Nothing Doing

No Andruw Jones deal.

No Maddux deal, either.

As a matter of fact, no Braves deals at all. No moves to address the rotation, whose wheels have come off the last two series. No moves to add prospects or add players who can help win now. No moves to cut dead weight, such as Jorge Sosa (designated for assignment) or Adam LaRoche (continuous loafer) or Marcus Giles (5M next season).

Nothing good right now. I really thought there would be at least one, maybe two, moves today to either really go for it or get more prospects/shed salary.

I don't know if they did enough. They did something in shoring up the pen, but I don't know if it's enough. They may be able to make a waivers-deal, so who knows.

Only thing I know is they need to take all three from Pittsburgh and at least two from Cincinnati to stop this slide. They do that, and they are right back in the thick of the wild-card race.

And as for the Mets picking up their own bullpen help? I think I'd prefer Baez and Wickman the Linebrink and the six-figured man. It doesn't matter too much for them anyway, aside from clearing a spot for Milledge - they'll be on cruise control for the next two months anyway.

Why you should treat your customers nicely

Yesterday, I had to go to Home Depot on Dallas Hwy. to purchase some items for the lawn - fertilizer, a spool of string for the edger, some light bulbs. Little things.

I took Alex with me because, well, he likes Home Depot. At least he normally likes it.

Anyway, I went inside, and needed some help in finding some items.

Everyone that I asked gave me a flippant, sarcastic, or snide remark. Not fun.

I finally got everything I needed and went to the self-service checkout. When one of the items read for the wrong price, I asked the cashier for help, and immediately got more snide sarcasm.

At this point, I decided to let my wallet and feet do the talking, and we left. We went across the street to Lowe's, and the store was much nicer, the staff friendlier, and the layout nicer. In and out in about 6-7 minutes for a very good experience.

Note to Home Depot: It's probably a good idea to treat your customers nicely. Especially when they need home improvement items all the time. Especially when they own stock in your company. Which I did, until approximately 3:56 this afternoon.

After having stuck with it through bad public news (backdating options, withholding same-store numbers), it was finally a bad personal experience that made me want to get out. Their service has been slipping for a while now, but this seems to be more the norm than before and, well, I don't appreciate that too much.

I think I'll be going to Lowe's from now on. Buh-bye.

/end rant.

A blockbuster sale

Breaking news on ESPN and MLB.com:

Braves trade Andruw Jones to Boston for Coco Crisp, Craig Hansen and Jon Lester.

Wow.

That certainly trumps Bobby Abreu if it is a done deal.

That damn broom

I had the displeasure of watching the majority of the three Mets games this weekend.

Ouch.

I guess scoring at least 4 runs a game doesn't matter when you give up 6, 11, and 9.

The bad: Ramirez, Hudson, and James got beaten, but the latter two which are supposed to be better than Ramirez got lit up like Christmas trees. The Braves are now 15 back in the division and that streak is now officially dead (A sweep would have closed it to 9 back, and the tone of this post would be much different.)

The OK: Betemit was traded Friday night, for Willy Aybar and Danys Baez. Aybar might not be too much of a dropoff from Betemit and might be a good fill-in at 3B. Baez closed for Cleveland and Tampa Bay and helps the pen.

The good: Baez, got his first work today and, aside from the bloop double, gave a serviceable inning in his first outing. The bullpen is better firmed up after this move and the merciful designation of Jorge Sosa. The offense continued to perform against one of the better staffs in the NL.

While it is a three-game sweep, it is by the best team in the NL, and the next several series are against doormats (Pittsburgh) or other teams in the wild-card chase (Philadelphia, Cincinnati).

In the next 20 hours, I am hoping we hear of a trade for a starting pitcher. Or two. The bullpen is better, the offense is all right, but if the rotation can't get through the first seven innings it won't matter much. The prospects are there to use for a trade. We'll see.

There's been a lot of other moves as well. The Abreu trade made me nauseous when it came over the ticker. Blech.

Counting Down to Shuffling Up

Here's a piece looking at what happened to several of last year's WSOP Main Event participants, courtesy of Bluff Magazine.

The $10,000 Main Event starts at 5:00 PM. I might tune in while playing tonight (and hopefully begin building a bankroll to enter something next year).

Gotta have faith

TOTW linked to this the other day.....click here for a wrap-up of the Braves' first Faith Day promotion. It's an interesting read, even if it is the AJC.

I'm inclined to think the other two times they do this will be better attended as they are weekend day games. Even so, almost 35,000 for a Thursday matinee is a pretty good showing.

New trade rumor

I don't know if I like this, but it's now floating around:

Wilson Betemit to the Yankees for Scott Proctor.

Apparently it showed up in the Post this morning.

I don't like this deal. Betemit can play 2B, 3B, SS, and is entering his prime. Projected out over 600 AB's, his season numbers would be .284/27/88 and a healthy dose of steals. I don't think giving him away for a mid-grade reliever is a great move, especially one that was showing a dead arm before the All-Star break.

I understand the need, but I'd rather trade Giles, LaRoche, or another AAA-prospect than Betemit.

Besides, I'd rather not see Betemit in pinstripes.

Out of Action

I did something really stupid over the weekend.

While trimming the shrubs, bushes, etc., I did a lot of lunging from the top of the ladder to cut the tops of the branches, to make them a bit more presentable.

Predictably, my back started barking at me quite loudly. So I've spent most of the rest of the weekend lying very still and watching TV, and most of today trying not to move around very much while cursing the fact that I forgot to take any pain pills this morning.

Anyway, hopefully this will recede within a couple of days and I'll be back to normal. Just another sign that I'm getting too old for comfort.

Damn shrubbery.

Only in Vegas

Ace linked to it first, and then Feisty, but still, here's the link, because, well, just because.

Adult film star running as Republican for Nevada Governorship.

WARNING: DO NOT CLICK AT WORK. NOT SAFE.

Why are all the adult film starts running for office as Republicans? Libertarians, I could understand, but it just seems weird to me.

SHINJO-MANIA!

Catch the fever!



Now THAT is an entrance.

At least he was wearing clothes.

The hits keep coming?

Breaking news: The Braves continue to ramp up. Rumors are now flying about adding Shea Hillenbrand, who is apparently done with the Blue Jays, to take over at 1B.

LaRoche then may be moved in a deal including minor league prospects (which ones are unknown as of yet) to add Barry Zito, scheduled to make about $3.5 million the rest of the year.

Perhaps Schuerholz has not lost his touch after all.

Developing situation.....

FINALLY!

THE BRAVES MADE THE MOVE!!!!

Braves trade prospect for Indians closer Wickman

This is the move they needed to make. This is the move I've been saying was needed for months. This is the move to shore up the bullpen that the Braves have needed to make all year.

Even better, they did not have to part with any player on the 40-man roster or a top prospect.

Without this move, the Braves had no chance at the playoffs. Now? I'm inclined to believe they go gonzo to make it. I would not be surprised to see another trade for a starting pitcher, dangling Giles or LaRoche to get him. Perhaps, say, Barry Zito, to reunite him with Hudson?

They are five back of the wild card, but if they beat up badly on the Phillies this weekend, they could be as little as two back. They do still have a lot of teams to leapfrog, but having someone dependable at the end of the game to seal the deal will be worth every penny. I know Wickman isn't what he was, but he is still a huge improvement over Ray, Sosa, Reitsma, and the rest of the motley crew that's been trotted out so far to blow 20 saves.

It's. About. Frigging. Time. Now, there can be some hope. I feel much better.

GOP Straw Poll Time

Courtesy of GOP Bloggers.

Interesting that Newt is currently polling second, behind Allen, in looking at nationwide results.

Test your baseball knowledge

Baseball Crank linked to this quiz, but it's been on ESPN for about a week. See how you do. I scored 36 out of 50. Take it and post your score.

Open Thread

Because I don't have much at the moment. Fire away.

Entering the Political Arena

I found out about this from a listserv that I still subscribe to, and figured that I would link to it.

Here is the link.

This candidate is running for Senate in Mississippi against Trent Lott - not an easy feat.

He's also from Alpha Phi Omega, which is why I figured I'd link to him, because of the APO link.

Even though he's running as a Democrat, I'll still link to it, because I'm a nice guy (occasionally) and wish him the best of luck.

Watching a train wreck

I want to pretend this isn't happening, but like a crash I just can't look away. This could be one of the campiest or worst movies of all time. I'm not sure which it will be.

Also, this is going to make it harder to think that Rocky V never happened.

Why this was inevitable...

After commenting on this over at Cranky Con, I guess I should probably link this article on NRO which talks about Hezbollah's greatest hits list - and why it's odd that recent events took so damn long to happen.

In the meantime, pray for the best....but prepare for the worst. Besides, it's not like this has happened before.

Primary endorsements

Because I don't really feel like writing about them today.

At least I won't have to worry about a long line when going to vote tomorrow. If it tops 20% I will be in shock.

Been out of it

Was planning on writing more but I really haven't been up for it.

I spent a lot of yesterday at Centennial Olympic Park, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the 1996 Olympics.

Who knows, maybe making it to Vancouver in 2010 might be possible. Besides, I'd rather be at a Winter Olympics anyway.

Anyway, between that and watching CNN/Fox News/MSNBC, I haven't been in the mood to write much else.

Missile Defense Test Successful

And none too soon, either.

Though if we could perhaps try to have it ready in less than year, it would be nice. It might come in handy.

Fully escalated

Not "escalating toward war". Now, it's simply, "war".

I'm sure strong words from the UN will be heeded on both sides. And I'm sure this bridge I have for sale in the desert will get snapped right up.

Considering our obligations and alliances in the area, I won't be surprised if we have a significant number of troops there by Labor Day. Probably much sooner.

Then we'll be in a three-front war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. Four, if forces go to Somalia too. And we haven't figured out North Korea and Iran yet.

The next time I say it's going to be a slow week, just pop me one across the head.

Georgia's New Leadership?

Today, let's look at the governor's, lieutenant governor's, and secretary of state race, and realize why the primaries next week (July 18) don't amount to a hill of beans in most cases.

GOVERNOR

7/14 - Somehow this got deleted when I posted it yesterday. Anyway, Mark Taylor and Cathy Cox have been attacking each other ruthlessly. Because of two other fringe candidates in the field, neither may get 50% which would lead to a runoff. I think Cox will eventually prevail, but no matter who it is, they aren't taking out Sonny, who faces only token opposition in the GOP primary.

LT. GOVERNOR

Jim Martin has been in the Georgia State Assembly for almost 20 years and would be a plausible candidate if he actually had any positions. Candidate is all about health care reform within Georgia but lists nothing else on his website.
Steen Miles is a minor candidate with no political experience.
Rufus Terrill is running in the wrong party's primary.
Griffin Lotson seems like a very nice guy, but doesn't seem to have the experience or connections necessary despite what is listed on his website. Not to mention no plan for what he would do if elected.

Winner: Almost certainly will be Greg Hecht. I don't know if he'll avoid a runoff with Miller, but should prevail one way or the other.

Republicans:
Casey Cagle and Ralph Reed have set a new low in their attack ads. In the last two weeks, we've had accusations of bribery, fraud, money laundering, running sweatshops, child prostitution, forced abortions, tax evasion, and foreign amnesty. I will probably end up voting for Reed, as I prefer his position on taxation - Cagle is one of the "fair-tax" nutjobs a la Boortz & Linder. Right now, it's too close to call - no polls have them more than 3 points apart.

In the general election, I see this staying Democratic, for the same reason I see the governor's house staying Republican - too much bloodshed and damage from the primary, leading into the general election. The Democratic battle hasn't been nearly as nasty as the Republican battle.

SECRETARY OF STATE

Democrats: Gail Buckner, Darryl Hicks, Scott Holcomb, Angela Moore, Walter Ray, Shyam Reddy. I don't know much about any of these candidates, but they all have websites.

Republicans: Charlie Bailey, Karen Handel, Bill Stephens. Stephens has tried to bring this race into the muck but, thankfully, has been failing.

Handel has done a great job as Fulton County Commissioner and should win both the primary and the general election, and as a former volunteer on her FCC campaign, I hope that does happen. I can't access any current polls to get a better idea of where this race currently stands.

Tomorrow - congressional races, and any other notable elections/issues on the ballot.

Blogger Civil War

Sometimes, it's not a good idea to cannibalize each other. This piece talks about apprehension within the ranks over at Kos.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?

Frankly, based on the few times I've gone over to that site (while trying to stop my gag reflex), it's funny to watch them tear each other up worse than any site on the other side of the spectrum.

Lowering the Boom

8 years for Schrenko is a very long time.

Considering she had a reputation for being crooked even when I moved here 11 years ago, I'm glad the guilty get their comeuppance for defrauding the state and its citizens on account of items including campaign cash and a FACE LIFT.

8 years, $414,000, three years' probation, and no ride. I wonder how much that Toyota will go for on eBay.

And, in related news, our public schools still suck. 21% of schools failing NCLB? Not a surprise, considering how bad Georgia's test scores are.

I hate eating crow

Yesterday I said that I would not be voting for Phil Gingrey to represent GA-11 in November based on HR 4411.

Well, in checking out the Secretary of State's website and seeing who the other candidates are, it appears there's only one other candidate.

And I don't agree with this guy on a single issue. I'm surprised there isn't any sort of conservative leaning with the Democratic candidate, in this neck of the woods. And I can't support anyone who says we should bring home every troop, right now. This guy just seems WAAAAAAY too liberal to represent this district.

So, perhaps I'll just sit that race out.

Too bad that we don't like taxes, because legalizing and regulating (taxing) online gaming entities would more than cover the current budget deficit of $300 million. Online gaming is, from my best estimates, a $12 billion enterprise. A 3% tax would cover a budget deficit this year, and allow for a lot more in surplus in following years. That would make for a much nicer blog post - check the entry for July 12.

Look at it this way - players tip the dealers upon winning a hand in a casino, so essentially this would be close to the same amount that a player, in person, would give up as part of winning. For the player, how is a 5% tax on online gaming winnings any different than me handing a $1 chip to the dealer as a tip after winning a $20 pot?

Losses can be tracked and itemized in taxes for deductions if above a certain amount, but the winnings are taxes as gambling income. The government still gets a piece of the pie.

Frankly, it's downright hypocritical that the House has voted to ban online poker and other games of skill, while allowing games of chance like betting on horce racing and state lotteries. It's short-sighted to not see the revenue possibilities of legalization and regulation. Lastly, it's misguided to have a 21st-century version of Prohibition. If you want to work on legislating morals, there's plenty of other higher-profile issues to worry about instead of online gaming.

But what do I know, I'm not in Congress. Perhaps I should consider running in 2008 a bit more seriously :)

I will be writing a few more items about the Georgia elections in the next few days, if I can manage to avoid any more bomb-throwing ads by Mark Taylor, Cathy Cox, Ralph Reed, and Casey Cagle. In 30 minutes of watching TV this morning, I counted over a dozen ads from the four of them. Overkill, anyone? I just hope no primaries are needed. What a disgrace to American discourse.

A Starbucks Rant

No, not mine. This guy: But, since I wrote about them earlier, why not?



And I thought it would be a slow week for posting.

Splendid Timing

Get ready for post-Castro Cuba.

The article was published a week and a half ago. Then, I see this posting on NRO.

I'm not believing it until I see it in multiple places, but if it's true, well, there's nothing wrong with a little Fourth of July present. I don't even see anything on Drudge.

With these pieces and Gitmo decisions, Cuba seems to be getting a lot of press lately.

Time to contact Congress...

to get your representative to vote against House Resolution 4411 - "to prevent the use of certain payment instruments, credit cards, and fund transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, and for other purposes".

US House seen approving Internet gambling ban

It must be a weird day. I'm agreeing with Barney Frank on libertarian grounds.

There aren't more important things to do? Perhaps trimming spending in Appropriations & Ways & Means, or voting on some of the twenty-four District & Appeals Court nominees in the Senate. But no. They have to pander.

Show your support by clicking through here, by forwarding on, etc.

And yes, because my representative is a co-sponsor of this movement, I will not be voting for Phil Gingrey in November. Count me out.

UPDATE: It passed the House. Count me into the blue column in November, along with a lot of other folks.

UPDATE #2: To the staffer from Rep. Gingrey's office who found this post - could you please take me off the automated recordings y'all will be sending out? I'm getting too many for other candidates already.

Oh, and in the future, a reply is nice when someone sends an inquiry, especially when six months have gone by.

/end soapbox

You need a lot of coffee to deal with the commute

100th Starbucks in Atlanta. Not counting the ones found in Barnes & Noble and other stores.

Here's the scariest quote from the whole article:

He said Starbucks is planning to expand from 10,500 worldwide to mroe than 30,000.

No wonder it was used as Dr. Evil's corporation in Austin Powers.

Talk about a growth stock!

Personally, I'd rather have Caribou Coffee.

Raid on Jefferson's office was legal!

Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan said members of Congress are not above the law.

Now THIS is a revolutionary concept. You know, generally, it's a good idea to obey the laws you're elected to uphold.

And it's generally a bad idea to argue that a box of money in a refridgerator infringes upon a Congressman's ability to carry out the duties of his office.

However, bribery certainly does impugn that ability.

Anyone want to bet how long it will be again before we hear cries of racism again? I'm betting it'll be said on tonight's news.

Rolling out of the pits

Danica Patrick's father is exploring the possibility of the popular Indy Racing League driver moving to NASCAR as soon as next year, the Orlando Sentinel reported Monday.

Yeah, that might boost NASCAR ratings - and kill the fledgling popularity and support for IRL on TV.

Gee, I wonder why it might be a good move for NASCAR?
Or a good move for Danica.
Wait, I'm sure I'll think of a good reason.
More pics here. Official Danica website here.

Oh, we're halfway there, ohhh-ah, living on a prayer

Since the Mets are doing so well, I figured the Bon Jovi header was close enough.

It's All-Star Break time. Figured it's just a good a time as any to look back and be retrospective (and gloat or hang my head in shame, depending on the pick.)

AL East - Red Sox are in front of the Yankees but only by 3 games.
AL Central - Would have two playoffs teams as predicted - but along with everyone else, I thought the Tigers were a year away. Guess not.
AL West - What a mess. Texas and Oakland are tied, at 45-43, but last place Seattle is 43-46. Yuck.
AL Wild Card - Chicago, as predicted, so far.
NL West - Picked the Giants, who sit in 4th, 3.5 games behind the Padres. Another mess of a division where anyonee can win.
NL Central - Picked the Astros, who also sit in 4th, 6 games back. But they did get Clemens back, so this could still be right.
NL East - "NL East: As much as this hurts to do, I can't overlook the Braves not strengthening their bullpen, while the Mets got Billy Wagner while also adding Delgado to their lineup. I think the Mets snap this streak, but the Braves get in as the wild-card." Well, one part rings true - the Mets are up by 12 on Philly and 13 on Atlanta.
NL Wild Card - As of today, would be the Dodgers. I picked the Braves, who thanks to a 7-3 homestand are now only 6 out. IF they make a move or two, they have an outside chance. Given their history over the past 12 months, I'm not optimistice they will make the needed moves.

Five things I like about this season so far:

1) The Detroit Tigers. Winning with a limited payroll and young players, most of which were on the 119-loss team a couple of years back, this group has come a long way. I don't think they'll keep up their .700 pace on the road, but even so, just playing .500 the rest of the way will get them 101 wins. An amazing turnaround.
2) Jim Thome and the Juvenation machine. I won't begrudge him too much that he KILLED my fantasy team last year. This year - 30 HR's added to an already potent offense. Nice comeback for a nice guy.
3) Pabelboner! There's dominant, and then there's Papelbon's record so far as Red Sox closer. Only three runs given up for the whole year (which I think were in the same appearance), and 22 hits in 46 IP.
4) The Yankees playing second fiddle. Speaking of win paces, the Mets are on pace for 97 wins and lead the NL East by 12 games. Right now, they have a better record than the Yankees, but barely - they're tied in the loss column. Still, the Mets have no one in their heels right now in the weak National League, while the Yankees would miss the postseason for the first time since 1993 if the season ended today, and would lose their streak of eight straight division titles.
5) Nationals ownership. THankfully, the team has an actual ownership group. With ex-Braves president Stan Kasten in charge, I somehow think this team will be very competitive, very soon. Perhaps 2008, though I can't possibly think of what might be happening in 2008.

Five things I don't like about the season (Non-Barry Bonds division)

1) The return of Jason Giambi. Great, an admitted steroid user is back and slugging again - 27 HR and 72 RBI. You'll forgive me for not being excited.
2) End of the Braves' division streak. Because, frankly, this team needs to lose a little in the regular season to shock its fans (who have been more hushed than usual) and shock management into making some moves that make the team competitive and the fans excited. Maybe, with the subpar performance so far, management gets its act together and does something to improve the team, or blow it up and start things over. Please, though, no more status quo.
3) Brett Myers. It's a very stupid idea to hit your spouse. Ever. It's an even worse idea to do it in public. And it's even dumber to do it right before 40,000 people get the chance to curse you out live on national TV.
4) The Indians' quick fall. Lots of people, including myself, predicted a playoff season for the Tribe. Well, as of right now they have the same number of wins as the Braves, and they're in a much stronger league and have a lot more ground to recover. 16 1/2 games behind the White Sox for the Wild Card? Not gonna happen. very disappointing for a such a promising outlook.
5) The coup of King Felix. The next Doc Gooden has borne no resemblance whatsoever to the pitcher he was compared to in Spring Training. 8-8 with an ERA near 5 is not what a lot of people had in mind. Not bad for a rookie, but considering how much praise was being heaped, there's a disappointingn aftertaste.

Five things I don't like about the season (Barry Bonds division)

1) Busting Jason Grimsley. At least he found a way to overshadow his escapades switching bats for Albert (Joey) Belle. Refused to wear a wire - which seems pointless, because he wasn't even on the same team as Bonds.
2) Greg Anderson goes to prison. Pled guilty in the BALCO case and is now going to jail for contempt of court after refusing to testify against Bonds.
3) Game of Shadows. The book by the San Francisco Chronicle writers detailing alleged usage by Bonds dating back to 1998.
4) Bumbling Barry. So far, his outfield play and his batting make me think of Willie Mays' last season when he was not able to hit very much and was doddering around the outfield. His range is extremely limited, and he can barely get around the bases. It must be tough with all the injuries (hmm, wonder how they happened) and his gigantic head.
5) Chasing Aaron. He passed the Babe. Fine. But I'll be damned if anyone really wants to see Barry Bonds pass Hank Aaron. Aaron set the record based on pure talent, in the midst of a lot of pressure, resentment, and anger. If Bonds breaks it, it won't be dut to just his talent. It will be because he cheated. Thankfully, they way he's been playing this season, I don't think he'll get there. He might get to 730 this season, but I don't see him playing until 2008, potentially to get this record. I really hope that after this season, he leaves the game. Forever.

Real Tough Economy

Or, perhaps not.

Yeah, adding on China in less than 3 years would qualify as growth.

Not mentioned, but adding on five to six million jobs in the same time span would qualify as growth too.

What South Park Character Are You?

You scored as Stan Marsh. Probably the sanest of the group, you're the mastermind behind the good plans and can easily resolve problems. To you love is amazing, and you're probably already in it. You can be a smart ass and don't have a problem saying what's on your mind. And you're probably an activist. Dude, this is pretty fucked up right here. Stan Marsh 92% Tweak 75% Eric Cartman 75% Shelly 67% Jimmy 58% Butters 50% Kenny McCormick 50% Kyle Broflovski 42% Timmy 25% What South Park Character Are You? created with QuizFarm.com

Happy Birthday, W

And in honor of his momentous 60th birthday, let's break out some old gems:



Thanks,ifilm.

A new addition to the site

I was looking through FTP's site and they've added a blog of their own. So I've added it to the blogroll on the right.

Click here to go straight to the blog. You may not be able to click-through from work.

An interesting read. At least it was for me after winning this weekend. Some of the reading makes me glad I'm not there right now getting my hat handed to me like most folks.

Time to Roll Dem Bones Again

New Jersey can now get back to screwing up other things after the state finally passed a budget today.

I might be the only one who finds it funny that, with the Governor's house and both parts of the statehouse in Democratic hands, a government shutdown STILL occurred.

Or, that the question was not a matter of whether to raise taxes or not, but instead was a fight over how many taxes they could get away with raising.

And this isn't even the first New Jersey tax hike THIS YEAR.

Sorry, New Jersey. You elected Dems all over the place. Don't expect me to feel sorry for you. Jim Florio should have been fresh enough in everyone's memory to make one think about such likely tax increases.

Besides, if I were to go to a casino, I'd rather go to Vegas, Biloxi, Connecticut, or North Carolina than go to Atlantic City. The only reason I'd want to go to Atlantic City is for some salt water taffy.

The Dumbest Tagline I've Heard in a while

I'm driving through Alabama this weekend, and I see signs up for George Wallace Jr. for Lt. Governor. Given the history of the family name, it doesn't strike me as odd that he would be running or have a previous political career.

What knocked my socks off, though, was listening to the radio, catching a political advertisement in the middle, and hearing this tagline:

"George Wallace Jr. - another liberal politician, and too liberal for Alabama."

Wait a second - LIBERAL????!?!!?!??

His father stands in the schoolhouse door, is one of America's most polarizing racial figures, and Junior gives speeches to and meets with white supremacist organizations on the campaign trail, and he's being painted as a LIBERAL?

Apparently being seen in public with other races is enough to qualify you as a liberal in Alabama. Wow.

Thankfully, I'm now back in Georgia.

Football

As of late, Alex has taken a great liking to football.

He drops everything to watch it when it is on TV. He is enjoying himself greatly when he plays it, and is very proud of himself when he is able to dribble the ball and get it past me.

That's right...the OTHER football. The sport everyone else calls football, but that we call soccer while raising a middle finger to everyone else.

As of late, Alex has just dropped everything when World Cup matches are on. So, I've watched much more soccer this time around than in the last few. And I've got to say, for the most part, these matches have not disappointed for drama and excitement, especially during the knockout round.

Even now, I'm typing this while watching Portugal and England in the second half - it's still 0-0 but it hasn't been boring.

If nothing else, it's good bonding time, both watching and playing it.