Dan Caputi's Blog

Rays in 6

2008-10-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

I think the Rays are going to dethrone the Red Sox in a hard fought 6 game series. Here are my main reason for this prediction and two counter-arguments that go in the Sox favor.

1. Josh Beckett does not seem to be healthy and sharp. If he can't dominate the way he has in the past, the Red Sox biggest advantage is neutralized. Having watched him in the ALDS, I am not sure what he can bring to the table in this series. He did not look good in game 3, the only game the Sox lost.

2. Eventually, the absence of Manny Ramirez' bat in the Sox lineup will catch up to them.

3. Unlike last year, Okijima cannot be counted on to get big outs in the 8th. I've also heard he has struggled this year against the teams that are most familiar with them, i.e. division rivals. Tampa knows what he has to offer and will probably hit him.

4. Mike Lowell is not on the roster. Missing last year's World Series MVP is not good.

5. Rays home field advantage. Tampa is dominant at home. That one extra game at home could be the difference.

Factors that lean the Sox way.

1. The Sox have so much experience and come in as the defending champions. Contrast this to the extreme youth of Tampa.

2. Any team with a closer as good as Papelbon has a great shot of advancing to the World Series.

I think this is going to be a great series. Oodles of talent on both sides, a genuine dislike of each other by both teams, and the highest of stakes. I am looking forward to it.

Dodgers in 7

2008-10-09T15:50:00.001-07:00

Details to follow on this prediction but I wanted to get it out there before the start of the series. I think this series will be dominated by the home team but that the Dodgers will find a way to get it done when the pressure is really on.

Nervous Met Fan

2008-09-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

Its 5:15 in the morning. I'm supposed to be sound asleep, but its just not happening. I'm 36 years old, and I've come a long way from my most intense days as Mets fan, but I feel I've regressed overnight. I'm nervous and once I woke a few before 5 AM there was no turning back. I was up for good. I don't have the highest hopes for this flawed Mets team, but I am certainly not ready to shut it down today. Get me to tomorrow is my "one day at a time" goal for today.

Do I think its going to happen? I am not sure.

This is the third time in the last 10 seasons that the Mets have gone into the last day of the season in a flat-footed tie for a playoff spot. In 1999, they beat the Pirates and played the Reds the following night in a one game playoff. Al Leiter's pitching gem propelled them into the playoffs and they made a really good run, going down in game 6 of the NLCS. But, its last year, of course, that is front and center in every Mets fans' mind. Like 55,000 or so other people I found my way into Shea Stadium last year for the season finale. Before I had even settled in to my seat, it was 7-0 Marlins and the team's chances were toast. It was tough to swallow, and I can't help but fear something like it happening again.

Ollie Perez is taking the hill today. A brilliant but confounding talent, he'll be going on 3 days rest instead of the normal 4. Its always such a wild card (no pun intended) when you have to throw a pitcher on short rest. Yesterday could not have gone better. Johan Santana outperformed everyone's expectations and tossed a complete game shut out on 3 days rest. One of the great pitching performances in Mets' history. I won't attempt to predict what Ollie Perez will do, I only say that it is a source of my uncertainty about today. There are several factors that indicate he'll do well.

1) He's a big game pitcher. Mets fans know that Ollie steps up when the pressure is on. Think about game 7 of the 2006 NLCS or some of his starts against the Yankees and Phils this year.

2) He's pitched well on 3 days rest before. That game 7 in 2006 was on short rest. He went six strong innings that night.

3) He did not throw a lot of pitches in his last start. (Of course, the reason for this, was that he did not pitch well, and got replaced early in the game.)

4) A win today could net him an extra 20 million dollars or more in his pending free agency this off-season. I'm sure Scott Boras has reminded him of this. Will he use that as motivation? Perhaps. (Thanks to my sister Mary for bringing this up to me.)

5) Perez is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in five starts versus the Marlins this season.

6) Crowd support. The Mets fan will come ready to make a lot of noise today, and Ollie has to try to channel that energy into a little added adrenaline to get him through the start. (Thanks again Mary.)

Of course, no matter how well Perez pitches today, the Mets are going to have to score some runs and more than likely get some big outs from their beleaguered bullpen. Several of the Mets best hitters have good numbers against Scott Olsen, the Marlins starter.

So, analysis aside, the Mets gotta find a way to get a win today and then hope for a little help today in Milwaukee, where interestingly enough, CC Sabathia will also be taking the hill on 3 days rest. The Brewers have worked him so hard this year, and will be leaning on him once again on this ever important Sunday. Mets fans best hopes lie in CC not having his best stuff today.

A one final note about the games today. The Mets have scheduled the ceremonies to celebrate the closing of Shea Stadium for AFTER the game. A curious choice, made more so by the fact that no one knows what the mood is going to be like after today's game nor do we know what inning it will be in Milwaukee when the Mets game ends. Suffice it to say that it could be joyous, miserable, or undetermined and tense as 55,000 plus, keep two eyes on the Brewers game and no eyes on the elaborate ceremony. I hope the Mets have a plan to show the Brewers game on the big screen and are smart enough as a franchise to delay the ceremony long enough so that it can be given full attention. Win, lose, or draw.

Running Tally

2008-09-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the absolute brilliant pitching of Johan Santana, the Mets go into the final game of the regular season tomorrow with a record of:

7 Wins

9 Losses

...in the first 16 games of the final strech of 17 games.

Much Needed Win

2008-09-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

Mets won 6-2 tonight. They got exactly what they needed from Johan Santana, a dominant 8 inning performance that featured a lot of pitches (a career high 125) strikeouts (10) and some clutch at bats and hustle on the base paths. It also featured a lucky break that fueled their game tying 2 run rally. Who among us has ever seen a play like that, where Santana's ground ball caught up to his broken bat, bouncing off it at a very opportune time and leading to Santana reaching first base safely. I am betting that no one has. Fitting that in a season where bats seem to break once an at-bat, a play like that would transpire in such a big spot during the pennant race.

So, 12 games into their final 17 games, the Mets now have a win loss record in those 12 games of:

5 Wins

7 Losses

Tally

2008-09-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

4 Wins

7 Losses

Worse Loss

2008-09-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

I described to a friend of mine today that a two-run Met lead is really more like a one run lead at best. "Or", he said, "Is it sort of like they are actually DOWN two runs?" I said that things weren't that bad, but when the Mets 4-2 7th inning lead became a 7-4 deficit by the end of the 8th, I am all too unhappy to concede that my friend was probably right. Another bullpen disaster had crushed the Mets today, reducing their lead of the the Brewers to 1.5 games for the National League wild card. A two run homer by Carlos Delgado in the top of the 9th cut the Braves lead to 7-6 but went for naught when Carlos Beltran and Damion Easley struck out back to back to end the game. So, 10 games into their final 17, the Mets record in those games now stands at:

4 Wins

6 Losses

Mets head home now, staring at 7 tough games to close out the season. 4 against the Cubs starting Monday night and finishing up with a weekend season against the Marlins. Brewers will be hosting the woeful Pirates and then finish with the Cubs. It will be interesting to see how the Cubs set up their pitching rotation for each series and how well they play as they bide their time before the first round of the playoffs. Mets best chance at hanging on and making the playoffs is that the Brewers are playing even worse than they are now. That could change early this week, though, and that would spell big trouble for the Metropolitans.

Good grief.

Bad Loss

2008-09-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

Mets lost 4-2 last night. Pedro Martinez looked uncomfortable on the mound, but after his patented bad first innings in which he gave up 3 runs, he settled in nicely and put up zeroes until the sixth. He also came up with the Mets' only big hit of the night, a two out, two run double. Rest of the offense remained silent all night. Bummer. So, their record after 9 of their last 17 games is now:

4 Wins

5 Losses

Thanks to the Reds, who beat the Brewers, theMets maintain at 2.5 game lead in the wildcard race and fell back to a half game deficit to the Phillies.

Big start by Pelfrey is essential today. Enjoy the game everyone.

Back in First Place!

