Ok New Place To Read My Writings And Other Stuff............

I have decided to part ways with this blog, but not really all of the posts and comments have been moved to my new location. I may still visit and post here from time to time but not on a regular basis.


My new location is http://evanmcelrath.com/

What You Didn't Hear About Last Night..................

The Pennsylvania Primary was yesterday. Most of the hype was about the Obama/Hillary race. What you didn't hear was the numbers for the Republican Party. Ron Paul walked away with 128,000 votes. That is a huge number. Especially since the media has told everybody that Ron Paul dropped out. Which isn't true.

AH Hahahahahahahahahahaha..................................

Just watch it.





That is a Red Sox fan for you.

.........................

"...........When it becomes easier to be a Christian the Jesus movement kinda loses its steam. I actually get really concerned about the future, about areas where it becomes easier and easier and more comfortable. The worst thing is when Christians get comfortable, when there is no suffering. That is when the Jesus movement isn't at its best. We do best underneath the empire, we do best on the margins, we do best when your boot is on our neck. Cause then we're totally dependent on the grace of God. It's suffering where our God shines. When every thing's fine we don't really need God. Actually, what terrifies me is if the Christian movement ever became in meshed with power structures. Like I'll tell you what would be terrifying, is a Christian nation. A Christian nation that would use the sword in the name of Jesus. That would be anti-christ in it's origin, because what Jesus said was to put away your sword. What terrifies me is that you could have a Christian nation that forced and compelled people, this movement doesn't work because if we were to force and compel people then we would be just like you (Roman Empire). The only way our movement works is with desire, it only works with love, it only works cause you glimpse something you want more than anything. If it ever became compulsory, if it ever became like be a Christian or else. If being a Christian ever became synonymous with being part of the empire or the nation, that would be the worst thing ever. If there were a group of Christians who thought they were right, who tried to vote and use their influence to simply dominate over everybody else that wouldn't be what Jesus had in mind. You have got to understand that this movement thrives when it is on the underside of power. This movement, we thrive when we are weak. Because then God can be strong.........."


Rob Bell- What Has Happened To Me, Mars Hill 2-9-2008


Rob Bell is talking from the perspective of Paul in this sermon. I thought that it was an interesting way of doing it. He doesn't tell you that is what he is doing, but just listening you just get it. This sermon just stuck with me, mainly because it was different but also because of the last five minutes or so. The whole thing is worth a listen to. I just transcribed a portion of the last five minutes. It is the part that really stuck out to me in my listening.

Monday The Third.................

Well you all know what time it is. TOOL TIME! Not really it is Monday weigh-in time. This week I wasn't really expecting it to be a good week. It was however. I lost 3 more lbs. which puts me at 212.

Ummmmm.............. Part 2..........

If you haven't noticed the look has changed. Mostly because I get bored having it the same way for long periods of time.

Well That Was........ Something.......... Disappointing But Something............

Well there goes the season. Once again neither of the SCF teams from last year make it out of the first round. I don't know who to root for now that Ducks are out. Maybe Philly or Montreal. Definitely not Detroit or Dallas or San Jose or really anyone in the west. Except maybe Colorado.

This leads to some questions:

• Will Scott Niedermayer return for one more year?
• Will Teemu retire?
• Will they add some scorers? Cause if you haven't noticed they need some. The leading goal getter this year had 29. Granted he was hurt late in the season.
  
• Do they lock up Hiller for a couple years? I hope so.
• Was letting Penner go worth it? How about the Macdonald for Dougie Weight trade?
• Will Parros come next season with a mullet?
• That last one was to relieve the tension.

Well here is to next season.

I Guess I Missed Something................

And boy did I hear about it tonight. I guess I was supposed to post a Happy Birthday to my Cousin Emily.




Well here it is Happy Birthday. I know it is a month and a half late.

This Guy Must Have Something On The Refs...........

I mean seriously. Turco has repeatedly dislodged the net whenever he wants to usually when the Stars have a delayed penalty coming to them. He got a away with a bear hug on Perry last night. Repeatedly high sticks opponents. And then there is this which it totally illegal. I am just surprised with the way the calls have been going that Selanne didn't receive an interference penalty on this one.

