Say Goodbye..................

.......to 2009.......as the sun sets on us this last day of the calendar year. Photo taken near the Hwy 20 overpass in Albany.......not today cause it rained.......but the general idea remains.



Here's Aussie faves Hunters & Collectors saying goodbye as well.........

Last Seconds Of The 2009 Civil War

.....from my seat in section 13. I'll never forget the growing buzz in the stands as it became clear that the Beavers could not stop the clock to get the ball back.





the best video I've seen is the one below, taken from behind the OS bench as the clock winds down. Thank you very much Ross102591........this one perfectly captures the excitement as the realization of a Rose Bowl dream for the Ducks takes hold of the frenzied crowd.

I supported my local hip indie record store............

.....and I had to do the walk of shame with my purchases in this bag. I guess there's a price to pay somewhere.

The Ridiculous And The Sublime

The first would be the NFL game on Sunday between two hapless teams, the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills, won by the Browns 6-3 despite a 2 for 17 for 23 yards outing from former Beaver quarterback Derek Anderson. Just great for me, now I don't have to hear Beavo fans harp on the lack of success of Joey Harrington.


The latter would be the final touchdown scored by the Seattle Seahawks in their 41-0 route of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a 79 yard touchdown run by former Duck Nick Reed, a man who will always live on in the hearts of Oregon fans for his incredible desire to succeed.


Here's the Nick Reed touchdown, thanks to akfirecat for posting this!



.......and HERE'S the gory details about the first game, I will provide feedback from a friend of mine who actually attended this debacle.

Dodgers 3 Cardinals 2: Heh.........

"That ball got lost in 50,000 white towels shaking in front of Matt's face," Adam Wainwright said. "It doesn't really seem fair that an opposing team should be able to allow their fans to shake white towels when there's a white baseball flying through the air. How about Dodger Blue towels?"

Bitter much? As I've often been told by my "superiors", life isn't fair. Dodgers up 2-0, but the NLDS is far from over. Still, today's game developments couldn't have happened to a better set of fans. Go Blue!!!



ESPN RECAP

Nationals 7 Mets 4: I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts

I blame myself for Wednesday's loss, I really do. In a crazy season where it seems that the Mets have lost about one game a week in an unfathomable manner, last night's meltdown in which ace reliever Francisco Rodriquez gave up five runs including a walk-off grand slam as the Mets blew a two run ninth inning lead was maybe a microcosm of the season.


Laying on the couch after a very long work day, watching K-Rod struggle to get Nationals batters out to the point where he walked in their first run of the inning whilst leaving the bases loaded, the thought came to my mind that the only natural way for this game to end would be on a grand slam. After other jarring losses had left me fuming and mumbling to myself loudly, when Justin Maxwell's hit landed over the left field fence, the sense of karmic balance quieted my mood rather quickly. There was no throwing of things at other things, it was just the inevitable acceptance of this year's team imploding upon itself, finding another way to lose a game they clearly had in their grasp.


At any rate, here's the song that came to my mind, I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts by X, shown here from Denver in April of this year.







ESPN RECAP , METS RECAP

Oregon 42 California 3: So Happy To Be Wrong

Well.....duh!!!





Mostly based on the woeful passing attack exhibited by Oregon in previous games, there seemed to little to expect that the Ducks would have enough offensive firepower to match that of the number 6 ranked California Golden Bears on Saturday, so it was with some slight trepidation that I picked Cal for a 34-20 win. I mean, how often does a real fan expect his team to lose? The signs were there that Oregon could indeed win at Autzen, but only if things went right: if the young offensive line provided enough time for the attack to get started, if the offense avoided costly turnovers, if the defense (often employing the "bend but don't break" motto to the fullest) did not totally break down against Heisman Trophy hopeful Jahvid Best, if..,..if.....if.....



What transpired, of course, was one of the great wins I've ever seen the Ducks garner, a total team victory led by an amazingly stout defense that basically shut out a Jeff Tedford-coached squad and limited Best to just 55 yards on 16 carries.



The costly turnovers occurred very early on, the first kickoff of the game in fact, and left most of the Autzen crowd with a sense of uneasiness as the Bears set up shop at the Oregon 22 yard line, ready to take a lead they would never vanquish. Kenny Rowe sacked quarterback Kevin Riley for an 8 yard loss, followed by two incomplete passes and the Bears were limited to a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Bears may have won a small victory with the points, but it would prove to be a battleplan that foreshadowed their loss in the war, based on an attacking Duck defense that disrupted the timing on a number of Bears offensive plays.



There were a few moments of nuttiness that had a lot of people shaking their heads: both teams fumbling away to each other on consecutive plays and both teams exchanging punts with single digital yardage being the prime examples.



The reemergence of tight end Ed Dickson in the Oregon arsenal proved to be the key for the whole offense flowing fairly smoothly, catching 11 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns, the first passing touchdowns for the Ducks this year.


Have to give a hand to the crowd for being into it the entire game, seeming to gain intensity as the reality began to set in as there was nothing the Cal offense could do to move the ball significantly against the Duck defense.




ESPN RECAP

Giants 5 Mets 4: Blankety Blankety Blank Blank Blank

The willfully naive part of me that still thought the Mets could somehow manage to make a run for the wild card spot (and I won't even go on about lowered expectations altogether) was finally put to rest today, hitting the ground the same time David Wright did after taking a Matt Cain pitch to the head this afternoon. The post title is a nod to whatever self-control still in my possession after watching the Mets find yet another way to find misery on the baseball diamond.



WRIGHT GETS HIT , GAME RECAP










The only song title that describes my current status.........NUMB

John Hughes, R.I.P.

Goodbye to a man who wrote one of my favourite stories in National Lampoon ever, a story that went on to become a wonderful film. The story, VACATION 58, appearing in the September 1979 issue of the Lampoon, was of course the basis for National Lampoon's Vacation in 1983. I also much appreciated his story that became the basis for their Christmas Vacation movie, a case of which I liked the written version better, for me nothing could top the ending where the fighting family gathers in the freezing cold to find out what has happened to a stolen car. Looking up, the mother of the family, realizing the significance of the day and what the turmoil that the clan has experienced in this time of supposed joy, notices a bright light in evening sky. She fancies it to be a sign along the lines of the star of Bethlehem.......until a policeman dashes her faint hope with the reality that "it's an airplane."



