Thankful For...'08

As I stated here last year, I've always liked to list things that I am thankful for, both serious and amusing, on Turkey Day. And even though it's been a rough year in a lot of ways, there are still things to be thankful for:

- a wonderful wife in Staci, who is always there for me;
- friends and family, especially this time of year when we get to spend a little more time together;
- successful seasons for the Dodgers, Cowboys, and Penn State;
- the fact that "Lost," "24," and "Scrubs" will all soon be back on, saving a mostly horrible fall TV season.
- and lastly and most recently, the crazy lady who hit the car that just bought our hours-old flat screen TV.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Hot Stove Notes- 11/21

With all the baseball awards having been given out, the concentration now shifts to free agents and random news. Here is just some things that have my interest in the cold of winter:

- The CC , Teixiera, and Manny Sweepstakes are officially underway. While I am nervous about the Dodgers stepping up, I still think LA will sign Manny. And while I find it intriguing that Teixiera may end up with the Nats, DC needs pitching more than another bat. OK, they need everything. But he will probably end up with Anaheim. CC will sign with the Yankees, especially now that Mussina retired. Speaking of...

- So Mike Mussina is done. And the ridiculous debate begins- is he a Hall of Famer? Before this is decided, can we please get back to Jack Morris, Bert Blyleven, and even Orel Hershiser? All three were big game pitchers who won championships and Cy Youngs, and were at some point considered the dominant pitcher in their league. Mussina has never been any of those things. His stats are great, but I don't think that's enough until these other pitchers are given fair consideration.

- Yankees owner George Steinbrenner officially handed over control to son Hal (not Hank, to many comics' dismay). I have never been a fan of Steinbrenner, who fired managers every other day and started the ridiculous free agent salaries back in the '70's. But I can appreciate what he did for the Yankees, who were in serious trouble when he bought the team in 1973. He made them a team to be revered and hated again, leading them to 6 championships in the last 35 years.

A Great Sports Weekend...Finally!

Rooting for your sports teams can be schizophrenic. Witness my teams the last 3 months. The Dodgers went from looking horrible in August to making the NLCS in October (Before breaking my heart). The Cowboys started 3-0, then lost 4 of 6. Penn State went from 9-0 to losing a winnable game last weekend. So I had little hope for PSU and the Cowboys this weekend. We were at the Penn State game, thanks to Jason and Megan, and even with a shaky 1st half against an inferior team, and pouring cold rain, we had a great time and Penn State demolished Indiana, 34-7.



Then the first Cowboys game I've seen in a month (thanks to living in Eagles-land) led to a 14-10 win over the hated Redskins. My boy Romo looked decent in his return and Marion Barber ran all over the place. We are now 6-4, and probably saved our hopes for the playoffs.

Yes, sports are schizophrenic, but weekends like this remind me why we put ourselves through the torture.

Something To Believe In

"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable - a most sacred right - a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world."- Abraham Lincoln

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time — to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth — that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."- Barack Obama

To say I'm still coming down from last night's exhilarating Obama victory is an understatement. After so many horrible things that have happened in the last eight years, including 2 elections that were questionable at best and fraudulent at worst, I was cynical that people would do the right thing yesterday. I was afraid that people would either believe the ridiculous lies that have been spread, or decide that they could not deal with a black president, or think the world would literally end if they voted for Obama. The American people proved me wrong. They decided they, too, were ready to take their country back, that they wanted financial security, national security, and health care that could protect them and their loved ones. I have never been more happy to be wrong.

There are many challenges ahead of us, and President-Elect Obama will make mistakes, as he freely admitted last night in his speech. But true leadership will be restored, and perhaps most importantly, the world may look at us with a little more favorable light, and nothing bad can come from that. And for those who still don't believe in Barack Obama, who will never admit that this great man will bring this country back from the depths of Hell, well, you will benefit from this new administration as well. And isn't that what America is all about?

For my wife's take see here.

Vote!

No matter who you are voting for, make sure you vote today! There are few things that compare to being able to vote in a Presidential Election. This is my fifth, and the feeling of excitement and pride are the same today for me as they were in 1992. Should be a very exciting night, more tomorrow right here on BBBP.

Monday Funnies

Once again, SNL and Family Guy delivered the best comedy of the weekend. SNL skewered Keith Olbermann, imitated fairly well by Ben Affleck. I'm sure Keith will have a good take on this tonight.



Sometimes, an obscure movie reference that you and your friends have been quoting for years shows up on Family Guy, and you can revel in the fact that there are others out there who get you. Here's FG's take on Planes Trains and Automobiles: