What, you didn't realize today was Election Day? Damn right it is, and it is the tightest Papal Election we've seen in years. Readers should vote early, vote often...and if you forgot whether you voted or not, vote again.
And here's one final campaign video for you before you enter the voting booth:
it's also one of my favorite random regional holidays. patriots day in massachusetts means an 11:05 am start for the sox. and me working from home. what to do? friend of gtb mike paci is running the boston marathon, too. go look for him on the marathon website: www.baa.org. bib #24118
ReplyDeleteRob, better go harvest your crop before 11:05am then...
ReplyDeletesadly, the fields are fallow.
ReplyDeletepaci hasn't hit the 5k checkpoint yet. tracking malfunction, or slow italian guy?
ReplyDeletenevermind, race doesn't start for non-elites until 10:30. and paci is decidedly non-elite.
ReplyDeleteNot the worst plan I've ever seen:
ReplyDeleteHOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) - Police say a man posing as a waiter collected $186 in cash from diners at two restaurants in New Jersey and walked out with the money in his pocket.
Diners described the bogus waiter as a spikey-haired 20-something wearing a dark blue or black button-down shirt, yellow tie and khaki pants.
Police say he approached two women dining at Hobson's Choice in Hoboken, N.J. around 7:20 p.m. on Thursday. He asked if they needed anything else before paying. They said no and handed him $90 in cash.
About two hours later he approached three women dining at Margherita's Pizza and Cafe. He asked if they were ready to pay, took $96 and never returned with their change.
What is change from $96? Was it $95.47 and they wanted the 53 cents in change? You know what I mean? Methinks those three women are making a false claim.
ReplyDeleteThat kid's smoking good today...
ReplyDeleteI believe the women - they were most likely splitting the bill (32 a piece) and doing some weird women's calculation before deciding on tip. It's completely irrational, so I buy it.
ReplyDeletepaci's through the first 5k in 30:26. on pace for a 4:17 marathon. i'm getting tired thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteouch. ryan freel just took a pickoff throw to the back of his head.
ReplyDeletepaci through 10k in 1:01. slowing down just a bit. slacker.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good and all Rob, but a marathon is a whopping 42.25 kilometers. And Boston has Heartbreak Hill, a brutal uphill climb for almost a half-male b/w miles 20 and 21.
ReplyDeleteHow many Marlboro Lights does Paci smoke during a marathon? I'm guessing about 4.
I've never understood the mindset that pushes someone to run a Marathon or participate in a Triathlon. I don't think I ever will.
ReplyDeletei've done an adventure triathalon (mountain biking, running, kayaking) that took about 8 hours to complete, and will do another in august, but i can't imagine running for 4+ straight hours.
ReplyDeleteAugust seems like a horrible time to do 8 hours of outdoor exercise.
ReplyDeleteI can understand it. I've had marathons of drinking, and let me tell you: there is a sense of personal pride and accomplishment that stems from such feats. Knowing that none of my peers will ever approach the 40-beer plateau is admittedly a bit of vanity, but also a feeling of satisfaction knowing that a life's work actually was put towards a goal and then reached it.
ReplyDeleteAnd people talk about a runner's high? I understand that, too. During my marathons of drinking, there is a palpable sense of euphoria -- a high -- that I get after the 5th or 6th beer that lasts for the rest of the outing. It may not make sense to some of you, but it's real, I assure you.
That's poppycock, Whitney. Pure poppycock.
ReplyDeletepaci's through 15k in 1:33.36. i suspect he's wishing he were doing what whitney described.
ReplyDeleteI routinely engage in marathon love-making, but that's the extent of my marathoning.
ReplyDeletePaci limits himself to 3 Marlboro Ultra-Lights per marathon, albeit Marlboro Ultra-Lights 100s. He motivates himself up Heartbreak Hill with thoughts of $2 pints of PBR and the smell of dirty taps at JJ Foley's.
I thought he could break 4 hours with today's weather, but maybe fatherhood slowed him down.
papi with a triple. he's breathing harder than paci, who's through the half-way point in 2:16.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of marathon binge drinking and also on this particular day a marathon smokefest...
