Today's Portland Press Herald: Thank You, Bill Nemitz

Friday's column from Nemitz

Maine is a small, rural state, with only 1.2 m people in it. Despite that handicap can't the Republicans come up with a better candidate for governor than the laughable Paul LePage? Nemitz rightfully calls out the right winger for being a bit of a dolt in today's paper. LePage runs the Marden's chain of discount stores. Marden's is the type of store where poor morons (like me back in the day) shop for crap. It's that simple. If you want a medium Arizona Diamondbacks World Series 2001 t-shirt for five bucks, Marden's is your store.

It's depressing that a state that has provided quality leaders like Muskie and Mitchell has LePage as one of two major party nominees for governor in the November general election. We here at The 'Pent think that Democrat Libby Mitchell will win, but wouldn't be shocked if the GOP nominee made it close.

Red Sox Optimism

Dan Shaughnessy's column from The Boston Globe regarding Sox

=========

If you're a Red Sox fan and you aren't a bit giddy about the 6-4 roadtrip, well, you need help. This is a team that can win the World Series. Get on board the bandwagon.

With the best starting staff in baseball and a lineup that has a fair amount of pop, this is a team that shouldn't be afraid of anyone. The Rays must be more than a bit worried about their 5 game lead in the wildcard. They're good: we're better, and that should show over the final two months of the season.

Nothing is written in stone and the injury bug could certainly hit them again, but right now we here in Apartment 404 are sky high over what the next few months will bring. We predicted to friends two parades this past spring; one for the Bruins and another for the Celtics, and were wrong on both counts despite lengthy playoff runs. We won't go so far as to predict a WS win for Boston's favorite team, but hey, it wouldn't surprise us in the least.

Thanks God for John Henry and Theo.

Ex-Raider Jack Tatum Dies at Age 61

What do you say when an athlete that you had intense dislike for for over thirty years dies too young? Do you express remorse? Do you celebrate? Do you say nothing?

See SI.com story here

Tatum is known to Patriots fans for not only breaking Darryl Stingley's neck in a meaningless preseason game in 1978, but never meeting once with the man he put in a wheelchair following the attack. He was unapologetic about his place in NFL history, writing three books that played up on the "Assassin" angle. To our eyes he was kinda scum, but then we never met the man to judge him face to face.

We guess the appropriate thing is to say nothing, but it's too late for that. We've already posted this entry.

"Winter's Bone" - Why is this the best reviewed movie of the year?

Our staff field trip to see this one ended early last night, as we collectively walked out of the Nickelodeon theatre about a half hour into the show. Maybe we're a bunch of snobs here at The 'Pent, but there didn't seem to be anything much going on in this depressingly bleak portrayal of lower class Ozark life. We didn't see one moment that struck us as true in the first 30 minutes and, figuring that it wasn't going to get any better, headed for the parking lot. Tell us if we missed anything good, won't you, since the critics adore this movie.

"Cyrus" - The Best Movie of the Year So Far

Here's Rolling Stone's glowing review.

The staff saw this one tonight and was blown away by the dexterity, the comic timing, the jaw dropping nimbleness of the whole affair. Great acting by Reilly, Hill, and Tomei make this a must see from the opening scene to the far out finale. Terrific stuff, the best of the year.

And judging by the previews we saw prior to "Cyrus" there are some good flicks coming up this fall. Can't wait for "Middle Men", "Dinner for Schmucks" and "The Other Guys" in particular from the comedy genre.

Staff Trip to Manhattan Last Weekend...

Here's the photos.

Baseball Sayings From SI.com That Had Us Laughing Out Loud

See here...

She Said "I Love You" First. Me, Last.

Christene passed me a note in group one day.
I had been prattling on about loneliness and despair
Because "no one cared."
She did, she thought.
Or could.

We ate together.
We talked.
We laughed and

She said "I love you, Joe Sweeney"
Within ten days or so.

I had never heard those words before
(Or have heard them since.)
Grasping sucking on devouring with all I had
Knowing I was in the wrong right place,
I answered "I love you too, Christene" finally, weeks later.

We moved in together.
Really, I moved mine into her space.
Desperate anxious scared nervously optimistic.

Up soon bubbled unspoken arguments
About me.
What was I doing with myself?
Why was I like this and
Why was I like that?

She found another
And slept on the couch.
While I packed and
Remembered.

Only the good times
Were in my mind
When I said,
"Could we make love one last time?"
Tears flowing, she answered
By not answering.

And then I said it last.

Racism: The Reason Behind the LeBron Outrage

If LeBron was white people around the nation would be cheering on the decision to leave his home state of Ohio for South Beach. Instead we get burning jerseys and a psychotic letter from Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. All because of the color of the man's skin.

Think about it: would there be such hatred for a rational, common sense business decision as the one LeBron made if he was not a high school educated black man? The color of a person's skin is still very important to a lot of folks in this here nation. Don't think that racism isn't playing a huge part in all the teeth gnashing and anger venting.

Steve Carell: Bigger Star or Comet?

There is an excellent article in the current "New Yorker" about Carell and the new school of improv comedy that got our staff to thinking about what the future holds for the biggest comedy star in the world.

His funniest movie remains, hands down, "40 Year Old Virgin." In that movie Carell steered clear of his usual "dumb guy" characters; instead he played a sweet, intelligent but shy, middle aged virgin, Andy. The funny stuff came from Andy being aware of how strange he appeared to those around him. Carell in many of his movies and on "The Office" has generally played stupid people not aware of how idiotic they really are, but we feel that that is MUCH LESS funny than a smart guy aware of his own shortcomings.

Think of "Seinfeld": those four characters were intensely aware of what creeps they were, but they still moved forward with their selfish plans and hijinks. That, to us, is what made it to incredibly hilarious: Smart people acting like idiots. NOT dumb people acting dumb, as Steve Carell seems to be leaning towards as his career moves forward.

Playing smart guys who do dumb things is a difficult trick, but we wouldn't bet against Carell pulling it off (again), especially if he chooses to work with brilliant directors like Judd Apatow consistently. But if he stays with the dumb guys doing dumb things, he will be a fading memory before the decade is over. Here's wishing him luck...

YouTube Clip of Landon Donovan's Goal Celebrations Around the World

Celebrations

In the local news this am

This COULD have been us. This poor man drank too much, had too much money, was taking too many psych drugs. The combination, plus becoming infatuated with a woman, led him to attempt a murder at an AA meeting here in Portland last summer. Scary, scary stuff.

This WAS us three years ago.


Thanks to AAs fellowship and program of recovery, thanks to the support of family members, thanks to a little bit of luck and a lot of work that is NOT us today, but it certainly could have been.

Similarities: Delusional thinking. Alcoholism. Useless psych drugs that make the problem worse. Loneliness. Falling in "love." Access to money.