Tags: on vacation in Italy
Mowed the lawn, called American Express to tell them about our plans, got a load of laundry in the dryer and another in the washer. Still need to clean both bird cages, make copies of all our important documents, and run out to the store for a few errands.
Looks like "Hurricane" Danny isn't going to materialize after all; he's been downgraded to a tropical depression and shouldn't cause any issues getting out of Logan. What could wind up being a bigger problem is Hurricane Teddy. Kennedy's funeral mass in Boston tomorrow is attracting dignitaries from both home and abroad, and security concerns mean access to the airport is going to be tight, including planned tunnel closures tomorrow afternoon. We're going to head up earlier than planned so we can get to the airport way ahead of time. I'd rather hang out in the airport for a few extra hours than leave anything to chance. And who knows? Maybe we'll see Air Force One on the tarmac or some famous head of state wandering the terminal.
I can't believe this vacation is finally here. I really can't. It's still sinking in. Tomorrow, we are flying to Italy.
Tracy and I agreed to do Italy as our fifth anniversary trip before we were even married. We've been planning the details of the trip (and by "we" I mean "she") since January of this year. Everything is set now. We just need to get on that plane.
Adding to our giddy anticipation of the stupendous awesomeness ahead is the fact that we haven't had an honest-to-FSM vacation since our March 2008 east coast road trip. We did a four-day weekend in Vegas for my fortieth birthday, but that was too short, too much of a whirlwind (albeit a kick-ass whirlwind) to feel like a vacation. And we've had a few other long weekends, taken a few extra days around the holidays, sure. But not a proper vacation. Two solid weeks away from our gigs in the real world. Ten days tripping the light fantastic through Florence, Venice, Assisi and Rome, then home for four days of post-travel downtime and the opening weekend of football season. Pinch me.
Anyhow, I figured that, as I putter about doing the last of the pre-vacation chores, why not fire up that rusty old toaster oven and crank out some Fette di Pane Tostato!
I was utterly horrified to wake up Monday morning and learn that Slate had discontinued their Today's Papers feature and replaced it with something called The Slatest.
Yes, yes, I know. "Slate sucks! Slate's terrible! I don't read Slate."
First off, it doesn't, it's not, and you should.
But second, even if you hate everything else about Slate, you had to love Today's Papers. Every morning for almost a decade Slate readers were able to rely on this nifty little two-page narrative that gave them an overview of what the day's top stories were, who was covering them, and how they were being covered. What was great about it is that it didn't read like a laundry list or a series of bullet points. Today's Papers read like an article. It told a story about the day's top stories. That difference - simple in its genius - set it apart from all the faceless, mechanical news aggregators out there and helped attract a fiercely loyal following. And now it's gone. I mean, dammit, to think that I'm never again going to be able to grab my printout of TP off the laser printer in the morning on the way to the men's room is just, well, heart-wrenching.
And what did they replace it with? Here's David Plotz:
We saw a need for a new kind of aggregator, one that was intelligent, witty, entertaining, fast, comprehensive, and responsive to the new news cycle. So we created it. We're calling it "The Slatest" -- a mashup of Slate and the latest news -- and it launches today.
The heart of "The Slatest" is the Slate Dozen: A list of the 12 most important news stories, blog entries, magazine features, and Web videos of the moment. The Slate Dozen is published three times a day during the week: at 7 a.m., at noon, and at 5 p.m. This three-times-a-day pace is perhaps the most important element of "The Slatest," and it grew out of an insight from Slate "Pressbox" columnist Jack Shafer. In an editorial meeting one day, Jack pointed out that the news cycle is no longer daily but neither is it continuous. Rather, it has three parts...
Yeah, it has three parts. The first part is No, the second part is Fucking, and the third part is Thank You.
I'll tell you what The Slatest is: It's a Slate-branded newsreader. Oooooh! Twelve stories! In a list! With titles! And two-sentence summaries! Whoop-de-fucking-do.
Terrible, terrible decision. I hope my fellow Slate readers join me in staying away from this lame-ass endeavor. Maybe whoever monitors Slate's traffic will get the hint and we'll get our morning fix back.
Last night a Sox fan friend of mine was pestering me on Facebook - pestering and acting obnoxious being the preferred mode of existence for most Sox fans - and he made some quip to the effect that I would probably be able to watch the Red Sox over in Italy but he wasn't sure if any other teams would be on. An odd bit of grandstanding, given that the Italian population of Brooklyn alone is probably larger than the entire population of Boston. But whatever. It got me thinking: The last time I went overseas, to Ireland, the Yankees staged Boston Massacre II, a five-game sweep of the Sox in Fenway. Could there be a causal connection here?
And then I thought on it further, and I realized that I cannot recall ever seeing the Yankees - or any of my teams, for that matter - win a game in person. Went to one Jets game, which they lost. Seen the Blazers play four or five times at Boston, and they've lost every time. And while it seems impossible, given that I've seen the Yanks in person about a dozen times, I don't think I've ever been at a game which they won. Hell, even the two games we saw them play in Baltimore against the lowly Oriholes were both losses.
Maybe the Toast Curse varies with my distance from the team I'm rooting for? Some kind of inverse-square law of bad sports karma?
Tell you what, if we come home from Italy and the Bombers division lead has blown up to a dozen games or more, I think I just might be ready to say that I've cracked the code. Then we'll have to start making plans to be out of the country for the World Series...
The "Who will replace Ted Kennedy in the Senate" talk is one of those things that's so ridiculous that only the media could run with it. Nobody will "replace" Ted Kennedy. Virtually everything about the man - his personality, his politics, his work ethic - was unique. We may see Senators who amass similar stature (or, sadly, we may not) but they won't be Teddy.
