A Large Regular

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- I agree 100% with Brian Kenny on Curt Schilling

- File this under "you have to be F'n kidding me!" FDA may ban ice cream sprinkles.

- Tom Brady's restructured contract is a Win-Win for him and the Patriots.

- Soldier's wedding had to be moved so Obama could play golf.

- Put me in the camp that doesn't think North Korea was behind the Sony hack

Today's offering (53) Mrs. Potter's Lulaby by Counting Crows.

There's Christian Rock but no Christian Wrestling - I say we change that.

This time of year I always think of the following Bible verse:

"As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those who trust in him" - Psalm 18:30

I got to thinking that "The Buckler" would be a great name for a Christian wrestler. I went out to to dinner once when this idea first hit me and there was a non-alcoholic beer on the menu called - you guessed it - Buckler. Vince McMahon has to make this happen.

Here's the idea - a Christian wrestler who only wrestles to spread the Gospel. He' gets sponsored by Heineken (they make Buckler beer) and the other wrestler's make fun of his religion in order to get him to lose his cool. Can't you picture the Undertaker getting the Buckler in a choke hold and saying, "Where's your Moses now?" (like Dathan from The Ten Commandments). Triple H could pile drive him and ask, "Your God, your God - why has he abandoned you?"

The Buckler in turn could come out with a signature surrender hold called "the crucifixion." The Buckler's entrance music could be some gospel standard or something by Creed. You hear "Onward Christian Soldiers" over the PA and McMahon says, "Is that the Buckler's music I hear?"

It would be controversial and that's what wrestling thrives on. This could be huge.

John Milius is a screenwriter and a director who was involved in some of the most important movies of my childhood. Yet I had never even heard his name until I came across a documentary on Netflix called appropriately enough - Milius. Here's just a few of the watershed movies John Milius was involved in:

Apocalypse Now (written by)
Magnum Force (screenplay)
Jeremiah Johnson (screenplay)
Conan the Barbarian (written and directed by)
Clear and Present Danger (screenplay)
Red Dawn (screenplay and directed by)

In addition he created the HBO show Rome (one of my favorites) and he wrote the "Indianapolis" speech in the movie Jaws for his good friend Stephen Spielberg. How did I not know this guy's name? Fascinating guy. Well worth the time to watch the documentary.

Today's offering (52) Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest.

Today's offering (51) Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I'm confused. When George W. Bush was President I kept hearing that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. Now these same people are screaming bloody murder because thousands of cops turned their backs in silent protest?... I call this one "Peaceful Protest" or "Respect is Earned not Entitled"... The word "panned" comes from the French word for "breakdowns". So in essence when a movie is panned by critics it is usually because it "breaks down" and things don't work... Just 97 more days until Opening Day in baseball... Just for old times sake - Lima Time!... If "evade" means to escape - shouldn't "vade" mean to get caught?... Once again I expect Jeff Bagwell to get more Hall of Fame votes than Fred McGriff but as I've said from the moment Bagwell retired - that's not right...

Today's offering (50) For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) by AC/DC.

Some things I found interesting or amusing.

- Good on this man. He's a hero.

- This is a few years old but still holds up - National Geographic's top 100 adventure books of all-time.

- Good point - is Bill Belichick the NFL Executive of the Year?

- Heh heh - Temple University receives anonymous donation to build center for disproving rape allegations.

- 12 of the most distracting extras in movie history. They missed number one for me - John Cusak in Broadcast News. He's the angry young man who storms out of the newsroom when the layoffs are announced. You only see his back.

Happy 54th birthday to Boston Bruins legend Ray Bourque. Above is one of my favorite moments of all-time in Boston sports history and a moment that in a nutshell shows how classy a guy Ray is.

My mind works differently than most. This morning I lay in bed wondering if the They Might Be Giants song Birdhouse in Your Soul was inspired in part by the Charles Bukowski poem Bluebird.

Then I wondered how mind-blowing would it be if the reverse were true? The They Might Be Giants album Flood was released in 1990. The Bluebird poem was part of The Last Night of the Earth Poems released circa 1992.

How awesome would it be if this were true?

Today's offering (49) Brick by Ben Folds Five. I have a dark sense of humor and I'm kicking myself that I didn't play the Boxing Day Abortion song yesterday.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- 12 things JK Rowling has revealed after the publication of last book. No real news here for big Harry Potter fans.

- Grantland has a look back at the failure of the Russian Sochi Winter Olympics.

