This will be a running feature with thoughts on happenings in the Major Leagues...
I'm currently watching the Athletics take on the Angels on Sunday Night Baseball. Right now they're locked into a pitching duel with Escobar throwing some nasty stuff. He's up to seven strikeouts through six. These teams are going to be going at it all year long for the AL West title. I sure hope ESPN decides to air A's-Angels games often this year. I can see these teams starting to hate each other real soon.
While I am Red Sox fan, and perhaps a bit biased, the fight between the Sox and D-Rays this afternoon can be blamed on the D-Rays exclusively. Seriously, you do NOT throw at David Ortiz's head because Bronson Arroyo hit one of your guys on the leg. Carter should have had his face smashed in by Nixon for that bush league bullshit. He's lucky Nixon was held back, otherwise he'd be looking for a good plastic surgeon. I don't care if you want to prove yourself to the World Champs or whatever, but you don't throw at a guys head. Carter and Piniella better get a suspension, and Arroyo better not get suspended at all.
Just to prove that I can judge these things a bit more objectively, I think it was the right call to leave Gary Sheffield unpunished.
The Cubs are really not that good. Their lineup is too weak to keep up with that of the Cardinals, and Carpeter is emerging as a great pitcher, making the Cubs pitching advantage less impressive. It's hard to see them doing better than the Marlins or the Braves this season, especially with injury issues. They'll be competative, but there is absolutely no chance they'll make the World Series, and will probably miss the playoffs.
Speaking of the Cubs, they're best pitcher isn't Wood or Prior, it's Carlos Zambrano. This kid throws (and breathes) fire.
Bunting is stupid.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Friday, April 22, 2005
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Why are the Yankees in last place?
Nothing makes me smile more than seeing the Yankees share the AL East cellar with the D-Rays, but it has nothing to do with an inherent problem with the Yankees. It has everything to do with the fact that they played a very good Red Sox team and a much improved Orioles team (worth watching out for this season). The Sox haven't had to play the Orioles, and the Yankees haven't gotten to play the D-Rays. Expect things to right themselves in a little while, with the Sox and the Yankees slugging it out for AL East supremacy, with some spirited challenge from the O's and, at least until the All Star Break, the Blue Jays.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Current Favorites (April 13, 2005)
Music
Louis XIV-Pitchfork trashed these guys, but I think it's harmless, fun, music. "The Grand Apartment" is the best song I've heard from them. Nothing special, but who cares...
Movies
I saw a lot of good movies recently, including:
Sideways: I almost pissed myself it was so funny. Most criticism focuses on how unlikeable the main characters are (true), but I don't think that matters. If you absolutely need likeable characters, watch a Disney movie. This movie could be compared Swingers (fairly), but it has a different feel, more neurotic and sad. Imagine if Woody Allen made Swingers. 9/10
Martin & Orloff: See this movie if you have the chance. Seriously, if you are about to get laid, and it would interfere with a chance to see this movie, tell the chick or dick you'll see them later, you have to go see Martin & Orloff. The movie never lets up. It's dumb and smart at the same time. Check out the links to go to the website. 10/10
Amelie: The cover said "The feel good movie of the year", and well, it's right. I wanted something depressing, so I got something French. I ended up with a smile on my face and a warm fuzzy feeling. Original and interesting, highly recommended. 8/10
Trainspotting: The least satisfying of the bunch, but as I said, I've seen a lot of great movies lately. 7/10
Books
Plato The Rupublic: Since I didn't have to read the entire book, I didn't. But what I did read was interesting. If it's assigned in class, don't be afraid, it's not too bad.
JM Coetzee Youth: I read this last summer and enjoyed it. This is Coetzee's memoirs, though he "fictionalizes" them. In other words, he takes events from his life and puts it in the third person, where the protagonist is him. It is an interesting approach, and it pays off. Now I'm reading it for my creative writing class for our author memoir assignment. So I'm rereading it much more carefully. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy writing. Youth gives an inside look at one of modern literature's best authors, and, as a bonus, it is much less depressing than Desire.
Things I'm Looking Forward To:
Brewers game on Saturday, April 16
Guster concert in Winona on Saturday, April 23
Yankees-Red Sox game on ESPN2 at 6 pm (central)
Mark Prior-Kerry Wood pitch a doubleheader today, which starts in about ten minutes.
Cheers!
Louis XIV-Pitchfork trashed these guys, but I think it's harmless, fun, music. "The Grand Apartment" is the best song I've heard from them. Nothing special, but who cares...
