Thursday, July 31, 2014

Top 5 - Reasons to go to Fenway Park This Season

Here are the Top 5 reasons to go to Fenway Park for the remainder of the season.

1. To see Derek Jeter's final regular season game (and maybe final game if Yankees miss playoffs) on September 28th.

2. To see the Tom Petty concert on August 30th.

3. If Jon Lester gets traded and his new team visits Fenway.

4. If someone gives you free tickets and you had no other plans for the night.

5. Ummm.... sorry. Can't seem to think of a 5th reason to see this dumpster fire of a team this season.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Who the Red Sox Should Trade

Brian MacPherson has a list of 10 players the Red Sox may be looking to sell. While I agree that the Red Sox would be wise to move Badenhop, Breslow, Carp, Dubront, Drew, and Gomes - I would disagree about the other names on his list (Lester, Middlebrooks, Miller and Uehara).

To the six players I agree the Red Sox should shop - I would also add:

Shane Victorino - has one more year on his contract ($13 million) and who is know hitting exclusively right-handed. Aren't right handed bats supposed to be in demand?

Edward Mujica - also has one more year on his contract ($4.75 million). I think of Mujica as another Mark Melancon who is dominate in the NL but for whatever reasons just had problems performing in Boston.

My reasons for disagreeing with MacPherson on the four players listed?

Jon Lester - to quote Teddy KGB "play that man his money." If they trade Lester he's gone for good.Pay him his money and just recognize the front office screwed up trying to be cute in their initial offers.

Will Middlebrooks - too valuable a prospect to trade. He has 30-HR potential as a corner infielder. Those don't grow on trees. He's also under team control for another 4 more years! Middlebrooks isn't going anywhere (for now).

Andrew Miller - I will admit that it would make sense to trade Miller since he's a free agent after the season but my heart hopes Miller realizes that he was able to turn his career around in Boston and that leaving may be a mistake.

Koji Uehara - if they do trade Koji I will understand but I would love to see him as the closer for another 2 more years. Main reason not to trade him - who's the closer in 2015? Does the Red Sox front office really want to go through that circus again?

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

As a Red Sox fan I'm really not comfortable knowing that the guy responsible for hiring Bobby Valentine will also be the guy heavily involved in trying to re-sign Jon Lester... The Simpsons accurately predict the future... Pelosi's Sex Tape would be a good name for a band or fantasy football team... I'm kinda hoping Donald Sterling retains control of the Clippers just to see if Doc Rivers and Chris Paul would really sit out the season... Has it really been 10-years since Varitek smooshed his glove in A-Rod's face?... Frisky Bisuits would also be a good name for a band or fantasy football team... Obscure Snapple Fact - during the course of a year you will swallow two live frogs in your sleep...

Friday, July 25, 2014

Top 5 - Rules for Daily Life

Here are 5 basic rules for daily life which if you follow will bring you happiness. Feel free to Google each rule for more edification. (Place Smiley emoticon here)

1. Say YES to life!

2. Do the work!

3. Don't be afraid ("I go before you always" Christians - "Fear is the mind killer" Sci Fi folks)

4. Don't be a dick!

5. Don't be a pussy! (Same link as above)

Thursday, July 24, 2014

The Rise of Data and the Death of Personal Freedom

Recently I read this article titled "The rise of data and the death of politics". However when I read it I felt it would have been better titled "The rise of data and the death of personal freedom."

If everything in the future will be tracked by data and if everything is subjected to feedback such as you see today on Amazon.com or Yelp - ratings for passengers, drivers, hosts, guests, students, teachers, patients, caregivers, customers, servers, etc., etc., - what will be the future ramifications of bad reviews? With bad reviews having the potential to actually wreak havoc with people's reputations and business livelihoods - is it far fetched to foresee anti-troll legislation being passed to punish gratuitous Internet troll behavior? Would it be equally far fetched to think such legislation being stretched by restaurants to silence bad reviews? By students to punish teachers who don't treat that student like the special little snowflake they think they are? In such a future what would be the incentive of giving feedback or reviews at all?

What about involuntary data feedback? Your car GPS alerts the police about a potential DUI if you've parked at a bar for too long. The biometric app in your smart phone alerts your insurance carrier if you don't exercise enough during the week. Your web searches are included in job interview background checks.

