 laying around? The 1959 Masters Green Jacket is for sale... If Rick Santorum was elected President his first act would be to outlaw folk music in Catholic Churches. Acoustic guitars have no place near the altar in Santorum's America... Finally - a product that is just begging for a Ben Roethlisberger endorsement. Just begging for it... The have been a number of articles recently about the debate of the Red Sox using Daniel Bard as a starter or whether he should stay in the bullpen. If the article fails to mention Justin Masterson then the article was either lazy or biased towards Bard going back to the bullpen (looking at you Ken Rosenthal)... Wow - Matt Bush does not seem like a very good human being... I think a TV show called Rick Santorum - Vatican Spy would be awesome. You could have a West Wing meets Archer meets Get Smart type mash-up. Wouldn't you watch something like that?...

Monday, March 26, 2012

Train Wreck

Chris Jones is a very good writer. That's what makes efforts like this piece on Bobby Valentine all the more disappointing.

Jones must be wading through Robert Caro's epic biography of LBJ which somehow made him  think Bobby V is LBJ-like. The comparison is stupid. Jones might as well been stealing money from ESPN instead of passing off that piece as any sort of effort that required even the minimum of thought.

Lyndon Baines Johnson as an allegory for Bobby Valentine? What's next? Dustin Pedroia as John Quincy Adams?

James Cameron into the Abyss

The news of James Cameron reaching the bottom of the Marianas Trench - the deepest point in the oceans and thus the deepest part of the Earth - was woefully under-reported. I'm not saying that this is of landing on the moon significant but you would think this achievement in man's exploration of the planet would get more attention than a Jennifer Lopez nipple slip.

Here's a very well done discussion of what Cameron's achievement means.

If you think of it - over the weekend Cameron reached the deepest point on Earth and Dick Cheney the former Vice President had a heart transplant. News of both was greeted with almost a ho-humm reaction. News of Chaney getting a heart transplant was news because of who was getting the transplant (and the opportunity for some to break out more Dick Chaney has not heart jokes) not because of the awe of how far modern medical science has come. Likewise - would reaching the bottom of the Marianas Trench have been reported if it wasn't Jim Cameron piloting the vessel? People have become too jaded and apathetic when it comes to technological achievement. The achievement itself should be the news - not the celebrity level involved.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Terry Francona Still Classy - Boston Globe Still Not So Much

Yesterday Terry Francona broadcast his first game for ESPN covering his old team - the Boston Red Sox. This of course spawned a media circus. Still Francona didn't shirk away from answering questions. He handled things with class, humor and dignity.

That's more than can be said about those who fired him and those who smeared him on his way out the door.

It needs to be said that the Boston Globe's Bob Hohler has become troll-like hiding under a rock somewhere since his hit-job piece on Terry Francona. Has his byline been seen since he smeared Francona? Has he answered any questions from reporters like Francona did yesterday? No - absolutely gutless!

And let's not let the Boston Globe off the hook. Remember the Globe's priority of protecting sources - they published the name of the woman who anonymously turned in mass murderer Whitey Bulger but they hide behind "unnamed sources" when it comes to allegations of marital problems, pain-killer use and chicken and beer in the clubhouse. Remember that the next time someone from the Globe gets on their high horse regarding journalistic ethics.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Heh Heh

Top 5 - Reasons the Jets Traded for Tim Tebow

Here are the Top 5 possible reasons the New York Jets traded for Tim Tebow.

1. Mark Sanchez really isn't that talented but nobody wants to admit it cause he's so damn good looking.
2. PSL sales baby! PSL sales!
3. Tony Sparano and Rex Ryan are both big fans of the Wildcat package
4. Buddy Ryan always told son Rex that not getting Doug Flutie to start over Steve Beuerlein when Buddy was head coach in Arizona was biggest mistake of career. Rex didn't want to make same mistake.
5. The Jets were afraid the Patriots were making a move for Tim Tebow and did not want to get out-smarted by Bill Belichick again.

Jets and Patriots - the Difference in a Nutshell

Yesterday was very instructive when it comes to showing the difference between how the New York Jets are run and how the New England Patriots are run.

