Clearing out the Clutter

Friday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Come on in, I was just making some coffee.  Happy Friday to you all.  Congratulations on making it through another week.  What's the plan for the weekend?  It's shaping up to be a rough little stretch here at Clutter Headquarters.  BDH spent most of last night pouting because there wasn't a Red Sox game to watch, and now it looks like I'm going to have to talk to him about the future of Terry Francona.  That's not going to be fun, but we'll get through it somehow.  Okay, the coffee's ready.  Help yourself to a cup and let's close out the week with a little Clutter. 

Theo Epstein and Terry Francona held their end of the year press conference yesterday, and apparently the 2011 Red Sox weren't exactly the most team-focused group we've ever had.  By most reports, Terry Francona sounded like he's had it with Boston, and the Francona era might be over by the time you read this.  If true, that's a major disappointment in Clutter Headquarters, one that's bigger than the team collapse this year.  Francona has been the best manager in Red Sox history, and I can't imagine who they could find to replace him that wouldn't be a step down (apart from Joe Maddon, who clearly isn't leaving Tampa Bay any time soon). I just hope he'd be leaving on his terms, because the Red Sox management is out of their bleeping minds if they think that someone else could have done a better job with this team.

Obviously Tito gets credit for two World Series wins, but he's also done a masterful job of handling the intense scruitny and all of the other nonsense that comes with managing in Boston.  I met Tito at Mike Lowell's Casino Night event a few years ago and told him that I was moving out of Boston whenever he left the Red Sox.  He laughed and said, "Aww shucks, don't do that."  I'll have to rethink my stance here.  I don't know if BDH is prepared for a move out of Clutter Headquarters, and I'd really miss the Clutter Tree, but this is a bummer.  If he really is gone by the end of today, then cheers, Tito.  You have a fan for life.

After doing intense research (i.e. reading comments in my Facebook news feed), I've come to the conclusion that Bank of America is going to lose a number of customers after implementing a $5 monthly fee for debit card use. 

Why are conservatives suddenly fans of Gibson Guitars?

GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is putting all of his chips on an upset win in the New Hampshire primary.

Mike Huckabee will interview Mitt Romney on Fox "News" this weekend.  I'd be more excited about it if Huckabee supporter Chuck Norris did the interview instead.

Should we take bets on how many more government shutdown threats there will be in 2011?  I'll set the over/under at 4.5 

The "Occupy Wall Street" protest could be getting much larger very soon.

Things aren't so happy at Friendly's.

A new study of millions of tweets came to the conclusion that people are happier before they go to work and then when they leave work.  That sounds like groundbreaking research.  I understand, it's cool that they did a study involving social media.  I just hope the next one comes up with something better than, "We found by tracking Twitter and Facebook use that people tend to go to sleep at night, and then they wake up in the morning."

90% of Americans say the economy stinks, according to a new CNN poll.  I wonder what the other 10% are thinking?

Hey, there's a reason these mushrooms are called, "magic."

Is Kobe Bryant really going to play basketball in Italy?

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I was looking at this clip from earlier this of the Red Sox successfully picking a runner off first base to end the inning, only to have it be called a balk instead, and Terry Francona being thrown out of the game.  That seems to sum up the entire season rather nicely and it's today's, "Clip of the Day."  Have a good one, my friends.  Don't forget to look both ways before crossing the street, and we'll see you back here again soon.

 

 

Dark Day Clutter

Hi everyone,

Come on in.  It's a dark day at Clutter Headquarters.  Literally a dark day with the clouds outside.  The gloomy weather seems fitting following a Red Sox loss that would have made their pre-2004 predecessors proud.  That was horrible enough, but what was just as bad was having to explain to BDH what just happened, this being his first baseball season and all.  As soon as the game was over, he said, "Well, we'll just play again tomorrow, right?"  He had such hope in his eyes and an innocent smile on his face, it was heart-breaking to explain to him that the season was over.  He tried to be brave, continuing to smile, but I could see a tear forming.  Little Buddha, who's gone through this before, having been here for almost 20 years, spent the rest of the night consoling him.  The two of them are still asleep, so be quiet when you pull up your chair.  Now, grab your coffee, and let's clear out some Clutter.

