Robyn Hitchcock On Sundance TV Channel

One of the reasons I haven't got DirecTV yet(this is in theory, in reality I can't) is that, from what I've seen, they do not carry the Sundance Television Channel. Sure, they have the Independent Film Channel, but I've come to view more of the programming that Sundance airs overall, mostly in terms of documentaries. There are some other issues I have with the cable/DirecTV choice, but that will be the content for another post (coming up very soon I'm afraid, now that Bud Selig has been hell-bent on alienating baseball fans all over the country by giving the satellite system the exclusive rights for Extra Innings, major league baseball's pay per view system for fans of teams out of their market).


Anyway, a current documentary of ye olde English rocker Robyn Hitchcock is now airing on the channel. I was a huge fan of his stuff in the 80's & 90's, though I'm not so fond of Storefront Hitchcock, the Jonathan Demme film of Robyn performing. The reviews so far have been good, so it will be a treat to watch some television tonight. An edited review will follow shortly......





EDIT: Very enjoyable viewing, the documentary has a running time of 53 minutes. Basically it's a look at the recording of Robyn's album at his home in London with Peter Buck,Scott McCaughey and Bill Reiflin, (the Venus 3), and some footage of their U.S tour of late 2006. John Paul Jones and Nick Lowe make appearances in the film in England, with Jones doing some recording for the album, and former Soft Boy (and Egyptian) Morris Windsor on both sides of the pond. Lots of great songs throughout, and lovely versions of N.Y.Doll and Evolve.



STORY

Circuit City: Yer Fired Cause You Make Too Much, We'll Rehire You For Less Though

Something that would make me reconsider how a company treats its employees: a plan has been announced for electronics retailers Circuit City to lay off over 3,000 of its current employees immediatedly, hire new workers who will make less, and then give those ex-employees a chance to be rehired at a lower wage.................after a 10 week interim period has passed.


Maybe it's cause I've never had to work for a large corporation, plus I've been blessed to work for companies where people actually for one another, but this story annoys me. First of all, whose fault is it if the company agrees to pay those type of wages? Have they eliminated "redundancies" in the front office as well?


Perhaps the upper management thinks the lower-paid employees, new hires and old alike, will give better customer service than what we've become accustomed to, but this is still a potentially frightening prospect: is this what the majority of the American workforce is going to have to face at some time in their life?


I guess there is a bit of a bright side, in that at least Circuit City is, publicly at least, willing to rehire those workers, but in overall coldness terms, this effort does rank just ahead of Radio Shack's E-MAIL LAYOFFS.

STORY

Cheerleader Compilation

...from the NCAA's Division 1 "March Madness" tourney. Very nice to see the lovely ladies of the University of Oregon several times, I think that it's a pre-requisite to be that good looking to qualify for the squad. For the record, the cheerleaders are never in front of my section at Autzen, cause it's full of players, referees, the injured, and the sundry other people given sideline passes. I need to switch down to the other side of the North Side of the stadium, where most of the action is.

First noticed on With Leather, who got it from The Score ; I just heard this song for the first time last week, it's the one that has lifts from Supertramp, of all artists.












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No More Joes....(Well, G.I. actually)

Longtime local merchants of sporting goods and auto supplies G.I. Joes has announced that they are dropping the initial (groan) part of their business name as a "sign of the times". The official change is this Sunday, so this isn't an April Fool's joke of any kind, to celebrate their 55th anniversary, so good luck to them in this effort. The store will still be my choice for quality sporting goods and the chance to pay some of TicketBastard's "convenience" charges on their tickets. Yay for capitalism!



STORY

The Fall Reformation Post TLC

Yet another Fall album to fill the bins, this U.S version (out today and bought at a fine indie retailer in Eugene) arrives a month later than the U.K. issue. One track less for us Yanks (The Usher is gone, it seems), but we do get some bonus multi-media stuff in four videos from their "legendary 2006 North American Tour" (hey, that's what it says on the back cover, I'm sure everybody knows what happened last spring in the southwest).


Can only give this thing one listen through tonight...........and the first verdict is that I don't like it as much as the last two. I don't think Insult Song or Das Boot will find its way onto the airways of even the most adventurous radio stations, but Over! Over! gets things off in a good manner, while Reformation is closet in terms of "classic" Fall sound. There's another cover, this time of Merle Haggard's White Line Fever, which the band has fun playing, but I still rather prefer Dino's Houston from the previous album, The Real New Fall LP.


First verdict: 3 and a half stars, out of five. More later

Humboldt Squid Along The West Coast

Interesting story in today's Los Angeles Times about the increase in the numbers of the Humboldt squid in California waters, as well as sightings of the creature all along the west coast of the Americas, from Chile to Alaska. Various factors as to the cause of this is discussed in the article, with the potential of damage to fisheries along the U.S. coast a possibility of this action. The interaction the squid have with humans is also discussed, which is a rarity as they prefer to live at depths that tend to prohibit close study of them.



