Tim Tebow Signs with Patriots

Player Comparison

An interesting player comparison occurred to me over the weekend.

Player A - 8 HR / 40 RBI / .299 BA / .867 OPS
Player B - 8 HR / 18 RBI / .212 BA / .650 OPS

What makes the comparison interesting is that Player A is struggling for a MLB roster spot Daniel Nava (who is making just $505,000 in 2013) and Player B is mega-star Josh Hamilton (who signed a mega contract that will pay him an average of $24.6 million per season for the next 5-years).

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- A month without a fork. I could do that easily. I went all yesterday without using a fork and I didn't even try to avoid using one.

- Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night recreated with 7,000 dominoes

- I agree - very classy move by the Diamondbacks.

- And coincidentally - mind-controlled exoskeleton's helping paralyzed people to walk

- Interesting discussion with director William Friedkin and his surprising relationship with sports (especially the Celtics and Mike Tyson)

- Heh heh - Obama is checking your email!

Boston Bruins

I love that opening from Hockey Night in Canada from Game 3. Karma Police indeed! Sidney Crosby -  a sports superstar hasn't been that undressed as a whiny bitch by a Boston team since Jason Varitek smushed his glove into A-Rod's face.

Oh (I didn't come up with this saying but it encapsulates the entire series so great) - Tuukka Rask - 2 U's, 2 K's and just 2 goal allowed against the Penguins!

Go Bruins!

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Why Japan really lost WWII

- Why the NHL is better than the NBA

- Marine General speaks from broken heart at memorial's dedication.

- Excellent long read of Muhammad Ali's biggest fan finally getting to meet him. Cool anecdotes of Ali in private.

- David Simon (creator of The Wire) on the NSA tracking Verizon call records. He makes some very good points which I agree with but I think misses the forest through the trees. I may post my thoughts on this at a later time.

- Cool story of 19 families that moved to a then uninhabited North Carolina island in the 70's.

- If D-Day failed Eisenhower was going to take full responsibility. When it succeeded he deflected the credit.  Sounds like the polar opposite of today's leaders.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Michael Douglas says he got throat cancer from cunnilingus - what does science say about that claim?... "Stinktum" should be a word. It sound much better than either "anus" or "sphincter"... Burning Esophagus would be a good name for a band...  Awesome photo... Some people are suggesting Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) as the next Doctor Who but I think the identical twins who played Fred and George would be a better choice. That way you could have the Dr. crossing his own time-line as often as you like without expensive special effects... Interesting look at how the Red Sox got David Ortiz 10-years ago and how he asked to be let go when he wasn't fitting in at first. Getting rid of Shea Hillenbrand and keeping Ortiz will always be one of the most under-rated moves in team history... The World Pastrami Eating Contest was Sunday - here's the trophy. For my money ($5) the best pastrami sandwich in Worcester is at Breen's Cafe... There should have been an episode of Magnum PI where Magnum saw Higgins kill his ex-wife and a waiter but kept silent about it for years... Separated at birth - Alec Baldwin and Millard Fillmore... The word "posh" came from Thomas Cook booking British upper class on cruises with "Port Out - Starboard Home" cabins...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Lord of the Rings Gender Swap - interesting.

- Heh heh - Monty Python's review of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

- 11 Neil Gaiman quotes on writing

- Interesting profile of future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr

- Why we can't remember any early childhood memories.

- Heh heh

- Do we live in an unnatural universe or a natural multiverse? Science makes my head ache.

Rubik's Juggling

How cool is that? A man juggles three Rubik's cubes while solving them!

Memorial Day

Here are some posts reminding people about the true meaning of the day.

- Ten Things to remember about Memorial Day

- Honor Flight from last year - wow just wow

- Today is a day for remembering people like Lt John Finn

- Flags of our fathers

- Rolling Thunder 2013

- Just a reminder - George W Bush honored the men of Rolling Thunder every year he was in office

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

With everyone focused on the IRS scandal which keeps getting worse and worse - this would be a good time for Hillary Clinton to come clean on Benghazi. She can say that she was trying to protect the President and regrets her actions. She could say that she was confused about the expectations from this administration versus those of her husband. People would accept that...  The NCAA is looking worse and worse regarding U Miami and using Nevin Shapiro as their star witness... This may be a little thing but I'm really not a fan of parents telling kids "Don't you dare" as a warning. Don't you want your kids to dare? especially to dream?...  I think Adrian Beltre not wanting to be touched on his head and his teammates doing it anyway is funny. That's something a little brother would do to a big brother... With Elementary done for the season and the new season of Sherlock not showing in the US until September - I'm having some Sherlock Holmes withdrawal... Wow - this pinpointed map of unemployment is incredible. Look at how employment seems to end at the borders of California.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- One of the many reasons to like Terry Francona (and good sport Don Orsillo)

- The Evan Gattis story keeps getting cooler and cooler

- Speaking of cool stories - it doesn't get much better than Chris Colabella's finally making it to the Big Show

- Heh Heh

- Searching for Dwight Howard. I've long held that Dwight Howard is the most over-rated player in the NBA. Whoever signs him will come to regret the decision.

Oral History of the 2003 WSOP

Excellent behind the scenes look at the game changing 2003 World Series of Poker. Three quick thoughts on the article:

1. Not a fan of people who complain that Chris Moneymaker got lucky. Every WSOP winner not named Stu Ungar was lucky. That's the way it is in poker. You have to win all the coin-flips and get a lucky two-outer to be champion.

2.Sad to hear that winning the WSOP and becoming a poker pro basically cost Moneymaker his marriage. That's tough.

3. This would have made a great 30 for 30 except ESPN already owns the rights and I'm guessing the poker folks probably wouldn't want to share with Bill Simmons 30 for 30 folks.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Cliff Lee has a no-trade clause that lists 21 teams. If I'm an MLB GM - I'm calling the Phillies to see if I'm one of the 9 teams not on the list. I'm calling first thing... Heh heh - it's funny because its true... If you only had to pay for the cable channels you wanted or watched - how many people would still have MTV or MSNBC? Nobody forces you to buy cable but if you want cable then you are forced to buy channels you don't want. Doesn't seem right does it?... If I were in charge of the Big Ben clock in London - I'd have it strike 11 times at 10 o'clock every once in a while just to mess with the heads of some conspiracy theorists... Great headline!... In the tomato drink V8 - is one of the 8 ingredients ass? Sure tastes like ass to me... If Australians are from "down under" - does that mean Americans are from "up over"?... Remember when Democrats like Harry Truman insisted that the buck stopped with them and didn't blame some low level employees? Or the media? Or the previous administration?...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- If the JoeBots drive away Bill O'Brien - who do they think would wade into their toxic swamp to replace him?

- The Pogues Shane MacGowan seeking dental help so he can star in a Hollywood movie. You have to admit that would be great advertising for the firm that does it. "If we can fix Shane MacGowan's teeth - we can fix anyone's!"

- Interesting article about pool hustlers back in the day.

- Heh heh

Derek Lowe

Derek Lowe was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers and his big league career may be over. And what a unique career it has been. Lowe once led the league in saves - something Jonathan Papelbon never managed to do. Lowe had as many 20-win seasons as Mike Mussina - but whereas Mussina was nicknamed Moose - it was Lowe who really shouldered the load and who led his league in games started 4 times (Mussina managed the trick just twice).

The Red Sox do not win the 2004 World Series without Lowe's pitching heroics. But it is Curt Schilling and David Ortiz who still get all the kudos. For his part in the 2004 Championship - Lowe was shown the door and allowed to sign with the Dodgers as a free agent.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying Lowe and his career 4.03 ERA is a Hall of Famer. It is also hard to feel bad for a man who spent all or part of 17 seasons in "the show" while raking in more than $110 million in salary. It's just that Lowe seems a decent guy and has been so enigmatic that the passing of his big league career seemed worthy of note.

Thanks for 2004.

Linky Links

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

- Texts from Last Night - occasional comedy gold.

- Origins of 9 great British insults

- Heh heh - Summer is Coming!

- This use of the Marines really bothered me. Really bothered me.

- Heh heh - so true - so true

- Bea Arthur nude painting sells for $1.9 million

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I don't care how awesome the Internet becomes - Zombo.com will still be the best site ever... Have you seen those pictures of Richard Branson dressing up as a stewardess because he lost a bet? Just saying but the Most Interesting Man in the World would never do something like that.... Interesting - 10 hotel secrets from behind the front desk... I have Albert Pujols in one of my fantasy baseball leagues so I don't have to be reminded that Lyle Overbay has more HR (6-5) and more RBI (23-21)... Franks Sinatra has been dead for 15 years now - here's 15 things you may not have known about him... This is genius - comedian Kurt Braunolher paid to have this written in the sky above Los Angeles... Now would be a really good time for President Obama to raise or lower the sea levels just to distract people from all these scandals...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Nice profile of Rockies manager Walt Weiss. Hard not to like the guy.

- Senator challenges NFL's tax-exempt status. Of course a shortcut would be to just tell the IRS that the NFL was affiliated with the Tea Party.

- Col. Chris Hadfield singing Space Oddity is awesome. Part of me is bothered by the idea that NASA now is best known for singing astronauts and not for the sort of great goals and accomplishments that made them famous in the past. We don't even have a space shuttle any more.

- Watch this excerpt from a commencement speech by David Foster Wallace. Watch it once a week for the rest of your life to remind yourself "this is water".

- 11 Patron Saints of food, wine and those who cook or serve

- Interesting look at how our Solar System isn't "normal".

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Two very interesting pairings this past weekend. You had the Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain story and then Tiger Woods vs Sergio Garcia story-line at TPC Sawgrass. In both cases the younger player came off as bit of an ass... "Give us just the audio feed from Erin Andrews" said no TV producer ever... I read the subtext to this Dan Shaughnessy rebuttle by Red Sox part-owner Tom Werner as "I gave your daughter a job in Hollywood you ungrateful jerk"... God bless the Richard family. I cannot image the pain and grief they must shoulder every day... I still say that Tim Tebow would be a useful back-up to the Patriots. Tom Brady likes those one-yard goal-line plunges too much. He's getting older and there's no reason to risk him in those situations when you could have a guy like Tebow... Part of me thinks the Westboro Baptist Church is just some real elaborate hoax being pulled off by an not-dead Andy Kaufman... Playing off the success of ChristianMingle.com - I'd like to start a site ChristianDivorce.com. Jesus want you to separate!...

The Great Gatsby

I have read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby a few times. The first time was for an English class. The next two times because Ernest Hemingway spoke so highly of the book I was sure I was missing something. Each time reading the book felt like a chore to be finished.

I agree completely with this review of the book The Great Gatsby - it just doesn't do anything for me.

For books about the same period in time - give me John Steinbeck's Cannery Row or Hemingway's A Moveable Feast (even though this book wasn't actually published till 1964 - three years after Hemingway's suicide).

I have no desire whatsoever to see the movie.

Ghosts

I've decided that I'm not going to believe in ghosts. Why? Well the reason is pretty simple.

Every kid is taught that ghosts say "boo!" Who decided this? It's become unanimous. According to our culture and accepted norms - ghosts say "boo". But why would your spirit in death be saying something you never said in life? When was the last time you said "boo"? Were you impersonating a ghost?

The only explanation is that nobody has ever spoken with a ghost. And that must be because they don't exist. Logic.

As an aside - I think it would be funny if someone re-cut the movie Ghost so that Patrick Swayze's dialog after he dies is replaced by someone just repeating "boo!" over and over.

The Herpes of Sports Reporting

Recently Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong call Korean singer Psy the "herpes of music" "once you think he's gone he comes back." Armstrong took some heat for the comment but generally people thought it was amusing and agreed with him.

It got me thinking about who I would consider the "herpes of sports reporting". Here's my list:

1. Dan Shaughnessy - nobody makes me turn a radio or TV channel faster than Shagnasty. He faded into the woodwork somewhat after the Red Sox ruined his "Curse of the Bambino" cottage industry but recently he made himself as public as a cold sore on a wedding day with his basically accusing David Ortiz of using steroids. It should be recalled that before Ortiz even had a plate appearance for the Red Sox - Shaughnessy called him a "pile of you know what". I think the Curly Haired Boyfriend just has it out for people of color.

2. Skip Bayless - why is he famous? Why does ESPN stick with this douche? Does anyone like him? All serious questions.

3. Mike Lupica - get over yourself little man. You couldn't hold Dick Schaap's jock.

4. Stephen A Smith - aka Screaming A Smith. As annoying as this guy can be I do have to admit that at least occasionally he makes valid points.

5. Ron Borges - we get it. You hate Bill Belichick, don't find plagiarism to be a sin and are not afraid to fight men in wheelchairs. Probably a Boston thing but this guy is a dickhead.

Missing the list - Jay Marriotti who has proved himself to be more of a chlamydia in the word of sports transmitted diseases.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Parents who suck on their infants pacifiers may protect child from developing allergy. If my kid dropped their binky on the ground - I didn't hesitate to pick it up and clean it off in my mouth. Better a little dirt in my mouth than an unhappy kid missing their binky. Glad to hear there were other benefits.

- President Obama used Buzz Aldrin just for a photo opportunity.

- Another piece of my childhood soiled.

- Heh heh - new Man of Steel poster explained

- How do noise cancelling headphones work?

