Streaming As An Alternative To Cable And Sattelite Is Coming

I watched a movie on my 7" tablet the other day.  No, really, I did.  I never thought I would ever, EVER, be a person that would actually look at a small screen for two hours.  I am forever a cable person.  Or so I thought.  I am now victim to a residence that has Direct TV, with no outlet to my room.  Mind you, the living room sports a 55" (or something that size, I didn’t take measurements) Samsung television, so I am not necessarily complaining here.  But the sudden forced withdrawal from watching my Dodgers play baseball on television made me look at alternatives to cable or satellite feeds. 

I had been experimenting with the various streaming sources trying to see what was offered to me live, even as a paid subscriber (thanks to a few friends who generously offered their passwords to their accounts).  The pickings were slim for direct streaming offered from companies such as TWC and Direct TV and their apps.  But it was a chance viewing of “Aliens” on my tablet as I was checking out what was streaming live that

Who wouldn't continue watching?

captured my interest, and resulted in my watching the entire movie on the tablet.  Like most people, I have seen the Alien movies countless times, so much so that even though I know the basic premise and endings, I was surprised while watching the movie how much of the little details I forgot.  Watching it on the tablet alleviated the need for my glasses, and the pictures and details were fascinating to see.  I did not intend to watch the whole movie, but with no commercials, I could not stop watching.  There were only a few buffering issues and a few “you do not have enough bandwith” notices which interrupted the flow for a few seconds.  I have enough bandwith, damn it, 100 Mbps.  Although, for some reason, my tablet, laptop and cell phone only register 72 when connected to my TWC Internet connection.  Ultimately, the experience was a pleasurable one, though, and it has sparked my interest to the possibility of foregoing cable for my television experience.  I could switch to streaming and just pay for a good high speed connection, and purchase a television that will act as both a viewing screen for my devices and for streaming my television favorites and movies.  I have already hooked up my little laptop/notebook computer to my 32" television in my room, and I can now watch MLB baseball, with the exception again, of my Dodgers.

The announcement recently that Showtime will offer an app for purchase of their programming, coupled with HBO’s release of their app for $14.99 a month, is reason to rethink this.  I am liking the concept of ditching my cable habits.  I do not have the time at this point in life to sit mindlessly in front of my television, scrolling through 500 channels just for something to watch.  Pairing down to a monthly subscription of programming will definitely be cheaper than what was assembled for my viewing with cable, which at times, was over $220 per month (although, that did include high speed Internet and $20 for a land line telephone, but still!).

IS BASEBALL REALLY DYING A SLOW DEATH, OR ARE THE DODGERS ONTO SOMETHING BY RESTRICTING TELEVISION VIERWSHIP TO ABOUT 30,000 IN A CITY OF MILLIONS?

New radio

    The lack of televised Dodger games has forced me to listen to them on the radio.  And on AM.  It has been a long, long time since I had no other media with which to watch the team.

    The standoff between Time Warner Cable and every other television program provider only just hit me this year, when I moved into a house that has Direct TV.  My last 20 years of residency was within a two mile radius, of which, Time Warner (and its earlier iterations) was the primary cable provider.  As such, when SportsNet LA became a channel, I paid little attention to the fact that it was “exclusive.”  It was just a different channel on which I watched the Dodger games the past 20 years.

    At first, I panicked!  How was I going to survive my nightly ritual!  How was I going to handle not seeing Puig, or Gonzales for that matter, hit them out of the park?  What about guessing who is sitting in the first row?  Ok, that’s a throw away! 

    I thought that if I purchased the MLB package, I could at least see the Dodgers, but at a hefty price.  I figured I could watch them on my tablet, or better yet, on the TV.  But, that option was not available I soon found out.  Direct TV had a free preview of MLB games on opening day, and the week thereafter.  However, the Dodger game was blacked out.  Serious frustration began to set in.  (I have already read about people who have bypassed the MLB restrictions, but I have not made up my mind if I will utilize this approach).

    I tried to see if I could stream the AM radio station, but again, the dreaded black out notice.  I had to finally dig up this tiny Sony portable AM/FM radio, circa the 1980's, plug my Bluetooth speaker in (obviously, no WiFi connect!) and locate the damn signal.  Once I was able to put that all together, I started listening to the games every day the team played.  Then the radio broke, and I had to wait a week before my new one came in the mail.

