Clearing out the Clutter

Tuesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How was your Monday?  I didn't get as much sleep as I really could have used, but it was actually a pretty productive day.  I'm not sure how that worked, but hey, whatever does the trick.  Now we'll see if I can do the same thing today after getting a full night's rest.  If not, there's always coffee.  Speaking of which, help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out a little Tuesday Clutter.

Our thoughts go out to all of the people of Oklahoma who are dealing with intense tornados.  The footage just looks terrible.

Very sorry to hear about the death of Ray Manzarek, who died yesterday from bile duct cancer.  The keyboardist for The Doors was 74 years old.  I had a big Doors phase in high school, as probably many people my age did.  I don't remember how I first became aware of them, but I thought they were everything music should be: mystical, sexual, and legitimately threatening to society. 

Who in their right mind would try to pass a law to force women to report their miscarriages to the police?  Who would possibly think of this as anything than a direct attack on a woman's privacy during a deeply personal time, and who would think that there was any justification for notifying the authorities about a medical issue and would send them to jail if they didn't comply?  Why, the Republican candidate for Virginia attorney general, of course.

Congratulations to Vermont for passing an end-of-life law.  People should be able to decide their fate on their terms.

Sunday's Boston Globe featured a moving article about the nurses who put their feelings aside and took care of wounded accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  These women represent the better side of human nature, as opposed to the goons who made fools of themselves protesting Tsarnaev's brother's funeral.

Wait, Apple wants reform of the U.S. tax code to prevent companies from gaming the system.  Companies...like Apple?

Glad to see that Boston Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey is back from the disabled list.  Here's hoping he can stay healthy for the remainder of the season, because I think that the uncertainty around the closer situation is the biggest area of concern for the Sox right now.

Sticking around?  (pic via examiner.com)

Won't tell a lie, I had no idea that Derek Lowe was a relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers.  That lack of an impact might be the reason that the team designated him for assignment.

This week's Mad Men was too much weirdness to deal with right before bedtime on a Sunday night.  How was I supposed to be able to turn off the TV and immediately be ready for bed after that?  No wonder I didn't get as much sleep as I needed.  It might have worked better for me if I was under the influence of something, since just about everyone on the show was.  I will say that the robbery scene was one of the more effectively creepy things I've seen on television in a while.  What did you think, Clutterheads?

Wait, which one of you was I recently talking about whatever happened to Keanu Reeves with?  Argh!

I've seen a few different versions of this premise, but this guide to every running joke on Arrested Development is pretty damn impressive.

After watching the Family Guy season finale, it seems pretty clear that Seth MacFarlane is out of stories to tell with this group.  There's no harm in that, they've been on forever, but while the first half of the finale was fine at best, the second half was borderline unwatchable, which sums up my feelings about the last few years.  Time to move on to something new.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think we'll let Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison, John Densmore and Robby Krieger take us out with today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  We might get some rain later in the day, so try to stay dry out there, and make sure to come back for more fun soon.  Until then,we'll break on through to the other side another time, because this is the end, my friend.  In other words, that's today's Cluttter, and we are outta here.

Monday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Happy Monday.  Who's excited for this week?  I see a lot of craziness on the horizon, but as long as we stick together and stay focused, I think we'll be okay.  For now, help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out a little Monday Clutter.

The Boston Red Sox and John Lackey beat the Minnesota Twins 5-2 yesterday.  You have to be encouraged by the fact that Lackey only gave up one hit over six innings.   There was a rain delay that was longer than the actual game, but it was worth it to have the Sox sweep Minnesota this weekend.  Now they move on to the Chicago White Sox, where they will hopeully continue their winning ways.

How much do you think it eats at the Minnesota Twins that they had David Ortiz and just released him?  I mean, not only did they let him go, they didn't even get anything in return for him.  Do you think it constantly eats at management, or do they just figure that they made the move that made sense to them at the time.  Or, do they rationalize it and say even if they kept him when he first turned into "Big Papi," they wouldn't have been able to keep him over the long-term anyway?  Of course, they could have traded him for prospects when he reached that stage, which brings us back to our original point.  They had him and got nothing in return.  Maybe they don't care at this point.

The Boston Bruins seem to be taking it to the next level at just the right time.  They blew the New York Rangers out of the water yesterday with a 5-2 win to give them a 2-0 lead in their playoff series.  There are few things as satisfying as Boston beating New York in any sport.  It just feels right, you know?

Congratulations  to the one person who won the Powerball on Saturday.  Best of luck with all of that money.  This is a good time for the rest of us to go back to the longer, but much more reliable way of creating long-term wealth, our good friend, the stock market.

Let me see if I've got this straight.  When all the noise and manufactured outrage about the handling of Benghazi is put to the side, it turns out that there's no proof that the White House tried to cover anything up, and the GOP knew that when they started yelling like madmen.  That sounds about right.

There was a time where it looked like Yahoo was on it's way to the great search engine graveyard, but now they suddenly have enough money to buy Tumblr.

Apparently Red Sox sideline reporter Jenny Dell's brother got married over the weekend.  It seems like Jenny never heard the saying that you shouldn't upstage the bride.

 

Nice #RedSox win (12-5 over the #Twins)! Incredible family wedding!!! All in all, a GREAT night! twitter.com/JennyDellNESN/…

— Jenny Dell (@JennyDellNESN) May 19, 2013

 

 

What happens when you cross Linkin Park with Stone Temple Pilots?

I'm still processing everything that happened in the Doctor Who season finale, including the final scene which sets the stage for the 50th anniversary special on November 23rd.  Take a peek for yourself and check out the special guest star.  You might have heard of this guy, but the question is, what's his story?  I have a good guess, but we'll have to wait until November to see if it's right.

 

Obviously I'm happy to hear that Doctor Who will be back for another season, though I didn't realize that hadn't already been confirmed.  Probably just as well, any uncertainty could have caused some sleepless nights at Clutter Headquarters.  It's great to hear that Matt Smith will definitely be back (though, again, I had assumed that), and it's fine that Steven Moffat will return as showrunner, but I hope he can get the show back to looking more like the first half of this season, rather than the painfully uneven second half.

This was the last SNL for Bill Hader, and all I can say is that he/Stefon went out in style.  Words can't do this clip justice, you'll just have to watch for yourself.

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Does anyone here remeber the band White Lion?  I was on this website a few minutes ago and saw an ad for the former lead singer's current tour.   His name is Mike Tramp, and apparently he's still out there doing his thing, only now with shorter hair.  You can see for yourself with today's, "Song of the Day."

 

That was fun.

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Like I said, I see a few hectic days ahead, but I'm sure we can get through them if we look out for each other.  On that note, be good, and come back for more fun soon.  For now, that's today's Clutter, and we don't want you to Wait, because we are outta here.

Sunday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Well, hello there.  How are you?  How utterly fantastic to see you again.  Come on in, have a seat.  Could yesterday have been any nicer?  BDH, Little Buddha and I took our first walk of the year to the local park, which was lovely.  It's amazing how quickly the two of them ran up that hill, considering how small they are.  They got to the top without hesitation and then had to wait for me to catch up, huffing and puffing all the way.  Thankfully they're very patient with me.  In any case, it's time to get to work, so help yourself to a nice medium iced DD, and let's clear out a little Sunday Clutter.

Clutter would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Class of 2013, particularly those students who attended Boston College and Boston University.  As you leave school and head off into the "real world," I can only think of one thing:  The T will be less crowded for the next 3.5 months or so, and that's a wonderful thing.

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Andrew Miller wasn't going to let a little thing like taking a foul ball off the head stop him from getting the job done Friday night against the Minnesota Twins.  Now that's focus.

Let's see how our old friend Josh Beckett is doing with the Los Angeles Dodgers this year.  Winless, you say?  Heading to the disabled list, you say?  That's a shame.

Clutterheads, I'm still struggling for the words to express how amazed I am by last night's Doctor Who season finale.  I can't remember the last time I found a show to be such a treat.  I knew it was going to be a good one when I had goosebumps in the first 30 seconds.   It was appropriately serious with just a dash of humor.  There were outstanding performances across the board by Matt Smith, Jenna-Louise Coleman, and the rest of the cast.  The notion of death was so powerful throughout the episode.  The mystery of "the impossible girl" Clara was explained in a way that was satisfying (though it will be interesting to see where she goes from here.) 

We ended with a peek at The Doctor's past that looks like it will be part of the 50th anniversary special on November 23rd.  Fortunately we don't actually learn The Doctor's name...I'm still floored... It was such a treat and such a reward for fans.  I'll be watching this one several more times to fully process it.  A hearty thank you to everyone involved.  The second half of this season could have been much stronger, but if that's what it took to reach this episode, I'll accept that trade-off. 

Bravo.  (pic via radiotimes.com)

Okay, so this season of Doctor Who has come to a close, but there's still a number of monthly specials to look forward to  this year, as well as Matt Smith and David Tennant in the special on November 23rd, and I can't wait.  For now, I guess I'll just watch this clip another 200 times.

 

In the meantime, Matt Smith's upcoming movie with Ryan Gosling seems to be drawing some attention.  Part of me is sad about this because I'm guessing it signifies the beginning of the end of Smith's time with Doctor Who but the rest of me hopes the movie does well, because Clutter would love to see Smith start getting the same level of recognition that other Clutter favorite Benedict Cumberbatch is now receiving.  Of course, you all already knew how great both of these guys are.  That's right, if you want to learn about the next hot British actor, Clutter has what you need.

Clutter isn't the world's biggest Anchorman fan, but we are a sucker for anything that features the song "Sirius" by the Allen Parsons Project (also known as the Chicago Bulls theme song), so do the classy thing and watch the new trailer for Anchorman 2:

 

Britney Spears meets The Smurfs.  I really don't know what I can add to this.  I hope Smurfette can handle the competition?

Can they work it out?  (pic via hollywire.com)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's close things out with former Dixie Chick Natalie Maines playing a tune off her new solo album (with a guitar that seems to be as big as she is) for today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was terrific to see you, as always.  Be good, enjoy the rest of your weekend, and we'll see you back here again for more silliness soon.  For now, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Saturday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back, and a happy Saturday to you all.  Phew, we made it through another week.   Was this one nuts for anyone else?  There was a mild pause on Tuesday, but otherwise, just loony tunes.  I was so happy to finally get to the gym after work yesterday.  I made it all the way to the locker room, took off my shirt, then my sunglasses...and then realized I forgot my regular glasses.  I took that as a sign that it was time to throw in the towel for the week, and that was fine.  However, I have to go again today (this time with my glasses), so let's get to work.  Help yourself to a nice medium iced DD, because it's time to clear out some weekend Clutter.

I don't know why we're talking about the PowerBall jackpot potentially going to $1 billion if no one wins tonight.  BDH and Little Buddha  have the winning numbers sitting right next to the computer.  As soon as they give me the money to buy the tickets, we'll be all set.

It should be interesting to see how this "Green District" in Allston works out.

The Boston Phoenix is no more, but outstanding political reporter David Bernstein is still in town, and he's moved his column over to Boston Magazine, which is a win for all of us.  Check out his new digs.

In case you didn't know, Boston has a lot of wealthy people, which of course explains why Clutter Headquarters is located here.   Only the wealthiest neighborhood for us!

Let me see if I've got this right:  Is the Congressional Budget Office saying that raising taxes and cutting spending will reduce the deficit?  How can that be possible?  This is some socialist plot by President Obama to continue destroying the country from within, right?  I'll tell you, I don't know how the GOP does it.  Just typing that last sentence for the 3000th time made me tired, but they'll level those accusations over and over again like it's hot off the presses.

Relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan had Tommy John surgery on Thursday.  Best wishes to the Red Sox closer-for-a-week on a speedy recovery and success afterwards.  My guess is that he probably won't be coming back to the Sox, but he seemed nice enough, so hey, good luck.

It was years overdue, but I thought The Office went out in style Thursday night.  I don't want to give away spoilers, but there were parts that were laugh out loud funny, many parts that were kind and sweet, and they did a nice job closing out the story for all of the characters.  You can always find things to criticize in any show, but it's rare that any series really gives the viewer their just reward for sticking with them for so long, and The Office did just that.  If you were ever a fan of the show, I urge you to take the time to watch. (Note:  You can get to it on Hulu by clicking on that link up there.)

Well done.  (pic via rollingstone.com)

Now this is only a season finale, but I hope tonight's Doctor Who is a home run.  Anything having to do with The Doctor's name is such a potentially fantastic storyline, but if it all ends up being a bunch of teases will no real information revealed, I'm going to be an unhappy camper.  This looks promising, though:

   

Now Gronk needs back surgery in addition to a 4th surgery on his broken forearm?  At what point do we start getting concerned about his long-term prospects?

I have no idea who this guy is who's suing the WWE and claiming they improperly copyrighted hsi songs, but I'm sure he's telling the truth.  There are few people less trustworthy than wrestling promoters, and history has shown that if they have the chance to screw someone out of money, they'll do it without hesitation.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I'm not entirely sure how I ended up with The Police from their 2007 reunion tour, but it all worked out for the best, because here they are with today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  I'm off to the gym, but I'll be back here after that, working on the Clutter Headquarters refinancing paperwork with BDH and Little Buddha, so you're certainly welcome to come back and hang out with us later.  Otherwise, be good, and we'll see you back here again for more fun soon.  Until next time, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Wednesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back to Clutter Headquarters.  How are you?  How's your week going so far?  I'm expecting things to be a little crazy, starting today through Friday, so let's get to work.  Help yourself to a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Clutter.

Clutterheads, I make no claim to be anything other than a bandwagon hockey fan come playoff time.   Now, I know names like Chara, Bergeron, Seguin, Marchand, Thornton, and Rask, (and would recognize them), but I'm don't pay attention until I get sucked in for some reason...like, say, the B's coming back from a 4-1 deficit in the third period to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their playoff series.  Yeah, that will do it. 

I was minding my own business and reading increasingly angry Facebook status updates from my hardcore hockey fan friends, until there started to be a slight turn in sentiment.  "What the f*&*, you jerks, I can't believe you're going to blow this again," turned into, "Oh my god, what's happening here?"  That was enough for me to tune in to see Patrice Bergeron score the game-tying goal, and then follow it up with the game winner a few minutes later.  It was great to see the Garden rocking, and I felt relieved that I wouldn't have to open up a suicide hot-line for those friends after all.  So, now it's time for the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and there's nothing I love more than watch Boston beat New York in anything.  Make room on the bandwagon!

That's just awesome.  (pic via espn.com)

Just like that, the 2013 fiscal deficit projection has been lowered by 24%.  Can't wait to hear conservatives claim that the Congressional Budget Office is a tool of the White House.  Actually, I can wait, because it's a tired bit of nonsense, but that's obviously never stopped them before.

I'm certainly glad to hear that Kermit Gosnell was found guilty of the charges against him.  The man deserves to be locked away for the rest of his life.  However, I'm uncomfortable with a possible death penalty being used to pressure him not to appeal the ruling.  Gosnell is a monster, but it was still up to the government to prove it, and if they made some material errors, shouldn't that be challenged?  Now, if they didn't, great, the verdict stands, as I hope it does, but I'm uncomfortable with the government saying to anyone, "We promise not to kill you if you promise not to challenge us."

It was incredibly brave for actress Angelina Jolie to write about her preventative double mastectomy.  I hope this helps other women who are dealing with this issue.

A new study says people should cut back on their excessive salt intake, but that maybe they don't need to cut it out completely.  Okay, well, since the average American consumes 1100 mg more sodium than they need on a daily basis, cutting back at all seems to be a good place to start.

Someone's proposing to build residential units in Allston that are 240 square feet?  Wow.  You know whoever lives there will have to focus on continually clearing out the clutter.  (See what we did there?  We're so clever.  Moving on...)

Wait, wait, wait, wait.  Benedict Cumberbatch's mother has appeared on Doctor Who?  I think my head just exploded. 

Sorry to hear that Bill Hader is leaving Saturday Night Live after this week's season finale.  Hader consistently brings the goods, whether he's playing Stefon the New York City correspondent, or Al Pacino, or some creepy game show host.  That's going to be a loss for SNL, but every departure is an opportunity for another cast member to step up.  (Jesus, I sound like Anthony Robbins.)  There had better be one last Stefon guide to NYC on Saturday, but for now, let's take a look back at some of the fine establishments he's promoted over the years:

 

This is going to sound much ruder than I mean it to, but I totally saw Your Mother's face on Monday!  It was a brave move for the How I Met Your Mother's producers to reveal the mom with one more season to go.  I figured they would have saved it for the last few episodes of the final season, but as we all know, the show will be back for one more year, and I'm looking forward to it.  After many misgivings, I trust this crew to wrap this story up correctly.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think we should close things out today with one last look at Patrice Bergeron's game-winning OT goal on Monday.  It will never get old, and it's our, "Clip of the Day."  Enjoy:

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  We'll be around later, so you're free to come back if you want to watch the Red Sox take on the Tampa Bay Rays.  Otherwise, be good, and we'll see you again soon.  For now, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Tuesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How are you?  BDH and Little Buddha have been waiting for you, and they're very happy to have you here.  They just made some coffee, so help yourself to a nice medium iced DD, and let's clear out a little Tuesday Clutter.

Cheers to the fine people of Minnesota, as they prepare to become the 12 state to recognize marriage equality. 

As Doctor Kermit Gosnell was found guilty of first-degree murder, it would be great if we could talk like adults about how to make sure that women aren't forced to consider going to such a horrific place, but that would mean talking like adults about things like sex education, birth control, and funding licensed sexual health centers.  Any claim that this case demonstrates the need to further restrict access to abortion services will only drive women in need to more dangerous places.