- I just love this photo - Stonehedge's gardener mowing the grass 1955

- Cool - nice summary of places to go for free content for your iPhone, iPad, Kindle, etc.

- The 20 most popular Ted Talks

- Good on you JetBlue

Today's offering (48) Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men.

The economic news out of Russia this week was not good. This piece in The Telegraph details how the Rouble (Ruble?) is now worth just about half of what it was worth against the US dollar from just a year ago. The damn has broken and now the Russian economy is worth in real terms a little less than that of the State of Texas or half of that of California. Put another way - the Russian economy is now worth less than Google. "A Russian downgrade to junk is just a matter of time."

Who could have seen this coming? Well 9 months ago I smelled a rat.

The Russian moves in the Crimea and Ukraine both make sense in the hindsight of a Putin government acting certain ways because they were basically broke.

I wonder how the Russian people feel about that $51 billion Putin spent on the Sochi Winter Olympics now?

It's a Wonderful Life (in 30 Seconds).

And re-enacted by bunnies.

Merry Christmas.

Silent Night by Enya in Gaelic. Merry Christmas.

Very interesting bit of history. Be sure to watch till the end for the reminder that war is hell.

Today's offering (47) The Man's Too Strong by Dire Straits.

The 2015 Red Sox are poised to be very different from the 2014 version. The offensive potential of the new and improved line-up is just scary. Here's the potential line-up:

1. Mookie Betts
2. Dustin Pedroia
3. David Ortiz
4. Hanley Ramirez
5. Mike Napoli
6. Xander Boegerts
7. Pablo Sandoval
8. Rusney Castillo
9. Christian Vazquez

That's a solid, solid line-up. And you potentially have Allen Craig, Daniel Nava, Shane Victorino, Ryan Hannigan and Brock Holt coming off the bench (though I fully expect either Craig or Victorino to be dealt prior to Spring training).It should be pointed out that the defense is just as potent as the offense with four potential Gold Gloves (Pedroia, Napoli, Panda and Vazquez).

Much has been made of the revamped starting rotation. Ben Cherington has added Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson to Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly. Skeptics may say that rotation is just a collection of number 3 starters. Yeah but it's a group of solid number 3 starters. If you have one guy step up to be an ace or two guys emerge as solid number 2 guys then you have the makings of perhaps the best rotation in the American League. Having said that - would I mind if Boston went out and traded for a Cole Hamels, Doug Fister or Jordan Zimmerman? Hell no! I would love that.

Overall I'm feeling pretty good about the 2015 Red Sox.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

It would be cool if Adult Swim had a New Years Eve show featuring a zombie Dick Clark who would just appear every few minutes to say "BRAINS!!"... Interesting look at Kipling and The Jungle Book from the Times of India... Is it me or is the guy in the Cialis commercial seeing like three different girls? No wonder he needs boner pills... Andre the Giant at age 19... Where did the phrase "piss-ant" come from? What could be the possible origin of that phrase?... Heh heh... FWIW - Todd Helton's career road OPS (.873) is greater than George Brett's overall career OPS (.853)... The Mesopotamian god of the moon was called Sin which is appropriate since most sins happen at night... I hope this gets you into the Christmas spirit...

Today's offering (46) Living on a Thin Line by The Kinks.

Today's offering (45) The Bad in Each Other by Feist.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Nice article on Tommy Amaker. I didn't realize Harvard never won an Ivy League championship till he arrived. I hope he retires at this job.

- Heh heh

- What is time? Articles like this I have to read two or three times for the concepts to sink in.

- Cool - 10 of the US most intriguing archaeological mysteries

- Google is now worth more than the entire Russian stock market

Today's offering (44) Jungleland by Bruce Springsteen.

Here are three very good links to get you up to speed on the Sony hack and the movie The Interview.

This first link is a timeline of all the events that have unfolded.

The second link is an excellent point about risk and how Sony pulling The Interview from movie theaters may become a clarion call for tort reform (innocent third parties should not be liable to be sued because of something evil a nutcase does).

The third link is just fun. The Sony Hack gets the Taiwan animation treatment.

Rajon Rondo was one of my favorite Celtics players and I always viewed him as a hybrid of two of my favorite Celtics from the past.

On the court I always viewed him as the closest thing to Tiny Archibald who was one of my favorite players growing up (got to meet him at a basketball camp one year and he really impressed me). Off the court it was said that Rondo could be difficult and that he had an "attitude". That reminds me of Dennis Johnson - who it should be remembered came to Boston in a trade for Rick Robey (Wick Wobey with the Webound) and two 2nd round picks. At the time Johnson was supposed to sort of a problem player. In Boston he proved to just be a winner. Larry Bird called him the best player he ever played with.