Oh! Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did anyone see the Rockies and Padres game last night. I didn't but watching Baseball Tonight on ESPN they kept having updates on the game. The last update they had was at about 10 o'clock and it was scoreless going into the 11th. Little did anyone know that it was gonna go 22 yeah thats right TWENTY TWO innings with a final score of 2-1 in favor of Colorado. To top it all off the winning run was unearned.

People Need To Know When To Say Enough................

I am tired of seeing different agencies taking away our freedoms. This has been an issue with me for a while. I decided to write about it when I read an article from the Associated Press about airports using full body scanners. Here is an excerpt from the article.


" NEW YORK (AP) ― Airports in New York and Los Angeles are the latest to use body scanners that allow security screeners to peer beneath a passenger's clothing to detect concealed weapons."


I am sorry but that seems to me to be an invasion of my privacy. It just seems to be getting worse and worse. I am openly and intensely against The Patriot Act. Which takes away several of our Freedoms. They try to justify it saying that they are trying to get terrorists. Any person who agrees with or is in favor of the Patriot Act needs to be reminded of something on of our Founding Fathers said.


"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin


Speaking of the Founding Fathers, I think that they would be turning over in their graves if they could see what their dreams and blood led to. The government they created knew its limits. They had just got out from under the thumb of the oppressive British Rule. Now we are letting that happen again and people are stupid enough to let that happen. I mean it is just ridiculous how stupid Americans are to let their government do this. Any candidate who is elected in November will only make it worse.

It is also ridiculous on all the taxes that they are trying to pass. It will be worse if your Democratic Candidate wins. I know in California they want to add a nine cent tax for every gallon of gas you buy. Because we aren't paying enough already. They want to tax your grocery bag. But wait they will sell you a reusable bag for ten bucks. Give me a break. They want to add a tax to your electronic purchases through itunes and other sources. Do they really think that this will help our struggling economy. To take more of our money. The cost of living keeps increasing, the wages stay the same, and taxes are increased. HUH? Doesn't make sense. Then they go and blame the war solely for the economy. While the war was a bad idea and has turned out terribly there are much more reasons for the bad economy.

We need a return to a limited government. It is funny when I hear people comparing Obama to JFK. I'm sorry but didn't JFK say: "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Not What kind of government program can we launch so you don't have to get off your lazy ass to live. It is amazing how much things have changed. If it were today JFK would be considered a "Conservative." Sad huh? In todays world true conservatives get pushed to the side because the world does not want them. There are few of us left. If you think you are a true conservative take this test:

• Do you agree with the direction of the Bush administration?

If you said yes then you are not a true conservative.

I am also tired of when certain groups don't like something they go and want a "Constitutional Amendment." Again Give Me A Break. I love it especially when I hear "the government is trying to have more control of our lives so lets have a constitutional amendment to _______." Christian groups are especially bad at this. They think that everything they don't agree with should be illegal. Abortion while I don't agree with it, the Federal government should have no say in whether or not it is allowed. I believe the same with Most of the issues that the Evangelicals have.

It is funny I began writing this post because of body scanners and it just took off. Let me leave you with something you have probably read recently.



"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin

Anytime You See This Headline You Just Gotta Be Happy..............

Perry Likely to Play in Game 4

Especially when he is your teams leading goal getter. Now I am really excited for tonights game. With Perry in the lineup and Robbie Nieds still out the lines should be I think.

Getzlaf/Perry/May
Carter/Selanne/Kunitz
Marchant/Pahlsson/Moen
Weight/Bertuzzi/Parros

With Prongs and Scotty paired up. Also anytime you have players the calliber of Weight and Bert on the fourth line. Look Out.

This Looks Like A Good Year For The Documentary Genre............

First off I posted a while ago the trailor to the movie "Young @ Heart." About the old folks doing rock n' roll.

This Documentary looks good as well. Plus it has Ben Stein. It is called "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed."




And here is another that is opening soon. It is the same guy that brought us Supersize Me. It is a movie about looking for Osama. Titled "Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?"

It's Monday Again..................

You know what that means. Weigh in day. I started out two weeks ago in a quest to lose weight along with some other people. You can go to Steve's Blog to track the progress. He has a fancy chart. Well last week I lost 2 pounds moving me from 220 to 218. Well this week I am glad to say I improved on that number losing 3 pounds. So now I am at a weight of 215.

