A Large Regular

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

After the reported trade between the Celtics and Nets - Boston went from a 33-1 bet to win the NBA championship to a 75-1 longshot. Meanwhile the Nets went from 40-1 to 10-1...  Big Bang Theory meets Firefly... If I were an MLB player - my "walk up" music would be God Bless America just to see if people would stand when I came up to hit... Cool - David Simon's original pitch for The Wire... MMA Jesus would be a good name for a Christian rock band... Heh heh - it's funny because it's true... Bill Simmons should give his Chippers season tickets to Jeffrey Ross whenever he's in town just so he can heckle Doc Rivers...  Interesting interview with Neil Gaiman...

By Da Vinci's Notebook.

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Wow - your webcam is at serious risk. Serious risk!

- I want one of these! A table salt shooting fly shotgun.

- Actual Headline: Swedish Police Searching for Bicycle F*cker

- Aaron Hernandez gets Taiwanese video treatment

- Way cool - the bead chain experiment.

- Fantastic first person article on alcoholism in Antarctica.

- Alan Sepinwall's tremendous appreciation of David Chase's eulogy for James Gandolfini

- Personal Yeezus - Depeche Mode mashed up with Kanye West. I want this song on my iPod.

With the trade of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets - the Boston Celtics are officially rebuilding. Much has been made of the Celtics now having 9 first round picks in the next 5 years but little has been made of the core of young players Boston has in place. Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass. Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger and now first round pick Kelly Olynyk - that could be an entertaining core of players to watch. Maybe even more entertaining than watching minutes being rationed for KG and Pierce while trying to make one last playoff run.

Being the optimist I can't help but think that if there is a sign and trade agreement in place between the Celtics and Atlanta Hawks for Josh Smith then the 2014 Boston team is playoff caliber. And if somehow cap space is available to sign unrestricted free agent Al Jefferson - then suddenly this team has a real shot to contend. ESPN's Marc Stein earlier reported that the Utah Jazz might just let Jefferson walk. I would take that team over the Nets roster - wouldn't you?

A few additional Celtics thoughts:

- People keep saying that Paul Pierce deserved to retire as a Boston Celtic. Who is to say that Danny Ainge didn't offer Pierce the choice and Pierce preferred to take one last shot at another ring?

- People also keep saying that the Celtics may be planning on tanking in 2014 to get a shot at the lottery. maybe its a better chance that the Nets implode in the next year or so and the lottery pick comes from Brooklyn. Remember the Celtics have the option to take the 2017 pick if they want.

- An interesting Vegas bet would be who will have more wins next season - Doc Rivers with the Clippers without Kevin Garnett or rookie coach Jason Kidd in Brooklyn with KG.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

A friend checked last night and apparently autographed Aaron Hernandez jerseys are selling on eBay for $90. Didn't OJ memorabilia go up in price drastically after he was charged with murder?... I would love to have this T-Shirt... So if I'm understanding the stories coming out of New York correctly - A-Rod is a centaur who is being shunned by the Yankees because he taught humans at Hogwarts. Did I get that right?... Heh heh - Hollywood looking to move productions overseas because of costs of Obamacare. Schadenfreude anyone?...  Have to admit that I will laugh at people who end up with Aaron Hernandez in fantasy football because they have to autodraft... Just saying but Easter 2014 is on 4/20. I predict record amounts of chocolate will be consumed... Someone should get Bill James to write about the Aaron Hernandez case. Besides baseball - James' passion is crime stories. His Popular Crime is a great book detailing the history of crimes in the US...

Before Aaron Hernandez was charged with Murder One - the Patriots cut ties with him. Before Aaron Hernandez was arrested at his home - the Patriots cut ties with him. Even before officially releasing him - the Patriots cut ties with him.

Many times the cops know who committed a crime but they just can't prove it. Shortly after the body of Odin Lloyd was found and Hernandez was connected to the murder - the Patriots told Aaron Hernandez that he was no longer welcome at the team facilities in Foxboro. My guess is some police that the Patriots brass know and trust told them that Hernandez was in their opinion guilty as a murderer. So when Hernandez showed up at team facilities a few days ago they said, "No - you are no longer part of this team. You are not welcome here."

They couldn't say it fast enough.

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Scary wasp's nest with over a million wasps. I can't help but think that when people ask "What happened to all the bees?" - the answer might be "Guys like this killed them!"

- Good point - imagine how the history of the Knicks would have been different if they had kept Pat Riley all those years ago.

- Cool - what the planets would look like to us if they were the same distance away as the moon

- Heh heh - Paula Deen is an easy target

What happened to the mysterious humans of the Sahara?

The Sahara covers an area about the size of the United States and at one point that area was a lush landscape of grasslands and waterlands. Thousands of years ago the climate changed and slowly that area became desert. What caused that change? Was it a change in the magnetic pole moving from South to North (the opposite is happening today). Or maybe a shift in the Earth's axis (which is also happening now). Maybe the humans who lived caused the climate change by angering their Gods. Who knows?

Science doesn't but don't let that stop people from telling you that the science is settled on why global climate change is happening today.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I'm happy for Doc Rivers and the Celtics. It was a good move for both sides. It will be interesting to see what happens with Kevin Garnett now. With a move to the Clippers probably  blocked by the league how funny would it be if KG ended up sharing an arena with Doc by getting traded to the Lakers?... 26 songs about Superman. I would have put the Crash Test Dummies song at number one... Interesting to note that according to @SportsTaxMan the trade to Clipppers may actually cost Doc Rivers close to a million dollars because of differences in state taxes... Things I should know by now but do not; why is a $10 bill called a "sawbuck"?... The Dark Knight Rises was not a good movie and I think less and less of it every time I see it pop up on HBO... I think that whole smoke a cigarette after sex thing was something the tobacco industry made up with Hollywood's help. People I know don't crave a cigarette after sex. Hard core smokers want a cigarette every 15 minutes whether it is after sex or not. Occasional smokers have stress as more of a trigger to smoking desire and sex is a stress reliever... Belgian Waffles Benedict. I want - right now!... Things you learn on the Internet: According to Mental Floss - "Curly [of the Three Stooges] ad-libbed his first 'woo, woo, woo!' He used it when he forgot is lines."...

I saw Man of Steel when it first came out and I liked it but some things did bother me. And the more I thought about it - the more the plot holes bothered me.

This piece does a nice job of poking fun of same of the major plot holes (SPOILERS!).

Just want to add that I completely agree that this would have been a shorter and better movie if they just eliminated the Perry White character completely. He was completely useless.

Funny stuff. Here's another one.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Thank God the Patriots had the foresight to sign Tim Tebow as a back-up tight end... Guy writes his name as a penis on Jeopardy... Many people started off by comparing Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter. Then with all the scandals - it was vogue to compare him to Richard Nixon. I think when it is all said and done - historians will be comparing him to Warren Harding... Interesting - the abandoned island in the middle of NYC... Had a dream that I was in a group called The Slim Whitman Tribute Band but all we played were Primus covers. Yodeling Wynona's Big Brown Beaver was actually pretty cool on many levels... I understand this and am not saying it is wrong but its just that it doesn't seem right. The highest paid people on the Pentagon's budget are the three service academy football coaches... Jack Dempsey said the only man he ever ducked fighting when he was heavyweight champ was Ernest Hemingway. He didn't want to hurt him... Holy crap! John McAfee founder of McAfee software on how to uninstall his software...

I've been meaning to comment on the trade talks between the Boston Celtics and the LA Clippers but honestly I've been busy and was also under the assumption that the deal would be done by now. There are some aspects of this potential transaction that I don't think are getting proper attention and on which I'd like to offer my two cents.

Doc Rivers never won anything as a player. That's not a knock against him - just the facts. He never came close to winning a ring as a player and until Danny Ainge remade the Celtics roster by trading for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett - he was never was close as a coach either. But once you've won a ring (and come so close to another) - who's to say that you don't naturally get greedy for a second champagne shower? Same goes for Kevin Garnett - he was in the wastelands in Minnesota until a trade opened championship opportunities for him. Both Doc and KG just finished watching Ray Allen win his second ring - who could blame them if they were jealous?

As an aside - the only man with multiple rings in this scenario (Danny Ainge with 3) - is also the coolest actor in this poker game. That is worthy of note.

Speaking of the Heat winning the championship - perhaps one of the reasons this deal (Doc Rivers and KG for DeAndre Jordan plus one or two first round draft picks) isn't done is because David Stern didn't want any NBA news detracting away from the finals. Now that the finals are done - can a deal possibly be announced soon?

Last season KG averaged 14.8 PPG and 7.8 RPG in just under 30 minutes per game. He is one of the greatest players in NBA history and does not shrink from the big moments. Current Laker Dwight Howard averaged 17.1 and 12.4 last season in 35 minutes per game but I'd argue that Howard does shrink in the limelight. Would Kobe Bryant be happier with his championship chances with an equally motivated KG in the front court? Just how happy is Kobe with Mike D'Antoni? The Lakers could easily trade Howard to the Houston Rockets and use part of that haul (plus a first round pick) to send to Boston for Doc and KG.  Maybe a birdie should be whispering in Kobe's ear right about now. Maybe they already are.

Nobody in Boston is enthusiastic about DeAndre Jordan. He's basically a more polished Fab Melo - who coincidentally was drafted by the Celtics with a Clippers first round pick acquired in the Kendrick Perkins trade. Maybe Danny Ainge should table discussions with the Clippers to file tampering charges. What right did the Clippers have in talking to or about Doc and KG who are both under contract? I'd be asking for a first rounder in compensation. Let that sink in to the Clippers that they might lose a first rounder and get nothing in return. Compound that with Chris Paul getting frustrated with having to wait like the petulant spoiled brat that he seems to be and we'll see how willing Clippers management is to continue to play chicken with that second first round pick.

At this point I think the trade with the Clippers might be the least appealing of three scenarios. The first being the trade with the Clips; the second being a trade with the Lakers and the third and maybe most appealing of all is getting a first round pick from the Clippers for tampering and then holding onto Doc Rivers' rights while he goes and does TV for a season. The rights for Doc will be worth a first rounder now or at some point in the future. Why not wait? In this last scenario the Celtics get two first round picks and won't have to pretend to be happy to have high-priced DeAndre Jordan clogging up the middle. Kevin Garnett can return or retire or be traded - whatever he wants.

Anyways - my two cents on whither Doc Rivers.

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Wow - Allen Iverson accused of kidnapping own kids and being an alcoholic.

- Nice interview with Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister)

- Interesting look at the actual baseball in the movie Bull Durham (which is now 25-years old). Never thought about the pitch count in those games but Nuke would have been throwing 200 pitches per game

- George Blaney retires. He was always a class act when he was head coach at Holy Cross.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I wonder if Barack Obama publicly supporting the Blackhawks will hurt Ed Markey in his bid for the Mass Senate seat among Bruins fans. I hope it does... Lost in the Tim Tebow hoopla was the fact that the story of him signing with the Patriots was broken by Ed Werder. Does that mean Werder is Belichick's "go to" reporter?... Speaking of Tebow - the Angels wanted to draft him... Obama to announce that he is changing the name of PRISM to SkyNet. What could go wrong?... Cool photo of a lightning strike in Chicago last night... I wonder how many Michael Angelo's there are in the phone book. Are phone books even a thing any more?... 36 made in Massachusetts summer beers... The more I do my own laundry - the more I find myself not wearing underwear...  Interesting read on "Incarcerated Bob". Bottom line - you are a fool if you pay for picks... The only silver lining about the NSA monitoring all calls story is the ability for parents to warn their children not to send nude pics because the government will put them on the Internet. Maybe that will do the trick. Sad reflection on our liberty but we've gone from telling children to be good because Santa is watching to adults thinking "holy crap - there really is someone watching to see if I'm naughty or nice"... Interesting stuff - 22 things you may not know about the Stanley Cup...

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Wow - Phil Esposito is a bitter old man.

- 26th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's "tear down this wall" speech. Reagan is still a huge icon in Eastern Europe and rightly so.

- Meanwhile in Australia - the phrase "small breasts, huge thighs and a big red box" enters the political lexicon.

