Blogging is hard...

I have never been good with structured activity. Major weakness of mine. That said, I have nothing clever to offer in ways of an apology for missing the last blog, so we will just move on. I am actually really excited to see that, although the subscription level has remained unchanged, my little counter proves that people are actually checking this thing out. That is kind of cool. Thanks, ya'll.

So, local news first this time. The edit of Ranchero is nearly done, and just in time, as the end of February has been my goal from the beginning as the time for submissions. I think that with the next couple days off work, I am going to get there. This is a very exciting prospect, because it means that I can move on to trying to write a couple other things in my head. Eventually, I hope to be able to do two, possibly even three things at the same time, but baby steps. I will just feel really good to get something done.

LFM is back in production. Website production is the next major hurdle, both monetarily and learning curve-wise. I need to find the best way to get what I want out of a design, a magic money tree to pay for it, and then learn how to upkeep it well enough that I don't have to ask anyone else's help. Luckily, I have a couple of options here, and am nerdy enough to be able to figure it out. Other than that, it is just arc plotting and script writing. I am hoping to see some new art soon, and am really looking forward to sharing one particular piece with you all.

I will talk briefly here about Watchmen, which I was lucky enough to see a sneak preview of last Wednesday. After hearing multiple interviews with Zack Snyder, a couple of years of anticipation, and countless nerd debates, I feel like I can say this without qualification. They have made the best Watchmen movie possible. The tone is right on. The acting is fucking phenomenal. The effects are brilliant. At no point did I come out of the movie thinking, "Well, that isn't really right." True to the source material and (more importantly) the intention of the story, Watchmen is exactly what the fanboys expect to see. THAT BEING SAID...

I am just not sure how far that goes in a story like Watchmen. The movie is slow, sometimes deadly so, juxtaposed with truly brutal action sequences that seem less necessary than they do desperate attempts to inject some adrenaline into a very philosophical and dialogue-heavy story. I am not going to get into specifics (leave a question in the comments if you want to know something, and I will answer it with a spoiler tag), but I don't think that any of these instances are through the fault of the filmmaker. The fact of the matter is, Watchmen is, as a graphic novel, very slowly paced. You can do that in that medium. At the core of the issue here is that there is no main character in Watchmen. Each "costume" is an aspect of the figure we have come to call the superhero. Rorschach is hard line, unwavering drive; a code of ethics that has no room for shades of grey. Dr. Manhattan is the detachment that comes from realizing he has come so far from humanity, he has nothing left to relate to. The Comedian is the grotesque pleasure/desensitization the hero finds in the sometimes barbaric nature of the work. Nightowl is the impotence of never being able to do enough. Ozymandias is the self-righteous judge of humanity's fate. And so on, and so on. This makes for a brilliant story, full of texture and questions and psychology, culminating in this question; if we give these people, ANY people that kind of power, who is ultimately responsible when it all comes apart? What happens when those who we empower to make the terrible, world altering decisions do just that? Pardon the fanboy reference here, but who watches the watchmen?

So, while I commend Snyder and co. for making such a true representation of the story of Watchmen, again I ask, how far does that go? A movie without a single sympathetic character does not work. It is disjointed and tedious and long. That's just the difference in media between books and movies. In not changing the story, Snyder has set himself up for a lot of criticism. And I am awfully thankful for it, because while we didn't get a blockbuster movie out of it, what we did get is a legitimate attempt at a Watchmen movie that tries to tackle the questions the original story brings up. Not a superhero movie, not a PG-13 X-men meets Fantastic Four meets the Avengers in a post 9-11 terrorist war (the original script. Swear to God.) It's Watchmen. At the end of the day, I don't really care that it doesn't work perfectly. I am just happy that this is the movie we got. I will see it again (in IMAX, no less). I strongly recommend it. Know what you are getting into and go anyway. It's worth it to see.

That was vague, I know, but it's the best I can do for now.

