Wizards Catch All Thread v2008.04 [NSR]

Not National, but a Champion, yes. The origin is from his parents who had connection to classical music. Mr. Carlin had stated often in interviews that his respect and view for all aspects of sound played a large roll in how he went about creating the flow and order of the words he spoke and wrote, even as a kid.

I also thought Dennis Miller had a shot at the throne. Harder times lately. The Dennis Miller Show on HBO was well ahead of it's time. You give him any kind of picture and a chance to comment on it and he's pure gold. Anyone else catch his short run on Versus? It was a sport-centric hour of talk and comedy with, of course, a good dose of pictures on a big board with DM's running commentary and one-liners.

Regardless, I know if Robin Williams is on TV doing anything, I make plans to see it. Don't know if I can say the same about anyone else.

You consider the list and there is certainly a void of sorts, isn't there?

 

A short career never kept Gale Sayers out of the discussion. Maybe Lenny Bruce? I like Bill Murray more than Robin Williams in terms of film, but even with the occasional bad film from both, there is usually something in their performance that is worthwhile. Murray never really did stand-up though did he?

 

I'm embarrassed I forgot Jon Stewart, especially since this is a soccer forum. Yikes.

Re: Jay Leno: Yeah you can work a lot, but what is extraordinary or unique about Leno's act? It's clean, I guess that's what is unusual about it. I realize this is subjective, but I rarely laugh at Leno so he didn't make my list.

Chris Rock doesn't do much for me either.

Colbert has done other things. Ever see "Strangers with Candy"? Comedy gold. I'm so buying that box set if and when it ever hits the shelves. He was also the voice of either Ace or Gary, I can't remember which. If the AGD doesn't make you crack a smile, your soul is broken.

Dennis Miller seemed a bit like your one trick pony to me actually. Brilliant mind, but the persona just grated after a while. Opinions differ of course.

 

Miller to me seems like a much smarter version of Dana Carvey. Kind of stuck in a box that he can't get out of.

 

Yes, how can we be talking about Carlin and not mention Bruce? There's a FASCINATING character, with an interesting career path. Read his bio, which came with a compendium of his later routines. Great stuff. Just a tragic, tragic story. All he wanted to do was make a living, and a couple of backward DAs basically drove him to OD.

Not certain if Murray did stand-up.

 

That episode was replayed at 7:30 last night, the cookie monster part was hilarious.

 

For all you hippy-dippy, liberal, George Carlin lovers, HBO is going to run a 2-day marathon of every Carlin special aired from 1977-2008, running this Wednesday-Thursday.

Here is a link about it: http://www.hbo.com/events/george-carlin/tribute.html?ntrack_para1=feat_main_image

 

If you can, try and catch his very first one - the 1977 one at USC.

It's definitely my favorite stand-up comedy recording (audio or video) of all time.

And, if you're more into his later, angrier, social commentary stuff, I'd recommend "Jammin' in New York." It's just about as vicious as he ever was, and the cursing on that special is freaking amazing.

 

Probably accurate. I once saw an interview with Miller, Larry King I think, where DM described hiself as feeling much less talented than everyone else on SNL at that time...and with some reason, it's an impressive list. As a kid newbee, he was just trying to, "hang on". Then he found his niche. That turned into an outstanding career. Certainly today he can do other things.

Not too many others have the number of HBO specials or reincarnations of TV shows. What other commedian gets a shot at Monday Night Football?

Also Steve Correll probably has a shot eventually. Carroll Burnet is still alive, BTW. TV Land has reruns of the Carol Burnett Show and most of the premises, although dated by costume and set, we're created by the show and still hold up well today. Tim Conway - CB Show, movies, TV, "Dorf".

Lettermann last night had another bit (they repeat this one occasionally with huge stars) where his announcer goes off on both Dave and Will Smith with a blue torrent of cursing ire. Very funny. You have to give DL marks for extended cretivity over 25+ years of doing the same thing as it were and never getting stale critically. Dropping things from a 5 story tower or tall building, Hello Deli, product placement disguised as comedy, Top 10, Box of stuff dumped on Dave, creative suits, will it float, stupid pet/human tricks, Great Moments in Presidential speeches, Small Town News, Science Fair, Bird Calling, Current Events, Lance Armstong (a fat guy in a yellow jersey) pedalling through the studio for years, quick witted interviews, Dave's Mom, and 100 other things. Plus he was a stand-up.

Anyway, I think a shorter list might distill to Robin Williams, Cosby, Silvermann, Lettermann, and few others with a shot if time is kind to their careers.

 

http://men.msn.com/articlees.aspx?cp-documentid=8176686&GT1=32001

MSN had a link to this today about George Carlin. He always had an interesting viewpoint about life in general.

 

Flipped to the Royals game, which is actually a momentous occasion--I haven't voluntarily subjected myself to a Royals game in over a year. So what I was going to say is that I think Hochevar may be using an "additive". There's a big smudge of what appears to be dirt on the bill of his cap, which is a telltale sign. Sometimes pitchers will smudge the bill of their cap with some pine tar or other sticky stuff and between pitches they "adjust their cap", getting some tar on their fingers. haven't specifically seen him go to the cap, but it's suggestive. how does an American League pitcher get a filthy hat? And the ball looked discolored, although that could just be my TV. Discolored ball is a HUGE no-no in baseball, and if it is, shame on the umpire. That's why I think it might just be my TV.

Carry on.

 

And there it was. He's doing it on every pitch now with a man on. Not even bothering to reposition his hat, just touching his bill every pitch. Freaking cheater.

EDIT: Although I have to say it could be that he put some actual dirt there to dry his fingers, but why not use the rosin?

 

I'm not a baseball umpire, but I have on occasion thumbed through the actual baseball rulebook. It's huge, it's complicated, and everything has a rule, with umpteen sections, and addendums a through q or more.

In regards to "additives" to the ball. Some things are not expressly or otherwise prohibited. Dirt, lime, rosin, sweat and other baseball substances are to some degree allowed. A pitcher can also "go to his mouth" under certain circumstances.

Maybe he was cheating, maybe not. He had good stuff last night and has had good stuff other nights as well. Regardless, there are many people paid to determine if he was cheating or not. All of those men have read, digested, and studied the complex rule book of baseball and none of them had issue with Hochaver last night.

Royals are 12-3 vs the National League including sweeps of St. Louis away and Colorado here. KC has won 5 straight series and is out of the AL Central basement. A well earned day off today is followed by the hated Cardinals in town for a weekend set. Sat is sold out already.

It's good to have a team that actually wins in town! Let's hope we get another soon.

J. Soria: 21 saves. Lights out type stuff. The 65 mph knee buckling hook last night was particularly impressive.


Aussie Rules: I know everyone is concerned...
Cheap-shot artist, personal fav, and goal scorer extrordinaire Barry Hall came back from his 7-game suspension for the left-hook sucker-punch of a big furry West Coast Eagle to bag 5 goals, many behinds (the Agent 49 look-alike wasn't wholly accurate, he was understandably a little rusty), a few goal assists, and a boatload of other stats to lead The Sydney Swans to a huge away victory last week. That's 5 on the trot for the Swans, who now occupy one of the "double chance" positions in 4th place on the laddar. Might not matter, gonna take a miracle to beat the Cats.

NBA: So you want to be a GM?

OK, you're the GM of what was last season an unmitigated disaster, a horrible team. The Commish fixed the ping pong balls in your favor and allowed you to win the lottery and the #1 pick. Congrats.

Do you use your #1 pick on a no-doubt Hall-of-Famer that is a complete flake and might not mature - if he ever does - until after you are fired OR do you use the #1 on a selfish idiot who may well end up in prison right before you get fired? Or you could also choose anyone else and simply expidite the process and get yourself fired immediately. Oh, BTW, both Mayo and Beasley are not yet 20 and will make 10-20 times what you make to decide such an issue, and hundreds of times what you made in the same league over full carreers. Go ahead and get that, it's your billionaire owner who can't even dribble a ball on the line to offer his $.02... Oh, and your wife would like you to pick up the kids on the way home, it's massage day for the Mrs. and it's her weekly with Adolfo at Spa Italiano; if you can get some milk on the way home, that would be great.



