Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Red Sox owner John Henry tweeted this morning "Sox/Yankees biggest rivalry in US. LFC/MUFC biggest rivalry in the world. Typical match draws far more than triple the Super Bowl viewers." The LFC is Liverpool and MUFC is Manchester United. John Henry happens to own the Liverpool Football (soccer) Club. If this is really the case (and I'm not doubting it) someone should ask him if MLB should change the name from the World Series to the North American Series given the relative scope of the game... Southern lights from space... Is there anyone out there still legitimately steamed that Derek Jeter skipped the All-Star Game? Anyone?... Obama has a secret plan to take $4 trillion spending out of the budget just like John Kerry had a secret plan to get us out of Iraq... Richard Nixon's Humble Last Meal as President... It would be interesting to compare the number of albums and hits between Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band versus Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I would guess that they would be almost equals in terms of straight "stats"... Speaking of Springsteen - I have to think that the people not in loop in the recent Bruce Feldman / ESPN drama must have thought #FreeBruce was some sort of Springsteen MP3 giveaway... When good things happen for good people. Cleveland Indians starter Justin Masterson is now 8th in the American League in ERA (2.80), 13th in innings pitched, 20th in strikeouts (95) and 20th in WHIP. Good for him... What's not to like about Miguel Angel Jimenez? He loves golf, cigars and wine and has a stretching routine that would make any weekend duffer proud.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Red Sox Magic Number - 71
Even though the Red Sox lost to the Rays last night because the Yankees also lost - the Red Sox magic number has been reduced to 71.
The Yankees also lost Thursday night which put the magic number at 72. I was going to write about how the Bruins (before this season) last won the Stanley Cup in 1972 or how when Carlton Fisk went to the White Sox he switched his number around from 27 to 72. Neither one of those ideas lit the fire enough to jot down a few words though.
But 71? That's a different story. 1971 was a big year if just for the fact that it was the year that the great Dirty Harry was released. The role that made Clint Eastwood a superstar. Many people know that Frank Sinatra famously passed on the lead role. Lesser known is the rumor that the role was actually written for John Wayne who supposedly passed because Dirty Harry was a little more morally ambiguous than the heroes Wayne was used to playing.
Having Eastwood play the role allowed a cultural torch to be passed. Sinatra and Wayne were the older generation. Eastwood was the new along with legends like DeNiro and Pacino who were also coming into their prime around 1971. But that was 40-years ago! In between we have had another generation of movie stars such as Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Denzel (to name a few). Who are the big stars today? Who is the torch to be passed to? I know others have made similar points but the truth is the talent cupboard or star power draw really seems to be bare these days.
Even though the Red Sox lost to the Rays last night because the Yankees also lost - the Red Sox magic number has been reduced to 71.The Yankees also lost Thursday night which put the magic number at 72. I was going to write about how the Bruins (before this season) last won the Stanley Cup in 1972 or how when Carlton Fisk went to the White Sox he switched his number around from 27 to 72. Neither one of those ideas lit the fire enough to jot down a few words though.
But 71? That's a different story. 1971 was a big year if just for the fact that it was the year that the great Dirty Harry was released. The role that made Clint Eastwood a superstar. Many people know that Frank Sinatra famously passed on the lead role. Lesser known is the rumor that the role was actually written for John Wayne who supposedly passed because Dirty Harry was a little more morally ambiguous than the heroes Wayne was used to playing.
Having Eastwood play the role allowed a cultural torch to be passed. Sinatra and Wayne were the older generation. Eastwood was the new along with legends like DeNiro and Pacino who were also coming into their prime around 1971. But that was 40-years ago! In between we have had another generation of movie stars such as Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Denzel (to name a few). Who are the big stars today? Who is the torch to be passed to? I know others have made similar points but the truth is the talent cupboard or star power draw really seems to be bare these days.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Hypnotized Fish
OK I took the plunge into self publishing. If you have a Kindle and you like my blog - please buy my book Hypnotized Fish
.
The book is just $.99 and if I can sell enough I'll have some paperbacks printed up. Thank you for your support in the past but please buy the book.
Thanks in advance.
OK I took the plunge into self publishing. If you have a Kindle and you like my blog - please buy my book Hypnotized Fish
.The book is just $.99 and if I can sell enough I'll have some paperbacks printed up. Thank you for your support in the past but please buy the book.
Thanks in advance.
Bruce Feldman
Good article on the situation at ESPN regarding Bruce Feldman and Craig James.
After reading the article I was left with 3 questions:
1. How can the image conscious people at ESPN be so blinded to the fact that most viewers think of Craig James as a douchebag at this point? Craig James is tarnishing the brand not enhancing it.
2. It will be interesting to see if the ESPN Ombudsman addresses this issue. If not what is the point of having an Ombudsman at all?
3. Did ESPN choose James over Doug Flutie? If so it is not too late to rectify that. Flutie could easily assume James' duties and not a peep would be heard from viewers.
Good article on the situation at ESPN regarding Bruce Feldman and Craig James.
After reading the article I was left with 3 questions:
1. How can the image conscious people at ESPN be so blinded to the fact that most viewers think of Craig James as a douchebag at this point? Craig James is tarnishing the brand not enhancing it.
2. It will be interesting to see if the ESPN Ombudsman addresses this issue. If not what is the point of having an Ombudsman at all?
3. Did ESPN choose James over Doug Flutie? If so it is not too late to rectify that. Flutie could easily assume James' duties and not a peep would be heard from viewers.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Lost Rainbow Toad found after 87-years. I hope they find the elusive hypno-toad next... Good to hear that Blue's Clues star Steve Burns did not die of a heroin overdose. Maybe I'm out of the loop but I wasn't even aware there were rumors of his demise... ESPN suspending Bruce Feldman is despicable. I don't have an Insider account I can cancel so instead I'm going to buy one of his books to show my support. Swing Your Sword: Leading the Charge in Football and Life
the Mike Leach book looks like a very good read... The administration at Kent State must be very proud of the level of education alumni James Harrison is exhibiting recently... The guys who do these short films are very talented. The Sean Bean Death Reel... I was late to the game for CSI but really got into watching the series via syndication. I burned out on the show just about the time Laurence Fishburne joined the cast. Having Ted Danson join the show just may peak the interest for me to start watching again... Some Linky Links to finish up:
- Tough Quiz: Name the Most Populous U.S. City for Each Letter of the Alphabet...
- This just made me laugh. I don't apologize...
- Beer Hydrates Better Than Water. Beer - is there anything it can't do?
- I also laughed at this. Again - no apologies.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Lost Rainbow Toad found after 87-years. I hope they find the elusive hypno-toad next... Good to hear that Blue's Clues star Steve Burns did not die of a heroin overdose. Maybe I'm out of the loop but I wasn't even aware there were rumors of his demise... ESPN suspending Bruce Feldman is despicable. I don't have an Insider account I can cancel so instead I'm going to buy one of his books to show my support. Swing Your Sword: Leading the Charge in Football and Life the Mike Leach book looks like a very good read... The administration at Kent State must be very proud of the level of education alumni James Harrison is exhibiting recently... The guys who do these short films are very talented. The Sean Bean Death Reel... I was late to the game for CSI but really got into watching the series via syndication. I burned out on the show just about the time Laurence Fishburne joined the cast. Having Ted Danson join the show just may peak the interest for me to start watching again... Some Linky Links to finish up:- Tough Quiz: Name the Most Populous U.S. City for Each Letter of the Alphabet...
- This just made me laugh. I don't apologize...
- Beer Hydrates Better Than Water. Beer - is there anything it can't do?
- I also laughed at this. Again - no apologies.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Why the Red Sox Will Make a Trade
Excellent look at the Red Sox 40-man roster and how that and the Rule 5 eligible players could make a trade attractive:
In the outfield Carlos Beltran will definitely generate the most media heat but Ryan Ludwick may be another option but would either player really be that much of an upgrade over giving the job to Josh Reddick? I'd prefer giving Reddick the shot.
A starter may make the most sense but even though the Red Sox are bursting at the minor league level - my gut is telling me they may stay put. Then again - I wouldn't be surprised if they made a move especially after reading Brian MacPherson's analysis of the 40-man and Rule-5 landscape.
Excellent look at the Red Sox 40-man roster and how that and the Rule 5 eligible players could make a trade attractive:
For that reason, the Red Sox can afford -- and, indeed, might be wise -- to trade three or four high-level prospects for an impact player. Not only could that impact player help them win the World Series, but the trade could clear the 40-man-roster logjam and allow the Red Sox to retain some of the other prospects they've devoted so many resources to developing.They clearly have the minor league trade chips to make a deal. But do they have a need and is there a player out there to fill that need? The answers to those questions are the team clearly needs an upgrade in right field and a starting pitcher may be necessary with Dice-K out and everyone wishing John Lackey would join him.
In the outfield Carlos Beltran will definitely generate the most media heat but Ryan Ludwick may be another option but would either player really be that much of an upgrade over giving the job to Josh Reddick? I'd prefer giving Reddick the shot.
A starter may make the most sense but even though the Red Sox are bursting at the minor league level - my gut is telling me they may stay put. Then again - I wouldn't be surprised if they made a move especially after reading Brian MacPherson's analysis of the 40-man and Rule-5 landscape.
The Story of the Stuxnet
Fascinating article on the Stuxnet computer virus and how it was designed to attack nuclear facilities in Iran.
Fairly long article but once you get into it the story reads like a Tom Clancy novel written by the IT department.
I am conflicted about Stuxnet. My gut tells me that it may have been better for the world if the existence of Stuxnet virus had never come to light.
Fascinating article on the Stuxnet computer virus and how it was designed to attack nuclear facilities in Iran.
Fairly long article but once you get into it the story reads like a Tom Clancy novel written by the IT department.
I am conflicted about Stuxnet. My gut tells me that it may have been better for the world if the existence of Stuxnet virus had never come to light.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Paul Pierce's World Series of Poker run ends. He made it to day 2 of the tourney but going all-in with a pair of deuces makes me wonder how he got that far in the first place... Confession - I can't see the movie Lawrence of Arabia without thinking of the porn equivalent Lawrence of a Labia... Just a reminder of how lucky - yes lucky - Wade Boggs was to get to 3,000 hits (he finished with 3,010). If Boggs didn't play at Fenway Park he would have just been an average player. Doubt me? Here's Boggs career home / road OPS splits .934/.782. So at home he was Vlad Guerrero and on the road he became Shane Victorino without the speed. Plus if it wasn't for expansion he wouldn't have even been in the league long enough to get 3,000 - Tampa Bay used the local Boggs as a marketing promotion and then dropped him after he got his hit because by that time in his career he was pretty much useless... I wonder what was the last movie to feature an overture. If Slap Shot had an overture it would have been the perfect movie... All of the Planet of the Apes movies (and TV shows) are based upon the novel by Pierre Boulle but yet he never seems to get any credit. Can you think of any other book that launched as many movies and spin-offs?... Awesome marriage proposal... Just wanted to share this but in the new Brita commercial where the lady gives bottled tap water from the mall to an Eskimo - I always imagine the woman being from New Jersey... Speaking of commercials - if you close your eyes and picture Flo from Progressive Insurance as a talking turkey carcass - then commercials become much less annoying... Some Funny or Die type site should do an Anthony Bourdain spoof. Just call it Reservations. Even better do Anthony Bourdain spoof called Really No Reservations where a Bourdain-type guy eats fish heads, bone marrow and pigs feet from dumpsters... Succulent Pork would either be a good name for a band or a good euphemism for a sex act. Black Forest isn't a euphemism but Nappy Dugout is. Rusty Jones isn't a euphemism but Filthy Sanchez is. Who decides these things?
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Paul Pierce's World Series of Poker run ends. He made it to day 2 of the tourney but going all-in with a pair of deuces makes me wonder how he got that far in the first place... Confession - I can't see the movie Lawrence of Arabia without thinking of the porn equivalent Lawrence of a Labia... Just a reminder of how lucky - yes lucky - Wade Boggs was to get to 3,000 hits (he finished with 3,010). If Boggs didn't play at Fenway Park he would have just been an average player. Doubt me? Here's Boggs career home / road OPS splits .934/.782. So at home he was Vlad Guerrero and on the road he became Shane Victorino without the speed. Plus if it wasn't for expansion he wouldn't have even been in the league long enough to get 3,000 - Tampa Bay used the local Boggs as a marketing promotion and then dropped him after he got his hit because by that time in his career he was pretty much useless... I wonder what was the last movie to feature an overture. If Slap Shot had an overture it would have been the perfect movie... All of the Planet of the Apes movies (and TV shows) are based upon the novel by Pierre Boulle but yet he never seems to get any credit. Can you think of any other book that launched as many movies and spin-offs?... Awesome marriage proposal... Just wanted to share this but in the new Brita commercial where the lady gives bottled tap water from the mall to an Eskimo - I always imagine the woman being from New Jersey... Speaking of commercials - if you close your eyes and picture Flo from Progressive Insurance as a talking turkey carcass - then commercials become much less annoying... Some Funny or Die type site should do an Anthony Bourdain spoof. Just call it Reservations. Even better do Anthony Bourdain spoof called Really No Reservations where a Bourdain-type guy eats fish heads, bone marrow and pigs feet from dumpsters... Succulent Pork would either be a good name for a band or a good euphemism for a sex act. Black Forest isn't a euphemism but Nappy Dugout is. Rusty Jones isn't a euphemism but Filthy Sanchez is. Who decides these things?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Where Do We Find Such Men?
Today President Barack Obama will award Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry, with the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry.
Make sure to read the link.
The action was that of conspicuous gallantry but I'm guessing the media coverage will not be very conspicuous at all. If only men like Sgt. Petry got half the media attention we give to people like Snooki.
Today President Barack Obama will award Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry, with the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry.
Make sure to read the link.
The action was that of conspicuous gallantry but I'm guessing the media coverage will not be very conspicuous at all. If only men like Sgt. Petry got half the media attention we give to people like Snooki.
All-Star Game
Look at theses stats and tell me if this guy is an All-Star caliber player:
Player A - 116 R / 22 HR / 118 RBI
Not bad huh? Is that player Ichiro? Todd Helton? Some other stud? No - that player was Scott Cooper and before you start scratching your head thinking, "I don't remember Scott Cooper being that good." You are right. Those stats above are his combined numbers from the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Both of those years Cooper was named to the All-Star game.
