Quote of the Week!

From our old friend Bill O'Reilly at the Fair and Balanced Network (Thursday, March 24):

"It's amazing to me that so many Americans believe rumors, innuendo and accusations that are unproven but agree with their opinion, and that's happening in the Schiavo case on both sides. The No-Spin Zone is set up to knock that kind of stuff down, and I believe (ed.: Is this an opinion, Bill?) we've been doing that fairly and accurately."

It's so mindboggling I cannot (and need not) comment on it any further.

Must See (to Believe) TV!

I've been getting a lot of laughs out of the Tee-Vee these days -- in between NCAA tournament basketball games, of course.

Why just the other day, I was on the Intra-net when I read about a new study released by the Project for Excellence in Journalism (at Columbia), which found that while Fox News was quite straightforward with their sourcing, they were the least objective cable news outlet by a wide margin when you considered how many stories include the anchor's personal opinion. Now I'm not naive enough to believe that these are their actual opinions anyway, rather than what will keep Murdoch happy, keep the books selling and keep the American public riled up. Anyway, I'm off an a tangent.

I turned on the tube to find Bill O'Reilly reporting on the study and, guess what...focusing only on the positives about Fox News. Too bad the study didn't look at cherrypicking as well.

But back in the world of sane people (or maybe I should say socially and politically aware people) I have to recommend a show I saw for the first time today. For those of you sick of Leonard Maltin and whoever that woman is who raves about shit Hollywood movies with him, or for those of you that think Ebert is getting soft, you might want to check out Henry Rollins' movie review show on IFC. It's hilarious at times, and more serious at other times, but entertaining throughout. He curses up a storm about watered-down sequels, flips Hollywood the bird (literally), and then sits down and gives intelligent, informed reviews of a variety of movies with guests (today was Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock). Rollins somehow manages to come across as an everyman while breaking down why a particular art house film is well cast. And it's Henry Rollins reviewing movies! Though I do think it would really kick ass if he did a Siskel and Ebert-type thing with Leonard Maltin. Just once before I die, I'd like to see Henry Rollins have Leonard Maltin in a headlock. Am I alone here?

That's all for now, but before I go I'd also like to do the blog version of jumping up and down clapping my hands like an excited little girl (in other words, you'll just have to picture it) -- Bernie Ebbers is guilty y'all!!!!! More on the new dangers of being a CEO to come.

Radio Free Fresno

If you believed everything you heard on AM radio in the Central Valley, then you'd know that Satan has become a publisher of religious works; and the National Enquirer, the Star and Weekly World News are now considered legitimate journalistic enterprises.

The latter revelation comes to us courtesy of (who else?) Fox News Channel's John Gibson, filling in for his fair and balanced compadre Tony Snow on his syndicated talk radio program. Because these Fox guys just loooove irony, the story deals with Dan Rather and his reliance on questionable sources. So who does Gibson bring on to discuss Rather's (lack of) adherence to the journalist's code? Mike Walker, a writer for that beacon of reliable and unbiased news coverage the National Enquirer! Who needs The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live when you've got Fox News Channel? Gibson repeatedly refers to Walker as a journalist, while dismissing Rather as a biased hack with an axe to grind. "Yes," agrees the Enquirer's answer to Edward R. Murrow. Did I ever post anything about the study that showed Fox News' viewers are the most ill-informed on world issues? Now how could that have happened?!

And in other news, some fire and brimstone radio preacher who refers to himself as 'The Trailblazer' warns that Satan and his emissaries are setting the type for a new revised version of the Bible. If you want to avoid The Dark One's grip, you must buy the only true edition of the Good Book, the King James Bible, now available through The Trailblazer's own store. I haven't seen this kind of shameless book promotion since...well, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly!

What's the frequency Kenneth indeed.

Bossman from Phoenix, Part 2 -- A's Finally Win

I got lost looking for Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles south of Downtown Phoenix (it was closed when I found it) and so I missed Rich Harden's first half-inning of work this spring. He pitched the second and third, however, giving up just two hits and no runs.

After watching the A's lose their first four, this is the game I've been waiting for. The pitching staff looked great with Harden, Kirk Sarloos, Ricardo Rincon, Kiko Calero and Huston Street combining for a shutout. Street impressed again by retiring the side in order. Throwing in the low 90s (I think, no gun in the park) with good movement, he made facing Luis Gonzalez, Troy Glaus and Shawn Green look easy.

On the offensive side, Eric Byrnes drove a double to right center in the first, bringing in three runs for the A's. Later Erubiel Durazo blasted one over the 410 marker in straightaway center at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. I think I may have been checking out a smoking hot blonde photographer down near the D-Back's dugout when the 5th and final run was scored.

I spent half the game hanging out with the Oakland bleacher crowd out by the A's bullpen as they shot the shit with Rincon and Kiko Calero. The other half I spent behind home plate with some newfound indie rocker/baseball statheads from the East Bay that I met two nights before at a rare Phoenix dive bar called the Yucca Tap Room.

The trip has been a great success, whether it was scoring a $43/night room at the Radisson (thanks cousin Jim) or meeting a former Giants player named Whitey Lockman at Durant's in downtown Phoenix (he let me check out his 1954 World Series ring), just about everything seemed to go right for me. I saw two good hip-hop shows (A-Team and Sage Francis); ate great food at Havana Cafe, Riazzo's and Durant's; and even got to check out Bank One Ballpark from the TGIF Fridays in left-center field. Who knew you could have a good time in Phoenix?

Bossman from Phoenix

The generous expense account provided me by the top brass at The Bossman Cometh has landed me in a fine suite at the Marriott in Phoenix, Arizona, where they have dispatched me to cover baseball's paean to the end of winter. Right now I am lounging in my personal Jacuzzi sipping Bushmills, pondering the possibilities for room service and which Spring Training game I will attend tomorrow.

After a 13-hour drive in a rented BMW, er...Dodge Neon, I arrived just in time for the first pitch of the Oakland A's spring season yesterday -- a pitch thrown by newly acquired hurler Danny Haren. It was a strike. But after Haren's two innings, the A's staff had some trouble finding the strike zone, most notably fireballer Jairo Garcia, who was wilder than a 14-year-old Drew Barrymore.

The A's offense also proved a little anemic, managing only one run (the Cubs scored two) -- but in their defense, they faced Cubs future ace Carlos Zambrano. But on the plus side, Eric Chavez looked sharp, as did new catcher Jason Kendall.

My clout in the blogosphere scored me a plum seat right behind home plate and a great view of A's prospect Joe Blanton giving up a two-run jack to the Cubs' comer/third baseman Aramis Ramirez. In fact, most of the Cubs Blanton faced seemed to be seeing his pitches pretty well and pulling them deep, though the others remained in the park.

The first two games of the spring and the battle for the starting second base position in Oakland is in full swing, as Mark Ellis, Marco Scutaro and Keith Ginter have all contributed.But so far, the most exciting performance has come from young reliever Huston Street, who was electric, retiring the Brewers in order in his first appearance. I believe he fanned at least one of them, though I was busy looking for the beer vendor at that point.

Against the Brewers, the A's offense finally made itself known, putting up 8 runs, though Milwaukee managed 10, mostly off of second-day starter Dan Meyer. Today I also found the Oakland bleacher contingent, who just made it down for Friday's action. Flags and heckling, but no drums this year.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment at Hooters.