Oh yes, he also directed some films that were wildly popular such as Sixteen Candles and Pretty In Pink but my introduction to the man via his stories where nothing ever seems to go right for a well-meaning man certainly struck a chord that I've always kept in my mind to this day. From the same issue of the Lampoon is Hughes and his son John III "discussing" the benefits of "growing up". Thanks for the laughs John, you will be missed.


BBC OBIT

Pearl District: The Big Country Lyrics Come To Life

The lyrics to the classic Talking Heads tune is what comes to my mind every time I have to think about that obnoxious idiot in his BMW who confronted me because I couldn't move my Pontiac fast enough out of his way so that he could get home to his precious condo near Powell's. "Enjoy your life in the ghetto!!! are the words that will forever echo in my head as a result of that encounter, one that took place on the typically crowded streets late one afternoon by that iconic bookstore. How sad and sorry of me not to recognize the fact that living in the Pearl District is the highlight of man's achievement on this planet, I just don't know how I'll be able to live out the rest of my days knowing that I'll never be as advanced as that enlightened soul was.



All of this came back to me upon receiving a flier in my NW Natural Gas bill this week. What's it like to live in the heart of the Pearl District? Here's your chance to find out. This chance to check out the views on this year's Street Of Dreams and live next to assholes like the one I encountered is one that I will gladly pass up. And yes, I do enjoy my life in the "ghetto" here in the valley just fine.

Braves 7 Mets 1: Definitely Not Great Men

Another day, another disheartening loss. (It's too bad the Mets can't replicate Johan Santana and have him pitch every day; but even if that were physically possible, the Mets would still be barely contending for the wild-card playoff spot given the paucity of the Mets offense of late.)


The false hopes that Saturday's 5-1 win against the Braves raised were blasted away by another woeful offensive performance, punctuated by yet another injury with starting pitcher Fernando Nieve pulled up lame with a hamstring injury whilst trying to beat out a throw to first base in the second inning. Given that the Mets wasted a lead-off double by Angel Pagan but failed to send him home has typified the Mets offense in the last month.


In another series of song titles describing the feelings of this Mets fan, today's offering is from the Gang Of Four performing Not Great Men live in Japan in 2005, the same year I caught the band at Coachella performing a white-hot set after being introduced by Anthony H. Wilson. A damn good performance even if the majority of the crowd were waiting for New Order and Nine Inch Nails.




ESPN RECAP

Braves 11 Mets 0: Our Love Lies Limp

Not much to say at this point of the season after tonight's woeful performance in Atlanta, other than to recall the great song from Alternative TV, whose title pretty much sums up my feelings at this time. Bonus positivity: yet another injury, this time in the form of Gary Sheffield's right hamstring.....what could possibly be worse? Well..........in this era of relative parity in major league baseball, being the Washington Nationals would certainly qualify.





THE GORY DETAILS

More Raging Controversy: Did Pujols Dig In The Dirt?

In a similar style of critical analysis that deals with the big issues, ESPN's popular pick-em game STREAK FOR THE CASH recalls the heyday of the National Lampoon magazine's take on nuclear war by debating on whether or not President Obama's ceremonial first pitch at tonight'sAll-Star Game in St. Louis hit the dirt or not. The purpose of the game is to try and pick 25 consecutive winners and win a million dollars by doing so. Several choices are offered every day for those who play. One of tonight's choices was whether or not the first pitch from President Obama would land in the glove of ceremonial catcher Albert Pujols. It seems that the result was somewhat inconclusive for a large number of people, who couldn't agree on whether or not the ball hit the dirt before landing into the glove of Pujols. What....controversy surrounding anything that President Obama does? Perish the thought! The entertaining in-game thread can be read HERE , with the comments relating to the first pitch starting in the 2000 level. The fact that hopes are riding with the continuation of various streaks, of course, plays no small factor in the writing of some of the participants.

Dodgers 8 Mets 0: Minor League Team At Major Leagu Prices

Last night's pitiful performance from the Mets in the series offered absolutely no assurance that the June swoon the Mets experienced will change any time soon. No hitting, woeful pitching and shoddy fielding have continually lowered all expectations of the fan base over the last six weeks, and an early lead garnered by the other team usually guarantees a victory for them. Yesterday's gory details can be read about here , a continuation from the listlessness the Mets exhibited on the field from the previous series, a three game sweep at the hands of the Phillies. In fact, the highlight over the past four games has been that of Manny Ramirez getting tossed in the fifth inning for tossing his batting equipment in the air near the home plate umpire, with whom he had previously argued calls over in the first inning. This lovely AP photo from Frank Franklin II gives us the highlight of the game for us disgruntled fans.


TODAY'S UPDATE: Oliver Perez returns to the line-up for the first time in two months and has looked better than he had, but that wasn't a particularly hard thing to accomplish. The Mets even scored their first run in 23 innings, so all things might be possible, right? I'll believe it when I see it!

Someone's Knocking At The Door, Better Let 'Em In: Long-Haired June Beetle Wants To Come In

Just another guest for our Fourth Of July family get together, this fellow spent most of the day on the front porch still as could be, finally leaving late in the afternoon. Yes, more proof that God must indeed be inordinately fond of beetles.




BEETLE INFO

Oh No! It'll Be Off To The Underground Sugar Mines For The Likes Of Us!

The Ants Could Hardly Do Worse Than Humans Have, Eh?

Spain 0 U.S.A. 2: "Oh, this'll end well!"

Such was my Facebook posting just minutes prior to the start of the Confederations Cup semi-final between Spain and the United States, but it was more than compulsion that had me tuning into the match. After all, what could most reasonable spectators expect with the Spaniards, ranked number one in the world in the FIFA rankings, shooting for their 36th straight unbeaten match in international competitions versus a scrappy American team that barely managed to make it this far?


