Random Thoughts On A Sunday Morning Updated To 7-28

[fenway389]

That is AWESOME HFLR!!! Congratulations!!

[redeck]

Totally Sweet HFLR your story gives me a big smile, and I shared it with my daughter who thought it was cool too.

[dennisjames71]

That is just Legendary HFLR. What a great accomplishment and I couldn't be happier for you. Your work is beyond amazing. I really dig Joakim Soria too, so that's really cool you met him and got a pic with him. :good:

[Yankee4Life]

Isn't that something? To be able to meet your favorite player and talk to him and also have your work from Mvp Caribe shown on the main screen at that ballpark! I'm impressed Hector and I couldn't be more happier for you because you deserve it.

[redeck]

<-----------looks like this guy got traded to the Cubs today

hows that for a random thought?:huh:

[dennisjames71]

That's pretty funny redeck. I knew I shouldn't have told you the story about that ultra-drunk girl at the sports bar who thought I was Matt Garza.

Regarding the real Matt Garza, I've been pretty mad over the sudden mass-exodus of everyone from Tampa Bay. Yeah, what a horrible team they have had to suffer on the last 3 years. If we lose Soriano; the pitching staff goes down to above average and the offense (like last year) will only get worse.

Instead on Longoria saying (in the 2K10 Commercial) "Are you ready to battle?"...he should say "Are you ready for 3rd Place in the AL East?" for the 2011 Slogan.

<-----------looks like this guy got traded to the Cubs today

hows that for a random thought?

[Yankee4Life]

Updated to 1-9

...The NFL playoffs never cease to amaze, doesn't it? Now who would have picked the 7-9 Seahawks to beat the defending Super Bowl Champions? I didn't. And how many of you picked Seattle? Let's see a show of hands here....thought so!

 

...I guess this means no more Drew Brees commercials.

 

...And wasn't it such a shame that Peyton Manning and the Colts got knocked out again? Good for the Jets. That was an impressive little drive they had at the end of the game to win it. Great job!

 

...God knows what will happen in the Ravens-Chiefs game or the Packers-Eagles game, but I wouldn't be surprised at anything. As long as the Chiefs are knocked out then I'll be happy. I really don't care about the Packers or Eagles but if I had to make a choice I'll go for Green Bay because there is no way I can root for any team from Philadelphia just because of those terrible fans that they breed in that decayed and rat infested city.

 

...Thank God the NFL allows their stuff to be shown on youtube. You all have to see the stuff that is on there. Broadcasts of old games! And Bud Selig doesn't even allow a highlight to be posted on youtube.

 

...So Matt Garza went to the Cubs? Oh well. I see that Chicago sent Tampa Bay some horse**** ballplayers and Tampa accepted. If the Yankees were to try to get Garza, Tampa wouldn't have wanted much. Just maybe the top six players in the farm system, that's all. I hope Tampa Bay loses 100 games this year. Serves them right.

 

...And Andy Pettitte is still making the Yankees squirm by forcing them to wait for his decision to come back or retire. I am sure he is doing this because of the Jeter negotiations and how that all went down. Make up your mind you stupid son of a &^#@&.

 

...Prayers to a speedy recovery to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who was shot by some 22 year old nut yesterday. This guy open fired and killed six people including a 9 year old girl and the Congresswoman is still in critical condition. 22 years old and in a matter of seconds he threw his life away and permanently damaged the lives of many innocent people.

 

...Before hearing about this shooting, the bit of news that really bothered me this week was learning that a new "cleaned up" version of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn was going to be released. This politically correct version will take out the word "NXXXXX" and they will replace it with the word "slave" and they will also be removing the word "Injun" and replacing it with the word "Indian." And the same thing will be done to Tom Sawyer. If this form of selected censorship doesn't bother you it should. I have a confession. When I was a kid I read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. They were enjoyable books and I also liked seeing the books made into movies. After reading the books I did not have the urge to call black people by that name and since we didn't have any native Indians where I lived, I never used the word "Injun." In other words, I read the book and moved on. You can't do that these days because of people that do this stuff to books. Now I wonder what book is next?

