Monday Reading

Psalm 78. Ephesians 1.

Weekend Reading

Psalms 72, 73, 74, 75, 76 and 77. Galatians 5 and 6.

IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS, YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!

I know one thing, I'm watching this "sport" from now on when it comes on TV! Thanks to Jim Rome's radio show, without whom I wouldn't even know this existed.


That was awesome!

Take a bow Jake Brown!

There's nothing like hurtling down ramps at incredibly high speeds and then launching oneself into orbit. I'll never forget the first time I did that. Only he forgot the landing part. Which is really the most important part of the whole "launching oneself" schtick.

And what's with all the leg pumping motion once he loses the skateboard? Does he think he can pedal his way through the air like he's on some invisible air bike. It's like something out of The Flintstones or some other Hanna-Barbera cartoon. They need to insert that fast paced rattling noise that accompanies cartoons when a character goes over a cliff and ratchets his legs before falling.

Yeah, they need to put that into the soundtrack of this clip. Dude, try flapping your arms like they were wings next time. It might keep you in the air a hundredth of a second longer.

The only thing missing was the puff of smoke when he landed.

And I'd want a recall on those defective shoes. If I ever free-fall 50 feet, I want a pair of shoes that aren't going to explode off of me when I hit bottom. Are they supposed to do that? I don't think so. When I buy a pair of shoes, I believe it is implicit in the contract that my shoes stay on my feet until I take them off. I don't need them deserting me. Besides, they could have killed somebody. How does one explain that to the coroner?

The mid-air roll was pretty good. But did I detect a slumping of the shoulders at the end there, when he realized he might be going to the Lord? That "I'm screwed" moment should have cost him some style points.

And who were the dudes in the orange shirts who took their time getting to him afterwards? Our dude is layed out, and one of those guys is just kind of non-chalantly walking up to him, then stops and crouches about 8 feet away. Is he a referee? Is he counting him out, like in boxing?

Dig those announcers, too! Just what does the sentence "I've never seen anyone get slammed that hard" mean? Doesn't "get slammed" imply there is someone doing the slamming? What, did the earth come up and slam him? It seems to me that he slammed the earth, not the other way around!

And why were they more excited and fascinated by his shoes coming off than a guy falling 50 feet and living? Listen to the volume of the voices go up- not for him walking away, mind you, but for the shoes shooting off!

And another thing- our hero has just been violently "slammed", and one of those stoners utters, "Wow, I can't believe he just made a 720!" Yeah, dude, and he might be DEAD because of it. Did you happen to notice that? That's the equivalent of some dopehead saying, "Wow, I can't believe he just peeled out!" when JFK's driver sped away in Dallas.

By the way, it wasn't "sad". Sad is when an innocent bystander gets knocked off. This guy purposely put his body in danger. Stupid, yes. Sad, no.

They said Jake Brown is a warrior? Maybe. But he went and picked on the wrong element to fight with. 'Gravity' is a pretty tough cookie in my experience. So why don't you go pick a fight with more of a sure thing. I hear 'fire' is looking for some action.

And I love the "explanation" of what happened. His board went "squirrelly" on him. Gee, that's really insightful. Blame it on the equipment being "squirrelly". Next time Albert Pujols pops up with the bases loaded, I want to hear him tell reporters after the game that his bat went "squirrelly" on him.

But I gotta give it to you, my friend! You are one tough dude, and you are definitely my new favorite athlete!

Thanks To Barb, My Secret Identity Has Been Revealed!

The only name I recognize is Mr. Darcy's. So I don't know who I am, really. And if you haven't read my "review" of Pride and Prejudice, go here.

You scored as Edward Ferrars, Edward Ferrars from Sense and Sensibility is one of the most awkward characters you'll come across, but it's endearing once his better qualities come out. He's devoted, extremely true to his word, and gentle. Edward Ferrars 80% Mr. Darcy 73% Captain Wentworth 73% Willoughby 53% Which Jane Austen Hero are You? (For Guys) created with QuizFarm.com

Was This Wrong?

Comedian Jeff Altman was on David Letterman Wednesday night. He told a joke that I laughed outloud at, but then I got to thinking, was it wrong to laugh at this?

They were talking about summer movies. He told Dave he had seen the sequel to "Brokeback Mountain". It was called "Dick Butkus".

I still think it is very funny, but was it appropriate to laugh at it? I was by myself, with no one else around.

Friday Reading

Psalms 70 and 71. Galatians 4.

More Evidence Bud Selig Has No Clue

Story here. Poor Bud. Boo-hoo.

I love Jim Rome's take on this, which I reproduce here from his website-

"Instead of constantly questioning Barry Bonds morally and ethically, I think it’s time we all took a step back and acknowledged what amazing and significant milestone he’s about to reach. A truly astonishing, physical and mental feat! No, I’m not talking about Bonds, I’m talking about Bud Selig traveling across the country following Bonds’ “traveling circus”. Ask Selig himself, and he’ll have you believe his effort has been nothing less than heroic…quote, “This has been a tough experience, I don’t mind telling you. I don’t think anybody can say I haven’t made a ‘Herculean’ effort. In fact, I do have a lot of people who are stunned I’m still at it.”

No joke, Commissioner. If anything, I don’t think you’ve been giving yourself enough credit lately. Other than you, who could endure this? The average fan has no idea just how taxing it can be flying around the country in private jets…staying in five star hotels and watching Baseball games from the owner’s box. You’re right! That is ‘Herculean’! It would probably kill the average guy.

I mean, the trials and tribulations of Bud Selig make what our soldiers are going through in Iraq look like a “walk in the park”. I’ll tell you what else is ‘Herculean’…your gall! I don’t think coal miners, fire fighters and policeman think flying around the country, attending Baseball games is so heroic. While you may not have shot anyone up, or rubbed any of the clear or cream on them, if it happened, it happened on your watch; so you need to grind your way through Barry’s death march just like the rest of us. You’re going to Baseball games, not the electric chair."

Thursday Reading

Psalms 68 and 69. Galatians 3.

And This

I Wish I'd Have Written This

Wednesday Reading

Psalms 65, 66 and 67. Galatians 2.

And I just noticed I went past 1,000 posts. This is number 1,003.

Tuesday Reading

Psalms 62, 63 and 64. Galatians 1.

Monday Reading

Psalms 59, 60 and 61. 2 Corinthians 13.

Scottius Maximus Celebrity Of The Month

This month, it's Bob Costas.

I loved his retort to Barry Bonds after Bonds had called him "that little midget man who absolutely knows jack (expletive) about baseball, who never played the game before".

Costas reply? Classic!

“As anyone can plainly see, I'm 5-6½ and a strapping 150, and unlike some people, I came by all of it naturally.”

Hey, Bare, dude...you picked the last person in the world you would want to get in a war of words with! He'll cut you to pieces.

Although not a native, Bob is an adopted St. Louisan due to his ties with booming superstation 1120 KMOX, where he honed his craft before moving to NBC Sports. There he would become an award winning television sportscaster and household name.

We used to listen to him frequently in the late 1970s, and even after moving to NBC TV, he would frequently call in to KMOX on the air. My memory is fading, but I think he would even be an in-studio guest at times.

Many nights as a teenaged ape, I would listen late (after midnight, which was when I had to be home) to his sports recaps, and after the news, his banter with his fellow newsmen and broadcasters. Even then you could tell he had a special talent for communicating. I missed out on a lot of sleep sometimes. But as I have said before, sleep is over-rated.

He has always been very gracious towards his mentors at KMOX and St. Louis. He made his home in St. Louis for a long time, although I am unsure whether he still does or not. You'd need to contact your neighborhood celebrity stalker for that info.

Here's to you, Bob Costas, our July Celebrity Of The Month!

Brief Baseball Blogging

Now that the second half of the season is already two weeks old and counting, I figured it an appropriate time to jump in with my mid-season thoughts, hopes and predictions.

