So we're heading towards the final hour of Halloween here, and all I have to say is whoop de frickin' doo.
While the idea of free candy and very low-scale hooliganism appealed for some time, I've never really cottoned to the idea of Halloween as an adult holiday. This gets some testing living as close as I do to Salem, but the worst I got this year was being stuck in Salem traffic over the weekend (compounded by the snow we got, which is a whole 'nother topic).
It also got some testing today as we were allowed to wear costumes to work. I did not. I've never been really happy with how I turn out when it comes to costumes (the end result usually doesn't match my expectations), and I can't say I was motivated to come up with something. So I dressed as normal and said I was a guy from Salem rather than from Beverly. Such is what passes for wit from me these days.
I suppose I don't begrudge anyone their fun on Halloween, as long as I can opt out and spend the time as I see fit, only punctuated by the very occasional trick-or-treater. Now that's a neat trick that's a treat for me.
27 October 2005
So the Red Sox break their World Series drought last year, and the White Sox follow suit this year. So who's next?
The Obvious Choice - Chicago Cubs Be it billy goats, Bartman, or the indifference of the Tribune Company, the Cubs still reign supreme in the cavalcade of baseball's loveable losers. It's just that their kingdom is just so small now, what with the lack of Sox. There are other subjects, some of whom I'll mention later, but the A-list is now just the residents of the Friendly Confines.
As much as people worried that the Red Sox win would change their character (it hasn't; we're still fatalistic about our team, and seem willing to throw over one of its architects for putting together a team that only won 95 games and made the playoffs - you'd think the Sox were in the Big XII), the Cubs may have an even bigger stake in their reputation for being also-rans.
But if we're working backwards to get teams off historical slides, you could only do better by bringing back the Providence Grays.
The Semi-Obvious Choice - Cleveland Indians Never mind their 1990s successes - that led to exactly zero titles - and consider their previous history of futility. It's a little sullied by their actually winning Series in the past (even if it isn't exactly recent past) and not having to play in Municipal Stadium any more, but when you get to be so bad that a movie like Major League can play on it, you've reached a very interesting place.
The Bridesmaid's Choice - Atlanta Braves OK, they won the Series in 1995, but have lost four others during their lengthy streak of NL divison titles. Take out '95 and you have to go back to 1957 to find a Series win - when the team was in Milwaukee.
Rip Van Winkle's Choice - Philadelphia Phillies For a while, at least, Van Winkle could have gotten in two naps between Phils' appearances in the Series. You had 1915, then 1950, and then 1980. There's been less time to sleep since then, with appearances in 1983 and 1993, but you never know when they're going to slip back into a pattern that will send them back to the Series in 2042.
The New Futile Kings of the Rustbelt Choice - Detroit Tigers All the stuff that applied to Cleveland in the 1980s when the Tigers were good can apply here now. They do have a pretty good history, so they may be less wanting than others, but it's hard to get past the blunt force trauma that is the last 10-15 years of Tigers baseball.
Le choix de l'immigré - Washington Nationals Consider that the two previous teams named the Washington Nationals never finished higher than 7th - often in 8 team leagues. Then you have the two Washington Senators - the first was about as bad as the early Nationals teams, the other moved to Texas and still has never been to the World Series.
And, oh yes, this current Nats team used to be the Montreal Expos - no World Series appearances, a laughable stadium, and a lingering death of a final decade in Montreal, fittingly capped in their time as wards of the league.
So with this combined record of baseball futility, wouldn't a World Series be a welcome, if almost freakishly unprecedented, change? And it would twist the knife further into Peter Angelos, whose crankiness and inability to buy a competitive team makes him very hard to tolerate.
Of course, we'll probably get the Yankees in '06. Ugh.
The Obvious Choice - Chicago Cubs Be it billy goats, Bartman, or the indifference of the Tribune Company, the Cubs still reign supreme in the cavalcade of baseball's loveable losers. It's just that their kingdom is just so small now, what with the lack of Sox. There are other subjects, some of whom I'll mention later, but the A-list is now just the residents of the Friendly Confines.
As much as people worried that the Red Sox win would change their character (it hasn't; we're still fatalistic about our team, and seem willing to throw over one of its architects for putting together a team that only won 95 games and made the playoffs - you'd think the Sox were in the Big XII), the Cubs may have an even bigger stake in their reputation for being also-rans.
But if we're working backwards to get teams off historical slides, you could only do better by bringing back the Providence Grays.
The Semi-Obvious Choice - Cleveland Indians Never mind their 1990s successes - that led to exactly zero titles - and consider their previous history of futility. It's a little sullied by their actually winning Series in the past (even if it isn't exactly recent past) and not having to play in Municipal Stadium any more, but when you get to be so bad that a movie like Major League can play on it, you've reached a very interesting place.
The Bridesmaid's Choice - Atlanta Braves OK, they won the Series in 1995, but have lost four others during their lengthy streak of NL divison titles. Take out '95 and you have to go back to 1957 to find a Series win - when the team was in Milwaukee.
Rip Van Winkle's Choice - Philadelphia Phillies For a while, at least, Van Winkle could have gotten in two naps between Phils' appearances in the Series. You had 1915, then 1950, and then 1980. There's been less time to sleep since then, with appearances in 1983 and 1993, but you never know when they're going to slip back into a pattern that will send them back to the Series in 2042.
The New Futile Kings of the Rustbelt Choice - Detroit Tigers All the stuff that applied to Cleveland in the 1980s when the Tigers were good can apply here now. They do have a pretty good history, so they may be less wanting than others, but it's hard to get past the blunt force trauma that is the last 10-15 years of Tigers baseball.
Le choix de l'immigré - Washington Nationals Consider that the two previous teams named the Washington Nationals never finished higher than 7th - often in 8 team leagues. Then you have the two Washington Senators - the first was about as bad as the early Nationals teams, the other moved to Texas and still has never been to the World Series.
And, oh yes, this current Nats team used to be the Montreal Expos - no World Series appearances, a laughable stadium, and a lingering death of a final decade in Montreal, fittingly capped in their time as wards of the league.
So with this combined record of baseball futility, wouldn't a World Series be a welcome, if almost freakishly unprecedented, change? And it would twist the knife further into Peter Angelos, whose crankiness and inability to buy a competitive team makes him very hard to tolerate.
