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by Carolina Lady
Stuffville, USA – Well, as Riley would say, “What a revoltin’ development this is!” (If you don’t know who Riley is, Google it.) High hopes and expectations thwarted at every turn, it seems.
Sheets, anyone?
Randy Johnson for one year?
Lowe? I doubt it.
Who else that would be an improvement over what we already have??
What about the outfield?
Pray for Frenchy! We need him to come storming back this year!
Who’s in left?
Center?
About the only positions fairly certain are Chipper at 3rd and McCann behind the plate.
Haven’t heard a peep about Kotchman.
Where’s Ohman? Didn’t the Braves make an offer? What’s up with that?
Will Bobby come back in ’10?
50/50, I think. He’ll hate to walk away from a challenge, but then maybe he’ll just be tired of it. Who will take his place?
We don’t even have the broadcast booth covered for this coming season!
OK – what do you think Wren will do? What will the roster look like at the end of ST? Will Smoltz be successful in his return? Will Glavine give it a go? Who is going to wash the dishes? (Never mind, I know the answer to that one!)
Don’t complain about the lead; it’s all I could come up with in :15! 😆
~CL~
Braves & Stuff 
Yess, I get to make the first post!!! Excellent in 15 minutes CL! Shoot, it’ll do just fine, IMHO! 🙂
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And just in case folks missed it from the previous blog…
If this doesn’t bring Grinch out of retirement, nothing will! 😛
CNN Meteorologist: Manmade Global Warming Theory ‘Arrogant’ (2nd one in a year)
http://businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20081218205953.aspx
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You will notice the fellow recanted his theory after the handlers at CNN had a come to Jesus meeting with him. It would be very inconvenient for such a leftist news organization to go against the flavor of the month in D.C.
Now, that said, I think anything that helps reduce the poisons that are spewed into the air is a good thing, I just don’t think you need to bludgeon people with a lie to accomplish that feat.
And good to see some old friends dropping by. I’m glad we set an extra plate for them at the table.
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Thanks, Ber! 😆
Gil, it is good to see them here. And they ALWAYS have a place waiting for them here! 😀
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Gil, I missed that! My eyes glazed over the last 2 paragraphs!
Rob Marciano (the first guy last year) is pretty cool, I actually saw him clap about whatever story got him started about the Algore film. Sad they made him toe the line….
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Ber, His having to recant his opinion speaks volumes
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Want to read a good primer, pick up Michael Creighton’s State of Fear….
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The story is fiction, the research is not.
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Gil, it must be a good book, it has a 3 out of 5 star average rating…robots must be giving it 1 star….fear indeed!
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Evening y’all! Good to see some of our wandering brethren stop by. Have a cookie, boys. 🙂
I thought Bobby might be about ready to hang it up but he just had his knees re-done so maybe he’ll have a little more pep in his step now.
I would never bet against Smoltz. He seems to have super-human powers of recovery.
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Did anyone else’s eyes pop a little when you read JS’s quotes in the AJC? I’ve never known him to get so heated in public. He must have been breathing fire.
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FLB, it’s nice to see JS do that, very refreshing! Why sugarcoat it??? He is also showing it’s not just Wren who is PO’ed.
I did my usual filter only DOB posts, and saw this from the sorry little agency. I’ll just post part of it, wouldn’t want the little dear upset his words were spread around the web without payment…or something… it’s at 8:23 PM, and may be elsewhere on the ajc site. I just LOVE that last paragraph….
Arn Tellem:
With regard to the negotiations between the Atlanta Braves and Rafael Furcal, the essential facts are clear and cannot be disputed.
1.
There was never an agreement reached between Rafael Furcal and the Atlanta Braves.
2.
In fact, the Braves were fully aware that Furcal was not prepared to make a decision but had requested an opportunity to sleep on it, before deciding.
3.
Moreover, the Baseball rules which all agents and teams operate under are clear that no deal exists between a player and a team unless and until: (i) there is a signed and executed player agreement or; (ii) the Player’s Union and the Commissioner’s office have otherwise confirmed the deal. Neither occurred here.
……
If it serves our clients we will continue to present opportunities to the Braves, which in accordance with the rules governing Major League Baseball, the Braves must entertain. We hope that once emotions have subsided, the Braves will act in a manner consistent with not only their obligations under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and The National Labor Relations Act, but also the best interests of the franchise. In short, we would not want this incident to color their better judgment.
If I was JS or Wren, I’d tell that POS to, Bleep off, only start cussing like the Gov of Illinois, don’t hold back in any way, shape or form.
It’s just like with Borass, agents can pretend there is a mystery team, when there isn’t, have a verbal or handshake agreement, and break it, that’s fine, it’s just what’s best for their client, but…don’t you dare not entertain offers for players we have that want to jack the price up for the team they really want to play for! 😡 😡 😡
I hate the idea of collusion, but I’d love to see teams flat out collude against borass and this crap outfit, and watch their players have to sign one year contracts for the minimum til they dumped the greedy b*stards!!!
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Well, like I use to confide in my colleagues, the law required I represent both union and non union workers in matters of dispute, it didn’t say how well…. The agent can tender a deal, the Braves can always sit on it and then say no…. or just say no straight up….
yes, the law is on the agent’s side, but there was a definite breech of ethics. Don’t think every other GM didn’t take notice of what went on.
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Laws are created from the input of many; ethics and integrity are very individual. Either you have them, or you don’t. If it’s within you to let a law undermine your ethics and integrity…you’re not very strong.
CL…thanks for buying me some time. I will get you a lead before your lead becomes lead. (And folks wonder why English is so hard to learn! 😯 )
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Remember folks, we commoners abide by the law. Lawyers use the law. They wield it like weapon. As the joke goes, they should only use their powers for good. Unfortunately, to many of them, it’s no joke. We have become a litigious society. If you spill hot McDonald’s coffee in your lap because you and idiot, just sue McDonald’s. They must be at fault, right? Of course not, but the laws can be twisted to accommodate even that faulty reasoning. It is a sad reality of the times…
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“Hiding behind the Law”
There’s a reason why that statement exists…although I find it quite immoral more often than not.
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Well, one silver lining to the cloud of the stock market collapse is they won’t have to “spread their wealth around”…
Incredible amounts of money donated to Bill Clinton’s foundation. I guess a dollar just doesn’t buy all that much anymore…
Looks like the auto industry is getting a short term bailout. It must be good to be the king….
In my early years, to closest thing I ever got to a bailout was an old coffee can. Can’t pay your bills? Tough….. I was working three jobs and still couldn’t keep up. My, how times have changed…. Like they say, be nice to those you see on the way up because you will see the same folks on the way down.
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Yep to everything said today…but hey, don’t worry about congressmen and women, they are going to be able to scrape by.
With economy in shambles, Congress gets a raise.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/with-economy-in-shambles-congress-gets-a-raise-2008-12-17.html
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Braves re-sign Norton.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/12/19/braves_greg_norton.html
At least that didn’t blow up…
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Okay, that fills one need… 🙂
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Whither Ohman?
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Will Ohman Draws Interest From Mets, Indians
By Tim Dierkes [December 17, 2008 at 1:33pm CST]
According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the market for free agent lefty Will Ohman is picking up. The Mets and Indians are among the inquiring clubs. Ohman wants a two-year deal.
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Braves make offer to Ohman
The Braves have said they are interested in re-signing Will Ohman and they further proved this on Monday, when they provided the left-handed reliever a contract offer. While terms of the offer weren’t revealed, Ohman viewed it as a sign that he’s wanted in Atlanta.
“It was a strong offer intended to show me that they’d like to have me back,” said Ohman, who made a career-high 83 appearances for the Braves this past season. “I’ve talked to my agent and we’ve agreed that once you file for free agency, you just have to let everything run its course. I think I’d be remiss not to listen to what else is out there.”
With at least 10 teams having already expressed interest, Ohman is hoping to receive a contract similar to the ones fellow left-handed relievers, Jeremy Affeldt and Damaso Marte, have signed over the past week. Marte gained a three-year, $12 million contract from the Yankees and Affeldt signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Giants.
– Mark Bowman
Posted on November 17, 2008 at 6:12 PM
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The Braves need to resign Ohman for 2 reasons:
1. He is a very good pitcher whom the Braves could definitely use.
2. Keep him from the Mets.
The same logic can be applied to Derek Lowe, IMHO. 😀
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V, I agree…but if there really are 10 teams interested, and Ohman (and his agent) are worried about 83 games last year….wanna bet on the odds of him signing with us, in other words??? 😕
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From Chris: says HOWDY to everybody, Merry Christmas, and hopes he’ll be back with us before much longer. Upon learning that SG has been “taking care” of the Saloon, SG is hereby appointed assistant barkeep in the absence of the real barkeep. 😀
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Hey, CL… Nice “A”!
Wait, that didn’t come out right… 😳
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😆 , Raisins! 😆
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See y’all tomorrow!
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Hello all! This is Matthew, Dad to Walter. I just remembered where this site was and wanted to say hello! Jennifer, Walter, and I want you to meet our newest Collier. Abigail Grace was born on Nov. 19 at 5:32 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. E-mail me at mattunion99@yahoo.com and I’ll send you a picture. I can’t get it to paste here.
Merry Christmas!
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Matthew, so good to see you again. CL will get Abigail’s photo posted if you email it to her…
Congratulations to the University of Richmond for winning the NCAA Division I football championship tonight. A much needed moral booster for our beleaguered city. I realize it’s not the SEC or the Big 10 but all of these kids graduate and they play a good brand of football…. They actually are student-athletes…
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Hello, Matthew! Sounds like you’ve been busy. 🙂 Please stop in again.
And a message from Chris… this is a good day.
