Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The unforced errors by the Obama Administration will be the cause that in the end costs him re-election. Talking about "Polish Death Camps" is just the latest example. I'd be willing to bet that 75% of Polish-Americans would identify themselves both as Catholic and as Democrats. Obama is making it hard for them to vote for him. Good chance they just stay home on election day... Wow - some of these photos literally brought tears to my eyes... For the record - I did not order the code red. You're goddamn right I didn't... Robert Parish's 1981 Celtics World Championship ring sold at auction for $45,578. I would have liked to own that...  If I was Mitt Romney - I'd check into what Ivan "the Polish Hammer" Putski is up to. Having Ivan Putski appear at some events may be the best way to pick up that Polish vote that the Obama Administration is tossing aside.

The Big Think Interview with Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Rumsfeld is a national treasure. I highly recommend his book Known and Unknown: A Memoir.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Heh heh - A comparison of Presidents working at home

Sometime I have the maturity of a 10-year old. That said - this is funny in any language.

Not sure how I feel about this. Anthony Bourdain leaves Travel Channel for CNN. I Liked No Reservations the way it was. I hope this move doesn't screw things up.

A 2nd grader asks Neil DeGrasse-Tyson what would happen if one black hole came in contact with another black hole.

Hemingway and Gellhorn

I'm a big fan of Ernest Hemingway so the HBO produced Hemingway and Gellhorn naturally drew me in.

Oh what an awful show. I mean really bad. But it was so bad that it became good in an Ed Wood sort of way. I can't believe that as I type this - the show has an 8.3 rating out of 10 on IMDB. It was crap. But unintentionally funny crap.

To start off - it has lots of name stars. You start playing - I know that guy! And I know that guy! And that guy! From Clive Owen as the cartoon Hemingway to Nicole Kidman as Martha Gellhorn. The only positive thing I can say about Kidman's performance is at least she gets naked (in one of the most awkward sex scenes I've ever witnessed). Robert Duvall makes an appearance as some Russian general. I kept waiting for him to say "I love the smell of Communism in the morning!" Tony "Monk" Shalhoub was a Russian propagandist. Awesome character actor David Strathairn was John Dos Passos except I think he was actually playing "gay eye for the anti-fascist guy." Molly Parker played Hemingway's wife Pauline and in one scene where she explained that her money bought Hemingway his nice things and even his manhood - I almost expected her to explain that her money came from a gold mine in Deadwood.

All-in-all it was a bad, bad film. But so bad that I might actually watch it a second time.

The Rains of Castamere by The National

Very cool. Reading the books I always wondered how this song would sound.

Now I know.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Some day soon Josh Hamilton's life will be immortalized by a Country and Western song. There may even be a whole CD of ballads about Hamilton... Would the Mets do a Johan Santana for Clay Buchholz swap? The Mets would get a young pitcher under control for years and also shed a tremendous amount of cash. The Red Sox would get an ace under contract for at least this season and next... Donald Trump should legally add an "O" to the end of his name to make his "brand" more appealing to Europeans. Besides I just like the idea of calling him Donald Trumpo... In June of 2006 - Barack Obama was a 30-1 shot to win the 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination. That would have been a good bet... Stunt Custard would be a good name for a band (or a fantasy football name)... Curt Schilling should have put it on the Underhill's bill... Airport taco should be slang for something - or it could be a good fantasy football name...

How History Could have Been Different

Fidel Castro had a law degree and when he was young he joined the firm of Azpiazo, Castro and Resende. He didn't do very well in the practice. Castro was a young lawyer without any clients.

I can't help but wonder how history could have been different if only Castro had been a better lawyer. Or if he happened to get a big case or client. Would Fidel have been so hot for communism if he was sitting on a pile of money?

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Jim Gaffigan's take on Subway sandwiches

I got a big kick out of some of these photos. Good stuff. 

Very cool story of 19-year old entrepreneur who worked out of AOL's offices for 2 months  

These GIF's are awesome - wicked awesome. 

Interesting profile of perhaps Mitt Romney's biggest groupie 

Birther Politics

Donald Trump is still stalking about President Obama being born in Kenya. As Jim Treacher points out - that's a lie. Obama was born in Hawaii.

The meme got me thinking though. The reason this may not go away is because somebody knows something. My guess is that this has to do with Obama not releasing his college transcripts. Could it be that Obama went to college as a "foreign exchange" student or had his tuition paid under the impression he was from Kenya? Some old college admissions person probably vividly remembers something.

Now it could be that Obama is not releasing his transcripts because of bad grades (which wouldn't be a shocker either). But what if Obama received some scholarship meant for foreign born students?

I'm not a conspiracy theory guy in general but Occam's razor would seem to point to Obama not releasing his transcripts for one of two reasons A: the grades were disappointing or B: he has something to hide. Would either answer surprise you?

Memorial Day Challenge: Ryan's Story

Wow. Just wow.

I can recall being in Washington D.C. on Memorial Day one year. Visiting the Vietnam Memorial was one of the most overwhelming experiences in my life. The emotion was so overwhelming I felt claustrophobic in the open air.

Happy Towel Day

Today is Towel Day - a day of tribute to the late author Douglas Adams.

BBC America has 25 Douglas Adams quotes to live by.

Here's a talk by Adams that I've linked to in the past - Parrots the Universe and Everything.

Happy Towel Day.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Strangely hypnotic - slinky on a treadmill

Five Moments that Prove Batman is as Insane as the Joker

Green potato chips are poison!

Holy crap! The bench press wheelie 

Benjamin Franklin wanted the Royal Society to investigate why we fart (create wind)

 250 years later - the science behind why beans make us fart

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I think a Romney / Petreaus ticket would really be a big winner... Seeing a confused middle aged guy in the tampon section of a CVS is one of the most bemusing moments of my week... Scott Podsednik wearing 26 for the Red Sox is the final nail in any argument people may have about Boston retiring Wade Boggs' number (even though Peter Gammons guaranteed that the owners were going to do it about 5 years ago)... Where did the phrase "steal my thunder" come from? I love stories about phrase and word origins... God's teaspoon of seawater contains billions of bacteria and around 5 million walruses - according the Bible I was reading in my dreams... Manny Ramirez is forgotten but not gone in Boston. The Red Sox still owe him 14 more yearly payments of $1.9 million. They will be paying Manny until he's 54-years old. Don't tell me that steroids don't pay...

Nina Simone - Sinnerman

Just because.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Very interesting address by Neil Gaiman. Excellent advice.

This was awesome. Kyrie Irving disguised as old man schools street ballers.

Nice look at Derek Lowe's season and Lowe's perspective on it.

Interesting insight into why Adam Lind may have been placed on waivers.

Triple Crown Odds - I'll Have Another has 39% chance to make history.

Medicine for the Dead - an interesting new blog.

State of the Red Sox

For a guy who is down on the Red Sox - I sure do think about them a lot. That's what it's like to be a Red Sox fan these days. It's like having a blood relative cousin who seems to be doing OK on the surface but who you know is having all sorts of issues behind the scenes. You are concerned, you want to do something but it really isn't your place.

At one point you couldn't have been more proud of your cousin. You used to brag about him to all your out of state friends. But your cousin had a couple of rough months last year and now your cousin is getting over a tough divorce (Terry Francona and Theo Epstein) and you aren't so sure that the new flame(s) are good for him (Bobby Valentine and Ben Cherington). But who are you to say anything?

