Odds and ends

Interesting article here. Now, you may not know my thoughts on having another member of America’s two ruling families in the White House in 2008, but they are essentially irrelevant here – the piece brings up no conclusions, but does provoke some good lines of examination. The article is also noteworthy for the following quote:

Asked by Charles Gibson about Obama’s offer to meet without preconditions with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea, W. declared it “odd foreign policy.”

Now…I know next to nothing about foreign policy (although I certainly know more than Dubya Dubya III), so this is hardly the rant of an expert. However, to me, it seems like rather good (and the furthest thing from odd) foreign policy to meet with the leaders of other countries. How else would you best conduct diplomatic exercises intended to keep the world a stable, peaceful, and prosperous place? Oh, right…the U.S. doesn’t do diplomacy anymore…

Ugly truths

This is a pretty fantastic article on the hypocrisy of the beauty industry. (Really, isn’t that term itself rather oxymoronic?) It’s thought-provoking, and if you’ll pardon the awful pun, goes more than skin-deep…(ue the groaning audience). Anyhow, enjoy the read, and thanks to my bestest Kathleen for sending it my way…

“…Mr. Clutch does it again…”

(Yeah, Roy Lichtenstein and I were personal friends – what of it?)

If I am a Yankee, or an Indian, or any other team in the playoff hunt, or, for that matter, a fan of such franchises, I would be terrified right now. Not only are the Red Sox starting to gel – (i.e. J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo are hitting at the same time) but David Ortiz, the “greatest clutch player in the history of the game” is starting to reclaim his throne after a shaky start to the season. For evidence, peep the video of his walk-off dinger to beat the Devil Rays. Sure, it wasn’t one of the bombs that have become his calling card, but as they say, it’ll look like an upper-deck shot in the box score. (Of course, there is no upper-deck at Fenway, but I digress into semantics). Actually, while I am digressing, MLB should really take the stick out of their ass and allow game footage to be archived on YouTube – it would be win-win for MLB and fans alike.

Anyhow, moving from business to leisure – the Sox are clearly playing some pretty good baseball, and Big Papi is at the center of it all. If I were an American League or AAAA (aka NL) pitcher, I would be quaking in my boots. With a playoff rotation of Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, and Wakefield/No-hitter Buchholzl/Lester, and a bullpen that numbers 3! All-Stars (Okajima, Gagne, and Papelbon), opposing pitchers will not have much margin for error. Facing a lineup that includes Big Papi, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Lowell, the red-hot rook Jacoby Ellsbury, and the speedy/dangerous Covelli Loyce “Coco” Crisp, that safety zone becomes razor thin. Next step? A showdown with the Yankees – see you at the Fens…

—————-
Dropkick Murphys – For Boston

P.S. This guy, who you may recall as one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all-time, is reportedly coming back reeeeally soon.

You’re on Notice!

Things, people, and places that are not currently on my Christmas card list…

Most of them have no chance of getting back on my good side, but hopefully, some of them will disappear from public view sooner rather than later…

So, there are many arguments for allowing immig…

So, there are many arguments for allowing immigrants into the country, legally or illegally. The two arguments for really cracking down on them are the threat of terrorism and a drain on the economy. So much for one of those justifications for building a huge fence on the border. Does this change anyone’s mind on the whole issue of immigration? Or are you all rather unaffected by the news? I am no fan of the Texas way, but it seems like even Texans would be hard-pressed to argue billion of dollars is a bad thing. I mean, think how many executions that sort of money could pay for…

Painful irony

A man who has done more for civil rights than any of us could ever dream of being honored by a man who has done more to strip Americans of their civil rights than any of us could ever dream about. Does this seem kind of horrifically ironic to anyone else, or am I just being too cynical?

A dynasty in the making?

From Boston Globe coverage of the election yesterday:

With the end of the GOP’s 16-year hold on the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, Bay State Democrats in 2007 will enjoy a political monopoly unequaled by either party in any state in the country.

In January, Democrats will hold all six statewide constitutional offices, all 12 seats in Congress, roughly 7-to-1 majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature, and all eight seats on the Governor’s Council. With returns still incomplete late last night, Republicans were losing one net state Senate seat, which would drop the GOP to an all-time low of five seats in the 40-member upper chamber, and in close fights for several House seats. The highest ranking Republican officeholders in the state will be a smattering of district attorneys and county sheriffs.

As you have all undoubtedly figured out by now, I am not a Republican. Nevertheless, I am a bit worried about this latest turn of events. A two-party system is based upon the presupposition that there will be some sort of shared power. (Of course, I would prefer to see more than two parties, but that is a separate post.) In this scenario, the Democrats will have a monopoly over state politics unequalled at any time in any state in the history of the United States. Does anyone else think this could lead to scenarios that might have unpleasant reprecussions? I certainly am not accusing the Massachusetts democrats of being potential despots, but one must agree, there is some scary potential here. Or am I way off base? What do you all think?

A picture is worth a lot of words, or somesuch…

So, I pretty much think this image says it all. But if it doesn’t, watch this video. It is about five minutes long, but I think it says all you need to know about the Republicans. They spent tens of millions of dollars on investigating a little hanky-panky between consenting adults, then booed a woman who wanted to investigate one of their own who attempted to commit statutory rape. Real classy, and totally bipartisan of them.

So to recap: they have immaturely derided a colleague for trying to do her job and look out for the youth of America, then had their press machine work to deny that a favored son was even a member of their party! How ridiculous can these guys get? Of course, I feel like there is more to come…

You’re On Notice!

This is my current list, now go make your own!

SI.com – Writers – Peter King’s MMQB: Pats greatest team of salary-cap era – Monday February 7, 2005 11:22AM

SI.com – Writers – Peter King’s MMQB: Pats greatest team of salary-cap era – Monday February 7, 2005 11:22AM: “JACKSONVILLE — Two snapshots from Super Bowl week tell you everything you need to know about the New England Patriots.

Tuesday night, at the set for HBO’s Inside the NFL in downtown Jacksonville:

Wide receiver Deion Branch, HBO’s Patriots player guest, was schmoozing with Cris Carter in the on-location trailer where the talent gets dressed and made up for the show. Branch was cute. He called Carter ‘Mr. Carter’ (and me ‘Mr. King’) and had no pretense of greatness about him. For 45 minutes, he and Carter just talked football — pass routes, attitude, what makes players good. Carter, who never won a Super Bowl, felt the void when Branch talked about receiving his Super Bowl XXXVIII ring last spring from New England owner Bob Kraft.

‘When we got the rings,’ Branch said, ‘we were just looking at ‘em, admiring how beautiful they were. And then one of the guys was like, ‘Gotta get another one.”

Carter shook his head, tsk-tsked, and sounded like an old-timer when he said, ‘Kids.’

‘What do you mean?’ I asked.

‘You know how kids are,’ he said. ‘When they get something, what do they want? More.’

Branch nodded. ‘With this team, the way we’ve been coached and brought up, we just want more.’”