The Chris Moeller Archives

The Simpsons celebrate #350

A favorite TV show of ours, "The Simpsons," will air it's 350th episode Sunday. At a birthday party for the show in Los Angeles on Sunday, creator Matt Groening singled out some of his favorite episodes. "There's a bunch I really like. I love 'Bart Sells His Soul,' the old episode (from 1995) where he sold his soul to Milhouse for five bucks. I love the one where we had Frank Grimes ['Homer's Enemy,' from 1997]. And I like an episode we have coming up where Bart converts to Catholicism."
The episode in question was originally scheduled to air earlier this month, but was postponed after the death of the pope. It will now air May 15th. Groening says the network made the decision to delay the broadcast. "We think it's offensive whenever you run it," he said.
How long will the series continue? Groening was quoted in the New York Times Sunday as saying, "the show has almost reached its halfway point." It's widely believed that he was joking.

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Bad news this week for fans of manure spills: The Chronic Complainer bill has failed to make it through "funnel week" in the Iowa Legislature. The bill was intended to keep neighbors of factory farms from filing odor and air quality complaints against animal-feeding operations. Under law, House File 701 would have defined as a "chronic complainer" anyone who, within two years, files three or more complaints that aren't worded to allege specific law violations. The complaintant would be liable to pay damages to the factory owner and restitution to the state.
Isn't it comforting that lobbyists are now writing so many of the bills being prepared at the statehouse? In case you were wondering, Doug Struyk of Council Bluffs introduced the legislation. He was backed by the Iowa Farm Bureau, the Iowa Poultry Association, and the Iowa Agribusiness Association. He says he doesn't know how widespread the problem of filing false environmental nuisance bills has become, but "you hear stories."

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Trivia Question of the Day: Paul McCartney will open the new Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines with a concert in October. Tickets went on sale Monday morning through Chris' employer, Clear Channel Communications. Choose the Paul McCartney song that best describes Chris' ability to score tickets to the show for himself, his friends, and his family.

a) "No More Lonely Nights"
b) "Let 'Em In"
c) "Dress Me Up as a Robber"
d) "Too Many People"
e) "Let It Be"

Answer below.

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Here's a favorite anecdote from the new Tony LaRussa book, "3 Nights in August:"

"In 1984 against Toronto, Lloyd Moseby came up in the late innings, with the White Sox clinging to a one-run lead and runners on second and third with two outs. Still in the habit of inquiring over the inevitable, LaRussa came out to the mound to ask (Hall-of-Fame pitcher, Tom) Seaver how he felt. But Seaver refused to sugarcoat it:
'I don't have much else left.'
And then he proceeded to tell LaRussa precisely how he was going to pitch to Moseby: purposely run the count on him to 3-1 to lull him into a false sense of superiority, give him a hitter's count, then get him out with a changeup.
'Don't worry about it,' he told LaRussa.
LaRussa trotted back to the dugout, trying not to worry about it. He watched as Seaver threw a fastball in and off the plate to run the count to 3-1. Then he watched as Seaver threw Moseby a changeup that was down and away but still fat enough to desire. Moseby swung, his timing upset by the fastball Seaver had just thrown. He popped the ball up behind third base to end the inning."

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Trivia Answer: I will accept d or e. Sorry.

posted by CM @ 7:48 PM