 

...R.I.P. to ex-Yankee pitcher Ryne Duren. He was 81.

[DylanBradbury]

Updated to 1-9

...The NFL playoffs never cease to amaze, doesn't it? Now who would have picked the 7-9 Seahawks to beat the defending Super Bowl Champions? I didn't. And how many of you picked Seattle? Let's see a show of hands here....thought so!

...And wasn't it such a shame that Peyton Manning and the Colts got knocked out again? Good for the Jets. That was an impressive little drive they had at the end of the game to win it. Great job!

...Prayers to a speedy recovery to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who was shot by some 22 year old nut yesterday. This guy open fired and killed six people including a 9 year old girl and the Congresswoman is still in critical condition. 22 years old and in a matter of seconds he threw his life away and permanently damaged the lives of many innocent people.

...Before hearing about this shooting, the bit of news that really bothered me this week was learning that a new "cleaned up" version of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn was going to be released. This politically correct version will take out the word "NXXXXX" and they will replace it with the word "slave" and they will also be removing the word "Injun" and replacing it with the word "Indian." And the same thing will be done to Tom Sawyer. If this form of selected censorship doesn't bother you it should. I have a confession. When I was a kid I read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. They were enjoyable books and I also liked seeing the books made into movies. After reading the books I did not have the urge to call black people by that name and since we didn't have any native Indians where I lived, I never used the word "Injun." In other words, I read the book and moved on. You can't do that these days because of people that do this stuff to books. Now I wonder what book is next?

...R.I.P. to ex-Yankee pitcher Ryne Duren. He was 81.

I picked the Seahawks to win! I also picked the Colts.

The U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords shooting is so tragic. Rest in Peace to all those who were mercilessly slain by the shooter, and a speedy and full recovery to all those who are still in hospital. (The nine-year-old girl happens to be Dallas Green's granddaughter. He was a former player and manager.)

I also think political-correctness and censorship has gone too far. In the case of the replacement of words in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, it was a part of history. Y4L, you're right. People know that these words shouldn't be said. I don't think people who read these books have a sudden urge to start calling people with these slurs.

Sherlock Holmes did opium, should we remove this from any Sherlock Holmes novel? It's bad, why don't we "correct it?"

I'm scared that eventually books will be all flowers and daises and that nothing bad will happen in them.

[Mykal94]

Does this book censoring remind anyone else of Fahrenheit 451? It's pretty odd when you think about it...

[Padres67]

PC has gone crazy. A current court case involving a white guy fired for using the n-word when black co-workers throw it around all day long-not even reprimanded. I taught many black inner city kids and I told them I never wanted to hear them use that word with each other in my presence-they laughed at me.

[emath2432]

@ Dylan: Pretty sure Dallas Green was also a GM at one point. Not that it's a big deal.

@Y4L: The Cubs gave up 3 of their top prospects.

Lee was considered one of their middle infielders of the future (supposed to play SS, while Starlin Castro was expected to move to 2nd), and possible lead off man of the future.

Archer was our minor league pitcher of the year in '10, and had an amazing season.

Guyer was our Minor League player of the year, and also had a great season.

A lot of reports I have read project Archer to be a stud.

Now, I admit that the Cubs have a way of highly touting their prospects, and none of them are worth a ****, but we have had some solid players come up the past couple of years. Not necessarily super star level guys, but solid Major Leaguers.

[Yankee4Life]

I also think political-correctness and censorship has gone too far. In the case of the replacement of words in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, it was a part of history. Y4L, you're right. People know that these words shouldn't be said. I don't think people who read these books have a sudden urge to start calling people with these slurs.

The problem is that there are too many people around these days with nothing else to do except worry about what the other person MIGHT think about something. And what they think the other person MIGHT do in a situation they act accordingly. How about if something like this happens? A kid has to read Huckleberry Finn for school or maybe he wants to read it on his own. How about if the parent sits down with the kid and lets him know the book he is about to read is 126 years old (printed in 1885) and that is how things were back then. In fact this book goes back even further because it was set at at time before the Civil War. It is just how things were back then.

