Wall Street is Closed for 2008...

...Thank Christ.

The final number is 8,776.39, a percentage drop from 1/1/08 of 38.5%.

Holy shit, what a terrible year.

How did your mutual fund do in comparison to that 39% drop?

The Economic Value of a Smile

Every morning for the past few months I have had a daily appoinment at 10am. On the way there I like to go to McDonald's and get a couple of breakfast sandwiches and a drink. The problem is which one to buy from, as I have two choices: The closest one, right down the street from The 'Pent, or the second option, nearer downtown Portland and slightly but not prohibitively out of my way.

At first, I valued travel time most importantly. But as the days went on it I found myself dreading the transaction more and more. Could not figure out why until I realized that the McD's employees were humorless and dour. Never a look straight in the eye and a friendly "Have a nice morning!" No personality at all, just a barked "What will you have?", etc.

So out of exasperation a few weeks back I gave the downtown McD's a shot. It's about five minutes more travel time on a twenty minute drive. And I find the employees in the drive through lane there much more personable and communicative than those nearest The 'Pent.

Now, I look forward to my biscuit and McGriddle each day, as I receive a nice warm "Good morning!" each time I pull up and a pleasing "Have a nice one" as I drive away.

The obvious lesson to all retail managers is that good customer service leads to higher sales. I go out of my way each and every morning right now in order to receive friendly and efficient service. The fact that it takes longer to get where I'm going just makes me leave five minutes earlier.

A small price to pay for piece of mind, I would say.

Nice Award for Patriots Rookie Stud Mayo

Jerod Mayo has been named Defensive Rookie of the Year by the AP. Highly deserving, Mayo was clearly the best rookie in a weak class of defenders. The young man's best asset is his closing speed. He is not a big guy, not impossibly muscled like, say, Junior Seau is, but man can he run and hit!

New England is set at one inside LB spot for a good long while. Congrats, Jerod!

"Doubt" -- A Truly Great Film

John Patrick Shanley's second film, "Doubt", is based on his award winning play, and is truly a monument to fine filmmaking and acting. I cannot recommend this outstanding effort strongly enough, and I believe that "Doubt" is the frontrunner for all sorts of Oscars, starting with Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress.

Truly a long way from "Joe Versus The Volcano" for Mr. Shanley.

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For lovers of film, viewing "Doubt" should be nothing short of orgasmic.

I found myself in the blissful state all too infrequently realized by moviegoers; that of being completely lost in enjoyment of how well made and powerful the film is. Every scene seems to be perfectly realized, with nothing occurring in the world up on the screen that isn't there for a reason. Each light and light bulb, each tree and religious icon, each word formed by the "Principal" sign in Sister Aloysius office (pal, lap, prince, sin) by shoulders and torsos, every word uttered by the heavyweight cast will be studied for many years to come as an example of brilliant filmmaking.

I will not use this review to shed light on the plot. Although many folks have seen the play upon which "Doubt" is based, I had no prior knowledge and feel the experience is best when a viewer goes in cold.

Enjoy.

The "Benjamin Button" Drinking Game

Me, I no drink no more. For good.

But you at home can play this fun and nutritious drinking game while viewing your copy of the upcoming "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" DVD, sure to be released very soon.

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The point of the game is to have one member of the group playing the game drink every time Brad Pitt's character utters a sentence. He really does not speak very often in this wierdly "so bad it may be good" movie which opened on Xmas Day. He does have plenty to say in voiceover, but for our purposes the voiceover is not part of this game, so you might be able to make it through the two and a half hours without barfing.

And in this somnambulant role as Benjamin Button the Pittster almost never uses more than 8 words when he speaks. Really. I am not making this up. See the movie in the theatre if you doubt me, but you probably will have a hard time getting enough booze past the staff to make it worthwhile. Pitt's character brings new meaning to the word "laconic", as the reverse aging Button basically stands around and looks, admittedly, beautiful. The lines he does deliver are jaw droppingly funny at times, such as when his girlfriend tells him, "You haven't said two words." Button's response is, I believe, "No" (that's one word, Brad). I laughed out loud at the sheer awkwardness of this exchange and so many others. Poor Cate Blanchett, who plays the doomed love interest and is such a talent she deserves a far better fate.

I always wonder if actors know, when filming, that they are making crap. Or do they think that the editor will save the day somehow? Not sure. But this film is not trying for greatness or even goodness. Just profitability through use of His Royal Bradness' looks and firm and taut body.

He takes off his shirt whenever possible. Does Pitt realize he is 46 years old and could plausibly play a grandfather at that advanced age? "Thelma and Louise" was a long time ago, and Brad was not that young in his star making role to begin with.

In other words, get ready to drink your face off once the DVD hits stores in three months.

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Rules of the Game:

First, you must have two to four players to play. Don't play this game alone, since you'll be hammered a half hour after Brad comes onscreen, which occurs fairly early on. Before the movie starts, have the players select each number from 1 to 8 until all 8 numbers are selected. Thus, for example, if four players are playing, the first player might select "2", the next might select, say, "4", and so on until all eight numbers are selected and assigned to a player.

Next, watch the movie and every time Brad Pitt's character speaks (Again, ignore the voiceover. That's basically Brad reading from the book) count the number of words in the sentence. He only says one sentence at a time, and I counted only two times that Pitt uttered a sentence of more than 8 letters.

And each time he hits your number, DRINK MUTHAFUCKA!

That's how you play the "Benjamin Button" Drinking Game. Enjoy, moviegoers!

A Mouth Watering Proposition

According to SI.com, the Red Sox are interested in acquiring superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez from the Florida Marlins.

Holy smokes, Batman! It's brilliant!

You can have Tex, Yankees. I'll take Hanley in center, acquired by shipping Florida, according to the report, Buchholz, Ellsbury, and .....stuff.

A great deal for the Sox if it comes about, cuz Hanley is a true superstar.

One great thing about Theo is that he is not afraid to admit a mistake: signing Josh Bard to be the new catcher several years after disasterously giving up on him was a sly twist. And dealing for, then signing, Hanley would be a true coup.

Oh, I hope it's true...I hope it's true!

New York Times online edition today...

...has a good piece from William Safire predicting major themes of the 2009 political and economic scene.

What are your picks?

The Tyranny of the Cracker Aisle

Why and how have Triscuits, Wheat Thins, and Cheezits taken over the fucking cracker aisle of the supermarket?

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And just exactly how many different types of crackers can be made out of these three little fuckers? I am sick to death of only having three choices of crackers.

When I was a kid, the supermarkets were a lot smaller but there seemed to be lot more choices. Tidbits, Cheese Doodles, etc etc etc. The selection was endless. Nowadays, you have you fat free, salt free, oven roasted, dry roasted...whatever. Just so long as you want Triscuits, Wheat Thins, and Cheezits.

Man, I do not want Triscuits, Wheat Thins, or Cheezits. I want something different. Anything.

How has this awful situation occurred? I am not bothering to research the economic and social history of the American cracker. I just want some different fucking crackers on the shelf of the supermarket next time I fill up.

Can anyone help me?

What's funny about ridiculing a teenager, CBS?

I see these "Two and a Half Men" ads all the time: Charlie Sheen makes fun of his brother's kid and the kid just sneers or laughs it off.

What the hell is so funny about that?

And why is it so hard to write and produce half hour comedies these days?

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I have never sat through an episode of "Two and a Half Men" because based on its ads, I assume it's a piece of crap, just like "King of Queens" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" were. Just my opinion.

There are really only a few sitcoms right now that I view: "The Office", though it's really gone downhill, the brilliant "30 Rock", and "The Simpsons." I also watch Julia Louis-Dreyfus show and enjoy that as a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Just For Fun: Thoughts on the end of the NFL Regular Season

1) How any thinking fan can NOT read Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback is beyond me. He is the workhorse of the NFL's scribes and Monday's would not be the same without his column.


2) The Cowboys have to fire Wade Phillips and cut TO -- Jerry Jones apparently gave Phillips a "sort of" vote of confidence following yesterday's blowout loss to Philly. But seriously, how can anyone think that Wade comes back after his team quit in the biggest game of the year? They simply have to fire the man. And cutting TO is the best thing for all. When a player's need for stroking outweighs his production, it's time to cut anchor. Roy Williams is very talented but not a second receiver. His ego needs to be number one, and he is good enough to be the main man on a Super Bowl team.


3) MVP? -- My pick is the same as Peter King's; Peyton Manning. Winning their last eight games to became the favorites to get out of the tough AFC, Manning has added to his legacy this year, though he played somewhat under the radar due to a poor start. Finishing 12-4, how can you vote against him?


4) ROYs? -- Offensively, it's Matt Ryan of Atlanta, and it's not close. He may be second in the MVP race to Peyton. Possibly the best rookie season by a QB ever. Big Ben won more for Pittsburgh several years back in his first season, but Ryan has better numbers. Defensively, it's our very own Jerrod Mayo, linebacker for the Patriots. Though not very big, he has great burst and balance and is an athletic genius, knowing how and when to apply his hits. Certainly provides NE with a stalwart up the middle for the foreseeable future. Just don't play in any flag football games, Mayo, as Robert Edwards will remind you.


5) Brett Favre certainly stunk it up yesterday, didn't he, New Englanders? -- The man was dreaful over the last two months for the Jets. I don't think NY needs a new coach, I think they need a new quarterback. Letting Favre retire or move on is the sane move. The Jets today fired Mangini. Bad move, methinks.

6) The Lions are now on the clock, and they will almost certainly take a QB, especially after seeing the success that rookie Ryan brought to Atlanta. But Ryan had the help of free agent RB Michael Turner. Honestly though, Detroit, with its own picks plus the haul from Dallas in the Roy Williams heist, has a chance to get a lot of talent in one offseason. With new management and coaching staff, the Lions, like just about any team in the hyper-competitive NFL, can be good in a hurry (See Miami this year as an example). The key is hiring a GM who is competent, and keeping the owners out of the picture.


7) And now, the official 'Pent Playoff Picks 08: (Do you have a favorite?)

First Round:
Indy over the Bolts -- Indy the hottest team in the NFL against what might be the second hottest team. Could be a great game.
Miami over the Ravens -- Flacco versus Pennington. Go with the veteran over the rookie.
Falcons over the fading Cardinals -- Even though a rookie, Ryan and his bud Turner plenty to beat the worst playoff team.
Vickings over Philly -- Eagles not tested by Dallas, get cocky. Peterson is the best back in the league and should carry Vikes.

Second Round:
Tennessee at home over the Colts -- Could very well be a mini-Super Bowl between the two best teams in football.
Pittsburgh at home over Miami -- Big Ben has a week to clear the cobwebs, and that D is so nasty. Could be shutout.
Carolina at home over Vikes --Not crazy about either team.
G'ints at home over Atlanta -- Easy one to pick. But they still miss Plax deep threat

Conference Championship Games:
Tennessee at home over Pitt -- Could go either way. Tennessee had such a great run. Pick only due to home field advantage.
G'ints on road over Carolina -- Experience wins out.

Super Bowl XLIII:
Tennessee beats G'ints -- Great story for Kerry Collins, who may just retire at the top.

Postmortem on Patriot's Season: Good But Not Good Enough

Take heart, New Englanders: the last time Bill Belichick missed the playoffs he won the next two Super Bowls.

So having missed the postseason again in 2008, I am heartened and encouraged by an admittedly aging but still proud team's resolve to fight until the final day. Key injuries to such stars as Brady, Harrison, Thomas, Seymour, Green, and Maroney, among others, may have cost the club a chance at a fourth Super Bowl win, but I enjoyed this year's Pats squad like few in my lifetime. Eleven and five is pretty good, considering the tough AFC East division, the health of the team, and the inexperience at quarterback in Matt Cassel.

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The last month certainly was the high point for New England's year. Impressive wins over Oakland, Arizona, and Buffalo showed that the Patriots, when right, could play and dominate much like the great teams of recent vintage. The running game, with veteran backs Morris and Jordan leading the way, was the key element in the late season victories. And, of course, the key to any running game is offensive line play. Though none of them are going to the Pro Bowl, O-Line Coach Dante Scarnechia can be proud of his boys. They did well, and should be just as good in 09.

The wide receiver position features two of the best in football in Moss and Welker, but I would feel better drafting fairly highly a young receiver to develop as a third or fourth option. Gaffney is a decent pro, but relying so heavily on the top two guys, though they never seem to get hurt seems too dicey. Here's hoping a late rounder is spent on a wideout in the upcoming draft.

Tight end remains a question mark. Though Watson has all the tools, he gets hurt and has a habit of dropping balls. At this point in his career, he is what he is: mediocre and unreliable, though gifted. Thomas is a decent receiver but not big enough to do damage blocking. They can stand pat with what they have here hoping that the greatness of Moss and Welker carries the day next season for the passing game. Also, the drafting of tight ends with early picks seems to be a very risky proposition, as I think about recent busts as Watson and Shockey.

The running back position is in decent hands. I would feel comfortable with Morris and Jordan being the top two backs next season, with the hope that Maroney can finally fulfill his promise. But when a player is injured as much as Maroney, it is not a good idea to count on them. Drafting a running back is always a good idea, and expect Belichick and Pioli to do just that.