Movies
I saw a lot of good movies recently, including:
Sideways: I almost pissed myself it was so funny. Most criticism focuses on how unlikeable the main characters are (true), but I don't think that matters. If you absolutely need likeable characters, watch a Disney movie. This movie could be compared Swingers (fairly), but it has a different feel, more neurotic and sad. Imagine if Woody Allen made Swingers. 9/10
Martin & Orloff: See this movie if you have the chance. Seriously, if you are about to get laid, and it would interfere with a chance to see this movie, tell the chick or dick you'll see them later, you have to go see Martin & Orloff. The movie never lets up. It's dumb and smart at the same time. Check out the links to go to the website. 10/10
Amelie: The cover said "The feel good movie of the year", and well, it's right. I wanted something depressing, so I got something French. I ended up with a smile on my face and a warm fuzzy feeling. Original and interesting, highly recommended. 8/10
Trainspotting: The least satisfying of the bunch, but as I said, I've seen a lot of great movies lately. 7/10
Books
Plato The Rupublic: Since I didn't have to read the entire book, I didn't. But what I did read was interesting. If it's assigned in class, don't be afraid, it's not too bad.
JM Coetzee Youth: I read this last summer and enjoyed it. This is Coetzee's memoirs, though he "fictionalizes" them. In other words, he takes events from his life and puts it in the third person, where the protagonist is him. It is an interesting approach, and it pays off. Now I'm reading it for my creative writing class for our author memoir assignment. So I'm rereading it much more carefully. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy writing. Youth gives an inside look at one of modern literature's best authors, and, as a bonus, it is much less depressing than Desire.
Things I'm Looking Forward To:
Brewers game on Saturday, April 16
Guster concert in Winona on Saturday, April 23
Yankees-Red Sox game on ESPN2 at 6 pm (central)
Mark Prior-Kerry Wood pitch a doubleheader today, which starts in about ten minutes.
Cheers!
Monday, April 11, 2005
A Quick One, While He's Away (April 11, 2005)
A few quick thoughts and news bits...
-One week until my birthday. Weehoo!
-Brian Urlacher is underrated because everyone says he's so overrated. He is, however, overpaid.
-Pedro Martinez will eventually remember he plays for the Mets, and his season will spiral out of control.
-Somehow, the word "Octopussy" is hilarious at 2 am.
-When I was in China and Mongolia, I never saw low fat items, and in Mongolia, most meals featured meat with a side of meat. However, when I returned to America, the first thing that struck me was how fat Americans are. When I'm cashiering at the grocery store, most people are purchasing low fat, reduced fat and fat free items, which tend to taste like crap (I saw a thing of vegetable oil that promised to burn as energy rather than be stored as fat, yeah, that's not scary). I was informed that in France, most people care little about the fat content of the food they are eating, and still manage to manage without an obesity problem. What this leads me to conclude, is that Americans tend to binge and purge their way to gastronomical depression. We will eat deap fried cheese dipped in ranch, then try to make up for it by eating flavorless low fat items, become depressed by these disgusting choices, and console ourselves with ranch dipping sauce. And gain weight like walruses. So perhaps we should just eat well in the first place, and get rid of the damn low fat crap. Happiness will ensue.
-Why shouldn't Eminem make fun of Moby?
-The Red Sox presenting the World Series rings right under the noses of the Yankees will probably backfire, but I wouldn't want it any other way. By the way, this whole Red Sox-Yankees thing strikes me as a model of Toaist principles. The Yankees have been top dog since 1918, but it only took one October for all the mystique and greatness to be forgotten by anyone outside of New York. I mean, it's over. Soon people will be less afraid to point out the obvious: Jeter is mediocre defensive shortstop, Torre has forgotten how to handle his pitching, and Randy Johnson is one injury away from dooming the Yanks shot at number 27. No one stays on top forever, and it only takes one event to end the reign, no matter how long it lasted.
-Speaking of the Red Sox, I never believed in curses. I remember a line from Moneyball, in which Billy Beane says, "It's luck, it's all fucking luck". He's right. Good management, good personel decisions, good players make all the difference in the regular season, but the postseason is more or less a crapshoot, especially the Division Series. Hell, the Devil Rays could win a Division Series. The reason the Yankees have won so many World Series is because they have been the best run team for most of the previous century and they have a ridiculous amount of money. This gives them a lot of opportunities to win. The Red Sox, on the other hand, have not always been the best run team (though they had plenty of money). Their team history is marred by racism and anti-semetism (which is what the Curse of the Bambino is really about), and a insistence on focusing on sluggers rather than great pitching. The Yankees always had more opportunities to win, and therefore got lucky more often. The Yankees have also lost a large number of World Series and playoff games. If 2001 World Series had involved the Red Sox, dumbasses would be talking about the curse. But it happened to the Yankees, so they just lost. Now this has been exorcised from most peoples minds, though some people still cling to it, like a 10 year old boy with his blanket.
That's all folks...
-One week until my birthday. Weehoo!
-Brian Urlacher is underrated because everyone says he's so overrated. He is, however, overpaid.
-Pedro Martinez will eventually remember he plays for the Mets, and his season will spiral out of control.
