Comments and articles herein are the intellectual property and opinions of the writers and may not be copied without permission of the writers.
by Salty
There may be no greater lesson learned as a youth than the gift of giving. Whether in actions, manners, talents, skills… we kids often learn without realizing. Sports certainly deliver that message.
Thus, in the hopes of pounding out much needed filler a lead to for our Blog-Mistress…I’ll begin with saying, “Thanks, CL, for giving your tireless energy in building the little hamlet of Stuff-ville!” And you, IM/SG, clearly your role as CFO is proving invaluable…in ways we’ll all never really understand!
Why the photo of Henry Aaron? Simple…he’s the hometown hero of this ‘LA-born and raised’ fan. The lesson: admiration for his grace under fire throughout his career. Knowing the recognition was far too often for his accomplishments as a ballplayer, absent recognizing the quality of the man. I am pretty sure I was not the only kid who never saw Hank as a black player, just a hero. Not giving into the pain he surely must have endured served as a lesson in perseverance.
Fighting through a handicap, giving far more of his time to perfect (and even imperfect) strangers, and providing a lasting memento to this fan of the American Pastime has left an indelible reminder that decency among men remains. Thank you, Lew, for sharing so much of your gift with so many of us! What a super Wurlitzer!
~ Salty~
Braves & Stuff 
Thanks, Salty.
What a great picture! It might look really nice front and center in the B&S banner.
LikeLike
Thanks, Salty! Both for the lead and for the kind words.
Thanks, Lew.
LikeLike
Nice run up Salty, truer words have never been spoke….
LikeLike
And oh by the way, the liquidation sales begin tomorrow at Circuit City..
LikeLike
Raisins…I’m with ya! Lew really captured ‘The Hammer’! I’m a lucky dude…the drawing is paired with an autographed baseball that I received years ago!
Now…I need to get Nolan Ryan to sign the unused ticket from the game he struck out Ricky Henderson for # 5K!
LikeLike
You’re welcome. I’m hoping I’ve got enough nerve to ask him to sign a sketch for me this summer. Might have to get Bobby Dews to do it for me.
LikeLike
Get Bobby to ask him, that is.
LikeLike
Great picture Lew. Absolutely beautiful.
LikeLike
Looks like I won’t be pitching for a while. “Complete rupture of rotator cuff, bone spurs, muscle 90% tear”. Surgery Monday morning 10:35. Will get to the spinal stuff later.
LikeLike
Ow! Arthroscopic?
LikeLike
CL, when you recover and come back we’ll have a spot on the B&S Blog saved for you. But if another blog comes calling for your services, we’ll let you walk out of here without thinking twice about it, because let’s face it…you’re getting older and you’re just not the same. 😉
LikeLike
Um, HB… That’s dangerous territory playin’ the age card with a lady. 😯
LikeLike
CL…. You have just got to stop trying to throw a split finger fastball… Not to worry, Boston is holding a roster spot for you in 2010….
Seriously, good luck and here is wishing you a speedy recovery.
LikeLike
Hillbilly….Hillbilly….Hillbilly! 😯 You’re a brave feller…very brave indeed! 🙄
Who has the key? 😛
LikeLike
HILLBILLY!!! I’ll have you know I’m only ONE day older than I was yesterday!!! 😛
😆
Thanks, y’all. Yes, arthroscopic, according to what they see on MRI right now. If there’s more, it will show up during this first procedure and will be done in-hospital. (No wonder the thing hurts so much!)
LikeLike
Ha! Ha! She knows what I’m referring to, and considering how I aired my beliefs that what Wren said was a complete crock of ****, I’m sure she’ll pick up on the sarcasm.
LikeLike
One day older, and one day wiser… (a-hem…noted, Scribe-like transition from Outlaw to Gentleman.)
LikeLike
CL: I had my right rotator cuff ‘scoped about 19 years ago. I could share some insight, but 19 years is a long time, and I’m pretty sure they’ve made a few more advances. i’ll be glad to answer any questions you may have, though. I will say this. You cannot underestimate the value if ice. It is the wonder treatment. Rather than 20 on, 40 off, as was recommended, I did 40 on, 20 off for the first 2-3 days. It kept the swelling down to a minimum and allowed me to get my range of motion back more quickly. Well, that and the fact that I had to drive a manual shift car. I had NO choice there, and it proved to be a pretty good exercise according to my physical therapist. 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, I got it immediately, HB! 😀
LikeLike
Smooth, HB… 😆
LikeLike
One day older, and one day wiser… (a-hem…noted, Scribe-like transition from Outlaw to Gentleman.)
Ooooh…you’re a smooth one! 😆
LikeLike
Raisins! Great minds!
Simple ones, too! 😦
LikeLike
I am diggin’ the Pandora Radio thing…
LikeLike
Good work Salty. Perhaps the shortest lead ever but very powerful.
Lew, that’s an excellent sketch of Aaron. I sure hope you’ll ask him to sign for you when you see him.
VOR and Ber, glad you like Pandora. I like the fact that you can have a bunch of different channels and listen to whatever you’re in the mood for. I also like that if you hate a song/band you can tell it and it won’t play it any more.
CL, I’m sorry to hear about the shoulder. Too many curve balls? I always figured you to be a hard fastballer!
LikeLike
Thanks, Raisins. I didn’t expect the appointment to be so fast and really had no time to ask many questions. He said if the muscle severs completely it is very difficult to repair because both ends ‘retract’. And there’s little more than a shred holding it together. Well, it hurts so much, I’ll do about most anything just to get relief from it!
LikeLike
Maybe that’s why Smoltzie’s is now held into the socket by 5 screws?
The surgery itself was pretty easy. I had mine outpatient and was home by mid-afternoon. They went in to repair my rotator cuff and found a labrum tear to fix while they were at it. I was just happy to be able to eat again after the “no eat after 6:00 the night before” rule.
I never made it to the majors, but I never played the violin again, either. 😀
LikeLike
I like to mix ’em up, Chris. Like HB says – just wearing out, I guess! 😆
LikeLike
CL!!!! 😦 Sorry about this! I was going to say too many split fingered pitches, but Gil stole it! 😡
Seriously, any one thing cause this, or just a lot of little things???
LikeLike
This from Baseball America…
“Diory Hernandez, 2b/ss, Braves. Hernandez, 24, wheeled into the finish line with the league’s ninth-best batting average as part of .329/.403/.516 line. Among the highlights were seven home runs, eight doubles and 27 RBIs. That came on the heels of an impressive season that resulted in an addition to the Braves’ 40-man roster. He’s versatile, having played shortstop all winter, and gives the Braves a versatile middle infield option with offensive upside.
“He’s really made a lot of improvement over the last year and a half,” Braves farm director Kurt Kemp said. “He had a very good year at Triple-A and just played at a high level.”
Hernandez compiled 510 Double-A at-bats, including 77 in 2008, before he reached Triple-A Richmond last season. He then hit .288/.317/.383 in the International League in 459 at-bats. However, he also struck out 73 times against 20 walks and also grounded into 16 double plays.”
LikeLike
Now, if we could just find a great prospect to play in left field….
LikeLike
Salty, great lead. Like they say, dynamite in small packages, short ‘n sweet and brevity being the soul of wit (I have trouble with that last one). 😆
Very nice Aaron portrait there too. I have my very own Wurlitzer of Aaron and also have an autographed ball to go with it. Great stuff.
CL too many curves? Say it ain’t so! I like my women curved. Uh… oh, maybe that was a baseball reference. Anyway, good luck on the rotator procedure. You’ll be back stirrin’ those pots, rakin’ those leaves, ironing those clothes, and painlessly doing the other 800 daily chores in no time.
Now, gotta say… I’ve had it with the Invisible Man. It’s all WordPress’s fault. They left my avatar out there in cyberspace and then that invisible drifter comes to steal my computer and my identity. So now I’m stuck without a face. Oh, the anonymity!
I’ve cleared the cache, deleted all the cookies, refreshed the browser and still, nuttin’, nada, zilch, zippo. So now, I’ll just have to look like Lew in a snow storm. At least it’s not -24 here.
Gil, I’ve got it marked on the calendar. I’ll look forward to meeting you and Miss Josie. We’ll go out and get you guys some good ‘ol Savannah vittles. Y’all come on down.
Speaking of vittles… going out shortly for BBQ ribs tonight with some friends. Babybacks, tater salad, collard greens and sweet ‘tater pie. Mmm, good stuff.
LikeLike
Great SG… I am hoping to meet all of the blog denizens at some point. Might even try to catch up with Berigan if we decide to return home via Atlanta…
Going down to around 7 degrees here tonight. While that is not a record, it’s a heck of an average… I expect there will be a lot of gelded brass monkeys around these parts by morning.
LikeLike
Interesting article from mlb.com:
The last few lines:
Knowing that many of his players were worried about the offseason’s events, Wren met Wednesday morning with Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, Jeff Francoeur, Kelly Johnson and Tim Hudson.
While talking about the need for veterans to change the clubhouse culture by serving as better examples for the young players, Jones, Hudson and the rest of group fed off the energy that had been created less than 24 hours earlier, when it had been revealed that Lowe had decided to serve as the top-caliber starter Wren had been seeking throughout the offseason.
“Now we’re heading to Spring Training feeling like we can win,” McCann said.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090115&content_id=3746169&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp&partnerId=rss_mlb
LikeLike
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-braves-glavine-ajones&prov=ap&type=lgns
ATLANTA (AP)—The Braves will wait for Tom Glavine to meet with doctors next week before deciding whether to offer a one-year contract, and they are mulling whether to sign Andruw Jones.
LikeLike
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AsW7yUCjC31A.D814j3gXyipu7YF?slug=ap-braves-lowe&prov=ap&type=lgns
GOOD article on Lowe.
Derek Lowe is eager to accept the responsibility of returning the Atlanta Braves to the playoffs for contenders.
LikeLike
I am very happy to read that. That’s the attitude we want from our #1.
LikeLike
Great lead, Salty. And, Lew, out of all of your wonderful portraits I think that is the best yet.
LikeLike
SG, I sure hope you had the right kind of bbq sauce with those ribs!
LikeLike
Thanks CL, Lowe does sound like the right guy for us!!!
LikeLike
Like I said, would rather have a guy who wants to make a team into a winner than a guy who wants to play on a team that is already a winner.
LikeLike
Doing a little online research, I read this:
“Bone spurs are another result of the aging process…”
OH, NO!!!! HILLBILLY WAS RIGHT!!!
I must be old…… 😥
LikeLike
Ummmm, they didn’t tell me this…..
“Following rotator cuff surgery, therapy progresses in stages. Initially, the repair needs to be protected until adequate healing of the tendon to bone occurs. For this reason, most patients use a sling for the first 4 to 6 weeks after surgery and are instructed to limit active use of the arm during this period. Passive range-of-motion exercises are begun with a therapist; may be taught as well. Progressive strengthening and range-of-motion exercises continue during the next 6 to 12 weeks. Most patients have a functional range of motion and adequate strength by 4 to 6 months after surgery.”
6 months?? 😯
This weekend I was going to cook and freeze meals for us to cover the COMING WEEK that I thought I might be hindered….. I’m thinking we’re all gonna be real skinny by the middle of July…..
LikeLike
Like the old ads CL, you’re not getting Older, you’re just getting better. 😀
LikeLike
You da man, Ber! 😆
LikeLike
I’m calling it a day.
Salty, thanks again for a really nice lead! We all appreciate it!
‘Night, y’all!
LikeLike
CL, don’t believe the 6 months, you will be throwing heat in 3 months!!!
LikeLike
Salty-You and the Invisible Savannah Guy Fly Reporter will both have something in common with Hank Aaron. All three of y’all will be Wurlitzer Winners with Hank portraits as yur respective Wurlitzers.
LikeLike
So when will you be presenting it, Lew?
LikeLike
That’s awesome Lew. Did you make copies of the Aaron?
LikeLike
Those of you who have been freezing your butts off can welcome me into the club. 40s right now, which is 😯 for here. I’ve been in much colder weather in Rabun & traveling various places but cold here is always very unpleasant due to our humidity.
LikeLike
Chris-No I just sent it to Salty. I never make copies of Wurlitzers-just send them. When I finish the painting for Hank I’ll have it professionally photographed and will send prints. They will take pictures at the presentation and will follow up in Chop Talk, too.
FBG-When ever I finish the portrait (big oil painting) and Hank’s schedule permits. He’s agreed (to the Braves’ PR dept.) to accept a private presentation. Hopefully we’ll do it during the Giants series in late July, but we don’t know yet. They interviewed me for Chop Talk and I sent them pictures (of me, the museum and art) and I think it will either be in the Feb. or March issue. All I did was propose a presentation to Hank and it all just took off and grew legs.
LikeLike
That is so cool.
LikeLike
Well, Lew…the Wurlitzer takes a good cell phone photo! That its B&W is what makes it so genuine to me…fits with that era. Let us know when the presentation date is finalized…for those that can make it, we’ll want to see you!
LikeLike
Good morning all… Yes, ’tis CL and I who favor John Smoltz as their Wurlitzer choices… Funny thing about the Hammer was how unassuming he was as he went about his craft. I still think he bares a few scars from his ordeal with the prejudices he faced him his career though.
It appears all the pipes survived the bitter cold last night. Yes, FBG.. damp cold and thin blood will certainly lower the comfort index. The bright side is to think how good a sweater will feel today.
CL… JoAnn had rotator cuff surgery and they actually cut her collar bone in two. That pretty much assured she wouldn’t use that wing for a while. The down side for her is she cannot take anything stronger than aspirin for pain relief, everything else just drops her bloodpressure to zip and then the fun really begins.
You are going to be a bit slow typing with one hand too… 🙂 That’s okay, we’ll wait for you….
LikeLike
Good morning all! A bit warmer today. Not down into the teens, just the 20’s here south of the ATL. Can you really call the 20s warmer?
Gil, I forgot to mention your talk of visiting on the way thru Atlanta. Cool!!! Just let me know when! What timeframe are we talking about, this year, 2011? 😉
LikeLike
I wonder if CL can get that voice activated software for her computer??? Well, of course she can, I wonder if there is some free software out there???
LikeLike
You know, I guess it’s time to give up peanut butter! In fact, the last peanut butter I ate, I swear my stomach got royally messed up from, not once, but twice(Kroger brand-love it!) and it’s been sitting on the shelf ever since waiting for a story like this…shoulda contacted them but I thought it was just my sour stomach….could still be.
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/metro/stories/2009/01/17/peanut0117.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
LikeLike
Thanks, Gil! That’s a big help! 😆
LikeLike
CL… Josie says she hopes you have lined up plenty of help to take care of your mom because you are not going to be able to do it….
LikeLike
AP – PALM BEACH – January 17, 2008 – 10:00 am
WEEKEND EDITION
In local news today, he mysterious, invisible Count has struck again. After a lavish, week long entertainment of the Palm Beach high society, where the rich and famous welcomed him into the community after being treated to dinners, helicopter tours and expensive jewelry and gifts, the shy and elusive Count from nowhere has bought up half of Palm Beach.
After buying Donald Trumps “Mira Bella” estate, the Count drove directly to The Breakers Resort and Golf Club and wrote a check for that.
After closing on those giant deals, the Count attended a car auction in West Palm, where baseball star Andruw Jones was offering most if not all of his car collection for auction. Christie’s Auction House reported that the “invisible one” called into the auction and, over the phone, bought every single car being offered, sight unseen.
Once again not able to meet, photograph or interview the Count, after the auction ended our reporter was able to interview a Christie’s representative who spoke to us off the record, on the condition of complete anonymity.
Under that agreement, the representative did answer a few questions that were pre-approved. “As a strict policy, Christie’s does not divulge the identity of any seller or buyer in our auctions”. When then asked. “ Why, against Christie’s policy, was it was publicly announced that Andruw Jones was the seller?” The Christie’s spokesman told us that Mr. Jones actually wanted the public to know that he was selling his automobile collection.