- It's rumored GM Walt Jocketty will leave after this year. Which would be a shame, because over the past 13 seasons, he has been responsible for assembling teams that have won one Wild Card, six Division winners, two NL Pennant winners and one World Series winner. Not a bad resume.

If he's leaving on his own terms, then Happy Trails. But if he's being slowly pushed aside for sabermetric guru Jeff Luhnow, who in my opinion has been hand selected by ownership to replace Jocketty, then I want to vomit up phlegm.

Not because Luhnow isn't good, because I have no idea, but because my biggest fear is that Cardinals ownership is about to get incredibly cheap. Luhnow can probably play "Moneyball" better. Do more with less dough.

The timing of which makes no sense. Money is pouring in from winning a championship. Merchandise sales are through the roof. The stadium is sold out almost every night. And the Cardinals owners are looking to cut payroll and expenses to make the bottom line even more gigantic. That sucks. I feel phlegm in my throat.

Prediction: Walt Jocketty's disposition at the end of the season will determine whether the above ownership statement is true or not. If he stays, then the ownership cheapness rumors are not true. If he resigns or is fired (little chance of this), then be prepared for some mighty lean years to end the '00s.

- Tony LaRussa is completely spent in St. Louis. With the talent he's been given by Jocketty, he has done well. Not great, but he has been successful. But nobody likes him. And he seems to do everything in his power to make sure that happens.

At the end of last season, after finally getting the monkey off of his back by winning a championship, he has blown it. It should have been a reprieve. He should have been much more relaxed and jovial.

Instead, not only do we get Mr. Surly back unchanged, but he has proceeded to completely wipe away any good will most fans had left at the end of 2006. An idiotic feud with his 3rd baseman went on all winter long, he gets busted for a DUI in the spring, he gets in to it with CF Jim Edmonds, leaves the best player in the NL on the bench in the All-Star game, then bristles at Albert Pujols for actually wanting to play in the All-Star game.

On top of that, he has continued his bone-headed strategery during games, his handling of the starting pitching and bullpen have been a mess and the Cardinals, barring Walt pulling off a big trade, are going to miss the playoffs for the first time in 4 years. But I will say something good about his on-field managing. He's good at the squeeze play. Which is nice the 3 times during the year when it's used.

But the biggest factor is that I think this team was never ready to start the season. In fact, I'm still waiting for the season to start. The team has been sparkless, sluggish and difficult to watch. And that hasn't changed this entire season. Injuries to key players have undoubtedly contributed to my perception, but if we aren't going to win, then doggone at least give me a team that is fun to watch.

Prediction- It all depends on Jocketty. If he exits, then LaRussa won't be too far behind. But I can't imagine him wanting to end his tenure in St. Louis like this. He'll be back one more year.


- Albert Pujols remains incredible. Just put some half-way decent guys around him and you'll have a .500 team.

- The starting pitching has been criminal. The blame for that falls on Jocketty and on LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. Jocketty put this team together, LaRussa has completely botched using it, and Duncan, the so-called miracle worker, must have had a short circuit. No wonder the team is lifeless. When you are consistently down 5 or 6 runs in the 2nd inning, it gets to you after awhile.

- The offense, which started slow, has been passable. But the hitters are not nearly as patient as they were before Hal McRae arrived as hitting coach 2 years ago. Even Pujols at times has seen anxious. Just take some pitches sometimes, guys.

- The bullpen has been overworked and misused. However, collectively they have overall done the best job on the whole team.

- The defense has been horrible, almost as bad as the starting pitching. Hey Tony, So Taguchi CANNOT play centerfield. He's a terrible outfielder. Why can't you get it?

- Player predictions: Scott Rolen will be traded. David Eckstein will be lost to free agency. Jim Edmonds will retire. Jason Isringhausen will be traded. And next year is going to be a long one.

