Dice-K and Japan win the WBC.... again!

So, at first, I was upset about the fact that team USA didn't make it to the final, losing to the defending champions, Japan. Even if USA would have beat Japan in the semis, I don't know how they would hold up against Korea, who seemed amazing this year. Anyway... in the end, I was actually happy to see Japan win, but mostly because Daisuke Matsuzaka was once again, the MVP of the World Baseball Classic. This sits well with me, him being a Red Sox starter and all. I see greatness in his future with the Sox. I mean, my most standards, Dice-K has already proven himself as a great pitcher on many occassions, but I think that his standards and those of the AL East and Red Sox, are generally higher. I am hoping for another great year on-top the Boston pitcher's mound, not just from Dice-K, but from the entire pitching staff and bullpen. With solid starts from Beckett all Spring long, and Dice-K winning the classic, and Lester and Pap both getting extensions, I think things are set for another great year. Some of the question marks though.... Wakefield and the elusive fifth starter????? Will it be Bucholz, Penny, or (eventually) Smoltz???? It has got to be one of those 3 guys... I can't imagine they would move Masterson, but who knows... Anyway... Congrats to team Japan and congrats to Dice-K for being the ONLY champtions in World Baseball Classic history.

Washburn's Top 5 of the Day

The Top 5 Muppets in this Humble Blogger's Opinion Which is of No Consequence At All:

5) Gonzo - OK... I think a lot of people would have Kermit as their number one, but if not, they might have Gonzo... well, not me. Gonzo is #5 for me. Personally, I like weird things, but Gonzo might just be too weird. First off, what is his purpose??? Is he a super-hero? A dare-devil? He is always getting shot out of cannons and stuff... I don't know, but it must of had some serious psychological effects, because Gonzo is a nut job. The reason he made my list though, is because he makes me laugh SO much! The guy is hilarious. Plus... that Nose! Gonzo has one of the most recognizable noses of all time. How can you forget that nose!? Unique, definitely. Hilarious, obviously. Gonzo, here's to you for making my list.

4) Beaker - This guy cracks me up. There isn't anything really specail about him, and really, I feel kind of bad for him most of the time. Beaker was Dr. Bunsen's unfortunate, illiterate, test-dumby. All of the failed experiments that back-fired fell on the sore shoulders of Beaker. Beaker was also slightly deformed, having a....well...beaker shaped head. What cracked me up so much was the way he talked... It really can't be described. But it is hilarious. Beaker, if you were real and didn't just exisit in the world of Muppets, I would so be your friend. Plus, you should totally stand up for yourself and not let that nut-job mad scientist Bunsen make you drink weird concoctions, or hook you up to some high-voltage electro magnetic machine... tell him to use poor, unsuspecting, cute animals instead.

3) Kermit the Frog - Henson's most famous character is the green guy that everyone knows and loves. Kermit has everything you could want in te perfect Muppet. So why #3? Kermit comes in at #3 for me because I think he lacks something that my #2 and #1 muppets have... BALLS. So, to Kermitt: Kermit, I like you so much, you are witty, and you are kind to your friends, and you have a funny voice, but you have no balls, man! You let that ho, Miss Piggy abuse you and yell at you and embaress you in front of your male friends. She is too manipulative, you have GOT to realize that. Your awesomeness can only be balanced so much by this flaw that makes me want to punch you. This is why you are in the middle of the pack, my friend. If only you could be more like Fozzie, he gets embarressed but has the balls to deal with it. Why you let Miss Piggy ruin you like that is beyond me... plus, it is obvious that you don't love her, I mean, why else has she remained MISS Piggy. She never became Mrs. Frog. Get with it man, you could do so much better.

2) Fozzie Bear - Although this lovable teddy was truly a stand-up comic failure, he never gave up trying to be the funny guy that deep-down, he knew he was. I think I used to laugh at Fozzie's stupid jokes, mostly because everyone else made fun of him and threw trash (or as they say in England, rubbish) at him. But now, I see that maybe all that hazing and ridicule had an emotionally damaging effect on poor Fozzie. He tried to tough it out and act like the "haters" didn't faze him, but no one can withstand that much rejection and truly be happy. The one character who always did have Fozzie's back was Kermitt. Fozzie really was like the green guy's #2 on the show. So, why not have him as my #2 as well. Fozzie, keep on makin em laugh!

...and the number 1 Muppet is...

1) Animal - "Why?" you may ask... well, duh. Because he, like so many of the greats in this world, is a drummer. Not just any drummer, either. He is probably the most furiously frenzied drummer I have ever seen!? He might even put Keith Moon to shame with the amounts of energy and pure craziness he displays behind the kit. Animal is the drummer for the Muppet rock band called Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Pretty sweet band name, if you ask me. Animal had the the coolest way of dealing with problems... his classic line, "No, NO! Animal beat drums! BEAT DRUMS!!!!" Simple and yet, elegant. I think Animal speaks for all drummers. He is a beast, hence the perfect name... Animal. He is so metal... seriously, check out the heavy metal chain hanging from his neck... I'm not totally sure, but Animal may have been the example from which all those glam rock hair bands of the 80's based their image. Seriously... he looks like he has used quite a bit of Aqua Net on that mane of his...

Reflectiveness....

::sigh::

Washburn's Top 5 of the Day

The Top 5 Westerns by Sergio Leone That You MUST See Before You Die

5) A Fistful of Dollars (1964) - So this is the one... the one that started it all for the rise of Spaghetti Westerns, and even more importantly, Clint Eastwood as one of the most bad-ass characters in all of movie history: The Man With No Name. Now of course, this opposing hero is called Joe, mysteriously, in this film, but is not named in the other two films at all. In this chapter, The Man With No Name is a wanderer who stumbles upon a small town that is on edge because of two crime bosses who are constantly fighting over control of the town. Eastwood's estranged hero sees an opportunity to make some serious dough, and allies himself with BOTH crime bosses and wittingly plays them against each other. Famous ending sequence: Eastwood uses an iron door from an old cast iron wood stove as under-armor which successfully blocks the enemies bullets.

4) Duck, You Sucker! (1972) - This is the one with the best title, that is for sure, unfortunately, the U.S. release was re-named A Fistful of Dynamite, to correlate with the more well-known Eastwood flick, A Fistful of Dollars. Of course, neither have anything in common. This long western catalogs the rough times revolving around the Mexican revolution. James Coburn stars as an explosives-happy Irishman whose famous line, "Duck, you sucker!" is heard before he detonates his arsenal of dynamite. He befriends an unlikely Mexican hero (who is a crook, bandit, and fervent revolutionist) played by Rod Steiger. All in all, very exciting, although I feel it is too long and drawn out to be in the top 3.

3) For a Few Dollars More (1965) - Now we see Leone refined. He honed his western skills in this one, playing off the success and grittiness of A Fistful of Dollars. Again, we have Eastwood as The Man With No Name (he goes by the strange name Monco in this one); this time he is a bounty hunter after an entire gang of criminals lead by a mad-man named Indio. Unfortunately for Eastwood, another bounty hunter is after this gang, but not for the money, for revenge. Lee Van Cleef, who is totally bad-ass, plays Eastwood's counterpart in this one and is just as talented with a gun. Famous scene: The shoot out at the end is so suspenseful, "when the music stops... shoot." See it if you like classic spaghetti westerns.

2) Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - This is where it gets difficult. These last two films are both gems, but I have to go with Once Upon a Time in the West at number 2. This film is epic. It has a slew of great stars, such as Henry Fonda who plays Frank, one of the more evil villains in all Leone films, Jason Robards as the fun-loving, and ultimately likable, gang-leader Cheyenne, the sexy-yet-tough Claduia Cardinale as the female lead, Jill McBride, and of course, the imposing, mysterious, and deadly vigilante, Harmonica, played by seasoned bad-ass, Charles Bronson. This movie follows so many story lines, but they ultimately converge. The movie's opening is so amazing, a dialogueless sequence of long shots and extreme close-ups, that marks the arrival of Harmonica. Awaiting him are three thugs that work for gang-boss, Frank. Harmonica dramatically and effortlessly disposes of these three badies, thus setting the tone. Another story line is that of Jill McBride, who is arriving at a small western village in hopes of meeting her new husband and his family, what she finds instead is a masacare, Frank having gunned down her husband, and her young step-children. Another story line is the unlikely love that blossoms between the recently widowed Jill McBride and wise-cracking gang-leader Cheyenne. All in all, it is a masterpiece, a great movie from beginning to end. It is long, but it flows well. Famous shot: A close up shot of an on coming steam engine that seems to roll right over the camera on the tracks. Great shot.

1) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) - This is the biggy. This one is the best. Again, we return to the famous Man With No Name trilogy, and this one is the conclusion (and there is no better way to go out!). The star is Clint Eastwood in his most memorable, heroic role (The Good). He is once again joined by Lee Van Cleef, who, this time, plays a sadistic manhunter and hitman named Angel Eyes (The Bad). As comic releif, we see Eli Wallach as Tucco "The Rat" (who is very obviously The Ugly). Sergio Leone nailed it all with this effort. Everything from the sweeping landscape shots to the emotional musical score to the superb, witty dialogue, to the famous three-way shoot-out scene at the climax is a masterstroke of filmmaking. This story is set in the west during the later years of the civil war. Union and Rebel battles create the backdrop for the main story about the previously mentioned three men all looking for a secret stash of money and trying to out-do one another along the way. This time, Eastwood's character goes by the name of Blondie.

GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!

Manchester United 1 - 4 LIVERPOOL FC

Gerrard, Torres, and the entire squad was awesome! This was a much needed win for Liverpool and an even much more needed ManU loss! GO REDS!!!!!!!!!!!