...For The Ride Home: The hockey season begins tonight, a new couple definitely worth rooting for and Roy Halladay is good

I've already babbled endlessly about NPR's "Fresh Air." Another program I am always sure to keep my iPod filled with is "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me." It's been that way for years and years and years, actually. And on Jimmy Fallon's show last night, both of these men appeared, and such an action thrilled me to death. I've seen Peter on Craig Ferguson's show a couple times before, but never Carl. And knowing the show will be in Philly in only a matter of weeks now - while knowing there is no possible way for me to attend - breaks my heart beyond belief. If you've never listened to the show, log into your iTunes, search NPR's page, do yourself a favor, and download the most recent episode. And if you don't enjoy listening to things that are podcasted, listen to your local NPR station anytime this weekend, really. It should be there. So hello, Thursday. You know what you mean? You mean that there is only one more day left in the week! Yay! What are you going to do with your weekend? I hope it's something fun. Weekends are always reserved for fun, right? Here's hoping you and your object of affection have a fun-like weekend, and here's hoping you enjoy a link or six below. Have a fantastic Thursday!

Roy Halladay pitched the second no-hitter in postseason history last night. The Phillies beat the Reds to go up 1-0. More impressive? Dude also drove in a run. (Philly Inquirer)

Seventeen cheap dates that women will like. Hey. They said it. (Esquire)

No. No. No. Half the reason why we do what we do is so we can get free food! (Star Tribune)

Newsweek was sold for one dollar. I told you we could have done this had we put our money together. (New York Times)

Lou Dobbs: Hypocrite. (The Nation)

The basketball season begins in less than a month and all the GMs believe the Lakers will win the title and Kevin Durant will win the league MVP. Here's hoping. (Yahoo)

…And hockey season begins tonight. Three of the eight people who read this blog are excited about that. And for you, we offer this. (Sporting News)

Rachael McAdams and Michael Sheen is definitely a couple I could get behind. (Showbiz Spy)

...For The Ride Home: Howie Kurtz lands a new job, Beiber is the next Ashton Kutcher and an awfully good remix of an XX song

Watch this now. I don't care what you are doing tonight, but there is really no excuse to not cancel all your plans and sit at home with this movie (unless if you are coaching a soccer game and then going to see "The Social Network" much like myself. Then you'd have good excuses). I got home from work and saw this began on AMC, and even though I HATE watching movies on television (commercials completely ruin everything), this began what hopes to be an impressive week of movies. Goodness, gracious. For someone who loves, loves, loves romantic comedies, this thing is perfection. It's a "Love, Actually" situation, really. Wow. Cuddle up with someone you love, cook some tea and do yourself a favor by giving this movie a shot if you haven't already seen it. Fabulous. So, hello, Tuesday. It's rainy and it's cold. Actually, it hasn't stopped being rainy and cold for a few days now. And I think I may be getting sick. But then again, I've been thinking I was about to get sick for about three weeks now. It has to come eventually, right? Especially in October. Before I get sick, though - and before you run to the nearest almost-closed Blockbuster to rent "You've Got Mail" - check out a couple links below, and enjoy the autumn weather. That is, if you like enjoying autumn weather.

Now that baseball’s regular season is over (and the Pirates were again awful), these guys take a look at how all of the “experts” did with preseason predictions. Here’s a hint: Not well. (The Big Lead)

The name of Kanye West’s next CD? My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. (Rolling Stone)

Wooooooooowwwww. Someone who we have linked before in these parts – Washington Post columnist Howie Kurtz – is leaving the paper to work for The Daily Beast. Wow. That’s a hit. (TBD)

Wooooooooowwwww (part two). Michael Ausiello is leaving Entertainment Weekly. Goodness, what has gotten into all these people today? (Deadline)

This guy says there will be no more news anchors who get gabillions of dollars thrown at them. Good. (Mark Coddington)

“Punk’d” is coming back. And Justin Bieber is going to host it. (Popeater)

Four Tet remixes The XX. Turn off all your lights and listen to this magical nine minute piece of work. (Pitchfork)

Because there is a Fashion Week going on. And it’s in Paris. And you should care. (The Guardian)

One hundred and five losses. That’s a lot.

Side: For something really, really interesting in regards to this particular topic, follow this link. You won't be disappointed.

