Catcher A Go Go

So the Cubs trade for an arbitration-elligible catcher 4 days prior to the tender deadline. This is a guy, Michael Barrett, who can't even hit as well as the existing platoon of Miller/Bako. I have no idea where Hendry is going with this one. Ideally, you'd love to see Barrett, who can also play 1st and 3rd, sign for about $3.0mm over 2 years. Miller goes to the A's and Bako gets non-tendered. Hendry then goes out and gets Pudge or Roid Boy Lopez to be the main man.

Even MORE ideally, you'd like to see Miller and Barrett as your two guys at backstop and STOP ALL THIS CATCHER FUTZING! Get in on the A Rod deal. Once A Rod goes to Boston, send A Gonz to Texas and take back Nomar. Miller/Nomar vs. A Gonz/Pudge-or-Javy? No contest with Pudge at 35 and Javy all THG'd.

Geek Boy Day

On the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight, geeks from 10 to 50 finally get to visuallize Gollum chomping Frodo's finger and doing a Christopher Lloyd into a pool of lava. Now, I am looking forward to seeing the movie, probably next week. But these movies have been in the "very good" category for me and not the "oh my gawd!" area. There's just so little emotional ressonance to the films. Fellowship had a few moments (the end of the Moria sequence was very emotional), but there were very few in Towers. Other than the Schitzo Gollum scene, the movie was almost devoid of any real tension. Cool to look at, but no one ever felt in danger. The horror of the Eye and the closeup shots of it from Fellowship have been replaced by wide shots of the eye on top of a tower in the second film. Not scary. The weight of the Wraiths and the size and filth of their horses is replaced by wide shots of the wraiths on black CGI dragons in the second film. Also not scary.

Moreover, LOTR has one tremendous flaw. The survival of the good guys turns on the destruction of the Ring. If the Ring survives, Evil wins. It's that simple. Therefore, all the battles are MEANINGLESS! If the good guys win the battles, but Sauron gets the ring, they lose anyway. And if the good guys lose the battles, but Frodo succeeds in destrying the ring, game over! I always hated that about the stories since I realized that back in junior high.

Still, I am looking forward to seeing it. But at 200 minutes and no intermission, no Cokes before or during!