When asked, “was it the invisible Count that purchased the cars”, the spokesperson said, “Yes it was. The Count said he was fine with the public knowing of his purchase”. We could not get an exact amount of the purchase, other than, “it was quite a few million”. Why so many cars at once? Christie’s just stated, “because the Count wanted to give them as gifts, much like Elvis used to do”. We followed up with, “is it possible that the Count is actually Elvis?” We were answered with an abrupt, “We cannot answer that”.
We followed with, “is it true that all of the automobiles have been taken to a specialty body shop for the purpose of engraving “TCB” on the grill ornament?” “No comment” was our answer. It seems this mysterious invisible Count creates more intrigue the longer he is around Palm Beach.
Not able to find out anything further on the linkage of the Count with Elvis and with the Christie’s rep becoming uncomfortable with the questioning, we asked if we could change the subject and ask about the cars themselves.
We asked if the rumor was true, that there was evidence of many months of Krispy Kreme doughnut boxes and Burger King cheeseburger and French fry wrappers in all of the Jones cars when they arrived for auction. “We cannot confirm or deny that”. One final answer then, we pleaded. “No more questions. I may already be in trouble for talking with you”. We pleaded to ask just one more non-personal and simple question about the cars themselves. Our final question, “how did the cars operate?”
“As always with automobile auctions, our mechanics go over all vehicles with a fine tooth comb. We can’t sell cars that have any problem whatsoever. Christie’s takes great pride in selling only the best in real estate, furnishings, art, paintings and, from time to time, exotic automobiles”. Understanding that to be the case, we asked if all the cars checked out in good working order. “Yes they all inspected very nicely. As usual, they were all thoroughly cleaned of fast food wrap… uh, cleaned thoroughly”.
We asked if there were any mechanical problems with the vehicles. “No, the engines ran fine. Well, there was an issue with the steering, but we’ve been assured that the problems were fixed. For some odd reason that confounded our inspectors, every single one of the cars had a bit of a steering problem. The diagnosis was said to be front end alignment and wheel balance.”
“All of the cars had the same problem?” we asked.
“Yes, the problem seemed to go unchecked for several years. Before they were adjusted, all of Mr. Jones’ cars were pulling to the left. Most buyers were leery of signing a habitual pulling car, but Elvi… uh, the Count didn’t seem to mind the problem at all”.
LikeLike
This is truly scary, amazing stuff on this blog….I sure haven’t seen anything about what happened on the 10th around the world… Antisemitism is very much alive and well these days. And the police in England are complete wimps.
If nothing else, check out the story down the page about the German police taking an Israeli flag out of an apartment.
What an era we live in…..
http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=230
LikeLike
Some interesting quotes from that Carroll Rogers got from Chipper:
“Andruw looks good, but he’s still got the pull first mentality,” Chipper Jones said. “It sounds like wherever Andruw lands, he’s going to fall in someone’s lap. It’s a matter of what he’s willing to accept to come start over. I don’t think there’s any doubt he can still play center field, but people are a little leery of his last two offensive years. Until Andruw decides to make the adjustment at the plate, the necessary adjustments, people are going to continue to be leery.”
Chipper adding credence to the idea that Andruw wants to come back here (not that that’s any surprise):
“You can’t start in this organization and have all the success that he’s had in this organization, go somewhere else and find out, you know what, the grass ain’t greener and not want to come back where you feel most comfortable,” Chipper Jones said. “It’s only natural. If he had stayed away this offseason and not come down and hit with us and not hung out with us, I would say he might not want to. The fact that he has come and interacted with us as much as he has this offseason tells me that I think he wants to get back in the fold somehow. But that remains to be seen.”
You’ve got to love his honesty.
Until Andruw decides to make the adjustment at the plate, the necessary adjustments, people are going to continue to be leery.
Will that old dog ever learn any new tricks?
LikeLike
Folks, hardest thing I ever had to do was eliminate the slice in my golf swing…. Just like Andruw, only different….
It’s what happens to muscle memory when either your memory or your muscles get lazy…
Maybe an exorcism would work… or Voodoo…. I don’t think a bucket of KFC qualifies though… more the problem than the solution.
LikeLike
As for the grass being greener on the other side… Most folks forget you still have to mow the lawn…
LikeLike
And on Andruw being a “dead pull hitter”… two out of three just don’t cut it. He has become more of a dead hitter… which means he no longer has any pull….
LikeLike
Interesting, Chris. I like Chipper’s honesty!
Gil, I think I’m not prepared for this. Especially not having the proper info from the outset. I know it has to be done (this pain is miserable! and it won’t get any better) but it is much more involved than I ever thought. I learned a lot from the research I did last night.
As for help for Mother, one of her aides will be here for 4 hrs every morning. The other 20 hours, it’s Kelly and me. Y’all pray, will you?
(And here I thought the spinal procedure would be the biggie…)
LikeLike
“As for the grass being greener on the other side… Most folks forget you still have to mow the lawn…” Golden, Gil!
LikeLike
___________________________________________________________________
Memphis Western Union & Telegraph
___________________________________________________________________
Serving Memphis and Doing It Our Way Since 1935
___________________________________________________________________
TO: Mayor of Stuffville
CC: Stuffville Bank & Trust Loan Dept.
FROM: Count Von dePorbeck (aka: Invisible Man)
Re: Leaving for Las Vegas
MESSAGE:
Been Taking Care of Business for Stuffville –
Bought us a nice little Beach Shack –
It’s A House That Has Everything –
Last night I checked out of that Heartbreak Hotel –
Palm Beach is nice but Anyplace Is Paradise –
Too many reporters and Suspicious Minds –
Got me A Little Bit of Green, bought me a car –
It’s just a hunk, a hunk of burnin’ Love –
It’ll Shake, Rattle and Roll. It’s Double Trouble –
It pulls to the left, but That’s Alright Now Mama –
I’m on a road trip. In Memphis now –
But now I’m just a Stranger In My Own Home Town y’all –
Don’t Be Cruel, it’s Just A Tennessee Waltz, y’all –
Need a Little Less Conversation –
So I found me an old Hound Dog for the ride –
He’ll Stand By Me and Love Me Tender. He’s just a Runaway –
Goin’ to Las Vegas, y’all –
There Is So Much World To See –
Thank you to Stuffville Councilman, Mr. Salty –
I’ve never been appointed CFO of a village before –
I’ll treat your money like it was my own –
Viva, Las Vegas –
Thankya. Thankya veramuch.
LikeLike
I think we’re about at the ‘shoot on sight’ stage…….
Hillbilly, you busy?
LikeLike
Ber…your link is an absolutely disgusting testament to modern society. Sickening.
CL…uhm…who you looking to shoot?
LikeLike
CL: My best advice to you, aside from the ice thing, is be sure to do all of the exercises your therapist prescribes. I failed to do alot of the home exercises, thera-band exercises, and never really restrengthened my shoulder properly. To this day it bothers me when I work out. Shoulder presses are very difficult. I simply failed to restrengthen it properly. Also, I probably shouldn’t have started playing softball again only 3 months after the procedure… very dumb. Could no longer make the throws from 3B, though. Moved to 2B… eventually 1B. Eventually done. Oh, well… I still have my guitars. 😀
LikeLike
Savannah Madoff
😆
LikeLike
Don’t worry about it…Stuff-ville’s a certified municipality. DC will send you any funny money you need! 😆
LikeLike
Don’t mean to frighten you or anything, just, you are not going to be able to do anything at all for a couple of days and then everything is one handed, maybe not even your own hand……
Don’t let them rush you out of recovery, you get 23 hours before it’s considered an overnight stay. Make sure you are fully awake. They literally poured Josie into the car after her last out patient surgery.
Just saying…. get on the phone and line up a bit of assistance. Kelly is going to get really tired the next few days, then things will come around a bit. Uh, sign your checks now… 🙂
And hide them from the CFO….
LikeLike
Uh, sign your checks now…
And hide them from the CFO….
LikeLike
AP – PALM BEACH – January 15, 2008 – 11:30 am EST
JUST IN – Details just landed on our editor’s desk of the recent purchase by a mysterious stranger being referred to as, “The Invisible Count”. Donald Trump has sold Mar-a-Lago to the elusive tycoon.
“When he (Donald Trump) put the estate up for sale in October 2006, it was the most expensive property listed for sale in the United States at the time. The part-time Palm Beach resident, owner of Mar-a-Lago, only recently dropped the price to $100 million.”
Here’s a link to the full story.
Our investigative reporters have had no luck in finding the Count, but they have heard rumors that, after purchasing cars at an auction yesterday, he checked out of his hotel and left town.
The Mayor of Palm Beach was quoted as saying, “whoever this esteemed gentleman is, we are glad he chose Palm Beach for all of his investments. He’s been like a one-man boom to our economy” The people of his homeland, somewhere in Europe I think we heard, must be very proud. When we met at Mr. Trumps home, The Count kept saying, “it’s all about Stuffville”.
Our reporters will continue to search for the Count and hopefully, interview and photograph him. We’ll bring you that story as it breaks.
LikeLike
Thanks, Gil! I appreciate the alerts and advice!
I think y’all are going to have to change the locks down at the bank before ‘Somebody’ completely bankrupts us while on this mad spending spree!
LikeLike
I see a real catastrophe on the horizon. First, our investments become worthless then as they print money with no backing, the money becomes worthless too. Yes, a great equalization of the classes is about to occur. Poor folks won’t notice any difference but the great middle class, whoever that is will also be scrounging. What next, the forced marches to the countryside to work in the fields of the collectives?
The super rich will not need to worry however, they will wait it out just like they did from 1931 to 1941.
Okay… end of rant….
LikeLike
Now baseball.
According to Tyler Kepner of the NY Times, the Yankees’ [Brian] Cashman said he was more worried about the recovery of catcher Jorge Posada and closer Mariano Rivera. Those are players whose production could not be easily replaced by a trade.
It occurs to me heat Rafael Soriano is in the last year of a backloaded 2yr/$9M contract that pays him $6.1 this year. He becomes a FA after this season.
Xavier Nady is in his last arb year after making $3.35M last season. He could earn around $6M this year. He becomes a FA after this season.
Would that be a fair trade? It’s one year of Nady for one year of Soriano. Kinda takes the sting off of the “one year rental” idea. Salaries are likely close as well.
So the question remains, who would be more valuable to the Braves in 2009 – Soriano in the 8th inning or Nady in LF every night?
Thoughts?
LikeLike
heat = that 😳
LikeLike
Nady in LF daily!
LikeLike
AP – PALM BEACH – January 15, 2008 – 12:30 pm EST
BREAKING NEWS – JUST IN – In a strange turn of events in the Invisible Count of Stuffville story, our crack investigative reporters have just delivered a package to the editor’s desk of the Palm Beach Times. Our science editor is going through the contents of the box now. We can report that several curious items were found, including a copy of a movie, a ring with “TCB” engraved on it, a laptop macintosh computer owned by a Mr. Guy, a collection of WordPress avatar’s, blank checks from a Klobber’s Knob Creek Saloon, account numbers for a Stuffville Bank auto-line of credit, a business card with a CFO of Stuffville engraved on it and, oddly, discharge orders from a Retirement home in Texas.
Home videos of the mysterious stranger in a retirement home.
It seems the elusive Count was, for an undetermined time, using several different stolen identities since leaving the retirement home a few weeks ago. Thanks to our friends at the Palm Beach PD, the Count has been traced to Memphis, TN. Reports from the Memphis PD indicate that the Invisible Count was in temporary custody due to violating a “no leash-no poop” law for his pet dog, who relieved himself in a public park there. They fined him and report that the Count has already left the building.
In a telephone interview just a few minutes ago when this new information came in, Donald Trump issued the following statement: “The Count seems like a good guy to me. He bought my property and some other nice property in Palm Beach. Although he was virtually invisible, his voice did remind me of someone I’ve seen, uh, heard before. Very familiar voice… not sure, but I could swear I’ve heard his voice before… maybe not, but still, very distinct voice. Either way, I’m sure everything with the Count will check out just fine. He really cares about his homeland village, somewhere in Europe I think. Oh, and he really likes fried peanut butter and bacon sandwiches too, but that’s neither here nor there”.
Palm Beach Times is asking for anyone with any information on the Count, aka, “The Invisible Count”, “Count Von dePorbeck” and “The Mysterious Stranger” or “Bubba”, to please contact our offices.
Your information will be held in the strictest of confidence, just as we’ve done for citizens like Wilbur Flemwick of Lake Worth, Florida, 234 Lake Drive, Apt. 3D, the Christie’s representative who, on the condition of anonymity, spoke off the record in an earlier car auction story. Palm Beach Times protects sources and the identities of our informants and private citizens.
LikeLike
Gee, I think I suggested that trade about 2 weeks ago… Makes sense to me. I think Rafael Soriano will have to prove to everyone he is sound before any trade takes place however, look for him to be showcased this spring….
LikeLike
Oh, Soriano proves he’s sound…but only in 2-3 week increments! 😦
LikeLike
Splash-down video from waterfront security cameras:
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3452813&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/
Better video:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/01/17/coast.guard.crash.landing.coastguard
LikeLike
Hello??
LikeLike
Raisins and Gil, that trade does sound like a fair one to me. I wonder though how the Yankees would view it considering Soriano’s injury history. Personally, I like that deal but I also wonder how Soriano would do in the white hot spotlight of New York City.
CL, thanks for the clips of the splash landing. The more I see and hear about that the more amazed I am.
LikeLike
Chris, it is the ONLY 100% successful ditching of a commercial airliner in aviation history. It TRULY is amazing. Those were some blessed people!
LikeLike
EYEWITNESS PALM BEACH NEWS – A Division of Palm Beach Times
BREAKING REPORT
Just in… is it the Invisible Count or an imposter?
LikeLike
I hope you people are not too upset with that invisible dude that stole my computer, avatar and emptied the coffers of Stuffville Bank. Don’t ever trust an invisible man. I saw right through him from the get go.
Palm Beach police just returned my computer today but the avatar, grvatars and schmavatars are still missing. Probably somewhere in Las Vegas by now. Maybe used as chips in a poker game or sumpin’. Oh, well… I’ll count my blessings that I’m at least able to blog freely without using Mr. Fly’s iPhone.
Anyhoo, now baseball… and stuff. There are too many options, bizarre economic conditions and way too many chess trade scenarios to play fantasy ball for an outfielder, but yes Raisins… agreed, Nady would be a good’un.
Better than Swisher methinks. Then again, there are a few others we could plug into left or right field that would help the cause quite a bit. Those pickin’s might be an Abreu, a Dunn or a Dye, Manny, Griffey, Ordonez, Edmonds, Frank Thomas, Luis Gonzalez, Garret Anderson and about 20 other impossible to forecast possibilities. But we’ll go with Nady for now.
Me, I’d be happy seeing what we already have in LF with Brandon Jones, Josh Anderson, Schafer, Blanco and Diaz. If nothing else, those guys can help us be very picky in picking up a big bat. Especially now that we have a legitimate ace, two good SP additions… and no longer a dearth (first on blog?) of 5 , 6 and 7 spot options that, as far as we know, are actually healthy.
Not to mention what might become available with the economy and coming, uh, global upheaval and all. Some MLB Dudes may wanna get close to home or away from big cities and such.
Gil is right… the dollar is going down. Bernanke, like the Invisible Count, is printing folding money like it was going out of style, throwing dollars from helicopters and bailing out the Wall Streeters, the Paulsens, the Detroit car dudes, the upper echelon bankers and insurance tycoons and all manner of white collar crooks and thieves. The ruling upper class will grow immensely, the middle class will shrink like a cheap cotton sweatshirt and the lower class will explode with new member growth we haven’t seen since FDR tried the socialist experiment back in the depression.