Why does the Obama administration seem to be going after suspected leaks in such an obsessive fashion?  I get nervous when the government keeps going after the media.

With all of the problems in this country, we're wasting time with arguments over whether "an act of terror" is somehow different than "a terrorist attack."  Sigh.

As the Boston Red Sox enjoyed a day off yesterday, it's good to hear that outfielder Shane Victorino will not be going on the disabled list after crashing into the right field wall on Sunday.  The Sox can't afford to lose this guy for an extended period of time right now, given all that he's bringing both to the plate and his terrific defense.

It's official:  Jack Bauer and 24 are coming back.  Bad guys, beware!

Let the day begin.  (pic via laprogressive.com)

It's 12 days and counting until the return of Arrested Development.  Are you ready?  I said, are..you...rrrrrrrrrready?

 

RIP Joyce Brothers.  The well-known psychologist died yesterday at age 85.

I swear I'm not looking for any advance previews of this week's Doctor Who season finale, but the BBC posted this little "prequel," and I just couldn't resist taking a look.  I have one guess about who exactly The Doctor's assistant Clara is, but all I can say at the moment is that I think she might be related to him.  I guess we'll see in four days, assuming I still don't look for the bootleg copy of the show.

 

So there I am, waiting for the Doctor Who clip to start, but there's a commercial before it, of course.  I almost hit the "skip ad" button, but I'm glad I didn't, because The Blacklist, starring James Spader as some creepy criminal who works with a FBI profiler already looks like it could be one of my new favorite shows next fall.  I know, it's got a bit of a Silence of the Lambs knock-off air to it, but come on,  James Spader being slimy in his distinctively-Spader way?  Sign me up for a test run, at least.

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I'm a little thrown to learn that the Huey Lewis and the News album Sports came out 30 years ago, especially since I think it was one of the first records (that's right, "record") that I ever bought.  There's only one thing to do in this case, let's have Huey and crew take us out with today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  You know you're always welcome to come back later if you want to watch the Sox play the Tampa Bay Rays tonight.  Otherwise, be good, and we'll see you back here again for more fun soon.  Until then, that's today's Clutter, and are outta here.

Saturday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  How are you?  What's the plan for the weekend?  I'm off to Mom Clutter's house to help her with some errands for Mother's Day.  BDH and Little Buddha assure me they'll be well behaved while I'm gone and just keep an eye on everything, so I feel good about that.  However, we have some business to take care of first, so help yourself to a nice medium iced DD, and let's clear out a little Clutter.

The Boston Red Sox looked to starting pitcher Jon Lester last night to help them get back on a winning track.  Lester responded by being just one batter short of a perfect game, as the Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-0.  It was both an outstanding performance in its own right, and it was also so clutch, as it gave the recently battered bullpen the night off and a chance to get themselves back together.  Now it's Clay Buchholz's opportunity to silence Toronto broadcasters Jack Morris and Dirk Hayhurst by shutting the Jays down again.

Cheers to Judge Edward Korman for not backing down an inch on his order that the Obama administration allow emergency contraception to be sold without an age restriction.   It's nice to see that someone is putting public health and science before politics. 

Good for Boston College for not caving in to Cardinal Sean O'Malley after he announced he'll be boycotting the school's graduation ceremony because the featured speaker is Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.  What's Prime Minister Kenny's mortal sin, you may ask?  Why, he supports legislation that would make abortion legal in Ireland when there is "a real and substantial threat to the mother's life" including from suicide.  That bastard.  Seriously, Cardinal O'Malley is making a fool of himself with his mysoginistic stand, and cheers to BC (which still has an administration that is hostile to sexual health) for ignoring him. 

Sorry to hear that Malcolm X's grandson was killed in Mexico.  Wait, this is the grandson who set the fire that eventually killed Malcom's wife Betty.  He sounded like a troubled kid.  That's too bad.

I'm just hopeless when it comes to dogs (in case you hadn't already figured that out.)  I'm taking the T home to Clutter Headquarters, and this woman and her dog get on the train.  He was a little thing by my foot, and I must have been petting him for five minutes before I remembered to ask the owner if she minded me doing that.  BDH says it's better to offend the owner by petting the dog than offend the dog by not petting him/her.

Wait a second, can Facebook make you psychotic?

David Ortiz isn't done with Dan Shaughnessy yet.  Big Papi basically called the lazy Boston Globe writer racist for implying that Ortiz is using steroids because he's from the Dominican Republic. 

Color me impressed:  Major League Baseball suspended an umpire for two games for getting a fundamental rule of the game wrong.  I'm trying to remember the last time I heard of an umpire being held publicly accountable for anything.

Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton is gorgeous, but besides that, this is one of the sexiest things a woman can ever say:  "I love my body. It's what God gave me! I feel confident with myself, and if that inspires other women to feel confident with their bodies, great."  There's nothing more attractive than a women who is comfortable in her own skin, whatever her body type.

Fairly attractive.  (pic via andrewmorel.com)

Oh, hold on a second, I better set the DVR for tonight's Doctor Who before I forget.  Okay, that's better.

Just to be clear, Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman died from liver cirrhosis, not from a spider bite.

I think I liked Thursday's season-finale of Community more than most of the reviewers.   I mean come on, how am I supposed to say no to "Evil Annie" played by Alison Brie?  It felt like a series finale to me, but I haven't given up hope on a fifth season yet.

A vision in red.  (pic via zap2it.com)

Wait a second, wait a second, wait a...second.  Is Jack Bauer coming back?  I don't even know how to deal with this.

Hey, we have breaking news.  Look's like Community will be back!

 

5th season

— Joel McHale (@joelmchale) May 11, 2013

 

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have Danzig close things out for us with his song, "Mother."  I don't think it really has anything to do with Mother's Day, but it's still awesome, and it's today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of your day, and I'm sure BDH and Little Buddha would love to hang out with you tonight if you're around.  Otherwise, be good, and we'll see you back here again for more fun soon.  For now, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Friday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back, and a happy Friday to you all!  Congratulations on surviving another week.  What's that you say?  Why yes, the Clutter Tree does already look a little fuller after yesterday's rain, thanks for noticing.  It still clearly needs some more water though, so here's hoping more is coming over the next few days.  In the meantime, help yourself toa nice medium iced DD, and let's close out the week with a little Clutter.

BDH would like you all to know that a new study indicates that owning a pet may reduce your chances of heart disease.  I know I've certainly improved my cardio health since this little guy arrived, thanks to all of the chasing around Clutter Headquarters that Little Buddha and I have to do with him  every day!  By the way, Little Buddha says that he may not run around as much as a dog, but he's pretty sure looking at his smiling face every day is good for the heart, and I'll back him up on that one.

Anyone who thinks for a second that the GOP actually cares about covering people with pre-existing conditions, should never be able to vote again.

Glad to hear that Tamerlan Tsarnaev has finally been buried somewhere.  Too many people embarrassed themselves with their protests, and their reactions to said protests, over this issue.

It was so sad to read this story about a 12-year old boy who was killed after being struck by a van.  I've often ridden my bike through that area, and that intersection always makes me nervous with cars coming from a number of different angles.

If you're one of the 48% of the country who doesn't own stocks right now because you're unemployed, or struggling just to get by right now, that's one thing, but if you're not invested because you're still "spooked" by the 2000 tech crash or the 2008 meltdown, get over it and get back in the game.  You can achieve remarkable results with relatively little money if you've got enough time, but you've got to be invested first before that's even a possibility.

Among the many disappointing aspects of Wednesday's Boston Red Sox 15-8 loss against the Minnesota Twins was the fact that David Ortiz failed to get a hit for the first time in about five years.  I'm telling you, that totally shook my understanding of the world.  However, Big Papi had other things on his mind, blasting Boston Globe yahoo Dan Shaughnessy for a column suggesting Ortiz is off to such a great start this year because he's on steroids.  Ortiz has every right to be pissed.  I won't link to the article (but you can get to it if you click the link in this paragraph), but Shaughnessy makes a wild accusation, has no proof to back it up, says "everyone" is talking about it, and fails to name a single other person talking about it besides him, and slanders Big Papi because that's his schtik.  It's pathetic.

Is the Joel Hanrahan era already over?  The Boston Red Sox reliever is off to see the grand poo-bah of sports injuries, Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham Alabama, to see if he needs surgery on his injured right arm.  The best case scenario is that he doesn't need it, but even then he'll still be out at least two months.  It's too early to panic just yet, but fixing the bullpen has suddenly become a major concern for general manager Ben Cherington.

So long?  (pic via boston.cbslocal.com)

I know I've said this before, but I generally have less respect for umpires than any other officials in professional sports.  I think many of them are divas who somehow think that anyone bought a ticket to see them instead of the players.  If I was more generous, I'd say they have tough jobs and are subjected to constant criticism, but then I go back to being snarky and saying they don't make good arguments for themselves when they review a home run call on television and still get it wrong.

Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder says his team will never change its racist name.   Apparently it's the "great tradition" of insulting an ethnic group that Snyder will defend with his last breath.  He knows full well he'd never call a Native American that word to their face, and if there's any justice, he'll lose the lawsuit against the name and have to pay through the nose for it.

With Mother's Day right around the corner, it seems only fitting that we pay tribute to some of the great moms of Doctor Who.

NBC has started cancelling some shows, but Community isn't on this list, and I can't say I care about the rest of the programs, so..so far, so good?

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  In case you don't have any puppies to chase around right now, you can at least enjoy this clip of a bunch of bulldog puppies chasing their mom around.  It just shows that a mother's work is never done.  So, in early celebration of Mother's Day, enjoy today's, "Clip of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of your Friday, and if you want to hang out again later today, you know where to find us.  For now, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Thursday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How are you?  How's your week treating you?  Wednesday was pretty busy, but it never reached full "WTF?" status, so I'll take that.  We have more rain in the forecast for today, and BDH, Little Buddha, and I can't wait to see how the Clutter Tree looks when that's over.  Until then, help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out a little Thursday Clutter.

The GOP isn't the only party who can use a filibuster.  Senate Democrats used the process to block an amendment that would have authorized people to carry guns around "water development projects like lakes and camp sites which are currently gun-free zones."  It's disappointing that NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen was one of the Democrats who voted or that amendment.

South Carolina is a silly place for reviving Mark Sanford's political career this week, but North Carolina is up to some nasty business with a bill that would require a parent's permission before a teen can seek birth control or be treated for a STD, substance abuse or mental health issue.  Listen, everyone wants parents and their children to have a relationship where they can openly discuss whatever issues the child is facing, and that type of communication should always be encouraged.  But we know there are many homes where that's just not the case, and no legislation can mandate it to be otherwise, so are those kids just supposed to be left at risk of getting pregnant, or suffering major health problems as a result?  That's outrageous.

It's starting to look like the stock market will never go down again, which of course means that we're about due for a major correction...unless we're not.  This is why Clutter doesn't pay any real attention to short term market news.  We have no idea what the market will do tomorrow, so we stick to our regular investment schedule, and if we happen to have extra cash at a time when the market takes a notable drop, then we throw in a few extra dollars.  This whole "trying to predict the future" thing is for the birds.

Speaking of birds, I gotta admit, I've never had a turkey come flying through a window at Clutter Headquarters, and I'm feeling pretty appreciative about that right now.  I'm sure BDH and Little Buddha would help it find its way out the door, but it would still be awkward.

By the time Tuesday night's Boston Red Sox 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins was finally over, it looked like I might have an opportunity to try out for back-up catcher and starting third baseman, as well as closer, but it's good to hear that David Ross and Will Middlebrooks seem to be okay.

I'm relieved to hear that Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ has already been released from the hospital after taking a line drive off his head Tuesday night.  Happ was motionless on the ground for about eight minutes after being struck by a hit from Desmond Jennings of the Tampa Bay Rays, and it was a scary sight.  Here's hoping he makes a full recovery quickly.

My most favorite thing about the Los Angeles Dodgers is that they took Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez, and their gigantic contracts, last year.  My second favorite thing about the Dodgers is that Matt Kemp plays for them, and after you read this story about his interaction with a special fan, you'll understand why.

Cheers.  (pic via funscrape.com)

The new San Francisco 49ers park will be called "Levi's Stadium?"  Not exactly the most intimidating name ever, but when you're being paid $220 million for the naming rights, I guess intimidation isn't that high on the list of important items.  Hey, wait a second, this new stadium is in Santa Clara, California?  But they're still going to be called the "San Francisco 49ers?"  Screw that, they can join the "We don't want to admit we play in New Jersey" Jets and Giants as being the biggest liars in professional sports.  If you have to lie about where you play, you know deep down inside, in places you don't like to talk about at parties, that you've done something bad.

I'll be at Mom Clutter's house for Mother's Day weekend, so I'll probably have to DVR Saturday's Doctor Who episode, but the more writer Neil Gaiman talks about his script, the more I think this is likely to be worth the wait.  I'll enjoy some of the Gaiman experience before that, because I'm sure I'll be bringing my copy of American Gods for the trip.  I tend to read things (too) quickly, so it's been a challenge to pace myself with this book, but it's been worth the effort so far.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think we'll let Mr. Eric Clapton take us out with today's, "Song of the Day."  Enjoy:

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as aways.  Try to stay dry out there, and come back later, so we can watch the Community season/series finale together.  Until then, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Wednesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

How are you?  Happy Wednesday to you all.  Is your week treating you okay so far?  There have been a few little odd turns here and there so far, but everyone at Clutter Headquarters is still standing, so that's good.  (Well, I'm standing.  BDH and Little Buddha are sitting as usual.)  This is not something I'd ever expect to write, but I'm really hoping today's rain forecast holds up.  The Clutter Tree could really use some water.  In the meantime, help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out a little Clutter.

Okay, let's take a minute to focus on the good news about Monday's Red Sox game.  First off, they beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 in 11 innings.  Second, shortstop Stephen Drew had a strong night for himself with four hits, increasing his batting average 43 points (.182 to .225), and he drove in the winning run with a RBI double in the 11th inning.  We also had the return of the Laser Show when Dustin Pedroia hit his first home run of the season, and Big Papi's hitting streak was extended to something like 900 games.  All of that is outstanding.

However, now I'm starting to have more serious concerns about our closer situation.  We were supposed to be lucky to have two quality relievers in Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan, except that neither one of them can stay healthy for more than three days at a time.  Bailey just went on the disabled list with a bicep problem, and now Hanrahan is already making his second trip of the year to the DL, this time with a right forearm strain.  Suddenly, manager John Farrell has to start moving some pieces around in the bullpen. 

I guess the plan is for Junichi Tazawa to take over the closer role for now, Felix Doubront to be moved to the bullpen, and for Allen Webster to be brought back from the minors.  I admit, I like the Webster call-up and Doubront movement, but we could be in trouble if Tazawa struggles in his new role, and in any case, what are the Red Sox supposed to do for the rest of the season?  Just flip a coin to see who gets called out for the 9th and hope like hell that they don't get hurt that night?

Congratulations to Delaware for becoming the 11th state to recognize marriage equality.  The right of people who marry who they love will not be denied.

Here's a question, as accused Colorado gunman James Holmes prepares to plead not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder for shooting over 80 people in an Aurora movie theater.   Speaking from the educated position of being the son of two mental health professionals, I think anyone who would ever do such a thing has to be mentally ill.  I just don't think a human being could commit such an atrocity if that wasn't the case.  However, it seems like the insanity defense works about 1% of the time, and I'm wondering if any of that is due to the use of the word "insanity."   Most of us don't have the slightest idea how an "insane" person looks or acts, except for what we see in the movies.  If we can't relate to the word, how can it ever really be used effectively?  Shouldn't we ditch the word "insanity" and replace it with something more relatable like "severe mental health concerns?"  Mind you, I'm not saying Holmes should be set free to walk the streets, but wouldn't a mental hospital be an appropriate destination for the rest of his life?

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie under went "secret" weight loss surgery in February.  Christie, who is clearly a heavy man, said that he did it for his family and not for presidential aspirations in 2016.  Pretty sure it's not an either/or, but hey, Clutter hopes Governor Christie is around for his family for many years to come...while losing horribly in 2016.

The next Doctor Who Revisited special is coming!  This one features the Fifth Doctor, who was played by Peter Davison.  My memory is that Davison did a good job in the role, so it will be interesting to see how well his story holds up some 30+ years later.  As a side note, Davison is also the father-in-law of Cluter favorite David Tennant.  It's one big happy Who family!

Like father in-law, like son in-law!  (pic via guardian.co.uk)

For those who follow such things, Carrie Underwood will be replacing Faith Hill as the singer of the NBC Sunday Night Football theme song.  So...there's that.

Jennifer Aniston is muttering some nonsense about how she used to be much "rounder" 20+ years ago.  This being Hollywood, that means she weighed 120lbs then, but let me just say this about that.  The Rachel at the start of Friends was the hottest woman on television, and she didn't need to lose a single pound.

Gorgeous.  (pic via telegraph.co.uk)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think we're going to close things out with a little Doctor Who today.  Peter Davison and David Tennant actually teamed up for a short piece in 2007 as part of a fundraiser for a British charity.  If you know anything about Doctor Who, you can fully appreciate all of the little compliments Tenant pays Davison.  If you know nothing about the show, you can appreciate the clever use of time travel in this story, and if you only know what I've told you for the last few years, you can appreciate the general notion of a man (Tennant) paying tribute to his former self (Davison).  This piece was written by current Who chief Steven Moffat.  It's funny, it's sweet, and it's today's, "Clip of the Day."

 

I know, I'm a geek, but that's still cool.

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of your day, and we'll see you back here for more randomness soon.  For now, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.