There are probably more parallels with Johnson than with Archibald. Dennis Johnson was an excellent defender who was not the greatest shooter in the world. Sounds like Rondo right? DJ also won a championship early in his career in Seattle (the team that drafted him) then found more championship success after being traded to the Celtics. Maybe the same will happen for Rajon in Dallas?

Godspeed Rajon Rondo. Thanks for all the memories.

Today's offering (43) Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Why can't Sony release the movie The Interview in Canada? Even the North Koreans can't hate the Canadians... Heh heh - John Wayne chased them down an alley... Think about it - even if you won $1 million in the lottery every month for the rest of your life - you would never become a billionaire... Heh heh... Who knew? Barry Manilow's hit "I Write the Songs" was not written by Barry Manilow... Interesting interview of Joss Whedon regarding the new Avengers: Age of Ultron movie... Idea for a new TV channel; ESP-N (the Extra Sensory Perception Network). Psychics would make sports predictions and pick games... Who knew? The Russian economy as measured by GDP is smaller than that of the State of Texas...

Today's offering (42) I'm Losing You by The Faces.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The Simpsons first aired 25-years ago today. Here are 17 facts you might not have known about the first episode.

- Footage of the extent of the damage Greenpeace did to the Nazca Lines. Fuck Greenpeace!

- Heh heh - don't ever change Slick Willy - don't ever change.

- Nice remembrance of Christopher Hitchens who died three-years ago yesterday.

- 40-years ago Young Frankenstein was released to the world. Here's 15 fun facts about the classic comedy.

I had an epiphany the other day. It was in regard to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys. The thing about the misfit toys wasn't that they were squirt-guns that shot jelly or cowboys who rode ostrich's. The really strange thing about these "toys" was the fact THEY WERE ALIVE!

Now any high school biology student can tell you that life comes from life. These misfit toys were probably the offspring of some sick minded magic elves who must have gotten too "friendly" with some of the toys they were working on and fondling day after day. They were put on the Island of Misfit Toys probably as an attempt by upper management of Santa's Workshop to cover up some of the sick shit that was going on when the lights got turned off at night.

Let's be clear here - we aren't talking about misfit toys either - we are talking about FREAKS! If my kids got a choo-choo with square wheels that was alive - I would freaking BURN IT WITH FIRE! I would also then have to start spending thousands of dollars on therapy probably for the whole family. You could bet that Christmas and Santa would take on whole new meanings (and nightmares) from that day forward.

God help the children who ended up getting those freak misfit toys on Christmas morning.

Today's offering (41) Traveling Man / Beautiful Loser by Bob Seger. (Yes I know that it's technically two songs but you almost always hear the live version paired together.)

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Can't argue with this - Carrie Underwood does have nice legs

- Heh heh - RG3-11

- Allen Craig is an overlooked trade piece. But other than a salary dump or a chip in a trade for an ace - the Red Sox have very few needs.

- Washington Post, Greenpeace thinks "they walk on higher ground". Fuck Greenpeace.

- Interesting amendment to Cromnibus may have ended war on legal marijuana

- Heh heh

- What Greenpeace's apology should have looked like
.

Today's offering (40) Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding by Elton John.

Today's offering (39) Father of Mine by Everclear.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Former White Sox player now US Ambassador to New Zealand

- This Frank Sinatra letter is so Sinatra

- I would have to agree with Jeff Passan's Hall of Fame ballot

- Santa Claus as a shroom-tripping shaman?

- Good point

You should be outraged when you read what the clueless, self-absorbed, entitled idiots at Greenpeace did to the Nazca Lines in Peru. It was an unprecedented desecration of a 2,000-year old UNESCO site and for what? So Greenpeace could have a centerpiece to a new marketing campaign!

The "ad" they placed was in English. Not Spanish so they could send a message to the host country of Peru. Not Japanese - for whom Greenpeace is best known for combating in their anti-whaling campaigns. Not Chinese - the most populous nation and the country who needs the most change when it comes to pollution and carbon emissions. The "ad" was in English because that's the language that gets Greenpeace the most return when they do fundraising.

Imagine the outrage if Chick-Fil-A spray painted "Eat More Chicken" onto the rocks of Stonehenge. Imagine the outrage if Coke chiseled their logo onto George Washington's forehead  on Mount Rushmore. There would rightly be a world-wide boycott of those products if those companies did that. That's the type of lasting damage that Greenpeace just perpetrated on the Nazca Lines. There is not enough outrage over this. Fuck Greenpeace!

