He Knew He Was Right

There are, of course, many versions of "A Christmas Carol", but to me there are only two Scrooges: Alastair Sim and George C. Scott. I always make a point to see the version starring one or the other at this most wonderful time of year, and the other night I watched the older one. Alastair Sim is the definitive Ebeneezer Scrooge. From the bitter Scrooge, to the frightened Scrooge, to the reborn Scrooge, he wins. Scott was great too, but this year Sim did it for me. Patrick Stewart? Please. Albert Finney?! That's the musical version, right? I don't think so. Beyond the lead character, I think the Scott-starring version has a better Bob Cratchet and Fred. As for which has the better Jacob Marley and Tiny Tim, I'll call a draw. The Scott version pulls away, though, for its better ghosts, and I don't mean the better special effects afforded by 33 years of advances in this department. And, there is no better ghost ever than Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas...

Why did you change your evil ways? For the first three quarters, this game seemed well in hand, thanks to some wicked good, merciless play on both sides of the ball. Then, a mistake here and a mistake there changed things to one of the most painful losses I remember from this team, and there have been plenty of those. Now, before I continue, let me note that the last time I devoted a post to the play of Big Blue was after their first few games, where I saw what everyone else did—a weak team that some were writing off ( I didn’t ). Then they played the month of October brilliantly, really looking like the team to beat in the NFC for a stretch, in fact. I didn’t blog about them then because, well, life, or simply writer’s block, got in the way. Yeah, there were struggles against the Cowboys and Eagles, but they rebounded again, and set up the big matchup in the Meadowlands this past Sunday. When all is said and done, they’re a 9-5 team, and they really seem like one: Playoff worthy, ...

After a long stretch out of work, I was quite relieved to land a nice job with a really good organization. I'm telecommuting, but they've put me up in a perfectly nice hotel a few times here in Virginia, as I get some on-site training, build familiarity with the team, and all that. One of the perks about the hotel is the extreme cordiality of its staff. I've run into four people at the front desk (it's a small lobby), and am treated with remarkable courtesy every time I pass. A second perk is its proximity to a great brewery: it's directly across the street. Now, I love the Hudson Valley, but I can't walk across the street to get a draught beer, let alone one that is cask-conditioned. In fact, this place often have several cask IPAs on tap (perhaps my favorite style of beer). Anyway, when I was here a month ago, I went into the brewery two or three times. The staff are friendly and easy going, and the patrons at the bar all seemed fine. In fact, it was here ...