Clearing out the Clutter

Leap Day Clutter

Hi everyone,

Happy Leap Day!  Welcome to the day that just doesn't count.  What's the plan for the day?  The sky's the limit, because all bets are off on February 29th.  The mind races with the possibilities.  I see BDH and Little Buddha huddled in the corner whispering excitedly.  That can't be good.  Let's start this day of magic and wonder by grabbing a medium DD and clearing out some Clutter.  Everyone good with that?  Excellent, here we go...

Mitt Romney lives to fight another day after winning yesterday's primaries in Arizona and his home state of Michigan.  Rick Santorum might have had a chance for the upset in Michigan, and thus the opportunity to throw this nomination process into utter chaos, except for the fact that he keeps talking.

Maine Senator Olympia Snowe (R) caught everyone off-guard yesterday by announcing her intention to not seek another term.   She was expected to win without much of a problem, but she said that the uber-partisanship had done her in.  Having to follow the lead of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) can't be much fun for anyone who isn't an obsessed obstructionist.  Democrats are now expected to have a strong chance at picking up Snowe's seat.

Snowe. (pic via pressherald.com)

With reports now coming out that Mormons posthumously baptized slain Wall Street reporter Daniel Pearl, I remain dumbfounded by this entire ritual.  How can it be seen as anything but disrespectful to baptize someone of another faith when they are dead?  That's a complete disregard for someone's identity.

Happy Birthday to any of you who are Leap Day babies.  How do you celebrate this special day?

The upcoming Facebook IPO could be worth a good amount of money to California over the next five years.

Wait, application developers can steal the pictures off your iPhone without you knowing it?  One more reason for me to stick with my BlackBerry until its final days.  My pictures may be blurry, but they're mine, all mine.

Boston Red Sox players react to news of catcher Jason Varitek's retirement.  I know it's time, but it's still sad to see the end of an era.  It's now also time for Jarrod Saltalamachhia to step up and be a leader on this team.  Good luck, Salty.

The guy who collected NL MVP Ryan Braun's drug sample is tired of getting attacked. 

It's official:  I'm off to see Van Halen at the TD Garden on March 11th!  The tickets came in the mail yesterday, and I actually only paid $15 more through StubHub than I would have if I was able to get them through Ticketmaster.  That's not bad.  My friend Dave will be joining me for what I think is our fourth show together.  That's fitting because he and I met each other through the band. 

I was standing in line at the Strawberries Records in Saratoga Springs in the summer of 1993, waiting to buy the Right Here, Right Now album (which was actually a tape at the time, kids).  The guy right in front of me bought his stuff, turned to walk away from the register, looked at my tape and said, "Nice choice," as he showed me his RHRN tape.  Fast forward to September, and my friend Vanessa tells me I have to meet her new friend Dave.  When I walk into his room, we both looked at each other and immediately said, "You're that Van Halen guy," and we've been friends ever since.  Great music, great friends, you just can't go wrong with that combination.  Let the countdown begin!

Benedict Cumberbatch could be coming to Doctor Who next year as The Master?  If you listen real carefully, you can hear the sound of my head exploding into a million little pieces.  This would almost be enough for me to root against the Doctor.  Make it happen, Steven Moffat, oh lord of all things BBC.

Cumberbatch (pic via contactmusic.com)

I'll root for Medford native Maria Menounos to do well in the next season of Dancing with the Stars, but I don't think I'll actually watch the show.  I reserve the right to change my mind on that one, though.

Maria Menounos (pic via tvguide.com)

Bill O'Reilly and I agree for once:  Angelina Jolie needs to eat something.

The Affleck name will live on, and much rejoicing was heard throughout the land.

Reports are that Natalie Portman is married, but not to Timothy Hutton, which is disappointing, because I totally thought those two would have a future together once she turned 18.

A little creepy, but it worked.  (pic via guardian.co.uk)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think we'll let the mighty Van Halen take us out with today's, "Song of the Day."  Apologies for the quality of the footage, but you know I'm a sucker for the first 90 seconds of a concert.  I know this clip is 30 years old, but I expect the exact same energy level on March 11th.  That's reasonable, right?

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  Have a good one, and let us know all about your Leap Day adventures at bitsofclutter@gmail.com.  Until next time, stay safe, come back again soon (say, tomorrow), and we'll have even more fun.  For now, that's the Clutter, and we are outta here.

Tuesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  I swear, February is the fastest month of the entire year.  I know it's only a few days shorter than every other month, but it always feels like it goes by in two weeks.  Who has big plans for Leap Day tomorrow?  30 Rock says what happens on Leap Day doesn't count, and Tina Fey would never lead us astray, so I assume everyone will be going crazy, yes?  Let's discuss that further, after we first grab a medium DD and clear out a little February 28th Clutter.

