This brings up Morneau. The Twins are coming dangerously close to doing the same to him as they've done to Cuddyer. In the five games he has been up for he has hit 2 homers and has 4 RBI, not stunning numbers but not Mientkiewicz numbers either. What more does Morneau have to do to stay in the majors? It is time to recognize that he deserves the starting job at first.

Posted by snackeru at 8:57 AM | Comments (4)

July 20, 2004

Links of the day

• Hilarious surfacing of "new details" regarding Dick Cheney's outburst in the Senate. Gave me quite a chuckle.
• A follow up article to Annie Jacobson's Terror in the Skies article of last week. Again, there was an incident with a Northwest Airlines flight. Are they targeting NWA?
• Good NYT article on Joseph Wilson's own lack of honesty. Gives new credence to Bush's assertion that Hussein was in Niger at some point looking to purchase uranium.
• What Bush says he's "not" since 1997. He may soon be saying he's not president either.
• The Jacobson article above asks some interesting questions concerning privacy and racial profiling. This ACLU site offers a chilling glimpse into the future of our (lack of) privacy.
• I was duped by this Shyamalan piece on SciFi too. I was just watching it last night thinking, "Boy that Shyamalan is one goofy dude!" Nice to see it is all a hoax.
• No way is Prince the top rock frontman of all time. No way.

Posted by snackeru at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)

Linebackers

Please Mr. Thomas, don't hurt me!

Given that last year's linebacker corp was so awful, we should expect a great deal of improvement this year. I mean, there is only one way to go compared to last year, and that is up. Sure, our linebackers are young, but they are fresh. I also have a feeling that this Tabu nightclub fiasco will serve to motivate Henderson and Nattiel to prove their critics wrong. Henderson especially. According to some NFL scouts, Henderson really excelled in nickel situations last year, and that while there may be some growing pains with his new role as starter he should be fine over the long run.

Having said all of this, the guy I am really looking forward to watching is Dontarrious Thomas. Again, according to NFL scouts Thomas has great range, is fast (he was nicknamed "Reindeer"), and is a great open field tackler. So, to recap, we have Claiborne to solidify the unit, Thomas and Nattiel on the other side, and Henderson to man the middle. And apparently we have Rod Davis to back him up. Really, I don't worry about this year's young talent. Anything will be an improvement over last year.

Posted by snackeru at 7:30 AM | Comments (5)

July 19, 2004

UThink Update

As many of you know, the blog system the Greet Machine sits on is called UThink: Blogs at the University Libraries. This is a little (getting bigger everyday!) pet project of mine that I must say I'm kind of proud of. UThink uses Movable Type as its blogging software of choice, and this software was chosen mainly because 1) it is probably the most popular blogging software after Blogger, 2) we could easily modify the Perl code to hook it to our campus authentication system, and 3) it was free for educational institutions. Really, how could we lose?

Well, in May Six Apart, the makers of Movable Type (MT), decided to completely change their licensing with their new MT 3.0 and it really ticked me off. I felt like they used the old "bait and switch" tactic to get a huge user base and then begin charging for it. And their licensing fees were a little outrageous if truth be told. If I had known Six Apart was going in this direction it would have probably changed the direction of UThink. I say "probably" because I just don't know. Movable Type is by far the best blogging software out there that can do what we want it to do, namely connect to our University authentication system, and offer people unlimited blogs and blog authors. So, essentially I've been in a waiting game since May, wondering if we would be able to continue using MT for UThink or if we would have to start looking into something different.

Well, I am relieved to say that it looks like we will be able to stick with Movable Type. Just this morning I had a conference call with Judy Gordon and Anil Dash of Six Apart (yes, that Anil Dash) who made it clear to me that they are willing to do whatever it takes to retain our business. It seems that universities and colleges all over the country are using UThink as a reference and they are telling Six Apart they would like to do what we have already done. This includes the mighty UC-Berkeley ... at least that's what Anil and Judy told me. So, Anil said they would like to use UThink as their "flagship" university installation and they would like us to agree to share our code modifications with other institutions. He also said that UThink is probably the most advanced blogging system for a university our size, and that we are the first university that has "done it right" as far as he could see. As my surfer friends used to say back in high school: killer! I'm thrilled other institutions think so highly of what we have done and I'm thrilled we will be able to work something out to stay with Movable Type.

