Thursday, August 31, 2017

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- I love illustrations like this

- Underfunded pensions are going to be a big issue to keep an eye on

- Awesome!

- Worth another read - Anthony Bourdain's life advice

- Still funny and still true

- Houston

World Famous Detective

I have a soft spot for the movie Murder on the Orient Express. Even though I've seen the movie about 20-times there's one piece of language that gets me thinking every time. 

In the movie - when people first hear the name Hercule Poirot - the reaction is the same. They all ask "The world famous detective?" That always gets me thinking. Is there such a thing as a world famous detective? I've racked my brain and I cannot think of a single one - not past nor present. 

Maybe its just me but that realization strikes me that vampires are probably closer to reality than characters like Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes.

As an aside not sure how I feel about the upcoming remake (but I'll probably see it).

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Somewhere Over the Rainbow



Somewhere Over the Rainbow played on a 1929 Theremin. Cool!

Ted Williams

Ted Williams would have turned 99-years old today. He was a complete bad-ass fighting for the Marines in both World War II and in Korea.

He is a member of both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the International Game Fish Hall of Fame.

Williams is the last man to hit .400 in MLB and is wildly regarded as the greatest hitter who ever lived. Williams was so great that during Joe DiMaggio's historic 56-game hitting streak - Williams actually had a better batting average over those same 56 games.

I was too young to ever see him play but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate both his baseball career and his service to his country.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Still think Conor McGregor should have punched Floyd Mayweather as hard as possible in the balls once he felt he was up on points after the first couple of rounds. Low blows aren't "MMA moves" so he wouldn't have violated his contract stipulations...  Littlefinger's execution is by far my favorite scene from all the seasons of Game of Thrones. Can't stop watching it!.. Also think it would have been the greatest prank in the history of sports if when he got to the ring it wasn't actually Floyd Mayweather under the mask but comedian Kevin Hart. Mayweather could have then sprinted into the ring. That would have been awesome!... Heh heh... Can we all agree that Jim Gray is awful? A man bereft of charm who sucks the energy out of any interview he attempts. He doesn't bring anything to the sports table at this point. He's the rude cousin who sneezes on the desserts before Thanksgiving dinner... You may think you're cool but you'll never be as cool as 1976 Doctor J...  Just as an FYI - Ted Danson's Toupee Harem is too long a name in most fantasy football formats...

Monday, August 28, 2017

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Amazon Prime reveals NFL Thursday night streaming schedule. (As someone who has cut the cord and has Amazon Prime this is great.)

- Heh heh - always makes me chuckle

- Another example of why Logan Airport is the worst airport in the country. They now want to charge people for dropping off passengers.

- 15 words every outdoors lover should know

- Why the average American today is "richer" than John D Rockefeller was in 1916. Reminds me of how Napoleon was overwhelmed by the water park in Bill and Ted's Big Adventure.

-  They could put this passenger transportation system in at Logan Airport and it would still be the worst airport in the country

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Friday, August 25, 2017

Danny Ainge Statue


Let me be the first to suggest that if the Los Angeles Lakers 2018 first round NBA Draft pick turns out to be a Top 5 pick and the Brooklyn Nets pick does not - then the City of Boston should pay to erect a statue at Faneuil Hall similar to the one already there for Red Auerbach.

The Celtics got the Lakers pick for letting the 76ers pick first in the last draft while the player Boston said they wanted all along, Jayson Tatum was still there for them with the 3rd pick. It was a classic Red move.

Revisiting the Kyrie Irving Trade

It's been a few days to digest the trade that brought Kyrie Irving to Boston and sent Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and the Nets first round 2018 pick to Cleveland. The best analysis of the trade I've seen so far was by Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo! Sports.

And why did Kyrie Irving want to be traded in the first place? Well this is one explanation that makes a whole lot of sense.

My apologies to Jae Crowder. I thought he'd be happy at the news of the trade. Little did I know he was dealing with the passing of his mom. My deepest regrets and condolences.