Yeah, I'd do it in a heartbeat too.

NHL: A buch of respectful, hard-working kids go to join their new Or-ghan-EYE-Zay-shuns. No felons, no guns, no AAU. Nobody has any issues... and nobody South of the Minnesota border cares.

In other NHL news, Barry Melrose, he of the blunt comment, fine humor, and famous mullet was lured away from Bristol, CN and the ESPN studios to try and rescue Vincent LeCavilye (sp) and the rest of the Tampa Bay Lightning. So now, not only is there no Gary Thorne calling games on ESPN (or anywhere else), but now there is nobody worth listening regarding NHL issues in the entire ESPN stable of networks and interenet. No podcasts, no in studio. Ugh! Sad, sad times. I've already bookmarked Tampa's sports page for quotes. Best of luck to Barry.

Tennis: Americans can't play on clay, no shock. That they are being dismissed from the grass of Wimbledon is a little more concerning. Even Roddick was down a set mid-4th to a nobody, didn't hear how it ended.

Golf: No Tiger, no Tour is the refrain from the ESPN wonks. No long-term knee damage is the refrain from Tiger's surgeon. PGA Pubah Tim Fincham can breathe again... Some gals in tight skirts are playing for something on a channel right now, must be a major of some sort. Who knew there was still a ladies tour?

Alemania y Espana, Domingo! Cervesa! Mas! Mas! All local beers will be on special in buckets at every place off of a white sand beach pretty much everywhere in the world. Get there if you can. Viva Espana!

Roberto Donidoni, ITA head wonk canned uncerimonisouly. I say good. Hope Italy is still confused two summers form now.

Tour de France is upcomming. Use the time to find VS on your set.

I mentioned previously about a week or so ago that NBC is in full "sex-it-up" mode for the upcoming Olympics. I thought I was humorously reaching a bit. Apparently not. If you didn't notice, diving and women's gymnastics were on last week. I swear I didn't know the schedule when I posted. This weekend it's the see-through suits of swimming. Enjoy. Go USA!

Speaking of USA, the MNT: only 1-nil away? 9-0 agg is fine, but score some more goals please.

Investment: Goldmann Sachs - generally refferred to as the smartest guys in the room - caused a downfall in the market today by downgrading to a "SELL" recommendation two of the componenets of the DOW. Not good in my world. Ouch. All 30 components fell on the news. Your stocks probably had a poor day. Tomorrow should be better. If you think about bailing out of the market, do so on a positive day where your stocks go up. It's what the pros often do. React opposite the masses when you can. Also, there are "safe" things to invest in that will give you a "boring" 6% like swiss clockwork with zero downside risk of loss. Call your insurance/money guy...or PM me.

 

Trust me, pine tar may be legal for batters now, but still very much a no-no for pitchers. And the home plate ump doesn't normally get quite as good a look at the bill of the cap as the TV monitors have. Plus it's an easy thing to overlook, given all of the other things the ump has to keep his mind on. Hochevar would not be the first pitcher to pull that stunt either, nor the first to get tossed for it.

Here's the deal on additives. As a rule, if it increases or decreases the friction of the ball through air, or scuffs, shines, defaces or otherwise sullies the pure virginal surface of the baseball, it is illegal. A one-off exception for a foreign substance is made for rosin. Naturally occurring elements such as dirt and sweat, obviously can't be prohibited either. Dirt has little utility other than simply to dry the pitchers hands anyway, and the effect of sweat on a pitched ball cannot be an advantage to the pitcher, no way. The change in action would be more than offset by the fact that the ball keeps slipping out of his hand--not the kind of edge the pitcher was looking for.

 

so waiting for the WNBA to end I'm seeing on the bottom screen that the NBA draft was today. Now I don't pay attention to the NBA but I thought their draft was on a weekend, not on some random Thursday night.

 

So, the Astros have waived starting pitcher Shawn Chacon after he got into an altercation with the general manager, Ed Wade.

Who'd they call up to take his roster spot? Former Royal Runelvys Hernandez.

 

Elvis? Hide the chips.

 

Thread getting up there in posts. Time for a newbie here:

Thread closed.