It turns out they did play, after all.
Cowboy Clay was simply magnificent tonight, throwing 8 1/3 scoreless innings at the Blue Jays. The Okey Doke got knocked around, however, giving up two ringing hits in the ninth that put the tying run on base before the Lord Of The Dance locked it down for a 3-2 win.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Today's Context Free Don Draper Quote
“It’s not. I told you. I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Just haven’t figured out what to do yet.”
(via unlikelywords.com)
(via unlikelywords.com)
Whiny White Guy
“This is the springtime of my loving…,” as Robert Plant puts it at the beginning of The Rain Song”. It is looking increasingly like tonight’s Red Sox game will be rained out, according to my pal @Surviving_Grady on Twitter. So I’ll have to, out of habit if nothing else, find something else to say today. Or not-it’s not like the fact that I don’t post will affect anything or anyone.
My loving? More like midwinter, frankly. I never imagined that sex, something that you spend so much time seeking as a young man, just becomes pointless as you age. Sad.
Wait, that’s not true. Not entirely. This feeling has been boiling around in my head for weeks now. I’m going to try and express it here. I’ll try to get it right. I probably won’t.
Ahem.
It’s not so much not seeing the point of sex, as not seeing the point of pleasure. It doesn’t seem worth the work to get it. I am obsessed to the point of mania with just surviving, not going broke, making sure there’s enough food and enough to drink and enough in the bank to provide for such things. There isn’t any room for anything else, in my brain or in my day.
Anhedonia is the technical name for it-the marrow has just been drained from life. Life is just existing, not living.
This isn’t anyone’s fault-I don’t blame my family, my friends, anybody-not even myself. I have made the choices I have made willingly, and now I have to live with the consequences. “Nobody’s fault,” as Plant also once put it, “but mine”.
There is a part of “The Watchmen” when the character Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley) intones a line about the city looking to him, crying, “Save us!”. And I look down, Rorschach says, and I say, “No.” It’s part of an ongoing theme in the book and the movie-that humanity is just too greedy, and foolish, and stupid to be worth the heroes’ efforts.
I have lived a long time while clinging to the notion that there has to be something better-once I pay off this bill, or if I won the lottery, or if x happens, THEN I will be happy. A realization that has come upon me like a sledgehammer in recent days is that suddenly, for the first time, I don’t think there is something else. This is it. This is how it’s going to be. Even if I solve the six things bothering me at the moment, there will be three more by the time I have those six settled. So I look at the rest of my life, and I ask myself if anything will make me happy? And I look down at myself, and I say, “No”. I’m too greedy, foolish, and stupid to be worth rescuing.
I must say again, emphatically, that I don’t blame anyone but myself for this. I wasn’t trapped into anything. It’s all on me.
All this is not a pleasing revelation.
TMI? Yes. Moving on…
***
According to Twitter, again, the Red Sox are now reportedly claiming they are going to start tonight’s game on time, despite what appears to be nearly constant rain. We shall see.
In addition, Tim Wakefield’s back has apparently flared up again, and it appears we are so desperate we might let Paul Byrd pitch for us. In a major league game, no less. Le Sigh.
I pine for the days when we had “too much” pitching.
***
@VelveteenMind, a blogger who is both more talented and, apparently, more imitated than I, Twittered about a problem she had with someone plagiarizing her work. She got the offending post removed, and an apology from the thief.
It made me wonder how I would feel if I were the victim of such a thing. Perhaps I’m the victim of it right now-maybe you’re reading this on a Chinese web site that has been brilliantly pirating all of my work and reselling it on the lucrative “Whiny White Guys” market.
Yeah, I doubt it too.
I think it’s a little bit flattering, despite it all, to have your work seen as having enough value to be worth stealing. Then again, all evidence to the contrary on this site, we bloggers do put some thought and effort into our posts, and people shouldn’t claim it as their own.
Although I maintain, if you’re stealing my drivel, you need to steal a better class of material.
