Advancing

Galactically Stupid

"I'm not dumb, I'm SMART, and I want RESPECT!"

I've never been a believer in the "dumb jock" stereotype, and
I generally try to eschew writing about current events stuff on the weekends, but...

Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers,
is dumber than a sack of hammers.

"So ESPN fired Curt Schilling, but this clown gets to keep his job?"

I know, right? We'll see what happens, but since anti-Americanism is politically correct when embraced by black athletes, my guess is he'll suffer no consequences...

Feast Day

Saint Monica, by Pedro Berruguete

Today is the feast day of St. Monica, mother of  
St. Augustine (whose feast day is tomorrow).

Monica is revered in part because of her steadfastness during her difficult marriage to a Roman bureaucrat, and in part because of her tireless efforts to bring her son to a life of faith.

Monica is the patron saint of those in difficult marriages, and of parents struggling with wayward children. The city of Santa Monica, California was named in her honor, although the legend involving the Franciscan missionary Juan Crespi's role in that naming is apocryphal.

Early Offense

My beloved Kansas City Royals improved their record on the current six-game road trip to 3-1 with a rather odd 6-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Now 9-9, 3.57 ERA

Royals starter Ian Kennedy wasn't as sharp as he has been in his past few starts, but he worked 5 1/3 innings, giving up just two runs while striking out nine batters.

The Royals bullpen's team-record scoreless innings streak was extended to 41 1/3 innings before the Red Sox pushed across a run in the 9th. That was the longest streak in the major leagues since 1966.

"BOOM!"

On offense, the Royals scored five runs before the Red Sox recorded the second out in the top of the 1st inning.

1B Eric Hosmer hit
a three-run homer, and LF Alex Gordon added
a two-run shot to give the Royals all the runs they would need.



RF Lorenzo Cain hit a solo home run in the 8th inning to give the bullpen a bit more breathing room.

"Say, aren't the Red Sox one of the teams the Royals are chas--"

Don't even think it, quadruped...

You Have a Future in Politics, Kid

From the droll comic strip Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, which you should read every day, as I do.

Until Next Time...

In this section yesterday I talked about how much my late best friend Matt enjoyed introducing me to new music, and as luck would have it today gives me an opportunity to do so again.

Pearl Jam was by far Matt's favorite band. He saw them live three times, bought each of their studio albums on the day of its release, and purchased as many of their live albums as he could afford (the band released a virtual torrent of live recordings over their career). He even talked me into incorporating a Pearl Jam song ("Nothingman") into the finale for my first production of Flowers for Algernon, in which he starred.

His fondness for the group dated back years before our paths ever crossed...

On August 27, 1991 the band released its debut album, Ten. Although the record took awhile
to find its audience, it eventually peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart over a year after its release. It produced three charting singles as well.

Ten would go on to become one of the signature recordings of the '90s, helping to popularize the alternative rock genre and receiving 13 platinum certifications from RIAA. It is included on several lists of the greatest albums of all time.

One of the interesting things about the band's music is that Matt and I usually disagreed about what were the best songs on each Pearl Jam album. He used to tease me pretty mercilessly about my fondness for "Red Mosquito" and "Hail Hail," for instance (Matt really didn't like the No Code album).

Today's send-off is the 2009 remastered version of "Black," my favorite song from Ten (the subject of more than a few good-natured arguments with Matt). Enjoy...