So, after a long month's holiday hiatus, and an even longer week back in Mass and travelling about, C and I are celebrating New Years by staying home and probably going to bed early. So I figure to get myself back into the whole blogging idea, I'll try to recap the past year. Just for shits and giggles. So, without further ado,

2008 In Review: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The Etcetera.

The Good:
- The Presidential Election: Not just the fact that Obama got elected, but how damn entertaining was this past election cycle? The rise of a more progressive Democratic Party (fingers crossed), the utter collapse of the Republican Party as a national party, the complete selling of John McCain's soul, and how can we forget, Sarah Palin and the ensuing high comedy. It was awesome. Full of many great moments. Can't wait till Inauguration Day.

- Ted Kennedy: Yes, I see the jokes coming for miles, and even if you don't like him, he came back from a brain tumor to deliver an amazing speech at the DNC in Denver, and pass the torch to a new generation of democrats. It made me proud to be from Massachusetts, and to have him as my senator.

- The Bruins, Celtics, Pats and Red Sox: Though only one team won a championship, two played above and beyond, and the Bruins look poised for a great extended run to end the season and the playoffs. I can't even fathom that I'll be watching them play into the spring. Hockey in shorts? Not so far in m life time. Amazing. Not to mention that the Phillies won the World Series. Sick.

- Oil prices: Just filled up for $1.45 a gallon in Mass. Lowest price in 5 years.

- Rode the MS 150 City to Shore, from Cherry Hill to Ocean City, New Jersey. Though Team Waterworks only completed the first day, we raised over $2500 to find a cure for MS. It was awesome, and though C and I won't be able to ride next year (we'll be in Massachusetts for the wedding), it was a great experience and I hope to do it again.

- The Olympics were pretty cool, though I grew quite tired of only seeing swimming and beach volleyball, especially considering the last fifty meters of the men's cycling road race was the most exciting ending to a bike race I've ever seen. Also, huzzah Michael Phelps. You're a god amongst men.

The Bad:
- Has anyone actually seen our President do anything remotely presidential since September, besides ride around on Air Force One? Didn't think so. He seemingly missed that his Global War on Terror is raging on two active fronts, there was a rather nasty border war between Russia and Georgia, and the epic collapse of the US economy. Where is he? Attempting to reshape his legacy so that history won't view him as such a douche bag. Here's a tip for you W: Too late. Maybe you should have thought about this when you were acting like an idiot over the past eight years. Oh, and look out for all the new abuses of endangered species, previously protected wilderness and the limits on abortions he's trying to push on through. God Bless America.

- Oil prices: Paid over $4.25 a gallon for gas at some points earlier this summer. Ridiculous.

- Speaking of the economy, I have a real big problem with these bailouts. Not that they occurred, mind you, I think they were necessary. My issue lies in the fact that white collar bankers and Wall Street investors come to Washington and leave with $700 billion essentially unregulated dollars, but when they Big Three car companies come looking for $35 billion, they are slapped around by politicians. Now, they most definitely should have been, they caused their own problems, but at the same time, where was the public castigation of the bankers and their ilk? And why, pray tell, do the union workers need to make concessions for the Big Three to secure financial help? I'm glad that the Republicans can get their faces rubbed in the mud in an election and decide to rebrand themselves as union busters. Awesome.

- Our Angry Planet: Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, a cyclone in Myanmar and an earthquake in China... Looks like we woke up Mother Earth from her nap, and boy is she pissed (And this doesn't even address the massive clusterfuck of a relief effort in each case, by multiple governments).

- Stupid American Politicians: New York governor Elliot Spitzer gets busted visiting a high-end prostitute and resigns, Alaska senator Ted Stevens is convicted on seven counts of various corruption and graft, loses his reelection bid to a Democrat, and still doesn't think he did anything wrong, and Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich will undoubtedly be receiving some time in "federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison" for trying to sell Barack Obama's vacated senate seat, among other instances of corruption. Oh, and of course, he won't resign, because, of course, he's done nothing wrong in his own eyes. You gotta love that absolutely none of these men think they did a single thing wrong and continue to embarrass their constituents and our country in the process.

Personal Accomplishments:
- Got engaged to C. Awesome, obviously.

- Finished grad school, now full time into job hunting.

- Didn't go broke. Yet.

- Healthy fiancee, healthy dog, healthy guinea pig. The state of the family is strong.

EDIT

- Saw the Who in concert. Best concert I've ever been to, or will likely ever go to.

EDIT

Personal Disasters:
- No new job yet, even though I've been looking for a year and planned on having a new one six months ago, at worst.

- About to go broke.

- No idea how to pay for the wedding, but working on it, one way or the other.

Best Event of the Year: Hands down, Election Night. No elaboration needed.

Worst Event of the Year: Ignoring the now 6 plus year tail chase in Iraq, the current Israeli-Hamas conflict over Gaza, followed very closely by the Mumbai terrorist attacks. If you are under informed about these events, especially the conflict in Gaza, please find some time to educate yourself. As mush as I support our backing of Israel, at what point does a massive bombing campaign against what are essentially refugee camps become more than a proportional response? I know that I can never fully understand the situation, but I can see this current conflict spiraling out of control very, very quickly.

Quote(s) of the Year: "America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for this country that we love... Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs for the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment -- this was the time -- when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals."- Barack Obama, Democratic Primary Victory Speech in Minneapolis, June 3, 2008
and
"This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."- Barack Obama, Victory Speech in Chicago, November 4, 2008

Book of the Year: Rick Atkinson's Day of Battle was an amazingly well researched and written work, and my favorite of the year. Even though they aren't new books, I also read and thoroughly enjoyed Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope and Mikhail Bulgakov's Master and Margarita, among other things.

Music of the Year: Limiting choices to those in my collection, which excludes almost all country, pop, rap and hip-hop, we come to Metallica's Death Magnetic for album of the year and the Kings of Leon with Sex on Fire as song of the year. The Metallica album was their best in years, maybe decades. It was heavy and raw, and I loved every track. Even though it is a simple song about sex, I though Sex on Fire was really great. I'm sure the musically inclined among you, especially Handy, will heartily disagree.

Movie of the Year: Dead tie between Tropic Thunder and the Dark Knight. I can't really decide, both were equally great. Obviously everyone drools over Heath Ledger's performance, but I found Aaron Eckhardt's Harvey Dent was equally good as well. Just one man's opinion. I also think both Robert Downey Jr and Tom Cruise's performances in Tropic Thunder were great. I guess I'll leave this one up to you.

So, that's it I guess. Hope you all had a great 2008, here's to a smashing 2009.

He must be stopped. He cannot be allowed to get away with this.

Let me repeat that one more time, just so we all understand: He. Must. Be. Stopped.

Instead of attempting to help this country out of a horrific economic meltdown (no events at all on his public schedule today), George W. Bush is spending the last 50 or so days of his administration, attempting to rewrite history. He and his top-level advisers such as Karl Rove and Karen Hughes are working on the "Bush Legacy Project," which seeks to undermine the facts as we know them regarding some of the worst actions undertaken by Bush and his cronies.

It is now widely known how inept the Bush Administration was in such large-scale disasters as Hurricanes Katrina and Ike, the War in Iraq, torture and the current economic meltdown (I try not to call it a depression, but we're probably there already). What the BLP is essentially doing, is coming out in force to revise history to fit the administration's opinion of itself, facts be damned.

Perhaps the most disturbing statement to come out of this effort thus far is Karl Rove stating, "Absent that [WMDs], I suspect that the administration's course of action would have been to work to find more creative ways to constrain him like in the 90s." So, let me get this straight: If you knew there were no WMDs in Iraq, Bush would have favored sanctions, not war. But wait a minute, he DID KNOW that there were no WMDs in Iraq, but went on ahead and continued his father's war anyway. The BLP would also have you blame "faulty intelligence" for the war, concluding that even though it was ultimately Bush's decision, as if there is even a scintilla of questionable evidence, YOU DON'T GO TO WAR. Bush has echoed Rove's statement in recent TV interviews, and even attempted to divest himself of any responsibility in the latest crisis, the economy. To wit, when asked by Charlie Gibson if he bore any responsibility for the current crisis, he manages to stumble over his answer and this gem comes out:

"You know, I'm the President during this period of time, but I think when the history of this period is written, people will realize a lot of the decisions that were made on Wall Street took place over a decade or so, before I arrived..."

So wait, this mess is his dad's fault? I'm confused. When in doubt, duck and cover and blame everyone else, including your own family? These tactics must be made to fail. We, as Americans, can not allow this man to get away with abusing the truth and our own history the way he has abused this country for the past eight years. Please, for the love of God, keep your ears and eyes open, and preserve our nation's history, unsavory as it may be, and preserve the real Bush legacy, so that future Americans can understand how poorly this country was run, and who is responsible for the messes we find ourselves mired in.

Last night, for what ever reason, I decided to search for my old blog. One that I created years ago, while I was in undergrad. No, you can't see it... at least not with my help, but that's not the point here. My point is that I learned a few things about myself in the process of rereading my old musings:

- The summer of 2004 was truly the best time of my life. My first summer out on Boston Harbor, lost a ton of weight, felt good, but most importantly started dating C, to whom I am now engaged. It was a pretty awesome time in my life, but I can't say that I would go back and do it all over again. I've grown so much since then, and it's a neat process to see.

- The winter and spring of 2004 were an exceedingly angsty time for me. I was dealing with a lot of shit, and realize now how shitty it was to be around me (thanks for the heads up, jerks). I also had forgotten how awesome the people who supported me were (C, Handy, Jen, Danie, Heidi, etc). So, since I'm sure I didn't say it then, thanks.

- Sadly, I also learned that I was a horrendous abbreviator and letter skipper. On purpose. It's insanely juvenile, and really annoying, and if any of you are carryover readers, my bad.

It was neat to read about my life years removed from the happenings. It made me realize how insanely good the good times were, and also that even though there were bad times, and there will continue to be bad times, things are ok in the end. That's got to count for something.

Hey Handy and Gopher-


Told ya.

Because Keith can say it better:

WARNING: The following post contains profanity, as well as an example of pure idiocy.

So, the other day I was friended on Facebook by someone I went to high school with, but really don't remember. This person has since moved out west and apparently become some kind of evangelical Christian. No big deal, people can be however they want to be.

Now, as most of you know, I find myself to be a pretty progressive guy, and have been especially upset by the whole Prop 8 fiasco in California. As far as I'm concerned, America is built on the idea that everyone, no matter race, color, creed, sexual preference, is equal. I may not have blogged much about it, but it is far more clear in my Facebook profile.

Why then, would this "friend" of mine invite me to join a group whose intent is to "Save Marriage," by demanding that marriage be recognized as only a union between a man and a woman? Shit like this really pisses me off. I'm sure this person will argue from a religious perspective, and to that I must respond, simply, that it is not a religious argument. Sure, it sucks that some churches don't want to marry gay people, but it is their choice. They are private institutions that can't be legislated. Do I wish it were different? Of course I do. But the marriage I am talking about is the legal kind, the kind that gets couples certain protections under the law, and certain privileges, like hospital visits and survivor's benefits. I can just tell that this is going to be a silly argument... but I can't wait.

Oh, and in the ultimate irony, this person currently has as their Facebook status: "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights such as LIFE,Liberty and happiness!"

Clearly the rights of an unborn child are more important than those of adults. HA!

A little late, but hilarious none the less, via GOOD and Youtube:

Barry and McNasty (and Busey?) in: Swing(er) States.

I didn't liveblog tonight like I said I would. I'm sorry, I'm a bad person, but I must say tonight was immensely satisfying. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow to check the final score, but right now, with three states still in play (IN, NC and MO) it looks like this:

Obama/Biden: 338 (364, assuming he picks up 11 in IN and 15 in NC)
McCain/Palin: 163 (174, assuming he picks up 11 in MO)
House: Dems + 21ish (With a few left to come in)
Senate: Dems + 19 (Assuming they pick up seats in too-close-to-call races in OR and AK)

Dems won't get 60 in the Senate, but at least they can kick Lieberman out of the caucus. They even picked up a governor's mansion in Missouri.

Nuts... Landslide kind of nuts...

Good Lord, my mind is blown. Before I get into the story, let's set the scene. This afternoon, the Eagles played a home game in Philly, and not long after, the Phillies started Game 4 of the World Series. Also tonight, the Who visited the Wachovia Center, for a concert that took place concurrently with the Phillies' game. Busy day in the sports complex area. Where was I, you might ask? Well, that would be the Who concert, of course, and it absolutely blew my freaking mind.

BG calls me at noon, and says, "Hey, want to go to the Who tonight, for free." (The guy who paid for the ticket had to back out. Obviously, Bob's got a bottle of whiskey coming his way.) Needless to say, it didn't really matter that I had to work. After about 30 minutes of a crappy opening band whose name escapes me, it was time to rock out... for the next 2 hours.

First, some general comments, then a setlist as I remember it. To begin with, whoever does the lights for the Who deserves a damn medal. The effects were amazing, and added measurably to what would have been an amazing show in its own right. Also, whoever says that old dudes can't rock, well, they are sorely mistaken. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend rock harder than anyone I have ever seen, and it physically exhausted me just watching them, I can't imagine actually doing what they do.

So, for a playlist. I'll double check it tomorrow when the reviews come out, but I think I was able to get it down pretty pat: Can't Explain; The Seeker; The Kids Are Alright; Fragments; Who Are You; Behind Blue Eyes; Good Looking Boy; Sister Disco; Baba O'Riley; Getting in Tune; ?; 5:15; Love Reign O'er Me; My Generation; Won't Get Fooled Again. Encore: Medley from Tommy, including Pinball Wizard; Amazing Journey; See Me, Feel Me; and Listening to You; concluding with an acoustic Tea and Theater.

The Who took the stage and Pete, almost a little too humbly says, "We know we're not the biggest game in town tonight," which is quite true, as most people were cheering just as loudly for the Phillies' updates they were getting on their cellphones, as they were for the songs being played. They rip off the first three songs rapid fire, including an amazing rendition of The Seeker. Who Are You and Behind Blue Eyes really ramp up the crowd, but an odd, if somewhat long Elvis tribute kind of calmed things down, but luckily Baba O'Riley soon followed, really getting the crowd back into the game.

Daltrey really hit one out of the park on Love Reign Over Me, my favorite Who song, and showed that he still has that gravely scream that drives the song home. Now, just as the band transitioned into My Generation, and I mean literally just, Ryan Howard hit a 3-run home run to put the Phillies up by 4. I really thought the roof was going to come off the joint; the place just exploded. To conclude the main set with Won't Get Fooled Again was genius. It left the crowd simmering, and quite frankly wondering what they could do for an encore. Though they missed some favorites (Magic Bus, Squeeze Box, I Can See For Miles), the encore they chose could not have been more amazing. They guys retake the stage to a roaring ovation, Pete quiets the crowd and says, "For our encore, excerpts from an opera." All I could think was Tommy. And I'll be goddamned if they didn't launch into a medley from Tommy that lasted for 25 straight minutes. No lie. After 90+ minutes of kicking major ass, they come back for a nearly 30 minute encore. Beyond mind blowing. The night ended with an acoustic and, dare I say, intimate performance of Tea and Theater, with just Roger and Pete.

The point: Singly the best concert I've ever been to, or will probably ever go to. Townshend's guitar was simply incendiary and Daltrey showed that even after decades of abuse, his voice could still rise to the occasion when called upon. My ears will be ringing for the better part of the next week for sure, but, really, would we want it any other way?

Whenever I feel badly about myself (more often than not these days), I click onto this website, and feel a bit better about the world.

I've run the election simulation a ton, probably over 100 times, and each time Obama has won.  It gives me hope, if nothing else, that someday everything will be ok.

Of all random days, today was kind of awesome. Please, let me explain:

First, an absolutely bee-you-ti-ful day, though I had to spend it at work, but I digress.

At work I spend a lot of time in my office, basically dicking around until someone needs me to do something; as such, I need to find ways to entertain  myself. I usually do this by spending my morning shifts listening to the Preston and Steve radio show on WMMR (site here). Every morning P&S have what they call the Lesson Question, in which they ask a question regarding something they discussed earlier on the show. If you remember, and are the right caller, you win a neat prize.

Well, kids, today I happened to be the right caller, and remembered that Steve was expecting to see the face of Phillies' centerfielder Shane Victorino gracing cans of Spam in the grocery store. Consequently, I nabbed a $50 gift certificate to this neat CC pub called Dr. Watson's (Doc Watson's).

What one must understand, of course, is that shit like this never, ever, happens to me. The fact that I called the contest line and the phone actually rang, is a victory in and of itself. Picking up, getting my name and putting me on hold was even better, and then actually giving me a prize, is pretty damn awesome. Yeah, I understand that it's not like I won a million bucks or a car or something, but it really made my day.

Oh and a special MITCOBL announcement, our next liveblogging experience will occur in 18 days, I'll let you do the math and figure out why that date will be important, but here's to hoping that the day goes down in history as the most pivotal day in my lifetime.

And even though I've been very clear about whom I support, remember it is essential that you vote, regardless of which party or candidate you are for. It's essential to everything America is about. And even if we can't agree on politics, we can all agree that this is pretty damn funny.

I'll take poor syntax for $200, Alex.

“I’m not saying he’s dishonest, but in terms of judgment, in terms of being able to answer a question forthrightly, it has two different parts to this. The judgment and the truthfulness and just being able to answer very candidly a simple question about when did you know him, how did you know him, is there still — has there been an association continued since ’02 or ’05, I know I’ve read a couple different stories. I think it’s relevant.”

Guess Who

Am I seriously liveblogging the VP Debate? You'd better believe it.

9.00 pm: From St. Louis, we have Gwen Ifill moderating Joe Biden vs. Sarah Palin. Looks like we’re going with a 90 second statement, with 2 minutes response and rebuttal time.

9.02 pm: “Can I call you Joe?”- Great start Sarah, please look as weak as possible.

9.05 pm: 1st Question: The big bailout, the best or worst of Washington?
- Biden says it was the situation we were put in by the current administration. What did you think he was going to say? Joe comes out fists flying against the Bush Administration, and Obama’s plan is better. Ties McCain/Palin in nicely with Bush. Palin’s response… to talk about a kid’s soccer game… Yes, soccer moms are afraid of the economy… but McCain saw it coming! He’s a reformer! John McCain made the bailout happen! (But don’t tell her it hasn’t happened yet). HA! I was waiting for the “fundamentals of the economy” quote. Biden is landing body blows. Palin tries to explain the comment away as describing the American workforce. That’s a new one. And we also have our first “maverick” of the night. Ha!

9.09 pm: Second maverick. Also, Palin tried to paint McCain as a reformer and an agent of change. Yep, because Obama voted with his party 96% of the time is more of the same, but someone who voted with Bush policies 95% of the time is for change! Like, obviously!

9.10 pm: 2nd Question: Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis, who's to blame?
- Palin points out that there is greed and corruption on Wall Street. No shit, Sherlock. Biden does a good job staying on topic, not really taking any unnecessary shots, but pointing out that John McCain was taken by surprise when the crisis arose. Palin starts in about how McCain will cut taxes (doesn't say for who), while Obama will raise taxes (without saying on who). Palin uses bogus stats to imply that Obama will raise taxes on the middle class, and Biden fires right back with bogus stats of his own, lumping McCain's decisions right in with Obama's. Palin then decides to explain McCain's behavior away as "just following the rules." Biden points out that Obama's tax plans will set rates at the same level as under Reagan, while cutting taxes for 95% of Americans.

9.17 pm: Getting off topic, Palin talks about how "she and Todd" think taxes are unpatriotic, and that McCain will give you a $5000 rebate for health insurance (not that it doesn’t cost a shit-ton more than that to buy health insurance). Thanks John.

9.20 pm: Ooh, Biden shows a little fire, hitting McCain’s healthcare plan on the cost to the average American. “I call that the ultimate Bridge to Nowhere.” OH SNAP!

9.22 pm: 3rd Question: What campaign promises will your candidate not be able to keep?
- Biden notes that doubling foreign aid will have to take a backseat, clearly he envisions the Obama administration concentrating on rebuilding America and fixing healthcare. Palin responds that McCain will do everything he says he will! And then they’ll take on Big Oil! Yeah! She ends her question with this classic, “How long have I been at this, like five weeks?” Nice.

9.25 pm: Joe, listen, get off the taxes. We know, know, that Obama didn’t vote for tax cuts for Big Oil. I get that Palin took on Big Oil in Alaska, but John McCain won’t. Do we really think he’ll listen to this inexperienced pissant? No way in hell.

9.27 pm: 4th Question: Do you support, like John McCain did, the new bankruptcy bill, making it harder for mortgage holders to declare backruptcy?
- Palin says that John McCain voted for it, but McCain should be thanked for seeing the mortgage crisis coming, even though he did nothing about it. Biden says that even though he voted for it, Obama didn’t, and Obama was right. He proposes some interesting ideas about adjusting principle amounts on mortgages, to avoid bankruptcies, which are already hard to get. Intersting ideas there. Aaaand Palin is back on energy… ? She is really damn frustrating. She’s not once connected bankruptcy laws with anything she’s said right now, but I bet she just knows that Obama and Biden are wrong.

9.31 pm: 5th Question: What is your position on climate change?
- Ha! As governor of America’s only Arctic state, Palin says it’s important for us to realize that climate change is a cyclical process, mostly natural, not man-made. Biden points out that since the Republican ticket doesn’t understand where climate change comes from, they can’t possibly hope to solve the problem. Ooh, Biden just dropped the N-word (nuclear, you idiots)… might be risky, though he points out it’s cleaner than coal. Also points out the lack of help drilling will give us. Snarky sniping by Palin. Way to reach the big point, that Joe Biden doesn’t know a silly little chant of yours by heart.

9.35 pm: If you have any doubts at all about who to vote for, Sarah Palin just said nucular. Awesome.

9.36 pm: 6th Question: Same-Sex Benefits
- “In an Obama/Biden administration there will be no difference in benefits for same sex, or heterosexual couples.” Well, even though Alaska has equal same-sex benefits, Palin isn’t a real big fan, doesn’t want to redefine marriage or nothin’. That’s between a man and a woman and all. Obama and Biden want to leave the decision about gay marriage to the faiths and the people, but don’t support gay marriage. Boo.

9.39 pm: 7th Question: Foreign Policy- Iraq
- Palin calls the surge a plan to pull troops out? Huh? Oh oh oh, I get it, the surge allows us to pull troops out… but not yet. “We’re getting closer and closer to victory”- bitch, please. Obama also voted not to fund troops (psst, Sarah, John McCain didn’t either). Biden says that Obama has a clear plan, which is in alignment with what the Iraqis want, and is currently being negotiated between Iraq and the US (actually true). Palin says, “We’ll be ready to leave when the Iraqis are ready to govern and protect themselves.” If we’re there forever, we’ll just never find out. Why don’t we give them a chance first, ok?

9.45 pm: 8th Question: Which is a greater threat, a nuclear Iran or an unstable Pakistan?
- Biden says an unstable Pakistan, though both are dangerous. Al Qaida is in Pakistan, hiding and planning. We need to do what we need to do to protect the country. Palin throws us another nucular. Again. Twice in less than 15 minutes. Oh, and Iran is more dangerous because it might, might, obtain “nucular weapons” and “nucular power.”

9.48 pm: HA! Sarah Palin criticizes our enemies for not respecting women’s rights. I almost dropped my computer I laughed so hard.

9.51 pm: Ok, so we all agree that Israel is cool. Skippy, let’s move on. Please, you’re losing me.

(Sidebar: Biden is looking a little more surly as we go along, though Palin is looking more sarcastic and snarky.)

9.55 pm: Yes, thank you Joe. “I haven’t heard how John McCain’s policies are going to be different from George Bush’s… and you’ve seen where that has taken us.”

9.56 pm: 9th Question: Is there any point at which the US should use nuclear weapons?
- Palin gives no answer. “It’s bad for our enemies to have or acquire ‘nucular’ weapons.” Palin moves on somehow deciding that criticizing Obama on Afghanistan is an appropriate answer to the question. Biden is really restraining himself, often clarifying who he is quoting and emphasizing his points. So apparently the Army doesn’t think that a surge-type offensive would work in Afghanistan, ok, good point. He hasn’t answered the question either. I don’t get it, it’s certainly not a hard question.

10.01 pm: 10th Question: Intervention in Darfur, pro or con?.
- Biden says that Americans will have the stomach for success there, as long as it's not just another Iraq (It seems that there’s a lot we can do, though I’m not sure that we can do it while still in Iraq.). “Oh, it’s so obvious I’m a Washington outsider, because I just don’t get it…” Seriously woman, just answer the question, you’re so damn irritating. She finally gets to the damn point that we should go in and help in Darfur, pointing out that in Alaska they talked about divesting assets in the Sudan. Didn’t actually do anything, but they talked about it.

10.06 pm: Palin keeps harping on Biden supporting McCain’s “war strategies,” I’m not sure how true it is, but she’s talked about it for three straight answers. She’s got to wipe that smirk off her face, too. She’s not helping herself.

10.07 pm: 11th Question: How would your administration be different than that of your running mate?
- Biden keeps it short and sweet, “I would execute Barack Obama’s policies.” Palin, not so much. “We’re a team of mavericks, what do you expect?” (So, you have opinions, but will not act on them. Right… You would be more convincing if you weren’t so damn fake. Ok, listen, let go of the whole tax hike thing, ok? Taxes on the rich don’t kill middle-class jobs, period.)

10.11 pm: This woman is so condescending, it really makes me sick.

10.14 pm: 12th Question: What does a Vice President do?
- (I’m glad Palin now gets what a Vice President does, so does my 8 year old cousin. Good for her.) Biden states that he’ll be a high-level advisor to Obama, not just a back-up to fill in spots that the President doesn’t want to deal with, which is essentially what Palin said she would be doing.

10.16 pm: Good god, Palin wants to be Dick Cheney 2. Ok, maybe I was wrong, she doesn’t get it.

10.18 pm: 13th Question: What is your weakness?
- Wasted question. Though it did give me a break, thanks Gwen.

10.21 pm: Wuh oh, Joe is talking about his son, who was injured in a car accident that killed his mother as a young boy and it’s getting a little dusty up on the stage. Nice touch, Joe (I shouldn’t say that, it seemed pretty sincere, unlike this whole maverick bull crap Palin is smearing all over the stage).

10.24 pm: 14th Question: Is there a major view you had to change while in government?
- Biden has changed the way he judges fellow lawmakers, questioning their judgments, not their motives. Palin says that sometimes she passed budgets she didn’t like to move things along. (So… she has no stones? She’s a pushover? Ok, got it.)

10.29 pm: Palin’s closing- Takes a pot-shot at the media on the way by, moving on to point out that she and McCain are fighting for the middle-class (haha), to secure the nation, and to apparently stop Americans from becoming subjects of some phantom menace... She lost me there, I'll have to look at a transcript and hope it makes sense. Maybe I'm not folksy enough to get it, my bad everyone.

10.30 pm: Biden’s closing- Nice one Joe, “Well, it's time for America to get up together. America's ready, you're ready, I'm ready, and Barack Obama is ready to be the next president of the United States of America.”

Well, it was way more of a debate than the first presidential debate, I can tell you that much. Biden brought his A game, attacking McCain without seeming like a jerk (and restraining himself when Palin slipped), and Palin showed that she can be on a national stage without handlers and not vomit on her shoes. She, however, did little to answer Biden’s attacks on the Bush/McCain policy relationship. I found her often rambling and rather incoherent, especially when it came to actually answering questions. I didn’t see a clear winner in this instance, either, just like the first presidential debate. I think few, if any minds were changed, but if pressed, I would say that Biden came out on top, because he didn’t just get by, like I get the feeling Palin did.

Ok, so I've avoided discussing this whole Lance Armstrong comeback thing, just because I wanted to see how it played out first. We're not at a resolution yet, but enough has leaked out that we can get a firm picture of what's going on. First, to introduce our players:

- Lance Armstrong: Self-important asshat who thinks he's so special that he can cure cancer by riding a bike.

- Team Astana: Kazakh-financed, Belgian-based cycling team that was banned from the 2008 Tour de France after failing doping tests the year before (not the whole team, just its best rider).

- Johan Bruyneel: Former director-sportif of Team Discovery Channel, Lance Armstrong's bff, and current DS of Team Astana.

- Alberto Contador: Current team leader of Astana, and possibly the best rider in the world today. Current title holder of the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana, and the 2007 Tour de France champion. Only the fifth cyclist ever to win all three Grand Tours, and he did it in 14 months, a record for the shortest amount of time. Probably would have won the 08 TdF if his team was allowed to participate.

So this is what has gone down so far:

- Armstrong: I'm going to come back to professional cycling to win an 8th Tour de France and help cure cancer.

- Bruyneel: I would love to work with Lance again.

- Astana: We would love to have Lance join our team and be its leader in a Tour de France.

- Contador: Hey, guys? What about me? You know, I'm kind of like the best rider in the world, right? I'm this team's leader, if you bring in Lance, I'm going to quit.

- Bruyneel and Astana: We would love to have Lance win a TdF with our team.

- Contador: Fuck this, I'm out of here.

So let's get this straight. Astana is willing to lose the best rider in the world (I don't think you can really debate that title) to take in a 37 year old retired champion, who may not even ride with them past one year. On top of that, last time I checked, Astana is still suspended from the Tour de France. Let's be frank, the French hate Armstrong, and Bruyneel for that matter, wouldn't it be just perfect if Astana loses its best rider to sign Armstrong, then the French authorities don't allow them to race the TdF? It would be too much like right.

On a positive note, is there anybody looking for a team leader out there? We have a Contador for sale.

My birthday present to me.


Pimp.

Todd Palin: 'first dude' or 'shadow governor?'

WTF?

Bad. Ass.

That is all.

So, as one may, or may not, have noticed, the Major League Baseball regular season is winding down, and there are many interesting playoff runs heating up, but I don't want to talk about that. Nor do I wish to talk about the AL MVP race (Dustin Pedroia will probably win, but, well, Please? There are two or three better candidates, but anyway...). The topic today: Pitching. More appropriately the title of Best Pitcher in the AL.

Now, don't get me wrong, Cliff Lee will deservedly win the AL Cy Young. He's having quite possibly the most dominating season any pitcher has ever had: 21-2 in 28 starts, 201.2 innings, 51 earned runs and an absurd 5.5-1 strike out to walk ratio (in total, 154 K to 28 BB). But who would you rather have (out of the top 5 in the AL) starting the one game your team absolutely needed to win? I say John Lester. It makes sense if you look at it. Let's start with the stats, throwing out Daisuke Matsuzaka and Felix Hernandez, because lets be honest, there's no way those two are the third and fourth best pitchers in the AL, respectively, this leaves Lee, Roy Halladay and Lester. So, stats:

Lee: 201.2 IN, 184 hits, 51 ER, 28 BB, 154 K, 21-2, 2.28 ERA.
Halladay: 218.0 IN, 193 hits, 64 ER, 34 BB, 185 K, 18-9, 2.64 ERA.
Lester: 189.1 IN, 188 hits, 68 ER, 60 BB, 138 K, 14-5, 3.23 ERA.

So by the straight stats, Lester is clearly third best of the trio. However, he leads the troika with the fewest total bases allowed and has induced the most double plays. On top of that, he is a 24 year old left-handed pitcher, with a no-hitter to his credit this season. Those two facts, coupled with the expanded stats, bear out that Lester is the best of the three. 

Anyone care to disagree?

[A]s mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. "She asked the library how she could go about banning books," he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them. "The librarian was aghast." The librarian, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving "full support" to the mayor.

From Time

Remeber folks, this woman could be one heartbeat away from the presidency, so use your heads.

Watch and listen (Skip ahead to 14:45 for the good stuff). I defy you not to get the chills. Amazing. The old lion still has it after all he's been through. Text here.

As chronicled in a pervious post, I'm something of an Olympics junkie, and with the closing ceremonies tonight, I'm a little sad to see it all end. Sad, and a bit outraged that China was even allowed to host the Olympics in the first place. A few interesting thoughts from various media outlets:

That’s what this country is about. Here, the government, not the people, controls what you say, what you read, what you do and how many babies you can have (one).

A million and a half residents expelled. Free speech strangled. Elderly women jailed. That's what it means when a police state like China hosts the Olympics... That's what happens when the free world cons itself into believing that China's Communist rulers, who sustain genocide in Sudan and torture nuns in Tibet, will refrain from doing whatever it takes to turn the Olympics into a vehicle for totalitarian self-glorification.

Along the way, government critics were pre-emptively rounded up and jailed, domestic news outlets tightly controlled, foreign journalists denied full access to the Internet and thousands of Beijing’s least telegenic residents were evicted from their homes and out of camera range. On Friday, the Chinese police confirmed that six Americans protesting China’s rule in Tibet had been sentenced to 10 days of detention.

So now that our fellow countrymen (and presumably women) are the ones being trampled on, do we care? Probably not. There are many Americans being deprived of basic human rights in our own country and no one cares; why would we care now? It's nice to hear about how much people want to change the way things are in China, but by giving them the Olympics, haven't we just validated their actions? That is what makes me really sad.

HENCHMEN NEEDED

(+1 for use of the Queen's English)

The pineapple is a harmonious place because Spongebob checks that shit at the door.

Latest bit of China Olympic failure: Seems like all of the national anthems they've been playing are pirated versions of copyrighted arrangements from the 2004 Olympics.

I am sick and tired of the president of the United States embarrassing me. The world we live in is too complex to entrust it to someone else whose idea of intellectual curiosity and grasp of foreign policy issues is to tell us he can look into Vladimir Putin's eyes and see into his soul.

Sorry for ignoring the blog for so long... I've found myself wrapped up in the Olympics in a bad way lo these many days... And I've also become somewhat disenchanted by much of what I've seen, even though there have been so many awesome things. Let's see:

Awesomeness:

- Michael Phelps. Eight races, eight golds. Enough said.

- Dara Torres. 41 years old, two silver medals in swimming, including an incredible last lap in the 4x100 relay. Like nothing I've ever seen, out-swimming girls literally half her age. Champion.

- My personal favorite Olympic moment thus far, on the first day of the Games, the finish of the Men's Cycling Road Race. Ridiculous. A chase group of three riders, including Fabian Cancellara, catches the three race leaders, including Andy Schleck, in the last hundred meters, with two of the chasers (Cancellara and Spaniard Sam Sanchez) taking bronze and gold, respectively. Unbelievable finish. It could make a cycling fan out of anyone.

Did I really just see that?:

- Natalie Coughlin. US backstroke specialist. Won something like 10 medals over the last two Olympics, but is interviewed by NBC and explains how swimming isn't the most important thing in her life, and that she'd much rather do other things... Wait a minute... You mean to tell me that for some unspeakable reason God has decided to reach down and bless you with other-worldly talent, but you'd prefer to spend your time doing other things, rather than honing your skills? Maybe if you took practice more seriously you wouldn't have continuously bumped the lane markers in your two biggest races, jerk.

- Armenian-born Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian throws his bronze medal down on the podium in protest of a judges decision relegating him to the bronze medal match. Not only does the IOC take back his medal, but they kick his sorry ass out of the Games. Turn about is fair play as far as I'm concerned. The Olympics is all about fair play and sportsmanship, and this clown forgot that last part. Speaking of sportsmanship...

- Usain Bolt of Jamaica hamming it up before his 100 m sprint made me sick to my stomach. He might have noticed that no one else was acting like a pompous ass, but it didn't matter. Then, as he is blowing the field away, he slows down and starts celebrating with 15 m left in the race. He then proceeds to react to the win like he'd never won a race before. I can understand the celebration afterwards, I mean, it is the Olympics, but the posing and chest-thumping before hand was way too much. What a dick.

Remember folks, I love the Olympics. I just kind of wish that things could be a little bit more than an ego-fest.

People have asked me how I feel about Manny being traded by the Sox. Please watch the following video, then continue reading*:



For what it's worth, I am positively thrilled that the Sox finally dumped that asshole. I could put up with him for a while, and we all did, but it grew tiresome over the last couple of weeks. The open criticizing of management and the fact that he actually said "The Red Sox don't deserve me," is enough to give him the boot. Not so worried about giving up Moss and Hansen, unfortunate, but necessary, especially considering that the Sox got Jason Bay in return. I can see him hitting 4th behind Ortiz, or even 3rd, in front of him. The options abound. They'd better lock him up asap, I'd love to see him in a Sox uniform for a long long time.



* Note that the video is complete with an all-white gospel choir, with an awkward, far too excited soloist. Made me laugh entirely too much for my own good. Look, it was either this or a clip from Sister Act, your choices were limited.

I think some may find this more interesting than others...

Our Fearless Leader came into office with a $128 billion budget surplus, courtesy of the dastardly Clinton Administration. He leaves office, and you, me and our grandchildren with a record $482 billion deficit. So much for "fiscal responsibility" and "controlled spending."

Just FYI.

I've been putting off writing about this, but as more people seem to get into cycling this time of the year (The Tour de France is well into its second week for those who don't know), we hear more and more about how tarnished the sport is by use of blood-boosters and other PEDs. Now, I've not ranted on this subject before, though it comes into play in nearly every sport I watch, especially baseball, but I'm ridiculously tired of people dismissing cycling because of "rampant" drug use.

Let's explore this a little, shall we? So far this year, 4 riders have been kicked out of the Tour and arrested for EPO use. Four of 168. That's 2.38% of all participants. While not every professional cycling team is invited to the Tour, or the Giro d'Italia, all the relevant ones are. These are the best of the best riders in the world. Look at it this way, if this were professional baseball (just in America), this would amount to 381 players caught using PEDs (2.38% of 16,000 players). And cycling is the dirty sport? Please. If you believe for a second that under 400 players in baseball were using steroids, HGH or even amphetamines throughout the Steroid Era, you're only fooling yourself.

And yes, I understand that the people who are being found to use are the ones winning stages, but isn't that the whole point? They use to win, and it works. Just ask Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire how it worked out for them. The governing body of cycling, the International Cycling Union (UCI), has done more to actively eliminate EPO and other PEDs in its sport than any other professional body, maybe outside of the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

There are even entire teams committed to clean riding, who face more strict blood testing than the average rider.  Most notably the America-based Team Garmin-Chipotle (formerly Team Slipstream) which has hired only clean riders for their team, has Christian Vandevelde in 6th place at the Tour right now, less than 5 minutes off the pace, as well as Denmark-based Team CSC-Saxo Bank, which holds the Yellow Jersey and is the number one overall team in the Tour, has faced 1000 tests over the last year and a half.

I defy you to identify one sport, much less two teams that are doing as much to fight PED use in their sport as Team Garmin-Chipotle and Team CSC-Saxo Bank are. This bashing of the sport is silly, and though I am a newcomer to it, I'm already tired of hearing the crap.

EDIT: An interesting in-Tour blog by Team Garmin-Chipotle rider David Millar: "If you’re close to giving up on cycling, I can understand that. I almost did after all; but please don’t give up on us. And when I say us, I mean them. Because I am an ex-doper, I have to earn my right to be believed and trusted. But there are many who don’t. They need to be believed in. Christian [Vandevelde] is going to need every ounce of his being to pass the Alps. I believe he will do it. I hope you believe he can and will and that he is doing it with our dreams in his hands. Vive Le Tour."

Today's bike ride:

8.1 miles

31 minutes.

First 4 miles: 18 minutes (13.3 mph)

Last 4 miles: 13 minutes (18.46 mph)

Average mph: 15.67 mph

Negative Split! First time ever over that distance. (A special thanks goes out to that rich, Boathouse Row douchebag who wanted to race me. You inspired me to average 21.2 mph over the last mile and a half to whip your ass. And you thought I was letting you stay ahead of me because you were faster. HA.)

Rock on.

Semi-Liveblogging the Mid-Summer Classic (two hyphens in one sentence, nice). I'm going for a stream of consciousness kind of thing here, not aiming for proper grammar, etc. Usually the ellipses (...) mean I've skipped some things, so if it doesn't makes sense, that's why. Enjoy:

Thoughts from Pregame: Lots of awesome old Hall of Famers kicking around... last season of Yankee Stadium... yadda yadda yadda... Why did I think Brooks Robinson was black?... More shit about Yankee Stadium... whatever, I'm zoning out...

1st-3rd Innings: Boring as hell... nothing at all doing. 0-0 through 3.

Top 4th Inning: Albert Pujols gets thrown out at 2nd on a laser from Ichiro. Hasn't major league baseball learned not to run on Ichiro yet? Please. Rookie mistake, bet it costs the NL the game (Remember I was right on this one the last time I liveblogged a baseball game).

Bottom 4th: Milton Bradley reaches on an error by Hanley Ramierez (surprise!), then promptly gets picked off of first by Carlos Zambrano. More rookie mistakes in an All-Star Game. Yippee.

Top 5: Matt Holiday hits a homer to deep right... 1-0 NL, great, some offense, I think I'll wet my pants.

Bottom 5: Nate McClouth is now in center for the NL, my new favorite player on a shitty team... Infield single and a walk and the AL has something brewing with Ichiro coming up... aaand he strikes out. Of course. And even though Jeter did his best to strike out looking, he bounces out to the pitcher... 1-0 NL through 5.

Top 6: Ugh, why is Francona playing Varitek? This is embarrassing for all involved... Maybe he won't have to hit... Lance Berkman gets about 94% of that one and drives in Hanley Ramierez on a deep sac fly to center, 2-0 NL.

Bottom 6: Josh Hamilton singles then steals second, great, he just gave Buck and McCarver reason to continue fellating him, awesome. Sidebar: Does the NL have any catchers capable of throwing out a baserunner? Come on, this is an All-Star Game! 2-0 NL through 6.

Top 7: Francona goes to Minnesota closer Joe Nathan in the 7th. Damn, I think he really does want to win this thing... Who sent Eric Karros to the Joe Buck School of Broadcasting? He used to be good at his job.

7th Inning Stretch: OMG! IT'S JOSH GROBAN SINGING GOD BLESS AMERICA! HE'S LIKE, TOTALLY DREAMY!

Bottom 7: Who the hell is Ryan Ludwick and why is he playing left field in the All-Star Game? I expect to at least have heard of these guys... Good move, Francona pinch hits Navarro for Varitek, smart man (Though Navarro strikes out looking). Holy crap, it's J.D. Drew! What the hell is he doing here?!? (Though he is having a great season, I still don't take back what I said about him at the start of the season) And just as I finish shitting on him, he hits a game tying homerun, 2-2! You know why Edison Volquez gave up that homerun? It's because he wears his hat like an idiot. The brim goes in the front you douche. 2-2 through 7.

Top 8: Papelbon in to pitch, to ringing cheers of "Overrated!" by the lovely pro-NY crowd. Gives up a single then slams the door on a strike out with a 96+ heater. Overrated my ass. Another poor throw by a catcher puts the go-ahead run on third with one out, awesome. Adrian Gonzalez hits a sac fly to score Tejada, 3-2 NL. Nice effort by Navarro, not even trying to make a tag. Jackass.

Bottom 8: Some guy from SF quickly mows down two batters, now Hurdle goes to Billy Wagner... Awesome, I smell a comeback. HA! Called it! Sizemore steals second and is knocked in with an RBI double by Tampa rookie 3rd baseman Evan Longoria! God, I'm good at this! 3-3, headed to the 9th.

Top 9: K-Rod in to pitch the 9th, apparently Francona is holding off on pitching Mo Rivera until he has a lead... I guess... Francona's going to Rivera with one out and a runner on second in a tie game. Looks like someone finally pulled his head out of his ass and decided he wants to win. HUGE strike him out/throw him out double play to end the inning! We're headed to the bottom of the 9th, tied at 3.

Bottom 9: Dempster mows down Kinsler and Navarro, putting the game in the hands of J.D. Drew... delicious irony. I bet if he hits a homerun they'll cheer him. Not so fast though, Drew goes down looking, in the ultimate let down... Time for extras.

Top 10: The NL is 9-0-1 in the 10 extra inning All-Star Games. Good, maybe this will be over quick, because, to be honest, the length of this game is way out of proportion with my interest in it. This is delicious, Rivera is going to blow it, and I don't even care at this point. Or maybe not, Uggla grounds into a 4-6-3 DP, and we're still tied into the bottom of the 10th.

Bottom 10: Oh Dan Uggla, you may want to forget this A-S Game. You ground into a DP to end the inning, and then you misplay a chopper up the middle to put the tying run on, and then let the next batter put one right under your glove, with Michael Young going first to third. I'm about ready to call this one, with runners on the corners with no outs. They intentionally walk the bases loaded, and Sizemore grounds into a fielder's choice to, of all people, Dan Uggla. Evan Longoria grounds into a fielder's choice and Justin Morneau grounds out to short to extend the game. Dan Uggla owes a few gentlemen some beers for this inning.

Top 11: Joakim Soria lets up a hit, gets 2 Ks and a fly out. Good lord, why isn't this over yet? (And yes, I'm in it till the end)

Bottom 11: Kinsler leads off with a bloop single... I'm willing this game to be over... make it happen AL. Good Christ, Kinsler gets caught stealing at second, basically because Navarro can't get a bunt down to save his life. And it also looks like Kinsler was safe... God hates me. Drew singles up the middle... if Navarro could bunt, maybe we would have had a play at the plate on that one, but we will never know. It's up to Michael Young now (and, dude, I'm begging you...). Young singles, but Navarro is thrown out at the plate by Nate McClouth... Dionner Novarro has become my least favorite baseball player ever, just in the last 5 minutes. Carlos Quentin grounds out to 3rd... you've got to be kidding me.

Top 12 (and I wanted to go to bed an hour ago): Nate McClouth for MVP. He beats out what was meant to be a sac bunt to put runners on first and second with no outs. Watch, now they'll get like, an unassisted triple play or something. Oooh, or not, Russel Martin puts down a bunt (that was clearly going to go foul. Morneau, you silly Canuck), putting runners on second and third with one out. Intentional walk to Tejada bringing, oh dear Lord, Dan Uggla to the plate. Watch, I'm calling a 5-4-3 DP... WOW. He swung the bat exactly one half times and struck out... Asshole, there, I said it, it's out there now. WOW, George Sherrill, O's closer, comes in and strikes out Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded. For the record, Uggla and Navarro are now 1 and 1a on my list of least favorite ball players ever.

Bottom 12: Oh man! Oh man! Oh man! Damn it! I thought Guillen had enough of that to get it out, but he stands on 2nd with a lead-off double! Somebody bunt him to 3rd please. Sizemore grounds to 2nd, moving the runner to third , same idea as the bunt, especially because you could tell it was what he was trying to do... Lead-off double is squandered... I don't even feel like thinking anymore...

Top 13: Nothing happened. Nothing. I'm over it.

Bottom 13: I must really be getting tired, I'm having way too much fun sitting here by myself saying "Marmol" over and over again... Another Uggla error. Whatever, it won't matter. Drew steals second. This one is over with a base hit. No such luck, Carlos Quentin strikes out and curses so loud the mikes pick him up. Nice for all those kids watching the game... wait... I'm the only one left watching this Godforsaken game...

Top 14: Sherrill has another easy inning, one long, loud out by Nate McClouth providing the only excitement. One could hear the crowd groan when they realized the ball wasn't going out.

Bottom 14: Someone give me a gun so I can kill myself.

Top 15: Yawn. If I didn't have to pee so much from all the water I've been drinking, I'd be asleep by now.

Bottom 15: First and second, one out, a hit from Drew would win it... I'm not holding my breath... Drew walks...

1:37 am, Wednesday: Justin Morneau scores on a Michael Young pop-fly to right field... and I couldn't care less... I just want to go to bed now... I've earned it. You all owe me for torturing myself like this. Seriously, remind me that if I ever want to do something like this again, that I would prefer to be waterboarded.

UPDATE: Ok, one more thing. Somehow, J.D. Drew wins the MVP. A cute little trophy and a nice new 2009 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid. And of course, he gets booed. Shitheads. He might have just helped you win home field advantage for the World Series. Stupid. Ok, now that that's over, good night.

Interesting buying guide for helping the uneducated (read: me) learn more about choosing the right bike for them. It also makes one think of how costly bikes really are: 

"It is shocking, but, pound for pound, a high-performance bicycle or bike frame costs more than even the most exotic sports car. On average, a complete high-end bicycle weighing less than 17 pounds will cost in the neighborhood of $4,000: that’s $235 per pound. A $200,000 sports car weighing 3,000 pounds has a per pound cost of $66. If a high-end bicycle were a high-end sports car, it would cost in excess of $700,000! There are some high-end bike frames which cost in excess of $5,000: these 2 pound frames would translate to an automobile costing in excess of seven million dollars! Obviously, the decision to invest in a high-end bicycle should not be taken lightly, and it’s a decision that demands a wealth of information."

And I thought my bike was pricey...

In the interest of my performance in the MS 150 Ride, I've begun sampling energy gels for the ride. I've concerned myself mostly with taste and consistency over straight performance of the gel, because basically, there will be rest stops so I can load up on carbs if I need to (I imagine it would be somewhat embarrassing to bonk on a charity ride). I'll be looking into Clif Shot, Hammer Nutrition, Enervitene, Gu and Power Gels among others, starting tonight with Hammer Gel:

Flavor: Raspberry
Consistency: Really thick
Ingredients: Long-chain Maltodextrin, Water, Raspberry Puree, Energy Smart® (Fruit Juice, Natural Grain Dextrins), Raspberry Flavor, Black Raspberry Flavor, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate (as a preservative), Amino Acids (L-Leucine, L-Alanine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine), Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride
Performance (How I feel afterwards): UPDATE. After about three hours I crashed. Hard. Didn't even make it to the end of the Home Run Derby without shutting my eyes for a bit. Maybe it was because I didn't do much in the way of strenuous physical activity, but I was knocked out. I sure could feel my heart thumping in my chest though... Bad news I think, and somewhat disappointingly ineffective.

Conclusion: I've gotta say, it tasted... ok, but damn was that a disgusting thing to have in my mouth. The consistency was very thick, and the fact that it was warm I'm sure didn't help. I'm hoping that things get better from here. I'm looking to put in about 30 miles tomorrow, so I'll be sampling Hammer Gel Orange, and/or Enervitene Orange at some point on the ride.

Also, if any of you have a particular favorite amongst these products, I'm totally open to suggestions.

This is absolutely priceless. Some highlights:

"Fred Lewis’ face apparently caught on fire and they put it out with a bear trap."

"Cody Ross’ face froze in 1986. The face he was making: ‘dipshit’."

and finally,

"Big Papi is not the most handsome of men. Great hitter. Head shaped like a trash can."

HA! Love it!

I've been going through my iPod trying to put together a playlist for the upcoming bike ride. I've had something put together for a while, that I used to listen to during warmups for my lacrosse games. I've added a lot more to it (I'm up to about 6 and a half hours of music), including a section of more mellow music in the middle to relax a little bit, after the louder, more aggressive music. Send me some suggestions so I can expand my collection for the ride. I'm looking to get up to about ten hours of music.

Ok, sorry, long time no talk. Let's catch up:

- Team Waterworks is now up to five riders, with at least two more to come, possibly four.

- I met and exceeded my fundraising goal thanks to some amazing people, kicking around the idea of raising the goal to $1000, I'll keep you all posted.

- I haven't gotten on a decent ride in almost a week due to weather or illness (more on that later), so I've got to get back into the swing of things.

