You can forget out future plans/Night touch my hand with the turning Golden Skans

Articulate Articles
Gardenhire Deciding Lineup
Pioneer Press – Phil Miller
Star Tribune – La Velle E. Neal III and Joe Christensen

Well, it is getting closer and closer and that means I am getting more and more impatient for it to just start already, damn it.
I caught the rebroadcast of the Diamond Awards on FSN. I gotta tell you, the montages really suck me in and tear me up (as in crying like a baby.)
So, on Thursday, February 28 at noon the first Spring Training game kicks off against The Reds.

Non-baseball but no less important

Concert Calendar
2/27 – Foo Fighters!
5/2 – Bob Schneider @ Fine Line (hubba hubba)
5/3 – Kate Nash @ First Ave

Linked, for your pleasure
The Current
89.3 The Current is the newest addition to Minnesota Public Radio; mind you it is at least three years old. In my section of the Land O’Cubicles we listen to this station all day long and it rocks. Where else can you hear the Klaxons, Kate Nash, Tupac, Vicki Lawrence, Dolly Parton and Count Basie? No where’s, that’s where!
89.3 The Current
For great live in-studio performances check out their You Tube page!
MOD
Speaking of the Klaxons, I don’t believe I have ever uttered their name in this blog. Shame on me. The Klaxons were introduced to me by a friend’s ex-boyfriend (who shall be called Schmike) and he could have easily been the president of the Americans for The Klaxons Fan Club.
Here are a couple links:
The Klaxons – Golden Skans
The Klaxons – It’s Not Over Yet

And the Oscar goes to…
Last night I went over to Tiff’s house for the Monday Night Happy Hour Oscar Party. Let me summarize with my favorite bullet points (Arial font, size 9)
· George Clooney needs to whiten his teeth
· George Clooney met his current girlfriend when she was a cocktail waitress at the Palms Casino in Vegas, a la Harlequin Romance Novel Plot.
· Even after watching her on the Barbara Walters special, we all hate Miley Cyrus (or Destiny Hope if ya’ll is feeling trashy.) Sorry to all the Hannah Montana lovers.
· Javier Bardem is hawt! (again with the teen lingo)
· I know somebody cares but did do we really need two separate awards for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing?
· Ooooh baby, when James McAvoy was presenting and speaking with his gorgeous accent the whole room melted.
· Jon Stewart is funny.
· I feel vindicated about “Falling Slowly” from the film Once winning best original song!!! I have been touting this film and soundtrack for a looooong time.
· Vegan Joe thinks Marketa Irglova from Once is pretty.
· Anne Hathaway is flawless
· We don’t like Penelope Cruz but we don’t know why.
· We were obsessed with Daniel Day-Lewis’ wife’s hideous broach and red bowties.
· Diablo Cody was a breath of fresh-fashion air!
· I am a bit confused to why some famous people were at the Oscars (P.Diddy, Miley Cyrus, The Rock)
· Jennifer Garner has to be Best Dressed!
· Jennifer Hudson…uh…yeah…no.
· Viggo Mortensen needs to get rid of the crazy facial hair!
· Renee Zellweger is scary

Hell no, we won’t go
Three floors down from me, on street-level, there are about a dozen people walking in circles with picket-signs. I can’t see what the hell they are picketing for but I wish they could keep their chanting to a dull roar. Seriously, it is all I can hear and it is making me mental. Mental, I tell you! Shit, one of the strikers has a ten-gallon pickle bucket that he is beating on like a drum. Y’ar.
Update: Now someone has two cooking pot lids and is banging them like cymbals. Son of a…

Yo Frodo, what you doin’ wearing the ring’/All powerful jewelry, is that your new thing’

Rumor?
SBG posted yesterday that the Mariners are interested in Hi Ho Silva “The Chief” and the numbers being thrown around are four years for $44 million.

Introductions
Low and behold, I have added a few new links to my sidebar in hopes of giving props to the right kind of people.

Jeff Shreve – displaced MN Twins fan (with devilishly good taste in music)
Babes Love Baseball
Yeah, Buddy
K-Bro’s Blog
Win Twins
And a special shout out (man, I hate that term) to Curlz of Curlz & Curveballs to give her a gentle reminder to update her damn blog.

Non-Baseball News

Musica Musica
* My top new band found in 2007, Travis, is set to record a new album in February
* Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes) is playing two “on the down-low” concerts December 29 and 30 at the 400 Bar. What’s the hush-hush all about?
* Foley, Snake, Patrick and I will be rocking out at the Foo Fighters in February
* Wednesday night is a big line up at First Avenue with Belfast Cowboys, Romantica and Stook. To quote the Clash, will I stay or will I go?
* You can sample The Feelings brand (spanking) new single at their Myspace page. It is pretty damn catchy.
* The local publication, The City Pages posted The Year in Music 2007.
* Any Mika fans out there? I am debating whether or not to go to his show in February (Feb 6, First Ave.) and I am curious to know if anyone has seen him before and recommends his live show. I just haven’t heard much from him except one song, which I liked.
* Night of Southern Rock with Marshall Tucker Band, Georgia Satellites and Atlanta Rhythm Section is playing in January at the Hinckley Casino. Throw in a little .38 Special and I am so there.
* I am currently listening to the NPR: Live Concert Podcast of Art Brut and just realized that I love them.

Video Advent Calendar – 5 more days until Christmas Eve (when I celebrate with my family)
So thanks to one of my co-workers in our San Fran office, I found out about this show on HBO called Flight of the Conchords. I just rented the first season on DVD which made me laugh out loud. The video below is in honor of Vegan Joe.