It's official:  Longtime Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek will announce his retirement on Thursday after 14 years with the team.  Where does the time go?  'Tek is one of the very few baseball players that I can say with a straight face that I knew he'd be a star right from day one.  The Red Sox hadn't had a reliable catcher for several years before they traded atrocious relief pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb to the Seattle Mariners for Tek and Derek Lowe, in one of the greatest swindles of all time.  Tek carried himself like a leader right from the beginning, and I knew we'd be set in that department for the foreseeable future.  He came across as the original Crash Davis, even though Bull Durham came out before he made it to the big leagues.

I'll never forget that infamous day in 2004 when Tek's glove met A-Rod's face.  I was watching the game with Grandma and Grandpa Clutter (who was a lifelong Yankees fan) in New York, and I was immediately shouting at the TV, jumping up and down, arms pumping, as the mele went on.  There might have been an explitive that slipped out of my mouth before I remembered where I was.  I immediately settled down, looked at the two of them and said, "Well this is awkward."  Grandpa Clutter wasn't one for a grudge though, and I had great fun telling Jason that story at Mike Lowell's Casino Night event, and he just laughed.

I'm sorry to see him leave, though it's clearly the right decision at this point.  I'm happy to hear reports that he'll be taking another role with the team.  He wouldn't look right wearing anyone else's logo.  Cheers, Captain.

 
One of the greatest pictures in my lifetime.  (pic via sportschump.net)

I'm so not excited about the idea of Terry Francona and Bobby Valentine snipping at each other all year.  I know Tito's pissed about being thrown under the bus last year, and particularly about that hit piece from the Boston Globe, and of course he's right about the Red Sox ban on beer being a p.r. move, but he's going to lose every time he gets into one of these arguments because he'll come across as being too defensive.  Enjoy your time at ESPN, Tito, call some games, take a breather from managing, and then wait for the right opportunity to come along and prove your critics wrong by leading another team to success.

Meanwhile, Valentine has more pressing issues to contend with, because if Josh Beckett is really going to get all riled up about "snitches" in the Red Sox dugout, rather than acting like a professional and doing his damn job, this is could be a long season for Red Sox Nation.

It's finally time for the big Michigan primary.  It feels like Christmas is here.  Can Mitt Romney save his faltering campaign with a convincing win in his home state, or will Rick Santorum blow the race right apart with a win?  The two keep trading leads in the polls, so grab some popcorn, this could be a long night.

Mitt Romney's taking a break from his ongoing struggles to relate to the non-wealthy.  Now he's just into making stuff up.  Everyone likes stories, Mittens.

No one tells Warren Buffett to "shut up."  You got that, Governor Christie?

I saw fliers all over the place yesterday for missing Boston College student Franco Garcia.  Please contact the authorities if you know anything about this case.

Walgreens is moving into the first floor of the old Borders building in Downtown Crossing.  Apparently there might be a gym moving into the second floor.  My only question is, will those escalators consistently work, or will walking up those stairs be part of your workout?

If it's Tuesday, it must be time for the weekly thoughts on last night's How I Met Your Mother.  It was a good show with a great twist at the end (which I won't give way, but it's nice to be surprised now and again).  Ted remains the most annoying character on the show by far, and his pining for Robin again seemed forced, but I am curious to see where said twist takes him (click on the link to find out what it is), and Barney and his new love interest Quinn had strong chemistry at the end of the episode that I hope we'll be seeing much more of.  I'll give this week a B+.

It might be time to start turning out the lights:  James Spader is leaving The Office.   I thought he'd be a much stronger presence this year, but he's been little more than a sporadic distraction in a few episodes.  I won't mind this news as much if it means that Catherine Tate will be taking his place, but I suspect it's more just the beginning of the end for the show.

RIP Jan Berenstain, co-creator of the beloved  Berenstain Bears books with her late husband Stan.  She was 88 years old.

The Berenstain Bears. (pic via mentalfloss.com)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I don't think we have any other option but to let Jason Varitek take us out with today's, "Clip of the Day."  ( I don't think Grandpa Clutter would have minded.)  It's all coming back to me now like it just happened yesterday:

 

Thanks for stopping by, my friends.  It was great to see you as always.  Have a good day, don't let the bed bugs bite, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow for coffee, Clutter, and Leap Day festivities.  Until then, we're outta here.

Monday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Come on in.  How was your weekend?  Did you watch the Oscars?  What did you think?  Wait, we'll get to that in a second.  First, make yourself comfortable, grab a medium DD, and let's start off the week with a little Monday Clutter.

Rick Santorum's not backing down from his opposition to encouraging students to go to college.  I would have said at one point that Santorum's favorite TV show must have been Leave it to Beaver, but that's too modern a show for him.  Each time he speaks, it seems like he wants to take the country back to Little House on the Prairie.

