If you read this blog, know its author or have ever been within earshot of him for more than ten minutes or so, you're quite aware of the fact that he is not at all a fan of Dallas, Texas.
Still, this being the city in which we reside for the foreseeable future, we're going to try to make the best of it because, well, that's what we do.
So we're introducing a new feature here on FFF that we're calling Focused on the Metroplex, a periodic sampling of all that is good in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Each time we post, we'll talk about things that bring culture, distinction or fun to the place we call home. Over the last several months, we've made a conscious effort to find and focus on those things we enjoy here in the Metroplex and we've been pleasantly surprised at how many things we really like here. We look forward to sharing them with you.
First though, in the spirit of fairness (and you know we love to present both sides of an issue), we present the following list of 50 Things We Hate About Dallas. Now, we realize we are about to piss off and offend a whole bunch of our readers by printing a list that was written before we really took the time to look for the good in the area but hey, we gotta be fair, no?
Enjoy.
1. Why Are We Here? Dallas has no reason for being. There is no navigable waterway, no natural resources, no topographical features conducive to settlement -- nothing. It is a city without purpose.
2. Suspension Bridges Over a Creek Dallas is in the process of building three "signature bridges" over the Trinity River. This is the Trinity River. Dude -- you can damned-near walk over the fucking thing, yet a city that can't properly fund its schools is fine with spending damned-near a billion dollars for three actual bridges to nowhere. But they'll look good. Which is all that matters in Dallas.
3. Weak-Mayor System In Dallas, the City Manager sets policy and the City Council votes on it. The mayor has one vote on the city council. So the mayor is ultimately responsible for nothing. It is an idiotic way to run a major city and leaves Dallas as The City That Can't.
4. Serpentine Districts Now, we realize this happens in a lot of places, but it's ridiculous in Dallas. This is the City Council district map. Back in the 1980's, the Supreme Court decided that Dallas having 13 at-large City Council members violated the constitutional rights of minorities. Why? Because it virtually ensured an all-white council. So they changed to geographical districts. Still a bunch of white guys. So they tweaked. And tweaked. And you end up with districts that are 97% Hispanic, to be sure they get a Latino elected. We call bullshit on all of that, for many reasons but we'll share two. First, the best way to get someone elected is to vote for them. How is it not discrimination to intentionally set up districts to punish white folks for voting? Second, why is race a factor at all? Why intentionally create districts to get someone of a particular race elected? Race is not a qualifier for office. Just because someone looks like you does not mean they are looking out for you. The entire system is an insult to everyone involved, as it reduces everyone to the lowest-common denominator and completely casts aside any pretense of an educated electorate.
5. Thirty-Thousandares Dallas is loaded with them. You know the type: fake designer shades, bogus handbags and a penchant for conspicuous consumption for appearance's sake. Then they go home and eat dog food because that's all they can afford.
6. Downtown Douchebaggery Time was, downtown Dallas was a pleasant little undiscovered community of about 1,000 people. There were corner shops and eateries, mostly of the mom and pop variety. People knew one another and spoke on the street, even to the bums. After the office buildings emptied out at 5 the place was a ghost town, save for the aforementioned residents. The good 'ole days were as recent as the early 2000's. When we moved out of our 14th floor 725 square-foot apartment in downtown Dallas in November of 2003, to head to L.A., we were paying $795 a month in rent. Then the developers came in and decided to revitalize. It became cool to live downtown. Asshole suburbanites took the place over and it is Douchebag Central down there now. All the Mom and Pops got run out and replaced with a perpetual cycle of failed successors. When we returned to Dallas in the summer of 2006, our old apartment, which had had absolutely nothing done to it in our absence, rented for $1250.00. $30,000ares abound and there is no sense of community. It makes us sick to see what has happened to our old neighborhood. All because of...
7. People from Plano who Destroyed Downtown In this particular instance, Plano can mean Allen, Frisco, Addison -- we don't care because they're all the same to us. Downtown became popular, rents have tripled and the pompous and pretentious have the run of the place now. Best example of this was heard on the train one day, passing through downtown when a woman said to her friend, "we're all a part of this wonderful experiment, to see if people can live in a downtown environment", like she's on the Discovery Channel or something. Didn't have the heart to tell her People have been living in cities for centuries, genius.
8. The City that Never Was Lest you be deluded into thinking the douchebaggery is confined within the city limits, we offer you Las Colinas. Back in the 80's, Irving was a nice, upper-middle class suburb. But then something alarming to the sensibilities of the inhabitants began taking place. People of color started becoming upwardly mobile and -- gasp! -- started moving into their neighborhoods. Their solution, build a wall. Literally. We like to call it the Great Wall of Irving and it extends almost the entire length of Northgate Blvd and separates the northernmost portion of Irving from the rest of it. The developers named the area Las Colinas (this has always amused us since, while trying to avoid the barbarians -- read Mexicans -- at the gate, they ended up naming the place in Spanish, but we digress) and now if you ask anyone in that area where they live, they will tell you Las Colinas. For the privilege of saying The Hills en español, they get to pay over market-value for housing, groceries and taxes. In the end though, if you ask the post office, they still live in Irving, whether they want to admit it or not.
9. SUV's For those who can't live in an overpriced neighborhood, just to impress their friends, there is the 'ole reliable: an obnoxiously-huge-ass SUV. They are everywhere. And it would be ok if everyone driving one had like nine kids in there or didn't slow down to a crawl to go over the slightest bump. But they don't. And they do. Annoying. You have a tank -- drive it like one.
*as an aside, while Googling for clever pics to link to your blog, the keywords "soccer mom" and "hummer" do not lead to pictures of a car.
10. Rainy Day Freakout People -- it is hot here. And dry. So the oil from your car is going to bake into the surfaces on which you drive. When it rains, that oil makes the road slick. So slow the fuck down! Why is this hard? (twss) And don't get us started on what happens at the first hint of snow flurries.
11. South Hell Speaking of it being hot. Dude -- there is just no need for how hot it gets here. Now, we realize this is a matter of personal preference, but hey, it is our list, no? Months upon months of incessant 100-degree days, with a hot, defeating wind (The average wind speed in Dallas, Texas is .4mps faster than that in Chicago), with no water to be found makes for an unbearable environment. Everything is brown and dead all summer, people are bitchy and it is just a physically draining, oppressive kind of heat.
12. Where's the H2O? Dallas is like 250 miles from the ocean. Even then, it's not really an ocean; it's the lukewarm bathwater of the Gulf of Mexico. Texas has one natural lake. One. And it is nowhere near Dallas.
13. Would You Swim in That? There are two lakes which can be reached within the Dallas city limits. One, White Rock Lake, permits no swimming. The other, Joe Pool Lake, adjacent to some type of chemical plant that spews refuse directly into the water, is possibly the foulest body of water we have ever personally encountered. The other regional lakes are marginally better. You exchange a little bit of actual trash for a whole lot of White Trash. Yee-freaking-haw! The closest lake we have found even remotely tolerable is Lake Murray -- in Oklahoma.
14. Ozone Alerts Take L.A., remove the ocean, mountains, culture, class, people, weather, diversity and all-around greatness. Leave the air just as it is. You have Dallas.
15. Traffic. Take L.A., remove just a little bit of the traffic, but take away all of the cool destinations. You have Dallas.
16. Ash Wednesday Now, we realize not everyone is Catholic. We get that. And we realize that Catholics are in the minority in Dallas. But seriously -- how can you possibly get to adulthood without knowing what Ash Wednesday is? Were you raised in a cave? We get stopped, at minimum, 20 times every year by some helpful asshole, telling us there's something on our forehead.
17. Open-toed Shoes with Stockings Do we really even need to elaborate on this one? In Dallas, we apparently do. Stay classy, Texas!
18. Flip Flops on Men. In public. Nowhere near a pool. Or beach. Or prison shower room. Wrong on so many levels we can't even begin to list them. Just stop. Please.
19. The 7th Inning Stretch. At a Texas Rangers game, as in other Major League Baseball parks, Take Me Out to the Ballgame is played between the halves of the seventh inning. It's a long-standing tradition of the game and is perfectly at home in ballparks across America. But in Arlington, they play this. Seriously?
20. College Hoops Scene. Now perhaps we were spoiled growing up watching the likes of Temple, La Salle, St. Joseph's, Villanova and Penn fight it out at the Palestra but the college basketball scene in the Metroplex is sad. TCU occasionally puts together a decent squad and once in a great while SMU will throw a fairly entertaining team out onto the court, but by and large, NCAA basketball in D/FW is a big yawn.
21. "Honoring God and America with the playing of our national anthem." That is how it is introduced at Mavericks games. What, precisely, does God have to do with The Star Spangled Banner? Don't get us wrong, we're not dissing God here -- we're huge fans of the Man. But the reference, a holdover from original owner Don Carter, who used to have them play God Bless America instead of SSB, makes no sense. I go to church to honor God. I go to American Airlines Center to watch basketball.
22. The Castration of Deep Ellum. Deep Ellum used to be the coolest place in Dallas. An area with a legitimate claim to musical roots, where clubs and shops and restaurants and bars abounded. Just dangerous enough for the suburbanites to think they were living on the edge, but still credible enough for the punks to still think it cool. Then the powers that be decided to ruin it. Now, whether they were afraid it was draining money from the areas of the city they wanted the money to go (read Victory, Uptown, Knox-Henderson) or whether they were just scared shitless of diversity, permits stopped getting renewed, licenses got yanked and the area is a shell of its former self. There's a shiny new DART train station now. Unfortunately, there's nothing there now when one de-boards.
23. Where's the Hood? For all the fear white suburbanites feel, fleeing further and further North, they have no idea what a 'hood truly is. This is a ghetto. There is nothing remotely like that in Dallas. Hell, we lived in the ghetto for three years before anyone told us that's where we were. There are trees and parks and streetlights that work in the ghetto here. Cops still have enough time to pull people over for traffic offenses in the ghetto here! So all the little wannabe thugs that roll through the streets of Big D would get their ass handed to them in a real ghetto. Just another facet of the fakeness that is Dallas.