You also think your cousin is not hanging with the right sort of friends. One of the guys he's hanging with is much more concerned with finding snitches than being a good member of the community. You see this as a bad thing but the professional counselors (sports writers) think anyone who wants to get rid of that bad friend is stupid because the friend has had great success when he was younger and that's all that counts.

The thing about relatives who have issues and may not be all that likable when you take a good look - you lose interest in them and their problems after a while. Even if they have some success - it doesn't mean as much to you as it once did. That's the state of the Red Sox in a nutshell.

Warning to Red Sox front office types - once people stop caring it is very hard to get that passion back. Expect lower NESN ratings. And lower advertising revenues.

Three Points:

1. Perhaps the most heart warming team success story this year is that of the first place Cleveland Indians. It should be noted that the core players for the Indians Sin-Soo Choo, Asdubal Cabrera, and Carlos Santana were players Cleveland obtained in trades for veterans. Are we to believe that Josh Beckett and Kevin Youkilis would not have the sort of trade value the Indians found for Ben Broussard, Eduardo Perez, and Casey Blake? Kevin Youkilis and Casey Blake are almost the same player!

2. Not to rain on the accomplishments of very likable Mike Aviles this year for the Sox but look at this player comparison:

Mike Aviles - 25 R/ 7 HR/ 25 RBI/ .272 BA/ .300 OBP/ .781 OPS
Player B      - 15 R/ 5 HR/ 16 RBI/ .274 BA/ .357 .OBP/ .801 OPS

Player B is Jed Lowrie who the Red Sox traded away. Would the Red Sox have been better off if they had just kept Lowrie? I think the answer to this question still hasn't been answered.

3. People are still talking about moving Daniel Bard back to the bullpen. Why? Despite a bad first inning the other day - Bard has been perhaps the most consistent Red Sox starter this year. Why mess with the guy? Especially when you have Mark Melancon (the guy Lowrie was traded for) tearing it up at AAA Pawtucket. Melancon has a 0.00 ERA in 13 games for the Pawsox but he hasn't been recalled because the Red Sox bullpen has been doing so well. But if they are doing so well - why do people want to chuck Bard back into the mix and out of the rotation?

George McGovern's Illegitimate Child

Little piece of history that I found interesting - near the end of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72 there was a brief mention of George McGovern having an illegitimate child. Though I have read the book a half-dozen times - this line never really stood out. This time I was curious.

Turns out there's an author out there who claims that McGovern did father a child while a teenager training for the Army Air Force. George and his wife were afraid during the last month of the 1972 campaign that his secret would come out. It never did. The cynic in me thinks that Richard Nixon's people knew they had won and thus declined to sling that particular bit of mud. If the race had been closer? Who knows.

As I said - just an interesting "what if" bit of history now.

Kevin Youkilis

Steve Buckley has a column in today's Boston Herald discussing why the Red Sox should bring back Kevin Youkilis and give him the starting role at 3rd base. His logic is - to say the least - lacking. Here are the three bullet points Buckley points to on why Youkilis should get his job back.

1. If Youkilis can return and show his old hitting prowess then the Red Sox will have added a proven veteran to the line-up. To this I say - old hitting prowess may be a bad choice of words because Youkilis has looked old at bat and in the field. Since last year's All-Star break Youkilis has hit .205 with a sub .660 OPS. Let's also be honest - the days of Youkilis hitting 20+ HR are gone. The years of Will Middlebrooks hitting 20+ HR per year are just beginning. Give the kid a shot.

2. Buckley wants Youkilis to get his job back to increase his trade value because to use Buckley's own words, "Youk is worthless [on the trade market right now]." There's a reason Youk is worthless Buck. Nick Punto is worthless on the trade market too - should we give him a starting job to try and improve that?

3. The third reason Buckley gives is the old - a veteran shouldn't lose his job to injury. To which I'd say in my best Don Draper voice, "THAT's WHAT THE MONEY IS FOR!" Youkilis is making $13 million this year. He isn't coming close to returning value on that investment.

Red Sox Magic Number -131

It seems like many of the reporters covering the Red Sox have been beating fans over the head after Josh Beckett's last game and regarding Will Middlebrooks and the fact if you listened to some of them you would think Middlebrooks was 1 for his last 131 at bats (hey had to work 131 in there somewhere).

Their message comes down to, "Hey dumb-asses do you still want to trade Josh Beckett and Kevin Youkilis?" And my answer is not only "YES!" but to point out that these reporters just don't get it. Even after that great last outing - Beckett still has a replacement level ERA of 4.97 and he still is a petulant self-entitled multi-millionaire. Beckett pays more in taxes than most Red Sox fans make in a year. I don't want to hear him complain about wanting to do what he wants to do on his "18 days off". Screw him.

Trade him. I don't care about him any more. And I know many fans feel the same way. Free up his roster spot for someone who at least will act like he cares about the fans and about wearing the uniform. Get him out of the clubhouse. Get him off the team. He should bring back a good prospect or two from an NL team.

When it comes to Kevin Youkilis - I feel bad for him but my sympathy only goes so far for a guy who will make $13 million this year. The fact is Will Middlebrooks has struggled the last half dozen games. But the fact also remains that Middlebrooks has been much more effective than Youkilis this season (73 OPS+ to 124 OPS+). Besides people want to see what the kid can do. People don't really want to see Youkilis complain after a bad at bat or grimace in the field after making a diving attempt at a ball that is just outside his reach any more.

The Red Sox are still in the hunt for both the AL East and Wild Card spots but that doesn't mean they are likable. Only Dustin Pedrioa and Will Middlebrooks make me want to check the boxscores the next day. Boston ownership will be reaping some pretty poor numbers from NESN ratings because this team is so unlikable. Which will in turn mean less revenue for advertising. The Celtics will probably go deep into the NBA playoffs and suddenly it will be pre-season for the Patriots. That's when you will start seeing some moves.

But by that time it may be too late.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Very good political ad. There will be lots of ads like this using Obama's own words against him. 

Heh heh - funniest dog picture ever 

This is spectacular photo and a spectacular use of light

Have you seen this Ricky Williams interview with Dan LeBatard? What did you think? 

Stairway to Heaven (on the Harp)

I thought this was both pretty cool and yet strangely soothing at the same time.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

I think Michele Obama has the reach on Oprah but that doesn't mean I'd take Michele in a fight.

Founder of Mother's Day later fought to have it abolished. Make sure you read until the end. I found that last bit ironically funny.

A metaphor for the Obama years in a nutshell - Obama Administration set to OK wind farms at the expense of killing American Bald Eagles

The sandwich officially turned 250 years old yesterday. I love sandwiches.

Very interesting - 10 things you may not have known about Maurice Sendak.

Probably old news to many but I just learned about PostSecret.com - awesome site

Happy Mother's Day

Bruce McCall's Ascent of Man

A little silliness on a Saturday afternoon.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Every military action by the US since Vietnam has at some point been called a quagmire by the media. How come social "wars" are never called quagmires? The War on Drugs is a quagmire, the War on Women is a quagmire, etc... Even making tea is dramatic when Alan Rickman is involved. Kinda long video but I thoroughly enjoyed it... If Mitt Romney wins the popular vote but loses in the Electoral College - will the mainstream media chime in that Obama was "selected and not elected"?... Speaking of President Obama - his recent pronouncement on gay marriage may hurt him at the polls. The independent vote is the key... Nicolas Cage is an Oscar winning actor. That's like Barack Obama being a Nobel Prize winner - right?... Social Darwinism? Is that like Social Drinking? I only believe in evolution when with friends and then only in moderation. And never when I'm alone... Interesting history - some evidence supports theory that gay marriage within early Catholic Church was no big deal...

General Welsh Speech to USAFA

Wow - the video is 50 minutes long but every minute is worth your time. General Welsh has been nominated to be the next chief of staff of the Air Force. I'd say the Air Force is in good hands.

The Josh Beckett Solution

Josh Beckett - I keep trying to think of a player who went so completely from champion to chump so quickly or so completely. I can't think of anyone. Josh Beckett was a World Series hero back in 2007 and now less than 5 seasons later the city of Boston is disgusted with him.

Brett Favre in Green bay maybe? But the Packers really initiated that because they had Aaron Rodgers waiting in the wings. The Red Sox don't have a replacement waiting for Beckett - although it would be hard to argue that ANYONE could have performed worse than what Josh Beckett has done so far this season (except maybe Clay Buchholz).

I found myself hoping that some starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers gets hurt because Beckett as a 10/5 ma would probably OK a trade to Texas. That's the wrong attitude though. What the Red Sox should do with Josh Beckett is startlingly simple when you think of it - the Red Sox should place Josh Beckett on irrevocable waivers. BAM! One two things could result from that move; 1. some team claims him thus freeing up all that salary and ridding the team of the cancer that Beckett has become or 2. Beckett sees that NO team in baseball wants him because of what he has become. That would either be the cold slap of reality that maybe Beckett needs or at the least it would grease the skids for any future move the front office might make.

They did this with Manny Ramirez in 2003 and they should do it with Josh Beckett today.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

I thought this was awesome - paralyzed woman runs marathon in bionic suit.

Communism vs Capitalism - these photos may be a few years old but the point they make could be any more pronounced

Jon Hamm rapping about Taxi is just great. Big Jon Hamm fan.

Very cool series of videos that explain backstory of Game of Thrones. 

Popular Crime

Bill James is a very good writer. He is best known as the father of Sabermetrics but in my opinion he's a better writer than statistician. That's saying something. And I haven't even mentioned how what a great sense of humor Bill James has.

His most recent book Popular Crime: Reflections on the Celebration of Violence was a very good read. James combines his excellent writing skills, history that most of us probably never knew or had forgotten and a sense of logic and common sense to give explanations of what probably actually happened in these sensational crimes.

I grew up knowing the Lizzie Borden rhyme about giving her mother 40 whacks. Now I know the whole story thanks to James. I do admit that I did get a bit bogged down with James' idea of giving points to decide guilt but that is a small quibble. If you like history, crime or just good writing then you'll like Popular Crime.

Obama and Gay Marriage

I do have to hand it to President Obama. The day after he lost 40% of the vote in West Virginia to a prison inmate and the day after Wisconsin completely repudiated the unions who are his biggest supporters  - he was able to change the discussion to a subject that made him look enlightened. Talk about West Virginia and Wisconsin was completely shunted aside.

Nice political jujitsu. But how many times can he do something like this between now and November?

This was the best analysis I've read yet of the President's "evolution" on gay marriage.

North Carolina Amendment 1

North Carolina passed their Amendment 1 by an overwhelming majority of 60-40. Amendment 1 basically outlaws gay marriage in North Carolina.

Let me say for the record that I don't have a problem with gay marriage. If two people want to commit to each other - great. No skin off my knees. If a gay couple wants to adopt - great. Better to have a kid in an environment where he's wanted.

The question I have is how will the Democrats handle the hypocrisy? A few years ago when Arizona passed a law that Democrats thought was wrong - they called for a boycott of MLB's All-Star game.  The Obama Administration so disagreed with the law that they had the Justice Department sue to try to prevent the law from taking effect.

Will Democrats now call for a boycott of the Democratic National Convention? To do otherwise would be hypocritical. Will the Obama Justice Department sue to prevent Amendment 1 from taking effect? To do otherwise would be hypocritical. The Democratic National Convention is as political as it gets. Every big name attending or speaking at the Convention better not have called for boycotting the MLB All-Star game or the MSM will surely expose their hypocrisy. To do otherwise would be hypocritical by the media.

Delta Drops Daily Show

I read this about Delta dropping out from advertising on The Daily Show because of an offensive "vagina manger" skit.

The skit may have been over the line and I do agree that if they had tried to place an image of Muhammad in place of the manger - then it would have been censored - but I think the reason Delta decided to stop advertising on the show is more simple. The target audience of The Daily Show is not really the target audience for Delta. How many college students or slackers buy airline tickets? Not many. This viewpoint also explains why Kellogg's isn't dropping their advertising over the "vagina manger". What percentage of The Daily Show's audience buy boxes of cereal? Pretty much all of them.

I'm guessing that The Daily Show isn't too worked up abut losing Delta Airlines - Ramen Noodles has probably been waiting in line for some time.

Tribute to Maurice Sendak

In tribute to the passing of Maurice Sendak - here's Christopher Walken reading Sendak's masterpiece Where the Wild Things Are.

RIP Maurice Sendak.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Just saying but if I wanted to kill an ex-NFL player - I'd shoot them in the chest at close range. Right now everyone would just assume it was a suicide on the part of the player... Bill Belichick on the red carpet at the Kentucky Derby. I love Belichick but man does he look goofy here... Michael Bowden has a 2.70 ERA since joining the Cubs. Is it me or could the Red Sox use a reliever like that?... The owner of I'll Have Another got a little over $1.4 million for yesterday's win. The jockey got 10% of that - so a little over $140,000. A caddy for a winning golfer in one of the four majors probably makes more than that... I love this story about Jeff Francoeur buying a round of beers and it makes me like him all the more. The sad thing is even though he could easily afford to do this every game - if he did it people would come to expect it and feel entitled to it. Best to do it every once and a while as a surprise for the fans... Elementary kids in my neighborhood are selling light-bulbs for a school fundraiser. Is this like kids selling apples in the Great Depression? Under Obama are light-bulbs now luxury items like magazine subscriptions or chocolate candy bars?... Cool - an octopus dining on sea gulls... What's up with Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson? He should be a Cy Young contender but instead he's pitching like he's the second coming of John Wasdin... Finally saw the movie In Bruges and I liked it so much I immediately watched it a second time. Two big thumbs up...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thoughts I'd share.

Interesting - the science of Martian sunsets

This sounds like a very cool project - 94 Elements

Wow - How 4 years of Barack Obama have undone 8 years of Ronald Reagan

This makes sense - why men no longer wear hats. It should be noted that you can still wear a baseball cap in a car.

An excellent example of how a sportswriter's ego gets in the way. Ron Borges is a clown. 

Why Hot Microphones are Better Than Citrus

Heh heh - I love these behind the scenes moments in history.

Red Sox Magic Number - 144

Many people have made the point that the Red Sox have more contract dollars on the DL then teams have in total salary. The people talking about this are missing an important point - it is not the players on the DL that are making this Red Sox team a mediocre unit - it is the players on the active roster. In specific it is the starting pitching.

Before last season some people were arguing that the Red Sox starting 5 of Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Buchholz and Matsuzaka was the best in baseball. This season some people are arguing that the Red Sox starting 5 is the worst in the AL East. Talk about the bloom being off the rose.

Daniel Bard has the best ERA among the starters with a 4.38 which equates to an ERA+ of 98. That means that even the best Red Sox starter has been worse than the MLB average (average being 100). Put it another way - of the Red Sox starting pitchers only Clay Buchholz has a winning record (3-1) and that's only because he's been "lucky" as evidenced by Buchholz's 8.69 ERA.

Red Sox fans have been rooting for this team out of habit - not because of anything they have earned on the field.

As an aside the USS Worcester (CL-144) was a post WWII light cruiser. I'll use any excuse to mention Worcester.

Linky Links

Stuff I found of interest and thought I'd share.

God help me but I find this very funny

Japanese Game of Thrones

Astronomer finds black hole sucking in star

Vegans

 Top 10 Rejected Obama Campaign Slogans

Very cool Junior Seau story

What's Happened to the American Dream?

Big fan of Niall Ferguson. Couldn't agree more with his views on the US economy and the American dream.

If you have the time be sure to read his book The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

The Scream sells for $120 million. Did not know there were 4 copies of this painting. This was not the one that was stolen a couple of years ago.

I love science questions like this. What would happen if you placed your hand in the way of the Large Hadron Collider?

Very interesting look at some old-timey sportswriters who called themselves "the Chipmunks". This was the sort of think I hoped Grantland would be putting out.

In depth story of Joss Whedon and how he came to helm the new Avengers movie. Good read.

Amusing Mad Men / Watchmen mash-up

15 Spectacular Libraries in Europe. Spectacular may be underselling the awesomeness of these libraries.

A Quibble

I like reading James Taranto's Best of the Web but I do have a small issue with yesterday's lead paragraph:

Imagine if President Nixon had decided to base his 1972 re-election campaign on the boast that he landed on the moon. His predecessors tried and failed for eight years. It wasn't an easy decision - what if something went wrong? But that's why you hire a president, to make those gutsy calls. Which path would George McGovern have taken?

I've liked the landing on the moon to killing bin Laden comparison but I have to take issue with the last sentence. I don't think any thinking person believes that Romney would have hesitated to also give the order to kill Osama bin Laden but McGovern actually might have decided against the moon landing. People forget but one of McGovern's campaign planks in 1972 was a pledge to end the nascent Space Shuttle program. McGovern planned to use those funds on domestic programs. Who is to say that if elected in 1968 he wouldn't have made the same decision when it came to the moon landing?

Paul Pierce

Last night's performance against the Hawks has many people talking about Paul Pierce today. On sports talk radio they are debating his place in the Celtics all-time pantheon. Is he in the top 5 of all-time Celtics? Well he's obviously behind Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Behind John Havlicek too. What about Cousy, McHale and don't forget former MVP Dave Cowens? Talk about a wealth of riches.

What struck me was the thought of what if Paul Pierce wasn't a Celtic? He probably would be THE greatest player in franchise history for the following teams; Toronto, New Jersey (I'm going to say that he's better than Buck Williams), Milwaukee, Cleveland, Charlotte, Los Angeles Clippers (maybe a few years will let Blake Griffin pass Pierce), Memphis and the New Orleans Hornets (the New Orleans Jazz had Pistol Pete).

Think of that - 8 franchises for whom Paul Pierce would be their greatest player of all-time. Paul Pierce is one of those players who most likely won't get his historical due.

Credit Where Credit is Due

Obama Spiking the Football

President Obama's campaign ad touting the fact that he made the call to have Osama bin Laden killed (actually he made the call to have an Admiral make the call but let's not quibble) has created some controversy but I think the people complaining about the ad miss an important point. Yes President Obama said that bragging about killing bin Laden would be the equivalent of spiking the football but spiking the football can sometimes be awesome (as Rob Gronkowski keeps reminding us). Yes every President would have made the same call (even Jimmy Carter).

The thing people are over-looking is the timing. It was just revealed that Barack Obama has been to more fund raising events than all of the previous 20th century Presidents combined. President Obama also recently changed a $3 raffle from dinner with him to dinner with him and George Clooney (the equivalent of a late night pitch artist offering to double your order of Sham-Wow if you order today). There's a reason for all the events and needing George Clooney. The President is having trouble raising money.

His advisers know that his poll numbers received a bump when news of bin Laden's death were first announced. They also know that bump only lasted so long. Bringing up bin Laden's death will probably result in another bump but Obama's advisers must know that it is bound to be smaller and of less duration than the original. Why go for that bump now? Why not use that bump closer to the election? Using it now will probably just serve to fatigue the voters in the long run. "Yeah yeah - you made a phone call and killed bin Laden, you've told us a million times now but that still doesn't help my unemployed son get a job."

I think the reason President Obama is touting killing bin Laden now is simple. He's having trouble raising money. Yes - Republicans are right to complain that even Jimmy Carter would have made that same call but in their heart of hearts they should be a little pleased because the ad tips Obama's hand. Team Obama is worried because they got nothing else to sell. Obamacare? The Stimulus? Doubling the price of gas at the pump? Having killed bin Laden is the only trick their pony knows.

The President is having trouble raising money. That probably would not have been the case if he didn't spend the last 3-years blowing through all of our cash (and the cash of future generations).

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Why does Orange Crush need to point out that it is "Caffeine Free"? Do people expect Orange soda to be caffeinated like a cola? I do think a Caffeinated Orange or Caffeinated Grape soda might actually have some market potential...  This is an awesome man cave. I am so jealous... Wait - the movie Rosemary's Baby was supposed to be a metaphor for a woman's right to choose? It was about abortion? Really? How come nobody ever told me that? With abortion so readily available today - is that why you never see the movie on re-runs any more?... Santa Claus will not take the War on Christmas sitting down... Ichiro has homered against every team in the AL except the Mariners (which is understandable) and the Blue Jays (which is a bit of a head-scratcher)... Really looking forward to House Party 6 - The Pimp Goblet of Fire... Another reason to like Drew Brees - he bought Ted Williams WWII and Korean War flight logbooks at auction for $35,600....

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Very Cool - Single A team shows fans that there's more to Jamie Moyer than they know

Interesting recap of all the killings in Season 3 of Justified

Arctic ice caps are melting! Well now that we look at the data - not so much

The Dalai Lama loves George W. Bush. World leaders keep saying great things about George W. Bush. Do you think it will be the same for Barack Obama once he's out of office?

Neil Gaiman Speaks with Stephen King

Excellent interview / conversation between Neil Gaiman and Stephen King.

There was a point in my life where I was saturated by Stephen Kings novels. I just couldn't read another. They were great books but I have flaws and needing to step back from an author after so many books no matter how good the writing is one of them. Gaiman's American Gods: A Novel is on my list and I think its high time to finally fill in the gaps of my Stephen King library as well.

As an aside - how cool is it that Neil Gaiman is friends with King's son Joe?

