dodgers12875

A Good Weekend

2006-09-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

I said Friday that the Marlins – Phillies was going to be a vital, vital series to the Phillies playoff chances and it was. If the Phillies go on to win the NL wildcard, this was the series where they did it at.

On Friday the Phillies won 5-2, largely on the strength of a three-run home run by Ryan Howard in the third inning and a superb six and two-thirds inning performance from Cole Hamels, who allowed just one run and K’d ten Marlins. The next day it was Lieber’s turn to be commanding on the mound, allowing just two runs on seven hits in seven innings, striking six Marlins out while not allowing a single walk or home run. (This is the sort of start that the Phillies thought Lieber would be hurling when they got him.) The surprise hero of the day was Carlos Ruiz, who went two-for-four with a walk and three RBIs. Jimmy Rollins got home run #23 as well. Sunday Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Chris Coste and Pat Burrell clobbered home runs in a 10-7 win for the Phillies. It was J.Roll’s 24th home run of the season. Jamie Moyer hurled a solid six innings, surrendering five runs, to get the win.

What really surprised me from the weekend were the contributions from players who weren’t even on the Opening Day roster: Hamels, Ruiz, Coste. The Phillies Young ‘Uns turned in a great performance this weekend. Ruiz went two-for-four with three RBIs on Saturday and Coste went five-for-ten with three RBIs and a run scored this weekend. Hamels? Well, Hamels is the Phillies best pitcher. These are significant contributions from guys who weren’t even going to play this season. The farm system is doing something right.

So the Phillies go back to Citizens tonight to play the Houston Astros. The Phillies send Randy Wolf (4-0, 5.47 ERA) against the Astros rookie pitcher Matt Albers (0-2, 6.00 ERA). This is the final home game of the season for the Phillies, aside from the post-season (?) I hope Citizens is filled to the brim with screaming Phils phans for this one. You’d have to give the edge here to the Phillies here: the Astros are a below-average offensive team that actually hits worse in “clutch” situations like with runners in scoring position than the Phillies. Their pitching and defense is much better than the Phillies, but you have to figure they have negated their advantage in the former by sending a rookie against Randy Wolf, even though Wolfie is not having a good season: 1.82 home runs allowed per nine innings and 5.11 walks per nine innings allowed.

Nice 38-24 win the Eagles got in the City by the Bay. (Pardon me for the quick diversion into football.) McNabb riddled the ‘Niners D for 296 yards and two TDs on 18-of-33 passing. The Eagles D scored a touchdown and did a good job bottling up the ‘Niners offense early before slackening off and allowing some cheap second-half yardage. Here are the 49ers yards by quarter:

1st Quarter: 12
2nd Quarter: 93
3rd Quarter: 177
4th Quarter: 90

The Eagles out-gained the ‘Niners 172 to 12 in the first quarter, and 318 to 105 in the first half.

My only gripe … well, my two gripes are that the Eagles turned in another miserable second-half performance and they really didn’t run the ball again.

First, the Birds netted -16 yards in the third quarter while the ‘Niners got 177. Time of Possession in the second half was lop-sided: the ‘Niners held the ball for 21:15 while the Birds had it for 8:45.

Second, the Birds really didn’t try to run the ball. Sure Brian Westbrook had 117 yards of rushing. He also only carried the ball eight times and 61% of those yards came on a single play. Look at what the Eagles did in their second-half drives: run by Westbrook for five yards, McNabb incomplete, McNabb incomplete, Punt. Next drive: McNabb completes a pass for negative one yard, Buckhalter runs for two yards, McNabb sacked, punt. Next drive: McNabb incomplete, Westbrook runs for seven yards, McNabb passes for five yards, McNabb passes for sixty yards, Westbrook rushes for touchdown eight yards. Next drive: Moats runs for eight yards, McNabb incomplete, McNabb incomplete, Punt. Next Drive: Buckhalter for three yards, Buckhalter for four yards, McNabb sacked, Punt.

Second-half play selection: ten passes, seven runs. They still need more balance.

Next-up: Monday Night against the 1-2 Packers and Brett Favre, who had his best game in probably a year or two yesterday against the Lions (25-of-35, 340 yards, three TDs). Not an easy game, plus the Eagles have to avoid the temptation of looking forward to October 8th against the Cowboys.