So, to make a long story short, sometime this summer UThink will be moving to MT 3.01. Of course, all the paperwork will have to be signed and licensing issues solved, but I am pretty confident this will be no problem and happen relatively quickly. I can't express enough how happy I am about this. It is such a monkey off my back and it looks like the beginning of what I hope will be a fruitful relationship with Six Apart. So, if Anil or Judy ever read this, thanks for everything, and you'll be hearing from us soon!

Posted by snackeru at 4:37 PM | Comments (6)

Eventful day

The Twins are simply too painful to talk about right now. They seriously couldn't hit a beach ball. So, I'm going to write about my eventful Sunday morning, afternoon, and evening.

Sunday morning: Church

Thanks to my lovely wife I volunteer at my church as a sound technician. Not every Sunday, but some Sunday's I work the sound board and make sure everyone is "mixed" properly. That is sound lingo for making sure everyone has their volumes turned up (or down) properly. You see, most Lutheran churches have a couple of wireless microphones to worry about, but my Lutheran church has a full on band with guitars, keyboards, vocals, backup vocals, violins, drums, etc, not to mention flood lights and even a disco ball. Oh yes, we get funky when we worship the Lord. Unfortunately for me, I barely know how to work any of this equipment. I'm willing to learn, and I'm definitely doing just that, but sometimes that isn't good enough. Take yesterday for example. Everything seemed to be working smoothly when suddenly one of the microphones started to make a horrendously loud thumping noise. Let me tell you, there is nothing as humbling or nerve wracking as this since the second the noise starts all eyes in the congregation dart to the sound guy. Me. Seriously, about all I know how to fix is the volume (up or down?), but I frantically try to look like I know what I'm doing by flipping switches and turning dials. "What does this one say ... reverb flux equalizer? Sounds good to me, let's crank this puppy up and see what it does..." Eventually we had to turn the wireless mikes off since not even some "experts" in the band knew how to fix it. Like I said, very humbling. Then our pastor get's up to talk. Now, if there is one thing a sound guy does not want to mess up, it is the pastor's sermon. So, everything was going smoothly when my ears started to hear an echo coming from ... well ... I didn't know where it was coming from but I was determined to fix it. So, I start messing with the dials. "What does this one say ... quantum input balance authority? Let's see what happens if I max this one out..." Well, lo and behold eventually all my fiddling got the echo to go away! I was pretty proud of myself and I sat back to listen to the sermon without a care in the world. Well, I should have known something bad would happen. After the sermon the pastor ended on a very poignant note and the congregation quietly reflected on the message. The pastor then reached down to turn of his microphone when all of the sudden the most annoying and loud screech blared forth from the speakers. The congregation actually yelped from the pain this caused their ears. Again, all eyes on the sound guy. Me. While my fiddling fixed the pastor's echo, it seems it also turned on some feedback that sounded and felt like an ice pick rammed into everyone's ears. The pastor gave me a little look of annoyance and I slumped down vowing to never touch anything but the main volume control ever again. Very humbling.

Afternoon: root beer floats

Another weekend, another Cub Scout activity. This weekend my son and I volunteered to sell root beer floats in front of our local Cub Foods to raise money for the Cub Scouts. We worked the 2:00-5:00 shift, and we sold the most delicious root beer floats for a $1 a piece. Most of the people buying floats didn't really want one, but they did want to help the Cub Scouts. Some people just gave us a donation which was very, very nice. And then there were some people that seemed to want to rip us off. I know, can you believe it? One gentlemen walked up and said, "All I've got is 30 cents. Give me whatever that is worth." So, I gave him a little scoop of ice cream and about a third of a cup of root beer. So then he said, "Oh come on, give me some more root beer." So, being a nice guy I gave him a little more. Then he motioned to his cup and asked for more. So I said, "You gave me 30 cents! I should have given you a spoonful of ice cream and a swig of root beer from my bottle. Now take a hike!" Actually I didn't say all of that, but I did say that is all 30 cents would buy him. He grumbled and walked away. Sheesh. Anyway, overall we did pretty well. We sold 180 floats in 3 hours. Not too shabby.

