Friday, September 10, 2010
It's It! (What Is It?) (The Post Where Other Bloggers Work So I Don't Have To)
It's @gretchencello's birthday today. She's a poet and a little bit strange, but aren't we all? Go here to tell her how awesome she is.
She also posted this:
which is a tremendously sad but very very beautiful and totally appropriate the day before 9/11.
***
The title of the post came from this song by Faith No More-
-which is weird but beautiful, just like @gretchencello.
***
It is the wedding anniversary of two of the bestest who ever was, my brother and sister in law, @couchoud and @jcouchoud, who blogs here. They are suited for one another in an almost frightening sort of way, and have the two cutest kids who ever been borned. So go ahead and tell them they are awesome, too.
***
I'm going to keep saying this until they throw me into the loony bin, but @ordinaryart rocks my BRAIN. Go read this, and if you don't have some kind of reaction, go see your doctor, because I think you're dead.
She also posted this:
which is a tremendously sad but very very beautiful and totally appropriate the day before 9/11.
***
The title of the post came from this song by Faith No More-
-which is weird but beautiful, just like @gretchencello.
***
It is the wedding anniversary of two of the bestest who ever was, my brother and sister in law, @couchoud and @jcouchoud, who blogs here. They are suited for one another in an almost frightening sort of way, and have the two cutest kids who ever been borned. So go ahead and tell them they are awesome, too.
***
I'm going to keep saying this until they throw me into the loony bin, but @ordinaryart rocks my BRAIN. Go read this, and if you don't have some kind of reaction, go see your doctor, because I think you're dead.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Holy moley! My email was on ESPN's Fantasy Focus!
My email was read on Fantasy Focus yesterday!
WOW!
This is insufferably geeky, but it's a thrill.
Feel free to download and listen, or, as @matthewberrytmr would tell you, just download.
WOW!
This is insufferably geeky, but it's a thrill.
Feel free to download and listen, or, as @matthewberrytmr would tell you, just download.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Game 140: The Barn Door, Shutting
Tonight in Boston, Tim Wakefield had a bad day, but Matt Garza had a worse one, as the Red Sox thumped Tampa, 11-5, behind 2 homers from Scu Scu Scutaro, and one each from Yo Adrian and Attention V Mart Shoppers.
100 Words: No Small Parts
It's 100 Word Challenge Time, and here's this week's entry, "No Small Parts"
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” I said.
Marcellus?, I was thinking. 37 lines? I’ve done Othello! I was an understudy, but still! And they have me do MARCELLUS?
I had dreams. I didn’t want to end up doing Shakespeare for yokels in the sticks. And not even the good parts. I’m better than this part, this lousy summer stock life, this stupid two bit town.
What happened to me? To the person I thought I was?
He was waiting for me, having already given me my cue.
“Nay, let’s follow him,” I said.
Marcellus?, I was thinking. 37 lines? I’ve done Othello! I was an understudy, but still! And they have me do MARCELLUS?
I had dreams. I didn’t want to end up doing Shakespeare for yokels in the sticks. And not even the good parts. I’m better than this part, this lousy summer stock life, this stupid two bit town.
What happened to me? To the person I thought I was?
He was waiting for me, having already given me my cue.
“Nay, let’s follow him,” I said.
Perspective
So I'm going from one place to another place, like you do (as @erikjfisher would put it). I had it planned out-there was time enough to get where I needed to go, but not a lot of extra time. That's not usually the way I roll, but that was the way it lined up. So I'm going, and the ONLY way to get across your friend and mine, the Delaware River, the aptly named Burlington-Bristol Bridge, is closed.
F&%k.
So we turn around, and think for a minute, and develop an alternate route. We use it, and get where we're going, no harm, no foul, about 20 minutes late, which turned out not to matter. Another anodyne frustration, right?
So I get home, and I see this , which apparently happened 15 minutes before I came along. There was a two car collision, causing two people to be sent to the hospital.
There's a famous David Foster Wallace speech where he talks about how we tend to view other people as extras in the movies of our lives.
"Because the traffic jams and crowded aisles and long checkout lines give me time to think, and if I don't make a conscious decision about how to think and what to pay attention to, I'm going to be pissed and miserable every time I have to food-shop, because my natural default-setting is the certainty that situations like this are really all about me, about my hungriness and my fatigue and my desire to just get home, and it's going to seem, for all the world, like everybody else is just in my way, and who are all these people in my way?"
Those people are human, just like you and I, and have needs, and wants, and frustrations, just like you and I do. It's easy to forget that.
I hope the people who so grievously inconvenienced me today are OK.
F&%k.
So we turn around, and think for a minute, and develop an alternate route. We use it, and get where we're going, no harm, no foul, about 20 minutes late, which turned out not to matter. Another anodyne frustration, right?
So I get home, and I see this , which apparently happened 15 minutes before I came along. There was a two car collision, causing two people to be sent to the hospital.
There's a famous David Foster Wallace speech where he talks about how we tend to view other people as extras in the movies of our lives.
"Because the traffic jams and crowded aisles and long checkout lines give me time to think, and if I don't make a conscious decision about how to think and what to pay attention to, I'm going to be pissed and miserable every time I have to food-shop, because my natural default-setting is the certainty that situations like this are really all about me, about my hungriness and my fatigue and my desire to just get home, and it's going to seem, for all the world, like everybody else is just in my way, and who are all these people in my way?"
Those people are human, just like you and I, and have needs, and wants, and frustrations, just like you and I do. It's easy to forget that.
I hope the people who so grievously inconvenienced me today are OK.
A Royal Pain
Either Janera is late, or I'm early, or something. But it's Wednesday Wickedness day, and it's actually Wednesday, and things, and stuff. This week's contestant is actual royalty, Prince William of England
1. “I've had lots of kids come up and ask for my autograph, I've had a grandmother stop me and ask me if I know a good place to buy underwear.”Where do you buy your underwear?
Whereever it's on sale.
2. “I'm always open for people saying I'm wrong because most of the time I am.” How often are you wrong?
I'm married. Every minute of every day.
3. “Harry can paint but I can't. He has our father's talent while I, on the other hand, am about the biggest idiot on a piece of canvas. I did do a couple of drawings at Eton which were put on display. Teachers thought they were examples of modern art, but in fact, I was just trying to paint a house!” What was the last thing that you drew?
A map for someone who was lost.
4. “I do think I am a country boy at heart. I love the buzz of towns and going out with friends and sitting with them drinking and whatever -- it's fun -- but, at the same time, I like space and freedom.” How would you describe yourself?
"In no particular order."
5. “I remember her as being a huge inspiration to me, someone to really look up to and admire.” He’s talking about his mom. Who do you admire?
The President. My father.
6. “I think it's very important that you make your own decision about what you are. Therefore you're responsible for your actions, so you don't blame other people.” How do you think you are about taking responsibility for your actions?
Not as good as I should be.
7. “My guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring.” What are your guiding principles?
Tell the truth. Split your kings. Take the underdog at home. Dont take any wooden nickels.
8. “Only the mad girls chase me, I think.” When you were, or if you are, single: What type of people chased you?
Nonexistent ones.
9. “I don't deliberately select my friends because of their background. If I enjoy someone's company, then that's all that counts. I have many different friends who aren't from the same background as me and we get on really well -- it's brilliant.” How do you select your friends?
I dont have any friends.
10. “People say it's not ambitious, but it is actually quite ambitious wanting to help people.” When was the last time that you volunteered to help people?
I did a lot of volunteering at my son's old school.
1. “I've had lots of kids come up and ask for my autograph, I've had a grandmother stop me and ask me if I know a good place to buy underwear.”Where do you buy your underwear?
Whereever it's on sale.
2. “I'm always open for people saying I'm wrong because most of the time I am.” How often are you wrong?
I'm married. Every minute of every day.
3. “Harry can paint but I can't. He has our father's talent while I, on the other hand, am about the biggest idiot on a piece of canvas. I did do a couple of drawings at Eton which were put on display. Teachers thought they were examples of modern art, but in fact, I was just trying to paint a house!” What was the last thing that you drew?
A map for someone who was lost.
4. “I do think I am a country boy at heart. I love the buzz of towns and going out with friends and sitting with them drinking and whatever -- it's fun -- but, at the same time, I like space and freedom.” How would you describe yourself?
"In no particular order."
5. “I remember her as being a huge inspiration to me, someone to really look up to and admire.” He’s talking about his mom. Who do you admire?
The President. My father.
6. “I think it's very important that you make your own decision about what you are. Therefore you're responsible for your actions, so you don't blame other people.” How do you think you are about taking responsibility for your actions?
Not as good as I should be.
7. “My guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring.” What are your guiding principles?
Tell the truth. Split your kings. Take the underdog at home. Dont take any wooden nickels.
8. “Only the mad girls chase me, I think.” When you were, or if you are, single: What type of people chased you?
Nonexistent ones.
9. “I don't deliberately select my friends because of their background. If I enjoy someone's company, then that's all that counts. I have many different friends who aren't from the same background as me and we get on really well -- it's brilliant.” How do you select your friends?
I dont have any friends.
10. “People say it's not ambitious, but it is actually quite ambitious wanting to help people.” When was the last time that you volunteered to help people?
I did a lot of volunteering at my son's old school.
Game 139: Turnabout is Fair Play
In Boston last night, Dice K was hammered by the Rays,winding up on the wrong end of a 14-5 loss. And so it goes.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Game 138: Putting The Smack Down
Long past the point it has any relevance, the Red Sox put the smack down on the Rays, 12-5 yesterday at Fenway, featuring homers from Yo Adrian, Ay Papi, and young Master Kalish.
Pick me! Pick me! Pick ME!....Oh, you did pick me?....Alright, then.
With deep honor and gratitude, I learned that the editors of 52/250 Flash, a weekly collection of short fiction, selected 'lil ol me, and my piece, "Dreamers Learn To Steer By The Stars", for web publication in "thirteen"-their quarterly review. I'm tickled pink (and not just because I got some sun on Sunday). You can find it here.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Tagged Out!
My wife , who is entirely too tolerant, has tagged me with a meme, which she found here. I'm not going to tag anyone, but you may feel free to lift it from me. That's what they are fir, after all.
1. Why did you start blogging?
In 2003, I read about it in Newsweek, I think. I just needed an outlet, and started whining. I didn't start blogging in my current form (pretenses of entertainment) until 2006 or 7.
2. If you could travel anywhere in the world with no restriction of costs, where would it be and why?
Stealing my wife's answer again-London and Europe.
3. Did you have a teacher in school that had a great influence on your life? If so, what?
My English teacher my junior year. She told me I could write, and reminded me that teenage problems are just as significant as any other problems, to the people that are having them.
4. If you could spend the day with a famous person, who would it be, and what would you do?
I'd have to steal my wife's answer-Jimmy Pardo and/or the Never Not Funny gang.
5. Toilet paper – over or under?
I don’t really care.
6. Name one thing in your life that you would do over if possible.
I wouldn't have gone to the college I went to.
7. Tell about your pets – if any.
None. I would like one, but I really don't want the extra work-so that kind of rules that right out.
8. Do you live in a small town or a large town. (You don’t have to name the town.)
"I was born in a small town, and I live in a small town..."
1. Why did you start blogging?
In 2003, I read about it in Newsweek, I think. I just needed an outlet, and started whining. I didn't start blogging in my current form (pretenses of entertainment) until 2006 or 7.
2. If you could travel anywhere in the world with no restriction of costs, where would it be and why?
Stealing my wife's answer again-London and Europe.
3. Did you have a teacher in school that had a great influence on your life? If so, what?
My English teacher my junior year. She told me I could write, and reminded me that teenage problems are just as significant as any other problems, to the people that are having them.
4. If you could spend the day with a famous person, who would it be, and what would you do?
I'd have to steal my wife's answer-Jimmy Pardo and/or the Never Not Funny gang.
5. Toilet paper – over or under?
I don’t really care.
6. Name one thing in your life that you would do over if possible.
I wouldn't have gone to the college I went to.
7. Tell about your pets – if any.
None. I would like one, but I really don't want the extra work-so that kind of rules that right out.
8. Do you live in a small town or a large town. (You don’t have to name the town.)
"I was born in a small town, and I live in a small town..."
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Tomorrow is Microfiction Monday, But You Get To Read It Today: "Adventure Cruise"
This one is called "Adventure Cruise"
Johnson went over, then Charles.
Cap tried to save Jenkins, waves took them both.
I really shouldn’t have asked for the “Adventure Cruise”.
Game 137: Walking On Sunshine...Of A Sort
With the Red Sox leading 5-3 in the top of the ninth, and Jonathan Papelbon on the hill, victory seems assured, right?
Right.
However, Papelbon, Dustin Richardson, and Robert Manuel combined to walk 5 hitters in the ninth inning, handing Chicago a 7-5 victory.
Right.
However, Papelbon, Dustin Richardson, and Robert Manuel combined to walk 5 hitters in the ninth inning, handing Chicago a 7-5 victory.
Games 135 and 136: Double Trouble
Yesterday at Fenway, the Red Sox bowed twice to old friend Manny Ramirez and the White Sox, a pair of 3-1 defeats necessitated by Friday's rainout. Sunday features another matchup with the Pale Hose, who will be followed into town by the Naughty Fish for a three game set.
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