Thursday, May 26, 2005
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
The Beer Tax
Now I'm not a fan of super-conservative PA Senator Rick Santorum (based on past comments, he's proven himself to be - gasp! - somewhat of a bigot). So it's always nice to discover a Republican who is not, in fact, pure evil. Santorum introduced a bill last month that would reduce the dreaded Beer Tax. And several other Republican Senators were co-sponsors.
What I'd like to know though, is why this didn't make the front pages of all the papers. Our priorities in this country are so out of whack. Some of you may be thinking, "Hey, it's only beer. And I didn't even know that there WAS a tax, so the tax can't be that bad!" WRONG. The tax is built into the price (like fuel taxes), and can be up to 44% of that price! Besides, it's a luxury tax - should any product made by Budweiser, Coors, or Miller really be considered a 'luxury' item?
The Beer Tax - another reason why the terrorists have already won. Why does our Federal Government hate Beer/Freedom?
What I'd like to know though, is why this didn't make the front pages of all the papers. Our priorities in this country are so out of whack. Some of you may be thinking, "Hey, it's only beer. And I didn't even know that there WAS a tax, so the tax can't be that bad!" WRONG. The tax is built into the price (like fuel taxes), and can be up to 44% of that price! Besides, it's a luxury tax - should any product made by Budweiser, Coors, or Miller really be considered a 'luxury' item?
The Beer Tax - another reason why the terrorists have already won. Why does our Federal Government hate Beer/Freedom?
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
From the Office of the Governor
Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich is going to veto a bill that would require large companies (such as Wal-Mart) to spend at least 8% of payroll on healthcare costs for employees. That's too bad, but also unfortunate is the press release from the governor's office.
"...the county expected to most largely suffer from the passage of the bill..."
That's a brilliant staff you have there, Bob. Perhaps you can introduce them to the English language someday.
First though, please get a decent haircut.
"...the county expected to most largely suffer from the passage of the bill..."
That's a brilliant staff you have there, Bob. Perhaps you can introduce them to the English language someday.
First though, please get a decent haircut.
George Lucas Is Stealing From Me!
People keep asking me if I'm going this weekend to see the final installment of the Star Wars prequels. Probably not. Yes, I'll see it eventually, and probably while it's still in theaters. But I'm in no hurry.
I'll acknowledge that George Lucas is a good storyteller, but he is by no means a good director. And the nostalgia for the original Star Wars films - I still remember going to see Return of the Jedi in the theater with my family, and when the original Star Wars came out, it was the first time that my parents hired a babysitter for me - means that many of us who remember the original films fondly feel obligated to see the new films.
Fine, except for this unfortunate detail - the new movies just haven't been very good so far. The early reviews indicate that the third film is markedly better, but comparing it to the first 2 prequels, that's a low bar to clear. Lucas takes actors like Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen, who have turned in good performances in other films, and turns them into cardboard. Only Ewan McGregor seems immune from being compressed by Lucas into a 2-D construct 'acting' against a blue screen (or green, or whatever they use these days). Ever wonder what the original films would have been like without Harrison Ford? Without his Han Solo, would we hold those movies in such high regard? Maybe. But take Ewan McGregor out of this series, and I'm not sure if the first two movies are even watchable.
The Star Wars saga tells a fantastic story, simplistic at times, but still engaging. George Lucas isn'ty the the storyteller that Tolkien is, but may be the closest thing to him in the realm of sci-fi filmmaking. But he's nowhere near Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, Spielberg, Mel Gibson, or these guys when it comes to directing the epic film. I really wish he would have entrusted the directing duties to someone else. I'm out $15 to $20 after the first two movies, and I can't say that it was worth it. But I'll fork over my money for the third installment all the same. You're robbing us blind, George! At least make the 7th, 8th and 9th episodes, to make up for these last three films, OK?
I'll acknowledge that George Lucas is a good storyteller, but he is by no means a good director. And the nostalgia for the original Star Wars films - I still remember going to see Return of the Jedi in the theater with my family, and when the original Star Wars came out, it was the first time that my parents hired a babysitter for me - means that many of us who remember the original films fondly feel obligated to see the new films.
Fine, except for this unfortunate detail - the new movies just haven't been very good so far. The early reviews indicate that the third film is markedly better, but comparing it to the first 2 prequels, that's a low bar to clear. Lucas takes actors like Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen, who have turned in good performances in other films, and turns them into cardboard. Only Ewan McGregor seems immune from being compressed by Lucas into a 2-D construct 'acting' against a blue screen (or green, or whatever they use these days). Ever wonder what the original films would have been like without Harrison Ford? Without his Han Solo, would we hold those movies in such high regard? Maybe. But take Ewan McGregor out of this series, and I'm not sure if the first two movies are even watchable.
The Star Wars saga tells a fantastic story, simplistic at times, but still engaging. George Lucas isn'ty the the storyteller that Tolkien is, but may be the closest thing to him in the realm of sci-fi filmmaking. But he's nowhere near Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, Spielberg, Mel Gibson, or these guys when it comes to directing the epic film. I really wish he would have entrusted the directing duties to someone else. I'm out $15 to $20 after the first two movies, and I can't say that it was worth it. But I'll fork over my money for the third installment all the same. You're robbing us blind, George! At least make the 7th, 8th and 9th episodes, to make up for these last three films, OK?
