The "Perfect" Game

It's Monday and the start of February. What would winter be like without the rhinovirus? I have no idea... seeing as I get sick, about this time, EVERY YEAR. Anyone out there have sure-fire cures for the common cold? I would love to hear them!
* Ten simple reasons baseball is the king of sport.
Best line from this article? "Baseball is perfect. Remember the first time you saw a major league diamond? Remember how it struck you?" I can still remember the first time my grandfather took me to Yankee Stadium as a child (full disclosure...I am now an avid anti-Yank), the sky was a bright blue, the field a bright green and earthy brown. I could smell the hotdogs and beer in the air, and my grandfather was so happy that the recollection of the moment makes me realize he was as in awe of the place as I was. He held my hand as we walked to our seats in the upper deck, 3rd base side in shallow left, near the railing. I can remember thinking how beautiful...and yes...how perfect that place was. I was sad to hear they were going to tear down Yankee Stadium once the new stadium was ready to go, partly because of the history...places like that, and Fenway, or Wrigley should never be torn down. They should become museums to our nation's past and pastime. They are perfect monuments to the trials and triumphs that have been part of our history and will be part of our legacy for years to come. Mostly though, I was sad to hear that Yankee Stadium would be going because seeing the stadium always reminded me of that day and the precious time I had with my grandfather talking baseball. I will continue to disparage the Yankees whenever I can...but that Stadium will always be a special and beloved place to me.
* There are only two weeks before the start of the new MLB season (pitchers and catchers reporting), and I am currently contemplating my favorite teams (the Mets) offseason moves. The General Manager (Omar Minaya) is currently embroiled in a contract negotiation with Oliver Perez. No doubt, Perez is a solid major league pitcher with an albeit inconsistent resume... but he is asking for a 4 year deal worth at least $10 million a year. The New York Mets have the financial wherewithal to make that a reality...but my question is, why? A little advice...move on Omar...move on! Sign Ben Sheets, 2 years $8 million per. Then go out and sign one of those corner OF still on the market... and bring home the title!
* The wife and I watched bits and pieces of the Super Bowl last night (As a fan of baseball I can literally watch any two teams play and enjoy the game...with football I need motivation...like cheering for a team. My team, the Giants, had been knocked out by the evil Eagles three weeks earlier), and though it was a good game I was more focused on the ABC show "Wipeout". We did take the time to make sure we caught the halftime show with "the Boss" Bruce Springsteen, whose music I enjoy but whose constant whining and prattling about the fascist Republican Party drives me a little nuts. I thought he did a great job, and my wife made a good point about Springsteen's performance being more in line with what the Super Bowl is about than oh, lets say, Justin Timberlake or Prince. The organizers for the Super Bowl should take pains to only invite acts like "the Boss", whose music fans can become a part of and really fit the "culture" of football. The New York Times disagrees with my assessment.
* There is a new chairman of the Republican Party and his name is Michael Steele.
* Yet another Obama nominee doesn't like paying taxes.
* This year's must read! The difference between Democrats and Republicans!
* Michelle Malkin lashes out at the GOP...again. She is 100% correct, it is high time the GOP wake up and stop acting like the Democrats-Lite.
* Aren't we getting tired of these "Police raid wrong house" articles!?! You can read more on the rise of police militarization here (Overkill), and here. I am not anti-police. I hate those movies that make them all seem like power hungry monsters, and I hate the music that begs criminals to kill them. I am very pro-police and generally don't feel a twinge when a pimp or abusive husband has an extra black eye after arrest...but the militarization of our police forces needs to concern all of us. Our forefathers feared the day that a standing military force would be used against us...and that day may be swiftly coming.
* Great column on the gun rights arguments on television. Be sure to click through all of the links provided, there is some great research there.
* A touching remembrance of John Patrick Diggins.
* Liberalism and the Democrat Party have not been good for Hollywood.
Quote of the Day:
(About baseball) "It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come out, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops." --- Bart Giamatti