Clearing out the Clutter

Thursday Clutter

Hi everyone,

How are you?  How's your week going?  My Wednesday was going along without incident, until I got a text message from BDH and Little Buddha which read, "Saw Mayor Menino declared a flu emergency.  Go get your shot now, please."  There was no way I could say no to that.  I don't know if you've ever seen blue dog or little buddha flu, but it's the saddest thing.  So, off I went to get my shot.  Hopefully I got it in time.  In any case, that's down the road.  For right now, let's focus on grabbing a nice medium DD and clearing out a little Thursday Clutter.

When I look back on my career, it's hard to imagine that I'll be able to top the pride I feel for having been a part of the campaign to create an enforceable buffer zone law for sexual health clinics in Massachusetts.  We were able to pass a law that both allows patients and staff to access legal health care services and do their jobs, while leaving sufficient room for dissenting opinions.  It was great to see that this law survived yet another legal challenge yesterday.

President Obama is losing yet another woman from his Cabinet, as Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced her resignation.  This announcement comes as there continue to be vocal concerns about the lack of women in senior positions in the White House.  As I said last week, it's striking while reading Bob Woodward's new book, "The Price of Politics," about the Obama administration's battles with Congress about the budget, that it's an almost entirely male-dominated story.

Vice President Joe Biden says President Obama might pass some gun control measures via executive order.  I'm all in favor of him doing whatever he can on any issue without having to deal with the numskulls in Congress who can't agree on the weather.  If they won't work with him, he should just go right around them until they grow up.

AIG comes to its senses and decides not to join the lawsuit filed by Hank Greenberg and other reprehensible shareholders against the U.S. for not saving their crooked company "nicely enough."

What do BDH, Little Buddha and I have in common with Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa?  None of us are going into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year.  Between the arguments about PED's, and the battle between new and old-school baseball writers, this was the least enjoyable HOF debate I can remember. 

Having said that, I agree with none of the known cheaters going in this year.  I assume that Clemens and Bonds will go in next year.  They were having Hall of Fame careers before the injections began (which makes them all the more infuriating), but they simply couldn't be allowed entrance on the first try.  It's hypocritical of baseball writers to cast judgment, since I'm sure they all knew what was going on, but at the same time, a message has to be sent that some price must be paid for breaking the rules.

Not this year.  (pic via abcnews.com)

Given that he's apparently the only sports doctor in the country, of course Dr. James Andrews repaired RGIII's knee yesterday.  Hopefully the Washington Redskins quarterback will have someone/anyone looking out for his health and safety when he returns next season, but consider me less-than-optimistic.

Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks was suspended for one game for going after Kevin Garnett after the Knicks played the Boston Celtics this week.  KG made some comments about Anthony's wife during the game that can't be printed here (Clutter is a fairly-family-friendly place), so it's easy to sympathize with Anthony as a husband for losing his cool.  However, he's a professional athlete who's paid a lot of money not to lose his temper, and you know KG is going to own him from now on.

In the latest sign that 2013 will be a good year, the start date of the new season of Arrested Development has been announced.

I'm pretty sure I'll be busy with other plans when Justin Bieber hosts Saturday Night Live on February 9th. 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I've decided that I don't need to see Les Miserables in the theaters.  I've seen the show a couple of times, and I'm not that interested in what Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman have to say about the story.  However, I've always been moved by the show's song, "At the End of the Day."  It's a powerful demonstration of the anger, fear, and alienation of the poor, while demonstrating how they're taken advantage of by the upper classes.  So, for that reason, here we go with today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of the day, and make sure to get a flu shot if you haven't already done it.  We want all of you to be healthy this winter, so go take care of that.  For now, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Monday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How are you?  How was your weekend?  How is it Monday again already?  I swear someone speeds up the clocks somehow on the weekends.  In any case, however we got here, what do you say we start off the new week by clearing out a little Monday Clutter?  Sound good?  Here we go...

Franklin Morales was solid again in his return to the Boston Red Sox starting rotation yesterday.  Morales, filling in for Josh Beckett, gave up one run in six innings, as the Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 6-4 yesterday.  Carl Crawford had a good 31st birthday, going 3-5, and Adrian Gonzalez continues to regain his form, going 2-3 with a home run.  Things got a little dicey when Vicente Padilla gave up 3 runs in the top of the 9th inning, but Alfredo Aceves finished the Twins off.  It's been a rocky stretch recently for the Sox bullpen, so Andrew Bailey should feel free to finally join the team as soon as possible.  It's too bad that the Sox couldn't take advantage of the Twins this weekend.  Things don't get any easier, now that the Texas Rangers are coming in for a series.  Here's hoping Aaron Cook has a solid sinkerball going.

Happy Birthday, Carl!  (pic via stamfordadvocate.com)

My heart goes out to the friends and families of the victims of yesterday's shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.  No motive is known at this time, and the gunman is also dead, but one has to consider this an act of domestic terrorism. 

GOP strategist Ed Rollins says Mitt Romney better put this taxes thing behind him, because it's not going to go away, otherwise.  It's hard to see how Mittens could realistically hope to win without releasing these records.  His base of support is primarily people who will vote for anyone over President Obama, but even some of these voters are going to have reservations about voting for a guy who is clearly hiding something large from them. 

What are you hiding?  (pic via cnn.com)

I made four trips to the liquor store this weekend so that I could stockpile some Sam Adams Summer Ale like a squirrel getting ready for the winter.  I learned yesterday that the store's credit card machine makes a noise if you make multiple purchases on the same day.  Awkward.  No, sir, I don't have a drinking problem.  I just don't want to drink %^%^%^ Octoberfest beer in ^&^&^& August!  That reminds me, I should stop by there today to see if they still have any 12 packs left.

Are people with a sense of humor more attractive?  Oh hell yeah, they are.

I have said this repeatedly, and I'll do it again right here and now.  I'm no speed demon, to say the least, but I truly believe, in my heart of hearts, that I am faster than Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.  He would smoke me in any other contest of baseball-related skills, but I'm positive I could beat him in a 50 yard dash.  It is with that same level of confidence that I say Usian Bolt would run 50 yards before I ran 10.

Deepest condolences to Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid and his family on the death of his son Garrett Reid.  The younger Reid, who had been battling drug problems for years, was found dead yesterday at the Eagles training camp.  Garrett Reid was 29 years old,

What?  Natalie Portman got married this weekend, and it wasn't to me or Timothy Hutton?  Aw hell, this week is already falling apart.

What do you think, Clutterheads?  Does Bradley Cooper have the acting chops to play The Elephant Man, without any prosthetics help?

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I'll move past my sadness over Natalie Portman's wedding to take close things out with this scene from Beautiful Girls for today's, "Clip of the Day."  It really does nail home the truth that so much of life is about having good timing (or not.)  It's something that seems truer with each passing day.  Enjoy:

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of your day, and let us know if you want to watch the Red Sox play the Texas Rangers tonight.   You know how much BDH and Little Buddha love it when you come over.  Otherwise, until next time, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Monday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  Happy Monday to you all.  How was your weekend?  What's the plan for the week?  It looks like it's going to be a nice day today, so help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out a little Monday Clutter.

You can read the recap of Sunday's Red Sox 4-3 loss to the Washington Nationals in yesterday's extended Sunday Clutter.  Now, Boston continues interleague play by starting a new series on the road against the Miami Marlins.  Hopefully Josh Beckett will continue his string of strong performances and have a good night against his original team, and stop the Red Sox from falling more than 2 games under .500.  Also, it would be nice if the Boston offense (besides Big Papi) would wake up again.  Runs always help.

The GOP is trying to figure out how to kiss up to women, youth and Hispanics for a few months without setting off their always-angry base.

We don't agree with former Florida governor Jeb Bush on much, but he's right about one thing:  His father and Ronald Reagan would have had no chance for success in today's extremist Republican Party.

A new study says health care reform wasn't a jobs-killer in Massachusetts, and there's no reason to think it will be at the national level, Republican hysterical claims to the contrary, notwithstanding.

A recent poll shows former WWE CEO Linda McMahon is pulling away in the Connecticut GOP Senate primary.

Jerry Sandusky's trial begins today.  The former Penn State assistant football coach is charged with 52 counts of assaulting 10 boys.  This is going to be ugly, as Sandusky's attorney has made it clear he'll go hard after each accuser who testifies.  Let's hope justice is served here.

LinkedIn is taking some serious hits over its handling of its recent hacking incident.   Apparently the company should be scanning its own users profiles for a chief information officer and chief information security officer.

The Boston Globe's Shalise Manza Young has an interesting brief look at what it's like to be a female football beat writer.

A junior hockey coach was suspended for one year for letting his team study.  That's a message you want to send out to kids.

All I'll say about the season finale of Mad Men is that loneliness permeates the series.  I don't want it to be another 18 months between seasons, but I don't mind a break to get away from this for a bit.

Congratulations to actor James Corden for winning a Tony for best actor in a play last night.  Corden has made two appearances on Doctor Who over the last two seasons, and he filmed last year's, "Closing Time" episode just days before he started rehearsing for One Men, Two Guv'nors.  Clearly, working with Matt Smith and company put Corden in the right mindset for an outstanding performance.  By the way, do you think he was just a little excited to win this award?

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  "Unwell" by Matchbox 20 was playing in the grocery store yesterday, and as a result, I found myself humming, "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell," for the rest of the day.  At least, I think that's why I was singing it.  In any case, you know the rules:  When a song is stuck in my head, that means you have to share it with me, and therefore, I give you today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Have a great day, and feel free to come back later today if you want.  You know our door is always open to you.  Until next time, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Wednesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  I'm sorry it's still a little chilly in here.   Is this June or October?  BDH and Little Buddha had to pull their sweatshirts back out of their boxes this morning.  On the other hand, the Clutter Tree looks terrific after the recent rain, so I guess that's the trade-off.  It doesn't sound like it's going to warm up that much today, so hold on tight to your medium DD while we clear out a little Wednesday Clutter.

You have to salute the Boston Celtics who were able to go on the road and withstand the Miami Heat offense long enough to rally and win 94-90 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals last night.  The highlight of the night was watching Paul Pierce break Miami's back by sinking a three pointer right in front of LeBron James with about 52 seconds left in the game.  It was an ice-cold play, and it was beautiful.  Speaking of King James, what are he and the Heat going to do now that they're one game away from being eliminated from the playoffs?  Ah, the hell with him, let's focus on Doc Rivers and crew.  The Celtics have a chance to win the series on Thursday and play in their 3rd finals in five years.  That's pretty cool.  Let's go, Boston!

Seriously, this is beautiful:

 

Meanwhile, over at Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia came through again with some late-game heroics, as he hit a two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game against the Baltimore Orioles.  However, it was not Boston's night, as the Orioles came back with two runs in the 10th inning to win 8-6.  The loss puts the Red Sox back in the AL East basement by themselves, and now it's Josh Beckett's turn to try to right the ship.  It sure would be great if the Red Sox could get any consistent start pitching from anyone in their rotation besides Felix Dubront.

Speaking of the starting rotation, the Red Sox sent Daniel Bard down to Pawtucket to try to get himself back on track.  The team is talking as if Bard will continue to be a starter, but hopefully that will change soon.  Let him find his mechanics and mindset again, and then figure out where to work him into the bullpen, and let's move on, before he becomes Boston's version of Joba Chamberlain.  No confirmation about who will replace Bard in the rotation, but you've got to think it rhymes with, "Dice-K."

According to the Mitt Romney mailing I received yesterday, I am, "one of America's most notable Republicans."  If that's representative of the campaign's voter ID work, then this will be a landslide for President Obama.  Oh Mittens, what a crazy sense of humor you have.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was rewarded for his assault on collective bargaining rights, surviving yesterday's recall election by a 53-46 margin.  Can we set the over/under now on how long it takes for him to start being mentioned as a leading GOP presidential candidate for 2016?

As expected, every GOP senator, including our own Scott Brown, said they were okay with gender-based income disparity by voting against the Pay Equity Act yesterday.

I love comedian Lewis Black.   His special, Black on Broadway, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.  I mean, like stomach cramp-inducing laughter after multiple visits.  It's the combination of both funny material and ranting delivery that gets me every time.  I wonder what he's like as a playwright.

Singer Sheryl Crow announced that she has a benign brain tumor.

Sheryl Crow.  (pic via musicrooms.net)

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think we'll let Lewis Black take us out with his thoughts on milk for today's, "Clip of the Day."  (For those of you who need to worry about such things, this language is NSFW.)  For bonus randomness, I think I went to college with the guy that you see in the audience right at the end of the clip.  Check it out:

 

That gets me every time.