LA TIMES STORY





Also, a related story from the Monterey County Weekly, from a couple of years ago but still timely, is HERE

Florida 85 Ducks 77

Halftime at St. Louis. Been an energetic, if slightly sloppy, affair so far, with the Ducks creating a number of Florida turnovers to score some points (not enough of 'em) while the Gators pounded the offensive boards to grab the half time lead.


The Ducks have been paced by great games so far from Aaron Brooks and Malik Hairston, Tajuan Porter, the hero of the Sweet Sixteen victory against UNLV, has gone scoreless I believe, though he's had some good looks at the basket. The Gators have been able to hit 7 of 12 from the three point range to neutralize the Ducks' defensive efforts inside, where both Horford and Noah have been quiet on that front.


Should be an exciting finish.....



2:40 pm edit:


More of what the Gators did successfully in the first half, especially from Lee Humphrey shooting the threes, were the reason the Florida kept Oregon at arm's length the entire second half, never letting them get closer than four points, though often the Ducks would have a chance to do so.


Some number from the box score that ring out: rebounding 35 to 21 to Florida; 11 of 24 three points shots for Florida to 8 of 22 for the Ducks, including 2 of 10 for Porter, and both of those makes came late as the Ducks continued to battle; 30 to 14 on total fouls called, with the Ducks getting whistled the most, and both Hairston and Leunen fouling out, as did reserve Joevan Catron.


The Ducks get a decent job of keeping the Gator big men off the scoresheet, but too many offensive rebounds were another factor that propelled the defending national champions to the win, and the Ducks couldn't hit the three point shot as often as Florida; in my estimation, those three pointers were contested well, you just have to tip your hat to them for making them (now I know how UNLV felt on Friday).


At the final whistle, the Ducks played well enough to win if they'd converted their chances, but they didn't, which is why Florida is on their way to Atlanta for a rematch from last year's title game with the UCLA Bruins.


Congrats to Florida on a very fine victory....



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BOX SCORE

To Catch A Thief

Unlike the blog mascot in the upper right, having a dedicated feline in the house might've caught the thief of Bill Exner's dentures and made a nice meal of him by now. As it is, the Exners of Waterville, Maine have been trying to cope with an unwanted houseguest, one who even stole the man's dentures from his bedside stand while he slept. Read the whole, strange story HERE

Oregon 76 UNLV 72 (a.k.a. The Tajuan Porter Show)

Not entirely true, at least in the beginning, but the Oregon Ducks edged the University Of Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels 76-72 behind the torrid three point shooting of freshman Tajuan Porter, who finished 8 of 12 from behind the arc.


It was the Rebels who started the game on fire from outside, I believe that 4 of their first 5 baskets were 3's, and they erased a 7-2 deficit to tie the game at 14. The Ducks got most of their early baskets from inside, most notably (to the CBS announcers at least) by Joevan Catron. The rest of the half was a see-saw affair, with the Ducks having the better offensive balance (and defensive edge, which cooled the Rebels hot outside shooting) to grab a 37-33 lead.


Porter started the second half on fire, one of his three pointers had such height on it that one of the announcers said that "it had ice on it coming back down" (or something similar). The Ducks continued their good defensive effort, combined in part with a willingness by the Rebels to shoot a quick three, to forge an 18 point lead late in the second half, but UNLV forged a strong comeback by both going inside and regaining their outside shooting touch. But, it was just a little too late to achieve the victory, and now the Ducks will go on to face the defending national champion Florida Gators Sunday at 11:40 a.m. (PST) in the midwest regional final.


A couple of things helped the Rebels and hurt the Ducks: turnovers, the Ducks had 17 to UNLV's 8, and the Rebels scored 20 off of those I believe, and offensive rebounds, where the Ducks were killed 19 to 6; some of that was failing to block out, and some of it was down to bad positioning. Still, the Rebels had beaten the Wisconsin Badgers on their way to this Sweet Sixteen showdown, so this was not a team fortunate to be there; they certainly earned their way, and it certainly made for compelling viewing down the stretch when many of the viewers may have thought the game was over. Congrats on an excellent season and effort to Rebel head coach Lon Kruger, your team certainly had nothing to be ashamed about.





RECAP



BOX SCORE

Every Vote Counts: This Time For David Wright's Coming To Bat Song

Democracy in action, whereupon a major league baseball player and his team has decided to let the fans vote on what song we all get to hear when coming at bat at Shea Stadium. David Wright and the New York Mets have announced a two-round competition HERE; the least you could do is rock the vote for the dreamy third baseman (the last bit had to be included on account of all of the "Marry Me David" signs that have been spotted ever since he became an everyday starter for the Mets.


My choice, after viewing some of the ones listed, is Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick by Ian Dury And The Blockheads.

Are You An Optimist Or A Pessimist?

Since everyone has to acknowledge that our lives have improved with the advent of the internet, then we must proceed with unquestioned eagerness to find out the answer to the above question on said medium, and not wait for the answer to it in a Chinese fortune cookie.



Your total view of some of the characteristics of the swirling mass of humanity on this planet, God's own green earth, will be called to the front with these specially worded questions designed to cover the gamut of human expectations of said world and people. [/ridiculousness]







At any rate, your humble narrator is what he has always claimed to be, the protestations of others notwithstanding........:)

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

Take the quiz HERE.

Maybe He Meant 50 In 4 Games:

Having to get up at the ungodly hour of 2:30 a.m. this morning, I skipped the Blazers/Wizards game in Portland last night. Nice to see that the Portland fans gave Gilbert Arenas a healthy welcome to the game, not forgetting the ridiculous boasts made by the All-Star in his personal vendetta against the coaches in on the decision to cut him from the U.S. national team last year, and his vow to put up 50 on each of the teams involved. Those teams would be Phoenix and coach Mike D'Antoni, who Arenas scored 54 on, and Portland, and coach Nate McMillan.


Round one went to the Blazers earlier this year in Washington, recounted HERE; round two was last night, and Arenas had another lousy shooting night, shooting 4 from 16 from the field en route to a grand total of 19 points, and putting up an air ball on the last shot of the game, which could've tied the game but fell short as Arenas and the Wizards fell 100-98 in Portland.


ESPN's Mike & Mike (Buster Olney filling in for Golic) had a clip from Blazer radio man Brian Wheeler describing the action at the end, and how it was fitting for Arenas to end the game on such a note after his airing his personal grievances. Ah, the joy of Wheeler's voice, and of the appreciation of the crowd to witness such an exhibition.


RECAP

Something Everyone Can't Enjoy; Larry 'Bud' Melman R.I.P.

Sad to see the passing of former David Letterman regular Larry 'Bud' Melman just now. Won't forget his appearances on the show, he was a lovable figure through it all the madness, nor his classic appearance in the Run-DMC video King Of Rock. He was 85, and passed after an illness. Thank you for being a good sport Calvert.



LARRY




A classic clip from Melman on Letterman from 83; this still makes me laugh out loud.

Spurs 1 Chelsea 2

Missed most of this replay of the FA Cup quarter final replay, after the breakdown of losing a 3-1 lead at Stamford Bridge last week, but a couple of sweet goals by the Blues left the Spurs in the dust shaking their heads.


Andriy Shevchenko and Shaun Wright-Phillips both belted home the Chelsea goals in a span of 7 second half minutes to give the visitors the lead, Shevchenko's goal was a bolt from the right side that had a wicked curve that landed just inside the far post, and Didier Drogba fed Wright-Phillips for a lethal left footed blow that gave Paul Robinson no chance to react.


Spurs replied in the 79nth minute with a penalty kick by Robbie Keane, after Ricardo Carvalho clearly cut down Dimitar Berbatov in the box. Spurs also had plenty of chances to score in the match, how Pascal Chimbonda missed in the first half is a mystery, but as Saturday's goal by Robinson showed, sometimes this game is a matter of inches, and what may go in one day may not the next.


Their was a bit of contentiousness between the teams, as both badly wanted to move forward to the semi finals, particularly when John Terry walked in front of Robbie Keane just as he was about to take the penalty kick, and from Petr Cech, who kicked the ball away from Keane after the ball found the next, irritating the Irishman, who wanted to retrieve the ball so as to get on with the match. Keane pushed the goalie away from him, but no further caution from the referee was needed.


There was some extra-curricular activity after the match, a disgruntled Spurs fan ran onto the field and tried to take a swing at Frank Lampard, but was quickly brought down by security forces.


Yes, I'll admit being quite disappointed with this defeat, but Martin Jol thought that his team gave it all that they had, and it indeed was the quality of the Chelsea strikes that made the difference in this game.


REPORT



PITCH INVASION

Paul Robinson's Goal Vs. Watford

Because Paul Robinson's goal deserves its own post.....an unbelievable strike from near on 80 yards away!








via videosift.com

Oregon 75 Winthrop 61: So Long Cinderella

What a bloody tragedy, the apparent hope for a repeat of last year's George Mason (yes, I'm thinkin' about Rick Majerus for the most part) went down in flames as the Oregon Ducks used their speed on defense and hot outside shooting to beat the Eagles 75-61. The Eagles were up 27-23 when everything clicked for Oregon, and the Ducks ended the half with a 10-2 run to claim a four point lead.


The second half was a continuation of the end of the first, with Tajuan Porter leading the offensive charge, and bumped their lead up to 18 points. The Eagles didn't help their own cause by missing 16 straight 3 point attempts in an effort to come back, and when they started reconnecting late in the game, it was too little, too late.


The next game should be interesting as #2 seed Wisconsin lost to #7 seed UNLV in the same manner as they almost did against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, by falling behind quickly and taking too much time and energy to recover. The winner of the Oregon/UNLV matchup gets the winner of the Florida/Butler test, and I'm not viewing Butler as this year's George Mason, as the Bulldogs were a #5 seed coming into the tourney, and a fixture in the top 25 all season.








STORY

College Mascots Gone Wrong: The Worst

Very funny post about the worst looking mascots for Division 1 colleges at Drivl.com. Thank god Oregon retired the Roboduck PDQ before he could overtake the likes of the St. Louis Billiken (Oregon gets enough flack for the color of its football uniforms; we don't need a lousy mascot to boot).


Check out the rest of the, err, competition HERE

Jury Duty Calls: It's My Responsibility

I really did get my jury duty notice, for the city, on Thursday the 15th, for the second time of my life, the first was back in the early 80's. I've also registered for the federal jury pool a few years ago, but I'd never heard anything since. I was also called upon, when living in Salem, to serve on the jury for the case in the murder of Michael Francke, the Oregon director for the Department Of Corrections. Very bad timing had me handing in a request to be excused (just started a new term of school, no one could replace me at work without hardship, etc.)


Gonna let the juvenile aspect of my character take over for a second and hope that any of the upcoming cases that I may get called to serve upon might be like the one down in New Zealand, whereupon a female solicitor gave testimony to the court topless, in a case involving a man and some apparently inappropriate touches during a massage. The full story of this case is HERE.



I'll grow up again and say that honestly that it really wouldn't be that big of a deal; this lady did what she had to do, no more and no less, and any kind of reaction other than that is just wide of the mark of recognizing some of the tricker aspects in the relationships between men and women.



No artists rendering of the courtroom action have yet surfaced, and the defense attorney has promised the lady that "....we can promise you it won't appear on YouTube," given that her testimony was videoed for testimonial purposes.

Spurs 3 Watford 1

Quite a shock this morning as I'd checked to see if the Spurs/Watford game was gonna be televised live on Fox Soccer. The guide said "live", so I got on the internet to check the other EPL scores, and was surprised when the game tracker said Spurs 2 Watford 0 in the 73rd minute, and even more surprised when I saw that goalie Paul Robinson had scored a goal in the 62nd minute. Baffled because the game obviously wasn't gonna be live, and how in the world did Robbo get a goal in a close game in the middle of the second half? I mean, I know about the goal he got for Leeds vs. Swindon, but he was down on the other end of the pitch in a last minute effort for Leeds to score.


No, this was a howler of a mistake by the back line of the Watford defense and their goalie Ben Foster; one defender looked as if he was gonna head away Robinson's very long free kick, but he shied away at the last minute, and goalie Foster was in a bad spot to deal with the bounce of the ball as it landed in front of him.



The first thirty or so minutes were dull, with not much excitement on either the pitch or in the stands, but things started to turn around with a lovely header from Jermaine Jenas in the 41st minute. The crowd really responded after Robinson's goal in the second half, and it was kind of easy as Watford could not manage any sort of offensive attack for the majority of the game, until Darius Henderson scored just before full time, aided by some weak Spurs defending.


Fifth game in a row for Spurs with three goals, an excellent run of form and now they are back in the hunt for a UEFA cup spot next season.



BBC


GUARDIAN



SOCCERLENS


SPURS SITE

Can't Toss A Salad At Stamford Bridge: Chelsea To Ban Celery Tossers

I suppose it'll save a lot of food from being wasted, but count me as one person who doesn't like celery the vegetable, the stringy bits just get caught between my teeth. Yes, it is true: the powers that be of the Chelsea FC have set forth a ban of the veggie being thrown from the stands of Stamford Bridge. What? It's not like throwing the frozen OCTOPUS that they do in Detroit for Red Wing hockey games, so what's the deal?



CURRENT ARTICLE



HISTORY OF THE VEGGIE & CHELSEA

Guidelines for Using a Cellphone Abroad

From the "I didn't know all of that info" department: Some of the things one would need to know before using their cellphone, a mainstay of most peoples lives these days, overseas, information that I've yet to see in any of the manuals of the various phones I've had over the years.




FULL STORY




This is from the technology section of today's New York Times (not exactly with their permission, but I dunno if you have to register to read this, or how long it will be available online, I think basic stories don't have the same age limits as do topical news stories, though doubtless I'm probably wrong about that).




Guidelines for Using a Cellphone Abroad
By ERIC A. TAUB
Published: March 15, 2007

As a T-Mobile subscriber, Ken Grunski, a businessman in San Diego, knew that his cellphone would work during a trip to Tanzania. What he did not expect was the bill: $800 for 10 days’ use.

“I didn’t think I was going to use my phone that much,” Mr. Grunski said. “But two to three 10-minute calls a day, and it adds up.”


What a shame that Mr. Grunski did not heed his own company’s advice. If he had, he would have saved himself a bundle.


Mr. Grunski owns Telestial, a company that sells SIM cards, small chips that replace those in cellphones sold by T-Mobile and Cingular and lower the costs of calls when overseas.



While his American phone worked abroad without one, Mr. Grunski was paying sky-high rates because he was roaming in a foreign country. T-Mobile charged him $5 a minute to roam in Tanzania.

If Mr. Grunski had used one of the SIM cards he sells, he would have paid $1.15 a minute to call the United States and his calls — averaging 16 minutes a day — would have cost him $184, rather than $800.

While Americans have embraced the convenience of using cellphones, trying to dial from overseas often brings surprises. Even if the phone works, voice mail may not. Depending on the handset, coverage can be spotty. Make the wrong choices, and you may find a huge bill.

The right tactics to avoid those headaches depend on which carrier you use, the length of your trip and your destination.



GSM vs. CDMA

A majority of the world’s cellphone subscribers — 82 percent — use the GSM technology standard, according to the GSM Association. In the United States, the major carriers use two systems. Cingular (now AT&T) and T-Mobile use GSM, while Sprint and Verizon use CDMA, an incompatible technology.

CDMA technology is found in North America, as well as some Asian countries, but it is basically nonexistent in Europe. As a result, Sprint and Verizon customers can use their phones in just 26 countries. (AT&T and T-Mobile customers can potentially use theirs in over a hundred.)

When traveling in non-CDMA countries, Sprint and Verizon customers can rent or purchase GSM phones from those providers. Sprint rents a Motorola Razr for $58 for the first week, and $70 for two weeks, plus $1.29 to $4.99 a minute of airtime. Verizon charges $3.99 a day to rent, plus $1.49 to $4.99 a minute. Verizon also sells three combo CDMA-GSM models, priced from $150 to $600 with a two-year contract.


Cingular and T-Mobile customers have more options — if their existing phones can pick up multiple frequencies. To complicate matters, the American GSM standard operates on 850 and 1,900 megahertz, while the rest of the GSM world uses 900 and 1,800 megahertz.

To use an American GSM cellphone in a foreign country, the handset you own must be tri-band or quad-band and able to operate on one or both of the frequencies used outside the United States. The Cingular and T-Mobile Web sites, as well as Telestial’s and others, list the predominant frequencies used in each country, and show if your phone can operate on one or both overseas bands.

To protect against fraud, American cellphones are typically blocked from making calls when used abroad. Before traveling, call your provider and ask to have that restriction removed.


A TEMPORARY SIM CARD

GSM phones use SIM cards (subscriber identity modules), tiny electronic chips that hold a cellphone’s “brains,” including the subscriber’s contact numbers and phone number. (CDMA phones store such information directly in the hardware.)

GSM customers can avoid sky-high roaming charges by replacing their American SIM cards with ones from other countries. For example, travelers to Britain can pick up a SIM card from the British carrier Vodafone; once inserted, it gives the phone a temporary British phone number. Calls within Britain and to the United States would be much cheaper.

For example, T-Mobile charges its customers 99 cents a minute for using their phones in Britain, whether calling a pub in London or your home in New Jersey.


Insert a prepaid British SIM card from a company like Telestial instead, and local calls drop to 26 cents a minute, while calls back to the United States cost 9 to 14 cents a minute.

Another benefit when using overseas SIM cards is that incoming calls are typically free in most countries.

Overseas SIM cards can be purchased before you travel from companies like Cellular Abroad (www.cellularabroad.com) and Telestial (www.telestial.com) or at local shops in foreign countries.


UNLOCKING THE PHONE

Even if you have a GSM phone that operates on both overseas frequencies, domestic cellphone providers do not want you to use your phone with another company’s SIM card, because they do not make any money when you do. To prevent your doing so, cellphones bought through Cingular and T-Mobile are electronically locked — they accept only their own company’s SIM cards.

Before you throw your phone off the Eiffel Tower in frustration, know that there are several ways to unlock your phone and avoid those high overseas roaming rates.

Cingular and T-Mobile will unlock their customers’ phones under certain conditions. Cingular will provide unlock codes to customers whose contracts have expired, who have canceled their service and paid an early termination fee, or who have paid a full rather than subsidized price for their phones, according to Rich Blasi, a Cingular Wireless spokesman.


T-Mobile has more lenient policies. It will provide the unlock code to any customer after 90 days of service, but no more than one unlock code will be provided every 90 days, said Graham Crow, a T-Mobile spokesman.

If you do not meet these requirements, you can still get your phone unlocked from a private company. For a few dollars, the Travel Insider (www.thetravelinsider.com) and UnlockTelecom (www.unlocktelecom.co.uk) will provide your phone’s specific unlocking code.


OTHER GSM PHONES

Cellphone customers with dual-band GSM phones that cannot be used overseas can always purchase unlocked quad-band phones from third-party providers. These phones can be used solely when traveling outside the United States. Since they are unlocked, they can also be used instead of your current phone on your American network.

Because the phone is not subsidized by a carrier, the price is higher. For example, an unlocked quad-band Motorola Razr V3 can be bought for $140 from Cellular Blowout (www.cellular-blowout.com). Cellular Abroad and Telestial also sell unlocked phones.


A FEW MORE TIPS

When entering numbers in your phone, always add the plus (+) sign and the country code; that way, the number can be dialed automatically no matter from what country you are calling.

Store your GSM phone’s numbers in the phone itself, rather than the SIM card. Then the numbers will still be available to you when you use an overseas SIM card. To transfer them to a new phone easily, store them on a device like Backup-Pal (www.backup-pal.com), an external U.S.B. memory unit.


While you will not pay any charges for incoming calls when you use a foreign SIM card, tell your American callers to get an overseas calling plan from their phone company before you ask them to ring you. If they do not, they could be paying the same sky-high rates that you just avoided.

And if you take your American phone overseas, make sure that its battery charger is dual voltage; without one, all the effort to get your phone to work in other countries may go up in smoke the first time you plug it in.

Bowie Kuhn, R.I.P.

The man who was baseball commissioner during its growth into a multi-billion dollar industry has passed at the age of 80.


He was the man who was in charge when I was getting interested in the sport, and I have to admit that I was a big fan of the guy. What I liked best was his stepping in to overrule Charlie O. Finley's fire sale of his championship teams best players such as Joe Rudi, Rollie Fingers and Vida Blue to other teams. I loved that because I really hated the A's back then, the swagger they gave off was offputting to an impressionable young mind such as myself .


He was the man in charge of baseball for the critical cases of Curt Flood and Andy Messersmith, cases that helped pave the way for the increased freedom to move from one team to another, and for bigger salaries in general for all ballplayers.


I'd forgotten about his banning of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays for their associations with a casino (God knows what he would've done with Pete Rose back then) until I read part of his obituary on MLB.com, and for ordering the Atlanta Braves to play Hank Aaron in their opening series of the 1974 season at Cincinnatiin his quest to top Babe Ruth's all-time home run record of 714, which was brought up on the ESPN site.


Thank you for the great work you did Bowie, for the good of the game in your estimation, God knows we could use a strong leader like you today.


MLB.COM




ESPN

Shane MacGowan

A brief article on Shane and the reunited Pogues, in today's New York Times, currently touring the United States at this time. Probably won't convert anybody who wasn't a fan before, it's still nice to see a major newspaper writing an article on a band who can still deliver the goods onstage (Shane even says that a new album from the band is "almost certainly" going to happen.



The DVD/bio of Shane, entitled If I Should Fall From Grace and the book A Drink With Shane MacGowan, written by his companion Victoria Mary Clarke, are both highly recommended documents of this wonderful musician.



STORY

Know Thy Foe: Meet The Redhawks

How the heck I forgot that Wally Szczerbiak played for Miami of Ohio yesterday I'll never know, so I've addressed that oversight. That doesn't mean that I know any more about this year's team though. Here's an interactive page from the Oxford Press about the Ducks foe on Friday.




MEET THE HAWKS

Stinging Red Ants Are Gunning For The Buddha

Oh the life of a stinging red ant is the life for me, especially if I was living in a Buddhist Temple in Malaysia, where resident monks are wondering what do with an invasion of the insects inside their residence, and where one person was bitten so badly that hospitalization was required. Of course Buddhists practice nonviolence, so the problem lies in how to get rid of them without harming or killing them. A quandry indeed. Well, one thing is for certain; the ants will soon be everywhere, they've started already with my bathroom at this moment. They'll be controlling our lives by giving us much-needed lessons on teamwork, as well as recognizing the greater good of the colony over the individual. It certainly couldn't be any worse than the political systems we have now, could it?





FULL STORY

Oregon A #3 Seed; Faces Miami(Ohio) In Spokane This Friday

Being in the same bracket as the defending national champs is always daunting, especially when they're still big favourites to repeat, but such is the task for the Oregon Ducks men's basketball team this year. In the first round, they face Miami of Ohio, a school I know little about, other than the fact that Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger is from there. I know even less about their basketball program, but we shall get a crash course in the next five days. The entire Midwest pairings are as follows:



1 Florida/16 Jackson St.

8 Arizona/ 9 Purdue



5 Butler/12 Old Dominion

4 Maryland/13 Davidson





6 Notre Dame/11 Winthrop

3 Oregon/14 Miami (Ohio)



7 UNLV /10 Georgia Tech

2 Wisconsin/15 Tex A&M CC




The good news is that the Ducks won't have to face Florida until the next round, and none of our potential match-ups in Spokane don't have the size to kill the Ducks inside the paint. It'll remain to be seen if the torrid shooting spree the Ducks have been on in the Pac-10 tournament will be sustained, but they did play some excellent defense in defeating Arizona, California, and Southern California.




