I Can Hear the Bells

Every morning, nine o'clock. First the bells ring, then Hail Canada plays. Or rather, Hail Colby Hail. Difference: the words.

Anyway...started this post quite a while ago. Notables: Red Sox win, proceed to ALCS starting Friday night. I've been cast in the role of Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, which is what I'll be doing for all of January. Also, added a bald eagle to my lifelist today.

And that's pretty much it.

I see skies of blue...Clouds of white...

For the first time in a long time, there are clear skies. Or mostly clear. Weathermen would call it partly cloudy. But the important thing is that it's not raining for once.

Important things: The Red Sox are up 2-0 over the Angels, to my joy and my friend's (an Angels fan) anger. The Cake concert was excellent; also the Winterpills were amazing, and I got their new album.

Answers for Andrew: Yes, Yes, and it went pretty well. Ah, Perry debaters...

Music for everyone!


SeeqPod - Playable Search

Moment of hilarity

Watching the Red Sox play the Dodgers in a resumption of spring training. Ortiz just hit a double and the announcer described him "scampering to second base." Um...right. I'm fairly sure David Ortiz doesn't scamper. A more appropriate word might be "trundling." Just though I'd share...it made me laugh, at least.

Edit: Kevin Cash is a keeper.

Edit Edit: I don't remember the Coliseum in Los Angeles being such a crappy ballpark when I was out there a couple summers ago...but it seems like a lousy place to play. Also the cameras are placed strangely.

Editx3: Just now seeing Wilco on SNL. Wow.

Editx4: Alright, so it was a football stadium, not the ballpark I was at two years ago. Stupid mistake. I was wondering how they fit 115,000 fans in...

Well well well

So Manny has finally decided that he's happy in Boston! The club will almost certainly take the option for the next two seasons, given how great Manny is. Even with last year not being his best, Manny's still got plenty in him. Glad he's not complaining anymore about how the Sox won't trade him.

Schill Kill

Rhyming aside, this is serious. Surgery that could keep Schilling out of the 2008 season entirely? And even without surgery, he'll be out until at least the All Star break? Gee, I'm almost shocked.

Let's face it: the man is OLD. Not necessarily through counting years, but certainly old to be playing baseball. Is it really any surprise that he's injured? The great thing is, though, is that the Sox still have an amazing five man rotation even with the injury. If somebody else has a problem...then we may have a bit of an issue. But still, way back when when the Sox were deciding whether or not to sign Schilling, I kind of saw this coming.

For other Sox news, check this out, and see how Manny is finally getting serious here. And finally, another reason to be glad the Giants won the Superbowl.

Fuck Yeah!

And the Giants won the Superbowl! The Giants won the Superbowl! What an amazing game...what an amazing experience. I am so insanely happy right now...also, my blog got nearly 250 hits yesterday. Thank you again to the Giants, this time for traffic. YES! For all of you who wanted/expected a perfect season for the Patriots: IN YOUR FACE!

Going hiking tomorrow near the AT...if I can get up in time. It's been an interesting night...GO GIANTS! Now for the Red Sox to win another World Series, and the year will be complete. Countdown to opening day on the right, folks.

The Mitchell Report

Or, how baseball was and is a game of enhancements.

Since everyone has been weighing in on the Mitchell Report lately (okay, not everyone, but I just wanted a nice lead in), I thought I'd offer my two cents.

I don't care that baseball players use steroids. It's not like these players were terrible up until they took a shot of HGH or whatever. Steroids don't give a player talent, they enhance his natural abilities. Barry Bonds would still have hit plenty of homers without using steroids. Would he have broken Hank Aaron's record? Maybe not. Does it matter? To me, not much.

Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite have both been revealed to have bent over for the needle at some point. Do I think Pettite should get credit (ooh...accidental rhyming humor :) ) for apologizing? No. Do I think he should have to apologize at all? Nope. Clemens, monumental attention whore that he is, is not a terrible person for using steroids. His use of performance enhancers finally offers an explanation for why he's still playing the game at 43, or whatever age he is now.

Do I think baseball has lost some element of "mystique" because the men who play the game have been revealed to have used steroids? Not at all. Read Bill "Spaceman" Lee's two books about his years as a professional (and unprofessional) pitcher. If ever you had any thoughts about baseball being a gentleman's game, these books will quickly disabuse you of this notion.

I go to a baseball game for two reasons. The first is to enjoy a spectacle - be it pitching or hitting, I want to see a good game. And you know, if both pitcher and hitter are on steroids, then that makes it harder for either to gain an advantage. Odd, but true. The second reason is to see players I like. I'll be at GABP in June when the Sox are in town for a three game set. (Incidentally, no current Red Sox players are mentioned in the Mitchell Report). I love watching the Sox play. If they can play the way they do without steroids, then I love them even more. Would I change allegiances if half the team turned out to be users? Not a chance.

I think the Mitchell Report reveals something about baseball. I don't think it shows a problem with the game, but rather a problem with how the American public perceives the players. Were fans really naive enough to think that their favorite players were all steroid free? That steroids weren't a big problem? Performance enhancers have been part of the game for ages. Why criminalize it now?

If you pull anything out of this disjointed ramble of a post, it should be something like this: Steroids are part of the game. They may not be a glamorous part, but they're a part nonetheless. And I gain nothing in terms of enjoying baseball by raising a big stink about who's using them and who isn't. I don't care.

You know you're bored when...

Today was quite possibly the most boring day I've ever had at Colby. It's a Monday, which automatically makes it bad, but it's also the second to last day that students are allowed to be on campus. The college is virtually empty - of around 2000 students, I estimate about 200 or less to still be on campus. Aside from the friend I'll be riding to Portland with tomorrow, there are about ten people I actually know left here. That being said, I spent the day (since I woke up at 10) on my computer. Aside from lunch (ate alone), saying goodbye to the last few stragglers I know leaving today, making popcorn, and dinner (with a friend), I've been holed up in my room listening to the local classic rock station and playing various computer games. I even sunk so low as to try the Survivor computer game Austin loaned me. I gave that up after I got voted out in the third tribal council. (Austin, by the way, is the resident reality show fanatic. He's currently hosting the campus Survivor game I think I mentioned in a post last month. I'm participating, so I can't tell you what's going on. You'll have to wait for it to all come out on Youtube.)

Other than computer games, I spent about ten minutes packing for the trip tomorrow. How did I make my packing time that short? Easy. I simply shook out the contents of my laundry basket over my empty bag. I'll be doing a rather large load of laundry on Wednesday.

I was just reminded of my love for the Sox...if you're a Red Sox fan, check this site out.

Because I'm feeling random: the song I'm currently listening to? The Grand Duel, Parte Prima, from Kill Bill. Thanks to Seeqpod and Mr. Dusch for the tunes. Next up on the playlist is the theme from Jurassic Park. I do so love John Williams. After that, I'm thinking the theme from Shaft.

While you're at it, check out this video. And this one. And finally, this one. No, I'm not going to embed them. I'm too lazy right now to do that.

Now for some Allman brothers...then House of the Rising Sun. And then possibly a movie...either Airplane or Munich. They're very, very different. I'm not sure. I watched Saving Private Ryan and Miracle last night with a few friends, but they're all gone now. I'm not sure if I'm up to watching Munich alone...I might have to move away from the window.

For now, goodnight. I'll probably post again when I'm sitting in the Portland Jetport for hours and hours tomorrow. I need to find some headphones.