Current Events

Agony of defeat

For the first time in the playoffs this season, I didn’t watch the end of the Lightning game last night. By the end of the second period it took monumental effort to continue watching. I imagine it felt a lot like being a hockey player’s dentist. It was really discouraging. Yes, last night’s game was an old fashioned whoopin’, and the Lightning players were not the ones…
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Current Events

The little team that would

Sports has taught me to be a pessimist. You are going to lose. The odds weigh heavily against you. If you are good enough to make the playoffs you still have to overcome one in thirty-two odds to remain the last one standing. This is why, even with a three games to none lead in their series with Montreal, I was a little worried. How poised would the Lightning be with such a large cushion? If any…
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Current Events

Awesome power.

An attorney for the White House recently described the president’s powers granted him by the constitution and congress during a “time of war” as “awesome power.” The context of this statement was a discussion concerning the executive branches’ alleged right to detain “enemy combatants” during a time of war, including those combatants who are detained…
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Current Events

Three dash zero.

Oh lay that! Richards shoots… he gets the rebound… he fires it behind Theodore… HE SCORES!!! How many more games can the Lightning get out played in the playoffs and keep winning? Not that they’ve been out played every game – far from it. For now, I’m sure they’ll take it either way. For that matter, so will I. Now if I can somehow get some sleep…
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Current Events

A grim tale

Do you remember the good old days when “huffing” only happened in fairy tales? Maybe you were as surprised as I was to hear that huffing is a hip happening at youth hang outs? Sure, kids used to get a little flighty building plastic models in their stuffy, unventilated bed rooms… but let’s not get too personal here. Now this morning’s paper would have us believe…
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Current Events

Shirking my patriotic duty.

I find the notion that I must march lock-step with the POTUS in order to be a real American preposterous. Ah, but I’ve already been on that rant so I’ll take a pass on it for now. No, what got me going this time was an interview on the public radio program “Marketplace” on Friday. They were discussing politics, specifically presidential candidate John Kerry’s position…
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Current Events

Gay TV

Stooping to a new low, I’m about to discuss the merits of “Reality TV.” I wouldn’t even be discussing the matter if it were not for Cheryl’s brush with pseudo-celebrity by proxy (re: Cheryl’s cousin Bill on a Fox “Reality TV” series: “Playing it Straight”). First, I feel compelled to rehash the “Reality TV” label discussion.
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Current EventsSports

Hockey night in Florida!

Barely two years removed from wretchedness, the Lightning are treating us with performances that can only be described with superlatives. As of right now they are the best team in the Eastern Conference, and only a game back from being the best in the entire league. I was joking with a friend that for an encore, the Rays would finish second to the Yankees and qualify for the playoffs as a wild…
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Current Events

A Massachusetts liberal for the rest of us?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still the guy that has never voted for a Republican chief executive. Considering that meant voting against 41, 43, and a guy who referred to himself in the third person more often than a character on Friends; who could blame me? But let’s do a quick review. Mr Kerry comes from what could be the most “liberal” state this side of San Fran. I…
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