As the regular season of Major League Baseball wrapped up, we fans of America’s pastime gear up for the intensity that is the playoffs. That edge of your seat thrill ride where every pitch is a nail biting endeavor; where there is no such thing as a safe lead; where heroes emerge from the unlikeliest of places.

But that intensity is hard to understand for those of us who cheer for the Pittsburgh Pirates, seeing as how it’s been 18 years since the team has even sniffed a playoff berth. When the clock struck midnight on the Buccos season the other night, they managed to eclipse the elusive 100+ loss plateau, tie for the worst away record in history (17-64) and even commit a fashion faux paus that generated the attention of ESPN, Yahoo Sports and every other sports outlet looking for a light-hearted sidebar to their “Playoff Baseball!” center spread. Please tell me you heard about this:

Pirates shortstop Ronny Cedeno trotted onto the field Sunday against the Florida Marlins wearing, you guessed it, the wrong uniform. To make matters worse, it wasn’t until the third inning – and a home run by Cedeno – that the mistake was realized.

Even funnier, the uniform Cedeno had on was a different color AND IN SPANISH.

That’s right, emblazoned in big bold letters across the front of his jersey was “Piratas” – it may as well have said “here’s one more thing for our fans to be embarrassed about.”

I try to have a sense of humor with this stuff, I really do. And by all accounts, whether this was a prank or an oversight, it’s pretty funny. But pranks are a whole lot funnier when you’re winning… even a little bit. Even like half the time.

So here’s to you, my beloved Bucs. Thank you for another losing season. I look forward to the false sense of hope you will inevitably try to instill upon me and the other suckers who cling to the thought that one day we’ll be the ones laughing.

Oh wait, we already are. Because if we’re not laughing, we’ll probably start crying.

And to think: It once looked so promising...



See you in a few hours for your daily links to live by. Muah.

...For The Ride Home: Rita's new show debuts tonight, the top 10 love triangles and the Boston Celtics are funny

Landed a phone interview with the particular gentleman you see to the left. For those of you who do not know, this is Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of a band called The Killers. He recently put out a solo record and because one of the 52 jobs I have allows me to speak with big stars on occasion, I will be dialing his number within the next few weeks (something you may not know: These things takes for-ev-er to finally come to fruition). I bring this up why, you ask? Well, I need questions. Because I am certain whatever interaction we have, I will probably write about on this here blog, I figured it would be nice to extend the invitation to see if anyone out there has ever wanted to ask Mr. Flowers a question. And please, friends: No Killers questions. He's promoting his solo album. The band will be back in 2011. He's not going to want to talk about it. You know where to leave them, and as always, any words are incredibly appreciated. Anyways, welcome to Tuesday. I can't stop sleeping. It's odd, actually. I'm certain it has to do with the season and the rain, but it's still unsettling. Back to the gym next month and then that shall change. This week? Well, this week means more sleep and bad food than one could ever dream of. Oh, well, sleep, bad food, and blogging, of course. Here's hoping you have a wonderful rest of the day as you check out a couple links below, and until tomorrow, do not forgot to keep your bathrooms clean. Because when they get messy, boy do they get messy.

The Boston Celtics are becoming lovable. They really are. (The Big Lead)

Phil Collins has another No. 1 record. And on the day when the exclusive club his band was let in a mere year ago announces finalists for its next class (more on that tomorrow). (BBC)

Congratulations are in order to CBS for winning seven news Emmys. (Broadcasting & Cable)

David Simon, who used to work at the Baltimore Sun and, more importantly, created “The Wire,” wins “Genius” award. Yay! (Baltimore Sun)

Finally got around to catching up on this season’s first episode of “30 Rock” last night. Brilliant. In related news, Jenna touches on the live “30 Rock” that’s set to take place in a couple weeks. Should be interesting. (Popeater)

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the best teams in baseball and nobody in Tampa cares. It’s sad. (ESPN)

The top 10 love triangles. When “Casablanca” is mentioned, I’m listening. (Time)

This show starts tonight. We root because Rita is in it. Can’t think it lasts more than four episodes. (New York Daily News)

...For The Ride Home: John Mayer quits Twitter, the New York Jets say goodbye to a Super Bowl run and Penelope Cruz is pregnant

Hope to sit down with this tonight. Woody was up for an Academy Award last year for his performance, so it's got to be good, right? I hate having those "well, I kind of want to watch this only because I know I should watch this and there is a possibility I may really like it, but not love it" kind of movies come through Netflix. It seems I've come through a patch of those types, too. Hello, Tuesday. First and foremost, I must apologize on behalf of this blog's other brain. He seemingly fell out of touch with his schedule and was unable to offer anything to you lovely, pretty faces this morning. Send all of your hate mail to him. That said, though, I will more than make up for today's lack of a post tomorrow when I offer up the big, old comprehensive review of this year's Video Music Awards. And when I say it's going to be long, goodness, it's going to be long. Promise. Until we get to tomorrow, though, we must offer up these links for your reading pleasure, and relay our most sincere wishes that you and yours have a lovely middle-of-September evening. Enjoy it, friends. The warm days are slowly disappearing.