Now for the major question mark: what to do with Matt Cassel. Tom Brady, unless he is not healthy by the summer, will be the Pats starter next year without question. He is only about 30 years old and still has plenty of productive years left. Cassel will be a free agent this offseason and I am unsure of whether the Pats would be compensated or not for his loss. If a restricted free agent, offers will be much more limited than if he was unrestricted. But do not expect the rising star to return. He has shown he can be a starter with a chance to be a real star; what with his strong arm, leadership skills, and, above all, his mobility. I really like his game and he seems to have a terrific personality in terms of leadership and savvy. The best seventh round pick since Brady, possibly in the entire league. I wish him well wherever he winds up, but please do not even suggest having him start over Brady next year. Tom Terrific has done too much for New England and worked to hard to be thrown under the bus.

Defensively is where the rubber meets the road for the 2009 New England Patriots. The defensive line is getting up in age and seems to be injury prone, though it is the strength of the aging unit. Linebackers are aging as well, but Mayo was a revelation and may just be ROY for the league defensively. Depth is needed at both spots and I expect free agent signings to play a big role in developing the linebacker spot. Size is always a good place to start on draft day, so I would be surprised if a defensive lineman is NOT drafted in the first three rounds.

Secondary is the major concern, not just on defense, but for the entire team. Losing Samuel to free agency and Harrison to injury exposed an already thin and inexperienced unit. Hobbs can play but is not a star. The rest are replaceable, and drafting a shutdown corner is priority one come draft time. A big hitting safety is needed as well.

The kicking game is in good hands, with Gostkowski the best placekicker in football right now and Hanson a serviceable holder and punter. No needs there.

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So it appears the priorities for the draft and signing free agents are as follows:

1) shutdown cornerback -- there are some good ones coming out. this will be the emphasis of B and P
2) safety -- a new Harrison is needed NOW
3) defensive line depth -- third or fourth rounder likely
4) lineback, both inside and outside -- size is always a priority for Belichick, but Mayo is undersized and turned out well
5) third wide receiver -- receivers seem to come from anywhere nowadays. I'm confident they can address this need in 09
6) tight end - it's my attitude to never draft a tight end too high unless it's a major need
7) o-line -- depth is so key to offensive line play, but drafting one early is not a priority
8) backup qb -- as seen in brady and cassel, early rounders are often wastes. we'll see with o'donnell

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To sum up, it remains a great time to be a New England Patriots fan. Though the last Super Bowl win was four years ago, the team continues to be in the mix with the NFL elite and can certainly be considered among the favorites for next year's championship.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the last time NE missed out on the postseason they drafted an historically outstanding class and won the next two SBs. I have faith that that can happen again.

Sunday's New York Times

Columnist Frank Rich correctly taking President-Elect Obama to task for selecting gay basher Rick Warren to deliver speech at inauguration. It's time the religious right come to their senses and recognize gays as full citizens with rights just like every other American. Rich is spot on when he declares Obama's selection tone deaf and arrogant. I couldn't agree more. While it is important to recognize people of faith, supporting their hatred of homosexuals can only embolden the attitude that if you're gay, you're evil.

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David Carr reviews Michael Wolff's new book on media giant Rupert Murdoch. And likes it very much. I think. Alls I know is that I can't wait to read it.

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"Puff The Magic......Negro?" -- It seems Rush Limbaugh can still cause controversy. Do folks still listen to this troll? Apparently so, as a music parody on his show titled "...the magic Negro" has gotten some GOPers in hot water with the media and their cohorts. Me, I think it's much ado about nothing. Any intelligent African-American who is involved with the Republican party will, in the end, get what they deserve: a sad and meaningless life filled with self loathing and regret.

Any questions?

Cleaning Up The 'Pent: Part One

Whilst rehabilitating and cleaning the formerly all too messy Apartment404, I stumbled upon several dozen DVDs purchased in the last few years that had yet to be watched. And nine stood out as required viewing in the very near future...

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"Borat" -- Quite simply one of the great movies of this, or maybe even any other decade. Sasha Baron Cohen created a unique, brilliantly funny and quite insightful village idiot. Not to be missed by any thinking modern person.

"Oh, God" -- One of my favorite movies from childhood. I remember seeing this at the drive-in with my mom, dad, and siblings as an eleven year old. It has not aged one bit, and remains a sweet and simple though well reasoned film from the prolific comedic mind of Carl Reiner. Appropriate for any age.

"Tristram Shandy" -- Funny as hell, from the oh so talented Michael Winterbottom, and starring a hilariously bent Steve Coogan. A must see for any comedy fan.

"Y Tu Mama Tambien" -- This Mexican tour de force blew me away when I saw it six years ago. One of the most sophisticated love stories ever filmed, it features a complicated sex triangle of one woman and two coming of age young men.

"Gosford Park" -- From the late genius Robert Altman. A sophisticated take on the English class system. Worth repeated viewings, as the acting and script are so very, very good.

"Magnolia" -- After seeing Paul Thomas Anderson's first masterpiece, "Boogie Nights", I waited for this one breathlessly, and was not disappointed. It was released back in 2000, and features just about my favorite Tom Cruise performance. Effortlessly bouncing from storyline to storyline, PTA nails it just as expected. A great and underrated movie.

"The Sixth Sense" -- I did not see this one in theaters, and boy did I miss out. Terrific script from at the time newbie filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. He has not done anything this remotely good since, though I remain a fan.

"Black Hawk Down" -- Short review: One of the very best combat movies ever made. Both glorifies and preaches against modern warfare, with a cast of many doing great work, especially the outstanding Josh Hartnett (just where has HE been lately?) and a never better Eric Bana. Director Ridley Scott has made several great movies. This is one.

"Dumb And Dumber" -- As the Farrelly brothers were new to the scene, I simply could not believe that this one could be any good at the time of its release. Boy, was I ever wrong. A terrific, side splittingly funny comedy starring Jim Carrey and the surprisingly deft Jeff Daniels. Worth having in the library for repeated viewings on cold, dark, depressing winter nights.

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There. That should occupy my free time for a week or so.

Follow Up to Danny Villa Case

The alleged statutory rapist fled to his home state of Arizona, where he turned himself into local police yesterday.

Statutory Rape Charges Filed Against Ex-Pat Lineman and Local Mass. HS Football Coach and Administator

Danny Villa, HS football coach at Walpole High in Massachusetts as well as their Athletic Director, is charged with raping several students and has not turned himself in to local police as of 12/27/08.

Sports Illustrated's Best Article of the Year

...comes in their last issue of 2009: "Happy New Year" by Jim Gorant.

It's a terrific read about the Michael Vick dogs that PETA and others, including myself, thought not salvageable and therefore good candidates for destruction. Turns out that folks who know a lot about dogs and love them wholeheartedly have turned almost all of them into wonderful pets and loving companions.