Santorum has no use for the separation of church and state, and he said that John F. Kennedy's speech on the subject almost made him throw up.  That's a classy image for a presidential candidate to use.  It's almost enough to make one root for a Mittens win in tomorrow's Michigan primary.  Almost.

Santorum. (pic via dailybeast.com)

Speaking of which, Mitt Romney continues to have no idea how to relate to the non-wealthy.  He went to the Daytona 500 yesterday to show he's a regular guy and when asked if he followed NASCAR, said no, but, "I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners."  He really can't help himself, folks.  Romney should just throw in the towel on this front, and remain true to his rich-inner self.  You're part of the top of the top 1%, Mittens.  Take the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with it.

Patrick Kennedy would like Senator Scott Brown to stop invoking Patrick's father, Senator Ted Kennedy, in Brown's ads opposing expanded access to contraception coverage.  Brown took the classy route and responded by lecturing Kennedy about what his dad supported.

Wikileaks has their latest target.

Facebook says it's not reading its users' text messages.   We should give Mark Zuckerberg and crew the benefit of the doubt, given their long record of supporting users' privacy, right?

Ben & Jerry's apologized for including fortune cookies in their Jeremy Lin-inspired frozen yogurt.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (who should have won the 2011 MVP award) is eager to show he can match the terrific season he had last year.

The Navy SEALS are on a roll.  First they take out Osama Bin Laden, and now they're kings of Hollywood.

For those of you who were worried that it might not happen, Sacha Baron Cohen got in his Oscars stunt.  It might have been funnier if it hadn't been telegraphed for days that something was coming.  However, points for having Ryan Seacrest as the mark:

 

Let's move on to the rest of the show, which was a thumbs-down.  I had hopes for host Billy Crystal, but most of his jokes were not funny, and a good number of them were mean-spirited, which seemed particularly out of place for him.  There were fat jokes, age jokes, anti-French jokes, and probably some others that I missed.  There was also a joke making fun of how crazy Nick Nolte is, which clearly hurt Nolte's feelings.   There was also apparently no one working the sound board, as viewers were subjected to annoying feedback throughout the entire show.  Jennifer Lopez seemed to have a minor "wardrobe malfunction" while presenting an award, so I'm sure we'll be talking about that for a while.  

It wasn't all horrible, though. My favorite parts were 1) The fact that Jim Rash, who plays Dean Pelton on Community, won an Oscar as a co-writer of the best adapted screenplay for The Descendants.  Come on folks, you have to watch the show now that it stars an Academy Award winner! 2) Christopher Plummer became the oldest person to ever win an Oscar (which was his first) at age 82, and he gave a funny speech.  3) Meryl Streep won her third Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.  It's not a particularly good movie, but she truly disappears into the former prime minister from start to finish.  The win breaks a streak of 13 consecutive losses for Streep.

Oscar-winner Jim Rash. (pic via tv.com)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  As spring training gets underway, we all hope Jacoby Ellsbury will continue to thrill Red Sox fans this year (and maybe even for years to come, if he really would consider a new contract).  Fenway Park can always use more exciting moments like today's, "Clip of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  Have a good day, and come back to visit whenever you like.  We're always happy to make more coffee.  Until next time, today's Clutter has been cleared.

Sunday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  I'm glad you all survived yesterday's wind gusts.  The Clutter Tree is still standing tall outside, so BDH is much more relaxed today.  Let's celebrate by grabbing a medium DD and clearing out some Sunday Clutter.   Everyone ready?  And we're off...

Are GOP leaders already preparing for a loss this November?  Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels says he's not going to save the party as a last-minute candidate.

Rick Santorum is outraged that the Obama administration is pushing to make college more affordable.  Who needs an educated workforce?  That's where we're at now.  A man running for the highest office in the land, who should be pushing for Americans to be competitive in every field and industry moving forward, thinks higher education is a liberal conspiracy, and he apparently supports a world where everyone works at McDonald's.  That's the grand vision that this man puts forth with a straight face.

Which GOP presidential candidate once accused corporations of "raping" the environment?

It's extremely disturbing to hear that the New York City Police Department has infiltrated Muslim student groups throughout the Northeast.  NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is unfazed by the criticism and doesn't seem inclined to end the program any time soon.   "Probable cause" seems like a dying notion these days, but how is it legal for a city police department to be spying on populations in other states?

Warren Buffett said in his annual letter that Berkshire Hathway has decided who his replacement will be as CEO, but he won't say who it is.  By the way, the letter is always an interesting read, explaining Buffett's thoughts on various investing and business deals in a straight-forward manner that you don't need a MBA to understand. 

Clutter gets a good number of stories from the Los Angeles Times, but that will apparently be changing soon, as the Times will soon begin charging for online content.  It's certainly an understandable move, as newspapers across the country continue to look for revenue streams.  However, Clutter runs on a shoestring budget, which is mostly spent on coffee and treats for BDH and Little Buddha. 