Sherlock Holmes did opium, should we remove this from any Sherlock Holmes novel? It's bad, why don't we "correct it?"

I'm scared that eventually books will be all flowers and daises and that nothing bad will happen in them.

If this ever happened it would not surprise me.

Does this book censoring remind anyone else of Fahrenheit 451? It's pretty odd when you think about it...

Mykal94 is right. Little by little there are people out there telling you what is good for you and what isn't and what is acceptable to read and what isn't. And people keep quiet about it until one day they wake up and see that everything around them is not of their control or liking.

[dennisjames71]

Hey Y4L,

Really enjoyed your Random Thoughts today…I dont think the Rays will lose 100 games but Im afraid that they are going to be looking at a distant 3rd place in the AL East behind the Yanks and Red Sox. Since Ive been a Yankees fan since I was about 6 years-old; its kinda weird that I dig the Rays too because Ive liked what they have done with their franchise and I enjoy watching them play. Knowing that the Rays were gonna lose many key components; I would have much rather have seen Crawford and Garza sign/trade with the Yankees. (Im still ticked off about the Crawford deal I suppose).

I also shook my head for many moments about the Huckleberry Finn censorship saga. What an absolute slap in the face to the authors of the past and any aspiring writer in the modern era. I spent 2 years to acquire my MFA in Creative Writing (in 2009) and what does this censorship/political correctness garbage tell us?...that some political hack or fly-by-night family group next month or in the 22nd Century is going to censor the hell out of our work? You highlight the best point about this Y4L, that these FICTION stories need to be assessed in the proper historical context. It truly does not matter what was written in a work of fiction because it is from one persons (the authors) perspective and you simply cannot change it. These PC groups of today need to take accountability for peoples actions and behavior right here, right now and quit placing the blame on what someone wrote over a hundred years ago.

I agree with Mykal94s comparison to Fahrenheit 451 wholeheartedly. People seems to have a very hard time with seeing things in their proper and historical context and also do not learn from their history. One person gets offended about something, a knee-jerk reaction follows and all of the sudden, the issue has to be of monumental importance. Case in point, not 3 years after the end of World War II and barely 10 years after Nazi Germany was regularly burning books en masse as a form of censorship; schools, churches, and family groups were publicly burning pulp magazines, novels, and comic books for the very same reasons. Talk about short-term memory loss.

I agree with Dylan that next on the list of censored books will by the Sherlock Holmes series…then I predict Lewis Carrolls work, Oliver Twist, Forever Amber, The Catcher in the Rye, and most of Ernest Hemingways material. Heres a tip people, why dont you spend 2 minutes with your children and sit down and explain to them about historical context and what words are inappropriate to use instead of having your attention glued to your smart-phone or parking them in front of a television/internet? Youll be surprised…

[Yankee4Life]

Dennis, I was glad to see that others in here understood exactly what I was trying to convey. What in affect has happened here was that someone else has decided that you are not responsible enough as a person to read those two words that were in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.

Granted, I have not read all of Twain's works but I have read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. I want to quote you something at the beginning of Tom Sawyer that Twain wrote to his readers:

Most of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred; one or two were experiences of my own, the rest of those boys were schoolmates of mine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not from an individual—he is a combination of the characteristics of three boys whom I knew, and therefore belongs to the composite order of architecture

So what we have here is two books born from the memories of Twain as a boy and from his wonderful imagination. This is how things were during this time period and in Missouri at the time. There should be nothing to be ashamed of. And like you said Dennis, it's fiction. Isn't everyone a fan of fiction? But because these books have words in it that certain people don't want you to see, the book gets a cleaning up. Like no one is going to hear those words anyplace else except in that book. Watch TV one night. Tell me how many "N" words you hear. You'll hear it on MTV, in movies, on reality shows. The word isn't exactly hidden. And if you want to hear the word "injun" just watch any old western. Guarantee you you'll hear it.