24. Money on the Shirt. What the hell is that all about? It's your birthday. We're happy for you. We may even get you a card, or a cake. But pinning money to yourself and expecting others to add to the stash is just tacky as hell.
25. Austin Envy. At least people in Dallas, for the most part, are smart enough to long for a hipper, more cultural, interesting city then their own. Unfortunately, that longing is directed at Austin. OK, so it has a river and a lake. Take those away and you have a city with moderately good but way overrated music, in a college atmosphere. In other words, it's Denton.
26. A Lawless State. The Texas legislature convenes once every two years, for six weeks. That's it. So basically, if anything happens that needs legislative attention, it has to wait up to 24 months. Granted, Texans believe that not much does need legislative attention, so it works for them. But operating a state government in the 21st century in this manner just boggles our mind.
27. The Death Capitol. We believe in the sanctity of human life, from conception until natural death. Texas executes more prisoners than any other state. Texas has three of the top ten counties most prolific in handing out the death penalty in this nation.. Texas also has the number one US county for convictions of all types overturned by DNA evidence. There is absolutely no way Texas has not executed an innocent man. In Texas, it's ok to execute a mentally retarded prisoner, according to the state Supreme Court. In Texas, a defense attorney falling asleep during a capital trial is, according to this same Court, not an impediment to a vigorous defense. In Texas, it's ok for a judge to go home at 5:00 on the day of an execution and refuse to answer his cell phone, knowing there is capital appeal in process. And we're not going to even get into the gender/race bias inherent in the system, because that happens everywhere. Apparently, in Texas, they would rather kill ten innocent men to get one guilty one. We think one innocent man executed is too many. The fact that Texas seems ok with it speaks to the barbarism of its society.
28. States' Rights. We believe the United States of America is singular. One nation, made up of fifty states. Kind of like 50 siblings under one set of parents. The other side of that, preferred mostly in the Southeast -- and definitely in Texas -- is that the United States is plural, 50 independent states loosely affiliated via a federal government that is small, weak and unable to mandate much. There's a problem with that though.. We have always found it ironic that the states that scream the loudest about states' rights are the very states that have shown they can't take care of themselves in the first place. Texas ranks 30th in degreed adults, 42nd in poverty rate, 31st in infant mortality rate, 50th in uninsured children, 48th in AIDS rate, 33rd in life expectancy, 31st in homelessness and dead last in high school dropouts -- and they actually want MORE control!
29. Too Much of a Right Thing. We preface this by saying, having been raised in a working-class Philadelphia neighborhood, we were indoctrinated from a very young age into the marvels of the ultra-liberal. Hell, Hitler could run as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States and our mother would vote for him. Yes, we worked for Jesse Jackson and voted for Michael Dukakis in 1988. We were young. And we admit, foolish. We have voted in six presidential elections now and have gone for the donkey three times, the elephant twice and Harry S. Truman once, as a protest vote in 2004. So we are not a died-in-the-wool liberal, nor do we consider ourselves ultra-conservative. We'd like to think we take a deliberate approach to issues and make a decision based on a good mix of fact, feeling and innate sense of what we feel to be right and wrong. Extremists scare us, of any stripe. And Texas is loaded with them. Again, Hitler could run for President as a Republican and he would carry Texas. Liberal bastions such as Minnesota and Massachusetts have elected Republican governors and Dems actually have to campaign there now to win the state. Texas is a slam-dunk for republicans. And that is never a good thing. Because if a politician does not fear losing, that politician no longer feels beholden to the constituency.
30. The Donut of Decay. We've said before that we think of suburbia as God's little joke. What starts out as a five-mile square area with one Kroger that takes 15 minutes to get to ends up with all the trees cut down, all the new streets named after those trees (streets that go nowhere, mind you, except into a dizzying mess of curves), and three Krogers -- the closest of which is 45 minutes away. There's another side-effect to this abomination of habitat as well. By and large, suburbs were created by people fleeing something -- or someone. Guess what? Twenty years later, it all happens again and another Flight happens. This time a little further out. The businesses and developers follow and then in yet another twenty years, it happens again. What you are left with is concentric rings of blight and dilapidation that leads to, invariably, a "revitalized" downtown.
31. The DMA. The Dallas Museum of Art is crap. Their permanent collection is lightweight and their visiting exhibits are almost never done as well as they could be. They rely entirely too heavily on modern art -- and not even good modern art. A waste of prime downtown real estate.
32. Dallas Cowboy Fans. Does this really need any elaboration? The scatter like cockroaches on the kitchen floor the minute their team loses more than two in a row and are everywhere when their team is winning.
33. Texas Ranger Fans. We're going to absolutely contradict ourselves here, but it's our list and we can do that. The Rangers have needed pitching since they moved from DC in 1972. And they never do anything about it. And they still draw 3Million fans a year. Where's the pressure to win?
*OK, they went to the World Series since we started writing this. You try to come up with a list of 50 legitimate things to hate about where you live!
34. Hell, Metroplex Sports Fans in General. They suck. They arrive late, leave early and spend the whole damned time on their cell phones. And have the audacity to insult Philadelphia fans. Let's look at that for a moment. Think of the famous "Santa Snowball" game. You know the story -- Santa came out at halftime of an Eagles game and was pelted with snowballs by the Veterans Stadium crowd. Can you picture it? Good. The stadium is full in that picture, isn't it? The Eagles were 2-10 that day -- and STILL sold out their stadium. Sure they boo the home team. If the home team sucks, they deserve it. But everyone of these fans paid money to support their team. So Dallas ain't got shit on Philly when it comes to loyalty.
35. Babymama. It's not been a pleasant 17 years. *Babymama 1 (and it's been 18 years now).
36. Downtown Misdirection. The main streets through downtown Dallas run East-West. That's weird to us. In most cities, the numbered streets and primary arteries run North-South. So it always feels like we're going North when we roll through to Fair Park, when in actuality, we're heading East. Or are we? According to the map, we are but since Dallas is skewed, we're really headed east-by-northeast. Ugh.
37. We Couldn't do A and B? Interstate 35 runs North-South from Duluth, Minnesota to Laredo, Texas, passing through the Metroplex. About 20 miles south of the D/FW area, it splits into two, with one fork going through Dallas and the other Ft. Worth, rejoining about 20 miles north of the area, in Denton, Texas. Since the interstate splits, they had to do something to differentiate between the two. I35A and I35B make the most sense to us. If they wanted to get a little more creative they could have gone with I35D and I35F. But no -- we have I35E and I35W. So you end up telling people, "you get on I35E North and exit...", when giving directions. Try working in a hotel, where you spend the whole day giving directions like that. And here's the kicker -- For about a three-mile stretch near downtown Dallas, you can be traveling North on I35E but be traveling geographically West. Lovely.
38. The Music Scene. Nonexistent. Sure, there are some talented individuals out there, just as anywhere else, but as whole, we're not impressed. Besides, with the Powers That Be killing Deep Ellum with not a bit of resistance from the city at large, it's clear music is not a priority in this town. Lisa Loeb, Erica Badu and Norah Jones are the town's claim to fame. Yawn.
40. Protestantized Catholicism. We have nothing against Protestants. At all. But if we wanted to be Protestants, we'd be Protestant. Dallas Catholics are very touchy-feely-protestanty. Nothing wrong with it, but we're not comfortable with it. The whole holding hands during the Lord's Prayer thing freaks us the hell out and it's just a very different worship experience here. We were born after Vatican II but were raised by nuns and priests who were pretty up there in age, so we received a very pre-Vatican II religious education. We miss our icons, incense and, well, privacy.
41. Where's the History? Los Angeles and San Francisco are both younger than Dallas -- and have earthquakes -- yet both have way more history on display than Dallas. Dallas tears down its buildings, buries its past and moves on. This is spun as it being a city that's always on the cutting edge. We think it just means the place was never very interesting to begin with.
42. He's Billy Fucking Joel! We actually had to sing a few bars before some people here knew who we were talking about. How is that possible? Seriously. It's not a matter of taste we're disparaging, but a fundamental lack of knowledge about things that everyone should just know.
43. You're All Going to Hell, but Not Me! We're in the bible belt, so Dallas comes with the full compliment of fundamentalist, judgemental bullshit commensurate with same. Sigh.
44. They Wouldn't Get It. Perfect example of the intellectual vapidity of this city is the downtown dog park. It's under Central Expressway. It's a dog park. Do they call it "Central Bark"? No. They call it Bark Park Central. Because people in Dallas are too fucking stupid to know what it is unless the word park is in the name. Heaven forbid they try pass something as complicated as a clever pun along to the citizenry. It would be like Scanners.
45. Garland and Everywhere Like It. The home city the of television show King of the Hill is modeled after the Dallas suburb of Garland. It is nicer in the cartoon. Much nicer. Donut of Decay factor in full effect here, as well as in Irving, Duncanville and De Soto -- Basically every suburb immediately connected to the city. Which is worse, urban blight or suburban abandonment? Give us a busy crack house over an empty Wal-Mart any day.
46. Let's Vote Again. A byproduct of the weak-mayor system of government, when paired with the ability for any jackass to put an initiative on a city ballot is -- nothing gets done, even when it does. As with any large city, getting a big project done requires a lot of moving parts falling into place at the right time. At least on the East Coast, this consists primarily of making sure the mob gets its cut of the contracts. Not here. No, her we vote on things -- big things. Once-in-a-generation things. And they pass. Then someone gets 500 signatures on a petition and we vote on it again. And it passes again. Until some asshole gets 500 votes on a petition. It has been ten years since voters in Dallas first approved the Trinity River Project, which will have a toll road, parks, lakes and trails. (under suspension bridges, but we already went there). Nothing has been done yet. Guess what -- we're voting on it again.
47. Living Under the Big Top. OK, so you want to live in the suburbs. A new suburb. So you want to cram as much home onto the smallest piece of land you can find. OK. Seems kind of stupid, but ok. But, being an egotistical asshole, you want it to look like you have more house than you do. How to achieve this? Wait -- I know! Put a ridiculously large roof that serves no purpose atop your home. Then be proud of your overpriced zip code.
