Reasons To Be Cheerful #254

852. Although the Giants fell to the Mets 4-2, they managed to pawn off shell-shocked fat not-much-of-a-closer Armando Benitez on the Florida Marlins in exchange for a fat guy named Randy Messenger. Randy Messenger---sounds like a chat tool on an adult dating site. Not that I'd know anything about that. Anyway, had the Giants announced they'd traded Benitez for a couple of Cuban Sandwiches from some street cart in Miami, I'd have been happy. That they were able to land another pitcher in exchange is icing on the cake. And so my friend Q in NYC had the honor of seeing Armando Benitez' last appearance ever as a member of the San Francisco Giants---that stinkified meltdown of Tuesday night. Benitez, GONE. The end of an error. In retrospect, a horrendous signing. But I was for it at the time. Benitez had just come off a great come-back year with the Marlins when the Giants signed him to a three year deal, but I guess closing games in Florida is not a pressure situation. He hurt himself the first week of his Giants career, finally came back to being completely healthy this year, but turned out to be a cancerous malcontent in the clubhouse, pushing blame on anyone but himself for his troubles, and becoming a lightning rod for fan discontent. It cracks me up that so many people see Bonds as a cancer when there are guys like Benitez who really ARE cancers. List of people other than sportswriters who have said Bonds is a bad team-mate:

1) Jeff Kent

I can't think of anyone else. And if anyone would know a lousy team-mate, it would be Jeff Kent. He sees one in the mirror every day.

853. I just got my copy of Richard Thompson's new CD , called Sweet Warrior.

It is bleeding fantastic, nearly all-electric, and chock full of great songs. So far, it's my favorite album of the year, and that's saying something. I highly recommend it. Highly.

854. James Bond. I came into possession of a collection of four box sets, containing the first 20 James Bond films, each with a bonus disc of extra material. I have rediscovered my love for all things Bond. Or, most things Bond. Some of the Roger Moore outings are pretty painful to watch. And the box sets are all mixed up, as in not chronological. I guess they didn't want anyone to be able to get "just the good ones". But in retrospect, much-maligned George Lazenby's only Bond outing, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", is a pretty damned good film. Better than most of the Roger Moore ones in my opinion. The only thing missing from these sets is "Casino Royale" (the new one, not the spoof---which isn't really in the Bond genre) and the "unauthorized" Sean Connery comeback "Never Say Never Again". This was a rogue production, not part of the licensed Cubby Brocolli franchise. It's just a remake of "Thunderball".
Still, I've got to have it if I'm a completist, and it's only ten bucks at Fry's. Maybe next week.
Incidentally, I think that Daniel Craig is a fantastic Bond. On par with Connery. Here is my personal list, in order, of the Best Bonds. (Well, besides Barry)

1) Sean Connery
2) Daniel Craig
3) Pierce Brosnan
4) Timothy Dalton
5) George Lazenby
6) Roger Moore

I DO like some of the Moore Bonds, like "Octopussy" and even the universally hated "Moonraker".

I've also ordered the first five Bond novels from Amazon. I hope the obsession ends soon :)