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February 24, 2005
Moneyballers Cringe
"Cristian Guzman is a critical part of the future of the Washington franchise. You never see a winning team without a good shortstop," Bowden said. "Cristian is only 26 years old. ... He has tremendous range. It doesn't show up in statistics, but baseball people know what it means to win baseball games." - MLB.com
Oi.
"They want the team to win again and make the playoffs. They said I could steal bases."
Oi Vei.
What was Guzman's OBP last season? .309
Lifetime? .303
And now we're saddled with this guy who doesn't get on base, and when he does - he immediately tries to get himself out by trying to steal a base! ACK!
Trade Trader Jim! End the tyranny of Guzman! Give us more Wilkerson, Sledge, and Livan!
Also - MVP Baseball 2005 is out. And it's not bad - except the online rosters were all screwed up the other day. In fact, they were so badly screwed up that Curt Schilling was a free agent, and Esteban ".850" Loaiza was on the Red Sox.
Oi.
Posted by MikeSager at 10:09 PM
February 19, 2005
Greetings from Boston
I'm in Boston for the KE Orlando reunion. Meanwhile, made a quick stop off by Fenway Park today.
Gotta love it. More on the reunion and whatnot later.
Posted by MikeSager at 3:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 17, 2005
Social Security
If you have any question about whether Bush's plan for Social Security will anything except a disaster, the likes of which we haven't seen since the depression, the please feel free to checkout this handy chart that shows how much you will have to lose under Dear Leader's proposals.
Posted by MikeSager at 4:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Yom Sager
Happy Birthday to me...
Posted by MikeSager at 12:15 AM
February 15, 2005
"Our Boy Ric" wants to Punish Journalists
I heard on WTOP that The Hill is going to have an article tomorrow about how Central Florida's own Ric Keller is going to propose legislation to take care of this nasty problem of pundits shilling for Bush on the administration. By requiring they notify the Justice Department that they've been paid.
Just like buying a Marijuana tax stamp has been SO effective at curbing drug use in this country. And I love how those scarlet letters stopped people from having sex out of wedlock. SUCH EFFECTIVE MEANS OF REGULATION!
Come on! Perhaps maybe we should be looking at drafting legislation that makes it illegal for an administration to pay people off to shill for them? Gee perhaps that might be a better place to start? This is another non-solution to a problem that didn't exist until George-y boy and his corrupt friends on the hill came around.
Posted by MikeSager at 6:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
GOPUSA
A friend of mine sent me this article from the National Jewish Democratic Council, about anti-semitic postings over at GOPUSA. GOPUSA has gotten a lot of attention as of late for the alleged male hooker/reporter Jeff Gannon (Article is NSFW) and their sister site, Talon News. If calling George Soros a descendent of Shylock is par for the course of these people, and this article is dated in 2003, and these guys are lobbing soft-ball questions at George Bush...explain to me again how Bush is more Israel friendly than John Kerry? Oi.
Posted by MikeSager at 3:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 13, 2005
Site Stats
I often amuse myself by reading my site's stats. Everyone eventually does it, but I figure it's my turn to make a few observations.
1. Rooxy.org - I've gotten multiple referrals from this French blog. I've scoured their site and I can't find any reference to me!
2. wdcsun27.usdoj.gov - Someone at the department of Justice took it upon themselves to checkout my site. While I find this slightly disturbing, I suspect someone there just likes to read blogs - seeing as their was only 2 pageviews from that URL and I average much more than that per use.
3. "coffee effect my knee pain?" - Search Term. No sir, the coffee probably is not what is causing your knee pain. Might I suggest that perhaps it is your knee that is causing your knee pain. I know these things from experience.
4. mail.sarasotachristian.org - This site tried to view the generic (and here non-existant) mt-comments.cgi. What does this mean? Either a good little Christian child wants to sell me Viagra and Poker... or perhaps they have an inept IT admin. Either way the image is quite amusing.
Posted by MikeSager at 10:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 12, 2005
The Doctor is In
Howard Dean, chair of the Democratic National Committee. It's about time we start winning again.
