The Final Countdown — 89

Just made another mortgage payment tonight that included several thousand in extra principal.

The countdown is now at $89k.

I’m taking this mortgage re-payment every time I hack off another $10k. Guess I like seeing the number to the left go down by one. My goal is to get at $85k by year’s end. It’s possible, but unlikely. I’ll have to see what Black Friday brings. Additionally, with now having to save up for a new central air unit, that’s going to take a chunk out of the budget each month.

Even if I don’t get down to $85 I’ll be content.

Throwing This Manager A Curve

Do I even need to comment on this?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have fired Matt Walbeck, who was chosen as the Eastern League manager of the year while leading the Altoona Curve to the Double-A league’s championship.

Walbeck, 40, has been chosen as his league’s manager of the year four times in six seasons. Altoona had an 82-60 record this season.

The Pirates offered no explanation for the move, but they have disciplined or fired other minor league employees in the past for not following the organization’s strictly enforced format for developing and instructing players.

Walbeck was told there was no other job for him in the Pirates’ organization. He has talked of wanting to manage above the Double-A level.

Here is another more detailed story. I love this quote.

“Kyle just told me that, hey, you’re driven, you have aspirations, you have goals, and we feel it’s best for your development and growth to move on,” Walbeck recalled.

Funny. This is what the Pirates also say to the players they are about to trade every July.

Dude, this is the best thing for you. Go somewhere else and get with a real team.

Motor City Show

So there’s this new show called, “Detroit 187.”

Why the redundancy?

Dueling Economists

Wow.

Hate to admit it, but Keynes had the tighter flow. Guy’s a busta, but I gots to keep it real.

kkk’s Rule Of Life #30

Any politician that wants me to publicly represent his/her campaign will never get my vote.

Down With The King

You know, I defended LeBron for the most part over the years. The only thing I didn’t like about him was acting a fool when his team was winning only to run off when ousted in the playoffs.

Now? Fuck him.

LeBron James and his manager claim that race played a role in negative news coverage of his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in July.

Sure one could say race played “a role;” that role could be tiny, but that’s a cop-out.

James, the two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, and manager Maverick Carter told CNN that they felt the fact James is black played a part in criticism of “The Decision”, an ESPN special where he revealed his choice.

“I think so at times,” James said when asked if race played a role. “It’s always, you know, a race factor.”

So now if the Heat lose in the playoffs and people cheer, I guess race will be a factor in that behavior as well. Ass.

We Already Had The AFL Once Already

Bwahahahahahaha. Does Richard Trumka really think Roger Goodell is an idiot?

The president of the AFL-CIO is offering to mediate the NFL’s labor negotiations.

Oh, and then there’s this.

The league has a very basic problem with that: The head of the NFL Players Association sits on the executive council of the AFL-CIO, a labor union federation.