- I was wondering whatever happened in that story of the casino deciding not to pay Phil Ivey millions in winnings because they thought he was cheating

Slavery

What happened to those three girls in Cleveland is monstrous. I would call it unbelievable except for the fact it really happened. These three girls had their freedom taken away and were basically slaves for a decade.

One thing I think all Americans can agree on is that slavery is wrong and in this day and age - it is inexcusable. Yet our country continues to do business with other nations where slavery is perfectly acceptable. Why isn't there more outrage about this?

Even when one of these nations brings their practice of slavery to our very capital - it barely makes a blip on the news. Honestly - how many of you were even aware of that story?

Read this article on slavery - then wrap your mind around this quote from the article, "When I want a sex slave, I go to the market and pick whichever female I desire and buy her." Now think back to how outraged you felt about those three girls in Cleveland. If those nations who allow slavery were hunting whales instead - there would be all sorts of outrage and demonstrations. Where is the outrage?

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Andrew Jackson is thought of very highly by many but he did some truly horrible things. Should he be on the $20 bill? Should he be a liability for Democrats?

- Wow - how Killer Whales catch and eat much faster dolphins.

- Fascinating look at a great pilot, war hero and seemingly all-around great guy.

- Very cool picture of a Blue Heron with a snake rapped around his head and neck. (The snake would lose this battle.)

- Speaking of cool pictures - Jeff Bridges takes pictures on his film sets and they are just wonderful. HT Big Stupid Tommy

- Lowes uses Vine to make some very helpful household hints. The rubber band to get out a stripped screw is genius!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I don't think it will come to this but excellent point - if Tim Tebow doesn't get any any NFL QB opportunities he could spark a bidding war for his college football TV services... "Wouldn't the world be a cleaner place if we gave blind people brooms instead of canes?" - Nick Thune... Why do people say "I shit myself" or "I almost shit myself"? Who else are you going to shit?... Speaking of shit - you know you've wondered about this - why does your crap sometimes float and sometimes sink?...  Old Irish saying, "Many a time a man's mouth has broken his nose"... Wow I feel old - Bree Seanna Wall who played little Sophia on Deadwood is now 18-years old... I don't like the phrase "immoral fornicator". Have you ever heard anyone who would say that also say "moral fornicator"?... Chick-fil-A should sign Jason Collins as an endorser. Certain people's heads would explode... I am really surprised that this doesn't happen more in baseball... Is it really necessary at this point for people who advertise lunch or dinner buffets to add the words "all you can eat"?...

Best Albums of the 70's?

I have a question mark in the title because I really don't agree with this list of the best albums of the 1970's. And I know the list is 9-years old but it is new to me.

During the 70's I was a kid. But aren't kids the most impressionable? I have to admit that I don't recognize half of the albums on the list. Maybe that's my ignorance but to have a list like this and not have something from Bruce Springsteen when he was at his peak tells me that maybe I'm not the ignorant one. No Bon Scott AC/DC? Highway to Hell is better than 90 percent of the albums on the list.

At number 1 on the list is Low from David Bowie. As I mentioned - I was an impressionable kid in the 70's but this album didn't make an impression on me. The only song I recognize is Sound and Vision - which is an OK song but it is no London Calling.

You can listen to the entire album Low here.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Interesting analysis of the Kentucky Derby field. So Java's War? I'm leaning towards the Pletcher / / Valezquez combo on Verrazano.

- In case you missed it - Netflix lost close to 2,000 titles this past Wednesday.

- Holy crap! What a hit in the Lingerie Football League!

- Time crystals? The scientist will never admit it but I bet he originally got the idea for this theory from the Sleestacks on Land of the Lost

60 Thoughts About Turning 60

I admit that I had never heard of Ian Martin - but his 60 thoughts on turning 60 were very clever.

My favorite two:

"When someone starts a sentence 'I'm not trying to be'... they always are." How very true. Just as true as "Nothing counts except what comes after the but." I think you are a great person but...

"[O]f course God exists. Even if God turns out to be just science in fancy pyjamas." What a great way of stating one's religious beliefs!

I also loved him calling someone a "human coelacanth." What a great turn of phrase!

The Great Gatsby and F Scott Fitzgerald

Interesting look into the life and finances of writer F Scott Fitzgerald.

His masterpiece The Great Gatsby (which is now a major motion picture - what a strange phrase that is - have you ever heard a movie described as a minor motion picture?) was published in 1925. According to Fitzgerald's notes and ledgers - he made $18,333.61 for that year. That would be roughly $250,000 in today's dollars.

Confession

I grew up Catholic and I have to confess that most of my time at mass was spent reviewing the Boston Red Sox roster in my head. First I would try to recall each player on the 25 and 40-man rosters. Then I would start thinking about if certain players at Pawtucket would be upgrades. This would get me to about the time the priest was giving his homily. At that point I was most likely starting to go through next year's free agent class and wondering which of those players would be a good fit in Boston.

When it was time for communion - I would stop thinking about the Red Sox roster and start thinking about which women in the receiving line I would like to have sex with (but that is a different confession).

I am thinking about starting to attend church again. I think it might help with my fantasy baseball skills.

Linky Links

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

- Heh heh - where the customer always comes first!

- When Clarence Thomas wrote to George Jones

- I want this painting for my place - JFKFC

- The human body truly is amazing. Why your nose gets stuffy one nostril at a time.

- George W. Bush saved more lives than any other President

Jets QB Circus

The Jets spent another high draft pick on a QB - taking Geno Smith of West Virginia in the second round. The Jets now have six QB's on their roster - Smith, lame duck starter Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, David Garrard, Greg McElroy and Matt Sims. For a point of comparison - the Patriots roster has three QB's - Tom Brady, back-up Ryan Mallett and Mike Kafka from Northwestern.

Some want the Jets to cut Sanchez and take the $8 million plus cap hit. They argue that Geno Smith may be a raw rookie but at least he protects the football. These are the same people who neglect to mention that Tim Tebow is one of the best QB's in football at turnover ratios. I would also mention that every team in the NFL knew the Jets were going to take Smith in the second round and yet every team above them passed him over and no team behind them moved up to make sure they got him.

I will also add that Tebow was also much higher rated coming out of college. The Jets are a joke. And as a Patriots fan - I think the joke is pretty funny.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Very cool - all five of Yu Darvish's pitches in one delivery

- If you use an off-shore betting account - this article is must reading.

- The "human computer" passes away

- Wow - Sperm whales battling Killer whales

- The Hubble Telescope's top 100 images

George W. Bush's Legacy

Charles Krauthammer has a good look at what the Bush legacy will and has been. Krauthammer makes the comparison to Harry Truman which I've also made repeatedly.