Jeff Mathis The Great...........

I worked today so I didn't get to see the Angels play. So I went to Yahoo to look at the box score. See if you notice anything.

Top 7th: LA Angels

- J. Mathis homered to deep left, J. Rivera scored

Top 3rd: LA Angels

- J. Mathis doubled to right center, J. Mathis and E. Aybar scored

Top 5th: LA Angels

- J. Mathis doubled to deep right, V. Guerrero scored, G. Anderson to third

- J. Mathis singled to left, G. Anderson scored, H. Kendrick to third

Top 6th: LA Angels

- J. Mathis singled to center, J. Mathis scored, E. Aybar to second

- J. Mathis singled to center, C. Figgins and E. Aybar scored

Bot 6th: Seattle

- J. Mathis singled to right, J. Lopez scored, R. Sexson to third, J. Vidro to second

- J. Mathis grounded out to shortstop, R. Sexson scored, J. Vidro to third, G. Norton to second

Top 7th: LA Angels

- J. Mathis reached on fielder's choice, M. Izturis scored

- J. Mathis homered to deep left, J. Rivera scored

I mean I think Mathis is a good catcher but wow. According to this he had 6 hits for the Angels today. And 1 hit for the Mariners. But the best part is in the top of the 6th when Mathis singled to center and on the same play Mathis scored but Aybar only got to second. Wow Great Game Jeff Mathis!!

Ummmmmmmm.............

I am not going to completely blame the refs on this one. Although they did call a few bogus penalties. But the Ducks had no life tonight. They were always going for the big hit instead of protecting the crease on the penalty kill. So Boys here is something to get you pumped to beat up the Sars on Saturday.




- I meant to write Sars. It is kinda like the queens.

What A Day.........

So this starts Friday when I found an almost closed auction on Ebay. I saw that it had 6 minutes left and noone had bid on it yet. It was Angels tickets for Wednesday April 9th game. Opening bid was 99 cents so I put a dollar in my max bid. Six agonizing, painfully intense minutes go by. I won at 99 cents. Four dollars for shipping. The tickets should be here by Tuesday, plenty of time to get to the game on time. Tuesday comes along. No tickets. Gasp. I e-mailed the seller and he tells me he has the option of "e-mailing me replacement tickets." So I say ok lets do that. Sleep time. Wake up. Seller has e-mailed me. "Tracking number says they were delivered yesterday." Uh oh the mail person delivered to the wrong address. (assuming). So I e-mail seller saying they were delivered to wrong address. He says ok will send tickets. It is 10:30 with a 12:35 game time. So I see if Nick wanted to go. He did and I am still waiting for tickets. sweat, sweat. 11:30 comes around, Nick suggests that I pick him up and maybe the tickets will be there when I get back. I do, then stop to get gas. I get back. Seller has e-mailed, but no tickets. "Trying to get a hold of my account rep. to leave tickets at will call." More pain and agonizing. 12:00: "Tickets will be at will call I will email you to confirm when they get a hold of me." Game starts in 35 minutes. 12:12: "Tickets will be at will call under you name." Rush to my room because I wasn't proactive in getting ready. Had to get socks, shoes, and the all important Angels Jersey. Get in my "Big Green Machine" start heading to the stadium. Knucklehead drivers out today. Get to the Stadium. Pay for parking. Game has started by now. Had to park in the furthest possible place. No exaggeration. Walk 15 miles to the front of the stadium to go to will call. Finally get my tickets. HALLELUJAH!!! Stopped to get something to eat on the way to seats because Cleveland was batting and I was hungry. I walked all the way up the ramps. So I got a hot dog (theoretically), nachos, and a beverage. Lets just say I haven't had a soda since Friday. Get to our seats. Angels have the bases loaded and Napoli is up. Ball, Monster Grand Slam to left. (I did not spill my beverage on the poor unsuspecting people in front of me like Ryan and I were the victims of on Sunday). 4-0 Angels. End Game, Angels win 9-5 hooray. Walk the 25 miles back to the Machine after the ramps again. Sit in parking lot for 30 minutes get out and the only way I can go is towards the "Ponda"(Pond+Honda Center= Ponda). Make U-turn. I think I will be able to get back on 5 easier from Ball st. WRONG! Take Ball all the way home. Takes an hour. Get home, and tell people about the Monster Homer Vladdy hit. O I forgot listened to Dave Demeshek on the way home dud is an idiot but had good point today. Wanted one person to call and tell him why he should watch womens besketball over anything else. No one could. Ok back to being home. Turn on some playoff hockey. Pittsburgh and Ottawa. Pittsburgh up 4-0 turns into a slug fest. Start watching San Jose lose (knock on wood). Still going on Calgary up 3-1 with 6 minutes left. It would be great to see The Sharks lose in the first round.
New Paragraph. The Ducks start their quest to their second Stanley Cup tomorrow and I am excited. Well as you can see it was quite a day.

