Ks are Wild (Game 144)

Scott K against Dice K, but this one slipped away, as a 9th inning 4-3 Boston lead was lost. Dan Johnson, who hasn't had a major league at bat since Sarah Palin was still pregnant, homered off of the Lord of the Dance, Jonathan Papelbon, who then went on to give up the lead run. Boston mounted a comeback, pinch runner Jacoby Ellsbury getting all the way around to third before Troy Percival got a popup to end the threat for a 5-4 loss.

Josh Beckett goes to the hill tomorrow in the series finale, which may be one of the final chances for Boston to catch Tampa.

Another day in the post Tom Brady era.

I am in a snit, though. I engaged in an exchange of emails with someone, and I am letting myself cool off before I respond again.

We have a somewhat significant difference of opinion, and our analyses of the situation are just plain different. I have made my case as calmly and rationally as I can, and I don’t feel like my point of view is being appreciated.

Unfortunately, my tendency, being somewhat verbose, is to try to explain it again, and again, thinking that if I only express it well enough, my point of view will prevail. It is an obnoxious tendency, I realize. A lot of people in my family are like this, and it is hard to take, on the receiving end.

So I’m just letting it be, as I tend to do these days, saying nothing instead of something that I may regret. Silence does not solve anything, but at least it doesn’t make things worse.

But the things left unsaid are just sitting there, burning a hole in my gut. Letting it go emotionally is another matter.

I played Metallica’s “The Day That Never Comes” at top volume on the way in to work today. That didn’t solve anything either.

On this week’s “Le Show”, Harry Shearer replayed a clip of President Bush, in Molly Ivins’ famous phrase, the only president we’ve got, speaking about the Geneva Conventions’ prohibition against “outrages upon human dignity”. “It’s very vague,” he concludes. It’s a pretty well known clip-I’ve heard it before.

No, Mr. President. First of all, just because you don’t understand something, that doesn’t mean it’s vague. Vague means unclear or uncertain.

Second of all, an outrage upon human dignity is simply, actions that would shock or horrify or offend an ordinary, sane, sentient being. Things that cause physical or psychological damage. Things like, oh, I don’t know, virtually everything you’ve done as President.
Another cute little remark was Bob Woodward, speaking on 60 Minutes about how his sources indicate that Bush is stunned that the Iraqis aren’t more grateful to US forces for all that we’ve done for them.

That one doesn’t even require a comment, it just stands on its own in the Stupidity Hall of Fame.

More interesting Palin talk on “Left, Right, and Center” last week. As always, Robert Scheer is my hero. He calls a spade a spade, and called out the Republican on the panel, Tony Blankeley, for the way Republicans historically have demeaned the service of veterans who aren’t, well, Republicans.

According to most news sources, McCain is surging in the polls, probably because of Palinmania. This is something I really cannot understand. Sarah Palin is a liar, plain and simple. She lied about the Bridge to Nowhere. Any time journalists spend not saying this amounts to malpractice.

I just wish lying still mattered in politics.

Keith Olbermann raises another excellent point on Monday’s “Countdown”-in reference to Palin, haven’t we had enough damage from politicians who believe they get their orders directly from God, instead of, say, the Constitution?

Olbermann also brings up the point, that I have seen elsewhere, that is hypocrisy on a grand scale for commentators like Bill O Reilly to criticize Jamie Lynn Spears’ parents for having “no control” over their children, and, at the same time, call questions about Bristol Palin out of bounds. Either teenage pregnancy is a criticism of your parenting, or it isn’t.