Friday, March 10, 2006
Song of the Day:
Random image of Reese Withersoon:
T
This day in history:
In 1810, Emperor Napoleon of France was married by proxy to Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria.
In 1861, the Confederate convention in Montgomery, Ala., adopted a constitution.
In 1888, the famous "Blizzard of '88" struck the northeastern United States, resulting in some 400 deaths.
In 1930, former President and Chief Justice Taft was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1941, President Roosevelt signed into law the Lend-Lease Bill, providing war supplies to countries fighting the Axis.
In 1965, the Rev. James J. Reeb, a white minister from Boston, died after being beaten by whites during civil rights disturbances in Selma, Ala.
In 1977, more than 130 hostages held in Washington by Hanafi Muslims were freed after ambassadors from three Islamic nations joined the negotiations.
In 1985, Mikhail S. Gorbachev was chosen to succeed the late Soviet President Konstantin U. Chernenko.
In 1986, the state of Georgia pardoned Leo Frank, a Jewish businessman who had been lynched in 1915 for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan.
In 2004, 10 bombs exploded in quick succession across the commuter rail network in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 people in an attack linked to al-Qaida.
Today's Birthdays:
Singer Bobby McFerrin is 56.
Movie director Jerry Zucker is 56.
Singer Lisa Loeb is 38.
Making sex with geeks OK again...even if their the clingy type, or just using you to climb the social ladder.
Sadly, the ladder got more action than I did in high school.
Actor Terrence Howard is 37.
Some brothers have all the luck...
Rock musician Rami Jaffee (Wallflowers) is 37.
That's him in the glasses. Kinda like "Guy" from "That Thing You Do!"
Actor David Anders is 25.
Actress Thora Birch is 24.
Shakespeare Quote of the Day:
"All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts"
-As You Like It. (Act II, Scene VII).
Word of the Day:
deus ex machina \DAY-uhs-eks-MAH-kuh-nuh; -nah; -MAK-uh-nuh\, noun:
1. In ancient Greek and Roman drama, a god introduced by means of a crane to unravel and resolve the plot.
2. Any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an apparently insoluble difficulty.
The Death of Kirby Puckett
I,like many many other kids of the midwest, was a fan of baseball because of the youthful exuberance of Kirby Puckett. Here was a man who wan't just living life; he was enjoying it. It didn't hurt of course, that he was a tireless worker, or a batting champion, or a superb fielder who knew how to measure up the plexiglass outfield fence more than anyone else. But while all of these things were helpful to his popularity, he would not have been near as popular or famous if he hadn't made it obvious that he enjoyed what he was doing.
With Puckett, you never doubted that he was giving you everything he had inside. He loved what he did and he showed it all the time. He appreciated his chance to PLAY baseball. He did what all of us thought we would do with that sort of oppurtunity...he PLAYED. It wasn't work for him at all. So many players become jaded that they seem to forget or take for granted what oppurtunity they have placed in front of them sometimes. I suppose after a few years, the rest of us might do the same. And because of that, we saw so many great things about him in his play, in his gregarious nature, that we came to think that is how he must always be. That there wasn't any dark side to him. He excuded so much of what we want to find not only in our athletes, but in human beings in general.
And so when he retired, and other portions of his life came to light, we found that he wasn't always the Kirby Puckett we knew. It was disturbing that he was a womanizer. That he had some major marital strife that ultimately led to their divorce.
As a fan, I was disheartened to learn that he wasn't who I pictured him to be away from the field. I felt like I had to defend the indefensible. As time has passed, I hae started to wonder... did these bab moments in his life cancel out all the good that he has done for others? Is he completely un-redemable? If those who were harmed by him and his actions can find it to forgive him, then hopefully the rest of us can forgive the rest of us can learn to move on as well. Kirby Puckett wasn't perfect. He did some bad things, yes. the media and others have proved to have a long memory. But that doesn't undo all of the good. No more than all of the good does all the bad. Together, they make the whole picture of Kirby Puckett.
Part of being a fan is having hope. In fact, it's pretty much all there is to being a fan. that one day all of your hope will apy off for something special...a moment to celebrate. Being a fan of the Twins and being a fan of Kirby made all of those hopes realized when they won the World Series in 1987, and 1991. Because of those moments, alot of us got to experience the feeling that anything was possible. THat if we believed enough, we would see our dreams realized.
Thanks for making our dreams come true, Puck.
David Letterman's "Top Ten Ways to Mispronounce Kirby Puckett"
10. Kooby Pickett.
9. Creepy Pockets.
8. Bernie Crumpet.
7. Turkey Bucket.
6. Buddy Hackett.
5. The Puckett Formerly Known as Kirby.
4. Punky Brewster.
3. Kent Hrbek.
2. There once was a man from Nantucket who Kirbied his very own Puckett.
1. Englepuck Kirbydink.
Book Review:
Jurassic Park and the Lost World were packged under one book together, and placed upon a shelf at the local library for me to find recently. Having enjoyed the movies when they were out, I thought it was worth looking into to see if the books truly were better than the visual option.
It was and it wasn't. Being more familiar with it from the movie, I found myself jumping from the more tedious setup right to the action, as any person with a need for immediate gratification like myself has. (That's not quite the best reflection of myself, now is it?) Montana ranch, blah, blah, dinosaurs are birds, sure...eggs...whatever. Where's the damned T-rex and the velociraptors?! Ah! Page 78! Much better! Rip that lawyer in two!
In all it was an intruiging read, because it was a different story than those portrayed on screen. A different set of people died, and their trail was much different. While the baser pieces were the same --people under the threat of attack of carnivorous beasts of the past--, the details were much changed. And it was the baser pieces that drew me in.
Once in, I found an interesting contrast...the book was trying to present some rather deep thoughts about evolution and the destruction of the world. A faux-deep conversation about where we came from, how dinosaurs interacted and such was often presented, as though it was a top 50 brief summary of the theories of the time, interlaced together with a story to be placed with a comic book. In doing so, the writer seemed as though he was trying to pull together a conversation of intellectuals and laymen to discuss different topics, with varying degrees of success. There were a few instances it actually stalled the action rather than furthering the story. Still worth reading, though if you have the inkling. I suppose that the best way to put it is that I wouldn't go out lookng for it, but if you happen across it, it's a good time filler for lunch breaks and other times that you might take to yourself.
Next up on the "Review of books that have been out for some time that everyone else has read: But not the Hippopotomous, by Sandra Boynton. It's a sad study of being a social outcast in a group setting. For more on dinosaurs, be sure to check out her breakthrough work found here.
Link of the day:
The evolving organism game! No...organ-ISM. Not what you thought. Those sort of things must be earned, and I wouldn't want my name associated with giving those out.
Wait...maybe I do. Lookit that. 2 links of the day. Aren't you people so special? Warning: this isn't the work-safe kind of link. And special note to E: If the cowboy with the boots remind you of anyone in particular, I'll be happy.
Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today
We're born again, there's new grass on the field
Roundin' third, and headed for home, it's a brown-eyed handsome man
Anyone can understand the way I feel
Oh, put me in, coach - I'm ready to play today
Put me in, coach - I'm ready to play today
Look at me, I can be center field
Random image of Reese Withersoon:
TThis day in history:
In 1810, Emperor Napoleon of France was married by proxy to Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria.
In 1861, the Confederate convention in Montgomery, Ala., adopted a constitution.
In 1888, the famous "Blizzard of '88" struck the northeastern United States, resulting in some 400 deaths.
In 1930, former President and Chief Justice Taft was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1941, President Roosevelt signed into law the Lend-Lease Bill, providing war supplies to countries fighting the Axis.
In 1965, the Rev. James J. Reeb, a white minister from Boston, died after being beaten by whites during civil rights disturbances in Selma, Ala.
In 1977, more than 130 hostages held in Washington by Hanafi Muslims were freed after ambassadors from three Islamic nations joined the negotiations.
In 1985, Mikhail S. Gorbachev was chosen to succeed the late Soviet President Konstantin U. Chernenko.
In 1986, the state of Georgia pardoned Leo Frank, a Jewish businessman who had been lynched in 1915 for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan.
In 2004, 10 bombs exploded in quick succession across the commuter rail network in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 people in an attack linked to al-Qaida.
Today's Birthdays:
Singer Bobby McFerrin is 56.
Movie director Jerry Zucker is 56.
Singer Lisa Loeb is 38.
Making sex with geeks OK again...even if their the clingy type, or just using you to climb the social ladder.
Sadly, the ladder got more action than I did in high school.
Actor Terrence Howard is 37.
Some brothers have all the luck...
Rock musician Rami Jaffee (Wallflowers) is 37.
That's him in the glasses. Kinda like "Guy" from "That Thing You Do!"
Actor David Anders is 25.
Actress Thora Birch is 24.
Shakespeare Quote of the Day:
"All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts"
-As You Like It. (Act II, Scene VII).
Word of the Day:
deus ex machina \DAY-uhs-eks-MAH-kuh-nuh; -nah; -MAK-uh-nuh\, noun:
1. In ancient Greek and Roman drama, a god introduced by means of a crane to unravel and resolve the plot.
2. Any active agent who appears unexpectedly to solve an apparently insoluble difficulty.
The Death of Kirby Puckett
I,like many many other kids of the midwest, was a fan of baseball because of the youthful exuberance of Kirby Puckett. Here was a man who wan't just living life; he was enjoying it. It didn't hurt of course, that he was a tireless worker, or a batting champion, or a superb fielder who knew how to measure up the plexiglass outfield fence more than anyone else. But while all of these things were helpful to his popularity, he would not have been near as popular or famous if he hadn't made it obvious that he enjoyed what he was doing.
