13 Hours

Saw 13 Hours over the weekend. It was a very good movie and things got a little dusty for me at the end. I agree with John Krasinski that the movie is first and foremost about the men involved. I kept asking myself, "Where do we find such men?"

However, just as a casual movie-goer the fact that the words "President Obama", "Barack Obama", "Secretary Clinton" or "Hillary Clinton" were never said or appeared on screen in the movie seemed like a willful omission. You cannot show the White House on the screen and not wonder what the President was doing during those 13-hours.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is well worth your time to see in the theaters.

Blizzard of 78

With the threat of all this snow - I thought it a good time to re-post my memories of the Blizzard of 78 which remains the blizzard against which all other blizzards are measured in New England. 

At the time of the Blizzard of 78, I was almost 12. I remember the time as being a time of lots of snow, no school and of financial opportunity. 

I grew up in the inner city part of Worcester - near Clark University. Where I lived we had neighborhoods of immigrants (mostly Irish, Greek and French Canadian) and college students. We weren't rich (hardly) but there were plenty of kids in the neighborhood and we were never bored. 

The snow was a financial windfall for me and my friends because we would roam the neighborhoods shoveling out people for money. If I recall correctly, it was normally $5 for a car and $10 for a driveway and front walk. Many of us had regular customers and it was fairly easy to find college students who either didn't have a shovel of their own or who would just rather not do the work themselves. 

There wasn't any off-campus parking to speak of and most Clark students with cars would park on the street. When the plows cleared the streets - these cars were left under 3 feet of snow. Looking back, if I was a college student then - I would have paid a kid $5 to shovel my car too. 

Back then (and the custom still remains throughout New England today) once a spot on the street was cleared - a folding chair or some other placekeeper would be placed in the spot when the person drove off. Pity the fool who took someone else's spot. It was not uncommon to see people break the windows of trespassers, blockade them in or cover the car in twice as much snow as had been removed in the first place. 

The Blizzard of 78 was also a time of great fun. 

The most popular activities were "snagging", sledding and throwing snowballs at cars. Each of these activities deserve some comment because they can easily be misunderstood when placed into today's context. 

Snagging was my favorite and I plan a post again soon just on the art of snagging. In other parts of the country snagging was also known as "skitching" or bumper riding. Basically, you would sneak behind a car, crouch down and grab the bumper and then ski away as the car pulled off. It was great! Snagging is one of those activities that most of the people from my generation and geography did but that is no longer done by today's generation (lots of reasons that I'll probably address in a longer post). I'll suffice it to say that I loved snagging.

Sledding is pretty common but it should be noted that we didn't sled with any of the plastic type sleds or inner-tube types they use today. We had the wooden sleds with the red metal runners. Every year at least one kid from the neighborhood broke an arm or a leg sledding. It was less safe but somehow more fun. 

Throwing snowballs at cars is something I hesitate to mention in case my kids read this but it's what we did. Like snagging - this is another activity that has gone the way of the dinosaur now that kids have more entertainment options. 

I know that "throwing snowballs at cars" must sound awful to some people but to us it was like a sport. It had certain rules. No old ladies (you would get a "white wash" for hitting an old lady's car - even if on accident). If a person was driving alert to the possibility of getting hit - they were normally left alone. We looked for people who were driving oblivious to their surroundings. Jarring them back to reality was good fun. Buses were great because they were big targets and the drivers were prohibited from stopping the bus and giving chase to us pesky kids. Oblivious drivers with a window cracked open because they were smoking a cigarette were the best. A good throw would hit the top of the window and at least half of the snowball would get the driver. 

Probably the most memorable thing I did during the Blizzard of 78 was to jump from my friend's second floor balcony onto the snow drifts below. We would do this over and over until we got tired or bored. 

Like I said - I know to many people this stuff will sound awful but it was what my childhood was like and I offer no apologies. 

Linky Links

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

- Because nothing says Happy Valentine's Day like a hissing cockroach

- Very cool - Donald Rumsfeld has a Churchill Solitaire app

- Matt Hendricks gives new meaning to the phrase "cock blocked"

- Breathtaking - the aurora and the Pacific Northwest via NASA

- Wow - after reading this whole article I came away thinking Bill and Hillary Clinton are just plain evil.

The Illegitimacy of Aragorn’s Claim to the Throne

Was Aragorn the legitimate heir to the throne of Gondor? Pure gold for any LOTR geek. 

I have to disagree with the conclusion though. My main two reasons for believing Aragon was the true King were the facts that:

A) Elrond believed him to be King (and he knew Aragon's dad). In fact believed him enough to allow Aragon to marry his daughter Arwen (not something he'd do for some ordinary mortal slub).

B) the King of the Dead recognized him as the true King and Aragon was able to release the dead and hold their oaths fulfilled. That's something only the true King could have done.

I do agree that the political succession process of Middle Earth was batshit insane. But was it any more batshit than making whoever can pull a sword from a stone king or be granted supreme executive power just because a watery tart threw a sword at you?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Tom Brady and the Patriots are 3-0 in the playoffs versus the top regular season defense. In those games the Pats average 31 points. The Broncos were the top regular season defense this season.... Jamie Foxx is the man (but what about the un-named off work EMT who was even more important to the successful rescue?)... Come on - just one taste... I think it is beyond hypocritical for any state that participates in a lottery to ban people from playing daily fantasy sports... Heh heh... Meat Slurry would be a good name for a band. Or for a companion entree to Golden Corral's Chocolate Waterfall... Perspective - if you had a minute of silence for each person killed in the Holocaust you would have to be silent for eleven and a half years... Add Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River to the places I want to visit... How great would it be if someone replaced Stephen Hawking's computer voice with the voice of Emo Phillips?... President Obama's foreign policy in a nutshell - he attended the funeral of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah but skipped the funeral of Britain's Margaret Thatcher...

Two Simple Rules for Men

Very good life advice.

Linky Links

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

- Heh heh

- Cool David Bowie story

- Speaking of Bowie - he was the invisible New Yorker

- Dan Quayle would have been crucified for this

- This just scratches the surface regarding the planetary physics issues I had with Star Wars: The Force Awakens

- A reminder of how Ronald Reagan would have dealt with Iran for what they did

- Star Wars humor

- Star Wars humor II

Alan Rickman

I'd be remiss not mentioning the passing of the great Alan Rickman. He burst onto the public's consciousness as Hans Gruber but is probably best remembered as Professor Snape. Rickman's death comes shortly after the passing of David Bowie. If I were 69-years old, famous and British - I'd be nervous right about now. Accordingly I'm guessing Elton John and former Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May probably scheduled doctor's appointments this week.

Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe remembers Rickman as a great friend. Movie and TV critic Alan Sepinwall had a nice summary of Rickman's career and impact.

Alan Rickman was so great he could even make having a simple cup of tea something awesome! Also as an aside - here's Benedict Cumberbatch doing Alan Rickman singing Candle in the Wind.

Origin of the Poolroom

Back in the day before state run lotteries - local bookies would run numbers games and these tickets for the "pool" were often sold in a "poolroom". The numbers would be drawn once or twice a day and in order to fill the time between drawings - the operators at many locations put in billiards tables. Billiards was changed or Americanized by adding pockets and creating the game pocket billiards which we now know simply as pool.

Cinderella

The story Cinderella was written in 1699 by a Frenchman named Charles Perrault. In the original story, Cinderella wore slippers made of squirrel fur but when the book was translated into English the word "vair" (squirrel fur) was mistranslated as "verre" (glass) and the rest is history.

Roulette

Did you know that if you added together all the numbers on a roulette wheel (1 to 36) – that the total would be the number 666? Yes roulette is an evil game. You cannot play roulette and expect to make money (it’s almost as bad as playing Keno).

You can play roulette for fun. Here is what I would suggest as a way to enjoy roulette without getting too hurt in the wallet or pocketbook. (I originally read about this method in Cigar Aficionado magazine.)

Get $40 worth of chips and pick five numbers. Play $1 on each of the five numbers for 8 spins. Even if you never hit a number – you would have only lost $40 but will have had about a half hour worth of excitement (and maybe one comped drink).

If you hit a number – then double your bets to $2. Remember to quit after 8 spins of the wheel. Now the most you could possibly lose is $38 (you can use that $2 to tip your waitress). If you hit a second time – double your remaining bets to $4. Now you are guaranteed to win at least $26. If you hit a third time – then you can pay for a nice steak dinner with martinis. Just remember to quit after 8 spins. Get up and look around the casino – the worst thing you can do is just sit at a table forever – because at some point you’ll run out of money.

New English National Anthem

England is thinking about adopting a new national anthem to replace God Save the Queen to be played before sporting events and also I would assume during medal presentations. I really like the idea of England adopting David Bowie's Heroes as their new anthem. The lyrics actually work pretty well for sporting events.



Let me also repeat my belief that American should adopt Free Bird as our new national anthem.

Linky Links

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

- Heh heh - Bill James predicted a Donald Trump Presidential campaign back in 2001.

- 7 potential health reasons why coffee is good for you

- How Mark Cuban actually became a billionaire (it wasn't Powerball)

- Tim Tebow is a fantastic human being

- David Bowie's 100 favorite books

- Tom Brady and "playing catch"

Darrelle Revis

With all the Patriots All-Pro players this season being home grown - you would think that fans would finally give Bill Belichick the benefit of the doubt as GM. Yet some people still whine about the Pats not bringing back Darrelle Revis despite a full season of evidence that New England absolutely made the right choice to let Revis walk.

Pro Football Focus' cornerback rankings also prove the Pats made the right choice.

In Bill We Trust.

The Bill and Tony Show

Recently some exchanges between American President Bill Clinton and English Prime Minister Tony Blair were declassified. Some of them are downright hilarious.

This is my absolute favorite.

This is my second favorite.

Here's another one.

And here's another one.

And the American public wonders why BBC dramas always seem to portray American politicians as cartoonish.

EDIT: Some of these may or may not be spoofs.

David Bowie

I liked David Bowie's music but didn't LOVE his music. I mourn more the loss of a public figure who was so obviously intelligent and in possession of such a top shelf sense of humor (those types of people seem to very rare theses days). This article seems to reflect my feelings on the passing of Bowie (except I wasn't a bully and the person who made me re-think Bowie was my daughter and not a co-worker).