That's another thing. You were telling Dylan what you thought the next set of books are going to be altered. It sure could be the Sherlock Holmes series. But how about this? Remember those westerns I just mentioned? I am waiting for someone to take the audio of that word out of the movie to replace it with something else. Would not shock me at all.

I recall reading about those book burnings but after doing some searching on the internet I could not find anything. By burning a book because they don't like it is not going to make that book go away.

Like you said, the best way is for parents to sit down with the kid and explain to them what this book is about and what it means. If I was the parent I'd let my kid read that book. I'd have them see for themselves what a strong friendship Huck and Jim had and how Huck wanted to do anything to help Jim be free. I'd tell them while this is a work of fiction, this is how things were before the Civil War and using that word these days is offensive, although I would gather already that anyone would know this. And yeah Dennis, parents can do this easily enough if they put their phone down. But they won't. They'll be afraid they'll miss a text message.

I can only remember one time when I was a kid that my parents stopped us from reading something. My sister and I were avid readers. We built up a little library and pretended to check out books just like in the library. When she was nine, she wanted to read West Side Story because the night before it was on TV. Apparently the book version was much more racier than the movie so my mother told her she was too young to read it. Eventually she read it after she was older, but that was it. Didn't bother her any because she was enrolled in a book of the month club for kids that she loved. But that was a different era Dennis. People were more responsible then.

Before I go, my guess for the next book they want to censor next is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Bob Ewell in that book said the "N" word from the moment he woke up until he went to bed. And a black man was railroaded for a crime he never committed and was shot trying to escape. Hoo boy, that's got to be censored! :(

[emath2432]

Sadly this is the world we live in now. Everything is supposed to be PC all the time, and if it isn't, someone "smarter" than us makes the decision to change it so that it is PC.

Hey, don't like someone politics, shoot them in the head, and while you are at it, shoot a bunch of people that are there with her.

Yup, our world is fucked up, and everybody understands that.. Only problem is, is that it seems no one can agree on how to fix it... And because our world is the way it is, i am sure arguing over how to fix it would lead to someone getting beat up, or shot... :facepalm:

[dennisjames71]

Hey Y4L,

I neglected to mention in my point about the burning of comic book, lurid detective novels, and pulp magazines…that this was done here in the United States between the late 1940s and early 1950s. How hypocritical that we damn Hitler (rightfully so) for doing the same thing just a decade before and then in Anytown, USA…they were lining up all the school children to systematically participate in these book burnings. Pretty disturbing stuff.

“So what did you do today at school, son?

“Well, we had an outdoor assembly where we all re-enacted the Fascist book burnings that Adolf Hitler practiced a few years ago.”

“That’s great Johnny…just as long as those evil comic books were destroyed.”

Anyway, a great source for this information is a 2008 book by David Hajdu called “The Ten Cent Plauge”. It highlights the censorship and purge of comic book and pulp stories of the late 40s and early 50s. Here is a great review of the book from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/books/10masl.html?_r=1

Man, I can’t believe I forgot to mention To Kill A Mockingbird… I think you are right that it will surely be the next book to be censored in the name of not offending anyone. I remember those Book-of-the-Month clubs at school. Next to anticipating the new baseball cards that would be released as a kid; I looked forward to when the next shipment of books would come to the classroom and I would be able to read something I chose. My dad used to take me and my sister to the library nearly every Saturday afternoon and those memories and the foundation that formed will surely last a lifetime for me.

I recall reading about those book burnings but after doing some searching on the internet I could not find anything. By burning a book because they don't like it is not going to make that book go away.

[Yankee4Life]

Updated to 1-16

...I really hate to complain about the MLB Network because it is all about my favorite sport, but as I sit here in upstate New York during another one of its long and cold winters, all I see on that damn network is repeats of the same Prime Nine shows and broadcasts of Hot Stove over and over. It really isn't worth watching until Spring Training begins. At least that time they won't repeat themselves that much.