Evening: Spiderman 2

So, doing all this Cub Scout activity with my older son makes my younger son feel a little left out. Eventually he'll be in Cub Scouts, but for now he gets a little ticked off that his brother does all this "cool stuff" and he has to stay at home. So, after root beer floats I took him out to get a little bite to eat and to see Spiderman 2. That, my friends, is a good movie. I enjoyed it immensely. I tell you, Tobey Maguire is the perfect Spiderman. I read that Sam Raimi, the director, almost gave him the boot, but it is a good thing he didn't. I can't imagine anyone else as Spiderman. The second installment of this franchise may have even been better than the first. There is action, sure, but there is also a very well done love story. That's right, I'm not too manly to admit that I wanted Mary Jane and Spiderman to work out their differences. But the best scene was in the middle when Spiderman is unmasked on the subway after fighting Doc Oc. I don't want to ruin it for you, but the reaction of the people is very touching. Anyway, it was a great movie, and my younger son loved it too (although there were a couple of scary scenes!). I'll definitely see it again.

That's about it. I just read that Joe Mauer may be put on the disabled list again. Yikes, that is scary.

Posted by snackeru at 8:15 AM | Comments (4)

July 16, 2004

What is in my CD player

I'm sick of stadiums, and the Twins (although I'm thrilled they've called up Morneau), and the Vikings season is too far away. So, let's talk about music. Today's post about music centers around what is in my CD player right now. And yes, this music is in my CD player right now, playing as I type. Don't care? Then go away.

This is a mix CD I've made from some of the MP3s on my home computer. It is random and demonstrates, to me at least, the variety of music I enjoy.

1. Bitter Sweet Symphony -- The Verve
   I love this song. Very interesting lyrics too. I haven't really tried to figure out what they mean to me yet. A simple, uplifting song.
2. Kiss Off -- Violent Femmes
   I never liked the Femmes in high school, but this song just screams teenage angst. I love the instrumentation too. All acoustic and yet it still rocks. Anyway, even though I didn't listen to them much in high school, it still reminds me of that time.
3. Loser -- Beck
   Another frustrated teenager song. This song is just plain goofy with a good beat and very interesting lyrics. Makes me feel like a Norwegian gangsta.
4. Don't Think Twice -- Bob Dylan
   This song is very soothing and it features some of Dylan's better singing. A pure folk song with a nice twang. I enjoy it very much.
5. You and I Both -- Jason Mraz
   Some of Mraz's work is a little cliched, but there is no doubt he is a good song writer. This is his best song, period. His voice is another instrument and he sings the lyrics flawlessly. I would love to get a live version of this tune.
6. Watching the Wheels -- John Lennon
   I've always liked this song. Makes me a little sad to think how Lennon's life was cut short just as he was beginning to "figure it all out." Anyway, probably my favorite song from his solo years.
7. Champange Supernova -- Oasis
   One of their two best songs. And where have they been lately? After What's the Story Morning Glory they kind of just fell of the face of the Earth. Or maybe that's just my impression.
8. Everybody Hurts -- REM
   This song really speaks to me for some reason. Haunting, melodic, and thoughtful. It is simply beautiful.
9. Reptilia -- The Strokes
   Plain and simple this song has good music and a good beat. It also reminds me of music from the 70s. That's about it.
10. Wonderwall -- Oasis
    The other great Oasis song. This is another one of those songs that you just know is good. I played it for my son once, and he knew immediately he liked it. You know those kinds of songs, right? They are just good.
11. Spirit of Radio -- Rush
    This song just plain rocks. I have to crank this song up whenever it comes on and a big smile spreads across my face. Some Foreigner songs have the same effect on me. I know, weird.
12. Pictures of You [extended version] -- The Cure
    This song has the "British" sound that I really love. You know that sound, right? "Clocks" by Coldplay also features it. I'd almost describe it as intelligent pop. It has that certain sound that your mind immediately enjoys, but it isn't sugary or sappy. And you gotta have the extended version.
13. Good Souls -- Star Sailor
    I've got to study this song a little more. I don't even know what it is talking about, but I think it is powerful. If anyone knows what the theme of this song is let me know.
14. Nightswimming -- REM
    This song has a special place in my heart. First of all it's beautiful, but it also makes me think of my wife, who I love very, very much. It is just one of those songs that remind you of all the good stuff in life, good times and good memories.
15. Inbetween Days -- The Cure
    The Cure were gifted at writing pop songs. That is not the "gothic" reputation they have, but they have written some of the best love songs of the 80s. I'm not sure if this is a love song or not, actually, but I like it. It's got a good beat.
16. Do You Realize -- Flaming Lips
    Really, who doesn't like this song? Absolutely gorgeous. It reminds me of my daughter thanks to the line "Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?" The whole Yoshimi album is great.
17. Save it for a Rainy Day -- The Jayhawks
    As I get older I start to appreciate these kinds of songs a little more. A little country feel to it, a little twang, and a sound that I would have run from screaming in high school. I like this song for its gentleness. I just feel better when I listen to it.
18. 12:51 -- The Strokes
    Great song with a constant beat. Very simple chord structures and lyrical composition, yet again there is something about it that I like. Very 70s feel to it and easy to listen to.

