Here is a Friday music clip in honor of Dr. King. John Coltrane playing one of the most haunting and beautiful of his compositions. It was inspired by the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham that took the lives of 4 girls and by Dr. King's eulogy.
"Good night, sweet princesses."
Friday, April 4, 2008
John Coltrane "Alabama"
Warning: Time Suck Ahead
I am a geek for museums. Even if I don't have the requisite knowledge to fully appreciate them to the highest level that I could otherwise, I still love going to them nonetheless.
Well, I was forwarded this website: The Museum of Online Museums. It's great. Smithsonian, Musee d'Orsay, MoMA, The Gallery of Sexy Pez Advertising....
Enjoy.
Well, I was forwarded this website: The Museum of Online Museums. It's great. Smithsonian, Musee d'Orsay, MoMA, The Gallery of Sexy Pez Advertising....
Enjoy.
Today....
Forty years ago today, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. I encourage you all to think, memoralize, remember, ponder, mourn, celebrate, and act as you see fit to mark this day in American history.
Also...it's the birthday of one McKinley Morganfield, a.k.a, Muddy Waters.
Have a great weekend.
Also...it's the birthday of one McKinley Morganfield, a.k.a, Muddy Waters.
Have a great weekend.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Because you care....
Here is what I have been up to lately when I am not studying, sleeping, in-class, or masturbating...
Reading: I finally got around to reading Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections" which had been sitting in the "To Be Read" stack for the better part of 4 years. One word: Merciless. Another: Brilliant. A third: Funny. You get the idea, I loved the book and I am glad that the Oprah controversy, dare I say the Oprah kerfuffle, surrounding the book has sufficiently passed. Next up: "This Republic of Suffering" by Drew Gilpin Faust. On Deck: "A Well Paid Slave" by Brad Snyder.
Watching: Season Four of Penn & Teller's Bullshit, MLB on the Satellite (I got to watch Dave Niehaus throw out the ceremonial first pitch in Seattle the other night), "A Man for All Seasons" (RIP Paul Scofield), Rock of Love II, Baseball Tonight (For the love of God, ESPN, please fire Eric Young), The First 48 (I actually got hooked on this show because we watched a few episodes in my Criminal Procedure class. See, school can be educational!)
Listening: Lately Nina Nastasia, Quest's "Low End Theory," and "In Rainbows" have been in heavy rotation in the car. I have been having Ipod troubles (as well as computer troubles which we won't get into) so I am relegated from mostly listening to music (my jams) in the car. And heads up people, the new Tapes 'n Tapes album, "Walk It Off" hits stores next week.
Internetting: Two blogs I have been reading religiously of late. Let me plug Sarah Jaffe's "Season of the Bitch" first because she has stopped by this very humble blog on a couple of occassions. I don't recall exactly how I found her blog but I think it was through Lawyers, Guns, and Money. Anyway, Sex. Politics. Rock & Roll. Film. Lipgloss. Yep, that's it. Except Sarah writes on these things and so much more with a tremendous amount of intelligence, wit, and heart. Recently she had some very personal and touching posts about the loss of a friend. Great stuff.
The other blog that has me in stiches, in a good way, is Christina at Blah Blah Blahler. Never has living in Duluth seemed so packed with adventure, comedy, and romance.
Eating: Jimmy Johns. Like everyday. Jesus Christ. Somehow they managed to place their franchise locations strategically so that I can easily access one of their Sandwiches of Mediocrity conveniently no matter where I am and what time I am there. (This includes my way home after the bar closes.....mmmmmm)
I also have been introduced to a sushi place downtown that a few of my friends frequent. And I mean they frequent this place. The entire staff knows them, including the guys in the kitchen, and they have recently told them that if they can come up with a new roll, they would try to make it and if it turned out alright, they would put it on the menu and name it after them. These are good friends to have.
Drinking: Actually not too much. But I think I am going out on Saturday. Buckle up.
Wondering: What I would do if I was at the zoo and a tiger escaped. Run? Stay still? Push other people out of the way? Push other people in the way?