A Beautiful Moment at Fenway

A few years ago a young man with autism was chosen to sing the anthem but he gets nervous. The crowd steps up to help him out. Beautiful.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I can see watching the first round of the NFL draft. Lots of big name players and this is the round that has the biggest impact on your team's future. I can even see watching the second day of drafting but if you are still tuned into the draft today - then you should do some re-evaluation about what's important in your life... Interesting little story from Ken Levine that bridges minor league baseball with popular culture... Perhaps the best use possible for $5 is the purchase of a box of 100 freeze pops. I consider freeze pops one of the most under-rated of man's inventions... I know I'm not the first to point this out but the initials for the new Coors Light Iced Tea product spells out CLIT. "Hey guys let's go out and grab some CLIT!"...  During some of the NFL draft I laid on the couch with my eyes closed and I would have sworn they had Sylvester the cat explaining some of the picks. Turns out it was just Mike Mayock... Very cool - a glass floor bathroom built over a 15-story elevator shaft... Pretty sure that the Romney people are thinking that Rick Santorum can shove his endorsement up his ass... Heh heh...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Joe Biden - the gift that keeps on giving

Cutty Sark relaunched - as God as my witness I thought they were going to be talking about the whiskey but I couldn't figure out where archaeology came into the picture

Hemingway gives F. Scott Fitzgerald writing advice

You have to admit this is a great commercial

Just how small is an atom? Learning is fun.

Newt Gingrich's fever dream of what the 2012 General Election will look like

Thank You Bruins

A friend recently asked me what I expected from the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. I responded that however far they went this year would be fine with me because after last year's magical championship - us fans are on a free roll as far as I'm concerned.

So they lost last night. So what. I cannot recall a game this year when the team did not give maximum effort. If in the series a couple of bounces went the right way - if some of the posts hit were goals instead - the Bruins would still be playing. But they are not. So what.

This is a team to be proud of. This is a team that made hockey fun for me again - and for that I thank them.

When the Bruins traded Joe Thornton - that was the last straw for me. I was done with the Bruins and with that emotional breakup - my interest in hockey waned. Last year's Bruins team brought back my passion for the team. And for that I thank them.

As soon as the OT goal went into the net - I turned the channel. I didn't want to see it again. I didn't want to watch despondent locker room interviews. And today I've avoided sports talk radio. I don't need to hear knuckleheads talking about blowing up this team. I don't have time to listen it ignorant ingrates.

I just wanted to say, "Thank you Bruins. See you next year."

The Who at The Concert For New York City

The Who perform at MSG shortly after the 9/11 attacks. It gives me chills watching them play.

Chills.

Next Up for Newt

Now that Newt Gingrich has finally suspended his campaign - I have an idea on what his next step should be. Newt has been famous for threatening to have a series of 3-hour Lincoln-Douglas style debates with just about anyone with nobody taking him serious. Well what some cable news network with low viewership should do (which I guess could be any of them except Fox News) is take Newt up on his offer.

Here's the deal.

Well known lefty lobbyists or personalities would pay $10,000 for a half hour debate with Newt on the subject of their choosing (approved by Newt). Newt would debate five such persons which would make up to 4 hours of original programming for the network (when you factor in pre-debate time and post debate analysis) and a $50,000 payday for Newt. A win-win. They could probably do about four of such debates.

I like the idea but I don't especially like Newt. The potential exists for the network to use Newt as a stand-in for Mitt Romney and use this format to make Newt and by extension Romney seem unattractive to the viewing audience. What I'd really like to see is someone like Victor Davis Hanson or Charles Krauthammer take on their opposite numbers from the Left. That would be great television.

Northern Lights as Seen from Space Station

 Very cool - though video seems longer than it is because there's no audio.

Player Comparison

Let's compare the career numbers for these two young pitchers:

Player A: 50-35 / 3.53 ERA / 119 GS / 115 ERA+

Player B: 36-25 / 3.84 ERA / 79 GS / 117 ERA+

Player A is 26-year old Jair Jurrjens of the Braves who was just sent down to the minors because he has been ineffective so far this season going 0-2 with a 9.37 ERA in 4 starts. Player B is Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox who at 27-years old is less seasoned than Jurrjens but who is having an equally bad season with a 1-1 record, 9.00 ERA in 3 starts.

The comparison of the players maybe brings out more of a comparison of the organizations. Jurrjens was hurting the team and so was demoted. Buchholz is hurting the team but will anyone even broach the subject of sending him to Pawtucket? This is an option that has to be considered especially with the prospect of losing Aaron Cook (3-0 with 1.33 ERA in 4 starts) if he isn't brought up to the big club soon.

EDIT: I should have mentioned that I know that Jurrjens isn't the same player because of his knee issues but the same can be said of Buchholz and his back issues. The difference is the Red Sox have control over Buchholz until at least 2015 (with a 2016 option). That should be even more reason to send him down to make sure he's operating at 100%.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Philip K. Dick's previously unpublished letter after seeing his first glimpse of Blade Runner

These ads are good but the movie Crazy People did it first

I've linked to this before but they are too good not to link to again. Adding monsters to thrift store paintings.

Heh heh - Leaked Memos: Bobby V is losing the Red Sox and his mind 

Almost 400-years ago Shakespeare joined the choir invisible - here are some surprising things the Bard left behind. 

The men of Mad Men go bowling - you know you want to watch

Top 5 - Moves I'd Make if I Owned Red Sox

Things are bad with the Boston Red Sox - that's no secret. Here's 5 moves that I'd make to try and fix things.

1. Fire Bobby Valentine. I think it is clear to pretty much everyone that Valentine is a bad fit. I would replace him with DeMarlo Hale who is currently the 3rd base coach for the Orioles. Hale knows the organization and the players. I don't think the Orioles would stand in his way to get a managing position. I'd give Hale a 2-year deal with an option which would keep the door ajar for John Farrell.

2. I'd move Daniel Bard to closer. I've been a constant advocate for Bard in the starting rotation but the situation warrants drastic action. Make Bard the closer until Andrew Bailey returns and then re-evaluate. The evaluation may say to keep Bard as closer and make Bailey the set-up guy. Or maybe Bailey comes back as closer and then Bard moves back to rotation? Right now Bard needs to take over closer role.

3. Taking Bard out of the rotation opens up the 5th starter role which I'd give to Aaron Cook who has done everything the team has asked of him. Cook is 2-0 in 3 starts for Pawtucket with a 1.35 ERA.

4. Trade or dump Vincent Padilla. I was against this signing from the start. The guy has a 9.82 ERA and is a clubhouse bomb waiting to go off. I'm not making him a scapegoat but I do want him out of the clubhouse.

5. This would he the hardest one to accomplish - trade Kevin Youkilis and bring up Will Middlebrooks who is killing the ball in AAA (7 HR in just 66 AB). Youkilis makes $12 million this year and has a $13 million option for 2013. If the Red Sox picked up half the tab they could probably swing a deal with some team in need of a 1st or 3rd baseman.

Those are the 5 moves I'd make if I was in charge of the Red Sox. So let it be written - so let it be done.

P.S. I'd also ditch once and for all Sweet Caroline. That gimmick has run its course. A love song to an 11-year old girl? Seriously - its an embarrassment.

The Stone Roses - Love Spreads

 Big fan of the Stone Roses

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

For what its worth - Jarrod Saltalamacchia is batting .206 with a .632 OPS. I'm pretty sure Jason Varitek could have topped those numbers... Cool - a penny that is worth $1.5 million... I think I am going to randomly point at objects and say in my most officious voice, "What is the meaning of this!?!" just to see the reactions I get... The entire list of the 213 players who returned to take part in the Fenway 100th birthday celebration... Ph studies show that vaginas should smell like vaginas - not like flowers or Red Sox starting pitchers... Joe Biden Bad Lip Reading = Awesomesause... Still say that ESPN should make Bobby Knight announce women's NCAA games paired with Jeremy Schaap. Admit it - you'd watch that... It will be interesting to watch how many Democrats up for re-election choose to campaign with President Obama. My guess is not many but I wonder if the snubs get to be a major story...

