Hello,
"Born In The USA" is a great CD, but I'm not sure if it's a classic. "Wrecking Ball" may be considered a classic in a few years. However there's no doubt that on this July date "The Rising" is a classic. It's interesting how many similar themes there are in both "Wrecking Ball" and "The Rising". It's simply one of the greatest CDs of all-time.
Born out of the rage and sadness of 9/11, "The Rising" is perhaps the best artistic work that came out of that attack on America. The themes of rage and sadness are throughout the whole CD. Here's a mix of live and studio recordings to tell Bruce's story of America. Springsteen may be the perfect person to tell this story.
So many works of great art came out of both World War 2 and the Vietnam War, why have so few great works of art have come out of 9/11?
The full version of "The Rising":
1) "Lonesome Day": I love the catharsis of this performance.
2) "Into The Fire": (Thanks to OldCharver's hard work in making this poignant video.)
3) "Waitin' On A Sunny Day":
4) "Nothing Man": (Thanks To Jurgen Buchler for making this video)
5) "Countin' On A Miracle":
On Youtube Carsten0303 states "This clip was played on the live screen after concerts of the 2003 tour.":
6) "Empty Sky": (I'm not speaking for anyone and I have no idea if I'm right, but I think this is very close to how 9/11 widows and widowers could feel:)
7) "Worlds Apart": I love how much of a mid eastern feeling and sound this song has. Although it doesn't sound like much else on the CD it still fits right in.
8) "Let's Be Friends (Skin To Skin)": Again this song seems like it doesn't fit in with the rest of the CD, but in every way it feels right at home on "The Rising". I think the connective tissue to the rest of the CD is the line "Good times have a way of coming to an end."
9) "Further On (Up The Road)":
10) "The Fuse":
11) "Mary's Place":
12) "You're Missing":
13) "The Rising": The footage in this video still shocks me to this day, even 12 years later.
"The Rising" live from the 2002 VMAs:
14) "Paradise":
15) "My City Of Ruins":
themusicaddict
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Dodgers Daily: July 22nd, 2013: Improbably LA Surges To First Place
Hello,
The Dodgers pounded out 14 runs in their drubbing of the Blue Jays in Toronto, winning 14-5. The newly re-injured Matt Kemp wasn't missed at all. LA has won all 4 of it's post All-Star break games. They have one more game against the Blue Jays in this series before returning to the friendly confines of Chavez Ravine.
Exactly one month previous Monday, July 22nd the Dodgers were a pathetic 31-42 and only won 4 of their previous 10 games. They were fifth place in the NL West and 9.5 games out of first place in their division. One month ago LA was trailing the fourth place Padres by 5.5 games, according to ESPN their chances of making the playoffs was 2.2%. If someone would have told me that this Dodgers team would be in first place only month later, I would have looked at the person like they had gone stone cold crazy. I didn't realize that Dodgers team would have the heart and desire to win 21 of their next 26 games.
But I do know that this team can fall back again and just might. The Dodgers have 64 more games remaining, that's 64 more chances to live up to their payroll or return to disappointment. Which will the Dodgers do? They are 4-0 since the All-Star break and have scored 23 runs in their last two games. After being near the bottom of the runs scored stat for most of the season, LA has jumped all the way to 20th place.
The Dodgers cranked out 16 hits, 14 runs but only had 2 home runs. The hero of this game was A.J. Ellis. Ellis had one of the two Dodger home runs, which was his fifth of the season. He was 4 for 6 and is hitting .267 this season. He also added 5 RBIs and has 32 this season. Carl Crawford had his second game in a row in which he had three hits, he raised his batting average to .284. Crawford also had 2 more RBI's, he'll be crucial for the rest of the season in whether the Dodgers have success or struggle.
Kemp has been ruled out for the rest of the series with the Blue Jays, he may go back on DL in the near future. Other than that the Dodgers appear to be fairly healthy, the players that are currently injured aren't really missed. Give me Chris Capuano over either Josh Beckett or Ted Lilly any day.
Upcoming: Tuesday night's scheduled pitching matchup is Chris Capuano (3-6, 4.63) vs. Todd Redmond (1-1, 4.32). For now the Dodgers are sticking with the 5 pitcher rotation. When LA's short series is over with Toronto the Dodgers return home for 6 straight games. They play the very tough Reds for 4 games and then welcome their traditional nemesis the Yankees for two more games.
I'd like to thank the Cubs for two things, thanks to them trading stud pitcher Matt Garza to an American League team. Second of all thanks for beating the Diamondbacks 4-2, it was that win that put LA in first place. I get this feeling that the Diamondbacks aren't a very good team, but then again I don't think any team in the NL West is great.
Ryan Braun rightfully will be suspended for the rest of the season for his role in Biogenesis mess. As MLBN pointed out, how much punishment is it for Braun to sit out the rest of the season? Especially since he plays for a last place team and he's been battling injuries this season. How many more games was he going to play anyway? This is obviously a deal the MLBPA worked out for him and I think they got him a hell of a deal.
