How ’bout those Sox? Schilling was awesome, Coco Crisp solid, “Big Papi” Ortiz already in “auto-offense” mode – heck, even Mike Lowell had a dinger. For now, all is well in Red Sox Nation, Red is ecstatic, and the boys are off to a flying start. Let’s hope they can keep it going tonight.

Meanwhile…

…Do recent events in Iraq have you confused and concerned? The Belmont Club takes a close look at where the situation in Iraq is and where it’s going. It’s a fascinationg and important read.

…At The Movies I: Yehudit at Winds of Change has a post on the upcoming release about Flight 93. I agree with Hugh that the film’s release is important, since, by rekindling memories of that horrific day, it serves as an important reminder of the evil we are up against. While the film’s trailer will undoubtedly generate a lot of buzz – you have no control over what previews you see at a movie – I just wonder how many people will want to pay to relive all of those terrible memories again.

…At The Movies II: Apparently the sequel to Basic Instinct is awful and had a dismal opening weekend. Who’s to blame – bad acting? bad script? bad production? Think again, for as Mitch at Shot in the Dark writes, the director thinks conservatives in America are to blame. Riiiiight.

…At The Movies III: The blockbuster movie of the summer promises to be The Da Vinci Code. Personally, I always thought the premise of this incredibly-popular book was pretty lame: forget about the New Testament and the Gospels, it’s a painting done centuries later that tells “the truth” about Jesus and the early Church. Hyscience posts with a link to a site created for intellectual discussion about the movie.

…Betsy Newmark has some interesting comments made by Bill Cosby during a recent visit to New Orleans that you won’t find covered anywhere in the mainstream media.

…How ’bout that rabbit wedding in Great Britain? Animal-rights activists are hopping mad, but if you ask me the bridge and groom look very happy, if a little shy!. Carrot cake for the reception, however, I’m not so sure of. I would have had a slice of banana, a tiny piece of pizza crust, and some a parsley/cilantro medley. Congratulations Amy and Roberto!

…If astronomers’ worst fears are realized, there may be no Goodboys Invitational Golf event scheduled for July 2036, due to, well, the extinction of humankind thanks to the asteroid “Apophus”:

It all sounds like the premise of “Armageddon,” “Deep Impact” or some other blockbuster Hollywood film. But the asteroid, named 99942 Apophis, is science fact, not science fiction. In December 2004, astronomers caused a brief stir when their calculations estimated that the newly discovered asteroid – named after the ancient Egyptian god, Apep, the Destroyer – might collide with Earth in 2029.

Additional tracking data quickly ruled out the possibility of a 2029 collision. But the potential for a strike in 2036, should the asteroid enter that crucial gravitational space, places it at the top of NASA’s list of 3,800 near-Earth asteroids the agency has identified.

Based on the latest information, the asteroid, which is nearly twice the size of a typical football stadium, has a 1-in-6,250 chance of colliding with Earth on April 13, 2036.

Sounds awful close to Red Sox opening day 2036 and the Masters, doesn’t it?