Stories like how Bowie took up boxing help to show both how multi-layered the man was but also how generous he was with his time and curiosity.

It also had to be said that Bowie's death seems to hit so many so hard because it came out of the blue. Despite the fact that he was diagnosed with cancer more than 18-months ago - very few were aware of it. His health, privacy and circumstance were truly his own. He died with undenied class and style. The same way he lived his life.

EDIT: This video helps illustrate just how smart and funny a man David Bowie was.

Linky Links

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

- Wise words from Frank Zappa

- Interesting long read on the seriously messed up 1982 draft by the Tampa Bay Bucs

- On the other end of the spectrum - how Red Auerbach assembled the 1986 Celtics starting five. Did not know about the Ralph Sampson angle. There should be a follow up on how Red put together the bench because it was perhaps the greatest bench in NBA history.

- Fantastic look into why daily fantasy sports sites are for suckers

- The "economic bomb" Saudi Arabia faces because of low oil prices

- Heh heh

- John Stuart Mill was a fascinating character (and this review of his biography is so long that reading the book might not be necessary)

- Heh heh - Denmark has had enough of Bernie Sanders

- This picture of Pete Rose cannot be unseen

- Maybe HGH does stand for "head growth hormone"

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Going to do one of those payday loans today and spend all the money on Powerball tickets! What? No I don't need a financial adviser! Why do you ask?... Heh heh... If you watch the movie To Kill a Mockingbird backwards - it is the story of a black man brought back from the dead to break up some furniture (not sure it this was original to me)... Stephen Tobolowski tells the best stories... Speaking of movies - still amazed that role in Airplane! that went to Leslie Nielsen was originally offered to Christopher Lee... This is a pretty handy tool... Salad bars really should be re-named "vegetable buffets"... The ultimate US road trip... Has anyone made the "I'm skinny legs Peyton Manning and I have cable" and "I'm jacked up on HGH Peyton Manning and I have DirecTV" joke yet?... Interesting... Now that Brian Urlacher has all that hair - if he really grows it out would the Vikings offer him the job of Ragnar?... Best explanation of high school football I've read... I don't care how good the show Making a Murderer might be - I'm not going to invest 10-hours of my time in something that will just make me angry... Navy ship to be named after Medal of Honor winner Hershel "Woody" Williams...

My Top Movies of 2015

This post was inspired by Stephen Silver ranking the movies he saw in 2015. He saw 162 films last year - I saw much, much fewer. Anyways - here's my rankings of the movies I saw in 2015:

1. Mad Max Fury Road - start to finish just what you wanted from a turn off your brain and enjoy the thrill ride expectations.
2. Ant-Man - really enjoyed this (even saw it twice in theaters)
3. Kingsman: The Secret Service - thought this movie was surprisingly fun and action packed.
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - just thought the movie was OK. Not a huge fanboy and the planetary physics bugged me (still do)
5. Road Hard - this Adam Carolla flick was the best comedy I saw in 2015
6. Trainwreck - was OK. Not in my Top 10 comedies of all-time or anything (and I suspect we may look back at this as the point where Amy Schumer ceased to be funny)
7. Winning: the Racing Life of Paul Newman - Newman was an exemplar of what every man should strive to be like
8. The Wrecking Crew - I have a soft spot for rock documentaries
9. Avengers: Age of Ultron - I had such high expectations too
10. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
11. Going Clear - Scientology is so creepy
12. Call Me Lucky - Barry Crimmins touching story
13. Tig - I watch some comedy specials multiple times - not this one

I also walked out of the movie The Drop because I thought it was awful. Have some friends who say the ending was worth the slow build. I wanted to see but missed Ex Machina. Black Mass was on my list of movies I wanted to see but friends said if you read the book the movie was a disappointment.

Any movies that came out in 2015 that you think are must-sees?

EDIT: left off two movies.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If Milan Lucic was still with the Bruins - his 23 points would put him 6th on the team in scoring... Heh heh... Beats at the Heart of Chaos would be a good name for a band or for a retro Beatnik coffee bar... At some point I'm going to type "Norwegian Beaver Cheese" into the search box on PornHub and RedTube just to see what videos come up... In the future the word "distaff" will be replaced by the word "nodick" because people in the future will be stupid... Two months later and the NFL still doesn't have anything to report on the Andrew Luck injury "report"... I'm going to have business cards printed up that say "Chris Lynch - Public Intellectual" because why not?... If I were President - I would pardon Bill Cosby if he he agreed to kill that super annoying Dr Pepper vendor guy from all the bowl game commercials... How you all probably feel about me for typing that last bit about Bill Cosby... I might be in the minority on this but I feel that women who get their periods during the December holiday season should be made to wear Krampus masks...

PED's and the HOF

"Anyone found or admitted, I think you traded your money and numbers... for your [Hall of Fame] vote." Mike Lowell

I agree 100% with Mike Lowell. Barry Bonds made over $188 million, Roger Clemens made over $150 million and Mark McGwire made over $74 million in MLB contracts. These players were able to get these mega-buck contracts because PED's allowed them to put up bigger numbers and play more years than if they tried to do things the right way - the legal way. They traded their Hall of Fame vote for the money and the numbers - it's that simple. Will I feel bad when these players come up short in getting elected to the HoF? Not in the least.

