For the second year in a row, the Cubs have landed their #1 offseason free-agent target. Last year they got Alfonso Soriano for a mere $136 million to play left field and bat leadoff. This year they toned down their spending by signing Kosuke Fukudome for $48 million to play right field. The money is flowing out of Wrigley and the fans continue to flow in, with the expectation that there will be a celebration in 2008, and not the 100-year anniversary party that some of you are thinking about.
* * *
Late last night, the Cubs decided not to offer Mark Prior arbitration, thereby making him a free agent. This was inevitable when Prior refused to sign an incentive-laden contract with a club option year for 2009. He did not have the same sense of loyalty that Kerry Wood had last year and again this year. Prior felt he didn't owe the Cubs anything in return for the almost $7M they had paid him over the last 2 years in exchange for pitching in 9 games and earning 1 victory.
It is possible that he could recover to his greatness of 2003 and make some team (likely SD Padres) very happy. But, I won't feel bad about losing him, not only because he has no loyalty, but because he is a pansy. He whined that he wasn't hurt multiple times but then wouldn't take the mound and eventually said he was hurt. He is an evil-twin mirror image of Kerry Wood. Prior wanted to be a great pitcher and recover from injury, but he wasn't willing to work through it like Kerry has just as often. I would much rather have a player like Kerry than Prior.
* * *
The Mitchell report was released today and implicated 86 individuals as users of performance enhancing drugs. Big names like Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada, David Justice, and Mo Vaughn were included in the report. But one name was conspicuously absent from the list of the guilty.
Sammy Sosa
His name is mentioned once in the report, as one of many players whose lawyers' were sent a questionnaire and never returned it. Of course, it is possible Sammy had a different source than many of the players identified today. But, if that is the case, the source has stayed loyal and silent, and none of Sammy's teammates have ever implicated him other than saying that his body got a lot bigger over a few years.
I am starting to think that Sammy's Hall of Fame application is looking a lot better with over 600 home runs and no direct link to performance enhancers.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Angry Young Man is Back
It took Billy Joel to rouse me out of the funk I have been in since the Cubs went down in 3 games to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
I attended the concert at the new Sprint Center in Kansas City with a friend of mine. Other than some tightly packed seats (gotta maximize revenues), the venue was nice and the sound was pretty good. The same can not be said about the food we had beforehand at a local bar. But I digress.
Billy was his normal awesome self. Dressed in his typical fare - blue jeans, a black tee shirt with a black sports jacket over it, and some black shoes. He hadn't put on any weight since last time I saw him, but his hair continues to thin. But as Billy quipped, "It's not about having less hair, it's about getting more head."
He played most of the hits, a few lesser-known tunes, a new song he wrote about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (I am not a fan of political commentary at concerts - I went there to be entertained, not lectured), and even threw in some piano-only Christmas songs. It was disappointing, but not surprising, how few people could sing along on the two religious Christmas songs he played. He started about 15 minutes late, but said he was waiting for the late arrivers because there was bad weather outside, and he played for almost exactly 2 hours.
I am pretty sure I will go see Billy every time he comes around. He puts on a great show. He still knows how to sing, has fun with the audience, and plays one-hell of a piano. Below is the playlist from the concert. The link for the first song is to a YouTube video of Billy opening a concert in April. There are other YouTube links that show the talent that goes into playing the first part of that song where he is banging the piano keys with tremendous speed. He gets extra points from me for using music from The Natural as a lead-in to his on-stage opening.
Angry Young Man
Jingle Bells - piano only
My Life
Everybody Loves You Now
The Entertainer
Vienna*
Allentown
Zanzibar
Hark The Herald Angels Sing - piano only
New York State Of Mind
Sleigh Ride - piano only
Root Beer Rag
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Keeping The Faith
Don't Ask Me Why
She's Always a Woman
River Of Dreams
Christmas In Fallujah
We Didn't Start The Fire
Big Shot
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
You May Be Right
-------------------------------
Encore:
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Only The Good Die Young
Angels We Have Heard On High - piano only
Piano Man
* - Billy gave the audience a choice of songs: 1) Summer Highland Falls, 2) She's Right On Time, and 3) Vienna. I didn't vote because I don't really know any of them, but Vienna was the only one I had heard of.
I attended the concert at the new Sprint Center in Kansas City with a friend of mine. Other than some tightly packed seats (gotta maximize revenues), the venue was nice and the sound was pretty good. The same can not be said about the food we had beforehand at a local bar. But I digress.
Billy was his normal awesome self. Dressed in his typical fare - blue jeans, a black tee shirt with a black sports jacket over it, and some black shoes. He hadn't put on any weight since last time I saw him, but his hair continues to thin. But as Billy quipped, "It's not about having less hair, it's about getting more head."
He played most of the hits, a few lesser-known tunes, a new song he wrote about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (I am not a fan of political commentary at concerts - I went there to be entertained, not lectured), and even threw in some piano-only Christmas songs. It was disappointing, but not surprising, how few people could sing along on the two religious Christmas songs he played. He started about 15 minutes late, but said he was waiting for the late arrivers because there was bad weather outside, and he played for almost exactly 2 hours.
I am pretty sure I will go see Billy every time he comes around. He puts on a great show. He still knows how to sing, has fun with the audience, and plays one-hell of a piano. Below is the playlist from the concert. The link for the first song is to a YouTube video of Billy opening a concert in April. There are other YouTube links that show the talent that goes into playing the first part of that song where he is banging the piano keys with tremendous speed. He gets extra points from me for using music from The Natural as a lead-in to his on-stage opening.
Angry Young Man
Jingle Bells - piano only
My Life
Everybody Loves You Now
The Entertainer
Vienna*
Allentown
Zanzibar
Hark The Herald Angels Sing - piano only
New York State Of Mind
Sleigh Ride - piano only
Root Beer Rag
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
Keeping The Faith
Don't Ask Me Why
She's Always a Woman
River Of Dreams
Christmas In Fallujah
We Didn't Start The Fire
Big Shot
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
You May Be Right
-------------------------------
Encore:
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Only The Good Die Young
Angels We Have Heard On High - piano only
Piano Man
* - Billy gave the audience a choice of songs: 1) Summer Highland Falls, 2) She's Right On Time, and 3) Vienna. I didn't vote because I don't really know any of them, but Vienna was the only one I had heard of.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Wait till.... (you know the rest)
Baseball season is over. At least for us loyalist Cubs fans that could care less who wins the WS now that we are out of the running. Of course, we are also happy to see that the Cardinals and Yankees also won't be winning it this year.