Early in the day the Jets announced that they had traded for Tim Tebow but the problem was they never read Tim Tebow's contract and were unaware that they would owe $5 million as part of the deal. This caused a snag. While this financial detail was worked out the bungle allowed renewed speculation about Tebow to Jacksonville and renewed derision about the Jets being more of a circus than football team. The funny thing is even though the Patriots weren't involved in the deal - they still had a better understanding of the financial ramifications of the deal than the Jets since Josh McDaniels was in Denver when Tebow's contract was negotiated and signed.

Speaking of contracts - while the Tebow on-again off-again circus was going on in New York the New England Patriots had their own QB contract issue going on as the Patriots renegotiated Tom Brady's contract to free up $7.2 million in cap space. This renegotiation was done quietly and without any fanfare. It can be argued that this extra cap space and the roster depth it will help add to the 2012 team will have a bigger impact than any wildcat package Tebow will add to the Jets offense.

The two moves by the two franchises were very instructive in illustrating how things are done by the Patriots versus how things are done by the Jets.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
Bob Ryan's incredible basketball journey through New England.
Wow - photos from a phone lost by a Chinese gangster
Fantastic 120-year old color photographs of Ireland. I would love to have these series of pictures.
Many people have been giving VP Joe Biden grief because they think he was trying to slip in a dirty joke. I disagree. Lubricated in the sense he was expressing means slightly drunk (vs WD40 meaning of the rusty hinges). If he was guilty of anything it was of perpetuating a stereotype of the Irish as hard drinkers.
 Interesting read - A Backstage Look at Saturday Night Live's Corporate Counterculture

Whither Tim Tebow?

"Who will rid me of this troublesome QB?" John "Henry II" Elway
Supposedly now that Peyton Manning is in hand - the Denver Broncos will trade Tim Tebow possibly as early as this afternoon. Speculation is ripe throughout the Intertubes about where he will end up. Jacksonville? That would seem the natural marketing fit yet the football people there prefer Blaine Gabbert which I don't understand. Sure Gabbert has a slightly higher completion percentage but he throws many more interceptions than Tebow. Miami? Don't know about you but I'd rather have Tebow than Matt Moore.

There's a school of thought that Tebow could work as back-up for an established QB like an Aaron Rogers in Green Bay, maybe a Drew Brees in New Orleans or Tom Brady in New England. Green Bay just lost their backup QB Matt Flynn who signed with Seattle so there seems to be a slot open there. I honestly couldn't tell you who is the backup QB in New Orleans but if Tim Tebow got traded there then everyone would know who the backup was. New England has perhaps the best depth at QB of any team in the NFL. Tom Brady is a God, Brian Hoyer could probably start for half the teams in the league and Ryan Mallett is a cannon-armed diamond in the rough. That said - how about a trade that would send Ochocinco to the Broncos for Tim Tebow? That would solve a problem for both teams. If I'm Bill Belichick I definitely make that offer. Just for the salary cap space it would be worth it (Chad Ochocinco costs them $3 million while Tebow would just be $1 million).

One of the more intriguing rumors is the Jets being interested in Tebow. I wonder if that is the offshoot of all the speculation that the Patriots are interested? How funny would that be if the Jets get goaded into a move just out of fear that Belichick was somehow outmaneuvering them? I would actually like to see Tebow in New York but not with the Jets. How ironic would it be if Tebow ends up as Eli Manning's backup with the Giants? I think that would be great on a cosmic karma scale.

Don't sleep on the very real possibility that the Broncos announce today that they are not trading Tebow but are releasing him instead. They could spin it that they owe it to Tim after everything he did for the team last year to let him decide what team would be best for him to sign with. This would eliminate the embarrassing situation of having to settle for a 5th or 7th round pick for a guy who was your starting QB last year.

If Tebow is released then a whole new set of opportunities open up. How come nobody has mentioned the CFL? Tebow in Canada would be the biggest thing since Doug Flutie played north of the border. It would give Tebow the chance to start at QB and prove that he can do the job just as Flutie had to go to America's Hat to show he could be an NFL QB.  You know the CFL is salivating just at the thought of Tebow.