Alex Rodriguez is having an off year and he still has 13 HR and 52 RBI at the break. Those were season total-type numbers for Scott Cooper. In fact those 13 HR would have equalled a career high for Cooper.
Why do I bring this up? Well here's a list of the Ten Most Laughable All-Stars in Baseball History. The list completely missed Scott Cooper - not once but both times he was named to the All-Star squad.
Look at theses stats and tell me if this guy is an All-Star caliber player:
Player A - 116 R / 22 HR / 118 RBI
Not bad huh? Is that player Ichiro? Todd Helton? Some other stud? No - that player was Scott Cooper and before you start scratching your head thinking, "I don't remember Scott Cooper being that good." You are right. Those stats above are his combined numbers from the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Both of those years Cooper was named to the All-Star game.
Alex Rodriguez is having an off year and he still has 13 HR and 52 RBI at the break. Those were season total-type numbers for Scott Cooper. In fact those 13 HR would have equalled a career high for Cooper.
Why do I bring this up? Well here's a list of the Ten Most Laughable All-Stars in Baseball History. The list completely missed Scott Cooper - not once but both times he was named to the All-Star squad.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Red Sox Magic Number - 73
Going into the All-Star break and the unofficial half-way point of the season, the Red Sox magic number stands at 73. Going into yesterday's game with the Oriole the magic number was 74 and after the 8-6 victory it was 73. Both numbers remind me of football - a thought compounded by the fact that there will basically be no games today or Wednesday to make me think of anything else.
The number 74 makes me think of quarterback Ryan Mallett who was taken with the 74th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. Mallet was supposed to be a 1st round talent who somehow slipped to the 3rd round into the Patriots lap. I don't know what to make of Mallett. If he came out for the 2010 NFL Draft everyone says he would have been one of the top picks yet his Senior year stats would have seemed to have done nothing to damage his status. He has a strong arm, throws accurate passes and played in a pro-style offense - yet he dropped to the 3rd round. Why? And why does he need that extra "T" at the end of his last name? Like many Patriots fans I'm curious to see what the team has in Ryan Mallett but the only place we want to see him play is in preseason games for obvious reasons.
The number 73 reminds me (and many Patriots fans) of retired legend John Hannah - the man once acclaimed as the best lineman of all-time. Hannah and Leon Gray remain the gold standard for guard-tackle combinations in NFL history. Too bad that for many people when you say John Hannah they think of the guy who played the brother in the movie The Mummy.
So you have Ryan Mallett, potentially the future of the Patriots and John Hannah who represents the best of the past. The only thing missing is the present. I'm sick of so-called news about a labor deal. Just get it done and get me my football back.
Going into the All-Star break and the unofficial half-way point of the season, the Red Sox magic number stands at 73. Going into yesterday's game with the Oriole the magic number was 74 and after the 8-6 victory it was 73. Both numbers remind me of football - a thought compounded by the fact that there will basically be no games today or Wednesday to make me think of anything else.
The number 74 makes me think of quarterback Ryan Mallett who was taken with the 74th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. Mallet was supposed to be a 1st round talent who somehow slipped to the 3rd round into the Patriots lap. I don't know what to make of Mallett. If he came out for the 2010 NFL Draft everyone says he would have been one of the top picks yet his Senior year stats would have seemed to have done nothing to damage his status. He has a strong arm, throws accurate passes and played in a pro-style offense - yet he dropped to the 3rd round. Why? And why does he need that extra "T" at the end of his last name? Like many Patriots fans I'm curious to see what the team has in Ryan Mallett but the only place we want to see him play is in preseason games for obvious reasons.
The number 73 reminds me (and many Patriots fans) of retired legend John Hannah - the man once acclaimed as the best lineman of all-time. Hannah and Leon Gray remain the gold standard for guard-tackle combinations in NFL history. Too bad that for many people when you say John Hannah they think of the guy who played the brother in the movie The Mummy. So you have Ryan Mallett, potentially the future of the Patriots and John Hannah who represents the best of the past. The only thing missing is the present. I'm sick of so-called news about a labor deal. Just get it done and get me my football back.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Derek Jeter is not considered a home run hitter but he now has more than double the career HR than Wade Boggs (237 to 118). And unlike Wade Boggs - Derek Jeter does not molest collies... When I was growing up every TV show at least once a season had a major character in danger of sinking in quicksand. Didn't make a difference if it was Gilligan's Island or The Six Million Dollar Man - quicksand was lurking. Did global warming dry up all the quicksand? Did I miss that news? When's the last time you saw a character struggling in quicksand on TV? (HT Noelle Hancock)... How The All-Star Starters Were Acquired... I forget - did Craig Biggio get this sort of attention when he got his 3,000th hit?... AT&T is an official Yankees sponsor but the guy who caught and gave back Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit is a Verizon Wireless employee. Big win for Verizon... Betty Ford dead at 93. She was eaten by wolves. She was delicious. Too soon?... HBO's Talking Funny (with Jerry Seinfeld, Louis CK, Chris Rock and Ricky Gervais) is up on YouTube.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Derek Jeter is not considered a home run hitter but he now has more than double the career HR than Wade Boggs (237 to 118). And unlike Wade Boggs - Derek Jeter does not molest collies... When I was growing up every TV show at least once a season had a major character in danger of sinking in quicksand. Didn't make a difference if it was Gilligan's Island or The Six Million Dollar Man - quicksand was lurking. Did global warming dry up all the quicksand? Did I miss that news? When's the last time you saw a character struggling in quicksand on TV? (HT Noelle Hancock)... How The All-Star Starters Were Acquired... I forget - did Craig Biggio get this sort of attention when he got his 3,000th hit?... AT&T is an official Yankees sponsor but the guy who caught and gave back Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit is a Verizon Wireless employee. Big win for Verizon... Betty Ford dead at 93. She was eaten by wolves. She was delicious. Too soon?... HBO's Talking Funny (with Jerry Seinfeld, Louis CK, Chris Rock and Ricky Gervais) is up on YouTube.
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Red Sox Magic Number - 75
With the win over the Orioles last night - the Red Sox magic number is now 75. If you say 75 around any Red Sox fan they almost immediately think about the 1975 team that lost what is called the Greatest World Series ever.
I was curious how this year's team matched up against their 1975 counterpart. Here's how I see it
Manager: 75 Darrell Johnson - 2011 Terry Francona - advantage 2011
Catcher - 1975 Carlton Fisk - 2011 Jarrod Saltalamacchia - advantage 1975. This was actually closer than you may think mainly because Fisk only started 79 games for that 75 team. Getting 53 games from Bob Montgomery and Tim Blackwell will drop the overall value at the catcher's position for any team even for a team where the regular starter hit .331 for the season.
1st Base - 1975 Carl Yastrzemski - 2011 Adrian Gonzalez - advantage 2011. Yaz was nearing the end of his career while we are just learning what the combination of Adrian Gonzalez and Fenway Park is capable of producing.
2nd Base - 1975 Denny Doyle - 2011 Dustin Pedroia - advantage 2011.
Shortstop - 1975 Rick Burleson - 2011 Marco Scutaro - I'm going to be generous and call this one a tie. Sox fans have fond memories of the Rooster but the fact is he only hit .252 with an OPS+ of just 73 in 1975.
3rd Base - 1975 Rico Petrocelli - 2011 Kevin Youkilis - advantage 2011
Left Field - 1975 Jim Rice - 2011 Carl Crawford - advantage 1975
Center Field - 1975 Fred Lynn - 2011 Jacoby Ellsbury - advantage 1975. I had to give this one to Lynn since he was the MVP in 1975 but it is actually closer than you may think. Lynn hit .331 with 21 HR, 105 RBI and 103 Runs. Almost at the All-Star break and Ellsbury has a .309 BA, 10 HR, 30 RBI and 62 Runs along with a league leading 28 stolen bases. That 1975 team had a total of 66 stolen bases. Ellsbury has a shot to get that many by himself.
Right Field - 1975 Dwight Evans - 2011 JD Drew - advantage 1975.
Starting Pitching - 1975 Luis Tiant, Bill Lee and Rick Wise - 2011 Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buccholz - advantage 2011.
Closer - 1975 Dick Drago - 2011 Jonathan Papelbon - advantage 2011. Dick Drago is best remembered today for being a deadbeat dad. People may remember 2011 as the last great season Papelbon had before he decided to leave Boston as a free agent.
So the 1975 team has a obvious advantage in the outfield while the 2011 counterpart has a better infield and pitching staff. If the 1975 team came up just short - here's hoping the 2011 edition can go the entire distance.
With the win over the Orioles last night - the Red Sox magic number is now 75. If you say 75 around any Red Sox fan they almost immediately think about the 1975 team that lost what is called the Greatest World Series ever.
I was curious how this year's team matched up against their 1975 counterpart. Here's how I see it
Manager: 75 Darrell Johnson - 2011 Terry Francona - advantage 2011
Catcher - 1975 Carlton Fisk - 2011 Jarrod Saltalamacchia - advantage 1975. This was actually closer than you may think mainly because Fisk only started 79 games for that 75 team. Getting 53 games from Bob Montgomery and Tim Blackwell will drop the overall value at the catcher's position for any team even for a team where the regular starter hit .331 for the season.
1st Base - 1975 Carl Yastrzemski - 2011 Adrian Gonzalez - advantage 2011. Yaz was nearing the end of his career while we are just learning what the combination of Adrian Gonzalez and Fenway Park is capable of producing.
2nd Base - 1975 Denny Doyle - 2011 Dustin Pedroia - advantage 2011.
Shortstop - 1975 Rick Burleson - 2011 Marco Scutaro - I'm going to be generous and call this one a tie. Sox fans have fond memories of the Rooster but the fact is he only hit .252 with an OPS+ of just 73 in 1975.
3rd Base - 1975 Rico Petrocelli - 2011 Kevin Youkilis - advantage 2011
Left Field - 1975 Jim Rice - 2011 Carl Crawford - advantage 1975
Center Field - 1975 Fred Lynn - 2011 Jacoby Ellsbury - advantage 1975. I had to give this one to Lynn since he was the MVP in 1975 but it is actually closer than you may think. Lynn hit .331 with 21 HR, 105 RBI and 103 Runs. Almost at the All-Star break and Ellsbury has a .309 BA, 10 HR, 30 RBI and 62 Runs along with a league leading 28 stolen bases. That 1975 team had a total of 66 stolen bases. Ellsbury has a shot to get that many by himself.
Right Field - 1975 Dwight Evans - 2011 JD Drew - advantage 1975.
Starting Pitching - 1975 Luis Tiant, Bill Lee and Rick Wise - 2011 Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buccholz - advantage 2011.
Closer - 1975 Dick Drago - 2011 Jonathan Papelbon - advantage 2011. Dick Drago is best remembered today for being a deadbeat dad. People may remember 2011 as the last great season Papelbon had before he decided to leave Boston as a free agent.
So the 1975 team has a obvious advantage in the outfield while the 2011 counterpart has a better infield and pitching staff. If the 1975 team came up just short - here's hoping the 2011 edition can go the entire distance.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Player Comparison
Here's a player comparison I found interesting:
Player A - 49 R/ 12 HR/ 58 RBI/ .276 BA/ .889 OPS
Player B - 39 R/ 13 HR/ 42 RBI/ .279 BA/ .826 OPS
Player A is Kevin Youkilis while Player B is Freddy Freeman of the Atlanta Braves. I don't make the comparison to try and say one player is better than another instead I was struck by how similar the numbers were. Trust me - comparing a rookie player to Kevin Youkilis coming from me is high praise.
Here's a player comparison I found interesting:
Player A - 49 R/ 12 HR/ 58 RBI/ .276 BA/ .889 OPS
Player B - 39 R/ 13 HR/ 42 RBI/ .279 BA/ .826 OPS
Player A is Kevin Youkilis while Player B is Freddy Freeman of the Atlanta Braves. I don't make the comparison to try and say one player is better than another instead I was struck by how similar the numbers were. Trust me - comparing a rookie player to Kevin Youkilis coming from me is high praise.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
It would be interesting to combine the Samantha Brown and Survivorman travel shows for a few episodes. I just think that would be funny... Is a John Lackey for Barry Zito trade really crazy? The dollars match up. After this season Lackey is due $15.25 million for 2012, 2013, and 2014. Barry Zito is due $19 million in 2012, $20 million in 2013 and has a $7 million buyout for 2014 (assuming nobody will pick up the $18 million option). Zito is pitching much better than Lackey right now and has a full no-trade contract but who knows? I'm guessing Theo Epstein has at least made the telephone call to check... I'm a fan of the space shuttle and of Brian Malow, the Science Comedian, so linking to this is a no-brainer... People who complain about Jason Kendall and how much money he's made should take a deep breath and realize that he has made $15 million less than JD Drew in his career but been to 3-times as many All-Star games... Pet peeve - sites where the advertisement video is longer than the video I actually want to watch... Rumors swirl that President Obama may replace Joe Biden on the 2012 ticket. How funny would it be if Walter Mondale was chosen as replacement VP? There would be a certain Obama-as-Carter symmetry to that... Very cool - artsy animated GIFs show process of making beer.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
It would be interesting to combine the Samantha Brown and Survivorman travel shows for a few episodes. I just think that would be funny... Is a John Lackey for Barry Zito trade really crazy? The dollars match up. After this season Lackey is due $15.25 million for 2012, 2013, and 2014. Barry Zito is due $19 million in 2012, $20 million in 2013 and has a $7 million buyout for 2014 (assuming nobody will pick up the $18 million option). Zito is pitching much better than Lackey right now and has a full no-trade contract but who knows? I'm guessing Theo Epstein has at least made the telephone call to check... I'm a fan of the space shuttle and of Brian Malow, the Science Comedian, so linking to this is a no-brainer... People who complain about Jason Kendall and how much money he's made should take a deep breath and realize that he has made $15 million less than JD Drew in his career but been to 3-times as many All-Star games... Pet peeve - sites where the advertisement video is longer than the video I actually want to watch... Rumors swirl that President Obama may replace Joe Biden on the 2012 ticket. How funny would it be if Walter Mondale was chosen as replacement VP? There would be a certain Obama-as-Carter symmetry to that... Very cool - artsy animated GIFs show process of making beer.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Red Sox Magic Number - 76
With the Red Sox win over Baltimore and the Yankees loss to Tampa Bay - Boston moves back into first place in the AL East and also reduced their magic number to 76.