Looks like I might be spending Christmas in Georgia. Mom is lobbying very hard to go up for a few days. ( Of course that means I’d have to make some orders a day early in order to leave. 😯 )
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MATTHEW!! What a special, special treat! Don’t lose us again; you are warmly welcomed! You have mail! 🙂
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Gil, the NC Insurance Commissioner granted a 30% rate increase for homeowner policies.
“…. 30 percent increase in homeowner insurance rates for the Wilmington area’s mainland communities approved Thursday by N.C. Insurance Commissioner Jim Long.
The increase, effective May 1, comes on top of two others in recent years for coastal North Carolina – 15 percent in 2005 and 25 percent in 2007.
That’s a total of 70% increase since 2005. And we haven’t had any major storms in a long while. The last real bad one was the combo of Bertha and Fran that hit within a couple of weeks of each other back in ’96. They were devastating. But it was also nearly 13 years ago.
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Is that any worse than having your property assessments doubled? I am watching the talking heads debate over taxes verses spending and the whole greed is good thing. I cannot help but think about Rick Warrren told the Chinese about how capitalism without the moral compass of religion leads to evil.
Well, can’t we see that has happened to our country? The atheist managed to remove prayer from our schools in the 70s, now it is those who have lost moral guidance who are calling the shots. What a surprise that they stole from everyone and now they beg forgiveness…. I think public flogging would be a good alternative to jail. It would be a much stronger deterrent to crime in my opinion.
CL, I am still weighing my options on what direction to head. I have always preached that just because you can do something does not mean you should do something. I may just feather my present nest a little more and take a few more vacations…
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We just had the new “assessment” last year. Won’t have another one for maybe two years. Property ‘values’ even remotely near the water jumped triple digits. And now nothing is selling. Greed. You said it!
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Upon learning that SG has been “taking care” of the Saloon, SG is hereby appointed assistant barkeep in the absence of the real barkeep.
Urp! Uh, sure thing bud. Hey everybody, free drinks all around ’til Klobber returns or the liquor runs out! 😀
Gil, maybe just stay in a different place every year until you find a spot you really want to settle into and vacation every year. Searching for the perfect second home could be a fun yearly or bi-yearly exploration. Otherwise you might be buying at a bargain basement price now in a place you’re not familiar with and trying to sell in a worse market later because you don’t like something about the location, house, neighborhood or city. Or the taxes or the punk rockers that move in next door.
Either way, you’ve got a high-class problem on your hands there.
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Still the invisible man…
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Punk rockers? Wha?
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Some people call me white man, some call me snow man, some call me a pane of glass and some think they can see right through me, but they don’t know me. How could they?
Like Mr. Fly, I can go anywhere… virtually undetected. When life gives you invisible gravatars, just go with it. That’s my invisible advice.
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SG, er, IM…
When you add or change your gravatar, you must go to the bottom of the page and “save” the change to your profile.
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Raisins, 😆 😆
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Savannah Guy thanks Raisins for the advice on gravatar updating, but he said when he clicks on the “change gravatar” section, the page starts blinking and seems to be trying to download the next instruction (to upload and crop the image I suppose), but it never gets there… just keeps blinking and all. Anyhoo, that’s what he told me.
Just another fine WordPress advancement. Maybe a plot to weed out mac computers and techno-idiots. They got SG on both counts.
Me, I had no problem at all loading my image into the gravatar… and such a crisp likeness it is. That’s me against a white backdrop.
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SG…good point, your suggestion is taken under advisement…
And to contact the Invisible Man do we send an IM????
And .. urp!!! thanks for the drink….
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I dunno, IM…
I don’t think it looks a thing like you!
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Gil, here’s an idea for you… buy a big ‘ol nice houseboat. That way, when you get bored with a place you and Miss Josie can putt along to another port. Head north in the summer, south in the winter. Cruise the intracoastal waterways from Maine to Florida. Get a satellite dish on top and you’re all setup for TV and internet. That’s a condo with a changing view… and no yardwork.
If that’s not enough, while hanging around the house you can catch dinner.
I think I just talked myself into a houseboat. 😀
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Raisins, it’s a professional portrait, although my mouth was a little crooked and my eyes did close a little when the camera light went off. Otherwise, it looks just like me, other than the surprised expression on my face.
The DMV lady just told me to stand there and without warning she just snapped it right after asking me my age. They should tell you to say “cheese” or sumpin’.
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Greetings Walter! 🙂
IM, you about talked me into a houseboat, and I can’t afford one! 😉
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And Whither baseball??? Gil, ever watch the car auctions on speed vision??? For some reason, we are supposed to really be excited when some muscle car brings 100k…not sure why…yippee!!! I’ll never be able to afford one of those! 😛
Feels the same way with baseball free agents. Am I supposed to feel good that Tex is an Uber capitalist, and may somehow get 200 mil for 10 years???
And even though he’s no number one, how come I don’t hear a word about the braves pursuing Braden Looper??? 199 innings last year…
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after….yippee!!! I’ll never be able to afford one of those! I meant to go with :?, not :P…kinda changes the meaning! 😉
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CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😡
How’d that happen???
after….yippee!!! I’ll never be able to afford one of those! I meant to go with 😕 , not :p
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bad words, BAD WORDS!!!! 👿
Guess a … got in the way of a 😛
enough of this, need to find some way to capture some of the heat on this cloudy day, cuz it’s gonna be cold for awhile in the ATL. No snow of course, just dreary, dreary cold… 😥
.
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.
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.
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I’m fun, ain’t I???
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SG/IM, I admit I had to contact Support. What help they offered was useless. I finally had them enter a different email address and I can access it only through the link in the email they sent. How can they mess up avatar access so badly?! sigh…..
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CL, if you had to call Support to get the thing to work then maybe my skills aren’t so bad and I’m no longer a techno-idiot.
I’ve graduated to techno-dummy. 😆
WordPress is like our Congress. The more they touch anything or try to improve things for the citizens/denizens, the more screwed up it all gets.
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People have a tendency to ‘improve’ things until they are competely useless!
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Dreary cold… well, it’s just been rainy and cold here. Same but different…
Now I understand why folks in Seattle are so depressed….
House boat… hummmm….
Personally, I think snow is way over rated. Must be the poor circulation in my toes that skews my perspective. One of my favorite sayings comes from Mad Magazine, “The only people who like snow are kids, poets and nuts… For the rest of us it’s a real drag.”
Of course, as long as I don’t have to drive in it and the power doesn’t go out, I can deal with it… The wife on the other hand loves snow… uhh…
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When I tried to log in to Gravatar, the page never changed; it just sat there. No message, nothing.
Support said I didn’t have cookies set; yes, I do.
Then they said I had to disable my security system. No, I won’t.
I told them it used to be so simple and easy to change an avatar, but now, since it had been improved, it was just a frustrating, time-consuming mess and I would just keep the avatar I had rather than go through the hassle their site now caused.
Silence.
Finally, an email that said, Oh! You want to add a new email address?? Sure! Now try!
I did and it did. As long as I access through the link in the email I have no problem. It simply refuses to accept the bravesandstuff email as acceptable.
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I like PICTURES of snow. 😀
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The only people who like snow are kids, poets and nuts…
You nailed me Gil. 😆 Well, except for the kids and poet part… although since the very start, for the better part I’ve loved art and been a kid at heart.
I just wanna make a snow angel and throw a snowball at somebody and drink hot cocoa and all that fun stuff. Maybe I’ll just go to the 7-11 and buy a snow cone. 🙄
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I know Gil and CL ain’t exactly fans of snow, I like snow, because…well, I guess it reminds me of St. Louis, Winter, etc….I don’t get cold without the snow. Why be cold at all?? Ok, to kill off bugs, but other than a few cold snaps, just don’t want it if it’s not snowing! 21 in a morning or two, after 3-4 days of 70?? Oh, that’s going to feel good! My Dad’s friend in Louisville said it’s going down to 9 tomorrow morning! 😯 Just wait til winter starts!!!!(Is tomorrow the first day of the Winter solstice???)
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Oh, I also like snow cuz it makes everthing so doggone purty in the middle of leaveless trees, brown lawns…..
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“It simply refuses to accept the bravesandstuff email as acceptable.” Is that acceptable? 😳
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Anchorage, Alaska:
18° low: 12 ° high: 21°
sunrise – sunset
10:14 a.m. – 3:41 p.m.
I would never adjust to that!
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CL, think that goes a long way to explaining why Sarah Palin has 5 kids, and why her teenage daughter is knocked up! 😈
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Berigan!!
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Thank the Lord for the nighttime… 🙂
Then again, I’ll bet the TV reception blows up there too ….. No wonder they have snowmobile races. Think ESPN might give then coverage this year? 🙂 But I would suggest Sarah’s daughter’s condition has more to do with the fact she is a teenager than anything else… All those raging hormones….
And upon further review… snow is okay as long as it doesn’t hang around too long…. SG only likes snow because he does not have to put up with it for long stretches at a time.
Yes Berigan, it does beautify an otherwise drab and dreary world but then the melting really mucks things up…
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Of course now that I have a more limited time frame to send Christmas ecards, Hallmark is having technical difficulties. Arrrggghhh!!!!!
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And Merry Christmas to you too FBG… 🙂
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why Sarah Palin has 5 kids…
Insomnia?
Yes Gil, but the way I want to see snow is to be there for a week while it’s snowing and pretty and leave before it stops and melts. Kinda like the tourists that come here in April to see the azaleas blooming all over town and leave before the gnats start gnawing.
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SG…uhm…IM….you want a Currier & Ives snow! I’m widja there! 😆
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The only things I like about snow is that it is pretty (AT FIRST), and when the flakes touch your face it’s like being kissed by an angel.
Don’t like the aftermath of snow at all. It’s a huge, ugly mess.
No baseball news. Bobby Valentine’s Japanese contract is not being extended. Ho hum. Pettitt is still agonizing over how many millions to settle for with the NYY. yawn. Norton signed with the Braves for a paltry $800,000. One-tenth of that would make me extremely happy!
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I like the silence of a falling snow!
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Agreed, Salty. There’s a special hush. If you don’t have to be out doing errands, chores, appointments, etc. 😀
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Currier & Ives… YES!!! Exactly! Nobody had to go to work, shovel snow or mud to drive through after a C&I snowfall landscape. Kind’a like a Rockwell Thanksgiving feast… with no dishes to clean. Like a Wyeth watercolor… with no barn to scrape and paint. Yes, I’m a hopeless romantic.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. 😀
After a nice fall-like spell, winter is roaring back like a lion here on the coast. We have a big Nor’easter blowin’ 40 knots. Nice… love inclement weather. Me, hopeless.
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I like Mayfield Snow Cream! 😀
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Raisins has good taste…
I like Mayfield too.
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An Indie song that everyone might like…
Did you realize?
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Falcons game time temp in Minnesota is 0 degrees and driving snow going to minus 10 tonight. Good thing they have a dome overhead. The Birds are doing good, leading 17-7.
That’s not Currier and Ives weather, that’s Ice Station Zebra stuff. Snow or not, no thanks. A snowball up there is a deadly weapon. Could freeze in mid-flight making a snow Angel. Jack Frost not nipping but biting off toes. Minnesota for Christmas? Snow thanks. 😯
I’ll take Vermont, Colorado or Utah.
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Slow day in Stuffville and I’m about to enter the ‘tunnel’ of work again next week. Hopefully will see you good folks before the big day. If not, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Now, I’ll just make like, uh, me and disappear.
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Go for it big boy… you can have my share of snow while you are at it… Yes, kudos to the Falcons for making a great season out of low expectations. Looks like Mr. Banks got a good QB and a good coach and was able to ship off the malcontents too.
Redskins held off the Eagles today by …that much…. and cloud the playoff picture a bit for Philly….
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A wither the Braves? Very quiet on the free agent front after the Furcal bruhaha…
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Greetings folks! Been away a bit….FYE is closing 3 of it’s “record” stores on the south side of Atlanta. Did I mention this already??? Storewide clearance event, everything must go! Did Scott Borass think that one up?? 🙄 Everything was 25% off, just went 50% off. Folks, it looked like a bunch of 6 year olds on crack had been thru that store! 😯 I have been in several stores that were closing down, never seen such a mess like this! Cds, DVDs on the floor, signage down…just pig like. Feel sorry for the staff. Though after having to listen to some loud, truly terrible rap(but, I repeat myself) perhaps they deserved it! 😈
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Ber, one of my first jobs, before I was forced to actually make enough money to live on was as a manager for a music store that sold 8 track tapes… Kind of dates me huh… 🙂
Anyway, when I look back at my life I must admit it was one of my all time favorite jobs, really… Except for the ridiculous wage I was paid and the long hours.. hum… anyhoo, the job was great, I worked downtown right around the corner from the telephone company and the scenery would have made the Grinch drool with envy, (he is already green). I had the opportunity to listen to all types of music and talk to people about every genre’ and listen to every new release plus the scenery… did I mention the scenery?
I had a little 250 cc Harley I would ride to work every day and met some really interesting folks, that was how I got the opportunity to work as a roadie for nearly all the bands who came to Richmond that year. Man, talk about being able to impress your date…. Always front row seats plus was able to introduce them to folks like Neil Diamond, Gary Puckett, Tommy James, and a long list of others who I would bet have absolutely no recollection of me… 🙂
Anyway, I remember when the local record distributor went out of business and I was able to pick up LPs for $1 each. I still have a bunch of them even though I no longer have a turntable. 😦 I keep promising myself one of those direct record turntables so I can transfer them to CDs. Maybe after Christmas… It was tough to make it in the record, tape, CD, business even then.
Boy, did I learn about all the tricks shoplifters could pull and how you could not profile shoplifters… Some of the best dressed and finest looking folks had no remorse in ripping off a couple of tapes. Once chased a shoplifter 10 blocks and through the Trailways bus station who had stolen a tape deck off the displayrack. Spent a half a day in court and the kid ended up getting probation… Discovered it was not worth the effort to stop them.
Anyway, I hope you picked up some good bargains. You might also want to check out the local thrift stores like Goodwill. They always have a pretty good selection of tunes from which to pick.
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Gil, my stereo system, purchased in Dec 1979, has a 3-speed turn-table, AM/FM radio, AND a built-in 8-track player. Plays beautifully! 🙂 I even have a couple of 8-track tapes – but they don’t play so good anymore. 😦
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A nice article on Lance Niekro
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081219&content_id=3723971&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
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Morning, all.
It’s gonna be a slow couple of weeks, folks. Frank’s on a ski vacation in Colorado, and most team FO’s shut down for the holidays. I suppose it gives Frank a time to recharge the batteries and develop a fresh strategy.
Now that the early hot stove season flurry has occurred, there is left a much barer cupboard from which to try to fill the Braves’ needs. As the eternal optimist, I believe there is still time to put together a competitive team for the ’09 campaign, but I must admit that the row has become much tougher to hoe. Not only have the Braves not significantly (apologies JV) improved their team, the hated Mutts and Philthies have. That’s not good for a team that finished behind those in last year’s standings. But I am only stating what you already know.
That being said, does the return of the patients in the traveling M*A*S*H unit count as improvement? Having Moylan and Soriano back (hopefully sooner than later) and Gonzo for the whole season automatically improves a bullpen that was a leaking sieve by season’s end. Honestly, if everyone is back and healthy, I believe the bully is the team’s strong point next year, and if Ohman re-signs, they will have one of the best in baseball. Boyer has been working out in the offseason with Smoltz; perhaps he comes back far improved both physically and mentally. I like ’em.
What if, and I hate the word if in an argument, but what if FrenchPastry is back to his former self in ’09? Many have given up on him, but not me. He has something to prove in ’09. He has a mission. If he comes back and gives you the 25+ HR’s and 100+ RBI’s that he is capable of, isn’t that the productive RH bat Frank’s trying to find on the outside? Obviously you can’t count on that, but it could happen. And I also believe we will be pleasantly surprised with a young Mr. Schafer, who could be the team’s long sought after LOH by mid-season, if he can show consistency early on.
Folks, I won’t even speak of the “bearded icon”. We all know what he means to the Braves ’09 team and franchise.
So, yes the pickin’s are now slim, and the team’s primary needs are still unmet. But he season certainly isn’t already over, as many across the street will insist. As for me, I’ll let ’em play the games.
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Gil, sounds like that was a very cool job you had!!! Much more cool than when I covered the music department at Borders for someone’s lunch break. That’s when somebody would want some really obscure classical piece, and wouldn’t even be able to spell the composer’s name! 😕
I loved our music dept. back then…ton’s of jazz cds, and me with a 25% off discount, and 30 bucks a month book “credit” to spend(Got taxed on it, but still loved it!)…and a tab with which you could run up to $300!!!(they were doing away with that high a tab around the time I left in 1999) Mine was close to that all the time…and I rarely used it on books! 😳
And there would be one day around Christmas where everything you bought was 40% off!!! Of course, the salary, was like what you mentioned insultingly low. Fun job at times…never had a job where the day went any faster…Sigh….the good ol’ days….
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Man, it’s COLD in the ATL, right V??? 😯 I froze my…something last night. Ran into walmart, and something about their big parking lot with nothing in front to block the wind…good golly miss molly!!! I even brought my way too warm down coat, and the 30 MPH wind with 32 degree temp laughed at me….I really would have liked to see ol’ Pete Van Wieren in that last night and tell me wind chill was a joke!
V, speaking of optimists, 😉 our outside thermometer says it’s 33, which means it’s still about 29 around 11 AM. Yikes! And I have things to do, places to go, people to meet. Well, no people to meet. Perhaps I should stay in a little while longer….
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Raisins, that would have been a great lead! Excellent!
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CL, I forgot about posting something about ol’ Lance(I have used Ol’ one too many times today)…wouldn’t that be great if you could make it at a knuckle baller?? He’d be the best hitting pitcher on the team, if nothing else.
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Bob Uecker was asked how do you catch a knuckleball. He said, “You wait ’til it stops rolling and go pick it up.”
😆
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CL, make it so! 😛
And I bet you and Gil are working on tans this balmy day!
V, you are right, a slow 2 weeks. I feel sorry for the teams involved with Tex. He and Borass are stringing them along,(I think just a few days ago Torii Hunter was all excited about him coming back, now it sounds like he’s an east coast boy) no doubt they are having to work right up to Christmas, only to lose out on him. It would be classic if he had to take a lowball contract to play next year, but some dumb team will offer way too much for a guy that really isn’t a difference maker…unless the team is a team like the Red Sox with tons of good hitters anyway….
Sounds like teams are quickly saying they are out of it, to put some pressure on Borass….
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CL, the Uke (youk?) is a funny man!
Just read DOB’s early morning blog…
Wren did warn us early on he might not be able to get the outfield bat he sought until spring training or even during the season.
Well, if we don’t get a left fielder, Matt Diaz for a month or two??? Yep, that’s a sign of a championship team…
And how much money does DOB make, anyway, to be able to review the top 50 cds of the year, not including reissues, etc??? Methinks he must come from a well to do family, I can’t see the AJC paying anyone much of a salary….
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Another Uecker:
He was asked “What was the longest 0-fer you ever had?”
He thought and said, “I think it was June or July.”
Just a naturally witty man!
I met him once and he’s a modest, unassuming person, very charming. The kind of person you’d love to have the chance to just sit and talk with over a fresh pot of coffee.
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CL, I’m glad to hear that!
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Off to the doctor’s office.
Temp 35, wind out of the NW at 20, wind chill 25. Oh, mercy.