The players I feel sympathy for are the guys like Fred McGriff who everyone thinks played the game the right way. McGriff finished his career with 493 HR which will be just under what is needed for election to the Hall. McGriff suffers because his power numbers pale in comparison to a guy like McGwire and his 583 HR.

Linky Links

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

- Donald Trump's rally in Massachusetts made me think of this.

- Heh heh - don't do drugs

- Still one of my favorite commercials

- Cool - you can own your own personal hobbit hole

- I have nothing to add either. Picture says it all.

- 2015 Outdoor Photographer of the year photos

- Cargill fires 200 Muslim workers over prayer dispute. A business is a business first.Also pretty sure those jobs were filled pretty quickly.

- Are we sure this isn't a Craig's List ad? "Anybody butt rump?" could be some kinky butt stuff.

Dear Mister Kraft

Dear Mister Kraft,

It has now been three years in a row that I have come to Miami to watch the Patriots play the Dolphins. And for the past three years in a row the New England Patriots have been the better team yet have lost each time. How can this be explained? I know that there have been many factors that have gone into each loss but it has to be faced that I am a consistent factor. That cannot be denied.

As a big Patriots fan I do not want the team to lose again next season when both I and the team venture down to South Florida. That's why, as a big fan of the team, I am making you this offer - pay me $10,000 and I will stay away from the game next year. I will use the money you pay me to go somewhere else. Maybe the Florida Keys or maybe Grand Cayman Island instead.

This will be a sacrifice on my part because other than having my Sunday ruined by a Patriots loss - I really enjoy my trips down here. The weather's great and the Dolphin fans are almost quaint with the way that they and the team seem fixated on 1972. I also have to say that I think the Miami team is cursed by their choice of an awful team theme song.

So Mister Kraft - what do you say? $10,000 is a small price to pay to eliminate one of the potential issues that might be keeping your team from winning an important AFC East divisional game. It really is a small price to pay for a $1 billion organization - don't you think?

I await your reply,

Sincerely

Chris Lynch

Winter Classic

Go Bruins!

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton has just two things on his mind today.... The two college football playoff games.

ALR: Mister President thank you for joining us this morning. I understand you are a big college football fan. Who do you like in today's Oklahoma vs Clemson matchup?

BC: Good to be here Chris. I woke up this morning craving melons for breakfast and now I'm craving some football. My first inclination was toward Clemson because I thought the coach's name was Yabbos Sweeney but I was mistaken. I know "Big Game" Bob Stoops is just 8-8 in bowl games in his career but I think the Sooners win this one. I'm giving the 4 points (though I'm hoping I get a line of -3.5 so I can buy half a point).

ALR: And the Alabama vs. Michigan State game?

BC: It may surprise some folks that Nick Saban is also just 8-8 straight up and against the spread in bowl games but here's the thing - Saban really brings his milk shakes to the yard when playing against former assistants. It's like me running an election against Al Gore (who is a real boob and not the good type of boob). I like the Crimson Tide even though 10 is a lot of pompoms to be giving up.

ALR: Good luck Mister President.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If ESPN's Chris Mortensen was asked to sit on a jury on a case involving Peyton Manning - he'd have to be recused because he's a longtime friend. Yet we are supposed to think he's objective when it come to Peyton's reputed HGH usage... Excelsior! Stan Lee turned 93 yesterday... Is the brain "affected" by alcohol or "effected" by alcohol? Or both?... Manning's doctor is famous for his HGH therapy but we are supposed to believe he was going to him for other treatments... The Ewoks are dead. All of them... Words in a Cunning Order would be a good name for a blog - or a publishing company... My favorite part of the Manning story is now whenever Peyton gets mad at anyone - people can immediately ascribe it to "Roid Rage"... Touching stories of George W. Bush visiting soldiers in the hospital... So does Manning retire at the end of the season with this HGH story hanging over his head or does he try to stay on and dare the Broncos to cut him?... I'm an awful person for laughing at this...

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning has never used HGH or broken any NFL rules ever. He is a great person of integrity is is beloved in America as witnessed by the large number of commercials he does. Praise be his name. Also Bill Cosby did not rape those women. - Baghdad Bob ESPN Spokesman

Retirement

Three articles on retirement - two from former pro athletes and one on David Letterman. Interesting perspectives:

- Joey Harrington looks back on his NFL career.

- Shane Battier is trying to transition from his NBA career to the next challenge

- David Letterman makes me want to move to Whitefish, Montana

Flotsam and Jetsam

Some day after Christmas miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Saw the new Star Wars movie last night. Let's just say that I'm still bothered by some of the liberties the movie took with the laws of planetary physics... Just so I'm clear on all of this - according to the Clintons oral sex isn't sex and according to Donald Trump schlong doesn't mean dick. Gotcha... Why Nova Scotia sends Boston a Christmas tree every year... Years after the original Star Wars movie came out it was retitled as "A New Hope". I think years from now this current Star Wars movie will be retitled as "The New Reboot"... Heh Heh... People like to diminish Bill Belichick's abilities as a GM but it should be noted that all seven of the players from the Patriots to be named to the Pro Bowl were either drafted by the team or signed as undrafted free agents. That's a pretty good accomplishment... The new laziness... Hope everyone had a great Christmas. If you want to know what issues I had with the new Star Wars movie - I'd be happy to let you know in the comments section (spoiler alert obviously)...