Posted by MikeSager at 12:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 11, 2005
Indie Bars, A Dog's Name, Conversation at DCist
As I continue my adjustment of returning to my childhood home, I find myself searching for something. Besides myself. I am still looking for that, but that's not what this post is about.
In Orlando there's a bar called Bar-BQ-Bar. It's the coolest damn bar in the world. It's the only place I know of where the DJ has played The Postal Service, The Cardigans, and The Cure! The jukebox has Hum in it! HUM! You'd prefer an Astronaut! It's the kind of place where I feel proud to wear my track jackets, and Chuck Taylor All Stars! I felt at home as I drank my Yuengling and registered voters! The kind of place that the bartenders who work there will hang out at when they're not working - and buy you a drink if they remember that you're a good tipper!
Anyhow, I'm looking for the DC equivalent. And part of the problem with not having lived here for the past couple of years is that in the time I was gone, I turned 21. Before - I never got to go to bars. So therefore, I never hung out at these places before and know where to go. So - if there are any DC People reading this who know of a good, cool indie bar - please let me know. I can only wear these ironic novelty t-shirts for so long!
I want to get a dog. Desperately. Like you wouldn't believe. I've wanted a dog for a very long time. We used to take care of my sister's in-law's dog Phred. Phred was a good natured dog, who was content to sleep on the sunny patch of the living room carpet. Phred would happily sing along with us when we lit candles on Friday night. Phred would demand you give him some of your chicken... by putting his head in your lap. Well - anyways, now is a good time to get a new dog. And I even thought of the name. Yossarian. I had planned on naming a dog Kafka, but then my friend pointed out that if I named by dog Kafka I would get what I deserve. The only problem is I never actually finished Catch-22. It's one of those books where if you miss one sentence, you're completely lost. So I scoured the house last night looking for a copy - and all I could find was a copy my oldest sister had from when she went to college - in 1991. And seeing as I'm quite allergic to dust, I only got through 2 chapters before I had to put it down. So I went out and got a copy today. Yossarian lives. Now to make him an Apricot Minature Poodle.
I'm in a little discussion over at DCist regarding the Metro. Check it out. I think I make a compelling argument for creating a line that will take me directly from my house to Georgetown and the Kennedy Center.
Posted by MikeSager at 12:04 PM | Comments (2)
February 10, 2005
More Nerdiness!
What's nerdy? Being a baseball stats geek. What's nerdier? Being a baseball stats geek who frequently plays baseball games on the playstation. What's nerdier than that? Talking about a team that hasn't played a single game yet, and commenting on their appearance in a video game that hasn't debuted yet.
Well - Gamespy has some vids of the Nats in MVP Baseball 2005, which will sadly be the last incarnation since Take Two signed an exclusive agreement with the MLBPA starting next year. Anyhoo, here are some pics of the new game for ya.
Here we see Frank Robinson (or perhaps generic manager #5), Esteban Loaiza (who shares 21 with someone named John Patterson), Vidro, and Guzzie.
Here we see something much more important. The scoreboard has been fixed! Thank you EA - I drop my complaints now.
Posted by MikeSager at 5:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 9, 2005
Yes I'm a Deaniac, Union Station - Visitors Center?, EA does RFK
Alright - here we go.
Dean's speech was great. He also brought along Jim Jeffords. I think it's great that we're getting someone active on South Capitol Street. It's about damn time.
Alright - according to NYCSubway.org Union Station was formerly called Union Station - Visitors Center. Apparently, there was some kind of half-cocked DC visitors center there that nobody went to. Well, when they turned Union Station into a mall they got rid of the Visitors Center. This happened in the 80s.
The 80s you say? Then why do they still list Union Station - Visitors Center on the pylons...hmm???
I mean...it's not like they didn't notice when they put the little Green circles for the Green Line that opened in the late 1990s!! Jeez - 20 years that's been there!
Sorry - I'm a details geek.
Speaking of details... What's wrong with the RFK Stadium that EA has put into MVP Baseball 2005? I'll tell you!
The score board is on the wrong side! The totally wrong side! At RFK it's in RIGHT FIELD! EA has it in LEFT! Yeesh!!! This isn't ROCKET SURGERY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!
I'm switching to decaf.
Posted by MikeSager at 10:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I was SO excited...
I was SO excited! I met Howard Dean! I have pictures from the event at the Cap City Brewery! I got a phone call from the VA coordinated campaign, setting up an interview! I still have that other campaign interested in me! I bought a new Nationals shirt at a shop in Union Station! I have conclusive proof that the WMATA hasn't completely removed all the elements of a station name change from 19 years ago!
But alas...
The cord to connect my Camera to my PC is probably sitting on my desk in Orlando.
Damn. It will have to wait.
And why the hell isn't there anything about this Gannon fellow on the CNN website? A male whore working in the White House press pool, who isn't Carl Cameron? This is NEWS people!
Posted by MikeSager at 10:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Lakoff, 06 Interest, Dean at the Cap City Brewery
I've been reading a lot of Lakoff's Don't Call It an Elephant. As I read the text, most of which was written before the 2004 election, I begin to find exact predictions of what happened during the campaign. Lakoff nails how the Republicans are excellent at framing, while the Democrats believe that the truth is all you need. Lakoff points out what he calls the "Strong Father" morality, and how that is the basis of the Republican victories. Combine this with the perception of a lack of safety - and you have a recipe for victory. At the end of the campaign, Bush ran 2 ads that attempted to psychologically manipulate the issues of safety - the famous "Wolves" and a second one which featured the tagline "Alone in the Booth, why take the risk?" Keep the populace terrified, and they'll keep running to "daddy" is the thought. I'm reminded of the North Koreans.
A contact is putting me in touch with a 2006 campaign. Perhaps my days as an Unemployed Kerry Staffer are numbered?
According to DCist, Dean is going to make an appearance at the Democracy for DC meeting at the Capital City Brewery near Union Station tonight. I'm quite amused - the Capital City Brewery is the site of where I did my first professional gig as a Lighting Tech. It all comes around full circle. And I have nothing but love for the good Doctor.
Posted by MikeSager at 10:14 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 6, 2005
Baseball is Better
And a collective "feh" rang out through New England tonight as that other team that plays nearby won some big football game.
But they didn't beat New York to get there. After the sweet taste of Red Sox victory, does anyone really care that much about the Patriots?
Nonetheless - congrats to them. And while Boston may be titletown, we didn't capture the win we really needed.
Go Sox/Nats.
Posted by MikeSager at 10:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 3, 2005
Nationals Jerseys, State of the Union, Job Hunt
Alright...so they officially unveiled the new Nats jerseys. First thing - I can't stand jerseys that have the player numbers on the front! Leave it on the back! Much more attractive - especially these! The front number works well with cursivey lettering - ie: Orioles, Senators. But imagine if they put a number under the Sox in Red Sox. That's basically how this looks.
In addition, I think it's a mistake to differentiate the Red and Blue hats as Home and Road. Let's face it - the Democrats (myself included) are going to wear the Blue hat, and the Repubs are going to wear the Red one. Which will mean at home games, us Blue Staters will not be as apparent when we represent. But then again, some of us have a hard time bringing ourselves to wear a red hat with a "W" on it.
I didn't watch the State of the Union. Usually I like to know what the enemy is saying, but I didn't want to aggrivate myself or make myself more upset. At some point soon I'm going to post my tirade on how I think the whole country has gone fucking insane. But that's for another time.
A friend of mine had an interview with the Kaine campaign. I want a interview with the Kaine campaign. I want a JOB with the Kaine campaign. Hey guys - need a blogger?
Posted by MikeSager at 12:19 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 1, 2005
A Solution to this Anti-Hollywood Crap
I'm tired of Laura Ingraham. I'm tired of David Bossie. I'm tired of movie studios being unnecessarily vilified for putting out bad movies and for speaking their minds. These people think Hollywood is evil, and yet are ok with Walmart - it's ok to be a big business as long as your politics align with mine.
Well...I've had it. And here's what I propose.
Stop releasing movies to theaters outsides major cities. No more films in Witchita. No more double features in Cheyenne. The end of the cinema in Baton Rogue. If these movies are so terrible, and the effect on "da children" is so huge, the something must be done. They think Hollywood is so bad? Fine - see how much they like life with NO ENTERTAINMENT.