Back to baseball …

Wildcard Watch! … Teams that are officially eliminated from the playoffs? Colorado, Arizona, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Chicago Cubs … oh, yeah, and the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies can officially eliminate the Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants as well tonight with a win. At the moment the only way both teams could catch the Phillies would be to win every game and have the Phillies lose every game. Not likely. So it is really a three-way struggle for two playoff slot between the Dodgers, Padres and Phillies. This is going to be a fun week.

1. Philadelphia: 82-73
2. Los Angeles: 82-74 (0.5)
3. Houston: 77-78 (5.0)
4. Cincinnati: 76-79 (6.0)
5. Florida: 76-80 (6.5)
6. San Francisco: 75-80 (7.0)

Who Is George Lincoln Rockwell?

2006-08-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

[Published on the 39th anniversary of the Commander's Death.]

George Lincoln Rockwell was born in Bloomington, Illinois, in thehome of his maternal grandfather, on March 9, 1918. His father was a very successful headline comedian from 1912 until about 1935. His ancestors were German, French, English, and Scotch, numbering among them many Revolutionary War figures and going back to Marie Antoinette, the French Queen.

Rockwell stayed in Bloomington, Illinois, only until he was old enough to get out of the hospital, when he was taken on the vaudeville circuit by his parents. He then spent some time in New Jersey, New York, and California, but most of his youth was spent in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He attended Hebron Academy, a prep school near Lewiston, Maine after which he entered Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, majoring in philosophy. In college, Rockwell enjoyed and did well in the sciences and other objective courses, but fought blindly and instinctively against the"sociology" and other similar departments which, unknown to him, were then preaching the Marxist environmentalism and equalism which has played such havoc with our human, biological sciences.

Leaving Brown in the middle of his junior year in 1940, when it became obvious that the U.S. would get into World War Two, Rockwell enlisted as a seaman in the United States Navy in Boston, Massachusetts. By the outbreak of World War Two on December 7, 1941 he had entered naval aviation, and became a scout pilot and a fighter pilot. He served aboard the U. S. S. Omaha in the South Atlantic and off North Africa during the invasion. He was then sent to the Naval Photographic School for pilots and assigned to the U.S.S. Wasp, and from there went to the Pacific theater. He became a Commander of Forward Air Control Operations for Marine Corps assault troops. He was at Guadalcanal, Guam, and other Pacific hot spots. At the end of World War II he was commanding officer of a squadron in Hawaii, earning nine decorations.

Released from active duty, Rockwell attended Pratt Institute art school in New York, working part time in advertising and commercial art. In 1948, while still at Pratt, he won first prize of $1,000 in the National Society of Illustrators competition for a full page newspaper ad for theAmerican Cancer Society. Although still in the ready reserves as CommandingOfficer of a squadron in Washington, D.C. he launched a new magazine, U. S. Lady, for the wives of U. S. service men. In 1949, Rockwell founded the first big national advertising agency in the state of Maine. Recalled for the Korean War in 1950, he trained Marine and Navy pilots in close support of troops and then was transferred to Iceland, where he became commanding officer of a squadron at Keflavik.

At about this time he became deeply concerned about the way all he had fought for in two wars was being turned over to Communism. He noticed that almost all of the convicted Communist spies and traitors such as Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Nathan Silvermaster, Harry Dexter White (Weiss), Robert Soblen, Morton Sobell, David Greenglass, Judith Coplon,Harry Gold, Miriam Moskowitz, Fred Rosenberg, and Sam Cohen (chief Communist spies caught in Canada) and most of the Communist intellectual leaders such as Herbert and Bettina Aptheker, were racial Jews. He was especially shocked to find that "Who's Who In World Jewry", published by theJews themselves, listed many of these atheist Communists very proudly as Jews, even though Rockwell then believed Jews were just a religion.

Observing that Hitler had said that Communism was Jewish, and that the Jews were out to degenerate and conquer the White race by subversionand race-mixing, Rockwell bought a copy of Mein Kampf and read it, even though he thought he already knew what was in it from all he'd heard. He was astounded to find that it was actually a brilliant analysis of the mess Western Civilization had gotten into, and the only plan he'd ever seen for the White race to save itself.

