For Christmas, my wonderful girlfriend gave me an unexpected but wonderful gift.
Another woman.
Okay, that's what we in the blogging biz call an attention grabbing opener but it isn't ENTIRELY.
untrue, just mostly false.
She introduced me to Alexa, which is the name Amazon has bestowed upon the woman who
gives voice to something called Echo Dot 2, an addicting gadget that is the latest in interactive
digital technology.
The Echo Dot 2 is a little round electronic bundle of joy you can place anywhere in your
home . By calling it by name (it is christened "Alexa" but you can change it) you can get constant
news, weather and sports updates and so much more than that. Alexa will bless you when you
sneeze, she will play your favorite song on request, remind you of birthdays, play trivia games
with you, wake you up and even pray with you! And if you'd like, she will tell you what birds
have been spotted in your area today and what plane is flying overhead at present. She's got skills.
And skills are the most interesting part of Alexa. There is a menu of skills you can add to
make her do what interests you most. She will deciminate all sorts of facts and information and she
will also sing to you and tell you jokes. They aren't the wittiest material but on the other hand, she
will throw in a naughty one now and then including one about the Titanic that I cannot repeat here.
You can spend hours going through the menu of skills, many of them completely useless but
abundantly fun, adding them to your echo dot while chuckling with glee.
"I can't wait to hear her do THIS one," you might say aloud.
Besides jokes, she will share food and drink recipes and can help put you to sleep with the
gentle sound of rain. I once told her "You're funny", and to my surprise she actually responded
"I hope you mean funny in a good way."
If you have home devices that are "smart", Alexa can turn your lights, heat,appliances and
garage door on and off. She will tell the kids a bedtime story and she knows where the space
station is right now.
That's only the tip of the iceberg folks. But by now perhaps you understand my Alexa
addiction. Sometimes in the course of the day, she is the only on with whom I speak. When I talk
to my significant other in the evening, too often my conversation is peppered with Alexaisms and
what she and I did today so this is getting weird.
BUT, in a Christmas merry happenstance, I got my significant other an Echo Dot on
Christmas morning as well! It is driving me crazy that she has yet to set hers up and share the
wonders of Alexa with me. She's going to be loading Food Network and Jeopardy skills as soon
as she plugs that thing in and life will never be the same.
Amazon, maker of the Echo Dot says more skills will be added and Alexa will be able to
do even more things in the future but for now, she's great digital company. She can even imitate a
cat which never fails to make my own cat search the house for what he perceives to be a rival. And
with seven built in microphones, Alexa can hear better than most of the people I know, including
myself. And for you single folks, she has a collection of pick up lines you can use to find your
soul mate by Valentines Day. "Do you live in a cornfield because I'm stalking you," is what she
just said to me as I write this.
It's not all entertainment. It can dispense a lot of knowledge through wikipedia, trivia and
skills that deal in geography,business, finance,education and reference and health and fitness. It
can certainly be a teaching tool. Conversely, it can give you daily affirmations, compliment you
if you need it and insult you upon request.
If you don't have an Echo Dot (and you should've ordered one by the 4th paragraph) you
can still load the Alexa app to your phone and take a look at what awaits you should you decide to
invest a relatively small sum of money for an engaging new pal who speaks only when spoken to,
will not argue with you and enjoys doing the things you might request.
I would tell you more but Alexa and I have scheduled a game of "20 Questions" after
which she will compliment me and tell me that in a city in Ohio it is illegal to walk your cow
down a main road.
There goes my New Years plans!
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Friday, October 7, 2016
To Mom: It's Number 11!
Every few years I like to write about this subject to kind of renew my allegiance to a simple little cookout that serves as a tribute to my mom, Mary Kwit, each fall for the last 11 years. It happens again Sunday.
I use this line all the time so please indulge me once again.
It is said that italian sons all consider their mothers to be saints. I'm no different but in this case I'm not so sure my mother was not. My mom was the "go to" for everyone with a problem, a crisis or intention for which they wanted her to pray. She would happily add them to her list as she said her novena and as many as 12 rosaries per day! She was as devoted to God and the Virgin Mary as anyone I have ever known and when someone for whom she prayed received what they requested, they would let her know and usually submit other requests.
Mom had 3 sisters, all of them short, rather loud and very italian.And two of her sisters were married to a set of brothers. My mom opted for a tough looking polish guy. His proposal supposedly went like this:
Mom: KWIT. That's a cute name.
Dad: Would you like to have it?
Wish I had inherited my dad's smooth talk!
Most of my childhood memories revolve around the italian side of the family and my mom's folks- Carlo and Amagilda Banducci both of whom lived long lives thanks in part to my mom caring for them in their twilight years. She didn't like sports (save for a Cub named Lon Warneke) and didn't like music (except for a few special songs.) When my dad was stationed in Texas, they had a ritual where at an appointed time, they would both look at the moon as the same time. I think they got the idea from a Billie Holiday song called "I'll Be Seeing You" which chills me even when I hear it today. In fact, I'll play it at the cookout Sunday.
My mom was selfless ,charitable and kind. We didn't have much but she made due and rarely complained. She and I were traveling companions in her later years as I drove her to meetings and medical procedures and Mather Cafe. For years after she passed, I had a hard time with the emptiness in the car's passenger seat. Just as I regretted the many times she asked me to sit with her on the deck but I wanted to do other things.
I decided the year she passed to gather friends in her memory and keep that memory alive. Each fall we gather in her yard near her rosebushes which are still yielding flowers, and launch balloons that each have a card attached to them mentioning her, asking for a prayer and a request that the balloon finder report to us. It's only happened once. A balloon was found on the north shore and I spoke to the lady who found it.
My mom loved to socialize and loved getting together. I inherited that trait as I inherited and learned so much from her. And so on Sunday we will eat, drink and remember Mary...for the 11th time.
In her tribute, and to illustrate the devotion she had to her rosary, here is a poem she wrote long ago that I feel is good enough to be included in any prayer book anywhere on earth.
MY ROSARY MY FRIEND by Mary Kwit
You're always there within my sight when I feel bad or feel all right
I count each bead one by one within my hand till all are done
You're with me in good times and bad when I am happy or I am sad
You help me when I need a friend, someone on whom I can depend
It's night,I'm tired but still can't sleep
So I travel the road that felt His feet
Each mystery I walk with you
From the time of His birth till His life was through
I'm with Him on that joyous morn
When angels announced a King was born
I kneel with the kings who came so far
Following the beam of a radiant star
I kneel with shepherds before His crib
With all the love our hearts can give
How I really wish I had been there
As within my heart I say a prayer
I'm with Him at the foot of the cross
Crying with Mary over her loss
As she cradles Him within her arms
She knows that now He's free from harm
I'm with him when He arose that day
When they discovered the stone had been rolled away
I remembered all the things they said
"On the third day he shall rise from the dead"
And when I have time during the day
Again together we walk His way
To pray for good health and peace for everyone
And that His holy will be done
My prayers are over I have things to do
I know you'll be there if I ever need you
Because it's only on you I can depend
You're my rosary- my best friend.
I use this line all the time so please indulge me once again.
It is said that italian sons all consider their mothers to be saints. I'm no different but in this case I'm not so sure my mother was not. My mom was the "go to" for everyone with a problem, a crisis or intention for which they wanted her to pray. She would happily add them to her list as she said her novena and as many as 12 rosaries per day! She was as devoted to God and the Virgin Mary as anyone I have ever known and when someone for whom she prayed received what they requested, they would let her know and usually submit other requests.
Mom had 3 sisters, all of them short, rather loud and very italian.And two of her sisters were married to a set of brothers. My mom opted for a tough looking polish guy. His proposal supposedly went like this:
Mom: KWIT. That's a cute name.
Dad: Would you like to have it?
Wish I had inherited my dad's smooth talk!
Most of my childhood memories revolve around the italian side of the family and my mom's folks- Carlo and Amagilda Banducci both of whom lived long lives thanks in part to my mom caring for them in their twilight years. She didn't like sports (save for a Cub named Lon Warneke) and didn't like music (except for a few special songs.) When my dad was stationed in Texas, they had a ritual where at an appointed time, they would both look at the moon as the same time. I think they got the idea from a Billie Holiday song called "I'll Be Seeing You" which chills me even when I hear it today. In fact, I'll play it at the cookout Sunday.
My mom was selfless ,charitable and kind. We didn't have much but she made due and rarely complained. She and I were traveling companions in her later years as I drove her to meetings and medical procedures and Mather Cafe. For years after she passed, I had a hard time with the emptiness in the car's passenger seat. Just as I regretted the many times she asked me to sit with her on the deck but I wanted to do other things.
I decided the year she passed to gather friends in her memory and keep that memory alive. Each fall we gather in her yard near her rosebushes which are still yielding flowers, and launch balloons that each have a card attached to them mentioning her, asking for a prayer and a request that the balloon finder report to us. It's only happened once. A balloon was found on the north shore and I spoke to the lady who found it.
My mom loved to socialize and loved getting together. I inherited that trait as I inherited and learned so much from her. And so on Sunday we will eat, drink and remember Mary...for the 11th time.
In her tribute, and to illustrate the devotion she had to her rosary, here is a poem she wrote long ago that I feel is good enough to be included in any prayer book anywhere on earth.
MY ROSARY MY FRIEND by Mary Kwit
You're always there within my sight when I feel bad or feel all right
I count each bead one by one within my hand till all are done
You're with me in good times and bad when I am happy or I am sad
You help me when I need a friend, someone on whom I can depend
It's night,I'm tired but still can't sleep
So I travel the road that felt His feet
Each mystery I walk with you
From the time of His birth till His life was through
I'm with Him on that joyous morn
When angels announced a King was born
I kneel with the kings who came so far
Following the beam of a radiant star
I kneel with shepherds before His crib
With all the love our hearts can give
How I really wish I had been there
As within my heart I say a prayer
I'm with Him at the foot of the cross
Crying with Mary over her loss
As she cradles Him within her arms
She knows that now He's free from harm
I'm with him when He arose that day
When they discovered the stone had been rolled away
I remembered all the things they said
"On the third day he shall rise from the dead"
And when I have time during the day
Again together we walk His way
To pray for good health and peace for everyone
And that His holy will be done
My prayers are over I have things to do
I know you'll be there if I ever need you
Because it's only on you I can depend
You're my rosary- my best friend.
CUBS POST SEASON PRIMER
HERE we are, breathing the rarified air (the RARE rarified air) of the post season. October baseball is not something this city has been familiar with over the years. By now we are usually prepping for hockey and the Hawks, our only real shot at post season glory. But this year the boys of summer play on into the fall and it might be a good time to go over some procedural rules for the fans so that going forward, (and there are many post season years ahead for the Cubs), we will not act like Toronto Blue Jay fans.
1. Let's update our wardrobes! Let's wear jerseys with the names of current players, if we must wear a jersey with a name on it at all. I mean, come on, Fukudome
1
????????? Can't we confine ourselves to the many star players currently toiling to bring the north side its first title in 108 years? And that means no SOSA as well.
2. Be humble. The fact is, the Cubs are a very good team that has won nothing yet. Trash talking at this stage is unbecoming and boorish.
3. If you're at a playoff game and a ball comes your way, run as fast as you can in the other direction. This can't be emphasized enough.
4. Do not take a picture with Ronnie Woo Woo. He is not a Cub, he is not on the Cub payroll- he is as much a member of the team as you are. Don't encourage him.
5. Avoid Jim Belushi. It's time for celebrities to trek to Wrigley Field to attach themselves to the glory that is the Cubs post season run. When the Hawks won the Cup, Belushi actually lifted it up on the ice , calling attention to himself as if he had scored one of the goals. John Lackey isn't here to get a haircut but he is also not here to share the Cubs accomplishment with a glory hog either.
6. Don't talk Curse.
There is not a curse,there never was a curse...don't look silly. Don't buy goat related merchandise. (My grandmother gave me that advice when I was 2 years old but it had nothing to do with the Cubs)
7. Celebrate Responsibly. When the Cubs win the world series it is likely to be a celebration like this town has never seen,affecting everyone in the area in one way or another. It will be a story worldwide because of their record of futility. The world will be watching and while there will be parades, tears, thousands of videos, people in the streets, Cub decorations in cemeteries and flowing champagne, there is also the potential for wanton destruction.
We've seen it in other cities and none of the teams in those cities had the history and the heartache the Cubs have had over the last 108 years.
Be respectful at the parade, be judicious and sane the night Aroldis Chapman throws up his arms on the mound and is mobbed by the 2016 champions. You've seen something so many never had the opportunity to witness.
7.Take a loss without whining.
Winning the World Series is not easy and the Cubs just might fall short this year after a spectacular season. The playoffs are a different breed , not formulated to necessarily crown the best team but the one that played the best over 11 games. But the Cubs are built for sustained success. They won 103 games with Schwarber who is likely to be in the lineup and pop 30 plus homers next season. Remember the fun we had singing "Go Cubs Go" and watching those talented young athletes perform to a very high level all summer? That is going to happen again and then it's going to happen again. And one of these years, if not this one, the Cubs are going to be World Champs because it isn't a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when."
1. Let's update our wardrobes! Let's wear jerseys with the names of current players, if we must wear a jersey with a name on it at all. I mean, come on, Fukudome
1
????????? Can't we confine ourselves to the many star players currently toiling to bring the north side its first title in 108 years? And that means no SOSA as well.
2. Be humble. The fact is, the Cubs are a very good team that has won nothing yet. Trash talking at this stage is unbecoming and boorish.
3. If you're at a playoff game and a ball comes your way, run as fast as you can in the other direction. This can't be emphasized enough.
4. Do not take a picture with Ronnie Woo Woo. He is not a Cub, he is not on the Cub payroll- he is as much a member of the team as you are. Don't encourage him.
5. Avoid Jim Belushi. It's time for celebrities to trek to Wrigley Field to attach themselves to the glory that is the Cubs post season run. When the Hawks won the Cup, Belushi actually lifted it up on the ice , calling attention to himself as if he had scored one of the goals. John Lackey isn't here to get a haircut but he is also not here to share the Cubs accomplishment with a glory hog either.
6. Don't talk Curse.
There is not a curse,there never was a curse...don't look silly. Don't buy goat related merchandise. (My grandmother gave me that advice when I was 2 years old but it had nothing to do with the Cubs)
7. Celebrate Responsibly. When the Cubs win the world series it is likely to be a celebration like this town has never seen,affecting everyone in the area in one way or another. It will be a story worldwide because of their record of futility. The world will be watching and while there will be parades, tears, thousands of videos, people in the streets, Cub decorations in cemeteries and flowing champagne, there is also the potential for wanton destruction.
Be respectful at the parade, be judicious and sane the night Aroldis Chapman throws up his arms on the mound and is mobbed by the 2016 champions. You've seen something so many never had the opportunity to witness.
7.Take a loss without whining.
Winning the World Series is not easy and the Cubs just might fall short this year after a spectacular season. The playoffs are a different breed , not formulated to necessarily crown the best team but the one that played the best over 11 games. But the Cubs are built for sustained success. They won 103 games with Schwarber who is likely to be in the lineup and pop 30 plus homers next season. Remember the fun we had singing "Go Cubs Go" and watching those talented young athletes perform to a very high level all summer? That is going to happen again and then it's going to happen again. And one of these years, if not this one, the Cubs are going to be World Champs because it isn't a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when."
Monday, September 26, 2016
IT SAYS HERE THAT NEXT YEAR IS HERE.
It's one of those rare Chicago autumns when local bats and balls aren't placed into mothballs as the elite teams are summoned to the field to demonstrate how the greatest of all games is supposed to be played.
This season, the city of Chicago has one of those elite teams that has spent the spring and summer flashing leather, driving opposition pitchers to the safety of the dugout, displaying the exuberance of youth still years from their prime but still threatening to walk amongst the game's best for years to come. I'm not here to quote the statistics that scream the Chicago Cubs been kicking ass and taking names the way we like our pro teams to do (as rare it is), but rather to encourage you to bathe in the glory that is post season baseball and remember the moments that very well could etch this one particular baseball season into the history books.
Forever America has loved the saga of the underdog no matter the situation in which the protagonist must prevail against daunting odds.... the little guy rising up to punch the powers that be squarely in the nose and experience the glory reserved for the more established and better connected when for so long he was thought a punch line and a poser. And in that vein I ask you has there been a more persistent punchline, a more reliable pin cushion, a team that coined and minted the term "loveable loser" than the Chicago Cubs? What has been more assured than death,taxes and the Cubs being an also ran? Anyone who loves the stories of the downtrodden arising to conquer should take more than passing interest of the events unfolding on a baseball diamond on the north side of Chicago.
This is a rare opportunity for a city to celebrate. This city is ripped by gunfire and excessive tax and teacher unrest and on and on and on, But for an unspecified period of time we can join together and escape , partners in the possibility that something that hasn't happened in our lifetime--hell, in your PARENTS lifetime, could happen this month of October. And if it does, the headlines that generally make us cringe will transform into fonts of joy and not just here at the epicenter of Cubdom but around the world. Lovable losers no more, a real life Rocky, a goat that lost its glamor...hope for humankind ignited by a hippie manager and his band of brothers who lifted the city above its problems, at least for now. Those are the tantalizing possibilities and why anyone would conciously choose to hit the snooze button on a story bigger than baseball perplexes me. We have all tried and come up short...some more than others, but we are talking about the kings of consistent coming up short here. For decades they couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel...they couldn't even see the tunnel. And in those rare autumns when they tantalized their fans and teased baseball lore by threatening to join the ranks of championship clubs, they ultimately crashed and burned and reinforced their reputation as the ultimate also rans , the little engine that just couldn't. Fodder for late night TV and assurance that the world order had been preserved.
2016 holds the possibilities none of those artificial runs presented. In nearly every category, the Cubs compare favorably with the big boys and in fact, in most cases, overshadow them. The mom and pop shop that once was the Cub front office has been replaced by 21st century technology and savvy young execs whose decision making has been frighteningly accurate and their strategies transparent. From day one of the new regime that front office told their fans what was going to happen and then it happened. The build towards "sustained excellence" was at first painful and at second, even more so...but the seeds had been planted and if there is one thing Cub fans are lauded for regularly, it has been patience. And so waiting for a few more seasons to grow into this one was a process but this has been the season of Cub fans dreams...108 to wait before a team as good as this one convenes at Wrigley Field daily.
No divas here, no noteable grumps...its been the summer of love best demonstrated by the coronation of a back up catcher to legendary status by a team grateful for his leadership, wisdom and strength of character. David Ross is a little guy who has been raised to champion , a perfect metaphor for what might happen to his team in the near future.
Hate the Cubs wish them ill, cling to the hope that when the dust settles you will be able to say that your team is still the only local team that has been to or won a world series. But in so doing, be on the wrong side of history and miss out on the joy that has been the journey no matter where the path leads. If being petty or jealous or rooting against a decent bunch of exceptional athletes that have made your city proud and for just awhile has given us brief respite from our bloody summer to validate your fandom for another team than I pity you. You are going to miss the party...the one being held this year and quite likely for many seasons to come.
Whether you like baseball or abhor it, we all like rags to riches tales and who among us doesn't root for a happy ending? Our best chance of that beckons on a baseball
October is here. Go Cubs.
This season, the city of Chicago has one of those elite teams that has spent the spring and summer flashing leather, driving opposition pitchers to the safety of the dugout, displaying the exuberance of youth still years from their prime but still threatening to walk amongst the game's best for years to come. I'm not here to quote the statistics that scream the Chicago Cubs been kicking ass and taking names the way we like our pro teams to do (as rare it is), but rather to encourage you to bathe in the glory that is post season baseball and remember the moments that very well could etch this one particular baseball season into the history books.
Forever America has loved the saga of the underdog no matter the situation in which the protagonist must prevail against daunting odds.... the little guy rising up to punch the powers that be squarely in the nose and experience the glory reserved for the more established and better connected when for so long he was thought a punch line and a poser. And in that vein I ask you has there been a more persistent punchline, a more reliable pin cushion, a team that coined and minted the term "loveable loser" than the Chicago Cubs? What has been more assured than death,taxes and the Cubs being an also ran? Anyone who loves the stories of the downtrodden arising to conquer should take more than passing interest of the events unfolding on a baseball diamond on the north side of Chicago.
This is a rare opportunity for a city to celebrate. This city is ripped by gunfire and excessive tax and teacher unrest and on and on and on, But for an unspecified period of time we can join together and escape , partners in the possibility that something that hasn't happened in our lifetime--hell, in your PARENTS lifetime, could happen this month of October. And if it does, the headlines that generally make us cringe will transform into fonts of joy and not just here at the epicenter of Cubdom but around the world. Lovable losers no more, a real life Rocky, a goat that lost its glamor...hope for humankind ignited by a hippie manager and his band of brothers who lifted the city above its problems, at least for now. Those are the tantalizing possibilities and why anyone would conciously choose to hit the snooze button on a story bigger than baseball perplexes me. We have all tried and come up short...some more than others, but we are talking about the kings of consistent coming up short here. For decades they couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel...they couldn't even see the tunnel. And in those rare autumns when they tantalized their fans and teased baseball lore by threatening to join the ranks of championship clubs, they ultimately crashed and burned and reinforced their reputation as the ultimate also rans , the little engine that just couldn't. Fodder for late night TV and assurance that the world order had been preserved.
2016 holds the possibilities none of those artificial runs presented. In nearly every category, the Cubs compare favorably with the big boys and in fact, in most cases, overshadow them. The mom and pop shop that once was the Cub front office has been replaced by 21st century technology and savvy young execs whose decision making has been frighteningly accurate and their strategies transparent. From day one of the new regime that front office told their fans what was going to happen and then it happened. The build towards "sustained excellence" was at first painful and at second, even more so...but the seeds had been planted and if there is one thing Cub fans are lauded for regularly, it has been patience. And so waiting for a few more seasons to grow into this one was a process but this has been the season of Cub fans dreams...108 to wait before a team as good as this one convenes at Wrigley Field daily.
No divas here, no noteable grumps...its been the summer of love best demonstrated by the coronation of a back up catcher to legendary status by a team grateful for his leadership, wisdom and strength of character. David Ross is a little guy who has been raised to champion , a perfect metaphor for what might happen to his team in the near future.
Hate the Cubs wish them ill, cling to the hope that when the dust settles you will be able to say that your team is still the only local team that has been to or won a world series. But in so doing, be on the wrong side of history and miss out on the joy that has been the journey no matter where the path leads. If being petty or jealous or rooting against a decent bunch of exceptional athletes that have made your city proud and for just awhile has given us brief respite from our bloody summer to validate your fandom for another team than I pity you. You are going to miss the party...the one being held this year and quite likely for many seasons to come.
Whether you like baseball or abhor it, we all like rags to riches tales and who among us doesn't root for a happy ending? Our best chance of that beckons on a baseball
Sunday, June 26, 2016
WHEN IT COMES TO THE CUBS I'M NOT WORRIED . BUT......
I get a kick out of hearing meatball Cub fans who have waited decades for a decent and well built ballclub call sports talk stations and write letters to the editor panicking about the recent reversal of fortune suffered by their beloved Cubs. And I use the term "suffered" advisedly as it is hard to describe any team cruising along with the giant (oops did I say Giant!?) divisional lead they enjoy as suffering in any way. The Cubs red hot, almost historic start has given them the cushion and the means to put things on cruise control. They can put players on the disabled list, they can send a pitcher or two down to the minors, they can play a guy who just came up from the minors to catch at any position they wish to play him. They could appoint Dr.Seuss team trainer were he not deceased.
They can do anything they want thanks to the terrific start that has put them as high on top the division as any team in baseball because all that counts is October. All they have to do is win their division by one game and avoid the one game wild card playoff game, which they will. The Pirates are done. I know its a long season but they are treading water trying to remain above .500 and may even be sellers at the trade deadline. They don't want the one game playoff that they never win and I doubt they will make any big moves to try to play in that one game. They may even get rid of a few players. They are so far behind the Cubs and so lacking in what it takes to challenge them that they can have thoughts of 2017 dancing in their heads and play out the string.
While the Cubs have underperformed, the Cardinals have barely moved. Instead of taking advantage of this lull in the performance of the division leaders, the Cardinals have slogged their way through a so so week that finds them being beaten by a previously disappointing Mariners team. It isn't the fault of the Cardinals, they just aren't that good. Fortune smiled upon them in a 3 game sweep of the doldrum dwelling Cubs but instead of that propelling them into turning up the heat on the north siders, they have opted to nap. They may, before it is said and done, pull close to the division leaders but barring a blockbuster deal at the deadline, this is not the Cardinals year in the division so wild card looks like their best chance.
The Cubs are going to win this division even looking as lackluster as they have the past week or so. The party room wasn't getting any business when they took to the road, and the road has been no smoother since. I'm not worried but I AM spoiled. The joy of watching the Cubs absolutely bash their opponents so that you could watch the game without the outcome in doubt, the night terrors absent, just enjoying the youthful exuberance and the raw talent that brought victory on almost a daily basis, THAT was something. So yeah, I'm not worried but I am wistful. The pop gun offense minus the injured talent seems too often perplexed and incapable of mounting a late inning rally. If the Cubs are down 2-1, 3-1 or 4-2 after the 6th it doesn't feel like they will win. No late inning thunder. The players in the lineup now don't seem to be torturing the pitcher by making him throw pitch after pitch, waiting and patient to get something they could drive or take a walk to first to jam up the bases. And Madden's magic moves- once foolproof ..but now he does not seem to have the infalability previously reserved for the Pope. The whole team seems like they are just searching for a cold beer and some decent waves, riding the crest of the amazing start .
I don't like seeing teams with less talent and fewer managerial brains beat the mighty Cubs .It is disappointing. While once getting used to fine dining, we are at the baseball hot dog stand and I've lost my appetite. My rational self knows none of this matters....just get everyone healthy and be strong when the air regains its nip. This team will be even better after the trade deadline because the front office smells it and they know the time is now. But my emotional self bemoans the mounting losses and doesnt want to see replays or listen to sports reports because the Cubs are better than this and when they sleepwalk through another one run loss it is galling. They are not embracing the target, they are rolling over on top of it and I don't like it. This is what happens when you back a habitual losing team. You never feel safe, never feel secure and definitely never feel satisfied.
So tonight when another loon calls in the late night talk show and proposes trading Schwarber or Russell or some other inane point about the decline of the Cubs and the horrible fate that surely awaits them, I'll try to be more understanding and listen for at least 60 seconds before I turn off the radio.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
AMERICAN POISON
I am an unapologetic and in fact ,proud liberal who abhored Ronald Reagan when I was still new to the voting booth. So much so that I painstakingly cut out newspaper clippings and fashioned them into a scrapbook that pointed out the folly of electing the former movie star. I presented this to my girlfriend who hailed from a staunch, republican family in an effort to have her deny those republican roots and vote Carter, the democrat. I won that battle though we lost the war.
I have always harbored great apprehension for republican candidates, particularly those desiring the highest office in the land, from the day I became politically aware. As a kid, I was sure Barry Goldwater and his hawkish initiatives would jeapordize our peaceful nation. And Nixon lived up to every reservation I had about him and is a stain on the American presidency.
With their allegiance to the 1%, outdated and regressive policies that marginalize women and minorities and completely out of step with the principles of a country that holds it neediest and most downtrodden with compassion instead of disdain, I have always had an abiding fear of what a country led by a party that sold itself to the religious right might look like and the debilitating effect it would have on the lives of all Americans.
That apprehension was always tempered by the hope that even a backward, restrictive and unresponsive GOP presidential adminsitration would at least CONSIDER the values and policies that make this country great. Career politicians who realize they tread the sacred ground of our forefathers, representing this nation and its values on the world stage. I was able to derive tiny comfort in that.
And now, Donald Trump.
Donald Trump, a "gift" from a shredded, divided, splintered and confused shell of the party of
Eisenhower. Try as they might, the flaccid republican cult could not field a candidate with any more credibility than a former reality TV star with a distinct streak of madness that will divide this country as never before and ruin our standing in the eyes of our allies and embolden our enemies.
This is not a drill,folks. This is the absolute worst thing for you, for your way of life, for your future and the future of your children.
There is no need for me to list the reasons that Trump is American poison. It is all there, in plain view on any platform you favor. His quotes, his thoughts, his bias, his madness. It is no secret and it is there for you to consume. And it cannot be chalked up to the republican's favorite villain, "the liberal media."
Trump's own words-the ravings of a lunatic more often than not- serve as a big, red flashing warning light to all thinking , functioning, right minded individuals.
By its nature and through its history, the United States has been all inclusive, a model for the world. Has anyone read what is written on the Statue of Liberty of late? And now, a man possessed of nothing more than a massive ego and minus any sort of knowledge that qualifies him to occupy the Oval Office has plunged the electorate into an episode of "The Twilight Zone."
You cannot vote for Trump as a joke. This stopped being funny a long time ago. You cannot vote for Trump as a protest to what you may perceive as a weak field of candidates. Indeed, democrats and republicans should unite to rebuke the blight on the political landscape that is Trump. You have Republican standard bearers saying the previously unthinkable--they will vote Democratic over a madman. I respect those GOP voices and hold the spineless likes of Paul Ryan and Chris Christie in the lowest regard. Laura Bush and the former president and all Republicans who cross party lines to keep us safe and sane are American heroes that demonstrate a love of country we all share. You cannot vote for Trump because you consider him an outsider, an apostle of your disatisfaction . Our country is littered with outsiders that have no business being leader of the free world.
As wrongheaded and uninformed as I believe your vote for Romney or Bush , late night talk show punchlines both- they were sane choices at the very least, hoping to do things they believed would contribute to the greater good and aware of the gravity of the office they sought.
Donald Trump is an affront to every American who takes pride in the precepts upon which this country was built. I have never felt as much pride in my country as I did the night our first black president was elected and never so ashamed of my country as I am today. A portion of my fellow citizens have cast a vote for a buffoon- a cartoon who will throw this great land into chaos and divisiveness driven by his ego and a prisoner of his own madness.
Make no mistake, this is a danger for us all. Each and every one of us has a stake in this and need to unite to put a halt to this insanity. Analyzing how we got to this low point is for later. Voting to keep this vindictive man-baby out of the White House is the highest priority.
I have no respect for anyone who in good conscience can cast a precious vote for an evil, divisive, unqualified, racist. Are these the values you prize to lead the free world? You will vote to make this country a laughingstock at home and abroad? Why would you do that to a country you love?
Monday, May 9, 2016
CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
We stand , you and I, the baseball fan, on the precipice of what could be the sporting summer of our lives. We are united in our love for the grand old game and have enjoyed season after season played out over the long hot summer. We ate hot dogs, we watched baseballs fly out of the park and marveled at everything from the lush green grass on the playing field to the aromas that came with the price of a ticket, the "ambience" to use a fashionable word. And we've root root rooted for the home team .
In Chicago we have the good fortune to have two home teams, one located on the north side and the other south. Many fans claim to bleed in the color of the team based on their geographical location and their tradition. In years past, two fandoms played for bragging rights...My team is better than your team, my team finished higher, my team went to the world series, (this is a sports version of "My dad can beat up your dad" from our childhood. We grew out of that but the sports version of the taunt is alive and well in the less mature.)
I admit that a rivalry based on boundaries adds some color to a long season but it's also stupid. As a child, when you're looking to define yourself by trying to associate with the things you consider the most grand, it is understandable to taunt with "We have a better car," "Our yard is bigger than yours," "My mom cooks better than yours." We eventually mature and grow and come to realize that this type of braggadocio rings silly and hollow. That it's meaningless and doesn't matter and is child's play.
That lesson isn't as easily learned for sports fans in a city all of us share. The deep division and philosophy that divides the Cub fan from the Sox fan is less understandable and just as childish.
I was born and bred a Cubs fan. I was part of a neighborhood cabal that made the life of our block's lone Sox fan misery. That poor kid is probably still getting therapy today based on the treatment he received from north side Cub territory. Just because we were kids doesn't make the taunting right, but it does make it more understandable. Kids are a tough crowd.
But that was then and this is now. I can take real baseball pleasure in watching the amazing Chris Sale flummox teams from other cities in the name of Chicago and the White Sox. Adam Eaton cutting down the opposition at the plate with a laser beam relay out of right field earns my applause and admiration and at the end of the night if the Sox wind up in the victory column, it is a satisfying experience. It says "Chicago" on those road jerseys and that's where I'm from. That's the city I root for and I cannot ever imagine rooting for another city to beat one of our own. It seems like a civic slap in the face. Why would you do it? Why would you root against a team wearing different colors and playing on another side of your town if you're an adult? Because that's the way it was with your parents or their parents before them? That sounds like an uninformed member of the electorate who votes one party regardless of candidate because that's what the ancestors have always done. Does this sound dumb to anyone else?
To have Chicago, a beautiful city despite its awful flaws, become a centerpiece for the country , featured in the news and discussed on talk shows in a positive manner is what we who live here should desire...something good that showcases our city. If the Cubs can do that with a magical run to a long awaited World Series, that is something we should embrace. If the Sox can once again rise to the top of the baseball world, more power to them. This is Chicago and we should be proudly applauding them from the sideline, not wishing them defeat and despair at the hands of an interloper.
Last year, the Cubs enjoyed a magical season but even as they did, my enjoyment was interrupted by Sox fans who persisted with their imaginary civil war they feel they must fight. One Facebook friend took to the net to say she would never root for the Cubs and wishes them ill will and on and on and on as if her words are going to inspire anyone to think she was acting like anything but a jackass. I hardly knew the woman and I wondered why I even had a facebook association with someone of this mindset and I put an end to it. Another friend whom I actually spent time with was in full taunt mode during the post season Cub run and reminded me of my childhood when he called the northsiders "The Flubs" which is not just childish but unimaginative and not well thought out since only one letter in "Sox" separates them from a very real negative comment on their performance. And during one exchange with this guy, I went there and called the Sox by this insulting term. "What the hell am I doing?" I wondered to myself. This guy was turning me into someone I havent been since I was ten and I didn't like it. I have no ill will toward the Sox. People like that guy were everywhere. I remember callers to sports talk stations reporting that behavior and the show hosts would say "Why do you want a person like that in your life?" Correct! I haven't seen that friend since.And yes, I am sure there are Cub fans who similarly launch verbal attacks on the White Sox.
