You Tube Mining - Early 1990's gems.

Don't ask me why, but I'm currently searching You Tube for videos of bands that occupy a sort of "vacuum" in my musical interests as I came down from heavy metal and punk but before the whole "grunge" (I hate that word, by the way) really started to dominate.

Frankly, I don't know what you'd call this stuff. Other than, of course, "MTV's 120 Minutes" music. God, I loved that show. Anyway, looking back at how I now remember the early 1990's, this kind of music just seems so out of place. But at the time, I don't think it struck me as odd at all. Not the bright colors; not the baggy-but-not-rapper-baggy clothes; not the stilted soul elements; none of it really. Hmm...

Anyway, enjoy and Happy New Year!

"Groovy Train" by The Farm


"Grey Cell Green" by Ned's Atomic Dustbin


"Divine Thing" by The Soup Dragons

Reds Sign League's Fastest Player from Home Plate to Dugout

Willy Taveras, our new Little Reds Corvette who can go from 0 to 60 in two seconds between the batter's box and the dugout, is notorious for his desire to get to where he's safe, under cover of the dugout, near a fresh supply of sunflower seeds and Gatorade.

The Taveras signing will be a sure upgrade on last year's speedster signing, Corey Patterson, who will likely have reached the dugout more often than Taveras will in 2009, but who will have not reached such amazing speeds in getting there.

Taveras, who stole a career high 68 bases in 2008, has clearly topped this feat by stealing two years of Reds payroll allocations.

Rally 'Round Our Reds!

do Brasil, Pt. 5: There's never been a more exciting time to be in Brasil...

...like a time when Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen get engaged. The news has been greeted with great gusto, with statements like: "I do not know this 'Tchom Bradeee,' and I do not like this game you speak. Men running and stopping and running and stopping. Eu no gusto isso."

On the other hand, the shirtless Barack Obama is hugely popular, "Ele es muito athletico!"

Maybe I will take a poll among my friends and relatives here: Who is a better athlete: Tom Brady or Barack Obama?

The results could be interesting.

do Brasil, Pt. 4: Marry Chrismis from the TTT

do Brasil, Pt. 3: The Nani is so loved in Brasil...

...that they named a bar after him.

do Brasil, Pt. 2: Brasil is SO chill...

...even when you pee.

do (pronounced dough) Brasil, Pt. 1: I wonder if they have Skol Mint here...

You can't put this between your cheek and your gum...

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 73

The Christmas season is upon us, and so too is the spirit of giving. There is one gift that just keeps on giving. And giving. And giving. And she is in the news again today: Sarah Palin.

It turns out that her baby's baby-daddy's mama (that would be the mother of Bristol's impregnator, Levi Johnston), got arrested on drug charges in Wasilla, a small town that continues to live up to its title as the meth capital of Alaska.

Sadly, there is nothing remarkable about this story in a vacuum. If you look hard enough, in any town or city in America, you can find a scenario like this playing out - teenage pregnancies, high school drop-outs, drug trafficking charges all within the same family, and sometimes even connected to a local family of some prominence. It never ceases to amaze me, however, that millions of Americans voted in favor of having this all-too-familiar redneck drama play out one heartbeat away from the oval office. And, on the ticket purporting to represent "traditional family values" no less. I mean, for Pete's sake, you can find a better example of "traditional family values" watching The Osbournes.



I never realized that this was the sort of thing to be celebrated. What's next? Republican-sponsored programs to increase teen pregnancy and family drug trafficking? Step right up and emulate the Republicans' would-be Second Family!!

A Rejoinder to Oh-bama! Pt. 1

Have to respectfully disagree with my colleague and dear friend Nani on the issue of Obama selecting Controversial Pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration.

But first, let me point out that I do get a kick at how Rick Warren is frequently described as "Controversial Pastor Rick Warren," as though it was his official title and job description. I'll abbreviate with "CPRW."

While many on the left see the choice of CPRW as some sort of betrayal, I certainly don't. To me, it is basically what we should expect. Has the left forgotten the passage in Obama's 2004 DNC speech, replayed in numerous campaign ads this cycle, where Obama made his case (to paraphrase here) that "we are not a red America and a blue America; we are the United States of America"? Was the left asleep during the campaign when Obama repeatedly stated (and took quite a bit of flack for it) that when it comes to foreign policy, we need to have open dialogues with nations with whom we don't agree?

I know this is an over generalization, but I think the left may be equating a massive popular vote and electoral college victory as a mandate to push a progressive agenda. Maybe, but I think that's a little hard to square with a leader with a "post-partisan" vision, and a stated intent to reach out across the aisle to those on the right. Keep in mind, a victory like that only comes with the support of independent voters and some on the right. Plus, we've seen the version of "reaching across the aisle" that consists of saying, "it's my way or the highway, motherfuckers." Yes, that would be the Dubya Bush approach to bipartisan governance. With certain exceptions, I don't think that approach accomplished much, other than bitterly dividing the country.