Until then, here's a story from the Times about what a historically horrible year Adam Sandler had in 2011.

King of the 2011 Razzies (pic via usmagazine.com)

Boston Red Sox owner John Henry finally apologized to Carl Crawford for publicly saying he was orginally against signing the outfielder.  One might argue that it would have been a good move to reach out to to Crawford back in October when Henry made the comment, but no one has accused the guy of having tremendous people skills.  Better late than never, though, and hopefully Crawford can continue to focus on having a strong season.

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine obviously didn't want a repeat of last year's September soap opera, so he's banned beer from the Red Sox clubhouse for this year.  Good for him.  This makes the Red Sox the 19th team in Major League Baseball to adopt this policy.

It looks like Big Papi is looking to step up and take an active leadership role this year.

New Red Sox pitcher Vincente Padilla shows his excitement for Boston by saying if he doesn't win a role in the starting rotation, he'll move on to another team.

What is A-Rod giving Kobe Bryant credit for?

No matter how contract negotiations go, don't expect Wes Welker to be going anywhere as the New England Patriots plan for next season.

Welker (pic via newspaper.li)

It looks like Martin Lawrence is looking to make his return to television.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for today.  I was all set to end this week with some Metallica, or maybe Megadeath, but BDH voted for this video of a puppy seeing himself in a mirror, and as usually happens, I lost that argument, so here is your, "Clip of the Day."

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Thanks for stopping by, it was great to see you as always.  You're welcome to come back tonight to watch the Oscars with us if you want.  (If there's any chance you could bring some popcorn, that would be awesome).  Otherwise, we'll see you back here again tomorrow for some more fun and randomness.  As for now, that's the Clutter, and we are outta here.

Saturday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Holy windy Saturday!  The Clutter Tree is swaying every which way, and BDH is worried it's going to blow away.  We're trying to explain to him that it will be okay, but he seems anxious, poor guy.  Well, make yourself comfortable, grab a medium DD, and let's see if we can power through some Clutter while still keeping an eye on the tree.

Let's see, Mittens held a small event in Detroit's enormous Ford Field yesterday, where he pointed out how many Cadillacs his wife Ann owns.  Other than that, it was a good day for the campaign.

Let the fun begin! (pic via dailykos.com)

We probably shouldn't be so hard on Mitt Romney, those stadiums are hard to fill, and it's not like any other presidential candidate has had a better turnout in a smilar setting recently.  Oh, wait:

(pic via townhall.com)

I'm at a loss for words to describe this bizarre video of Virginia Delegate David Albo (R) spending three minutes explaining to his colleagues in detail how his bill to force ultrasounds for women seeking abortions, cost him some..."action" with his wife:

 

Did Foxwoods Casinos buy Boston.com?  Their ads on the sides of the site's homepage completely overwhelm the news articles.

To the disappointment of every GOP presidential candidate, the S & P 500 reached its highest level since 2008 yesterday.

Index funds are a good default investing tool for most people, but Warren Buffett remains a notable exception to that rule, as his company Berkshire Hathaway beat the S & P 500 for the 39th time in 47 years.

They can't use the stock market to make their case, so the Republican presidential candidates are forced to continue lying about President Obama supporting infanticide.  Not to sound like too much of an old fogey, but I can still remember "back in the day" when such ludicrous accusations would have been confined to late night talk show callers who would then pivot to charges that the government was putting some sort of mind control drug in our water supply.  The ongoing implosion of the Republican Party remains one of the most fascinating political developments I've ever seen.

If the Obama administration is looking for a new Ambassador to the Bahamas who actually wants the job, BDH, Little Buddha, and I are willing to consider it.

NL MVP Ryan Braun was defiant in his first public comments after having his suspension for failing a drug test overturned.  He does baseball no favors by referring to the drug testing program as "fatally flawed."  Major League Baseball should always be striving to have the strongest and fairest policy in place, and if there are errors, they should leap at the chance to improve them.  However, there's still no explanation for why Braun's specimen showed such high levels of testosterone, and no proof of tampering was provided by anyone.  Hopefully Braun is clean, but he should expect to spend the year under a microscope.

Boston Red Sox players react to the Braun decision.

I'm fascinated by the fact that Dan Shaughnessy was paid to write a column today about how David Ortiz yelled at him for something he didn't do.  Does Shaughnessy have incriminating photos of his editors at the Boston Globe?  I wonder if he was at all embarrassed about turning in such a lazy/uninformative piece of writing, or if he really just stopped caring after the Red Sox destroyed his beloved, "Curse of the Bambino."  Just throw in the towel if you have nothing left, Dan.

Say good night, Dan. (pic via bostonsportsmedia.com)

In other news, Major League Baseball may be forcing Frank McCourt to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers, to the relief of the team's fans, but no one said anything about the parking lots.

ESPN's Gordon Edes reports on Manny Ramirez's comments upon joining the Oakland A's, and also slips in a criticism of Peter Gammons for printing Terry Francona's emotional comments about Ramirez a few years ago.

We have the first look at new Star Trek villan Benedict Cumberbatch in action!

A belated happy birthday to Abe Vigoda!  The actor, who has been rumored to be dead for 30 years, turned 91 yesterday.

Still alive.  (pic via aveleyman.com)

I don't know actor Patrick Wilson, or his show, A Gifted Man, but he seems like my kind of guy.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Abe Vigoda still lives, but he definitely didn't come out on the good end of this scene from The Godfather after trying to set up Al Pacino to be killed.  Well, you can't win them all.  Here's today's, "Clip of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  Have a good day, try not to get swept away by the wind, and we'll all meet back here again for more fun soon.  Until next time, today's Clutter has been cleared.

Bonus Song of the Day

Hi everyone,

I'm feeling guilty about making Paris Hilton's latest disaster today's, "Song of the Day."  That's no way to end the week.  Friends don't do that to friends, and I like to think we're all friends here.  You all deserve something better than that, and I want to make it up to you, so here's Pearl Jam singing, "Jeremy (Lin)" as today's bonus, "Song of the Day."  I hope this makes up for my earlier lapse in judgment.

 

  

Friday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Okay, let's have a show of hands, who thought yesterday was February 22nd?  Just me?  That's cool.  Apparently I needed more coffee to be able to read the calendar correctly.  However, there's no confusion over the fact that today is Friday, so grab yourself a medium DD, and let's wrap up the week with a little Clutter.

Congratulations to Maryland for being on track to be the eighth state to approve marriage equality.  The bill has passed the legislature, and Governor Martin O'Malley has said he will sign it.  Of course, the soon-to-be-law will be challenged by the same people who still have yet to prove how same-sex marriage has harmed a single heterosexual marriage.

Jon Huntsman is clearly not thrilled the GOP these days.  First he got crushed in the primaries, then he had to endorse his nemesis Mitt Romney (a fact that neither of them seemed at all excited about), and now he's calling for a third party candidate.  I wonder if he has anyone particular in mind.

Probably not this year's Republican VP nominee.  (pic via mediate.com)

What's Rick Santorum's biggest weakeness in the eyes of the GOP base?  Certainly not his regressive views on women, or the imposition of his extreme religious beliefs into the presidential primary.  Heck, those help him.  No, his biggest problem is his past endorsement of former Senator Arlen Specter.  Said one Republican operative when describing the situation, "We’ll forgive incompetence, but not Arlen," which is interesting, because I'd have a much easier time forgiving an endorsement than incompetence when it comes to the leader of the country.

Worse than incompetence? (pic via pennlive.com)

Representative John Sullivan (R-Oklahoma) apologized for saying he'd have to kill some Senators to get a budget passed.  It was still one of those weak, "I apologize to anyone who was offended" statements, but I'm actually impressed that he didn't try to pass it off as a joke and tell his critics to lighten up, which so typically seems to be the Republican defense for comments like this.  It's sad that's where the bar is set these days.

House Democrats held their own hearing on contraception yesterday, and in a stunning development, a woman was allowed to testify.

Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine doesn't seem to have much use for team captains, thankfully.

We made fun of Boston Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks earlier in the week for being a complete waste of money last year, and we might thrown in a snarky comment about not being that disappointed that he won't be pitching again any time soon (I know, Clutter snarky?  Get outta here.)  However, after reading that Jenks had to battle potentially life-threatening complications from back surgery in the off-season, we're going to lay off the big guy for the time being and wish him a drama-free recovery from this point forward. 

NL MVP Ryan Braun became the first big league player to have a positive drug test overturned.  The primary defense was that there was a chain of custody issue for 48 hours, but that still doesn't explain exactly how that led to Braun's specimen showing extremely elevated testosterone levels.  Not a good day for Major League Baseball.

Is new Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim slugger Albert Pujols already mad at his new team?

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan isn't dumb enough to predict another Super Bowl win after his team went 8-8 this year.

Dear Mittens, you know things aren't going well when you get shot down by Seinfeld's George Costanza.  Speaking of which, New York magazine has several Seinfeld quotes that apply to Romney.

Not endorsing Romney. (pic via blackheartgoldpants.com)

Comedian Bill Maher is jumping into the Super PAC game, giving a pro-Obama PAC one million dollars.

Somewhere around a month ago, I found myself wondering whatever happened to Paris Hilton.  I can't remember why now...I think it had something to do with her former friends the Kardashians.  Anyway, I haven't heard her mentioned in years at this point, but after hearing her latest "Drunk Text,"  I'd be fine with going few more years before she comes up again.

Is Abby Elliot leaving SNL?  Clearly she doesn't have much of a future on the show if they're willing to let her out of her contract to star in a comedy on Fox.  I wonder if it has anything to do with her split with SNL castmate Fred Armisen.  Anyway, good luck to her on that, she's a funny woman who should get more face time on TV.

Abby Elliott (pic via zimbio.com)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I can't get the new Paris Hilton clip out of my head.  Is this an actual song, because it sounds more like rambling to me.  It's really hard to argue that there's any "singing" taking place here.   I suddenly find myself twitching a little bit.  Check out today's, "Song/Clip/Train wreck of the Day" for yourself and let me know what you think:

Drunk Text Music Video from Craig Raby on Vimeo.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Thanks for stopping by, it was great to see you as always.  Have a good day, and if you're the person who rang the doorbell to Clutter Headquarters at 1:00 this morning, try stopping by a little earlier next time.  BDH, Little Buddha and I are always happy to hang out, but we need our beauty rest.  Be good, and we'll see you back here again for more fun soon.  For now, that's the Clutter, and we are outta here.

Thursday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back, how are you?  We're (less than) a week away from Leap Day (someone can't do math), and Little Buddha's been trying to explain that concept to BDH all morning, but I don't think it's sinking in yet.  Why don't we leave the two of them alone for now, grab a medium DD, and clear out some Clutter in the meantime.  Sound good?  Here we go...

The GOP wrapped up their first season of Crazy Debates last night in Arizona.  No more debates are currently scheduled, but maybe they'll convince everyone to come back for a post-season wrap-up special hosted by Dr. Drew.

No one had a performance to be proud of last night, but Rick Santorum particularly demonstrated that he's not prepared for being the front-runner on any level.  It remains a brutal indictment of Mitt Romney that Mittens couldn't put this guy away five months ago.

Santorum isn't holding back any of the crazy now, saying that teens were less sexually active before contraception was readily available.  Meanwhile, Romney surrogate New Jersey Governor Chris Christie wants to make sure everyone knows Santorum thinks Satan is coming after us.  You really couldn't make these stories up.

The Romney camp sent out an edited edition of an endorsement from the Detroit News, and the newspaper isn't happy about it at all.  Turning an endorsement into a negative news story is an impressive trick.

Glad to hear that George Huguely was convicted of killing his ex girlfriend.  He was described as an abusive thug, and may he serve every one of his 26 year sentence. 

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R) abandoned his support for the legislation recently approved by the Virginia House that would mandate a trans-vaginal ultrasound for women seeking an abortion, instead saying that it should be an abdominal one.  (The same McDonnell whose master's theisis called working women "detrimental" to the family.)  McDonnell clearly realized that the original bill would kill any chance he has of seeking higher office, and it's a step in the right direction, but the state shouldn't be mandating any procedure.  This should be a situation between a woman and her doctor, and the state should recognize them both as competent adults.  No matter how loudly Republicans scream about "small government," they can't resist a chance to interfere in reproductive health issues.  It's a fetish, really.

McDonnell (pic via politico.com)

If you want to invest in the stock market, you're better off just buying an index fund than an actively-manged fund.  The index funds consistently beat the majority of their active competitors, so why should you pay for someone's salary and marketing expenses for worse results?

A new paper suggests that eating gluten-free products may be a waste of money for people without celiac disease.  The paper's authors say that the main problem is there's no set definition for "gluten sensitivity," so perhaps more research is needed.

Big Papi has arrived in spring training. So has the Laser Show, and they both sound ready to get down to business.  It's amazing that David Ortiz is about to become the longest-tenured member of the Boston Red Sox, assuming that Jason Varitek is about to retire.  Where does the time go?  By the way, can we lose the whole "captain" notion this year?  It's an idea whose time has come and gone, and with Varitek's expected pending retirement, let the concept go into the sunset with him.

Terry Francona and Manny Ramirez clearly don't exchange Christmas cards.

The Boston Celtics must be thrilled to have the All Star break now after losing 119-104 to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night.  It was the 8th loss in 9 games for Boston, though Doc Rivers called it a, "team-building game."  The Celtics are now off for the next six days, so they can rest up and figure out what they need to do to be relevant in the second half of the season.

I'm thrilled (and a little relieved) to hear that Eddie Van Halen is getting good reviews so far as Van Halen launches their tour.  There have already been countless clips from the first few shows, thanks to the band allowing video cameras into the shows this time, and he sounds locked in.  Can't wait to see for myself!

Uh oh, what's actor Sacha Baron Cohen threatening to do at the Oscars that has the Academy in such a tizzy?

Sacha Baron Cohen (pic via celebrity-gossip.net)

So sorry to hear that Seinfeld actor Daniel Von Bargen attempted to kill himself by shooting himself in the head.  I hope that he comes through in one piece and can get some help after that.

Jennifer Aniston doesn't sound excited about a Friends reunion, but there's no way they won't do it at some point down the road.