This Is Awesome.............

So the NHL Playoffs start tomorrow. (Ducks Thursday). I was on ESPN.COM today and this was their first round playoff graphic.


Front and center Parros roughing someone up. Hope he gets to play a little more than last year. Even if he doesn't at least if the Ducks take it all again he will get his name on the Cup. Cause last year he didn't.

Oops...............................

Well Joe Saunders pitched a heck of a game. The Angels couldn't score for beans. They somehow managed to scratch out two runs to put them up by one going into the ninth. Frankie comes in and gives up 3 runs. I was disgusted and was wanting to watch America's Port which was coming on in a few minutes.

I missed the best part of the game. Bottom ninth Mathews walks, Vlad singles, GA walks. Guess what Hunter did. You guess yet? Well he hit a WALK-OFF GRANDSLAM!

All I have to say is oops.

It's Monday....................

That means it is weight posting day. Well I have to say. Somehow when I went to weigh myself this morning the scale said 218. I was like "huh?" I weighed myself at 225 last Monday. So I don't know. I have cut down on the Fast Food. I haven't had a soda since Friday, and before that Tuesday or Wednesday. Well here goes then.

My weight at the time I weighed this morning: 218


edit- Due to operators error My starting weight is wrong. It should be 220

An Interesting New Show Premiered Tonight...................

America’s Port provides an unblinking view of this vibrant and colorful nerve center for global trade—the Port of Los Angeles. Get an inside look at this massive complex and the intrepid individuals charged with keeping it running smoothly and securely 365 days a year. It’s a dynamic and dangerous 24/7 operation.
-America's Port Blog


Okay, maybe I am a little biased. I watched this show tonight and it was great. If you have The National Geographic Channel. This show is going to be on regularly on Mondays at 10pm Eastern, 7pm Pacific. Then repeat at 1am ET and 10pm PT.

A Sad Note.............

A bulletin from the ILWU. It is never good to see someone killed on the job. It just goes to show that Longshoremen have one of the most dangerous jobs.

LONGSHORE WORKER KILLED AT PORT OF LONG
BEACH PORT; TERMINAL OPERATIONS HALTED

(LONG BEACH, CA) Cargo handling at one of the terminals at America's second busiest port
ground to a halt on Friday following the dockside death of Carlos Rivera, 73, a longshore worker
with more than 40 years experience on the waterfront.
“Longshore work is dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be deadly,”said Joseph Cortez, Local 13
President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) that represents over
15,000 longshore workers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
More than a dozen longshore workers have been killed on the west coast during the past six years.
This is the second fatality in Southern California since 2005.
“This tragedy affects the entire ILWU family,” said Cortez. “Carlos came in to the industry with
me.”
Rivera was working against a ship at the California United Terminal (CUT) at the Port of Long
Beach when he was struck and killed. Details on the cause of death are being investigated.
Union leaders met Friday with officials of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the Port of
Long Beach, and California United Terminals (CUT). The union is seeking an immediate
investigation of the death and will halt cargo handling at the CUT facility in Long Beach for 24
hours.
The union is currently negotiating a new contract with the Pacific Maritime Association that
covers 25,000 longshore workers at 29 west coast ports in California, Oregon and Washington.
The union is seeking stronger safety provisions to curb more than one-dozen fatalities that have
occurred during the current contract which began on July 1, 2002 and expires this July 1.

