Thurston Blogging

Game On!

The Merseyside Derby is on!  At long last, the Toffees and Reds square off once again - this time at Anfield.

It's a 1-0 early lead, on Torres goal in the first 10 minutes.  His sixth consecutive home goal.

On the counter

I came across this picture of me when I was a young lad.  Sitting in my death-trap of a car seat on my grandparents' kitchen counter.  That reminded me that Sharon and I took a picture of Audrey on the same counter while she is in her (safer) car seat.

From the swingin' 70's:

To the 2000's

Meet my Fantasy Baseball Team

Fantasy Baseball starts next week in the Blackout Baseball League.  My team is getting ready to leave their Grapefuit League compound at Blackout Field.  We may not be good, but we'll hit you with something.

Here is the Opening Day lineup of the Ada Express:
1B Derrek Lee (Cubs)
2B Brandon Phillips (Reds)
SS Jimmy Rollins (Phillies)
3B Ryan Braun (Brewers)
C Geovany Soto (Cubs)
OF Carlos Lee (Astros)
OF Torii Hunter (Angels)
OF Corey Hart (Brewers
SP Johan Santana (Mets)
SP Dontrelle Willis (Tigers)
CL Jonathon Papelbon (Red Sox)

Good Friday

It's here - a three day weekend!  Fantastic.  The day started out with a diaper change (Audrey's, not mine) and a big breakfast - eggs, sausage and an everything bagel with Philly Cream Cheese.  Sitting on the couch with Aud, watching TV - deciding whether to stay on this couch all day, or actually get out in the world. 

Pee Wee says - "Go out and party!"

Headshot

Seeing this video makes me want to play some paintball this spring.  Anyone interested is getting shot in the face, or the nether-region?

The Doodle says Da-Da

My daughter is a genius.  She may not have any teeth yet, but she has quite the vocabulary.  Her first word was "ma ma".  A week later, she doubled her output with "up".  On Friday, I received a voice-mail from the wife at the office saying Audrey had just said "da da".  Today, I got to hear it for myself.  Awesome.  Aud is also closing in on "duck", as she as a few duck bath toys that she has become quite attached to.

Into the Flood Again

Here is the video "Would" - the song from the great Cameron Crowe movie, Singles.

The 2008 Suck List

Last January, I made a list of things that I don't like, which you can read here.  While those things still make my hair fall out, here are things that are bugging me this year.

10) The Writers Strike.  Yeah, I know it is over now.  I don't blame the writers for trying to get more money.  I don't blame Hollywood for playing hardball.  Both parties are to blame for leaving me without my stories - no Reaper, no Chuck, no Scrubs and no Heroes just stinks.  To those who put American Gladiators and The Price is Right in prime time, thanks for helping me turn my television off.

09) Is there worse condiment on the planet than mayo?  The answer is Yes, and thy name is MUSTARD. 

08) The Merseyside Derby being moved to Sunday morning.  Liverpool and Everton were slated to face off at Anfield on Saturday, March 29th.  A perfect day to wake up early, watch the Toffees lose to the Reds and enjoy a few brews.  Now, the powers that be have moved this match to Sunday morning.  It has become much tougher to be functional on Monday morning when you hoisted a few on Sunday.

07) American Idol.  The writers strike didn't slow this craptastic juggernaut from infecting my television.  Have you seen or heard these freakshows speak?  Frightening.  Hasn't Simon and Randy's 15 minutes of fame run out?  It's time for Randy Jackson to get back with Journey and re-record "Don't Stop Believin'".  You cannot escape this terrible show - people incessantly talk about this show in my office.  Not just women, but men crow about who did well and who should be voted off.  I'd rather watch a day of CMT and BET.

06) Catalogs.  There is this crazy new invention called the Internet.  It lets me look for whatever I want, in whatever color or size I choose.  Too expensive - look on eBay.  If I need something, the last place I'm going to look for it is in a catalog.  Yet, we get 12-15 of these damn things each month.  Sharon found this site that will help stop the endless stream of LL Bean and Sundance books from filling our box.  So there, Al Gore - I am pretending to care about our environment.

05) Plastic clamshell containers.  Buying some cheap electronic gizmo?  Prepare to find some sharp scissors to free said device from its plastic cocoon.  I understand the fact that international commerce is here to stay, and that these packages are a quick way for foreign-made goods to clear customs.  For Jebus' sake -  would some packaging engineer develop the same pull-string used on a pack of gum to open these packages.

04) Emo.  Somewhere Adam Duritz is rolling over in his grave.  Ain't dead?  Well if he turned on the radio and saw these flock-of-seagulls-hair-caught-in-the-rain tools - he would be.  This music sounds the same, and it all sounds like music I wouldn't feed my dog.  Wikipedia says some consider Emo to be under the grunge umbrella.  Pearl Jam doesn't carry an umbrella, and if they did - they'd smack Jimmy Eat World with it.

03) Alcohol Laws.  It's always Noon somewhere, but if you are in Michigan, don't plan on buying a 40 oz. of Mickeys until both hands of your grandfather clock point to the sky.  One of the 29 poor saps that live in Indiana?  You'd best get your can to the store on Saturday if you want to drink Old Style on Sunday.  Here is a fantastic breakdown of our laws throughout this great land as they pertain to booze sales.

02) The Mitchell Report.  Major League Baseball commissioned former Senator George Mitchell to provide the owners and players union a report on the state of performance-enhancing drugs in the game, and recommendations on cleaning up the game.  Wanna read it - click here.  This $20+ million dollar witch-hunt by a fan of the Boston Red Sox listed two Yankees pitchers as HGH users.  This led to me having to see our Congress parade an old and "midrembering" Roger Clemens - only to bluster and lie.  Oh yeah - he also threw his wife under the bus.  While marginally better than American Idol, Congress has a few other issues to tackle.

01) My Fantasy Basketball Team.  Seriously, Yao Ming - you were my second draft pick after LeBron; what makes you think you can get hurt and leave me in a lurch.   When Hedo Turkoglu is one of your most consistent players - it's time to jettison off the trash.  Chris Kaman and Deron Williams continue to be money in the bank, but the Vince Carter, Paul Piece and Dwayne Wade trio are disappointing me.  And someone tell me why I needed to pick up Shaq off of the waiver wire?  Totally bone-headed move there.  That is why I am cemented in at the 3 seed.  It feels like I haven't been in first place since the Truman administration.

Here is a great photo of Chris Kaman and his life-mate performing their synchronized dance moves:

Kimmel and Affleck - together?!

Here is the follow-up to the Sarah Silverman-Matt Damon video on the Jimmy Kimmel show.  These insipid videos always make me laugh - I don't care if it's childish.

Top Ten Baseball Movies

This morning, I had set out to create a list of my Top Ten favorite sports movies.  Perhaps it's because I finished watching Any Given Sunday recently.  What I realized when making the list is - my favorite sports movies are baseball movies.  Not sure why that is.
  Here it is - the list of my favorite baseball movies:
10) Rookie of the Year (1993)- Every list should have a Gary Busey movie in it.

09) Brewster's Millions (1985)- Richard Pryor plays a minor leaguer who has to spend his "inheritance" to gain $300 Million.  John Candy is great in this as his sidekick.

08) Pride of the Yankees (1942) - Gary Cooper plays Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth plays a convincing Babe Ruth.

 
07) 61* (2001) HBO movie directed by Billy Crystal that was shot at old Tiger Stadium.  Movie centers around the home run race between Micky Mantle and Roger Maris, and Maris' attempt to break Babe Ruth's home run record.

06) Bull Durham (1988) - You could make a Top Ten list of Kevin Costner baseball movies.  However, this is one of two that makes my list.  Costner plays a washed up catcher who is brought to the Durham Bulls to help an idiot pitcher get his game together.

05) Major League (1989) - Best ensemble cast of the list.  Probably the best movie that features Tom Berenger and Corbin Bernsen.

04) Eight Men Out (1988) - John Cusack and John Mahoney were also in Say Anything as well as Eight Men Out.  This is a great movie about the Chicago White Sox throwing the 1919 World Series.

03) The Natural (1984) - Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs, a 1930's baseball player with a bullet wound.

02) Cobb (1994) - Tommy Lee Jones portrays the bastard Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb.  Robert Wuhl does a great job playing the reporter Al Stump who tries to get Cobb to spit out a biography.

01) Field of Dreams (1989) - The other Kevin Costner movie on this list.  Kevin Costner plows over his corn to build a baseball field, and dead guys (including Shoeless Joe Jackson) decide to play there.  James Earl Jones plays a writer who is skeptical of dead guys playing baseball in Iowa.