Friends can't stay apart forever.  (pic via epguides.com)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  President Obama was in the news a few weeks ago for singing an Al Green tune, and now he's back for more, singing Sweet Home Chicago with B.B. King and company at a recent White House concert.  I'd say that's pretty cool, though I imagine the GOP would find a way to claim it's proof that he's a Muslim terrorist.  Either way, it's today's, "Song of the Day," so check it out:

 

Thanks for stopping by, it was great to see you as always.  Have a good day, and feel free to come back later today if you want to go to happy hour or to just hang out.  We'll still be here trying to explain the concept of Leap Day.  Otherwise, we'll see you again tomorrow for more fun and coffee.  Until next time, that's the Clutter, and we are outta here.

Wednesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back to the house of randomness.  What is with the weather?  It was supposed to snow last night, but today's forecast calls for a high in the mid-50's.  I have several meetings today, and my brain tells me that it's late February, so of course I need my winter jacket, but I don't if it's really going to be that warm.  What to do?  I'm having a brain cramp here.  Okay, first things first.  Grab a medium DD, then let's clear out some Clutter, and then I'll figure out what coat I need.  Here we go...

It can't be a good sign that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear another case regarding affirmative action policies in higher education.  The scope of the ruling could be narrowly tailored to the case involving a woman who was unable to get into the University of Texas, but no matter what, it's hard to imagine it won't be a restrictive outcome.

Casting a cloud over the entire election process, it appears that 25% of all super PAC money this year is coming from five donors.  The Supreme Court may think that money equals speech, but these guys have their surround sound stereo blasting at 11 while the rest of us are barely above a whisper.

Mitt Romney continues to follow Rick Santorum's lead by claiming President Obama has led some sort of "war on religion."  I wonder if there's any part of Mittens that feels the slightest bit of shame at the depths to which he will sink to try to win this campaign.  His rhetoric is so consistently not-based in reality, that it seems like he will truly say anything at all for a vote.

The struggle for control of Romney's inner voice continues.  On the one hand, you have the "severe conservative."  On the other, you have the man saying that cutting growth slows down the economy.  That's not going to play well with the base, though not much is these days.

The search for the "real Romney" continues. (pic via invisiblechildren.com)

The S.S. Romney continues to take on water, as a new poll shows him losing his once-considerable lead over Rick Santorum in Arizona.

GOP Senate candidate/former Representative Pete Hoekstra is running as fast as he can from his own racist campaign Super Bowl ad.

Republican Indiana State Rep. Bob Morris thinks the Girl Scouts sell gay abortion cookies.

Wait, what's this?  Conservative voters use the safety net too?  Shocking.  One of the greatest cons in American politics is getting middle and lower-income voters to repeatedly vote against their own economic interests.  Needing help isn't a moral failure, it's a simple fact of life.  We should be looking out for each other, not looking down on each other.

Comcast is launching its own version of Netflix.  I hope it's a better service than "On Demand," which lists about 5000 programs, of which, three are interesting.

Johnson & Johnson CEO Bill Weldon finally lost his job after the company was forced to recall seemingly-all of its products at one point or another over the last few years.

There's a new edition of Sam Adams coming out to celebrate the Boston Marathon, and the best part is,  you don't have to run the marathon to drink it!

The saga is over:  The Boston Red Sox are getting a Chicago Cubs pitcher named (not "that") Chris Carpenter as compensation for Theo Epstein.  Carpenter is projected as a hard-throwing middle reliever-type and doesn't seem that bad.  The Red Sox never should have let Theo go before they knew who they were getting in return, but since they did that, Carpenter seems about a good a prospect as they could have hoped for.  Let's move on.

Chris Carpenter (pic via bleacherreport.com)

There's nothing I love hearing from a player more than boston Red Sox third baseman/Tom Brady's future brother-in-law Kevin Youkilis's comment, "I’m going to make it as hard on them as possible not to bring me back.’’  Good luck, you sweaty bull.  Force ownership's hand and make them offer you a new contract at the end of this season.

Let the fun begin! (pic via espn.com)

Speaking of which, condolences to Tom Brady on the passing of his longtime quarterback mentor Tom Martinez, who died yesterday of a heart attack while undergoing dialysis.

Denver Broncos backup quarterback Brady Quinn probably hasn't won any supporters with his whining about Tim Tebow.  This might be why you're a backup, Brady.  Broncos VP John Elway is clearly looking for a way out of "Tebow Time."  Make your case that you deserve the job in such a dominant fashion that Elway can say there was no way for him to ignore you.  Otherwise, shut the hell up.

Community returns on March 15th!  Get with the program and watch this show, my friends.   If there's room on TV for The Bachelor, there's room for this well-written program.