- Divisional predictions:
National League East- Mets will outlast Phillies.
National League Central- Cubs. The Cubs do this every few years. They win a slew of one run contests in the same year, and everyone jumps on their bandwagon. Then for the next 4 or 5 years they return to normal and lose all those one run games, often in hilarious fashion. I will say this, though- I think the Cubs have a harder schedule than the Brewers. The Cardinals? They will finish 4th behind the Cubs, Brewers and Astros.
National League West- Padres. Although it should be wild to watch. And the trade deadline, which looms large, could tip a team over the top.
American League East- Yankees. Don't laugh. I believe they are poised for a run.
American League Central- Indians. I'm not just saying that! The Tigers faded the end of last year and will do so again this year.
American League West- Angels.

- Wild Card predictions:
National League- Milwaukee.
American League- Boston.

- Pennant predictions:
National- Mets.
American- Boston.

- World Series:
Boston over Mets.

- There is no dominant team this year. Making it all kind of up for grabs. Too bad the Cardinals won't be in the mix. Because, as was shown last year, all you need to do is make it in. Then it's a crapshoot-

anything can happen!

And Speaking Of Stairway...

Enough has been written about Stairway To Heaven to fill several books.

But none of it by me. So here goes:

In addition to its guitar solo being voted the greatest of all time, polls and experts have also dubbed the song itself one of the greatest, if not the greatest, rock and roll song of all time. With good reason.

By what I'm about to write, some of you may get the idea that I don't like Jimmy Page's Stairway To Heaven guitar piece. But that would be wrong. I really do love it. This song's guitar work shows more than any other, save for the two or three songs mentioned on the immediately preceding post, why he is a virtuoso of his craft.

This idea I am going to propose is also probably going to get me called crazy again. But who cares? So here it is...

Stairway To Heaven is the song that it is, not because of the guitar powered ending, but because of John Bonham's drums.

Every time I hear that song, which builds from its mysterious woodwind-like and acoustic beginning, I begin waiting. I am waiting for that overpowering moment when this song suddenly switches gears, and abruptly transitions from a European folk song to an amazing piece of rock and roll.

I bet a lot of you, when you hear this song begin to build itself, layer upon layer, are also eagerly anticipating that moment that comes at about 4:18, when John Bonham enters the scene and completely changes the energy by a few beats on his snare, his tom, his bass and a crashing cymbal. The pace, caused completely by Bonham, overwhelmingly quickens to its climactic ending, which includes Page's famed "solo".

It is the drums, Bonzo's drums, that "make" this song.

Even during the guitar "solo", Bonham carries Page's guitar perfectly. In fact, what I hear during the last major section of Stairway is a well-timed and frenetically energized drum accompaniment which more than holds its own with Page's complex rendering.

In other words, I think Bonham makes Page's effort sound better, and without him, I think Stairway To Heaven wouldn't be the song it is. Still excellent, still in the top echelon of songs. But not at THE top.

Its drums make it what it is.

Anyway, the funny thing about having just said all of this, considering I am a Christian in the tradition of Martin Luther, is that the point where Bonham jumps into the song is exactly the point in which Fundamentalists and Evangelicals think the "evil Satanic messages" in Stairway To Heaven are to be found backmasked.

In other words, the point in the song that I personally love the most musically, is where, allegedly if you play the song backwards (who does this crap?), you will hear a Satanic message. And which allegedly was put there deliberately.

Well, thanks to the internet, and Wikipedia, we can now listen for ourselves. To all you Stairway To Heaven backmasking fools, listen to the segment forwards, and then listen to this. Please, please, convince me of your sanity and tell me what you hear backwards is nothing but gibberish and not some loving tribute to the devil. Do it without looking at what someone else has written about what you are supposed to hear. And then tell me you won't be so gullible next time.

It's incredible, but Stairway To Heaven-like claims of backmasking have been scientifically studied (I know, it's sad). And the scientific conclusion is- there is no Satanic message. People will hear what someone else tells them they should hear. And that's the Satanic message in a nutshell.