In Eastern European Communists countries people were conditioned from birth to keep their heads down and not make waves. How much different would it be in the new data feedback controlled state where Cyberdyne is watching your every move? It scares me. I'm already starting to keep my head down.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Minnie Driver for Rom-Com Hall of Fame

I am not a Rom-Com (romantic comedy) type of guy (although I admit to being a complete sucker for You've Got Mail). However I have seen enough of the genre to be taken aback by Grantland's Rom-Com Hall of Fame: Champions and Challengers. About half way though the (long) article I kept wondering "when are they going to mention Minnie Driver?" But they never did.

I would argue that Minnie's three year run of Debi Newberry in Grosse Point Blank (1997), Skylar in Good Will Hunting (1997) and Jane in Disney's Tarzan (1999) was as good a run than anyone who made the list. Maybe she's not included because her career was like Sandy Koufax's but instead of retiring after the 1966 World Series she quit the major leagues and went on to pitch in the Pacific Coast League (nothing really memorable since Y2K).

Maybe it was the quirkiness of Minnie Driver and the quirkiness of her major roles that kept her from the list? But for people smart enough to see that Jerry Maguire was not a sports movie but a rom-com to not see that Good Will Hunting was also a rom-com at its heart is frustrating. An off the charts broken genius is healed by Robin Williams cracking therapy enough to chase the woman of his dreams is the basic plotline of Good Will Hunting. Sure Minnie Driver's character did not get jilted at the altar like many of the women on the list but in Grosse Point Blank she did get jilted at the senior prom! And Tarzan and Jane is one of the most historic romantic pairings in all of literature. People forget that Tarzan loses Jane in the original Edgar Rice Burrough's book. He gives her up to a lesser man because he thinks that's what will make her happy.

Quirky Minnie Driver should have made the Rom-Com Hall of Fame Challengers list! There I said it! How do you like them apples?

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Tattoos

I don't have any tattoos but I don't have anything against them. It's just I've never seen anything or wanted anything particular permanently inked on my body. There is this one tattoo I've been thinking about though.

I have been thinking of buzzing my hair for the summer. It grows back pretty fast so no big deal. But I've also been thinking of getting the numbers "666" tattooed on my scalp. Once my hair grows back I would pretty much be the only one who knows it's there.

Here's where my twisted sense of humor kicks in. I would also alter my will to say that immediately after death I am to have my head shaved (so people can see the tattoo) and then be cremated as quickly as possible to avoid me rising from the dead and bringing about the end of the world. I know that I would be dead and wouldn't get to enjoy this particular prank but I would still think it's funny.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I wonder how many girls Derek Jeter slept with who weren't even born when he made his MLB debut... As a reminder - Derek Jeter's dating diamond... Next season on Game of Thrones a great wizard and conjurer is introduced. Some call him Tim... Tom Glavine had a career batting average of .185 which is 35 points higher than what Stephen Drew is hitting this season for the Red Sox... Weird Al Yankovic Word Crimes. Reminds me of the line, "I'd rather cuddle then have sex." People with proper grammar get the pun... I would so very much prefer to hear Hodor call next year's HR Derby than Chris Berman... Maybe the greatest outfield ever for one game?...

Friday, July 11, 2014

State of the Red Sox

As of this morning the Red Sox are 9.5 games back in the AL East and 8 games out of the Wild Card. That's worse than 2 weeks ago when I did my last State of the Red Sox. In that post I made 5 suggested moves for Boston to make. So far they have made 2 (bringing up Mookie Betts and getting rid of AJ Pierzynski). I can easily see them making the other 3 moves listed (trading Jake Peavy and Jonny Gomes and signing Jon Lester) and that certainly would be a move in the right direction.

Having said the above - here's 4 more moves I would like to see the Red Sox make.

1. Trade Edward Mujica who just hasn't fit in with Boston. He reminds me of Mark Melancon who just couldn't handle Boston but thrived in the NL. Trade Mujiica to some NL team in need of bullpen help and save yourself the $4.75 million he's owed for 2015. Maybe lump Mujica and Peavy together in a package?

2. Trade Shane Victorino. I cannot stress enough how much I want Boston to make this move. Victorino now just bats from the right side and righty bats are in demand. The Red Sox would have to wait till he gets off the DL but I would much rather see the plate appearances go to Mookie Betts or Brock Holt. Victorino is signed through next year at $13 million so that money would come off the books and give Boston more flexibility.

3. Trade Stephen Drew. Probably would have to eat half his remaining salary for the year but most fans would much rather see Brock Holt or Xander Bogaerts at short or even Jonathan Herrera who is Drew's equal with the glove but at this point worth more than 170 points in OPS at the plate.