Monday, May 16, 2005
HFStival 2005
Saturday was quite a busy day for me. I began the day out in Frederick, running in the Mission of Mercy 5K with my dad and sister. Beautiful weather, and a decent race. I got almost the exact same time I had been getting earlier in the week when I ran the 5K course over in Patterson Park - 25:35. Odd, because usually people run a bit faster on race day, perhaps I've hit a bit of a 5K plateau and need to push through it. Anyway, Em finished about 90 seconds after I did, and Barry came in 30 seconds after her. Not too bad overall, especially the old man, who knocked 2+ minutes off of his previous 5K personal best.
After the race, it was back to Baltimore for the 2005 HFStival. The lineup this year was really strong, so after living in this area most of my life and never attending an HFStival, I've been the past two years. Strange. Overall, a good time. This is despite some crappy weather, tons of inconsiderate, punk-ass kids, and a few less-than-stellar performances. Here's the summary, I'll start with the not-so-good:
After the race, it was back to Baltimore for the 2005 HFStival. The lineup this year was really strong, so after living in this area most of my life and never attending an HFStival, I've been the past two years. Strange. Overall, a good time. This is despite some crappy weather, tons of inconsiderate, punk-ass kids, and a few less-than-stellar performances. Here's the summary, I'll start with the not-so-good:
- Interpol - I'll put them first not because they were particularly bad, because they weren't, but because I've seen them twice before. They were incredible both times, so expectations were high. Yes, they sounded great. But they went on early in the day, around 2:30, and it seemed like they didn't want to be there. They played 6 songs or so, and while this was similar to the set lengths of other acts, their set seemed much shorter. Their bass player smashed his bass (badly - the Who would have laughed at him) before they walked off the stage, so maybe they were angry about something. Message to Interpol: you guys might be big now, but you're not U2 just yet. Adjust your attitude.
- Echo and the Bunnymen - Their lead singer's voice was malfunctioning, so they couldn't even play. He tried a song or two, but that was it. If you haven't been around for a while, it's probably best to take care of your voice before a big live show. Echo didn't get any new fans on Saturday. Also, the Bunnymen were not in costume.
- Good Charlotte - I thought their stage set, which Amy hilariously called the "Hot Topic set", consisting of gargoyles in a graveyard, was a bad sign. I was right. How did these guys ever get a record contract? They stink. Maybe there should be a new label for their type of music, because applying the pop-punk label to these types of bands disparages both Justin Timberlake AND the Ramones. Throw them together with Blink 182, Sum 41, Linkin Park, and you've got Hot Topic Rock. Cheap, trendy, appeals only to teenagers, won't last more than a few years.
- Garbage - We've seen them twice before, but unlike Interpol, the third time didn't disappoint. They are simply a great rock band, and Shirley Manson is a great performer and terrific live singer. If you like their music, I would recommend a live performance. Even the songs from their new album, which I think is quite unspectacular, sounded great live.
- The New York Dolls - I don't know much about them, other than they were a short-lived but influential punk band from the early 70s (the American answer to the Sex Pistols?), perhaps more influential for their style and appearance than anything else. They sounded damn good! They were clearly having fun up there, playing in front of a larger crowd than I'm sure they've seen in many years. And here's some bizarre music trivia about their lead singer, David Johansen. I knew I recognized him from somewhere, but when the guitarist announced his name mid-way through the set, I finally put it together. This is the same David Johansen who was also known in the 80s as Buster Poindexter, a purveyor of cocktail party songs and cheesy conga line dance numbers. He was almost unrecognizable, he currently looks like he's about 70 years old (he's 55) and a poster child for heroin use - either that or he's really sick.
- The Pietasters - Over at the locals stage, they went on last, and played an abbreviated set due to the appearance of some lightning. They sounded much better than last time I saw them, probably because they weren't drunk (yet). I vowed to never pay to see them as headliners ever again - they're a great band if they're opening for someone, but as the main act they can't keep it together because they're drinking - heavily - before and during their act. On Saturday, they were behaving, and consequently they sounded good.
- Billy Idol - The biggest reason that I was at the HFStival was to see this man perform, and he did NOT disappoint. He and his band just rocked. Simple as that. Definitely the highlight of my evening. He looked and sounded amazing, and knew how to work a crowd better than anyone else there (although Shirley Manson and Chris Martin came close). He reminded us several times that he was, after all, "Billy Fucking Idol". But we didn't need him to tell us that - we knew.
- Coldplay - They came on after a brief lightning delay, and had a surprisingly good live sound. Like Billy Idol, Chris Martin has a very distinct voice that shines through during live performances. He's quite the performer, very animated on stage, he really gets into each song. I'd love to see a show of theirs in the future.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Baltimore 3, Minnesota 0
Jenny and I went to our first O's game of the season last night, a 3-0 win against the Twins. How is it that we have a first-place team in Baltimore for the first time in 8 years, and I don't get to Camden Yards until May? Good question. It's because I was in no hurry to fork over my money to Peter Angelos this year, after the morons in the 'customer service' department wouldn't return my calls when all I wanted to do was upgrade the seats in my ticket package. No wonder he was so scared about a Washington team.