Top 5 - Best Versions of Dickens' A Christmas Carol

1. Scrooge - with Alastair Sim
2. A Christmas Carol - with Patrick Stewart
3. Mickey's Christmas Carol
4. The Muppet Christmas Carol
5. Scrooged - with Bill Murray

Christmas Flotsam and Jetsam

Christmastime miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

What has ruined Christmas music more for you? Radio stations that start playing Christmas songs 24/7 since Thanksgiving or Yoko Ono's back-up "singing" on John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War is Over)... A very touching Christmas Bloom County... Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Pud Galvin was born Christmas 1856. He was nicknamed Pud because he made hitters look like "pudding" at the plate. Not because he was a dick... Dear Jack Edwards - we wish you a merry Christmas too... History factoid: The official signal for the scramble to evacuate the US Embassy in Saigon 40-years ago was the playing of Bing Crosby's White Christmas... They were trying to kill each other again the next day...

Top 5 - Otters in US History

Here are what I consider to be the Top 5 Otters in US history. Otter from Animal House did not make the list because he's fictional. List in reverse order of significance:

5. Obadiah Otter - he was a curious otter who happened upon the Donner Party in 1846. These were the first humans Obadiah ever encountered and as it worked out also the last. He is historically significant because he kept the Donner Party from resorting to cannibalism (for an additional 36 hours).

4. Jeremiah Otter - his wife and adopted son were killed by a Crow Indian raiding party. He spent the rest of his life tracking down Crow Indians and ripping out their necks while they slept. He became a Rockie Mountain legend and some say a myth. Some even say he's up in those mountains still.

3.  Sergeant York Otter - while it was widely reported that the Navy experimented with strapping bombs to dolphins it is lesser known that the Army had a similar project utilizing otters. Sergeant York Otter was named after the WWI hero and died during a training accident.

2. Sacajawea Otter - the only female otter on the list. She was the mascot of the Lewis and Clark expedition party until she was killed by Meriwether Lewis and her pelt was exchanged for some corn meal.

1. Bedford Otter - this otter is significant because as a youth he used to live in a pond in Bedford Falls and one winter when he was young he was poking around under the ice to the point where he caused a few cracks.  These cracks broke when a young Harry Bailey was sledding onto the ice. In one timeline Harry's older brother George was able to save Harry but in another timeline George wasn't around to save Harry. In a third less publicized timeline - Bedford Otter didn't nose around under the ice and Harry never fell into the icy waters. In that timeline George Bailey was a whole lot less necessary to the happiness of Bedford Falls.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I think the NFL should stand firm and suspend Odell Beckham Jr. for this Sunday's game... WFT? Actor Nicolas Cage agrees to return stolen skull of dinosaur Tyrannosaurus bataar to Mongolia...  I'm starting to think Leonardo DiCaprio is "protesting too much" that he didn't get "raped" by a bear. Was it consensual?... Nice math trick - if you divide 1 by 998,001 you get all three digit numbers from 000 to 999 in order... Speaking of dinosaurs - Plesiosaurs may have swum like penguins... Black Hermione would be a great name for a band... "Ball Peen Hammer" sounds like it could be a sex act from the Urban Dictionary. Is "peen" ever used in any other phrase?... Yes this is the GIF of the year...  I should note that I'm in a Fantasy Football final and I'm playing against a guy who is starting Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. Suspend the bastard!...

Christmas Greetings from Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Awesome! I wonder if any reporters ask him if he's seen this yet?

Linky Links

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

- I agree with these proposed changes to NCAA sports. I would add one more though - all revenue from sports is taxable.

- I also agree with these - 10 rules of a Dublin Pub

- Heh heh

- Never noticed this

- Bowe Bergdahl "the Golden Chicken" should be shot

- Fixed State lotteries

- Doug Flutie's touching tribute to his parents who died an hour a part

- Cool - an octopus uses a coconut as armor

Flying Cars

This is so awesome! The Terrafugia TF-X. We were promised flying cars!

DeflateGate Update

The NFL is so tone deaf on how this appears.

I think if I was at the game and saw Mike Kensil - I would spit in his face. Sources tell Chris Mortensen that 11 of 12 Patriots fans would approve of my actions.

The NFL and the Concussion Protocols

So the NFL wants to fine teams that don't follow the concussion protocols. If I were the NFLPA I wouldn't fall for this. Just another power grab by Roger Goodell.

I have a better suggestion. If a team obviously doesn't follow the concussion protocols (like with what happened to Case Keenum earlier in the season) and a three doctor panel agrees - then the affected player gets his entire contract guaranteed. If a team suddenly feels like there could be salary cap implications in treating a player's health like a disposable commodity - then you would suddenly see a sharp change in how things are handled. Teams would be instantly erring on the side of caution (as they should anyway).

So let it be written so let it be done.