ReplyDeleteIf the Red Sox enjoy easy wins on Patriots Day, it's hard to go wrong to continue scheduling the Orioles. That team is never going to get any better, is it?
ReplyDeletethis working from home thing is a revelation. baseball on the tv in the background, no shower this morning. wearing pants, but not clean ones. i could get used to this. the reviewing of the 420-page document is getting old, though.
ReplyDeleteand paci's through 25k in 2:44.
alex ovechkin showed up at the rangers' pregame skate this morning. that's awesome.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that you're this far along in your career and just discovered the beauty and brilliance of working from home. I love sending out the "AZ wfh today" email.
ReplyDeletered sox just implemented the 'no extra bases' policy. seems they learned it from the angry men.
ReplyDeleteYou're reviewing a 420 page document Rob? I think the gods are trying to tell you something...
ReplyDeletethat thought had occurred to me, mark. now if i can only get teejay to drive all the way out to my house in the sticks. i've got ketchup, teej.
ReplyDeleteSo ESPN.com just unleashed a puff piece where they did a mock 2009 NFL Draft but said "what if the teams could draft any college player ever in history?" It's a Gheorghian-sounding premise, pretty dumb and worthless except they treat it somewhat seriously and not with the G:TB juvenile bent.
ReplyDeleteExcept in one place.
The top guys taken are typical -- Elway, Pace, OJ, etc. Then we get down to the 13th pick, where the Washington Redskins select:
13. Redskins: Aundray Bruce, LB, Auburn
Team needs: offensive tackle, defensive end, linebacker
Washington can't resist the size and quickness of the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder, who runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash. While at Auburn, Bruce showed the ability to take over games but sometimes lacked the motivation NFL teams usually expect from a franchise cornerstone. "We never knew which Aundray would show up," Auburn teammate Kurt Crain told Sports Illustrated. "That's his one drawback. I often had to tell him during games, 'C'mon, we need you.'" Nevertheless, the Redskins seem convinced a taskmaster such as Jim Zorn can light a fire under Bruce.
NFC East blogger Matt Mosley: Owner Dan Snyder and exec Vinny Cerrato offered all four of their picks to trade up for Tony Mandarich, but the Bengals want to build around the Michigan State phenom. The Redskins are settling for Bruce because they envision him doubling as a tight end by his fourth year.
I think I like Matt Mosley.
I thought the Skins would trade up to draft Dan Wilkinson.
ReplyDeleteI went the other way on that one--the Redskins wouldn't take someone like Aundray Bruce with flashier names still on the board. Think Peyton Manning, Herschel Walker, Jeff George, Drew Bledsoe and Earl Campbell still out there.
ReplyDeleteP a c i . . . i s . . . s l o w i n g . . . d o w n .
ReplyDeleteProjected time now 4:45.
homer jones made the first pitch (and recorded the first out) of his major league career right as paci passed the 30k mark in 3:22. 8 miles to go.
ReplyDeletei'm lacing up my running shoes - planning to run 385 yards in solidarity with paci.
ReplyDeletePaci got to the 35 km mark. He's on pace for almost 5 hours of constant running. Miserable.
ReplyDeletedown the stretch, hoping for a sub 5-hour finish.
ReplyDeleteI'm headed to the corner of Boylston and Hereford to heckle Paci as he rounds the final corner to the finish line. Let me know if you have any good heckling material.
ReplyDeleteFor the love of Christ, is Paci done yet?
ReplyDeleteBecause I can't handle another fucking rob/Paci update.
how about being a contributor, rather than a hater, hmm? didn't you read whitney's memo?
ReplyDeleteWhitney and his positivity train can suck it. Same as Zoltan and his "use a G for the Nats" crap.
ReplyDeleteGo get your shine box tj.
ReplyDeletedid you see what happened to the nats' bullpen?
ReplyDeleteCareful, Zoltan - you remember what happened to Billy Batts.
ReplyDeleteYes, they all suck and three of them got sent down/released. Real shocker there.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Zoltan, I saw the movie You Don't Mess With the Zohan last night on cable. Expecting nearly nothing, I was heartily surprised by how funny it was.
ReplyDeleteI am mostly down on Adam Sandler's body of work despite being a fan of sophomoric humor. I thought Happy Gilmore was great, The Wedding Singer was enjoyable but light, and Punch-Drunk Love was very good but creepy. Big Daddy was watchable, the rest were mostly dreck. The Waterboy was absolutely painful.
Zohan? Close to the top of the list. Juvenile as hell, but in all the best ways. Well worth a rental, especially on a voting day like today.
Did paci finish yet?
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean Gpaci?
ReplyDeletepaci's through 40k in 4:44 - a few more staggering steps to go.
ReplyDeleteWas one of the guys who got sent down Mike Hinckley? He was the ace for the minor league team I worked for back in the day (A Ball) and was one of the better guys I met during my time there. I hadn't even heard or thought of him until I saw he gave that dinger yesterday.
ReplyDeleteno, i think he survived the purge.
ReplyDeletePaci just walked by.Leisurely.
ReplyDeletepaci's official time - 5:00.49. missed it by that much.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Paci (though I share Mark's sentiments and don't understand why any person would voluntarily run with a big group of people for an extended period of time). How many days will it take him take to recover from this?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've been a dick all day, but congrats to Paci as well, and I look forward to hearing about this all of OBFT '10.
ReplyDeleteyou skipping obft '09?
ReplyDeleteFor Paci, I will drink at a rapid pace for 5 hours and 49 seconds tonight. We'll see who feels worse tomorrow morning.
ReplyDeletewhole different caps team tonight - they're flying around. lundqvist is a stud between the pipes.
ReplyDeletegood timing there - caps just get their third tally.
The trade that Chicago made with Sacramento to acquire Salmons and Miller is probably one of the more underrated trades of the past 5-6 years. They added a versatile, proven scorer and a skilled veteran big man without losing any of the top guys. That team is athletic, young versatile and very deep.
ReplyDeletegordon! allen! jesus, this is a ridiculous final 2 minutes.
ReplyDeletemicrowave. damn, ben gordon.
ReplyDeleteHoly Ben Gordon.
ReplyDeleteare you shitting me? guess i'm gonna need to start watching the nba playoffs.
ReplyDeleteThat was an enjoyable 4th quarter.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think it was possible but Game 2 was even better than Game 1. Just an unbelievable array of clutch shots by both teams. And TJ and Greg and missed it all.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing: The degree of difficulty on Ben Gordon's late game attempts was unreal.
ReplyDeleteHowever, according to WETA, "C" is indeed for Cookie.
ReplyDeleteAnd Cookie is for Me.
There might be seven people at the gnats game.
ReplyDeleteNo one is up...I get it...but you are gonna miss the best reality show on TV. Its called the Gnats bullpen, and after some sort of absurd weather delay, it is about to abort for the fourth game in a row. I won't eve bother to do the Hanrahan joke.
ReplyDeleteHoly f-ing crap, Teej -- you aren't exaggerating by much! Truly, how many fans do you think are there watching this 9th inning? Maybe 60 people or so? Every fan can be heard. I count 9 people in the section behind home plate. Everyone who's not there is in the first row on either side. This is surreal.
ReplyDeleteThe best part is ron dibble is trumped by joe fan.
ReplyDeleteWhit, does that fat guy have a flag or a blanket?
ReplyDeleteHEY
ReplyDeleteI've seen this show before
Nats win
ReplyDeleteThat was unreal. I've seen paltry rain delay crowds before, maybe a couple of thousand. There were 50 or 60 people in the park there.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy the pair of jackasses with the "Lar-ry" chant for Chipper, echoing throughout the empty park and drowning out the crappy Nats announcing tandem.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to find a picture or two so people can understand how awful this scene was...Whit and I can't even do it justice in these comments. Seriously, you could hear two hammered a-holes heckling the shit out of everyone for the final inning and a half. It was quite awesome.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I though about TiVoing it just for such a purpose. It was like when bands do a run-through in front of an empty arena, except there was no concert to follow. There were much fewer people there than during a spring training game back in the 70's and 80's. Much fewer people than a minor league game. Just odd.
ReplyDeleteT as in "Tim look, it's ROBERT LOGGIA!!"
ReplyDelete