I also want to address this issue briefly. To the nerds of the world:

Stop it. I mean it. Now. On Wednesday, I sat in that theater waiting for the Watchmen movie like a kid getting a sneak peak at Christmas presents in the living room closet. I was happy to be there. I am sure you were too. Here is the problem though. I don't care that you are clever. I don't care that you know more about the obscure origins of pop culture/comic figures than the 38 year old Mtv A.D. trying to keep you entertained while things are being set up. I don't care that you have a snarky little quip to everygoddamnthing that is said. Shut up. It is not clever, it is sad. Sad that you have to garner attention by acting out in public. It is sad that your friends support the behavior by laughing and congratulating you on every stupid interruption you throw out. It is sad that you think being on the fringe of society at large entitles you to voice every opinion that flows through your bespectacled, self-important, high-school-bullied-to-the-point-of-bitterness mind. KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. Please. Look, I am one of you. I read comics. I memorize lines from movies and use them in daily conversation. I know that Gambit first appeared in Uncanny #266. I have been to Comic-Con. I have read everything Neil Gaiman ever wrote. I LOVE Jonathan Coulton. I took a picture of David Tennant into my last hair cut so I could look like Doctor Who. I AM A NERD. The difference here is that I am not deluded into thinking that just because society at large doesn't value the things that I value, I am entitled to some sick sense of superiority. You are not doing anything but perpetuating the impression that all nerds are man-child, anti-social, Comic Book Guy clones. I refuse to be a part of that, and I cannot allow you to continue along that path. So I am blogging about it. CAUSE I AM A NERD. And proud of it. I would like to keep it that way. Thank you.

Lastly, tomorrow is Spring Opening for the MLB. St. Louis is playing the Florida Marlins. I am like a dog hearing the gate open, waiting for someone, anyone to come in and pet me. The need is palpable. Go Cards.

Meh.

Not feeling up to the usual lighthearted bloggery today, intertubes. I had kind of a rough week here and am just trying to keep it on cruise control as much as possible. I won't bore you with the laundry list (::whinewhinewhine::), but I will ask you to keep my Grandmother Rhoads in your thoughts. She is having some health troubles, so any positive vibes are definitely appreciated.

What else. I had planned on talking about Dr. Who, but I think I will hold off on that till next week. I want to get a good little review together and am just not feeling it today. Be prepared though. The awesomeness that it will contain may be debilitating.

Baseball officially starts today. I could not be more excited. My St. Louis Cardinals have an awful lot of work to do this Spring, and it should be a great time watching these guys competing for a spot on the team. Major points of contention for the team:

1. Second Base - The Cards just gave Adam Kennedy an unconditional release, obligating themselves pay the remainder of his $4 mil. salary. My understanding is that they tried to hold onto him as long as possible trying to work a trade, but no one was biting. It is a risky move, seeing that we didn't re-sign Felix Lopez or Aaron Miles. Those were both tough calls, especially regarding fan favorite Miles. "Stump" had a career year in '08, batting .317 with a .335 OBP and 31 RBIs. The problem with Miles is that he is shaky as an everyday 2B, and although he is great to have in the clubhouse, the Cards really need a solid option at the Keystone Corner. I don't know. I wouldn't have minded seeing him on the team this year, but done is done. So, what are we left with? Brian Barden has played a little bit of 2B, and is reaching a pretty critical year career-wise. He had some success with the 2008 Olympic team last year, but the 28 year-old infielder has never had a stellar big league showing. It is make or break time for him, and I personally think that if he can show a little improvement in batting, he makes the team as a bench/utility guy. Jared Hoffpauir will compete, but he is uninspiring, with marginal speed, power, and range. Tyler Greene has a chance, but his record at any level above AA ball is pretty weak. Brendan Ryan is an exciting prospect, but he butts heads with LaRussa a bit. It could be argued that he was given his shot last year and came up short (.244 BA, .307 OBP), but he is a scrappy, rangy player, and he may fare better as a 2B than a SS. The most interesting prospect here is CF Skip Schumaker. Skippy played IF in college ball and has been quoted as saying, "There is a reason I moved to the OF," but if he can re-grasp the skill set, he is by far the best option for the Redbirds. Schu is a legitimate lead off hitter, batting .302 last year with a .359 OBP. Not a lot of pop (8 HR), but he hit 22 doubles and stole 8 bases. He is a little weak vs. lefties, but I think if he can get his defense up to Adequate, he is the go to guy here.



2. Starting Pitching - The major story here is the return of 2005 Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter. A lot has been said about this, so I will boil it down to the essentials. Carp rushed back from TJ surgery in 2008 and was hit with a fairly common post-surgery nerve flare up. He looked great out of the pen until the nerve flare up, and he underwent routine ulnar nerve relocation surgery this offseason. Bottom line: a healthy Chris Carpenter = a dangerous Cardinals team. Without him, they will have to get creative. Waino is a lock, as are darkhorses Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer. Joel Piniero has the 5 spot currently, but rookie Kyle McClellan is hot on his heels. Piniero failed to show up for the first day of conditioning in Jupiter today, opting instead to pitch in the World Baseball Classic. Not the best move when you are trying to tenuously hold onto a #5 spot after a sub-par year.
   