Forecast for Christmas Day: partly cloudy, 75.
That’s more like it!
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I have asked my MIL for Leo Mazzone’s Tales From The Mound for Christmas. She’s shopping for it now. I hope to have alot of great stories to share here in a few days…
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V, your MIL??? I’d say it seems like a letter is missing off the end, but I am better than that…really, what’s it stand for???
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Married in leisure??? (like the old joke, marry in haste, repent in leisure???)
OH!!!! Mother in Law??? You are texting too much!!! LOH had me thinkin’ for a spell as well….oh well, a bit dull this AM…err…PM…
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Ah… good afternoon folks, Yep, very breezy here today. Wind chill of about 11 degrees last night and about the same forecast for tonight. Then warming up for Christmas.
Josie said the lack of snow was all my fault, she knows how much I dislike the stuff. Reminded me that we have not had a significant snowfall here since I retired. I wonder if she thinks God is really that trifling…. ? 🙂
Anyway, when I worked at the Evil Empire, it was about a 1/4 mile walk from the parking lot to the gate and then another 50 yards to the plant in which I worked. Two obstacles were always present, the 30 degree incline one had to traverse and the wind tunnel effect between buildings…. BRRRRRRRRR!!!!
I always thought the incline was to let folks know when it was time to retire, if you could not make it without stopping to rest you knew the hand writing was on the wall.
And wither baseball…. They are still playing in the Caribbean… Makes me think that is where I should be right now….
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Good dose of perspective, from the other side:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/teixeira-angels-games-2263331-first-series
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The New York Daily News cites a source that says [Manny] Ramirez is expecting a three-year offer from the Yankees. A newspaper in the Dominican Republic says Ramirez is on the verge of signing with the Yankees for three years and $75 million. Says an announcement could be made either Monday or Tuesday.
The Yankees do seem intent on making one more big splash in the free agent market and are supposedly still in on Mark Teixeira. — T.R. Sullivan
Of course, we know how reliable Dominican newspapers are, right? But if Manny signs with NYY, would Xavier Nady become available? Hmmm…
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Well, it’s nice to know the Angel fans have such a high opinion of Kotchman, it will make the pain of giving up all those prospects for Tex a little more palatable. A Sean Casey type at first would do wonders for the Braves in the middle of the line-up.
I hope Manny signs with the Yankees and Tex too. They will look like the dysfunctional team the Orioles put together a decade ago and from which they never recovered. Fat and happy never plays with the desire of lean and hungry…
And yes, that would make Nady available, doubt the Yankees would want cash though, they would be better off with some lower level prospects. I think the Braves are deep enough to do that trade….
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Hey, Gil.
Don’t forget Stephen Marek from that deal. He could be a big part of the BP this season…
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Would kind of make up for Matt Harrison… maybe…
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uh… maybe…
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V, that is an interesting thought, Xavier Nady! They may want pitching, it would seem….How about this thought, Soriano and some low ball players??? Might have to wait til we see how he’s doing in spring training first….shoot, we don’t mind waiting months and months to see who will be in left, do we??? 😕
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Soriano straight up would be enough I would think. I think the payroll would be about the same either way.
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Finally back home. Traffic has been un-be-liev-able! 😯
Preliminary diagnosis: spinal stenosis, possible rotator cuff tear. MRI to follow.
Raisins, that was a good article. Good to see a columnist with some honesty.
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CL, is that diagnosis for you, or you Ma????
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The dreaded spinal stenosis… The rotator cuff thing is secondary.. It is the spinal stenosis that has waylaid me… Don’t let them cut on you.. will still have the pain plus a big scar…
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Me. Blame JDeere for the shoulder….. threw too many rocks at it, I guess.
I’ll think long and hard about surgery. Doc says there are other things to try first. Can’t be cured, but can be made more comfortable, says he.
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Sorry to hear that CL! 😦
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Look, just realize you are not going to be able to get your fastball above 50 mph but can still nibble the corners.. 🙂
Of course Josie disagrees with me on the surgery, she said it was the only thing that stopped the pain. My advice, try the cortisone shots first and trade in the John Deere…. Or hire a yard boy…..
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Fastball (fastrock?) was never a problem; it was the slurve. sigh….
One reason I like this doctor is that he is very conservative in his approaches, but is one of the finest orthopedic surgeons in the country. He’s the only guy in a large area who does the kyphoplasty procedure that has helped so many, many people, including my mother (who’s had 2).
His ‘group’ has nine orthopedists, a dozen or so orthopedic PAs, a staff of sports medicine specialists (who would do the shoulder surgery), their own x-ray/CT/MRI unit, as well as one person who specializes in the injections.
I’ll have to pursue treatment, starting with the easiest, because – as you know- untreated it leads to a wheelchair and horrific pain.
“No weapon formed against me shall prosper!” I believe that. 😀
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Coincidence! 😆
Monday, December 22, 2008
WASHINGTON — President Bush had an MRI of his left shoulder on Monday in an attempt to understand why he has experienced pain recently.
Bush had the exam during a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to see soldiers recovering from severe injuries suffered in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Bush said he was “in good shape” as he left the hospital. “About an 80 mile-an-hour fastball,” he quipped.
😆
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I didn’t know this:
The Times notes that people familiar with Bush’s routine say he has written letters personally to every one of the families of the more than 4,000 troops who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq. The task has taken a toll, and Bush has relied on his wife, Laura, for emotional support, he said.
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More shoddy work by the New York Times… What a surprise…
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-12-22-nytimes-hoax_N.htm
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“No weapon shall prosper”… Amen to that and you got that right… go girl.
Then again, CL prolly has a very nasty knuckle ball she’s gonna pull out of the arsenal when her John Deere fast ball slows down.
Maybe Smoltzy should try that too. Knucksie II.
Smucksie? 🙄
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“Smucksie”? LOL
OK, kids, I’m headed for Tiger in the morning ( 5 am 😯 ). I will check in from there if the laptop behaves. If I don’t talk to y’all before Thurs. then I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. (((hugs)))
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Thanks FBG… Drive safely…
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Braves Shuffle Minor League Staffs
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Thanks FBG… Drive safely…
Gil, hopefully her Pop is driving, because we all know that women drivers are some of the worst…..HEY!!! Leggo my hair!!!! I don’t wanna go back in the doghouse!!!!
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Busy day here, eh what??? I’m meeting up with a friend in Buckhead, up from Florida today…I keep feeling like it’s Christmas Eve, not yet!
Anyway, in case some folks don’t get back on til after Christmas, Merry Christmas to everyone!!!
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JUst saw on espn, Buster Olney says Tex is a Yankee!!! V will also post at exact same moment as me!
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I seem to recall a certain cheery artist telling me there was no way Tex would sign a contract for 20 Mil a year, 160 Mil….and well, he was right! 8 Years, 180 Million….but really, do you all think the average Yankee fan is any more excited going into next year with CC, Burnett, and Tex than we are with Javy Vasquez, and that back up catcher we got??? 😛
I hope the Yankees play very well, and lose out on the wildcard on the very last day, with Tampa and Red Sox in….
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We’re headed to a two class system in the US. The super rich and the struggling lower class. There won’t be nearly the middle class that we’ve seen since, oh, the American Revolution.
Baseball teams will parallel that societal, economic shift.
Place your bets as early as next year but mostly in 2010 and beyond for parity disappearance, with teams from NY, Boston, Chicago and LA to be perennial post season contenders. The rich get richer, the poor win less than 80 games.
Atlanta needs a Steinbrenner, Ted Turner, Arthur Blank or Carolina Lady to be a passionate, competitive, big spending, win no matter the cost owner. You know, an owner that’s made a fortune in media and blog management and such. 😀
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SG/IM… Be careful what you wish for… Tex a Yankee… perfect, now, if they will just sign Manny for $75 million for 3 years, no one will have to worry about the Yankees being able to make any roster changes for the next 3 years, and Nady will become available, solving the Braves leftfielder/power bat problem…
Think those high dollar free agents solve your problem, how many World Series rings do Tex and A-Rod have so far?
Personally, I think the government should have let the big banks fold… Maybe that would have brought the Yankees and the Mets down to size. Oh well, can’t worry about who is on the other team, only worry about getting our own house in order….
But if it will make everyone feel better, we can just petition MLB to have the Yankees name permanently inscribed on the trophy or we can make them play all 162 games plus the playoffs to earn it.
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Say what???
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Sorry SG… FedEx as well as many others are cutting back on their advertising budget so I don’t know if CL is going to be in the mood for any lavish spending… heck, we can hardly scrape up enough cash these days to pay me…. 🙂
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And I work for free…..
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More opinions about stuff… Locally headquartered (Henrico County) retailer Circuit City is in real trouble. Despite securing a 1.1 billion dollar loan yesterday, their holiday sales figures are down between 43 and 50 percent.
Too bad, a lot of good folks will lose their jobs but it is the sins of the past that haunt Circuit City, poor customer service and an aloof attitude by many of their staff have come back to bite them in the butt.
Truth be told, people will still buy TVs and computers and all the things Circuit City sells, it will just be sold by someone else….
I remember when Circuit City got its start as Wards TV on Broad Street in Richmond, I worked for a small independent TV shop part time and Wards/Circuit City had no remorse in putting many small independent dealers out of business back in the day….
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Well, Gil, all us big-shot CEOs have to have PERKS. ‘Course, I only have that when the coffee is brewing, but they are perks, I guess.
But don’t worry – I’ve filed for a guvmint bailout! I figure $2b oughtta do it. That’d take care of all of us, wouldn’t it??
And, if they want an accounting, I’ll just tell them the financial institutions are handling it for me, so go ask them how the money was spent.
And I can PROVE that our bank balance is $0.00. Exactly where it was when we started a year ago. And if they give me a little time, surely I can find some way to blame it all on Bush. They do.
😆
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Buster Olney:
Teixeira will replace a void in the Yankees lineup created by the departures of Giambi and Abreu, who became free agents. It also creates a logjam for New York, which acquired first baseman Nick Swisher last month in a trade with the Chicago White Sox.
Although Swisher also can play the outfield, the Yankees have a multitude of options there, including Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner and Xavier Nady. Matsui currently is likely to be the designated hitter much of the time.
Seems to me they might need to unload Swisher or Nady after all. I hope Frank has his BlackBerry with him in Colorado…
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Joel Sherman, NY Post agrees:
The Yanks will now try to trade at least one player from the group of Damon, Matsui, Nady and Nick Swisher to unclog a logjam in the corner outfield/DH/first base areas, while also trying to reduce some payroll.
Frank needs to be all over that.
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Ah… It’s an ill will that blows no good…. 🙂 Yep, I hope Frank has Lil G on his speed dial. Opportunity knocks…
And CL… I can show a loss for the year if that helps… Looks like I will not be vacationing in Palm Beach this year either… 🙂
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There might be a lot of property suddenly on the market in Palm Beach!
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Uhhh, A bit out of my price range… Actually, a lot out of my price range…
Back to baseball 🙂 If I could choose, I would rather take Nady, better fielder, better average, more RBIs than Swisher but Swisher is cheaper. Still… Hope the price isn’t too high.
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Actually, forget Ted Turner. He’d prolly turn the Braves into a UN sanctioned team, move them to Montana and rename them the Buffalos. Or move’em to Buffalo and call’em the Montanas… or sumpin’ crazy.
CL would make the best owner. She’d get our team all fixed up… but she may have to let go of that little, um, crush on Smoltzy… ‘specially him bein’ single and all. 😆 Gil could be manager. Bear, bench coach. Raisins, pitching coach. Salty, third base. Klobber, bullpen coach (’cause ya never see’im).
CL could then give everybody in Stuffville free season tix, front row seats and helicopter rides to the games. Then she could buy everybody in Stuffville a Macintosh computer so we’d all be, uh, up with the times.
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I don’t wanna be pitching coach. My name’s not Leo Mazzone, and according to the prevailing public opinion, Leo is the only pitching coach who’s qualified to coach in Atlanta.
I wanna be the 1st base coach so I can wear all the protective gear on my arms when the guys get on base. 😀
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Macintosh! HA!!! Beta vs VHS. Metric vs US standard. Edsel vs T-Bird. At least OURS can play standard music formats without having to call IT.
IM is funny.
😆
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Palm Beach… know it well. I used to spend a lot of time in Palm Beach, hon nobbin’ and all. Yep… got to know quite a few stars and rich folk down there. Home away from home for several years. No, really! Well, ‘cept for the hobnobbin’ part.
Yepper… for a time during college I parked cars on the main drag, Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, for a restaurant by the name of Chestler’s. Wrecked a Bentley once, but it wasn’t my fault. I was innocent. A Rolls Royce ran a red light and smacked me. A Chauffer was driving the Rolls. After slamming me, he calmly got out, walked over, handed me his card and said, “have your people call our people”, then calmly walked away. I just sat there and said something like, “Uh, thank you”. True story.
Parked cars for George Harrison, Dianna Ross, actors, rock stars, spoiled rich kids, industry giants, moguls, sheiks, sultans and mobsters. Arthur Treacher was my favorite patron. Always came out about twenty minutes ahead of his wife and friends so he could chat with us. He tipped very well too. Nice guy. RIP Mr. Treacher. Those were some pretty cool days.
Surf, study, go to class, park cars, eat whatever we could find and chase girls throughout. I think we even slept occasionally.
CL should move to Palm Beach when she buys the Braves and move ST back to West Palm where it belongs.
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BUT… can Raisins chew ‘baccy and spit a stream so as to not make runners slip?
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But, with Mac there is no need for virus, worm and bug protection! 😀
Mac doesn’t need IT… just lil’ ol’ me. IT for the TI. 🙄
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Yeah, I would fit right in with that PB crowd. Or not. 😆
This lady will not be leaving North Carolina.
IM, that sounds like it was a blast! Glad you got to experience that!
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IM, Mac is like margarine. It may look like butter, it may taste like butter, but it is one molecule away from being pure plastic. Leave Margarine out in the yard and not even bugs will touch it.
And neither one can play music links…..
😀
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Margarine? Oh my… that was cruel. 😆
I won’t touch that stuff. It ain’t right.
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“even slept occasionally”.
Uh, I meant me and my college roommates and surfing buds, not the, well, I’m only getting in deeper here. Let me try that again.
We were so busy with so much innocent, academic and athletic stuff going on my buds and I hardly slept.
Whew. Better. 😀
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SG/IM… Do you realize we had our best jobs in our youth and did not know it… Well, except for my time spent working in a fast food joint… uh, and maybe the nursing home… hummmm… come to think of it, maybe not so good.
One thing I did learn was when to recognize a good job when I found it and learned how to work, what was expected and how some of the dumbest people are put in charge…. Yep, attitude looking for a place to be, that was me.
Never got to drive a Rolls or a Bentley but have driven a Mack…. And a firetruck… and uh, well, a lot of stuff,. Never got to really fly a plane like CL but then, I was not all that crazy about flying. Just seemed to be a bit of an unnatural act if you ask me. 🙂
And manager… well, I could hobble out to the mound but not sure I could come up with all the cool nicknames… More likely to call a player dumba** or s***head or some other colorful adjective when the failed to get down a bunt or hit into a double play for the 20th time in a row… I think I’ll just stick to being an advance scout.
Yes CL, when you reside in the promised land there is no need to look elsewhere. Wilmington along with Charleston and Savannah escaped the ravages of war for the most part and retained their antebellum charm.
Unlike Richmond and Atlanta which were burned and rebuilt by a bunch of carpet baggers to resemble Boston and Baltimore….
And Mac or PC…. One built on the premise that the hardware should control performance and the other leaves us at the mercy of Microsoft….. I use a PC because it is cheap, just waiting to see what Santa has in mind to leave under the tree before making an upgrade. I’ll bet neither would write my post for me though…
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I like how as soon as I go out, it got very busy here! 😕
IM said…Bear, bench coach…well, that or hitting coach…perhaps one man could do both??? Did Casey Stengel have a hitting coach, or a bench coach??? Yet his teams won many WS’s Of course, talent helps.
I would LOVE to have Frenchy have to sit next to me, and tell him, over and over, and over…Kid, (He’s younger than me) if the count is 0-2, 1-2, or 2-2…Guess what??? You will see one strike in 5 pitches! Yeah, you may feel foolish at that strike down the middle, but, the odds are against it! Remember that kid in school that overreacted to being called names, or his his name butchered by fellow classmates??? That’s you now, in the majors! They know how to get your goat! Do NOT swing when the count is against you! You can’t make them throw you strikes, if you swing in pitcher counts!!!
This ain’t brain surgery. Be aggressive on a good first pitch, but Be patient in the hole! Simple??? Sigh….meanwhile Terry and Bobby say things like, get a good pitch to hit son! Keep your weight balanced…swell, but if the pitch is a slider 2 feet outside….
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IM, did Diana Ross make you call her MS. Ross???? Did you ask her if she and Michael Jackson ever made out???? 😛
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Ever heard a 5 minute long 78 RPM record that was made of cardboard??? Well, you will if you click this link…
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Obama team probe of Obama team finds no Obama team impropriety
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/12/obama-blagojevi.html
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Obama team clears Obama team. Whew. I’ll bet they were worried what might turn up in that investigation.
So, is Bear gone again? Coast clear? Gone? Allrightythen, I’ll post.
Diana Ross did not tarry. She was whisked out of the limo or whatever it was she was riding in, surrounded by big dudes (body guards?) and her entourage and, in a flash, escorted quickly inside the exclusive restaurant to her prearranged private table. I remember thinking it was a silly show because everybody there was rich and/or famous. She was on quite a roll then, with movies and all.
Ross and Michael Jackson make out? I doubt it. He wanted to BE her, not BE, uh, WITH her, if you get my drift. But who nose?
She never even stopped to talk to me. But then, I was just invisible to her. Looked right through me. Like I wasn’t even there.
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Will the Yankees sweep in the World Series this year? I’m just glad they have to play all those pesky games before they’re handed the crown. So many ads and much merchandise to sell to New Yorkers this summer.
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Good morning all, Well Santa is warming up in the bullpen, getting ready for his night on the big stage…
While I did meet the Supremes once, Dinah Ross had split from the group prior to their appearance in Richmond. Mary Wilson was nice though. Yep, nothing like being the hired help and being taken for granted, gives you a good idea of how not to treat other people.
Frenchy reminds me a bit of the frisky pooch you could always fool with a fake throw.
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Not sure, but I think I may have just seen a glowing red light leading a string of things with legs and antennae and a shiny craft with a big, reddish colored clump following closely behind or attached or sumpin’. There it was, streaking across the sky and headed south from the North Pole. Could it be?
Russian satellite?
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French Poodle?
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Hi and by! Back later!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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I think I just saw a CL streak by.
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Uh, maybe I should rephrase that. 😳
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Good one SG… quick on the keyboard this morning….
Red light in the sky? This early? 747 on it way to Miami most likely….
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SG… Just as long as you don’t refer to her “Big” A you should be OK… uh.. oops…
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On the Yankees spending spree… The real question is, “Are they really any better than last year”? I suspect there will be some nights they will score runs like the bruisers in a beer softball league. Makes for good team stats but still only one “W”. Before the engrave the trophy, folks only need to remember the Orioles and their big name line-up and last year’s Tigers team.
For that matter, how many times have we seen teams that roll thru the regular season tank during the playoffs. The Mariners, the Angels and the Braves all come to mind.