My initial reaction to the number 76 is to make the crack about the atomic number of osmium being 76 and osmium being the densest natural element with sports radio callers being the second densest naturally occurring element. I've made that joke before so instead I figured I would mention that the USS Ronald Reagan is CVN 76. I saw the USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego and was properly awed by the sight.
The Red Sox don't have close to the firepower of the USS Ronald Reagan but I think the Orioles were properly awed by the six home runs hit against them in the 10-3 Red Sox victory.
With the Red Sox win over Baltimore and the Yankees loss to Tampa Bay - Boston moves back into first place in the AL East and also reduced their magic number to 76.
My initial reaction to the number 76 is to make the crack about the atomic number of osmium being 76 and osmium being the densest natural element with sports radio callers being the second densest naturally occurring element. I've made that joke before so instead I figured I would mention that the USS Ronald Reagan is CVN 76. I saw the USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego and was properly awed by the sight.
The Red Sox don't have close to the firepower of the USS Ronald Reagan but I think the Orioles were properly awed by the six home runs hit against them in the 10-3 Red Sox victory.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Bill James not only wants to rid the world of the unnecessary bunt but also thinks that eventually we will get rid of murder. Interesting interview.
- The dog days of summer are the proper time to argue over who was the greater NBA center - Rick Robey or Greg Ostertag
- Time-lapse photography of a dust storm in Arizona. I find the photography very cool but am concerned about damage dust storm did. Like seeing an accident on the side of the road not knowing if there was a fatality.
- David Hasselhoff is coming to "Sons of Anarchy."
- Swamp Ass PSA starring Nathan Fillion. Am I the only one who things to could market knock off Gold Bond Powder as Swamp Ass Powder?
- Very cool and thought provoking video. Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson. I look forward to the book.
- Mathieu Bich Fooled Penn and Teller. Very cool magic trick.
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Bill James not only wants to rid the world of the unnecessary bunt but also thinks that eventually we will get rid of murder. Interesting interview.
- The dog days of summer are the proper time to argue over who was the greater NBA center - Rick Robey or Greg Ostertag
- Time-lapse photography of a dust storm in Arizona. I find the photography very cool but am concerned about damage dust storm did. Like seeing an accident on the side of the road not knowing if there was a fatality.
- David Hasselhoff is coming to "Sons of Anarchy."
- Swamp Ass PSA starring Nathan Fillion. Am I the only one who things to could market knock off Gold Bond Powder as Swamp Ass Powder?
- Very cool and thought provoking video. Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson. I look forward to the book.
- Mathieu Bich Fooled Penn and Teller. Very cool magic trick.
Pete Gabriel - San Jacinto
I'm a fan of Peter Gabriel. I like his music, his lyrics and his showmanship. I do find him to be politically naive but in general I don't look to my artists for political or economic insights.
It would be interesting though to revisit some of the blather from the Amnesty International concert from 1986 to see who made more of a difference in worldwide freedom - the musicians or the US Marines. I think we all know the answer to this and it isn't the folks taking bows and collecting royalties.
I'm a fan of Peter Gabriel. I like his music, his lyrics and his showmanship. I do find him to be politically naive but in general I don't look to my artists for political or economic insights.
It would be interesting though to revisit some of the blather from the Amnesty International concert from 1986 to see who made more of a difference in worldwide freedom - the musicians or the US Marines. I think we all know the answer to this and it isn't the folks taking bows and collecting royalties.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Piff the Magic Dragon from last week's Penn and Teller's "Fool Us" - I wish they would show this program in the US
- Monkey grabs camera, photographs himself.
- More amazing than any fireworks
- If GPS Systems could really talk
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Piff the Magic Dragon from last week's Penn and Teller's "Fool Us" - I wish they would show this program in the US
- Monkey grabs camera, photographs himself.
- More amazing than any fireworks
- If GPS Systems could really talk
Monday, July 04, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
U.S. History - According to Facebook... The Space Shuttle is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of a benevolent United States in the world. You show anyone anywhere a picture of the shuttle and they immediately think of the US. It has become perhaps even more recognizable than the Statue of Liberty (people no longer go through Ellis Island). Cutting the Space Shuttle program is a big mistake (if even just for the public relations impact)... For anyone who hates assholes that text in theaters... JD Drew will make over $94 million for his career. He has been selected to just 1 All-Star game over his 14-year career. Has there ever been a player paid more who only made 1 All-Star game?... I seriously doubt there's a truck-full of demand for this product... I admit that every time I'm in an elevator that has a female computer voice that says, "Going down." I have dirty thoughts... Interesting article on Ernest Hemingway. It reminded me of the quote, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you”... Speaking of Hemingway - his first book The Sun Also Rises was originally called Fiesta and then The Lost Generation. In England it was published as Fiesta... Cool- Videos Shot From Cameras Mounted on the Tips of Fireworks... Adolph Hitler's sister-in-law was named Bridget. Bridget Hitler. That just sounds funny. Like the name of an Irish punk band... Speaking of Hitler - Interesting read about an inch of hair that represents infinite evil
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
U.S. History - According to Facebook... The Space Shuttle is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of a benevolent United States in the world. You show anyone anywhere a picture of the shuttle and they immediately think of the US. It has become perhaps even more recognizable than the Statue of Liberty (people no longer go through Ellis Island). Cutting the Space Shuttle program is a big mistake (if even just for the public relations impact)... For anyone who hates assholes that text in theaters... JD Drew will make over $94 million for his career. He has been selected to just 1 All-Star game over his 14-year career. Has there ever been a player paid more who only made 1 All-Star game?... I seriously doubt there's a truck-full of demand for this product... I admit that every time I'm in an elevator that has a female computer voice that says, "Going down." I have dirty thoughts... Interesting article on Ernest Hemingway. It reminded me of the quote, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you”... Speaking of Hemingway - his first book The Sun Also Rises was originally called Fiesta and then The Lost Generation. In England it was published as Fiesta... Cool- Videos Shot From Cameras Mounted on the Tips of Fireworks... Adolph Hitler's sister-in-law was named Bridget. Bridget Hitler. That just sounds funny. Like the name of an Irish punk band... Speaking of Hitler - Interesting read about an inch of hair that represents infinite evil
Top 5 - Memorable Things That Happened on a July 4th
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
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
Sunday, July 03, 2011
All-Star Selections
Here's who I think should be named to the 2011 All-Star teams.
Catcher: AL - Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers (though a case could be made for his teammate Victor Martinez but Victor plays more DH/1st); NL - Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
1st Base: AL - Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox; NL - Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
2nd Base: AL - Robinson Cano, New York Yankees; NL - Richie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers
Shortstop: AL - Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians; NL - Jose Reyes, New York Mets
3rd Base: AL - Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees; NL - Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs (very thin position in the NL)
Outfield: AL - Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees, Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays, Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox; NL - Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers, Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals
DH: AL - Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers; NL - Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
Starting Pitcher: AL- Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers, Jered Weaver, Los Angels Angels; NL - Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies, Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta Braves
Closers: AL - Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees, Sergio Santos, Chicago White Sox; NL - Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves, Drew Storen, Washington Nationals
Derek Jeter will be voted in as starter at short for the AL but Asdrubal Cabrera should still make the team. Same is true at AL DH where David Ortiz (much more deserving at this position that Jeter is at his) will get voted in but hopefully the deserving Cabrera will be on the team. If Jacoby Ellsbury does not win the voting then he could lose his spot to a numbers game as each team needs a representative.
In the NL - I'm guessing that Jose Reyes hamstring problem from yesterday make make short moot with Troy Tulowitzki either being voted the starter or named the starter at short. At 3rd - Placido Polanco from the Phillies will probably get voted in while I went with Ramirez partly because the case is so close for so many players I took a Cub since they did not have many other options for an All-Star selection.
Looking at my AL selections, only Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Minnesota, Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland don't have representatives. If Josh Hamilton gets voted in (or named team representative) then the Rangers are all set. If not then starters CJ Wilson and Alexi Ogando are both worthy of being named. Also wouldn't be surprised if Adrian Beltre was named to back-up 3rd base. James Shields should be the Tampa Bay representative, JJ Hardy deserves to be the Orioles representative but I wouldn't be surprised if Matt Weiters is named because catching is so thin in the AL. Michael Cuddyer is the only one to put up decent numbers for the Twins but like Baltimore I wouldn't be surprised if Joe Mauer gets the nod because the AL needs catcher depth. Alex Gordon has to be the Royals representative, rookie Michael Pineda is the best choice for the Mariners and Gio Gonzalez is the best choice for the A's.
For the NL the following teams still need a guy; Florida, Pittsburgh, Houston, San Francisco, Arizona, and San Diego. For Florida, Josh Johnson was the best pitcher in the NL before getting hurt while Gaby Sanchez should be the second choice but 1st base is loaded in the NL. The Pirates surprisingly have a number of deserving players including Andrew McCutchen, Joel Hanrahan, and Jeff Karstens. Hunter Pence will be the Astros player. Tim Lincecum or Brian Wilson (maybe both) will represent the Giants. Likewise both Juston Upton and Ian Kennedy from the Diamondbacks deserve a spot. Heath Bell will likely get the nod for the Padres but I wonder if he gets traded in between the naming and playing of the game.
Here's who I think should be named to the 2011 All-Star teams.
Catcher: AL - Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers (though a case could be made for his teammate Victor Martinez but Victor plays more DH/1st); NL - Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
1st Base: AL - Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox; NL - Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
2nd Base: AL - Robinson Cano, New York Yankees; NL - Richie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers
Shortstop: AL - Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians; NL - Jose Reyes, New York Mets
3rd Base: AL - Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees; NL - Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs (very thin position in the NL)
Outfield: AL - Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees, Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays, Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox; NL - Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers, Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals
DH: AL - Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers; NL - Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
Starting Pitcher: AL- Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers, Jered Weaver, Los Angels Angels; NL - Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies, Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta Braves
Closers: AL - Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees, Sergio Santos, Chicago White Sox; NL - Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves, Drew Storen, Washington Nationals
Derek Jeter will be voted in as starter at short for the AL but Asdrubal Cabrera should still make the team. Same is true at AL DH where David Ortiz (much more deserving at this position that Jeter is at his) will get voted in but hopefully the deserving Cabrera will be on the team. If Jacoby Ellsbury does not win the voting then he could lose his spot to a numbers game as each team needs a representative.
In the NL - I'm guessing that Jose Reyes hamstring problem from yesterday make make short moot with Troy Tulowitzki either being voted the starter or named the starter at short. At 3rd - Placido Polanco from the Phillies will probably get voted in while I went with Ramirez partly because the case is so close for so many players I took a Cub since they did not have many other options for an All-Star selection.
Looking at my AL selections, only Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Minnesota, Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland don't have representatives. If Josh Hamilton gets voted in (or named team representative) then the Rangers are all set. If not then starters CJ Wilson and Alexi Ogando are both worthy of being named. Also wouldn't be surprised if Adrian Beltre was named to back-up 3rd base. James Shields should be the Tampa Bay representative, JJ Hardy deserves to be the Orioles representative but I wouldn't be surprised if Matt Weiters is named because catching is so thin in the AL. Michael Cuddyer is the only one to put up decent numbers for the Twins but like Baltimore I wouldn't be surprised if Joe Mauer gets the nod because the AL needs catcher depth. Alex Gordon has to be the Royals representative, rookie Michael Pineda is the best choice for the Mariners and Gio Gonzalez is the best choice for the A's.
For the NL the following teams still need a guy; Florida, Pittsburgh, Houston, San Francisco, Arizona, and San Diego. For Florida, Josh Johnson was the best pitcher in the NL before getting hurt while Gaby Sanchez should be the second choice but 1st base is loaded in the NL. The Pirates surprisingly have a number of deserving players including Andrew McCutchen, Joel Hanrahan, and Jeff Karstens. Hunter Pence will be the Astros player. Tim Lincecum or Brian Wilson (maybe both) will represent the Giants. Likewise both Juston Upton and Ian Kennedy from the Diamondbacks deserve a spot. Heath Bell will likely get the nod for the Padres but I wonder if he gets traded in between the naming and playing of the game.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Todd Helton
I don't think Todd Helton gets his proper recognition. People discount him because they think he is just a product of Coors Field. I don't argue that Helton didn't post some awesome numbers at his home field but the same can be said of many many Hall of Famers.
Consider this, however, George Brett had a career OPS of .857 while Todd Helton has a career road OPS of .873. The stat of OPS+ is supposed to take into account park factors and when a player spent his career. This leveling stat has Brett at an OPS+ of 135 while Helton is at 137.
I don't think Todd Helton gets his proper recognition. People discount him because they think he is just a product of Coors Field. I don't argue that Helton didn't post some awesome numbers at his home field but the same can be said of many many Hall of Famers.
Consider this, however, George Brett had a career OPS of .857 while Todd Helton has a career road OPS of .873. The stat of OPS+ is supposed to take into account park factors and when a player spent his career. This leveling stat has Brett at an OPS+ of 135 while Helton is at 137.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Part of me wonders if Derek Jeter is timing his return not so much so that he'll get his 3,000th hit at home but instead timing his return so he can start in the All-Star game... Was this an actual NY Times headline? "Whitey Bulger captured by FBI - Women and Children Hardest Hit"... This is an example of why the save is such a poor stat. I recently read that since ESPN started tracking save opportunities in 2002, the league leader in save opportunities has also been the league leader in saves. How would you think of home runs if the guy with the most at bats led the league in HR every year?... Quote of the Day from Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr Bean): "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."... OK - the Phillies beat the Red Sox 2 games to 1 in the recent series but just a reminder, "Whomever designed that park in Philadelphia was an idiot." Peter Gammons June 2005... Thing that still disappoints me most about Osama bin Laden's death is I haven't seen a photoshop of him wearing a Yankees cap (yet!)