When Alex Rodriguez gets suspended I think they should put a twist on his punishment. They should make him play during his suspension. He's not going to be that much help anyway and the Yankees would still have to pay him. That's a perfect punishment for him and the Yankees for agreeing to this ridiculous deal.
themusicaddict
The Dodgers pounded out 14 runs in their drubbing of the Blue Jays in Toronto, winning 14-5. The newly re-injured Matt Kemp wasn't missed at all. LA has won all 4 of it's post All-Star break games. They have one more game against the Blue Jays in this series before returning to the friendly confines of Chavez Ravine.
Exactly one month previous Monday, July 22nd the Dodgers were a pathetic 31-42 and only won 4 of their previous 10 games. They were fifth place in the NL West and 9.5 games out of first place in their division. One month ago LA was trailing the fourth place Padres by 5.5 games, according to ESPN their chances of making the playoffs was 2.2%. If someone would have told me that this Dodgers team would be in first place only month later, I would have looked at the person like they had gone stone cold crazy. I didn't realize that Dodgers team would have the heart and desire to win 21 of their next 26 games.
But I do know that this team can fall back again and just might. The Dodgers have 64 more games remaining, that's 64 more chances to live up to their payroll or return to disappointment. Which will the Dodgers do? They are 4-0 since the All-Star break and have scored 23 runs in their last two games. After being near the bottom of the runs scored stat for most of the season, LA has jumped all the way to 20th place.
The Dodgers cranked out 16 hits, 14 runs but only had 2 home runs. The hero of this game was A.J. Ellis. Ellis had one of the two Dodger home runs, which was his fifth of the season. He was 4 for 6 and is hitting .267 this season. He also added 5 RBIs and has 32 this season. Carl Crawford had his second game in a row in which he had three hits, he raised his batting average to .284. Crawford also had 2 more RBI's, he'll be crucial for the rest of the season in whether the Dodgers have success or struggle.
Kemp has been ruled out for the rest of the series with the Blue Jays, he may go back on DL in the near future. Other than that the Dodgers appear to be fairly healthy, the players that are currently injured aren't really missed. Give me Chris Capuano over either Josh Beckett or Ted Lilly any day.
Upcoming: Tuesday night's scheduled pitching matchup is Chris Capuano (3-6, 4.63) vs. Todd Redmond (1-1, 4.32). For now the Dodgers are sticking with the 5 pitcher rotation. When LA's short series is over with Toronto the Dodgers return home for 6 straight games. They play the very tough Reds for 4 games and then welcome their traditional nemesis the Yankees for two more games.
I'd like to thank the Cubs for two things, thanks to them trading stud pitcher Matt Garza to an American League team. Second of all thanks for beating the Diamondbacks 4-2, it was that win that put LA in first place. I get this feeling that the Diamondbacks aren't a very good team, but then again I don't think any team in the NL West is great.
Ryan Braun rightfully will be suspended for the rest of the season for his role in Biogenesis mess. As MLBN pointed out, how much punishment is it for Braun to sit out the rest of the season? Especially since he plays for a last place team and he's been battling injuries this season. How many more games was he going to play anyway? This is obviously a deal the MLBPA worked out for him and I think they got him a hell of a deal.
When Alex Rodriguez gets suspended I think they should put a twist on his punishment. They should make him play during his suspension. He's not going to be that much help anyway and the Yankees would still have to pay him. That's a perfect punishment for him and the Yankees for agreeing to this ridiculous deal.
themusicaddict
Monday, July 22, 2013
Dodgers Daily, July 21st, 2013: Dodgers Sweep, Kemp Big Day And Then Injured (Again)
Hello,
The Dodgers completed a 3 game sweep over the Nationals on Sunday. This was Matt Kemp's first game off of DL and he had a spectacular game, until the 9th inning. In the Dodgers dominating 9-2 victory, Kemp hit his 5th homer of the season and added a double and a single. Kemp was 3 or 4 and raised his batting average to .263. He has 27 RBIs this season.
But in an ugly play at the plate, Kemp severely sprained his ankle. So in his first game off of DL, he gets injured again. If he's not there yet, he's pretty close to being an injury prone player. To be fair the human foot isn't meant to bend like his foot did on that play. He joins other Dodger players in the same injury prone category as Ted Lilly, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett. (If LA hasn't learned yet to stay away from injury prone players, they need to turn their eyes to the Dallas Cowboys. Tyrone Crawford is already out for the season. Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff are already battling injuries and it's just a matter of time before DeMarco Murray, Sean Lee and a couple of other players join them on the injury list. The emperor, Jerry Jones, has no clothes.)
According to ESPN.com it seems Kemp is going to miss the entire three game series against the Blue Jays. Kemp might go back on the DL again, which would be the third time this season. LA optioned Scott Van Slyke back to the minor leagues. With Crawford and Kemp on the roster, LA should option him to the nearest LA hotel room. That way he'll be nearby when he's needed to replace another injured Dodger.
I liked what Don Mattingly did with Yasiel Puig yesterday. Puig is obviously in a funk and Mattingly gave him most of the day off. Hopefully that will give him an extra day to charge his batteries and he'll be able to hit .300 down the stretch run. That might have been Mattingly's best move all season.