Danny Ainge has it 100% when it comes to what Isaiah Thomas gave to Boston. Amen indeed! The jackasses burning Isaiah Thomas jerseys? Attention whores and shame on any of you who gave them any attention (one of the big problems in today's society but that's a post for another time). And those unnamed NBA sources who said Thomas wasn't well liked in the Celtics locker room? My guess is they work for teams interested in signing Thomas when he's a free agent and are subtly trying to drive down the asking price.

Celtics fans have nothing but gratitude for Isaiah Thomas. He gave us everything he had. He gave us fourth quarter victories we had no business to expect. He gave us smiles on our face from watching his pure joy on the basketball court. Nothing but gratitude. Anyone who says otherwise is not a Celtics fan.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Celtics Trade for Kyrie Irving

Let me first say it is entirely possible to love Isaiah Thomas but also still love the trade for Kyrie Irving. I'm guessing a large number of Celtics fans in Boston feel that way.

Last night the Boston Celtics traded Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Brooklyn Nets 2018 1st round draft pick for Kyrie Irving. I like this trade very much for Boston but by the same token this may be the rare trade that benefits both teams.

Cleveland needed to trade Kyrie Irving after he publicly asked for a trade and his rift with LeBron James also became public knowledge. I still say Cleveland would have been better off forcing a trade of LeBron to the the Lakers but that ship has sailed. The Cavaliers front office did not want to do a deal with Boston but no other trade with similar value was available. So Kyrie Irving finds himself this morning in Boston.

Make no mistake - this trade was really Kyrie Irving for the Nets 1st round pick. The rest, including Isaiah Thomas, was salary match filler. It is so fitting that Paul Pierce is having his number retired by Boston on a night they play Cleveland next season because this trade could really be called Kyrie Irving for Paul Pierce when you consider where the Celtics assets in this deal came from in the first place.

For Cleveland they get an All-Star caliber point guard to team with LeBron James and Kevin Love for one more run at a title next season before James bolts for the Lakers. Thomas is a proven 4th quarter scorer who would still rather create for others. A very likable human being who will be a fan favorite and who could be a staple in Cleveland for years if the Cavaliers decide to back up the Brinks truck for Thomas after this season. I just wonder how the dynamic with the newly signed Derrick Rose will work out.

Jae Crowder will prove to be a valuable contributor for Cleveland. He's a defensive specialist on a team that really needs such a player. Plus he has one of the most reasonable contracts in the NBA. For Crowder, with the signing of Gordon Haywood, there wasn't room for him in Boston anyway. So he's potentially the happiest player being dealt last night.

On the Boston side - I'm a firm believer of the idea that when you trade a quarter for two dimes and a nickel - the team getting the getting the quarter is almost always the winner. Irving gives Boston a better point guard and a more stable health and salary cap contract situation moving forward.

It is amazing when you consider where the assets on the Boston side in the deal actually came from. The 1st round pick Boston used to acquire Thomas in the first place originally belonged to Cleveland! The Nets pick was a robbery in the best Red Auerbach mode and don't forget that Jae Crowder was basically a throw in to the Rajon Rondo deal.

I'm really sorry to see Isaiah Thomas go but if Boston fans are honest it looks like Danny Ainge traded him at his peak value and many are afraid that between his hip and his age that a max contract was a big, BIG risk that's now no longer the Celtics problem.

As much as I like this deal for the Celtics - the Cavaliers are still the team to beat in the NBA East next season. The season after that? Well that's a different story.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Jocko Willink - Motivation "Good"



Wow! I bet if you listened to this every morning for a month that your life would change for the better no matter what your circumstances.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- End of an era - the last Dodge Viper

- The wisdom of Cam Neely

- K9's are awesome

- Obama on Afghanistan vs the reality in Afghanistan (history will not be kind)

- Good question

- Sean freaking Connery

- Joke going around Chinese social media (it stings when your country is the butt of such a joke and the joke has the ring of truth)

- A Tom Brady hater has his eyes opened to the truth

Monday, August 21, 2017

Fishing with John

Just discovered the 1991 cult TV series Fishing with John.

This is going to kill my productivity much more than any eclipse.

Joe Strummer



Joe Strummer would have been 65-years old today.

Miss you Joe.

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I have to wonder if the Red Sox will place David Price on waivers to see if anyone claims him. And if someone does claim him will they decline to pull him back off waivers or would they be happy to be free of his contract?... This is pretty cool... Vaginal Seeding would be a good name for a band (or a porno disguised as a documentary)... Price has 5-years and $157 million left on his contract and can opt out of his deal after next season. Most in Boston wouldn't mind seeing him in another uniform. The sooner the better... Death of a hero. Hopefully his work can continue... Heroic Nudes would be a good name for a band (or a fitness based strip club)... News you can use...

Friday, August 18, 2017

25-Years Ago - Larry Bird Retires


On this day in 1992 the Larry Bird era officially comes to an end as Larry Legend announces his retirement after winning a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics as a member of the first (and in my opinion only) Dream Team.

In Boston the number 33 makes you think of just one person - Larry Bird. In the mid 1980's if you asked the average Bostonian about Bird the reply was likely to be, "Larry Bird is a God." Bird was a player whose greatness could not be expressed or understood by simply looking at his numbers. I've heard a number of people compare Dirk Nowitzki to Larry Bird because Nowitzki's points per game and rebounds per game were similar. Just looking at the numbers just doesn't tell the story of how important and how great some players are. As great as Dirk Nowitzki was he just wasn't close to Larry Bird in greatness. Maybe 2 or 3 players in NBA history can legitimately be compared to Larry Legend.



Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The Tao of Mookie

- Heh heh (and reminder my Twitter handle is @ALargeRegular)

- New England Patriots take on rest of AFC East and Roger Goodell

- Interesting read on the relationship between Jimmy Johnson and Bill Belichick

- A message from the children of Johnny Cash

- In case you missed it - the Red Sox ceremonial first pitch to the nuts

- Daniel Craig on board to play Bond one more time

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Don't Blame Me - I Voted for Gary Johnson



My vote for the Johnson/Weld ticket last time around is looking better and better in hindsight. Hopefully I'll get a chance to vote for Romney/Rubio in 2020.

Mitt Romney's dad lived to be 84 so I'm not concerned about his age. This country needs a person of integrity to right the ship of state and put America back in it's rightful place as the world's leader.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Waffle House and the Eclipse


Everyone wants to get in on the Eclipse business. Above is a map of the best places to watch the eclipse while eating at a Waffle House. Because - you know - people were clamoring for that information.

The last time I ate at a Waffle House was in Nashville (one of the yellow dots on the map). The waitress took our order and a few minutes later, unbeknownst to us, quit her job mid shift. It was about 20-minutes before anyone came to our table to check on us and ask us again for our order since it was never put in by the now former employee. After we ate the manager, prince of a man, offered us a 10% discount on our meals for our trouble. Did I mention it was the last time I ate at a Waffle House?

In other news, my daughter is going to Nashville to view the eclipse. I think I raised her well enough that I don't have to advise her to view the eclipse from somewhere better than a Waffle House.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Has to be asked - how long before we see one of those Hitler in the bunker videos about Charlottesville?... Heh heh... Had my first Pumpkin Spice beer over the weekend. I know it's still summer and not close to fall yet but I couldn't resist... The word "overmorrow" means the day after tomorrow. What a great word! How come we never use the word overmorrow?... Heh heh... Lobster Cooch would be a good name for a B-52's cover band or a hipster seafood dish... Just a reminder - Dr. Jane Goodall believes in Bigfoot... If they do a Batman re-boot - I hope they cast Christian Bale as a villain. How cool and meta trippy would that be?... Meanwhile the Washington Post is destroying their credibility in sports too... Strip Club Chowder would be a good name for a band (or a porn movie)... Still disappointed that when Burger King and Tim Horton's merged they didn't change the name of all the franchises to Burger Horton's...

Just Like the Jesuits

Every once and a while I get these urges to say certain things just to give myself a chuckle. The latest urge is to randomly say the phrase "Just like the Jesuits" after someone else has said something. For example:

Barack Obama: "It's not surprising, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them"  
Me: (Thrusting my finger in the air for emphasis) "Just like the Jesuits!"

Random guy at McDonald's: "I much prefer the sausage McMuffin over the regular McMuffin."
Me: (Nodding my head in agreement) "Just like the Jesuits."

Anyone hearing the comment will have to wonder what the hell do I mean? Am I crazy? Am I being anti-Catholic in some way? Do the Jesuits really like the sausage McMuffin better? In reality it would just be something I'd be saying for my own enjoyment.

Just like the Jesuits!

Sunday, August 13, 2017

I Drive Your Truck - Lee Brice



I've been familiar with this song for quite a while but what I did not know was:

A: the song was about Army Sergeant 1st Class Jared Monti and his father Paul
B: Jared Monti was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery
C: Paul Monti lives in Brocton, Mass
D: Paul Monti wasn't aware the song even existed for 2-years after the song's release

The more you know about the song the more poignant it becomes.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Interesting - MDMA (aka Ecstasy) may help eliminate PTSD

- Happy 56th wedding anniversary to el Tiante and his beautiful wife Maria

- The Deflategate Karma Police claim another victim - this time hypocrite Jerry Jones

- Heh heh

- Proof that Outside Magazine is just a shill mag for Big Wheel. Fire was robbed of the award - robbed I tell you!

- If this doesn't make you tear up - I'm not sure I want to know you

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Cops and Dunkin Donuts

I've been meaning to comment on this story about police officers being refused service at a NYC Dunkin Donuts.

The cops are right to boycott the particular Dunkin franchise and the corporate offices are correct in instructing other franchisees not to say a damn thing about the situation because this could quickly turn into Dunkin Donuts' worst nightmare.

The story I've always been told is that in the 1970's Dunkin Donuts started to offer police officers free coffee and donuts because they were always getting robbed. A mostly cash business that was open all sorts of hours was a magnet for junkies and criminals. Then a sudden and increased police presence was a massive deterrent to the idea that a Dunkin's was an easy mark for a quick robbery. Problem solved and all it cost was some coffee and donuts that would have gone bad anyways.

Now if the police start boycotting Dunkin locations because of some douchebag's sense of entitlement - never mind the bad publicity - how soon before the criminals start targeting the locations being boycotted by the police? How quickly do you think cops will be to speed to those locations when the distress calls comes into dispatch?  Once again Dunkin locations become easy marks for quick cash by those desperate for a fix. And how willing would customers feel about going to a place that could be robbed at any time? Revenue and stock prices would plummet.

My guess is all it would take is a couple of pistol whippings before everyone is back to loving seeing the boys in blue pulling up in their squad cars again. Even the entitled douchebags.

Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories



Simply fantastic!

Friday, August 11, 2017

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- How can you not love and root for Tim Tebow?

- How can you not love and root for the Marines?

- Cool - one of the nastiest sea creatures to ever live has been named after Motorhead frontman Lemmy

- Heh heh

- Many TV channels can actually make more streaming than in traditional cable packages.

- Holy fuck!

- I really don't want this report to be true. Though it would explain my having to be put on blood pressure medicine.

The Bill Burr Experience

Edit: Reposting this from 2-years ago because I still think it's a good idea

In recent years a new formula has overtaken the world of stand-up comedy. It used to be (and still is the case for people like Jay Leno) that a comedian had an act and the act and jokes varied very little from year to year. Then comedians started developing an hour's worth of material, honing that material on the road and finally culminating in a taped hour (or so) special. After the special was done the comedian would basically retire the material and start work on a new hour's worth of jokes and stories. Let's call this the Louis CK Formula.

Keeping things new and fresh is absolutely the way to go for people like Louis CK, Jim Gaffigan, and other top comics. However, it almost seems a waste that after the specials are done the material only lives on in DVD sales, on Netflix or HBO Go or in YouTube clips. Here's my idea to fix that and we'll use Bill Burr as an excellent example.