...All week long I have been following the news about the shootings in Tuscon, Arizona and I was happy to learn that Congresswoman Giffords is starting to breathe on her own. Considering what she went through, this is amazing and I wish her nothing but good luck the rest of the way. At the same time I was surprised to see that nut got himself a lawyer to defend him. Twenty-two years old and his life is over.

...Sarah Palin, spokeswoman of the stupid, really made herself look and sound bad this week as she had to stick her nose in this thing as she blamed the media once again. While President Obama was the calming voice of reason in this tragedy, Palin somehow made it all about herself. Sad to see that, but good in a way also. Anything that makes this woman look bad to the public is fine by me.

...Well, I didn't expect that big of a blowout in the Packers-Falcons game and I didn't care for Pittsburgh to win. I rarely want the Steelers to win. On paper, the Bears should beat the Seahawks -but the same was said about New Orleans last week. And by default I am pulling for the Jets today because I don't like looking at Tom Brady any more than I have to. There you go, my picks for today.

...I couldn't believe what I read from the NFL the other day. They actually warned teams about trash talk? They're doing that now?? What the hell? Bad blood and bulletin board material has gone on in the NFL as long as I can remember. If any of you guys can remember the Raiders-Steelers wars in the 70's you'll understand what I mean. Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll calling the Raiders secondary "part of the criminal element in football" and Oakland responded in kind. This went on for years and no one told them to put a lid on it. Damn, let them be. 100% of this trash talk is just sounding off anyways. It's only meant to psyche themselves up. Get off their backs.

..."Mr. Warmth," Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, is giving the ballclub to the opening of spring training to sign him and if they don't, he'll cut them off and become a free agent. What a guy!

...Yankees sign Soriano. When I read this headline the other day my heart skipped a beat because every time I hear the name "Soriano" I can only think of one person and it's that waste of space playing left field in Wrigley Field. For a brief, brief second there I thought the Yankees got him back for some reason. Hey, it's not that far fetched you know. The Yankees are well known for making stupid moves. (See Randy Johnson, Nick Johnson, Jaret Wright, etc)

...And Tampa Bay signed Kyle Farnsworth. If I didn't hate that team so much I would feel bad for them.

...Derek Jeter wants to get an early start on spring training. Well, that's pretty good. With the way this guy played last year he should have started spring training the day after the World Series ended.

...Is there anything longer to wait for than the car leaving the parking space that you want to pull in?

...I don't know about you, but I am always wary about going to restaurants that I am not familiar with. I am always worried about ordering the wrong thing for the first time, which ruins it for me and makes me never return.

...Did you hear about what McDonalds did to one of their employees? Seems as they fired one of their workers, a mother of three, who took pity on Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings during a time when he had to use the rest room really bad. Seems as if Peterson was at the McDonalds after closing hours and he convinced the employee to let him in to go to the bathroom. McDonalds fired her for that but because of the negative press they got, they quickly rehired her back. She must have really needed the job because she came back.

[Kccitystar]

....So Verizon lands the iPhone 4. In order to keep their subscribers, AT&T increased their early termination fee, but people are going to jump ship anyway. Verizon is an awesome carrier. I use Sprint but whatever, we piggyback off of Verizon's network every now and then

....I recently got a Platinum trophy (1000/1000 achievement points for you XBOX guys) in the PS3 version of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit. Criterion, the development team behind Burnout: Paradise delivered a solid title yet again. Autolog, which is their social networking feature will always keep me coming back, as my friends post faster times for races and I can just jump right in, beat their time, and quit the game at any moment.

....I've been on a media blackout for MLB 11: The Show. No screenshots, no trailers, nothing. The only thing I remember reading for months now is news that Joe Mauer returns as the coverboy. That's about it. I still want the MLB exclusivity deal to expire so EA can revive the MVP series once again though.