It's going to be a little while before I get my thoughts together on last night, so in the meantime, here's a story on the Red Sox loss, here's an article on the Rays win, and here's Adrian Gonzalez placing the blame for the loss somewhere unexpected.  He has a right to his opinion, but I'd go with the starting pitching first.

Is this the end for Ashton and Demi?  Will the pain never end today?  Ashton was also busy taking care of business on this week's Two and a Half Men.

Newton Mayor Setti Warren is expected to drop out of the Massachusetts Senate race today.

States are joining together to lobby the congressional deficit committee to not make any Medicaid cuts.

The GOP's obession with Planned Parenthood continues as Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Florida) wants the organization to provide their financial records for the last 12 years, claiming there are questions about how the organization segregates its federal funds to ensure they're not spent on abortion services.  These "questions" likely came from the same women who supposedly told Michele Bachmann that the HPV vaccine made her daughter mentally retarded.

Representatives Ed Markey (Massachusetts) and Joe Barton (Texas) want the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Facebook.  I'm guessing they're not likely to be getting campaign contributions from Facebook's new PAC.

Lewis Black thinks Sarah Palin is "a fictional character."  I can't imagine what kind of foreign substances you'd have to ingest to make her up, but I'm guessing they'd do the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson proud.

 

It's interesting to hear that Saudi King Abdullah overturned a court order that a woman be given ten lashes for driving a car.  is this part of an extended challenge to the country's religious leaders, or is he just looking for some good publicity this week?

Is this the end of the line for my iPod Classic, or maybe even iPod's in general?  That's cool, you all know how much I love change.  Love it.

R.I.P. Wilson Greatbatch (what a great name), the inventor of the implantable pacemaker.

Google is now getting into real estate development?

Fans of NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton won't be happy about a new biography that details drug abuse, suicidal thoughts and infidelities.

We have Doctor Who's Alex Kingston with a lengthy interview right before Saturday's season finale. 

Wait, there's another Olsen sister?

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I better go check on BDH and make sure he's okay.  With the abrupt finish to the Red Sox season, let's have The Doors take us out with today's, "Song of the Day."  There's no getting around it, this is a bummer of a day, but as long as we stick together, and as long as there's DD to drink and Clutter to clear, we will get through this together.  Have a good one, my friends, and we'll see you back here again for more silliness soon.

 

The Doors : The end live 1970 by tartenpion333 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back for another round of random.  BDH and Little Buddha just woke up, and the coffee is ready, so help yourself, and let's see what's going on in the world today.

With Jason Varitek (knee) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (collarbone) banged up, the Red Sox asked 24 year old rookie Ryan Lavarnway to make his first start as a major league catcher in an absolute must-win game for Boston.  No pressure or anything, right?  Well, the kid stepped up big time, hitting the first two home runs of his career (driving in four runs) as the Red Sox hung on by a thread to beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7.  Starting pitcher Erik Bedard didn't do anything to make anyone feel good about our pitching, but Alfredo Aceves (he of the rubber arm) came in and did his thing yet again, throwing 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.  Daniel Bard's struggles continue as he gave up two runs in the 8th inning, and Jonathan Papelbon gave everyone in Red Sox Nation (who's still watching) a collective stroke when he gave up a run in the 9th and put the tying run on base, but they managed to squeak out the victory.  That was a win they had to have to stay tied with the Tampa Bay Rays who beat the Yankees 5-3.  The Yankees are playing like the 1919 Chicago White Sox these days, with "Operation Lie Down" working as smoothly as possible.

So, here we are, it's time for Game 162.  The Rays are playing a good team who doesn't care at all, and the Red Sox are playing a bad team who would love nothing more than to cost them the playoffs.  Jon Lester takes to the mound tonight for Boston, with everyone wondering whether the good or bad Lester will show up.  What are the odds that the season will be determined today, or are we destined for bonus play-in game tomorrow?  It's amazing that the Red Sox are in this position, but they remain in control of their own destiny.  Win one or two more games, and they're going to the playoffs.  Let's see what ya got, boys.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie looks better and better the longer he doesn't run for president.

Sarah Palin might not want to be president because it could keep her from being all mavericky and stuff.

