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The Sox Game Friday Night vs. Seattle

August 14th, 2007 No comments

This is the second year in a row that I have attended Elvis Night. I have gone to far fewer games than I planned this year and I have to say that based on my own personal life plus the fact the team is doing so poorly has attributed greatly to this issue.

Elvis Night is always fun and even better when the team wins. In this case, however, my brother who is looking more like a character from the movie Dazed and Confused and I were finding the fact that the fans were doing the Wave as a typical no-no in the Cell. Why or when did this hoky tradition start, I am not sure. I could see going to Wrigley and trying to start the wave just because it is Wrigley, I am thinking that some women while attempting it might bump their heads.

At any rate, Elvis night also didn’t feature any ‘Suspicious Minds’ which almost caused a protest from my brother. I did have my iPod and was able to feature that for him at the bar we went to after the game. It is funny btw, talking to people about Tumens aka, the Alcohol Abuse Center. I guess the place is refurnished and I have not been there in years but I still remember going with Drew, Andrew quite a few times and always found that between the Jukebox, the atmosphere as well as the flooded bathrooms always a plus in my book. It was never a problem sitting on an old keg either. It looked like they gathered their furniture by going around Bridgeport on a Sunday morning in the winter when all the residents would stick their old chairs out in the street to save their parking spots, and they would just pilfer them. You could not beat the prices either where nice quality beer could be bought at dirt cheap prices.

Categories: Life, Sports Tags:

Peter Bjorn and John – Writers Block

August 8th, 2007 No comments

27.jpg

This is an album that I just thought I received that I was late in receiving for the annual 2007 year review however, it must be added to the list of albums that I have been listening to of as of late. The first thing that I thought of when I heard ‘Object of My Affection’ was the classic band from suburban Chicago, ‘Helium Derby’, and now I know that the lead singer went to Sweden to start his own band.

Categories: Music Tags:

Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

August 7th, 2007 No comments

Spoon

As my sites typically have some crossover, I do want to mention one album that seems to be playing pretty nonstop on my Ipod as late. Spoons latest effort, ‘Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’, is perfect for that Summer Weekend BBQ party, but more importantly it might be one of the best albums of the year. Songs such as ‘You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb’ pleasure the listener with a revamped 60’s sound, full of horns whereas ‘The Underdog’ sounds like something that I listened to on the radio in 1975 and Wilco stopped writing when Jay Bennett left the band.

The album sounds fresh enough to feel indie yet accessible enough to allow your neighbors into its delights. Typically it’s bands that can gain this crossover appeal which will gain some type of acclaim.

At any rate if there is any album I would check out before the heat dies down is this one.

Categories: Music Tags:

Can Mark Buerhle hit 300 Wins?

August 6th, 2007 No comments

After watching Tom Glavine get his 300th victory, I thought to myself what would it take for Mark Buerhle to do it.

So far in his full 6 seasons that he has played in the MLB, he has averaged 15.5 wins a year and currently he is only 28 years. Mark Buerhle is a finesse pitcher that does not put a lot of pressure on his arm which means if all holds up he should only get better with age. Based on his statistics this season, it seems as if his second half blunders last year were a far cry from his career stats.

If Buerhle continues on his current pace of 15.5 wins a year for the next 14 years including this season and lasts as long as Tom Glavine has lasted (age 41), Buerhle would win 217 games and if you add that total with the 97 wins at the beginning of the season he would total 314 wins. In fact, Buerhle will only have to average 14.5 wins for the next 14 years to get to the magic 300 number.

Tom Glavine, in the 19 full seasons that he has pitched in the majors, not counting this year averaged 15.15 wins a season. The benefits that Glavine had to his credit was that he was on a great Braves team for all those years and that will be a big factor in Buerhle winning 300.

Buerhle has had a couple tough losses this year on a substandard White Sox team. What Buerhle does have going for him is that he tends to work deep into games which typically aids pitchers in getting decisions.

It will help matters of course if Buerhle can have a couple huge seasons the next couple seasons. While it is doubtful that he can get 20 wins this year, he still is on pace to win about 15-16 games.

Categories: Sports Tags:

Boycott BP

August 2nd, 2007 No comments

Story 1

Story 2

Opinion

 

I like how the oil companies like to market these ideas and values to us as if they are Beyond Petroleum and seeking conscious alternatives whereby they are just as guilty as they always have been.  

The point to the corporation is to make money and not to improve and or help out society and for a company that made 6 Billion dollars last year, I do question the motives and thoughts behind this.  

Lake Michigan is such a beautiful natural resource for America we do not need any more excess pollutants than have already been added to the lake.

Categories: Life, Politics Tags:

Rob Mackowiak Deal

July 31st, 2007 No comments

Sox Grade For Trades :C

Rob Mackowiak is a great utilityman for a great team but only a fair starter. He is not the future of any position and while the Sox are in a hunt to search out for talented players, I think that Mackowiak was a piece that was probably worth more to another team than the Sox. As with the deal for Iguchi, the Sox pretty much got some young arm we might see in a couple years.

I think that if things go the way as scheduled we will see a completely different lineup on Opening Day 2008. I can see Uribe being shopped as well as Crede as it looks like Josh Fields is a keeper at 3B.

Jerry Owens seems logical to open the season in center but I still have some doubts as a leadoff hitter. There has to be some question as well about whether they will bring Dye and Pods back.

Richar will get his opportunity to prove himself this season and if he doesn’t expect to maybe see Iguchi back with the team.

They signed Buerhle which was the cornerstone of the team and they still need to revamp their bullpen. That has to be their biggest issue this offseason.

Categories: Sports Tags:

Bergman yesterday and Today Antonioni

July 31st, 2007 No comments

To be honest, I have not seen as much of either of their works that I should. Part of the issues behind living in a disposable world of the great ole US of A is that it looks down upon great cinema. However it is easy to say that both have made lasting impressions in their professions.

Fanny and Alexander

For me, Fanny and Alexander was the best of Bergman. For those of you that have not seen this film I would highly recommend you picking up the full 5 hour Criterion Collection version and not the 3 hour version that cuts out, well, 40% of the film.

Antonioni's Blow Up

For Antonioni, the most popular film of his has to be Blow Up, the 60’s artsy thriller with enough weird cameo appearances such as the Yardbirds to Jane Birkin to fill your brain with. The movie is dated somewhat, however I must suggest that I find how the word “Dated” is used. If you make a period piece, isn’t that dated too?  But making important films in the present can feel odd when the cultural behaviors are represented poorly. I, however, find that more realistic rather than dated. The movie became popularized because of its sex scenes that in todays standards are somewhat dull and boring. It is still a fascinating film that leaves you with more questions than answers.

Categories: Video Tags:

Michael Vick is an Idiot

July 29th, 2007 No comments

Michael Vick Is an Idiot

Michael Vick is an Idiot

After finding out the charges against Michael Vick, the first thought that came to mind was that if he was a player on the Chicago Bears, I do not think that I could be a fan of the Chicago Bears if he suited up with the team. I thought to myself how could I root for someone to win who I would so viciously abhor? The scenario came up last season when the Chicago Bears defensive tackle, Tank Johnson violated his probation. I had a difficult time as well rooting for the team, however, his actions were a lot less serious than Vick’s are.

And while I have listened to the critics that feel that Vick is not getting his day in court, from what I have heard from the charges, there was no doubt dogfighting going on in a house that he owned, and not just a small amount of it. We know this pretty much for sure.

The question of course is how much or if any did Michael Vick participate in it. My conclusion would be that if Michael Vick did not participate in any of it and had no idea what was going on in this house, then he is at least an idiot, and no less than that.

If you are a sports star and you are not watching over your properties, money, etc. then you should because this is a great example of a scenario whereby even if Michael Vick had nothing to do with the events at his house, his life is pretty much ruined.

How can you live your life and not have an idea of what is going on in a property that you own – and if you have friends or associates there, that they are not looking out for your best interests?

So either, as some of you out there say, he is innocent like the scenario above or he is did have knowledge of it which would make him of course . . . an idiot.

I dare you to see some of gruesome photos of dogfighting, that these animals are not trained to be companions of humans but that they are trained to kill.

Categories: Sports Tags:

Have To Love Amazon E-Mails…

July 28th, 2007 No comments

Eric M Zimmermann,

We’ve noticed that customers who have purchased or rated Yoko by Beulah have also purchased Friedrich Schorr Vol. 2, Historical Recordings from 1927-31 . For this reason, you might like to know that Friedrich Schorr Vol. 2, Historical Recordings from 1927-31 is now available.  You can order yours for just $15.00 by following the link below. . .

Categories: Books, Life, Music Tags:

Will GOP Back out of CNN YouTube Debate?

July 28th, 2007 No comments

Interesting to see this.

I watched some of the CNN YouTube Debate and I thought it was just alright and thought that CNN advertised it way too much. I seem to always have CNN on the TV if for anything for background noise when I am in the need of some.

That being said, the questions and segments were repeated ad nauseum to the point where it was getting a little silly.

However, at the same time what the YouTube debate did provide was bring some color to the questions rather than just a standard debate. Elections have gotten to the point where the best candidate does not win but the best advertising campaign wins. I think that the YouTube debate mixed things up a little bit whereby CNN picked and chose the types of questions that might be good for television.

While CNN is obviously the most left of the cable news stations, they are not the voice of liberals, at least according to Michael Moore who has gone on rants about CNN and his new movie ‘Sicko’. And one of the faces of the station ‘Lou Dobbs’, I could hardly consider to be a liberal, Larry King is in La La land, Wolf Blitzer seems to be more neutral which pits Anderson Cooper as the most liberal, however, I find him to be more compassionate rather than trying to promote a liberal cause. This is not Bill O’Reilley or Sean Hannity we are talking about.

It is true that there is a divide in American politics. As the news organizations and programs take their sides, and candidates can take advantage of that now.

It would be a shame of the GOP backed out of it.

Categories: Politics Tags: