tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84319842024-03-23T14:10:30.263-04:00The Nose Knows<img src="http://www.kikokusha-center.or.jp/resource/kyozai/tokorozawa/clipart/hiratan/p07/nose.jpg"><img src="http://www.kikokusha-center.or.jp/resource/kyozai/tokorozawa/clipart/hiratan/p07/nose.jpg"><img src="http://www.kikokusha-center.or.jp/resource/kyozai/tokorozawa/clipart/hiratan/p07/nose.jpg"><img src="http://www.kikokusha-center.or.jp/resource/kyozai/tokorozawa/clipart/hiratan/p07/nose.jpg"><br><br>Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.comBlogger583125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-68802611534783676022008-12-03T00:01:00.002-05:002008-12-03T00:27:56.593-05:00Out of Our HandsYes... I'm actually posting. Don't get too excited... this will probably be pretty lame. In fact, it's a response to a chain message...<br /><br />Here we go.<br /><br />Instructions: <br /><br />1. Put your music on shuffle <br />2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer. <br />3. You must write that song name down no matter how silly it sounds. <br /><br />1. If someone says "Is this okay" you say? <br /><br />Pride (by U2)<br /><br />2. What would best describes your personality? <br /><br />Burning Down the House (Bonnie Raitt - cover of the Talking Heads song) (apparently I'm a pyromaniac).<br /><br />3. What do you like in a guy/girl?<br /><br />Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix) (damn right!)<br /><br />4. How do you feel today? <br /><br />The District Sleeps Alone (Postal Service)<br /><br />5. What is your life's purpose? <br /><br />Veronica (Elvis Costello) (This one might disappoint Debby)<br /><br />6. What is your motto? <br /><br />Aurora (Foo Fighters)<br /><br />7. What do your friends think of you? <br /><br />Thinking About You (Norah Jones)<br /><br />8. What do you think about very often? <br /><br />I Had a King (Herbie Hancock)<br /><br />9. What is 2 + 2?<br /><br />Sweet Home Chicago (Eric Clapton)<br /><br />10. What do you think of your best friend?<br /><br />Theme From Rawhide (Blues Brothers)<br /><br />11. What do you think of the person you like? <br /><br />Baltimore (Lyle Lovett)<br /><br />12. What is your "life story"? <br /><br />The Thick Skin of Defiance (Dropkick Murphys) (That would actually be an awesome name for an autobiography).<br /><br />13. What do you want to be when you grow up? <br /><br />The Old Landmark (James Brown)<br /><br />14. What do you think when you see the person you like? <br /><br />Just What I Needed (The Cars) (Awww... how sweet)<br /><br />15. What do your parents think of you? <br /><br />OK Alone (Gabriel Mann)<br /><br />16. What will you dance to at your wedding? <br /><br />Well, I'm already married, but lets see if this gets it right.... MAIN TITLE THEME FROM STAR WARS! Completely wrong, but that would have been so awesome...<br /><br />17. What will they play at your funeral? <br /><br />Learn to Fly (Foo Fighters)<br /><br />18. What is your hobby/interest? <br /><br />Korean Parents (Randy Newman) (Boy, would that be an odd hobby).<br /><br />19. What is your biggest secret? <br /><br />Have it All (Foo Fighters) (Not a secret, everyone knows I have it all).<br /><br />20. What do you think of your friends? <br /><br />Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson (Robert Plant and Alison Krauss)<br /><br />21. What's the worst thing that could happen? <br /><br />Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (I could think of much worse things)<br /><br />22. How will you die? <br /><br />Money, Money, Money (Abba) (Interesting...)<br /><br />23. What is the one thing you regret? <br /><br />Champagne Supernova (Oasis)<br /><br />24. What makes you laugh? <br /><br />Colorado (Chevy Chase)<br /><br />25. What makes you cry? <br /><br />Streets of Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen) (I might have cried there after the Phillies won the World Series)<br /><br />26. Will you ever get married? <br /><br />Again, I'm already married, but lets see... The Sky is Crying (Stevie Ray Vaughan)<br /><br />27. What scares you the most? <br /><br />Doctor My Eyes (Jackson Browne)<br /><br />28. Does anyone like you? <br /><br />Dance To The Music (Sly and the Family Stone)<br /><br />29. If you could go back in time what would you change? <br /><br />Laugh and Be Happy (Randy Newman)<br /><br />30. What hurts right now? <br /><br />Send Her My Love (Journey)<br /><br />31. This wasn't on before, but my wife wants me to add it... What turns you on?<br /><br />Running on Empty (Jackson Browne)<br /><br />32. What will you post this as? <br /><br />Out of Our Hands (Sheryl Crow)Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-51132017331367915382008-07-28T20:27:00.003-04:002008-07-28T22:45:11.391-04:00Quick Thoughts on Fifteen Baseball StadiumsSo I went to Shea Stadium yesterday, and saw my beloved Cardinals lose 9 to 1. But in watching this horrific game, I did accomplish a sort-of milestone... I have now been to fifteen major league baseball stadiums. Here are quick thoughts, in chronological order of when I went to each stadium.<br /><br /><strong>Busch Stadium (the old one) in St. Louis</strong> - Well, obviously this is my favorite stadium of all time. I am no means objective... this is the stadium I grew up with, and the one where I saw what <a href="http://espn.go.com/page2/s/greatesthomerunslist.html">ESPN says is the 16th greatest home run in major league baseball history</a>. And yes, the best fans in baseball. But beyond that, I really do think it was a great stadium, the best of the hybrid baseball-football stadiums. Not that that's saying much.<br /><br /><strong>Wrigley Field in Chicago</strong> - Another stadium that I can't judge on pure objective grounds... I mean, it's Wrigley Field. Yes, I'm required by as a Cards fan to law to laugh and make fun of Cubs fans. But going to Wrigley is really to feel like a part of history. The ivy on the wall... back in the day, Harry Carey singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame. And it's integrated in the neighborhood where it sits like no other stadium, anywhere. On objective levels, once you get inside, the stadium has piss poor sightlines and isn't very fan friendly. It's sort of never lived up to expectations. Sort of like some baseball team that plays there.<br /><br /><strong>Comiskey Park (the new one) in Chicago (and yes, I still call it Comiskey)</strong> - I don't think this one is as bad as people say it is... sure it missed the boat on the newer stadium philosophy, but it actually does have a little bit of style. As the best postgame fireworks show I've seen. Just wish I would have made it to the old Comiskey.<br /><br /><strong>Milwaukee County Stadium</strong> - Wow. This stadium was just what you'd expect from Milwaukee. A big, ugly, metal circle with a baseball field in the middle. Seriously, it looked like the bottom third of a giant beer can, probably Pabst. Worst stadium I've ever been to. But somehow, very representative of Milwaukee. Unlike...<br /><br /><strong>Miller Park in Milwaukee</strong> - This was one of the first post-Camden Yards stadium, and they tried to do the same thing but put their own twist on it. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work, and this is probably the worst of the Camden-inspired stadiums. And I don't get retractable domes.<br /><br /><strong>Camden Yards in Baltimore</strong> - A great model that has been relentlessly copied... Unfortunately, that means it's not that distinct anymore. But boy, I bet it was great in the beginning. They should get a major league team to play there. The stadium deserves more than a Triple-A team.<br /><br /><strong>PNC Park in Pittsburgh</strong> - The BEST of the Camden inspired parks. If I were able to be objective, I'd maybe say this is my favorite stadium, period. Also home to a Triple-A team.<br /><br /><strong>Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia</strong> - I went to this stadium specifically to see the hideous Phillies fans boo Scott Rolen after the trade to the Cardinals. It was like an anthropological journey to see Phillies fans in their natural habitat. God, I hate Phillies fans. I don't even really remember the stadium itself. <br /><br /><strong>Yankee Stadium in New York</strong> - Fucking Yankees. I saw Roger Clemens get his 300th win against my beloved Cardinals. Fucking hooray. The stadium is pretty good, actually, and of course a big part of history. But if I heard the phrase "26 time world champion New York Yankees" one more time while I was there, I probably would have killed someone.<br /><br /><strong>Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia</strong> - Not very interesting for a new stadium. And still full of Phillies fans. I was at two Cubs games, and they were berating CUBS FANS while I was there, and I STILL found them annoying. God, I still hate Phillies fans.<br /><br /><strong>RFK Stadium in Washington DC</strong> - Oddly enough, the stadium I've actually been to the most times. Well, I guess it's not that odd seeing as Washington is the only city I've actually lived in with a team. And you know what? RFK wasn't that bad. I have lots of good memories in the place.<br /><br /><strong>Angel Stadium in Los Angeles of Anaheim of Orange County of California of United States of America on North America of the Americas of the Western Hemisphere of Earth</strong> - I went on a whim when driving from LA to San Diego. Nice stadium, if a little too Disney/Rally Monkey inspired.<br /><br /><strong>Busch Stadium (the new one) in St. Louis</strong> - Not bad... I miss the old Busch though, and this is probably the closest ripoff of all the Camden clones I've been to. I've only been once so far... and Pujols hit 3 home runs that day. I hope he repeats next time I go.<br /><br /><strong>Nationals Park in Washington DC</strong> - I really think this is the first new stadium to kind of break the Camden mold... and I like it quite a bit. Lots of good times will be had there.<br /><br /><strong>Shea Stadium in New York</strong> - Shithole. As boring as stadiums get. Will not be missed, probably even by most Mets fans. But hey, at least I get to check it off the list.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-51613548085658606152008-07-14T23:35:00.006-04:002008-07-15T14:09:23.679-04:00About that New Yorker cover....So this is the cover of the latest New Yorker....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQnrc-KVb-HMQSRkygoZpMcPpq3iJULVRxqCfgKCtxBCksL9J3NABSQq6nag4NHlqouqyl6_RMJS_eUGNhmoHxqz0rLXx5RAnp3eJg4913eDp6SrsIRxa12JMXUFFRPro9USe/s1600-h/14obamanewyorker265.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQnrc-KVb-HMQSRkygoZpMcPpq3iJULVRxqCfgKCtxBCksL9J3NABSQq6nag4NHlqouqyl6_RMJS_eUGNhmoHxqz0rLXx5RAnp3eJg4913eDp6SrsIRxa12JMXUFFRPro9USe/s400/14obamanewyorker265.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223296068678735186" /></a><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br /><br /><br />And as you may have heard by now, it has the Obama campaign and alot of their faithful up in a tizzy. Sure. Maybe YOU understand that it's satire. But you're not some redneck in Podunk, Missouri, who's bound to look at this and say... "What? I was going to vote for Obama, but now that I see he's a Bin Laden loving Muslim terrorist who burns the flag and has a Black Panther for a wife, NO WAY!" And that will DOOM the Obama campaign! Doom it, I tell ya! There's no way Obama can survive this cartoon!<br /><br />Here's what Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton has to say....<br /><br /><blockquote><br />"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create... But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."</blockquote><br /><br />Now, you may have seen that quote if you've been reading the newspapers or blogs or whatever for the last couple days... But here comes a Nose Knows Exclusive! I have further quotes from Burton about a variety of other satirical works!<br /><br />On The Colbert Report...<br /><br /><blockquote>"Colbert has repeatedly shown images of Barack in a turbin, questioned his patriotism, and made countless other accusations... now I know the show is satire, but will Joe-Nascar-Six-Pack know the difference?"</blockquote><br /><br />On The Onion....<br /><br /><blockquote>"The Onion has recently reported 'Obama, Clinton, McCain Join Forces To Form Nightmare Ticket.' This is untrue. Don't believe it! Some hick in Alabama just decided not to vote for Obama because they're all running together now. See what you did, Onion?"</blockquote><br /><br />On South Park...<br /><br /><blockquote>"Well, after a tough primary campaign, I feel the need to defend Hillary from the evil accusations of South Park. Last year, they implied that Hillary had a nuclear weapon hidden in her vagina. I know this to be untrue, and I demand an apology."</blockquote><br /><br />On Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal"....