***
My loving? More like midwinter, frankly. I never imagined that sex, something that you spend so much time seeking as a young man, just becomes pointless as you age. Sad.
Wait, that’s not true. Not entirely. This feeling has been boiling around in my head for weeks now. I’m going to try and express it here. I’ll try to get it right. I probably won’t.
Ahem.
It’s not so much not seeing the point of sex, as not seeing the point of pleasure. It doesn’t seem worth the work to get it. I am obsessed to the point of mania with just surviving, not going broke, making sure there’s enough food and enough to drink and enough in the bank to provide for such things. There isn’t any room for anything else, in my brain or in my day.
Anhedonia is the technical name for it-the marrow has just been drained from life. Life is just existing, not living.
This isn’t anyone’s fault-I don’t blame my family, my friends, anybody-not even myself. I have made the choices I have made willingly, and now I have to live with the consequences. “Nobody’s fault,” as Plant also once put it, “but mine”.
There is a part of “The Watchmen” when the character Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley) intones a line about the city looking to him, crying, “Save us!”. And I look down, Rorschach says, and I say, “No.” It’s part of an ongoing theme in the book and the movie-that humanity is just too greedy, and foolish, and stupid to be worth the heroes’ efforts.
I have lived a long time while clinging to the notion that there has to be something better-once I pay off this bill, or if I won the lottery, or if x happens, THEN I will be happy. A realization that has come upon me like a sledgehammer in recent days is that suddenly, for the first time, I don’t think there is something else. This is it. This is how it’s going to be. Even if I solve the six things bothering me at the moment, there will be three more by the time I have those six settled. So I look at the rest of my life, and I ask myself if anything will make me happy? And I look down at myself, and I say, “No”. I’m too greedy, foolish, and stupid to be worth rescuing.
I must say again, emphatically, that I don’t blame anyone but myself for this. I wasn’t trapped into anything. It’s all on me.
All this is not a pleasing revelation.
TMI? Yes. Moving on…
***
According to Twitter, again, the Red Sox are now reportedly claiming they are going to start tonight’s game on time, despite what appears to be nearly constant rain. We shall see.
In addition, Tim Wakefield’s back has apparently flared up again, and it appears we are so desperate we might let Paul Byrd pitch for us. In a major league game, no less. Le Sigh.
I pine for the days when we had “too much” pitching.
***
@VelveteenMind, a blogger who is both more talented and, apparently, more imitated than I, Twittered about a problem she had with someone plagiarizing her work. She got the offending post removed, and an apology from the thief.
It made me wonder how I would feel if I were the victim of such a thing. Perhaps I’m the victim of it right now-maybe you’re reading this on a Chinese web site that has been brilliantly pirating all of my work and reselling it on the lucrative “Whiny White Guys” market.
Yeah, I doubt it too.
I think it’s a little bit flattering, despite it all, to have your work seen as having enough value to be worth stealing. Then again, all evidence to the contrary on this site, we bloggers do put some thought and effort into our posts, and people shouldn’t claim it as their own.
Although I maintain, if you’re stealing my drivel, you need to steal a better class of material.
***
Friday, August 28, 2009
Game 128: And the homers, and the rain, and the....WIN!
Josh Beckett struggled, giving up 5 runs on homers by Rod Barajas and Aaron Hill, but it was Jason Bay, tying the score at 5 with a homer of his own before the rains came. After a 48 minute rain delay, the Red Sox loaded the bases off of Shawn Camp and Josh Roenicke in the bottom of the 8th. New friend Casey Kotchman came on to pinch hit, grounding out but allowing David Ortiz to score the winning run.
Like it oughta be
This is blogging as it oughta be, and customer service like it oughta be, and Twitter like it oughta be.
Misty Mountain Hop
So I cued this song on my IPod, plugged it into the car, and turned it up about as loud as I could stand it, and then I drove home.
The great John Henry Bonham bringing the noise as only he can.