Who is arguing that we should suspend Congressional elections for two years?

Is a Supreme Court decision on health care reform next year a win for President Obama no matter what the ruling?

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) is pushing FEMA to speed up the delivery of disaster relief funds to his district...after threatening to prevent FEMA from doing anything in the recent budget negotiations.

A woman in Saudi Arabia is given 10 lashes as a punishment for the heinous crime of driving herself.

Economists say in a new survey that President Obama's jobs bill could help prevent a recession in 2012.  Meanwhile, another economist says that creating low-paying jobs isn't enough to improve the economy.  Paul Osterman argues that we need to increase the minimum wage as well.

Shockingly, some millionaires disagree with Warren Buffett's notion that they should be paying a higher tax rate.

It's the end of an era as Andy Rooney is leaving 60 Minutes.

Kicking the seat in front of you is okay, but kissing someone can get you kicked off the airplane.  Me thinks your odds of removal are increased when it's a same-sex kiss.

I've certainly enjoyed my Guns 'N Roses over the years, but I have to think there are other bands more deserving of consideration for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  I'll be surprised if they make the final cut this year.

I heard some of the Chickenfoot webcast last night as they debuted their new album.  I couldn't give it my full attention since the Red Sox were still playing, but what I heard sounded like more straight-forward hard rock, and with Sammy Hagar and bass player Michael Anthony providing the vocals, it once again sounded like an album that Van Halen should have recorded.  If you like this kind of music, I think they're replaying the webcast tonight, so you really should check it out.



Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  BDH, Little Buddha and I need to get some work done, but it's going to be difficult to concentrate with tonight's Red Sox game coming up.  Here's to a Red Sox win and a Tampa Bay loss, and if both want to be by wide margins in order to remove any stress this evening, that would be just great.  In the meantime, here's a look back at Ryan Lavarnway's great catching debut via today's, "Clip of the Day."  Have a good one my friends, and we'll see you back here again soon.  Later.

 

Tuesday Clutter

Hey everyone,

Come on in.  How are you?  The Sox have me a little grouchy, and I'm tired, which never helps, but now that you're here, we'll have some coffee, clear out a little Clutter, and I'm sure the rest of the day will pick up from there, so let's get started!

The Red Sox are now tied for the wild card after losing 6-3 to the Baltimore Orioles last night.  Erik Bedard takes the mound tonight, Jon Lester will come back on short rest to pitch the final game of the regular season on Wednesday, and then if the Red Sox are still tied with the Tampa Bay Rays, I'm guessing Thursday's play-in game would be started by Alfredo Aceves, with help from Clay Buchholz and then everyone else in the bullpen.  160 games played, and it all comes down to the final two or three.  Even if I can't stand that Boston is in this position, that's still pretty amazing.  It also should be a reminder to those who claim that early season games somehow don't count as much as the late ones do.  Of course they do. If the Red Sox had started the year 6-6 instead of 2-10, we wouldn't be here right now.

Congress avoids a government shutdown by avoiding federal disaster relief funding for now.  I wonder if people whose lives have been hurt by hurricanes and floods will be the next group to be cheered by a GOP presidential primary crowd.

Is it time for the U.S. Supreme Court to take on the Affordable Care Act?  The stakes are going to be really high for both sides with a decision expected shortly before next year's elections.

Chris Christie, Sarah Palin, Paul Ryan, and the rest of the undecided possible GOP presidential candidates will need to put up or shut up pretty soon.

Privacy advocates once again say Facebook is pushing the boundaries too far. That's probably true, but at this point, if you're really that concerned about information Facebook has on you, stop posting things, or delete your account.  Use your account with the understanding that Facebook is trying to get every last bit of data they can on you. Oh, and they're also going to find political candidates who will make it easier for them to do that.

Here's another reason to love coffee if you're a woman.

R.I.P. Arch West, creator of Doritos.

Where does life go next for Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane after being portrayed by Brad Pitt?

Ozzie Guillen is out as the manager of the Chicago White Sox.  The colorful Guillen had an eight year run with the White Sox but talked the team into releasing him before the final year of his contract after they said they wouldn't grant him a contract extension.  By all indications, Ozzie is off to manage the Florida Marlins next year, and the Florida media must be breaking out the bubbly at the idea of being able to cover the outspoken manager for the next few years.

