Vic Sage

is Olson actually on the roster, or a ST invitee?

British dystopian SF: THINGS TO COME (1936) - HG Welles was the UK distributor of dystopianism in the 19th century. The film adaptation of his work, including this and THE TIME MACHINE (1960) are early cinematic entries. FAHRENHEIT 451 (1966) - Though a French director adapted an American novel, it is a Brit production shot in the UK with Julie Christie and a distinct British feel. THE BED-SITTING ROOM (1969) - Richard Lester's farce is an odd duck A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) - Kubrick was the UK's grandmaster of dystopian visions THE FINAL PROGRAMME (LAST DAYS OF MAN ON EARTH) (1973) - a cult curiosity ZARDOZ (1974) - Boorman's incoherently entertaining mindblower 1984 (1956), (1984) - the early version undermined the novel and was eventually withdrawn from distribution. The remake was brilliant. BRAZIL (1985) - Terry Gilliam's Orwellian vision stands on its own JUDGE DREDD (1995) - Bad but fun; Dredd is a distinctly british character 28 DAYS LATER (2002) - This zombie movie and its sequel created a new standard REIGN OF FIRE (2002) - Dragon apocalypse CODE 46 (2003) - Tim Robbins in this UK indie V VOR VENDETTA (2005) - Alan Moore disowned it but its great on its own terms CHILDREN OF MEN (2006) - powerful drama 28 WEEKS LATER (2007) - the sequel is pretty good too DOOMSDAY (2008) - not what it could have been for more on dystopian films, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dystopian_films on my essay on 70s SF includes discussion of many of these: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=8860

wow, another CF assignment for Baxter. Did he even have a significant number of starts in CF in the minors? and i thought May was a catcher. Is he a UT like Rottino, or is Terry just seeing if he could be one?

is it wrong for me to have laughed out loud at this news? i'm a bad person. but, not surprisingly, i'm ok with that.

i'm sure that was a conscious decision by the filmmakers, to establish that connection. Jonathan Pryce should also be noted for his lovely Winstonian performance in BRAZIL. British Dystopian Tragedy... i smell a sub-genre coming up.

How about a LHed slugging RF/1bman with some Met pedigree? Shawn Green, anyone? but without the speed. yeah, i guess the lack of speed makes him a LHed Luzinski. but with an upside of Tim Salmon, at least at the plate (not in RF), if he can continue to control the strike zone. Ultimately, i think his future will be at 1b/dh, which i think makes him more a Kent Hrbek type. which is pretty good too. Or Ryan Klesko, which is less good, and more likely.

The Radford version is terrific -- entirely faithful while utterly cinematic. I can't imagine a better Winston Smith than John Hurt; he breaks your heart just to look at him. and of course Richard Burton's last performance, as good as he's ever been. Deakins' cinematography is starkly beautiful, in all its desaturated glory -- it's practically Scandanavian. The Eurythmics songs are unfairly underrated, as they succeed in creating a dissonant kind of electro-pop sound for a vintage 40s looking film. The movie is doomed, hopeless, terrifying. and there is absolutely no valid aesthetic reason to remake it. They will only succeed in fucking it up. Hey, Maybe Smith and Julia will run away together this time! That's what it needs... a happy ending! it WILL WORK!

"I'm pretty sure he was trying to hit a ball..." gee, Johan, ya think? what tipped you off? His presence in the batter's box with, ya know, a bat?

Well, who here doesn't WISH that? The question presented isn't about what you feel, but what you think. So, as Regis used to say, is that your final answer?

this is why i said: "... or not."

.275 - 25hr - 80rbi - 80w/100k - .800 OPS Reyes single-season record for triples will be safe, but he'll lead the league in chasing balls into the RF corner, stumbling and then kicking it into the stands or towards the ball girl. He'll get moved to 1B midsummer, where he'll provide average defense, when Davis goes down for 2-4 weeks with Valley Fever-induced joint pain. Upon his return, Davis will play RF, where he'll be passable, so they have 2 positions with average defense, rather than excellent defense at 1b and a disaster in the OF... or not.

if i have to keep seeing Chipper Jones on the Braves bench after his playing days are done, i might have to blind myself with pine tar.

Baxter in CF? yikes.

well, him, too... though Torres' peak performance (both in prior years and projecting forward) is higher than Ankiel's. Still, replacing Torres with a combo of Loewen, Hairston, Capt Kirk or even Valdespin won't make an appreciable difference in the Mets season.

He gets off to a slow start due to abdominal injury, doesn't make the A-S team, and after not getting traded by the July deadline, makes a late-season charge in meaningless games to end with decent overall stats: .275 BA / 30 hr / 95 rbi / 85 r / 20 sb / 30 errors / 150k He then gets traded in the off-season, after they're able to pick up his option for next season, because the Pons ain't gonna pay him no mo.

yeah, i don't get the point of pining over a guy with a career 93 OPS+.

that there is funny stuff, i tell ya.

"50 years starts here" -- so that's the angle this year? nostalgia? history? Ok. It's always best to sell yesterday when its so bleak today.

Edgy DC wrote: I think you understand me perfectly well. Enough goofiness. you constantly overestimate my understanding and underestimate my goofiness.

the ascendency of another can only come if (1) another gets playing time to produce, and (2) Bay underperforms (yet again), getting either benched or platooned to allow for another's playing time, so i don't get the distinction your making. I mean i GET it, i just think it's a distinction without a difference. If Bay is playing at replacement level yet again, and if there is another possible option with which to replace him, then it's in the Mets long-term interest (and mine, as a fan) for them to try out such other option(s), while minimizing Bay's chance to do further harm to the payroll and roster, thereby making the most rational distribution of limited resources. I don't root for or against Bay per se... he's just another guy whose passing through Queens wearing the orange an blue. I'm rooting for good management, which has been so hard to come by around here (rarer even then a slugging LFer), but can ultimately yield our best chance for a winning team.

if his injuries are fatal, how does he return... as incorporeal being? the result of zombie infection? a clone? spiritual possession? instant reincarnation? Is Mr. Jordan involved in some way? .310 - 10hr - 50 rbi/50runs, before improper footwork on a DP causes yet a 3rd knee blowout. Traded to AL in the off-season.

how did i miss that one?

Again, granted... but even if he misses fewer games, he'll still be playing through an injury at some point (after having missed ST games and some regular season games), so won't be 100% or fully prepared to start the season. This is simply not a good starting point for a guy if you're projecting him to have a 1st half good enough for an A-S selection. This is not a criticism, or simple churlishness on my part... its just a reality.

granted, but it still doesn't bode well for David getting off to a good start.

and if either MURPHY or DUDA has a first half so dominant as to get either of them (much less both of them) selected to the A-S team, I will happily eat a shoe in the middle of Times Square. I think the Mets lone all-star selection this season will likely come from among pitchers Santana, Dickey or Niese, or Ike Davis, depending on performance and need.