Ramblings
April 30, 2004
April 27, 2004
Zakim skatepark
There's a proposal for a $1.1 million 40,000 square foot skatepark to be built under the Zakim bridge.
"It's definitely going to put the city of Boston on the map of skateboarding," said Jon Evjy, 21, who works at a Commonwealth Avenue skate shop called the Underground.Naturally, I assumed that bikes would not be allowed in this new park. However, there might be some hope, since a member of the design committee is a BMXer:
It could draw thousands of skaters and BMX bike riders from around the country, sparking tournaments and national attention. Jody Stoddard, 34, a BMX rider and member of the conservancy's design committee, said he's taken road trips to skate parks in Toronto and upstate New York, and can see Boston becoming an East Coast skater haven.Only time will tell. (Also, time will tell if the park eventually becomes a level in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 6...)
Labels: bmx
April 26, 2004
The view from the Bronx
There's a good Yankees-eye view of what went down this weekend over at Bronx Banter -- check it out. In addition to some coverage of the weekend games, there's some commentary about idiot fans on both sides:I don't know who is worse: the Yankee fans or the Red Sox fans. I've said this before, but I think they deserve each other. They are the two most self-aggrandizing, insufferable groups of fans you can find in the sport. When the Yankees beat the Sox, Yankee fans become shameless, entitled front-runners, rubbing tired slogans in the faces of the Sox fans. When the Sox beat the Yankees, Sox fans act as if the victory is a triumph of all that is moral and good, over all that is evil.The only problem is that the people that read his site tend to be intelligent people who don't fall into the "bad fan" category. I can't wait for all the "Yankees suck" and "Red Sux" crap to go away, though realistically I know it won't be for a while...
Labels: redsox
April 21, 2004
Who's Rance?
This is sort of old news, but I'm linking to it anyway. A mysterious celebrity blogger named Rance ("rants") is rumored to be Owen Wilson. Whoever it is, the site is an entertaining read by someone "in the industry" (Hollywood, that is). Have at it...
April 20, 2004
Zompist Phrasebook
If you're going to be travelling abroad, you might want to print out this phrasebook if you think you'll need to say things like "Don't 'imperialist pig' me, my good man" and "Are all of your jails this filthy?" (If you plan to use it, you might want to wear one of these shirts...)
[phrasebook link via kottke]
[phrasebook link via kottke]
April 19, 2004
Chapman Jinx?
The Red Sox took 3 of 4 games from the Yankees this weekend, and of course the game we went to was Sunday's loss. As a matter of fact, the Sox have lost every game we've gone to see this year (three at Fenway plus one spring training). While I don't believe in the "Curse of the Bambino," I'm starting to think there might be some kind of "Chapman Jinx."
Labels: redsox
April 14, 2004
kieranchapman.net on My Yahoo
If you're a regular user of My Yahoo, you can add the latest headlines from this site to your My Yahoo page. Just click the button below:
April 12, 2004
New site style available
A while back I added a stylesheet switcher to this site so I could offer mutiple designs. Not that you really care -- it's more of an exercise & creative outlet for me.
That said, I added another style to this site -- Green Box -- now available in the "Site Style" sidebar. While I don't think it's 100% done, if I waited for it to be perfect I'd never put it out there...
That said, I added another style to this site -- Green Box -- now available in the "Site Style" sidebar. While I don't think it's 100% done, if I waited for it to be perfect I'd never put it out there...
April 6, 2004
Searchin' Safari
The other day I wanted to find a bookmark I had made in Safari, but I couldn't find it. I wished I could do a search for it, or at least list my bookmarks alphabetically. I couldn't do either.
Turns out you can search for bookmarks, as I found out here:
Go to menu->Bookmarks->Show All Bookmarks. Then, do Edit->Find. You get the usual "Find" dialog box, which usually finds text on web pages. But now, since the the front window is your bookmarks, it searches your bookmarks -- both the names and the URLs.(Also, if you still want to alphabetize your bookmarks, try SafariSorter.)
"Instant Red Sox history"
Bambino's Curse has a great post today. It's on the long side, but worth the read (if you're a Sox fan). If I may second-hand quote from it:
I really think fans of most teams, in most sports, can probably recite their own unique litany of failure and pain -- Red Sox fans aren't that special. What is unique is that since 1986 that precise emotional vibe has been exploited and marketed to make money. And too many Sox fans (and way, way too many casual fans here and elsewhere, and an absolutely obscene number of know-nothing broadcasters) have gobbled it up because it goes down quick and easy and seems to explain everything. It's instant Red Sox history, antiseptic, without having to deal with the real nasty stuff, like racism and incompetence.
Labels: redsox
April 5, 2004
Yeardley Smith on Here & Now
Yeardley Smith -- the voice of Lisa Simpson -- is interviewed on Here & Now, discussing working on The Simpsons and her off-Broadway show. Plus, hear Lisa read a Kleenex box!
Labels: tv
April 2, 2004
Sox Bashing
I know Red Sox-bashing is in vogue in the baseball world, but every year it gets more and more out of control. It's happening all over again ... in fact, it's happening even more than usual as the team gets better. I can't wait for the Sox to win it all, just to put an end to all this bullshit.
The people who talk about the "Curse of the Bambino" are not Red Sox fans, but the media (and with the exception of Dan Shaughnessy, most aren't from Boston). Just watch Fox or ESPN any time they broadcast a Red Sox-Yankees game and count the curse references. (That might be a decent drinking game...) Here's a fact for you non-Sox fans caught up in the "curse" hype: We don't talk about it. We don't think about it. We don't believe in it. It's just something lazy sportcasters and sporswriters use as a crutch instead of reporting real stories and analysis.
On a related note, the new thing to do besides bash the "pathetic" Red Sox is to pity the Cubs. And it's usually Yankee fans/writers doing this. In fact, Frank Deford was particularly condescending to Cubs fans in this article:
I like the Cubs fans better. They go out and accept defeat the way they always have, with that grace that comes with resignation.As someone commented at Bambino's Curse:
If I were a Cubs fan, I'd be pissed off. It sounds so condescending coming from a Yankees fan (assuming he is one...he sure sounds like one): "Why can't Red Sox fans be more like Cubs fans? They just lose quietly and go away."Let the season begin!
Well f*** you, Frank Deford. If the Sox have to be a pain the Yankees' side while George tries to buy another World Series, so be it. Sorry if the Sox won't lie down and let the Yankees pass on by, like the Cubs allegedly would do if they were in the AL East.
April 1, 2004
Bush vs. Letterman
Check out a damn funny clip from David Letterman -- "George W. Bush Invigorating America's Youth" -- and Dave's reaction to the White House calling the video a fake. Links to both videos available here at k10k.
Labels: politics
Syndicated RSS Feeds