2008-09-19T05:19:00.001-07:00

Big night for my beloved Mets last night. Before the first pitch of their game was thrown the Phils and Brewers were training early and hope was high that the Mets could gain some ground last night.

Well, it wasn't easy, but they got the job done with a 9-5 win. I'll highlight a couple of unlikely heroes. First off, Aaron Heilman got a huge out in the 7th with the tying and lead runs in scoring position. Next bullpen hero was Brian Stokes who came in to start the 8th. After giving up a lead off single he got the next 3 guys out and, in a nice stroke of managing by Jerry Manuel, Stokes came back out to start the 9th and to the delight of all Mets fans he had an easy 1-2-3 inning.

So, after this win, their third in a row, the Mets are now 8 games into their final 17 games and their record in those games is now:

4 Wins

4 Losses

Running Tally

2008-09-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

Backed by strong performance by two former Washington Nationals, Ryan Church and Brian Schneider (2 HR's), Johan Santana led the Mets to a 7-2 victory over those pesky Nats. With this crucial win the Mets record, so far, in their final 17 games of the season is now:

3 Wins

4 Losses

The Mets now hold a 1.5 game lead in the wildcard standings over the Milwaukee Brewers. (2 in the loss column.) The Brewers who are in a serious free fall, lost what had to be their toughest game in a looooooooong time. Up 6-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, Brewers closer Salomon Torres got the first two outs in the inning before the Cubs started an improbably rally that saw them tie the game in the 9th and eventually win it in the bottom of the 12th on a two out base hit by Derek Lee. As if that is not bad enough, the fact that the Brewers had men on 2nd and 3rd with no one out in the top of the 12 and DID NOT SCORE, has to have that team questioning just about everything.

More on the Mozart Find

2008-09-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

The afternoon press conference in Nantes has yielded some more information on the the discovery announced earlier today. Here is an udated version of the AP story. Enjoy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080918/ap_on_re_eu/eu_mozart_discovery

New Mozart Composition Discovered

2008-09-17T16:31:00.002-07:00

According to an AP story by John Leicester, a new, previously unknown composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was discovered in a library in Western France. The single page is a sketch of a piece, just the melody, but is nonetheless a clearly huge discovery. See the link below for further details. I look forward to seeing the page and hearing this melody in the near future. Will comment further on this when more information is available.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080918/ap_on_en_mu/eu_mozart_discovery

Running Tally

2008-09-17T16:31:00.001-07:00

When Luis Ayala struck out Roger Bernadini, who was representing the tying run, the Mets got a much needed, and unnecessarily tense, win. Their record 6 games into their final 17 games is now:

2 Wins

4 Losses

Two Wins Coming

2008-09-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

Mets are struggling right now. No doubt. But, I want to say right now, on the record, that they are going to win tonight and tomorrow.

Scores? 10-6 tonight.

3-0 tomorrow with Santana.

You heard it hear first.

Keep the faith my friends.

12 to Go

2008-09-17T05:56:00.000-07:00

Running Tally

After last night's disheartening 1-0 loss to the Cy Young and the 1923 New York Yankees, the Mets record in the final 17 game stretch of the season is:

1 Win

4 Losses

Running Tally

2008-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last year the Mets went 5-12 in their last 17 games, leading to their so-called collapse, and the loss of the National League Eastern Division to the Phillies by one game Since the 2008 Mets hit the potentially fateful 17 games remaining point in the season, their record is:

1 Win

3 Losses

14 Games to Go Part II

2008-09-16T06:31:00.001-07:00

Disaster strikes the Mets again. A clearly compromised Pedro Martinez, kept the Mets in the game through the 5th, but cracked a little in the 6th. Mets were down 4-1 after Anderson Hernandez off all people got a huge two out single off Pedro. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Duaner Sanchez came in with two outs and gave up three runs before he recorded an out. Mets threatened to make it close in the 8th but a badly timed double play by David Wright pretty much snuffed out any chance they had.

Another really tough night for Mets fans, as the nightmare we lived through in September 2007, continues to seemingly play out again, in almost the exact same fashion. Again it started with the bullpen and seems to be spreading through the team. Pelfrey tonight can stop the bleeding with a big start tonight. Mets absolutely need a win tonight. Brandon Knight pitches tomorrow.

There you have it.

14 Games to Go

2008-09-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Nine minutes until first pitch. Nervous time for Mets fans. Another brutal loss yesterday in a fashion all too familiar to Mets fans. They carrry a lead into the late innings, fail to build on it, and blow it real late in the game. Yesterday it was a 4-2 Mets lead to start the 9th ended up as a 7-4 loss.

Pedro gets the ball tonight. He needs to find the magic and figure out how to go 6 innings or so and keep the Mets in the game (or preferably in the lead). A huge game for Pedro and the Mets. A win, and the lead is at 1.5 games with 13 to go. A loss and a slim 1 game lead get sliced in half.

On the wild card front, in an interesting move, the Brewers, who have everything invested in winning this year, fired their manager Ned Yost. Panic move? Maybe. But I think its pretty smart, considering how much ground they have hemmoraged in the past couple of weeks. They currently sit in a flat-footed tie with the Phillies after leading almost the entire season so far.

Will post after game tonight.

17

2008-09-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

17: The number sends chills through every Mets fans spine. It was last year around this time that the Mets were "Up 7 games with 17 to go." As you may know, the Mets went 5-12 in those remaining 17 games and ended up losing the National League East by 1 game to the Phillies.

This year the 17 games remaining guidepost arrived on Saturday the 13th, with a double-header against the Braves on the docket. The Phils were hosting the current wild-card leaders Milwaukee. The Phils won their game against the Brewers 7-3, and the Mets lost the opener of the double-header in heartbreaking, 2007 reminding, fashion. A 2-0 lead that could not be built upon, became a 3-2 loss.

With the lead, down to two games, the Mets responded in the night cap. Behind 8 shutout innings from rookie Jon Niese and home runs from Wright, Reyes, and Beltran, the Mets took a nice lead early and never looked back. The win kept at bay, the panic that could have set in had the team and fans had to stomach another loss last night.

I was at the game with my sister Maggie. Sharing the box was my friend Larry, who is the only person I know who was at the first game ever at Shea in 1964 and who will be at the last regular season game next Sunday, September 28, 2008. My friend Danny joined us in the adjacent box for game 2 and made a really nice grab on a foul ball, that, but for his quick glove, was destined for the screen, but instead was snagged by Danny. Nice catch my friend.

So, down to 15 games to go in the season. Thanks to a nice bounce back win, the Mets lead sits at 2.5 games (3 in the loss column). Stay tuned for a game by game countdown to the end of the season.

Ike Approaches Texas

2008-09-12T07:35:00.001-07:00

Wow, Ike is a big storm. 105 MPH winds are serious, but the story here is the awesome size of this storm. Seems to be covering the entire Gulf of Mexico. This means it will churn up the waters there even more, the winds will extend far beyond where the storm center makes landfall, and that the rainfall amounts could be devastating. I've been watching the news this morning and the pictures from the Texas beaches are pretty awe inspiring. The waves crashing into shore are mammoth.

Interesting to note, that the authorities have told the populace of Houston NOT to evacuate. When Houston was evacuated for Rita, the traffic was absolutely out of control and many people died just trying to drive away. Sounds to me like telling people to stay for this one is probably the right call.

Just heard on CNN that the storm is 900 miles wide. Wow.

Three in a Row for Mets

2008-09-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

Following their much needed win against the Phillies on Sunday night, the Mets had a couple of games with the Nationals facing them this week. They won them both, albeit in a fashion that they may not have chosen as their number one option. Tuesday night, with my family and me in attendance, the Mets won 10-8 at the same time that the Phils were losing to the Marlins, giving the Mets a 2.5 game lead in the division. Wednesday played out similarly with the Mets winning another barnstormer and the Phils again doing down to the Marlins.

