Conscientious Objector

Israel's top general came out with something a lot of us have been saying for a long time.

In remarks that suggest a dramatic split with the approach of the current government, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, chief of staff of the Israeli armed forces, said that crackdowns, curfews and roadblocks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were crippling the lives of innocent Palestinians and that the military's tactics were now threatening Israel's own interests... "In our tactical decisions, we are operating contrary to our strategic interests," Nahum Barnea, columnist for the Yedioth Aharonoth newspaper, quoted Yaalon as telling him... Yaalon also criticized the government's decision to expand the barrier being built between the West Bank and Israel deep into Palestinian territory to encompass more Jewish settlements and cut off tens of thousands of Palestinians from their agricultural lands and families. The Finance Ministry estimated this week that the barrier would cost about $2.3 billion, more than three times the original estimate.

Do you like apples?

In the comments to the post below entitled "Dear Senator Creem", I was told by my loyal readers that ya gotta write snail mail, or legislators won't read it. I trust their judgment - they've both worked in legislature, I've only had executive branch experience... but how you guys like them apples?

Dear Salim, Thank you for your e-mail regarding H 3190. I am sorry, but I must disagree with you for several reasons. I don't believe the Constitution of Massachusetts should be amended to include a provision that excludes gay people from having the right to have domestic partnership rights, civil unions and or even gay marriage. The Massachusetts Constitution should not be written to exclude people of equal protection of the law because of their sexual preference. This in effect would limit rights of couples like emergency medical decision-making, bereavement leave, COBRA protections, death benefits, Social Security survivor benefits, even the simple right to die in the same nursing home. There is no reason for gay and lesbian couples to be denied those rights. H 3190 would deny those rights and for that reason alone I would oppose the legislation. I realize your e-mail is more about the process. The legislature actually has a big role to play in legislative ballot question legislation. They must vote in two consecutive sessions that the question should be placed on the ballot. The legislature held the required Constitutional session and deferred the decision. That was a valid legislative action and it means that that there is not enough support for the legislation or that it is very divided and there is no consensus in either direction. I would have voted it down rather than deferring the question, but the action was not illegal or inappropriate. This is a very controversial question that is inextricably intertwined with religious, cultural and sexual questions. It is very divisive between religions and even within religions(Episcopals/Anglicans). We must continue to separate church and state and be sensitive to the needs of all of our citizens. I have had more e-mails on this question than any issue before the legislature. My e-mails are at least 10-1 opposed to H 3190. I believe my opposition is supported by the community. It is always difficult to write back a constituent telling them that you can't vote the way they would like. All I can do is share with you the reasons why I can't agree with your position. Thank you again for writing. Best wishes, Frank smizik

It's not as good as hearing him agree with me, but it's a heck of a lot more respect to the voter than, "thanks for your opinion, the representative will take that into account." Props to Smizik for being accountable to the folks back home.

No Pain, No Gain

How do I say this? Can I express what it's like without resorting to cliches? Doubtful. It's the deep insecurity of feeling that no-one really wants you as a person, that you are what you do, and no more. The insecurity that what you're pouring hour after hour into isn't going to result in a single long-term friendship. The insecurity that people who you value highly don't reciprocate (particularly certain motos). It's coming home and feeling like you just wasted an evening and your life. The Bible calls it "reproach" - a social shame or stigma. It's the reproach of being a single guy in a dating world. Having people pity you, and say, "Aw, I'm sorry". It's that lonely combination of high standards and low social intelligence. It's being on the outside, and being everyone's pal but nobody's friend. It's not really that bad, but it can feel that way sometimes. It's knowing that you've layed the weight of your trust on something that was never intended to hold it.

It's breaking down completely in a comfy chair. It's feeling so empty before God that you know deep down that only a miracle can fill you. It's Him listening to everything you have to say; echoes of Job, echoes of David, echoes of Jeremiah, echoes of every man. It's Him gently quieting your voice, and telling you to listen. It's Him saying that those who have no one have the Lord. It's a giant elevator, falling, with jumbled views of all of mankind, all busy in their busyness. It's finding that while none of that is for me, the Very Best awaits me at the bottom.

I told God this summer that I didn't know what love is. Here's to the hope that this lesson includes some positives as well. Keep me in prayer, and leave a comment.

Dear Senator Creem,

I am concerned about the state of public process in Massachusetts, specifically in regard to the proposal to define marriage as it has long been understood by our culture, all religions, and government. It is very important that the legislature fulfill its duty to create the law of the land; inactivity on your part leaves the resolution of this matter in the hands of the courts, who should not be placed in the position of having to make a decision that the citizens of the Commonwealth have not vested in their hands.

I was disappointed to see the then-president Thomas Birmingham table a citizen-sponsored bill on this issue last summer, and I applaud Rep. Phil Travis for championing the rights of citizens and proposing an amendment to the state constition along the same lines.

As my representative in the Senate, I urge you to vote in favor of allowing the citizens of the Commonwealth to decide this matter as a ballot question in 2006. Please vote "yes" on H.3190 when it comes before both houses on November 12th.

Regards,

Salim Furth

ManChild Waived

Theo Epstein has balls. He just placed the Red Sox's best hitter, Manny Ramirez, on irrevocable waivers. Now, the intricacies of the process are hard to discern, but two things are evident:

1) If anybody wants many for 5 to 7 years at $20 million per year, they can have 'im.
2) The Red Sox don't want to pay his salary, and are committed to moving him and his hefty price tag. After subjecting him to this public display, it's hard to imagine Manny being satisfied with staying in Boston.
3) Theo Epstein thinks. He thinks like a fan (we needed a bloodletting to appease our wrath) but he also thinks smart. Manny is Manny, and he was and will remained a hired gun. Let the Real Red Sox, the Dirt Dogs, carry this team.

InstantReplay prediction: Manny will play for the New York Mets - not Yanks - in 2004. Dan Duquette thought that $20 million a year was a great idea the first time around, and now he has the Mets pocketbook and a mandate to get that team to the playoffs. He's your Manny if you want him!

Casabianca

The boy stood on the burning deck
Whence all but he had fled;
The flame that lit the battle's wreck
Shone round him o'er the dead.

Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
As born to rule the storm;
A creature of heroic blood,
A proud, though childlike form.

The flames roll'd on...he would not go
Without his father's word;
That father, faint in death below,
His voice no longer heard.

He call'd aloud..."Say, father,say
If yet my task is done!"
He knew not that the chieftain lay
Unconscious of his son.

"Speak, father!" once again her cried
"If I may yet be gone!"
And but the booming shots replied,
And fast the flames roll'd on.

Upon his brow he felt their breath,
And in his waving hair,
And looked from that lone post of death,
In still yet brave despair;

And shouted but one more aloud,
"My father, must I stay?"
While o'er him fast, through sail and shroud
The wreathing fires made way,

They wrapt the ship in splendour wild,
They caught the flag on high,
And stream'd above the gallant child,
Like banners in the sky.

There came a burst of thunder sound...
The boy-oh! where was he?
Ask of the winds that far around
With fragments strewed the sea.

With mast, and helm, and pennon fair,
That well had borne their part;
But the noblest thing which perished there
Was that young faithful heart.

By Mrs. Hemens

I learned this poem many years ago (and promptly forgot all but a few lines). Now I feel like it's partly true of me. He who has ears, let him hear.

You Might Not Be a Redneck If...

I'm wasting perfectly good time. If you'd like to join me, and you're not sure if you're a Yankee...

All In The Family

A lot of people think I have a cool family. They don't know the half of it. This email was forwarded from my uncle to my dad to me, and I think it's hilarious. The writer is my cousin Kyla, a college freshman and a very interesting individual.

daddy: so sunday night, we got in a minor car accident, and me being the only minor, the insurance people left a note saying they want me to call them and that i should tell my parents what happened, possibly to call you. how silly. anyway. here goes. we were in ellicot city, drinking coffee and smoothies and such on sunday night, and it was rainy and drizzly and somewhat miserable, so wandering around looking at shops and things became boring, especially since it was sunday night and most weren't open. it was me, sarah buchanaun, tessa, and robin, who was driving. robin's real name, for those crazy insurance people, is "katherine." i'm not sure what the last name is. it sure is something. anyway, so we're going back to campus from ellicot city, i have sugar-in-the-raw packets from the coffee shop and we're talking about idle things when we turn onto rolling road, which is a residental road that goes "straight" to campus inasmuch as that it never goes straight. in fact, directly in front of us is what is nearly a ninety-degree turn. so we are doing our driving thing, and it is dark and raining, and we see headlights in front of us. what happened was that a car that someone identified as a p.t. cruiser (i do not know what this means and am merely repeating the name i was told) went around the corner at high speed and ended up completely in our lane. robin reacted with robin's amazing spidersense and robinreflexes and swerved off the road, into a ditch, and came to a stop in front of a roadsign, which robin did not hit, for robin is just that talented. unfortunately, as tessa, sarah and i jumped out into the rain to examine, the ditch was about two feet deep and very steep, robin didn't have four-wheel drive, and only two wheels of the car were actually touching the ground. the back driver's side wheel was two feet up in the air, and half of robin's car was sticking out into the road. the front passenger wheel, the one competely in the ditch, wasn't doing much either. the car behind us, which had slammed to a stop and not gotten hit, went ahead and parked in a driveway and the girl who had been driving it ran over to try to help us push it out of the ditch. unfortunately, the car was not going anywhere. we went back to the sidewalk to stare at it, and all of a sudden another car came driving along, realized that robin's car in fact was not on the road nor moving far too late, swerved, and hit the back bumper (which was more than waist height to me), freaking out robin still in the car and shattering their passenger side headlight and startling the driver into driving into the equally steep ditch on the opposite side of the road. the police and tow trucks and whatnot were called, and they collected robin and the other lady's insurance, and our ids, and got our phone numbers, and all that jazz. tessa's boyfriend pod came and took us all back to school, and robin's car turned out to be perfectly drivable today, although somewhat in need of realignment. so no-one was injured, although we got soaking wet after spending two hours in the rain, and everything seems okay, except the insurance people aren't entirely sure who to blame. we say that you blame the silly person who refused to stay in their own lane. damn people. but anyway. this is my story. i have concluded and now will go to bed, for it is three in the morning. kylara.

I'm looking forward to seeing all these nutty folks in a few months when we have a family reunion in Puerto Rico, where we have a lot of roots on the island, including our slave-owning great-great-greatuncle, our two great-uncles (the Brothers Behn) who built the famous Dos Hermanos bridge, which was the first big connection of the island of Viejo San Juan to the main island, where they made a fortune on the land they'd bought on the cheap before building the bridge. They also founded the 5th radio station in the world on the island, founded ITT, gave lots of money to the university, and all kinds of stuff. It'll be fun!

Some Are More Equal Than Others

Revisionist, nationalist Israeli settlers have compromised once again with the Law of the Lord. In the quest to retake the Holy Land - ostensibly to rebuild a Jewish state in the Biblical tradition - they have laid aside many of the laws set down by God (do not cover, do not steal, etc).

The newest one would be funny if it weren't being taken so seriously: watch-pigs. Apparently some enterprising security professional had a lightbulb go on his head while watching "Babe", and realized that with their loyalty, sense of smell, and highly-developed interrogation techniques, pigs would make great security professionals (and this guy could continue watching kids' movies). If it's a flop, at least every settlement will have a year's supply of bacon (and will presumably set aside kashrut for a year).

Settlers just bug me.

Introducing: Rick

Check out the newest blog in the links section. Rick & 1 John 1:3 is an excellent Christian commentary on life and theology. I'd give him a proper intro with quotes and all but it's 11:55 and I need to have a QT and get some shuteye, so the quickie intro will have to do (apologies to Rick and 1 John).

John Henry on the 'Net

There's a big Red Sox fan site called Sons of Sam Horn (SoSH for short). They began a discussion of taking donations to either take out a newspaper ad or donate to the Jimmy Fund thanking the Red Sox. Red Sox owner John Henry himself posted a message (just go read it), and has come through on his promise; we actually have a copy of the ad at home, and it's way cool.

As was said long ago about the Dodgers, the Red Sox are a quasi-public institution without the quasi.

Little Left To Decide

According to the Boston Globe, Grady Little's future is still being decided by the Red Sox owners and General Manager. I would guess that Theo is the main proponent of boiling him in oil, while John Henry and Larry Lucchino would rather see him cremated and then sprinkled on the Green Monster. Of course, if we could convince the Yankees to replace Torre with Grady, we'd be happy to make the switch, but they need to act fast or the Little family will be collecting life insurance soon.

Sweet Caroline

Sweet Caroline Good times never seemed so good I've been inclined To believe they never would

See, the difference between a good God and a good woman is that while the woman can make your good times feel good, God can make your bad times feel good. Well, there are other differences (shoes and such), but that's one.