One thing to point out is that Truman was followed in office by Dwight Eisenhower while Bush was followed by Barack Obama. That is bound to work in Bush's favor once the celebrity ga-ga over Obama is replaced by real historians looking at facts.

Schwarzenegger Driving

Hilarious!

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Marc Maron in space? I'm a fan of WTF and will check out this show.

- Interesting profile of Billy Joel. I've never understood the idea that you had to like either Springsteen or Joel. I've always liked them both.

- Michael Shannon reading the insane sorority letter is why the Internets were invented.

- Good timeline explanation on how the Boston bombers were identified and caught.

- Interesting look into the year 1968. If you are into history - these articles are like catnip.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I am not a fan of the singing of Sweet Caroline at Red Sox games but my hat is off to Neil Diamond paying his own way to sing the song live at Fenway on Saturday... I completely understand why George H. W. Bush is smiling in this picture... Is it really necessary at this point for people who advertise lunch or buffets to add the words "all you can eat"?... Interesting - a map that shows there are only 22 countries in the world the Great Britain has not invaded or had a military presence in... I am not a person who feels driven to run marathons or any sort of endurance races so to me this race - the Barkley - seems insane... You can't have good without evil yet Christianity has official blessings but no official curses. That seems to be a missing ingredient... Not completely sure but I think doing this would get you tossed out of an establishment...

David Ortiz

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Gives me chills - every time

- The yo-yo master

- What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space?

- The sorority girl letter is the greatest thing ever!

- The Man of Steel movie looks awesome!

- Barbie's measurements drawn onto a real woman

Boston

Two of the best writers from the Boston area also have two of the best explanations of what Monday means to people for whom Patriot's Day has been an important part of our fabric of life.

Jackie MacMullan's take.

Charlie Pierce's take.

I flew out of Logan on Tuesday morning and though the mood was somber - the flights were on time and things were somewhat back to normal. Which is a good thing. Maybe being in an airport made me think this but I can't help but believe that just like post 9/11 the whole plane full of passengers would rush anyone trying to take over a plane - next year the security at the Boston Marathon will be fine because the onlookers will make it so. Next year God help anyone carrying heavy backpacks who hesitate to answer when half-drunk Sully and Murph ask "Hey - what's in the bag?"

The Masters

I love The Masters. In my book the final round of The Masters is maybe second only to Super Bowl Sunday as far as sporting Sunday's are concerned. I've actually been to Augusta twice for practice rounds. All that said - I'm not a serious golf fan (or golfer for that matter). Here's a few random Masters thoughts for your Sunday morning:

1. I'm fine with Tiger getting a 2-stroke penalty and being allowed to continue to play. I think people who are indignant that he didn't get DQ'd should get over themselves.

2. You know that Tiger will finish second just 1 or 2 strokes behind. That seems predetermined doesn't it?

3. Sometimes I have the sense of humor of a 12-year old boy. Exhibit A: Every time an announcer says "Tiger has never come from behind" my mind screams "Oh yes he has!"

4. Exhibit B: I found this really funny.

5. As far as I'm concerned - Tiger isn't even the biggest controversy at the Masters. The change in pimento cheese sandwich recipe is a much bigger deal. If you've been to Augusta one of the first questions someone will ask is "Did you have the pimento cheese sandwich?" This is like New Coke!

David Lee Roth

Interesting profile of David Lee Roth. I admit that the article seems to take an overly rose-colored glasses look at Diamond Dave but it was entertaining.

I will also admit to holding a grudge against Van Halen. I saw them in high school at the height of their popularity and was pissed that they played for just 60 minutes. I felt ripped off and ever since then I automatically change the station whenever one of their songs come on the radio.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I'm not impressed by the Red Sox so-called 794 game "sell-out" streak which ended last night. What is impressive is Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon being on Billboard's top album list for 741 consecutive weeks... Beaver bites man to death. Thank God this wasn't - you know - a euphemism...  I disagree with the underlying sentiments but I have to admit I have new respect for Russell Brand's writing ability. His article on the death of Margaret Thatcher was strangely mesmerizing...  Dwight Evans has 331 more career hits and almost 300 more HR for the Red Sox than Wade Boggs but you never hear Dewey whining about him getting his number retired... I can't bypass the movie Goon without stopping to watch. Goon, Slapshot and Casablanca... Happy 41st birthday to former Red Sox captain Jason Varitek. My guess is even the most die-hard Yankee fans smile at this photo given the past couple of years...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Mariano Rivera is an awesome person.

- News you can use - why do people get emotional when they drink?

- Heh heh

- I would so pay to see this Calvin and Hobbes movie

- Excellent analysis of second tier QB shuffling in the NFL. Thank God New England has Tom Brady.

Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs wants the Red Sox to retire his number. The Red Sox won't do that for a very simple reason. It's not because Boggs went on to play for the Yankees. It's not because Boggs already had his number retired by Tampa Bay. It's because Wade Boggs is a douchebag.

Major league douchebag.

There's a good reason why his contemporary Don Mattingly is still actively involved in MLB while Boggs is lucky to be working with high school teams. There's a reason why Boston never has him back as a favorite prodigal son like Freddy Lynn. There's a reason why Roger Clemens invited tons of his old teammate to his 300th win game but did not invite Boggs.

The man compares himself to Ted Williams as a hitter and wants to be the next Johnny Pesky to the organization. The latter comparison is perhaps more insulting given the saint that was Johnny Pesky. The man wants his number retired while the Red Sox want to give it to scrubs.

The man is a douchebag.

Margaret Thatcher

I'd be remiss if I did not comment on the passing of Margaret Thatcher. Here were two of the better pieces I've seen on her passing.

This first piece describes how Thatcher became the "Iron Lady".

This second piece was written by someone who actively opposed Thatcher but who recognizes her great contribution to English life.

Rest in peace Maggie.

Doug Kenney and Caddyshack

Very good Golf Digest article on Doug Kenney - the man maybe most responsible for the movie Caddyshack but a man mostly forgotten today.

It could be argued that Kenney's death at an early age was an even bigger cultural loss than that of John Belushi.

The article is nearly 10-years old but still holds up very well. Thanks to Paulie for reminding me of its existence.

Robert Parish and the NCAA

I was as big a Celtics fan in the mid 80's as you'd find anywhere but I wasn't aware of the story behind Robert Parish's college career at Centenary and how the NCAA screwed him over.

