This is soooo cool.

I just picked this up off the event announcement.

Maybe other folks know, but I didn't.

Welcome one and all to the Investiture of the new Baron and Baroness of Iron Bog: Master Lawrence Thornguard and Mistress Katherine Barr.

Wicked cool.

Thoughts of an ordinary madman

1. It takes a lot to get me upset. I am a nice guy. I haven't even risen to the bait on EK List, and rufinia is proud of me. But, all I need is a good dose of sports talk radio. These idiots are coming up with reasons why the Red Sox shouldn'r bring Roger Clemens back. Stupid reasons. To me, seeing him at Fenway would be as good as, well, as good as winning the series. If we had God and Roger Clemens, and one spot on the rotation, God would be in the bullpen. Please, please, please let this happen.

2. Just heard a great song lyric: "The world is full of bastards, and I've dated every one."

3. After 76 hours, I am willing to admit it probably *wasn't* bad Middle Eastern food.

4. I have "Rock Lobster" stuck in my head.

5. Oh, and just sayin' is all:

"Swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke.
He has it.
He underhands to first.
And the Boston Red Sox are the world champions.
For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox have won baseball’s world championship.
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?"

-- Joe Castiglione

6. Eleven days until pitchers and catchers report.

I love movie quotes . . .

1. So this week, I have been teaching the Great Depression, and I mentioned the "Hawley-Smoot Tariff," and one of the kids says, "Wasn't that what the guy was talking about on "Ferris Bueller's Day Off?"

Lo. And behold.

Ben Stein said this as "Economics Teacher"

In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the . . . Anyone? Anyone? . . . the Great Depression, passed the . . . Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered? . . . raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects?

It did not work, and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression. Today we have a similar debate over this. Anyone know what this is? Class? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone seen this before? The Laffer Curve. Anyone know what this says? It says that at this point on the revenue curve, you will get exactly the same amount of revenue as at this point. This is very controversial. Does anyone know what Vice President Bush called this in 1980? Anyone? Something-d-o-o economics. "Voodoo" economics.

2. This is from an obscure movie, but one of my top 10 all-timers. Can anyone identify it?
It's not funny, believe me! The girl of my dreams lives under my own roof, but she thinks I'm just a kid, a dumb jock, all of which is more or less true. I'm dying, Mr. Tanneran, just like that girl in the poem... only quicker, and with a hard-on.

-- Louden Swain

3. And the obligatory Bull Durham quote:
Yeah, I was in the show. I was in the show for 21 days once - the 21 greatest days of my life. You know, you never handle your luggage in the show, somebody else carries your bags. It was great. You hit white balls for batting practice, the ballparks are like cathedrals, the hotels all have room service, and the women all have long legs and brains.
-- Crash Davis