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Gil, you and I may spend Christmas eve in the CL doghouse if we don’t watch it.
Yepper, the Yanks still have to win the games, although going into this season they’ll no doubt be picked to win it all before the All-Star break. Maybe they should just be given a pass on the season and the playoffs and just show up for the WS. They could keep in shape by barnstorming around the MLB so all the fans could see the superstars perform. To make it even, they could play the same number of games against each team so that all teams will lose the same amount while playing the certain to be undefeated mighty Yanks.
Must be nice to be a Yankees fan this Christmas. Small consolation for having to live there.
Well, I’ve got to venture out of Stuffville to pickup a few last stocking stuffers. See y’all later.
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I tell you what! Some folks are feelin’ their oats this morning! 😆
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A Soldier’s Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
my daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep
in perfect contentment, or so it would seem.
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eye when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
and I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
“What are you doing?” I asked without fear
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
to the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night”
“Its my duty to stand at the front of the line,
that separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ‘Pearl on a day in December,”
then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘Nam
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red white and blue… an American flag.
“I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat,
I can carry the weight of killing another
or lay down my life with my sisters and brothers
who stand at the front against any and all,
to insure for all time that this flag will not fall.”
“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”
“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone.
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
to know you remember we fought and we bled
is payment enough, and with that we will trust.
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.
God, please bless them!
http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html
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or bran…..
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😆
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Well, all the presents are wrapped, food is prepared, and the cat is under the bed as we await the onslaught of grand kids for the first wave of family. Poor Josie is her normally frazzled self as she wants everything to be perfect. Poor thing, I tell her nothing is wrong that a couple of shots of tequila won’t cure. 🙂
The second wave arrives tomorrow when I retrieve my mom from the nursing home and the other half of our blended family arrives. Funny thing, My ex is coming also. Josie is nervous… you would think people would get over it after 20 years….. Well, I have no regrets…
My brother called to let me know of the passing of my dad’s second wife. She was 83. I have mixed emotions about it. I feel sad I was such a jerk about her relationship with my dad. There is a Cat Stevens song in there somewhere. It is a funny thing but it turned out that one of my best friends was related to me by marriage after the union. We didn’t realize it until several years of friendship and we were discussing mutual acquaintances.
I went to see an old friend yesterday, we have been friends since childhood. Funny how time flies. Also funny how little people change in fifty years. Well, yes, we change physically but our personalities don’t…
The saddest thing is that for all my ailments, I am the guy in the best health… Scary.
His brother stole my girlfriend away when we were 18, biggest favor he ever did for me… 🙂
And baseball….. The Yankees are now officially on the “Manny Watch”…
Seems the Angles have no interest and the Dodgers have withdrawn their offer of Colliti’s first born…. Please Lord, don’t let the crazies in Atlanta clamor for Wren to sign that flake….
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And now in the spirit of the season, a music review…
I bought myself the new Susan Tedeschi CD for Christmas, actually, I didn’t really need to use Christmas as an excuse but then, any excuse is better than none. But back to Tedeschi… She really has a great voice for a blues singer. Really more of a Texas style blues ala Janis Joplin but better… I don’t really know the preferred genre’ of all of the Stuffians but if you were a Stevie Ray fan or others of that stripe I really recommend this CD. It’s called “Back To The River” I am not crazy about the first track on the CD but thumbs up for the other 10…
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IM said… Ross and Michael Jackson make out? I doubt it. He wanted to BE her, not BE, uh, WITH her, if you get my drift. But who nose?
I really do recall “rumors” back before he became a joke that they were an item!
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Gil, Susan Tedeschi?? Didn’t she used to be hot??? She must be at 40 now! 😛
Don’t worry, I’ve got the key to the doghouse…..
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I am up with all the hep music today as well, was just listening to the Chick Bullock classic from 1934, I can’t Dance(I got ants in my Pants) Very much in the season….
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Waitin’ me out eh??? I will NOT give up! I will be here forever!!! Well, not really, going to a Christmas eve party sure to be dull! Shouldn’t say that… perhaps my soulmate is there. Perhaps I shall also find a million dollars I forgot all about in a coat pocket as well. Anything’s possible, as a friend of my Dad used to say. Then he died. But, not from saying that…
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Everyone here ever heard of i can has cheezburger???? very funny cat photos with weird, funny comments under the photos…tons of pages if this one doesn’t tickle the old funnybone.
http://icanhascheezburger.com/page/6/
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That’s one of my favorite sites, Ber! LOVE the captions!
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Luke 2
1IN THOSE days it occurred that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole Roman empire should be registered.
2This was the first enrollment, and it was made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3And all the people were going to be registered, each to his own city or town.
4And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
5To be enrolled with Mary, his espoused (married) wife, who was about to become a mother.
6And while they were there, the time came for her delivery,
7And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn.
8And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night.
9And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened.
10But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.
11For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord!
12And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find [after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. [I Sam. 2:34; II Kings 19:29; Isa. 7:14.]
13Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven, praising God and saying,
14Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor].
15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing (saying) that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.
16So they went with haste and [by searching] found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger.
17And when they saw it, they made known what had been told them concerning this Child,
18And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them.
19But Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings), weighing and pondering them in her heart.
20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
21And at the end of eight days, when [the Baby] was to be circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
22And when the time for their purification [the mother’s purification and the Baby’s dedication] came according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
23As it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every [firstborn] male that opens the womb shall be set apart and dedicated and called holy to the Lord
24And [they came also] to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout [cautiously and carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26And it had been divinely revealed (communicated) to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
27And prompted by the [Holy] Spirit, he came into the temple enclosure; and when the parents brought in the little child Jesus to do for Him what was customary according to the Law,
28[Simeon] took Him up in his arms and praised and thanked God and said,
29And now, Lord, You are releasing Your servant to depart (leave this world) in peace, according to Your word.
30For with my [own] eyes I have seen Your Salvation,
31Which You have ordained and prepared before (in the presence of) all peoples,
32A Light for revelation to the Gentiles, to disclose what was before unknown and to bring praise and honor and glory to Your people Israel.
33And His [legal] father and [His] mother were marveling at what was said about Him.
34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, Behold, this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against
35And a sword will pierce through your own soul also–that the secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts may be brought out and disclosed.
36And there was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having lived with her husband seven years from her maidenhood,
37And as a widow even for eighty-four years. She did not go out from the temple enclosure, but was worshiping night and day with fasting and prayer.
38And she too came up at that same hour, and she returned thanks to God and talked of [Jesus] to all who were looking for the redemption (deliverance) of Jerusalem.
39And when they had done everything according to the Law of the Lord, they went back into Galilee to their own town, Nazareth.
40And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.
41Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year to the Passover Feast.
42And when He was twelve years [old], they went up, as was their custom.
43And when the Feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this,
44But, supposing Him to be in the caravan, they traveled on a day’s journey; and [then] they sought Him [diligently, looking up and down for Him] among their kinsfolk and acquaintances.
45And when they failed to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him [up and down] all the way.
46After three days they found Him [came upon Him] in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies.
48And when they [Joseph and Mary] saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Child, why have You treated us like this? Here Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You [distressed and tormented].
49And He said to them, How is it that you had to look for Me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary [as a duty] for Me to be in My Father’s house and [occupied] about My Father’s business?
50But they did not comprehend what He was saying to them.
51And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was [habitually] obedient to them; and his mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.
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CL, that soldier poem I have seen before, it is truly wonderful!
As for the 6:09 post, what more can be said????
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Carolina Lady, thanks for posting such great stuff today. I’ve copied both the Soldier’s Poem and the Gospel According to Luke, for sharing tomorrow when the family and friends arrive. Those words were inspiring.
The afternoon was full, the church service was uplifting and joyous, the stockings are stuffed, the company is gone, the furry coon critters are all fed and the furry cat critters are all sprawled out on couches and chairs, ready to snuggle when we settle in for this Christmas eve. Popcorn is soon to follow. May even splurge and pour a little hot butter over it.
It’s currently 66 degrees (wow) here on the coast. We were hoping to build a fire and get all cozy by the fireplace and drink egg nog, but even if we turned the AC down to 50 and opened all the doors and windows it would still be too warm for a fire. Fa la la anyway. We are blessed to be here… safe, sound and very happy. Life is good.
On this blessed eve, I hope and pray for a healthy, happy, inspired and prosperous new year for you great and wonderful folks of Stuffville… to your families, friends and everyone that has ever graced this blog from its beginning with their wit, wisdom, time and care. I hope that all of those denizens that have been here and gone and those that look in from time to time are all well, content and having a joyous holiday season.
Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Peace On Earth and Good Will to All.
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This is beautiful. Silent Night This lady, Eva Willingham, has the most peaceful voice I’ve ever heard.
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Good night, all. Merry Christmas!
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Evening y’all! We’ve been busy little elves, decorating & cooking. We’re about 10 degrees shy of having a white Christmas, it’s rained all day but not quite cold enough to turn to snow. My aunt, uncle & cousin are coming over from SC tomorrow. After that I’m getting to work. Hope to finish putting down my kitchen floor ( vinyl planks that look like cherry-stained wood).
Merry Christmas!
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Oh boy, santy claus will be here before you know it! It’s raining and in the mid 60’s so, well….it ain’t Christmas weather, but I never saw more than a dusting in St. Louis on Christmas eve. I think we had snow on the ground once or twice. Would love to see a real snow on Christmas eve….someday! 🙂
Anyway, hope you guys and gals have a blessed Christmas, and that 2009 will be the best year ever for everyone! 🙂
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
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What, no one’s up yet??? 😛 Stayed up late with my Pa watching It’s a Wonderful Life…still my favorite movie. Amazing that it had mixed reviews when it came out, and so-so box office. Did ya know Miracle on 34th Street was released in July??? Christmas in Connecticut was as well. Studio heads have always been stoopid…
Hey, anyone have pictures of their trees??? Should have taken one in the daytime, but oh well, here’s ours…
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Anyone have a bigger speaker in their home than we do??? Pa has two of them! 😀
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Good morning and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all this fine morning.