At the Tuesday night game, in the 8th inning, Carlos Beltran fouled a pitch off about 15 to the right of my family's location. After it bounced around for a couple of seconds, the ball made its way towards me and I stuck out my glove and snagged it. It was my second foul ball this year and it is made special by the fact that it has a stamp on it commemorating that it came from a game played in the final year of Shea Stadium. (See photo.) I'm glad I was in the right place at the right time, and that I kept the ball. Will happily buy a display stand for this one and find a good place for it at home.

Santana going to the mound against Mike Hampton tomorrow night at Shea. Mets will go into that game with either a 3 or 4 game lead over the Phils depending on the results of the Phils/Brewers game tonight in Philadelphia.

What a Day: Part 3

2008-09-07T20:03:00.001-07:00

11:03 PM

Mets win! An absolute gem by Santana and another HUGE night by Carlos Delgado. 7 and 1/3 innings for Santana and a huge 2 RBI single by Delgado in the first, followed later on by two monsterous home runs. Mets lead goes back to two games and Santana proves again that he may be the difference between the '07 and '08 Mets. The bullpen got the job done tonight too. Some clutch outs in the 8th from Feliciano (against Ryan Howard) and Stokes (against Burrell). I'll tell ya, this win did a lot to redeem for me what had been a pretty stinky sports day so far. Thanks Mets.

Across Roosevelt Avenue, the tennis match is tight. Serena won the first set 6-4 and Jankovic was a break up and had a chance to serve for the second set, but she couldn't close it out and we are currently at 5-5. Jankovic was down 0-40, battled back and lost after the 5th deuce. This has been quite a match. Lots of long, entertaining rallies.

The latest on Brady: Reports are swirling that Tom Brady has a torn left ACL and will be out for the year. But, he is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow, so how the sources know is a little bit of a mystery and I won't believe it until I hear more tomorrow. Of course, ESPN is all over the story.

More later. (or tomorrow. :)

What a Day! Part 2

2008-09-07T14:08:00.001-07:00

Well, things not off to a good start for me with the sports. The Phils handed the Mets a beat down. Pedro got rocked and the Phils have now taken the first two games of the series to close the Mets lead in the NL East to just 1 slim game. Biggest game of the year awaits the Mets tonight, on ESPN, with the ESPN team of broadcasters no doubt bringing up the ghosts of September of 2007. Remember this folks, the Mets of 2007 did not have Johan Santana and that is why their end of the year slump got as deep as it did. I expect him to go out and pitch very, very well tonight and for the Mets to hit enough to get a win over Cole Hamels and the Phillies.

I caught some interesting NFL games today too. First off, the Bengals lost to the Ravens. Frustrating loss in which the Bengals talented offense never really got going and a decision to go for it on 4 and 1 with 7 minutes to go from the Ravens 25 may have been the final blow. Bengals ran the ball for no gain and never got another chance as the Ravens were able to run out the clock on their ensuing possession. NOT a good start for my boyz from Cincy.

The Jets got themselves a nice win, surviving losing their placekicker, and surviving a final (unsuccessful) drive by the Dolphins led by former Jet Chad Pennington. Some good stop and a an interception on the final play by the Jets secondary allowed them to hang on for the 20-14 win. Could have been a REALLY tough loss for the Jets to take had the Dolphins scored there and won by a single point.

And as some of you may know, I live in Cambridge, MA these days so I have to mention that Tom Brady hurt his left knee early in the first quarter of the Patriots opener. They managed to win, in no small part to the fact that their backup QB took most of the pre-season snaps as Brady nurses some injuries, so he was pretty sharp and a defensive stand at the end allowed them to hang on as well against the Chefs. (mis-spelling intentional) No word as of yet on the extent of Brady's injury. Will keep you posted.

Nadal kept the break he earned yesterday and has won the third set from Andy Murray. They are on serve early in the 4th although the 2nd game has gone to 8 deuces so far with Murray having squandered 7(!) break points in the current game.

What a Day!

2008-09-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

September 7, 2008

I went to the gym this morning and took a couple of classes. Muscle conditioning and yoga. Figured I had to get up and get that out of the way, because come 1:00 PM I knew I wouldn't be going anywhere.

Why? Well, could there be a more exciting sports day? Wow, I am firmly ensconced in my couch and not sure I'll be moving much more today. First off, in the heart of a tight pennant race, the Mets are hosting the Phillies in a day/night double header. Two games against team just 2 games behind them in the standings. And the Mets starting pitchers for today? Pedro in the day game, and Johan Santana in the nightcap. Awesome stuff.

Today is also the first full day of the NFL season. Its currently 1:34 and Brett Favre has already thrown a 54 yard TD pass for the Jets and Tom Brady is already out of the game in New England with a left knee injury? Think a changing of the guard is underway in the AFC East? Me neither, but it sure sounded good. And in other news, my beloved (but somewhat hapless) Bengals are down 7-0 to the Ravens. Mark my words, though, Bengals WILL win today. I hope.

Also, starting at around 4:00 PM today we get the continuation of the men's semi-finals at the U.S. Open, with Rafa Nadal down 2 sets already to Andy Murray. Federer got through to the finals yesterday, but the Nadal/Murray match was suspended by the rain associated with Tropical Storm Hanna. (I wonder what ESPN sportscaster Hanna Storm thought about that?) And then tonight at 9:00, in the U.S. Open's version of the day/night double-header, the women's final will kick off. Serena Williams vs. Jelena Jankovic. Sweet. (Williams in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, that's my prediction.)

So, fellow sports fans. Enjoy the day. The baseball, the full NFL slate. The men's and women's tennis. Get comfortable, stock up on the healthy snacks, and have a great day. Will post later with some more observations and post-game/post-match analysis.

There's No Place Like Home, Part One

2008-05-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Was it me, or was last night's episode of "Lost" even more packed with detail, drama, and intrigue than usual? I guess that is pretty typical for the penultimate episode of a television season, although as devotees of Lost know, not much about this show can be described as typical. To start with, it seemed like some aspect of almost every major character got touched upon last night. The off island flash forward involved the entire complement of the "Oceanic Six" who we now know includes "Kate's Baby" Aaron, as well Kate, Jack, Sayid, Sun, and Hurley.

Here are some nuggets, that I think sum up some of the hightlights of the episode:

1. Sun uses the money from the Oceanic settlement to buy a controlling interest in her father's company. Then she blames him and one other person for Jin's death and promises that she'll be back after she has the baby to run their company. Brilliant. Way to go Sun. Stick it to yer Old Man, right where it hurts.

2. Hurley enters his house and hears the "Island Whispers", picks up a statue of Jesus to defend himself against a prowler before walking in to his surprise birthday party. A few minutes later, sitting in his hot rod (that we saw him driving in the season premier) the infamous numbers show up on the odometer. 48151.6 total mileage, 234.2 on the trip odometer. Those pesky numbers just won't leave poor Hurley alone. Is his father as naive as he claims to be or does he play a more sinister role? Hurley is not so sure. Neither am I.

3. Nadia and Sayid are re-united. I can't think of a happier reunion that seeing two, truly in love, back together after so much struggle, separation, and heartbreak. Except that we can't enjoy it, because we know, long before Sayid does, that Nadia's days are numbered, and that their reunion will be painfully short.

4. Speaking of reunions! After Jack eulogizes his father and shakes some hands in the greeting line, it turns out that one more person, a blonde woman, wants to say hello. Although it was very obvious to me who she was and what she was going to say, it still hit with the impact of a ton of bricks. This women's daughter was on Flight 815 as well. And she was Christian Shepards' daughter. Her name? Claire. Poor Jack looked as lost as ever before, staggered by the double shocking news. Here we ge the first true insight in to why Jack has such a time with Baby Aaron and how Aaron's presence with Kate is one of many complicated factors keeping Jack and Kate apart. The questions has to be asked as well, will Claire's mother ever figure out that she is Aaron's grandmother? And if she does...then what?