The story makes me respect Parish all the more for sticking out his commitment to Centenary and it also makes me dislike the NCAA all the more.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

As others have pointed out if Rutgers ended up with Ben Howland instead of Mike Rice the men's basketball program will actually come out ahead in this mess. Come to think of it - anyone they hire will be an upgrade... The Beeriodic Table of Elements... Internet fact of the day - Alaska is so big that it could fit the State of New Jersey into it 75 times... I think it is unfair that Charlie Brown finally got to kick the football but Elmer Fudd never got to kill the wabbit... Many people have heard of Talk Like a Pirate Day but did you know that April 23rd is Talk Like Shakespeare Day?... I signed back up for HBO last Sunday so that I could watch Game of Thrones. I think Justified is the only other show on TV that I would pay money to watch... Prediction - the Patriots will acquire Tim Tebow for a 7th round draft pick and then trade backup QB Ryan Mallett for a 2nd round pick (making Tim Tebow Tom Brady's backup). The Jets will HATE dealing with New England but the 7th round pick will be better than releasing Tebow and getting nothing... Happy 42nd birthday to Framingham's own Lou Merloni...

Don King

Excellent article on Don King who was once one of the most powerful men in sports but is now all but forgotten.

When's the last time you thought about Don King? When's the last time you thought about boxing? I've become ambivalent about both. I always thought boxing was crooked - not so much what happened in the ring but outside - from the promoters like King keeping certain fights from happening to judges ringside giving scorecards which were indefensible to anyone who watched the same fight. Now I don't really think of boxing - or Don King - at all.

The article was a good reminder of what once was. I couldn't help but wonder if we are better off without boxing and people like Don King?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I am so happy that Opening Day is finally here. Wicked excited... Coolest pool table ever!...  I have not seen the video of Kevin Ware's injury and God willing - I hope I never will... Yesterday I re-ordered HBO because I didn't want to miss the new season of Game of Thrones. I cancelled HBO when last season of GoT ended and will do so once again this year... Please don't get an erection! Please don't get an erection!... Jackie Bradley Jr. will be the youngest starting left fielder for the Red Sox since Yaz started in left back in 1961... Are the people in Atlanta really calling the Braves outfield, "Up, Up and a Hey"? That's pretty clever... Love language stuff like this - British words and phrases that don't translate for Americans and vice versa... Alec Baldwin has basically morphed into Leslie Neilsen at this point - hasn't he?... Metal Debris would be a good name for a band... A good reminder for a Monday morning, "If you don't know what your top three priorities are, you don't have priorities" - Donald Rumsfeld... I know one of my priorities for today is to watch the Red Sox / Yankees game...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- 10 dinosaur myths that need to go extinct.

- Craigslist Missed Connections - some are these are very funny!

- The R2-D2 bra. I would have liked this much better if a real woman was modeling it.

- Interesting column on Mark Cuban's early business life and lessons learned.

A-Rod the Albatross

As a Red Sox fan - it was a joy to read this article about how Alex Rodriguez's giant contract came to be and how it now looms over the Yankees. Ha ha!

This Monty Python bit was ringing in my ears the whole time I was reading that.

Jackie Bradley Jr.

The Red Sox should be announcing today if Jackie Bradley Jr. will make the Opening Day roster. I agree 100% with Fred Lynn that Bradley should be the starting left fielder come April 1st.

I'm not saying that Jackie Bradley Jr. is the next Mike Trout or Fred Lynn but think of it this way - if Bradley posts just 75% the numbers that Lynn or Trout did in their rookie years - he'd be one of the most productive hitters in Boston's line-up. Not to mention that his glove gives Boston one of the best defensive outfields in all of baseball. And hey if he's not productive - then send him down to Pawtucket once David Ortiz comes back.

It seems to be a no-brainer to me. The team could use his bat and defense and the fans are more excited to see Bradley play than any other aspect of this 2013 Red Sox team. So let it be written - so let it be done.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- 10 reasons you should drink beer. Yay beer!

- Amazing fact generator.

- The geography of tea. I've been drinking much more tea lately.

- The art and science of beer. Yay beer!

Shahid Khan Interview

Interesting interview in Forbes of Jaguars owner Shahid Khan.

You can tell that this is a guy that gets "it". As an example - he changed the policy regarding bringing water and food into the stadium and the result was stadium food and beverage revenue went up! People may have skipped on the $5 hotdog to buy more $9 beers (which I hope was at least 24 ounces).

Coolest Alums from All 68 March Madness Schools

This list is pretty cool - albeit very subjective.

Like him or hate him - Bill Clinton is a cooler Georgetown alumnus than Bradley Cooper. You could make similar arguments for many of the schools - except San Diego State.

Wes Welker

Little late to the game on this but I had to say my two cents.

Like most Patriots fans I am sad to see Wes Welker leave. Especially sad to see him joining Peyton Manning in Denver. Unlike most Patriots fans - I think this was the right move. How many times last season did you hear in a bar, "Wes Welker normally catches that." The later in the season, and the more often it was said - the less convincing the person felt saying it.

People will, of course, bring up Welker dropping that pass in the Super Bowl but as I said before - that dropped pass didn't cost them the game. Rob Ninkovitch jumping off-sides on third down was a bigger mistake. And Tom Brady's intentional grounding was even bigger than that. Without that safety the Patriots would have been down just by 2 at the end of the game and a field goal could have won the game.

Still - there's no mistaking Welker dropped a lot of passes last year. Last year Welker dropped 11 passes - which was second most in the NFL. Sure he also was targeted a ton but consider that according to ESPN - since 2010 Welker dropped one pass for every 12.5 caught. Amendola's drop rate was one for every 21.9 caught over that same time frame.

Against the Titans in the second game of the season Welker was benched after dropping a pass. Back then the Patriots thought Brandon Lloyd and Julian Edelman could replace Wes' production. Now it seems they are hoping Edelman and Danny Amendola can shoulder the load. The main point is early last year the Patriots recognized the dropped passes problem

Welker's main value is catching the ball. Both Amendola and Edelman can catch the ball too but both also have younger legs which means they can also both run better than the soon to be 32-year old Welker. Bubble screens, a favorite play of the Patriots, gain more yards with younger, fresher legs. Plus there's no yards after catch if the pass is dropped.

Wes Welker will probably put up eye-popping numbers next year. I hope he does. But that doesn't change the fact that the Patriots made the right move.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Why don't woodpeckers get brain damage?

- Games of Thrones / Princess Bride mashup - very good!

- Awesome update on what Adrian Dantley is doing these days.

- WSOP champion Greg "Fossilman" Raymer arrested in prostitute sting. [Edit - initial reports were a male prostitute - that has now been changed to a female - maybe the hooker was just extra ugly?]

- Too late for Saint Patrick's Day but still interesting - 11 things you probably didn't know about Guinness.

Player Comparison

Just a quick player comparison I have been thinking about lately:

Player A - 10.4 PPG / 2.5 APG / 2.0 RPG
Player B - 10.8 PPG / 1.6 APG / 2.9 RPG

Player A is Jason Terry who has played 62 games averaging 27:37 minutes per game. Player B is Ray Allen - the player Terry basically replaced in Boston. Even though many have been down on Terry in Boston - his production has basically been equal to Allen's this season.