I found last Saturday's Doctor Who episode online yesterday (damn you, BBC America/Comcast).  It was pretty funny in parts, though it continued to set the stage for The Doctor's supposed pending doom in this week's season finale.  There are a lot of questions that still need answering, and it sounds like the finale answers many, but not all of them.

Chickenfoot III has arrived. You can see for yourself what all the buzz is about by checking out the band's free concert webcast tonight at 9:00.

Broken ribs didn't stop quarterback Tony Romo from leading the Dallas Cowboys to an 18-16 win over the Washington Redskins last night.  That's impressive.  It can't be easy to throw a football when simply breathing hurts.

Which Dancing with the Stars cast member had a wardrobe malfunction last night?  I'll give you a hint, it wasn't David Arquette.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  The Red Sox have their backs against the wall and are going to have to fight their way through two (or maybe three) games if they want to make it to the post-season.  They're going to have to reach down and see if they've got anything left in the tank, and perhaps today's, "Clip of the Day" with the original Red Sox cowboy Kevin Millar will help.  If nothing else, it's fun to watch Millar make fun of Dan Shaughnessy.   Have a good one, my friends.  Let's do this again soon.

 

  

Monday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  Come on in.  I was just making some coffee.  I'm probably going to need multiple pots today, but I'll share with you.  I had a busy Sunday that started with getting up at 6:00 am to help Dad Clutter park cars for the NASCAR race in New Hampshire, and the day ended about 18 hours later with the Red Sox game.  My eyes are puffy, and my feet and back are sore, but I'd say it was worth it.  Now it's time to focus and clear out some Clutter.  Here we go...

The Red Sox split their doubleheader with the Yankees yesterday, and Jacoby Ellsbury made a strong late surge for American League MVP, hitting three home runs, including the game-winner in the 14th inning of Game 2.  The Sox lost 6-2 in Game 1 (both runs coming on Ellsbury homers) and then came back to win 7-4 in the 14th inning of Game 2.  I suspect the first game was Tim Wakefield's last start of his career, so cheers one more time to Wake for a helluva run.  Unfortunately, we're still stuck with Game 2 starter John Lackey, who even when he pitches well (4 runs and 5 hits over 6 innings) throws such a tantrum about being taken out, he still creates ill will (Update: Forget "ill will,"Lackey is a Grade A scumbag.) 

Cheers to Jacoby, and cheers to the Red Sox bullpen who threw 8 innings of scoreless relief.  This was a must-win, and they stepped up.  Oh, I almost forgot!  Cheers also to JD Drew who appeared in his first game since early June.  JD had the first RBI of Game 2, and he advanced the runner in each of his next two at-bats.  Hey, that's the most productive thing he's done this year.  Enjoy your pending retirement, JD.

Now it's off to Baltimore, where the Red Sox have a one game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the wild card, and their magic number is three with three games left to play.  We should be fine as long as Josh Beckett throws a complete game shutout, but hey, no pressure, right, big guy?  On a personal note, my magic number is seven, which is how many DD's I think I'll need to be able to stay up for the entire game.  The entire season comes down to the final three games with the Baltimore Orioles, that's amazing.  As bad as September has been, you know what's worse than stressful late-September games?  Meaningless September games.  I remember when I was a kid and the Red Sox would be eliminated in early September and spend the rest of the month playing their largely-bad minor league prospects.  I'll take this over that any day, but what I'll really take is three straight wins, thank you very much.

I missed yesterday's 34-31 New England Patriots loss to the Buffalo Bills, and it sounds like that was a good thing.  It's impressive that they only lost by three points on a day where they had four interceptions, plus a non-existent defense.  It sounded like Chad Ochocinco had another lousy week.  Is he on the verge of being cut?  I don't get a sense that he's making any progress, and the team can't afford to wait that much longer.  Well, Tom Brady isn't going to throw four interceptions again any time soon, but the Patriots are going to have to come up with some major corrections to their defense, or this season could get ugly.