So, overall, I was really happy with last night's episode. There were times when I was watching, I did feel like the episode's true goal was to set up a truly phenomenal season finale. Clearly, sparks will fly, questions will be answered, and tears will be shed. But, I have no doubt we are in for a treat next week. (Thursday, May 29th.) And then, the long waiting game will begin again. June through January to think about what we've seen this season and in the forthcoming season finale. My guess is that after Thursday, there will be lots to ponder.

E.T. Meet PopeBenedict, Pope Benedict Meet E.T.

2008-05-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Pope Benedict for saving me from the guilt I've been ravished with about my belief that somewhere in the infinite vastness of the universe there just might, possibly, be life elsewhere than just here on Earth. I'd been reading and re-reading Genesis for the elusive 8th day of the week where God created alien life, but despite that still had not seen where he had done it. But, I guess now I can watch Star Trek and ponder life on other planets without feeling like all it will get me is a one way trip to hell. Thanks again Pontiff. You're the coolest pope in the universe.

For those of you who have NO idea what the point of this posting is, see here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_aliens

With love, and from Earth,

Dan

Greetings from Bolt Bus

2008-04-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

I am writing from Interstate I-91, on Bolt Bus, a bus line run by Greyhound and Peter Pan. My ticket cost me $15.00, I am sitting in a very comfortable seat, my laptop is plugged in, and the Bolt wi-fi has worked without a glitch since I boarded at 34th and 8th in Manhattan. First thing I noticed when I came on board was the "new bus" aroma. Probably the leather seats. This bus is probably still in its first week of service. There are plugs in the seat backs of about half of the seats. Was able to switch my seat when I realized that I had initially chosen a seat that did not have one.

I came down to New York on Friday morning on Acela Express. Had tickets to a couple of Mets games at Shea, so made my plans accordingly. My ticket on Amtrak cost $102. No wi-fi and the scheduled 3 hour 30 minute trip took about 3 hours 50 minutes. This bus is scheduled to arrive 4 hours after our 11:00 AM departure. As I mentioned, my ticket cost $15, but there were $10, and $1 seats available. Lovin' this trip so far. And those of you who know me well know I don't spend much time raving about bus trips. In fact, normally I won't even take one.

This could be the best option for low cost travel to and from the major eastern cities. Bolt serves New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. The trip from Manhattan to Boston South Station is non-stop. Seems I have a new option for my frequent travel between New York and Boston. If you have the need to travel in the megalopolis, I recommend it. So far, so good.

O Yeah!

2007-05-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

Credit goes to my friend Nicole for the inspiration for the title of this post. Twice Thursday I sent her a text message about Lost. First one posed the following question.

Me: You watched Lost yet?
Her: O Yeah!

Second Message:

Me: Wasn't it amazing?
Her: O Yeah!

I think that pretty much sums up everyone's opinion about the episode "The Man Behind the Cutain". Really quite amazing what they pulled off in this episode. They even managed to, in retrospect, make the "Hurley Drives a Car" episode seem relevant, which may have been the writers' greatest feat.

But, I digress.

First off, I loved getting a back story on Benjamin Linus. He has become too important a character, as just an incredible villain, that a back story could only add to the depth of his nature. Going in, I wondered would it make him seem more or less evil? Would he be painted sympathetically or would his villainy be shown to be more dastardly.

Well, I think that the obvious answer to the first question is that seeing his back story showed him to be more evil than we might have imagined. I don't know about you, but I was starting to wonder whether he was truly evil or just "mis-understood." The writers have done a masterful job lately sewing those doubts into the viewers' heads. (And I guess some of those doubts remain.) But seeing him murder his father in cold blood and be complicit (at least) in the mass murder of the Dharma Initiative population pretty much erases those doubts. At least for me. Then he goes and lures John Locke to said mass grave and, after again insulting John's intelligence. puts a slug in his chest. Not the actions of a nice man. (Understatement of the day.) But, let me ask, knowing what he knows about the island's powers, and John's communion with the island; if he really wanted to kill Locke, wouldn't he have put more than one bullet in him? Think about that and get back to me. (My two cents: Expect Locke back.)

So, what was it about his past that made him so evil? Let's break down the back story a little, shall we? First off, I loved the opening scene that made it appear to us viewers (we viewers?) that Ben was being born on the island deep in the jungle. But as Ben's parents ran for help, they quickly emerged onto a busy road, apparently 32 miles from Portland. I figure that this is Portland, Oregon. One, I've been to Oregon twice and that forest that Ben was born in looked damn familiar, and two, Ben, Richard, and Ethan lured Juliette to the island from Miami, through Oregon, to the island. Perhaps the Dharma inititiative was based out of Portland, and later Ben's group used Portland as a mainland base as well. Note that Ben's mom died seven months into her pregnancy with Ben. Isn't that around the same time period in a pregnancy that women on the island run into problems?

Next we saw a very shy, quiet Ben Linus and his father Roger having disembarked from the submarine and being welcomed to the island by Mr. Goodspeed who represents the Dharma Initiative. I'd like to comment on the casting of Harry Potter as young Ben Linus. I loved it. Now we know why everyone on the islands has amazing magic powers, the island is really wizard school. Interesting details of the friendship between young Ben and Annie. Annie is super sweet and they seem to have a genuine bond. Knowing that few things are thrown in to Lost, I assume we will see her again at some point. How I do not know.

As Ben's father sinks into alcoholism and continues to blame his son for the death of his beloved Emily, Ben's like gets more and more miserable. When he starts seeing visions of his mom, he runs away to find her in the jungle. She tells him it is not time and that he must be patient. I think this is more fodder for the island being somehow connected to the afterworld. He wants to join her, but she say it is not time yet. Was she referring to him joining her in the afterworld, but not anytime soon? The same type of patience is required of Ben when he asks Richard to take him away from Dharma and back to Richard's people.

Then we get the purge. All those dead Dharma folks, including Ben's dad, who is killed with poison gas, by a very calm, cold, and calculating Ben, who comfortably puts on his gas mask, watches his dad die, and proceeds back to the Dharma camp where the others wait for him. Was his friend Annie killed in the purge too? Like I said above, I doubt it. Ben probably arranged to have her saved if she was still around. Ben has proven to Richard's hostiles, much the way he challenged Locke to, if he wanted to join them in the present.

One point on the scene in the cabin where we met Jacob. Michael Emerson's acting is just so good. I loved how he interacted with Jacob. Totally convincing. He brings so much subtlety and creepiness to his portrayal of everyone's favorite villian.

OK: Two more points on this scene. Did you see Jacob when you went back and watched it in sl0-mo? Looked a lot like Locke with hair to me. Hmmm.

What was that ashy substance that Locke was looking at on his way to the cabin? My guess: The residue of the smoke monster, who is clearly Jacob in another form. In other words Locke is the smoke monster. Cool, eh?

The side plot involving Naomi, and Jack and Juliet got interesting too. Clearly, things are coming together for a "crash survivors" vs. the "others" battle on the beach to end the season, reminiscent of the brilliant first season finale. Will this "Mother" of all battles be interrupted by a certain act of nature, which if you think of the time line, that is about to affect the Indian Ocean? Hmmm.

3 More Years!

2007-05-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

ABC announced the other day that they would continue Lost for three more 16 episode seasons. I had mixed emotions when I first heard this but having read about the plan, and thought about it, I think a good decision has been reached.

To start, I was hoping that they would do two more seasons and then wrap it up. I thought that was about as long as they could sustain the show at a high level and be within a time frame that ABC would be happy with revenue wise. So, when I originally heard that there would be three more seasons, I was a little worried. But, by limiting the seasons to 16 new episodes, that will be shown in consecutive weeks, I think they have found the right balance. My hope is that the producers will make every effort to present 16 great episodes every seasons, no throwaways. For example, who among us could have lived without this year's two throwaway episodes, "Hurley Finds a Car" and "Nikki and Paulo Build a Sand Castle"? Answer: All of us.

So the questions we are left with are, how are they going to keep things going for three more seasons and how will they resolve all of the mysteries (too many to count) they have thrown out there at us? After watching the last 4 or 5 episodes, I have this to say. I have complete faith in the shows writers, producers, and creators, to provide us with 3 more great seasons that will keep us in inevitable suspense as they unfold and that we will remember long after the series final in May of 2010. (By the way, party at my house that night. If you are reading this, you are invited. Will let you know the details as we get a little closer, but please save the date.)

Why do I have such faith? Well, I guess its because the show has been so great for the first three seasons, and there is so much to build on. The key in my opinion to a successful series like Lost, is the strength of the characters. No matter how good a concept is for a show, a lack of interesting, diverse characters that drive the drama would still manage to sink it. Lost has more than its share of fantastic characters. There are plenty who have been on the show from episode 1, but the genius of the casting and writing is how they have brought new characters in. (with the obvious exception of Nikki and Paulo). Think about how much Mr. Eko added to the show. And what about Ben Linus and Juliette? Apparently Ben was not supposed to be a recurring character and was to be limited to only 3 episodes. The writers saw what they had with him though and smartly kept him on and developed him. Can you imagine Lost without him? And Juliette has added a lot to the show too. Who among is not intrigued by the mystery of her allegiance and how it will play out?

So, in summary, I think there are enough mysteries to be solved and great characters to develop to keep the show going strong until May 2010. I really hope my faith is not mis-placed.

You're Welcome

2007-04-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

I got off the train this morning at Hunterspoint Avenue in Long Island City. I have been taking the train there recently to break up the monotony of my commute and to save a few minutes. When I was getting off the train, I noticed that there was a huge gap that I had to hop over. Because, I am a nice guy I turned to the gentleman (I use the term loosely) behind me and said, "Be careful there is a huge gap here." He said "Thanks, I appreciate it." Or so I thought he might. What he actually did was give me a blank stare and no verbal acknowledgment. Pissed me off. Maybe I am being petty, but I thought I was being helpful, and a little acknowledgment would have gone a long way.

So Mr. Grumpy Train Commuter (that's his name, I saw it on his corporate ID card he had around his neck) I have just a couple of more things to say to you.

1. I am glad you did not fall in the gap, and

2. BITE ME!

Hello Again

2007-04-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry to all of my loyal readers that I have dropped the ball on writing new posts lately. There has been so much going on that I didn't even know where to start, or what to really write about. When considering what to write about the Imus situation, I heard the voice of an "msn.com headline" warning me to steer clear of certain controversial topics in my blog if I ever wanted to work again. Don't worry, though, I won't steer clear of all controversial topics obviously, but I thought the Imus issue might be a good one to sit out, since my analysis clearly could have been tainted by the fact that I woke up and listened to the show on and off for the last 18 years or so.

This week, clearly the main news story is the shooting deaths that occurred at Virginia Tech. Since you have already surely read and watched a lot about the story, I will not re-cap the facts. What I will do, is take the opportunity this platform affords me to say that the people of the United States of America need to do something about its gun laws. It is just way to easy in many states, to just walk into a store and buy a lethal weapon, much like the shooter in this case did. One of the best ways to start making a dent in the amount of guns around and in use would be to begin to cut into the lobbying power of the National Rifle Association. For how long have they had the political lobbying power to scare everyone into not calling for gun control? They are so out of control, defending rights that go so far beyond what many reasonable people, gun owners and non-gun owners alike, could ever feel are protected by the Constitution, specifically the Second Amendment.

To demonstrate a little about why I think the N.R.A is out of control, I am including this link to a story about an "Outdoor Sports" writer and N.R.A member who dared wander off the N.R.A. reservation on one issue and how they came down on him like a ton of bricks. He wrote his first column for "Outdoor Life" in 1962. Here is an article from the Washington Post about what happened to him.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR2007022301709.html

Here is the column from the Editor-In-Chief of "Outdoor Life" magazine describing how Zumbo and the magazine parted ways after approximately 45 years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR2007022301709.html

There is a Presidential election coming up. Those who want to avoid more campus shootings and the gun murders and gun crime should force the issue into the forefront as the campaigns continue.

The hypocrisy of the N.R.A can also be seen in the fact that they like to quote only the second half of their hallowed Second Amendment. You'll see it quoted a lot like this: "...the right of the people to bear arms, shall not be infringed."

In the interest of fairness, let's take a look at the amendment in full, eh?

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Why do they not quote the amendment in full?

Creepy and Interesting...

2007-03-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

...but in the end a tad bit disappointing.

When it became apparent last night that the episode was going to focus on Nikki (and Paulo) my expectations fell from the sky like a Oceanic flight. I could not possibly care any less about these two losers and the last thing I wanted was an episode focusing on them. Then not only do we find out that they are annoying, but they are also cold-blooded killers. Great. Next time I hit turbulence on a flight I am going to look around me and guess how many people on the plane have committed murder. I mean, look at Oceanic 815. Sawyer, Kate, Anna Lucia, and Nikki and Paulo, all could be convicted of first degree murder. And Mr. Eko wasn't afraid to spill his enemies' blood either now, was he? Anyone I am leaving out? I don't think Jin ever killed anyone, although he certainly came pretty close. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Anyway, the episode was a lot better than I though it was going to be. It had its problems though. First off, it did basically nothing to advance any of the story lines we are all following. Secondly, it was not terribly original in that everyone from Shakespeare to Edgar Allan Poe, and more have written episodes with similar themes. (I've never actually read any Bill Shakespeare, but I am guessing he wrote stuff that explored similar themes. Especially in the comedies.)

But, as an hour of television, it was good. I walked away from the TV feeling appropriately creeped out, wondering what more they might do with the characters, (hopefully nothing) and enjoying the flashback scenes that integrated Nikki and Paulo into the crash scene and seeing Ben and Juliette in the Pearl Station discussing their plan to have Jack so Ben's surgery. I thought Billy Dee Williams cameo was a little weak. Also, the way they weaved Nikki's life as an actress, being shot on the set and coming back to life served its allegorical purpose quite well.

News aside: Apparently this episode set another all-time record for Lost viewership with 11.5 million viewers tuned in. I hope that the downward trend in ratings does not cause the network to panic. I think that further netword intervention could really kill the show. Instead, I think, that for the integrity of the show, the producers should probably do just one more season. Get through this season and spend next year writing kick-ass episodes and wrapping things up. All but the shows most hardcore fans have some level of frustration with the show, and knowing that things were heading towards resolution would help everyone involved (with the exception of all the actors and crew).

That's all folks. Here's hoping next week's episode is better AND advances the plot. I want to see Jack and Locke going at each other the first time they have chance to speak about the whole "submarine episode." Will Jack be more pissed off that he can't go home or that his chances of getting it on with Juliette took a bit of a hit? Tune in to find out. Point your browser here afterwards for the my innapropriate commentary. :)

Thanks for reading everyone. Talk to you soon.

John! What Were You Thinking?

2007-03-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Oh John, what the hell did you do that for? I knew something was up with you, but did you have to go and blow up the submarine? Jack was about to get lucky in a navy bunk with Juliette, the blonde bombshell AND get to go home. That is called leaving the island in style.

What a great episode of "Lost" we were treated to last Wednesday. I was truly on the edge of my seat for most of the episode. Just awesome. But sickening in some ways too. Can you imagine how Jack is going to look at John Locke from now on? Ten minutes from hopping on the submarine to freedom (and get lucky) and his friendly nemesis blows the thing up. Ouch. That is not going to help these two strong-willed alpha males make nice after their earlier disagreements. In fact I think it MIGHT even make things more difficult. Ya know? Where was the spirit of the late Boone to talk some sense into Locke.

Things we learned this week:

1. How John Locke became paralyzed: "I'm a con artist, not a murderer." After he speaks those words, Locke's father grabs him and throws him out an eigth story window. This scene was so brilliant. Came out of nowhere, and all of the sudden Locke is plunging down to the ground. How can one man cause so much pain, in this case to his son. Loved the conversation between Ben and John before we got to that scene in the flashback. "Did it hurt, John?" Linus asks. And later, Ben's statement that he wasn't talking about the broken back, which obviously hurt, but was talking about almost being murdered by his father.

2. Turns out that Ben Linus was born on the island. Cool, I wonder how much time he has spent off of the island in his life time. Does he know what life is like in the rest of the world and how that knowledge or lack thereof effect him? It also turns out that the "Island" is not helping him heal from his surgery as quickly as he thought. AND, how did he get such a bad tumor in the first place if the island has such healing poweres? I loved the discourse between Locke and Linus when they debated who, between them, understood the island better. The currently wheelchair bound Linus who has spent his whole life on the island, or the formerly wheelchairbound Locke, having spent only 80 days there, but immediately upon his arrival on the island could suddenly walk again? Great stuff.

3. John Locke's father is on the island. (Holy Cow) How did Ben, the ultimate manipulator, pull that one off. Maybe he manipulated Locke's father the way he manipulated Locke the son, and convinced him to come to the island.

My sister Maggie tells me that there is hot speculation on the "Lost blogs" that Locke's father, now firmly established as a con-man AND a murderer" is the original Sawyer. The con artist who drove James Ford's father over the edge and made him the "Sawyer" we know and hate now on the island. Very interesting and having heard the theory, I do see it playing out that way. It makes sense. Sure it would test plausibility, but what on this show hasn't stretched plausibility since all of our favorite characters walked away from the plane crash in the pilot episode. Exactly nothing.

But here is my question. Where are they going to from here? It seems like a lot of what has made the show great has sort of been covered? Many of the mysteries that made the others so scary and intimidating have seemingly been dispelled, a truce between the plane survivors and the others seems to be in place, and the submarine has been blown to Smithereens. Certainly there are things left to explore, but I hope the writers have thought this out.

One last thing. I really am enjoying having a new episode every week. For me it was worth it to have one long break so that we could get 16 (or however many there are) episodes back to back to back etc...I feel a really good flow going in this "second" season.

And one more last thing. I really like Alex. Cool character. Adds a lot to the show.

Peace out yo.

TOUCHDOWN! Or What Up With John Locke?

2007-03-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

"Claire, I'm your father."

You know, I really cannot over-emphasize the importance of watching each episode of "Lost" at least twice. The things you pick up on are truly revelatory.

That said, I must make a confession, that even after two viewings of the most recent episode, "Par Avion", I still don't understand why Desmond had to scare away the birds that Claire, Jin, and Sun were about to capture. Had they caught them then, would not have Charlie had no reason to go searching for others and find his watery death instead? Oh well, maybe the particular birds about to be trapped were not tagged, but they never really made that clear. Can anyone solve this little mystery for me? Thanks in advance.

One more mystery, how is a note written on a piece of paper and stuck inside a bird's tag supposed to make it all they way back to civilization without getting 1) wet and illegible, 2) Lost (pun intended), or 3) dropped in the ocean. Claire's optimism about her plan seemed just a little over zealous.

But, the real intrigue in this episode was trying to figure out what the hell was up with Locke and what the relationship between him and Patch Man was? The first time I watched it, I knew something was up, but the second time I picked up on something really important. Patch Man did not just know John from reading a dossier on him. Patch Man says "The John Locke I knew was par..." He certainly was about to say "paralyzed." He said he knew John, and he apparently meant it. And the way, Locke acted around him and subsequently killed him, those two clearly have some sort of ugly history.

I suspect that we are going to learn some more of that history tonight. My guess is that we'll find out what paralyzed Locke and Ibet it is going to prover very interesting.

So, the last scene of the episode was cool, eh? Jack running towards his friends, seemingly trying to escape, but instead cutting on a dime and catching a well thrown pass from Mr. Zeke Tom Friendly. Smiles all around as Jack spikes the ball in celebration. Very odd. Has Jack been brainwashed already? (I doubt it.) Playing along with them to save his ass? (Maybe) Have they already arranged his transportation home? (Probably not since they there seem to be problems getting to the island now that the beacon has been destroyed.) I hope that along with the focus on Locke tonight they also move Jack's storyline along. And if they want to kill Charlie off tonight, that would be fine too.

We'll know more soon.

Please Go!

2007-03-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

With the Scooter Libby verdict a few weeks in the past, I find my almost insatiable desire to see Bush Administration officials embarassed due to their incompetence, malfeasance, felony convictions, etc. fully ramped up again.

With Libby out of the way, let's turn our focus to the A.G. a.g. (attorney general, alberto gonzales.) There is a disturbing pattern (actually there are many) in the Bush administration of putting unqualified people into important jobs where they inevitably fail. They get their jobs because they are "Bushies", loyal to George W. and the family in general. Yuk. Anyway, we've seen the results of these appointments before, maybe most tragically with Michael Brown (Brownie) leading the administration's brilliant response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The man was appointed to head FEMA with absolutely no emergency management experience. We all know how that turned out and the tragic consequences of having such an ill-prepared person in such an important job.

Back to Alberto Gonzales, Esq. Perhaps, he more than anyone other than Brown, is the type of Bush appointee that leads to problems. As much as anyone, Alberto Gonzales has built a career around being loyal to bush. I'm sure he is smart and whatever else, but loyalty has been his ticket to all sorts of important jobs. As Governor of Texas, he worked for bush and then bush put him on the texas supreme court. He served as bush's White House counsel before becoming Attorney General.

The Attorney General's highest duty is to the Constitution of the United States. Who among us would believe that Gonzales would put that duty above his loyalty to george w. bush?

I hope the pressure stays on him, and that by the end of this week or next, Alberto Gonzales will have found his way out of the D.O.J.

After John Ashcroft, I never thought bush could come up with a worse Attorney General. He may have just accomplished it.

In related news, today there is a story out that the White House has agreed to let karl rove and harriet miers be interviewed by committee members investigating the purge of U.S. Attorneys. Now, these "interviews" are always conducted without the interviewees being under oath.

Make no mistake. You can read this "agreement" only one way. The White House is saying to rove and miers "Feel free to go lie to Congress about your roles in this. You won't be subject to perjury charges and you can provide for cover to the White House." Very reminiscent of the scene in "Farenheit 911" in which Bush says he won't testify to the 9/11 Commission but that he'd be happy to "chat with them". How nice.

Sayid

2007-03-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

Lost was much better last week, when it took a break from taking a break, and returned to the tried and true formula we "Lost" fans like so much. Here are some of the devices this episode featured that we love.

1. A potential "other" potentially posing as someone he is potentially not.
2. Sayid there on the scene to instinctively know, with 100% certainty, whether or not someone is lying. (Sayeed's gut feeling are more accurate than Captain Kirk's but somehow he had no idea that he was being led into a trap when his countryman offered him a job at his new restaurant.
3. The always powerful trifecta of John Locke, a computer, and the inevitable explosion that accompanies.
4. Guns and the seemingly endless source of ammo that is suddenly available on the island.

Anyway, the result of all this was an episode that was 1) Entertaining, 2) Advanced the plot, and 3) Seemed to leave off letting us know that Kate, Sayeed, and Locke were on their way to find Jack, who, as my favorite character needs to be found soon so I can stop worrying about him so much.

So; speaking of my favorite characters on Lost, I think it would be fun to put together my list of favorites and non-favorites. I am sure my friend Bones will disagree with my choices, because somehow we disagree on so many aspects of our favorite shows but somehow we seem to have so many shows that we love in common. Strange, isn't it Bones?

Anyway, here goes.

Favorites:

Jack, Sayid, Locke, Sun, Desmond, Ben Linus, Juliette, Sawyer, Hurley, Kate, Walt

Least Favorites: CHARLIE! (Note to producers, don't tease me by saying Charlie is destined to die and then let him linger.)

Favorite Dead Characters: Libby, Mr. Eko, Ethan, Boone

Dead Characters I Am Most Grateful are Dead: Shannon, Danny

I will expound on each of these characters in future blogs.

And one last thought to close the post.

Rest in peace Miss Clue. We hardly knew ya. And here is my poetic tribute to the latest fatality on Lost.