Posted by snackeru at 1:59 PM | Comments (0)

Links of the day

• Chilling account of a possible new method of terrorism on America's planes. It really is scary and upsetting.
• Interesting new findings about black holes from Stephen Hawking.
• Possible follow up songs for one-hit wonders. Hilarious.
• Alcohol without liquid (AWOL) machine. Billed as the “ultimate party toy” it allows people to inhale alcohol by mixing spirits with oxygen. This is sick.
• A little Friday morning propaganda: The Osama Bin Lotto!
• Amazing comic book collection for sale. Hurry! There is still time to make a bid!
• Why no one want make Hulk 2?
• The Hulk's own weblog!
• A rough cut of U2's new album goes missing from their studio in France. Part of me hopes it get's pirated, but a larger part of me hopes the songs are not released prematurely.

Posted by snackeru at 8:38 AM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2004

Twins and stadiums

There have been a lot of interesting columns and articles in recent days concerning my favorite topic, the Twins and their never ending drive for a new stadium. First of all we have Sid Hartman who wrote a column on Sunday which was highlighted by some nice comments from our governor Tim Pawlenty:

"If we have a special session, which is in serious doubt -- in fact, I would probably say it's not going to happen now," the governor responded. "Many legislators feel the stadium would be too much to bite off during a special session.

"I do think, though, the good news is that it is more likely than ever that the Legislature will seriously consider and perhaps pass a Twins stadium deal or a stadium deal more broadly sometime in the next 12 months.

"If it doesn't happen in a special session, I think it is ripe for consideration as early as January or February, when the legislature comes back. So there is still a lot of hope, more hope than there was a year or two ago."

The next set of articles we have come from Patrick Reusse and Tom Powers, who both wrote about the lack of fan support for the Twins. Tom Powers in particular had some choice words for the fan base of the Twin Cities:

"We should stop kidding ourselves. Minneapolis and St. Paul should have a Class AAA team instead of the Twins. This is not major league territory."

During a year in which attendance is up throughout baseball, the Twins are drawing 1,000 fewer per game than last season. After a historic stretch of three consecutive complete-game shutouts last week, they drew 14,000 against Detroit. The season-ticket base is a ridiculous 7,500.

Once again, the Twins likely will not be able to coax 2 million fans into the Metrodome. Remember that 2 million barely is a respectable number these days — the equivalent of a batter hitting .260. And that's despite dirt-cheap ticket prices and the team contending for its third consecutive division title.

A comment from Curt in Grand Forks also deserves repeating. For years the Twins have been telling us how bad the Metrodome is for baseball. They have beat into our heads over and over again that the Dome has "poor sightlines" for baseball and that it is a football stadium. For years the Twins themselves have been basically telling us that watching baseball in the Dome is not that much fun. Why are they so surprised that people are listening to them?

Does this mean that the Twins don't have a good fan base? Hardly. In the same column Powers also writes:

[Team President Dave] St. Peter says he is not giving up. He points out that, incredibly, TV ratings are near an all-time high.

"There has been a disconnect," he said. "So many people are watching on TV, and that says there is a lot of interest. But they aren't coming to the ballpark. It's our job to figure out why."

The recurring theme, he says, is that people don't like the Metrodome. Which is unfortunate because people don't want to build a new park, either.

"My guess is that the Twins franchise one day will wind up in Portland, Ore., where the veteran players will tell stories about gloomy days and sparse crowds in Minnesota. And such a move will be good for baseball, solidifying one more financially shaky team."

So, why are the TV ratings so important now? Even though Victory Sports failed it still had a positive effect towards the stadium drive. When the Twins weren't on TV people in Minnesota were literally freaking out. Legislators were inundated with mail demanding they do something to put the Twins back on TV. They were so overwhelmed they even put an amendment in the stadium bill that the Twins had to be on TV! Can you imagine the kind of mail and feedback they'll get if the Twins not only aren't on TV but aren't even in Minnesota? That, Twins fans, is reason for optimism. The Victory Sports debacle may still prove successful if it can push this stadium bill over the top.

There will be more later. I've got to get to work!

Posted by snackeru at 9:09 AM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2004

Links of the day

• "This Land is Made for You and Me" sung by Bush and Kerry. Very funny and worth the wait.
• Interesting piece on "Why al Qaeda is Fleeing Iraq." I'd get pretty sick of people bombing me too.
• The US Postal Service is issuing an R. Buckminster Fuller stamp. "Bucky" was a fascinating fellow.
• The mark of the Beast is coming closer...
• Who guitarist Pete Townshend is ticked off at Michael Moore.
• More new features from the Mozilla project's Firefox. Firefox is setting the standard for browsing functionality and IE is far, far behind.
• Funny post on Craiglist from a guy with scientific reasoning, stick figures, and flowcharts on why girls should date him.
• Umm... yeah. Eddie Van Halen has a lot of guitars.
• Banned or challenged books throughout history. Go libraries!
• The Job Predictor. Hours and hours of fun! Apparently I should have been either a movie star or a dietician. I will tender my resignation this afternoon.

Posted by snackeru at 11:49 AM | Comments (6)

July 13, 2004

Time to think about football

My Vikings season tickets are some of my most prized possessions. I don't have the best seats, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't have bad seats either. I sit amongst the true fans in the upper levels of the Dome, fans that are devoted and passionate (and relatively poor like me). This will be my 4th season owning the tickets, and almost every year I have made incremental moves down the stands. The first year I had tickets I sat in section 217, Row 28. That is pretty much at the top. However, after four years I am now in row 21! Baby steps, I realize, but every row helps. Next year I expect to break into the teens. You gotta have goals.

Needless to say, I just received my season ticket package for the 2004 season. I am pumped! To the right is one of my tickets for the Green Bay game Christmas Eve. What on Earth convinced the NFL schedule makers that this was a good idea is beyond me. I must admit that I am a little ticked off that my Christmas celebration will be chopped up by a football game. Being a person of Scandinavian descent, my family usually did our Christmas on Christmas Eve. However, the game itself should be good as always. Although I'm hoping that the Vikes will have the NFC North wrapped up by then, a little piece of me hopes the game is meaningful. Who knows? Maybe we'll need to beat the Pack to wrap up home field advantage? Regardless, the Packers should be easy to defeat this year, regardless of when the Vikings play them.

When I was in Milwaukee I asked Gabe, one of Cheesehead Craig's friends and a rabid Packer fan, what game Packer fans really get excited for. He said, "See these Christmas lights strung up all over my basement? They only get turned on for the Packer/Viking game. It's all about the Vikings." Well, this year it will be more appropriate than ever to turn on those lights for the game.

Posted by snackeru at 9:23 PM | Comments (6)

Sorry everyone

Sorry everyone for the lack of posts recently. I went on a Cub Scout camp out this weekend and I just got back last night. I'm also taking today off. The camp out was a blast and my son had a very good time, thanks for asking. The Cub Scouts are so good for him (and for me) that I thank God everyday we joined up when we did. Good people and good times.

So, today I'm going to spend some time with my family, maybe watch the All-Star game (maybe...) and generally just hang out with my kids. See you soon!

Posted by snackeru at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)

July 9, 2004

I need my fix

I am addicted. I am addicted to the thought of building stadiums in Minnesota. It totally consumes me. I can't watch a baseball, or football, game without thinking about new stadiums in Minnesota. I soak up stadium news like a sponge. If I read or hear the word "stadium" I perk up like a little doggy and I beg for more. Listening to the radio, watching the news, reading the paper, walking down the sidewalk, I am constantly on the lookout for any tidbit, any little hint of stadium news in Minnesota. Seriously, when a decision is finally made on stadiums here in this fine state I will have so much time on my hands I won't know what to do with it.

So, let's get on with today's news. Today the Star Tribune had a good editorial on the good news/bad news aspect of moving the Expos to the DC area. Let's dissect it a little. The editors write:

Our interpretation is that moving the Expos holds both good and bad news for the Twins and their fans -- good because contraction is no longer a threat, bad because without contraction hovering overhead a new ballpark in the Twin Cities seems less likely.

One thing I do agree with is with the threat of contraction gone, the chances for a new stadium decrease. Not much mind you since the chances are currently at the "when pigs fly" level, but the chances do decrease. Hard to believe, I know. The editorial goes on to say:

Minnesota needs to act in its best interests, irrespective of contraction or the movement of franchises. A new ballpark is badly needed, not just to enhance the long-term viability of the Twins but to ensure the competitiveness of the region. We agree with Gov. Tim Pawlenty when he calls the Twins an important asset to Minnesota's quality of life. Smart people protect their assets and reinvest in them.

Secondly, this paragraph states, "Smart people protect their assets and reinvest in them." Seriously, why do we want to give up something we already have, and something that other communities desperately want? The fact of the matter is if the Twins leave either by moving or contraction, the Twin Cities will seek another major league baseball team within the next 10 years. It will cost us at least three times as much at this point to build a new stadium. Why do we want to set ourselves up for this inevitability? Consider also that if we would have agreed to build a stadium five years ago we would have saved about $200 million dollars. Every year we wait only ends up costing us more.

I know, I know, what about education? What about the 600 teachers laid off in Minneapolis this summer? What about priorities? For some reason it is difficult for us to recognize the intangible benefits of having the Twins in our community when faced with teacher layoffs. I agree, it sucks to see teachers lose their jobs. But the fact of the matter is we aren't building any stadiums right now, and these teachers are still losing their jobs. Whether we build stadiums or not, our decision will not affect education. Either we invest in education or we choose not to, but stadiums have nothing to do with this decision. These are two separate issues and they should be treated as such. I write my legislators about education issues just like I write to them about stadiums. I want them to address both of these issues. The editorial ends:

It's time for the club, the fans and the public to reinvest. The Ballpark at Twinsville remains the best stadium concept. The location, transportation and parking are superb. The Minneapolis Warehouse District is loaded with dining, entertainment and housing options that will give Twins baseball a festive flavor that has made the Chicago Cubs and Wrigleyville so popular with Midwesterners. The financing plan is fair and ensures that the public will share in the increased value that a new ballpark would bring to the team. Allowing the Twins to descend the same downward spiral that swallowed the Expos is not acceptable in Minnesota.

Posted by snackeru at 7:10 AM | Comments (3)

July 8, 2004

Links of the day

• Spiderman stop-gap movie made with Legos. This is worth the wait to see. Wow!
• W Ketchup. You don't support Democrats. Why should your ketchup? I love this kind of stuff. So pointless, but so fun...
• James Lileks takes apart Michael Moore. Remind me never to write anything that Lileks could skewer. I swear, he could probably make Abraham Lincoln look like a blubbering idiot.
• Clive Cussler fans! Sahara is being made into a movie with Matthew McConaughey as Dirk Pitt (?). Will they dye his hair black and give him green contacts? What about Tom Selleck? Thanks for the link Curt!
• A 2,200 acre fungus. That is big. Thanks for the link Craig!
• Kerry's veep choice was first reported on an aviation discussion board.
• Technorati has tracked over 3 million blogs as of today with 15,000 new blogs everyday. Wow.
• West Nile Virus. What you need to know. Did you know 80% of people infected don't show any symptoms?