Donald Trump (with a British Accent)

Wow - kind of makes a big difference.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing.

- Today seems like a good time to revisit Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and Star Wars

- The news out of El Salvador is more much more interesting than stories about Trump

- An inside look at the workings of the MLB Winter Meetings

- The mysterious case of the severed feet in British Columbia

- Third party brief supports Brady vs NFL

- The wife of Pi

- Very cool - Google contact lenses

- Interesting - why some patients refuse the flu shot

- Should healthy people take an aspirin a day? Both sides of the debate.

- More celebrities read mean Tweets

- I would watch every second of a Celtics broadcast if Bill Burr was the announcer

- Brian Scalabrine - the 12th man of Christmas

Tom Brady and Politics

Dan Wetzel has a good take on Tom Brady and his relationship with Donald Trump. I agree with the idea that it is a no win situation for Brady and at the same time none of anyone's business.

If I owned the Patriots - here's how I would handle the situation:

First I would cancel all current press credentials. Then I would have all the "journalists" reapply but have to fill out a brief form. The form would ask, "What is your political affiliation?" "Who did you vote for in the last two Presidential elections?" "Who do you plan to vote for in the 2016 Presidential election?"

At the bottom of the form would be a box you can check that would say, "I'm not answering those questions. My politics or anyone's politics is nobody's business. I'm just here to cover football."

Then I'd only give credentials to people who checked the box.

Fairytale of New York

The best Christmas song ever! Now I'm in the holiday spirit!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Did not watch the GOP debate last night. I have no plans to watch any debates because it doesn't really matter and I have better things to do with my time... Nicely done LeBron. Nicely done... In the end the GOP candidate will be either Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz. I'm OK with either choice... Last night's debate was supposed to be on foreign policy. How come the media so eager to ask the GOP candidates questions on foreign policy are so silent on the failures of the current administration?.... My guess is that either Ben Carson or Carly Fiorina will be the choice for VP. I'm OK with either of those choices too... The sad reality of social media fame. I think you do things like this because you want to and enjoy it not because you want to get rich or famous. For instance I seek neither fame nor fortune via this blog (I make zero from this site). I just like writing down my thoughts to make more room for the voices in my head that are screaming, SCREAMING to be heard... This seems like a very common sense proposal by Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee... Holiday tip - as a joke when you go to a friend's home for a Christmas party replace the can of air freshener in the bathroom with a can of Raid. Your hostess will love you for it... Our allies the Saudis...

Linky Links

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

- The white guy in the Black Power salute photo from the 1968 Olympics was just as much a hero

- Yesterday was Dick Van Dyke's 90th birthday

- Heh heh

- Great story - Stephen Tobolowski on working with Steven Seagal on The Glimmer Man

- One badass grandma

- Pat McAfee is a good man

- When are suicide rates the highest? Not the holiday season

Army Navy Game

The Army helmets today are pretty cool too.

Who am I rooting for today? I think this pretty much sums up my sentiments.

Linky Links

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

- The X-37B is really cool but I would hesitate calling it secret if video of it exists on the Internet

- Cool - Santa's superpowers vs those of "traditional" superheroes

- Heh heh

- An oral history of The League

- Funny that this could even be considered plausible

Darth Trump

This is fantastic! Huuuge!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

[Shocked] Shelby Miller was worth all of that? [Scratching my head] Is Shelby Miller worth all that? This trade has a whiff of Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz to me except this is pre-season not during the season... Heh heh... The things you learn on the Internet: the difference between caramel and butterscotch is butterscotch contains brown sugar instead of white... This may be the only thing from Charles Schultz that actually made me chuckle (I'm a bad person)... How much money do you think it would take to get Peyton Manning to sing, "On the bench it feels so weird" in that State Farm jingle?... Neal Pert is retiring from drumming... Still not 100% convinced that the @realDonaldTrump Twitter feed isn't actually a parody account. It would explain so much... Holy shit! Wait for it!... Boston sports troll Dan Shaughnessy won the Spink Award which means he gets into the baseball Hall of Fame -  which means going to Cooperstown to rub my balls all over Shaughnessy's plaque just made my bucket list...

Larry Bird

Happy birthday to Larry Legend. The video above helps show why he's so beloved in Boston.

Pearl Harbor Day Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations on the 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

On this day 74 years ago Japan attacked the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor... Taking the President's example - Bill Belichick to blame Patriots loss to Eagles on Global Warming... Great moments in marketing history... Interestingly enough - after Pearl Harbor - Canada actually declared war on Japan before the US did... Just 2 days after Pearl Harbor baseball great Bob Feller volunteered for military service. It was this patriotism that Ted Williams always admired more about Feller than anything Feller ever did on the baseball diamond... Interesting article on how Pearl Harbor created big government in the US and how that era is coming to an end... Random thought - Spare Time is a great name for a bowling alley...

Top 5 - Robert Loggia Roles

Saddened by the recent passing of actor Robert Loggia. At one point in time Loggia seemed to be everywhere and in some small role in every movie or TV show that came out. Here are what I consider his top 5 roles.