Miss Clue is dead,
My hunger to know her better,
Forever unfed,
To find out more of who she'd been,
Or why she made Mikhail do her in,
And the confusion from me was gushin'
Where had this woman learned to speak Russian?!
A well-placed shot right to her heart,
Ended this fine character's part.
So rest on the Island for an eternity or two,
Well never have a clue or two about you,
Miss Clue.
Who?
Kluh.

Scooter Goes Down

2007-03-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

After all of the writing I did leading up to this, I find myself nearly speechless now that the verdict is in. I will say, though, that I think this is good for the country. When a powerful White House figure lies to a grand jury and the F.B.I., and then tries to blame the media, I take some pleasure in a conviction on perjury and obstruction of justice. The juror who spoke yesterday told us what was pretty obvious. Scooter was dick's fall guy. Time to resign mr. cheney. Also, add Mr. Libby to the list of previously well-respected people whose reputations are forever tarnished by their association with george w. bush and their support of the Iraq fiasco. (Led of course, by Colin Powell and Tony Blair.)

What a news day yesterday was. You had army staff testifying on the Capitol Hill about the horrendous conditions at Walter Reed and other facilities for the treatment of wounded soldiers. You had former U.S. Attorneys discussing the political pressure put on them before their terminations. You had the Libby convictions. (4 of them) And, perhaps the most disturbing: On a day when the first headline I heard on the news at 6:00 AM was that 9 American soldiers had died north of Baghdad, then hearing that approximately 120 Shiites in Iraq had been killed in a bombing, I then saw a headline that said that Bush was talking about "Progress in Iaq." My stomach really hurt for a while after I saw that.

Here are some links to the stories I have referenced.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/503149p-424403c.html

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/16847386.htm

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070306/D8NMLPK82.html

2007-03-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

You know that you might be in for disappointment, when early on in an epsiode of Lost, Hurley (or any other character for that matter) says something like this: "You know, we never have any fun on this island."

Fun? How many of us watch Lost to see the characters have "fun"? We watch it to see them in grave danger, or to see them encounter strange mysteries, or deal with the oddest ironies and coincidences that test our beliefs. We do not watch to see Hurley and Charlie go careening down a hill in an old hippie van while Sawyer gets drunk on old, warm beer, and Jin improves his English. (Note to readers, in January I saw Daniel Dae Kim in Zen Palate in Union Square. Handsome dude he is. And for those of you who are curious, I did not ask him what he was doing in New York City when he was supposed to be lost on an island in the Pacific.) But, I digress. Last week's episode was pretty disappointing. My favorite moment was not even during the show itself, but during one of the late commercial breaks when I got to see my friend Bones in an Olive Garden commercial. Well done, my friend, well done. You look great in purple. Thanks to Beth for pointing it out because she knew otherwise I might speed past it as I watched the episode on DVR.

Now, I am notorious for not watching previews or letting myself find out anything in advance of a new episode. But, I hear tonight's episode is going to be great. If it involves, Rousseau and Kate going to rescue Jack, I have no doubt it will be. Let's hope so.

STILL Deliberating (minus 1)

2007-02-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

It is Tuesday and the "Scooter" Libby jury is still at it. Of course, as you probably know, they are down one special team member who, somehow, was exposed to media coverage over the weekend. I can't even begin to imagine how that would have happened! Was she checking the weather on CNN? Did she log on to her computer to check her e-mail? (I bet she had quite a few e-mails after 6 busy weeks on the this scandalous case.) Or did she just HAVE to know what was going to happen the Anna Nicole Smith's body once her 5 year old daughter got custody. We may never know. :(

So, now they are deliberating with 11 jurors only. Apparently Federal Law allows that, a fact I did not know until today. I wonder if the 4 alternate jurors knew that while they spent the last month of their lives listening to the same testimony as the "Chosen 12" did. But, I'll tell you what, those "Forgotten 4" cannot be happy. I can hear them in my head as clear as a bell.

Forgotten 4 Juror #1: "Are you telling me that I sat here taking 13 notebooks worth of notes, listening to a million witnesses all saying the same things, missed work, haven't seen my kids more than to kiss them good night for 6 weeks and now, yes now, after you toss someone off the jury, you are not even going to let me in on the fun?! You have GOT to be kidding me."

Forgotten 4 Jurot #2: "Hmm. I feel a little cold coming on. My throat is scratchy. Tell the judge, I am OUT of here."

Forgotten 4 Juror #3: "Damn, I can't remember my password to log onto my computer. I really want to check the news and see if anything interesting is going on, especially in Washington. I'll be real careful not to read anything about THIS case. Wink, wink."

Forgotten 4 Juror #4: "Wow, with this judge ruling like he has, there's no DOUBT I'll be deciding this case myself before close of business tonight." (Juror 4 is not too bright.)

Turns out that the prosecution really wanted alternate juror number one to empanelled. She was paying close attention (especially to the prosecutors) and her body language seemed to show she was favorable to their position. But, the defense won the motion and the judge kept the jury intact minus 1 instead of replacing the news junkie who just could not get through the weekend without peeking at CNN. (Or perhaps, my blog.)

The most interesting analysis I heard of this was that the defense did not want the jury to have to start deliberating again from scratch. That would put the final verdict further away from the time that the defense gave their VERY emotional (boo-hoo) closing argument and apparently, they think that the closer the jury's decision comes to the time they saw "Scooter's" lead defense lawyer cry, the better chance "Scooter" has of walking out of there a free man. That, right there, speaks volumes about the evidence presented in this case and the strength of each side's respective case.

My prediction: At least one conviction on the myriad of charges. The rest of the charges? Not sure yet.

And I guess, I can't really ignore this. It is true that the one jury member who refused to wear a red shirt with a white heart on it on Valentines' Day, is the very same member who was tossed from the jury. This is probably the best news of all for Libby. Does this lying, untrustworthy, snake of a man want a jilted woman deciding his fate? I doubt it.

More soon. Have a great day my friends.

Still Deliberating

2007-02-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

The jurors are still talking it all over at the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial. From what I heard on Imus this morning they asked for a bunch of arts and crafts materials, apparently to construct a big paper timeline. I'd like to get a look at it when they're done because I, too, can't keep all that I have read about this case straight, espeically the timing of certain big events. Has anyone else noticed that each article you read about the case seems to have the last 3 or so paragraphs that explain the sequence of events and cast of characters? It is odd to see those details every time but without them, nothing much makes sense.

I wonder if the jury will really go home today without coming out with a verdict or at least trying to convince the judge that they are deadlocked. I really doubt that any of them want to come back to court tomorrow or on Monday morning. (Alternative theory: There is one juror who absolutely hates his job SO much that he is stalling in order to get a couple of more days off.)

All kidding aside, I agree with what Howard Fineman said this morning. There are probably 1 or 2 jurors who are leaning towards voting for acquittal and the others are doing everything in their power to turn them around. Hence, the sticky notes, magic markers, and the other things currently being pillaged from the local elementary school art rooms.

So, if that is what is going on we are going to get a conviction or a hung jury. I really doubt that there are one or two holdouts for conviction. The evidence seems a little too strong for an acquittal, but maybe strong enough for a hung jury which I'm sure Libby would not complain too much about. I bet that would annoy cheney, though? Another opportunity for his name and actions to be dragged through the mud in a re-trial later this year. Wouldn't that be a shame.

Speaking of cheney....Did you know that in 1991 he predicted that if bush sr. went into Baghdad it would be a mistake that would end up in a quagmire? According to him 9/11 changed everything to such an extent that it is now ok to be mired in a quagmire. Oh man, when does it stop? Here's a link to a posting in today's Washington Post where I learned all this.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html

That's all I got for today y'all. Enjoy the weekend.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby

2007-02-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

As I typed the name of this post, I thought to myself, "What a dumb name." First, he decides to go by his middle name (which is fine), but then ends up with a nickname that makes him sound like a muppet. Or maybe a "Fraggle" although I doubt Scooter "rocks".

