Clearing out the Clutter

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.

Monday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Happy Presidents' Day to you all.  What's the plan for the day?  Little Buddha is going to keep an eye on BDH while I run a few errands, but before we get to that, grab yourself a medium (or maybe even a large) DD, and let's clear out a little long weekend Clutter.

A new national Gallup poll gives Rick Santorum an eight-point lead over Mitt Romney.  Santorum is clearly feeling increasingly confident as he's now using increasingly vitriolic rhetoric to attack President Obama these days.  If I can translate, he is currently telling voters that Obama is an intellectual Muslim, with similarities to Hitler, who has issued a jihad against other religions and is out to kill disabled babies.  He's starting to remind me of former Vice President Dick Cheney's argument against John Kerry, which was basically, "If you vote for that guy, we're all going to die." 

For those of you playing the home game, Ron Paul is still running for President.

The GOP is still trying to make up a message about the economy that they think voters will fall for.

It sounds like Arizona Republican voters aren't likely to punish congressional candidate Paul Babeu for allegedly threatening his ex-boyfriend.  They'll do it because he's gay.

Here's an interesting New York Times piece on Obama adviser David Plouffe.

I frequently like to have a Cliff Bar right after going to the gym.  I know, they've got sugar, but it seems like a better choice than giving in and having a candy bar.  What's that you say, the bars may be high in arsenic?

Nothing helps you recover like a little arsenic. (pic via amazon.com)

Josh Beckett spoke about how last season ended yesterday, and the interpretation of his comments seem to reflect how split Red Sox fans are about him right now.  Some saw his statements as an apology and an attempt to take more responsibility for his behavior last September.  Some saw them as him saying as little as he could get away with.  Beckett's best shot at getting everyone on the same page is to have a strong 2012 from start to finish.

Meanwhile, Jon Lester seems to be ready to step up and take a leadership role on the team.  More power to him.

Can we assume that Jason Varitek's absence from spring traing yesterday is the start of the countdown to his retirement press conference?

For those of you wanting to know about Jenny Dell, aka "the new Heidi Watney," Ms. Dell has written a little intro piece for herself.  No word yet on whether the NESN producers will make her eat the worst ballpark food in the American League this year.

Jenny Dell (pic via digboston.com)

As expected, ESPN fired the guy who wrote the racist Jeremy Lin headline, but my question is, how many other people saw it before it was posted to the website?  Shouldn't there also be some type of punishment for them?

Glad to hear that The Colbert Report will return to the air tonight after a sudden shutdown last week due to Stephen Colbert's ailing mother.

I had the chance to finish watching this week's Saturday Night Live on the DVR yesterday (I'm too old to stay up for the whole episode), and it's confirmed: Former SNL alum Maya Rudolph did a great job as host.  Her excitement was palpable, and the show was consistently funny for the full 90 minutes.  Special kudos to her "secret co-host" Amy Poehler, who appeared in several sketches, including Weekend Update.  I like Parks and Recreation, but this week's SNL reminded me how truly funny a less-restrained Poehler is.  Be it Bronx Beat with Jodi and Betty, or Update, she was allowed to cut loose more than she ever does on Thursday nights.  The show also reminded me for the 200th week in a row that I don't think Kristen Wiig is particularly funny, and I still want to see more of Abby Elliot.  Oh, and is Justin Timberlake officially a cast member at this point?

I didn't think The Simpsons was particularly funny last night, but after 500 episodes, maybe that's not the point anymore.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have Amy Poehler take us out with her two main appearances on SNL this week.  I'm in no rush for Parks and Recreation to end, but I hope Poheler's next job after that will let her cut loose more often like she did on Saturday.  Check out today's, "Clips of the Day."

 

  

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  I hope you all enjoy your day off, and remember, you're always welcome to stop by Clutter Headquarters.  I'm sure Little Buddha will be happy to tell you a story if you ask nicely.   He tells great stories.  Until next time, today's Clutter has been cleared.

Sunday Clutter

 Hi everyone,

Happy Sunday to you all.  What's the plan for the day? BDH, Little Buddha and I are off to the gym, and then we have a few errands to do after that.  Hey, don't be fooled, those two may be small, but they can move the plates.  It's pretty amazing.  However, we have business to take care of before that, so grab yourself a medium DD, and let's clear out a little Sunday Clutter.  Everyone comfortable?  Here we go...

First Mitt Romney was attacking Rick Santorum for his pursuit of budget earmarks, even though Mittens had done the same thing.  Now Romney's attacking Santorum for working with organized labor in the past, even though, that's right, say it with me now, Romney's done the same thing.  However voters feel about earmarks or unions, why should they think they can trust Romney on either issue.  The man stands for nothing and looks foolish when he makes attacks like this, given his own multiple positions.

Romney's also managed to anger both the auto industry and the Tea Party with his thoughts on any type of bailout.  That's a pretty neat trick to pull off.