I don't feel like going through all the gory details of the Cubs series against the Diamondbacks. It can be summed up in two numbers. 2 and 23. The first number is the number of hits the Cubs had with runners in scoring position. The second number is the number of times the Cubs had a chance to get a hit with runners in scoring position. That is a success rate of 8.7%, or rather a failure rate of 91.3%. You don't win series with a stat like that.
So, even though I won't watch another game this year, here are the only interesting stories I can come up with for the remaining playoff teams.
If the Indians win the AL, this World Series will have the worst television ratings since.....well, since the television was invented. It doesn't even matter who wins the NL, not a lot of interest in either Arizona or Colorado teams.
The only thing I am rooting for is to have the Rockies sweep every series they are in. They already have gone 17-1 over their last 18 games. If they can sweep the Diamondbacks and sweep the World Series, they will have finished the season 25-1, going 14-1 in their last 2 weeks of the regular season just to make it into the playoffs. That would be pretty cool.
* * *
I always like a good baseball movie. Field of Dreams, The Natural, Bull Durham are a few of the all-time greats. This weekend is the premiere of The Final Season. Based on the lack of hype I am hearing about this, it probably won't challenge those others in commercial success. But, I will definitely go see it as soon as possible (might be tough with a new baby in the house) because it is a story told about a team from the county where I grew up in Iowa.
The state folded the Norway high school into my high school (Benton Community) in the fall of 1991 (beginning of my junior year). This movie is the story of the summer of 1991 and the last season of baseball for the Norway high school, a team that had won 19 state titles before that year.
I am a little concerned that my school will come off looking like the villains. My concern was obviously shared by the current administrators that would not allow the name Benton Community to be used in the film. But, I obviously had nothing to do with the consolidation, so I don't care too much if Benton looks bad.
I will say that the Benton baseball team got much better in 1992 when the Norway boys joined our group. We didn't win state, but we at least got closer. I was relegated to the bench so that our school's quarterback could take my rightful place in right field. Maybe I should blame the Norway boys for that because if they hadn't been there, the QB may have played the infield, which was dominated by the Norway players.
Anyway, I encourage people to see it. Two of my Norway baseball buddies, Tim Arp and Jim Schulte, are portrayed in the movie, at 3B and 2B respectively. They may have been better ballplayers than me, but I could dominate them when it came to throwing the APBA dice.
I don't feel like going through all the gory details of the Cubs series against the Diamondbacks. It can be summed up in two numbers. 2 and 23. The first number is the number of hits the Cubs had with runners in scoring position. The second number is the number of times the Cubs had a chance to get a hit with runners in scoring position. That is a success rate of 8.7%, or rather a failure rate of 91.3%. You don't win series with a stat like that.
So, even though I won't watch another game this year, here are the only interesting stories I can come up with for the remaining playoff teams.
If the Indians win the AL, this World Series will have the worst television ratings since.....well, since the television was invented. It doesn't even matter who wins the NL, not a lot of interest in either Arizona or Colorado teams.
The only thing I am rooting for is to have the Rockies sweep every series they are in. They already have gone 17-1 over their last 18 games. If they can sweep the Diamondbacks and sweep the World Series, they will have finished the season 25-1, going 14-1 in their last 2 weeks of the regular season just to make it into the playoffs. That would be pretty cool.
* * *
I always like a good baseball movie. Field of Dreams, The Natural, Bull Durham are a few of the all-time greats. This weekend is the premiere of The Final Season. Based on the lack of hype I am hearing about this, it probably won't challenge those others in commercial success. But, I will definitely go see it as soon as possible (might be tough with a new baby in the house) because it is a story told about a team from the county where I grew up in Iowa.
The state folded the Norway high school into my high school (Benton Community) in the fall of 1991 (beginning of my junior year). This movie is the story of the summer of 1991 and the last season of baseball for the Norway high school, a team that had won 19 state titles before that year.
I am a little concerned that my school will come off looking like the villains. My concern was obviously shared by the current administrators that would not allow the name Benton Community to be used in the film. But, I obviously had nothing to do with the consolidation, so I don't care too much if Benton looks bad.
I will say that the Benton baseball team got much better in 1992 when the Norway boys joined our group. We didn't win state, but we at least got closer. I was relegated to the bench so that our school's quarterback could take my rightful place in right field. Maybe I should blame the Norway boys for that because if they hadn't been there, the QB may have played the infield, which was dominated by the Norway players.
Anyway, I encourage people to see it. Two of my Norway baseball buddies, Tim Arp and Jim Schulte, are portrayed in the movie, at 3B and 2B respectively. They may have been better ballplayers than me, but I could dominate them when it came to throwing the APBA dice.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Expect 3 More Games
The Cubs lost Game 2 of the best-of-5 series against the Arizona Diamondbacks last night by a score of 8-4. (I won't dissect the game like I did yesterday - the problem was we gave up 8 runs, simple as that). That puts them in an 0-2 hole as the series heads to Chicago for the next 2 games. As a Cubs fan, I went into the playoffs hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst (heartbreak is easier to handle if you are prepared for that possibility). But getting swept is not the "worst" that I had in mind.
I fully expect the series to go 5 games, and here is why. The Cubs getting swept out of the playoffs is not painful enough. It's not like being up 2-0 in a best of 5 and losing the next 3 (1984) or being up 3-1 in a best of seven and again losing the next 3 (2003). If the Cubs were going to disappoint their fans, they would certainly do it in a much more painful way.
They tried to collapse at the end of the season - knowing that if they lost a 3 1/2 game lead in the last week, that would certainly invoke some pain. But once they saw the Brewers weren't going to hold up their end of the bargain, they decided they might as well just win a couple. Now that they are in the playoffs, they can't just go 3 and out.
So, expect them to pull out victories in both games over the weekend in Chicago, thereby ratcheting up the pain factor on a loss in game 5. But, if they do win games 3 and 4, I would actually expect them to win again in game 5 as the young Diamondbacks could start feeling the pressure of an elimination game and would have just endured a loss by their ace pitcher in game 4. Besides, the Cubs know that a game 5 loss in the first round would not be nearly as painful as a game 7 loss in the next round, with the World Series in sight.
Cubs fans - be prepared.