What resulted, of course, is the stuff of legends, a true high point in the development of U.S. soccer on the national stage. Surely, the 3-0 win over Egypt to advance from the group stage was a bit of a nice salve after the disappointing results against Italy and Brazil, but they were now facing Spain.


The first half was certainly an energetic affair with good movement from both teams, but it was the U.S who struck first when Jozy Altidore blithely tossed aside a Spanish defender to score the first goal of the game, a strong shot that deflected off of the hands of Spanish goalie Iker Casillas midway through the half.



Clint Dempsey was able to deliver the knockout goal late in the second half, off of a Landon Donovan shot/cross that took a fortunate bounce off of a Spanish defender. Dempsey was quickly able to thread the ball between another reacting defender and Casillas for the goal, the finishing touch on the goal was something that Spain lacked throughout the match. Spain certainly had their prime chances that came along with the lion's share of possession, but the stout U.S. defense and goalie Tim Howard were able to respond without a lot of fuss and bother.



Admittedly, the first 20 minutes of the second half were the most nerve-wracking for me, with Spain putting on a determined effort to break down the defense, but it was certainly a joy to watch every ball coming forward being knocked back to frustrate the Spanish side, and when Dempsey scored the second goal in the 73rd minute, the feeling that there was no way Spain could score two goals in the remaining time was quite palpable.




We'll see Sunday how the U.S. team responds when they face Brazil again for the championship, hopefully the thrills from Wednesday won't overshadow the obstacle that faces them.




SOCCERNET REPORT ,
LIVE BBC COMMENTARY AS IT HAPPENED.

Different Strokes For Different Folks: Portland Swing Club Opens Today

Yes, depending on how one view's the world, today's opening of an adult swingers club in downtown Portland, with involvement from porn star Ron Jeremy is either another sign that this country is indeed riding the hot rails to hell, or is a sign of enlightenment between consenting adults. I'd imagine the maybe the divergent views between the two sides could be illustrated with a couple of images; the first view represented by the infamous Royal Trux album cover, and the latter with the beautiful image of sexual union on the Sensuous Path To Bliss.












Club Sesso

With Apologies To Jack Buck: "I Don't Believe What I Just Saw!"

YANKEES 9 METS 8: THAT REALLY, REALLY SUCKED!

"Say hi to your mom!"

Normally I'm not particularly fond of commercials, but this current promo for SNY with Keith Hernandez still makes me laugh with every viewing.

Couple Of Winners: Cathal Coughlan Covers The Go-Betweens

I was listening to Microdisney's fabulous The Clock Comes Down The Stairs just a bit ago and decided to cast an eye upon YouTube to see what kind of footage of the band kind souls around the world had cared to share with the rest of the world; fortune was certainly looking upon me when I stumbled upon this clip only very recently added, a clip of singer Cathal Coughlan performing Dusty In Here, a reflective tune originally performed by the Go-Betweens. Needless to say, Cathal sounds great and does the song justice. Thanks to the original uploader mosstinpowers.... and massive thanks to Cathal for his performance.............and R.I.P. Grant....:(

Seattle Mariners (Marineros) 2 Minnesota Twins (Gemelos) 1

AP photo by Elaine Thompson


A good pitching duel between Seattle's Jarrod Washburn and Minnesota's Nick Blackburn was ended by eighth-inning heroics from Ken Griffey, Jr., who hit a two-out double that drove in Ichiro from first base, giving the Mariners the come from behind win over the Minnesota Twins on Salute to Latin American Beisbol day at Safeco Field.



Even though Washburn was not credited with the win, he made the play of the game by quickly following up his third-inning bases loaded wild pitch by quickly blocking the plate on the Twins' Delmon Young. Washburn got a break as the ball, which had quickly skipped past catcher Guillermo Quiroz but bounced back to him off the backstop. Quiroz reacted with a timely throw for the third out of the inning.



Mariner pitchers also benefited from allowing the top three of the Twins lineup to go 0 for 12, with lead-off hitter Denard Span going 0 for 5 and three strikeouts. Very hard to create offensive runs when the top of the order can't get on base.



Kudos to the Mariners, who really began to show signs of life offensively in the fifth inning. Blackburn had been even more effective than Washburn through the first four innings, and was on the edge of getting out of the fifth when the Mariners rallied for their first two-out run. Franklin Gutierrez beat out an infield single and then Ichiro doubled him home to tie the score after Minnesota had scored in the fourth on a Micheal Redmond double.



Micheal Cuddyer made an outstanding defensive play for the Twins in the sixth inning, with a running back-handed stab of a Adrian Beltre line drive.



It was an excellent day for baseball, overcast but not chilly, many thanks to the Army family from Fort Lewis for the free ticket along the right field line. I made it up to them by buying them a couple of overpriced food items from the vendors, I thank them again for their kindness.


In the WTF department, kudos I suppose to the gentleman who won 336 (!) Moon Pies from Am/Pm. Sorry to say that I didn't catch how they managed to arrive at such a number.






ESPN RECAP , SEATTLE TIMES RECAP, STAR TRIBUNE RECAP


Bailadores de Bronce performing




Justin Morneau's backside





No thanks, we're all stuffed and bloated from the garlic fries!

Pound That Budweiser

Here's to you Joe Schultz!

Worth The Wait

My Fatburger at the Federal Way, WA store.......a totally satisfactory way to end the day in Seattle. Maybe a bit pricy (7.99 plus tax for a meal).......but it was perfectly cooked to order with a nice complement of condiments. The relish is what made the burger for me.

Apparently No Man or AstroMan? Fans At ODOT: Little Debbie Snack Cakes In Accident Hauled To The Landfill

A date at the bottom of an Oregon landfill is the end result for a truckload of Little Debbie snack cakes. An accident on Highway 217 Monday evening resulted in the truck and the trailer ending up on its side. Rather than salvaging what they could for food banks around the state, the products have been unceremoniously dumped at the dump. Given the long shelf life of the sweet treats, I'm sure they would've been in decent shape the next time that Man or Astro-Man? hit the road again.