For a number of years, he tried to work with various "right wing" organizations, all of whom believed, as he did for a while, that it was necessary to disguise one's belief in Adolf Hitler and National Socialism. Finally disgusted with the emptiness, the weakness, the hypocrisy and especially the cowardice of the so-called "conservatives", Rockwell determined to attack at last, flying the Swastika banner which had come so close to saving Western civilization and the White race.

"Since our Cause is fundamentally the truth," he explained to horrified friends, "I do not see how we can win by lying or misrepresenting what we are for fear of the Jews.The only time in the hundred years of the rise of Communism that this plague has ever actually been beaten, it was beaten not by conservatives but by radicals and fighters whom the enemy called Nazis and Fascists and whom they really did fear. Only in Germany, Spain and Italy has Communism ever been conquered. We are damned fools to be afraid to follow the only examples that ever worked!"

He hung up a Nazi banner in front of his home and dared the Jews to do something about it. They---and their friends and dupes---came in droves and mobs to do something about it, but Rockwell survived all the shooting, the rocks and other Jewish "arguments". The publicity gave him a much-needed platform from which to call the attention of his fellow Americans to the increasingly desperate situation of America and our great White family of peoples.

Rockwell believed it was time for the White man to take America back from the aliens, the minorities, and the terrorists in power, under the demagoguery of cheap politicians. To accomplish this Rockwell believed he had to win not the few in the right wing, or the upper classes, but the millions and millions of our people. And to win these people he had to offer them something besides a lot of empty platitudes about freedom and the Constitution. Only National Socialism offered a positive and progressive program for all Aryan people, rather than just the middle and upper classes, and combined a concern for the purity and protection of theWhite race with a fighting determination to stop all further mongrelization of our people.

Within five years Rockwell had led the Nazi Party from a tiny and scorned band of roughnecks willing to take to the streets to fight treason and race-mixing, to a Party which had headquarters in Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, and most major cities, and commanded the grudging respect of the enemy, even though there was powerful censorship of the American right to know what Rockwell was doing.

Under Commander Rockwell, the Party published the Rockwell Report, the Stormtrooper, and the National Socialist World, along with bulletins for Party members only. Rockwell had plans to organize the White Guard---young, White fighting men to help protect society from the black and Red revolution which had already conquered the police departments of Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland and many other cities.

George Lincoln Rockwell is the father of the present-day racialist movement in the U.S. and the founder of American National Socialism. For most of his turbulent career as Commander of the A.N.P, Rockwell lived a shadowy existence on the fringes of the American political scene. He was misunderstood and rejected by the vast majority of his fellow White Americans, whom he loved dearly. He and his tiny band of "roughnecks" were alternately cursed, ridiculed and ignored by the mass media. They fought street battles without end against Communist and Jewish thugs who sought tosilence them by force, and spent many a night in jail, courtesy of hostilepoliticians and police officers. Throughout it all, Lincoln Rockwell'swarrior spirit of courage, idealism, and heroic defiance was never crushed.

His years of persistence finally paid off in 1966, when thousands of White men, women, and youth in Chicago followed his leadership in a spontaneous uprising against efforts forcibly to integrate all-White working class neighborhoods. The uprising culminated in the now-famous White People's March of September 10th, 1966, in which hundreds of Whites followed Commander Rockwell's leadership under the sign of the Swastika.

Tragically, within a year Lincoln Rockwell was dead. On August 25th, 1967 this authentic American hero was murdered in Arlington,Virginia, under circumstances which have never been satisfactorily cleared up but which point very heavily towards the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, and also to at least some involvement on the part of the man who seized control of the Nazi headquarters and "succeeded" Rockwell. The trigger man was later convicted and received a short prison term; his accomplices in the corridors of power and the traitor within the headquarters who made the phone call telling the gunman where Rockwell would be were never charged or punished.

Yet although Lincoln Rockwell died on that dark Friday in August, his heroic spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of White men and women everywhere who continue to draw inspiration from his mighty example.

ROLLING THROUGH BAGHDAD. My ride on the Surf Line was both ...

2006-07-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

TAIL TRACK. Barring signal troubles, links to any posts of substance ought to work.

When I moved to Los Angeles I had a Bukowski book and a 30 year ...

2006-07-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

When I moved to Los Angeles I had a Bukowski book and a 30 year old bottle of whiskey in my bag. I had spent the six months prior to moving on a bender of epic proportions wondering thinking about a girl on the other side of the country. On the ground in LA was that girl, she picked me up in a '68 VW with a dog in the back seat and she met me with a smile that lit up the terminal. With her I finally felt like I'd be OK, no matter what, but in time things ended between us and I didn't think I'd ever get over it. Luckily, in time she and I developed a friendship again and today I find myself turning to her when I need help, she knows me well and never steers me wrong.

A few weeks ago I was having some problems, getting over my most recent relationship was keeping me up nights and I didn't know what to do. The last time I felt like that was when the girl waiting at the terminal and I split up. Back then I went on my customary bender and hoped she'd come back but after a long time of difficult nights I finally learned that nobody got a good nights rest while wishing someone was there. Understanding that my happiness wasn't connected to another person allowed me to be ok and in time I was able to let go and be happy again. Sitting up at night, years later feeling the same way about another girl I was able to look back at my earlier experience and apply the same idea to Nora. Letting go of things, trying to remember that I had no control over the future and just trying to be happy is the only thing I can do. Letting go felt good. The former girlfriend helps once again without even knowing it, she's good that way.

For the record, the old girlfriend frequently appears in stories here (like this one), and I think she stops by here sometimes to see how I am too, she's good like that. It's nice to know that years later, even now that she's happily married I can still turn to her for help, even if she doesn't know it all the time. So Suzanne if you're reading this I just wanted to say thanks; you were great then, you're still great now.

Two Different Takes on "Liberal Christianity"

2006-07-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

CBS News ran this piece on their Evening News broadcast called "Religion Taking a Left Turn." They talk to several leaders of the emerging "religious left" including Tony Campolo and Jim Wallis. Their focus appears to be on issues like poverty, child care, the environment, and ending the war in Iraq. Let's see, that's helping the poor, caring for children and our natural resources, and promoting peace. Sounds like good Jesus stuff to me, and certainly a lot better then what is being spewed by the Religious Right.

Taking another approach is Charlotte Allen, an editor for Beliefnet, a conservative religious news source. In an op-ed piece she wrote for the Los Angeles Times, Allen states her belief that the declining membership in more moderate-to-liberal denominations, such as the Episcopals and Presbyterians, is due to "blurred doctrine and softened moral precepts."

If the majority rules in the United States, which is what I believe she is implying (and is also an increasingly common Religious Right arguement), then why worry about proselytizing nations where Islam and Hinduism is practiced by the overwhelming majority? These days, a majority in popular opinion often points more to the resources that side has to make their point and influuence people than it does the merit of what they are saying.

Two Different Takes on "Liberal Christianity"

2006-07-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Two Different Takes on "Liberal Christianity"

2006-07-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

ILL LIT-TOM CRUISE

2006-07-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

Ill Lit are an L.A. band that makes nice music. I know that sounds bland, but I don’t know a better word for what they do. It’s just really nice to listen to, whether you’re in the car or boiling water for pasta, or laying in bed on Sunday morning. Ill Lit, led by Daniel Ahearn, take Americana up to the next level—well written, tight songs for the back porch accentuated with the occasional beep or buzz. This Is Not A Good Time makes me think of mello Foo Fighters (Cold Day in the Sun, particularly), but it’s all good. I can’t understand why they haven’t gotten more blog attention. They sent me their album and I’m very impressed by the whole package. Every single song is worth keeping, and even the packaging is well thought out. They’ve named the album after one of the most recognizable faces in the world, but the cover is the back of some dude’s head. He looks vaguely like Cruise, but you know it’s probably more like Luke Wilson, or some other indie actor. Similarly, this band could be as big as Counting Crows but I doubt they’ll be bigger than Birdmonster. But I could be wrong. And I hope I am. I really like this album. A lot.

Cuts:

Los Angeles-Ill Lit.

Satan’s Doing Fine Without Me-Ill Lit.

Worth the Wait- Ill Lit.

THE LAST WORD:

"If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?"

...Abraham Lincoln

2006-05-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

Lakers to aim higher next season

By JOHN NADEL
AP SPORTS WRITER

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Phil & Kobe reunion worked out well, with no apparent glitches. And outside of an ugly finish, so did the Los Angeles Lakers' season.

As for the future, Lakers fans probably shouldn't expect much roster shuffling or a championship contender very soon. The hope is, a title shot isn't too far away.

"We were all about getting to the playoffs and make some noise in the playoffs. We met our goal," coach Phil Jackson said Monday during a break from conducting exit interviews with his players.

The Lakers went 45-37 for an 11-game improvement over the previous season, and took a 3-1 lead over the Phoenix Suns before losing the last three games to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

"We're pleased. We maintained from day one that was achievable," general manager Mitch Kupchak said of a return to the postseason.

But Game 7 was ugly from start to finish - a 121-90 victory by the Suns.

"They're holding themselves responsible," Jackson said of his players. "I have to make them let go of that. The first four games were pretty good."

And the last three weren't.

"We think our future is very bright," Kupchak said. "The good news, really, is this team is together. You cannot predict a major change.

"This is not a stellar year where you're going to see eight to 10 stellar free agents available. We're in the exact same boat as 25 or 26 other teams are in. We have a big window two years from now."

That that might be when something big happens in free agency that makes the Lakers viable championship contenders.

"I wouldn't discount it a year or two down the road. I'm not prepared to say that, although I think that's a possibility," Kupchak said of returning to elite status.

Added Jackson: "Usually you have to go two or three rounds of the playoffs before you can compete for a championship. "We have some core ingredients that are pretty good."

The Lakers have three legitimate big men in Chris Mihm, Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum. Bryant is a superstar and Lamar Odom is an All-Star caliber player.

The biggest question mark is in the backcourt. Bryant's 35.4-point average was the NBA's best in 19 years, but the youth and inexperience of starter Smush Parker and top reserve Sasha Vujacic hurt the Lakers against the Suns.

"The question is, are we good enough at that position? Are we experienced enough? Both of them made strides this season," Jackson said. "We don't believe we have to have a superstar come in for us to advance (in the playoffs). We know we have enough physical talent, we have enough size, we have enough expertise to compete."

Kupchak said he didn't anticipate a major trade this offseason, but did acknowledge a possible need for an upgrade in the backcourt.

The Lakers, well over the salary cap, have only three unrestricted free agents on their roster - veterans Devean George and Jimmy Jackson and rookie Devin Green. George was a key reserve on this team.

"He's probably the one challenge we have during the offseason," Kupchak said. "Basically, the core of this team is intact."

George said he was going to explore free agency.

"I just let them know that I enjoyed being here and I'm open to coming back," he said.

Jackson, who coached the Lakers to three championships in five years, returned this season after a year off. He wrote a book slamming Bryant while he was gone, so there was intrigue upon his return. When training camp started, all eyes were in the record-setting coach and his star player. But no problems surfaced.

"We worked together really well this season," Jackson said. "It was remarkable, from Hawaii on. I think at first, it was like, `How's this going to work?' He really took to the offense, where he was going to play in it. It was a remarkable year for him."

Jackson said Bryant did an especially good job with leadership.

"Kobe was a lot more personable for us this year, was great as a leader," teammate Brian Cook said. "A lot of people did a lot of growing up. Everybody got along from the standpoint of off the court - just a great group of guys."

Bryant said he believes the Lakers grew up.

"When you go through a season like we went through and a playoff series like we went through, those are big steps in our development process," he said. "When we come back next season, you'll see a team that executes better, understands better, is better in pressure situations, is just mature."

Los Angeles

2006-02-17T16:51:00.000-08:00

The City of Los Angeles IPA: /lɒs.ˈæn.dʒə.lɪs/ (from Spanish Los Ángeles /los.ˈaŋ.xe.les/) also known simply as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the world's most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. It was incorporated as a city in California on April 4, 1850, and is the county seat of Los Angeles County.