4. Trade for Troy Tulowitzki. I know this is a long shot but if Tulo is "quietly" letting people know he'd be OK with being traded - that means he wants to be traded. Tulo has a good size contract but that money is peanuts to Boston. Use Xander Bogaerts as the centerpiece of a deal and include a couple of pitching prospects as well. So let it be written - so let it be done!

Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

It took the Catholic Church 25 years to admit they were wrong to have Joan of Arc burned at the stake. Is that the over/under for years it will take Democratic Party to officially admit President Obama was a disaster?... Heh heh - by  the way how does the commenter know that Speilberg didn't kill him with his bare hands?... If the Earth was the size of an NBA regulation basketball then the moon would be the size of a tennis ball... Who knew? There's a Mike's Lemonade Lite and it's not bad (not as good as Orange Zima though)... Some things are inexplicable - like people who insist David Lynch's Eraserhead was a great movie... Another reason why nuclear power is superior to wind and solar... Speaking of the Catholic Church - there are two living Popes and the teams from their homelands are meeting in the World Cup final. Never doubt the reach and power of the Jesuits!... This photo always makes me laugh. Probably because I've had days like that...

Tuesday, July 08, 2014

Linky Links

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

- I seriously want to do this - a night at the museum

- Do you ever get drunk?

- Politics - not science driving global warming alarmism

- Heh heh - remember when Democrats thought it was important to return Hispanic children to their parents?

- So legalized pot in Colorado - how's that working out?

WSOP - Who I am Rooting For

The WSOP (World Series of Poker) started over the weekend. After reading this article by Brad Willis - I know who I am rooting for. Brad had a quick update yesterday saying that Vanessa Pacella made it through Day 1 with 67,300 in chips.

Any women out there - please get a mammogram before age 40.

Monday, July 07, 2014

Why Choose?

The older I get the less I'm willing to entertain questions involving false dichotomies. Which do you prefer - the mountains or the beach? Why not both? Any day you get to spend at a nice beach or hiking in the mountains is a good day. Why choose? Beatles or Rolling Stones? Both are awesome bands with ground breaking music. Springsteen's E Street Band  or Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band? Again why choose? Both bands have tons of great songs but neither has enough so that it could be fulfilling to listen exclusively to their music. Chocolate or vanilla? Good ice cream is good ice cream. Besides if we are talking soft serve then why not get a twist and enjoy both?

Ginger or Mary Ann? OK here maybe a choice is necessary. Juggling dating two women never ends well and if we are talking both at the same time - I don't need that sort of pressure. I have a hard enough time completely satisfying one woman. Besides Tina Louise (Ginger) is now 80-years old and Dawn Welles (Mary Ann) is now 76. If you are going to make me choose can't I pick between women who are much younger at this point?

Saturday, July 05, 2014

Friday, July 04, 2014

4th of July Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing about the 4th of July.

- Heh heh - Jaws was the original 4th of July summer blockbuster. If you're a fan of the movie this is great stuff.

- Stuff you might not know about the Declaration of Independence

- Speaking of the Declaration of Independence - when's the last time you actually read the document? Have you ever read the whole thing?

- EB White on the meaning of "Democracy"

- America Fuck Yeah!

- America Fuck Yeah II!

- America Fuck Yeah III!

- I have to admit that every time I see this painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence - I look for the black guy on the $2 bill

Top 5 - Memorable Things that Happened on the 4th of July

Happy 4th of July. Here are the top 5 things that happened in US history on the 4th of July. Don't forget that July is American Beer Month.

1. 1776 Colonies declare independence
2. 1826 Presidents, patriots, rivals and friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die on the same day
3. 1863 The surrender of Vicksurg to General Grant (the town of Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for 81 years)
4. 1831 James Madison, last of the founding fathers, dies
5. (tie) 1804 Lewis and Clark celebrate first 4th of July west of the Mississippi (tie) 1939 Lou Gehrig gives his "luckiest man alive" speech at Yankee Stadium

Wednesday, July 02, 2014

Because Belgium



Belgium can go back to being Belgium today and I can go back (like most Americans) to not caring about Belgium or soccer.

Tuesday, July 01, 2014

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So work pretty much ends for the week about 3: EST today. The USA plays Belgium at 4:00 and people will need an hour or so to get where they will watch the match then the 4th holiday is upon us. Yup - pretty much done for the week after 3:00... Mick Jagger calls the kettle black... I like the idea of making free throws worth 2 points but then subtracting 1 point for every missed free throw... Heh heh - how to shotgun a beer... Product idea - hangover cereal fortified with Advil and caffeine... The silent one in Penn and Teller legally changed his name from Raymond Joseph Teller to just Teller...