I still think the Flutie comparison is apt. Looking back - how many NFL teams would have been better off with Flutie than the prototypical NFL QB's they tried while Flutie was up in Canada? When all is said and done - people may think the same thing about Tim Tebow.

So what's God's will for Tim Tebow? We might find out today.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Rick Santorum Endorses Mitt Romney



 Heh heh - Rick Santorum endorses Mitt Romney.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Can't the Broncos just trade Tim Tebow to the Rockies to be their 5th starter? Bam - problem solved... Video of Bruins'Milan Lucic destroying Michael Komisarek of the Maple Leafs... ESPN should make Bobby Knight announce some women's NCAA games paired with Jeremy Schaap. Tell me the ratings for those games wouldn't be the best women's NCAA games of the year?... If I were an NFL GM and Tim Tebow only cost me a 5th round pick - I'd trade for him and have him return punts and come in on goal-line packages. Seriously... Has anyone asked George Karl what was harder - beating cancer or coaching Carmelo Anthony? Too soon?... I'd love it if someone did a Watchmen mashup with Tim Tebow doing his best Rorschach, "When Peyton Manning gets hurt in the 3rd game of the season and the fickle Broncos fans plead save us - I'll whisper 'NO'"...  Mitt Romney overwhelmingly won the Puerto Rico primary / caucus and though the result was not surprising the fact that no news outlet mentioned that historically the island is tied to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation was. The ties to Massachusetts go back generations yet nobody mentioned the connection... If the day after Christmas can be known as Boxing Day - why can't the day after Saint Patrick's Day be known as Hangover Day?... Can pregnant women go swimming?

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Tucker and Dale vs Evil

I'm guessing the pitch for the movie Tucker and Dale vs Evil went something like this, "Imagine Friday the 13th meets Deliverance meets Naked Gun." If that was the pitched premise then the final results really delivered on the promise. I watched the movie this weekend mainly because it starred Alan Tudyk (of Firefly fame). I was not disappointed and I would recommend a viewing the next time you have an hour and a half to kill.

Luck of the Irish

This is awesome! Irish stable hand bets $75 on the horses and wins himself $1.5 million.
Fittingly, the Irishman won the bet on St. Patrick’s Day. Oh, and Murphy’s description of the final race is fitting too: “I was actually at home in my own place lying on the couch dying of a hangover which disappeared as soon as Riverside won,” he laughed. 

Mitt Romney - The Best Choice on the Menu

Say a nice restaurant puts lobster on the menu at $8. That's well below the market rate but even at that price not every diner is going to choose lobster. Some may pick another entree because they just don't like lobster, others may pick another entree because they had it before and liked it while still others will pick the cheeseburger because it is $7.95 and they cannot justify spending that extra nickel.

That was the analogy that struck me when reading this Atlantic article asking Has Mitt Romney Run a Lousy Campaign? Hell no!

"Cringe inducing gaffes"? "I'm running for office for Pete's sake"? "My wife has a couple of Cadillacs"? "Friends with a few NASCAR team owners"? "For Pete's sake" is as gritty as it gets for Mitt Romney. He's not going to launch into John McCain type Naval cuss-fests. Romney is worth north of $250 million - of course his wife has a couple of cars. At least they are American made. A real gaffe is Energy Secretary Steven Chu's wife driving a BMW (but don't expect that to be called a "gaffe" even though it is exponentially worse political optics). Some critics have taken the "friends with a few NASCAR team owners" as evidence Romney is out of touch with sports. This is a guy with Red Sox season tickets, who is great friends with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose former Bain partner now owns the Celtics and a guy who helped build the Sports Authority into a national powerhouse. Yeah - obviously this guy Romney is completely out of touch when it comes to sports.

(I will grant that I have no idea what prompted him to remark that the trees in Michigan are just the right height - if you will grant me that Barack Obama really knew that there are just 50 states and not 57 as he has claimed.)

"The standoffishness of hard-core conservatives"? You mean the people who first supported Rick Perry and then supported Newt Gingrich and are now supporting Rick Santorum? Does any thinking person believe that Rick Santorum will be able to withstand Romney's campaign attacks in California or New York? Santorum wants to take contraception away from women and porn away from men. The guy has no chance. The Romney campaign has done a great job targeting the people who want lobster. Are they supposed to waste time and money marketing to the standoffish people who will buy the cheeseburger to save a nickel no matter what?

The bottom line is that so far the choice of lobster has been chosen more than all the other menu options combined. The Atlantic seems to think lobster should have been chosen by everyone.

The only thing that matters is that in November when the choice is between the $8 lobster and the $2 trillion Arugula Caesar salad - the choice will be clear.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I wanted to watch the John Wayne classic The Quiet Man for Saint Patrick's Day but surprisingly Netflix doesn't have it. So I watched Green Lantern instead... How a particle accelerator works explained with donuts and Kit-Kats... Who knew? According to Mental Floss - "Temple was founded in 1884 as a night school and its students were called 'night owls' - thus the Owl nickname"... Good Las Vegas bet - man bets $120 on Norfolk State money line at 45-1 and wins $5,520... What is the potential upside to the Yankees signing the soon to be 40-year old Andy Pettitte? Well consider that when Jamie Moyer was 40-years old he went 21-7 with a 3.27 ERA for the Mariners... Bad Las Vegas bet - man bets $2,800 on Duke trying to win $280. Say goodbye to the $2,800... I was in three NCAA pools giving me 6 teams. All 6 teams were out by the time it struck midnight on Saint Patrick's Day... Because stretching is important...

Coach Bobby Knight

A couple of friends were in New York City a couple of years ago and one happened to see Coach Bobby Knight walking on the other side of the busy street. The one friend says, "Hey that's Bobby Knight." "Hey - you're right", says the second friend who then starts yelling out, "Coach Knight! Coach Knight!" The yelling gets Bobby Knight's attention and he looks over at my buddies. The second buddy sees Bobby Knight looking at him so he yells out, "Coach Knight (pause) FUCK YOU!" And my friend then gives him the finger double barreled.

Bobby Knight scowls, turns and stomps off. My buddies burst out laughing.

And I laugh every time I think of the story. Bobby Knight is a prick.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues



One of more under-rated Irish bands playing one of their best songs.

The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God



It's not Saint Patrick's Day without The Pogues.

Saint Patrick's Day

Some facts you may not have known about St. Patrick:

St. Patrick was not Irish. He was a British Celt, first enslaved in Ireland as a teen. He was later a missionary to Ireland after converting to Christianity. He was not an Italian but was a Roman citizen. So technically the most Irish of holidays is named after an English guy (oh the irony).

St. Patrick was also not necessarily the first Christian missionary to Ireland.

No one knows the day Patrick was born or the day that he died. March 17th is traditionally considered to be one of the two but there is no documentation to support this.

The only documents about Patrick are his Confession and a letter he wrote to some guy named Coroticus.

There were never any snakes or other reptiles in Ireland for Patrick to chase out. That's a myth.

Patrick predates the Roman Catholic Church, and was considered a "saint" (or holy man) before the Roman church created its canon (list) of saints. They then added him to it.

Please God

Dear God - I don't ask for much and I don't ask often but there is something I really want.

Right now the Denver Broncos are doing the Old Testament equivalent of coveting their neighbor's wife. They really, really want to sign Peyton "Jezebel" Manning who has been flirting with any team with money like a shameless hussy.

What I want is simple. Right now Brady Quinn is visiting the Kansas City Chiefs. Thy will be done and have him sign there. I would also like the Broncos to lose out on Peyton Manning - have him sign with the 49ers or Titans instead. So far - nothing special in the request but here's the bit that might take some doing. Please talk to your servant Timothy Tebow and convince him to take a year off from the NFL to do missionary work in the Phillipines.

I admit that the only thing I'd get out of this arrangement is a very good laugh but I'd love it if John Elway and the rest of the Broncos management had to go hat in hand to the other side of the world to beg Tim Tebow to come back to the team to be their starting QB. After publicly shunning him for Manning how great would that be? I mean - I would just love that.