48. Uptown. It's funny the effect the developers have had in Dallas. They completely renamed an entire section of the city -- overnight. I was reading a flyer for a complex in development a few years ago. It talked about the "prestigious Upton area of Dallas (old timers may know it by Oak Lawn)". I was 31 when I read that. And I still called it Oak Lawn. But you should see it now! People love the place. And are oh so willing to pay higher rents to say they live there, as opposed to, oh, I dunno...Oak Lawn. Typical Dallas.
49. Fundamental Misunderstandings. The lack of basic understanding of history continues to appal me. Jesus Christ was a Jew. When He died and, as we believe, was resurrected, his followers, who were the apostles, started a church. That church continues to this day. It is the Catholic church. Ergo --Catholics are Christians! How is that not something people just know? How is it that a Protestant could possibly be unaware of these basic facts? If you are a protestant -- you are protesting something! Us! Don't care if you agree with Catholicism -- just know your shit before opening your mouth. Because we are tired of explaining it to every fundamentalist jackass we come across in this city.
50. Texans. They are everywhere! And seriously -- we have no idea what they are so damned proud of.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
28 April 2011
21 April 2011
Focused on Tug McGraw
I was in my early forties
with a lot of life before me
when a moment came that stopped me on a dime...
So here we go again, eh? Well, we've been here, done this -- about seven years ago. We came out of it just fine then and we will do so again. So bring it, bitch!
We're off!
Item:
Thanks for all the kinds words regarding the last post. I am absolutely undeserving of all the wonderful people in my life. Thank you for being part of my journey.
~~~
Item:
We're a bit late posting these but her are our comprehensive NHL, NBA and MLB predictions. Each were formulated before any games were played.
NHL Playoffs, Round 1
East West
Washington over NYRangers Vancouver over Chicago
Boston over Montreal San Jose over Los Angeles
Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay Detroit over Phoenix
Philadelphia over Buffalo Anaheim over Nashville
Washington over Pittsburg Vancouver over Anaheim
Boston over Philadelphia Detroit over San Jose
Washington over Boston Detroit over Vancouver
Caps beat the Wings to take home the Cup.
~~~
NBA Playoffs, Round 1
East West
Chicago over Indiana San Antonio over Memphis
Philadelphia over Miami LALakers over New Orleans
Boston over New York Dallas over Portland
Orlando over Atlanta Denver over Oklahoma City
Chicago over Orlando Denver over San Antonio
Boston over Philadelphia Dallas over LALakers
Chicago over Boston Denver over Dallas
Bulls beat the Nuggets to win the championship.
~~~
MLB Playoff Predictions
National League American League
East: Philadelphia East: Boston
Central: Cincinnati Central: Detroit
West: Colorado West: Texas
Wild Card: Atlanta Wild Card: NYYankees
Philadelphia over Cincinnati Boston over Detroit
Colorado over Atlanta NYYankees over Texas
Philadelphia over Colorado Boston over NYYankees
Phillies over Red Sox in the World Series
~~~
Fare thee well, Sidney, we'll see you on the Other Side. Save us a Dog Day.
~~~
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Longtime readers know we have something called a Fodder file. This is where snippets of stories and fragments of ideas reside until either fully formulated, discarded or forgotten. We were cleaning it out while working on this post and found the start of another that was apparently interrupted by a night of drinking, never to be revisited.
Until now.
We've been navigating some rough waters lately and have been making a concerted effort to figure out the proverbial "meaning of life". What we found goes a pretty long way in answering our own question. We'll have to finish it some day:
So a lot of people have been doing the countdown to Thanksgiving thing on Facebook. Having done the 50 things I learned in my first 40 years countdown this summer, I figured people had had enough of my lists. Still, I do feel moved to give thanks for all the wonderful people, places and things in my life. So here goes:
I am thankful for the basics, health, employment, dwelling...I am thankful for my new apartment, it's convenience, appearance and the fresh start it represents...I am thankful to have a job that I honestly love going to...I am thankful for the music of Billy Joel...I am thankful for having grown up in the 4800 block of N. Lawrence Street in Philadelphia...I am thankful for memories of stickball and bicycling and melting down crayons to weigh down the bottle caps we played with...I am thankful for the sense of community on that street, a sense that has never been duplicated anywhere else I've lived...I'm thankful for Jimmy Campbell saving me from an ass-beating or nine...I'm thankful for Harry Heenan, the closest thing to a dog I ever had...I am thankful for Mrs. Incolingo's lasagna...I'm thankful for Fr. Peter J. Welsh, who helped us all through the loss of John Procopio...I'm thankful for the example of Shelby Procopio, who showed me how to just-keep-going, in the face of unthinkable sorrow...I'm thankful for Diane Chesna, my 6th grade teacher, who was the first one to teach me to question everything. 'If someone tells you a fact, question the source. If they tell you the source, check its veracity.'...I'm thankful for Sister Marion Rose -- ok, that's a damned lie. I am not in the least bit thankful for that evil bitch...I am thankful though for Jennifer Flynn, who turned out to be the kind of woman I am proud to have been my first kiss...I'm thankful for Mr. Quaid for being the Mr. Wilson to my Dennis...I'm thankful for the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies for providing the high point of my childhood...I'm thankful for Ace Plants, for throwing the only pitch I ever hit for a home run in a little league game...I'm thankful for Aunt Sue and Sunday afternoons watching football, drinking Pepsi and eating Lance peanut butter crackers...I'm thankful for Diana Collins being born, so Johnny and I could play in her kiddie pool and still look cool...I'm thankful for the Jersey shore...I'm thankful for Incarnation of Our Lord, for being the first church I knew, the place that laid my spiritual foundation...I'm thankful for Fr. Nelson and Fr. Himsworth and Fr. Lynch...I'm thankful for all my friends from Inky, for being a part of the best childhood I could have possibly had...I'm thankful for my brother Joseph, still the best roommate I've ever had -- and to his wife Amy for being so wonderful to him and giving me two great nephews...I am thankful for the late Dr. and Mrs. Bonanno, for their kindness to my daughter...I'm thankful for all the men who put their time and effort into the Northeast Optimist and Olney Midget Leagues. It is only now, as an adult, that I realize all they did...I am thankful for Crown of Pizza, still the best I ever had -- and to Noreen Campbell, for slipping me a free slice whenever I would go back to visit...I'm thankful for my dad, who was just an ordinary working guy, but who worked himself up from an assembly line worker to plant manager. For the things he taught me, the example he set and the memories I will always cherish. I love you, dad...I'm thankful for the people who were so supportive when he died: the nurses at Baptist Medical Center in Columbia, SC; his friends and coworkers, Frank Viscomi, the drunk undertaker and my uncle Jack...I'm thankful for LeGrande Carraway, who was my frined in Columbia before I had any...I'm thankful for Jake Culler, Robbie Johnson, Ivan Johnson, Darius Suber, Carlton English, Rock Goodale -- my running buddies...I'm thankful for Connie Britt not murdering me, although I was the ban e of her existence. I learned more in her classes than any others at Airport High school...I'm thankful for Jamie Whitfield -- a nice lady and a really good teacher...I'm thankful for Scott Newman, Al Johnson and Trey Wallace's dad -- who provided much-needed, although often-ignored fatherly advice. I draw from it often...I'm thankful for Jennie Tinsley for being my teenaged ideal of the perfect woman, and my sponsor for Homecoming my senior year. (I know it's been like 20 years, but if Mike blows it, I'm there!)...I'm thankful for my mother, for all she did and all she dealt with. I could never hope to make up for the things I put her through. But she still loves me...I'm thankful for scoring front-row tickets to see Billy Joel in 1987 and for the opportunity to have him dis my shirt in front of 17,000 people...I'm thankful for Moonlighting, the greatest series ever made...I'm thankful for the Culler's, my adopted family...I'm thankful for the South Carolina State Fair, without which I'd never have known the sheer extacy of the elephant ear...I'm thankful for the 1983 Ford Fairmont Futura being all but indestructible. Believe me, we tried...I'm thankful for a nameless, faceless woman in Myrtle Beach, SC for "making me a man" (romantic, I know)...I'm thankful for the opportunity to go away to college, live in a dorm, join a fraternity, flame out and come home with my tail between my legs (although the 1st Annual Lydia Wood Birthday Bash was off the chain)...I'm thankful for Sgt. Dambacker, my TI in basic training, for straightening me out...I'm thankful for having returned from the Gulf War alive and well...I'm thankful for having had the opportunity to swim in the Red Sea, to experience a culture unlike anything I had ever imagined...I'm thankful for Regina Sifuentes, for writing to me every day, for being the one I came home for...I'm thankful for the breakup that followed my return, for it led me to the mother of my child...I'm thankful for Patricia Cortez (nee Gonzalez, nee Bates), for giving me the greatest gift I will ever receive, my lovely Chelsea...I'm thankful for Bill Deramus giving me a job when I had a baby on the way and no insurance...I'm thankful for Denyse Dvoracek helping me through those first months of single fatherhood, and for the love she, Daniel, Debbie and Dee Anna continue to show me, to this day...I'm thankful for Sherri Burdette, and how incredible she was with Chelsea. I wish I had done better by her...I'm thankful for Pete Chervo not firing me after that thing with the waitress; for Karen Brown for teaching me how to be and how not to be, as a manager;
(I went to eat Thanksgiving dinner, then went to a bar. Then another. I am now way too intoxicated to go on. See you tomorrow)...
~~~
Quote of the Week: “God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist.
--St. Augustine
Happy Easter.
~~~
Internet Video of the Week:
Here.
~~~
Ridiculous Story That Actually Appeared in a Publication of the Week:
Here.
~~~
Idiot Criminal of the Week:
Joshua Lieberman, of Skowhegan, ME.
