1. "Once In A Lifetime" by Talking Heads...More resonant the older I get.
2. "Every Day You've Been Away" by Bebel Gilberto...Loving Brazilian music right now (even though this song is in English).
3. "Start Choppin'" by Dinosaur, Jr...uh, great guitar playing, anyone? Fucking brilliant is more like it.
8/22/2006
8/18/2006
Five Game Weekend
Well if this isn't the perfect way to end my perfectly mediocre vacation: a five-game series with the fuckin' Yankees. This ought to go well. The Sox can barely find five pitchers to start these games, and as for their bullpen, well, let me say this: I can't stand their asses.
The big thing is that I keep getting strung along by this team. It's apparent that they don't have enough anything, yet they won't go away. And really, I blame the Yankees. If they would just put together a nice 10-game win streak the Sox would fade into the depths of a so-so season, and we could all get psyched for the Pats. As it is, the Sox keep hanging around, two or three games back, looking like they could still be contenders. In reality, they only have two decent pitchers, and I just don't see that being enough.
I don't need the frustration of this right now. I really don't. Rudy Seanez is pitching (if you can call it that) in the first game and, God, why doesn't someone go give him a hug?
(ed. note: I was compelled to change that last line after my wife pointed out that the original version seemed to advocate violence against Mr. Seanez. I wish him no ill will, and I understand that the game was lost by the time he came in, but, boy, is he depressing to watch.)
The big thing is that I keep getting strung along by this team. It's apparent that they don't have enough anything, yet they won't go away. And really, I blame the Yankees. If they would just put together a nice 10-game win streak the Sox would fade into the depths of a so-so season, and we could all get psyched for the Pats. As it is, the Sox keep hanging around, two or three games back, looking like they could still be contenders. In reality, they only have two decent pitchers, and I just don't see that being enough.
I don't need the frustration of this right now. I really don't. Rudy Seanez is pitching (if you can call it that) in the first game and, God, why doesn't someone go give him a hug?
(ed. note: I was compelled to change that last line after my wife pointed out that the original version seemed to advocate violence against Mr. Seanez. I wish him no ill will, and I understand that the game was lost by the time he came in, but, boy, is he depressing to watch.)
Best Consumer Product Ever!
Say hello to my little friend. The Moka Express. This thing is no joke: a little water, a little coffee, five minutes and, BAM, espresso. All for $20. At that price I can buy four and put one on each burner of my stove and really get my groove on. I was gonna pay $1,499 at Williams-Sonoma for a machine that makes a fuckin' cup of coffee, but then I realized, "Hey, this thing costs half as much as my goddam car. And I can't even drive it home!" You should go to Bed Bath and Beyond and buy one of these little gadgets, even if you don't drink coffee. You never know when I might stop by.
8/10/2006
Weekly Soundtrack
1. "While Away" by Madder Rose...Some asshole slagged this song in Spin magazine and I haven't read it since.
2. "Cotton Crown" by Sonic Youth...I thought Whitney Houston should have done a version of this song. Before she became a crackhead.
3. "Blue Line Swinger" by Yo La Tengo...Chosen over the more prosaic (and admittedly better) "Tom Courtenay." The cd box lists the time as 3:15 but in actuality the song is more like 10 minutes of slowly building guitars, murmured, unintelligible vocals and, finally, a drawn-out guitar freakout. So I ask you: What's not to like?
3. "Blue Line Swinger" by Yo La Tengo...Chosen over the more prosaic (and admittedly better) "Tom Courtenay." The cd box lists the time as 3:15 but in actuality the song is more like 10 minutes of slowly building guitars, murmured, unintelligible vocals and, finally, a drawn-out guitar freakout. So I ask you: What's not to like?
Possible Boston-area Newspaper Headlines
1. Sox' Shoddy Play Angers Local Man
2. New Tunnel Ain't Worth a Hole in the Ground
3. Whites Unaffected by Climbing Murder Rate
4. Traffic Woes Set to Ease After Last Person Leaves City
5. Under Armour Ads During Sox Games Must Cease
It hasn't exactly been a stellar summer in these parts.
2. New Tunnel Ain't Worth a Hole in the Ground
3. Whites Unaffected by Climbing Murder Rate
4. Traffic Woes Set to Ease After Last Person Leaves City
5. Under Armour Ads During Sox Games Must Cease
It hasn't exactly been a stellar summer in these parts.
8/01/2006
Weekly Soundtrack
90's Indie Edition
1. "Mystery Man" by Sebadoh...Inspired by Lolita? I don't know, but it could be.
2. "Blade of Grass" by Versus...Not my favorite song on this record and it's still fucking great. As I've said before: The Stars Are Insane was the best album of the 90's.
3. "Type Slowly" by Pavement...I've been going to these guys a lot lately, I know, and I can't really say why. Just something about 'em.
1. "Mystery Man" by Sebadoh...Inspired by Lolita? I don't know, but it could be.
2. "Blade of Grass" by Versus...Not my favorite song on this record and it's still fucking great. As I've said before: The Stars Are Insane was the best album of the 90's.
3. "Type Slowly" by Pavement...I've been going to these guys a lot lately, I know, and I can't really say why. Just something about 'em.
Red Sox Woes?
The Sox seem to be catching the injury bug at just the wrong time. The day before the trading deadline Trot Nixon goes down with a pulled muscle in his arm, and four hours after the trading deadline Jason Varitek twists an ankle or something and may be out until mid-September. All this while the Yankees are getting $16 million Bobby Abreu and some other serviceable parts from a couple out-of-it teams. Oh well, better luck next year. Or just maybe...
Let's take a look at the numbers. Beyond Trot's .187 for the month of July, he had 10 oh-fers in July, including an epochal 0 for 9 in the 19-inning game with the White Sox. Most shockingly, he had 17 total bases in the entire month. Seventeen! By contrast, Ortiz had 87 total bases in July, and in his worst month (May) he had 46. By more contrast, Alex Gonzalez had 43 total bases in July. Now, don't get me wrong. Trot has had at least two of the most dramatic home runs in modern Sox history, and his numbers this season (.294 BA, .396 OBP) aren't bad. But, for God's sake, he's a corner outfielder with no power and he's been a dead spot in the lineup for at least a month. I'm surprised Francona didn't stab him with a fork during a postgame buffet just to get him out of the lineup. To add to the positive spin, Nixon replacement and folk-hero-in-the-making Wily Mo Pena hit such a mammoth home run
last night that it just showed up as a satellite at NORAD command center.
It's obvious that the Sox need another bat in the lineup, because you just can't count on facing idiot managers like Eric Wedge every night. Eventually, other teams are gonna find a way to neutralize Ortiz and Manny, even if it means walking them in unorthodox situations. There has to be another threat somewhere in the batting order and I say roll with big Wily Mo. By all accounts, he's the right fielder of the future, and baby, the future is now.
Varitek is a bigger loss at the plate, but that's not saying much. His value to the team (everyone says) is in the way he handles the pitching staff. As long as he's physically with the club he should be able to act as a coach for Mirabelli, passing along info and helping out with shit between innings. Besides, is it me or does Mirabelli have a knack for hitting big home runs? He's no Ortiz, but I seem to recall some clutch moments from DM and maybe I'm out of my mind, but what the hell. Judging from all the games Varitek has caught in the past five years, he could use a good month off.
It's still all about pitching, and the Sox don't really have enough, but it's been a more entertaining season than I thought it was going to be. You never can tell which team is gonna take off late in the season. Maybe it'll be Boston if they can find enough pitchers to fill out a five-man rotation. Maybe they'll fade with all the injuries, but if they do, it won't be these two injuries that put them out of it.
Let's take a look at the numbers. Beyond Trot's .187 for the month of July, he had 10 oh-fers in July, including an epochal 0 for 9 in the 19-inning game with the White Sox. Most shockingly, he had 17 total bases in the entire month. Seventeen! By contrast, Ortiz had 87 total bases in July, and in his worst month (May) he had 46. By more contrast, Alex Gonzalez had 43 total bases in July. Now, don't get me wrong. Trot has had at least two of the most dramatic home runs in modern Sox history, and his numbers this season (.294 BA, .396 OBP) aren't bad. But, for God's sake, he's a corner outfielder with no power and he's been a dead spot in the lineup for at least a month. I'm surprised Francona didn't stab him with a fork during a postgame buffet just to get him out of the lineup. To add to the positive spin, Nixon replacement and folk-hero-in-the-making Wily Mo Pena hit such a mammoth home run
last night that it just showed up as a satellite at NORAD command center.It's obvious that the Sox need another bat in the lineup, because you just can't count on facing idiot managers like Eric Wedge every night. Eventually, other teams are gonna find a way to neutralize Ortiz and Manny, even if it means walking them in unorthodox situations. There has to be another threat somewhere in the batting order and I say roll with big Wily Mo. By all accounts, he's the right fielder of the future, and baby, the future is now.
Varitek is a bigger loss at the plate, but that's not saying much. His value to the team (everyone says) is in the way he handles the pitching staff. As long as he's physically with the club he should be able to act as a coach for Mirabelli, passing along info and helping out with shit between innings. Besides, is it me or does Mirabelli have a knack for hitting big home runs? He's no Ortiz, but I seem to recall some clutch moments from DM and maybe I'm out of my mind, but what the hell. Judging from all the games Varitek has caught in the past five years, he could use a good month off.
It's still all about pitching, and the Sox don't really have enough, but it's been a more entertaining season than I thought it was going to be. You never can tell which team is gonna take off late in the season. Maybe it'll be Boston if they can find enough pitchers to fill out a five-man rotation. Maybe they'll fade with all the injuries, but if they do, it won't be these two injuries that put them out of it.
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