Posted by snackeru at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)

July 7, 2004

Twins news

Since Kenny Williams of the White Sox made his move and traded for Freddy Garcia, the baseball world has been waiting for Terry Ryan to make a deal for a pitcher for the Twins. Well, the Toronto Sun is reporting that Terry has his eye on at least two pitchers:

The Minnesota Twins, who led the American League Central Division heading into last night, are looking to counter the Chicago White Sox adding right-hander Freddie Garcia from the Seattle Mariners by obtaining a starter of their own. Their first choice is Kris Benson of the Pittsburgh Pirates and their second choice is Jays right-hander Miguel Batista.

Here is the line on Kris Benson:

Apparently he has a 95 MPH fastball, a changeup, curve, and slider, and when he is on he is very, very good. But he has yet to show any real consistency. Sounds like the perfect guy for the Twins! Get him for a bargain and give him some confidence (and put him on a winner) and we may have another Silva on our hands, or better. That 4.63 ERA is a little high, but he doesn't give up many homeruns, which is very nice.

Let's take a look at the second pitcher the Twins have in mind (and the reason the Toronto Sun is the source of this rumor) Miguel Batista:

The story on Batista is that he is a groundball pitcher. Again, not many homeruns. He has a decent fastball (faster than Radke's at least), a slider, curve, and split-finger. Personally I'd be surprised to see the Blue Jays give him up since he solidifies an already pretty good pitching staff, but the Jays are 14 games behind. Even the Devil Rays have passed them by. Once that happens I think teams in the East must pretty much decide to pack it in.

So, Kris Benson may be the Twins top choice for a fifth starter. Terry Mulholland is not the answer, we all know that.

Who said the Greet Machine never gives you any statistics?

Posted by snackeru at 10:01 PM | Comments (0)

Bulleted statements

That's about it.

Posted by snackeru at 8:49 AM | Comments (0)

July 6, 2004

Blah

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Twins stadium. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Red McCombs is evil. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Denard Walker play some freaking defense. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah build a stadium now. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah I liked this book. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah the Metrodome should be demolished. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah the Vikings will win the NFC North. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah songs for a desert island. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah I am addicted to blogs. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah I love Kevin Garnett. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah stadium, stadium, stadium, and did I mention stadium?

That about sums it up.

Posted by snackeru at 10:05 PM | Comments (2)

Not moving

Just to reiterate, the Vikings are not moving to LA. I wrote about this a few days ago, and since then more reasons have come forth which strengthen the argument that Red is doing little more than bluffing.

• According to the Viking Update article above, Red is, at best, fourth in line to move our team to LA. First in line is the Chargers. Secondly we have the Saints whose Superdome lease expires next year. Finally we have the Colts who have already proven they have the guts to move to another city. Red has not been in "the club" long enough to be given the lucrative LA market. No way.
  
• A more subtle reason, however, suggesting the Vikings will never move is the NFL's current divisional alignment. The NFL just realigned to four divisions in each conference, and most people agree that the placement of the teams is pretty good. In fact it is really good. One division I know the NFL is proud of is the NFC North. Truly, the NFC North is the NFL's most perfect division. Four natural rivalries and four really football crazy cities. Moving the Vikings would mess all of this up and create the same problem the NFL had when the Buccaneers were in the NFC Central. This may sound like a weak reason, but the NFL takes this stuff seriously.
  

I tell you, if Red dares show his face to the Metrodome crowd this season I will boo like I have never booed before. First of all, he is making the worst bluff in the history of stadium politics I have ever seen. Does he think we are all rookies at this? Secondly, he is a moron. There are more tactful ways of getting a stadium built. Plus it is obvious he hasn't learned anything from the Twins stadium battles. Do not threaten Minnesotans with a move we know will never happen! Red, we will never build a stadium for you! Sell the team!

