Friday Night at the Red Sea (Then the Delmar Lounge)

Friday i went to the red sea to watch alex, jon, pete and ben (Instant Iguana). The show was pretty good, even though Kurt formerly of the the ruckus and currently of Gothic Blues Quartet does the booking at the red sea these days. (I had a bad run in with the ruckus once).

Once upon a long time ago i swore i would never go to the red sea again, because my old band had some issues with the stage being way to small, the size being kinda small, the booking guy double booking us one night, and it smelling like raw sewage. At least these days they burn incence down there, which makes it smell like a sewer with incence burning in it. If you were wondering, that smell wasnt that good either.

The highlight of the evening (due to no fault of instant iguana's), came after i had been in the door for about 20 minutes. I went the men's room, and in fron of the urinal is a guy on crutches dealing crack to a guy in a baseball cap. He looked at both me and Jon and asked if we wanted some and showed it to us. Why is it, that whenever i need to use the restroom theres always some guy on crutches selling crack in there? Well that doesnt always happen, but im going to claim that it does, it makes my life more interesting.

Going to shows is always a little bittersweet for me, as i enjoy live music and music in general, but it makes me miss perferming myself. Those days are over, but i have some nice memories of them and the people that came to see us. Just not of the red sea, and at least we took a little hike down to the delmar lounge where i could forget the red sea with the help of corona. On to the pictures..............

What exactly would you like me to say here, he's weird, and yet we all knew that.

Jon and Alex rock out, some girl talks about how hot pete is. Seriously, i have no clue what she was talking about, but if i were here, thats not at all what i would be saying.

Jon and Ben....well lets just say they pretend to like each other rather well.

Ooooooh. A black and white picture of me and allison.

Mike.......Ade

Sri and Jamie. At the delmar . Where i saw people from high school.....totally weird.

Kristen looking disturbed, and her lovely sister.

Alex and Tara are happy, mostly due to the alcohol.

And i include Jakse here, only because he's the most relevant person of the night.

Jakse decided that it would be a phenomenal idea to walk home after no fewer than five people offered him a ride. Mind you he lives downtown, by the landing, and he was at delmar, in the loop. I can't belive he's alive, i can't belive he didint get mugged, or at least smashed in the head with a brick by some homeless dude.

Overall i had a pretty night, and i stayed out very late. The red sea never does change though, that place sucked, and im still not sure why i had to pay 5 bucks to get in to see two bands. We used to only swindle 3-4 dollars out of our friends when we played shows.

Theres a bunch more pictures in the online photo album, but it's late and i need to go to work tomorrow, so this is it, but you can always go there if you want to.

Mac for the Hall?

I wouldn't say baseball is over, we've just hit its most boring month is all. And so with the recent election of Bruce Sutter to the hall of fame, it makes me turn my attention to 2007, when McGwire will be eligible for the first time. And for the first time baseball writers and fans will be confronted head on with how to treat the steroid era in baseball's history.

Let's get a couple things out of the way. If the steroid scandal doesn't erupt McGwire is an easy first ballot choice, slamdunk. He shares the stage next summer with Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken as a member of what would be the most impressive HOF class in recent memory. But the steroid scandal did break. Even still, I don't think anyone's opinion changed in any material way until the congressional hearings in march. At that point, our lasting vision of McGwire ceased to be the towering moonshots and and huggin sammy and his son. Now what we think of is the one unfortunate phrase, "I'm not here to talk about the past"

I don't know what to think. I don't know if i'd vote Mac into the hall. I'm not even sure about how i feel about steroids in baseball personally. I don't see them as any greater evil than loading up a baseball with vaseline, or using those red eye contacts that make you see the seams of the ball better while your cheating. In the latter case, thats definitely a physically enhancement, and im curious why there hasn't been more of an outcry over them. I'm also not sure how anyone can make the distinction between bonds, and Mac. We've decided that Mac is a juiced up steroid freak but bonds gets in because he had a Hall of Fame before he took steroids? What you mean is before he got big, because i don't have any clue when Bonds started doing them, and I don't know about mcgwire either. And for that matter, how are you going to leave sammy sosa out just because "he got big". Oh yeah we're supposed to "trust our eyes". well of the guys like alex sanchez, ryan franklin, matt lawton, rafael palmeiro and the like, i haven't seen any of those "big guys" get caught. So maybe we shouldn't trust our eyes at all.

anyway, here's what the case against Mac boils down to: he probably took an illegal substance for which baseball had no penalties for, for an undetermined amount of time that helped him perform at an as of yet indeterminable higher level of athleticism, and it may or may not have caused long term health effects that he will have to deal with. That and he's a coward for what he did in front of congress. Is that enough to keep him out of the hall? Truth be told, im not sure. I'm not sure mcgwire owes us an explanation either. Maybe he doesn't even owe us the truth. But id sure like to hear it, before I'd have to make that decision. Mac probably isn't getting in in '07 and if the only reason is because we need more time to distance ourselves from the time than he played, I can understand that. Maybe we need more than the five year waiting period in this case. If he doesn't get in because hes getting punished, im not sure that's right.

Either way though, the '07 HOF voting is going to be much more compelling than this years.

This can't be real

ok. i held this back for too long but i have to share this with someone, its just too good. I give you the biggest wastes of human spaces since Oliver. Those of you who don't remember Oliver or who are just jumping on bored, well, i highly suggest you click on that link. Anyway, back to why we're here these guys:

OK, i can only assume at first glance that these guys werent thinking when they woke up, because either this was clearly the product of a giant halloween joke, hopefully they were abducted at birth and brought into some strange porcupine worshipping cult. Because the alternitive unfortunately is that these guys think they're are cool. If this is the new style circulating among the metrosexual/homosexual persuasion in jersey, remind me never to go back there again. not because i have a problem with that, but because im afraid i might get stabbed in the eye bye one of these hairstyles charging at me like an angry rhino. There are ton more picture of these guys. Their ringleader is the guy in the pink shirt in the background, as he started posting these pictures of him and his "boys" on a few message boards in recent weeks. His name is lee hotti. i swear to god i can't make this stuff up.

Of course, if you thought that picture made this guy look like one of the biggest wedges known to man, what till you get a glimpse at this.

yes, i can only assume that his head is tilted to the side due to the four cans of gel his porcupine worshipping self needs in order to get his hair to look like that. And don't forget the hair dye, because in case you haven't noticed, this guy is clearly a red head that hasn't come to grips with his curse. There isn't any way to hide that complexion buddy, unless you're wearing makeup like you were in the previous picture. Also, if your going to try to roll with rocks in your ears, perhaps you should get a reasonable size, so as to not announce to the world that, yes, you do not care that those things are cubic zirconia you just want something big and sparkly. Also,Headbands are for catching sweat when you are working out, not for fashion accessories. And i dont even know what to say about the kissing action.

A few days ago Kevin asked in his blog what was wrong with the youth of america. my response is this guy. i can't make fun of him anymore, its too easy. but i thought you all should take a gander at what Oliver's brothers in arms look like.

CBC Distribution vs. MLB Advanced Media

I love baseball. Its my favorite sport and its not really close. You'd be hard pressed to find a gourp of people that love the Cardinals more than my friends and i. Yet that doesn't mean that i love major league baseball. In fact, i think commisioner selig is a hack who's ruined a lot of great things about baseball without adding much to the game but signifigant monetary growth, which is something im sure the owners care dearly about, but i don't. i just like watching good baseball.

If you aren't familiar with MLB Advanced Media, suffice to say its MLB's media and content wing that was started primarly to jump start and promote majorleaguebaseball.com and every teams individual website. It's been more successful than anyone could possibly imagine, and if you want to know more about it, the hardball times has a great little history of it here.

First of all, i find this case to be of interest because its being tried here in st. louis, but also because it involves another of my favorite hobbies, fantasy baseball. even if you aren't a big fantasy sports fan this case has some far reaching implications. This is what the case revolves around: MLB saw a money grab by licensing their statistics to different fantasy sports websites. Only those websites with a license were technically allowed to use said game stats for the purposes of fantasy baseball. MLB's contention is that the players and major league baseball itself owns these stats. CBC contends otherwise. Theyve continued to run their fantasy game on their website under the premise that MLB cannot assert ownership over a historical event.

I tend to agree. This is something i wrote about at the old magic penguin but i feel like this is a huge issue that is flying under the radar that might have severe consequences. if you don't play fantasy baseball, or football, you could be saying to yourself, who freakin' cares. And on one level you'd be right. on another level though, the issue of who owns a historical event is at stake here. I'm not sure how MLB is going to assert ownership of statistics once a game is over, because what they are essentially saying is "we own the historical record of fact for what happens in ever baseball season for every game". In theory they could require newspapers to pay for a license to have reporters cover these games or to run standings or leaderboards. They could require me to have a license to blog about how Albert Pujols went 2-4 with a home run and a double and 6 RBIs at the game i went to. All historical events, all statistics, all things that major league baseball asserts is its own intellectual property.

I'm not sure if i can assert ownership over the fact that i ate a penn station sub today but if i can and i hear any of you talking about it. Your in deep trouble. I dont even want to hear you talking about it to your friend without my expressed written permission. I suppose the difference here lies in whos making the money. But i dont see these fantasy services as doing anything other than saving a fan the hassle of watching every game on MLB All Access to compile every statistic for the day to run their fantasy league. And im pretty sure that that's not against the law. Id like to know what side of the fence you guys fall on regarding this issue. Am i making too much out of this? Can baseball win this case? If they do, will this extend to other instances of companies or individuals asserting their rights over other historical events? Anyone have a reason that might get me to change my mind?

Law.com has a great write up of this too.

Loren's 21st Birthday

So ummm yeah. When you get to the bar and realize that it is, in fact, 10 dollars all you can drink night, well what was going to be an early night ended up with allison and i in the jack in the box drive through at around 3 am. Egg rolls kick ass.

Anyway, the point is, bars that do the all you can drink thing are trying to insult you. This is essentially a dare. What they're saying is "you cant drink enough liquor or beer to make a dent in our bottom line". Maybe thats true, but i've never been one to back down from a dare, let alone one that insults my drinking prowess. When someone slaps you in the face with a white glove, you can't just turn tail and run.

Anyway, My cousin Loren had her 21st Birthday party at lacledes last night, and i have photographic evidence of it. Enjoy.

Holy crap that's a lot of red hair!

What a cute couple we make.

Loren, my cousin Nicole and my Aunt Hope......this could be a long night.

Yup....its definitely gonna be a long night

Hey if people are flipping the bird to the camera, you know my brother is going to be involved, right?
Loren and i have lots of fun. Happy Birthday Loren!

Nicole and me. This might actually be the first picture of us I can remember.

Zack tells a joke, Allison politely laughs, even though it probably wasn't funny. Yeah i just made that up, i have no idea if that happened or not.

If its 10 dollars all you can drink, you KNOW Turk is going to show up. As for Paul, well, he's poor so this is a pretty damn good deal for him.

Oh no, you did not just pop the collar!

He did.....He did just pop the collar!

OK. There are actually more pictures on the online at the online photo album. Happy 21st birthday to Loren, and hopefully we will now be seeing much more of her now since she's legal. Also, in case you were wondering, yes I did get Egg Rolls on the way home from jack in the box. (we capitalize Egg Rolls just like we would capitalize God, they are that good).

Saturday at Llewellyn's

Welcome. As promised here are a few pictures of our strange night out at Llewelyn's last saturday. I had a lot of fun and i hope everyone else did to.







Zack approves








If anyone was ever wondering what would happen to greg if he became the dictator of a third world country.









Yeah, theres not much i can really say about that. I was kinda drunk.











Gloriod manages to do the nearly impossible- look like a normal human being.










Allison explains to zack how we got a new digital camera. Presumably so she won't have to pretend by doing htis anymore.















Seriously though. Who doesnt like beer?






OK thats all. there are a few more photos if you want to see them. Check them out at the online photo album. Presumably after a full weekend this weekend, I'll have something else, but i might be alittle bit lit throwing them up here. One never does know.

bit of a tweak

John commented to me today that this new black, red, orange, white format looks very much like a penguin typed theme. I hadn't thought of that, but he's got a point. As you can see I've done some serious tweaking from the old gray, red, white format into what we have now. I think i've settled in on this, although i wouldnt rule out some other changes in the future, since i'm still not sure if i like the white/black for the main section of the blog.

Happy 21st birthday to loren, who we will be going out with tomorrow, and yes, im sure we'll get some decent pictures taken. Tonight i might upload some of the pictures from llewellyns on friday night, just so i can get used to the picture uploading tool. We'll see. I'm still in the infancy stage with this here blog, so im open to ideas or suggestions. please do not attempt to correct me on my spelling or punctuation or capitalization.

Moving to the East Side

Welcome one and welcome all. This will be the new home of the Magic Penguin online for the forseeable future. Don't worry though, all of the old "classic" Magic Penguin articles are still up over at livejournal, and they are conveniently linked below in the Archives. So kick the feet up, relax, and stay for a little while and we might have some fun.

First thing is first. Allison and I bought a new digital camera for christmas so I promise many new pictures and stories, through the magic of electronics and technology. Questions and comments are of course always welcome. If anyone has a link they need me to add down on the bottom there, just drop me a line and i'll probably take care of it. Part of my new years resolution is to update the blog more often than twice a month, so we'll try to go weekly arouns here. Let me know if theres anything else you want to see.