KATU NEWS STORY




A lovely live video of the band, complete with theremin on fire, in Seattle in 2000 (thanks brianjbean!),

Chelsea 2 Everton 1: Dream Start, NIghtmare Ending For The Toffees

A rousing start for Everton ended in frustration in today's FA Cup final as Chelsea overcame allowing a quick goal (from Louis Saha in the 26th second) to claim the title in convincing fashion.


Didier Drogba got Chelsea back on level terms in the 21st minute with a well-placed header from a Florent Malouda cross that caught the Everton defense flat-footed. Frank Lampard won the game for Chelsea late in the second half with a stunning left-footed volleyy as once again the Everton defense failed to react quickly enough in front of their own goal.


Malouda should have been awarded a goal later, but the referee had ruled that the ball had crossed the plane of the goal, even though replays had shown that it clearly had. Still, by that time, the Chelsea defense had been so firm for the majority of the game that it was unlikely that Everton would ever mount a serious challenge to score again.



SOCCERNET REPORT

Mets 3 Red Sox 2: A Game Of Inches

Nice to see the Mets get the breaks against a team with the worst fans in baseball, it's definitely a nice gift after all of the boneheaded team play of the last week.


A two-out, two-run home run from catcher Omir Santos off of reliever Jonathan Papelbon that bounced off of a barrier just behind the top of the Green Monster and back onto the field of play was the difference as the Mets rallied in the top of the ninth inning for the victory. The Mets defense, so suspect in the last few games, managed to keep itself together in the bottom of the inning for the win. (YES, IT WAS ONLY ONE GAME, BUT A WIN IS STILL A WIN, ESPECIALLY AGAINST THE RED SUX ). BTW, it was also lovely to here so many cheers for the Mets in Fenway, yeah die-hard Sux fans would never sell their tickets to anybody but their own kind, right?


Just lovely to see Papelbon try to lead the remonstration of the call in a key play in the bottom of the ninth (a rocket to David Wright at third, who managed to get the ball in the vicinity of second base, where Luis Castillo snagged the ball just in time to get Kevin Youklis for the first out, all in an effort to try to let himself off of the hook for letting a substitute catcher win the game with his second career home run.



The drama of the ninth inning book-ended a good pitching matchup between Mike Pelfrey and Josh Beckett, a slightly rough first inning for the both of them accounting for the lone scores of the game.



One more game to finish the bastards off, their idiotic fans may still crow about the 2004 comeback against the Yankees, but until the Mets and Sux meet again in the post seasons, there will always be the spectre of Game Six in 1986 to hold over those ass-clowns. Fcuk 'em all.





ESPN RECAP

Don't Be Afraid Of The Remake (For The Most Part)

Maybe it was because my aunt did double duty on a date once by babysitting my brother and I at the drive-in for a double feature of The Conqueror Worm and The Masque of the Red Death with no discernible harm to our young psyches. Certainly watching Night Of The Hunter whilst my age was still in single digits didn't deter me from trusting adults either. However, the one movie/television event that left me shaken and scared was the 1973 program Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark; the tension created by the noises from the demonic creatures that lived under the house was truly terrifying; the fact that our baby-sitters let us watch the program and were then not malicious enough to try and scare the wits out of us kids afterward is still something I marvel at to this day.



In today's Los Angeles Times I came across a story debating the FUTURE OF MIRAMAX FILMS WITH DISNEY there was a paragraph about the upcoming remake of that classic show, starring Katie Holmes and produced by Guillermo del Toro. That second factor is enough to assure me that this will be a worthwhile project, though I am certainly proud of the fact that I have not directly paid one cent to see a movie with Mrs. Cruise, something that will probably change with this one.



Thanks once again to Youtube for allowing people like SciFiPilots to post sections of the original online, where people all across the country can watch it again and make comments such as "This movie scared the CRAP outta me when I was a kid!. In this clip, the heroine begins to tamper with things that she was warned against doing in her dream house.

Tumbling Cottonwood Flowers In Albany

Enjoyed a lovely Sunday morning down by the river, taking in the warming rays of the sun as well as being encircled in drifts of cottonwood flowers that certainly made their presence known. I was going to title this post Surprising Where You Find God and post a pic of The Birthday Party posing in an abandoned church around that banner, but could not find said image (just yet), so that will be the caption for the four daisies amongst the weeds.

I Don't Wanna Be Buried......

...in the pet cemetery..............or to be left out to decay in the rain in a northwest Portland lot.







Apparently, it's the end of the line for a parade float.

Today's Nude News To Use: Ultimate Frisbee & Hiking Ban

A choice between two stories that feature some nudity with unusual twists: the first being the University of Oregon's club ultimate frisbee team having their season canceled for a number of incidents, the latest being the two squads that form the team playing each other WITH ONE TEAM SANS SHIRTS, THE OTHER WITHOUT PANTS OR UNDERWEAR.


I'd certainly rather be playing that sport in that manner rather than hiking in the nude through the Swiss countryside, where startled citizens of a tiny canton have now started fining GERMAN NUDISTS as they ramble free as a bird over hill and dale.

Man U 5 Spurs 2: Second Half Poleaxe To The Solar Plexus

A tale of two completely different halves for both sets of teams and supporters as Spurs let a good effort in the first half go to waste under a savage second half assault from the challenged leaders of the EPL.


Spurs had some good movement around the pitch offensively in the first half, and goalie Heurelho Gomes made some excellent saves to pace a defense that kept the Red Devils scoreless. Two goals around the half hour mark for Spurs were a just reward for the efforts, the first was from Darren Bent, who had earlier slightly misfired on a shot from the left, and the second was from Luka Modrić; the feeling of having a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford was a spectacular feeling for all Spurs fans.


MODRIĆ'S GOAL





Unfortunately, a dodgy penalty call on Gomes led to a second half avalanche of Man U goals, 5 of them in 22 minutes, as the home side responded to their predicament with fury.


For this Spurs fan, the first half was a continued sign of progress the team has generally made under Harry Redknap, and while the half-time result may have been a dream to even the most optimistic fans, there was still a feeling base upon that showing that a fair result would at least have garnered one point.