Justified Question

I love the show Justified and have thoroughly enjoyed this season which revolves around the mystery of who is Drew Thompson? The answer to that question was revealed in this week's show but since then a question about the plot has been bothering me.

The whole - who is Drew Thompson question got set in motion by Arlo Givens trying to retrieve a diplomatic bag with Waldo Truth's license which was hidden in a wall of Arlo's home. Here's what's bothering me:

A: If Arlo just left the bag alone - none of this happens and Arlo would still be alive. If a new owner of the house did some construction and found the bag - it would have little or no significance to them. Why take the risk to retrieve the bag?

B: Why did Arlo keep the bag in the first place? He knew who Drew Thompson was. He didn't need the license.

C: What was the significance of the diplomatic bag? Was this a secret that died with Arlo?

The show normally does a nice job tying up loose ends and on details (for example Adam Arkin has always had mismatched eyes with one looking like it could be glass even though it was only revealed that Drew Thompson shot Theo Tonin in the eye this season). Why did they leave this loose end hanging? Or did I miss something?

Call Me A Hole

This could be my new favorite song.

Pure genius!

Justified

Justified is one of my top 5 favorite shows of all-time. It is one of the few must see - can't miss shows on TV as far as I'm concerned (the others being Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Archer and Mad Men).

The problem has been that unlike my other favorite shows - there was no way to watch past episodes without buying the DVD's. That's changed as Amazon Prime has announced an exclusive deal to stream both Justified and The Shield. I just powered through a re-watching of Season One and Seasons, Two, Three and Four will be re-watched very soon.

As an aside - kudos to Amazon Prime. The main benefit to Amazon Prime is the free shipping but considering that buying the Justified DVD's alone would have almost equaled the $79 yearly fee - this news is a very welcome bonus as far as I'm concerned. As another aside - I never realized how much Raylan Givens enjoys ice cream. Almost every episode there's a reference to it or a shot of Raylan eating some. It's like the sugar cereals in Seinfeld.

Jose Canseco and the Mysteries of Life

Fascinating look at how dinosaurs like Brontosaurus or Diplodocus pumped blood up their massive necks to their brains.

Interestingly enough - the discussion was sparked by known Mensa member Jose Canseco.

Lots of interesting little biology tidbits in the article. And as an aside - you really should be reading Phenomena - the National Geographics' blog section.

Seven Tips from Ernest Hemingway on Writing

Interesting compilation of seven writing tips from Ernest Hemingway.

I have to wonder if Hemingway would still recommend using a pencil. With laptops and tablets today so convenient - Hemingway might be inclined to abandon the pencil since its main virtue was the ability to make changes.

Farts

Interesting study on human flatulence. The main take-away is that women's farts are actually smellier than men's farts but because men are generally larger - they produce more volume of gas. Plus I think guys are programmed to "let er rip" more so than  women.

The study was from 1998. Since then science has come out with activated charcoal underwear.  I guess noise cancelling underwear will be next.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Goats yelling like humans.

I laughed much more than I should have.

The Official Rock Song of Massachusetts

There's a movement to make the Modern Lover's Roadrunner the official rock song of Massachusetts.

I'd be 100% behind this idea.

Linky Links

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

- How does one learn to play these instruments? Seriously - I'd sign up for lessons right now.

- This is an amazing story. A story of love, art and the American Dream.

- Heh heh - the Women of LA. Sounds very plausible.

- It's this attention to details and quick one-lines that have always made The Simpsons so great.

- Reasons the Olympics are dropping wrestling.

The Making of Pulp Fiction

Excellent history looking back on the making of Pulp Fiction.

It is strange to think of Quentin Tarintino as a functional illiterate who watched a ton of movies but that's almost how he's painted in this article. There's something engrossing to the story of a movie script so great that everyone who reads it is determined to be a part of it.

Worth the read for any movie fan worth his salt.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Yesterday was John Kruk's birthday - which only served as a reminder how one man turned exactly 100 MLB HR and being a slob into a full-time ESPN gig... The surprising origin of high heels... People making the point that AL West teams feasting off the ineptitude of the Astros will really give them a leg up in the Wild Card race. The AL East may have the best teams but that only means probably only the Division Champ will make the playoffs... Inappropriate ad placements...  Brandon Webb just retired. Baseball-reference.com list Tim Lincecum and Cole Hamels as the two most similar pitchers. That should give Giants and Phillies fans something to worry about... Some rules are absolute - yoga pants are for women ONLY!...

Steroids in Baseball

I've long held the belief that testing for performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) is not enough. Those programs try to weed out the cheaters which is fine but other than losing the service of those cheaters - the teams that sign them don't suffer at all (they don't even have to pay those players during drug suspensions).

What I'd suggest is simple - while a player is suspended the team also loses his active 25-man roster slot. Make the team play shorthanded. Make them feel some pain. Give them another reason to think twice about signing a player they have suspicions about. Imagine having to go into the World Series down a roster slot to your competition?

Of course this would never happen because the teams don't want to feel that pain and the players association doesn't want to lose that roster spot either.

A Modest Proposal

The United States is $16 trillion in debt. That is unsustainable but even worse - that number continues to grow. With the news that is now OK for the President to target Americans abroad via drone attacks - why not use this new approval to help solve the debt problem?

The US government could sell television rights for all drone attacks. That could raise millions upon millions of dollars. The winning network could use the exclusive to bolster prime-time viewing. Breaking in with no notice for 15-minute Death from the Skies specials. Viewers would have to keep tuned in to the network as to not miss any live gruesome details.

If the money from the broadcast rights was not enough then the government could run quarterly "auctions" where people could bid on the target of their choice. The winning bid and target would be secret until the mission was complete. The government would have 90-days to complete the hit or have to return half the money. The name of the target would then be made public so they might have incentive to win the next auction (driving up the price and driving down the debt!).

This could also drive all sorts of accompanying business. For instance the folks from Code Pink could rent themselves out as human shields like they did for Saddam Hussein before the first Iraq War.

This idea has potential.

Budweiser Upside-down Clown

My favorite Super Bowl commercial of all-time. It only ran once because it was so disturbing (and funny).

My numbers today are Baltimore 2 and San Fran 5 - which is my way of saying I have no chance to win my pool.

Dolph Lundgren - Awesome

Dolph Lundgren is awesome in this video. Such a talented guy.

Seriously. Dolph Lundgren - talented guy.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Is it bad that when I heard of the passing of Ed Koch my first thought was that Abe Vigoda had outlived another one... The Geico commercial with the pretty girl interested in going parking with the baby pig is perhaps the most disturbing thing on TV. But as a silver lining at least she wasn't parking with the Geico caveman... Wow - NYC Mayor Ed Koch put Daniel Pearl's last words on his gravestone... Loved the premiere episode of The Americans but I kept confusing Matthew Rhys with James McAvoy who played Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class... This was one of the funniest moments from 30 Rock... The Red Sox picking Ryan Kalish over Josh Reddick isn't exactly like picking Tim Naehring over Jeff Bagwell but it isn't good either... Stop it evolution - you're embarrassing yourself...