I fully expect the series to go 5 games, and here is why. The Cubs getting swept out of the playoffs is not painful enough. It's not like being up 2-0 in a best of 5 and losing the next 3 (1984) or being up 3-1 in a best of seven and again losing the next 3 (2003). If the Cubs were going to disappoint their fans, they would certainly do it in a much more painful way.
They tried to collapse at the end of the season - knowing that if they lost a 3 1/2 game lead in the last week, that would certainly invoke some pain. But once they saw the Brewers weren't going to hold up their end of the bargain, they decided they might as well just win a couple. Now that they are in the playoffs, they can't just go 3 and out.
So, expect them to pull out victories in both games over the weekend in Chicago, thereby ratcheting up the pain factor on a loss in game 5. But, if they do win games 3 and 4, I would actually expect them to win again in game 5 as the young Diamondbacks could start feeling the pressure of an elimination game and would have just endured a loss by their ace pitcher in game 4. Besides, the Cubs know that a game 5 loss in the first round would not be nearly as painful as a game 7 loss in the next round, with the World Series in sight.
Cubs fans - be prepared.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Thursday Morning Manager
The Cubs dropped game 1 of the NL Divisional Series last night 3-1. I will blame the loss on a lack of clutch hitting (Cubs were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and twice had the leadoff hitter on second base with nobody out and neither time did he even get to third). The Diamondbacks were 0-for-4 with RISP, but did get a sacrifice fly and two solo home runs. That is the real reason we lost.
Now let me share why people will say we lost. Most media people will say Piniella pulled Zambrano too early, choosing to take him out after 6 innings and 85 pitches with the game tied at 1 and the Diamondbacks having only one person reach 2nd base since the first inning (and that was the solo homer in the 4th).
But, I will argue that Piniella did not take Zambrano out soon enough. He let the pitcher bat with the bases loaded and 2 out after the Cubs had tied the game in the top of the 6th inning. Granted, Zambrano had doubled his first time up and hit a hard line drive to shortstop his second time up, but I would much rather have Daryle Ward and his .327 average at the plate with a chance to drive in some big runs that leave it up to the pitcher.
I mean, if he had the faith in the bullpen to pull Zambrano after 6 innings and 85 pitches, why not have that same faith after 5 innings? To me, the big mistake was not using a pinch hitter, and I will agree with everyone else that once that mistake was made, it was compounded by pulling Zambrano after only 1/2 more inning. He was dominating the D-Backs.
Piniella pulled Zambrano because he is planning on using him on Sunday for Game 4 after only 3 days rest (a risk in and of itself). But, a Chicago Tribune writer put it best today when he said in the playoffs the rules are 1) Win the game that's in front of you, and 2) There is no rule #2.
Ted Lilly vs. Doug Davis tonight - a battle of lefties. Cubs need to get this one or it could be a very short postseason.
Now let me share why people will say we lost. Most media people will say Piniella pulled Zambrano too early, choosing to take him out after 6 innings and 85 pitches with the game tied at 1 and the Diamondbacks having only one person reach 2nd base since the first inning (and that was the solo homer in the 4th).
But, I will argue that Piniella did not take Zambrano out soon enough. He let the pitcher bat with the bases loaded and 2 out after the Cubs had tied the game in the top of the 6th inning. Granted, Zambrano had doubled his first time up and hit a hard line drive to shortstop his second time up, but I would much rather have Daryle Ward and his .327 average at the plate with a chance to drive in some big runs that leave it up to the pitcher.
I mean, if he had the faith in the bullpen to pull Zambrano after 6 innings and 85 pitches, why not have that same faith after 5 innings? To me, the big mistake was not using a pinch hitter, and I will agree with everyone else that once that mistake was made, it was compounded by pulling Zambrano after only 1/2 more inning. He was dominating the D-Backs.
Piniella pulled Zambrano because he is planning on using him on Sunday for Game 4 after only 3 days rest (a risk in and of itself). But, a Chicago Tribune writer put it best today when he said in the playoffs the rules are 1) Win the game that's in front of you, and 2) There is no rule #2.
Ted Lilly vs. Doug Davis tonight - a battle of lefties. Cubs need to get this one or it could be a very short postseason.
Friday, September 28, 2007
CUBS WIN - CUBS WIN - HOLY COW!!
Although it took longer than I had hoped, the Cubs wrapped up the National League Central Division tonight with a win over the Reds, coupled with Greg Maddux notching his 347th career win in a game against the Brewers. Now the Cubs only need 11 more wins to erase 99 years of bad memories. Go get 'em!
* * *
Quote of the week - from Cubs fan Bill Murray when talking about following the Cubs in their quest to clinch the Division Title: "I've never been to Cincinnati, and I was trying to keep that record intact."
* * *
Quote of the week - from Cubs fan Bill Murray when talking about following the Cubs in their quest to clinch the Division Title: "I've never been to Cincinnati, and I was trying to keep that record intact."
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Cubs Winning! -- Barry's Ball to Visit Space Station?
The Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds last night with an impressive 3-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning. Of course, they still left 11 runners on base, something that will have to be fixed if they want to start winning consistently.
I get the feeling that the NL Central race is going to come down to the last day. Especially if teams like the Astros keep rolling over for the Brewers. The Astros removed Woody Williams and Roy Oswalt from their projected starts against the Brewers this week and replaced them with two rookies with ERAs over 6.0. The Reds are out of the race too, but the Cubs will face their #1 and #2 starters twice over the next two weeks.
* * *
The person who bought Barry Bonds' 756th home run ball is letting the public decide what to do with it. He has set up a website to allow fans to vote on the treatment of the ball. The options are 1) send it to Cooperstown, 2) brand it with an asterisk and then send it to Cooperstown, or 3) put it in a rocket and fire it off into space. Although I thought #3 was interesting - out of sight, out of mind - I ultimately felt like that was the easy way out - just ignore the issue.
I decided to vote for #2 - mark it with an asterisk. As much as I hate to admit it, Bonds was probably the best player of my generation to this point (A-Rod, Pujols, or some other younger guys could surpass him). He has won 7 MVPs (he won 3 in the early 90s, before he was "enhanced") - the last person to win even 3 MVPs was Mike Schmidt. I have no doubt in my mind that he used drugs to keep himself in shape to play baseball at this level well into his 40s. So, even though he was a great player and would have been a HOFer even ignoring everything since 2000, I still feel he deserves an asterisk on his record-breaking ball because I really doubt he would have been able to reach that number if he wasn't using drugs to elevate his physical condition.
I doubt I would put an asterisk in the record books next to his stats, because he technically never broke any rules that baseball had in place. But, marking the record-breaking ball at least recognizes the fact that he didn't get that record in the proper way.
I get the feeling that the NL Central race is going to come down to the last day. Especially if teams like the Astros keep rolling over for the Brewers. The Astros removed Woody Williams and Roy Oswalt from their projected starts against the Brewers this week and replaced them with two rookies with ERAs over 6.0. The Reds are out of the race too, but the Cubs will face their #1 and #2 starters twice over the next two weeks.
* * *
The person who bought Barry Bonds' 756th home run ball is letting the public decide what to do with it. He has set up a website to allow fans to vote on the treatment of the ball. The options are 1) send it to Cooperstown, 2) brand it with an asterisk and then send it to Cooperstown, or 3) put it in a rocket and fire it off into space. Although I thought #3 was interesting - out of sight, out of mind - I ultimately felt like that was the easy way out - just ignore the issue.
I decided to vote for #2 - mark it with an asterisk. As much as I hate to admit it, Bonds was probably the best player of my generation to this point (A-Rod, Pujols, or some other younger guys could surpass him). He has won 7 MVPs (he won 3 in the early 90s, before he was "enhanced") - the last person to win even 3 MVPs was Mike Schmidt. I have no doubt in my mind that he used drugs to keep himself in shape to play baseball at this level well into his 40s. So, even though he was a great player and would have been a HOFer even ignoring everything since 2000, I still feel he deserves an asterisk on his record-breaking ball because I really doubt he would have been able to reach that number if he wasn't using drugs to elevate his physical condition.
I doubt I would put an asterisk in the record books next to his stats, because he technically never broke any rules that baseball had in place. But, marking the record-breaking ball at least recognizes the fact that he didn't get that record in the proper way.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
New Addition
That is not "New Edition" - although readers of the blog might think I would write about them since they are a musical group from the 80's and I have professed my love for that genre of music.
No, the spelling on the title is correct. The "New Addition" is a baby girl named Carrie Joanne that entered the world at 9:09am on Thursday, August 30th.
Mommy and baby are doing well and are actually getting some sleep (in 2-3 hour increments).
As I did with the birth of my first daughter, I cried in the delivery room. The emotion was a mix of joy from seeing my child fresh out of the womb and feelings of pride and relief for my wife.
The first birth was completed after 3 days of being tipped with her feet above her head in a hospital bed while the doctors administered steroids to help speed the lung development of the baby that was going to come out 3 months before it was supposed to. That was a mentally grueling 3 days for me and I could only imagine what it must have been like for Amy.
This time, the delivery was scheduled, but no one expected it to happen so fast (less than an hour from start to finish), so Amy had to go through the full-sized delivery without any drugs.
I have no idea what that would actually feel like.... and I'm glad. I prefer my tears to be for joyful reason, not painful ones.
No, the spelling on the title is correct. The "New Addition" is a baby girl named Carrie Joanne that entered the world at 9:09am on Thursday, August 30th.
Mommy and baby are doing well and are actually getting some sleep (in 2-3 hour increments).
As I did with the birth of my first daughter, I cried in the delivery room. The emotion was a mix of joy from seeing my child fresh out of the womb and feelings of pride and relief for my wife.
The first birth was completed after 3 days of being tipped with her feet above her head in a hospital bed while the doctors administered steroids to help speed the lung development of the baby that was going to come out 3 months before it was supposed to. That was a mentally grueling 3 days for me and I could only imagine what it must have been like for Amy.
This time, the delivery was scheduled, but no one expected it to happen so fast (less than an hour from start to finish), so Amy had to go through the full-sized delivery without any drugs.
I have no idea what that would actually feel like.... and I'm glad. I prefer my tears to be for joyful reason, not painful ones.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Kickin' off my Sunday shoes.
Last night, Amy and I attended the Kenny Loggins concert at the VooDoo Lounge inside Harrah's casino in North KC. It is a small venue with 800-1000 seats and a fairly small stage. Our seats were along the rail in the balcony directly to the left of the stage. Although this was probably not the best location acoustically (right next to speakers), it was a great place to watch the singer in action with his band.
Kenny played all the good stuff and only the title track from his new album. From the open of the show (Whenever I Call You Friend), it was apparent that Kenny still had the voice I knew from his CDs. This was a relief after my experience at the Gordon Lightfoot concert that I blogged about here.
Although it was a short show (about 1:45), it was one of the best I have been to. Kenny kept it interesting by describing how he came up with songs, his writing partners, and stories from the road. He playfully responded to the audience members who felt the need to shout something. And he went down into the crowd for part of what is probably my favorite Kenny Loggins song.
Celebrate Me Home is my favorite because it showcases an artist who knows his voice is an instrument and knows how to use it. My favorite version of this song, by far, is the live version off his Outside from the Redwoods album. That version is similar to the one in the link in that there is a long musical interlude in the middle, but the Redwoods version involves a saxophone, a harmonica, and Kenny's voice riffing off each other. One instrument would play something, and then in turn the other two would repeat it, and then someone else would take the lead. This 4 minutes of singing and instrumental dueling is absolutely fantastic and can lift my spirit to a higher level anytime I hear it. Although I will say it is much better to just listen to than it is to watch in the video I linked - Kenny looked a little weird back then.
I don't remember which was first, but my first two memories of this song are riding in my friend Aaron Moeller's car on our way from Iowa to St. Louis to visit his brother (I'm not sure I can still call him a friend after this recent post on his brothers blog). We put in the Redwoods CD on the way and when this song came on, Aaron let me borrow his harmonica that he had in the car and try to play along (it was fun, but probably didn't sound too good). The other memory, and probably where I really fell in love with the power of the song was in Greg & Theresa Pink's house (friends of the family when I was in high school). They had a nice stereo system that I used to listen to the CD with the volume turned way up and in a much higher quality than I was getting out of my boom box at home.
I discovered the song's ability to lift my spirit a few years ago when I was stuck in a job that had more stress than I ever really wanted. The best way I found to relax and relieve stress was to put on some headphones late at night and just lose myself in the music. Well, the Redwoods version of Celebrate Me Home became a staple of those headphone sessions. There are other artists and songs where the vocals are so pure and powerful that they have the same affect on me, but this will always be my "go-to" song when I need to get away from life for a few minutes.
Kenny ended the concert last night with two encores, the first was a trio of rock tunes - Your Mama Don't Dance, Danger Zone (from Top Gun), and Footloose. The final encore was a lovely song titled Forever. It was a final reminder that Kenny's instrument is till in tune, even as he approaches his 60th birthday.
Kenny played all the good stuff and only the title track from his new album. From the open of the show (Whenever I Call You Friend), it was apparent that Kenny still had the voice I knew from his CDs. This was a relief after my experience at the Gordon Lightfoot concert that I blogged about here.
Although it was a short show (about 1:45), it was one of the best I have been to. Kenny kept it interesting by describing how he came up with songs, his writing partners, and stories from the road. He playfully responded to the audience members who felt the need to shout something. And he went down into the crowd for part of what is probably my favorite Kenny Loggins song.
Celebrate Me Home is my favorite because it showcases an artist who knows his voice is an instrument and knows how to use it. My favorite version of this song, by far, is the live version off his Outside from the Redwoods album. That version is similar to the one in the link in that there is a long musical interlude in the middle, but the Redwoods version involves a saxophone, a harmonica, and Kenny's voice riffing off each other. One instrument would play something, and then in turn the other two would repeat it, and then someone else would take the lead. This 4 minutes of singing and instrumental dueling is absolutely fantastic and can lift my spirit to a higher level anytime I hear it. Although I will say it is much better to just listen to than it is to watch in the video I linked - Kenny looked a little weird back then.
I don't remember which was first, but my first two memories of this song are riding in my friend Aaron Moeller's car on our way from Iowa to St. Louis to visit his brother (I'm not sure I can still call him a friend after this recent post on his brothers blog). We put in the Redwoods CD on the way and when this song came on, Aaron let me borrow his harmonica that he had in the car and try to play along (it was fun, but probably didn't sound too good). The other memory, and probably where I really fell in love with the power of the song was in Greg & Theresa Pink's house (friends of the family when I was in high school). They had a nice stereo system that I used to listen to the CD with the volume turned way up and in a much higher quality than I was getting out of my boom box at home.
I discovered the song's ability to lift my spirit a few years ago when I was stuck in a job that had more stress than I ever really wanted. The best way I found to relax and relieve stress was to put on some headphones late at night and just lose myself in the music. Well, the Redwoods version of Celebrate Me Home became a staple of those headphone sessions. There are other artists and songs where the vocals are so pure and powerful that they have the same affect on me, but this will always be my "go-to" song when I need to get away from life for a few minutes.
Kenny ended the concert last night with two encores, the first was a trio of rock tunes - Your Mama Don't Dance, Danger Zone (from Top Gun), and Footloose. The final encore was a lovely song titled Forever. It was a final reminder that Kenny's instrument is till in tune, even as he approaches his 60th birthday.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Simpson's Movie Review
I was one of the millions of people in attendance Friday night for the opening night of the new Simpson's Movie. I first started watching the Simpsons in college, and have been hooked ever since. They have become the longest running sitcom in television history. By 2009, when they hit 20 years, they will be the longest-running scripted show in prime-time history (passing Gunsmoke).
As for the movie - if you like the show, you will like the movie. It was hard to see the movie as anything more than a really long episode of the Simpsons. Which of course makes me wonder if Homer is correct when in the opening scene of the movie he calls everyone in the theater a sucker for paying to see what they can get for free at home.
Maybe it was just the big screen, or maybe it was the extra millions spent on the movie vs. a TV show, but the animation did seem more vivid. The use of shadow was more noticeable, there was more detail in wide shots (I say shots like there is a camera involved), and they did some "special angle" animation - like the shot from inside Homer's mouth of him chewing a hamburger.
As for the plot - even the producers admit it is hard to come up with new ideas after over 400 episodes. In fact, the movie has a plot somewhat similar to an episode from season 9 of the show (1997-1998). In the TV episode, Homer becomes sanitation commissioner and gets the town of Springfield so polluted with other people's trash that they have to move the entire town 5 miles down the road. In the movie, Homer through his normal stupidity and in a quest to quickly get some free donuts, pollutes Lake Springfield to the point where Springfield is declared the most polluted town in America and the government must decide how to remedy the situation (President Schwarzenegger chooses between 5 unthinkable options).
The movie took a few liberties that the television show can not. A little more graphic violence, (an on-screen suicide), a little more adult language (put the word God in front of the word damn), and a nude scene. But those extra liberties didn't enhance the ability of the writers to tell a story and in fact seemed like they were put in just because they could be.
At the movie I attended, the audience was asked to complete a pull-tab form for a movie-rating service. The form asked for my age group and gender. I said I was seeing the movie for the plot/story, rather than because of any actors, or because of the genre of the movie. I said I would rent the VHS/DVD (although I know Blockbuster no longer carries VHS) and I also said I would by the VHS/DVD (although I do not own a VCR).
However, when asked the all-important question of rating the movie, I gave it a "B". Not because I didn't think it was great and not because I wouldn't see it again (remember, I will buy the DVD) but because it was really nothing more than a long episode of the TV show. Maybe that is a testament to the greatness of the TV show rather than a knock against the movie. But, for my expectations, the movie needed to be a lot more original in order to garner an "A" rating.
Maybe Homer's right - I'm just a sucker.
As for the movie - if you like the show, you will like the movie. It was hard to see the movie as anything more than a really long episode of the Simpsons. Which of course makes me wonder if Homer is correct when in the opening scene of the movie he calls everyone in the theater a sucker for paying to see what they can get for free at home.
Maybe it was just the big screen, or maybe it was the extra millions spent on the movie vs. a TV show, but the animation did seem more vivid. The use of shadow was more noticeable, there was more detail in wide shots (I say shots like there is a camera involved), and they did some "special angle" animation - like the shot from inside Homer's mouth of him chewing a hamburger.
As for the plot - even the producers admit it is hard to come up with new ideas after over 400 episodes. In fact, the movie has a plot somewhat similar to an episode from season 9 of the show (1997-1998). In the TV episode, Homer becomes sanitation commissioner and gets the town of Springfield so polluted with other people's trash that they have to move the entire town 5 miles down the road. In the movie, Homer through his normal stupidity and in a quest to quickly get some free donuts, pollutes Lake Springfield to the point where Springfield is declared the most polluted town in America and the government must decide how to remedy the situation (President Schwarzenegger chooses between 5 unthinkable options).
The movie took a few liberties that the television show can not. A little more graphic violence, (an on-screen suicide), a little more adult language (put the word God in front of the word damn), and a nude scene. But those extra liberties didn't enhance the ability of the writers to tell a story and in fact seemed like they were put in just because they could be.
At the movie I attended, the audience was asked to complete a pull-tab form for a movie-rating service. The form asked for my age group and gender. I said I was seeing the movie for the plot/story, rather than because of any actors, or because of the genre of the movie. I said I would rent the VHS/DVD (although I know Blockbuster no longer carries VHS) and I also said I would by the VHS/DVD (although I do not own a VCR).
However, when asked the all-important question of rating the movie, I gave it a "B". Not because I didn't think it was great and not because I wouldn't see it again (remember, I will buy the DVD) but because it was really nothing more than a long episode of the TV show. Maybe that is a testament to the greatness of the TV show rather than a knock against the movie. But, for my expectations, the movie needed to be a lot more original in order to garner an "A" rating.
Maybe Homer's right - I'm just a sucker.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Good Feelings
I sometimes wonder if anyone else gets feelings of pride / joy / gratefulness / tranquility from the most basic moments in life. For example, I was driving from a relatives house in Des Moines to my home in KC a few weeks ago. And, for no particular reason, I just had this tremendous feeling of joy to be living in the US in this day and age.
There I was, driving a couple hundred miles in a few hours, on my way back from going to see a minor league baseball game the night before where my favorite player growing up was managing. It just struck me how lucky I am to have that ability. To travel long distances in a short amount of time just for entertainment, or to visit family, or just to get away from home for a while. I saw hundreds of other people doing the same thing. And it just gave me this feeling of total satisfaction with my life.
I know it probably sounds funny to a lot of people. But, I actually get joy out of the simplest things in life like being able to travel when and where you want. It makes me pause for a moment and consider how lucky I am to be in a country where those freedoms are available, to have a job that allows me to afford those things, and to have a family to share those times with. It always makes me utter the words, even if it's only in my head, "Thank you God!"
As a parent, I am almost always proud of the things my daughter does. A lot of times I am proud because the things she does makes me look like a good parent (even though most of the credit should go to my wife). Every parent wants their kid to be the smartest, fastest, best looking kid in the group, because we get just a little bit of enjoyment in knowing there are other parents that envy our child.
But, one of the happiest moments of my parenthood came this week when my daughter dunked her whole head under the water by herself after a swimming lesson. I know this is an almost meaningless accomplishment, but we had been trying to convince her that she could do it for quite a while. As a parent, trying to eliminate the fear a child feels is one of the hardest things because we usually can not relate to the fear. I haven't been afraid of going underwater in so long, I didn't know what there was to be afraid of. So, it was hard for me to convince her there was nothing to fear. It was a fear she had to overcome herself and the moment she did, she dunked her head another 15 times in a row just because she wasn't afraid and it made me happy. Those are the moments I treasure.
Now, if we could just convince her not to cry anytime scary sounds / music come on during a movie. I mean really, who gets freaked out from Sleeping Beauty?
There I was, driving a couple hundred miles in a few hours, on my way back from going to see a minor league baseball game the night before where my favorite player growing up was managing. It just struck me how lucky I am to have that ability. To travel long distances in a short amount of time just for entertainment, or to visit family, or just to get away from home for a while. I saw hundreds of other people doing the same thing. And it just gave me this feeling of total satisfaction with my life.
I know it probably sounds funny to a lot of people. But, I actually get joy out of the simplest things in life like being able to travel when and where you want. It makes me pause for a moment and consider how lucky I am to be in a country where those freedoms are available, to have a job that allows me to afford those things, and to have a family to share those times with. It always makes me utter the words, even if it's only in my head, "Thank you God!"
* * *
As a parent, I am almost always proud of the things my daughter does. A lot of times I am proud because the things she does makes me look like a good parent (even though most of the credit should go to my wife). Every parent wants their kid to be the smartest, fastest, best looking kid in the group, because we get just a little bit of enjoyment in knowing there are other parents that envy our child.
But, one of the happiest moments of my parenthood came this week when my daughter dunked her whole head under the water by herself after a swimming lesson. I know this is an almost meaningless accomplishment, but we had been trying to convince her that she could do it for quite a while. As a parent, trying to eliminate the fear a child feels is one of the hardest things because we usually can not relate to the fear. I haven't been afraid of going underwater in so long, I didn't know what there was to be afraid of. So, it was hard for me to convince her there was nothing to fear. It was a fear she had to overcome herself and the moment she did, she dunked her head another 15 times in a row just because she wasn't afraid and it made me happy. Those are the moments I treasure.
Now, if we could just convince her not to cry anytime scary sounds / music come on during a movie. I mean really, who gets freaked out from Sleeping Beauty?
Friday, July 13, 2007
Smoking a Cuban
The rumors became official today as Mark Cuban announced he has sent in an application to buy the Cubs. This was the news many Cubs fans had been waiting for. Dreams of Cuban shelling out a continual steam of money in order to make the Cubs perennial contenders. I would say people are dreaming of him making them World Champions, but that may happen before any new owner takes over.
I would also like to see Cuban get the Cubs. Cuban already owns HDNet, one of the more successful HD-only broadcasters. And I would love to be able to see the Cubs in HD every game. Plus, as a fellow Indiana University alum, maybe he could get me a front-office job. I have read the book Moneyball and I think Cuban takes a similar philosophy when he makes moves with his NBA team the Dallas Mavericks. The basic premise is that players are investments and their stats are like financial statements that tell whether they are an improving player or if they have peaked. But, that's a different topic.
The point is, no matter how much dreaming we want to do (and to be a Cubs fan you must be a good dreamer) there is no way Bud Selig and the owners - White Sox / Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf especially - are going to let Cuban buy an MLB team. Cuban gets on the nerves of the NBA owners (Reinsdorf included) and certainly does not fit into the mold of the "good old boys" club that is MLB.
The only negative I can see with Cuban is that if he were to buy the Cubs, he may become more of a story than the Cubs themselves. The one good thing about most MLB owners is that they are silent. Cuban would be a lot more like Steinbrenner. I can't argue with Stenbrenner's results - the Yankees are perennial contenders - but nobody likes them and nobody likes him.
