Congratulations to the G-Men

Yesterday’s Super Bowl may have been the best game ever. Whenever Big Blue is in the Big Game, it will be exciting and memorable. Whether it was Phil Simms leading the Giants to a big win based on 22 of 25 passing, or Scott Norwood missing a field goal to end the game, it’s never boring. And yesterday may have been the best of the best. Eli’s drive for the game winning touchdown with about a minute to go was unbelievable. Everyone in America knew it was going to be a pass to Burress, but the Pats couldn't stop it.
I couldn’t sleep last night. I was just so worked up after all the excitement of the huge upset.
And, spring training starts in about 2 weeks.
Sweet.

Goodbye 2007

I don’t believe in time measurement as very significant on a day to day basis. Is the day one turns 50 any different than the day before? Just as January 1st truly is no different than December 31st . That said, I’m still happy to see 2007 come to an end. It was, without a doubt, from beginning to end, the worst year of my life.
January 3rd I was in the hospital and awaited amputation. It only turned out to be one toe, but it still was a lousy way to start the year. And it didn’t get much better. Because my foot is now turned as ligaments have been severed, my rehab assignment turned into a disaster. I developed a wound on my foot that still has not healed.
In April, my Mom passed away after her battle with cancer.
In June, I found my ass back in the hospital as I had been vomiting for over a week. During that time, I had a colonoscopy, and got 4 transfusions. They checked out everything they could, and found nothing. Of course, they missed one big thing, and that led to my hospitalization in Ct. I was on vacation in August, and thought I was having a heart attack. I got a quick tour of the Ct. countryside in an ambulance, which would have been much more pleasant if I had been able to breathe. This hospital trip turned out to be a good thing. I had congestive heart failure, and the local doctors had missed that I was retaining water like a friggin’ sponge. I peed out gallons over the next few days, and lost 40 pounds in 4 days.
September-- how much trouble can I get into sitting on my couch? Apparently, quite a bit. I went out one day to see my friend, and tripped on the way in. Ripped up my toes, and they are still not healed. I also had my foot rub against something, and a wound opened up. When did I become so damned delicate?
In October, I had skin cancer removed from my face. A series of 12 needles “stung a little.” Not really, they hurt a lot. More than anything I had ever had done before.
I was measured for a brace in November so I could walk. It was going to take a few weeks. It’s been 6 already, and I have not yet heard anything about it. I had the flu the last week of 2007, and it was the perfect ending to a disastrous year. Ralphing into a bucket just seemed like an appropriate ending to my year. Sometimes I think I just keep going just to see what can happen to me next.
But hope springs eternal.
My motto is “Things will be great in 2008.”

I'm sure my parents dropped my on my head numerous times when I was a baby.

At least someone gets it

This politically correct, heaven forbid we offend someone BS is beyond my understanding. I have yet to meet anyone who was offended by a Holiday Greeting such as Merry Christmas or Happy Hannukah no matter what religion they were.
And I found this most interesting. All the TV stations and most programs have their little "Holiday Wishes" promos. Each is the most non denominational, plain vanilla greeting ever. "Season's Greetings, Happy Holidays, Feliz Navidad, 'Tis the Season." WTH is up with these greetings?

Season's Greetings and 'Tis the Season? WTF!!! I want to wish you a happy winter? That is possibly the most idiotic greeting ever. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall--those are seasons. Christmas is no more a season that 4th of July or President's Day. Who would offer anyone a Happy Patriotic Season in July?

Happy Holidays falls right in with the generic and ubiquitous "Have a nice day." A pleasant enough greeting, but lacking in real commitment. It's better than "Merry Christmas if you celebrate it, " which I have heard. Oy vey!

And now, the prevalence of Feliz Navidad. So, apparently, if I were Spanish, I get an appropriate religious-based greeting. But for run of the mill Christians who speak English, no way, Jose.

Now, this is what I found most interesting in these greetings. They are on TV stations with predominantly Christian audiences. Overwhelmingly Christian would be a more accurate description. And here's the twist. I watch Asian-American TV on the weekends. I do love my Bollywood. : )
And on these channels, whose audience is, at best, only a tiny portion Christian, guess what their greeting was?

Merry Christmas.

A few weeks ago, they wished everyone a Happy Dawali, because that was what many (probably most) of the audience celebrates. They didn't qualify it or water it down so as to not offend Christians or Muslims, or whoever happens to watch their programming.
And this week, it was Merry Christmas. Because they realize anything else is just plain stupid. They didn't qualify it, they didn't dilute it, and they didn't mix in various other greetings.

We have a lot to learn from them about tolerance and acceptance. Inclusion and diversity does not mean suppression of what we love about our lives and heritage, but rather it is a way to celebrate alongside and revel in what each brings to our American tapestry.

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

Dear Santa Claus

It's been a while since I've written to you.

It's been a pretty f'd up year, so I figure you owe me big time. Normally, I ask about the wife and the elves, but this is all about me. I want stuff, and lots of it.
I want a race car set. Yeah, I know you got me one over 40 years ago. But that was given away many years ago. And I miss all the good times I had with it. There was something relaxing about sending the cars streaking around that circle. At that time, it seems hard to believe that an 8 year old needed to relax, but after a hard day of reading, writing, and all that crap, I had to get my mind off the pressures of school and watch the cars go around and around. I was pretty easy to entertain back then.

And you know what Big Guy? It hasn't changed much.

And if you could pack an electric football game in that bag, I'd be pretty happy. I know the guys never went where the should have, and I don't remember ever playing anything resembling the game of football because the thing was noisy and pretty much sucked. But I want one anyhow.

I used to like building model cars. For some reason, I always painted them baby blue with an overspray of gold. I'm sure they looked like crap, but to me they were beautiful. And I don't have any because me and Eddie from up the street used to blow them up in the field across the street. I promise not to blow them up. Besides, I don't know where Eddie lives any more.

I'd also like a couple model rockets. I used to have a fleet of them. I have no idea why, but I always painted them orange and black. I guess I thought that was a good combination. I'm not sure what color I'd paint them now. Maybe baby blue with gold overspray.

And I definately need soldiers. Don't try sticking me with those little stupid green army men, either. I want the 6" ones from Marx. And I want a few of each. Nothing sucked more than playing army and only having American soldiers and one German guy. And I'll need some Japanese soldiers, too. Make sure I get the guys throwing grenades. The Japanese one looked a little like Dice K and I want him to be the first to get shot by sniper fire when I play. I also would like some Roman soldiers. You can give the cowboys and Indians to some other guy seeking a second childhood.

This was usually the part of my letter where I asked you to bring me less presents because some poor kids needed them more. And I probably asked for peace.

Santa, we go way back. I don't really want to be greedy. Just get me the race car set. And have a nice Christmas.

I have created a monster

When I first got together with the Crotchety Old Lady we shared many passions. Sadly, Yankees baseball was not one of them. But over the last 15 very happy years, she has gradually been converted to fandom. I always imagined growing older with the woman I love and the team I have been a fan of for more years than I care to count. Sitting on the couch while enjoying each other and the best in sports entertainment--what a way to spend my days.

Gradually, the Old Lady has evolved and become a more knowledgeable fan. Again, this could only be considered a good thing. She has a favorite player (Andy Pettitte) and has Yankees gear. I should be the happiest man on the planet.

But much like Dr. Frankenstein, my plan has gone awry. I have created a fan in the purest sense of the word. Fan, as everyone should know, is short for fanatic. And that would be the way to describe my lady.

When A-Rod filed for free agency, her first reaction was that he betrayed her and the team.

And now that he has announced that he wants to come back (crawling back is how she described it) she has become really angry. She wants to take my A-Rod Jersey and cut it up and use it for dustrags after she washes the floor with it. Even though he is perhaps the best player of the last 10 years, and one of the greatest ever, he is terrible, according to her. A total bum because he did so badly in the playoffs. And she has pointed out at least a half dozen times that the Yankees lost the playoffs, and never made it to the Series totally because of him.

The Yankees are looking to re-sign Mo. And again, she is angry that he had what could only be considered an average year by every standard. She expects perfection each and every time out. She is ready to dump the greatest reliever in history because he had an average year.

I have created a monster, and she has turned on me.

Rockies in 4!!!

The World Series starts tonight, and I would be so pleased to see the Rockies win in 4. My reasoning is quite different than one might expect. Of course, I'm a dyed in the wool Yankees fan, and any time the Sox lose, I'm a happy guy. And few things would cheer up a Yankees fan more than a sweep by the other team. Any other team.
This year is unusual. The Rockies are riding a 10 game winning steak, and a 21 out of 22 run that has moved them from a wild card contender right into the World Series. Early in September, they were 5 games out, and had almost no chance. They were 2 games out with 2 to go. Yet today, they are in the Series. No baseball team in history has ever had a run like this.

If the Rockies lose the Series, they had a good season. If they win the Series, they had a great season. But if they sweep the Series, it may go down as one of the greatest seasons ever. Other sports have had great teams that have had great seasons. The Dolphins perfect 17-0 season in 1973 immediately comes to mind. And while no team has ever duplicated a perfect season, I contend that 25 out of 26 (with the season on the line every day) would be a greater accomplishment. Football is a team sport. It is rare that one person can step up and make a big difference. A great run is preceded by a terrific block. A circus catch required a throw good enough to be on target enough to be reachable. Anyone remember seeing Ypremian's attempt at a pass in the Super Bowl? Even a great kick requires a front line that can protect the kicker long enough to get the ball through the uprights.

Baseball, on the other hand, is loaded with unlikely heroes. It is part of the fabric of the game.
The most famous may have been Don Larson, with a career winning record of under .500. However, in 1956, this 11 game winner pitched the only perfect game in World Series history. Or Bucky Dent, a light hitting SS (40 home runs in 12 seasons) belted one of the most famed blasts in Yankees history. Or even Brian Doyle (Who?) hitting .438 in the '78 Series. No other sport can boast such outstanding performances by such otherwise obscure players.
At any time, one player can turn around a game. A pitcher can be unhittable. In no team sport can one man have such an impact. So anytime in this run, just one player could have stopped it. Yet, no one did. The longer the streak continues, the more improbable it has become. Just as many have approached DiMaggio's mark of 56 straight games with a hit, no one has ever equaled it. If the Rockies manage, against all odds, to sweep the Sox it would surely go down as the greatest run in sports history. And I'd like that.

But I am sad to admit that if I had to put money on a team, it would be on the Sox. In 6.

But hope springs eternal. Go Rockies!!!

One Man's Quest

I am the ultimate creature of habit. I used to wear the same color shirt every day. I found one light blue one that I liked and bought all the store had. As they wore out, I replenished them with the same style and color. The wife did what she could to mix in some other color shirts, but I hated them, and did my best to thwart her attempts to mess with my style, lame as it was.

My lunches are the model of consistency. I usually eat the same thing every day. It may change month to month, but when I find something I like, I'll eat it for a few months or more. I once had peanut butter and jelly for about a year straight.

I eat the same thing for breakfast Monday through Friday. I have a Stony Brook Farms yogurt. Usually I have Vanilla Truffle, but sometimes the store doesn't stock enough, so I have to eat a Chocolate Underground instead followed by cereal with vanilla soymilk. Sunday is Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Pancakes, with pure maple syrup. Saturday is an omelet, usually with goat cheese and onion, with 2 slices of whole grain toast. All was going well until this Saturday. My toaster broke!!!!

I then spent the rest of the weekend studying toaster sites. I have gone through about a half dozen toasters in the last 15 years, and I was determined not to buy another junk toaster. I was prepared to make an environmentally sound decision, I wanted to buy a toaster that would last me, if not for the rest of my life, at least long enough that I wouldn't feel like my amortized cost for toast was nearly 45 cents each slice. I also decided that I wanted to buy an American made toaster, cost be damned. It was my little effort to support my countrymen, while helping to protect the balance of trade and keep the dollar strong.

But it was not to be. No toasters are made in America. After exhaustive research, it appears only one country, besides China, makes toasters. England is the only other country that I could find that produces toasters. The Dualit line is a hand made toaster made in Crawley, UK. This town in the south of England is the manfacturer of the finest hand-made toasters in the world. Unfortunately, they cost between $280 and $350 each. When making such an investment, I needed to do more research to decide which was the toaster for me. The toaster of my dreams, so to speak. I must have a hand made in Crawley, England Dualit toaster. But then all the important decisions had to be made. I needed to decide on a model. While most ordinary toasters simply come in 2 and 4 slice models, and are usually stainless steel in color. But not Dualit. They offer a 3 slice model, and a variety of colors.

My first decision, of course was the number of slices. 3 would be ideal, since between the wife and I, we eat exactly 3 slices of toast at a time. Perfection. Life would now be in absolute balance.

But I had a new concern. Would a 3 slice toaster affect the feng shui of my kitchen? Everything else is in perfect harmony. Two sinks, four stove burners, two kitchen chairs. Balance. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the concept of a 3 slice toaster. So I shopped at ebay for a 2 slice model. I spent the entire day, hunting for the toaster. I battled for a few, but got sniped on a sweet red 3 slicer. I was willing to live dangerously for a good price. But it was not to be. I got sniped with seconds to go. I then focused my energies on a nice, lightly used, chrome and charcoal model. Again, it was not to be as I gave up at $79.00 for a used toaster.

I pressed onward. I was totally locked in on a nice used, but in like-new condition blue 2 slicer. I even began to call it my new toaster. I put in a solid bid, and then watched in horror as some clown kept nibbling away, driving up the price 3 bucks at a time. 14 nibbling bids later, they appeared to give up. But I worried, so I sat and watched the end of the auction. I kept a window open with a higher bid, just in case, and refreshed the pages every few seconds. Finally, I had shopped victoriously.

I won a manly toaster. Big and brawny. A beast among toasters. According to the website, I can now make 78 slices of toast per hour. I may have to make all the toast in the house from now on. I don't know if the wife can handle that much machine.

Here it is, the Toaster of My Dreams:

What a stupid move by the Yankees!

They let Joe Torre go. The guy has made the playoffs 12 straight years. This year, the Yankees lost in the playoffs. Was it mismanagement? Was Joe at fault for the Yankees failure to hit in the playoffs? Of course not. Could Torre have exected mayflies in October? And why was he not prepared for them? Oy vey! The kid, Joba Chamberlain had thrown one wild pitch all season. He threw 2 in an inning. Maybe Torre shouldn't have put a rookie in that situation, but who else should he have used? Farnsworth? You never know with him. He could be dominant, or he could be like a batting tee. It was too early for Mo. Torre made the right choices, and got the wrong results.
It reminds me of when Zimmer was manager of the Cubs a few years back. He managed contrarily to recognized strategies. It worked, and he made it to the playoffs--what a genius! The next year, it didn't, and he got fired.
Hall of Fame Manager Earl Weaver was asked how many games a good manager could win for a team. His response? ""Zero." A bad manager may lose a game or two a year, but the best managers win none.
Baseball strategy is limited at best. Certainly, every manager has percentages and "books" available at all times. But belt high fastballs get missed, and "perfect" sliders on the outside of the plate get hit into the upper deck every day.
What does it all mean? Just that if a manager "has the horses" he will lead his team to victory. But saddle him with some broken down 46 year old savior coupled with a bunch of rookies, and throw in some injuries and John McGraw, Miller Huggins and Tommy LaSorda combined can't guarantee a win, let alone a World Series title.
Bottom line:
The Yankees, who have made their share of mistakes during the Steinbrenner years, just made one of their biggest. They allowed a loyal member of the Yankees family to walk. Torre is a gentleman, a baseball man, and most of all, a winner.

The season continues

The Padres and the Rockies are in a one game playoff to deteremine the NL wild card playoff team tonight.
The Rockies got in by winning 13 of their last 14 games. What a great finish!!!

I predict this red hot team will win today, but will lose the first game of the playoffs against the Phils.

It may be tough for any team to beat the Phils in the playoffs.

So, look for the Yankees and Phils to meet in the World Series, and, of course, championship 27 will go to the team from the Bronx.

Who is in the Playoffs?

This has been one of the greatest seasons ever. Here it is, with one game to go, and the NL still hasn't determined which teams are in the playoffs. Only one division is decided (the Central--go Cubbies!) while the East is a flat-footed tie between the Phillies and Mets. I think everybody is still alive in the West. That was a slight exaggeration. The D-Backs are in, but it may be as division winner or wild card. The wild card has not been determined, because the Mets, Phils and Padres may all wind up with the same record.

The most amazing part of this year is that the Yankees were written off a few months ago, as were the Phillies. Baseball is a long season. And I can't remember any season when the words of Yogi Berra were ever more appropriate, "It ain't over, til it's over."

A-Rod has all but won the MVP award, and that brings up an interesting question. How can a guy sign a 10 year deal with the option to walk at 7? Which genius executive signed off on that? And it makes one wonder just how high is up? A-Rod is getting 25 mil per year, and he is seeking a raise? WTH!!! I realize he is probably the best player in the game today, but more than 25 mil per? Didn't he catch enough crap when he signed last time? And, yes, I completely understand that baseball contracts are not about the money per year, but the total dollars. And A-Rod is at the age where this may be his last shot at another mega contract. What would have been wrong with another 7 years at 25 mil per? That would make his total for the last 2 contracts for 14 years at 25 mil per year. Total contract 350 mil. That should make for a fairly comfortable retirement.

I was watching the Phillies game today, and saw something so stupid. Sitting in the stands, at a Philadelphia Stadium, watching a game against the Washington franchise, was some moron in a Mets cap. Maybe I'm a traditionalist, but this is just wrong. It's great to support one's team, and if the Mets were within 50 miles of the Stadium I could understand it. But when you wear shirt, caps, etc. representing a team that is no where in sight, that is just plain rude and ignorant. The only exception to this would be if one had a classic bit of memorabilia, like a Negro League cap or a Carl Hubbel jersey. Otherwise, just wear a cap saying, "Booger Eating Moron."

Playoffs begin Tuesday with the Yankees against the Indians.

GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

September 11th, 2001

September, 11, 2001 changed America forever. It affected thousands of lives in ways many of us didn‘t initially anticipate. Allow me to explain. I had two students who lost their Dad in the Twin Towers that fateful day. I never met the man, but met his children about four months after the loss of their father. More than five years later I still can’t get the image out of my mind of my two students. Here’s a little bit of the background story: dad went to work nice and early that Tuesday morning, got on the train in Central New Jersey, and headed to the World Trade Center for a special early morning business event.
I like to think he kissed his wife and kids goodbye, picked up his valise, and headed out the door. Maybe he asked her to make something special for dinner, or he may have told her he would try to get home early that night. I’m sure he left with hope and a little bounce in his step on that bright Tuesday morning.
He was headed to a business card exchange at Windows on the World. This was one of the premiere restaurants in NYC, and the place where men and women networked to try to help themselves by helping each other. They weren’t captains of industry, but instead were the “regular guys.” They were men and women working hard to provide food and shelter for their families. I’m sure some were highly paid, among the best and brightest in their field, but most were average Joes. Folks who got on the train in suburbia, and headed into “The City” to earn their daily bread.
Everyone knows what happened next. The planes hit the Tower at 9:11 a.m. and tens of thousands of lives changed forever in that instant.
America itself changed drastically that day. No longer did we feel safe from attack. Everyone should have known that we were vulnerable. Bombs had been set off around the world for years. In 1993, the Trade Center had been attacked, and survived. My friend Jim, a Transit cop who died on 9-11, had been honored previously for his actions back then. The Tower was considered indestructible. America was tough, strong, and safe. 9-11, however, showed that we were indeed vulnerable. Our innocence was lost.
In January 2002 I worked tutoring children. As stated previously, two of my students were children of one of the many victims. The more time I spent with them, the more I realized that they were also the victims, in addition to their dad. The boy was in 8th grade, while his sister was in 5th. But they didn’t look like typical middle school age kids. It was something about their eyes. Their brown eyes looked perpetually sad. I never recall seeing the normal joy and playfulness in the demeanor of the boy. This young man was the most morose teenager I ever met. In my over 5 years of tutoring, he was the only child I never could make laugh. He had the eyes of an old man. And, unfortunately, the soul of a beaten down old man.
His sister had the same sad eyes. But after a while, she changed around me. She started to smile more, and even laughed at my incredibly witty jokes. They were witty to a 5th grader, anyway. By the time my birthday came around, she gave me a very beautiful hand made card. It took everything I had not to cry when she gave it to me. The best part is she made the card a funny one. Was my sense of humor helping her a little bit to heal? I’ll never know, but I certainly hope it did.
I think about my two special students often. The memories of September 11th surround us here in the NY metro area. We have monuments everywhere-- at train stations, parks, and shopping centers. I wonder if they are able to look past these various memorials as so many of us do, or if they serve as reminders to them on a daily basis of the worst day of their lives.
Time heals all wounds, even those that have cut so deeply.

Peace.

Finally!!!!

The Yankees have taken over the wild card, and don't look like they are going to relinquish the lead any time soon. The pitching is coming around at last. Other than Mussina, they have a credible starting staff, especially in a short series. A few years ago the Diamondbacks showed that with just 2 strong starters the World Series can be won. Wang, Pettitte and Clemens should be able to do the job. And the bullpen is balanced with Joba (my new favorite player, and the one voted "Best Son-in-Law Candidate Among New York Sports Stars, So How Do I Introduce Him To My Daughter") Chamberlain along with Mo who seems to be hitting postseason stride. Vizcaino is doing well, and Ramirez seems to be getting better with every game. I'm not worried about the pitching for the first time in many years. Considering how young many of the pitchers are, they should be dominant in the near future, also.

The offense is not quite as productive as expected, but some of the guys who were struggling early have picked up the pace. Abreu and Matsui have come back from slow starts and are both well on the way to 100 RBI years again. A-Rod is having an MVP year, while Jorge is having one of his best years at bat and in the field. I thought catchers slowed down at his age? Couldn't happen to a better guy.

Damon is starting to hit a little, and he has decided to shut up. Both of these are good moves on his part, and good for the team. And, against all odds, Jason Giambi is back, and has been playing first like a Gold Glover. Yeah, Giambi has been making good plays around the bag. He even made a couple run saving plays. I'm a huge fan of the G man, but never thought he would ever remind me of Mattingly at first.

I remember an announcer a few years ago remarked that bad teams seem to play well early before they realize how bad they are. Seemed silly at the time, but it sure does seem to follow throughout the years. It almost is as if the Yankees suddenly realized how good they were, and have been playing great since the All-Star break. Since the break, thay have been playing at a blistering .667 pace. If they had done this from April, they would have 90 wins already, and the howling in Beantown about the payroll would have been so long and loud. I'm glad it happened this way. I haven't been subjected to the usual mid-season whining from all the teams with ownership that doesn't care about their teams enough to try to give them what they need to put a winning squad on the field.