Tomorrow knows about the economy and baseball… but it ain’t tellin’.
LikeLike
It looks like the Invisible Man/Count may not have restricted his activities to the Palm Beach area……..
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ampER7T1cKcM&refer=worldwide
Evidently, it’s not just Stuffville and the saloon that have fallen prey to this maniac.
LikeLike
It appears that I’ve caught a case of Salty Syndrome. CL or Gil, could check in the filter and see please?
LikeLike
It’s a new year, Chris…with a new victim! 😛 I’ve served my penance…I hope!
LikeLike
I guess that’s what I get for disappearing for a while!
LikeLike
I bailed you out, Chris! 😀
Calling it a night! See ya in the a.m.!
LikeLike
Thanks CL! See ya tomorrow.
LikeLike
Good evening folks….been out much of the day…anyone else having alergy issues in this cold part of the season??? Can’t quite figure it out…unless our Christmas tree is doing something to me it didn’t do weeks ago. Yes, our tree is still up, want to make somethin’ of it??? 😡
How can that be??? Well, every time we check the branches, expecting brittleness, but nope, feels like a nice recently cut down tree! 😯 Go figure! And having it by the window, adds a lot of color this gloomy part of the year….
LikeLike
And I’m lazy! 😀 Not BAS lazy, but pretty darn close!
LikeLike
Ok, got this in an email from a friend near Savannah, a bit crude, but still, pretty funny!
Subject: Craigslist ad – Downtown Savannah GA
Craigslist Ad
To the Guy Who Mugged Me Downtown (Downtown, Savannah)
I was the white guy with the black Burberry jacket that you demanded I
hand over shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend. You
also asked for my girlfriend’s purse and earrings. I hope you somehow
come across this message. I’d like to apologize.
I didn’t expect you to crap your pants when I drew my pistol after
you took my jacket. Truth is, I was wearing the jacket for a reason that
evening, and it wasn’t that cold outside. You see, my girlfriend had
just bought me that Kimber 1911 . 45 ACP pistol for Christmas, and
we had just picked up a shoulder holster for it that evening. Beautiful
pistol, eh? It’s a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head, isn’t it?
I know it probably wasn’t a great deal of fun walking back to
wherever you’d come from with that brown sludge flopping about
in your pants. I’m sure it was even worse since you also ended up
leaving your shoes, cellphone, and wallet with me. I couldn’t have
you calling up any of your buddies to come help you try to mug us
again.
I took the liberty of calling your mother, or “Momma” as you had
her listed in your cell, and explaining to her your situation. I also bought
myself some gas on your card. I gave your shoes to one of the homeless
guys over by Vinnie Van Go Go’s, along with all of the cash in your wallet,
then I threw the wallet itself in a dumpster.
I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell. They’ll be on
your bill in case you’d like to know which ones. Alltel recently shut
down the line, and I’ve only had the phone for a little over a day now, so I
don’t know what’s going on with that. I hope they haven’t permanently
cut off your service. I was about to make some threatening phone calls to the
DA’s office with it. Oh well.
So, about your pants, I know that I was a little rough on you when you
did this whole attempted mugging thing, so I’d like to make it up to
you. I’m sure you’ve already washed your pants, so I’d like to help you
out. I’d like to reimburse you for the detergent you used on the pants.
What brand did you use, and was it liquid or powder? I’d also like to apologize
for not killing you and instead making you walk back home humiliated.
I’m hoping that you’ll reconsider your choice of path in life. Next time
you might not be so lucky.
If you read this message, email me and we’ll do lunch and laundry.
Peace!
Alex
LikeLike
How can that be??? Well, every time we check the branches, expecting brittleness, but nope, feels like a nice recently cut down tree!
Ber, artificial trees typically look good for many years! 😀 😀 😀
Don’t know if that craigslist ad has any truth to it but it’s hilarious just the same!
LikeLike
Ber, artificial trees typically look good for many years!
Is that why it’s still soft??
Chris, I couldn’t tell immediately either….it’s all over the web, but just repeating the story…I saw what looked like a comment about it on Craigslist, but that was about it….I only feel like digging so far! 😉
LikeLike
Well Ber, if you read it on the internet it has to be true, right?
LikeLike
right you are!
LikeLike
All right, gotta hit the hay. Chat with you good people tomorrow!
LikeLike
Like SG/IM/Palm Beach Times said, I don’t know who is the best bet in Left….I think if someone is offered a really small contract, there will be some bitterness…bitterness they will need to overcome, but folks like Dunn and Abreu thought they would be getting 15+ for the next 3-4 years and may have to play for half that, and for one year.
LikeLike
Goodnight Chris!
LikeLike
Ber, one last quick comment and THEN I’m turning in.
With regard to your 11.22, the smart player will show no bitterness on the field or in the clubhouse. A “star” player that can only secure a one year deal better play his tail off in 09 and hope for a rebound in the market for 2010. If Adam Dunn only gets a one year/$8m deal he would be an absolute fool not to play as hard as he could in the hopes that he can secure a better, long term contract next year.
The real fool would be the same player that was expecting a huge contract for multiple years signing a 3 or 4 year contract for half of what they were worth. I believe that the economy and the market will pick back up later this year and next year teams will have more money to spend in the future.
That’s just my opinion and what do I know!
LikeLike
That was great, Ber. Kind of like the time some kid tried to mug my grandma’s buddy Marge. She whacked in the face with the back of her hand & broke his nose. And he thought he picked out a helpless little old lady. 😉
LikeLike
Yeah, they better watch out for us ‘little old ladies’! 😆
LikeLike
I love stories of little old ladies, or men that take care of folks that think they are easy targets….
Oh, and hello everyone! Busy day here!
LikeLike
or not…….
😀
LikeLike
Baseball genius Dayn Perry says big offseason for Braves still not enough:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9079392/Big-offseason-still-not-enough-for-Braves?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49
Fox Poll:
only 33% said the Braves have enough hitting at present; 67% no.
LikeLike
I like the idea of low expectations, high achievement. The Braves are in a position to make their statement in September, not January.
At least I hope so… 😀
LikeLike
Expressed perfectly:
“Sully had the controls but God had Sully’s hands”. – SG
LikeLike
With the Braves there’s only one way to go – UP! (I hadn’t been especially excited by the acquisition of Lowe – until I read his comments. I’m impressed by his attitude.)
LikeLike
Good evenin’ Suffville.
Every time I log in or refresh the blog I see that Hank Wurlitzer of Salty’s and man… that is a fine portrait. Love the profile, the attitude and such. Looks like ‘ol Hank is in the batters box, eyeing the pitcher, checking his moves, squeezing that bat handle… just itching to get up there in the box. Very nice portrait. It comes alive. Nice work, Lew. You captured the Hammer.
Well, I’ve seen two very good movies this weekend: Defiance and Gran Torino. I expected both of them to be good… they were better than that. I’d advise everyone to see both. Please do yourself a favor and go see Slumdog Millionaire also. Dunno if anyone remembers my review of that movie when it premiered in Savannah. I knew it was Oscar bound, and sure enough it is. Deservedly so.
See all three. They’re all completely different, but you’ll thank me for recommending any or all of them… guaranteed.
LikeLike
What SG said about Salty and the Portrait….
LikeLike
Thank You.
LikeLike
Ok. I think I’m ticked off.
I have spent the entire weekend cooking. Meatloaf; fried chicken; beef stew; a roast; squash; lima beans; green beans; potato salad; creamed corn; a chicken casserole – all in the freezer to carry us through the week or more.
I’ve bought extra animal food; covered transportation for me tomorrow back and forth; made arrangements for Mother’s 2 appointments this week. The laundry is all done, floors clean; gas tank full; shopping is done; all prescriptions filled. Got everything as ready as I possibly could so I could have the shoulder surgery tomorrow.
Tonight. 7:30. I get an automatic recorded message reminding me of my ‘consultation’ appointment on Monday at 10:35.
My what???
So, I won’t know until morning when the office opens WHAT this appointment is for! What a revoltin’ development!!!
Yep. I think I’m ticked off. 😡
LikeLike
Wow, if I knew that Sundays were going to be this slow I would have closed the saloon tonight!
LikeLike
Hang on, Chris. I think I’m about to become a drinkin’ lady!
LikeLike
CL, you hang on. No need to start that now!
LikeLike
This is what I call a “good start”:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2146286.ece
LikeLike
Well, may I have a Diet Coke, please??
LikeLike
CL, I think you might need a double!
LikeLike
I think so, too! On the rocks!
That article is something else! I sure haven’t seen that in any US news outlets……wonder why? hmmmm……
Guess they’re too busy with the
anointinginauguration celebrations.LikeLike
I found that link on the Drudge Report. If you’re not familiar, Matt Drudge is known as a conservative so my guess is that there is some merit to your comment.
During the half time show of the football game tonight, Katie Couric was on and she was positively gleaming while talking about the inauguration.
I did not vote for Obama and support very few of his policies but I can tell you that I will support him as the leader of the greatest nation as I did Bill Clinton (until, of course, he screws up royally). I pray, for the good of this country, that he is able to make things good again.
LikeLike
I do know Drudge, but haven’t bookmarked his page yet – I should!
There is very little (VERY little!) of Obama’s politics that I agree with. For the sake of this nation, I sincerely pray that this country is put before personal agendas, power plays, money and everything else.
LikeLike
Calling it a night! Thanks for the DC, Chris! Talk to y’all tomorrow!
LikeLike
My pleasure CL. Best of wishes tomorrow!
LikeLike
Good luck tomorrow, CL!
As for the un-esteemed Mr. Perry’s opinion, 😛 . I’d rather that the Braves sneak under the radar & surprise people.
LikeLike
Did Klobber go see the Eagles in Charleston this weekend?
LikeLike
Morning, all.
I am steadfastly back at the helm this morning, although many are not working on MLK Day. Am I being irreverent? I like to think I am taking care of my clients, any of whom could decide they don’t like me at any moment, causing my meager business to crash like TeddyK on a bender and sending me closer to poverty. I think I’ll work…
LikeLike
Good morning all, Very foggy here this morning. Very fitting concidering the moment…. Yes, the difference between a conservative and a liberal is a conservative hopes for success regardless of who is in charge, liberals often work to assure failure if they are not in power…
Really quiet on the baseball front today. Hard hitting football game last night between the Ravens and the Steelers, I still ache form so of those hits…
If you want to sneak under the radar, this is the time to do it because all of the news media is fixated in Washington. ‘Tis a coranation methinks…
Okay CL, we are all praying for you…..
LikeLike
Raisins, I use to love to work on holidays because it was when I could get the most work done with the fewest interruptions… Now as for being irreverent, working on Christmas or Easter might qualify, MLK day, I don’t think so….
LikeLike
Thanks Gil. Perhaps it was not as evident as it should have been, but my tongue was planted firmly in my cheek as I was typing that. That being said, no disrespect is intended either.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
No, Klobber did not see the Eagles this weekend.
LikeLike
the difference between a conservative and a liberal is a conservative hopes for success regardless of who is in charge, liberals often work to assure failure if they are not in power…
That pretty much sums it up. Well said…
LikeLike
And now I guess we’ll see what course of success/failure is charted by the Conservatives now that they are basically immaterial in governmental circles.
LikeLike
Actually Lew, the conservatives have been out of politics for quite a while now. Neither Bush was a conservative by any political standards.
It’s the centrist go along, get along Republicans that have been tossed out. They deserved to be booted, because they either forgot the meaning of conservatism or were too self absorbed with their own re-elections and greed for power to care. They’ve been immaterial because they have been GOING IN CIRCLES instead of governing with values and conviction.
Well I’ll be… Bush has FINALLY just commuted the sentences of the two border agents imprisoned for shooting that drug-dealing illegal in the ass. Will wonders ever cease?
Earlier this year, I predicted Obama and Romney would win the primaries and be the standard bearers for their respective parties. Then, in a stroke of luck for America, Iraq and John McCain, the “surge” began to work. Then McCain, who lived by the timing of the surge, died by the timing of the meltdown and subsequent bailouts. Like living and dying by the sword… only different.
Had the success of the surge not happened exactly when it happened, tomorrow we would be watching Mitt Romney be sworn in as the 44th President… with nowhere near the network slobbering, adoration or fanfare.
Tomorrow begins a new era in American politics. I’ll just hope that Republicans can remember what they believe in and that they can regain a slight majority in the house and senate in 2010. In that way, the government will be gridlocked once again. America and American business always seems to thrive when the government isn’t doing anything to screw everything up that it touches. Washington gridlock is usually a good thing for the country.
LikeLike
It’s always good to have balance in everything we do. Like the Bible says, everything in moderation.
I only ask that the media be fair in reporting the facts, not just report what they want people to know. I don’t need someone to tell me what someone just said, I don’t need someone to tell me what they mean. Just report the facts, I can figure it out for myself….
If our economy is based on unlimited credit being available so we continue to get deeper in the hole to be vibrant then we were due for a correction anyway. I am not saying no credit, just reserve it for the things we actually need credit for.
I care not how much another person makes, I do care very much about how much I make. If an athlete can garner a big contract for millions of dollars, well, God bless them. I guess someone thought they were worth it.
Our wonderful Constitution guarantees us the right to pursue happiness, it does not say a darn thing about archiving it. Many of us have experienced many life lessons which have shaped our views. Because we take a particular view does not make us good or evil, well, not too evil… I think it really comes down to why you feel like you do, not how you feel like you do.
I was always told to avoid discussion about politics and religion because of the passions they invoke. I think the real answer is to know with whom you are discussing those topics and more importantly why. If it were not for the reasonable discourse of ideas then we would all be the worse for it.
LikeLike
I only ask that the media be fair in reporting the facts
😆
Wait… you weren’t joking?
LikeLike
Didn’t say it was going to happen, only said I would like it….
LikeLike
I just find it somewhat ironic that Conservative originally meant FISCAL conservative, yet during the past three Republican Administrations from Reagan to W, they are responsible for 90% of our $Trillion deficit, while Clinton, a hated Liberal, actually balanced the budget and left office with a (quite short lived thanks to W) substantial surplus.
I think we need to realize that there’s a big difference between Conservative Social issues (which I feel is what y’all are REALLY upset about) and Conservative Fiscal policy which just has not worked over the past 30 years.
You can sit there and tell me that W and the latest group of Republicans are not really Conservative and I will disagree with you until the proverbial cows come home. They sure as hell weren’t Liberal or even middle of the road. Yeah, they sold you out, but again, that wasn’t the doing of the other side. Maybe you should address these issues with YOUR party and not rag on the Dems.
Just be glad W didn’t have those double digit inflation numbers or 20% interest rates abounding during the Carter Admin. If he had, we’d never be out of the hole he dug.
LikeLike
I care not how much another person makes
Me too… what Gil said. Although I do care about how much our government makes off of my labor. Working until June before I get to keep a nickel gets old… very, very old.
Moderation is good. I like moderation in everything… even in moderation. In’nuther words, we should even practice moderation in our moderation, otherwise we’re overly moderate. Or at least that’s how I rationalize it when I want to overindulge in sumpin’.
LikeLike
Does that make me a moderator?
LikeLike
Lew, I think the real problem is what the money is spent on. I won’t go into it other than to say too many folks like to spend other people’s money a little too freely….
I agree, we have been sold a bill of goods by a lot of folks. Seems everybody has an agenda…. Far too often that agenda involves taking more money out of my pocket and putting it in someone else’s…
It’s not that I mind paying taxes so much as folks wasting my tax dollars…
LikeLike
What a day.
Ok. Here’s the deal:
The surgeon canceled the surgery this morning. It had originally been scheduled in one of their mini-surgical suites in their complex.
He said, after examining the MRI pictures, he wanted to do it in-hospital. Instead of a :30 procedure, he’s expecting something between 2 and 3 hours. Not something to be done outside of a hospital.
So. Now I wait until they get (1) insurance approval, (2) surgical clearance from my primary care doc, and (3) a hospital reservation. They’re looking at either Friday or Tuesday, subject to change.
12 weeks of immobility, 6 mos of PT. Back to “near normal” by Aug 1.
During that 12 weeks, I won’t be able to dress myself, wash and dry my own hair, help lift Mother or her wheelchair, wash dishes ( 😀 ) , or most anything else. THAT will really hard to adjust to!
Guess I’ll just have to blog all day…..
sigh…..
So, I’ll cook some more and stow it in the freezer between now and then.
LikeLike
Let’s see how deep that hole is when O is through with it.
Lew, you’re gloating.
LikeLike
I know we need to support schools, we don’t need to pay a school superintendent $350,000 a year.
We need to build and repair roads, we don’t need a bridge to nowhere.
We need government services, we don’t need government abuses…
LikeLike
CL, that truly sucks!!! 😦
Gotta run to dinner, but the one thing that truly worries me is that we spend 400 Billion a year just on interest in our debt. Now, the “experts” want to double our annual budget, meaning nearly 2 trillion more in debt in one year!!!
Has anyone been about to spend their way out of debt???
LikeLike
Amen, Gil! And we need a lot LESS people living off the government – and their kids – and grandkids. We need few people taking and more working and taking responsibility for themselves. I’m tired of leeches sucking us dry. I’m tired of government give-aways to other nations. Why are we giving millions to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc??? Keep that money at home and put it to work for AMERICANS, not illegals, etc.
LikeLike
I thought you were taking it all a bit too lightly CL… I just remember what Josie went through…
LikeLike
I didn’t have a lot of info, Gil. I do now! I just didn’t expect this to be a very big deal. I was more focused on the spinal part; the shoulder (in my mind) was a sidebar. Live and learn. I just want it over with; I’m tired of dealing with it. 🙂
LikeLike
Yep, we need to get back to being a nation of savers instead of a nation of spenders. Self reliance works for me, I can always go back to raising chickens…
LikeLike
CL is on the DL but will be back in time for the pennant race. Must have her arm in the lineup for the August-September run.
Ronald Reagan was the best President of the last century. He lowered taxes, grew the economy and his sledge hammer caused the fall of the wall. He did spend a lot, but it took a lot to get out of the deep dookie (blog first?) that Peanut got us into.
LikeLike
Ahhh… whole again…
The Memphis Police just returned my avatar. Mr. Invisible may have stolen my ID but at least I got my picture back. 😀
LikeLike
Maybe you should address these issues with YOUR party and not rag on the Dems.
Lew, I’m an equal opportunity ragger.
Is ragger a word? One who rags? From ragging to riches would be nice.
LikeLike
Darn right I’m gloating. Not all of us think St. Ronald of Reagan was as great as others do. Seems I remember a Good bit of Ronny Ray Gun speak at the time, too.
As for having to spend his way out of another’s mess- Gee, history DOES seem to repeat itself, doesn’t it?
LikeLike
I’ll be back tomorrow, maybe.
LikeLike
Ma’am-We hope so.
LikeLike
Well, just I don’t get the gloating thing. Maybe I’m missing something.
Does Barak “just words” Obama, Joe “stolen speech” Biden, Nancy “botox” Pelosi, Harry “war is lost” Reid, Hillary “whitewater” Clinton, Barney “boy brothel/Fannie Mae” Frank, Ted “chappaquiddick”” Kennedy, John “flip-flop” Kerry, Chris “freddie mac” Dodd, Chuck “bailout buddy” Schumer, Patrick “leaky” Leahy, Dick “our soldiers are like nazis” Durbin, Carl “generalissimo” Levin, Barbara “gun control but no missile defense” Boxer, Robert “kkk” Byrd, William “old cash” Jefferson, Robert “I really live in Florida” Wexler, Maxine “big-oil” Waters and Dennis “the menace” Kucinich.
Must not forget Vermont’s proud admitted socialist, Bernard Sanders.
Looks like a no gloat zone to me. Maybe I’m missing something.
LikeLike
Good evening denizens… Okay, no need for name calling, I think we all know it leads to stoning…. 🙂
And in baseball news… Braves ink Gonzo to a 1 year deal worth 3.something million. Worth it I think…
Still no big deal made by the Braves for an outfielder, still waiting to exhale…
LikeLike
CL, sorry to hear your surgery didn’t happen today. I’m sure you’d like to have it behind you. Probably a good thing the surgeon wants to do it in a hospital. There have to be more assets and services there.
Gil, are you as surprised as I about how many FA’s are still on the market? Something’s going to happen but I know I’m a little anxious about the particulars too.
LikeLike
CL, sorry to hear your surgery didn’t happen today. I’m sure you’d like to have it behind you.
But wouldn’t that hurt even worse? With shoulder surgery she could sit and blog.
LikeLike
Typo: Should read… William “cold cash” Jefferson
LikeLike
You certainly are-and in quite bitter fashion, as well.
LikeLike
Now don’t start fussing again, gentlemen. It doesn’t do any good but it sure can cause harm.
LikeLike
CL, sorry you’re having to wait around, dear, but in your place I’d want the surgeon to be as cautious as possible.
LikeLike
Now, Braves… I’m pleased about signing Gonzo. He earned a raise & hopefully it’ll make him want to stick around in the future.
Not so pleased about all the guys who could be in the WBC. Especially Mac & Chipper, they don’t need the extra wear & tear. Sounds like Jurrjens might decline his spot. I hope so.
LikeLike
I have to agree about the WBC. Neither of those guys can spare an inning elsewhere. Far too important. However, I can understand what an honor it must be to play for your country.
LikeLike
I’d be more impressed if it was the Olympics (or something like the World Cup in soccer) that’s a big deal. This is just something Bud made up.
LikeLike
I agree, but I’m sure it’s exciting for the players. Baseball was created here (supposedly) and for generations was America’s sport. I’m sure our boys would like to establish global supremacy (unlike last time) and everyone else wants a piece of us.
LikeLike
Yowie! The leading edge of the front just came over & the wind was so loud I actually thought tornado for a second. I was this close to waking everyone else & herding them into the hall.
LikeLike
FLB, it’s been windier than I can ever recall it being, everywhere… the last 12 months or so.
You are in Florida right now, right??? 😯
LikeLike
Not bitter in the least bit. Just calls’em like I sees’em. You gotta admit… the nicknames fit, so I must not, uh, quit.
Anyhoo, I’ve got some Lew-like clouds rollin’ in here along with some FBG-like 40 knot gusts. The high wind arrived a little while ago along with a forecasted chance for snow before 1:00 pm. A dusting would be nice. 😀
LikeLike
G’morning everybody!
Happy Coronation Day!
😀
LikeLike
Coronation… ahh, yes.
I thought that was the wind blowing over the roof. Must be trumpets.
LikeLike
113-year-old Brunswick Woman Dies
BRUNSWICK – The family of a woman listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s second-oldest person says she has died at 113 years old.
Beatrice Farve died Monday in Brunswick, Ga. She became the second-oldest person earlier this month with the death of 115-year-old Maria de Jesus of Portugal. Robert Young, a senior gerontology consultant for Guinness, says the oldest person is 114-year-old Gertrude Baines of Los Angeles. –ajc.com
In a related story, Al Gore has declared that the seeming coincidental deaths of a 115-year-old Maria de Jesus and the 113-year-old Brunswick woman are evidence of Global Geriatric Genocide. He has proposed tax surcharges on all uses of the word “dude”, all people wearing their pants more than 3″ below their armpits, and any technology which halts the flashing “12:00” on electronic devices. According to Gore, these surcharges can be avoided by the purchase of Geriatric Offsets from the newly formed
GoreGlobal Senior PreservationCorporationSociety.LikeLike
Didn’t she quarterback the Jets this past season?
LikeLike
Yep, Gonzo gets $3.45M. Diaz signed last week. Only 3 arb cases remain – KJ, Kotchman and FrenchFry. Braves’ll settle those before February, though. They almost never get to the arb hearing with their players. A good policy, if you ask me…
LikeLike
Another day, another chance to see my words written… 🙂
LikeLike
lobal Senior Preservation Corporation Society. 😆
LikeLike
no G? whoops.
Gee willikers…
LikeLike
Braves may be waiting to see how much money they will have left after signing that trio…
I don’t think they have a real problem with signing a young guy but they don’t want to get tied down with the extra year everyone seems to want.
LikeLike
I’d even let Manny be Manny… After all, you have to have at least one of those guys to keep things loose… Of course Manny has as much chance being signed by Atlanta as I have in winning the lottery… Probably more since I don’t buy a ticket….
LikeLike
Happens sometimes S
LikeLike
Un-PC Joke Warning: Got this in an email this morning and, although it is politically incorrect and may be seen as a slight to, uh, sexual preference as well as geographically and socially insensitive, it’s not vulgar or mean spirited in the least… so I’m gonna go ahead and paste it here so you guys can get the same big chuckle that I had.
Redneck Logic
Well, it seems these two rednecks, Bubba and Cooter, decided they should go to college so they could get ahead.
Bubba went in first, and the professor advises him to take Math, History,
and Logic.
“What’s Logic?” Bubba asked.
“Well, let me give you an example,” said the professor.
“Do you own a weed-eater?”
“Sure do,” the redneck responded.
“Okay. Then I assume, using logic, that you have a yard,” the professor went on.
“That’s real good,” said the redneck, in awe.
“Logic also tells me that since you have a yard, you also have a house. Is that right?”
“GAWL-LEE!” the redneck shouted.
“And since you own a house and a house is tough to take care of by yourself, logic dictates that you have a wife. Right?”
“Betty Mae! This is incredible!” Bubba is catching on now.
“Finally, since you have a wife, logically I can assume you are heterosexual
rather than homosexual. Is that right?”
“You are absolutely right! Why that’s the most fascinatin’ thang I ever heerd of. I can’t wait to take this here logic class!”
Bubba, proud of the new world opening up to him, walks back into the hallway where Cooter is still waiting.
“So what classes are ya takin”? Cooter asks.
“Math, History, and Logic,” replied Bubba.
“What in tarnation is logic?” asks Cooter.
“Let me give you an example,” Bubba says. “Do you own a weed-eater?”
“No.” says Cooter.
“You’re Queer, aintcha?”
LikeLike
SG, 😆
LikeLike
Nothing like cutting to the chase… just like cutting the cheese, but different…. 🙂
LikeLike
And I am glad I have a bunch of weed eaters…. Some of them even run…
LikeLike
Good morning Berigan… Got Snow???
LikeLike
VOR-No she didn’t quarterback the Jets, but that’s why Gruden was fired in Tampa Bay-he wanted to hire her. Jeff Garcia was too young for his tastes.
LikeLike
😆
LikeLike
How badly do you folks think the Steelers are going to whip up on the Cardinals? 20 points?
LikeLike
Ya know what, Gil? I gave the Cards no chance against the Falcons and less chance against the Panthers. I didn’t really give them much of a chance against Philly, except that they had already proven me wrong twice. I won’t bet against them against Pittsburgh.
I hope it’s a great game, because the league championships were, as usual, great games. The Super Bowl as of late has been less than Super. This could be a good’un, though. Pittsburgh will be away from their comfortable cold environment, and Phoenix – who has shown they can win a playoff game away from home – will still be riding an emotional wave.
LikeLike
Another funny email… an idea for this Special Inauguration Day, where there is a new beginning in Washington “Change We Can Believe In”.
All members of Congress, from both sides of the aisle, begin wearing uniforms like NASCAR drivers, so we could identify their corporate sponsors.
LikeLike
I’m with Raisins on the Cardinals. They may just be destined… they’ve played like that the last few weeks of the season and through the playoffs.
LikeLike
Good’en SG…
LikeLike
This man is a heartbeat away:
LikeLike
Yikes!!! 😯 Filter bound…
Must be Obama’s secret censorship police.
LikeLike
“… preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States…”
That’s part of the oath that BO will utter today. I pray he will.
LikeLike
One small political comment and then I am off to do my chores…
I do not fear Obama as much as those with whom he surrounds himself. The same could have been said for W…
I just want to see if he will be held to the same standard. If so, let the chips fall where they may…
Can we make this community service retroactive? I have about 40,000 hours accrued so far….
LikeLike
Well said, Gil.
I do not fear BO, I fear for him. Pelosi, Reid, Schumer, Frank… those are the ones to fear.
LikeLike
Carroll Rogers has a nice story on Francoeur:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/01/20/braves_francoeur.html
Here’s a snippet:
What makes him think things will be so different? Changes he made this offseason to his stance. After nonstop tinkering last summer, Francoeur has locked into one approach he thinks will work. Using some advice and video recommended by former Braves Mark DeRosa and Mark Teixeira, Francoeur adopted a more balanced position at the plate, with his hands farther back and a shorter stride. He’s been working it into his muscle memory, hitting four times a week since Nov. 15.
Chipper Jones likes the look of what Francoeur has been doing at Jones’ indoor hitting facility in Suwanee. “His weight distribution is right where it needs to be and his mindset is right where it needs to be,” Jones said. “His mindset is from gap to gap. You can’t be out on your front foot the way he was all year last year, and head moving up and down, and his stride was too long, and thinking about pulling the ball around the left field foul pole. His weight distribution is allowing him to think right center to left center and he is killing balls, just absolutely crushing it. …
“If what he’s doing now translates to game time at-bats, then he’s going to have a really good year,” Jones said.
LikeLike
Well… perhaps they should have had the Oath of Office on a teleprompter. 😯
LikeLike
It’s snowing.
LikeLike
Hi, CL. No snow here, just howling wind. And cold… very cold.
LikeLike
Raisins…don’t you know President Obama just confirmed his worst fear when he paused? You just know he worried about doing just that…and BOOM…destiny fulfilled. Now, the work begins…anyone who has to deal with Legislative Branch has my eternal best wishes!
LikeLike
It’s not even snowing in Vermont.
LikeLike
Snowflakes are spitting around here somewhere, but not at the house of Raisin.
LikeLike
We looked like snow all morning but now it’s sunny, very windy and chilly. I really wanted some snow. Take pics, CL.
Well, God bless our new President. Hopefully he can be transformed from a left wing socialist politician into a balanced leader of our capitalist, freedom loving Republic. It matters not what I expect him to be like or do with his power, but we shall surely see in his first 100 days what he’s truly made of. I’ll hold my critical tongue until he does something that I don’t like.
Quick initial thoughts on the Inauguration Ceremony: The invocation was good. Bush looked like he was ready to get out of Dodge before everything he screwed up blows up, and everything he built, uh, also blows up. Biden looked like he wanted to give a speech after his swearing in. He should get the “restraint award” for just sitting down. Obama stumbled a bit in a spot while swearing in then went on to give a good speech. He’s good at giving speeches. Not sure if no teleprompter. All in all, a standard Inauguration.
Now, if someone could ‘splain that, uh, poem…
LikeLike
Okay, let’s see now…
Lumber Yard check
Post office check
Bank check
Grocery store check
pick up Josie…… uh…. uh oh….
LikeLike
Gil may have to cook them groceries hissown self. 😆
LikeLike
Well, stayed up late, but to answer your question from just a brief moment ago Gil, no snow. Cold, windy…no snow. Has been cold enough several times this and last year, but…no snow…Sounds like V and I share the same weather almost! 😉
Got to see highlights of Obama…on ESPN. 🙄
That is the ugliest Limo I have ever seen in my life! But, of course looks aren’t the important thing with the Prez’s limo.
Looks like a narrow tank with a caddy body on top.
He was walking way too slowly for my tastes….
Biden is tickled pink. I am sure he thinks he was a large part of the reason Obama won. 😛
I worry about a man being president that thinks FDR got on tv in 1929 to talk about the depression.
Here’s to Obama’s good health!
LikeLike
More about WHERE and how that plague started that killed so many Al Qaida – testing ‘unconventional weapons’ went awry; camp closed:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480864,00.html
Now where could they possibly think they could use such disease-laden weapons? How about a country with very open borders? A country that really has no idea who comes in?
LikeLike
From the AJC: The 305-game winner is an unsigned free agent and doesn’t expect to discuss a contract with the Braves until he and team officials are convinced he’ll pitch in 2009.
Some pitchers handle their recoveries a bit differently…just sayin’. 🙄
LikeLike
Okay, I didn’t get into too much trouble… Josie still fixed dinner…
Weather was/is strange here. Sunny all day, breezy and cool… Some snow to the south of us. That’s okay with me. I’ve had my fill of snow.
Berigan, that’s exactly what it is, I watched a program on the History channel last night that said basically it just has some exterior sheet metal on it to make it resemble a car. Kind of like NASCAR and the COT, only different…
Salty, maybe it’s because this is Tom Glavin’s 1st surgery. It was Smoltz’s 4th I believe…
LikeLike
Gil…I think I follow your logic. 😆
Still…if Tom is willing to wait until he knew he could toe the rubber, why couldn’t Smoltz?
LikeLike
Salty, Tell me the truth, would you turn down $3 million dollars difference?
I cannot fault him for bolting, that said, I have to warm up to those who are left but I will still root for Smoltz no matter where he pitches… Well, most anywhere, after all, I must maintain my dignity…
So john is yesterday’s news. Time to talk about who is still on the radar as far as left field goes. O’Brien mention Brian Roberts of the O’s as a possibility. He is pretty productive but he is not nearly as productive as he was while on the “juice”… He would be a better 2nd baseman than Kelly but KJ would be an adequate left fielder I would think. Who then would Baltimore want in return?
LikeLike
And Tom has already traveled to the other side of the fence, found the grass was really no greener… A little longer maybe but no greener…
LikeLike
Remember as well that Boyer said Smoltz had 5 pitches working, throwing 90+ already…way ahead of Glavine, in other words…
LikeLike
B: Yes Boyer said that. And Dr. Andrews said the shoulder was held together by 5 screws. From the deepest part of my heart, I hope that Smoltz has a heck of a comeback. From my head, though, I’ll be surprised if his shoulder holds out to the rigors of a season.
LikeLike
I don’t know Raisins, likely his shoulder is stronger than it was before. Still, it wasn’t my call, I was left out of the loop yet again….
I suspect the tone with which the offer was made may have played into it. As we all know, words written on a page do not always convey the subtle undertone often implied.
LikeLike
Dr. Andrews also said it was the worst damaged shoulder he ever worked on. Apparently there are elbow issues as well. This was his fifth arm surgery. His arm has to fall off sooner or later.
LikeLike
More likely it will lock up.
LikeLike
From the looks of it, it fell off after the Houston game in 2005
LikeLike
Been held on by spirit gum and duct tape ever since…
LikeLike
I hadn’t heard about elbow problems l….
I came across this article, soon after the operation. I didn’t realize Boyer had labrum issues!
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/06/10/smoltzburst_0610.html
LikeLike
Hadn’t heard about new elbow issues, I meant to say.
LikeLike
That’s what I like about blogging with you guys, it’s like being tapped into a giant google database…
LikeLike
Okay, the page is getting bleary so I am going to chill… Later…
LikeLike
Well, it snowed really, really hard today. A real blizzard. Almost all of the yard is covered! Sorta.
LikeLike
CL, 😆
LikeLike
Glavine Progressing Rapidly
By Dan Slowey [January 20 at 8:44pm CST]
Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that Tom Glavine’s second session throwing off the mound went significantly better than his first, and that the veteran lefty now feels that he could be ready for the start of the regular season.
Working out his surgically-repaired elbow and shoulder for the second time in four days, Glavine mixed in changeups for the first time, and reported no pain. “If you’d have told me that in the middle of January I would have thrown off the mound a few times and seen this kind of improvement in arm strength, I’d have certainly taken it,” Glavine said.
As for whether or not he anticipates returning to the Braves, Glavine admitted uncertainty. “There’s always a chance that it might not work out because of finances or that they want to go in another direction. I’m not worried about that. I’m just worried about getting to the point where I can pitch again.” The 42-year-old had a 5.54 ERA in 63.1 innings with the Braves in 2008.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/01/glavine-progres.html
LikeLike
stuck in the SF(Salty Filter)
LikeLike
Evening y’all. The weather goobers thought we might actually get flurries here. Can you imagine? Only happened twice in my life. They’ve backed off that prediction but it could freeze so we spent a good chunk of our evening bringing in Mom’s orchids & cocooning the 2 huge cattleyas with quilts (they’re too big to move).
LikeLike
That is a good story on Francoeur. Thanks, VOR. You’ve got to give Frenchy credit, he’s not afraid to work hard … unlike some we’ve seen *cough Andruw * .
LikeLike
FLB, I lived in Jacksonville for 10 years, and man oh man did Dad and I move a lot of plants in! Well, into a tiny green house we had, the laundry room outside and into the house itself. Wish Mom had had a yen for just bushes….
LikeLike
Fix
It
Again
Tony
LikeLike
Thanks Gil!!! Speaking of FIAT, did you hear they may want to buy Chrysler????
LikeLike
And for today’s fashion report…
I thought the new First Lady looked very stylish yesterday for the inauguration ceremonies and parade, it is a shame she had to spoil the effect by wearing a bed spread to all the balls last night. My oh my was that an ugly dress or what?
And in auto news, the story of FIAT picking up a 35% share of Chrysler in exchange for the ability to sell small cars in the US. If FIAT were all that great we would already be driving them. Lamborghini they are not.
Kind of sad really, one of my favorite cars was a 1970 Dodge Charger with a beefy little 383 I owned. I bought the car after seeing “Bullitt”. Great car, the instrumentation I thought to be perfect. Not as fast as a hemi or a 440 wedge but fast enough…
Ah, the days of my misspent youth… 🙂
And more baseball… sorta… Elisha Dukes of the Nationals faces a 90 day jail term for non payment of child support and alimony. He is in arrears of about $40,000 and he says he does not have the money…. Looks to me like the Florida State Penal League is going to pick up a pretty decent outfielder.
LikeLike
You know Berigan, I am really going to hate the crappy cars we will be forced to drive 10 years from now. I had a VW Super Beetle back in the late seventies and early eighties. Not a bad little car if you could keep them from catching fire.
It was a marriage of necessity at the time, long commute, low pay, expensive gas…. not that it was completely without redeeming qualities, put a set of studded snowtires on it an it could climb a pine tree….
LikeLike
Gil-I’m still a GM man, myself. We’ve got an 04 Malibu Max (the hatchback is good when you have a 100 pound dog who likes to ride). Haven’t had a bit of trouble with it. We get 30 mpg most of the year and about 28 when we’re driving through snow. The only thing I’ve replaced in 80,000 miles (knock on wood here) are tires, brakes and a muffler. I wish they’d put out a natural gas version, but I’m not so sure what all this griping about American cars is all about. Since 1985, we’ve had seven new Chevvies and only ever had trouble with one.
LikeLike
one of my favorite cars was a 1970 Dodge Charger with a beefy little 383 I owned
My first car was a 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo – 350 with a Holley 4 bbl carb. I paid $1500 for it. I was very young, knew very little about cars except how to change the oil and change the plugs/cap/rotor. The car had a set of blown GlasPacks on it and it sounded like a NASCAR monster. It ran pretty good from a roll, but coughed a little from a stop. It got about 5 miles to the gallon. After I had it about 6 months, I got a job in downtown Atlanta and had to drive about 50 miles roundtrip every day. The gas was killing me so I had to sell it. I got $1100 for it, and the guy that bought it told me (after I had cash in hand) that the carb was messed up, only 2 bbls worked, but that everything else was perfect. 😦
At one point while I had it, some guy wanted to trade me straight up for a 1970 Dodge Duster with the same 383 you spoke of. I shoulda done it… 😐
LikeLike
Ber, interesting article about Smoltz/Boyer. You’d think that after playing for the Braves 22 years that the AJC would be able to properly spell “Smoltz”. Or, considering that the article has been up for seven months that they could have edited it!
Elijah Dukes is and idiot. Million dollar talent, five cent brain.
My first car was a 1975 Datsun B210 hatchback. Very stylish in that it was faded kelly green with gray racing splotches (from body work I did on the many rust spots). That might have been the slooooowest car ever made. One of the ugliest too. But, it did get me from Point A to Point B.
LikeLike
Lew, did you see where Seth and the Brewers avoided arbitration? Don’t know what he got though.
LikeLike
There seems to be some debate over Huddy’s 2010 option.
On Friday, the guy across the street reported, “I asked about Hudson’s option today, and found out it’s not a mutual option, but a club option. Yes, they fully intend to exercise it, barring some unexpected turn of events.”
Now ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says he spoke with Huddy’s agent Tuesday and that the option IS mutual, meaning of course that Huddy can void the contract after this season.
There will undoubtedly be more to this story… 😕
LikeLike
Arb figures for the Braves 3 arb eligibles:
Jeff Francoeur: $3.95MM. Braves: $2.8MM. Diff: $1.15MM.
Kelly Johnson: $3.3MM. Braves: $2.35MM. Diff: $950K.
Casey Kotchman: $3.25MM. Braves: $2.475MM. Diff: $775K.
I’ll wager that all 3 will settle before hearings start.
LikeLike
This is what Cot’s has to say about Hudson’s current contract. I’ve found them to be mostly accurate.
4 years/$47M (2006-09), plus 2010 option
* signed extension with Atlanta 3/3/05
* $10M signing bonus
* 06:$4M, 07:$6M, 08:$13M, 09:$13M, 10:$12M club option ($1M buyout)
* if club exercises 2010 option, Hudson may void & forfeit buyout
LikeLike
Other arb figures of interest:
Rick Ankiel: $3.3MM. Cardinals: $2.35MM. Diff: $950K.
Ryan Ludwick: $4.35MM. Cardinals: $2.8MM. Diff: 1.55MM.
LikeLike
On the Huddy thing, somebody didn’t read the fine print…
We’re not talking about first cars here… That was a ’55 Ford Sunliner.
This is a link to my tribute piece…
http://www.theoldbarbershop.com/2008/11/my-first-true-love.html
LikeLike
Well, Pres. BO attended no less than 10
coronationinauguration balls last night. Today he goes to work. The economy should be revived by noon and world peace should be achieved by 5:00pm, right?LikeLike
Looks like all of the arb eligible kids are looking at about the same money. Must be scale….
That said, new administration, new arbitration judges, more worker friendly… They will all settle in the middle…..
LikeLike
87 year old Mike Stanton signed a minor league deal with the Cubbies yesterday… 🙄
I shoulda learned to throw LH after my right rotator cuff went south…
LikeLike
Stanton, a key setup man for the recent New York Yankees’ dynasty, last pitched in 2007, for Cincinnati, going 1-3 with a 5.93 ERA in 69 appearances.
Stanton, 41, is second all-time in appearances with 1,178, trailing only Jesse Orosco’s 1,252. Stanton is 68-63 with a career 3.92 ERA. –Chicago Sun-Times
LikeLike
We’ll be needing a new lead here pretty soon. Anybody?
LikeLike
Outfielder Xavier Nady and the New York Yankees agreed Tuesday to a $6.65 million, one-year contract, a raise from his $3.59 million salary last year.
Nady was eligible for salary arbitration and can become a free agent after next season. His deal was to be announced later Tuesday. –AP
LikeLike
What’s scary is I met Mike Stanton and Mark Lemke at a function sponsored by my employer when they were with Richmond.
Two of us are retired now….
LikeLike
Yep… should have been a lefty…
LikeLike
Chris-He’s a millionaire, for sure. He made $850,000 lasat year. He’s going to need it though. I’m pretty sure he paid for his Brother’s hospitalization (never did hear how it turned out) and supports numerous kid’s sports programs in W. Va.
Talked to my old Doctor (still a good Friend) the other day (lives next door to Seth in Clearwater). He’s going to tell him hello for us and tell him about the Hank portrait and Chop Talk article. Maybe we’ll hear something.
My Doctor also told me he went to game One of the WS last year in St. Pete. He didn’t get specific, but he said he had trouble with majorly obnoxious fans so he didn’t even use his ticket for game Two (wish I’d known). Not too sure if it was Phillies’ or Rays fans’ (huge Philly retirement community in Pinellas Co.) causing the trouble. He was from Philly, but has had season tickets to the Rays since they started their existence. Not too sure who’s fan he went as, but likely the Rays.
LikeLike
I could always switch hit, switch pitching… not so good… come to think of it, couldn’t pitch with either hand…
LikeLike
Lew, my youngest son has adopted the Rays too.. The biggest stretch I thought however was his switch from the Redskins to the Buccaneers.
I had an aunt and uncle who had a place in St Pete too. They were typical snowbirds in that they never gave up their allegiance to the Orioles.
The problem your friend ran into was likely from the “average” fans whom Frank Wren covets so highly…
LikeLike
Leo has a radio gig:
680/The Fan today announced it has signed on former Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone to the morning show with Christopher Rude and Perry Laurentino.
Mazzone was a key member of the Braves when they were a playoff team. He left in 2005 for the Orioles, a rather disastrous situation for him and he was gone within two years.
The Fan boss David Dickey said Mazzone had a lot of time on his hands last year and they set up a short-term “Leo Mazzone” show during the baseball season twice a week. This led to this full-time gig. On top of his baseball knowledge, he knows quite a bit about football as well.
“We have someone with a professional sports background and it’s a benefit to the listeners that he was a material part of the Braves’ unprecedented run,” Dickey said.
“Where Perry is the vocal fan, Leo can confront him and make him debate all the time. And with Chris, he can joke around,” Dickey said. “He has a lot of fun and it shows.”
Two former 790 exiles Matt Chernoff and Chuck Oliver this week started their noon to 3 p.m. show as well.
680/The Fan,. which now has stronger ratings than 790/The Zone in general, has expanded its local coverage the past year and during the 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. time frame, the only syndicated product now is Colin Cowherd from 10 to noon. –ajc
LikeLike
He CL… I am working on a short piece that might be lead worthy. I should be finished this afternoon or tonight. Of course you will be required to exercise your considerable editing skills…. 🙂
LikeLike
If business doesn’t pick up soon, I might have time to write full-time… 😦
LikeLike
What does it pay, anyway? 🙄
LikeLike
Great, Gil!
Raisins, I’ll up it 10% above what it was last time!
😀
LikeLike
Odd sign of the times:
I am watching the mail delivery dude and the garbage truck jockey for position on my street. I think the truck is gonna win this one… 😀
LikeLike
Dun-dun-dun-dun—
Breaking news!
The Braves have hired Jim Powell for their radio-broadcast team and are working to bring back Don Sutton to be his new partner, according to several people familiar with the negotiations. –ajc
LikeLike
Hmmm…
I was never a big fan of Sutton. I thought he used worn out cliches way too often, but his insights were/are always on target. I think it would be a pretty savvy move for the Braves if they can get him out of his Nats contract in that they would be able to place a familiar voice and personality into a completely new booth.
LikeLike
Diaz just came onto 680theFan.
Link:
http://www.680thefan.com/
LikeLike
He says he’s in BSOML. 😀
He’s been working his knee hard, “I feel like I’m trying to blow my knee out just to make sure it won’t. It feels good.”
LikeLike
… raves on and on about Bobby Cox…
He says Bobby’s passion for the game rubs off on the players.
LikeLike
And he’s gone…
LikeLike
Keith Law has listed his top 100 prospects in baseball. Check out #3:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3840355
LikeLike
Uh, cover your eyes at #4… :9
LikeLike
:9 ❓
LikeLike
How ’bout 😦
LikeLike
Hey CL, I dropped off that lead in your mailbox. Not the one run over by the garbage truck….