1. Scarface (Frank Lopez)
2. Big (MacMillan)
3. Independence Day (General William Grey)
4. Necessary Roughness (Coach Wally Rig)
5. Prizzi's Honor (Edwardo Prizzi)

As far as I'm concerned you could put those roles in any order you like. Loggia wasn't the lead but he was memorable in all those films. You could also argue the TV show Mancuso, FBI should make the list but I'd have to leave that to you since I never watched the show.

Linky Links

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

- Holy crap! I've always thought it would be cool to boat down the entire length of the Mississippi River but to swim it? Incredible.

- Heh heh

- Mexican nativity scene?

- But isn't just deciding to be a vegan a sign of mental illness to begin with?

- Sad but true

- If they weren't so expensive - these teabags would make excellent gifts

- Heh heh

- Heartwarming story of what sounds like a great community

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

My heartfelt condolences to anyone who bet on the Detroit Lions last night. That was the ultimate bad beat... This has been my favorite joke to tell the past 6 months... It has to be asked - is Abe Vigoda an immortal?... In New England the Patriots have become so big that kids don't write letters to Santa any more. They write letters to Teddy Bruschi... BTW - that wasn't a facemask last night. Never should have been a flag... Interesting - is intermittent fasting good for you?... Is the answer oral sex? If not I don't want to know the question... Heh heh... You have to think that there were a lot of  Packer fans and people who bet on Green Bay who turned off the game when it was 17-0 last night. What a nice surprise for those folks to wake up to this morning...

The Buckler

There's Christian Rock but no Christian Wrestling - I say we change that.

This time of year I always think of the following Bible verse:

"As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those who trust in him" - Psalm 18:30

I got to thinking that "The Buckler" would be a great name for a Christian wrestler. I went out to to dinner once when this idea first hit me and there was a non-alcoholic beer on the menu called - you guessed it - Buckler. Vince McMahon has to make this happen.

Here's the idea - a Christian wrestler who only wrestles to spread the Gospel. He' gets sponsored by Heineken (they make Buckler beer) and the other wrestler's make fun of his religion in order to get him to lose his cool. Can't you picture the Undertaker getting the Buckler in a choke hold and saying, "Where's your Moses now?" (like Dathan from The Ten Commandments). Triple H could pile drive him and ask, "Your God, your God - why has he abandoned you?"

The Buckler in turn could come out with a signature surrender hold called "the crucifixion." The Buckler's entrance music could be some gospel standard or something by Creed. You hear "Onward Christian Soldiers" over the PA and McMahon says, "Is that the Buckler's music I hear?"

It would be controversial and that's what wrestling thrives on. This could be huge.

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

A Legend Retires

So a 37-year old NBA legend announces his intention to retire at the end of the season and it sets off a big farewell tour. All the NBA cities who will be seeing him play for the last time make a big production of it. You might think I am speaking of Kobe Bryant but actually I was referring to Celtics legend John Havlicek's 1977-78 season.

The similarities between the two players is pretty pronounced. Start with the size - Bryant 6'6" and 212 pounds vs Havlicek's 6'5" and 203 pounds. Kobe went into the NBA right from high school so has the benefit of 4 more NBA seasons. Havlicek meanwhile went to college and is also a legend at Ohio State. In Havlicek's final season he averaged 16.1 points plus 4 assists and 4 rebounds per game. Kobe is averaging 15.5 points along with 3.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds.

If you take away the points from Kobe's first 4 seasons and factor in that the 3-pointer wasn't around in Havlicek's day - the Black Mamba would still be the better scorer but only by the slightest of margins (26,930 points and counting to 26,395). The rebounds favor Havlicek  (8,007 to 6,853 and counting) while Kobe has the slight advantage in assists averaging 5.3 career per game to Hondo's 4.8 (and Kobe was the guy who supposedly didn't pass the ball). These two guys are statistically almost mirror images.

Havlicek was a 13-time NBA All-Star while Kobe went to 17-All-Star games (and counting). It is a big deal that Kobe also won 5 NBA Championships with the Lakers but let's not forget that Havlicek owns 8 Championship rings from his career with the Celtics.

The whole point of this isn't to take anything away from Kobe but just that it saddens me that Havlicek seems completely forgotten and the two were almost identical. Even as a Celtics fan I'll admit that Kobe was the better player but the difference wasn't as great as some would have you believe.

Top 5 - Christmas Songs by Rock Stars

1. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Bruce Springsteen 
2. Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid 
3. Father Christmas - The Kinks 
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Bare Naked Ladies 
5. Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby and David Bowie 

Tax the NCAA

Georgia fired head football coach Mark Richt after 15-years of winning about 75% of all the games he coached. By all accounts Mark Richt is a good and decent man who was a fine representative for the University but in the end that wasn't enough. At the same time that was playing out LSU was letting head coach Les Miles twist in the wind. The same Les Miles who had LSU wanked in the Top 5 earlier in the year and who has recently won a National Championship.

Isn't it time to give up the pretense that big time college sports have anything to do with education? Can anyone give me a good reason why the money generated by Division 1 sports isn't taxed?

Top 5 - Best Versions of Dickens' Christmas Carol

1. Scrooge - with Alastair Sim 
2. A Christmas Carol - with Patrick Stewart 
3. Mickey's Christmas Carol 
4. The Muppet Christmas Carol 
5. Scrooged - with Bill Murray 

It's a Wonderful Cure for Bad Eyesight

Now that the Christmas season is upon us let me nitpick something that bugs me about the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life.   