Of course, we'll probably get the Yankees in '06. Ugh.
26 October 2005
The bad news is that we had to pay our full tab last night. The good news is that we paid because there was no bar cash as part of our winning the Tournament of Champions. All hail!
We did take home Bruins tickets for a game to be determined (Sam Adams, who sponsors the game, is sending us the tickets). We also gave the sponsor some product development feedback, as they tested two beers on us last night. One was a Bohemia-style lager, the other a brown ale. The former was OK, the latter was pretty good but tasted more like a porter than, say, Newcastle.
Still, free beer is free beer.
Anyway, your questions:
What actor was on the University of Miami's 1991 national championship team and played in the CFL with Doug Flutie? Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Paul) - it seemed to make sense from what little we knew about The Rock and the timing of his football career. Unlike the last couple of weeks, this wasn't necessarily part of a rock theme, though pairing The Rock and Rock Hudson is something.
What is the more common name for the condition known as epistaxis? Nosebleed (Chris) - We tried to break the word down into its components, and while "epi-" was well-known, "-staxis" was not. From looking it up, it's Latin by way of the Greek for "to drip." We took a more sound-alike approach and guessed cataracts. Like Thomas Dolby, we (and our answer, somewhat literally) were blinded with science.
Mount Elbert is the highest peak in what western US state? Colorado (D'oh! via email) - we had no idea, and the Nirvana song that was playing was a bit of a red herring. We guessed Idaho based on instinct. I don't know if we ever really thought about Colorado. Oh well.
What four elements are named for countries? Francium, Polonium, Germanium, Americium (Myron) - As noted before, it was English element names, and to be fair Americium is named more for the continental landmass than the USA. But it was what they were looking for, so no arguments. We actually got all parts of both multiple answer questions (the first was name the act from their first album).
What was the name of the limo driver in Die Hard (hint: he shares his name with a clothing pattern)? Argyle (Greg) - a perhaps little-known fact: De'voreaux White, the actor who played Argyle, was also the kid that Ray Charles shoots at in The Blues Brothers. We got this, and enjoyed the playing of "Chrismas in Hollis," which Argyle was favoring in the movie.
What was the first major league baseball team to win a second World Series? Chicago Cubs (Greg) - Our love of irony was as deep as Greg's, as we got this one, too. There was some talk about the Sox, fueled in part by not knowing who won the 1905 Series (I believed it was the NY Giants... and was right, go figure). Of course, I also thought the Cubs won the '06 Series, when it was in fact the ChiSox. So I got a little lucky. Moreso than the Cubs, at least.
What actor's final screen appearance before his death in 1985 was as Daniel Reece on the TV show Dynasty? Rock Hudson (Chris) - we were a little stymied by this, though I put it together with the help of the opening strains of a Queen song. Knowing what we know about Freddie Mercury, and knowing that the timing was right for Hudson, we went with it and were correct. Woo!
We did take home Bruins tickets for a game to be determined (Sam Adams, who sponsors the game, is sending us the tickets). We also gave the sponsor some product development feedback, as they tested two beers on us last night. One was a Bohemia-style lager, the other a brown ale. The former was OK, the latter was pretty good but tasted more like a porter than, say, Newcastle.
Still, free beer is free beer.
Anyway, your questions:
What actor was on the University of Miami's 1991 national championship team and played in the CFL with Doug Flutie? Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Paul) - it seemed to make sense from what little we knew about The Rock and the timing of his football career. Unlike the last couple of weeks, this wasn't necessarily part of a rock theme, though pairing The Rock and Rock Hudson is something.
What is the more common name for the condition known as epistaxis? Nosebleed (Chris) - We tried to break the word down into its components, and while "epi-" was well-known, "-staxis" was not. From looking it up, it's Latin by way of the Greek for "to drip." We took a more sound-alike approach and guessed cataracts. Like Thomas Dolby, we (and our answer, somewhat literally) were blinded with science.
Mount Elbert is the highest peak in what western US state? Colorado (D'oh! via email) - we had no idea, and the Nirvana song that was playing was a bit of a red herring. We guessed Idaho based on instinct. I don't know if we ever really thought about Colorado. Oh well.
What four elements are named for countries? Francium, Polonium, Germanium, Americium (Myron) - As noted before, it was English element names, and to be fair Americium is named more for the continental landmass than the USA. But it was what they were looking for, so no arguments. We actually got all parts of both multiple answer questions (the first was name the act from their first album).
What was the name of the limo driver in Die Hard (hint: he shares his name with a clothing pattern)? Argyle (Greg) - a perhaps little-known fact: De'voreaux White, the actor who played Argyle, was also the kid that Ray Charles shoots at in The Blues Brothers. We got this, and enjoyed the playing of "Chrismas in Hollis," which Argyle was favoring in the movie.
What was the first major league baseball team to win a second World Series? Chicago Cubs (Greg) - Our love of irony was as deep as Greg's, as we got this one, too. There was some talk about the Sox, fueled in part by not knowing who won the 1905 Series (I believed it was the NY Giants... and was right, go figure). Of course, I also thought the Cubs won the '06 Series, when it was in fact the ChiSox. So I got a little lucky. Moreso than the Cubs, at least.
What actor's final screen appearance before his death in 1985 was as Daniel Reece on the TV show Dynasty? Rock Hudson (Chris) - we were a little stymied by this, though I put it together with the help of the opening strains of a Queen song. Knowing what we know about Freddie Mercury, and knowing that the timing was right for Hudson, we went with it and were correct. Woo!
25 October 2005
I spent almost an hour today trying to get set up for a FedEx.com account. It was not successful. Let's just say that when you get an email saying you have five days to reply, and even though you reply within seconds of getting the email you are told your account has expired, you're asking to get replaced. Apparently this has been a problem for a couple of months, but the folks in Memphis are taking their sweet time in fixing it.
Though if this is my biggest complaint, things have to be going pretty well.
Though if this is my biggest complaint, things have to be going pretty well.
23 October 2005
Recently back from a weekend in Chicago (well, mostly Evanston) full of trashy goodness. Thanks to the McSorensons for hosting and the Foghat folks for their work. Though I never want to hear about Matthew Sweet or Northwestern-themed items again.
