756

So apparently, yesterday, Barry Bonds passed Hank Aaron's all-time record. Bud Selig and Hank Aaron weren't there. I guess people expected another slump like the one before number 755. I wonder how Mike Bacsik, the Nationals' pitcher who sent that poor fastball across the plate, is feeling right now. I don't think I would be feeling too badly if I was a major league pitcher, but I also would have walked Bonds on principle when he came up to the plate.

Beyond the actual breaking of the record, it makes you wonder what it really represents for the sport as a whole. The Onion, oddly enough, summed up my thoughts pretty well with its headline this morning: "Destruction Of National Pastime Given Two-Minute Standing Ovation." I don't appreciate what Barry Bonds represents to the sport of baseball. He is enhanced mechanically with his elbow pad which can perform a sort of physics magic trick to help him hit home runs, and he more than likely has been enhanced biologically with horse steroids which is evident when you track his stats and physique throughout the years.

You can call me a conservative loony and say that physical enhancements through technology is the future of humanity (Dr. Garner), but in the realm of sports, I believe technology should be highly regulated to ensure fairness and actual skill remain key factors in the competition. Beyond this, the sport becomes a three-ring circus where anyone with the money and the gumption can participate.

I honestly wish it could have been Griffey breaking the record right now. I've liked him nearly all of my life.

There is a silver lining though. A-Rod is on his way in a drug-free manner (for right now). As much as I despise rooting for the Yankees, I will gladly celebrate when Bonds is usurped by raw talent and incredible skill.

Ask-A-Ninja

Not feeling sufficient to just get caught up on my Onion podcast today, I also finished up my archival viewing of the brilliant podcast, Ask-A-Ninja. Ask-A-Ninja continues to be my favorite podcast of the video variety because of its lightning-quick sense of humor that mixes a healthy amount of pop (and not so pop) culture references with a light amount of the absurd. It's unique in that the only visible feature of our protagonist, the ninja, is his eyes, but he manages to convey lots of emotion through the combination of his speaking pattern and his wild hand gestures.

The comedic duo behind it have a very sweet setup, and their sharp wits and subtle-yet-effective editing skills make the ninja an internet force with which to be reckoned. He is a front-runner in defining ninja culture on the internet and a big talking point in the ongoing ninjas vs. pirates vs. robot dinosaurs with flamethrowers on their heads debate.

My big secret about Ask-A-Ninja? They make me want to become a professional movie editor. I like editing.

You can tell I stay quite busy at work. Prey is still very good. Going to the Travs game tonight.

The Onion

This morning, I finished listening to my archive of Onion Radio News podcasts. I had about 100 of them backed up on my iPod from the last few months, and it felt good to finally be caught up on them. The Onion has such an incredible satire and wit about it, I must share some of the headlines by which I was just entertained.

"Army Of Dead has no Problem Meeting Recruitment Goals"

"Civil War Enthusiasts Burn Atlanta To Ground"

"GEICO Saves Fifteen Percent Or More By Discontinuing Advertising"

"Area Mom Freaking Out For No Reason"

"John Glenn Installed In Smithsonian"

"Google Steps In To Help U.S. With Google Navy"

The Onion usually contends with the Weekly World News for being my favorite publication to read idly. The entertainment value in each is beyond reproach with the Onion claiming to be "America's Finest News Source" and Weekly World News claiming to be "The World's Only Reliable Newspaper." Together, they represent my two favorite forms of humor: satire and the absurd.

Prey is very good. The introduction and first chapter alone kept me up a half hour longer than I thought I would be. I have a feeling I won't be able to put it down later today.