Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader was watching some old “Family Guy” episodes last night and heard Stewie Griffin say the line “Greetings, loyal minions.” Your Maximum Leader needs to find that clip somewhere he can use it…

Anyhoo…

Your Maximum Leader isn’t much in the mood for thoughtful commentary. He is pissed at Congress for screwing up so badly on the “bailout” or “rescue” or whatever you want to call it. Ideologically your Maximum Leader isn’t much for intervention in capital markets. But after assessing the gravity of this situation he feels that you have to do something. If for no other reason than to restore confidence. You know something… Congress is living up to a 10% approval rating…

There is so much blame to dish out in this economic mess your Maximum Leader has run out of digits to do the pointing. It is a crappy situation.

Frankly, the whole political/economic mess is enough to put your Maximum Leader in a foul mood. But then the Nats finishing the season with 102 losses sorta puts him in a bad mood too. Actually, what puts your Maximum Leader in a bad mood about the Nationals Baseball Club is not how bad they were this year. It is how bad he expects them to be next year. He is coming around to the belief that the Lerners don’t know how to run a team. He is coming to think that Stan Kasten will be gone before too long and that the Nats will flit away what goodwill they retain with their (small) fan base. I’m still a fan. I love the team and am committed to them. But sometimes love is hard.

Your Maximum Leader is also feeling less and less confident about the pick of Sarah Palin as VP. Sure she is on the right side of most of the issues important to him. But after watching the Gibson and Couric interview he is worried about her ability to do well as VP. The big test (in your Maximum Leader’s eyes) comes on Thursday when she and Biden go mano-y-foxyhockeymom. In the meanwhile he will wait with bated breath.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader sees that the final Nats home game of the season was rained out and will not be replayed…

Just as well…

Robbo’s wish comes true.

The wish of all Nats fans comes true as well. Since the game will not be made up it is statistically less likely that the Nats will lose 100 games this season. Of course, they are sitting with 99 losses now, and they end the season with three in Philly. And the Phillies are playing for something… So it looks like it will be a 100 loss season (if not 102 losses).

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has been watching the Mets/Nats series this week. He’d been hoping to see the Nats play the role of spoiler in this NL East Pennant race. While they are still poised to do so… (Ending the season in Philly you know…) The late season surge your Maximum Leader had been enjoying seems to be petering out.

To wit this lovely Yahoo Sports headline: Mets crush Nats to keep pace with Phillies.

Your Maximum Leader forgets who wrote it (Thomas Boswell perhaps?) but earlier this year a sports commentator mentioned that the winner of the NL East will be determined by the team that beats the Nationals more frequently. So true…

Speaking of Mr Boswell… Did you Nats fans catch his column the other day about the Learners and spending money on the team? Very interesting…

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is really pleased now… His beloved Nationals swept the LA Dodgers at Nationals Park.

It was an unexpected string of wins. It was a string of well played games. It was fun to watch.

Now your Maximum Leader hopes that the Nats can keep pulling out the wins against the Atlanta Braves.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader hasn’t had lots of free time. School is getting geared up for the Villainettes and the Wee Villain. Lots of school open houses to attend and things to buy and prepare.

Then again there is also the whole Nationals/Dodgers series. The Nats have taken two of three so far. This highly unanticipated win streak makes your Maximum Leader very happy…

One more Nats/Dodgers game tonight… It is doubtful that he will watch any of the Obama speech. He watched about 3 minutes of Bill Clinton’s speech last night (during a commercial break) and he saw highlights this morning. It looks like Bill did what he needed to do and give his seal of approval to Barack Obama. He appeared to be in good form (as was Hillary apparently the night before).

It is strange that this convention has, up to now, appeared to be the Clinton convention and not the Obama convention. One imagines that this will change tonight…

Go Nats.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader spent Sunday night watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, and he spent last night sleeping on the sofa in front of the TV (instead of watching Monday Night Football).

Your Maximum Leader loves the Olympics. At some level he’s bought into all the hoopla (and it is hoopla) about “olympic spirit” and “competition.” He likes the athetic feats he sees. He likes the “national competition” such as it is. He enjoys the spectacle. As he mentioned before, the opening ceremonies were something else. It is not likely that he will see anything like that again in his lifetime. He already is preparing himself for the London games of 2012 being a let-down… (More on this in a moment.) It is hard for free people to compete with police states when it comes to putting on an awe inspring show. From the 1936 games, to May Day parades in Moscow, to the Beijing opening of the 2008 Olympics those police states can marshal the resources to impress.

As the games went on your Maximum Leader was reminded of how he has slowly come around to the point of view that if a sporting contest is not timed or scored in a completely objective way it is annoying. After the first few days of competition you Maximum Leader found he couldn’t watch gymnastics or diving. These ratings grabbers for NBC should be put out of the Olympics. You just can’t trust the judging. The swimming and track and field were objectively measured. Those are real contests. Sports like basketball or volleyball or soccer are scored. They can stay (even if sometimes umpires/referees determine the outcome of the game).

Your Maximum Leader enjoyed the last few days of the games very much. He searched the NBC-owned (but not NBC) channels for track and field competitions. He wished that he had CBC or BBC coverage so that he could have seen more of the shooting competitions. NBC is all leftist and anti-gun by not showing the highest forms of shooting competition. The US even (gold) medaled in shooting. Ah well… Your Maximum Leader supposes that because Vincent Hancock dedicated his medal to US Servicemen and was all patriotic he didn’t get lots of coverage. Keith Olbermann is somehow to blame here…

Anyhoo…

The Closing Ceremonies were not all that spectacular. They weren’t as sharp as the opening. Your Maximum Leader is sure that this is due to the little time they had to practice in situ - as the “Bird’s Nest” was being used for competition. It was pretty impressive, in terms of people on the stage doing co-ordinated dancing and performing. But your Maximum Leader occasionally picked out performers who were slightly out-of-sync or missed a step. He hopes that the Communist Party officials in charge didn’t notice the same problems and decide to pay a post-Olympic visit to those poor souls and lecture them about “letting down the country.”

Of course, the “highlight” of the Closing Ceremonies is supposed to be the little show put on by the next venue as a 4-years-in-advance preview of things to come. The people dancing around with umbrellas and the double-decker bus weren’t a positive portent of things to come. And if that attractive girl singing (an edited version of) “Whole Lotta Love” with Jimmy Page is the best they can do… Well… We don’t have much to which to look forward.

Your Maximum Leader supposes his suggestion of having an actor portraying Charles “Chinese” Gordon lead a division of the “Ever Victorious Army” into the Bird’s Nest and slay the hordes of “rebel” performers wasn’t what the London Olympic Organizing Committee had in mind to set the mood for 2012. Ah well… (There would have been opium invovled… That would have taken the edge off…)

Anyhoo…

The Olympics ended just in time to have the Democrats get together for their own little spectacle in Denver…

Your Maximum Leader has determined that he might (might) watch Obama’s acceptance speech. (To be fair he might (might) also watch John McCain’s acceptance speech as well.) But that one speech is likely going to be the extent of his viewing of the DNC orgy of love. Of course, if it looks like Hillary’s people will misbehave and act-up; then he might reconsider his view habits this week. Afterall, he can’t be expected to watch the DNC if the Nats are on TV!

(NB to The Director: If you would like to make a gentleman’s wager on the outcome of the Nats/Dodgers series, Your Maximum Leader will entertain suggestions… With some sort of odds included… It is painfully obvious that the Dodgers are the better team than the lowly Nats…)

Your Maximum Leader feels that the recaps on the major news channels are about all he can stomach of the convention. Last night he doesn’t think he could have made it through the whole tribute to the Kennedys thingie.

May your Maximum Leader be honest for a moment here? Your Maximum Leader feels sorry for Ted Kennedy. Yes. Sorry. More than that even. Your Maximum Leader, uncharacteristically actually, seems to be worrying about Ted Kennedy. Yes. Worries. He worries about Teddy’s spiritual well-being. As the end approaches for “the lion of the Senate” - and we all know it is coming - your Maximum Leader wonders if Teddy reflects on his life and has remorse, regret or feelings that he needs to be contrite in some way. Your Maximum Leader feels that Teddy probably ought to feel the need to get some spiritual matters in order here. Don’t fret any about your Maximum Leader in this. The act of typing out these lines seems to be erasing any worry that might have existed still in your Maximum Leader’s little black heart.

Of course it is unlikely that Kennedy himself has these self-same concerns. Ah well…

So… Unless there is misbehavin’ in Denver, your Maximum Leader will be watching the Nationals tonight…

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader forgot all about the Nats game today. This is to say he forgot it was a day game in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

Apparently the Cubbies forgot about the game too.

