those witty philly writers

This made me laugh, from today's Philly.com article on the NL wildcard "race":

The best thing about the Phillies' position is that they will have no excuses if they can't find a way to win this thing. The things that have gone wrong this season - the losses of Jim Thome and Randy Wolf, the continued availability of David Bell - have already happened.

Eagles XL - 01

Philadelphia Eagle's coach John Harbaugh, on week one's special teams debacle:

"They're tough, hard-nosed guys who like football," Harbaugh said of his green coverage and return players.

He said that after he's had time to reflect, to gain perspective, "I can live with guys running down there and overplaying a wedge and not knowing where the ballcarrier is in the first preseason game," though seeing it happen right in front of you, the returner streaking down the sideline "is like getting gutted."

That was what happened on the kickoff return, Harbaugh said - his wedge-busters took their task much too literally.

"Our young guys ran down there and crushed the wedge, I mean they just knocked the snot out of the wedge," Harbaugh said. "Totally oblivious to the ballcarrier."

no matter about three special teams gaffes leading to 21 points - 14 before the defense had even stood on the carpet - at least they destroyed that wedge!

why are men so cranky?

well, the sexist question was asked, so the sexist answer must be offered:

men are so cranky because God made women. They delight the eyes, gladden the heart and quicken the feet; but then, we still can't see our peril, and that just makes the cliff approach faster...

(The other possibility would be sleep deprivation. At least, that will put me over the edge.)

when harry met sally

I saw a real-life sally in action at the lunch line today.

As I was waiting for my sandwich, this guy walked up to the order-taker-dude and started asking him about their process for ordering potato chips, "because I prefer the plain ones, but they don't seem to have the plain ones in small bags. I even called Frito Lay's distribution center..." I thought, 'sheesh, this guy really likes those chips'. But then it got better (or worse): when his number was called, he asked the serve-dude "Did you cut it diagonally? Yes? Then I don't want it. You have to cut it straight, or the sandwich becomes inedible..."

I thought of asking him if he wanted the crust cut off...

internet confessional

This is not altogether accurate. I wouldn't be watching Star Trek.

Your Deadly Sins

Sloth: 60%

Gluttony: 20%

Wrath: 20%

Envy: 0%

Greed: 0%

Lust: 0%

Pride: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 14%

You will die with your hand down your underwear, watching Star Trek.

How Sinful Are You?

those crazy Italians

This public urinal was located along one of the main pedestrian thoroughfares near where I lived in Genoa

more protestations of love

I have just returned from seeing Star Wars. It is easily the best of the three, but is in the unfortunate position of carrying the baggage of the first two. I nominate the scene with Annakin and Padme on the balcony for Best Love Scene Ever:

A: You are so beautiful!
P: It's because I'm so in love in you.
A: No, it's because I'm in love with you!
P: Are you saying you're blinded?
A: well.. I didn't exactly mean it like that..

All righty then! I guess that goes into storage for that hopeful someday when I get to sweep a lovely gal off her feet with words that plumb the depths of my soul's love..

flushing the Quran

From the Associated Press:

Anti-American sentiment is running high in the Mideast because of a variety of factors, including a now-retracted report in Newsweek that Pentagon investigators had found evidence interrogators at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, placed copies of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, in washrooms to unsettle suspects and flushed a Quran down a toilet.

``We in principle don't reject anyone's visit to the Al Aqsa Mosque (compound), but we see in the visit of Mrs. Bush an attempt to whitewash the face of the United States, after the crimes that the American interrogators had committed when they desecrated the Quran,'' the militant Islamic Hamas group said in a statement on its Web site.

I have to admit that I can't understand why this story is significant. Sure, on the one hand, it seems remarkable to me that interrogators could be so stupid, after all that has transpired with allegations of American mistreatment of militant Arabs; and if Newsweek reported this story errantly, then shame on them; and if they didn't then shame on them doubly for bowing to political pressures to recant; and so on, and so on... between the American media and the Bush White House, is there any way of ever knowing the truth about these things?

But, then, on the other hand: why don't these Muslims grow up? Is their religion so shaky that they have to throw a tantrum anytime anyone in the entire world ever says or does anything remotely critical of or demeaning to it? I'd like to know the statistics on the number of Christian scriptures and churches being desecrated every year. I'm certain the number is quite high. What's more, I'd like to know how many times these acts are perpetrated by the very people raising this fuss!

Of course the desecration of Christianity is not newsworthy because of the political and spiritual bias that determines newsworthiness. But I'm not concerned about getting press, and for one simple reason: our God is the true and living God, and Jesus Christ is his beloved Son. His is the only name in heaven and on earth by which all mankind must be saved. And all others - Mohammed included - are usurpers and liars.

Go ahead and burn our Bibles; destroy our temples - for we know they shall be raised again imperishable. And then Christ will be revealed in us, and all that was of the world will be exposed as fraud and rebellion, and finally judged by him who owns the keys to heaven and hell.