FoolBlog

Linking Fool Friday

The latest Executive Order and associated goings-on freak me the hell out. Yeah, it's worst-case scenario, and I don't want to sound too much like a tinfoil hat wearer. But in all seriousness, I am much more afraid of a US government round-up of "dissenters" than I am of being killed in an al Qaeda terrorist attack.

Elsewhere in teh politics, the Scott Thomas Beauchamp affair is pretty ridiculous. The unwillingness of the wingnuts to accept anything that casts the war effort in a negative light... you think we'd be used to it by now. Also, this would be funny if it weren't so sad-but-true.

Teh sports: Anyone else remember this crazy old Phillies commercial?

Teh wacky: Max Hell, video game villain? Oscar the cat, angel of death! And mixing teh sports and teh wacky, a great old SNL sketch, George Will's Sports Machine.

My children as Simpsons characters

C'mon, everybody's doing it.

Go Catie, it's your birfday

When I ask her what she wants for her birthday, she says "Cake!"
Easy to please, that one.

Mid-Week Cookie Break

Linking Fool Friday

National item: Amazing how quickly Republicans changed their minds on the importance of filibusters.

Virginia item: New driving "abuser fees" are crap, and it turns out the biggest proponent is a defense attorney for traffic offenses.

Mascot item: The Giants' Lou Seal in altercation with fan.

Wacky item: TV news crew laughs uproariously at tripping model. Love how the producers run the clip repeatedly once Jim and George start losing it.

Fan Law

I followed a link from Deadspin, and ended up on this Bugs & Cranks post on "Fan Law,", most of which I agree with. However, I've got beef with this item:

#4. No wearing another team’s jersey to the game. I’m certainly more lenient than many on this, and I don’t mind people wearing jerseys of former players. Buy why go to a Yankees game with a Padres jersey on? Worse yet, why do you have a Peyton Manning jersey on? If you’re going to go to the trouble to wear sports apparel, make sure it’s for the right sport and if possible the right team. Otherwise, you just look like a douchbag. If you don’t know what to wear, go with: A) Team apparel of a team participating in the game B) Unmarked clothing C) Something completely random, like a banana costume.

Now see here: at the end of August, I am going to St. Louis to see my man Otis and check out the Cardinals' new ballpark. The Cards are playing the Atlanta Freakin' Braves, who I loathe, so I will have no problem cheering for the Cardinals that day. But I do not own, nor do I wish to buy, any Cardinals apparel. I am a fan of the Washington Nationals, and I intend to represent by wearing either my red Nats polo shirt (which will blend in nicely with all the Cardinals red) or my bad-ass old-school Montreal Expos road jersey.

Am I wrong? When I'm out of town, should I pretend to not like my favorite team just to make people on some sports blog happy? Should I get a banana costume instead?

Mid-Week Cookie Break

Department of Unfortunate Names

Spotted this sign getting off the highway near my house.

Thought he was dead. I wonder if Ginger Lynn works in the title office.

Linking Fool Friday

I've long argued that you could make a case against the Iraq war based on economics alone. At this point, we'd have been better off giving every adult Iraqi a few hundred dollars to be nice to each other.

Dover Bitch notes the disconnect between Bush's "personal responsibility" fetish, and the gutting of federal agencies that help consumers make informed decisions.

Teh sports: The Phanatic rules all. And I would like to donate money towards this effort.

And teh wacky: R Kelly vs. Broken Social Scene.

Mid-Week Cookie Break

All-Star Extravaganza (no game necessary)

There are several organizations I'd like to get deep inside of and have a look at their books. Metro, for instance, and DC Public Schools--both orgnizations that are seemingly rolling in dough, and I'm convinced there's money being sucked into a black hole somewhere.

Another such black-box organization would be the production offices of Major League Baseball and/or Fox Sports. Because despite the collective outcry of disgust from sports writers, bloggers, and fan message board posters everywhere, they must have secret evidence that suggest people actually like horrendously drawn-out, schlocky pre-game shows. I'd like to know what those focus groups look like. Seriously, close to 9 PM eastern and the game hasn't even started yet; it's like they want people to not watch the end of the game. At the rate they're going, in a few years there won't even be a game, just three hours of cheeze.

Also, Joe Buck is crap, and Tim McCarver needs a big steaming mug of Shut the Hell Up.

Linking Fool Friday (Monday edition)

I was sick on Friday. Beware of undercooked fried chicken.

I too am bewildered by the notion that federal government bureaucrats are responsible for all sorts of evils. I'll tell you who's responsible for evils around here.

One could make a good argument for simpler immigration based on food alone.

Teh sports: Feel the excitement!

Teh wacky: Banana Phone! A vanity tag I wish I'd thought of. And lastly, all bass players, all the time.

A Steak Grows on Dmitri

(Title credit: The Dugout)

Even in a miserable losing season like the Nats' 2007, there will be days like yesterday. Great weather, if a bit hot. We sat in the front row of the upper deck, and kept the girls from throwing any objects (or themselves) over the railing. We scored our George Washington bobbleheads. Matt Chico gave up a few hits, but largely cruised through the Cubs' line-up, and pitched as good a game as I've seen any Nats pitcher throw this year.

And then there was the bottom of the 5th. Belliard doubled to plate a run and put runners and second and third with one out. That brought up Zimmerman, and I briefly wondered if they'd walk him, but tossed that thought away. His homer and single on the day notwithstanding, Ryan's been struggling a bit, and you don't walk someone who's struggling to load the bases for the guy who's hitting .330, do you?

Apparently if you're the Cubs you do, and the Nats fans sitting near me agreed: bad idea. Bad idea indeed, as Dmitri rocked a curve ball for the grand slam that will undoubtedly be my favorite memory of the 2007 season. Da Meat Hook will inevitably be traded at the deadline (which is the right move), and I know he's had some personal issues off the field. But for now, I'm glad he's here.

Going back tonight. Anyone want to buy my tickets for the Astros game on July 17?

Mid-Week Cookie Break

Cookie Monster is breaking into your house and watching you sleep!

A scene from the weekend

[Somehow the topic of a nice, smart, attractive female friend of ours dating some total jackass came into the conversation.]
Me: You know, I came across this web site, hotchickswithdouchebags.com...
Mrs. Fool: **gasp** [looks shocked and horrified]
Me: ...it's pictures of hot girls with guys who you can tell just by looking at them are complete jerks. [pause] It's not literal.
Mrs. Fool: Oh. OK.