It was a good concert. I have to see what I can make of the photos. Good hotel, Suites at 1 King, for a reasonable rate on expedia.ca. This was the view and it was good to be able to walk back to a bed from the Air Canada Centre.

When I took the kid's to the birthday party at 2 pm it was still 3-3 against Cincinnati. But when the party was over, so was the game and there was Brendan being interviewed on the radio about the one he "shanked". It was this sort of game:  •  “What does the Orange offense do with the turnover …

So now the wait until February when the first hints of action are heard, then April when the first game is played and, with any luck, May when I see the next Hall of Fame game at Cooperstown and in June, the Watertown Wizards start play again.  •  The Cards deserved it. Their pitching showed up …

Is it fair to suggest that this US political season, where Michael J Fox can sum it up by saying he needs neither the pity or permission of Rush Limbaugh, is a dead zone as far as the blogging goes? Is it truly the case that is is no bombast left in the bloat?  •  Remember in 2004 when this was …

Writing blindly this morning as the servers seem to be down for the moment. And the internet is chugging. And my computer is pokey. What the heck is that all about? I had visions of recreating an archive. I quickly realized the beer blog would be the first to be fixed.  •  Update: Hey look! There …

Oddly quiet. You aren't all out in the hallway waiting to jump me are you?

In my never ending drive to mix insipid views of world affairs with solid reporting of what I get to see on my TV set, it is a particularly big day - even if the sun is not up yet as I am likely late for work - when there is a report in the NYT on Big East basketball. I do not follow the NBA. I do …

I heard this bit on the news last night:  •  “Mr. Bush’s comments were the latest iteration in a recent rhetorical evolution that has seen him move from vowing to "stay the course" in Iraq to promising flexibility. But Mr. Bush also said, "We cannot allow our dissatisfaction to turn into …

Ry has demanded we speak of baseball, so we shall speak of baseball.  •  I have only one question. How is it that Chris Carpenter can look like a a cheese-eating schoolboy when he lost two games at Shea in the National League Championships against the Mets but is a powerhouse at home, leading his …

Let's just all remember the actual economic facts as wel enter a season of political nuttiness shall we? I don't vote Liberal but I know that the Liberals slashed government spending unmercifully, the Liberals got control of the deficit and turned the debt around, the Liberals presided over a …

Speaking of political campaigns, a subject most facinating, what we are witnessing to our south is even more interesting than questions Iggeriffic. Consider this:  •  “As this country's most outspoken and polarizing social conservative, the two-term Pennsylvania Republican senator has been in …

I do not know what to make of this:  •  “Morale plummeted inside the campaign after the remarks and Mr. Ignatieff's perceived clumsiness in dealing with the fallout from them. But it rebounded after Quebec Liberals received him with enthusiasm and echoed his call for recognizing Quebec as a nation …

Home to Louisville. Number six against number one hundred and six. Kinda. Gary had it right when he wrote:  •  “Syracuse played a tough game against a VERY good Louisville team. They never had a chance, but played like they could win.”  •  I am pleased to say that I almost swung a place in a box …

Have you ever been too tired to write about a punter and field goal kicker? Maybe tonight. I think all this putting off of daylight savings time thing has finally got to me. The hours are wrong. It is like living in another time zone where everything looks the same. Next time it is this dark this …

This German language site is a resource for us all to treasure. In #1000, a beer is opened with a slice of bread. Fabulous.  •  By the way, this is a rare cross-posting from A Good Beer Blog due to its excellent illustration of unproductive idle work discussed below. A big hat tip to Darcey.

We were out for dinner last night at the excellent Curry Original when the idea of unproductive idle work popped into my head. One of the problems with modernity is the focus on productivity. Sure it is the cornerstone of the economic miracle that is the hybrid capitalist welfare state, but it …

Soon, there will be a new Arabic-speaking diplomat in the State Department's bureau of Near Eastern affairs:  •  “A senior U.S. diplomat has criticized his country's role in Iraq as President George W. Bush said the United States is still expecting to win the war, but is changing its tactics. "We …

That photo from yesterday is too nice to move too far off screen. So here are links for today. Not even bullets. There is an update on Trevor in the Globe with one of our photos. Brother Bug found our old house, school and cornerstore. Deadspin is run by Cards fans. Darcey got the blues. SU may …

Technology, old and new.  •  To say I had a grand time is the under-estimation of the day. Being a former college radio guy there is nothing better than hanging around the NCPR production studio on the old sofa like the NPR groupie I am. Plus I saw the first decent sticking snow of the year and …

Well, that is another week in the books. My halfth birthday is past history now, the Mets are out and there is a bed sheet ghost hanging in the tree out front. What a game that was last night - tied from the first to the ninth 1-1, then the Cards pull ahead in their last at bats and the Mets lose …

Whoever wins deserves to win. That was a heck of a game and tonight's is likely going to be better. I suggest we all hum "From a Jack to a King" all day in support of whomever we choose to support. And play this YouTubian video over and over.