A thrilling and inspiring story that brought more than one tear to my eye.

This Dog Kinda Smells Funky: "Marley and Me"

Walking out of the theater after about thirty awful minutes of the new comedy "Marley and Me" I was struck by how nice the weather was today here in Portland. A lot sunnier than in the Southern Florida featured on the screen, where large dogs create mayhem due to bad owners, and actors pushing forty pretend to be ten years younger.

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My thought while walking in was "How could this one miss?", featuring two of the most likable and bankable actors in the world in Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston along with an adorable puppy as featured in the ubiquitous ads that you could hardly miss in the past month on television. This flick was a slam dunk: sure to be a light, breezy, escape into puppies and loving matrimony.

Not being familiar with the book on which this tepid affair was based, I didn't realize I was in for a bait-and-switch. The cute-as-a-button puppy soon grew into an 85 pound, out of control, dog from hell that no owner in their right mind would put up with for very long. The larger, adult dog was, I believe, purposely left out of the advertisements because everybody loves cute puppies, while not too many folks enjoy dogs that eat their way through an entire garage, as Marley did in one of his early adventures of destruction. That's not a dog worth owning, let alone having a two hour movie devoted to.

"Marley and Me", at least what I saw of it, had absolutely no laughs. Owen Wilson's stammering, stuttering, nice-guy-in-over- his-head routine has gotten tired in the last few years. I don't know if he can't act and simply fooled me in his many winning roles, beginning with the classic "Bottle Rocket" of about a decade ago. The man is too old to act like a spoiled child. His act, for me anyway, has gotten tired.

And the same can be said for Ms. Aniston, who is approaching forty and still trying to be the girlfriend for every name actor out there. Where does she see her career in ten years? Me, I see nothing but diminishing opportunities for everybody's favorite actor from that show that used to be on forever, forever ago. She is, just like Wilson, too damn old for roles like this.

But the worst part of the the film, from what I could see before I walked out in disgust and bewilderment, was the script. Written by some guys with big reputations for long ago films, there just wasn't anything there. No laughs, no insights, no charm. Just a bad dog acting bad and two aging actors trying to act cute, kissing each every chance they got to show the bored audience how in love they were. Spare me.

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Having read some reviews following my walkout (I try not to go in with preconceived notions so I usually don't read any before watching), I know now that I was in for some attempts at emotional manipulation in the one and a half hours I missed. Too bad for me? Not really. If all three charactors are unlikable and unbelievable, how can one care about what happens to them?

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Once again, as with "Australia", "Sex and the City", and "Twilight", I am glad that this is just a "for fun" blog, and when I write about a bad movie I don't have to have seen the whole enchilada to give it a thumbs down.

A big thumbs down in this case. Bad dog.

Brilliant stuff from Jerry Seinfeld

...on the 12/19/08 Letterman, per YouTube: part one and part two.

thanks to my Uncle Fred for the heads up...

Fun Column from the nearly forgotten Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe

...About the 81-82 Boston Celtics, who, like this year's C's, won 18 in a row.

I had forgotten about the Bird injury, but reading Ryan's fine, fun column brought back great memories of a memorable season, during a most memorable era.

That year's Celtics team did not win the championship, but did provide a still spine tingling memory: the Garden fans serenading the victorious 76'ers in the closing moments of their Game Seven playoff victory in the Garden with "Beat LA! Beat LA!" chants.

Any true Celtics fan of age will admit that that is one of the team's, and the region's, proudest moments.

Frank Rich in Sunday's New York Times

Here talking about the lack of accountability in the financial sector during our current financial shitstorm.

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Per Rich: "We’ll keep believing, not without reason, that the whole game is as corrupt as the game show in “Slumdog Millionaire” — only without the Hollywood/Bollywood ending. We’ll keep wondering how so many at the top keep avoiding responsibility and reaping taxpayers’ billions while relief for those at the bottom remains as elusive as straight answers from those Mumbai call centers fielding American debtors."

But there really is no mystery to it, Mr. Rich. The people making billions of dollars prior to and during this financial mess ARE IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTRY.

They run this place! Accountability is impossible if the folks making the rules are the ones who reap the profits from the loopholes.

To paraphrase Michael Corleone, "Who's being naive, Mr. Rich?"

"Accountability" is a joke. Do the best you can with your life and hope that the crooks who run this nation don't take too much out of the till, thereby leaving us on the bottom and in the middle with a few choice crumbs.

That may be the best we can ever hope for.

This just in: the over-the-hill Roger Ebert loves pretty much every movie

Lord, make this man stop before he reviews again. I know he has had very serious health problems, but this legendary reviewer clearly cannot tell the good from the bad anymore.

On his website, of all the current movies he has reviewed, none received less than two stars. So he is saying that every movie in current release is worth seeing.

And that, my friends, is a bunch of crap in my view.

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I've walked out of "Australia" and "Twilight" in just the past month because the first half hour of both was so poorly scripted and directed and, in the case of "Twilight", acted, that I just couldn't take another minute.

I am not going to be able to make a list of films or books that I have hated in the last year because I simply will not waste the time needed to complete a terrible book ("Dynasty", "The Areas of My Expertise" for example) or a lousy movie. Just not worth it. I'll leave that to the professional moviegoers.

Let's just say that, though I try to be very discriminating in terms of what I read and watch, I don't fall in love with every book or film I come across.

Or could you have guessed that already?

Ya'll were pretty quick to throw this dude under the bus...

...but as I have said before, talking about criminal activity is ENTIRELY different that actually going through with it.

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From today's New York Times online

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Expect the Illinois Governor to spend years in court contesting these basically bullshit charges. He probably broke the law at some point in his tenure, but simply tape recording some lout bragging to his minions that he is going to sell the soon to be available Senate seat to the highest bidder is NOT criminal. Stupid and creepy. But not criminal.

He has to actually offer it to somebody before it's a crime! Apparently, Bush's agents didn't know the law well enough to do wait that long. And for that, they will have failed in their attempt to put the guy behind bars. It may take years, but Gov. Blagojevich will never spend another minute in jail or prison. Bank on it.

A Great Movie or a Cynical One?

"Slumdog Millionaire" is a film I just finished watching at the local megaplex here in Portland, and I'm struck by how much fun viewing the second half was and how repulsed I was by the first.

Directed by Danny Boyle, who never fails to entertain, this flick tries to explore both the depths and heights of human emotion in just about two hours of roller coaster ride. The first hour of "Slumdog" mainly describes a horrific childhood suffered by two brothers in the poorest ghettos of India. The second hour is a pure hearted love story of two teenagers who ya just know are gonna get together. How does one balance the other? I found myself squirming in my seat at several points early on, and practically clapping my hands with joy in the final, exhilarating half hour. In the guise of winning a fortune on a game show, the hero of the film wins a) the girl b) big bucks c) his freedom from his brother. How neat. How pleasant and pleasing.