Quick quiz:  Do you know what it means to be "Spreading Romney?"

I wonder which Republican senator says s/he will call for a new GOP presidential candidate if Mitt Romney loses his home state of Michigan.  How remarkable is it that we're even having this conversation about the supposedly-"inevitable" candidate?

Rick Santorum doesn't see the need for public education.  It's nothing but them there teachers interferin' with the family, and if we just went back to a nation of home-schoolers like we had 200 years ago, everything would be fine. 

In further Santorum news, apparently "Mr. Sweater Vest" also decided that Protestants aren't real Christians.  Is that a big deal?  Mittens should be punching himself in the face every morning for not being able to beat this guy. 

Stop me if you've heard this one before:  A rising GOP star, who is aggressively anti-immigrant, is now being accused of threatening his male lover, who's an undocumented Mexican immigrant.  Bonus points for the fact that the guy was forced to step down as Mitt Romney's Arizona campaign co-chairman.  I wonder if conservatives are more upset with him for being gay or for having a Mexican boyfriend?  Republican hypocrisy, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

The tributes and condolences continue to pour in for New York Times reporter Anthony Shadid, who died in Syria on Thursday from an asthma attack.

Anthony Shadid (pic via yahoo.com)

The Massachusetts legislature needs to find a way to prevent MBTA riders from having to bear the full burden of the T's current budget problems.  Cutting routes would hurt the state's economy, and dramatically raising fares is essentially a tax hike on middle and lower income people.

There's no way to know for sure, because I'll never try this, but if someone made me drink a bacon milkshake, I'm pretty sure that I would severely vomit for an extended period of time.  Pretty sure.

Evening Clutter goes well with a Sam Adams, but let's be clear, alcohol is just as dangerous as other drugs, even though we tend to put it in a "lighter" category than something that comes in pill form and it's a much more widespread problem:

And while 8 percent of Americans ages 12 and over use illicit drugs, 34 percent are addicted to alcohol or indulge in what public health officials consider risky drinking.

Johnson and Johnson recalled yet another product.  This time it's infants' Tylenol, due to a defective delivery system.

Spring training has finally officially begun.  Of course I'm excited for the start of a new season, as I have been for each of the last 30 years.  It's just not the same at Clutter Headquarters without having Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy on the TV.  It's going to be a season of transition.  I have less of a sense of this year's team than I have had in probably 10 years.  The new players need to demonstrate their value, and the returning team needs to show some indication that they won't tank it again like they did last year.  Boston sportswriters are all clamoring for public apologies from the players.  That would have been nice, but it's clearly not going to happen at this point.  I just hope they'll show that dedication on the field, and of course I'll be watching every step of the way...and probably talking about it once in a while here.  Let's see what you've got, boys. 

Let the games begin. (pic via bleacherreport.com)

Having said that, I still miss Tito and feel bad about how he was thrown under the bus last year.  I hope he's able to move on from the horrible end to his Red Sox tenure and finds the happiness he so deserves.  I'd much rather keep him and ditch the owners, but I will root for whatever team he manages next and wish him the best of luck.

Are the Oakland A's really going in on Manny Ramirez?  Well, the whole point of Moneyball is seeing value where others don't, right?

ESPN apologized for using a racist slur in the headline to an article featuring Jeremy Lin.  I wonder who's getting fired for this.

More former football players are suing the NFL for allegedly hiding the dangers of playing with concussions.

Family and friends said goodbye to Whitney Houston yesterday.

In a shocking development, Nicolas Cage's new movie, Ghost Rider, is getting bad reviews.

2012 just keeps getting better and better.  First Van Halen released a new album, then spring training started, and just over a month from now, Don Draper will be back:

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  When you read and watch all of these stories about Whitney Houston this week, the first reactions tend to be, "What a shame/what a mess of a person."  I'd rather have that not be the lasting impression, so we're going to take a trip back to the 1993 Billboard Awards.  I know we played this same song last Sunday, but watch this live performance and enjoy the power of the woman who was in control of her life, her talent and the audience, and let that be the lasting memory.  Here's today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  I know tomorrow is a holiday, so you're welcome to come back tonight to hang out if you want.  I'll go get some more Sam Adams (to be enjoyed in moderation).  Otherwise we'll see you all back here again for more fun on Monday.  For now, it's off to the gym for us, so that's the Clutter, and we are outta here.

Thursday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How's your week going?  What's the plan for the weekend?  No one got much sleep at Clutter Headquarters last night, so we have an extra large pot of coffee ready today.  Feel free to help yourself to a medium or large DD, and then let's clear out some Thursday Clutter.

Move over, Chuck Norris.  Rick Santorum now has the coolest endorser ever:  Megadeath guitarist Dave Mustaine.  I expect the Megadeath classic, Symphony of Destruction, to be played at every Santorum event going forward.