ILWU bulletin April 4, 2008 For Immediate Release

Hey Scoscia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QUIT PLAYING ROBB QUINLAN! Seriously he sucks. Kotchman is a big boy he can handle lefties or don't you pay attention to the games. Especially on opening night. How insulting to bench your starter on the first home game of the season. If you are gonna bench somebody make it Anderson I can't think of a single Angel fan who wants this hack playing.

OH NOOOO! Wait This Has A Happy Ending....................

Seinfeld unhurt after Hamptons car wreck

Thu Apr 3, 8:51 AM ET (AP)

Jerry Seinfeld was in a harrowing rollover wreck but was unhurt after the brakes on one of his vintage cars failed.

Seinfeld was driving alone when the brakes on his 1967 Fiat BTM stopped working Saturday evening, East Hampton Town Police Chief Todd Sarris told the New York Post. Seinfeld tried the emergency brake, to no avail, and then swerved to keep the car from careening into an intersection, Sarris said.

The two-door sedan flipped over and came to a stop just yards from the highway, Sarris said, adding that the comic's maneuver "probably avoided a very serious accident."

The wreck was attributed to mechanical failure, and no summonses were issued, Sarris said. Seinfeld, 53, did not require medical attention and returned to his East Hampton home.

"He was a little shocked when he walked in and it started to dawn on him what happened," said his wife, Jessica.

The comedian took the crash in stride.

"Because I know there are kids out there, I want to make sure they all know that driving without braking is not something I recommend, unless you have professional clown training or a comedy background, as I do," Seinfeld said. "It is not something I plan to make a habit of."

The sitcom star, who co-wrote, co-produced and starred in last year's animated "Bee Movie," is an auto aficionado. He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in November that his favorite car in his collection is a 1955 Porsche Spyder.

Credited to Associated Press

Why?????????????

"It seems that NBC prez Ben Silverman is still invested in the series that put him in the map: The Peacock net has ordered an Office spinoff, set to premiere this winter in the 9:30 slot after the original series.

Mmmm...no wonder they didn't have room for Scrubs (which, by the way, is entirely MIA from NBC's new schedules for 2008-09). According to the Hollywood Reporter, the series would launch as an episode of the original U.S. Office, and then go out on its own.

We're working on answering these burning questions:

• Would any of The Office writers (Greg Daniels, Mike Schur, Paul Lieberstein) move over to the new series? • Would it be a Dunder-Mifflin branch elsewhere in the Rust Belt or maybe a whole new industry in a whole new place? • Would the new series poach any cast faves from The Office? (Keep your paws off Stanley!) • Who will be our new Pam and Jim? • Any chance this is too much of a good thing, like those hour-long installments of The Office earlier this year? Or is this another great element of Comedy Night Done Right?"

-Yahoo!

Why? This is the problem with TV today. Or more so Entertainment. They have a great Idea Then they decide that they are going to make more of something just to make money. I love "The Office- An American Workplace" just as much as "The Office." But if you take away any part of the ensemble then the rest just fall flat. And if they start a whole new industry or company can we take another Michael Scott or David Brent for that matter? Are we gonna have another Tim/Jim, Dawn/Pam type thing going on? What about Gareth or Dwight? It may be funny but the greed of these people. What ever happened to letting things end while they still have some dignity? I would have suggested that "The Office- AAW." should have ended after the third season. As much as I love it I don't want to get tired of it. They should have done three seasons and then like the original series have a Christmas Special or something to tie up the loose ends. That is why the British have much better television. They don't overkill. People start losing interest after the third season usually. And in some cases the writing loses some of the spark that helped a series become great. I see this happening with The Office. The storylines are starting to become strained. This is also happening in other series currently on. ER- How many times can your Emergency Room explode. Come on already end it, you have no dignity left. 24- I used to love watching 24 but the series is the same thing every season. Then there are shows killed before their time. Arrested Development is one that comes to mind. It had the opportunity to be brilliant for a couple more seasons. Firefly- Who knows how great this show could have been. I am not saying that I won't watch a spin-off of The Office, but I will be very skeptical of it.

It Is only Game Two Of The Season And Already We Have A Coach Going Nuts...........

But to his defense he was tossed for a very stupid reason. You know what that was? He was out of the Coaching Box at third base. Yep you read that right. Who coaches from that box. No one. Well I have the only video I could find of it.




They don't show what happened when he got back to the dugout. He tossed the water cooler.