October 2008 Archives

Via - The New York Times - John G. Mabanglo/European Pressphoto Agency

The 2008 World Series is a pretty big deal in these parts for obvious reasons. You would think that nationally it would be a pretty big deal too. On one hand you have a team from Tampa that has been the doormat of MLB ever since it came into the league. A team that took down the defending champs from Boston in a Game 7 and that now boasts a bevy of young stars and a coach widely considered to be a renegade in the land of standard operating procedures. On the other hand you have a team from Philadelphia that is the losingest franchise in all of sports history. A city with 4 major sports, but that has not won a title in 25 years. 100 consecutive seasons without a championship. A team with the previous two MVP's and a chance for a third straight this season. A city, Philadelphia, with a fan base that is considered one of the tops in the nation, albeit a bit crazy at times, facing a recent tormentor of a city in Tampa who in recent years took the title in football and hockey while beating Philly along the way. All the while with a fan base of their own who appear fair-weathered to say the least.

I was lucky enough to have tickets to game 4 of the World Series last night. The memetician's hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies, turned it on late and trounced the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2. The Phillies are now one victory away from giving this championship-starved town their due.

Arien O'Connell, a fifth grade teacher from NYC, competed in the recent Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. She was not registered as an elite runner but somehow, amazingly, beat her personal best by 12 minutes and recorded the fastest time of the day. Nike did not initially expect a non-elite runner to contend for the title so her time was not noticed until after the award ceremony. It was at that time when Arien approached the officials and asked why she was left off the podium even though she was faster then the rest of the field. The officials were shocked at what had transpired but since the awards were already handed out and since she didn't initially register as an elite runner the offifcials decided that they were not going to adjust the results. Outrage ensued and now, rightfully so, Nike is reversing course and officially declaring Arien 'a' winner. Not 'the' winner, but 'a' winner. eab

On October 10, Brooke, her father and I went to see Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at the Theater of Living Arts in Philadelphia. It was the second time Brooke and I have seen Grace and her band perform and the first for Steve. It sounds cliché, but her recordings, as good as they are, don't even compare to the live performances. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals are on my short list of bands that I will see when they come to town no matter what is going on. If the video below isn't proof of that, then I don't know what is. And for a $17 price tag, you most certainly get your money's worth.

The Internet really is a beautiful thing. It truly is one stop shopping. No, not that kind of shopping, but one stop shopping in the sense that any little thing that catches your eye or interest can be investigated. From particle colliders studying the smallest scales of science we've only begun to discover to cameras with the ability to photograph the far off in outer space and bring it into the palm of your hand like never before, and everything imaginable in between. It truly is the first fully comprehensive encyclopedic record of all that constitutes knowledgeable life as we know it, perhaps even that which is as yet unknown, try to wrap your mind around that. I know, your mind has just been blown, take a minute, I'll wait. In all seriousness though, it really is approaching "everything proportions".

We all know by now how good Tina Fey's impersonation of Sarah Palin is on Saturday Night Live. Every week, we are treated to a hilarious portrayal of the Alaskan governor's public persona.

What you may have not seen, however, is comedian Sara Benincasa's Sarah Palin Vlogs. What began as a Youtube project has been picked up by the Huffington Post's 23/6 humor site. Is she as good as Tina Fey? I don't know, but she is pretty damn funny. What I do like is that Sara Benincasa takes a stab at Sarah Palin's private persona.