The idea of Mitt Romney losing the Michigan primary has to be the same level disaster as Al Gore losing Tennessee in 2000.  If Gore had won his home state, no one ever would have heard of a "hanging chad."  If Mittens loses his home turf, wouldn't that shatter his claim of being the "inevitable" candidate?  I don't know how anyone can vote for someone whose own dog ran away from him.  If your dog doesn't approve of you, neither will I.

President Obama's approval rating is back to 50%, he holds a sizeable lead over all of his potential opponents, and people are feeling better about the economy.  Guess there's only one thing left for the GOP to do:  Crank up the tired culture war to 11 and claim that if we re-elect the socialist secret Muslim, the gays will be trying to convert teens to adopt their radical agenda, and these conversion ceremonies will take place in churches and they'll throw free contraception at everyone who objects.  I can see the TV ads now.

The GOP brags that they agreed to the payroll tax cut extension in exchange for cutting funding for preventative health care and to help Louisiana continue to recover from Hurricane Katrina.  You have to give this to Republicans, they leave no doubt where they stand on the issues.

The next generation of Camelot begins today as Joseph Kennedy III (Robert Kennedy's grandson) formally announced that he is running to replace retiring-Representative Barney Frank in the MA 4th Congressional District.

If you're going to rob a bank, you probably don't want to do it while a cop is using the ATM outside.  Seriously, the suspect, a homeless man who allegedly told the officer to shoot him, sounds like a sad case.

You can't accuse The Heart Attack Grill of not living up to its name.

Truth in advertising.  (pic via nydailynews.com)

There are already reports of players grumbling under new Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine's more intense spring training camp.  There's not a single player on this team (except Dustin Pedroia and maybe Jacoby Ellsbury) who's earned the right to complain about anything this year.  Maybe Valentine will still end up being a nightmare for everyone, but for right now, the players should just shut up, nod their heads and do their jobs.

Just throw the ball, Josh.  (pic via bostonherald.com)

Boston Celtics announcer Greg Dickerson battles Tourette syndrome, OCD and epilepsy?  Good for him for coming forward and telling his story.  I'll bet that will be particularly inspiring to any little kids who are Celtics fans who also have to deal with any of those issues.  Cheers.

A new report says Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning actually had a 4th procedure on his neck earlier this year.  The alarm bells seem to be getting louder and louder here.

Remember that one day when we thought Albert Haynesworth would be a good player for the New England Patriots?  That seems like years ago.

Was the investigation of Lance Armstrong suddenly closed due to political pressures?

A Different Kind of Truth is now Van Halen's 14th consecutive top 10 album.  The CD came in at #2 this week.  It would have been #1 if not for that damn Adele.  Damn you, Adele!  (shaking angry fist)  Still, that's not bad for a group of guys who haven't released an album together in almost three decades.  Not bad at all!

Storming the charts again.  (pic via ew.com)

If Bill Murray is out for Ghostbusters 3, then so am I.  Solidarity, brother.

Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton looks like she's actually eaten a real meal before, and that makes her Clutter-endorsed.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  We clearly need to let Rick Santorum's new buddy Dave Mustaine take us out with today's, "Song of the Day."  I want you to listen to the song and imagine Rick Santorum walking into a room of supporters (wearing his sweater vest, of course), arms outstretched, indicating everyone should go crazy, as the line, "Just like the pied piper, led rats through the street," blares over the loudspeakers.

You know that would be the greatest visual ever.  Mittens would drop out on the spot, because who's going to take on THAT?  Santorum should give it some thought, because Megadeath is playing before a much larger crowd in this clip than he's ever going to get by himself.  Check it out:

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  Come back soon, and we'll do it all over again.  For now, today's Clutter has been cleared.

Friday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Happy Friday to you all.  Come on in.  It's amazing how quickly this week went by, yet it still feels like it's taking forever for the Super Bowl to get here.  BDH and Little Buddha are getting stir crazy, but they'll survive.  Maybe we'll watch Puppy Bowl reruns until Sunday.  For now, make yourself comfortable, grab a nice hot medium DD, and let's clear out some Friday Clutter.

There is only one way for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation to repair the incredible damage they've done to their reputation:  Stay out of political battles and restore the grants to Planned Parenthood to pay for breast exams.  It's really that simple.  Each denial by the organization that this was a political decision only further undermines their credibility.

I still can't believe that Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for President yesterday.  Actually, what I really can't believe is that Romney sought the endorsement.   With polls showing that only 13% of voters say The Donald's endorsement would make them more likely to vote for a candidate (sorry, make that 8%), what's the appeal here?  Yesterday's Clutter talked about Romney's ongoing struggle to connect with people who aren't rich, and with all due bias, it's a serious weakness of his.  First there's the incredibly low tax rate, followed by Swiss bank accounts, followed by saying he doesn't care about the poor, and now, he's joined at the hip by a man who's best known for saying, "You're Fired."  I can't even begin to imagine what he was thinking.  How long do you think it took the DNC to put together this add?  We'll set the over/under at 15 seconds:

 

Romney has attacked President Obama for requiring all health plans, including those for Catholic organizations, to include free contraceptive coverage, even though Romney himself previously angered those organizations on a similar issue when he was governor.  I've covered this issue before, so we won't get into that again now, but I was struck by this quote from Matt Smith, who apparently runs some conservative Catholic advocacy organization.  Smith said he supported Romney, noting, "“You better hope that he’s going to stay true to his word.’’  Dear Mr. Smith, good luck with that, because the record has shown that there's no reason to believe Mittens will stay consistent on any issue.

Could the disaster that is the former Filene's site in Downtown Crossing finally move forward?  A new developer has big plans for that pit.

Will this crater finally disappear? (pic via boston.com)

A new study suggests that sugar should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco.  Read this article before you laugh that off.

How much do you think Facebook makes off of you per year?  My guess is that the answer will surprise you.

Bad news for the New York Giants:  Gronk returned to practice yesterday.

A New York bar is banning the sale of Sam Adams during the Super Bowl.  That's fine, their patrons will need something good to drink after the game to drown their sorrows.

Well, this is interesting:  Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has been medically cleared  by his doctor to play in the NFL again following his latest neck surgery.  I still think the Colts have already made the decision to move on, but what will Manning do now?

Boston Red Sox pitcher/new father Josh Beckett says he's ready to go for 2012.  I hope he's got a chip on his shoulder.

Carl Crawford, on the other hand, is being sued by a friend who claims Crawford and his brother stole his life savings.

Sorry to hear that hockey legend Gordie Howe is suffering from the early stages of dementia.

Van Halen threw a private show Wednesday night to celebrate the upcoming release of, A Different Truth, next Tuesday (in case you hadn't heard) and showed they can still bring the goods.

It looks like word is getting out about How I Met Your Mother being appointment television, as the show's ratings are up 19% over last year.  Welcome to the bandwagon everyone.  Hop on, there's plenty of room for everyone!

Okay folks, that's going to do it for now.  It's been ten years since the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl.  They were underdogs then, like they are now, and we know how that turned out.  So, as we wait for the big game on Sunday, let's take a look back at how this dynasty run began with today's, "Clip of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, my friends.  It was great to see you as always.  It's supposed to be cold today, so try to stay warm, get some work done, and then we'll meet back here again for more fun and randomness.  For now, today's Clutter has been cleared.  Later.

Wednesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  The calendar says it's February 1st already.  Where does the time go?  I guess we better get to work, so grab yourself a medium DD, and let's clear out some Clutter.

It's extremely disappointing to hear that the Susan G. Komen charity has caved to anti-choice extremists and stopped providing grants to Planned Parenthood for breast exams for low-income women.  How misguided.  As if cancer cares if you're pro-choice or not, as if it cares where you go for your exam.  Shameful.  You can click here if you want to make a donation to Planned Parenthood in support of these important services.

Mitt Romney crushed Newt Gingrich in yesterday's Florida primary, beating Gingrich 46-32%.  Is this the tipping point of the race, or can the Newt find a way to revive his campaign for the third time this cycle?  Meanwhile, Romney is off to Minnesota to try to win the endorsement of former opponent/Tea Party hero Michele Bachmann.  With any luck, Bachmann will be an active surrogate for Romney and tell us more about how vaccinations cause mental retardation.

The GOP Florida primary has been judged, "the most negative campaign ever."  With 92% of the ads being negative, you sort of wonder why the candidates even bothered with the 8% that were positive.  Maybe that's part of the reason that yesterday's turnout was 15% lower than in 2008.

John McCain may have endorsed Mitt Romney this year, but a former McCain aide is warning Mittens to back off a bit on Newt Gingrich.  John Weaver says the last thing Romney needs is for Gingrich to feel like he's got no way out.

Eugene Robinson asks a great fundamental question:  What exactly does Mitt Romney believe in?   I don't know anyone who can legitimately claim to know the answer to that.  The best that his supporters can come up with is, "He's a rich guy who is not President Obama, and that's all that matters."  Maybe this video will clear things up:

 

At least Mitt's being honest about one thing:  He doesn't care about the very poor.  So if you're one of those bleeding hearts who think the president should be looking after the most vulnerable members of our society, he's not your guy.

Condolences to the family and friends of Massachusetts Governor's Councilor Kelly Timilty who died yesterday at age 49.

Rocker Neil Young is working on building his own electronic music device that takes forever to download a song, but sounds much better than anything else out there right now.  Can he find a large market where people will pay for quality over convenience?

For those of you looking for a birthday present for me (two weeks from today, but who's counting), please don't get me a sloth.

McDonald's will stop adding ammonium hydroxide (otherwise known as "pink slime") to their burgers, citing, "a focus on food safety."  Yeah, that seems like a good reason to stop.  I haven't eaten at McDonald's in 20+ years, and I'm pretty sure that a new-found focus on food safety won't be breaking that streak anytime soon.

You want a Big Mac with your pink slime? (pic via wavy.com)

Clutterheads, maybe I should have asked this before the pink slime story, but who wants to meet up at the new local taco/tequila bar?

The big Super Bowl news of the day is that Gronk is out of his walking boot.  That's got to be both a step in the right direction, and likely a hint that he's actually a machine who was just fitted with a new leg attachment. (As an aside, how many of you can tell me who Ryan Mallett is without clicking the link?)

He'll be back on Sunday, dude.  (pic via providencejournal.com)

New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco talked about the challenges of bringing nothing to the table this year.  I still say he can have a JD Drew moment if he does anything memorable in the Super Bowl.

The Dice-K comeback begins, as the Boston Red Sox pitcher threw yesterday for the first time since having Tommy John surgery last June.

I've always been under the impression that Saturday Night Live contracts are extremely long and hard to get out of, so I'm wondering what Paul Brittain did to warrant being "released immediately."  In all fairness, I will probably have forgotten about him before today's Clutter is over.

SNL alums Dan Ackroyd and Will Farrell are teaming up with Zach Galifianakis on a political comedy.  This could be pretty funny, or it could be utterly horrible.

Paul who?

HBO's, Game Change, with Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin, looks like fun:

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  We're four days away from seeing exactly how well Rob Gronkowski is able to perform, so why don't we let him take us out with today's, "Clip of the Day."  Given that he's clearly been playing with a broken neck for weeks now, a little high ankle sprain isn't going to stop him:

 

Thanks for stopping by, my friends.  It was great to see you as always.  Have a good one, and make sure to come back soon, because there's always more Clutter to clear.  Later.

Tuesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Happy Tuesday to you all.  The Super Bowl is just five days away, and the new Van Halen album is two days after that.  My head's already spinning, so let's cut to the chase and get down to business.  Everyone have your medium DD?  Yes?  What about you over there in the corner, good to go?  Okay, let's clear out some Clutter.

The Apprentice returns on February 19th, and what do you know?  Donald Trump just happens to be talking about running for president again.  Do you remember when he said he had some guys who'd uncovered some really shocking information about President Obama's birth certificate?  Whatever happened with that?

I'll do it, I swear, I'll do it. (pic via abcnews.com)

NBC doesn't like Mitt Romney's campaign ad that features Tom Brokaw announcing a story about Newt Gingrich's ethics troubles.

Meanwhile, Newt's got his own problems, as he's being sued by the co-author of Eye of the Tiger to to stop using the song at his rallies.

Chris Matthews to Mittens:  What comes around, goes around:

 

David Axelrod reminded the public of one of the major differences between President Obama and Mitt Romney:  One of them lets their dog travel inside the car on trips.  This is a distinction that is of particular importance to BDH and his friends.

Rick Santorum will release four years of tax returns that nobody asked for.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has entered Twilight Zone territory, claiming that Congress has given President Obama everything he's asked for.  Perhaps three years of obstructing every Democratic proposal has left Senator McConnell suffering from exhaustion.

It's the end of an era as the main house on the Kennedy family compound is being donated to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for public use.  BDH wants to know if we'll be donating Clutter Headquarters to his institute.  I told him I'd get back to him about that.

Which street drug is now being tested as a quick fix for severe depression?

A teenager who's survived cancer is now growing his hair long for other cancer survivors.  His reward?  To be kicked out of his school.  That's clearly sending the right message.  Helping others in need is nice, but you gotta keep that hair short.

It turns out there's no actual legal definition for "natural" when talking about most foods, so paying extra for "natural" Tostitos is probably a waste of money.

Las Vegas sports books are rooting really hard for a New England Patriots Super Bowl win.

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team, and he may have to step it up if Rob Gronkowski is limited on Sunday.

Everyone is talking about how much Gronk will be able to do at the Super Bowl, and how much pressure that will put on Wes Welker and Hernandez.  However, former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch says, don't forget about me.

Will Big Papi be the first Red Sox player to actually go to arbitration in ten years?

Former Red Sox pitcher/Massachusetts native Manny Delcarmen has apparently surrendered to the dark side of the force, signing a minor league deal with the New York Yankees.  Our condolences to his family and friends during this challenging time.

(pic via bostondirtdogs.com)

Jenny Dell isn't the only new face coming to NESN.  Former player Matt Stairs is joining the network as a studio analyst.

Will Prince Fielder's signing with the Detroit Tigers help him repair his relationship with his father, former Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder?  (It's worth clicking on that link just to see the picture of a young Prince in Zubaz pants.)

I have to say I really enjoyed the Ferris Beuller's Day Off sequel, though I missed Sloan and Cameron:

 

Axl Rose and the current Guns 'N Roses lineup are returning to The Ritz, the site of the band's famous 1988 performance.  That 1988 show was amazing to a 14 year old Clutterhead.  I just wish it was the original band playing again this time.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Last week, we had Zaak Wylde playing the Star Spangled Banner and suggested he should play it for the Super Bowl.  We're all about choices here at Clutter, so today, we give you the option of Chickenfoot guitarist Joe Satriani's performance for today's, "Song of the Day."  Check it out:

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  I hope you had as much fun as we did.  Have a good day, stay warm, and come back soon for more fun and randomness.  Until next time, today's Clutter has been cleared, and we're outta here.

Friday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Happy Friday to you all.  It's certainly a dreary Friday.  Bleah.  However, but it's still Friday, so that still counts.  What's the plan for the weekend?  Tell me all about it while you enjoy a nice medium DD, and we wrap up the week with a little Clutter.

Mitt Romney turned in an aggressive performance in last night's GOP debate.  We'll see if it was enough to finally break Newt Gingrich's momentum.   I suspect we'll be seeing many ads, both in the primary and general election, featuring the clip where Romney defended health insurance mandates.  We also have the latest entry in the "Mitt Romney Flip-Flop Hall of Fame," where he claimed that he hadn't seen one of his own campaign ads that he approved.

Meanwhile, off the debate stage, Mittens is showing a real focus on the issues that matter to the American people, calling Newt Gingrich mentally unstable.  Hey, whatever it takes to distract from the fact that your tax returns and personal financial statements don't match up, right, big guy?

I'm having a hard time understanding whether or not Bob Dole will endorse Newt Gingrich.  What do you think he's trying to say with this quote?

Arizona Governor/Tea Party favorite Jan Brewer knows how to use a dog whistle as well as everyone, saying she felt, "a little bit threatened" by her meeting with President Obama this week.

How often does a president get to say he's both cutting and increasing defense spending?

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she wants to take a break and doesn't plan to return for Obama's second term.  I wonder what the official odds are on a 2016 campaign?

That's all for now.  (pic via wikipedia.org)

Bill Gates says taxes should be raised on the wealthy, and he disputes a link between taxes and job creation.  Which GOP presidential candidate will be the first one to attack the Microsoft founder as a socialist who doesn't understand capitalism?

Congratulations to US Representative Barney Frank, who announced he's getting married to his longtime partner. 

Chad Ochocinco's not doing much with the New England Patriots right now, so he's got plenty of time to become friends with House Speaker John Boehner.

Score one for censorship as Twitter announces a new system which will allow it to block certain tweets by country.

Hey, who wants to go to Taco Bell for breakfast?  Excuse me, I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Would you start your day with this? (pic via usatoday.com)

I suspect this is going to make some friends of mine unhappy, but New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker has taken a break from his Super Bowl preparations to get engaged.  His fiance, Anna Burns, is a former Miss Hooters International.

The happy couple. (pic via yardbarker.com)

Uh oh, the Peyton Manning era is clearly winding down in Indianapolis, but I hope it's not going to get ugly first.  Everyone, just shake hands and call it a day.

Youk says he feels good and is ready to turn the page on the 2011 season.  He may annoy some of his teammates, but there's no doubt that a healthy Youk is key to the Red Sox having a better 2012.

The Orlando Magic were determined to avenge last week's embarrassing 31 point loss to the Boston Celtics.  Things didn't work out as planned though, as the Celtics erased a 27 point deficit this time to beat Orlando 91-83.  This was the third consecutive win for Boston, so maybe achieving it in such a dramatic fashion will slow down the rumors of the team's dismantling just a little bit.

I just watched the movie Groundhog Day, which seems to get better with age.  If you New Hampshire Clutterheads have any questions about Phil Connors' day from hell, the film's writer, Danny Rubin, will be at Red River Theaters in Concord tomorrow to take your questions.

Congratulations to Doctor Who's Matt Smith and Karen Gillan for winning the awards for best Male Drama Performance and Best Female Drama Performance, respectively, at this year's National Television Awards.  These two are a strong duo, and I'm sorry Gillan's being written out of the show next season.

A winning pair. (pics via telegraph.co.uk)

Happy belated 57th birthday to Eddie Van Halen.  I'm looking forward to celebrating by purchasing, "A Different Kind of Truth" on February 7th.  One thing the album previews have consistently shown so far is that Eddie is still the king of the guitar. 

Ferris Beuller is back!  But why?  Looks like we'll find out at the Super Bowl.

The members of Monty Python's Flying Circus (sans Eric Idle) are reuniting for a new movie.

Condolences to the family and friends of actor Robert Hegyes, who died yesterday from a heart attack.  Hegyes was best known for playing Juan Epstein on Welcome Back Kotter.  He was 60 years old.

Robert Hegyes (pic via tv.yahoo.com)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think we'll let John Sebastian take us out with the theme song from Welcome Back Kotter for today's, "Song of the Day."  Here's a trivia question for you Skidmore alumni Clutterheads.  The Bandersnatchers used to sing this as part of their "television medley" number.  Can you name the next full song that followed it in the medley?  It's already stuck in my head.  Such is the curse of the Clutter.

 

Thanks for coming, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  BDH and Little Buddha have gone back to bed, because the gloomy weather makes them sleepy.  I'm still around, though, so come back later in the day if you like, or we'll do this all over again tomorrow.  Until next time, this clutter is now cleared.

Thursday Clutter

Hi everyone,

How are you?  Come on in, and make yourself comfortable.  How's your week been?  Anything interesting going on?  Everyone at Clutter Headquarters is very excited to see that our 1000th post is coming up on Sunday.  We feel like we should throw a party or something.  But let's not think about that right now.  Let's stay in the moment, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, and we'll clear out some Thursday Clutter.

If I could give one piece of advice in life, it would be this, do not mess with Navy Seal Team Six.  Whether you are Osama Bin Laden (still dead, according to the State of the Union), or Somali pirates, it will not end well for you.

The State of the Union speech was popular with those who watched it.

The GOP presidential candidates debate again tonight, which is great, because voters clearly get upset when we go more than a day without a debate.   The main question is, will Newt Gingrich have a strong enough performance to hold off Mitt before next week's Florida primary?

The DNC would like to know exactly how much Mitt Romney had hidden in his "ordinary" Swiss bank account and why:

 

What happens next after the Florida primary?

Just in case you were worried, Michele Bachmann says she'll run for another term in Congress. 

Former WWE CEO/current Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon is in dangerous territory if her best rebuttal about how many pro wrestlers have died at a young age is that "only" five of them died while under contract with the WWE.

It's really hard to think of a dumber comment than East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo's response to how he would respond to several police officers being charged with violating the civil rights of several Latino members of his community.

The Federal Reserve won't be raising interest rates any time soon, so my savings account will continue to earn $1.15/year in interest.  Sweet.

In a win for public health, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed the ordinance requiring adult film actors to wear condoms while filming movies in certain locations.  Now we'll see if the film companies follow through on their threats to move out of L.A.

The current Burger King ad says that the Whopper has a new best friend, which is the new fries.  My question is, who was the old best friend, and why did they get the boot?  Did the Whopper and the onion rings get into a fight over the chicken sandwich?  Have I thought too much about this?  Probably, let's move on.

In a world where all things are relative, it looks like the Boston Red Sox got a deal by signing Adrian Gonzalez when they did and not getting wrapped up in the Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols negotiations.  The seven years they signed Gonzalez for seems to be the right upper limit for a deal.  The nine and ten year deals that Fielder and Pujols signed are likely to come back to haunt the Detroit Tigers and Anaheim Angels near the end.

Would the Red Sox rather have pitcher Edwin Jackson over Roy Oswalt?  At age 28, Jackson is six years younger than Oswalt, so he could be a better investment over the long-term.

I think Tim Thomas made a bad call by skipping the Boston Bruins visit to the White House, but I sort of wonder if Red Sox management helped with this hit piece in yesterday's Boston Globe.  Is this the beginning of easing Timmy out the door?

Given that he's been a complete non-presence for the New England Patriots this year, how awesome would it be if Chad Ochocinco came through with a major play in the Super Bowl?

The Indianapolis Colts hired their new head coach.  I wonder if anyone talked to Peyton Manning about this first.  My guess is that didn't happen.

Will CBS face a lawsuit from the BBC if they go forward with their own modern day version of Sherlock?  It sounds like there are a lot of potential legal questions here.  My advice is, when in doubt, side with the show that has a star named "Benedict Cumberbatch," because really, how can you not?

Congratulations to Community start Danny Pudi and his wife on the birth of their twins.  Hopefully there will be an opportunity for Community to come back from hiatus and sneak in a joke about this somewhere.

A new Showtime series takes a look at the hard work that goes into being a comedian.

Does anyone still watch CSI?

Would anyone still watch The Office if Rainn Wilson leaves for his own spinoff?  The show has already taken a hit without Steve Carrell, but really, why would you watch with no Dwight, right?  Conversely, would you watch a show that was primarily about Dwight? 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Van Halen has released a 90 second preview of another song off their new album, "A Different Kind of Truth."  This one is called, "Blood and Fire," and judging by this clip, I would have made this the first single, but for now it will be today's, "Song of the Day."  Check it out:

 

Wait, what's this?  They've also released a preview of another song called, "Stay Frosty."  This snippet sounds like it's the sequel to their classic, "Ice Cream Man."  I can't wait for February 7th to get here.

