Aaaaaaand I’m out of the cave. What can I say? The pendulum swung back to the side where old Brainstorm was more a hassle than a whatever it is the rest of the time when it’s awesome. Then not writing begets not writing, and the snowball gathers mass. Jay Smooth says it best.

That’s not to say that I wasn’t inspired at least once daily to rave about something or more likely complain pointedly on here. But at those moments I was on the subway or in the midst of some mundane office thing.

Finally, it took an absolutely perfect evening to end the sequestering.

Last night, for the third time in my life, the Phillies WON THE NATIONAL LEAGUE PENNANT AND ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!! The first time was the year of my birth, 1980, when the Phillies WON the World Series. We have pictures somewhere of me as an infant in a Phillies onesie. Then the second time was 1993 when John Kruk and Lenny Dykstra who only had one nut were on the team and Wild Thing Mitch Williams blew the series against Toronto. I was in the Poconos that weekend and watched the final heart-breaking game from a cabin near Jim Thorpe. Then last year they had their year-end coup when the Mets buckled. But last year, for some reason, even though I swore by Rollins and Victorino, I didn’t expect them to get the division title and was plenty satisfied with first in the NL East.

But now, it’s different. Last night’s game just went like Swiss clockwork. JRoll lead-off – BAM. Then follow that up with two hits, get to second and third, walk Victorino, and let Howard, Burrell, and even Ruiz knock them home with bloopers that slip by. Add to that the Dodgers being totally rattled and unable to even hold onto the ball in the infield while the Phillies lurch and flee toward home every time. Wow.

To quote a Haiku I wrote this morning for a coworker (for whom I occasionally write perfectly platonic Haikus),

Phillies WORLD SERIES
plus Obama wins debate
fresh start, hate-free day!

That last line was because we’d been hating pretty hardcore the previous afternoon. But this Haiku explains the OTHER reason last night rocked my house. The Obama-McCain debate could not have possibly gone any better. Obama was smart, quick, believably bemused and righteously indignant with McCain. McCain in absolute contrast was bumbling, sniggering, uncomfortable and potentially coked up. McCain went there on every issue that he probably shouldn’t have went there on. Ayers, the born alive amendment, ACORN, even Fanny and Freddie. Remember them? Really – COULD McCain have done worse? I was too busy today to really look hard at the commentary or polls, but I have to assume McCain can’t WIN this, right? The American people have to be pickin up what he’s layin down, right?

Right. I’m, starting to feel real real good. These next few weeks are gonna be something.

More to come soon.

Beat the brewers!

Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home run, Pat Burrell connected twice and Jayson Werth added a solo shot Sunday to lead the Phillies to a 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers that clinched their first trip to the NLCS since 1993.

After winning this best-of-five playoff series in four games, the Phillies next face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 1 is Thursday in Philadelphia.

“I like our chances,” manager Charlie Manuel said. “I think we can beat anyone in the National League, really.”

Overshadowed by the home run barrage was a gem by midseason addition Joe Blanton, who held the Brewers to one run after an eight-day layoff. Burrell backed him with a three-run shot and a solo drive, breaking out of a playoff slump.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled. You know, I don’t think it’s actually sunk in all that much yet,” said Burrell, who has been with the Phillies since they drafted him in 1998.

The Phillies partied in their clubhouse, dousing each other with bottles of champagne and cans of beer. Rollins, who wore swimming goggles, grinned as he darted around the clubhouse, looking for unsuspecting — not to mention dry — teammates.

The Dodgers and Philadelphia have met for the NL pennant three times before. Los Angeles won in 1977 and ‘78, while the Phillies took the flag in 1983.

This, plus McCain pulls out of Michigan?
I’m gettin excited…

Letterman’s not been able to contain himself lately. His debate recap is ridic. Watch the series of outtakes at the end. Honestly, SO FUNNY.

WINS!

No big surprise here. Biden delivered the debate performance of his life last night. To use Katie Couric’s suggested headline to describe Palin, “She Didn’t Embarass Herself.” Except she kind of did. She was miles above the standard set by her last few blundering appearances on tv, but a performance worthy of the office of VP it was not.

Biden, on the other hand, couldn’t have been stronger, more passionate, classier, more sensible or more likeable.

Step 1 in this magical season accomplished. PHILLIES GOT THE PENNANT!!

World Series is next! Then Obama in the White House!

