Traditional Thursday Open Thread

I am on the road and adventuring, so I have less idea than usual as to what is going on.

However, I did glean this "Stay Positive" tidbit from the sports pages - in a Times story describing a novel stem cell procedure undergone by pitcher Bartolo Colon, the doctor gave him some reassurance:

“Colon said he wanted to get back into baseball,” Purita recalled. “He could not throw the ball without horrible pain, but he felt he still had something left in the can, so to speak. I told Colon this will be a lot less painful than facing Derek Jeter. He said: ‘Derek Jeter? He has never been a problem for me. I always strike him out.’ ”

He always strikes him out?  Per Yahoo stats, Jeter' career stats against Colon are 13 for 36 with 1 double, 1 triple, 2 home runs and 2 walks.  That is a .361 batting average and a 1.006 OPS, both abovce Jeter's Hall of Fame career stats.

However!  Jeter has also struck out ten times against Colon, which is also aboove his career strike-out rate; Colon apparently prefers to talk about the good times.

Comments

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

I'm not sure anything is actually going on.

[centralcal]

Yep, Jane - same ol' same ol'!

Happy adventures, TM.

[Rick Ballard]

Jane,

Bin Laden is still dead and Daffy isn't. I suppose we could speculate on what Inaction Man might not do next...

[Porchlight]

It is pouring rain in Austin! Hallelujah!

[Porchlight]

And, Texas House votes to ban sanctuary cities. Take that, Barry.

[Gabriel Sutherland]

I recommend reading Mark Salter's 5 year too late bitch fest about Barack Obama and immigration today.

Salter has to be the worst political strategist I have ever seen.

When Obama tried to enter the immigration "gang of whatever the f McCain wanted" they let him in. Shockingly, Obama came to the table on immigration reform with the same plan as the AFL-CIO written on a 3x5 card.

WTF! Did they campaign ever use that to accurately identify Obama as a tool of organized labor?

New theory: Obama opponents don't want to win. Seriously. They want to lose.

[clarice]

Gabe, from his actions and speeches one could argue the same of BO--Are we seeing a time where NOBODY really wants to be President?

[Captain Hate]

Bartolo Colon is as dumb as a plank and a fat tub of goo. He will always be famous for being part, along with Tim Drew, of one of the biggest transaction of utter thievery when Mark Shapiro pwn3d that idiot Omar Minaya (ultimately with the Mutts) for Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips and Lee Stevens.

[fdcol63]

Clarice, it would be nice if you're right. Maybe Obama would really prefer to lose. He has seemed disinterested in the job for quite some time, since IMHO, actually governing has proven to be much harder than he'd expected.

[Ignatz]

I bet TM has a Fathead of Jeter on his wall.

[narciso]

From the last thread, 'were in the hands of the best men'

http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2011/05/us-middle-east-policy-becomes.html

[Thomas Collins]

What would an open Thursday thread be without the soothing words of Omar Hamami, an American who, like al-Awlaki, has decided to struggle with his internal being by reading Rumi poems and gazing at seventh century tapestries as a member of the Religion of Peace. See LUN.

[narciso]

So Chip Dillard, I mean Wehner and Kristol, do you wish 'to revise and extend your remarks'

[PDinDetroit]

Detroit Red Wings v. San Jose Sharks Game 7 Tonight! Betcha can't guess who I am rooting for ;)

[maryrose]

Repubs need to make commercials and hammer Obama 24/7 about his no vote on immigration reform. why didn't Mccain expose him and this info in 2008? Also sarah was right about palling around with terrorists. Let's make that our mantra starting with his love of Common. Show Mississippi River floods and then Obama and Moochelle and Common rappin at the WH. The ads write themselves. 2012 should be easy. We got the goods on Obama.

[narciso]

Meanwhile, I thought this fellow was sane if a little idiosyncratic, sorry, he's a bloody loony:

http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/bin-laden-video-released-by-us-pieczenik-calls-it-bogus

[Walter]

Seems that Colon is saying that he throws strikes to Jeter. Sometimes Jeter hits them.

OTOH, TM has a point. No active player has a lifetime OPS above 1.006. But do we really want to see more pitches per appearance in the AL? Or walks for Jeter for that matter?

The top ten Major League Baseball players in lifetime OPS, with at least 3,000 plate appearances through 2010.

Babe Ruth, 1.1638
Ted Williams, 1.1155
Lou Gehrig, 1.0798
Barry Bonds, 1.0512
Albert Pujols, 1.0511
Jimmie Foxx, 1.0376
Hank Greenberg, 1.0169
Rogers Hornsby, 1.0103
Manny Ramírez, 0.9970
Mark McGwire, 0.9823

[narciso]

Release the hounds;http://minx.cc/?post=316079

[daddy]

Wife just bought me an Amazon DX Kindle ($489.0)

Very small keyboard. Virtually unusable to me for typing. Can't get any decent Wooster novels on it that I am looking for. No "Code of the Woosters". Couldn't get any of 2 or 3 other books I wanted to read. First impression is not real positive, but I want to give it a reasonable chance.