Full bracket can be found HERE; let the madness begin on one of the great sporting events in the world.

The Angel Of Death: Virginia Madsen

Playing a central role in Robert Altman's last movie, as the Angel Of Death visiting the set of A Prairie Home Companion on the evening of their last broadcast before being shut down, actress Virginia Madsen gives an interview to Beliefnet on what her experiences were on the shoot, and her own belief about angels. Interesting to note that it was Altman's specific vision of the angel to walk and talk almost glacially, in a calm tone, a certain nod, in my opinion, that when it's time to go, death is nothing to be afraid of. She certainly provided that in her characterization in the movie, and I particularly liked her comforting the soon to be deceased Chuck Akers (LQ Jones) before his memorable and touching song in the movie.




INTERVIEW

Chelsea 3 Spurs 3

A bit disappointing with the final result when Spurs were up 3-1 at the half, but this was at Stamford Bridge after all, and Spurs had played on Thursday night to Braga in the UEFA Cup match at White Hart Lane, and Spurs were still missing Ledley King at the back, along with others. Spurs starting lineup:



Radek Cerny 12
Michael Dawson 20
Young-Pyo Lee 3
Ricardo Rocha 33
Paul Stalteri 7
Hossam Ghaly 14
Aaron Lennon 25
Teemu Tainio 6
Didier Zokora 4
Dimitar Berbatov 9
Jermain Defoe 18



with goalie Paul Robinson, striker Robbie Keane, and midfielder Jermaine Jenas out for the match with injuries apparently. If one had told me beforehand that such a key match on the road would end up with the scoreline that it did, I would have been quite happy. Now, a replay at the Lane is due, where Spurs are strong, and are seemingly playing their best ball of the season.



Goals and more commentary later as they come in........COYS!!!!!




REPORT

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere: Springfield OR In Contest To Host Simpsons Movie With Other Springfields

Can't say that I've been to many of the 16 Springfields across this country, but I find it hard to believe that many have a chance to top the one here in Oregon as a model for the city in the television series, and soon to be released movie.



Yes, all of the towns with the same moniker have been invited to a competition to put each one's best foot forward in a promotional film that Fox studio execs will review, and somehow tie that film to the television series.



The winning Springfield gets to host the world premiere of the Simpsons movie in July, so there's lots on the line for all of these places to advertise their home town to the world.


Hard to say what the impact on the contest by the fact that Simpsons creator Matt Groening is a native Oregonian, but the Oregon city, while a pleasant place to drive through on your way to somewhere else, should certainly be considered an obvious choice.



FULL STORY

Chinese Dirty Air Affects NW Weather, Study Suggests

Both the Los Angeles Times and the (Portland) Oregonian ran stories today about the conclusion of a new study relating the increase of stormy weather to the pollutants put out by countries in the Far East such as India and China.


The study, from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says that the pollutants probably significantly alter the makeup of the deep convective clouds that affect the weather here in the northwest every winter.

The Oregonian story, by Richard L. Hill, offers a view that the increasing storminess of northwest winters now may not be directly attributable to the pollution, and refer to something called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, in which the weather flips between wet/cool and dry/warm every generation or so. The Los Angelest Times article, by Robert Lee Hotz, offers some general background information and cites some examples from the west coast how the pollution may indeed be playing a large part.


The bottom line from both articles is that more studies need to be done (of course), and I am left to think that breathing in some of the crap from the dirty crowded areas in Asia is an unappealing prospect. But then again, one thinks of things such as Mount Saint Helens and how little of the ash made its way down the valley, and the poor folks who lived east of the volcano suffered the most from that. The bottom line is that this is another example of how interconnected the entire world is nowadays.



OREGONIAN STORY




LA TIMES STORY

No Visible Means Of Support

Uh-huh. Other than her shoes, I suppose. Christina Aguilera, in Las Vegas this past weekend. I don't think her mother helped pick out this outfit.


More pics HERE.

Teemu Tainio's Goal

A total thing of beauty that deserves its own post. The cross from one side of the pitch by Berbatov to Lennon on the other (didn't see Lennon waving his hands in the air running down the left side during the live action) with the spectacular backheel pass to Tainio, who boots the ball into the back of the net. I will never get tired of this goal, no matter how long I live...it will be burned into my memory. A wonderful piece of football.

Hammer Time: West Ham 3 Spurs 4

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! What else is their to say after what I just witnessed? A dramatic come from behind victory over Spurs London rivals, a bit of revenge for last seasons denial of a Champions League spot as well as a devastating loss that will more than likely seal the fate of the Hammers in their relegation fight.



Spent most of the first half watching in awe as the Hammers went on a furious attack in building a 2-0 lead at the half, dominating in possession though not on chances, their conversion of what they had was a true to life representation of what happened on the pitch. Mark Noble started the scoring off in the 16th minute, with a wonderful strike on which goalie Paul Robinson had little chance as his defense was starting to set up in front of him. Noble had a shot a couple of minutes early that was thwarted by Robinson, so that got the crowd at Upton Park roaring with delight. Controversial signing Carlos Tevez got his first EPL goal on a dazzling free kick that curved and dipped just below the bar right before half time, and Tevez celebrated the occasion by jumping shirtless into the crowd to celebrate with the fans, a move which I don't blame him for but it still drew a yellow card.



Spurs got back into the game early on in the second half, Jermaine Jenas drew a penalty kick opportunity which Jermaine Defoe delivered solidly on, and one could feel the apprehensiveness in the stadium as the mood changed. Teemu Tainio scored in the 63rd minute on one of the most beautiful goals I've seen in awhile, a cross from Dimitar Berbatov on the right that hit Aaron Lennon in stride on the left, who backheeled it back into the box immediately toward Tainio, who crushed the ball into the back of the net, and all of this without the ball hitting the ground. BANG. Just like that and the score was level.



Both teams settled in a bit after that, neither had any clear cut chances in a hard fought match, Nigel Quashie was seen on screen giving a V sign and telling some Spur to Fcuk Off, right before he was injured in the 78th minute.


Ex-Spur Bobby Zamora came on in the 83rd, and headed in a corner kick over the smaller Tainio a couple of minutes later, and it looked like all of the Spurs hard work to salvage a point was down the drain. It was not to be however, as Spurs galvanized themselves into attacking, and 17 year old Adel Taarabt was able to draw a free kick for Berbatov at the top of the box in the 89th minute, and Dimitar delivered another beauty of a kick to bring Spurs back level as regulation time neared its end.


Okay, after all of that, one might figure that both teams would've been satisfied with a point, right? Four minutes of stoppage time was added and both teams had their chances, but as the four minutes changed into six, the Hammers were caught flat footed as their last chance went for naught, leaving Spurs on something like a 5 on 2 break. Don't remember who took the shot that goalie Robert Green knocked away, but Paul Staltieri was there to knock in the rebound in the dying moments of the game to give Spurs a wonderful, memorable victory.


I like Alan Curbishley a lot, and I felt sorry for him afterward. Also, some of the West Ham players were seen talking loudly to Taarabt, presumably for what they considered his diving antics.

Ah well, a heckuva way to start the day, a victory I will not soon forget. Come On You Spurs!!!




MATCH STATS

The AP Gets The Ball Rolling: Who'll Pick It Up Next?

Darn it, it won't be me, other than to note that famous celebutard Paris Hilton was the subject of an unofficial ban on stories from the Associated Press for a week. The sun still rose in the east, California hasn't fallen into the ocean, and none of the deities from various religions around the world have returned to reclaim this earth for their own, so the media experiment must've had some kind of success over something. As for me, I will certainly return to the lack of writing about Paris (not a hard promise to keep, mind, but that could change if she did something like marry Micheal Jackson ).




Full AP story is HERE

So Obvious Even A Television Executive Hack Could See It On The Screen

............or maybe not. Now, word comes along that the cavemen in the ever popular Geico ads are involved with a pilot project with ABC, highlighting the problems of cavemen living in a modern society. Sounds like comedy gold to me, sign 'em up (actually, I do like those cavemen ads, but it still won't make me call up Geico for a quote. I'm holding out for the pie and chips for free.).



FULL STORY

Al Sharpton On Slavery To Strom Thurmond

Powerful stuff about an awful period of ours, or anyones, history. Al Sharpton, in today's Los Angeles Times, relates his feelings on his finding out that his forefathers were enslaved and owned by the family of the late Strom Thurmond, a United States Senator who was a fierce segregationist.


Despite the burning knowledge of the subjegation that was forced on way too many members of one specific race from another, Sharpton realizes that .....rage will do no good for Coleman Sharpton's descendants or the Thurmond descendants. My family and the Thurmond family must rise above the ugly, shameful past that binds us, just as America must come out of denial and seek to repair the damage that slavery has done and to eliminate the bigotry that still lingers.



Not an easy conclusion to arrive at, even harder to implement fully without the realization of the utterly dehumanizing idea of slavery, and the natural seeds of anger and distrust that such actions have set upon all of mankind. Is this what our God had in mind for all of us? The wheels of enlightenment are obviously turning way too slowly to right the wrongs of the past.






STORY