I’ve got more in store with this. Yes, it’s verging on — no, totally is — insanity, but I think that as silly as it is, there’s too much fun to be had not to keep pursuing it just to see where it goes. I’ll keep you in the loop if and when anything happens.

I wish I were joking when I said that this scene from Step Brothers was the inspiration for Bring Your A’s Game. It’s been a pretty amazing day for the project. Great write-ups at Geekadelphia and Philebrity, great people reaching out, and even more people joining the cause on Facebook!

I’m amazed at the level of interest that’s already been generated. If you know anyone who loves baseball and the City of Brotherly Love, then let them know about Bring Your A’s Game!

While I’m eternally grateful to Brad Lidge for making Eric Hinske a household name here in Philadelphia, I feel that after two consecutive bases-loaded saves he should at least consider changing his entrance music to the Beastie Boys’ thrash track, “Heart Attack Man.”

Where does this rank among my quixotic pursuits? Somewhere between my childhood wish to become President at 35 (still have two years to get that together!) and swimming in the ’96 Olympics, which is to say, it’s pretty far out there. Does this sound completely insane, yet strangely appealing to you? Be in touch!

As an aside, do you think I should start a Kickstarter account to raise the $295M to buy the team outright?

Now maybe the people of Sacramento would like a professional baseball team, but so did northern Virginia and what did they get? The Expos. How’s that working out? Have you been to a Nationals game? The crowd they claimed was starving for baseball would appear to appreciate the diet. Even with pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg the Nats struggle to draw a crowd. I have my doubts that Sacramento would be able to support a major league baseball team any better than Oakland does. Lots of love for Tyreke Evans, but even the Kings don’t rule.

Here’s my solution: let’s bring them back to Philadelphia! I’d have to double check, but I’m pretty sure Philadelphia’s the largest television market that doesn’t have two teams. Is it an impossible pipe dream? Probably, but I’m not ready to give up the slim hope that some wildly egotistical entrepreneur couldn’t embrace the romantic notion of returning the A’s to their hometown, the birthplace of professional baseball.

I’ll grant that there are many seemingly insurmountable practical concerns, first and foremost being where they’d play. Could Philadelphia even support two teams? We’re baseball rich right now, but what about when the Phillies inevitably slide? Will baseball fans retreat into their homes? Would people support both teams? How does Chicago manage?

If the A’s are planning to move anyway, why not at least try to bring them back to Philadelphia? Can’t the City of Brotherly love make a pitch to win them back?

It sounds like a snide, elitist thing to say, but the New Pornographers weren’t built to last. They were that rarest of animals: a supergroup not only didn’t suck, but actually produced two classic albums and a passable third before becoming adult contemporary claptrap.

You see, it would’ve been wonderful if they never really formed a band as such, just produced Mass Romantic, toured, and then went their separate ways. Sure, Electric Version is a spectacular album and I wouldn’t want to forget how fantastic it was to see them play those songs, too, but it’s just that it’s hard to look back on those albums and see them in the same light as they were made. Together, and it’s predecessor, Challengers, are shockingly boring mid-tempo affairs that make you wonder how the New Pornographers ever packed so many hooks into “To Wild Homes.”

The pace of their career makes me think they released those great albums, split briefly, and then reunited to produce two more lackluster albums, only to disappear into obscurity. Maybe it’s for the best. That way future generations might discover the unbridled joy when they first hear Neko Case wail on “Letter From an Occupant.”

Conversely, how stupid do I feel for having ever bought Equinox, which I watched exactly one time? I think I’d hasten to add a follow-up to Pullquote’s post: how many DVDs do you own that sit on a shelf or in a drawer that are untouched? I confess to more than my fair share of these.

I feel sheepish even taking part in conversations like this now. I used to eagerly await regular emails from Criterion about their latest titles and then make notes in priority order about which I’d buy when they went on sale. Now that I’m less bullish on buying any sort of physical media, they’re hardly a blip on my radar. I will admit that I nearly jumped for joy when I read that they were releasing Red Desert, which is possibly my favorite Antonioni movie, even though I always say it’s L’Avventura.

I’ve been to Kraftwork a number of times now and I think I like it. I mean, it’s okay. There’s that one sandwich that’s really delicious, but not much else that really stands out on the (recently reconsidered) menu. The draught list is amazing, although it’s like doing surgery with a shotgun; put enough beers on tap and you’re sure to get something right, no?

But you can fix menus and curate beer lists to make it seem like you know what you’re doing, rather than not wanting to get it wrong. What you can’t really change is physical plant. If you want to be clubbed over the head with concept, Kraftwork is the place. Without even mentioning the clunker of a name, you know it’s stylized to a fault, which really distracts from the things that probably brought you there in the first place. Did I mention how NOISY it is? Now, I know I’m getting older, but when you have a DJ spinning dance music during dinner, at a place that doesn’t have a dance floor, you’re going out of your way to seem silly. I mean, at least the Abbaye had sensible brunch DJs.

Thing I hear from fans of craft beer and gastropubs in general though is that the prices are simply too high. I can get a pint of Russian River Blind Pig for less than I can a tulip of the same at Kraftwork. And while the taps are more plentiful than other neighborhood bars, I don’t get the sense that more thought went into selecting what’s on them. Instead of feeling like you’re getting a deal on something that’s been carefully considered, you know you’re overpaying for something you can probably get somewhere else in town.

Will I keep going back? Absolutely. I have faith that Adam Ritter will get it right and, hell, who I am to say anything: the place is usually full to overflowing, which is a good problem to have in this economy. If they can build a tasty, inexpensive menu around their beer can chicken sandwich, then they’re already on the right track. Where else can you get a Mikkeller Breakfast Beer Geek Imperial Stout at 10:30 on a Sunday morning?

Do people still get into podcasts? I’ve downloaded DJ Rupture’s Mudd Up, Doug Henwood’s Behind the News, and Two Guys on Beer, but I have to admit that I’m not a regular consumer of podcasts. Are there any you check out? Do you think video podcasting may finally break through now that we have the devices that not only support it, but make it sexy?

Lastly, what are your favorite blogs? In this age of microblogging in all forms, is there anyone else out there who still likes to read thoughtful pieces? My Google Reader is stuffed, but I’m always looking for new sources to check out. I’m always looking for local folks, as well as great people covering music, tech, Phillies, food, and media. Share your favorites!

So, who do you follow and where do you follow them?

I’ve been reading about this set all over the web, most recently at An Aquarium Drunkard. Unsurprisingly, understandably, everyone’s fallen in love with one of the greatest albums ever all over again.

I got the deluxe remastered edition for Father’s Day and I’m still working my way through it, but something really struck me as I listened: do we have the Stones to blame for Blueshammer and their ilk? I mean, would Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang have been possible without the Stones paving the way for guys like Stevie Ray Vaughan?