That aside, if you're going to look for candidates for the Next Great Senator, do us all a favor and rule out John Fucking McCain. CNN's Wolf Blitzer and others have been talking up this assinine notion in recent days, and it needs to stop. Steve Benen's take is spot on:
Kennedy was among the most accomplished lawmakers in the history of the United States Senate. McCain has an impressive personal background, but very few accomplishments to his name. Kennedy was principled, brilliant, and knowledgeable. McCain is inconsistent, easily confused, and has no patience for details. Kennedy was widely admired and respected by those who worked with him. McCain is known for screaming at his colleagues, even Republicans, who dare to disagree with him.
We knew Ted Kennedy. Ted Kennedy was a friend of ours. John McCain is no Ted Kennedy.
Word.
I would just add that Ted Kennedy spent his entire career helping the poor, the powerless, and the voiceless. John McCain has spent his entire career helping John McCain. Fuck that noise.
Tags: vacation, the Slatest, Yankees, the Toast Curse, Ted Kennedy, John McCain
"I don't have to read it, or know what's in it. I'm going to oppose it anyways." -- Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, discussing the Senate's healthcare reform bill(s) and making a powerful case for why he should be the face of the Republican party.
Tags: James Inhofe
If you send an email to my work address right now, this is the response you get: "Sono dall'ufficio. Restituirò il lunedì 14 settembre."
Tags: vacation
When Tracy and I were on our way to our honeymoon in Jamaica in September of 2004, we lost half a day stuck in the airport in Charlotte, NC and then our flight took three hours longer than planned because the pilot had to take us around Hurricane Frances. On the fifth night of our stay in Negril, Jamaica, Hurricane Ivan, a category five monster and only the second hurricane to hit Jamaica in its 50+ year history, paid us a visit. But, you know, you travel to the Caribbean in late summer, you takes your chances, right?
This, though? This is another matter entirely.
Most of the intensity models, including the GFDL, HWRF, and SHIPS model, forecast that Danny will become a hurricane by Friday. However, this favorable environment will not last long, since a strong trough of low pressure will be approaching the U.S. East Coast on Friday. This trough will bring high wind shear of 20 - 30 knots by Friday night. This trough should be strong enough to turn Danny to the north, then northeast on Saturday. The models have come into better agreement keeping Danny offshore as it passes North Carolina, though the storm is certainly capable of giving the Outer Banks a direct hit. As Danny passes North Carolina, it should start heading north-northeast, with a landfall likely Saturday afternoon or evening somewhere between Massachusetts and Nova Scotia.
Seriously, what are the chances?
What are the fucking odds that a fucking hurricane hits fucking BOSTON at roughly the exact fucking time that we're supposed to be taking off from Logan Fucking Airport for our fifth-anniversary trip to Italy?
If you'd asked me last week, I'd have estimated such odds as quite remote.
Now? Not so fucking much.
Note to self: Talk to Tracy about moving our anniversary to March...
Tags: hurricanes
Ted Kennedy passed away last night, finally succumbing to brain cancer. Kennedy, one of the last unabashed liberals on the political stage and a warrior for progressive causes, was 77. Rest in peace, Senator. You will be sorely missed.
It is a shame Kennedy couldn't have lived long enough to see his dream of universal healthcare coverage become a reality. Although, at this rate, it's not a sure bet any of us will. Recently, I saw someone suggest that Kennedy's demise might spur Democrats to push harder for a more progressive reform bill. Far more likely is that the business-as-usual crowd and the sad-sack "centrists" will secretly sigh in relief and whisper "Thank god that pain in the ass is out of the way."
In the deluge of Kennedy retrospectives we'll likely see, hear and read over the next few days, you can be certain that there will be dutiful mention of Kennedy's flaws as a person (code for "Chappaquiddick"). I look at the festering political wasteland of liars, hypocrites, hacks and unprincipled scoundrels we've wandered seemingly forever and ask "Compared to whom?" Kennedy may have made a spectacular error in judgement at the time of his famed accident, but he did his penance and went on to build an incredible career. He was an effective advocate for the little guy and a man who, despite his legendary deal-making skills, never lost his way and never sold his political soul. More "flawed" politicians like that please.
Tags: Ted Kennedy
Sat - 4:50 PM: Shit. Apparently, Fenway is AJ Burnett's kryptonite.
Sat - 11:30 AM: Hey, Jim Rice: Why don't you go suck a bag of dicks?
Fri - 5:30 PM: Hostilities renew at Fenway Park tonight as the Yanks come to town sporting a 6-1/2 game lead in the division. Based on the pitching matchups it's reasonable to expect the Yankees to take the first two fairly easily, setting up Sunday's Ace vs. Ace tilt as a possible sweep scenario. Of course, they don't play these games on paper for a reason...
Tags: baseball
"Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it." -- Barney Frank, responding to a Winger idiot (redundant, sorry) who asked him why he supports Obama's "Nazi" healthcare reform policy.
That is how you talk to a Winger. More Democrats like this, please.
Tags: Barney Frank
I knew there had to be a reason the sun seemed a little brighter, the air a little cleaner this morning. Bob No Facts died yesterday. Rot in Hell, traitor.
Tags: Robert Novak
Acai Berry: It's the new Viagra!
Tags: spam
Maybe it's the long hours and sheer exhaustion talking, but I'm about ready to swear off politics. I can't take the additional stress right now. Case in point: My mother is going to visit friends in Ohio. The husband in this family is a stone-cold Winger (naturally) and she's been bugging me for counter-arguments to his nonsense. In his last email to her, he included a list of reasons why someone might vote for Obama again in 2012. Yes, apparently, such lists are already circulating. Initially, I was going to blow it off, but then my angrier angels got the worst of me...
-----
1. I always wanted to live in France
2. Socialized medicine has worked so well in the UK.
If those countries' health care systems suck so much, how come they both have greater average life expectancies than the US while spending less than half what we do on health care?
3. I like waiting in lines for things.
4. Air conditioning isn't all it's cracked up to be.
What the fuck are you talking about, clown? What have you had to wait in line for recently that's Obama's fault? And what kind of brain-dead non-sequitur is that line about air conditioning? You call these arguments? You stupid child.
