Game 39-Ain't My Bitch

May 10, 2008

Someone has saved a file on this computer called “Is there anybody here does not know where you are”. It’s an empty file, but the words intrigue me. I’m not sure what they mean. It’s missing an article, I think. “Is there anybody here (who) does not know where you are.” I’m not completely sure where I are.

I like K’s recent post about 10 Things. It’s a way of connecting 10 little items, none of which is worth really wasting electrons on. I think it was the late Will McDonough used to call it “Emptying the desk drawer of the sports mind.” It’s probably not his idea originally, but I don’t care. I’ll give him credit for it. Mike Barnicle used to do it, too-in fact, he got in trouble for plagiarizing when he used a George Carlin joke in one of his notes columns.

1. How do people just let their children wander? I know toddlers are annoying-god, I know toddlers are annoying-but dammit, you keep them in sight. If they wander out of your line of sight, you stop whatever you are doing and you go and you get your child and then you go back to whatever you were doing. Nothing you were doing was as important as your child’s safety. I have enormous respect for people who will interrupt business dealings to attend to their children’s needs. That’s what touched me so much about John Edwards’ behavior at the 2004 Democratic Convention-in front of thousands, he was looking at his boy. I’m never going to be a parent again, but this still irritates me.

2. My feet hurt. They hurt pretty much all the time now, all day long. If I’m not working, they feel alright, only hurting a little at the beginning of the day. If I’m working, they hurt all the way through the shift. I can’t help but worry a little bit about this. I don’t thing this is going to change, unless I change jobs, and I’m fairly confident it’s going to get worse.

3. Kobe Bryant is not a poor NBA MVP, but it’s a little bit of, “you probably should have won one by now, so here’s one.” Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett are probably both a little bit more valuable to their teams, as things stand right now. But Kobe is the guy you want on the court when you need a basket, or when you need to stop one.

4. Interesting study cited on the Slate Political Gabfest saying that conservatives are happier than liberals, on average. The research suggests that it is the conservatives who aren't obsessed about fairness, thus giving them less to worry about. That makes sense to me.

5. This is a bear.



6. This is the mess on the floor of the front seat of my car.



7. Game 39-Boston is tied with Minnesota, 1-1 in the fifth. Boston could have won two of the last three games, but Papelbon could not hold the lead in either case. He had some help both times, but it is a worrisome trend.

8. I will always be a baseball fan, but there are times like this, listening to Errol Morris talk about his film on Christopher Lydon's Open Source podcast, that it feels very distant and silly to be concerned about it. One week from tonight, I should be in the stands watching a game after having given my 10 minute talk. I hope it goes well.

9. Boston is playing Cleveland in game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Cavs are playing fairly well, leading 30-11 towards the end of the first quarter. That's a little disturbing-Boston hasn't played well on the road in the first round, and eventually they're going to have to beat someone in their building.

10. The Philadelphia Flyers lost the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Without Philadelphia's top defenseman, whose name escapes me, it's going to be a tough row for them to hoe.