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy your day, try to stay warm, and feel free to come back whenever you like.  We have plenty of blanets for everyone.  Until next time, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Friday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  Happy Friday, and start to the long weekend, to you all.  I thought there was supposed to be some sun today, but I don't see it anywhere.  Hmm..maybe later?  In any case, BDH and little Buddha just made a fresh pot of coffee, so help yourself to a medium DD, and let's wrap up the week with a little Friday Clutter.

I don't know what to do with myself on nights when the Boston Red Sox aren't playing.  I kept reaching for the remote control last night, ready to turn the TV on to NESN, and then remembered they had the day off.  It was all so confusing.  Thankfully, the confusion ends tonight when Jon Lester tries to bring Boston to a winning record against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

While we're waiting for the Red Sox game to start, let's take a moment to applaud Alfredo Aceves on the terrific job he's done as Boston's closer.  He was thrown into the role at the last second, due to Andrew Bailey's thumb injury, and it looked a little rocky right at the beginning, but he's settled into the role and been dependable ever since.  You have to wonder if Bailey should automatically get that job back once he's healthy.

Taking care of business.  (pic via zimbio.com)

Curt Schilling's video game company has laid off all of their employees.  All justifiable criticism of Shilling aside, hopefully the staff will be able to find new employment soon.

President Obama hit the campaign trail in Iowa yesterday, reminding voters that the GOP doesn't know the first thing about fiscal responsibility.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) files legislation to penalize those who renounce their U.S. citizenship to avoid paying taxes.  The response of conservatives is to compare Schumer to Hitler and praise those who carry out this fundamentally unpatriotic act. 

I admit it, I want to hear more of the details about Bill Clinton and the adult film stars in a hotel in Monte Carlo.

Are scientists on the way to creating a male birth control pill?

I bought a bottle of mouthwash that has the words "no mess cap!" prominently displayed across the label, so guess what happened the first time I tried to use it?  That's right, don't tell me what I can't do, CVS

Give the Miami Heat credit, we were ready to call them chokers a few days ago, but they kept it together long enough to knock out the Indiana Pacers with a 105-93 win last night in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.  Hopefully the Boston Celtics will see them soon.

The Steinbrenner family denied a rumor that the New York Yankees are for sale.  It got me thinking that George Steinbrenner's death is one of the main reasons that I don't have that same personal loathing of the Yankees that I used to.  That, and the 2004 World Series, including the historic playoff comeback against New York.  Of course I still root for them to lose every game, but it just doesn't have the same passion that it used to.  There's almost no one over there to personally dislike anymore, except for A-Rod, of course. 

How are the reviews for Men In Black 3 so far?

Oh, oh, oh, we've got new Doctor Who!  The BBC aired a new mini-episode yesterday that was the winner of a writing contest for schoolchildren.  Can you imagine how exciting it would be to watch a script you wrote for your favorite program actually come to life?   There's still some time left to go before the start of the new season, but this will do for now.

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  The Rock of Ages movie is coming out in 10 days, and I still can't process the idea of Tom Cruise singing, "Here I go Again" by Whitesnake, so instead, let's have the London cast perform it instead as today's, "Song of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  Have a great long weekend, and feel free to drop in whenever you like, because there's always new randomness to examine, and more coffee to drink.  Until next time, that's today's Clutter, and we are outta here.

Tuesday Clutter

Happy Super Tuesday, everyone!  Are you as excited to vote today as we are?  BDH and Little Buddha were drawing little circles and then filling them in all over the place yesterday.   Now they're trying to figure out how to erase them.  While they work that out, why don't you grab a medium DD, and we'll clear out a little Clutter?

As he continues to lose sponsors, Rush Limbaugh whines: How come rappers can call women "sluts," and I can't?

In a continuation of the Romney campaign's difficulty with talking about money, Ann Romney says she doesn't consider herself "wealthy."  With a family worth of somewhere between $190 million and $250 million, she's probably the only one who would say that.

Folks, I hate to break it to you, but if you've ever had pre-marital sex, or would like to look at "adult material" sometime in the future, you can not join this South Carolina GOP county party.  My biggest question is, who's in charge of enforcement?

Should parents worry if their toddlers snore?