Oh, when it rains, it pours. Kris Jenkins is out for the rest of the season after last night’s loss to the Ravens. Now, there’s even talk of his career being in jeopardy. (ESPN)

Jay-Z and Eminem began their stint in New York last night. Who wants to make the trip for tonight’s finale with me? (MTV)

Interesting: Reporters and the notion of outing somebody who is gay. Not quite sure what to make of the dude from ESPN. (Bay Area Reporter)

Fox News executive winds up on airplane with three pretty big-name news anchors. Fox News executive complains. (New York Times)

Penelope Cruz is pregnant. Good for her. Watch “Vicky, Christina, Barcelona” tonight. Tonight. (People)

Mike Scioscia thinks the Major League Baseball season should be cut from 162 games to 158. How about, like, 94? (Bleacher Report)

John Mayer quits Twitter. Sad to see him go, actually. We linked a few Tweets from him, I believe. Dude can be funny when he doesn’t get in his own way. Yes, I know we just lost 50 cool points for admitting that. (New York Daily News)

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are going to tour together. Hmm. (Pollstar)

...For The Ride Home: Kanye West has new songs, Kate Winsley has a new boyfriend and classic stories have a new home (kind of)

The best celebration in the history of sports. That's a bold statement, I know. But can you think of anything better? Especially in soccer, a sport that showcases celebrations more than any other sport, really. So funny. Welcome to Wednesday, the official half-way point of the week. I can't explain how much it angers me when people who I feel don't have good reason to say bad things about me, say bad things about me. Does this annoy you, too? This is a hard, hard life, you know. No matter how much you try, no matter the things you do, and no matter the steps you take in the right direction, some people can't get up from the low road. I know I'm not the best. But for the first time in a very long time, I'm fairly certain I'm not the worst either. Anyways, I now have a decision that I turn to you, my wonderful friends, about. I finished the second season of "Dexter" last night (crazy good), and, because I timed it perfectly, the third season arrived today. Do I begin watching that, or do I sit down with what Netflix has offered, "Whip It?" All suggestions would be much appreciated. It could be like an interactive game we play. Though before I'll be able to sit down with said television show or movie, I must offer the following links for your viewing pleasure. I sincerely hope you have a wonderful hump day. Be good, now.

Eminem is still at No. 1 after five weeks. This, friends, is awfully impressive in today’s fickle music world. Dude’s almost at two million. (MTV)

ESPN posts story about a night with LeBron. ESPN takes down said story about night with LeBron. Deadspin got to it before that happened, though, and you can read it here. (Deadspin)

It’s a new age for writing, that’s for sure. Here’s a look at classic magazine stories that recently popped up on Twitter. (The Pitch)

Chuck Todd on both Journolist and the WikiLeaks. It’s on the second page, but it’s worth it. (Politico)

Kate Winslet has a new boyfriend. “The Reader” was good, but “Revolutionary Road” was better. (Showbiz Spy)

Kanye West went to Facebook and didn’t poke anyone. Hehe. Get it? (All Hip-Hop)

Brad and Angie. Who’s the bread winner? (Fox News)

The best ballparks, logos, mascots, uniforms and team names in baseball. (Bleacher Report)

...For The Ride Home: M.I.A. is the best, yet another no-hitter is thrown, U.S. media is the devil and fall fashion is here!