-Somehow, the word "Octopussy" is hilarious at 2 am.
-When I was in China and Mongolia, I never saw low fat items, and in Mongolia, most meals featured meat with a side of meat. However, when I returned to America, the first thing that struck me was how fat Americans are. When I'm cashiering at the grocery store, most people are purchasing low fat, reduced fat and fat free items, which tend to taste like crap (I saw a thing of vegetable oil that promised to burn as energy rather than be stored as fat, yeah, that's not scary). I was informed that in France, most people care little about the fat content of the food they are eating, and still manage to manage without an obesity problem. What this leads me to conclude, is that Americans tend to binge and purge their way to gastronomical depression. We will eat deap fried cheese dipped in ranch, then try to make up for it by eating flavorless low fat items, become depressed by these disgusting choices, and console ourselves with ranch dipping sauce. And gain weight like walruses. So perhaps we should just eat well in the first place, and get rid of the damn low fat crap. Happiness will ensue.
-Why shouldn't Eminem make fun of Moby?
-The Red Sox presenting the World Series rings right under the noses of the Yankees will probably backfire, but I wouldn't want it any other way. By the way, this whole Red Sox-Yankees thing strikes me as a model of Toaist principles. The Yankees have been top dog since 1918, but it only took one October for all the mystique and greatness to be forgotten by anyone outside of New York. I mean, it's over. Soon people will be less afraid to point out the obvious: Jeter is mediocre defensive shortstop, Torre has forgotten how to handle his pitching, and Randy Johnson is one injury away from dooming the Yanks shot at number 27. No one stays on top forever, and it only takes one event to end the reign, no matter how long it lasted.
-Speaking of the Red Sox, I never believed in curses. I remember a line from Moneyball, in which Billy Beane says, "It's luck, it's all fucking luck". He's right. Good management, good personel decisions, good players make all the difference in the regular season, but the postseason is more or less a crapshoot, especially the Division Series. Hell, the Devil Rays could win a Division Series. The reason the Yankees have won so many World Series is because they have been the best run team for most of the previous century and they have a ridiculous amount of money. This gives them a lot of opportunities to win. The Red Sox, on the other hand, have not always been the best run team (though they had plenty of money). Their team history is marred by racism and anti-semetism (which is what the Curse of the Bambino is really about), and a insistence on focusing on sluggers rather than great pitching. The Yankees always had more opportunities to win, and therefore got lucky more often. The Yankees have also lost a large number of World Series and playoff games. If 2001 World Series had involved the Red Sox, dumbasses would be talking about the curse. But it happened to the Yankees, so they just lost. Now this has been exorcised from most peoples minds, though some people still cling to it, like a 10 year old boy with his blanket.
That's all folks...
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Reviews: Beck Guero
One would think that Beck had rereleased Odelay, it gets mentioned more often the album that actually just came out, Guero. Which is actually, um, absolutely ridiculous. It sounds like Beck, but it doesn't sound a whole lot like Odelay. Maybe this is where the idiots got confused.
First, Guero is a fun album, it's an interesting album, Beck does tap Odelay producers The Dust Brothers. But to make an analogy, if Odelay and Guero are both impressionist paintings, one is Monet and the other is Renoir. Besides, Guero has clearly been made after Midnight Vultures (which no one felt compelled to label "knockoff Odelay"). In fact, it has more in common with that album, minus the libido. But most of all, like all of his other albums, Guero blazes it's own trail.
True, he takes the road more travelled, but succeeds for the most part without getting boring. The opener, "E-Pro" is fun but unimpressive, but from that point on, my interest was held. "Que Onda Guero" had me ready to dance like a white boy. Beck is at his most interesting on "Black Tambourine", which still has me wondering what it's all about. No, it's not a classic like Odelay, but who cares...since when did your music collection become a goddamn museum (cough, Spice Girls, cough cough...)!
Best Song: "Que Onda Guero"
Rating: ***1/2
First, Guero is a fun album, it's an interesting album, Beck does tap Odelay producers The Dust Brothers. But to make an analogy, if Odelay and Guero are both impressionist paintings, one is Monet and the other is Renoir. Besides, Guero has clearly been made after Midnight Vultures (which no one felt compelled to label "knockoff Odelay"). In fact, it has more in common with that album, minus the libido. But most of all, like all of his other albums, Guero blazes it's own trail.
True, he takes the road more travelled, but succeeds for the most part without getting boring. The opener, "E-Pro" is fun but unimpressive, but from that point on, my interest was held. "Que Onda Guero" had me ready to dance like a white boy. Beck is at his most interesting on "Black Tambourine", which still has me wondering what it's all about. No, it's not a classic like Odelay, but who cares...since when did your music collection become a goddamn museum (cough, Spice Girls, cough cough...)!
Best Song: "Que Onda Guero"
Rating: ***1/2
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