I look at Obama's invitation to CPRW as a shrewd, consensus-building political move. But I don't mean to come across as totally cynical, because from all accounts, Obama genuinely likes the guy.

And to put the gay marriage issue aside for a moment, CPRW, who is apparently very influential in evangelical circles, has some common ground with Obama and with the left, for example on climate change. Obama is never going to win over the evangelical population on issues like gay marriage and abortion. But selling other issues that are dear to the left is going to be a hell of a lot easier with broad popular support than it would be if Obama leads off his presidency by stoking the fires on the culture war issue of gay marriage. If he does that, he risks a certain percentage of Americans being dead set against anything he wants to do.

Now, will this work, who knows? But I don't think it's a bad idea. And at the end of the day, I think anyone left slack-jawed at this should have been paying more attention to who and what Obama is during the election. This is par for the course.

Now, on the issue of gay marriage, yes, I do think it is important. I think the campaign against gay marriage is deplorable. I think CPRW's opposition to it is misguided, as is all opposition to it. I know that it is deeply painful for gay Americans whose rights are being denied. And I further think that it tarnishes the liberties that we straight Americans enjoy.

But I don't live in fantasy land either. I do not believe that hunkering down in the trenches or screaming louder is going to solve the issue. While I am no expert on psychology, I believe the more that gays are humanized in this debate and the more that the personal impact on them caused by opposition to gay marriage is shown, the more persuasive the case for gay marriage becomes. An outreach, and the invitation to a civil discourse on the topic lays the foundation for this transformation in the way gays are perceived to take place. Certainly, it's going to go further than continuing to engage in endless arguments based on logic and a historical analysis of the institution of marriage, because at the end of the day, the disagreement is, at it's core, a very visceral one.

Finally, just as the idea that talking with Iran, for example, is an endorsement of its positions or values is a fallacy, so too is the idea that Obama is selling out the gays by inviting CPRW to the inauguration. The sell out will come, if at all, if Obama takes some substantive step against the gay rights movement. In contrast to that, this CPRW thing is just fluff.

I suggest everyone just calm down about this. As Harold Ford said today on Morning Joe, after the inauguration, the only thing we'll remember is Obama's inaugural address, not the fact that CPRW gave the invocation.

Oh-Bama! Pt. 1

In the first installment in what the Nani hopes will be an infrequent series of Obama-critical posts (after all, with the TTT's partial responsibility for getting the man elected comes, too, the responsibility to keep the man honest), the Nani gives you something somewhat light-of-heart to start your day. While the selection of Rick Warren as celebrant on Inauguration Day could merit an initial scathing post, the Nani wanted to start our with something a little less severe. (Hat tip: Cele|bitchy)

Conflict: Where Was the Internet Invented?

This meant that scientists at Cern - where Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the web in 1989 - would no longer be able to use his creation for fear of causing a global collapse. (concerning the Large Hadron Collider)

vs.

Obama said in his address: "Here in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have a chance to get online."

Who's right? Big prize for whoever puts this to rest.

Reminds me of the first-in-flight debate the Naniette likes to have with me. USA! USA!

HEAD TO HEAD: Replicas of Santos-Dumont's Demoiselle (left) and the Wright Brothers' "B" Flyer fly side-by-side in Miamisburg, Ohio

Bakery Refuses 3-Year Old Birthday Cake...

...because his parents insisted they write the boy's name on the cake, his name being Adolf Hitler Campbell. Taken from an email I wrote to a friend:

Those parents are deranged… this goes back to the comedian who once pointed out that you need a license to fish, to drive, to vote, to travel, but not to raise a child.

I think there was a spelling mistake in “Hinler,” which was probably meant to read “Himmler,” as in Heinrich Himmler. Also, “Aryan Nation” is not quite right either… The title for the actual group is “Aryan Nations” and people who use the singular are not familiar with that movement; not sure whether this was a mistake by the media or by the parents, though, either way, I have a feeling that these parents are illiterate, or damn close.

I also liked the “some of the kids at the party were mixed race” comment. Their definition of mixed race is a bit different sometimes; like, they probably had over some Scots, Poles or Italians.

Maybe one of the TTT's resident legal experts can weigh in on any government ability to change the boy's name before he gets to gradeschool?

Hey Bengals Ownership, Want to Begin to Right the Ship?

Sign the guy who is willing to stomp on the helmet-less heads of offensive linemen. He'll be a free agent after the season.

Which reminds me of the classic sports brief from The Onion from October 2006:

NASHVILLE, TN—Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, suspended five games by the NFL for stomping on the head and kicking the face of Cowboys center Andre Gurode last Sunday, issued a statement this morning saying he "just wanted to make absolutely sure [Gurode] was dead for good." "The Titans pay me to do one thing out there—kill anyone who gets in my way," said Haynesworth, who is serving the longest suspension for on-field actions in league history for his attempted murder. "Doing a thorough job is just good fundamentals… On your first day of high-school ball, they tell you football's no more than blocking, tackling, and bodily assault with the intent to commit homicide." League officials have suggested that Haynesworth's suspension also include anger-management therapy and a refresher course in the rules and principles of football.

Mike Brown, sign this man and Freddy 4th Street and friends might just renew their Bengals tickets.

Ocho Cinco Ain't Got Sh*t on Stylez White...

Tip of my hat goes to "The Lon," who's out there somewhere monitoring The Sporting Blog:

'Teen Wolf' Inspires Bucs DE to Change Name

Before the season, Chad Johnson officially changed his name to some sort of Spanglish representation of the number he wears on Sundays. That was funny. This is much, much funnier:

[Bucs defensive end Greg White] is planning to change his name.

By the time the year is out, White will officially be known as Stylez G. White instead of just Greg White. Why?

"You can always remember Stylez White," White said. "Greg White, nobody knows Greg White."

That’s a good point. The name Greg White rings no bells for me. But Stylez G. White? That’s unforgettable. The best part of the whole thing is White’s inspiration: Teen Wolf. Jerry Levine plays a character in the film named Rupert “Stiles” Stilinski, who is Scott Howard’s (Michael J. Fox) best friend. The only way White could make this more outstanding would be to show up to the Bucs' next game wearing a “what are you looking at d---nose” t-shirt with some teal jeans.

Now, if only one Patrick Patterson of the Kentucky Wildcats would change his name to Chubby, and Jodie Meeks to Teen Wolf, then the 'Cats might stand a chance of making the NCAA tournament.

iPod "Shuffle Songs" Gem of the Day

"Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" by Primus came up on my iPod today while in "shuffle songs" mode. I had hoped to embed the 1990's music video here for old time's sake, but those stuffy, no-fun asswipes at Universal Music Group have disabled embedding for every copy of the video on YouTube. So, here's the link to it - safe travels into the world of trippy, plastic-looking cowboys.

In the meantime, enjoy this version: Primus on Letterman; dressed in penguin outfits (hey - why not?).

Reds Sign Previously-Unknown Pitcher!

On Sunday evening, Cincinnati Reds GM Walt Jocketty held a press conference revealing that the Reds Hot Stove had just gotten hotter.

"We are pleased to announced the signing of Muntadar al-Zaidi, a right-hander whose blistering right arm is not afraid to throw at heads of state, much less heads of batters," Jocketty stated.

The former St. Louis GM went on, "al-Zaidi is a shoe-in for a spot in the rotation."

At Reds Fest, the TTT caught up with al-Zaidi's probable battery-mate, Ramon Hernandez, who must have heard about the deal in advance; the 32-year old catcher was getting sized for a mitt large enough to handle a size-10 penny-loafer.

When Footwear Attacks

The Hot Rod lives vicariously ...

Time To Clean Out The Cincy Subway

What an amazing time we are living in!

The American automobile industry is about to collapse, and all our Republican lawmakers want to do is use this tremendous opportunity to break the backs of the U.A.W. once and for all. This little game of Russian roulette seems awfully damned reckless. After all, once one of these companies goes down, so goes their dealiers, and their suppliers who also supply the other two of the big three. While of course no one really knows what will happen after the first domino in the chain falls over, predictions are that this could put as many as 10 Million out of work. I mean, half a Mil new workers filed for unemployment benefits last month, and that news was generally received as a grim statistic.

Ten Million!

Oh, and should I offer the worn out observation that when it came to bailing out AIG or the other Wall Street investment firms, no Republican was crying about the injustice of those workers' wages and benefits on a "per hour" basis? I should? OK, well, observation so offered then.

But I'm not here to bitch about the Republicans. I'm here to talk about mass transit.

Today, Matthew Yglesias writes:

James Fallows writes about the rapidly expanding Beijing Metro — which has added several lines and extended others just during Fallows time living in China. This seems like an incredibly smart decision on the part of the Beijing government. Contemplating new heavy rail transit projects tends to become dizzyingly expensive and difficult. And yet when you look back at a Washington or a Boston or a Chicago — or even more so a New York or a Paris or a London — it’s clear that investments made in such projects long ago continue to pay enormous dividends, allowing for the creation of pockets of human and economic activity that simply could never be contemplated absent the existence of some high-capacity transit nodes.