The Diamondbacks were able to win, preventing the Dodgers from moving into first place. In the very mediocre NL West Arizona remains in first place at least for one more day. Arizona is 51-47 and has a 43.2% chance of making the playoffs. However the Dodgers are only 1/2 game back. LA is 50-47 and has a 40.9% chance of reaching the playoffs. Since the NL West is so mediocre the Rockies are still in striking distance, even with a below .500 record. They're in third place, 3.5 games back and have a 19.1% chance of making the playoffs. And you can never count out the wily defending World Series champs San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers are 20-5 since June 22nd, tied with the Rays in being the hottest team in MLB in that time frame. Interestingly both teams are in second place in their divisions.
Upcoming: As I mentioned above LA opens a 3 game series with the Blue Jays on Monday. In the first game of the series the scheduled matchup is Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 2.85) vs. Josh Johnson (1-5, 5.32 ERA.) Meanwhile the Diamondbacks open up a 4 game series against the downtrodden Cubs. I already cheer for the Cubs, I'll just doubly cheer for them for the next 4 games.
themusicaddict
The Dodgers completed a 3 game sweep over the Nationals on Sunday. This was Matt Kemp's first game off of DL and he had a spectacular game, until the 9th inning. In the Dodgers dominating 9-2 victory, Kemp hit his 5th homer of the season and added a double and a single. Kemp was 3 or 4 and raised his batting average to .263. He has 27 RBIs this season.
But in an ugly play at the plate, Kemp severely sprained his ankle. So in his first game off of DL, he gets injured again. If he's not there yet, he's pretty close to being an injury prone player. To be fair the human foot isn't meant to bend like his foot did on that play. He joins other Dodger players in the same injury prone category as Ted Lilly, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett. (If LA hasn't learned yet to stay away from injury prone players, they need to turn their eyes to the Dallas Cowboys. Tyrone Crawford is already out for the season. Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff are already battling injuries and it's just a matter of time before DeMarco Murray, Sean Lee and a couple of other players join them on the injury list. The emperor, Jerry Jones, has no clothes.)
According to ESPN.com it seems Kemp is going to miss the entire three game series against the Blue Jays. Kemp might go back on the DL again, which would be the third time this season. LA optioned Scott Van Slyke back to the minor leagues. With Crawford and Kemp on the roster, LA should option him to the nearest LA hotel room. That way he'll be nearby when he's needed to replace another injured Dodger.
I liked what Don Mattingly did with Yasiel Puig yesterday. Puig is obviously in a funk and Mattingly gave him most of the day off. Hopefully that will give him an extra day to charge his batteries and he'll be able to hit .300 down the stretch run. That might have been Mattingly's best move all season.
The Diamondbacks were able to win, preventing the Dodgers from moving into first place. In the very mediocre NL West Arizona remains in first place at least for one more day. Arizona is 51-47 and has a 43.2% chance of making the playoffs. However the Dodgers are only 1/2 game back. LA is 50-47 and has a 40.9% chance of reaching the playoffs. Since the NL West is so mediocre the Rockies are still in striking distance, even with a below .500 record. They're in third place, 3.5 games back and have a 19.1% chance of making the playoffs. And you can never count out the wily defending World Series champs San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers are 20-5 since June 22nd, tied with the Rays in being the hottest team in MLB in that time frame. Interestingly both teams are in second place in their divisions.
Upcoming: As I mentioned above LA opens a 3 game series with the Blue Jays on Monday. In the first game of the series the scheduled matchup is Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 2.85) vs. Josh Johnson (1-5, 5.32 ERA.) Meanwhile the Diamondbacks open up a 4 game series against the downtrodden Cubs. I already cheer for the Cubs, I'll just doubly cheer for them for the next 4 games.
themusicaddict
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Dodgers Daily July 20th, 2013: Dodgers Win, Move Within 1/2 Game of Diamondbacks
Hello,
The Dodgers are currently in the midst of a 3 game series with the Nationals. Going into Saturday's game LA had won the first game of their series with the Nationals. In the second game of the series LA won again, this time winning 3-1. Again LA won despite scoring very few runs. I'm glad the Dodgers are winning, but they aren't going to be able to maintain a winning record with this ineffective offense. LA has only scored 8 runs in their last 5 games. Thanks to their solid pitching staff LA has won 3 of those games.
In this game, guess who was the hero yet again. Why of course Hanley Ramirez, over about the last month he's thrown the Dodgers on his back and is carrying them towards first place. In the top of the 10th inning Ramirez drove in Adrian Gonzalez. Ramirez was 3 for 5 on Saturday and is hitting .390. Later in the same inning Andre Ethier came up and drove in Ramirez, Ethier's second game in a row with a crucial RBI.
Then closer Kenley Jansen shut down Washington in the bottom of the 10th inning. Jensen faced 3 Nationals and struck out 2 of them, he has 11 saves and lowered his ERA to 2.23. Meanwhile Brandon League continues to disappear from playing at all. If LA somehow makes the playoffs, would League even be on the Dodgers playoff roster?
Why are the Dodgers so inept lately in scoring runs, I wish I had the answer to that question. Actually I wish Don Mattingly had the answer to that question. On Saturday the Dodgers did have 10 hits, Zack Greinke continued his solid hitting of late. He was 2 for 2 and is hitting .406 this season, but they can't count on a pitcher for offense. One would think that the Dodgers could count on Carl Crawford, who's being paid almost $21,000,000 this season. However he was 1 for 2 and is hitting .270. Crawford came into the game as a pinch hitter and Mattingly is obviously using him sparingly to protect the fragile outfielder.
Whatever Yasiel Puig was doing so right after he joined the Dodgers in early June, he's no longer doing that. It seems the rest of MLB has figured him out, Puig was 0 for 5 and his batting average decreases to .369. Gonzalez was 1 for 5 and is hitting .298. Even though Ethier had a big RBI, he was 0 for 3 and his batting average decreases to .266. LA needs more out of Gonzalez and Ethier for the stretch run.
With the Dodgers winning and the Diamondbacks losing, LA has closed Arizona's lead to a 1/2 game. The Giants beat the Dbacks 4-3 in their game on Saturday. On Sunday both the Dodgers and Giants are going for sweeps. If both sweeps are completed then improbably the Dodgers will be in first place. Being first place in anything positive is fantastic, although leading the wimpy NL West this season isn't as impressive as many other things.
The Dodgers send perhaps the best pitcher in all of MLB to the mound as LA goes for the road sweep. Today's pitching matchup is the hard luck Clayton Kershaw (8-6, 1.98 ERA) vs. Jordan Zimmerman (12-4, 2.58 ERA). Imagine how tough this Dodgers pitching lineup would be if they could add Matt Garza. I'd be so excited about that move as long as they don't give up too much for him.
More good news for the Dodgers, they've activated Matt Kemp for today's game. I hope LA isn't rushing him back though.
themusicaddict
The Dodgers are currently in the midst of a 3 game series with the Nationals. Going into Saturday's game LA had won the first game of their series with the Nationals. In the second game of the series LA won again, this time winning 3-1. Again LA won despite scoring very few runs. I'm glad the Dodgers are winning, but they aren't going to be able to maintain a winning record with this ineffective offense. LA has only scored 8 runs in their last 5 games. Thanks to their solid pitching staff LA has won 3 of those games.
In this game, guess who was the hero yet again. Why of course Hanley Ramirez, over about the last month he's thrown the Dodgers on his back and is carrying them towards first place. In the top of the 10th inning Ramirez drove in Adrian Gonzalez. Ramirez was 3 for 5 on Saturday and is hitting .390. Later in the same inning Andre Ethier came up and drove in Ramirez, Ethier's second game in a row with a crucial RBI.
Then closer Kenley Jansen shut down Washington in the bottom of the 10th inning. Jensen faced 3 Nationals and struck out 2 of them, he has 11 saves and lowered his ERA to 2.23. Meanwhile Brandon League continues to disappear from playing at all. If LA somehow makes the playoffs, would League even be on the Dodgers playoff roster?
Why are the Dodgers so inept lately in scoring runs, I wish I had the answer to that question. Actually I wish Don Mattingly had the answer to that question. On Saturday the Dodgers did have 10 hits, Zack Greinke continued his solid hitting of late. He was 2 for 2 and is hitting .406 this season, but they can't count on a pitcher for offense. One would think that the Dodgers could count on Carl Crawford, who's being paid almost $21,000,000 this season. However he was 1 for 2 and is hitting .270. Crawford came into the game as a pinch hitter and Mattingly is obviously using him sparingly to protect the fragile outfielder.
Whatever Yasiel Puig was doing so right after he joined the Dodgers in early June, he's no longer doing that. It seems the rest of MLB has figured him out, Puig was 0 for 5 and his batting average decreases to .369. Gonzalez was 1 for 5 and is hitting .298. Even though Ethier had a big RBI, he was 0 for 3 and his batting average decreases to .266. LA needs more out of Gonzalez and Ethier for the stretch run.
With the Dodgers winning and the Diamondbacks losing, LA has closed Arizona's lead to a 1/2 game. The Giants beat the Dbacks 4-3 in their game on Saturday. On Sunday both the Dodgers and Giants are going for sweeps. If both sweeps are completed then improbably the Dodgers will be in first place. Being first place in anything positive is fantastic, although leading the wimpy NL West this season isn't as impressive as many other things.
The Dodgers send perhaps the best pitcher in all of MLB to the mound as LA goes for the road sweep. Today's pitching matchup is the hard luck Clayton Kershaw (8-6, 1.98 ERA) vs. Jordan Zimmerman (12-4, 2.58 ERA). Imagine how tough this Dodgers pitching lineup would be if they could add Matt Garza. I'd be so excited about that move as long as they don't give up too much for him.
More good news for the Dodgers, they've activated Matt Kemp for today's game. I hope LA isn't rushing him back though.
themusicaddict
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Dodgers Daily, July 19th, 2013: Dodgers Win In First Post All-Star Game
Hello,
The Dodgers beat the Nationals 3-2 in both teams first game following the All-Star. Surprisingly the hero of the game was Andre Ethier, a highly paid player who rarely is the hero. His 6th home run of the season snapped a 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th inning.
With the Diamondbacks loss to the Giants, LA is now within 1.5 games of Arizona. Again the only way a team from the NL West is going to get in the playoffs is to win the weak NL West. That division is probably the weakest division in all MLB.
Despite the Dodgers winning they continue their alarming recent streak of forgetting how to score. In their last 4 games they scored 0, 1, 1 and 3 runs, a grand total of 5 runs. It's amazing LA actually won 2 of those games. Are the Dodgers battling with the Pirates to be the lowest scoring team to have a shot at the playoffs? So far LA has scored 363 runs, 25th in MLB. The Pirates are 3 runs behind and 26th place in runs scored. The 4 teams scoring less include 1 mediocre and 3 dreadful teams.
Washington is 27th place in runs scored and have won exactly half of their games, which is surely the ultimate sign of being mediocre. Washington is 7 games behind the clearly not all cylinders are firing Braves, but I predict the Braves win the NL East. That's probably the second weakest division in MLB. I expect the Braves to make the playoffs and then have their annual playoff flameout. The other 3 lower scoring teams are all absolutely dreadful, the Marlins, White Sox and Astros. Each of those teams are last place in their respective divisions and have .1% or less chance of making the playoffs.
Yasiel Puig keeps on coming back to reality, he was 0 for 4 and his batting average slipped to .381. It's a good thing Hanley Ramirez has become hot, he was 2 for 4 and is hitting .382. He had his 9th homer of the season and also has 27 RBIs. He has comparable numbers to Ethier in quite a few less games. Meanwhile Adrian Gonzalez continued his season long flirtation with .300, he was 2 for 4 and is hitting .299.
Carl Crawford was 0 for 4 as his batting average continues to plummet, he's down to .268. The 2012 trade with the Red Sox continues to look worse and worse for LA. Essentially LA took on way too much money to acquire Gonzalez. Nick Punto for a time looked like he was going to be the second best player for the Dodgers in that trade, but he's fallen back now. On this July day that trade looks like Adrian Gonzalez and the Pips. Josh Beckett will never end up making a significant difference for LA and it's only a matter of time before Crawford goes on season ending DL.
Meanwhile Dodgers fans hope that Matt Kemp, who is eligible to come off the DL soon, will be back to his former great play. Hopefully he'll be able to help carry the Dodgers down the stretch and inject some life into this suddenly wimpy offense.
The Red Sox continue to surge in their bounce back year, they're currently leading the AL East. The win Friday was a double victory as Boston knocked off the Evil Empire 4-2. The heroes of the game were Jacoby Ellsbury and Jonny Gomes. Ellsbury was 2 for 3 including his 4th home run of the season. Ellsbury is hitting .308 this season. Meanwhile Gomes added his 7th home run and has 24 RBIs this season. Gomes is only hitting .242 this season though.
Boston leads the blisteringly hot Rays by 2.5 games. However the Red Sox have only won half of their last 10 games while the Rays have won 9 of 10. Baltimore is also hanging out in the tight AL East race, they are 4.5 games out. The Orioles have won 2 in a row and 6 of their last 10 games. New York is desperately clinging to playoff relevancy, they are 7 games behind Boston. They've also lost 3 games in a row. Alex Rodriguez may come back soon, but honestly how effective is he going to be?
Congrats to my other teams who won yesterday, the Cubs, the Braves and the Orioles.
themusicaddict
The Dodgers beat the Nationals 3-2 in both teams first game following the All-Star. Surprisingly the hero of the game was Andre Ethier, a highly paid player who rarely is the hero. His 6th home run of the season snapped a 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th inning.
With the Diamondbacks loss to the Giants, LA is now within 1.5 games of Arizona. Again the only way a team from the NL West is going to get in the playoffs is to win the weak NL West. That division is probably the weakest division in all MLB.
Despite the Dodgers winning they continue their alarming recent streak of forgetting how to score. In their last 4 games they scored 0, 1, 1 and 3 runs, a grand total of 5 runs. It's amazing LA actually won 2 of those games. Are the Dodgers battling with the Pirates to be the lowest scoring team to have a shot at the playoffs? So far LA has scored 363 runs, 25th in MLB. The Pirates are 3 runs behind and 26th place in runs scored. The 4 teams scoring less include 1 mediocre and 3 dreadful teams.
Washington is 27th place in runs scored and have won exactly half of their games, which is surely the ultimate sign of being mediocre. Washington is 7 games behind the clearly not all cylinders are firing Braves, but I predict the Braves win the NL East. That's probably the second weakest division in MLB. I expect the Braves to make the playoffs and then have their annual playoff flameout. The other 3 lower scoring teams are all absolutely dreadful, the Marlins, White Sox and Astros. Each of those teams are last place in their respective divisions and have .1% or less chance of making the playoffs.
Yasiel Puig keeps on coming back to reality, he was 0 for 4 and his batting average slipped to .381. It's a good thing Hanley Ramirez has become hot, he was 2 for 4 and is hitting .382. He had his 9th homer of the season and also has 27 RBIs. He has comparable numbers to Ethier in quite a few less games. Meanwhile Adrian Gonzalez continued his season long flirtation with .300, he was 2 for 4 and is hitting .299.
Carl Crawford was 0 for 4 as his batting average continues to plummet, he's down to .268. The 2012 trade with the Red Sox continues to look worse and worse for LA. Essentially LA took on way too much money to acquire Gonzalez. Nick Punto for a time looked like he was going to be the second best player for the Dodgers in that trade, but he's fallen back now. On this July day that trade looks like Adrian Gonzalez and the Pips. Josh Beckett will never end up making a significant difference for LA and it's only a matter of time before Crawford goes on season ending DL.
Meanwhile Dodgers fans hope that Matt Kemp, who is eligible to come off the DL soon, will be back to his former great play. Hopefully he'll be able to help carry the Dodgers down the stretch and inject some life into this suddenly wimpy offense.
The Red Sox continue to surge in their bounce back year, they're currently leading the AL East. The win Friday was a double victory as Boston knocked off the Evil Empire 4-2. The heroes of the game were Jacoby Ellsbury and Jonny Gomes. Ellsbury was 2 for 3 including his 4th home run of the season. Ellsbury is hitting .308 this season. Meanwhile Gomes added his 7th home run and has 24 RBIs this season. Gomes is only hitting .242 this season though.
Boston leads the blisteringly hot Rays by 2.5 games. However the Red Sox have only won half of their last 10 games while the Rays have won 9 of 10. Baltimore is also hanging out in the tight AL East race, they are 4.5 games out. The Orioles have won 2 in a row and 6 of their last 10 games. New York is desperately clinging to playoff relevancy, they are 7 games behind Boston. They've also lost 3 games in a row. Alex Rodriguez may come back soon, but honestly how effective is he going to be?
Congrats to my other teams who won yesterday, the Cubs, the Braves and the Orioles.
themusicaddict
Friday, July 19, 2013
themusicaddict's Greatest CDs Of All-Time: Mark Knopfler's "Sailing To Philadelphia"
Hello,
On September 26th, 2000 one of the most unappreciated CDs of all-time, "Sailing To Philadelphia", was released. The lead singer and guitarist for Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, focuses his strengths from Dire Straits on this CD. However he doesn't remain beholden to their sound. The subtle pleasures of this CD are many. From the subtle guitar work on "Baloney Again" to his duet with James Taylor on the song "Sailing To Philadelphia" to the humor of "Do America".
I quite like the jazz inflected guitar playing on this CD. (I know that sounds incredibly pretentious, but I don't know else how to write it.) This isn't the CD for you when you want to rock. This is one of those CDs when you just want some pleasant music to relax to. This is a fantastic CD, but I don't think I could just sit down and listen to it. However every time I hear a song played randomly on iTunes, I notice how great the song is.
I could write the same comment for nearly every track, butI won't. Every song is a gentle, subtle and pleasant look into the various aspects of life.
Enjoy:
1) "Sailing To Philadelphia" (Duet With James Taylor) I'm surprised this video has over 1,000,000 views, maybe this CD isn't as obscure as I thought. And in no way should it be obscure.
2) "What It Is", this is one of the more uptempo tracks on the CD:
3) "Who's Your Baby Now", another subtle delight:
4) "Baloney Again", a seeming tongue in cheek lament:
5) "The Last Laugh" another turgid, mellow ballad:
6) "Do America" This song has a great tempo and is one of my favorite songs on the CD:
7) "El Macho", another mellow delight. I really like this song, a highlight on a CD of great songs.
8) "Prairie Wedding" a tender romantic ballad, "Do you think you can love me Mary?":
9) "Wanderlust" this is probably the mellowest song on the CD:
10) "Speedway at Nazareth":
11) "Junkie Doll", the last amazing song on this CD. The last couple of songs don't quite measure up to the rest of the CD.
12) "Silvertown Blues":
13) "Sands Of Nevada":
While Mark Knopfler has released other CDs, so far he hasn't made another CD of this caliber. Although I did listen to "Get Lucky" on Spotify yesterday and that was a decent album.
themusicaddict
On September 26th, 2000 one of the most unappreciated CDs of all-time, "Sailing To Philadelphia", was released. The lead singer and guitarist for Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, focuses his strengths from Dire Straits on this CD. However he doesn't remain beholden to their sound. The subtle pleasures of this CD are many. From the subtle guitar work on "Baloney Again" to his duet with James Taylor on the song "Sailing To Philadelphia" to the humor of "Do America".
I quite like the jazz inflected guitar playing on this CD. (I know that sounds incredibly pretentious, but I don't know else how to write it.) This isn't the CD for you when you want to rock. This is one of those CDs when you just want some pleasant music to relax to. This is a fantastic CD, but I don't think I could just sit down and listen to it. However every time I hear a song played randomly on iTunes, I notice how great the song is.
I could write the same comment for nearly every track, butI won't. Every song is a gentle, subtle and pleasant look into the various aspects of life.
Enjoy:
1) "Sailing To Philadelphia" (Duet With James Taylor) I'm surprised this video has over 1,000,000 views, maybe this CD isn't as obscure as I thought. And in no way should it be obscure.
2) "What It Is", this is one of the more uptempo tracks on the CD:
3) "Who's Your Baby Now", another subtle delight:
4) "Baloney Again", a seeming tongue in cheek lament:
5) "The Last Laugh" another turgid, mellow ballad:
6) "Do America" This song has a great tempo and is one of my favorite songs on the CD:
7) "El Macho", another mellow delight. I really like this song, a highlight on a CD of great songs.
8) "Prairie Wedding" a tender romantic ballad, "Do you think you can love me Mary?":
9) "Wanderlust" this is probably the mellowest song on the CD:
10) "Speedway at Nazareth":
11) "Junkie Doll", the last amazing song on this CD. The last couple of songs don't quite measure up to the rest of the CD.
12) "Silvertown Blues":
13) "Sands Of Nevada":
While Mark Knopfler has released other CDs, so far he hasn't made another CD of this caliber. Although I did listen to "Get Lucky" on Spotify yesterday and that was a decent album.
themusicaddict
Thursday, July 18, 2013
What I'm Not Writing About July 18th, 2013: "Catfish" Success, Missing Baseball, Greatest CD's Of All-Time
Hello,
Sports:
- I'm hating the 4 day MLB All-Star break. I'm so glad that I'll be able to go back to following baseball scores on ESPN.com and watching highlights of everything going on in baseball that night on MLBN. I'm looking for big second half seasons for the Dodgers and Matt Kemp. I hope Kemp is fully healthy this time, he's been on the DL way too much the last two seasons.
- With no games going on, the focus for MLB becomes the ongoing Biogenesis PED's scandal, it seems any suspensions likely won't go into effect until next season. I'm fairly certain that MLB doesn't ever want the PED scandal to be their top story.
- The Yankees are saying they hope Alex Rodriguez comes back next week, yeah right. More likely they are hoping he'll be suspended for 100 games next season, which will save them about $15 million.
- 49 days until the NFL season starts and like most hot blooded American men I'm waiting anxiously. I'm not sure how the Cowboys will collapse this year, I just know they will. Jerry Jones has ruined his own team and made a mockery of the term "America's Team".
- But no thanks to Jerruh, unless it was behind the scenes, the right thing finally happened with Josh Brent today. Brent "retired" from the NFL so that he could focus on his personal issues. The Cowboys refused to do the common sense thing with Brent, of course common sense isn't used much at Valley Ranch.
- My allegiances continue to shift to the 49ers, a team that is opposite of the Cowboys in nearly every way. That includes the most important ways, the 49ers actually can win big games. Also they don't have a crazy man ruining their team.
- My third team is the Tampa Bay Bucs, I'm looking for them to have a better season than last year. This is a make or break season for Josh Freeman, I hope he makes it and leads the Bucs to the playoffs.
-In the NBA I completely agree with Mark Cuban when he says that the Mavericks are better off without Dwight Howard. They ended up getting multiple players plus they don't have to suffer through the drama of Howard. This deal will continue to look better to Cuban and Mavs fans as the years go by. I wish Cuban could also own the Cowboys, Cuban seems to have some common sense.
TV:
I've watched "Catfish" the TV show since it began and I've always been amazed by how gullible some people are. Also why won't they let themselves see truth in spite of overwhelming proof? I thought we had another such case on Season Two's fourth episode: "Lauren and Derek". After waiting for 8 years, getting engaged and having a baby Lauren finally got to meet Derek. For Lauren's sake thank goodness Derek is who he says he is. However Derek displayed many of the signs of a dating catfish, like an unwillingness to talk via webcam and a refusal to meet. Those two things are usually almost certain signs that someone is being catfished.
Although it seems Derek has very little to hide I wonder why did he wait so long without meeting Lauren. Also why didn't he invest in a web cam? He invested in a birdbath rather than a webcam?
Derek should be damn happy that Lauren waited that long for him and perhaps waiting 8 years actually worked out for this couple. If someone that gorgeous and vivacious wanted to meet me, I wouldn't make them wait 8 days, let alone 8 years. Best wishes to Derek, Lauren and Mason, I hope things turn out amazing for all of you. And Derek remember if they don't Lauren's Dad is former military.
Also just a word to anyone who would try and catfish someone. If a person won't accept you for who you are then just move on. Why lie about about who you are and what you look like. No worthwhile relationship will be built on a solid foundation that begins with lies. My experience is that complete honesty is the only way to go. Sometimes you may have a small consequence, but that's so much better than remembering lies.
Music:
Some thoughts on my continuing series of the Greatest CDs Of All-Time. I've loved researching this topic and listening to a lot of great music once again.
Today I listened to the first 2 Everlast CDs to determine whether they are classics. "Whitey Ford Sings The Blue" is definitely not a classic, although it does have the classic song "Ends". As for the song "What It's Like", I'm still sick of that song because of how many times it was played when it was first released.
Next I listened to Everlast's "White Trash Beautiful", easily the best of the two CDs. Is it an all-time classic, I'm not sure still. But if it isn't it's very close, it's just a great CD. The CD has such classic songs as "White Trash Beautiful", "Ticking Away", "Pain" and "Sleepin' Alone". Although I would be happier if I didn't have to hear the F bomb.
Next I listened to Arctic Monkeys "Whatever People Say That I Am, That's What I'm Not". At this point I'm not convinced that it's a classic CD, in spite of it being anchored by one of the greatest songs ever. Of course that would be the amazing "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor":
Now I'm listening to a CD that many people probably haven't even heard of and it was only a fluke that I discovered it. It's the Mark Knopfler, of Dire Straits, CD "Sailing To Philadelphia. What a great CD, the perfect CD for a mellow day. It's definitely much better than the iconic Dire Straits CD "Money For Nothing", which only has 3 great songs. And you'll know whether I consider "Sailing To Philadelphia" a classic if I feature it in an upcoming Greatest CDs Of All-Time blog.
I love me some Motley Crue and they certainly have a lot of great songs. Although I don't know if they ever made a classic CD. Although I have to admit should I be embarrassed for loving the Crue as much now as I did when I was a teenager. The "Theatre of Pain" is still one of the best concerts I've ever been to.
themusicaddict
Sports:
- I'm hating the 4 day MLB All-Star break. I'm so glad that I'll be able to go back to following baseball scores on ESPN.com and watching highlights of everything going on in baseball that night on MLBN. I'm looking for big second half seasons for the Dodgers and Matt Kemp. I hope Kemp is fully healthy this time, he's been on the DL way too much the last two seasons.
- With no games going on, the focus for MLB becomes the ongoing Biogenesis PED's scandal, it seems any suspensions likely won't go into effect until next season. I'm fairly certain that MLB doesn't ever want the PED scandal to be their top story.
- The Yankees are saying they hope Alex Rodriguez comes back next week, yeah right. More likely they are hoping he'll be suspended for 100 games next season, which will save them about $15 million.
- 49 days until the NFL season starts and like most hot blooded American men I'm waiting anxiously. I'm not sure how the Cowboys will collapse this year, I just know they will. Jerry Jones has ruined his own team and made a mockery of the term "America's Team".
- But no thanks to Jerruh, unless it was behind the scenes, the right thing finally happened with Josh Brent today. Brent "retired" from the NFL so that he could focus on his personal issues. The Cowboys refused to do the common sense thing with Brent, of course common sense isn't used much at Valley Ranch.
- My allegiances continue to shift to the 49ers, a team that is opposite of the Cowboys in nearly every way. That includes the most important ways, the 49ers actually can win big games. Also they don't have a crazy man ruining their team.
- My third team is the Tampa Bay Bucs, I'm looking for them to have a better season than last year. This is a make or break season for Josh Freeman, I hope he makes it and leads the Bucs to the playoffs.
-In the NBA I completely agree with Mark Cuban when he says that the Mavericks are better off without Dwight Howard. They ended up getting multiple players plus they don't have to suffer through the drama of Howard. This deal will continue to look better to Cuban and Mavs fans as the years go by. I wish Cuban could also own the Cowboys, Cuban seems to have some common sense.
TV:
I've watched "Catfish" the TV show since it began and I've always been amazed by how gullible some people are. Also why won't they let themselves see truth in spite of overwhelming proof? I thought we had another such case on Season Two's fourth episode: "Lauren and Derek". After waiting for 8 years, getting engaged and having a baby Lauren finally got to meet Derek. For Lauren's sake thank goodness Derek is who he says he is. However Derek displayed many of the signs of a dating catfish, like an unwillingness to talk via webcam and a refusal to meet. Those two things are usually almost certain signs that someone is being catfished.
Although it seems Derek has very little to hide I wonder why did he wait so long without meeting Lauren. Also why didn't he invest in a web cam? He invested in a birdbath rather than a webcam?
Derek should be damn happy that Lauren waited that long for him and perhaps waiting 8 years actually worked out for this couple. If someone that gorgeous and vivacious wanted to meet me, I wouldn't make them wait 8 days, let alone 8 years. Best wishes to Derek, Lauren and Mason, I hope things turn out amazing for all of you. And Derek remember if they don't Lauren's Dad is former military.
Also just a word to anyone who would try and catfish someone. If a person won't accept you for who you are then just move on. Why lie about about who you are and what you look like. No worthwhile relationship will be built on a solid foundation that begins with lies. My experience is that complete honesty is the only way to go. Sometimes you may have a small consequence, but that's so much better than remembering lies.
Music:
Some thoughts on my continuing series of the Greatest CDs Of All-Time. I've loved researching this topic and listening to a lot of great music once again.
Today I listened to the first 2 Everlast CDs to determine whether they are classics. "Whitey Ford Sings The Blue" is definitely not a classic, although it does have the classic song "Ends". As for the song "What It's Like", I'm still sick of that song because of how many times it was played when it was first released.
Next I listened to Everlast's "White Trash Beautiful", easily the best of the two CDs. Is it an all-time classic, I'm not sure still. But if it isn't it's very close, it's just a great CD. The CD has such classic songs as "White Trash Beautiful", "Ticking Away", "Pain" and "Sleepin' Alone". Although I would be happier if I didn't have to hear the F bomb.
Next I listened to Arctic Monkeys "Whatever People Say That I Am, That's What I'm Not". At this point I'm not convinced that it's a classic CD, in spite of it being anchored by one of the greatest songs ever. Of course that would be the amazing "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor":
Now I'm listening to a CD that many people probably haven't even heard of and it was only a fluke that I discovered it. It's the Mark Knopfler, of Dire Straits, CD "Sailing To Philadelphia. What a great CD, the perfect CD for a mellow day. It's definitely much better than the iconic Dire Straits CD "Money For Nothing", which only has 3 great songs. And you'll know whether I consider "Sailing To Philadelphia" a classic if I feature it in an upcoming Greatest CDs Of All-Time blog.
I love me some Motley Crue and they certainly have a lot of great songs. Although I don't know if they ever made a classic CD. Although I have to admit should I be embarrassed for loving the Crue as much now as I did when I was a teenager. The "Theatre of Pain" is still one of the best concerts I've ever been to.
themusicaddict
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