11.29.2007

It was fun while it lasted

Game over. Cowboys win 37-27. Packers fall to 10-2 (although, they should be 11-1. Stupid Bears game).

Turns out the Packers almost pulled it out in the second half. And they might have, had it not been for a tricky pass interference call ...

But hey, that Aaron Rodgers didn't do too bad for being thrown into the game after Brett Favre went down. The Packers were down by 17 when Rodgers entered the game, but he got the Pack back in the game and kept the team in it until the last minute. As the TV analyst just said, Green Bay has had a tough time in Dallas, but tonight might have been the best 10-point loss they've ever had ...

Now we all hold our breath that Brett can recover...

I'm going to bed.

Love 'em, hate 'em

That’s just great. Brett Favre is hurt. And this Packers-Cowboys game is turning into a route … for the Cowboys. Terrel Owens just scored, dumped popcorn in his helmet and the Cowboys are up 21-10.

Kates and I are being as vocal as ever tonight, too. I'm not sure our television has ever taken so much abuse ...

“I hate the Cowboys!” Kates just yelled. You should have heard the venom in her voice.

I laughed. “What did the Cowboys ever do to you?”

“They’re cocky!” She paused. “And they don’t have real grass! Just like the Vikings. I don‘t like them either!”

She’d never admit to being a sports fan. But she never ceases to amaze me with the things she learns and picks up …

A Wisconsinite's dictionary

A co-worker passed this on to me recently... I couldn't think of a better time to post it than tonight with the big Packers-Cowboys game.

My grandparents always used the Davenport reference and I've never understood it. (What are you talking about Grandma!? It's a couch!)
AIN-A-HEY: Placed at the end of a profound statement; as in "isn't it?" "Cold out, aina hey?"

BART: A Green Bay institution who doesn't need a last name; (see"Vince"). "Me and Dad saw Bart sneak into da endzone 'gainst Dallas! DAT was cold, aina hey?"

BELIEVE-YOU-ME: Attached to the beginning or end of a statement, makes it more credible; as in,"Really!" "Belive you me, dat was REALLY cold!"

BLAZE-ORANGE: What deer hunters and cold-weather Packers fans wear at Lambeau Field. Also a popular color for jail uniforms.

BORN IN A BARN?: A sarcastic question which usually means you left the door open or could not correctly differentiate between an alewive and a 'schmelt'. Youse guys was dipnettin' for da schmelt in Lake 'Sconsin?!? What, ya born in a barn?"

BORROW: Used in place of lend, as in, "Could youse borrow me a couple two-tree bucks, yahhey?"

BRAT: A sausage; a Wisconsin tail gate favorite; doesn't have anything to do with a spoiled kid.

BUBBLER: To the rest of the world outside Wisconsin's borders it is known as a drinking fountain. "I gotta get me a drink, once. Where's da bubbler?"

BUDGE: To merge without permission; cut in; as in "Don't you budge in line for a brat, I was here first!"


CHEESEHEAD: Someone from Wisconsin; see, "Cheddarhead." ALSO a cool wedge hat, known fer savin' da lives of udderwize planecrash victims!

CHEESE CURD: Small pieces of fresh cheese that squeak when you bite into them if der fresh.

COMEER ONCE: A request for the presence of another Cheddarhead. "Comeer once and help me lift dis half-barrel."

CRIPES: A Wisconsin expletive. "Oh, cripes, what kinda play was dat?"

CRIPES-SAKE: A mild Wisconsin expletive. "For cripes-sake, dat walleye just trowed my hook".

CRIPES-SAKES-ALMIGHTY: A wild Wisconsin expletive. "Cripes-sakes-almighty, what da heck kinda pitch was dat what he smacked over da wall once. What a rubber-arm, hey?"

DA: Aubstitute for words beginning with "THE" as in "Da guy over dere in da Bears shirt dere."

DAVENPORT: What your mom called 'the sofa'; a couch. "Go sit on da Davenport once and I'll be witcha in a couple-two-tree minutes."

FAIR-TA-MIDDLIN: Not bad or great, just "O.K." "How'sit bitin?""Oh, fair-ta-middlin."

FISH FRY: A Friday night dining ritual in Wisconsin.

FLEET FARM: A Cheddarhead's answer to Bloomingdales.

FROZEN TUNDRA: Lambeau Field.

GEEEZ!: Another Wisconsin expletive. "Geeez, der goes da game. Throw a strike once a couple times, will ya hey?"

GOAHEAD (Alt: "Go'head"): Proceed; as in, "go'head and back up your car dere."

GOTS: Used in place of "have;" as in "I gots my tickets to watch da Packers play on da FrozenTundra."

HEY: Placed at the beginning or end of phrases for emphasis, as in, "Hey, how 'bout dem Packers?" or "Hows about dem Packers, hey!"

HUMDINGER: A beauty; as in "dat croppy youse caught up-nort is a real humdinger."

M'WAKEE: Wisconsin's largest city; located just down the lake ( Lake Mitchigan) from T'rivers and Man'twoc. Also known as " Cream City"

N-SO?: A word inserted at the end of a statement; (sometimes pronounced as AIN-SO), used as a substitute for "isn't that right?" or "Correct?" "Kopps make good custard, ain-so?" (also can use "aina" or "aina hey" instead. Linguistically probably originates from the German "nicht wahr?", "nicht?" or "gel?", which Germanic-speaking people use to substantiate a statement they feel is correct.

POLKA: The national dance of Wisconsin. The best ones are Polka masses and Slurry Store Polkas (don't ask).

'SCANSIN: The state where Cheeseheads are from.

SKEETER: Wisconsin's state bird. Usually preceeded by "Ouch!" as in "Ouch!" "Skeeter?" "Yah, hey!"

STOP-AND-GO LIGHTS: What everyone else refers to as traffic signals or stop lights. "Mayville only has one stop-an-go light." (Notice, in defense of 'skanin, dat des lights aren't just stop lights. Dey tell ya when to go, too, aina?)

WHERE-ABOUTS: Locality; proximity; as in, "where-abouts are youse-guys from?"

UP NORT: Where Wisconsinites go on vacation.

VINCE: The other Green Bay icon who doesn't need a last name for instant recognition; (see "Bart"). Recently "Brett" and "Reggie" were also added to this category.

Sleep deprivation

So awhile ago Kates and I picked up something about how you’re supposed to avoid sleeping on your back during pregnancy. Because it compromised the baby or something …

And I’ve been paranoid about it ever since.

Each night as we’ve settled in to bed, she lays on her side and I wrap my arms around her, so as to hold her in place and keep her from rolling onto her back.

Well, last night Kates went to bed by herself, while I stayed up late to get some work done … and when I came to bed, there Kates was, lying flat on her back.

I got into bed, rolled up next to her … and proceeded to try moving her on to her side. I tried poking her. I tried nudging her. I tried pushing her legs. Anything I could do to get her to roll over …

So then I couldn’t sleep. Great! I put our baby in jeopardy because I didn’t come to bed earlier, I thought. I tossed and turned for a solid 20 minutes before giving into the notion that Kates wasn’t budging … and I had just wrecked our baby.

Then, all of a sudden, she rolled on to her side! Like a cat, I flipped over and wrapped my arm around her to hold her on her side.

… Only to wake up in the middle of the night and find her on her back again … Dang it! I sighed. I started blaming myself for not holding on to her tightly enough and allowing her to fall on to her back again.

Ah, but tonight, I can rest a little easier. We did some research and it turns out Kates can sleep in whatever position she wants

A Message From Edie Falco

This is classic ...

11.28.2007

The best shoplifting story ever!

So the other day I was reviewing police reports and came across this ...

The arrest of a 20-year-old man who was supposed to be watching out for thieves at a Target store was now facing charges as a thief himself. Local police had arrested a loss prevention officer after other loss prevention officers discovered he was stealing merchandise from the store.

According to a police report, the store’s loss prevention officers became suspicious of the man earlier this month when an inventory check showed an iPod was missing. Surveillance video showed the man taking an iPod to the store’s loss prevention office and then going to a corner where surveillance video was unavailable ...

A few days later, loss prevention officers installed another camera in the office and captured the man stealing another iPod, in addition to clothes, CDs and DVDs. Videos showed the man packing the items into a backpack and then leaving the store with them after his shift ...

After being confronted, the man admitted to stealing more than $1,000 worth of merchandise during three different shifts. During an interview with police he reportedly said he had a feeling his boss had been watching him more closely, but he continued stealing anyway ...

Idiot.

11.26.2007

More random musing

Rock chalk Bear-hawks!

That was my mantra over the weekend.

My beloved Bearcats were back in the D-II playoffs, seeded No. 2 and playing for the right to go to their third straight title game. On Saturday they were up against West Texas

And! …

My beloved Kansas Jayhawks, after years of football futility, were ranked No. 2 in the nation and taking on the No. 3 Missouri Tigers in what was arguably the game of the year …

Saturday morning I dressed in my Bearcat green sweatshirt and donned my blue and red KU cap. I was set.

At noon, I tuned in on the Internet radio for the Bearcats game, live from Bearcat Stadium (It’s just D-II, folks. It may not be on TV, but it’s still darn good football, and it just feels a bit cooler having to listen to it on Internet radio ... sort of like the days before TV existed. Yet, it's the Internet. Hence, the 'sort of' part …) … It was never a contest, the ’Cats scored on their first three possessions of the game and came out of the first quarter leading 21-7. Both teams scored twice in the second quarter, but the Bearcats scored 14 more in the third while holding West Texas scoreless. The final was 56-28.

And here's hoping I’ve got two more weekends of cheering on the Bearcats in a civil, smart playoff system. Don’t even get me started on the BCS …

Later Saturday night, with Mom & Pops here for the night and after a tasty dinner out-on-the-town, we settled in for the Jayhawks game, live from another one of our old neighbors -- Arrowhead Stadium.

Unfortunately, that game was never a contest either -- in favor of the wrong team. The Jayhawks were buried by a load of defensive miscues and missed tackles. I fell asleep for the third quarter. Woke up for the fourth. By that time Kansas had jump-started its offense, but it was much too late … Final: 36-28, in favor of the hated Tigers.

Dang.

* * *

Last week I went to one of the local Goodwill stores to donate some books and things Kates and I were getting rid of …

And while I‘m in the area, I thought … It never hurts to take a gander and what’s available for purchase, too.

There on the front row of the records rack was the historic recording! of (cue angel chorus ... ) “We Are the World.”

… There it was, the LP in near-mint condition. With nine previously unreleased songs by nine superstars (of 1985, of course). A fold out of full-color pictures and the humbling liner notes detailing the “state of permanent crisis,” the “stark realities” and the “tragic formula” plaguing Africa. And the ways that the lucky buyer of this record could help -- No. 1 being “Buy the single, album, video …”

I seized it. 99 cents.

It’s all about the chase.

* * *

So the baby’s been starting to kick a lot …

Yesterday Kates and I were looking over a book of names and their meanings … The baby was moving a lot at the time. Must’ve knew we were talking about her / him …

I asked about the meaning for [suggested middle name of possible boy] …

“It’s not in here,” Kates said, paging through the book.

“What!?” I screamed in my goofy David Letterman sort-of-way. “What!?” I did it twice for good measure.

Kates puts her hand on her belly, looks toward it and says, “Don’t worry you’re Daddy freaks out every once in a while. It’s OK.”

11.25.2007

Sunday reading

... I just "elfed" myself ... Check this out.

Here's some of the good reads that caught my eyes this week ...

Sports & Baseball ...
a On the Mark: Pats flat-out dominant
a Cubs to miss savvy McDonough
a McDonough's successor? Cubs let new owner decide
a He can't lose, but can he win?
a Glavine Returns to Braves With $8M Deal ... Good for him. I never thought he should have left the Braves in the first place ...
a Voting for MLB awards needs to change hands ... This guy's Colorado bias aside, the lack or Rockies winning postseason awards just isn't right.

TV ...
a A Looser Lucifer: Ray Wise Is Having A Helluva Good Time Playing the Devil ... Ray Wise does play a good devil. Although, I removed "Reaper" from our DVR a couple weeks ago, thinking I've seen enough and the show wasn't going anywhere. Sure the adventures were sort of amusing, but, to me, none of the episodes I was seeing were as good as the pilot. I saw it turning into the same thing week after week. And I couldn't take anymore of watching poor Sam agonizing over Andi ... I may return to the show some day. But for now I'd rather spend my Tuesday nights doing other things ...
a Prime Time for Reading? Survey Looks at Viewers' Plans During Strike ... Personally, I'm enjoying the writer's strike for the reprieve from constant TV-watching. I've been able to catch up on some reading and enjoy a whole lot of music ... If only it were so easy to turn off the TV without a writer's strike ...

Music ...
a Neil Diamond reveals 'Sweet Caroline' is about Kennedy daughter ... Arguably the most amusing news of the week ... I long for the day I get to experience singing this song among the Red Sox Nation at Fenway ...
a Music Q&A: Colbie Caillat gets 'Bubbly' ... Kates thinks she'll be a one-hit wonder. I guess we'll see ...

The Internet ...
a Educators weigh merits of social network sites
a Heads are turning to Facebook
a How to punish a cyber-bully

Politics & media ...
a 'Daily Show' host doomed to relive past ... The Musharraf interview still ranks as one of the more memorable things I've seen on The Daily Show ... ah, well.
a In San Jose, Downsizing With Dynamite
a Web Sites Tear Down That Wall
a Neatness counts ... Brian Williams' post and quips on the subsequent broadcast were pretty amusing too ...
a Drew Peterson case: Bright lights, big hassle for neighbors
a In a Watched Society, More Security Comes With Tempered Actions

11.20.2007

Bonds watch

Now that I’ve had a few days to process the case of one, Barry Bonds

I’ve gotta believe his career is over. I can’t concoct a reason why any team would want to take on his demons and baggage … But then again, I fear there’s a slimey franchise out there that still could make a pitch for Bonds with the idea that his presence will fill seats and rake in some quick cash. Thus, I let out a long sigh of relief today when I read that Oakland, one of the few teams remotely interested in Bonds, appears to be backing away

As for his records? Initially, when the indictment came out Thursday, I was taking solace in the notion that Major League Baseball could turn its record books upside down and wipe them clean … Then I caught an interview with Tim Kurkjian, during which he was asked about Bonds records. A true baseball purist, Kurkjian made an excellent point, saying that questionable numbers are scattered throughout baseball’s history. It’s the makeup of the game. From The Black Sox to Gaylord Perry’s spitball. Even Pete Rose’s all-time hits record. You start messing with those records, and then you’re going to have to start looking at wins, losses, opposing pitchers’ stats and every play that was affected by Barry Bonds. And how do you determine what home runs were hit legitimately and which ones were not? Ultimately, does erasing his records from the books solve anything? … I say leave ‘em. Any decent baseball fan understands this era of inflated numbers, and I think that mystique will linger through future generations. Barry Bonds will never be viewed as the pure hitter Henry Aaron was …

So, then, where do Barry Bonds’ chances of getting into the Hall of Fame stand? … I think I know what Bud Selig would say, and I’m thinking I’ll disagree with him.

I do think Bonds belongs in the Hall, for the same reason I think Pete Rose deserves to be inducted. (Pete Rose, as far as we know, didn’t bet on the game until after he’d finished playing. He’s the all-time hits leader and one of the most exciting players ever to play the game. Period.) And let’s not forget, there’s other racists, misanthropes, drunks, womanizers and villains already in the Hall.

Between 1986 and 1999, Bonds was one of the best players in baseball. During those years, he led Pittsburgh to three straight division titles between 1990 and 1992. He won three MVPs. He became only the second 40-40 man in baseball. And in 1998, he became the first player to hit 400 home runs and steal 400 bases in his career. He batted over .300 six times, over .290 three times. He won eight Gold Gloves …

There. I’ve said it.

Good reads ...
a Barry Bonds indictment
a Feds, not fans, now call Bonds liar, steroid user
a Now what for Bonds, the player?
a Barry Bonds' Hall of Fame hopes hampered
a Bonds would benefit if more get caught
a Hammer falls on Bonds: Major League Baseball knew this day was coming

The names game

So, like I said, Kates and I pretty much have our minds made up on the name of our (possible) future daughter ...

The discussions are continuing, however, on the name of our (possible) future son ... Though Kates is inching closer to agreeing on my first choice ...

And remember, we don't want to know the sex of the baby until he/she is born ... but since the ultrasound a couple weeks ago, Kates has been thinking we're going to have a girl ...

Meanwhile, my gut's telling me we're going to have a boy -- especially since I dreamt the other night that we had a son ...

And this morning Kates e-mailed me with this:

[Insert my choice for a boy's name] was just mentioned on the intercom. How weird! :)

I replied to her message with this:

Maybe it's a sign! Mwa ha ha ha!

11.19.2007

More random musings

More random musings and observations ... I'm feeling lately like my mind is so discombobulated, and so many things are happening at once that I can't think straight to write any focused posts ...

* * *

This Drew Peterson case has had us glued to the 6 o' clock news -- and eager to read our e-mailed news alerts -- for weeks now ...

In case you haven't heard: Our corner of the world was introduced last month to Peterson, the 56-year-old suburban Chicago police officer. After his 23-year-old wife -- his fourth wife -- disappeared. Sounds sketchy from the beginning right? But Peterson says his wife, Stacy, left him for another man and simply hasn't called ...

Then the family of the missing woman begins talking. They say Stacy wanted out of the marriage ...

Then, the death case of the third wife is reopened when revelations surface that her supposed fall in a bathtub was a little too suspicious. And last week, that woman's body is exhumed as part of the investigation ...

The case is getting more juicy each week. It's got everybody talking. And now Peterson's on the offensive with Matt Lauer ...

* * *

A police friend and I were having a conversation the other day about another man who fell for one of those lottery scams. This guy even showed it to his buddies, the police officer told me. And all of them told him they thought it was fake, but he still brought it to me and said, 'Well I thought it still sounded good' ...

It continues to baffle me how people fall for these scams ...

If the letter or e-mail is fraught with spelling errors ...
If it's written in nothing but capital letters ...
If it's asking you to send money, passwords or any other personal information ...
If it makes any mention of another country ...
If it's from an e-mail address you can't pronounce ....

DON'T RESPOND!

* * *

About once a week now, myself or one of my cohorts manages to come up with a video that gets our corner of the office either laughing to hysteria, jumping out of our seats, reminiscing about our good ol' childhoods or just smiling ...

And that one video usually leads us to about four or five others ...

Last week my cohort Laura reminded us of this classic. The Polyphonic Spree's "Light and Day." We had a good laugh about the fact that it made her cry ...



That video led us to reminiscing about the Scrubs appearance ...



And that video led to a clip of the Muppets on Scrubs ...



And all of that led to this. Ah, fun with YouTube ...



* * *

My cohort Joe passed along a link last week for the "Worst Album Covers ... Ever! "

It also led to teary-eyed laughter.

Have fun.

11.18.2007

American Music review

I just finished watching the AMAs

The Patriots are beating the Bills 56-10. Oh my goodness.

But back to those AMAs.

Wait. I think Carrie Underwood just won another award … (She was everywhere tonight!)

Jeez.

The performance of the night?

Sugarland’s country-fied version of “Irreplaceable“? No. Thank you … Yeah, I think people will be talking about it all right. It drove Kates so crazy, she had to leave the room …

My faves go to Avril Lavigne’s performance of “Hot” and Alicia Keyes for whatever song she sang -- I just thought the dancing was cool. Daughtry’s mellowed down “Home” wasn’t bad either …

Good night.

Sunday reading

Kates and I are feeling moved by the power of music today …

Our morning church service was an inspiring one that included brass accompaniments and an awesome, and chilling, arrangement of “This Is My Father’s World” ...

Then, after another Packers win (yeah, baby!) , we were back at our church again for an organ recital and festival of hymns. While a local music professor played our organ magnificently, the voices of our choir and a packed sanctuary filled the air. It was a virtual of greatest hits of hymns -- again with bell and brass accompaniments.

While driving around tonight and doing some errands we had The Weepies going in the car. Some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard … and now Old Navy’s got them all over their holiday commercials. Cool.

Finally, I’m sitting down to watch -- for what it is and isn’t worth -- the American Music Awards …and checking in on the Patriots game during the commercials …

Here are some of the headlines that caught my eyes during the past week …

Baseball & sports ...
a Kansas reaches new heights in Top 25 ... Sweet. But seriously, would the powers-that-be of Division 1 football suck it up and set up a playoff system already!? The chumps on ESPN last night actually proclaimed that by losing its second game of the season Oklahoma was knocked out of a chance to play for the national championship. Excuse me!?! Kansas hasn't lost a game, they've powered over every team they've faced, and you're putting Oklahoma in the same sentence as the nationa championship, not to mention forgetting about Missouri, which has only lost one game -- and, by the way, will take on the Jayhawks next weekend! Yeah. Fix the BCS ... and then get rid of the Big Ten Network.
a Worst Free-Agent Contracts of the last 10 years ... Yep. That Kevin Brown deal was pretty bad.
a Posada among top Yankee catchers ... It would have been nice to see him in a Cubs uniform, but Posada's the only thing I like about the Yankees. He's a good one ...
a Brewers' Braun revels in ride to NL Rookie of the Year

Politics ...
a For Obama, a Handsome Payoff in Political Gambles
a Is Clinton campaign too scripted?

Entertainment ...
a A cliffhanger for soaps
a What's on the Line In the Writers' Strike
a Darkened Broadway casts long shadows
a Is the Ticket Biz Out of Line? Um. Yeah. And it's only getting worse ...
a The SNL iPhone Sketch that Never Aired ... funny stuff.
a Post-Oscar Letdowns
a Writers strike is good news for TV newsmagazines

The Internet ...
a Facebook isn't your diary
a Google Empire Moves From Creating to Recreating

Life & other stuff ...
a Big Boom Demise for Vegas' New Frontier
a Blue light special: Inside the stunning Michigan Avenue skyscraper beacon
a Don't try hiding behind privacy
a Historic hotels given second chance to serve guests
a How Science Is Rewriting the Book on Genes
a Reading a face comes down to microexpressions

11.17.2007

Wasting away

So Kates and I went out for dinner last night. And we followed that up with some shopping. And got caught up in looking at baby stuff …

We bought a stuffed dog. Kates tried to talk me out of it. But it’s soooooooo soft and cuddly …And today, Kates and I are fighting about who’s getting to spend more time with it. Go figure. At this rate, we’re going to be the ones sleeping with it, not the baby …


* * *

It’s a drizzly, cold Saturday … and Kates and I soaking in it. Figuratively.

Yesterday, my friend Raechel asked what plans I had for the weekend. I proudly answered, “Nothing.” Just a relaxing, boring weekend at home, I said, and added, “Those are my favorite kind.”

Kates and I awoke this morning, poured ourselves some cereal and sat ourselves on the couch, from which we’ve barely moved…

8:30 a.m. - We got back to watching the Top 20 countdown on VH1. Something we hadn’t done in awhile … Turns out there’s some decent stuff out right now. I hadn’t noticed because I’ve been so wrapped up in the indie stuff lately … Ok, so I’ve had the Regina Spektor, Colbie Caillat, Silverchair and Matchbox Twenty songs for awhile. But I love Natasha Bedingfield’s new sound. And I’ve never enjoyed Rihanna, but her new song with Ne-Yo is a sweet one …

10:02 a.m. - We began cleaning off our DVR. We started with last night’s “50 Greatest TV Icons” special (EW has its site here), while enjoying some leftover spinach dip. Good stuff -- the TV icons, I mean (the spinach dip was good, too). Although, Kates and I agreed Michael J. Fox should have been higher on the list. And Jennifer Aniston above Sally Field!? I love Jennifer Aniston. But C’mon.

11: 47a.m. - We watched Frank Caliendo’s standup special on TBS … (See short clip here.) His stuff isn’t as fresh as it was when we saw him in January. But it’s still pretty funny … The two things he didn’t do for us in January? His Charles Barkley ("That's terble!") and Jay Leno (bobblehead) impressions. Now that’s very funny. (Frank's new show premieres this week! Woo hoo!)

12: 42 p.m. - We cooked a pizza for a late lunch.

12:52 p.m. - We watched this week’s “Back To You.” “Scrubs.” “30 Rock.” All funny and entertaining as usual.

3:20 p.m. - I told myself I was going to get off the couch and start doing something constructive 20 minutes ago … It hasn’t happened yet.

11.15.2007

Federal grand jury indicts Bonds

This just in ...




YES!



The news -- actually e-mail alerts -- rushed through our newsroom tonight like a California wildfire. I was working on another project when my cohort Laura read the headline out loud from the alert that popped on her screen ...

"Are you serious!?" I shouted.

She nodded.

My arms shot in the air as though I'd just watched the Cubs win the World Series. I'd been waiting years for that moment ...

Friends started calling and e-mailing me with the news. I started calling and e-mailing friends too.

I spent almost the entire ride home from the office smiling. And my mind was racing. What team could possibly sign Barry after this? What is Major League Baseball going to do? Will he be stripped of the record? Suspended? Banned from baseball?

All questions that will be answered in the coming days and weeks I'm sure.

... I'm going to rest easy tonight.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays Change Name, Uniform, Sport

I'm often teased about the number of baseball teams I root for ...

But if I were to rank them from No. 1 to No. 30, from most to least likable ...

The Devil Rays would be at No. 30 ... A uniform and sport change might actually do them some good.

(For the record, the Yankees would rank No. 29)

Tampa Bay Devil Rays Change Name, Uniform, Sport

The Onion

Tampa Bay Devil Rays Change Name, Uniform, Sport

TAMPA BAY, FL—Tampa Bay Devil Rays officials announced Monday that the team will be shortening its name to the "Tampa Bay Rays," that their...


11.14.2007

Americans Announce They're Dropping Out Of Presidential Race

Americans Announce Theyre Dropping Out Of Presidential Race

The Onion

Americans Announce They're Dropping Out Of Presidential Race

WASHINGTON—Intense media coverage of trivial issues, partisan bickering, and the relentless exploitation of 9/11 discouraged Americans from making it to Election Day.

11.13.2007

Random musings

I think the seasonal affective disorder is setting in ...

Yesterday afternoon I seriously could not stop yawning ...

Got home from work. Kates and I dinner. I did the dishes -- partly. We watched "How I Met Your Mother" and "Big Bang Theory." She retreated to her office to work ...

And I was zonked out on the couch by 8:30. Gone. Done. Day over.

* * *

I'm on a little bit of a Mamas & Papas kick right now. Over the weekend Kates and I watched a fascinating documentary about the group ...

I've loved the music of The Mamas & The Papas since the days of riding around in the car with my dad and listening to the oldies station. "Dancing In the Street" and "Words of Love" were staples in my 45 playing days. Their sunny harmonies and sing-able tunes have always whisked me away ...

But oh, how little I really knew of the foursome. I was listening to some of their music Saturday afternoon, and on a whim I started poking around the Internet to learn more about the group. I hadn't realized that their time was so short, from '66 to '68 really. Which makes their accomplishments even greater ...

Then, a pure coincidence, I discovered PBS was showing a documentary about the group Saturday night. Kates and I started watching it and couldn't pull ourselves away. There were insightful interviews with the group members mixed with loads of archival photos, footage and television clips ...

I always knew Mama Cass had cannon for a voice, but man was she light on her feet too ... Michelle was a doll ... And Denny and John were just pure musical talents ...

And "Creeque Alley" ? The epic about the beginnings of The Mamas & The Papas? A great song, I've always enjoyed it. But after delving more into the group's history this weekend, I'm even more impressed with the song ... It continues to amaze me how the stories of so many musicians and groups coming out of California in the '60s are so intertwined ...

Ah, the history of rock 'n' roll.

A good clip ...



* * *

So Jacque Jones got traded ... At first glance, I sort of shook my head at the trade, considering how well Jones played the latter part of the season. ... Then I realized, But wait, getting rid of Jones could mean more playing time for my boy Matt Murton. Yes! Good trade!

And in even better and more surprising news, Ryan Braun wins the NL Rookie of the Year! ... Now, as a baseball fan, I think Troy Tulowitzki got jipped. Tulowitzki helped lead his team to the World Series as a solid all-around player. Braun pretty much just wowed baseball by slugging the ball and playing ok defense ... But as a Brewers fan, Hey, way to go Braunie! Don't go the way of Listach!

* * *

I caught this cartoon yesterday ... It illustrates the bad news I was talking about Thursday night oh so well ...

11.11.2007

Sunday reading

We've just watched the Packers dominate the Vikings and settled in for a cozy, November Sunday afternoon ...

Here are some of the stories and headlines that caught my eyes this week ...

TV ...
a In Sweeps, Will Green = Green?
a Are the corporate suits ruining TV?
a Alexander revisits 'Seinfeld' finale
a 'Survivor's' name truly says it all ... I've stopped watching this season's Survivor; the case wasn't appealing to me at all. And I wouldn't call myself a big Survivor fan, but the three or four seasons I have watched have been tremendously entertaining ...
a Viewers Have Growing Selection in Online Video
a Who needs writers? How television could break new ground during the strike
a Hey, did you hear the one about Jay Leno and his eco-friendly Burbank garage?

Politics ...
a America values marriage, but not a dual presidency
a At WTC site, souvenirs are big business
a Editorial: Ryan's gone. Who's next?
a Delusion lingers longer than freedom
a How to win elections, FDR style

The Internet & Media ...
a Fighting for members, MySpace tries to outcool Facebook ... I do both. And I've got to say Facebook is growing on me for exactly the reasons this article points out. I still looooooooove MySpace for its ease of finding new music and monitoring my favorite bands, as well as the ability to really personalize my page and stay in touch with old friends. But, I'll admit I'm finding Facebook to be a good means of staying in touch with people, too, not to mention all the fun applications that you can download on to your page. You have to admire Mark Zuckerberg for doing it his way ...
a Balancing Bottom Lines and Headlines
a Taking on the Talkers
a Nokia and Reuters develop an N95-based "Mobile Journalism Toolkit ... I want one.

Sports
a Baseball GMs Recommend Instant Replay
a Baseball's Jose Guillen, Matt Williams bought steroids from clinic ... my heart aches every time another player is named in the steroids probe, especially when it's one I really admired. In this case, it's Matt Williams.
a First active player volunteers to meet with Mitchell
a Dodgers introduce Torre in center field ... I watched the Torre press conference online. So cool! Though, seeing him being greeted so warmly by Dodger legends like Tommy Lasorda and Vin Scully was kind fo surreal ...
a Dodgers get a star, but will they get A-Rod?
a Cubs' sale crawling into '08
a The nation might be at a loss for words to explain Kansas ... I'm with the nation.
a For lots of reasons, Mets and A-Rod make sense

Life & other stuff ...
a You Can Hear Google Now
a To Mark 150 Years, History Will Go on Tour
a Atari 2600, Raggedy Andy, Kite Enshrined
a Lonely Planet: Satellite Pictures Drive Home The Fragility of Our Earth
a Soldier survives bizarre injury thanks to heroics and a bit of tech
a Katie Holmes runs and finishes NYC marathon
a 'Small World' rehab will keep the big kids afloat
a Amid ashes, neighbors rally and new life stirs
a Dream House or Nightmare?

Study Finds Working At Work Improves Productivity

The Onion

Study Finds Working At Work Improves Productivity

WASHINGTON, DC—The groundbreaking research found that by simply sitting down and doing work, employees can dramatically increase their output of goods and services.




Fall Canceled After 3 Billion Seasons

The Onion

Fall Canceled After 3 Billion Seasons

WASHINGTON, DC—Autumn, which had been slotted between summer and winter, will be replaced by stifling humidity, constant sunshine, and little precipitation.


Peyton Manning Shows His Backup Proper Way To Hold Clipboard

The Onion

Peyton Manning Shows His Backup Proper Way To Hold Clipboard

TERRE HAUTE, IN—Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning interrupted an intrasquad scrimmage Tuesday for approximately 45 minutes in order to show backup quarterback Jim Sorgi how to properly hold his...

11.09.2007

Yeah, baby!

There’s no use holding back any longer …

Kates and I are having a baby!

If you don’t want to read further, that’s fine. The answers are yes, it was planned. No, we’re not finding out the sex. And Kates -- other than a little bit of nausea in the beginning, wanting to tear apart her face because the acne is so bad and, well, looking pregnant -- is doing just fine.

As of this post, the pregnancy is at exactly 17 weeks, 5 days. April 10 has been circled on the calendar as the due date. And a piece of paper has been affixed to our kitchen table with the headline “names.” So far, the number of girls names is about three times as large as the list of boys names -- which is too bad because it appears Kates and I are almost sure of our girl’s name. A boy’s name is still being debated …

And tonight we‘ve come home with our first baby pictures …

But let’s start at the beginning.

We’d been talking about starting a family for awhile -- but it only made sense to wait until after Kates finished her masters degree in December. I hate to say we set such a definitive timeline, but it’s kind of the truth. For a couple years now, whether the subject came up during discussions about our jobs, finances, house projects or whatever, summer 2008 we figured was going to be our time …no matter how many family members and friends poked and prodded and pretty much begged us to have children almost immediately after we completed our walk down the aisle …

There were times, too, that we doubted whether it might never happen for us …

But it has happened. On the morning of the first Sunday in August Kates called me to the bathroom. I’m not sure if it was the sound of her voice, but there was something that told me this could be it. In the bathroom, there Kates sat, holding a pregnancy test. (Interestingly we had been at a gathering the night before where an acquaintance had learned she was pregnant; we had had a ton of fun that night talking about name possibilities and all the things that come with being pregnant … )

“Look,” Kates says as I met her in the bathroom.

It was positive. Dumbfounded, I asked, “What does that mean?”

“I’m pregnant,” she said with a huge smile on her face.

I was speechless. I wasn’t sure what to say, how to react, what to feel. I began laughing.

As usual, we went to church later that morning, but giddy as heaven can be. And yet we couldn’t say a word to anyone …

The next day, I went off to work, while Kates went to school to meet a friend who is partnering with her for their masters work. But we were prepared to drop everything if we needed because Priority No. 1 that day, we thought, was getting a doctor’s appointment to confirm the pregnancy … Or not. When Kates called her doctor’s office and said she might be pregnant, the nurse told her the doctor didn’t want anything to do with her until she reached the 10-week mark -- not in those words of course, but pretty much in those terms. This is all new to us, you’ll have to understand

We had our first appointment with the doc during the second week of September, but even that offered nothing to feed our excitement. A nurse examined Kates and asked us several questions while she filled out paperwork. Then the doc came into the room to ask more questions and answer any questions we had. Still, almost everything they told us we’d figured out or learned on our own with a little research. They gave the baby’s due date as April 10, and we already had it pegged as April 9. So what’s one day

So, with that first appointment out of the way, Kates and I agreed we could finally start letting our immediate family and closest friends in on the secret. We met Kates’ parents on a Friday night for dinner (As we arrived at the house, her father was just arriving himself, with a bouquet of flowers in tow. He already had us figured out … ), and we headed to my folks the next day (When I called them earlier that week to suggest we make the 90-minute trek to visit them, my mother actually tried to talk me out of it, saying “What’s going on!? Why do you guys need to come here?”) Needless to say, all of them were elated when we broke the news …

The first part of October brought another doctor’s appointment, and more to stifle our excitement. There were a couple more tests. The nurse tried to find a heartbeat but couldn’t do it. And then we had to see a different doctor because Kates’ usual doctor was off for the day. Even then, he didn’t give us a chance to ask any new questions we had …

After that second appointment, with Kates entering her second trimester, we let our extended family, co-workers, church family and more friends in on the news …

Finally, this week it’s started to sink in. It’s been a week filled with realizations that hey! this is really happening! and relief that everyone is healthy … I’m feeling like no matter how I write it here, no words can accurately describe the anxiety, the glee or the euphoria we’re feeling these days …

Kates’ belly is growing and our Wednesday appointment finally brought a chance to hear the baby’s heartbeat. It was healthy and strong. … And on Friday we were back at the hospital again, this time for our first ultrasound. By all accounts the baby is doing very well, it’s got two hands and two feet, each with a complete set of fingers and toes. We got our first look at its face, its tiny bones and some of its organs …

Simply, amazing.


Now we’re home. We’re watching “Bend It Like Beckham.” We’ve never seen it. I’m not liking it. Awful soundtrack. Not nearly as exciting as what we were doing a couple hours ago …

11.08.2007

'This Earth is ruined; we gotta get a new one!'

All this week, Kates and I have been enjoying NBC's "green" push, right down to the little green peacock logo in the lower left corner of our screen ...

Among all the bad news lately -- bad stocks, increasing gas prices, a terrible market for homes, war -- it was a little fascinating to watch the NBC News crew this week and their reports about the environment, especially interesting was Monday's report about wind power ...

Why so many communities are up in arms about wind power and the aesthetics of the gigantic white turbines has always perplexed me ... "I think their kind of pretty," Kates said as we began to watch the segment. " I know!" I added. For me there's always been something sort of romantic about driving through a rural area and passing those turbines, peacefully churning in the air ... And hey, it's good for the environment! ...

Beyond the news though, NBC's crowning achievement (and the genesis for this post) was clearly tonight's "30 Rock." David Schwimmer, Meredith Viera and Al Gore made guest appearances and delivered some ha-larious lines ...
Jenna: The only reason men start taking care of themselves is if they're getting someone to have sex with them. If it wasn't for that, they'd just sit at home in their own filth.

Liz (while looking at a burning globe):
This Earth is ruined! We gotta get a new one!

Al Gore:
Shhh, do you hear that? A whale is in trouble. I gotta go!

11.06.2007

Bathroom accomplished!

... You may remember Kates and I started remodeling our bathroom last winter ...

Yeah. You see when we moved into our house, four summers ago now, it was as if the previous owners were halfway through a bathroom remodel of their own and then decided to sell the place.

The trim work was left unfinished, and the walls were half-painted and streaky. And yet they'd done nothing about the boxy vanity that nearly blocked the narrow entryway, or the wood-framed window inside the tub that was rotting from what was probably decades of water damage.

Well ...

After many, many nights of cursing the previous owners. Fighting with a tile cutter. Scraping the old paint off the walls like a mad man. Debates about colors and decor. Gathering bids from contractors. Lots of paint coats. And spending more money than we'd like to acknowledge ...

Our bathroom is finished.

Here's a look back:

First, May 2004, on the day we moved in ... The picture really doesn't do it justice.

January. We tore out the vanity and the old floor and put down new tile ...

And there goes the tub tile ...

It all led to this finished project ...