With Puckett, you never doubted that he was giving you everything he had inside. He loved what he did and he showed it all the time. He appreciated his chance to PLAY baseball. He did what all of us thought we would do with that sort of oppurtunity...he PLAYED. It wasn't work for him at all. So many players become jaded that they seem to forget or take for granted what oppurtunity they have placed in front of them sometimes. I suppose after a few years, the rest of us might do the same. And because of that, we saw so many great things about him in his play, in his gregarious nature, that we came to think that is how he must always be. That there wasn't any dark side to him. He excuded so much of what we want to find not only in our athletes, but in human beings in general.
And so when he retired, and other portions of his life came to light, we found that he wasn't always the Kirby Puckett we knew. It was disturbing that he was a womanizer. That he had some major marital strife that ultimately led to their divorce.
As a fan, I was disheartened to learn that he wasn't who I pictured him to be away from the field. I felt like I had to defend the indefensible. As time has passed, I hae started to wonder... did these bab moments in his life cancel out all the good that he has done for others? Is he completely un-redemable? If those who were harmed by him and his actions can find it to forgive him, then hopefully the rest of us can forgive the rest of us can learn to move on as well. Kirby Puckett wasn't perfect. He did some bad things, yes. the media and others have proved to have a long memory. But that doesn't undo all of the good. No more than all of the good does all the bad. Together, they make the whole picture of Kirby Puckett.
Part of being a fan is having hope. In fact, it's pretty much all there is to being a fan. that one day all of your hope will apy off for something special...a moment to celebrate. Being a fan of the Twins and being a fan of Kirby made all of those hopes realized when they won the World Series in 1987, and 1991. Because of those moments, alot of us got to experience the feeling that anything was possible. THat if we believed enough, we would see our dreams realized.
Thanks for making our dreams come true, Puck.
David Letterman's "Top Ten Ways to Mispronounce Kirby Puckett"
10. Kooby Pickett.
9. Creepy Pockets.
8. Bernie Crumpet.
7. Turkey Bucket.
6. Buddy Hackett.
5. The Puckett Formerly Known as Kirby.
4. Punky Brewster.
3. Kent Hrbek.
2. There once was a man from Nantucket who Kirbied his very own Puckett.
1. Englepuck Kirbydink.
Book Review:
Jurassic Park and the Lost World were packged under one book together, and placed upon a shelf at the local library for me to find recently. Having enjoyed the movies when they were out, I thought it was worth looking into to see if the books truly were better than the visual option.
It was and it wasn't. Being more familiar with it from the movie, I found myself jumping from the more tedious setup right to the action, as any person with a need for immediate gratification like myself has. (That's not quite the best reflection of myself, now is it?) Montana ranch, blah, blah, dinosaurs are birds, sure...eggs...whatever. Where's the damned T-rex and the velociraptors?! Ah! Page 78! Much better! Rip that lawyer in two!
In all it was an intruiging read, because it was a different story than those portrayed on screen. A different set of people died, and their trail was much different. While the baser pieces were the same --people under the threat of attack of carnivorous beasts of the past--, the details were much changed. And it was the baser pieces that drew me in.
Once in, I found an interesting contrast...the book was trying to present some rather deep thoughts about evolution and the destruction of the world. A faux-deep conversation about where we came from, how dinosaurs interacted and such was often presented, as though it was a top 50 brief summary of the theories of the time, interlaced together with a story to be placed with a comic book. In doing so, the writer seemed as though he was trying to pull together a conversation of intellectuals and laymen to discuss different topics, with varying degrees of success. There were a few instances it actually stalled the action rather than furthering the story. Still worth reading, though if you have the inkling. I suppose that the best way to put it is that I wouldn't go out lookng for it, but if you happen across it, it's a good time filler for lunch breaks and other times that you might take to yourself.
Next up on the "Review of books that have been out for some time that everyone else has read: But not the Hippopotomous, by Sandra Boynton. It's a sad study of being a social outcast in a group setting. For more on dinosaurs, be sure to check out her breakthrough work found here.
Link of the day:
The evolving organism game! No...organ-ISM. Not what you thought. Those sort of things must be earned, and I wouldn't want my name associated with giving those out.
Wait...maybe I do. Lookit that. 2 links of the day. Aren't you people so special? Warning: this isn't the work-safe kind of link. And special note to E: If the cowboy with the boots remind you of anyone in particular, I'll be happy.
Comments:
Something tells me when they do stress-tests on iPods, "control by stiletto" isn't on the checklist...
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