When Jimmy Stewart is alive and him and Donna Reed are busy making kids - her eyesight is perfect. No eyeglasses for Donna Reed. But when Jimmy never existed - all of a sudden the librarian / spinster Reed needs eyeglasses. What happened? 

Now you can argue that she needs glasses because as a librarian she reads more books but I'm not buying that. I think Frank Capra was trying to send out a pro-sex message. Sex is so good it makes your eyesight better! Jimmy Stewart's cure for nearsightedness (that would be a good name for a band - well maybe not). 

Linky Links

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

- Cool - animated map shows Civil War's front lines in 5 minutes

- Heh heh

- I think the unit of measure should be Free Bird because 'Merica

- These were pretty funny

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I think the crisis in faith in the Catholic Church stems from the fact that a big deal is made out of First Communion but second communion not so much. That's when things start to get off the rails... Heh heh - advice from tech support... Wladimir Klitchko lost the heavyweight title he's held for 10-years last night. It might be true that Klitchko was the strongest man to hold the title since Jess Willard. Maybe George Foreman should also be in the conversation... It would have been a little cooler if she yelled, "That's Captain Jack Sparrow"... Seriously - how soon before universities in the US ban images of Uncle Sam because it gives some precious snowflake the vapors?...  How many men are going to read this and think, "I got to get me a BMW motorcycle"... When Jack Dempsey started boxing he used to splash bull urine in his face because it was believed it would make his face tougher and so protect against cuts. What weird belief do you think athletes have today that will look just as ridiculous 100-years hence...  That was true of Lincoln... George Washington wasn't perfect. He didn't like whiskey... Sometimes evil just looks silly... Pretty sure Rape Whistle would be a bad name for either a band or a coconut rum drink... Cool... If you raped Peter Pan would you also be charged with statutory? What about possible elder abuse? Legally how old is Peter Pan? Asking for a friend...

Separated at Birth

Tell me that Broncos QB Brock Osweiler doesn't look like this guy.

His new nickname should be the Football Piazza.

Worricker Trilogy

Thanksgiving is a time for reflection, over-eating and also for binge watching. What I ended up binge watching on Amazon Prime was the Worricker Trilogy. I highly recommend this smart "spy thriller". I put "spy thriller" in quotes because it isn't exactly James Bond. In fact in the three movies there was just one murder (by boat oar) and the only time you ever see a gun is if they belong to a guard. Maybe the best way to describe the series is a modern John LeCarre meets Walter Matthau's Hopscotch (another personal favorite).

The three movies Page Eight (2011), Turks & Caicos (2014) and Salting the Battlefield (2014) feature some fantastic acting led by the smooth Bill Nighy in the title role of Johnny Worricker. The supporting cast in the three movies includes Rachel Weisz, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Winona Ryder, Christopher Walken, and Helena Bonham Carter. Not too shabby - huh?

The politics of the series is tilted left and if there are any bad guys there's a good chance they are American or support the Americans. However, the writing gives Ralph Fiennes who plays the Prime Minister a chance to express his point of view which leaves even Johnny Worricker questioning what is right and wrong.

If you are looking for something smart to watch that is a little off the beaten path - give the Worricker Trilogy a shot. I recommend it.

Johnny Appleseed

A little Joe Strummer to start off your day just because.

As God as My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

For the next few weeks I'm purposefully going to be that super annoying guy who keeps asking, "So got your Christmas shopping done yet?"... This is true - Turkey remembers... Who knew? Great Britain was once the world champion of ice hockey. They won the Gold Medal in hockey at the 1936 Winter Olympics...  Just a reminder - Russia and Turkey have a quite a history of not getting along... Barack Obama - Less Competent than Carter and More Paranoid than Nixon". Wish that could fit on a bumper sticker... Heh heh - "Revis Island"... I think LSU would be crazy to fire Les Miles. If he wins this weekend he'll have pretty much the exact same record that Nick Saban had at LSU (49-15 for Miles vs 48-16 for Saban). If anything get the man better coordinators. Where's Les Miles version of Lane Kiffen on offense?... Cool quick cartoon explanation of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity...

Put Joe Biden in the Movie Title

I amused myself by replacing part of some of the greatest movie titles of all-time with Joe Biden. Some of these movies actually should be made:

- The Good, the Bad and the Joe Biden
- The Silence of the Joe Biden
- Forrest Gump
- Joe Biden 2: Judgement Day
- Joe Biden of Arabia
- Eternal Sunshine of the Joe Biden
- Joe Biden: A Space Odyssey
- Inglorious Joe Bidens
- Mr. Joe Biden Goes to Washington
- Cool Hand Joe Biden

Linky Links

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

- Heh heh - greatest urinal ever

- Holy crap

- All you have to do to fly free forever is put a $170 million painting on your AmEx card

- Best Congressional press release ever!

- Dr. Katz was a great show

- Heh heh

Epic Brawl Between Galway And Dublin At Fenway Park

This is awesome! Makes hockey fights look like tea parties.