Fenway at 100

Yesterday the Red Sox had the celebration to end all celebrations. Fenway Park turned 100 and the Boston owners pulled out all the stops. I may be in the minority but a building turning 100 isn't that big a deal in my book.

It was really cool having those 213 players return to Fenway. We don't see enough of Pedro, it was good to see Bill Buckner get a big hand, Nomar - Nooomaaahhhh, Jim Lonborg and others. It was especially pleasing to see Terry Francona get the loudest applause of all. But a building turning 100? Meh!

I travel a lot and I get it that a 100-year beloved facility in other parts of the country would be a big deal. In New England it's not that big a deal. Half of the college campuses and town centers have dozens of buildings as old as Fenway. I lived for years in a house that was as old as Fenway. Don't get me wrong - we understand and value the history. What we don't understand or value is what is becoming of our team.

Fenway Park is now a tourist attraction more than a park for fans to root on their team. I'm glad the toast by Kevin Millar blew up in their faces as farce. Millar is a joke. Screw him. Sweet Caroline? The song is about a pedophile in love with an 11-year old girl. Time to get rid of that stupid song. Very telling that the two biggest boos of the day were reserved for Bobby Valentine - a self-promoter who replaced a winner and Barack Obama - a pure self-promoter.

The backlash on the self-promotion is growing and as the team falters on the field the wave of discontent will only grow. When people look back at 2012 - it won't be remembered as the year Fenway turned 100. It will be remembered as the season of the fans discontent. Fans want pennants - not promotions.

Tao of Poker

Pauly at Tao of Poker seems to be saying goodbye.

I admit to living vicariously via Pauly and I'd be sad if he's all done with this poker reports from points far and wide. But my sadness would be selfish and I know the feeling he has. Is this scribbling here worth the time and effort? Shouldn't I be using this time more productively? Shouldn't we all be using out time in more worthwhile pursuits?

If it is the end of The Tao of Pauly - thanks for the laughs, insights and all-around good times. May the road rise to meet you Pauly and may the wind always be at your back no matter where that road takes you.

Cheers

Hitler Finds Out Obama Ate His Dog

Heh Heh

HT American Digest

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Will the phrase "Physically or emotionally into the game" become to Bobby Valentine what the phrase "pumped and jacked" became for Pete Carroll in New England?... Awesome...  Heh heh - some UMass fans are glad Boston College doesn't want to play them. They were tired of BC dragging down their strength of schedule and RPI scores...  It doesn't matter what the menu says - Kobe beef is not served in the US... Am I the only one who keeps forgetting that Ron Paul is still in the Presidential race?... The Science Channel now airs TED Talks. That is fantastic... One Jackie Robinson Day nugget to keep in the back of your mind - when Jackie was first on the Hall of Fame Ballot 22% of the BBWAA did not vote for him... I miss 70's beer ads like this...

Secret Service Scandal

Nice overview of the Secret Service Scandal and why it matters.

One thought occurred to me while reading - years ago I used to joke with some friends in law enforcement that to be in the FBI you had to be Mormon or from Boston College. There seemed to be lots of BC alumni at the FBI and Mormons were said to be favorites of Hoover because of their strong moral convictions.

I don't know how much truth was in that small talk from long ago but I do know that Mitt Romney's squeaky clean image will stand in stark contrast to the frat boy atmosphere that seems to permeate the Obama Administration. That contrast is bound to help Romney.

Bobby Valentine

Let me weigh in on Bobby Valentine and his recent comments about Kevin Youkilis. I have three points I'd like to make.

1. Let me first say that I don't think Valentine knew at the time that he was saying something wrong or controversial. He was not trying some motivational ploy. It was just a poor choice of words by a guy in love with the sound of his own voice.

I have never thought Valentine to be that articulate. Sure he was a big improvement over Joe Morgan on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball but that's not really that much of an accomplishment. Valentine is much closer to Chance the Gardner than Einstein no matter what his supporters would have you believe (remember Chance the Gardner's supporters thought he was smart enough to be President).

Bobby can't help being Bobby (like Manny couldn't help being Manny). He may be chastened by this accidental brouhaha for a while but with all of his media commitments (the Michael Kay show in NYC and his own weekly show on NESN just the tip of the iceberg of his need for attention) - Bobby V will strike again and again. He will make another offhand remark or try to make a joke about a player that will fall flat. He won't be able to help himself. That will be his downfall.

2. The Red Sox management are not stupid people. They knew what they were getting in Valentine. This makes me wonder if there is a bit of Machiavellian genius at work here. Is this like the book Dune where Baron Harkonnen first sends in the Beast Rabban with the idea of replacing him with the lovely Feyd Rautha (played by Sting in the 1984 movie).

The Red Sox probably looked at their candidates to replace Terry Francona and decided that none of them would make people forget the discarded Francona. There were no John Farrell's in the bunch and the closest thing - Dale Sveum - probably made it clear that he had no intention of working for the bunch that did his friend Francona so dirty.

With that in mind the Red Sox management made a 180 degree pivot to Bobby V. Knowing full well what they were getting. Let Bobby V implode and let the fans and players see what the other options look like then bring in a guy like DeMarlo Hale.

3. In the meantime Bobby V is in a position to do a lot of damage. I'm not talking about the season because almost no Red Sox fan has any hopes this year. I'm talking about him blowing out the arms of his starters on the way out the door. Daniel Bard had 111 pitches yesterday in 2nd start ever. Last year he had dead arm in September. If Bobby V keeps using him like that he might as well schedule his appointment with Dr. James Andrew right now.

15 Pop Culture Riffs On Van Gogh

These are really cool.

This was my favorite.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the wake of the Secret Service hooker scandal - shouldn't some reporter ask President Obama if he favors legalizing prostitution? If I was willing to pay good money for that question does that make me a "John"?... 100 years ago Leonardo DiCaprio drown for your sins, he rose and now reads your dreams for your deepest secrets. Move over Flying Spaghetti Monster - I'm thinking of founding the Church of DiCaprio... Quid pro quo literally means "something for something". Prostitution is a quid pro quo arrangement. You give money you get sex. According to Patrick Kennedy - the Obama White House operates on the same principles as hookers... If the season ended today - Derek Lowe would probably get some votes for the AL Cy Young Award. Think about that for a minute... I may have business cards printed up - Chris Lynch, President, Americans for Bacon. Seriously - I may set up as a lobbyist... Last week's Mad Men recut as a horror movie trailer... If Ian Kennedy was still with the Yankees - would he be the team ace?... Is there any doubt that Doc Rivers should be the NBA Coach of the Year?... Johnny Cash with a kitten. Awwwwww....

Red Sox Magic Number - 158

The famous Murderer's Row of the 1927 Yankees which included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hit a combined 158 home runs. The Red Sox were supposed to have an excellent offense but I'm thinking that may have been an exaggeration. With Jacoby Ellsbury out for an extended period of time (at least 6 weeks it seems) that leaves Boston with just two players who are well above average offensively at their position (Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez). Sure Kevin Youkilis could rebound to have a healthy year where he hits close to .300 with 25 HR but that's hardly a lock. I'm guessing Vegas would take all the action it could lay its hands on that Youk won't hit 25 HR this season. Carl Crawford could also rebound to his normal productivity when he gets back but when I think wrist injuries I think Nomar Garciaparra who was never quite the same after he injured his wrist.