It's official:  Wes Welker isn't going anywhere next year now that the New England Patriots have slapped the franchise tag on him.  Hopefully the team will still be able to work out a longer-term deal with the wide receiver this off-season.

Not leaving.  (pic via bleacherreport.com)

Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz looked good in his first start since being shut down with a stress fracture in his back last year, and the Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins again 10-2.

The news isn't good for Tuukka Rask.  The Boston Bruins goalie is expected to be out 4-6 weeks with a abdomen/groin strain.

Former New York Mets/Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny "Nails" Dykstra was sentenced to three years in prison after being faound guilty on grand theft auto charges.

A question for you, Clutterheads.  As Christina Hendricks and Olivia Munn are the latest actresses to claim that risque photos of them were leaked because their phones were hacked, how many of you believe that's what happened, and how many of you think this sort of thing is now just "Publicity 101" in Hollywood these days?

Hendricks and Munn.  (pics via fhm.com and contactmusic.com)

Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the death of comedian John Belushi.  The guy was such a force of nature, it's hard to imagine that he would have been able to go at that level of energy for his entire career.  It would have been interesting to see what his "second act" would have been, unless it would basically have been the same level slop that Robin Williams has been starring in for 15 years.

This seems like a good time to mention that Animal House: The Musical is coming.  What are the odds of this being good?

Apparently we're taking a trip back to the mid-1990's as a Backstreet Boy will be stopping by 90210.  No word yet about how Dylan or Brendan feel about this, but I hear David's not happy about it at all.  Let Donna Martin graduate!  Sorry, that just slipped out.

Oh, so this is why we're suddenly talking about Kirk Cameron again:  He's got a documentary coming out.

I liked Men in Black.  The sequel was one of the biggest car wrecks I've ever seen on the big screen.  I remember asking my friends as we walked out of the theater if they thought there was an actual script at one point, or if they just made the whole thing up as they went along.  MiBIII looks like a modified Back to the Future, with Will Smith as Marty McFly.  That doesn't have me jumping up and down in excitement, but maybe Bill Hader brings some funny to the table, unless of course this clip of him in the trailer is his only scene in the movie.  What do you all think?

 

Okay kids, thats going to do it for now.  I think we should let John Belushi close things out today.  This may have already been a "Song of the Day," but it's such a fantastic example of a performer putting it all on the line, and the results pay off beautifully:

Watch John Belushi - With A Little Help From My Friend in Comedy | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  We're off to vote.  BDH says he wants me to write him in for something.  I told him we'll discuss it on the way to the polling location.  Until next time, that's the Clutter, and we are outta here.

Monday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back.  How was your weekend?  Tomorrow is "Super Tuesday," which includes Massachusetts.  BDH and Little Buddha are both excited to vote.  I'm trying to explain to them that they won't each get their own ballot, but that they can help me with mine.  You gotta love democracy.  Anyway, it's Monday, so help yourself to a medium DD, and let's kick off the week with a little Clutter.

Vladimir Putin won the presidential election in Russia with roughly 300% of the vote to - 200% for his opponents.

That's right, I run this town. (pic via forbes.com)

Rush Limbaugh lost a 7th sponsor over his personal attack on Sandra Fluke, the law student who was denied the ability to testify at a congressional hearing about health insurance coverage for contraception. 

Give credit to Ron Paul for calling Limbaugh out on his insincere apology.

As the Republican establishment continues to try to wrap up the GOP presidential nomination process, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) endorsed Mitt Romney a day before Virginia votes as part of "Super Tuesday."  Said Cantor, "Romney doesn't give a damn about anything but cutting taxes, and neither do I.*"  (*Not intended to be a factual statement.)

Wait, who are my choices again? (pic via democracyarsenal.com)

Mittens is starting to use the Dick Cheney playbook, basically telling a voter, "If you vote for Obama, we're all going to die."

Is tomorrow the end of the road for Newt Gingrich, or can he find a way to come back for a third time?

A law professor has compiled a list of some of the things that make the current U.S. Supreme Court different from its predecessors.  The biggest difference that seems the most relevant is the relative lack of private practice and lower court experience of the current justices, but the impact of that difference is up for debate.

No one is paying any attention to tomorrow's primary in Massachusetts, including the candidates.  It's a shame that we'll give Mittens another win, but at the same time, I don't mind being spared another avalanche of GOP candidate ads.  The NH primary was more than enough on that front.