Nervous Wreck

I'm bouncing my knee up and down phrenetically. I had hiccups about five times yesterday. My thought processes are jolty and constantly interrupting each other. I've been staring into the computer screen probably 24 hours total this weekend, and I'm sick of it. Twice I've biked to Northeastern for a few minutes, and turned around and biked back. If it wasn't for the change of time, I would've been out until 3:30 last night. My eyes are glazing over, I've put on weight, and I'm feeling depressed for no reason at all. This is what teen pregnancy can do to you!

(And I'm not even the one who's pregnant, I'm just the one writing a ten page midterm about it over a weekend)

You Might Be A Nerd If

What Irrational Number Are You?

You are π Of all the irrational numbers, you are the most famous. You have many friends and fans. Like many people, non-Euclidean geometry makes you feel uncomfortable. You are involved in so many things that it seems like it would take two of you to make ends meet. You are particularly close to the rational number 22/7. However, you and e have been called "remarkable." Your lucky number is approximately 3.14159265

Shiny Lemur Straif's Blog

Dead Fish Smell

Effect: The kitchen has that dead fish smell.

Cause: Barnabas had sardines for lunch.

The Other Mayor Daly

And I don't mean Mayor Daly's son, Mayor Daly. I mean the other other Mayor Daly. Mayor-for-a-day Mayor Daly. Wait a sec, mayor for a day??? Believe it or not, yes.

[Mayor Willie] Brown [of San Francisco] would call Daly, who was elected [as a city supervisor] at age 28, a brat and a child unfit for office, not to mention polite society. But with two months left before he steps down from office, the 66-year-old Brown, in what he calls a gesture of good will, asked Daly whether he would like to be mayor for a day while Brown was on a trip to the Far East. Big mistake.

Daly didn't do too much damage, but I thought they only did this sort of thing in the movies. The big spat is over two appointments to a powerful city board, but it was enough to make Brown turn around on his "trade mission" to Tibet and come back to San Fran to try and sort things out.

I sincerely hope no mayor of Boston would ever be naive enough to pull a stunt like that.

Motives

D.C. Talk sang (long ago) about the motives behind playing in a Christian band, and the insecurity inherent in mixed motivation. My sister bought me that CD for my birthday, replacing the audio tape of it that we'd shared back in the 20th century.

Is this one for the people? Is this one for the Lord? Or do I simply serenade For things I must afford? You can jumble them together My conflict still remains Holiness is calling In the midst of courting fame

Ultimately, the song doesn't answer its own questions, except for an expression of trust in God, which is pretty good as far as not having concrete answers goes. For me, there's two major applications.

First, and this was a liberating realization I came to last winter, mixed motives explains the unacceptability of our sacrifices before God. The very best things that we do in our lives - whether it's helping an old lady across the street or giving our money to starving children - those very things are not completely acceptable to God because they are tainted with sin. This is what Isaiah means when he says, shockingly, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags". I know this sounds condemning, but it's really very freeing; knowing that I can't earn God's favor on my own even at my very best causes me to trust Him more and to hang more tightly to His perfect righteousness. What an exchange: my sin and sinful motivations for Christ's righteousness! After we receive Christ's righteousness, He redeems our lives - "good" and bad - and uses it all to glorify God. If this doesn't make a lot of sense to you, drop me an email me and I'll explain in a little more depth.

The second application is even more controversial, if you will, than the first, and I have conflicting thoughts on this matter. Romans 6 asks and answers the question, "How should we live?", exhorting believers to seek to please God and be led by the Spirit of God in all that we do. However, we also know that we will not be perfect. Applying this to motives, we are to seek to by godly motives, but we know that our motives will never become perfect. My question is, What's the cutoff?

Clearly, if a believer is motivated to strike up a conversation with a stranger out of concern for fellow humans and desire to communicate God's love, he should. What if he's motivated to talk to this particular person because she's a hotty? What if you're motivated to click a link because you think there might be a hotty on the other end? Would you have clicked it if it was a photo of the lovely Yasr Arafat? (Hey, who says blogging isn't interactive communication?). But what about the shades in between? We're pretty good at knowing when we're motivated by lust, pride, concern with others' opinions, etc. But what about when it's a "good deed"? We're already aware that all our motives are going to be at least somewhat mixed all the time, and yet we're commanded to do good. So we go ahead and do good, and pray that God redeems this filthy rag so He can use it for His great patchwork quilt of redemptive history.

Now let's make the situation even grayer: say the action in question isn't something that can be called "good" as an action (though that's quite subjective itself). Say, seeing a movie with some friends. Or walking a certain route, or eating at a certain place. The action could be good (if you're reaching out to someone lonely) or bad (if you're neglecting your responsibilities), but what if it's totally unclear? I've begun to look at my motives a lot more this year, and it's like watching a video of a garbage dump: occassionally there's something worth keeping, but most of it is in the dump for good reason. Yet God chooses to use me... funny.

Normally, I'd put a conclusion here. But I don't have one. I don't have a "thus" or a "therefore". I heard a speaker say recently that mixed motives shouldn't hinder us from doing what we think is the best thing to do. This is probably true, but what if we don't know what the best thing to do is, and what about the fact that we're only interested in doing it in the first place because of our mixed motives? Anyone have an answer to this one?

You Might Be A Nerd If

You have two people walk different routes through Harvard Yard to see which one is shorter.

You Might Be a Nerd If

You can name the top five Ph.D. programs in Economics in the U.S.A.

Consider It Pure Joy

Yeah, it's been a hard week. And yeah, I'm joyful. I don't know that I've ever felt God's presence more really or closely than in this past week. It started almost exactly a week ago with a worship night, and I was prayed over. The prayer was that I commune with God, instead of just rushing around busily, which I've done a lot of this semester. Between taking four classes, teaching two, and working in the leadership of two student groups, it's a pretty hectic time. Try to work a social life and 7:00am prayer all week in there, and forget burning the candle and both ends - it's just been tossed into the fire.

This isn't to say the whole week has been bad - I had a restful Tuesday, a good weekend, good grades, etc. But it's also been very trying, and not just with the Red Sox losing.

Friday I spoke in a couple of 11th grade Catholic school classes about the genocide in Rwanda. Telling horrible stories, stuff I've never posted here. Telling of sin so abominable it turns my stomach. That's not a great way to begin your day - it cast a cloud, a shadow of death, over my mind and spirit, and a sense of melancholy that's hard to shake. In all that, God met me. Very quietly, very internally.

As the week has progressed, especially in the last 24 hours, I've had disappointing personal news, been confronted with major impending decisions (grad school, etc), and had a lot of work dumped on me all of a sudden. And God has continued to meet me, to challenge me.

