Am. Idol 2008 recap

David Cook won. Slightly surprising considering the judges had all but crowned Archuleta the night before. During the contest night, Cook sang "I Still Haven't Found (What I'm Looking For)" by U2, chosen by Clive Davis (who will own the winner). He was great. I love U2 and Cook changed it just enough to make it his own, but stayed true to the original. He then had to sing a song from some songwriting contest (who wrote the song? - who knows - for a songwriting contest, you'd think they would tell the audience who wrote the song). Finally, he chose to sing, "The World I Know" by Collective Soul. Another song I love and again Cook did it justice. Archuleta sang three ballads including his version of "Imagine." I love this song and hate the fact that Archie sang it and everyone loved it. Ug.

I'm glad Cook won and hope his career takes off after his stupid obligatory Idol tour.

I know a lot of people think Am. Idol is lame and the singers suck (Burger?), but I have become fans of a few of the contestants of this show, and am glad to have been exposed to them through this show: Daughtry, Bo Bice and Kelly Clarkson. In fact, I am listening to Bice right now and really like the album. I have owned this CD (yes, I still buy CDs) for a couple years now and just noticed that Chad Kroeger (Nickelback) wrote one of the songs. Kroeger is awesome as a singer and songwriter and has worked with some of the best (Santana). Bice also performed on one of the Idol shows this year with a new song, which I am looking forward to being released.

Now, let's go Sox and Celtics!!

It's good to be green (or Red)

The Red Sox have installed solar panels on the top of Fenway to help heat their hot water. In this day and age where energy efficiency is so important, it is very impressive that a professional baseball organization would take the time or money to invest in such a project when they could just jack up ticket prices to help pay the bills. Check it out. Another reason I'm proud to be a Sox fan.

Another reason why baseball is awesome

Last night, Jon Lester no-hit the K.C. Royals. This is a major feat in baseball (see comment on previous post). Let alone for someone who less than 2 years ago was diagnosed with cancer. Lester has been a Red Sox hero since he won game 4 in the World Series last year. Last night's game was a true no-hitter - he pitched all 9 innings, and despite the two walks he gave up and the throwing error to 1st base, no runs scored (yes, you can have a no-hitter where the other team scores runs). I didn't get to see the whole game, only from about the 6th inning on, but even in the 6th I could tell that Lester was ON. It was fun to watch, beautiful in fact. To see a pitcher and catcher so in tune and the batter baffled by what is being thrown is truly amazing. The game was a real team effort too, Ellsbury had a fantastic catch and the whole team was rallied behind Lester to help him complete this achievement. Whenever I see a no-hitter, I always think of the movie For Love of the Game, specifically the part when Kevin Costner looks up at the scoreboard with some confusion and asks his catcher, "Ain't nobody been on base?" I'm sure that every pitcher at some point during their no-hitter has this realization and I can't imagine the feeling. Fear, joy, trepidation, doubt, adrenaline all must come into play. Lester handled all of those feelings with grace last night, and it was a joy to watch. Congrats to Lester and Varitek (who had the only HR of the night despite a 7-0 score), and the rest of the team. You gave us all something to be inspired by.

Why baseball is awesome

I just read this article about why baseball is the best sport. I agree with most of it, especially the last sentence - a lot of people think baseball players are wussy - but you try hitting a ball with a 2.8 inch diameter that's going 95 mph.

Am. Idol final 3

So the two Davids and Seyesha are the final three contestants on American Idol this year. They are all good singers, although after watching last night's performances, I have to agree with the comment made on my last Am. Idol post that I will shoot my TV (or something to that effect) if David A. wins. He totally killed (not in a good way) "And So It Goes" by Billy Joel. David Cook was not in top shape last night though. The Switchfoot song he sang, was flat and not very exciting and he did not come close to doing Steven Tyler justice on "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." Seyesha did a fine job on all her songs, but no one hit anything out of the park. I think, in part, it was because of the format. They all sang three songs, one picked by one of the judges, one they picked themselves and one picked by the producers. It was pretty obvious that the producers either a) know nothing about pop music and who actually watches this shoe or b) want one of the contestants to fail miserably, but all of the producers songs choices were so terrible, it was hard to figure out which one. I can't for the life of me predict the winner.

Go Green!

So the Celtics are in the playoffs. In fact, they were the best team in the NBA this year with an .805 winning percentage. This compared to just last year's record when they were the worst team in the NBA bar none. So cool, they're in the playoffs now, but it seems they have forgotten how to win on the road. For a team that was ridiculously dominant all season, it is weird to watch them totally lose it when they are the visiting team. Now, I know the playoffs are very different from the regular season, nerves and all that, but this team is so talented that it is totally perplexing to watch them fall off the wagon when away. I will admit that I did not watch a regular season game, but I have watched some of the playoffs, and even for me (a non-basketball player, watcher, etc.) it is obvious that the home game is completely different from the away game. It's like they think they suck or something. Whatever it is, I hope they figure it out, because this team, and Boston, deserve an NBA championship.