Who would dare go after the estate of The Godfather author Mario Puzo and why?  Doesn't sound like a wise move, unless they're prepared to sleep with the fishes.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have Willie Nelson take us out with his amazing cover of Coldplay's, "The Scientist."  If today's "Song of the Day" doesn't move you, then...well, that's just sad.  Enjoy the master at work:

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  I'll be running around town today, so if you see me and identify yourself as a Clutterhead, I'll buy your coffee.  Until then, I still need to pick out my coat, and today's Clutter has now been cleared.

Tuesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How was your weekend?  The coffee is just about ready, so grab yourself a medium DD, and let's clear out a little Clutter.

Without the Adelson family, Newt Gingrich would have returned to his "historian" roots months ago.

A new poll shows Mitt Romney with a two point lead over Rick Santorum in Michigan as Mittens scrambles to avoid a potentially disasterous loss in his home state.

I sometimes wonder how headline writers keep a straight face while they work.  This article asks, "As Rick Santorum campaigns on faith, family issues, could he alienate moderates?"  Do you know what you call a moderate who isn't offended by Santorum?  A radical conservative.

CNN commentator Dana Loesch says, what's the problem with Virginia's proposal to force women seeking abortion to submit to a state-mandated assault with a trans-vaginal ultrasound?  I mean, it's not like they're virgins.

Dana Loesch (pic via addictinginfo.org)

Here's another example of our inability to deal with veterans who are struggling with mental health issues, as a depressed veteran may be prosecuted for his suicide attempt.

As of today, which member of the Boston Red Sox was the biggest winner from last September's collapse?  My vote is for Dice-K.  I was reading this article about his return from Tommy John surgery and realized that I don't have nearly my usual level of frustration about him right now.  There are a number of active players ahead of him on my s&^t list right now, and he doesn't even top the list of disabled players, since I still wish bad things for John Lackey.  Come the 2nd half of the season, I might even look forward to Dice-K's return, until his first start is 120 pitches, 7 hits, 8 runs and 5 walks in 4 2/3 innings, but for right now, he's okay.

Welcome back? (pic via pressherald.com)

Oh Theo, why did you stick us with reliever Bobby Jenks?  Apparently he's not likely to return until mid-season.  Jenks did nothing last year, with a 6.32 ERA in 19 games, and he consistently looked more freaked out than any reliever I've ever seen.  Maybe it's for the best that he'll be out for a while longer, it's just a shame the Red Sox are responsible for his salary.   Somewhere off in the distance, his former manager Ozzie Guillen can be heard laughing hysterically.

I'm looking forward to watching Carl Crawford play like he's got something to prove this year, once he recovers from wrist surgery.  He's far too talented to have another disastrous season like he did in 2011, and a return to form would be the equivalent of the Red Sox making a major trade for a left fielder this off-season.

Oakland A's fans don't have a lot to be excited about this year, but at least they can watch "Manny being Manny," as soon as Ramirez serves out his 50 game suspension.  Let's see,  I think we'll set the over/under on Manny's home runs this year at...23.5.  What's your bet?

Meanwhile, the Albert Pujols era has begun in Anaheim.  Let's set his over/under for home runs this year at...79.5...or maybe 40.5.  Yeah, let's go with that instead.

Is this the final year for New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera?

Is Peyton Manning moving to Monday Night Football?  I hope not.  I know I said he should call it a career if his neck isn't fully recovered from all of his surgeries, but the guy always sounds like he's got a head cold.  He may be a perfectly good analyst for all I know, but there's no way I'm listening to that voice for three straight hours.

WWE wrestler/Boston College alum Kofi Kingston gives his thoughts on the infamous dive bar Mary Ann's.

I disliked last week's episode of How I Met Your Mother, because I thought there were major plot problems with Robin and Kevin's break-up, and the notion of pairing Ted and Robin up seemed like a complete waste of time because we know Robin's not "the mother."  Without giving anything away, in case you haven't seen it, HIMYM bounced back this week with another strong performance.  The Ted/Robin issue was addressed, and it was a strong performance by every member of the cast.  It really feels like we're watching a group of best friends tell their life story, and 99% of the time, the stories ring true.  Well done.

Stephen Colbert returned to The Colbert Report last night after delivering a warm confidential message.

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After yet another disappointing opening weekend, maybe Nicolas Cage should take a break from acting for a bit and find a hobby.  After making something like 100 bad movies in the last 10 years, it might do him some good to pause for a bit and recharge his batteries.  Maybe he could draw comic books or something, I know he likes those.  Just get him and his hair off the screen and let the public forget about him for a while.

Everyone needs a rest now and again. (pic via allmoviephoto.com)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I really was finished with the Whitney Houston clips, I swear, but then Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell decided to pay tribute to her at a fundraiser for President Obama, and there was just no way I was going to pass that up, so check out today's, "Song of the Day," which I'm (pretty) sure will be our final Whitney song (for now.)

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  Have a good day, and come back again soon, so we can do this all over again.  Until next time, that's the Clutter, and we are outta here.