Look, I don't want to raise any unreasonable expectations, but it's starting to look like the Boston Red Sox won't lose a game all year.

Cheers to Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke and his family for creating the "You Can Play" campaign to eliminate homophobia in hockey.  The program is in honor of Burke's late son Brendan, who came out a few years ago and tragically died in a car accident in 2010.  I don't know who the players are here, but this commercial is awesome:

 

Is there any chance that former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will face criminal charges for running his bounty program?

I came across The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the show, on PBS last night, and to my own surprise, I couldn't change the channel.  I don't think I've seen the show since I watched it in London in 1995.  I'm certainly no theater critic, but it was fun.  All of the songs seem to be based on one of three basic melodies, and the whole thing is over the top, but everyone should see it at least once.

With Community finally coming back from its idiotic hiatus in 10 days (excellent!) do the show's executive producers think it will be back for a 4th season?

Aww damn it, I forgot that The Secret Policeman's Ball was on last night.  I hope it's available online somewhere, or on Netflix soon.

R.I.P. Ronnie Montrose, a hard-rock guitarist who introduced a singer named Sammy Hagar to the world in the 1970's.  Montrose was 64 years old.

Speaking of which, have I mentioned I'm going to see Van Halen in six days?  Just checking.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think we'll let Sarah Brightman and five Phantoms take us out today.   The Phantoms are Anthony Warlow, John Owen Jones, Colm Wilkinson, Peter Jöback and Ramin Karimloo (who have all played the role), and I don't know much about any of them except that Colm Wilkinson (the guy with the beard), was Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, because the second he opened his mouth, I thought he was going to start singing, "Valjean's Soliloquy." (Bet ya didn't think we knew that song, did ya?)  Anyway, enjoy today's, "Songs of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  Have a good day, and feel free to come back whenever you like.  We'll probably still be here debating who gets to hold the pencil when we vote tomorrow.  Until next time, that's the Clutter, and we are outta here.

Saturday Clutter

Hi everyone,

Welcome back, how are you?  I had a great time at Buffalo Wild Wings last night.   There was great company, good wings, and no one told me that they have trivia there.  Questions about random movies and songs?  Sign me up!  Our team won an extremely competitive round that seemed to have something like 400 questions.  It was all good fun, but now it's time to turn the page, so grab yourself a medium DD, and let's clear out a little Saturday Clutter.

Mitt Romney described himself as a "severely" conservative governor at the Conservative Political Action Conference yesterday.  That sounds like a life-threatening condition.  It also sounds like an awkward guy desperate to fit in with the cool kids.

President Obama announced yesterday that religiously-affiliated employers won't have to offer birth control coverage in their employees health insurance plans, but the health insurance companies will have to offer it directly to the employees free of charge.  The devil is in the details, but if it all works out, women will still have increased access to contraception, and Mitt Romney is now on record as seemingly anti-birth control.  That's a pretty extreme position, which will likely be highlighted in many ads between now and November. 

Women's health groups support the compromise, but 0f course, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops immediately complained about the plan, which just highlights their disconnect from society on this issue, given the fact that 98% of their parishioners use birth control.

Note to the cable networks:  Your audience would be better served if you didn't have women serving as only 1/3rd of your commentators on this issue. 

Unless something changes this weekend, Big Papi David Ortiz and the Red Sox will go to arbitration on Monday, which would be the first time the team has done that in 10 years.

Can Boston Red Sox stats guru Bill James convince the Baseball Writers of America to see former Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans as a Hall of Famer?  He certainly has plenty of charts to support his case.

A Hall of Famer? (pic via thefastertimes.com)

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had surgery yesterday to repair some torn ligaments in his ankle.  Recovery time is about 10 weeks, so you know Gronk will be ready to wreak havoc again next season.  No one stops Gronk.

He'll be back.  (pic via espnboston.com)

Cheers to Kevin Faulk if this is the end of the line for the Patriots running back.  The man was a sure-handed as they get, and as far as I can tell, successfully converted 99.9% of the third down situations he was ever involved in over his 13 year career.

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers called out his team after a deflating 86-74 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Congratulations to Phantom of the Opera, which will have its record-setting 10,oooth Broadway performance today.

The first video off of Bruce Springsteen's new album has been released.  I'm not sure why they show the lyrics here.  The Boss is pretty easy to understand, and it sort of makes it look like a karaoke video, but it's still a good song:

 

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I think 10,000 performances deserves some special recognition, so why don't we have Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman take us out with today, "Song of the Day" from Phantom of the Opera:

 

 Thanks for stopping by, it was great to see you as always.  I'm not sure if we're actually going to get some real snow, or if it's just going to be rain all day, but drive safely wherever you're going today.  We expect to see each and every one of you back here for more fun soon.  Until next time, today's Clutter is now cleared.

Saturday Clutter

Hi everyone,

There's just one day left.  One day left until the New England Patriots take on the New York Giants.  What the hell are we doing to do for 24 hours?  Well, grab yourself a medium DD, and let's clear out a little Saturday Clutter, while I figure out what the rest of today's game plan is.

After three days of scathing national criticism, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation abruptly reversed its policy and said it would continue giving grants to Planned Parenthood for breast exams.  I'm glad they changed their mind on this misguided policy, but they've still done significant damage to their brand, and I'm not sure they're going to be able to repair that any time soon.  If I was a Komen donor, I think I'd just give directly to Planned Parenthood instead.

To the utter dismay of Mitt Romney and the rest of the GOP, the economy exceeded expecations by adding 243,000 jobs in January.  Well, at least Romney has his natural ease with talking to average middle class voters to fall back on.  Oh, wait.

Mittens is looking for his second consecutive win with a strong lead going into today's Nevada caucus.  The Newt is hoping to do well enough just to make it to "Super Tuesday in March.

The Sports Illustrated football writers have made their Super Bowl predictions.  Do any of them give the New England Patriots a chance?

Just a quick note:  Of course our focus is on tomorrow's big game, but don't think for a second Clutter has forgotten that Red Sox pitchers and catchers report for spring training two weeks from tomorrow.

A great evil could finally be vanquished as the New York Times is looking to sell the rest of its share in the Red Sox.  Any of you want to go in on some shares with us?  We have about $10 on us at the moment, so you might have to write the check, but I swear we're good for it.

Former Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis has been suspended two games by his current team, the Orlando Magic, for acting like a "big baby."  Can't say they weren't warned about that.

The positive reviews for Van Halen's new CD, A Different Kind of Truth, continue to come in.  Have I mentioned that the album comes out in three days?

I think it will be a great move if this report about Adam Lambert touring with Queen is true.  There's no chance that Lambert could ever replace former singer, the late great Freddie Mercury, but he's got the charisma and the pipes to fill in.

Watch out, Biff.  Marty is bringing the DeLorean and the flux capacitor to Broadway!  That's outstanding.  Even if you're not ready for it, your kids are going to love it.  I believe this calls for a replay of a former, "Song of the Day."

 

Black Sabbath original drummer Bill Ward said he wouldn't participate in the band's reunion unless they paid him enough.  The rest of the band said, see ya.

Has anyone else seen this Aaron Eckhart "Feeding America" commercial?  I'm sorry, but this thing's a disaster.  We're talking about a serious issue here, and a) The way he cracks a grin at the end is totally wrong, tone-wise, and b) He comes across as a self-absorbed arrogant ^%^&* when he implies he's much better looking than the guy whose story he's telling.  Instead of wanting to support an anti-hunger organization, I'm left wanting to punch Eckhart in the nose:

 

Hmm, David Tennant's movie, The Decoy Bride, is available On-Demand for $9.99.  That might help pass the time today.  It looks like a bit of a mess, but it's got the former Doctor, so it can't be all bad, right?  I mean hell, look at this trailer before you press play.  Isn't that Furio from The Sopranos?  You're damn right it is.

 

Wait, what's this all about?  Am I...am I...am I going to have to watch an episode of, Whitney?  Oh I just threw up in my mouth.  What are you doing to me, John Cleese?

First it was Pat Sajack, and now it's Harry Potter.  Is everyone in Hollywood drunk on the job?

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  We've been talking a lot about Gronk's availability for the last two weeks.  The New England Patriots definitely need him out on the field tomorrow, but here's just a brief reminder that #83 Wes Welker ain't that bad either, as you'll see in today's, "Clip of the Day."

