Under the Fedora: Closers, Reps and the Law of Unintended Consequences

April 9^th in addition to the being the anniversary of the fall of Saddam marks the 24^th Anniversary of one of the greatest lapses of judgment ever made by a beautiful intelligent woman…

…but enough about my wedding anniversary.

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I revisited the story of Tim Wakefield’s retirement from February and noticed this bit from it:

Wakefield had said toward the end of last season that he wanted to return for his 18th season with the Red Sox, but as the winter wore on it became clear he was not in Boston’s plans.

Right now the Red Sox bullpen has managed to blow three saves in three games, their acquisition from Houston has discovered that there is a difference closing games for an expected contender then for a team that is losing 100 game and their named closer in two appearance has yet to get a man out..

Think about it, Jonathan Papelbon has recorded more saves this season than the current Red Sox Closer has batters retired.

You know a rubber armed vet who throws a pitch that’s tough to hit might be very valuable right now.

On the bright side the Yankees haven’t won a game this season either.

Hey I’m a New Englander, the Red Sox are always going to be a lead story as far as I’m concerned.

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There is a lot of talk about Mike Wallace who died at 93 around the net and on TV. I’ve noticed that the clip of his interview with Ayatollah Khomeini is getting a lot of play.

Right up until the day he is buried this clip will be seen over and over but the same MSM playing that clip will ignore Khomenini’s vision of Islam that the Jews are the enemy has become the dominant vision of the religion worldwide will be totally ignored by the very media that plays the clip over and over.

Reality is staring them in the face and they can’t see it.

I suspect Mike Wallace’s interview with Margaret Sanger will not get a lot of play. It’s quite a sight.

It’s really different to see Wallace go on about the pleasures of smoking, talk about a different era.

I was shocked to hear Wallace died in a nursing home. He was not a poor man, I find it odd that he didn’t have a private/visiting nurse so he could live at home

I never knew there was a version of Coke that was Kosher until I read this post at Yid with Lid:

Kosher for Passover Coca Cola is a favorite of Jews and non-Jewish Coke aficionados. In 1980, Coke eliminated sugar from its recipe and substituted hi fructose corn syrup. Since corn is not Kosher for Passover for Ashkenazi Jews they go to an all sugar recipe during for the Passover season. While there are other changes, to the aficionado the holiday recipe comes closet to the taste of Coke they remember. Some Coca Cola fans have been known to purchase cases of the Passover version to last well beyond end of the holiday.

Apparently under California’s new rules Kosher Coke is not legal in the state.

One question, wouldn’t you want a Kosher version of Coke available year round or are there not enough observant Jews to support such a product?

You know for a fellow who has the GOP nomination all sewed up there are some very interesting things going on with the selection of delegates in some states:

I’d heard some talk about this: Evidently, the pro-Romney leadership of the North Dakota Republican Party rigged their state convention so that, despite the fact that Mitt Romney came in third in the March 6 caucuses, he got most of the delegates.

I’m no expert, but this doesn’t seem like the best way to unite a party behind you for a general election.

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For the first time in years I was able to attend all three of the big Easter Triduum services, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil where a neighbor of mine, an engineer and former atheist was baptized and received into the Catholic Church.

I’d like to see our secular friends try to argue her ignorance.

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As an American of Sicilian descent I’ve found there is one very big advantage to all the business in the culture painting Sicilians as gangsters. When people find out you are Sicilian they are must less likely to give you grief. No matter how harmless you might seem in the back of their mind is: “Could that guy be connected?, does he have a relative who might be trouble if I give him grief?”

You won’t hear many Sicilian Americans say this out loud but, this is a form of power. A friend of mine jokes he doesn’t need a security system on his car beyond his “Proud to be a Sicilian” bumper sticker.

I thought of this because of this quote from Bill Cosby concerning the Trayvon Martin business:

“Without a gun, I don’t see Mr. Zimmerman approaching Trayvon by himself,” Mr. Cosby explained. “The power-of-the-gun mentality had him unafraid to confront someone. Even police call for backup in similar situations.

A lot of people are focusing on Cosby’s statement in terms of gun control but I found the most telling phrase to be this one:

The power-of-the-gun mentality had him unafraid to confront someone

Made him unafraid, Should the normal condition of a person in a confrontation be fear? To what degree did that fear because the basis of John Derbyshire’s now infamous rule #10? I wonder if black men see that gangsta business in the same way that a Sicilian might see the mafia business? Sort of like the LeRoy Brown from Crocodile Dundee 2

Leroy Brown: This is just between you and me. It goes no further, right?
Mick Dundee: Right.
Leroy: Stationery.
Mick: Stationery?
Leroy: You know. Pens, erasers, office supplies…
Mick: And that’s heavy shit?

Leroy: – No, man, it ain’t. I’m strictly legit. But if you have a name like Leroy Brown, people expect you to be bad. Like the song

Mick. – Oh, right!
But… – I kinda like the image.

Speaking of Derbyshire , I’m really surprised that his firing of did not get more press, it meets every media template that the MSM likes to say about the right. Then again perhaps a lot of people in the news business might not want to risk being asked: “To what degree do you follow Derbyshire’s rule 10?”

Apparently Arby’s has decided that blocking Conservatives on Twitter is a bad more and has quietly started unblocking them. At least as quietly as Twitchy will allow:

That won’t be enough for conservatives who continue to have a beef with the company’s screw-up. Instead of hitting the drive-thru, the customers blocked by Arby’s are likely to drive on by.

Oh and Rush Limbaugh just sent out the following tweet:

After re-tweeting I added the following:

I don’t know who is in charge of Arby’s customer relations or social media but apparently they are being paid too much, presuming they still have a job.

Finally James’ O’Keefe has struck again, in the ultimate irony during his latest undercover votefraud sting his man was offered the the ballot of …Attorney General Eric “There is no need for Voter ID laws” Holder

The line of the day as O’Keefe’s man says leaves to get his ID saying he would feel more comfortable presenting it he says:

I’ll be back faster than you can say furious!

Classic, absolutely classic!