Unions Gone Wild

It seems like every day you read in the paper another story showing how unions are ruining America. Either outrageous pay, lavish pensions or outright pig-headedness involving memebers it is growing increasingly clear labor unions have outlived their usefulness in America as ways to police employer abuse.
But no union is more drunk on power than the Major League Baseball Players' Association.

I can honestly see the union putting up a fight about the Mets trying to void K-Rod's cotnract. That somewhat makes sense, because it has to protect other members. But the MLBPA insisting K-Rod should be paid for the rest of this season is ludicrous.

The player was injured in the commission of a crime. During that criminal act he suffered an injury preventing him from fulfilling his duties as set forth in his contract. And yet he still deserves to be paid?

I can't see how they can possibly defend this unless they make him retract his confession that the injury was suffered during the fight.

Could you imagine if he had robbed a liquor store and gotten shot in the leg and been unable to pitch? Would that disqualify him from receiving the money he was entitled?

Note: Do people rob liquor stores anymore? Is it still called "knocking over" a liquor store?

Note: Paying big contracts to closers is foolish. More foolish than paying big contracts to other players. Closers' success is to fickle. The guy has been pretty good over two years for the Mets, but unless he's Gagne-esque there's no reason to pay him $12-$13 million a year.

Dad I'm Jesus Christ

Those of you with or without children you'll understand.
Mrs. Poop and I were quizzing Chase one day and asked him what is full name is.
He replied "Chase Brennan come here."
But we are not alone, the great Bill Cosby presaged this in his landmark "Himself" special nearly 30 years ago.

CNN's Copy Editors Miss One

The Tradition Lives On

2010:


2007:


1978:

Join the Paarti

On this season of "The Next Food Network Star" by former co-worker Aarti Sequeira is one of the contestants vying for the title and with it the prestigious show on the Food Network.
Before the season started I was unsure of how Aarti's cooking would be (I never knew her to be a foodie) but thought for certain she would shine in the "camera challenges" because of her TV background.



Turns out just the opposite was true. Aarti's food has consistently impressed the judges, including the obnoxious Bobby Flay, the love Giada De Laurentiis and the elderly homosexual who talks out of the side of his mouth, Bob Tushman.
But things Aarti should have been great at (timing, ease in front of the camera) turned out to be her bugaboos.
Despite her occassional hiccups Aarti has clearly dominated the competition winning more than anyone else, and failing far less often.
To keep things interesting Food Network created a story arc for Aarti -- she lacks confidence. True they did find moments of weakness where Aarti engaged in self-deprecating, apologetic behavior. But I think this wasn't due to a lack of confidence, simply more of a subconscious bar-lowering.
But I noticed a turning point in the penultimate episode. While Aarti was tearing up poor Herb in the Iron Chef Challenge Bobby Flay plainly asked her if she was happy with a certain dish.
In the split second it took her to answer, I could almost feel her thinking of all the excuses she could make for why the dish was substandard. But she rejected those doubts and answered "yes." Bobby Flay said "good, it's delicious."
I think in that moment Aarti clinched the show in the eyes of the judges who know she's the best and were just waiting for her to figure it out or at least show it.
In tonight's finale I'm sure she'll be crowned "The Next Food Network Star."

And He Got To Keep The Ball

Astros fan tries to catch a foul ball, but backs off at last second -- and his girlfriend gets plunked.



I love the way the reporter was like "girl, you need to ditch this loser."

Introducing Julian

To follow everything that happens with Julian from that moment on visit JulianEdward86.blogspot.com.

The Most Common Phrases in My House

"Look at me" - Chase

"A buccaneer is a pretty expensive price for corn." - Paul

"I can make it look like an accident." - Mrs. Poop

If JHughes can call the San Diego football team the Whale Vagina Chargers then I can call the Tampa Bay team the Tampa Bay Expensive Corn Prices.

Bring Back Greenies

Carlos Beltran made his season debut for the Mets last night. He singled in the 4th inning and was immediately caught stealing.

"I was trying to pick up the catcher's sign," Beltran said. "I saw two fingers and I just felt that I was going to be able to make it. I guess when you drink too many coffees and too much sugar before the game, it makes you do crazy things."

Mrs. Poop Witnessed This

I haven't gotten the full story from Mrs. Poop about what she saw and when, but she was on the beach when this lady got pulled out by a strong current. The lifeguards eventually pulled her out of the water and performed chest compressions on her on the beach until the ambulance arrived.

Friends of Anne McNaughton Farley weren't surprised that she risked her life to save someone from drowning.

They were devastated, however, that such a kind, creative and upbeat woman died as a result.



"What she did was so much in character with who she was," said Beth Murphy of Scarborough, a longtime friend who is a library researcher for The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, where Farley was a library assistant from 1980 to 1995.

"She was one of those people who, if you needed help, you could call her and she would always be there for you," Murphy said. "It just doesn't seem possible that she's gone."

Farley, 57, died Wednesday morning after saving her granddaughter from a strong current off Old Orchard Beach on Tuesday afternoon, said Deputy Police Chief Keith Babin.

She was pulled from the ocean near the border of Old Orchard Beach and Saco around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, along with several others who had been caught in the current from the outflow of Goosefare Brook, Babin said.

Witnesses told police that Farley jumped in after her granddaughter fell into the water, Babin said. Farley got her granddaughter out of the water but was unable to escape the current herself.

She was unconscious when lifeguards pulled her from the water, so they began CPR on the shore, Babin said. She was taken by ambulance to Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, then transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she died early Wednesday.

All of the other swimmers caught in the current were unharmed, including Farley's granddaughter, Babin said.

Her friends described Farley as a dedicated educator, a loving family member and a self-effacing storyteller who maintained a young person's love of life.

"She never became cynical or jaded, as so many of us do when we reach middle age," said Jon Halvorsen of South Portland, a former Telegram editor who knew Farley for 30 years. "She never spoke harshly about anyone. If you were in her company, you felt her warmth, her complete attention to you in conversation. You felt good just being around her."

Farley grew up in Portland, the daughter of Donald and Evangeline McNaughton. She graduated from Deering High School and received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Southern Maine.

Married in 1996, she and her husband, John, had no children together, but she was close to his two children from a previous marriage and his five grandchildren.

"She loved his children and grandchildren like they were her own," said Susan Butler of Scarborough, a former library researcher at the Press Herald who last saw Farley on Monday, when she attended Butler's birthday party.

After leaving the Press Herald, Farley worked at Scarborough High School, then decided she wanted to be a school librarian, Butler said. She went back to school and earned a master's degree in library science.

She relished her job at Bonny Eagle Middle School, where she led fundraising efforts to help victims of Hurricane Katrina and this year's earthquake in Haiti. She got to know individual students' interests so she could recommend books they'd want to read, Murphy said.

She also researched and decorated the library with authentic tartan plaid banners representing the 18 Scottish "clans" that divide the middle school into learning groups.

"Anne was a wonderful addition to our staff and will be sadly missed by everyone who knew and worked with her," Suzanne Lukas, superintendent of the Bonny Eagle School District, wrote in an e-mail to staff members Wednesday.

Farley's creativity extended to her gift for writing and telling stories. She occasionally wrote Maine Observer guest columns for the Maine Sunday Telegram. Her latest, about the beauty of the four seasons in Maine, ran June 27.

In it, she remembered childhood trips to Old Orchard Beach:

"A trip to Old Orchard Beach was also a special treat," she wrote. "Noah's Ark, the merry-go-round and little boats that went round and round in the water were my favorites."

When she worked at the Press Herald, her co-workers looked forward to her Monday morning tales about her weekend adventures.

Murphy remembered one story that Farley told, after she attended a wedding reception. A person at the reception asked her to mind a guide dog for a moment, but the dog got away from her.

Farley described how she followed the dog across the reception hall, calling "Champagne! Champagne!," which was the dog's name, only to draw the attention of curious waiters and people who thought she was offering them a drink.

"She seemed to be a magnet for situations like that," Murphy said. "She was able to tell those stories and laugh at herself."