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  We hope you enjoyed our time together as much as we did.  You know how much BDH, Little Buddha and I love to hang out with you.  Come back again soon, and we'll do this all over again.  For now, we're outta here.

Wednesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back to the house of random.  You may remember we were waiting for the gas company to visit Clutter Headquarters yesterday.  They gave me five hour window (for what I was told would be a 10 minute visit), so of course they came after six hours.  That didn't leave anyone in a good mood, but BDH, Little Buddha and I are determined that today will be a better day, so make yourself comfortable, grab yourself a medium DD, and let's do what we do, which is clearing out the Clutter like no other...

President Obama kicked off his reelection campaign with his State of the Union address last night.  The core theme of the night was economic fairness (along with multiple reminders that Osama Bin Laden is dead).  I enjoyed the proposal that people making over $1 million should pay 30% in taxes, which just happens to be twice what Mitt Romney paid last year.  It seemed like a solid enough speech if you remember that Congress isn't going to do anything this year, so none of Obama's policy proposals are going anywhere.  However, President Obama tells a good story, and it's going to be a serious challenge for the GOP nominee to match his campaigning skills once this race goes to the general public, who doesn't want to be lectured by the wealthy and told they should stop acting so jealous.

(As an aside, I once had a conservative friend tell me in all seriousness that he knew President Obama doesn't like America because he didn't wear an American flag pin.  Well, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden had their pins last night, but House Speaker John Bohner's pin was nowhere to be found.  So when exactly did Speaker Boehner renounce this country?  I expect to hear this topic discussed at length on Fox "News.")

The State of the Union is an important speech, but the top highlight of the evening really was the standing ovation for retiring-Representative Gabrielle Giffords in the chamber.  Cheers to Representative Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, who helped Rep. Giffords up and down as needed during President Obama's applause lines.  It's nice to see we can cross party lines every once in a blue moon.

 

Mitt Romney's campaign is starting to have just a twinge of that car-accident feel.  You should look away, but you just can't.  Did he really say that "banks aren't bad people" yesterday?  Now, he may really believe that, much like his "corporations are people too" statement, and banks have certainly been good to him.  However, could he possibly make a statement that's less in touch with the country this year?  The revelation that he has a Swiss bank account doesn't help him any either.  Mittens may still very well right his ship, regain his lead over Newt Gingrich, and go on to win the GOP nomination, but it's hard to imagine how he's going to transition to a message that shows any ability to connect with the general election voters.  

The death of co-founder Steve Jobs hasn't slowed down the Apple juggernaut yet, as the company reported its best quarter ever, with earnings up 118%.

My calendar still says January, but Sam Adams says it's time to sell their Alpine Spring Lager, so I guess that settles that.  Thanks for everything, Winter Lager.  See you again in August.

Never argue with Sam Adams.  (pic via beerstreetjournal.com)

Yay, I can finally get that job I've always wanted with Disney now that employees are allowed to have facial hair.

I don't want Facebook Timeline, I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it.  I have a number of friends who have already made the switch, I've looked at their pages multiple times, and not one of them has changed my mind.  Phooey.

Only a foolish person would worry about whether or not New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will be able to play in the Super Bowl after spraining his ankle against the Baltimore Ravens.  I'm still pretty sure Gronk broke his neck earlier this year with a dive into the end zone, and even that didn't stop him.  A sprained ankle?  No problem.

 

A new interview with Peyton Manning makes it sound pretty clear that he understands his time with the Indianapolis Colts is coming to an end.   There seems to be some debate about whether the interview also shows Manning's preparing for retirement or still wants to play in the NFL anyway.  As I said before, if he's not healthy enough by March to know for sure that he can still play, I hope he'll call it a career and ride off into the sunset.

Manning could follow the lead of longtime Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who retired yesterday after a remarkable 17 year career that was spent entirely in New York.  Posada was a whiny pain in the a## as far as every Red Sox fan is concerned, but there can be no doubt of his value to his own team.  Cheers, Jorge, now get the hell out of here, you whiny bastard.

 

All Star slugger Prince Fielder finally has a new home, as he signed a 9-year/$214 million contract with the Detroit Tigers.  This will be interesting to watch.  I have no doubt that Fielder will likely be great for the first few years with Detroit (the same team his dad Cecil was a star with), but even though he's only 27 years old, Fielder is a big man (5-11, 275 lbs), and you can't tell me he's it's a sure thing he won't physically break down during the second half of that contract. 

Actor Matthew McConaughey is "Dazed and Confused" once again.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery to actress Demi Moore, who dropped out of the upcoming movie about adult film actress Linda Lovelace, citing health concerns.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's take a look back at Mr. McConaughey and the rest of the crew from "Dazed and Confused," for today's, "Clip of the Day."  Have a good one, my friends.  It was great to see you as always.  Try to stay out of trouble, and make sure you come back soon.  We get antsy when you're not here.  Until next time, today's Clutter is cleared.  Later.