The hysteria over the state of the Redskins is well-documented. It's even showing up in the New Yorker. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was enjoying it. Be sure to read the DC Sports Bog for the latest, including the recent move to crush dissent by making signs in the stadium verboten. They just want to make sure you don't get your eye poked out by posterboard! It's for YOUR safety!
Back in August I went to a Nats game and asked "What's up with the dude in the flourescent green bodysuit behind the Nats dugout?" He's everywhere, apparently.
Roger Ebert has an altogether sensible article on health care and the public option, asking that people think about someone other than themselves for once. Of course, the "I don't want my money going to help anyone else!" impulse is too strong in a lot of people.
This one's for Kanger: new kids' menu at Chipotle! In other fast food news, Col. Sanders shows up at the UN and wanders around for a bit. Sometimes just looking important will get you in anywhere.
"Tape is not the answer to all of life's problems."
U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker is my new hero, because he asks the gay marriage question that no one can answer.
A bit disappointing that this domino effect video is actually a pharmaceutical ad, but it's fun anyway.
Thanks to this DCist entry, I dug out Unrest's Perfect Teeth and listened to it on the way to work today. Jingjingjingajingajingjing, gimme 90's DC indie rock!
And lastly, sports: mascot overanalysis.
To paraphrase August, if the movie "Armageddon" happened for real right now, would Republicans root for the mission to fail and make Obama look bad? Indeed, they are the Party of No right now, and the Dems need to hammer that home.
Health care stuff: Roger Cohen on the underlying mindset that differentiates the debate in Europe vs. the US. This piece on health care trends in a small Maine town is a good companion to a piece I've linked to before on McAllen, Texas. And I find it somewhat curious that the same folks who say government is inherently incompetent and the free market is always the best way, also think it would be unfair to have a public option compete with private industry.
Follow-up on the earlier item on my record at Nats games: sure glad I'm not this guy, for whom the Nats went 0-19. If I'm doing my binomial distribution correctly, the odds of seeing at least 10 wins in 16 games with the Nats' home winning percentage is 6% or so. Elsewhere in NatsTown, we could definitely use more fans like the donkey guys. Also, the Nats continue to be the punching bag of choice for the Onion's sports page.
I haven't blogged much about the Nats this season, because... well, isn't it obvious? Hard to get excited when your team is busy losing 100+ games for the second year in a row. But here's the thing, looking back on it: the Nats were 10-6 in games I actually attended. Hard to believe I only saw six Nats losses in person; it certainly felt like more than that. But indeed, they had a .625 winning percentage when Carl was in the house, as opposed to their .407 home winning percentage or the .364 they posted for the year. Furthermore, it seems like they won a lot of games I thought about attending, but didn't for whatever reason.
So as I am fond of saying, one of the great things about baseball is that no matter how crappy your team is, there will be some bright spots, and I certainly saw some of those. I attended four walk-off wins (though I probably shouldn't count Zimmerman's home run on Sept. 6, as we left before the 9th--thanks kids!), and a super-rare Nationals complete game pitching performance (Martis on May 2). My game of the year, though, is probably the August 6 afternoon game against the Fish. I arrived late, and tweeted "Nothing like walking in late to find your team already down 6-0." Final: Nationals 12, Fish 8, which completed a sweep and was game 5 in the season-high 8-game winning streak.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go look for my Phillies hat.
Another week, another under-abundance of links. I enjoyed this video of the Twins' Joe Mauer evidently stealing signs. This kind of thing goes on a lot more than the casual fan thinks. I wonder if the guys in the booth failed to pick up on it, or just didn't want to acknowledge it. Also in the sports column, home run psychic in Seattle. And lastly, these street paintings are way cool.