While I'm talking injuries - I hate to be "that guy" but one silver lining about Ellsbury's injury may end up being the fact the team didn't sign him long term before the season.

Why am I being a Debbie Downer? Maybe its because yesterday's 12 run outburst may have some people fooled into thinking this team will continue to be an offensive juggernaut. There are 5 players in the AL who have more HR than the Red Sox have as a team. The Magic Number is 158. That's the only thing this line-up has in common with a Murderer's Row offense.

That's all I'm saying.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

The time they found a mass grave in Ben Franklin's cellar

Steve Nash - girly man

How much is Jim Koch, the founder and chairman of Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) worth?

Where do we get such men as Captain Barry Crawford?

John Lennon may give you some perspective today

11 Memorable Images from the 1970's

Heh heh - Where the Wild Obama's Are

If you dropped a penny - how long would it take to get to the bottom of the Mariana Trench? (The answer is actually 3.5 hours but the math involved is pretty cool)

Beer Makes Men Smarter (and Women Look Prettier)

A recent study says that beer actually makes men smarter.

There was no mention if this study was a follow-up to the landmark Cliff Claven Buffalo Theory.

As Ben Franlin observed, "Beer is proof God loves us."

Braaiiiinnns

Justified

I love the show Justified. I was a fan from the very first time I saw the commercial for the new show. The writing, the dialog and the action on the show are all top notch but one factor that really makes me love the show is the various actors who populate the world of Harlan County who have played roles in two of my other favorite shows - Deadwood and Band of Brothers.

Deadwood veterans:
Timothy Olyphant is the star of Justified and was of course Sheriff Seth Bullock.
Jim Beaver plays Shelby and on Deadwood he was Ellsworth. Beaver seems to specialize in characters with just one name.
Brent Sexton was the dirty Sheriff from Season 1 and he played Harry Manning the bartender at Tom Nuttall's saloon.
The excellent Stephen Tobolowski plays FBI agent Barkley and was also Yankton's man Yugo Jarry.
W. Earl Brown had a memorable episode in Season 1 where he played Cal Wallace a dangerous prisoner. Of course he was also Dan Dority on Deadwood.
Sean Bridgers also had a stand-alone episode in Season 1 and he was Dan Dority's sidekick at the Gem - Johnny Burns.
Ray McKinnon was memorable as hitman Mr. Duke in Season 1 but he'll always be epilepsy sufferer Reverend Smith to me.
Pruitt Taylor Vince was an amusing Harlan roulette playing Glen Fogle and equally amusing Mose Manuel.
Peter Jason who was Con Stapelton on Deadwood played Owen Carnes in one episode in Season 1. I honestly don't recall him on Justified.
Clay Wilcox played a loudmouth drunk who cussed at Wild Bill and he was the drug dealer with the Samurai sword in Justified. He's actually the reason I put together the list. I saw him and thought "where do I know him from?" It was then I realized just how many Deadwood and Band of Brothers veterans were on the show. 

Band of Brothers veterans:
Neal McDonough is psycho carpetbagger Robert Quarles and was Buck Compton.
Rick Gomez is ADA David Vazquez and who played Sgt. George Luz.
Richard Speight Jr. plays one of Dickie's flunkies and in Band of Brothers he was Warren "Skip" Muck.
Frank John Hughes played a criminal in the witness relocation program and was also Wild Bill Guarnere.
David Andrews plays Sheriff Napier and he also had brief role as the General who interviews Major Winters and who tells him his men have earned the right to keep him around.

I may be missing a couple of actors but you have to admit that's a lot of crossover from those two shows on Justified.

I know that there is also a lot of Sons of Anarchy veterans but while that show is very good - it is not in the class of Deadwood or Band of Brothers.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Newt Gingrich's campaign's check to get on Utah ballot bounces. Talk about your metaphors.

Gas prices will be President Obama's soft underbelly. He can't spin the story he's been telling and when / if he caves on the Keystone XL pipeline then he will have to answer for why he waited so long.

Shamefully enjoyable collection of people simulating masturbation at sport events. Sometimes I'm as mature as  a 12-year old.

Speaking of masturbation - the size of Internet porn sites is just staggering. Consider that YouPorn is six times larger than the networks owned Hulu. 

$45 million later - James Bond now drinks skunky beer

10 Famous actors who have advanced degrees

Tim Curry - I Do the Rock

 I hadn't heard this gem in years. Silly but catchy. I too do the rock!

Red Sox Magic Number - 163 (Yes still)

The Red Sox haven't opened the season with 3 losses since the 1930's. The Red Sox are slight underdogs in this game (+111) and I think they would be a good pick. The Tigers are at home and probably slightly distracted by family Easter obligations. Clay Buchholz is a better pitcher than Max Scherzer. Pick the Sox today.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Interesting look at the longtime friendship between Mitt Romney and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel

Awesome - photo of supply ship docking with International Space Station

With the passing of Mike Wallace in mind - here's a look back at his interview 4 years ago with Roger Clemens. Even at his advanced age Wallace showed the interviewing skills that made him famous and made you sure Roger Clemens was using steroids

I would seriously buy one of these Bobby Petrino T-shirts

Very Cool. How to make the perfect vertigo picture

Never has Hillary Clinton seemed so likable. Texts from Hillary

 Happy Easter everyone!

The Old Man and the Sea - Stop Motion

the old man and the sea from Marcel Schindler on Vimeo.

Awesome way to tell the Hemingway tale (except there is no way to mention Joe DiMaggio).

Red Sox Magic Number - 163 (Still)

Did you know that according to Wikipedia - Cy Young and Tim Wakefield both hit 163 batters in their careers? Well that's crap. Cy Young hit 161 batters in his career and Tim Wakefield hit 186 (how do you confuse 186 with 163?). As Abraham Lincoln is famous for saying - it just goes to show how much trust you should place in things you read on the Internet.

Seeing Tim Wakefield and Cy Young mentioned in the same sentence may look strange to people outside of Boston but Red Sox fans are well aware that Tim Wakefield was actually only 6 wins behind Cy Young (and Roger Clemens) for the team record for wins at 192 (Wikipedia probably has that number listed as 162).

Truth is Tim Wakefield never should have been allowed to get close to that number. The last two seasons in Boston were just bad. In 2010 Tim had an ERA of 5.34 and a WAR of -.07 and in 2011 he had an ERA of 5.12 with a WAR of -1.2. Tim Wakefield is a very likable guy but the naked truth is letting him have a combined 42 starts the last two season probably kept the Red Sox out of the playoffs both seasons. Sorry but that's just the truth.

Another uncomfortable truth for Red Sox fans is the fact that JD Drew was more valuable in his 5 years in Boston than Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek combined over that same period. As a member of the Red Sox - JD Drew had a combined WAR of 14.6 while Varitek (4.3) and Wakefield (4.2) had a combined 8.5. Yet on Opening Day at Fenway I'd guess that JD Drew's name won't even come up even though he also "retired" after last season just like Wakefield and Varitek. Yeah I know that Drew was overpaid and that WAR isn't the most accurate barometer of success but it just struck me strange that JD Drew probably will be a complete afterthought to almost everyone.

What does all this mean? Who knows. Nothing makes sense this early in the season. For example - the Baltimore Orioles are currently in first place.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

President Obama weighed into Augusta National not having any female members but I'd be willing to bet a months pay that if you took the number of women who have played rounds of golf at Augusta this year versus the number of rounds women have played with the President since he was elected - the percentage of women playing at Augusta National would be higher. Very hypocritical comments by the President... Any time you think your favorite baseball team made a bad financial move (Hello John Lackey) just remember that the Mets still owe Bobby Bonilla $1.2 million a year until 2035. I laugh any time I think about that... The Manchurian Candidate indeed. Obama's Budget: Interest payments will exceed Defense Budget in 2019. And who will we be paying those interest payments to? The Chinese... Every Opening Day I wish for just two things - a Red Sox victory and for Dan Shaughnessy to get explosive diarrhea... Harvard Law Review must be so proud of President Obama's views on the Supreme Court. This will make the President releasing his college transcripts a campaign issue. What if his marks aren't all that his supporters have made them out to be? If he doesn't release them then that's an issue all by itself... I am so pissed at myself that I didn't go to a bar that served fried chicken to watch the Red Sox Opening Day!... Wonder if the advisor who convinced Al Gore to use the word "lockbox" as a centerpiece of his campaign is still employed in politics... The price of food at the Masters is awesome. You can't go there and not get the Pimento Cheese sandwich... Tweet of the day - imagine if Bush said this:

Jimmy Simpson ‏ @informedblackmn

Obama said under Ryan's budget plan, "hundreds of national parks will close." There are 58 national parks.

Red Sox Magic Number - 163

Opening Day for the Red Sox (and pretty much everyone else) - so their magic number for the season is 163. If you gave me enough time I could give you 163 reasons why Bobby Valentine makes me nervous as a manager but given my schedule - I'll just give you the top few.

I think for many Red Sox fans the news that Valentine will be doing weekly radio spots with Michael Kay, the voice of the Yankees, immediately brings to minds some reasons to be nervous about Valentine. People at the top levels of sports are bound to have healthy egos but this is a little over the top. Put it this way - could you see Joe Girardi of the Yankees doing the same thing? Joe Torre was a Hall of Fame manager - do you think the idea to do weekly radio spots with a Boston sports station ever would have made it past first base with Joe? Heck - Joe Torre and Terry Francona are friends but they used to play that down because of the Red Sox / Yankees rivalry. They though such chuminess was unseemly given the passion of their fans. Valentine doesn't seem to understand this.

Speaking of Terry Francona - he was basically fired because the Red Sox missed the playoffs two seasons in a row. Valentine's claim to fame is the fact that he led the Mets to the playoffs two years in a row (something no Mets manager was ever able to accomplish). Francona won two World Series - what has Valentine ever won?

Who Bobby Valentine isn't may be just a big a reason Red Sox fans aren't embracing him. He's not Terry Francona. As an aside - I hope Francona enjoys his stint as announcer for ESPN - I think he could excel at that job and he'd finally make listening to Sunday Night Baseball something that wouldn't make your ears bleed.  Valentine isn't Dale Sveum of the Cubs. He was the guy the Red Sox really wanted this off-season but Sveum probably didn't like the way Francona was treated on the way out the door (Francona has lots of friends in baseball and the Red Sox did themselves no favors smearing him on the way out the door). Have your heard anyone use the word "circus" to describe Sveum's managing style? Heck have you heard anything about Sveum this Spring training? He's been lower than low-key.

Valentine also isn't John Farrell, the manager of the Blue Jays, and the one guy every Red Sox fan would have liked to have replaced Terry Francona. Now Red Sox fans will have to watch Farrell 19 times a year and you know conscious or unconscious comparisons with Valentine will be made. I'll state my feeling plainly - if the Red Sox finish behind Toronto this year then Valentine should be fired right away and the experiment deemed a failure. Period.

Valentine is who he is and that's the problem. Let me circle back to his weekly radio spots with Michael Kay to finish up. I predict that at some point this year Kay will bring up something about a player and Valentine will say something or try to make a joke that will immediately make the situation much worse. You know this will happen. The man can't help himself. This is something you'd never have to worry about with Terry Francona - heck not something you'd have to worry about with any other manager in baseball.

Bobby Valentine makes Red Sox fans nervous because we remember Kevin Kennedy. And how did that work out?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the wake of NBC News admitting they edited audio from George Zimmerman to make him sound racist it should be asked if NBC would be better off just getting rid of their News Division completely. The money they will lose in a lawsuit from Zimmerman is bound to be more than any profits the News Division will bring to NBC for the next several years.. 17 offbeat holidays you can celebrate in April. Oh and happy National Tell a Lie Day. Seriously that's today - I'm not lying... I love the show Justified but one thing bothered me about last night's show. Mags Bennett made that $3.2 million everyone seems to be chasing by dealing weed. Boyd would have a monopoly on selling weed in Harlan at this point - why doesn't he just make the money the same way Mags did?... Heh heh - 10 brutally honest office signs... Damn it! "Keith Olbermann's Comfort Hookers" is too long to use as a fantasy baseball team name... Am I the only one who gets upset at the end of the movie Taken because Liam Neeson's ex-wife lets him take a cab home after he risks his life to save their daughter? She should have insisted on giving him a ride. They had a limo! It's not like they didn't have any room in the car for him... An honest snapshot of the Santorum campaign would look like this. He should drop out.

Game of Thrones Theme - Metal Version

This is pretty cool (if you are a metal fan and a Game of Thrones fan).

HT Buzzfeed

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

The time Russia ran out of Vodka

FDR's Executive Order 9250 which tried to limit incomes to $25,000 per year

Interesting piece on Tim Tebow in NYC. It will be interesting to see how Tebow effects popular culture and morals in the city and vice versa.

I laugh at this hockey highlight every time

Cool - Voltron chess set

Real or photoshop? Scary either way. 

Chevy Chase vs Community show-runner Dan Harmon

Modest Mouse - Float On

How can you not like this song (or video)?

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

A nice story on Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage (HT Chris Lindsay)

The NY Post's best jokes of the year

ObamaCare - it's a tough sell.

The giant solar tornado that could eat five Earths

I'm skeptical that anyone could really be this stupid

Alan Sepinwall interviews Hodor

With Season II of Game of Thrones airing tonight on HBO - media critic Alan Sepinwall took time to interview one of the minor but more interesting members of the Game of Thrones cast. I have no idea why Alan asked to have this interview placed on this blog and not his own What's Alan Watching.

Alan Sepinwall: One question I've been asking any of the cast members is if they read the George R.R. Martin books first or if they have just tried to rely on both the directorial instructions and scripts. Have you read the books?

Hodor: Hodor.

Alan Sepinwall: Minor characters don't always have the opportunity to make an impact but you seem to steal each scene you are in even with limited dialog. How's the fan reaction been to your character?

Hodor: Hodor.

Alan Sepinwall: Could you elaborate on that a little?

Hodor: Hodor? Hodor, hodor, hodor, hodor. Hodor! Hodor, hodor.

Alan Sepinwall: Interesting. One question some in the industry have been asking is given your limited dialog on the show - does that impact your pay scale according to SAG rules?

Hodor: Hodor, hodor, hodor.

Alan Sepinwall: OK. I understand if you don't want to get into contractual details but can you at least let us know if they is any truth to the rumor that you will be releasing your own line of fragrances? And if so what will it be called?

Hodor: Hodor and Hodor.

Alan Sepinwall: Thank you so much for your time. Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?

Hodor: Hodor.