5. No reason for large, mid-size or small cars, all I need is room for me and my kitten.
No, you're right. Everyone should drive a Hummer, goddammit! Even if they live in the suburbs and commute eight miles to work over well-paved roads. Even if they drive solo every day. It's every American's god-given right to pollute!
6. Whit House Hasz this case Thanksgiving dinner guest should include Chavez, Castro et al.
HAR HAR! That's a laugh attack! Makes me think of the good old days when Reagan and Bush senior had Noriega, Saddam, and Pinochet over to visit.
7. Illegal aliens should be able to vote....but they s/b exempt from prosecution of crimes.
8. However, anybody who attempts to report an illegal alien should be imprisoned.
No one is proposing that illegal aliens should vote. No one is proposing they be exempt from prosecution. Those are vile, right-wing lies. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your "argument".
9. I think in the long run, the government will make much nicer cars than GM, Ford and Chrysler.
It would be hard to make cars that are worse than what those three have produced. I say give Uncle Sam a shot!
10. I think we should shut down the car dealerships that people took risk and built up, while we make sure we preserve all union benefits for the UAW.
Damned unions! Fighting for good benefits and a solid paycheck. Don't they know they're taking money out of the pockets of all those hard-luck shareholders?
11. The governments track record with entitlement programs is so stellar I want them to run all healthcare for everyone.
The government's track record with Social Security and Medicare has been exemplary. They've helped countless Americans get through retirement without ushering in the despotism and tyranny that the Wingers of yore warned they would. Oh, hey! Right wingers being wrong about something. What a fucking shock!
12. I want to suffer thru cap & trade, even though the rest of the world will do nothing about it.
No, let's do nothing instead! Global warming is just a hoax anyhow. Al Gore made it up, just like his story about "inventing" the internet!
13. I want to keep the President in office so he ahs time to apologize to every other country in the world for the terrible deeds of the USA.
Heaven forfend any president should ever admit the U.S. might have been in the wrong about anything, ever. Especially coming off 8 years where we started an illegal war, suspended habeas rights, tortured, and wire-tapped our own people. Yeah, baby! U!S!A! U!S!A! U!S!A!
14. I want to keep the President and democratic Congress long enough to repeal the term limit on presidents.
15. I support the change to a monarchy with King Obama and Queen Micelle
Eight months in and this idiot is worried about Obama establishing a monarchy? Ask him what he thought of Cheney and Bush's theory of the unitary executive. You know, the theory under which anything the president did was de-facto legal. Oh, and ask him about Cheney's assertion that the Vice President's office wasn't part of the Executive Branch, but was rather a secret 4th branch of government.
16. The USA has it too good...it makes other countries feel bad.
Yeah, we're the envy of the world. Keep telling yourself that.
17. If someone works hard, takes risk and makes a better living, that is good as long as they give it all to the government who can then spread the wealth to those who choose to do nothing.
Right, because everyone who's unemployed "chooses" to be so. Nothing bad ever happens to anyone by accident. Good employees don't get laid off because CEO's want to inflate quarterly profits for Wall Street. That mom working three jobs because minimum wage barely feeds a family of one versus a family of four? Fuck her. It's just too important that Joe Sixpack, barely eking by on $250,000 a year, gets to keep every penny of that. Down with the 36% tax bracket! Taxation is theft!
18. The President needs time to solidify his cabinet with future Sec of Education Bill Ayers , Resco as Sec of Housing and the good Reverend as the next VP.
Oh goodie! Ayers and Wright! And I was afraid we'd never hear about them again after months of 24x7 coverage on the cable news networks. Yeah, clearly those two have exerted huge influence in the Obama administration so far.
-----
Seriously, these town hall eruptions, all the stories of "right-wing rage"? I'm fucking done. Sorry, but if you've got Winger friends out there still running their mouths after that little eight-year demonstration entitled "How the Right Wing is Wrong About Everything" by George Bush and Dick Cheney -- deal with 'em yourself. I'd sooner argue with a retarded, comatose garden slug than waste my energy debating such contemptible trash.
Update: And on the same night I fire off this missive, I hear Tracy banging out a righteous response to an email from her aunt about "Joe Legal vs. Jose Illegal". Verily, the body politic is being drowned in a sea of lies, and it's a constant struggle to get any air at all.
Tags: fuck off winger scum
What a week. Five straight twelve-hour days. Couple of days where I rolled out of bed at 6:15 AM and put together a build for distribution in my bathrobe. This is way far from normal for me. I can't say that's the most I've ever worked in a week, but it's the most I've worked in a week in a long goddamned time. And, hey, guess what? Putting in some more OT tomorrow and maybe Sunday in support of our QA team. Good thing I live in an age where you can work remotely, 'cause if I had to be in the office for all this shit I'd be on the ledge about now.
Tags: work
Sat - 1:00 PM: Sam Borden at LoHud was deeply moved by last night's saga:
So many games at this new Stadium have been heavy metal concerts, scads of home run balls banging off the facing of the decks like a thudding bass line, the run-scoring Yankee chimes blaring on an unending loop that could draw blood from your eardrums. There is nothing wrong with that, of course; many people love heavy metal. And it's a style that's suited the Yankees, particularly this group of sluggers with their often-loud bats.
Last night, though, Yankees-Red Sox on a soft summer Friday, was a symphony. A night for rhythm and pacing and pitches placed just so. The furtive curveball dipping beneath a swinging bat; the sinister slider biting in on a hitter's hands; the fortissimo fastball, delivered at just the right moment, hurtling across the plate so quickly it seemed to jump straight from the pitcher's sweaty fingers directly into the pocket of the catcher's glove.
Pitchers' duels are baseball purity. It's classic drama. It's definitive work. So many times we see the matchup on paper and let ourselves imagine a night like this one only to be let down, and twice already this season were we disappointed by last night's stars, A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett. The first time, both were hit hard. The second, only Burnett was.
Last night was different. It was what it was supposed to be, the kind of game that costs the most dedicated fans their fingernails. It was artistry and passion mixed together, with emotion and intensity and a smacking of nastiness salting both starter's offerings. It was impossible to look away.
Indeed. It really was quite extraordinary. Perhaps - just perhaps - the best regular-season game I've ever witnessed.
Sat - 8:30 AM: Holy crap what a game. Holy crap am I tired.
Fri - 10:30 PM: Dear Michael Kay: The only time it is appropriate to use "Red Sock" is when you are referring to an individual Red Sox player. "Red Sock" is not an all-purpose modifier for the team. Do not refer to "the Red Sock bullpen" for example. Or "the Red Sock hurlers". Seriously, dude, stop it. 'K, Kay? Kaythxbai.
Fri - 9:45 PM: This is quite the game we've got going here. Burnett and Beckett battled to a 0-0 tie in the eighth. Hughes came on to finish off the Sox in the top of that inning and Okajima has relieved Beckett. Great game.
Fri - 5:15 PM: From the "BWAAAAAH-HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!" files: Sox DFA Smoltz. Didn't someone say something yesterday about the Yankees chasing Smoltz into retirement? Oh yeah, that was me. And seriously, how did Red Sox N*tion not see this coming? I remember Sox fans (one in particular) beating their chest back in December when the team signed this relic, blabbing about what a great pickup it was. And I remember saying to them "Yeah, 41 year old coming off surgery and moving from the NL to the AL East. Let me know how that works out." Now we know.
Thu - 7:00 PM: The Greatest Rivalry In Sports hasn't been much of a rivalry in 2009. It has, in fact, been a painfully one-sided affair, with the hated Boston Douchenozzles (my pet name for them) taking all eight of the meetings between the two teams.
Call it a hunch? That ends tonight.
Yeah, I know, there goes Toast getting all confident and dooming his team. Hell, Fridge is probably already in the car on the way up here to kick my ass. I don't care. This ain't the same Yankees team that Boston made their bitch earlier in the season. New York's pitching has improved mightily since the teams last met. Burnett has been fierce since his embarrassing performance at Fenway around the beginning of June and Joba has been lights-out for his last four starts. The bullpen has been stable and stingy with Hughes as the eighth inning guy. As for the offense, it's cranking right along. The bench in particular is in far better shape now that they've added Hinske and Hairston and jettisoned Cody Ransom.
Furthermore, here are the pitching matchups for the series (courtesy of Pete Abraham):
Tonight: RHP John Smoltz (2-4, 7.12) vs. RHP Joba Chamberlain (7-2, 3.58), 7:05, My9, MLB
Friday: RHP Josh Beckett (13-4, 3.27) vs. A.J. Burnett (10-5, 3.89), 7:05, YES
Saturday: RHP Clay Buchholz (1-1, 6.05) vs. LHP CC Sabathia (11-7, 3.95), 4:10, FOX
Sunday: LHP Jon Lester (9-7, 3.79) vs. LHP Andy Pettitte (9-6, 4.35), 8:05, ESPN
Tonight's game and Saturday's should be huge mismatches -- hell, I half expect the Yankees to chase Smoltz into retirement tonight -- and the other two are at worst tossups. The Bombers should at least split the series. Three wins is more likely, and a sweep isn't out of the question.
There you have it. Sports Gods, I await your wrath.
Tags: baseball, Yankees, Red Sox
(...David Ortiz pops up to end the top of the sixth...)
Toast: "I love that David Ortiz sucks now."
Tracy: "You're such a gloater though. I can't gloat."
Toast: "I'm not 'gloating'. I'm just really happy that he sucks."
Tracy: "I'm not. I kinda feel bad for him."
Toast: "Oh come on. He's a whiny bitch, always talking shit and complaining-"
Tracy: "I know"
Toast: "He was such a hypocritical ass with all the judgmental shit he said in February when A-Rod's name came out-"
Tracy: "I know"
Toast: "He deserves whatever he gets. Fuck him. I'm glad he 's going out like this."
Tracy: "I know, I just - I don't like when bad things happen to people. Even bad people."
(...long pause...)
Toast: "So when Dick Cheney dies, you're not coming to my 'YAY! DICK CHENEY IS DEAD!' party?"
(..pause..)
Tracy: "I'll go, because I'm your wife. I'm not going to not go."
(..pause..)
Tracy: "But I'm not wearing the t-shirt."
Tags: my wife is a much better person than I am
As was expected, judge Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed by the Senate today. As was also expected, more than three quarters of the good Senators of Greater Wingnuttia voted against confirmation. Sotomayor, as any reasonable observer by now knows, is eminently qualified and has a long and indisputable track record showing her to be neither particularly activist nor particularly ideological, but far be it from the GOP to let that stand in their way when there are partisan points to be scored and a rabid wingnut base to be fed. Should Obama get another shot at the bench and should he dare to nominate an actual progressive (no, I'm not holding my breath either) I'm sure the proceedings will really be a ton of fun.
All that aside, congratulations for judge Sotomayor are in order. Today is a landmark day for Hispanics and an especially great day for wise Latinas everywhere, and any aggrieved white males who have their underwear in a knot about it can go fuck themselves.
Tags: Sonia Sotomayor
The first eight paragraphs of this blog post by Paul Graham offer a neat conceptual framework for understanding why meetings annoy the fucking shit out of programmers and other people whose jobs involve generating actual creative output of some kind. So often, I find myself at odds with a project manager or SA/QA lead who wants to schedule some recurring meeting or other - usually right in one of the sweet spots of the day, like 10-11 AM or 1-2 PM - and I'm at a loss to convey just how disruptive that is for me and my team. This guy gets it. Seriously, I wish I could make every manager I know read this post.
Tags: meetings suck
For the second straight morning I came into the office to find all four birds hanging out on top of the cage together. This has long been a preferred gathering place for the older birds, but with the newbs, Monet and Abbie (the two in the middle), sprouting flight feathers and out and about it's getting crowded up there.