Thank you to CL for the inspirational postings. They help remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. Berigan, the cheezberger site is hilarious… I only had time to look at about 10 pages yesterday but I marked it and will return often, what a wonderful little present that was, Thanks again.
SG, See if you can convince that warm weather to hang around for a while, if the Lord is willing Jo and I are going to try for Myrtle Beach for a few days. At least one round of golf anyway….
FBG… Still hard at work…. I hope Santa at least brings you a pair of knee pads… 🙂
We managed to survive the first wave yesterday, 🙂 All feasted until they could not move and then exchanged gifts and enjoyed the fellowship of the season…. Well, the adults shared the fellowship, the kids did what kids do when the come to visit, terrorize the animals and ride the ATV and get a sugar high that will make it impossible for their parents to get them to bed early… Hee hee hee…..
Berigan, I had a pair of Grundig speakers for a while that rivaled those , remind me to tell you the story some day about how they did not make a very good TV stand…..
Now we have downsized to Bose, ain’t technology wonderful?
Okay folks, will catch up with ya’ll later, I hope Santa was good to all of you last night….
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Merry Christmas, friends!
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The Braves, shut out all over the place this offseason, are among the teams that like Nady and, especially, Swisher. Joel Sherman, NY Post
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Merry Christmas morning, everyone!
a nice article on Blaine Boyer:
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081219&content_id=3723193&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
Not a whole lot going on, naturally – but I just wanted to wish every one wonderful day!
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Merry Christmas one and all!
That NY Post article looks backwards. 😕 Shouldn’t it read, that like Swisher and, especially, Nady?
Well…time to make the ettouffe! 😎 Anyone can have turkey!! 😆
And on New Year’s Day…gumbo!!!! Oh, yummy! We use any occasion for seafood in the Salty household!!!
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I say once more, Merry Christmas!!!
Salty, you would think so, but I read somewheres last night that guess who Nady’s agent is??? and guess who is a free agent after the 2009 season?? 🙄
He must really be Satan…
So, I guess Swisher looks better for that reason alone. Plus, I’d like him because he walks like crazy.(Not much hitting at all last season) . Might rub off on other folk. But, just looked up his numbers, only .197 batting right handed! (He’s a Swisher, I mean a switch hitter) What’s funny is that over the last 3 years, he hit .240 left handed, .262 Right handed. But, he has 1168 AB’s as a leftie, 424 batting right handed!!! Explain that one to me!
He’s only 28(Just turned 28 in November) but, he sure isn’t the solution batting cleanup….
Swisher hit 35 homers in that monstrous stadium in Oakland in 2006. Well, I’m sure he didn’t hit all 35 there, but still, you get the picture. Coming to the national league, and hitting in a more homer friendly park might work. Shoot, I thought getting Mark Kotsay was a joke last year, and even in a terrible year, Swisher still hit 24 homers. What did our entire outfield hit last year, 27-28???
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Sosa reportedly still waiting for offer
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3793001
Uh… this is Christmas, not April Fools Day… 😀
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My Christmas Day declaration:
As the disappointing 2008 season ended and the Hot Stove barely had the kindling ignited, I strongly advocated two moves. This was before the Peavy drama and the AJ loss. I wanted Los Bravos to sign Derek Lowe and Adam Dunn. Well, both are still available, and I am here again to say I’d still like to see both moves. If the Braves want to contend, they need both players. There are no other available pitchers of Lowe’s ability, and no other hitters that’ll almost guarantee 40 HR’s. They’re the best still available at their respective crafts, and the necessary additions if the Braves wish to keep up with the Philthies and Mutts.
OK… I said it. 😎
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V, I can’t argue with those choices! Well, I will have to break Borasses kneecaps if Lowe uses us to drive up the money , and he signs with the Mutts…I see DOB has suddenly thought Dunn was a good option.
I don’t know if you can use him as a cleanup hitter, hitting below .250, but perhaps McCann can do that??? I know Chipper doesn’t like the thought of a guy batting cleanup that won’t be in but 130 games, but why should he care, he won’t be in more than 130 either! Dunn batting 5th when McCann is in there, cleanup when he ain’t???
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Mets are targeting Lowe, he wants $18m @year…
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081223&content_id=3727415&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp&partnerId=rss_mlb
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Eartha Kitt has died, on Christmas Day of all days! 😦
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/TV/Obit_Eartha_Kitt.html
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I kinda hope the Red Sox sign him…a bit much to have to face him several times a year. Gee, the two best looking starters are probably Lowe and O. Perez, both who deal with Satan. Sad, ain’t it??? Perhaps We can get Perez for one year and a big salary, so they can build his worth for next year….
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Good morning all, well…. long day yesterday, much enjoyment for me on Christmas….
I think the Brave interest in Swisher over Nady would be purely cost related. Having a guy who has some power who walks a lot sound a bit like a right handed Kelly Johnson.
I think if he is really that good, Boston will sign Lowe over the Mets. Deeper pockets right now. Wilpon took a real whipping in the Barry Madoff scandal… Fortunately for him, Uncle Sam bailed out one of his benefactors in Citi Bank.
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Good morning Stuffians. Hope everybody had a Holly Jolly Christmas.
Baseball trivia: Ricky Henderson was born on Christmas day, 1958. Good player… what a character.
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Good morning, friends! Happy Friday!
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Greetings folks! It’s me, mr. sunshine with more swell news! 😀
Orioles In “Serious Contention” For Kawakami
By Tim Dierkes [December 26 at 9:20am CST]
According to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun, Orioles president Andy MacPhail “appears to be in serious contention to sign Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami.” In another post, Schmuck explains why the Orioles would be pursuing a mid-rotation veteran. Dave O’Brien recently wrote that the Braves are “squarely in the bidding,” while the Twins are also in on him. The Mets, Cardinals, and Red Sox are other suitors.
What kind of contract does Kawakami want? The best we have is that “some teams fear” he wants to match Hiroki Kuroda’s three-year, $35.3MM deal.
Kawakami, 33, posted a 2.30 ERA and 4.48 K/BB ratio in 117.3 innings this year for the Chunichi Dragons. He missed time with a strained back and was part of a six-man rotation. The CHONE projections call for a 4.13 ERA (neutral park/league) for Kawakami in his MLB debut season.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/12/orioles-in-seri.html
First off, how can a writer have the name of Schmuck??? Secondly, doesn’t Baltimore know they have no chance, and should just let us just sign him??? 😕
3rdly, how can you have a 2.30 ERA in tiny ballparks in Japan and have it adjust to 4.13 here???
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Ber… Really more of an adjustment for tiny baseball players…. I have seen a lot of pitchers in triple A post much lower ERAs than when the hit the majors. Usually need to add about two points on their average.
You would think he would have used a pen name, tough to be proud of being a Schmuck… Of course, if he is from Baltimore, it could happen….
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Japanese baseballs are slightly smaller than American ones. It affects the grip for some pitchers. I think Kei Igawa is one who had difficulty with the grip due to “smallish” hands.
And you know what small hands means, don’t you?
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Yep… small baseball gloves.
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😀
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If they are able to find trades, I think they should concentrate on trying to add two elements: 1) Multi-dimensional players. The Yanks have a wonderful looking starting lineup. But their depth is still hardly inspiring. So they can use a few do-everything kind of guys such as the Angels’ Chone Figgins or the Braves’ Martin Prado to rest regulars and provide insurance against injuries. 2) The Yanks should emphasize positional prospects. They are really lacking in that area in the upper reaches of their system. For example, the Braves have had a tough time completing deals this winter. They have liked both Nady and Swisher in the past; in fact they tried to obtain Swisher this winter before the Yanks did. Atlanta has three well-regarded minor league center fielders in Jason Heyward, Jordan Schafer and Gorkys Hernandez. Could the Yanks turn a regular outfielder into one of those prospects? Joel Sherman, NY Post
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Small balls in Japan?
Must be that not very many can dance?
Maybe that’s why karaoke is so popular.
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I gotta say, it’s always been hard for me to take the word of a Schmuck. 🙄
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Well Salty, at least that is better than being a Schmuck…
I doubt the Braves would be willing to give up too much for a summer rental if the player they were giving up was supposed to be the heir apparent.
Prado on the other hand is expendable. I like Martin but he is not going to get to play everyday unless the Braves move someone else.
All the money thrown at Texiera makes me wonder what Albert Prujols would earn in the open market?
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Some absolutely dynamite air show photos!!
http://home.comcast.net/~bzee1b/Travis/Travis.html
(I didn’t know that a woman is now a member of the Thunderbirds Demo team. About time.)
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Phat Albert will be a FA in 2011 with a superior resume to Tex. He’ll be the 1st $30M player…
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Awesome photos CL…
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Great photos CL!!!
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Did ESPN do away with the insider thingy??? Anyway, if you thought draft issues were very complicated, you’re right! From B.O. (Buster Olney-think anyone calls him BO?? 😉 )
Losers: The Brewers. Part of their rationale in making the blockbuster trade for Sabathia was that, at season’s end, they could recoup the value of the lefty, in part, by receiving a first-round draft pick from the team that signed him. Well, because Teixeira ranks higher than Sabathia in the Elias rankings, it is the Angels — and not the Brewers — who get the Yankees’ first round pick. The Brewers, rather, will get the Yankees’ second round pick, an enormous disappointment for Milwaukee.