He told me to "wait" for something; I would've preferred to act, but to honor Him I waited. The opportunity went away; and I felt as though no good deed goes unpunished. But even when the results are "bad" in my opinion, He's still good and knows what's best for me, even if it's not the most comfortable.

Breathe in

Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.

It isn't always easy to trust God.

Breathe on me.

A Ballad of the Bronx

(by David Ray [my uncle], with apologies and credit to Ernest L. Thayer)

It looked extremely good for the Boston nine that mid-October day;
The score stood five to two, with but two innings left to play.
And, when Nomar hugged the tired Pedro who looked a little lame,
A pallor wreathed the features of the New York patrons of the game.

Still none got up to go, for they’d seen Chicago’s mess,
And with that hope which springs eternal within the human breast,
They thought: "Let’s put the Red Sox in a bind, let’s make them pass the test.”

The Moose, he did his job and mowed the Cowboys down.
The Sox bullpen must do the same to move on toward the crown.
What’s this? Why it’s Pedro striding boldly to the hill.
“He’s been there for us all year long”, thought Grady. “I’m giving him the pill.”

The Sox Nation held its breath as Johnson made an out.
Five more to get and on we go; we still can win this bout.
But the next batter’s name was Jeter and he would not be denied.
He battled hard and hit a pitch and to the wall it flied.

OK, no panic. We’ve got relievers champing at the bit.
Let’s bring in Timlin for the frame; they won’t get a hit.
But Little does not make a move, he’s sticking with his ace.
Bernie Williams strikes a blow and there’s hope on Derek’s face.

Now here comes Little to the mound, he’s got to make a change.
But no, he has a little talk and does something really strange.
He leaves our tired starter in to face the lefty from the East.
The painful, bleating sound from fans is like a wounded beast.

What are you thinking? What is your plan? How could you do this thing?
Pedro’s pitching has been the best, but he’s plainly tiring.
“Take him out. Please take him out.” The Red Sox nation screams.
But it will only happen that way in their fitful dreams.

The rest is too raw to recount on this the day that follows.
A double by Matsui and the weak, but fatal Jorge hit that sent us to the gallows.
The extra frames held little hope for Rivera was outstanding.
Too much to watch, too hard to not; a drama, sad, commanding.

Wake’s knuckler fluttered not enough; the result was all too plain.
We slumped, we swore, we prayed and hoped, but it still came out the same.
The Fenway gang got up two times, but could not push one across.
The end came quickly from a guy named Boone; its over, we lost.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in the Red Sox Nation, its Cowboy Up and Out.

Time's Up

I just spent an hour and a half on the computer procrastinating, and then ten minutes doing homework. And they wonder why I have a deepseated sense of dissatisfaction...

Breakup

The breakup is slowly dimming. I've concentrated on thinking about other things, thinking about the future, and lowering my expectations. I guess I expected too much. But if you aren't willing to let yourself go when you're head over heels in love, how will you ever attain your destiny?? It's the great paradox of pain and love - you can't love unless you're vulnerable to pain. I suppose that's the way God created it; it's even the way it is for Him.

Mea culpa: I'm talking about the Red Sox. And yes, the pain is dimming. The great grace of breaking up with the Red Sox is that they always promise to get back together with you on Valentine's Day, or a week or two thereafter. Then the whole cycle begins again. Someday, we really believe, our collective love for this team will not be scorned, and our shame will be lifted.

I'm not the only one this unbalanced. The Sports Guy talks about the only one he loves more than the Red Sox (I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt on that, actually): Anyway, my wife understands now. She only jumped on the bandwagon a few years ago, thanks to me. Now her Sox virginity has been taken; she was near tears last night. "I finally understand why you're so crazy about this team," she kept saying. "I can't imagine going through this for my entire life. This is horrible." Add another one to the list.

During the first week of April, InstantReplay and its readers made some predictions about the Red Sox season. Let's see how we did.

Statistic	Actual	Official IR	Dad	Barnzo	Jenny	Best Pick
Days on the DL by Pedro, Manny & Nomar	15	40	30	25	30	Barnzo
Home runs by Sox #1 first baseman	25	22	15	20	15	IR
Who will play first base most?	Millar	Giambi	Ortiz	Millar	Giambi	Barnzo
Pedro+Lowe+Wake wins	42	52	48	50	65	Dad
Nomar's batting average	.301	.345	.375	.350	.329	Jenny
Steals by team leader	30	14	18	30	11	Barnzo
Triples by team leader	13	9	6	7	7	IR
Sox will be eliminated	ALCS	ALCS	World Series	Win WS	ALDS	IR
Yanks will be eliminated	WS (win or lose!?)	ALDS	Season	ALCS	ALDS	Barnzo
Sox wins at the All Star break	55	51	54	55	54	Barnzo
Sox regular season wins	95	95	99	96	91	IR
Sox record against Yanks	9-10	9-10	11-8	12-7	7-12	IR
Sox interleague record	11-7	9-9	6-12	5-13	11-7	Jenny

Hmm, so our team is fairly predictable. We got, in many respects, precisely what we expected. The injuries were fewer this year than we dared hope, and the breakout of talent something you never could have guessed. If we'd been asked to forecast total home runs or team slugging percentage, or any other useful statistic, we would've grossly underestimated. Yet, somehow, we were right on with the number of wins. I guess bad pitching makes up for good hitting.

Lesser of Two Evils

For many Arab-Americans, the choice between Bush and Gore was easy: Gore was associated with Clinton's hyperactive Israeli policy, Bush promised less involvement; Gore talked about civil rights, Bush talked about civil rights for Arab-Americans specifically; Gore had a Jewish running mate, Bush had a running mate with ties to the Arab oil industry; Gore inherited Clinton's legacy of bombing Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush inherited his father's goodwill throughout the Gulf States.

Then came 9/11. Then came Afghanistan. Then came Iraq. Now Bush is giving Israel carte blanche in Syria and the Occupied Territories. Life for Arab-Americans became much harder, and the administration can't help the fact that everybody glances at an Arab on an airplane.

Now they get to choose again, and they're considered an important swing vote, especially in Michigan. The Washington Post reports on an event run by the Arab American Institute to introduce Democratic candidates (plus a Bush representative) to some of the leaders of the Arab-American community. The event was hosted by the influential James Zogby, a member of the Democratic National Committee as well as head of the AAI.

"Afterward, Sami Merhi of New Jersey, who identified himself as a Bush supporter in 2000, said [Bush's representative]'s performance convinced him that "if Bush got 50 percent of the Arab American vote last time, he'll be lucky to get 5 percent next year."

Ninja v. Pirate

Session Start: Fri Oct 17 12:15:09 2003
Mark: if a ninja and a pirate got into a fight, who would win?
Salim Kalabim: me
Mark: are you a ninja or a pirate?
Salim Kalabim: I dunno
Salim Kalabim: what's the rigth answer?
Mark: i dunno
Mark: i'm just curious
Salim Kalabim: oh ok
Mark: see, ninjas are very skilled, but they have honor. a pirate will fight dirty
Salim Kalabim: hmm
Salim Kalabim: but pirates are usually drunk or half starved
Salim Kalabim: or both
Mark: but ninjas are really small
Salim Kalabim: not always
Mark: if it where a fist fight, with no weapons, the pirate would crush the ninja
Mark: well, mostly
Mark: i've never seen a fat ninja
Mark: well, ive never seen a ninja
Salim Kalabim: ok, I'll go buy a ninja, and you go buy a pirate, and we'll put 'em in a pit
Mark: ok
Salim Kalabim: see, I think the pirate would only win with a weapons
Salim Kalabim: guns, specifically
Mark: this is true
Salim Kalabim: swords or hands and a decent ninja can take anyone, no matter what size
Mark: see, ninjas have ninja stars
Salim Kalabim: yeah, but a bullet hurts more
Salim Kalabim: and has more range
Mark: but not very accurate
Mark: and the misfire rate on those things is crazy
Salim Kalabim: very true
Mark: and i think ninjas would be very stealthy. i don't think they would be in a position for a clear shot
Salim Kalabim: wait a sec!
Salim Kalabim: there's actual proof of this!
Mark: what??
Salim Kalabim: the ninja beats the pirate - it must be true because it's in a movie!
Salim Kalabim: "The Princess Bride"
Mark: there was no ninja in princess bride
Salim Kalabim: wutzizname was dressed as a ninja
Salim Kalabim: don't the clothes make the man?
Mark: well, that and the mental attitude
Salim Kalabim: hm
Mark: and training
Salim Kalabim: think about it, though
Mark: i don't thikn he was dressed as a ninja though
Mark: ok
Salim Kalabim: how much influence do naked men have on the world?
Mark: nobody listens to a naked guy
Mark: none
Salim Kalabim: right
Salim Kalabim: well, I'll keep my eyes out for ninja-pirate battles
Mark: ok
Mark: sounds good
Mark: me too
Salim Kalabim: but I've definitely got my money on the ninja for now
Mark: i think i have to stick by the pirate
Mark: pirates have cannons
Salim Kalabim: yeah, but it takes like 5 guys to use one
Salim Kalabim: and this is 1 ninja v. 1 pirate, not 5 on 5
Mark: well, pirates have friends
Mark: see, pirates fight dirty
Salim Kalabim: yeah, you've got me there
Mark: they would gang up on the ninja
Salim Kalabim: you're probably right
Salim Kalabim: no pirate ever fought a fight he wasn't sure he could win
Mark: right
Salim Kalabim: of course, that takes us back to the drunkenness thing
Mark: lol
Mark: so 5 drunken pirates against 1 ninja
Salim Kalabim: hm
Salim Kalabim: I'll bet the ninja dies but takes 3 of the pirates with him
Mark: i think that pirates only get drunk if they are bored
Mark: if they knew the fight was coming they could prepare
Mark: like, drink a cup of stong black coffee
Salim Kalabim: see, I thought they got drunk when they were board, not bored
Mark: heh
Mark: ouch
Salim Kalabim: board... on board, off board, overboard, etc
Mark: yeah... i got it
Mark: wait. i forgot something
Mark: ninjas can fly
Mark: and stick to walls
Salim Kalabim: wait, fly?
Salim Kalabim: jump, yeah, but fly?
Mark: of course!
Mark: like in crouching tiger, hidden dragon
Salim Kalabim: hm
Salim Kalabim: the man has proof
Salim Kalabim: and we know that pirates can't fly
Salim Kalabim: Peter Pan proved that beyond any shadow of a doubt
Mark: yes
Mark: but pirates can have cool attachments like a hook, etc..
Salim Kalabim: yes
Mark: the possiblities are endless
Mark: like a helicopter attachment
Mark: or a minigun
Salim Kalabim: they're definitely off the hook in the appendage category

If a pirate and a ninja fought, who would win? Will we ever know? We have the battle plan, but the battle isn't until November 12. And will a staged battle really prove anything?

Questions that demand an answer.

#(^%)#$%*

&%()$^%)#*!!!! %#*%*!!!! &^*#$!!! #%*%*#^!!!! *&%&*#!!!! *%@(!!!!! ##(&@T%@!!!!

Boo these men:
Grady Little
Pedro Martinez
Aaron Boone
Mariano Rivera
George Steinbrenner III

All season long, the bullpen sucked and Grady gave them the ball every time. All postseason, the bullpen has been awesome, and Grady won't hand it over when Hittable Pedro is getting torched. Let the recriminations begin. Let the bitterness swell and linger. Let the Yankees and Marlins play the most forgettable Series ever. Let's wait till next year. %$#@*#&!

SOX WIN! THE RED SOX WIN!

The Red Sox bats awoke at the eleventh hour and touched up Pettitte & the Yankees' "I can't get no relief" bullpen. Amazing thing to witness (on a screen, this time, but a big 'un): the Red Sox winning the biggest game since the Bill B***ner game, October 25th, 1986, two weeks after my fourth birthday.

The Infallible Cowboy Up Hat is now 11 for 11 in predicting wins. I'll be wearing it tomorrow, for one of the biggest games in Red Sox history - up there with the Buckner game, Game Six, the 1978 one-game playoff, and the early World Series'.

COWBOY UP!

Free At Last

Free at last, thank God almighty, I'm free at last!

Well, not quite, but I will be a good deal sooner than I thought. Upon visiting the Economics undergraduate advisor today, I learned that I'll be done with my Economics degree after this semester! And considering that I'm done with my International Affairs degree, that means that all that I have to take this Spring is the College "rocks" requirement, for which I'm signed up for "New England Fisheries Resources". Yeah. So NU is confusing, but this is a lot better than finding out I'm a semester behind!

What will I do with a whole semester and only one class? Well, let's just say it should be fun! I'll be teaching Model U.N. and Arab League, and this means I'll have lots of time to devote to that. I'll probably take a refresher Arabic course, and maybe take French 2 or another language, since it's free. A part-time job wouldn't be a bad idea either, and that might give me the freedom to take the summer off.

WOOHOO!

10 for 10

My cowboy up hat is 10 for 10. I've worn it five Red Sox game days, and the Sox have won every time. Five game days I haven't worn it (including the first two, before I made the hat), and we've lost all five of those.

Needless to say, I'm wearing the hat today.

COWBOY UP!

Israeli Leader Shoots Self In Foot

Ariel Sharon has taken a sawed-off shotgun to his left foot.

In an excellent description of the recent controversy in Israel over the "Geneva Accord" - an unofficial peace plan signed by former Israeli and Palestinian elders desperate for peace - Ha'aretz correspondent Bradley Burston elucidates the vagaries of Israeli politics: by attacking the unofficial Accord, Sharon has singlehandedly awakened the comatose Israeli Left. If you're as out of Israeli politics as I am, it's worth a read , and it'll give you plenty to say at parties.

Dole v. Wells

We're sitting in a classroom watching the MLB Gamecast of Game 5. As the Yankees scored another run, Phil remarked, "I feel like I'm watching election returns for Bob Dole!"

Let The Curse Be Lifted!

The Red Sox evened the series to two games apiece against the Evil Empire this evening at Fenway. The game was a steal: the Yankees squandered lots of early chances, leaving 8 men on base (compared to the Sox's 3), and failing to take advantage of Wakefields faulty control during the first few innings. After Wake settled down and the Sox took Mussina deep a couple times (thanks Trot and Todd), the Yanks showed no signs of life until an aging Ruben Sierra lifted a Scott Williamson pitch into the bullpen.

The best part: I watched it all from Section 25! Thanks to the Jauss's for inviting me (along with some friends) to an awesome game!

The Official Mother of Instant Replay reports that both Todd Walker and Tim Wakefield glorified God in their interviews after the game. Not as over the top as Trot, they nonetheless thanked God, and Tim credited "a lot of prayer" with his postseason success. You know, as corny as it can be, I think glorifying God is the best thing a Christian ballplayer can do in a postgame interview. Either viewers will think it's stupid and superstitious, or they'll agree and thank God for helping the guys they root for. In neither case does the player take any glory. That's all we're called to do: give glory to God. If people think God is ridiculous, that's between them and Him. So here's praying for another two Red Sox wins!!!

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. - Revelation 22:3

I Didn't Get In Trouble

I went on our church's Family Camp retreat and I didn't get in trouble! Despite being in the same place as Gandhi, and it being my 21st birthday, I didn't do anything that could be construed as trouble. OK, besides having a wrestling match with Sam, but he tackled me first. :)

Gandhi, on the other hand, got in plenty of trouble. With help from a few hapless (and sleepless) companions, he used a 2"x4", duct tape, and rope to secure the door to one of the girls' cabins, locking them all inside. This was at 4:00am. It wasn't totally unprovoked - one of the girls had toilet-papered our cabin - but most of these girls are sick of Gandhi's pranks after 10 years of them. Anyway, one of the "patrollers" of the camp found the affair at 7:00, and ripped it off (including the doorknob). The girls didn't know what had happened, except that their doorknob was gone.

Gandhi will be paying $31.99 for a new doorknob.

Mental Health

The International Red Cross is concerned for the mental health of prisoners of war in Guantanamo Bay. The IRC should have noticed this problem a long time ago - most Americans knew these guys were nuts from day one.

Axis of Peace

An Iranian woman, Shirin Ebadi, won the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the first time a Muslim woman has won the Peace Prize, and the first time a Muslim has won the Peace Prize for anything other than making peace with Israel.

As the Post reports, Ebadi was a judge before the 1979 revolution, and has been a tireless activist for women's and children's rights ever since. She survived the Khomeini regime without being executed or shipped out of the country.

In a display of male chauvinism, Orientalism and Western bias (or just poor journalism), the Post barely mentions Ebadi's work. Instead, after listing her relevance to the statistical diversity of the prize (11th woman, 3rd Muslim, 1st Iranian, etc), it launches into a discussion of the criticisms leveled at the Norwegians by those who think the ailing Pope should have gotten the prize. Barely a word on Ebadi's real work, and no support for her struggle to bring rights to moderates in Iran.

The Nobel site has more info:

Both in her research and as an activist, she is known for promoting peaceful, democratic solutions to serious problems in society. She takes an active part in the public debate and is well-known and admired by the general public in her country for her defence in court of victims of the conservative faction's attack on freedom of speech and political freedom... As a lawyer, she has been involved in a number of controversial political cases. She was the attorney of the families of the writers and intellectuals who were victims of the serial murders in 1999-2000. She has worked actively - and successfully - to reveal the principals behind the attack on the students at Tehran University in 1999 where several students died. As a consequence, Ebadi has been imprisoned on numerous occasions.

You Might Be A Nerd If...

You think sabermetrics are way more fun than steroids.

It's All My Fault

Clearly, the Red Sox faltered last night because I failed to wear my Cowboy Up hat (a black cowboy hat from Cody, Wyoming with a red Boston 'B' sewn on the front) & because I shaved. I hadn't shaved or left the hat home on a game day since our previous loss, and the correlation is undeniable. Meanwhile, all those pathetic, superstitious folks are staring at the wall, wondering how the Sox could have lost even though they've worn the same (febrezed) underwear, sat in the same seat, and teased their girlfriend in precisely the same ways since Game Three of the Oakland series. They did all those things the same, and the Sox still lost... clearly, therefore, it was my hat (and/or shaving, but I think it was the hat) that made the difference.

I'm really not depressed about the Sox loss: splitting the games in New York is what I would have hoped for. If we can take two of three at Fenway, and then go back to New York with Lowe and Pedro - I like our chances.

Plundering the Strong Man

Mark 3:27 But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

They went into the strong man's house, gave his butt a whoopin', and are preparing to make off with his property. Three wins to go!

Three home runs against Mike Mussina and an ace pitching job by Tim Wakefield led the Cowboy Up Rally Sox against the overrated New York ball club, despite the best efforts of Alan Embree, who - true to form - allowed two inherited runners to score. Then Grady decided to bring out the Good Relievers - Timlin and (now) Williamson - who shut down the resoundingly quiet New Yorkers to end the game and put the Sox out to an early series lead.

COWBOY EVER UPWARD!

You Can Take the Pitcher Out of Seoul...

...and apparently, you can take the soul out of the pitcher. What's more, you can take the pitcher out of the picture.

The Red Sox will be facing off against the New York Yankees sans Byung-Hyun Kim. The Korean submarine pitcher got beaten by the Yanks twice in the 2001 World Series as Arizona's closer, and he has been sucked dry of all confidence - by his manager, by the fans (whom he flipped off on TV), and by his own lousy pitching. If Kim could handle being a middle reliever, he'd be a good one. However, right now it's just not safe to give him the ball. So Grady made the right decision by replacing BK with Todd Jones, "a vocal leader in the bullpen" who has "experience and mental toughness."

COWBOY UP!

Saul, son of Kish

I Samuel 9:1 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.
2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people...

10:17 Thereafter Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah;
18 and he said to the sons of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'
19 "But you have today rejected your God, who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, 'No, but set a king over us!'...

23 So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
24 Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people." So all the people shouted and said, "Long live the king!"

I Knew I Was A Crusty Old Man

My inner child is forty-five years old!

I've never really liked children, not even when I
was one. I want things neat, ordered, and
adult--fine wine instead of french fries, pina
coladas by the pool instead of beach sand
between my toes. Now if only my fellow adults
would stop acting like such, well, children!

How Old is Your Inner Child?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thanks to Irene for the link.

Paradise Gained

The heavy yoke of cursedness is lifted, and the Blessed One waxes poetic, reminiscing of last night's gripping magic. The bard asks, "Was it the greatest Red Sox game I've witnessed? I think so. I really do." All the greatest aspects of baseball were captured in Game Five: the greatest pitcher of an era bearing down, a great batter breaking out with a clutch home run, exultations on the first base line. Fisk is remembered for willing his ball fair; Manny for pointing to the dugout, calling up the spirit of unity that has defined this team. There was striving and redemption: the maligned bullpen held on by its teeth and refused to let victory be torn from it. Derek Lowe came out a warrior, pitching for the third time this week, and throwing "the best pitch he's ever made". Johnny Damon, however, gets top billing in the Blessed One's verse:

I couldn't help but think that right there the tide turned. For an instant the Red Sox were sitting on the right hand of God. And no wrathful vengeance would be delivered from on high. No. Not this time. Johnny Damon in that gesture, hand in the air, atonement, fearlessness, and hope eternal symbolized in one gesture made all right with the world.

In the words of the great Lewis, let us go "higher up and further in"!

Survivor 2004 - Round 1

Mr. Nice Guy has been voted off the island. Florida Senator Robert Graham, better known as Grandpa Bob, has dropped out of the race for President because he realized that nobody besides his own grandkids had heard of him. When asked who Bob Graham was, 4 of 10 respondents said that he was the creator of Graham Crackers, 2 in 10 said he worked in another department at their workplace, 3 in 10 said he was a singer or athlete, and 1 in 10 admitted they didn't know.

BRING ON THE YANKEES!!!!

After warming up against the Hitless Wonders from the Left Coast, the Red Sox are going to get into gear against the Bronx Bombers. Where Oakland made everything a pitching duel, the Bombers count on their offense to win games. And we can outslug anybody (.493 to .451) - watch it, Yanks!

Carte Blanche

In the wake of Israeli bombings of a terrorist camp within Syria, President Bush came down strongly on the side of Israel (and against not only the terrorists, but also international law). Without explicitly endorsing the attacks, Bush said, "Israel must not feel constrained in terms of defending the homeland." In other words, Do what you need to do, we're behind you all the way to Aleppo!

Great. But I guess it shouldn't surprise me that Bush is all for invading countries that dislike you. Who needs allies when you could have serfs??

Sox Fan Takes One for the Team

At the Boston Dirt Dogs site they've posted an email by a bouncer who works at the Q club on Union Street. He gives a play-by-play of Tim Hudson's fight at the club the night before his big start at Fenway. Assuming the account is true, InstantReplay would like to extend its thanks to the young Bostonian drunk who drew Hudson into a fight last night. I wouldn't condone jumping the guy in the street and breaking his arm - but if he's willing to fistfight, then give him whatever you got! The Red Sox belong to us as much as to the players, so lets do all we can to make Fenway the most dreaded away game in sports!

Da, the Red Sox vin it all

The Cold War is truly over folks: for the first time, the World Series will be broadcast in Russia.

ESPN Page 2 has an interesting take...

It's 42 degrees and raining lightly in Chicago with a stiff wind blowing off the lake, temperatures dipping into the 30s and snow flurries possible by the seventh inning. Or what we call in Moscow, a beautiful night for baseball... ...move on to the bottom of the third and the Aeroflot 'Fly, Fly Away' Inning! If a batter hits a home run this inning, a lucky fan will win a one-way flight to lovely Lake Baikal from Russia's national airline... Russians, we know about budget limitations. Leningrad during the 900-day siege, that is a small market, my friend. My family lived on one kilo of meat and one loaf of bread a month -- and that was when we have ration book. We lose ration book and then we have nothing. NOTHING! All there is to eat is wallpaper paste! I tell you, my friend, after another month, wallpaper paste begins to taste good! And Billy Beane talk about his limited budget. I spit on Billy Beane!"

The Nation Rejoices!

Red Sox fans stayed up to wait on the Lord's saving hand, which intervened at 11:25pm and sent the Nation into delirium. What's more, everyone from Trot Nixon to the Boston Dirt Dogs to Bill Mueller is praying to and praising the One.

You have enlarged the Nation And increased their joy; They rejoice before you! - Isaiah 9:3 "What the Lord's path is, we don't know. We go on faith just by showing up every day." - Bill Mueller Now with these fans I pray Lord With these fans I pray for the strength Lord With these fans I pray for the faith Lord With these fans We pray for your love Lord With these fans Pray for the lost, Lord With these fans Pray for this Nation Lord With these fans I pray for the strength Lord With these fans - Boston Dirt Dogs A majority of the Sox are regulars each Sunday at Baseball Chapel, and they hope to prolong the season long enough to convene at least one more prayer session tomorrow... "It's something you don't always see. There is a lot of affection, to be honest with you." [- (Jewish) Gabe Kapler] Nixon helped to shape the team's spirit by distributing copies of a bestseller, "The Purpose Driven Life," about spiritual exploration... Mirabelli, like many of his teammates, believes in prayer. "He answers prayers," the catcher said. "And I guarantee you there are millions of people out there who have been praying for the Red Sox to win the World Series, no doubt about it." - Bob Hohler, Boston Globe Before I came to the plate I prayed to the Lord to calm my emotions... thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ... My Lord sent me an extra gust of wind! - Trot Nixon (who praised Jesus incessantly in his endless postgame interviews)

Hey, the Holy Spirit's come as a wind before, right?!

Not so spiritual, but reflecting the team's camaraderie, there's a "Top Step Chatter Crew" - the utility players, who cheer during the games. Some of those guys and others led the crowd in heckling Lilly: by taping his name to their backs and standing nonchalantly on the Top Step. The Maginot Line, I mean bullpen, even has it's own T-shirts: camo, reading "He who is wrapped up in himself is overdressed". And we have a mascot - teenage wannabe rock-star Kevin Millar, singing "Born in the U.S.A." Nixon got a haircut mid-game, in a show of unity with his similarly shorn teammates, and they buzzed Grady after the game.

Oh, and I'll be wearing my ten-gallon hat tomorrow, because it's time to COWBOY UP!

Packing List

Trail mix
Banana
Apple
Rice stuff
Bread
Peanut butter
Granola bars
Waters
Fanny pack
Non-cotton t-shirt
Turtleneck
Fleece liner
Parka shell
Knit cap
Safari hat
Hiking boots
Ski socks
Extra socks
Extra boxers
Extra t-shirt

I don't see sanity on that list, but given the weather forecast for Mt. Washington, I won't be needing that tomorrow. We're not actually hiking Washington, but we're hiking nearby, and if it's not a lot of fun, it'll be something you read about in the newspaper.

Supply Side Jesus

Thanks to Simple Green for a link to a hilarious little comic strip: The Gospel of Supply-Side Jesus. Just follow the link & click through the eleven frames in sequence.

Blocking the Rush

Say this for Rush Limbaugh: he's consistent. Switching from politics to sport did not stop the Offensive Rush from making a not-quite-racist comment that anyone could have told him was as insulting as it is undiplomatic. Lucky for him, he had the good sense to quit before ESPN sacked him like he was McNabb without an O-line.

OK, there's a number of things going on here. First, Limbaugh had a point: people really want to see the QB position - which represents the brains of a football team - become less white. QB, like pitcher in baseball and most senior coaching positions in both sports, has been dominated by white guys long after the rest of sport became black-dominated. Among coaches especially, this represents latent racial attitudes that lead to less formal and mental training among black athletes. It's not as if there's active racism at the pro level - but at lower levels, the training just isn't there in a lot of black communities, especially in baseball.

As a result of this real, if minor, racial divide, the media and some fans are happy to see more blacks emerging in those roles. Now, that doesn't mean all the hoopla around McNabb, Vick, McNair et al is racially motivated. Plenty of fans and writers are excited by the style of QB'ing these guys bring to the game: a QB who can run, pass and even receive in a trick play is more exciting than a prototypical arm like Bledsoe. If McNabb were white, there'd be almost as much buzz and overratedness.

Also note that nobody is complaining that whites can't make it at running back. I mean, my poor brother. He's a pretty big kid, strong, good feet, great sports instincts. Think he can make it at RB? Forget it. I'd be willing to bet that even in Brookline (a largely Jewish, white, and Asian town), the best high school football running backs are black. I'm not geneticist, and I can't tell you why it works that way, but it does. Just like Kenyans win the Boston Marathon every year: they're just better at it. Is it thus inconceivable that white guys have better arms and are thus more suited to pitching and QB'ing. Extending that to coaching would be a much riskier proposition, and there the discrepencies in training are most likely the main factor.

In any case, Rush's comments have, predictably, brought down a firestorm of people who have a right to say something - Mr. McNabb himself, members of the sports media (whom Rush also insulted in his comments), and his aghast employers at ESPN. Of course, with a great chance to get a quote in a non-political article, some Presidential candidates have jumped on the bandwagon. Get your name in the sports page? That's better than 12 hours on C-Span!

So see if you can match the comments with the talking head...

"ESPN knew what they were getting"
"cacophony of outrage"
"he obviously thought about it before he said it"
"bigoted and ignorant"
"regret the circumstances surrounding this"
"hateful and ignorant speech"
"insulting"
"asinine...cruel and nefarious"
"absurd and offensive"
"I probably should have looked to soften it"
"a constant reminder that we still have a long way to go in dealing with race"

- Kweisi Mfume, NAACP President
- Rush Limbaugh
- Howard Dean
- General Wesley Clark
- Donovan McNabb
- Chris Berman, ESPN anchor
- George Bodenheimer, Pres. of ESPN
- Rep. Harold Ford, D-Tenn
- Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md
- Joe Browne, NFL spokesman
- Rev. Jesse Jackson

Sources: AP article on Comcast, Washington Post article and NYTimes article.

0 - 1

I can't believe I just stayed up until 3:00am watching the Red Sox blow more golden opportunities than most people see in their lifetimes.

Squarely bearing the blame are:
Manny Ramirez - 0 for 5, 5 men stranded with 2 outs early in the game.
Byung-Hyun Kim - Walked one and hit one (on a 1-2 count) in a 1-run save situation.
Alan Embree - Gave up the tying hit.
Grady Little - Intentionally walked struggling Long to get to Hernandez.
Derek Lowe - Couldn't keep men off the bases in the 9th; couldn't react to a bunt.

Fie! Fie on all of you! Now rest up and win tomorrow!

Prognostications

OK, so the playoffs have already started (woohoo! Cubs win, Yanks lose!). This is going to be a fun ride - lots of good, closely matched teams from all over the country. The "great" teams - Yanks, Sox, Cubs, Giants - are in it, the small-budget A's and Twins (who dodged elimination, if you recall) are in it, the 13-for-13 Atlanta Braves are in it, the upstart Marlins even snuck in under the wire. So who's going to win it all? ESPN's experts each picked winners for every series. Here's a compilation of their findings, showing the number of prognosticators who think these teams will be eliminated in each respective round:

Team	AL/NLDS	AL/NLCS	Lose in WS	Win World Series
Marlins	16	2	0	0
Giants	2	8	3	5
Cubs	6	5	7	0
Braves	12	3	0	3
Twins	12	4	0	2
Yankees	6	7	1	4
A's	17	0	1	0
RED SOX	1	7	6	4

So the Giants lead the Sox and Yankees as the pick for World Series winner. However, the Sox beat out all comers with 10 predicted World Series appearances. This is the year, folks, this is the year!

My picks, after a day of playoffs, are:
Yanks over Twins
Red Sox over A's
Red Sox over Yanks
Giants over Marlins
Cubs over Braves
Giants over Cubs
Red Sox over Giants

For the record, I'd prefer the Sox play the Cubs in the Series - that would make it truly epic. But even if that doesn't happen, it's going to be a great series!