Raisins, be positive, it’s like the old joke about the shoe salesman who was sent to Africa. After about a week, he contacted the home office and lamented, I’m coming home, nobody wears shoes here.
Another salesman was sent in his place, after about a week he also contacted the home office. He exclaimed, Send me all the shoes you’ve got, nobody wears shoes here….
So I guess you need to take the latter track, all of the great deals available right now in Georgia. Trust me, I looked… We retired folks are not worried about the job market, worried more about the cost to live market… 🙂
LikeLike
Uh.. but not lake front property… 🙂
LikeLike
V, sorry about that! 😦 (Just did the :9 ) thing myself, and never have before! 😯 )
I think we are still in the falling dominoes point of the economy. Once everything collapses, then things will start to pick up. Thing is, in the past after a recession, we as a nation, you know, made stuff. One of many reasons it’s going to take a looong time to get out of this one.
That, and following the FDR model (20% unemployment in 1940) isn’t going to help. Hopefully, “they” will spend more money on creating new energy sources, and less on tearing up roads and bridges. Never been a better time to be an illegal though! 🙄
LikeLike
V, that Keith Law link know says check back Thursday!
Mlbtrade rumors has this link via insider, that is a bit of a precursor to the top 100 players, the top teams…. http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3848691&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmlb%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dlaw_keith%26id%3d3848691
I can’t wait, who is number 4??? Elvis????
LikeLike
Gil, even you had a bug??? 😯 I think they put some very effective subliminal brain washing bits in their commericals. My Dad, never a small car guy, even had one in the early 60’s. Forget if it was before or after the 1961 Pontiac Catalina Convertible he bought new.
V said…
My first car was a 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo – 350 with a Holley 4 bbl carb. I paid $1500 for it.
There was the problem V, the Holley! 😛
I had a 1969 Impala Convertible with the same 350, but the old factory Quadrajet 4 barrel. In the early 80’s few new cars outside of a Corvette, 280 Z or a Supra, could beat it away from a light. Mid 80s Mustangs and Camaros got a lot quicker, but there were some dogs out there, especially 82, 83…nothing like blowing the doors off someone with a car that was full sized, and looked like it was one step away from the junk yard! 😉
Yet at highway speeds, I got 19 MPG!!! And to show I ain’t one to exaggerate (Much) my 1971 Cadillac with a the same carb and a 472 CI engine got 11-12 on the highway….
You’d be rich if you had traded for that Charger! Well, not after trying to restore it, but still, you’d have 5 people a day trying to buy it from you.
I have a friend that has a 1973 Challenger, and even though it’s far from perfect, and has a 318, folks are forever bugging him to buy it from them…
I really like to talk about cars! 😳
LikeLike
Hey, B. It was a Duster he wanted to trade; had it been a Charger, it most definitely would have happened.
My buddy had a big Mercury, uh, whatever was the equivalent of the Ford Gran Torino, the big one. Anyway, it had the biggest engine that Mercury crammed into ’em. The thing would absolutely FLY. We could turn onto the ramp to enter the freeway, and by the time we were merging, we’d be at 80 approaching 90. When you hit 80 in that car, the strip molding on the hood would start to whistle. We called it “Hyper-speed”.
He was a speed freak. The dude had the Merc, a Charger, a Duster, a Turbo Mustang Pace Car, a 280Z… too many to list. We came home one night from a concert at the Fox Theater – Asia, I think – doing 125 on I-20 in the Z-car. Ah… good times… 😀
LikeLike
The ajc front page has a Photos section that reads Readers / Fashion / Balls
I’m not sure I want to see all of those photos… 😆
LikeLike
Ber, I’ve had fast cars and faster cars as well as the no go showboats. 🙂
Fastest was a 67 Plymouth GTX with a 440 wedge. Only time I have ever been as fast as 150 mph in a land vehicle. Did you know a car gets very light at those speeds and the dotted line on the interstate looks like a solid stripe. I would never in a hundred years ever do that again. I did not think about how fragile the tires were. I sold it pretty soon after that. I did not trust myself to keep it.
I had several Chrysler products over the years but none since the Charger.
I love cars, my regret is I can’t keep them all…. Best car, no contest, the Lexus SC I currently own. I have newer cars but never a better car.
Is really sneaky fast, I have to use the cruise control religiously to keep from speeding. It seems the faster it goes, the faster it wants to go.
LikeLike
The one car I always wanted but never bought was a “69 Chevelle Super Sport with a 396 cdi engine and 4 speed. Always wanted a yellow one with the black ground effects. A rag top would have been even better… Sigh, couldn’t buy them all…..
LikeLike
Most fun you can have sitting down had to be driving my ’66 Triumph GT6. Not super fast but boy, you could really drive that little beast hard on a curvy road. A two seater, it only had 4 inches of ground clearance. By the way, it leaked oil just like the motorcycles… It was amazing when I think about it being able to get in and out of it. I sold it to a buddy who had more money than sense. I can remember sitting at a stop light and looking directly at the bottom row of lug nuts on a semi.
The thing had wire wheels with the knock off spinners. The right front wheel came off twice while I was driving it. Very unsettling, I also perfected the art of totally rebuilding a Weber side draft carburetor with nothing but a Phillips screw driver and a 12″ adjustable wrench.
LikeLike
Way back when…
I had just quit a band – with the guy who loved fast cars, no doubt – to go to college. I still hung with the guys, and they had replaced me with a 35 year-old guy from England that used to drive race cars there. He had a Pontiac Trans Am, 454, 4 speed racing shifter…
Well, one night after a gig, they were all tore up, and I had to drive… the 454 TA. It was scary powerful, and with the shifter, it was like… well I really can’t compare it to anything. Suffice to say the thing would leave alot of rubber in 1st gear, alot shifting to 2nd, a bit going to 3rd, and a slight squeal going to 4th.
Ah… good times… 😀
LikeLike
V, I now see it was a Duster, I saw Dodge and made it Charger! 😳
Hey, Plymouth made Dusters, right??? It’s all your fault I screwed up! 😛
I should get into politics…
V, 120 MPH on 1-20??? 😯
Gil, 150 MPH??? 😯 😯
You guys crazzy!!!! 🙂
LikeLike
Or just plain stupid…. Something about the sound, the speed pushing you against the seat, just a rush… better than any drug could ever be, although I will admit I loved the smell of racing fuel.
I had a Plymouth Scamp. absolutely a piece of junk.. Terrible road noise. Did have a good engine though. Probable the best design ever by MoPar. A little 225 slant six, ran great, the rest of the car.. not so much. Torqueflites had to be one of the worse auto transmissions ever made, other than a Ford C-6…
LikeLike
Yes, Gil… stupid. I did alot of stupid things when I was 18 or so. Goes with the territory, I think. Or at least it did. These are different times.
Yes, B – Plymouth Duster. It’s been a while…
LikeLike
Stupid in 1982 was risky stupid. Stupid in 2009 is deadly stupid.
LikeLike
The 454 was a beast, absolutely…. 🙂
All that torque, so little rubber….
Good that you let it break loose, otherwise you would have ended up breaking something more expensive. Nothing will put the fear of God into you like having a universal joint break at maximum revs. WHAM!!!! I thought the car blew up. Blowing an engine was not nearly as loud.
Yeah, I trashed a few power plants in my day too. Makes me take much better care of my equipment today… Engine are much more expensive now.
LikeLike
Or Dodge…. I can’t remember anymore… The Dodge and Plymouth were both made in the same plant…
LikeLike
V, sounds like a fun car!!! Too bad you couldn’t buy it and give your son when he got older! 😀
Or not….
I have always had big engines, but they were always in bigger cars, a definite disadvantage.
The car I had and wish I hadn’t let get away was a 1970 Buick Wildcat, only a 4 door, but it only had 47,000 Miles on it when I bought it about 5-6 years ago.
455, rated at 370 horsepower(Gross rating) Tons and tons of torque,(510) and without posi-traction, could spin the tires by stomping on it at 20!!!
And it really had more potential than I ever got to explore. From what I have read on the v8buick.com website, modified heads, cam and distributor mods could have added 150 + horsepower to it…sigh…….Coulda, woulda, shoulda…Of course, I only had so much money, and the car was fairly low mileage….
Gil, Lexus’ are really quality vehicles, as you know. My Dad has a friend that had a 1999 Lexus, a smaller one. Now, this is a guy who put carpet on top of his floor mats, but still it had over 240,000 Miles on it, and it was like a new car! I think the only reason he sold it was fear of those miles….he’s got a 2 year old Lexus now….
LikeLike
And baseball… I sure saw a lot of pick-up trucks parked in the player’s parking lot in Richmond. 🙂
Married guys drove SUVs….
LikeLike
Torqueflites had to be one of the worse auto transmissions ever made, other than a Ford C-6…
Gee, I hope C-6’s are not too bad, since we have 3 cars with them! 🙂
Every American old car fan has their fave, Torqueflites are the best ever, according to Mopar folk…I am biased towards Turbo 400’s myself, and I assume you as well…Shoot, 30+ years after they first started putting them in GM’s they were put behind Bentleys, since they were the only automatic that could take the power of their engine!
LikeLike
My Monte had potential, but I didn’t know how to achieve it. I had a 260-Z with an A/T, kinda rare, but the twin Webbers got out of sync and I never could get ’em right. It ran really good after it warmed up, if it’d stay running that long. 🙂 Once it was warm, though, the little thing would really fly. It was definitely the fastest car I ever owned.
I had it about a year, and was working commercial heat/air installation. I was constantly on muddy jobsites and had to wash the undercarriage daily. I finally realized I was going to have to have a truck, so I traded my beautiful British Racing Green baby away one Saturday morning. The following Monday, only 2 friggin’ days later, after being on the jobsite in my new truck less than an hour, the job superintendent told me I was to go back to the shop. I thought I was being called in to bring something back to the site in MY new truck. Uh, no. I was transferred into the shop. 😯 My new truck sat on a paved parking lot every day… 😐
LikeLike
Lots o’ talk on ye olde blogg. Bunch’a car talk and racing car stuff too. Man, you guys are car fanatics. Never heard such, uh, overhead cam-like banter.
I used to be into racing cars. Yep, drove my VW Micro bus 50 mph in a 35 mph zone, frantically heading to the waves after school in Palm Beach. Hey, when the surf’s up ya gotta move. The time and tide wait for no man, dudes.
On another subject, So Don Sutton being considered for Braves announcer? He drives me crazy when he’s behind the mic. Always accentuates the wrong ball or strike in the count.
Example, the batter is up and has 2 balls and two strikes. The next pitch is a ball. Sutton say’s, “TWO strikes and three balls”. Drives me nuts. That and his gelled poodle-doo hair. And he LOVES to talk about himself and his membership in the HOF. But I guess we could do worse.
I’d really like it if we could find someone that was intelligent, articulate, knew the fine points of the game, has a great sense of humor, dry wit, loves the Braves and gets along with the players and manager and, if he has a Kermit the Frog voice (like Skip), I could overlook it because he was so good.
LikeLike
A Lexus is one of the few cars I know that you can reasonably expect to get at least 200,000 mile out of. Not like the old days when 100,000 was the mark. My Lexus has 149,000 on it now. The only repairs other than the normal brakes and tires has been a new power steering pump and an alternator. The PS pump sprayed fluid on the alternator and cause it to short out. Duh… Also had to replace the seals in the A/C last year. All told, not so much when I compare it to what I spent in repairs to my Caddies. I have had the car for 6 years now. Actual cost per mile has been pretty low.
I bought the alternator on E-Bay so it was not too expensive. The A/C is so cold you cannot stand to have it blow directly on you. Still love the car but it may be time to sell it. I just cannot afford to have so many around.
LikeLike
Get off the teleprompter and…
http://www.ajc.com/hp/content/shared-gen/ap/US_President_And_White_House_Advisers/Obama_Oath_Do_Over.html?cxntlid=brkng_nws_bnr
LikeLike
The Gals are gonna LOVE all this talk when they check in, ain’t they???
V, a 260 Z?? Man, I still see some 240 and 280 Z’s but not too many 260’s…do you???
That sucks having to sell it for that reason! 😕
Never had more than one carb on a car…have enough trouble with keep one carb running right.
LikeLike
Oh… baseball talk… I don’t know SG. I got to watch Don quite a lot last year while following the Nats. Made it a bit more tolerable if for no other reason than I detested his play by play man.
And I think Vince Scully already has a job….
LikeLike
’72 Chevy Malibu with a 350. First car I ever bought. Had an 88 Camero RS that kicked butt, too.
LikeLike
260’s were made in ’75 -’76. Mine was a ’76. They had twin Webber carbs, but on seperate chassis. The 240’s had twins, on one unit. The twins on the 260 had to be matched, or… well mine weren’t. 😐 280’s came out in ‘
77 with fuel injection.
Hi, SG. Sutton does do that, and it does drive me crazy. I get the idea he may be doing primarily color (politically correct?) with the new guy doing the pbp.
LikeLike
And back to cars, I loved the Z cars Raisins. Just one of the great classic designs. It was amazing what the Japs could get out of a six cylinder power plant.
Ber, I agree, GM’s Turbohydramatic 400 was/is and outstanding tranny. Just absolutely rock solid. I think guys rebuilt them just for the practice because they were tough to wear out.
LikeLike
SG, I am clearly weird(Duh!) and in the minority when it comes to announcers the braves have had. I like Chip, Mark Lemke, and…well, I used to dislike Joe Simpson, but have grown to like him a lot more since paired with Boog…
Speaking of “Always accentuates the wrong ball” I saw Obama and Michelle dancing with a couple of folks in uniform at one Ball, and thought, hey, that’s pretty nice…of course, they skipped a ball every president had gone to for the last 58 years…of course, when you can only get to 10 balls, you can’t make to every one of them! 😕
Obama blows off Medal of Honor recipients
http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=7224
LikeLike
Lew, while you were making something of yourself, I was underneath a car most of the time. Just loved ’em. I think I was 35 years old before I got all the grease from under my nails….
I bought the wife an ’89 IROC Camero Convertible for Valentin’s Day back in 89. She wanted a ’69 but I think the new car was cheaper at the time. Safer too. She loved that car to death I think, she traded it in on a Buick Park Avenue and rued the day ever since. Said the Buick made her feel old… DUH….
LikeLike
Rupal was/is and outstanding tranny as well! 😛 🙄
Anyway….I forgot to mention we had 1968 Wildcat that had a rubber line from where the Transmission line broke going into the radiator. Yeah, fancy fix that worked for years, til the fuel hose broke one day, without anyone knowing the fact til car came to a dead halt!!! All the fluid pumped out! Transmission was surely fried, well over 100 K on it. Well, walked back to the house, got another car, put in many quarts of fluid and tuct tape(More rubber hose) and never had a bit of trouble from running it out of it’s life blood! 😯
LikeLike
Gotta go!
L8r…
LikeLike
Had a ’73 ElCamino I bought brand new. Paid cash for it as the construction job I was working was 7 12s. Sleep, work, sleep work, … Like being in prison, but the pay was better…
The El Camino was the only car/truck I ever owned that could get stuck in a paved parking lot covered with dew… Absolutely terrible weight distribution. Once hydroplaned while going up a hill in the rain. And I was only going 40 MPH…
A beautiful car/truck but pitiful in the HP department. 350 4/v but just terrible performance. Ran in the 18s at the drag strip. Sloooooow….
LikeLike
Ber, I talked to a guy about replacing the head gasket on my son’s Caddi which has a 32 valve NorthStar engine. He said he wouldn’t do it. He said it was cheaper to replace the engine than the labor involved to replace the head because of the aluminum design lent itself to stripping out bolts and the 32 valves were a nightmare.
Gone are the days when you could do a complete rebuild in your backyard.
LikeLike
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
LikeLike
CL, I couldn’t agree more.
LikeLike
You boys are lucky to still be alive from the sounds of it.
LikeLike
So can anyone tell me ( in a way I can understand) how to link something on here that was sent to my email? My mom sent a really cool story that I’d like to share (already forwarded it to CL).
LikeLike
Never care much for Sutton either. He tends fixate on 1 thing & go on & on & on & on about it ’til you yell at the TV “back to the game, Don!”
LikeLike
FLB, when you say link…is there a link in the email ??? If it’s a video , I don’t know how you can do that….
If it’s text, (in outlook express/Windows Mail) go up to edit, click select all.
All text should be in Blue. Then, without clicking on the left hand button , right click on the text, then on the little drop down menu, left click on copy…
come back here, and right click again with the mouse and click on “paste” (or go up to edit on the browser, and click edit, then click paste)
and voila!
LikeLike
Here it is, FBG:
Kurtis the Stock Boy and Brenda the Checkout Girl
In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry-out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished and wanted to get some fresh air, so he decided to answer the call. As he approached the checkout stand, a distant smile caught his eye ~ the checkout girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.
Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card, punched out, and then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn’t possible.
He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn’t afford a babysitter, so he offered to pay for the babysitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night, he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The babysitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, “Well, let’s take the kids with us.”
She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, and then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Downs Syndrome.
Kurtis told Brenda, “I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us.” Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities ~ just like her first husband and father of her children had done. But Kurtis was not ordinary ~ he had a different mindset.
That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids and went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything, Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him, and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.
A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added five more kids.
So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy at a grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa and Brenda the checkout girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.
It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI…and he has also been the NFL’s Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player. He established the First Things First Foundation in the spring of 2001 with wife Brenda to promote Christian values and bless the lives of those less fortunate with projects such as trips to Disney World for ill children, building recreation centers in children’s hospitals, helping single moms achieve the dream of homeownership and teaching Special Olympians the football basics. All projects are centered on Kurt and Brenda’s life theme: faith and family come first. The official website is: http://www.kurtwarner.org.
LikeLike
Thanks, CL! I don’t care the slightest about football but it’s a nice “warm & fuzzy” story.
LikeLike
Ber, I was trying to decipher your advice but… 😯 . I think I’m a fairly intelligent person, if I may so myself, but when it comes to this machine… well, Computers for Dummies would probably be too advanced.
LikeLike
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 🙂
LikeLike
G’morning, all.
The Kurt Warner story is a great one. I have always liked him not because of the teams he has played for, but for the values he openly carries. I will root for him next week to win another Super Bowl, but the victory he already carries far outweighs anything he can achieve here.
LikeLike
Thats a great story about Kurt!!! It’s so great that he’s had a second chance at going back to the Super Bowl, more publicity for his projects….
LikeLike
FLB, working at Borders books and music in the 90’s, I probably trained close to 200 people, between helping train staff at 2 new stores and training staff at my main store in Buckhead(Strangely enough, there’s a lot of turnover when you pay folks $6.00 an hour, and expect them to work their butts off! 🙄 )
I trained folks who had never used a computer before….lots of fun trying to get a 60 year old to work a mouse for the first time, might have been easier to teach Grandma to do donuts in a corvette! But, I was able to teach them….eventually.
So, clearly, this is all your fault! 😛 You can’t help it, you’re a girl! 😀
Seriously, you are smart, you just need to take baby steps here. I could teach you how to do this in 5 minutes or less in person, but that ain’t gonna happen, so try this, won’t ya???
Find a short story, like this one…
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Southwest-Airlines-reports-4Q-apf-14124811.html
At either the bottom, or the top of the story(Not in the middle of the text, like my parents first did when I showed them how to highlight something they wanted to copy or print-that does not work!) Click on the left mouse button, and HOLD it down, while moving the cursor over the text. Don’t have to press hard, just moderate pressure. Can you do that now???
LikeLike
FLB, working at Borders books and music in the 90’s, I probably trained close to 200 people, between helping train staff at 2 new stores and training staff at my main store in Buckhead(Strangely enough, there’s a lot of turnover when you pay folks $6.00 an hour, and expect them to work their butts off! :Roll: )
I trained folks who had never used a computer before….lots of fun trying to get a 60 year old to work a mouse for the first time, might have been easier to teach Grandma to do donuts in a corvette! But, I was able to teach them….eventually.
So, clearly, this is all your fault! 😛 You can’t help it, you’re a girl! 😀
Seriously, you are smart, you just need to take baby steps here. I could teach you how to do this in 5 minutes or less in person, but that ain’t gonna happen, so try this, won’t ya???
Find a short story, like this one…
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Southwest-Airlines-reports-4Q-apf-14124811.html
At either the bottom, or the top of the story(Not in the middle of the text, like my parents first did when I showed them how to highlight something they wanted to copy or print-that does not work!) Click on the left mouse button, and HOLD it down, while moving the cursor over the text. Don’t have to press hard, just moderate pressure. Can you do that now???
LikeLike
Oh sure, now they both show up!!!! 😡
LikeLike
Nice story FBG.
Well, I’ve learned something about cars reading through this blog. I have a buddy who knows a lot about cars. One day we were out fishing and, being a slow day, I had the radio on. Usually I’d rather hear the wind, waves, birds, water lapping… but like a said, a slow day and we’d already fished 6 hours and had run out of new jokes and stories and such and the fish weren’t biting.
What was I saying? Oh, cars… anyway, my buddy has always been able to work on motors. Car motors, boat motors, lawn mowers, whatever… very mechanically inclined. Can fix anything. Me, I can barely change a spark plug. When I lift the hood of a car I can charge the battery, add radiator fluid, add washer fluid and check the oil. That’s it. If it’s broke, the only tool I attempt to use is the trusty, uh, phone.
So, back to the boat… am I wandering? Hey, relax, this is how we tell fishing stories. Gotta have the back story. Anyhoo, we’re sittin’ there, beer in hand, sunburned, lazy, content, fish in the cooler but it’s time to break the silence and hear some tunes. So I turn on the XM, dial it over to an Indy rock channel and proceed to groove on some tunes.
About halfway through the second song (a very good’un but can’t ‘member it), my bud looks at me with a quizzical, annoyed look and says, “can’t you find a statin with some famliar music on it? I hate this new s&$%”. So I said, “you only like music if you’ve heard it a thousand times?” He replied, “yes… then I know what to expect”.
So I started reeling off bands of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s to see if I could figure out what music he liked. Not that I would’a changed the channel, I was just curious. After a few minutes of this he said, “how in the world do you know all of those bands and song titles? It’s like when you talk about movies and art and all. When did you learn all of that stuff?”
“Oh, I dunno… just started liking music, art and movies at a young age. When you enjoy something you tend to learn a bit about it.” I replied. Now, as a sidebar, I’m nowhere near as obsessed or knowledgeable as some true music, art or film aficionados. You know, the guys that can give you all the names of everyone in the bands, their instruments, the films, the directors, and such.
Anyway, where was I? Oh, after I told him how I was always into music and such, he just started scratching his head while moving his head back and forth like he was thinking, “no, I don’t get that” and said, “man… I just don’t know how you remember all that stuff”.
Then we resumed paying attention to fishing. The bite was back on and we started landing a few. Towards sundown, we checked the cooler, high-fived at our brilliance as fishermen, pulled the anchor, stowed everything, opened anther ice cold beer for the ride home and started the motor.
As I casually, slowly let the boat move off the mud bar, away from the marsh and into deeper water, I looked over at bud and said, “you spent the first half of your life crunching numbers (he’s a CPA), working on motors and spending time under the hood of cars. You’re mechanically inclined and you enjoy motors and cars. You know a lot about all that and I don’t know squat about motors and cars and all that”.
He looked at me kinda sideways… like I was about to tell him a joke. I finished the thought… “I spent the first half of my like listening to music, going to concerts, surfing, doing art, going to art museums, watching films”.
He followed my drift, but was still waiting for the punch line. I wasn’t gonna ruin the moment. I said nothing as we slowly made our way over the oyster bar. Finally, he said, “OK, so what’s your point?”. Well…I took a sip of beer, put it back in the cradle and said, “you know motors, I know music”.
There we were… a moment of recognition, acceptance, understanding, laughter. Different strokes and all. Now, within yards of the deep water of the channel, where I could trim the motor lower and put the hammer down, we naturally toasted each other for the moment of clarity and the day of fishing by clunking our aluminum Miller Lite beer cans together and taking a sip of that brew… the best I’d ever had.
One last thought… before lighting the candle on my Yamaha 250, I told him there was one thing I did a lot between the age of 6 and 16, and actually got pretty good at it. “Baseball!”, I exclaimed. Instantly he followed with, “Me too!”
The day was complete. We headed for the hill.
Not sure why I even got onto this old crusty fishing story that happened a few years ago. It’s a yawner I’m sure. Guess you had to be there. Anyway, that’s why they call it fishin’ and not catchin’.
LikeLike
Ok, on to lesson two.
Lesson one you just left clicked and highlighted the text…don’t worry if stuff like graphs and ad text shows up, we can worry about that stuff later.
Now, on the highlighted text, RIGHT click with your mouse(You do have a PC and not one of those goofy MACs, right????) Now, you should see a little window pop up in the middle of the screen. you should see COPY as one of the choices. LEFT click on that word. Now, all that text from the story is stored.
Now, come back here, and right click in the box you type in….you should then see the article show up, like this!
Southwest Airlines reports 4Q loss
Southwest Airlines reports fourth-quarter loss on higher fuel spending
(AP) – Southwest Airlines says it lost money in the fourth quarter as its fuel-hedging strategy lost punch.
It was Southwest’s second losing quarter of 2008 after 16 straight years without finishing a three-month period in the red.
Southwest said Thursday it lost $56 million, or 8 cents per share, compared with a gain of $111 million, or 15 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding charges and other items, it earned 8 cents per share.
That beat analysts’ expectations of a profit of 5 cents per share.
Southwest paid 23 percent more for fuel than a year earlier.
LikeLike
Speaking of… here’s a musician, songwriter that has to be one of the most underrated country talents in the world. He’s been one of my favorites forever. I saw this guy live in a little country bar back in the day. I think he just never hit it big because of timing… he came out right in the middle of the “outlaw” phase, where Willy, Waylon, Merle and Cash were topping the charts and dominating all things country.
Anyways, the show he put on was amazing, his band was stellar, complete pros and they were one of the tightest groups I’d ever seen… and I’d seen quite a bit of live music. Remember the old, “I’m just an old chunk of coal, but I’ll be a diamond some day” song? How about, “Swingin’”? Those two hit the charts but neither song was indicative of his serious stuff. Popular (and kind’a funny too), but not his best work. Anyhoo, this is him…
Seminole Wind
Dig it, ch’all.
LikeLike
Leave it to SG to post a shaggy dog fishing tale in the middle of my lesson! 😛
FLB, as mentioned before, you cannot break the computer by the stuff talked about above. Your Dad is not going to say, FLB(I assume that is your real name! 😉 ) “Please don’t tell me you were highlighting and pasting text today! This computer is ruined now!!!” Can’t happen. So, practice… post more than one story here , just so it will stick will you better. Nothing like learning how to do something, then not doing it for a week or two, and forgetting everything you learned.
LikeLike
And SG, I liked that story! It’s funny how we often become friends with folks that on the surface, we don’t have much in common with! My two closest friends don’t like baseball at all. Neither of them are into Jazz music. My BFF, in Savannah, he has a MAC, and doesn’t like cars either! How screwed up is that??? But, Lordy can we talk for hours and hours on the phone! History, politics, girls, life, philosophy….If it’s cars, it’s trying to figure out what’s wrong with his.
you have the right attitude about music. I love the music I love, but I hope I will always want to hear new music. Really new music, and music I just never heard before. I can’t understand folks that want to hear the same ol’ same ol’…
And like you, I know my music, my movies, my baseball…but, I don’t know the lyrics to every single song by Megadeth , who the cinematographer of It’s A Wonderful Life, or Smoltz’s VORP.
Sort of a meandering tale from me as well….just a long way to go to say I see what you’re saying…so to speak!
LikeLike
Yep, ain’t it the truth, Bear. Now, before I go earn a livin’ ya gotta help me out here. I’m just out of the text, abbreviated, acronym loop with the kids… but I was wondering… what is BFF? Best Far out Friend? Best Family Friend? Best F&%$#% Friend?
LikeLike
Best friends forever! I have no idea why I know that, since I am really out of the loop. Might have been mentioned in an add, or read it on the web about texting abbreviations. But, I know it annoys people a bit, and it cracks me up to have a nearly 42 year old say that about his nearly 46 year old friend!
And really, isn’t that all that really matters?? Me, cracking myself up???
And speaking of cracking me up, my Dad was looking at Richard Pryor clips on youtube last night, and this one was the funniest to me, Richard Pryor and the Mafia… very bad language, just so everyone knows!
LikeLike
Great, posted a link to a youtube clip and got stuck in the salt…in the filter! 😉
SG, I was going to say even though I have never been a huge country fan, I always liked John Anderson’s voice, and wondered why I didn’t hear more from him, like I did his contemporaries.
LikeLike
You guys ever hear of Joe Bonamassa?
LikeLike
SG, if you simply cannot wait, Best Friends forever…I went into more detail on the stuck in cyberspace post, keep an eye out for it, you will no doubt find it fascinating !
LikeLike
Stuck in the filter!!! 😡
LikeLike
Anderson was never the kind to grab attention, hire a publicist and hit all the parties. He has a voice like a musical instrument and can write and compose with the best of’em… but was content just writin’ and playin’. His band includes some of the finest in studio musicians… not even sure if they’re still together. He had a lady that could play classic violin and then on the next song, wail on it like a fiddle on fire.
He’ll probably get popular when he dies. Somebody will “discover” him when he’s growing daisies.
LikeLike
You guys ever hear of Joe Bonamassa? I tried to link you to something of his, but was waylaid! (first on blog?)
LikeLike
Hey! 😡
Where’d everybody go?!?
LikeLike
Busy beaver here V! 😉
Just vacuumed, started recording a movie, put up some stuff for sale online, felt my blood sugar was high(it was) decided I’d better take my medicine even though It had been less than 9 hours….
Got any baseball info???
LikeLike
Baseball? Oh, yeah… Braves and Stuff. I forgot… 😀
LikeLike
Boy… WordPress is creepin’ today… 😐
LikeLike
Imagine being a Reds fan right now??? You trade away Dunn and Griffey, and you have maxed out your payroll on a bunch of low rent nobodies???
Walt Jocketty must just LOVE working with a tiny budget….
V, I can never figure it out here. One short post may take 30-60 seconds to show up, and then a longer one will show up in 10 seconds!
I guess you get what you pay for! 😉
LikeLike
Been trying to get through all morning but I only get “Unable to find server” or some such! Don’t know what’s going on with them! 😡
Speed: In my youth, I also enjoyed traveling at a high rate of speed. However, my vehicle had wings…. 😛
LikeLike
Berigan-Go to Mayoclinic.com and check out Red Yeast Rice. It’s a much cheaper and readily available option to Lipitor and the statins with no muscular problems associated. Since I’ve been taking it, my sugar has been excellent and I’ve lost 7 pounds without trying.
LikeLike
This is from SFGate, the San Fran Chronicle’s website:
Pelosi said one of her favorite moments from Inauguration Day was when Marine One lifted off the Capitol grounds, signifying former President George W. Bush’s exit from Washington. “It felt like a 10-pound anvil was lifted off my head,” she said.
So she took a blow to the head? That explains a lot! 😛
LikeLike
Lew, thanks for the info! Do you get it online, or in stores??? Interesting story about how the FDA fought to regulate it!
LikeLike
Ah…. An Ode to Youth… 🙂
And great story SG… A modern day Aesop are you….
Personally, I love listening to other people talking about their interest. helps me expand my knowledge base on a verity of subjects without having to do all the heavy lifting myself.
On bands however, folks, I have a hard enough time just remembering the names of all my grandchildren. Often quite enough to just enjoy the melody, uh.. except for some punk rock….
LikeLike
Chris, that might explain the perpetually wide eyed look on her face as well! 😉
LikeLike
And… decided to give politics a rest for a while… but..YOU KNOW.. 🙂
LikeLike
No, Ber. The last facelift was a little too much.
LikeLike
Berigan-I buy the Rexall brand at Wal Mart-costs about $13 for a two month supply (I’m taking 1200 twice a day per Doctor’s orders-DR. also said always use the same brand because of quality control).
Mayo Clinic gives it an A for cholestoral control and a C for both Sugar control and Cardio protection. A grade of C only means that there has been no DEFINITIVE testing, but that what testing they’ve done so far looks good. I’m thinking they’ll find it will be an A substance for those two elements as well, before it’s all over with.
My blood sugar readings have been 140 something fasting and around 65-80 at dinnertime. I’m not too sure if the weight loss is because the Lipitor caused weight gain (it does) or because the RYR was doing something in that regard. I’m thinking that since in the first 24 days I lost 6 pounds and had eaten Holiday Food, it’s the Red Yeast Rice.
LikeLike
Good story SG, but you lost me at “Miller Lite.” 🙂
Anyway, I’m not a huge fan of John Anderson, but I can tolerate some of his stuff. I can get into his older stuff like “Catch a Falling Star,” and “Wild and Blue.” He did an outdoor concert in my hometown this past October and it was a decent show, but I only went because Shooter Jennings was the opening act. However this time, Anderson’s fiddle player was an little old man probably in his mid 70s wearing a white T-shirt and some Big Smith overalls. He did an instrumental solo version of “Orange Blossom Special” that would make Charlie Daniels himself stutter. Absolutely set those strings on FIRE!
LikeLike
Gil-It’s probably a good thing I don’t have Grand kids yet-That way I don’t have to remember them. My son’s lifelong best friend and his wife (who I’ve also known since they were all in elementary school) just had a baby, but that’s the closest I’ve gotten. My son as a Father? Spooky concept. Probably someone thought the same of me at one time-likely My Mother-In-Law. She still feels the same 35 years after meeting me, too.
LikeLike
Hillbilly, if I remember correctly, he was drinking the Miller Lite and I was drinking a Heineken or a long neck Bud. We always gave each other grief about each other’s beer choices. He called my bottled beer a hazard in a boat (which they can be) and I always to him that my beer would taste just like his if I emptied half out and filled it back up with brackish water.
On fishing trips, I usually took a 6 pack and he usually brought a case. On that particular day, I’d run out and got one of his. I remember it because, being a bottled beer guy, I got chuckle out of tappin’ cans together.
Anyways, didn’t want to wander off into that little detail and screw up my concise, direct, fact only fishing story. 😆
LikeLike
Man… this blog is really misbehavin’ sumpin’ awful. Hit “submit comment” and the screen just went blank… then took a few tries to even get back. Hmmm…
Could it be FBG trying to follow Bear’s instructions and link something?
LikeLike
OH NOES! FBG broke the blog! 😛
LikeLike
Just watch this guy work! Very interesting!
http://www.wimp.com/slickart/
(if I can get it to load….. it’s BAD today!)
LikeLike
Amazing CL!
I think I got a buzz from all the paint fumes though!
LikeLike
OK… that was just cool… 😎
LikeLike
Klobber, I can’t make out the avatar. (There should be a way to magnify…)
LikeLike
Dang… WordPress is a mess today!
LikeLike
Yeah, it’s tough to see. It’s the Braves Phoenix, rising from the ashes.
LikeLike
Well Lew, anything that might help me lose weight, is aok with me!
What’s strange is my hemoglobin number just a week ago was 5.9!(Normal number for those not diabetic) So, they think I am doing swell! Thing is, my sugar will go above 200 in the morning(And vision will blur) if I eat a bowl of cereal and a glass of OJ a half hour later, even taking my Metformin. Do to the fact I am seriously full of it(Everyone knows that, don’t they?) to the point it showed up in an x-ray, I really have to have my fiber, which means carbs, = blood sugar spike.
My Blood sugar is 130-140 fasting, it rarely drops below 100, I feel funny when it does…just don’t quite get the 5.9 number.
Would like to lose some more weight, and perhaps get off Metformin someday…
LikeLike
CL, great artwork! I about gave up early on, had no idea what it was going to turn into!
SG, I was sure you were going to say, while drinking the beers, here’s to go times, tonight is kinda special…let it be Lowenbrau! 😉
Or is that only a midwest thing???
LikeLike
Oh yeah, wordpress is fowled up today! Every time I post, have to back up, copy what I wrote, and then reload the page….
LikeLike
Whatcha think??
http://www.wimp.com/truegeek/
LikeLike
Biden has a way with words, eh?
One of the small but memorable moments to emerge from [President Barack] Obama’s first full day in office on Wednesday came when Vice President Joe Biden offered up a quip that did not seem to thrill his new boss. Those who have followed the vice president’s long career as a senator chalked it up to Biden being Biden.
The scene happened when Obama asked Biden to swear in some senior staff members of the new administration.
“Am I doing this again?” Biden said. He was apparently referring to the fact that he had already sworn in members of Obama’s Cabinet earlier in the day, including some people who were in the room in front of him at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
“For the senior staff,” Obama clarified. “For the senior staff, all right,” Biden responded.
And then Biden said this: “My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts, Chief Justice Roberts.” The line drew an “oooh” from the audience, the kind one gets after serving up a zinger.
Chief Justice John Roberts, as millions of people saw on Tuesday, had slightly flubbed Obama’s original oath, which prompted Obama to do the same.
Obama did not laugh or even smile at Biden’s line. His look and body language were serious. Cable news outlets replayed the moment prominently. –AP
LikeLike
Oh yeah, wordpress is fowled up today!
I hope it didn’t suck a bird into it’s turbine!
LikeLike
Cool links CL. I saw a guy do that spray paint sci-fi stuff on the street in Miami Beach once. Had a crowd around watching. Not what I’d call collectable art but fun to watch and see where it goes.
Those surreal cosmic scenes are what I expect Lew sees while he’s sleeping. You know, old hippy flashbacks of Mars and stuff.
LikeLike
From email: The best thing since remote control. Just see, click and you’re there.
http://www.allmyfaves.com/
If this doesn’t send WordPress into a cyberfrenzy I don’t know what will. 😛
LikeLike
I don’t know, SG… I kinda pictured Lew’s dreams something like this:
LikeLike
… filtered again… 😡
LikeLike
… and such a brilliant post, to… 🙄
LikeLike
… and such a brilliant post, too… 🙄
LikeLike
weird………..
LikeLike
Berigan-Instead of cereal, try eating an omelet with veggies in it. That’s going to have plenty of fiber and won’t mess with your blood sugar. Most diabetics wouldn’t even be on medication with a 5.9-lowest I got was 5.8 and I was regulating blood sugar dropping too much by eating three grapes and sticking my finger twenty times a day. Too hard to really keep up with.
Got told by two Doctors the other day that for a 300 pound diabetic on medication for 25 years, that I’m in fantastic shape. I may never lose the weight I gained by taking all this dreck, but I must be doing something right. My blood pressure is 124/62 and my cholestoral is 143. Best thing is not to gain the weight if you can help it.
LikeLike
Braves non-roster invitees to Spring Training:
RHPs Rafael Cruz, Emiliano Fruto, Tommy Hanson and Kris Medlen; LHPs Francisley Bueno, Mariano Gomez and Juan Perez; catchers J.C. Boscan, Phillip Britton, Alvin Colina and Matt Kennelly; INFs Brooks Conrad, Freddie Freeman and Brandon Hicks, and OFs Jason Heyward and Jordan Schafer.
LikeLike
ESPN’s Jon Heyman:
Abreu is getting a bad rap by executives who are overemphasizing his defensive slippage. He’s still an adequate right fielder, but his fear of the wall got so much airtime in New York that he has become over-criticized. Abreu, in fact, is fifth in assists among right fielders over the last three years and third in fielding percentage, and while he’s 16th of 27 in range factor, Yankees pitchers had the second highest ground-ball-to-fly-ball ratio in the AL. Meanwhile, Raul Ibanez, a below average left fielder who was a chic pick this winter, probably benefited by being hidden in Seattle and signed for $31.5 million over three years with Abreu’s former Phillies team. Any way you compare these two players, Abreu looks better … at least from here.
OK, I’ll take Abreu for LF.
😀
LikeLike
Funny how folks (GMs) will tout how great a player is when they are trying to sell and how much of a bum he his when they are trying to buy… Just like used car salesmen… not a lot of difference…
It’s why I prefer to make my own judgments about a player. Does not mean a guy I like can’t stink the place up once in a while not that he cannot have an occasional out of body experience but day in and day out I can get a pretty good handle on a guy.
Looking for that consistent adequacy….
LikeLike
Ya know… I looked at Heyman’s assessment and focused in on “Any way you compare these two players [the Phil’s Ibanez and Abreu], Abreu looks better” and like the fact that it’d be one more position on the comparison sheet that you could check Advantage Braves.
LikeLike
This :48 should be REQUIRED viewing by all US citizens:
The Cop Rule
http://www.wimp.com/coprule/
I found this fascinating, both the lawyer and the cop told it like it is.
LikeLike
This guy is LOL funny! Funny because he hits the nail on the head. (Have never heard of him before.)
http://www.wimp.com/realtalk/
LikeLike
That’s awesome, CL!
LikeLike
V, I can’t quite figure out how Jordan Schafer is still a not on the roster and is still just invitee! How can that be??? I know my memory isn’t something, something…but didn’t he play last spring???
LikeLike
Lew, what was your latest Hemoglobin number??? I just don’t see how mine can be so low, when my blood sugar shoots up so much in the A.M.
reminds me of a time my Mom had a test similar to that one in the 80’s Her vision was so blurred, that she was unable to work for about 6 months. Anyway, a test came back said that her blood sugar average was around 120, Doc said that was great! Thing is, no matter if it was fasting, 2 hours before or after a meal, before bedtime, it was never below 150! I said, hey doc, wouldn’t she have to be in a diabetic coma during the night to have her average be 120??? He didn’t like me much! 🙄 Anyway, the next endocrinologist finally got her blood sugar under better control… I just don’t always trust what “they” say are the facts….Oh well…
LikeLike
Not as a major leaguer Ber. There is a certain number of years (6) I think, that a player is allowed to be kept in the minors and off the major league roster.
LikeLike
V, you know I am all for Abreu, but to be fair to Ibanez, the team he played on lost 101 games, Abreu’s team won 89. Ibanez seemed to play with a lot of heart on a losing team, Abreu has always seemed a bit laid back. Bet Abreu had a lot more opportunities to drive in runs as well….Abreu doesn’t miss time, so a few less belly flops don’t worry me too much….
LikeLike
SSSSSSSSSSSLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
Gil, now that’s ringing some bells…now I recall reading DOB saying keeping them off the ML roster in September kept them off the 40 man roster.
LikeLike
Breaking news!!!!!
Former French President Jacques Chirac was rushed to a hospital after being viciously mauled by his clinically depressed poodle.
Not, from the Onion, a real honest to goodness story! A Poodle!!!! 😯
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481426,00.html
LikeLike
Ber and Gil, Schafer’s not on the 40 man because they don’t have to protect him yet. The way the rule works, if you are 18 or younger when first signed, the club doesn’t have to protect you on the 40 man until after fourth season. If you are 19 or older then it’s three years. There’s no reason taking up a roster spot on someone until it’s necessary to do so.
The 40 man roster is basically used for teams to protect their young, but not quite ready for prime time players. In December, the Rule 5 draft takes place. The players that are eligible for draft are those players that are not on a 40 man roster and have played for the requisite number of years.
LikeLike
Depressed poodle biting Chirac. Couldn’ta happened to a nicer guy. 🙄
The news today must have fiction novelists and comedy screenwriters scratching their heads wondering how they’re possibly going to write something more amazing, unreal, bizarre, outrageous, hilarious and ridiculous than what happens in this world every single day. And it’s on the news… much of it anyway. What’s not on the news is on the net.
Look for more reality movies to be filmed in Washington (comedy) and fiction novels to be set in deep space. Maybe the martians have already taken over. There’s an idea for a combo reality/comedy/sci-fi for you.
LikeLike
Berigan-I go about 6.5 most of the time. Eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice and see if that knocks it down some. Bet it will.
LikeLike
I did not break the blog! I wasn’t even here. And for the record, I fix Dad’s computer goof-ups.
Ber, you do know that drinking orange juice is like pouring sugar down your throat, right? My dad has been able to really cut back his meds since we all went on this diet. He’s lost about 30 lbs. & that’s with cheating over the holidays. It seems to really help diabetics ( good thing I’m on the plan now since diabetes runs in both sides of my family).
LikeLike
Just kiddin’ FBG!
LikeLike
I had no idea one could do such things with spray paint, newspaper & post-it notes.
LikeLike
G’morning…
Slow news day, so, if WordPress will permit it, some random entertainment:
(This’ll probably end up in the filter, and I’ll be griping about it.)
LikeLike
I knew that’d end up in the filter… 🙄
LikeLike
Good morning Stuffians…. Another day, another chance… 🙂
Looks to be a pretty day here in the Old Dominion. Temps up near 60. Time too poke my head outside and do a few chores I have been putting off. A neighbor dropped by yesterday and asked if I would come over with my tractor and fill in some of the holes in his driveway. Ah, a future in highway maintenance may be in store for me. Always nice to know you have a trade you can fall back on. 🙂
LikeLike
Ta daaaaa
LikeLike
Thank you sir…
LikeLike
Pretty funny stuff….
I wonder if animals view us the same way?
Like, why would you tie a 90 pound dog to a 2 pound chair and not expect disaster? 🙂
Looks like the chance of Richmond getting a team may be gaining a bit of traction. Being done in a way that actually makes a bit of sense. Of course the biggest obstacle to success has been removed. Doug Wilder wisely chose not to run for re-election.
LikeLike
‘Morning, y’all!
Creepy article: McGwire’s brother says he injected Mark with steroids
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/11289854/rss
LikeLike
Like, why would you tie a 90 pound dog to a 2 pound chair and not expect disaster?
Uh… I actually did that one time, except I had the dog’s leash looped over my wrist, and was sitting in a 2 pound chair. My dog, a Rottie, took off after another dog, and I found myself being yanked out of the chair. It was hilarious. 😆
LikeLike
Actually, I should have seen that coming. this Rot was a very sweet dog that only showed aggression one time, that being the time. My wife was weeding a flower bed and I was sitting in a lawn chair with Roxanne (the dog) sitting next to me. I was petting Roxie, when another dog walked up close to Mrs. Raisins. The smooth neck and back of my dog suddenly felt like a brick wall as she tensed up very quickly. The other dog barked once, and Roxie took off so quick that I didn’t have a chance to get my wrist out of the loop on the leash. It really was pretty funny. We never saw the other dog again.
LikeLike
Morning folks. Funny video. I liked the skateboarding bulldog.
Found this interesting tidbit:
A major-league source said yesterday that the Phils have pursued veteran free agent Moises Alou “pretty hard.”
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. confirmed interest in the 42-year-old Alou but did not sound as if a deal was imminent.
We can only pray that the Phillies tie up a bunch of money in Alou. When was the last time he was healthy? It must be years ago now.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20090123_Alou_draws_interest_from_Phils.html
LikeLike
Maybe I should call Ruben and encourage the interest in Alou.
LikeLike
Great idea Lew!
You were right about Seth. I don’t remember the exact number now but he’s getting something like $1.6m next year!
LikeLike
AHA! In spite of wordpress’s best efforts –
NEW BLOG IS UP!!
LikeLike