Flight of the Conchords – Frodo, Don’t Wear the Ring

When Baseball Bloggers Attack!

Well, we really didn’t attack or anything but we met-up.

Last night was a quadruple threat of the female baseball bloggers at the Dome. Besides myself there was Third Base Line, Curlz and Curveballs (although Curveballs is a boy) and Karleeee from OMG MN Twins.

I met up with Third Base Line to enjoy my last game of the season. I can safely say that she is as cool, witty, sarcastic and basebally (I know it isn’t an actual word) in person as she projects in her blog. We talked of many things including baseball (shocker, eh), tattoos, pink jerseys, Mrs. Joe Mauer shirts, The Levelers (see, I remembered), vegetarian food, beer, more music, the wave, being granola, a smidge of politics and the fact Punto is batting .209.

Can I pick ‘em or what? Last night’s game was fantastic. There was mystery, intrigue, saves, wins, homeruns, my fave blue uniforms, jeering, mocking and it ended with a sweep. This series put the “fun” back into basefunball.

T-shirt of the game: A girl wearing a homemade “I’m Nuddy for Cuddy” t-shirt.

Dear Curlz/Risa,
I do forgive you for hanging up on me in order to take photos of Guerrier. I would really, really forgive you if you share photos and/or stories, especially of meeting with Barty (shallow, I know.)

Dear Amy,
I hope you enjoy your new office water glass that once held my Diet Coke. I felt that it was fate stepping in which provided me with a Morneausey cup. I think it is a sappy and fitting end to the season.

Ah baseball. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Great Games!
What a great weekend of baseball. Even the fact we lost on Sunday did not detract from the greatness of Baker. Friday we spanked Los Tigres and Baby Jesus got a Grand Slam. However, it did take a barter with the Baseball Gods that if Baby Jesus got some runs in I would cease to mock him being the Hometown Hero for the rest of the roadtrip. So, thanks a lot Baby Jesus.

Baseball Blogging Meet-n-Greet
Saturday a few of the local baseball bloggers met at the Park Tavern to watch the game. I decided to crash the party in order to watch the game with knowledgeable fans. Some of my favorite blogs that I read were represented at the event.

All-Star Rant
I know, I know. It has all been said already and my fellow cubicle-dwellers are sick of me bitching but… What the hell happened? Santana, Morneausey and Hunter are representing the Twins for the AL team but they were not picked by fans. Risa at Curlz and Curveballs (http://www.curlzandcurveballs.blogspot.com/) pretty much covered my rant but I am going to re-state it anyways. Ortiz as first baseman? Why is the DH put at first base? To Amy’s point, that is one of the toughest spots of the field. He has played that position like five times this season. Do the fans not realize that this is still a baseball game? That if they want the American League to win they should vote for a great player? Hey, I know. Why don’t we put the reigning AL MVP, who happens to be a first baseman at the spot? Uh, no thanks, lets put the guy who hits a lot of homeruns but isn’t a defense player. Thanks fans. Okay, before I get too ghetto and take out my hoop earrings I am going to move on.

Yankees or Bust
I have come to the conclusion that the reason the Yankees are a lot of peoples arch-nemesis is not because of the players but mostly because of the media and maybe Steinbrenner. They are America’s team. Even my friends in Tromso, Norway ask for Yankees t-shirts (they had also wanted the “My Governor can beat up your governor” t-shirts when Jesse Ventura was elected.) Anyways, we are starting a four-game stand at Yankee Stadium with Clemens the first pitcher we face. I feel a little tension going into this game and I believe it is affecting my work. All I want to do is read, compare, study, and analyze the stats. I guess we’ll see what happens in the real world of baseball tonight at 6:05 p.m. I may have to leave my happy hour early in order to catch the game. Man, my friends are totally going to mock me.

Randomly random
By the way, anyone else getting nervous about baseball ending too soon?
It is officially half way through the season now and I have been remembering what late October felt like. November, December, January, February and part of March were dull, boring and slightly depressing.

How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Sonnets from the Portuguese, XLIII

In which I rant about the lack of female baseball fans...

Where have all the female baseball fans gone?

With Batgirl gone that only leaves me and one other baseball blog to read that is written with a female perspective…Third Base Line. Come on ladies! Step it up! I sit in a cubicle all day defending my baseballness to the men around me. It is like the glass ceiling of baseball. If I can do it, anyone can!

On that note
I heard through the grapevine (actually from Stacy who heard it from Risa) that there was a Baseball Blogging Luncheon event. *clears throat* And why wasn’t I invited? Anyways, it seems like there were very few ladies represented at that event. *shakes head sadly* That’s it! I am making it my personal mission to become more active in the baseball blogging community (hey, at least it isn’t World of Warcraft, or WoW as my nerdy co-workers call it.)

Back to baseball
Last nights game was fantastic! Was it because they won? Was it because I saw some bats connecting? Was it because our defense rocked the dingy grey roof? I believe it was all of the above. Slowey is starting to build a rep of being solid and deliverable. Red (Redmond) is reliable for some base hits. Castillo is probably our safest bet. Barty looks good at bat (that is the shallow or lipgloss part of the blog.) Baby Jesus (Mauer) is trying to find his groove. Hunter made another highlight reel worthy play and a great hit. Cuddy showed off his cannon. Morneausey was honored as a Canadian (there was a flag and an embassy thing.) The only people I don’t have a smartass comment about are Punto and Lewwwwww Ford. End result: Twins won!