Baseball's Groundhog Month

Today may be Groundhog Day but February is Groundhog month as far as baseball is concerned.

Starting around this time of year you can count on 6 weeks of stories concerning Scott Boras talking about mystery teams interested in in remaining free agent clients. So start getting used to stories about Michael Bourn, Kyle Lohse and Rafael Soriano having interest from un-named teams. Also get used to stories about 10-year MLB veterans talking about coming to camp in the best shape of their lives.

Every single year.

Groundhog month all over again.

Red Sox Managers as James Bond Actors

I was thinking the other day that if Terry Francona was a James Bond actor he'd be Sean Connery. He's the bar for which all subsequent Boston managers will be measured. Red Sox fans are waiting to see if John Farrell can handle the role as Boston manager as well as a Roger Moore or a Pierce Brosnan or a Daniel Craig handled the Bond role. Everyone hopes he's not going to be a Timothy Dalton (though to be fair to Dalton - I've liked him in everything he's done except Bond movies).

Of course there's no question that Bobby Valentine was the George Lazenby of Red Sox managers. A one year mistake that is best left forgotten.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing.

- Wow - Boston at night under a cover of fog from space.

- Cool words - 7 common words and their much lesser known relatives

- Big Hemingway fan - very interesting that the six word story tale about Hemingway turns out to be made up

- Best science books of 2012

- Pee Wee Herman biking skin-suit - I would so wear this to the movie theater

- Never thought about this because I just assumed it would be too dangerous - how long could you safely swim in a spent nuclear fuel pool?

- The Periodic Table of Twitter

- Another reason not to outlaw guns

Lance Armstrong is a Creep

This is awesome.

Lance Armstrong is a creep.

Then and Now

The world really has changed and sometimes its not for the better. That is the thought that has been stuck with me for about a week now. To illustrate why - let's take a look at a player comparison:

Player A - .331 BA / .417 OBP / .559 SLG / .976 OPS / 159 OPS+
Player B - .312 BA / .411 OBP / .585 SLG / .996 OPS / 154 OPS+

Both players seem pretty similar - right? How about the other numbers?

Player A - 3026 G / 3630 H / 1949 R / 475 HR / 1951 RBI
Player B - 2302 G / 2574 H / 1544 R / 555 HR / 1831 RBI

Player B was able to amass more HR and almost the same RBI production despite player more than 700 fewer games than Player A. I think that fact tells you very much about the days each player spent their careers. Very telling.

Player A is Stan "the Man" Musial who recently passed away. Player B is Manny Ramirez. I almost feel dirty for making this player comparison because as players Musial was on a very different plain than Manny. And as persons - the two weren't even in the same universe.

The comparison just stuck in my mind. And it made me sad for how some changes are not for the better.

Def Leppard - Rocket

You don't hear this song much anymore. I always wondered if they made this song with strippers in mind.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

When Tom Brady is all done - his number of playoffs wins will be untouchable like Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak. Untouchable... This is funny because its true!... The Big Bang Theory should do "very special" episodes but instead of tackling social issues they should tackle science topics like the Higgs Boson... This man was a true bad ass... Stunt Custard would be a good name for a band... This store called - they are all out of Lance Armstrong... A factor that shouldn't be overlooked in today's Patriots game is the wind at Foxboro. The wind has been pretty strong these past few days and it could effect long passes and the kicking game. The wind should give the Patriots an additional advantage today... Holy crap - there are whales alive today that were born before Moby Dick was written. I also take the fact that there are no white bowhead whales alive as proof that the end of Moby Dick was a murder-suicide....

Playing the Middle

One of my favorite sports bets is called playing the middle. And this Sunday's Patriots / Ravens game seems like a perfect time to do it. Here's how it works - playing the middle is actually 4 bets - in this case you would take:

Tease Patriots -8.5 with the over 51
Tease Patriots -8.5 with the under 51
Tease Ravens +8.5 with the over 51
Tease Ravens +8.5 with the under 51

A tease gives you six points so the Patriots would only have to win by 2.5 (less than a field goal), the over would become 45, the under would become 57 and the Ravens would be getting 14.5 points (more than 2 touchdowns). You are guaranteed to win at least one of the 4 bets so if you bet $100 on each bet the most you could lose is $200 but with the middle there's a very good chance you win all 4 bets and pocket $400.

So let it be written - so let it be done.

Two Things I Do Not Care About

I really don't care about Lance Armstrong and his baring of his soul to Oprah looking for redemption. I also really don't care about Manti Te'o and his imaginary girlfriend.

What Armstrong did in the Tour de France - drugs or no drugs - was incredible. But really who cares about the Tour de France? Does anyone think that Armstrong was the only cheater in those races? From most accounts it seems like Armstrong is a real jerkface in real life so why would I want to get emotionally involved with his story? The only thing I'm slightly curious about is whether he was taking steroids prior to his cancer diagnosis and if his taking steroids may have caused his cancer in the first place.

As far as Manti Te'o - caring about the girlfriends of college kids isn't borderline creepy - its creepy. So we are starting off at creepy - and we are getting worse from there. Either the kid was trusting and was completely duped or he has emotional issues and was involved in the hoax. Either way it doesn't end well. And if this story really doesn't end well - how good are you going to feel about yourself for laughing at all those Manti Te'o jokes? I already feel guilty for participating.

Because I don't care about these stories I will be avoiding sport talk radio for the next few days. Sunday and the Patriots victory over the Ravens can't come soon enough for me.

Bad Lip Reading - NFL Version

These are awesome!

Patriots Office

Fascinating look at how the New England Patriots offensive scheme evolved and works.

Article can get pretty technical at times. I wish more articles did that.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Here's a question that has bothered me these past few days - if Superman grew a beard would there be a razor blade on Earth that would be strong enough to shave his beard? If no - why is it Superman always appears clean shaven?... Very cool photo of an arctic forest in Finland... Part of me wants to Yankees to sign former San Fran closer Brian Wilson just so Wilson would have to shave his freaking beard.... Also very cool - DC Justice League  superhero currency... Tom Brady broke Joe Montana's record for playoff wins on Sunday but you don't hear anyone talking about it. Low key - successful. I have no doubt in my mind that if Brady was the QB of the Broncos on Saturday that Denver would have rolled over Baltimore. Does anyone disagree with that?... Dan Le Bartard's piece on Jason Taylor should be must reading for any NFL fan...