As I mentioned this weekend, I had to DVR the latest Doctor Who episode because of my NH road trip.  For those of you wondering, BBC America cut out once again.  Is The Doctor too much for Comcast to handle?  This is bizarre.  Looks like I'll be looking for the show online again. 

Saudi Arabia gives women the right to vote, though they still can't drive, or really do much of anything else as an equal member of society.

Texas Governor Rick Perry's downward spiral continues after losing a Florida straw poll to...Herman Cain...by more than a 2-1 margin.

Mitt Romney believes that words have meaning, unless they're words which could come back to haunt him, in which case, they should be deleted.  (h/t: David Bernstein)  Also, for a guy with degrees from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, Romney certainly spends a lot of time attacking Harvard.

Do you want some more coffee?  Me too.  Hold on, I'll be right back.....here you go.  Okay, where were we?

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick broke his hand in a 29-16 loss to the New York Giants.  That's a shame.

The Cleveland Indians gave universally-acknowledged good guy Jim Thome a proper goodbye at home.

You have to read this Craigslist ad for a used yoga mat.  It's the funniest thing I've read this year.  I read it to BDH and Little Buddha last night, and they're still both quietly laughing in their sleep.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  The GOP seems to be having presidential candidate debates every other day.  It can be a little difficult to keep track of who's who and what crazy statement they're making now.  That's why we're going to end today with a "Clip of the Day" from the fine folks at Saturday Night Live, who've created this little primer to help you keep things straight.  Have a good one, my friends.  Enjoy the nice weather as much as you can, and we'll see you back here again soon for more coffee and fun.  Later.

 

 

Bus Clutter

Hi everyone,

We're taking Clutter on the road again, this time all the way to the vast wilderness that is New Hampshire.  There's a NASCAR race this weekend, and I'm helping Dad Clutter park cars on his property again.  That means I have get up around 6am tomorrow, and you know how much I love getting up early in the morning.  Thankfully I will get to have some coffee before I have to deal with anyone, and it's all for a very good cause, which in this case is me getting paid.  Anyway, our last edition of "Clutter on the Road" was so much fun, I thought I'd try it again, this time via transportation provided by the fine folks at Concord Trailways.  Ready?  Here we go...

We've just pulled out of South Station, and the good news is that my little Internet hotspot card is working flawlessly so far.  The bad news is that it's a much bumpier ride on the bus than it was on the train.  Also, there are no outlets on the bus, and my laptop's battery seems to like cutting out without warning, so I'll just keep saving every five minutes, and we'll see how that works out. 

I seem to have lost about 10% usage just since I started typing this.  Huh.  Time for a new battery perhaps?  Oh, now I'm down to 61% remaining, and we're barely out of Boston.  Friends, I fear our time together may be shortened today.  That's too bad, I was looking forward to sharing this bus ride with you today, especially because I was totally excited to tell you the hysterical story of

 

Saturday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back to the house of the random.  How are you?  What's the plan for today?  It seems like it's not quite as dreary as predicted, so that's a good start.  BDH and Little Buddha are still sleeping, so I had to make the coffee.  Is it strong enough?  I can make you another cup if you want, and then we can clear out some Saturday Clutter. 

Congratulations to the Texas Rangers on clinching the American League West division title last night.  With Texas taking the West, the Detroit Tigers taking the Central, and the Yankees taking the East, all that remains is that pesky little wild card.  The magic number for the Red Sox is now 4, thanks to another Tampa Bay loss last night.   Jon Lester takes the mound this afternoon to see if he can reduce the number to 3.  I don't care how the Sox make it (even if it includes using Clay Buchholz as a reliever), anything is possible in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Terry Francona makes it clear to Theo Epstein and John Henry that he's not about to beg for his jobif they make the insane decision to fire him after the season.  Funny, I don't remember Francona signing John Lackey and Carl Crawford, I'm not entirely clear on how he's responsible for the injuries to Youk and Buchholz, and I'm pretty sure any other manager would have gotten the same results out of the likes of Matt Albers, Andrew Miller, and the rest of the bullpen who's not named Aceves, Bard and Papelbon.  Hopefully we can end this silly discussion soon.

Major League Baseball and Venezuela President Hugo Chavez aren't that close these days.