3. Third Base - Third base was a lock up until about two weeks ago. Troy Glaus was coming of a great 2008 into a pre-free agency year, and I was expecting big things from him. The bad news is he will be out at least a month of the regular season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The good news is that the Redbirds are stacked at 3B. First round draft pick Brett Wallace has been tearing his way through minor league pitchers and the only question mark is if his defence is up to major league snuff. If he shows any progress at all, expect to see him in Busch III this year. Brian Barden (see above) is another prospect at the Hot Corner, albeit more of a long shot. David Freese was apparently a salary dump in the move that took Jim Edmonds to the Padres, but last year in 131 AAA ABs, he hit .306 with 29 HRs and a .550 SLG. I cannot wait to see Wallace and him slug it out for a shot at the Big Show.



4. Closer - This is probably the biggest question mark on the team right now. Izzy is gone (one could argue he has been gone since 2005). The Cards failed to sign a closer from free agency, much to the chagrin of the Cardinal Nation. So, We are left with in-house youngsters vying for the coveted ninth inning spot. Widely heralded as the closer of the future, 2006 first rounder Chris Perez is a likely favorite moving into Spring Training. He had marginal success in the position last season. Perez has cut some weight in the off season and seems very focused on winning the job. His stuff is filthy, with a hard-breaking slider and a fastball that tops out around 95 mph consistently. Chris also closed in college and is utterly unafraid to go after hitters. His only weakness, and it is a big one, is his control. He walks way too many batters for a major league closer. If he can calm it down and really lock into the strike zone, Perez will be a major asset to the club. His main competition is rookie Jason Motte, a converted catcher who has been lighting up minor league batters. He posted a 2.90 era last year with an even more impressive 1.27 WHIP. He is awfully green, but if he is even close to those numbers this Spring, he will give Perez a run for his money. Last but not least is veteran Ryan Franklin. Franklin had the second largest number of saves last year, and is generally well liked in the system. However, his ERA as a closer is a unacceptable (4.15 and 6.49 in June and July), and the Front Office seems to think he is better suited for a set-up role in the eighth. Regardless of how much he dislikes the idea, it looks like LaRussa is handcuffed to letting the youngsters take over the final inning. Let's hope they are ready.



5. Outfield - What a great problem to have. There is a serious logjam in the OF, with a couple of great bats and a couple of really exciting youngsters. Colby Rasmus has spent the last couple years as the "Future of the Franchise". He is a 22 year old 5 tool player that was top of his 2005 Draft class. He has been eagerly anticipated by the Cardinal faithful, and barring any major setback will be the starting CF for the '09 Birds. This will move Ricky Ankiel into RF. Ankiel is one of the most dangerous OFs in the league, not because of his fielding ability, but rather his cannon of an arm. I still watch this clip on days when I need a quick pick me up. He had some health troubles last year, and he strikes out a lot, but for a converted pitcher, he is one hell of an OF. Ricky only looks to improve as his career goes on, and he is a much more natural fit to RF. Ryan Ludwick rounds out the likely starters in LF. Ludstick had a career year providing legitimate protection for Albert Pujols last year and took a trip to the All-Star Game for his efforts. Maybe he repeats, maybe he doesn't. Either way, the four spot in the lineup undoubtedly belongs to this journeyman OF. The rest of the field vying for a starting role includes a rehabbed Chris Duncan (major slugging potential, but a liability both health-wise and in the field), Skip Schumaker (hopefully our everyday 2B), and sophomore Joe Mather (.261, 8 HRs, and 18 RBI in 133 ABs in 2008).

So, it is a great time to be a fan of the Birds on the Bat. Sure, there is potential for everything to come crashing down. The prospect of moving into the regular season without a solid closer or a 2B is terrifying. However, this is what baseball is all about. One guy, trying to push his individual ability to the limit to better his team. The competition is fierce. The fans are restless. There is that feeling in your gut, as stats and likelihoods fly through your head, that regardless of what the numbers say, anything can happen. Welcome back baseball. You have been missed.

P.S. I promised Blogger only material this week, but I think it will have to wait til next week. I am having trouble with my Adobe right now and con't convert the .doc files I want into .pdfs. So, Monday prepare for some good stuff!