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Part of me wonders if Derek Jeter is timing his return not so much so that he'll get his 3,000th hit at home but instead timing his return so he can start in the All-Star game... Was this an actual NY Times headline? "Whitey Bulger captured by FBI - Women and Children Hardest Hit"... This is an example of why the save is such a poor stat. I recently read that since ESPN started tracking save opportunities in 2002, the league leader in save opportunities has also been the league leader in saves. How would you think of home runs if the guy with the most at bats led the league in HR every year?... Quote of the Day from Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr Bean): "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."... OK - the Phillies beat the Red Sox 2 games to 1 in the recent series but just a reminder, "Whomever designed that park in Philadelphia was an idiot." Peter Gammons June 2005... Thing that still disappoints me most about Osama bin Laden's death is I haven't seen a photoshop of him wearing a Yankees cap (yet!)
Friday, July 01, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- People are lining up in Santa Monica to rent Whitey Bulger's old pad. I have to admit that I'd think it pretty cool to live in the digs too.
- The lede paragraph is the bomb! As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could explode!
- New York Times sells part of Red Sox stake for $117 million. This tells you two thing - John Henry and Company know how to run a business and the New York Times is cash starved because they do not.
- I got a kick out of these.
- Donald Rumsfeld explains the dangers in making the wrong cuts in Defense spending - and as is his way instead of just complaining about things Rumsfeld makes some common sense suggestions on how to handle the problem. One thing he didn't mention was ending our relationship with NATO. I'd be curious to know his feelings on that.
- Harpo Marx Telegram to John F. Kennedy July 14, 1960
- DARPA's first crowdsourced military vehicle.
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- People are lining up in Santa Monica to rent Whitey Bulger's old pad. I have to admit that I'd think it pretty cool to live in the digs too.
- The lede paragraph is the bomb! As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could explode!
- New York Times sells part of Red Sox stake for $117 million. This tells you two thing - John Henry and Company know how to run a business and the New York Times is cash starved because they do not.
- I got a kick out of these.
- Donald Rumsfeld explains the dangers in making the wrong cuts in Defense spending - and as is his way instead of just complaining about things Rumsfeld makes some common sense suggestions on how to handle the problem. One thing he didn't mention was ending our relationship with NATO. I'd be curious to know his feelings on that.
- Harpo Marx Telegram to John F. Kennedy July 14, 1960
- DARPA's first crowdsourced military vehicle.
Public Service Announcement
I read a study once where the experts explained that putting ice cubes up the rectums of unconscious people has no physiological benefit and can even lead to seizures and stroke. Of course I laughed at such a silly study. And the more I thought about it – I funnier I thought it was.
After thinking about it for a while I came to the unmistakable conclusion that men were completely responsible for such a thing. In order for the study to be done in the first place people must have been putting ice cube up the butts of unconscious people. Who would do such a thing? Men! A woman would never see an unconscious person and think – “Instead of calling an ambulance for help I think I will jam a large ice cube up the ass to see if that wakes the person up.” Say that to a guy and the chances are his response would be, “What the heck – give it a shot.”
And who would design and OK the spending for such a dumb study? Men! Do you think they told the test subjects what the study was all about? “OK we are going to knock you unconscious and then place ice cubes of different sizes up your rectum.” How would you like to be the test subject that ended up having a stroke because you needed the $50 the experiment paid?
The more you know.
I read a study once where the experts explained that putting ice cubes up the rectums of unconscious people has no physiological benefit and can even lead to seizures and stroke. Of course I laughed at such a silly study. And the more I thought about it – I funnier I thought it was.
After thinking about it for a while I came to the unmistakable conclusion that men were completely responsible for such a thing. In order for the study to be done in the first place people must have been putting ice cube up the butts of unconscious people. Who would do such a thing? Men! A woman would never see an unconscious person and think – “Instead of calling an ambulance for help I think I will jam a large ice cube up the ass to see if that wakes the person up.” Say that to a guy and the chances are his response would be, “What the heck – give it a shot.”
And who would design and OK the spending for such a dumb study? Men! Do you think they told the test subjects what the study was all about? “OK we are going to knock you unconscious and then place ice cubes of different sizes up your rectum.” How would you like to be the test subject that ended up having a stroke because you needed the $50 the experiment paid?
The more you know.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Devastating ad from Mitt Romney regarding Obama and the economy in PA. The ad reminded me of this quote: “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell.” Harry S Truman
- Llewellyn M. Chilson - bad ass! Saw that and wanted to verify it was true. Found out it was. How did this man not rate a Medal of Honor?
- My Little Serenity - awesome!
- Louis CK on The Daily Show explaining why farts are funny. There no argument here.
- John Lennon - fan of Ronald Reagan
- Heh heh - James Brown: Godfather of Miso Ramen Cup Noodles
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Devastating ad from Mitt Romney regarding Obama and the economy in PA. The ad reminded me of this quote: “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell.” Harry S Truman
- Llewellyn M. Chilson - bad ass! Saw that and wanted to verify it was true. Found out it was. How did this man not rate a Medal of Honor?
- My Little Serenity - awesome!
- Louis CK on The Daily Show explaining why farts are funny. There no argument here.
- John Lennon - fan of Ronald Reagan
- Heh heh - James Brown: Godfather of Miso Ramen Cup Noodles
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Hemingway, Hemingway, Hemingway
I've done a little bit of reading about and by Ernest Hemingway today.
First - Byliner.com has a number of Hemingway's newspaper articles written when he was a little known reporter. Makes for fascinating reading both for an early look at the style that was to become distinctly Hemingway's and the articles also give a glimpse back in time when society and accepted behavior were very different than today. There are too many little details to mention but it does make for great juxtaposition.
Second - an interesting article on Hemingway that looks at why he committed suicide.
Hemingway remains a fascinating subject. I doubt we will ever see his equal and I say that mostly because today's media would not allow for some of the self-promotion and fiction that built the myth and the name-brand of Hemingway in the first place.
I've done a little bit of reading about and by Ernest Hemingway today.
First - Byliner.com has a number of Hemingway's newspaper articles written when he was a little known reporter. Makes for fascinating reading both for an early look at the style that was to become distinctly Hemingway's and the articles also give a glimpse back in time when society and accepted behavior were very different than today. There are too many little details to mention but it does make for great juxtaposition.
Second - an interesting article on Hemingway that looks at why he committed suicide.
Hemingway remains a fascinating subject. I doubt we will ever see his equal and I say that mostly because today's media would not allow for some of the self-promotion and fiction that built the myth and the name-brand of Hemingway in the first place.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- The majestic beauty of thousands of paper lanterns. Very beautiful but I had to wonder if this was somewhat of a fire hazard.
- Carl Yastrzemski holds up Thurman Munson so Carlton Fisk can pummel him during a 1973 Red Sox-Yankees melee. I'd love to have a framed copy of this photo.
- Dodgers are 11th franchise of the 4 North American sports leagues to file for bankruptcy, 4th in the past 3 years
- Absolutely loved this short video - Last Words
- Awesome - The hilarious Improv Everywhere turns NYC carousel into real-live horse race
- What Determines the Price of Gas: A Visual Guide
- The Killer Elite trailer. Hollywood is re-making all of the decent movies from my childhood. What's next - remakes of Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name classics?
- Katey Sagal's first job in 1985 working with Mary Tyler Moore
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- The majestic beauty of thousands of paper lanterns. Very beautiful but I had to wonder if this was somewhat of a fire hazard.
- Carl Yastrzemski holds up Thurman Munson so Carlton Fisk can pummel him during a 1973 Red Sox-Yankees melee. I'd love to have a framed copy of this photo.
- Dodgers are 11th franchise of the 4 North American sports leagues to file for bankruptcy, 4th in the past 3 years
- Absolutely loved this short video - Last Words
- Awesome - The hilarious Improv Everywhere turns NYC carousel into real-live horse race
- What Determines the Price of Gas: A Visual Guide
- The Killer Elite trailer. Hollywood is re-making all of the decent movies from my childhood. What's next - remakes of Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name classics?
- Katey Sagal's first job in 1985 working with Mary Tyler Moore
Monday, June 27, 2011
Top 5 - Famous People who Started as Accountants
One of the more surprising facts about Peter Falk that I learned upon his passing was the fact that before Falk became an actor - he was an accountant. He was an actual CPA. That got me wondering what other famous people were closet accountants? Here is my Top 5 list.
1. Bob Newhart - started out in accounting. This isn't really surprising. Bob is a favorite of mine.
2. Peter Falk - who knew?
3. John Grisham - I think most people knew that the famous novelist was a lawyer but did you know he received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Mississippi State University?
4. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell - he graduated from Cal Poly University-San Luis Opispo with a degree in business and accounting. It would be kinda cool to bring a UFC champ to an IRS audit.
5. (Tie) Kevin Kennedy - the former MLB Manager was a CPA. Supposedly in the minor leagues he did his players’ tax returns to make extra money. He's the only guy on the list who was probably better as an accountant than in the profession he's best known for. (Tie) Gibby Haynes - lead singer of The Butthole Surfers. He went to Trinity University and earned his degree in accounting. After graduating, he worked for over a year at an accounting firm before starting the band. Pepper is one of my favorite songs.
One of the more surprising facts about Peter Falk that I learned upon his passing was the fact that before Falk became an actor - he was an accountant. He was an actual CPA. That got me wondering what other famous people were closet accountants? Here is my Top 5 list.
1. Bob Newhart - started out in accounting. This isn't really surprising. Bob is a favorite of mine.
2. Peter Falk - who knew?
3. John Grisham - I think most people knew that the famous novelist was a lawyer but did you know he received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Mississippi State University?
4. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell - he graduated from Cal Poly University-San Luis Opispo with a degree in business and accounting. It would be kinda cool to bring a UFC champ to an IRS audit.
5. (Tie) Kevin Kennedy - the former MLB Manager was a CPA. Supposedly in the minor leagues he did his players’ tax returns to make extra money. He's the only guy on the list who was probably better as an accountant than in the profession he's best known for. (Tie) Gibby Haynes - lead singer of The Butthole Surfers. He went to Trinity University and earned his degree in accounting. After graduating, he worked for over a year at an accounting firm before starting the band. Pepper is one of my favorite songs.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Nick Charles, the original anchor of CNN's Sports Tonight, has passed away. Back in the day Sports Tonight and ESPN's SportsCenter were neck and neck. Nick Charles and Fred Hickman were much better than whatever anchors ESPN put out there. What killed Sports Tonight in the end was SportsCenter going to an hour-long format. CNN just couldn't or wouldn't compete with that. I always liked Nick Charles because I think he took his name from The Thin Man... I admit it - I'm a complete sucker for the movie You've Got Mail. Really can't explain it... Very cool. 1964 letter from Campbell Soup Product Manager to Andy Warhol... "Are you afraid the DJ will play some Blue Grass?" I don't know what it means but I kept hearing that phrase in my sleep last night... Do you think the release of the movie Zookeeper was timed to line up with annual Furry Convention? I think so... Another painting I'd like to own... Charlie Sheen was caught with briefcase of cocaine and nothing happens but if an inner city kid is caught with a single rock of crack he goes to jail. That in a nutshell is the problem with our drug laws in this country... Cthulhu doesn't play dice with the universe. (Is that how the quote goes?)... OK the FBI got Whitey Bulger but remember - the Hamburgler is still at large! Robble robble!... Pat Tillman Foundation names a new president... Sad to hear about the passing of an American original - Peter Falk. I don't think you've ever heard anyone say anything about gentleman and funny guy Peter Falk.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Nick Charles, the original anchor of CNN's Sports Tonight, has passed away. Back in the day Sports Tonight and ESPN's SportsCenter were neck and neck. Nick Charles and Fred Hickman were much better than whatever anchors ESPN put out there. What killed Sports Tonight in the end was SportsCenter going to an hour-long format. CNN just couldn't or wouldn't compete with that. I always liked Nick Charles because I think he took his name from The Thin Man... I admit it - I'm a complete sucker for the movie You've Got Mail. Really can't explain it... Very cool. 1964 letter from Campbell Soup Product Manager to Andy Warhol... "Are you afraid the DJ will play some Blue Grass?" I don't know what it means but I kept hearing that phrase in my sleep last night... Do you think the release of the movie Zookeeper was timed to line up with annual Furry Convention? I think so... Another painting I'd like to own... Charlie Sheen was caught with briefcase of cocaine and nothing happens but if an inner city kid is caught with a single rock of crack he goes to jail. That in a nutshell is the problem with our drug laws in this country... Cthulhu doesn't play dice with the universe. (Is that how the quote goes?)... OK the FBI got Whitey Bulger but remember - the Hamburgler is still at large! Robble robble!... Pat Tillman Foundation names a new president... Sad to hear about the passing of an American original - Peter Falk. I don't think you've ever heard anyone say anything about gentleman and funny guy Peter Falk.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
I was disappointed by the lack of players from the Patriot League being represented in the NBA Draft last night. That disappointment is tempered by the fact that Holy Cross had same number of players chosen as Michigan State... I really want to own this painting... If you are bitten by Abe Vigoda - do you become a zombie?... A double rainbow! What does it mean? Obama's war on Libya! What does it mean?... One thing the real draft proves is that those mock NBA drafts are ALWAYS a waste of time (just like those mock NFL Drafts)... More art that I'd like to own... Interesting tidbit - giraffes and humans have the same number of vertebrae... Prohibited means "not allowed" but you never hear anyone say "hibited" for things that are allowed. I'm not sure if hibited is even a word. I'll be very gruntled if it is... "Britney Spears" is an anagram for “Presbyterians”... The FBI gets Whitey Bulger and the military gets Osama bin Laden meanwhile Iran still hasn't gotten Salman Rushdie. USA! USA! USA!... Why is it OK to say "I bring you tidings of comfort and joy" around Christmas but rest of the year people will look at you funny if you say it... The tea dumped in the historic Boston Tea Party had a modern value of about $847,000. That's a little less than what Milwaukee Brewers paid 40-yr old Jim Edmonds last year... This is why I love Penn and Teller so much
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
I was disappointed by the lack of players from the Patriot League being represented in the NBA Draft last night. That disappointment is tempered by the fact that Holy Cross had same number of players chosen as Michigan State... I really want to own this painting... If you are bitten by Abe Vigoda - do you become a zombie?... A double rainbow! What does it mean? Obama's war on Libya! What does it mean?... One thing the real draft proves is that those mock NBA drafts are ALWAYS a waste of time (just like those mock NFL Drafts)... More art that I'd like to own... Interesting tidbit - giraffes and humans have the same number of vertebrae... Prohibited means "not allowed" but you never hear anyone say "hibited" for things that are allowed. I'm not sure if hibited is even a word. I'll be very gruntled if it is... "Britney Spears" is an anagram for “Presbyterians”... The FBI gets Whitey Bulger and the military gets Osama bin Laden meanwhile Iran still hasn't gotten Salman Rushdie. USA! USA! USA!... Why is it OK to say "I bring you tidings of comfort and joy" around Christmas but rest of the year people will look at you funny if you say it... The tea dumped in the historic Boston Tea Party had a modern value of about $847,000. That's a little less than what Milwaukee Brewers paid 40-yr old Jim Edmonds last year... This is why I love Penn and Teller so much
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Red Sox Magic Number - 89
The Yankees split a double header with the Reds to lower the Red Sox magic number from 90 to 89. I am very happy about that because 90 is the number of feet from home to first base and the past two starts it seems like the Red Sox starters thought they were obligated to just give away that 90 feet - even with the bases loaded! Yesterday John Lackey gave up three runs on a wild pitch, hit batter and walk with the bases loaded. The day before Alfredo Aceves walked the world and gave up two runs on walks with the bases loaded in losing to the Padres. Like I said - the Red Sox starters seemed determined to give up those 90 feet as often as possible. With the number now at 89 and with the John Lackey experience at least another week away - hopefully Boston won't be giving up such soft runs.
John Lackey has really become a lightning rod in Boston. Nobody wants him in the rotation at this point. Everyone wants him to come up with a phantom injury so that Andrew Miller or Tim Wakefield can take his starts. Both of those guys give the team a better chance to win and that's the bottom line.
Almost as big a lightning rod in Boston is JD Drew who has never been fully accepted in Boston. It looks like he may be cooked. It should be recalled that Drew was a big upgrade over fan favorite Trot Nixon who was done in Boston at age 32 but who tried to hold on for two very forgettable years in Cleveland before calling it a day. The problem is at $14 million per year Drew was expected not only to be a big upgrade over Trot Nixon but also be the next Dwight Evans. What I found strange is that at age 35 Drew is showing signs of being all done while back in 1987 at age 35 Dwight Evans posted career highs in HR (34) and RBI (123). I will just leave it at 1987 was the year of the "juiced" baseballs and I think expecting players to perform at the highest levels in their mid and late 30's is a thing of the past.
OK - so why the picture of Dino Radja? Well tonight being the NBA Draft and it being touted as one of the worst drafts talent-wise in years made me think of the 1989 NBA Draft which is recognized as one of the worst of all-time. The best thing that came from that draft as far as I'm concerned was the Celtics taking Dino Radja in the 2nd round. At the local YMCA's I later was given the nickname of "Dino" because my Radja-like offensive repertoire including an almost unstoppable jump hook.
The Yankees split a double header with the Reds to lower the Red Sox magic number from 90 to 89. I am very happy about that because 90 is the number of feet from home to first base and the past two starts it seems like the Red Sox starters thought they were obligated to just give away that 90 feet - even with the bases loaded! Yesterday John Lackey gave up three runs on a wild pitch, hit batter and walk with the bases loaded. The day before Alfredo Aceves walked the world and gave up two runs on walks with the bases loaded in losing to the Padres. Like I said - the Red Sox starters seemed determined to give up those 90 feet as often as possible. With the number now at 89 and with the John Lackey experience at least another week away - hopefully Boston won't be giving up such soft runs.John Lackey has really become a lightning rod in Boston. Nobody wants him in the rotation at this point. Everyone wants him to come up with a phantom injury so that Andrew Miller or Tim Wakefield can take his starts. Both of those guys give the team a better chance to win and that's the bottom line.
Almost as big a lightning rod in Boston is JD Drew who has never been fully accepted in Boston. It looks like he may be cooked. It should be recalled that Drew was a big upgrade over fan favorite Trot Nixon who was done in Boston at age 32 but who tried to hold on for two very forgettable years in Cleveland before calling it a day. The problem is at $14 million per year Drew was expected not only to be a big upgrade over Trot Nixon but also be the next Dwight Evans. What I found strange is that at age 35 Drew is showing signs of being all done while back in 1987 at age 35 Dwight Evans posted career highs in HR (34) and RBI (123). I will just leave it at 1987 was the year of the "juiced" baseballs and I think expecting players to perform at the highest levels in their mid and late 30's is a thing of the past.
OK - so why the picture of Dino Radja? Well tonight being the NBA Draft and it being touted as one of the worst drafts talent-wise in years made me think of the 1989 NBA Draft which is recognized as one of the worst of all-time. The best thing that came from that draft as far as I'm concerned was the Celtics taking Dino Radja in the 2nd round. At the local YMCA's I later was given the nickname of "Dino" because my Radja-like offensive repertoire including an almost unstoppable jump hook.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Here's a political prediction. President Obama's speech won't be about Afghanistan so much as it will be about the number of wars "saved" or "created"... A joke that never gets old: JaMarcus Russell was number 2 for the Oakland Raiders... Quote of the Day: "Sir, there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern" - Samuel Johnson... Do you remember when stories of suicide bombers in Israel used to be an every day thing? It would be very interesting to see if the decline in this specific sort of terrorism was directly related to US taking out Saddam and the ending of his program of paying bounties to the families of the bombers... Adrian Gonzalez leads all of baseball in hits, doubles, RBI and total bases. He is starting to give off a Ted Williams sort feel (not that I was old enough to have experienced Teddy Ballgame)... Not looking at them! Not looking at them!... I think if Mike Shanahan was given a do-over he'd pick the University of Colorado job over the Redskins job... Derek Jeter may be the Yankees all-time hit leader and just 6 hits away from 3,000 but he's still 425 behind Carl Yastrzemski... I've said it before - I like Mike Torrez more than I like John Lackey (and I hate Mike Torrez).
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Here's a political prediction. President Obama's speech won't be about Afghanistan so much as it will be about the number of wars "saved" or "created"... A joke that never gets old: JaMarcus Russell was number 2 for the Oakland Raiders... Quote of the Day: "Sir, there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern" - Samuel Johnson... Do you remember when stories of suicide bombers in Israel used to be an every day thing? It would be very interesting to see if the decline in this specific sort of terrorism was directly related to US taking out Saddam and the ending of his program of paying bounties to the families of the bombers... Adrian Gonzalez leads all of baseball in hits, doubles, RBI and total bases. He is starting to give off a Ted Williams sort feel (not that I was old enough to have experienced Teddy Ballgame)... Not looking at them! Not looking at them!... I think if Mike Shanahan was given a do-over he'd pick the University of Colorado job over the Redskins job... Derek Jeter may be the Yankees all-time hit leader and just 6 hits away from 3,000 but he's still 425 behind Carl Yastrzemski... I've said it before - I like Mike Torrez more than I like John Lackey (and I hate Mike Torrez).
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Operation Barbarossa at 70: The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union was the biggest military adventure in history
- The decline of J.D. Drew? I feel bad for Drew. He was worth the money for the Red Sox but he won't be remembered fondly by many.
- Drunkest Guy Ever: Silent Film (Larry goes to the market). I've posted this in the past but it's too funny not to post again.
- I would seriously buy a bike like this
- Very interesting Hollywood poker story. The legal depositions should make for a great screenplay
- Mark Cuban Files The Ultimate "FU" Legal Brief
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Operation Barbarossa at 70: The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union was the biggest military adventure in history
- The decline of J.D. Drew? I feel bad for Drew. He was worth the money for the Red Sox but he won't be remembered fondly by many.
- Drunkest Guy Ever: Silent Film (Larry goes to the market). I've posted this in the past but it's too funny not to post again.
- I would seriously buy a bike like this
- Very interesting Hollywood poker story. The legal depositions should make for a great screenplay
- Mark Cuban Files The Ultimate "FU" Legal Brief
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Very funny - Perfectly Timed Photos... The Republican National Committee should try to label President Obama as "the Onceler." The Dr Seuss estate may have a problem with that but the name does fit... I think a one-man stage show of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea starring Erik Estrada would be so bad it's good in a Springtime for Hitler type way... This site looks very intriguing - Byliner.com. I could spend a day just reading the content that is posted on the front page... Trivia Question: Who held the home run record before Babe Ruth came along? Answer- Roger Connor and his old record for home runs was just 138... Next season on Game of Thrones a great wizard and conjurer is introduced. Some call him Tim... 25 Unintentionally Inappropriate Statues... The phrase "Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance because Communists couldn't obey both State and God at the same time whereas US citizens could (at least we used to be able to). The phrase was added to emphasize the difference. I may be over-reacting but the people who seem to get the most worked up about "Under God" are the same people who want a powerful central government running all aspects of a person's life... Very cool archaeology. Giant Roman palace unearthed in Upper Egypt... Did you know that Great Britain was once the world champion at ice hockey? They actually won the Gold Medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics. I bet there's a story there... How people view me... Roy Halladay's real name is Harry Leroy Halladay. Harry Halladay? Surprised that fans don't chant that like they chant "Larry" at Chipper Jones.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Very funny - Perfectly Timed Photos... The Republican National Committee should try to label President Obama as "the Onceler." The Dr Seuss estate may have a problem with that but the name does fit... I think a one-man stage show of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea starring Erik Estrada would be so bad it's good in a Springtime for Hitler type way... This site looks very intriguing - Byliner.com. I could spend a day just reading the content that is posted on the front page... Trivia Question: Who held the home run record before Babe Ruth came along? Answer- Roger Connor and his old record for home runs was just 138... Next season on Game of Thrones a great wizard and conjurer is introduced. Some call him Tim... 25 Unintentionally Inappropriate Statues... The phrase "Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance because Communists couldn't obey both State and God at the same time whereas US citizens could (at least we used to be able to). The phrase was added to emphasize the difference. I may be over-reacting but the people who seem to get the most worked up about "Under God" are the same people who want a powerful central government running all aspects of a person's life... Very cool archaeology. Giant Roman palace unearthed in Upper Egypt... Did you know that Great Britain was once the world champion at ice hockey? They actually won the Gold Medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics. I bet there's a story there... How people view me... Roy Halladay's real name is Harry Leroy Halladay. Harry Halladay? Surprised that fans don't chant that like they chant "Larry" at Chipper Jones.
Monday, June 20, 2011
True Then - True Now
File this under the more things change the more they stay the same:
"All middle-class citizens of education have a common belief that the tendencies towards centralization and paternalism must be halted and reversed." Dwight Eisenhower July 1949Although I think today it would be more true of middle-class citizens with common sense. Education is no true indicator of intelligence or common sense any more (if it ever was).
Red Sox Magic Number - 91
The Red Sox Magic Number going into tonight's game with the Padres is 91. I can't help but associate the number 91 and the Red Sox with Terry Francona wearing the injured Marc Savard's 91 jersey the other day. Marc Savard deserves to get his name on the Stanley Cup even though he did not play the required 41 games.
The Red Sox Magic Number going into tonight's game with the Padres is 91. I can't help but associate the number 91 and the Red Sox with Terry Francona wearing the injured Marc Savard's 91 jersey the other day. Marc Savard deserves to get his name on the Stanley Cup even though he did not play the required 41 games.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Ha ha - I haven't watched a single episode of The Killing. That puts me just as close to knowing who killed Rosie as someone who spent every Sunday watching every episode of the show. WINNING!!... Very cool story. UK Marine leaves £100k to buddies for Vegas holiday. David Hart seems like he was one hell of a guy. The world is a poorer place for losing him... In 1892 Benjamin Harrison became the 1st President of the United States to attend a baseball game. Jack McKeon managed one of the teams... The Six Million Dollar Man was on air for 101 episodes and I watched it all the time - yet today I can't recall the plot to even one show... The Go-Go's had a hit with 1981's Our Lips are Sealed. For the longest time I thought they were singing "Honored to see you". When I hear the song today I cannot for the life of me understand how I made that mistake... Davis Love III has a commercial for Dove Soap where he mentions he once had a lemonade stand but drank the profits. John Daly had similar commercial but for Hooters... Quote for the day: George Bernard Shaw when asked to name a deceased man he missed the most said, "The man I miss most is the man I could have been"... This will always be my favorite painting of Obama... I think that every non-appointed lawyer in the Justice Dept should have to pass the bar exam every 6-years or lose their jobs. Lawyers who can't pass a bar exam have no business in Justice Dept determining what is and is not important law. This change would also help weed out those trying to become permanent un-elected policy makers... Some sabermatrician should figure out a new adjusted OPS+ by removing players found to have used steroids or admitted to steroids use. Just take them out of the numbers altogether. Better to have them gone then to have them distorting the numbers of players who didn't cheat... I feel dirty for even writing this but Johnny Damon is just 9 hits away from passing Ted Williams on the all-time list... Baseball-Reference.com says that one of nicknames for Lou Gehrig was "biscuit pants". There has to be a pretty good story behind that...
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Ha ha - I haven't watched a single episode of The Killing. That puts me just as close to knowing who killed Rosie as someone who spent every Sunday watching every episode of the show. WINNING!!... Very cool story. UK Marine leaves £100k to buddies for Vegas holiday. David Hart seems like he was one hell of a guy. The world is a poorer place for losing him... In 1892 Benjamin Harrison became the 1st President of the United States to attend a baseball game. Jack McKeon managed one of the teams... The Six Million Dollar Man was on air for 101 episodes and I watched it all the time - yet today I can't recall the plot to even one show... The Go-Go's had a hit with 1981's Our Lips are Sealed. For the longest time I thought they were singing "Honored to see you". When I hear the song today I cannot for the life of me understand how I made that mistake... Davis Love III has a commercial for Dove Soap where he mentions he once had a lemonade stand but drank the profits. John Daly had similar commercial but for Hooters... Quote for the day: George Bernard Shaw when asked to name a deceased man he missed the most said, "The man I miss most is the man I could have been"... This will always be my favorite painting of Obama... I think that every non-appointed lawyer in the Justice Dept should have to pass the bar exam every 6-years or lose their jobs. Lawyers who can't pass a bar exam have no business in Justice Dept determining what is and is not important law. This change would also help weed out those trying to become permanent un-elected policy makers... Some sabermatrician should figure out a new adjusted OPS+ by removing players found to have used steroids or admitted to steroids use. Just take them out of the numbers altogether. Better to have them gone then to have them distorting the numbers of players who didn't cheat... I feel dirty for even writing this but Johnny Damon is just 9 hits away from passing Ted Williams on the all-time list... Baseball-Reference.com says that one of nicknames for Lou Gehrig was "biscuit pants". There has to be a pretty good story behind that...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Johnny Damon - Hall of Fame Player?