But this is supposed to be one coherent film, not two separate ones. I did not enjoy myself in the first part of "Slumdog", though felt great admiration for the visuals used, but I had a great time afterwards in hoping that, then having, the guy and the girl get together.

See it for yourself and see what you think. I cannot help but highly recommend it, with the caveat that it will probably not stand the test of time as my two favorite movies of the year surely will; "The Dark Knight" and "W." Enjoy but beware of the manipulation of a talented filmmaker. Simply showing how low human beings can sink, then showing that love can transform makes for good entertainment, not great filmmaking.

Gus Johnson is warming up his pipes for the upcoming March Madness

Yeah, I know the season for college basketball is still very young. But listening to a few of these short clips gets me excited.

The man loves his job and has been privileged to announce some great, great games over the years.

And march is coming!

One of the great films of the 90's is out on DVD (again)

"Bottle Rocket", directed by Wes Anderson and starring the Wilson brothers Owen and Luke, is a brilliantly conceived and executed caper slash black comedy film that I believe is quite possibly director Anderson's best work. Which is high praise indeed.

If you have never seen the film, or haven't seen it in a while, buy the sucker.

The Case Against the Illinois Governor Blagojevich May Just Fall Apart...

...because talking about doing something is different than ACTUALLY doing something!

In today's New York Times online edition, there is a story discussing this very fact.

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As mentioned on this blog a week ago, President Bush may have pulled the trigger on this case too damn soon! (See my December 9th post Here) He is sooooooo dumb! Trust me, this will all come out soon enough: the man told the prosecutor to make the charges despite the fact that the governor had simply bragged to his cohorts about WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO.

Again, he had done nothing illegal. He talked about doing illegal things, but had yet to act! Another couple of days or weeks and Gov. Blagojevich would likely have been caught red handed making phone calls to people in a position to actually give him the loot he so openly craved.

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Another fiasco for the Bush administration: Gov Blagojevich will walk away a free man and Bush will cement his legacy as the worst president in the history of the United States.

Three Thoughts for a Monday Afternoon...

1) Badly run baseball teams continue to be badly run.

Case in point are the Kansas City Royals, who signed mediocre bullpen veteran Kyle Farnsworth to a 2 year, $9.5m deal over the weekend. Also, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed utility infielder Ramon Vasquez to a two year, $4m deal. Two million per anum for a guy whom any decent minor league free agent could hit and field as well? Nearly $10m for a guy who is almost guaranteed to provide an ERA in the mid 4.'s and a ton of walks and wild pitches. This is a ridiculous waste of franchise money trying to buy credibility with their fans by signing average at best veterans who will agree to play in either Pittsburgh or Kansas City.

Though the Tampa Bay Rays may have given hope to all downtrodden franchises with their World Series birth last season, the Rays have been run well for several seasons and have been drafting and signing their draft picks for years now. The Royals and Pirates have a history of drafting signable players, not the most talented available athlete. For that and so many other reasons, expect the Royals and Pirates to continue to stink it up for quite some time.

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2) Last night's "60 Minutes" was outstanding.

So outstanding that I wish that each piece was longer and had gone into more detail about the subject matter.

First was Barney Frank. I don't care about the man's sexuality, but Leslie Stahl felt it had to be covered. Fine. The meat of the story was Frank's chairmanship of the Banking and Finance Committee in the House. Fascinating stuff. At first, Frank came across as arrogant and mean spirited, but eventually my opinion changed to one of compassion and respect. Frank is obviously brilliant and hard headed, and could use a little less self love, but he appears to be an asset to Congress and doing an effective job in a very tough situation.

Next up was a scary story about the mortgage crisis. In the opinion of experts interviewed, this country is only halfway through the worst of the worst. Truly frightening.

And finally was a story on University of Southern California head football coach Pete Carroll, who has the highest winning percentage in all of Division 1 in his time in L.A. Carroll is quite the live wire and seems genuine, as well. The story was incorrect in stating that Carroll took the Patriots to the bottom of the AFC: They were 11-5, 10-6, and finally 9-7 in his three years. Good job by "60 M", though. Hopefully Carroll will realize how good he has it and build a long term dynasty at USC, similar to what Coach K has at Duke.

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3) I'll say it because it's been on my mind since the story was reported in my local paper over the weekend:

Did someone set that fire in Governor Sarah Palin's church up in Alaska to intentionally evoke sympathy for the parishionars and Gov. Palin?

It just seems too strange that someone would set a fire with people and children inside the church. Too easy. I have no evidence either way, it just seems strange and questionable in my mind. Time will hopefully tell.

BoSox New Uniforms and Logo: The Verdict?

Love Em!

For me, they are retro, harkening back to the early days of the 20th Century, when the Boston Red Sox were the original dynasty, almost before New York even HAD the Yankees to crow about.

Another home run for the best management team in professional sports!

Bush to Obama: I'm STILL in charge here!

New York Times article concerning the arrest of Illinois Gov on corruption charges.

These charges are supposed to be "shocking?" Come on. The quotes in the paper are just business as usual in high level politics. The governor was unfortunate enough to not know he was being bugged, or dumb enough, and they got him on some trumped up charges of trying to sell the upcoming Senate vacancy. It seems, according to the article, that the governor did not actually TRY to sell the seat, but spoke about his desire to do so. Not that that is not bad, but come on...

It's obvious that President Bush is sending a signal to the President Elect that the Republicans will not go without a fight.

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President Bush: Worst Prez Ever.

America on the Cheap, via NBC

According to writer Bill Carter in today's New York Times, NBC is going to give Jay Leno one hour a night for all five weeknights to reprise his Tonight Show, at 10pm.

This is insanity. The network is basically saying that it is out of ideas for prime time programming and is going to have a tired late night comedian do his schtick instead.

The network that brought us "Hill Street Blues" and "St. Elsewhere" in the 80s and "ER" in the 90s is now officially through artistically.

Besides the fact that Leno ain't funny in my eyes, it would seem the main reason for the show taking over the 10 to 11 spot is the cost savings. According to Carter, Leno's show will save the NBC tens of millions of dollars a year.

Mark my words: This is an awful decision by Jeff Zucker and will be regretted very soon.

Two Terrific Interviews on Comedy Central's Mainstays: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report

Monday, December 8th, saw two outstanding interviews on Jon Stewart's Daily Show and Stephen Colbert's The Colbert Report, respectively.

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First, Jon Stewart interviewed former United States military terrorist interrogator "Matthew Alexander" about his new book, "How To Break A Terrorist." "Alexander", who is not writing or doing appearances using his real name.