Any input out there from anybody who has one of these Amazon DX Kindles about whether I ought to return this quick? Is it worth upsetting the wife I suppose is the big question:)

We already have one inadvertant purchase but are unable to return it, and having called the Amazon Kindle folks they can't figure out why their system isn't working properly.

Anyhow, off for about 12 hours so I'll see what you think in the midnight hours. Thanks for any input.

[Cajunkate]

I think Obama definitely wants to win. Isn't that what the EO re:Federal contractors is all about? He likes being President & perks that come with it-if only he wasn't bothered all the time with that pesky governing thing.

[narciso]

Rush is saying Sibelius, gave the order to kill Bin Laden, his treatment would be too expensive at Gitmo, his reasoning,

[Frau Steingehirn]

"I think Obama definitely wants to win."

And besides, he's "good at it."

[Ignatz]

--No "Code of the Woosters".--

Round file it.

[Frau Steingehirn]

daddy, have you checked out the free ebook sites?
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10554

This one has thirty books listed for Wodehouse:
http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/p-g-wodehouse.shtml

Problem with copyright:
http://www.spontaneousderivation.com/2008/08/22/copyright-and-wodehouse-the-suspicious-desert-of-gutenberg-texts/

[Jim Ryan]

Round file it.

Indeed. You'll have a deuced hard time finding me carrying one of the bally things around. I've had my nose in a book about Psmith of late, which I stole from a napping copper on a bet. It serves admirably as a coaster underneath a soothing G & T and doesn't require any power source whatsoever in order to operate for decades on end.

[Frau Leseratte]

daddy, the kindle is for *reading* and not writing. Its experimental section got me to JOM when we were traveling through rural Shasta Co CA and got us weather reports. Regard it as a book reading device. As far as I know, you won't be able to get your desired book with any other device (iPad etc). It is disappointing to find out that a desired book is not yet available as an ebook but that's life, right?

I would marry my kindle but CA doesn't allow that...yet!

[Captain Hate]

Tammy Bruce slicing and dicing Mitch Spaniel, Romneycare and the cult of Dr Ron. Not saying she's passionate about this but already one F-bomb dropped. Online radio FTW!

[Jim Ryan]

Jeeves insists I stick with the old, used Penguin paperbacks of PG. Once I came home with a copy from another publisher and he sulked for two days. I finally went to him and this is what transpired:

"By the way, Jeeves, will you please go round Bixley's and obtain a copy of this PG, only in Penguin edition?"

He paused for a moment, quite visibly moved, and then replied, "Thank you, sir." By cocktail hour Jeeves had the old hop back in his step and all was right with the world.

[Jim Ryan]

I would marry my kindle but CA doesn't allow that...yet!

Comment of the month, I'm certain of it.

[Frau Leseratte]

daddy, was it matt who downloaded an entire *free* classics library on his kindle? Perhaps he can give you some unbiased opinion since I love my little fella (not the biggy your bride bought you).

[SWarren]

Hey, PDin Detroit.

GO WINGS!!!

[Captain Hate]

Since the Caps are such an annual disappointment: GO WINGS!!

[Rocco]

White House Insider claims "Eric Holder Is Gonna Fall"

First up is Eric Holder. He is gonna fall. Watch for Holder news – it’s coming. They are gonna fight hard to keep him in there. He’s done a hell of a job keeping the lid on so much sh-t. But that’s about to change. I ain’t saying I trust Issa, but it’s been explained to me that he knows that he’s doing and it’s getting done. So ok…I’ll see if that’s the case. Then it’s on to 2012 with the information in hand that will be the result of Holder stepping down from the DOJ. It’s gonna be a race to get it out there before the election, but we sure as hell are gonna try. And even if Obama manages to get his re-election, we will cripple him politically…we will trip him up enough, that his second term will be nowhere near the threat to the country that this one has been. And he may not be able to complete that second term. The information that will be forced into the hands of the media, the people, the party leaders, the donors…the man thinks he’s under political pressure now? Just wait. They made a big mistake, and we got them. We got them…

I wish I could believe this insider! A little about Blago, a little about Trump and a fantastic (as in unbelievable) story about how the Democrats with the help of some Republicans tanked the economy on purpose to change the discussion and dynamics of the campaign from foreign policy which McCain was winning to economic which always favors the Democrats.

[Rocco]

My wife's cousin's son Carlson, plays for the Caps.

[Jack is Back!]

daddy,

Gave my kindle to Fre,derick when I got my iPad. No comparison. I can' believe the difference in readability, graphics and ordering. Cheecked the iPad store which is basically iTunes and they have 3 large anthologies of P G Wodehouse. I have The Golf Omnibus by PG which is the standard for golf humor and fiction as I am concerned. If you like PG and golf you must have this in your library.