Maybe this can be chalked up to either a statistical anomaly or an an example of lies, damn lies and statistics but Johnny Damon just became the 11th player in MLB history with at least 500 doubles, 100 triples, 200 homers, and 2500 hits. All of the other players to rack up those numbers are in the Hall of Fame. You may have heard of some of the names on that list - Paul Molitor, George Brett, Robin Yount, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Al Simmons, Lou Gehrig, Goose Goslin, Rogers Hornsby, and Babe Ruth. That's quite a list. That's some pretty heady company for Johnny Damon. But does he really belong being mentioned in the same breath as those guys?
Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Stan Musial would be insulted if you even asked. Damon is also not close in numbers to Paul Molitor's accomplishments. Surprisingly Damon has more runs scored than the great Rogers Hornsby as well as George Brett and Al Simmons. This can pretty much be explained away by the fact that Damon has normally been a lead-off or two hole hitter while the others were hitting 3rd or clean-up in the order. Put another way - Damon was the guy getting on base and they were the guys whose jobs was to drive them in.
Damon also has more runs scored than Goose Goslin who finished his career with exactly 500 doubles - so Damon will also finish with more two-baggers than Goslin. But Goose was a guy who had a career .316 batting average and an OPS+ of 128. Compare that to Damon's .287 batting average and 105 OPS+. Lou Gehrig finished his career with 2721 hits. That's a number that Damon probably will eclipse (currently Damon has 2646 hits). Does that mean a comparison between Damon and Gehrig is warranted? If you said yes - please put down the crack pipe.
The only player statistically close to Johnny Damon on that list is Robin Yount. When comparing the numbers though you have to remember that Robin Yount currently has more than 500 more games played and more than 2000 more plate appearances than Damon. If Damon plays 3 more seasons then these numbers could end up pretty damn close.
Damon - 1597 R/ 2646 H/ 500 2B/ 102 3B/ 223 HR/ 1080 RBI
Yount - 1632 R/ 3142 H/ 583 2B/ 126 3B/ 251 HR/ 1350 RBI
Damon - 392 SB/ .287 BA/ .790 OPS/ 105 OPS+
Yount - 271 SB/ .285 BA/ .772 OPS/ 115 OPS+
Those numbers are pretty damn close. I also discount the OPS+ difference to a point because Damon is damaged by playing his career among the steroid fueled OPS+ monsters who negatively affected players who did not use the needle.
The bottom line is that Johnny Damon really needs to get to 3,000 hits in order to get proper consideration for the Hall of Fame. He has been over-looked and under-valued his whole career and I doubt that will change much when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration.
Maybe this can be chalked up to either a statistical anomaly or an an example of lies, damn lies and statistics but Johnny Damon just became the 11th player in MLB history with at least 500 doubles, 100 triples, 200 homers, and 2500 hits. All of the other players to rack up those numbers are in the Hall of Fame. You may have heard of some of the names on that list - Paul Molitor, George Brett, Robin Yount, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Al Simmons, Lou Gehrig, Goose Goslin, Rogers Hornsby, and Babe Ruth. That's quite a list. That's some pretty heady company for Johnny Damon. But does he really belong being mentioned in the same breath as those guys?
Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Stan Musial would be insulted if you even asked. Damon is also not close in numbers to Paul Molitor's accomplishments. Surprisingly Damon has more runs scored than the great Rogers Hornsby as well as George Brett and Al Simmons. This can pretty much be explained away by the fact that Damon has normally been a lead-off or two hole hitter while the others were hitting 3rd or clean-up in the order. Put another way - Damon was the guy getting on base and they were the guys whose jobs was to drive them in.
Damon also has more runs scored than Goose Goslin who finished his career with exactly 500 doubles - so Damon will also finish with more two-baggers than Goslin. But Goose was a guy who had a career .316 batting average and an OPS+ of 128. Compare that to Damon's .287 batting average and 105 OPS+. Lou Gehrig finished his career with 2721 hits. That's a number that Damon probably will eclipse (currently Damon has 2646 hits). Does that mean a comparison between Damon and Gehrig is warranted? If you said yes - please put down the crack pipe.
The only player statistically close to Johnny Damon on that list is Robin Yount. When comparing the numbers though you have to remember that Robin Yount currently has more than 500 more games played and more than 2000 more plate appearances than Damon. If Damon plays 3 more seasons then these numbers could end up pretty damn close.
Damon - 1597 R/ 2646 H/ 500 2B/ 102 3B/ 223 HR/ 1080 RBI
Yount - 1632 R/ 3142 H/ 583 2B/ 126 3B/ 251 HR/ 1350 RBI
Damon - 392 SB/ .287 BA/ .790 OPS/ 105 OPS+
Yount - 271 SB/ .285 BA/ .772 OPS/ 115 OPS+
Those numbers are pretty damn close. I also discount the OPS+ difference to a point because Damon is damaged by playing his career among the steroid fueled OPS+ monsters who negatively affected players who did not use the needle.
The bottom line is that Johnny Damon really needs to get to 3,000 hits in order to get proper consideration for the Hall of Fame. He has been over-looked and under-valued his whole career and I doubt that will change much when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Bartles and James
You can still buy Bartles & James wine coolers - though I don't know why you'd want to. Instead try a nice white wine or if you want something even sweeter - try some Sangria. I admit to drinking some Bartles and James back in the day. What can I say - Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes were thanking me in advance for my support. I couldn't let them down. You have to admit that Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes (played by David Joseph Rufkahr and Dick Maugg) were among the best TV pitchmen off all-time. Neither Rufkahr nor Maugg were actors. Rufkahr was in the Air Force and then went into cattle ranching while Maugg was a general contractor. Both went back to their previous livelihoods when the commercials were eventually ended. Rufkahr died of a heart attack back in April of 1996 while I think Maugg is still among the living.
I still can't believe that they still sell Bartles and James while my Zima has been discontinued.
You can still buy Bartles & James wine coolers - though I don't know why you'd want to. Instead try a nice white wine or if you want something even sweeter - try some Sangria. I admit to drinking some Bartles and James back in the day. What can I say - Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes were thanking me in advance for my support. I couldn't let them down. You have to admit that Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes (played by David Joseph Rufkahr and Dick Maugg) were among the best TV pitchmen off all-time. Neither Rufkahr nor Maugg were actors. Rufkahr was in the Air Force and then went into cattle ranching while Maugg was a general contractor. Both went back to their previous livelihoods when the commercials were eventually ended. Rufkahr died of a heart attack back in April of 1996 while I think Maugg is still among the living.
I still can't believe that they still sell Bartles and James while my Zima has been discontinued.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Today is the victory parade for the Boston Bruins. Above is the banner that is now hanging from the State House. I don't think the parade actually passes the State House... Have you seen the new Captain Morgan commercial? In the commercial he is in bed with a beautiful girl but he is fully clothed including his big red jacket. But when he sees ship of strange men approaching he strips down to undies and swims over to them. Yeah - nothing gay about that. NTTAWWT... Kevin Youkilis left last night's Red Sox game with an "upset stomach". That made me think of this classic George Brett story... I think I may have liked Mike Torrez more than I like John Lackey (and I hated Mike Torrez)... The designer of the "Abe Vigoda is Still Alive" website should come out w a "Erik Spoelstra is Still Coach of the Miami Heat" site... Heh heh - Taiwan news does the Shaq sex tape story... If Dustin Pedroia doesn't win the AL Gold Glove for 2nd base this season then the process should just be scrapped altogether... My Bruins euphoria tempered by the realization that Terry O'Reilly never won a Stanley Cup... People are paying money to see Terry Bradshaw? People are crazy! This is worse than catfish noodling... The Red Sox signed Rich Gedman's son Matt Gedman who was drafted in 45th round out of UMass Amherst... I firmly believe that candidates for Congress should have to pass the Citizens test immigrants have to take before the candidates are allowed to put their name on a ballot. This would help insure that the candidates have at least a grasp of the history of this country before they try to shape the future. Plus it would help weed out the morons... Talk about a good trade for the Red Sox. Just prior before Andrew Miller is set to make his Red Sox debut and just before rumors that the Yankees really wanted Miller to opt out of his contract with Boston - the Marlins DFA'ed Dustin Richardson - the guy the Red Sox traded for Miller... The things you learn on the Internet (via Mental Floss): "Bear Bryant was once asked to give $10 to help pay for a sportswriter's funeral. According to legend, he said, 'Here's a twenty, bury two.'"... In addition to the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and now the Bruins - Boston also had 4 NCAA Hockey champions in the past decade. Boston College won in 2001, 2008, and 2010 while Boston University won in 2009... I think the word "trousers" is quickly going the way of "pantaloons"... I heard Nike is coming out with a new LeBron James x-trainer sneaker for people who quit their workouts 3/4 the way through... Think about this for a minute - all four active head coaches in Boston have won titles with their current team.... What a difference a year makes. Last season at this time Josh Beckett had a miserable 7.29 ERA. Today he leads the AL with a 1.86 mark... I am still waiting for Stephen A Smith to explain what personal issues LeBron James was supposedly dealing with during the NBA Finals. My guess is adult baby syndrome
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Today is the victory parade for the Boston Bruins. Above is the banner that is now hanging from the State House. I don't think the parade actually passes the State House... Have you seen the new Captain Morgan commercial? In the commercial he is in bed with a beautiful girl but he is fully clothed including his big red jacket. But when he sees ship of strange men approaching he strips down to undies and swims over to them. Yeah - nothing gay about that. NTTAWWT... Kevin Youkilis left last night's Red Sox game with an "upset stomach". That made me think of this classic George Brett story... I think I may have liked Mike Torrez more than I like John Lackey (and I hated Mike Torrez)... The designer of the "Abe Vigoda is Still Alive" website should come out w a "Erik Spoelstra is Still Coach of the Miami Heat" site... Heh heh - Taiwan news does the Shaq sex tape story... If Dustin Pedroia doesn't win the AL Gold Glove for 2nd base this season then the process should just be scrapped altogether... My Bruins euphoria tempered by the realization that Terry O'Reilly never won a Stanley Cup... People are paying money to see Terry Bradshaw? People are crazy! This is worse than catfish noodling... The Red Sox signed Rich Gedman's son Matt Gedman who was drafted in 45th round out of UMass Amherst... I firmly believe that candidates for Congress should have to pass the Citizens test immigrants have to take before the candidates are allowed to put their name on a ballot. This would help insure that the candidates have at least a grasp of the history of this country before they try to shape the future. Plus it would help weed out the morons... Talk about a good trade for the Red Sox. Just prior before Andrew Miller is set to make his Red Sox debut and just before rumors that the Yankees really wanted Miller to opt out of his contract with Boston - the Marlins DFA'ed Dustin Richardson - the guy the Red Sox traded for Miller... The things you learn on the Internet (via Mental Floss): "Bear Bryant was once asked to give $10 to help pay for a sportswriter's funeral. According to legend, he said, 'Here's a twenty, bury two.'"... In addition to the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and now the Bruins - Boston also had 4 NCAA Hockey champions in the past decade. Boston College won in 2001, 2008, and 2010 while Boston University won in 2009... I think the word "trousers" is quickly going the way of "pantaloons"... I heard Nike is coming out with a new LeBron James x-trainer sneaker for people who quit their workouts 3/4 the way through... Think about this for a minute - all four active head coaches in Boston have won titles with their current team.... What a difference a year makes. Last season at this time Josh Beckett had a miserable 7.29 ERA. Today he leads the AL with a 1.86 mark... I am still waiting for Stephen A Smith to explain what personal issues LeBron James was supposedly dealing with during the NBA Finals. My guess is adult baby syndrome
Friday, June 17, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- All the world loves a good loser - Lenny Dykstra is a not a good loser (but is a loser)
- You have to love Terry Francona who wore a Bruins jersey for his pre-game press conference
- Historic Marine base gets 1st-ever female general
- Things that make you say WTF? "Naked female scientist tames belugas in freezing Arctic" (Warning: naked female Arctic scientist)
- I watched this over and over - I kept wondering how they got it off the truck later on
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- All the world loves a good loser - Lenny Dykstra is a not a good loser (but is a loser)
- You have to love Terry Francona who wore a Bruins jersey for his pre-game press conference
- Historic Marine base gets 1st-ever female general
- Things that make you say WTF? "Naked female scientist tames belugas in freezing Arctic" (Warning: naked female Arctic scientist)
- I watched this over and over - I kept wondering how they got it off the truck later on
Boston Red Sox Magic Number - 94
The Red Sox magic number is now at 94. Many, many things happened in 1994. NAFTA was enacted; Tip O'Neill passed away; Tony Harding had Nancy Kerrigan knee-capped; the "Scream" is stolen in Oslo; Kurt Cobain killed himself; the Chunnel opens connecting England and France; John Candy dies; the Rangers beat the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup final; OJ Simpson killed a couple of people (allegedly); George Foreman wins the heavyweight championship; Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the US, passes away only to be upstaged once again by the Kennedy's as Jackie O dies a month later; and a strike kills the 1994 baseball season.
Many, many things happened in 1994 but the one I want to draw special attention to was the passing of Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas. He grew up in Lynn, MA (Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin, you never come out the way you went in). Who loves ya Telly? I do.
The Red Sox magic number is now at 94. Many, many things happened in 1994. NAFTA was enacted; Tip O'Neill passed away; Tony Harding had Nancy Kerrigan knee-capped; the "Scream" is stolen in Oslo; Kurt Cobain killed himself; the Chunnel opens connecting England and France; John Candy dies; the Rangers beat the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup final; OJ Simpson killed a couple of people (allegedly); George Foreman wins the heavyweight championship; Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the US, passes away only to be upstaged once again by the Kennedy's as Jackie O dies a month later; and a strike kills the 1994 baseball season.
Many, many things happened in 1994 but the one I want to draw special attention to was the passing of Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas. He grew up in Lynn, MA (Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin, you never come out the way you went in). Who loves ya Telly? I do.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Four things you didn't know about sunscreen
- Brian Koppelman on Black Friday and on-line poker
- Interesting look at an esoteric NBA rule that makes the NHL icing rule seem perfectly logical
- Go ahead and call me crude but I really laughed at this group photo
- Would a Dingo Really Eat Your Baby?