I hope the Peruvian government not only throws the book at the Greenpeace folks who did this - I hope they also go after anyone at Greenpeace who had a hand in planning this "ad" or helped in the logistics of making it happen.

Fuck Greenpeace! And fuck you too if you send them even one dime in contributions.

Today's offering (38) I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye.

Today's offering (37) Expresso Love by Dire Straits.

Here's an idea for a TV show - take the format of the show Friends (including opening song and everything) but instead of the cast of Friends you'd have a real-life grown up versions of Charles Shulz' Peanuts characters.

Instead of a coffee shop - most of the action would take place at a piano bar with Schroeder being the "piano man". Lucy van Pelt, despite having a Ph. D in psychology, is the hostess at the piano bar restaurant (just to be close to Schroeder). Each week Lucy could give an psychoanalysis of whatever issue one of the gang is dealing with. Sort of a running gag. Schroeder could insist everyone call him "maestro" as a Seinfeld shout-out.

Charlie Brown's sister Sally could be played by a blonde hottie and the character would be sort of a slut. His best friend, Linus van Pelt could be played by one of The Big Bang actors who could geek slap big sister Lucy any time one of her on the spot psychoanalytical diagnosis makes no logical sense.

Peppermint Pattie and Marcie would, of course, be lesbians. Maybe Sue Lynch for Pattie and KD Lang for Marcie? Pig Pen could be a recovering drug addict. How could this not work?

And for Charlie Brown - I picture a younger version of Paul Giamatti. I would seriously watch this show if it were ever made.

Today's offering (36) No Quarter by Led Zeppelin.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

My initial reaction to the Red Sox obtaining Wade Miley was "Meh". But I am willing to give Ben Cherington the benefit of the doubt... Geek joke - two chemists walk into a bar, first says "I'll have H2O." Second says "I'll have H2O too". Second chemist dies... Wade Miley does look like a pretty far out dude though... If you replace the word "ham" with the word "condoms" then Green Eggs and Ham becomes a very strange gay cruising book...  Very classy move by the Canadiens... There should be a Cracker Barrel Prevention Hotline that gives people options of much better restaurants in the area... "You're branded as a liar and you'll remain a liar for the rest of your life"... Speaking of lying - funny how some people who think it is wrong to lie to children about Santa Claus still cling to the idea that Obamacare is a workable solution... Heh heh... I think Craigs List should rename "Casual Encounters" to "Hob-Knobbing" - just because... Bonnet de douche means "shower cap" in French but doesn't it sound more like a more snarky version of the insult "ass hat"?... Santa painted into great works of art...

Today's offering (35) Sinnerman by Nina Simone.

So Jon Lester has signed with the Chicago Cubs for $155 million over 6-years. I agree with Rob Bradford that the reason this happened was simply because Boston didn't want him as much privately as they publicly claimed. An extra $20 million and a vesting seventh year was the difference. That difference would mean NOTHING to ownership if they really wanted Lester back.

Simply put - the team didn't want to sign a 31-year old pitcher to a long-term deal. But publicly they had to make it look like they did.

I like Jon Lester and will continue to root for him but what is becoming increasingly clear to me is what I really root for is laundry. Whoever is wearing the Red Sox uniform is the guy I cheer for (unless that guy is dickhead AJ Pierzynski).

Many people will place the blame for losing Jon Lester on Larry Lucchino and to a certain degree they would be right. I would guess that the low-ball $70 million over 4-years offer the team made to Lester in the Spring had Larry's fingerprints all over it. Larry is also the guy to blame for ownership thinking Bobby Valentine was a competent manager. Balancing the negatives, however, are the undeniable positives of three World Series Championships in the last decade and the fact that Lucchino was the man mainly responsible for turning Fenway Park from what was becoming a urine soaked rathole into a great (albeit expensive) place to experience an MLB game.

The real blame for losing Lester rests with principal owner John Henry. Simply put - he didn't want to sign a 31-year old pitcher to a long term deal. If he really wanted Lester back - then the extra $3 million a year (the cost for a below average veteran back-up outfielder) would have been no obstacle.

So now the Red Sox have a pretty potent line-up, some spare parts to deal and some starting (and bullpen) holes to fill. It should be interesting to see what laundry Ben Cherrington can come up with for me to root for.

Meanwhile - Godspeed Jon Lester.