Almost a million young Americans have health insurance now thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

Cheers to Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) for becoming the first Republican to sign on to legislation to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act.  May other members of her party have the courage to follow her lead.

Conservative pundits are bailing on Texas Governor Rick Perry as fast as they can after his bumbling performance in the last debate.

Is Rep. Michele Bachmann calling for the abolition of taxes?  The best part is that no one would be surprised if the answer is yes.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's spokesman has been granted immunity in a federal investigation of two of Walker's former aides.

Here's a guide to the new Facebook Timeline feature for those of you who want a head start...wait, Timeline now enables you to see who unfriended you?  Oh, that's going to make for a lot of awkward situations.  I suspect many more friend requests will stay in "pending request" purgatory as a result.

I'm sorry to hear about the death of former NFL player Orlando Brown who was probably best known for accidentally being hit in the eye by a penalty flag.  Brown was only 40 years old.

It's time to start taking bets.  I have to DVR tonight's Doctor Who episode.  Who thinks that's going to go smoothly, and who thinks BBC America will cut out on me again for no particular reason for the 3rd or 4th week in a row?

Did Hugh Jackman really break a WWE wrestler's jaw? 

The curtain comes down on All My Children after a 41-year run.  I wonder if any of my former babysitters were still watching the show.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I'm off to see Dad Clutter, so I need to finish packing, cleaning up Clutter Headquarters, and making sure BDH and Little Buddha have everything they need while I'm gone.  Have a great day, enjoy the first weekend of fall, and we'll be back soon with more silliness.  In the meantime, here's Spongebob Squarepants doing another cover for today's, "Song of the Day."  Later.

 

 

 

Friday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Come on in, come on in.  Happy Friday!  It is Friday, right?  Why does it seem like this week took a month to get through?  What are your plans for the weekend?  I'm sorry we couldn't hang out yesterday, but grab yourself a medium DD, and let's clear out the Friday Clutter.

The Red Sox didn't play last night, but the Rays split a doubleheader against the Yankees, and the Angels lost their game, so Boston goes into the final six games of the year with a two game lead over Tampa Bay and three games over Los Angeles for the wild card.   The good news is that Boston's fate is still entirely in their hands, but they have to step up and find a way to get the job done, and hopefully it starts tonight with Jon Lester providing the first quality start the Sox pitching has had all month.  Meanwhile, Peter Gammons is a Hall of Fame baseball writer, but his suggestion that Terry Francona's job might be in danger better be the dumbest thing he's ever written.  In a battle of Theo vs. Tito, I'll go with Tito every time. 

Everyone is happy that the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," policy is over, but the Obama administration is now on the wrong end of a lawsuit seeking full severance pay for soldiers who were dismissed under the policy.  It doesn't sound like the judge in the case is sympathetic to the government on this one, and she's not the only one who doesn't understand why they would choose to fight this battle now.

The GOP is adamant that federal disaster relief funding not pass without matching spending reductions, which I continue to find amazing.  The proposal failed the first time on Wednesday, because the Republican rank and file didn't find it severe enough, but they're actually going to give it a second shot with further cuts (Update: The bill passed the House early this morning.) I'm not "that" old, but this feels like the sort of thing even Ronald Reagan would never have fought over.   There are so many issues to argue over, but is helping people in a time of crisis really a partisan issue?  The GOP is so disconnected from any semblance of mainstream society.  The inmates are running the asylum, and now they're also threatening to torch the place.  What I also find amazing is that Speaker John Boehner once again didn't count his votes properly before this proposal was voted down on Wednesday.  Seriously, is there any aspect of government these guys can handle?

You have to give the GOP credit.  They've had 100 debates in the last few weeks, which have all blurred together, except that the crowd has loudly and clearly told the country where the party stands these days, so there can be no doubt.  First we had applause for hundreds of state executions, then we had applause for letting a guy die.  Now we have a crowd that is so homophobic that they boo a gay soldier, currently serving in Iraq, who asked if the presidential candidates would try to undo the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  Amazing.  These were the same people who yelled from the highest mountain tops that opposing the war in Iraq meant you hated the troops and should basically leave the country.   Have they no decency at all?  At all?  No sense of shame?

Texas Governor Rick Perry is working on his Mitt Romney impression as a flip-flopper as he tries to walk back his, "Social Security is unconstitutional" comments.

In case you haven't heard Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's defense of the social contract, take two minutes to check this out and see why everyone is buzzing about her:

 

Sarah Palin wants people to give her more money to help her make her decision about running for president.  I'll tell you what, why don't you write me a check instead?  BDH and Little Buddha could use some new toys, and your generous contribution will have the exact same impact on Palin's decision-making process.

In case you were wondering, stocks are still "on sale."

Putting my life into a Facebook "Timeline?"  Noooo, thank you.  You're making enough money off of what you already know about me, Mr. Zuckerberg.

Manny Ramirez wants to return to baseball?  Who would take him at this point?  He'll miss the first 100 games of the season as he serves his suspension for violating baseball's drug policy, and what reason would a club have to think he'd be a productive player? 

I know I'm late on this (damn newspaper delivery route messing up my Clutter schedule), but I was sorry to hear about the break-up of R.E.M.  I remember a couple of girls in high school being really excited about them right before they hit it big and disappointed once everyone else joined them.  I was there for "Out of Time" and "Automatic for the People," but then they lost me with "Monster."  "Automatic" is a great album from start to finish on a quiet and/or rainy night.  I particularly like the guitars on that one.  It seems telling that they released five albums after 1996, and I can only vaguely remember a review of one of them.  Maybe that's why they broke up.  It sounds like it was amicable though, so...cheers, fellas.

Community had its season premiere last night, and you are missing out if you're not watching the show.  It's clever, non-conventional, and better written than most other programs (which admittedly might not be the highest bar ever set).  I didn't have the highest hopes for it before the first season.  Joel McHale and Chevy Chase don't sound like the most engaging duo ever, but everyone is great (including my new TV crush Alison Brie). It certainly takes a lot out of show creator Dan Harmon,but I'm glad he's willing to make the sacrifice.  Thursdays at 8:00 is the place to be/DVR.

The new Dunder Mifflin boss was announced last night on The Office season premiere.  The show's cast is like a comfortable pair of slippers, but it's probably going to be up to new guest star James Spader to provide a reason to keep watching each week.

Katie Holmes as a Slutty Pumpkin?  I don't see it. 

Moneyball comes out today, and it sounds like a winner.  Who wants to catch a matinee?   You get the sodas, and I'll get the popcorn.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Man, there was a lot of Clutter to clear.  That's what happens when we miss hanging out for a day!  We have to end with "Man on the Moon" for today's "Song of the Day."  How am I going to pass up a song that includes Andy Kaufman and wrestling legend Freddie Blassie with a little Elvis thrown in?  It also strikes me that bassist Mike Mills has the same role that Michael Anthony had with Van Halen.  That is, it wouldn't sound like an R.E.M. song without Mills providing his trademark backing vocals.  Maybe it's something about bass players named Mike.  Huh, okay, I've gone off on another tangent.  Have a great weekend my friends, and we'll see you back here again for more fun soon.  Later.

 

We're going to add one more song.  I always really liked "Monty Got A Raw Deal," but apparently there isn't a decent video to go with it, so we'll just have to go with this.  Enjoy:

 

 

Thursday Morning Jukebox

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately, the real world prevents me from going through today's headlines with you this morning.  You know I'd do it if I could, but someone has to pay the bills, and BDH and Little Buddha are still learning how to type.  So, in the meantime, enjoy today's selection from the Clutter Jukebox while I'm off delivering newspapers.

It sounds like Series 2 of the BBC's Sherlock now won't be airing until some time in early 2012.  That's a shame, because they're wonderfully written stories, and they feature the man with the best name of all actors, Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch, as Sherlock Holmes.  His assistant, Dr. Watson, is played by Martin Freeman, whose name isn't nearly as interesting, but he's also good.