 

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you as always.  Try to stay warm out there today, and you're free to come back later and watch The Decoy Bride with us.  Otherwise, we'll see you back here for more fun tomorrow.  Go Patriots!

Tuesday Clutter

Hi everyone,

How are you?  Come on in.  BDH and LIttle Buddha aren't here at the moment.  They're on the phone in the other room.  I don't know who they're talking to, but they say it has something to do with their secret project.  No, that's fine, no need to tell me anything, it's not like I live here too, or anything.  I try to get mad at them, but it's impossible when they just look up with those big grins.  Anyway, I made some coffee, so help yourself to a medium DD, and let's clear out some Clutter.

Mitt Romney got into an argument with a gay veteran about marriage equality.  The GOP really has no idea how to grasp the notion of gay soldiers, do they?  They boo them at their debates, rip them in desperate campaign commercials, and now this.  Give Romney credit, he didn't back down from his discriminatory stance even after he realized the guy with the "Vietnam Veteran" and flannel shirt wasn't going to agree with him like he assumed.  It's hard to remember this is the same guy who said in 1994 that he'd be better on gay rights issues than Senator Edward Kennedy.  This complete rejection of any core beliefs whatsoever has to take a toll on a candidate after a while.  Maybe that's why Romney sounds like he doesn't really care if he wins or not.

If Glenn Beck (remember him?) really thinks Newt Gingrich is a "progressive," then I don't think Beck actually knows what the word means.  That's awkward.

What's that you say?  Newt Gingrich's tax plan would give the wealthy a massive tax cut and give them lower tax rates than the middle class?  I'm stunned.  Someone tell Glenn Beck.

Controversy continues to swirl around NL MVP Ryan Braun's failed drug test.  We still don't know all of the details, but if it ends up being confirmed that he took performance enhancing drugs, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BWAA) has to take his award away.  I know they said they won't, but in this post-Barry Bonds era, you have to take the punishment to this level.  To let him keep the award would be to declare the BWAA a bunch of frauds and hypocrites for how they piously punish cheaters when it comes to Hall of Fame voting, but claim powerlessness here.  Is it because they still have to deal with Braun as an active player, while it would be easy to avoid the retired guys?

So sorry to hear that Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby is out indefinitely with a new bout of "concussion-like symptoms."  Crosby had been out for 10 minutes months (oops) because of that, just recently came back, and now has been out since getting banged around in a game against the Bruins last week.    I hate to say it, because it's a terrible thing to be known for, but the name "Marc Savard" comes to mind here.  Savard hasn't played since January because of multiple concussions, and his career is likely over.   I just hope Crosby is able to come back from this and stay healthy.

Here's a shocker:  Repeat offender Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison doesn't think he deserves a fine or suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy last week.  Harrison seems to have a harder time understanding the new rules than any other player in the NFL by far, so perhaps a few weeks off from work would give him time to learn how to play the game correctly, because repeatedly hitting him in the wallet is clearly not getting the job done.

Take some time off, Harrison. (pic via notbreakingnews.com)

The 4-9 Miami Dolphins finally fired head coach Tony Sparano, which is great for me because it means I won't have to correct myself anymore after mistakenly referring to head coach Tony Soprano.

Not a football coach

Russion billionaire/New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov says he'll run for president of Russia.  Is this the Russian equivalent of Donald Trump running, or am I missing something here?  Would Prokhorov change his mind if Dwight Howard ended up joining the Nets after all?  I'm confused.

The NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets once again can't get a trade together for Chris Paul.  I smell a reality show in here somewhere.

Speaking of which, does Lamar Odom's trade to the Dallas Mavericks mean that there will now be some type of "Khloe Does Dallas" show on the E! Network?

Do I like Broadway shows?  Yeahhhhh, baby!

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  I just caught a peek at the trailer for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's new movie, G.I. Retaliation.  My immediate reaction is that it looks like next year's version of The Expendables.  Basically, four people kill 50,000 bad guys, and a lot of things go boom, only with a younger/better looking cast than Expendables.  See for yourself with today's, "Clip of the Day," and let us know your thoughts at bitsofclutter@gmail.com. 

Thanks for stopping by, it was great to see you as always. I better go see what BDH and Little Buddha are up to, and whose phone they're using.  Anyway, have a good one, and we'll do this again soon.