Identifying the Undead - A Flowchart

Via Yglesias.

The Greatest

Rickey Henderson gave a great speech at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Perhaps it was a bit of a surprise because, as Ricky said recently, "Speech and me don't get along sometimes." But maybe it wasn't a surprise, because the guy was always clutch. He through one more time on Sunday, and I was happy to see him do it.

Quote of the Day

I missed this yesterday, but I kind of can't believe it hasn't been more out there (at least on liberal blogs). It's a quote from Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on the PAYGO measures the House is considering.

BLACKBURN: Let’s agree that we’re going to have PAYGO enforcement. That we’re not going to cry ‘emergency’ every time we have a Katrina, every time we have a Tsunami, every time we have a need for extra spending, that we don’t go call for a special appropriation that allows us to circumvent the PAYGO rules.

It seems to me that suggesting that the federal government should not be involved in disaster relief for events like Katrina is a fairly radical position. Not to mention apparently believing that Katrina may not constitute an "emergency." This is what happens when the bar for ridiculous behavior gets set so high. Something like this sort of slips under the radar because it's only 75% as crazy as a lot of the things said in the House of Representatives.

Rickey Still the Best

The Freakanomics blog on the New York Times site hosted Buster Olney as a guest to answer questions about baseball. Many of the questions are stats related, of course, but it also included a question about my favorite player and entertainer.

Q What’s your favorite Rickey Henderson story? — Nann

A Last spring, Rickey went on the ESPN radio show Mike and Mike and, one by one, he addressed the Rickey legends deeming them either truth or myth. He acknowledged that yes, in fact, he did frame the rather large bonus check (I think it was for $1 million) rather than cash it; yes, in fact, he did suffer frost bite in the middle of the summer because he fell asleep on an ice pack in the trainer’s room; and he acknowledged other stories. What I loved about this whole thing was that while a whole other lot of stars would have refused to answer these questions, Rickey answered with candor, and with a smile on his face. It was classic Rickey, because he has always been steeped in confidence, very sure about who he is, and comfortable about who he is.

Rickey Henderson - best leadoff man and most awesome guy in baseball history.

Doing Pretty Well

Unless you're a socialist, you are probably applauding this Wall Street Journal story:

The pay of employees who receive more than the Social Security wage base -- now $106,800 -- increased by 78%, or nearly $1 trillion, over the past decade, exceeding the 61% increase for other workers, according to the analysis. In the five years ending in 2007, earnings for American workers rose 24%, half the 48% gain for the top-paid. The result: The top-paid represent 33% of the total, up from 28% in 2002.

Of course, that means that the rich are continuing to run away and hide from the rest of us in terms of income. But it means a lot more than that too...

The growing portion of pay that exceeds the maximum amount subject to payroll taxes has contributed to the weakening of the Social Security trust fund. In May, the government said the Social Security fund would be exhausted in 2037, four years earlier than was predicted in 2008.

All just a part of capitalism right. These people have clearly been working harder, not receiving any special treatment.

For example, health insurer Humana Inc. contributes 4% of pay to employees' retirement accounts on salary up to the taxable-earnings wage base -- and 8% above it. Thanks to the richer contribution, Humana Chief Executive Michael B. McCallister received a total contribution of $22,370 under the plan in 2008. (He also received $314,790 in company contributions to his supplemental executive retirement and savings plan.)

Typically, employers can't discriminate in favor of high-paid employees who participate in taxpayer-subsidized retirement plans. But a "permitted disparity" exception enables them to provide additional benefits on the portion of pay that isn't subject to payroll taxes, ostensibly to replace the Social Security benefits executives won't receive on the portion of their pay that is exempt from payroll taxes.

Oh.

Via Kevin Drum.

UMKC - Famous

UMKC made an appearance in the New York Times today. The article is about law professor and one-time Congressional candidate Kris Kobach's crusade against illegal immigration.

That ought to be a boon for the International Student Office.

Weather

If you don't think weather is a major factor in the public mood (and thus in the entire history of the world), go look at your facebook or twitter feed right now if you live in the midwest. That would be the midwest where it is in the upper-seventies on July 17.

Everyone's feeling good.

Charts and Charts and Charts and...

In case you were getting ready to write your Congressman about the potential devastating effects of raising taxes on the wealthy to pay for universal healthcare.

You can relax.

Recession Solved

A Missouri dealer has a new incentive to buy a truck.

Buy a truck and get a free AK-47 gun.

That's the deal a Missouri truck dealer is offering new customers who buy a pickup truck in August.

Mark Muller, owner of Max Motors in Butler, says he knows people will be bothered by the promotion.

But not to worry, Muller is not handing out free guns. Instead, he will give buyers a voucher to use at a gun store after they obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon.

This could be genius. The firearms industry is one of the few doing well in this economy because of a fear that Obama will take away everyone's guns. So this dealer takes a hard to sell truck and attaches a must-have item in a possibly soon to be banned weapon. He struck on the solution to our economic woes - a fear-based economy.

All we need is to convince conservative websites and news outlets that Obama might soon ban vehicles and sit back while the auto industry magically recovers. Or better, we could suggest that homes are a soon to banned. Housing slump over.

Sometimes you find genius in unexpected places.

Zach Greinke, All-Star

He pitched a great inning in the game last night, throwing only 10 pitches and getting to strikeouts and a foulout. Before that he was an all-star with the media. Sam Mellinger put together a collection of Greinke gems. Like:

On Roy Halladay:

"There's nobody else like him. He throws 93-mph sinkers and cutters, and he never misses his spot. Nobody else can do that. There are maybe a handful of guys out there who can throw 93-mph sinkers. Maybe. But they can't control it. There's not much else to say. It's really simple for him...It's not even that fun to watch. I mean, you can watch it if you want to. But it's like that every time."

Proof Day #2: St. Louis is Full of Snobs

How else to explain the island of "soda" drinkers in the middle of "pop" and "coke" country?

Proof Day #1: Republicans and Science Don't Mix

There you have it, science has a liberal bias.

This, of course, helps explain why so many scientists say climate change is real. They're just a bunch of liberals who have bought in to the b.s. They probably think the world is millions of years old too.

Via Kevin Drum.

Yo Joe!

Slate is on a roll with this summer movies section. The newest treasure is a look back at the G.I. Joe cartoon series of my childhood. The topic is the fact that no one ever dies in the show despite the fact that 75% of each episode is spent with Joes and Cobras trying to kill eachother.

The slide show contains 8 pieces of video about the improbable escapes of each side. There is also a lot of great commentary like this:

Joes who are shot down also have an uncanny ability to parachute directly into an enemy's aircraft and start punching the pilot in the face.

Check it out, especially if you're a child of the eighties.

Kickin' Ass

Slate has a story up about which action movies stuntmen think are most impressive. The list is great, and has a few things I've never seen. Read the story to get the whole explanation, but two pieces of impressive action movie-making I think should be added are the chase at the beginning of Casino Royale (the new one) and something (anything) involving Jackie Chan.

I think Jackie's stunt cred is harmed a little by his affable nature and his willingness to be in Rush Hour 3. But action scenes don't get much better than this from First Strike:

Healthcare Costs

The chart shows healthcare spending by country as a percentage of GDP.

Interesting particularly in light of a Jonathan Cohn story on a couple of the health systems similar to what some have proposed for the U.S.

Last year, I had the opportunity to spend time researching two of these countries: France and the Netherlands. Neither country gets the attention that Canada and England do. That might be because English isn’t their language. Or it might be because they don’t fit the negative stereotypes of life in countries where government is more directly involved in medical care.

But in the course of a few dozen lengthy interviews, not once did I encounter an interview subject who wanted to trade places with an American. And it was easy enough to see why. People in these countries were getting precisely what most Americans say they want: Timely, quality care. Physicians felt free to practice medicine the way they wanted; companies got to concentrate on their lines of business, rather than develop expertise in managing health benefits. But, in contrast with the US, everybody had insurance. The papers weren’t filled with stories of people going bankrupt or skipping medical care because they couldn’t afford to pay their bills. And they did all this while paying substantially less, overall, than we do.

Ladies and gentlemen, the horrors of socialized medicine.

Via Matt Yglesias.

Welcome Interruption

It's been a few days since I got post up, but I can assure you my time was better spent. Headed back to the home town for the 4th of July weekend, and filled four days with all kinds of fun.

I waded through a cattle pond up to my chest in a pair of canvas shoes and some classy swim trunks looking for frogs. I played golf for the first time in a couple of years and almost honored the hole's designation with my score on #14. I attended a baseball game that had a pretty nice fireworks show at the end. I participated in the hometown parade on a family float, and we even won a trophy. I had a great evening playing backyard games, watching fireworks, eating homemade ice cream and shortcake, and sitting around a bonfire.

And for the whole weekend, I had excellent company - the three other names listed on this blog included. Thanks boys.

p.s. BSD and I figured out this weekend that it is 2009, so not only does the end of this year require a best of 2009 music list but also a best of the decade list. If you are inclined to participate in such an activity, I suggest you start now. We have already discovered it is going to be a challenge.

Good News, Bad News

Al Franken finally won Minnesota's second Senate seat after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in his favor. I think that is good news.

But there is plenty of bad news. It is coming mostly in the form of coverage of the event by the media. Everyone is focusing on the idea that the Democrats now have 60 seats and that means they are philibuster proof and able to enact anything they want.

The first part of the statement is true, but the second part is completely false. Democrats have already proven unable to keep all of their Senators on the same page, and that doesn't include the two Independents whose votes help make up the 60.

Given the way American politics have evolved over the last two decades, it seems there are quite a few Senators who might have been Republicans 20 years ago but are now Democrats. That certainly doesn't make them liberals. And they have been pretty loathe to help enact liberal policy so far.

So if the American public thinks the Democrats can do whatever they want, but they never actually have 60 votes for anything, then Republicans are in some ways better off than they were before. It could be a long year and a half until the next elections.

My Econ Teacher Forgot to Tell Me This

James Carville once famously said in regards to the political situation that it was about "the economy stupid." An Oklahoma State Representative has one-upped Mr. Carville by explaing that, when it comes to our current economic situation, it's the morality stupid.

Kern introduced a resolution for consideration by the Oklahoma House that includes the following:

WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; and
WHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion,
pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery; and
WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built; and
WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the president of these United States has refused to uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in giving recognition to our National Day of Prayer; and
WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the biblical admonitions to live clean and pure lives by proclaiming an entire month to an immoral behavior;

The entire blogpost by Jonathan Turley is worth reading. It includes the quote-worthy phrase "anticipatory economic damnation."

But I want to look at the bright side. Democracy has seen the election and reelection of people like Sally Kern since its inception, and still we have a (mostly) functioning government and society. Here, here to the resilience of democracy!

(cheers to the friend of ESL who sent us this gem)

Arenas

An interesting article in the New York Times about an overabundance of arenas across the nation. Not good news for the Sprint Center. The article includes this interesting bit:

No one questions the Garden’s stature as the most venerable and busiest of arenas. It routinely books 275 hockey and basketball games (the Garden is home to the Rangers, Knicks and Liberty), circuses and concerts a year; most operators say arenas need to fill 200 dates to generate an operating surplus.

Does anyone know how many dates Sprint Center has booked in the last year? Is it even 100? 75? Less?

long live the king

first off, i am not going to try and convince you all that i am a die hard michael jackson fan. i own thriller, yes, but so do 30 million other people. MJ hadn't had a hit since 2001, and that was barely a blip on the radar (invincible). for the last 15 years or so, most people only associated this man with controversy, turmoil, and embarassment. like most people, i still was rooting for him to go out on top. unfortunately, he did not.

what is extraordinary, however, is that no one seems to be talking about the bad times. no seems to recall the dangling babies, the awkward kisses, or the plethora of surgeries. all people seem to recall is the music. and this man literally changed the face of pop music forever.

before him, there were no black artists on MTV. some could argue, in fact, that MJ literally saved music television. of course this was during the time when they actually played music videos. imagine that!

like many of you, i still recall seeing him moonwalk for the first time. we stayed up late to watch the thriller video for the first time, and it was an event like none other before or since (save peter gabriel's sledgehammer, but that was entirely different). and vincent price's voice still scares me! as the tributes began mounting,however, it became more and more evident that the world really did lose a treasure. as his songs began occupying radio airtime for the majority of the day, i began to realize just how important MJ the artist really was. for my generation, is there really anyone bigger? nope.

currently, jacko albums are holding the top 23 spots on the amazon best seller list, as well as 35 of the top 50. now THAT is impressive. looking back, however, his legacy really lies within 3 albums : off the wall, thriller, and bad. even as a moderate fan of pop music, i must admit that i would be hard pressed to find a greater trilogy of an artist, let alone in sequence. especially a pop artist.

favorite song? again, i am no aficionado, but i always liked "man in the mirror". it just seemed a bit more personal and introspective. of course, "billie jean" is still pretty bitchin. i just finished listening to thriller (on vinyl!) and it all still holds up. i am still trying to figure out they got those sounds in the studio!

not sure why i felt compelled to address this topic, other than it is inescapable. it is everywhere, and will be for many weeks to come. while i am certain that the circumstances surrounding his death are far from being resolved, i do hope that we can all take heart in the lasting music and influence that have been left behind. because when it comes right down to it, i think everyone has the need to moonwalk across their living room floor, let out a scream, and embrace the feel of a single white glove.

i know i do...

NBA Draft

I like the NBA draft better than the NFL draft. Maybe this is because I can tell a lot more from watching a basketball player play in college (or elsewhere) than I can from watching a football player do the same. Maybe it's just because the NBA draft is shorter.

There were several interesting things that came out of last night's draft.

1. I somehow labored under the assumption that Blake Griffin was 6'8" when he is, apparently, 6'10". They may not seem like a huge difference, but for a player of his style it is. The Clipper curse may still get him, but I like his odds to overcome.

2. People are killing Minnesota for taking two point guards at 5 and 6. I disagree. If you think they are the best two players there, take them. Maybe they can't start together in the backcourt, but maybe they can. And maybe they will trade one of them before the season anyway.

3. Brandon Jennings may be a great player. He seems to have the tools. He also seems like the "player most likely to do something real dumb and be out of the league in 3 years."

4. The Cavs have Shaq now and the Magic have VC. I've seen suggestions that the Shaq thing isn't that big of a deal because he isn't what he used to be. That is true, but he also isn't Zydrunas Ilgauskas. And he looked pretty good against Dwight Howard in the all-star game (yes, I am aware I just made a judgement based on an all-star game).

5. Amare Stoudemire is good, but I think the Warriors would be crazy to trade Stephen Curry, Brandan Wright, Andris Biedrins and Marco Belinelli for what could end up being only one year of his services. Check that, super crazy.

6. If you are drafted in the second round you might turn out to be great, but no one should ever describe you as great on draft night. If you were great on draft night, you would have been drafted earlier.

7. I say Patty Mills becomes an integral part of the Trailblazers future success.

8. My bias towards teams really extends to their draft picks. When he was picked by the Pistons, I made a mental note that Chase Budinger might actually turn into a steal. When the Pistons traded him to the Rockets, I mentally moved him to the bust column. There was really no reason for either of those opinions. Actually, the Rockets have a much better recent drafting record than do the Pistons.

9. I am already looking forward to next season.

Cautionary Tale

The Royals organization needs to read this article by Bill Simmons chronicling the history of the LA Clippers. Another 10 years and the Royals will have essentially matched this kind of futility. Matching the Clippers is not something you want... ever.

So that's your new team, Blake Griffin. You have 33 straight years of bad luck working against you. You're entering a world of "Tonight Show" put downs and half-empty buildings. You're playing for the worst possible owner and the worst possible coach for the Lakers' ugly stepbrother in Los Angeles. You're dealing with a dwindling fan base that's almost supernaturally depressed at this point. You will be the 18th forward they drafted with a top-nine draft pick since 1976. None of them lasted longer than six seasons on the Clippers. Not one.

Since 1976, the Clippers have drafted only one player who made an All-Star team as a Clipper: Danny Manning in 1993 and 1994. Think about that for a second. It's impossible. It's absolutely true. They made 38 first-round picks since 1980; you will be No. 39. They earned a top-10 pick 23 times since the '76 draft; of those 23 times, 12 were in the top four and three were No. 1 overall. They failed to turn the first 21 chances into a Hall of Famer, borderline Hall of Famer or perennial All-Star. The 22nd chance was Gordon; the 23rd chance is you. The odds are against both of you.

Read the whole thing, especially if you are a Royal.

"Retirement"

The Iranian soccer players I mentioned a few days ago have been "retired" from the Iranian soccer team.

A former head of Iran's soccer governing body was also arrested over the weekend. That is precisely why doing what they did was such a brave thing to do.

Infrastructure

I'm watching a History Channel program about the decline of infrastructure in the U.S. In what I've seen of it so far, St. Louis is one of the stars of the show. Apparently, the sewer system is one thing Albert Pujols can't even fix.

That got me to thinking about the fact that a water pipe broke in my neighborhood last week and that I hit a pot hole that nearly swallowed my car the other day. I think KC could have easily stood in for St. Louis in this thing.

The question is, what are we going to do about it? Will we pay to have these things fixed? In the case of the highway system, should we fix what we have, create an even larger system or figure out how to integrate mass transit more appropriately? None of these questions are very novel, but they are definitely worth asking until we have answers.

The Importance Of Sample Sizes

Now that the MLB season is nearly 40% complete, I thought it might be fun to go back to an April post by Jim to see how things are shaking out for the Royals now that the sample set is large enough to judge the team’s pitching. The timing of this post also comes immediately after the Royals were just swept by the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend and gave up 29 runs in 3 games.

Remember, when the April post was submitted the season was less than 8% complete. Here is the section of the post about the pitching:

“The Royals pitching staff is off to an incredible start. They have the league's second best ERA, and if not for Kyle (The Arsonist) Farnsworth, they would likely be on top. The most encouraging stat, however, is the team's number of strikeouts. Royals pitchers are currently striking out more batters than any other team in baseball.

This is important because strikeouts reduce the number of things that can go wrong when a ball is put in play. It is also big news because from 2000-2007, the Royals were in the bottom five in strikeouts every year (twice finishing dead last). Last year, they moved up to a below average but more respectable 17th place. Now they are #1. That may not last, but it is hard to imagine them dropping out of the top 10.”

So now, on June 22nd, the Royals staff ERA ranks 19th in the league. They also rank 17th in the league in strikeouts (exactly where they ended the year in 2008), and are 10 games under .500.

Am I piling on the Royals right now? Maybe. But more importantly, I think there should be a rule that Flag Day has to come and go before we start drawing conclusions about how a baseball team will fare for the season (or at least wait longer than April 21st).

Baseball, above any other sport, is dominated by stats and usually those stats don’t lie. You just have to wait long enough for there to be enough stats there to sort through.

Democrats May Really be Feckless

The public overwhelmingly supports universal health coverage. So does Dan. The president says the time to address health care is now.

Republicans, of course, think it is preferable to continue running a system that costs more, works worse and results in a large section of our country having no coverage. But Republicans face a Democratic party with a huge (though not insurmountable) majority, and the public does not see it their way.

This all should add up to Democrats delivering on one of the major initiatives President Obama campaigned on. How are they doing? Paul Krugman has a nice column in the Times about how they are about to vomit all over themselves.

What the balking Democrats seem most determined to do is to kill the public option, either by eliminating it or by carrying out a bait-and-switch, replacing a true public option with something meaningless. For the record, neither regional health cooperatives nor state-level public plans, both of which have been proposed as alternatives, would have the financial stability and bargaining power needed to bring down health care costs.

Whatever may be motivating these Democrats, they don’t seem able to explain their reasons in public.

Thus Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska initially declared that the public option — which, remember, has overwhelming popular support — was a “deal-breaker.” Why? Because he didn’t think private insurers could compete: “At the end of the day, the public plan wins the day.” Um, isn’t the purpose of health care reform to protect American citizens, not insurance companies?

Republicans say a lot of things about Democrats that are wildly inaccurate and slanderous. The fact that they are spineless may not be one of those things.

Twitter Jokes

Via TPM, I learned that Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) has been taking an enormous amount of heckling after he compared Republicans to Iranian protestors with this tweet:

Iranian twitter activity similar to what we did in House last year when Republicans were shut down in the House.

There is a list of them if you follow the link, but I think my favorite three heckles are these...

TahirDuckett @petehoekstra ran through the sprinklers this morning, claimed solidarity with victims of Hurricane Katrina

netw3rk @petehoekstra Someone walked in on me while I was in the bathroom. Reminded me of Pearl Harbor.

paganmist @petehoekstra Had to move all my stuff to a new office w/o a corner view. Now i know what the Trail of Tears was like. #GOPfail

Matchup Problems

If you had your choice of Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre or Trey Hillman and Don Wakamatsu who would you take?

By the way, this is in a coaching contest not a facial hair growing contest or a bare-knuckle brawl.

Stones

An image of the Iranian football team from a match today. The green bands were reportedly gone in the second half, but I suspect they did their work in the first half. They also probably jeopardized the careers (or worse) of those players.

This pic came via Andrew Sullivan's blog. If you want a ton of information about what it going on in Iran, that's the place to go.

NBA Wrapup

My enthusiasm for writing about the end of the NBA season is not where I would like it to be. As those who have read this blog for awhile know, I am an advocate for professional basketball.

The problem is that I don't like the Lakers, and for that matter, I don't care much for the Magic either. I do love Magic coach Stan Van Gundy who has to be the best press conference coach since Jon Cheney.

Anyway, a Finals in which the Lakers won in 5 games is not my idea of a thrilling end to the season. Still, there was some interesting stuff about this season.

Derrick Rose is really good, and the Bulls made the right choice taking him first in the draft.

The Celtics lost because Kevin Garnett was hurt. Kevin Garnett was probably hurt because he OD'd on intensity. I wonder if he is the kind of player who could still be a decent player if he dialed it back a notch or two.

Lebron is the best player on the planet... but not good enough to turn Ilgauskas and Varejao into Bynum and Odom. That's probably what he needed to be able to do.

The draft should be interesting because nearly half of the lottery talent is point guards.

Kansas City is not getting an NBA team.

I think that is all for now.

Bail Outs Really are for Everybody

Apparently, credit card companies are in the mood to cut their losses. You could be the beneficiary.

As they confront unprecedented numbers of troubled customers, credit card companies are increasingly doing something they have historically scorned: settling delinquent accounts for substantially less than the amount owed.

The practice started last fall as the economy worsened. But in recent months, with unemployment topping 9 percent and more people having trouble paying their bills, experts say this approach has risen drastically.

They say many credit card issuers have revised internal guidelines to give front-line employees the power to cut deals with consumers. The workers do not even have to wait for customers to call and ask for a break.

“Now it’s the card company calling you and saying, ‘Let’s talk turkey,’ ” said David Robertson, publisher of the credit industry journal The Nilson Report.

Perhaps the guy at all the sporting events with the "Hey Congress, where's my bailout?" sign will be able turn his ample creative abilities toward something more constructive.

But I Want to Go to War!!!

Charles Krauthammer offers up an interesting study on those who understand nothing about the role empathy plays in human relationships. The subject of the study is, of course, himself.

In fariness, I suspect he knows what Obama is doing has a chance of being successful. But building relationships lowers our chances of going to war, and Krauthammer can likely think of nothing more depressing than that.

Iranian Election

Just a reminder to everyone that if Ahmadinejad wins the election in Iran, it is no more a confirmation that the country is filled with anti-Semitic, fundamentalist jihadists than the 2004 reelection of George Bush meant this country was lock-step in support of Bush policies.

The inverse is true, of course, as well. If Ahmedinejad loses, Iran does not magically become our Middle Eastern version of Great Britain.

The point is really a pretty silly one to make, but I think it is worth reminding ourselves that countries are filled with lots of people. The beliefs and politics of those people have as many shades of grey as in the good ol' U.S.ofA.

Soapbox exited.

80's Movie Line of the Week (Royals Special)

As I mentioned in the previous post, Major League is a movie that today would be made about the Royals. Many of the lines would still be appropriate. Here is Bob Ueker's announcer character talking special promotions.

Harry Doyle: Remember, fans, Tuesday is Die Hard Night. Free admission for anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won the pennant.

For the Love of Steve Balboni...

The Royals, being the Royals, lost last night 4-3 on a ball that got past Coco Crisp in the outfield because it hit a bird and changed directions. Joe Posnanski has a great blog post up putting this into context with all the other things he has seen is his time covering the Royals. He has seen a lot.

Other stuff I’ve seen: I saw the Royals lose once when a pitcher, attempting to start an inning-ending double play, slipped on the resin bag and threw the ball into centerfield. … I saw the Royals begin a game batting out of order. I mean, batting out of order is one thing, but the FIRST BATTER was out of order? … I saw a Royals baserunner literally fall off of first base on a pickoff attempt. He got back to the bag safely and then, almost in slow motion, he just fell off the base and was tagged out. … I saw the Royals lose a game when, with the bases loaded, a batter hit a ball back to Mike MacDougal. He threw home — literally. The ball had to be at least 5 feet over the catcher’s head. I remember it being 10 feet high. … I saw the Royals release a pitcher IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME … I saw a Royals prospect, with two runners in scoring position, look so frightened that, even though the opposing pitcher threw three batting practice fastballs right over the heart of the plate, he never even thought about swinging. … I saw the Royals try out a professional softball pitcher … I saw a Royals pitcher get hurt during spring training SLIDING practice (you might recall, the Royals are an American League club) … I saw Esteban German get hit in the face with a fly ball because (1) he was playing centerfield, (2) he’s not a centerfielder, (3) the sun was out and (4) he was not wearing his sunglasses. Fortunately, Esty was wearing his sunglasses on the flight home after the game so no one could see his shiner … I saw Tony Pena lose a ball in the sun because he wasn’t wearing sunglasses. After the game, Pena explained that he had ordered his sunglasses but “they had not come in yet.” … I saw Royals pitcher Miguel Asencio throw 16 consecutive balls to start off his major league career. … I saw the Royals draft the first high school pitcher who ever officially threw 100 mph. Apparently, nobody noticed that he did not throw strikes.

Of course, there’s the Ken Harvey oeuvre. Once, he lost a battle with a tarp. Once, as the cut-off man, he turned his back on an outfield throw and got hit in the back. Once he threw a baseball into his own pitcher’s face.*

Read the whole post. Despite being opressively depressing, it's quite amusing.

The thing that is most disappointing to me about all of this is that the movie Major League has already been made. Does anyone doubt that if it were made today, it would be about the Royals and not the Indians?

Creative Writing Time

My book club had our annual poetry month meeting last night (I know it actually isn't poetry month). At this event everyone brings something they've either read that they love or something that they have written themselves. Among a few things I contributed was this poem based on my recent travel experiences:

Drama in the Air (the Great Wide Yonder)

I'm beginning to sweat.
The hours ahead seem like days.
I shift and shrink and shiver.
I cannot escape all that is trying to fill my space.
They should've charged you for two seats.

Evolving Into Something We Do Not Even Recognize

I'm currently outsourcing all work on this blog to quotes brought to my attention by other bloggers. I'm sure I'll write something again someday, but in the meantime, be entertained by Sarah Palin:

Hannity: Tim Geithner got laughed at in China last week. Is this even more than you thought was going to be in terms of where the president would take the economy?

Palin: What's more than I thought would be is, we're hearing a lot of good rhetoric. A lot of this is wrapped in good rhetoric, but we're not seeing those actions, and this many months into the new administration, quite disappointed, quite frustrated with not seeing those actions to rein in spending, slow down the growth of government. Instead, China's Sean it's the complete opposite. It's expanding at such a large degree that if Americans aren't paying attention, unfortunately, our country could evolve into something that we do not even recognize, certainly that is so far from what the founders of our country had in mind for us.

Not one of the four sentences makes any sense at all. And they make even less sense when you put them all together. I still know a disturbing number of people who think Sarah Palin would be a great leader for the country. I don't know how you could ever come to that conclusion after seeing something like this. Hopefully, at some point, even the diehards will recognize that.

Missing the Point

"Look, if it (torture) were illegal, Bush and Cheney would have been arrested," - Bill O'Reilly.

the unskipable

i do believe the world needs more lists, and this is as good a place to start as any. i also think it is somewhat fair to say that each track listed is probably my favorite from each artist, or at least in the top 3 most days.

please note, it took me several hours to compile this list, because upon listening to said track, it could not be skipped. it was tough, but hey...rules are rules.

ease down the road- bonnie prince billy

ohio- Damien jurado

from the morning- nick drake

I’m always in love- wilco

Still be around- unlce tupelo

Mississippi- bob Dylan

Dent county- jay farrar

Tear stained eye- son volt

The weight- the band

And your bird can sing- the beatles

Factory girl- rolling stones

You’re still on my mind- the byrds

Heathens- drive by truckers

Winding wheel- ryan adams

It’s a motherfucker- eels

Christine’s tune- the flying burrito brothers

Naked as we came- iron and wine

The charging sky- jenny lewis

Imagine- john lennon

A good time- john prine

Victoria- the kinks

Hotel yorba- the white stripes

Glenn tipton- sun kil moon

Boys your welcome- Mississippi john hurt

I can’t be satisfied- muddy waters

Tell me why- neil young

Later days- over the rhine

Hallelujah, I love her so- ray charles

More adventurous- rilo kiley

Why do you let me stay here?- she and him

The comeback- the shout out louds

Devil in me- the skeletons

The way we get by- spoon

Flirting with time- tom petty

Substitute- the who

Don't Skip This

Haven't posted a list in awhile, so I thought it might be time to put together one I've thought about several times. This list is songs I almost never skip when they come up at random. This doesn't necessarily make them my favorite songs, but it does pretty much ensure that I like them a lot. And if I was making a list of favorite songs, this list would at least be a good starting point.

If I really was putting together a favorite songs list, however, it would likely include some tunes that are either very mellow or very energetic. These types of songs are great, but they might not fit the mood. This list, on the other hand, features songs that seem to strike me as something I want to hear no matter how I'm feeling at the moment. I am limiting it to songs at least a year old so the newness factor doesn't influence the decision.

This list isn't exhaustive probably but is comprised of a few I thought of immediately. It isn't in any particular order. I reserve the right to add or remove at my discretion.

My Mathematical Mind -- Spoon
Karma Police -- Radiohead
Where is My Mind? -- The Pixies
You Ain't Going Nowhere -- The Byrds
Out of Gas -- Modest Mouse
The General Specific -- Band of Horses
Sister Do You Know My Name? -- The White Stripes
Dead Flowers -- The Rolling Stones
Anything You Want -- Spoon
We've Been Had -- The Walkmen
In the Garage -- Weezer
The Runner -- Kings of Leon
Needles in My Eyes -- The Beta Band
Hateful -- The Clash
Maps -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Black, Red, Yellow -- Pearl Jam
Bones -- Radiohead
Wildflowers -- Tom Petty
Donde Esta La Playa -- The Walkmen*

*This one broke my one year rule. But it's close, I'm not sure that I've ever skipped it and it's my list.

Family Values

Yesterday, the House passed four-week paid maternity leave for federal employees. As usual, the party of family values voted overwhelmingly against the measure.

A Few Things

None of which I want to say a lot about, but think deserve a mention.

1. Whatever quality it is that helps teams overachieve, the Royals have heaps and heaps of its opposite quality.
2. After seeing the new Star Trek movie last night, I want the last three Star Wars movies remade by J.J. Abrams. I might also consider watching Lost.
3. In an environment rich in stupid political accusations, the accusation that Obama claimed the U.S. is a Muslim nation is particularly egregious in its stupidity.
4. Listen to new albums from White Rabbits and Phoenix. Good stuff.
5. I checked in with Rush Limbaugh on Monday, and in 10 minutes heard enough BS to last me for the next few years. I'll forget that, of course, and check in again in a couple of weeks.
6. The city's oldest fountain was turned back on. As good a time as any to remember we really do live in a beautiful city.

Jimmy Carter's Lament

Via Matt Yglesias, Nate Silver has a piece on the racial makeup of the Democratic and Republican parties. Among other things he says:

Consider this remarkable statistic. In 1980, 32 percent of the electorate consisted of white Democrats (or at least white Carter voters) -- likewise, in 2008, 32 percent of the electorate consisted of white Obama voters. But whereas, in 1980, just 9 percent of the electorate were nonwhite Carter voters, 21 percent of the electorate were nonwhite Obama voters last year. Thus, Carter went down to a landslide defeat, whereas Obama defeated John McCain by a healthy margin.

This is really why Republicans are in so much trouble. Demographics are working overwhelmingly against them, and their answer to the problem is to attack Supreme Court nominees almost entirely on racial grounds.

There is always a chance that a catastrophic performance by Obama leads the Republicans back to power, but for the next few years that would seem to be about their only avenue if they are intent on not changing.

blue foot

not sure what possessed me to do this, but for some reason i thought i could jump over a camp fire this weekend. wasn't even especially inebriated. just thought, "i can make it!"

alas, i could not. oh sure, i cleared the flames, but i did NOT stick the landing. and now i have a swollen blue foot as proof of my idiocy. when do we ever out grow the need to tempt fate?

answer: never. now, someone hold my beer...

80's Movie Line of the Week

After a lot of time spent messing around with Spiderman movies, Sam Raimi is back with a new horror flick this weekend. As good a time as any to remember how funny some of his older horror flicks are. The guy knew how to use Bruce Campbell to full effect. From Evil Dead 2:

Annie: The first passage will allow the demon to manifest itself in the flesh.
Ash: Why the hell would we want to do that?

Star Wars the way it was meant to be watched

As the father of a 5 year old boy I find myself getting to relive and experience things from my childhood. Over the past 3 weeks my son and I have watched all 6 Star Wars movies. I made the decision to start with Episode IV and have him experience them the way I did. Two questions (second one is a two-parter):

1) What order have or will your children watch these movies?

2) The galaxy is pretty big. Why then did Obi Wan feel the absolute safest place to hide Luke was on Darth Vader's home planet with people that Darth Vader had met and knew where they lived? Finally, if you are trying to hide this kid from his dad, wouldn't you think they would have changed his freakin' last name???

Great Shows

Occasionally, I am reminded that I should see as many live shows as I possibly can. I got another of those reminders last night when a friend asked me to go see The Decemberists. I am familiar with the band, but wouldn't call myself a fan.

I knew there was a new album, but I hadn't heard it. I was a bit skeptical when I read yesterday that it was a concept album that told a story in what was essentially one long song broken into parts. Lots of bands have tried similar gimmicks, and the results are notoriously spotty. One of my favorite all-time bands, The Kinks, made a couple of these unfortunate forays. Not an auspicious sign heading in.

The band came on stage and started at the beginning of the album. The stopped only after they had played the entire album in order. It was absolutely fantastic. They told a fairy tale type story that was also classic tragedy. Different characters were represented by different singers and different styles of music. I thought back to seeing Peter and the Wolf in elementary school, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The performances were incredible, and the singers recruited to play the female parts were outstanding.

Then the band took a break. When they returned, they played many of the indie/folk/pop songs that made the band (somewhat anyway) famous. It was like a completely different show. The band bantered with the audience, told jokes, organized a giant sing-along (in which the balcony sang the bass part), and staged a reproduction of Lawrence of Arabia. It was all great fun, and it felt as loose and chaotic as the first set was structured. The women from the first set returned to the stage in the last song before the encore to do a cover of Heart's "Crazy On You."

You never know when you might see a show that will stick with you for awhile. That's you, me and everyone else should remember to take every opportunity we get to see live music.

You're welcome France.

Only 25 years after a short stint of popularity as a sitcom punchline, I continue to hear remarks aimed at casting a clear line between fellows who like quiche and ‘the real man.’ Breaking down the ingredients, I find it difficult to fathom that ‘the real man’ would turn down a shot at eggs, dough, milk/cream, or any variety of baked meats. The only logical conclusion is that this food suffers a problem of branding. So from this day forward, quiche shall be called 'Western Cowboy Pie' and I will feel shame no more. For my next rebranding target: croquet.

What You Need is Another Light Socket...

A story in the New Yorker by Atul Gawande talks about one of the more hidden problems with our healthcare system, incentives.

When you look across the spectrum from Grand Junction to McAllen—and the almost threefold difference in the costs of care—you come to realize that we are witnessing a battle for the soul of American medicine. Somewhere in the United States at this moment, a patient with chest pain, or a tumor, or a cough is seeing a doctor. And the damning question we have to ask is whether the doctor is set up to meet the needs of the patient, first and foremost, or to maximize revenue.

There is no insurance system that will make the two aims match perfectly. But having a system that does so much to misalign them has proved disastrous. As economists have often pointed out, we pay doctors for quantity, not quality. As they point out less often, we also pay them as individuals, rather than as members of a team working together for their patients. Both practices have made for serious problems.

Providing health care is like building a house. The task requires experts, expensive equipment and materials, and a huge amount of coördination. Imagine that, instead of paying a contractor to pull a team together and keep them on track, you paid an electrician for every outlet he recommends, a plumber for every faucet, and a carpenter for every cabinet. Would you be surprised if you got a house with a thousand outlets, faucets, and cabinets, at three times the cost you expected, and the whole thing fell apart a couple of years later? Getting the country’s best electrician on the job (he trained at Harvard, somebody tells you) isn’t going to solve this problem. Nor will changing the person who writes him the check.

Do yourself a favor and read the whole article. It is an eye opener no matter your position in the private insurance versus national healthcare debate.

Via Kevin Drum.

A Fine Question

So one of the English professors who reads this blog let me know that "reoccurring" isn't a word and that I should have used "recurring" instead. Recurring sounds like the right word to me and the online dictionary has no record for "reoccurring".

The question then is why my spell check recognizes the word "reoccurring" as legitimate. Is it a word so often misused that it has become an acceptable part of our written language? Was the creator of the spell check asleep at the wheel? Or is this all just an elaborate plot to keep the English professors reading my blog from doing anything more dangerous with their time?

Maybe its all three!

(bonus points profs: there are several errors in this post. how many can you spot?)

Reoccurring Themes 3: The NBA is Awesome

Seriously, watch the playoffs. I promise you won't be disappointed. There are four teams left and each is incredibly entertaining. No matter which two end up in the finals it should be great to watch. Now watch it.

Reoccurring Themes 2: Governing Philosophy

Another thing I harp on constantly on this blog is that conservatives are inherently worse at governing because they don't believe in government. It's a pretty easy argument to make, but it seems like something I always feel the need to bring up again and again.

I also like it when others bring it up. While I was MIA, Timothy Noah did a piece on why Republicans are better than Democrats at obstructing the other party when they lose. It fits in nicely with my general philosophy, so here it is.

Democrats view elections as a means to an end, while Republicans view an election as an end in itself. This arises from their differing views about government. Democrats want to use government as a force for good in society, while Republicans want to diminish government's capacity to do harm. "In this present crisis," Ronald Reagan said in his 1981 inaugural address, "government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem." These differing views of government's value cause Democrats to favor compromise (since they tend to view minimal action as preferable to no action at all) and Republicans to favor deadlock (second-best to active dismantlement of government). For the past 30-odd years, these respective positions have flipped somewhat when it comes to foreign policy—Republicans favor aggressive, unilateral action abroad, whereas Democrats prefer caution and diplomacy—but it's domestic policy that tends to drive politics and therefore to motivate politicians. With few aspirations to achieve much of anything except cut taxes, Republicans see the apparatus of the federal government mainly as a patronage vehicle, not as something they aspire to manipulate to positive ends while they're out of power. Why dirty their fingernails?

Note that this passage even uses my favorite Ronald Reagan quote that best expresses why conservatives should never be in charge of government. Well said.

Reoccurring Themes 1: Robots

There are several things that get mentioned from time to time on this blog. One of them is the possibility of robots taking over the world. The release of the new Terminator movie brought this idea back to the spotlight, and Slate featured an article by P.W. Singer about the possibility of robotic world takeover.

Singer says it is probably unlikely in the short term that we are violently overthrown by titanium antagonists. He makes a pretty good point, however, that maybe violence isn't needed.

In my final judgment, however, The Terminator may not be the best guide for how a machine takeover might take place in the real world. Instead, another science fiction series, The Matrix, may be more useful. By this I don't mean that we can look forward to a future of humans living in jelly bubbles and Keanu Reeves' avatar running about in leather pants. Rather, the films give us a valuable metaphor for the technologic matrix in which we increasingly find ourselves enmeshed but barely notice. For all our pop-culture-stoked fears of living in a world where robots rule with an iron (or digital) fist, we already live in a world of technology that few of us even understand. It increasingly dominates how we live, work, communicate, and now even fight.

Why would machines ever need to plot a takeover when we already can't do anything important without them?

Very true.

80's Movie Line of the Week

In Africa, a notable event taking place was the inauguration of Jacob Zuma as president of South Africa. Mr. Zuma is an interesting character. He also has multiple wives, which made me think of the ultimate African 80's comedy, The Gods Must Be Crazy.

Steyn: What do you know about women?
Mpudi: I got seven wives, how many you got?
Steyn: Why aren't you home with your seven wives?
Mpudi: I know how to marry them. Nobody knows how to live with them.

Back in the Saddle

If you felt slightly more optimistic and joyful when you awoke on Tuesday morning, I like to think it was because I returned to American soil Monday afternoon. I suspect for most of you the effect was subtle (so subtle, perhaps, you did not notice it).

Anyway, it's time to get back on horse and continue riding this thing into the ground. I need to give a special thanks to BSD and ESL for keeping things hopping the first two weeks I was gone, and I need to thank Nate for giving me a list of reasons why I should not do what I had already done when he chose to finally post.

I can happily report that I did not run into guerrillas or gorillas. I believe I contracted no fevers and that my extremities are all watertight. I can say that it was winter, so the heat was in no way oppressive. The wine is great, the whiskey is universally available, and the food was quite good.

In fact, I would recommend a trip to Africa to any and all. It is a fascinating and beautiful place, and the people are some of the most hospitable on the planet (guerrillas not withstanding).

I'll have to say, however, that I am thrilled to be back. Obama is widely popular, the Royals are within sight of 1st place, the NBA playoffs are really getting going, my friends and family are all well and the weather is beautiful. When you can return to all that, it's good to be home.

Just Under the Wire

When A. Adams chose to step away for a bit to pursue a lifelong dream of visiting the Sub-Sahara, he asked a few friends to guest post. I was one of those friends. So, at the last possible hour, as Jim speeds over the oceans, is the promised post (originally dated 04/14/09):

The following is a list of reasons not to visit Sub-Saharan Africa:

oppressive heat
spores, molds and fungus
large, disease-harboring/poisonous insects
many types of snakes
accurate maps do not exist
a condition known as drippy dick
terrible indigenous wines
typhoid, malarial, scarlet, puerperal, viral, Dengue, and yellow fever
paramilitary guerillas
actual gorillas
whiskey is not distilled there
native dishes will likely upset your milquetoast palate
cownut is considered a delicacy in the congo

Travel at your own peril, James. You have been warned!

an issue of inconvenience?

i am continually amazed at the lack of enthusiasm that certain supermarket cashiers show towards customers using reusable shopping bags--has anyone else experienced this? you bring in your own bags, ask nicely for them to be used instead of the provided paper or plastic, and you are met with the face...you know the one. it's as if you have just asked them to sacrifice their firstborn son to the shopping Gods.

"how dare you ask me that?"
"what does it look like...i work here?"
"go hug a tree!"

of course, i am embellishing here a bit, but you get the point: some folks do NOT like reusable shopping bags. but sometimes i think it goes even bigger than the mere issue of inconvenience. it seems to go deeper than that. are some people just so opposed to recycling (or in this case not consuming) in general, that they are seemingly taking a stance against it? not only taking a stance, but establishing such a front that they are offended by the suggestion? hmmm, i wonder. i certainly hope not, but my last trip to the market would suggest otherwise.

80's baseball quotes- the sandlot

i realize that i am stepping outside of the established timeline (1993), but i could not resist examining the mind games of hamilton "the babe" porter:

Ham Porter: Is that your sister out there in left field, naked? She's naked?
Phillips: [swings and misses again] SHUT UP PORTER!
Ham Porter: Hey, hey, hey, I'm just trying to start a friendly conversation, come on.
Ham Porter: [two seconds later] Think she'll go out with me?

a day without rain

it's spring time folks, which means it is going to rain. every year, people act as if they have never before encountered this falling moisture pouring out of the sky. every year, people convince themselves that this year is the worst year on record for excessive rainfall. and every year, people begin to mentally prepare themselves for another great flood of biblical proportion.

yes, folks, it is going to rain. can you imagine a world without rain? as a farmer, i can attest first hand to the virtues of rain--in nearly every scenario more is better than none. why people continue to plan outdoor activities (graduations, weddings, etc) during this time of year, and are even shocked when these plans are usually foiled, is beyond me. it appears as if there are, in fact, three certainties in life: death, taxes and rain.

yes, folks, it IS going to rain! but every once in a while, the rain stops. and when it does, life is sweet.

on a day without rain (and even more to the point, a day when it was supposed to rain), there is arguably nothing better than a trip to the ball park. for those of you who know me, i am far from being an avid baseball fan. the last time in my life that i actually followed the sport and had a favorite player or team, i was 10 years old and it was the cubs and mark grace. wait....does he still play? probably not, i would suppose.

but what i lack in knowledge of the sport, i more than make up for with enthusiasm for the arena in which it is played. today, i was fortunate enough to attend a springfield cardinals afternoon game. the weather conditions could not have been more perfect, the cards won, and i should have been working the whole time, but was instead outside at a baseball game. why are games (or anything really) even more enjoyable when you should be doing something more constructive with your time? not sure, but they just are.

folks, the days without rain are almost upon us. but we all know what comes next: the days where we need rain. i do not cherish these days, for these are the days when people curse at the heavens, "God, where is the f-ing rain?!?!?!". the days without rain, by the associative property, are also known as the days with heat (i apologize fully if i have incorrectly used the associative property at this point). no one yearns for the days with heat. well, i suppose maybe some of you do. but shouldn't you be living in phoenix anyway?

the point of all this rambling is this: go to a baseball game! it is good for what ails you, and the good days are always numbered. the old timers tell us to make hay when the sun shines, but it is perhaps equally important to make it to a game when the sun shines. or at least on a day without rain.

ashes of american flags

i just finished up my first viewing of the new Wilco documentary Ashes of American Flags. if you are unaware, Wilco is probably the most creative and innovative band around--America's answer to Radiohead, if you will. since the demise of Uncle tupelo in 1994, Wilco has been steadily blazing it's trail across the world and into the hearts of millions.

at the center of the band is jeff tweedy, primary songwriter and vocalist, and one of the biggest musical influences in my life. but again, i am not biased. they really are a fantastic band.

with each album release, wilco gets a little bigger and a whole lot better, and their concerts are quickly becoming more of a spiritual awakening for the concert goer than a mere ticketed event. i could go on and on about the many great virtues of this band, but i digress.

AAF is the second full-length DVD release for the band, with i am trying to break your heart in 2002 being the first. while the latter is definitely more of a documentary about the recording business in general, AAF is a full on concert film collecting footage from 5 different venues from across the country. i have seen wilco half a dozen times now, and this is as close to the real deal as a fan can get.

while the band does play major stadiums often, each of the venues chosen were some of the more classic theaters that america has to offer, with cain's ballroom in tulsa and the ryman auditorium in nashville being the most iconic. performing in such a venue provides the viewer with a much more intimate feel, and was a wise choice.

the sound quality, thankfully, is incredible, and the concert footage really does put the viewer right in the middle of the party. the only thing better would have been a double disc edition, as wilco is notorious for putting on 3 hour shows consistently. the special features, however, more than make up for this containing 7 additional live performances. the sweetest deal though, perhaps, is that by purchasing the dvd, the viewer is entitled to a free audio download of all the performances contained here in. as someone who thrives on getting the most bang for the buck, this is about as good as it gets.

on a side note, there is a very touching moment near the end of the film where tweedy addresses the fact that wilco has gone through many personel changes over the years, with himself and bassist john stiratt being the only two original members. he goes on to say that "this band could probably absorb another change...as long as it is not John." as someone who has always admired stiratt's musicality, was it nice to hear tweedy profess his loyalty to his fellow band mate and friend.

it was also nice to see tweedy wearing what appeared to be a gram parson's original "nudie suit" throughout most of the film. if you do not know what that is, please google "nudie suit" now.

so, if you are a fan of Wilco already, Ashes of American Flags is a must purchase. if you have no idea who Wilco is, then this film is the perfect introduction. upon viewing, if you are not convinced of the band's greatness, then you probably never will be. and may God have mercy on your soul...

...or at least grant you the wisdom to open you mind and ears.

Who's better? you bet!

for most of my teenage and adult life, i really did not care for The Who. theirs were the songs that were constantly being played on the radio--the absolute staples of the classic rock format--and it used to drive me insane. and i don't know why because they were (are) really great songs ("won't get fooled again", "baba o'reily", and "who are you" spring instantly to mind).

i think i had just become the type of listener that instantly rejected mainstream radio on principle, and therefore anything that was played over the airwaves was drivel. quite snobbish when i actually say it out loud i suppose.

but i make no apologies. such was life, and i did not like The Who. however, recently i decided to get some Who concerts from netflix. not even sure why, but i just did. it was an epiphany! seeing them rock was an entirely different experience. since that day, i have immersed myself into one of the most fruitful and complex catalogues in all of music. even those FM staples are finally finding a place on my playlists. it has also led me to the following conclusions:

1. keith moon was the greatest rock drummer ever. period.
2. pete townshend is a pompous a-hole--yet he is one of the most gifted songwriters, producers and over-all musicians i have ever come across.
3. roger daltrey's scream at the end of "won't get fooled" is probably the greatest scream on record--can anyone think of a better one?
4. john entwistle was a bad ass

probably the most enlightening thing i have learned, however, is this: i love the Who. i am not going to say they are the greatest band ever, for i have been a firm believer in the beatles position in this category since i was 10 years old. i will however say this: if anyone could dethrone the fab four, it just might be the Who.

so, if you have been like me in the past, and have failed to give these guys their due credit, then today is the day of Who-reckoning. if anyone wants a tip on where to start, just ask.

perhaps they are greatest 3-piece band? i suppose that raises the whole "zeppelin vs. the who" dilemma, and would require even further scrutiny. why do i feel it necessary to quantify these things?!?!? not sure, but i just do.

Bulls-Celtics

6 games so far in this series and 4 have gone into overtime, including last night's 3 overtime marathon that Chicago won 128-127. Game 7 is Saturday night back in Boston. I'll ask the question. Is this the best NBA playoff series ever? Which other ones come to mind?