Yankees Updates

As of this minute, the Bombers are tied for the wild card, and stand just 4.5 games behind the Sox, who are currently on the losing end of a battle with the Angels. By the end of today, with a little luck, my team could be 4 games out of the division lead, and in front of the pack in the wild card race. A fan had a sign today, with a picture of a car’s side mirror that said, “Red Sox, objects in mirror may be closer than they appear.”
The team brought up Joba Chamberlain, and he is becoming a fan favorite. What’s not to like? He has a fastball in the 100 MPH range, a slider that is almost unhittable, and can throw a curve that falls off the table. Top it off with near pinpoint control, and they have one of the best, if not the best, young pitcher on the game. And, while talking about the best young pitchers in the game, how can Phil Hughes be left out of the discussion? He was the pride of the minor league system. Maybe he is the best young pitcher in the majors today. What a choice! They have the potential to be the best one -two punch in history. One day, they may rank up at the top of the list with Koufax and Drysdale, Carlton and Gibson, Seaver and Koosman. The “old” staff of the Yankees has gotten younger in a hurry. Wang, who is only 27 years old, gives the Yankees a big three that will dominate the AL East for years. And, more may be on the way.
Things are looking great in Yankeeland. The team seems to be running on all cylinders, as their explosive power can quickly turn a close 4-3 game into a 9-3 rout in almost no time.
About the only bump in the road was Johnny Damon’s whining a few weeks ago.
He complained that he wasn’t getting much playing time. Hey, Johnny, how about getting the old average above .250 before you start crying like a Little Leaguer? Not for nothing, but Melky is hitting 40 points higher, and can catch the ball, and then throw it. I ain’t saying we don’t love you, but how about sucking it up and getting healthy enough to earn those mega-bucks you are getting paid to WIN the World Series? Not for nothing, but, it’s not like the team is keeping you out of the HOF by benching you, nor are they keeping you from getting that next big payday.
GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Worst Vacation Ever

Last Wednesday, I set out for the wilds of Connecticut for a vacation. You may be thinking, Connecticut? But why would anyone ever go there? Ok, it was for a convention. I'm a model train geek, and I was willing to travel 3 hours for this once a year event.
Wednesday night, I was feeling kind of tired, but since I didn't sleep the night before (I was too excited--remember the part about being a geek?) I thought it was ok. Had trouble sleeping, but again, thought all was well.
Thursday seemed a little better. I slept sitting on a chair, but at least I got some rest. I went to one event, and felt pretty good.
Friday was laid back, and I really thought it was going to be fine.
Then about 7 at night, all hell broke loose. I couldn't breathe. My chest hurt. I was sweating like at a police checkpoint with a dead hooker in the trunk of my car.
Emergency services showed up, meanwhile the hotel manager was busy chasing me and the old Lady with some sort of waiver protecting the hotel from damages. If room 131 was going to henceforth be known as "The Death Room," at least Sam the night manager would have his paperwork in order.
The staff at the hospital was great. Nurse Heather, who could have been a model, teamed up with Dr. Cutie Rodriguez, to help me breathe, and bring down the blood pressure.
Without boring anyone with details, it turns out that my previous doctors had not only given me the wrong meds, but had forgotten one key element. A diuretic. I spent the next 4 days peeing. 4 liters a day!!!! I lost 36 lbs as I peed at a Guiness record setting rate. Richard Simmons, kiss my butt.
I was released after 5 days, and feel better than I have in years.
It looks like this vacation, while a disaster, did have some good come out of it. I'll be writing boring blog posts for a while yet. In the words of Mark Twain: "The report of my death was an exaggeration."

Alex is stuck at 499

Tonight the Yankees blasted 8 homers, and A-Rod was shut out. Interesting. I wonder how much the hundreds of flashbulbs going off affect him. They sure bug me.
I guess the biggest reason they bug me is because the flash works in a range of maybe 10 feet or so. Yet the schmuck in the upper deck snaps away as if he is getting a shot that will make the front page of the Daily News.
The Yankees still have a great shot not only for the wild card (3 games back) but I think they are going to catch the Sox. It didn't become any easier today when the Sox added to their bullpen by getting Gagne, but I still think we have enough to take them. Hughes will be back, and Giambi has been banging the ball on his rehab assignment. Once Igawa gets straightened out (again) they are going to have a bullpen that is good enough.
Mo has not been so dominant this year, but I wonder if that is a function of the team rather than his age. He has pitched at least a few times in non-save situations because Joe wanted to get the win. And, the Yankees have had streaks where they absolutely smashed teams, and Mo didn't pitch for a week. That is not how a closer stays sharp. His ERA is a respectable 3.05, but it's not the lights out numbers he usually puts up. He did have a few bad days in April, and for a guy who pitches so few innings, it is not easy to lower his ERA. All in all, I'm not worried, though.
One concern I do have is the hitting. When they are hitting, they score like no team I've ever seen. But then, they will get shut out the next two days. Frustrating as hell. I don't get it. And, for some reason, with Clemens or Pettitte on the hill, they don't seem to score at all.
But they will get catch the Sox. It may be in the last week of the season, and I won't even be surprised if it is a 1 game playoff.
Wang vs Beckett for it all.
You read it here first.
And Melky Cabrera will play the role of Bucky F'ing Dent.

Making the move

Finally, the Yankees are running on all cylinders. Sure, they are currently feasting on the soft underbelly of the junior circuit, but that is what they should do. They need to keep the relatively weak hitting teams in check, while they smash the pitching of the sub .500 teams. They have been successfully getting out the starters early, and then really abusing the long/middle relief.
That was the formula in the great 96-00 run, and along with decent pitching should get it done again.
As my Yankee friend has said since spring training: 27 in 2007.
That would look great on a t-shirt.

At this point, Yankees are 6 behind the Sox and only 4 out of the wild card. Isn't it funny how quickly things change. Just a few short weeks ago, nearly everyone was ready to write off the Bombers. Now today, it seems like they are jumping on the NYY bandwagon. I don't mind the sportswriters/talking heads. Their job is to be controversial and also to try not to show any favoritism. I'm a huge fan of Mike and Mike in the morning, and had no problem with Golic picking the Yanks to finish out of the playoffs. First, he's a TV personality. He's a former football player, so what does he know? His job is to fill the air with 4 hours (or more) of talk per day. The show would be boring if he just agreed with Greenie (Yankees fan and long time pro sports guy.)
But these aren't the guys I have trouble with.

Yankees fans. Guys who profess to be dyed in the wool fans, gave up in May, fergawdsake.

May!!!!

Guys who claimed to bleed Yankees blue (or pinstripes?) gave up with over 100 games to go. Before they hit the half way point, they conceded the pennant, and all but gave up on the wild card.

What a bunch of second rate fans.

I just want all of us regular fans, the ones who wouldn't give up the ship until the first pitch of the playoffs, not to allow those who jumped to get back on. Sure, I always make room during the playoffs for fans of other teams and allow them a chance to become a Yankees fan. Sort of like amnesty for those who were so misguided and misinformed. But I have no patience for those who gave up. You guys can go root for the Cubs.

Moral Orel

TV Sherpa checking in. I've been busy watching a lot of bad TV lately.

Does anyone care what the hell ever happened to Chachi or the 2 Coreys? I know I don't. I'm sure I'll eventually get around to review all these shows, but heaven knows I'm holding off as long as possible.

Unfortunately, the executives consider to produce crap on the major networks, and our only hope is cable's endless choices. Sadly, though, the crap level on cable has been increasing as they fill the void left by the big boys.

Not so with today's show I'm reviewing. Moral Orel, found on the Cartoon Network at 12:15 a.m. on Sunday night (ok, not exactly a prime time slot.)

This show is 15 minutes of quality viewing. The look of the program is very Davey and Goliath. Orel even closely resembles the aforementioned Davey. The surrounding cast, while also looking like Davey's friends and family, well, that's where the similarity ends.

Dad is an abusive scotch drinking kind of guy. Mom also appears to enjoy the occasional drink. An occasion could be Tuesday. Various religious people are in the show, and while they do wear the vestments, most do not share characteristics normally associated with the clergy.

Episodes from this year have included Orel being in a "Praying Bee" against his school's rivals, The Praying Mantises. In another his dad got in an argument with neighbors about the wording of the "Our Father."

The show has been described by others as Davey and Goliath meets South Park.

Maybe that would be an ok description. But I'm not 100% with that. South Park is much funnier, and much more topical, along with satire that is a bit more biting.
That said, I like Moral Orel. .

It's a pretty decent show with a lousy time slot.
I rate it a very solid 8. I wish it were longer and at a better time slot, although that would not affect my rating.


It's been a while, so here's a quick review of my ratings system:
10--a prime show. The Sopranos or 24 would rate a 10.
9-- definately worth watching. Think South Park or Seinfeld re-runs. Not as funny as the first time, but still great TV fare.
8-- Pretty darn good stuff. If you can't be home, you'd consider setting up the VCR. Some solid 8's would be Earl, or Everybody Hates Chris.
7-- Not quite good enough to tape. But you can look forward to watching. The Office is the first show that comes to mind as a 7.
6--Now we get into the shows that are ok, but only a first choice if other shows are re-runs.You won't mind watching a 6 at a different time. Britcoms are 6's.5-- Think of a movie you liked, but have seen a dozen times or more.You'd choose the movie over the program, then the program is a
5. Mash and almost everything on TVLAND has become a 5.
4--Crappy show, but with some redeeming quality, like it features hot chicks. Any show with Pam Anderson would be a 4.
3--Only worth watching if the only alternative is infommercials. Fishing shows are 3.
2-- About the same as a good infommercial. QVC is a 2.
1-- Infommercials, unless they are The Knife Collector Show. They sell swords!

Talking Heads, Bobbleheads and Knuckleheads

When I was growing up, sports coverage was fairly limited. The Yankees were on Channel 11 (with about half the games broadcast,) the Mets were on Channel 9, and the game of the week was on Channel 7 on Saturday afternoons. The TV news usually featured a short nightly sports report. So, what has changed?
Sports now has a bunch of TV channels just devoted to it. MSG, FSN, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN Classic (just in case I really need to watch a 30 year-old bowling tournament) and a few others. The Yankees have their own channel and every single game is broadcast. The Mets and Sox have their own channels/networks also.
On the surface, this would appear to be great. Baseball fanatics can now satisfy their thirst for every single statistic as the networks have hours and hours to fill. But, I disagree. I believe we are in statistical overload.
It was just announced that Joe Maurer hit a walk off game winning single for the first time in his career last night. If I were a big Joe Maurer fan, that would mean something to me. I'm not, so it doesn't. However, because I believe that my brain can only contain and maintain so much information, I have now lost some bit of important info I may need at a later date. Did I lose the ability to figure out square roots?
Probably not because I couldn't do them before. So I worry about what I did lose.
And since sports networks have so much time to fill, we have to endure so many programs that should not be produced. Yes Network is busy touting a Tino Martinez Yankeeography. Ok, I like Tino as much as the next guy, but he sure doesn't warrant an hour special. If the network didn't have to fill 18 hours of daily programming, Tino would just be a part of the late 90's Yankees teams. So now, we get hours of dumb programming, hosted by even dumber ex-jocks as they interview players nobody cares much about.
Important update: Phillies are facing their 10,000th defeat as a franchise. Good thing Joe Morgan just pointed out that the Phillies can avoid this devastating defeat by outscoring their opponents. Even the most ardent fan couldn't possibly care about this alleged "milestone."
Is anyone thinking if only the 1972 team had just won a few more games? Just another meaningless statistic to fill the airwaves and my mind with senseless clutter.
How I miss the Scooter with his birthday announcements and his cannoli pandering.

Psych

Your TV Sherpa weighing in today. Psych is one of the many shows on USA network. New shows come on Friday evenings, but they are repeated constantly. In fact, last night's show has been on maybe 4 or 5 times today already.
The basic premise for the show is simple: The star pretends to solve crimes using psychic ability. In actuality, he is just a really great detective. He is very detail oriented, and catches many of these relatively insignificant clues missed by the regular police. He does a good job of faking psychic powers, so he is called on often for the really tough cases. With his partner, they have a detective agency, and enjoy a modicum of success.
The show is ripe with interplay between his dad, a retired detective, and his partner who knows the real deal, and the regular police who have some doubts, but recognize that he has some gift. The show is loaded with laughs, so much so that it is hard to decide if the show is a comedy or a detective show.
It doesn't matter, it is what it is, and I really like it.

I'm rating it a very enjoyable 8.6.

The second half begins

I've been in the hospital for part of the last month, and busy trying not to barf the rest of the time. But now I'm back. Starting to feel almost human again, so I need to get back to what I do best: Support the Yankees and watch TV.

Start with the Yankees. We enter the second half of the season 10 games out of the AL East pennant race, and 8 1/2 out of the wild card. These are desperate times indeed.

But I'm not ready to throw in the towel. Not even close. I can not find another starting 8 that I would swap even up for the Bronx Bombers. They are led by not 1, not even 2, but 3 legitimate MVP candidates. A-Rod, Jeter, and Posada. Each would be considered THE man on any other team, but on the Yanks they are just a part of the best lineup in baseball.

The starting staff is coming around, and as long as Pettitte is not injured (why has he gotten blown out in his last 2 starts?) Wang, Pettite, Mussina, and Clemens are enough to get us into the playoffs. And once there, easily enough to take on all comers, even the Tigers or Sox.

I'm looking for a huge second half surge by our pinstriped representatives of NY. A friend and fellow fan says 27 in 2007, and I see no reason to jump ship.

We still have a lot of baseball left this season.

As the great Lawrence Peter Berra once said, "It ain't over til it's over."