Friday, December 21, 2007

Time teaches you what is important

On the latest holiday installment of Top Chef, Marcel comments (as nearly as I can recall) that "if you aren't in the weeds then your dish is too simple", where "in the weeds" can be translated from chef-speak into "so buried by the details that you can't see the big picture". I prefer the chef term "mise-un-place". The real point here is that almost no one's dish--whether it be something created in the kitchen, code on a computer, or an engine block in Detroit--is too simple. We're all buried in the details most of the time.

Which gets us to David Allen's  "Three Cheers For Sloth, Indolence, And Procrastination!", where he wants us to slow down to go faster. This came up recently on a crossover episode of  "Without a Trace" and "CSI". Grissom must be in cahoots with Allen, but Jack would rather go faster by going faster.

There's a balance in there somewhere and we each have to work this out for ourselves. So sit down and have a conversation with Time. Maybe you can figure out what's really important and what can be safely ignored. You can't get it all done. Like Allen says in his post, "if you actually did get it all done, Time would be out of a job". Time's not going to be collecting unemployment checks any time soon...

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

George Lucas in Love

I can't believe that this has been out there on the web for over two years, but it does explain the dearth of copies of the DVD. One more thing I can check off my to-do list.

If you've never seen it, or want a copy for your iPod, it can be found at google.video.com. They really will take over the world...

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Funny?



A convenience store? OK. Not really. But point made. Wouldn't mind getting one of these for Christmas. I wonder how far through Harvard Yard I would get before being stopped...

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Four More Years!

C'mon, Theo. Give Lowell that fourth year. What could possibly go wrong. If you really need an argument, how's this:

You're willing to go three. The fourth year is a risk. OK. Spin the risk and look at it this way, you took a chance on Gagne. How'd that work for you? You took a... OK. We don't need to go down the laundry list. And yes, I know that a lot of really remarkable chances have worked out for you.

But Lowell is a gold glove World Series MVP player. So sign him. Your risk is on the back end, not the front.

If you don't sign him, he should run for president.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Thank you Red Sox!

Wow. I really didn't believe a sweep was possible, but there you go. A great story tonight with Lester getting the win. Hopefully Papelbon gets the MVP.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

15 hours of my life...

...are on the line in this now 1-0 in our favor game.

C'mon Sox. Give 'em back to me. I've got papers to write this week.

[ed. note: replies will be my observations, complaints and rants during the game]

All over but the statistics now...

No small limb any more. I'm beginning to wonder if the Sox will even bring this back home. I thought for sure that we'd go six rounds with these guys, but... Lester or Beckett will likely do it there.

So my mind begins to wander. What was the deal with the Rox fans? The Jolly Green Giant? A Star Wars storm trooper with "CR" across his forehead? Why would you even want to associate yourself or your team with the bad guys? There were some other odditied from the stands, but those were the two stand outs. Can someone from Denver explain this to us? Was it Halloween night on Blake Street?

DiceK with a hit? Cool. Cooler would be Lester coming back from cancer to win the last game. But could they get past Beckett to send it east?

Friday, October 26, 2007

Out of Hawpe

I feel comfortable going out on that small limb and saying the Red Sox are going to win it.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Welcome back to Fenway, boys!

It's probably a little arrogant to be posting when we're not even out of the first, but I can always delete it later.

[apparently I'm not being punished for my arrogance. The comments to this one are mine from during the game...]

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

First pitcher candidates

So who could we get? I think we can give up on Jaun Damòn and Minky. Steinbrenner would never give us permission to talk with them. Likewise Roger, but wouldn't it be nice to give the blade a twist? Hmmm. Maybe Steinbrenner might give us permission to talk to Roger...

And it'd still be a twist'o the knife, but there's a part of me that would just love to see Nomar toss out a pitch at Fenway 'cause we all like him so.

First pitches?

So apparently Trotty wasn't thrilled with Millar throwing out the first pitch in Game 7. Darn. I was hoping to get Trot to throw out a pitch in the World Series. Oh well.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Indian Summer is Over!

Yes!! That was a really fun game to watch--lots of tension early, but an explosive finish. Now, if the weather will just turn so I can enjoy my fall classic, I'll be happy!

Garko: it's champagne, not spumante, so... sweeter home or away? Take a wine tasting course in the off season. Or if you must persist in referring to champagne as "sweet", call Beckett, Schilling or Varitek and ask them if ALCS champagne tastes as sweet home or away. They can give you empirical results now.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Do you believe?

I guess I have to stop complaining about the inherently non-home field advantage of MLB's seven game series 2-3-2 format. But think about it... If the Indians had managed to unsettle Beckett the other night by having his ex-girlfriend sing the national anthem, then the Indians would have won the series while playing more games at home. Even though the Red Sox had home field advantage.

But that's moot now.

I won't repeat stats here. But for all the wonder on the Red Sox side of things, I have to note two things from the game 6:

1. Indians first baseman Ryan Garko handed a ball to a kid in the stands (who was wearing a Red Sox shirt). This after getting very upset that another kid took the ball away from him (in the stands) in Game 2. So his karma has found some balance with me, for all he wouldn't care. Still, it was good to see...

Some day, I really do want to be the fan in the first row shaking his head no at the other team's player who wants to come into the stands a little to get that foul out...

2. Maybe I should see about doing some post season exercises with Indians catcher Victor Martinez. He was slower than Manny around the bases after his HR tonight, and that's saying something. Maybe all that jawing about Manny's pimping the HRs has left him winded.

Monday, October 15, 2007

egads

So... We're behind now. Can we be the underdogs and start winning again?

Sunday, October 14, 2007

A long cold night...

...but I was there. And I can say, with pride, that not once did I see the Fenway faithful attempt to start the wave. But that's about all I can say.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Rockies still?

Do I want to send the Red Sox to Denver?

Much of the news isn't...

Did you ever notice that much of the news isn't really new news.

We don't hear about ebola outbreaks for weeks after the fact. Trust me. Go and find the the latest outbreak reports in your local news media. Then go to the World Health Organization and find out when they were first posting reports. But hey, we know the moment the judge rules on Britney Spears' kids.

This was brought to my attention most recently in class. Everyone is claiming this study linking heart health to marriage health is new. I heard about it weeks ago from our pastor in a sermon.

Sigh. Do we really trust these guys to report?

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Cowboys and Indians both win!?

Peter, I'd attribute the quote to you on that one but I wanted to preserve your anonymity...

Torre is a class act. The Yankees will miss him if Steinbrenner sticks to his guns. Of course, they may be missing a lot of folks by the time they get back to the plate. We'll see.

So Game 1 is on: Beckett and Sabathia should make a good match up.

As for the the Football Team That Shall Not Be Named (again), I found myself in the odd position of being an old time Red Skins fan rooting for the Cowboys. Dick Jauron's timeout call at the last second was poor sportsmanship despite being technically within the rules. Maybe Torre should have a little talk with him. It's clear there are New Yorkers who can do better.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

The Angels are...

I waited the entire game to see Weaver hit Papi, or even Manny, after their post-HR showboating. I even fantasized about whichever one got popped tipping their cap to Weaver as they wandered down to first. But it never happened. So I'm left with a virtual tip o' the cap to Weaver and the Angels.

Now don't get me wrong. I got nothin' against Papi or Manny enjoying those HRs. You just gotta expect to get hit. Part of the game.

And I got nine of the thirty innings I want from the other ALDS series. Keep it up guys.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

The Boys of October

Way to go Beckett. I'm still not sure why Francona left you in for so long. Looks like we're going to have to deal with the slow hook through the post-season again this year. Ah well.

Alan, I've gotten behind your Phillies, some minor wild card rooting notwithstanding. You're not going to let me down are you?

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Go Rockies!

OK. So that's the last of rooting for the Rockies. I'm just happy to see the Padres lose after cutting David Wells. Let's face it. I have to root for the over 40 fat guy.

For the record, I don't think that Holladay tagged, by the way.
I'm pretty sure the umpire was thinking, "I don't know, was he blocked off the plate by the catcher's leg? Is there a camera angle that's going to offer irrefutable proof that he was? Aw, the heck with it... SAFE! SAFE! SAFE! let's go home..."

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

And he's off...

...but everyone knew that already.