Hell Froze Over

This is it, folks. THE BOSTON RED SOX HAVE WON THE WORLD SERIES.

Unbelievable.

And hey, if the Sox can do it, why not John Kerry?

Reverse the Curse!

I haven't really been able to blog about the Red Sox since last year's debacle in Game 7 of the ALCS.

However, the appropriateness of this morning's 12:04 a.m. victory hit home when a friend reminded me in the Department this morning what happened on October 20, 1986.

The ball rolled through Bill Buckner's legs.

Uh-uh, eighteen years to the day after that fateful day, the Red Sox defeated the Evil Empire in its own Ruth-constructed Death Stadium.

Wow.

Prayer for a Magic Shoe

There once was a magic shoe,
designed by Reebok in a day or two.
For Game 6 of the ALCS,
For a dude named Schilling, who's ankle was a mess.
Everyone thought the ace's season was finished,
high Red Sox hopes were quickly diminished.
Then came the magic shoe.

Oh magic shoe, oh magic shoe,
From now until 8:19 p.m., we pray for you.
After Game 1, the Nation had never felt weaker,
all that has changed because of one super sneaker.

It's come down to this, two games in New York,
Sheffield's got a big mouth, Matsui's a dork.
And Reebok, if this works out and we win in the end,
I promise: I'll never, EVER, buy Nike again.

- By Chris Rattey, The Lighter Side

I was on an airplane last night during Game 5. Periodically, the pilot came on with an update, as in: "I was just talking to air-traffic control, and it's the bottom of the tenth. Score's still tied." This was followed by groans in the cabin.

The Sox are making me so nervous I can hardly stand it. But suddenly they're back in...I have high hopes for tonight, even if I haven't yet been reduced to praying for Curt's magic shoe.

You may also visit boston.com and write your own Ode to the Sneaker.

Bush's Castro-like Tendencies

A story from yesterday's Morning Edition talks about the Bush Campaign's frequent use of the Secret Service and the threat of arrest to remove dissenting individuals from both its campaign events and from Presidential events.

Geez, is this the good-ole U.S. of A., or is it Cuba? The former Soviet Union? Saudi Arabia?

The story of two Kerry supporters who attempted to attend a Presidential event (that is, paid for by the Federal government) peacefully, and were arrested, is particularly chilling.

Bush commits a flip-flop!

Yeah, I know, for those of you who pay attention this isn't a surprising revelation. I've just been reading Josh Marshall's comments on last night's Presidential debate. He points out, correctly I think, that the new Rovian strategy for the Bush-Cheney campaign is "liberal, liberal, liberal."

Now I'm confused. If Senator Kerry is the most consistently liberal voter in the Senate, that makes him, uh, consistent. Then how can he be a flip-flopper?

I don't understand. Perhaps Karl Rove can call and explain it to me?