Farley had varied interests and gathered friends from every facet of her life. She traveled widely, played golf every Monday, sang in the Portland Community Chorus and the folk group at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, tended a beautiful flower garden and was active in Democratic politics.

"She kept all her friends throughout her life," said Carole Madsen Smith of Portland, a friend since junior high school. "She sent out a million Christmas cards every year and always remembered your birthday. She had an incredible sense of loyalty."

Stupidest Poll Ever

Song of the Week

"Goin Crazy" - Natalie
This chick is hot, a former Houston Rockets dancer, not sure why she never had a more successful career. Maybe because she just went by Natalie. In this day and age when people have to search artists by name in iTunes and on Google using just a single somewhat common name makes it hard to find. I blame this for the demise of one of my favorite R&B artists, Joe.

I Have an Eye for Talent (and Cell Phones)

When I first spotted Larissa Riquelme, and her cell phone, in the stands during a World Cup game I had no idea she would become an international sensation. I didn't even know her name.
But after being featured on the Poop Riquelme, a lingerie model in her native Paraguay said she would run through the streets in body -- JUST body paint -- if Paraguay won the World Cup.
They didn't but she is going to anyway.

“It will be a present to all of the players, and for all the people in Paraguay to enjoy, because they tried as hard as possible and gave it their all on the field.”

What Do You Give Me For? Peter Krause and Alexi Lalas

Almost everyone watching World Cup coverage in America recognized the striking resemblance between the clean-cut Alexi Lalas and actor Peter Krause (Six Feet Under, Dirty Sexy Money, Parenthood)

I Should Have Known He Had a Hot Girlfriend

As if we didn't already like Norwegian Olympic skier Petter Northug enough we now find out two more pieces of information that increase our love for the man.

First of all, he likes poker. He is playing the Main Event of the World Series of Poker and has made it through to Day 3.
Second, not that we should be surprised, he has a hot girlfriend.
Rachel Nordtomme was spotted on the rail in the Rio rooting her man on during the WSOP.

My Six Point Analysis of the LeBron James Incident

1. LeBron really did sully his reputation with this entire episode. I thought it was mostly cranky old white people who were hating on LeBron and calling him an egotist. But it turns out the sentiment against him is nearly universal. It runs the gamut from hating him and refusing to watch the NBA ever again to people like me who are marginally disappointed with the way he handled this thing. But I do think it is worth nothing that what LeBron did was better than a press conference to apologize for sleeping with 15 women, or explaining how that handgun got in your carry-on bag, or to refute rape charges. This was mostly a positive think but I think a lot of the negative reaction has to do with the way the special was handled.

2. The special was an outright disaster. First of all, he said he told only a handful of people. Maybe true, but they told a handful of people and they told a handful of people and so on and by the time he made the announcement everyone knew his decision. I think that was the first embarrassment. The second embarrassment was 15 minutes of Stuart Scott and his merry men (I love Wilbon don’t get me wrong) saying the same things we’d all been saying for months. And then a 15-minute interview of softball questions from Jim Gray. And why say the announcement would come in the first 15 minutes if that’s not what they planned to do? They should have produced some package of LeBron from the summer getting on and off planes (someone must have been shooting this stuff), showed him interacting with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club (wasn’t that the entire reason behind this?) then have him make the announcement, then take questions from the audience/twitter. Sure the ratings would have plummeted in the second half hour but that’s better than ruining your reputation.

3. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert may have also done some damage to his reputation. He wrote a letter ripping LeBron (and used a weird font to do it). He told Cavaliers fans they had been betrayed, called this a cowardly act and then in an AP interview ratcheted up the rhetoric even more saying LeBron quit on the team. I think he was just trying to act like a fan, to show he’s one of them, as he clearly runs the risk of losing his fan base this morning. The fact that he said he guarantees Cleveland will win an NBA title before the Heat is a perfect example of his attempt at a diehard fan’s eternal optimism. This morning Cleveland fans are devastated and setting fire to LeBron jerseys in the street. If Gilbert issued a statement saying something like “We thank LeBron for his years of service and wish him well in his new city” the fans would have been furious, thinking their owner doesn’t care as much as they do. I can see why some say it’s beneath a man of his stature to act like a common fan, but I also think LeBron probably owed him the courtesy of a phone call.