FALL CLASSIC 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As the press release we prepared at work yesterday in advance of the debate, was titled, “Obama Knocks it Out of the Park!” Another title could have been “How is this election close?”

For the first half hour I thought Jim Lehrer was the most impressive, demanding that both candidates talk to each other and own up to how the economic crisis would change their governing. Neither could really say for sure, but Joe Biden, speaking post-debate on CBS explained best in saying these are unprecedented times and no one can tell what the future of the economy will hold. The closer brings it home.

I’d been waiting for Obama to tie the economic crisis to the $10 billion/month war in Iraq. He nailed it when he finally got to it, 34 minutes in.

When the conversation shifted to foreign affairs—McCain’s supposed strong suit—McCain looked the fool—“meeting without preconditions will legitimate Ahmedinejad,” “Senator Obama doesn’t know the difference between a tactic and a strategy.” What? He just sounded annoyed and irrelevant. Obama gave McCain the pounding of the night when he schooled him on his mistakes in Iraq:

You said quick and easy
You said we would find the weapons of mass destruction
You said we’d be greeted as liberators
You said Shia and Sunni had no historical

The he followed up with the central question we need to ask about starting this war:
WAS THIS WISE?

As the debate went on, Obama looked more and more presidential. He even turned the meeting with rogue regimes argument in his favor by saying as President he’d reserve the right to meet with whoever the hell he damn well pleased.

McCain, this time he both twitched AND tried to scare the Jews in reminding us that Ahmedinejad called Israel as “stinking corpse.”

But McCain’s in the weeds. My own personal Nielson ratings would have McCain’s dial way low down on the screen, Obama’s way up top. No surprises tonight. Other than the perplexing wonder at how McCain is only 5 points down nationally.

Really? VICE PRESIDENT?

Wall Street ain’t the only thing crashing! The Phillies flew past the Mets tonight taking first place in the NL East! the Mets are stumbling. They’re burning. And the Phillies are sprinting full speed ahead with Ryan Howard exploding all over mid-September. I’m lovin it.

1. I’m so over Sarah Palin. I’m over hearing about how she’s the magic bullet. I’m over mentioning her name and devoting space on this thing to her. I’m over McCain’s new ad that says Obama “airdropped a mini army” of rabid lawyers on Alaska to investigate poor Sarah. I’m over the state of Alaska in general. I’m over the whole Palin clan except maybe little Piper licking her hand to slick down baby Trig’s hair.

So I’m taking a hiatus from the Palin cacophony.

2. McCain’s great-great-grandfather? fought for the Confederacy and may have owned a slave who was the mother of bluesman Mississippi John Hurt. Damn.

3. Ron Paul spurns John McCain’s plea for an endorsement.

4. I just started watching Gossip Girl. It’s like a combo of the NYTimes wedding pages and Perez Hilton.

5. Perez Hilton btw has some good stuff right now – Ellen’s wedding video and Anderson Cooper appearing on Sesame Street hosting a news show called GNN.

6. Don’t forget to watch Obama on Letterman tonight.

7. Last but not least, happy happy belated birthday to tlantz, who has officially entered her Saturn return. This year Saturn makes it back around to the exact position it was in in 1979. What happens when Saturn returns? Saturn is the Roman version of Kronos, my personal Greek mythological character of choice. He was born of Gaia (earth) and Uranus (sky), who together gave rise to three races of offspring: the Hecatonshires, the Cyclops, and the Titans. Uranus hated the Hecatonshires, who had 50 heads and 50 hands – so he would place them under Gaia. Gaia appealed to all of her children to help the Hecatonshires, and only Kronos responded, rising up and castrating his father Uranus. Yeah. Kronos and the Titans came to rule the universe. Kronos is the father to Zeus and the other original Olympian gods. Except Kronos, having prophesized that he’d suffer the same fate as his father, attempted to devour Zeus, who was then hidden away on the island of Crete until he was old and strong enough to rise up and murder his father. When Kronos died, universal power shifted from the Titans to the gods.

So Saturn returning indicates some complicated shit. Saturn is about the difference between action and inaction. And about consequences. Saturn was a Roman blend of the Greek Kronos and an agricultural god so he represents balancing forces and reaping what you’ve sown. It’s like Saturn coming back to look at the accomplishments of the first phase of you life and make you decide where to direct the next phase. But no pressure, lantz.

Anyway whatever, last night’s birthday celebrations were awesomeness.

Now over.
This is for Eric: