Showing posts with label Steroids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steroids. Show all posts

Monday Musings...

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Monday, August 27, 2012 3 Of Your Sparks

Saw this interesting story in the Daily News yesterday.

I always presumed that, unfortunately, there would be harassment of women in the military. I didn't realize it would be in such large numbers and with so little regard for the women who serve our Country with their lives.

It is the kind of story I would have expected to read in the NY Times, but the Daily News does surprise me at times...of course, their sports coverage is heads and shoulders above the Times!


First Melky Cabrara and then Bartolo Colon suspended 50 games for PEDs. And of course there are some headlines that read "Two ex-Yankees caught cheating..." HA...As Dan Patrick said, if you are not a Yankee or ex-Yankee, you might be a future Yankee...


24 hour television and news and sports has resulted in a new occurrence...ratings whores (r.w.) disguised as 'reporters'.

Their goal is to find the best way to get their name - and in some cases, the name of their show - into the public eye as much as possible.

There one such person at a major sports network who does everything he can to 'go against the grain' when it comes to issues that have great divides.

He has taken a strong support position with a back-up quarterback in the NFL, while most experts feel he will never be more than he has been.

This past week, to spark some more publicity for himself and his mid-morning show, this r.w. put the name Jeter into the conversation of P.E.D.s.

Since Jeter is having a great season, and he is 38, and last season he struggled for the first half, that he must be juicing.

JETER? Really?...No seriously...REALLY?

OK, I am a Yankee fan and have had the honor of watching this young man play since he became a major leaguer...so, let's ask Mr. William C. Rhoden of the aforementioned N.Y. Times (wow...can't remember the last time I had two Times references in one day!). He appeared as a panelist on The Sports Reporters on that same major sports network as the r.w.

Yup....P-R-I-D-E!

And for the record..this was Jeter's stats for 2011
YEAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SO BA
2011 131 546 84 162 24 4 6 61 81 .297

It could be argued Jeter that 2010 was a worse year, but really it was only his BA that suffered.
YEAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SO BA
2010 157 663 111 179 30 3 10 67 106 .270

Guess what? This year he is back where he has been his whole career.  All he learned was he had to work harder in the winter to continue to excel as he gets older.  P-R-I-D-E

Sad how some people are always looking for ways to make a name for themselves especially at the expense of others.


Just an incredible week in Williamsport, PA where the world of Little League gathered for their World Series. Some phenomenal plays, wonderful sportsmanship and just a ton of smiles.

Congrats to the eventual winners, the team from Japan who took home the title...and to their US opponents, the team from Tennessee. They played an epic game against the team from California the day before. And thanks to all the kids who participated, the parents who did what was necessary to allow their sons to participate, to the thousands of volunteers who come together to make this a special experience. Did you know that the umpires selected to go to Williamsport are then responsible for all their expenses? And that if you asked any Little League umpire they would jump at the chance.

So cool the team from Uganda received the "Sportsmanship Award" this year.  First team from Africa to ever make it to Williamsport and they smiled their way through the whole event! And to top it off, they won a game.

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Birthday...Blistering Heat & Baseball

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Thursday, August 05, 2010 12 Of Your Sparks

Just a clarification from yesterday...the Bloggoversary date for The Couch is actually March 16th - which happens to be the wedding anniversary for Mom Joan and Dad Vince. Total coincidence that I began this blog on the anniversary of the day my parents married...



A BIG OLE MUSICAL BIRTHDAY GREETING
GOING OUT TO OUR BUD PHFRANKIE BONDO



Head over to his place and tell him Vinny sent ya...



104 with a heat index of 122 yesterday here in The Home Of The Blues & Birthplace Of Rock & Roll...

I am not one to complain about the heat...I prefer it over being cold (cold to me is anything less than 70 degrees - and YES, it is an age thing), but this is stifling.

Thankfully the humidity is only 44%, so I just close my eyes and tell myself I live in Arizona with the sparkly DESERT SONGBIRD of "The Ice Box".


So, Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run yesterday. This should have been a huge deal with a big celebration, but unfortunately after he admitted to doing PEDs while with Seattle and Texas it is more like the explosion made by a cap gun.

Maybe if he passes Barry Bonds for the most home runs ever it will be different, but I doubt it.

My sport is forever tainted by players trying to get an edge on others....and yet, there is more of an outrage when a baseball player is caught than is made about football and hockey players.

Those guys are still using PEDs, yet Congress bugs baseball.

Now to be clear, I think Congress should keep its nose out of it all together, so let's get that straight.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, May 08, 2009 23 Of Your Sparks


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

Have a great weekend for your birthday and for Mother's Day!



And to all of you Mom's out there...
May your special day be filled with family & love...



I am totally amazed that Manny Ramierez used the "I got something from the doctor, I did not know it was a banned substance" excuse.

Gee Manny, are the dreads causing your brain cells to shrink? After everything that has happened over the last few years why would ANY athlete ingest ANY medication from ANY doctor without finding out what it is, what it contains and whether or not it is banned by your professional sport?

Hell, bring it in to the team and ask the trainers. Bring it to the freakin' league office and ask them...

And how could this doctor, who has a huge client like this, be so lax?

So, the Dodgers loss his services for 50 days and Manny loses somewhere near $7,000,000.00 dollars!

My good bud Travis had something funny to say...his comment was "So that's why he wears that stoopid baggy uniform! He's hiding the body effects of being a drug cheat!"

A number of years ago Matt and a friend had to be in Baltimore for a Baseball Camp. The friend's dad and I went to an Orioles game and had seats in left field.

They were playing the Red Sox and Manny was in left field. The entire game he spent more time making sure his pant legs fell on his cleats than watching the game. I finally yelled at him "YO MANNY, THIS ISN'T A FASHION SHOW, DO YOUR JOB!"

At the end of the inning Manny actually turned around to look into the stands to see who was giving him grief.

Sorry the Dodger's are going to lose an offensive power, but maybe this is the final straw and the athletes will realize that what they put into their bodies should be monitored.


Exhausted, since I set the alarm in the room lost night and went to sleep. I rolled over at one point and wondered why I had only been asleep for 3 hours since the clock said 2:00am.

All of a sudden my cell phone rang. It was my sales person telling me we would meet downstairs. I asked, "What time is it?" and he said "It is 7:45am"

I was out of bed, in the shower and downstairs 10 minutes later...but the day has been hell since.

Have a fantastic weekend folks...

See y'all on Monday and sorry that I have not been around to visit.

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and more on the 'roids...

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Wednesday, February 11, 2009 12 Of Your Sparks

Well this trip ended up being better than last week. I am getting to come home a day early, but it meant a looooong day on Tuesday and I did not have internet access at the plant, so no visits to you once again...

I enjoyed all of the comments from yesterday's post. It really is interesting to see how many people are tired of the problems in baseball with performance enhancing drugs.

As I said in the comments, I really think I believe ARod's explanation - to a point.

I do believe he avoided the 'where did you get the drugs'? and the 'what drugs did you take'? questions to avoid bringing others into this mess. I believe his reply about GNC was made so as not to implicate his source for the drugs whether it was a fellow player or a trainer or a doctor he used.

As to what he used, I think that is a legal issue that, by avoiding the question, he can keep himself away from legal prosecution. Is it so wrong he did either of those? Well as far as the former, I believe I would also protect those who assisted in the acquisition of the drugs.

As to the later, well...I am not a lawyer, so it is hard for me to say.

Our friend TURNBABY of "And As The World Turns" made some excellent points that there has been other drug use in baseball for years. Amphetamines specifically have been in locker rooms for years. The little green pills were in candy bowls for use by players to get through the schedule that they endure.

As far as her comment that if it is all about the numbers, why is Pete Rose not in the Hall of Fame, well, the difference her is that Mr. Rose bet on baseball. He bet on his team when both a player and a manager - where he had the ability to influence the outcome of games.

Did you know that all players that participate in the World Baseball Classic are subjected to blood tests for HGH? That is correct kiddies. So that means in 2006 all the major leaguer's who played in that Tournament were tested for HGH. If that is the case, then MLB MUST begin taking blood and testing for that PHD this season. Then, along with the urine tests for 'roids, we can be assured that the players are clean.

Now, it seems Congressman Cummings of Maryland is now calling for an investigation and calling ARod in front of a committee. ummmmmm Congressman Cummings, have you forgotten that there are some real major problems in our country????

Have you decided you do not have enough TV face time???? WTF??!!?? Deal with our economy and keep your face out of baseball.

I do wonder why people are not as angered by the same drugs being used in football??? A few of you stated that football was more your sport or that you hated baseball players, but nothing about 400 pound defensive linemen in football...well folks, is it different?

OK, I am done on the subject...

Eight people have been arrested because someone took a cell phone picture of Michael Phelps toking on a bong. WTF??!!?? Come on...give me a break! The only two people who need to wear the STUPID label is Phelps for allowing his picture to be taken and the MORON who owned the bong and tried to sell it on eBay for $100,000.00!!!!!

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Ruby Tuesday...Creative Photo...'roids...

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Tuesday, February 10, 2009 23 Of Your Sparks

We have not participated in the Ruby Tuesday or Roger's Creative Photography in a while, but on Saturday as Nancy and I drove back home from Tupelo, we were blessed with this wonderful sky. I looked at her and said "Sure...today I don't have my camera!" Then I thought about it and whipped out my cellphone and snapped away.

Hope you enjoy it. I do not think this represents how blue the sky was, but it is fairly accurate. I did not manipulate the shot at all.

You can click on either banner to go check out the other entries.







Yesterday was a travel day and by the time I got to the hotel, dealt with work emails and whipped this up, I was exhausted and my back and legs were really bothering me - hey I promise I will stop talking about my pains -

So I did not visit any of you, but promise to today. I am sure TRAVIS of "Trav's Thoughts" has a bunch of thoughts about the new season of Dancing With The Stars...


So, ARod got caught and did the mea culpa thing...sigh...We lost the one guy I thought could push the others out of the record book.

It is sad...Baseball is about numbers. The other sports are about winning and losing. Baseball fans know what 300, 714, .400 mean. We know what constitutes a great player by their numbers.

In football, most do not know the individual records. In basketball and hockey, even fewer know. They are meaningless. Football players use 'roids, but no one really cares, because you want big guys on the field pounding each other. The other two sports are so under the radar people seem to not even care.

So, what do we do now? Does ARod admitting to using 'roids in three seasons put him in the "Please Do Not Enter" category for the Hall of Fame along with McGuire, Bonds, Sosa and Palmiero?

Does his coming clean (after the fact - was the Katie Couric interview his Clinton "I did not have sex with that woman" interview?), give him a pass some 10 years down the road...if his numbers stay the same does it change our feelings? If his numbers decline, do they change our feelings?

I am now joining the long line of sports host yelling for MLB to release the other 103 names. There is a list of 104 names from 2003 of players who failed the test. Why did MLB keep this list when it was supposed to be 'confidential'? Shows the stupidity of the whole front office that runs baseball. By putting all those names out there you do not only allow us to know who was using, more importantly, you let us know who was clean.

Did Gene Orza the #2 in the MLB Players Association actually tell players that they were about to be tested? The man has done some great things for the union...if he did this, he should be on the unemployment line tomorrow.

Baseball needs to institute blood testing for HGH and they need to do it TOMORROW...screw the "freedoms". If the MLBPA really cares for their clients they need to get on board.

The only way ARod gets in the Hall is if he continues his run of great numbers and agrees to be blood tested for HGH for the rest of his career.

Until MLB and the MLBPA and the players come clean with blood tests, Hank Aaron is the Home Run career leader and Roger Maris owns the season Home Run title. MY OPINION.

I think the only players that would surprise me if it came out that he was using the 'roids is Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols

Tell me it ain't so DJ...and AP....

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Complicated Shadows....

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Tuesday, February 12, 2008 12 Of Your Sparks



TIME TO DONATE SOME RICE TODAY!
<-----------------------------------------------
Build your vocabulary, feed the hungry...
 18,174,763,250 grains donated at this point...18 BILLION TOPPED!


Well, it looks like the Writer's Strike is over...Head writers returned to work yesterday and it appears their staff will begin coming back today or tomorrow...

What does it mean? Well, in a nutshell, it means the writers will get a piece of the action on the income generated by programs shown on the internet, on iPods and other digital media. It also means they will get a bigger piece of the pie from DVDs and video, which they have complained about since the 1980's...

Seems fair in the long run - we have used the new outlet of watching shows on the internet when we miss them on the TV or have conflicts while TiVo'ing another show...It can be the middle of the night...sleep is not coming and you power up your laptop and watch your favorite show with limited commercial interruptions...

This means that our favorite shows like "LOST" will not come to a crashing stop and that "24" will be making its debut soon...

It also helps stop the explosion of reality TV shows the networks have forced onto the air...if the strike had lasted long and these shows had taken hold, the face of TV would have changed forever....Let's be honest, though, it still could be...


Well, it appears that Mr. Bonds might not be the picture of steroids in baseball...or at the very least, he and Mr. Roger Clemens can walk into the shadows together...hand in hand...

This is turning into an fugley game of "you a liar dude" between Clemens and his ex-trainer Brian McNamee, each of whom will go walking up those big marble steps this week to testify in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform...

McNamee says he has the equivalent of the 'blue dress' - having given syringes, vials and gauze to investigators, which he says are from his given injections to Clemens...Truly..this guy was supposed to be a confidant...who the hell keeps these things?

He also gave information saying Clemens was at a party at 'holier than thou' Jose Canseco's home and that after that party Clemens began talking about steroids...

AH....but Clemens says he has evidence he was never at the party and supposedly, Canseco says Clemens was not at the party....

Does the evidence (gauze, vials, syringes) contain DNA belonging to Roger Clemens and also have traces of steroids or HGH?

If they do and Clemens goes before the committee and testifies under oath that he did not take the substances - does Roger become Federal Inmate 354-4673 (his number of wins and strikeouts)?

Late yesterday, Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knobloch, who were subpoenaed to appear in these hearings were both told they no longer need to appear.

Seems the committee has decided they have their starting rotation all set for this next round of hearings...



Coming up this week on DR. BLOGSTEIN’S RADIO HAPPY HOUR:
(Live on Tuesday February 12th at 9PM ET and forever archived at BlogTalkRadio.)

Join us as we celebrate our One Year Blogsteinversary!

superjabs.jpgIt was February 13, 2007 when the Radio Happy Hour served up their first frosty mug of funny and changed the face of internet radio forever. We’ll celebrate by spending the hour patting ourselves on the back and discussing how great we all are.We’ll also welcome in a man who changed the face of MySpace forever. “Super Jabs” is the #1 most read blogger on MySpace. He has a rabid following for what he describes as “the blog equivalent of bare knuckles boxing.”

He’ll share with us “what every guy would love to say but won’t and what every woman thinks but won’t speak of”, explain how he knows all this and discuss why BlogTalkRadio thought he needed Dr. Blogstein as a co-host for his internet radio show.

Also, comedian Johnny Dam and a few surprise guests to wish us a Happy Blogsteinversary!

All that, plus, the beautiful Dangerous Lee co-hosts, Supreme Commander of the Cyberwaves Vinny Bond drags his Big Leather Couch into the Radio Happy Hour Lounge to chat live with the listeners and Justin the Weatherman stops in with a forecast and we’ll take your calls at 646-652-4804

Join us live every Tuesday night at 9PM ET. The Radio Happy Hour Lounge-a live chat room during show time-is a whole new reason to make sure you listen live! It’s the show within the show!


This song just came to us, based upon the fact that the book on the Balco scandal was called "Game Of Shadows", and it appears that this whole horrible situation is being played in 'the shadows'...

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS..."Complicated Shadows"...



Well you know your time has come
and you're sorry for what you've done
You should've never have been playing with a gun
In those Complicated Shadows
Well there's a line that you must toe
and it'll soon be time to go
but it's darker than you know
in those Complicated Shadows

All you gangsters and rude clowns
Who were shooting up the town
When you should have found someone to put the blame on
Though the fury's hot and hard
I still see that cold graveyard
There's a solitary stone that's got your name on

You don't have to take it from me
But I know what I spake
You think you're like iron and steel
But iron and steel will bend and break
In those Complicated Shadows

Go!

Sometimes justice you will find
Is just dumb not colour-blind
And your poor shattered mind can't take it all in
All those phantoms and those shades
Should Jump up on Judgement Day
And say to the Almighty "I'm still stinking of sin"

But the jury was dismissed
Took his neck and they give it a twist
So you see you won't be missed in those Complicated Shadows

You can say just what you like in a voice like a John Ford film
Take the law into your hands
You will soon get tired of killing
In those Complicated Shadows
Complicated Shadows
Complicated Shadows
Complicated Shadows

Go!




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The Mitchell Report

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, December 14, 2007 20 Of Your Sparks



TIME TO DONATE SOME RICE TODAY!
<-----------------------------------------------
Build your vocabulary, feed the hungry...

Over at Anndi's, you will learn that over 7 BILLION grains of rice have been donated...7 BILLION folks...and we just checked the site and we are over 8 BILLION..that is since October 7th...less than three months! THAT is inspiring.



THE COUCH NOTE: As an update to the words we have left below...let us all remember 'innocent until proven guilty' and unless there are positive tests somewhere there is only the words of the people interviewed that the names listed actually did steroids (except Jason Giambi, the only active player who has acknowledged his involvement). We think that we mat find that some of the players had lesser involvement then is being bandied about at this time...


This is George Mitchell...Katherine wants to date him, well if not date him, she wants to print out this picture and put it in her wallet with a little puffy heart drawn on it. You should journey over to her blog and read her wonderful take on this story.

Mr. Mitchell has done something that saddens and elates me at the same time. His report (409 pages - already downloaded over a million times), released yesterday proves once and for all that Major League Baseball was not being played on a level playing field (no pun intended) for about 7 years.

OK, you can say it went on longer than that, but those 7 years, from 1996 until 2004 were the dark days...darker than the Chicago Black Sox scandal in 1917...darker than 1984 when 4 members of the Kansas City Royals were convicted of cocaine trafficking...darker than 1994 when the players and owners could not come up with an agreement and the World Series was canceled.

Many names of players were given by Kirk Radomski, who worked as a batboy, equipment manager and clubhouse assistant for the New York Mets from 1985-1995.

Federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Radomski's home December 14, 2005 and found documents of distribution of performance enhancing substances. On April 26, 2007, Radomski plead guilty to selling performance-enhancing drugs to major leaguers. He cooperated with authorities and testified before the same grand jury that investigated Barry Bonds.

They have copies of checks written by players to Ramdoski for steroids...

Names include Eric Gagne, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, Troy Glaus, Gary Matthews Jr., Paul Byrd, Jose Guillen, Brian Roberts, Paul Lo Duca and Rick Ankiel were among other current players named in the report — in fact, there's an All-Star at every position. Some were linked to Human Growth Hormone, others to steroids.

Roger Clemens' name is mentioned the second most times in the report, after Barry Bonds. The one name that hurts us the most is NY Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte.

All y'all know that baseball is the game we love the most...these players have tainted the game. Those who are currently playing need to be reprimanded and suspended.

Those outside the game now, need to feel repercussions. Any records achieved need to be marked in the record books with an asterisk or a black mark.

The guardians of baseball are at fault. Bud Selig's 'gee I did not know attitude' is a bunch of crap. He is supposed to be the commissioner, he is supposed to protect the game. But remember, he is an owner who the other owners turned the game over to. The owners of the teams need to put their collective foot down to save the game that makes them billionaires.

The clean players who saw it happening are at fault. They are not doing their livelihood any good by taking the 'I can't tell on my team mates' attitude.

The managers who knew it was occurring are at fault. You are the day-to-day bosses of the game. You need to realize that by staying quiet, you are not only killing the game, but the players also - think about Ken Camminitti, who died from his abuse of steroids.

The Baseball Players Union is at fault. They need to realize that their job is to protect the players and allowing this crap to go on, and shielding the players from proper testing is NOT helping their union or the game.

And the fans (including myself back in the summer of 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa "saved the game of baseball")who all knew that ballplayers do not get better as they get older, and watched with amazement as these 'herculean' feats occurred and did not question them are at fault.

I also agree with those who point out that the steroids did not make these players better. One Barry Bonds would have gone down in the history books as one of the greatest ballplayers of my generation. Now he goes down as a 'steroid head'. Maybe without the 'roids he does not get the record for home runs, but he ends up in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. Mark McGwire was worshiped for what he did in '98...now he lives in the shadows especially after looking so foolish in front of the Senate sub-committee.

Last summer, Sammy Sosa hit his 600th home run. It became a footnote. Roger Clemens record and fame as one of the best pitchers of his generation will now slink off into the sunset.

Now, baseball has a steroid testing policy. Problem is, the union and the players and even the owners and Selig are allowing the use of Human Growth Hormones to take the place of steroid use. There IS a test...the people who are blocking it are doing so because it take more than having someone pee in a cup. It means taking blood.

It is time for the syringes to be used to stop the abuse...they have been used to create the abuse long enough.

As Katherine so adeptly pointed out, it is not only baseball. Offensive lineman in football are 50% larger than they were 10 years ago. Folks, that ain't weight room training....

And it is not just in professional sports. It is at the college level and even scarier, it is at the high school level. New Jersey became the first state to randomly test high school athletes when a law was passed in December 2006. This past year, the testing took place across the state.

Our son Matt played HS and college baseball. We know he was offered different items to 'help pump you up'...DO we know any kids in his high school or the teams he palyed who were juicing? No...

Did we have suspicions? Sure... Would the threat of being tested have stopped it? ABSOLUTELY!

ALL states need to begin this program. They need to do it now.

Where does baseball go from here? They must begin a comprehensive program of weeding out HGH...start using those syringes.

Will this report kill baseball? No...it hopefully will make it better...but we have 7 years when we have to hang our heads for not standing up and shouting STOP!



"BOYS OF SUMMER"
DON HENLEY
Composers: Don Henly & Mike Campbell
1984
Building The Perfect Beast


Not written about baseball...though the phrase "Boys Of Summer" is well know to refer to the old Brooklyn Dodgers from the 1971 book by Roger Kahn...the chorus lyrics "after the boys of summer have gone" seems appropriate today...

Nobody on the road,
nobody on the beach.
I feel it in the air,
the summers out of reach

Empty lake, empty streets,
the sun goes down alone.
I'm driving by your house
though i know that you not home...

And i can see you
you brown skin shining in the sun
you got your hair combed back
sunglasses on baby

and i can tell you
my love for you will still be strong
after the boy of summer have gone.

out on the road today
i saw a dead head sticker on a cadillac
a voice inside my head said don't look back
you can never look back

i thought i knew what love was
what did i know
those days are gone for ever
i should just let them go and...

i can see you
your brown skin shining in the sun
you know your walking real slow
smiling at everyone

i can tell you
my love for you will still be strong
after the boys of summer have gone.

I never will forget those nights
i wonder if it was a dream
remember how you drove me crazy?
remember how i made you scream?

now i don't understand what happed to our love
now baby gonna get you back
gonna show you what i'm made of...

i can see you
your brown skin shining in the sun
you got your top pulled down,
radio on baby

and i can tell you
my love for you will still be strong
after the boys of summer have gone.




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Street Corner Talking...

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, November 16, 2007 20 Of Your Sparks


So how many bowls of rice have you donated?

HUH? HUH? What? You have not tried it yet?

WHUTTSAMADDAWIDYA?
<-----------GO 'DERE NOW!
It really is addicting...you are challenged after a few rounds...well HELL! we are challenged...but we find we can work out the answer by breaking down the word....

GEE...JUST LIKE A SIXTH GRADER! Maybe we should go on that show "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" Well, if we do we are not gonna tell anyone in case we like...don't get out of the first round....



Sorry Katherine...but it must be mentioned...steroid-head has been charged with four counts of perjury, one of obstruction of justice; carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

The 10-page report mainly consists of excerpts from his December 2003 testimony before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, or BALCO. It cites 19 occasions in which he allegedly lied under oath.

Maybe, just maybe that offer from the WASHINGTON WILD THINGS will be the last he receives. We do not see any clubs making an offer until this issue is resolved.

The world will be watching San Francisco on December 7th, when he appears in U.S. District Court...

Looks like A-Rod will be a YANKEE in about 10 years when he breaks the record and it could happen sooner...he is 244 behind...



CAPTION CONTEST: The lady who we stole the idea from, Beckeye:
"J. Lo and Christina Aguilera continue to deny baby rumors, while Pauly Shore confirms that he's expecting twins."

Close runner-up...

SueAnn..."OK...DAD, I promise not to smoke any of your Pot again....now please go away and stop following me."

Now we have to finish the award...next week Beckeye...

We wish you all a WONDERFUL WEEKEND...and begin it by sharing another Savoy Brown treat...

"STREET CORNER TALKING"






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Finally Friday

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, September 28, 2007 21 Of Your Sparks


Welcome to Friday all...

Long day yesterday, we worked at the Habitat house from about 11 until 4. We installed kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities...we caulked windows and did clean-up. It was a good day all in all. Unlike our last build, the future homeowner was on site yesterday. A very nice woman who was just so friendly to everyone there.

The home ServiceMaster is building is right next door to a home being built by Federal Express employees. Two families within weeks of moving in to brand new homes!

Yesterday we wrote that 300 homes have been built in the US. We were told today that was wrong. It is actually 300 homes in the Memphis area alone!

Pretty freakin' cool....



We are continuing the voting for the next Tuneage Tutelage until Saturday and then will post the winning entry next week. If you have not voted...join in the fun...Remember, you can vote for two different artists.




Criminal Minds began on Wednesday and man did they start off with a bang...If you have not watched this show and you enjoy the kind of stories we have shared during our Monday Matinee's then jump on in Wednesday evenings at 9:00 PM eastern...


The steroids discussion seems to make it's way back onto The Couch over and over (OK, sure, it is because we report on the guy we call Steroid-head) and two of our favorite guests made their points with intelligence and passion in our comments section yesterday.

If you did not see them, take a few minutes and go back there to read.

Katherine, I appreciate your view, but as Travis pointed out, no matter what, it was cheating. Any player who showed a size gain over four years as we saw with McGuire, Sosa, Bonds, Caminiti and Giambi...well...no amount of weight lifting would do that...Of course there are others, but these are the most evident.

The use of steroids assisted in the death of Caminiti...the waste of a good life. Out of the players listed only one has even come close to admitting to the use of the drug. Sure Giambi never said what he was apologizing for, but we all knew.

Do I condone his use of the drug because he happens to play for the NY Yankees? Absolutely not and I do believe IF it can be proved he should be banned from the game. Has he continued to be a productive hitter, as you pointed out about Mr. Bonds, absolutely.

Has Sammy Sosa, who along with McGuire was touted to help save baseball when they had their 'historic' summer (man is that strange to say now), continued to be the same player he was when he was most likely using? Absolutely not. So in some ways the use of the drug DID help to set records.

The one guy who probably could have used steroids for their powers to help recover from injuries is, ironically, the one player we certainly thought would break the home run record when he broke into the game...That player is Ken Griffey, Jr. Injuries have plagued him for the past 5-6 years and he has not been the player he could have been injury free.

OK, time to sit back and watch the playoffs and route for your favorite team and hope that they make it into the World Series. So, root root root for your home team folks...



What are your plans for the weekend? We had some things set up, but then this week they all blew up, so now we are winging it...

Have you seen Rush Hour 3 yet? We still have yet to get to see it, so maybe we will go and put a few sheckles in our fraternity brother Jamie's pocket...you see he is Assistant Director and a Producer of the movie. If you saw it, did you like it? (Warning...he does read on occassion! - LOL)

Probably watch some football on Sunday too....



When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness,
that is a friend who cares.
Henri Nouwen




"THE WEIGHT"
Aretha Franklin
Composer: J.R. Robertson
1969
This Girl's In Love With You
Featured on Slide Guitar: Duane Allman





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Homers & Chicago Blues

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Sunday, August 05, 2007 19 Of Your Sparks


Congrats to Alex Rodriguez of the NY Yankees for becoming the youngest player in MLB history to reach 500 home runs.

Steroid-head tied the wonderful HENRY AARON on Saturday. Loved the slack jaw look of Mr. Bud Selig, commissioner of baseball when it happened. He looked, snarled, stood and shoved his hands in his pockets....was actually very comical...

Then all day Sunday, ESPN ran clips of the major home runs hit by a player that came into the game with the most incredible potential. If you can catch it (as we are sure they will replay it when he hits the next one) please watch it and pay attention.

Homer #1...skinny 20 year old, with some muscles...
Homer #100...pretty much same body...
Homer #200...he is a bot bigger but nothing amazing...
Homer #300...not much change...
Homer #400..ummm did he add a half a person in there?....
Homer #500..WOAH! Who the hell is that, he is big...
Homer #600...now there are two people and his head is growing...
Homer #700...he is, no lie, 2 1/2 times the size he was when he began and his head has grown 5 hat sizes...

FOLKS, LIFTING WEIGHTS DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR HEAD SIZE!

In keeping with Morgen's wonderful Manic Monday... let's just say, we think steroid-head LIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He didn't know what the cream and 'clear' was..the stuff his trainer and the CHEMISTS gave him...yeah dude... here, close your eyes and open your mouth...promise we won't put anything in your mouth....LIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1



Well the migraine hung on through Saturday playing little games and yesterday, we just sort of recovered and spent quite a bit of time talking to our best friend, which we had not had a chance to do in a few weeks.

That said, our newest template project is a few days behind. And we really didn't have anything set to post.

We also had fun screwing around on TurnBaby's BlogTalk Radio Show with Mr. Fab...we took the show over for a good 20 minutes...heehhee

Next two days we are off-site in planning meetings...


Heard a snippet of something on the radio yesterday, and it keyed our song of the day...

Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls....

THE PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND...



Paul Butterfield was born and grew up in Chicago. After studying classical flute as a teen, he developed a love for the blues harmonica, and hooked up with white, blues-loving, University of Chicago physics student Elvin Bishop.

The two started hanging around great black blues players like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Junior Wells.

Butterfield(Harp) and Bishop(Guitar) soon formed a band with Jerome Arnold(Bass Guitar) and Sam Lay(Drums), both of Howlin' Wolf's band.

In 1963, a watershed event in introducing blues to white America occurred when this racially mixed ensemble was made the house band at the Chicago blues club Big John’s. Butterfield was still underage at the time.

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band added another underage member, Michael Bloomfield as lead guitarist and signed with ELECTRA Records. Their original debut album was scrapped, then re-recorded after the addition of organist Mark Naftalin.

After the release of their first album, Lay accidentally shot himself – he subsequently recovered and played drums for Muddy Waters and James Cotton – and Billy Davenport took over on drums.

The Butterfield Band's second album, East-West (1966) reflected the music scene's interest in sitar great Ravi Shankar and other Eastern musicians. It was also critically acclaimed.

This is the title track from East- West, written by Mike Bloomfield & Nick Gravenites...remember kiddies an interracial band in 1966 playing this eclectic music...

THE COUCH NOTE (added later): Think about the music of 1966; Beatles, Nancy Sinatra, The Beach Boys, The Dave Clark Five, The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel ruled the charts...and in Chicago these five guys were creating this masterpiece....INCREDIBLE!




HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE MUSIC...SEE YOU TOMORROW....




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Views On The World

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Thursday, August 24, 2006 5 Of Your Sparks

Welcome To THE COUCH...Sit on Down and Get Comfy...

I am well aware that I never posted yesterday and I am now posting this way late on Thursday, but some job prospects have kept me away from the computer. FYI...tomorrow's will be late also...


YES Kids...once again, THE COUCH will bring you it's take on news around the world...


Tom Cruise Dumped By Paramount Pictures - Was it his asking for too much dough for the new contract, or was it his off-screen antics like his constant push for Scientology, his ripping of Brooke Shields, the whole Suri episode?
THE COUCH'S TAKE: Hey...anyone who jumps up and down on a couch must be a bit looney. I spoke with Oprah's COUCH and I have to tell you, it was not happy to have this knucklehead putting his shoes all over it.

Shannen Doherty Has A New Reality Show - On this show, "Breaking Up With Shannen Dougherty" is about couples in trouble and has Shannen as a sounding board and she helps the to breakup.
THE COUCH'S TAKE: S.D. has been married and divorced twice. So, she certainly knows the ins and outs of breaking up...but c'mon...give me a break! (ummm THE COUCH didn't mean to use that pun!)

France To Send 2,000 Troops To Southern Lebanon - This represented a turnaround for Paris, which drew criticism last week after announcing it would only double its current 200-troop contingent. France's role as mission commander then came under pressure, with Italy expressing a willingness to take the lead role and pledging up to 3,000 troops. This was a major step toward expanding it more than a week after a cease-fire took hold.
THE COUCH'S TAKE: OK, cease-fire is in place...they get threatened with losing their role as mission commander and now they send more troops. Typical of the French who have never defended themselves once in the world and have always looked to others to save them. "Hey, no one is fighting...let's act like big shots now." PATOOEY!

Katherine McPhee Is Not Counting Calories - Ms. McPhee says her diet on the AI Tour does not consist of healthy foods, is not working with an eating coach and "...I don't do any weird, disordered eating things anymore, thank God."
THE COUCH'S TAKE: Gotta tell you..it looked like she was stretching out the long black gown a bit in Louisville and I can see her becoming a bit hefty...and here comes the Steven Spielberg movie...nah, THE COUCH won't even go there.

Scientists Downgrade Pluto - The International Astronomical Union has decided that Pluto is no longer a planet in our solar system. Pluto, a planet since 1930, got the boot because it didn't meet the new rules, which say a planet not only must orbit the sun and be large enough to assume a nearly round shape, but must "clear the neighborhood around its orbit." That disqualifies Pluto, whose oblong orbit overlaps Neptune's, downsizing the solar system to eight planets from the traditional nine.
THE COUCH'S TAKE: Wave those plush toys all you want scientists, but THE COUCH ain't changing...Pluto is a planet and you will all be haunted by the ghosts of Walt Disney and Clyde Tombaugh. the man who discovered Pluto. And I bet they are all cat people too.

Fantasia Barrino's New Movie - Titled "Fantasia Barrino: Life Is Not A Fairy Tale" traces her road from her childhood to being a poor single mom to her success as the winner of Amercan Idol. It is airing on the Lifetime Network.
THE COUCH'S TAKE: ummmm...let's see..grow up poor..have a child at 17, try out against millions of other people for a reality TV show...win that show.... big recording contract...making a ton of money...THE COUCH thinks that sounds JUST LIKE A Fairy Tale!

Sprinter LaTasha Jenkins tested positive - She tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone in July. The test was done in July by the International Association of Athletics Federations in Europe. As of now only the "A" test has been completed. If the second "B" test is positive, Jenkins could face a minimum two-year ban from competition. Jenkins is trained by Trevor Graham, who has also coached Justin Gatlin, Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery. Gatlin and Jones have also tested positive within the last year.
THE COUCH'S TAKE: Yo..Folks...the testing has improved to where you can't do this stuff any longer...and why would you continue to associate yourself with someone who obviously endorses this stuff. But you do, so just SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!

Former "American Idol" Contestant Mikalah Gordon Robbed - She and a friend were robbed on a sidewalk in a neighborhood about seven miles northwest of the Las Vegas Strip. Seems the robbers got $5 and a cell phone.
THE COUCH'S TAKE: This is a story why exactly??????????????????

Well..THE COUCH has spoken...and I know you all feel so much better for that!

bwahahhaahahahahahahahahahaahaaaaaaaaaa

Thanks for sitting on THE COUCH, hope you enjoyed your stay.

Remember .. Nets For Malaria - UNFoundation.org/malaria - find the big SI's Nothing But Net logo ... Or call 202.887.9040. Every cent goes to buying nets to place over the beds of children in Africa to stomp out Malaria. PLEASE HELP.

Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.



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Are Pro Sports Now Just Professional Wrestling?

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Monday, July 31, 2006 5 Of Your Sparks

Yesterday morning...like most Sundays, I sat down to watch the Sports Reporters on ESPN at 10:00am...I love the format of this show and most times I love the reporters they have on. The format reminds me of the show I used to be a panelist on when I lived in Boston. It is filmed "live' and broadcast without edits.."live" as it happened.

So, yesterday, one of the subjects- of course - was Floyd Landis and his positive testosterone test after the Tour de France as well as Justin Gatlin and his flunked test. Which of course, led to talks about Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Raphael Palmiero, Jason Giambi, Lyle Alzado , Ben Johnson the rest...

They hit on the subject and it got me to thinking about sports and the way we watch them and have watched them and will watch them.

How long have our sports "heros" been using these performance enhancers? It is way longer then most of us want to believe. Whether it is the "greenies" the baseball players used, to get up for a day game after a night game or for the second half of a double-header. Football players taking cortisone shots during a game to be able to play and eating pain-killers by the fist full.

Now it is steroids and human growth hormones..and it is not only baseball. Lyle Alzado died of a brain tumor.. the result of years of steroid doping. Who knows what is happening in hockey, basketball, tennis, soccer and even golf? Sports Illustrated, in it's Golf Digest special section, has been running this comic about a golfer named Stik Stikowski, who was tired of being out-driven by the other pros, so he ends up on steroids...not too far from fantasy I bet...And of course, now cycling and track and field are back in the spotlight.

So, the question was asked..and I had a hard time answering it...

How do we accept sports now?
My whole life, sports was something you put on and never knew how it would turn out - well OK, sorry...except for Jai Alai and the trotters...both "sports" where the outcome is determined before the beginning of the match/race - IMHO. No matter the sport, the results were always unpredictable and you felt everyone was on the same playing field.

Now, do we look at mainstream sports the way we look at professional wrestling (which has always been a hot-bed of steroid abuse) - or like going to the movies or a play? As just an entertainment vehicle with no real mental or physical response to the outcome?

Look, Jason Giambi, never said what he was apologizing for, but he did apologize. Then he continued playing and showed he could still be one of the dominant players in the game without the steroids... Mark McGwire could have been also - he was big...hit homers and was a great ballplayer...The man averaged 40 home runs a year from 1986-1996...then all of a sudden began hitting 70! Why was it needed...ego? Well how does the ego react to the baseball world shunning him now?

Barry Bonds was headed to being the best ballplayer of his era...until he began taking steroids and ruined his reputation. Why did he take them? Because he was jealous of McGwire and Sosa and their home run chase! Funny...on the show yesterday and up until this point, Sammy Sosa's name was not mentioned. He slipped into oblivion...another player destined to have his name enshrined. One who always seemed to be so fan-friendly...then...the corked bat and steroids and slink away he did.

There must be a better way for out major sports to patrol themselves... Maybe by joining together to find better ways to test for the illegal substances. Basketball has always been lax on marijuana...and I tend to agree with that. Why make issues like the NFL has done with Ricky Williams over marijuana when you turn a blind eye to steroids and the overuse of painkillers? Where is the logic in that?

Then there is this portion of the tale.... Next year, Mark McGwire is going to be on the ballot for induction into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. Also on the ballot will be Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn, two major stars, who both played their entire careers in one city and who are the epitome of what an athletic hero should be. They played hard everyday, never made excuses, loved the fans and played clean. The fact they even have to share a ballot with McGwire is painful to me.

I have read many stories and it appears the Baseball Writers of America (those who vote for the Hall Of Fame) will not induct McGwire his first year. His recent fluffing off of the steroid issue, once again, makes me not want him ever in. The worst thing that could happen is to have mark McGwire standing on the stage at Cooperstown, NY, next July accepting his induction along with these two superstars.

I have always said Pete Rose (after admitting he gambled on baseball) should be allowed to be in the Hall...you can not dismiss his records (all clean it appears)...But I would never allow him to have anything to do with baseball again. With McGwire, I do not want his records in the Hall- they are tainted...and he has ducked all responsibility and hid behind retirement.

Is there a way to solve this? I really don't know...but I do know I will continue to try and watch sports without the constant thought of "Well, what did he/she do or take to enable that to happen?"

Remember .. Nets For Malaria - UNFoundation.org/malaria - find the big SI's Nothing But Net logo ... Or call 202.887.9040. Every cent goes to buying nets to place over the beds of children in Africa to stomp out Malaria. PLEASE HELP.

Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.

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Dead Terrorist, Dumb Ballplayer

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, June 09, 2006 0 Of Your Sparks

Yesterday, we spoke about the Bollywood movies and your ability to add subtitles to some funky flicks...Well, I figured out what I need to do, and in honor of my time watching American Idol this year, I present you with my attempt at humor...just go HERE to see it...

Also, it appears the link to the final topic (what to do with 5,000,000 matches) did not take, so here it is...go HERE.


SO, yesterday brings some good news and some not so good news....we all know the good news...the American Military did their thing and we are now rid of a human piece of cow dung...LOVED the front page of the NY Post this morning...Look, the Post is not a bastion of educated news, but sometimes they can hit the nail on the head...




The bad news relates to what is happening in my beloved game of baseball...The FBI, DEA and IRS raided the home of Jason Grimsley, who was playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season. During his interrogation, Grimsley admitted to using steroids over the past years and that, since the testing came into being, switched to Human Growth Hormones (HGH), and was using it even this year...
This is bad enough, then he started naming other players who he says did steroids and HGH...why does someone have to grab hold of friends and teammates and drag them down also? What is happening to my game? How can we clean it up and get back to the joy of the game?

This is a player who was on the Philadelphia Phillies in the early 90's, the Cleveland Indians in the mid 90's, the Yankees in '99 & 2000. There were rumors abounding about the locker rooms of the Phillies and Indians during those years, though I never heard anything about any possible steroid abuse on the Yankees, but who knows...

There are no reliable tests for HGH at this time, and all I know is Major League Baseball better spend some money and let researchers find a reliable test for HGH and put it into effect, whether it is a urine test or a blood test, it must be done soon, or our NATIONAL PASTIME will suffer irrevocable damage.

I can almost deal with the greenies in the locker rooms for some extra energy for a day game after a night game and travel.. but steroids and HGH must go... and must go NOW

If this used-car salesman of a Commissioner (Bud Selig - right) can not get this situation in check, he needs to step aside and let someone who can take over.

The Associated Press released this story earlier today:

Jason Grimsley was asked by federal agents to wear a listening device to gather incriminating evidence against Barry Bonds but refused, an attorney for the former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher said.

"It was a specific effort to target Bonds," Edward Novak told the Arizona Republic. "We were told that Jason's cooperation was necessary to their case."

Novak also told the newspaper that Grimsley denied volunteering names of fellow players, as reported in court documents released Tuesday. Instead, federal agents asked Grimsley what he knew about the illegal drug habits of specific athletes, such as former Mets and Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra.

"They asked him specifically about Barry Bonds, and Jason said he didn't know Bonds well and didn't know if he did or didn't use drugs," Novak told the paper for a story Thursday.

The attorney said investigators asked Grimsley whether he was close to any San Francisco Giants players who might talk about Bonds. Grimsley refused, Novak said, and told investigators "baseball players don't go around talking about who is using and who isn't."

Grimsley asked the Diamondbacks to release him yesterday in preparation for him to retire. MLB has said they will penalize him for his admissions to the F.B.I, but if he retires, what can they do to him???

This story is not going away folks...and that is very very sad.

Have a GREAT WEEKEND....

Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.

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Music On The Couch