Bristol!!

Tonight starts NASCAR's big weekend at Bristol with the Craftsman Truck Series race on Speed. Watch it if you get a chance. Bristol is a high banked short track. That means lots of bumpin' and bangin', lots of mixing it up, lots of pressure on the drivers and crews, and (usually) a lot of really pissed off people and one very happy winner when all is said and done. All of this is made better by the fact that these are all night races this weekend. In other words, it is stock car racing the way it out to be.

Rockies 1 - Brewers 4

Lisa and I went to the Brewers game last night. This was the "freebie" game. With our ticket package, you get nine pre-determined games at face value and then a "free" ticket to one of about 20 selected games. Sort of a built-in 10% discount on the whole package.

Capuano started for the Brew-Crew, and had a really good outing until the 4th, when he had a minor, but thankfully temporary, meltdown. This meltdown started (as many do) with an E-6 (error on the shortstop, bad throw to first in this case). This was followed by two base on balls to load 'em up. He was able to work out of it, however, and pitched two more innings after that, leaving the game with a shutout going.

Capellan came on for the 7th and the 8th. Both were 1-2-3 innings, and he struck out five of the six batters.

Turnbow came in for the ninth. Some people stood and cheered. I have no idea why. The guy has totally sucked ass now for a few months, and really ought to be pitching down in Nashville or Huntsville until he can get is stuff back together. It seems like the only fair thing to do for him. As usual (lately), his first act was to give up a home run. He then K'd the next batter, and let the third batter get a hit. Turnbow was done after that.

Finally, Yost brings in Cordero to close it out. After all, it is a save situation now. He gives up a couple of deep ones, but they stay in the park and are both outs.

On the offensive side, there was no real stand out. The boys just did a good job doing what they are supposed to do, which is get 'em on, move 'em over, and score 'em.

Music Mondays - Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth

It is Monday. Time for some more music!! This week, I think a little NIN is in order.

Random Baseball Notes

The Yankees continue to take it to those stinking Red Sox and won again last night. Today they go for the sweep. Let's hope they get it, and let's hope this is just the start of a massive Red Sox meltdown. Actually, it would be nice to keep just a glimmer of hope alive for the Sox fans just to have that hope dashed in late September by the Red Sox losing to the White Sox in the wild card race.

Saturday, our daughter stayed over at her aunt and uncle's house and baby sat her cousins. So Lisa and I decided to go to the ballpark to see the Brewers take on the Astros. I knew it would be busy, so we arrived early. I wanted to get the $5 "Bernie's Terrace" seats (the terrace is the 4th section of seats, nosebleeds, Bernie's Terrace are terrace seats way out in left field by Bernie's dugout and the slide he goes down), since that is about the only section we have not sat in yet. They were sold out. So, we went with some terrace reserve seats. Those were almost sold out too. When we got our tickets, they said "ADA" on them. Sure enough, the only tickets left were in the "disabled" sections. At first I felt guilty, but looking around the terrace sections, I noticed very few disabled people in the disabled sections. I guess when it comes down to just those sections left, they get sold to whoever shows up, disabled or not. BTW - those are great seats. Lot's of extra room, no one packed in next to you, no one directly in front of you.

The game itself was very exciting. Neither team really opened up much of a lead, though the Astros struck first blood. However, once the Astros pitching fell apart, it fell apart hard. The Brewers loaded the bases twice, and the Astros walked in at least two runs. It was not pretty for them. I think the game ended 4-5 with the Astros flying out to center, but I was not keeping score this game, so I cannot say for sure.

Our next game is Tuesday, 08/22. That one is part of our ticket package, so we will be back down in the Loge section (second level of seats), and as usual for our package games, I will be keeping score this time.

Do You Take This Goat...

Girl on the Right has a very funny post involving a man, a goat, and a little hanky panky...

This Week's Moron Reward Go To... John Hogan.

I can easily understand how a person could get into an argument with his wife and get so pissed off that he would want to throw himself off of a fourth story balcony, presumably to his own death just so he would have to hear her yammer on anymore. I can easily sympathize with that. I think any married man can. However, when you grab your kids on the way out, you are just being a total ass!

Personally, I like the hospital director's comments:

Panayotis Spatharakis, director of the Heraklion Hospital, told the Daily Mirror: "We asked him why he did it and he told us he was very drunk and could not exactly remember what happened."

Summing up the bitterness of locals, he told the paper: "I feel that once he recovers and understands what he has done he should commit suicide."

Well said! Let's hope he gets right on that, this time without trying to take anyone with him! OK, not really. This dude obviously needs many prayers and much help. Still, I can't say I necessarily disagree with Mr. Spatharakis' sentiment.

It looks like the locals also had the right idea!

The Daily Mirror reported that Hogan's plight after the plunge brought little sympathy from angry locals who surrounded his stretcher to scream abuse.

Good for them!

Nerd, Geek, Dork...

Now that scientists have the status of Pluto essentially sorted out, it is time to tackle more important issues, like: What, exactly, is the difference between a geek, a nerd, and a dork.

For the record, I am most definitely a geek, but only in the techie sense, not the whole "biting the head off of chickens sense.

Sweet...

When I read this story, I thought of two things:

1. The fat kid in "Willy Wonka"
2. Bob or Doug McKenzie. Whichever one got stuck in a vat of beer in "Strange Brew".

Glad to hear that the dude got out alright, but you have to admit that getting stuck in a vat of chocolate is rather funny...

Who Cares?

Sadly, kids get killed every day in this country (and every other country, for that matter). Some of them even die at the hands of their parents, siblings, or some other relative that should be protecting them, yet none of that really gets more than a mention or two. Yet, if the child is a pretty blonde girl, the whole country becomes obsessed with the story. It is absolutely ridiculous how much print was wasted on JonBenet Ramsey back when she was killed, and it is even more ridiculous how much print is being wasted on this John Mark Karr turd. A person whose confession has serious holes in it.

If it Mr. Karr's confession turns out to be true and actually match up with some evidence, great, we can finally put this crap to bed. If not, then I guess Mr. Karr got what he wanted, which was evidently to have his face in the spotlight for a while. Either way, I predict a glut of stupid, worthless, poorly done, overly emotional, crap movies pertaining to this in about six months.

More Fun With Music

My daughter periodically does these silly music survey things, and they seem fun, so I figured I would try the next one she posted. So, here we go:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, etc).
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question press the next button.
Ready? GO!

Opening Credits:
New Beginnings - Trapt
(um, OK, oddly appropriate...)

Waking Up:
Start a War - Static-X
(hehe, well, I am very much a morning person)

Falling In Love:
Just Out Of Reach - Patsy Cline
(sometimes very true, but luckily I have not had to deal with that for over 20 years...)

Fight Song:
My Evil Twin - They Might Be Giants

Breaking Up:
No Feelings - Sex Pistols
(Yeah, that sounds about right!!)

Making up:
Rejoice - U2

Life's Okay:
Freeways - Bachman-Turner-Overdrive

Mental Breakdown:
Just My Imagination - The Cranberries

Driving:
Whoa is Me - Dredg

Flashbacks:
Pretty in Scarlet - Guano Apes

Happy Dance:
Empty - The Cranberries

Regretting:
One Hit Wonder - Everclear

Final Battle:
Over the Hills and Far Away - Led Zeppelin
(as Zep songs go, "The Battle of Evermore" would have been better, but you get what you get)

Death Scene:
Zombie Eaters - Faith No More
(Oh help me baby zombie Jesus!)

End Titles:
Crazy - Patsy Cline
(Hmmm, that would have been good for the "Mental Breakdown" one...)