Nationals 13, Cubs 5

Hey! You there muttering that it was a lucky win…

When you only have 43 wins on the season, you cheer when you can.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader had a good time with his family last night at the Washington Nationals game. That is to say that the time spent at the ballpark talking baseball with the family was good. The game was painful to watch. Painful if you are a Nats fan. You might have heard or read that the Nats were on the receiving end of a good drubbing by the New York Mets. The many Mets fans in attendance were happy. Your Maximum Leader would guess that at least a third of the 30,000 people in attendance were Mets fans.

By the way, who was it that was sitting a few rows in front of your Maximum Leader? Humm… Lets examine the photo…

Clicken to embiggen.

Yup… Just there under the elbow of that guy wearing the grey Pittsburgh Pirates shirt. In the blue button down shirt. That is George Will. Your Maximum Leader mentioned to him that his column earlier in the week was very good. He smiled and said thanks.

Sitting a little ways behind your Maximum Leader was Charles Krauthammer (who has a good column today - one your Maximum Leader isn’t sure he completely agrees with - but interesting nonetheless). So your Maximum Leader was sitting in the nexus of two great conservative editorialists. He could feel the positive vibe. In fact, it was the only positive vibe coming from the game. Did your Maximum Leader mention that the game sucked if you were a Nats fan.

Your Maximum Leader hears that Barry Bonds isn’t retired… Late season acquisition by the Nats? Probably not, but it could be entertaining…

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is all excited today. By sheer chance 4 tickets to tonight’s contest between your Maximum Leader’s beloved Washington Nationals and the New York Mets landed in his lap today. Tickets come complete with parking pass. Parking in the “red zone” - which is closest to the ballpark. Looks like your Maximum Leader will be enjoying a little baseball tonight with his villainous family.

Go Nats!

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader loves the Olympics. He’s been a real couch potato while watching them on the TV. (Ironic isn’t it?) He’s been watching alone, with the family. He is NBC’s wet dream of Olypmic viewer in fact. He switches from one channel to another during commerical breaks to catch what is going on on another NBC affiliate showing the games.

So did ya catch that opening ceremony?

You know something? No country can do opening ceremonies quite like an autocratic state. What were there 20,000+ performers? It cost some humongus amount of money. You just can’t marshal those resources in an open society where private donations are funding the games. Your Maximum Leader told his Villainettes to pay attention closely. Not only was the opening ceremony interesting, but we’ll not see one quite like it again for a while. (Until another autocratic state gets to host the games.)

Your Maximum Leader was impressed by the lighting of the torch. He still thinks that Antonio Robello did it best in Barcelona in 1992. Remember Robello? (Visual reminder here for you:

As for the competition. How ’bout those American girls in the individual sabre? Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Your Maximum Leader watched the competition. That bronze medal contest was a damned close run thing. The sweep of the medals was great. It filled your Maximum Leader with patriotic pride.

He’s been watching the swimming contests. He thinks that Michael Phelp’s bid to win 8 golds is a long shot, but he seems to have karma going his way now.

What is up with our gymnastics team. They are all 4′11″ blondish and cute. What is Bela Karoly doing to our program?

And allow your Maximum Leader to ask a general question to all of you out there… What is up with Canada? Your Maximum Leader knows they sent a team. He hasn’t seen a Canadian in contention for anything yet. Are our northern neighbors all in track & field or something? One would think that Canada would be a competitive nation in the summer olympics. Hell, the Norwegians are winning medals. So what is up with Canada? Your Maximum Leader wouldn’t mind seeing some silver and bronze going their way. (Your Maximum Leader wants to hog all those gold for his own countrymen/women.)

Anyhoo…

Your Maximum Leader will be watching again tonight (and every night) for the next two weeks.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader isn’t at the Villainschloss. In fact he is out taking a quasi-vacation with family at Ocean City, MD. Last night, to mix it up a little bit, your Maximum Leader took his niece and nephews and Villainette #2 to their first Single A baseball game. We saw the Delmarva Shorebirds take on the Kanapolis Intimidators in Salisbury, MD.

It was a great time. Arthur Perdue Stadium is a wonderful fan friendly place. Lots of helpful people. Plenty of bathrooms. Easy access to concessions. A hot tub in left field (an amenity of which your Maximum Leader didn’t avail himself). A carousel and moon-bounce for the kiddies. It was really great. It kept the two littlest kids distracted. Your Maximum Leader did actually get to watch the game some.

Your Maximum Leader forgets how much he really does like minor league ball. There is still a certain purity about it that you don’t feel in the big league parks and with big leaguers. These guys down at Single A ball WANT to play. Your Maximum Leader didn’t figure that all of them were under contract with big league team (the Shorebirds are an Orioles affiliate). So some of these guys might be pulling down $20,000/year to ride in the old team bus and stay in old hotels to play ball.

Almost without exception, you could tell the players were really trying hard to impress the fans and show that they had potential. Your Maximum Leader says almost without exception because there were two noteworthy exceptions in the “play with all your heart” exuberance that your Maximum Leader saw. The exceptions were the two starting pitchers. Your Maximum Leader hasn’t seen two more pitchers with less enthusiasm for fielding in many years. The two pitchers were almost identical in their pathetic fielding. A few times short liners where it to either side of the mound, and the pitchers stood there and didn’t even try for a ball that was 1) at glove height and 2) passing withing 2-3 feet of the pitcher. The pitchers also had trouble covering first on short hoppers hit to the first baseman. Three batters reached base because the pitcher didn’t hustle to first for what should have been an easy out. It was crazy.

Pitchers not wanting to field aside… The game was quite thrilling. The Shorebirds were down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth. They got a man on with no outs. Then the next batter hit a triple into deep left-center field. The first runner scored and the cut-off man on the relay overthrew the ball to the third baseman. The ball careened into the Shorebirds dugout and the runner was awarded home to tie the game. Then in the bottom of the tenth, the Shorebirds got another runner on first, he reached second on a throwing error, and scored on a long single to right.

And after the game there were fireworks for the kids.

The whole experience (including 4 kids tickets, two adult tickets, 5 ice creams, 4 lemonades, 1 Dr. Pepper, 1 bottle of water, 8 rides on the carousel, 8 trips in the moon bounce, 4 trips to the wiffleball batting cage and 1 balloon) cost less than $100.

It don’t get much better than that.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader notes that there isn’t much to cheer for in Washington nowadays when it comes to baseball. But, back 100 years ago there was something worth cheering over. That something was Walter Johnson, who made his major league debut on August 2, 1907 for the Washington Senators.

The early 20th century “Nats” didn’t always give you much to cheer for either. But they did win the World Series. And they did have one of the most dominant pitchers ever to play the game on their team.

Your Maximum Leader looked up some of Johnson’s stats. He didn’t realize that Johnson was a career .235 hitter with 24 home runs, 255 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. That is pretty respectable for a pitcher. Those numbers do pale in comparison to 417 career wins and a lifetime ERA of 2.17 (and nearly 6000 innings pitched!). But those offensive numbers are something you don’t see every day.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader sees that so much is going on in the world of sports. Of course, none of these goings on seem to benefit any team that your Maximum Leader cares much about…

In baseball, the trade deadline has passed and his beloved Nationals have done nothing to better themselves. On the one hand it is understandable. They are 21 games out of first place in the NL East. That pretty much makes this season a moot one. But one (okay… Your Maximum Leader is the one) could have hoped that they might do something to bring a little offence to town. Or they could have decided not to trade away their (defacto) closer to Arizona. The Nats games get harder and harder to watch, but your Maximum Leader continues to suffer through in the hopes that the Nats can be a spoiler in the NL East race. Since the race is down to the Mets, Phillies and Marlins the winner of the division will likely be decided by which team can beat the Nats more during the stretch. Your Maximum Leader will hope that the Nats show some signs of life and don’t just roll over and die (any more than they already have).

In other baseball news… Manny to the Dodgers. Jason Bay to the Sawx. Wow. Didn’t see that one coming until it happened. Manny had grown tired of Boston - and Boston had grown weary of him. It makes sense really. Manny didn’t want Boston to exercise their options to keep him (so that he could get a bigger deal from someone else). But to do it in the classless way the Manny did it is sad. One hopes that teams would shy away from someone who could basically give up on his team to make a point. But, since Manny is someone who can produce when he wants to, someone will pay him. The Sawx have probably made out pretty well by getting Bay.

In more baseball news… Have you seen those LA Angels play. They just seem to be putting the smackdown on everyone. First the Sawx. Now the Yankees. Eeee! They are looking pretty damned strong right now. One wonders if they can keep it up down the stretch.

And finally… Your Maximum Leader is a Green Bay Packers fan. He is also a huge Brett Favre fan. But now the story is getting on his nerves. Your Maximum Leader hopes that Favre will stay retired. If he does not, the Packers should try and trade him to an AFC team - or at least a non-NFC North team. Your Maximum Leader isn’t sure what the hell Brett is thinking when he seems to want to go to Minnesota. You can’t go giving the Vikings a QB when they are a division rival. That is plain ole stupid. At this point, your Maximum Leader just hope the whole thing will just go away…

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is one tired guy. He’s been dog sitting and niece/nephew sitting recently. Five kids and two dogs in the ole Villainschloss. That is a handful of domestic responsibility.

To make matters more interesting… The Villainschloss sprang a small roof leak (which we believe was just fixed last night with some roofing caulk), the garbage disposal in the primary kitchen died, and the lovely Mrs Villain has decided to start painting the basement.

Oh… Did your Maximum Leader mention that the cable box/DVR apparently shorted out last night too?

So, your Maximum Leader is taking his own little All-star break. He may, or may not, blog further this week. Check this space for new posts.

Oh… Your Maximum Leader does have a second TV with basic cable - so he was able to watch the Home Run Derby last night. He was sure as Josh Hamilton was going on his first round tear that someone else was going to win the derby. Hamilton blew his wad too early and just didn’t have it in him at the end.

Another Home Run Derby observation… Your Maximum Leader knew all the National League players in the Derby, and most of the American League players as well (being a National League man that is no surprise). But he was disappointed in how many “stars” did not participate in the Derby. Has this All-Star ritual lost its luster? He would have liked to have seen Manny Ramirez, or Junior Griffey out there swinging for the fences…

Go National League! Show those American Leaguers who’s boss…

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader loves his baseball. Not only that, he has thrown himself - heart and soul - into his (reborn) hometown team, the Washington Nationals.

Your Maximum Leader lives about 50 miles from the Nats ballpark. The drive, coupled with the cost of tickets and time, limit the number of games to which your Maximum Leader can truck himself (and family). If he lived closer to a Metro station (as opposed to about 30 miles from one) he would likely buy cheap seats and see more games. Indeed, if that were the case, he’d likely buy a partial season ticket plan.

All that talk about going to games aside, your Maximum Leader does watch just about every Nats game on TV. In fact, Mrs Villain, Villainettes 1 & 2 and the Wee Villain also watch the games. (Okay, the Villainettes and Wee Villain don’t watch in rapt attention, but they drift in and out. Mrs Villain can’t just sit down and watch any tv - so she always has something else handy while watching.) That is a lot of baseball on TV. If you wanted to count ESPN games that would be even more baseball on TV.

Well imagine your Maximum Leader’s dismay when he read yesterday that on average about 9,000 households watch Nats games on TV. Out of a metropolitan area with 5.5 million people (5,500,000 for those of you who like numbers written out) a meagre 9,000 watch the Nats on TV.

Your Maximum Leader wonders how Nielsen gets their numbers. But he doesn’t doubt that the number is accurate. Other than Robbo, and one other friend, your Maximum Leader must admit that he doesn’t know anyone who watches the Nats on TV. (So now your Maximum Leader can account for three households - only 8,997 more households to go…)

Your Maximum Leader finds that he agrees with the dismay expressed so well by Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post. Your Maximum Leader believes you should click through and read Boswell’s piece if you are interested. Here is one bit with which your Maximum Leader particularly agrees:

Perhaps the Nats’ TV malady may impact the Lerner family as well. Will the Nats’ owners feel a warm fire being lit under their feet over the next three weeks as they consider whether to make trades that add, rather than subtract, talent and payroll from their major league roster before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

If it’s true that you could fit every Nats TV viewer into the team’s upper deck — with room to spare — perhaps there’s a frightening future in that stark stat. Can the franchise risk alienating the affections of a city that, just three years ago, rejoiced when the Nats were in first place at the all-star break and the darlings of the entire sport? Washington actually tasted the summer joy that attends a mere wild-card race, even when you don’t make the playoffs. That whiff of success makes the current 102-loss pace more bitter.

Frightening indeed. Your Maximum Leader doesn’t want to regret dissing the Braves if Washington loses their franchise because it withered on the vine…

Carry on.