Found myself up unusually early Sunday morning. It finally, after a week's worth of stalling my Netflix que, gave me the opportunity to sit down and watch this movie. Remind me again why I like Jake Gyllenhaal? Oh, yes. It was "Zodiac," wasn't it? I don't know. It's hard for me to not like movies, but this one came up a bit short. Mr. Spiderman was pretty good here (especially toward the end), but as a whole, there was something inherently uninteresting about it. And Natalie Portman isn't all that attractive. Anybody out there who agrees with me? Didn't think so. Anyways, welcome to Tuesday, or, as July-lovers may call it, the final Tuesday of July. Beautiful day today, and even found the time to play a little tennis. Always good to get out and feel as though you weren't a particularly pathetic slob for all of the day by spending time in the sun and moving semi-quickly around a tennis court. Need to get some work done tonight, and if I manage to achieve such a goal, you can rest assured that a happy man I will be, if even for a few minutes. Before tonight comes around, though, I must offer up these links, remind you all to be nice to those you enjoy being around, and consider having pizza for dinner. Why? Because it just seems right. Be good, now.

A power ranking for “Mad Men” characters. A bit obnoxious at times, but interesting nonetheless. (Lisanti Quarterly)

Reason No. 361 to love M.I.A.: She blasts Lady Gaga in this interview. Fabulous. (Time Out)

Please, please don’t do this, beloved New York Jets. (ESPN)

Matt Garza threw the 250th no-hitter in Major League Baseball this season last night. A pie was thrown. (St. Petersburg Times)

Whoa. A new way to track newspaper circulation. One step? Counting one subscriber multiple times. This seems like one step forward, five steps backward. (Editor & Publisher)

And speaking of newspapers. According to this brand new, Earth shattering WikiLeaks device, the United States pays Afghan media to write nice stories. Something tells me this WikiLeaks thing is going to end up being much more important than people predict. (Yahoo)

Aretha Franklin and Condi Rice: Making lovely music together. (Christian Science Monitor)

$15,000 for porta-potties? Honestly? (TMZ)

Ten things you’ll need to consider when getting your fall wardrobe together. Hey, it’s never too soon to consider seasonal fashion. Besides, it’s almost August already. (Esquire)

...For The Ride Home: A funny writer says funny things, Mike weighs in on LeBron and Soul Week kicks off!

Good news! Week 17 is going to be our second themed week! Two exclamation points means business. For those of you who may remember, we first did such a thing here at The Ride back in April, when the showcased a video featuring the lovely Norah Jones each day. This time, and because no, I will not share the gamillions of stories I came by during my week away from you, the always-loved reader, we offer Soul Week, a week dedicated to soul music. Each day's Ride will contain a video that features various artists rooted in what everyone who knows me knows is my favorite kind of music: Soul music. This begins to today with (by my calculations) the fifth greatest song to ever be written and recorded in all of music (rock, pop, country, hip-hop, polka, etc.), Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Makin' Love." If only more videos of these artists existed, I would post live versions of these songs much like we did with Ms. Jones. But alas, such things are few and far between. Soooooo, with that behind us, how are you? How have you been? Did you miss me? Yeah, I didn't quite think you did. My friends always tell me how I should take vacations and how much I deserve/need them, but I don't think I've ever invested in that notion until now. It was so nice to press the reset button, make 5,000 memories, remove myself from the entire world (and this, I learned, also provided me with the time I most enjoyed not having a cellular phone), and stumble upon some of those rare slices of life you can only be so lucky to encounter every now and then. Goodness. Listen to me. I sound like a Christmas card. In any case, it's good to be back, and as July continues to fly by on this muggy Monday, take some time to check out a few links, enjoy the first installment of Soul Week and watch the season premiere of "Mad Men" again. Be nice.

Yes, sir. Michael Jordan says LeBron is stupid for playing in Miami with the overrated Chris Bosh, the bound-to-be-underutilized Dwayne Wade and Mr. James’ personal butler, Big Z. Have to love Mike. (New York Post)

Twenty questions with Gene Weingarten. If you care at all about newspapers or feature/humor writing in general, you really ought to check this out. Funny: “Q: You feel best in Armani or Levis or? A: Natalie Portman.” (Popmatters)

Geeky, but I have to offer it up. A list of winners for this year’s Alt Weekly awards. (Alt Weeklies)

Wasn’t able to get back in time last night to check out the first episode of this season so no spoilers please. That said, this guy talks about revealing too much when writing about the best show AMC will ever see. (Variety)

There was only one thing news story that leaked into my peripheral while I was gone and it was completely by accident. Here’s a discussion concerning the idea of George Steinbrenner being in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Think what you want about him, but I came across a priceless quote he once offered: “If you do something nice for someone, and more than two individuals know about it, then it wasn’t worth it.” (The Big Lead)

Tiger’s former mistress is going to be on the next installment of “Celebrity Rehab.” So, what’s the definition of celebrity again? (ABC News)

Glenn Beck is going blind. This one’s too easy. (Kansas City.com)

Comic Con begins this week. I only know what Comic Con is because of “Entourage.” Victory! (Washington Post)

Because I was gone and couldn’t link it then. Jason Whitlock’s take on LeBenedict. Dude got booed at the ESPYs? (Fox Sports)

...For The Ride Home: Wall Street Journal has this Web stuff figured out, Of Montreal has a neat touring mate and the headline of the year

From the best album released in 2007 - The Honorary Title's Scream And Light Up The Sky - we give you the best song the band has ever written. Whatever happened to these guys, anyways? I heard they disbanded on some level at some point, which really is heartbreaking. Couldn't get enough of this album when it came out. It crept up on me, too. Came in the mail for me to review. Realized I couldn't stop listening to it. And now, well, it goes down as one my favorite all-time records. Welcome to Wednesday. Even though it feels like Tuesday. Needed to break from watching Germany and Spain to write this, so I hope I get back to the television before the first goal is scored. The Germans are going to strike. It's only a matter of time. And Spain can't break through. The first-half defense played by Germany set them up perfectly to steal this and advance to the final. Before I get back to the game, though, I must offer up these links for you, the fantastically intelligent reader, to ponder as you make your way through the rest of this hot July day. Here's hoping you find something you enjoy, and don't forget to keep yourselves hydrated, now. The heat can be crippling.

Here’s a look at how the Bosh/Wade combination stacks up against other combinations in the NBA. This really doesn’t matter, though. Because after tomorrow night, we’ll have to talk about how those two and LeBron match up against other trios. (Bleacher Report)

Of Montreal and Janelle Monae are going to tour together. That’s interesting. (Spin)

The Wall Street Journal is running away with the lead in the battle for e-subscriptions. Like really running. (Business Insider)

Neat: A 10-step guide to writing a weather story. (Boston.com)

Time isn’t going to put full stories online anymore. Let’s see how well this works. (Media Memo)

Still find this stuff funny. Dallas Braden sent A-Rod a gift package, fully equipped with a poster from the pitcher’s perfect game. (Yahoo)

Ridley Scott is putting together a documentary surrounding YouTube. No word on whether Russell Crowe will play either “You” or “Tube” in the film. (ABC News)

Levi Johnston apologizes to the Palin family. Hehe. (MSNBC)

Yep. It’s the headline of the year. (TMZ)

...For The Ride Home: A vote for Google to begin charging for its use, Alicia Keys falls and LeBron is staying in Cleveland?

I don't know. It was OK. I stall on the notion that this particular movie was just so darn culturally significant. And of all movies, how did this end up being one of the very, very few that won all five important Academy Awards that year? I feel like I'm missing something. Actually, like I'm missing a lot. Everywhere I turn, I read or hear that this is supposed to be one of the greatest movies in the history of movies. I mean, it's good. Sure. I don't think it's great, though. Must be missing something. Help me. Anyways, welcome to the nice round number of 15 and the week that accompanies it. Wow, that was a much needed break from everything computer. Don't really know how much I like being back yet, either. But alas, we push on into the dog days of summer. Is it hot? It seems to be awfully hot anywhere, actually. How was your holiday? Good? That's good. This would be a good time to tease a post for tomorrow now, but I shall leave that up to surprise and (low) expectation. Before we get to tomorrow, though, we must make it through today and to help do that, I offer up the links below to share with you, the fantastically talented reader. Now don't sit in the sun too long. You know how bad sunburns can get.

Well now isn’t this interesting. Toronto says it would OK a deal to send Chris Bosh to Cleveland. Now, who said all that stuff about LeBron leaving again? (ESPN)

Wait, The Huffington Post doesn’t always report the facts? Really? (The Huffington Post)

Exploring the idea of charging people for the use of Google. And, well, The New York Times. (Bloomberg)

How great is this? Prince says the Internet is done. Yep. Done. (The Daily Mirror)

I thought this was funny. (Deadspin)

Netflix is going to stream Relativity movies now. DVDs have five years until they are obsolete. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Ut oh. Alicia Keys fell over the weekend while performing. Fortunately, the baby is OK. Damn, though. Take some time off, girl. You’re pregnant. (New York Daily News)

Ringo Starr turns 70 tomorrow. He’s the luckiest man in the history of music. No, but really. He is. (New York Times)

Signs of Summer: Major League Baseball

Despite the agonizing fact that the official start date of summer isn’t until June 23, we’ve already had a few waves of summer-like weather in my neck of the woods. Its days like these that energize and invigorate the lion’s share of us who live in areas with over 225 days a year of “gray” weather, and these nice days deserve their due.

