Sunday Salvos

The Detroit Lions are still worth something like $981 million even after the season they had. That only shows that values for sports franchises are way overinflated.

I have to buy some bottles to bottle the beer I'm brewing later this week. It's my first solo foray into beer making; my family got me a brewing kit for Christmas and I'm trying my hand at an IPA: India Pale Ale. It's based on the style of ale which was widely exported to India by England in the 1800's. They tend to be hoppy (lots of hops used in the process) and I like hoppy brews. Once bottled, they'll have to sit for awhile (one week on the inside, four months on the outside). I'll let you know how it works out.

The Detroit Tigers signed Arizona closer Brandon Lyon to presumably be their closer this year. They've made a lot of moves this year, moves less spectacular than the last off season's, adding a shortstop, catcher, and a couple other relievers, none of whom are superstars. But the conservative (ahem) approach works as well in sports as in all other aspects of life. Get the right pieces in place and all else follows. I am quietly confident that the Tigers will have a good, solid season in 2009.

In his sixth day on the job President Obama has been quietly treading the waters. I think that's a good approach, so far as it goes; understand that I am only speaking contextually here. I don't like the closing of GITMO, but that will prove more difficult that he may think. Notice how all his executive order really did was set up a task force to study how to do it. That translates into, simply, if we can't do it easily, we have reason to back off: the task force, not the President, recommended it. That little bit of insulation can be critically important in the nuanced world of American politics.

To be sure, his ideas about lifting foreign aid which affects abortion, his consideration of lifting the ban on embryonic stem cell research, and the idea of re-instituting bans on certain oil drilling are less than thrilling to conservatives. Still, they were expected, so no real surprises there. It's far too early to rail too harshly on his administration.

We'll have plenty of ammo on him pretty soon anyway. That, I cannot doubt.

On the plus side, there's curling on at two this afternoon on the CBC! Hooah!

Hope the Army forgives me for that...