My flights worked out such that I was able to moderate for the last 3 rounds of the mirror they had at BU. Kind of my own Phil Collins-at-Live-Aid moment, but with a shorter plane flight and much less out of tune jamming with members of Led Zeppelin.
Not too much to talk about otherwise, I was pretty much out of touch for all of the weekend's sporting events outside of watching football over lunch on Saturday (mostly focusing on Northwestern's pounding of Michigan State) and the tail end of last night's World Series game (which I did the head-bob nodding-off thing during, so I can hardly say I watched even that part of the game we saw).
My flights worked out such that I was able to moderate for the last 3 rounds of the mirror they had at BU. Kind of my own Phil Collins-at-Live-Aid moment, but with a shorter plane flight and much less out of tune jamming with members of Led Zeppelin.
Not too much to talk about otherwise, I was pretty much out of touch for all of the weekend's sporting events outside of watching football over lunch on Saturday (mostly focusing on Northwestern's pounding of Michigan State) and the tail end of last night's World Series game (which I did the head-bob nodding-off thing during, so I can hardly say I watched even that part of the game we saw).
20 October 2005
While the folks at Motorola obviously want me to pronounce the name of their ROKR phone to go along with its iTunes capability, every time I see the name I can only think of one thing:
(With thanks to the folks at Gizmodo for coming up with a picture better than anything I could have cobbled together.)
(With thanks to the folks at Gizmodo for coming up with a picture better than anything I could have cobbled together.)
19 October 2005
The trivia bullies got their comeuppance last night, as we missed the final question and came in second. Worst part is, we were pretty close to coming up with the right answer. Oh well, better to come in second this week than next, which is the Tournament of Champions.
Anyway, your sample of questions:
In what movie does Leslie Nielsen play the President of the United States? - Scary Movie 3 (Jack) - We had no idea, and guessed Hot Shots. Turns out he's not even in that movie. I don't think any of us had seen Scary Movie 3. Heck, I've not even seen 1 or 2. There was a definite presidential theme, as the third quarter of the game had four out of five questions related to that office.
What Gulf coast state has "You Are My Sunshine" as an official state song? Louisiana (Paul) - Given a previous question asked about Florida's state song, and knowing that it wasn't Texas, we had a one in three chance. That turned to none in two pretty quickly, as we figured Louisiana, with its musical history, could have come up with something better. We went with Alabama. Whoops.
This has been your Minimally Ironic Question of the Week.
In 1988, Bill Clinton appeared on what TV show where he played "Summertime" on the saxophone? The Tonight Show (James) - Yup, we made the Arsenio mistake. Most teams did. I'm a little irritated at myself for not catching this, as I remember the whole thing about that lousy keynote speech. Damn.
What are the end points of Boston's Freedom Trail? The Boston Common and the Charlestown Navy Yard/USS Constitution (Ted) - We got the Common, but went with the Bunker Hill Monument instead, as it's farther away from downtown Boston than the Navy Yard. Still not sure why you go past the Navy Yard only to come back to it, though I assume it's due to the stature of Old Ironsides and not the preponderance of one way streets (which shouldn't matter if you're walking the trail, though that's not the easiest part of the trail to walk, based on the one time I walked that part).
What TV show featured the first inter-racial kiss in prime time? Star Trek (Greg) - Uhura and Kirk lock lips while under some sort of alien mind control in the episode "Plato's Stepchildren." This was half of a mini-theme in the game, as we were also asked what show had the first inter-racial married couple (more extra credit - The Jeffersons (Greg) - the wife, of course, was played by Roxie Roker, who is Lenny Kravitz's mom.).
What book ends, "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." The Catcher in the Rye (Greg) - The wife knew this, which was good. None of the rest of us did. The musical clue was "Instant Karma" by John Lennon.
What country is home to the world's oldest university, founded in 1088? (Extra credit for naming the school.) Italy, University of Bologna (Ted) - We were stuck between Italy, Germany, and France. We went with France, which wasn't too bad of a guess given that the University of Paris is second-oldest. It's just 150 or so years younger than Bologna. Looking at the list of oldest continuously running universities, Germany's oldest is younger than schools in Britain, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Austria. So at least we didn't go with them.
FWIW, the University of Bologna is now known as "Alma mater studorium," or "fostering mother of studies" to reflect its status as the oldest university.
Our mis-step her dropped us from first to second, as the second place team got the question right. Better luck next week.
Anyway, your sample of questions:
In what movie does Leslie Nielsen play the President of the United States? - Scary Movie 3 (Jack) - We had no idea, and guessed Hot Shots. Turns out he's not even in that movie. I don't think any of us had seen Scary Movie 3. Heck, I've not even seen 1 or 2. There was a definite presidential theme, as the third quarter of the game had four out of five questions related to that office.
What Gulf coast state has "You Are My Sunshine" as an official state song? Louisiana (Paul) - Given a previous question asked about Florida's state song, and knowing that it wasn't Texas, we had a one in three chance. That turned to none in two pretty quickly, as we figured Louisiana, with its musical history, could have come up with something better. We went with Alabama. Whoops.
This has been your Minimally Ironic Question of the Week.
In 1988, Bill Clinton appeared on what TV show where he played "Summertime" on the saxophone? The Tonight Show (James) - Yup, we made the Arsenio mistake. Most teams did. I'm a little irritated at myself for not catching this, as I remember the whole thing about that lousy keynote speech. Damn.
What are the end points of Boston's Freedom Trail? The Boston Common and the Charlestown Navy Yard/USS Constitution (Ted) - We got the Common, but went with the Bunker Hill Monument instead, as it's farther away from downtown Boston than the Navy Yard. Still not sure why you go past the Navy Yard only to come back to it, though I assume it's due to the stature of Old Ironsides and not the preponderance of one way streets (which shouldn't matter if you're walking the trail, though that's not the easiest part of the trail to walk, based on the one time I walked that part).
What TV show featured the first inter-racial kiss in prime time? Star Trek (Greg) - Uhura and Kirk lock lips while under some sort of alien mind control in the episode "Plato's Stepchildren." This was half of a mini-theme in the game, as we were also asked what show had the first inter-racial married couple (more extra credit - The Jeffersons (Greg) - the wife, of course, was played by Roxie Roker, who is Lenny Kravitz's mom.).
