rician blast

I predicted 12 HRs for JD last year.This year? I'm going with: .278/12 dingers/71 RBIs...but he's gonna look smooth doing it. Of course the wildcard here is whether he jumps on the HGH train.

I like this outcome.

Hard thrower who may have a tendency to give up the long-ball? lack of movement or wild within the zone?

ahem...HGH....ahem.

My Dad too was a phone man. I found old 1040's in the attic once when I was a kid...he didn't make s***. We lived lean, but lived in a great neighborhood and understood that it was the little things that counted. We'd be driving by McDonalds and my Dad would say "don't even ask." We took one vacation per year, usually one week on the Jersey shore (Brigantine). At his funeral I delivered a eulogy recounting all the good times and his virtues when all I should have said was "Thanks Dad."

As Louis CK stated after a long-running dispute....."f*** Dane Cook, he's a ****."

Matt Damon? What they couldn't get Ben Affleck? or Jimmy Fallon? Wish they'd let me narrate the thing... "and in Game two of the ALDS Manny ripped this walk-off HR to win the game. Did you see that f***ing swing? It was beautiful! Hahaha and the Angels are pissed at Manny standing there to admire his HR. f*** them, those pussies." Yeah, I could do that gig.

The families of four making $60k combined and trying to have a life too...i feel bad for. I was at a happy hour recently...my co-workers... (the hubby and wife work at the same company) make $150k combined, so they're doing ok, but not rich. Unfortunately they want to live high on the hog, as they put in a built-in pool ($70k), each drives a brand new SUV, they go on three island/cruise/beach vacations each year (although they're going to Paris this summer instead of "the shore"), living in their $600k house. They had the audacity to complain that it's so hard to make ends meet and that their variable rate was going up again. Didn't see this coming, Mr. and Mrs. Dickweed? These are the folks that really bug me.

I also find humorous the anger directed at local utility companies, particularly electric. As regulated entities, these companies are allowed to recover their costs of operation plus a pre-determined rate of return on their investments. Typically, if they exceed that allowed rate of return there is some sort of sharing mechanism or refund of the over-earnings. Since the legislators saw fit to de-regulate the electric utility market, and fuel prices went through the roof, our electric bills have risen dramatically. But it's primarily the generation portion of electric bills that is driving the massive increases...and these dollars do NOT go to your local electric distributor...they go to the generators of electricity, the Dukes, Constellations, etc. Combine this with "federally mandated congestion charges" (which reflect that our transmission systems are having difficulty delivering the demanded MWHs of energy) and you have radidly rising prices. Yet the distribution Company catches all the s***, because people just don't care to understand how market works. As for housing and rates? I'm at 4.5% fixed which we got when we purchased of our modest raised ranch on a cul de sac loaded with kids for about $180k 6 or 7 years ago. Zillow.com says the house is worth $380k now. Not bad. We had wanted the 8 room colonial on an acre...but scaled our goals back and got a decent home in a great area, good schools, tree-lined streets, etc. Meanwhile, my wife has remained a stay at home mom, but is back in school to become an RN. You can make ends meet if you are smart, conservative and don't require every gadget ever known to mankind. It is uUnfortunate that the government is now expected by some to bail out those who could not or will not live within their own means. I've done my best to not end up in the situation some others have...why should I have to foot their bill?

My feeling is that the disparity between Brady and Manning is not as substantial as the disparity between the Pats and the Colts. The Patriots are a FAR better TEAM than the Colts, from the coach on down, IMO.

In fairness, let's face it...as a team the Colts are not that good. Period. I'm not sure Brady could even win a SB with them right now.

Here is an article that re-posts the "A Day in the Life..." deal, not sure if this is the original or not. http://quinnmedia.blogspot.com/2006/07/day-in-life-of-doug-mirabelli.html

When I was a kid my Mom told me not to do that too much or I'd go blind...so I said "OK, I'll only do it till I need glasses."

Doubt it. I think he peaked this year and its down from there...henderson will certainly be a shoe-in next year, and I think that'll hurt Rice in some way.

Fukkin' Hank.... Hank Steinbrenner, behind the scenes, after his most recent lie... http://www.film.it/fnts/film/immagini/300x180/pinocchio201.jpg

Exactly...which is why we know this was a set-up, looking for Mcnamee to say something, anything that could be distorted or taken out of context to incriminate him. My guess is Raja was well-coached regarding the conversation..he couldn't say "how could you lie" because Mcamee could have replied "I didn't." Kind of a game of cat and mouse (or rat, perhaps), with Clemens being the pompous feline. Hmmmm...speaking of cats, I wonder if Roger will commit "purrrrr-jury?"

I don't believe Clemens for a second. That said, I really thought he did an ok job in the press conference. He could have a career in film someday. As for the tape? What a piece of garbage that was....that was like talking to my great aunt on the phone, a whole lot of nothing gets said and you can't wait to hang up the phone. My hunch is that it was a setup...he deliberately did not say much and was hoping that McNamee would say something that could be taken out of context and twisted around.

Assuming he is guilty and there are others who know the truth or there is a paper trail or some other evidence...then that is the ultimate question.

"Go big or go home," a weightlifting term, might apply here...a soft-pedaled denial isn't going to convince anyone. Perhaps Clemens knows there are only 2 people that know the truth...he and McNamee...and it'll always be, at most, a "his word against mine" issue.

Das, I was thinking about that statement too and wondered if it's: - part of the denial process...I remember as a kid in trouble playing it up like that to get some relief or - is he so egotistical and self-centered/self-important that he truly believes he shouldn't be questioned after "all that he has done for the sport." I'm leaning towards it being part of a very calculated approach to denying the allegations.

I thought the Steelers got screwed on the 2 pt converison...didn't see a hold on the guy they named for the infraction. After that call I was pulling for them. But when Ward grabbed the facemask and the Jags got flagged, I quickly shifted to the Jags. Glad they got it done. BTW, do the past 2 yrs show that the Steelers SB win was more a fluke than anything else?