Amid the gnashing of Tory teeth over their own decision to turf Garth Turner has popped up the delicious idea that our former Finance Minister will now become Canada's first member of Parliament for the Greens. Sure it came from brother Doug, usually not a hot national news source despite his …

I take no position on the decision made. But I find this description of how the decision was made a little odd:  •  “The motion came as a “surprise” to the national caucus this morning, but Jaffer said it was not “unexpected” and the caucus was unanimous in supporting the “democratic” decision of …

Remember that whole "We don't need no starting pitching" thing? That whole "we got the bullpen" thing? I wonder. I also wonder if the 2006 Red Birds have a 1986 Red Sox in them?

You know he would double dip the chips if you invited Kim Il-sung over. Nick the trinkets and baubles from your bookcase when you weren't looking, too. Look in the medicine cabinet. Why? Be cause we are all apparently at war with him so he don't care no more.  •  “Satellite images indicate North …

I always get things wrong. I would have never thought Bob. At least I didn't think Dion.  •  “The leaderless federal Liberals have caught up to Stephen Harper's Tories in electoral popularity for the first time since the federal election campaign, according to a new poll that shows the parties in …

You may just have noticed that I like NCPR public radio out of the neighbouring North Country of upstate New York. Well, it's their membership drive week and this year I was able to help introduce a few people and, whammo ("whammo" in this case being the good work of my colleague Rob), a bunch of …

How to get to be the number one story in the land? If you are a world leader, mention Canada and hopefully flatter Canada:  •  “In a rare speech to an audience of Canadians, British Prime Minister Tony Blair Monday sketched out a transatlantic relationship that has been reduced to little more than …

Despite the caution to watch for Dion - which has got me all squinty-eyed and left me hunting for the magnifying glass - we could be watching Bob pass Iggy to be the frontrunner of the Liberal leadership race:  •  “As debates go, yesterday's was his poorest performance to date. At a time when he …

Imagine coming across cleverness on the internets. The only thing left that that man needs is a banjo to be truly vozhd - ok, maybe a balalaika. Remember: Блоха -- вождь!

So we were just sitting there watching Game 4 of the Mets and Cards and up in the kitchen all I am hearing is bluegrass. Apparently we are easing the furrowed brows into sleep by playing a little classical most evenings but little did we know that, low and behold, WCNY plays bluegrass on Sunday …

It was going so well at about nine minutes into the game. I had just secured a source of Unibroue's Maudite that I can keep to myself and, like many of you, was heading into Loblaws with the hope of finding a morsel of whisky cheddar when I heard on the radio that Syracuse was up 7-0. Later they …

“North Korea immediately rejected the resolution, and its UN ambassador walked out of the council chamber after accusing its members of a "gangster-like" action which neglects the nuclear threat posed by the United States. Ambassador Pak Gil Yon said North Korea wants talks but warned that it will …

We live in cycles even as modernity trys to drive them out. With the fall comes the quietening of the FM band so that weak but neighbouring NPR comes in clearly without the irritation of co-channel soft rock stations from Ottawa. With each week comes the end of the week and the end of work if only …

So why are they bullet points anyway - or power point or power users for that matter. We so love to give ourselves the blue ribbon. They are not bullet points. They are dots. Dots on a screen. Just as we are not power users but geeks and power point is a reminant of the video dance party. Stare at …

Oh yea, watch the Mets. Go bullpen! Woot, let's see the bullpen in the fourth! After, get the real news from the game at Deadspin. Like the news Alec Baldwin is an utter loser.  •  I got my hat like Willie's but I want Tom's hat, too. And what is that pitch Tom is pitching? You know I'd drop that …

I have never embraced the idea that one should not say anything if you have nothing nice to say. This is the ethic of the charlatan and the git. This is not to say that one should not use good manners as problems are honestly surveyed. Yet one has to admire the particular gusto with which this …

It appears that one day you will not all be with the rest of us:  •  “"There are concerns about internationalised domain names in some countries who feel the debate is not moving fast enough." He warned: "I think this is one of the key issues and if we don't address it with sufficient vigour we …

While taking a break from either unconsciousness or contemplation of my selection of remedies for this bug, I came across this odd geo-political dispute of the coolest sort. It reminded me of a train trip from Paris to Amsterdam during which I tactically left a copy of a book of poetry out only to …

In the bizarro Bondian bad guy world we are living in, Japan seems to be taking the step we all should support:  •  “ Japan took steps to punish North Korea for the test, prohibiting its ships from entering Japanese ports and imposing a total ban on imports from the impoverished nation. North …

I am really having a hard time understanding why I like The Unit, a show I recall John of Argghhh having a good laugh about when it first came on last year. This is one of those measurement of my own nature moments so here is what I have so far:  •  I like the man with the State Farm ad voice. Yet …