What book ends, "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." The Catcher in the Rye (Greg) - The wife knew this, which was good. None of the rest of us did. The musical clue was "Instant Karma" by John Lennon.
What country is home to the world's oldest university, founded in 1088? (Extra credit for naming the school.) Italy, University of Bologna (Ted) - We were stuck between Italy, Germany, and France. We went with France, which wasn't too bad of a guess given that the University of Paris is second-oldest. It's just 150 or so years younger than Bologna. Looking at the list of oldest continuously running universities, Germany's oldest is younger than schools in Britain, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Austria. So at least we didn't go with them.
FWIW, the University of Bologna is now known as "Alma mater studorium," or "fostering mother of studies" to reflect its status as the oldest university.
Our mis-step her dropped us from first to second, as the second place team got the question right. Better luck next week.
17 October 2005
Let me say this now, just in case I never get the chance to do so again this season:
The BU men's ice hockey team is alone atop the Hockey East standings.
Of course, they've won the only league game played in this young season. Odd to start the season with a league game, but I suppose the addition of Vermont to Hockey East is forcing some scheduling quirks. Though it now gives me an opportunity to go back to Burlington and actually spend a night in Vermont.
Given the reliance on youth, the Terriers had some good team play going on Saturday, moreso than in the recent past. I think I also saw more nifty skating and puck-handling that in that recent past, which is a welcome return to the days of the 1990s when we were awash with gifted players.
So there's room for optimism on Comm. Ave., and the pride in knowing that most of the teams picked above us in the pre-season coaches poll lost this past weekend (Maine had to show us up, beating Denver twice).
In vaguely related news, I was a captive audience for a chunk of the ND-USC game this past Saturday, in violation of my personal probation. Not sure of the best way to put myself on probation for this violation, but I'm sure it involves game tape from the Gerry Faust era. There was one TV in my location that had Michigan - Penn State, so I tried to focus on that. Sadly, I missed the ends of both games.
I also missed the end of the Pats-Broncos game, but that was by choice. I've seen enough trips to Denver that ended in a loss, I didn't need one more. Especially when the Pats mounted a reasonably good comeback from a horrific second quarter. The secondary needs help. Badly. Even with the likely return of Tedy Bruschi, which I find both amazing and foolhardy. Look what medical clearance did for Reggie Lewis.
The BU men's ice hockey team is alone atop the Hockey East standings.
Of course, they've won the only league game played in this young season. Odd to start the season with a league game, but I suppose the addition of Vermont to Hockey East is forcing some scheduling quirks. Though it now gives me an opportunity to go back to Burlington and actually spend a night in Vermont.
Given the reliance on youth, the Terriers had some good team play going on Saturday, moreso than in the recent past. I think I also saw more nifty skating and puck-handling that in that recent past, which is a welcome return to the days of the 1990s when we were awash with gifted players.
So there's room for optimism on Comm. Ave., and the pride in knowing that most of the teams picked above us in the pre-season coaches poll lost this past weekend (Maine had to show us up, beating Denver twice).
In vaguely related news, I was a captive audience for a chunk of the ND-USC game this past Saturday, in violation of my personal probation. Not sure of the best way to put myself on probation for this violation, but I'm sure it involves game tape from the Gerry Faust era. There was one TV in my location that had Michigan - Penn State, so I tried to focus on that. Sadly, I missed the ends of both games.
I also missed the end of the Pats-Broncos game, but that was by choice. I've seen enough trips to Denver that ended in a loss, I didn't need one more. Especially when the Pats mounted a reasonably good comeback from a horrific second quarter. The secondary needs help. Badly. Even with the likely return of Tedy Bruschi, which I find both amazing and foolhardy. Look what medical clearance did for Reggie Lewis.
14 October 2005
While it doesn't quite live up to the moose that was wandering around MetroWest when we were at Babson, there was an article on Boston.com today noting that a wild turkey that had been snarling traffic in my new hometown of Beverly had finally been captured by animal control. I'd link to the story but, really, that sums it up.
Apparently, the turkey liked to hang out in the middle of one of the larger roads in town (one that I used to drive a bit when I was subbing, but rarely go down now), causing both tie-ups and potential accidents. The most recent incident involved a school bus that nearly went off the road trying to avoid the bird. I know dead fowl isn't the most pleasant thing for school-aged kids to see, but given the choice I'd have not risked the accident and given Tom what was coming to him.
In any event, he's caged up now, and will be released back into the wild in the near future. There is no need to panic.
Apparently, the turkey liked to hang out in the middle of one of the larger roads in town (one that I used to drive a bit when I was subbing, but rarely go down now), causing both tie-ups and potential accidents. The most recent incident involved a school bus that nearly went off the road trying to avoid the bird. I know dead fowl isn't the most pleasant thing for school-aged kids to see, but given the choice I'd have not risked the accident and given Tom what was coming to him.
In any event, he's caged up now, and will be released back into the wild in the near future. There is no need to panic.
13 October 2005
While the media around here is more hot and bothered about the "will he or won't he?" of Mitt Romney and his political future, there is something interesting about the Boston mayoral race.
Tom Menino, the incumbent, is seeking a fourth term. Maura Hennigan, a city councilor, is trying to unseat him. As part of the process, the two have been participating in various fora and town hall-type meetings.
What's they've not been doing is debating.
Hennigan, like any good challenger, is spoiling for a fight. Menino, like any incumbent whose nickname is "Mumbles," isn't even using the word 'debate' in casual conversation. This sets up some unusual scenarios, such as last night's event at BU where Hennigan and Menino answered questions from the crowd - but wouldn't appear on stage together or directly interact.
This seems pretty gutless on Menino's part, if perhaps not a bad strategy for someone who isn't the most polished public speaker. It'll be interesting to see if this hurts him at all, but given the general lack of interest in the race I'd think not. Still, it'd be nice if he got taken to task for being a chicken.
Tom Menino, the incumbent, is seeking a fourth term. Maura Hennigan, a city councilor, is trying to unseat him. As part of the process, the two have been participating in various fora and town hall-type meetings.
What's they've not been doing is debating.