Dreaming about: The other night I dreamed I put on a pair of pants and it was filled with snakes. They were all over, coming out my pant leg. Fucking freaked me out.
Working out: Nope
Reading: I finally got around to reading Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections" which had been sitting in the "To Be Read" stack for the better part of 4 years. One word: Merciless. Another: Brilliant. A third: Funny. You get the idea, I loved the book and I am glad that the Oprah controversy, dare I say the Oprah kerfuffle, surrounding the book has sufficiently passed. Next up: "This Republic of Suffering" by Drew Gilpin Faust. On Deck: "A Well Paid Slave" by Brad Snyder.
Watching: Season Four of Penn & Teller's Bullshit, MLB on the Satellite (I got to watch Dave Niehaus throw out the ceremonial first pitch in Seattle the other night), "A Man for All Seasons" (RIP Paul Scofield), Rock of Love II, Baseball Tonight (For the love of God, ESPN, please fire Eric Young), The First 48 (I actually got hooked on this show because we watched a few episodes in my Criminal Procedure class. See, school can be educational!)
Listening: Lately Nina Nastasia, Quest's "Low End Theory," and "In Rainbows" have been in heavy rotation in the car. I have been having Ipod troubles (as well as computer troubles which we won't get into) so I am relegated from mostly listening to music (my jams) in the car. And heads up people, the new Tapes 'n Tapes album, "Walk It Off" hits stores next week.
Internetting: Two blogs I have been reading religiously of late. Let me plug Sarah Jaffe's "Season of the Bitch" first because she has stopped by this very humble blog on a couple of occassions. I don't recall exactly how I found her blog but I think it was through Lawyers, Guns, and Money. Anyway, Sex. Politics. Rock & Roll. Film. Lipgloss. Yep, that's it. Except Sarah writes on these things and so much more with a tremendous amount of intelligence, wit, and heart. Recently she had some very personal and touching posts about the loss of a friend. Great stuff.
The other blog that has me in stiches, in a good way, is Christina at Blah Blah Blahler. Never has living in Duluth seemed so packed with adventure, comedy, and romance.
Eating: Jimmy Johns. Like everyday. Jesus Christ. Somehow they managed to place their franchise locations strategically so that I can easily access one of their Sandwiches of Mediocrity conveniently no matter where I am and what time I am there. (This includes my way home after the bar closes.....mmmmmm)
I also have been introduced to a sushi place downtown that a few of my friends frequent. And I mean they frequent this place. The entire staff knows them, including the guys in the kitchen, and they have recently told them that if they can come up with a new roll, they would try to make it and if it turned out alright, they would put it on the menu and name it after them. These are good friends to have.
Drinking: Actually not too much. But I think I am going out on Saturday. Buckle up.
Wondering: What I would do if I was at the zoo and a tiger escaped. Run? Stay still? Push other people out of the way? Push other people in the way?
Dreaming about: The other night I dreamed I put on a pair of pants and it was filled with snakes. They were all over, coming out my pant leg. Fucking freaked me out.
Working out: Nope
The Predictions
As promised, or threatened, here is my quick run down on how the 2008 MLB season will unfold. I am just a guy with a computer and some extra time on my hands, please do not jeopardize your family's financial future based on these predictions. Here we go:
AL East: (The Same as it ever was division)
1. Boston
2. New York (Wild Card)
3. Toronto
4. Tampa Bay
5. Baltimore
I was thinking earlier in the spring that the Yankees weren't even going to make the playoffs. I have softened on that some. Boston's pitching is deep even with injuries to Beckett and Schilling. I think Dice-K will have a monster year and Paplebon should get Cy Young consideration. Toronto is a nice club, Alexis Rios should establish himself as an elite player. Tampa is clearly going in the right direction and the Orioles are an embarassment to a fine baseball city like Baltimore.
AL Central: (The Four good teams and the Royals Division)
1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Minnesota
4. Chicago
5. Kansas City
I have my local team too high, but I am excited about the young nucleus. It's a two horse race and Detroit Rock City is just too loaded. Cleveland and the Yankees fight for the wild card and they both better look to get to about 95 wins, that's what it might take. The White Sox are getting some notice as a team to be on the lookout for, but I just see them as older, fatter, and balder than they have been. Kansas City has Alex Gordon and some really great barbecue, so there is reason for optimism.
AL West: (The These games are on too late to really know what's going on division)
1. Seattle
2. Anaheim
3. Texas
4. Oakland
I am not calling them the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. You are lucky I'm not calling them the California Angels. Seattle is a trendy pick and I am a trendy guy. Their lack of power worries me a little and it all depends if King Felix can stay healthy. The Angels are that team I forget about every year. I still respect their lineup, but they have been too decimated in the pitching department. Texas and Oakland...I have no idea which of these teams will be better or worse, depending on how you phrase it. Let's face it, it doesn't really matter, it's a coinflip. Texas got heads.
NL East: (The 'Now with Santana!' Division)
1. New York
2. Philadelphia
3. Atlanta
4. Washington
5. Florida
I write this after the injury to Pedro which emphasizes the Mets biggest weakness, that is, they are too fucking old. Still, Santana wins the Cy Young, David Wright the MVP. How can they not win? The Phillies are good. So is Atlanta. The Nationals are bad. So are the Marlins.
NL Central: (The Milwaukee is beautiful in October and are there really six teams in this division?)
1. Milwaukee
2. Chicago (Wild Card)
3. Houston
4. Cincinnati
5. St. Louis
6. Pittsburgh
I might be a year early, but I am going with the Brewers. I don't trust the Cubs and this is a pretty mediocre division. I don't know much about the Reds and I think the Cardinals can consider it a successful season if they can make it all the way through without someone dying. I guess about all I can say about this division is that on a personal level, I think my favorite uniforms in baseball are those alternative red ones that the Astros wear. Those are cool. And speaking of uniforms and teams, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Pirates. I even own a Pirates hat. I may be the only person in the Twin Cities who has one. They have great uniforms, a great ballpark, a rich tradition, and a terrible baseball team.
NL West (The I love Vin Scully and I will be more sad when he dies than I was when either of my grandfathers died division)
1. Arizona
2. Los Angeles
3. San Diego
4. Colorado
5. San Francisco
Jesus, the Diamondbacks are good. Was it really last year the Rockies were in the World Series? That's about all I have to say. I'm tired of typing.
NLCS: Mets over Diamondbacks
ALCS: Boston over Detroit
World Series: Mets over Boston
NL MVP: David Wright (Runner Up: Ryan Howard)
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez (Runner Up: Miguel Cabrera)
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana (Runner Up: Jake Peavy)
AL CY Young: Justin Verlander (Runner Up: Jonathan Paplebon)
AL East: (The Same as it ever was division)
1. Boston
2. New York (Wild Card)
3. Toronto
4. Tampa Bay
5. Baltimore
I was thinking earlier in the spring that the Yankees weren't even going to make the playoffs. I have softened on that some. Boston's pitching is deep even with injuries to Beckett and Schilling. I think Dice-K will have a monster year and Paplebon should get Cy Young consideration. Toronto is a nice club, Alexis Rios should establish himself as an elite player. Tampa is clearly going in the right direction and the Orioles are an embarassment to a fine baseball city like Baltimore.
AL Central: (The Four good teams and the Royals Division)
1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Minnesota
4. Chicago
5. Kansas City
I have my local team too high, but I am excited about the young nucleus. It's a two horse race and Detroit Rock City is just too loaded. Cleveland and the Yankees fight for the wild card and they both better look to get to about 95 wins, that's what it might take. The White Sox are getting some notice as a team to be on the lookout for, but I just see them as older, fatter, and balder than they have been. Kansas City has Alex Gordon and some really great barbecue, so there is reason for optimism.
AL West: (The These games are on too late to really know what's going on division)
1. Seattle
2. Anaheim
3. Texas
4. Oakland
I am not calling them the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. You are lucky I'm not calling them the California Angels. Seattle is a trendy pick and I am a trendy guy. Their lack of power worries me a little and it all depends if King Felix can stay healthy. The Angels are that team I forget about every year. I still respect their lineup, but they have been too decimated in the pitching department. Texas and Oakland...I have no idea which of these teams will be better or worse, depending on how you phrase it. Let's face it, it doesn't really matter, it's a coinflip. Texas got heads.