<br /><br /><blockquote><br />"In his satirical book, Swift proposes that poor people sell their babies so that rich people can eat them. Now look. I know it's a joke. But just yesterday, a poor soul from Pennsylvania came up to me with his two year old saying he'd make an excellent hamburger. What hath Swift wrought?"</blockquote><br /><br />Let's all pray for the end of satire.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-23546987222173642492008-07-08T23:34:00.002-04:002008-07-08T23:37:53.720-04:00Rock-afire Explosion DocumentaryDo you remember Rock-afire Explosion? The animatronic band from Showbiz Pizza/Chuck-E-Cheese?<br /><br />Well, they've made a documentary about the band...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1ETK24ax-9A&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1ETK24ax-9A&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />And the guy who managed to get the band and program it to play an Usher song.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ur8AwQHusZw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ur8AwQHusZw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I have to admit this documentary looks awesome.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-11888234092971509072008-07-01T22:44:00.002-04:002008-07-01T22:52:03.362-04:00Married!For those who were wondering, since I haven't posted in over a month, if I successfully got married and got back and forth to Italy and all that... I did! And the first month of marriage has been great!<br /><br />That's all for now. Just wanted to check in. And for a little entertainment, here's my favorite clip of the late, great, George Carlin.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GFW6NHbWX0E&hl=en"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GFW6NHbWX0E&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-18168995608243215012008-05-27T22:37:00.003-04:002008-05-27T22:39:31.245-04:00Off to California on Thursday....To get married, and then take off to Italy for my honeymoon. So it'll be a few weeks before I post again. In the meantime, enjoy this very revealing video of John McCain.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ioy90nF2anI&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ioy90nF2anI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-89340688867056588362008-05-21T23:35:00.004-04:002008-05-21T23:49:28.191-04:00Image of Virgin Mary in a....For no specific reason, I thought it would be interesting to google the phrase "image of Virgin Mary in a." I was surprised that I only got five exact hits for that phrase, two linking to the same place. Here you go.<br /><br />Image of Virgin Mary in a....<br /><br /><a href="http://voodoo-news.blogspot.com/2007/09/image-of-virgin-mary-in-lemon.html">lemon</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1247844.php">natural rock</a><br /><br /><a href="http://davidblaine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=42">puff of smoke</a><br /><br /><a href="http://liveeternity.blogspot.com/2007/12/image-of-virgin-mary-in-golden-nugget.html">golden nugget</a><br /><br />If I google just "Virgin Mary in a," I get lots of links to this <a href="http://http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6511148/">grilled cheese sandwich</a> that sold for $28,000 on Ebay and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptions_of_religious_imagery_in_natural_phenomena">this tree stump</a>. Among other finds, a <a href="http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/permalink/virgin_mary_in_a_chimney/">chimney</a>, a <a href="http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/news-article.aspx?storyid=85300">watermelon</a>, a <a href="http://fox40.trb.com/news/ktxl-031708mary,0,368516.story">palm tree branch</a>, and a <a href="http://religion.propeller.com/story/2007/02/24/virgin-mary-appears-on-school-baking-tray/">grease stain</a>.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-77688327874910012962008-05-11T22:29:00.004-04:002008-05-11T22:37:46.977-04:00Over a month!Wow, when I announced my <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2008/02/blog-semi-retirement.html">blog semi-retirement</a>, I apparently meant it. This is my first post in over a month.<br /><br />So, um, I guess I should blog. For the sake of posting something, here are the opening credits of various Marvel Comics cartoons from the sixties. Spider-Man is obviously the most classic, but Iron Man (great movie, by the way) is probably the funniest. Here they are.<br /><br />Spider-Man<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4o29VoxtsFk&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4o29VoxtsFk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Iron Man<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0Wn4iYoMcAA&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0Wn4iYoMcAA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Hulk<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dj26N10Ymlg&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dj26N10Ymlg&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Captain America<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/js7LRe_tCoM&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/js7LRe_tCoM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />Mighty Thor<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UgbsV6aTHts&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UgbsV6aTHts&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-82404587149616452452008-04-08T22:11:00.005-04:002008-04-08T22:48:51.000-04:00The Nose Knows Blog IndexRecently, Time Magazine Created its "<a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,1725323,00.html">first annual blog index</a>." They're picking their top 25 blogs, and promise to repeat it annually.<br /><br />So I thought I'd create my own "blog index." A few rules... <br /><br />There will be only ten, not twenty five. And they will be ranked one through ten, based on how I feel today.<br /><br />Mine isn't an annual list. I can change it next week, or in five years. Who knows?<br /><br />If you know me and you have a blog, don't feel offended. I'm ruling out blogs of people I know. This will be a list of more popular, more widely known blogs.<br /><br />Also, I'm ruling out "catch-all" blogs that have a million links a day about nothing specific. Thus, no Fark, no Metafilter, no Boing Boing, no Slashdot.<br /><br />And no Cardinals blogs, because those don't interest anyone except a narrow group of people. <br /><br />So... Here we go.