Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Well, um, I'm against taxes, yes, really, I am...

This dude has a lot of time on his hands...

This is completely illegal, but kinda cool. And I still watched it...and the rest of them. I have a lot more time on my hands than I would have thought, I guess.

972 hours

The above is an approximation of the amount of time I have spent since pitchers and catchers reported in the Spring watching them, traveling to/from their park, talking about them, listening to sports radio about them, etc. In that amount of time I could have finished a novel, learned to paint, earned an online degree from the University of Phoenix, or, to quote Steve Martin, had an extended 972 hour orgasm--any of which, as it turns out, may have been a better way to spend my time. I don't even want to think about the money, the tears would ruin my keyboard.

Assuming the near inevitable, will I do it all over again next year? Probably. (Unless I can figure out that extended orgasm thing).

You Betcha

Palin probably won the debate. Why? Because she didn't fall over drooling, spin around on stage, and spit pea soup out of her mouth. The expectations were so low for her (rightfully so) that merely forming sentences instead of staring blankly into space has to be somewhat of a victory.

But some thoughts:

--These "folksy" sayings of yours are just super. Especially when the economy is failing and people are worried about feeding their families. It's nice to know every problem can be brushed off with a "gosh, golly."

--You said the financial sectors need "massive regulation." Ummm, you're a Republican. Did you check with your potential future boss on that, cuz, he's never voted for that before this Wednesday, and is unlikely to support it in the future.

--You want the VP to have more power??? Chaney has run the country for eight years from his top secret fortress of solitude buried deep in the Earth. How much more power do you need?

--Hey, moderator...you sucked. If someone is not answering your questions, then freaking ask them again until you get an answer. Even Katie Couric knows how to do that, for the love of God.

--More important than the debate, and buried in the news cycle, McCain has pulled all ads and resources out of Michigan. That's a pretty good bunch of electoral votes you've given up on in a state that was pissed at the Democrats over the whole delegate fiasco. It's panic time for Sen. Experience.
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On a related note, here's Palin blaming Katie Couric for her stupendously bad answers in last weeks interviews. The source, Fox News, of course:

“I did feel there were a lot of things she was missing in terms of an opportunity to ask what a VP candidate stands for, what the values are that are represented in our ticket," Palin said. "I guess I have to apologize for being a bit annoyed, but that’s also an indication about being outside that Washington elite, outside that media elite also, and just wanting to talk to Americans without the filter and let them know what we stand for."

Ahhh. You were annoyed, eh? So you said a bunch of stupid stuff. That's good to know. I'm sure there are no annoying foreign leaders out there.

Stop Pissing Me Off TBS

Putting aside for the moment that at last night's opening playoff game my team decided to pitch underhand, I have another issue, with you Mr. Mustache. What is up with these stupid starting times for the MLB playoff games? Okay, I know what's up. Greed. Between your network and MLB, a fan can't catch a break. Remember the good old days, when you could catch the NL games on one network and flip over to catch the AL games on another network (still possible, because, after all, you have TNT, as well, you evil Georgian). What am I talking about? Yesterday you've got the Cubs/Dodgers starting at 5:37, so anyone with a job who is lucky enough to have tickets basically has to take half a day off to go. Then, because you have the longest TV time outs in history (similar to watching a movie on your network, by the way) the game lasts approximately 17 hours. Then, wanting to catch some of the Red Sox game, it's midnight and the damn thing is still going on because you have it starting at 8:37 (the start time for tonight's Cubs/Dodgers game).

You suck. MLB sucks. Your network sucks. (And, Ryan Dempster, I'm not all that happy with you either, walking the pitcher, twice...grrrrr. But I digress...) MLB may be making money hand over fist right now, but everytime there is an important game, an All Star game, a playoff series, etc., you set the start times to make it difficult for the fans. Particularly the kids. If you are a young Red Sox fan, you probably had to either go to bed before the third inning last night, or, you are sitting in school this morning not listening to your math teacher because you got three hours of sleep. This is horrible marketing, and, frankly, just mean.

Ted, you are lucky you own Ted's Montana Grill and their smooth tasting buffalo burgers, because I'm willing to give you another shot. But I've got my eye on you, Turner....and don't get me started on Selig.

Random Babblings

A dream fulfilled.



After approximately 30 years of fandom (subtracting some years before the age of reason), tonight, I attend my first Cubs playoff game. I was too young in '84, too poor in '89 and '98, too cheap in '03, too unlucky in '07 (tickets to game after the sweep, sigh); but, tonight, it's game one. Ryan Dempster v. Derek Lowe. A-Ram v. M-Ram. Old Style v. Budweiser. Kosher Dog v. Connie's Pizza. I can't wait. I only hope I get to use my tix for the next round.

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Wow.

Sticking with the little white ball, hell of a job by Jon Danks last night shutting out the Twins through 8 to lead the South Siders to the playoffs. I like good baseball when I see it, and this was it. Many props. Good luck in Tampa.

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Can there be more?


Word is out from the "liberal media" that there's more fun filled question and answer sessions from last week's Palin/Couric interview. Topic: Supreme Court cases. MSNBC is reporting that Couric asks Palin to name a case other than Roe v. Wade, and the answer is, well, a blank stare....

Part of me so very much hopes this is true. Part of me is frightened, again.


PS. McCain/Palin dropping like a rock in the Electoral College. Check it out, here.

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Iron Man came out of Blue Ray yesterday and I'm looking forward to checking it out again. There was an interesting article on Robert Downey Jr. in last month's Rolling Stone that I just read this morning. It's nice this guy finally seems to have things turned around, because he always was a fantastic actor (See Chaplin, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang). Anyone not see Tropic Thunder yet, check it out. Brave, laugh out loud performance almost steals the show except for one Scientologist cameo.

Stories I wish were from the Onion

Palin reportedly believes dinosaurs and man roamed the Earth hand in hand. Huffington Post.
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The GOP blames the failure to pass the allegedly necessary bailout bill on
sticks and stones.

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Reportedly, New York Times Columnist Maureen Dowd has been banned from the McPlane for being mean to McCain/Palin. Or was that for printing the truth, such as "McCain was so aggressively erratic as he did his free-form break dance around the economy last week that it seemed the only possible explanation was that he was creating a wild diversion to distract people from Sarah Palin’s stunningly junior varsity appearance with Katie Couric."

The Biggest Liar

Sen. Testy, at the debate, and today in an ad and a speech continues to argue that Obama voted to raise taxes on people making $42,000 a year. The trust, is, as usual, something different. CNN REPORTS:

"In McCain's speech, the Republican presidential candidate was referring to votes on a resolution (Senate Concurrent Resolution 70) meant to outline the Senate's budget priorities through 2013, but the measure had no practical effect.

According to a CNN review of the resolution, it assumes that most of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts pushed by President Bush will expire in that time, which McCain says amounts to a tax increase. Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, voted "yes" on the resolution. McCain did not vote."

So, McCain thinks a budgetary vote with no practical effect amounts to tax increases, and, if so, McCain certainly didn't vote against the big bad "tax increase" because he didn't vote!!

Hmmm, also McCain's campaign just issued a press release claiming Democrats are at fault for the failure to pass today's bailout. Well, Senator, how about a lesson in simple math.

"The bill failed by a vote of 205 to 228, with 140 Democrats and 65 Republicans voting in favor and 95 Democrats joining 133 Republicans against."

Senator, you did a great job when you rushed back to Washington to "bring Republicans and Democrats" together on a bailout package.

Bouncy Bouncy (is some of it corn related?)

Politico.com has made it's first changes to its electoral map since I started this blog. Take a look. The map know shows that if the election were held today Obama would have 286 EV's, and McCain, a mere 252 EV's. Last week, McCain was still within 8 electoral votes, or the state of Colorado. He's losing more ground than has been reported, dear readers.

I'm going to take this as significant because in reviewing a number of sites that have posted electoral vote predictions, I find the Politico site to be a fairly realistic assessment of the election and based on pretty significant polling information. It still could be wrong, of course, but I'm taking the move on the Politico map seriously.

Major difference, Politico has moved Virginia into Obama's column. That race is still within a couple of percentage points, though, so I'm not saying he should stop campaigning.

One other issue I haven't heard discussed, Obama has opened up a 10 point lead in Iowa. Last week, arguably, Iowa was still in play. What happened? Hmmm....could it be that McCain, who came out strongly against ethanol subsidies at the debate, shot himself in the cornbelt with that throw away line??

Ironically, I agree with McCain on this. Study after study has shown that ethanol production is not only energy neutral, it may actually be an energy negative (meaning the energy cost used in producing ethanol based fuels either balances out any energy saved by the use of ethanol, or, actually uses more energy than the energy saved). Ethanol is a boondoggle that has existed for years. The government spends millions, if not billions, on subsidies propping up farmers in the Midwest for little alternative energy savings. Why? Well, this is why. Obama didn't mention them at the debate, and his numbers in Iowa jumped. Perhaps more importantly, Obama has moved within the margin of error for some polls in Indiana. McCain loses Indiana over ethanol, and he's cooked, "my friend."

All the lies he's told in the campaign so far, and McCain may lose because he told the truth about ethanol.