Please God. I don't ask much and I don't ask often.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

For many casual basketball fans Jim Calhoun of UConn and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse are the same person. It is this confusion that forced the Big East to contractually make Boeheim wear glasses so people could tell them apart. This was the main reason Syracuse is leaving Big East... Tim Burton's Dark Shadows looks pretty cool... I am saddened to learn that O'Sheas on the Vegas strip will be closing in April. A visit to O'Sheas to watch the midget pour drinks into people's mouths while blaring his whistle was always a highlight of any Vegas trip... HBO cancels Luck but Broadway doesn't cancel Spiderman? Just saying... When is an iPod worth $8 billion? Rob Reid does the comedic Copyright Math... I get the feeling that if a Make-a-Wish kid wanted @JayBilas to follow him on Twitter as his dying wish that Bilas would say "F you kid".

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Where the Wild Things Are (as read by Christopher Walken)



Awesome. Walken doesn't just read it - he deconstructs it!

The Man Who Broke Atlantic City

Very interesting article on Don Johnson (the man who beat the Atlantic City casinos for millions - not the Miami Vice actor).

Johnson beat the Tropicana for almost $6 million, the Bogata for almost $5 million and Caesars  for almost $4 million by playing perfect strategy blackjack. But that's only half the story. As the story says - as good as Johnson is at playing the cards he is just as good playing the casinos.

As I said - the article is well worth the time.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Why Science Needs to Prove Ghosts Don't Exist

If the existence of ghosts were somehow proven scientifically and it was shown that ghosts can effect things in the material world then logically ghosts could also effect the outcome of scientific experiments. That means if ghosts are real then a ghost in a laboratory could invalidate the results of any experiment. If you couldn't trust the results of an experiment then that could very well be the end of the scientific method. The end of the scientific method would mean the end of science as we know it.

Now you know why scientists so want you to believe there are no such things as ghosts.

Agatha Christie

Over the weekend I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. It was a fun read. Knowing the resolution of the mystery - I probably wouldn't read it a second time though. What was also fun was checking IMDB and seeing how many times the 1940 book was made into a movie (keep in mind that the book was also known under the title Ten Little Indians).

- And Then There Were None (1945)
- Ten Little N*ggers (1949) Oh those whacky British
- Ten Little Indians (1959)
- Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians (1965)
- Ten Little Indians (1974)
- Ten Little Maidens (1985) Oh oh - Agatha Christie porn with Ginger Lynn and Nina Hartley
- Ten Little Indians (1989) With Frank Stallone!

So seven movies based on an OK mystery (plus a video game). That's more attention than one of Shakespeare's lesser works. I'm glad I stumbled onto the book. I wasn't aware it was of such staggering cultural importance.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I understand that it was Woody Johnson's granddaughter who was really behind the Jets extending the contract of Mark Sanchez. She thinks he's really cute. There is also a clause in the extension that he has to take her to the prom... Probably going to hell for this - the Passive Aggression of the Christ... I will never even consider buying Geico insurance until they get rid of that stupid cavemen... Strange - I don't think the local ponds ever really froze over enough for ice skating this winter. Maybe a few of the smaller ones for a week at most. Can't ever remember a winter like that... It should be noted that Keith Olbermann really stopped being taken seriously by anyone right after Ben Affleck did his spot on impression of him on SNL. Olbermann has pretty much been a joke since... I know that Ron Paul supporters wouldn't necessarily vote for Mitt Romney even if Ron Paul told them to do so but that doesn't hold true for Ron Paul's delegates. Going into yesterday's voting Romney had 404 delegates while all other had just 337. If you added Ron Paul's total to Romney's - you'd have a truly commanding lead. This should not be forgotten. Ron Paul is Romney's insurance in case Newt or Santorum does drop out of the race.

Douglas Adams

This was a very interesting (and funny) talk given by Douglas Adams the author of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

It is made even more poignant by the fact that Douglas Adams died of a heart attack shortly after this talk was filmed. It is worth noting today because today would have been Douglas Adams' 60th birthday.