The speed of Spurs demise after the penalty kick was astonishing, with the team reeling in their defensive end of the pitch, with no organization to get the ball moving toward the other goal. Defensive lapses and a poorer show of form from Gomes sealed the deal in those critical minutes, leaving the team still seeking its first win at Old Trafford in league competition since 1989.



The gory details about the match from the GUARDIAN

What If God Was A Bum Like One Of Us?

Okay, I know the proper lyric to the song is slob, but the main deity apparently isn't welcome at this Eugene restaurant, with a wag replacing bums with God, with added editorial comment afterward.

Another Reason To Love The Internet: Conway Twitty With The Residents

Very nice to discover this classic bit of incongruity from Night Music. I'd seen a couple of episodes of the show when it was on (I got chills hearing David Sanborn intone about "going from one classic American song to another", a segue from a country lament into a SONIC YOUTH-LED CAST JAM of I Wanna Be Your Dog); I had no idea that The Residents and Conway Twitty had appeared on the same show. A match made in heaven, no doubt, except perhaps to the more conservative elements of Twitty's fan base who were probably confused as hell as to what was happening on stage. A big thank you to the internet for letting me catch up on this, and to scmm42 for providing this clip. Nice work!

Cleveland 22 New York Yankees 4: Nelson Part Deux

Much better laugh today at the new Yankee Stadium than what happened on Thursday, and the Julie Jacobson/AP Photo of Mariano Rivera walking off the field at the end of the game is a better pic than another pic of the bully from The Simpsons would have been. Sorry I wasn't able to watch the game on Faux today though, I was out enjoying the sun on Record Store Day.






ESPN RECAP

One Of The Greatest Stadium Openings In This Or Any Other Sport: Indians 10 Yankees 2

ESPN

UB40 In Portland

Can't say that I've closely followed the saga between former UB40 singer Ali Campbell (and subsequently, keyboardist Mickey Virtue) with their band-mates over management issues. This split, which occurred just over a year ago, has sadly degenerated into a mud-slinging match between brothers and long time childhood friends as well as fans of the band. Reading the message board forums between the two camps about the problems tonight was frustrating to this long-time fan; the fact that this has happened to such a long-running band that was based on the equality of all members of the band has made this situation worse. Here's to hoping that time will eventually heal all wounds; in the long run, maybe the realization that the shortness of our time here on earth might bring about some reconciliation.



At any rate, the six remaining members of the band enlisted Duncan Campbell (brother of Ali and Robin, just to add another twist in the current controversy) as vocalist, starting their 2009 world tour here in the upper left hand corner of the U.S.



Given the relative low commercial profile of the band in the U.S. over the last decade, I'm sure that there were quite a few people who showed up at the Crystal Ballroom on Monday who had no idea about the events of the past year. The good news is that Duncan did an excellent job in the spotlight, and as always in past performances, vocal performances from Astro, Earl and Norman helped to show that this collective is indeed a band , one that is at its best when working together.



Can't recall the exact set list, but there was a nice selection of tracks from their career, starting with the opener One In Ten. Other tracks played were Tyler, King, Rat In Mi Kitchen, Wear You To The Ball, Homely Girl, Impossible Love, Higher Ground, Sing Our Own Song, Reggae Music, Baby, Don't Break Me Heart, The Way You Do The Things You Do, Can't Help Falling In Love, Johnny Too Bad, Cherry Oh Baby, Many Rivers To Cross, Red Red Wine, Kingston Town, and Sweet Sensation, along with a couple of others I can't quite recall at the moment. They also performed a decent selection of new material from the album 24/7, all of it sounding excellent.



The band certainly seemed to be in excellent spirits, there certainly was an energy and appreciation that the audience seemed to sense, and which was hopefully returned to the band, from my vantage point, that certainly was the case as everybody was singing and dancing along with their particular favourites (tip of the cap to the gal next to me who was delirious over hearing the opening to Higher Ground. That was a highlight for me as well, along with a stellar Kingston Town and their glowing, almost religious, take of Many Rivers To Cross. The trio of horn players, led as always by Brian Travers, were swinging and swaying with the beat, singing along with the songs when they weren't playing; it's that kind of enthusiasm that has endured the band to its fans over the years, one that I've been able to appreciate over the years (this was the fourth time I've seen the band, the last time being the wonderful gig at the Rose Gardens back in 1993).



I took a couple of pictures, most of them not that good, but I do like this one of Robin.


I've also joined the crowd in adding my own craptastic videos taken at the gig, the first of them being Kingston Town, the second being Red Red Wine, the latter song being cut short about two thirds of the way through as I ran out of digital space, but at least we get to hear most of Astro's toasting. As always, one should go out and support the artists in question, in this case, that means going out and seeing the band on their tour and buying the latest CD. As for me, I'm one for hoping that the nasty legal concerns of the band will resolve itself in a logical and relatively painless manner, this bitter division is not something that lends itself to a band founded on unity. One love to all.



EDIT: videos not cooperating at the moment, I'll try again tomorrow.

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 3: The Reds Are Roadkill For The Blues At Home

Who saw this one coming? In a general u-turn from recent Champions League match-ups between the two teams, Chelsea overcame an early 1-0 deficit to hammer Liverpool at Anfield 3-1. Branislav Ivanovic headed home a couple of headers on either side of the halftime break to stun the home crowd, and Didier Drogba knocked one in at the 67th minute to cement the unlikely win, unlikely in the aspect that Liverpool had been playing football in exceptional form of late and that they might have been concentrating more on the European end in their chase for silverware this season.


Fernando Torres finished off some great play early on for the Liverpool goal in just the sixth minute, but the Liverpool defense did not hold up under the Chelsea attack that developed soon after, even as Liverpool goalie Pepe Reina did his best to deflect that pressure.


An entertaining match to watch, but it's hard to imagine how Liverpool can respond from such a devastating defeat to the upcoming rematch at Stamford Bridge. Stranger things have happened though, just AC Milan what happened in Turkey back in 2005. As some other people have reported, that's why they play these things to the end.





GUARDIAN REPORT

Entropy On Highway 228

Taken midway between Brownsville and Crawfordsville.

Rage To Live: Enough Is Never Enough

Why this song, why now? Cause I'd just played the wonderful Luxury Condos Coming To Your Neighborhood Soon album earlier this week. Also, this one one of my first song purchases on iTunes, now that I've overcome that resistance recently. (There's still a whole lot more that I'd like to see available on that venture, but that's another story entirely.


I also used to read New York Rocker regularly, so I was not unaware of Glenn Morrow's band back in the day; what I had totally forgotten about was that there was a video for this classic track. Thank you cheapguitar for putting this one up, this song never gets old.

Luka Modrić's Goal Vs. Chelsea: Spurs 1 Chelsea 0

Watching Aaron Lennon on the right side mesmerizing part of the Chelsea defense left a wide swath of midfield open, more than enough space for a cross to a wide open Luka Modrić to quickly blast a shot by Petr Cech. It could have been 2-0 to Spurs a couple of minutes later on a similar play, but Modrić drilled that one straight into the turf. Still that goal was enough to give the home side a well-deserved win at White Hart Lane today in an exciting match for Spurs fans.



Heurelho Gomes played a critical part in the win, with some vital saves throughout the game, though the one-handed swat of a John Terry shot late in the game will be the one fans recall. Luck was also on Spurs side as Alex had a wide-open shot hit the top of the woodwork moments later. After all of the crap Spurs have been through this year, it felt great to have the three points as a reward for a job done, for Spurs were the dominant side for the majority of game, and it took the last 15 minutes or so for the Blues to get untracked.



Undefeated against Chelsea for the season, gonna have to do some research to find out the last time that happened. COYS!!!!



GUARDIAN REPORT , SPURS REPORT

Zoltran Gera's Goal Vs. The Red Devils

Just wasn't their day, was it? Too bad, so sad.

Fulham 2 Man United 0: Hands Up If You Hate The Reds

Very pleasing day all around for the rest of the Premiereship as a nine-man United stagger at Craven Cottage. Of course, coming on the heels of a 1-4 hiding from Liverpool makes this one even better, and the petulant antics of both Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo are just the cherry on top of the cake. Best quote of their antics came from the Telegraph report:


Indeed, United could probably count themselves lucky that they aren't losing Cristiano Ronaldo for a couple of games because, on a day when he too lost the plot with his posturing and moaning, he could easily have been sent off himself just before the end.

It was bizarre; amid laughs and chants of outrage, Ronaldo kept showing off the top of his thigh to Dowd to suggest that he had been assaulted by Fulham's defenders. If it had been one of his female admirers, it might have been different; the official was so unimpressed he gave Ronaldo, who had already been booked, a final warning.



Paul Scholes, pictured above, had been sent off early in the match for the handball on the backline. Danny Murphy then converted on the subsequent penalty kick, and Zoltan Gera settled the matter in the dying minutes with an acrobatic kick that had the home crowd roaring with delight.




For Spurs fans, hearing the news that a totally ineffective Dimitar Berbatov was taken off at half time will was just an added bonus on a lovely day of football, the London derby of Spurs/Chelsea to be addressed on another post.






TELEGRAPH REPORT , SOCCERNET

Aston Villa 1 Spurs 2: Good News, Bad News

Good news is that Spurs garnered a well-deserved victory over Aston Villa in a place where Spurs have failed miserably in recent years, it was the first Spurs win in Villa Park since 2003. The bad news is that with the loss Villa continued their recent poor form and have slid to fifth in the EPL, allowing a resurgent Arsenal to gain the coveted fourth spot. Still, there's lots of football left to be played, so let's see if Martin O'Neill can find a way out of this rough spot.



On to the game itself, Spurs found themselves up a goal rather quickly as an Aaron Lennon cross into the box, but unfortunately goalie Brad Freidel didn't punch the ball out far enough, allowing an alert Jermaine Jenas to head the ball into the net in the fifth minute.



Villa regained their composure fairly quickly, and they had a lot of decent movement, getting a few good shots on goal, but for those were quickly neutralized by some good defense, some good goalkeeping, and the woodwork on one shot. However, Villa's Ashley Young was turning Didier Zokora around on the left side, leading Spurs coach to replace him in the 35th minute with Vedran Corluka, who did a better job keeping him in check.


Spurs put the game out of reach, for all effective purpose, early on in the second half when a Robbie Keane ball headed for the goal from the right side was tapped in by Darren Bent. It looked to me that the ball might have gone in anyway, but Bent did not do any harm by making sure of that fact.


That goal kind of shocked both the Villa team and fans, and for most of the rest of the second half, Spurs were the more confident side. However, the home side finally had something to cheer about in the 85th minute when John Carew out-leaped Jonathan Woodgate for a fine goal off of a long cross from near the right sideline. That galvanzing moment was not further capitalized upon though, and in the end once again, Spurs were clearly deserving of all three points.



Chelsea at White Hart Lane is up next, also on television, things are certainly looking up for Spurs at the moment as they move up the table and away from the relegation zone.



SOCCERNET , GUARDIAN REPORT

Because You Can't Spell LOSER Without OS: B**V*RS To The CBI

The inaugural College Basketball Invitational had some decent teams in its 16 TEAM FIELD last year to be sure, but I don't know anybody who actually managed to watch even one game last year. And just as occasionally once in a while a team with a losing record manages to make the NCAA Tournament, it might seem inevitable that a such a team would be found in the CBI after the NIT makes its picks. Last season the CBI had the Cincinnati Bearcats, who finished the regular season with a 13-17 record, although that was in an admittedly strong Big East conference.


Can't quite figure out what the attraction is for that team across the valley, who have no wins against ranked teams and just one against a Pac-10 team playing in the NCAA, which would be USC in the opening weekend of league play this year. I'm quite certain that none of my coworkers will be overly bragging about being selected to play in this year's tourney, so at least I'll be spared that. And if the shoe were on the other foot, I know that I wouldn't be thrilled backing into a tourney like that with a losing record playing bad basketball.


Here, then, is to a good tournament with the lesser teams being quickly vanquished, and hopefully for some more recognition for the tournament and its sponsors; we've all got to earn a dollar these days.



OREGONLIVE STORY

Thanks Mike!

With the somewhat surprising news today that Oregon football coach Mike Belotti is STEPPING DOWN to become Oregon's Athletic Director, the speculation begins as to how this will affect the upcoming season in terms of coaching changes, player roles, recruiting, etc.


What I will acknowledge here is the great job Belotti has done in his 14 years, with quite a number of highs balanced with some devastating lows. What Duck fan will ever forget the home debut of Belotti, the incredible come from behind victory over Illinois in 1995, the astonishing rout of a good Michigan State team in 1998 in Autzen, the magical season of 2001, or the satisfying double whammy to end his tenure this season, a blowout of Oregon State to deny them a Rose Bowl berth followed by a beatdown of an explosive Oklahoma State team in the Holiday Bowl?


Some of the low points include the Cotton, Seattle and 2006 Las Vegas Bowl debacles as well as regular season losses to the likes of Indiana. Through it all, Belotti has been a calming presence on the sideline. In this day and age, it was certainly refreshing to see that on display here for so long.


Hard to say what the b**v*r whiners in loserville will do now that their favourite punching bag is gone, but on second thought, such speculation on lower life forms is ultimately a futile exercise.


The pic is from the 1995 football poster, autographed by Belotti on the first fan day. That event took place after practice on a hot day in August of 95, on the turf of Autzen.


Thanks again for so many magical memories (there really are way too many to mention) Mike, it's been a pleasure!

He Said, She Said, Part Two: Radiohead Vs. Miley

Following the "NEWS" of the reported exchange between Steven Taylor and Cristiano Ronaldo comes a tale of a "snubbed" teen "star". This would be referring to what supposedly happened between Miley Cyrus and Radiohead, "the reason I love music" in her own words. The English band apparently failed to comprehend the magnitude of the chance to meet the teen "idol" at last month's Grammy Awards.


Her additional qualifier at her disappointment that entailed the quote of Stinkin' Radiohead! I'm gonna ruin them, I'm going to tell everyone." is what gives this story a sad twist; much as the words of a Newcastle defender will fail to impact Ronaldo's love life, so too will the words of a teen "star" do much to impact the popularity of Radiohead around the world.


STINKIN' RADIOHEAD!

Taylor Vs. Ronaldo: He Said, She Said Drama Apparently False

Reports are out now that the half-time tunnel tussle between Man United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Newcastle's Steven Taylor that consisted mostly of"You're rubbish!" "Yeah, well you're ugly!" didn't actually happen, according to Taylor. I'd sure hate to think that's what passes for trash talk these days, but with all of the girls falling for Ronaldo, I seriously doubt he's troubled in the least what the Newcastle United defender has to say about anything.

Scattered Showers In Albany

A lovely warm-ish day today brought the threat of thunderstorms all over Oregon today, this is a shot of the Albany area today around 1:30 p.m. looking north on 99W, just south of Halsey.

Man U. 0 Spurs 0 : (4-1 Pens)

Pretty good match for the "worthless" Cup today, both sides not at full strength but both of them giving their all for another piece of silverware. The feed I watched was pretty good, it only gave out at the very end when the Reds had converted three penalty kicks to just one for Spurs.


Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric were men of the match for Spurs, whilst goalie Ben Foster, who made a couple of excellent reflexive saves, was Man Of The Match for the Reds. John O'Shea was lucky not to have been given a second yellow card midway through the second half, but Spurs also got the benefit of a non-call on Ledley King's tough challenge on Cristiano Ronaldo just inside the box a couple of minutes later, much to his displeasure, and for which he was given a yellow card. I got a laugh from one of the announcer saying "that for once, Ronaldo is right" in the context for his propensity of diving.


With Spurs misfiring on their shots on goal, the thought came to my mind of the last time Spurs faced Foster, when the goalie was playing for Watford. Of course, that was when goalie Robinson launched a free kick that bounced over the heads of a couple of Watford defenders and then over the head of Foster into the back of the net.



GUARDIAN, SOCCERNET

Mike Says no mas To All-Bacon Diet

Checking in at RiffTrax for an update on Mike Nelson's pledge to eat NOTHING BUT BACON for the month of February, the news was bad as Mike proved to be all-too-human by failing in the challenge. On the brighter side, my faith in humanity hasn't been damaged, and Mike looked healthy at the press conference announcing the results from his attempt.







RiffTrax Blog Announcement

An Encouraging First Step: Oregon 5 St. Mary's 3

To be honest, I was not one of those fans going nuts about the return of baseball to the University Of Oregon after 28 years (in a similar manner to those Oregon State fans who never really cared for their own program until they started winning in the last few years), but Friday afternoon's win in a game with St. Mary's was a lovely diversion on a spring-like day here in the mid-valley.


The Ducks rallied in the top of the fifth with four runs to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead, the key hit being a two-run triple by Jett Hart that accounted for the final two runs as well as the margin of victory.


Oregon got some good pitching in the second inning when starter Tyler Anderson allowed one run, and then pitched his way out of a bases-loaded jam with no further scoring. They also got some timely defense, in particular another situation in the seventh when reliever Ryan Fleckenstein, with the bases loaded and one out, got the Gaels batter to hit the ball back to him. Fleckenstein fired the ball to the plate for a 1-2-3 double play that proved to be another critical point of the game. In the ninth, Drew Gagnier induced a game-ending double play.


Radio announcer Brian Prawitz was quite enthusiastic about being there for the return of Oregon baseball, though he did have a Jerry Allen-type moment just before the Ducks took the field for defense for the first time when he mentioned that Anderson could be the "staff of the ace". That very minor quibble aside, he kept my attention for the times I was listening (most of the game, but I did have to let work have its say every once in awhile.)


With my work schedule, it's hard to say how many games I'll personally be able to attend this year, but this win was solid enough to insure that I'll be tuning in to the radio broadcasts whenever I can. Nice job George, keep up the good work and let's go Ducks!






GO DUCKS RECAP

Baseball Around The Corner: Spring Training Starts

So a large number of people around the country may have been permanently put off by major league baseball in this steroid age, but there are still a larger number of people who still have a certain faith that most of the players are playing the game the right way ("right way" being relative to current societal norms, I'd suppose).


To celebrate, Sports Illustrated has a lovely 21 PICTURE SET of baseball players in spring training over the years, with this amazing Walter Iooss Jr. photo of Yankee pitcher Sam McDowell in 1974 being my personal favourite.

Valentine's Day Special: It'll End In Tears, It's A Heart Disease Called Love

A fine, country-rock version from Miracle Legion of John Cooper Clarke's Heart Disease Called Love dedicated to both the delusional and hopeless amongst us, a perfect antidote for when 'perfect love' is currently not on the cards. Thanks to DigitalDeviant340 for the clip, this was a track I played a lot when it was released.

Washington State 67 Oregon 38: Bad Is Bad

Some numbers from the debacle in Pullman, thankfully this was not broadcast on TV.

* 10 field goals made (6 2-pointers, 4 3-pointers)

* 5 in each half

* 20.8% shooting percentage (10 of 48)

* 9 minutes 26 seconds first half scoreless drought, as the Ducks found themselves trailing 19 to 2 after a 2-2 tie at the 18:44 mark.

* 4 minutes 17 scoreless streak to start second half, as the deficit went from 29-15 to 37-15.

* 5 minutes 12 seconds into the second half before the Ducks make their first bucket in the second half, a three by Tajuan Porter.


* Duck starters combined to hit 5 of their 26 shots.


* 5 assists for the game


* 0-12 record for the Ducks in the Pac-10 season now

ESPN RECAP

That Voodoo That You Do (Probably Won't Work So Well Wednesday)

Yes, the national teams for the U.S. and Mexico face off in a World Cup qualifying match in Columbus, OH on Wednesday, and there's been some talk about the efforts of a Mexican newspaper to put a voodoo hex on the U.S. team so that El Tri might secure their first win on U.S. soil in 10 years.


While it would take a major catastrophe for either side fail to qualify for the World Cup from CONCACAF every four years, the failure of the Mexican side to win here remains somewhat of a consternation with their fans that I know, and luckily they, and I, can see that this whole thing is just a light-hearted promotional stunt. They agree that a Mexico win won't stop the U.S. from qualifying for South Africa 2010, they'd just like to have the bragging rights that go along with such a win.



Glad to see that they've adopted this tactic now, the last time that both of the teams met when it really, really mattered was the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea, with the U.S. recording a decisive 2-0 win to knock them out of the World Cup and allowing the U.S. to reach the quarter-finals against eventual runner-ups Germany. I'd kind of forgotten how desperate Mexico was in the second half, with the cynical red card that Rafael Márquez drew for his hit on Cobi Jones coming back to me from watching the YouTube video highlights below. What a wanker.





A-P STORY

Lux Interior, R.I.P.

Thank you so much for your great music Erick/Lux, it was always exciting back in the day to gauge the reactions from the uninitiated to your music from your classic clip in Urgh!, and it was an added bonus when your famous live video from the Napa State Mental Hospital came out via Target a bit later, it certainly was one of the most watched videos in our household for a long while. I always drew encouragement from The Cramps longevity, and it is sad to see a man of your taste and talent pass away.

To Interfere With Nature?

A couple of weeks ago, near the Valley River Center, I came across this guy foraging for food. Unseen in this pic, just a few feet away, was a cat carefully stalking out his next meal, and as the scenario began to unfold, the thought struck me as to whether or not I should let nature play itself out.


Of course, as a human, I had to put my two cents worth into the affair, and I lobbed a rock at the cat, sending him scurrying away, the prey safe from its potential deathly fate for at least for another couple of hours. Why should any of us in this day and age here pretend that the world doesn't operate in a clean, sanitary manner because it's not right in our faces? Carry on, squirrel, until tomorrow......when all bets are off again.

Karma For The Cardinals?

This fellow was seen sticking his head above the parapet around my parents house late last year. Good omen for the Cardinals today?

Well Heck, They All Wear Uniforms And Chase Balls Around, Don't They?

Nice to see some careless editing in a rush job on a "timely" photo collection piece. According to TMZ (second picture ), Rosario Dawson, by holding the jersey above, is a celebrity football fanatic. I guess the good news is that this now makes one less team in the National League East for the Mets to contend with this year. Let's root along with our fave celebutards.........let's go TEAM!

Broooce (Of Sorts)! Electrelane I'm On Fire

Since I'm not much of an NFL fan, I won't be tuning into tomorrow's Super Bore, especially as I'm not a fan of either team. I can't think of the last time I ever rooted for the Steelers in anything......and as for the Cardinals, about all I can recall of them is..........a very long run of mediocrity and a quarterback named Jim Hart from a long time ago. The last Super Bore I watched in its entirety was the 49er blowout of Denver however many years ago, so with that being said, I'll have no idea about the time of day when Broooce will be performing.


So in order to get my Broooce-fix tomorrow along with untold thousands, I'll be tuning into Brighton's finest combo Electrelane and their smoking cover of I'm On Fire; the least that people around the world should do tomorrow is buy the ELECTRELANE RARITIES DISC (with said Broooce cover included) so that he may acquire some more royalties, more money with which to soothe his troubled mind over having had to deal with WAL-MART. What would Great Pop Things have to say about that marriage?



At any rate, the fab Electrelane live in NYC ripping through I'm On Fire.

Dropping The Towel For You

It's not that I have a particular affinity for television ads, other than as a topic of discussion at work for a brief period of time based on the relevancy of the product in question, but the ending of one of the current Swiffer ads (with the Player song Baby Come Back as background music) is just too fantastic to ignore. The idea of jilted household items trying to woo their way back into the hearts of their former users via romance is a memorable concept, and the towel drop in this ad probably works here as well as it does in real life. Minus the cops being called, of course.