Abbie seems to have taken to her newfound ability unusually quickly. She already has the knack of navigating the office airspace without bonking off of walls and windows the way 'Stone and Oz did when they were learning. Monet, on the other hand, is a work in progress. He's a few feathers short of a full set of wings (in more ways than one) so he has trouble staying aloft for long. On top of that, his propensity for falling down behind things combined with his desire to go off exploring in other parts of the house require us to keep him closely supervised.
Both of the youngsters are starting to slim down now that they're flying. They were fatties when we got them, with Ab weighing in at 38 grams and Monet topping out at a downright obese 42. With all the exercise they're starting to get, however, I'm guessing their next checkup will find both birds closer to the 28 grams that's considered healthy for a 'keet. As for taming them, both Abbie and Monet will step onto a finger readily when they're outside the cage, which is more than we can say for Ozzie, who will apparently be forever wild. Monet actually sat on my shoulder for a bit yesterday morning as I was doing stuff downstairs. Being able to fly does seem to make these creatures quite independent-minded, however, so whether the newbs stay friendly once they're fully mobile is anyone's guess.
Tags: parakeets
The Yanks trade for Hairston. Hairston. Um, OK then. Cashman got the first two letters right, at least. But, oh, I was hoping for so much more. You know, another über-stud pitcher for the rotation. As opposed to a utility fielder. (...sigh...) I guess this past winter spoiled me. They said we'd never get Sabathia and Teixeira, but lo and behold, C-Money made it happen. So when our beloved GM kept saying there was no way the Yanks were in the mix for Halladay, I figured that was code for "He'll be in pinstripes by August 1st."
Ah well. I suppose I should look at it this way: Maybe the Yanks figure that, with the best record in the AL, there's just not a lot of urgency to improve the team.
And hey, at least the Douchenozzles didn't get Doc Halladay either. There had been murmurs of that horrifying possibility all week long. Instead, the Roid Sox went out and got Indians catcher Victor Martinez. A very good bat for their struggling lineup, to be sure, but as Fridge was quick to point out they're going to have trouble finding a spot for him in the mix of Varitek, Youkilis, and *rtiz.
So, all in all, a deflating trade deadline but not a devastating one.
Tags: baseball
(h/t: Benen)
Obama is meeting with Professor Gates and Officer Crowley as I type this, so what better time to weigh in on this ridiculous and oh-so-blown-out-of-proportion incident?
Here's the deal: Crowley was stupid. I don't give a shit if the guy has the most sterling record of any cop in the country, nor do I care if he doesn't have a racist bone in his body. Arresting a person in their own home who has done nothing wrong -- and no, mouthing off to a cop isn't "wrong" -- is assholish in the extreme. It's the sort of abuse of power that, unfortunately, is so commonplace as to be invisible to most cops, but that doesn't make it OK. Crowley acted like a bully and an ass, period.
Should Obama have weighed in the way he did? Probably not. Should he have backed off from his statement once he made it? Definitely not. Should this story still be alive and kicking for a second week in a row, analyzed and criticized in every detail by the too-bored-for-their-own-good cable news talking heads? Absofuckinglutely not.
Tags: Crowley/Gates Brouhaha
I kid with the asterisk. I kid! Although, let's face it: it sure is nice, as a Yankees fan, to see some names associated with the league's squeaky-clean model franchise get dragged through the mud for a change. Especially Big Lovable himself.
On a serious note, having the names trickle out like this hurts the players, hurts baseball, and annoys fans. About the only people it's good for are sports talk radio clowns. Major League Baseball needs to put the entire list out there and be done with it.
Update: Hilarious exchange at Big Blue:
mfsd: "[A]t least A-Rod wasn't dumb enough to criticize other cheaters and demand they be banned for a year. A-Rod's a nitwit, sure, but in light of his February comments, Ortiz is an a**hole."
ScottnMorgantown: "But Ortiz hasn't fisted Madonna. Brutal as it gets."
Tags: baseball, steroids, Red Sox
"[I]f Obama is intent on using this whole episode as a 'teachable moment,' you'd think he could teach Americans to drink something better than Bud Light." -- Jason Zengerle on the President's egregious choice of brews for his meeting with Professor Gates and Officer Crowley.
Tags: Barack Obama, beer
So I'm reading this post by Michelle Cottle over at The Plank...
When I saw this USAT piece about a new dictionary of popular college slang, I immediately had a disturbing mental picture of hopelessly out-of-touch Gen-Exers, Boomers, etc...furiously flipping through the pages trying to figure out how to sound hip again--or at least have a conversation with their kids.
Emphasis mine.
Ugh. Just... ugh.
Time marches on and all that shit, but "out-of-touch" Gen-Exers? Say it ain't so. Surely we X'ers -- the most skeptical, über-saavy, information-addicted and reflexively meta- and post-everything generation ever to walk the Earth -- are immune to being "out-of-touch" no? I mean, we are neither in-touch nor out-of-touch. We are above your silly "touch". And don't you young'ens forget it.
Tags: Generation X
So that Jon Chait quote I cited a couple of posts ago? It's looking like conservative Democrats in both chambers of Congress are hell bent on minimizing the "massive improvement" part and maximizing the "crushing disappointment" part.
I hope progressive Dems walk away from the table. Any bill that meets all the demands of conservative Democrats and "moderate" Republicans (all three of 'em) will be such a useless, watered-down, jury-rigged piece of crap it will do more harm than good to the long-term goal of real reform. So fuck 'em. Walk away.
Jesus Fucking Christ.
A Democratic president who backs a public plan, Democratic majorities in the House and Senate - a sixty seat majority in the Senate, no less - broad public support for reform -- all that and motherfucking conservatives are still setting the agenda, still limiting what we can accomplish. Despicable.
Conservatism FAILED. It's time to give liberal politicians and liberal ideas a try.
Tags: healthcare reform
Thank you. That is all.