NL East: (The 'Now with Santana!' Division)
1. New York
2. Philadelphia
3. Atlanta
4. Washington
5. Florida
I write this after the injury to Pedro which emphasizes the Mets biggest weakness, that is, they are too fucking old. Still, Santana wins the Cy Young, David Wright the MVP. How can they not win? The Phillies are good. So is Atlanta. The Nationals are bad. So are the Marlins.
NL Central: (The Milwaukee is beautiful in October and are there really six teams in this division?)
1. Milwaukee
2. Chicago (Wild Card)
3. Houston
4. Cincinnati
5. St. Louis
6. Pittsburgh
I might be a year early, but I am going with the Brewers. I don't trust the Cubs and this is a pretty mediocre division. I don't know much about the Reds and I think the Cardinals can consider it a successful season if they can make it all the way through without someone dying. I guess about all I can say about this division is that on a personal level, I think my favorite uniforms in baseball are those alternative red ones that the Astros wear. Those are cool. And speaking of uniforms and teams, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Pirates. I even own a Pirates hat. I may be the only person in the Twin Cities who has one. They have great uniforms, a great ballpark, a rich tradition, and a terrible baseball team.
NL West (The I love Vin Scully and I will be more sad when he dies than I was when either of my grandfathers died division)
1. Arizona
2. Los Angeles
3. San Diego
4. Colorado
5. San Francisco
Jesus, the Diamondbacks are good. Was it really last year the Rockies were in the World Series? That's about all I have to say. I'm tired of typing.
NLCS: Mets over Diamondbacks
ALCS: Boston over Detroit
World Series: Mets over Boston
NL MVP: David Wright (Runner Up: Ryan Howard)
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez (Runner Up: Miguel Cabrera)
NL Cy Young: Johan Santana (Runner Up: Jake Peavy)
AL CY Young: Justin Verlander (Runner Up: Jonathan Paplebon)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Small Market Defined
I am going to do a full blown predictions post sometime this week and then I am going to get away from baseball blogging for a little while. I just wanted to make a few comments about last nights 3-2 opening night win.
Ok, great. Go-Go Gomez is exciting. Livan got the job done. Morneau looked terrible. We still have the best closer in baseball until we trade him this year and I like the fact that the Twins are 1-0 as opposed to 0-1.
But what I really wanted to make note of was this bit of information that was passed along in Reusse's column regarding Twins set-up man Pat Neshek.
As we blogged about yesterday, we got snow and we got plenty of it. Pat Neshek is a local kid (who is also featured in a pretty funny Twins commercial I will post later) and had a pretty good year last year.
Well, apparently Neshek drives some old Ford with rear wheel drive. He was concerned about the snow so yesterday so he had his mom drive him to the game, because she apparently has a Jeep Liberty.
Good lord. One wonders if Mrs. Neshek didn't coordinate with some of the other mothers and they can get a car pool going, with a stop at Dairy Queen on the way home if they win.
Ok, great. Go-Go Gomez is exciting. Livan got the job done. Morneau looked terrible. We still have the best closer in baseball until we trade him this year and I like the fact that the Twins are 1-0 as opposed to 0-1.
But what I really wanted to make note of was this bit of information that was passed along in Reusse's column regarding Twins set-up man Pat Neshek.
As we blogged about yesterday, we got snow and we got plenty of it. Pat Neshek is a local kid (who is also featured in a pretty funny Twins commercial I will post later) and had a pretty good year last year.
Well, apparently Neshek drives some old Ford with rear wheel drive. He was concerned about the snow so yesterday so he had his mom drive him to the game, because she apparently has a Jeep Liberty.
Good lord. One wonders if Mrs. Neshek didn't coordinate with some of the other mothers and they can get a car pool going, with a stop at Dairy Queen on the way home if they win.
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