[(Another) Barbara]

daddy, I don't have the DX Kindle, but I AM a wife. My counsel is: You love it!

(I do have the regular Kindle of several years back and it's the best thing ever for travel. No more having to pack enough heavy volumes to last for a long trip, and most titles that occur to you on a whim are available in seconds. I think Kindles are great!)

[clarice]

You don't actually have to be an insider to realize Holder is a disaster and Obama always throws under the bus anyone who causes him enough agita.

[Uncle BigBad]

Rocco

Thanks for the Insider link. It sounds deliciously plausible, but unfortunately BS.

[Rocco]

Uncle...I agree

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rocco-

Back here, "everybody knows" that Emanuel, Jarrett, and Obama are on those tapes, just a matter of to what degree. Most assume that Rod's getting the rail treatment for the actions of others. Left hand, right hand stuff.

[pagar]

This is criminal,IMO.

"AG Tom Miller, Foreclosure-Probe Chief, Asked Bank Lawyers for Money"

http://4closurefraud.org/2011/05/11/you-have-got-to-be-kidding-ag-tom-miller-foreclosure-probe-chief-asked-bank-lawyers-for-money/

[Captain Hate]

My wife's cousin's son Carlson, plays for the Caps.
Too bad his off-season has started

[Rocco]

Well hopefully this 21 year old kid will have have many more season's to come. But I know what you mean CH...Go Bruins!

[Boatbuilder]

Daddy-whatever you do, do not get a Nook. My wife has a kindle from a couple of years ago; it's nice. I asked for a Nook for Christmas; we figured that between the two we would have a much broader choice of available books. Wrong.
I cannot believe that in 2010 one could even buy such a clunky piece of electronic junk.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

'We need another 9/11': Bin Laden's captured journal reveals horrifying glimpse into plans of terror mastermind Daily Mail 

Bin Laden called on followers to strike smaller cities

Leader made macabre calculation of how many kills were needed to get the U.S. out of the Middle East

Longed for another 9/11 to replicate mass attacks of the past

Acted like a megalomaniac 'crime boss' plotting in concrete hideaway

Evidence he went 'back and forth from' compound and contacted other terrorists

Desperately wanted to 'sow political dissent' in Washington

Targeted 'oppressed' blacks and Hispanics to join terror network

Urged followers to strike on anniversary of 9/11 and Fourth of July

But arrogant leader became 'lazy and complacent' about own security

[Frau Leseratte]

Most likely, UBL was thinking too much about which hair dye to use on his beard.

[Captain Hate]

Well hopefully this 21 year old kid will have have many more season's to come.

Kudos to him for making it to the NHL.

[sbw]

Daddy, I have the Kindle, not the DX, which is pretty big. I still use it, but trade off with my iPhone which has the kindle app on it, sync'd with each other.

The kindle has battery life over the iPad2, but the iPad2 is, as Frau pointed out, more of writing machine--however poorly the keyboard works--than the kindle is. Use the kindle just for reading.

Because you are in a cockpit, sometimes idle, perhaps the kindle dx would work for you.

[daddy]

Thanks guys, great comments on the Kindle.

I love how Frau's having a special relationship with her Kindle---not that there's anything wrong with that:)

Another Barb's comment which I take to be "Don't upset the wife" may be the wisest advice, and the one I ultimately cowardly take.

I just saw this linked at Insty's: AT AMAZON, 100 Hot new releases in Kindle eBooks, but when I look at them I can't find a single one I care at all about. So it bums me to spend $490 for the pleasure of being able to pay a fee to download a ton of books I'm uninterested in. Oh well.

Probably wisest to take Wodehouse's err Jim Ryan's advice and have Jeeve's crank me out a G. and T.

JiB,

Are you saying the IPad is way better than the Kindle in your experience? Maybe that's the tact I could take. Just experimenting and going over the instructions of this hi priced Kindle these last 10 hours, I was surprised that there doesn't seem to be any internal lighting so that you can read the darn thing in the dark while the wife is sleeping next to me. It appears you have to have external lighting of some kind, which to me seems an essential part of the reason you'd want an electronic book in the first place---so as not to bother the snoring spouse.

Crud:( So far I don't want any part of marrying the damn thing. I want a divorce. (from the Kindle!)

[cathyf]

daddy, my husband has a little book light that clips on to the kindle and plugs into the port for power. He also has a case for it. Both seem to be pretty useful accessories.

[Herm R Roid]

“Colon said...he felt he still had something left in the can"

Not newsworthy. My colon has something left in the can everyday. Hey-o!

[Soylent Red]

daddy:

The reason the Kindle's screen is so readable is because there is no backlight. It's a different kind of screen. I have a little light that attaches to the top that travels around with the device in the cover I got for it. Works great, and costs less.

[cheap jerseys]

I recommend reading Mark Salter's 5 year too late bitch fest about Barack Obama and immigration today.