We had marvelous seats, good enough that you could recognize the players without reading the jerseys or knowing their uniform numbers. But there wasn't much of a crowd there. I suppose it's because it was a Monday, but the weather was perfect, and the Twins are a good team; they've been to the playoffs the last few years. The fans down in section 14 aren't too vocal either, which is too bad. I always suspected that once D.C. got a team, the long-time Orioles fans would finally be in the majority at Camden Yards, displacing the cell-phone-chatting casual fans from the D.C. area. I guess I was wrong - the $40 seats are apparently still full of those people, using their company's season tickets, chatting on the phone, leaving early during a great game on a beautiful evening. Could it kill them to make some noise, other than when the scoreboards instruct them to?
There was a 5-6 year old kid sitting behind us who started asking in the fifth inning if they could leave. Thank God for short attention spans, which led to the kid's discerning observation in the seventh: "Whoever cut that grass did a pretty good job." Yeah kid, they sure did.
On to the game! A dominating pitching performance by Daniel Cabrera, shutting out a team that hadn't been shut out since July of last season, and striking out a career-high 11 in 8 innings (B.J. Ryan pitched the ninth to complete the shutout). And Cabrera is a BIG guy. He's listed at 6' 7", and used all of that leverage last night -he was hitting 99 mph on the radar gun on more than one occasion, with most pitches above 95. Miguel Tejada also hit his 10th home run (and 200th of his career), a line-drive that cleared then left field wall in a hurry.
Hopefully this is a defining moment in Cabrera's young career - he's got the stuff to be a frighteningly good, intimidating pitcher. Baltimore pitching coach Ray Miller supposedly compared his mound presence (and fastball) to that of J.R. Richard, a similarly-proportioned pitcher who had some great years with Houston back in the 70s. That's good news for the Orioles, if Cabrera can have a career similar to that of Richard.
One last item: now that Washington has a team, would it kill the Orioles to put Baltimore back on their uniforms? Their road uniforms used to include 'BALTIMORE' in big block letters. We looked around the ballpark last night, and couldn't see one sign, uniform, or advertisement that included the name of the city in which the game was being played. That's just sad. In all fairness, this can't be blamed on Angelos (see link to Sun article), but he has the power to rectify it. Time to stop pretending that this is a huge regional team, because it isn't anymore (if it ever was in the first place). I know that Baltimore has its problems, but there's something wrong when a team purposefully dissociates itself from its own city.
We had marvelous seats, good enough that you could recognize the players without reading the jerseys or knowing their uniform numbers. But there wasn't much of a crowd there. I suppose it's because it was a Monday, but the weather was perfect, and the Twins are a good team; they've been to the playoffs the last few years. The fans down in section 14 aren't too vocal either, which is too bad. I always suspected that once D.C. got a team, the long-time Orioles fans would finally be in the majority at Camden Yards, displacing the cell-phone-chatting casual fans from the D.C. area. I guess I was wrong - the $40 seats are apparently still full of those people, using their company's season tickets, chatting on the phone, leaving early during a great game on a beautiful evening. Could it kill them to make some noise, other than when the scoreboards instruct them to?
There was a 5-6 year old kid sitting behind us who started asking in the fifth inning if they could leave. Thank God for short attention spans, which led to the kid's discerning observation in the seventh: "Whoever cut that grass did a pretty good job." Yeah kid, they sure did.
On to the game! A dominating pitching performance by Daniel Cabrera, shutting out a team that hadn't been shut out since July of last season, and striking out a career-high 11 in 8 innings (B.J. Ryan pitched the ninth to complete the shutout). And Cabrera is a BIG guy. He's listed at 6' 7", and used all of that leverage last night -he was hitting 99 mph on the radar gun on more than one occasion, with most pitches above 95. Miguel Tejada also hit his 10th home run (and 200th of his career), a line-drive that cleared then left field wall in a hurry.
Hopefully this is a defining moment in Cabrera's young career - he's got the stuff to be a frighteningly good, intimidating pitcher. Baltimore pitching coach Ray Miller supposedly compared his mound presence (and fastball) to that of J.R. Richard, a similarly-proportioned pitcher who had some great years with Houston back in the 70s. That's good news for the Orioles, if Cabrera can have a career similar to that of Richard.
One last item: now that Washington has a team, would it kill the Orioles to put Baltimore back on their uniforms? Their road uniforms used to include 'BALTIMORE' in big block letters. We looked around the ballpark last night, and couldn't see one sign, uniform, or advertisement that included the name of the city in which the game was being played. That's just sad. In all fairness, this can't be blamed on Angelos (see link to Sun article), but he has the power to rectify it. Time to stop pretending that this is a huge regional team, because it isn't anymore (if it ever was in the first place). I know that Baltimore has its problems, but there's something wrong when a team purposefully dissociates itself from its own city.
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