Bill has two great recent specials - You People are All the Same  (2012) and Let It Go (2010). He could tighten the material to about 45 minutes of each by getting rid of anything current events related or stuff that didn't work as well as hoped. Then he could hire actors who looked like him (scrawny, sickly looking red heads) who would do the material. One would open with 45 minutes from Let It Go, then a 15 minute intermission followed by second guy doing 45 minutes from You People are All the Same. Curtain call, both actors take bows and then head off to the next city.

I'd go to see something like that. Bill Burr owns the rights to his own material and this would be a way of both making money off past labors and giving people an excellent entertainment option. Think of it this way - if AC/DC only played new songs in concert people would flock to AC/DC cover bands to hear the old songs.

Call it the Bill Burr Experience and let's get the show on the road. Release the Kracken!

Monday, August 07, 2017

Saturday, August 05, 2017

Friday, August 04, 2017

Colin Kaepernick

I am so sick about dishonest stories about Colin Kaepernick. The only reason he doesn't have an NFL job for the 2017 season is because HE OPTED OUT of his contract! A contract that would have paid him $14.5 million this season!

So why did he opt out of his contract? One assumes for more money and a chance to start for a better team than the 49ers. As far as money - there are only 22 QB's in the NFL who will make more than the $14.5 million he turned his nose up at. After that there is a big drop off in salary to rookie deals and back-up pay.

If you were in a fantasy league would you trade Kaepernick for any of the 22 QB's ahead of him on the salary list? You could argue Mike Glennon at 22 with $15 million but just behind Glennon at 23 is Bears rookie Mitch Trubisky at $7 million. Why would Chicago bring in Kaepernick when they are trying to groom Trubisky as their QB of the future. You could also argue Brock Osweiler at $18 million but that would be like trading one set of problems for another. At least Osweiler seems to want to be a football player. The same can't be said of Kaepernick.

In all the stories out there on Kaepernick - how many talk about his dedication to off-season conditioning or working with a QB guru to improve on this 26th rated completion rate? ZERO! Where's the proof he even wants to play football anymore?

If you are Baltimore do you bring Kaepernick in after his girlfriend compared the team owner to a slave owner? If you're the Dolphins do you bring this guy in for a try-out? People who don't know football will list a number of QB's they think aren't as talented as Kaepernick but the problem is these guys are all back-up QBs! If Kaepernick wanted to be a back-up he could have stayed in San Francisco. The 49ers didn't force him to opt out of his contract.

But you won't read any of the above in the stories about him being "blackballed" by the NFL. Because the truth in this case doesn't fit the wanted narrative.

Slice of Life

Had a vivid dream. I had sex with Jennifer Anniston. She was upset that I didn't use a rubber. Then she was upset that I used a condom but somehow it didn't belong to me. I promised her that I'd buy a box of Trojans. Then we were in an old house that had rooms dedicated to basketball hoops.

Woke up. Had to pee.

Foo Fighters Cover of Tom Sawyer



This cover always makes me smile.

It also makes me want to see Foo Fighters in concert again.

Thursday, August 03, 2017

Happy Birthday to the GOAT


Happy 40th birthday to Tom Brady the best to ever play the game.

Tuesday, August 01, 2017

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Did lunges today for the first time in years. My legs are going to be sore tomorrow!

- Would be marketing genius for Barstool Sports to give these out for free before the Patriots 1st game of the season with Goodell in attendance.

- Who has two thumbs and will be adding walnuts to their diet? This guy!

- Heh heh

- Great article on why Kevin Garnett holds and will always hold a special place in the hearts of Celtics fans.

- President Trump presents Medal of Honor to Vietnam War hero (where do we find such men!)

Top 5 - Sam Shephard Movie Roles


Sam Shephard has passed away at age 73 due to complications from ALS. Here are what I consider his Top 5 Movie roles (you can tell from the above what's number one on my list).

1. The Right Stuff - Chuck Yeager
2  Black Hawk Down - Garrison
3. Purgatory - Wild Bill Hickock (loved the concept of this movie)
4. Mud - Tom (very underrated role in a very underrated movie)
5. The Pelican Brief - Thomas Callahan

Truly a unique talent. RIP