Baseball: A combination of good management (general and on the field, the former important in making some key trades and minors depth), draft picks (helped by past failures) and play on the field led to the Rays success this year. The first to provided a chance for the last; poor managing in the Jets game last Sunday underlines how all are useful. Home field is also very important to them (though the Sox didn't enjoy it in the second round, they too had a great home record), including in the play-offs. Though record (same result this year) really should decide the deal, now it is the winner of the All Star Game. And, the AL won, so TB is favored there too.
Guess who was the winning pitcher? Yes, Scott Kazmir in the fifteenth, on short rest. Who lost? Brad Lidge with an assist long before by Billy Wagner not managing to get his one out. Hope Rays fans will appreciate that -- along with the Mets giving up Kazmir, not giving Bradford the money he wanted (i.e. less than they will pay Wagner for not playing next season), trading away Wheeler and for useful vet Cliff Floyd (also let go by the Cubs -- two-fer there for CF!). Yankee haters (including those who don't like the current dispensation) also appreciate that Don Zimmer (sick of the Boss) left to become the team's special assistant. Go Rays! I think they have a great shot.
[The spouse of a former Met recently arranged some Rays players to show up at an Obama rally. That doesn't hurt my support, but I was for them for months! Just do a search!]
DVD I referenced Anglo Files earlier, an account of an American expatriate on life in Britain. The book referenced The Queen, concerning her handling of Princess Diana's death. Helen Mirren won an Academy Award for her role, and I always thought about watching the film, but never was really in the mood. But, did finally watch it, and thought it very good. Very good acting all around, nice sense of place (so it seems; a historian of the royals is on the commentary track, so I guess it is pretty accurate), and nice insight in a unique point of view.
As the book noted, the Queen is from a different era, unable to contemplate how modern sorts didn't want a stiff upper list, but a showing of emotion. It is also amusing that Prince Philip is played by the same guy who now plays Bush 41 in W (also the farmer in Babe). Made me think of royalty too. For a nation based on nationality as such, that is, "British" or whatever, it probably makes sense to have the head of state to be such a living symbol. Of course, it originally had more power, but it has some point now all the same.
Television: New show on Lifetime with a favorite, Nicole Sullivan, one of the best things on the original Mad TV show (it also amuses me that Freddie's overprotective mother on iCarly also is a vet of that show). Rita Rocks concerns a mom who is depressed that she no longer is fun and all, but a boring mommy stuff in a dull service industry job (some Target-like store or something it sounds like ... it is realistic to have both parents working in this fashion). She decides she needs some me-time and starts to jam in the garage with woman who delivers her mail (Tisha Campbell-Martin) and an out of work neighbor. It is basically an old-fashioned sitcom (Lifetime ... t.v. for soccer moms) but Sullivan is an enjoyable actress, who very well might be able to carry a pleasant sitcom.
[For some reason, they are shoving multiple new episodes of the show back to back at 8:30 during this week. Why exactly? This overexposure of the like of some show repeated on syndication seems ill advised. A double episode, maybe. Episodes Monday to Wednesday (the easy upcoming menu on the t.v. reaches that far), a bit much.]
I caught Rachel Maddow's new show a few times -- she has her brain and heart in the right place, with a sense of humor about things too, but isn't over the top about it. Less so than Keith Olbermann probably. It was nice to see Kent Jones contribute too, KJ losing his spot in the radio show because of budget reasons. RM also was profiled in the NYT magazine last Sunday. Let me add that the extra make-up she sometimes wears during television appearances does not really suit her.
The photo in the article is more how I see her, and how she promoted herself in her radio show as well. But, some woman who I raised the point to said she liked how she looks on television, so who knows?