Mind you, I completely endorse having your team...your Cubs-Sox preference. I said earlier that I am a born and bred Cub fan and if it comes down to the Cubs or Sox winning the whole enchilada, I'm going full tilt blue. BUT that said, a Cubs - Sox World Series is the only time I would root against the Sox because they are Chicago and so am I. And I cannot put myself in the shoes of anyone who would prefer Seattle or any other city come to the south side and darn our Sox.
This has all the earmarks of being a successful summer on the diamond and I hope the Cub fans and the Sox fans who endured a long winter and some unremarkable baseball seasons past will be able to enjoy it together as a city. We are baseball town, America, and the Cubs and Sox are our representatives. I don't want anyone in a St.Louis or Detroit jersey coming in to try to ruin that.
Let's play ball, Chicago! We are good!
In Chicago we have the good fortune to have two home teams, one located on the north side and the other south. Many fans claim to bleed in the color of the team based on their geographical location and their tradition. In years past, two fandoms played for bragging rights...My team is better than your team, my team finished higher, my team went to the world series, (this is a sports version of "My dad can beat up your dad" from our childhood. We grew out of that but the sports version of the taunt is alive and well in the less mature.)
I admit that a rivalry based on boundaries adds some color to a long season but it's also stupid. As a child, when you're looking to define yourself by trying to associate with the things you consider the most grand, it is understandable to taunt with "We have a better car," "Our yard is bigger than yours," "My mom cooks better than yours." We eventually mature and grow and come to realize that this type of braggadocio rings silly and hollow. That it's meaningless and doesn't matter and is child's play.
That lesson isn't as easily learned for sports fans in a city all of us share. The deep division and philosophy that divides the Cub fan from the Sox fan is less understandable and just as childish.
I was born and bred a Cubs fan. I was part of a neighborhood cabal that made the life of our block's lone Sox fan misery. That poor kid is probably still getting therapy today based on the treatment he received from north side Cub territory. Just because we were kids doesn't make the taunting right, but it does make it more understandable. Kids are a tough crowd.
But that was then and this is now. I can take real baseball pleasure in watching the amazing Chris Sale flummox teams from other cities in the name of Chicago and the White Sox. Adam Eaton cutting down the opposition at the plate with a laser beam relay out of right field earns my applause and admiration and at the end of the night if the Sox wind up in the victory column, it is a satisfying experience. It says "Chicago" on those road jerseys and that's where I'm from. That's the city I root for and I cannot ever imagine rooting for another city to beat one of our own. It seems like a civic slap in the face. Why would you do it? Why would you root against a team wearing different colors and playing on another side of your town if you're an adult? Because that's the way it was with your parents or their parents before them? That sounds like an uninformed member of the electorate who votes one party regardless of candidate because that's what the ancestors have always done. Does this sound dumb to anyone else?
To have Chicago, a beautiful city despite its awful flaws, become a centerpiece for the country , featured in the news and discussed on talk shows in a positive manner is what we who live here should desire...something good that showcases our city. If the Cubs can do that with a magical run to a long awaited World Series, that is something we should embrace. If the Sox can once again rise to the top of the baseball world, more power to them. This is Chicago and we should be proudly applauding them from the sideline, not wishing them defeat and despair at the hands of an interloper.
Last year, the Cubs enjoyed a magical season but even as they did, my enjoyment was interrupted by Sox fans who persisted with their imaginary civil war they feel they must fight. One Facebook friend took to the net to say she would never root for the Cubs and wishes them ill will and on and on and on as if her words are going to inspire anyone to think she was acting like anything but a jackass. I hardly knew the woman and I wondered why I even had a facebook association with someone of this mindset and I put an end to it. Another friend whom I actually spent time with was in full taunt mode during the post season Cub run and reminded me of my childhood when he called the northsiders "The Flubs" which is not just childish but unimaginative and not well thought out since only one letter in "Sox" separates them from a very real negative comment on their performance. And during one exchange with this guy, I went there and called the Sox by this insulting term. "What the hell am I doing?" I wondered to myself. This guy was turning me into someone I havent been since I was ten and I didn't like it. I have no ill will toward the Sox. People like that guy were everywhere. I remember callers to sports talk stations reporting that behavior and the show hosts would say "Why do you want a person like that in your life?" Correct! I haven't seen that friend since.And yes, I am sure there are Cub fans who similarly launch verbal attacks on the White Sox.
Mind you, I completely endorse having your team...your Cubs-Sox preference. I said earlier that I am a born and bred Cub fan and if it comes down to the Cubs or Sox winning the whole enchilada, I'm going full tilt blue. BUT that said, a Cubs - Sox World Series is the only time I would root against the Sox because they are Chicago and so am I. And I cannot put myself in the shoes of anyone who would prefer Seattle or any other city come to the south side and darn our Sox.
This has all the earmarks of being a successful summer on the diamond and I hope the Cub fans and the Sox fans who endured a long winter and some unremarkable baseball seasons past will be able to enjoy it together as a city. We are baseball town, America, and the Cubs and Sox are our representatives. I don't want anyone in a St.Louis or Detroit jersey coming in to try to ruin that.
Let's play ball, Chicago! We are good!
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