Here are what I consider to be the Top 5 Otters in US history. List in reverse order of significance:

5. Obadiah Otter - he was a curious otter who happened upon the Donner Party in 1846. These were the first humans Obadiah ever encountered and as it worked out also the last. He is historically significant because he kept the Donner Party from resorting to cannibalism (for an additional 36 hours).

4. Jeremiah Otter - his wife and adopted son were killed by a Crow Indian raiding party. He spent the rest of his life tracking down Crow Indians and ripping out their necks while they slept. He became a Rockie Mountain legend and some say a myth. Some even say he's up in those mountains still.

3.  Sergeant York Otter - while it was widely reported that the Navy experimented with strapping bombs to dolphins it is lesser known that the Army had a similar project utilizing otters. Sergeant York Otter was named after the WWI hero and died during a training accident.

2. Sacagawea Otter - the only female otter on the list. She was the mascot of the Lewis and Clark expedition party until she was killed by Meriwether Lewis and her pelt was exchanged for some corn meal.

1. Bedford Otter - this otter is significant because as a youth he used to live in a pond in Bedford Falls and one winter when he was young he was poking around under the ice to the point where he caused a few cracks.  These cracks broke when a young Harry Bailey was sledding onto the ice. In one timeline Harry's older brother George was able to save Harry but in another timeline George wasn't around to save Harry. In a third less publicized timeline - Bedford Otter didn't nose around under the ice and Harry never fell into the icy waters. In that timeline George Bailey was a whole lot less necessary to the happiness of Bedford Falls.

Just missing the list - Otter from Animal House.

Today's offering (34) Merry Go Round by Kacey Musgraves.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- I could never get away with this look

- Cool - Bill Belichick gives the Patriots two days off after win in San Diego. I think he even smiled when he did it!

- Poignant - Guy Lafleur kneels before the departed Jean Beliveau

- Yesterday was the 34th anniversary of Berke Breathed's awesome Bloom County first appearing in print. Here was the first strip.

- Is it me or is pretty much every picture of Joe Biden just a caption contest waiting to happen?

- (Still) Awesome - Eddie Vedder and Jeanne Tripplehorn (as Julie Andrews) sing Rolling Stones Shattered

Today's offering (33) Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3.

It's a Wonderful Life is a staple of Christmas and a tradition for many on Christmas Eve but just thinking of it make me need to nitpick on this one little thing that has always bothered/amused me. 

When Jimmy Stewart is alive and him and Donna Reed are busy making kids - her eyesight is perfect. No eyeglasses for Donna Reed. But when Jimmy never existed - all of a sudden the librarian / spinster Reed needs eyeglasses. What happened? 

Now you can argue that she needs glasses because as a librarian she reads more books but I'm not buying that. I think Frank Capra was trying to send out a pro-sex message. Sex is so good it makes your eyesight better! Jimmy Stewart's cure for nearsightedness (that would be a good name for a band - well maybe not). 

Today's offering (32) In a Big Country by Big Country,

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Today is Pearl harbor Day. On this day I'm always reminded that in 1941 Bob Feller became the first big leaguer to volunteer for military service shortly after the day that will live in infamy. More than anything he did on a baseball diamond - it was this act that Ted Williams always associated with Feller (and maybe the thing he was most jealous of)... Heh heh - Protestant chess... Knock knock. Who's there? Control freak. Now's the part where you say, "control freak who?"... Yesterday Steven Wright turned 59... I still say that Two and a Half Men should not have added Aston Kutcher. They should have added Ellen DeGeneres to take over Charlie Sheen's role and not said a word. Like when they switched Darren's on Bewitched... Heh heh... Just curious - was Ben Roethlisberger asked to be in those NFL "No More" commercials?... Wow - now I want to know more about James Oliver Curwood...

Everyone knows that the Red Sox top three priorities are starting pitching, starting pitching and starting pitching. Everyone also knows that Plan A to address starting pitching is Jon Lester. However, I agree with Tony Massarotti that pitching not Lester is the priority for Boston. I also agree with Brian MacPherson that the Red Sox need to cash in their trade chips for a starter or two no matter what happens with Lester.

It would be best for Boston to trade Yoenis Cespedes, Jackie Bradley Jr.. Allen Craig, Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino. These guys really have no place in the 2015 line-up right now (although Middlebrooks and Bradley could be stashed in Pawtucket and I'm curious if Craig can bounce back after his awful 2014 season - I wouldn't mind keeping him as the 13th position player instead of selling low on a potential All-Star). I have Daniel Nava and Brock Holt as my super-utility guys so they are not on my trade list.

Use the above guys plus some pieces from the well stocked farm system to trade for two of the following (maybe just one if Boston signs Lester); Jeff Samardzija, Jordan Zimmerman, Doug Fister, Matt Latos, Rick Porcello, and of course Cole Hamels. If the Red Sox add two veteran starters they would be in good shape and well positioned to make a move at the 2015 trading deadline.

I have faith in Ben Cherington that he'll make the right moves. I am worried, however, that on Friday Boston principal owner John Henry goes to visit Jon Lester and then on Saturday we see the pieces from Massarotti and MacPherson saying "this isn't all about Lester you know." The conspiracy theorist in me questions the timing of the articles.

Today's offering (31) Milky Chance by Stolen Dance.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Sometimes I have the sense of humor of a 10-year old - NFL logos redesigned as dicks

- Be on the look-out for a "one-eyed fat man" in Kentucky

- Amen

- Holy crap! I had no idea eagle talons were so huge

- The brothers who built AC/DC

- Tom Brady is most awesome telemarketer ever

Today's offering (30) Johnny Appleseed by Joe Strummer.

Today's offering (29) Four Green Fields by Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers.

Here's a Player Comparison between two pitchers

Player A: Age 30 / Height 6'4" / Weight 240 / GS 252 / IP 1596
Player B: Age 31 / Height 6'5" / Weight 205 / GS 191 / IP 1510

I use different ages for two reasons - Player A was born in January while Player B was born in November also Player B basically lost a season to the 1995 Player's Strike. I consider the players to be fairly similar in body types and pitching styles (though Player A is a lefty and Player B a righty).

The reason I think this is a pertinent Player Comparison is because Player A is Jon Lester and the Red Sox may be considering signing him to a six-year deal. Player B is Curt Schilling who averaged 217 innings pitched in the next six years after his age 31 season. I happen to think six years is a good risk on Lester.

I don't buy that Schilling was just 205 pounds though.

Many people look at the firing upon Fort Sumter as the spark that lit the Civil War but I think the real spark came back in 1859 when John Brown and his "army" of 21 attacked and occupied the armory at Harpers Ferry, VA.

The next day, US Marines under the command of US Army Colonel Robert E. Lee (how's that for irony) attacked Brown and his men. When the gun smoke cleared, 10 of Brown's men were dead (including 2 of his sons) and Brown was taken prisoner and shortly thereafter he was hanged. In fact on this very day 155 years ago.

I find it slightly amusing that most history books and mentions of Brown on the Internet either gloss over or omit completely the fact that Brown was almost certainly insane.

I'm not making any moral judgments on Brown's actions. I'm just saying that he was crazy. Seriously. When I first saw a picture of John Brown - I thought I was looking at Charlie Manson circa 1850.

The John Brown / Charles Manson analogy isn't that bad. Brown raided the armory because he wanted to arm slaves to start a full-fledged slave revolt. Charles Manson has said that he killed those folks in the Hollywood Hills because he hoped that blacks would be blamed and that would spark a race war in the US. This may be one of those things that I only find interesting. 

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- This is what cows look like when you blow dry them. I have to wonder if this was some sort of experiment by the NFL looking into suede footballs.

- If you had any doubts that Vladimir Putin was nothing but a leader of thugs.

- And speaking of Russia - this is what man-made climate change looks like.

- 21 phrases you use without knowing you're quoting Shakespeare.

- Interesting interview about what it's like to be a scientist at CERN

- Mmmmm - low carb and gluten free salad

Today's offering (28) Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I thought the Patriots played "OK" on Sunday against the Packers. I think the cold affected Tom Brady's grip on the ball more than it did for Aaron Rodgers and was a bit surprised at that. What was disappointing was Stephen Gostkowski missing the field goal attempt at the end. Those 3 point would have meant a Patriots cover and I wouldn't have lost my bet on New England... Bill Cosby resigns from the Temple University Board of Trustees... Just a thought but I wouldn't put it past Billy Beane if he signed Billy Butler so quickly because he plans to trade him at the July trading deadline next season... He does look like an angry lobster boat captain... I wonder if Bill Cosby is on the UMass Board of Trustees?... Who knew? Great Britain was once great at hockey. They won the Gold Medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics... In his 2012 special Fully Functional Jim Jefferies tells a story about the Montreal Just for Laughs festival in which he describes opening for a comedian Hollywood movie star who was very "rapey". Given the stories that have come out about Bill Cosby - I wonder if anyone has gone back to Jefferies to ask him who the "rapey" comedian was?