    What a difference listening to the game on the radio is. I love it.  I know enough about baseball that between Vin Scully and Rick Monday, their calling of the game is easy listening.  I find myself sitting out on the front porch with the bug candles lit (!!) and my radio on the window sill, spending the early evening with the game pictured in my mind. 

    I listened to the Dodger games when I was a youngster, teenager and young adult, on the radio.  I had my trusty transistor radio back then. Took it to the beach when I was laying out for a tan.  I lived two blocks away from the beach, so this was a regular past time for me.  I was listening to the game on the radio in 1968 when Drysdale pitched his 58 perfect innings.  Ironically, I was listening to the game on the radio in 1988 when Hershiser broke that record with 59!

Old school transister

    I really don’t understand the Dodgers' apparent unconcern about the lack of television exposure that is going on its second year, in the Los Angeles community, as expressed by Magic Johnson recently. Baseball is, in many ways, a dying game. It has been pointed out many times that the mean age of the baseball fan is now in the 50's. The game is slow and methodical; it is not fast paced like hockey or basketball. Having a 55,000 per game attendance is certainly sustainable for a while, but bringing in the younger new fans will be a stretch without television.

2013 Baseball Hall Of Fame Inductees (cricket sounds)

It is interesting to see that when it comes to electing steroid users into the Baseball Hall Of Fame, there IS a line drawn in the sand.  I, for one, would rather see Pete Rose inducted before the likes of Barry Bonds.

In their first year on the ballot, Bonds and Clemens, perhaps the most decorated hitter and pitcher in the game’s history, fell far short of receiving the necessary 75 percent of votes from baseball writers. Bonds, the career home runs leader, received only 36.2 percent, while Clemens, who won a record seven Cy Young Awards, did slightly better, with 37.6. 

It was the first election since 1996 in which the writers chose no new members.

Only 36.2 and 37.6 percent, eh?  Speaks volumes. And Bonds had this to say:

Bonds did not immediately comment, but lamented in an interview with MLB.com in November that “it’s tough when you have so many people out there who don’t want to turn the page and want to be angry at you forever.”

 Yeah, Barry, that's it.  We fans don't want to "turn the page" and we want "to be angry at you forever."  You're damn right we feel that way!  Ass twit.

Emanuel To The Ricketts - Finance This!

I've never like Rahm Emanuel and I was ever so glad he became Chicago's problem and not America's anymore. But I did get a chuckle out of this tidbit:

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is not returning calls from the Ricketts family and is “livid” over a New York Times report that Joe Ricketts commissioned a proposal for a multimillion-dollar ad campaign linking President Obama to the president’s former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, according to an Emanuel aide.

Joe Ricketts’s children, which include Obama bundler Laura Ricketts, bought the Chicago Cubs in 2009 and have been in talks with the city about renovating the team’s 98-year-old stadium, Wrigley Field.

That appears to be on hold now.

“The Mayor was livid when he read that the Ricketts were going to launch a $10 million campaign against President Obama – with the type of racially motivated ads that are insulting to the president and the presidential campaign,” said the aide, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the situation. “He is also livid with their blatant hypocrisy.”

The aide also said Emanuel, who is Obama’s former chief of staff, has cut off communication with the family.

“The Ricketts have tried to contact the mayor, but he’s said that he does not want to talk with them today, tomorrow or anytime soon,” the aide said.

Been Busy, Hockey, Basketball, Baseball, Walking The Dog ...

Kings up one in their first semi's since 1993 and only second time in HISTORY of franchise ... what's up with that? Rangers shot down the Devils in game one. Dodgers at least in better shape than fucking Orange County Angels of ORANGE COUNTY.

Walking the damn
dog ... (metaphorically)



Ok, so let's SUPPOSE there is real love ...



Clippers, Lakers AND Kings ... the support staff better be ready for those changes of surfaces (of course, are they UNION ... )

Want To Feel Good? Watch This Video Of An Autistic Adult Singing The National Anthem

This actually made me cry.





It's an amazing thing to watch when people actually support one another. Things like this remind me that America is really not the hate mongering country that our politicians and corporations would like us to believe. Like how Fox and its minions continue to deceive their viewers into thinking that ALL of America is truly divided. It is not. It is only the dysfunctional government, i.e., congressmen and senators, state and federal levels, and whom they are beholding to (ah, those pesky corporate "persons") that have a reason to ramp up the divisiveness. Average, regular Americans are simply not hateful. It's a minority of our country, and a majority of our politicians that advance this ideology.

H/T to Pics and Random Stuff.