With that said, every Tuesday and Thursday until the official start of summer we’ll bring you an ode to the signs of summer, one marvelous item at a time. And PS - we would love it if you would pepper in your thoughts as well.

Today we pay homage to Major League Baseball.

As a kid growing up in western PA, it was pretty much a rite of passage to play organized baseball at some point in your life, even if only at the tee-ball level. I started when I was nine, and man was I awful that first year. I played right field from the fourth through sixth innings on a team filled with awesome 10 and 11 year olds and finished the year with an extremely disproportioned number of errors to hits. Truth be told I think I only made solid contact two or three times all year.

But those two or three instances had me hooked… as well as CONVINCED that I would play in the Majors someday.

Of course that dream would never come to fruition for me and my beastly five foot, three inch frame, but man I did love the crap out of the next seven years that I played. My best childhood memories have to do with aspiring to be a Major Leaguer, most notably getting the save and three RBIs in the peewee league championship a few years after my abysmal rookie season.

Still today, after 17 agonizing seasons of following my losing team, I still get that little flutter every April. That excitement that can only come with walking into a Major League ballpark - smelling the hot dogs and stale beer; watching a perfectly executed 6-4-3 double play; hearing the crowd heckle the ump for a blatantly bad call at the plate (and of course hearing the “lemonade!” guy three aisles away all game); uncomfortably shifting in your seat when your team is down two runs in the bottom of the ninth with the bases juiced and your cleanup hitter coming to the plate…

That’s summer man. Period.

And how appropriate a topic, with yesterday being the MLB Draft… However, I have to say the MLB Draft sorely lacks in the pomp and circumstance department, especially compared to the NFL, NBA and even the NHL.

“And with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft, the Cleveland Indians select some dude you’ve never heard of who may or may not ever play a game in a Major League ballpark, and even if he does, by then we’ll have practically forgotten about how great he was supposed to be in the first place.”

Huh… Cool… (remote switches back to the Food Network)

This year there were three players worth mentioning - Bryce Harper, Jameson Taillon and Manny Machado (who analysts must have annoyingly compared to A-Rod 25 freakin’ times). I’m no expert, but I will make one comment: I’m proud of my Pirates for taking a chance on the 17-year-old freak of nature Taillon. Impending Tommy Johns surgery notwithstanding, he could really be someone at the pro level, and signing him at least gives me some semblance of relief that the Buccos are committed to winning pretty soon.

For God’s sake Bob Nutting…

Rant over. More baseball talk here, if you'd like.

See you at 4 p.m. for The Ride. Don't forget to fill out your All-Star ballot.

...For The Ride Home: The perfect game that wasn't, a new way for writers to make money, and how does Christina Hendricks come in second in anything?

“Sure, I got you. New Wave feminist, college-educated, single and pretending to be happy about it, over-scheduled, under-sexed. You buy any magazine that says ‘Healthy Body image’ on the cover and every two years, you take up knitting…for a week.” In honor of the first Thursday without a new "30 Rock" in months, we give you this photo and the preceding quote from none other than Jack Donaghy when he met Liz Lemon for the very first time. Ahh, the memories. Anyways, logged in to begin this post and came across the fact that today's signs of summer post was our 100th. Wow. 100 is a lot to do of anything, let alone a silly little blog. The milestones keep coming. Thursday would usually mean the only night I sit to watch 30 minutes of television, but because the summer is here and new television programs are relegated to episodes of "America's Got Talent," Thursday has been reduced back to "the day before Friday." Regardless, check out the links before heading out to begin the first weekend of June early, and always remember to drink your milk like that guy from "Inglorious Basterds" and Daniel Plainview. Be good.

