Saturday, August 28, 2010

Tropicana Field - Where wind goes to die

My Red Sox are in a fight for their playoff lives in Tampa this weekend. While refreshing the box score every 20 seconds to see what's happening (Sidenote: Thank god for live box scores at ESPN and Yahoo! Sports, or I would be actually refreshing every 20 seconds). I noticed this little wonder in the box score:

In related news, there probably is no "real" Bruce Dreckman in this alternative, windless, universe.

Really? -1 MPH for the wind? What does that mean, even? Someone had to actually code the page that way, not to just put zero (since it's an indoor stadium, I understand zero), but -1? 

Is this like when you put hot food in your mouth and start trying to do the "reverse blowing" (aka, sucking) in air somehow believing this to be an effective way of cooling your flaming tongue?

I cannot explain this.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Shuffle is my friend today....

Today the shuffle on the old iPod Touch came through like a champ. An absolutley wonderful set of music that motivated me to actually go back and write it down. Half way through I thought, holy moly, this has been good music latley.  So I'm saving it, for me, for you. For us.

"I'm Afraid of Americans" - David Bowie/Trent Reznor
Everything goes better with a little Trent Reznor. 

"New York is Killing Me" - Gil Scott-Heron  (YouTube)
You can get this free from Ameoba Records. What are you waiting for? Go download it. Seriously. You are still reading this blog? It's boring. Stop.

"Ain't no Right" - Jane's Addiction

"Supernova" - Liz Phair
I still think she was overrated, but this song was great. When "Friends" was cool.

"Everything" - Ben Harper
The talented Mr. Harper. Laura Dern's husband can sing a song, that's for sure.

"Block Rockin' Beats" - Chemical Brothers
I just popped and locked something.

"Till Kingdom Come" - Coldplay
(Buzzkill - skipped this one)

"Dirt of your Shoulder" - Jay Z

At this point, I'm, starting to wonder if I this is a 1997 or YK2 playlist. If the next song is Frank Black, I'm taking myself out back and shooting myself as a mercy killing, since social security is going away, and I'm closer than I thought.... Of course, after hearing Frank Black. Hope it's Brackish Boy....

"The Judas Kiss" - Metallica
Suddenly, I'm not in the mood for Brackish Boy. And I broke everything on my desk playing air-drums. Newsflash: I did not shoot myself. Saved by Metallica. Again.

"Everythang" - Street Sweeper Social Club
That's right, it's spelled with an a. If you don't like it, Boots Riley is going to kick your ass, while Tom Morello plays taps on his guitar with his teeth.

"Optimistic" - Radiohead
This song is never not ironic

"The Royal We" - Silversun Pickups
This song builds perfectly  towards an epic ending.

"Who are You" - The Who.
Um, clearly my stepfather played with my iPod. Moving on...after the song

"Another Lonley Day" - Ben Harper
Okay, similar to the Coldplay buzzkill, but not skipped. Ben gets a special pass for the lyric "It's either love or hate, I can't find in between/'cuz I've been with witches and I've been with the queen". The man is a genius.

"Having Wings" - Ben Harper
Christ. Enough Ben Harper. What is it with that guy? Skipped.

"Excuse Me Mister" - Ben Harper
At least this is angry. Ben stays for now.

"Bullet and a Target" - Citizen Cope
I'm going all indy on you now. Look at me. Time to rent a Zooey what-her-name movie.

"River of Deciet" - Mad Season
The absolute best one-off band you've never heard of. However, this puts me squarley back in the late 90's, again. In related news, how is it possible that on an iPod with every Pearl Jam song ever, I have not heard nary a peep from Mr. Vedder and the boys?

"Jigsaw falling into place" - Radiohead
Speaking of genius (and thankfully, not more Ben Harper), Radiohead is back. I could listen to this song over and over for days. In fact, I think I have. Just not today.