<br /><br />1. <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/">Freakonomics</a><br /><br />I've <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2008/03/things-ive-seenheardreaddone-lately.html">blogged about the book</a> recently, and since I read it and started following the blog, it has become my very favorite blog. Almost every entry is thought provoking, and there are very few "filler" posts. And I promise this is the only economics blog on my list.<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/">Daily Kos</a><br /><br />What can I say? This is probably the first blog I ever read regularly, and I still read several posts there almost every day. It's my one stop shop for all my left wing propaganda. <br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/">Huffington Post</a><br /><br />I was a late adapter to Huffington Post. It wasn't until recently that I came to the opinion that this is the second best left wing blog out there. The entries are of mixed quality, but the good stuff is good enough that it's worth searching out.<br /><br />4. <a href="http://www.firejoemorgan.com/">Fire Joe Morgan</a><br /><br />Don't worry, this blog is much more than just a plea to fire one ESPN announcer. It's an all out assault on bad, lazy, and flat out idiotic sports journalism and analysis. As you can imagine, there's no shortage of material to make fun of, and it's all done by <a href="http://deadspin.com/353709/one-of-our-favorite-sports-bloggers-is--mose-schrute">a writer for The Office</a> who once played Dwight's brother.<br /><br />5. <a href="http://garfieldminusgarfield.tumblr.com/">Garfield Minus Garfield</a><br /><br />As I've written before, <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2007/09/holy-crap-ryans-right.html">Garfield sucks</a>. But it turns out that if you take Garfield out of the comic strip, it's hilarious. Just a lonely guy with serious mental issues.<br /><br />6. <a href="http://indexed.blogspot.com/">Indexed</a><br /><br />Great observations about life, illustrated through charts and diagrams on index cards. Nothing more, nothing less.<br /><br />7. <a href="http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/">Stuff White People Like</a><br /><br />Honestly, this blog is a depressing look at people like me. But I find it hilarious. It's losing a little of its original luster, but it's on my list for now.<br /><br />8. <a href="http://www.regrettheerror.com/">Regret the Error</a><br /><br />A collection of actual corrections that ran in newspapers, magazines, etc.<br />It's amazing what these supposedly great publications get wrong.<br /><br />9. <a href="http://www.raisingkaine.com/">Raising Kaine</a><br /><br />Another left wing political blog, this one a local one from my former home of Virginia. It's the model all local political blogs should follow. I wish Maryland had one this good (of course it would help if Maryland had Democratic elected officials as dynamic as the ones Virginia has).<br /><br />10. <a href="http://slog.thestranger.com/">Slog</a><br /><br />Another local blog... this one from Seattle, where I've never been. I only found this blog because one of its contributors is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Savage">Dan Savage</a>. Again, lots of my left wing propaganda (detecting a theme here?), but plenty of other interesting posts, and very little of it is Seattle specific.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-72446291753248571102008-03-27T20:58:00.005-04:002008-03-27T21:19:11.881-04:00Your Brain On CubsQuick plug for a book I haven't read yet. My old roommate and the Best Man in my wedding, Dan Gordon, edited a book called "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Brain-Cubs-Inside-Players/dp/1932594280">Your Brain On Cubs</a>."<br /><br />The book was written by several neuroscientists and covers a variety of topics related to the brain and baseball, including what happens in the brain of Cubs fans that causes them to root for their team through so much agony.<br /><br />I like to think I partially inspired this book. You see, I'm a diehard Cardinals fan and he's a diehard Cubs fan. Our teams, of course, are bitter rivals. I was his roommate in 2003, and I was with him during the Steve Bartman incident and the subsequent collapse of the team as they were moments away from their first World Series in almost 60 years. I was also his roommate in 2006, when the Cardinals won the World Series with a team that went barely .500 in the regular season. He needed to examine his own misery in comparison with my joy. I haven't read the book yet, but it's a book I'd certainly be interested in even if I didn't know Dan. It's a great premise for a book and I'm sure a good read.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-55510394626075521722008-03-26T19:20:00.005-04:002008-03-26T20:15:09.032-04:00Annual Preseason Baseball PicksWelcome to <em>The Nose Knows Baseball: 2008 Preview</em> (disclaimer: these predictions are completely inaccurate)<br /><br />I've done this for <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2007/03/baseball-predictions-2007.html">three</a> <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-2006-baseball-predictions.html">years</a> now. I predicted the Cards to win in 2006. <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2006/10/question-for-st-louis-post-dispatch.html">It worked</a>. I predicted them again in 2007. <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2007/09/ok-now-season-is-over.html">Not so much</a>.<br /><br />I will not be predicting the Cardinals to win it all this year. At some point, being a homer just gets ridiculous. It was ridiculous of me to predict them either year (even if it worked in one of them). But now they seem to be an even worse team. Baseball Prospectus, which makes much more scientific projections than I do, predicts <a href="http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/story/2008/2/16/83511/8981">a 72-90 record</a> this year. They were right about the White Sox demise that caught so many by surprise last year and made <a href="http://thejuice.baseballtoaster.com/archives/606596.html">people like this</a> look foolish. <br /><br />So onto my predictions.<br /><br />AL East: Red Sox. This is the year they officially become more hated than the Yankees.<br />AL Central: Tigers. They should rebound this year, especially with Miguel Cabrera at the plate.<br />AL West: Angels. Nothing more to say.<br />AL Wild Card: Indians. So yes.....<br /><br />That leaves the Yankees out.<br /><br />AL Champs: Tigers. I think their offseason moves put them over the edge. <br />AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia.<br />AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez. And Yankees fans will STILL hate him.<br /><br />NL East: Mets. They just got the best pitcher in the game in Johan Santana, and should bounce back from last year.<br />NL Central: Cubs. As hard as it is for a Cards fan to make this prediction, they're clearly the best team in the division.<br />NL West: Diamondbacks. Dan Haren was another nice offseason pickup. <br />NL Wild Card: Brewers. I've predicted them to win the Wild Card 3 years straight. Is this finally the year?<br /><br />NL Champs: Mets.<br />NL Cy Young: Johan Santana.<br />NL MVP: David Wright. A Mets hat trick. Will it be enough for the World Series? <br /><br />Nope.<br /><br />Your 2008 World Champion Detroit Tigers.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-13682140499728298972008-03-24T22:39:00.003-04:002008-03-24T22:58:51.261-04:00Gang Leader For A DayFollowing up on <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2008/03/things-ive-seenheardreaddone-lately.html">my last post</a>,I mentioned that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gang-Leader-Day-Sociologist-Streets/dp/1594201501/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205808998&sr=8-1">Sudhir Venkatesh</a>, the sociologist who lived among gang members at the Robert Taylor homes in Chicago and was written about in <em>Freakonomics</em>, has his own book, <em>Gang Leader For A Day</em>. <br /><br />I havent read the book yet. I plan on reading it soon. Now comes word that the book has been <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/its-hard-out-here-for-a-sociologist/">optioned for a movie</a>, which will be directed by Hustle and Flow's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0108132/">Craig Brewer</a>. That seems like a great fit for me. This is a story that could be told with the energy Brewer brought to Hustle and Flow and made into a fantastic film.<br /><br />So who to play Venkatesh? Not that many huge Indian actors in Hollywood, which makes <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0671980/">Kal Penn</a> and obvious choice. While he's best none for being <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0010659/">Kumar</a>, I think he has potential to be a pretty good actor. But I think an even better choice might be Lost's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004710/">Naveen Andrews</a> (I had to check <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naveen_Andrews">Wikipedia</a> on this one... yes, his parents are from India. He's not Iraqi like his character on Lost). A third option is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0707983/">Sendhil Ramamurthy</a> from Heroes. He could be ok but I'd prefer Penn or Andrews. And of course I'm sure there are many more Indian actors to choose from... Those are just the only 3 mainstream Indian actors I can think of.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-4514519130129250532008-03-17T22:47:00.002-04:002008-03-17T23:09:45.253-04:00Things I've Seen/Heard/Read/Done LatelyThis is kind of a catch-up post on things I've seen, heard said, or done lately.<br /><br />Thing I've Seen - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452623/">Gone Baby Gone</a> -<br /><br />Not bad at all. Very solid first directorial effort by Ben Affleck. He should stay behind the camera, where apparently his best skills might be.<br /><br />Thing I've Heard - <a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/waitwait/">Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me</a> -<br /><br />Ok, I'm really late to the game on this one. But I just started listening to the weekly NPR show on podcast, and it's one of the funniest things around. Good guests who end up being surprisingly entertaining. Plus regulars like Mo Rocca, Paula Poundstone, and Tom Bodett, who apparently, in addition to being the guy who will "leave the light on for you" at Motel 6, is one seriously funny dude.<br /><br />Thing I've Read - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freakonomics">Freakonomics</a> - <br /><br />I've been wanting to read this book ever since it came out. I finally did, and thought it was a great read. Like the authors of the book, I am keenly interested in economic incentives, but I don't really care about financial markets, etc. The Freakonomics guys also have a <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/">great blog</a>. Perhaps my favorite chapter of the book was about a guy who lives among gang members in Chicago and does one of the most thorough economic studies of a gang ever, and finds out their corporate structure is basically the same as McDonalds. The guy, Sudhir Venkatesh, has <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gang-Leader-Day-Sociologist-Streets/dp/1594201501/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205808998&sr=8-1">his own book</a> now, which I'm looking forward to reading. He was also on the <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/colbert-digs-venkatesh/">Colbert Report</a> last week.<br /><br />Thing I've Done - dance lessons for my wedding -<br /><br />Yep, that's right. I'm learning to fox trot for the big day. Going well, and gives me some quality time with my fiancee. I need to learn new steps, practice alot, etc. So far, so good!<br /><br />That's it for now. If I don't have something specific to write next time I want to blog, Seen/Heard/Read/Done seems like a good recurring post.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-89899808091753991292008-03-02T22:23:00.003-05:002008-03-02T22:29:30.428-05:00Obama plays chess, Clinton boxes....A while back I ran across <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-loewe/chess-not-boxing_b_87761.html">this article</a> comparing Obama's campaign strategy to chess and Clinton's to boxing.<br /><br />I don't care so much about the content of the article. I just want to use it as an excuse to post a video of the ultimate combination of brains and muscle....<br /><br />Chessboxing.