Not Such Deep Thoughts, Part IX

You know the drill by now; every time my head gets filled to overflowing with random thoughts, you get one of these, so let’s get right to it:

Speaking of drills, how about this mess in the Gulf? It turns my stomach to think of the devastation that’s in store. Now, I’m a realist, and I know that we can’t get along without oil, and that you can’t get oil without drilling, but we need to do it correctly despite the cost. There should have been an acoustic switch installed as a fail safe on the Deepwater Horizon, and the fact that the US doesn’t require them on all offshore rigs is ridiculous. We need to get regulations in place right now. We also need to start supplementing our oil usage with alternative energy sources yesterday. I don’t want to hear the argument that projects like Cape Wind will spoil the views in Nantucket Sound; this spill isn’t doing too much for Gulf property values, now is it? Or, that it won’t make a dent in our energy needs. Hey, it won’t power the entire state, but powering ¾ of the Cape is nothing to sneeze at. Just think, every barrel saved is another barrel for your SUV. It’s all about conserving our resources any way we can now, while we work at developing real alternatives.

The Red Sox really, really, suck this year. They looked great on paper coming into the season, and their come from behind win against the Yankees in the home opener had me all jeeped up, but they’ve been on a downhill slide ever since. On the bright side, they’re pounding the Angels this week, so maybe they’re waking up, and last year I thought the Yankees were toast when they were battling with similar suckage, but look how that turned out. Hey, ya gotta have hope…

The Celts and the B’s, on the other hand, are both doing very well. Both have made it to the second round, and the games have been hard fought and exciting (Tuuuu-kka!). Who would have guessed? We’re really pretty lucky to have such a wealth of pro sports around here, and who knows, maybe by the time these guys finally wind down their respective seasons, the Sox will have gotten back in the groove. Maybe.

I finally got to play with the iPad the other day, and while it’s definitely slicker than snot on a doorknob, its just not the right device for me. I’ve already got a Touch and a laptop, what the heck am I gonna do with an iPad? The way it’s tricked out right now, its only purpose is as a cool but expensive coffee table gadget.

I’m still working on my Peeps stash, and the ones that are left are aged to perfection.

My buddy Steve sent me a picture from his phone the other day of an album he was buying (see above). It was a vinyl copy of the 1968 Muddy Waters album “Electric Mud”, and it got me to thinking. Although I love the instant gratification that is iTunes, I really miss browsing through all the albums and CD’s in a real brick and mortar record store. The little thrill you get when you find a gem like Electric Mud amidst all the clutter, the heft of the album in your hands as you turn it over to check out the play list on the back, you actually felt like you were buying something substantial. I couldn’t wait to get home and unwrap it, pop it on the turntable, and then sit back and read the liner notes as my 301’s engulfed me in audio bliss. With iTunes, I usually end up having my first listen on my computer, which is a less than satisfying experience. April 17th was National Record Store Day, and there were a lot of vinyl releases to coincide. Matter of fact, there’s a 7” Beatles remastered vinyl coming out on May 18th , featuring Paperback Writer and Rain. Check out this website for more info on vinyl releases and to find a record store near you. My personal favorite is Aboveground Records in Edgartown, I could (and have) spend hours in there.

I was totally impressed by the speed, skill and determination of the MWRA workers that fixed the Aqueduct failure this week, and by the way the whole thing was handled in general. Good job people!

I really like the way the Patriots drafted this year; big and beefy. Last season when it came down to physicality they were getting their butts handed to them, and that just won’t cut it in the hard fought AFC East. I think the big tight end Gronkowski is going to make an instant impact. I can see him becoming a short yardage binky for Brady. If Welker comes back and Hernandez works out, that would give them a lot of options. My only regret is that they didn’t pick up a running back. Hopefully they’ll bring in a veteran or two before camp. LaDainian would have been interesting, but that boat’s already sailed. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

One last thought before I go and I think I’ll have cleared out enough free space for now;

I love getting out in the yard in the spring. Raking, planting, fertilizing, planning my little projects for the season, improves my disposition. I tend to get a little grumpy and cranky towards the end of the winter and spring yard work helps pull me out of my funk. Looking out over the yard at the end of a hard day’s labor, thinking about those long, lazy summer days that are coming; priceless.

That is all.

Not Such Deep Thoughts, Part VIII

Once again it’s time to purge all those temporary files that I’ve been accumulating the last couple of weeks, before my brain bursts at the seams. So without further ado, I give you the latest installment of “Not Such Deep Thoughts”:


I’m really psyched that the Pats have finally worked out a deal with Vince Wilfork. I don’t think that their anemic defense could withstand the loss of another veteran. Likewise with Banta-Cain, who I feel has become a De facto leader on the squad solely because of his grit and determination. Good job, Bill. Now sign Green, dump Thomas and bring in a decent pass rusher or two, and I’ll be a happy man.


I hate when people rag on the Globe in the comments section of the articles, some of it is really nasty. It’s obvious to me that none of these people have ever strayed too far from the Boston area. Here’s the thing; even at its worst, the Globe is head and shoulders above most newspapers. I’ll give you a prime example; the Fort Myers News Press. Fort Myers is the spring training home of not one, but two major league teams, they also have two minor league teams, and it’s High Schools have produced some of the biggest stars of the NFL, and yet you can read its sports section beginning to end in 5 minutes, and as far as hard news goes, I find it more akin to my local town paper then either the Globe or the Herald. The same holds true in most markets around the country. Here in Boston we’ve been blessed with a wealth of media alternatives that only a handful of major cities enjoy. Two daily newspapers, great locally produced shows like Chronicle, so many local sports shows that you need a DVR just to see half of them, plus an endless variety of music, news and sports on the radio. What could we possibly have to complain about? Plenty, if you read the comments. Has the number of cranks in this area increased significantly, or is it just that they have more outlets available to them now? Discuss.


Hello, my name is berryjooks, and I’m a Peepaholic…


There’s nothing as good for the soul as that first warm and sunny late winter weekend. Whether you’re running errands, outside playing ball with the kids, or just getting a head start on the annual spring cleanup, there’s nothing like it. It’s a completely different feeling then the one you get when you take a trip to a warm climate during the winter. Spring is coming, and our minds are full of the promise of what lies ahead, and what we’ve put behind us. All things seem possible. The world is our oyster, and its pearl awaits.


And speaking of spring, the Sox won today in a 9th inning comeback against the Orioles. Perhaps it was just the excitement of the late inning heroics combined with the magic of this beautiful day, but it gave me a really good feeling about this season. Just don’t break my heart again guys, OK?


We finally got our Toyota recall issues resolved, and that takes a load off my mind. I got lucky on my truck. Its VIN starts with a J, indicating that it was made in Japan, and is thus exempt from the recall. The Camry got 3 fixes; a makeover of the gas pedal and the floor, a reprogram of the computer that causes a brake pedal actuation to override acceleration, and the replacement of a faulty oil line. As my wife had experienced the “Runaway Camry” situation first hand, it’s been a real worry. Hopefully it’s once again the sharp and dependable vehicle we thought we were buying. Only time will tell.


And speaking of time, it’s time for me to wrap up. I gotta go grab some Peeps...


That is all.