- Big Papi enjoying a big renaissance. The idea of waiting for contract negotiations makes perfect sense when you recall that a 36-year old Carlos Delgado also had a renaissance hitting 38 HR with 115 RBI when he was 36-years old only to get injured and fall off a cliff.
- Johnny Damon - Hall of Famer? I've always said that he'd get in if he manages to get to 3,000 hits but Pete Abraham points out that Damon is already in some pretty elite company.
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Four things you didn't know about sunscreen
- Brian Koppelman on Black Friday and on-line poker
- Interesting look at an esoteric NBA rule that makes the NHL icing rule seem perfectly logical
- Go ahead and call me crude but I really laughed at this group photo
- Would a Dingo Really Eat Your Baby?
- Big Papi enjoying a big renaissance. The idea of waiting for contract negotiations makes perfect sense when you recall that a 36-year old Carlos Delgado also had a renaissance hitting 38 HR with 115 RBI when he was 36-years old only to get injured and fall off a cliff.
- Johnny Damon - Hall of Famer? I've always said that he'd get in if he manages to get to 3,000 hits but Pete Abraham points out that Damon is already in some pretty elite company.
Red Sox Magic Number - 95
With the Josh Beckett gem of a start last night - the Red Sox Magic Number is now 95.
Nick Carfardo has an excellent article today on Adrian Gonzalez. The tie in with the magic number? Gonzalez easily could become the first Red Sox first bagger to win the AL MVP since Mo Vaughn won the award back in - you guessed it - 1995.
With the Josh Beckett gem of a start last night - the Red Sox Magic Number is now 95. Nick Carfardo has an excellent article today on Adrian Gonzalez. The tie in with the magic number? Gonzalez easily could become the first Red Sox first bagger to win the AL MVP since Mo Vaughn won the award back in - you guessed it - 1995.
The War in Libya
Interesting article on the Obama Administration not dealing with the issue of if what the military is doing in Libya is war. Even FDR had to get Congressional approval to declare war on Japan after Pearl Harbor but Obama seems to see no such necessities.
The ideas of fairness and common sense seem to elude the Obama Administration. I know that if Libya was bombing us the way we are bombing them - I would say we were at war. I know that if this was a Republican President the press would literally be screaming bloody murder. I know that if this was a Republican President we would be seeing Code Pink demonstrations almost every night on the network news. Senator Obama would have been among the most vocal critics.
In terms of common sense - the US has no real strategic or critical interests at play in Libya. Some NATO nations do (oil rights) and the President allowed himself to be played by these countries. The President can't even reasonably explain why we are doing what we are doing or even what it is we are doing. That opens up a huge issue that the left wing of his own party will use against him in 2012. Remember - Jimmy Carter didn't lose to Ronald Reagan so much as Carter was mortally wounded politically by a challenge from Ted Kennedy.
Interesting article on the Obama Administration not dealing with the issue of if what the military is doing in Libya is war. Even FDR had to get Congressional approval to declare war on Japan after Pearl Harbor but Obama seems to see no such necessities.
The ideas of fairness and common sense seem to elude the Obama Administration. I know that if Libya was bombing us the way we are bombing them - I would say we were at war. I know that if this was a Republican President the press would literally be screaming bloody murder. I know that if this was a Republican President we would be seeing Code Pink demonstrations almost every night on the network news. Senator Obama would have been among the most vocal critics.
In terms of common sense - the US has no real strategic or critical interests at play in Libya. Some NATO nations do (oil rights) and the President allowed himself to be played by these countries. The President can't even reasonably explain why we are doing what we are doing or even what it is we are doing. That opens up a huge issue that the left wing of his own party will use against him in 2012. Remember - Jimmy Carter didn't lose to Ronald Reagan so much as Carter was mortally wounded politically by a challenge from Ted Kennedy.
Boston Bruins - Stanley Cup Champions
Nut Rocker is the unofficial theme song to the Boston Bruins for as long as I can remember. I should say - Stanley Cup Champion Bruins.
Oh - and I don't ever want to hear anything ever again from any smug Canadian about how much more civilized their country is than the USA.
Nut Rocker is the unofficial theme song to the Boston Bruins for as long as I can remember. I should say - Stanley Cup Champion Bruins.
Oh - and I don't ever want to hear anything ever again from any smug Canadian about how much more civilized their country is than the USA.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Video (1min) showing a camera on a hula-hoop. Thankfully the camera was pointing inward. If it was pointing outwards I think I would have gotten dizzy.
- Noah Jones plays Johnny Cash at the Webbys
- Eye-opener: the embossing of Oreo cookies as a humble and unrecognized masterpiece
- Interesting article - Lunch With David Mamet
- Ha ha - never thought of it like this
- Very disappointed to learn that Stephen Jay Gould may have faked data. Disappointed but not surprised since Gould was a Yankees fan.
- U of Michigan Marching Band playing Stairway to Heaven
- Fiona Shaw reading part of T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land. I just knew her as Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter films. Had no idea she was this amazing.
- This is the article that had me look up Fiona Shaw in the first place. The Waste Land for iPad lovers. This is truly the future of both art and education.
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Video (1min) showing a camera on a hula-hoop. Thankfully the camera was pointing inward. If it was pointing outwards I think I would have gotten dizzy.
- Noah Jones plays Johnny Cash at the Webbys
- Eye-opener: the embossing of Oreo cookies as a humble and unrecognized masterpiece
- Interesting article - Lunch With David Mamet
- Ha ha - never thought of it like this
- Very disappointed to learn that Stephen Jay Gould may have faked data. Disappointed but not surprised since Gould was a Yankees fan.
- U of Michigan Marching Band playing Stairway to Heaven
- Fiona Shaw reading part of T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land. I just knew her as Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter films. Had no idea she was this amazing.
- This is the article that had me look up Fiona Shaw in the first place. The Waste Land for iPad lovers. This is truly the future of both art and education.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
From Abbottabad to Worse
Christopher Hitchens has a very thought provoking article in Vanity Fair on the US relationship with Pakistan. I agree with Hitchens 100% in his thesis.
Think of it this way - the $3 billion in "aid" (bribes) that the US pays Pakistan is the equivalent of each adult in the US forking over a $20 bill. If you had a vote or passed a theoretical hat to get that money - how successful do you think that would be? If you added $20 to each person's tax bill on April 15th - how much outrage would there be?
Christopher Hitchens has a very thought provoking article in Vanity Fair on the US relationship with Pakistan. I agree with Hitchens 100% in his thesis.
Think of it this way - the $3 billion in "aid" (bribes) that the US pays Pakistan is the equivalent of each adult in the US forking over a $20 bill. If you had a vote or passed a theoretical hat to get that money - how successful do you think that would be? If you added $20 to each person's tax bill on April 15th - how much outrage would there be?
Red Sox Magic Number - 96
With the Yankees losing to the Indians last night - the Red Sox Magic Number now stands at 96. Bear with me while I discuss the number 96 in movie, political and business terms.
Of the Top 10 money making movies from 1996 - I saw them all - most multiple times. Independence Day, Twister, Mission Impossible, The Rock, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 101 Dalmatians, Ransom, The Nutty Professor, Jerry Maguire, Eraser - I saw them all (it helped having kids for the Disney ones).
I did not see the two most critically acclaimed movies of the year - The English Patient and Shine. Had no interest then and even less interest now.
There was another movie that came out in 1996 that any of you who know me might be surprised that I missed but I confess that I've never seen even a minute of the movie Escape from LA. "Snake Plisken? I heard you were dead." Well Snake Plisken was dead to me as far as Escape from LA was concerned.
What's amusing is that I had planned to mention the movie Escape from New York when the Red Sox magic number was 97 but I never got around to that. That movie was supposed to be based in 1997. That's how pessimistic the outlook was during the days of the Carter administration. Then Ronald Reagan came into office and it was morning in America again as far as the economy was concerned. Starting with Reagan - Presidents understood the bottom line came down to "its the economy stupid" and pessimistic futuristic movies like Escape from LA no longer had a place in the popular consciousness. Now our politicians no longer understand how the economy works and think Big Government is the answer and not the problem. Pessimistic futuristic movies may be the least of our concerns if that continues.
Another thing I had planned to mention about 97 was the fact that in real life in 1997 it is significant to note that was the year that Steve Jobs returned to Apple Computer. In the future children may be asked about that on history tests.
With the Yankees losing to the Indians last night - the Red Sox Magic Number now stands at 96. Bear with me while I discuss the number 96 in movie, political and business terms.Of the Top 10 money making movies from 1996 - I saw them all - most multiple times. Independence Day, Twister, Mission Impossible, The Rock, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 101 Dalmatians, Ransom, The Nutty Professor, Jerry Maguire, Eraser - I saw them all (it helped having kids for the Disney ones).
I did not see the two most critically acclaimed movies of the year - The English Patient and Shine. Had no interest then and even less interest now.
There was another movie that came out in 1996 that any of you who know me might be surprised that I missed but I confess that I've never seen even a minute of the movie Escape from LA. "Snake Plisken? I heard you were dead." Well Snake Plisken was dead to me as far as Escape from LA was concerned.
What's amusing is that I had planned to mention the movie Escape from New York when the Red Sox magic number was 97 but I never got around to that. That movie was supposed to be based in 1997. That's how pessimistic the outlook was during the days of the Carter administration. Then Ronald Reagan came into office and it was morning in America again as far as the economy was concerned. Starting with Reagan - Presidents understood the bottom line came down to "its the economy stupid" and pessimistic futuristic movies like Escape from LA no longer had a place in the popular consciousness. Now our politicians no longer understand how the economy works and think Big Government is the answer and not the problem. Pessimistic futuristic movies may be the least of our concerns if that continues.
Another thing I had planned to mention about 97 was the fact that in real life in 1997 it is significant to note that was the year that Steve Jobs returned to Apple Computer. In the future children may be asked about that on history tests.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Congratulations Mavericks
I can't recall the last time I became emotionally invested in a team like the Dallas Mavericks that I really had no connection to. In Boston there's an old saying, "My favorite teams are the Red Sox and whoever is playing the Yankees." In the NBA world it seems to have become "I root for the Celtics and whoever is playing the Miami Heat."
If we are honest it is really true that people who are saying they are happy for Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks are for the most part are saying that they are happy that LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and the Heat lost.
The Heat were the epitome of hubris. They celebrated more before the season then what the Mavericks did when they actually won the championship. As much as the Mavericks won - the Heat choked. LeBron James just did not show up and Erik Spoelstra was just thoroughly out-coached. It was so bad that I don't think anyone would blink an eye if the Mavericks voted playoff shares to James and Spoelstra for the big role they played in Dallas winning. I have to wonder if maybe LeBron and D-Wade weren't making fun of Dirk's cough the other day. Maybe they were actually coming down with a little tickle that turned into full-blown choking tonight?
Now the fun part comes. The Heat don't just get to wallow in losing. They get to be punchlines. Two of the better ones I saw on Twitter:
I can't recall the last time I became emotionally invested in a team like the Dallas Mavericks that I really had no connection to. In Boston there's an old saying, "My favorite teams are the Red Sox and whoever is playing the Yankees." In the NBA world it seems to have become "I root for the Celtics and whoever is playing the Miami Heat."
If we are honest it is really true that people who are saying they are happy for Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks are for the most part are saying that they are happy that LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and the Heat lost.
The Heat were the epitome of hubris. They celebrated more before the season then what the Mavericks did when they actually won the championship. As much as the Mavericks won - the Heat choked. LeBron James just did not show up and Erik Spoelstra was just thoroughly out-coached. It was so bad that I don't think anyone would blink an eye if the Mavericks voted playoff shares to James and Spoelstra for the big role they played in Dallas winning. I have to wonder if maybe LeBron and D-Wade weren't making fun of Dirk's cough the other day. Maybe they were actually coming down with a little tickle that turned into full-blown choking tonight?
Now the fun part comes. The Heat don't just get to wallow in losing. They get to be punchlines. Two of the better ones I saw on Twitter:
@CoreyKeyz: Why didn't LeBron go to college?....Because he didn't want to show up for the Finals
@DrewFromTV: What's the difference between the Miami #Heat and a porn star? A porn star doesn't choke on the big ones!One pet peeve of mine is those stupid hats an T-shirts that appear as soon as the last second comes off the clock. You can imagine how welcome the spam email from the NBA at 11:03 PM with Mavericks championship apparel was when I saw it show up in my inbox. Kudos to Rick Carlisle for not putting on one of those stupid T-shirts or hats when he was up on stage accepting the trophy.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
June has been very good to the Red Sox. Jacoby Ellsbury has a hit in every game in June so far. He is 19 for 44 (.432) in that span raising season average to .317 from .292... Interesting phone call between President John Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis and potential nuclear war... It still blows my mind that Ronald Reagan was the original choice to play Rick Blaine in the classic Casablanca... June has been very good to the Red Sox. Adrian Gonzalez has at least 1 RBI in 8 straight games (12 RBI total in those 8 games)... Cool - TNT acquires rights to Castle for syndication. I'm a fan of the show and Nathan Fillion and I'm glad I'll have a chance to see re-runs on a regular basis... June has been very good to the Red Sox. David Ortiz is hitting .412 with 4 HR and 12 RBI so far in June... Pretty sure that in that after he strips down to his underwear and does that fancy dive off the plank that Captain Morgan gets raped by the guys in orange coats on other ship just after the commercial cuts away. He was asking for it... The Red Sox are paying Mike Cameron over $7 million this year. At what point do they realize that Cameron is a shell of the player he once was and cut him loose? They should give one of their young OF from Pawtucket a chance. Either Ryan Kalish or Josh Reddick would be better for the team. Give one of the younger players a chance. It will help to season them to take over for JD Drew next year or at least give them a chance to showcase their talent in case of a trade. Maybe the Red Sox are waiting for Kalish to recover from his injury to make a move?... The Red Sox are in Toronto to play the Blue Jays one more game. Here's a picture of the famous CN Tower in Toronto.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
June has been very good to the Red Sox. Jacoby Ellsbury has a hit in every game in June so far. He is 19 for 44 (.432) in that span raising season average to .317 from .292... Interesting phone call between President John Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis and potential nuclear war... It still blows my mind that Ronald Reagan was the original choice to play Rick Blaine in the classic Casablanca... June has been very good to the Red Sox. Adrian Gonzalez has at least 1 RBI in 8 straight games (12 RBI total in those 8 games)... Cool - TNT acquires rights to Castle for syndication. I'm a fan of the show and Nathan Fillion and I'm glad I'll have a chance to see re-runs on a regular basis... June has been very good to the Red Sox. David Ortiz is hitting .412 with 4 HR and 12 RBI so far in June... Pretty sure that in that after he strips down to his underwear and does that fancy dive off the plank that Captain Morgan gets raped by the guys in orange coats on other ship just after the commercial cuts away. He was asking for it... The Red Sox are paying Mike Cameron over $7 million this year. At what point do they realize that Cameron is a shell of the player he once was and cut him loose? They should give one of their young OF from Pawtucket a chance. Either Ryan Kalish or Josh Reddick would be better for the team. Give one of the younger players a chance. It will help to season them to take over for JD Drew next year or at least give them a chance to showcase their talent in case of a trade. Maybe the Red Sox are waiting for Kalish to recover from his injury to make a move?... The Red Sox are in Toronto to play the Blue Jays one more game. Here's a picture of the famous CN Tower in Toronto.
