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Weekend thoughts.

September 20, 2008

Earlier this year John McCain said  “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.”

Well, I guess this means he is ready to be president.

The Boston Celtics visited President Bush this week.  Following in the footsteps in recent years of the Red Sox and the Patriots.    Proving that it’s not IMPOSSIBLE to get to the White House from Massachusetts.

What’s difference between a fan of free markets and a fan of big government?  About 900 points on the Dow.


The problem with a government bailout of an expensive mess is that it sets a precedent.  in fact, it probably won’t be long until unhappy citizens ask for a bailout of the Yankees. 

The Yankees say they will unveiled a really historic artifact from their past will be unveiled during a ceremony before Sunday’s final game.  Presumably a World Series ring?

 

Although the college football season is heading into its fourth week, universities on the quarter system finally start classes next week.   But at least football players at Stanford, Northwestern, Washington, and UCLA have had a taste of what it’s like to go to Florida State.

AP Headline

September 19, 2008

Yesterday’s AP headline: “Bush working on economic turmoil.”

 

Now that’s one mission he’s accomplished.

End of the road..

September 17, 2008

The New York Yankees were so sure they would make the playoffs, that they didn’t plan closing ceremonies for Yankee Stadium during the last game this Sunday.  Instead, the team scheduled the ceremony for November. 

Presumably they also planned to have the ceremonies hosted by either President-elect Clinton or Giuliani.

And former HP CEO Carly Fioriana made headlines by saying that neither Palin, McCain, Obama or Biden are qualified to be CEO’s because they have not run a business, and the qualifications are different. 

 

Well, President Bush was a CEO, and look how well that turned out.

 

 

Back to baseball…

September 17, 2008

What’s the difference between the Mets and the Yankees?  Probably about a week.

About two million people in Houston remain without power after Ike.  Unfortunately, that number includes the Astros lineup.

 

And Ned Yost was fired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, despite the fact that his team was tied for the Wild Card lead at the time.  Well, that’s at least one indignity this year that will be spared Joe Girardi.

This just in – Blackberry thoughts

September 16, 2008

A John McCain aide said that the Senator helped invent the Blackberry.

And Sarah Palin added “I can see blackberries growing from my house.”

As the baseball season winds down…

September 16, 2008
This year there is likely a silver lining for Yankees fans.  They don’t have to watch A-Rod flop in the playoffs.

For the Republicans, Sarah Palin has been a great distraction from the cranky out-of-touch old man who is really in charge of things. 

So much so, in fact, that the Steinbrenner family is now considering replacing manager Joe Girardi with Madonna.

As low as things are getting in the US elections, Canadian national campaigning might have gone lower with a Conservative ad showing a cartoon Puffin bird defecating on Liberal party leader Stephane Dion.

Actually, the McCain campaign did think of a similar anti-Obama campaign with a bird, but Sarah Palin shot it.

For what it’s worth….  There have been a lot of lousy free agent signings in baseball – Carl Pavano by the Yankees, Barry Zito by the Giants, Andruw Jones and Kevin Brown by the Dodgers.  But at least today they all look like better financial decisions than buying stock in financial companies.

Experience?

September 15, 2008

With all this talk about experience in the presidential election, can we have a moment to remember…?  Al Davis has been running the Oakland Raiders for 45 years.

Karl Rove this weekend said that some of John McCain’s television ads were “beyond the 100 percent truth test.”

For a Republican, isn’t being accused of lying by Karl Rove,  like being told your childcare doesn’t come up to the standards of Michael Jackson?

Or like being told that you are not as good a husband as Bill Clinton?

John McCain made a campaign stop at a NASCAR race this weekend.  Guess he wanted to try to convert the potential Obama voters there – both of them.

Rough day for UCLA

September 14, 2008

Their football team lost to BYU 59-0.    Fifty-nine?!!! 

 

Brigham Young didn’t have that much scoring in all his combined honeymoons.

It’s not that Rick Neuheisel has never been so embarrassed by his team before. But in the past, police were involved.

Distractions…

September 13, 2008

John McCain hopes that putting a young attractive woman on the ticket will distract Americans from the fact that an old out-of-touch man is actually really running things.

If it works and they get elected, look for Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis to replace coach Lane Kiffin with Jessica Simspon.

– 

 

Sarah Palin is doing such a good job of distracting Americans from John McCain’s record, her next job offer may be to do public relations for the Yankees.

Maybe it’s just me, but Sarah Palin reminds me of the buttoned down woman nobody recognizes who shows up at a  mostly-male corporate meeting.  When it’s someone’s birthday.  And then she takes out the boombox and starts playing “the Stripper song….

 

 

 

Rough week for quarterbacks…

September 11, 2008

After the first game of the season, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is out for the year. This might be the most crushing single performance since Rudy Giuliani in the Florida primary.

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who were the first team to reduce their magic number to zero.  Over in Tampa Bay, most fans are still asking “what’s a magic number?”

Silver lining of sorts for San Francisco fans:  After three lousy seasons, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and his $49 million contract are out for the year. Suddenly, that Barry Zito contract doesn’t look so bad.

Curt Schilling blasted New York fans as “bitter and miserable.”  And he wasn’t even in San Francisco at the time.

Oh, Canada!

September 10, 2008

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has called a general election for October 14.  That means only a little more than five weeks of campaigning and commercials.  In related news, millions of Americans in swing states have filed petitions to immigrate to Canada.

Prime Minister Harper’s government is not very popular, but apparently a big problem for his opponent Stephane Dion, is that the French-Canadian Dion speaks English very awkwardly.  Apparently for some reason Canadians don’t want to elect a leader who has anything in common with President Bush.

Season ending?

September 8, 2008

It’s only been one week, and for Tom Brady, the NFL season may be over.  Now he knows how it feels to be a 49ers fan.

The New York Yankees are spending over $200 million dollars this year, and could finish in fourth place.  Who’s managing this team,  Mitt Romney?

Political weekend thoughts..

September 6, 2008

Who says John McCain isn’t the “Change” candidate?

Why, in the past year alone he’s changed on taxes, torture and off-shore oil drilling.

Say what you will about Sarah Palin.  She is the prettiest vice-presidential candidate since John Edwards.

Bad pun alert.

September 5, 2008

Very bad pun…

The true story of how John McCain chose Sarah Palin?  McCain was talking to his aides about needing a strong woman on the ticket to attract Hillary Clinton voters, but said he wasn’t sure where he should be looking and didn’t feel confident about approaching any of them with the offer  –  A   Southern aide volunteered  “Ay’ll ask her?.”

 –

So a new study says thinking hard causes overeating?  No wonder George W. is one of our fittest presidents.

And Barack Obama, in responding to Sarah Palin’s attacks, says he’s “heard worse on the basketball court.”  Which may not mean he is qualified to be president, but it does make him an honorary member of tne New York Knicks.

 

Another from my very funny friend Bill Littlejohn. 

The Republicans feel their convention was a  success.   The last time St. Paul was this friendly to John McCain was when Senator McCain was with him on the road to  Damascus”

 

Are you ready for some football?

September 5, 2008

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, 82, suspended three players for this weekend’s game after they were found with marijuana in their room.

Did he announce the suspension by yelling “You punks get off of my field?”

You have to love the Republican party, making John McCain’s military service a major reason to vote for him in November.

After they’ve just elected a draft dodger twice over two different veterans.

Leland Yee,  a state senator in California,  may introduce leglislation against a new LPGA  policy that will require  players to speak “effective English”  starting in 2009.    He feels that it is unfair that the tour will hold its players to higher standards than the US presidency.

 And fans in Oakland cannot wait for the football season to start.  After enduring the woeful second half of the As, it will be a refreshing change to root for a team that only loses once a week.

Republican National Convention Day 2 1/2

September 4, 2008

Sarah Palin in her speech to the convention said that when she took office she sold the Governor’s private jet on Ebay.  What she didn’t say  – Cindy McCain bought it.

If  this vice presidential thing doesnt work out Sarah Palin might be able to get a job as enforcer, for the New York Rangers.

And the Republican National Convention is hardly a showplace of diversity.  In fact, the assembled delegates looked like a NASCAR crowd, only whiter.

Performance enchancing?

September 2, 2008

Apparently two hurdlers on the 2008 Jamaican Olympic track team received shipments of performance-enhancing drugs. 

But to give the athletes the benefit of the doubt, just because you receive something doesn’t mean you use it.   For example, President Bush receives daily intelligence briefings.

 

Republican delegates to the National Convention largely praised President Bush.  Though I suppose some passengers still praised the Captain while they were in lifeboats from the Titanic.

Isn’t calling for change at the Republican convention a little like calling the cops because of loud music… when the party’s at your house?

That 3am phone call..

September 2, 2008

John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin gives the Republicans a ticket where both of them will be up for that 3am phone call.   She will be up with her baby, and he will be up to go to the bathroom.

A quick question – Was Sarah’s maiden name Eagleton?

And did someone on the McCain team think, well, if we don’t pick Romney we won’t have to endure a campaign full of jokes about Mormon families?

Labor Day thoughts…

August 31, 2008

Senator McCain is getting mixed messages about his choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate.

But the most worrisome might be his call from President Bush – “Johnnie, you’re doing a hell of a job.”

So John McCain figures he can run the country along with a young, charming governor with a slim resume.   And Dick Cheney says “You got a problem with that?”

More Sarah, etc.

August 30, 2008

So to appeal to disgruntled Hillary Clinton voters,  John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Does this mean if Hillary had beaten Barack, to appeal to disgruntled Obama voters he would have picked Clarence Thomas?

Governor Palin is a woman of many talents, including being an accomplished hunter.  John McCain is thus considering asking for a format change in the vice-presidential debate, maybe something along the lines of Hamilton-Burr?

Back to sports.  Right now there are three likely playoff teams that play in indoor stadiums – the Rays, the Twins, and much of the time, the Diamondbacks. 

Last minute negotiations are reputedly underway to add a roof on the new Yankee stadium.

And okay, a serious statement to close, because how many times can I say this?

The Stanford Cardinal are tied for first in the Pac 10.