Up so late and spun by the odd bug that both robs and demands sleep, I am struck by how there is so much passionate advice being given about about YouTube and Joe Torre but no one has a clue what to do with North Korea. To be fair, we do not yet know whether the boom that was the size of half a …

The BBC's website has the following text accompanying the photo above:  •  “Tavurvur volcano erupts sending ash and rocks over the already devastated city of Rabaul on New Britain Island in Papua New Guinea. The volcano erupted on Saturday, causing some 2,000 residents to flee as lava flowed from …

Half way through the season and, well, I have to admit it. I snoozed through the game. What better way to spend an achy got-a-bug sorta Saturday...or Monday for that matter. I was with the game on 100.7 FM until the field goal for the Orange made it 7-3 which was a diappointment but no crisis …

Is it coincidence that the North Korean regime chose Canadian Thanksgiving to play the nuclear card and perhaps move the international goal posts? I think not.  •  “North Korea faced a barrage of condemnation and calls for retaliation Monday after it announced that it had set off a small atomic …

It must be the cold remedies but I swear I never noticed these things before or put them together:  •  The BBC is running a show called The Trees That Made Britain. This is likely a good idea and could be transferred to Canada with a show that includes bits on the early use tar from spruce, the …

Watching both the Mets and Tigers move on and listening to Syracuse lose to Pitt, I was struck by a couple of things. First, how the degree of idleness you can achieve on a weekend is enhanced by a headachy cold. Second, how orange is a singular colour.  •  I have a few theories about colour that …

You do get the sense that there hasn't been a fish in North Korea for the best part of a decade but one does wish their soldiers would be more careful:  •  “A midday incursion Saturday by North Korean troops into the southern side of the no-man's-land separating North and South Korea only stoked …

What a great moment caught by Jeffery Sauger, MLB.com photographer. As Jeter's look might suggest, it will be a grand parade this evening around our house if the Yankees get booted out of the playoffs later this afternoon. Less than one week longer than the Sox...I might allow myself a small …

You know I have wondered about the whole "bullets" thing. They are not symbols of bullets. They are symbols of bullet holes. Which is often uncomforting. Yet just before Thanksgiving weekend - this is Canada, folks - there is a certain relaxing of that concern...even though we do not kill turkeys …

I admit it. I pay attention to the American League East for the most part. In a way that makes me like most phoney baloney band-wagoning fanettes. So it is in October, after the league play is done, after I lick the wounds of a Red Sox season gone very wrong, that I realize that there is much to …

I think the real problem is the effect slightly poor enunciation has on the sound you make when you say "my RSS":  •  “According to research from Nielsen/NetRatings, people are buying cutting-edge technology but often don't understand the terms that describe what their device actually does. So …

I had hope that we had seen the last of the habitual bad math but this report does little to give comfort:  •  “Ottawa itself could lose as much as $218-million in annual hotel tax revenue alone, he said..."Talk about shooting yourself in the foot," Mr. Pollard said. The value of international …

Why do they make them smaller the more powerful they get? Remember how clunky they looked just a few years ago when they could barely walk. This one is like one of those WWI soldiers bicycling to the front. An apt comparison when you consider how difficult it would be to deal with a few hundred of …

It doesn't seem so big brother-ish somehow when big brother is giving you a hard time to your face - or maybe the part in your hair - rather than telling you what you can't wear though the law:  •  “As the boy picks up the pylon to carry it off, a loud and authoritative voice booms from above …

You find so little about Gen X in the news, the mere mention is noteworthy:  •  “A Statistics Canada study released yesterday found that those born between 1972-1976 — the later wave of Generation X — had the highest probability of moving back home after a period away: 32 per cent for men and 28 …

What to do? What to Do? Access being denied. I have my rights you know!  •  OK, that seemed to work. We've been having mainly good access but once in a while the sympatico high speed still cuts out. How is it that the phone never cuts out like this, the electricity never cuts out like this, the …

Please list the many ways you do not care:  •  “In her book Heart Matters, Clarkson, the Queen's representative in Canada from 1999 to 2005, takes a swipe at Liz for daring to powder her privileged puss during a fancy dinner party. Clarkson was gob-smacked and insists that such a breach of …

What are you but for me?  •  I was sent off on a YouTube adventure by a kind reader of note who last evening sent me emails with videos of cheese rolling attached like this one and all these.  •  That got me thinking that maybe there were videos of the ancient pre-football village games that …

Well, the Liberals seem to be going as I thought they might. We shall be inundated with chants of "All for Iggy and Iggy for all" and "Iggy, Iggy - he's our man..." Stuff like that:  •  “Liberals have handed Michael Ignatieff a sizable lead that he will carry into the party's December leadership …

First, I have to admit that I was a little cranked when the "no memory card present" warning came up when I hit the camera's on button so you will have to work with me on the visuals. That being said, even with the sloppy play and the knowledge that the impending Big East games would not be as …