The book concerns "Alexander's" interrogations of five suspected terrorists in Iraq. No form of torture was apparently used, and the interrogations were quite successful.

The author wrote his book as a plea for the end of torture by the US military, which fought the release of its material. Quite interesting stuff.

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Second, Stephen Colbert interviewed Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children's Zone, an organization which is attempting to improve the educational opportunities for over 10,000 children in Harlem. Canada seemed to be a dynamic and informed educator and leader who is trying to do some good in the world. Very interesting and even a bit exciting, as President Elect Obama has made suggestions about trying similar progrmas in at least 20 other U.S. cities. Canada, interestingly enough, graduated from Bowdoin College, a school located right here in Maine.

Great stuff.

Incredible story of perseverance:

Former Oklahoma star, Olympian, and NBA power forward Wayman Tisdale recently lost a leg to cancer. How is he doin'? See for yourself.

A truly remarkable man and an example for all of us what sports can teach folks about attitude and desire to overcome obstacles. Great stuff.

Jerry Jones...Crazy Man!

Jones publicly questioned Marion the Barbarian's toughness due to the injured star being out with a severe case of turf toe.

Jones seems to be crumbling in the face of media pressure due to his team's disappointing record....

...I love it!

Randy Wittman out as T-Wolves Head Coach...

....and Kevin McHale is soon to follow.

McHale was forced to resign as Vice President of Basketball Operations in order to take over as Head Coach. Erratic T-Wolves owner Glen Taylor may see this as a way to eventually force out native Minnesotan and very popular personality McHale. Kind of a "put up or shut up" scenario.

Best of luck to McHale.

He'll need it as Minnesota is sorely lacking in experienced talent: 4 man Al Jefferson and small forward Mike Miller are decent pros, point guard Randy Foye remains a talented enigma who has produced decent numbers in an inconsistent season, center Kevin Love is a future serviceable pro, and Rashard McCants, Corey Brewer, Craig Smith, and Ryan Gomes are decent NBA players would can contribute off the bench to a winning team. Though there are no veteran stars in Minnesota, some of the young players do have talent. Love, Big Al, and Foye especially. But with no veteran leadership to follow, it is hard to picture coach McHale winning even half his games in the last two thirds of the season, which is what one would think would be the minimum required to stay on due to his unpopularity with Taylor.

Pride goeth before a fall

One of the greatest catchers in the history of the Boston Red Sox, Jason Varitek, refused a chance to make about $10m in 2009 by declining the club's offer of arbitration for next season.

Doesn't he realize that he was A-W-F-U-L last season? And, at the age of 37, he isn't likely to rebound this coming year? What kind of advice is he getting from his agent, Scott Boras?

It's my view that Boras, who is incredibly bright and never has had the wool pulled over his eyes, may not have Tek's best interest at heart. Boras wants a four year deal of his client in order to show the rest of his stable that he, Boras, can deliver the goods for even the worst of the bunch.

Tek should have signed the one year deal with the team that made him captain, and with which he has won two World Series rings. No other option makes as much sense. It is highly doubtful that any other major league team will sign a 37 year old with declining number to a long term deal. It would defy logic to do it, though that may not prevent some desperate club from putting up $35 or $40. I don't see it, though.

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Here are Jason Varitek's career batting stats: (from BaseballReference.com)

Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG *OPS+ TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
1997 25 BOS AL 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.000 422 1 0 0 0 0 0
1998 26 BOS AL 86 221 31 56 13 0 7 33 2 2 17 45 .253 .309 .407 83 90 4 3 1 2 8
1999 27 BOS AL 144 483 70 130 39 2 20 76 1 2 46 85 .269 .330 .482 101 233 5 8 2 2 12
2000 28 BOS AL 139 448 55 111 31 1 10 65 1 1 60 84 .248 .342 .388 82 174 1 4 3 6 16
2001 29 BOS AL 51 174 19 51 11 1 7 25 0 0 21 35 .293 .371 .489 123 85 1 1 3 1 6
2002 30 BOS AL 132 467 58 124 27 1 10 61 4 3 41 95 .266 .332 .392 90 183 1 3 3 7 13
2003 31 BOS AL 142 451 63 123 31 1 25 85 3 2 51 106 .273 .351 .512 120 231 5 7 8 7 10
2004 32 BOS AL 137 463 67 137 30 1 18 73 10 3 62 126 .296 .390 .482 121 223 0 1 9 10 11
2005 33 BOS AL 133 470 70 132 30 1 22 70 2 0 62 117 .281 .366 .489 122 230 1 3 3 3 10
2006 34 BOS AL 103 365 46 87 19 2 12 55 1 2 46 87 .238 .325 .400 83 146 1 2 7 2 10
2007 35 BOS AL 131 435 57 111 15 3 17 68 1 2 71 122 .255 .367 .421 103 183 0 4 9 8 9
2008 36 BOS AL 131 423 37 93 20 0 13 43 0 1 52 122 .220 .313 .359 73 152 0 2 3 6 13
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
12 Seasons 4401 1156 13 654 18 1024 .263 .346 .439 100 19 38 51 54 118

Sunday's New York Times

Brilliant column by the always insightful Frank Rich concerning President Elect Obama's somewhat questionable choices for key positions in his administration.

And you thought the world would be boring with the historically incompetent and arrogant Bush administration soon to fade from view.

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also...

Editorial bashing President Bush for his continued arrogance and tone deafness. The President continues to delude himself into thinking he is a major part of the solution in our country instead of the truth: he is without question the worst President of my lifetime, and that includes Nixon.

Ron Howard's very funny Obama endorsement

As mentioned on Jon Stewart last night, here's the video. Great stuff (...the Fonz was wrrrrrrro....??).

Thanks Ron, Andy, and Henry, belatedly.

More NBA: Are the Blazers the third best team in the league?

I say yes. If not today then soon. The reason for this post is the Celtics v Trail Blazers game tonight in Boston on ESPN and Fox at 8pm. The exciting matchup got me to thinking about challengers to the Celtics championship dreams besides the Los Angeles Fakers.

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Here's a story from SI.com today about Portland's tremendous young 2 guard, Brandon Roy. Roy wasn't taken until the 6th pick in the 2006 Draft, but he has rapidly answered questions about his durability and athleticism by scoring points in bunches and becoming his young team's unquestioned on court leader. While the 06 Draft class will go down as one of the worst in history, Roy looks like he will be a player who will soon join the upper echelon of the league's scoring guards, which currently features MVP Kobe Bryant, NBA champ Paul Pierce, when-healthy Gilbert Arenas, and the remarkable Dwyane Wade.

As for his team, the Portland Trail Blazers, I feel that they may not have the experience to challenge the Fakers and Celtics this season but that the sky is the limit for them in the years to come. Obviously, superstar in training center Greg Oden must find a way to stay healthy. But I love Oden's game! He is a Bill Russell, Bill Walton-type PURE CENTER. He rebounds and defends first, then scores enough to keep defenses honest. While many may criticize a perceived lack of athleticism in the youngster as well as his propensity to get injured, I feel that Oden has a chance to win several championships in Portland with the team around him.

LaMarcus Aldridge and the previously mentioned Roy are two of the young stars in the league. Aldridge is a close cousin in playing style to Detroit Piston star Rasheed Wallace as both are seven footers with great range and mobility. While Aldridge may never shoot the three as well as Sheed his ability to score in close to the basket makes him a vital cog in the Blazers basketball machine.

Rudy Fernandez is a terrific sixth man who plays both guard positions with flair and nerve. I love his game and his style. He could turn out to be another Manu Ginobili; a player with good length who can score from outside as well as in close and can get easy baskets with his ability to defend and make steals.

Portland has one of the very best backup centers in the NBA in seven foot Minnesotan Joel Przybilla, a strong shot blocker and rebounder perfectly cast as star in training Oden's help from the bench.

Point guard Steve Blake is merely servicable, but waiting in the wings are injured star Martell Webster, whose return seems imminent, and talented young Sergio Rodriguez, a 6 3 Spaniard with talent.

Travis Outlaw is the small forward. He's an effective midrange shooter with size who will do a great job of opening up the middle for Oden and Aldridge the more they become familiar with one another.

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The Blazers are currently 14 - 6 on the season. The Celtics and Lakers clearly must be ranked ahead of the upstarts due to their outstanding won/loss records as well as proven track record. The only other team in the league that compares to Portland in terms of talent and record, in my opinion based on the first month or so of the 08-09 season is the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs have jelled nicely this year into a better team than the last two years, both of which saw the franchise enjoy considerable postseason success, with one trip to the Finals and last years exit in the Conference Semis.

The Blazers are, in my opinion, better at center with Oden, a more talented player than the jump shooting Ilgauskas, and at the power forward slot with Aldridge better than an aged Ben Wallace.

LeBron is enjoying his best season and may even win an MVP award.

But at guard I feel the Blazers are superior once Webster gets back into playing shape, as he and Brandon Roy get the nod over Mo Williams and Delonte West. The benches are similar, and neither coach (Nate McMillan and Mike Brown) inspires unquestioned confidence, though both are fairly new to the bench.

To sum up, basketball fans in the proud city of Portland, Oregon should have several years of championship level play from their young team. Here's hoping that tonight's game is the first clash in what may turn out to be a compelling rivalry.

The 2009 NBA Draft Predictions are already being made.

And the most noted of all NBA Draft sites, NBADaft.Net, has Ohio State freshman B.J. Mullens going 3rd and 2007-2008 National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough going 22nd!

This is hard to swallow.

I watched a few minutes of a recent Ohio State game against Miami (FL) and Mullens was completely overmatched by an athletic and aggressive Hurricane team. He was not even on the court in the final minutes of a close game. Currently, he is averaging less than seven points per game.

How can this guy, who looks athletic and admittedly has a nice stroke on his jump shot but is currently unaggressive and confused, be ranked so far ahead of a guy that looks to my eyes like a another solid pro from the University of North Carolina?

The UNC senior forward is probably about 6 - 8, certainly not the ideal height for a #4 man in the NBA, but he is built like a bull and quick and strong. This summer, he appears to have worked hard on his range out to 20 feet, and coach Roy Williams appears to be giving him the green light to shoot out that far while Deon Thompson and Ed Davis remain close to the basket doing the dirty work.

I look at Hansbrough a lot like ex-Xavier National Player of the Year and current New Orleans Hornet star forward David West. West was drafted 18th overall in the 2003 Draft. The reason he was picked so low was because he was a senior and scouts thought his "upside" was lower than other younger players. There were three big men selected before West that year picked entirely because their upside seemed to be higher than the POY's: the infamous Darko Milicic (complete bust and waste of lottery money by the usually reliable Pistons), Georgetown underclassman and fat-ass nonathlete power forward Michael Sweetney, and the benchwarming Zarko Cabarkapa. None of these three guys had anywhere the resume that college star West had. And that may have been the reason they were picked ahead of him. The thinking in the NBA is: how good can this guy be in the future?

Well, it turns out that West would get better and better, as even 21 year old All Americans can and will do. And I believe that the same thing can happen with Hansbrough. He has shown this young season an increased ability to score from the perimeter. One thing he needs to do is handle the ball better. I have never known his to be a creative passer, so that may be another thing he may try to improve on.

But in the 2009 NBA Draft there are few better bets than Tyler Hansbrough.

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Of course this is the same blog that said that Spenser Hawes and Darren Collison were going to be better pros than Kevin Durant. Though there is a small chance that that prediction may come true, as I think Durant is an empty scorer with no peripheral skills besides shooting the ball, clearly Kevin Durant is a seasoned pro and Hawes and Collison (still in college at UCLA) are works in progress. So it goes.

The Best Movie of 2008 Thus Far? -- "W."

The greatly underrated "W.", by Oliver Stone and starring Josh Brolin, is my pick as the best movie of the year to date.

Among critics, only Roger Ebert gave this great film a strong review. The rest were lukewarm or even tepid in their praise for Stone's outstanding and timely biopic of President Bush II.

Every line in the film seemingly comes from a documented source, and I don't remember even saying to mysef, "THAT didn't happen!" There is not one thing said by the major players that doesn't ring true according to all that I have read and seen about the current administration. Secretary of State Colin Powell turned in his ideals to gain access to power, though he knew the country was headed for disaster. Vice President Cheney is represented as the ultimate puppeteer, controlling a somewhat dim and unawares President through gentle pursuasion and ego massage. National Security Advisor Condelleeza Rice is the ultimate sycophant, at one time even exposing her derriere to an oblivious President in a show of love and sexual desire for the man. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld comes across as uncaring and unknowing, a complete arrogant fool with no regard for human life.

Laura Bush, whose entrance into young Bush's life is represented as a sweet ear of corn being crushed, goes from an intelligent and thoughtful wide eyed Texas beauty to someone who ultimately loves her husband too much to see what he has done to the country. As mentioned in Ebert's review, she belongs in Al-Anon, the offshoot of Alcoholics Anonymous that is devoted to helping loved ones of AA'ers deal with the burden of their disease.