Top 5: Game Change

I watched the HBO original series Game Change last night and for what it's worth - here's my Top 5 impressions:

1. Sarah Palin (as portrayed) did come off as ignorant when it came to international politics and history. But as bad as the semi-fictionalized account was she still wasn't Wolf Blitzer in real life on Jeopardy stupid.
2. John McCain came off as very Presidential. If the goal of the show was to make people think, "Thank God we didn't elect Palin" I think they failed because I think overall the show made people see John McCain as a good, decent man who in hindsight was better prepared to be President than Barack Obama.
3. Barack Obama was portrayed only with real clips of the real Obama. As I mentioned above - the overall impression the show gave was that Obama wasn't prepared to be President. The Republicans would be wise to make The Who's Don't Get Fooled Again their campaign anthem.
4. The show mentioned the impact of YouTube on the campaign. This election cycle that will work against Obama because John McCain's campaign ads still hold up very good against Obama (like this one that was Nostradamus like on gas prices) and Obama's own campaign promises and ads won't go down the memory hole.
5. I called it a semi-fictionalized account above because it is clear the writers took many liberties with the truth.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Hopscotch

One of the more under-rated comedies of Walter Matthau's career was  Hopscotch from 1980. In the movie Matthau plays an older CIA agent who decides to write his memoirs instead of retiring behind a desk. Excellent dialog which you have to pay attention to or you will miss some gems. For instance when Matthau tells Glenda Jackson's character that he's retiring because Myerson (Ned Beatty) has taken over his division - Jackson asks, "See you next Tuesday Myerson?" This was back in 1980! I'm guessing that little insult made it past the censors on a regular basis because it was coming from such an innocuous person in such an innocuous movie.

As a bonus you have a "young" Sam Waterston as Matthau's protege who has to first replace him then find and stop him.

Worth the time to rent or buy.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
Awesome - Bob Ryan basketball savant and the 1972 NBA draft
The new Redskins media guide cover starring RGIII (well it should be) 
The greatest discovery in modern archaeological history 
Guy Beringer invented brunch. His inspiration: the hangover
The Lindgren Thread, Loans, and Advice for my Generation by Phil Galfond. I didn't realize that Eric Lindgren was such a deadbeat.
Good point

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So AOL - the company that owns the Huffington Post - pulled its ads from the Rush Limbaugh Show over the comments he made regarding a female law student. Yet on almost any thread on the Huffington Post much worse things are said on a regular basis. Not defending Limbaugh here it's just that I hate hypocrisy... Barack Obama seems bent on alienating the Catholics (birth control and abortion) and Jews (support of Israel) who make up the bulk of the Democratic Party base and yet some people think his re-election is a foregone conclusion... 7 Fairy Tale Castles still standing in Europe... If the US does strike Syria - I hope they open the attack with 241 smart bombs. Payback for 10/23/83... If you bet $100 on every game Peyton Manning played for the Colts from 1998-2010 - including playoffs - you would have lost money. He's no Tom Brady... Interesting - The Censoring of Bill Hicks.

House of Cards

I happened to stumble upon the 1990 BBC series House of Cards on Netflix and after watching the first episode I was hooked. The show was smart, witty and had vastly under-rated Ian Richardson in the starring role. I was a fan of Richardson based upon his work in the also vastly under-rated The Fourth Protocol (so under-rated that IMDB only has the Spanish language movie poster).

Sir Nigel Irvine in The Fourth Protocol and Francis Urquhart in House of Cards were almost the same character. Powers behind the scenes. Guys who knew what was really going on. The big difference was Francis Urquhart became corrupted by his pursuit of power. In the first episode he would have been happy to have been given a cabinet position. By the end - he wanted it all and was willing to justify any means (and I do mean any) to accomplish his goals. Sir Nigel Irvine was content in just helping to avoid nuclear holocaust.

I also have to admit that I am fascinated by the British Parliamentary system. Their politics are just very cool to observe makes watching our C-SPAN like - well like watching C-SPAN.

What is funny is that Netflix is producing a re-make of the series starring Kevin Spacey and to be directed by David Fincher. It will be an Americanized version based in DC not London. I'll probably tune into that but if you haven't watched the original - do yourself a favor and download it.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Red Sox Medical Care

Jon Heyman speculates that Carl Crawford's injury may have been mishandled by the Red Sox medical staff. Well duh!