ANYWAY, we have apparently made it through a second day of jury deliberation without a verdict in his trial in which, if convicted, he could face up to 30 YEARS IN JAIL! Wow, that's a long time, eh? Although the truth is, that he'll probably never see even one single day in jail, because even if the jury returns a guilty verdict he'll be out on bail pending his appeal, an appeal likely to take long enough that even if he loses all they way up to the highest court, by then it will be late enough in bush's administration, that he'll just pardon him with very few consequences. (Love those run-on sentences.)

Despite that, I would like to see a guilty verdict as a solid example of just how corrupt this administration has been since before they even took office. I am glad Patrick Fitzgerald proceeded as he did and from what I can tell he has done a fantastic job, conviction or not.

So, what does it mean that the jury has not come back yet? I guess there are two likely possibilities. The first is that they are split somehow and so far they have not been able to convince enough others to change their minds as to get a unanimous verdict. Obviously, this scenario would be good for Libby. The second possibility I have come up with is that the jury is spending many hours pouring over the evidence and digesting the judge's instructions. This was a complicated and confusing case and maybe they just want to due their due dilligence before returning. They've been there hearing testimony and the like for over a month already, right? So what's a few more days? (Alternatively, you could argue that after a month they are going to do everything in their power to get the HELL out of there, justice be darned!)

Anyway, this case is really about DICK cheney. Fitzgerald would probably love to get a conviction against the muppet and turn him on Cheney to keep himself (Libby) out of muppet prison. Unlikely to work though because of that whole presidential pardon thing.

Speaking of which, I found it interesting that David Geffen soured on the Clinton's when Bill decided to pardon Marc Rich, but gave no such pardon to Lenord Peltier, who Geffen had personally asked Clinton to consider. (See Maureen Dowd's BRILLIANT column from yesterday's New York Times.)

But that is neither here nor there. (Whatever that means.) Another sleepless night awaits me, as I ponder what the jury will do to my least favorite fraggle.

Oh, I just came up with a 3rd theory for why the jury did not come back today. They obviously did not want to have to share tabloid headlines tomorrow with the judge in the Anna Nicole Smith case who awared custody of her body to....her 5 month old infant daughter. Good grief.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you want to laugh tonight, watch Scrubs.

One more question for you (all) to ponder. Do you think Libby was lying about being in the tail end of the plane that crashed on the island? I guess she wasn't under oath though, so it really doesn't relate, does it? Sorry.

Desmond David Hume

2007-02-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

So, did you see last Wednesday's episode of Lost?

OK, allow me to travel back in time a little and give you a hint of a post I should have written earlier.

Lost is my favorite TV show, probably ever. Friends who know of my 20 year (and counting) obsession with Star Trek might find that hard to believe. I sort of missed the first season but kept up with it just enough to know that I had to start watching. After I got my sister Maggie into it, she bought the first season on DVD and we caught up and have been hooked ever since. If you don't watch, but the show intrigues you, I say rent the first season DVD and fire it up. You'll know pretty quickly whether the show is for you or not. If it is your thing, then trust me, you are in for a real treat.

But, back to the present. Wednesday's episode of Lost was damn good. And it was quite different than most of the episodes. Instead of having a "back story" about one of the characters' life before their arrival on the Island, Desmond seemed to actually travel back in time to a point before his arrival. The show was entertaining, heartbreaking, and intellectually stimulating. It reminded me of Star Trek episodes that dealt with time travel but became a great Lost episode by staying true to the principals that make Lost unique.

Desomnd was referred to in the episode by his full name Desmond David Hume. Desmond is Scottish, as is one of David Hume, one of Scotland's most revered philospophers. This is surely not a coincidence. In the episode Desmond tries to find out whether he really IS travelling through time and asks his scientifically inclined friend whether time travel is really possible. Not that I am a David Hume expert by any stretch of the imagination, but my limited understanding of his philosophy leads me to believe that if Desmond David Hume were to ask David Hume those very questions, David Hume would certainly think that time travel was possible. Just because time generally travels forward does not mean it cannot travel backward. Anyone with knowledge of Hume who would be interested in giving a more detailed analysis of this is welcomed and encouraged to. (Rob?) And if you are inclined to doubt the connection connection between the fictional Hume and the real one, perhaps you should ask John Locke or John Locke whether they think the writers of Lost are well versed in western philosophy.

That's all for now.

Mike Lupica

2007-02-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

Good day everyone.

I wanted to take the opportunity to recommend to you Mike Lupica's relatively new political column that he writes in the New York Daily News. I have been reading his sports columns for years and always thought he was among the very best sports writers. A couple of years ago, I noticed him slipping some political thoughts and ideas into his columns. Mostly jabs at the bush administration and their never ending blunders with regard to the Iraq Fiasco. Now he has a full- blown politcal column in addition to the great sportswriting he still does. Today he discusses the debate over whether Hillary Clinton needs to and/or should apologize for her Senate vote on 2002's Iraq Resolution. Here is the link for your convenience.
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/499486p-421108c.html

Also, I cannot more highly recommend a current piece of investigative journalism than the story that was broken in the Washington Post this Sunday by Dana Priest and Anne Hull. This is the story of "Building 18" where outpatients from Walter Reed live during their rehabiliation from war injuries. The original article and follow-up have been very enlightening. Here is a link to their original scoop. You may have to be a registered user of the Washington Post to open it and read it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/17/AR2007021701172.html?sub=AR

Well, that is all for now. I hope you are all having a nice Wednesday, and for those of you in the northeast that you are enjoying the nice temperatures we've been enjoying for the last couple of days.

A Little More About Me

2007-02-20T08:16:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a good weekend and that you were lucky enough to have a three-day weekend. As promised in my first blog entry last week, I want to give you some biographical information about myself.

I live in Huntington, Long Island, the town in which I grew up. My girlfriend lives in Boston and I am planning on moving there in the near future. I graduated from Harborfields High School in 1990, Skidmore College in 1994, and CUNY Law School in 2004. Between college and law school I worked mostly in the music retail business, starting out at Sountraks, Ltd. a great small CD store in Huntington, and then working at several Virgin Megastores in Manhattan and on Long Island. Props to my friend Tim McIntosh for hiring me and getting me started on a good path there. In 2000, sensing the change that was coming in the music biz, I started to look for an alternative career path and in August of 2001 I started my first semester of law school. I graduated and (somehow) passed the New York State Bar Exam on my first try. I worked with my dad on Long Island for one and a half years, and am now a contract attorney working in Mid-town Manhattan. The commute from Huntington to Manhattan is no fun, but thanks to my sister Mary, I only have to do it a few times a week. She lives in Manhattan and I often crash with her. Saves me MAD time and money. I come from a large family. I have SIX sisters AND a brother. They are all older than I. More on them in future postings for sure. For now, know that we are all very close.

Introduction and Welcome

2007-02-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Greetings Reader(s):

Thanks for stopping by. I decided to start this blog to give myself a forum for the thoughts and ideas that I often share with friends and family, I hope I'll be able to to entertain, inform, and accomplish more to be determined as I proceed. Thanks to my friend Bones Rodriguez for inspiring me to start this. His blogs are very good and I'll put the address for them up on here shortly so you can check them out. Today is February 16, 2007, one day after my 35th birthday. Wow, Dan, you're not a kid anymore. It is cold and sunny outside, 2 days removed from the icy, slushy mess that fell from the sky on Wednesday here in the New York Metro area.

Topics I think will get a fair amount of attention of this blog are: 1) The New York Mets, 2) My fledgling legal career and my quest to make it satisfying, 3) The upcoming 2008 U.S. Presidential Election and the current events that are shaping it every day, 4) The never-ending dumb things that go on with the Long Island Rail Road, 5)Lost, 6) Music and 7) The Weather.

I will do my best to make this blog entertaining and I promise that no entry will ever start with the following: "I am bored today."

Thanks again for stopping by. Please do check back whenever the desire to hits you. Next post will contain some biographical information about me for those reading who don't know me personally. (Will that ever even happen?)

Have a great day everyone.