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WHY, why, why, why.. do baseball players spit so much? They spit more than any other athletes, more than any other human on earth. WHY? I am a big enough dork to attempt to research this, but all I found was stuff talking about smokeless tobacco. Ok, fine. But WHY do they need to chew tobacco. WHY, WHY?-----
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Even though I just recently wrote about my (and New England's) negativity, I must say that at the same time I usually have a hope that things can get better.
Exhibit A:
Although I am a complete black thumb, killing every plant that has ever had the misfortune of crossing my path (even a cactus), I keep trying. Two weeks ago I got a couple of planters going and behold, they still live:
not only are they still alive, they are green and there are actual flowers. Unheard of! I'm sure they could be doing better, but this is a major victory for me. This is my yeah!
Of course, I have another plant, bought on the same day which shows the usual wear and tear of being one of my plants (brown leaves, flowers falling off):
but I'm going to re-plant it with the special super plant food dirt I got at Home Depot and it's going to come back!
and if my plants can come back, so can the Red Sox (hear me Red Sox!)
Still at the end of every hard earned day, people find some reason to believe
- Bruce Springsteen-----
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"This is what happens when you go on a 3-day business trip"-----
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after yesterdays depressing rant. It has to have, because when you spend your time in meetings discussing the pros and cons of:
vs.
>>
vs.
>
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vs.
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and what the various levels of icon visual hierarchy would mean to a user, you need a sense of humor to stay sane. Look, I'm all about appropriate visual hierarchy, but really.. no one but a very detailed web designer is really going to note a difference between any of these. People just want to click where they want to go! Is that SO hard to understand?
It is extremely difficult for me not to laugh out loud sometimes.
In other news, I'm amused to report that I continue to be Mark Bellhorn's bad luck charm. Saturday, when I didn't watch, he had a couple of hits including a home run and yesterday when I listened to the game, he was sick and couldn't play. ha! Maybe I'll call myself his black cloud. This guy I work with calls me black cloud (mostly because I'm constantly saying things like: that is so stupid, why would anyone want to do that? And if you had to sit in meetings like the above you would, too! ), and somehow it seems to fit this situation, too. yes? I think I need a black cloud logo to use. hmm.. Well, I'm off to speak to creative boy at work about this.-----
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I just got this email and the results are quite interesting:
> > This test determines human thought patterns. Humans fall into 1 of 2
>percentiles: 98% or 2%. 98% think alike, and the remaining 2% stray from
>the norm.
> >
> > Here's the test:
> >
> > Just follow the instructions as quickly as possible. Do not go to the
>next calculation before you have finished the previous one. You do not
>need to write or remember the answers, just do it using your mind.
> > You'll be surprised by the results...
> >
> > Ready,
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> >
> > Go....
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> > How much is:
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> > 15+6
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> > 3+56
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> > 89+2
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> > 12+53
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> > 75+26
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> > 25+52
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> > 63+32
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> > Come on, one more...
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> > 123+5
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> > QUICK! THINK ABOUT A TOOL AND A COLOR!
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> > Scroll further to the bottom...
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> > A bit more...
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> > You have just thought about a red hammer, haven't you????
> >
> > If this is not the case, you a re among 2% of people who have a
>"different" if not "abnormal" mind. 98% of those tested would answer a
>"red hammer" while doing this exercise.
> >
> > If you do not believe this, pass it around and you'll see.
I'm a proud different, if not abnormal person. Thank God. But I may only be half different as I did think of a blue hammer.-----
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I stumbled across this entry over at Worthwhile:
For years, I thought he had the potential to be a great baseball player. He once hit a home run as first-grader; he once made a seemingly impossible, game-winning catch in outfield that caused his teammates to mob the field. So I silently fumed as coaches repeatedly rotated him from outfield to third base and placed him seventh or so in the batting order. All that potential, I thought, failing to be encouraged.
Nevermind that my kid also was the one most likely to be tossing his glove in the air or staring at the clouds. And nevermind that, left to his own devices, he never picked up a glove or bat to practice. His lack of passion for the game came through to everyone from other kids to coaches to parents -- everyone but me, who continued to focus on any glimmers of talent and potential.
Then when he was nine, he got a guitar. No one ever had to ask him to practice; he was at it at least two hours a day. He saved his money to buy music books. Within a year, he was ripping through Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Led Zepplin, Santana and playing on stage with a band.
And just like his fellow Little Leaguers who didn't want a semi-interested player at first base or batting clean-up, my son got quite picky about who he wanted to play music with. Casual players with talent but minimal zeal weren't welcome, even if there was a friendship cost.
And it hit me: while there is certainly no excellence without talent, it's over-the-top enthusiasm that makes the real difference. True excellence fueled by passion doesn't have to be outwardly encouraged, even in children. It doesn't require "motivation" -- at least as we commonly practice it.
True excellence is about finding that one thing that you do well and want to do many hours a day, even when the field is muddy or your fingers bleed.
So I got to thinking about a couple of things: should this thing you love to do have to be the thing that supports you (wouldn't that be ideal?). Is it satisfying enough just to have found it, even if you don't do it full time? And does it have to be ONE thing only? Because I could sit on the beach and read books for the rest of my life.. well, as long as I at least had a radio to listen to sports, and my camera to take pictures and a laptop so I could write about what I read and see and take pictures of at the beach. Do I have too many interests? Does this mean I just haven't found "the one", yet?
So, what is your passion?-----
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co-worker: i wish i had a sound effect that i could play for conference calls when people talk that i find annoying
amy: I wish I had an ejector seat - not for others, for me! eject! eject!
{as we are messaging this we are 30 minutes into a call refering to a document, we have been on the page 22 in the document for 15 min. when someone says: wait! where are we? what page? Can we go back to p.9?}-----
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Joy of Sox on tonight's game...
wally!-----
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I'm unhip, uncool, unaware of current pop culture. I'm no longer tragically hip. You see.. Lollapalooza has been canceled.
My first thought was: Lollapalooza still happens? In my younger, hipper days I and Dinosaur Jr. played: heaven. The year Hole, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Beck and Cypress Hill played: second best. Yee haw. This year, of the 30+ acts that were supossed to play (in what was being heralded as one of the best lineups ever, I have heard of 5. 5! and one of them is Morrissey - a flashback from my youth. Though the Pixies, alone, are worth the price of admission.
Oh my God, Lollapalooza started 13 years ago. Where does the time go? Excuse me while I pause to contemplate my mortality..-----
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Penguin UK dares to ask the question: Are You Good Booking? And the results are in:
-Women find men who read books more attractive 78 per cent of people surveyed think people who read are likely to be much better in bed. One in three women think that book-reading men are likely to be more romantic.
-Feeling a little dull? Lacking good conversation for your first date? The Penguin Good Booking research reveals that 62 per cent of single women think that reading a book makes a man look more interesting and 67 per cent think that a book makes a man look intelligent. One in three women think that a man reading a book is likely to be more successful. Tracey Cox, psychologist and author of SuperSex, identifies the qualities that women are looking for in a man shared interests, intelligence, and a good sense of humour.
YES!-----
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for the Red Sox to be killing me this way.
You know what you have to do, Red Sox. Just get out there and do it. And that is all I have to say about that.
Though in a related vein, I'm wondering if it's possible to be the antithesis of a good luck charm. See, during games every time I go to the bathroom, or get a drink or a phone call, I return and Mark Bellhorn has a hit. If I'm just sitting there intently watching the game, he strikes or hits out. Every time. I think from now on I'll be spending his at bats (and the 6th inning for the team as a whole) in the bathroom just to see if it helps out. :)-----
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I was outside for 2 hours today. 2 hours! With 30 spf on. And I'm 3 different colors based on where the sunscreen managed to get and where my t-shirt was:
lesson here is: wear your sunscreen, boys and girls, and apply evenly!-----
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You may recall my mentioning these two books awhile ago:
Well, I came up with the idea of reading them at the same time in an attempt to balance out the perspectives and because I thought it would be entertaining. In truth, I thought both books would be a little humorous. A light and entertaining take on the issues of balancing relationships, children and work. In a word, I was wrong. Though there are some funny and entertaining parts, both books describe a brutal truth about life balance. Im exhausted just reading about other people trying to keep it all together.
What happened to the full and complete life that feminism promised us. Werent we supposed to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan (and have 2.2 perfect, well-adjusted children and the ideal, evolved splits all the work of running the house - spouse)? What happened to that? What became of having it all and living happily ever after? I think the hard part of these books for me was that while you have been aware for some time you arent living happily ever after, you still believe that it exists that someone else is living it and thus you could achieve it someday, as well. Well, none of the 53 stories between these two books suggest complete bliss to me. It turns out real life is hard and stressful and exhausting. (blah! I want to be 5 again when eating a popsicle was all it took to make me happy). And these books describe people, who, for the most part, make good incomes, have homes, can afford childcare. Imagine the stress levels if you are not in that situation. It seems that if you're single, you think getting married/having kids is the next step to happiness. But if you're married with kids, you're leading the ultra stressed out lives described in these books. When does it get to be fun or is it only fun when you're young? waaa... No wonder were obsessed with reality tv or politics or sports or pick some other poison is it just a distraction to prevent us from noticing the reality of life?
These books have officially sucked the life out of me today and I just want to lie down and close my eyes, but on the other hand the living room really needs to be vacuumed.-----
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You may recall my mentioning these two books awhile ago:
Well, I came up with the idea of reading them at the same time in an attempt to balance out the perspectives and because I thought it would be entertaining. In truth, I thought both books would be a little humorous. A light and entertaining take on the issues of balancing relationships, children and work. In a word, I was wrong. Though there are some funny and entertaining parts, both books describe a brutal truth about life balance. Im exhausted just reading about other people trying to keep it all together.
What happened to the full and complete life that feminism promised us. Werent we supposed to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan (and have 2.2 perfect, well-adjusted children and the ideal, evolved splits all the work of running the house - spouse)? What happened to that? What became of having it all and living happily ever after? I think the hard part of these books for me was that while you have been aware for some time you arent living happily ever after, you still believe that it exists that someone else is living it and thus you could achieve it someday, as well. Well, none of the 53 stories between these two books suggest complete bliss to me. It turns out real life is hard and stressful and exhausting. (blah! I want to be 5 again when eating a popsicle was all it took to make me happy). And these books describe people, who, for the most part, make good incomes, have homes, can afford childcare. Imagine the stress levels if you are not in that situation. It seems that if you're single, you think getting married/having kids is the next step to happiness. But if you're married with kids, you're leading the ultra stressed out lives described in these books. When does it get to be fun or is it only fun when you're young? waaa... No wonder were obsessed with reality tv or politics or sports or pick some other poison is it just a distraction to prevent us from noticing the reality of life?
These books have officially sucked the life out of me today and I just want to lie down and close my eyes, but on the other hand the living room really needs to be vacuumed.-----
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There is an ad for a pink substance which is shown repetively during baseball games. I hate this ad and it's stupid song: nausea.. heartburn.. indegestion.. upset stomache... diarrea. As if people would be dancing to this song.
But today it was sadly appropriate as these are the feelings experienced by Red Sox fans watching todays game.
Thankfully, I wasn't one of the people watching because I was at the beach - where I saw this guy:
Probability this guy is listening to WEEI right now: 100%
and I discovered an important fact: After weeks of working on my savage tan*, I am darker** than the white seawall.
But most important... no one can tell me that New England isn't the prettiest place:
* ok, as a melanoma case just waiting to happen I don't actually work on a tan. In fact, I rarely leave the house without being slathered in at least 30 spf.
** and this is sort of a big fat exageration because I had just been running so I was darker than my usual pasty self. Sigh..-----
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There is an ad for a pink substance which is shown repetively during baseball games. I hate this ad and it's stupid song: nausea.. heartburn.. indegestion.. upset stomache... diarrea. As if people would be dancing to this song.
But today it was sadly appropriate as these are the feelings experienced by Red Sox fans watching todays game.
Thankfully, I wasn't one of the people watching because I was at the beach - where I saw this guy:
Probability this guy is listening to WEEI right now: 100%
and I discovered an important fact: After weeks of working on my savage tan*, I am darker** than the white seawall.
But most important... no one can tell me that New England isn't the prettiest place:
* ok, as a melanoma case just waiting to happen I don't actually work on a tan. In fact, I rarely leave the house without being slathered in at least 30 spf.
** and this is sort of a big fat exageration because I had just been running so I was darker than my usual pasty self. Sigh..-----
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So far I've been amused by my black cloud-ness, but it's spreading and that can't be a good thing. I swear to God, I just got home and turned on the tv to NESN to see if there was news about Nomar. They are showing a Pawsox game and right when I turn it on comes almost the exact same bizarro play that happened to the Red Sox on Friday - 2 runners going to home when clearly 2 can't make it home safely and the catcher tags the second runner. What is going on? It's really not funny anymore...-----
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I've noticed something about myself (well, I've noticed AND it's been pointed out to me) that I have a tendency to be overly critical at work. Other people can have the "wo-ho, look how great we" attitude. I look at everything we do and think: it could be better. If we only did xyz, it would be better. So I'm a downer to the rah rah rah types. I can hear them now: you're SO negative.
I began to wonder: where could this attitude possibly come from?
Today I was chuckling to myself reading various reports from around Red Sox Nation angry that David Ortiz made a baserunning mistake Sunday in the 9th inning when the Red Sox were down by 2. Now, David Ortiz is one of the best players on the Red Sox - he he leads the AL in RBI's and is 5th in homeruns - not to mention the night before he had a 2 run HR, not to mention something like 9 RBI's in 2 days. But he made a mistake yesterday, so he's BUM! Someone to be mocked mercilessly (along with Francona for the bizarre lineup and entrance of Embree in the 9th. Dare to be less than perfect!
I ponder: where do these people get this from?
Then I remembered something I saw at my gym the other day - a hand written sign at the front desk:
I thought: We wait all year for summer and can't even enjoy it for one day? And then it hit me: it's not just me, maybe it's more than Red Sox Nation - maybe it's a just a New England thing. What is this proclivity to always see the negative first? Could it be because of the cold winters? Are we just cronic complainers or do we really want things to just be better/we won't settle for less? I choice to think of it as the later, but I don't really know.-----
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You're orange. You're strong and have the reflexes
of a tiger. You're overly protective, and
those skills come in handy... You're a natural
person, with a taste for natural foods (I mean
organic, here.). Well, that's not true.
...Just food in general! You're as
quick-witted as your reflexes, and sometimes
painfully logical. You love wild animals* and
pets. (Preferably wild animals!) You're a
natural person, and a true child of Gaia.
You're a stimulating, and outgoing person. You
enjoy making people think, especially with your
infectiously spontaneous attitude. You're a
generally optomistic person, with a love for
showing off all of your good traits. Although
many people may see you as strung-out, or just
plain weird**, you're very down-to-earth and
humble. You're incredibly sweet (as this
color's other name!), and you care about people
in general. As this color would describe,
you're energetic beyond all human
comprehension. You've got a nack for drawing,
and you enjoy it, too. When it comes to
school, you're a good listener with an even
better memory. You're studious... At least
when you need to be!
What color are you? (Amazingly detailed & accurate--with pics!)
brought to you by Quizilla
* ah, no.
** I think I'm only strung out and weird during Syracuse games in the NCAA tournament and Red Sox playoff games. Otherwise, this fits me to a T. As I like to say:
link stolen from the usual suspect, j-mo-----
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A couple of days ago I finally got around to going through the "Misc." box - the box I never unpacked after I moved. I discovered a few of my "Year in the Life of Amy" scrapbook/diary things I used to do as a youngun - (was it all just low tech blogging?). Worth their weight in gold for pure entertainment value.
Let's take 1985. Every diary entry until June ends with the Celtics current record. Intersperced between cut out pictures of Bruce Springsteen and a whole page devoted to Live Aid (too embarassing to show) then there is this page tracking the playoffs, which did not end well:
check out the short shorts on Larry! check out my handwriting... I'm surprised I didn't dot my eyes with hearts. These were the days when I was truly obsessed with sports. You think I'm nuts now - no. I've mellowed. I know now that life will go on if my teams don't win. But I know the girl who lived and died with her team is still in there... she shows up for a few weeks every March and sometimes even in October.-----
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You are a MASTER of the English language!
While your English is not exactly perfect,
you are still more grammatically correct than
just about every American. Still, there is
always room for improvement...
How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla-----
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Hey-la-day-la my boyfriends are back!
Pedro:
8 Innings
2 hits
0 runs
And Dirt Dogs say Nomar returns tonight!
** Update ** At 4:15 the Red Sox will hold a press conference to make it official! yeah!
Welcome Back, Nomar!!
Here is the only even remotely good picture I got of Nomar at the only game I've ever had really, really good seats for at Fenway:
And I'm still working on my black cloud logo, but my streak of being Bellhorn's bad luck charm remains unbroken. He had a hit and some good catch last night, but all I saw was the strike out in the 7th. If I watch tonight, I'm sure he'll get benched. Sorry, Mark, I've got to see my Nomah!-----
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Yahoo! has responded to GMail by increasing our storage capacity to 100mb. While I'm sure some people really appreciate this, for me having only 6mb to deal with was the only thing making me keep my email box from becoming an untamed jungle full of wild, hairy beasts. It forced me to go through it and purge from time to time. This is going to get ugly!
but I do really, really like the new interface. :)-----
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waaaaaa...! I went to this IQ test as specified by Dave last night. I went all the way through the test. I love these things! What is the pattern? Break out the HS geometry! Fun, fun, fun! I get to the end. I have to log in. Being a quiz-o-holic, naturally I already have an id. I enter it. They say I have to accept cookies. Ok, I'll accept cookies. I login again. Still getting the cookie message. Because I have internet security software (firewall, the whole 9 yards) sometimes this happens and if I turn off the software it works. So I turn it off and login again. It brings me to the beginning of the test. It has lost my results! Shock and awe as I stare at the blank answers. All my hard brain work down the drain. waaaa... I refuse to take the whole test again and woefully accept my IQ as being 0.-----
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I knew there had to be some explanation for last nights game: it's a right wing conspiracy! Farenheit 1918: it's true!
and (it pains me to say this) hats off to the NY fans for booing Cheney. That's right: no conspiracies, just let them play ball!-----
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There is now a Krispy Kreme in the Pru. Just having this knowledge makes my clothes feel tighter. I'm clearly doomed.-----
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We are having the coolest friggin' storm right now. One of those early evening, thunder babies that happen after hot, humid (94 degrees!) days in New England. I'm a weather geek, I admit it. I tried to take a picture, but the regular camera settings weren't giving me good results, so I tried the "night" setting (doh!) and I got this, which I think is really cool. I believe the stripes are my flash..
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Creative Boy refused to create a Black Cloud logo for me (he claims he has actual work to do), so I made mine own with my limited Photoshop skills:
But it's all a mute point because I have been relieved of being Mark Bellhorn's black cloud. Though the storm has caused a rain delay, so far Mark has been up 3 times and gotten out all 3 times, but I have only seen two of them. So, he's on his own. pheww... In addition, I think it was mean totally uncalled for the fans to yell 'Pokey' at him when he made a bobble. It's not his fault he's not Pokey. Didn't hear them yelling 'McCarty' when Dominque had what looked like 2 errors on one play. sheesh! But Nomar is looking good! Go, Nomar, Go!-----
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and I can't even look anymore. ok, Paul, here is your chance to gloat....
I had a board meeting tonight, I jumped up at 8pm to leave so I could catch the game. I get in my car, quickly turn on EEI. What's the score, what's the score, what's the score??? 4 -2! Arrrghghg. It's ok, it's ok. They can come back from 4-2! Then I hear: ooohhhh... error. Nomah's second error of the night. And I think to myself: you should really turn this off. Turn this off right now. Don't do this to yourself. Do I turn it off? No... well, only once I get home. It the time it took me to walk from the car into the house, Sheffield hit a 3 run shot and it was 7 -2. Something came out of my mouth that I never, ever say: motherfucker! Just then the neighborhood skunk decided to spray someone outside and through the open windows which had previously been letting in a lovely summer evening breeze, came the most appalling odor and I had to run around and shut all the window. Still I watched the game. They can come back! But now in the bottom of the 8th with the score 11 - 3, I am cutting my loses - saving my energy. After all, there is another game tomorrow night. We'll get 'em then!-----
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But I'm not alone.. most Red Sox fans are nuts. There I've said it. I thought maybe it was just me - that I was the only one who tuned in to watch a bit of Roger pitching last night against the Cubs, but I can see around other site on the Red Sox that they are talking about the same thing: Roger finally lost.
Roger had been kicking butt so far this year and I haven't seen him pitch since, well, October - but we won't talk about that. And there he was: my immaginary future baseball husband from last year, Todd Walker (our relationship ended tragically when he left to go to the Cubs. I don't do long distance. ha)
Standing in Rogers way with 4 hits on the night: a single, a triple and (count 'em) 2 HR's, scoring 4 times and gathering 2 RBI's along the way. Leading the announcer to actually say: maybe Walkers still got a little Red Sox/Yankees thing going. bahahahahah.
But a really strange thing happened along the way. I started wanting Roger to win. Roger, who broke my heart when he went to Toronto. Roger, who took the pieces of my broken heart and jumped up and down on it when he went to the Yankees. Roger, who said he wanted to retire and then went to the Astros which made me go: {evil grin} take that Yankees!-----
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for the Red Sox. Could it be Bush? Soxaholix makes the case: Farenheit 1918.
I love this site - they even use one of my all time favorite words, craptastic.
and where in the world is Paul Katcher??-----
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I'm officially entered in the Glam-tastic Sweepstakes. And if I win, I'll be taking Ms. J-Mo with me. A spa weekend in NYC, complete with advice from 5 gay guys - just what a girl needs!
Help me, Tom! I have horrible straight girl lighting.. I need advice!-----
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I was going to write a post on the comments made by Larry Bird (the greatest love of my sports life), but Paul Katcher beat me to it, so I'm just going to blatently steal from him and hope he doesn't mind.
2. Basketball is a black man's game.
3. More white, high-profile NBA stars would be "good for a fan base because as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America."
4. The NBA lacks "enough" white superstars.
Points Nos. 1 and 2 are almost indisputable. The fastest, strongest and most agile athletes in not only basketball but football and baseball are black. The percentage of blacks in pro sports who excel at point guard, running back, wide receiver, center fielder and cornerback not only supersede the percentage of whites in the American population, but surpass the percentage of whites who play those positions for high school and college teams. It's clear to me that whites, for the most part, have a ceiling at those positions. Last year I asked, "Why Are All the Best Running Backs and Wide Receivers Black?"
Points Nos. 3 and 4 are a matter of taste. Would more white superstars be "good" for the NBA? Depends on your definition of good. Would the league benefit financially? Probably. Would that money be good for the NBA or American society? Probably not.
As a whole, Americans value a free market and deserved rewards for exceptional talents. Black, white, yellow or brown, most of us celebrate fair compensation for performance, regardless of race. Today I'm no less a fan of the Yankees (with Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui) than I was when the team featured Scott Brosius, Paul O'Neill and Shane Spencer at the same positions. Don Mattingly, a humble star, used to be my favorite player. Now I sport a jersey bearing the name of Bernie Williams, another humble star. They're of different skin tones, of course.
But even if, as I believe, 90% of Americans don't care about skin color (appreciative of winners of any race), there are still 10% whose allegiances do make a difference, whether they know it or not. And that's why Larry Bird was right about it being a financial boon if the NBA fell into a few more American white superstars. But it wouldn't be a boon for society. It would be sad.
I also believe that in sports, people are fans of those who have talent, no matter what color, creed, height, weight.. doesn't matter. I loved Larry Bird to within an inch of my life. I love Carmelo Anthony almost as much ('almost' only because I've had a much longer relationhip with Larry Joe). It wouldn't matter to me if they were red, green, purple, had horns on their heads - they are a joy to watch and that is what matters. That said, I do also believe it's human nature to want to see people "like" yourself succeed. I also love Gerry McNamara, first and foremost because he's good, but I would be lying to you if I said there wasn't a part of me that is happy to see a shorter, pasty white, Irish person doing well in basketball because I'm a shorter, pasty white, Irish person. Would I route for him more than Hakim? No. Do I care if there are more white people in the NBA? No. I care that the best players get to play and that I get to see it. Would I watch more games if there were more white people? No. Do I want the white people who are in the NBA to be successful? Absolutely.
**Note** Obviously any quotes about being a Yankees fan belong to Paul. I tolerate them here only to allow him to illustrate his point, which I agree with.-----
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The boys are back.. the boys are back!
Boston 9 Minnesota 2
Trot plays in Fenway for the 1st time, Schilling kicks butt (as usual), 3 homeruns: Manny, Ortiz and Nomah's first of the season, a patented swing on the first pitch grand slam, no less!.
I feel a streak coming on!!-----
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CJ left this comment:
that got me thinking -
first of all, it's the liberalness that puts me over the top!
secondly, what is it with guys and girls who like sports? Girls who enjoy sports aren't all that rare. We're not on the endangered species list or anything like that. But the fact is that this is the third time in a few months something like this has been said to me (though CJ's is more substantive, the others merely revolved around sports alone). Why does it seem to amaze men (ok, maybe only men I come across, who knows) when a woman likes sports? Why do I have to endure scenes like the following:
I'm sitting at my desk, minding my own business when a guy I only sort of know stops by. Seeing the Red Sox schedule in my cube he begins discussing the current status of Red Sox Nation. I answer in turn, telling him what I think, saying what I've seen. His response? "Wow! You really know what you are talking about." Already my eyebrows are raised. Why wouldn't I know what I'm talking about? Don't take that surprised tone with me. As I'm inhaling to counter with my response, trying to cut him off before what I can only assume will be a stupid guy comment, but I'm too slow and he continues: "Do you have a boyfriend or husband because you really do seem to know a lot about this". I physically swivel around in my chair with what I can only imagine to be a completely enraged expression. "What is that supossed to mean?" I barked back at him. The shrillness of my tone seemed to have stopped the air circulation and the surrounding cubes grew quiet. "Women like sports just as much as men... " I launch into my rant (women don't like sports because men do, women don't like sports to appear appealing to men and women don't need men to explain sports to them), but he has literally thrown his hands up in front of him as if to protect himself from getting hit. "Wo.. wo.. wo.." he said, cutting me off. "What I meant to say was: you'd be the perfect girlfriend or wife because you like sports." I merely glare at him for the patheticness of this response and turn back to my computer and ignore him.
What does that mean? I'd be the perfect girlfriend/wife because I like sports. That is the only criteria? This is insulting to both women AND men. And I'm still back to why men find women sports affectionado's so surprising. Hmmm... guys, let me know why you think this is, please. Because left to my own devices, I'm going to think that men believe if they find someone who likes sports, they will be able to spend every free moment watching/discussing sports and they'll never have to do anything in a relationship. Oh my god.. that's it, isn't it? aaaahhhhh.. In that case, you will most likely never find what you are looking for, guys.
So for now, I'll just leave you with the third reference to my perfection in recent months:
he: A girl who likes basketball and baseball?! You are like the perfect girl.
me: I hate golf and I expect the toilet seat to always be down.-----
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Red Sox Nation practically on suicide watch.
Bases loaded. No outs. Runs scored by end of inning: 0. I thought (just like I did last night): turn this off. Even though they are winning right now, this can only end badly. But no.. I continued on.
Everything that was bad about the Red Sox this year happened in this game.... it was aweful.
- Tom Carron and Dennis Eckersley on the NESN post game show.
last night seemed worse somehow, but this was just excrutiating. Bring it on, Paul. I can't possibly be made to feel worse about it.
I only have 2 things to say: why don't we have one 1st basemen capable of catching balls? why?? Love Ortiz, love him, but man.. And Bellhorn - he has really has grown on me - but he needs a consistent role. He doesn't seem to handle switching around well.
I'm officially on vacation from the Red Sox. Even though Pedro pitches tomorrow. Maybe I'll tape it. Wake me when Schilling pitches again.
ONLY 5 months till college basketball... and only 5 weeks til 'Melo plays in the Olympics.-----
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how it is possible that when I leave my house everything fits in my bag and the bag zips closed fine. But if I subsequently go into the bag and take something out, when I go to put that same exact item back in the bag, it won't fit. Not only won't it fit, but now the bag acts as if it's too full to zip closed - even without the item that previously fit in the bag when it was zipped???
Do my possessions grow in size? Is it possible?-----
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From time to time I check out what people search for to arrive at this site and I find something amusing every time. Today, it's that some ridiculously large number of people who speak German are searching for images of Doritos and ending up on my silly entry about Cool Ranch Doritos from ages ago.
Now, aren't you glad you read that? I'll be posting something even more mundane later, if it's even possible to come up with something worse.-----
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Did I not say the other day that I shouldn't watch the 6th inning of Red Sox games? So when I get home last night, flip on the game and see it's in the 6th inning, do I say: "aaahhhhhh! quick, turn it off!" Oh no, my friends, I do not. For it was 5 - 2, David Ortiz is up, Damon on 2nd, Bellhorn on 1st (on what had to be a hit since the box score says he neither walked or struck out: holy moly!) which as his anti-good luck charm, I naturally missed. But I did get to see what happened next, which wasn't his fault, but good grief, was it painful to watch. waaa...
But I won't be kept down. I'm doing what Nomah says...
(no, I did not photoshop this. It's a real billboard outside Fenway Park).-----
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or lost control of his campaign. What could he possibly have been thinking with this ad in which he not only uses shots of Hitler from the MoveOn ads and says that God told him to go into Iraq, intermixed with shots of various liberals getting fired up about Bush policies.
Whose mind is he changing with this ad?
If you're a liberal like me, you watch this and say: this is exactly the time for pessimissm and rage. Wo-ho, about time the Democrats got fired up and bitch slapped this guy back to Texas (that whole other country) where he belongs. And he is he kidding with this God stuff? What if he hears God say he should nuke the whole middle east, would he just go ahead and do it or would have his own thoughts? Didn't the Republicans go try and put MoveOn's head on a stake for using Hitler images and now they use pieces of the same ad in their ad? And did they get permission to do so, by the way?
If you're a conservative, I'm sure who agrees with Bush on the war and that no one should ever question anything he does, I'm sure you'll love this ad.
The election is November 2. Please vote and vote responsibly.-----
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Tonight 7:05pm Yankees Stadium
v. 
This is what it's all about, boys.
I know it's still June, I know it's before the All Star Break, I know there is a lot of baseball left. But it's the Yankees! This is the time to show your stuff.. to prove what everyone has been saying (on paper this team could...... ). This is the opportunity to Cowboy Up!* get it up - period. Bats are needed at the appropriate time (not just when Pedro and Schilling pitch!). Errors will not be accepted for the next 3 days. If you can't get it together for this, I may have to start doubting that you can. Don't let that happen! So come on Eminem Millaaaahhh... rile the clubhouse up, get the boys going. Because, just like Yoda says.... give us a reason to keep saying 'still, we believe'.
* Cowboy Up really must be retired. While the sentiment is good, it makes no sense in New England. That chicken is cooked!-----
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It is mentally exhausting to have to consider if everything you say, every gesture you make, every blink of your eye is going to be considered in some sexual way by "men" with the emotional maturity of 6th graders and produce a wave of giggles. What is that? How often is it that men think about sex, like every 9 seconds or something? How DO you get through the day if you're so distracted all the time?-----
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It all kicks off with Bill Clinton on 60 Minutes, then he'll be on Oprah on 6/22, plugging his memoir which comes out that week. I believe he'll be on both shows for the full hour. Oh, how I miss Bill. Remember the days when we had a president that was intelligent, could pronounce all the words in his speeches and you felt actually understood what he was saying in those speeches?? Bill for VP!
Then that Friday, 6/25.. Fahrenheit 9/11 will be released. You can't keep Michael Moore down.
** Update **
Bill will also appear at Book Expo America on Thursday, which you can watch on c-span2 on Sat. at 6pm and Sun at 11am. And who else but the worlds biggest geek (me!) would be able to tell you that!-----
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The office baseball freak has just informed me that Still, We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie is being released on DVD 7/6 and is available to pre-order on Amazon. Here that, J-Mo???
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The Red Sox clearly need a fire lit under them. Well.. here it is: we are going to Yankees Stadium. 8 days from now. Get it together!
Not that we should be overlooking the Twins and Phillies. I'm looking forward to seeing that Phillies mascot (please, CJ: explain what it is again... ) at Fenway, the best ballpark in all of baseball:
which I went on a tour of yesterday. In this shot, I'm pondering if I can make a break for the pitchers mound. More photos to come.-----
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because sometimes you just need a quiz to distract you...
You're an Etch-a-Sketch!! You're the creative,
artsy type who doesn't need to actually utilize
a single muscle group in order to have fun.
Doesn't matter though, you're still cool.
What childhood toy from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizilla-----
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it's a new day, they're in a new city....
I think and attitude adjustment towards the positive would be helpful here. And will somebody please give Derek Lowe a hug? He really needs it.-----
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| A | Appealing |
| M | Mesmerizing |
| Y | Yucky |
This one is much better:
| L | Luxurious |
| I | Industrious |
| V | Visionary |
| I | Influential |
| N | Neat |
| G | Glamorous |
| R | Relaxed |
| E | Exquisite |
| F | Fresh |
| L | Lovable |
| E | Enjoyable |
| C | Creepy |
| T | Tough |
| I | Intense |
| O | Old |
| N | Naughty |
| S | Sensual |
though I beg to differ with neat and old.-----
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