Just In Case You Are A Visual Learner

here is a reenactment of the larry craig incident, courtesy of slate.

Just When I Thought I Was Out They Pull Me Back In

after the phillies crapped the bed against the padres last week, i was ready to call it quits. they looked done. their pitching, for lack of a better word, sucked. cole hammels was on the DL. chase utley and shane victorino were still on the DL. ryan howard was slumping. it just seemed like their goose was cooked. they had a golden opportunity to gain ground on the wild card leading padres and let it slip through their fingers. they were headed in the wrong direction with a 4 game series against the mets looming ahead of them. then...

...utley returns. howard hits. victorino is back. hamels feels good. even adam eaton pitched well! they won the last game of the padres series then rode that momentum to take the first two from the mets. they are only 4 out of the division. the team is feeling good.

i hate to admit it, but i was about to jump ship. with all the emotional energy i have invested in this team, it was a hard choice, but it seemed like the rational choice. i don't know how i would have dealt with another september of "almost". but, you know what, this team does have a chance now. they are fighting. they have overcome adversity. they have what it takes. utley is back. jimmy is still leading by example. ryan howard is willing them to victory. cole is on the hill. the pieces are there.

LETS GO PHILLIES!!!

I Shouldn't, But I Can't Resist

i do honestly feel bad for this girl. but, on the other hand, when someone says something this stupid and incoherent, i can't help but pile on.



i should also mention that mario lopez is now officially the greatest actor in the world. you can see that he wants to laugh, but somehow manages to hold it in. i don't have that kind of self control.

The Bubble Guy At Broadway And Spring

at the intersection of broadway and spring streets stands the wonder bubble gun salesman. his craft is not extraordinary by new york standards, but few can match his unbridled enthusiasm for his job, and the joy he brings to countless peoples lives can never be measured.

he always makes me smile, even if i am stuck inside my own thoughts. he creates a sense of wonder, mystery, and magic on his corner. bubbles are everywhere. it makes his corner special: this is the corner where the bubbles are. it breaks up the monotony and the hustle-and-bustle of the street. for a brief moment you are allowed to join in enjoy the excitement the bubbles create.

it makes me happy. it should make you happy too.

This Is Just Humorous

Scoring Summary			TEX	BAL
	1st	C Patterson singled to right, B Roberts scored, C Patterson to second on throwing error by right fielder N Cruz.	0	1
	3rd	N Markakis hit a ground rule double to deep left center, B Roberts scored.	0	2
	3rd	M Tejada singled to right, N Markakis scored, M Tejada to second advancing on throw.	0	3
	4th	J Saltalamacchia singled to center, M Byrd and J Botts scored, D Murphy to second.	2	3
	4th	R Vazquez homered to right, D Murphy and J Saltalamacchia scored.	5	3
	6th	J Saltalamacchia homered to left center.	6	3
	6th	M Byrd homered to left, F Catalanotto, I Kinsler and M Young scored.	10	3
	6th	J Saltalamacchia singled to left, N Cruz scored, D Murphy to second.	11	3
	6th	R Vazquez singled to left center, D Murphy scored, J Saltalamacchia to second.	12	3
	6th	F Catalanotto singled to left, J Saltalamacchia scored, R Vazquez to second.	13	3
	6th	I Kinsler singled to center, R Vazquez scored, F Catalanotto to third.	14	3
	8th	F Catalanotto singled to right, D Murphy scored, J Saltalamacchia to third, R Vazquez to second.	15	3
	8th	I Kinsler singled to left, J Saltalamacchia scored, R Vazquez to third, F Catalanotto to second.	16	3
	8th	T Metcalf homered to left, R Vazquez, F Catalanotto and I Kinsler scored.	20	3
	8th	D Murphy singled to right, M Byrd scored, N Cruz to third.	21	3
	8th	J Saltalamacchia homered to right center, N Cruz and D Murphy scored.	24	3
	9th	J Botts doubled to deep right, I Kinsler and T Metcalf scored, M Byrd to third.	26	3
	9th	D Murphy reached on infield single to second, M Byrd scored, J Botts to third.	27	3
	9th	R Vazquez homered to right, J Botts and D Murphy scored.	30	3

Mick And Keef And The Rest Of The Band

as you may know, a year or so ago the rolling stones played a few shows at new york city's beacon theater, one of which commemorated president bill clinton's 60th birthday. the concerts were also filmed by the legendary martin scorsese (the last waltz) who has just released the trailer for his rock-doc on the stones, "shine a light". click the link then click on the virtual ticket and the trailer will start playing. its worth your while.

fortunately for the stones, this documentary turns out slightly better than "gimme shelter" which chronicled the stones' experience at altamont.

it makes me think of that night in hershey when i saw the stones. it couldn't have been more perfect.

Sigh Of Relief

from the inky:

It's good news for Cole Hamels.

The Phillies' ace has no structural damage in his left elbow, after undergoing an MRI today. The ligament is fully intact.

The Phillies are calling it a "very mild" elbow strain and have placed him retroactively on the 15-day disabled list. Hamels said he believes he will miss just two starts and can be activated Sept. 1.

Fabio Castro will start Thursday afternoon against the Dodgers. The Phillies also activated Shane Victorino from the disabled list. He will bat sixth tonight and start in rightfield.

king cole is the one player the phillies absolutely cannot afford to lose right now. and welcome back shane, we missed ye.