Carl Crawford, Dustin Pedroia, Clay Buchholtz, Jacoby Ellsbury, etc., etc., etc. How many players have to join this list before people see there's an issue?

I've made this point before.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
‘Family Guy’s’ MacFarlane Puts Ideology Aside to Toast Andrew Breitbart
Interesting - the speech jammer gun - like having a cell phone conversation with someone in same room. I could see how this simple device could silence someone.
As far as I'm concerned - this Mitt Romney story can't be told enough times
Interesting look at Sham Das - the arbitrator in the Ryan Braun ruling

Was there a Bounty on Jim McMahon?

The whole bounty issue in the NFL has me wondering if Charles Martin of the Packers was paid a bounty for knocking Jim McMahon out of the game in 1986. This hit basically ruined Jim McMahon's career as he was never the same again. Notice the high-fives Martin is getting on the sidelines. Somebody should ask Martin about this. I'm guessing that enough time has passed that he'd tell the truth.

Monday, March 05, 2012

Reagan vs the Hollywood Commies

Very interesting look back at Ronald Reagan's early days as a union leader and how he fought the communists in Hollywood.

This was before my time but growing up I never really understood the mythology surrounding the so-called member of the Hollywood blacklist. The way I understood it the blacklisted members weren't denying they were communists or went to a few meetings. At some point they thought communism was a good idea - such a good idea they they couldn't bring themselves to publicly condemn it. Yet they still wanted their work bought in a capitalist manner for very good prices. I could never understand if these were smart people with no common sense or just plain willfully ignorant.

Oh I know that someone will chirp that I'm the one who is ignorant and that I don't know my history regarding this episode of Hollywood lore. And maybe they would be right. I do now that the article I linked to is worth the read and I know that Ronald Reagan started out as a very liberal union leader but first hand dealings with communists turned him into what would become the biggest Conservative icon of the 20th century.

I guess we should thank those Hollywood communists for that.



Gas Prices



Credit where credit was due. John McCain was right about gas prices and Barack Obama.

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Was Vladimir Putin able to steal the Russian election because Jimmy Carter wasn't there to monitor the election? Yeah - that was a joke... Every spring I wonder if New York City icon was alive today - would he be a Mets fan or a Yankees fan? I'm guessing Yankees... Brent Musberger is always rumored to have money on a game and Saturday night's KU / Texas game may have been the ultimate proof... Too Big to Fail would be a good title for an Andre the Giant biography... I think in the end that Kevin Garnett will be remembered as a better player than Patrick Ewing for the simple fact that Garnett won a ring... Heh heh - the Red Sox JetBlue Park was supposed to be exactly like Fenway but someone made the Green Monster South too short... During his first full four seasons with the Indians - Grady Sizemore averaged almost 160 games and almost 27 home runs. Oh what could have been.

Perspective


Here's the kicker.

 (From Mental Floss's 10 Great Masters of Tilt Shift Photography)

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Not being critical of Jason Varitek but after watching his retirement announcement I am saying that I doubt if a career in broadcasting awaits him... If the average American guy spent as much time taking online lessons at Khan Academy as they do watching porn online - the country would be peopled with the equivalent of millions of Ph D level men... I am disappointed that AJ Burnett's fractured orbital bone was caused by a failed bunt attempt and not someone smushing a pie in his face... Interesting article on George Clooney. Read it if just for a great Harry Hamlin anecdote... Am I the only one who sometimes confused Carl Sagan and Paul Tsongas? They did sort of look alike... I always considered Johnny Damon to be a clean player. I wonder what he thinks about Ryan Braun getting his 50-game suspension rescinded while Damon is unable to find any work?... If I was a Division 1 college AD with a struggling baseball program - I'd think about making Jason Varitek an offer to be new head baseball coach.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
The ad in Variety seeking 4 folk musicians to audition for what would become The Monkees
What the Original $1 Bill Looked Like
Awesome - the Martin Luther insult generator
Eric Holder and Fast and Furious will be an albatross around Obama's neck - story isn't going away