Red Sox Magic Number - 98
The Red Sox dismantled the Blue Jays 16-4 yesterday giving even John Lackey enough run support and reducing their Magic Number to 98. What do you think about when you hear the number 98? Windows 98? The average body temperature of a human (98 degrees)? When I hear 98 - I think of one of my favorite Red Sox teams - the 1998 team.
That 1998 team had a 1-2 offensive punch of a 24-year old Nomar Garciaparra and a 30-year old Mo Vaughn. That duo combined for a blistering 75 HR and 237 RBI. The pitching was anchored by Pedro Martinez who was in the middle of a period of dominance that baseball has not known before or since. Starters Pedro, Tim Wakefield and Brett Saberhagen combined to go a 51-23 with Tom Gordon having his masterpiece career year as closer leading the AL with 46 saves. This was a very likable team that included Dennis Eckersley in his lash hurrah coming "home" for one final season as a set-up man and newcomers Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek in town for their first full season after being traded to Boston from Seattle.
That 1998 team had two fatal flaws however. 1998 also happened to be the year the Yankees fielded perhaps their best team of my lifetime. They won 114 games and swept the Padres in the World Series. The second fatal flaw for that 98 Red Sox team was the fact they had Jimy Williams as manager.
Oh by the way - that picture above is of Dirk Nowitzki's 1998 rookie trading card. I hope that's an omen for a Mavericks win tonight. Like most of the country - I can't stand the Miami Heat. It is rumored that LeBron James has become so loathed that James Dolan is considering him for an executive position with the New York Knicks.
The Red Sox dismantled the Blue Jays 16-4 yesterday giving even John Lackey enough run support and reducing their Magic Number to 98. What do you think about when you hear the number 98? Windows 98? The average body temperature of a human (98 degrees)? When I hear 98 - I think of one of my favorite Red Sox teams - the 1998 team.That 1998 team had a 1-2 offensive punch of a 24-year old Nomar Garciaparra and a 30-year old Mo Vaughn. That duo combined for a blistering 75 HR and 237 RBI. The pitching was anchored by Pedro Martinez who was in the middle of a period of dominance that baseball has not known before or since. Starters Pedro, Tim Wakefield and Brett Saberhagen combined to go a 51-23 with Tom Gordon having his masterpiece career year as closer leading the AL with 46 saves. This was a very likable team that included Dennis Eckersley in his lash hurrah coming "home" for one final season as a set-up man and newcomers Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek in town for their first full season after being traded to Boston from Seattle.
That 1998 team had two fatal flaws however. 1998 also happened to be the year the Yankees fielded perhaps their best team of my lifetime. They won 114 games and swept the Padres in the World Series. The second fatal flaw for that 98 Red Sox team was the fact they had Jimy Williams as manager.
Oh by the way - that picture above is of Dirk Nowitzki's 1998 rookie trading card. I hope that's an omen for a Mavericks win tonight. Like most of the country - I can't stand the Miami Heat. It is rumored that LeBron James has become so loathed that James Dolan is considering him for an executive position with the New York Knicks.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Red Sox Magic Number - 99
If you asked me to do a free association with the number 99 - my first thought might be of the song 99 Red Balloons by Nena which became in the US an anti-war, anti-Reagan anthem but with a pretty upbeat beat. I've always thought the people who held the song in high esteem as an anthem were just plain silly. As if it wasn't the East Germans and the Russians who were suppressing freedom in the most barbaric ways imaginable who were the problem. No the person who was the real threat to world peace was Ronald Reagan. Hey let's make a giant paper mache head of him to protest and then lets talk about giving Marxism another shot!
Another song associated with the number 99 is Bruce Springsteen's Johnny 99. This song was a turning point for me in regard to being a fan of Springsteen. My first reaction to hearing the song was WTF? I was genuinely puzzled and had to listen to the song and lyrics a couple of times. Why was Bruce making this guy out to be a hero? He's a murderer. What about the family of the convenience store clerk who was killed? What the hell is wrong with Springsteen? What the hell is wrong with me for being a fan of a guy glorifying thugs? Don't get me wrong - I still love the old stuff but once I figured out that the darkness wasn't on the edge of town - it was between Springsteen's ears - it was tough to become emotionally invested in his music. I loved Born in the USA and some later works but it just was never the same.
Of course if you told me to free associate the number 99 in regards to sports - I would immediately think of Wayne Gretzky. But with the Bruins losing last night I'd almost prefer not to think about hockey.
One thing I did find when looking at the number 99 was the Jaguar B99 concept car. I really would like to own one (but I wouldn't kill a convenience store clerk to get it).
If you asked me to do a free association with the number 99 - my first thought might be of the song 99 Red Balloons by Nena which became in the US an anti-war, anti-Reagan anthem but with a pretty upbeat beat. I've always thought the people who held the song in high esteem as an anthem were just plain silly. As if it wasn't the East Germans and the Russians who were suppressing freedom in the most barbaric ways imaginable who were the problem. No the person who was the real threat to world peace was Ronald Reagan. Hey let's make a giant paper mache head of him to protest and then lets talk about giving Marxism another shot!
Another song associated with the number 99 is Bruce Springsteen's Johnny 99. This song was a turning point for me in regard to being a fan of Springsteen. My first reaction to hearing the song was WTF? I was genuinely puzzled and had to listen to the song and lyrics a couple of times. Why was Bruce making this guy out to be a hero? He's a murderer. What about the family of the convenience store clerk who was killed? What the hell is wrong with Springsteen? What the hell is wrong with me for being a fan of a guy glorifying thugs? Don't get me wrong - I still love the old stuff but once I figured out that the darkness wasn't on the edge of town - it was between Springsteen's ears - it was tough to become emotionally invested in his music. I loved Born in the USA and some later works but it just was never the same.
Of course if you told me to free associate the number 99 in regards to sports - I would immediately think of Wayne Gretzky. But with the Bruins losing last night I'd almost prefer not to think about hockey.
One thing I did find when looking at the number 99 was the Jaguar B99 concept car. I really would like to own one (but I wouldn't kill a convenience store clerk to get it).
Friday, June 10, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- The NCAA and Championship Ring Repossession.
- WSOP side action
- Adrian Gonzalez is a class guy and a fan of Anthony Rizzo
- I seriously want to own one of these!!!! (The exclamation points are so you know how excited I'd be to have one of these awesome machines!!!!)
- "Blister in the Sun" from Google's Les Paul doodle.
- The Arctic Light - awe inspiring beauty
- Depth of the Mariana Trench to scale
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- The NCAA and Championship Ring Repossession.
- WSOP side action
- Adrian Gonzalez is a class guy and a fan of Anthony Rizzo
- I seriously want to own one of these!!!! (The exclamation points are so you know how excited I'd be to have one of these awesome machines!!!!)
- "Blister in the Sun" from Google's Les Paul doodle.
- The Arctic Light - awe inspiring beauty
- Depth of the Mariana Trench to scale
Red Sox Magic Number - 100
Josh Beckett has been cash money against the Yankees this season. So far his ERA vs. New York in 3 starts this season is just 0.86. With last night's victory over the Yankees - the Red Sox Magic Number is now 100.
Yesterday's post was about the Empire State Building while today's is mainly about Josh Beckett. I could have just posted this photo and had the best of both worlds.
The number 100 is also used to denote a century which is appropriate since the 20th century belonged to the Yankees while this century is shaping up to belong to the Red Sox.
Josh Beckett has been cash money against the Yankees this season. So far his ERA vs. New York in 3 starts this season is just 0.86. With last night's victory over the Yankees - the Red Sox Magic Number is now 100.
Yesterday's post was about the Empire State Building while today's is mainly about Josh Beckett. I could have just posted this photo and had the best of both worlds.
The number 100 is also used to denote a century which is appropriate since the 20th century belonged to the Yankees while this century is shaping up to belong to the Red Sox.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Red Sox Magic Number - 102
It may be a little silly to start a Magic Number countdown at this point of the season but with the Red Sox in first place, playing in New York and the Magic Number at 102 - I couldn't help myself.
The reason I couldn't help myself is because I associate the number 102 with the Empire State Building since that American icon has 102 stories.
Tim Wakefield got the win last night and that was significant in that it was his 196th of his career which ties him for 119th place all-time with Claude Osteen and Bullet Dave Bush. The comparison between Wakefield and Bullet Dave Bush is interesting because both players played for both Pittsburgh and Boston (Bush played with several teams), both won World Series championships for the Red Sox (Bush won in 1918) and both players were known for an unusual pitch. Of course Wakefield is famous for his knuckleball but Bush is often credited as the inventor of the forkball.
It may be a little silly to start a Magic Number countdown at this point of the season but with the Red Sox in first place, playing in New York and the Magic Number at 102 - I couldn't help myself. The reason I couldn't help myself is because I associate the number 102 with the Empire State Building since that American icon has 102 stories.
Tim Wakefield got the win last night and that was significant in that it was his 196th of his career which ties him for 119th place all-time with Claude Osteen and Bullet Dave Bush. The comparison between Wakefield and Bullet Dave Bush is interesting because both players played for both Pittsburgh and Boston (Bush played with several teams), both won World Series championships for the Red Sox (Bush won in 1918) and both players were known for an unusual pitch. Of course Wakefield is famous for his knuckleball but Bush is often credited as the inventor of the forkball.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Not a big fan of Lebron James but it should be pointed out he's "only" 26-years old. A very immature 26-years old. Maybe the fact is that he just can't handle the pressure... Tim Wakefield vs. Derek Jeter: A matchup for the ages... Someone should come up with a "Frank McCourt has made payroll" site similar to the "Abe Vigoda is still alive" site... A pet peeve if you'll allow me. People today associating LBJ with LeBron James and not Lyndon Johnson has to be part of the dumbing down of America... Another Deadwood actor is cast on Sons of Anarchy, continuing the "Deadwood"/ "Sons"/ "Justified" competition... I have to wonder if what Mark Jackson will make with Golden State is actually less money than what Steve Lavin makes at St John's? I think St. John's missed the boat on alumni Jackson... By letting Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre walk away, the Red Sox set themselves up to diversify their portfolio in the draft... Speaking of the MLB Draft - whatever happened with Red Sox prospect Mike Rozier? I think he left baseball after being hit in the head twice. Why did he also quit Tennessee football? Was that related to him getting hit in the head? What's the story?... Very funny old Conan O'Brian clip with Dave Chappelle.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Not a big fan of Lebron James but it should be pointed out he's "only" 26-years old. A very immature 26-years old. Maybe the fact is that he just can't handle the pressure... Tim Wakefield vs. Derek Jeter: A matchup for the ages... Someone should come up with a "Frank McCourt has made payroll" site similar to the "Abe Vigoda is still alive" site... A pet peeve if you'll allow me. People today associating LBJ with LeBron James and not Lyndon Johnson has to be part of the dumbing down of America... Another Deadwood actor is cast on Sons of Anarchy, continuing the "Deadwood"/ "Sons"/ "Justified" competition... I have to wonder if what Mark Jackson will make with Golden State is actually less money than what Steve Lavin makes at St John's? I think St. John's missed the boat on alumni Jackson... By letting Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre walk away, the Red Sox set themselves up to diversify their portfolio in the draft... Speaking of the MLB Draft - whatever happened with Red Sox prospect Mike Rozier? I think he left baseball after being hit in the head twice. Why did he also quit Tennessee football? Was that related to him getting hit in the head? What's the story?... Very funny old Conan O'Brian clip with Dave Chappelle.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Weinergate - Take 2
Yesterday Anthony Weiner admitted what to many was obvious - he sent the lewd picture to the 21-year old college student. There was no hacker. There was no prank. There was no conspiracy. There was only a scumbag named Anthony Weiner.
Take a look at how Weiner originally reacted to the situation and tell me he is not a scumbag. He was not a victim - he was and is a scumbag.
Keep in mind that Weiner cannot say with certitude that all the girls he had inappropriate contact with are of legal age. That means that he may have being violating the Internet Sexual Predator law that he backed.
Anthony Weiner - liar, hypocrite, morally questionable, vainglorious, national joke of a scumbag.
My prediction is that as details of his dalliances come out - and they will - it will be impossible for him to keep his job. You know he has a x-rated Brett Favre picture just waiting to surface. He didn't resign yesterday. He doesn't know it but he's just delaying the inevitable.
Yesterday Anthony Weiner admitted what to many was obvious - he sent the lewd picture to the 21-year old college student. There was no hacker. There was no prank. There was no conspiracy. There was only a scumbag named Anthony Weiner.
Take a look at how Weiner originally reacted to the situation and tell me he is not a scumbag. He was not a victim - he was and is a scumbag.
Keep in mind that Weiner cannot say with certitude that all the girls he had inappropriate contact with are of legal age. That means that he may have being violating the Internet Sexual Predator law that he backed.
Anthony Weiner - liar, hypocrite, morally questionable, vainglorious, national joke of a scumbag.
My prediction is that as details of his dalliances come out - and they will - it will be impossible for him to keep his job. You know he has a x-rated Brett Favre picture just waiting to surface. He didn't resign yesterday. He doesn't know it but he's just delaying the inevitable.
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