Hennigan, like any good challenger, is spoiling for a fight. Menino, like any incumbent whose nickname is "Mumbles," isn't even using the word 'debate' in casual conversation. This sets up some unusual scenarios, such as last night's event at BU where Hennigan and Menino answered questions from the crowd - but wouldn't appear on stage together or directly interact.
This seems pretty gutless on Menino's part, if perhaps not a bad strategy for someone who isn't the most polished public speaker. It'll be interesting to see if this hurts him at all, but given the general lack of interest in the race I'd think not. Still, it'd be nice if he got taken to task for being a chicken.
12 October 2005
Working off of the various posts about the ABA (mostly from Dinan), I was curious to see if Chattanooga would be home during TrashMasters weekend. Only one think kept me from finding out.
There's no schedule.
Neither the team's website nor the ABA website has a schedule for this season. Going off of last year's schedule, the season should start in about a month.
Is it me, or are they cutting things a little close? I mean, given the status of the current ABA, I can see teams not getting game dates because a junior high dance booked the space beforehand.
Maybe they're going to run the season like America's Next Top Model, with games announced by cryptic notes left by the commissioner. "Do you have what it takes to end the reign of knights? Be ready to get on the team bus at 7 am." If they only had a meeting every week where one losing team was eliminated from the league...
There's no schedule.
Neither the team's website nor the ABA website has a schedule for this season. Going off of last year's schedule, the season should start in about a month.
Is it me, or are they cutting things a little close? I mean, given the status of the current ABA, I can see teams not getting game dates because a junior high dance booked the space beforehand.
Maybe they're going to run the season like America's Next Top Model, with games announced by cryptic notes left by the commissioner. "Do you have what it takes to end the reign of knights? Be ready to get on the team bus at 7 am." If they only had a meeting every week where one losing team was eliminated from the league...
I'd never been called a trivia bully before last night. But, with another win posted by the team back to calling itself No Onions, that's what the emcee deemed us. Fair enough; I'll take the name-calling if it means I have a $7 tab at the end of the night.
(Though, to be fair, I should have been at the inaugural BU women's varsity ice hockey game - a 2-2 tie with Quinnipiac - but passed given back pain that made sitting in a cold rink for 3 hours seem like a bad idea. Not that sitting in a pub for three hours is much better, but I could at least delude myself.)
It wasn't as easy as last week, as we had to come from behind to win on the final question, and even then I had to go back and clarify my answer. But a win's a win.
Anyway, for those who like to play along:
Prior to Ottawa, what four cities served as capital of Canada? Kingston (Ontario), Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City (Paul) - I didn't figure Quebec would have any given the British versus French thing, but our lack of knowledge has us go with Toronto and Montreal by default. We guessed Halifax, which seemed like a good idea at the time. Guessing St. John was less of a good idea. Had we thought about it perhaps we'd have gone with Quebec City. Kingston... no.
To what land east of Eden did Cain go to after killing Abel? Nod (Greg) - We had no idea. Guessed Babylon because we heard another team say it. We're going to hell.
Tachophobia is the fear of what? Speed (Scott) - we got this one, so I will not be haunted by the Ghost of Classics Professors Past
What are the top four wine-producing countries in the world? US, Italy, France (Greg); Spain - We got the first three, and did as Greg did in going with Australia. Not a bad idea; they're apparently fifth. I had suggested Spain, but Australia seemed just as likely. Not that I didn't lord it over my team briefly when Spain turned out right.
Who was the first actress depicted on a US postage stamp? Grace Kelly, aka Princess Grace of Monaco (Greg) - I was a little surprised that an early actress didn't get the stamp treatment previously, but I suppose there was a time when getting a stamp was reserved for those who made Serious Accomplishments. We went with the Princess, thankfully.
What rock group formed in the 1960s had a first album called England's Newest Hitmakers? The Rolling Stones (Jack) - There seemed to be some thematic elements to last night's game, including two questions involving these guys.
Louis Washkansky was involved in what scientific first in 1967? First recipient of a human heart transplant (James) - this was the final question of the night, where I had to clarify things a bit regarding the nature of the operation. It probably helped that I realized I needed to do this on my own rather than having the guys running the game ask (or, more likely, judge us wrong). As with so many epiphanies, it came when I was in the bathroom.
(Though, to be fair, I should have been at the inaugural BU women's varsity ice hockey game - a 2-2 tie with Quinnipiac - but passed given back pain that made sitting in a cold rink for 3 hours seem like a bad idea. Not that sitting in a pub for three hours is much better, but I could at least delude myself.)
It wasn't as easy as last week, as we had to come from behind to win on the final question, and even then I had to go back and clarify my answer. But a win's a win.
Anyway, for those who like to play along:
Prior to Ottawa, what four cities served as capital of Canada? Kingston (Ontario), Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City (Paul) - I didn't figure Quebec would have any given the British versus French thing, but our lack of knowledge has us go with Toronto and Montreal by default. We guessed Halifax, which seemed like a good idea at the time. Guessing St. John was less of a good idea. Had we thought about it perhaps we'd have gone with Quebec City. Kingston... no.
To what land east of Eden did Cain go to after killing Abel? Nod (Greg) - We had no idea. Guessed Babylon because we heard another team say it. We're going to hell.
Tachophobia is the fear of what? Speed (Scott) - we got this one, so I will not be haunted by the Ghost of Classics Professors Past
What are the top four wine-producing countries in the world? US, Italy, France (Greg); Spain - We got the first three, and did as Greg did in going with Australia. Not a bad idea; they're apparently fifth. I had suggested Spain, but Australia seemed just as likely. Not that I didn't lord it over my team briefly when Spain turned out right.
Who was the first actress depicted on a US postage stamp? Grace Kelly, aka Princess Grace of Monaco (Greg) - I was a little surprised that an early actress didn't get the stamp treatment previously, but I suppose there was a time when getting a stamp was reserved for those who made Serious Accomplishments. We went with the Princess, thankfully.
What rock group formed in the 1960s had a first album called England's Newest Hitmakers? The Rolling Stones (Jack) - There seemed to be some thematic elements to last night's game, including two questions involving these guys.
Louis Washkansky was involved in what scientific first in 1967? First recipient of a human heart transplant (James) - this was the final question of the night, where I had to clarify things a bit regarding the nature of the operation. It probably helped that I realized I needed to do this on my own rather than having the guys running the game ask (or, more likely, judge us wrong). As with so many epiphanies, it came when I was in the bathroom.
11 October 2005
I've been thinking about this whole Supreme Court thing. Clearly, W feels the pressure to replace a woman with a woman (though I don't know if it was as urgent of nominating the first female lawyer that came to mind). He's also feeling pressure to put a Latino on the Court, given the growing demographic power of that ethnic group.
Putting this all together, if he needs a Latina (with helpful bench experience), there's really only one candidate.
Putting this all together, if he needs a Latina (with helpful bench experience), there's really only one candidate.
Hail and welcome to the newest blogger added at left, Laura De Veau. She should do much better than her husband, whose New Year's resolution to blog more ran out of steam before 2005 was a week old.
Not much to report from a rainy Columbus Day off - spent most of the time doing errands and watching TV. My trip to the mall led me to discover that Zales has made October "Diamond Right Hand Ring Month" or some crap like that.
I have an idea what finger I'd put that ring on, but right now it's extended in Zales' general direction.
Not much to report from a rainy Columbus Day off - spent most of the time doing errands and watching TV. My trip to the mall led me to discover that Zales has made October "Diamond Right Hand Ring Month" or some crap like that.
I have an idea what finger I'd put that ring on, but right now it's extended in Zales' general direction.
09 October 2005
I should be more, I don't know, upset, sad, dismayed, something about the Red Sox getting swept out of the playoffs. But when I think about it, 95 wins seems like the absolute maximum for this year's edition of the team.
You should go to Cooch's page and read his story about the end of the season (too lazy to put up the link, but it's on the Bruce's page, too). I really don't have to add anything else, other than to say I should start preparing now for all the new names.
I suppose I now have the "we got beat by the best" impetus to root for the White Sox, and I'm marginally interested in having back to back seasons where long-cursed teams finally win the big one. I could also support a Houston win, but they're a bit too trendy for my taste.
Unrelated to anything baseball, had a pretty entertaining day today. Started out by going to the Topsfield Fair, which bills itself as the country's oldest agricultural fair. We did see the New England's largest pumpkin, and some summer squash arranged and painted to look like KISS (had I only brought the camera), but we really went to see the dogs. There was an agility session, followed by a border collie demo, followed by the state police K9 unit (note that, to the best of my knowlede, no dogs participated in more than one session).
The agility was interesting, clearly not what you see during the Great Outdoor Games and such. Many of the dogs were beginners, and showed it. They'd clear the first obstacle, kind of half-complete the second, stop, scratch, sniff some interesting patch of ground, do another obstacle in reverse, etc. Still fun to watch, and we got to see several types of dogs try agility, not just the Jack Russells and border collie/ Aussie sheepdog types. This ran on both sides of the spectrum, as there were some bigger dogs (labs, retrievers, even a Tervuren that was the size of a small horse) and smaller ones (corgis and a Scottie dog).
We did see some other displays, got to pet a goat, and ate the usual fair fare. The rain cut things a little short (we never did see the K9 unit), but it was a good time.
Tonight we did something a little less bucolic and went back in to Agganis Arena (after being their last night for the hockey team's 4-0 exhibition win over the University of Toronto) to see the David Gray show. If you're a fan, I would recommend getting tickets. He puts on a solid show, nice mix of new stuff and old, and gives you your money's worth. Doesn't chat much with the audience, which was interesting but not particularly problematic.
I don't have Craig's gift (or note-taking materials) for putting together a set list, but I can give you the first five songs:
1. "Nos Da Cariad" (Life in Slow Motion)
2. "Please Forgive Me" (White Ladder)
3. "The One I Love" (Life in Slow Motion - if you've heard a new song by him on the radio lately, it was probably this one.)
4. "Lately" (Life In Slow Motion)
5. "Slow Motion" (do you need me to tell you?)
I can't place the sixth song, but he did follow it up with "Sail Away" and "This Year's Love" (both White Ladder). Then followed mostly stuff from the new album. He did a 4 or 5 song encore, ending with "Babylon." Sadly for the wife (and for me, as I also like it), he did not do "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," perhaps not surprising as it's 9 minutes long and thus hard to work into the set. I'd have liked him to play a longer set and end with an encore of this and "Babylon," but what do I know?
You should go to Cooch's page and read his story about the end of the season (too lazy to put up the link, but it's on the Bruce's page, too). I really don't have to add anything else, other than to say I should start preparing now for all the new names.
I suppose I now have the "we got beat by the best" impetus to root for the White Sox, and I'm marginally interested in having back to back seasons where long-cursed teams finally win the big one. I could also support a Houston win, but they're a bit too trendy for my taste.
Unrelated to anything baseball, had a pretty entertaining day today. Started out by going to the Topsfield Fair, which bills itself as the country's oldest agricultural fair. We did see the New England's largest pumpkin, and some summer squash arranged and painted to look like KISS (had I only brought the camera), but we really went to see the dogs. There was an agility session, followed by a border collie demo, followed by the state police K9 unit (note that, to the best of my knowlede, no dogs participated in more than one session).
The agility was interesting, clearly not what you see during the Great Outdoor Games and such. Many of the dogs were beginners, and showed it. They'd clear the first obstacle, kind of half-complete the second, stop, scratch, sniff some interesting patch of ground, do another obstacle in reverse, etc. Still fun to watch, and we got to see several types of dogs try agility, not just the Jack Russells and border collie/ Aussie sheepdog types. This ran on both sides of the spectrum, as there were some bigger dogs (labs, retrievers, even a Tervuren that was the size of a small horse) and smaller ones (corgis and a Scottie dog).
We did see some other displays, got to pet a goat, and ate the usual fair fare. The rain cut things a little short (we never did see the K9 unit), but it was a good time.
Tonight we did something a little less bucolic and went back in to Agganis Arena (after being their last night for the hockey team's 4-0 exhibition win over the University of Toronto) to see the David Gray show. If you're a fan, I would recommend getting tickets. He puts on a solid show, nice mix of new stuff and old, and gives you your money's worth. Doesn't chat much with the audience, which was interesting but not particularly problematic.
I don't have Craig's gift (or note-taking materials) for putting together a set list, but I can give you the first five songs:
1. "Nos Da Cariad" (Life in Slow Motion)
2. "Please Forgive Me" (White Ladder)
3. "The One I Love" (Life in Slow Motion - if you've heard a new song by him on the radio lately, it was probably this one.)
4. "Lately" (Life In Slow Motion)
5. "Slow Motion" (do you need me to tell you?)
I can't place the sixth song, but he did follow it up with "Sail Away" and "This Year's Love" (both White Ladder). Then followed mostly stuff from the new album. He did a 4 or 5 song encore, ending with "Babylon." Sadly for the wife (and for me, as I also like it), he did not do "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," perhaps not surprising as it's 9 minutes long and thus hard to work into the set. I'd have liked him to play a longer set and end with an encore of this and "Babylon," but what do I know?
06 October 2005
I know I'm missing about a million details, but it strikes me that there's a connection to be made between our agricultural policy that pays farmers to grow marginal crops or nothing at all, the economic/security/whatever benefits to using less oil, and the growing market and acceptance of biodiesel as a motor vehicle fuel.
It's probably too much to ask that someone seeking office to connect the dots that I haven't and make a cogent policy out of this, but I know I'd be more inclined to vote for someone who does.
(Of course, I left out the whole part where the auto companies would have to get on board. If they don't make the vehicles, there's not much point to making the fuel. Feel free to suggest the appropriate subsidy, tax credit, or blackmail that would make that happen. Or to say that I'm out of my tree.)
It's probably too much to ask that someone seeking office to connect the dots that I haven't and make a cogent policy out of this, but I know I'd be more inclined to vote for someone who does.
(Of course, I left out the whole part where the auto companies would have to get on board. If they don't make the vehicles, there's not much point to making the fuel. Feel free to suggest the appropriate subsidy, tax credit, or blackmail that would make that happen. Or to say that I'm out of my tree.)
A Conspiracy of Dunces
Game 1: Matt Clement gets shelled, leading to a 14-2 White Sox victory. Clement spent several seasons toiling for the Cubs, so he's well aware of the lack of playoff success for Chicago baseball teams. And while he can't help the Cubs as they didn't make the playoffs, he can bring some joy to his former city in another way...
Game 2: Tony Graffanino, a solid player for the Red Sox since being rescued from Kansas City, lets a routine grounder get through the wickets. This will eventually allow Chicago to put five runs on the board, enough to best Boston's four. Graffanino spent four seasons playing for... the Chicago White Sox.
Game 3: Keep your eye on reliever Mike Meyers, who was born in... Arlington Heights, Illinois. North of Chicago.
Game 1: Matt Clement gets shelled, leading to a 14-2 White Sox victory. Clement spent several seasons toiling for the Cubs, so he's well aware of the lack of playoff success for Chicago baseball teams. And while he can't help the Cubs as they didn't make the playoffs, he can bring some joy to his former city in another way...
Game 2: Tony Graffanino, a solid player for the Red Sox since being rescued from Kansas City, lets a routine grounder get through the wickets. This will eventually allow Chicago to put five runs on the board, enough to best Boston's four. Graffanino spent four seasons playing for... the Chicago White Sox.
Game 3: Keep your eye on reliever Mike Meyers, who was born in... Arlington Heights, Illinois. North of Chicago.
05 October 2005
Yeah, well, Matt Clement. Huh.
Bar trivia started late last night because of the game (which, after about the sixth inning, seemed a little pointless), but the members of Stupid Sexy Zinc persevered and put a White Sox-like hammering down upon the rest of the field. Going into the final question, we had 101 points while the second place team hadn't even broached 80. Given that you can bid up to 20 points (in even increments) on the final question and only lose half if you're wrong, we could have put anything down and still won.
But, of course, we got that question right, too. In fact, we only missed two questions all night, which are among these:
From what sport do we get the idea of winning "hands down?" Horse racing (Boggie) - as noted in the comments, it comes from the jockey's ability to finish without lifting his hands to work the reins. Which makes a lot more sense than any suggestions we had about the connection, which were few and mostly related to horses being measured in hands.
We wound up going with wrestling, based on the ref's hitting of the mat during a count. Made sense at the time, moreso than anything else we came up with.
At the start of Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins is celebrating what birthday? Eleventy-first, or 111th (Greg) - We put down both a number and a word, which was actually not quite right but we got credit for putting 111. It was a good time to have our resident Tolkein expert around.
The meerkat is a close relative of what other animal whose name starts with the same letter? Mongoose - Pure guess, but a decent one based on the similarities that come to mind when you compare Riki Tiki Tavi and Timon (or is it the other one?).
What controversial 20th century author was married to a relative of the Red Baron? D. H. Lawrence - He came to mind in the most fleeting of moments, and went through again because I didn't realize he was 20th century. I think at least one other person on the team had the same thing happen. We went with William Golding, thinking that The Lord of the Flies may have dredged up some controversey, what with all the rampaging. I also thought that the song, "Superfly," may have been a clue.
It still might have been, depending on what Lady Chatterly's lover was using.
What US state is the flattest (in this case meaning having the smallest difference between its highest and lowest elevations)? Florida (Shawn) - We started out with the plains states, thinking about Kansas and that study that proved the Sunflower State is actually flatter than a pancake. Then the guy running the game noted that the answer was based on smallest difference in highest and lowest elevations, and we thought some more.
I remembered something from John McPhee's book Oranges about how the higest elevation in Florida is only something like 400 feet (close - it's apparently 345 feet). We talked about a few other states, but eventually stuck with Florida - not that it mattered, this being the last question of the game. Bow before our trivial prowess!
Bar trivia started late last night because of the game (which, after about the sixth inning, seemed a little pointless), but the members of Stupid Sexy Zinc persevered and put a White Sox-like hammering down upon the rest of the field. Going into the final question, we had 101 points while the second place team hadn't even broached 80. Given that you can bid up to 20 points (in even increments) on the final question and only lose half if you're wrong, we could have put anything down and still won.
But, of course, we got that question right, too. In fact, we only missed two questions all night, which are among these:
From what sport do we get the idea of winning "hands down?" Horse racing (Boggie) - as noted in the comments, it comes from the jockey's ability to finish without lifting his hands to work the reins. Which makes a lot more sense than any suggestions we had about the connection, which were few and mostly related to horses being measured in hands.