....I recently got into the TV series How I Met Your Mother. It's a funny sitcom. The premise of the show is a father recanting the story of how he met his children's mother, so explaining a story like that requires amazing amounts of continuity and the show delivers on that aspect from the start. On a side note, Barney, played by Neil Patrick Harris, ironically enough is a womanizer on the show, although he's a proud gay man in real life.

....Jersey Shore Season 3 so far is meh. I blame Sammi for ruining the show by isolating herself and dragging her boyfriend into her trainwreck. YES, I watch this show and it's probably one of the few "Reality TV" shows I watch.

....My girlfriend of 2 years broke up with me in the beginning of December and although in the beginning it was a devastating thing to have happen to me, a month later, I have a renewed spirit. I feel good mentally and no longer crushed by the feelings associated with a breakup. I thank friends, family and the many things I had available for me to do at the time, to keep my mind occupied like (watching TV, playing video games, DJing, watching movies) because I know I would have drove myself crazy given the circumstances surrounding the reason why she broke up with me. She was a *****, none of my close friends liked her, and although she's tried the past couple of weeks to extend a hand at being friends, I am not turning back. I met another woman that I'd love to date and I am not letting this girl hold up my future with her garbage, despite us having a history together. Whatever.

....I haven't mentioned much in regards to baseball but man I miss the sport and I look forward to getting back into the sport when pitchers and catchers report around Valentine's Day. I miss it dearly.

[dennisjames71]

…Another great set of Random Thoughts this week, Y4L. First off, I love your title for Sarah Palin, the spokeswoman of the stupid. While I could care less about most aspects of politics; this dolt irritates me to no end. Why anyone would want to willingly listen to the ramblings of a person based upon her ultra-thin resume and experiences of being a quitter, is beyond me.

…While I am happy that Raphael Soriano went to my other favorite team; I am sad to see the Tampa Bay Rays are now essentially the Durham Bulls with David Price and Evan Longoria. I would not be surprised to see a rejuvenated Baltimore Orioles team or the Blue Jays run the Rays down in the AL East this season. On the upside, I feel a great, classic Yanks/Red Sox battle throughout the season for the division crown.

…No, the longest wait is being stuck behind the person who is waiting for the car leaving a parking space.

…Although I am skeptical about Derek Jeter’s intentions about truly wanting to start spring training early…I really hope that he has a “fountain of youth” / comeback season this year because the Yanks are really gonna need him and maybe we’ll forget his off-season/negotiation acts this past fall.

[dennisjames71]

Hey Kccitystar,

I enjoyed your random thought this week as well. I also have been a fan of How I Met Your Mother for quite a few seasons. Back in 2008, my sister was a SAG member and was an extra in 3 episodes of that show. I got a chance to watch a filming of one of those episodes and I gotta tell you Neil Patrick Harris was the coolest, most down-to-earth guy there. While most of the other “stars” on the set segregated themselves from the extras and audience members mingling around; Barney was walking around shaking hands, signing a few autographs and just being a regular guy. I was glad to get a chance to shake his hand and chat with him for a moment. Nice guy. I also love his role in the 2 Harold & Kumar films; he practically “made” those movies.

Also, thanks for sharing your story about your breakup with your girlfriend. First of all, I am sorry that happened; but you seem to have discovered the recipe for surviving these emotional break-ups. You are definitely on the right-track by finding “positive distractions” to keep your mind off of the past and surrounding yourself with the “right” people. I have been divorced (years ago) and about a year and a half ago, things broke off with my ex-fiancée of 2 years as well. It was a little easier in the respect that she (we) lived in Washington state and I moved back to California when it ended, so there was no chance of ever “running into her” again; but yeah, those damn memories are what really gets to you. So hey, keep up the good work and I wish you the best man.

[emath2432]

Funny how ATT is hated by so many. I just got it last year, and really like it so far.

Then again, I had a regional carrier for 10 years, so to have a national one, with lower prices and better services, maybe I just had low expectations coming in.

[tebjr]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Picture-New-Orleans-newspaper-s-Jets-Patriots-t?urn=nfl-309032

Couldn't have said it better.