There is a lot of eating in this film. And a lot of drinking, too, but that's too be expected. Throughout, though, a great deal of loud and thoughtless chowing and chewing is undertaken by the President and his minions. Bush talks repeatedly with his mouth full, as though he has a hard time concentrating on one thing at a time and needs to get his many thoughts expressed before he forgets them. The scene in the White House dining area where the major players are served and then one at a time consume a massive slice of pecan pie is brilliant in its representation of each member of the Bush team swallowing wholeheartedly the administration's disasterous policies.

Bush, who gave up alcohol due to an ultimatum from his wife that is left unaddressed by Stone, is shown drinking low alcohol content O'Douls beer. Any alcoholic can tell you that O'Douls DOES contain a small amount of booze, and that if you drink enough of it, you can get a small buzz. Nonetheless, it seems to be director Stone's contention that the President is a dry drunk who has never addressed his alcoholism in any meaningful way. How tragic for our nation. For Bush's drive, his charisma, and even his low grade intelligence would possibly have made solid and useful assets for, say, the CEO of a Texas oil company. But his lack of insight, his ego, and his unerring ambition to prove his father wrong about Bush I's lack of faith in his namesake son proves his, and the nation's, undoing.

President Bush's legacy will be two failed wars and an economy in freefall, with no end in sight. Thousands of United States troops have either died or been seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan during the two seemingly endless wars. And so many billions upon billions have been spent destroying two countries then trying to build them back up again that the waste is astonishing in its historical wrongness and will surely go down one of the biggest foreign policy blunders in the history of the United States.

The movie itself will, I believe, stand the test of time and go down as the best film of 2008. It is a great movie that works as great history. See it in theaters if you can, or wait for the DVD. But please see it.

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The second best film of a very disappointing year for me was "The Dark Knight", the best popcorn movie to come out in some time and the best reviewed release this year.

The film will surely win a Best Supporting Actor for the late, great Heath Ledger, who will go down as possibly the finest actor of his generation. Ledger's Joker was scary because there was no explaining him. The Joker was just evil, with no rhyme or reason to his madness.

Christian Bale is terrific as the Caped Crusader. His voice, raspy and low, could have used some more volume, but the man did a terrific job giving gravitas to the role.

I didn't think Maggie Gyllenhaal was the best choice for the love interest. It would have been hard to top the wonderful job the very sexy and sweet Katie Holmes turned in in "Batman Begins, but to me Gyllenhaal has a "tired" vibe to her. She may be sexy to others and is surely intelligent in her screen presence, but to me she just doesn't come across as someone that Aaron Eckhart's "Two-Face" and Bruce Wayne would die for.

The director of the film, Christopher Nolan, wrote the script with his brother Jonathan. Both the script and the directing are top notch. My main quibble with the film is the length. The strength of the movie is in the interplay between Batman and the Joker. Once Two-Face becomes the main bad guy, I felt something was lost. The movie might have played quicker and been a tad more exciting had it been closer to two hours or an hour and forty five minutes. Hard to hold tension for 152 minutes.

But overall it was terrifically entertaining and well made. And in a weak year for films, "The Dark Knight" was my second favorite film.

Petey's Deal: What's Not to Like About THAT?

Dustin Pedroia yesterday signed a six year, $40.5 million dollar deal with the BoSox. Just a terrific deal for both teams.

The Boston front office may be the most efficient in major league baseball and certainly one of the best in all of professional sports. The reason? I didn't hear an inkling about this coming deal anywhere in the papers or on the net. They just went ahead and did it. Good for both Theo Epstein and his team, and Dustin and his agents, for getting this lucrative but not outrageous long term deal accomplished without any posturing or public browbeating by either side. Wonderful stuff for Boston sports fans.

Signing the reigning MVP for a $1.5 million signing bonus, a $1.5 million dollar salary for 2009, and escalating salaries for the next five years that will average out to about $7 million per anum is smart business. The dude is still young and should be among the elite second baseman, who DO NOT have a long shelf life historically due to their legs going and a lack of durability overall for smaller players, for the length of the contract.

I do not expect MVP numbers from Petey every year, though even his most ardent supporters will have to admit that 2008 was a bit of an anamoly as no member of a contending team put up astounding numbers. In my mind, the best player in the American League last year may have been A-Rod of the hated Yankees. But that's just me.

Once again, yesterday was a great day for all fans of the Olde Towne Team. Now, if we can just get Lowell healthy and sign Tex then this would be a wonderful offseason.

YouTube Stuff from the world of sports

Some awkward interviews, as seen on SportsCenter...

"Science of the Facial": aka The Slam Dunk.

"Hawk Time!": footage of the amazing Aaron Pryor.

Jason McElwain, high school basketball star.

Larry Bird highlights...five minutes of buzzerbeaters!

and lastly....

Marvin Gaye's unforgettable rendition of the national anthem in 1983 at the All Star Game held in Faker Land

Michael Phelps is a terrific athlete...

.....and apparently also quite boring.

"60 Minutes" did a story last night on the guy. Pretty much a puff piece saying how wonderful he is and what a great athlete he is. Bla bla.

Admittedly, winning 8 gold medals is amazing and has never been accomplished by any other Olympian in one of those "We give out medals for everything and anything" sports like swimming, gymnastics or maybe even sprinting.

But enjoy your fame now, Mr. Phelps, because you sure don't have much of a personality. Amassing legacy wealth may not be the most noble of goals, but that seems to be what the man is most interested in. Assuming Phelps comes up with his $50 or $200 million dollar collective paydays somewhere down the line, well, what's next?

From all the interviews I have seen with the young man he is basically a jock who thinks about swimming 24/7. What's so interesting about that? It's certainly no way to build a career in the entertainment world.

I just finished a book about Curt Flood, the major league baseball player who, back in the early 1970's, challenged the baseball establishment and attempted to end a heinous practice of keeping players tenured to one team their entire career known as the reserve clause. His case wound up before the US Supreme Court and, though he lost that decision, his struggle led to free agency for players that has grown the average salary from a few thousand a year in Flood's time to over two million dollars a year today. Flood uses his celebrity to help his fellow man; in this case his fellow athletes.

Not that I expect today's athletes to become historians or social activists, but a little political awareness would be nice. A little personality would be kind of cool. A few thoughts on the state of the world would be most welcome. Anything to show that there is more to the world than swimming laps in a pool.

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ps: In the 60 Minutes piece, Phelps is shown in his $1.1 million waterfront condo in his hometown of Baltimore. One point one million? For a guys whose net worth is probably in the tens or twenty of millions of dollars and is only going to grow and grow? Why the heck doesn't he just live with his Mom for crying out loud! If I had ten million in the bank, I would certainly find a more interesting place to live than a million dollar cookie cutter condo in Baltimore. Jeesus.

pps: I guess Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year was inevitable. Solid choice, but lacks imagination. I would have gone for President Elect Obama, who can play a little basketball and loves the Chicago White Sox, myself. Just sayin'.