- Wait what? Doris Roberts? Those wacky Japanese.

- Joe Rogan interviewing Bobcat Goldthwait was mesmerizing. Excellent stuff.

- Speaking of mesmerizing - tornadoes on the Sun! Oddly beautiful.

- Nice article on how to go into negotiations with proper perspective.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If you've paid attention to this space for any length of time - you'll know that I'm a fan of the Patriots taking a chance with Tim Tebow. I think he gives them options on offense that no other team will have... The physics of Thor. I didn't know that Captain America could wield Thor's hammer - cool... In 1920 when Warren Harding promised a "return to normalcy" - the word "normalcy" didn't even exist in the dictionary.. Heh heh - party hard... 22 pretty cool facts... I'm convinced that A-Rod sold his Miami home knowing this steroids scandal was on the horizon. If I recall correctly A-Rod bought the home for $15 million but sold it for $30 million. Would the scandal have cost him a few million if he waited another month to sell?... Heh heh - NBA players read "Mean Tweets"... Tinker, Tailor, Sailor, Spy is such an under-rated movie. What a great cast...

An interesting player comparison occurred to me over the weekend.

Player A - 8 HR / 40 RBI / .299 BA / .867 OPS
Player B - 8 HR / 18 RBI / .212 BA / .650 OPS

What makes the comparison interesting is that Player A is struggling for a MLB roster spot Daniel Nava (who is making just $505,000 in 2013) and Player B is mega-star Josh Hamilton (who signed a mega contract that will pay him an average of $24.6 million per season for the next 5-years).

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- A month without a fork. I could do that easily. I went all yesterday without using a fork and I didn't even try to avoid using one.

- Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night recreated with 7,000 dominoes

- I agree - very classy move by the Diamondbacks.

- And coincidentally - mind-controlled exoskeleton's helping paralyzed people to walk

- Interesting discussion with director William Friedkin and his surprising relationship with sports (especially the Celtics and Mike Tyson)

- Heh heh - Obama is checking your email!

I love that opening from Hockey Night in Canada from Game 3. Karma Police indeed! Sidney Crosby -  a sports superstar hasn't been that undressed as a whiny bitch by a Boston team since Jason Varitek smushed his glove into A-Rod's face.

Oh (I didn't come up with this saying but it encapsulates the entire series so great) - Tuukka Rask - 2 U's, 2 K's and just 2 goal allowed against the Penguins!

Go Bruins!

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Why Japan really lost WWII

- Why the NHL is better than the NBA

- Marine General speaks from broken heart at memorial's dedication.

- Excellent long read of Muhammad Ali's biggest fan finally getting to meet him. Cool anecdotes of Ali in private.

- David Simon (creator of The Wire) on the NSA tracking Verizon call records. He makes some very good points which I agree with but I think misses the forest through the trees. I may post my thoughts on this at a later time.

- Cool story of 19 families that moved to a then uninhabited North Carolina island in the 70's.

- If D-Day failed Eisenhower was going to take full responsibility. When it succeeded he deflected the credit.  Sounds like the polar opposite of today's leaders.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Michael Douglas says he got throat cancer from cunnilingus - what does science say about that claim?... "Stinktum" should be a word. It sound much better than either "anus" or "sphincter"... Burning Esophagus would be a good name for a band...  Awesome photo... Some people are suggesting Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) as the next Doctor Who but I think the identical twins who played Fred and George would be a better choice. That way you could have the Dr. crossing his own time-line as often as you like without expensive special effects... Interesting look at how the Red Sox got David Ortiz 10-years ago and how he asked to be let go when he wasn't fitting in at first. Getting rid of Shea Hillenbrand and keeping Ortiz will always be one of the most under-rated moves in team history... The World Pastrami Eating Contest was Sunday - here's the trophy. For my money ($5) the best pastrami sandwich in Worcester is at Breen's Cafe... There should have been an episode of Magnum PI where Magnum saw Higgins kill his ex-wife and a waiter but kept silent about it for years... Separated at birth - Alec Baldwin and Millard Fillmore... The word "posh" came from Thomas Cook booking British upper class on cruises with "Port Out - Starboard Home" cabins...