Dumb comment of the year (Sports division)

"We didn't really lose," starter Joe Blanton said. "We just ran out of innings."

Someone really should explain the rules of baseball to this man. A game lasts nine innings, and at the end of those nine innings, the team with more runs on the board is declared the winner. The team with the fewer runs is the loser. Last night, at the end of nine, the Giants had six runs, Blanton's Phillies had five.

Yes Joe, you really lost the game.

Obviously, he's saying that if the tie had held then the Phillies would have inevitably won. Again, someone needs to point out that the Giants were hitting pretty good last night, and the home team always bats last. The "get into the 10th" plan was the reason they sent Roy Oswalt out to pitch the ninth instead of their closer. Oswalt, one of the Phillies big three pitching threats, gave up two singles and the game winning sac fly. Oops.

In which Doug whines

Up front, a lot of this comes from my eagerness to get back to my life after my doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'm feeling much better and ready to get back to work, even if that eventually means moving to an inside job. But...

For the past ten years I've had multiple people tell how much they'd love to be in one of my games. I've been told in email, person, and in this journal just how cool it would be to game with me. Trust me, I've wanted to get back into gaming myself, but circumstances were always against me. My job was too flaky - I was working weekends most places and had odd hours, I had no good place to play since our apartment was a disaster, and I was still locked into my older game modes of thought. All of which led to me never really getting anything off the ground.

Now that has changed. I have weekends off. I have a great place to play. And a great set of rules and a good campaign setting that people have expressed interest in. I put out a call for players to meet once, maybe twice a month and get...

one player. Plus two out of the area folks who have volunteered to play as semi-NPCs (as they are a Russian and a Finn, I'm eager for their input.)

Is it me? Was everyone lying? Changed their minds? Really hate the idea of Ars Magica? I have the rules as a .pdf if you'd like to look them over. I'm looking for another 2 - 4 people who want to do a game that meets face to face once a month at Game Kastle in Santa Clara for a session, and does much of the rest of the play online through email and/or a dedicated LJ or FB group. Hell, if someone can make it work, I'd even be willing to do some of the gaming on KloOge. But I really prefer meeting to game, then adjourning for food and conversation.

Hell, if it comes to it, I'd be willing to offer crash space at my place to a player.

Not sure what I'm expecting out of this, but I'm really bad about holding things in and letting them fester. I want to game. I have a game. I just need gamers.

Since I mentioned it yesterday...

Here's the M-60 machinegun. 23lbs doesn't sound like much, but then you have to carry the thing over 15 miles of razorback ridges and brush. Oh, that firing from the strap thing? Pure Rambo. Half your rounds are going over the horizon if you do that. You get down, put the weapon on it's bipod, and lay down a curtain of fire - in 7 to 10 round bursts, of course - that skim in about a meter off the ground. Two M-60s (which is what an Infantry squad had back in my day) can create an impressive kill zone.

Machinegunners are traditionally known as "pigmen" in the Army.

The truth is a three-edged sword.

As is a national broadcast of a baseball game. Go to this page, and the first video that comes up is the bottom of the 9th from last night's Game 4 win by the Giants. But you get the Fox Sports call as well as the Giants and Phillies radio calls. Interesting to hear the differences.

Ya think Duane Kuiper (our broadcaster) was just a little excited?

Yet another grumble.

When we moved, I changed my voting address through the California DMV website. I am a modern man, and thought it would be fast and convenient.

Guess who isn't registered to vote at his current address?

On Election Day I'll go in and ask for a provisional ballot. I am a registered voter, and can prove I live at my current address. Just annoying.

Please rise

Our love who art in San Francisco
Giants be thy name.
Thy will be done
The 2010 NLCS will be won.
On the field, as well as in the bullpen
Give us this day our bat and glove, and forgive us for our errors,
As we forgive those who homerun against us.
Lead us not into defeat… but deliver us our VICTORY!!!
In the name of Mays, McCovey and the Shot Heard Round the World

Play Ball.