Posted by snackeru at 8:57 AM | Comments (1)

Links of the day

• Personality quiz with some interesting possible results. I'm a SRCL. I probably need to take it again.
• Vacation quiz. Find out where you should be going on vacation this year.
• I work with fools.com. Humorous stories concerning the people we work with.
• Find a picture of your house taken by a satellite.
• Collectible disease trading cards. Oooo ... fun!

Posted by snackeru at 7:47 AM | Comments (3)

July 2, 2004

Thoughts rattling around

"[L]et me tell you why I suck as a [hitter]. Lets say I go into [batter's box] and lets say [there is a man on base and I have a chance at getting an RBI]. Well then I get all excited, I'm like JoJo, the idiot circus boy with a pretty new pet. The pet is my possible [RBI]. Oh, my pretty little pet, I love you. So, I stroke it, and I pet it, and I massage it. Hehe, I love it, I love my little naughty pet, you're naughty! And then I take my naughty pet and I go ([hits into a double play]) chhhhhhhh, chhhhhhhhh, OOOOHHHHHHH. I KILLED IT! I KILLED MY [RBI]! That's when I blow it."

That's all I got for now. See you soon!

Posted by snackeru at 9:00 AM | Comments (1)

July 1, 2004

Links of the day

• 100 Wonders of the World. Very cool.
• These diagrams are amazing. Definitely need to study them more.
• Jump on the bandwagon. Start using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.
• Into the Blogosphere. An academic look at blogs hosted by UThink. I helped code the site.
• Speaking of UThink, I love this post from the blog "Deception of the Thrush." Very good writer here.

Posted by snackeru at 11:37 PM | Comments (1)

Can't escape

You would think that during the summer we wouldn't have to keep hearing about stadium issues, but in this blasted state we can never escape them. A couple of weeks ago the rumors were floating around that Red McCombs was going to sell to Glen Taylor. Now, more than one news source is reporting that McCombs is going to try to move the team to LA for the beginning of the 2008 season.

• Viking Update: McCombs rumors begin again.
  
• Pioneer Press: McCombs could try end run to L.A.
  

This is such a load of crap, I can't believe we are even taking Red seriously. Let's take a look at the reasons why Red will never move the team to LA:

1. The Vikings have a lease in the Metrodome until 2011. Tagliabue has already said that teams with leases will not be moving. He said this at a news conference during last year's Super Bowl.
   
2. The MSFC has the infamous "Rozelle letter" which guarantees the state of Minnesota a football team until 2011. There is no getting around this letter. It was even signed off by the NFL lawyers of the time, one of which was Tagliabue.
   
3. There is no way the NFL gives a relative ownership newcomer like Red McCombs the lucrative LA market. No way. As Shooter is reporting today, the NFL is much more likely to give this $800 million market to a guy like Tom Benson of the Saints. The Chargers also make much more sense to move to LA as their lease has already expired, and the team already practices in LA. Sid reported way back in January:
   

   "With an impasse in San Diego about the building of a new football stadium after the city built a new baseball stadium, the consensus at the Super Bowl was that if the Chargers don't get a new facility, they will definitely move to Los Angeles, either in a new stadium or a remodeled Los Angeles Coliseum. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said he hopes to be able to report something on the Los Angeles situation this spring. Tagliabue made it very clear again at his Houston news conference that teams with leases will not be moving. However, he talked about how much need there is for a new Vikings stadium in Minnesota."

   
   Obviously, Tags did not get a chance to clarify the LA situation, probably to give Red and other owners the chance to hold us all hostage for new stadiums. Very savvy.
   
4. Where in the world would the Vikings, or another team for that matter, play in LA? Right now the only option they have is the LA Coliseum, and already two teams have left that dump (the Raiders and Rams). There has been talk about making the Rose Bowl more of an NFL venue, but so far there has only been talk. There is no plan, and there is certainly no funding. If Red moved the team to LA he would be in the exact same boat he is in now. He would need (or demand) a new stadium. His move to LA just doens't make any sense.
   

Posted by snackeru at 8:47 AM | Comments (5)