I love Metallica, but no drum sound I've ever heard is as monstrously badass as this one.
Enjoy.
Today's Context Free Don Draper Quote
Mostly because I'm just plain lazy, I still haven't watched "Mad Men". I know, I know. I've heard Jon Hamm on "Never Not Funny" and "The BS Report", and I've heard review after review about how brilliant it is. Still haven't seen it. I know. But thanks to the lovely blog I just stumbled upon, unlikelywords.com, here's Today's Context Free Quote from Mad Men's Don Draper:
“You’re talking as if they’re some fresh version of us. They’re not. Young people don’t know anything, especially that they’re young.”
“You’re talking as if they’re some fresh version of us. They’re not. Young people don’t know anything, especially that they’re young.”
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Game 127: Tazawa gets Hibachied
Junichi Tazama had a no good, horrible, very bad day at the office tonight, giving up 9 runs over 4 innings, and that was all she wrote-even two homers from JD Drew couldn't close the gap in a 9-5 win.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Game 126: All Hail The Large Father
In Boston tonight, the Red Sox pulled out a 3-2 win over the White Sox on a game winning homer by the Large Father, David Ortiz, in the bottom of the ninth inning. Tim Wakefield pitched brilliantly in his return to active duty, tossing 7 innings of one run ball. New friend RR, however, gave up a game tying homer in the 8th inning to Scott Podsednik, who homers approximately once per Halley's Comet.
It was all up to Big Papi then, and so, with one out in the ninth, he curled a homer around the foul pole for the game winner. Simple as that.
It was all up to Big Papi then, and so, with one out in the ninth, he curled a homer around the foul pole for the game winner. Simple as that.
Amazing.....Just Amazing.....
How To Pay For Anything With Blank Paper (Derren Brown - NLP) - Amazing videos are here
This is an amazing video. Unbelievable. I want to think this is staged, but it doesn't seem so.
Just watch it. It is jaw dropping.
Senator Kennedy Dead
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Game 125: The Tallest Short Guy
Jon Lester did what Jon Lester does, making Tom Verducci cry by tossing another 6 2/3 fine frames, and Jason Bay cracked his 28th home run of the year to help push Boston to a 6-3 win. Jacoby Ellsbury set a Red Sox team record with his 55th steal, but being the Boston stolen base leader is kind of like being the tallest short guy.
In other news, Boston acquired failed closer and former Astro Billy Wagner, who is best known for blowing games in Philadelphia and New York in recent years. He is coming back from elbow surgery, and could be a useful spare part during the stretch run.
In other news, Boston acquired failed closer and former Astro Billy Wagner, who is best known for blowing games in Philadelphia and New York in recent years. He is coming back from elbow surgery, and could be a useful spare part during the stretch run.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Game 124: We'll always have Jose Contreras
In Boston tonight, the Red Sox rocked Jose Contreras to the tune of 7 runs in under 3 innings. Our friend Cowboy Clay could not escape the fifth without surrendering 7 of his own, though, and Boston just managed to scrape by with a 12-8 win.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Game 123: On the one hand...
Josh Beckett pitched very well, on the balls that remained inside Fenway Park-8 innings, only 2 runs, and only 4 hits.
However, he gave up five homers, and those count, and Boston fell to an 8-4 loss at Fenway Park against the Yankees today.
Boston still leads Texas for the Wild Card Spot by 1 game.
However, he gave up five homers, and those count, and Boston fell to an 8-4 loss at Fenway Park against the Yankees today.
Boston still leads Texas for the Wild Card Spot by 1 game.
Why I'm a Snob
http://somecamerunning.typepad.com/some_came_running/2009/08/young-and-dumb.html
A very interesting take on why you can't fight mass taste.
A very interesting take on why you can't fight mass taste.
Get Back
In my travels this weekend, I managed to, at long last, bring home the latest issue of Rolling Stone(www.rollingstone.com) magazine. Bill Simmons (www.sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/simmons/index) had twittered (www.twitter.com/sportsguy33)(OK, I will stop) that the issue contained an excellent article about the breakup of the Beatles. After making multiple stops, I finally found the issue, and it was indeed, as the Sports Guy said, excellent.
As is usual with me, this has put me into a Beatles sort of mood. The article also mentioned that the Beatles are releasing yet another remastering of their recordings on CD, which is a downright interesting course of action in 2009. The Beatles, of course, notoriously sued Apple Computer when the IPod and ITunes came out. (The computer company, when they applied to patent their name, made it abundantly clear at the time that there was, of course, no way they would ever get into the music business. That would be silly.) The Beatles, to date, are not available in digital format, at least not legally, which makes them approximately the only group that is not.
So it is interesting that the Beatles are not only taking a step forward, with the release of Beatles Rock Band on September 9, but also taking a step backward, with the release of CDs. (There was a Dennis Miller joke around the time of the first CD releases, where he imagined Charles Manson admitting that the sound quality was so excellent, he now realized they were NOT, in fact, giving him coded messages after all.) (Of course, as it turns out, the releases actually weren't that good, which is at least one of the reasons why they are releasing them again.)
Because I'm stupid, I will be out looking for them, of course. (It makes me wonder, of course, where I will look, CD stores being a vanishing breed. The only one deserving of the title is FYE, a small chain which also sells movies and posters and such like things.) Assuming this blog isn't sold to Hollywood between now and then (HA!), I will not be able to afford them all.
I think I would have to have Revolver and Rubber Soul, of course. Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road, I think, are mandatory. That would leave The White Album, which might cost double. That would be about all my wallet could handle, methinks.
As is usual with me, this has put me into a Beatles sort of mood. The article also mentioned that the Beatles are releasing yet another remastering of their recordings on CD, which is a downright interesting course of action in 2009. The Beatles, of course, notoriously sued Apple Computer when the IPod and ITunes came out. (The computer company, when they applied to patent their name, made it abundantly clear at the time that there was, of course, no way they would ever get into the music business. That would be silly.) The Beatles, to date, are not available in digital format, at least not legally, which makes them approximately the only group that is not.
So it is interesting that the Beatles are not only taking a step forward, with the release of Beatles Rock Band on September 9, but also taking a step backward, with the release of CDs. (There was a Dennis Miller joke around the time of the first CD releases, where he imagined Charles Manson admitting that the sound quality was so excellent, he now realized they were NOT, in fact, giving him coded messages after all.) (Of course, as it turns out, the releases actually weren't that good, which is at least one of the reasons why they are releasing them again.)
Because I'm stupid, I will be out looking for them, of course. (It makes me wonder, of course, where I will look, CD stores being a vanishing breed. The only one deserving of the title is FYE, a small chain which also sells movies and posters and such like things.) Assuming this blog isn't sold to Hollywood between now and then (HA!), I will not be able to afford them all.
I think I would have to have Revolver and Rubber Soul, of course. Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road, I think, are mandatory. That would leave The White Album, which might cost double. That would be about all my wallet could handle, methinks.
I'm not sure how to feel about this
http://bit.ly/X7zFd
Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing of a Pan Am jet, was set free by Scottish officials. He is dying of prostate cancer.
Christian charity would seem to dictate that a man, however heinous his actions in life, should be allowed the chance to die with some dignity and class in his homeland.
Then again, assuming he is guilty, he participated in the cold blooded murder of almost 300 people.
Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing of a Pan Am jet, was set free by Scottish officials. He is dying of prostate cancer.
Christian charity would seem to dictate that a man, however heinous his actions in life, should be allowed the chance to die with some dignity and class in his homeland.
Then again, assuming he is guilty, he participated in the cold blooded murder of almost 300 people.
Matt Taibbi on Health Care
http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2009/08/19/matt-taibbi-on-health-care-reform-sick-and-wrong/
Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi on his article about health care reform and why we're never going to have it.
Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi on his article about health care reform and why we're never going to have it.
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