"Your writing reminds me of Howard Cosell"
That was in my inbox this morning. Was it a jab? I think it was meant to be, but since I mostly liked Howard, "tell(ing) it like it is," I didn't take it as one. Howard was a complex person, and a lot of people didn't "get" him, but he left no doubt with anyone about his point of view. And he knew what he was talking about. Unfortunately, he was also a hypocrite, as he revealed in his autobiography where he repeatedly bit the hands that fed him. But he more or less singlehandedly rescued Muhammad Ali's fate from that of a reviled, misunderstood draft dodger to American cultural icon. Those things cancel each other out as far as I'm concerned.

HowEVah, I have deDUCEd that the viTUPerative remark was not aimed at any perceived hyPOCrisy on my part, but rathah the comPLEXity of the SENtence structure that I sometimes employ, and the FONDness I have for empurpled RHEToric...

I don't deliberately wish to be hard to follow, but I'm not a sixth grader, and I'm not writing for sixth graders. I like the complexities of language. I think, and write, with an enriched vocabulary. So there! PFFFFFFT! Neener neener neener

And, SPEAKing of sports, I'm soon off to Fenway Park where I will watch my "adopted, casual, jump on the bandwagon" Red Sox take on my "raised in Chicago, fan from the Richie Zisk and Jorge Orta days, doomed to a lifetime of agonizing over every bridesmaid season" White Sox. And I'll be going back tomorrow for the afternoon game. It won't be easy. I've no problem riding along with Red Sox Nation because I live here, I like it here, I like baseball and hate the Yankees... but I just can't do that when Boston is playing the White Sox. Sorry. Hope you understand. And please don't throw any beer or nine-volt batteries at me.

If the White Sox manage to hold on to their division (looking less likely), and the Red Sox manage to get the wildcard (looking more likely), these guys are probably going to square off in the playoffs. If that happens, don't mind me. I'll be staying in Canada until November. 2:40:35 PM    comment []trackback []  

And The Things They Wrote
[First Draft by Tim Porter] Tim's one of the best ombudsmen-at-large I've come across on the wonderful wonderful Web. If you were like me on Thursday, you ducked and covered rather than chance the media onslaught of Nine Eleven Remembered (insert whirling flag graphic and pensive production music here). From that massive excretion of journalistic sludge, Tim has panned out a few flecks of gold and has links to them. 1:38:52 AM    comment []trackback []  

Porno in the passing lane
Note to the driver of the Nissan Quest with CT plates trundling north on I-91 tonight... did you notice the cars backed up behind you? Did you know that, at night, those mini TVs can be seen fairly well from outside the vehicle?

I don't want to know who was in your backseat, watching that threesome. Just make sure they didn't accidentally put that DVD in the Toy Story case, or your kids are going to soon have a lot of questions I don't think you're clever enough to answer. 12:22:31 AM    comment []trackback []