It's "Magic" For Dodgers

More on this later, but THIS JUST IN ...

Dodgers bought by Magic Johnson and his "associates" for around 2 FUCKING BILLION DOLLARS!

Never Leave A Baseball Game Early!

I was watching the game at my local watering hole, and when the Rangers went ahead toward the end of the game, I just figured it was done, paid my bill, talked to the piano player, and went home. I didn't even turn on the TV, just sort of kicked it for a few and went to bed (I've been nursing a toothache for a few days anyway).

I wake up this morning only to find out that not only did the game get tied by the Cards, they won it in overtime, in the 11th inning! One thing, though, if I HAD stayed at the bar to watch the game, I might not have been sober enough to even walk home! Still, I hate to miss thrilling baseball games, and am bummed I didn't at least put the TV on when I got home!

How Can The Dodgers Fire Steve Garvey?

I really, really do not understand this.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have fired Steve Garvey for his attempts to buy the team that he helped to the 1981 World Series title, according to a person familiar with the situation.

I tell you, having grown up with the O'Malley family owning this team, it has all gone downhill ever since it was first sold by the family. And from what I understand, McCourt has broken up various aspects of Dodger revenue sources, privatized them, and now is interested in selling off "pieces." I never liked Bud Selig, but I am glad he's out there now with his thumb up the dike trying to salvage a great baseball franchise that has been taken advantage of savagely, and is on the verge of destruction.

Who's On First?

I don't know about the rest of you, but I still get a belly laugh watching this performance!

We all need to laugh a lot, every day.

Ok, So The Giants Won The Pennant (Now Where Did I LAST Hear That?)

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

So ... the Giants won the pennant.

I have to admit after I saw Bush the other night, and my memories of what he did to that team as an owner (basically bankrupted it thanks to his "I can take this land" mentality, which unfortunately, after costly litigation the owners of the land he took got to be compensated by the then owners of the Rangers, not to mention the city), I had second thoughts about rooting for the Rangers. So, I became a closet rooter for San Francisco, and used my dear, departed uncle, a consummate Giants fan from the old days in New York, as the excuse!

Nice work, winning your first since 1954 (polishing off my memories of L.A.'s last win, in 1988).

Mets And Dodgers STILL Tied Going Into The 13th

If DJ Rix is listening on his Sears radio, I bet he breathed a sigh of relief as his team made it out of the bottom of the 12th!

UPDATE: Dodgers win in the 13th.

George Steinbrenner, RIP

Love him or hate him, if you loved baseball, you "knew" him.

Firing Billy Martin and rehiring him five times ... the "love/hate" relationship that is Steinbrenner sums it up.

Banned from baseball, too!

I watched a special Keith Olbermann tonight. Very good insights from others, including the one by Ken Burns that perhaps Steinbrenner's drive to win would have been better served had he owned a football team ... based on the concept that Steinbrenner got depressed if the team couldn't win ALL their games, and with football's 16 game season before playoffs would have been a better forum for the "winner take all" mentality of George.

Either way, he was a colorful baseball figure, changed the way the game was handled (not necessarily played, but his money did have an impact on the game), and one of the either hate 'em or love 'em Yankee pride definitely originals!

Slideshow, courtesy of Talking Points.

RIP, slugger.

The Perfect Game That Won't Count

The imperfect game stands.

An umpire’s tears and admission he blew a call failed to move baseball commissioner Bud Selig to award Armando Galarraga the perfect game he pitched. The play and its aftermath quickly became the talk of the sports world and beyond, even reaching the White House.

Selig said Thursday that Major League Baseball will look at expanded replay and umpiring, but didn’t specifically address umpire Jim Joyce’s botched call Wednesday night that cost Galarraga the perfect game—27 batters up, 27 batters down. No hits, no walks, no errors.

I'm all over the place on this. The one thing I have always loved about baseball is the imperfectness of the umpire's call. It's what makes me yell and scream and pull my hair out at baseball games. It's what brings the manager out and has him kicking sand at the feet of the ump. So many great images I have in my head of baseball ARE the managers and umps yelling at each other.

Now, in other sports, instant replay to me, is a must. But I do not want to see it in baseball. Just the other night, it was used twice to review possible goals in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals. One became a goal after the game continued (because the review can't start until play stops), and they had to put the minutes back up on the clock. The other hit the post and slid along the goal line, never crossing it, and so it was not a goal (but damn sure looked like one when it was viewed live, without the benefit of instant replay).

The way the parties involved in this unfortunate bad call have acted could not be more generous and magnanimous, where it could have turned out bitter and ugly. The whole of baseball knows that Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game. What's even more amazing is that although this doesn't count in the record books, three perfect games were pitched in approximately one month this season. That, in and of itself, is a record.

The Perfect Game

In baseball, the "perfect game" is one where the pitcher allows no one to get on base in any fashion. No walks, not hit batters, and certainly no "hits."

Yesterday, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay threw what is a rare game, only 20 in the history of major league baseball. Hell, they even interrupted the Hawks/Flyers game (well, it's a Philly team, duh) to show the final out!

Congratulations, dude!

Boycott Diamondbacks, I'm In

My turn to weigh in on the draconian Arizona immigration bill, but, like Amato at Crooks and Liars, my take is from a baseball point of view.

With Major League Baseball players 25%+ make-up of Spanish, Hispanic, Latino, etc. origins, many holding dual citizenship, and many more not carrying passports (having them being held in lock and storage by team management so as not to lose them), the question of "show me your papers" is very real to these people when they have to play in Arizona.

Little, by little, players are standing up against this new law. The 2011 All Star Game is set to be played in Arizona, and some are stating that if this actually stands up and is law in the next few months, certain players (Adrian Gonzalez for one) will NOT play in the game. I am sure over the next few weeks, more and more major league players will boycott the All Star Game, and Bud Selig will have a major dilemma on his hands. (And we aren't even counting the Cactus League teams that play in Arizona, for goodness sake!) Talk about shooting yourself in the foot for a bigoted right wing talking point! Arizona IS baseball, and BASEBALL is comprised of a lot of Spanish speaking players, whatever their nationality and citizenship is. To put these players and their families under the spotlight of "show me your papers" will produce catastrophic results in Arizona with baseball shrinking it's relationship with that state.

I hear Nevada is not bad for spring training (laughing). And what about Florida? They have a large Cuban population, and many teams USED to have their training camps there.

To quote "Chico Esquela":

"Baseball... been berry berry good... to me."

A Day In The Park With Zaire

Zaire and I spent some time at this cool park near where we live, and he and some of the boys put this baby turtle on one of his plastic boats and set it out in the pond. The turtle eventually walked off the boat!






This is Zaire and kids and people he met today while at a local park. Zaire brought his plastic boats that he floats in his bathtub (he had four of them) so he shared them with the other boys playing. They had a great deal of fun. There is a picture of a small waterfall set up, and they would launch the boats up there, and watch them smash up while falling down into the pond.

The pond is filled with Koi fish and little and large turtles. It is also watched by video security, as we found out later when a security guard came out to let us know we were NOT allowed to touch the turtles!

Later, Zaire and I played ball. He has a league style glove, but I had to catch by hand, so we used a baseball, not a softball, but it was a tad softer than a real baseball, so I could catch by hand. Damn, I'm still good! I can catch one handed too! But, Zaire surprised me by being very good with the glove, and throwing back to me right on target.

The Fall Classic 2009 - Phillies Make It 3-2, Heading Back To The Bronx

Picture courtesy of Rob Friedman

Phillies took tonight's game. They were ahead 8 to 2 going into the 8th, and I figured it was a no brainer. Then, all of a sudden it was 8 to 5. Bottom of the 8th did not help Phillies.

9th inning, and Yanks get another .... but finally, after what seemed like hours (not to mention my need to almost cry thinking about last night's loss), that elusive third out came, giving the Yanks a one game advantage in the series going back to the Bronx.

Chase Utley was DA BOMB tonight!

I am not a fan of the World Series still going on in November, though. To me, the "fall classic" is always held in October. They don't call Reggie Jackson "Mr. October" for nothing! And I should know, damn it! I am a Dodger fan!

Lights Out For Angels, Oh, Hell, Yeah!!!

And the curse lives on! Angels are out (until they repeal that Los Angeles moniker they have placed on their team), and the World Series teams will be the Yanks and Phils (last year's champs).

Go Phillies!!!!

October Is Major League Sports Month

October is an interesting month in sports in that all four majors are in play, football, basketball, hockey and baseball. It's the only month out of the year that happens.

It's past midnight in New York, raining as hell, and the Yanks/Angels game is tied, bottom of the 11th. It could go either way, and I don't really care. Everyone knows I hate the Angels for usurping my beloved city's name, but I would relish a freeway series for the bragging rights.