Articles for October 21st, 2010
ESPN Columnist Suggests Rangers GM Jon Daniels Harbors Hopes of Escape to New York
There’s been speculation that the New York Metropolitans, who are looking for a new general manager, have designs on Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels. After the initial rumors, most reports have indicated that he’s probably not going anywhere and that ownership is looking to give him a contract extension after this season in which the Rangers find themselves – as of this blogging – one win from the World Series.
I’ve been a regular reader of ESPN.com columnist Rob Neyer for more than a decade, at least. Sensible fellow that Neyer. While he’s a sabermetric sort, I appreciate his willingness to admit when perhaps the old-school approach to winning baseball games has some merit. Accent on the some – I think he’s dead right about Ron Washington in the ALCS.
However, today he saw fit to suggest that someone like Daniels, who grew up in New York, probably would jump at the chance to get back to his hometown:
I’ve known people who grew up in the Northeast and wound up, for one reason or another, in the Midwest or in Texas. And I can tell you that most of them harbor thoughts about going home, where they can take the subway and it’s not hard to find a real bagel and pizzas don’t taste like cardboard topped with spaghetti sauce.
OK, so maybe he’s right about the bagels.  But all our pizza tastes like cardboard? Hogwash. Here’s Exhibit A.
Bush Artifacts on Display at SMU
The pistol taken from Saddam Hussein upon his capture in Iraq was a 9mm Glock. The bullhorn W brandished during his first visit to Ground Zero on Sept. 14, 2001, was a Fanon model. The former president autographed the baseball (photo by Jeanne Prejean) he used to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Game 3 of the 2001 World Series.
These are just a few of the objects you’ll see up close–and learn about–when SMU and the George W. Bush Presidential Center present a “teaser” exhibition about the fledgling center starting Saturday at SMU’s Meadows Museum. “There’s no word except ‘cool’  for some of these” artifacts, says Alan C. Lowe, director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library. The preview exhibit, intended to pump up interest in the Bush Center,  runs through Feb. 6.
Gawker: Kevin Jonas Puts His “Sex Castle” Up For Sale
Probably not altogether SFW, but this Gawker item about Kevin Jonas’ Westlake house going on the market is pretty funny. Sample: “There’s a temperature-controlled wine room, where naked revelers would go to slake their post-coital wine lust.”
Why I Hate Yankees Fans
Just a little something to tide you over till tomorrow. Again, here’s the guy who interfered with Nelson Cruz on that home run ball and then taunted him. All the guys seated around him seem similarly classy.
CLAW!
Yesterday, I Was Robbed By An Extremely Lazy Burglar
Last night, around 8:30, after a less than satisfying Rangers game and a slightly better dinner, I came home to find I had been robbed. The side door to my rented house, despite having double dead bolts and another lock on the knob, had been kicked in and a thief (or thieves, I guess, but I really can’t imagine this taking two people) made off with some of my stuff — a TV, a cheap Blu-ray player, my DIRECTV HD DVR box, and a 5-year-old iPod. All things considered, it could have been much worse.
For instance, the burglar did not take the Bose SoundDock the iPod was attached to. It’s several years old, too, but worth at least as much as the iPod — unless the person who took it likes the Descendents as much as I do. (I hope so!) I have a legitimately nice record player. That stayed. So did the speaker system for the TV, which, again, worth at least as much as the actual TV. Not a ton, but still. Maybe he saw how complicated it was to connect all that and was like, “I want to steal your stuff, not your headache, fella.” Which is fair.
The person, or persons, did take the time to rifle through my socks and underwear drawer, because I guess that’s where people stereotypically keep cash? I don’t know. Anyway, he only found a bunch of mismatched socks. For some reason, I guess he didn’t look down, because right below the dresser is my computer. Again, circa 2005, but worth something I would imagine.
It was pretty much the most confusing robbery I could think of. But maybe that’s the genius of it. Normally I would have cracked the case in an hour (or just enough time for the cops to show up — zing!) but the haphazard nature of the crime has me puzzled. Hmmm. Well, I’ll see you guys later. I need to spend the next three days in the Batcave analyzing smudged partial fingerprints and footprint casts. If you happen to see someone rocking out to “I’m the One” or “Clean Sheets,” let me know.
Things to Do in Dallas Tonight: Oct. 21
Right, so maybe things didn’t go exactly as planned for the Rangers’ last game in New York, and I suspect that might have killed a buzz or two yesterday afternoon. But you know what? This will just make tomorrow’s home-field victory that much sweeter. Go team!
My first piece of advice for you today has nothing to do with parties, concerts, or benefit lunches. Here’s a simple thing you can do to make the world a better place that doesn’t involve activism, volunteering, “movements,” or bike lanes. Smile at someone unfamiliar to you and ask how his or her day is going–and really listen to the answer. That, and call your mother. She worries.
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Leading Off (10/21/10)
1. The Friends of Katy Trail kicked off a safety awareness program yesterday. And some changes have already taken place on the trail with signage. But what about the users of the trail? Have they changed? A couple days after the accident, I remember complaining that it was almost as if nothing had happened. People were acting the same as always. But lately, I do feel like I hear “on your left” much more than I used to. I’ve noticed runners checking and double-checking before they make a lane change. Of course, I still see joggers stop in the middle of the trail to talk to one another, and I still see cyclists zoom around pedestrians. But I do think people are becoming more aware and being more cautious. Let’s hope this new attitude sticks.
2. A 32-year-old mother of three has stage III breast cancer. So her family made bracelets and t-shirts with the messages, “I Heart Boobies” and “Save the Ta Ta’s.” When her daughter wore these items to school, she was asked to change shirts and remove the bracelet. I gave the school the benefit of the doubt and thought maybe it was because there was a possessive in “Ta Ta’s,” and they were going to fix it. But it’s really because the items seemed “offensive and suggestive.” And now the mother has an extra battle to fight.
3. Oh, and I’ve officially joined the bandwagon. So though I’m mopey after last night’s lost, I’m also very optimistic about tomorrow’s game. So is this guy. Go Rangers!
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