4. From a basketball perspective I think LeBron made a big mistake. He obviously realizes the only way to achieve basketball immortality is to win titles. And he’s willing to take less money and sublimate his ego (contrary to what he evinced with the Special) to accomplish that goal. But I think Chicago especially and possibly even the Knicks and Nets set themselves up to be long-term contenders if they could have added LeBron. Then he could have won titles (or at least competed for them) and had them be his own. It sort of seems like he is taking the easy way out by teaming up with Bosh and Wade. Sort of like when Gary Payton and Karl Malone joined the Lakers. Also, I have significant doubt that this will work out the way they all hope. It might be very hard for these three players to happily share the ball. And if they are not winning 60 games a year the talk with start and the fingers will point and this holy alliance could go south in a hurry. The key test will come late in games when you need one guy to take over. Wade has shown himself to be better in those situations so what if LeBron misses a couple of game-winners and Wade makes some? What if Wade ends up being Finals MVP the first time they win? Is that the type of title Lebron is pursuing with this decision?

5. I’m still not decided on what this means for the greater NBA. Over time history has shown that people like dynasties, so if the Heat become one I could see that being a positive for the league. I also don’t think it will be that easy for the Heat to become a dynasty. And even if they do, they will be like the Yankees, a lot of people will hate them. But there are a lot of teams that really have no chance before the season starts, and as Major League Baseball can tell you, the key to a successful league is competitive balance, and the illusion every team has a chance at the title.

6. As for the Knicks, they are royally screwed. Amare and only Amare with the rest of this roster (including the players acquired from Golden State for David Lee) is good enough to win about 25 – 30 games. Now Donnie Walsh has the choice: he can sign Mike Miller (ok, he signed with Miami, but you get the point) and Luke Ridnour or wait til next offseason and make a run at Melo, Chris Paul or Tony Parker. I think the latter is better because in the former you acquire players who really aren’t that great, for expensive long-term contracts, and that is not the model for success in the NBA. Getting LeBron was Plan A. It took a long time to formulate, and it failed. Plan B is to be bad for a really long time, but actually keep your draft picks. That may take even longer but it is probably the Knicks only chance to become a legitimate title contender capable of competing with Miami’s new juggernaut.

Song of the Week

"Neighbors Know My Name" - Trey Songz

I Hope Carlos Beltran Was Listening

During the Netherlands-Paraguay match the announcer recounted the recent struggles of Robin Van Persie

"Van Persie is just getting his match sharpness back bit by bit. He missed most of the season for Arsenal with a ruptured ankle ligament which required treatment from a lady who specializes in rubbing horse placenta on the injury in Belgrade. I don't think it shortened the recovery period for Van Persie."

That's Amar'e

The Knicks made the first splash in the historic free agency season of 2010.
The Knicks signed Amare Stoudemire for 5 years and $99.7m. They are obviously hoping the presence of Amare will address their biggest weakness when it comes to recruiting free agents: they have no team. Most other free agent suitors (Bulls, Nets, even Clippers) can boast a few NBA ready players on the roster, the Knicks have no such talent, so perhaps they are trying to use him as bait.
I still think it’s a long-shot to get LeBron , there’s no chance at Wade, Bosh would be redundant, and so would David Lee, so it looks like we’ll have Stoudemire and no one else, at least for now.



And I think at this point maybe they are best off suffering through one more bad season and trying again in free agency next year. Maybe at some point during the season they could trade for Chris Paul if New Orleans becomes convinced they can’t resign him.
Paul and Amare would be a good start to a team, but if D’Antoni couldn’t win with Stoudemire and Nash, what makes you think he can win with Paul and Stoudemire, or Stoudemire and anyone not named LeBron?
I think the Stoudemire signing is a good first step, but I still don’t see them signing LeBron, in which case I still don’t see a positive long-term prognosis for the team.