If someone tells you its a Satanic message, and you want to hear a Satanic message, then you hear a Satanic message. If someone tells you it says Scottius Maximus rocks, then you'll hear that. The mind is very open to suggestion. And because somebody once hated rock and roll, or Led Zeppelin, or this song (who knows?), then someone once "heard" a Satanic message when played backwards. And the legend started.

To which I can only say to all the kooks out there...stop playing songs backwards, stop listening to songs played backwards, stop looking for the devil everywhere (but DO do its converse- seek the Lord instead), stop hating on Led Zeppelin, and stop hating on one of my favorite songs.

One more thing...you have GOT to get a life.

Stairway To Solos

What is a guitar solo?

By definition, doesn't a solo mean going it alone? I've never understood people using the term "guitar solo". Most of the guitar "solos" I've heard are just musical interludes in which there are no vocals and in which the "lead" guitar features more prominently. But they hardly qualify as solos. Most have drums, bass, other guitars, and possibly keyboards accompanying them.

Let's look at the drums, for example. When someone performs a drum solo, it's just the drummer.

That being said, can anyone really give me a good example of a true guitar solo?

The list of 100 greatest guitar solos ever, compiled from opinions of Guitar World's readers, are, in my opinion, not guitar solos for the above reason.

And while we're at it, although Stairway is listed #1, I don't even believe it is Jimmy Page's best work, let alone the greatest of all time.



I think Jimmy's best work is on the blues song "Since I've Been Loving You" which is track 4 of side 1 of LZ III. This is followed closely by "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Whole Lotta Love", both off LZ II.

Friday And Weekend Reading

Friday Psalms 49, 50 and 51. 2 Corinthians 11.

Weekend Psalms 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, and 58. 2 Corinthians 12.

Thursday Reading

Psalms 46, 47 and 48. 2 Corinthians 10.

Wednesday Reading

Psalms 44 and 45. 2 Corinthians 9.

Am I Crazy?

Or does anyone else look at Kip Wells and see Bob Forsch?


I mean facial resemblance, not career resemblance. To sort of answer my own question, I'm not THAT crazy.

Today's Menu Demands A Choice- Claustrophobia Or Acrophobia?

I'm not sure which is worse.

This.

Or this.

Thankfully I've never experienced either one.

But if you've ever been inside those trams, with no air-conditioning, sharing about a 5 x 5 foot space with 4 others, and having to slump down a bit to avoid hitting your head on the top of the car, then I'd say the first choice would be a little worse.


A tram car.

But then again, I hate heights, especially with no net below.

There is only one way to ascertain the answer to this question. Let's put all the dudes and ladies who were trapped for two hours up ON (not in) the top for two more hours. Then we'll ask THEM what is worse.

You know, use science to figure out the answer. It's the only way.

Tuesday's Reading

Psalms 42 and 43. 2 Corinthians 8.

Frazzled

There's too much on TV right now. Not since the days of Mail Call and Extreme History have I had so many options.

My new favorite show is Ice Road Truckers on The History Channel. These crazy truck drivers drive their rigs hundreds of miles across frozen lakes near the Arctic Circle in Canada. Most of this travel is mining related so they carry some big loads. Did I mention that they haul this tonage over ice? That the road is basically a lake that froze over? That the road is only made out of water? And that they show footage of cracks in the ice that move back and forth as the trucks move across it?




Last night one of the young guys on the show was hauling a 95,000 pound piece of equipment across the ice. When he got it to the mine, two trailers were froze together in the -40 below temps. The back trailer was covered in ice. He hadn't slept for 24 hours. It took a few hours to finally get them apart. He was a little tired.

Another trucker, who is not one of the show's 'regulars', had part of his rig fall slightly through the ice. Fortunately, they were able to pick him out before he fell completely through.

This stuff is fascinating because it is extreme. And because you don't even realize these people exist and live these kinds of lives until a show like this comes along.

One other thing I learned- these guys are all one wave short of a shipwreck. But that probably goes without saying.

If this weren't bad enough, I fear I'm hooked on another History Channel program that came on last night after Ice Road Truckers.

This one is called Human Weapon. It's about two guys who travel the world to learn all they can about martial arts. Last night it was Thailand and the deadly Thai martial art of Muay Thai. They spend time at different academies in Thailand learning different strikes. Last night they even went to some Buddhist monkey temple! I can't wait to see what happens.

There's also a new program I've only seen once called Cities of the Underworld. Basically a guy who travels the world going through catacombs and sewers of famous cities. The episode I saw was of underground Paris. There were some tight quarters getting beneath the city, so that if you get caught or stuck going through a passage, you're dead. Trust me, if you're claustrophobic, you won't enjoy watching this.

But once he's down there, it's fascinating. It's of course dark, but when lit up, you'll see things like paintings and other art down there. It's like another universe. And the history between the Nazis and French underground was cool to learn about also.

To top it all off, and on a gentler note, last night also meant the beginning of HGTV's new season of Design Star. Last year's season was great, with just enough argumentiveness and artistry in the competitors to hold my attention. Last night they picked the candidates for this year's show.

There are already a couple of kook picks that will be weeded out quickly. I don't know why they do this.

What am I to do with so many selections? The problem is it all starts late on Sundays at 9 p.m. Central. And to make matters worse, my radio drama comes on at 10 p.m.


Thank God for DVR!

Reading For Monday

Psalms 40 and 41. 2 Corinthians 7.

Weekend Reading

Psalms 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39. 2 Corinthians 6.

Manny And The Pope

That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?


"Coming up after the game, it's another zany episode of 'Manny and the Pope', right here on Fox!"

Now, before anyone else calls for help to have someone come get me, let me explain what I mean.

Manny Ramirez is a talented yet zany (I can use 'zany' twice in the same post, right?) outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. He's a man who definitely marches to a different drummer.

But he is a man true to himself. He does bizarre things, such as selling his own grill on E-bay to make some extra cash (despite making $20 million a year), but no one gets upset about it anymore because doing the weird and clownish is expected. It's part of his character. It's who he is.

It's just Manny being Manny. In fact, that last sentence has become a well known catch-phrase to those in the baseball world.

"It's just Manny being Manny." Which brings me to the pope.

Recently Pope Benedict rubbed the fur of some Protestants and non-Christians the wrong way by suggesting the Roman Catholic Church was the only true Church on Earth. In fact, to read an excellent post on this, go here to Cranach. And for something really in depth, go to Cyberbrethren.

I find Benedict's talk refreshing. Not that I agree with him, but he speaks what he believes and what his church has taught for centuries. Of course he believes the Roman Catholic Church is the only church. HE'S ROMAN CATHOLIC, AND HE'S THE POPE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

Anybody who thought for one minute that the Roman Catholic Church had changed it's stance after almost 500 years was deluding themselves. All these supposed attempts by Rome at ecumenism are one-sided. All designed to bring Protestants back into the Roman Catholic Church. They have no intention of changing. Nor should they. Let them be who they are.

The Council Of Trent still stands. Therefore, if you're not Roman Catholic why waste time trying to be in fellowship with that church? You aren't. And non-Romans need to get over it.

We Lutherans believe, teach and confess a completely different salvation. Not the salvation of belonging to and following the teachings of Roman Catholicism, but the salvation of God through the work of Jesus Christ.

In fact, if you agree with the Lutheran Confessions, which I believe to be true expositions of Christian doctrine, then you have no problem seeing the seat of the Pope as the seat of Antichrist, not the top dog of the church.

Those who got upset over the pope's comments are the same people who get upset over Manny Ramirez and his statements and antics.

They need to learn- It's just the pope being the pope.

Or, if you prefer, it's just Popey being Popey.



"Ohhhhh, ho ho ho, Manny!" "Ohhhhh, ho ho ho ho, Popey!"

Friday's Reading

Psalms 31, 32 and 33. 2 Corinthians 5.

Good Night, Folks

I'm tired.

But the Asiatic Lillies are in bloom.

Thursday's Reading

Psalms 28, 29 and 30. 2 Corinthians 4.