[Yankee4Life]

Updated to 1-23

...Conference Championship Sunday! I really don't care about the NFC because I am an AFC fan from way back, so I will just shrug my shoulders to whatever team wins this afternoon. Although if I had to pick I would take Green Bay because I like them more than the Bears. But it is clear cut in the AFC, at least for me. I want the New York Jets to beat Pittsburgh. So, there you are. Place your bets!

...I'm not even sure I will be watching any of these games today because I have the trifecta of winter ailments. A cold, a fever and a sore throat. When I get sick I do a job.

...Apple's App store recently reached ten BILLION downloads. Which just goes to show that you can fool some of the people all of the time.

...Look what the Yankees did. They signed Andruw Jones. It hurts too much to laugh right now.

...Tampa Bay is starting to turn into Fenway South after the signings of Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.

...Here's wishing new Oakland coach Hue Jackson best of luck on taking over the Raiders. And watching the news conference it was evident that Al Davis looks very frail now, and that's too bad. I have always loved listening to him talk.

...If Jackson can have the success of my all time favorite coach (John Madden) then I will be content. Just look at Madden's record with Oakland and you'll see why.

...I was so bored at home yesterday that I actually watched two minutes of an NBA basketball game before I changed the channel.

...Last week wasn't a total loss though. I picked up the 3 DVD set of The Bronx is Burning for five dollars.

...I admit I am envious Dept: Bristol Palin, eldest daughter of you-know-who recently purchased a brand new home in Arizona for $172,000 and paid cash for it. Her mother said that if she wanted to add on a wing to her house she'll pay for it by writing another book.

[redeck]

Get well soon Y4L, wondered where you slipped off too.

Bronx is burning is a good show to watch, not the worse baseball flick ever filmed. My daughter and I watched "Babe" last night, she enjoyed it, being a Ruth fan, but her being 8 years old, alot of it went over her head. But she laughed hard when Ruth says "yeah, Homers, I like to hit Homers"

I wondered when you were going to note the fine acquisition of Andruw Jones to the pinstripes. That guy should put the Yanks in the top spot for sure. (I thought he was retired)

[Yankee4Life]

Updated to 1-30

...I miss talking to MarkB on this website. He hardly comes on here anymore and for someone who was and still is a good friend of his, it's just not the same anymore.

...Got a lot of nerve Dept: Folks planning on attending the Super Bowl next week have the opportunity to park their car right across the street from Cowboys Stadium for the low, low price of 990 dollars. The sad thing is, someone will pay it.

...This week saw the release of the 1927 Total Classics mod, but this time it has a new twist to it. It's the integrated version of that mod with Negro League stars being placed on all of the sixteen teams in major league baseball. It's going to be released again because there was a minor problem with the first version of it, but when it is fixed it will be placed up on the main page for download. I can promise you that when this mod is fixed and ready for download again it will be another great one to play. Thanks to Dennis James and redeck and for Jim825 for creating the installer.

...I still can not shake this cold and fever that I have a hard time getting to sleep because I am sneezing so much. Not tonight though! Tonight's the Pro Bowl and all I got to do is turn it on and watch it for less than a quarter and I am out like a light. Same thing happens to me when the 700 club is on.

...Lazy Rocco Baldelli retired this week at the advanced age of 29. He just could not take the thought of playing another 162 game season again. Here's wishing you the best in your golden years Rocco.

...I just love the Internet, sometimes more times than others. Take this week for example. Some kind soul posted season one of Columbo and I was able to watch all seven of them.

...Ok, the Yankees signed Bartolo Colon. What do you want me to say? I sure as hell am not going to pretend that I like it. In fact, if I open my front door right now and listen very close, I can hear them laughing all the way from Fenway Park.

...Well, look at the bright side. If Roger Clemens wasn't going through all his legal problems the Yankees would have gone after him too.

...Albert Pujols isn't asking for much. Just 50% from everyone's paycheck from the state of Missouri.

...Did you hear that one company is going to be coming out with drinkable marijuana? Charlie Sheen has already ordered a dozen cases.