We wound up going with wrestling, based on the ref's hitting of the mat during a count. Made sense at the time, moreso than anything else we came up with.
At the start of Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins is celebrating what birthday? Eleventy-first, or 111th (Greg) - We put down both a number and a word, which was actually not quite right but we got credit for putting 111. It was a good time to have our resident Tolkein expert around.
The meerkat is a close relative of what other animal whose name starts with the same letter? Mongoose - Pure guess, but a decent one based on the similarities that come to mind when you compare Riki Tiki Tavi and Timon (or is it the other one?).
What controversial 20th century author was married to a relative of the Red Baron? D. H. Lawrence - He came to mind in the most fleeting of moments, and went through again because I didn't realize he was 20th century. I think at least one other person on the team had the same thing happen. We went with William Golding, thinking that The Lord of the Flies may have dredged up some controversey, what with all the rampaging. I also thought that the song, "Superfly," may have been a clue.
It still might have been, depending on what Lady Chatterly's lover was using.
What US state is the flattest (in this case meaning having the smallest difference between its highest and lowest elevations)? Florida (Shawn) - We started out with the plains states, thinking about Kansas and that study that proved the Sunflower State is actually flatter than a pancake. Then the guy running the game noted that the answer was based on smallest difference in highest and lowest elevations, and we thought some more.
I remembered something from John McPhee's book Oranges about how the higest elevation in Florida is only something like 400 feet (close - it's apparently 345 feet). We talked about a few other states, but eventually stuck with Florida - not that it mattered, this being the last question of the game. Bow before our trivial prowess!
04 October 2005
Let's see... two years ago right now I was standing on an altar, exchanging vows and having a priest make fun of a large, gold object that I now wear regularly. I can't say I remember many of the details, but I thank those of you who were there (as well as many who were not) for your support, prayers, and best wishes.
To celebrate, the missus and I will make our regular bar trivia game and watch the Carmine Hose hopefully down the Pale Hose. Those that know us should not be surprised.
To celebrate, the missus and I will make our regular bar trivia game and watch the Carmine Hose hopefully down the Pale Hose. Those that know us should not be surprised.
02 October 2005
The Good: The Sox made the playoffs, the first time they've done so three years in a row (with thanks to Cooch, as the first time noted that they'd never done this was the first time I'd been made aware of it). They even did so by taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees, and not relying on the Indians inability to get the job done at home.
Which, by extension, is problematic as it gives the White Sox some momentum going into their playoff series with the Red Sox. This is less problematic than not actually making the playoffs at all, of course.
The Bad: The alma mater lost what is at least their 15th straight football game on Friday. I've not looked at their 2003 schedule, but I'm pretty sure the streak starts with a loss to Martha's Vineyard in that year's Divison VI Super Bowl.
Tough times for Manchester-Essex, certainly the toughest in my memory. Hopefully they'll get things righted soon.
The Ugly was today's Patriots game, which I theoretically had tickets to but passed on to go visit the in-laws in Maine (as the tickets were to be had through the wife's work, they were very much only in theory). So, if I had to find a silver lining here, it's that I was saved the hassle of traffic and seeing an even worse loss than my lone Patriots outing.
We were listening to the Sox game in the car coming home during the worst of this - I'd seen the first half, which ended 17-17. I've not gotten any information on how the wheels came off the cart, but the score indicates another problematic day on defense.
Maine, on the other hand, would also qualify in the good category. Played another round of golf, this time at the Hampden Country Club, which unlike many country clubs has a public course and is only 9 holes. But it will always have a special place in my golfing memory for one reason.
I shot an honest to God par on the second hole.
If I were Cooch I'd have what happened down in precise detail. Instead, I can tell you I hit an iron off the tee, clipped the top of a tree but landed about 10 yards from the green. Used some sort of pitchy-putter looking club to get on the green, and rolled in an 8 footer for a par 3.
Note that the next time through I shot an 8.
For most of the day I had no consistent feel for any of my clubs. I'd have a good shot here and there, but it wasn't like Hilton Head where I was driving consistently. It also didn't help that, at one point, I was hitting at the wrong green (the 7th and 9th greens are very close).
But it was still fun, and a day golfing where it wasn't sub-tropical, which is always nice. The rest of the weekend was quiet, no complaints. Except for that work thing tomorrow, but I suppose that can't be helped.
Which, by extension, is problematic as it gives the White Sox some momentum going into their playoff series with the Red Sox. This is less problematic than not actually making the playoffs at all, of course.
The Bad: The alma mater lost what is at least their 15th straight football game on Friday. I've not looked at their 2003 schedule, but I'm pretty sure the streak starts with a loss to Martha's Vineyard in that year's Divison VI Super Bowl.
Tough times for Manchester-Essex, certainly the toughest in my memory. Hopefully they'll get things righted soon.
The Ugly was today's Patriots game, which I theoretically had tickets to but passed on to go visit the in-laws in Maine (as the tickets were to be had through the wife's work, they were very much only in theory). So, if I had to find a silver lining here, it's that I was saved the hassle of traffic and seeing an even worse loss than my lone Patriots outing.
We were listening to the Sox game in the car coming home during the worst of this - I'd seen the first half, which ended 17-17. I've not gotten any information on how the wheels came off the cart, but the score indicates another problematic day on defense.
Maine, on the other hand, would also qualify in the good category. Played another round of golf, this time at the Hampden Country Club, which unlike many country clubs has a public course and is only 9 holes. But it will always have a special place in my golfing memory for one reason.
I shot an honest to God par on the second hole.
If I were Cooch I'd have what happened down in precise detail. Instead, I can tell you I hit an iron off the tee, clipped the top of a tree but landed about 10 yards from the green. Used some sort of pitchy-putter looking club to get on the green, and rolled in an 8 footer for a par 3.
Note that the next time through I shot an 8.
For most of the day I had no consistent feel for any of my clubs. I'd have a good shot here and there, but it wasn't like Hilton Head where I was driving consistently. It also didn't help that, at one point, I was hitting at the wrong green (the 7th and 9th greens are very close).
But it was still fun, and a day golfing where it wasn't sub-tropical, which is always nice. The rest of the weekend was quiet, no complaints. Except for that work thing tomorrow, but I suppose that can't be helped.
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