Again, Cuban would still be my choice for the next owner. But, that choice is easy because I know who he is and what he does. I know very little about most of the other people who have been rumored to be interested. And that is exactly why Selig will pick one of them, because he wants somebody who knows how to keep their mouth shut. Transparency has never been a strong suit of the commissioner or the owners.
I would also like to see Cuban get the Cubs. Cuban already owns HDNet, one of the more successful HD-only broadcasters. And I would love to be able to see the Cubs in HD every game. Plus, as a fellow Indiana University alum, maybe he could get me a front-office job. I have read the book Moneyball and I think Cuban takes a similar philosophy when he makes moves with his NBA team the Dallas Mavericks. The basic premise is that players are investments and their stats are like financial statements that tell whether they are an improving player or if they have peaked. But, that's a different topic.
The point is, no matter how much dreaming we want to do (and to be a Cubs fan you must be a good dreamer) there is no way Bud Selig and the owners - White Sox / Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf especially - are going to let Cuban buy an MLB team. Cuban gets on the nerves of the NBA owners (Reinsdorf included) and certainly does not fit into the mold of the "good old boys" club that is MLB.
The only negative I can see with Cuban is that if he were to buy the Cubs, he may become more of a story than the Cubs themselves. The one good thing about most MLB owners is that they are silent. Cuban would be a lot more like Steinbrenner. I can't argue with Stenbrenner's results - the Yankees are perennial contenders - but nobody likes them and nobody likes him.
Again, Cuban would still be my choice for the next owner. But, that choice is easy because I know who he is and what he does. I know very little about most of the other people who have been rumored to be interested. And that is exactly why Selig will pick one of them, because he wants somebody who knows how to keep their mouth shut. Transparency has never been a strong suit of the commissioner or the owners.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Cat crisis
Our family cat Ernie (named after Mr. Cub - Ernie Banks) apparently followed someone out the door unnoticed yesterday and ran away from home. He is an indoor cat, but likes to go outside whenever he is fast enough to get by us so he can sniff around and eat some grass. But, with no front claws he is obviously not equipped to handle life on the outside.
Ernie is 6 years old this month (which based on my estimate of 6 cat years to 1 human year based on life expectancies of each would be like turning 36 for one of us). Now, 36 seems to be a little early for a mid-life crisis (I don't feel like I'm 4 years away from flipping out and buying a Corvette convertible - no matter how much my brother might want me to). And really, what can drive a cat to a mid-life crisis. Does he not feel like he is successful enough, or maybe he is upset that he didn't get enough "tail" when he was younger (again, an indoor cat that was the victim of a never ending Bob Barker quest to eliminate the world of unplanned breeding in the animal species).
Whatever drove him to this act of lunacy was apparently short-lived. My wife found him this morning in the window well of our basement window. He was scared, tired, and his paws were a little sore from gallivanting around the town all night, but he will recover. I am still amazed that a cat that has never been more than 50 feet away from the house in his life can still have the skills to find his way home after wandering into uncharted territory. Especially after rainstorms yesterday afternoon would have washed away any scent he left behind as he walked away.
All's well that ends well.
Ernie is 6 years old this month (which based on my estimate of 6 cat years to 1 human year based on life expectancies of each would be like turning 36 for one of us). Now, 36 seems to be a little early for a mid-life crisis (I don't feel like I'm 4 years away from flipping out and buying a Corvette convertible - no matter how much my brother might want me to). And really, what can drive a cat to a mid-life crisis. Does he not feel like he is successful enough, or maybe he is upset that he didn't get enough "tail" when he was younger (again, an indoor cat that was the victim of a never ending Bob Barker quest to eliminate the world of unplanned breeding in the animal species).
Whatever drove him to this act of lunacy was apparently short-lived. My wife found him this morning in the window well of our basement window. He was scared, tired, and his paws were a little sore from gallivanting around the town all night, but he will recover. I am still amazed that a cat that has never been more than 50 feet away from the house in his life can still have the skills to find his way home after wandering into uncharted territory. Especially after rainstorms yesterday afternoon would have washed away any scent he left behind as he walked away.
All's well that ends well.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Parade of mediocrity
Yesterday, I attended my town's 4th of July parade with my wife and daughter. I was excited to go as our town is one of the few in the KC area that still has a parade on the 4th. I was also excited because I hadn't been to a parade probably since my high school homecoming parade. And to be honest, I was excited about getting candy.
But, parades aren't what they used to be. The total lack of floats was probably the most disappointing thing. In this parade where over 100 vehicles drove past us, I believe there were only 2 that could be called floats. One float was for some sort of serenity retreat and consisted of 3 yellow flowers with Oriental women rising up out of them in meditation. The other float was for some dance studio and featured participants performing Oriental dances. Apparently Asians are the only ones who can make floats anymore.
The other big disappointment was that people no longer threw candy from their floats/vehicles. Instead, there were people walking along the sidelines handing out the candy to the youngsters. Apparently this is common now as too many kids nationwide were being killed by running under vehicles in search of thrown candy. I guess I can understand the safety factor, but that was half the excitement of a parade when I was a kid was the race against other kids to pick up the candy.
Oh well - it was still better than nothing and my daughter enjoyed seeing all the old cars, firetrucks, and of course the Shriners.
This weekend I am taking my daughter to Cedar Rapids, Iowa - near my old stomping grounds - to see a minor league game between the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the Peoria Chiefs. The reason we are going is because Ryne Sandberg - my favorite player growing up and I still believe the best 2nd baseman of all time - is the new manager of the Chiefs this year. We have front row seats right behind the Chiefs dugout. This hopefully will be my second time shaking Ryno's hand as I once met him on a dinner cruise along Lake Michigan that the Cubs used to put on annually. The seats for the Kernel's game are considerably less than the seats on the dinner cruise were. Hopefully the memory will be just as priceless when he says hello to my daughter.
But, parades aren't what they used to be. The total lack of floats was probably the most disappointing thing. In this parade where over 100 vehicles drove past us, I believe there were only 2 that could be called floats. One float was for some sort of serenity retreat and consisted of 3 yellow flowers with Oriental women rising up out of them in meditation. The other float was for some dance studio and featured participants performing Oriental dances. Apparently Asians are the only ones who can make floats anymore.
The other big disappointment was that people no longer threw candy from their floats/vehicles. Instead, there were people walking along the sidelines handing out the candy to the youngsters. Apparently this is common now as too many kids nationwide were being killed by running under vehicles in search of thrown candy. I guess I can understand the safety factor, but that was half the excitement of a parade when I was a kid was the race against other kids to pick up the candy.
Oh well - it was still better than nothing and my daughter enjoyed seeing all the old cars, firetrucks, and of course the Shriners.
* * *
This weekend I am taking my daughter to Cedar Rapids, Iowa - near my old stomping grounds - to see a minor league game between the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the Peoria Chiefs. The reason we are going is because Ryne Sandberg - my favorite player growing up and I still believe the best 2nd baseman of all time - is the new manager of the Chiefs this year. We have front row seats right behind the Chiefs dugout. This hopefully will be my second time shaking Ryno's hand as I once met him on a dinner cruise along Lake Michigan that the Cubs used to put on annually. The seats for the Kernel's game are considerably less than the seats on the dinner cruise were. Hopefully the memory will be just as priceless when he says hello to my daughter.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Gord's Golden voice has lost its luster.
Last night I attended the Gordon Lightfoot concert here in Kansas City. I won the tickets through a radio station contest and had a few of Gord's songs in my collection, so I thought it would be a decent concert to see - especially for free. I was wrong.
It's not that I hated the concert. I enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to stand up, clap along, or sing with the crowd. I especially enjoyed that my ears weren't ringing when I left the theatre (and we were only 5 rows away from the speakers on the stage). But it was apparent from the first song that the 68 year-old Lightfoot should have hung up the touring boots a long time ago.
Anytime a song called for a high note or even a forceful inflection in the voice, Gordon got that look on his face that you get when you are sitting on the toilet trying to relieve yourself of some constipation. Singing shouldn't be that hard.
I have 5 of Lightfoot's songs on my iPod and those were the only 5 I knew at the concert last night. (I'm still not sure there is a better story-telling song than Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald) I was hoping to hear some new songs that I would want to add to my collection, and I think I did. But they will be added only because they sound infinitely better in their original recording than they did last night.
I don't know if Gord is out there touring because he squandered the money he made in his heyday and has no choice or if he just loves being on the road and singing. Only if it's the former do I feel sorry for him, but in either case, I feel sorry for his audience.
It's not that I hated the concert. I enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to stand up, clap along, or sing with the crowd. I especially enjoyed that my ears weren't ringing when I left the theatre (and we were only 5 rows away from the speakers on the stage). But it was apparent from the first song that the 68 year-old Lightfoot should have hung up the touring boots a long time ago.
Anytime a song called for a high note or even a forceful inflection in the voice, Gordon got that look on his face that you get when you are sitting on the toilet trying to relieve yourself of some constipation. Singing shouldn't be that hard.
I have 5 of Lightfoot's songs on my iPod and those were the only 5 I knew at the concert last night. (I'm still not sure there is a better story-telling song than Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald) I was hoping to hear some new songs that I would want to add to my collection, and I think I did. But they will be added only because they sound infinitely better in their original recording than they did last night.
I don't know if Gord is out there touring because he squandered the money he made in his heyday and has no choice or if he just loves being on the road and singing. Only if it's the former do I feel sorry for him, but in either case, I feel sorry for his audience.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The 1st Entry
Well, here I am - in the blogosphere. It doesn't seem that special to me. But, I'll see if it grows on me.
I suppose the first thing I should do is explain why I am here. I think it is a simple matter of envy. You see, one of my best friends has a blog (feel free to visit it here). And I guess I liked the idea of being able to talk about whatever you want, whenever you want, to nobody in particular.
Basically, I got tired of only reading what he wanted to talk about and having to limit my blog participation to comments on his posts. So, I have decided to level the playing field, and balance the blog universe.
You see, Chris is a Cardinals fan and I am a Cubs fan. I am a Republican and Chris is something else - I'm not sure he knows exactly what he is. I work in the investment world, so I tend to side with big business, while he is for the little man. I am married with child(soon to be children) and he is enjoying the simplicities of the single life. Yes, he is the Yin to my Yang.
The desire to actually start my own blog came on a whim. I'm not sure what I was doing, but the idea struck me and I have decided to follow through. I don't know if this whim will be the "passing fancy" type like when I decided to learn how to play the piano (twice have had that whim and neither time did it last more than a week). Or maybe it will be one of those addictive whims like when I decided to try golf my senior year of high school just because I didn't want to go through all those long track & field practices. Time will tell.
As the title intimates, the blog will focus on baseball (and probably a lot about the Cubs), politics (but probably only a limited amount - I am not that into politics), and business. I will also venture into entertainment (TV, movies, music, hot celebrity gossip), family life (houses, children, school), and whatever else I decide to talk about. After all, that is why I am doing this - so I can talk about whatever I want, whenever I want, to nobody in particular.
So blogosphere - Here I Am!
I suppose the first thing I should do is explain why I am here. I think it is a simple matter of envy. You see, one of my best friends has a blog (feel free to visit it here). And I guess I liked the idea of being able to talk about whatever you want, whenever you want, to nobody in particular.
Basically, I got tired of only reading what he wanted to talk about and having to limit my blog participation to comments on his posts. So, I have decided to level the playing field, and balance the blog universe.
You see, Chris is a Cardinals fan and I am a Cubs fan. I am a Republican and Chris is something else - I'm not sure he knows exactly what he is. I work in the investment world, so I tend to side with big business, while he is for the little man. I am married with child(soon to be children) and he is enjoying the simplicities of the single life. Yes, he is the Yin to my Yang.
The desire to actually start my own blog came on a whim. I'm not sure what I was doing, but the idea struck me and I have decided to follow through. I don't know if this whim will be the "passing fancy" type like when I decided to learn how to play the piano (twice have had that whim and neither time did it last more than a week). Or maybe it will be one of those addictive whims like when I decided to try golf my senior year of high school just because I didn't want to go through all those long track & field practices. Time will tell.
As the title intimates, the blog will focus on baseball (and probably a lot about the Cubs), politics (but probably only a limited amount - I am not that into politics), and business. I will also venture into entertainment (TV, movies, music, hot celebrity gossip), family life (houses, children, school), and whatever else I decide to talk about. After all, that is why I am doing this - so I can talk about whatever I want, whenever I want, to nobody in particular.
So blogosphere - Here I Am!
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