American Idol '08

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I am a fan of the show American Idol. This year has been quite disappointing as shown by the lack of posts about it. None of the contestants stand out or have had that "knock your socks off" performance. I really don't care about any of them and am not sure if any of them will survive the record business. Terrible singers lasted a long time on the show this year for inexplicable reasons. They are down to the final 3, and luckily the show will be over soon. I know I can just stop watching it, but it's totally addictive and now I need to know which one of the saps left will win.

497

Manny is on his way to 500 home runs. However, since he hit 496 on April 19, his bat has been pretty silent. Ironically, 497 happened when they were away, in Detroit. (Yeah, I know they went to Tampa for three days, but they have been home for all other games). Now they are away from that stupid 486 banner that's up on the Green Monster. You would think by now, Fenway would smarten up to jinxes like that! Go Manny!

How to get ride of a canker sore

I'm sure you all have your own remedy for getting rid of canker sores, stop stressing out, rinse with salt water, orajel until your entire mouth is numb. I found a new one today which kind of combines the last two: These salt and vinegar chips will dry up that yucky canker sore AND make you mouth numb! And they taste good! Man, I had a boring day.

My radio stations

I know, WHO listens to the radio anymore you ask? Well, me. I don't have satellite radio since baseball is on XM and football is on Sirius, it just doesn't make sense to get one until they decide to merge. And oh yeah, I don't have an iPod. Well, Sean lets me use his old nano, but I can't hook it up in my car. I refuse to get one of those tuner devices because the one sound I cannot stand is static. Even a little. Finally, I only have a single disc player in my car and often forget to bring a CD (yes, I also listen to CDs and still buy them) into the car, so unless I want to listen to Daughtry for the 5000th time, I usually end up listening to the radio.

I also listen to the radio at work. If I wasn't able to have music during the day, I think I would go crazy. This is why I love Pandora.com. Usually I listen to Pandora, but some days, I'll listen to the local alt. rock station, like this morning, until the play the lunch bunch during which the crappiest music from the 80s and 90s (Wall of Voodoo anyone?) is played and I have to turn it off.

Just now, I turned on my old radio station from the smallest state. I freaking love this station. They play the Doors, Metallica, Georgia Satellites and Led Zepplin. Where else can you get that kind of variety? I'm not saying it's good day after day, I'm just saying it's fun to listen to. Plus, I get to listen to the cheesiest commercials ever!

A good cause

Some of you may have heard about the Ortiz jersey that got buried at the new Yankee Stadium to try to place some sort of curse on the Yanks by a Bronx-living Red Sox fan. Well, eventually, the news leaked out that he had done this, so the jersey was jackhammered up out of the concrete and was auctioned off to raise money for the Jimmy Fund. Today the bidding closed and it raised over $175,000 for the Fund. As much as I would like the curse the new Yankee stadium, I think this is a greater cause.

Our weekend

Last weekend we traveled to the warmer nether regions of our country to be total tourists in DC. We had great weather on Saturday, saw lots of monuments and met up with a couple of old friends. It was really fun. Lots of walking, ice cream and water. Sean and I took the train down as the plane tickets were ridiculous. Plus, that way, he could get some work done. We took the train from home to Boston, then the Acela from Boston to Baltimore. It took 9.5 hours total - a little less than it would've taken to drive, but we didn't have to drive. It was actually pretty cool to watch the season change from just starting to be spring up here to spring in full bloom down there. We got to go through our hometown and the surrounding hometowns of our friends. We even saw people on the beach in some places! I only have a few suggestions for the Acela: get drink holders - those stupid trays suck. Get satellite radio - how hard can that be? Get better snacks.

It was beautiful when we arrived. We got picked up and headed to Annapolis where we hung out for a while, then had a very nice dinner in town (thanks to Reed) and headed back to get ready for Saturday.

Saturday we headed to the metro to get into DC. It was pretty straightforward to drive to the metro and get into the heart of the city. We walked around for a while and finally met up with one of my friends from college and her boyfriend at the WWII memorial and then we all walked around checking out the monuments. At one point we noticed lots and lots of riot police and people lined up along the street like it was going to be a parade or something. We soon found out it was an Aryan nation rally. As soon as we learned that, we took off, wanted to not be anywhere near such a disgusting cause, especially when the riot police put their face masks down, it was a clear sign to be to book the hell out of there.

At about 5, my friend had to take off so the rest of us headed into Georgetown to hang out and get some pre-dinner snacks. It was a busy place, but we found a cute little bar to get some apps and rest for a little while before heading to my other friend's show. At about 8 or so we got back on the metro to head into Arlington to get to the club. At this point we were all pretty tired from being out in the sun all day, but I was so excited to see my friend it didn't matter to me. We had some dinner at the club (not the greatest food, but it sufficed) and at about 10 or so I finally met up with my friend. I thought I had seen him earlier, but I think it was someone from another band who was playing that night. It was great to see him, but it was really loud so we couldn't really talk much. I got to meet his wife, who is really nice. So we hung out for a while and then his band, Honor By August, went on around 11:30 or so. We didn't stay very long as we didn't have any earplugs (I didn't notice how loud it was - I guess my hearing is already shot) and Sean was wicked tired. It was really fun to see my friend and his band. He just looked so happy playing, it made me really glad for him.

Sunday we had a Segway tour booked for 12:30 so we drove into the city this time, since it's really not that bad on a Sunday, checked in for the tour, got the little tutorial and practiced around in the little courtyard for a bit. Finally, we decided it was raining too much and the tour would suck so we canceled. So, then we headed to ESPN zone for some lunch and games, then headed to the International Spy Museum. It was pretty cool. We walked through the museum and then did an interactive exhibit. At that point it was about 6 or so, so we headed back, had some dinner, then went to the airport. Our flight was delayed about an hour because of the rain, but that wasn't too bad. It's a quick flight so we got home about 12 am I think. The only thing that sucked was that the cabby acted like he knew where he was going, but really didn't - seriously, if you don't know where you're going, just ask!

All in all, we had a great weekend. We had great company and lots of fun. We'll hit the museums next time, and maybe get a tour of the White House.

Aerosmith

Most of you know that Aerosmith is one of my favorite bands. Today I have been able to listen to them all day so far and not hear the same song twice. I have listened to Honkin on Bobo, the two new songs from Ultimate Hits Disc 2, Just Push Play and all 3 discs of Pandora's Box. Up next is Pump and after that Toys in the Attic ( my fav album). When I hit Toys, I will hear some songs that are on Pandora, but that's ok. I love not having an office mate.

New video

If ANYONE has any connections at VH1, MTV, Fuse, etc. SEND THEM THIS VIDEO!

"Into the Light" by Honor By August

The House that Ruth Built

Many of you know this is the final year of Yankee Stadium. The new stadium will still be in the Bronx, but bigger and better (and probably more expensive). I think they are going to do what they did in Foxborough and turn the old stadium into parking, but please correct me if I'm wrong - I don't really keep up on the day to day happenings of the Yanks. I read this article this morning. I didn't realize until I looked at my schedule that the author is right, we (the Sox) close out the regular season of baseball against the Yanks at home (Fenway). I could argue with a few of the author's points (the most famous facility in the history of American sports? I'm not sure about that!) But, it does seem a little wrong that we won't be giving Yankee Stadium a proper farewell - they have to do that against the Orioles. Because, you know, it would be nice to beat the Yanks one last time in their own home*. :)

* and yes, I say this after we got creamed last night

Life and death

Today I went to a funeral. Not the most uplifting event, but in a way, it kind of was. A funeral is really the celebration of a life. The life that was celebrated today was a great, old life. It was a life that cared for his family and made and impression on anyone that it touched. It was a caring life, a loving life, a happy life. A life that survived a few years of WWII in the Pacific, a life that met its life partner 59 years ago. A life that produced 3 successful sons, 3 successful grandchildren, and 3 successful businesses. I am glad that this life was able to be a part of my life, if only on the outskirts and through stories. Knowing how much this life meant to its family, is enough to know how important it was. The eulogies given were heartfelt and meaningful, the song that was performed was beyond compare and the day was beautiful. You could tell that this life was proud to be celebrated. Thank you Mr. A. for having a wonderful life.



sidenote - going to a funeral during Easter made me realize I really don't want to die during Lent - you can't say Alleluia.

Fenway Opening Day!

Yesterday we went to Fenway for Opening Day. It was AWESOME! It was a beautiful day, sunny with a little chill in the air. I got to the park about 11 to wait at a will call window to get my tickets reprinted. The window finally opened about 11:40 and they tried to print my tickets. Of course, there was some printer error which finally got straightened out and I got my tickets to this game and my game in July. YEAH!! While I was waiting there, I talked with a very nice couple from CA who had never been to Fenway before who got tickets from one of the husband's students. They were very excited to be at Fenway. Also, while I was waiting there, members of the Boston Symphony walked in to get ready for their performance later during the opening ceremonies (unfortunately there was no Keith Lockhart as the BSO had a performance that night so they were probably having rehearsal and Fenway got the second string, but they were still great).

After I got my tickets I went across the street into the sun to wait for Sean to arrive (he had to go run an errand). While I was waiting I talked with another nice gentleman who was there waiting for his son. He told me all about Gloucester and New Bedford and said I should make sure to check out Antonio's restaurant the next time I'm in New Bedford. Apparently, they have a rowdy crowd but it's a fun atmosphere and great Portuguese food.

Finally Sean arrived and we went to find our seats. After hitting the bathroom, and getting some food we got to our seats and luckily no one was in them (this was my biggest fear after my tickets never arrived). We had nice neighbors, great seats right in the sun and a perfect view of the field (except for the deepest part of center field). We had to turn around to see the jumbo screen, but that was ok. Around 12:45 they started showing highlights of 2005's Opening Day ceremony and then the post season games from last year. This was great, as it got the crowd all hyped up and ready for the day's ceremonies.

First, they had members of Red Sox Nation carry out flags from lots of different countries representing Red Sox Nation. They marched out the green monster where most of the people entered from. The BSO started playing and the World Series banners were revealed: 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004 and finally 2007. When they unveiled the 2007 banner (which is as big as the Green Monster) it flew up in the wind and took a little while to come down so the people on the ground could hold it straight. It was pretty funny. The BSO played the soundtrack to Jurassic Park by John Williams as this was happening. It's kind of weird when you think of it as the soundtrack to a dinosaur movie, but it really is inspiring music on its own. After the banners were unveiled, members of championship Bruins (including Bobby Orr), Celtics (including Bill Russell) and Patriots (including Tedy Bruschi) teams paraded out onto the field, carrying their respective trophies. Finally, this led to the members of last year's roster to receiving their rings. The rings are awesome. They have the Red Sox as the dominant logo and each ring has the player's name and number on the side. Also, for the players who were on the winning roster in 2004, their rings have 2 trophies on them. They are beautiful.

As the rings were distributed, Dice-K completed his warm-up routine out in right field and the bullpen, so we got a good view of that. After the Sox received their rings, they all marched out to center field to raise the 2007 championship flag on the flagpole in center field. Ortiz was going to do it, but he brought Johnny Pesky out to do it - it was so cute, since Papi is about twice the size of Pesky, but you could tell that Pesky was just to proud to be doing it. Once the flag was up, the rosters were announced. The BSO then played the National anthem and 4 F16 fighter jets flew overhead. Finally, it came time for the first pitch, and who better than Bill Buckner to toss it? And he wasn't even booed. Sean thought it was still too soon, but clapped anyway, and most fans were in enough of a forgiving mood to cheer for him. He tossed a good pitch to Dwight Evans and then finally, Johnny Pesky got to say, "Play Ball!"

All throughout the Opening ceremony, a red-tailed hawk kept flying over the field. Some of you will remember the last post about the kid who got nailed by a hawk. There was some debate as to whether it was the same hawk or not, but once the F16s flew over, the hawk made it out of there, but reappeared about an hour later. Apparently, at one point it had a huge rat in its talons.

The game was great. Steven Tyler sang God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch. Neil Diamond sang from the Jumbotron Sweet Caroline and will be giving a concert in August at Fenway. The Sox won 5-0, Manny scored a run on a triple and an error, Dice-K pitched extremely well and even Delcarmen redeemed himself by not allowing any runs! Sean and I had a great day at the park and can't wait to go back in July. I don't know if my sign made it on TV so here it is:

Some game day stats:

Food consumed: 3 ice creams, 1 hot dog, 1 pizza slice, 2 sodas, 1 cracker jacks, 2 pretzels, 2 waters (no Sports bars available yet)

Sunburns: 1

Pictures taken: 25

Happy red sox fans: 36, 567

Go Sox!

Suggestions?

As many of you know, I am going to Opening Day at Fenway this year. I will witness the ring ceremony, the banner unveiling and the World Champs take the field. I always bring a sign to the game so this year I am soliciting suggestions as to what the sign should say so I get on TV. Something with NESN on it is usually a sure bet. Any unwelcome suggestions from Yankees fans will be deleted. Thanks!

Priceless

BOSTON (AP) — A 13-year-old girl touring Fenway Park on a school trip was attacked by a resident red-tailed hawk that drew blood from her scalp.

She wasn’t seriously hurt, but some observers saw an omen for a certain New York Yankees slugger in the attack Thursday at the home of the Boston Red Sox. The girl’s name is Alexa Rodriguez.

Vince Jennetta, a teacher who chaperoned her class trip from Memorial Boulevard Middle School in Bristol, Conn., told The Boston Globe that Alexa is “a little shaken, but OK.”

The hawk perched on a railing in the upper deck behind home plate as the group toured the stadium. The hawk took flight and swooped at the girl with its talons extended, scratching the her scalp.

A single egg lay in the hawk’s nearby nest in an overhang near the stadium’s press booth.

The nest and egg were removed at the direction of state wildlife officials.


While I think this story is hilarious, I am glad the kid is ok.

For Bon Jovi fans

One of the great songs done very well by Bon Jovi......