So while we wait for the next season to begin, someone was kind enough to put together an engaging Sherlock trailer set to "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger.  I think the guy who did it was just a fan, but it's a solid ad for the show:

 

 

 

Wasn't that cool?  The one downside is that it's a shortened version of the song, so for those of you who want the complete package, we give you the official video:

 

 

 

Okay, I have to run.  I hope you have a productive Thursday despite the gloomy weather.  We'll back with some more randomness later.  No matter how much Clutter we clear, there's always more work to be done!  Be good. 

Wednesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Come on in.  Welcome back.  Sorry I'm moving a little slowly today.  I woke up with a massive headache, and now I'm waiting for the Advil to kick in.  So, we may need to be a little quiet this morning, but grab a DD, and let's see if we can still clear out some Clutter.

The bad news is that the Red Sox lost 7-5 to the Baltimore Orioles last night.  The good news is that the Tampa Bay Rays also lost against the New York Yankees, so we are still the wild card leaders by two games right now.  The night certainly got off to a good start as professional wrestling legend "Nature Boy" Ric Flair paid a surprise visit to wrestling fans Dustin Pedroia and Josh Reddick before the game, presenting Pedroia with a championship belt.  (I saw Flair on the field before game and was shocked to see he's not much taller than Pedroia.)  Erik Bedard made his first start since September 3rd, and for the first time in about 5-6 games, the Sox weren't losing 2-0 after two innings.  Sweet!  The Red Sox would eventually take a 5-4 lead, and it just seemed like a bigger lead than that.  However, it wasn't, and the Orioles hit Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon in the 8th inning to take the lead. 

I'll be back to Fenway one last time for the regular season tonight, hopefully to see Josh Beckett keep the Baltimore bats in check, and the Red Sox put up enough runs to take two out of three for this series.  It's hard to believe this is the last regular-season game at Fenway for the year.  As long as the baseball season is, I'm always caught off-guard when it comes to a close.  It seems like just yesterday I was ordering my tickets for the year, but apparently that was nine months ago.  Where does the time go?  In any case, the fact remains that with seven games left to go, the Red Sox are "still" the current wild card leaders, so let's try to remember that, folks.  Whooooooo!  (Note to self:  Don't imitate Ric Flair when you have a headache.)

I keep reading stories about this inmate named Troy Davis who is facing execution today unless someone (most likely the U.S. Supreme Court again) steps in.  A civilized country doesn't kill its own citizens.  It's just that simple.

A lot of people were talking about the new poll showing Elizabeth Warren two points ahead of Scott Brown, including, Senator Brown.

GOP leaders take the amazing step of publicly asking the Federal Reserve not to do anything else to try to help the economy.  Just when you think they might have run out of ways to show their extreme distaste for anyone besides their wealthy masters...I hope that letter was in Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's trash in record time.

Oh, I almost missed this:  Apparently we're talking about another federal government shutdown because the House of Representatives won't approve disaster relief funding without matching spending cuts.  You just can't make this stuff up.

Are you one of the many Massachusetts residents whose personal information has been compromised since 2010?  More importantly, am I?  If it's almost 1/3 of all residents, let's just find a third person to hang out with and assume it's his problem.

What? former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) is on the attack against Google over his "Google problem," because no one wants to listen to him talk about anything in his presidential campaign?  I'm shocked.

The newest revisions to Facebook didn't cause my headache, but they sure as hell aren't helping.  This might actually be the worst version yet, which is impressive in a way. (Note: Whether the site is a jumbled mess or not, you can still like the Clutter Facebook page any time you like.)

Did you hear the one about the bisexual squid who likes to mate in the dark?  No, really.

Here's some fun trivia about The Lion King, which has returned to theaters in 3D.

A movie about J. Edgar Hoover directed by Clint Eastwood?  Yeah, I'll see that.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  There's no way we could have anyone but Ric Flair take us out today with two "Clips of the Day."  First we have Flair surprising Pedroia in the clubhouse before the game.  Look how big Dustin's eyes get.  I'm also pretty sure the belt Flair gave him weighs more than he does:

 

Second, we have Flair announcing the Red Sox lineup.  He "adjusts" a few names (including Pedroia's), but he's excited about it!  Whoooooo!

 

It was fun to hang out with all of you for a little while, and you must be the reason my headache is starting to calm down a little bit.  Thanks for stopping by, and we'll be back with more randomness soon.  Go Red Sox!  Later.