Tags: baseball
"[T]he distance between the status quo and a perfect bill is so vast that we could have something that's both a massive, historical improvement and a crushing disappointment." -- Jonathan Chait on the possible outcomes of the ongoing legislative battle over healthcare reform.
Tags: healthcare reform
Woke up this morning to find an email from a fraternity brother of mine telling me that Mike Wolf -- brother, alumni president, chapter savior, friend, and all-around great human being -- had succumbed to bone cancer after more than a decade of fighting it off. Mike's sister, Diana, has been keeping Mike's family and friends updated on his status all week long on mikeBlog. As so often seems to happen in cases like these, his passing was preceded by a few days of "improvement" and increased lucidity. If nothing else, I hope this afforded him the opportunity to hear something of the tsunami of thank yous and fond memories that we all shared.
Mike was a fascinating guy, both a serial entrepreneur and a noted party animal. The first time I saw the phrase "technical evangelist" was on his business card for Authentidate, a spin-off company from Bitwise, the PC manufacturing startup he created with fellow Phi Sig alums Ira and Ratso at RPI's small business "Incubator" in the late eighties. Ira was the business guy, and Ratso played the role of slick sales and marketing dude, but Wolf was the visionary, always trying to tease out the next interesting (and profitable) wrinkle the future might be holding.
Wolf was always having visions of one kind or another, it seemed, and not all of them were business-related. I first made his acquaintance in 1986 when I was rushing Phi Sig. Back in those days he wore a perpetually half-cocked smile, a bemused stare, and talking to him was like talking to someone on a satellite delay. His demeanor -- laid back in the extreme and just a little bit off-the-wall -- led me to wonder if he was always stoned or just when he came by the chapter house. It wasn't until later on that I realized his peacefulness and playfulness came from something deeper than any chemical could induce. It was who he was: A gentle, happy, playful soul.
My favorite memory of Wolf was the time we took his boat out on the Hudson one Alumni weekend. If I recall correctly -- and recall frequently became problematic where Wolf was involved -- it was one of those weird early Spring days where the air temperature is way warmer than it has any business being and people feel induced to perform Summer activities even though the buds are just starting to poke through. Anyhow, Wolf and I and a couple of others backed his boat into the river, went out, got our bake on, and kicked it in the sun, drinking beer and listening to music. Now, remember, it's April; the waters in the Hudson along the stretch from Troy to Albany, coming down from points north, are not comfy. Be that as it may, late in the day Wolf suddenly strips down to shorts and jumps into the freezing cold water for a thirty-second dip. I vividly remember him climbing over the stern soaking wet and saying to him "You're fucking nuts, dude." He just gave me a shrug and that patented crooked smile of his, toweled off, and grabbed another cold one.
It sucks that he's gone, and yet I'm pretty sure Mike lived more in his forty-something years than many people do in much longer lifetimes. I wish I'd seen more of him over the last decade, but time is flying by and we old crones haven't had much opportunity to gather lately with the chapter in what might be politely called a "rebuilding" phase. (A phase which, thanks in large part to Mike's efforts, is finally coming to a close.) I hope Diana was able to read my letter to him. I'd like to think he knew my life was richer for having known him.
Rest in peace, Mike.
Tags: Mike Wolf
Guess what pretty little town tucked away in a bucolic valley in the heart of the Nutmeg State just got a little love from Money magazine as one of the 100 Best Small Towns in America? If you guessed Simsbury, Connecticut, home of the TwoGlasses media empire, you'd be correct.
Woot! Go Simsbury!
Update: OK, re-reading that synopsis a little more closely gave me a chuckle. It was clearly written by someone who called the Simsbury Town Hall and was only half paying attention as they took notes. There is only one Pinchot Sycamore. It was named after noted Connecticut conservationist Gifford Pinchot. It is not a type of sycamore tree. Also, the bit about cherry trees has Tracy and me perplexed. I'm not sure if I've seen a cherry tree in Simsbury. If there are some around, they're certainly not omnipresent enough to count as a signature feature. "Mountaintop" really should be replaced with "hilltop" but I'll never win that battle. I can, however, comfirm that "quintessential New England" and "old-fashioned appeal" check out as accurate descriptors.
Tags: the Shire
If the reports I've been hearing on NPR are accurate, it's been all "Wise Latina" all the time for three straight days. Republicans pretending they can't possibly fathom what she meant. The nominee pretending she didn't mean what she clearly did mean. Absolutely juvenile, unenlightening, and a complete waste of everyone's time.
Tags: Sonia Sotomayor
Let's suppose, for the sake of argument, that Barack Obama was indeed checking out that woman's ass. So fucking what? Hell, if she'd walked by me I'd probably be wearing a cervical collar right now.
Tags: Barack Obama
Fri - 7:40 PM: Fun fact from PeteAbe: "The Yankees have gone 67 consecutive innings on the road without trailing."
Fri - 6:00 PM: The Yankees head into their final series before the All-Star break tonight against the Anaheim Angels (yeah, I'm still keepin' it real; fuck that "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" noise) and they're on quite the tear. They've won thirteen of their last fifteen and with the Boston Douchenozzles finally losing a game last night the Yanks pulled into a tie for first in the AL East.
The only bad news to hit the team recently was Chien-Ming Wang's return to the DL. The Wanger messed up his shoulder pitching against Toronto on Independence Day after pitching five innings where he actually flashed a bit of the old Wang. So the lost season continues for the future prime minister of Taiwan. Oh well.
Other than that, though, it's all smiles and laughter in Yankeeland. The Angels are presently without Tori-i and Vlad and two of the three pitching matchups favor New York, at least on paper. It's not ridiculous to hope that the Bombers roll into the break with another sweep and sole possession of first place in the division. (Of course I realize that, by typing that, I'm pretty much precluding that outcome and instead dooming them to failure. And yeah, by typing this I'm trying to reverse polarization on the Toast Whammy...)
As always, feel free to weigh in with thoughts on your team in comments.
Tags: baseball
Via Kevin Drum, the most unsurprising Pew survey ever.