Leiberman, out on parole after serving a three-year prison sentence for robbing the Somerset Federal Credit Union, in Madison, violated the conditions of his parole by entering the Credit Union's Franklin branch -- to apply for a loan to pay the court-ordered restitution from the original robbery.
~~~
Recent iTunes Purchases:
Paul Simon -- So Beautiful or So What -- 2011 -- **** out of five.
--Take the quality of Rythm of the Saints, add in the African influences of Graceland, add in more spirituality than ever heard on a Simon record and you get this superb collection. Rerwrite, in particular, resonates with us at the moment, with its aim of revisionist history -- on one's own future.
R.E.M -- Collapse into Now -- 2011 -- **1/2
--We're on the fence. This is either an amazing album or formulatic pomposity. überlin is our favorite tune of the set, thus far.
The Decemberists -- The King is Dead -- 2011 -- ***
--Again, just incredible lyrics at play here ("It's well advised that you follow your own bag, in the year of the chewable Ambien tab"). The music could use a bit more variety but a solid effort nonetheless.
~~~
Parting shots:
Dow ends week at near-three-year high. Hmm, What is different than three years ago?...Four fun words to say: Barry Bonds, convicted felon...
And with that, we bid you adieu.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
25 March 2011
Focused on the Family, Vol. 3
Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say...
Today is the feast of the Annunciation of our Lord. The day the Blessed Mother found out she was pregnant with the Baby Jesus. I somehow thought writing this today would somehow make this easier.
It's been just over a year since you slipped out of our grasp. And to be honest, it is as hard for me today as it was the night you left us. My feelings of pain, anger, disappointment and melancholy are every bit as piercing as when I received that middle of the night call from mommy.
The world continues, of course. Right around the time you were to have been born, your sister had a baby. She named her Isabella and oh what a beautiful little girl she is. When I look at her I see God's love. I see His beauty. In each new little development I am amazed all over again at the miracle of life.
But I also think of you. And I'm left to wonder -- would he have had mommy's beautiful blue eyes and daddy's bald head? Would she have been a happy baby or a fussy one? Could we have come together to be the parents you deserved?
Those answers will never be known.
And the sadness that I am left with defies words.
After we lost you I threw myself into work and my family and anything that could distract me. I told myself that this was me accepting His will and getting on with my life. It has rewarded me professionally and -- partly because of you and partly because of what I saw in mommy and how she is with her family -- I was inspired to get closer to your aunts and uncles and Grandmom that I have been since I moved away. Even now you are still gracing my life. My precious, precious little angel.
Despite what I was telling myself though, the reality was that losing you was simply too painful for me to face. You can never avoid this kind of hurt, though. You just need to bear down and walk through it, trusting He will be there for you on the other end. I am learning that now. The last few months I have been inexplicably angry and restless. It has manifested itself at work, in my personal life -- everywhere. And I was in real danger of letting it derail me into a downward spiral.
But here you are again, gracing me. Inspiring me. I want to live my life in such a way that you would have been proud to call me Daddy. I want to be the man you deserved to have in your life. I may not be that man today but I know I am more that man than I was a year ago -- and that I will be even more so next year. And the next. And every day I have left in my life.
Mommy and I know you are better off never having to have endured the pain, disappointment and frustrations of this world. But the human side of us -- the selfish side -- misses you. The possibility of you.
And we just wish we could have met you one time.
You may never have entered our physical world but you will always be a part of everything we do.
Sleep well, my little baby.
Save me a kiss, a hug, a lifetime.
I love you.
Daddy
12 November 2010
Focused on Pete Rose
We're off!
Item:
What did we learn from the elections of 2010?
Not much. We learned that we're still a bipolar society that feels more comfortable when one party has the White House and the other Congress. We understand that national implications are at play in all elections but that doesn't mean we get it. When we vote for governor of Texas, we're really not "sending a message" to Washington; we're voting for who we think would make the best governor. Or senator. Or dog catcher.
Still, we realize a lot of people don't think that way and see that this year's elections indicate a questioning of President Obama's plan. If you ask us, the donkeys kind of blew a golden opportunity these last two years. As the party of overwhelming power, given the aforementioned bipolar tendancies, they had two years to make a good case for staying the course. This was an extraordinary opportunity that was wasted not by the particular decisions made but by the arrogance with which they were made. Had an olive branch been presented to the elephants, perhaps the dems would have woken up on Wednesday morning still in power.
As for the President, we don't think there's enough data to give him a definitive grade yet. We think we'll learn a lot about him in the next six months though.
We think it takes about two years for economic policies to show effect. So, while there's no way to explain away W's blame in the economic catastrophy we've gone through, by the same token some of the things he did on the way out the door are showing some positive effect now. So as we close the book on George, yes -- he screwed the economy. But he also took the first steps at fixing it.
Let's see what Obama does now, with a level legislative playing field.
~~~
Fare thee well, Sparky, we'll see you on the Other Side. Save us a Machine.
~~~
Item:
We get asked a lot if we're trapped in the '80's, due to the Vintage Album Review. We promise we're not! In fact, old '80's music only represents a small portion of the stuff we buy. But everyone else in the world is already reviewing the new stuff and they do it well. No need for us to go there. So, as we convert our original vynil collection to digital, we throw a review out there. But to give you an idea of what we're listening to, we're introducing a new feature, entitled This Week's iTunes Purchases. We'll throw out the name, artist, year and first impression of the albums we buy and occasionally some commentary. To give you an idea of what we've been up to, here are the last ten albums we've bought from the iTunes Store:
Keith Richards -- Vintage Vinos -- 2010 -- **1/2 out of five.
--About what we expected. Nothing earth shattering here, nothing terrible. A weird mid-album live set is thrown in that just kills the continuity of the collection though.
Scala & Kolancy Brothers -- Dawn (EP) -- 2010 ****
--We originally picked this up for the song Our Last Fightm featured on Sons of Anarchybut totally dig the choral versions of Creep and Smells Like Teen Spirit. This is good stuff.
Elvis Costello -- National Ransom -- 2010 -- **
--A train wreck. It's like he had a bunch of random -- and mediocre -- songs sitting around and slapped them together.
Huey Lewis and the News -- Soulsville -- 2010 -- ***
--The late 50's and early 60's soul sound isn't really our thing but this collection of covers is well-played and flawlessly produced. No new territory is covered here but that which is, is covered well.
Sufjan Stevens -- The Age of Adz -- 2010 -- **1/2
--We're still on the fence here. He's added some techno and synth to his sound and we like that but he's an acquired taste. We have to be in the modd for him and need repeated listens before we can judge.
Thelonious Monk -- Solo Monk -- 1965 -- ****
--Jazz at its finest. The only flaw is in the production, as some of the sound quiality is iffy.
Chicago -- 17 -- 1984 -- ****
--For future review. This tour was the first concert we ever went to. With the sister. Yeah, we know.
Bruce Springsteen -- Save My Love -- 2010 -- ****
--The first single from his forthcoming album, which we pre-purchased. The rest of the album comes out next Tuesday.
KT Tunstall -- Tiger Suit -- 2010 ****
--A very solid third effort. If you jusdge her by Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree, don't. That song sucked and her stuff is way better.
John Mellencamp -- No Better than This -- 2010 -- ****1/2
--Reorded on a 1953 tape recorder and one microphone with all accoustic instruments in abandonned hotels and garages around the country, this album is a love story to the roots of rock and roll -- you can actually hear the reel-to-reel inbetween some songs. This is the first album since James Brown's Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, in 1965. The only deviation from authenticity is in song length. Had he kept them all in the two - to two-and-a-half range, this album would be perfect.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
Item:
What did we learn from the elections of 2010?
Not much. We learned that we're still a bipolar society that feels more comfortable when one party has the White House and the other Congress. We understand that national implications are at play in all elections but that doesn't mean we get it. When we vote for governor of Texas, we're really not "sending a message" to Washington; we're voting for who we think would make the best governor. Or senator. Or dog catcher.
Still, we realize a lot of people don't think that way and see that this year's elections indicate a questioning of President Obama's plan. If you ask us, the donkeys kind of blew a golden opportunity these last two years. As the party of overwhelming power, given the aforementioned bipolar tendancies, they had two years to make a good case for staying the course. This was an extraordinary opportunity that was wasted not by the particular decisions made but by the arrogance with which they were made. Had an olive branch been presented to the elephants, perhaps the dems would have woken up on Wednesday morning still in power.
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As for the President, we don't think there's enough data to give him a definitive grade yet. We think we'll learn a lot about him in the next six months though.
We think it takes about two years for economic policies to show effect. So, while there's no way to explain away W's blame in the economic catastrophy we've gone through, by the same token some of the things he did on the way out the door are showing some positive effect now. So as we close the book on George, yes -- he screwed the economy. But he also took the first steps at fixing it.
Let's see what Obama does now, with a level legislative playing field.
~~~
Fare thee well, Sparky, we'll see you on the Other Side. Save us a Machine.
~~~
Item:
We get asked a lot if we're trapped in the '80's, due to the Vintage Album Review. We promise we're not! In fact, old '80's music only represents a small portion of the stuff we buy. But everyone else in the world is already reviewing the new stuff and they do it well. No need for us to go there. So, as we convert our original vynil collection to digital, we throw a review out there. But to give you an idea of what we're listening to, we're introducing a new feature, entitled This Week's iTunes Purchases. We'll throw out the name, artist, year and first impression of the albums we buy and occasionally some commentary. To give you an idea of what we've been up to, here are the last ten albums we've bought from the iTunes Store:
Keith Richards -- Vintage Vinos -- 2010 -- **1/2 out of five.
--About what we expected. Nothing earth shattering here, nothing terrible. A weird mid-album live set is thrown in that just kills the continuity of the collection though.
Scala & Kolancy Brothers -- Dawn (EP) -- 2010 ****
--We originally picked this up for the song Our Last Fightm featured on Sons of Anarchybut totally dig the choral versions of Creep and Smells Like Teen Spirit. This is good stuff.
Elvis Costello -- National Ransom -- 2010 -- **
--A train wreck. It's like he had a bunch of random -- and mediocre -- songs sitting around and slapped them together.
Huey Lewis and the News -- Soulsville -- 2010 -- ***
--The late 50's and early 60's soul sound isn't really our thing but this collection of covers is well-played and flawlessly produced. No new territory is covered here but that which is, is covered well.
Sufjan Stevens -- The Age of Adz -- 2010 -- **1/2
--We're still on the fence here. He's added some techno and synth to his sound and we like that but he's an acquired taste. We have to be in the modd for him and need repeated listens before we can judge.
Thelonious Monk -- Solo Monk -- 1965 -- ****
--Jazz at its finest. The only flaw is in the production, as some of the sound quiality is iffy.
Chicago -- 17 -- 1984 -- ****
--For future review. This tour was the first concert we ever went to. With the sister. Yeah, we know.
Bruce Springsteen -- Save My Love -- 2010 -- ****
--The first single from his forthcoming album, which we pre-purchased. The rest of the album comes out next Tuesday.
KT Tunstall -- Tiger Suit -- 2010 ****
--A very solid third effort. If you jusdge her by Big Black Horse and a Cherry Tree, don't. That song sucked and her stuff is way better.
John Mellencamp -- No Better than This -- 2010 -- ****1/2
--Reorded on a 1953 tape recorder and one microphone with all accoustic instruments in abandonned hotels and garages around the country, this album is a love story to the roots of rock and roll -- you can actually hear the reel-to-reel inbetween some songs. This is the first album since James Brown's Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, in 1965. The only deviation from authenticity is in song length. Had he kept them all in the two - to two-and-a-half range, this album would be perfect.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
15 October 2010
Focused on Dallas Greene
We're off!
Item:
When the baseball season started, we made our playoff predictions and were pretty close. In the National League we got Philly and Atlanta right, while missing on San Francisco and Cincinnati, picking L.A. and St. Louis instead. We fared much better in the American League, hitting on the Yankees, Twins and Rangers and missing only the Rays, having picked Boston.
When the Division Series came along, we hit on three out of the four. We were right with Philadelphia, San Francisco and Texas, while missing badly on Minnesota over the Yankees. Our predictions for the League Championship Series:
(4) New York Yankees vs (3) Texas Rangers
Starting Pitching:
Cliff Lee is just unreal. The man becomes superhuman when the playoffs start. CJ Wilson is a solid number two and Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter can hang with anything the Yankees throw out there. The Bombers have CC Sabathia and the legend of Andy Pettite. Hughes threw a decent game in the ALDS but Minnesota was in the midst of an epic choke, so we don't put much stock in that outing.
Edge: Rangers
Bullpen:
Who would you rather have: Kerry Wood, Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain or Darren O'Day, Darren Oliver and Dustin Nippert? Yeah, pretty much a wash, with O'Day tipping the scales in our eyes. But then you get to the closers. Mariano Rivera vs Neftali Feliz. In two years -- hell, may be one, this goes to Feliz. But not yet.
Edge: Even
Infield:
The Rangers have nothing at first and lose the matchup at second (Cano over Kinsler). Although we think his dropoff in numbers this season is overrated, we still give Elvis Andrus the nod over Derek Jeter at shortstop. A-Roid and Michael Young are a wash.
Edge: Yankees
Outfield:
Texas has the power, New York the OBP. Both have good defenders but Texas takes this one with their speed and youth. Barely.
Edge: Rangers
Designated Hitter:
Lance Berkman was a nice pick up and Marcus Thames had a very nice ALDS. But you know how we love our dealry departed Expos. How can we go against the last legitimate possible future Montreal Hall of Famer in Vladmir Guerrero?
Edge: Rangers
Bench:
A few months ago, with Thames against a group of scrubs, this would have been a slam dunk for the Yankees. But with the midseason acquisitions of Jeff Franceour and Jorje Cantu, the Rangers made it closer.
Edge: Even
Coaching:
Not even close. Joe Girardi did a great job with the lowest payroll in baseball while in Florida then won the World Series last year with the highest. Ron Washington should be given credit for overcoming personal issues and for the cohesiveness of his team. But he is a horrible x's and o's coach, whose enslavement to the lefty-lefty, righty-righty school of thought cost his team Game 3 of the ALDS and is the biggest thing that could lose this series for Texas.
Edge: Yankees
Fan Base:
Texas will have home field advantage but the Yankees have enough experience that it won't bother them. Can the young Rangers avoid being wowed by the Hallowed Grounds? There is no mystique to the Ballpark in Arlington, although most of their long-suffering fans have supported the team with 2Million + attendance numbers, win or lose.
Edge: Yankees
PREDICTION: Rangers in 6
(2) San Francisco Giants vs (1) Philadelphia Phillies
Starting Pitching:
Halladay, Hammels, Oswalt and Blanton vs Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Baumgartner. Yes, the Giants have a nice pitching staff. Yes, they have pitched the Phillies well. However, Halladay has two no hitters -- this season, Hammels and Blanton have a World Series ring and Oswalt has been a National League champion. Experience wins playoff games.
Edge: Phillies
Bullpen:
Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge have been lights out for the last six weeks. Durbin and Conteras have een solid. Romero is terrible and Baez ain't all that great, either. The Phillies have not had to use their bullpen much as of late. And that is a good thing. If their starters can throw 7, the Phils are good to go. Maybe 6. If the G-Men get to the 'pen earlier than that, it's not good for Philly. Brian Wilson is a superb closer and the San Francisco relievers did well against Atlanta in the NLDS.
Edge: Giants
Infield:
Howard over Huff, Utley over Sanchez and Rollins over Uribe are pretty easy to pick. Placido Polanco is banged up though, battling an elbow issue all season and now his back is having issues. Mike Fontenot had a solid NLDS and might sway things San Francisco's was at third though.
Edge: Phillies
Outfield:
Shane Victorino has taken the leadoff spot for the Phillies and run with it (no pun intended). Jason Werth is in a contract year and plays a great right field. Raul Ibañez may be 314 years old, but so is the Giants' Pat Burrell. So they even each other out. Andres Torres and Jose Guillen are nice players but are no equals to Victorino and Werth.
Edge: Phillies
Bench:
Wilson Valdez has been incredible off of the Philadelphia bench. He filled in Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco at different times this season and the team saw no drop off. Mike Sweeney delivered nicely after his midseason acquisition, though Ross Gload has been unimpressive. The Giants got nice production from Aaron Rowlan and Edgar Renteria though and have a nice blend of offense and defense.
Edge: Phillies
Coaching:
Charlie Manuel has a ring, Bruce Bochy does not. Both are good baseball men. Both have a good staff. Davey Lopes may be the key here.
Edge: Phillies
Fan Base:
We love our Philly peeps but San Francisco was loud during the NLDS. Both teams have wonderful stadiums and their fans provide a legitimate home field advantage.
Edge: Even
PREDICTION: Phillies in 5
And with that, we bid you adieu.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
Item:
When the baseball season started, we made our playoff predictions and were pretty close. In the National League we got Philly and Atlanta right, while missing on San Francisco and Cincinnati, picking L.A. and St. Louis instead. We fared much better in the American League, hitting on the Yankees, Twins and Rangers and missing only the Rays, having picked Boston.
When the Division Series came along, we hit on three out of the four. We were right with Philadelphia, San Francisco and Texas, while missing badly on Minnesota over the Yankees. Our predictions for the League Championship Series:
(4) New York Yankees vs (3) Texas Rangers
Starting Pitching:
Cliff Lee is just unreal. The man becomes superhuman when the playoffs start. CJ Wilson is a solid number two and Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter can hang with anything the Yankees throw out there. The Bombers have CC Sabathia and the legend of Andy Pettite. Hughes threw a decent game in the ALDS but Minnesota was in the midst of an epic choke, so we don't put much stock in that outing.
Edge: Rangers
Bullpen:
Who would you rather have: Kerry Wood, Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain or Darren O'Day, Darren Oliver and Dustin Nippert? Yeah, pretty much a wash, with O'Day tipping the scales in our eyes. But then you get to the closers. Mariano Rivera vs Neftali Feliz. In two years -- hell, may be one, this goes to Feliz. But not yet.
Edge: Even
Infield:
The Rangers have nothing at first and lose the matchup at second (Cano over Kinsler). Although we think his dropoff in numbers this season is overrated, we still give Elvis Andrus the nod over Derek Jeter at shortstop. A-Roid and Michael Young are a wash.
Edge: Yankees
Outfield:
Texas has the power, New York the OBP. Both have good defenders but Texas takes this one with their speed and youth. Barely.
Edge: Rangers
Designated Hitter:
Lance Berkman was a nice pick up and Marcus Thames had a very nice ALDS. But you know how we love our dealry departed Expos. How can we go against the last legitimate possible future Montreal Hall of Famer in Vladmir Guerrero?
Edge: Rangers
Bench:
A few months ago, with Thames against a group of scrubs, this would have been a slam dunk for the Yankees. But with the midseason acquisitions of Jeff Franceour and Jorje Cantu, the Rangers made it closer.
Edge: Even
Coaching:
Not even close. Joe Girardi did a great job with the lowest payroll in baseball while in Florida then won the World Series last year with the highest. Ron Washington should be given credit for overcoming personal issues and for the cohesiveness of his team. But he is a horrible x's and o's coach, whose enslavement to the lefty-lefty, righty-righty school of thought cost his team Game 3 of the ALDS and is the biggest thing that could lose this series for Texas.
Edge: Yankees
Fan Base:
Texas will have home field advantage but the Yankees have enough experience that it won't bother them. Can the young Rangers avoid being wowed by the Hallowed Grounds? There is no mystique to the Ballpark in Arlington, although most of their long-suffering fans have supported the team with 2Million + attendance numbers, win or lose.
Edge: Yankees
PREDICTION: Rangers in 6
(2) San Francisco Giants vs (1) Philadelphia Phillies
Starting Pitching:
Halladay, Hammels, Oswalt and Blanton vs Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Baumgartner. Yes, the Giants have a nice pitching staff. Yes, they have pitched the Phillies well. However, Halladay has two no hitters -- this season, Hammels and Blanton have a World Series ring and Oswalt has been a National League champion. Experience wins playoff games.
Edge: Phillies
Bullpen:
Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge have been lights out for the last six weeks. Durbin and Conteras have een solid. Romero is terrible and Baez ain't all that great, either. The Phillies have not had to use their bullpen much as of late. And that is a good thing. If their starters can throw 7, the Phils are good to go. Maybe 6. If the G-Men get to the 'pen earlier than that, it's not good for Philly. Brian Wilson is a superb closer and the San Francisco relievers did well against Atlanta in the NLDS.
Edge: Giants
Infield:
Howard over Huff, Utley over Sanchez and Rollins over Uribe are pretty easy to pick. Placido Polanco is banged up though, battling an elbow issue all season and now his back is having issues. Mike Fontenot had a solid NLDS and might sway things San Francisco's was at third though.
Edge: Phillies
Outfield:
Shane Victorino has taken the leadoff spot for the Phillies and run with it (no pun intended). Jason Werth is in a contract year and plays a great right field. Raul Ibañez may be 314 years old, but so is the Giants' Pat Burrell. So they even each other out. Andres Torres and Jose Guillen are nice players but are no equals to Victorino and Werth.
Edge: Phillies
Bench:
Wilson Valdez has been incredible off of the Philadelphia bench. He filled in Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco at different times this season and the team saw no drop off. Mike Sweeney delivered nicely after his midseason acquisition, though Ross Gload has been unimpressive. The Giants got nice production from Aaron Rowlan and Edgar Renteria though and have a nice blend of offense and defense.
Edge: Phillies
Coaching:
Charlie Manuel has a ring, Bruce Bochy does not. Both are good baseball men. Both have a good staff. Davey Lopes may be the key here.
Edge: Phillies
Fan Base:
We love our Philly peeps but San Francisco was loud during the NLDS. Both teams have wonderful stadiums and their fans provide a legitimate home field advantage.
Edge: Even
PREDICTION: Phillies in 5
And with that, we bid you adieu.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
08 October 2010
Focused on Don Larsen
We're off!
Item:
Editor's note: These were written before the series started.
It's playoff time in baseball and here's how we see the post season shaking out:
NATIONAL LEAGUE
(1) Philadelphia Phillies over (3) Cincinnati Reds in 4.
Way too much pitching and experience on the Phillies' side. Dusty Baker and the excitement of the first home playoff game in 15 years will be good for one win for the boys from the Queen City.
(2) San Francisco Giants over (4) Atlanta Braves in 4.
Giants are playing too good a brand of baseball to falter here. Bobby Cox'll get a win somewhere here but his team is limping and the "win one for the Gipper" vibe is not really there. Most of the youngsters on this team have only played for Bobby for a year or two.
Phillies over Giants in the NLCS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
(3) Texas Rangers over (1) Tampa Bay Rays in 5.
The Rangers are simply better. After Price, Tampa has nothing on the hill. Cliff Lee is superhuman in the post season. Tampa's fan base sucks and that will nullify the home field advantage in Game 5.
(2) Minnesota Twins over (4) New York Yankees in 5.
The Empire is vulnerable. We wouldn't bet actual money against them but for the purposes of this blog, we go Twins.
Twins over Rangers in the ALCS
WORLD SERIES
Phillies over Twins in 6
~~~
Item:
Here's some food for thought.
In 2006, the most-recent year data is available for, 25.8% of all female deaths in the United States were the result of a horrible, largely-preventable disease. Think about that -- over one in every 4 women who died succumbed to this, by far the leading killer of women.
Proper diet, regular checkups and education could eliminate the deaths exponentially. If detected early and treated properly, this killer is often stopped in its tracks.
This killer is, of course, heart disease.
Yes. Heart disease. Not breast cancer.
So as you wear your pink for the sixth "Breast Cancer Awareness Month" of 2010, realize that the women you love are far more likely to die from heart disease than breast cancer.
Too bad Komen has a better ad agency than the American Heart Association.
Then again, Don Draper always was a boob man.
~~~
Fare thee well, Tony, we'll see you on the Other Side. Save us a charriot.
~~~
Item:
In all playoff seasons, we like to make not only our predictions but also who our heart wants to win. And several things factor in, after we get past our beloved Phillies. There's style of play, organizational quality, deservedness of fan base and random likes and dislikes of a personal nature, as the heart is wont to play that way. So here's what we can live with in terms of World Series winners in 2k10, in order of palatability:
Phillies - Need we elaborate?
Rangers - We live here and our friends like them.
Twins - Solid organization that consistently does more with less. Great fan base.
Giants - Getting into the "meh" section but passionate fans and good pitching, even if he looks like him.
Reds - 15 years since a playoff berth and fans still passionate.
Rays - The worst fan base in professional sports. It's not even close.
Braves - The second-worst fan base in baseball and a division rival.
Yankees - Need we elaborate?
~~~
Quote of the Week: “Pretty good pickup." --Philadelphia Phillies' Ryan Howard, on pitcher Roy Halladay, after the latter had thrown the second no-hitter in MLB postseason history. Halladay was obtained in an offseason trade with Toronto.
~~~
Internet Video of the Week:
Here.
~~~
Ridiculous Story That Actually Appeared in a Publication of the Week:
Here.
~~~
Idiot Criminal of the Week: Julie Bailey of La Crosse, WI. Here's why.
~~~
Vintage Album Review of the Week:
Chicago
Stay the Night - (3:49)*
We Can Stop the Hurtin' - (4:11)
Hard Habit to Break - (4:44)*
Only You - (3:53)
Remember the Feeling - (4:28)
Along Comes a Woman - (4:14)*
You're the Inspiration - (3:49)*
Pleaase Hold On - (3:41)
Prima Donna - (4:33)
Once in a Lifetime - (4:11)
* - singles
The success of 1982's 16 was a blessing and a curse for Chicago. The album brought them out of the wilderness and back to the Billboard charts, but at the cost of their ensemble jazz roots. The album brought Bill Champlain into the group and started the band's association with David Foster. Both would have a profound effect on the follow up, 17.
With 17, Chicago completed the transformation from a nameless, faceless band with no real "leader" to Peter Cetera's band. A couple of factors were at play here. First and foremost, the adult contemporary leanings of new producer David Foster were a perfect match for Cetera. This is most strongly realized on the album -- and the band's -- biggest hit, You're the Inspiration, as classic a David Foster-produced song as any ever recorded. His and Cetera's signature sound was also prevalent on the Cetera/Champlain-penned Remember the Feeling. Not coincidentally, these are the very songs ardent, old-school Chicago fans detest.
But there is no arguing with result. This was the best-selling album Chicago ever released. The other reason Cetera became more the front man for the band was that entity that changed the game for everyone in the '80's -- MTV. With solid videos for all four singles, including one of the decade's best, in Along Comes a Woman, Cetera was locked and loaded as the face of Chicago. So of course, he promptly left the group after this album and tour.
The instrumentation on this album is excellent. The band maintains its tight professional, if not necesarilly impassioned sound and there are no miscues. Foster nailed the production and got precisely the sound he was aiming for. For good or bad, this is the definitive Cicago album for more fans than not.
Aside from the singles, we really liked Only You and Please Hold On, the latter of which was co-authored by Lionel Richie.
This was the first concert we ever went to. Loverboy opened for them. The set opened with Stay the Night and I went nuts. I was with my big sister. Oh, joy. But that's what this album is -- simple family fun. Nothing that will scare the kids but also nothing that was particularly groundbreaking either. That being said, this album has aged exceptionally well -- it is exactly what it was over two decades ago.
When we listened to this the other day, after many years, we found ourself singing along with most of the words, lost for a bit in our youth. It was a pleasant reminder.
Music: 3 (of 5)
Lyrics: 3 (of 5)
Authorship: 4 (of 4)
Production: 3 (of 3)
Packaging: 2 (of 2)
First Blush: 2 (of 2)
Aging: 3 (of 3)
Videos: 1 (of 1)
Total: 21 Stars: 4.2 (of 5)
~~~
Parting shots: If you walk into an NFL locker room wearing this, expect inapropriate comments. If you don't want to hear them, wear pants that fit you...The Patriots trade their best receiver mid-season, for a draft pick? There is more to this. Failed drug test, domestic dispute or negatives with Randy Moss and a nine year old boy will be surfacing. Soon...So Larry Wilcox is going to jail. Will Ponch be the arresting officer?...The NBA season and midterm elections are coming!!!!
And with that, we bid you adieu.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
Item:
Editor's note: These were written before the series started.
It's playoff time in baseball and here's how we see the post season shaking out:
NATIONAL LEAGUE
(1) Philadelphia Phillies over (3) Cincinnati Reds in 4.
Way too much pitching and experience on the Phillies' side. Dusty Baker and the excitement of the first home playoff game in 15 years will be good for one win for the boys from the Queen City.
(2) San Francisco Giants over (4) Atlanta Braves in 4.
Giants are playing too good a brand of baseball to falter here. Bobby Cox'll get a win somewhere here but his team is limping and the "win one for the Gipper" vibe is not really there. Most of the youngsters on this team have only played for Bobby for a year or two.
Phillies over Giants in the NLCS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
(3) Texas Rangers over (1) Tampa Bay Rays in 5.
The Rangers are simply better. After Price, Tampa has nothing on the hill. Cliff Lee is superhuman in the post season. Tampa's fan base sucks and that will nullify the home field advantage in Game 5.
(2) Minnesota Twins over (4) New York Yankees in 5.
The Empire is vulnerable. We wouldn't bet actual money against them but for the purposes of this blog, we go Twins.
Twins over Rangers in the ALCS
WORLD SERIES
Phillies over Twins in 6
~~~
Item:
Here's some food for thought.
In 2006, the most-recent year data is available for, 25.8% of all female deaths in the United States were the result of a horrible, largely-preventable disease. Think about that -- over one in every 4 women who died succumbed to this, by far the leading killer of women.
Proper diet, regular checkups and education could eliminate the deaths exponentially. If detected early and treated properly, this killer is often stopped in its tracks.
This killer is, of course, heart disease.
Yes. Heart disease. Not breast cancer.
So as you wear your pink for the sixth "Breast Cancer Awareness Month" of 2010, realize that the women you love are far more likely to die from heart disease than breast cancer.
Too bad Komen has a better ad agency than the American Heart Association.
Then again, Don Draper always was a boob man.
~~~
Fare thee well, Tony, we'll see you on the Other Side. Save us a charriot.
~~~
Item:
In all playoff seasons, we like to make not only our predictions but also who our heart wants to win. And several things factor in, after we get past our beloved Phillies. There's style of play, organizational quality, deservedness of fan base and random likes and dislikes of a personal nature, as the heart is wont to play that way. So here's what we can live with in terms of World Series winners in 2k10, in order of palatability:
Phillies - Need we elaborate?
Rangers - We live here and our friends like them.
Twins - Solid organization that consistently does more with less. Great fan base.
Giants - Getting into the "meh" section but passionate fans and good pitching, even if he looks like him.
Reds - 15 years since a playoff berth and fans still passionate.
Rays - The worst fan base in professional sports. It's not even close.
Braves - The second-worst fan base in baseball and a division rival.
Yankees - Need we elaborate?
~~~
Quote of the Week: “Pretty good pickup." --Philadelphia Phillies' Ryan Howard, on pitcher Roy Halladay, after the latter had thrown the second no-hitter in MLB postseason history. Halladay was obtained in an offseason trade with Toronto.
~~~
Internet Video of the Week:
Here.
~~~
Ridiculous Story That Actually Appeared in a Publication of the Week:
Here.
~~~
Idiot Criminal of the Week: Julie Bailey of La Crosse, WI. Here's why.
~~~
Vintage Album Review of the Week:
Chicago17
1984
We Can Stop the Hurtin' - (4:11)
Hard Habit to Break - (4:44)*
Only You - (3:53)
Remember the Feeling - (4:28)
Along Comes a Woman - (4:14)*
You're the Inspiration - (3:49)*
Pleaase Hold On - (3:41)
Prima Donna - (4:33)
Once in a Lifetime - (4:11)
* - singles
The success of 1982's 16 was a blessing and a curse for Chicago. The album brought them out of the wilderness and back to the Billboard charts, but at the cost of their ensemble jazz roots. The album brought Bill Champlain into the group and started the band's association with David Foster. Both would have a profound effect on the follow up, 17.
With 17, Chicago completed the transformation from a nameless, faceless band with no real "leader" to Peter Cetera's band. A couple of factors were at play here. First and foremost, the adult contemporary leanings of new producer David Foster were a perfect match for Cetera. This is most strongly realized on the album -- and the band's -- biggest hit, You're the Inspiration, as classic a David Foster-produced song as any ever recorded. His and Cetera's signature sound was also prevalent on the Cetera/Champlain-penned Remember the Feeling. Not coincidentally, these are the very songs ardent, old-school Chicago fans detest.
But there is no arguing with result. This was the best-selling album Chicago ever released. The other reason Cetera became more the front man for the band was that entity that changed the game for everyone in the '80's -- MTV. With solid videos for all four singles, including one of the decade's best, in Along Comes a Woman, Cetera was locked and loaded as the face of Chicago. So of course, he promptly left the group after this album and tour.
The instrumentation on this album is excellent. The band maintains its tight professional, if not necesarilly impassioned sound and there are no miscues. Foster nailed the production and got precisely the sound he was aiming for. For good or bad, this is the definitive Cicago album for more fans than not.
Aside from the singles, we really liked Only You and Please Hold On, the latter of which was co-authored by Lionel Richie.
This was the first concert we ever went to. Loverboy opened for them. The set opened with Stay the Night and I went nuts. I was with my big sister. Oh, joy. But that's what this album is -- simple family fun. Nothing that will scare the kids but also nothing that was particularly groundbreaking either. That being said, this album has aged exceptionally well -- it is exactly what it was over two decades ago.
When we listened to this the other day, after many years, we found ourself singing along with most of the words, lost for a bit in our youth. It was a pleasant reminder.
Music: 3 (of 5)
Lyrics: 3 (of 5)
Authorship: 4 (of 4)
Production: 3 (of 3)
Packaging: 2 (of 2)
First Blush: 2 (of 2)
Aging: 3 (of 3)
Videos: 1 (of 1)
Total: 21 Stars: 4.2 (of 5)
~~~
Parting shots: If you walk into an NFL locker room wearing this, expect inapropriate comments. If you don't want to hear them, wear pants that fit you...The Patriots trade their best receiver mid-season, for a draft pick? There is more to this. Failed drug test, domestic dispute or negatives with Randy Moss and a nine year old boy will be surfacing. Soon...So Larry Wilcox is going to jail. Will Ponch be the arresting officer?...The NBA season and midterm elections are coming!!!!
And with that, we bid you adieu.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
22 August 2010
Focused on Schoolhouse Rock
We're off!
Item:
Lou Piniella has always been one of our favorites. A guy who played better than his talents. A winner in almost every city he managed in. A great quote and an epic tantrum-thrower. He worked with both George Steinbrenner and Marge Schott. He played for Billy Martin. The stories the man could tell. Sweet Lou retired today, to tend to his ailing mother. Not many of us are afforded the opportunity to be in a position to just walk away from our job to pay attention to what matters. Not may who can actually do. Good luck, Lou. And our prayers for your mother.
~~~
Item:
Here's some food for thought.
Name the streets that surround the former site of the World Trade Center's twin towers. You can't? OK, name two of them. Still can't? Then why do you care if a mosque is built two blocks away?
If you cannot even name the streets, it's safe to assume you do not live in New York City. You have no traffic concerns due to the construction of the new Park 51 Islamic Center. Your city services won't be adversely affected by the loss of tax revenue from the location due to its exempt status. Your property values will remain unchanged and you won't interact in any way with the people who go there. So again we ask -- why do you care if the place is built?
Personally, we don't care one way or the other if a mosque is built in New York City. Nor do we care if something truly evil -- like a Wal-Mart -- is constructed. It doesn't affect us. It's none of our business.
Now, we do have a problem with religious persecution. And we are troubled by the staggering ignorance of our countrymen, most of whom, like us, live hundreds, even thousands, of miles from Ground Zero. And yet they rant on about the travesty of a mosque being built so close to the former WTC site. Why?
The most popular argument is that its proximity to the site of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 is an insult to the dead. Really? Well, if two blocks is inappropriate, how about six? Or ten. Or twelve. Should there be no mosques on Manhattan island? Or should the ban extend to the City limits? Where is the line? Where does it become discrimination?
Should we go back through all of our history and make sure we're not building something that will offend dead people? Christians have bombed abortion clinics. How far from those sites should we prohibit construction of their churches? Klansmen claim to be Christians as well. Do we forbid construction of Southern Baptist churches anywhere near a lynching or beating or rape or cross burning? Sorry Alabama -- no churches for you. Anywhere. Let's not even start to get into how limited construction options would be were we to take into consideration the offenses to Native Americans. Where does it end? The closing of synagogues in Germantown, TN?
It's not like pornography, where one can say, "I know it when I see it". The constitution is clear here. Muslims -- just like Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Wiccans, et al -- have an inalienable right to build their places of worship wherever they see fit. Preventing them from doing so would be illegal and even wanting to stop them is against everything this country stands for. You want the terrorists to win? Then blame everyone of the Muslim faith for the events of September 11th. Be the stupid, hateful, elitist bully they say we are. Become what we hate. Then -- the terrorists will have truly won.
~~~
Fare thee well, Bobby Thompson. We'll see you on the Other Side. Save us a shot.
~~~
Item:
This city of Philadelphia is closing five fire stations per day for one shift, on a rotating basis, in an effort to curb costs. The firefighters' union is screaming bloody murder, telling every media outlet they can get to that the policy is endangering lives and the city is now unsafe. On the surface, we see their point. It appears to be a reckless policy that cuts costs in one of the worst possible areas. That is, until one hears the proverbial rest of the story. Turns out the city has been closing five houses a day for years, with those firefighters going to training classes. In the event of a fire, the houses rotate coverage and there have been no fatalities as a result of the policy. It should be noted that the union did not oppose this initial policy. The only change that has actually been made now is that, instead of five crews going to training, two will do so. The other three houses will be dispersed throughout the city to cover vacations, off days and PTO days for other firefighters. So in reality, more firefighters will be working every day, providing more coverage, over more of the city. The only difference is that now they won't be getting overtime -- proving once again just how far past their usefulness unions have become. They would rather terrify an uninformed public in order to get a few more bucks for their members than support a policy that not only cuts costs but is actually making the city a safer place to live.
~~~
Quote of the Week:
“It's like a very good marriage. I found when push came to shove, I just did not want to leave.."
--Vin Scully, on his decision to return for a 62nd season in the Los Angeles Dodgers' broadcast booth.
~~~
Internet Video of the Week:
Here.
~~~
Ridiculous Story That Actually Appeared in a Publication of the Week:
"After surveying 374 waitresses, professor Michael Lynn, who teaches marketing and tourism at Cornell University, told the Cornell Daily Sun, that he had concluded that customers left larger tips to those with certain physical characteristics such as being slender, being blond or having big breasts."
Umm...ya think?
"Lynn...said...his study was important in helping potential waitresses gauge their 'prospects in the industry'."
~~~
Idiot Criminal of the Week:
Ethan Ayers, 18, was arrested in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in March after an alleged mugging. Police found him easily, as his transportation that night was a relative's van advertising in large lettering, "Big Earl's Gold Mine," a Des Moines strip club.
~~~
Vintage Album Review of the Week:
Paul Simon
Graceland
1986
The Boy in the Bubble - (4:00)*
Graceland - (4:51)*
I Know What I Know- (3:13)
Gumboots - (2:45)
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - (5:51)
You Can Call Me Al -(4:41)* (Can you believe this video cannot be found on the internet?!?!?)
Under African Skies - (3:37)
Homeless - (3:49)
Crazy Love, Vol II - (4:19)
That Was Your Mother - (2:52)
All Around the World or the Myth of the Fingerprints - (3:19)
* - singles
We came to music late in life, not buying our first album until the age of 13. We later realized that we had loved music all along, still knowing words to songs from our childhood, but the realization of that love was not until our early teens. Graceland was our second musical awakening. It exploded into our ears with wondrous sounds we'd never heard. Odd rhythms, strange instruments -- listening to this album opened our ears to an entirely new melodic world and led to the exploration of music we never would have thought to explore had we not heard it.
As much an artistic masterpiece as a political statement (although recorded mostly in South Africa and using predominantly local musicians, the apartheid government received nothing from the endeavor), Graceland is one of those albums that one simply must possess in order to have a definitive American collection.
In these songs are the African roots of zydeco, jazz and calypso. In their lyrics are the story of us all. Distinctly not Top 40 material, despite featuring one of the best videos of the decade and one of the absolutely most bad-ass bass riffs ever on You Can Call Me Al, the album explores the exotic without being gimmicky. It addresses social injustices without being preachy. It pays homage without being condescending. In short, it is as close to a perfect album as possible.
Listening to it almost 25 years later, it still broadens our horizons and takes us to a new place every time we press play.
Music: 5 (of 5)
Lyrics: 4 (of 5)
Authorship: 4 (of 4)*
Production: 3 (of 3)
Packaging: 2 (of 2)
First Blush: 2 (of 2)
Aging: 3 (of 3)
Videos: 1 (of 1)
Total: 24 Stars: 4.8 (of 5)
*Although Simon had a number of co writers on the project, we deduct no points because, had he written it alone, a good deal of the authenticity of the sound very well could have been lost.
~~~
Parting shots:
With the recent discovery of new remains, our prayers go out to the poor souls murdered at Duffy's Cut near Malvern, Pennsylvania in 1832. We come from Irish immigrants ourselves and hope light finally comes to bear on what really transpired all those years ago...Is Betty White not awesome?...We're glad to see Vin Scully's staying around for at least one more year...With the return of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, we're feeling pretty good about the Phillies' chances going into the home stretch...While writing this, we learned of the death of a former classmate, Lori Storck, 41, of Philadelphia. She leaves behind four kids and a husband, along with many, many friends. We wish her soul well on its journey and pray for her family.
And with that, we bid you adieu.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
Item:
Lou Piniella has always been one of our favorites. A guy who played better than his talents. A winner in almost every city he managed in. A great quote and an epic tantrum-thrower. He worked with both George Steinbrenner and Marge Schott. He played for Billy Martin. The stories the man could tell. Sweet Lou retired today, to tend to his ailing mother. Not many of us are afforded the opportunity to be in a position to just walk away from our job to pay attention to what matters. Not may who can actually do. Good luck, Lou. And our prayers for your mother.
~~~
Item:
Here's some food for thought.
Name the streets that surround the former site of the World Trade Center's twin towers. You can't? OK, name two of them. Still can't? Then why do you care if a mosque is built two blocks away?
If you cannot even name the streets, it's safe to assume you do not live in New York City. You have no traffic concerns due to the construction of the new Park 51 Islamic Center. Your city services won't be adversely affected by the loss of tax revenue from the location due to its exempt status. Your property values will remain unchanged and you won't interact in any way with the people who go there. So again we ask -- why do you care if the place is built?
Personally, we don't care one way or the other if a mosque is built in New York City. Nor do we care if something truly evil -- like a Wal-Mart -- is constructed. It doesn't affect us. It's none of our business.
Now, we do have a problem with religious persecution. And we are troubled by the staggering ignorance of our countrymen, most of whom, like us, live hundreds, even thousands, of miles from Ground Zero. And yet they rant on about the travesty of a mosque being built so close to the former WTC site. Why?
The most popular argument is that its proximity to the site of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 is an insult to the dead. Really? Well, if two blocks is inappropriate, how about six? Or ten. Or twelve. Should there be no mosques on Manhattan island? Or should the ban extend to the City limits? Where is the line? Where does it become discrimination?
Should we go back through all of our history and make sure we're not building something that will offend dead people? Christians have bombed abortion clinics. How far from those sites should we prohibit construction of their churches? Klansmen claim to be Christians as well. Do we forbid construction of Southern Baptist churches anywhere near a lynching or beating or rape or cross burning? Sorry Alabama -- no churches for you. Anywhere. Let's not even start to get into how limited construction options would be were we to take into consideration the offenses to Native Americans. Where does it end? The closing of synagogues in Germantown, TN?
It's not like pornography, where one can say, "I know it when I see it". The constitution is clear here. Muslims -- just like Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Wiccans, et al -- have an inalienable right to build their places of worship wherever they see fit. Preventing them from doing so would be illegal and even wanting to stop them is against everything this country stands for. You want the terrorists to win? Then blame everyone of the Muslim faith for the events of September 11th. Be the stupid, hateful, elitist bully they say we are. Become what we hate. Then -- the terrorists will have truly won.
~~~
Fare thee well, Bobby Thompson. We'll see you on the Other Side. Save us a shot.
~~~
Item:
This city of Philadelphia is closing five fire stations per day for one shift, on a rotating basis, in an effort to curb costs. The firefighters' union is screaming bloody murder, telling every media outlet they can get to that the policy is endangering lives and the city is now unsafe. On the surface, we see their point. It appears to be a reckless policy that cuts costs in one of the worst possible areas. That is, until one hears the proverbial rest of the story. Turns out the city has been closing five houses a day for years, with those firefighters going to training classes. In the event of a fire, the houses rotate coverage and there have been no fatalities as a result of the policy. It should be noted that the union did not oppose this initial policy. The only change that has actually been made now is that, instead of five crews going to training, two will do so. The other three houses will be dispersed throughout the city to cover vacations, off days and PTO days for other firefighters. So in reality, more firefighters will be working every day, providing more coverage, over more of the city. The only difference is that now they won't be getting overtime -- proving once again just how far past their usefulness unions have become. They would rather terrify an uninformed public in order to get a few more bucks for their members than support a policy that not only cuts costs but is actually making the city a safer place to live.
~~~
Quote of the Week:
“It's like a very good marriage. I found when push came to shove, I just did not want to leave.."
--Vin Scully, on his decision to return for a 62nd season in the Los Angeles Dodgers' broadcast booth.
~~~
Internet Video of the Week:
Here.
~~~
Ridiculous Story That Actually Appeared in a Publication of the Week:
"After surveying 374 waitresses, professor Michael Lynn, who teaches marketing and tourism at Cornell University, told the Cornell Daily Sun, that he had concluded that customers left larger tips to those with certain physical characteristics such as being slender, being blond or having big breasts."
Umm...ya think?
"Lynn...said...his study was important in helping potential waitresses gauge their 'prospects in the industry'."
~~~
Idiot Criminal of the Week:
Ethan Ayers, 18, was arrested in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in March after an alleged mugging. Police found him easily, as his transportation that night was a relative's van advertising in large lettering, "Big Earl's Gold Mine," a Des Moines strip club.
~~~
Vintage Album Review of the Week:
Graceland
1986
The Boy in the Bubble - (4:00)*
Graceland - (4:51)*
I Know What I Know- (3:13)
Gumboots - (2:45)
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - (5:51)
You Can Call Me Al -(4:41)* (Can you believe this video cannot be found on the internet?!?!?)
Under African Skies - (3:37)
Homeless - (3:49)
Crazy Love, Vol II - (4:19)
That Was Your Mother - (2:52)
All Around the World or the Myth of the Fingerprints - (3:19)
* - singles
We came to music late in life, not buying our first album until the age of 13. We later realized that we had loved music all along, still knowing words to songs from our childhood, but the realization of that love was not until our early teens. Graceland was our second musical awakening. It exploded into our ears with wondrous sounds we'd never heard. Odd rhythms, strange instruments -- listening to this album opened our ears to an entirely new melodic world and led to the exploration of music we never would have thought to explore had we not heard it.
As much an artistic masterpiece as a political statement (although recorded mostly in South Africa and using predominantly local musicians, the apartheid government received nothing from the endeavor), Graceland is one of those albums that one simply must possess in order to have a definitive American collection.
In these songs are the African roots of zydeco, jazz and calypso. In their lyrics are the story of us all. Distinctly not Top 40 material, despite featuring one of the best videos of the decade and one of the absolutely most bad-ass bass riffs ever on You Can Call Me Al, the album explores the exotic without being gimmicky. It addresses social injustices without being preachy. It pays homage without being condescending. In short, it is as close to a perfect album as possible.
Listening to it almost 25 years later, it still broadens our horizons and takes us to a new place every time we press play.
Music: 5 (of 5)
Lyrics: 4 (of 5)
Authorship: 4 (of 4)*
Production: 3 (of 3)
Packaging: 2 (of 2)
First Blush: 2 (of 2)
Aging: 3 (of 3)
Videos: 1 (of 1)
Total: 24 Stars: 4.8 (of 5)
*Although Simon had a number of co writers on the project, we deduct no points because, had he written it alone, a good deal of the authenticity of the sound very well could have been lost.
~~~
Parting shots:
With the recent discovery of new remains, our prayers go out to the poor souls murdered at Duffy's Cut near Malvern, Pennsylvania in 1832. We come from Irish immigrants ourselves and hope light finally comes to bear on what really transpired all those years ago...Is Betty White not awesome?...We're glad to see Vin Scully's staying around for at least one more year...With the return of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, we're feeling pretty good about the Phillies' chances going into the home stretch...While writing this, we learned of the death of a former classmate, Lori Storck, 41, of Philadelphia. She leaves behind four kids and a husband, along with many, many friends. We wish her soul well on its journey and pray for her family.
And with that, we bid you adieu.
Until next time,
Keep the Faith
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