By investing in this sort of thing at a moment that’s still pretty early in the game relative to China’s economic development, the PRC is helping to provide its capital with a set of advantages that will likely far outlast the current regime.

Beijing has apparently learned the lesson of the Cincinnati Subway.

Wikipedia reports,

By the turn of the 20th century Cincinnati was one of the ten largest cities in the United States, and had a rate of growth and economic importance that was similar to that of New York City and Chicago.

Today? Wikipedia tells us that if you combine all the surrounding counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and three from Indiana, Cincinnati is the 24th largest metro area in the US.

Oh, but there's this,

In August, 2008 Forbes magazine ranked Cincinnati as tenth in a list of "America's Hard-Drinking Cities".

That's something.

With all of that said, here's my question. Considering that our economy is fucked; that unemployment is already bad; that we're about to let a huge chunk of our manufacturing sector basically die, if for no other reason than to teach those damned rabble-rousing union organizers a fucking lesson they'll never forget; that Obama wants to stimulate the economy with public works projects; that cars create traffic nightmares and contribute to global warming; and that the return on investment on trains is documented to be both substantial and long-lasting ....

Might it be the time to look at finally completing the Cincinnati Subway, and even expanding it?

Ordinarily, there would be about a dozen reasons that could be readily thrown up against this idea. But the times are anything but ordinary.

____________
As a footnote, the quick info box on the wikipedia page on the Cincinnati Subway is pretty hilarious:

Info
Locale: Cincinnati, Ohio
Transit type: Rapid transit
Number of lines: 1
Number of stations: 3

Operation
Began operation: Never
Owner: SORTA

Technical
System length: 2.2 mi (3.54 km)
Track gauge: Broad gauge

Cincinnati Dump-Accompaniment

Conway, any reaction?
I had a good laugh at Stewart the other night and would have forgotten to post this had it not been for C. Trent. You can watch the clip there.

Letter to Mike Brown

Mike Brown
Undeserved Corner Office
Hamilton County Professional Football Stadium

Dear Mr. Brown,

I am writing to inform you that I will not be renewing my season tickets next year. Before I get into my reasons for non-renewal, I would first like to congratulate you. You cleverly ‘fooled’ me into purchasing tickets a few years back by miraculously pulling off a playoff appearance. The following year, much to my current chagrin, I purchased season tickets. I am far from a fair-weather fan; however, after the team’s poor performance this year I began to question if I wanted to continue to financially support the team. Then, your asinine interview in the Enquirer finally put me over the edge and I have decided to forgo renewing my tickets.

In the interview you mentioned “themes” the fans come up with to place blame. I have discussed your interview with my season ticket-holding friends, and we believe there is a “theme” that YOU prescribe to running a professional football organization: Draft Superman (who is the only one who could survive the pummeling) to play quarterback; count on players that haven’t played in 2+ years to lead your defense; evade the ever-present injury bug; and, finally, have trust and faith in your coaches that “have coached the same way” over the past years, but undercut your head coach’s decision on a player when you can use the situation to stroke your God-like redeemer and savior ego.

Your utter disregard for the feelings of the people who put money in your pocket (Bengals fans, in case you didn’t know) is shameful. You can say all you want about how you've been doing this job for years and are happy with the team’s effort, but please, for a single day, put yourself in the shoes of the common fan that spends a 'probably-more-than-they-can-afford' portion of their income to support the Bengals.

Anyone with a learning curve can see that an obvious solution to ending the agony would be to stop cheering for the lackluster team and find another one; but I was born and raised here and my heart will not allow my allegiance to the Bengals to change. I will continue to support the Bengals PLAYERS and Mike Zimmer (who is the only current coach who has yet to prove himself to be a complete failure), but I will not support anyone in the front office for the rest of my life as long as changes are not made.

Now that I have this new-found money, which was previously being spent on the Bengals, I have to decide where to spend it. Cincinnati Bearcats football looks like a good option at the moment, but so did Cincinnati Bengals football a few years back. If they are of the same school of thought as you, they are bound to be terrible in a few years. University of Kentucky football is another option; while it is an hour away, it is less expensive and I know what I am paying for…year after year of mediocre football, which is much easier to swallow than the one time up and most of the time down of the Bengals.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to cheering for the Bengals PLAYERS year after year.

If you ever do decide to hire a general manager I will be the first to hand you my application and resume, even knowing that without the last name Brown or Blackburn I'll have no legitimate shot at the position.

Feel free to have your secretary send me a form letter that states “thank you for your concerns and we are sorry to hear you will not be renewing your season tickets…”

Who dey?

Freddy Fourth Street