11.04.2007

Sunday reading

Got to spend the afternoon with Joel and Stephanie, and Millie. The Packers won. The Colts didn't. Took a really nice nap. And got the yard ready for the winter...

Here's some of the good reads that caught my eyes during the last week ...

Politics ...
a Are we Colbert's punch line?
a Bush the Embracer: Interpreting the Presidential Hug
a From the Desk of Donald Rumsfeld . . .

More about the California wildfires ...
a On Shaky Ground in California
a In the Line of Fire
a New developments mask wild land's deadly threat

TV, music, entertainment & art ...
a Hulu.com, NBC and Fox video site, looks promising in beta
a Schulz: The Good and The Grief
a The year’s best music
a Spears Calls World 'Cruel' in Interview
a A museum's secrets
a 'Bean' to get a companion: The 'Popsicle'
a Adults Revisit Their Teenage Traumas and Dramas to Create Compelling Performance Art

Sports ...
a Handicapping the contenders for A-Rod's services
a What's Wrong With Sports Illustrated

Life & stuff ...
a Driver in crash that killed horses could face additional charges ... A tragic and dramatic ordeal that happened down the road from us last weekend. Some of the surviving horses are now being put up for adoption. There's also a slideshow of photos here.
a Chimp who knew sign language dies

P.S. ... Kates is talking on the phone with a friend and we were just reminiscing about the wonderful National Anthem performances of John Williams and James Taylor during the World Series ...

In case you missed them ...


Barack, Brian & Feist on SNL!

... So Kates and I just finished watching tonight's SNL ...

Nice.

I'd heard a few weeks ago that tonight's episode was featuring Brian Williams as host and Feist as the musical guest. Considering I'm a media guy who's a big fan of Brian Williams and the NBC News, and Feist has been a fixture in my iPod playing as of late, I was pretty giddy about this episode ...

Williams' best skit, by far, was his first one, playing a New York City firefighter on the "Bronx Beat," a talk show featuring Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph as two Bronx housewives, Betty and Jodi. (Bronx Beat also is one of the few recurring SNL skits I look for each week ... ). For the skit, Williams donned a mustache and played a dashing, but slow fireman giving safety tips, complete with a pretty decent Bronx accent ...

I also really enjoyed the "Riley's Way" sketch featuring Williams as the high school principal of a CW teen soap ("You can go to Hell, you can lose ten pounds, and you're gay," he told the three actors playing the teens. To see and hear those lines spoken straight-faced out of Williams' mouth made it 10 times funnier.) And Kristin Wiig's antics saved the otherwise dull Publishers Clearing House skit ...

Williams' opening monologue also had us laughing out loud, especially when he started it by asking the question all of us had been wondering since it was announced the network news anchor would be hosting SNL: "Now, is this really a good idea?" ... Williams answered the question by admitting he's often seen as a stiff (I've never viewed him that way, but whatever ...) who's always in anchorman mode. And then Williams really did switch into anchorman mode, doing the rest of the monologue in a news format, reading bullet points as arguments that he really could be spontaneous and loose, complete with graphics over his left shoulder. HA-larious!

If you've followed Williams, it's no secret the guy's got a great sense of humor. He was hilarious in his stint on SNL's Weekend Update last season and I think he's made good showings on his late night TV tours, most notably The Daily Show ... Sure, tonight's Saturday Night Live wasn't the best ever -- I blame it on the writing -- but it was entertaining enough. If Williams wanted to prove to America he's not just a rigid news anchor, he's accomplished that ...

As for Feist's performance, she showed up well, too. To no one's surprise, she played 1-2-3-4 for her first number (though it wasn't near as good as the Letterman performance ...). For her second number, she and the band did a pretty good "I Feel It All." (Earlier this week, MSN broadcast a Feist concert. Good stuff. Check it out here.)

Really though, I gotta say my favorite part/skit of tonight's SNL just might have been Barack Obama's surprise appearance at Hillary Clinton's Halloween costume party. Very funny! ...

Good reads ... (updated 11/05)
a Live From New York, It’s Not Quite the News!
a Laughs for Brian Williams Hosting 'SNL'
a Brian Williams, Showing That An Anchor Can Be Light
a Nightly News Meets Saturday Night
a Obama takes the stage on 'Saturday Night Live'
a Obama's shots go on, a surprise for Clinton on 'SNL'
a Brian Williams' post at The Daily Nightly ( ... and his pre-show post)

ALSO: 'SNL': The 15 Best Music Skits

11.02.2007

Answering phones at 'The Office'!

... So I was doing some work and waiting for Kates to arrive home tonight when, at about 8:06 p.m., my phone rings. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was my good friend Sara ...

"OH MY GOD! ADAM CRAIG IS ON THE OFFICE!" she screams into the phone.

Adam was a good high school friend of ours with whom we'd spent many, many, many days and nights terrorizing the school halls, the theater stage and the city streets, not to mention the Perkins restaurant ...

The last couple years he's started to make a little name for himself in showbiz (we had a HOLY CRAP! moment last year as well when we spotted him on The O.C. ... ), and a couple weeks ago he sent us a note announcing he'd just taped for an episode of 'The Office,' though he wasn't sure when it was airing ...

I guess tonight was the night. And Sara called to alert me, screaming and laughing through the phone. "I'D KNOW MY '96 HOMECOMING DATE ANYWHERE!" she screams. Ah, good times.

When Kates arrived home a short time later, I was eager as ever to turn on the DVR and watch the show. And sure enough, there was Adam in the opening scene, playing Rolando the secretary and delivering a phone call to Karen ...

Nice.

Here's a link to the video on NBC.com and select the episode "Branch Wars" ... There's also a deleted scene here.

And he's got this on YouTube ...