Submitted by a friend earlier this morning. He even pops up in the comments section every now and then. For fans of the band that haven't jumped the shark, this is endearing in it's own way. (You Tube)

Saw this everywhere, so I thought it’d be an idea to link it here, too. Woman fired from bank from “being too hot.” (AOL)

It’s like picking from 10,000 sour patch kids with this story. We’ll only offer this one up for now, though. Major League Baseball may review and overturn the call that led to Armando Galarraga not coming away with a perfect game last night. (ESPN)

Neat in a sad kind of way. A site is developed for unemployed journalists to sell their stories for 99 cents and up. (Business Journalism)

Wow. Remember those Christina Hendricks pictures from Esquire we linked to a few weeks back? Remember how they proclaimed her the best looking woman in America? That was supposed to be Scarlett Johansson. Don Draper sighs. (National Post)

Members of Anthrax and Fall Out Boy joined to form a band. And they played live. Bizarre. (Spin)

Sad: Golden Girl Rue McClanahan died. Is Betty White the only one left now? (People)

The headline says all you need to know – The good, the bad, the ugly of Zuckerberg. Still hate Facebook. (CNN)

The dude who won “American Idol” released his first single – U2’s “Beautiful Day.” And it sold almost 100,000 copies. What’s wrong with you people? (Reality TV World)

...For The Ride Home: A legend dies, a perfect game is thrown and a Hot 100 list that has Katy Perry at the top

Took some time and settled in to this Academy Award winning movie (the great Herbie Hancock won for original score in 1987, I believe, and the lead role, played by Dexter Gordon, was up for best actor, and damnit, he should have won) last night. Taken from the lives of two jazz greats, Lester Young and Bud Powell, if you claim to have any interest in good jazz music, this is a complete must-see. Hell, even if you would like to see a pretty good movie, it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. It may run a bit long, but it's definitely worth it. In any case, moving forward, we begin week seven on a sad note. As you will see, Lena Horne passed away last night, and keeping with the jazz theme, we highly suggest you take a look at the woman's obituary, linked below. The Pens, Magic, Lakers and Bruins go for sweep tonight in playoff sports. Though I clearly had some time to catch up on the best reality television out there this weekend, I did squeeze in Real Madrid's late attempt at trying to overcome Barcelona's lead in the Primera Division. They cut it to a point, but we can all agree it's highly unlikely the club moves into first by season's end. Lionel Messi is far too good. Wow, we touched on a lot here, didn't we? Anyways, onward and upward...

One of the 20 most important women in music/film/Hollywood/life of the last 100 years died last night. If you follow one link today, make sure it’s this. Educate yourselves, friends. (Philly.com)

Dallas Braden threw the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history yesterday. Like any good man would, he turned to his grandmother for a hug afterward. Great read. (San Francisco Chronicle)

It’s Maxim Hot 100 time. Completely, utterly, maddening-ly disagree with Katy Perry as No. 1. (Maxim)

Really, really neat idea: 48 Hours magazine created over the weekend. It’s like bringing the Internet to print. (Wall Street Journal)

That was the funniest “Saturday Night Live” in years. The only thing missing was a "What Up With That." And, as the headline so elegantly proclaims: Jay-Z crushed it. (Pitchfork)

Interesting: After pulling out of The Players’ Championship yesterday, a vote for Tiger to shut it down for the rest of the year. (The Big Lead)

Piracy caused “Iron Man 2” to not do as well as some may have thought during its opening weekend. Guess $133 million isn’t enough. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Yeah, what’s this all about? (Twitter)

...For The Ride Home: Conan interview to be on Sunday's "60 Minutes," Tim Tebow is popular and Washington holds its breath for tonight's game seven

Well, I'm sick and it's annoying. To show how dedicated we are to you, the fabulous reader, we push through and offer up some wonderfully interesting links to you on this, the first day of the second month. Looked long and hard for a video of Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint's "Tears, Tears, And More Tears" because I must have rocked that thing at least 16 times yesterday, but much to my chagrin, none such video was found. Instead, a mere photo of the two, looking happier than a box of chocolates. Wednesday means Thursday is almost here. That excites you. Yes, yes it does. Be good, now.

Man loses job as a construction worker. Can’t afford a home in lieu of taking care of his wheelchair-bound wife. Sets up shop on a billboard to raise awareness for homelessness. Neat, kind of heartbreaking piece. (CNN)

Tim Tebow’s jersey is selling like hot cakes. As if a hot cakes reference is still hip. (Yahoo)

Lede of the week: Shania Twain guest stars on Tuesday’s episode of “Crystal Bowersox & Friends.” (Washington Post)

Double time from Lisa: Conan is going to give “60 Minutes” his first interview since NBC blew up. It will be Sunday. No word if Andy Richter will be watching. (Washington Post)

“At least some of our national legislatures feel compelled occasionally to dial it back, if, for no other reason, than the fact that they occasionally are called upon to appear on national television and pretend that David Gregory is smart.” Love Charlie Pierce on “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.” (Esquire)

Nobody likes the Cleveland Indians. Except for Drew Carrey, of course. (Wall Street Journal)

Ricky Gervais will host the Golden Globes again. Mel Gibson sighs. (Entertainment Weekly)

If the Caps lose tonight, there’s going to be some trouble ‘round D.C. (ESPN)

...For The Ride Home: "Curb" is back, Guru will be missed and "Hey Dude"

Waited as late as possible to see if any word on Ben Roethlisberger would come out for the second day in a row. And for the second day in a row, nothing happened. Ben watch is now on hold until after the NFL Draft. Today, we offer up Christina Hendricks in honor of her being named more beautiful than a bed of flowers yesterday. When does "Mad Men" come back, anyways? Even more so, for effect, we have offered up a link to her open letter to men at Esquire. It's awfully insightful. And by insightful, we mean awsomeradical. In any case, learn a thing or two about getting a date, gaze into this magical woman's eyes, follow a link or two, leave some comments, or have a listen to the new LCD Soundsystem record. Why? Because it's better than whatever it is you are listening to now. Be good.

How great is this? A “Where Are They Now?” with the members of “Hey Dude.” (Fox News)

As promised: Christina Hendricks thinks you should drink scotch and never make fun of your girlfriend’s friends. If she’s not the most amazing lady around, she’s got to be in the top three. Come on, now. (Esquire)

Kelsey Grammer is a Republican. In other shocking news, Keith Olbermann leans a little left, and Kirstie Alley has problems with her weight. (Yahoo)

Rest In Peace, Guru. No matter the authenticity of that note.(All Hip-Hop)

As a reward from wealthy people, Forbes is offering bloggers the chance to work for them…for free. (Gawker)

The NFL Draft – which begins Thursday this year, mind you – is rolling out the red carpet. Literally. (USA Today)

The Colorado Rockies’ president was found dead this morning. (Denver Post)

Hey, hey. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will be back! Somewhere, Susie Essman curses. (Entertainment Weekly)

The lost meaning of the ceremonial first pitch

So yesterday was the official start of another year of Major League Baseball. And while we could spend days discussing the rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs, the ethicality of an uncapped spending model or the controversial institution of instant replay, we have more pressing issues today… The ceremonial first pitch.

Remember when the first pitch meant something? Remember when the first pitch was, in fact, ceremonial? It was the indicator that the ball game had officially begun – and that you could now forget whatever worries you had before you entered the gates. Now, at most ballparks anyways, if you show up 30 minutes before game time you have the opportunity to watch five first pitches, all thrown by the son or daughter of the vice president of whatever company is sponsoring the collector coin giveaway that evening.

Whatever happened to earning your ceremonial first pitch opportunity through hard work and the innate ability to inspire others? For my money, the best ceremonial first pitches are those thrown by the kid in the Make-A-Wish Foundation or the old man who is retiring from the park after 35 years of slinging hot dogs and cold beer. Those two can actually appreciate what’s going on. They’re grateful for the opportunity to throw a pitch from the same mound as some of the greatest ball players in the world. That’s what gives me goosebumps and that’s what it’s all about – NOT the corporate sponsor of the day.

All that said, how about President Obama’s first pitch and controversial apparel yesterday? At least he got past the mom jeans this year (apparently Michelle dressed him with the lights on, heyoooo!). But a White Sox hat at a Nat’s game? Please. Let’s show some couth here Mr. Commander-in-Chief.



Ball 1. Stick to governing… sir.

The only thing that comes close to comparing to the aforementioned inspirational first pitch is when it’s a celebrity trying to get the ball at, near or around the plate. Here’s a couple to leave you with today. Enjoy. Comment.

(There's a 15 second commercial to start it.)


Mariah's has got to be my favorite... Maybe “One Sweet Day,” Mariah will learn to throw. But as of now, she and pitching “(Don’t) Belong Together.” But hey, she doesn’t care – Nick Cannon will “Always Be (Her) Baby.”

Done.

Don’t forget to check out your “For the Ride” links around 4 o’clock.

- TS