I Have A Great Commute

here is my morning commute:

-leave my building, walk a block and a half to the downtown 6 train
-take the 6 3 stops to bleecker
-exit subway at corner of lafayette and houston
-cross lafayette and enter puck
-go to to second floor, sit down at desk
-total transit time: 12 minutes

yes, you read that right, it takes me 12 minutes from the time i leave my house until the time i sit down at my desk. how sweet is that?

Remember When Music Videos Were Awesome?

this is one of, if not the, coolest music videos i have ever seen.



thank you daft punk!

whoa, wait a minute here. i was reading some of the comments about this video on youtube and someone mentioned that each of the groups of people represent a different instrument in the song and their movements correspond to the notes being played by that particular instrument. notice how the tall dudes in the gray who spend most of their time running up and down the stairs move to the bass line. that is pretty outstanding.

here's thriller, just for fun ;) dang! embedding has been disabled for this video, so the link will have to do.

Sunday Baseball

since i can't watch the phillies on my TV, although i am thinking about getting the 1 month MLB TV package for september, i decided to do the next best thing: watch the little league world series. the little league world series is a blast to watch. the kids actually play an entertaining style of baseball and i am always amazed at the skill level of these 11 year old kids. i mean, some of them put up video game numbers. you always get a kid who bats .600 and hits a ton of homeruns or some pitcher who throws 3 no-hitters in a row while striking out 16 (its only a 6 inning game). and, did you see the catch that kid made the other night? that was stellar!

more impressive, in an odd sort of way, is the list of "favorite MLB players" as given by the walpole, ma team, the regional qualifier from the new england region:

Vlad Gurerro (3)
Derek Jeter (3)
Mike Lowell (1)
Jason Varitek (1)
Jonathan Papelbon (1)
Big Papi (1)
Albert Pujols (1)
Ryan Howard (1) - that kid rocks, by the way
David Wright (1)

notice anything interesting about those names? keep in mind, this is from the new england team, the one from walpole, ma, the geographic center of red sox nation. 3 kids said derek jeter? are you kidding me? what would bill simmons say about this? granted, (as i am typing this they just ran a clip of carlton fisk talking to the team and having some kid tell him jeter was his favorite player, but that the red sox were his favorite team...fisk has no idea how to respond...i think this kid should be worried about his safety when he returns to walpole, ma. he clearly has not taken his loyalty oath) the red sox were mentioned (4 mentions: lowell, varitek, papelbon, papi) more times than the yankees (3 mentions: jeter), but still. i just kinda find it amazing ANY yankee could be mentioned.

clearly, though, there is only 1 correct answer: ryan howard. congtrats, kid. you passed!

A Musing

i met my dad today at newark airport to welcome him home from 3 weeks in china. that means in the past 3 years my dad has been to vietnam, cuba, and china. don't think the CIA doesn't have a file on him!

but to meet him at the airport i took the njtransit from penn station to the newark airport stop to the airtrain to the terminal.

the airtrain is a neat little gizmo. its a monorail that connects the train station to the main airport (not underground, but outside). and its fully automated, as in, it has no driver. so why does it have windshield wipers?

I Hope I Am Not The Only One Thinking This

so barry bonds did it. #756. thats pretty crazy. more home runs than anyone in the majors. ever. impressive.

i dont want to get into a whole commentary about whether or not barry is a worthy home run king, but i felt that the ceremony was quite contrived. yes, the game was going to be stopped, but did they have to give him a microphone? the video from hammerin' hank? the willie mays appearance on the field? and what is the deal with that female pa announcer. now THAT is weird!

but back to the celebration. i remember there being a big to-do when big mac hit 62. i don't remember a video presentation or a speech either (i could be mistaken). i don't know what they did when bonds beat mcgwire either. and cal ripken CERTAINLY didnt make a speech on the field during the game (again, as far as i remember).
i think the ripken celebration is the gold standard to which all celebrations of personal milestones are judged. to me, at the time, everything seemed more organic. the game was delayed some 20 minutes because the crowd wouldn't let the game continue. they cheered and cheered and cheered until cal came out and took that victory lap. and it seemed truly spontaneous. same with the mcgwire #62. it was more, i don't know, wholesome.

barry's celebration felt contrived. it just didn't sit right with me. it was barry saying "yes, this is all about me". instead of the crowd honoring the player, it was the player honoring himself.

so i guess i have mixed emotions about barry being the home run champ. i guess i should start warming up to a-rod now, so by the time he breaks the record i'll be pulling for him.

and what the hell is the deal with the female pa announcer. how weird is that?

Taking Refuge In Churches

one of the cool things about living in one of the older cities like new york, philadelphia, or boston is looking at all the old buildings, especially the churches. its really cool to see the old churches exist side-by-side with modern skyscrapers and other buildings. another really cool thing about the old churches is that most of the time they have beautiful courtyards which provide a little bit of green space amidst the concrete and asphalt. and they are open to the public.

i like that. recently i have found myself going into these courtyards and sitting, using them as an escape from the busy, noisy, and busy city. its fantastic how you can escape into these places that are just a few yards off the street, yet make you feel like you are 100 miles away from everything else.

it would be even better if synagogues were designed in the same way. maybe i would actually go to them.

Cool Map

below is a very cool map from a very cool website called strange maps. the below map shows, by colorful representation, what baseball teams rule where. i agree with deadspin's critique that "the sections for the Royals, Nationals and Braves seem too large; the Orioles, Dodgers and Yankees too small", but overall, its a good map and its fun to look at.

(click to enlarge)

The Worlds Greatest Thrift Store

if you find yourself in northeastern alabama as often as i do, you might want to check out the unclaimed baggage center, better known as the place your luggage goes to when the airlines lose it. take a few minutes to browse the website. its worth it.