- NHL free agency opened on July 1st, and the Bruins signed... Michael Ryder? I'm hoping this is the Michael Ryder of two or three years ago, not last year... Glad they could blow their shot at Marian Hossa, Miro Satan, Mark Streit, Wade Redden, or even Brian Rolston. But alas, let's aim low guys, because the playoffs is ok, not the Cup.

- Got wicked sick today. Killer migraine. Tunnel vision, nausea and vomiting, the whole works. My boss even gave me shit about leaving sick from work, even though it was work that caused the problem. They're replacing the windows at the office, while simultaneously repainting the inside. In replacing the windows, they have the frames sealed up with Plexiglas... while painting. Negative ventilation. Awesome fucking idea guys. City planning at its best. I was in the building for 20 minutes before I got set off by the smell... Awesome fucking day today...

Anyhow, happy 4th to all, have a fun and safe holiday.

To my small contingent of loyal readers and friends:

I've set up my fundraising page for the MS 150 City to Shore. If you are able, please donate what you can, I would really appreciate it. I truly believe that if we are focused, and work hard, a cure can be found, and we can finally rid the world of MS.

My page: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/AWN

Team page: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/Waterworks

So I took a little tumble out on Kelly Drive yesterday... Not a big deal, but I kinda fucked up 4th and 5th gear on New Hotness... Very angry... Going to see how rideable it is this morning... Have to get it fixed tomorrow... Damn it all.

New hotness got an upgrade (already). Aerobars for sprinting, and long distance riding at speed. Looks almost kind of badass:

Some of you are familiar with New Hotness:



Well, New Hotness and I are registered for our first ride, the 12th Annual Scenic Schuylkill Century, 25 miler on Saturday September 13.  Pretty awesome, I'm totally stoked. More excited, however, for this ride.

I'll be putting up a fundraising link soon, and would greatly appreciate your support.  My dad has lived with MS for most of his adult life, and the things he has to go through everyday can't even compare with what it will take to push my fat ass 150 miles.

Here's hoping that Philly is next for this.

Oh, and I can't ride my normal training route today because it is closed for the filming of Transformers 2... I might be ok with this, so long as it doesn't suck as much as the first one did...

Some thing this awesome deserves a little bit of meta-blogging.

Interesting piece here by Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director, about the downfall of the Clinton campaign. Maybe inevitable was just code for doomed? You decide.

I can't believe that Handy beat me to this, but he just copped out with a link... I've taken a couple days to stew on this, and I've decided just how mad I am about this... After over a year of campaigning, Barack Obama finally sealed up the Democratic nomination for President. I can't begin to express how excited and proud I was to support him and I find great validation in his success.

Having said that there seemed to be but one person in America who didn't realize that he had won, someone who, perhaps, it should have been most obvious to: ol' Hilldawg Clinton herself.

Weeks ago Obama established a majority in the race for committed delegates. Graceful point of exit for Hillary's somewhat misguided and self-serving campaign, no? Apparently not.

On Tuesday, Obama crossed the delegate threshold for earning the Democratic nomination for president, but still, Hill couldn't bring herself to admit that she'd lost. It is beyond dispute, she cannot win under any legitimate circumstances, yet could not find the grace and intelligence to call it quits, not even for her party and her nation. In fact, she had the nerve to intimate that staying in the race was somehow better for party unity. Instead of conceding for the good of the Democratic Party, she said, and I quote, "Now the question is, where do we go from here, and given how far we've come and where we need to go as a party, it's a question I don't take lightly. This has been a long campaign, and I will be making no decisions tonight." There's no deciding, the Democrats of America decided for you; you lost, it just wasn't in the cards, even though you treated yourself as inevitable from the very beginning, and to be fair and honest, most people treated you the same way, so maybe not your fault, just maybe.

She even felt the need to throw in a 9/11 reference just to keep up with the en vogue politics of fear that the Republicans practice so well. Her speech, much like a majority of her candidacy, was duplicitous and utterly self-serving. It made me sick.

Obama's victory speech, while clearly intended to be a response to a consession speech, gave me the goosebumps. I thought he started soft, but was quite gracious to Hillary Clinton, giving her the credit she richly deserves (While I may seem inherently partisan in this conversation, a stance I won't deny, you have to give credit where it is due, you don't get to run for President by accident, you have to be a good politician if nothing else).

While his praise for Clinton was effusive, he then turned his sights on John McCain. With 20,000 inside the XCel Energy Center, and a further 15,000 outside, Obama stood on the same stage that will feature McCain's nomination and announced with a loud shot across the bow, that he was coming for him. By far the highlight was this quip, showing McCain that he's not afraid to play rough: "John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy—cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota—he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for."

Two words: Oh. Snap.

Now, since I first started this post, Clinton has announced that she would suspend her campaign on Saturday. Two problems with this. One: Why wait so long? You lost on Tuesday, it ended then, you just don't get it. Two: Why suspend and not end? Do you need the vindication of people voting for you at the nominating convention, and thereby dragging out the process? Childish at best, dreadfully irresponsible at worst.

To weigh in on the Obama/Clinton "Dream Ticket," I'm not sure I care for Clinton to be the VP anymore. I think she guarantees Obama the presidency, but I think she blew it on Tuesday. While I would welcome whatever will help the Democrats retake the White House, I think Obama should look long and hard at people like Virginia's Jim Webb, and even Big Ed Rendell. If he plays his cards right, Obama can have this thing sewed up by my birthday.

Looks like things are going to be getting exciting... I'll try to keep up with all the fun right here, it's going to be a fun ride.

UPDATE: Text of the Obama speech, with one of the massively spine tingling moments:
"Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth."

UPDATE #2: Since I'm still all hot and bothered about this, here's the kind of speech we could/should have heard from Hillary on Tuesday, courtesy of none other than Ted Kennedy himself, circa 1980. Say what you will about him as a person, he is a consummate politician and this speech is one of my favorites of all time. I mean, the man was a raging alcoholic at the time and still manages to get through a Tennyson quote at the end. Simply amazing.

"For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."

"It isn't exactly the dream I had about how I wanted to go out," Lutes said. "But there was a lesson that we all learned. People may think that sports is their life. But when you see somebody's life flash before you, you realize there are bigger things in the world than a baseball game."

As noted by Handy, the California Supreme Court has struck down that state's essential ban on gay marriage. Score one for the good guys (and gals), as I for one tired quite easily of anyone denying anyone, anywhere, any of their rights.

On a more predictable front, we have good ol' Dubbya scoring points for all manner of hate, foolishness and ignorance the world over. Comparing the Democrats, and parenthetically Obama, to the pre-WWII European diplomats who appeased Hitler? Really? Um, wow. I have railed in this forum about the politics of fear, how tiresome it is, and how it needs to be done away with.  What we have here today, ladies and gentlemen, is fear-mongering at its very very finest.  I loathe this man, I did before today, but he's taken it to a whole new level.  It's nearly criminal what he's done, and what he continues to do. It makes me want to puke.

Speaking of Dubbya and his cronies, at least there is hope for justice at some point down the road.

In a related note, at least there is someone out there who has the stones to stand up to Bush and speak in the kind of elementary school language he can understand.

Oh, and on the off chance that McCain beats the Democratic nominee (probably Obama at this point, right?), at least we'll be out of Iraq in time for my 30th birthday.

Ugh.

Just saw that we went over 500 page views this week... thanks for reading, that's pretty awesome

So, apparently I'm really bad at keeping blog-related promises. This is actually somewhat surprising, considering that I like to think of myself as a fairly dependable guy. I mean, I even have extra time on my hands now that classes are over, and I'm just studying for my comps. It would seem, however, that every time I make a promise of something funny in this here forum I fall into some random existential funk. Seriously, it's not cool. So rather than lay a big literary turd on all of you, I'm still working on getting the manifesto off the ground. Look for it soon-ish, I hope. Once I'm done dealing with my own shit, I'll get right to it. In the meantime, keep yourself entertained here, with a debate about friendship and the sexes, and here, because hey, everyone needs to know a little more about whiskey.

Sorry guys, I know I've been promising something funny, and I was working on it , but then this happened earlier today.

A quick summary:

"A Philadelphia police officer was shot and killed with a military assault rifle late this morning when he confronted at least two robbers who had just held up a Bank of America branch at a Shoprite supermarket in Port Richmond.

"Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey identified the slain officer as Stephen Liczbinski, 40, a 12-year police veteran assigned to the 24th District in Port Richmond who recently had been promoted to sergeant. Liczbinski’s wife, Michelle, and their three children — Matt, Steven and Amber — were escorted into the hospital by police officials.

"Liczbinski ran into the robbers sometime after they fled the bank. Officials said the weapon used to kill him may have been an AK-47 style assault rifle, used by numerous armies and insurgent groups around the world."