Scientists -- that is, members of a profession obsessed with evidence, sound reasoning, and making claims that are both testable and falsifiable -- tend to have political leanings that are... no, wait for it... come on, just try and guess first... OK, fine, they're LIBERAL!
What a complete fucking shock!
Tags: liberals
Reading this piece on the unfolding negotiations in the Senate over healthcare reform, the following paragraph jumped straight out of the monitor at me:
According to Democratic sources, Reid told Baucus that taxing health benefits and failing to include a strong government-run insurance option of some sort in his bill would cost 10 to 15 Democratic votes; Reid told Baucus it wasn't worth securing the support of Grassley and at best a few additional Republicans.
Wait, that can't be accurate. That's not how this is supposed to work. What's supposed to happen in situations like this is that the GOP frames the boundaries of what is politically acceptable, "centrist" Democrats enthusiastically embrace said frame in the name of "bipartisanship", "moderate" Democrats heave a weary sigh and give up trying to craft a better bill, and liberal/progressive Democrats -- aka the people with the best ideas -- watch helplessly from their hermetically-sealed policy bubble as yet another chance to improve the lives of Americans slips away.
That's how it was when the Republicans had a healthy working majority. That's how it was when the Senate was split just about dead even between the parties. And it's how it's been for two and a half years now with an ever-growing Democratic majority. That's just how things work.
Democrats and -gasp- liberals setting the agenda and telling the GOP to fuck monkeys if they don't like it? How will the Union ever survive? DC cocktail party hosts better make a run on fainting couches. Someone get the jaws of death to un-bunch David Broder's underwear. This is madness.
(In related news, Hilzoy has a great post on the subject of healthcare "rationing".)
Tags: liberals rising
Fridge and I caught Judas Priest last night at the Chevy Theater in Wallingford, CT. Halford and the band are back together and out on the road in support of the 30th-anniversary re-release of British Steel.
It was, in a word, amazing. Or, in another word, outstanding. In two more words, fucking incredible. Brutal, intense, invigorating, rejuvenating, bracing. Heavy metal, as it was meant to sound, as it was meant to be played, by the greatest* metal band to ever play it.
About halfway through the set, I found myself simultaneously awestruck, giddy, and a bit wistful. KK and Glenn, still rocking the leather pants, flinging their bodies forward in unison on the dual guitar attack. Halford, prowling the stage in a studded duster, alternately growling and screeching with that ungodly voice of his. Ian Hill steadfastly churning away on his bass. Scott Travis up on the drum riser behind the double bass kit pounding out chest-shaking rhythms. Laser lights crisscrossing the smoke-filled air (no, really) in a pulsating matrix. A punishing wall of sound hitting me in the face.
Up in the balcony, geeked out on adrenaline, banging my forty-year-old noggin' and pumping the horns in the air and ripping some mean air guitar riffs, I thought of what's happened to music in the last couple of decades - the way rock and roll has retreated all too often into either ironic detachment or soul-baring emotional earnestness - and I looked at this quintet of fifty-something metal veterans still pulling off the old school Rock God act with power and gusto and aplomb and I thought, please - please - do not let music such as this perish from the Earth while I still draw breath.
(That's not an artful, one-day-on reminiscence; that's actually the phrase that came to mind at the time.)
The band played British Steel in its entirety to start the set -- telling aside: Whitesnake was the opening act, and while they were technically very sound and polished, I was quickly reminded of why I never got into them: there were more great songs on the first side of British Steel than there were in Whitesnake's entire catalog -- and then segued into a sampling of better-known tracks from Defenders on back to the early days. Nothing from Turbo or Ram It Down, sadly, and nothing from Painkiller, happily.
The emotional high of the night for me was Victim of Changes. Not just because it's a great song, but because I was anticipating it as the ultimate test of whether the old man could still bring it on the pipes. Motherfucker did not disappoint. As the song came out of the slow, pensive middle act, I was practically vibrating as Halford sucked half the air out of the building and deep down into his diaphragm and then...
VIC-TIM of CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYng-JEZZZZZZZZZ!
I'm pretty sure they heard that up on the International Space Station. And before you tell me sound cannot propagate through space, allow me to correct you: Rob Halford's voice can.
The band played for about an hour and a half, wrapping up with a pseudo-encore of You've Got Another Thing Comin'. I say "pseudo" because they didn't go through the tedious ritual of departing and then making everyone scream themselves hoarse for ten minutes before coming back for more. This was a mere sojourn behind the riser for a swig of water before heading back out to wrap things up in the only possible appropriate way. And as they launched into the furious, sledgehammer onslaught of the song that made me a Priest fan all those many years ago, my inner child, inner teenager, inner college student, and outer middle-aged dude all raised their fists in unison and rocked. The fuck. Out.
(*Apologies to Maiden fans. Yes, the debate will rage forever. This is my moment. Let it go.)
Tags: Judas Priest
Friends, readers, countrymen: On this day of our nation's birth, I would ask you to look beyond the beer, hotdogs, burgers, and fireworks and ponder for a moment what it is we're celebrating. For America is not all about bombast and self indulgence and blowing things up for fun. America is a nation of ideals, of deeply held principles; a beacon to the world, symbolizing justice, tolerance, and personal freedom. America is a shining example of humanity's best possible self, of what we can become when we, um, put aside narrow self interest and... uh.. look out for the little guy and... ummmmm...
Fuck it. Enjoy the beer, dogs and burgers! Let's blow some shit up!
Update: Replaced the stock photo I found with a video I took of the finale last night. Contrary to what we'd heard before the show, I didn't see anything that fell in the "Zomygod, that's new!" category. Still, it was pretty dazzling, and the sheer number of explosions in the final minute or so was something to behold.
Tags: fourth of July
Dumber than a box of doorknobs, as spiteful and paranoid as Dick Cheney, and deeply erratic to boot. Please, Sarah, tell us this is really goodbye and not just a prelude to a presidential run. I hear there's a whole lotta moose up there that need huntin'.
Tags: Sarah Palin
Ah, nothing like a holiday. Sitting here with iTunes in shuffle mode, the windows open, drinking coffee, a couple of crazy birds flying around my head, contemplating the day before me. Need to clean the bird cage, mow the lawn, and hit the egg farm for a couple dozen fresh oblongs. Other than that, the day is mine to savor. Sadly, Tracy did not get today off from el banco, so I'm on my own.
Tomorrow, we head up to Boston, where we've been invited to join my cousin on his boat. Every year he joins hundreds of others who take their boats out on the Charles River to watch the fireworks display. I've seen Boston's impressive fourth of July fireworks many times, but I've never seen them from 100 yards away from the barge, close enough for ashes to fall on your head. It should be epic.
Sunday we'll be coming home early in the morning, then heading out to an afternoon wedding celebration for one of Tracy's co-workers. From there, I'll be heading down to the Chevy Theater and meeting Fridge to see Judas Priest. Yeah, that's right, bitches. Rob Halford and the boys are back together, out on the road tearing shit up. This will be my fourth time seeing them - caught them on tour for Defenders, Turbo and Ram It Down - and it might well be the last. I fully intend to leave the venue with my ears ringing and a sore neck.
So, busy couple of days coming up. But today? Not so much.
What about the rest of you? Got anything fun planned?
I realize that Slate has a legitimate interest in maintaining their publication's reputation for empty, clueless contrarianism - hell, someone has to pay Christopher Hitchens' bar tab - but really, really, are you shitting me? An article denouncing fireworks? Yes. An article denouncing fireworks:
the professional fireworks display is an exercise in pomposity, aggression, triumphalism, and hubris. The pyrotechnician -- and, more importantly, his patron -- intends to ornament the night sky beyond the powers of God himself. He means to inspire awe for little purpose other than to demonstrate his power. The first great fireworks nuts in the Western world were Peter the Great (who put on a five-hour show to celebrate the birth of his first son) and Louis XIV (who, with a specially equipped sundial, used them to tell time at Versailles). Fireworks are imperialist and, as we used to say in school, hegemonic. That they are popularly believed to be populist entertainment does not say much for the populace.
Aggression, triumphalism, and hubris. Gotcha, Sparky.
How about the part where they're really fucking cool? Did you miss that, Mr. Patterson? Actually, you probably did, as it's hard to appreciate the gobsmacking visual spectacle of a fireworks display with your head up your ass.
Seriously, just add "...doesn't like fireworks" to "...doesn't like beer" and "...doesn't like steak" on the list of things that cause me to be suspicious of a person.
Watch out, America! The Stranimal has waded into the healthcare reform debate and he has the mockery knob cranked to eleven. His latest effort -- "Hey, Joe!" -- takes aim at the Shame of Connectitcut, the Chinless Wonder, John McCain's BFF and the Insurance Industry's handiest, most well-worn Tool... Joeeeeeeeeeee LIEberman!
"Oh, I know; you're a hypocrite!"
That just gives me a chuckle every time I hear it. 2012 really can't come soon enough. Here's hoping my fellow Nutmeggers have long memories.
I've got a mild glow, a bit of a carb coma, and not a whole lot to do today. Can someone give me a compelling reason not to take a nap?
About a month ago I was listening to Play Classical UK on iTunes radio and Mr. Lambourn decided to spin a classical guitar piece by composer Heitor Villa Lobos. I was only half listening before it came on, and yet as the subtle pluckings rose and fell I suddenly found myself thinking "Whoa, I love this! What is it?"
Many downloads later, I am ready to officially declare myself a classical guitar fan. I confess, it's a genre I knew nothing whatsoever about, beyond the fact that many of my childhood guitar-God metal heroes were "classically trained". But really, holy crap. I grabbed a random bunch of performances of Villa Lobos' work off of Vuze first. Then Kona sent me a nice collection. I downloaded beautiful collections by John Williams (not the Pops conductor) and Julian Bream. And I am hungry for more.
So far, I've found the soothing aural massage of this genre is great for coding and perfect for cooking. Last week I put the Pod in the Bose dock in the kitchen and fired up the Williams CD before going to work on dinner. I felt like I could have cooked forever. It was like I entered a trance. Such glorious music, and I never knew I liked it until halfway through my life. Makes me wonder what else I'll discover in the years I've got left on this rock.
Jason Zengerle penned a smart piece at TNR this week asking why, in 2009, we still have an absolute, no-exceptions requirement that legislators be physically present to vote in Congress. If you think about it, you have to admit it's kind of stupid and archaic. Security or blackmail concerns? There are a million ways to mitigate that risk. The idea that, by being physically present, members will be more inclined to listen to the arguments of their peers? Puh-leaze. Look, I'm not saying we should allow Senators and Reps to work from home 100% of the time; they'd surely take advantage of that to such an extreme that it would have an adverse effect on legislating. But couldn't we allow each Congressperson a dozen remote votes per year? Surely, a guy like Ted Kennedy, suffering from brain cancer, should be able to vote on healthcare reform without having to drag his sorry ass from Death's door to the Capitol, right? Just sayin'.
Talk about your Independence Day serendipity! What just came up on iTunes but The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton. You know, "We fired our guns but the British kept a'comin'..." Man, I loved that song as a kid and I haven't heard it in forever. Turns out it was on one of the CD's in my mother-in-law's Oldies but Goodies collection that I ripped. OK, yeah, I know the Battle of New Orleans was fought at the end of the War of 1812, not the revolution, but still, it was us versus the Brits, so there.
Tags: fourth of July, contrarian bullshit, Joe Lieberman, naps, classical guitar, vote from home, Battle of New Orleans
It's pretty cool that the guy who wrote Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them is now a United States Senator. Also, it's about goddamned time. Congratulations, Senator Franken, on your much-delayed victory. Now go forth and kick some Winger ass.
Tags: Al Franken