Doug Melvin, the Brewers’ general manager, believes the draft compensation system needs to be revamped, as he explained in an e-mail this morning:
“The Angels had a better record than us and the Blue Jays, and the Brewers and the Blue Jays got shoved down the food chain. The Elias rankings have never been changed, and there are so many smart statistical gurus — Bill James, etc. — that could create a fair model for both players and teams, who should be compensated fairly according to the value of each player to that team. Last year, Geoff Jenkins, who had a nice career with us and was arguably one of our better players, was not even ranked last year, and Tony Graffanino, a part-time player, was ranked. We have dropped 46 slots in the 2009 draft, and we will be dropping even more because there are so many compensation picks. The second round will be almost the third round, in the way that it will develop.”
“The Yankees will lose some draft picks, but they can draft unsignable players in fourth and fifth rounds, and pay over-slot, as they did with Andrew Brackman (the Yankees’ No. 1 pick in 2007).
“The Draft Elias rankings and compensation needs to be changed. I do not want to sound like I’m whining, but teams who have to build with draft picks get frustrated. I had interest in Juan Cruz, and because I thought we had extra first-round picks for CC and for Ben Sheets, I had considered a Type A signing. Now I have to reconsider.”
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=olney_buster&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fname%3dolney_buster
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Giants have signed the Big Unit to a one year contract for $8 million. Reports are the Mets are zeroing in on Lowe at 14-16 million per year for 3 to 4 years…
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Gil, how’s your curve ball?? You may be pressed into service in ST!
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Off to zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Good evening y’all! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. We had a good one here except for the message from Grinch with the sad news that his stemother passed away on Christmas morning. Please spare a thought for Elder Grinch.
The floor installation was successful (yes, Gil, knee pads would be good). I think I’ll put the same stuff in my bathroom, it’s a lot warmer underfoot than tile down there in the basement.
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CL… I blew my elbow out 45 years ago….
Sorry to hear about Grinch’s loss FBG….
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I blew my elbow out 45 years ago
… and I have had rotator cuff surgery. I think this qualifies us for last year’s staff. 😐
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I throw hard still, and I’m a lefty! My arm never got tired, just my whole body. Then I had wrist surgery for a ganglion cyst and didn’t have so great a curve afterwards. Then I blew out the first of several discs in my back….but, back to my arm, it’s still great! 😀
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FLB, very sorry about Grinch’s loss. Terrible time to have it happen! 😦
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Another slow Saturday…
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Mark Bowman summed up the Braves’ year pretty well:
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081221&content_id=3725158&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
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Hey Lady! I didn’t get your e-mail, but I am trying to send you some pics of Abigail and the family. Check your e-mail in about ten minutes.
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Hey, Matthew! GOT THEM!! Will have them posted shortly!!!
(They’re precious!!)
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This is something special!!
https://bravesandstuff.wordpress.com/our-own-candid-cameras/matthews-candid-camera/
THANK YOU, MATTHEW!!!
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Thanks!
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Great pics Matthews…. Beautiful family.
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I blew my elbow out 45 years ago….
Gil, did you make a wish? Did it leave a scar? So many burning questions.
Mattunion99, we haven’t met, but that sure is a nice looking family you have there and congrats on the new baby. A fine young lad he is. Since you’re a union guy (Firefighters Station 99?), if you need some negotiating done, Gil’s your man, although he lives below the Mason Dixon line. Not sure which union you refer to in your blog name there.
Bear, I’m a lefty too. Ambidextrous but pitched lefty. Used to pitch pretty well, if I don’t say so myself… until surfing got all of my attention. Last time I threw, I clocked at the Turner Field cage and was still tossing (some) in the mid 80’s… and that was ALL I had. Makes you appreciate those dudes that can hurl mid 90’s plus.
Maybe Wren could call me? Hey, I got Maddux and Glavine speed… but I’m afraid the only corners that would be painted would show up as little chips in the paint on the outfield wall or marks on the center field bleachers. 😆
Still… I’m available on wednesdays and weekends in the summer. 😀
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I’ve decided… on Januuary 1st, I’m going to quit procrastinating. Once and for all. No more putting things off.
Maybe towards the end of that week, but for sure… no more procrastinating after that first week of January. Absolutely no later than March.
Also, no more exaggerating. I’ve probably said that 100 billion times just in the last few weeks, but this time I really mean it… NO MORE EXAGGERATING. I’ll quit doing that sometime in January. No later than March for sure.
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IM, Wren may want your number.
And, um, Matthew’s baby, Abigail Grace, is a girl……
I had a link to Matthew’s blog page, but I can’t find it. Matt, will you post it here for us, please? 🙂
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Really foggy here on the coast tonight. It didn’t lift this morning until nearly noon – then the sun was out for a while – but clouds moved in again. But WARM! 😀
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… and I have had rotator cuff surgery. I think this qualifies us for last year’s staff.
I’ll expect you both to show up healthy at ST. No excuses.
(I didn’t know blogging could cause such injuries) 😆
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I’ll fit right in – starting the year on the DL due to shoulder surgery! Do I get the big salary like they do???
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Same way here CL. Very foggy… couldn’t see 100 feet until noonish. Same today and expected tomorrow. Watch out for the creatures of the black lagoon.
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(Is wordpress getting impossibly slow to y’all?? Seems to take forever to load now.)
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Not slow here. Must be the fog. That stuff effects PC’s I think.
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Right after you noted that, my next post took forever to upload.
Sympathetic PC pain?
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No, Macs are just slower to pick up on new stuff…..
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Creatures of the lagoon here would be hungry raccoons! 😆
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Not blaming Mike, but I’d like to have any one months worth of his last two years salary with the Braves while on DL.
I do wish him well on his new team and hope he wins 20… as long as he gets walloped bad every time he faces the Bravos.
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You’re right about that, IM! And I DO hope he succeeds – against other teams!
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CL, some of my foggy bottom coons are getting so fat… one of them is so fat you can only see his feet. Maybe I should cut back on the food a bit. But the old fella seems so happy.
We have a mix of marsh coons and upland coons here. The marsh coons have longer, more pointed snouts, long skinny legs and long skinny tails. The upland cousins have more blunt noses, shorter, fatter tails and more hefty legs.
They all like dog food, leftover bread and grapes. They LOVE the grapes.
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And dry cereal is a favorite, too; they like sweet stuff. Not so much on raw veggies, though. Bird seed, especially sunflower seed doesn’t last long, either!
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They like leftover chicken and turkey too. I’ve learned a hard lesson about putting a leftover turkey carcass out there… last time I did that I wound up with turkey vultures out in my back yard. About a dozen of them were staking claim to the whole yard after what was left on that bird.
Our cats, Milly, Max and Cammy wouldn’t even go out that afternoon with all the ruckus, but their faces were plastered up against the sliding door watching the spectacle. I think they realized they weren’t bigger than all birds that day.
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Just got the buzzer… popcorn is ready and it’s movie time.
CL, let me know what cereal you use. I’m spending a small fortune on Beneful. The coons love it… and so does the store manager at the local Publix.
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Oh, that’s funny! Cats are so funny when they’re seeing something for the first time. You can just see the wheels turning!
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Hunter’s Choice, Smart Choice – the cheap stuff works just as well. The cereal is stuff Kelly buys, eats a bowl or two, then leaves the rest to go stale. ‘Coons love it!
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Only emotional scars IM, only emotional….
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Risky business attracting raccoons, sure, the look cute but the little scoundrels don’t seem to have any boundaries. Give them one pork chop and the next thing you know, they want the whole hog…
Speaking of procrastination… I started on my 2009 tax returns today. Hey, nothing like the IRS auditing you twice to get your attention. Taught me to keep really good records too….
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0453? 0500, Gil?? You alright?
Raccoons are fascinating to watch! I had the rare opportunity to closely observe one specific group on a daily basis for a continuous period of 12 years. It was fascinating to see how their society works – and they have very rigid societal rules! – and their individual characteristics. Incredibly fascinating!! Wish I could have video taped portions of it. Wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. (Well, maybe ‘most’ anything!) 😆
Any news this morning?
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Yep, blog is slow. Only 252 responses and already… so… very… s… l… o… w.
Must be another technical improvement from the wonderful folks at WP. 🙄
CL, I’m afraid I’ve created a monster with the raccoons. Two generations ago I started’em out with Beneful, which they love. When I’ve substituted with the store brand or cheap stuff they turn their spoiled noses up and leave half of it on the ground… which means the crows and grackles show up in the morning with their obnoxious selves. I’ll try the Hunter’s or Smart Choice.
Gil, it is a risky business, feeding wildlife. Still, it’s feed them or they pilfer what they can and slowly die out. Doesn’t seem fair, since they were here before we were and much of their habitat and natural food sources have been destroyed. So, although it may not generally be wise to tamper with nature, it’s pretty much too late for that now… we did that by turning forest into lawns. Like deer feeding programs, I consider it game management.
I’ve trained the neighbors to accept the occasional daytime coon sighting and not to freak out and assume they are rabid. That’s a myth. If you take up the responsibility of game management then you also have to accept what needs to be done when/if there is a sick or aggressive animal running around. All in all, with the rebound in the critter population, the enjoyment of watching them and such, it’s well worth any trouble, cost or risk.
Now, squirrels are another matter altogether. A few are cute. Too many and they’re just furry rats. The ‘critter proof’ bird feeders seem to have done the trick with them.
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Cats are so funny when they’re seeing something for the first time.
True… like the time our cats first discovered Teradactyles. They saw them hovering overhead and high-tailed it off the bluff and into the bushes.
I tried to explain that the big birds were just harmless Pelicans but the cats didn’t want any part of it. Maybe they’ve been watching too much Sci-fi on TV or Jurassic Park reruns or sumpin’. 😆
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He doesn’t even know it, but The Invisible Man has written us a new lead! 😆
NEW BLOG IS UP!!
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Oh, my… I would’ve rambled less and spelled better had I known it was gonna be part of the blogs lead stories. Yikes…
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