Mike Napoli

I hope the Red Sox finally sign Mike Napoli. My guess is that the two sides settle on a two-year deal with a vesting third year plus language that protects the Red Sox in case the hip injury puts Napoli on the 60-day DL during the first two-years.

Having said that - I do wonder about how well Napoli's physical condition is known in baseball. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if Napoli's hip had as much to him getting traded by the Angels as his conflict with manager Mike Scioscia? Did Toronto do a quick turn-around on Napoli and trade him to the Rangers because they finally got their hands on his full physicals? Did the Rangers not give Napoli a qualifying offer because they didn't think his hip would last the season? The longer this drags out the stranger it becomes.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Not sure about you but I'll never be able to eat Honey Nut Cheerios again without thinking dirty thoughts because of Kevin Garnett's comments to Carmelo Anthony... Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha - hero... The power of over the top video - more people have watched Mad Men on Netflix than on AMC. Think about that for a minute... I will buy Donald Rumsfeld's new book. Absolutely!... To be fair - most men can't do anything without thinking dirty thoughts. As Larry Miller said, "if women knew what men were really thinking - they would never stop slapping us"... Ha ha - this is great (though to be fair not original)... Brock Holt (I know - who the heck is Brock Holt) will wear number 26 for the Red Sox. Last year Scott Podsenik wore Wade Boggs old number for the Sox. Anyone who thinks Boston will retire that number hasn't been paying attention... Has anyone looked into how zombies affect Estate Planning? Would you be able to avoid Death Taxes if you just declared the passed loved one to be a zombie? ...

Interesting Viewpoint on The Hobbit

Very interesting look at The Hobbit. Must reading for any JRR Tolkien geeks.

The idea that Gandalf was interested in the quest of the dwarfs mainly to rid Middle Earth of Smaug before the coming war with Sauron is interesting. Wonder if Tolkien even thought of that aspect?

Tristan Prettyman - My Oh My

Me likey!

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Very cool - having to pound the bottom of a bottle of ketchup or stick a knife in it may be thing of the past. MIT - tackling the really important matters in life!

- Just how small is an atom? Fascinating stuff!

- What people fear vs what they really should be afraid of.

- This is absolutely awesome! The attention spotlight and the art of picking pockets. You could watch this in super slow-motion and still be tricked by this guy.

- I guess the name Guinness is verbotten on The Travel Channel. I watched this last night and thought how stupid it was.

Jack Morris vs Dave Stieb Hall of Fame Debate

Very interesting argument that Dave Stieb and not Jack Morris was the "best pitcher of the 80's." The argument that Jack Morris was the best pitcher of his era is what most of his apologists fall back on when Morris' pedestrian numbers are exposed.

I also agree that neither pitcher deserves enshrinement.

I will also add that Luis Tiant belongs in the Hall way before Jack Morris. Tiant had a 3.30 ERA to Morris' 3.90 and a 114 ERA+ to Morris' 105.

Josh McDaniels

There were 7 open NFL head coaching positions when Josh McDaniels announced that he would not be available to interview for any of them. Some people in Boston took that as evidence that McDaniels is somehow going to replace Bill Belichick as the next coach of the New England Patriots. After thinking about it - I think the answer is just a whole lot simpler than that.

Josh McDaniels is just happy where he is.

McDaniels gets to coach one of the top 3 QB's in NFL history. He gets to learn from one of the top 3 coaches in NFL history. And the guy who signs his paychecks just may be the best owner in all of professional sports - Robert Kraft. Throw in the fact that McDaniels is probably very well paid by the Patriots and that the team is perennial Super Bowl contenders - why would McDaniels want to change from that?

Also consider that if McDaniels did interview and get an NFL job - no matter what job it was at least 50% of the fan base would say they wanted someone different. Then you'd have the Tim Tebow speculation. There would be a deluge of "should or will McDaniels trade for Tebow" talk. Finally - McDaniels is not in a position to demand a long-term deal or demand years of runway space to get "his" program going. In New England he can stay as long as he wants.

Why would Josh McDaniels interview for any of those open NFL teams?

Notre Dame vs Alabama

Pat Forde has a very interesting look at the historical rivalry between Notre Dame and Alabama. Good stuff.

I did not know that Bear Bryant was 0-4 against the Fighting Irish. That must really stick in the craw of many Tide fans. I also give Forde credit for mentioning "Catholics vs Cousins" but in addition he should have mentioned the even funnier "Golden Domers vs Mobile Homers" T-shirts.

Linky Links

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

- Very interesting look at the Spanish Influenza of 1918. I'm always amazed that something that was as devastating as the two world wars combined is so little remembered - and it is scary to know that science doesn't know why or how it happened.

- Fireworks are more interesting backwards.

- Heh heh - Merry Christmas to you too

- Dennis and Callahan have outlived their usefulness. Would not be surprised to see them replaced by Mike and Mike.

- A beautiful girl and a hula hoop - freaking awesome!

New Year's Resolutions

I don't look at these as "resolutions" so much as addressing some of my "life leaks". People tend to keep their New Year's resolutions until they break them while fixing life leaks are items you know need improvement and you also know that every once and a while you will fall back to bad habits. (The term "leaks" is a poker terms and refers to flaws in your play or money management.)

1. No more Keno. I play Keno just as entertainment but I know it is a waste of money and I sick of losing that money to a state that squanders it.

2. No more drinking while by myself. And before you start thinking - wow I didn't know Chris was an alcoholic - what I'm referring to in specific is two situations I often find myself in. A: my gym (Worcester Fitness) has a very good bar and often after a workout I will stop in for a beer or two (and maybe 10 games of Keno). No reason for me not to switch to water or diet Coke in those situations. B: often I will go out for lunch or dinner by myself and order or a beer or two (or three or four). Also a situation where a switch to water or diet Coke would be easy. Do want to note that my love of beer is not diminished. I just want to drop a few pounds and this change should help.

3. Like Big Stupid Tommy - a book a week is also on my list. I will take it one step further and try to also do a review of that book here in this space as extra internal incentive to actually get it done.

New Year's Day Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations on New Year's Day.

I have to wonder who has the more reliable medical reports at this point - Hugo Chavez or Hillary Clinton?... Too Big to Fail would have been a great name for a biography of Andre the Giant.. I agree with Chad Finn that Josh McDaniels refusing to interview for any of the open NFL head-coaching jobs probably indicates that he thinks he may Bill Belichick's eventual successor in Foxboro. I'm completely comfortable with that idea (though I hope its years away)... Tim Tebow would have been so much better off if he had just taken 2012 off from the NFL and instead did missionary work in the Philippines... If the day after Christmas can be called Boxing Day - why can't the day after New Year's Eve be called Hangover Day?... Anchorman II should be called Tits McGee - The Reckoning...