After speaking with a 92nd District officer at work before I left tonight, I can confirm that the weapon used was an AK-47 and that Sgt. Liczbinski was shot 8 times as he got out of this patrol vehicle, executed before he even had a chance to be prepared to defend himself. I can't begin to explain how angry and upset I am over this... No public safety officer should ever have to face this type of incident... I understand that violence is a part of the job as a cop, especially in such a violent city as Philadelphia, but any officer should be able to rely on his or her bulletproof vest to protect them, but Sgt. Liczbinski had no such luck, and that's just wrong... I take some comfort in the knowledge that one of the three suspects was shot and killed in another confrontation with the PPD shortly thereafter.

There have been two legitimate executions of police officers in less than a year... One shot and killed when he walked in on a robery during his daily trip to Dunkin Donuts and now this. Maybe it's just that I don't understand the culture of violence, or if I'm just horribly out of touch, but this whole situation saddens, confuses and infuriates me. To be honest with you, I don't particularly care one iota if either of the two remaining suspects ever sees the inside of a jail cell... I hope that the PPD finds them and gives them the justice they deserve, which does not involve being housed and fed at state expense for the remainder of their life, if you understand what I'm saying.

RIP Sgt. Liczbinski... I hope you all will join me in praying for him and his family during this horrible time.

UPDATE: Closure before the funeral.

Coming Later Tonight (hopefully):

Graduate Student Manifesto


UPDATE: Tired. Manifesto tomorrow. Deal with it.

ANGST ALERT, CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED

So, lately I've been wicked stressed about school, trying to finish my semester while studying for my comps. Simple solution? Push the comps test back to mid-May, graduate in August, Problem solved, less than three months difference, a world of stress lifted off my shoulders.

It also gives me more time for a real job search. I already have one job app out, to the Penn Museum archive, which is being reviewed as we speak. The posting only closed today, so it's not as though it's time to get worried about it. By the end of the day tomorrow I expect to have three more apps out to different museums in Philly, and by the end of the week another one out to the Naval Academy for an assistant archivist position at the Nimitz Library. I think at this point five applications is good, more to come if need be. I've scrapped plans for that job at the lawyer's office, I've decided I can't spend another year or more of my life doing something I hate. I already feel like I've wasted so much of my time at grad school, I can't stomach the idea of wasting even more time pushing paper mindlessly...

I guess the worry I have stems over the fact that I'm officially entering a new phase of my life. No more school to fall back on, it's time for a job, a real one, a career-track type job. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity, but of course it brings worry and angst, I can't help it. I mean, those of you who know me know all too well that for the last year all I've wanted is to be done with school and get a real job. Worst of all is the fact that the job at Annapolis is pretty much my dream job, it pays well, and the benefits would be awesome. The drawback of course is that it's in Maryland and C has a year of school left, and it would be awful hard to move to Maryland alone, seeing C and Dixie only on weekends, assuming of course that we both have weekends off. I suppose it's a bridge we'll cross when we come to it, but it is difficult to think about.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, all you PA readers out there, don't forget to vote later today!

In response to Handy's comments on my criticism of Joe Girardi:

Yes, he was at one point the National League Manager of the Year. It was well deserved, he did a lot with a young, overachieving Marlins team, and it was a shame the way he got run out of town.

However

Managing in the AL is far different than the NL. Many think managing in the NL is much harder, myself included, and it's certainly not too hard to manage that lineup. Not the '27 Yankees, that's for sure, but seriously? ARod, Jeter, Giambi, Abreu (best hitter in the lineup in my opinion), Matsui, Cano, Posada. I mean damn, even Damon has a little left in the tank...

Figure it out Joe, it's certainly not that hard.

So Handy has inspired me with his template change to make one of my own (even though his is horrendous). Let me know what you think.

Here we are watching the Sox-Yanks live from Fenway in rousing ESPN HD, and we notice one thing from the crystal clear picture: Joe Girardi can not manage in the American League.

Firstly, he had to start one of the Molina brothers (doesn't matter which one) at catcher because Jorge Posada has a hurt shoulder, but put Posada in at DH. Mistake Number 1.

Girardi pinch runs for Molina in the 8th to try to get the game within one run.  The problem? Posada with his bum shoulder now has to go into catch. Girardi has now lost his DH.  Mistake Number 2.

Now he's only got two guys left on the bench, and one of them (Jeter) is hurt. Mistake Number 3.

The result: Coco Crisp gets on to lead off the inning, steals second on the first pitch because Posada can't throw him out, advances to third on a flyball, scores on a sac fly to center.  Sox are now up 3 in the bottom of the 8th.

Pedroia then singles with two outs and steals second with no throw... because Posada is hurt. No further damage, but you get my point.

Silly little man, and one poor manager.  At least he figured out how to get the pitcher to hit in the last spot in the order.

(Point of Order: I'm certainly not watching in ESPN HD, don't have that kind of money, but it sounded good, didn't it?)

So, we have trouble with this lady at work all the time. Just her, everyone else can handle following the rules and keeping their dogs on a leash and under control. I laid the greatest verbal beat down on her sorry ass today, it was a totally amazing feeling, you have no idea. I've never seen a person tuck tail and run away before.

Rock on!

Something else needs to be addressed here.  The silliness of some, especially pundits, about the latest "attack on America" is just foolish.

The new Absolut ad, which shows a majority of the American southwest as a Spanish/Mexican colony:


Funny, right?  Well I guess not.  Everyone's favorite pain in the ass border security and illegal immigration alarmist Lou Dobbs had a field day on this one on his show tonight. Fun as usual, but he missed the joke.  Not only that, he missed the salient point.  The map isn't even right:



The folks at Absolut got a little too zealous in their returning of America to Spain/Mexico.  They forgot about that little thing called the Louisiana Purchase. The cartophile in me is quite bothered by this slip-up.  Close, but no cigar, sorry guys.  Besides, people need to learn how to take a joke, I thought this shit was hilarious. Oh well, maybe next time a clever ad campaign won't cause America to pitch a collective fit. Ugh.



P.S.- It's more fun to say Lou Dobbs the way Bob Dole says his name in the third person. Try it, I defy you not to laugh.  You know how, all one word in monotone. LouDobbs!

So I know I told you guys that I was off the soapbox for the night, but I just remembered a great Letterman joke I was shown earlier this evening:

Are you familiar with the Hillary Clinton 3 a.m. phone call commercial that she has been running during her campaign? The idea is if the phone rings at 3 a.m., who “would you want to be president? She has another one. The phone rings at 3 a.m., Hillary picks up the phone and says, “Stop bothering me, President Obama.”

HA! Rock On!

I've been trying not to get overtly political in this forum, but as anyone who knows me will tell you, this Democratic Primary has become my favorite topic of conversation. I've made reference before in this blog to my support of Barack Obama (whose name I'm sure spell checks everywhere absolutely LOVE), and recently my partner at work, BG, got me a pimp Obama poster that can be seen here. The story that goes along with the picture is pretty interesting too, for what it's worth. Gar Joseph, columnist for the Philly Daily News suggests that Obama is relying on a "cult of personality," calling him "Orwellian" and cites a Time magazine article calling the campaign an exercise in "mass messianism."

I understand that it has been an awful long time since a candidate has moved people the way Obama does, but I am exceedingly confused why so many seem so eager to attempt to strike him down. Personally I believe he has run an outstanding campaign, and weathered many storms that should have crushed his effort. I mean, I can see the similarities of his poster with lots of Soviet propaganda, just Google it if you’re interested, but don’t be silly about it. Give him credit where it is due. Since his DNC speech in 2004 (Part 1, Part 2, Text Here), his rise has been meteoric, but deserved. He wouldn’t still be in the race, much less in the lead, if he wasn’t.

If you want to look at the reality of the situation, you just have to look at the tv spots being used by both campaigns. The one (that I’ve seen) Clinton ad running in PA is her now famous 3 am spot, where she tries to scare voters, in the amazing American political tradition. Of the two Obama ads I’ve seen, my clear favorite is quite simple, straightforward and honest. He stands in front of the camera at a steel mill, dressed in a leather jacket, nice pants and an open collared shirt, explaining to voters how he got started in politics and how he plans to help blue-collar workers in Pennsylvania. Awesome, non-threatening, and relatable. It also explains one of the main reasons I like him so much. Not only do I find his politics appealing, but he’s treating the electorate with dignity and respect, rather than scare tactics and newspeak (HA! Another Orwell reference!). I appreciate how he treats us as a people, and I can’t wait to see how this all shakes out. And remember, all of you out there, please vote, for whomever, whenever you can. It’s the foundation of our democracy, and it’s so much more important to vote, rather then who you vote for.

Ok, off the soapbox for now.