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/43Wcbd0dJpQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/43Wcbd0dJpQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-22258746009167163652008-03-01T00:17:00.002-05:002008-03-01T00:22:16.765-05:00The Fucking ContinuesYou saw "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnVJZkDuVBM">I'm Fucking Matt Damon</a>." You saw "<a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2008/02/jimmy-kimmel-im-fucking-ben-affleck.html">I'm Fucking Ben Affleck</a>." You thought the Fucking was over. You were afraid of endless copycat celebrity Fucking videos. But Kevin Smith managed to actually put another relatively funny one together. Without further delay, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq9KSvE_eXQ">I'm Fucking Seth Rogen</a>."<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rq9KSvE_eXQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rq9KSvE_eXQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-52714082042418601852008-02-25T23:20:00.002-05:002008-02-25T23:24:44.144-05:00Jimmy Kimmel: "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck"I know I'm like the billionth person to link to this, but it's a hilarious response to Sarah Silverman's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnVJZkDuVBM">I'm Fucking Matt Damon</a>. The best part? Josh Groban.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6lcmNaXmjvs&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6lcmNaXmjvs&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-65720057061171265682008-02-14T12:40:00.003-05:002008-02-14T13:14:48.778-05:00Blog Semi-RetirementThere's no use denying it. I'm semi-retired from the "blogosphere."<br /><br />The updates on this blog have been getting less and less frequent. This is for a variety of reasons, the main reason being that I've kind of lost the enthusiasm. If I were going to make this blog everything I want it to be, I'd have to blog every day, sometimes two or three times a day, respond to all the comments, etc. I just can't make that a priority in my life right now. For one, I think I've made some pretty healthy life choices lately. I've been exercising more, reading more, and, not insignificantly, become much more productive at work. Oh, and I have a wedding coming up, and need to get some stuff done for that. I don't want this blog to cut into any of that.<br /><br />In addition, I've probably been a little less inspired to blog lately. For a variety of reasons, I don't really feel like blogging about politics these days. I have a strong preference for a candidate in the Democratic primary as you all know, and I feel justified in having a strong preference in choosing the next leader of our country. But I seem to offend those around me who have different opinions on the degree of difference between the candidates. I don't want to be offensive. So I'm kind of avoiding this aspect of politics until after the Democratic Convention.<br /><br />Likewise, there's really nothing all that interesting going on for me in the sports world right now. Maybe that will change when March Madness and the baseball season start, but it's looking like a long year for my Cardinals.<br /><br />My blog semi-retirement really won't change much. I'll likely blog a few times a month, just as I have recently, about pop culture or sports or in time, politics, or whatever suits my fancy. This is more of an acknowledgement of the reality than anything else.<br /><br />If you want to follow me on a more regular basis, I suggest two things....<br /><br />1) <a href="http://twitter.com/thenose">Twitter</a>. My twittering frequency, like my blogging frequency, goes up and down, but I do twitter more often than I blog, in general. Some people think twittering is "blogging for people with ADD".... I prefer to think of it as blogging for people with other desires and obligations... often twittering is more responsible than blogging.<br /><br />2) <a href="http://www.google.com/reader">Google Reader</a>. If you don't use some sort of blog reader already, I highly recommend it as a one-stop place to read all your favorite blogs. I more and more frequently use the "share" feature. On the right sidebar of this blog, you'll see a box with my recently shared items. This box updates throughout the day, as I share more items. You can click "read more" at the bottom of the box to see more of my shared items. If you use Google Reader yourself and you have my email, you can see my items in your reader and share items with me as well. Be warned... I do share lots of political postings, some very opinionated, so if you're going to be offended, don't tell me I didn't warn you.<br /><br />That's about it for now. Funny how my longest blog posting in a while is about how I'm not blogging as much.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-23528167563113767562008-02-01T15:21:00.000-05:002008-02-01T15:24:55.335-05:00Happy Anniversary to Me!I've been blogging so rarely lately, I almost forgot that, effectively, today is the <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2006/02/blog-is-back.html">two year anniversary of my blog</a>. Happy anniversary to me! Now I should start blogging more often.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-30126408544034112162008-01-23T22:43:00.000-05:002008-01-23T22:54:33.836-05:00Top 5 Movies of the YearI have a compulsion to make lists like this every year, so here I go.<br /><br />The usual caveat... There are lots of movies I haven't seen that could have made the list. The biggest likely contenders... Zodiac, Michael Clayton, American Gangster, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Sicko, I Am Legend, Eastern Promises, Lust, Caution, and Grace is Gone.<br /><br />So, of the movies I DID see, here are the top 5.<br /><br />1. No Country For Old Men<br />2. Sweeney Todd<br />3. Knocked Up<br />4. Superbad<br />5. Juno<br /><br />Some might some that having movies like Knocked Up and Superbad negate my whole list, that I can't be a serious film watcher... I don't care. Those were two of the best comedies in years and deserve to be on the list.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-54305809029181567952008-01-22T19:03:00.000-05:002008-01-22T19:12:46.681-05:00Oscar Nominees 2008Full List <a href="http://www.oscars.com/nominees/">Here</a>.<br /><br />First, things first... gotta pay my respects to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/22/heath.ledger.dead/index.html">Heath Ledger</a>. Sad, sad situation. He was very impressive in Brokeback Mountain and I've been anxiously anticipating his performance as The Joker in the new Batman movie. Always sad to lose someone so young. Now, I think he'll be remember in the iconic way that James Dean, or at very least, River Phoenix, is remembered. Rest in Peace, Heath. <br /><br />Now on to my thoughts on the nominees....<br /><br />Ok, I know I'll just sound like the Tim Burton fanboy I am for saying this, but Sweeney Todd got screwed for best picture, and Burton especially got screwed for director. When will the academy ever show the man some love? Sweeney was my second favorite movie this year, next to No Country for Old Men. <br /><br />I've seen all best picture noms except Michael Clayton. No Country For Old Men was by far the best. I hope, hope, hope it wins, but fear Atonement will, which was by far the worst of those nominees (I should see Michael Clayton to confirm this, but suspect this is the case). <br /><br />I will also go on record as saying Johnny Depp was better than Daniel Day Lewis, although DDL already has this wrapped up. DDL was good, but Depp was better. Won't break my heart to see DDL win, though. Depp will win an Oscar eventually. It's a done deal. Even if it's a Pacino-Scent-Of-A-Woman make up award in 20 years, Depp will win an Oscar. <br /><br />Wouldn't a real best actor race be nice, some day, though? The last three winners were Forest Whitaker, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Jamie Foxx in extremely lopsided races, and I think DDL has close to that kind of edge this year. <br /><br />Supporting Actor is just as lopsided. Everyone who's not named Javier Bardem... thanks for playing and go home.<br /><br />In my annual "I should see more movies with women" moment, I have to cop to only having seen Ellen Page as Juno in the best Actress category. She was good, but won't win. This is between Julie Christie and Marion Cotillard. <br /><br />Supporting Actress... Cate Blanchett seems to be a lock in the Bob Dylan movie no one has seen.<br /><br />Art Direction will go to Atonement, Cinematography will go to No Country For Old Men.<br /><br />Coen Brothers will win Best Director... If not, talk begins about how they're the new Scorcese. <br /><br />No End in Sight upsets Sicko in the most liberal, I mean, best, documentary category.<br /><br />Ratatouille will win best cartoon.<br /><br />Atonement will win Best Score by a mile... why only 3 nominees?<br /><br />The song from Once beats out all the songs from Enchanted. <br /><br />Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Juno get the "They won't win anything else, so lets give 'em something" screenplay awards. Although, to be fair, Juno would win screenplay anyway.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-63431106238946519332008-01-08T23:10:00.000-05:002008-01-08T23:18:05.164-05:00Quick New Hampshire ThoughtsObviously as an Obama guy, tonight was a minor setback. I still think he's got the upper hand, but now he has a race. Obama's misstep in New Hampshire was that he didn't keep himself in the news cycle. Hillary had all the coverage in the last couple days with her "emotional speech", That's what Bill Clinton did so well, and Hillary's picking that up... her speech was a brilliant political move. I think either Barack or Hillary (or yes, Edwards) has what it takes to beat any Republican. McCain's speech tonight was a disaster... I still think he's toast.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-40147804513314418822008-01-03T22:36:00.000-05:002008-01-03T23:20:44.427-05:00Iowa CaucusesI've sort of been <a href="http://twitter.com/home">live-Twittering</a> the Iowa Caucus, but thought I'd put my thoughts here too.<br /><br />- Damn, I wish Mitt Romney would have beat Huckabee. Romney's just SO BEATABLE!<br /><br />- Although the Iowa Caucus was held about 2 weeks later in 2004, this is basically the 4th anniversary of the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Dean#Iowa_results_and_the_.22Dean_Scream.22">Dean Scream</a>." <br /><br />- Time for Bill Richardson to bow out gracefully. The more Dems that bow out, the harder it gets for Hillary. Doubt she's the 2nd choice for many.<br /><br />- Lyndon LaRouche isn't running for president this year. What gives?<br /><br />- Ron Paul is gonna beat Giuliani by a wide margin. That's gotta hurt.<br /><br />- I can't believe that the sight of Chuck Norris actually convinces people to vote for Huckabee. He's right there behind Huckabee at the podium.<br /><br />- Obama's speech is blowing all the other speeches out of the water. He's by far the most electable Democrat.<br /><br />- And the first two Iowa casualties are.... Chris Dodd and Joe Biden.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-68598695823466754172007-12-27T16:19:00.000-05:002007-12-27T16:35:41.066-05:00The Nose Knows Year in ReviewThis will be my last post of the year as I'm about to leave on vacation until New Years. <br /><br />I <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2006/12/nose-knows-year-in-review.html">did this last year</a>, and here I go again... The first sentence of my first post of every month this year.<br /><br /><em><strong>January</strong></em><br /><br />Webb swears in tomorrow, and I was at his swearing-in party at the Clarendon Ballroom tonight.<br /><br /><em><strong>February</strong></em><br /><br />While this blog actually dates back to the summer of 2004, there was over a year gap between posts. <br /><br /><em><strong>March</strong></em><br /><br />And absolutely nothing happened.<br /><br /><em><strong>April</strong></em><br /><br />Of course, I'm talking about.....<br /><br /><em><strong>May</strong></em><br /><br />Here's what not to do when you're a Mormon running for president, trying to convince a skeptical public that you're religion isn't wacky...<br /><br /><em><strong>June</strong></em><br /><br />I'm kind of surprise that, to the best of my knowledge, I've never linked to Fire Joe Morgan on my blog.<br /><br /><em><strong>July</strong></em><br /><br />I was walking by the Cingular (We used to be AT&T and now we're AT&T again, or something) store...<br /><br /><em><strong>August</strong></em><br /><br />Ever wonder who the people are whose pictures show up week after week, with different names, in The Onion's "American Voices" section?<br /><br /><em><strong>September</strong></em><br /><br />So, after posting every weekday for two weeks, which is alot for me, I was kind of taking a break from blogging.<br /><br /><em><strong>October</strong></em><br /><br />I've always kind of liked LeBron James. <br /><br /><em><strong>November</strong></em><br /><br />Since I haven't posted anything in over a week, here's video of a man skipping a rock 51 times for the world record. <br /><br /><strong>December</strong><em></em><br /><br />Of all the shit that has spewed from Karl Rove's mouth, the idea that Congressional Democrats are the ones that wanted to rush to war in Iraq in 2002 is possibly the biggest lie I've ever heard him tell. <br /><br />--------------------<br /><br />And with that, Happy New Year!Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-44479818524637195972007-12-21T09:13:00.000-05:002007-12-21T09:37:43.818-05:00Best Songs of 2007 RevisionDude. I should be fired from my own blog.<br /><br />You know what I forgot about when listing the <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2007/12/best-songs-of-2007.html">best songs of 2007</a>?<br /><br />The entire <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/">Once</a> soundtrack.<br /><br /><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516zigC2-iL._AA240_.jpg"><br /><br />I saw this movie back in June or so. It didn't make <a href="http://noseknowledge.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-favorite-2007-movies-so-far-non.html">my mid-year top 5</a>. That's because the music did alot more for me than the movie overall. Still, it has certainly stuck in my memory more than, say, the latest Die Hard or Spider-man. It will probably be a while before I get to a year-end best movies list, still too many key movies I haven't seen. Will Once make that list? Probably not, but you never know.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the important topic at hand, the MUSIC in Once. Essentially, the music in Once IS the movie. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0360598/">Glen Hansard</a> reminds me of Cat Stevens at his best, both in songwriting and performing style.<br /><br />Sorry, Ben Harper, but I have to knock you down a spot for best song of the year. I'm now giving it to "Falling Slowly," performed by Hansard and his co-star <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2461627/">Markéta Irglová</a>. But really, I'm picking one song to represent the whole soundtrack. Several songs on the soundtrack could be at or near the top of my list.<br /><br />I haven't actually bought the soundtrack, but I will, and I've heard it enough to know it would be my pick for best CD of the year. Granted, I've only bought two 2007 CDs I can think of, Bruce Springsteen's "Magic" and Radiohead's "In Rainbows." Both of those fall into the "good, not great" category for me. So "Once" soundtrack it is.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431984.post-30854681139684390102007-12-19T09:33:00.000-05:002007-12-19T10:11:33.796-05:00Presidential Candidates and their Baseball PreferencesOver the last couple days, <a href="http://homerderby.com/">Home Run Derby</a> has given a rundown of the presidential candidates and their <a href="http://homerderby.com/archives/1687">baseball</a> <a href="http://homerderby.com/archives/1652">preferences</a>. Here is a breakdown, in my opinion, of the rankings of their baseball preferences.<br /><br /><img src="http://homerderby.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/barack-obama-white-sox-first-pitch.jpg"><br /><br /><strong>1. Mike Huckabee - Cardinals fan</strong><br /><br />This is so painful for me. Not only is he surging in the polls, which I very much fear as I think he's the Republicans' best candidate, he has the same baseball allegiance as me. Of course, he did say this in 2004...<br /><br /><blockquote>“I wanted the Cardinals to win, but if Boston wins, I’m thinking, ‘This is going to be the biggest story in sports history’ “</blockquote><br /><br />which makes me question his true allegiance... Cardinals fans wanted to block that possibility from their mind until after the series.<br /><br /><strong>2. Barack Obama - White Sox fan</strong><br /><br />At least my actual favorite presidential candidate has the second best baseball preference. The White Sox are my third favorite baseball team, and favorite American League team, and the fact that Barack is a no-bones-about-it fan of the South Side, and even talks smack about the Cubs, is a very good sign.<br /><br /><strong>3. Dennis Kucinich - Indians fan</strong><br /><br />I've got no beef with the Indians, and hey, I feel sorry for Dennis. He needs to be ranked highly somewhere, and it sure as hell isn't going to happen on the campaign trail. Bonus points for hometown loyalty from the Clevelander.<br /><br /><strong>4. John McCain - Diamondbacks fan</strong><br /><br />I've got no beef with the D-Backs either, and again, points for hometown loyalty.<br /><br /><strong>5. (Tie) John Edwards and Ron Paul - Unknown</strong><br /><br />Home Run Derby speculates that Paul is a Pirates fan, but they offer no real evidence, so I'm listing him as unknown. I almost put these two at the very bottom for not declaring allegiance, but I couldn't put them below Phillies, Yankees and Red Sox fans.<br /><br /><strong>7. Joe Biden - Phillies Fan</strong><br /><br />Sorry, but I still consider being a Phillies Fan to be an endorsement of <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/1999/08/10/cardinals_phillies_ap/">throwing batteries at Cardinals</a>. And I think Biden needs to be questioned about it in a debate.<br /><br /><strong>8. (Tie) Rudy Giuliani - Yankees Fan, Mitt Romney and Chris Dodd - Red Sox Fans</strong><br /><br />At this point, I despise the two teams about equally. At least these three all have allegiances based on where they live. Unlike....<br /><br /><strong>12. Bill Richardson - Yankees and Red Sox Fan</strong><br /><br />Seriously, Bill, what the fuck? You're a fan of TWO teams I absolutely despise? You're probably my second favorite overall candidate, but you can't be both a Yankees AND Red Sox fan. Especially if you're from fucking New Mexico. Amazingly, there's someone worse. And it's none other than....<br /><br /><strong>13. Hillary Clinton - Cubs and Yankees Fan</strong><br /><br />Sure, she's at least lived in the two cities for which she roots... As much as I'm required to hate the Cubs as a Cardinals fan, I'd at least give her some respect for sticking to her guns if she was a Cubs fan only. But being a Cubs Fan AND a Yankees Fan is probably the worst possible combination in baseball. And it puts her at the very bottom of the list.Justin S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15041223839215625638noreply@blogger.com0